Date: Sun, 8 May 1994 00:18:01 EDT
Sender: Mythus Fantasy Roleplaying Game List <[MYTHUS L] at [BROWNVM.brown.edu]>
From: "Rodney W. Morris" <[c s c 3 r w m] at [CABELL.VCU.EDU]>
Subject: ABYSS 2: The Sol System: the Inner Planets
United Corporate Systems of Sol
Brief Overview
The UCSS is the current name for the eleven systems under
the control of the homeworld at Sol II. The predominant government
has been wavering between a corporate beauracracy and a dictatorship
for the last millennia or so; though in an overview, the corporate
sector has been the most successful, by far, falling to rebel forces
for only decades at a time.
The government is based on a corporation that has existed
for at least four thousand years
Sol System
The Sol System is composed of nine planets that circle a
mainstream yellow star. Of these nine planets only one is
inhabitable, Sol II or Neuva Terra, which is the center of the
government. The system is very well populated, carrying a sentient
population of at least 150 billion. The population of the Sol
system is concentrated on Sol II, Sol IV (Mars), and the rich
asteroid belt that spans the distance between Sol IV and V
(Jupiter). Every planet, however, even the far flung Sol IX (Pluto)
is inhabited by at least a scientific or mining team sponsored by
the Corporation.
Sol I (Mercury)
Planetary Data:
Equatorial Diameter: 4, 878 km
Mass: 3.30 x 1023 kg
Density: 5.43 g/cm3
Surface Area: 74, 753, 833 km
Surface Material: Basaltic dust & rock
Rotational Period: 58.646 d
Orbital Period: 87.96 d
Distance From Primary: 578, 944 km
Orbit Inclination: 7.0 degrees
Orbit Eccentricity: .206
Gravity: .378 G
Escape Velocity: 4.2 km/s
Government: Corporate Heirarchal
Language: Earthen
Pantheon: None
Population: 3.7 B
Ruler: Senior Vice President Victur Maldine
Population Density: 66.88 per km2
Flag/Emblem: UCSS Starburst behind the staff of Mercury
Capital: Odin Planitia
Population: 1.1 Billion
Other Cities (and Population):
Bach: 10 M
Michelangelo: 25 M
Petrarch: 350 M
Suisui Planitia: 900 M
Tolstoy: 1.3 B
Coinage: Corporate Standard Credit
Important Persons: Vice President of Tolstoy, Vice President
of Mercurian Trade, President of Hermetic Mines
Alliances: Hermetic Mines, VagenTech
Hostilities: Martian Traders Alliance
Open Warfare/Rebellions: None of any consequence. Some
minor problems with population density in Tolstoy
Intrigues: The President of VagenTech attempting to purchase
much property near Oden Planitia for the construction of a new
starport controlled solely by VagenTech, to replace the massive
Hermetic starport at Suisui Planitia. Rumors of some governmental
support.
Thumbnail Sketches: Mercury is a small planet with few
resources, outside of deep nickel mining operations and the
occasional wealth of hydrogen received from a stray solar flare.
The planet itself is highly adverse to human life. It is composed
of a basaltic crust that is constantly bombarded by heavy levels of
radiation from the primary. Thus, most of the population is forced
to live under the crust of the planet. The cities all began as
mining colonies that eventually grew into large cities. Because of
the hostile environment, there is currently only one starport on
Mercury, and it is located at Suisui Planitia and under the control
of Hermetic Mines. Almost all of the population lives in the
protection of the large cities.
It is rumored that near the crater of Vivaldi that a remnant
of the Apocalypse Wars still exists in one of the many craters of
the region. Legend speaks of a Hekalmi military base that was used
to test biological weapons during their war with the Devians over Earth.
Mercury's history is a bit clouded in history. It is known
that a colony was planted in the early days of exploration from
Terra, but the colony eventually died out when Terra entered rough
times. It was re-colonized during the Reclamation and has been
populated ever since.
