Captain's Log, #StarDate2020

After years of frantic exploration the Earth is coming out of warp speed.

Here are some logs of different people's valuable perspectives on the unique time we find ourselves in, from different parts of the planet, and having a bit of fun with the idea of the Earth as a spaceship along the way. The Earth is of course a closed ecosystem so the analogy is rather apt. 

What would your entry be? It is about what you're experiencing, noticing, feeling. Message me if you have a view to share here. 

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Log Begins:

Captain James T Shorten’s log, #stardate2020: Earth > Europe

The Enterprise has slipped through a wormhole in spacetime and we are in orbit around the Earth in April 2020, 100 years back in time.

It is the era of the Covid 19 pandemic but this is not the Earth we recognise from our history. This is a parallel dimension. Health services around the world are not prepared for the pandemic after years of underfunding. Populist leaders have ignored the science, mislead their people about the risks, and lost precious weeks to respond by seeking to limit economic disruption. Then they acted and found unheard of amounts of money to shore up the economy and public services after 10 years of insisting austerity was the only way.

This Earth, though, faces the same choice that ours did as we came to terms with the climate and ecological emergencies in the 2010s: to prioritise the health of the planet and the people on it, or to go on pursuing economic growth above all else. We chose to live within planetary limits before it was too late, and after a difficult period of adjustment we and nature flourished. It’s still not too late for this Earth to do that too, but they are running out of time.

They and our paths diverged in 2009 when our Copenhagen COP put in place a comprehensive agreement to limit to reach net zero by 2040. That, and the need to reverse the collapse of global ecosystems, set us on a radically different path. Instead of making the way in which we lived every bigger, and so reliant on big global systems – food, energy, transport, making things and the money system, we rediscovered the wisdom of smaller lives and the precautionary principle.

Schumacher and Small is Beautiful snapped back into urgent focus 30 years later and we re-set our lives to live in smaller and more resilient and regenerative systems. Meeting far more of our needs locally, in ways which repaired the damage we had done to the biosphere, we massively reduced our ecological footprint. We were happier and healthier, and also were able to put together a federation of tens of thousands of bioregion-based community collectives which did the work we all needed and wanted at a planetary scale (including building starships to explore our galaxy when we were ready).

As we orbit the other Earth we face a difficult choice. Many of the people on this planet know what needs to be done, but action has been shockingly slow, and some of their leaders still appear blind to the urgency of their situation, even with Covid 19 shining a light on the failures of the old system. Do we intervene, and share our experience and wisdom, or let things just take their course for this other Earth?

I need think about that some more, and seek guidance from some of the other starship captains if I can reach them on the sub-ether net. 

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Captain Belinda’s log, #stardate2020: Earth > Europe

The Wall that we call Corona

What we feel isn’t necessarily what we see.

What others feel isn’t necessarily what we feel.

I feel calm, like I’ve been waiting, somewhere deep inside I knew, I’m sure many of us did.

Some of us were already going slower and therefore didn’t go crashing in to the wall, that uncompromising forcefield, that, at the moment we call Corona.

I crashed into that wall 17 years ago. For me it was called suicide.

These are just my thoughts and feelings, nothing is right, nothing is wrong….

Maybe the people that feel intense grief and shock at the moment, were going at such speed that the crash into Corona has impacted with greater pain, that is what happens when we physically crash into a wall at speed, and so, it is no different for the mind.

I used to run so fast, jump so high, after all I was a dancer and it was my job to move with grace and speed. I thought, and still do sometimes, after my ‘brick wall’ moment, all those years back, that I would run as fast again, jump as high again, believe me I still try.

But it doesn’t happen. Either my body gives up with the exertion or my mind caves in to the darkness that once was.

No, I’ve accepted to go slow. At times I’m envious of the people speeding ahead with their careers, those that are still, or were dancing in shows, that I once danced, those that are building empires, businesses, becoming fitter stronger etc, etc.

But in the end it's ok, it serves me well to go at my slower pace, I see things, I smell things, I sense things, and when I see a wall coming, I’m at a speed, at which I can navigate it.

I can observe, be still with it, be curious with it, and even lean in to it.

It's ok, it's ok to stop, it's ok, its all ok.

I’m not saying these words to gloat or to inform others how to behave, or to say what is right or what is wrong. Yes, some feel, shock, some feel pain, some produce, some freeze, some laugh, some entertain, and thankfully some hold hands and support others that are suffering.

It's ok. Its all ok.

