Thuleans
Definition
A band of at least several dozen people --
Uranus mission crew -- from
Earth, lost in
1986, and found
"some 14 years" later by the
Alphans, after
Breakaway, on a cold planet
Ultima Thule, where this unintended
colony states it is
2870, and they,
the original crew, have been there 880 years, and are now
immortal.
Some, now called Revered Ones,
are brain-damaged from experiments attempting
to determine the nature of this immortality.
|
Details
- About 880 years have passed for the Thuleans,
compared to the Alphans, suggesting
a time warp
- The Thuleans found they cannot have children.
- Thuleans grow plants from seeds they had on the ship,
and apparently hunt something similar to an ox,
which lives on a plant that in its native form is bitter
to Thulean taste.
- They are studying the nature of their immortality,
wanting to understand it.
- Prior experiments have left some of the Thuleans
brain-damaged, including, to a lesser degree,
Col. Jack Tanner, formerly in charge of the Uranus Probe,
but who now frequently spouts Shakespearian-style dialog,
but has some periods of nearly-complete lucidity as well
(unlike the other brain-damaged individuals).
- A comparative experiment is started with
Victor as a volunteer,
before Koenig's failed intervention prompts
other Thuleans to bust some of the equipment.
- Dr. Cabot Rowland dies quite abruptly on the Eagle,
suddenly aging to the point of a mostly
(but not entirely) decomposed skeletal remains.
The Thuleans are bound to their planet,
until they can figure out the mystery of their own immortality.
- Whatever the process that made the Thuleans immortal is
obviously not instantaneous, for the Alphans appear to
suffer no ill effect leaving Thule.
Note: the Thuleans earlier told the Alphans not to
eat any of the local food, for it made them
violently ill on initial arrival -- any connection?
Examples
- Capt. Jack Tanner
- Dr. Cabot Rowland
- Frieda
- Ted
- Stan
- Will
Episodes