Adaptation

"Adaptation" by Mack Reynolds is a science fiction story about humanity reaching for the stars and the unforeseen consequences of planting new roots across the galaxy. In a future where interstellar travel is real, a dedicated team faces the daunting task of reconnecting with human colonies lost to time on distant planets. The story revolves around the Co-ordinator and two contrasting minds, Academicians Amschel Mayer and Leonid Plekhanov, whose differing beliefs about societal control bring tension to the forefront. These planners must figure it all out. The narrative begins with the characters preparing to meet societies on Genoa and Texcoco that have spent centuries evolving on their own, isolated from Earth. The story sets the stage for a grand exploration of culture clashes and moral questions about progress and adaptation across the cosmos as they figure out how to reintegrate these lost colonies.