Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire

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Ten things to go with the aliens.

The aliens are here! And they're offering you an all-expenses paid trip to their home planet, where you will spend a mutually agreeable amount of time learning from their advanced culture before doing whatever it is you do after the aliens bring you back. Because they're friendly, they say you can bring three changes of clothing, basic toiletries (toothbrush, hairbrush, etc.), food samples for their replicators, your laptop computer (if you have one), and any pets you absolutely must have to remain essentially sane. They're also willing to let you bring ten "personal items" on your trip, since you'll be out of contact with Earth until you get back.

So what do you bring?

I'd have to take Lilly and Alice, of course, so my first two items go them. Under the "care and feeding" clauses, their food and litter box don't count; instead, I'm bringing their orange cat tree (necessary for their mental health) and Alice's squid on a stick, which both of them can play with for hours and which can be easily repaired.

That leaves me with eight. First up, my iPod. It doesn't fall under the "sanity" heading, but it definitely falls under the "keep Seanan from killing anyone" setting. Next, a copy of IT by Stephen King (ultimate comfort book), my plush velociraptor, and a bottle of Bad Luck Woman Blues from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I'm going to call my little pen case one item, despite it containing multiple pens, because these are generous aliens; that, and a sketchbook, will see me through a lot.

With two items remaining, I'm going to bring my planner and my turtle bag. I am now ready for an alien field trip. How about you?
Tags: meme, silliness, ten things
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  • 46 comments
1. An external hard drive. My laptop doesn't hold as much as it needs to -- the external drive holds enough, and it will give me a backup in case I lose the laptop.
2. My camera. I'll be taking data, after all. I'm assuming this covers the battery charger and cables to hook it to the laptop.
3 & 4. The Nintendo DS and a copy of Rune Factory, mostly because it's the one game I own where I can do repetitive task-management stuff*, rather than just play through it over and over.
5. My Big Box of Colored Pencils.
6. My little pouch of pens, erasers and normal pencils.
7. Paper. Unlined -- both for notes and for drawings.
8. My iPod.
9. & 10. This leaves two paper books. I think I'd have to go with one of the omnibuses because that is a lot more story -- maybe The Deed of Paksenarron and Miles in Love.

(I also wonder how many ebooks and scientific journals I can fit on my laptop and that external drive -- PDFs don't take up that much space.)

* It's a combination of fantasy RPG and farming sim.
Nice!
1) Camera and associated stuff
2) My journal, the physical paper one.
3) The thickest spiral notebook I can find, for writing. (for some reason I find it very hard to draft poetry on a computer.)
4)Sketchbook-- again, the biggest I can find, preferably with a section of dark paper in the back.
5) My pencil-box of doom, containing pencils, pens, ink and a few brushes
6) a crochet hook and a few balls of yarn in various colors.
7) My acrylic paintbox, packed with as much board canvas as it will hold. For days when ink just isn't enough.
9) Carpe Diem, because I have the rest of the series in e-book and it creates an infuriating gap to be missing THAT ONE IN THE MIDDLE, even if I have read the series a zillion times.
10) a large stuffed tiger. Not a pet, per se, but very comforting.

I have to note that my dog Aurora would also be included on the must-have list-- hope for a planet with slightly higher gravity, where she might eventually run out of energy! (Siberian Husky puppy. I don't even know if high g would do it.)
The gravity vs. Husky experiment must occur.
Being me, I'd probably start with my slow cooker, a bowl, and a spoon. The food samples would include a mess of uncooked food, and my laptop could store recipes. I have enough trouble when I get into a "meh, food" mood, so this way I would at least have variety.

Then, I don't know. I can put most of my music on my USB drives, save one for notes, and take a mechanical pencil, extra lead, and a few empty notebooks to scribble things down quickly. I mean, I'm going to learn from a culture that has FTL drive, right? Either I'll be too busy to need reading, or I can read A Mid-Winter Venture with T'Skaia Ishkarat or something like that.
I appreciate your approach to interstellar reading material.
I would only take one of my five pets -- my youngest dog, Mina. She is way too attached to me and my husband wouldn't be able to handle her on his own. He can take care of everyone else, though. Besides, Mina is party Rottie, so if it turns out the aliens are, in fact, going to try to cook me, Mina can help me fight.

1. Camera + sundry
2. iPod (can't function without it and it has audiobooks on it)
3. A small photo album
4. My foam pillow
5. My favorite towel
6. BPAL Devil's Night
7. My day planner because it contains both a notebook and pens/pencils
8. A box of ziplocs, a'la Everything is Illuminated
9. An umbrella
10. A completely impractical article of clothing, something with lots of sequins and feathers, for no other reason than wearing it when I take photos *with* the aliens. Because really, if I'm going to do this, I want to do it dressed like a drag queen made a baby with FrankNFurter and then let Dolly Parton raise it to be a burlesque performer.
Your item #10 made me smile for like an hour.

lastwordy_mcgee

7 years ago

seanan_mcguire

7 years ago

I would leave my kitties at home with my mother, since I'm already living without them (college student, you know). I'm going to assume a very generous host-alien.

