Orbital Velocity: a Prequel
Prologue

Author's note: This is not the exact same prologue as the one for In Tandem Orbit, so please forgive the parts that are the same.

In the year 2532 AD, the planet Paxum was colonized after the terraforming machine finished its work. Once barren stone, Paxum is now a lush, peaceful world free of racism, sexism, homophobia, or other sexuality or gender identity discrimination, body shame, and sex shame. Even discrimination against paedosexuals/paedoromantics ended, made possible by teaching kids over and over again the importance of consent and bodily autonomy. Therefore rape, and other forms of assault, are rare, and corrected when they occur by means of rehabilitation or neural pathway reconstruction, as the case requires, and respectful, consenting relationships between adults and minors is socially accepted. Children are also encouraged to experiment with gender expressions, to figure out if they are transgender or cisgender or something in between.

Paxum is also a post-scarcity world, using technology to provide all the essential worldly needs for all citizens and visitors, leaving most people free to pursue their own interests, whatever that may be.

Incest is not taboo on Paxum either, even if it produces children, for medical nanotechnology can fix genetic and non-genetic birth defects in utero, as well as correct DNA copy errors. Mutual love and respect is the highest law of the land.

We start our tale on Paxum, in the city of Lavernia, in the year 2902 AD, 12 years before Rianna Goode met Iris Zahane, at a house several miles from the house Rianna will live in 12 years from now...