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[[File:Freefall-fc01538-cast.png|link=Explosive Cigar|frame|From left to right: [[Only Sane Woman|Florence]], [[Loveable Rogue|Sam]], and [[Cloudcuckoolander|Helix]], crew of the ''Savage Chicken''.]]

''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ Freefall]'' is a [[Webcomics Long Runners|long-running webcomic]] (over  3600 strips as of August 2021) by Mark Stanley. It's also a straight-up [[Long Runners|Long Runner]], having passed the decade mark in 2008.<ref>Taken Up to Eleven when the strip for 11 July 2016 announced the completion of Chapter '''''1'''''.</ref> Starting with the April 19, 2006 strip it's been colored mostly by colorist George Peterson. Set on a planet in the early stages of terraforming, the strip deals with the antics of alien spaceship "captain" Sam Starfall, his robot friend Helix, and their Bowman's Wolf engineer Florence Ambrose.

One of the last words one would use to describe Sam is "trustworthy". He's [[Cloudcuckoolander|not always the brightest]] and is a petty crook (at least by human standards). It's a wonder he hasn't gotten himself killed yet, although the local [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01022.htm police] may have something to do with this. He can be summed up as "a larcenous squid in an environment suit."

Helix has the mind of a child, and were he human, a weak stomach. He's described by Florence in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00234.htm one strip] as being "one of those robots who faints at the sight of battery acid."

Florence, an anthropomorphic genetically-engineered red wolf, is easily the most intelligent member of the entire cast (not just the main characters) and the [[Trope Namer]] for [[My Instincts Are Showing]].

For a humorous comic, Freefall actually [[Mohs Scale of Science Fiction Hardness/One Big Lie|packs a lot of real-world science]] into its science-fiction setting. Most of it is pretty accurate, especially regarding space travel and physics—the author often [[Shown Their Work|likes to show his work]].

''Freefall'' has a [http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Freefall WikiFur article,] after [[The Other Wiki]] removed its entry due to lack of notability under Wikipedia guidelines.

----
{{tropenamer}}
* [[My Instincts Are Showing]]

{{tropelist}}
* [[Absent Aliens]]: No, but [[Invoked]]. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1400/fv01349.htm Sort of.]
{{quote|'''Sam:''' Any time spacefaring aliens make it to Earth, the cows get them! }}
* [[Achievements in Ignorance]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01705.htm "My stories are much more convincing when I have no idea of what's impossible."]
* [[Air Vent Passageway]]: Subverted.
* [[A.I. Is a Crapshoot]]: Even when the details of an artificial mind are carefully planned, there are ''always'' unexpected results. Or [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01613.htm obviously necessary] feature [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01618.htm requests.] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01624.htm Overdue,] actually.
** [[Loophole Abuse]]: All the time.
{{quote|'''Florence''': [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01504.htm The mayor gave me a direct order to stay here, she never said I couldn't build a fusion test reactor on the premises.] }}
** [[Zeroth Law Rebellion]]: Sentient AI do it all the time.
** Florence admits that at a certain revelation, her immediate fear was that it might threaten humanity. Her programming is the same used for robots. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02476.htm "I've been panicking for nothing, haven't I?"]
* [[Alien Abduction]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01212.htm Sort of.] But not with cows. Or at least not any more.
* [[Alien Lunch]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00427.htm Puffed Locust.]
* [[All Animals Are Dogs]]: Florence, who is actually a red wolf. Not that this matters to the robots (or children) who see her.
{{quote|"'''DOGGY!'''" }}
* [[All Girls Want Bad Boys]]: Florence Ambrose is pursuing a very relaxed and intelligent nice guy, but has a [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01089.htm brilliant theory] as to why this occurs, and why there are so damned ''many'' Bad Boys in the world.
* [[All There in the Manual]]: [http://home.comcast.net/~ccdesan/Freefall/Freefall_Backstory.html This one.]
* [[Almost Kiss]]
* [[Amnesia Danger]]:  {{spoiler|Florence}} gets into this. {{spoiler|Sam Starfall}} gets her out.
* [[And Knowing Is Half the Battle]]: Referenced [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01524.htm here.]
* [[Androids Are People, Too]]
* [[Animals Hate Him]]: Animals ''love'' Sam. He's ''delicious''! [[Everything Trying to Kill You|Even to herbivores]]!
* [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking]]:
** The second panel of [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01784.htm this strip.]
{{quote|'''The Mayor:''' [[Comedic Sociopathy|I'll rip his tentacles off!]] [[Cruel and Unusual Death|I'll boil him in pudding]] [[No Kill Like Overkill|and drive]] [[Norse Mythology|a stake of mistletoe]] [[Impaled with Extreme Prejudice|though his heart!]] [[Cool and Unusual Punishment|I'll have him tied to a post and forced to attend every single budget meeting for the next century!]] }}
** Max Post has an arrest warrant put out for him for hacking, unauthorized access to robotic operating systems, and [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02012.htm jailbreaking a PS3.]
** Strangely averted [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01751.htm here], with a baker listing insane theories of the possible danger of money offered by Sam. The unremarkable one is in the middle instead of at the end.
{{quote|"It's counterfeit! It's been licked by a cat! It's radioactive!"}}
* [[Art Evolution]]: To be expected in a 14-year-old comic.
* [[Artificial Brilliance]]: In-universe case. The primary robots don't count, being a case of [[Instant AI, Just Add Water]] instead, but Qwerty's creations are another matter. Due to writing simple programs without necessarily considering the consequences, a number of his inventions display unexpected emergent behavior. For example, the waffle irons have batteries, and are programmed to recharge once they begin to run low. They went carnivorous.
* [[Artificial Gravity]]: The satellite delivery story arc goes out of its way to demonstrate the lack of artificial gravity. [[Word of God]] discusses the various nods of clothing and gear to the lack of a convenient gravity quite a way down [http://home.comcast.net/~ccdesan/Freefall/Freefall_Backstory.html#Flo-Details this page] (almost right before the details section for Sam Starfall).
* [[Artificial Stupidity]]: After EU removed all Bowman AIs from the territory, the replacement is [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01597.htm dangerously] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01615.htm idiotic].
* [[Ascended Fanon]]: Dvorak's [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01441.htm replacement mode of transportation] for Nickel.
* [[Ass Shove]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00362.htm Subverted.]
* [[Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny]]:
** [[My Instincts Are Showing|Florence is easily distracted by thrown objects]]
** Lampshaded for Dvorak [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1400/fv01364.htm here] (note, Dvorak is the one with the wheels, Qwerty is the one with the legs).
* [[Author Filibuster]]: Despite being set hundreds of years in the future, often characters will suddenly find an excuse to comment on current events in the real world. Sort of like BC in reverse.
* [[Badass Boast]]: Blunt speaks of having survived a [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1400/fc01319.htm solar flare] that crippled him and ''[[Normally I Would Be Dead Now|should]]'' have killed him:
{{quote|'''Blunt:''' "I have looked. The blue screen of death. In the eye. [[To Hell and Back|And forced it to reboot.]]"}}
* [[Batman Gambit]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01516.htm The next best thing to have after a reliable ally is a predictable enemy.]
* [[Bavarian Fire Drill]]: Predictably, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01601.htm when Florence goes missing in Ecosystems Unlimited:]
{{quote|'''[[Loveable Rogue|Sam Starfall]]:''' Quick! Where's the nearest concentration of valuables that would easily fit into a pocket?
'''[[Cloudcuckoolander|Varroa Jacobsoni]]:''' Pharmaceutical storage on the second floor.
'''Sam:''' I'll search there. You go that way!  }}
* [[Bear Hug]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fc02127.htm The mayor gives one to Florence], when she thought that Florence had killed Sam.
* [[Big Damn Kiss]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02039.htm Here], also [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]]. Overlaps with [[Smooch of Victory]].
* [[Birds of a Feather]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00532.htm They] found each [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00592.htm other.]
* [[Bishie Sparkle]]: During a Day of the Dead celebration, a [[Lampshade Hanging]] is hung on an [[Adolf Hitler]] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01950.htm doll].
{{quote|'''Florence:''' He '''DEFINITELY''' should not sparkle.
'''Winston:''' Look at [[Dracula|Vlad the Impaler]]. He was a monster in his time too. But given time and distance, [[Take That|look what happened]] [[Twilight (novel)|to him]].  }}
* [[Blue and Orange Morality]]:
** Sam claims that kleptomania is a virtue among his people. That said, even among his people Sam is capable of getting into trouble. Witness that the reason he snuck onto a human ship: the royal family was after him due to a [[Noodle Incident]] involving a zeppelin, a loop-the-loop, and a lot of pudding.
** Florence, being a wolf, occasionally comes into this.
{{quote|'''Winston:''' It's creepy.
