Planet Miura

From Discovery Wiki
Planet Miura
Owner
Planetform, Inc.
Location
B-4/3, Sigma-59

DIAMETER: 12,803 km

MASS: 6.27 x 10e23 kg

TERRAIN: Arctic

TEMPERATURE: -54°C to 11°C

ESCAPE VELOCITY: 12.08 km/sec

Miura is an arctic planet with massive pure water glaciers and vast oceans, most of which are permanently frozen over. Only in sporadic locations where geothermal activity forces heat to the surface does surface water stay liquid. These narrow areas are oases of life on the planet, where algae, invertebrates and even primitive fish-like lifeforms have evolved. The harsh arctic climate has caused no life to evolve outside of the oceans - there are no plants or land animals in Miura's natural ecology. Despite this, the planet does possess a breathable atmosphere, provided the air is heated before being inhaled.

Initial studies suggested the climate could be adjusted, given enough resources and technology. When the survey of the system was completed, Kusari was content for the Gas Miners Guild to contract Planetform in exchange for de facto control of the system, and terraforming was begun in earnest. Construction of the Fujisawa and Isehara facilities started not soon afterwards with the planet providing a central location to store equipment and house GMG personel.

The terraforming project on Miura is aimed at raising the planet's average temperature by at least 20 degrees. The efforts are expected to turn the planet into an oceanic world, not unlike Honshu, over the course of the next century by releasing greenhouse gases. This would cause sea levels to rise accordingly however, and the settlements on the planet are located on a large continent expected to remain above sea level, where a single large mining colony that mines a sizable amounts of Uranium-rich ore has been established. The Isehara refinery in orbit refines Uranium - one of the active components in MOX fuel - from raw Uranium shuttled from the surface. This greatly helps towards the massive funding required for the project and allows traders to haul Uranium to Bretonian MOX fuel refineries, and pick up much needed terraforming gases on the return trip.

In order to reduce labor costs and the risk to their own people, the GMG has contracts with several police forces, offering the Miura mines as a "correctional" facility for prisoners sentenced to hard labor. The Kusari State Police and Liberty Police Inc. both make use of Miura in this fashion, mainly sending convicted terrorists in the hope they will never return. For the GMG, the prisoners have been a source of cheap labor, although their efficiency leaves a lot to be desired. The GMG have also refused to accept suspected Blood Dragon or Golden Chrysanthemum convicts, citing it does not want to give these groups more reason to attack the Miura facilities. Between the prison population, the terraforming teams and various civilian settlements on Miura, the planet now has a population of roughly 220,000 people, a number that is expected to steadily increase as the climate improves.

After the successful acquisition of Planet Kurile, Planetform has begun to apply the native Alien Organisms to planet Miura, accelerating the terraforming of the frigid world. The introduction of Kurile's organisms has already sped up the process, with two large gaps in Miura's frigid oceans thawing in early 825 AS. Planetform expects this accelerated change of the climate to advance the project by several decades, with a projected completion date around 890 AS.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Medical Equipment 46$
Sake 39$
Prisoners 206$
Crew 328$
Silver 167$
Alien Organisms 22$
Food Rations 46$
H-Fuel 100$
Pharmaceuticals 24$
Consumer Goods 32$
Terraforming Gases 46$
Synth Paste 40$
Xeno Relics 207$
Exports
Commodity Price
Deployable Mining Container 50,000$
Uranium 13$
Oxygen 4$
Water 4$
Passengers (Kusari) 384$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price
Civilian Gunboat Gunboat 855,006$
Passenger Liner Liner 1,250,000$
Kusari Tanker Transport 806,006$


News

[834 AS] GMG destroys Sigma smuggling ring

NAHA -- 834 -- GMG spokesmen have announced the successful conclusion of a security operation in Sigma-13. The Guild paramilitary confirmed that diligent patrols had uncovered evidence of a large smuggling operation being conducted from an abandoned Kruger gas miner, fuelling Corsair and Outcast raids across the region. “Thankfully our pilots acted decisively, putting an end to this menace and expelling the itinerants from the GMG’s territory.” Interspace risk adjusters reacted favorably to the news, lowering premiums for the dangerous border world by half a percentage point.

