Strange Texts

 THE FACELESS ONES.   Written by David Ellis and Malcolm Hulke.   6 episodes.                       8th April - 13th May 1967.                      COMPANIONS:- Ben, Polly and Jamie.    It is Gatwick Airport 1966 and the TARDIS lands on one of the runways.  Whilst hiding in a hangar, Polly witnesses the murder of a detective and  then she and Ben are kidnapped. The Doctor discovers other disappearances,  all involving Chameleon Tours, a small airline. The kidnappers are an  alien race called the Chameleons, a race with no identities and faces due  to a nuclear explosion. They are dying out and have a method of taking the  faces and identities of humans. They have kidnapped some 50,000 people  and having miniaturised them, are keeping them in a space station high  above the Earth. The Doctor ...

 THE MACRA TERROR.   Written by Ian Stuart Black.   4 episodes.                      11th March - 1st April 1967.                      COMPANIONS:- Ben, Polly and Jamie.    After seeing a vision of a huge crab-like creature on the TARDIS scanner,  the Doctor and his companions land on a strange planet, run like a holiday  camp. They meet a man called Medok who says that the planet is being  infiltrated by the Macra, the creatures from the TARDIS scanner. The Macra  ctually control the population of the planet, conditioning the people into  working in the gas mines. The Macra need the deadly gas to survive.    The Doctor takes control of the pumping machine and cuts off the Macra's  supply. Ben then cements the victory by blowing up the gas pumps, freeing  the colony.    This ...

                 The Ultra-Definitive Warp Drive Chart                         by William Stone, III                         FidoNet:  1:115/634.2                            GEnie:  W.STONE7 Here is is, gang.  The ultra-definitive Warp Drive Chart.  We got your TOS scale, we got your TNG scale, we got your number of times the speed of light. This is compiled from the TNG Writer's Technical Manual which (as I always point out so that I sound legit) was written by Michael Okuda, Rick Sternbach, and all the people from the TNG technical department.  It's not neccesarily what they'll use on the show (it's a "guide," not etched in stone), but it's the best guess anybody at TNG has at this point.        ...

WARNING:  This post contains spoiler information regarding "Attached", this week's TNG episode.  Unless you're attached to early spoilers, step lightly. In brief:  Contrived, but done with more grace than it had any right to be.  Not bad at all -- but oh, those last three minutes are annoying. Even with those last three minutes, it was reasonably good, but that final scene ticked me off.  More (probably considerably more) after a synopsis: The Enterprise is visiting Kesprytt Three to evaluate the Kes for possible Federation membership.  Unfortunately, Picard and Dr. Crusher's transporter beam is diverted, sending them to a prison run by the more isolationist Prytt race.  The Prytt accuse them of conspiring to form a military alliance with the Kes, and say they'll get all the information they need from the neural implants in both Picard and Bev.  Before long, however, the pair escape the cell with the help of a nervous Kes spy. O...

WARNING:  This article contains large amounts of spoiler information for TNG's seventh-season premiere, "Descent, Part II."  Those not wishing to be unduly exposed to those spoilers should back away, slowly.  A short spoiler-free comment is ahead, to be followed by 30 blank lines and a second Ctrl-L. Briefly:  A good deal better than either of the last two season premieres, but still far weaker than the setup.  A few moments of glory, but also a lot of signs that the technobabble level is increasing beyond the limits of all decency. That should be ample room.  As a reminder to old readers and an education for those new to the net:  Hi there.  :-)  The pattern these reviews fall into is one of a synopsis, followed by commentary on whatever parts of the episode seem to catch my attention for good or ill.  [In response to a host of requests last year, there will be a line of ten dashes following the synopsis that you ...

WARNING:  This article contains spoilers for TNG's "Force of Nature".  Repeated exposure to these spoilers may cause serious difficulties. In a nutshell:  Another moral-of-the-week bludgeon, alas, but with many redeeming features. The best feature, of course, was the "training Spot" idea, but that's a comment for later on.  For now, a synopsis: The Enterprise is in search of a missing medical transport, the Fleming.  They are searching in a region known as the "Hekaras Corridor", the one part of a large area of space free of tetryon fields, which interfere with warp drive.  The one inhabited planet in the region hasn't seen the Fleming, but has seen a Ferengi ship, which rouses fears of a hijacking.  However, the reality turns out somewhat different.  The Ferengi ship is found, but after an abortive attempt at battle on the Ferengi's part, it becomes clear that the ship was damaged by a "mine" of sorts in the Co...

                                                "Ten Reasons: Picard and Beverly"                         By Dan Cataldo                         FidoNet 1:278/616 The ten reasons why Picard never told Beverly that he loved her: 10. Was jealous that she looked better in a wig than he ever did in a     toupee. 9.  Too busy reading exciting archaeological journals to notice the     gorgeous redhead sitting at his breakfast table. 8.  Afraid that Vash would punch his lights out if he ever told her     what he really thought about her. 7.  Beverly really his second choice. Was heart-broken after the     departure of "good friend" Miles O'Brien. 6.  Bev not terribly interested in...