Asgardia, a glance to the future

In a future, perhaps not very far from our reality ...

Since childhood, Jack dreamed of going to the stars. His parents gave him a telescope when he was 10 years old. He always studied every planet in the solar system. At first glance he could recognize many of the stellar constellations at night. It was when he was 18 years old that he decided to register on the website called Asgardia Project. The project promised something that could only be seen in the minds of science fiction writers. A new world to work in outer space.

To his surprise, two years later, he received an email with an unfinished algorithm, as a test to opt for an interview with the recruiters of the Asgardia Project. He never thought he would be selected, since he was a third-world country national. However, it took a month to solve the algorithm and finally, he decided to reply the email with the answer.

Jack used to work in a small software development company of programmable logic controllers. At the end of his working day, as usual, he took the bus to his house. While, he was fastened from the bus railing, he received a message on his cell phone. He threw a look at the phone.

To his surprise the subject of the email said: "You were accepted into the Asgardia Project"

"My God!" He said loudly. Something that surprised the other passengers on the bus, who looked at him curiously for the comment he said.

He ran from the bus when he arrived at the stop of his house. He went up to his apartment and turned on his computer.

There was the mail, indicating that he had been selected and had to appear, next Saturday, to the interview of the future candidates to the Asgardia Project of his country.

There were still three days until Saturday. Those days became eternal. He did not sleep from the excitement of showing up at the Project interview. That day he got up late, as he had fallen asleep because of the accumulated fatigue of the previous days.

He hurried to the site indicated by email. Upon arrival, the logistics staff directed him to the interview room. To his surprise, it was a series of individual cubicles with a desk and a computer, with headset included. They instructed him to press the enter key once he was ready to begin.

To his surprise, the interview was done by an artificial intelligence, called Bragi, in honor of the Nordic god of wisdom and eloquence.

"It's true that this project is extremely advanced", he said to himself.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Harrison. You have been selected by the Asgardia Project. The present interview is to verify that you really solved the problem assigned via email. Once you solve the following exercise, if your performance is satisfactory, you will be taken to the 2nd phase of the interview. "

After having finished his first interview, Bragi told Jack that he had been selected for the second phase of the interview, which would be done at the Russian Federal Aviation and Space Agency (RKA), Moscow.

"How the hell am I going to get to Moscow?" He asked.

"Do not worry, a round-trip plane ticket has been assigned to your name, you should pick it up directly at your country's international airport", Bragi replied.

"Excellent! Thank you very much", he added.

"No, thanks for your collaboration", Bragi replied again.

The following week, he was already in Moscow. Jack wondered how he would communicate with the staff in Russian. To his surprise, he was received at the airport by a representative of the Project. He greeted him in English and gave him a new mobile phone along with a bluetooth device for his hearing.

When the device was introduced, he began to listen to everything in his own language.

"Got damn! This is advanced”, said Jack

"Be assured that this is just the beginning", He heard his companion say it in his own language.

They gave him some glasses and when he put them on, the logo of the Asgardia Project appeared, welcoming him to the country and indicating the map of the city and the destination where they were going, indicating distance, time of arrival and environmental temperature, among other data.

Upon arriving at the Space Agency, he heard again a familiar voice:

"Welcome, Mr. Harrison. Did you have a pleasant trip? ", Bragi asked from his headset.

"Yeah that's right. You do not stop surprising me", replied Jack.

"All right, follow the green arrows, which lead the future recruits of the Asgardia Project, to their second test", said Bragi.

Through their glasses appeared a series of green arrows that indicated the way forward.

"Here I say goodbye, have a good day", added his companion.

"Do svidaniya" said Jack in Russian (it was the only phrase he knew).

The companion smiled and left.

Jack received a series of physical tests to check his body status and to determine if he was fit for space travel.

Finally, after several days of tests and physical examinations, Jack was selected to travel to space.

He was assigned a series of video tutorials to follow, to know the rules and legal statutes within the space station of Asgardia. They included safety standards in space. A driving guide for a small spacecraft called Heimdal.

It was explained to him that the universal language spoken in Asgardia was English. An advantage for him, since his work forced him to speak daily in that language. However, the headphones could translate any language into the native language.

The next day, he was assigned his uniform of the Asgardia Project. A blue overalls, indicating that it was IT personnel. On the right side, he had the Asgardia Project logo and on the left side, the flag of his country.

That day, more than 100 people of different nationalities met and were taken to the take-off hangar of the space shuttle.

Jack was anxious, his dream of going to the stars was coming true.

They boarded the ship. Bagi, led him all the way to his post, through his glasses and his headset.

Secured in his seat. He greeted the other people who were traveling with him. He was not the only one in his country, there were 3 more and also from different countries. Best of all, he could talk to them regardless of the language barrier.

