Empire Times 45.7 by FUSA Association

EMPIRE TIMES

Space

Details at fb.com/FUSAssociation 2

The Team EDITORS Ainsley Ewart, Oli Glenie, and Cameron Lowe SUB-EDITORS Georgina Banfield, Chelsea Griffith, Courtney Lawrence and Vanshika Sinh COLUMNISTS Chelsea Griffith, Renee Kohler and Michelle Wakim ILLUSTRATIONS Sheydin Dew (Cover), Amy Nguyen and Mey Wong CONTRIBUTORS Charlie Brooker, Chloe Cannell, Ruby Easterbrook, Ainsley Ewart, Oli Glenie, Chelsea Griffith, Madeline Hand, Jaimee Hart, Renee Kohler, Daniel Lord, Cameron Lowe, Jordana Mansfield, Peter Moreman, Emily Rosewater, Ashley Sutherland and Michelle Wakim.

ADVERTISING/MEDIA Tim Coyle tim.coyle@flinders.edu.au Enquiries Level 1, Student Hub, Flinders University (FUSA) 1 Registry Road Bedford Park, 5042. THANK YOUS To our glorious four pages of Pets: Nora (Nathan), Henry (Wendy), Jess (Mae), Lucy, Jack, Lizzie & Will (Becc), Boscoe (Amber), Ernie (Angelina) and Atlas (Kahli). Steph and Jess at FUSA as always for being so supportive and helping us design pages! We love you!

Empire Times would like to acknowledge the Kaurna people who are the traditional custodians of the land Flinders University is situated on, and that this land was never ceded, but stolen. We would like to pay our respects to the elders of the Kaurna nation and extend that respect to other Aboriginal peoples, past, present, and future. Empire Times is a publication of Flinders University Student Association (FUSA). Empire Times is printed by Newstyle Print. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editors, Flinders University, or Flinders University Student Association. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that Empire Times articles and other information are up-to-date and as accurate as possible, as of the time of publication, but no responsibility can be taken by Empire Times Magazine for any errors or omissions contained herein.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, ILLUSTRATORS & MAKERS OF PRETTY INTERESTING THINGS! Empire Times is a student publication that prints 8 times over the academic year. It is made by students, for students and provides a unique oppotunity for students to be published, to talk about what's important to them and to be read by those in their community. Empire Times relies entirely on contributions from the readers to make up its content. Each selected piece goes through a collaborative editing process. We're very friendly, visit empiretimes.com.au/contribute to find out everything you need to know about being part of the team. 3

Editorial

Space: The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the student magazine, Empire Times. Its continuing mission: to report and inform the Flinders student community. To seek out new stories and new artworks. To boldly go where no student magazine has gone before! *Cue the music*.

Throughout the creation of our Space issue, my hayfever has been driving me insane. I got a blood nose in class, my eyes keep watering and I feel like I can’t breathe sometimes because of all the pollen. And now for the Good News! (As Paul McDermott would say if Good News Week was still on television)

I’ve always been fascinated by space. Right from when I was very young I fell in love with other planets, aliens, and starships. A lot of this came from my Dad’s side of the family, which is how I was introduced to films and TV shows like The X-Files, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who. My Nanna especially is a huge sci-fi fan. She loves classics like Doctor Who and Star Trek, but also used to watch the local Deadly Earnest show, which had some scifi among its usual horror programming. Seriously, check out some of the clips of that show: particularly the Adelaide one with Hedley “Deadly” Cullen. It’s B-grade awesomeness.

As we enter the dreaded four of the eight-and-four, you, the readers of Empire Times will be electing a new team of editors for 2019 (and dealing with Student Council elections, which is naturally everyone’s favourite time of year). I met with some contenders the other day and I was so excited by the fact that people actually showed up interested in becoming editors! There were so many of them! I hope all of you choose to be part of the team next year, even if it’s as a sub-editor, contributor or volunteer designer to the team that takes over. All of the extra hours spent in the office means so much if it means putting your creative work out there for others to see.

Right, now time to me to return to my busy semester, which honestly, I don’t know how I’m surviving. Uni work, an internship with the Don Dunstan Foundation, this editorship, and booking accommodation in Japan, is just some of what I’ve been doing lately. It’s exhausting, but I’ll be in Japan soon. It will make that first bite into Famichiki (FamilyMart Chicken) even more delicious. Cam p.s. I’m dressed as a Ranger for a murder mystery and yes, there’s a rubber duck on my hat.

I especially want to thank the everbusy Ashley Sutherland, our student president for putting in the time to write a President’s Statement for every issue. We really appreciate it. (Also to Jess and Steph at FUSA for helping us through everything. You are the best!) In this issue, you will find four pages of Pets @ Flinders. Yes, FOUR. I’m so glad to see you guys take to my weird idea to show off pets. Ainsley

VOL 45 NO.7

Feature

CREATIVE I CAME from outer space

Off to great places

Review

Opinion

six cool space things that have

presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement

happened this year

Feature

Just For Fun

safe space for researchers

Vox Pops

Earth Defence Force 4.1

35 CREATIVE Stars in her Eyes

39 Creative

COlumn

Just For Fun

Blazing Stars, Not Just Pretty Tokens

Pets @ Flinders

Quiz

41 Just for fun

Creative

review

Six things

double rainbow

The Sky Seekers

by the babe rainbow

Opinion

own your space

FUSA

they come in peace... sometimes

column

Key:

COlumn

two truths and one lie

Opinion

feature

column

creative

just for fun 5

Dates Coming Soon

c ol u mn/p r es id ents statem ent

President’s Statement Reflecting on the issue theme, I’d like to elaborate on creating space for true student representation on our campuses. It’s well known that student politics is an insular and tribal practice, used by many for careerist reasons that eventually, in many cases, land student politicians in positions of great privilege in our federal and state parliaments, in our lobbying giants, and in our trade unions. It’s any wonder that the average student is so disillusioned by the whole charade. When it comes to election time, they’re harangued by campaigners who jostle to one-up one another on the petty party politics that exist within the much larger framework of the organisation. Student politics has become a subculture dominated by infighting, soap-boxing and “dick-swinging”. And I haven’t been immune to any of it. I can stand here now at the end of my term and reflect on the issues with this subculture, and how these issues put up barriers for the average student to involve themselves as a representative of their student association – but I’ve actively worked to immerse myself in this world. I’ve attended the conferences, I’ve carried on like a petulant child, I’ve indulged in the factionalism and the infighting to secure what I think is right for students. But I’ve also seen first-hand how this has affected real change. I want to see student politicians who put campus issues before party politics. Though I identify as left-wing, and my political affiliations are abundantly clear if sought out, I believe that we need greater representation than a bunch of students recruited by the same people – year in, year out. In an ideal world, our endeavours into class and college representation would yield at least honoraria for participants. FUSA Student Council would be more extensive and run elections for these faculty-based representatives, who would in turn have a seat on the Student Council. Perhaps, there would be fullyfledged associations on campus that would cater directly for International, Postgraduate and Indigenous students. There would be more structures so as to prevent factionalism taking a hold of the student’s association in its entirety. Don’t get me wrong, I think national student unionism has an enormous role to play when it comes to the fight against fee de-regulation, cuts to higher education, sexual violence on our campuses, and many, many more issues. But I don’t think that this should trickle down to the campus level to the extent that it does, unbeknownst to many FUSA members and the broader student population.

space for genuine partnership in its projects. As FUSA grows, now in its seventh year of existence under the current structure, it needs the support of a wider range of its members – including you. We have an exciting few years ahead of us, and I encourage you to involve yourselves in campus issues and in FUSA as much as possible. Volunteer to become a college rep, or a class rep! Finally, I encourage you to get out and vote for any candidate that you think puts Flinders students first in the next FUSA elections. And if, in 2019, you’re still here - I strongly encourage you to nominate to become a representative on your Student Council.

Ashley Sutherland President, Flinders University Student Association student.president@flinders.edu.au

FUSA needs to create space for growth, space for autonomy and

Featu re/S ex u a l i t y

safe space for researchers Chloe Cannell talks to current PhD students Shawna Marks, Paul Chambers and Simone Marangon about the upcoming Gender, Sex and Sexualities (GSS) postgraduate conference hosted in Adelaide, and their involvement as members of the organising committee. Why did you get involved with the GSS conference committee?

The 2018 Gender, Sex and Sexualities Postgraduate and Early Career Researchers (ECR) conference aims to bring together postgrad and ECRs from across South Australia to share their research on gender, sex and sexualities in a collegial and collaborative environment. This year’s theme is Space and Place: Conceptions of Movement, Belonging and Boundaries, looking at notions of space and place and their intersections with gender, sex and sexuality. This year also places emphasis on race, including Indigenous, people of colour (POC), and migrant and refuge issues and experiences. The theme is intentionally broad to allow researchers from multiple disciplines to engage with the topic and present papers. Previous conferences have featured papers from students of visual art, creative writing, sociology, Indigenous studies, politics, anthropology, history, cultural studies, health science, law, philosophy, linguistics and more. This is the conference’s fifth year in Adelaide, so I chatted to previous attendees from Flinders University, the University of Adelaide, and the University of South Australia (UniSA) about why they think this conference is so important.

Paul, Adelaide: “I found the 2017 conference really compelling. I really enjoyed it from the word go. It was a space where anyone could get up and say what they had to say—and a lot of people I think were speaking for the first time. “It was very supportive [environment] and I heard perspectives that I had never heard before. I thought, next year, if I’m not going to speak at it, I’ll at least help.” Simone, UniSA: “I formed some friendships with the people from the committee and it made me realise in the first year of my PhD that what I’m doing is really important. So when they suggested I should join the committee I thought why not.” Many postgraduate students present for the first time at the GSS conference. How did you find presenting your papers in previous years? Simone: “It was the second conference presentation I’ve ever done—and the first time I’ve ever presented anything from my honours thesis. It was pretty nerve-wracking, but one of the big reasons why I wanted to get involved with the committee was just how beautiful and supportive the conference atmosphere was. “It felt as though I was walking into a sort of beautiful utopia where other people were as interested as me in thinking and talking about gender, sex and sexualities. It was a beautiful little haven for all of us to hang out together.”

F eat u re/ Sex ua lity

How was this year’s theme decided?

Why is there a focus on diversity?

Shawna, Flinders: “This year’s theme was decided by the committee as we looked for an overlap in the research from our varying fields. Last year a lot of people talked about spaces, and at the time the Human Rights Commission was looking into sexual harassment in universities. Space can be considered in other places, too, like work, street, or more spiritually—like a connection to country.”

Simone: “There’s been perhaps an issue in the past with events focusing on say, gender studies, where people assume only women’s issues will be discussed. By making sure we have a focus on diversity, we’re really saying this means you, this means anybody and everybody who sort of falls under this banner of work in gender, sex and sexuality.”

