Evolution

by Grey Rollins

Illustration by Ron Chironna

The short but brutal war with Brazil was over. In its wake, disoriented survivors stumbled back to the blackened skeletons of their homes. Food was scarce. Antibiotics were nonexistent. Potable water was a precious commodity.

The worst part was that there was little anyone could do to help.

Wars typically stimulate the economy. First an influx of money comes from the government as industries transport the mobilized forces, gear up for production of guns and ammunition, and provide care for the wounded. Then, with the cessation of hostilities, come contracts for rebuilding: concrete, wire, paint, and nails become the order of the day. Industry shifts from producing the tanks used to destroy, to building the bulldozers necessary to push aside the debris.

Unfortunately, the war with Brazil left no such legacy of prosperity. It had not lasted long enough to require sustained industrial effort. Unlike their neighbors to the south, the United States government never officially declared war. Congress had never allocated money to pay for the war effort.

The hoped-for economic growth based on rebuilding never materialized either. The victimized countries were too poor to manage it on their own, and the nominally more prosperous nations were mired too deeply in depression to help.

The Lunar colonies largely escaped the crippling economic woes that ravaged Earth. By forcing the closing of the Holmes Door which linked Crisium to New York, Commissioner Alan Lister had insulated Luna from the disastrous market crash and the economic collapse that had followed. During the worst of the calamity, Luna had declared independence. It had been granted almost by default. It would cost too much to force them back into the fold.