Biesel

Biesel, or Tau Ceti III, is a temperate, oxygen-rich planet colonised in the mid-2100s. It is the capital of the Republic of Biesel, and is one of the most populated planets in the Orion Spur.

Biesel

Tau Ceti System

Sector: Tau Ceti

Capital: Mendell City

Species: Human, Skrell, Tajara, IPC, Unathi, Diona, Vaurca

Common Languages: Tau Ceti Basic

Demonyms: Bieselite

Part of: Republic of Biesel

Formerly part of: Sol Alliance

As the capital planet of Tau Ceti and the larger Republic - one of the twin economic hearts of the known galaxy - it has benefited greatly from the growth of the past century, and ended up heavily reliant on phoron to maintain one of the highest average qualities of life in the Spur. It also has one of the highest income inequalities in the Spur, a situation that is only being exacerbated by the ongoing phoron scarcity and the government's methods of rationing.

Its short history as an independent planet has not been an easy one and is heavily intertwined with the History of Tau Ceti itself. From Solarian Invasions to phoron disasters, the planet has weathered much, and it seems it will have to weather more going forward. It is the center point of the ongoing phoron scarcity and has been heavily affected by it.

Contents

Environment

Biesel is a planet slightly larger than Earth, with a more temperate climate that ranges from oceanic to tropical. Snow is rare on Biesel, with its winter seasons being marked by cold rains. As such, most coastal cities on Biesel are fortified to reduce infrastructural damage from flooding. Despite the flood risks, there is very little risk of tsunamis on Biesel because of almost non-existent tectonic activity. In the summer, tropical storms form frequently, but because of the smaller land area, can become very strong. Many coastal cities have detection systems that sound an alarm if the correct atmospheric conditions are met.

The planet had a rich resource base, attributed to a collision with a large celestial body early in its development. This collision not only brought Biesel's moon, Valkyrie, into existence, but put a wealth of resources on the planet, all of which were mined up and used to fuel Biesel’s rapid growth.

Flora and Fauna

In the years after the initial touchdown of the SAEV Winterbottom, a number of Earth-originating species were introduced to Biesel's biosphere in the 2160s. Many of the species introduced to Biesel were endangered in their native environment on Earth; prior to the independence of Biesel, the colony had a "wildlife exchange agreement" with the government of Earth, in which species that had exploded in population on Biesel would have some of their number trapped and sent back to Earth as the planet's biosphere gradually recovered.

As Biesel's general climate was similar to the Pacific Northwest of North America, many of its Earth-born species originate from there. The grey wolf, reindeer, and bald eagle's introduction to Biesel, while allowing the species to flourish, contributed to the rapid endangerment of the native white-breasted lakesurfer, an avian similar to a loon, and the barker, a large rodent.

Notable Native Flora and Fauna

• White-breasted lakesurfer (Haliolaevus seleni): The official bird of Biesel, and one of its most iconic animals. The lakesurfer is an aquatic bird that primarily inhabits the content of Selene and Lake Tricord. It is a broad, black and white bird with a distinctive blue stripe along a short head crest or "mohawk". Prior to their protection, they were typically preyed on by bald eagles introduced to the Biesel biosphere.
• Common barker (Ulosmarmota vulgaris): A rodent-like animal with a long tail, similar in size to a muskrat. They have brown, shaggy fur, long incisors, and a distinctive danger cry or "bark" that earned them their name. Barkers are an endangered species on Biesel, and are rare to find outside of the forests and mountainous regions of the continents.
• Selenian moth (Lasiodoptera disstrium): A hand-sized flying insect, with large white wings. The Selenian moth is most often found in Belle Cote, and has become emblematic of the town's association with fashion, due to its ability to produce a strong, thick silk.
• Gwyr (Cervus aquaticus): An omnivorous ungulate known for its rack of curling horns, shaggy fur, and unusual tendency to dive for brief periods into lakes and ponds to eat algae and small fish. In the early days of colonisation, the gwyr was hunted for its rich, fatty meat, and populations were nearly endangered before they were placed under similar protections as the lakesurfer.
• Bottlefish (Ampullae): A family of fish, similar to a gar for the quality of its swim bladder to be able to take in air like a lung. Its name comes from the iridescent, colourful scales it possesses, which Le Hsung Tran likened to seaglass. Like the gwyr, it was a victim of overfishing in the early days of Biesel's colonisation, and some of its habitats have suffered from mostly being occupied by salmon.

Continents

A labeled map depicting Biesel.

Astraeus

Astraeus is the most affluent of Biesel's three continents and is home to the capital, Mendell City. Even today, it remains the most heavily populated area in Biesel, largely due to the previous availability of natural resources and the low-lying plains that were easily colonized by early settlers. Many of their homesteads soon turned into cities, eventually coalescing into the Megacity of Mendell, though some went on to form Cape City. All of the continent's natural resources were depleted in the construction of these great urban centers, and today it is primarily a service-based economy.

