Pod

Padliara Tenn took the stage to a standing room only crowd (with her hair in its long silver [signature] braid and mud on her boots). "I promise we'll get to the time travel stuff but, first, let's get our human lives in perspective." The room settled quickly from cheers to silence. "You are traveling the vast landscape of being in a pod of carbon experience. You are propelled forward in a unique and customized environment, self-contained and self-absorbed, attaching to others and building vast Habitrails of connection we call "community". You cannot win this game - the one you think we're playing because of your narrow scope and, conversely, you cannot lose it for you are building it as merrily we roll along." The ones with paper and pen were writing as fast as they could. "Because you are binge watching your own show, you cannot see the wonder of external programming that defines this channel, nor the breathtaking majesty of the others beyond it that are infinite in number." Many in the audience wiped a tear or two away. "Self-improvement is a distraction and self-esteem is irrelevant; you cannot help but grow and change and amaze all awake enough to see it. Trust me when I tell you that your potential, wherever you are and whatever you're doing or not doing, is limitless. This shit is four stars, my currently human podling friends; HIGHLY RECOMMEND." The place erupted, and stayed on the edge of jubilant insanity for hours. Tenn did go on to talk about time travel, and then went on to help NASA gets its crap together soon afterwards. There was a popular outcry for her to run for Earth Leader (Tenn in 3010), but she would have none of it. Instead, she bought a brewery, made Podling Porter, and died a zillionaire.