[833 AS] Stabline Prices Spike Over Atka Destruction

SIGMA-17 -- 833 -- Cryer’s share prices have tumbled on the news that Atka Research Station has been destroyed by brutal Outcast pirates. The remote station served as the primary manufacturing point for the revolutionary drug Stabline, which had promised to eradicate Cardamine dependency across the Colonies. Cryer spokeswoman Alicia Fisher confirmed that critical staff and research materials were successfully evacuated due to the timely intervention of private security forces and the GMG paramilitary. She noted that adequate Stabiline stockpiles exist to “manage demand for priority clients” while a replacement facility is sourced. Cryer is believed to have entered emergency negotiations with the governments of both Kusari and Bretonia to explore potential options.

[832 AS] On the Nose

NEW TOKYO -- 832 AS -- Multiple tips from unknown sources have aided, upon investigation, in exposing the abuse of Cardamine between numerous members of the Kusari Keiretsu. Intense work hours have pushed both the youths and the senior citizens towards the consumption of the drug, which is more readily available than ever before, partially due to the foreigner presence upon Roppongi Station.

However, with the recent Farmers Alliance bombing on Roppongi seemingly linked to the sudden increase in Cardamine use among Kusari's businessmen, New Tokyo's residents have expressed sympathy towards the perpetrators, speculating that the Alliance's blatant admission to such a vicious act is not to be taken as a boast or a threat, but as a sign that they will not allow their friends and families to be preyed upon by the greed of corporations that, "do not belong anywhere near our home", said Katsuyori Ichihara, Samura Industries financial consultant, and survivor of the Roppongi attack. "I don't blame them", Mr. Ichihara continued, "that vile drug destroys families."

Due to recent events, Samura Industries has taken it upon itself to act as a substitute for Interspace Commerce within the insurance market and many citizens have already expressed gratitude to Samura and their willingness to provide more financially preferable contracts than what the old management offered.

[832 AS] A Foul Wind

KYUSHU -- 833 AS -- Ravaged by the worst cyclonic storm in recorded history, Kyushu's bustling food production has been thrown into total disarray. Local authorities are struggling to address the infrastructure damage that has been caused by not only the heavy rain, but strong wind and violently surging tide. Even with the storm having passed and dissipated, the full extent of damage is unknown. Missing persons reports are flowing in and the police finds itself too preoccupied with rising unrest given the looming threat of a critical food shortage. What was otherwise expected to be a bountiful harvest now only offers grim tidings. In an uncharacteristic move, many of the Farmers Collectives are putting out calls for aid and promising generous dividends to people with the necessary resources and expertise. This is likely the only way the local economy will recover, faced with dwindling stockpiles an power outages should the measures of the Collectives and the Government fail.

[831 AS/747 AGS] Gate Corps Clash Over 'Blackout'!

ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS/747 AGS -- EFL's 'Resilience Taskforce' today reported its findings on The Blackout, claiming to have gathered forensic evidence that proved the cause as Ageira negligence. A spokesperson claimed that the destruction of the Dublin jump gate by Molly separatists had created a hyperspace feedback loop that was propagated and amplified through the Ageira gate network.

Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection.

Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source.

[831 AS/747 AGS] 'Blackout' Causes Jump Network Fail

MANHATTAN -- 831 AS/747 AGS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When the network resumed 31 hours later, restored communications broke the news of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged the market into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates indicate that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of culpability for the outage, claiming the destruction of Dublin's jump gate instigated a cascading failure in faulty Ageira infrastructure. Ageira has sharply refuted the allegation, claiming such a systemic effect would be physically impossible. Independent researchers in Cologne and the Edge Worlds have also announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, with data about 'The Pulse' being widely shared across the neural net in recent days. House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to comment on their own observatories' data.

[825 AS] Ibusuki station massacred - Kusari enters war!

