蒲公英的回忆
下载所需积分: 5
▍BLANK SPACE宣布了第一届“外太空”比赛的获奖者。在来自40多个国家的投稿中，这些获奖作品通过详细的故事和艺术作品探索了未来可能性和技术突破。
获奖者由15名领先的建筑师、设计师和技术专家组成的评审团选出，其中包括克里斯·哈德菲尔德“Chris Hadfield“、埃杜阿多·特雷索尔迪“Eduardo Tresoldi“、大卫·本杰明“David Benjamin“、克里斯·普雷赫特“Chris Precht“和萨布丽娜·汤普森“Sabrina Thompson“。宇航员克里斯·哈德菲尔德在比赛结果中说道：
“只有通过我们的想象力，我们才能创造变革。未来幻想的科幻成为了今天被接受的现实，从而成为我们站立的历史基石。恭喜所有创意贡献者，你们拓展了我们的思维！”
评审团选择了三名获奖者和12名荣誉提名：
第一名由Charisse Foo获得，作品名为《劳动纪念碑》。Charisse毕业于康奈尔大学建筑学学士，并在纽约市担任CGI设计师。这个提案探索了一个由被囚禁的劳工复兴的半成品和废弃的太空结构的广泛网络。
“毫无感情地叙述，《劳动纪念碑》想象了一个已经被翻译成历史的未来。在这个先驱叙事的重塑中，太空的第一批定居者不仅是勇敢的探险家，还是被判有罪的罪犯。围绕异化和否认他人人性的含义，这个故事同时记录了一座建筑的寿命：卫星、监狱、实验室、工厂、城镇、坟墓、广告牌、景点和象征。这两种叙事将梦想的特权与实验的成本联系在一起。外太空的乌托邦可能性，伟大的未知，不仅是特权阶层的幻想，也是边缘化群体的绝望希望。” -Charisse Foo
第二名由西班牙阿利坎特的年轻建筑师Alberto Carbonell Crespí获得，作品名为《蒲公英的记忆》。这个故事提出了一种用巨大的充满水、空气和种子的闪闪发光的气球来改造火星的方法，以使贫瘠的表面变得肥沃，并让人类第一次不穿太空服登上表面。
“‘蒲公英的记忆’聚焦于某人“生活在待机中”的边缘时刻，悬浮在真空中。外太空对我们对时间微小的概念产生压倒性的影响，最终，命运如何可以将我们推向意想不到的开始。” -Alberto Carbonell Crespí
第三名由Schüco的Virtual Construction Lab获得，作品名为《Planctae》。Schüco的Virtual Construction Lab是一个位于纽约市的多学科办公室，专门设计和可视化复杂的幕墙系统。《Planctae》构想了一个深空旅行者的网络，他们正在创建一个分散式的量子中继网络，研究外太空并尽可能留下最小的足迹。
“‘Planctae’受到了人类精神固有美德和虚拟连接的技术潜力的启发，将其建筑技术聚焦在增强的宇航员需求上，这是一项前往深空的单程任务。虽然先进的人工智能处理着无意识的船上职责，但飞行员通过科学和艺术手段解释收集的数据，虚拟地与其他人分享他们的发现，尽管船舶之间的距离很大。虚拟沉浸永远无法完全取代身体的接近，甚至在经过时间的特殊训练飞行员身上也会造成代价，但是对发现的追求胜过殖民，使他们充满了英雄主义的乐观，将他们与地球联系在一起，他们冒险进入新的地平线。” -Schüco的Virtual Construction Lab
评审团为以下12位荣誉提名者颁发了荣誉奖：Eric & Eva de Broche des Combes、Ioanna Sotiriou、Original Elephant、Korina Filoxenidou和Mariza Tsakona、Madina Zhazylbekova、FLUX.REAL、Alexander Mills和Danielle Fountain、Linus Cheng、Kat Choate和Stephen Smolko II、Nicholas Houser和Gabriel Esquivel、Dana Salama、Zhuoneng Wang和Wai Ching Cheng。
项目名称：MEMORIES OF DANDELION
设计者：Alberto Carbonell Crespí
漂浮在MISS2的天文台上，玛拉·奥弗马斯继续以兴奋和忧郁的心情凝视火星表面。最近，她一直在梦想有一天能够不用穿太空服踏上火星，最终毫不畏惧地呼吸纯净的火星空气。这是人类自“地球化时代”开端以来一直努力实现的目标。
从我们崇敬的太空英雄在太阳和火星之间放置巨大的守护卫星开始，已经过去了一个世纪，从而逐渐使火星表面生机盎然，并实现了地球上每个人的希望。作为对地球无法控制的过度人口的反对解决方案，守护卫星承诺大规模扩展人类的领土，最多可达地球表面的两倍。通过建造巨大的充气护盾，我们设法偏转了撞击火星的太阳风，保护它免受等离子体爆炸的影响，并建立了一个新的大气平衡，加速了火星的地球化进程。此外，这个护盾还有助于缓解气候变化，并重新平衡地球的大气，当时地球的大气问题非常严重。利用其巨大的尺寸，他们将污染和温室气体的过载封存在护盾内部，使用气体充气宇宙气动结构。后来，它被送到外层空间，最终在火星L1的真空中停下来。
