An astronaut sits in the perverse solitude of a spaceship hurtling to Mars or... somewhere. But we&rsquo;re all on a journey with uncertain ends, what matters is the journey, right?<br />For as much as there might be glory in heroic outcomes, John K Mercury isn&rsquo;t focused on endgames. He&rsquo;s focused on the moment. His journey is riddled with sad reflections and hopeful epiphanies, an existential joyride in search of meaning. Who is John K &ndash; a loveless misanthrope or a bot reaching for what it is to be human?&nbsp;<br />Does it matter?<br /><b>JOHN K &ndash; I am on a road trip to Mars</b>&nbsp;is a black comedy asking big questions. It&#39;s a bedtime story, a&nbsp;meditation that doesn&rsquo;t presume to know, but presumes to ask &ndash; an encouragement for all of us who find ourselves exhausted by the constant unraveling of things we can&rsquo;t control.<br />&ldquo;The notion of other worlds, of other populations is thought-provoking given my antipathy for the word &lsquo;population.&rsquo; Am I escaping anything? Do I only shun the company of humans or would I find other species equally reprehensible? Why have I always felt like an alien among strangers?&rdquo;&nbsp;<b>John K. Mercury</b>