Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Solar System

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Solar System

This is my anniversary post! I have posted daily on this blog for a year, and maybe it's time to slow down. In this post I have short write-ups on the factions and settlements of the Solar System.

1.      Mercury

Gravity: 0.38 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: 10^-14 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Oxygen, sodium, hydrogen.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -315°F (-193°C).

-          Mean: 26°F (-3°C).

-          Maximum: 800°F (426°C).

Population: 250.

Mercury has never been attractive as a planet to colonize due to its inhospitality. The only notable feature is a solar physics research outpost established by the Martian Republic in 2457.

2.      Venus

Gravity: 0.9 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: 92 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Carbon dioxide.

Mean Surface Temperature: 866°F (462°C).

Population: 3 billion.

Venus is a very hot greenhouse world, way too hot even for the shee or l’rimra. Nonetheless, humans colonized the world shortly after the first colonies appeared on Mars and the Moon. Floating habitats tethered to the mountain peaks of Venus allowed the colonists to live in much less harsh conditions than on the surface.  More than that, the conditions in the habitats are very close to those of Earth. This fact eliminates the need for biological of cybernetic modifications for the ability to live there and makes Venusians very close genetically to the baseline humans.

The first floating habitat was deployed in 2106, a year after the Venus terraforming project was rejected by Smith-Mikado Group, who decided to allocate more resources towards terraforming Mars. Indian space agency used old floating habitat concepts created by NASA to produce and deploy a large hydrogen balloon that allowed supporting a city-sized habitat 50 kilometers above the surface of Venus.

The first habitat was tethered to Akna Montes and was named Lakshmi. The first colonists worked for several years for the habitat to become self-sufficient, using solar power, extracting oxygen and water from the atmosphere, and producing food on aeroponic farms. The next wave of Indian colonists was attracted by the state colonization initiative that reduced taxes and gave some other privileges to the colonists. Eventually, Lakshmi became overcrowded, and ten new habitats were deployed. These new habitats were not tethered, which allowed them to float with the winds around the atmosphere.

From 2120 to 2176, during the United Earth Hegemony rule, Venus became a center of biotech research. Political dissidents were sent to Venus to become test subjects for biotech scientists. While some test were ethically questionable (modern Venusians try to forget about them), this initiative allowed for several scientific breakthroughs that made life in other colonies safer and simpler.

When the United Earth Hegemony fell, Venus became independent and united under the name of the Venusian Democratic Republic. Many underestimate the population the floating habitats can support – currently there is around 500 floating habitats with the total population of 3 billion. Venus is the most ethnically homogenous planet of the Solar System – 94% of its population is Indian.

3.      Earth

Gravity: 1 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: 1 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Oxygen, sulfur.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -280°F (-35°C).

-          Mean: 77°F (25°C).

-          Maximum: 185°F (85°C).

Population: 0.

Earth is the birthplace of the human race, even though after contacting MonoTech and MacroDynamics Tech Alliance, many started to doubt this fact. In the past, Earth’s population was heavily fragmentized, but then was united under the tyrannical rule of the United Earth Hegemony. In 2176, a large asteroid collided with the planet, decreasing its population by 70%. The surface temperature rose thanks to triggered massive volcanic eruptions, and the atmosphere was contaminated. All survivors were relocated to extraterrestrial colonies that revolted and overthrew the colonial governments of the United Earth Hegemony. Currently, no humans live on Earth, but some flora and fauna has survived the past cataclysm. Rumors exist that smugglers often use Earth for their transactions.

3.1  Moon

Gravity: 0.16 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: None.

Atmosphere Composition: None.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -280°F (-173°C).

-          Mean: -64°F (-53°C).

-          Maximum: 242°F (117°C).

Population: 785 million.

The first permanent extraterrestrial settlement of humans was found on the Moon in 2053 by China. New Xi’an, now the capital city of the Moon, originally was a small research outpost that with time grew into a bustling domed metropolis. While first settlements were mostly populated by the Chinese, later there were Russian, Arabic, and later multicultural American and European settlements. Throughout the years, the ethnicities have intermingled, but some still keep the traditions of old. Culturally the lunars are hospitable, friendly, but nationalistic. Even on frontier USA world in the present day one can witness a nationalistic person be called a loony.

In the past, the lunar cities were governed by the national Earth governments, then the United Earth Hegemony, but now they are ruled by the Panlunar Consortium, a megacorp (a minicorp in comparison with MonoTech and MacroDynamics Tech Alliance) and is the main producer of spaceships in the Solar System.

4.      Mars

Gravity: 0.37 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: 0.6 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Oxygen.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -130°F (-90°C).

-          Mean: -25°F (-32°C).

-          Maximum: 95°F (35°C).

Population: 4 billion.

The first settlement on Mars appeared in 2099 and was named New Kiev by the Russian colonists. Smith-Mikado Group, an American-Japanese company from Earth started the terraforming process of Mars in 2105. Triggering volcanic eruptions, planting genetically modified plants, and using other means they have managed to make the atmosphere denser and even breathable, and raise the mean temperature, but it took more than 200 years to achieve this effect.