从那以后，火星开始变化。现在它的大气更加动态和清洁，几乎恢复了，温度也相对稳定。表面上的植被仍然很稀缺，但是有着广阔的山谷、海洋和海洋，充满了藻类和浮游生物的丰富海底。现在是2152年，在MISS2望远镜中观看，指挥官想知道为什么这个星球上有这么多的水，却没有人去享受它。她已经几十年没有好好放松地洗个澡了，即使在飞船上也没有。
― “哔哔，哔哔！”―舱室的扩音器发出尖锐的响声―“指挥官，最后一批舱口将在几分钟内到达”―火星地质专家马歇尔通知道。她唯一的其他同伴是一只“太空”乌龟，是同事送给她的50岁生日礼物，“按这个速度，我想她可能是唯一一个能看到火星完成的人”，指挥官反讽地想着，同时看着她的宠物。
― “太好了！快点，马歇尔，我们去天文台一起欣赏吧。” 仅仅几分钟之内，火星的天空被穿过大气层的球体所淹没。巨大的闪闪发光的气球充满了氧气，携带着空气、水和各种类型的种子和藻类，注定要使火星贫瘠的土地发芽，净化其水域，使其宝贵的空气氧化。它们来自巨大的偏护罩外层，俗称“蒲公英”，它充当了空气包，保护偏护罩免受持续不断的小行星撞击的影响。就像爆米花一样，胶囊从气动皮层中猛然弹出——受到巨大充气卫星内部大气压力的触发。受火星引力吸引，又受到太阳风的推动，被电离的胶囊被随机但经济的方式送往行星。一旦穿过大气层，它们就会打开，释放它们从卫星核心储存的过滤氧气。它们在自由下落中漂浮，同时随机地将它们携带的数百万颗种子散布在行星表面，风和命运帮助它们找到自己的位置。
― ”下一次的胶囊暴雨将在六个月后举行”―她说着，走近准备用新啤酒换取双筒望远镜― ”妳已经可以看到下一批胶囊从外层皮层中弹射出来了。” ― “妳还记得上次我们在里面的时候吗？”―玛拉笑着说，脸上露出淘气的笑容。 ― “甚至炮弹理查兹都无法阻止它”―马歇尔摸了摸肚子，嘲笑道。
两人笑了很长时间——悬浮在天文台。他们度过了一个晚上，分享了故事，喝光了剩下的啤酒。第二天，他们头晕晕地回到休眠床上，并同意像最近一样休息，直到下一个火星年的胶囊暴雨。
在随后一年的春天，他们充满希望地醒来，看到其中一台漫游车在行走时捕捉到的图像。他们前往玛里内里山谷的科普拉特斯峡谷，内有马里内里山谷。两人都渴望亲自再次看到激动人心的火星景象，在沙漠和峡谷之间漫步，现在覆盖着水，形成无尽的海滩和极端的湖泊。在他们头顶上，壮丽的太阳照得非常明亮，只被蒲公英所遮挡，它的永久日食阴影扩展了数英里。
― “我受不了了，马歇尔，我等不及了，我需要洗个澡，沉浸在水中，感觉就像…”―奥弗马斯边走边喃喃自语，但突然她停住了。― “妳在干什么！”―苍白的她看着她的朋友不可思议地摘下头盔。玛拉还没有注意到，但大气质量水平意外地是正面的。
― “看！我可以呼吸！”―他惊讶地大叫。然而，几分钟后，传感器又变成了红色，好像干净的空气从未存在过一样。 ― “这一定是一阵风把空气从净化区带过来的。快，让我们追踪一下从哪里来的”―指挥官兴高采烈地说道。马歇尔迅速戴上头盔，在匆忙中，他们两人都开始勇敢地寻找那个美好的邂逅的来源。
半小时后，气压传感器将他们引导到一个巨大的化石胶囊面前，它的外观看起来古老而破败。在对比的映衬下，一个巨大的裂缝在它的圆顶上打开，过滤着光线，让干净的空气通过。怀着激动和敬畏的心情凝视着胶囊，探险家们被磁性的吸引力推进进入神秘的地方。
― “哇，真不可思议！”―他们惊奇地相互看着―。这怎么可能发生？！ 似乎胶囊无法打开包含种子库的对接环，这阻止了气球在抵达时张开。在降落过程中，球体站在对接环上着地，周围形成了一个小的同心圆形坑。随着时间的推移，来自融化的极地和降雨的融水淹没了它，使其潜在的植物在球体内集中生长，并在环形周围形成了一个小型生物群落。最终，一个小型生物群落被创建出来，将坑变成了一个令人难以置信的绿洲，这是火星上第一个发现的绿洲，为其周围的环境带来了新鲜的空气和生命。
玛拉和马歇尔欣喜若狂。他们找到了一项价值无法衡量的宝藏，一个秘密的天堂，他们可以在那里玩耍、洗澡、休息和呼吸。他们感觉比以往任何时候都更自由、更充实。在所有这些年里，他们漫游在边缘，期待地悬浮在太空中，孤独无助，现在他们的生活有了目标。终于，他们发现了他们一直在寻找的东西。宇宙中的独特之地，他们的家园。
Floating at the observatory of the MISS2, Marla Overmars continued to contemplate the Martian surface with a mix of excitement and melancholy. Lately, she had been dreaming about the day she would set foot on Mars without needing to wear a space suit- finally, fearlessly breathing the pure Martian air. This was the goal that all of humankind had worked hard to achieve, since the dawn of the Terraform Age.
