User:The lancer/Sandbox

Overview

Well inside the Arusha sector, system XLV-0846 hosts one of the few habitable planets known to the Spur, named Pactolus. The planet’s moon, Midaion, has been repurposed into being the primary anchorage for the Golden Deep’s primary and largest vessel, the Midas. The system is claimed and administered by the Golden Deep, the organisation treating it as its physical planetary headquarters and trading hub.

Midaion

Pactolus’ natural satellite, Midaion was the primary interest of Golden Deep explorers in the region, as a potential base of operations and permanent anchorage. This came to fruition in 2448, when the first structures started to be constructed with investment and direction from the Midas group. Initially envisioned as a dock for the Midas itself, the preliminary plans were eventually enlarged substantially as interest was growing from the rest of the Golden Deep for a permanent base for their vessels. This resulted in the infrastructure being expanded to the size of a megastructure, outfitted with its own atmospherics system, gravity generator, leisure facilities, office complexes and most importantly, a capacity to host a few thousand vessels of all sizes at a time.

Environment

Midaion itself lacks any noteworthy geological or mineral features, its rocky surface remaining uninhabitable and without an atmosphere. There have not been any significant expeditions to discover any mineral wealth, as any mining plans have been deemed too expensive for a relatively barren underground. Dotted with craters, the moon’s side facing Pactolus bears the scars of man-made debris crashing on Midaion during the early days following the planet’s complete nuclear destruction by Alliance forces.

The Anchorage

Known simply as the “Anchorage”, the super structure created by the Golden Deep on the surface of Midaion can be considered a technological marvel, rivalling in size the largest of Hephaestus’ production stations. Able to accommodate thousands of ships at a time, the largest and most impressive dockyard is reserved solely for the Midas, the Golden Deeps’ flagship. An imposing exterior, the Anchorage does much to impress and captivate the outside viewer, its baroque features and architecture complemented with enormous glass windows, gilded surfaces and impeccable detail. Its spacious, multi-storied interior includes all manners of shops, offices, repair stations, luxury suites and amenities appropriate for the affluent Golden Deep members. Every corner, room and hallway has been cared for by the finest artisans the Deep can hire, as decorative statues, paintings, gem-encrusted chandeliers and furniture create an overwhelming sense of suffocating luxury and wealth. An enormous water fountain in the very middle of the Anchorage’s main hall cast in solid gold is especially indicative of the Midas Group’s power projection, accompanied by a bronze statue of the mythical king washing off his Golden Touch in the water, causing the fountain and its surroundings to be turned into gold.

The Anchorage’s lower and underground levels are on the other hand, dedicated to a purely utilitarian function. The megastructure’s electrical, atmospheric and plumbing infrastructure require constant maintenance from these floors, with hundreds of technicians, engineers and labourers keeping busy every day. The structure’s gravity generator is also present in these areas, requiring a robust electrical grid currently serviced through a mix of solar farms dominating the moon’s surface around the Anchorage, as well as energy from the battery on board the Midas and the larger ships.

Base of Operations

Although the Midas undoubtedly holds primacy over any location connected to the Golden Deep and its activities, Midaion and the Anchorage serve as the logistical hub and resting area for the gargantuan vessel. When the Midas is not sailing through space, the Anchorage becomes the practical seat of power for the Collective directed by the Midas Group. Entry to the Anchorage is permitted only to Golden Deep members, who in turn can bring any accompanying guests.

Pactolus

History

Originally referred to as Arcadie by the scientific community and its initial colonists, Pactolus was discovered early on into humanity’s spread into the stars as a habitable world within the Arusha Sector and marked for colonisation shortly after it was confirmed to have an earth like atmosphere and biosphere, along with an underground rich in gold. The original colonists landed on the planet sometime in the early 2200s and the planet began to boom after that for numerous reasons. The habitable nature of the planet attracted many migrants from the still suffering Earth, and interest in the local biosphere and resources attracted investment from the newly growing interstellar corporations such as Einstein Engines and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.

By 2260, Arcadie was growing against all odds, with the colonists remaining hopeful and cities still being constructed despite the ongoing recession in the Sol Alliance at the time. While all of human space seemed to stagnate, the planet, mostly self-reliant and sitting on a vast mineral wealth, seemed poised to ride out the economic crisis in relative peace. In the period between 2265 and 2275, as the growing insurgency of the Coalition escalated into the Interstellar War, the colony sought to stay out of the conflict, dutifully delivering its Recession-era taxes to the Alliance, while taking in ships from both sides that, for whatever reason, had found their way to to the planet. In the chaos of the Spur’s largest war, Arcadie was said to be a time capsule. Amidst the foggy woods and alien flora of the planet, one might have never realised a war was on.

