The Story and the Engine

[Craig @craig Emperor]

This sounds intriguing. In Lagos, the mysterious Barber reigns supreme. The Doctor discovers a world where stories have power, but can he stop the Spider and its deadly web of revenge?

This is written by Inua Ellams, a Nigerian-born British poet, playwright and performer who was appointed an MBE in 2023 for services to the arts. He has written for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre and the BBC. He is the first black man to have written for “Doctor Who”, and the fourth black writer overall (after Malorie Blackman, Charlene James and Sharma Angel Walfall).

It is directed by Makalla McPherson, a writer/director from London. After episodes of “Doctors”, “Midsomer Murders” and “Eastenders” she directed the award-winning TV drama, “Waterloo Road” and was the main and second unit director on the award winning Netflix “Bridgerton” spin-off, “Queen Charlotte”.

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

As Sherlock Holmes would have said: This is a three pipe problem.

Back after I have found a pipe…

[ps1l0v3y0u @ps1l0v3y0u]

So Ruth is back. Now, what does that mean? The fugitive knew the daughter of… someone. Are ‘the gods’ related somehow to The Division? For a moment I wondered if Abby might be an aspect of Susan…

The thing is I’m not really comfortable with The Pantheon. Sutekh SHOULDN’T be a god, not even a rubbish one. 10 called out the Impossible Planet beast. The Gods of Ragnarok from ‘Greatest Show’ were projections weren’t they? The Eternals seemed godlike but were a little pathetic: just NOT mortal.

That aside, this was an interesting continuation of the saga. Even if it was mainly some lads having a natter down the barbers.

The Anansi engine reminded me of Howl’s Moving Castle. And there I was, expecting the Racknoss!

Obviously there is a close parallel with The Mind Robber set up. The engine room carried a hint of Journey to the Centre of The Tardis but surely that’s not significant.

Lastly, that Belinda could just say ‘he’s removed a third of the engine’ to The Barber was a bit odd. Either her lines have a lot of script edding issues or is Belinda all she seems to be? She apparently knows Mrs Flood.

Then there is the child…

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

Well, having decided that understanding this episode was a three pipe problem, I found a pipe and discovered that pipe tobacco is simply appaling.Nonetheless, even though my health is now irretrievably ruined, here are my reflections.

At an obvious level, it is a story about  a story about forgiveness and redemption. And it does that quite well. The interaction of the characters at the end captures that.

As to the central focus on the power (and necessity) of telling stories, I liked it, and also saw it through an RTD2 lens. what I mean by that is that when reference was mad to gods I kept thinking of goblins and trickers (which RTD2 began this series with). In old Who it was all about flesh and blood aliens (and their mechanical creations, but with RTD2 it is about goblins and tricksters.

More thoughts when the  awful effects of the three pipes where off.

p.s. Doctor Ruth?

[winston @winston]

I have to agree with @blenkinsopthebrave  and Sherlock that this is a three pipe problem.I liked it but I didn’t understand all of it. I will watch it again and than come back here and see if wiser people than me have it all worked out.

The 15th Doctor is magnetic and electric and I enjoy watching his emotions play out on his face. He is really growing on me. I will be back.

stay safe

 

[WhoHar @whohar]

There was a lot to like in this episode, and I’m still processing (like most of this thread). Visually pleasing, with great characters and performances and the setting was terrific too. The world building was fantastic.

I got some American Gods vibes mixed in with The Rings of Akhaten.

The whole ep was, for me, a fable about fables.

The story window was lovely, and I could have listened to a lot more of those stories.

There was a lot going on, maybe too many ideas for the 50 minutes, and I am not sure it fully worked. The idea that the antagonist wanted to destroy all the stories of the gods by travelling to the centre of the Nexus in a giant spider, itself powered by stories was remarkably inventive. But both the motivations of the antagonist and the consequent impact to humanity seemed a little weak.

The resolution also felt a bit rushed.

But the braided hair maze map was a really subtle way of introducing the effects of slavery, and highlighted how those affected were able to overcome adversity with ingenuity.

Having a poet write for Who was always likely to yield something different and interesting, and I’m all here for it. I hope he gets to write another episode.