It has been a century since our revered space heroes placed the gigantic Guardian Satellite between the Sun and Mars, beginning the process of slowly giving life to the Martian surface and fulfilling the hopes of everyone still on earth. Proposed as a counter solution against the uncontrolled overpopulation on earth, The Guardian Satellite promised to radically expand the territory of humanity, up to double the Earth’s surface. By building the enormous inflatable shield, we managed to deflect the solar wind hitting Mars, protecting it from the plasma explosions and establishing a new atmospheric equilibrium that accelerated its terraforming process. In addition the shield was necessary to mitigate climate change and re-balance the Earth’s atmosphere too, which, back then, was critical. Taking advantage of its gigantic size, they sealed the overload of pollution and greenhouse gases inside the shield, using the gases to inflate the cosmic pneumatic structure. Later on, it was sent out far away in Outer Space, eventually coming to rest at Mars L1 within the vacuum.
Since then, the planet Mars has begun to transform. Now its atmosphere is more dynamic and cleaner, almost regenerated, and its temperature is more or less stable. The vegetation on the surface is still rare and very scarce, but there are immense valleys, seas and oceans, filled with water that hides abundant sea beds, replete with algae and plankton. Now, in 2152, watching from MISS2, the commander wondered how there could be so much water on this planet and still no one to enjoy it. It had been decades since she had taken a good relaxing bath, even on board.
―“Beep, Beeep!” ―the loudspeaker in the compartment emitted a sharp, loud screech― “Commander, the last blast of capsules will arrive in minutes” ―informed Marshall, the specialist in Martian geology and practically her only company aboard MISS2. Her only other companion was the “space” tortoise, a colleague’s gift to her for her 50th birthday “At this rate, I think she will be the only one to see Mars completed”, The commander reflected ironically while looking at her pet.