Simone: “We wanted the theme to be open. When we’re early career researchers, we take things very literally, so we all agreed that the notion of space and place can be interpreted in so many different ways. It was a way to make sure that it was super inclusive, and that different people might reach out to us with their abstracts.” Why the focus on postgraduate students and ECRs? Simone: “It’s meant to be for people who are in the early stages of their academic career like PhD students, and perhaps people who have just come out of their PhD and haven’t presented a lot. I think a lot of the time when you’re first starting out as a researcher, it’s really scary to have to submit an abstract to a conference where you might be going and speaking in the same session as someone who already has a PhD, and has maybe five, ten, twenty, , years under their belt. It’s quite intimidating. An environment focused on early career researchers is meant to be supportive and may provide an opportunity to receive constructive feedback on presentations.” Shawna: “This conference is for postgrad, honours, masters and ECRs because there isn’t much support for these young academics or a space for them to connect with each other. At other academic events, people will grandstand, and ask questions to promote their own work. Or they can be unfriendly or intimidating. The GSS conference aims to be a supportive and non-threatening environment to help those at honours level feel more comfortable presenting, or for postgraduate students to meet people and build connections to avoid isolation.”

Paul: “I think almost by its nature, a conference like this has to promote diversity, simple as that. It’s what it’s about in many respects and giving diverse voices a chance to be heard and taken seriously.” For someone who’s never been to the conference, what should they expect? Paul: “Expect a range of views on many subjects that possibly could change your own views on how the world is—so it could be challenging. Expect to be challenged, to be educated.Prepare to have your mind opened.” Simone: “A really, really supportive and welcoming environment. I found that from the moment I walked in, people were so open and lovely and happy to be there, and be a part of a community of people who are working in areas that are really important, and sometimes undervalued in society, so you should come.”

The 2018 SA Postgrad and ECR Gender, Sex and Sexualities conference will be at the University of Adelaide, Napier 102 lecture theatre September 19-20. All are welcome to attend, whether postgrad, undergrad or just passionate about the theme and intersectionality of the conference. For more information on the conference visit our Facebook page or website https:// sagenderandsexualitiesconf.wordpress.com/

Colu mn/S po r t

Such is sport: blazing stars, not just pretty tokens Words by Michelle Wakim

There is a new SPACE out there in the sporting world, a universe filled with beings that are hybrids of the greatest qualities of the human race: strength, intelligence, beauty, charisma. Once it was a space only occupied by men, with women simply being referred to – in a derogatory sense – as WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends of sportsmen), or included to play the ‘ditzy’ host. But in this renovated space tough, driven women have created a new identity for themselves where they are the main event. Thanks to platforms like Instagram and Facebook, we are granted access into the galaxy of females in the football space. Let me introduce you to just a few of the brightly shining stars.

Moana Hope

Daisy Pearce

AFLW Player at Collingwood

AFLW Melbourne Demons Captain

This legend stood as one of the first women in the AFLW, and a huge personality at Collingwood. She works as an operations manager at a traffic control company, as well as being a full-time carer for her sister, Lavinia, who has a neurological disorder. Hope released a memoir titled My Way last year after appearing on Australian Story. Her story is largely focused on her family, like her father passing away when she was 14, her 13 siblings, her choice to take time away from football when her mother was unwell. This break from football was also brought on by upsetting suggestions about Hope’s image. When she saw a change sweeping over the world of Women’s football in 2014, Hope jumped right back in and she became more than just the tattoos on her body. Since then she has been the face of multiple companies and signing sponsorship agreements with massive players, like Nike and the Herald Sun. And as a nice little finishing touch, she was on this year’s season of Survivor, and was a crowd favourite!

If you haven’t heard Pearce’s name in passing, then wake up and smell the hummus. She was the first face of the AFLW, and an ambassador for women’s footy before it even began. Over her AFLW career, Pearce has won six Victorian Football League Women’s Best and Fairest awards, and was named captain of the first All-Australian women’s team. To add to this list of firsts, she was Triple M’s first female football caller. Leading up to her well established football and media career, Pearce was working fulltime as a mid-wife, and in off-season still returns to this job. She revealed that she freaked out that she bit off more than she could chew. That is understandable as for a long time in the media, she sat alone as the only female amongst panels of men. What an icon, there will be awards named after this gal one day.

C olumn/ sport

Rebecca Judd

Darcy Vescio

AFL legend Chris Judd (who played for West Coast Eagles and Carlton) is her husband

AFLW Player at Carlton

To begin with, Judd is a qualified speech pathologist, and author of The Baby Bible. KIIS 1011 Victoria have also taken her on as a radio host, and she is the face and voice of the well-known TV show Postcards (Victoria). We first met this beauty when she wore the Brownlow dress to end Brownlow dresses in 2004. We were given no background in regards to her career or qualifications, apart from her success as a model, which is an achievement in itself. Judd, on top of her career endeavours, has four children – three boys and one girl. Her daughter Billy is as passionate about football as her brothers and could be the next Judd to play AFL.

Vescio impressed early in her AFLW career with four goals in her debut game for Carlton. She is of Chinese and Italian heritage, and grew up in Wangarrata, Victoria. Vescio has become a household name as one of the marquee players in the AFLW, made the AllAustralian women’s team, and took out the ‘Mark of the Year’ competition. Vescio also has creative flare, and works as an inhouse graphic designer at Carlton. Filled with charm, Vescio stands by this: “I like dancing on the line of what people might find comfortable and what people might not”. If you appreciate wit and a FABULOUS sense of humour, get around this lass.

So get excited about this…Fox Footy has launched a talk show hosted by three women. This isn’t some ‘token’ show that is aired just to tick the box of female involvement. No, no, this show is an intelligent, ground-breaking, and nuanced addition to the world of Fox Footy. The three acclaimed journalists – Sarah Jones, Neroli Meadows and Kelli Underwood – host this program and demonstrate an impressive understanding of football that does not fall short by any means. This show uniquely brings a ‘human side’ to the channel’s rotation as it looks less at analysis, but more at footballers’ stories: both male and female. As Underwood describes, it brings to the surface “personalities that are rarely seen on traditional football shows”. Get your dose, Wednesday evenings, 8:30pm.

I would like to finish by talking about male involvement in this spectacular space. A year and a half ago I read an article that has stuck with me. It was about men’s support of the women’s league. The article focused on Jobe Watson, a past AFL powerhouse. The writer, Michelle Andrews, spoke of how she had always loved footy, but was never able to idolise the men playing the game as they didn’t represent the female perspective. This is until Watson, a game changing player and club captain, was seen in a press conference wearing a baseball cap that had ‘Feminist’ written across the front. This was HUGE and incredibly foreign – foreign as the AFL is dominated by traditional masculinity, and the ‘F’ word is not thrown around lightly, if ever. Not going to lie, I had a picture of Watson in the cap as my phone background for almost a year after this. It started with one article about one man. But it has expanded. To every man who has supported the AFLW movement – the brothers, fathers, boyfriends, coaches, players – thank you. Thank you for not just sitting there and saying that we don’t know how to play the game, and that our game isn’t as thrilling and appealing as yours. Thank you for getting involved and helping us improve, for sharing your knowledge and standing in our corner. Thank you for taking a step back, and being the dark night’s sky to our shinning stars, for just a moment.

creative/f i ct i o n

THE SKY SEEKERS

Saving the galaxy isn’t as easy as the movies make it seem. Words by Emily Hallett

Location: Siren City, New America. Mars.

not racist by any means, but Darns do not exactly carry

Year: 3017.

the reputation of being the most peaceful immigrants to ***

‘So let me get this straight. You want me to travel

in appearance. Yet they’re huge; even their women have

the galaxy in search for an ancient “Orb” that

muscles on their muscles. If it comes down to fighting my

holds unprecedented power, risk my life to steal it from a

way out, there’s no question as to who would come out

clan of savage extra-terrestrials, and bring it back to you?’

alive.

across

The Darnothian leader doesn’t seem to register my disbelief. He stands taller than the two guards by his

I choose my words carefully: ‘Actually, Mr Stenek, I think that’s a little out of my team’s range of experience.’

shoulders and towers over me by at least a foot. He’s not

I should have known ten million units was too good

visibly armed but the others cradle huge plasma rifles. ‘Is

of a deal for a simple delivery job. I’m not here for an

that a problem?’ His voice is so deep it feels more like a

intergalactic quest. I’m here getting paid to pretend I’ve

vibration than a sound.

been through an intergalactic quest. It seems like Drake

Yes, it’s a problem. I’ve walked us into the wrong job— I’m just the delivery boy.

accepted this job for me without realising what it really entailed.

For the most part, my job is easy. My partner Drake

Stenek folds those huge arms across his chest. ‘No

and I are hired directly from bounty hunters themselves.

other bounty hunter in the solar system wishes to accept

The hunters do the heavy lifting to get a client’s item, and

the job. They claim it’s too dangerous. They referred me

they pay me to collect the delivery from them once they

to you. Your reputation precedes you, Skyler Locke. They

reach New-S. I then take the package to its owner and

told me you’re greatly experienced in the retrieval of

get the glory for hunting it while the real hunter remains

valuable items… They also told me you have a debt to pay.’

anonymous and avoids any face-to-face confrontation

‘They did?’

with their employer. It’s a win-win arrangement,

Those fuckers. They set me up. So much for a win-

considering it’s not rare for bounty hunters to be killed by their employer after they’ve returned the bounty in person. But in my experience, no one shoots the delivery boy.

win arrangement. ‘I dislike time wasters,’ The Darn leader grunts. ‘I do not wish to be turned down again.’ I feel the tension thicken the air. My fingertips hover

Yet the Darnothian leader is no bounty hunter

over the laser pistol strapped to my thigh. ‘Well… If no

passing me a delivery. He’s asking me to hunt something

one’s taken the job, why don’t you send your own people

for him.

up there?’

I’ve never worked with Darnothians before, and as with any Black Market deal, I keep my guard up. I’m 12

Mars. Aside from their midnight-blue skin, they’re human

c r eativ e/ fiction

‘I will not risk so many lives.’

making money. Bring the Orb back to me and I will double

Well that’s comforting.

the original payment. Twenty million units. It should be

I begin to gauge my exit. There are four of them

more than enough to pay off your accusers.’

behind me, plus the two at the leader’s shoulders. All

‘…Twenty million?’

armed. But the otherwise-empty courtyard we stand in is

The tension dissipates slightly as I show interest. It’s

a bottleneck bordered by decrepit buildings; there is only one exit and the four behind me stand in the way. ‘They told me you were an admirable bounty hunter. I’d hoped you wouldn’t prove them wrong.’ I’m afraid of what will happen if I tell him I’m not actually a hunter. Leaving the comfort of the Solar System was not worth the collection of this ‘Orb’. ‘I… was a bounty hunter. A good one,’ I say. If

a lot of money for a few days’ work. ‘All yours.’ ‘And where exactly will this job take me?’ ‘To the planet Fendir in the Trappist-1 System.’ ‘And… ahem… how long do you expect this mission to be?’ I ask hesitatingly. He lifts a broad shoulder in a shrug. ‘A few weeks, perhaps months.’

delivering packages is my day job, then telling white lies is

My jaw drops. ‘Months?’

my weekend hobby. ‘But I’m no longer in that line of work.’

