Free Island Worlds by John Maddox Roberts, Eric Kotani

spikes and knobs. "Within a few years, the compact nuclear fission engine was perfected. At last, real exploitation and settlement of the solar system was a paying proposition." The perspective changed to a compressed solar system, with lights blossoming on Luna and Mars, then bright, circling dots as artificial colonies were built in orbit, then random lights among the asteroids. Last of all, small lights sprung up on the Jovian and Saturnian satellites.
    "Early expeditions were all sponsored by the governments of the technologically-advanced nations, led by the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. and closely followed by the Western European Consortium and Japan. As soon as the cost of space ships became low enough through mass production, giant private industries in the capitalist world began their ventures. When discarded spaceships, abandoned on the Moon or in orbit for economical or other reasons, became available for bargain prices, private entrepreneurs and special interest groups pooled their resources, bought ships and joined in the high adventure." Thousands of bright dots burst from Earth and sped to various destinations within the solar system.
    "And adventure it was, since the second-hand ships, many of them decades old by that time, were not nearly as reliable or as safe as they had been in government service. Many of the early second-stage expeditions simply were never heard from after leaving Earth or Lunar orbit. That grim fact didn't slow the tide. Religious and political splinter groups left Earth by hundreds, fleeing political repression or moral contamination, or just looking for a good place to practice their way of life without interference or distraction. Many of these early ventures based themselves on the various satellites, but these remained dependent upon Earth for many essentials. When it was established that some asteroids were rich in hydrocarbons, quasi-self-supporting island colonies became a practical proposition." Now lights were leaving the Moon, Mars and many satellites, headed for the Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
    "Concurrent with these developments was the perfection of the long-anticipated medium of holographic reproduction. With its unprecedented apparent realism, it was a quantum jump in communication technology, as superior to television as television had been to rock-painting. I say apparent realism because the holographic medium, coupled with the concurrently-developed technology of computer imaging, is able to present images of such detail and such apparent solidity that an effect of incredible realism is achieved, even though the subject may be entirely imaginary. For instance, the image of the solar system you see now looks quite realistic, whereas in reality it is as stylized as an Egyptian hieroglyphic.
    "Because of this spurious impression of realism, there is a tendency among the mass audience to accept anything they see in the holos as fact. This was not lost upon the propagandists of the time. In democratic nations, there was a rush of legislation to prevent seekers of public office from using computer-enhanced holos to present a deceitful image, but these measures were almost universally struck down on grounds of interfering with rights of free speech. Ancient political hacks began appearing on holovision with young, handsome faces, perfect physiques and resonant, confidence-inspiring voices, just as your humble presentor has used the same technology to present an older and more dignified appearance than he is entitled to by nature, along with a similarly melifluous voice." The image returned to Fu in his mandarin getup and fairytale surroundings. He gestured with his long-nailed hands toward his environment. "All of this is illusion. I am illusion. And thus, holovision has become the most potent tool for controlling the mass perception of reality ever to fall into the hands of propagandists.
    "By the nineteenth century the importance of the popular media in gaining mass support