I think we need some excitement. We’ve gotten lazy, moribund, lackadaisical, and lacking in purpose.
Weak.
Here we are, out here in the Asteroid Belt, leaking out our precious, irreplaceable life essences, and exposed to the risks of catastrophic failure from every direction. We’ve maintained a constant meteor watch for two years, and have had to keep our “Topsy”-Turning world patched up with diminishing resources all the while.
We surrounded an asteroid, parking on it in order to extract its metals and other materials, and we’ve had to work hard to do it.
And even with the hard work we’ve been getting increasingly poisoned by ionizing radiation against which we are inadequately shielded. Not only that, but we have also been losing bone integrity and muscle tone in the reduced artificial gravity we spin in.
We need a break.
.
So I’ve been doing some heavy thinking.
No, I don’t want to increase our rotation speed. That would probably be wasted effort. We’d just be spinning our wheels.
No, I think we need to re-think what we’re doing out here. If you’ll recall, a small group of us went to the moon, leaving a contingent of spider-robots to work on establishing a support base there. That was interesting and useful.
We also visited Mars and set up a colony there. Yes, they are doing quite well, but working very hard.
And for far too long, we’ve been working on this pitiful lump of rock, Plymouth, trying to eke valuables out of it.
But during this time, we’ve been ignoring something.
.
There is a place, not too far away, where the temperature is warm, and you don’t have to worry about explosive decompression from a meteorite puncture.
Where energy is plentiful, even with simple photocells.
Where ordinary houseplants and grass can help you convert the surrounding materials into life-friendly substances.
Nope.
Not Earth.
.
But you’re getting warmer.
.
Venus.
Venus is hot!
Venus is sexy, Milo!
Better watch out - those fracking Venusians will kick your asteroids from here to eternity if you’re not careful...
Likes the idea of being suspended from a non-flamable substance one can breathe in an emergency, rather than being suspended below a flammable substance that is needed to keep you up in the burning container ...
Now. Jest who gets the sci-fi story writes for those trapped back on earth?
“So I’ve been doing some heavy thinking.”
I think you misspelled “drinking.”