Orbit Into Night An Orion’s Arm future history image This is a follow up to previous posts linked here: After The Leaving … Approaching Contact, and Orion Rising. The Martian settlers left an Earth blasting the heavens with military, civilian, and commercial broadcasts. An Earth encircled by a galaxy of communications satellites. An Earth where industry and trade still lived – alive though near drowned. Statism threatening to mire whole economies … On return they find an Earth transformed. An Earth shrouded in near radio silence. Satellite network’s gone dark. Pitiful and few are broadcasts powerful enough to penetrate the lowering gloom. On orbit some reconsider contact: this was Earth far along the road to collapse. Reconnaissance images enforce the sense: they are as aliens, approaching an alien shore. Background Image is ISS024E013421 taken by a crew member of expedition 24. Credit: Image Courtesy of NASA, ISS expedition 24. All models are my own Bryce creations. As always thank you for your interest, thoughtful comments, and encouragement.