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Before I came, I read many books on space and space exploration. But I am no engineer -- outside of a skill with tools -- no physicist nor mathematician. So most of the technical stuff I read escaped my grasp.

I did learn enough to dig with a laser, knowing that hot light would melt and seal and make my refuges air tight. I did learn about mechanical air locks, and I became skilled on the lathe.

But of the books I read, only two came with me.

First came the denizens of Square Toe County, where it is possible for the portly proprietor of a local diner and a scientifically-minded spinster to travel to the Moon and back, hitching a ride on a rocket blasting off from the local spaceport. That from an era where it was assumed that anyone would be capable and allowed to travel on the regular milk runs to the colonies far above.

Second came the girl and her dog, who with a caluclator and microwave oven found the tesseract that took them into space without ticket or training or special equipment. There they found occupants of a planet generally aware of an alien in their midst but also generally preoccupied with theor own affairs to fuss overmuch about otherworldy visitors.

That is the space I know. That is the space I envision.