First Voyage; Introduction {Video}

[whynotamus]

{There's a video feed coming in, of a large early Victorian sitting room and fireplace. The first thing one might notice, however, is not the period furniture or the formally dressed man in the middle of it, but rather the crowd of animals puttering around him. They're smaller animals, to be sure, but there are a lot of them-a dog, guinea pigs,

Comments

[rayney_day]

Doctor Dolittle? Seriously...?

[whynotamus]

Quite serious, Miss, I assure you.

[rayney_day]

You ever thought of giving them some nice, conventional names? Dave, Bob... Nancy?

[whynotamus]

Those, as you call them, "conventional" names are really quite hard for animals to pronounce. Besides, I find it much easier to allow the animals to choose their own names-and some of them come with names already.

[rayney_day]

Bob's more difficult to pronounce than

Right... Well, I'm all for free will...

[whynotamus]

So glad to hear it! There are simply too few people concerned with the will and freedom of animals.

[rayney_day]

Yeah, that's... That's important...

[whynotamus]

Indeed, it is! It is quite appalling the way so many people treat animals, taking them for granted, dismissing them when they are no longer needed or wanted.

[rayney_day]

That happens to some people, too, Doc.

[whynotamus]

Yes, I suppose it does. {Not that he sounds bothered about it.} Animals have fewer advocates, unfortunately.

[rayney_day]

That's true enough...