And so we circle back to the very heart of the matter after a mushroom induced trip to strange new worlds.

Ivonovic's speech, like so many others delivers by dangerousLy radical ideologues starts off reasonably enough until it becomes quickly apparent that it is pure hatred and vitriol dressed up in elegant words.

Terrifc story all around with a great ending that sets us up for a pontenially epic battle between the forces of good and evil.

Author's Response:

You might have noticed some of the quotes at the beginning of some of the Episodes were attributed to an interview with Dr. Kenny Dolphin on Subspace Radio Ivonovic...

So I was half right after all, it is all the mushrooms fault. Granted, I would certainly not have expected, in a hundred years, asymmetrical causality. Is that even a thing? Doesn't matter. Sound cool as hell. I mean the whole concept it mind-bending. Also pretty impressive that it's the crew of what is practically a police cruiser to come up with such an awesome hypothesis. This isn't even a science vessel. Also mindful that that's all it is for now, a hypothesis with little evidence to back it up.

I'll take it though, it's awesome.

Author's Response:

Actually, yes. it is a thing. We've known for decades that actions in the future influence the past at a subatomic level - and I'm liniking in a YouTube video that explains that:

Not sure what I'm more surprised by here, yet another sudden turn of events as Tauk is experiencing an unexpectedly serious medical episode or the presence of a highly articulate Nausicaan. I guess categorizing all of their people as war-like brutes is likely the kind of racism we should have moved on from. Must keep open mind.

Author's Response:

I did a little careful foreshadowing with Tauk. You might have noticed him coughing in episodes 4 and 5. That vision of him coughing up blood was in Kenny's nightmare at the beginning of this episode.

He just pulls the sword out of his chest? This guy is one tough customer. Also, looks like Mlady is done feeding for the week. Also, WTF just happend?

Whatever the cause, I blame the mushroom.

Author's Response:

Lots of reveals at the end of this episode - including why David is so tough and smart and such a good dancer all in one giant body. And why Carrera is off the charts brilliant. And many of the other Hunter's superheroes. With the exceptions of Mlady, Kenny, Gaia, Tauk, T'Lon, Tali Shae, Jazz and the three trills...

Gotta say, you do surrealism quite well in another creepy nightmare paragraph. In the soundtrack of my mind I was hearing "White Rabbit" through much of this scene.

I wonder what the mushroom, if that's indeed what is attempting to communicate here, is trying to say. My guess is, "get the hell off me, people!"

Author's Response:

Thanks for the kind words! White Rabbit definitely fits the material.

Oh look, it's the Lord of the Mushrooms.

All this talk about mushrooms, and now just one mega 'room is starting to freak me out a bit. Could something sinister be going on here?

Author's Response:

There is definitely more going on with our million ton, bioluminescent agaricoid friend than meets the eye. Out of more than 100 characters I created for this series, TGM is easiily the most mysterious. Although Emory Ivonovic and Emperor Sin IV will give it a run for its money..

Okay, something tells me you know exactly how many times the word "mushroom" appeared in this chapter.

I was going go comment on something else but now that's really all I can think of. Mushroom.

Author's Response:

Well, mushroom does kind of dominate Episode 7 - hence the name... I borrowed a writing technique from Douglas Adams and James Thurber - when you have something absurd, really lean into it. Hopefully it didn't overshadow the reveal on Dr. Carrera as that will become an important story point in later episodes.

A court case were people experience premonitions? Well, that certainly sounds like a fascinating setup, particularly since some of the involve parties already think they have "seen" the outcome.

This could get complicated. Looking forward to it.

Author's Response:

Thanks again for reading and reviewing! 

Love. That's the missing ingredient. I think you may have just solved the fears of all those futurists who are concerned about an advanced AI wiping out humanity. Just add love.

Although, on second thought, what happens when an AI gets jealous or even worse ... inconsolably love sick? Nothing good I bet.

Nice ending to this crazy, eventful episode.

Author's Response:

Okay - I wish I had thought of that as a plot device... A love sick starship. That would be an absolute scream.

OMG, this is the Naked Now. Except, on steroids.

As for the things I feared that could go wrong? Well, I didn't expect exactly this to go wrong.

And now an even greater threat looms. Nice.

Author's Response:

Really glad you got a kick out of this scene - kind of mingled humor and horror.

Fully functioning, eh?

Okay, so this story is going into a direction I didn't quite expect.

Oh, and I was pointing out privacy issues earlier. Considering there are telepaths running around, and AI systems which can be anywhere and see everything, I suppose true privacy is a thing of the past.

Author's Response:

Yeah - privacy is already a thing of the past. Depending on when you got your first cell phone, the U.S. government probably has a complete record of every call you have ever made and every person you have ever texted. Courtesy of the Patriot Act.

One thing a little creepy here is how much information the team seems to have access to about pretty much anyone visiting a Federation starbase. I guess privacy laws work a little different in the future.

I've noticed you keep referring to the planet Raisa. Not sure if this is an alt spelling for Risa or a different planet altogether.

Author's Response:

Well... we kind of already live in that fishbowl.. But the Hunter's crew have this detailed information courtesy of Julain Bashir and Section 31...

This entire conversation and theme on hybrids and purity is very much in the best tradition of Trek and reminds me a great deal of the conversations we unfortunately still having to this day about racial purity and interracial relationships.

As for the rampant hormonal outbreak on the Hunter, on the other hand, would probably never make it onto a Trek TV show, at least not quite this blatantly. Maybe HBO. Then again, we did get to see the Enterprise crew fall all over themselves in the Naked Now.

Author's Response:

Considering the Odogasms and Kiragasms DS9 got away with, along with the first passionate female/female kiss on network TV and all the hanky-panky with Warf and Dax in the wings, I think I can defend my T rating...