What I have learned through my experience, after running at speed and hitting a wall (call that what you will; death, suicide, Corona) is that these ‘walls’ change you.

We may try to pick ourselves up and rebuild what we had, it was good wasn’t it? We want it back, that feeling that buzz, that adrenaline… We will try, but we will fail!

We will walk, we will remember and then we will gather our speed and we will run…. only to forget and then the wall will be there again, maybe Corona maybe SARS, maybe pollution, maybe flooding or another virus we have never seen or heard about. Nobody knows but one thing is for sure; the speed and adrenaline will not serve us.

Only time will serve us, time to explore, time to talk, time to listen, time to breath, time to notice what is going on in our minds in our bodies, in the rivers in the air in the trees, in each other, ourselves and the world, and maybe eventually the universe.

We need to grow, develop, reach further in to our minds our senses and our spiritual beings.

You may not feel it at the moment but our human race is growing, developing and expanding into deeper spiritual self.

I truly believe as a race we are transcending, some of us now some of us later, some wont have the opportunity to, but if we resist we will crash again and again.

A wall is a wall, however it does have another side, we just need to reach it, and that takes different tactics, than the ones that our society has led us to believe in.

Speed, money, greed, desire, extreme travel, and empires.

These empires are cascading, they do not serve us now and will not serve us in the future.

So how do we navigate our future?

First we need to see the wall, then we need to approach it, observe it, meet its challenges, gather our strength to climb.

There will be more than one way to reach the other side, but which ever way we get to it, we will be exhausted and so will our resources.

We must pace our selves, go slowly and just when we think that the wall is far enough behind us and we can get back to our love of running at speed and never look back again, there will, sure enough be another ‘wall’ ahead.

Think for a moment….Do you really want to go charging into it again?

Maybe I’m saying it is not the ‘Wall’ that’s the problem, but our attitude and behaviour towards it.

Deep within we have all the knowledge and power, but we just haven’t taken the time to listen, gather and grow…yet!

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Captain Doug's log, #stardate2020: Earth > Europe > in woodland orbit, South West England

Deep Pressure Drop

Sudden influx of fresh air.

Relief.

Following Red Alert from global HQ: automatic emergency hatch closure complete. Extended Family safe in isolation pods. Communication good. Protocols agreed and undertaken to ensure no spread of viral pandemic.

What have we grown used to these years?

Confusion over lack of sound-pollution: Out walking & boys on bikes repeatedly tucked into hedge to avoid on-coming traffic. Nothing there. Sound from road 1 mile away. 

Unexpected Gifts:

- Global Ceasefire Proposed! Could this be our wake-up?

- Two children returned from state incarceration. Morning rhythm resumed to 'natural' level. Home learning and play-time. Reduction in post-school energy collapse syndrome. Much exercise on bikes. Some tears at distancing codes.

- Kind words and Compassion becoming common.

National egg shortage continues (except the chocolate variety)... Woodland chicken flock in high demand.

Proud of those working on frontline.

Deep sympathy for all those in suffering, restricted isolation and lonely times. Glad for all creative use of social media inter-connections.

Food sources unpredictable. Readying ground for emergency food production.

One week of sun, I don't remember rain.

One week of pressure drop, can we re-write our norm?

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Captain Orlando's log, #stardate2020: Earth > Europe > England.

Beta Zeitgeist Observer Crew

Interesting and unusual data are being pumped out of the Station's long term viral infection experiment. 

There’s a ghost in the machine. 

Due to unusual replication of an RNA virus in our DNA replication stations the experimental machine has been spun-down, to the great relief of the stressed maintenance engineers. 

Due to the inverse power of the older members of the original families they have decided to protect their lives over the actual viability of the logistics of the original experiment. 

There is now a current of strong support to change the original logarithms and poorly expressed models which have driven the process so far, to the abuse and outright neglect of our original craft's design and specification. 

The zeitgeist and communications team are now expressing strong dissatisfaction with the outcomes and data from the current systems and as it’s clearly been proven the machine is stoppable. 

That resources can be redeployed, it’s now suggested that the billions of natural intelligence systems which were originally programmed into our Earth ship are allowed to reengage their original remit and given priority over the artificial value-system which were imposed by the misdirected recent ancestors. 

Indeed the recent RNA virus could be seen as a mirror to bring an awareness that we were highjacked and invaded by highly the destructive viral memes of ‘creator religion thought form’ virus used to manipulate the ships crew away from the original designs of our Earth ship. 

Starlog closed. 

