Journalist's Report

March 20, 2008

Sean Blackman



Journalist Report:
20 March 2008

Sean Blackman

It's not our fault, I swear! It's the Hab! We try to go into sim, the Hab breaks; we try to go into sim, the GreenHab goes crazy; we try to go into sim, and the toilet, generator, and water heater decide “Nah, we just feel like staying on Earth, taking a nap. Mars can wait.” Pumps breaking, lights flashing, power draining ... Oy! We were supposed to go into sim right after breakfast this morning, but –- yes, you guessed it –- black magic voodoo came into effect and the next 5 hours were spent trying to get the place back into sim-ready condition. But we overcame and prevailed, and by 1500 the hatch was closed.

You know, funny thing about sim: When we first arrived at MDRS, we were surprised to learn that we probably wouldn’t go into sim until Thursday. I mean, that is the entire reason we came here -– to be in sim, dress in space suits, be planetary explorers. Then a funny thing happened. The sun came up. We saw where we were and started having a blast! Whether it was snowball fights, hikes to distant plateaus, or just feeling the clear, cool desert air on our brows, we soon came to love just being here, just existing in this place. The thought of only going outside with a layer of glass between the world and us ... torture! So there was definitely a communal feeling of dread today before entering sim, like we were all being buried alive in a cylindrical grave ... with a clogged toilet. In fact, I distinctly remember the phrase “walkin’ the Green Mile” uttered more than a few times.

We all watched with longing as Emily closed that hatch for the last time, wishing we had taken just one more hike, watched one more sunset over the desert, gotten up extra early to see the sun rise in the east ... well, maybe not that last one (I mean, come on, we are in college). But the hatch did close, and now we are indeed in sim. In sim as much as sim gets. Our daily cleaning duties will now include Windexing drool off the windows, because I am pretty sure our faces are going to be permanently glued to the glass during our free time. Alas, it’s time to get down to the dirty. But as much as we long for fresh air, we all know that sim will bring even more excitement and challenges ... though not fresh air. Personally, I just want to try on one of those space suits ...

Crew 69 out!
__