Astraeus' major population centres are Mendell City and Cape City.

Selene

The second-largest continent of Biesel, Selene, is situated north of Astraeus. In spite of its size, Selene is the continent with the lowest population density of the three, with almost all of its inhabitants living in coastal towns. Those not biding their time on the coasts are usually tending the inland plains that often are lined with farmsteads, which help the planet cut down on its extensive food imports. The Greatkrag range that runs across Selene has come to symbolize the Biesel Escarpment, an area consisting of steep slopes that transition into arctic plateaus, which entice those seeking to escape civilization.

Selene's major population centres are Phoenixport, Ashton, and Belle Côte.

Eos

The largest continent of the three, Eos resides mostly within the eastern hemisphere of Biesel and is the most industrialized, having a majority of the Republic’s phoronics industry on it. Its cities were formed along the mountain ranges, rich in natural resources to utilize in their industry, all of which were completely depleted by the turn of the 2400s, fueling NanoTrasen’s insatiable growth. As a result, the region has little economic activity besides that related to phoron, and so has been the most heavily affected, with unemployment twice as high in the region compared to Astraeus. Eos is also known for its sports fanatics, who host regular tournaments between Eos' major population centres and megacorporations on Biesel. The most popular of which is the Biesel Megacorporate Multi-Sports Competition, open to the other continents of Biesel.

Eos' major population centres are Portsville, Scottsdan, New Marfa and the recently-developed community Top of the World and its sister town, Lakeside.

Culture and Demographics

Biesel is the birthplace for much of Tau Cetian culture. For the most part Biesellites tend to be amenable towards the heavy corporate involvement in their government, or even desensitized to it; the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's role in social safety nets, well-paying jobs, and entertainment, reinforcing the image of their necessity and the overall pro-corporate sentiment among Biesellites. As a general rule, pro-corporate sentiment tends to lessen the farther one is away from Mendell City; Lakeside, in particular, has protested against the massive developments in their area to build the community of Top of the World.

A strong sense of individualism and duty permeate Biesel culture; many citizens have a positive view of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, even after the controversies surrounding the Peacekeeper Mandate. Some citizens regarded the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion as a better example of Biesellite duty and strength, and have taken the view that the expansion of the Armed Forces means the Republic is moving in a more war-like, jingoistic direction. Despite the popularity of the Armed Forces, however, the 2465 protests in Zhèngfǔ District have shown that support may be dwindling for Biesel's involvement in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone.

Aliens on Biesel

See also: Skrell in the Republic of Biesel, Unathi in the Republic of Biesel, Little Adhomai, Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel, The Biesellian Choir

The Republic, and particularly Biesel itself, has among the most diverse and widespread populations of non-human species in the entire Orion Spur. Biesellite humans are no stranger to aliens in their streets, though ignorance, speciesism, and xenophobia are still common from humans to aliens, aliens to humans, and aliens to other aliens. As the Republic gains an identity away from the Alliance, alien influence has begun to permeate Biesel's culture more and more, to the chagrin of some and the acceptance of others.

Synthetics on Biesel

See also: IPCs in Biesel

Though Biesel is a beacon of hope and relative safety for synthetics, their position in society still remains a precarious one, both from a financial and a security standpoint. Freedom, and even citizenship, for integrated positronic chassis has firmly been established and is something the Republic takes pride in. Either through labour, negotiations, the goodwill of their owners or other occasions, IPCs may find themselves free from ownership, able to pursue their own destiny as independent individuals. Unfortunately for many, such destiny usually involves a hard and at times, short existence.

Free IPCs are afforded few actual opportunities to improve their lives, existing in a grey area between the relative stability of corporate owned assets, and the solidified protection of the state for citizens. With the recent introduction of the Synthetic Residence Card by the government, free synthetics are able to more clearly and safely navigate through the process of staying in Tau Ceti, finding employment, owning property, and more. While free IPCs were previously allowed to own property without a card, they have been grandfathered in.

For many free IPCs, citizenship is viewed as the ultimate goal in integrating into society. Citizenship entitles an IPC to increased legal protections, almost, if not on par with that of a natural-born human citizen, including complete protection as well as legal representation from being owned ever again. NanoTrasen and its subsidiaries are also obligated to pay IPC citizens working for it an equal wage as compared to humans. This compensation typically comes in the form of increased benefits such as repairs, insurance, and a pension, as opposed to a simple wage increase however. They also pay the same tax rate as regular citizens and no longer have to maintain the residency fee.

