Campaign:NHNE/Worlds/Ares
New Earth 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.
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.
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.
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.
Population
Government
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
Technology
Biology & Ecology
Native Biology
12 forms of single-celled organisms 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.
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.
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.