Senior Vice President of Mercury, Victur Maldine, is known
for being a bribeable man. He has been made extremely wealthy by
the rice industry on Mercury, but it is rumored that some of his
money comes from the crime cartels and unions that exist among the
working class.
There is no agriculture to speak of on Mercury (though Odin
Planitia has a large arboretum). All food substances are shipped
from Venus and points beyond. The main product of Mercury is nickel
and basalt. There are no indigenate life forms. There is little trade
with other worlds. There are no military bases, outside of the
Planetary Security Force.
Sol II (Neuva Terra)
Planetary Data:
Equatorial Diameter: 12, 104 km
Mass: 4.87 x 1024 kg
Density: 5.42 g/cm3
Surface Area: 460, 264, 736.83 km
Surface Material: Basaltic & Granite Rock
Rotational Period: 243.01 d (retrograde)
Orbital Period: 224.68 d
Distance From Primary: 1, 495, 978.8 km
Orbit Inclination: 3.4 degrees
Orbit Eccentricity: 10.4
Gravity: .894 G
Escape Velocity: 10.4 km/s
Government: Corporate Heirarchal
Language: Earthen
Pantheon: None
Population: 58 B
Ruler: Senior Vice President Balrick Jonessan
Population Density: 127 people per km2
Flag/Emblem: The mirror of Venus superimposed over the
Corporate Starburst
Capital: New Hope, Ishtar Terra
Population: 25 Billion
Other Cities (and Population):
Alpha Regio: 500 M
Americanum: 1 B
Artemis Chasma: 2.5 B
Atlanta Planitia Hydrology: 12.5 B
Beta Regio: 1 B
New London: 1.5 B
Coinage: Corporate Standard Credit
Important Persons: The Board of Directors; Chairman of
MegaTech, the Sol Corporate Entity, Liung Chao; Senior President of
the Sol System.
Alliances: None due to laws regulating neutrality of the
Capital World
Hostilities: None due to laws regulating neutrality of the
Capital World
Open Warfare/Rebellions: None threatening
Intrigues: Harlan Smythe, leader of the Front for the
Unification of the Imperial Sol Systems, is still at large, despite
the planet-wide searches. It is believed that the son of the former
Emperor of the Sol Systems is planning on re-taking the proverbial
throne from the corporate entity that now controls it. Various
intrigues around ascension to the Board and a few assassination
attempts on Chairman Chao are commonplace.
Thumbnail Sketches: Millennia ago, the second planet of the
Sol system, then called Venus, was a lifeless, harsh world of great
pressure and heat. Its atmosphere was composed primarily of carbon
dioxide, which created an incredible greenhouse effect. The gases
of the planet's atmosphere were so dense, that no human could step
foot on the planet itself, or be crushed by the millions of tons of
gases weighing upon his ship and body. About 2500 years ago, some
groups sought to attempt to change that. A Terran research
corporation, whose name is now unknown, thought to seed the planet
with carbon dioxide eating algae, in hopes of terraforming the
world. They placed a satellite in orbit to record the results of
the algae. About a century later, the plan was going so nicely,
they placed a completely self-sufficient arcology on the Ishtar
Terra continent. Soon, however, world wide war (then called World
War V) occured, ravishing Earth and throwing its economic system into
ruin. The colony was soon forgotten about. Though the colony had
lost contact with Earth, the scientists there decided to attempt to
etch out a new life on the hostile planet. Over the next millennia,
the planet slowly changed and slowly encroached being habitable.
The scientists quietly observed the Apocalyptic Wars between
the Hekalmi and the Devians. They generally assumed that whatever
humanity that once may have existed on Earth was long destroyed by
the forces of the two super-powers. All the time they fought, they
ignored the ever-bluing planet only a few million kilometers away.
Eventually, Terran Humans returned to the Sol system, to find it
ashambles. They founded a colony on Sol IV (Mars) and sought out a
peace treaty between the Hekalmi and Devians. Finally, twenty years
after the United Peoples of Old Terra had reclaimed Mars, the
Venusians broke a millennia of silence and asked for all natives of
the Sol system, throughout Known Space, to return to their mother
system. Neuva Terra was waiting for them.