Entertainment

• Peterdiezel Boat Racing is an annual competition that begins in Craterview. The race is a three-day excursion and is usually recorded through observation drones following the individual boats racing against the clock. There are several routes all across Peterdiezel Crater, some more dangerous than others. While anyone can participate, most of the competitors are city teams such as the Mendell City Boat Club or the Cape Cods.

• Eos Sporting Events are various competitions, tournaments and sports leagues that pit either Eos' major population centres or the megacorporations against one another. The most popular of Eosian sporting events is the Biesel Megacorporate Multi-Sports Competition, held every 4 years in a city of Eos, in which megacorporation-sponsored athletes participate in a series of sporting events involving both human, alien, and alien-human fusion sports. Every participant must be employed by the megacorporation they represent, and it is common for megacorporations to offer better salaries and benefits to notorious athletes in an attempt to poach them from their original employers.

• Belle Côte Fashion Show is a series of designer presentations held annually in Belle Côte. Sponsored by Idris, a variety of venues are used throughout the city to display the best-performing styles and themes of the year. Both Chief Executive Officers of Caishen Jewellers and Le Soleil Royal are regular hosts of the show, their fashion lines the staple of the event.

Festivals and Celebrations

• Republic Day (also known to some as Xavier’s Gala) is a holiday which commemorates the declaration of independence of Tau Ceti from the Solarian Alliance. The crippling economic recession experienced by the Solarian Alliance allowed the Republic of Biesel to leverage their independence, and ultimately be awarded it. It is hosted on May 5th of each year, and usually involves total rejection of both Solarians and Megacorporations. Fireworks, parades, fairs and concerts are often commonly associated with Republic Day.

• Tribuisti de Colonis, or Festival of the Settlers, is a massive Carnival celebration marking Biesel’s colonization. The festivities usually begin on the third Friday of October, through to the Sunday. Mendell City has become the most well-known celebrator of the festival, parading through the streets of the various districts with eccentric clothing and massive floats (usually of the planet’s native species). Other popular cities include Craterview, which celebrates the festival with dazzling fireworks and displays of lights, and Belle Côte, which throws its annual fashion show over the weekend the festival takes place.

• Heritage Day is a holiday that recognizes and celebrates the cultural wealth of the Republic of Biesel. Celebrations differ from person to person and usually depends on their cultural heritage and the remembrance of such. Some believe the wearing of cultural garments is enough, while others may partake in cultural festivities hosted across Tau Ceti. It is usually held every September 24th.

Economy

Biesel's economy is based on two things; phoron and trade. Processing mined phoron for export - either to New Gibson or the wider Spur - and acting as a trade-hub. Both of these are under threat by the scarcity, and extreme monetary policy alongside soft rationing is the only thing keeping things semi-stable. While officially the economy is still growing, the reality, especially for the average person, is that it is shrinking. Layoffs have become common, unemployment has, of course, skyrocketed, and very few places are hiring. Any job is a good job currently.

Most of the megacorporations have a full branch in District One of Mendell City, and perform many operations on the planet. While every one of the "Big Five" has a stake in Biesel somewhere, the ones most influential locally are NanoTrasen, Idris Incorporated, Hephaestus Industries, and Zavodskoi Interstellar. NanoTrasen and Idris account for the vast majority of corporate-run restaurants, hotels, and bars on the planet; even supposedly independent businesses cooperate or share their stocks in part with the two, becoming essentially subsidiaries. While Biesel's healthcare system is ostensibly state-run, in practice many hospitals and clinics loan equipment from NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. Almost all research into phoronics is connected to or directly funded by NanoTrasen, normally in cooperation with another megacorporation.

The major trade port that is Biesel is propped up by the shipping efforts of Hephaestus Industries and more recently, Orion Express. The Industrial Giant has seen it's influence on the planet grow as it continually recieves contracts to maintain the planets rapidly deteriorating infrastructure, alongside construction contracts and the like, meant to help stimulate economic growth. Zavodskoi Interstellar has become the primary supplier of weapons brought to the Republic's capital, weapons that are usually manufactured in the Empire of Dominia or on New Suez. Extraction of Biesel's rich deposits of helium-3 is also managed by Hephaestus Industries, and sold all across the Spur – even to the Solarian Alliance.

Mendell City

Mendell City is the capital of The Republic of Biesel, and one of the most affluent cities in the Orion Spur. It is a massive city, home to billions, and stretches out for roughly thirty-thousand square kilometres. Nowhere is the rapidly worsening inequality of the Republic clearer than Mendell City, it has become “a city of contradictions” as one visitor put it. Due to the phoron rationing policies of the government there are some districts where the scarcity seems barely present, and others that look as though they’ve been all but abandoned, so unmaintained and unsupported they are.