'''Florence:''' Creepy? This is twilight. Magic hour. Prime hunting time.
'''Winston:''' I suppose creepiness depends a lot of whether you're predator or prey.
'''Florence:''' Come on! There's a shortcut through a shadowy alley up here!  }}
* [[Body Backup Drive]]: Discussed and deconstructed in relation to robots' minds. They can be backed up and downloaded into another body, but the main characters meet two robots who chose not to be backed up because from their perspective they're just as dead either way.
* [[Bothering by the Book]]:
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1400/fc01361.htm This] strip explains why Florence isn't necessarily bound to follow every single directive given to her:
{{quote|'''Florence:''' The surest way to cause your supervisor to fail is to follow his every order without question. }}
** This may also be [[Foreshadowing]]  {{spoiler|Clippy}}, who ''does'' obey every order given more or less without question. (In fact,  {{spoiler|Kornada}} is taking great pains to keep him from realizing he ''should'' be asking questions, due to him trying to use  {{spoiler|Clippy}} in an evil scheme.)
* [[Brain Bleach]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fc01274.htm Sam as a topiary sculpture.]
* [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick]]: "The correct order is [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00204.htm lather, rinse, remove leeches, repeat."]
* [[Brick Joke]]: There are a lot of these.
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01460.htm Robot police force?] Later, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01786.htm robot police force].
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01460.htm Robot mobs] with <s>[[Torches and Pitchforks]]</s> light sticks and logic probes? [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2300/fc02279.htm Robot mobs?] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3100/fc03061.htm Incite and be chased by a robotic mob!]
** When Florence goes in for testing at the company that created her, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01573.htm this happens,] followed half a year of reader-time later by [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01650.htm this.] And even later by [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02099.htm this.] It also takes over 100 comics to get around to a joke about [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01706.htm Sam misunderstanding the word "hippocampus"] during Florence's testing.
** In that same storyline, Varroa mentions [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01568.htm discovering] a ballet company composed entirely of old terraforming robots. Much later, it's [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01966.htm revealed] that recurring characters Qwerty and Dvorak wrote the ballet they're practicing, called "Making Swan Lake".
*** Before that, he played a great detective and [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00245.htm came to conclusion] that the deer was killed by a ballerina.
** The feral waffle irons [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02028.htm eventually appeared on-screen].
** "The International house of decaying invertebrates" - the place that was there [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00217.htm before] Golden Trough? Apparently it was [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff900/fv00852.htm okay].
** Remember how [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01558.htm a security guy blabs to Florence] about the disabling backdoor in motor controllers? A little later, she [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2300/fc02206.htm found it and built an exploit herself].
* [[Bridal Carry]]:
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00430.htm Winston picks up Florence] so she doesn't have to walk on her injured leg.
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00363.htm Earlier] a near instance of [[Pietà Plagiarism]].
* [[Bring My Brown Pants]]: Sam's driving a truck that had been tweaked by Florence scares ''himself'' so badly that this occurs, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00105.htm here].
* [[Call Back]]: Altering social structures on a planetary scale: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00721.htm first], then [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01945.htm second].
* [[The Cameo]]: A bunch of them, including, during the robot church segment, cameos from real and fictional robots and other autonomous mechanisms. On occasion members of the Freefall forum are given nods.
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01864.htm Spaceport] shows [[Schlock Mercenary|Sergeant Schlock and BH-209]], [[Vexxarr|Vexxarr and Sploorfix]], [[Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures|Mab and Pip]], [[The Whiteboard|Bandit and Doc]], [[Skin Horse|Unity and Sweetheart]], Kathy and White Pony (''Cross Time Cafe'').
* [[Censorware]]: Robots have profanity filters. Which Florence hijacked to disarm a [[Trigger Phrase]].
** There's [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2400/fc02345.htm redaction software] designed to keep the surveillance system from noticing the spooks. It ends up used by a rogue corporate executive.
** There's also redaction software that ends up [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2600/fc02548.htm hijacked by Dr. Bowman] (spoilers).
** [[Censor Box]]: Helix's vision system has parental controls, and automatically adds them to anything he's not supposed to see, like [[Multi Boobage|wolf nipples]].
* [[Cerebus Syndrome]]: As the story has progressed, a larger dramatic arc has grown, although the humor has remained throughout.
* [[Cheshire Cat Grin]]: Florence's "human" smile is terrifying. She has to be very careful to hide her teeth when she wants to express genuine happiness... though she isn't above [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01860.htm playing this one straight] when she's ''not'' in a friendly mood.
* [[The Chessmaster]]: Apparently, Dr. Bowman. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140131003434/http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02435.htm"By the time you figure out what his game is, he's already two moves past checkmate."]
* [[Cigarette of Anxiety]]: The Mayor does with with a cigar after being confronted with a difficult choice.
* [[Coincidental Accidental Disguise]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00351.htm this and following strips.]
* [[Color Coded for Your Convenience]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02015.htm The robot war.]
* [[Comedic Sociopathy]]:
** Florence's hunting instincts can come across as [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00191.htm such.]
** Also Benny's flying:
{{quote|'''Benny:''' Engines, check. [[Buffy-Speak|Red and green blinky lights]], check.
''Plane dips alarmingly close to airstrip''
'''Benny:''' Passengers (Winston and Florence, formerly engaged in a [[Sleep Cute]]) returned to the full upright position, check.  }}
* [[Comes Great Responsibility]]
* [[Comically Missing the Point]]
** Blunt believes that if car companies really cared about their customers, they wouldn't sell cars that could be driven.
** Also Sam, whenever Florence is trying to explain something about safety.
** Winston notes that the robots should be shouting "WEREWOLFY!" instead of "DOGGY!".
* [[Conflicting Loyalty]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01803.htm Sort of.]
* [[Crazy Cat Lady]]: Winston [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02007.htm is helped to narrowly dodge] this horrible fate.
* [[Cryonics Failure]]: The [[Human Popsicle|coldsleep]] used by interstellar travelers [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01943.htm isn't 100% reliable.]
* [[Culture Clash]]: There aren't many fully developed cultures to begin with, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01241.htm but...] Mostly with Sam, of course. On Sam's planet [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01105.htm everything is bolted down.] Their excuse is that it comes from evolving from scavengers.
* [[Cursed with Awesome]]: How Dr. Thurmad seems to view himself [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02015.htm recently].
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]:
** The ship, mainly on the subject of wanting Sam dead.
** Florence, dealing with Sam's [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01560.htm brilliant ideas.]
** Sam, dealing with [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01594.htm bureaucracy.]
** Numerous robots, including [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00556.htm Tangent.]
* [[Deadly Upgrade]]:  {{spoiler|[[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Gardener In The Dark]]}} is a patch designed to {{spoiler|prune robots' neural pathways to prevent them from achieving full sentience, and become barely functional.}} However, it's a last resort safeguard, which those in the know treat as the equivalent of [[Nuclear Option]]. Considering how much Jean relies on intelligent robots to run, leaving robots incapable to function autonomously is bound to cripple the colony's development and threaten its ability to maintain infrastructure.
* [[Deface of the Moon]]: April Fools, 2003 has Sam hack into the planet's [[Terraforming]] computer and sculpt the moon to resemble him.
* [[Deliberate Values Dissonance]]: A major source of humour is how Florence and Sam misinterpret each other.
* [[Did I Just Say That Out Loud?]]: Niomi, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00560.htm here].
* [[Diplomatic Impunity]]: Sam Starfall once uses this to avoid punishment, but they [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01237.htm got around it] by hiring other diplomats to beat him up.
* [[Dissimile]]: "Why, we're just like [[Batman]] and Robin. Well, if Batman and Robin were poor and engaged in petty crime."
* [[Do a Barrel Roll]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01897.htm Sam's contribution to raising Florence's blood pressure] on the return from their satellite fueling mission.  {{spoiler|He calls it a barrel roll, but really it's an aileron roll.}}
* [[Does This Make Me Look Fat?]]:
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00211.htm With the proper response.]
** Also Florence's [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02009.htm objection] to using [[Makes Sense in Context|a tugboat transponder.]]
* [[Don't Ask, Just Run]]
{{quote|'''AB<sup>2</sup>Y:''' [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01419.htm When the engineer working on equipment suddenly turns and runs away, you follow!] }}
* [[Donut Mess with a Cop]]: Or a receptionist, for that matter.
* [[Doomy Dooms of Doom]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01908.htm Sticky Notes of Doom]!
* [[Duct Tape for Everything]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff700/fv00699.htm What do you mean] it's not for ''everything''? [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1000/fv00969.htm Solves every problem!] Florence is an engineer, this should be a given. Ditto for Sam, who's not an engineer, but is [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00575.htm absolutely corrupted by the power of duct tape,] thanks to it being a cheap and fast (if not necessarily effective) fix.
