Chronicles of the Ark-Ship Salvation

This is the first entry in the personal log of Hajar Dermot, assigned to biomedical services, and cryogenics lab, for the Arc-ship Salvation, employee of the Eden Foundation.

My name is Hajar Dermot; I was recruited by The Eden Foundation two years ago to work on Project Salvation as a cryogenics engineer, and biomedical lab technician. I left my home in San Francisco, said good-bye to my friends, and moved to the moon. Honestly, I couldn’t turn down this opportunity, not only for the fact that this is an endeavor that has never before been attempted and therefore the possible discoveries in my field are unprecedented, but also for a childhood dream come true. The things I have been working on for this voyage…sometimes I have trouble digesting the scope, and the ethical implications. Not that the works is unethical, it is just new ground, and sometimes I get the feeling we are entering areas best left alone. I once voice my concern, and I was not the only one, but Dr. Barlow assured us that he has taken every effort to ensure that our individual work was ethically sound. He also assured me that most of the programs I had concerns about were in place for extreme circumstances. Given where we will be living, and how long this trip is supposed to take, I can’t blame them for wanting to prepare for some fairly extreme circumstances. I should probably commit much more detail in my log at this time. There will be time for opinions and analysis once we depart and we’re not entirely consumed with last minute preparations.

I both dread and look forward to leaving. Dread because I will be leaving behind my girlfriend, I offered to get her a position, but she didn’t like the idea of leaving Earth, not many do like that idea. I can’t say what I am most looking forward to, mostly because I am most looking forward to confronting the great unknown.

Hajar Dermot

02/09/2218

Chronicles of the Ark-Ship Salvation

This is the first entry in the personal log of Adriana Fang, voluntary passenger on the Arc-ship Salvation.

As I sit, quietly, looking back on the earth from my small room in this cold, cold motel on the moon a song plays through my head over and over, the song is called "2000 Years", over 200 years old, written by Billy Joel (of Earth - I think I like saying that now). They are his words, but I feel so very strongly when I hear them that they feel like mine. I don’t think the song was as appreciated as it should have been. I discovered this when I was studying 20th century history, it was written near the turn of the century, but it may have been written last year. It covers how I feel right now pretty damned well. I am starting this journey on my own, alone with about 2000 other people, hope I can make a few friends quickly, I’d hate to spend the first 50 years sitting against a window watching the stars sail by, alone.

So the head of the passenger management has asked us all to make at least one journal entry here, before we leave. They didn’t say exactly why, but I imagine it’s so they can get a good feel for all of us before they lock us inside a big tin can for the rest of our lives. It’s a good idea; I’d have done the same thing. Most people will tell blank screen things they would never tell someone trying to get a psychological profile. Let’s hope they actually read them. However, knowing these guys they will run them through an algorithm that looks for “unstable” phrases and things like that, lazy, but efficient, probably what I’d do too. Lord knows I wouldn’t want to read 2000 logs like this one, and no one that has figured it out would probably say much aside from “my name is Ralph, I have a cat, and I don’t wet myself much anymore.”

So here we are, my name is Adriana Fang, I am 23 years old, I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I’m leaving Utah, and the Earth forever. I started studying 20th century history when I was 13 years old, and I fell in love. The science fiction is incredible; it quickly became an obsession, the books the movies, all of it. What was their future is my present, and past (sometimes my future too, but not too much). Did you know that people would create these fictions, and then kids would love it so much, they would spend a lifetime making it real? We would never have gotten the advances of the 21st century, if someone hadn’t first made it up. I love it. There was a movement to get this ship named the Enterprise, or the Millennium Falcon, a few lobbied to name it Serenity. I think they were afraid of starting a war if they used one of those, pity, but I like Salvation, even if it does sound a little doomsdayish.

Love, Adriana Fang - 03/17/2218

Chronicles of the Arc-Ship Salvation

This is the first entry in the personal log of Silas Paige, voluntary passenger on the Arc-ship Salvation.

Sunday, March 22, 2218, this begins the personal journal of one Silas Paige, 32 years of age.

        I have volunteered for life among the stars, and I feel unfathomable amounts of both anticipation, and fear. The ship is the most incredible thing I have ever seen man create. It hovers above the moon, its enormity blocking the sun for long periods. At first glance, it appears to be a floating hollow cylinder, and little more; but upon closer inspection, it is apparent that the planning of the ship's design was meticulous. The outer sections are where most of us will work and live. The center sections contain the inner workings of the ship, and the entire behemoth will rotate with such force that it will feel as though we are standing, once again, upon the surface of the earth. I am sufficiently impressed that I feel no need to inquire as to its inner workings.