[Charlie Cook @cookgroom]

As the current doctor remembered the bet to win abena, but it was in the jo martin timeline, does that mean we are in the alternate timeline now?…

[WhoHar @whohar]

@cookgroom

but it was in the jo martin timeline, does that mean we are in the alternate timeline now

Well, this is interesting as those memories are meant to be captured in the 13th Docs watch that she dropped into the divisions repository.

But the Doc at the end said that the stories were leaking out in the wrong order, so who knows.

[ps1l0v3y0u @ps1l0v3y0u]

@cookgroom @whohar

So… either…

Russ is indeed engaging with the mad mysterious and oft disappointing and ludicrous world of Zchib… of which I know nothing… Or…

Tis but a humble plot hole. Actually, I don’t think so. Or…

It’s a kid show. We’re overthinking it.

But there must be an even chance this is getting Divisionesque. Yes?

Question: and, as I say, I know nothing; but if some 0f the iffy guys with bad costumes survived t’floox, without a convenient parallel Universe to b*gger off to, would they then try to rebuild Gallifrey? Maybe starting with The Matrix. Over all time and space. That could be a bit Anansi, a bit Mind Robbery, a little AU meets VR maybe?

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@ps1l0v3yOu

It’s a kid show. We’re overthinking it.

But it’s not a kid’s show anymore.  The last show runner who was capable of pitching it to both kids and adults was Moffat. And that’s part of the problem. Throwing in a giant mechanical spider in outer space doesn’t mean that kids can make anymore sense of a bunch of adults telling stories and/or arguing with each other in a barber shop than than those of us on this thread.

I suspect that the problem lies, not with us overthinking it, but with RTD2 overthinking it.

As you noted above:

Then there is the child…

She was unsettling when she showed herself to Belinda and then promptly disappeared.

Why a child? What point was RTD2 trying to make? B*ggered if I know.

 

 

[dwnerdfrommars @dwnerdfrommars]

I have not seen this episode yet.

Should I watch it?

 

I heard rumors a bi-generated Rani makes a secret cameo

 

[ps1l0v3y0u @ps1l0v3y0u]

@dwnerdfrommars

My advice to is to start drinking heavily… No!!!!

Watch everything after Empire of Death, which was mainly awful. Unless the arc saves it… eventually…I’m not holding my breath.

Story/Engine is a very good, very original story, nothing really to do with the sci fi milieu, but trading on some tasty Studio Ghibli stylee. Nice. We’ve had a lot to say about it so far, mainly how good it is. This could be a great season.

My initial advice is of course inspired by ‘Animal House.’ Which is my problem.

I’m not a fan of The Rani. She was a Pip and Jane Baker creation. Not first rank writers… by some mile. But The Rani’s  CV does look quite similar to Tecteun’s. So. Tell me about The Division.

Ruth has made a reappearance.

Join the dots.

[ps1l0v3y0u @ps1l0v3y0u]

@blenkinsopthebrave

It’s a kid show/not a kid show. Some actors get it and some don’t think it will help their pension at all. Write the theme tune. Sing the theme tune.

Something went wrong in the last series but this one could be as good as RTD1 Series 4. Though the finale that time was a bit pants, I know.

Moff finales, apart from Time of The Doctor, were pretty good. Did he write for kids? I don’t think you should talk down to kids. But the material was strong.

Mary wouldn’t approve.

The Child. Susan? Or Abby. Or Lulubelle? Or The Doctor??

Or… Bill? The actress, who appeared as the still of her mum, also played the part of a Time Lady.

[Devilishrobby @devilishrobby]

I liked the episode though I’m confused as hell yes there was a Gods connection  and there appeared to be some kind of world as a story/myth element which seems to be this sieries’  theme (by the way this was a theme through several Robert. A. Hienlien Books).  We had an appearance of DoctorRuth I’m wondering if Ncuti is actually leaving the show are they going to cast DocRuth as the next Doctor and having her appear in this episode has been a sly way of having her available to film a regeneration scene on the down-low. Awww hell I don’t know I think all the speculation about the Disney/Beeb partnership and the Ncuti is going or is he staying speculation is in part colouring our perceptions.

[WhoHar @whohar]

@blenkinsopthebrave @ps1l0v3y0u @devilishrobby

Throwing in a giant mechanical spider in outer space

and

Why a child? What point was RTD2 trying to make? B*ggered if I know.

