Conservation

"Conservation" by Charles L. Fontenay is a science fiction story showcasing an Earth forever changed by war and alien occupation. After centuries in space, a crew returns to their home planet to find humans using near-obsolete technology amongst incredible advancements, creating a society focused on conservation above all else. As they navigate a land bound by strange military customs, they learn the reasons for this planet-wide decline into a backwards way of life and they discover the way forward may lie in reactivating the lost technology. Using their unique colony knowledge from a distant world, the crew endeavors to restore Earth's technological edge, offering a glimmer of renewal for a planet yearning for change.