"Hello Annette! Excited too? ", He greeted the French girl, sitting next to him. The viewer of his glasses indicated the name of his neighbor, indicating also a series of information data, such as: Name, age, origin, career, studies, height, weight, among others.

"It is so. It's my first time in space", Jack heard on his headset, translated into his language.

His conversation was interrupted, by a general warning, indicating that in 30 seconds the shuttle's takeoff would begin.

When the takeoff began, Jack clung to the seat. Annette, squeezed Jack's arm and said:

"Here we go". Jack smiled excitedly.

The shuttle was driven by two rockets that took it out of orbit of the planet.

Once it reached a specific height. An impact was felt as the two rockets separated from the shuttle. The ship ignited its thrusters and embarked on the trip to the Asgardia Space Station.

Jack began to feel lighter, when he stopped feeling his weight, once the force of gravity on Earth was overcome.

It seemed like a dream. He decided to release his seatbelt and immediately began to float. He gave Annette a smile. An alert appeared on his visor, indicating that he should put on his seatbelt. A voice rang in his earpiece:

"Your belt has a problem? Mr. Harrison", Bragi asked.

"None", Jack replied and hurriedly put on his seatbelt.

"I assure you that you will have a lot of time on the space station to experience the lack of gravity", Bragi added.

Through the window he could see planet Earth for the first time. The view was impressive.

"How little you have become", Jack told himself.

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Through their earpiece, everyone heard: "Welcome to Asgardia"

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Everyone applauded and cheered with emotion.

Once the shuttle was docked to space station 053 cargo bay, it was indicated to them that they could remove their seat belts and had to go to the exit of the spacecraft.

Literally, they went flying.

The station had corridors without gravity, so they could go from one place to another, floating. However, in the work stations, they had artificial gravity modules.

Each one was indicated their rest station, through their visor. They were comfortable cubicles; they had a window facing the stars. They had a large bed, a clothes rack, a bathroom section and a desk next to a 42-inch flat screen and a window that looked out onto the corridor. This could become dark for the privacy of the person.

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They had a 12-hour work day with 3 rest periods of 30 minutes each one. Daily they had to do 30 or more minutes of physical exercise, to avoid the atrophy of the muscles.

For Jack, it was not work, it was his dream come true.

The station had about 50km² of surface. The size of a small country. It really was a gigantic station. It was the dream of Dr. Igor Ashurbeyli, Asgardia, the space nation. As its creator called it.

The station had a work area subdivided by the different tasks exercised by the Asgardians (as we officially used to call ourselves). It had a residential area (where the cabins were located), there was a main section (or bridge as they called it). A cargo area, a hydroponic area (plants and crops, where the agronomists and botanists worked), an entertainment area, a hospital and a defense section, with cannons against natural disasters (supposedly).

We could communicate with our loved ones on Earth through a data network that connected us to the planet's internet.

My job was to be part of the group dedicated to the programming of the information systems of the space station and check programmable logic controller. We also received a driving class to fly the Heimdal, through a simulator.

For my luck, Annette, she also worked with me.

We became more than friends.

Finally the day arrived that we would handle a Heimdal.

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That day, they informed us that one of the terrestrial satellites had damaged the data processor module and, for our luck, the IT team had to repair it.

I felt like an astronaut, when I finally put on my space suit. I did not know we should wear a diaper while we were wearing the space suit.

Once again, we were reminded of the safety procedures before we left. I took control of the spacecraft and began to maneuver as in the simulator. I received a message through the headset:

"Good luck rookies, we will be monitoring you"

"Roger that", answered Annette.

I directed the spacecraft to the indicated coordinates. Annette checked the fuel and gave me the thumbs up.

We got to the satellite and I told Annette

"Can I go?"

"Affirmative", she replied grumbling

I secured my suit to the umbilical cord, as we said to the cable that tied us to the ship, I waited for the indicator light to open the hatch. Once opened, I was in contact with outer space for the first time. I jumped towards the satellite. I felt that I was flying. Once I made contact with the satellite, I immediately clung to it.

"Everything okay?", I heard Annette say.

"Affirmative", I replied.

I replaced the damaged parts and re-ignite the satellite operation.

"Like repairing a desktop, hehehe", I said to myself.

"Beam me up Scotty", I said through my communicator

"Very funny", replied Annette.

The umbilical cord took me back to the Heimdal. I instructed Annette to steer the ship back to Asgardia.

I felt like I was living an episode of Star Trek.

Even when life was monotonous on a space station. To my point of view, it was what I had always wanted, I assumed that Bragi, not only evaluated our knowledge for work in space, but also our thirst for adventure and coexistence in space. Our perceptions and dreams. Since all the staff really liked to live and work for an ideal that goes beyond the ideological barriers that create the borders on the planet. We were loyal to the concept of Asgardia, as a nation free from the conflicts of the Earth, a community of scientists working for the purpose of serving humanity.

It was the best future the human race could have.