I try not to wince at the thundering glare he gives

‘So, you are not interested in taking this job?’ ‘No, I’m sorry. You’ve got the wrong guy.’ The leader lowers his arms, trading looks with the men by his sides. ‘I see… It seems I have made a mistake. My apologies, Mr Locke.’ I begin to relax. ‘No harm done. I’m sorry to waste your time. I’ll be on my way, then.’ ‘No need to apologise,’ he says as I begin to turn away, ‘but you cannot leave.’ While I turn, I come nose-to-nose with four plasma rifles. I swallow my gasp. If I reach for my pistol, they’ll shoot.

me in return. ‘Will that be a problem?’ he rumbles. I take a peek over my shoulder and see the barrels of the guns still pointed towards my back. ‘I don’t seem to have a choice, do I?’ ‘There is always a choice, Mr Locke. The wrong ones can have dire consequences.’ His predatory stare makes me wonder if he hopes I will run. ‘Do you mind if I… discuss it with my associate for a second?’ At the leader’s nod, I cautiously step away from the clan of Darns, still within eyesight but far enough to converse privately. I mentally command my Internal Computer to bring up Drake’s face cam. When the cam screen pops up

‘By agreeing to meet with me, I was under the

in the corner of my vision, I see that instead of battling

impression that you would take the job, Mr Locke. I’ve

intergalactic creatures in his video game, he’s giving the

discussed with you my intention to collect the Orb and

face cam an apprehensive expression.

the value that it holds. I cannot let you leave with this

‘Drake, you got all that?’ I say aloud.

information,’ Stenek says to my back.

‘We’ve made a mistake, man.’ It’s the first time he’s

I turn towards him. ‘Look, I’m not interested in

spoken since I met with the Darnothians.

turning you over to the authorities. I’ve got enough alerts

‘I know,’ I say softly. ‘What are we gonna do?’

on my back already.’

‘Are they still pointing guns at you?’

‘I am not ignorant enough to let you go, Mr Locke. I don’t trust you not to use my information to seek out the Orb yourself.’ No ancient artefact was worth risking my life over. ‘I’m not interested in leaving Mars, you have my word.’ ‘Your word is not enough, Human.’ He spits out the

I turn my head back to the group. ‘Yeah.’ ‘Then I think we have our answer,’ he says. ‘Sky, you need to do what you gotta do to get out of there alive. I’ll call Kora; I’m sure she’ll be eager to help once she hears the reward.’ ‘I don’t want to drag you two into this.’

last word like it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. ‘I am a

‘We’re a team. We’ll get through this. Besides,

generous man, Mr Locke. And I believe you’re capable

twenty million units isn’t the worst thing that we can gain

of completing this job for me. A man with a debt such as

from this.’

yours should not be picky when it comes to a means of

I focus my attention on the Darnothians again. Seven pairs of eyes stare back at me. ‘They’re getting restless. I’ve got to make my decision. We’ll talk later.’ ‘Hope so.’ Then his face vanishes from my vision. I inhale deeply, gaining my composure before returning to the Darns. ‘I’ve spoken with my associate,’ I say to Stenek, ‘and we’ve decided to take the job.’ I don’t expect the wide smile that bears his gleaming white fangs. ‘Wonderful!’ he booms. He moves for the first time since I arrived, stepping towards me and planting a slap on my back that feels like I’ve been hit by a hover bike. ‘I knew we could work something out!’ He gives a nod to the men surrounding me and they finally lower their weapons, and the tightness in my lungs loosens. His grin unnerves me but at least it means I’m safe. He extends me one huge hand and I cringe at the extent of his iron grip as we shake. My right hand will be out of commission for a while. ‘I expect you’ll begin immediately. Varlos, my right hand, will accompany you on your journey.’ I balk. ‘Wait, what?’ ‘As I said, I don’t trust your word.’ ‘But you said you didn’t want to risk putting your people on this mission.’ ‘I am not worried about his capability. He will not return to me without the Orb.’ Stenek turns to the man to his right, another huge Darn with tattoos covering every inch of visible skin besides his face. ‘Varlos, prepare the ship.’ Varlos nods to his leader. ‘Yes, Drathar,’ he says, then looks at me. ‘You. Come with me.’ *** Varlos’s starship is a small Battle Roamer built to house only a handful of passengers. But at least it’s bigger than Drake’s and my apartment. In my room, I unpack the one suitcase I brought with me, mulling over the shit I’ve gotten us into. I’m interrupted by Kora entering the room. ‘Why did I agree to go on this mission with you?’ she says as the door slides closed behind her.

c r eativ e/ fiction

‘You lied to my clan!’ he growls, fangs on display

‘Probably because you couldn’t resist this pretty face that my mother genetically coded me with.’ When

and an accusing finger pointed to my chest.

that doesn’t earn me a smile from her, I give a pitiful

My fingers graze my thigh and I curse myself for

groan. ‘What have I done getting us into this, Kora?’ I say,

unstrapping my pistol. ‘Listen, just because I’ve never

flopping down onto my bed.

left the Solar System doesn’t mean I’m not the Galaxy’s

‘You need to keep it together.’

Greatest Bounty Hunter!’ ‘You’ll get us all killed! I cannot return to Mars

‘They would have killed me,’ I say softly. ‘They will kill me once they find out I’m a fraud.’ ‘Stop it!’ She takes a seat next to me on the bed.

without the Orb!’ I hear desperation in his voice beneath the anger.

‘Look, this isn’t anything new, okay? It’s still a delivery

‘Neither can I!’ I retort.

job. Only this time we’re collecting the item from a planet

‘Enough!’ a voice snaps through the air between

across the galaxy, with added danger.’ She rises from the

the Darn and I as Kora places herself beside me. ‘He’s not

bed and gives me a firm pat on the shoulder. ‘Now get up.

experienced in interstellar travel, so what?’ she directs

We have an Orb to find.’

at the Darn. ‘Some people don’t even leave their homes.

I follow her out of the bedroom and we enter the cockpit where Drake and Varlos are preparing the ship

You’ve hired the most capable team in the galaxy for the job, no matter what planet we’re on.’ The Darn snorts but it’s clear he’s calming down.

for takeoff. I can feel myself getting queasy at the thought. I approach the Darnothian in the pilot’s chair as

‘We’ve got the brains,’ Kora continues, directing an

he messes with a control panel of technology that isn’t

arm towards Drake, ‘we’ve got the brawn, and we’ve got

familiar to me. ‘So where’s our first stop?’

the—’ ‘The beauty. I’m the beauty,’ I finish.

He answers, but doesn’t face me. ‘We must refuel

‘And we’ve got him,’ she gestures to me. ‘Don’t

and regroup on planet Mahlrak in the Vost System.’ ‘And… how far away is that from Mars?’ I inquire, crossing my arms over my chest. ‘Ten light years.’

underestimate us,’ she says with her eyes intensely locked onto the Darn’s. ‘We’ll get your Orb, and we’ll get back home.’ Varlos’ shoulders relax, and he releases a sigh like a

I flinch. ‘Oh… that far…’ ‘Homesick so soon?’ He turns a cheek towards me

gust of wind. ‘What you said is true, Locke. We don’t have

and I think I see him smirk. Good to know the big guy has

much choice,’ he says to me, voice low. His challenging

a sense of humour.

gaze tests mine. ‘But if I find out that you are hiding

‘No! It’s nothing.’

anything else, there will be no getting back home for any

Drake, who’s been eagerly eyeballing the Darnothian

of you.’ Then he turns and replaces himself in the pilot’s

ship’s interface like the computer nerd he is, speaks up. ‘He’s never left the Solar System.’ ‘Hey!’ I hoot at him, while Kora elbows him hard in the ribs on my behalf. The Darnothian’s smirk drops like a stone and he

chair. Exhaling, I send Kora a grateful look. I clear my throat and say to the Darn’s back, ‘Is this a bad time to mention that I sometimes get a little star sick?’ ‘Ugh.’

spins around in his chair to face me. ‘Skyler Locke, Galaxy’s Greatest Bounty Hunter, has never left his star system?’ A laugh escapes my lips. ‘I never said I was the Galaxy’s Greatest— but I’ll take it.’ The Darn rises from his chair with a snarl, towering over me. ‘You told my Drathar that you were capable of this task!’ ‘Well, he didn’t give me much choice, did he?’

Artwork by Amy Nguyen 16 Instagram: @ amytho.art

Colum n/ Space

own your space

Words by Chelsea Griffith

‘Own your space’: it was something that was yelled at me, demanded of me, implored of me for years, by multiple teachers, in many acting classes. Have you ever tried your hardest to do something you don’t understand? It’s about as awkward as going for a hug when the other person was going for a handshake and smashing faces accidentally. When asked to ‘give it my all’ to ‘own my space’, I used to put all my effort into trying to have this weirdly wide stance, moving around a lot and waving my arms a lot. I think I had this idea of owning space as a by-product of trying to take up a lot of it. Teachers looked at me with despair, shook their heads and exhaled, and sometimes even lectured me on not putting enough effort in. Despite their intentions being to promote my growth, I wish they had just explained what the hell owning my space actually meant. I also wish I’d had this explained to me years before I’d even stepped foot in an acting class; back in primary school, perhaps. Maybe then I would have been a more functional teenager. Finally understanding the concept has revolutionised the way I conduct myself, my self-esteem, my confidence, my relationships, my work. It has changed the way people view me and interact with me. It’s not something that just should have been taught to me, as an actor performing a character onstage; owning your space should be taught to people trying to perform human beings in life.

