Shoddily edited, with cut and paste seams gaping wide.

I gave up when one group, who had access to lasers and "phones" and even spacesuits were faced with a problem that any wrist watch could solve, and somehow didn't have that technology.

As far as the Big Dumb Object goes, must we rehash Ringworld forever? (Smoke Ring is IMHO more interesting and plausible than either if you're into that sort of thing.)