space-industrialization

This chapter explores the use of mined-out asteroids and other celestial bodies as prisons for humanity's criminals, transforming them into isolated habitats in orbit around Earth or in cometary orbits. It details the evolution from early mining and habitation efforts to the development of 'brute orbits' as a form of life imprisonment without parole, highlighting the social, political, and ethical implications of exiling convicts far from Earth. The narrative also reflects on the failures and consequences of this system, including prison breaks, public reactions, and the moral dilemmas surrounding justice and punishment in space.

In this chapter, Geoffrey and his companions arrive at a submerged launch facility on Tiamaat, where they observe a massive surface-to-orbit lifter fueled by metallic hydrogen (MH). The chapter details the extreme challenges and dangers of using MH as rocket fuel, including its production, metastability, and the necessity of dilution with liquid hydrogen for safety. The narrative ends with the revelation that alongside human passengers, a mysterious living cargo pod is being prepared for launch.