What the hell is ‘owning your space’ though, anyway? Sounds like a load of arty farty barefoot, beret wearing, drama student-whointerpretive-dances-in-the-hub-at-lunch-time-and-can’t-go-fiveseconds-without-telling-someone-they’re-an-‘artist’, crap, right? Maybe. But plenty of non-actor people who are good at being confident, functional human beings intuitively own their space, and these are the kind of people awkward people often look at and say ‘how do they do it?’. What does ‘owning your space’ look like? Anyone at your high school who was ‘cool’ was probably doing it. It looks like people who have a presence. People who you are drawn to listen to. People who look genuinely comfortable in the space and bodies that they are inhabiting. Their movements mostly seem deliberate, despite whether they are quick and jerky or more sustained and direct. They are confident in what they are doing and saying, and this is clear through how they are doing it and saying it. But what comes first, the chicken or the egg? If the chicken doesn’t come first for you, create the egg and the chicken will follow. What does ‘owning your space’ feel like? Well, for those lucky ‘cool’ people, it probably isn’t a feeling they recognise, because it’s just the way they’ve always been. For someone who spent

Colu mn/S pace

their teenage years as awkward and self-doubting, owning my space as an adult feels like control. For me, it feels like I’m a real human being, who people can actually see and not look through. It feels like people want to listen, which makes me feel like I have something interesting to say, whether I do or not. Controlling your limbs, voice and habits helps you to control your mind. Whether you are an awkward, self-doubting, invisible joke of a human being, or you consider yourself to have pretty normal levels of confidence but feel yourself slipping away in front of strange groups, you may benefit from mastering ownership of your space. If you get tongue-tied talking to people, if you’re generally confident but hate audiences, if you get self-conscious around others, or if you have an oral coming up and are the kind of person who accepted you’ll never get a high grade for an oral assignment back in 2008 after stammering through a speech about Charlotte’s Web to a mob of pimply savages with a thirst for blood and an MSN chat roasting you (or was that just me?), I have taken the courtesy to detail how you might want to reclaim ownership of your space, below.

has to come from a genuine place of confidence, which can be achieved after using steps 1-3 over a period of time. But, until then, I do know how to help you to come back from a shaky start. There must be a God, because the second sentence never comes out as shaky as the first. Which means we have control over the second sentence, and the subsequent sentences. Focus on speaking loudly and clearly. Imagine that your voice is a tangible, visible thing, then try to fill the room with your voice (weird, but after some practice it works). Something else I have found that helps, is convincing yourself (hopefully what you’re saying is already important and you don’t have to convince yourself) that it is vital that your audience understands the concepts you are talking about. They need to fully understand every piece of information, as if you’re telling them the de-nuke codes before giving them the keys to Kim Jong-un’s private quarters. Speak slowly, clearly and loudly. Perhaps use your hands, which can help both you and your audience to visualise how things work, what things look like, what things mean. If your audience looks bored, vary your tone and emphasise the important words.

(I should have said this earlier. If you were cool in high school I’m sure you completely cannot relate, so you are welcome to bypass this article and visit the Pets at Flinders page. Or do whatever cool people do. I’ll catch you next issue. Have a good month xx) 1. Physicality ‘Smile, it will trick your brain into thinking you’re happy’, ‘stand tall, it will trick your brain into thinking you’re confident’, yeah, yeah, whatever, you say. ‘I’ve heard it all before, and it doesn’t work’. If that’s been the case for you, you aren’t doing it properly. Stand tall with your shoulders back and relaxed (us overthinkers tense our shoulders without realising we are doing it – something that I realised after 22 years of walking around with them so tense that relaxing them hurts (similar to how I imagine Paris Hilton’s feet feel now that she’s walking around without kitten heels on). Keep your head up (don’t look at the ground) and look people in the eye as much as you can. If looking people in the eye makes your cheeks go red or makes you lose your train of thought, look up and to the side, as if you are thinking (which you are!). Sometimes humans who forget how to be humans, need to think about what humans do. And practice doing it. Keep your feet a shoulder’s width apart. Distribute your weight evenly. If you are feeling awkward and don’t control your stance, people will see that you are not confident and will be less inclined to want to listen to you. You will also be less inclined to want to listen to you. Stand tall, stand still. 2. Voice We all (now that the cool people have pissed off it’s just us losers) know the feeling of thinking you’re going into an oral confidently, then when your first sentence comes out it’s shakier than Metro Station circa 2007. How do we avoid that? It Remember to stand like Wonder Woman (sans sword, probably)

C olum n/ Space

If you find yourself focussing on what your audience thinks of you instead of focussing on changing the way they see something or understanding how something works, or whatever your point is, visualise the things you are talking about in as much detail as possible while you’re talking. It will probably further help you to paint word pictures for your audience, but most importantly, doing so will take up more of your attention, so that you have less brain power for stressing. When we’re stressing about what people think of us, we’re being selfish. Decide on what you want to make your audience feel, and believe that it is important that they feel that way. If you’re telling them about the effects of climate change, maybe you want them to feel worried. Therefore, you would spend your brain power focussing on how to worry them. You’d justify that to yourself, by considering how their worry could act as a catalyst for change. Just stop being a selfish git and focus on something bigger than yourself. Make like Dilmah and do try it.

3. Self-care Clean your damn house. Or room. Or apartment. Or whatever your natural habitat is. Then go to Kmart and buy some two dollar candles and photo frames. If you feel good in your space at home, you’ll feel better within yourself and your space when you’re outside the home. Caring for yourself makes you feel more worthy of care, which is something you can’t understand until you practice it and feel the effects. Even if you’re a ‘messy creative’ type, you need to have an organised and aesthetic ‘mess’. No one gets a free pass out of this one, no matter how hipster your beard, how heavy the healing crystal around your neck, how many times a day you say ‘what is life without art?’

I’m going to make the assumption that you’re at least able to afford to shop at Savers, which means you don’t have to wear trackies every day. Simple acts such as not dressing like you’ve just been dumped and have spent the day eating frosting with your cat (regardless of whether you have or haven’t), make you feel more like you have your life together. Wearing clothes that fit you properly are also important for your confidence and self-image. Gained a few kilos but don’t want to buy new clothes because you’re going to ‘start going to the gym on Monday, you swear!!!’? Whether you actually follow through and go to the gym or not, you’re worthy and deserving enough to feel comfy and put-together now. If shaving makes you feel more put together, do it. If it makes you feel like someone you’re not, don’t do it. Brush your hair. Floss. Don’t leave your nails covered in half-peeled-off polish. You can’t appreciate the importance of doing the small things every day until you get lazy for a while, then restart them again and feel the difference that acts of self-maintenance have on your state of mind and relationship with yourself. Don’t cop out and tell yourself you’re going to maintain a watery, weak presence in front of people because you don’t want others to listen to you, because everything you say is just going to be embarrassing, because you don’t want to look pompous and overbearing. You won’t. It’s harder to go from awkward to pompous in a short amount of time than it is to get through a Flinders degree without some dimwit scraping your car door paint off with their Corolla. Something I learnt from practicing these techniques and from watching others intuitively practice them, is that people tend to respond more to how you’re saying something than what you’re actually saying. If you look friendly and look like you take pride in yourself, others will like and respect you more than if you didn’t do those things.

You’re worth demanding the respect you deserve.

Creative /Per s o n a l Es say

off to great places Words by Madeline Hand Space is all around us; whether you’re in an empty house, a filled room or outside looking up at the sky. But space has multiple meanings and can be used in various sentences. The dictionary provides three main definitions, which I’d like to explain in my own way, and the third I’d like to explore even further. Generally, we come to understand space as the ever-expanding universe with stars, suns, moons and planets. The space which astronomers and astronauts spend their lives studying and surrounding themselves with. The second, on a much smaller scale, isthe idea of space being an amount, volume or measure. It means using space to refer to something that is to be filled such as a room, car or bag. It can also have a figurative understanding in expressions such as “within the space of an hour”.

My third understating of space is a more geographical one, quite similar to place, and the definition for this is “that in which all objects exist and move”. This space is no longer confined to a boundary, or if it is, it’s abstract. It’s less defined by geographical lines of physical space, rather, this idea of space encompasses similar areas. It could represent particular demographics of an area, whether that be parts of a neighbourhood or specific disjointed places. And this space is separated into shared, private, public, safe and liminal spaces as an example. I’ve only recently discovered what liminal spaces are, despite liking them before without knowing why. I think they’re very intriguing and interesting, and they’re the source of much inspiration for movie and novel settings. Liminal spaces are

C r eat ive/P ersona l Essay

those that are transitional spaces or spaces that are not being used for their intended use. These spaces include parking lots, waiting rooms, elevators, schools during holiday break and stores at midnight. All of these places have a purpose that they are not being used for, or a purpose of getting to a different place. I believe it’s why post apocalyptic stories, especially ones featuring zombies, are so fascinating: all of the buildings, streets, cities and towns are empty, void of people, life and existence. They are empty in the sense that these buildings which were once homes no longer have any meaning. Many modern young adult films and novels feature liminal spaces as settings. These spaces are mysterious and allow room for characters to grow, develop and mature. They also allow for secrets and hidden truths to be revealed to other characters or the reader or audience. Dr Seuss even referrers to a Waiting Place in Oh, the Places You’ll Go. Similarly, ages ago, I watched a series called Abandoned where a man visits abandoned places in America, listens to stories from local, learns the history and skateboards there. I believe that every individual has a different meaning and understating of the concept of space. Regardless of each definition, space can be mysterious and large and out of our control. But we can, as a society, shape it and invoke it with shared meaning that connects us all.

“Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for the wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.”

- Dr Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Opinion/S pace

Six Cool Space Things that Happened this Year Words by Daniel Lord

2018 has been a significant year for space and the various space related sciences, and the year isn’t even over yet. Here’s just six of what I think to be the most significant (and coolest) space related events to have happened in the last year. 1. Methane (and water) on Mars Mars has always been central in the search for life in the solar system, from speculating that it was just like Earth, to more recently being considered to have once had life before ‘dying’. All of this however has been brought back to the foreground with new evidence published this year that suggests that there is liquid water on the red planet under it’s polar ice sheets. Despite that, the big news this year was in fact the discovery of cyclical increases of methane in the martian atmosphere. The presence of this methane could be an indicator of life of some sort but scientists emphasise that it may have an inorganic source too. This discovery was published alongside another paper detailing the discovery of organic materials being uncovered in three billion year old sedimentary rock by the Curiosity rover. Again, while this at first glance seems to be evidence of a once living Mars, scientists such as Jennifer Eigenbrode emphasise that the origin of these ‘organic materials’ is unknown, and that they can be produced through ‘non-biological processes’. Regardless, Mars seems to have plenty of secrets that are still waiting for us to uncover. 2. Space Tourism Chances are that you are familiar with SpaceX and Elon Musk, but have you heard of Blue Origin and Jeff Bezos? Jeff Bezos is Amazon’s CEO, and he has eyes set on opening up ‘affordable’ space tourism. However it has only been recently that Blue Origin has made serious progress, with the successful test of their new engines and rockets this year which could allow tourists to purchase tickets for an 11 minute jump up to suborbital altitudes. Reportedly, people will experience weightlessness and see the curvature of the Earth before gently falling back to the surface in a parachute equipped capsule. What makes the potential business viable are their re-usable rocket technology, tech that puts them in competition with SpaceX’s reusable rocket tech, and competition can only be good for future space industries. 3. Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua’ Another event that captured the imaginations of many earlier this year was the flyby of our first known interstellar object, Oumuamua. The mysterious object swung through the inner solar system at speeds exceeding 112,000 kph or about 31.3 km/s, tumbling erratically all the way. Of course many speculate that it is an alien spacecraft, pointing to the object’s unusual shape, which is often described as looking like a cigar, with a length 10 times that of its width. However, some scientists -