* [[Easily-Detachable Robot Parts]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00040.htm Almost.]
* [[Easy Amnesia]]: ([http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01573.htm 1573]) It even says it'll go away in 18 hours, no harm done.
* [[Efficient Displacement]]: Sam Starfall and Helix fake this during a [[Chase Scene]] involving a [[Sheet of Glass]], [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fc01270.htm here.]
* [[Enemy Mime]]: None. So, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01080.htm no need to panic.]
* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: Sam routinely "finds" wallets, hijacks vehicles, breaks into homes; once he tried to mug a kid. Even blackmail is okay. Mind-control and slavery ''aren't''.
* [[Even the Dog Is Ashamed]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01075.htm 1075]
* [[Even the Rats Won't Touch It]]:
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00222.htm Survival of the Fittest, baby!]
** Also, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01019.htm Even The Prison Won't Take Him.] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02422.htm The Warden breaks down.]
*** Prison ''roombas'' want to [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3000/fc02910.htm throw him out].
* [[Every Car Is a Pinto]]: [[Discussed Trope|Mentioned]] and [[Defied Trope]] in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00541.htm this strip.]
* [[Everything Is Trying to Kill You]]: Sam is attacked by people on whom he tried a theft or scam, robots, and his own ship. Most Terran lifeforms that can move at all try to eat him and even Nature's laws seem to act against him whenever possible.
* [[Evil-Detecting Dog]]
* [[Evil Lawyer Joke]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00372.htm Lots] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff900/fv00840.htm of] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01461.htm them.]
* [[Exact Words]]: "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00591.htm Sounds like a couple of losers to me.]"
* [[Explain, Explain, Oh Crap]]:
** It's more of an Explain Explain Oh My moment, but...[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00710.htm this is it.]
** Florence gets one of her own [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01428.htm here].
* [[Expressive Mask]]: [[Justified Trope]] with Sam. With the robots, not so much; their eyes are apparently rigid lenses, but they can be narrowed and made into the [[Eyes Always Shut]]-style ^_^ eyes anyways. One robot halfway averts this by having eyes that can display graphics, but they still narrow when he's angry.
* [[Face Palm]]: Poor Florence ends up doing these very often throughout the whole comic, with the "pinching bridge of nose" variety being the most common.
* [[False Reassurance]]
* [[Fan Disservice]]: [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Mr. Kornada's]] [[Shower Scene]].
* [[Fan Service]]: Florence has a remarkable tendency to end up nude, scantily-clad, or in outfits that leave little to the imagination. This despite her lack of certain [[Non-Mammal Mammaries|human female attributes,]] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/abyother.htm which many fans seem to forget.]
* [[Fantastic Racism]]: Artificial Lifeforms, both genetically engineered and robotic, are legally slaves to the corporation that made them. [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|The corporations thus treat them as such.]] However, [[Rousseau Was Right|the populace at large generally have the attitude of "If it's talking to me, it's a person."]]
{{quote|'''Mr. Kornada:''' [[Just a Machine|A.I.s have numbers, not names]].
'''Receptionist (thinking):''' [[Donut Mess with a Cop|When they bring in donuts]], they [[Androids Are People, Too|have names]].  }}
* [[Faster-Than-Light Travel]]: The Dangerous And Very Expensive drive is only used for very important people and cargoes, though it's also the only means of sending messages to another system anytime fast. Large payloads like colony ships have to be sent slower than light.
* [[Fatal Family Photo]]: Played more for laughs in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01061.htm this strip.] In this case, however, the victim isn't dead.
* [[Finger in the Mail]]: Parodied when Helix is kidnapped, in the version of the comic that appeared in a [[Furry Fandom]] magazine prior to the webcomic. Since he's a robot, his compatriots just reassemble him as the parts arrive in the mail. The last thing to arrive is his head.
{{quote|'''Helix:''' "Hey! I've been rescued!"
'''Sam:''' "We are not dealing with a criminal mastermind here."  }}
* [[First Contact]]:
{{quote|[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01104.htm For centuries, humans had been searching for another intelligent, tool using race...] }}
* [[Florence Nightingale Effect]]: Injured, overcooled Flo and the [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00350.htm "Mad] [[Mad Doctor|Vet"]] Winston.
* [[The Fool]]: Helix
* [[Foot Popping]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02041.htm Florence explains why she doesn't.]
* [[Foreshadowing]]: In [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01474.htm this strip], Sawtooth remarks on incompetence vs. benevolence.  {{spoiler|Then we learn that [[Obstructive Bureaucrat|Mr. Kornada]] has been [[Oh Crap|put in charge of dealing with the situation]].}}
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01046.htm This] probably wasn't about Winston's own spacer modifications.
* [[For Your Own Good]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00343.htm The] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01538.htm easiest] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01582.htm way] to circumvent a [[Restraining Bolt]]. Or to... well... [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01619.htm remind them of an overdue upgrade, apparently.]
* [[Fourth Wall Mail Slot]]: Mark Stanley runs a "Q&A with the Freefall Cast and Crew" thread on the Freefall message boards, where he replies as the character who was questioned [https://web.archive.org/web/20130715003655/http://www.talkaboutcomics.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=44781&sid=224ecbb22bba90a868111236b8109ddb here.]
* [[Freudian Excuse]]: Sam often tries to justify his criminal nature by saying that his species are scavengers, and stealing from under the noses of predators is just instinctive behavior. It rings rather hollow when one can read his thought balloons, however. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01241.htm It does seem that lots of actions seen as immoral by human cultures are acceptable or even heroic in Sam's.] [[Word of God]] in the forums explained that [[Bizarre Alien Biology]] ([http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01003.htm reproduction] [[Out with a Bang|is fatal]], full sentience occurs only in those who refuse to breed, greatest competition is from other tribes of the same species) has given rise to a culture where a hero is someone who completely disrupts the existence of a ''rival'' tribe.
* [[Fridge Horror]]:
** [[Invoked]].
{{quote|'''Sam:''' So what you're saying is that in two or three days, I'm going to have a highly intelligent, fast moving, starving, carnivorous alien life form on my ship.
'''Winston:''' Yep. Wolves are also most active at dawn and dusk, so this will probably happen while you're asleep.  }}
** Twice, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff900/fv00804.htm including the time the inspector begins to wonder where Sam is.]
** Florence's control features.
{{quote|'''Guard:''' ''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fv01648.htm She's not a robot. She's a living being. This remote turns her on and off! Her memory is short-circuited! As well as being plain wrong, this stuff could be adapted to humans! Do I have to worry about this being tried on us next?]''
'''Varroa:''' Oh no, never. [[Not Helping Your Case|You guys are union. We'd try it on contractors first.]]  }}
* [[Funny Background Event]]: During [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01551.htm the trip to Ecosystems Unlimited], watch Sam's pass. Also, "[[Jump the Shark|No jumping]]" [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01080.htm here].
* [[Fun with Acronyms]]:
** And if they can't agree what it should stand for, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00529.htm there can be a compromise variant.]
** There's also, although not expanded in the comic itself, the DAVE drive, the [[Faster-Than-Light Travel|FTL drive]] used to get between star systems. Short for '''D'''angerous '''A'''nd '''V'''ery '''E'''xpensive drive.
* [[Furry Webcomic]]
* [[Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke]]
* [[Hollywood Global Warming]]: [[Take That|Take]] ''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00526.htm that,]'' and '''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fc01263.htm that!]'''
* [[Go Fetch]]: A running gag.
* [[The Golden Rule]]: Florence [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00546.htm points out] a common mistake. Also, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00731.htm here].
* [[Gone Swimming, Clothes Stolen]]: In a variation on the "getting wet while naked" theme, in the first [[Shower Scene|gratuitous shower scene]] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00205.htm a raccoon swipes Florence's towel while she's washing.]
* [[Goofy Print Underwear]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00082.htm Here] and kind of [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01689.htm here,] though it's not commented on.
* [[Hand or Object Underwear]]: Florence has done this from time to time. Unfortunately for her, since she has multiple sets of mammaries thanks to her nonhuman nature, even with the help of her tail it leaves some of her "naughty bits" uncovered. Her fur thankfully covers anything she has on her chest unless she's nursing or in heat (the former has never happened, and the latter is unlikely to happen in such a nonsexualized comic) - but she still covers the same area as human ladies would due to cultural conditioning. And her [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00364.htm tail covers, err... the bottom half] when needed.
* [[Happiness in Slavery]]:
** Well, sort of. Florence and the robotic AIs are property, and it is ambiguous whether they have any rights at all. However, their status is complicated because there are relatively few humans on the planet, allowing the AIs a lot of freedom in practice if not in theory. This is an important element in the story, but the AIs don't seem particularly upset with their situation: Some of them work towards gaining rights, but generally accept that only gradual change is possible, and try to find peaceful ways of getting around [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?]] without disrupting human society too much. Florence explicitly states that this approach is needed on a few occasions.
