PNS: Good evening! Rita Trevalyan here from the Planetary News Service here with Frances MacFadden, PhD from Canada. You’re from Nova Scotia, aren’t you, Dr. MacFadden?
MacFadden: Aye, That I am. A suburb just outside of Halifax.
PNS: And what is your field of expertise?
MacFadden: I be an anthropologist, and please call me Frances, or Fran. Dr. MacFadden be me uncle, an oncologist.
PNS: All right, Fran. So the UN Space Agency already suspected there might be advanced life on Proserpina.
MacFadden: That they did, aye. The probe they sent picked up a city or two. I studied the tribe who had been living in the lava tubes near the city, and then we traveled east of the city to see if there be any other tribes sequestered underground in more lava tubes. We were not disappointed.
PNS: Indeed you were not. Dr. Vogel told us you already had a mechanical translator working, so communicating with the people there was no problem.
MacFadden: Oh, he did, did he? Dr. Vogel is famous for having a big mouth. Now everyone will want to come, and I wanted to keep the natives in as pristine condition as they were when we found them. We earthlings have a bad reputation for what we do when we meet indigenous peoples. My, Davida’s and Winnie’s mission is to mitigate some of that.
PNS: A very worthy mission all around. Everyone I’ve talked to, with the exception of RedEagle, who is an MD, is a PhD. Can you tell us more about the selection process?
MacFadden: Oh, aye. There was a competition to select the experts in our fields, and the 20 of us were the winner. Well, there were 25, but 5 washed oot during the weight training exercises. It was felt they would not do well in the increased gravity.
PNS: And did the weight training prepare you adequately for the increased gravity?
MacFadden: Oh, aye! I developed muscles I didn’t even ken I had. This may cut down on the numbers of people who want to come here. The amount of training for a trip here is very stringent, and not for everyone.
PNS: There you have it. One of our doughty astronauts warning everyone off going there. Stay tuned for another stimulating interview with a member of the Proserpina Exploration Team next week. Sam bat time, Same bat channel
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