112 Days to Opening Day 2008

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 112 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

It’s X-Files week at Rattler Radio. I freely admit to you and the world that I own seven X-Files novels. These are books based on the series and were not turned into episodes. Well, six of them are like that. One is the novelization of the movie.

Today is the novelization of Fight the Future. It was adapted from the screenplay by Elizabeth Hand. In this passage, the all-nickname squad is discussing the virus.

“The virus has mutated,” another voice broke in, more urgently.

The Well-Manicured Man looked taken aback. “On its own?”

“We don’t know.” The Cigarette-Smoking Man withdrew his lighter. “So far, there’s only the isolated case in Dallas.”

“Its effect on the host has changed,” said Strughold. “The virus no longer just invades the brain as a controlling organism. It’s developed a way to modify the host body.”

The Well-Manicured Man’s mouth grew taut. “Into what?”

“A new extraterrestrial biological entity.”

A moment while the men took this in. The Well-Manicured Man stared at Strughold in disbelief. “My god…”

Strughold nodded. “The geometry of mass infection presents certain conceptual reevaluations for us. About our place in their Colonization…”

“This isn’t about Colonization!” the Well-Manicured Man exploded.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.