AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
FINAL PROJECT - 2112
J. Lauer – 1302 – 207 # 13622
PHILIP ROBINSON
12/12/2012
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> 2112</strong></p>
My name is Lucas and life is very different now from the way grampa tells it; I can hardly believe it myself…..all of the stories that grampa told us were true. I always thought that he was playing around and trying to scare us into being good. It seems hard to believe that it was only one hundred and twenty years ago that the first pieces of the Blue Belt had yet to break our atmosphere on earth. My family has always been pushing me to do well in school so that my grades were good enough to get past primary school. I know that they want me to get to college if I can, but you have to be really smart or kind of smart with parents with unlimited creds. I remember grampa telling us that the alliance would give people creds to go to college back in his day; can you imagine the alliance giving anything away….<!--more-->Anyway, I listened and got good marks in elementary, primary, and college. I still had to bust my tail at the data shops full time and still have time to study, but I made it through. I can’t even recall how many items we cataloged for RealCam, who would have thought making three dimensional digital images would be so important or lucrative. Ken told me that RealCam was working with the alliance on a lot of projects; he wasn’t allowed to talk about them though. Graduation is just around the corner, and it looks like I am going to have my choice of the Lunar, Mars, or Earth stations with RealCam, apparently they like my work. The technology that RealCam uses has been around forever, it allows a solid object to be crafted from a digital image out of various materials provided that you have the creds of course. Ever since the alliance opened up the colonies on the moon and on Mars; anyone and everyone seems to want a piece of home or history. RealCam incorporates facial recognition software, drafting software of all types, along with surfacing and texture software to replicate anything from dogs to diamonds.

Imagine if you will, having just gotten back to sleep after relieving yourself of the last bit of the previous evenings alcohol. That state where you start to dream and still have some control. You begin to drift off next to your partner in your dream to snuggle; that is until they reach under the bed for a bugle to play reveille loud enough to wake neighbors. Fully awakened, grumbling and bitching I realize that I left the phone jack plugged in my head, and my boss is calling. Somehow he and I get past it’s the weekend and I just graduated to it is important for you to come in without any screaming. The next thing I hear is the insistent knocking on my door that tells me that some form of self proclaimed security is at my door. Surprise surprise…alliance security is waiting to give me a lift to work.

I never thought the world that it would end like this. Apparently while I was out having a good time and subsequently sleeping it off, another piece of the Blue Belt made it through the atmosphere and destroyed some town on the flip side of the planet. When I arrive with security I became aware that night crew, day crew, and everyone that works for RealCam was there along with a lot of alliance people. We had all gathered in the cafeteria when Ken began by telling us of what had happened with the space debris and letting us in on why we were here.

“I have been working with the alliance on a project to integrate our work here at RealCam with another technology. Most of you are aware of holographic technology that was first hinted at us in a science fiction series by Roddenberry one hundred and fifty years ago (Star Trek). That in turn gave way to virtual reality, which in turn gave way to the internal data jacks that some of you have. The next evolution hg tech is the holographic deck that moves with a group like a multidirectional tram, with visual cohesion, without the use of data jack. Where RealCam comes into this picture is adding objects that can be interacted with to complete the sensory effect. There are obvious military applications that would greatly benefit from such a joint project, but there are many applications that will benefit humanity as a whole. Through all of your hard work we have been producing replicas of everything from marbles, to microwaves, to masterpieces of wood stone and paint. Thanks to our city planners and engineers requiring every building to be drafted for the past two hundred years, and updating all the pre digital plans into Google global; we will be able to visit anywhere on the planet. Thanks to the historians, archeologists, and all those obsessed with keeping our history alive; we have a plethora of period garments and everyday items that were also entered into the digital archive. Imagine choosing any opera house, amphitheater, or music venue anywhere on the globe to see any performance from any time as long as it has been captured in part or whole. Operas, symphonies, plays, concerts, and many other performances could be seen from any seat in the house. Imagine being able to watch a film with your friends and family beyond 3d and into a truly immersive 4d. while watching everything from cartoons like <em>Looney Toons</em> to war movies like <em>Platoon</em> You will be able to choose to alter the audio from just watching to a running a history lesson This joint venture will allow us to combine great works with great visuals that everyone can interact with; for a price of course.”

I had to ask, “This all sounds great, but why are we here on one of our precious days that we relax, and not at home sleeping off a great party?” Mr. Sharp from the alliance spoke up and informed us that there are bigger pieces of debris in the Blue Belt than the one that hit last night, and that the timetable just got very short on this project. With the possibility and probability that the earth may not survive the next round of debris; our goal was clear. Acquire as much of human history as we can so that future generations can learn from and have a piece of what was our home. With no way to tell when where or how badly the earth would be hit, the people of earth finally came together after the first strike one hundred and twenty years ago. We began pushing scientific exploration of space even harder; we came up with alternative fuels that were rechargeable, we sent colonies to the moon and to Mars that are now thriving; and through cooperation in both the public and private sectors we built the alliance.