Peace to the crew. 

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Captain Zoe's log, #stardate2020: Earth > Europe > England

This infection stalking the ship, filling the sickbays, seems to go much deeper than we thought.

Now that we’ve been forced to stop we find time to pause, to notice, to think, to investigate. This ancient ship which we inherited by lucky accident seems to be a giant form of life itself. We had never before considered what the true nature of the ship was, nor how it functioned, we were so focussed on its warp speed ability that we simply focused on the next seemingly blind destination.

The most stunning revelation to me was that we have found that the ship has an existence independent of us – we don't truly control the ship at all – in fact it might be more true to say that we “are” the ship, and it is us. I’m not sure what Starfleet will make of these deductions; their current mindset is part of the reason for our current predicament.

I have observed that the creatures and plants on board, which we assumed were simply confined to the nature dome, in fact extend throughout every part of the ship. Delicate tendrils wind throughout, inside every duct and cable, inside the very fabric of the superstructure, many leading back to the nature dome where they form thick rivers pulsing with activity and light, yet we have found no single control centre, no “brain” as such – it is a wonderful thing to behold.

But more than that: engineering found several components which should by rights have failed years ago, but when inspected found these tendrils of life supporting their function – they are integrated into each part, repairing, strengthening, even adapting the part in novel ways. Engineering were left in admiration of the ingenuity and perplexed at how many parts even work, or what they now do. There is so much to learn.

In the ships systems running at below 50% they found the same tendrils shrunken and brown. Traced back the cause was in each case to be found where the maintenance crew had made quick upgrades and patches the ship, cutting through big bundles and masses of this form of life. Keeping a ship at warp speed takes its toll and constant work is required if our vessel is not simply to be shaken to pieces under the constant strain.

We bio-scanned these lifeforms and found that they resembled our own make-up, and ours theirs. Not only does it seem like the lifeforms are now almost “one with the ship”, but even with ourselves, and each of these things is utterly dependant on the others, and in turn on the life emanating from the nature dome.

Confined to quarters I have time to think about my own end, that we are all mortal, and that right here and now within these pressurised walls the only things that really matter are health, love and each other. Our own family and the core team we work with are important, but also everyone on the ship matters.

Day to day we have enough to sustain us even in this “lockdown alert” - we need a lot less than we think we do.

I’ve had time to think about some of my previous commands and decisions. We've been given many chances to make better decisions, and now might be our last best chance. In our response to this infection that sweeps the ship we come up against the limits of our own understanding. We may be able to describe the physics of matter in detail, but when it comes to the infinite interaction of matter in time and space which IS life - we are nowhere near as clever as we think we are.

I realise that the way of thinking that got us here won't get us there.

I really, really don't want to 'go back to normal'

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Captain Kate's log, #stardate2020: Earth > Europe > England

It's SO quiet here in the rural reaches of the green dome, but my cabin is not quiet - the rest of them don't leave in the morning now, so there's no silence except late at night.

I don't do my ship-duties now, I have new ones - my children are here, every day, never alone. Noisy, unkind to each other, but connected. Hugging, writing letters, seeing their strengths like never before - I can teach them, but not everything they need.

And springtime is here, the ship Earth seems content, bright evenings, blue skies, fresh buds on all the trees, but if feels cruel to stay locked inside the cabin. There's a feeling of foreboding - it's outside the green dome, it still seems far away, don't go out there, don't transmit it inside.

The washing smells so fresh here in the cabin garden - it's never smelled like this in my lifetime (I grew up in the industrial city dome), the air has never been cleaner, but we can't will this to last...

"After all this over" is such a common thought now, but what is the 'normal' we'll go back to?

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Captain Dan's log, #stardate2020: Earth > United States of America > Kansas > Flint Hills

This land can be disorienting. The prehistoric grasses of the tallgrass prairie were like a great forest. The Big bluestem could grow taller than a man.

The rolling prairie stretches farther than the eye can see. Perhaps more like a great sea than a forest after all.

An ocean of monster grass. Native American braves would stand on their horse's back to navigate.

Everything's changed, which is to say, nothing's changed.

The grass has been tilled and grazed and tamed. There are homesteads and highways and humming cities. And humans, who like the natives before must find a new and innovative way to navigate the uncertain and eerie landscape.

The virus is here and the financial futures forest looks downright prehistoric.

I suspect and hope that the eventual effect will be simpler lives for all and a new desire for community and wellness.

Time will tell. And the prairie will remain.

