28 Days of 2000 AD #16: Daily Star Dredd Pt. 4

Here's week 4 of an unpublished Dredd story I wrote for the Daily Star newspaper strip. Is this plot advancement I see before me? No? Thought not...

DAILY STAR DREDD: The Blackwood Incident • Week Four

Day One

1. Dredd is off his bike and training his gun on Coster, Mort to one side.

Box:
JUDGE DREDD IS IN 1998 TO RECOVER AN UNSTABLE TELEPORTER BEFORE IT CAUSES A TIME IMPLOSION!

Coster:
HOW DID YOU FIND ME?


2. Dredd points at the prototype globe at Coster's side.

Dredd:
YOUR PROTOTYPE IS HIGHLY UNSTABLE, IT'S LEAKING RADIATION. I JUST TRACKED THAT.

Coster:
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU! IT WORKS PERFECTLY!


3. Just Dredd, even more grim-faced than usual if that's possible.

Dredd:
COSTER, RE-ACTIVATE THAT DEVICE AND YOU'LL DIE, ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE WITHIN THREE MILES!



Day Two

1. Coster holds the prototype up in his hands, as a shield from Dredd.

Coster:
IF THIS PROTOTYPE IS UNSTABLE DREDD, YOU CAN'T SHOOT ME IN CASE YOU DAMAGE THE DEVICE.

Link:
NOW WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THE SITUATION?


2. Dredd crouches, putting his Lawgiver back in his boot holster.

Dredd:
I GUESS YOU ARE, PUNK!


3. Dredd dives forward, tackling Coster rugby style. The stolen prototype falls to one side from Coster's hands.

Dredd:
BUT I'M JUDGE DREDD AND I AM THE LAW!



Day Three

1. Dredd and Coster are on the ground, tussling with each other.

Dredd:
I HAVEN'T GOT TIME FOR THIS, COSTER!

Link:
THAT TELEPORTER YOU STOLE WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES!


2. Mortimer picks up the discarded prototype, unwittingly activating it.

Mort:
WHAT IS THIS THING?

SFX;
BZZZZZZZZTT--


3. Mortimer fades out. Dredd reaches out towards him, shouting.

Dredd:
NO, DON'T ACTIVATE IT!

SFX:
BZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz



Day Four

1. Reverse angle of the previous panel, seen over Mort's shoulder.

Box:
"ONE MINUTE I WAS IN 1998 WATCHING THE TWO GUYS FROM THE FUTURE FIGHTING..."


2. Just a ghost image of Mortimer as he teleports through time.

Box:
"...THEN I WAS SURROUNDED BY WHITE LIGHT."


3. Mortimer still a ghost image as he re-appears, now in the Blackwood Research Station. Prof. Coster reacts in the foreground.

Coster:
SOMEBODY'S 'PORTING IN - IT COULD BE DREDD!



Day Five

1. Mortimer is now fully reformed, but in the futuristic laboratory of the Blackwood Research Institute, circa 2120 AD. Prof Coster is shocked.

Box:
"SUDDENLY, I WAS IN THIS STRANGE LABORATORY."

Coster:
WHO ARE YOU? WHERE'S JUDGE DREDD?


2. Mortimer tries to explain, still grasping the prototype in his hands.

Mort:
HE'S IN 1998, FIGHTING THAT WEIRD FELLA FROM THE FUTURE.

Link:
MY NAME'S VINCENT MORTIMER. WHERE AM I?


3. Coster points at the prototype. Mortimer's turn to be shocked.

Coster:
YOU'RE IN THE YEAR 2120 AND YOU'RE HOLDING A TIME BOMB!



Day Six

1. Coster examines the prototype, watched by Mortimer.

Coster:
AMAZING! THE PROTOTYPE SHOULD HAVE IMPLODED WHEN YOU TELEPORTED FROM 1998 TO 2120 AD!

Mort:
GOOD THING FOR ME IT DIDN'T!


2. Coster reaches a horrifying realisation.

Coster:
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! THAT MEANS THE DEVICE I GAVE JUDGE DREDD IS THE UNSTABLE PROTOTYPE...


3. She grabs the bewildered Mortimer by his shoulders.

Coster:
IN LESS THAN 20 MINUTES IT WILL CAUSE A MASSIVE TIME IMPLOSION THAT DESTROYS ALL OF HISTORY!

Link:
MR MORTIMER, YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO 1998 AND SAVE ETERNITY!