Sandbox-Scarcity:NewGibson
New Gibson is the second planet to be colonized by humanity within the Tau Ceti system, shortly after the initial success of Biesel's colonization attempt in 2167. While the economic and social powerhouse established itself on Biesel, New Gibson was set to become the industrial workhorse of the Tau Ceti system. At the time of settlement, New Gibson contained rich and valuable resources in the form of highly concentrated ores. This vast mineral wealth was highly sought after, especially for the continued development of Biesel's fledgling colony at the beginning of its life. While New Gibson was not exploited to the extent that Valkyrie was, much of it’s mineral wealth has since been mined up, fueling its titanic industries for the past century and a half. However much still remains, and in the cavernous pitfalls and valleys of New Gibson resides both its thriving mining economy and its greatest dangers. Active tectonics of New Gibson are nonexistent, leading to a very cold, dark mantle.
Due to the insular nature of the Undirstads of New Gibson, characters hailing from them must have names and appearances consistent with the Nordic regions of Earth, the original colonists of the Undirstads. Only those born in the Undirstads may take the Undirstad accent. This is enforceable by server moderation and admins. Ovanstads are not limited to the same names and appearances.
| Contents |
|---|
| New Gibson |
| Tau Ceti System |
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| Sector: Tau Ceti |
| Capital: Hengsha Biodome |
| Species: Human, Skrell, IPC, Vaurca |
| Common Languages: Tau Ceti Basic |
| Demonyms: Gibsonite |
| Part of: Republic of Biesel |
| Formerly part of: Sol Alliance |
History
Settlers from the regions of Scandinavia populated New Gibson’s wayfaring colonization fleets in its early days - following the near-collapse of the Earth biosphere. Unlike Biesel, a tremendous measure of preparation was required before even considering landing on New Gibson. Colonization ships were unusually huge, purpose-made to carry the equally large terrestrial biodomes for orbital delivery. The colonization of New Gibson in 2167 shortly after Biesel came with small praise and little media coverage, contrary to its neighbour which had blown minds as the first habitable exoplanet colonized. New Gibson was relatively unnoteworthy, and simply seen as a stepping stone for Biesel’s upcoming dominance. From its colonization and onwards, the history of New Gibson would be turbulent, and often seen as secondary to Biesel in many ways.
The industrial prowess of New Gibson however was never questioned. Unlike Biesel’s planetside capabilities, New Gibson had been developed as a mining and industrial venture from the start. Early corporations sought to profit off the immigration boom to Biesel by raising New Gibson to be a boomtown for different reasons. Due to the difficulties with its habitability and extreme weather conditions, the population of New Gibson would never soar, however it quickly became the second most populated planet outside the Sol System - a title it would lose as time passed - thanks to its role as the Industrial Heart of the new system economy forming in Tau Ceti.
Almost everything for New Gibson’s colonization was eventually manufactured in-system or in orbit of the icy world. Facilities such as biodomes would be dropped from orbit on one-way trips, unpiloted and half-complete; once landed, they would be properly constructed in gravity with necessities planetside, such as electricity and water pump systems. The dropping of biodomes would be catastrophically mismanaged, and the hasty rate at which they were constructed did not help. Some of the dropped facilities would fail mid-flight and slam into the planet destructively.
This led to biodomes being spread out in landing, and many ended up being connected by less-than-stable structures built overground - which no-one wanted to use. Those that did survive though found a wealth of minerals underneath their new homes, and began to dig downwards. Drilling arrays and material acquisition opened up plenty of room for development, which the colonists quickly began to fill with factories and industry to process that which they mined out of the ground into usable materials; those materials would then be used to expand mining and industrial capabilities on the planet, or shipped off to Biesel. In this way the colonists expanded their industry exponentially, and while the surface still required extensive EVA protection and the connections between domes shaky, the rate of expansion saw domes connected via underground tunnels very quickly, and soon much of the population lived below the surface. Biodomes were the start, but in truth, it was underground that the idea of New Gibson was forged.
Environment
Characterized by huge snow-covered valleys with large solitary mountains, New Gibson experiences some of the coldest temperatures across Tau Ceti. Its atmosphere is primarily composed of methane, ammonia and trace amounts of water vapor - requiring those that wish to explore its landscape to wear bulky and cumbersome EVA equipment.
Due to its axial tilt, combined with its orbital period, New Gibson is enveloped in perpetual twilight. These factors also contributed to the planet’s frequent blizzards, engulfing the plains of New Gibson in its frost. Temperatures during these blizzards can reach as low as negative 187°C.
Regional weather and blizzards are frequently turbulent on New Gibson. But, every three years (GST), the planet is globally pummeled by an upset of the weather system. In the hundreds of years that have passed since its colonization, these storms have grown far worse, far more frequent and far more deadly. A clear cause would be pollution from industrial development and mostly gaseous byproducts dumped into the cold planet’s already freezing atmosphere.
