Sol System
Assigned to:Octus
The Sol System is the home system of the Human species within the Orion Sector. The heart of the Trans-Solar Federation and one of the busiest systems for commerce and corporations. Humans, Skrell, and other forms of alien travel throughout the system to reach the several important bodies inside. Its earliest development spans to the first century of human exploration amongst the stars, with important locations like Mars, Europa, and Pluto being colonized locations that slowly devloped into important worlds for Trans-Solar Federation exploration, and the corporations rampant within.
Mercury (Sol I)
Mercury, the innermost planet of the Sol System, presents a harsh and barren landscape. As the smallest planet in the system, it completes an orbit around the sun in 88 Earth days, with a slow rotation period of 58.6 days. The planet's surface is a testament to its brutal environment, heavily cratered and devoid of an atmosphere, constantly bombarded by meteorites and intense solar winds due to its proximity to the sun. Temperature extremes range from a frigid 100K to a blistering 700K during daylight hours, posing significant challenges for habitation.
Despite these harsh conditions, Mercury hosts a number of human-operated mining facilities, strategically located deep beneath the planet's crust. These facilities, housed within biodomes and reinforced subterranean structures, exploit Mercury's rich iron deposits, crucial to the Trans-Solar Federation's industrial needs. The materials extracted here are vital for the construction and maintenance of Earth and Martian colonies.
Life on Mercury is far from comfortable. The planet's population, estimated at around 10,000 TSF citizens, is primarily composed of miners and ecologists. These individuals live and work in a network of heavily fortified metallic bunkers, thousands of feet below the surface, equipped with continuous air conditioning and hydroponic systems for sustainability. The environment is tough and often bleak, leading to a high incidence of drug use among the workforce.
Trade is the lifeline of Mercury's settlements. Cargo ships regularly transport the mined ores and minerals to Mars for further processing, while also delivering essential supplies like water and oxygen to sustain the underground habitats. The workforce is predominantly engaged in mining (85%), with the remainder involved in construction, maintenance, and various administrative or ecological roles.
Given the planet's extreme conditions, workers on Mercury receive Hazard Pay, a financial incentive acknowledging the risk and difficulty of their jobs. This compensation, however, often does little to alleviate the sense of isolation and hardship experienced by those who call Mercury their temporary home.
Venus (Sol II)
Venus, the second planet from the sun in the Sol System, stands as a stark contrast to its neighboring planets. Roughly Earth-sized, it is the hottest planet in the system, with a dense atmosphere that creates an extreme greenhouse effect. Venus completes its orbit around the sun in 224.7 Earth days, but its rotation is remarkably slow, taking 243 Earth days. This slow rotation, coupled with an atmosphere primarily composed of carbon dioxide, traps heat to such an extent that the average surface temperature soars above 735K, maintaining a constant state of extreme heat.
These inhospitable conditions have led the Trans-Solar Federation (TSF) and other agencies to deem Venus unsuitable for colonization or extensive exploration. The relentless heat, coupled with the planet's volatile weather patterns, makes any habitation or long-term investment in infrastructure on Venus prohibitively dangerous and costly.
As a result, Venus remains devoid of any permanent TSF or alien settlements. Instead, the focus has shifted to Mercury, whose challenging yet more manageable conditions offer a more viable option for resource extraction and industrial activity. Venus, however, has not been entirely overlooked in the Sol System's economic landscape. Recognizing its strategic position, several plasma fuel stations have been established in orbit around the planet. These stations serve as critical refueling points for cargo shuttles and other spacecraft traveling within the Sol System, particularly those transporting metals and supplies within Sol.
Earth (Sol III)
WIP
Mars (Sol IV)
WIP