Short Fiction · Chapter
McGonigal's Worm explained
The chapter describes the global catastrophe of sudden infertility affecting all chordates, the discovery that only McGonigal's Worm remains fertile, and the establishment of the M.W.
What happens
The chapter describes the global catastrophe of sudden infertility affecting all chordates, the discovery that only McGonigal's Worm remains fertile, and the establishment of the M.W. Institute to study it. It follows Georgina Hickle, a worker at the institute who develops a mysterious condition that turns out to be pregnancy, leading to superstitious beliefs about the worm's fertility powers. The chapter also covers the societal aftermath, including the Last Child betting sweepstakes, the decline of schools and morals, and the futile efforts of various institutes to preserve human knowledge.
Themes in this chapter
Extinction and Legacy
The central theme of the chapter: the sudden infertility of all chordates threatens human extinction, and the efforts to preserve knowledge and find a successor species highlight the struggle for legacy.
The Absurd and Inexplicable
The absurdity of McGonigal's Worm being the only hope for fertility, the superstitious belief in caged worms, and the ironic return of pregnancy in the worm lab underscore the inexplicable nature of the catastrophe.
Knowledge and Its Limits
The institutes' failure to find a cause or cure, the reliance on outdated experts, and the limits of science in the face of cosmic mystery illustrate the theme of knowledge's boundaries.
Characters to notice
- Georgina Hickle
A young woman who works at the M.W. Institute despite disliking worms; she becomes the first to show symptoms of what is later called Hickle's Disease, which is actually pregnancy.
- Cecilia Clutt
Mentioned in the context of the failed marriage arrangement with Musha ibn S., where her picture caused him to jump overboard.
- Musha ibn S.
A man who was to be married to Cecilia Clutt but jumped overboard and disappeared after seeing her picture.
Key passages
“that which had risen above all and given civilization, the chordata? Of that noble line, was there nothing left? What was the highest form still reproducing? McGonigal's Worm.”
The noble lineage of chordates that produced civilization has failed; the only creature still reproducing is McGonigal's Worm.
Highlights the irony and despair that the last fertile chordate is a lowly worm.
“The official explanation, is that the Earth and its solar system, for a period of thirty-five years, was in an area of mysterious cosmic radiation. And afterward it drifted out of that area.”
The official cause of the infertility is that the solar system passed through a zone of cosmic radiation for 35 years.
Provides the scientific rationalization for the catastrophe, though many still believe in the worm's influence.
“The people did not believe it. 'The cataloguing of evidence becomes tiresome,' said Director Concord of the newly originated Palingenesia Institute.”
The public initially laughed at the news of global infertility, and Director Concord found the evidence-gathering process exhausting.
Shows the public's disbelief and the frustration of scientists trying to prove the catastrophe.