Districts

There are fifteen of these districts, and though they’re all contained within the same city, they’re growing more different by the day. They tend to be divided along class lines, and low-income neighbourhoods are most commonly populated by non-humans.

District 1

Zhèngfǔ District: The centre of Mendell, District 1 is home to the Mendell City Hall and the headquarters of most major megacorporations. NanoTrasen's Biesel headquarters sit adjacent to City Hall, with the towering two-hundred-story skyscraper among the tallest buildings in the city. At the centre of the City Hall square, the Xavier Trasen memorial statue marks not only one of Biesel's greatest innovators, but also the original touchdown site of the SAEV Winterbottom.

District 2

Phoenix Park: One of the most wealthy and affluent areas in Mendell City, Phoenix Park is a large commercial district, home to several malls, retail outlets, and department stores. The district is bordered by a massive nature reserve (also called Phoenix Park), holding some of the few remaining original species of Biesel.

District 3

Xinghua Prefecture: A small district that makes extremely efficient use of its space, this district is almost solely populated by large apartment and condominium complexes with some limited space designated for office complexes. Many corporations have employee housing in this district, due to the inexpensive cost of maintaining an apartment building in Xinghua. As of the Republic's most recent census in 2460, Xinghua is the most populous area of Mendell City. Anybody can be found here, though the vast majority of the population is human.

The Prefecture in the modern day is seen as being on the brink. Its population straddles the line between middle class and poor, something that is reflected in how badly the scarcity is felt. While it is not a full-on ghetto yet, areas are beginning to look like D6 did five years ago, and the situation only seems to be worsening. Police still have a presence in the area, but one that is shrinking with every month, as crime continues to rise. More often than not, the law in the prefecture is enforced by corporate security officers, acting at the behest of the MCPD.

District 4

Abaster Fields: A gated suburb to the west of the city, largely home to various estate properties and mansions of the affluent. Due to exorbitant costs associated with moving into Abaster Fields, the district isn't heavily populated, but remains an influential district due to its wealth. Many high-ranking corporate and diplomatic officials can be found here, often living in expensive mansions designed to show off their wealth to the Republic's citizenry.

Due to the extremely wealthy nature of its residents, the government’s rationing policy ensures conditions are bearable, and far better than for others. Within District Four, it is hard to tell if the scarcity has had an impact at all, until you enter or leave. They have become all but segregated from the rest of the city, with checkpoints manned by the MCPD and Corporate Security ensuring the safety of the residents in the face of rising crime rates. Infact, the entire district has the heaviest police presence (either corporate or state) in the city.

District 5

Homewood: A large suburb on the eastern side of the city, with an artificial river built coming in from Severson's Rift. Home to the medium-upper and upper class families, this district is considered to be "almost as good as" Abaster Fields by its residents. Those with the wealth to live in Abaster Fields do not share the same opinion. Homewood's residents are often the middle echelon of corporate facilities, typically the leaders of a department that are rich enough to move out of the city itself, but not rich enough to move into Abaster Fields.

With its population firmly in the middle and upper classes, Homewood is faring far better than other districts. Being somewhat removed from the city has also helped ensure the “refuse” from the ghettos doesn’t spill into the suburb.

District 6

Imperial Plaza or Little Adhomai: The Imperial Plaza, nicknamed "Little Adhomai" due to its primarily Tajaran population, has one of the highest crime rates in Mendell City, and only continues to rise. Gang violence, domestic disturbances, and drug trafficking are prevalent, and previously the district is not widely trafficked by those who reside outside of it. It has become a well-established centre of Tajaran culture in Tau Ceti.

Already a slum, conditions within D6 have only worsened as the scarcity has dragged on. Power outages are frequent, phoronic infrastructure is in complete disrepair (if it hasn’t already been stolen), and the district receives barely any support from the wider planet or government; the MCPD and Corporate Security no longer venture into the district with very limited exceptions. Instead, they try to keep a cordon around it, letting the gangs of Little Adhomai run the district as they see fit, only intervening when violence or civil unrest spills out into neighboring districts, always in extreme numbers to break kneecaps and make sure things stay contained within D6.

District 7

Vega de Rosa: Vega de Rosa is an entertainment district home to casinos, nightclubs, bars, and theatres. At the centre of the district are its most expensive and elite clubs - with the Eridanian-operated Sa Majesté Musa regarded as the peak of Vega de Rosa. Reputed quality decreases as one heads out from the centre, with the lowest-quality venues barely scraping by on the outskirts of Vega de Rosa. This district shares a border with District Six, and the Vega de Rosa side of the border features a significant amount of Tajara-run casinos known for their quality and low cost.

