He was trying to download the archival data from the Venusian atmospheric probes. It was a massive file, petabytes of compressed gas chromatography and pressure readings. But the server wasn't on Venus. It was on Mars. And right now, the orbital paths of the two planets were bringing them into a rare, tight alignment that played havoc with the solar winds.
If you need a quick overview of the book's core concepts instead of the full text: Shortform Summary
Aris leaned back, rubbing his temples. The "Collision" wasn't just physical; it was a clash of logistics. Mars was red, dusty, practical. Venus was hot, chaotic, pressure-cooked. Trying to link their systems during this alignment was like trying to install a software patch while the computer was on fire.