1. My flute
2. A big 3-ring binder with staff paper and as much sheet music as I can fit into it.
3. A pencil case with pens and pencils
4. The Den of Shadows omnibus
5. My iPod; I'll store music on that and make more space on my laptop
6. A small pouch with my favorite stones in it
7. My favorite pillow
8. A big, blank notebook
9. Flash drives
10. A first aid kit (because you never know what will come up)
Nice!
1. paper notebook
2. pens/pencils/case
3. sony 505 reader (already loaded with 2000+ stories and novels)
4. petzl xp2 headlamp with extra batteries
5. leatherman wave
6. bottle of tobasco sauce
7. bottle of 30 year old Laphroaig
8. camera
9. mp3 player
10.Pocket Ref 3rd Edition

Does Teddy and Kirsten count as "pets I need to take with me to keep me sane"?
I think I'd vote them as "likely to cause serious physical damage to the aliens if told that you're invited and they aren't," so then they get their own supply lists.

docpockets

7 years ago

seanan_mcguire

7 years ago

I wonder if "my personal library" would count as one item?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo.
I wonder if I can get away with an accessory bag full of devotional necklaces as a single item?

--Ember--
Depends on the size, I'd say.
I'd off all the spots to NASA or other appropriate science agencies and interests - assuming the aliens would allow it, of course.

No, on second thought, I'd only offer half. the other half should probably be appropriate items which might be offered as personal gifts: probably art objects, books, things which would be of interest to someone not of this world and way more advanced than us.
Very nice approach!

Deleted comment

Hee.
Laptop:
A. My mini-laptop. Loaded up with a mirror of Wikipedia, Project Gutenberg, and mirrors of any books which are freely available on the web (all of Honor Harrington, for example). Guitar chord chart, and chords for as many songs I can find online. Also with gigabytes of ripped music, from all albums I own. With this, it takes care of music & reading, so I'm free of needing to waste any of my ten "miscellany" items on this.

Food samples:
1. Tomatoes
2. Fallafel in a flat bread, with all the trimmings, including amba and hot sauce
3. Bean&tomatoe soup with rice.
I can survive on those for any amount of time :)

Musical instruments -- 3
1. My guitar.
2. My harmonica.
3. My guitar tuner.

Misc. gadgets -- 2
4. Earphones to connect to my laptop.
5. An android smartphone. I know I'll have no cell, but smartphones are good hand-held computers...
6. My watch. I know, they probably have better time-telling devices. But I'm used to it...
7. A 1.5TB portable hard-drive, filled with even more mirrors -- as many as I can find, including at least all of Ubuntu in both installable form and source-code form.

8. An ID (passport). Because I need at least that when they drop me off...but honestly? Because I feel naked without an ID. Useful for when it turns out one of their things wipes my memory, and I need to remember who I am, I guess :)

And after thinking for like 10 minutes, I can't think of anything else. I'm a fairly non-materialistic person, I guess :)
Excellent!
Would Alice and Lily have to count as an item each if they fall under the "pet" clause?

For pets, I'd bring the cat-I-do-not-yet-have and my ghost-cat.

Since laptop, clothes, and pets are already included, and I assume that the jewelry I wear daily wouldn't count...

1) A plush fox. Not sure which one, it would depend on what mood struck me.
2) My iPod w/ headphones with about 2/3 music and 1/3 audiobooks or podcasts.
3) A bottle of Three Witches from BPAL
4) My red comforter
5) Drawing pad
6) Box of pens/pencils
7) Current interminable knitting project
8) My pillow
9) My bathrobe
10) My favorite tarot deck.
It isn't Alice and Lilly counting as an item each, it's the cat tree and the squid-onna-stick that count as 1 and 2. :)

sheistheweather

7 years ago

seanan_mcguire

7 years ago

sheistheweather

7 years ago

Although I really do need my cats to remain sane, I think it would be best for all involved if they stayed home...don't want to start an interstellar war with a pissed off Cowie.

Now:
1. Towel...can't see the universe without a towel
2. My ipod
3. Copy of To Say Nothing of the Dog
4. Orange plush kitty
5. Allergy meds...I'm sure I can find something to be allergic to
6. Sonic screwdriver...not real, but it can't hurt
7. Camera
8. Notebooks and pens
9. 14 ft long scarf
10. My friend Charlotte, I'm not allowed to get abducted by aliens without her.
Nice! Also, I'm sure Charlotte appreciates it.
OK, so assuming that they have a way for us to "plug in" since they tell us to bring a laptop, and I'm also assuming the laptop doesn't count as one of the ten personal items.