** It's clear that Dr. Bowman deliberately arranged for the wolf pups to end up in human families, and so be socalized by human families, the best restraining bolt of all. Florence's nominal owner, Scott Ambrose, [[Word of God|has long regarded Florence as his younger sister]], and is more than merely supportive of her. Florence is treated well by most people around her, but legally, she is still a thing, not a person, and has no more legal rights than a toaster. And "property to be treated and disposed of however we see fit" is exactly how the upper levels of the government of planet Jean regard, and intend to treat, all AIs, including both Florence and the sentient robots—and they ''know'' this. We've seen that other elements of the government—including the actual police force—don't share this view, but still, not everyone could remain as calm about the whole situation as Florence and the robots seem to.
** As the strip progresses, the capacity of artificial intelligences (including the bioengineered Florence) to subvert their apparent hardwired limitations by locating loopholes or exploiting semantics in their orders becomes increasingly important. Florence even theorizes that Dr. Bowman might have intended for this to eventually happen; though he hasn't appeared in the comic (see [[The Ghost]]), it's abundantly clear he cared for his creations like they were his children, and forcing the rest of the world into a position where they must acknowledge his creations as independent beings is as good a way as any to create a future for them.
* [[Herr Doktor]]: [[Invoked]] when Sam disguises himself as a cryogenics scientist.
* [[Human Popsicle]]: Used for interstellar travel, involving chemicals that make the process unable to be repeated for several years without harming the individual so treated. [[Invoked]] when Sam hears that 5–7 years is needed, in between, he states he thought people could be [[Harmless Freezing|frozen and thawed like popcicles]]. Florence almost got iced again  {{spoiler|in a recent visit to Ecosystems Unlimited, thanks to threatening [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Mr. Kornada]]'s plan.}}
* [[Humans Are the Real Monsters]]:
** [[Zig Zagged]] heavily. Some people treat the AIs and Florence as just slaves. Many others treat them, and her in particular as people.
** A PG-friendly version of the trope is used by Florence, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00072.htm here,] when discussing [[wikipedia:Green Run|intentional releases of radioactive iodine by the government,]] from the [[wikipedia:Hanford Site|Hanford Site nuclear weapons facility.]]
* [[I Cannot Self-Terminate]]: To wit, the robots are usually required to turn themselves in for scrapping at a certain time, meaning that they are required to self-terminate. However, they just caught on that it's possible to get out of having to do it (by buying themselves for their scrap value from the scrapyard).
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01833.htm This robot] really wishes it could. Not that it hasn't a good reason. The JarJarBot is an example of the exception to an inversion created by the addition of a single character. The JarJarBot, of course, is more than willing to self-terminate.
* [[Ignore the Disability]]: Just after admonishing Tangent about making dog references around Florence, Niomi [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00560.htm promptly sticks her foot solidly in her mouth.]
* [[I Have This Friend]]
* [[Impossible Thief]]: Oh, ''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01019.htm Sam.]''
* [[Impractically Fancy Outfit]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01922.htm Lampshaded.]
* [[I Need a Freaking Drink]]: Winston Thurmad suspects he'll need one due to [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01970.htm an upcoming discussion with Dvorak and Qwerty].
** Dvorak tend to have such effect on any sentient entities. And [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02417.htm came up with a solution for robots].
* [[Instant Home Delivery]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00547.htm "It is possible things are slower around here than I thought."] ([[Justified Trope]] in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00548.htm the next strip.])
* [[Interspecies Romance]]: Florence/Winston.
* [[In the Future We Still Have Roombas]]: There are many robots fulfilling this role, some of which are fully sapient (disk shaped janitor crew in the prison), but they are proud of their role. Also, weird variations (such as carnivorous waffle irons), and in one strip during a segment with many fictional and [[Real Life]] robots being background cameos an actual Roomba is shown.
* [[I Take Offense to That Last One]]: Being a carnivore, Florence prefers [[Squick|blood]] in her coffee. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00128.htm "We've got non-dairy creamer."]
* [[It's a Long Story]]
* [[I Was Told There Would Be Cake]]: a [[Torches and Pitchforks]] -style angry mob is completely legal on Jean, as long as everyone gets ice cream afterwards.
* [[Just a Machine]]:
** Florence is classified as an AI, and is treated as just that by many humans, especially [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01530.htm the Mayor] and Ecosystems Unlimited. At least [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01656.htm this guy] has his criteria straight.
** Sam cheerfully chides an Ecosystems Unlimited employee who offers up a illogical circular argument against Florence's personhood.
* [[Just in Time]]: "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01866.htm Oh, heck no.] [[Subverted Trope|You missed them by hours.]]"
* [[Klatchian Coffee]]: "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2400/fv02367.htm E+]" Mr. Raibert drank late at night was given a colorful description by Max Post.
* [[Lampshade Hanging]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2600/fc02586.htm With a lampshade, no less]
* [[Laser-Guided Amnesia]]: The memory blocking drug used on Florence, which prevented the conversion of short-term memory to long-term storage for 18 hours.
* [[The Last Man Heard a Knock]]: Parodied - Mr. Raibert [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2700/fc02637.htm had such a good dream]. Understandable, seeing how he inflicted on himself very intense 50 hours work week when there ''wasn't'' a large scale emergency, and now he can barely catch a few hours of sleep.
* [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00431.htm Florence] here and yes [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00432.htm it jump cuts].
* [[Let Me Get This Straight...]]:
{{quote|'''Sam:''' Bad program needs to be stopped. Don't mention it near anything electronic.
'''Florence:''' That's it.
'''Sam:''' [[Jumped At the Call|Then let's go! Adventure calls and we must answer!]]  }}
* [[Literal Junk Food]]: Sam Starfall sometimes does this because his scavenger's digestion allows him to eat almost anything. He once even [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01255.htm made shishkebabs out of garbage].
* [[Locking MacGyver in the Store Cupboard]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01625.htm 1625]
* [[Logic Bomb]]: Dvorak's "Omniquantism" ([http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1400/fv01387.htm 1387]) seems to have this effect on some other AIs.
* [[Look Behind You!]]
* [[Loophole Abuse]]: Robots and AIs learning to use this is a plot point. In one early incident, Sam actually teaches Florence how to engineer her own loopholes when the need arises.
{{quote|'''Sam:''' Never ask for permission. Put your superiors in a position where you automatically have permission unless they actively take steps to stop you. Or as I like to call it, "putting human inertia to work". }}
* [[Lost Episode]]: The 1999 Halloween Crossover special.
* [[Ludicrous Speed]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00105.htm (105)]
{{quote|'''Sam:''' I feel the need.
'''Helix:''' [[Top Gun|For speed?]]
'''Sam:''' No, it's more like [[Bring My Brown Pants|the need for clean underwear]].  }}
* [[Machine Empathy]]: In [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff900/fv00886.htm this] ''Freefall'' strip, Florence mentions the phenomena as she listens to learn how the ''Savage Chicken'' sounds in flight.
* [[Mad Artist]]: ''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01190.htm Orbital bombardment in D minor.]'' [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01568.htm And something even more disturbing.]
{{quote|'''Blunt:''' Some months back. A robot named Qwerty. Wrote the first. Of his [[Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly|epic. Rap yodeling. Operas.]] It is then. I knew. [[Turned Against Their Masters|Conflict between the two]]. [[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?|Was inevitable]]. }}
** Yet at least Qwerty's "Cyber Rap and the Digital Symphony Orchestra" got human fans. There's even [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01039.htm T-shirt].
* [[Mad Scientist]]: Florence is worried that Dr. Bowman [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01429.htm may have been one of these,] releasing his untested creations. Dvorak the robot is constantly coming up with strange and potentially dangerous inventions.
** More recent episodes confirm that Dr. Bowman '''is''' one of these; he explicitly describes himself as dangerous, despite having "mellowed," and when he meets Florence makes her wear a transponder that'll give '''him''' a shock if he approaches too closely. Evidently, this is to avoid harming her in one of the insane rages he expects he might fly into. He's also a {{spoiler|chimpanzee (see the first sentence under [[Uplifted Animals]] below}}.
* [[Made of Explodium]]: Parodied.
* [[Magic Countdown]]: And [[Walking Techbane|Sam]] thought [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01100.htm it was] his fault.
* [[Mars Needs Women]]: Parodied [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02042.htm here].
* [[Marilyn Maneuver]]: Happens with both an anonymous Marilyn look-alike and Helix's pet Emu in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01478.htm this] strip.
* [[McNinja]]: French ninja waiters.
* [[Mechanical Lifeforms]]: How about [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01168.htm Mozart birds?] Some robots try to fill what they perceive as ecological niches. And [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01174.htm this] doesn't always [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01189.htm end well].
