I was a part of Project SideStep for over ten years. My participation in it changed my life for the better. And I hope it does expand humanity's horizons in the future. I went back through folded space many times. Always in the same place and jumping the same distance. All the tests were variations on the theme, meant to give a better understanding of how best we could move through space. The experiments ranged from lying on my back to sitting and then standing. Blindfolded, then eyes closed, and finally eyes open. We realized once the blindfold was off that even lying down, I suffered symptoms unlike when my eyes were covered. A blinding headache, dizziness and nausea. A full round of physical tests compared to my first and last baselines revealed that I was physically fine. Ara's team theorized that something, perhaps light, happened too fast for my optic nerve to compensate, triggering vertigo.
The experiments were revamped to be conducted in a steel box lined with video cameras. Those videos weren't available during the port but could be examined after, along with data from other sensors applied to the box. I went through the complete set of experiments in every position, with eyes covered, closed and then open. So long as the cage I ported in was entirely opaque, I could stand with my eyes wide open with no issue. It was like riding an elevator. I still go in for annual testing to let them be sure there were no long-term effects on either my physical or mental state.
A risky experiment is not always one that's exciting. In my case, moving instantaneously across a few meters repeatedly got pretty boring pretty quickly. Especially when it meant going through all the preliminary and after-testing again and again and again. But Alex pointed out that all these tedious side steps for me meant that in the future, humanity could be assured of traveling anywhere, instantly. "I remember a quote from the person who first stepped onto the moon when I was a child. Neil Armstrong had the words prepared for when he came down the ladder of the ship that had landed; he said, 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'" I liked the sentiment, if not the gendered language, but as she reminded me, the surface world was not the habitat, and we could and would do better.
Now that I've helped prove that moving through folded space is possible and safe for humans, others on the scientific teams have volunteered for even more experiments. Ara told me they would keep testing to ensure that using the port is safe for our present and future selves. They mentioned a particular interest in studying the impact of hyperspace travel on genetic material.
I've had an excellent second part of my life. Living with Renee and being accepted as a part of her intimate family, including her children and grandchildren, has been wonderful. My relationship with Kevin and Alex has flourished. I still miss Cindy every day, but I can now remember her and our time together with fondness and love, and I still look forward to every day that I live. I'm grateful to Project SideStep; I'm genuinely grateful.
Risky isn’t always exciting
Brandon Sheehan - August 13, 168
Part of the Five Steps Across the Abyss story.
I was a part of Project SideStep for over ten years. My participation in it changed my life for the better. And I hope it does expand humanity's horizons in the future. I went back through folded space many times. Always in the same place and jumping the same distance. All the tests were variations on the theme, meant to give a better understanding of how best we could move through space. The experiments ranged from lying on my back to sitting and then standing. Blindfolded, then eyes closed, and finally eyes open. We realized once the blindfold was off that even lying down, I suffered symptoms unlike when my eyes were covered. A blinding headache, dizziness and nausea. A full round of physical tests compared to my first and last baselines revealed that I was physically fine. Ara's team theorized that something, perhaps light, happened too fast for my optic nerve to compensate, triggering vertigo.
The experiments were revamped to be conducted in a steel box lined with video cameras. Those videos weren't available during the port but could be examined after, along with data from other sensors applied to the box. I went through the complete set of experiments in every position, with eyes covered, closed and then open. So long as the cage I ported in was entirely opaque, I could stand with my eyes wide open with no issue. It was like riding an elevator. I still go in for annual testing to let them be sure there were no long-term effects on either my physical or mental state.
A risky experiment is not always one that's exciting. In my case, moving instantaneously across a few meters repeatedly got pretty boring pretty quickly. Especially when it meant going through all the preliminary and after-testing again and again and again. But Alex pointed out that all these tedious side steps for me meant that in the future, humanity could be assured of traveling anywhere, instantly. "I remember a quote from the person who first stepped onto the moon when I was a child. Neil Armstrong had the words prepared for when he came down the ladder of the ship that had landed; he said, 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'" I liked the sentiment, if not the gendered language, but as she reminded me, the surface world was not the habitat, and we could and would do better.
Now that I've helped prove that moving through folded space is possible and safe for humans, others on the scientific teams have volunteered for even more experiments. Ara told me they would keep testing to ensure that using the port is safe for our present and future selves. They mentioned a particular interest in studying the impact of hyperspace travel on genetic material.
I've had an excellent second part of my life. Living with Renee and being accepted as a part of her intimate family, including her children and grandchildren, has been wonderful. My relationship with Kevin and Alex has flourished. I still miss Cindy every day, but I can now remember her and our time together with fondness and love, and I still look forward to every day that I live. I'm grateful to Project SideStep; I'm genuinely grateful.