Opinion/ Space

probably rightly - dismiss claims that the object is some sort of spacecraft on account of the way it is simply tumbling through space, and the lack of any radio signals being transmitted. That’s not to say that these scientists knew exactly what it was either, but the latest idea is that it is some sort of comet due to it’s unexpected change in acceleration and trajectory. I guess a previously undetected ‘outgassing’ of dust is more likely than a course correction conducted by an extra-terrestrial pilot. 4. The Alien Megastructure Star Mystery Solved In 2015, astronomers had been observing significant periodic dipping in the brightness of a star known as Tabby’s Star. It was that year that one such scientist made a seemingly unusual proposition: that the ‘dipping’ was the result of the presence of an alien ‘megastructure’. Megastructures refer to artificial structures built at astronomical scales, usually depicted as taking the form of ‘Dyson Spheres/Swarms’, structures built to surround a star to collect its energy. For two years since, scientists had been observing the star trying to find an explanation, not wishing to make any extreme assumptions. Finally, in January 2018, they concluded that the dipping in the star’s brightness was probably caused by massive amounts of dust. Although they can’t be sure precisely that dust is the cause, they are fairly confident that it’s not an alien megastructure. 5. You Are (Probably) Alone I’m sure many of the space savvy are aware of the Drake Equation, the equation most cited for determining the number of alien civilisations in our galaxy and the observable universe. This equation has often come into conflict with the Fermi Paradox, which is the understanding that despite the supposed relatively high probability of there being alien civilisations, there appears to be no evidence of such. In relation to this, a paper that was published in June 2018, attempted to bring uncertainty back into the equation, literally. Anders Sandberg, Eric Drexler, and Toby Ord published Dissolving the Fermi Paradox, through the Future of Humanity Institute, at Oxford University. The paper claims that many of the values assumed within the Drake Equation don’t take the values of uncertainty seriously enough. Their new conclusions, after taking the various levels of uncertainty into account, provide us not with the number of alien civilisations in our galaxy, but with the odds that we are the only civilisation in the Observable Universe. (39-85%, in case you were wondering. Also, if you were to go out looking amongst the stars of our galaxy, there’s apparently a 53-99.6% chance you will find nothing.) 6. The Falcon Heavy Launch If one were to throw their minds back to the 6th of February 2018 you might recall images of a spaceman riding in a red roadster backed by the blue of the Earth’s sphere. This was the end result of what was one of the greatest publicity stunts in history, and the thing that made it possible was SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. The Falcon Heavy’s claim to fame is that it is the most powerful operational rocket in the world, capable of lifting 64 metric tones with the launch system being entirely reusable. I remember staying up to the early hours of the morning in anticipation of the historic test, only to have it delayed until 8 am. (Not only did I see it live, but I have a new found appreciation for David Bowie’s Starman.) Ultimately the middle booster failed to make a successful landing, but this test is just another small step towards making space more affordable, and therefore more accessible for all mankind.

Just for f u n /Vox Po ps

VOX POPS

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (ON CAMPUS)

THE LANEWAY/THE PLAZA

MARK

MELISSA

DANIELLE

Staff (PHD)

Bachelor of Creative Arts

Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)

Q1. Spacious home close to campus, in the hills

Q1. Under a blanket like a burrito

Q1. Big kitchen, really comfy couch, never ending Netflix

Q2. Orange Q2. Brown

Q2. Orange Q3. Europa (Moon)

Q3. Earth

Q3. Earth Q4. Earth

Q4. Jupiter

Q4. Mercury Q5. Attack of the Giant Leeches

Q5. Inception

Q5. Jeremiah Joanson

Q6. Probably not - Earth is the most beautiful planet

Q6. Mars - a chance to do things better than on Earth

Q6. The moon - lots of “space”

J ust For F un/ V ox Pops

Q1. What would be in your ideal living space? Q2. What is your least favourite colour? Q3. Favourite planet? Q4. Least favourite planet? Q5. Favourite underrated film? Q6. Would you live anywhere other than on Earth if you were given the opportunity? Why?

MEGAN

TERESA

GABBY

Psychology

Bachelor of Speech Pathology

Speech Pathology

Q1. Comfortable and cosy

Q1. Windows, sunlight, open areas

Q2. Brown

Q2. Hot pink

Q3. Pluto

Q3. Earth

Q1. A traditional space with lots of natural light with a cozy fire place and cute pot plants

Q2. LIME GREEN

Q3. Saturn for its rings Q4. Jupiter?

Q4. Venus

Q5. Any Hallmark film

Q5. Silver Linings Playbook, Joy, The Pursuit of Happyness

Q4. Uranus - it just doesn’t seem nice

Q6. Yes, it would be an interesting experience

Q5. I don’t watch movies so I wouldn’t know Q6. No, my body would adapt to the gravity of another planet and then I wouldn’t be able to live again actively on Earth

Q6. If I could live on a better Earth without all the ugliness, I would - Earth has many beautiful aspects

just for f u n /pets @ f l i n d e r s

pets @ flinders henry nry Name: He endy Owner: W A ge: 3 Breed: M

ogg y

ing crazy ring, go lo p x E : s reason, Like use for no o h e th d going aroun og sister, d y m h it playing w y owners eping on m le s , e id outs g dles, eatin head, cud inside g locked in tt e G : d Dislikes ing ignore ules, gett r t, d h e ig v n o at gm ter, gettin is s g o d y by m baths sleeping, when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m

Nora Name: Nora Owner: Nathan Breed: Snackbox Cat Likes: Fire places, reach able non-native feral bir ds, yoghurt, belly rubs, being in bed, tuna Dislikes: Being picked up, rain, wind, dogs, oth er cats, unreachable non-n ative feral birds, being teased, Gary

j ust for f u n/p ets @ flinders

Jack, lizzie and w

Names: Jack Owner: Becc

(front), Lizzi e (black) & W

ill

ill (at back)

Breed: Vari ous (theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re rescued!) Likes: Atte ntion (Lizzi e especially shoelaces a ), playing w nd ribbons ith

lucy

Name: Lucy Owner: Becc Age: 8 and a half Breed: Cairn Terrier Cr oss Likes: Cuddles and walks Dislikes: Baths and thu nderstorms

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even more on the next page! 27

just for f u n /pets @ f l i n d e r s

Atlas

s Name: Atla hli Griffin Owner: Ka A ge: 4.5 ation Breed: Dalm hewable ing edible/c th y n A s: e ik L ! â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big sook ft alone, he le g in e B s: Dislike

Jess

m if sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nnant Royal Heirloo Name: Jess, or Pe feeling fancy Owner: Mae White Age: 6 ction D Breed: Welsh Cob Se middle of , and snoozing in the Likes: Treats, cuddles the day

r is late, and when it Dislikes: When dinne

rains

j ust for f u n/p ets @ flinders

Name: Boscoe Owner: Amber Wurst

Boscoe

Age: 8 Breed: Border Collie Likes: Long walks, de-st uffing his stuffed toys and his bed Dislikes: When his huma ns leave

for work

ernie Name: Ernie Owner: Ange lina Taylor A ge: 4 Breed: Pom

eranian X Sh etland

Likes: Human at

Sheepdog

tention and canned lenti ls Dislikes: The freezer bein g opened an d loud noise s

Pets @ Flinders is always a favourite here at Empire Times! If you want to see your pets featured, send us an email empire.times@flinders.edu.au and we can share them with the entire Flinders community! 29

review / m us i c

Album review: double rainbow by the babe rainbow

rev iew/ music

Double Rainbow by Aussie psych-rock group The Babe Rainbow is the type of simplified, hippie, easy-listening music that you’d hear in an elevator at a Byron Bay mindfulness retreat. It feels like a jam, only it’s missing the bread. Words by Ruby Easterbrook

The Babe Rainbow, a group of mates from the northern rivers of Bryon Bay have recently released their highly anticipated second album Double Rainbow. The album incorporates elements of folk, funk and psychedelic rock to form a well-rounded album for the band. But to me, their work falls short on many counts.

Their first album, self-titled and fairly brilliant, was mixed by Stu Mackenzie of Melbourne band King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard and released by Flightless Records in 2017. This album on the other hand was produced by Wayne Connolly, who’s worked with the likes of Boy & Bear, Silverchair and The Veronicas – all of which are tough acts to follow.

The Babe Rainbow are heavily influenced by the sights and sounds of the 1960s; their musical influences from that era are The Incredible String Band and Swinging Mademoiselles. This is evident through their instrumentation, their vocal tones, even through the clothing they wear. It’s a relief to know that flared jeans and pointy-collared shirts will probably never go out of style. Looking at and listening to the band is like jumping into a time machine and revisiting the laidback culture of the 60s. Their vibe is simultaneously electrifying and mellow; they make me want to take my shoes off, sit on a bean bag, and play the sitar.

The single released in anticipation of the album, ‘Supermoon’, gave us a tiny glimpse of what was to come from the babes. The underwhelming feeling the song gave me left me anxious for what was to come. I was expecting big things and this felt like the smallest glimpse of their overall potential. As it turns out, I could trust my instincts. The song itself contains a dissimilar sounding drumming to the rest of the drumming on the album, and the latter gets boring very easily. The same melody repeats

itself tirelessly throughout the song, and the listener is left waiting for a peak that never comes. Two purely instrumental and equally blissful songs feature in this album; ‘Alan Chadwick’s Garden’ and ‘2nd of April’. ‘Alan Chadwick’s Garden’ is a droning trip into a dreamy slumber. The song consists purely of repetitive, out of tune sitar that switches between two or three different sequences. Given the suggestive title, this song reminds me of a beautiful garden at golden hour, filled with blooming wildflowers and children with bare feet and white frocks. If you didn’t know, Alan Chadwick was an innovative and well-known gardener from the 1970s. You can check out imagery from one of his charming gardens in The Babe Rainbow’s music video for the songs ‘Eureka’ and ‘Alan Chadwick’s Garden’. ‘2nd of April’ is a finger-picking acoustic track that belongs in the soundtrack of a medieval film. Much like a number of tracks on this album, this song feels more like a filler than a completed one, especially considering the use of one instrument and no vocals.

I am partial to a hearty dose of flute, which makes ‘Bella Luna’ my favourite track in Double Rainbow. It feels like a dream, a meditation. “Just a little bit/of your love”, the singer practically sighs over sensual guitar and ethereal flute. The lyrics repeat the whole way through the song, but rather than seeming lazy, it feels transcendent.

Fitting with this month’s theme for ET, there is a lot of space for improvement with this album. It seems as though the band have taken a step back since their last release and it all feels very confusing and disappointing – where’s the gold at the end of this Babe Rainbow?

If I were to give this album a rating, I’d give it a 5 out of 10.

