Bionic Dreams

In 1972, Martin Caidin published his novel Cyborg.  When his protagonist, Steve Austin, crashes during a test flight, he suffers numerous injuries.  Steve's friend, Dr. Rudy Wells, is a pioneer in the field of bionics.  He operates on Steve, and gives him mechanical parts to replace limbs and organs damaged in the crash.  His prosthetic legs allow him to run faster than before.  His replacement arm affords him the strength of a battering ram.  His replacement eye includes a camera, and can be taken out of its socket when desired.  One of the fingers in his new arm contains a gun.  A radio transmitter is even implanted in a rib.  With these expensive bionic aids, Steve utilizes his new abilities as an agent for the Office of Strategic Operations (OSO).

The novel proved popular, and in 1973, three TV movies were made.  The following year, “The Six Million Dollar Man” debuted as a weekly TV show.  Steve became a less dark and isolated character.  While he lost his implanted gun and radio-rib, his other bionic abilities were enhanced.  These changes helped adults and children bond with him, and Steve Austin became a household name.  When Jaime Sommers arrived in the two-part special, “The Bionic Woman,” she proved so popular that she soon gained her own weekly show.  Many children (including this author) grew up playing with Steve Austin action figures, or acting out imaginary bionic adventures with their friends.

Recently, my wife and I rediscovered “The Bionic Woman” on DVD.  We enjoy this older show’s slower pace, the less gritty storytelling, and the warmth between Jaime, Steve, Dr. Rudy Wells, and Oscar Goldman, the head of the Office of Strategic Intelligence (OSI).  As a child, I envisioned Steve and Jaime as superheroes, and dreamed of having my less powerful limbs replaced with enhanced bionic ones.  As an adult, what struck me was Steve and Jaime’s fragility.  Sure, their bionic limbs granted them increased strength and capability.  Yet, through continually utilizing such super-abilities, they occasionally exceeded the limitations of their bionics.  In the two-part special, “The Return of Bigfoot,” Steve faced off against the even-stronger Sasquatch.  During a fight, the nuclear power packs in Steve's legs burst.  His life was only saved once Jaime acquired a miracle drug from the aliens controlling Sasquatch.  Likewise, Jaime must be careful not to exceed the capabilities of her own bionics, or the stress could initiate a fatal cycle of bionic rejection.

As this was a realization that occurred to me forty years after Steve Austin first appeared, I wondered if I was reading too much into the shows, or if they resonated in a special way with the handicapped community during the original broadcast years.  I wrote to Kenneth Johnson, who created Jaime, and served as executive producer for "The Bionic Woman."  I asked him this question.  To follow is his response:

Yes, the disabled community had a special connection to the bionic shows. I got many heartrending letters -- particularly those from disabled kids -- who wanted to know where they could get such parts for themselves. I always wrote back to explain that they didn't exist at that time, but maybe someday. As indeed they now do - though not to a super extent.

So, while I was playing with my Steve Austin action figure, and naively imagining having my arms and legs cut off and replaced with superhuman limbs, there were thousands of viewers who lacked flesh-and-blood limbs.  They didn’t seek superhuman enhancements, just the abilities I took for granted. 

I realize many will excuse my hubris on the grounds of age, and I agree that we grow in knowledge and wisdom as we age.  But I wonder what the dreams of childhood say about my character today.  Does our basic character change that much?  Or is my vision still too inward?  Is that why I periodically struggle with my moods?  And if so, how can I widen the scope of my vision--perceive those in need that I could help, and lend them what assistance I can--while still remaining focused upon achieving my own goals?

With thanks to Martin Caidin, Kenneth Johnson, and all those involved in the books and the shows that inspired our bionic dreams,

Dragon Dave

In the next post, I’ll talk about those who dreamed much nobler dreams than I, and how those gave birth to a better reality.

Related Dragon Cache entries:

The Resurrected Woman

An Appeal to the Citizens of Thirsk

Enjoying picturesque Thirsk

One of the highlights of this year's vacation in England was the time we spent in Thirsk.  Originally, I recorded “All Creatures Great and Small” on the VCR for my wife, but then I fell in love with the TV show.  Eventually, this drew me to read the James Herriot books.  His love of the land and its people, which came through so clearly in his writing, in turn drew us to this village in Yorkshire.  Our stay helped us understand why millions visit Thirsk each year.  Sadly, our time there passed much too quickly.

