Orbital Decay by Allen Steele
Orbital Decay is a science fiction novel by Allen Steele that focuses on the lives of blue-collar workers stationed in space, particularly aboard Olympus Station, also known as "Skycan." The narrative is delivered by Sam Sloane, a computer expert who reflects on his experiences as he faces mortality on the lunar surface. The story captures the struggles and camaraderie of a diverse crew, including a former biker, a shrimp fisherman with a troubled past, and a hydroponics engineer who introduces a controversial element of recreational marijuana into their work environment.
As boredom and low morale plague the workers, they encounter a pressing danger when they learn about a secretive communications network called Big Ear, which is linked to the National Security Agency (NSA). The crew's desire to protect personal freedoms drives them to devise a plan to sabotage this surveillance system. Through a series of tense and dramatic events, the characters navigate themes of trust, heroism, and resistance against authoritarian control. The novel combines elements of humor and suspense while exploring the human side of those who venture into the cosmos to build a better future.
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Orbital Decay
First published: 1989
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—extrapolatory
Time of work: 2016
Locale: Olympus, a space station orbiting Earth
The Plot
Allen Steele’s first novel, Orbital Decay, immediately established him as a major science-fiction writer. Recalling the early Robert A. Heinlein in his devotion to common people and their everyday lives, Steele describes a rambunctious team of blue-collar space workers primarily interested in surviving their work shifts, making money, and having fun whenever they can. When the occasion arises, they prove capable of extraordinary heroism. The story is narrated by computer expert Sam Sloane as he lies dying on the lunar surface after an accident.
Living on Olympus Station, or “Skycan,” as they build solar power satellites, workers suffer from boredom and low morale. Commander Henry Wallace, a former astronaut and demented space fanatic, bothers them with his rambling speeches, piped-in Muzak, and pointless regulations. Notable workers include Virgin Bruce, a boisterous former biker, and Popeye Hooker, a former shrimp fisherman hiding the secret that he murdered his former wife. There are also three “meteorologists” who, everyone knows, are really spies for the National Security Agency (NSA). A new hydroponics engineer, Jack Hamilton, lifts spirits by growing marijuana and getting stoned with crew members, but after stoned workers cause several accidents, he decides to destroy the crop.
One day, Jack meets with Bruce, Popeye, Sam, docks chief Dave Chang, and communications officer Joni Lowenstein to convey startling news. One “meteorologist,” Dave, accidentally told him that Big Ear, a communications network now being completed, is really an NSA monitoring system that can listen to every telephone conversation in the world, detect treasonous or undesirable statements, and record the contents and source of the statements. Convinced that the system would endanger personal freedom, everyone agrees to participate in Jack’s dangerous plan to disable the center of Big Ear, now being installed in Freedom Space Station.
Popeye confronts Dave and learns that he never mentioned Big Ear to Jack. When Popeye accuses Jack of lying, he admits that he is really a member of a benevolent secret organization called Globe Watch that learned about Big Ear and assigned Jack to destroy it. Despite lingering mistrust, Popeye stays with the conspiracy.
While Sam, Dave Chang, and Joni stand by in Olympus, Popeye, Bruce, and Jack secretly travel to Freedom and commandeer the Big Ear module. Their plan to broadcast a virus from Olympus into the Big Ear computer is thwarted when the project supervisor escapes to warn Freedom crew members. Popeye devises another plan. Bruce and Jack exit the module and enter a space shuttle, the pilot of which has agreed to return them to Earth. Popeye then jettisons the module, sending it to fiery destruction in Earth’s atmosphere, and uses a rescue device to land safely in Arizona. After news of the scandal ends the Big Ear project, Sam goes to the Moon, where solo explorations lead to his death.