Mr. Sharp continued, “We have converted one of the cargo carriers into a school if you will. As Ken mentioned the primary function of this school will be to train citizens to be soldiers in various forms of combat and high tension situations. However, it is my belief that a well rounded soldier has to be a grounded one; a soldier that is linked to humanity as we know it. This process will be difficult to accomplish with the upcoming generations that will not have had the opportunity to experience where mankind has come from due to the high probability that the earth will be destroyed by the debris from the Blue Belt. That being said, the modified ship has been equipped with two hundred of these holographic decks capable of interacting with fifty citizens each cycle. Each unit is equipped to be used in every simulation stored, provided all members of the group have the required security clearance; We do not need to be training citizens in how to maintain hyper nuclear ordinance if they were found criminally insane. Two of these units are designate for the express use by the children of those attending classes where minors are not permitted.

These holographic class rooms work much the way they did in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. There is much to be learned, but without learning about the context of the time there is no understanding. For example, Ken mentioned a film by Oliver Stone called <em>Platoon</em>. This is one of the films that are required material in the soldier curriculum. The historical importance section begins as the lights fade. This particular section is narrated by James Earl Jones; one can feel the weight of the headlines from world news as his deep voice echoes in your head. As each headline changes, you are surrounded by the flower children; and the soldiers before and after they return; the politicians; you are bystanders in Dallas when Kennedy is shot; you are at the peace protests both peaceful and violent at Kent State May 1970. As long as there has been combat there has been an attempt to understand its effects. Mankind has dark and light forces that lock in combat over every decision involving our conscience; struggling for dominance over the soul. There are several views when it comes to war, some for and some against. What we have here is a fictional film based on the stark realities of combat as told from a realist point of view. The importance for future generations is this is an unflinching look at real life accounts of combat and the internal struggle to maintain humanity during the Vietnam War; told by someone who lived through it at the ground level. This debacle in Vietnam was polarizing within the populace in the US; as it was viewed as a civil conflict that we had no business in; or as defending against communism. The anti-war anti-violence movements spanned the nation, as did those people who fought communism. It would be many years before the nation could begin to heal. At the time of its release there were a handful of other films covering other aspects of the war; some were close to reality while others were more like comic strips. The realism of this film was drastically different from other productions of the day in part due to the boot camp that the entire cast was required to participate in. The actors were living their roles, and that character immersion was captured. With commercial blockbusters like Star Wars, Back To the Future, and Indiana Jones in the lead for escapism, this realistic film stands away from the crowd. If you wish to learn more all you have to do is say more, or continue on to the feature. Once again the deep voice relates the details of what is to come. While we have not yet discovered how to integrate moisture into the hollodecks, perfect sound, temperature, smell, and with RealCams contribution solid material will assist in giving the most lifelike experience ever. When the lights go down and you hear the thundering sound of a helicopter from an open bay door that will soon be dropping you into the hole that you will be in for the next year if you live that long. As you hop off the huey you see the tarps that have blown off the dead from the downdraft. Then the first hint of smell hits you, and you are not sure what is worse; the smell of the dead or the smell of diesel burning the latrine cans. It is at this point that you realize that you are not in Kansas anymore, and you are questioning the sanity of your decision to drop out of school, and volunteer to come to this armpit of the world. The audience may be feeling the same way as they experience the same assault on the senses. What follows is the audience gets a firsthand immersion into the mind of a soldier when faced with constant atrocity, pain, sleep deprivation, and the struggle to maintain their humanity. When the experience of the film has concluded there will be a more option as well as an exit option. If you choose the more option, a large screen will appear with a list of reviews and reactions that have been recorded from its release to the present. There will also be an option for the audience to enter their response. For additional creds there is another option; you will be able to select any piece of this experience as a memento of the experience; properly scaled and priced on material and if it functions.”

