"Display the text," Spock instructed the computer, and the others
spent several tense, fidgety minutes as Spock speed-read the entire novel
(or at least the most relevant portions).
"Interesting," he said, finally. "Merely 'interesting'?" said McCoy wryly. "Not 'fascinating'?" Kirk quieted him with a wave of his hand. "Explain, Spock." Spock straightened from where he had stood bent over the computer and adopted a pedantic tone (not that that was terribly different from his usual tone). "The premise of the novel concerns a small -- though presumably fictional -- town in the country of England, on Earth. Due to a mysterious alien influence, all the women of child-bearing age in this town become pregnant at the same time, giving birth to children with potent psionic abilities, who eventually prove decidedly hostile towards their putative parents. The title comes from the name of the village in question -- 'Midwich' -- and that of an Earth bird, the cuckoo, which reproduces by laying its eggs in other birds' nests, often to the detriment of the unfortunate avian foster parents. The parallels with current events on the Enterprise are, of course, obvious." "Are you saying that that's what's happening to us... to me?" cried Fred, both halves of his split personality feeling grievously alarmed at the thought. "Not necessarily," said Spock. "We are, after all, talking about a work of fiction. However..." Go Back |
1/16/2002 6:21:23 PM
Extending Enabled
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