The Number Seven


"...seven is darker."


OK... OK... before they carry me away kicking and screaming hear me out. Why does the number seven appear so frequently in the story? Is this just a simple numeric preference of the writer(s) or does it signify something more? For the nonbelievers among you here are some of the passages:

"central core has almost Reformatted been, seven is darker.
from reversal thought syndrome suffering if the crew was in
grave peril in forward section 27. This is not a coat rack,
would I choose to express. Is was shall could might happening
will be, imagine not what.  Recovery, imminent perhaps
inevitable Never."
<Welcome to the Revolution (Terminal 3)>

"Your last mission was a success, but I have terrible news.
#@Pragma Nautical Redefined^# efenders reported seeing the
aliens 1§moving a large cylindrical object.
#101111011110111100001# is is a '7'.  Mjolnir Recon number 54
must stop them from exploding igniting/ blowing up/ *A94F12/
it/ the S'pht full spPace cOmputEr¢ Or PlannEd exterm. 
@14.Sword-Roland.transfer"
<Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! (Terminal 2)>

"427q3w8459806ladimir in 1902 and Frederi~just recently. Both,
however, carried out reforms before their deaths which slowly
integrated their people secretly into world society, which are
now scattered all over the globe- to meet only once every
seven years in southeast France~FFFffxfffffF?F?FF?Ff must
be chosen."
<Smells Like Napalm, Tastes Like Chicken (Terminal 2)>

Apart from these rather obscure passages we also have the number seven appearing in the following passages:
"Now, you fall into your old habit, and begin to daydream about your childhood on Mars, your father's death when you were seven..." (Manual Page 4)

"And now, it looks as if you're heading right into the colony's biggest crisis since it was established seven years ago." (Manual Page 3)

There are more but I have to stop somewhere!


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Hamish Sinclair
Hamish.Sinclair@tcd.ie Last updated Sept 19, 1995