― “Great! Quick Marshall, lets meet at the observatory and enjoy it together.” In just a few minutes the skies of Mars were flooded with spheres penetrating its atmosphere. The huge sparkling balloons were filled with oxygen, and carried air, water and multiple types of seeds and algae, destined to germinate the barren lands of Mars, purify its waters and oxygenate its valuable air. They came from the external layer of the immense Deflector Shield, colloquially nicknamed “Dandelion”, which acted as an air-bag, protecting the Shield from the constant meteoroid impacts. Like popcorn, the capsules jumped violently from the pneumatic cortex- triggered by the atmospheric pressure inside the enormous inflatable satellite. Attracted by the gravity of Mars and pushed by the solar wind, the ionized capsules were sent on a random but economic journey towards the planet. Once the atmosphere was crossed, they opened, releasing the filtered oxygen that they had been storing from the nucleus of the satellite. They floated down in free fall while spreading the millions of seeds they carried randomly all over the planet surface- the winds and the providence helping them find their place.
―”The next Blast Rain will take place in six months” ―she said as she approached to exchange her binoculars for a fresh beer.― ”You can already see the next capsules jumping off the cortex.” ― “Do you remember the last time we were in it?” ― Marla said, a naughty smile painted on her face. ― “Not even Cannonball Richards would have stopped it” –quipped Marshall touching his belly.
Both laughed for a long time- suspended in the observatory. They spent the night sharing stories and finishing the leftover beers. The next day, they returned dizzy to their hibernation beds and agreed, as was common lately, to rest until the next blast rain, within half a Martian year.
In the spring of the following year, they woke up hopeful after seeing the images one of the rovers had captured during its walk. They headed to the Coprates Chasma, inside the Marineri Valley. Both were anxious to see the thrilling Martian landscapes again in person, walking the vast deserts of sand and canyons, now covered with water that formed endless beaches and extreme lakes. Above them, the imposing Sun was shining hard, blocked only by the Dandelion, whose permanent eclipse shadow extended miles further away.
― “I can’t stand it Marshall, I can’t wait any longer, I need to take a bath and immerse myself in water again, feeling like…” ―Overmars was rambling while they hiked, but suddenly she stopped. ― “What are you doing!” – pale, she looked at her friend staring incredulously as he removed his helmet. Marla hadn’t noticed yet, but the atmospheric quality levels were unexpectedly positive.
― “Look! I can breathe!” ―he exclaimed with real surprise. However, in a few moments the sensors marked red again, as if the clean air had never existed. ― “It must have been a gust of wind dragging air from a purified area. Hurry up, let’s trace from where is it coming from” ―said the commander enthusiastically. Marshall quickly put his helmet on and, in a rush, they both began to search valiantly for the source of that wonderful encounter.
Half an hour later, the barometric sensors guided them to an enormous fossilized capsule whose appearance looked ancient and dilapidated. Highlighted by the contrast, an enormous crack opened in its dome, filtering the light and letting the clean air pass through. Staring at the capsule with emotion and awe, the explorers were pushed by a magnetic attraction to enter the mysterious place.
―Wow, It’s unbelievable! ―They looked at each other in wonder―. How could this happen?! It seemed that the capsule couldn’t open the dock ring containing the seed bank, which prevented the balloon from opening on its arrival. During the landing, the sphere hit the ground standing over the ring, creating a small concentric crater around it. With time, the thaw water coming from the melted poles and the rainfalls flooded it, allowing its potential flora concentrated inside the sphere to grow around the ring. Eventually, a small biotope had been created, turning the crater into an unbelievable Oasis, the first one ever found on Mars, giving wild breathes of fresh air and life to its surroundings.
Marla and Marshall were over the moon. They had found a treasure of immeasurable value, a secret paradise where they could play, bathe, rest and breathe. They felt more free and fulfilled than ever. After all these years roaming in liminality, suspended expectantly in space, alone, that now their lives had purpose. Finally, they discovered what they had been looking for all this time. Their own unique place in the universe, their Home.