The Ethical Engineer

The narrative follows Jason dinAlt, a peacekeeper on a deadly, high-gravity world where human factions must also contend with lethal native life. He navigates wounded combatants, an irascible physician, and the awkward dynamics of an uneasy truce that makes administration harder than fighting. His tentative relationship with Meta, a physically stronger local, highlights cultural misunderstanding when routine intimacy causes accidental injury. A quarantined off-world ship lands, introducing the possibility of outsiders and further strain on fragile order. Through medical scenes, skirmishes, and mundane bureaucracy, the story examines the moral and practical burdens of maintaining peace amid hostile terrain and divided communities.