OK. I get to go first. So, obviously, I want to boldly go.

It’s equally obvious that I won’t get very far in a single lifetime with current technology.

So that leaves the boffins two jobs – develop a form of sleep/stasis/cryofreeze that will keep us alive for the period between stars and/or develop a quicker way to travel.

For the latter, I suggest Heim’s utilisation of gravitophoton travel thru another dimension.

http://www.hpcc-space.de/publications/documents/heim_staif2005-letter.pdf

A compromise would be the generational ship in which a community breeds down generations as they cross the void, but I admit to wanting to see for myself, not leave the experience to my great+-grandchildren.

What contribution will I make? Well, I’m really good at reading, writing & arithmetic & finance & administration as practised thru Office, good scientific overview if short on detail, animal-whisperer, but these may not be skills high on an astronaut’s cv. I tell a good tale, though, get logically impassioned, maintain professional attitude, multiversally-broadminded, well experienced & believe in thinking & testing over feeling & superstition. Could require fitness regime to make the cut though. Plus I’m not going unless we’re taking an ark, so they’ll need me.

(A)  Which historical character Earth could best do without?

It’s very hard to decide who has caused the most damage in history and would still be a useful crew member. Anyone too psychopathic you’d end up having to kill or be killed at some point.

If you’ve read my novels or the other group, you might think I’d go for Jesus, but I suspect the man, if he existed, was just a local crackpot, probably his mother’s fault telling him his father was god, and he wasn’t responsible for the 2000 years of ‘in his name’ atrocities.

Anyway, I’m not going for someone who damaged humans per se, but rather someone whose actions affected the planet. So my choice is Henry Ford, inventor of the mass-production car and all the destructive emissions that followed, but I bet he can organize a crew to get from A to B efficiently.

(B) Which historical character would contribute most towards a new Earth?

It’s almost as tough to find someone to admire with any talent in a world where hero status no longer has to be earned, except perhaps by the quality of one’s acting ability.

The obvious choice for me might be Einstein, but I’d expect to have a science dept packed with the current best & brightest in the field, many of whom will have thought longer & harder about his theories than he did.

If I’ve got a ship that dimensionally-jumps there need be no cut-off point of ‘recorded history’ at re-entry (if you get the co ordinates right in _ndimensions), so I’m going to go back tens of thousand years and kidnap a pregnant Neanderthal woman. No reason why I shouldn’t knock creationism on the head and broaden our genetic base and knowledge all at the same time.

(C) And for my dream team, I’m going fictional because I can’t imagine a bridge crew without Spock (Star Trek, Original Series) and Data (ST, Next Generation) as First and Science officers. For Security I’m torn between Ronon Dex (Stargate Atlantis) and the cute predator from AVP1 for muscular style and dreadlocks, maybe the latter can be Weapons. Communications can be handled by G’Kar (Babylon 5). For Navigation, Chewbacca (Star Wars) instead of Chekhov, with Helm Control under a Spacing Guild Navigator (Dune-Frank Herbert). And somebody’s got to fill Scotty & Geordie’s shoes in Engineering of course, possibly a Ringworld Engineer (Larry Niven) and in the circumstances, Dr Who (Patrick Troughton interpretation) should replace Bones in Sick Bay, because the Enterprise did set the team standards but were always a bit rubbish at time travel.

The computer can continue to be voiced by Majel Barrett, but as Lwaxana Troi, Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed (Star Trek NG), and, of course, I’m captain.

(D) Not a lot of female leaders in science fiction – so, for the same positions, the alternate Enterprise XX selection doesn’t resonate so much, so I am going to fill the posts with terrible scifictional women for the Endeavour colonists.

First officer post has to go to Ripley (Alien IV Resurrection) so she’s double bad mother. Science has to go to Replicator Carter (Stargate SG1).Weapons can be controlled by Servalan (Blakes 7) and Ahkna, Scarran War Minister (Farscape) can handle Security. Jenova (Final Fantasy) can stand in for Drs Who/Bones, should be excellent at exomicrobiology. Serleena (MIB2) for Helm Control (multitasking) with Alia Atreides (Dune-Frank Herbert) on Navigation.  And, for Mr Scot-comparable whimsy, Fairy Godmother (Shrek 11) for engineering. Mystique (X-Men) can be on Communications, although maybe best at body language.

The computer on t’other ship was female, so this one should be male – who else but James T Kirk, since yet again, I’m in the big chair.