While the district has not become decrepit, it is obviously worn down, and doesn’t shine as much as it used to - establishments have begun shuttering and not re-opening, leaving empty buildings dotting the district. D7 is also frequently the location where violence and civil unrest from D6 spills out into, it is not uncommon that there’s massive parties in clubs, meanwhile outside its police lines, tear gas, batons, and violence. The closer one gets to D6, the more obvious the signs of recent riots are; broken windows, trash everywhere, tear gas canisters, and similar.

District 8

Lekan District or Starlight Zone: Named after the City Commissioner Lekan Mugabe, who commissioned the development of the district, Lekan is the utilities centre of Mendell, housing the bulk of fusion power plants and water treatment plants of the city, alongside massive recycling centres that neatly and efficiently sort through the thousands of tons of trash generated by the city. This district is located on the shores of Severson's Rift, with multiple ports operating there. In recent years, the district now finds itself in the middle of a Skrell refugee crisis.

While the Starlight Zone is all but unsupported, the rest of the Lekan District receives a reasonable allocation of phoron, but never enough. Where once working here was considered a “do-nothing” job, in recent times employees in this district find themselves incredibly overworked, with constant maintenance, band aid fixes, and similar is needed to keep the city's phoronic utilities barely functional - most notably the power grid. As a result of insufficient phoron, brownouts are becoming more and more common, especially in poorer areas, and blackouts sustained for hours have begun to occur semi-regularly.

District 9

Flagsdale: Once the sprawling centre of Zo'ra in Biesel, is rapidly becoming little more than a shadow of itself. The Court of Queens in coordination with the Biesel government, is relocating its population to the Zo'rane capital, Caprice, in waves. Whilst initially this relocation was planned to be concluded by 2462 the logistical immensity of the task and pushback from Queenless Vaurca rendered this impossible. Those Vaurca currently left in Flagsdale, predominantly the aforementioned Queenless, have been forced to band together in the face of the growing scarcity, especially as the Hive redistributes its resources to focus on Caprice. Many of those still in Flagsdale feel as if they have been seemingly abandoned.

Owing to the relocation and effective lack of centralised authority within the district, especially in certain sectors where the relocation has been completed, it has become a large haven for planetside smuggling operations and black market racketeering. Illegal goods often pass through Flagsdale, where it's much harder for law enforcement to crack down on them, into other districts. Many of the Vaurca who remain are simply apathetic, too busy balancing other concerns to care, or actively participating for quick profit.

Despite this rise in crime, what remains of the Flagsdale militias are quick to quell any violence that starts, or spills over into the district. It's been working so far. Few, especially in D6, are willing to provoke their ire after the historically violent retribution such actions have provoked.

District 10

Republic's Landing: A large commercial district taking advantage of the multiple civilian shuttleports in the area. It has two amusement parks, ports for orbital cruise ships, various museums and other tourist attractions, and the world's largest hotel, the Crimson Heights. It has a direct maglev link to Districts five and three. A significant amount of Republic's Landing is zoned for residential development, with those that can afford or (or need the convenience) living here to avoid most of the commute to its shuttleports. District 10 is home to a significant Th'akh Unathi population, as it is home to the exiled monks of the Akhanzi Order.

As a result of smuggling, the shuttleport of Republic’s Landing has seen an increased security presence for both goods and people moving through it. This has done little to stop the smuggling, and instead adds time onto the average commute.

District 11

Eleven: The result of urban sprawl and low-income housing, this district is regarded as the worst district in Mendell aside from District Nine. Along with District Six, "Eleven" claims the dubious honor of possessing one of Mendell City's highest rates of violent crime, something that has only worsened with the withdrawal of police presence. Unlike District Six and Nine, though, District 11 has no gangs or criminal enterprises powerful enough to maintain order in the wake of this withdrawal. Many of the buildings have become derelict structures since the onset of the scarcity, and no attempts to revitalize this forgotten district have been made. It has essentially become a lawless zone, with no centralized authority and who’s incharge changes on a block-by-block basis. There is, however one overriding set of organizations within the District, and those are Black Marketeers. Similarly to District 9, the withdrawal of police and government support made the district an attractive location to set up shop. These black markets and their smuggled goods see more and more people brave the streets of the dangerous district. A large community of Dionae live within District 11, alongside the Eternal Temple. District 11 is also home to several Unathi criminal organizations, with the Aut'akh Razortail Enclave and the gang known as the Bastard Hatchlings being the two most notable.

District 12

Xavier District: District 12 is one of the largest gatherings of intellectual properties in human space. This single district has over twenty-five universities, fifteen colleges, thirty high schools, four training centers, and three NanoTrasen research facilities, as well as other corporate research laboratories. Xavier District is officially classed as a residential district, a measure proposed by NanoTrasen's liaison on City Council. Some suspect the lower property taxes in residential zones was perhaps the reason behind this. Formerly known as the Think Tank, this district was renamed in remembrance of Xavier Trasen shortly after the corporation firmly entrenched itself in the system.