Martian colonies attempted to become independent even before the United Earth Hegemony fell, but their attempts had no success. After the Hegemony’s fall, Mars’ geopolitical map became a patchwork of various small nations – Ausonia Republic, New Arabia, Martian India, Neonetherlands, Borealis Rus, and many others. Despite the cultural differences, in the year 2185, the nations managed to unite almost bloodlessly under the name of the Martian Republic – a planetary egalitarian state. If not for the Jovian Federation’s discovery of proteanium, the Martian Republic would definitely have become the most powerful faction in the Solar System. While both factions are part of the USA now, they still often have territorial disputes about the asteroid belt.

In the current times, Mars holds the majority of the Solar System’s population. Its domed metropolises contain people of all possible ethnicities, and all languages can be heard on the Red Planet’s soil. While there were attempts to create a common Martian language, they all met with failure, and now the most widely used languages on Mars are English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Japanese.

5.      Jupiter

Gravity: 2.52 g.

Cloud Layer Atmospheric Pressure: 0.2-2 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Hydrogen.

Mean Surface Temperature: -162°F (-108°C).

Population: 0.

Humans have no interest in Jupiter itself, and while there were suggested projects of constructing floating cities in the atmosphere, they were discarded as unnecessary. Now the only features of this planet are antimatter mines and a fessamid embassy.

5.1  Ganymede

Gravity: 0.14 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: None.

Atmosphere Composition: None.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -333°F (-203°C).

-          Mean: -261°F (-163°C).

-          Maximum: -186°F (-121°C).

Population: 1.2 billion.

While now Ganymede is the capital world of the USA, it started out as a British research outpost in 2102. When the first antimatter mines were deployed in Jupiter’s atmosphere, and the antimatter power plants made living on Ganymede easier, it started attracting colonists who wanted to live in an exotic environment with beautiful sky. Of course, many of them were disappointed, when they found out that most of the living happens underground, but usually they had not enough money to go back.

Gradually, the underground settlements grew into domed cities, and when the United Earth Hegemony fell, the colonial government did not even resist the independence movement and resigned voluntarily. Several years later, when other Jovian colonies overthrew their governments, they all united under the name of the Jovian Federation.

Now Ganymede and its capital of Uruk in particular, is the seat of power of the USA. Many aliens can be encountered on this world, and even separate districts with specialized life support systems for aliens exist. The USA Senate is seated on Ganymede, where representatives of all major factions of the USA do their political things.

5.2  Callisto

Gravity: 0.13 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: None.

Atmosphere Composition: None.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -315°F (-193°C).

-          Mean: -218°F (-139°C).

-          Maximum: -162°F (-108°C).

Population: 750 million.

Callisto was colonized two years earlier than Ganymede, in 2100. Colonization was easier thanks to the presence of water ice, geological stability, and Callisto being less irradiated than the other moons of Jupiter. The first colonists came from the South-East Asian Alliance and named the first settlement New Kuala Lumpur. In 2142, the United Earth Hegemony started sending political dissidents and criminals to work in the mines of Callisto. Eventually, in 2176, the Hegemony fell, and the Callisto Revolution began – a bloody 2-year-long war with the colonial government. The established Free Callisto Republic joined the Jovian Federation and became a beacon of personal freedom in the Solar System.

Now, Callisto is a relatively large colony where people who do not enjoy strict governments live. In the past, Malay was the most widely used language on Callisto, but now English and French are widespread too. Callisto is known for cheap weapons, lax laws, and tolerance of different cultures and faiths.

5.3  Io

Gravity: 0.18 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: 3x10^-4 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Sulfur dioxide.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -297°F (-183°C).

-          Mean: -261°F (-163°C).

-          Maximum: -225°F (-143°C).

Population: 0.

Io is the only Galilean moon of the planet Jupiter that has not been colonized. Its constant geological activity, almost complete lack of water, and toxic composition have turned away the colonists. While there were terraforming proposals, they were rejected, because with the invention of the FTL-drive it became easier to settle on a world with better conditions in a different system.

5.4  Europa

Gravity: 0.13 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: 10^-12 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Molecular oxygen.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -369°F (-223°C).

-          Mean: -276°F (-171°C).

-          Maximum: -234°F (-148°C).

Population: 250 million.

Europa was colonized in 2107 by the former United States of America. A small base with access to liquid water was established under the icy crust, and over time, the colony grew, spreading even on the surface. The Europan Colony was the site of a genetic engineering experiment that resulted in the creation of a human clade adapted to living in the subsurface ocean of the moon. This subspecies, called the europans (like Triton (BT71), but with Doesn’t Breathe (Gills, -50%) [10] replaced with Doesn’t Breathe (Gills) [0]), now can be encountered on other ocean worlds.