I think the spider would have made more sense if the whole plotline about the gods and trying to destroy them by killing their stories had been removed. That part didn’t really make any sense to me for a number of reasons. Imagine though if the motivation of the Barber (who was excellent I thought) was merely to damage the Nexus using the spider, in order to sow division amongst humans. It’s a lot simpler and therefore more understandable. You’d still have to come up with a proper motivation for the Barber e.g. he is Anansi.

They could then also have removed the daughter of Anansi plotline, further streamlining things; I’m not sure if it being in there and the Dr Ruth connection is just playfulness or if it’s significant.

The child? Apparently, according to the credits, it was the same actor and the same character name as one of (the captain of ?) the Space Babies. This probably doesn’t help at all, and I’m baffled why it was in there. The best reason I can think of is to keep sites like this one engaged in speculation, but I hope not.

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

Very much enjoyed my second viewing. It is, as I said after my first viewing, it is a story about forgiveness and redemption.  As the embittered archivist/storyteller says at the end, “I don’t deserve your kindness” and I am tempted to agree with him. But, as Belinda says “hurt people hurt people”. And there has to be a way of stopping that cycle.

Does it plant seeds for the theme that seems to be emerging  about fiction vs reality? Prhaps only in the sense that it highlights the importance of stories. What else is “Doctor Who” after all?

[WhoHar @whohar]

@blenkinsopthebrave

As the embittered archivist/storyteller

Apparently, the writer Inua Ellams discovered that the French word for ghostwriter is a variation of the N-word, and this is what informed this story. Knowing that, adds another layer to the Barber’s story.

[Charlie Cook @cookgroom]

@whohar good spot with the child credits…

[Whisht @whisht]

Really enjoyed this one.
Even though I missed some (I think) crucial dialogue due to my ears/ TV/ headphones running out of juice!

Really really like the actor Ariyon Bakare who played the Barber. Very intense.
(If I understood correctly) a human who told stories about the gods, who thus powered them. Wanting credit and power and… to destroy them out of spite.
What would he tell stories about with them gone?*
The Doctor unmasking a troll again.
But this time via a story I found much more subtle than Conrad in Lucky Day.

I feel like I’ve missed the whole RuthDoc thing. Maybe I missed an episode or two of WhitDoc’s run when I moved abroad.
Not sure, but the whole part of her interaction with Abena (played by a terrific Michelle Asante) confused me. Was Abena the daughter of Anansi? If so how could she believe that the Barber was a form of Anansi (and Loki etc)?
Ah well maybe that’s just me and a small thing overall.

Also loved the production design. All felt like it was a cohesive vision (and I’m even including the spider Omo’s Palace rode on, with its mask).

No need for lots of prosthetics this time, as the monsters were very human.

*In fact the Barber hasn’t been telling stories – he’s been stealing them. Was he ever the Storyteller? Or just always jealous and hurt…

[Mudlark @mudlark]

A strong episode, and one which well repaid an immediate second viewing.

The Doctor once said, ‘We are all stories in the end’, and on another occasion, ‘Stories are where memories go when they are forgotten’, and here the theme continues with a narrative about the power of stories. The setting, a barber’s shop, is representative of the kinds of places where, all over the world, people gather to gossip and exchange stories and where, in some cultures, professional story tellers still practice their craft. Story making and story telling is one of the things which define the human species; our brains are wired to see patterns and weave stories about those patterns, whether myths and legends of of capricious gods and heroes, scary accounts of ghosts and spirits, imaginative tales structured around past events and possible futures, the everyday stories we fashion to make sense of our own lives or, on a different level, scientific hypotheses to be tested.

It seems that the mysterious Barber, insofar as there is truth in his claims, originated as a griot or djeli – i.e. a traditional West African story teller and conserver of lore and wisdom, perhaps the very first of his kind if he is to be believed. He constructed a network or web to link all the stories and this web ultimately gave them greater power, so that the gods of the stories were able to free themselves and he, the storyteller, lost control of the narratives. Now, as he eventually confesses, he seeks revenge; to seize back control of that web and destroy the gods, When the Doctor likens him to a troll on the web it has a double meaning, but he is no longer a story teller, it seems. In fact, as the Doctor points out, he is a liar, which is not at all the same thing, and he must rely on others to power his engine with their stories. . Meanwhile the people in the barber’s shop are trapped like Sheherazade, condemned to find an endless succession of tales in order to preserve their lives.  Omo lures the Doctor into the shop in the hope that he can save them because his, after all, is the ultimate endless story.

