Anastas

Introduction

This planet, located within the Russian Federation's space, is a unique celestial body that serves as a significant outpost in the Federation's interstellar domain. With its challenging environmental conditions and strategic importance, the planet plays a critical role in the Federation's space operations.

Planetary Statistics

Distance from Star: 4,192,630 km, placing Anastas in a close orbit to its parent star or possibly a dimmer stellar body. This proximity contributes to its short orbital period and stark environmental contrasts.
Radius: 6,946 km, slightly smaller than Earth, with a corresponding surface area and biosphere capacity to match.
Gravity: 0.87G, lighter than Earth’s, shaping its inhabitants toward taller, more agile physiologies and allowing for grander, lighter architectural designs.
Orbit Period: 4.12 days, suggesting a rapid orbit. Combined with its tidally locked rotation, this creates extreme zonal divisions of climate and habitability.
Rotation: 0 hours (tidally locked), with one hemisphere bathed in eternal daylight and the other trapped in perpetual darkness.
Mean Temperature: 265K (-8°C), cold but not uninhabitable, averaging across the day and night sides with the terminator line serving as the most habitable region.
Atmosphere: 1.58 atm, denser than Earth’s, supporting enhanced heat retention and weather extremes, but providing strong radiation shielding.
Water/Ice Index: 24.74%, a balance of frozen and liquid water reserves, primarily concentrated at the twilight band and within deep river valleys.
Population: 3.59 million, concentrated in megacities along the terminator line and hydro-industrial settlements built around inland river basins.

Environmental and Living Conditions

Anastas is a planet of stark contrasts. Its tidally locked state creates an eternal day side where deserts and rocky plains are blasted by unending light, and an eternal night side where glaciers and ice fields dominate. Between these extremes lies the twilight band—the terminator line—where habitable conditions thrive. This narrow zone of moderate temperatures has become the cradle of Anastasian civilization.

Day Side: A barren land of sun-scorched deserts and parched plateaus. Constant radiation makes habitation nearly impossible without heavy shielding, though solar energy harvesting farms are abundant here, supplying much of the colony’s power.

Night Side: An icebound wilderness with frigid storms and temperatures plummeting below survivable limits. Outposts and research stations dot the permafrost, extracting rare minerals and ice reserves.

Terminator Line: The vital band of habitable land where rivers fed by melting ice from the night side flow toward the parched day side. Here, lush wetlands, dense green belts, and sprawling delta systems provide fertile land for agriculture and settlements. The thick atmosphere creates near-constant cloud cover and heavy rainfall, fueling the rivers that sustain life.

Civilization and Infrastructure

The population of 3.59 million is primarily concentrated in arcology-cities along the terminator’s great rivers and floodplains. These urban centers are hubs of trade, agriculture, and manufacturing, while smaller settlements push into both the icy night side and the resource-rich day side. The dense atmosphere contributes to unpredictable, violent storms, making transport by air risky; instead, the rivers and coastlines form the lifelines of travel and trade.

Colonial Development

The Russian Federation has managed to establish a significant population on this planet, with over 3.5 million inhabitants. The population is likely concentrated in areas where the environment is most stable, perhaps near the terminator line where temperatures might be more moderate. The high water/ice index suggests that water resources are plentiful, possibly in the form of vast ice deposits or underground aquifers, essential for sustaining the colony's needs.

Given the planet’s harsh conditions, the infrastructure is probably highly advanced, with robust life support systems and climate control technologies in place to ensure the colony’s survival. The presence of a dense atmosphere may also require specialized equipment and habitation structures to manage the increased air pressure and ensure human comfort and safety.

Strategic Importance

This planet’s location within the Russian Federation’s space, combined with its unique environmental challenges, makes it a vital strategic asset. Its population size indicates that it serves as more than just a scientific outpost; it could be a key military or industrial hub, supporting the Federation's broader goals in space exploration and defense. The planet’s resources, particularly water and possibly rare minerals, could be crucial for supporting nearby colonies or space stations.

Conclusion

This planet in Russian Federation space is a testament to human adaptability and the Federation’s commitment to expanding its presence across the stars. Despite its challenging conditions, the planet is a thriving hub of activity, playing a critical role in the region’s economy and strategic planning. The ongoing development of this world reflects the Federation's broader ambitions in space, as they continue to push the boundaries of human colonization and technological advancement.

New Washington

Introduction

New Washington is the United States’ administrative capital beyond Earth — a shining symbol of democratic governance in the Alpha Centauri A system. Built to mirror the ideals of the American republic, it serves as both a seat of government and a cultural bridgehead for Terran expansion.

Geography and Urban Design

New Washington occupies a continent of rolling plains and river valleys under a warm, stable sun. The capital, Liberty Prime, was designed as a sister city to Washington D.C., complete with a Capitol Dome, Unity Mall, and broad civic avenues. Around it, planned suburbs, research hubs, and orbital anchors integrate into a harmonious architectural grid visible from orbit.