District 13

Bullard Avenue: Although this northern district is much larger than the single avenue it is named for, Bullard Avenue is the economic centre of Mendell City. This district home to large banking centres, the Mendell City Stock market, and other finance institutions that help drive the commerce of one of the Orion Spur's wealthiest systems. Although the majority of the district is designated commercial properties, there are some residential complexes to be found here that are typically rented to those who work within the district. Many of the apartment buildings here are populated by Idris Incorporated employees and the IPCs that follow them everywhere, with service-model shells being a common sight.

Similar to District Four, Bullard Avenue has become all but segregated from the rest of the City. However, where in District Four this was attempted with discretion, Bullard Avenue is separated by steel barriers lined with razor wire, patrolling armed guards, and watchtowers. This is ostensibly a temporary measure made in response to rumors of an imminent terrorist attack; however, it seems to be remaining indefinitely, much to the annoyance of the normal office workers. The traders and wealthy corporate affiliates are unbothered, though, as they are given special tags that see their cars automatically waved through.

District 14

New Detroit or The Scrapheap: An industrial district that previously housed a large portion of automated phoron refineries. These were some of the first shuttered throughout the scarcity, and their closing has left the district derelict and abandoned. Too far from other districts and populations to be of interest to black marketeers, it has become instead a congregating spot for the “refuse” of the city; the homeless, the vagrants, the runaway IPCs, and similar. As a result, the Trinary Perfection, a synthetic-centric religion, has a major presence within the district, and its chapel(s) are noticeable due to the lack of dereliction.

District 15

Jie District: The district where the majority of the city's low-income housing is located, this district is located on the outskirts of Mendell City but is not designated a suburb like D4 or D5. Before it was turned into subsidized housing, this area of the city was a location where displaced refugees of the First Interstellar War resided. This district was formerly known as the Suo District, named after the Sol Alliance admiral Wen Suo, however, this district was renamed after the Republic Navy Admiral Zheng Jie who grew up in this district following independence.

The Jie District has become a ghetto since the onset of the scarcity, but likely the best one within the city. Police are still present within the District, and crime is not much higher than outside of the rest of the city. While it was once an enclave of pro-solarian sentiment, since the 2nd invasion, and as a result of still receiving some phoron, it has slowly become a hotbed for pro-republican sentiments, and the TCAF draws the largest number of its recruits from this district.

Public Transportation

Mendell City Metro

The Mendell City Metro runs beneath the city’s fifteen districts, capable of carrying hundreds of thousands of people a day. It is a well-known avenue of public transportation, and it is the most utilized out of the other possibilities hosted within Mendell City. Hephaestus Industries and NanoTrasen have an ongoing deal with the Republic of Biesel regarding subsidized ticket fees for their employees and the sizes of both megacorporations mean the Mendell City Metro is one of the more congested public transportation options as well. Vagrants within the city often host themselves within the discontinued tunnels of the Mendell City Metro, some even referring to them as underground shanty towns due to the sheer size of some of the communities.

Shuttleports

Shuttleports are a necessary part of life on Biesel, especially Mendell City. Megacorporations have dozens of facilities hosted within the clutches of the void, resulting in many of their employees having to utilize shuttles in order to attend to their careers. Shuttleports are incredibly large and operate similar to what an airport would - including separate wings for arrivals and departures, with round-the-clock displays of their expected times. Leisure tickets for shuttles aren’t cheap, and multiple rides can come at quite a cost. However, shuttles used exclusively to attend to places of employment are often heavily subsidized, and can even be said to be affordable for janitors.

Interdistrict Highway

The Interdistrict Highway was a project implemented by Former President Joseph Dorn early on in his presidential term and was introduced to decrease congestion building upon the smaller roads across the fifteen districts. It wraps around a significant portion of Mendell City and allows for smooth travelling for those with their own personal vehicles - with a small fee at tollbooths. Those without a personal vehicle can ride the Interdistrict Route, the cheapest public transportation option available to those living in Mendell City, that utilizes several hundred buses to ferry their passengers across the districts.

Severson’s Ferry

The Severson’s Ferry is a vestige of what was previously an interconnected system throughout Mendell City, using districts with harbours as pick-up points - sometimes even transporting passengers across the rift to Phoenixport. The availability of other means of public transport almost rendered it defunct, but the revival of Phoenixport - and the flooding of refugees into Mendell City - has seen it rise to popularity once again. Despite the rivalry between Einstein Engines’ Phoenixport and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s Mendell City, the industry is busy as of late, with tourism continuing to climb.