Opinion/S pace

Two truths and one lie Words by Charlie Brooker

Opinion/ Space

Sometimes we have a plan and it goes well. And then sometimes we’re directionless, following the flo, and it gets by. Another year, another semester start, more and more of the same. My friend told me there’s two types of people at uni, the ones you don’t know, and the ones you know but don’t want to see. I don’t think I agree. But we walk between classes and sometimes we talk about uni like this. We haven’t come to any firm conclusions yet but I’m working on it. Just walk around, there’s so much noise. I wish I didn’t have to look. Controversial posts on Overheard, gentleman’s clubs and student council electives waving their pamphlets at you, compulsory lectures, car parks under construction, the Co-Op without the books you need, group assignments and students divulging their life stories like a Tinder date, small burgers at the Tavern, waiting in line at Zambreros, games of get to know you: two truths and one lie. And between all this wondering, what do we get out if it anyway -- I must say it’s a feeling shared by anyone I seem to mention it to, that is: I don’t know if I want to be at university anymore.

The start of semester and it’s like it was before. I can specifically remember myself choosing the classes I sit in. It’s barely what I imagined. But direction isn’t a topic taught at Flinders, there’s no DIRE1001, and I can’t find that in my core subjects or the electives that struggle to be interesting. There’s a lot no one says about going to university.

Tutors ask why it is we chose their topic. I see people twitch and squirm -- this is a question no one likes confronting. There isn’t always much good choice around what to pick. This is my experience, because each course is different, but most of the time I’m copying another’s generic answer. One time I said, ‘I don’t know’ and everyone laughed. I guess I got sick of lying. Once someone told me about a class they took at UniSA where they practiced point of sale with fake money and grocery items. What is higher education? I can see why people change course, I see it every semester start. I think I know more people who’ve dropped out than I have friends. Maybe it’s the topic subjects that seem decided by whoever was around that did their PhD in a specific area, rather than covering a broader spectrum. Or is it choosing topics simply due to lack of a better option, or facing uncertainty around what topics are prerequisites for the classes you want to do later. It’s hard to stay passionate when it’s easy enough just to pass, lean back and go through the motions. Speakers will say your career will be completely different to your university course anyway, so what the hell am I doing? A lot of it feels like jumping through hoops, or folding yourself into shapes that fit their specific slots. An awful directionless feeling.

All this and the good things too. Because for every tutor or lecturer who clearly wants to be there less than you do, there’s one passionate and inspiring, one who reminds you of why you’re studying. The argument, well that’s just life I guess -- I’ve thrown it around a lot to people struggling to like their topics. I think it myself sometimes too and I wonder maybe I’ll get by.

Creative/Per s o n a l Es say

I Came From Outer Space Words by Cameron Lowe

I Came from Outer Space, I surely must have. I must have been like Mr Bean; dropped to Earth by aliens from a distant Solar System because I do not feel like I’m like everyone else. I have done all I can to understand and act like other people, but no matter how hard I try I just seem to be unable to. I have felt this way really since 2001, when I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a high functioning disability on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I was one of those kids during my school years. I was the one who would talk to himself, had few friends, and obsessed with limited topics, trains and history being two examples. Tied in with this is the tendency to constantly talk about one topic with no attention to people’s irritations. I think it was a lot of that which contributed to some of my social isolation as a kid. That, and my struggles to understand people’s emotions I think were what helped make my schoolmates see me as an alien. Perhaps the moment in my life where I really did feel like an alien was during my high school years, particularly from year 8 to 10. So called ‘friends of mine’ would tease, spit, sack tap, and farted on me all in the name of “fun” for them. A couple even decided to pull knives on me, thinking it was all a big laugh. Some people whom I barely knew often called me mentally retarded, thinking I would not understand. Hell, even my first relationship started out as one big joke. They also thought I was mentally retarded as well before dating me. It was all of these combined things from my fellow schoolmates which contributed to my feeling of being an extraterrestrial even more.

“This was a feeling that remained in my deep conscious even as I arrived my second high school.” I guess a lot of this happened, I think, because I went through mainstream education instead of the special needs centre, which was at my first high school. I guess it was one problem about my form of Asperger’s. I was too high-functioning to be in the special needs centre full-time, but too “unique” to go through mainstream 34

education without help. For topics like maths and tech (both metal and woodwork) I had the help of someone from my school’s Learning Centre. Language class was dropped, and, later, science to get what they called Learning Centre time. Their help gave me the know-how to be able to function in mainstream education, which would help me down the track feel less alien and more like an Earthling. It did though make me realise how different I really was in contrast to the others in my classes. This was a feeling that remained in my deep conscious even as I arrived to my second high school.

“According to a 2015 report (still the latest) from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the labour force participation rate for those with ASD of working age is 40.8%, compared to 83.2% for those without a disability.” High school was the same time I decided to not tell people about my disability as well. I began to learn on how to “conceal it” in the public sphere, in fear people would either avoid or make fun of me. I built up my social skills and did all I could to not let my disability show, which is more difficult than you might think. This is something I continue to practice to this day as those old fears are still with me. Some say this is not a good thing to do but is unfortunately something I feel I have to do. Although ASD has become more accepted in Australian society over the last 20 years, the old stigma is still there. People still use autism to describe weird things/people online and that whole “vaccines give you autism” paranoia, which is false by the way. I refuse to disclose my disability in the application and interview process for employment too, in fear I would be rejected because of it. Despite the Disability Discrimination Act, I still refuse to disclose in the interview process my disability due to the old stigma. It’s because of this I do what I can to push my disability as deep down as possible. I know this sounds wrong, but I feel I have no choice. According to a 2015 report (still the latest) from the

C r eat ive/P ersona l Essay

Australian Bureau of Statistics, the labour force participation rate for those with ASD of working age is 40.8%, compared to 83.2% for those without a disability. I have an intense drive to remain in that 40.8%, which is why I do what I can to not let my disability show. In recent years, especially with government organisations, I have noticed employers wanting people with disabilities. This makes me feel more comfortable in disclosing my disability with work in the public sector and to feel like I can be myself. Despite all the shit I went through, I have met people who don’t treat me like I’m from outer space. With these people, I have felt comfortable to disclose my disability. I also disclosed it with my romantic partners (not my last one though), although I feel it always came a little too late. Moving to a new high school also really helped. I’m still friends with many of these people and having them as friends has helped me feel more like an Earthling. I can say this about people from here at Flinders as well. People I’ve met through my degrees and our clubs here have helped me feel more welcome in society. It has also aided me a lot in the development of my writing career and aided in my skill development.

“Yes, I struggled through mainstream schooling, but I would not be where I am now if I didn’t do it.” While I feel less alien now than I did growing up, there have been moments I have still have that Outer Space feeling to me. One came in 2015, when I visited a school for people with disabilities in Guangzhou, China. Some had physical disabilities, but I discovered some with more invisible ones like the ASD. They were people like me, but they were locked away in these “special schools” in which they would eat, sleep, and study in. It would only be on select days they were allowed out, be it for family or work experience. Seeing this struck me deep; people like me were being treated like dumb, diseased people in this country. It also made me realise too that despite everything I went through, at least I was born in contemporary Australia. Even though we would have been guilty of the same treatment a few decades ago, at least it’s better understood now.

Another recent event that brought my realisation that I was from Outer Space came in 2017. This came in a form of a comment from Ms Pauline Hanson, which stated that kids with autism should not be in mainstream schooling. I do not like talking politics in my writing or social media, but her comments hit far too close to home for me. Yes, I struggled through mainstream schooling, but I would not be where I am now if I didn’t do it. When she said that it suddenly made all my struggles and hard work feel worthless and a complete waste. It also made me feel as though that is what the ‘regular’ Australian thought too. Do they really see me as a leech to society and someone who makes their kids struggle at school? The support of friends and family made me realise though that what she said was lies, which I too accepted after some reflective thought. I guess it has motivated me to want to speak out against these outdated “populist” beliefs and show I can be just be like everyone else in society.

“Like Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, I will continue to try to learn how to be human.” I came from Outer Space, there’s no denying it. No matter with what I do or what other people say, I will always have be an alien. It is something that I have come to live with, and has come to define who I am. I will continue though to improve myself and show to the world that an extraterrestrial like me can be an Earthling too. I want to be able to benefit society too and give back to it for all the help it has given me, be that through writing and/or working. Like Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, I will continue to try to learn how to be human. Even if it takes the rest of my life, I will continue to learn and improve.

REview /g a m i n g

Killer bugs and robots from space are invading Earth. Will you try and stop them? Words by Peter Moreman Earth Defence Force 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair (EDF) is on both PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and PC as a third-person shooter. The game involves killing alien bugs. Imagine Starship Troopers: big bugs that hit hard and swarm very, very fast. As you progress further through the levels, you will also face some robots too. The robots are all about attack power, not so much speed like the bugs. EDF can be played either solo, or online multiplayer up to four. I found the multiplayer aspect to be much more fun. You and your friends yelling at each other as you frantically try to stop the overwhelming onslaught is hilarious. But it isn’t just the comedic aspects which make multiplayer good. It also makes it much easier in the later missions. Having someone to take some of the attention away is a big help. It also allows for more than one class to be played. Also, if one player is being snared by a giant ant, the other player can help you get out if its grasp.

“EDF has over 80 levels, including the two DLC’s and it has so many weapons I can’t even begin to guess.” There are four classes to choose from: Ranger, Wind Diver, Air Raider and Fencer. The Ranger is your standard soldier, a lot of assault rifles. Ranger is fairly basic and the most vulnerable of the four because it’s grounded. You can throw grenades and shoot, that’s pretty much it unfortunately. Wing Diver is an all-female assault force that flies around the sky blowing enemies away with their high-tech weapons. However, they can only be in the air for a limited time before they must land and recharge their jetpack. The Air Raider is your bombardment specialist. They call in airstrikes, bombers, artillery and vehicles. The power level really depends,

most of the time it’s luck. Sometimes helicopters can be very over powered and other times they barely kill anything. Lastly, you have Fencer. This guy is your tank. Fencer has the most amount of armour and as such, usually takes the brunt of the damage. They wield massive weapons and a shield. This class is extra special, because it can duel wield giant weapons like miniguns.