Population and Governance

Home to 310 million residents, New Washington functions as a representative democracy under the U.S. Colonial Charter. It hosts the Colonial Senate, the Judicial Tribunal of the Stars, and the Federal Office of Expansion, which governs all American colonies outside Sol. Its citizens are regarded as the most politically engaged population in Terran space.

Economy and Infrastructure

As a planned world, New Washington blends political, commercial, and technological sectors. Maglev corridors, subterranean transports, and orbital lifts ensure seamless integration between ground and space. The economy centers on governance, education, defense, and interstellar logistics.

Culture and Legacy

The planet’s citizens maintain traditions of civic service and scientific excellence. Museums, universities, and memorial parks reflect the heritage of the United States while embracing its cosmic destiny. Annual festivals commemorate both Independence Day and Founders’ Day — the anniversary of the first colonial landing.

Conclusion

New Washington is the living heart of American space — a republic reborn among the stars. It remains a testament to the endurance of democracy, human ambition, and the ever-evolving definition of freedom.

Pittman

Introduction

Pittman is a frontier world of haunting beauty and mystery — a colony once thriving with trade and agriculture, now marked by the scars of unexplained devastation. Located in the Groombridge 1618 system, Pittman’s fall remains one of the most chilling events in modern Terran history.

History and Collapse

Founded in 2184 as an agricultural colony, Pittman grew rapidly due to its fertile floodplains and favorable climate. Its cities, such as Haverly and New Canton, exported food and biological compounds across U.S. space. In 2267, however, contact was lost. Subsequent recovery missions found cities abandoned, infrastructure intact, and entire populations vanished without a trace.

Current Status

Pittman today is a restricted system under U.S. military quarantine. Drones and reconnaissance satellites patrol orbit, while scientific teams occasionally descend to study anomalous energy signatures across the surface. No evidence of war or invasion has been confirmed. Theories range from viral extinction events to transdimensional interference — none verified.

Environment

The planet remains lush and temperate, its ecosystems recovering in human absence. Dense forests, abandoned cities, and artificial lakes stand frozen in time. The air remains breathable; the soil fertile. Yet every attempt to reestablish permanent settlements ends in psychological breakdowns and unexplained disappearances among crews.

Conclusion

Pittman endures as both tragedy and warning — a world of silence preserved by fear. It symbolizes the outer limits of human comprehension and the dangers lurking beyond the known bounds of Terran science.

Earth

Introduction

Earth — cradle of humanity and nexus of Terran civilization — remains the political, cultural, and economic heart of the known galaxy. Home to 15.8 billion people and 4 billion inorganics, Earth is the most densely populated and technologically advanced world in the Core. Despite overcrowding, ecological strain, and vast wealth inequality, it continues to shape the destiny of humankind.

Population and Society

Fifteen billion humans inhabit sprawling megacities that blanket continents, while inorganics—synthetic intelligences and robots—comprise a vital four billion more. Integration between biological and synthetic life is seamless, with inorganics performing roles from labor to governance. The human populace is split sharply between the affluent seven percent elite and the ninety-three percent working population known colloquially as the “93ers.”

Energy and Infrastructure

Earth’s energy network draws from orbiting solar arrays, solar wind collectors, subterranean geothermal plants, and vast stratospheric wind turbines. Most industrial and heavy manufacturing sectors were relocated off-world to lunar or orbital platforms to preserve the biosphere. Two orbital starports—Arcadia and Chrysallis—serve as Terran Core’s busiest interstellar gateways, processing thousands of vessels daily.

Political and Administrative Structure

While the Council of the Core convenes primarily on Terra Secundus, Earth remains the symbolic and administrative capital of the Terran political sphere. Ninety-eight nation-states and unions maintain their official capitals on Earth, governing through semi-autonomous structures while coordinating through interplanetary ministries. Recent decentralization initiatives have relocated many government offices to colonies to strengthen interstellar cohesion.

Technological Advancement and Economy

Earth leads the galaxy in artificial intelligence, genetic science, and advanced robotics. Life extension programs and AI-driven governance define its society. Automation has revolutionized productivity while displacing human labor, deepening the socioeconomic divide between elites and the laboring class. Nonetheless, Earth’s technological exports sustain much of the Terran Core economy.

Cultural and Social Life

Earth’s cultures are as diverse as its history. From the restored cities of Old Asia and Africa to the luminous arcologies of the Americas and Europe, ancient traditions coexist with hypermodern lifestyles. Art, cuisine, and festivals blend global influences into a unified planetary culture. However, social inequality and overpopulation persist, driving millions to emigrate to colonies seeking opportunity and freedom.

Conclusion

Earth remains humanity’s origin and anchor — both a shining beacon of civilization and a mirror of its flaws. Its cities hum with innovation and history, while its people, human and synthetic alike, continue to define the moral and cultural pulse of the galaxy.