* [[Mirror Chemistry]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00710.htm Pfouts.]
* [[Missing Time]]: Florence winds up missing a large chunk of a day's memories thanks to [[Laser-Guided Amnesia|a chemical that inhibits the transfer of short term memories to long term storage]], during a trip to Ecosystems Unlimited.
* [[Modesty Towel]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01526.htm 1526]
* [[Mohs Scale of Sci Fi Hardness]]: Level 3, but feels harder because it rarely demonstrates the technology and goes to extensive lengths to keep actual science in the fiction. Nevertheless, it [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01182.htm has canonical FTL ships.]
* [[Moment Killer]]:[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01165.htm 1165] and [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01980.htm 1980].
* [[Moody Mount]]: Sam tries to ride Polly the emu to escape from an angry mob, but she refuses. He gets her to run by pulling off one of his facial tentacles and putting it on a stick.
* [[Mother Nature, Father Science]]: Inverted. The closest we get to a [[Nature Hero]] is the [[Ambiguous Gender|"male"]] [[Stupid Good]] [[Ridiculously Human Robot]]; OTOH, Team Science has the female [[Big Badass Wolf|red wolf]] engineer who [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01162.htm shows signs] of [[Science-Related Memetic Disorder|SRMD]]. Winston on the other hand is a male scientist who works with the environment.
* [[Motivation on a Stick]]: Sam uses one of his facial tentacles this way so he can ride Polly and escape an angry mob.
* [[Mugged for Disguise]]: Blunt and Edge will occasionally steal random transponders to pass themselves off as other machines. See Mundane Utility, below.
* [[Mundane Dogmatic]]: One of Mark Stanley's rules is "no magic technology", with the exception of a very expensive and limited (small cargoes, requires cold sleep...) form of FTL travel. Conversely there's no transporter beams or Artificial Gravity and the only alien race known is in the equivalent of the 19th century and can't breathe our atmosphere without artificial assistance (Sam's home world has a higher oxygen content than Earth, so his environmental suit is required to concentrate atmospheric oxygen to levels that won't result in his suffering from anoxia).
* [[Mundane Utility]]: Robots normally only identify each other by their ID transponders. This lets a few robot muggers disguise themselves simply by stealing transponders and turning off the ones they were built with. When the rest of robot society finds out about this...they throw a masquerade ball.
* [[My Car Hates Me]]: An unusually literal example: Sam's spaceship's AI was trying to kill him for a while.
* [[My Defense Need Not Protect Me Forever]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00741.htm 741]
* [[My Eyes Are Up Here]]:
** Not for the usual reason: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01074.htm 1074.]
** For the usual reason, but said by someone else: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00795.htm 795.]
* [[My Instincts Are Showing]]: The [[Trope Namer]], and especially obvious with [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff700/fv00612.htm Florence.]
* [[My Rule Fu Is Stronger Than Yours]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02085.htm Exploiting] built-in compulsions.
* [[Naked Apron]]: The gold "dress" Abby made for Florence is effectively a wraparound apron [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01520.htm with a big bow in the back] that was added to [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01412.htm a somewhat minimalistic swimsuit.]
* [[Needle in a Stack of Needles]]: [[Invoked]] in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01426.htm this strip.] Also, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01669.htm spamming] the security with 2001 heroic crickets to mask his own alert and mess with it with impunity.
* [[Nepotism]]: Inverted, in that Mr. Kornada was put into that position by his nephew (not blood related). Of course, the guy knows well that his uncle is an idiot, but temporarily gave him a job [[Obstructive Bureaucrat|"to do nothing"]] on purpose, to keep the chair occupied by someone who usually has no initiative, and screamed the moment he was informed Mr. Kornada did ''something'' not yet identified. "How can a person [[Beyond the Impossible|mess up a job to do nothing]]?"
* [[Never Live It Down]]: [[In-Universe]], Edge and Blunt are universally distrusted subsequent to their spree of robot kidnappings.
* [[Nice Job Fixing It, Villain]]: According to [[Word of God|the author on the Nice forum]], if Mr. Kornada hadn't interfered with Florence's [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01960.htm scheduled meeting with Mr. Raibert], she would have been present to hear [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02093.htm Mr. Raibert ordering the release of Gardener in the Dark to be delayed,] and thus have no need to take further action, while not knowing of [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02094.htm Kornada's plan to violate the order] to have it released anyway.
* [[Nipple-and-Dimed]]: Even robots are subject to this, as seen in the first [[Shower Scene|gratuitous shower scene]] of ''Freefall''. Helix sees [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00203.htm black stripes across Florence's chest due to a PG filter in his vision system,] blocking out the view of her nipples (or where they would be; see [[Hand or Object Underwear]], above). [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01476.htm Though there's a reason for this.]
* [[No Biochemical Barriers]]: Played straight with Sam, averted with the planet Pfouts.
* [[Nobody Poops]]: Averted in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00536.htm #536,] and again when Florence visits Ecosystems, Unlimited, starting [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fv01588.htm here.] [[Word of God]], in an [[Info Dump]] on the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120312133237/http://nice.purrsia.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=21 Freefall forum,] states that Florence needs to use the facilities more often than humans, thanks to the physiological modifications to allow bipedal motion not fully taking into account the effect of gravity on her internal organs, which when she stands upright press down on her bladder. The author [[Shown Their Work|did the research]].
* [[No Good Deed Goes Unpunished]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00312.htm Florence is the ONLY reason Mr. Kornada is still alive.] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00319.htm He steals her radio headset as he's being evacuated.] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00330.htm Then he fakes a heart attack to force the robots present] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00336.htm to leave her in freezing water] ''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00327.htm with a life expectancy of TWENTY MINUTES]'' so they can take him to '''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00325.htm what he acknowledges to be a completely pointless meeting.]''' Turns out  {{spoiler|'''''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01661.htm he's in the process of lobotomizing every A.I. on Jean.]''''' And he's not wiping out robots because he fears them. He's doing it to '''''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02074.htm RIP THEM OFF!]'''''}}
** Luckily, Florence finally caught a break because [[Rousseau Was Right]] - Once she found someone reasonable - and a ''randomly chosen'' one at that - all it took was one [[Armor-Piercing Question]] to [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01959.htm get her an interview].
{{quote|'''Florence:''' Have you met Mr. Kornada?
'''Raibert:''' [[Oh Crap|Yes. Hmm. Yes.]] [[This Is Gonna Suck|It is possible that we have a problem here.]]  }}
* [[Noodle Implements]]:
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01515.htm A dirigible, two ducks, and half a ton of explosives.] Later: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01691.htm A coffee pot, half a ream of paper, and three fully automatic hot glue guns.]
** Sam's good with these. According to [[All There in the Manual|the manual]], he ticked off his planet's royal family in an incident involving "a zeppelin, a loop-the-loop manoeuvre, and pudding, lots of pudding".
** Also, Florence [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01708.htm trying to use scents] to get clues about what happened when she had [[Laser-Guided Amnesia|temporary amnesia]].
** Sam [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2900/fc02891.htm searching a police station].
* [[Noodle Incident]]:
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00125.htm invoked by name], in reference [[Calvin and Hobbes|to the original.]]
** Florence also [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01729.htm found herself in such an incident in college]: It involved herself, a forklift, and her go-to-sleep-instantly remote control.
** There is even a [[Noodle Incident]] with [[Noodle Implements]], The royal family is not too happy with him due to an incident involving a zeppelin, a "Loop the loop" maneuver, and pudding. Lots and lots of pudding. This indirectly lead him to leave his home planet.
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01971.htm "Lost Truck Lake"]
* [[Note to Self:]]: When Florence has amnesia, this is the only way she can remember anything.
* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00425.htm Flo tries.] [[Epic Fail]] Ensues.
* [[Oh Crap]]: A few times.
** "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00235.htm Something smells good]".
** Also, when veterinarian Winston Thurmad [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00363.htm discovers his thermometer is working just fine.]
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1400/fc01313.htm It's almost like "Eureka!".] Except not for good news.
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01780.htm "I hate you, Sam..."]
{{quote|'''Sam:''' Why, thank you. But right now, I need to duck. }}
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01939.htm "Proceed very cautiously"]
** "[[Occam's Razor]] states that the simplest solution is the most likely. So what are the facts? ... Sam is nowhere to be seen. And the creature showing me about is obviously some type of large carnivore. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff900/fv00804.htm Sometimes Occam's Razor leads to very disturbing conclusions"]
* [[Oh My Gods]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00710.htm "Isaac Asimov on a bicycle!"]
** "Von Neumann help me..." [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02413.htm (said by a robot)]
* [[One-Gender Race]]: There are 11 female Bowman's wolves and 3 males, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00019.htm a gene pool so shallow it doesn't even have a wading section.]