The episode featured some interesting imagery. When the Barber is talking of his origins his dreadlocks come loose and fly outward, resembling a spider’s legs, as he hacks at them wildly. When the Doctor and Belinda find their way out of the shop their path to the engine is a maze flanked by images and masks relating to stories, and the engine itself, a beating heart within a brain, opens into a tree like form, just as traditional stories are sometimes likened to a branching tree. What the spider represents is not entirely clear unless it it signifies the trap that the Barber has made of the nexus.  At the end it is destroyed along with the web, so presumably it is not Anansi.

The gods whom the Barber mentions and even claims, falsely to represent, are Saga, the Norse goddess of story telling and wisdom who gave her name to a particular tradition of Icelandic narrative, Anansi and Loki, both trickster gods whose stories may be misleading, and Dionysus and Bastet, both gods associated with celebration and pleasure. The Doctor claims to know them and, significantly, it is clear that they are not at all the same as the Toymaker’s pantheon.

One slightly odd point; the Doctor tells Belinda that this is the first time he has been in this kind of body, which is why he feels so completely at home in the market in Lagos, but it is certainly not the first time he has been black, as is demonstrated by the brief appearance of Ruth Doctor.

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@mudlark

A wonderfully informative reflection on the episode.

I was unaware of the connection to the story of Sheherazade, for example. Thank you.

 

[TardisBlue @tardisblue]

Hi.

I haven’t been active for a number of years, but I’ve occasionally lurked, and am grateful to you all for keeping this site so informative and congenital.

I logged in specifically to thank @mudlark for that wonderfully informative post. I enjoyed the episode a lot, but was toraĺly mystified by the Barber’s motivations and actions. Part of it could be because I was having trouble hearing some of the dialogue, compounded by my unfamiliarity with the accents and a score that was a tad too loud at times.

Marvelous episode. You all are marvelous, too. Much love and best woshes.

[WhoHar @whohar]

@whisht

In fact the Barber hasn’t been telling stories – he’s been stealing them.

I wondered about this. If he’s the storyteller of the gods then why did he need to hold people hostage and force them to tell stories? Presumably he wasn’t able to tell stories anymore, but I didn’t see the reason why that was the case explained in the episode.

[ps1l0v3y0u @ps1l0v3y0u]

@mudlark

I’m reluctant to comment on the Ruth aspect because this story and indeed the whole season has intrigued so much.

But there seems to be so many plot holes surrounding the Ruth incarnation. Is RTD attempting a rewrite of Chris, or are they singing from the same hymn sheet?

So the image of Ruth was a shock; who actually saw that? Therefore it must be a nod to the viewer. There’s something to discover here.

But what can 15 remember about Ruth? 12’s Testimony was so vast it would shatter every avatar. Ashildr had to create her memories before they were wiped. Was 13’s ‘Matrix experience’ enough?

‘This kind of body’; well that’s before 15 recognised Abby. It would seem to be an inconsistency but then Ruth’s body is significantly different. But there’d obviously more than one story being shoehorned in: Chris or Cartmel 2.0, you decide.

The Barber is the human servant, the storyteller of The Trickster. Abby is The Trickster’s daughter. Is it just me getting Susan vibes? Bearing in mind that was the open question last time. Might have to go to The Winchester with this…

Saga… The Icelandic tradition. Male Icelandic genetic heritage is Norse (and The Doctor can’t stand Vikings); the female genetic markers are Gaelic. Probably Irish. Well we know how that happened. But anyway the women created a unique tradition, like the whole culture. Doesn’t that fit with our zeitgeist? I mean just call me Al and the conman radical?

btw Dionysus was also the Neoplatonic final play against Christianity: wine, feasting, our man gets put on trial. Augustine had a fit. Done that. Got the T shirt.

Question is… was Ruth, OR 1, wiped? This being the reason 13 didn’t remember her? Or was Ruth/3 a bigeneration? Yes we’ve seen the colourised end to The War Games and I got CONFUSED, but actually what does bigeneration mean for the Tardis? Strange that no one’s mentioned this. How many tradisless bigenerated Gallifreyans are out there?

‘Hi! Gallifreyan?’

’Nah. Zygon, me.’