The scientists, who now considered themselves a corporate
entity and referred to themselves as MegaTech, administrated the
Peace Talks between the Hekalmi and the Devians successfully. It
was in these peace talks that the Sol system regained its autonomy.
Humans flooded back to the Sol system. They discovered
their home Earth to be destroyed, but the scientists of Neuva Terra
had created a paradise unlike Earth had been for millennia. A few
danger-filled expeditions to the crumbling Earth retrieved DNA
samples of various life-forms. The scientists of Neuva Terra
re-introduced that animals of Earth to Neuva Terra. Some reports
suggest that there was a 90% recovery rate of life forms of Earth.
The Neuva Terra of today is far from the paradise that it
was a millenia ago. Since this time, the Sol system has increased
dramatically from minor "savage" kingdom to technological king of an
empire. It is from this world that the eleven systems that compose
the United Corporate Systems of Sol are ruled and administrated. It
is also from this planet that 136 of the 215 corporations of
MegaTech call home. Much of the dry land of the planet is pierced
with the metropolitan tunnels necessary to house the world
population of 58 billion. Under the oceans are large tunnels which
permit fast and easy travel from continent-to-continent,
hydrology-to-hydrology, or any combination. The planet has long
since been deprived of most of its resources and nearly 25% of the
life forms recreated from Earth's destruction have again become
extinct (though there are rumors of a vast library of life-forms
where the records and a sample of their DNA is kept for future usage).
Neuva Terra of today is composed mainly of two continents,
Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite Terra. Ishtar Terra surrounds the
northern pole of the planet, while Aphrodite Terra is situated
closer to its equator. There are a few large island groups between
the eastern and western coasts of Aphrodite Terra, two of which,
Alpha and Beta Regio, hold large metropolises. One of the most
impressive sights on Neuva Terra is the Atlanta Planitia Hydrology.
This huge Hydrology is the largest arcology known to exist. It lies
on the ocean floor near the northern pole of the planet. It reaches
a height of 8 kilometers (which just reaches above sea level) and
spans well over 200 square kilometers. In this hydrology, well
over 12.5 billion people live and work. Other than the SpacePort
Alpha, which covers Maxwell Mons, it is the only man-made structure
that can be seen from orbit.
It can also be said about Neuva Terra that it is one of the
best defended planets in Known Space. The Corporate Navy obscures
the planet with its fighters at times of war or incursion, with huge
starcraft moving across the sky.
Neuva Terra has one "moon", which is actually an orbiting
station. It is large enough, however, to create its own gravity
well and even has problems with internal heat and gravity. The
station was created by the CrediTech corporation, which handles all
moneys and exchanges in Corporate space. It was originally built to
be a nearly exact replica of a similar orbital that existed in the
time before the Apocalypse Wars. It has since been modernized to a
fully defendable space station.
Sol III (Terra)
Planetary Data:
Equatorial Diameter: 12, 756 km (approximate)
Mass: 5.98 x 1024 kg
Density: 5.515 g/cm3 (Approximate)
Surface Area: 511, 185, 932.52 km (approximate)
Surface Material: Granitic Soil, basaltic rock
Rotational Period: 25 h 22m 14.1s
Orbital Period: 369 standard days
Distance From Primary: 1496234.55 km (approximate)
Orbit Inclination: .5 to 1.2 degrees
Orbit Eccentricity: .09
Gravity: 1 G
Escape Velocity: 11.2 km/s
Government: Corporate Heirarchal
Language: Earthen
Pantheon: None
Population: 500,000
Ruler: Vice President Salvador Verace
Flag/Emblem: The broken symbol of Earth superimposed over
the Corporate Starburst
Capital: Gamma Planetary Research Station One
Population: 500,000
Other Cities (and Population):
None
Coinage: Corporate Standard Credit
Important Persons: Chief Scientist on Terradeformation
research
Alliances: Sol Scientific Institute
Hostilities: None
Open Warfare/Rebellions: There was a small skirmish aboard
the station when pirates attempted to steal some of the plutonium
from their research facility, but it was put down by the System
Defense Force.