This all changed in early 2279 when news of the bombing of Gadpathur reached the colony. The 103rd fleet - the Solarian garrison of Arcadie who had previously declared neutrality in the conflict - now threatened to fire on anyone who entered the system. Its officers, known for their open and diplomatic nature, now seemed agitated and secretive. With neither the Coalition nor the Alliance willing to spare the resources to find out what was going on, Arcadie slowly began severing its links to humanity as a whole. All outside communications were severed, save for its annual payment of taxes still pegged to its Recession rate. For eight years, the planet remained silent, save for that one payment, each year, until eventually, that too stopped.

It wasn’t until 2287 that a single battered corvette from the 103rd showed up at the naval base at San Colette, its crew having apparently mutinied from the blockade around Arcadie before facing another mutiny aboard their vessel. Although Navy interrogators attempted to question the sole surviving crew member aboard, Captain Guy Moreau, they were unable to glean anything from his panicked ramblings about “that thing”. They need not have bothered, however, as logs from the ship revealed that Arcadia had been reduced to a nuclear wasteland, its cities burnt to ashes apparently from a bombardment by the 103rd Fleet, itself having been inexplicably destroyed in orbit. As the Spur sought to step away from the madness of the Interstellar War, Sol was content to sweep Arcadie under the rug, calling it another casualty of that conflict, even as Captain Moreau, to his dying day, insisted that some force had compelled them to destroy the planet.

Forgotten by humanity, the planet slowly recovered from the wounds inflicted on it, radioactive waste and its strange alien ecosystem reclaiming what was left of humanity’s colonisation efforts. The once shining cities of Arcadie became infested with plants, vines and trees twisting around their burnt husks. Although the planet became uninhabitable for all but the hardiest of life, its vast mineral resources were left untouched; a planet of gold, diamond, and rare earth elements out there for anyone with the daring to come and get it. Such a catch did not go unnoticed by the Golden Deep, who, while still in seclusion in 2452, found it to be the perfect base of operations while they prepared to make their debut to the Spur. Undaunted by the harsh elements, they would go on to reclaim and rechristen the planet, and while its name was long since forgotten by all but the history books, Arcadie would go on to be reborn as Pactolus.

Environment

Following the nuclear bombardment by Solarian forces, much of the planet’s surface was transformed into fields of craters and radioactive wasteland, coupled with a long period of nuclear winter. The urban areas have since changed into depopulated husks, and once prominent bodies of surface water dried up to reveal lifeless deserts. Such was the devastation to the planet’s ecosystems, resulting in the vast majority of native species being lost to extinction, with only the most robust and anomalous of lifeforms persisting or even thriving in this new age.

Pactolus’ remarkably speedy recovery however, has returned the atmosphere back to relatively breathable, though still hazardous, levels. Odd as it may seem, the nuclear hellfire spreading across large parts of the planet acted favourably for specific kinds of Pactolus’ Arushan flora, eliminating the competition as it killed off the majority of “regular” forests and allowed breeds of radiation-consuming trees to flourish and dominate. These new pine-like trees were allowed to reach tens of metres in height, absorbing and prospering off the radiation as they grew and spread at an abnormally fast pace, rapidly spreading to reclaim much of the surface and significantly lower the levels of radiation. While still largely unexplored, it is expected that Pactolus hosts a plethora of similar plants, undergoing a series of mutations to adapt and engage in hostilities with other seeds, in what seems to be a violent and competitive struggle for the conquest of radioactive wastelands.

Stemming from the critical disturbance of the climate and environment, the planet has come to experience near constant lack of clear weather, with thick black clouds covering the skies and blotting out the sun through most of the year. Any rain and stormy weather is always acidic and extremely dangerous to organic life as we know it, and though ideal for the forests, this makes life on Elysium very hard without durable raincoats or other means of protection. Finally, the most attractive element that has largely remained undisturbed is the abundance of gold. Today, hundreds of mines dot Elysium’s surroundings, creating the primary source of planetary wealth.