Other Major Cities

Cape City

Otherwise known as the “City of Splendor” by many Biesellites, is a city focused heavily on entertainment, production of holovids, and exorbitant tourist attractions. Situated around and on the side of Mount Nevermeet in the midst of the Cape Sea, the entertainment centre sits comfortably by scenic vistas, large themed resorts, and studios for filming and recording. However, due to unique labor laws, it has gained a bad reputation among non-humans for being exploitative and predatory in their practices. Any xenos looking to gain entry into fields like animation, studio production, acting, and the like face harsh stereotypes and discrimination, poorer qualities of living, and shop and drop contracts (hiring someone, forcing them to work an unusually high amount of hours a week, then “dropping” them if they protest or request different hours after a short period contract expires). Nonetheless, Cape City is on the up-and-up, and only time will tell its rise to the intergalactic stage as a media giant or not.

Phoenixport

In a similar way to Mendell City, Selene's capital, Phoenixport, is located along the inner coast of its continent along Severson's Rift. After rebranding as a "successor" to Mendell City, the city gained prominence and briefly achieved its goal. Phoenixport was briefly successful, but fell off the radar and eventually became a breeding ground for nefarious behaviour. In another effort to revive interest in the city, government officials introduced replicas of various ancient architectural wonders. Examples include the Eiffel Tower and the Parthenon. Overall, the construction scheme did improve the quality of the city and even attracted large numbers of tourists eager to see the wonders rebuilt far from the dire conditions on Earth.

In late 2462, Phoenixport was acquired by Einstein Engines in a landmark auction. NanoTrasen, however, did not take the transfer of ownership idly - any NanoTrasen employees within Phoenixport were given until March of 2463 to relocate or be summarily fired. After an appeal by NanoTrasen in 2464, which proved that Einstein Engines had illegally acquired assets within Phoenixport, much of the corporate assets found themselves up for grabs yet again. Despite assistance from Idris Incorporated, NanoTrasen failed to secure a majority holding within Phoenixport, with Einstein Engines continuing its hegemony over the city. Subsequently, the discrimination faced by those in Phoenixport by local law enforcement has decreased significantly, as well as the "random" searches of Phoenixport-flagged spacecraft. Some of those forced from their homes during the original dispute have since begun to slowly return.

Belle Côte

Situated at the southernmost edge of the Pandeia Penisula, hedged in by the Greatkrag ranges, Belle Côte is considered Biesel’s centre of finance, fashion and arts. The Selenian Moth, an insect that produces a resilient fibre that is common in textile manufacturing, was discovered by colonists early on in the development of the colony. A result of this discovery was the rapid decline of fishing and the emergence of the fashion industry. With an annual show, Belle Cote pushed the boundaries of fashion vogue and still does so to this day. Those living in Belle Côte are often considered to be a bit stuck up, looking down on others who don't keep up to date with their trendy outlandish trends. Even the poorest dress themselves in their eccentric styles. It is a popular honeymoon and wedding destination, which the artisanal community has begun franchising upon.

Ashton

In the heart of Selene, Ashton sits among miles of rolling farmlands that are home to dozens of different species of flora, including some that are native to Biesel. Due to its dominant agricultural industry, the community's economy has become centred on agriculture, as illustrated by its bimonthly Ashton farmer's market, which draws residents from surrounding cities alike and has become a cornerstone of the community's economy. As a whole, Ashtons are noted for being incredibly welcoming and cheerful. In recent years, Ashton has become home to a significant Unathi diaspora, as many refugees from the Wasteland of Moghes were resettled there.

Scottsdan

The continental capital of Eos and the industrial giant of Biesel. Residing on the Sevul Range, it is host to a majority of the Republic’s phoronics industry on the continent. While it was once rich with natural resources to utilize in industry, it has all since been completely scrapped dry by the turn of the 2400s, fueling NanoTrasesn’s insatiable growth. While NanoTrasen continues to cut back on phoronics industries across the continent, many of those in the city remain open and productive, as they’re the closest to the shuttleport. Many is not all however, and so while the city is doing significantly better than the rest of Eos, it is still struggling with a massive unemployment crisis.

Most of the processed phoron produced in Scottsdan is then shipped to New Gibson, where it is used to create finalized products.Citizens of Scottsdan are remarkably hard-working according to the megacorporations, however, some prefer to call them stuck up doormats due to their snooty, sycophant tendencies.

Top of the World

Previously a sleepy town, Lakeside has now shot to prominence after Miranda Trasen herself funded the borough. Several square kilometers along the coast of Griff's Lake were cleared to construct a gated community floating along the lake, with many of the original residents of Lakeside offered contracts to move to Ashton, New Marfa, or Mendell to make room for roads, parking lots, and bridges to the community.

