Hello everyone. I have just completed my AMA, and am putting the transcripts for you below.
Interviewer: How did you get interested in space travel? Me: I used to look up at the stars at night, finding the shapes, asking about the constellations. I used to like going to the planetarium, seeing the lights go off, the globe in the middle lighting up, painting the rounded roof with points of light, positioned in the same way as our night sky. I bugged my mom for books on space. I remember just looking at the pictures, the artists renditions, of the planets in our solar system. Jupiter and its giant, red eye. Neptune and its giant blue eye. The rings of Saturn. I grew up dreaming of other planets. Interviewer: Yes, I think many people have had this experience when they grew up. But, what motivated you to take it further? Me: Eh, most people grow up. They stop daydreaming, they stop wanting to explore. They go to college. They get a job. Maybe they have some wild times in college, but then they get in the workforce, and forget their childhood dreams. Interviewer: And you didn't? Me: No. *laughs* To this day, people ask me, "What do you want to be when you grow up". I tell them, honestly, "I don't know". I have lived in many places, seen many things. Other countries, other cultures. Small towns, large cities. I guess I am a bit of a drifter. Oh, I have done the whole college thing. Three separate degrees. I have done the work thing. Worked in manufacturing, food service, construction, engineering. But, I have never really felt like I belonged in one place for too long. I grow bored. I always want to see what is over there. *laughs* I guess it is like they say: The grass is always greener on the other side. Interviewer: So, that is when they approached you? Me: Yes. I guess I am a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none. But, I like to see new, interesting things. I guess my profile fit or something. I was approached by the HG division, asked if I want to see things no human has ever seen before. Go places no human has ever gone. See things that maybe no one else will ever see. Interviewer: But, from what I have heard, this is still not even ready. You will probably never be able to come back, see your family, your friends. Me: Yeah, I realize this. I guess it is just that I have never been a huge "personal attachment" type of person. Don't get me wrong, I love people. But, I also love seeing something new. When you move somewhere, your friends cry, you cry, everyone says they will stay in touch. But, do they? Interviewer: I see what you mean. Me: Will I miss my family? Sure. But, this is more than just me. This is about exploring other worlds. Worlds that we, as humans, might not just visit, but live. This is about everyone. I am just part of the first group. The scouts. I have set up streaming, so when the signal finally gets back to Earth, others can see the sights I have seen. While I may not be able to pick up the phone, call up my parents, they will be able to see the places I see. Interviewer: Really? And anyone can see it? Can you let me know where to find it? Me: Maybe later. It is set up on Youtube, but until I go, the channel is not active. So, they will be able to keep track of me. Interviewer: I guess. So, tell me about what it is like to work with HG for this. Me: The training is grueling. They have my suit ready already, and even my multitool, althought hey have not let me test that yet. But, everyday, it is up just after dawn. Flight simulators. Combat simulators. Physical training. Training for high gravity, low gravity. They have even hooked up some sort of, something, for flight suit simulation. But, they do not have it ready. I guess I will need to figure out the last parts of it on my own. They drill me about harvesting good. Remember, I will not be able to get help. If something breaks, I need to fix it. If something needs to be improved, I will need to improve it. I have a few basic designs, but nothing beyond pure basics. So, I will also need to find ways to improve everything. *laughs* Part time weightlifter. Part time pilot. Part time mechanic. Part time machinist. See, this is probably why they picked someone like me. A jack of all trades. I can normally do most things adequately, but am not a master of anything specifically. Interviewer: Yeah, I can see that. So, you go through all this training, and then what? How do they send you off to wherever it is you are going? Me: Sadly, that is the interesting part, and also the part I do not really understand. Ask me to break down basic elements and create a layer for my suit to better protect me from freezing cold, okay. Ask me to upgrade the weapons on my spaceship, okay. Ask me how they are getting me there in the first place? I will tell you "magical box". Interviewer: Magical box? I don't understand. Me: I don't either. All I know is the HG division came up with some new way to make all this possible. I have seen the box, but there is no training for it. I have seen the demo videos on the use of everything else, but not for this. It is a one way trip. I step inside, and will end up...somewhere. Interviewer: But, what is the box? Me: Again, you would need to ask HG division. You can try to reach their PR guy Sean Murray, he is pretty easy to tell. Just look for the giant beard. *both laughs* I have seen it though. Interviewer: Tell me about it. Me: Not much to tell. It is a giant box. It has all these wires and probes and everything. I guess they have tested it with probes. That is how we have gotten some of the footage that has been streaming around the internet. And while there is alot of footage, I guess it barely even scratches the surface. So, they put the things in this box, power it up, and poof, it disappears. Sometimes... Interviewer: Wait, sometimes? Me: Yeah...sometimes. Sometimes, you open the door, and inside see a melted puddle of metal and glass, wires and tubes. The smell is horrible. Interviewer: Wait, you mean, it could kill you? Me: Well, this is why it has been delayed so many times. They test and test and test. They thought it was ready for July 21, 2016, but then another issue was found. HG wouldn't tell me what it was. But, that is fine. Better for me if they make sure it is 100% ready, and I made it to the other side, than to end up a melted pile of hair and skin and bones. Interviewer: Yeah, that would not be good... Me: Anyways, so I will step into this box, and poof, disappear and end up in some other galaxy. They had already given me the suit, and will give me the multitool the day I leave. A few blueprints to create my first ship, and then, well, time to explore. Interviewer: So, when will you start? Me: They expect to have it August 13th, 2016. So, not too long left. It has been over three years since they first found out how to make the box. Interviewer: Yes, that is pretty soon now. Are you excited? Scared? Anxious? Me: Excited. Not really anxious or scared. Maybe if they delay it again, I will be anxious about that, but again, HG has already said everything is ready, so there should be no other delays. Interviewer: What about food, shelter, things like that? Entertainment. Aren't you worried about getting bored? Or stuck, or not being able to find drinkable water? Me: No, not really. Again, we already have some probes sent, so we do know there are basic things needed for survival. As for entertainment, well, I will be exploring a system that, by best estimates of HG division, has over 18 quintillion celestial bodies. I mean, that is an 18 with 18 zeros. I mean, who needs things like movies or video games or whatever when you have that? Plus, I may be a bit busy trying to survive. All of the probes that go out end up being destroyed. Some video transmissions include other spaceships destroying them, or large creatures attacking them. It seems life is more common in that galaxy than in our own milky way. Or maybe not. Hard to say, since this is the first time we have been able to step past our solar system, let alone our galaxy. See? Magic box. Interviewer: *laughs* Yeah, I guess I see what you mean. So, any last words before we finish? Me: Hmm, shoutouts maybe? No, that always seems tacky. I guess that I just hope all the people back here on earth watch me and my fellow explorers as we stream our travels back. It is an exciting time, and I am glad that, after being a dreamer my entire life, I can now go see the worlds I have always dreamed of. Interview: Sounds good. Me, and well, the rest of the world wish you and all the other people training around the world all the best when you get out there. *video cuts off, mic cuts off*
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