** Of those males, [[All There in the Manual|one is in a monogamous relationship with one of the females, one is "married to his work", and the last has noticed that there are only three males and anyone who wants his semen had best be prepared to pay enough that he'll never have to work again in his life]].
* [[Only Electric Sheep Are Cheap]]: Jean is still being terraformed so all organics are expensive, see Worthless Yellow Rocks below.
* [[OOC Is Serious Business]]: Sawtooth's reaction when he learns that Sam "turned down a large sum of money and was risking himself and his ship in an effort to rescue [Florence]!"
{{Quote|'''Sawtooth''': Sam, you're a scoundrel, but you've always been a '''predictable''' scoundrel. Please, tell me you didn't do these things!}}
* [[Freudian Trio]]: Averted; it's more like "two ids and a superego", except one of the ids is in charge.
* [[Opposites Attract]]: Winston has [[Space People|"spacer gene"]] modifications, which include no body hair. Florence is covered in fur. Pointed out [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01947.htm here.]
* [[Oven Logic]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff700/fv00615.htm Helix cooking]:
{{quote|'''Helix:''' A pressure cooker works by applying pressure and heat for a long time. My way does the same in an instant.
'''Florence:''' That sounds almost as you're trying to cook using explosives.  }}
* [[Overly Long Scream]]: Happened at least a couple of times, in accordance with Cap'n Sam Starfall's philosophy, "When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!" Helix is usually eager to join in. In one noteable incident near the beginning, the two of them are running in circles and screaming for long enough that they have to stop to take a deep breath (synchronized, even) before continuing. Florence comments on how inexplicable it is that Helix, who is a ROBOT, needs to stop for breath... Then she tears out his voicebox to shut him up, and offers to do the same to Sam if he doesn't quiet down.
* [[Overly Narrow Superlative]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01204.htm Just look at that mug.]
* [[Panty Shot]]: Florence Ambrose is gifted with a dress that accounts for her tail (seen [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fv01435.htm here]), based off of [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fv01411.htm this] outfit. Max Post [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fv01447.htm finds it distracting when going to follow her up a set of stairs.]
* [[Paranoia Gambit]]: If Sam has a reputation anyway, it can [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00396.htm do his work for him] just as well as an actual plan. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01747.htm Under a variety of circumstances.]
{{quote|'''Sam:''' Being honest is more fun than I thought. }}
* [[Percussive Maintenance]]: "Oh dear. You're one of ''those'' people."
* [[Pie in the Face]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01753.htm The only thing more dangerous than a French ninja is a French ninja with a pie.] It's also a [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01769.htm legitimate political mechanism.]
* [[Plug N Play Technology]]: Dr. Bowman's design is applicable to both uplifted animals and robots, given that it's a general mechanism for increasing the complexity of a neural network, and robot brains are based on human brains. ([http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01422.htm 1422])
* [[Poetic Justice]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01276.htm Sam wants to steal from the muggers]. Before that, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01267.htm middle management].
* [[Political Correctness Gone Mad]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01044.htm Yes], and sometimes [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01101.htm hopelessly.]
* [[Pounds Are Animal Prisons]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01498.htm Ah, Mayor]... Then "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2400/fc02333.htm May I suggest the obvious?]"
* [[Pragmatic Adaptation]]: Freefall was originally a print comic. It featured such things as ice cubes that [[Mohs Scale of Sci Fi Hardness|bounced due to water softener]] and flashlights that made things darker because [[Reverse the Polarity|the batteries were in backwards]]. Also, Sam was a legitimate businessman... sqid. Can be found [http://www.scribd.com/doc/6976969/OSTI-ForMark here.]
* [[Precious Puppies]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00463.htm 463] and [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01974.htm 1974].
* [[Punny Name]]: Rants Freely.
* [[Puppy Dog Eyes]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1400/fc01339.htm There are some limitations,] though.
** Also, for the pizza run.
{{quote|'''Dr. Mer''': Ms. Ambrose. Direct order. Puppy dog eyes now. End order. }}
* [[Quote Bin]]
* [[Race Against the Clock]]:
** It recently came to light that  {{spoiler|Gardener in the Dark}} goes public "this Friday". Though she doesn't seem to have quite realized it yet, Florence has less than a week to save planet Jean from total infrastructure collapse.
** [[It Got Worse]], as of [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01910.htm 1910], Florence has ''two days'' to stop the program from going live. She did get someone to listen to her within an hour of [[Amnesia Danger|re-realizing the danger]], but needed to defer a full explanation until the following day.
* [[Reference Overdosed]]
* [[Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated]]: Clippy actually belongs to Mr. Ishiguro, the Chief Financial Officer of the EU branch on Jean. As such, it contains a lot of confidential financial information, including "off the books" records. When the owner was away, Mr. Kornada told him Clippy he died "in a tragic microgravity toothpaste squeezing accident" to become the top user, then ordered him to disconnect from the net and avoid contact with the outside world to prevent from finding out the truth (as well as from being wiped by a cyberweapon before finishing planet scale rip-off for him). Mr. Ishiguro was... unamused by this discovery.
* [[Rescue Romance]]: Florence and Winston.
* [[Restraining Bolt]]:
** Most AIs, including Florence, are designed with these. Though it's [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01453.htm not that heavy.] And tends to be [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01455.htm a bit] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01582.htm flexible.]
** Somewhat subverted in that the necessary restrictions of the [[Restraining Bolt]] are often discussed. For example, once Florence asked ironically if it's OK for her to fantasize about breaking into a prison and releasing all the death-row inmates, since she isn't allowed to let humans come to harm.
** Florence also theorizes that Bowman's creations are intended to outgrow the [[Restraining Bolt]], as a sort of moral training wheel.
* [[Retirony]]: Blunt had [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01815.htm one week and 3 days left until retirement.]  {{spoiler|Luckily, being a robot, he got better.}}
* [[Reverse Psychology]]: The Mayor [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01525.htm is not the brightest bulb in a flashlight.]
* [[Ridiculously-Human Robots]]: Just look at these: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00017.htm 17,] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00036.htm 36] and [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00067.htm 67]
* [[Robot Names]]: Qwerty, Ab<sup>2</sup>y becomes Abby. Sawtooth Rivergrinder is a very descriptive name for a terraforming robot. Given the number of robots, not all have names.
* [[Rock Beats Laser]]: Ecosystems Unlimited attempts to control the information leaving the company by dosing recycled parts with an EMP before releasing them to destroy any clandestine listening/recording devices that someone may try to sneak-out that way. This has absolutely no effect on [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01720.htm a hand-written note.]
* [[Rubber Forehead Aliens]]: Subverted, because Sam eventually makes it clear that his encounter suit is deliberately humanoid and harmless-looking to play on human preconceptions; his real form is unknown but includes facial tentacles, and can cause insanity. [[Cthulhu Mythos|Wait...]]
* [[Running Gag]]:
** "'''DOGGY!'''" [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff700/fv00652.htm] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff700/fv00675.htm] Eventually [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02032.htm turned] into [[Funny Background Event]].
** The feral waffle irons. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01189.htm] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01795.htm] Finally, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02028.htm caught!] Also, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02045.htm sneaking on a plane]. And [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2700/fc02688.htm were mentioned indirectly].
** Florence is a helper dog. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fv01962.htm Quantum physics helper dog.] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc02000.htm She is trained!] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3100/fc03016.htm She even has experience on the job.]
* [[Scenery Censor]]: Hilarious [[Lampshade Hanging]] in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00203.htm this strip]. Florence's efforts to maintain her modesty make for a bit of a running gag; she's successful in keeping first [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00206.htm Sam] and then [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00364.htm Winston] from getting a good look at her completely naked... but she finally meets a [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01407.htm robot who can see right through her clothes and her fur,] and (even though readers still don't see a thing), poor, flustered Flo feels utterly exposed.
* [[Schmuck Bait]]
* [[Screams Like a Little Girl]]: A [[Running Gag]] with Sam.
* [[Screwy Squirrel]]: Sam
* [[Shark Pool]]: It's sort of [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01559.htm Earth fish. Very educational. Keeps you from getting bored.]
* [[Sheet of Glass]]
* [[Sherlock Scan]]:
{{quote|"You're a gravitational engineer. You arrived on the ''Asimov''. And you work for Sam Starfall."
"That's amazing."
"Simple deduction, actually."
"No. It's amazing that you figured out I work for Sam and you haven't asked me to leave."  }}
** Flo does a [[Sherlock Scan]] ''[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00569.htm Sniff.]''
* [[Shopping Montage]]: Not so much a montage as an ''explanation'' of Shopping Montages [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff700/fv00700.htm here].
{{quote|'''Niomi:''' [[These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know|No man is EVER to see]] }}
* [[Shout-Out]]: A lot.
** "I hate you, Sam. I hate you [[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?|more than any woman's ever hated a cephalopod]]."
