It was 9 years ago today (April 2, 2005) that my journalist boss on Earth volunteered me for a mission I didn't feel I was prepared for, and was not sure why he picked me as the chosen one. Maybe he didn't like me, I don't know. However, in retrospect, I feel he made the right choice, because the stories are many, and I can say with certainty ... mission accomplished. Before my redirection to becoming a dedicated journalist and writer, I spent many years digging into the deep, dark recesses of social and personal behavior. It was always a mystery to me, and I loved solving mysteries. What was it exactly that made people exhibit the types of behaviors they did. What were the influences, and what was the overall impact. Motivation is such a fickle friend, which is why I suppose when I switched careers that my boss gave me mostly human interest stories, rather than something more gutsy. Well, I'm going to say it took guts to pack what little belongings I was allowed to take, and then strap myself into the seat of an enormous space shuttle heading for a planet with so many others as new frontier pioneers. Let's face it, we were guinea pigs and we knew it, but who else gets an adventure like this. Right, the others on the ship that were traveling with me, but you know what I mean. We headed for Planet Calypso somewhere in what they were calling Entropia Universe, but others had gone before us. My brother was a shuttle pilot and worked with the Intergalactic Space Mission Agency (ISMA), so he was waiting for me. He had already been there a month and he was able to help with what I was supposed to be doing, but I know one thing for sure. I had my assignment, and while it took a bit to get acclimated, it all started falling into place and the reporting went well. I wasn't unfamiliar with the ISMA. A family friend is the Commander of the US Eastern Mission Control location, Winslow Anderson. As a result of some investigative reporting that I had done for him on Earth, it got me assigned to more involved missions that ultimately led me to another planet discovered in the back of Entropia Universe (Cyrene), and yet another planet that I now call home (Arkadia). It seems that my background in behavioral science, as well as years as a journalist, writer and investigative reporter has paid off, because now I am on the greatest mission of all. After 9 years, the vault is full, and there are many who want to know where it is and what it contains. However, it is now somewhat of a time capsule, and it's anyone's guess as to when it will be discovered, or ... when the contents might be revealed. There are some who may be psychotic enough to want to prevent that from happening, so caution is clearly a conscious effort at all costs. I am now off to another part of the universe to dig even deeper.
