Campaign:NHNE/Worlds/Ares

Ares is a small, populated planet of the New Earth System

Astrography

see: New Earth System for astrographical context

Ares is a planet that orbits the star Flare-Bright at 3.39 AU. It take 2040 days to do so.

Map as at 300

Planetology

Summary

Ares C410556-B Co, Na, Ni

Starport

Ares has a Class C Starport at Kerala, an average quality installation which has amenities including fuel for starships, some brokerage services for passengers and cargo, and a variety of ship provisions. There is a shipyard capable of doing maintenance and other kinds of repair, specialising in luxury yachts. Ares has only a downport for general commercial use.

Each of the active stations maintains its own private landing facilities but these are actively defended and open to invited traffic only. Generally, uninvited traffic will be fired upon at about 50km from these ports.

There are orbital facilities, but these are built on the retired starship Union and are the headquarters of Union Lines.

Size

Ares is a Meso World 6,231km in diameter. The world has low gravity of 0.35G. The horizon will appear about 3.6km away.

Time

Ares rotates once every 12 hours giving two light and two dark periods every Fleet Time day. Generally, the day is split into 4 six-hour parts: Morning, Siesta, Afternoon and Night.

Atmosphere

Ares has a pressure of less than 0.1 atmospheres which requires the use of a Vacc Suit. TL–8 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.

Hydrosphere

Ares has no free-standing water on the surface. Wilderness refuelling isn't possible on this world. Water for the inhabitants needs to be imported and extensively recycled - although there are some aquifers from which a little water can be pumped. The extensive ice-caps are mostly frozen carbon-dioxide.

The underground aquifers mentioned above do, in places create seeps. These are generally highly toxic, the dissolved chemicals acting as a sort of anti-freeze. All evaporate/sublimate within a short distance of the seep itself.

Population

Ares has a population of about 500,000 sophonts. (Exact numbers are hard to estimate due to the extensive secrecy)

• This is a Nonindustrial World, too small to support the complete chain of production of most goods from start to finish.
  • Most examples of this type are capable of resource extraction but lack an industrial base, in particular factories, to make use of the resources.

Demographics

Over 90% of the population reside in just 3 large towns (Kerala, Hawking and Mason).

Officially, the population is 100% Human, but some rumours suggest that there are some uplifted animals resident.

Government

Main Article: Ares-Down

Ares is governed by a Feudal Technocracy. Society divides itself based on the technical requirements of the society. Each of these functions are granted as a fief to an individual or group. Leadership of these fiefs determines the head of the government.

Law

The law level quoted is that of the open part of the city of Kerala. The private research stations will usually have severe restrictions on personnel's personal freedoms as defined in the individual's residence contract.

Technology

The technology on Ares is made up of imported devices for the most part, and very advanced home-made equipment pertaining to the research specialities of the various stations.

See below for notes on military technology

Biology & Ecology

Native Biology

12 forms of single-celled organisms (Aresians) have been found in the native rocks near the north-poles' ice-cap, all of which are incredibly slow growing, inter-related and show common gene structures to those of New Earth. It is postulated that a meteor impact on New Earth somehow translated a single new-earth organism to Ares, which has slowly spread and mutated. None are found south of the 80-degrees-northline.

Transplanted Biology

The settlers have brought many plants that are used for air-supply, food and suppliers of good cheer within the settled domes. None are grown outside the domes.

Bioengineering

Ares utilises bioengineering technology created elsewhere in the New Earth System

Military

The military of Ares is much stronger than might otherwise be imagined as the various settlements tend to be secured against both physical and virtual attack. The total armed force is about the equivalent of a population 10 times it's size - at (if you add all the bits up) almost a full battalion of troops. These troopers are some of the best equipped in the entire New Earth System.

There are rumours that the planet is defended by a high-technology, high-energy meson weapon - certainly the heaviest defence boats have been scrapped (some of these found their way into the hands of anti-government forces in the belt).

Economy

Ares is a non-Agricultural world and as such it is substantially reliant on other Worlds for its food supplies.

Despite its non-Industrial classification, the many research facilities are quite capable of making almost anything. Not cheaply, but in emergency an effective answer can almost always be found.

Ares' main exports are research data and specialist item-designs. It has a GWP of about 6 Billion Cr per annum.

Culture

Ares has a strong culture of corporate secrecy. Indeed, there is little inter-settlement society other than at the highest levels of society. Rivalry between settlements populations and sponsors is occasionally fierce. Much of the population is young and driven and on short-term contract. Levels of natural reproduction on-planet are well below the levels needed for a self-sustaining population.

History

Ares was ignored for many decades after arrival and it wasn't until 171 that the first landing was made upon it's surface. Since that time, about 50 separate bases have been built, of which about 30 are still operational. The largest (e.g. Kerala, Hawking and Mason) have subsequently become more research towns than just just stations.