From: as010b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (andrew david simchik)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.drwho
Subject: Re: Celery
Date: 18 Dec 92 23:15:24 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York

In <1gtah8INNotv@access.usask.ca> vcz40@jester.usask.ca (Perry Testem) writes:


>I seem to remember reading an article about the vaunted sprig of celery.
>It went something like:

>	The sprig first appeared in Castrovalva.
>	It was replaced in (I think) Enlightenment.
>	It was last seen in Androzani, where it failed to revive Peri.
>	
>	BUT...Castrovalva didn't exist (the Master created it), and the 
>	   setting for Enlightenment didn't exist (I'm not sure; I've
>	   never seen it), SO...
>	the celery never existed, so of course it couldn't help Peri.

Well, a few comments:

1.) We don't know much about Block Transfer Computation (since it is, to the
best of my knowledge, FICTIONAL), but my guess is that the matter created by
BTC does "exist" and is very much real.  Castrovalva was engineered by Adric
who was being directed by the Master, yes, but it was certainly concretely
in existence, functioning as if everything were naturally created, until
the destruction of the Web caused it to collapse in upon itself.  The fact
that the celery did not instantly disappear certainly indicates that its
properties were probably preserved as well.

2.) Enlightenment's setting existed, and was engineered to period details by
the Eternals, beings who exist outside of time.  Now it's been a while since
I've seen this episode (although it's one of my all-time favorites, and
Wrack is one of my all-time favorite characters...an appearance in a New
Adventure wouldn't be unwelcome at all!  :)), but if I recall correctly, the
Ephemerals (humans) vanished, either returned to their own time(s) or simply
killed, while the Eternals were returned to Eternity.  Wrack's ship still
existed after she herself was returned to Eternity, and so did a table on
the ship, some chairs, etc.  I think it would be unreasonable to assume that
the other objects on board vanished, and furthermore unreasonable to assume
that the celery was fake and the food wasn't real.  And again, it didn't
disappear...

3.) And what makes you think the Doc didn't replace the celery more often? 
Just because we only witnessed it two times doesn't mean it didn't happen at
any other time.  Logic would in fact demand that a fresh piece be attached
every day.  (By the way, how does he attach the celery to his lapel?  Pins? 
Sticky stuff?  What?)  Otherwise he'd be wearing a dried-up vegetable half
the time, which doesn't make any sense to *me*!

	So I would surmise that the celery *was* real after all, although I
certainly enjoyed your explanation. :)  However, even if you're right, I
think Peri needed a lot more help than celery could give her.  Professional
help...Dairy Psychiatry, anyone?  Proust in his first book wrote about,
wrote about...ding!  Start again.

Drewcifer
-- 
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