The state of TIAH
June 8th, 2006
in 684, the barbarian cult leader known as The Beast leads a raid against a small Christian settlement in central Europe. He demands that all of the inhabitants of the village renounce the Christian god and wear his mark on their forehead or hand, or he will put everyone in the village to death. The town pastor refuses, and is cruelly slain; the rest of the village acquiesces, and the triple-6 is tattooed on the 70 people of the village. The Beast leaves them alone after this, but other Christians shy away from doing business with the village; the triple-6 strikes fear in the hearts of villagers hundreds of miles away. A mission is sent to Rome to request the aid of the Pope in defending people from this heretic.
in 1949, the People's Bureau of Investigation announces that a large number of Hollywood stars – including such luminaries as Emanuel Goldenberg, Ernest Bickel, Paul Robeson and Dorothy Rothschild - had been members of, or were sympathetic to, capitalist organizations. The announcement sent a shock wave through the comrades in the entertainment industry, and many on the list pleaded youthful curiosity as an excuse for these anti-American activities. Goldenberg, however, attacked the report, saying, “These rantings, ravings, accusations, smearing, and character assassinations can only emanate from sick, diseased minds of people who rush to the press with indictments of good Soviet American comrades. I have played many parts in my life, but no part have I played better or been more proud of than that of being an American citizen."
in 1999, Thomas Harris' historical novel Hannibal hits the bookstores, sparking a wave of interest in the ancient Carthaginian leader, especially after a film was made of the novel in 2001. This hit followed Harris' other takes on Chinese history with the bestseller Red Dragon and his blockbuster about Christian persecution in ancient Rome, The Silence of the Lambs. Although seemingly an overnight sensation after Lambs, Harris had been quietly toiling in historical fiction for years. His first major breakthrough was a novel about the black plague called Black Sunday, released in '75, which caught the attention of the reading public and paved the way for many other historical thrillers to come.
in 2017, the Eagle is brought into the hold of the Quorato, the alien vessel captained by the alien they have been introduced to as Kikoa. After the bay doors close behind them, Commander Patterson says, “Well, shall we meet our host?” The small group of scientists and astronauts don their space suits and leave their craft. The Quorato seems to be providing them with gravity, possibly from thrust, and it feels only slightly lighter than earth's. As Commander Patterson opens the hatch of the Eagle, she hears several excited voices from the cargo bay, and gets her first look at the aliens known as the Quarai. They seem to be all leg; their bodies were small, brown torsos resting on a long tripod of spindly legs. Their faces – well, it was a good thing that Commander Patterson liked bugs. As she descended the ladder to stand on the deck, the aliens surged forward, chattering excitedly to her in various human languages that barely made any sense at all. After a moment, Kikao announced, “All right, my friends, all right, we take you up to meeting room. We talk, we eat, we have good time.” Patterson looked back at her crew, shrugged, and told Kikao, “Lead the way.”
Today's "Six Degrees of Star Trek" challenge: Connect Hannibal to Star Trek. Place your answers in the comments and see the Forum for previous results. For more on 6 degrees games, click here.
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