SAIGON -- 825 -- In a furious speech, Prime Minister Yukihara Reijiro of Kusari has declared a state of war against Rheinland. This follows the destruction of Ibusuki Survey Platform in Sigma-21, 12 hours before Rheinland's eviction ultimatum expired. Despite Rheinland's protests that it was not responsible for the act, Kusari has accused the Battleship Bayern of the murders, releasing the station's final distress calls that begged Rheinland forces to cease fire. As a result, Kusari has mobilized the Kusari Naval Forces to begin joint military operations alongside the Gas Miner's Guild. The Prime Minister has ordered Rheinland to withdraw all of its forces from the Sigmas immediately or face Kusari's fury.

[825 AS] Rheinland demands Ibusuki destruction

IBUSUKI SURVEY PLATFORM -- 825 -- Rheinland has issued an ultimatum for Ibusuki Survey Platform in Sigma-21 to be abandoned. The 48 hour warning has been provided to allow Kusari citizens time to evacuate from the jointly Kishiro and GMG operated station before the Battleship Bayern enforces the order. Kishiro Technologies has announced that it has assumed full administration of the platform to avoid being dragged into Rheinland's conflict with the Guild. Rheinland has reiterated that the platform must be abandoned, while the Bayern continues to advance towards Planet Saigon. Kusari has reacted with outrage to the development, threatening immediate repercussions if neutral Kusari citizens or property are harmed.

[825 AS] Rheinland Aggression Triggers War

SIGMA-15 -- 825 -- Rheinland has continued on a path of aggression against the Guild, with paramilitary wings being repeatedly scrambled to chase Military intruders out of Sigma-13. During a border patrol in Sigma-15, Guild forces encountered an illegal Kruger gas harvesting operation. The crew were informed they were operating in breach of their House’s treaty obligations and ordered to abandon the miner. Instead, the thieves attacked our patrol, while calling Rheinland Military reinforcements. The miner was accordingly destroyed. Rheinland’s declaration of war uses this lawful exercise of authority as a pretext for naked imperialism. The GMG will defend the Crow Nebula to the last. The Rheinlanders are invited to join their ancestors.

[825 AS] Rheinland Pushes Forward With Sigma Ambitions

HAMMERSEE -- 825 -- Despite the ongoing dispute with the Gas Miners Guild over the status of Sigma-15, Rheinland has announced plans to construct a Jump Gate to Frankfurt. Many believe the move brings Rheinland one step closer to formally annexing the system. A secure jump connection will reduce the cost of supporting the colony on Hammersee and nearby Bochum Refinery, removing the need for expensive and time-consuming deep space haulage. Controversially, EFL Oil and Machinery has been contracted for the work, provoking furious criticism from Bretonia and Liberty who accuse Rheinland of funding Gallic military aggression. The GMG called the project a reckless act of Rheinland hostility.

[824 AS] Rheinland and GMG Clash Over Sigma Claims

SIGMA-21 -- 824 -- Daumann deep space explorers have announced the discovery of the Sigma-21 system, filing a territorial claim on behalf of Rheinland. The Gas Miners Guild disputes these claims, pointing to the First Treaty of Honshu that ended the 80-Years War. At that time, Rheinland conceded territorial sovereignty of the Crow Nebula to the GMG. The Guild argues that any newly discovered Sigma systems fall within their domain by default. Rheinland has acknowledged the GMG’s rights to the system’s southern nebula wisp, but strongly rejects the assertion that the Treaty extends to the areas outside it. As this dispute escalates, the GMG has also rebuked Rheinland’s claims to Sigma-15.


Rumors

Planetform, Inc.
  • With the war between Kusari and Bretonia now over, all the Prisoners of War Kusari sent our way are going home. Well not all of them, some look set to stay on and start a new life here. I guess they figure they have nothing to go home to, what with those Gallians coming down even harder on them. Out here on Miura, life is cold and hard - but there is great opportunity here and everyone is embracing it.


  • The largest buildings on Miura are the terraforming reactors. They aren't running at full capacity now that the atmosphere is breathable. I remember the disgusting, acrid stench of this planet when I first arrived, and the air hasn't improved for people working at the bottom of the lowest uranium mines. That is where you can expect to find prison labour toiling away their sentences.