“Imagine being able to create a hard copy version of the greatest works of all time. Another one of the required modules for the soldier is the Declaration of Independence. As with the previous work, there is only the briefest of understandings that can be inferred from the document itself; one must understand what was happening in the colonies to truly understand the weight of such a work. When the lights fade the voice of Sam Elliott begins in that smooth and deep voice of a man that you don’t really want to upset. The birthing of a new nation has many needs to be addressed; none among them more daunting than making the decision to do so. There are 30 indictments in the declaration that enlighten the rest of us as to what British rule was inflicting on the colonies, not to mention the fear factor, and the fear of the unknown. These indictments range from making it difficult to conduct state business by making it difficult to do so; to causing the people to suffer malnutrition from lack of food that had to be provided to soldiers; to the hiring of mercenary forces to kill the colonists. With each indictment the deck is transported to some ones home or business to witness each tyrannical act. The lengths that our King has gone to in order to dissuade the resolve of the colonists to rebuke the crown knows no bounds. We witness the struggles and doubts about making the declaration. We witness the political chess involved in trying to see the declaration fail. The Declaration of Independence is the first and quintessential piece that defines by demonstration the path a society should take in severing itself from its tyrannical leadership. Proper care must be undertaken to ensure that one is not exchanging tyrant for tyrant. To this end, the drafters of this document would have looked at a number of sources in deciding the proper language be used to ensure what was stated was what was meant. Thomas Paine’s <em>Common Sense</em>, Alexander Pope’s <em>Essay on Man</em> (as a counter); John Locke’s <em>The Second Treatise on Civil Government; </em>and perhaps Smith's<em> An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations</em> were influential writings in this important task. Jefferson had this to say to those that would attempt to discredit the declaration, <em>“[n]ot to find out new principles or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion.</em>(history.com)” We witness the gathering in Independence Hall in Pennsylvania and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We witness the seeds planted by the declaration growing to become an emancipation proclamation, and a bill of rights, and every important piece of legislature since. It is imperative that those that come after we are gone to know it is their duty as citizens to protect this: <em>“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.(History.com)</em>” The Declaration of Independence exemplifies what man can accomplish when they come together that could never be done standing alone; it took all of us to bring about the birth of this nation. Again once the citizens have returned to the current century there will be options to learn more, respond to the work, or pick up souvenirs.”

Ken is the one who is passionate about architecture and the arts, so he takes over from here. “Imagine being able to walk into St. Peter’s Basilica under the dome with the ability to touch the history; or perhaps you desire to see how it was built, you can see the internal structure with the wave of your hand. Marveling at the detail and intricacies that were displayed, along with the massive amount of weight that was moved when all that was available to them were hand tools. Understand that building domes at the time was considered rock kit science. hehe bad pun. Building domes that did not collapse was a difficult process; especially one of this size. To feel the stone the wood and the paint in all its glory first hand would be simply amazing. Interacting with Michelangelo as the narrator of his work as he goes into as much detail as you can handle. Discovering how one goes about building a dome without it collapsing. This was after all going to end up as a jewel in the most beautifully built and adorned centers of faith of all time in the humanist tradition. Hearing from the horse’s mouth what influenced his work, and from where he drew his passion; discussing at length the undeniable influence of the church, and his thoughts on faith. Of course there would be his opinion of other works. This man was a wealth of knowledge that had survived into his eighties. From this font of knowledge we learn of the cultural currents and events, the power of the church, the habits of the merchants, and the general ebb and flow of life in the late 1500’s in Rome. Again once the citizens have returned to the current century there will be options to learn more, respond to the work, or pick up souvenirs.”

“Finally we come to one of my favorite Operas. Tragedies have been a staple form of the arts since the beginning; however, <em>La Boheme</em> stands out as a pure example of the realist style known as <em>verismo</em>. While it is a fictional tale and there is no real historical context, Puccini is a realist, and what better way for art to imitate life than to spin a web about real life. Realism was a step away from the perfect and surreal beauty of romanticism into the simplistic beauty of normal and imperfect reality. It is Puccini’s voice and image that will be guiding us through this section. It is Christmas Eve in 1830 and two of our artful principles are huddled by the fireplace doing their best to stay warm. They are so desperate for some respite that they burn precious pieces of paper the poet owns. The powers that be smile down and two friends arrive with good news that one of them is employed and bearing food, warmth, and drink. The poet’s friends are off to celebrate, and just before joining them a neighbor arrives. Chemistry sparks between the neighbor and poet. What follows is the tale of love, jealousy, betrayal, and loss, and death between two couples and their friends. The musical score compliments the vocal performance without drowning the voices. The tale is well told for anyone that has truly ever been in love. The journey through all of the emotions was amazing, as well as being invested in the characters. That all encompassing awe and attraction on every level that lets you breath, while at the same time not being obsessive, stalker like, or dependant. Puccini has demonstrated exceptional ability in storytelling, and seems to be well aware of the indescribable highs and the depths of despair and grief that come with loving relationships. In the realist tradition truth and beauty remain truthful and beautiful regardless of another person’s presence; contradicting the romantic notion that beauty does not exist unless it is viewed by another. This opera can be and probably is an introduction to opera for the uninitiated. This piece belongs in the archive because it is of utmost importance that future generations understand the beauty in truth and the truth in beauty, and that art imitates life in the realist tradition in the truest sense. Throughout the performance, the temperature was kept quite cold to maintain the connection with the audience. Again once the citizens have returned to the current century there will be options to learn more, respond to the work, or pick up souvenirs.”

Thankfully there are a lot of us working to preserve society as we know it for the future generations that will need it. While I hope that we can get it all; I am just thankful that I have the opportunity to do something worth wile that my grampa would be proud of.

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Works Cited:

“Declaration of Independence.” History.com. A&amp;E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 15 Oct 2012. – Quoted Jefferson’s response. Quoted Declaration of Independence.

Roddenberry, Gene, dir. Star Trek. Film. 12 Dec 2012. – Used holographic deck concept.