        On this ship, we've been told, we will all receive work assignments. This was at first disheartening, as I was hoping to spend my time writing and exploring the heavens. This disappointment vanished once we learned that many of these work assignments were simply temporary, until our work was no longer required. I have not yet received a final assignment, but the passenger assignment officials said I would be working with the “bridge staff”, working with the piloting, navigations and communications crew. I suspect this is due to my background as an astronomer and writer, but one can hardly anticipate the inner workings of the minds within the Eden Foundation.

        I aim to make this entry brief as I still have much to prepare before our shuttles transport us to the ship. Once on board we may have no opportunity to communicate with our friends and family remaining on earth, and I do have quite a bit left to say to those left behind.

Silas Paige, future intergalactic citizen. 03/19/2218

Chronicles of the Arc-Ship Salvation

This is the first entry in the personal log of Paki Clarke, assigned to passenger safety and security, for the Arc-ship Salvation, employee of the Eden Foundation.

My name is Paki. I am security for the ship Salvation, one of security.  There are not enough of us for this ship. The passengers out number us nearly 25 to 1.  they say we should no worry we are there to just keep people out of the places they should not go.  They won't even let us carry weapons, I don't call this stick a weapon, they are foolish to trust these people.  

I left my home in Johannesburg 2 years ago last month, the last of the slums on Earth still stand, I was lucky to have a friend that worked for Eden.  When we leave this planet behind us I shan't look back, I am glad to leave it behind.  Full of small people, people that never look up, never think of anything more than the space just under their shoes.

They asked us all to make this entry, to say who we were, my name was Paki.  When we leave I will find a new name.  One that was not born in a shit slum.  

03/24/2218

About The Chronicles of the Ark-Ship Salvation, A Preface

The chronicles from the journey of the Arc-Ship Salvation recount the voyage of the Salvation to the five sisters planetary system, orbiting the star Gliese-581, a voyage of 20.3 light years (1,283,792.76 AU or 192,052,828,593,390.2 KM), that lasted 103 years. The Arc-Ship, officially designated Arc-ship EarthOmega15, commonly called “Salvation”, was the apex of Project Salvation. Project salvation, started by the Eden Foundation in the year 2210, began with the intent to establish a human colony on a planetary system outside our solar system. The Eden Foundation, founded in the late 22rd century, was born of the belief that the human race needed extreme intervention to avert extinction.

The planetary system selected, Gliese-581, was virtually unknown before the launch of this project. Early in the 22nd century, researchers discovered that the star Gliese-581 was host to multiple planetary bodies, similar to and larger than Earth. The Unified Space Astronautics Research Institute launched multiple probes in the hope that they would eventually be able to send as much information as possible about this unique planetary system. Throughout the years, they discovered these planets possessed the needed elements to support life. No evidence of life has surfaced at this point, and no way to prove or disprove the hypothetical environmental conditions of these planets would be available until the probes launched years ago came within range of the system. Early in the year 2205, the first probe, launched early in 2101, was close enough to make observations that are more precise. The information relayed along a series of probes and satellites that launched at regular intervals, forming what became known as the intergalactic information superhighway. The initial readings confirmed four of the five planets possessed an atmosphere, and one of the five was a medium sized gas giant. The atmospheres around the four were oxygen rich, with traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The temperature appeared to be in the habitable range for each, and oceans were present on three of the four. The third showed signs of liquid water but could not be determined if the quantities indicated the presence of an ocean. The USARI, along with the majority of the scientific community on earth suspected plant life to be plentiful given the environment. No evidence in the data collected showed that any intelligent life other than possible and even likely, animal life inhabited these planets. The ability to detect "intelligent civilization" was highly debated; however most admitted that it would be virtually impossible, given the current limitations, to detect an intelligent civilization that had not yet developed electronic technology. These elements made these planets the ideal candidate for colonization outside the Earth's solar system.

Eden announced Project Salvation publicly in 2215, to begin full-scale construction. Calls for volunteers went out first, seeking individuals that were willing to join the colonization effort and live on a generational starship. The foundation made considerable efforts to recruit family units, and young couples that have not yet had children. Applicants began lining up by the thousands, and by the hundreds turned away, due to the thorough screening process. The “passengers” underwent screening for physical and psychological problems, as well as genetically profiled for genetic defects and disease. The foundation indicated that it wanted to screen out possible genetic diseases from the ship’s population; it was later revealed that the eugenic theory behind the screening was not simply for the long-term health of the population on the ship, but was being used in secret and sinister cloning and genetic engineering projects. The extent of these practices was unknown for duration of the voyage, but was later uncovered during the colonization.

