Synopsis
"H2LiftShips, a tech manual for a future"
Imagine a world, exactly like ours, but different
This is the anti-dystopian story you have been looking for.
Not one that assumes a prior societal breakdown, but just a twist on where we could be if we tried something different. To tie it to one specific event is to limit the scope and growth of the story and its society.
The story starts with a look at Sol's inhabitants living on its many rocks and using Solar Sail empowered space ships. Future past history shows how this society came into existence and their path forward.
The second part, "H2LiftShips, the Journey," has our protagonists, Jack and Tang, working with a boost crew to cross the empty divide between two H2LiftShips just beyond Earth's space before space.
The Journey ends with a trip across the desert and tasty carne asada burritos.