Now, Top of the World is uniquely populated by those who are gifted access by Miranda Trasen herself, or those able to afford the ridiculously expensive “warranty”. To ensure that this remains the case, there is an extremely high security presence around the island and gated community, possibly the highest within the system. Those posts on land are mostly manned by Zavodskoi Contractors, whether they be static or patrolling, and those on the Island by an elite division of Nexus Corporate Security, backed up even further by the constant presence of a Heavy Asset Protection Team. Only the highest of echelons exist within the man-made island. Beneath its surface exists an experimental fusion reactor of unprecedented scale that some residents have accused of being dangerously radioactive, though authorities assure residents there is no danger found in its proximity to Lakeside.

Prior to 2463, an entire community of positronics was manufactured by NanoTrasen that existed purely to maintain Top of the World. After 2463, these IPCs have been made obsolete after the introduction of a triumvirate of artificial intelligences: Exteriores, Interiorem and Centrum. An extravagant display of wealth due to the phoron needed to create them, they coordinate with an array of bound drones, completing the tasks previously assigned to hundreds of independent positronic bodies, argued as a cost-saving measure compared to aging IPCs; though their construction cost significantly more than not only the original construction of the IPCs, but also all maintenance costs since their inception. Said IPCs were quickly placed into other jobs or positions within NanoTrasen, typically far more dangerous than the previous maintenance and janitorial duties.

The quality of life between Top of the World and Lakeside is stark. Poverty grips the majority of the population nestled within the backwater town. Dilapidated houses are a common sight within Lakeside, even entire houses sunken into the growing marsh.

Portsville

Portsville was originally established as a fishing and shipbuilding hub in the early decades of Biesel's colonisation. For decades, the city was prosperous, supplying the planet with massive cargo ships to traverse its great blue oceans. After Biesel’s independence from the Alliance, however, Solarian subsidies for the industry disappeared and NanoTrasen found that shipbuilding was now cost-inefficient due to the continuing increase of shipping goods by shuttle or spacecraft. The company withdrew most of its investment in the city’s heavy industry nearly overnight, causing the local economy to recede and the city itself to gradually decay into a patchwork of run-down apartment blocks, abandoned shipyards, and fishing ports in desperate need of maintenance.

Recently, however, Hephaestus Industries has brought up much of these abandoned facilities with hopes of retooling the city into a spaceship production centre on Biesel. This has also coincided with the megacorporation inviting many Martian refugees fleeing from the Violet Dawn disaster to resettle in the city to work at these new facilities. Ports-Ville itself is unprepared for this great migration of people and is in the middle of a severe housing shortage, with many new arrivals finding themselves living in makeshift tent-town camps at first. However, in the past five years Hephaestus Industries has put its considerable talents and industry to work, constructing new homes for refugees, massive factories for them to work in, alongside an industrial shuttleport both for transportation of goods and workers into space. Suffice to say these investments have revitalized the city, even in the face of the scarcity.

New Marfa

Established along the eastern coastline of Eos, New Marfa is one of few cities on Biesel without megacorporate dominance, which is largely attributed to its status as a hub for Elyran migrants; half if not most of the citizens are either Elyran immigrants and expatriates or directly descended from one. Elyran culture is dominant in the city, to the point that at a glance, it has become nearly indistinguishable from a city in Persepolis. Elyran megacorporations retain a minority over the market with the SCC megacorporations, and the competition has led to a flourishing synthetic development sector. With a thriving glass refining industry and healthy technology sector, New Marfa’s advancements in the fields of robotics were said to be at least a year ahead of everything else on Biesel prior to the Scarcity. Since then, the pace of development has slowed rapidly, and the city's economy began to stagnate. Already, those refugees who can are beginning to move back to Elyra, or otherwise seek employment outside of the city itself.

Craterview

Craterview has managed to become the vacation and resort city of the Republic of Biesel, with large Idris Hotels lining the interior perimeter of the beaches and small family-run motels dotting the plots of land surrounding the beaches. Crime rates soar the farther one strays from the city centre, as locals defraud and steal from tourists drawn to their slice of Biesel. Other than the tourism industry, the fishing industry also does well, leading to a growing presence of local seafood hibachi restaurants. In addition to year-round sunshine and tropical climate, Craterview is occasionally interrupted by tropical storms; most notably, in the early 24th century, Craterview was entirely flooded by a particularly intense tropical storm and rebuilt from nearly the ground up. It is no wonder that boat races have become an attraction, even becoming an event for betting. In the rich suburbs, marinas line beachfront estates where Eridani Private Military Contractors are often spotted. It is well known that residents of Craterview are both competitive and skeptical of the wealthy.