In 2716, when the United Earth Hegemony fell, the Europan Colony threw off the tyrannical shackles quite easily and joined the Jovian Federation.

6.      Saturn

Gravity: 1.06 g.

Cloud Layer Atmospheric Pressure: 0.5-2 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Hydrogen.

Mean Surface Temperature: -218°F (-139°C).

Population: 0.

Like Jupiter, Saturn does not interest humans. It is only used to mine antimatter and hydrogen.

6.1  Titan

Gravity: 0.14 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: 1.45 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Nitrogen, methane.

Mean Surface Temperature: -290°F (-180°C).

Population: 1 billion.

Titan always has been an attractive target for colonization, as it had a dense atmosphere and many other elements that would make living there easier. The first international colony ship was sent out to Titan in 2120, just before the establishment of the United Earth Hegemony. When the ship reached Titan, they immediately rejected the new regime. Luckily, the Hegemony turned a blind eye to this incident.

The Titan colony, being independent from the Hegemony, had to survive all alone by itself. The colonists have established the energy system, farming, housing, and eventually became a refuge for humans not content with the rule of the United Earth Hegemony. Just when the Hegemony began preparing for a military campaign against the Independent Titan Republic, the cataclysm of 2176 happened, and saved the Titaneans from the war.

In the current times, the ITR is a strong power in the Solar System, second only to the Jovian Federation. Titan is well known for producing energy cells, reactors, and electronics.

6.2  Enceladus

Gravity: 0.01 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: None.

Atmosphere Composition: None.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -400°F (-240°C).

-          Mean: -324°F (-198°C).

-          Maximum: -198°F (-128°C).

Population: 0.

Enceladus was unremarkable until the year 2195, when a relatively large deposit of proteanium, an exotic mineral that allowed creating artificial gravity, was discovered on it. In 2254, the proteanium veins were all mined out, and the mining stations were abandoned.

7.      Uranus

Gravity: 0.88 g.

Cloud Layer Atmospheric Pressure: 0.1-100 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Hydrogen, helium.

Mean Surface Temperature: -322°F (-197°C).

Population: 10 million.

The first massive space habitats were created in orbit of Uranus. Genetically modified spacers lived inside huge rotating constructions that also served as antimatter traps and gas mines. The first habitat was constructed in 2185, after the United Earth Hegemony’s fall. Over time, a few more habitats were launched, and the spacers proclaimed independence as the Outer Solar Colonies. Even now, the OSC are not densely populated, as the spacers moved to habitats in other systems, but the Uranian Shipyards are second only to the Panlunar Consortium in the productivity.

7.1  Titania

Gravity: 0.38 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: None.

Atmosphere Composition: None.

Surface Temperature:

-          Minimum: -351°F (-213°C).

-          Mean: -333°F (-203°C).

-          Maximum: -299°F (-184°C).

Population: 18 million.

Titania is the only celestial body beyond Saturn to have a permanent settlement. Ursula, the capital settlement, was found in 2210 first as a laser research outpost. Later, the outpost grew into a small city and then into a single metropolis, where shady business is commonplace. Nowadays, Titania is known as a producer of high-quality laser weapons (thanks to Titania Tech Group), and a place where one can purchase illegal goods (this is still expensive and dangerous, thanks to the Alliance Police Force).

8.      Neptune

Gravity: 1.14 g.

Cloud Layer Atmospheric Pressure: 0.1-5 atm.

Atmosphere Composition: Hydrogen, helium.

Mean Surface Temperature: -330°F (-201°C).

Population: 0.

Neptune is a lifeless ice giant, where not even a single antimatter mine exists.

8.1  Proteus

Gravity: 0.07 g.

Atmospheric Pressure: None.

Atmosphere Composition: None.

Mean Surface Temperature: -367°F (-222°C).

Population: 0.

Proteus would be an unremarkable natural satellite, if not for a discovery of an artificial structure of unknown origins in 2190 by a Jovian Federation probe. After a more thorough investigation, it became clear that this was a disabled by the passage of time robotic mining station of some unknown civilization. This station was built for mining of a previously unknown mineral (later named “proteanium”), that had some perplexing properties. This mining station, dubbed by the scientists as FOSCS – First One-Sided Contact Station (and the creators of FOSCS were named by the scientists as FOSCSO – First One-Sided Contact Station Owners, later this acronym became a normal term “foscso” used to refer to these unknown aliens), had a derelict alien cargo spaceship. After some research of this new mineral and reverse engineering of some of the alien spaceship’s systems, the scientists managed to construct the first human-made artificial gravity generator powered by proteanium. This breakthrough made possible the manufacturing of the first reactionless drive (“Proteus drive”) and made space travel more safe and available.

In 2245, when the deposits on proteanium were exhausted, humans have left Proteus. Ships that fly by Proteus note that there are automated defense systems and sensor jammers installed. The USA government is silent on that matter; all data about the automated installations on Proteus are classified.