These dangerous conditions imply that, if not adequately sturdy, every residence is temporary. Only underground structures and hundreds of years old biodomes stand the test of time here.
Native life on New Gibson is, to some surprise, completely nonexistent. Only invasive species able to handle the brutal habitat definitively survive, and these are very few. Cases like these are usually small mineral-eating insectoid species with long hibernation cycles. The sole exception is Greimorians, which have taken advantage of deep-mantle burrows and a chilly subterranean cave system. However, there are rumours that do circulate among New Gibsonites that the snow is in fact an alien species, connected through millions of pathways only observable through powerful microscopes. Whilst this has supposedly been disproven, the superstition of the frost harbouring life continues to proliferate across the planet - with stories of the snow forming shapes and even interacting with people.
The large infestation of Greimorians in New Gibson's lower crust are typically out of sight or scared off by drilling expeditions. Noisy drills tend to ward off hostile Greimorians, but smaller vibrations like small mining teams is known to attract burrowing Greimorians in swarms. In recent years, these have grown more common as hungry, unseen hives grow larger. The origin of these Greimorians is unknown, but sightings have been prominent for at least a decade.
Government
Initially, the colonies established across New Gibson were subservient to their respective colonial powers, the majority of which was Nordic in origin or northwestern European. There was no unified government across New Gibson until after the Crisis of 2294, where the Parliamentary Republic of New Gibson was established, a representative democracy that relies on population statistics to award influence within its highest chamber of authority. Those within Parliament are elected by inhabitants of the respective biodomes, who in turn elect an individual among themselves to represent the entirety of New Gibson; the Presiding Speaker. The former presiding speaker was President Åke Torvald. Elections have not yet been held for the next.
New Gibson, unlike other planets across the Orion Spur, does not possess a planetary defense force. It only utilizes law enforcement agencies to ensure that there is a level of order within its biodomes, known as the [[ | New Gibson Security Forces]]. The administration of the New Gibson Security Forces falls under the purview of the Presiding Speaker, who has assigned to each biodome adequate members of the force, to ensure effective law enforcement.
Culture and Demographics
New Gibson has always been considered a rather reclusive society. In all its history, New Gibson has played underdog to Biesel. Referred to as the breadbasket of freedom, New Gibson has always been in the shadow of its more appealing counterpart - regardless of their contributions to the success of the growing Republic. As a result of its neglect, New Gibsonites often harbor resentment towards Biesel, staunch nationalists often citing the name of the Republic of Biesel as an insult to Non-Biesellites that helped create an independent Tau Ceti.
The industrial might of New Gibson is undoubted across the Republic of Biesel - supplying most, if not all - of the resources, materials, parts, and manufactured goods required for the system through its history; [[ | things are a little different now.]] It is due to this that those from the arctic planet are often complimented for being an industrious workforce, mostly stemming from the first colonists of New Gibson - who faced considerable challenges in the early days of colonization - burrowing deep within the planet and creating expansive mines that unearthed several mineral riches. It is due to these initial hardships, and the continued intergenerational mindset across the centuries, that New Gibson has developed an almost unhealthy approach to work - with more than a few reports of New Gibsonites having been injured whilst working due to exhaustion, or placing themselves under additional stress to the point that their health often takes a toll.
New Gibsonites wield considerable skills usually related to either engineering or mining, thanks to its heavy-industrial focus. Despite their colonial roots, there is a subculture that exists that revolves around these two fields - even resulting in competitions and holidays. It has also become a focal point in the mocking of New Gibsonites, with many displaying the culture negatively through the caricature of an obviously-exhausted muscular miner with a strong accent, oftentimes shown with an abrasive personality.
On New Gibson, there exists a clear-cut cultural schism between the Undirstads and the Ovanstads. While the colonial culture has grown steadily and evolved over time in the Undirstads, it has all but vanished in the population of the Ovanstads. The Ovanstads, characterized by their strong megacorporate influence and much more marketable locations, house nearly all of New Gibson’s foreign industry. Many affluent families from Biesel vacation in the Ovanstads, and there exists a thriving financial and entertainment industrie. Many families from the Undirstads fiercely hold onto their cultural traditions, seeing the surface-dwelling societies as having lost something important to their identities in the abundance of wealth and foreign influence - especially from Biesel.
Undergrounders and Undirstads
With the expansion of New Gibson beneath the surface, there exist generational lineages that refer to themselves as Undergrounders - having originated shortly after colonial expansions began within the crust of the New Gibson permafrost. These lineages are typically long lines of miners, who continue to expand the subterranean archologies - having done so for centuries at this point. It is not uncommon for Undergrounders to have never seen stars before, with those leaving New Gibson for other opportunities remarking on their surprise that space isn’t just pitch-black. There also exist several settlements created by Undergrounders, referred to as “Undirstads."
