Hello all, I finished book 17, and have been trying to keep myself occupied after another awesome read. So I decided to make my own mock-up of a colony. I know some others posted some on here and I really liked reading them. Please feel free to throw out the red flag if you see something that makes no sense.
The colony plan was rushed to say the least, the organizers, several powerful business men were desperate to get themselves and their families off of the core worlds. They arranged a mission towards a small cluster of worlds, which was, allegedly, supposed to contain a least 1 habitable world. The cluster was 3 systems, roughly 470 light years from Sol.
The cargo ship that was contracted, Adelaide, was a large cargo hauler that was used to carry mass amounts of cargo to far off colonies, being nearly 200 years old, it was by no means a perfect ship. It was however, reliable, and cheap. After retrofitting to house stasis pods, nearly 20 thousand people were able to sleep comfortably for the nearly 100 year journey. They purchased a colony package under the table, and added in some seeds and animals to help themselves get a good start. Personnel wise, the business men recruited as many scientists and professionals as possible, filling in the cracks with high paying people to help fund the mission.
After the 100 year journey, the cargo ship revives the settlers, out of the 3 systems there was exactly 1 habitable planet, while similar to earth, it had nearly no natural fauna, just massive plants with hardly any notable features. The planet itself didn't have a true ocean, however nearly half of it was covered in water, with a massive network of lakes and streams nearly the entire world was capable of growing crops.
The habitable system had 10 planets in total, with 2 asteroid belts and a smattering of moons. The two planets, on either side of the habitable world were on the fringes of the ha jay left zone. One too warm and the atmosphere almost entirely co2, the further a barren tundra with too much co2. Several moons as well were close to habitable but were more diverse.
The first city, or at least the closet thing to it, was established on the largest land mass on the main world. The first settlers built dwellings and cleared a large enough area for the Adelaide to land to allow a large dwelling, and a much easier way to unload the cargo. The summers were warm, the winters were bearable and for the most part the colony thrived. Enough food was grown, and enough babies were born to allow a new world to be born.
With a growth rate of 3 every 20 years, the colony grew quickly, with a population of over a million in the first hundred years. The colonists had very few problems when it came to basic recourses, but the world it self lacked few mineral recourses, with gold, silver, and platinum being particularly rare, the colonists turned their eyes back towards the skies. Launching several mining shuttles to harvest the raw materials to continue their expansion, the colonists ventured back into space. The world was to be called Adelaide in honor of the ark that carried the first settlers. The cluster of worlds, is referred to as the Adelaide cluster, because it's not large enough to be considered a sector.
In the next 100 years the colonists were expanding faster and faster, while the main world was nowhere near capacity, they still looked to the two adjacent worlds. Through few missions they learned the composition of both worlds was similar, and in many ways very simple to change. With several atmospheric exchangers, the colonists made both worlds habitable. Colonies grew on both worlds, although not as fast as the main world.
Over the next 300 years 4 moons in the system were made habitable, the first orbiting the second world, a blistering world, with massive underground networks that exploded with life of all types. The second orbiting the 4th world, a smaller moon with barely half of earths gravity, none the less, it was easy to reform. The 3rd orbited the first habitable world, once again was a smaller world. The 4th was nearly a small world, orbiting a gas giant, with a thick co2 atmosphere it had an eco system, despite being further from the star then the 3rd world.
Now, the downfall of the system, after hundreds of years of system travel, FTL technology was lost, simply due to the disuse of it. In addition, professional military's were lost, the system never had a large war, people still squabbled amongst themselves, but usually arbitration and mutually beneficial pacts allowed all but the most difficult of problems to be settled.
For order, the system had police, and in extreme circumstances, they had the civil defense force, a part time soldier, this CDF, allowed people to have a profession and part time were peace keepers.
This all hurt the Adelaide cluster when the Jung decided to show up. (150 years before the events of the first book) With the swift destruction of the CDF patrol boats, nothing was left to contest the Jung. They decimated each world, but particularly the first moon, turning it into a penal colony. The Adelaide people were always a unified people, valuing freedom among all else. So in response to the Jung, they fought, forming the Adelaide freedom army.
I could write a whole other post about them, but I'll stop for now. Just another note, the ground force leader for the ADF is General Pyke, where my handle come from.
The reason for the Jung invasion was for two reasons, for one they're Jung, and two because they needed a steeping stone to further conquest outwards. For further plans I believe they would be happy to join the alliance if they were liberated, much like Tanna in a way.
Just a side note, here's an outline of the system.
Adelaide star
Rock world
Rock world (first habitable moon)
Rock world
Rock world (second habitable moon
Asteroid belt
1st habitable planet (3rd habitable moon)
2nd habitable world
3rd habitable world
Gas giant (4th habitable moon)
Gas giant
Asteroid belt
Gas giant
If you toughed it out and read it all the way through please feel free to comment, criticize, or even throw out some ideas.
