SESSION SIX: ASPIRINIA
Once again, practice makes perfect when learning new skills.
In this session, you will work through a case study that will help you internalize and apply the concepts learned so far.
Decision Information
Introduction
You work for the Super Aeronautic Space Science Institute (SASSI for short). The group is international, but then, so is everything these days. The old concept of separate countries vying for their piece of Earth, wealth, and power has given way in the need for survival. You have been selected to be a part of a team of scientists and astronauts getting ready to leave Earth to explore Aspirinia, a moon that appears able to sustain life and currently orbits Earth with our original Moon.
Sounds like science fiction? Think again!
The year is 2111. A hundred years ago, there was a massive shift in space, and a catastrophic astronomical storm destroyed orbit patterns, sent moons and planets in unimaginable directions, and re-wrote the map of the universe. The storm pushed tens of thousands of pieces of rock and space junk into the asteroid belt. Many pieces burned through the outer edges of Earth’s atmosphere and crashed into Earth itself. Millions of people were killed in the constant showers of rock and minerals, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, and severe weather. Despite celebrating the birth of the seven billionth person in 2011, current census results indicate there are no more than one billion people left on the entire planet Earth.
In the destruction, many of Earth’s great scientific minds were killed. Air travel, cellular technology, the internet, and contact with other regions are all extremely limited, and very costly. Short-wave radios are most commonly used and Morse code is once again the language of the airwaves. Dirty water is a constant threat. Food is scarce and rationed everywhere. There is high security around technical installations and food and water treatment and preparation facilities. The greatest threat, however, is the cooling of the Earth’s core. An ice age is imminent.
As well, the moon Aspirinia that was once orbiting around Jupiter has broken away and now orbits Earth with Earth’s original moon. Earth’s own axis shifted by nine degrees, and Earth’s moon shifted so that 50 per cent of what used to be known as its dark side now faces the planet below.
One hundred years after The Shift, Earth’s fractured self is still adjusting to the changes. The ground is so unstable that earthquakes can no longer be differentiated from aftershocks in several regions. Areas that were at sea level before the shift are now underwater (perhaps permanently). Survivors have relocated themselves far inland, often living in family groups and tribes in small villages and learning to survive by practicing ancient techniques of water treatment, farming, and sustainability.
The surviving members of the science community were left with access to a multitude of information, and a possibly crazy idea. Aspirinia seemed to quickly stabilize when it took up position beside Earth’s original Moon, and has remained there. The question is: can it sustain life?
Before The Shift, SASSI was involved in a terramanipulation experiment on Earth’s Moon. The terramanipulation was an effort to make the moon livable for humans and animals. Scientists were able to manipulate and secure the moon’s gravitational pull, create thousands of hectares of farmable land, and generate drinkable water. They were in the process of completing the final touches on the ecosystem, complete with insects, birds, and farm stock, when The Shift hit and the project was abruptly ended. By the time The Shift finished its active phase, the Moon showed significant damage, with enormous craters and at least three cracks the size of Earth’s Grand Canyon. The scientists and settlers on the Moon all perished when the Moon’s gravitational pull returned to its pre-terramanipulation state.
Aspirinia, however, appeared to be another matter. It was significant enough to be a planet in its own right, judging by its size and composition. Positioned as the next-door neighbor to Earth’s Moon, scientists are confident that Aspirinia could be the savior they are looking for. At about two-thirds the size of Earth, Aspirinia shows evidence of plant growth and water on the surface at some time, and its gravity and placement have been consistent over the past 90 years or so. Could terramanipulation, once a story in science fiction tales but partially proven on Earth’s old Moon, be made to work? Could Aspirinia save humanity?