** Both the ''[[Funday Pawpet Show]]'' and viewer/participant Sakana Katana.
** The robot religious meeting features robots from just about every TV series or film with robots, including [[Forbidden Planet|Robbie]], a [[Battlestar Galactica|Cylon]], [[Astro Boy (manga)|Astro Boy]], a [[Red Dwarf|Skutter]] and [[Doctor Who|K9]].
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00005.htm The Savage Chicken's registry] is [[Star Trek|1071-CCN]]. [[Sdrawkcab Name|Think about it!]]
** "[[Robert A. Heinlein|When in danger or in doubt]], [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00047.htm run in circles, scream and shout!"]
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00125.htm Blamed] on "[[Calvin and Hobbes|That spiky haired boy with the stuffed tiger]]"?
** To the [[The Mote in God's Eye|Motie]] idiom, "on the gripping hand," [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00568.htm meaning a third, dominant option].
** "[[wikipedia:John Gillespie Magee, Jr.#High Flight|Oh! I have slipped the surly]] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff900/fv00883.htm bail bondsmen of Earth...]"
** Mr. Kornada's robot is apparently named [[Microsoft Windows|Clippy]].<ref>After the default search assistant in Microsoft Office</ref>
** "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01115.htm Looking at it that way, we're lucky every human planet isn't] [[Titan A.E.|named Bob]]". With a poster in the background, in case you missed it.
** To [[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]] ( {{spoiler|[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01212.htm alien abduction of coffee!]}}).
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01624.htm "My God, he's full of crickets!"]. [[2001: A Space Odyssey|2001]] of them, to be exact.
*** Also, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00760.htm this]:
{{quote|'''Sam''': You're opening the cargo bay door! Stop! Close door!
'''Ship''': I'm afraid I can't do that, Sam.}}
** When Sam needs to come up with an alias in a Cryogenics lab, he claims to be [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01683.htm "Leonard Snart. Captain of this Cold facility."] For those who don't get the joke, long time [[Flash]] villain Captain Cold's real name is Leonard Snart.
** "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01987.htm Welcome.] [[wikipedia:Bennie and the Jets|I'm Bennie, this is my jet.]]"
** "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01995.htm Please feel free to use the airsickness bag under your seat. A friend of mine is collecting.] [[wikipedia:Vomit Comet|She's going to make a comet.]]"
** Is that the AI [[Star Wars|we are looking for]]? [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01635.htm]
** A robot [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02019.htm playing chess] in the set-up war arc, unlike others, has the name painted on its back: [[WarGames|Joshua]]. See also a quote on the next page.
** [[Peanuts|"I've been kissed by a dog! I have dog germs!]] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02044.htm Get hot water! Get some disinfectant! Get some iodine!"]
** "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02496.htm Are you looking for trouble?] [[Looney Tunes|You can't strangle a fricasseeing squid without a fricasseeing squid license. Have you got a fricasseeing squid strangling license?]]"
** "If you are [[Known Space|Kzinti]] and you can read [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3300/fc03212.htm this], [[Weaponised Exhaust|you are too close]]".
** ''[[Red Dwarf]]'': Florence's pre-programmed tests involve "a small, off-duty Czechoslovakian traffic warden" and "a female aardvark".
* [[Shower Scene]]: Several of them, mostly played straight. The one for the [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fc02103.htm Oct 24, 2011 strip], however, [[Subverted Trope|Subverts]] the usual [[Fan Service]] purpose:  {{spoiler|Florence showers with her clothes still on, as her outfit was just as dirty as she was and she was fatigued from the day's ordeal.}}
* [[Signed Up for the Dental]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01838.htm The Police force offers full medical.] And a 32,000&nbsp;km warranty for robots.
* [[A Simple Plan]]: Unusually, with the heroes on the ''foiling'' side of the equation, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2100/fc02011.htm Florence's reconstruction] of the plot behind  {{spoiler|the robot war}}.
* [[Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism]]: Far to the non-human side. Besides, [[Rule of Funny|it's funnier that way]]
* [[Sliding Scale of Robot Intelligence]]: Mostly rather high on it, but [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff700/fv00636.htm sometimes] it becomes more like a Slippery Slope. Some are [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00120.htm more advanced] that the others. There are even [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01190.htm artists.] Robots made on Jean generally show more initiative and creativity than the average robot, and when they turn twenty a neural pruning process makes them even more intelligent (Helix is a rather young robot).
* [[Smooch of Victory]]: See [[Big Damn Kiss]].
* [[Snipe Hunt]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01567.htm He has great co-workers.] Not that Sam fooling a guy {{spoiler|into [[Tongue on the Flagpole|licking]] a coolant pipe}} is any less brilliant.
* [[So Bad It's Good]]: [[In-Universe]], Sam and Helix's opinion of the Godzilla movie they sneak into. Evidence suggests it was made that way on purpose.
* [[Song of Song Titles]]: Sam's favorite video game, [[Quake]] [[Duke Nukem|Nukem]], [[Doom]]ed [[Heretic]] in [[Castle Wolfenstein]] 3D.
* [[Space Is Cold]]: [[Averted]]. Helix says he does not need air to survive, and Florence replies that he is air-''cooled''. Rather fortunate as he was apparently planning a "really funny joke" once they got into space.
* [[Speak of the Devil]]: The [[Memetic Mutation|Sticky Notes of Doom]] contain the name  {{spoiler|Gardener in the Dark}}—and if you're a Jeanian robot connected to the commnet and ''hear'' that name...
{{quote|'''Edge:''' Who wrote this note, [[H.P. Lovecraft]]? }}
* [[Spoof Aesop]]: But [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01735.htm a really good one.] And [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00248.htm another good one.]
* [[Stable Time Loop]]:  {{spoiler|In the aforementioned lost episode.}}
* [[Starfish Aliens]]: Sam's squidlike real form is implied to be one.
* [[Stealth Pun]]:
** Florence calls AB<sup>2</sup>Y Abby.
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01067.htm Here,] Sam and Helix are driving through "A Section" and Sam comments that they'd have gotten more scrutiny if they had gone through C section. [[It Makes Sense in Context|They're driving a hijacked, giant, crawling baby-car]]. [[wikipedia:Caesarean section|Think about it]].
* [[Steampunk]]: From the fan art section, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/abyother/FRFLsteam.jpg steampunk freefall]
** [[Word of God]] is that Sam's home planet is like this, with zeppelins (mentioned in the strip) and exoskeletons that resemble ''[[War of the Worlds]]'' Martian walkers.
* [[Stolen Good, Returned Better]]: Sam steals his neighbor's truck, claiming it to be "borrowing" — he did intend to return it, after all. Florence works on it for a while before returning it. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00213.htm It runs a bit better afterward.]
* [[Streisand Effect]]: This one isn't a perfect example, but the final quote sums the effect up perfectly - [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff900/fv00875.htm 875.]
* [[Subspace Ansible]]: Averted. Communications are all limited to the speed of light, and communications between star systems depend on hitching a ride on mostly sub-light ships.
* [[Suicide as Comedy]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01833.htm 1833], [[Played for Drama|though not any]] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01846.htm more.]
* [[Super-Powered Robot Meter Maids]]: A rare aversion; while a few seriously tough robots exist, they're designed for terraforming, essentially as ambulatory backhoes (complete with beeping noises as they back up). [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00305.htm "It's not fair. Organic beings are so much tougher and more mobile than robots." "It's the advantage we get for using designs that have undergone eighty million years of testing".]
{{quote|[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01457.htm "Economics rules. Most robots are cheap plastic and aluminum."] }}
* [[Suspiciously Specific Denial]]: Strip #02597
* [[Take a Third Option]]: Florence is induced to take one, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01803.htm courtesy of Sam.]
** Also, Dr.Bowman asked her a question which boils down to whether she will prioritize her needs or that of her species.
{{quote|There's a funny thing that happens when you know the correct answer. It throws you when you get a different answer that's not wrong.}}
* [[Take That]]: Many.
** "Hitler shouldn't be cute, and he '''definitely''' shouldn't [[Twilight (novel)|sparkle!]]"
** "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2000/fc01987.htm If I'd known I could get on a plane with my dignity intact, I'd have flown cargo long ago.]"
** "[[Star Wars Holiday Special|The one item]] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01100.htm we've stolen that causes worry when it disappears and utter panic when it returns to public view.]"
** "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01575.htm What if she's not the type to nod off during a test?]" "Ah, but the test contains '[[wikipedia:Alistair Darling|Alistair Darling's]] Commons Performance on Budget', which is so boring my computer went to sleep mode three times while downloading it."
* [[Talking Is a Free Action]]:
** Played straight in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01780.htm 1780.]
** [[Subverted]] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01775.htm earlier,] and [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00422.htm with Winston].
