Space Opera

My desired primary realm for writing is space opera.  I loved playing Traveller as a kid, and that is the type of world I want to write in.  The thought of a wide open future where the possibility exists to have your own space ship and explore the cosmos thrills me to no end. My biggest problem is coming up with my own universe separate from the Traveller Emperium.  Those ideas are so ingrained...

My growing idea is taking what we see happening right now (Bezos, Space X), the commercialization and commercial exploration of space, and extrapolating that into the future.  A Libertarian universe, run by the free market.  Companies colonize worlds and set them as resource and trading nodes.  At that level, the super corporations would be synonymous with governments, but I see them being much less intrusive.  If libertarian ideals held, the 'government' would only be protecting that world or sector or whatever, and the people would be free to operate independently.  I need to do more research into how a totally free market, libertarian society would operate.  How is crime handled? Currency? Many things we associate with government now would be handled by charity and the free market.

So I need to do enough research to create a viable Libertarian universe, and then work on stories within that universe.  I tend to focus on the worlds, technology and equipment, rather than the people.  That is my engineer side.  But good stories are about people, and explore their motives and interactions with others. I'll really have to be open to my inspiration in those areas!

One other 'sci fi' story idea I had centered around a future where babies are all grown external to the womb (true test tube babies!).  Natural child birth has been banned because of the risk to the baby and the mother (and the pain it causes the mother!  What horror!)  I see a couple that wants to have a child naturally and must fight society to be able to do that.  They are shunned and almost criminalized just for the thought.  Carrying it out is another step down that 'evil' path. I need to explore the outcome of that path: would this society take the baby?  Jail the parents?

Also, it is noted that I have already failed in my daily writing.  Started this Thursday night I think.  Oh well, I'll keep trying.