Intrigues: A couple of younger scientists are hoping for the
Chief Scientist's position, but nothing noteworthy or dangerous
Thumbnail Sketches: This research station was established
about a century after the destruction of Earth. It wasn't until
this time that a safe haven could be located for a station among the
rubble that orbits the dead world. The station itself was
established to research the deformation of a world, in hopes that
advances in Terraformation could be made. Since its establishment,
little has changed, though they make trips to Earth twice a year for
soil and atmospheric samples. They are currently conducting an
experiment that will release the trapped gases and heat within the
planet, allowing it to cool and stablize geologically. If this
could be accomplished, Terra could be mined without danger to crew
or machinery. They have had little success in the de-warming
project. There are some, more ambitious scientists who hope to
actually rebuild Earth, closing the rift made by the fall of its
former moon, but these theories are just that, theories. The
Corporation has found it more profitable to cool and stablize the
world than re-populate it.
Sol IV (Mars)
Planetary Data:
Equatorial Diameter: 6787 km
Mass: 6.44 x 1023 kg
Density: 3.94 g/cm3
Surface Area: 57, 884, 936.658 km
Surface Material: Basaltic rock & dust; H2O ice
Rotational Period: 24h 37m 22.662s
Orbital Period: 686.95 standard days
Distance From Primary: 2, 273, 887.624 km
(approximate)
Orbit Inclination: 1.8 degrees
Orbit Eccentricity: .0934
Gravity: 0.379 G
Escape Velocity: 5.0 km/s
Government: Corporate Heirarchal
Language: Earthen, Martian
Pantheon: None Official (Christianity)
Population: 30 B
Ruler: Senior Vice President Nael Whox
Population Density: 518.2695 /km2
Capital: Olympus Mons
Flag/Emblem: The spear and shield of Mars superimposed over
the Corporate Starburst
Population: 5 B
Other Cities (and Population):
Ascraseus Mons: 1.2 B
Chryse: 920 M
Elysium Mons: 1 B
Hellas: 900 M
Syrtis: 850 M
Utopia: 1.7 B
Valles Marineris: 3 B
Coinage: Corporate Standard Credit
Important Persons: Pope Urban XXII, Eyes of God and Watcher
Over Utopia, TraderPrinces of the Martian Trader's Alliance
Alliances: Martian Trader's Alliance
Hostilities: Phobos
Open Warfare/Rebellions: Under Treaty with Phobos
Intrigues: The People's Resistance of Aric Influences are
contstantly a problem to the Martian government. Though natives of
the rebellious Phobos, they are no longer claimed as a part of the
government of Phobos, though some suggest otherwise. The PRAI have
been attacking high-ranking officials of Mars and important sites.
Thumbnail Sketches: It is believed that, in the millennia
when Earth first took its steps into space, it looked to Mars, its
dwarven cousin, as a possible target of exploration and settlement.
Thus, Mars became the first planet to be settled by the humans of
Earth. When they arrived on the planet, it was discovered that a
civilization had existed there, many eons before, that destroyed
themselves through over-usage of nuclear weapons, which accounted
for the extremely cold temperatures, lack of a protective ozone
layer, and high levels of radiation. It was discovered, however,
that Martian soil was very rich in iron. Mining colonies sprung up
almost instantly and the planet became the new frontier of Earth.
During the time of the Apocalypse Wars, Mars was a target
for alien aggression, namely, the Hekalmi. The human colonies there
were destroyed, along with everything else in the system, to make
way for the war effort. When the wars began to trickle into petty
skirmishings, humans returned to their home system, in the form of
the United Peoples of Old Terra, to re-colonize the nine worlds of
Sol. They first settled on Mars, as it seemed to be the most hospitable of
planets (though some scholars claim that Europa was settled a few
years previous to the Mars settlement). When Neuva Terra sent out
its call for humanity twenty years later, most of the inhabitants of
Mars left for the paradisical second planet. Those that remained
were a hardy and violent group of people; they didn't want nor need
the law and group welfare of Venus, they wanted to etch out their
own existence as their ancestors had before them.