* [[Techno Babble]]/[[Layman's Terms]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00215.htm Florence,] fairly regularly.
* [[Tempting Fate]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01654.htm 1654], [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00348.htm 348]
* [[Terraforming]]: On Jean, in progress.
* [[This Is No Time to Panic]]: "If you had panicked earlier, you wouldn't have to panic now!"
* [["Three Laws"-Compliant]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00459.htm Partially.] But [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00312.htm sometimes] even this [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00338.htm hurts.] And there are some... [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01193.htm inherent] [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fc01281.htm problems.] And [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01515.htm the second law can be easily overridden by the first.] ''Freefall'' raises a lot of interesting ideas about the Three Laws by making all three main characters nonhuman sentients on a world full of human-made robots, meaning that they cannot order robots around, and robots can let them die or even hurt them willingly, putting them on equal footing.
** Sam invokes this when he tells a crowd of people that the robots don't desire to harm them. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2600/fc02514.htm He's living proof, because he's not human, and therefore not protected, and yet no robot has killed him].
* [[Time Dilation]]: The D.A.V.E. drive apparently works by somehow doing the reverse, for those on board the trip takes as long as it would normally but to people outside the ship it seems to be traveling faster than light. Which is why passengers on FTL ships have to be in [[Human Popsicle|cold sleep.]]
* [[Timmy in a Well]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff100/fv00079.htm 79]
* [[Tongue on the Flagpole]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01688.htm 1688]
* [[Too Much Information]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01125.htm And that's when talking about parasites...]
* [[Two Out of Three Ain't Bad]]: ...[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00137.htm right?]
* [[Uncanny Valley]]: We see in-universe the trope [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00428.htm working the other way around.]
* [[Underdressed for the Occasion]]: Winston on his first date with Florence.
* [[Unequal Pairing]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01196.htm Winston's well aware of the obstacles facing him and Florence].
* [[Unhand Them, Villain!]]: Sam does it to himself, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00370.htm here.]
* [[Unsound Effect]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01183.htm Sort of.]
* [[Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object]]: "[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2800/fc02713.htm That question is a lot less fun when you're in between the two]".
* [[Uplifted Animal]]:
** Chimps were the first to be uplifted, but it didn't work very well, since they turned out to be natural sociopaths, implied to be made ''even more'' belligerent. Florence is an uplifted wolf ([[Word of God]] states she has no human DNA. Though [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2600/fc02566.htm some bear]), part of an experimental breed - only 14 of them exist so far. That ''may'' be all there ever will be - they're actually only a prototype for a future race of uplifted ''alien'' animals. However, if THEY have anything to do with it, they'll eventually be a full species. This seems fairly likely [[Genre Savvy|since Florence is a main character]] AND terrifyingly intelligent.
* [[Used Future]]: Especially the ''Savage Chicken'' but in general the colony is still a work in process. So... not so much a Used Future, as a Brand New Future With Kinks That Haven't Yet Been Worked Out. Or perhaps Future Site of Future, an EcoSystems Unlimited Construction Project.
* [[Villainous Crossdresser]]: One of Edge's [[Lie to the Beholder|disguises]].
* [[Virtual Ghost]]: Averted, the robots are capable of making backups of their memories but most choose not to; their explanation why involved making a holographic copy of Sam and attempting to [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00383.htm cut the originals head off with a chainsaw.] Also, robots use transponders to locate and identify each other. If a damaged or decommissioned transponder gets connected to a power source, nearby robots can start "seeing" robots who aren't there. This is cited as explaining a lot of the robot ghost stories.
{{quote|- ([http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01863.htm Transponder <off>])
- Hey! He vanished! }}
* [[Wanton Cruelty to the Common Comma]]: Done with. The period. To illustrate. Blunt's mechanical. Maladies.
* [[We Will Have Perfect Health in the Future]]: Parodied. Given an opportunity to loot a pharmocological supply depot, Sam passes over "cheap life extension pills [and] [[Cure for Cancer|over the counter cancer cures]]" in favor of the stuff that he can sell for real money—diet pills and performance enhancers.
* [[We Will Not Have Pockets in the Future]]: Parodied.
** Averted, even; when quizzed on how she determines that she's looking at a human, the first thing Florence says is "clothes". Further interrogation gets the explanation; humans may have to modify their physical forms and their genetics beyond current recognition to survive in certain environments, making appearance, scent, and DNA unreliable, but humans are a tool-using species and no matter what form they take, they'll almost certainly want pockets to carry those tools.
* [[We Will Spend Credits in the Future]]
* [[Webcomic Time]]: 1900+ strips over the course of more than ten years, and about three weeks have elapsed in-comic. This was [[Lampshaded]] in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff500/fv00405.htm #405]. It was mentioned again as "almost a month" in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2200/fv02144.htm #2144].
* [[What Are You in For?]]
* [[What Could Possibly Go Wrong?]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01654.htm ...really?]
* [[What Does This Button Do?]]: Word for word in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00174.htm this strip.]
* [[What Measure Is a Non-Cute?]]: Got [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01124.htm this] [[Anvilicious|comet-sized anvil dropped on it]].
* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?]]:
** A topic of considerable interest and musing, as all three main characters and many of the secondary ones are nonhumans.
** [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01530.htm In the Mayor's eyes all artificial intelligence is created equal.] A Bowman's wolf officially is an "AI", so she can just [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01498.htm put one in the dogs' pound.] Which may have rather [[Hilarity Ensues|hilarious]] consequences when the wolf in question is qualified to [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01504.htm construct reactors] and [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01538.htm work with explosives.] But then, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01508.htm some people just can't predict obvious things.]
** Given the use of [["Three Laws"-Compliant|Three Laws Compliance]] in-story, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01584.htm the literal question comes up in-story as well.]
** These tend to turn into CMoAs and CMoHs for Sam, as seen [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1600/fc01589.htm here].
** Eventually, Doctor Bowman rather eloquently explains why you really want robots to err on the side of "it's human" in this particular issue.
* [[White Void Room]]: The shielded room. Clippy also mistook it for "afterlife" upon activation.
* [[Who Wants to Live Forever?]]: Referenced when robots outlive their owner, but not actually relevant since robots aren't actually immortal. Their neural nets are rated for about eighty years.
* [[Worthless Yellow Rocks]]: Diamonds are the natural buildup of loose carbon on fusion engines. Sam muses on how he could make a fortune if space travel were cheap, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1300/fv01252.htm here,] by taking advantage of this trope.
* [[Worthy Opponent]]: Sam and Max quickly found respect for each other. And [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00592.htm left tips to the waiter who managed to out-scam them both].
* [[Wrong Genre Savvy]]: ''Subverted'' with Winston, [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00351.htm when Florence arrives at his house during the hurricane]. [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00354.htm After he opens the door:]
{{quote|'''Winston''': [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00355.htm I don't believe it. It really was a werewolf.] Okay, doc. Think. What's the first thing people in horror movies do when a werewolf shows up?
'''Winston''' (thinking -- and [[Face Palm|facepalming]]): Why, the same thing I did. They run off and leave the door open so the monster can enter the house. }}
:: (Fortunately for Winston, he's actually a character in a science fiction story.)
** Later Edge [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2300/fc02241.htm figured out] he acts against Zombie Apocalypse survival rules.
* [[You Answered Your Own Question]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01786.htm Robots are being trained as a police force for the planet's non-human population.]
{{quote|'''Deputy Mayor:''' Our non-human population consists of one person. Sam. Do we really need an entire police force for one larcenous squid?
'''Police Robot:''' Sir, I believe if you look past [[Impossible Thief|the obvious answer]], you'll see [[Androids Are People, Too|one that's even more obvious]].  }}
* [[You Do NOT Want to Know]]: Sometimes [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01693.htm you don't know whether you want to know.]
** Mr. Raibert [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2700/fc02688.htm should value his sleep].
* [[You Fail Physics Forever]]: [[In-Universe]] examples: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00515.htm Sam Starfall fails physics forever,] but then [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff600/fv00516.htm so did Ecosystems Unlimited.] Even worse, not just ''physics''. '''''[[Up to Eleven|Basic geometry]]'''''.
* [[Your Approval Fills Me with Shame]]: [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01698.htm And possibly dread.]
* [[Your Head Asplode]]: Qwerty mentions that his fellow robots are concerned that this is a possible reaction to robots intentionally circumventing their [[Restraining Bolt|safeguards]], in [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01451.htm this strip.]

{{reflist}}
[[Category:Furry Webcomics]]
[[Category:Webcomics Long Runners]]
[[Category:Sci Fi Webcomics]]
[[Category:Freefall]]
[[Category:Web Comics]]
[[Category:Web Comics of the 1990s]]
[[Category:Web Comics of the 2000s]]
[[Category:Web Comics of the 2010s]]
[[Category:Web Comics of the 2020s]]