The Next Five Centuries

Event · event

The colony fleets

Five light seed ships at about 9% of light speed.

Read more in The long middle

The colony fleets (2470s). The Mandate sends three light seed ships, to Barnard's Star, Epsilon Eridani and Tau Ceti; Line money sends one to Teegarden's Star; the Belt Republic sends one to GJ 1002, beyond the reach of the Lifeboat Laws — a second scandal the Settlement can do nothing about. Array-powered lasers push all five to about 9% of light speed, and all must brake with fusion. None arrives before the 2540s (see Reaching outward).

Where it appears