Martian history is fairly unremarkable. About a hundred and
twenty years after its foundation, Mars was annexed to the Neuva
Terran government as a colony. The government that had existed there
fled, with some of its most loyal citizens, to Phobos. Even to this
day, the inhabitants of Phobos dislike and distrust the nearby
Martian leaders. Finally, about twenty years ago, they were
recognized as an autonomous state by the Corporation, free from
Martian aggressions.
One of the notable events of Martian history was the
Disaster of 4527. It was in this year that Olympus Mons, seat of
the capital of Mars, decided to erupt. The eruption sent the city
into the bowls of Mars itself while the ash created a dust cloud
that obscured the sun for over sixty years. Eventually, the
effects of the disaster subsided, Olympus City was rebuilt, and
everything was forgotten (the Terran League, as the government was
called at the time, was busy fighting a war of conquest by 4676).
Mars of today is a thriving trading and mining community.
There are some very costly attempts being performed, using knowledge
of the Gamma Planetary Research Project over Earth, in terraforming
Mars into a non-hostile environment. It is generally believed that
within three centuries, Mars will be a thriving green and blue
world, just like its cousin, Earth, was before its destruction and
Venus had become.
Mars is also home of the Christian religon, ever since Earth
was destroyed. The Pope is a powerful man among some of the
outlying systems (such as Avior and Vega), who trust in his God. The
Corporation does not officially recognize the existence of any
higher being than itself, and considers the Pope and his followers
to be a minor thorn in the side of the giant. It is the aim of the
Corporation to turn itself into the people's God, making itself
all-powerful, in their eyes. The Vatican City is located in the
center of Utopia, Utopia Planitia. The Pope is ruler over these
lands, under the supervision of the Martian Corporate Government.
Sol IV A (Phobos)
Planetary Data:
Equatorial Diameter: 14 x 11 x 9 km
Mass: 9.6 x 1015 kg
Density: 5.78 g/cm3
Surface Area: 758 km
Surface Material: Carbonaceous Soil
Rotational Period: Synchronous
Orbital Period: 14 h 20 m 32 s
Distance From Planet: 14.4 x 103 km (approximate)
Orbit Inclination: 1.0 degrees
Orbit Eccentricity: .02
Gravity: .005 G
Escape Velocity: 11 m/s
Government: Dictatorship
Language: Earthen
Pantheon: Ancestor Worship
Population: 150
Ruler: Overlord Gerai Baer
Population Density: 197, 889.18 per km2
Capital: Stickney 108, 225 per km3
Population: 150 M
Flag/Emblem: A broken crown super-imposed over the corporate
starburst
Other Cities (and Population):
None
Coinage: Corporate Standard Credit
Important Persons: The Archprelate of Phobos; Phobean
Trader's Alliance
Alliances: None of repute
Hostilities: Mars, the Martian Trader's Alliance
Open Warfare/Rebellions: None currently claimed, though
terrorist groups regularly stream towards Mars in hopes of gaining
more freedoms and possibly their homeland on Mars.
Intrigues: Archprelate possibly intending on overthrowing
the Overking.
Thumbnail Sketches: The small moon of Phobos could rarely be
called a natural moon anymore. It has slowly moved outward from the
planet as it has become heavier and heavier with the metal used in
constructing the interior living quarters of its inhabitants. The
people of Phobos where forced to flee here when Mars was taken over
as part of the Terran League under the rulership of Neuva Terra. The
Overking himself can trace his roots directly back to the leadership
of the original Martian colony at Argyre Planitia. The people of
this small moon are defiant folk, ready to act upon a moments notice.
They are also reputed to be a little insane. Due to over-
population, each individual is appropriated a 2 m x 2 m x 2 m
cubicle in which to live. In the case of families, doors are added
to the cubicles.
