<p align="center">Redemption Run</p>
The year is 2100 and the Earth is quickly becoming uninhabitable. What is left of our dying population resides in the only safe-zone shelter still up and running in what would be the city of Atlanta, Georgia. “Redemption Run” is our space ship carrying four of the most important works of art in history that must be preserved for our future generations to obtain. While traveling in space in search of a fresh start for humanity, it also is equipped to carry up to three-hundred people at a time, just in case the Commanding Officer(CO) and Executive Officer(XO) receive Intel from our communication center back on Earth, informing us of any possible places to start over fresh.<!--more-->

Inside “Redemption Run” there is a full-fledged restaurant and bar, with daily specials and a happy-hour. It is located in the middle of the ship and built in a circular shape, so you can easily access it while walking around viewing the exhibits. There is also a playground located towards the front with a fully staffed chaperoning unit for the kids if you want to explore without them. It is totally secure with gates all the way around so there is no chance that a little explorer gets fed up with the playground and wants to take a break and go get a snack on his own. Once they are in, there is no chance for escape! There are four ushers in constant motion as well with knowledge on all the works being preserved to hand out programs and answer any and all questions you might have. Since the ship might be out for a number of days at a time, there is ample amount of sleeping quarters down below, with showers and bathrooms. We have hand selected permanent mechanics for the up keep and maintenance on the ship as well. The point in all of this is to keep the environment fun, safe, and as smooth as possible.

Don Quixote, the ever-popular story about an eccentric gentlemen from an unnamed village in La Mancha, written by Miguel de Cervantes in 1605 is the first preserved piece of work to explore aboard “Redemption Run”. The hallway that surrounds the restaurant and bar is set up for one-way traffic to make it easier on everyone ducking into each respected room or museum. As you approach the auditorium for Don Quixote, there is a short transit hallway that breaks off of the main line, with information on the time period in which the particular piece was constructed. Don Quixote is being read aloud in sections on a giant projection screen while the visitors sit comfortably inside the auditorium.

When the story of Don Quixote was created in 1605, literary pieces focused on the tragic yet theatrical views of Shakespeare and the likes of furthering scientific knowledge. Miguel de Cervantes took it upon himself to tell a tale about a gentleman in pursuit of eternal glory who will stop at nothing to get what he wants out of life. The novel is mainly a parody of romances of chivalry, and can also be considered a disguised autobiography of Cervantes. (<em>Cervantes, </em>chapter 7: Cervantes Masterpiece: Don Quixote, Manuel Duran). It has been said that Don Quixote is considered the world’s first modern novel ever written. Cervantes uses literature against Don Quixote to create an internal antagonist, while other writings used literature to boost the moral of love and empower the mind. Don Quixote spends his whole life reading books about chivalry, eventually driving himself mad, and causing him to create a new identity. He bends the perceptions of reality and hurts himself and his friends along his enchanted journey to be the greatest Knight of all time. The constant struggle of man versus himself is what I find to be particularly important for the future generations to come.

When leaving the Don Quixote exhibit, make a right and follow around to the next stop, which will be the concert hall. Inside here you will find a full orchestra and band playing the popular and infamous <em>Le Nozze di Figaro </em>by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This superb and brilliant piece received it’s world premier in Vienna, Austria, on May first, 1786. There were five encores during the premiere performance of Figaro, and seven during it’s second performance a week later, giving it instant success. During the year 1786, the community had been accustomed to dramatic operas, that began being replaced by pieces like Figaro and Joseph Hayden’s <em>Symphony no. 82 in C </em>(also know as “The Bear”), which the orchestra also plays while visiting the exhibit as well as a string of other classics. Everyone can appreciate and love this piece. It gives you a sense of warmth and enlightenment as soon as the first note is struck.

Much of Mozart’s music has been scored in films, but none as much as Figaro has. It’s in television shows, movies, video games, and even subway commercials. <em>Le Nozze di Figaro </em>even motivates you to lose weight! Mozart is probably the only composer in history to have written undisputed masterworks in virtually every musical genre of his age. <em>Le Nozze di Figaro</em>, was the earliest opera still found in all of the current opera houses, well back before they were destroyed. The people of today can accept the piece just as well as they did when it debuted back in 1786. It is a remarkable piece that is always recognized when heard by anyone, whether they are a classical music lover or not and must be kept in the hearts of the generations to come, making it an easy choice to be aboard “Redemption Run”.

