January Meme: Adventure in Time and Space to Accept or Decline

[selenak]

Given all space and time, and all history and fiction, which offer of adventure would you be most likely to accept - and which one would you definitely decline? ffutures asked.

Well, I'm tempted to say "none, because I'm chicken and would rather read about those adventures than experience them". But that would be a boring answer, and there are some which don't carry the risk of dying of smallpox or being turned into a Cyberman, one presumes. So, let's see....

Fictional: To get the obvious out of the way first: assuming that I'd live in a universe with the Doctor in it for real (the only universe worth thinking about, according to the Master, who ought to know), and that I would not live in one of those eras where one can google at least asome appearances of his which ought to give me an inkling about the risk travelling with him involves... I think I'd say yes if 'Thirteen offered me a trip with the TARDIS. She's not my favourite Doctor, but she conveys trustworthiness if she wants to, and even if I did manage to look up her companions, thehir rate of not just survival but lack of heartbreak (Yaz always excepted) at the end of their travels with her is promising. Most of the other Doctors would in real life make me think "nah, you seem to be interesting and/or crazy, but I wouldn't trust you to bring me home again".

I would definitely say no to Gandalf. Especially if I were in Bilbo's position. Firstly, stagemanaging an intrusion by loads of uninvited guests is just rude, and secondly, no way you're getting me anywhere near a real life dragon to be torched. No thank you. And that's before we're talking about the travel conditions. I can't ride, and while I do like long hikes, taking these in eras where I could get eaten by trolls... no, really not. I'm just not Burglar material.

Real: If I was dared as Nellie Bly was to travel around the world in 80 Days a la Jules Verne, with a newspaper paying for it, absolutely, I would have tried my best.

Would not have joined: any expedition involving the Artic. I like snow in winter, and I also like to ski, but I like it with the perspective of afterwards returning my heated apartment and being able to take a luxurious long hot bath. Not from the perspective of someone looking for the North West Passage on a sailing boat in the 18th century or someone racing to the Pole in the 20th century. I like my limbs unfrozen and uneaten, thanks.


The other days

Comments

Going on an Adventure with Gandalf vs. the Doctor

[shadowkat]

Regarding Gandalf vs. the Doctor? At least if you took an adventure with the Doctor, the Doctor stuck with you throughout (well for the most part, there are exceptions - depended largely on which Doctor you went with. I'd have avoided 10 and 11 for example.) And the Doctor was far more dependable and reliable (again depends on which one). Gandalf has a tendency to take off somewhere in the middle or disappear and leave you to your own devices, and often doesn't even bother to return to check up on you.

I'm not sure Gandalf gave either Frodo or Bilbo much choice in the matter. Samwise did have a choice. But Frodo and Bilbo not so much.

No, if I saw Gandalf coming in my general direction? I'd run in the opposite direction. Or try to hide, which admittedly is hard to do with a Wizard or Gandalf.

I'm not sure I could avoid the Doctor either - but they generally speaking gave their companions a choice.

Re: Going on an Adventure with Gandalf vs. the Doctor

[selenak]

To be fair, Gandalf "only" manoeuvred Frodo into bringing the Ring from the Shire to Rivendell. Frodo volunteering to carry the Ring from Rivendell to Mordor was Frodo's choice, for which there would have been alternatives. Still, I'm with you - I'd run into the opposite direction when seeing Gandalf.

Re: Going on an Adventure with Gandalf vs. the Doctor

[shadowkat]

Yeah, that's true - Frodo did volunteer after that - but he'd also been with the ring a bit by then, so less willing to thrust it onto someone else. I felt sorry for Frodo, once he took on the burden of the ring - he was pretty much doomed.

[ffutures]

Thanks! Interesting that you picked the same two to avoid that I did - anything involving Sauron, Smaug or the One Ring is definitely on my "nope" list, and having just read The Ministry of Time, which has a lot about polar expeditions of the 19th century, I agree that it's preferable to keep fingers, arms, legs, etc.

Not sure I agree about the Doctor - time travel seems to be VERY dangerous, so I wouldn't readily sign on for it. Ditto anything whatever in the International Rescue universe, But I wouldn't say no to a nice comfortable galactic cruise with the Culture.

Not sure what I would go for in the real world - I have phobias (especially heights and crowds) which make a lot of things very difficult, and a total lack of talent for languages. But I'm planning on going to Spain for the total eclipse later this year, and if for any reason that doesn't come off I'll hopefully go to somewhere along the route of the 2027 eclipse, which will be even better for gawkers like me.

Historically, I would have loved to fly on one of the big airships, which I think wouldn't have triggered my fear of heights too badly, but preferably a flight that isn't destined to fall out of the sky...