Strains

We must devise social adaptations to convert old terrestrial society to new cælestial society, that can thrive in void. First we must remove all existing adaptation for survival in cities, to get a clean interface for the new adaptations. Those, that did not, all died out within a century After·Collapse. The survivors then began to thrive, mostly. The border·line cases have been in a holding pattern that after a quarter century begins to show signs of decline.Definition #5: Strain is damage or injury due to over·exertion or abuse. The strains inflicted by the one crisis will not impede th'arrival of the next.This is the story of Darwin's auxiliary as·well·as Habitat Inconstant Moon, Verona Void·Ship·Yard and th'intial migration to Jovian moon Callisto. It's #5 of the Strains series, a late prequel to #1 Above the Sun. Like the rest of the series, it's set among the few surviving habitats scattered thinly across th'inter·planetary void in the aftermath of the collapse of civilization and near·extinction of humanity.Stylistically the Strains series is unique, an experimental hybrid genre all its own, the details of which are discussed in th'introduction to volume #1. It's theoretically possible to read the series out of order, but not recommended.Terran evolution is poor preparation for life in void, and advanced civilization is even poorer. Those marooned between the planets must evolve their society and their technology simultaneously while addressing multiple threats: 1) The radiation levels are too high. 2) There are no minor accidents, any little slip can wipe out an entire habitat. 3) To have any hope of long·term survival, the population must increase rapidly. 4) Terran civilization begins to recover and will surely intrude, bearing the logical equivalents of wampum and fire·water. 5) While all others have continued to increase, a reclusive subset of cælestial society has recently dropped from 5 habitats down to 4, and no·one knows how best to respond. Et cætera.Despite all that, and because of it as·well, it's a great place to grow·up in, especially for the mid·kids – ie, kids in the 3rd quarter of childhood. It's all for them, and all they need do to deserve it is to change, to evolve, but fast, and never stop. None·the·less some adults do occasionally try to stop them, or at·least slow them down. No·one ever tries it twice.REQUIRES COLOR. Strains is a research project, to find 1 solution to 2 problems: 1) Save th'Earth from humanity. 2) Save humanity from humanity. Not as easy as it sounds. We can solve the 1st one by destroying humanity – working on it. We can solve the 2nd one by destroying th'Earth. Actually, no, that won't work, yet it's been our consistent approach thus·far. Also, that's 2 solutions, and we need to solve both with just 1, so as to avoid th'added burden of deconfliction, which would any·way fail. Not easy, yet the solution is simple, even obvious, to an outsider. No·one can believe it, because no·one will even consider it. So the 1st step is to trick us all into thinking th'unthinkable. No problem, we do that all the time. Just present it as fiction. After all, so much fiction already gets presented as research results, and turn·about is fair·play, so . . . Actually, better make it sci·fi. Just as well – saves having to apologize for all th'unorthodoxies. Non·standard fiction vs accepted reality . . . Faites vos jeux.