Terraforming

"Have you heard the latest? New species, humans, bought a completely worthless system. No gas giants as far as the telescopes can see."

"Aww those poor new species, never know what they get."

"No that was the strange part, they specifically requested this system. Even called it a bargain."

"Why? Wasn't it the old same; weak sun, no asteroid belt?"

"Yea but apparently the humans liked a couple of the planets."

"Planets? No one in their right mind wants those. Asteroid belts, gas giants and big suns, that's were the money is. Don't they know that? What will they do with it?"

"Beats me but I will keep an eye on it. Hey are you going to see that game this weekend?"

"Nah, I will pass. See you later!"

"Later!"

 

"Oh oh, you wont believe this!"

"Some new species gotten sold an even more worthless systems than the humans last month?" That would be a tough one to beat. After all, weak sun, no asteroid field and no gas giants, what were there left to take away? Selling the void in between the stars?

"No, the humans are terraforming."

"Don't be silly, that take ages, resources expanded are too big to ever... it's just silly. Were did they even get that idea from?"

"That's not the part you wont believe."

"Really? Cause I don't really believe that first part."

"They have already settled them! On one of them they had to use airships, cause the surface would just melt anything they put down there."

"...you can't be- What kind of hellish creatures are they?" For his internal mind pictures of enormous creatures towered above him, with skin as thick as walls, spitting acid and stomping around.

"Don't know, I have requested some images from an... associate, of mine. It's so exiting! Don't you think?"

"Come on now, it's unbelievable for a reason." Man he really wanted that photo evidence, might just be someone pulling a prank. "If it's true, and I'm not saying it is. How long do you think they will last before they give up?"

"Not for long that's for certain, a bit sad."

"There, there, it's still not as sad as you must have been after that spanking your team got last month. If I remember correctly."

"Hey, you said you wasn't going to watch that one."

"Not with you, no. I know how you become when your team loses, and I do not want to be anywhere near that meltdown. And this was a sure defeat, sorry to rub it in your face." He managed to make a face that at least suggested that he was trying to look sad.

"Harsh man, harsh. Anyway, see you later."

"See ya!"

 

"The pictures are here!" His friend screamed, as he ran down the corridor down to his office. A binder in his hands.

"Take it easy, what with the archaic format?"

"These things are not easy to get you know. Were not supposed to interact to much with never species, giving them ideas and stuff. Remember that guy that passed himself of as a god?"

"Fine, but couldn't they at least be digital."

"Part of the deal, but look!" He opened the binder and pulled out some large folded A3 pictures.

"Wow, these are huge!"

"Why are you always impressed by the smallest of things. Look at the pictures you doofus!"

"Are these strange bipedal things the building robots?" Looked so tiny and weak, probably meant to fit in narrow spaces. Seemed optimized for climbing and versatility over anything else.

"Those are the humans, look here is one without the environmental suite!" Those were the humans? So feeble, didn't even have proper thick skin or fur!

"Those things look like they would blow apart at a light breeze. How do they do it?"

"Come on, look. Environmental suits, all of them purposed made for a specific environment. Look here, not even pressurized." That was the planet with the acid rain? That melted everything they sent down? It looked quite nice actually, wouldn't mind a vacation there. Although living there would probably not be all fun.

"Alright I have seen your pictures, I need to work. Can I take another look at them later?" They did look really cool.

"Boring, fine! I need to show the entire accounting apartment anyway. Want to see their eyes exploded when they think about the risk calculations." He ran off, almost bouncing of the walls.

Did the humans have any hotels among the airships? It did look fantastic. Just a quick check, then back to work.

 


 

A bit inspired by the hypothetical plans for colonizing Venus. Also terraforming really is extremely resource intense and time consuming. Most processes will take millions of years, if you want to avoid pumping enough heat into the planet to cause a truly hellish landscape (transportation, chemical processes, etc. cause a lot of heat, even as a indirect effect).

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