Variable (world)

Variable/Salient (Canopus 2033)
Classic Era (1116)	E20048D-8 Starport E Frontier - no facilities Size 2 Small (3,200 km, 0.10g - 0.17g) Atmosphere 0 Vacuum Hydrographics 0 Desert World 0% Population 4 Moderate (10 thousand) Government 8 Civil Service Bureaucracy Law D Extreme Law (paramilitary law) Tech Level 8 Pre-Stellar (superconductors)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	M7 III K8 V
Planetoid Belts	1
Gas Giants	1

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Variable is a nonindustrial vacuum world, which warrants hazardous environment precautions.

• Life in a vacuum requires great discipline. After all, it only takes one forgotten seal on a vacuum suit to spell death. Those who survive tend to be very methodically-minded and attentive to small detail.
• As a nonindustrial world, it requires extensive imports of outside technology to maintain a modern, star-faring society. The need to import most manufactured and high technology goods drives the price of these goods up in the open market.
• It is a member of the Solomani Confederation in the Salient Subsector of Canopus Sector.

• It orbits the system's secondary star.
• It is a mainworld which is a satellite of either a gas giant or another world.
• This dangerous world is designated an Amber Zone with an environment, laws, customs, life forms, or other conditions that make it dangerous to visitors.
• It is part of the Fugit Arm region of the Heart of Canopus.

Description (Astrography & Planetology)

Stellar Data

Variable is a binary star system.

• The primary is a turbulent red giant named Alshazak.
• The secondary is an orange main sequence.

Variable has two stars in the star system.

Alshazak
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	M7 III	Giant		8.3	1900 - 2700	2485
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	2.73565	4.13474	39.63 - 64.6	273.565	2735.65
	Orbit #	5	6	9	12	15
	Remarks		Unstable pulsating star. It produces high levels of EM noise.
Secondary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	K8 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		0.62	3930 - 3990	0.18766
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0057	0.0359	0.45 - 0.84	0.57	5.7
	Orbit #	*	*	2	2	6
	Remarks		Approximately 41 AU from the primary.

Notes

The two stars of the Variable system have an average separation of 41 AU and orbit a barycenter that lies between them.

• Both stars have elliptical orbits around one another, with an average orbital eccentricity (e) of 0.14.
• They have an orbital period around one another of 88 standard years.

System Data

The worlds of the system have been surveyed. They consist of:

• The mainworld, a moon of a gas giant orbiting the system's secondary star.
• x7 secondary rocky worlds, all orbiting the secondary star.
• x1 planetoid belt, a vast ring of rocky debris orbiting around the giant primary star.
• x1 large gas giant, orbiting the secondary star.

Mainworld Data

Variable is a major moon of the system's only gas giant.

The mainworld and its gas giant primary world orbit within the secondary star's outer system.

Mainworld Size (S)

Variable is a Small World between 2,400km and 4,000km in diameter. The world has low gravity between 0.1G and 0.17G. The horizon will appear about 2.5km away.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Variable has a pressure of less than 0.001 atmospheres which requires the use of a Vacc Suit. TL–8 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Variable has no free-standing water or ice on the surface. Wilderness refueling isn't possible on this world. Water for the inhabitants needs to be imported and extensively recycled. These worlds are classified Desert World or a Hell World depending on their atmosphere.

Mainworld Geography and Topography

No centrally held map of the world exists within AAB Library Data records.

(Blank map, vacuum world.)

History & Background (Dossier)

Variable is a Danger World and is designated as an Amber Zone. It presents particular risks and dangers due to the environment or native life forms, laws or customs, or other conditions that are not well understood.

• Visitors are advised to act with caution.

It is a member of the Fugit Arm region of the Heart of Canopus, a large cluster and major trade route lying within the central-rimward part of Canopus Sector.

The system's huge primary star causes interference, strange tones and noises, and heavy static on commo and sensors.

Solomani Security keeps a close eye on things to ensure the security of the Confederation and the well-being of its loyal citizens. Almost anyone could be a SolSec informant, passing on all sorts of useful information: some gain a reward or benefit for their actions, others are coerced, but many see it as an act of duty to help protect the Solomani state and its interests.

World Starport (St)

Variable has a Class E Starport, a frontier quality installation with few expected amenities. There is unrefined fuel for starships and a limited variety of ship provisions. There is no shipyard of any kind, but there may be parts and technical support for doing minor services and repair. Ports of this classification generally consist of a downport.

World Population (P)

Variable has a population of 10,000 sophonts (tens of thousands).

• This is a Nonindustrial World, too small to support the complete chain of production of most goods from start to finish.
• The population almost entirely consists of Solomani humans.