Five generations lived on the arc. In that time each passenger worked and earned a basic wage, except the children, they were educated full time until the rough age of 17. After the age of 17, they would enter into paid apprenticeships. The money, or credits, they earned could be used to barter for the moderate commodities that were sold and traded by many different merchants. In the early years of the voyage, the merchants were few, and they were all the same artisans that sold what they made, this dynamic developed over the years into a fully-fledged marketplace. Artisans of every skill were found onboard, due to the efforts of the passenger recruitment teams. They understood that without a skilled master to teach the next generation, these skills would likely be lost. These artisans were at first encouraged to take ordinary jobs until the ship’s infrastructure and a young population was established, this proved to take place much faster than anticipated, and most were returning to their chosen trade within the first five years. In later generations, many workers were able to survive entirely by producing only “luxury” items. By the time the fifth generation was born, there was a fully functional marketplace, economy, rudimentary government, and judicial system; with all the inherent problems that come with them.

Dreamscaping: Part Two

                Xander stared at himself in the bathroom mirror in a combination of amazement and horror.  He had seen his reflection before, but never with this type of clarity.  He wasn’t sure he approved of this new visage.  The face was the same, for the most part, this one seemed to be missing the scars and weathering brought from years of battle.  The hair was short, well kept, and clean.  Xander spent the better part of a quarter hour simply marveling at this hair.  It appeared to be the same basic color, but was soft, and bright, so maiden-like.  He did not approve of the rest of his body, either.  It appeared to be weak and undisciplined.   However, as there was no other option available, Xander accepted this body for the time being, and turned his attention to the problem of dressing.   The clothing he found himself confronted with were strange and impractical.  They were, like his new body, soft and weak.  After testing and tearing a few sorted articles of clothing, he settled on an uncomplicated t-shirt and jeans.  The zipper on the jeans presented a substantial challenge, and one that nearly ended with a catastrophic injury, but a challenge that was soon overcome.  Now dressed Xander exited the bedroom and found himself confronted with unruly and very unkempt looking dwarves.  These dwarves were staring at him expectantly, and with apparent frustration.

                “You took for-ever!” the larger dwarf barked at Xander.  “We’re hungry!”

                “I beg pardon, young dwarf,” Xander protested.  “But if you are hungry, why then have you not found yourself some food with which you can break your fast?”

                “What?” The larger dwarf questioned, appearing to not understand his meaning or his words.

                “My apologies, did you not understand?  I simply wondered why you would inform me of your hunger, rather than looking for a way to resolve the problem yourselves.”   Xander said, believing himself to be very reasonable when faced with two very rude dwarves so early in the day. 

                “Dad!” shouted the smallest dwarf, as he began to sob.

Xander was stuck dumb at this.  Had this dwarf called him dad?  He reached down a lifted the young boy and held him at arm’s length, looking at him with a new thought creeping into his mind.  He knew this child, and it was no dwarf.  This was his son, and the larger dwarf was his daughter.   Xander knew this dream, he had been here many nights before, but this was not a dream. 

                “I am truly sorry, my children!” Xander plead, “Please, forgive me; I was caught in a dream.  Come we shall breakfast together.  Lead me to the kitchens.”

                “There is only one kitchen dad, it’s down stairs.  Are you being silly again?”  His daughter asked him, sounding concerned.  

                “Nay, daughter, I simply forgot.” Xander countered.  “You may find I have momentarily forgotten many things this day.” 

Both children laughed, and climbed up Xander’s legs to cling to his neck. 

                “You sound like Thor daddy.”  His daughter giggled. 

It was about this time when Xander realized he had forgotten, or had never known, the names of the children now calling him father.  At this point Xander realized that this was going to be a very long day…

Dreamscaping: Part Three

Xander woke, suddenly and without the slow easing into the harsh light of morning. He woke with a creeping legion of fierce nausea marching steadily from the depths of his bowls to the space behind his eyes. His body began to tremble and shudder, rejecting everything about the waking world, and forcing Xander to crumble back onto his sweat soaked pillow. Slow memory began to surface, and the reality of his failed self-destruction danced in his stomach. His body was reminding him now he had made one hell of a mistake, which he understood. What Xander could not account for was the unattended pants flung onto the lamp in the corner, and the mess of auburn hair on the pillow next to him. To make matters more alarming that mess of hair appeared to be snoring. These things, in addition to the foreign hotel room in which he now found himself, seemed to point to something being very wrong. The absurdity of the situation was too much for Xander to take in at once and he found himself fixated on the pants hanging from the lamp wondering, how would a pair of pants end up on a lamp like that? Before another thought could race through his mind the immediate need to locate, and get to, a bathroom became undeniable, and a seemingly impossible task.....