Or does Ruth’s policebox get deposited back on Gallifrey? Then stolen by 12. Commandeered by Ashildr and Clara… and she thinks… insofar as Sexyidris thinks… ‘American Diner? I can rock that.’

Only THEN does Clara hand it back, in Death Star Elevator form, complete with broken chameleon circuit. The navigation circuit statement being… I dunno. Selling a Tardis is very much like making lahhh…

And yet… how would Clara know?? That Sexyidris was the one for The Doctor? It might explain the Tardis. Guvnor. Little Old Lady owner… been rahnd The Universe free times!

[Mudlark @mudlark]

@whisht  @whohar

 If he’s the storyteller of the gods then why did he need to hold people hostage and force them to tell stories?

My reading, which of course may be well off the mark, is that he began, as he said, as a mortal – a griot telling stories. To connect the stories  he gathered from all over the world he constructed a web, the Nexus, and the connexion enabled the stories to gain in complexity and power until they and the gods they told of took on a life of their own. He wasn’t prepared to accept  the loss of control and subordinate status, but in defying the gods and planning revenge he lost his own power as a storyteller. As for Abena, yes she’s the daughter of Anansi and she had her own grudges, but the Barber had recruited her by lying about his intentions, and as far as I remember she wasn’t present when he was boasting to the Doctor about being an avatar of Anansi and the other gods.

[Mudlark @mudlark]

@ps1l0v3y0u

Yes, Ruth Doctor. RTD has evidently accepted the Chibs retcon thus far. Whether he will run with it is another matter.

Based on the T C/Division/memory wipe narrative, Gatwa Doctor should remember meeting Ruth Doc and have accepted that she was a previous incarnation of himself, but have no recollection of actually being Ruth Doc because she was pre memory wipe. If I have understood the significance of her appearance in this episode, she represents a memory flash on the part of Abena, having been the Doctor who refused to take her, Abena, travelling as a companion. None of the others, including Gatwa Doc would have been aware of her.

The matter of Ruth Doc’s Tardis still nags at me. Hartnell Doc took a faulty Tardis which was in for repair and at some point afterwards took it to 1960s Earth because his grand daughter thought it sounded fun.*  The Tardis took the form of a Police Box as an appropriate disguise for the time period, but then the chameleon circuit malfunctioned. It stretches coincidence beyond reasonable credibility that Ruth Doc’s Tardis should have taken the same form – unless of course Hartnell Doc did just happen to pick on this same, by now antiquated jalopy to steal, and said jalopy had a tendency to default to the same form when on earth. I’d rather not bring bi-regeneration into the picture; it makes my head hurt and once is quite enough!

*which for the most part it was, but if I’d been given the choice of exploring all time and space it would have been no contest.

[WhoHar @whohar]

@whisht @mudlark

He wasn’t prepared to accept  the loss of control and subordinate status, but in defying the gods and planning revenge he lost his own power as a storyteller

Yes, this was my take also. It would have been nice to understand how and why it occurred but I assume the story runtime meant it had to be implied rather than shown (two-parter, cough, cough).

[WhoHar @whohar]

@mudlark @ps1l0v3y0u

If I have understood the significance of her appearance in this episode, she represents a memory flash on the part of Abena, having been the Doctor who refused to take her, Abena, travelling as a companion. None of the others, including Gatwa Doc would have been aware of her.

The slight problem with this that I can see, is that Abena was talking out loud about this meeting with Doc 15, and his response indicated that he was aware of this event. If he truly had no knowledge of the bet, then he would have more likely responded with a question, or statement that he didn’t understand what Abena was referring to. It seems odd that he specifically mentioned he had no knowledge of being in a black body (when we know he has seen RuthDoc previously) but he remembers the bet with Abena. Given the memory wipe which occurred during Doc 13’s time (and those memories being locked in the fob watch stored deep within the Tardis*) it should be the other way around.

Unless the whole sequence was meant to be playing out only in Abena’s head, which I realise now may be what you were saying all along.

The matter of Ruth Doc’s Tardis still nags at me

Yes, this remains problematic. I wonder if RTD is trying to reconcile this apparent contradiction. The Toymaker’s assertion that he created a jigsaw of the Doctor’s past in the 60th Specials may be as far as he will go. I think that was deliberate by RTD to allow fans to create their own “headcanon” that still allows for the TC to remain in the show in some form. Although, it could equally make the Ruth Doc a later version of the current Doc (with the usual caveats about timestreams realigning etc. meaning he has no memory of his meeting her as Doc 13). Would explain Ruth Doc’s Tardis.

