The general population of Earth and the increasing population of Space colonists were mostly fearful of the effects of the technology. The whole issue of Affinity and Bitek was becoming increasingly controversial, heated debates were often resulting in outright conflict amongst those who were fore and against the technology.

The moment that defined the split between those who embraced Bitek and Affinity and those who feared or loathed it came when Chong died and had his personality and memories trasfered through his affinity bond into the neural strata of Eden. While Chong's corpse laid in state, his personality continued to exist within the bitek brains of the habitat. The spiritual and ethical implications rocked the whole of humanity. For those who carried the Affinity gene could cheat death if they at the time of death were in Affinity range of a bitek habitat.

All churches absolutely condemned the Affinity and immediately pressed for Governments around the world to outlaw its further use.
 

At once the population of Eden and Palas initiated a bloodless coup, taking control of all JSKP assets around Jupiter. To gain international recognition they pledged to buy out the companies’ shares over the course of several decades. While very unhappy with the sudden theft of their investment, the JSKP board accepted the offer rather than face the uncertainty and huge costs of either court or military action.