And Now for the Horse

Having reviewed the previous post, it occurs to me that without additional writings, some readers just might not connect with the what I wrote. So instead of pushing on with the story immediately, I will digress a little and give my reader some reference point.

The elevator in question has been dubbed by pundits and proponents alike as a "space elevator". Should you not have the time or inclination to read up, it is, in short, a strong cable tethered to some anchor far out in space, balanced by its own weight and the outward force created by whatever it is that anchors the other end. Such an elevator would revolutionize space travel, affording cheaper and safer transportation than current technology could ever provide.
There are many technical challenges to this space elevator. The good news is that the most daunting - the lack of a sufficiently strong material - has been overcome. Even so, it is a lofty concept, and one which I sincerely hope will not remain exclusively in the realm of science fiction.