Dreamscaping: Part One

Xander woke suddenly and without warning, it was dawn. Disorganized shapes shift and tumble into focus, organizing into a recognizable form, and order is briefly restored before the chaos. “Once more into the fray!” he hears echoing in the memory of a dream that is already fading. The chaos is struggling to hold on, and his mind is fighting to restore the balance. He is aware, briefly, of two worlds, in one space and time. With this awareness, the chaos dissipates and the brief existence of the shadow of a dream of a fractured reality is fading into the harsh tones of his alarm clock. Thus, Xander wakes once again, weary and tired. He suffered only momentary disorientation that usually follows his unusually vivid dreams. Now sunlight was intruding into his bedroom, notifying him that, regardless how long thinks he slept, he had spent the night soundly in his bed and it was now time to get up.

“What is it like,” asks one doctor “when you dream?”

“I reach through my mind into the night, searching, endlessly searching. Reaching, grasping, pawing, clawing, biting, and straining to reach the unreachable. Loosely bound prose floating through the air, vanishing into dust with the slightest glace, with realization reality vanishes into the night. This is not how it is supposed to happen.” Xander said. “There, in the mirror of my mind, I see myself, seemingly safe in bed, a tempest raging beneath the surface, I am suddenly not myself, and something new flows through my mind.”

“Go on” Said the doctor, as he took notes in a rapidly filling notebook.

“Sometimes, I hear an echo of a voice,” mused Xander, “saying; “this night he will not dream, there will be no reprieve no more will nightmares wake him. For he slept a sleep that not even death could wake him from. When the dawn breaks, he will wake to find the world he left the world he fears to find. Nothing will be what it seems, and what things seems to be will not be what they appear. Up will be left and left will be down, down will be up, and you will be forever changed yet altogether unchanged. I hold his life in the palm of my hand and bend his will to my own, he will by dancer on the world's stage, through him I will splinter time and mold it to my liking.” And I begin to dream, not falling, or drifting, but thrust deep into a dream you would never wish to dream, and I wake, cold, alone, and unsure.”

“That is no way to spend a night.” Said the doctor, closing his notebook, “I would like to try some new medications to help you sleep.”

That is how it usually goes. They then offer him the latest drug to help him sleep. He tried them once, and woke more exhausted than he had ever been in his life. He does not try them anymore. Whatever Xander’s problem is, a pill will not fix it. What surprises him most is that no one ever asks what actually happens in his dreams. Maybe they don’t care, or it does not matter. However, he has grown attached to them you might say. Most people do not dream the way he does. No one has ever said, “Oh I had one like that too” when he talk to them about his dreams. Xander only ever has one of three dreams. He is always himself, mostly anyway, just different versions of his self....

Chronicles of the Ark-ship Salvation

>Query: Arc-ship Salvation/Earth........
>Matches found:...1...Display data files < Y/N? >...
>Y...
>...
>About the Arc-ship Salvation;
>Official designation:...Arc-ship Earth Omega 15 or AsEO15 commonly “Salvation”
>Size:... at the time it departed earth It was rumored to be near 4,000 square kilometers, with capacity to comfortably house 3,200 passengers and crew.
>Engine and propulsion system:...
>Destination:...Gliese 581 solar system aka “The five sisters” so names for the unique 5 orbiting planets – 4 “earth-like” moons all orbiting a single gas giant.
>Mission:...to colonize one or all of the 4 potentially life sustaining planets in the Gliese 581 system.
>Departed:...05/22/2218 with 2,000 passengers – 800 crew and 1,200 voluntary passengers.
>Estimated arrival at destination:...09/2321 – 4,384 known passengers and crew
>Recorded deaths:...5,116;...232-Illness...514-accidental(work related or other)...143-homocide/manslaughter/other non accident...4,220 natural causes...7-unknown/missing.
>Recorded births:...7,492
>Reported accents and injuries:... < file not found >
>Security reports:...4,256,328...< access denied >
>....connection terminated, data request denied, insufficient access....
>...
>...< disconnected >