One evening, we decided to watch a movie at Ritz Cinema.  When we arrived in town, I wondered at my wife’s insistence that we get there so early.  After all, the movie would not begin for nearly three hours.  But in this, as in so many other things, her decision proved the wisest course.  For not only did arriving early ensure that we left the hotel before we grew too tired (and too comfortable), but it allowed us to spend more time exploring the town.

Even trees so harshly pruned
burst forth with new life
in lovely Thirsk.

Unlike our first visit, in which we ate our picnic lunch and watched the beating pulse of local life, we had the park mostly to ourselves as we ate our simple dinner.  We enjoyed the comparative quiet, and the cool, evening breeze.  Leaves rustled in the wind, branches swayed or brushed against each other, and ducks settled down for the night.  As the sun’s rays ebbed, the flowers blazed with renewed vitality.

Ducks nestle against roughly pruned trees,
beside the Cod Beck River,
and even beneath this sign
in lovely Thirsk.

As we enjoyed our evening meal, we felt more in tune with this Yorkshire village.  Yet one thing grated on my consciousness like an itch that refused to be soothed.  It had escaped my notice earlier, but now I saw how roughly some of the trees had been pruned.  I’m not a certified arborist, so I can't argue that clothes-pegging is harmful to trees.  I certainly understand that techniques like Crown Raising, Crown Thinning, and Crown Reduction involve significantly more labor.  Yet Thirsk is such a pretty town, set in such a beautiful part of England.  Amid such splendor, it seems a pity that anything should detract from the town’s otherwise picturesque appeal.

If I could make one request to the good people of Thirsk, it would be this: Please reconsider how you prune your trees.

Admiring the natural beauty of Thirsk,

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

Dining with the Thirskites

Synchronicity at Ampleforth Abbey

Exploring the two thousand acres of Ampleforth Abbey & College.
(Compare this with St. Andrew's Church in Aysgarth,
which at four acres has the largest church yard in England).

Sometimes it takes me awhile to get around to a book I want to read.  Several years ago, a member of a Bible Study class enthused about From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple.  While my reading list was rather full at the time (and the curriculum for the class was quite heavy-going), her description of the book--part travelogue, part history of Christianity—intrigued me.  I couldn’t get her suggestion out of my head.  By the time I phoned her to ask if I could borrow it, the Bible Study group had disbanded, we had left the church, and she had given the book away to a friend.  So it was off to the library for me.

It seems that William Dalrymple, a historian at Cambridge University in England, became captivated by the writings of John Moschos, a sixth century Orthodox monk who traveled from monastery to monastery, learning from the religious teachers he came in contact with.  Dalrymple decided to follow in Moschos’ footsteps, visiting the various countries, cities, and monasteries the monk once called home.  This quest leads Dalrymple from Greece, to such countries as Turkey, Egypt and Israel.  His Catholic faith often caused him difficulty, as what was left of Orthodox Christianity in these regions often opposed his beliefs.  The cultures, traditions, and situations he describes in From the Holy Mountain not only rival the best world-building efforts of Science Fiction and Fantasy authors, but also challenge the preconceptions of Christians in Europe and America. 

Some time after I finished Dalrymple’s book, I was doing research for a story, and I remembered a presentation from a former priest on the life in early Benedictine monasteries.  So it was off to the library again, this time to check out The Rule of Saint Benedict. 

A rather interesting chair in the lobby.
Perhaps made in the monastery workshop?

While staying in Thirsk on our trip to England this year, we found ourselves just a short drive away from Ampleforth Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that also runs a school.  Rather than drive long distances to explore the North York Moors, and pay to park so we could take a hike (or pay to park so we could then pay another fee to explore the ruins of an old building), we decided to visit Ampleforth Abbey (for free).  As a lady volunteer showed my wife around the Visitor Center, I spoke with a monk about life and practice in a modern Benedictine monastery.  While much of Saint Benedict’s teachings have been abandoned or modified (they would have to be in order to run a school), one rule is still held sacred: once a monk pledges himself to a particular monastery, he doesn’t leave it for any reason.  He certainly doesn’t wander off to visit another.  I compared this aspect of Benedictine monasticism with what I remembered of John Moschos’ journey.  To my surprise, the monk seemed aware of Dalrymple’s book.

My wife and I enjoyed a pleasant morning at Ampleforth Abbey.  We strolled the grounds, admired the various buildings, and worshipped with the monks during their midday mass.  Then we returned to our hotel for lunch.

Some goods on offer in the lobby.
Somehow, I wasn't expecting to see items like the
CD "Girls Aloud," or the movie "The Full Monty,"
at a Benedictine monastery. 