Godspeed.

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Admiral Moody's log, #stardate2020: Earth > Wales

Admiral Moody Here! Commander, Our communications officer just intercepted this Klingon message:

"Qo'noS memo 'ech kerla. haha capitalism mIw 'ej disrespect puqHom maqDar Humanpu' despicable paS. ghaH DuHbe' tera' qet laH jIjawQo' vabDot puq. Hoch "nIm spilt" lan wItI'nISmo' pa' je amateur: reH mIw wIchovDI' vaj 'ej ngep nID DeSDu' quarantine bal nID chaH, wornagh tlhutlh 'ej Hagh DeSDu' chaH. vaj yot maH?

vo' peQ k'trelan"

Partial translation begins:

Denmark, kerla count memo. the Tao of capitalism haha and Boy children disrespect pathetic Human despicable late. It is not possible for me to England short'ned he can run even son. All "spilt milk" because we have to repair and there laid the amateur: wIchov Tao, and then always when the override attempt

Removing quarantine, they strive to drink overpriced beer, bottle, and "ax handle. Therefore, we invade?

from the k'trelan general relativity

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Captain Daisy's log, #stardate2020: Earth > China > Jiangsu

Today is Saturday, the spring air in the bio dome is bright, warm and comfortable. During the day, our whole family came to the Big Dragon Lake to enjoy the Spring Kite Festival, there is a large area of grass, very suitable for camping and homemade barbecue. The agri- and aqua- domes are functioning and so we sprinkle cumin pepper on lamb skewers, fat and thin, sizzling oil, fragrant. Grilled prawns, grilled scallops, only a little salt can make them delicious. There are children's favorite roast chicken wings, and baked potatoes, with a little barbecue sauce, will be very delicious.

Over the past month, we have slowly returned to our normal life and work on our ship. It seems like yesterday that we were isolated and unable to leave our cabins. Now it's not that strict. The only difference is that we all wear masks on our shifts, keep a social distance, and wash our hands frequently.

Life will always return to normal, we have to learn to find happiness in the ordinary days, whether it is light or dark days, it is a part of our life.

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Captain Willow's log, #stardate2020: Earth > Australia

The atmosphere is clearer now our ships have dropped out of warp drive, the corridors quieter, everything has slowed down. Unidentified creatures from the Nature-dome have given us a virus and we’ve kicked ourselves off this seemingly unstoppable warp speed mission that StarFleet called a "revolution".

So now we can cocoon our most vulnerable on every deck, on every ship. Who would have thought it even possible a few short months ago?

Life will never be the same again that much is certain. Now we finally realise and start to accept we really are all in this together.

What happens next? The future is emergent...

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Captain Anne's log, #stardate2020: Earth > England

I report similar changes to the other Captains, the robins now are starting to take ownership of the trees, a symphony emerges from the atmosphere in the nature dome, we have lost track of what day it is... Ah yes, Venus is gone, it is Saturn's day.

I catch a single spaceshift carrying food in the night.

We do not agree on the date of this new calendar... Day 10 say those on the unionist's decks, day 17 say those on the bakery deck, day 90-something for those of the middle decks. But we will find a consensus at a later date for sure.

Our junior crew members are optimist, while expressing admiration for the medics and sickbay.

We received your transmission 5/5!

Good night in Space

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Captain Berris's log, #stardate2020: Earth > England

All the certainties are unmade. The graves are empty and heaven is too.

Our ghosts have come home.

It's not easy to think historically when history wants so much to be part of the conversation. Butting in. Demanding our attention. Drawing us from what is being unmade to what is being made.

Don’t think about the planetary sovereignty, it’s failure; in preparation, in response, in itself. But do think about ‘the Klingon response’. The way the Vulcans have done it. Is our own ship lagging behind? Keep counting. 100,000 tests, 1 million cases, 53,000 deaths.

These are the wrong questions and the wrong accounts.

We should be asking: What is a planetary sovereignty, or even a ship, good for? What can it hold beyond violence?

Why do we want to be held?

What is this thing in need of holding?

What is disease, and death, and life?

And not for me, but for you.

The answers don’t seem as obvious as they used to.

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Captain Marlene's log, #stardate2020: Earth > Tucson, Arizona

There is no fooling ourselves anymore. The way we are perceiving and dealing with the events truly says WHO we are as a crew.

Confined to quarters we have nothing but time for introspection.

Some crewmembers are taking a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror for the first time.

Some are ever more grateful and confident that we will survive.