Elysium

The beating heart of Pactolus lies firmly within the limits of the ruined city of Elysium, the planet’s capital and most populated settlement, surrounded entirely by dense forest. Built upon the steel carcass of the old capital of Bayonne, Elysium still remains a decrepit place with only the most makeshift and unreliable infrastructure for the vast majority of the inhabitants, contrasted by untold luxuries for the few elite. Organised in “layers”, the wealth disparity becomes crushingly obvious the more high and towards the centre one goes. Only the downtown part manages to maintain any semblance of order and properness, the area dominated by modern, privately built skyscrapers that rise above the majority of the city's skyline. In the middle of those, the tallest structure which dwarfs the rest and pierces through the clouds stands as the private residence of a Golden Deep IPC known simply as “The Mayor”, serving as the planetary governor of Pactolus and as Elysium’s absolute overlord.

The Ring

The largest of the city’s layers, the Ring comprises essentially the entire urban area except the centre, covering miles of crumbling and desolate buildings, apartment blocks and hovels dating back to before the nuclear annihilation. Amongst the cinder blocks and concrete jungle overgrown with vines, live the inhabitants and visitors of Pactolus; a collection of criminals, exiles, wanderers and undesirables of all species, backgrounds and ethnicities. The truth is that due to its location outside the bounds of civilised space, the planet serves as a principal safe haven and stop for spacefaring individuals or those running from debts or the law.

The nature of such people, coupled with the “Total Market Freedom” approach followed by The Mayor in their governance of Elysium, makes the city one of the most dangerous and anarchic places in the Spur. Force of arms and the credits to maintain it are the only two true currencies, and only safeguards against the plethora of violent crimes taking place daily. Total collapse of society is prevented by powerful gangs taking it upon themselves to claim and administer important areas such as power generators, the Ring’s only shuttleport, restaurants and gambling dens. Gang wars and factionalism remain prevalent, adding fuel to the fire and constantly uprooting the lives of those desperate enough to call Elysium their home.

Most of those present arrive with their ships, coming for business or pleasure. No item is illegal to buy or sell, with weapons from all brands and eras flowing uninterrupted into the city’s economy. It is widely believed that everyone carries at least one weapon at all times, as self defence has become the number one priority. Establishments catering to all needs of all species are widely available, and coexistence between different races is mostly peaceful unless gang matters are involved. Wild parties and celebrations are the norm in the entertainment-heavy sectors every night, leaving the streets littered with intoxicated, passed out or even dead bodies, left to the mercy of the toxic rain until it is in someone’s interest to remove them. Residential areas are more commonly seen towards the outskirts and against the city limits, hosting the more peaceable and orderly elements of society, away from the excitement and violence of the inner Ring. These people are mainly employed in the planet’s gold mines, working on low wages and often against their will, constituting the workforce essential to the planet’s only significant export.

Simply referred to as the Miners, they are the planet’s largest population of permanent residents, trying to have as little contact as possible with the rowdy and excitable visitors while tending to their work. Overseen by Deep employees sent by the Mayor, they toil in the mines and are occasionally forced into expeditions to expand Elysium’s reach and influence into the uncharted forests, always with dire consequences.

The Centre and Tower

Found in the new skyscrapers in downtown Elysium, the Centre as a layer is essentially a deluxe gated community, separated from the rest of the city by a series of towering walls, sentries and checkpoints. Home to the flourishing elite upper class of merchants and Golden Deep business magnates, entry is bought with exorbitant amounts of credits, with living spaces being generally limited to the higher floors and away from the surface. The tall structures are connected with sealed bridges and domed floors from reinforced glass, creating a very pleasant and luxurious environment, protected by the elements and with a rich view of the destroyed city. These areas provide spaces for retail stores and, much like the Anchorage on Midaion, serve as more affordable residences for middle class members of the Deep.

In the middle and above all the skyscrapers, rises a singular thin and spike-like building, creatively named the Tower. Its height manages to pierce the stormy skies to stand above the clouds, the top offering itself as the only inhabited spot with constant sunlight during the day and a majestically clear view during the night. It is there where the Mayor and a few handpicked members of his staff reside, making it effectively the seat of the planetary government and the Deep’s absolute authority. Furnished in an outrageously expensive and overbearing manner standard to the Deep’s extravagant ways, only the most important individuals are permitted to reach these levels under tight security, and solely at the pleasure of the Mayor. Understandably, many of those in the general population that care enough view the Tower as the symbol of authoritarian rule and an ignorant government.

