Universe corrupt, please insert backup disk

[Mrtouf]

More to get the idea out of my head than anything else.

As mankind reaches out to the stars, communicating with and meeting other space-faring civilisations, a disturbing truth comes to light. The continuity of space-time is being disturbed by increasingly frequent anomalies, which are basically parts of our universe that can no longer be seen, measured, or traversed by starship or by hyperwave radio. From a small rupture they grow at an increasing rate until entire planets and stars are simply gone. Analysts predict that if this trend continues, our universe will become uninhabitable in less than a century.

A major effort is underway to determine the cause of these anomalies. However, impending doom tends to bring out the crazy in people. Some live their lives as though today might be their last day, some see the anomalies as gateways to the next life and book passage to worlds that are being evacuated, and others rail against the governments for covering up the truth for the past twenty years. Suffice to say, it is a time of economic turmoil and civil unrest on Earth and the human colonies.

One particularly brilliant scientist on the anomaly project has a spouse (or significant other) who is tending towards the crazy. And they can't help but notice the hot new assistant that has been assigned to help out at the lab.​

Knock yourself out.

 

[Carnevil9]

Your idea is similar to the concept behind Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" series of books. It is set waaaaaay in the future, on Earth, but the sun is on the verge of going out. It is already dim, red, and sputtering. This gives the inhabitants a feeling of fatalism, of "living for today," as nobody expects to be around for the long term. He doesn't take it in a sexual direction, of course, but one certainly could.