The Flint Knappers - Chronicles [Episode #10]

Name: Astrid Weber
Mission Date: d+336

I had hoped to start writing about my experiences sooner but have been pretty busy with the whole "surviving in a strange new world" thing. Here you have my first entry so obviously I succeeded in that regard.

We have all been going through an emotional roller coaster since jumping in. Surviving and finding Newman is such a high, combined with the lows of information overload and an ever-present sense of imminent danger. I never expected how disorienting it would be. All of the new sensory inputs from the environment have left me feeling a bit stunned. We're all starting to get our feet under us in the last few days and confidence is high that we'll be taking off the training wheels soon enough.

Considering the imminent war with the Rakshasa I feel like I've been thrown into a Roman coliseum and expected to fight to the death. Metaphors aside, I have been forced through the events of the last couple of months to realize that the world we live in, this planet or that, doesn't give a damn about your artificial social constructs. As the saying goes, "some people have the luxury of never having their beliefs tested".

I never expected to be making the jump. It was only because I had no other choice but in hindsight it may turn out to be the best thing I could have ever hoped for. I have wrestled with the idea of eliminating the Rakshasa but my primal nature has won out. There's nothing like living in nature to help you understand the concept of "natural rights". You quickly realize the difference between rights and privileges.

While I don't expect to be putting my nuclear physics skills to work any time soon I still have plenty of ideas of how I can contribute. I would like to think that most of what I have to offer will come in a post-conflict era, after we have eliminated any threats in our vicinity. It's an interesting and historic challenge to begin with such a primitive base while being able to apply knowledge acquired through millenia. We may still be using crude tools but we have a clear path to what our future tech will be. Step by step we will advance with each goal met launching us closer to the next.

And in case you might be wondering if I had considered how we ensure the survival of our species here the answer is yes. I realize it is a mission imperative and as it turns out I had always hoped that Newman and I could get to know each other better. But since this is a public record and I'm sure he will be reading it I will just keep the details of that topic to myself.

To be continued...

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