My suspicion is that RTD doesn’t approve of the timeless child narrative, but that his hands of somewhat tied in directly contradicting it.

* Does Doc14’s Tardis have a copy of the fob watch also?

 

[Mudlark @mudlark]

@whohar

The slight problem with this that I can see, is that Abena was talking out loud about this meeting with Doc 15, and his response indicated that he was aware of this event.

Yes, my memory was at fault here on this and one or two other points. Having had another look. I still think that the Fugitive Doctor we saw was meant to be an image in Abena’s mind – or perhaps conjured up by the power of the story engine, but either way it clearly indicates that she was the incarnation responsible for failing to rescue Abena from her father and, as you say, it is equally clear that Gatwa Doctor not only remembered Abena but also the bet and its consequences,  so RTD is certainly not following Chib’s narrative to the letter. The Toymaker’s jigsaw would certainly be one way round the discrepancy. Or might we conjecture that the bigeneration had unblocked the memory wipe?

I see that I was also mistaken in thinking that Abena wasn’t present when the Barber was making his initial boastful claims about being the fons et origo of all story telling and of the gods including Anansi. She was there and heard him, but then by her own account she bore a major grudge against her father and the Barber had evidently seduced her with his promises of putting everything right.

[ScaryB @scaryb]

Late to this, but very happily caught up.

Agree with several above that the threat is unclear – what will happen to everyone if they just refuse to tell their stories? What power does the Barber have to make them? We’re not shown, but the the tension does ramp up well despite that. I’m also not clear about the hair thing – does the hair growing back indicate time passing in the real world? Why does the Barber cut his own hair as he’s revealing his own story?

I really liked it tho, and especially on a second watch. It continues to resonate, like all the best stories. Beware of not crediting the storytellers properly! 🙂 I liked how it resolved with the Barber being revealed as really just another hurt person, driven by vengeance for perceived slights, but then forgiven, not least by himself once he realised he been “seen” and then able to continue with a new life, still collecting stories. Would Abby, as the daughter of a god, have been one of his victims if he had succeeded  in erasing them?

Meta References continue:

Did anyone else notice the images on the screen as the Barber told how he started out? The image of the Palazzo Cinema (so like the one in Lux) immediately followed by a retro looking space rocket looking very similar in style to the one in Robot Revolution… Didn’t spot any others, but these in particular jumped out. (And how did the Doctor know Belinda’s story? Did she tell him? And will she recognise Mrs Flood when she meets her IRL… and will the Doc?)

Oh, and I thought the acting was superb, especially the Barber who could easily have gone for being just another scenery chewing villain.

[Mudlark @mudlark]

@scaryb

 I’m also not clear about the hair thing – does the hair growing back indicate time passing in the real world? Why does the Barber cut his own hair as he’s revealing his own story?

While I’m trying to digest Wish World (stories again, featuring the Rani as the Wicked Witch) yes, a good point. My take, for what it is worth, is that the cutting of the hair represented the harvesting of the energy of the story being told. Once the story has been told and the teller released from the Barber’s chair the hair immediately regrows, because stories are constantly being created – at least in the minds of anyone with even a smidgin of imagination. The same applied when the Barber told his story but, as at this point he was a very unreliable narrator, he hacked at his long uncut dreadlocks  randomly.

[TranslatorCircuit @translatorcircuit]

After the sub standard first three episodes, this series is continuing to improve with “The Story and The Engine”!

It’s all based around a barber’s shop, but then we discover that it’s actually a complicated spaceship which has an entrance that’s in two different places at once!

The thing about collecting stories to power the ship was really interesting. The visualisation of the stories on a monitor was also a nice touch. I want something like this to replace some destroyed photos of mine. I’d have liked to know more about the ship, such as why it was shaped like a spider and exactly what kind of engine it had, though. The name The Nexus seems to have been copied from the film Star Trek: Generations, where it was a dream world in which everyone’s fantasies could come true.

I’m still not sure why the mysterious barber, who claimed to have provided background stories for various gods, cut off his dreadlocks near the end, though!

It seems like a happy ending for everyone concerned.

[Author]

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