“I had a lot of fun playing this with friends and EDF requires a surprising amount of strategy and communication, which I love.” EDF has over 80 levels, including the two DLC’s and it has so many weapons I can’t even begin to guess. Each mission has five different difficulties, easy, normal, hard, hardest and inferno. The higher the difficulty the better rewards. Each time you complete a mission, your armour rating increases and you get new weapons. The missions can get difficult, so I recommend playing with a friend or three. As you progress through the levels, the enemies will multiply and change types, sometimes both. You’ll need to do a lot of grinding to get that good gear to progress. Bigger is nearly always better. EDF has little of a story. Aliens try and take over Earth and you must stop them. That’s it really. I haven’t finished the game, because there’s over 80 missions and it gets extremely difficult after the tenth. To be honest, I barely got past 30. I had a lot of fun playing this with friends and EDF requires a surprising amount of strategy and communication, which I love. If you’re looking for a new game to play by yourself or with friends, maybe try out EDF. After all, who doesn’t like killing space invaders?

c r eativ e/ fiction

Stars in Her Eyes Words by Jaimee Hart

She chooses the name Vivian, gives herself dark

Drinking her coffee, writing her notes, Vivian

skin and crooked teeth. She has a small collection of

remembers Harriet for hours.

human things in her bag that she’s amassed over the

years; an old superhero themed lunchbox, a box of tampons, and a small silver dog from a game set. All her

She’d been alive for hundreds of years before she

studying indicates that human women carry a litany of

realised that not everyone dreamt of Earth like she did.

odd things in their bags, and she wants to blend in as

Others of her kind didn’t collect human cutlery or spend

well as possible.

hours watching human television. Her two mums spent

Her first night on Earth, she visits a diner

that she’ll spend years eating at. She fills her newly

years trying to interest her in other things, but nothing called to Vivian the way Earth did, the way humans did.

purchased journal with notes and things she remembers

‘It won’t end well,’ her mum warned her. The last

will happen; the waitress that’ll serve her tomorrow,

time Vivian saw her, she was twisting three of her hands

Harriet, has freckled skin and small hands. Her hair is

together, her eyes pained. Her mama just wrapped

a shiny black and she’s shorter than Vivian by an entire

Vivian in a hug and tucked a magnifying glass in her

head. She remembers Harriet’s fingers reaching for

pocket.

hers on more than one occasion, remembers the look in

‘These seem to come in handy, according to

Harriet’s eyes when Vivian smiles, remembers Harriet’s

those human films you’re always watching,’ she said. ‘Be

laughter as they struggle to fit a couch through their

safe.’

apartment door. 37

Her mum blinked back

tears and joined their hug. The three of them were a mess of arms and legs tangled together when her mum said, ‘We’ll see you again.’ They had all known it was a lie, but Vivian held onto the words as she walked away from them anyway.

~ Sometimes Vivian feels like she’s spent her entire life studying the sky, aching to know all the secrets hidden between atoms and undiscovered planets. In a way, it feels like everything had been leading to this moment; every sample of human skin, of human hair, every telescope pointed at Earth, every human book she’d spent hours reading. She’d been obsessed with Earth since she was small, obsessed with the knowledge that one day she’d be there and be a part of it all. The diner that she’ll spend many a night in is only a small slice of Earth, but it’s Vivian’s favourite. She wonders what that says about her. Wonders what it means that her favourite place in the galaxy will always be this small diner with terrible coffee and incredible waitresses.

Harriet’s eyes are brighter

than Vivian remembers, her smile bigger. She’s enchanting, and Vivian finds herself enthralled exactly like she remembered. When Harriet asks for her order, Vivian chooses a caramel milkshake and eggs after a moment’s hesitation.

Harriet raises an eyebrow.

‘Just eggs?’ she questions, pencil hovering above her pad of paper. ‘No toast, or sausages?’

c r eativ e/ fiction

Vivian shakes her head; her hair moves along

with it, falling into her eyes, and that’s something that she’d almost forgotten about. She makes a mental

Harriet sometimes looks at Vivian like she can

reminder to figure out hair ties. ‘Just eggs,’ she

sense something other lurking underneath the sham

confirms, and Harriet shrugs and jots it down.

of human skin that covers her body.

‘Be back in a few,’ she says, disappearing into

‘Where were you born?’ Harriet asks one

the kitchen. Minutes later Harriet watches Vivian

morning. They’re about six months away from moving

dip bites of egg into her milkshake; she looks mostly

in together, by Vivian’s calculations. She’s eating a

intrigued and only a little bit disgusted.

sausage with maple syrup poured over it and reading

‘You might as well sit down if you’re going to

stare at me,’ Vivian tells her. Harriet blushes but takes a seat anyway.

‘I’ve never seen you here before,’ Harriet

says. ‘I know all the regulars.’

her old journals; Harriet no longer wrinkles her nose at Vivian’s strange habits.

‘Not here,’ Vivian responds and Harriet scoffs.

‘I figured,’ she says, and Vivian grins at her. ‘You

know, I’ve seen a lot of sci-fi movies. Are you planning

‘I’m not a regular,’ Vivian says, shrugging.

on taking over Earth?’ Vivian snorts chocolate milk out

‘Yet,’ Harriet replies, grinning. Vivian’s the

of her nose, and Harriet grins. ‘One more question –

one with the knowledge of what’s to come, but Harriet

when were you born?’

sounds so sure of herself that Vivian can’t help but

‘Not here,’ Vivian repeats, thinking of the

return her smile. ‘So, tell me about yourself,’ Harriet

decades, of the centuries, of the life-times she’d lived

says. The diner is empty bar two men with their son,

before meeting Harriet.

eating pancakes and laughing in another waitress’s

Harriet sighs. ‘I figured.’

section.

They talk until the breakfast shift ends and then they keep talking throughout the lunch

On the anniversary of something that won’t

shift. Harriet’s just as witty and charming as Vivian

happen for four years, Vivian spends the day hiking

remembers, but she’s somehow even more beautiful

in a dense forest that reminds her of home. The trees

here and now. There’s a brief moment – when Harriet

look different on Earth, but they smell similar enough

is telling a story about the time she was stung by a

that Vivian feels somewhat better by the time she’s

bee and almost died – where Vivian is assaulted with

finished. Her car smells like Harriet and it’s suffocating;

memories. Harriet’s playing dead, crossing her eyes

all cherry shampoo and the sweet perfume Harriet

and flopping down in the booth, and all Vivian can

sprays on every morning. Vivian can’t escape her.

see is the life draining from Harriet’s face, the light in

‘If you know what’s going to happen, can’t

her eyes extinguished. Vivian forces out a laugh when

you change things?’ Harriet asks Vivian when she gets

Harriet’s done with her story and tries to focus on the

home.

present.

Vivian shakes her head, crawling into bed

‘This won’t end well,’ Vivian replies when

beside Harriet. ‘It doesn’t work that way. It’s like… you

Harriet looks at her with concern and asks if

can’t change what you had for lunch yesterday, can

something’s wrong.

you? Even though you remember it?’

‘You don’t know that,’ Harriet says, and Vivian

‘That’s because it already happened,’ Harriet

struggles to breathe, because she does. She knows

protests, mouth full of popcorn. Vivian just looks

that one day, Harriet will be gone, and Vivian will

helplessly at her, and Harriet swallows her mouthful

follow not long after her.

with an audible gulp. ‘Oh, I see.’

For now, though, Harriet just covers Vivian’s

hand with hers. Her fingers are sticky with maple syrup, but Vivian tangles their fingers together anyway.

creative/f i ct i o n

‘I’m sorry,’ Vivian tells her, linking their fingers

together. Harriet’s are salty from the popcorn, and Vivian’s are sweaty from her hike. Harriet squeezes back anyway.

‘It’s okay,’ Harriet says, even though it’s not.

Even though it never will be again. ‘Can you tell me why you’re sorry? Why you’re mourning me even though I’m still here?’

Vivian reaches out and tucks a stray strand of

Harriet’s hair behind her ear. ‘It’s better if you don’t know.’

Harriet looks at Vivian, at the dark circles

under her eyes and her shaking hands. ‘I figured,’ she says.

for years. There’s nothing to learn from them, they’d said. There’s nothing you’ll gain now that we won’t just take later. Vivian didn’t know how to tell them that it wasn’t about learning or gaining. It was about feeling, it was about being. On the second day of the fifth month, she’d finally worn them down; by the third, Vivian was packed and ready to go. She carried only necessities, aside from her collection of human things and a photograph of her parents. Vivian’s mum looked particularly pretty the day it had been taken, the sunlight hitting her scales just right. Her mama had one of her arms wrapped around Vivian, and another around her mum. Vivian was in-between them, clutching a tattered paperback copy of Alice in Wonderland, a human story she loved. Her mums had read it to her when she was young, tucked up in her pod before she slept. She’d always identified with the way Alice felt after falling down the rabbit hole; lost, lonely, and confused. ‘If you just tried to fit in,’ Mum would say. ‘It’d

be easier for you.’ Mama would roll her one eye and hold Vivian with all of her arms. ‘It’ll never be easy for her,’ she’d say, kissing

Vivian on the cheek. ‘At least she’ll have a small slice of her own Wonderland one day.’ ~ Her home planet invades four years later on a Tuesday. Harriet’s pouring coffee into Vivian’s

Harriet stares out at the sky, her mouth falling open in shock.

‘Did you know this would happen?’ Harriet

asks, finally turning to Vivian after they watch one of Vivian’s people kill one of Harriet’s.

Vivian feels something wet leaking out of her

eyes; she’s experienced many human bodily functions since she made herself a body and came to Earth, but crying is still alien to her.

‘I’m sorry Harri, I couldn’t stop it,’ she chokes

out. Someone on their floor is screaming but she is them.

She’d argued with her superiors for months,

window. Vivian watches as the mug overflows while

crying so loudly she doesn’t think Harriet can hear

favourite mug when she sees the ships outside their

‘I know, it’s okay, it’s not your fault,’ Harriet

says, tears running down her cheeks. Their front door flings open, and Harriet reaches her coffee covered hand out to Vivian’s. Vivian watches helplessly as a member of her old brigade forces his way into their kitchen, into the small slice of life Vivian had built for herself with Harriet by her side. Harriet squeezes Vivian’s fingers, once, twice, three times. I love you, she’s saying. The soldier raises his gun and Vivian closes her eyes and squeezes back.

just fo r f u n /q u i z

Empire times quiz Space Edition 1. In the 1958 Looney Tunes short ‘Hare-Way to the Stars’, which planet is Marvin the Martian attempting to destroy? 2. In 1957, which nation launched the first satellite and what was its name? 3. How many humans have died in space? 4. On which album by The Byrds did ‘Mr Spaceman’ originally appear on? 5. Who am I? I served under Captain Jean Luc Picard on the USS Enterprise-D. I commandeered the Enterprise a number of times in Captain Picard’s absence, which one of my achievements was helping save Picard from the Borg.

6. How many entries has there been in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series? 7. In what 1950s sci-fi does the alien robot Gort make his first appearance in? 8. Which song by The Beatles was transmitted into outer space by Interstellar Message? 9. In EarthBound, which minor character protects Ness, Pokey and Picky from a Junior Starmen attack? 10. Enceladus is one of the moons to which planet in our solar system?

11. What is the name of the Japanese astronaut who studied a PhD at Flinders University? 12. Yuggoth is home planet to which creatures from H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos? 13. What is Goku’s home planet in the Dragon Ball universe called? 14. In Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, what is the name of Dash Rendar’s ship? 15. What 1960s song was named after the satellite series which introduced the first trans-Atlantic TV broadcast?

j ust fo r fun/ quiz 16. In which Star Trek movie did the original series crew have to travel back in time to get a whale? 17. What are the three classic Doctor Who serials often referred to being the E-Space Trilogy? 18. In Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon, which part of the world was chosen to build the gigantic cannon? 19. How many light-years is Alpha Centauri (the closest solar system to us) from Earth? 20. What do the scientists in Futurama rename Uranus to in 2620?

