7. The Rocket-ship: Write about a rocket-ship on it’s way to the moon or a distant galaxy far, far, away.

been out of it somewhat...  ok, here goes.

the rocket ship of the future isn't the cramped affair of your grandfather's time...  in fact, it's far more expedi ent to transport a large number of people, in a giant ship that utilizes solar wind to move.  within space, large reflective wings made of a polymer of foil and carbon fibers unfurl.  these wings catch solar particles like wind sails, and the collected impacts of billions of these particles push the ship towards its destination...

as it takes a long time to get to the destination, most of the crew sleeps in suspended hibernation.  there are just a few people kept awake to run the ship.  it might seem as though those few are unlucky, but for the right kind of personality, it's actually alright.  there is this thing called ansible (from orson scott card's books) that allows instantaneous communication.  on the ship, you would therefore have access to the collected wisdom of humanity, and could spend practically all of your time (your true duties would actually be pretty minimal) reading, thinking, and developing yourself.

some might think it a lonely existence.  well, yes and no.  you are NOT alone.  there are a few others who serve as fellow stewards.  these individuals have the same psychological propensities as yourself, and among them, you might develop comrades, friends, or even lovers.  while there is reproduction allowed, it is strictly regulated...  in essence, the stewards continually replicate themselves, in order to insure that the destination of the sleepers is eventually reached...

of course, this sort of plan is a recipe ripe for disaster, and several science fiction novels and movies have explored precisely this situation, and the potential en route rebellion which occurs...

***

we are a species not meant for containers...  even self-sustaining environments, closed eco-systems, are seen not as wonders of technology, but as prisons.  there is a part of our psychology, or perhaps even our basic souls, that needs to transcend obstacles, and particularly walls.  we need to excel, go beyond...  it is in our very nature.

this is why there is an irony in long-distance, interstellar space travel.  the immense distances involved require some sort of suspended animation system, but due to the unforeseen problems involved in those distances, there is a necessary overseeing role played by a small population of individuals...  and those individuals must sacrifice themselves, and quell their innate tendency to desire to break a prison imposed upon them, in order to fulfill a larger task.

if there were a "spiritual prison" that these individuals could focus on, then perhaps that would compel them to remain in the physical prison of the ships.  yes, perhaps through the ansible, these individuals could focus on and correct problems of consciousness...  and that feeling of accomplishment, of liberating consciousness, might be the key that keeps them motivated in their roles as stewards.  who knows, among these stewards might emerge the next buddha, or bodhisattva...