Mackenzie King

Mackenzie King was a recruit of Athena Astronautics that kept a blog from October 24, 2004 to November 24, 2004, when she terminated the journal. She is 34 years old, from London, UK, and has graduated from Oxford University with degrees in biology and astronomy. Her astrological sign is Scorpio and her Zodiac year is Rabbit.

She kept a blog on Blogspot.com, which is still available, even though the Athena Astronautics site is not.

My first entry
Sunday, October 24, 2004 at 11:21 AM Being recently accepted into Athena Astro's training program, I've decided to chronicle my training routines and experiences.

Needless to say, the training will be excrutiating [sic], a full two years, perhaps three.

Training Begins
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at 4:29 PM Orientation was surprisingly and mercifully short. William Davenport gave a wonderful lecture on the potential of the human species peppered with personal opinions on the phenomenology of human consciousness and its implications as we move into the new century. I admit, I was fascinated.

Athena only has a dozen 2004 recruits. We come from unusual paths. One of us is a former military police lieutenant. Another, an astrophysicist, and still another the expected Air Force pilot. The most peculiar of the group had to be Georgia McHenry, a former private investigator and bounty hunter (that last one I can't confirm). All in all, the women are congenial; we share the same dream.

Curriculum for the next four months is as follows:

NASA History Astrophysics

Astro-navigation

Flight Theory and Practice

Philosophy/Humanities

Physics

Astronomy

A rather unusual set of courses for astronaut training, nothing like what NASA pilots receive. It may be a product of Davenport's desire to challenge accepted methods of training. Some of our instructors are former members of the NASA astronaut core.

The Dark
Tuesday, November 02, 2004 at 2:15 PM When I was child I was always afraid of the dark; a typical response for a young mind new to the world, unaware of what stirred behind the rustling trees.

My mother spun tails of ghosts, vampires, and goblins aplenty. Of course, it didn't help that she was, and is, an accomplished author of horror novels.

I reluctantly surrender to this journal my Achilles heel -- I'm still afraid of the dark. This quiet fear boiled to the surface when I and another recruit were locked in a simulation capsule for 72 hours as part of our training.

Something unexpected happened on the exercise -- we were commanded by our instructors to photograph anomalies (computer generated) that we might locate.

I did as instructed and the photos were developed. My instructor showed me what my camera had captured -- mostly artifacts, debris, etc. nothing special. What was the purpose of the exercise?

My instructor wouldn't tell me, but offered that I must write a report of the objects found and enter them into my logbook for further analysis.

Bizarre
Wednesday, November 03, 2004 at 1:38 PM Just a few notes today. A heavy load of training awaits me for the next twenty-four hours. Serena Vonda, a second year recruit, told me this blog is getting some attention from UFO fantatics.

Naturally, I have nothing against them, or this Samantha Manus, but I think she might want to revisit Falken and take some courses in physics and astronomy.

Channel51.org is worth a chuckle or two...

Today’s Training
Wednesday, November 03, 2004 at 4:17 PM I didn't expect to make another entry, but Mr. Davenport is encouraging me to do so. Today I attended an orientation class 0n advanced weapons systems.

I can't divulge what kind of equipment I will be trained to use come September, 2005 (that's when phase one of my space flight simulation training concludes), but I was never comfortable with the idea of handling weapons as part of astronaut training.

I asked Mr. Davenport why weapons training.

"Do you, in your heart of hearts, believe we're alone?" he retorted. I surrendered a, "No."

"Then isn't it entirely possible we may one day encounter a hostile species? Better to be prepared."

All I can say about the weapons we'll be operating is that they are apparently fifty years ahead of what is currently issued to today's military. How Mr. Davenport acquired access to these remains equally classified. I respect his opinion, but I can't help but be concerned.

Athena seems like something different than what I signed up for.

Secrets
Friday, November 05, 2004 at 3:36 PM I've just poured over Samantha Manus's Channel51.org site. She seems to be a very balanced human being, concerned about her survival and its readily apparent that she's frightened. The question remains whether her evidence is genuine or a hoax. If I didn't believe in the existence of extraterrestrial intelligences, I wouldn't be here. To believe we are alone in the Universe is to believe the stars are just pinholes in the curtain of night (I heard that last part in a movie, heh).

But I couldn't help but ponder Samantha's suspicions that something is rotten inside Athena Astro. The capsule simulation and weapons training are far-fetched as it is, but I accept them as part of our curriculum -- Mr. Davenport is quite serious about pushing the human race into the next level of evolution, a position I take myself for my part.

Who are the three individuals she mentioned? I admit, our board of directors remains a nameless entity, but I really didn't give them much thought. Tomorrow I'll ask Mr. Davenport about them.

I know... I really shouldn't be writing these thoughts in a public blog, but I was instructed to record every thought, feeling, and opinion that crossed me. I only hope mentioning Channel 51 doesn't put me in hot water.

Oh, something else to note today. A lot of new faces in the corridors.

Evolution
Sunday, November 07, 2004 at 4:53 PM Will the human race choose to evolve or experience a die back? I choose the former. More on this later. Just got called to the mess hall.

Evolution (Cont’d)
Sunday, November 07, 2004 at 8:41 PM Side Bar: Confirmed. New faces have been haunting Athena's halls, focused primarily in the east wing. Mr. Davenport won't advise us who they are, but several of us believe they're government officials researching the facility. One core member, Mori Sabb, told me the suits are part of a recruitment program for a classified mission. Forgive the outburst... but I'll believe it when I see it.

Evolution

Humans, by nature, have a desire to improve themselves. Advances in technology and modern philosophy are testament of the enduring struggle to understand ourselves, or, as one professor described, "The goal of fully embracing and accepting the phenomenon of human existence."

And what a phenomenon it is. Since the age of fourteen I've believed we are of two worlds. My training at Athena has put in stark perspective that we live in a culture where wonder and fear of the unknown live side by side -- two worlds in a constant state of war. The greatest threat is if our world of fear consumes the other. We have to fight our own doubts, the voice that taunts us with, "There's nothing beyond what you know to be the truth. You are alone."

To accept this as truth is to live in stasis. We must step into the dark, travel through its many doors, its wastes, and its bogs and defeat the enemies of our own creation.

A species that does not evolve, dies. This is the natural order of life. I choose to evolve.

Strangers
Monday, November 08, 2004 at 2:55 PM

Just a short post now. Mr. Davenport's reaction to my question about the "visitors" in the east wing was met with silence and a smile. Really none of my business anyway.

I have to laugh. If Samantha Manus is reading my blog, she probably will chalk this one up as another conspiracy.

Iris
Friday, November 12, 2004 at 8:15 AM

Haven't posted for days as you know. I've discovered something about Athena Astro that Samantha Manus might find useful. I need to contact her.

A lot more is going on at Athena Astro than you know.

I'll try to post if I can, but I may need to start another blog at a more obscure site.