Background
The short story is set in the late 21st century. In Pournelle's fictional milieu, this is the era of the CoDominium. The CD is an alliance between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, who jointly control Earth and an interstellar empire. To keep their rule over the world, the CoDominium routinely suppresses all scientific research and development. Scientists are censored, spied upon, and can even be deported off Earth.
Interstellar travel is possible thanks to the Alderson Drive. The Drive allows ships to jump to star system thanks to a fifth force. Stars generate this force, and a pathway for instantaneous travel can be created between stars. However, unlike most science fiction jump drives, these jumps are limited so a ship can only jump from an Alderson Point, a certain location in space. Ships can only travel from and to these points.
Read more about this topic: He Fell Into A Dark Hole
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