Card of the Week: Two of Rods

Sometimes, just one of something isn’t enough.  Even someone in control of their own resources may want to gain more, and in doing so overreach.

The Two of Rods implies a balance or choice in conflict for control, the deadlock of two energies working at cross purposes.  It could refer to the duality of an internal struggle toward an important decision, an external standoff, or the hesitation to take advantage of an important opportunity.  It is a somewhat paradoxical card, suggesting both progress and discontent.

Inverted, it might indicate some unexpected consequences of a major decision, some unforeseen options not yet taken, or new limits blocking an important long-term goal.

In “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” the Enterprise visits planet Exo III, the former home of an ancient lost civilization known as the Old Ones.  A lone surviving android named Ruk has helped Federation researcher Dr. Roger Korby restore some of the relic technology and create android assistants Andrea and Dr. Brown.  They plan to use the technology to build a “superior” android civilization, beginning with an android replica of Captain Kirk.  On the Enterprise, Mr. Spock recognizes the deception, and leads a team to the planet.  Ruk recalls that the ancient androids had rebelled and destroyed the Old Ones.  This time, Kirk destroys Brown, Korby himself is revealed to be an android, Korby destroys Ruk, Andrea destroys android Kirk, then Korby destroys Andrea and himself, leaving only the humans behind.