The Darwinian Extension: Initiation — Hylton Smith

Initiation is the first volume of the Nexus Odyssey, which is comprised of The Darwinian Extension Trilogy and Renewal. Earth's neglect of adverse environmental trends and overpopulation head the list of factors which conspire to catapult a new space age to the highest priority. The project had to embrace colonisation of another world and the obvious choice is Mars. The first steps on to the red planet marked an iconic phase in human achievement, but all was not well. The crew are perplexed by certain strange events and the tension on Earth is exacerbated following an astonishing discovery, purely by accident.
The progress on colonisation accelerates despite this unease, causing the Confederation of Nations to feel that slippage in control over the colonists will result, and a schism develops between the planets. Sabotage is suspected and abandonement of the Salvation project cannot be discounted. A breathless conclusion is inevitable.