Milieu 1900:Tubb (world)/Timeline

Settlement

Tubb's early history is that of many human settled worlds in the Million Subsector - a small group of determined pioneer's striking out on their own. In this case, the group was led by Iraza Shan Tubb. What aided the early years of the settlement, and saw the world through the competition from Vargr settlers was that (after landing at Tubb), the colony ship was supposed to be delivering a squadron of System Defence Boats deeper into the Deneb Sector. Precisely how the colony ship became marooned is not clearly explained in the histories, but it left the settlers with the capability to control access to the world and thus to ensure a central and coordinated settlement effort.

The settlement set up a shipbuilding (watercraft) facility very early into its history and had remotely operated deep-sea survey and mining operations working across the seabed very quickly. New colonists were welcomed (and in some cases purchased from passing Vargr). Trade with Talon (Deneb 2704) and, later, Fosfog (Deneb 2702) thrived.

Vargr Campaigns and after

The Vargr Campaigns saw Tubb acting as an intermediary between the Imperial and Vargr factions and as a clearing house for information regarding the Million and Aegaek Subsectors.

The war between the Imperium and Gase A (Serk (Corridor 2704)) in 379 also provided a major import of willing Vilani workers who were (often forcibly) integrated into Tubby society. It was these workers who constructed many of the earliest of Tubb's undersea cities.

First Frontier War, Civil War, Second Frontier War

Tubb's careful placement during the Vargr Incursions associated with the Civil War period again saw it operating as an information hub for both sides. It was not unscathed. An assassins war was fought on Tubby territory and resulted in the deaths of many off-world visitors and local politicians, traders, and administrators. n.b. The Administration on Tubb has strenuously denied that they have ever admitted members of the Humbolt family at this time or later.

Population Growth

The ability of Tubb to provide minerals, metals and food, fuel, and air also fuelled further immigration. For many years, 9/10 applicants were Vargr, and 9/10 successful applicants were Human.

Rise of the UFA

The forming of the United Followers of Augurgh sorely tempted the Government of Tubb to abandon its traditional role of neutral; but the inclusion of Fosfog (Deneb 2702) in that polity decided the Government to stick to its traditional fence-sitting.

Hard Times

Tubb never really felt the Hard Times. It was, again, a melting-pot for Imperial and Vargr agencies and chancers. Despite the flow of information, Tubb never took the warning implicit in the Regency's Abandonment policy seriously - even when the nature of the threat was made very explicit by their Ambassador.

Tubb took many refugees from the Khouth Subsector after it was invaded by the Dzarrgh Federate.

Galaxiad

The Virus had devastated Tubb and the insanity of the Wave saw 50% of the remaining population succumb to the madness. It was at this point that Tubby society realised just how dependent upon Vargr trade it really was. With the undersea mines destroyed and the surface fleet working but short of everything but food and water Tubb had to start from scratch. Its out of the way position was a great help. No one heading to do something important would come via Tubb.

It took nearly 6 generations for the Tubb system to get past the point where every physical item was reused of necessity – and the stories of how the greed of the Imperials and the Wicked Empress had caused everything to collapse ingrained that philosophy in Tubb society.

Stories of Vargr Thieves and Tricksters and Cruel Raiders ensured that the few Vargr merchants that visited were treated at arms length and the merchant’s stories of the world's poverty ensured the raiders were, in actuality, few.

For all that, the politics of Tubb were very similar to that of the Vargr – Charismatic leaders pulled together fleets of followers (in Tubb's case, the units being ships rather than individuals) for a specific task which they accomplished (or didn’t) before dissolving back into their individual paths.

Visiting Tubb is a difficult proposition, with all off-worlders (and many unknown on-worlders) being viewed with suspicion. As a consequence, the “Starport” is rated E – not because other facilities aren’t present, but because gaining access to them is all but impossible. (n.b. Unrefined fuel is always available by putting a hose over the side and pumping.) Landing craft must be capable of a water-landing or small enough to land on the landing platform of a ship or rig.

The population of Tubb has grown and is now at the greatest extent it has ever managed. Growth has plateaued and no woman would be so irresponsible as to bring a child into the world without there being a niche in the food-web for that child to mature into.

The unit of government on Tubb is the Ship, Rig or Station. These are typically (if ships) no more than about 10,000 dTons displacement – Rigs may be larger and the undersea stations larger still, but the largest stations are smaller than 1,000,000 dTons, housing a few thousand people at most.

The legal system on Tubb is that of Custom under Tubbs Law of the Sea. Any person may appeal to a Captain’s Court for resolution of a dispute. And if the Captain is a party or if the Captain’s decision is disliked these decisions can be reviewed by the Commodore’s Court or even the Admiral’s Court. Such appeals can take some time as the higher courts only sit when the Fleets gather.

For all that Tubb has a relatively high technology level, the craft-orientated nature of Tubb society means that the items are generally hand-crafted by experts. The lack of easily mineral resources mean that there is a heavy use of marine-organics and biotechnologies. The isolated nature of the world means that the concept of standardisation to a wider pattern is of little importance. (Yes they still use Imperial Standard Shipping Containers and power connectors for these, but their power sockets for domestic use follows an old “United Followers of Augurgh” standard and their bio-light recharge cylinders are of a design common across Tubb but unique to it) n.b. Tubb uses almost no grav technologies and air-based transportation is unusual - often using high-tech, biotech lighter-than-air craft.