Linguistic Topography

The most commonly heard languages are:

• Rim Anglic, a dialect of Anglic and the principal language of the Confederation.

World Technology Level (T)

Variable possesses a Technology Level of TL–8.

• Common Communication technologies for this TL include: Fiber optics, improved telephones, and satellite communication and data networks.
• Common Power Generation technologies for this TL include: Improved geothermal and improved batteries.
• Common Transportation technologies for this TL include:
  • Land: Advanced automobiles.
  • Water: Triphibians and early artificial gills.
  • Air: Improved helicopters and hypersonic jets.
  • Space: Space shuttles, early space stations, and improved interplanetary spacecraft (System Craft).

World Government (G)

Variable is governed by a Civil Service Bureaucracy. The leadership of the government takes another form (democracy, dictatorship, oligarchy), but the bureaucracy leadership influences policy. The government leadership may select the bureaucracy leadership, but not its membership. Usually the governmental leadership is divided, or incapable of setting policy, and the bureaucracy provides a stabilizing influence. This ruling bureaucracy may be the full government bureaucractic apparatus or a section with limited jurisdiction but considerable influence, like the military.

World Law (L)

Variable has an extreme law level which covers every area of interaction. Laws are complex, detailed, and difficult to understand. Every interaction with the government requires an Advocate. Law enforcement is omnipresent and strict. Legal proceeding can take months to years to resolve and may involve dozens of people. A world with this law level may be an Amber Zone or a Red Zone. All objects specifically manufactured as weapons are typically regulated or prohibited (with no exception for private residences; visiting starships are only protected so long as they stay within designated starports and approach corridors). Civilian movement is rigidly controlled. On worlds with this degree of law, it is difficult to distinguish the police from the military. On others, there is no difference.

Trade Data

• Importance: -3 (very unimportant)

World Economy

• Resources: 5 (scarce)
• Labor: 3 (thousands)
• Infrastructure: 2 (extremely limited)
• Efficiency: +1 (average)

World Culture

• Heterogenity: 8 (discordant)
• Acceptance: 1 (extremely xenophobic)
• Strangeness: 3 (somewhat typical)
• Symbols: 5 (concrete)

World Timeline

Major events that have affected this world and the wider region that it lies within:

• -9235: far to coreward, the Vilani discover jump drive technology. Over the centuries pioneers and settlers gradually spread across Charted Space.
• -4045 to -2204: the Ziru Sirka controls vast territories.
• -2431: Terrans discover jump drive technology.
• -2404 to -2215: the Interstellar Wars.
• -2204 to -1776: the Rule of Man administers the former Ziru Sirka.
• -1862 to -1110: the Terran Mercantile Community is active across the region.
• -1776 to 0: the Long Night.
• -1110 to 588: the Terran Mercantile Community gradually becomes the Old Earth Union, shrinking to control the region around Terra.
• The Year 0: to coreward, the Third Imperium is founded.
• 300-420: the Imperial First Survey charts the system.
• 588: the Old Earth Union and the former territories of the Terran Mercantile Community are annexed by the Imperium.
• 604-622: the Imperial Civil War.
• 624: the Imperial Express Boat Network is established.
• 704: the Solomani Autonomous Region is formed.
• 800-820: the Psionics Suppressions.
• 871: the Solomani Confederation is founded.
• 940: the Solomani Autonomous Region is dissolved.
• 990-1002: the Solomani Rim War.
• 995-1065: the Imperial Second Survey includes data for the system.
• 1065: the Second Survey is published. Information about the system becomes widely available.

References & Contributors / Sources

This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it.

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Classic Traveller Supplement 8 Library Data (A-M), (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), various pages. (Library data entries)
• John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Classic Traveller Supplement 11 Library Data (N-Z), (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), various pages. (Library data entries)
• John Harshman, Marc Miller. Solomani (Game Designers Workshop, 1986), IFC, pages 3, 28. (sector named, background for the sector)
• Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), IFC. (Wars of the Imperium: sector named and shown)
• Peter G. Celella, James Holden. Solomani & Aslan (Digest Group Publications, 1991), pages 8-11, various others. (dot map locating the worlds of the sector, background for the sector)
• Michael Taylor. Fighting Ships of the Solomani (QuikLink Interactive, 2009), page 5. (background for the sector)
• David L. Pulver. Solomani (Mongoose Publishing, 2012), pages 50, 118, 119, various others. (background for the sector)
• Zho Berka's Maps (Classic Era UWP Data for the world)
• CORE Data Site (UWP Data for the world)
• Author & Contributor: Rupert Boleyn (data generated to match dot map)
• Author & Contributor: Garnfellow (development of the sector)