Sol IV B (Deimos)
Planetary Data:
Equatorial Diameter: 8 x 6 x 5 km
Mass: 6.8 x 1015 kg
Density: 6.98 g/cm3
Surface Area: 236 km
Surface Material: Carbonaceous Soil
Rotational Period: Synchronous
Orbital Period: 1d 6h 14.4s
Distance From Primary: 23 x 103 km
Orbit Inclination: 2.8 degrees
Orbit Eccentricity: .001
Gravity: Negligable
Escape Velocity: 6 km/s
Government: Corporate Militaristic
Language: Earthen
Pantheon: None
Population: 1 M
Ruler: Commander Veranda DuBoise
Population Density: 4237.28 per km2, 4166.667 per km3
Flag/Emblem: The Naval starship over the symbol of Mars
Capital: Deimos Orbital SpacePort
Population: 1M
Other Cities (and Population):
None
Coinage: Imperial Standard Credit
Important Persons: Chief Inspector Johnnes Marks
Alliances: Martian Traders' Alliance
Hostilities: Phobos
Open Warfare/Rebellions: Some minor problems with bandits
and occasional terrorists.
Intrigues: Numerous plots to usurp the Commander from her
position. VagenTech is looking to cut a deal with the station that
will allow almost unlimited access to VagenTech traders; this would
threaten the standing of the MTA.
Thumbnail Sketches: The Deimos Station began as a mining
colony many centuries ago that quickly ran out. It currently serves
as the main orbital docking station for Mars. It can house up to one
hundred medium-sized vessels in its walls and dock over two hundred
on outside docking rings. Deimos Station houses most of the Martian
Defense system and serves as Inner System Command.
Sol A I (Sol Asteroid Belt)
Planetary Data: (all data is of Ceres, the largest of the
asteroids and the capital of the mining colonies)
Equatorial Diameter: 1020 km
Mass: 1.4 x 1021 kg
Density:
Surface Area: 3, 268, 512.997 km
Surface Material: Carbonaceous soil
Rotational Period: 0d 9h 7.2s
Orbital Period: 4y 219
Distance From Primary: 414, 386, 099.9 km
Orbit Inclination: 10.6 degrees
Orbit Eccentricity: .08
Gravity: G
Escape Velocity: 0.6 km/s
Government: Corporate Heirarchal
Language: Earthen
Pantheon: None Official
Population: 2.5 M
Ruler: Senior Vice President Nika Vomurra
Population Density:
Flag/Emblem: A single edged sword superimposed over the
corporate starburst
Capital: Ceres
Population: 500
Other Cities (and Population):
Vesta: 230 M
Pallas: 100
Hygiea: 50 M
Davida: 30 M
Interamnia: 1 M
Coinage: Imperial Standard Credit
Important Persons: Vice President Alexandre VonMouthe of
VagenTech; Vice President of LodeTech on Pallas
Alliances: Martian Trader's Alliance, The Centaurian
Intersystem Trading Council, the Trader's Defense Corps
Hostilities: Chironian Mining Colonies
Open Warfare/Rebellions: None recently; periodically,
however, various asteroids are taken over by irate workers or citizens.
Intrigues: Some influences from Chiron seek an alliance with
the Belt Mines; many pirates attempt to steal mothballed ships from
the Markavian Storage Shipyards
Thumbnail Sketches: The millions of floating rock that make
up the Sol Asteroid Belt are very important in the Sol system in the
mining of basaltic rocks, carbon-based metals and ice. Some
asteroids are utilized as factories for starships. The VagenTech
shipyards at and around Interamnia are one of the most productive
facilities in all of the Sol Systems. Some of the best merchant
vessels are turned out here. Among many of the lesser astroids are
the Markavian Storage Shipyards, where many vessels are sent into
mothball when their effective lifetime is finished. Many relics
from as far back as the Great Apocalypse are hidden among the
asteroids, moored to a piece of rock.