Part 12/14:
Humanity’s Galaxy-Wide Civilization
Looking further ahead, starships evolve into modular, self-sustaining ecosystems—living worlds traveling through space. Mega-structures like O’Neill cylinders dot Earth and Mars orbit, hosting millions in terrestrial-like environments. Interstellar traffic is managed via beamed-power highway systems, with laser arrays guiding and braking ships along predictable routes.
By the 2500s, entire civilizations inhabit star arks—self-sustaining habitats containing communities, cultural repositories, and ecosystems—journeying across light-years. Meanwhile, giant habitat constructors build sprawling cities in orbit, transforming space into a landscape as diverse and vibrant as Earth.