Encounters Out There

"The Martian terraforming operations are commencing," said a holo newscaster.

"Fools!" Marcia Gonzalez, a retired astrogeologist, shouted, "Trillions of dollars spent, and yet so many lives risked and lost to so-called terraform Mars."

"I thought you helped build that …" replied Jodie, her partner.

"I did until they 'encouraged me' to retire early."

"What trouble did you get into that time?" Jodie smiled.

"I advocated for space stations: mobile, fully controllable risk-free environments, conservation for planets, inexpensive, mass reproducible."

"And?"

"And … a CEO of a terraforming company whispered to me, 'You can't drill a space station, Ms. Gonzalez.'"