14
Technological progress lies on a foundation of the follies of the dead. Social system collapse, maintenance drift, chronic resource shortage…There are plans to tackle all of these.
"Let's hope you're right," Kosmo says as you explain your position. Kosmo turns to the door. "Oh! Here they all come," he says.
The room fills up with various stakeholders in the mission. Scientists, engineers, administrators, and colonists-to-be. The last month has been like this. Hundreds of myriad details to organize around what and whom to bring. You're reaching the final stages of the planning phase now.
Kosmo gives an autotuned cough and the room quietens. "Let's see what's on the agenda today…Protests, animals, the therapist, then breaking for lunch." He turns to you for a moment. "After lunch, we'll go sort the botanist twin hire and then we'll all meet back up for the supply rocket tour in the afternoon. First, the issue of the opposition."
He brings up a handful of images on the tablet. A rally at the National Mall, petitions to the G81 summit, sabotage at one of the rocket supplier's plants, and the disappearance of Manley Thompson, one of the would-be colonists.
"Not everyone is happy about us going to Europa," says Kosmo.
"We've got some surplus budget for media that we could use to do something," says the U.E. astronaut Virginia Rein.