I reached up to take Smudge from the canopy over the swing. He’d been perched upside-down, warding off the mosquitoes. I carefully set him inside his cage. The snapped bar from Kiyoko’s bullet had been soldered back into place, courtesy of Jason. “When we leave for New Millennium, will you keep an eye on things here?”

“Don’t I always?”

“Jason’s great, but he’s in over his head. Toby doesn’t understand what’s going on, and Jeneta understands too much.”

She started to hand Gutenberg’s autobiography back to me.

“I’ve read it too many times already.” Whatever happened, she would keep the book safe.

Nidhi stood and grasped my forearm. “Before you go, make sure you go outside with Lex. Watch her on the bike. I’ve found that people fight better when we’re reminded what we’re fighting for.”

RESEARCH PROPOSAL FOR MARTIAN COLONIZATION

By Jeneta Aboderin

Summary: I believe we can use libriomancy to build a human settlement on Mars.

Benefits: There are numerous benefits to building a human settlement on Mars.

1. Overpopulation. Earth has more than seven billion people. If we colonize other planets, we will reduce the population pressure on Earth.

2. Resources. According to Wikipedia, Mars has many valuable resources, including nickel, iron, and even gold. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_resources_on_Mars)

3. Species Survival. 66 million years ago, an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. Humanity has to be prepared for another such event. We have technology and magic to protect our planet, but if that fails, colonizing other planets will make sure human beings survive.

4. Safety. The first group of colonists would be libriomancers and Porters and magical inhumans, who are best equipped to survive the hostile environment of Mars. This would let these people escape persecution on Earth.

Requirements: The following technology and equipment would need to be created using libriomancy.

1. A spacecraft small enough to be made from a projected e-book. The spacecraft should have simple controls, a good fuel supply, enough room for a crew of at least 30 people, and enough speed to get to Mars quickly.

2. Right now, it takes ten minutes to send a signal to or from Mars. (https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/imp/faq.html) An ansible device from the works of Ursula Le Guin or another SF author would allow reliable, instantaneous communication between Earth and Mars.

3. Terraforming. Books should be reviewed to find the best terraforming technology that’s safe, efficient, and effective, with no damaging side effects.

4. Investigate the possibility of nanotech fabricators or other miniature construction robots to assist with the building process.

Once the colony is established, we could use a portal from Isaac Vainio’s Gateway Project to transport food, water, books, and other supplies.

It’s very important that a full electronic library be included with the initial shipment!

Proposed Colonists:

1. At least ten libriomancers, including one who can perform magic with e-books.