Folding space enables faster-than-light travel. The trick is to spread out, without losing touch with each other. Communication isn't instant, yet.

SYNOPSIS:

Roy Underwood likes to think of himself as a glorified switchboard operator. He helps to handle the network of hard-drive teleportation chambers, ensuring that Earth stays in contact with the asteroid mines, remote factories, and hydroponics facilities that nourish human civilization. He's also trying to pull off the feat of true linkage between the various settlements, allowing a real internet before Earth is used up.

The time limit isn't well-understood in its specifics, but everyone knows the ecosphere is groaning from the burden of human development. Interstellar colonization is crucial for the well-being of humanity and our cradle planet. But if that colonization comes with communication by shuttling hard drives full of data back and forth among Alpha Centauri, Gliese, and Sol, balkanization is all but inevitable.

That's something people won't stand for. Natural fragmentation is one thing, celebration of particular cultures, and the desire for independence. Falling apart because people are forced into silos by inadequate technology, that's just insulting. Insulting enough to drive the development of constant transmission among each cluster of humanity?

"My life's work is a stopgap measure. We need actual internet, instant connection from Sol to Alpha Centauri. We're not there yet. But we can make sure colonies are doing the equivalent of sending letters back and forth, nothing slower than that. This isn't the Oregon Trail, getting mail months later."