Now at this point, you are half way through the journey of viewing the preserved works of art. If you should desire, you can stop by the restaurant and grab a bite or a beer, whatever you might be craving. Or if you just want to stop and take a breather in a cool, relaxed environment, maybe head back to the playground and check on the kids before you finish the tour, it is all up to you. The next piece you will find is <em>The Raft of the Medusa</em>, by Theodore Gericault(1818-1819). This piece is an oil based painting that captures a moment from the aftermath of the shipwreck of the French naval frigate <em>Meduse</em> that ran aground off the coast of Mauritania on July 5, 1816. Here on “Redemption Run” <em>The Raft of the Medusa</em> is displayed on a larger than life-size wall, under perfect lighting to really express it’s beautiful horror.

Considered one of the darkest works of art it’s time, Gericault painted a horrid picture of violence and death. At least 147 people perished while fifteen others were left at sea for thirteen of the longest days of their lives. It was intended to exhibit at The Salon in 1819 and Gericault’s <em>The Raft of the Medusa </em>was the epitome of horrific imagination. The way Gericault pushed boundaries with his obsession of violence and the human psyche, makes the piece undeniably fascinating. No one comes across this painting and just glances over it and moves along, which is why we have it set up in a separate room and not just somewhere on the wall. You need time with this one. <em>The Raft of the Medusa </em>draws you in and demands you full undivided attention. It asks profound questions about the nature of survival, sanity, and the miracle of human resilience when faced with the unforgiving power of nature, as well as the inner-struggle for meaning and purpose we all face, making this piece especially important to preserve for our future generations.

Ok, you are almost through with the tour! After you leave <em>The Raft of the Medusa </em>exhibit, just continue on down the hall to the right and you will see a movie theatre up ahead. Inside, the critically acclaimed <em>Boyz in the Hood</em>, by John Singleton shows in a two story three dimensional movie theatre with recline able seats. The movie takes place in the hoods of South Central where director John Singleton grew up in separate households and notes that most of the storyline comes from his own experiences and credits his parents to keeping him off the streets. <em>Boyz in the Hood</em> opens up with a boldly stated cold hard fact: “One out of every twenty-one black American males will be murdered in their lifetime. Most will die at the hands of another black male”. (<em>Boyz in the Hood-</em>film) Be it the Crips and Bloods, the notorious and chaotic riots of L.A. from April 29, 1992, or just going to the local store for some smokes, life was very difficult for young black males in South Central L.A. They were constantly being exposed to a negative way of life. If violence was not present in their schools, it was present at home. In the film, Tre’s first night home with his father, someone breaks into the house in the middle of the night. Furious, his father, fires two shots at the suspect but misses. Furious calls the police, and he and his son patiently wait an hour before L.A.P.D. shows up. Even with all the deviance and destruction throughout the film, there is an underlying important life lesson to be learned.

<em>Boyz in the Hood</em> portrayed exactly what was happening from day to day at that time in the hoods of South Central. It acted as almost a premonition as to what was to come. Singleton’s remarkable capsule of life for African American’s and the daily struggles they faced was a huge success, receiving numerous Oscar and Academy Award nods. Not only was it well received for it’s time, but people of today still acknowledge it’s importance and view it as an American classic. I do not believe there is a better work of art in existence to do the job that <em>Boyz in the Hood</em> did and continues to still do, in allowing us to see the violence and darkness of everyday life for communities of South Central Los Angeles at the time.

So, as we travel in orbit in search of a new beginning, we keep hope alive and remember the works of art aboard our ship that will one day shape a new generation. These particular works must be preserved for the future. The book of Don Quixote teaches us to be real with oneself, to not lose perception of what is actually real and what you make yourself believe is real. <em>Le Nozze di Figaro </em>was innovative for it’s time and is still influencing upcoming artists today as we speak! It’s warmth brings happiness and is recognizable to everyone, everywhere. <em>The Raft of the Medusa </em>is considered one of the darkest works of it’s time. Gericault embraced the horror and darkness and dared viewers to see it for what it was. It makes us question survival, sanity, and how hard we can fight when faced with death staring us down. <em>Boyz in the Hood </em>was a perfect display of what African Americans dealt with on a daily basis back then. It still affects people today the first time they see it. <em>Boyz in the Hood </em>is more than a time-capsule of American existence. It is a boldly defiant, and desperate call for peace in a time of anarchy and that is why it was an easy decision to have it as well as all of the works aboard “Redemption Run”.