Polynesia flew down, landing on the Doctor’s shoulder. She peered at the "HD" lettering with a sharp, intelligent eye. "It means 'High Definition,' John. It means the world will see every stray hair on your chin and every feather on my wing with the clarity of a mountain spring."
"But John," the parrot squawked, "if they can see us in 1080 lines of vertical resolution, perhaps they’ll finally see that we’re not just animals—we’re a family."
Dolittle smiled, pocketing the mysterious disc. He didn't have a Bluray player—those wouldn't be invented for another century—but he liked the idea that somewhere, in a distant future, his adventures would be preserved in a light so bright and clear that even the smallest mouse could be seen in the back of the frame, finally getting its moment in the sun.
"I... I don't know, Doctor," Tommy stammered, holding out the disc. "It says it’s you. In 'High Definition.'"
"1080p?" Dolittle muttered, stroking his beard. "Sounds like a very specific dose of medicine. Or perhaps the number of times Plimpton the ostrich has tried to outrun his own shadow."
Tommy, an apprentice to a naturalist, had never seen anything so polished. When he pressed a small latch on the side, the box didn't contain a manuscript or a specimen. Instead, it held a shimmering silver disc that caught the light like the scales of a tropical fish. "What have you found there, Tommy?" a voice boomed.
Dolittle squinted at the casing. He didn't see the technical specifications; he saw the image on the cover. There he was, looking remarkably well-groomed, surrounded by his dearest friends: Polynesia the parrot, Chee-Chee the gorilla, and Yoshi the polar bear.
The Doctor sighed, looking at his reflection in the polished Bluray. "The world doesn't need to see me that clearly, Poly. They just need to listen."