  • This place is growing like you wouldn't believe! Cheap domes built by Synth Foods are popping up all over the place. Not that we grow food under them, they are to keep out the bitter cold. Before IC started delivering these new shelters, we had to get around in polar suits. The buildings under these domes consist mostly of old shipping containers.


Gas Miners Guild
  • So I see there is a new government in power for Kusari? Good for them, the Guild figured out long ago that Samura was not to be trusted. Now that Samura has lost its influence in the government, it wont be long untl the Dragons finish them off. I have already put away a bottle of Wine for the occaision. Yes that's right, Champagne from Gallia - I have never tried it before.


  • They say that Liberty finally put a stop to corrupt officials selling off their prisoners as Slaves. I know better. There is always a demand for 'excess labour', even here. The Guild Paramilitary brings what is left of Slave shipments headed to Outcast space. Not all of these people go home. Some stay on to find a new life here, others fall through the cracks and end up as indentured servants in one of the unregulated mining sites.


  • The mining boom has brought its share of headaches, as well as riches. The settlements on Miura are like mining towns throughout history. Everything is in a crazy excess - money, crime, decadence, violence. Everyone here works hard, and plays harder. This is nothing like the quiet, regulated life of my grandparents, on board our space stations.


  • With the influx of workers into Okinawa, we need to be vigilant for criminal elements that come with them. With demand for services comes the risk of a thriving black market. We have had some instances of sabotage among the minesites as well, but we are growing far too fast for that to be a real threat to our economy.


  • The Guild has always wanted to find a water planet to settle. And we eventually did, albeit one that is utterly frozen. Some people say one day the ice will melt and we will finally have oceans to sail like our Honshu ancestors did. I think the best we can hope for is a frozen citadel like New Berlin. At any rate it will be centuries before this place is fully established.


Kishiro Technologies
  • Kishiro transports are starting to see more Farmers interfering with our convoys in Kusari, and even out here. The GMG runs them off when they come across them, but they can't be in all place at all times. Kishiro must look to its own security ships in times like these, or enlist the help of Freelancers and Bounty Hunters. It works in Shikoku, and with a more supportive government in Kusari, perhaps it can work in Honshu as well.


  • We ship unprocessed uranium mined on Miura up to Isehara. It used to be our terraforming depot, now it is a dedicated refinery turning the raw uranium into shippable product. I oversee operations on some of our key mine sites. Things can become rather chaotic at times, such is the nature of boom times. You can have a lot of fun in the drinking and gambling dens here on Miura. I can do things here I would be scorned for back on Honshu. I see foreign workers from across Sirius here now, and they bring their vices with them to share!


  • The new trade lane to Sigma-19 gives Kishiro excellent access to our mining fields in that system. Without it, we would have only one escape route in the event of pirate attacks. It also gives us more options to travel to Rheinland, avoiding any Farmers who are looking to take their grievances out on us.


  • The GMG now have a planet of their own. They are going to have to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and build more permanent settlements here. I've seen the change start with the young generations of the Guild settling on Honshu. And now Miura is experiencing a big melting-pot of people from all over Sirius. I often hear the older generations of the Guild complaining. They don't like to leave their space stations, and some probably can't even stand up in normal gravity anymore.


Interspace Commerce
  • We ship in tonnes of Synth Paste from Stuttgart. The workers coming in to mine here are all hungry. Many of them come from outside Kusari too, and have no qualms about eating Synth products. Furyoku is in Miura's orbit, and we have stockpiles of fuel ready for export wherever we please. Trust me, this is a good time to buy shares in Interspace.


  • Okinawa is really starting to pay off for Interspace now. We don't get harassed on a daily basis like we do in Kusari. And now with the new gate to Sigma-19 we can ship directly to Rheinland, bypassing Kusari and their ridiculous tax laws. Sure it's more dangerous, a lot more in fact, but our risk analysts are confident we can make it work. At least we are self-insured!


NOTE: Page generated on the 07/06/2024 at 15:55:47 UTC