1. My iPod, which I would load up to the gills - 160GB - with music
2. A really good pair of headphones - I hate earbuds
3. Digital camera in its bag with accessories and oodles of memory cards and two extra sets of rechargeables
4. An old cigar box stuffed with pencils (mechanical and "regular) and pens of various kinds
5. An empty notebook - a big one!
6. My pillow - the wee one my mother made for me when I was born and which I've had ever since, and which has undergone several re-stuffings and re-coverings (yes, dammit, it's still the same pillow!)
7. Jewelry box with all my jewelry crammed into it
8. My black leather backpack
9. A large first-aid kit that also includes a mini flashlight, box of waterproof matches and a small sewing kit with needles - you know, those things that are handy to have in case of disaster
10. My towel (sorry, I had to)
*giggle*
No pets brought for me: my dog is really my mother's dog, and my horse is alas owned by the stables she lives at (I leased her for a while, but that's all). So I can be selfish with my ten personal items. Let's see...

1) My little pillow, which has gone everywhere with me since I was two. It's been to three continents and ten different countries; outer space will be no big deal.
2) Holly, my stuffed Clydesdale, who, likewise.
3) My tiny notebook and pencil that I carry along with me for sudden ideas.
4) Gonna have to go with you on the iPod. It is my precioussssss.
5) beccastareyes mentioned her external harddrive, which I'm going to have to take along as well. I have things on there that I simply can't store on my laptop, as well as my backups in case everything goes screwy and my laptop spontaneously deletes everything on it.
6) My Sarah Jane Adventures DVDs. I can count these as one item, right? Right? Generous aliens!
7) Saving the last four slots for books. Jane Austen's Persuasion would have to be one.
8) Probably Cordelia's Honor, by Lois McMaster Bujold. I sort of love Cordelia Vorkosigan, and asking what would she do has gotten me through some very tough spots.
9) Men At Arms, by Terry Pratchett. I can't not take Sir Pterry. Just can't.
10) Andre Norton's Gates to Witch World.
Very nice.

  1. A towel, of course

  2. A friend* to share the experience with, bear witness, be crazy with me when we get dropped off

  3. My iPhone (next best thing to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) with necessary accessories - charger, headphones, etc

  4. Camera, also with necessary accessories - memory cards (lots!), batteries, charger, etc

  5. Pillow - who knows what aliens sleep on, I want to be comfy while I'm gone

  6. External hard drive loaded with music, books and videos and also for storage of the billions and billions of photos that I will undoubtedly take

  7. A good thick sketchbook/notebook

  8. A case containing writing/drawing implements

  9. A copy of Good Omens because it never fails to make me giggle uncontrollably

  10. A good, sturdy backback to cart all of the smallish things around with me


* Of course, because the aliens are generous, my friend would be allowed the same allotment of pets and other personal effects that I'm allowed.
* Yes, but your friend cannot bring a friend, for the aliens have only so much room.
Do the two cats and Donovan count as pets I can't live without? Otherwise I guess Donovan will be item #1

2. ipod
3. external hard drive
4. Camera
5. headset just in case the aliens have internet access and I can use skype to call my parents.
6. nokia N-800 mini computer thingie that I got for xmas (it has books and music on it)
7. dance shoes
8. Catfantastic III not sure why its my favorite but I have to have it in paperback
9. extra blanket to cuddle in
10. fire fans to practice with

Wow that was way harder than I thought it would be. If I had to bring one more thing (if Donovan DID count as a pet) Princess Bride on DVD. Best movie of all time :)
Rock on.
I'm going to ask Apple iTunes and Netflix - and every publishing house - if our Alien Benefactors can have an electronic copy of everything they offer. That takes care of entertainment.

I'll have to get a cat immediately. A Maine Coon would be ideal. (Fuzzy, tranquil, and friendly.)

Laptop - a Panasonic Toughbook. It's not huge, fast, or sexy. But you can drive a Hummer over it.

So, ten things:

A pocket knife. Man is a tool-user, and a knife is the most versatile of tools.

A multitool. Everybody is bringing a laptop, right? You were going to bring a screwdriver...right?

One of the brand new top secret Apple Tablets. Think of an iPod with a BIG screen. This is a superior ebook reader and video player and a backup for the laptop.

A pocket-sized Surefire flashlight. Can pound nails in emergencies.

A really sensitive and powerful digital audio recorder. Must take notes and be able to hear interesting background noises.

A rugged (drop, kick, sit on) digital camera.

One item carried for NASA.

One item carried for whomever bids highest. This should take care of retirement.

A significant other. Don't have one of those right now, but there are a couple of prospects. In fact this sounds like a great way to figure out if they would be a good match anyway. "Hey, just hypothetically speaking, would you be interested..."

One item slot left open for last minute insights, or something picked up during the trip.
I am an evil, evil woman. I'd be trying to count "bag of art supplies" as one item. (Hey, I can fit all markers, two bag of colored pencils, and my portable paper materials in one wheeled pack! Which...for some reason...all of my friends fear. Um. But it has wheels! And it's never tried to eat anyone! And one small bag of wire and beads. One (small! honest!) bag of tools. One Tarot deck. My Wacom. Headphones.
Four left. Hmm. Digital camera. Digital audio recorder. Multi tool. Portable hard drive. :happy beam:

seanan_mcguire

7 years ago