Status Updates From Rendezvous with Rama

Mr President, distinguished fellow delegates, I would
like to begin with a brief summary of the situation which
now confronts us.'
From some delegates, that phrase 'a brief summary'
would have evoked silent groans among all listeners; but
everyone knew that Hermians meant exactly what they
said.

Long ago, the astronomers had exhausted Greek and
Roman mythology; now they were working through
the Hindu pantheon. And so 31/439 was christened
Rama.
For a

Imaginate volar en una cometa dentro de una nave/asteroide alienígena que tiene el tamaño y ecosistema de un mini-planeta dentro porque no hay manera de cruzar un mar y a nadie se le ha ocurrido mejor idea