Others complain, place blame and go straight to gloom and doom.

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Captain Fem's log, #stardate2020: Earth > Spain

Everything has stopped. Everything. The big machine has grounded to a halt, and the silence is eerie. It causes feelings of anger, insecurity: will the work of years have crumbled to nothing when we finally do a restart? Will we even be able to do a restart? Is this grounding to a complete stop not a big exaggeration from central command that will cause more harm than good? Anger again…. Try to keep that in check, Captain!

And then one day, security appears outside the ship, the reason just outside of the vision of our little balcony…

one hour later, still there…

two hours later, still there…

I decide to do a small foraging trip and see if I can get some information. I round the corner, and I know. There’s a body in the main corridor. Mind-blowing… In our corridor! As I pass it, the wind blows a little as well, and I see the old man’s slippers peeking out from under the sheet. Security just stand guard, transport to sick bay is not to be had for hours, so there is nothing else to be done but wait.

Wait… and think of course. I realise I have been navigating with the wrong map: what does it matter that the machine has grounded to a halt? What does it matter if the restart will be slow and painful? The only thing that matters is that we are inside our ship, together and safe.

So Captain’s orders have changed: no more worrying, just be together with family, call loved ones, see if there is anything to be done for fellow human beings.

The machine has stopped: enjoy the silence.  

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Captain Mary's log, #stardate2020: Earth > England

Captain Mary here from a small spacecanoe scouting to your northwest. I have suddenly realised that it is rather nice being moored in one place for a bit and can't even be bothered to go foraging to large cities 5 miles away. Health may deteriorate in due course due to excess running and lack of aquatic exercise. Resources uncertain in coming months.

Communications with central command is safer at a distance as sudden urges for violence after receiving 50 imbecilic responses cannot be acted on. However central command communication have now reached new heights of stupidity.

Urgent distress signals received from partner spacecanoes, humans in danger of being unable to pay for energy and food particularly for children. No helpful response from central command received.

Distress signals being ignored by other spacecanoes who just send reports and queries on how to manicure gardens, this heightens stress.

Mutual services funds low due to contributions for mutual services not being received from the large space flotillas for a number of years.

High level of communication and love received.

Satire quality is high.

Birds in the Bio-dome seem happy, hedgehogs are enjoying being able to cross the ship corridors, stars can be clearly seen through the portholes.

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Captain Neil's log, #stardate2020: Earth > England

The concept of time is changing as we dig deeper into this new system. I notice some crew members are struggling with sleep, while others are putting in new rituals and practices. The virtual gym and pilates classes have seen a spike in usage.

The hospital bay is still full and the virus that a crew member picked up on Planet Wuhan is still spreading. All crew members are confined to quarters. We've noted some unusual behaviour. All the rolls from the crew toilets are missing. But the lockdown seems to be working.

As we move further into the system we are seeing a number of paradoxes in the space time continuum. The atmosphere is quieter but there is a background of unease. There is much more care and compassion among the crew but also random acts of madness and selfishness in a small number.

The challenges of leadership are many but I have a sense of hope.

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Captain Peter's Log, #stardate2020: Earth > England

Yesterday a crewmate popped round just to say hello.

Today friends contacted by communicator to see if I needed anything from the nutrition deck as they were going.

I haven't needed to use the transporter all week

I have sown real seeds in the Agri-dome for the first time in years.

I am enjoying being busy doing my tasks, and then doing some thinking and learning.

I don't want to revert back to all the old 'normal'

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Captain Sune's Log, #stardate2020: Earth > England

Today my family woke, not to the objectionable pinging and ringing of alarms in our cabin, but when our bodies naturally told us to wake.

There is not the rush to get the kids off to the school session, the pleading to get bags ready, has this been done, has that been done, which steal the calm of our mornings before our day on the ship begins.

The mornings are now finally "our own".

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Captain Elizabeth's Log, #stardate2020: Earth > Hawaii

On my daily walks in the nature dome I hear the birds at all hours.

Air smells fresher now - our filtration and recycling systems are under far less strain.

I hope the other crew members will see, as I do, that our health is directly connected with the health of our environment on this fine ship.

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Captain Sheep's Log, #stardate2020: Europe > France

I woke up with the birds from the nature dome singing.

Made coffee and watched the sunrise in stunning colours in the East facing windows of the ship.

I'm deeply grateful for where I am and what I have.

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Let's start to log the lessons from this time.

Submissions from fellow Captains are welcomed.

What will your entry be?