Yes, Switch statements are a bit more complex than that - Python recommends using dictionaries as a stand in, but a long set of elifs, or just if statements, works just as well. Does make it somewhat harder to read and debug, though - switch statements are the 'developer friendly' approach.
The square bracketed String trick, on the other hand, will certainly make my life a lot easier. Thank you.
As for the Space Whales... I may yet find a way around that. I'm thinking. There are also other plot Arcs I could explore instead, but there is still a lot of plotting to be done either way.