#2633: Astronomer Hotline explain

[Cueball, with a headset on, is sitting in an office chair at a desk in front of his computer screen, hands on the keyboard. He receives a call, and the caller’s voice is shown in a jagged frame above Cueball, between his two lines of text.]

Cueball: Hello, Emergency Astronomer Hotline. How would you describe the lights?

Caller on phone: I don’t know! Help!

Cueball: Stay calm. Is it day? If so, that’s the Sun.

[Cueball is now seen en face with the headset, but the computer etc. is not shown. The caller’s voice is now written normally but with zigzag lines going to the text from Cueball’s headphone. Cueball’s reply has a normal line going up to it.]

Caller on phone: No, the Sun set and then the light appeared!

Cueball: Hmm, could be stars. Are they stationary?

Caller on phone: No, they’re all zipping around bushes.

[In a frameless panel, the setting returns to the one from the first panel, with the caller’s voice in jagged frames again.]

Cueball: Aha! Fireflies!

Caller on phone: “Fireflies”?

Cueball: Lightning bugs. Tree blinkers. Ground stars.

Cueball: They’re fine.

Caller on phone: Phew!

[Same setting as first panel, but broader panel. After Cueball’s reply and a short reply from the caller as in the first panel, there is a sound indicating transfer to another hotline. Then to the right there is a square panel with jagged edge, with the voice from the other hotline’s employee.]

Cueball: We don’t know much about them as they’re too fast for our telescopes, but I can transfer you to the Weird Bug Hotline.

Caller on phone: Sure, thanks.

Transfer of call. *Click*

Weird Bug Hotline on phone: Hi, Weird Bug Hotline. Is it currently biting you?