The President sells NASA and the lunar platinum mines to the Chinese to relieve American debt. Explorers on Mars sabotage their forced return and attempt to establish a colony. Moonbase engineers and settlers build a ship from empty tanks and local equipment. They travel to Mars to join the colony, but the Chinese catch and attempt to stop them.
In 2073, America is wracked with continued financial decline from pandemic infections, a long stream of middle east wars, disappearing manufacturing, and heavy automation of all facets of society including sales, teaching, transportation, and technology, and more. America’s newly elected President has vowed to eliminate expenses such as NASA’s space station, Moon base, and Martian expeditions.
On Mars, someone sabotages the landers necessary to carry two teams of explorers to orbit for their return to Earth. They know Washington intends to end the program and bring they all back and would rather attempt a colony on Amazonis Planitia.
When Moon base and American space station astronauts learn, a ship is coming to return the settlers to Earth, they rebel. Lunar engineers have been building a huge ship using discarded fuel tanks and Moon base equipment. Space station personnel commandeer the military ship, load up and travel to the Moon. There, soon-to-be-evicted pioneers join them aboard the amalgamated ship, Moonbird. Rather than return to Earth, they travel to Mars to join the marooned explorers, but two military ships are coming to force them home.
L. K. Pinaire 