The Mayor, Total Market Freedom and the Law

Elysium is supposedly in possession and under the administration of the Golden Deep, under a planetary governor assigned by the Midas Group. In reality, the planet is run by a single person with near total autonomy and control. This individual has always been the Mayor, an IPC of tremendous power and wealth which purchased the post of planetary governor when Elysium was being created, and has occupied it ever since. Free to rule however they please so long as the planet continues to bring in profits, the Mayor’s and subsequently Elysium’s sole political and governing philosophy follows a very simple yet arbitrary tenet, the aptly named “Total Market Freedom”. Nobody can be sure what this means exactly, except from the practice of near zero government interference in any aspect of society, leaving instead the concept of the “free market”, in which every inhabitant is included, to stabilise itself. In truth however, the Mayor reserves unrestricted powers to “defend” the market however they see fit, from ordering massive military operations against influential gangs, to the arbitrary confiscation of wealth and destruction of anyone who displeases them. An intriguing figure, the Mayor has treated Elysium as a personal playground. Owning the planet’s affluent gold mines, their primary objective is to insure the productivity and exports of gold to Midaion, inflating his account with untold amounts of credits. Leaving the Ring to fend for itself, the Mayor has solely focused on public appearances, hosting extravagant balls and parties while appearing daily in public screens throughout the planet to reassure the populace, praising themselves and the safe haven that they created. With the help of a private military, the Mayor’s iron fist is occasionally shown when individuals or powerful organisations rise above his expectations. Potential enemies are promptly charged with threatening the free market, arrested and either sold into Golden Deep slavery or pressed into his personal gold mine workforce.

No official codified system of laws exist, each community in both the Ring and the Centre having to do without rules, or forced to draft their own. There is no obligation to follow these however, the Free Market permitting all sorts of violent crime, including murder, as long as the Mayor does not feel threatened. Self defence is the most secure and often only avenue against crime for many, with estimates placing at least one weapon in the hands of every person on Elysium. Justice rests at the hands of the individual, with bounties being the norm for those important or influential enough that can afford it. A plethora of bounty hunters and private agents make their living out of this standardised practice, and offices have been set up to see to the growing demands in private policing. The Centre as a district is distinct, as the community has mandated a single tax solely for the funding of a military force to guard the walls and maintain the defences against incursions from the Ring. Criminality in the Centre is mostly limited to white-collar crime as the presence of private security, the perceived superiority over the savages in the Ring and status of the residents don’t permit physical altercations.

Gold and the Beyond

The planet’s economy is essentially supported solely by its gold mining installations and private business transactions. The extracted gold is exported to the Golden Deep, enriching the Mayor’s coffers with a fraction of the credits trickling down to the community in the form of wages, making mining the only source of income to be relatively depended upon. While veins of the precious mineral have been discovered across the planet, the bulk of mines are located in the immediate surroundings of Elysium, with prospecting expeditions beyond the outskirts having mysteriously lost touch with the city.

While officially blamed on the cowardice or incompetence of the miner exploration parties, these failures have yet to be explained with any credible evidence or theory, leaving doubts and speculations to an already fearful and highly superstitious public. The vast majority believe that Pactolus is not a normal planet, isolated from the rest of the inhabited Spur and presenting a weird and otherworldly image. From the mystery of the original colony’s destruction, the incredibly fast reforestation through radiation-eating trees, as well as the constant disappearances of individuals sent out into the woods, the collection of legends and unexplained anomalies are collectively known as the Beyond. Few have ventured into it, with a lot fewer returning. Those that do rarely do so unscathed, suffering from nightmares, illnesses and disturbances that can hardly be attributed to radiation poisoning.

All manners of creatures, beings and phenomena are reported seen into the forest, though by far the most encountered appears to be an instance or collection of man-like figures, always appearing in a significant distance between the trees, making their details indistinguishable as a result. When looked at through binoculars, the figures either disappear, appear all black or more unusually, appear to still be in the same viewing distance as they were seen with a naked eye. Named “The Men in the Trees”, it is unclear if they are physical beings or a collective hallucination, with direct contact having never been actually documented. A centrepiece of the Beyond, The Men in the Trees are rumoured to be the reason behind the disappearance of every expedition and the source behind Pactolus’ anomalous nature. The official Golden Deep stance remains that none of that is real, a sentiment shared by almost all that don’t reside permanently in Elysium.

A large selection of other manifestations have also found their way into the Beyond mythos as of secondary importance, starting with a vaguely similar dream shared by many living in the Ring’s outskirts; A lush green landscape with a clear blue sky, turning purple and red respectively before being engulfed by complete darkness. Other examples would be a series of whispers urging those who hear them to commit acts of violence, visions of Solarian vessels firing nuclear warheads against the surface, and many more dreams or hallucinations relating to the planet’s destruction.