Minkowski

Minkowsky
System Info
Star Name: Mara (superdegenerate) Map ID: TBA Other Bodies: Yama (large rocky) Yami (small rocky) Naraka (small gaseous) Heaven's Stair (asteroids) Xibalba (large gaseous) Diyu (small gaseous)
Population: Mediocre Breakdown: 89% homo caelum 7% secundus carrier 2% secundus 1% other transgene <1% baseline Government: Constitutional theocracy Capital: Gagarin (asteroids) Major Settlements: Einstein (Diyu) Oneill (Naraka) Tereshkova (asteroids) Alignment: Independent/ZOCU
Infrastructure
Wealth: Primary Industry: Complex Industry: He3 Deliveries: Domestic He3: Delta Dust: Military: Primary Doctrine:

Astrography

Mara

The fearsome black hole at the heart of the system is named Mara. Its attendant accretion disc sheds light comparable to the sun, along with a much larger quantity of high-energy radiation. The blazing disc, perpendicular jets and twinkling posthuman satellites were noted as one of the 'Seven Wonders of the Human Sphere' in the travel text of the same name.

Posthuman Structures

Many rings of elaborate diamondoid objects encircle the black hole and its jets. They are believed to be scientific instruments. One houses a research station that studies the structures and Mara itself, but many of the others are being dismantled for useful components that find their way into everything from FTL drives to lightweight shielded spacesuits.

Yama

Yama is a large rocky planet massing nine Earths.

Yami

Yami is a small icy planet massing one-third Earth.

Naraka

Naraka masses a mere 0.05 Jupiters and contains a high proportion of water vapour. It is orbited by the helium-mining colony Oneill.

Heaven's Stair

Minkowsky's primary asteroid belt, also known as 'Changcheng' or simply 'the Belt' lies between Naraka and Xibalba. The majority of the Minkowskan population lives here, in the major colony complexes Gagarin and Tereshkova.

Xibalba

Xibalba masses 2 Jupiters and contains a high proportion of methane.

Diyu

Diyu masses 0.5 Jupiters and is almost exclusively hydrogen and helium based. It is orbited by the helium-mining colony Einstein.

Biology

Minkowskans Abroad

Popular approaches include light exoskeletons, mobile furniture, and swimming.

Sociology

Economy

Shipyards, mining.

Culture

Airctopi and xenophobia.

Food

Meatball trees.

Clothing

Skintight spacesuits.

Religion

Gravity is the destructive influence of the Adversary, only by abandoning it can our souls ascend to Heaven.

History

Timeline

2066: Departed Earth
2068: Arrival in Minkowsky system
2074: Expeditions to necklaces authorised
2075: Homo caelum primus developed
2084: First necklace derivatives developed
2090: Homo caelum secundus developed
2111: Homo caelum tertius crisis
2125: Contact reestablished
2133: Civil war begins
2134: Civil war ends
2135: Liberals take power
214X: Breakdown begins
2155: Nationalists take power
217Y: Breakdown ends
2175: Liberals take power
2180: ZOCU war begins
2189: ZOCU war ends
2190: Nationalists take power
2194: Present day

Provisional History Path:

X: Found Religion

(+morale, -wealth)
The followers of Minkowsky Transcendentalism, AKA 'Cavorites' or 'Spacer Cultists', believed in a new religion that preached the corrupt nature of gravity.

A1: Longshot Mission

(+fabbers)
They vanished from Earth history in the 2060s.

A2: Transgene

(++transgene)
They were a motley crew of space-bound dreamers, true believers, and the poor or displaced, carrying a blend of expertise, faith and willing labour into the unknown with a mission to master it.

A3: No Suitable World

They washed up in the system they christened Minkowsky. There wasn't much there beyond rocks and gas and gateways to hell. The former suited, the latter did not.

A4: Adapt

(radical morphological change)
In accordance with their beliefs they adapted to their environment, carefully testing each alteration as they went but eventually arriving at the slim, hairless homo caelum.

B1: Artifact Find

(+dust)
The Minkowskans, as they were now called, were not the first inhabitants of the system. The posthumans had been there before, and left uncountable unusual structures pointing into the black hole.

B4: Useful Finds

(+CIP)
Bitter about being dumped next to such a ghastly thing, the Minkowskans set upon the telescopes hungrily as soon as safe methods were developed. Components are now used for all kinds of applications, from sensor arrays to spacesuit shielding.

C1: Crisis Situation

(+stockpiles)
Once contact was reestablished, the xenophobic religious establishment clashed with the more open elements of society over foreign investment into Minkowsky's command economy.

C2: Shoot it Repeatedly

(+military)
A 'compromise' was brokered, that was actually mostly a win for the liberals as it sharply curtailed the power of the clergy and opened Minkowsky to foreign investment. Nevertheless, conditions improved.

D1: Broken-down

(+PIP)
Minkowsky's new economy, based on selling resources and manufacturing to the prosperous Core, did not survive the collapse of FTL travel.

D3: Become Energy Independent

(+helium, +dust)
.

E1: Make My Own Bloc

(+ground tech, +defensive tech, +tech, -shipbuilding)

K1: Be Interventionist

(+military, +logistics)

K2: Regional Port

(+dust, +PIP, +CIP, +shipbuilding, -ground tech)

K3: Salvation Armada

(+++military, +logistics)

Totals

radical morphological change
++transhuman
+fabbers
++PIP
++CIP
+++dust
+helium
+stockpiles
+++military
++morale
++++tech
+weapons tech
+ship tech
+hangarize
+RP
+fleet doctrines
+ZOCU relations
-debt
-wealth
-shipbuilding
-Treaty of Sirius