So it would be easy for the arklets to get clear of the thickening atmosphere by abandoning Izzy, at least for the time being, and jumping to higher orbit. Their drag problems would be solved. But in so doing they would lose the ability to shelter behind Amalthea and begin to take damage from bolides. Exactly how much damage depended on how thick and fast the rocks were coming in, and what the distribution of sizes was—another one of those questions of colossal import that couldn’t be answered until the Hard Rain had actually started and data had been gathered.