BONUS QUIZ Match the Captain/Pilot to their Ship A.

1. Earth. 2. USSR, Sputnik 1. 3. None. 4. Fifth Dimension (1966). 5. Commander William Riker. 6. Five. 7. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) 8. ‘Across the Universe’. 9. Buzz Buzz. 10. Saturn. 11. Mamoru Mohri 12. Mi-Go. 13. Planet Vegeta. 14. Outrider. 15. Telstar 16. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. 17. Full Circle, State of Decay, and Warriors’ Gate. 18. Florida, United States. 19. 4.37 light-years. 20. Urectum BONUS QUIZ: A-2, B-3, C-1

QUIZ ANSWERS 42

just fo r f u n /T o p s i x

Top Six space films

Thor Ragnarok

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Apollo 13

I cannot express how much I love this movie. The third Thor film is the most fun you can have in space. Filmed in Queensland in 2016, and directed by a mad man from New Zealand (hi Taika Waititi, I love you!) whose other films include Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows, it features many Australian actors in leading and supporting roles. Cate Blanchett’s Hela is one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe villains yet, and of course there’s some guy named Chris Hemsworth as Thor. They travel from Asgard to Earth to Sakaar and back to Asgard. There’s a tournament of champions to appease Jeff Goldblum. There’s lots of spaceships. They travel through collapsing neutron stars (with hilariously unfortunate names). Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie has one of the best, and most distinctly Australian, character entrances you will ever see. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is once again an absolute highlight, especially in his dynamic with Thor.

Star Trek films have been hit and miss over the years, but one that has been regarded by many as the best is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This 1982 entry focuses on the crew from Starship Enterprise N-1701 (under James T. Kirk) and marks the return of Khan Nooein Singh, an antagonist from The Original Series (Space Seeds, S01, E22).

Unlike The Dish where everything went right, Apollo 13 is the polar opposite. The initial team of Jim Lovell (perennial everyman Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) are planning to go to the Moon, just like Apollo 11’s successful expedition. Even before they leave Earth there’s problems! Gary Sinise can’t go to space because he’s been exposed to measles through his kid and is not immune, so Kevin Bacon (whose character is named Jack Swigert) is chosen to go instead.

Also: contains the most epic use of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song ever put to film. Watch it now. You will not be disappointed.

There is something for every kind of fan of space films in The Wrath of Khan. It has an intense submarine warfare in space moment in the nebula, discovering the key to creating a new world (and life for that matter), and of course the famous “KHAN!” scene. The acting too is nothing short of well done. Ricardo Montalbán does a fantastic job as Khan, but the real heart lies with both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. SPOILERS: Spock dies and Nimoy’s acting is possibly the greatest as his time as Spock. So much humanity for a Vulcan.

Once they get into space oxygen tanks break and leak, and so they have to abort their mission to walk on the moon. After they decrease the power to get home, sickness and freezing temperatures hit. The three then have to band together to save their lives after carbon dioxide levels reach unacceptable heights. Amazingly, and this is not a spoiler because we all know it, everyone lives!

While it wasn’t as commercially successful as the first movie in the series (The Motion Picture), The Wrath of Khan is still the highlight of The Original Series crew. Also, check out Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, it’s another classic film with Kirk and co. at the helm. 43

j ust for f un/ Top Six

Our Top Six films to do with space!

The Dish

Into the Wild Green Yonder

The Martian

I know this doesn’t quite fit, but it has to with the Moon Landing, so I say it counts. A classic Australian film starring Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton (neither of whom are Australian, but Sam Neill is an honorary Australian at this point) that fictionalises the real involvement of Australian scientists in tracking and broacasting the Moon Landing in 1969. The Parkes Observatory is literally in the middle of a sheep paddock, but was largely responsible for the broadcast of the Apollo 11 landing. Warburton plays a NASA representative whom the Australian team have difficulties dealing with, but they put aside their differences for the historic event they are all involved with. The black out in the film is fictional, but the technical issues involving high winds did really happen.

While all the Futurama films are great on their own, Into the Wild Green Yonder is possibly the best. Leo Wong wants to build his own mini golf course spanning planets and solar systems, alongside consuming the waters of Mars for his own personal course.

Few contemporary films set on Mars have made an impact like 2015’s The Martian. Based off the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, this Ridley Scott directed film is a masterpiece in almost every way. From the landscapes of Mars to its soundtrack, the film is a marvel and visually pleasing.

The sub-plots with this film has so many highs and that it’s hard to name all of them. One is Leela joining a futuristic version of PETA all to save a slug from Mars. Fry’s sub-plot of being able to read minds is another highlight as well. And Bender in general, is just awesome. His affair with the wife of the Robot Mafia Boss is classic him and an overall laugh.

One of the core highlights to this is the character of Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon). Watney is the most genuine Martian astronaut to have appeared on modern cinema. He is a character who has a lot of knowledge and does what he can to ensure his survival. His botany skills are particularly useful and do add tension to the story. Other film highlights include Watney’s fellow crewmates travelling between Earth and Mars (with David Bowie’s ‘Starman’ playing), Watney’s first contact with Earth through Pathfinder, and Watney’s journey across Mars.

The film was shot on location at the actual Dish in Parkes, with scientists having to postpone their work so that the actors could play cricket on the Dish. An Australian classic, from the same team behind The Castle, The Dish was recently voted the 32nd most popular of the Australian Films You Must See by the Adelaide Film Festival.

The climax to this film and its ending are possibly the highlights. It leaves us on a cliff-hanger that is very well done, which then picks up immediately into season 6. This is best watched after the three first films as they all interconnect in some way.

It wouldn’t be too surprising if this film becomes a recommended watch for any human travelling to Mars in future. It’s also recommended to read the book as well. It’s certainly one of the best stories about Mars to have appeared in recent years.

colu m n /A l i en s

They Come in Peace! Sometimes... Some aliens I wouldn’t mind finding in my attic! Words by Renee Kohler Now, it may just be the Fox Mulder in me but when I think of space, the first thing to come to mind is ALIENS. I’ve devoured a lot of science fiction in my years on Earth and have accumulated some favourite aliens throughout that time. Whether they’re the cute little green critters we know and love, or the very homicidal extraterrestrials whose weakness is loud opera music. Do they come in peace? Maybe, maybe not. Kif Kroker, Futurama “I love it out here, Amy. I feel so manly. I have a blister, I-I spit! A-And of course, I tell no one my feelings, until I write them in my diary.” The first alien I thought of when brainstorming this article was darling Kif Kroker. While Kang and Kodos from The Simpsons must get an honourable mention, it’s this slightly neurotic extra-terrestrial who owns my heart. I recently finished re-watching the entire series and he was the character who, much to my surprise, stuck with me the most. I am also just now realising that Matt Groening likes aliens whose names start with K, so the more you know! While Kang and his sister Kodos certainly provide humour to the other Groening helmed show, Kif has more depth and is hilariously awkward. I can’t help but love the gecko looking, stuttering mess. Kif is the second in command to the Shatner-esque Zapp Brannigan. He manages to keep his cool while enduring his bosses’ incompetence, which alone earns him more than a few points in my book. But, it’s his relationship with Amy Wong that allows him to truly endear himself to the audience, exposing just how vulnerable and kind he is. He is incredibly shy, unable to ask her out on a date even after they’ve survived a near death experience together. While others may mock him for his sensitivity, he never wavers and is one of the most consistently decent characters in Futurama. As the show progresses more is revealed about his species, which are Amphibiosans from the planet Amphibios 9. Not only can he give birth, but his body consists entirely of organs and he can camouflage himself if necessary. Between his personality and quirky abilities, Kif is a truly engaging alien and one of the most interesting I’ve encountered.

c ol umn/ A liens Little Green Men, Toy Story “The claw chooses who will go and who will stay.” I’d be remiss to ignore the most adorable aliens in pop culture and the aliens who started my obsession. I sincerely doubt that I need to detail the exploits of the Little Green Men (also known as the Squeeze Toy Aliens) if you grew up on Toy Story. The movies are iconic, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited - if not also a little cautious about the fourth entry into the series. While these aliens are definitely the most innocent to appear on the list, that doesn’t diminish their importance to me. As with all the character designs on this list, the Little Green Men are iconic. They are brightly coloured, adorably repetitive and happen to have one of the most iconic lines in the entire series. It’s nice to see some aliens that aren’t determined to destroy our world, though that might just be because they’re toys. Who’s to say, really? Between Buzz Lightyear and the Little Green Men, we get some fantastic space visuals throughout the films. Martians, Mars Attacks “Ack! Ack! Ack!” Who could ever forget the first time they heard the Martians speak in Mars Attacks? This movie was a wild ride from start to finish, with celebrities dropping like flies left and right, twists and turns and a particularly disturbing scene involving a finger and a fish tank. The Martians designs are based off a trading cards game from the 1980s and remain instantly recognisable years later. That and their disturbing way of communicating, the reversal of duck quacks achieving the disconcerting sound, makes them a must for this list. Throughout the course of the film their actions are shown to be downright despicable, making them one of the darker additions on this list. They are shown to experiment on humans and lure them in by the dozen just to exterminate them. Mars Attacks is the perfect mix of science fiction, pulpy horror and black comedy – all with a star-studded cast. But, the stars of the show? The Martians for sure. Everything about their design and characterisation is memorable, particularly the dressed-up alien sent to infiltrate the White House. There’s something very unnerving about seeing Lisa Marie Smith lurking around behind an unaware Martin Short.

Aliens, Independence Day “Y’know, this was supposed to be my weekend off, but noooo. You got me out here draggin’ your heavy ass through the burnin’ desert with your dreadlocks stickin’ out the back of my parachute. You gotta come down here with an attitude, actin’ all big and bad...” This is talking solely about the original film (as I haven’t seen the second. No Will Smith? I’ll pass)! The creepy squid looking aliens that appear to wreak havoc upon Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith. The aliens aren’t seen a whole lot, especially when compared to the others on this list. But, whenever they are on screen they manage to make an impression. In their limited screen time they completely obliterate the White House, choke and kill (sequel be damned) Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation and look incredibly strange whilst doing it. They terrified me as a child, mostly because the aliens I knew best accompanied a toy spaceman and cowboy. While these aliens arguably have the least amount of personality on this list, they are made more interesting because of the human’s interactions with them. Will Smith yelling at an unconscious alien in the desert isn’t an image I’ll forget easily. Even after having dealt with something literally out of this world, he’s annoyed to have missed a barbeque. What a legend. Writing this has made me want to rewatch everything on this list, how about you? Space might be terrifyingly vast, but it can’t be too terrible if some of these species are out there. Though, I’d prefer they leave the space guns at home. Ack! Ack! Ack!

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48 Photography/Artwork by Mey Wong