From: Dave Hemming <surfbaud@waverider.co.uk>
Newsgroups: talk.bizarre
Subject: FTSD: The Roddenberry Oath
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 2000 21:57:46 +0000
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"Last chance, Donald."

"I'm sorry, Father, my mind is made up."

"So be it, my son. The Oath, then."

"I, Donald Mkweze, do hereby renounce my position and responsibilities
within The Peace of Man. I forswear the calmness of The Way, set aside
the quietude of The Promise, and renounce the security of civilization
for all time. With a clear mind I voluntarily relinquish all claims to
redress against The Peace of Man for all injuries, mental and physical
that may be incurred by me as a consequence of my decision. I know The
Promise has been broken. I know The Way has been left. This I so swear
before those who are no longer my brothers, and before the brotherhood
I hope to join. So I have spoken, so let it be."

There was a moment of absolute stillness. 

Then the moment passed. Although nothing had changed, the figures that
stood before me were no longer the barely human figures of pity they had
been. And the figures behind me were no longer the pinnacle of creation.
As the last of my conditioning faded in the aftermath of my pronouncing
the key, I staggered into the welcoming arms of my new comrades. My only
thoughts were of measuring up to the standards of Space Defense, and
serving with the last, true men. All, like me, had broken The Promise
and left The Way. And all, in their own way, stood between the delicate,
fragile Peace of Man and a hostile galaxy. This was what I had chosen.
This was where I belonged. Where Man belonged. The doors of the dock
slamming shut behind me cut me off forever from the docile herd.

On the other side of the door, the Elders began to make their way back
to the Peace Ship.

"Do you think any of them realise?"

"What?"

"That the oath institutes a hypnogogic state, rather than removing them
from one."

"I should hope not. What would happen?"

"I suppose you are right. The needs of the many..."

"...Outweigh the needs of the few. Now, about this prospect in Sector
Eight. He does show a competitive propensity, but it is borderline. We
need to start the conditioning soon if we expect him to take The Oath."

"Someone has to, it might as well be him. I hear they plan to lower the
thresholds again."

"I swear, if we become much more civilised, we won't be able to find any
volunteers at all."

Dave
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