KUIPER BELT—OGDEN ENTERPRISES“How many uploads are we holding in stasis?” Kimberly asked Daphne while petting Maxter snuggled in her lap.
Following a quick Link check, Daphne said, playing with a strand of her red hair, “Just over seven billion.”
“Earth’s population is over ten billion,” Kimberly said. “What about the other three billion?”
“China, mostly, and some primitive parts of Earth,” Daphne said.
“Why China?”
“After the Asterian asteroid strike, China lost most of her national infrastructure—police, hospitals, social systems. It was a godawful mess. When Guo Qiáng assumed leadership of China, he shut down outside connections—even the GlobalNet, except for special cases and people. We have virtually no clients inside China.” Daphne smiled impishly at her friend and partner. “So,
