
[2273-2334  Problems in Space]

To the exasperation of scientists, not all of humankind's efforts
in space were fruitful. A combination of inexplicable failures
and oversights gave pause to the U.N. space program while
corporations continued to rush ahead. The first signs that Man
had reached his limit was in 2273 when Femm Biolabs announced its
latest breakthrough in the engineering of artificial organisms by
unveiling a whole host of Martian settlers. Although the line
proved extremely beneficial in the early terraformation efforts,
the organisms proved unreasonably hardy and became a bane to the
settlers during the late 23rd century when predatory organisms
were called in to check the population of the pests. The
situation fell entirely out of hand during the early 24th century
as predatory Martian beetles would burrow through the foundation
of domed settlements, exposing the colonists to the hazards of
vacuum.

   In 2306, reports from Alpha Centauri confirmed that Man had
overstepped his bounds when Terran bacteria began running amok in
the fragile, alien ecosystem. By the late 20's, the Terran
bacteria had completely usurped their indigenous rivals.

   The final boot fell in 2334, when the UNS Halifax suffered a
catastrophic failure of its hydrofunnel during a routine survey
mission of the interstellar hydrogen clouds around the solar
system. The crew decided by lots who would undergo cryogenic
freezing, hopefully to be later rescued, while the losers
sustained themselves for several years, finally resorting to
cannibalism as their nutrition supplies became exhausted.

