Would you Hitch your wagon up?

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-12-10 02:51pm

Space exploration is a reality. Worlds are being conolized at an astonishing rate as soon as they are disovered. The question is: Would you as you are now, in your current sitaution hitch up your wagon and go up young man?

The following conditions help you in your decision making:

Living conditions are very similar to what we see in the colony in Aliens (sans the Xenomorphs of course) Your world would already be terraformed to be at leats human freindly.

You would be 2 years away from Earth transit time wise and any news you would get would take 6 months to arrive vis ultra fast couriers. Therefore you are essentially cut off from home with little chance of returning.

As a founding colonist you (the first ones collectively) would have dibs on any mineral wealth discovered on your world and you would form an oligarchal government structure with the 'first ones' as top dogs and it would be an inherited position so your kids' future would be secure.

No taxes would be collected and your wages would be 20% higher than your job on Earth.

These colonies are NOT run by the government but by large faceless conglomerates therefore you are an employee first and not a citizen.

There are signs that there is intelligent life out there and it ain't friendly. Sometimes colony worlds might be raided and people killed by these aliens (Think Indians during North American colonization)

Would you undertake in this adventure?

*Just want to see whether we still have in us what our forefathers had when they headed off to colonize parts unknown

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-12-10 02:54pm

Hell yeah. A new beginning and a chance to see a world no-one else has been on, plus if it's like Aliens you get a shit load of money. a 10 year contract can set you up for life back home.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-12-10 02:57pm

The problem is, most of us live comfortable middle class lives in free societies. What incentive is there for me to sever all my ties here on Earth to travel to another planet (where my education will be largely useless, I might add) and live on the good graces of a huge corporation not accountable to anyone? Sure, I might discover a gold mine or a huge oil field and get filthy rich, or I might toil in obscurity for the rest of my life with no way out of the situation and no recourse if the company decides to fuck with me.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-12-10 02:58pm

The chance for a new beginning? I hate my life and what i've done with it, if i had the chance to get away from every bad decision i've ever made and be somewhere else i'd take it with no regrets.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2003-12-10 03:06pm

Not be a permanent colonist. At least not until they've advanced quite a bit. Its not that I have to have my creature comforts, its that I'd be useless in a forming colony. I have training in three areas. 1.) Tree farmer from growing up on the family tree farm (not Christmas trees, timber). Timber trees on Mars? Yeah, right. 2.) Librarian. Worked as one for three years, and they want me to work whenever I'm on break, so I'm still on the payroll. I doubt they'd have much use for leisure reading in the first years, and record-keeping isn't my gig. 3.) Musician. This is the big one. I grew up playing music, and I'm going to college to play some more. Not much use for musical entertainment either, I think.

So, no.

Post by **Zaia** » 2003-12-10 03:15pm

Rogue 9 wrote:3.) Musician. This is the big one. I grew up playing music, and I'm going to college to play some more. Not much use for musical entertainment either, I think.

Oh boy, another musician in da hizzouse!

I would have similar issues, as being a music teacher out there probably wouldn't really do anyone much good. However, depending on who would want to go with me, I'd certainly consider it. I'd miss music, but I have other talents and skills I could put to use, and I love an adventure. So, if I have some loved ones to share in the experience, I'd do it.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-12-10 03:19pm

For some reason, the title made me think this was going to be about sex...

Anyway, I'd have to say no.

I would however volunteer to move into an Island Three colony, though.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2003-12-10 03:21pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:For some reason, the title made me think this was going to be about sex...

You seem to think everything's about sex.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-12-10 03:22pm

You have me confused with some other members, n00b.

...Well, come on, look at it! That doesn't sound like a euphamism to you?

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2003-12-10 03:23pm

No, I don't. You did it to this thread too.

Gunshy · Post by **Gunshy** » 2003-12-10 03:23pm

Absolutely. The chance for material wealth and adventure is what founded my state, so I've always wanted to do the same. Hell, no taxes, and a higher salary? I say fuck earth.

I'm used to hard work, so I could deal with that. I'm also a painter, and have experience in parts machinery. I'm sure there would be a need for positions such as those.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-12-10 03:24pm

Rogue 9 wrote:No, I don't. You did it to this thread too.

Oh, one other thread. Versus all the other times other people do the same thing, I do it rarely.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-12-10 04:04pm

I'll stay here.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2003-12-10 04:08pm

No... I don't think I'll leave. If I have the premonition/fear that just moving to another state will have me coming back in a pine box, I know moving off planet will do it.

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2003-12-10 06:16pm

As long as they aliens are like the indians and we swiftly kick their asses, then I'll go for it.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2003-12-10 06:20pm

StormTrooperTR889 wrote:As long as they aliens are like the indians and we swiftly kick their asses, then I'll go for it.

You just stepped on some very dangerous ground. If an Indian comes along and reads this, we could have a flamewar.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-12-10 06:39pm

Of course I wouldn't leave Earth, the incentive to do so isn;t very much for being isolated and under the whim of a single major corporation, heck oil workers in Alaska get more then a 20% markup in wages compared to those working in the lower 48.

SecondStorm · Post by **SecondStorm** » 2003-12-10 07:19pm

Im a staff nurse and theres bound to be sick ppl to take care off.
If the pay was tripled(20% is simply not enough not even if you dont have to pay tax)and you could quit and go home any time I would do it.
If you couldnt return to Earth at some point(like to die for instance)then no.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-12-10 07:28pm

No 'cause I couldn't take my new shiny mountain bike with me.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-12-10 07:33pm

A small increase in wages and without taxes isn't incentive enough to do something as risky as that. Also, I am still learning and am in lousy shape, so I'm not confident about being successful there.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-12-10 07:36pm

Colonel Olrik wrote:No 'cause I couldn't take my new shiny mountain bike with me.

The thread doesn't specific any baggage limit, and since the world is already terraformed you'd have a place to ride it. Though I suspect some of the materials which make this sci fi scenario possibul would also let us build even better bikes, so your shitty new mountain bike might be a shinny piece of outdate crap

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-12-10 07:58pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Colonel Olrik wrote:No 'cause I couldn't take my new shiny mountain bike with me.
The thread doesn't specific any baggage limit, and since the world is already terraformed you'd have a place to ride it. Though I suspect some of the materials which make this sci fi scenario possibul would also let us build even better bikes, so your shitty new mountain bike might be a shinny piece of outdate crap

That's what I get for not reading the threads properly. Now that I've done it, I suppose it all depends on the threat level posed by those aliens, and their motivations for waging war.

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-12-10 08:32pm

Hell yes. Do they have 6' redheaded Irish saloon girls there? Well, we could always import them later.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-12-10 08:36pm

In such a situation, if just anybody could go, I imagine that, instead of seeing a diaspora of the suburban population, we would instead see a mass exodus of the lower classes that decide to take their chances in the stars rather than live alone on Earth.

That said, if I get to rule, I'm gone.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-12-10 08:38pm

The one potential problem I would like to see cleared up is the employee/citizen thing. So long as they respect my rights I'd have no problem with that situation and you did say we'd be part of the upper class there (perhaps something ala the Star Kingdom of Manticore perhaps?)

Provided that clears up favorably I'd sure as hell go.