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Frank3634 OP t1_j2eek9y wrote

Reply to comment by bigcup321 in Question about Travelers by Frank3634

>If they have to remember to call each by their host name in public and traveler numbers in private, that means that they get a lot of time practicing using traveler numbers out loud to each other.

Huh? But why traveler #s? Don't they have real names in the future? Like they would ever answer to what is your name with "4532" I don't think so.

I am talking about an actual name, didn't they have these in the future? How would a human in the present know what a travel number is?

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bigcup321 t1_j2eik8n wrote

Was your whole question really supposed to be about their future names?

It looks like everybody understandably took your main question to be what you actually started with, "Why do the travelers keep the names of their host bodies?" plus "I understand when interacting with people from the present. Why keep the ruse amongst themselves?"

The part about future names seemed easy to overlook if you're assuming that all of the questions were supposed to be ways to elaborate on a single topic of the value of sticking only to the host name in all situations.

Forgetting all that and just addressing future names, in season 3, episode 9, "David asks Mac what his real name is, in the future. Mac gives Marcy the side eye for letting David know about the future- maybe there’s still time to give him some memory serum before he dies. But he tells David his name is 3468" (quote from a recap).

There's no reason for Mac to lie, though logically we can't rule it out. Barring any further clues, it does seem like Mac's only future name is this number. I'm not aware of there being any official explanation, but if I had to write the backstory on that, I'd guess travelers would probably be required to abandon their original lives and identities in service of the program because they needed to be ready to become the host identity as much as necessary without distraction or conflict created by clinging to any past names, ties, or habits. Assigning a number instead of a name would be one way of maintaining clear identification without reminding them of their original lives.

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Frank3634 OP t1_j2ej52m wrote

The question is pretty straightforward.

​

>I'd guess travelers would probably be required to abandon their original
lives and identities in service of the program because they needed to
be ready to become the host identity as much as necessary without
distraction or conflict created by clinging to any past names, ties, or
habits.

Best answer so far. Was this given in the show. If not a misfire for the series.

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bigcup321 t1_j2eklg0 wrote

If your question is why travelers used host names among themselves even when no people from the present were around, it is straightforward.

Otherwise, the fact that everyone was answering the above question instead of what you actually wanted to know proves that your question was not straightforward.

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Frank3634 OP t1_j2ekqxj wrote

It was, but I guess not for you.

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bigcup321 t1_j2esd0l wrote

100% of respondents thought you were asking why travelers use host names even among themselves when no one else is around.

Was that your question?

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BeautifulHindsight t1_j2ehkir wrote

Wow lmfao

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