Korolev's Revenge

This is best assessment where human kind is headed. As a sci-fi tale in near future that on topic folks can digest and not sense preachy, space. Its exactly in line with BBC and frontline series https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62225696. Premise is like every major technological and cultural change almost always spear head by outgoing Asperger individuals and other gifted individuals. Example of huge list are Thomas Jefferson, Einstein, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Temple Grandin. As Grandin pointed out, these individuals are poorly adapted to social interactions, have to find methods, yet have ability to focus narrow areas and now dominate Computer industry and AI research. They are geeks, and often severely bullied by the trouble causing “Neurotypical.” Asperger individuals ID very much with Spock from Star Trek, and have a much more logic based approach. Important to note they tend to take expressions literally, which is one of many sources of humor in the story. At same time genetics have shown that natural selection has endowed natives of Tibet and less so of Andes ability to thrive with less than half oxygen and higher radiation levels than typical tall humans. Actually they are well adapted for space travel (Space gene) as humans can be, but the bias tend to keep them out. This trait makes them very short and they are likewise bullied. What happens when leader of NASA’s AI team for future MARS mission, undoubtedly bullied in youth Asperger, meets such a space gene individual who by her traits has developed skill set NASA desperately needs for MARS mission? Henry is a very tall awkward black Asperger who found a mentor in his youth and protected him steering him toward NASA AI which he was a protege. He is so tall his is often (cultural bias) mistaken for a NBA player. Quilla was very short, half his height, and extremely well adapted with tiny hands, stamina, to be a neurosurgeon in Peru. Like many surgeons, and those of Himalayas and Andes she was accomplished mountain climber and high altitude sail plane pilot (the real Perlan). There is lots of cultural emotions and name (Quilla a major Inca god) and fear she carries which become major wall on way to MARS and on MARS, plus bully chief MARS pilot and her come to near blows later on. When a Mars test vehicle breaks up and strikes her sailplane over the Andes, Quilla and Henry meet. Henry is fascinated with her and the plane and the dragon fly that landed on her shoulder. Actually Quilla has great perception and able to recruit (more shame him) him to take care of the plane wreckage that NASA caused. She gives payment of a flower. This all would come bear many times in story, as the solution for MARS manned mission yet the unimaginable cultural fear for Quilla. With Henry support Quilla is recruited for the MARS mission. Henry while in final phase of bringing the AI to life (SAINT), his dear mother is hit with a stroke, he and is sister are whisked away by protective NASA to her by helicopter over smoky Houston with Climate rioters setting fire to oil refineries below. At hospital Henry lets his boss know of Quilla, and in Asperger fashion internalizes his boss request to get in touch with her as being literal. So he set off to Peru to recruit her in busy Peru hospital not knowing a word of Spanish and after considerable comic confusion finally touches her. Quilla, seeing the flower in his open briefcase, bites her tongue being touched, and accepts his offer to go to Houston. There she meets the over the top Tex, chief MARS pilot, who shows considerable bigotry. Tex gained his position by influence of powerful corrupt lobbyist, but not without controlling Tex. In runup to meeting with TEX the story of devils curse of Korolev on Mars missions gets passed on to the lobbiest by a couple of Russian agents. Part of curse has come true, to demise of USSR, and where Russia and China are heading as far as space and power divulged, The scope and scale of corruption deepens. Three couples recruited for MARS mission being socially more stable in long isolation. Quilla and her quite husband, Tex and his colorful warm Dolly Parton wife, and a friendly Hawaiian and his loving independent Aussie wife. The Hawaii old academy buddy of Tex which shared youth misdeeds with TEX (which the lobbyist found and used to extort Tex) but the two been forever doing pranks on each other. Those pranks become a parallel element of the story. Life is rich in the spinning Mars bound spacecraft, Spinning to give gravity. At request of Quilla, a 7th member of the crew was added, Meteor, a very bright border collie dog, which quickly gets trained, loved and helps in zero G, Meteor, being a canary to health issues, dies on way to Mars. Crew devastated. Henry and the now alive SAINT AI computer uncover something deeper is amiss with the mission, SAINT, has figured this out, but being his dad (Henry) is a quite Asperger type, keeps it in mostly in till SAINT loses it and goes off line for a day, no one, even Henry, knows what its up to. (Making more baby SAINTS for one). They try to quietly fix the problem, but on decent the two American males both have Alzheimer episodes and the computers save the crew quietly. On Mars matters just degrade, and 3 astronauts die despite huge impressive resources built up by robots to protect delicate humans. NASA now looking for cover story and a way out. SAINT provides a path to save the program, at least they thought. NASA in desperation unleashed SAINT fully. SAINT saved Quilla and her dying husband, but it thinking logically like his Asperger dad, saw the emotional path humans would only lead to disaster. After the mission ended, NASA was in ruins, massive layoff. AI and humans teamed successfully to run programs companies, cities then states then whole world over a few years. Corrupt lobbyist exposed and eliminated. At end of story AI and humans in 300 years in future were in space ship going to an exoplanet. Last seconds a huge surprise.