Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Living Witness

***** (5 stars out of 5)
<-- Museum Curator Quarren...

Discovers the Holographic Doctor-->

...under the ocean with other missing detritus from the warship Voyager. Missing, lo, these 700 years since those vicious Starfleet bastards committed their grievous war crimes against the Vaskans and Kyrians. And then ran back home to Mars like the cowards they were.

But the moment Voyager's heretofore unknown back-up physician claps his simulated eyes on the museum exhibits devoted to Voyager's historical shenanigans (such as phaser executions and orbital genocide), he has a bone to pick with the archaeologists. Well, not literally. He's still a medical hologram, not a dancing skeleton.

The Doctor's first-hand experience is in direct conflict with Quarren's meticulous research. Seven of Nine didn't usually assimilate anyone who looked at Janeway funny! Chakotay rarely tortured prisoners. And BLACK turtlenecks? Kyrian, please.

The official history has become an ancient grudge-match game of "telephone" that has distorted the truth for many centuries. And the racial inequality between the Vaskans and the Kyrians has only gotten worse by 3074. Can the Doctor and Quarren make a difference?

"Living Witness" is a story that asks everyone to consider the source... and also kind of bravely recommends allowing history itself to go unavenged... if it makes living in the present better for everyone.

And, no... I never make mistakes.

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