A week later, as I was culling the various guides, brochures, and papers we had collected during our travels, I came across the brochures my wife had picked up at Ampleforth Abbey.  My jaw dropped when I noticed a familiar name in a brochure called Famous Amplefordians.  I don’t know whether to label it coincidence, divine providence, fate, or synchronicity, but of all the places we could have visited while staying in Thirsk, how did I end up in the school William Dalrymple once attended?

Dumbfounded and amazed,

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

William Dalrymple’s website

Ampleforth Abbey

Young Jedi Knights: The Power of Pain

Star Wars: The Next Generation

In their “Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights” saga, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta introduce us to Jacen and Jaina, the son and daughter of Han Solo and Leia Organa.  Instead of packing their children off to any old boarding school, Han and Leia send their children to Yavin 4, where Luke Skywalker has established a Jedi Training Academy in the old Massassi Temple the Rebellion once used as a base.  There, Jacen and Jaina will explore their ability to use the Force, as well as make new friends.  The latter will include Tenel Ka from Dathomir (the former homeworld of the Nightsisters) and Lowbacca, a Wookie from Kashyyyk (and Chewbacca’s nephew).

In the first installment, Heirs of the Force, we learn about the twins’ interests.  Jaina has an inherent understanding of machinery and gadgets.  Her room in the ancient temple is filled with spare parts, cyberfuses, circuit loops, gears from dismantled droids, unused power packs, and old control systems from the former Rebel war room.  Nothing delights her more than to tinker with such items.  Jacen, on the other hand, possesses an affinity for living creatures.  Cages and aquariums line the walls of his room.  Inside these live arboreal rodents, purple spiders, whisper-birds, and a nearly transparent Crystal Snake.  As Master Skywalker’s style of instruction tends more toward self-discovery and individual practice rather than a heavy slate of lectures, this gives Jacen plenty of time to scour the jungle for the various fruits, flowers, and insects his pets eat.

On one of their jungle excursions, the twins happen upon a crashed Imperial TIE Fighter.  This doesn’t surprise them.  While most were destroyed in the battle of the original Death Star, some TIE Fighters were shot down and crashed on Yavin 4.  The twins are delighted with their discovery.  Using Jaina’s inherent ability to repair damaged equipment, the two set to work.  They envision using a ship of their own to extend the range of their adventures.

Unfortunately for them, the ship’s former pilot discovers them.  He is a haggard, grizzled man, and his uniform “hangs like rags from his gaunt frame.”  His left arm, injured during the crash, is unusable, but he can still hold a blaster in the other.  He uses this to take the twins prisoner.  When Jaina attempts to use the Force to sooth the man’s mind, she “runs up against a wall of thoughts so rigid, so black and white, so clear-cut, that it seems like droid programming.”  The man refuses to believe that the war between the Empire and the Rebels has been over for twenty years, and keeps repeating his litany, “Surrender is betrayal.”  When she asks his name, he states, “CE3K-1977.”  Under gentle questioning, he finally remembers.  “Qorl.  My name is Qorl.”

All of us have experienced moments of intense pain.  Those who have suffered such pain for days or weeks, until finally finding a way to relieve it, know how pain destabilizes us mentally and emotionally.  The pain controls our thoughts, dominates our consciousness.  Like Qorl, we can only lock our jaws together, focus on suffering through it, and bolster our determination with inspiring examples, helpful litanies, or religious verses. 

Imagine enduring such pain for twenty years.  Imagine pain so intense that you cannot recall your own name.

Of course, it’s not just physical pain, such as that from Qorl’s broken arm, which can slip the blinders over our heads.  Emotional pain caused by depression, the death of a loved one, a fractured relationship, or some other source will similarly shrink our worldview.  Even spiritual pain, feeling cast adrift in an uncaring universe, without an understanding of how we fit in, can cause us to withdraw into ourselves.  Until we find a way to resolve such pain, our lives come to a standstill.  We become less than the people we have been, incapable of attaining the goals we once held dear.

If you find yourself relating to Qorl’s dilemma, I urge you to reach out, to find someone, something, or some group that can provide an end to your suffering.  If you sense some of Qorl’s state of mind in others, urge them to seek help, and provide what aid you can.  For all of us yearn to be like Jacen and Jaina, seeing in each new day an opportunity for discovery and adventure.

No one should have to live like CE3K-1977.  I mean...Qorl.  Yes, his name is Qorl.

In sympathy,

Dragon Dave

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The Yeoman and Number One

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