Undirstads that were founded shortly after subterranean excavations began have evolved and expanded considerably, and some find themselves recognized as “City-States” so to speak by the New Gibson’s native sovereign Parliamentary Republic. Those recognized are oftentimes integrated, and required to contribute to the overall success of New Gibson. The industrial focus of the Undirstads is the primary reason for New Gibson’s industrial might, with hundreds contributing to the overall production ability of the planet. Undirstads still retain most of their autonomy - only having had their autonomy curtailed during the Crisis of 2294 in order to attempt to delay a famine, in which they were forced to provide what little provisions they stored to the surface archologies.
In recent times, Undirstads have become something of a hotbed for anti-Biesel sentiment after much of their foundries and manufacturing facilities have been refitted to produce equipment for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in the wake of the Peacekeeper Mandate within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. Many Undirstaders believe they are being forced to support a conflict that they have no stake in, or even any part in - their resources and labour consumed by Biesellite interests at the detriment of local communities, and with nothing to gain from it. These two events have contributed to a spreading anti-war sentiment in the Undirstads, the populace often feeling alienated and exploited as a result of surface-dwelling - and by extension - Biesellite goals. These sentiments predominately are expressed as acts of civil disobedience, however, as the various anti-war groups continue to gain momentum, only time can tell whether they pose a threat to the status quo of New Gibson.
The Undirstads are, as a rule, much more insular than their Ovanstad counterparts. Cultural traditions from Earth are still held by the inhabitants and have been passed down from generation to generation over the centuries since Nordic colonization, changing all the while to become something uniquely Gibsonite. Many Undirstaders hold a deep respect for their forebears, and many create shrines or other offering areas for them. The snow of New Gibson, in particular, is respected as a powerful living entity. It is a beloved cultural tradition for elders of a community to claim to be able to scry using the snow,- sitting and watching the falling flakes to identify shapes and motions in their movements that could foretell future events or advise on decisions. Additionally, common are folktales of an Undirstader on the surface becoming lost in the snow, only to be guided to safety or tricked into loosing themselves further by the snow depending on their quality of character. It is an often held belief that dead loved ones or ancestry will come back to visit their living family through blizzards or snowstorms, and many Gibsoners venture out into these storms for the sake of hopefully catching a glimpse of their forebears, spouses, and so on. For this reason, it is considered a terrible thing to not be buried on New Gibson, and those abroad generally insist on their bodies being returned to the planet. Undirstads nearer the surface will often have long, narrow shafts to the surface that may be opened to allow the snow to drift down into special chambers known as Skrytisherbergi that are created for these purposes. Skrytisherbergi serve as local community centers and congregation points for the populace of the Undirstads, with people from cities without them often journeying from home to attend ceremonies or merely to spend the day with their kin.
Designed in a manner in which they expand from a singular point, Undirstads typically make use of either a Fusion Power Rely or relays, depending on the energy needs of the underground settlement. Some of the eldest Undirstads find themselves relying on modified ship engines from the initial colonisation of the arctic planet. Considered vital to New Gibson, these relays are utilized to power and fuel the titanic industrial might that the Undirstads wield, which are responsible for most if not all industrial production on the planet. Industrial sectors within the Undirstads produce anything from the simplest battery to the advanced components required for artificial intelligence.
Surfacers and Ovanstads
Atop its icy peaks, New Gibson hosts fully-developed archologies referred to as Ovanstads. These archologies are capable of sustaining millions - many able to house skyscrapers. These tremendous arcologies know little respite from the blizzards which wreak havoc across the arctic plains of New Gibson. Suitably, Ovanstads are considered to have been constructed to stand the test of time - with many having been adapted from the original frames placed after the colonization rush of the 2100s. Cavernous, spacious and dark, these frames were designed to accommodate expansion for many years to come with the external protective barriers specifically enhanced to protect its contents.
The other half of New Gibson’s population resides within the Ovanstads, and almost all tourism and immigration flocks here particularly. The industry here is primarily entertainment, and upper-level executives reside here as opposed to Undirstads where the inner workings of the industrial sector churn. Food business and agriculture are the main planetary outputs of Ovanstads, through massive vertical hydroponic facilities. Ovanstads are also outfitted with environmental recreation abilities, with most being able to replicate the conditions of Biesel perfectly, even creating artificial rain clouds to make the watering of the hydroponic facilities seamless.
Ovanstads are often recognised as the face of New Gibson and marketed across the Orion Spur. This results in a skewed perception from tourists and immigrants who place more importance on these archologies as a result of the biased advertising that oftentimes doesn’t depict or even mention the Undirstads. This has also resulted in a bit of tension between the Surfacers and Undergrounders, with the Undergrounders claiming the advertising to be disingenuous and not reflecting the reality of the situation in which many will be staying far beneath the permafrost of New Gibson and not within the picture-esque Ovandstads. Dissimilar to Undirstads, Ovanstads are often mixed baskets of culturalism. The elevation of the Republic of Biesel as an immigration hub (as well as a drawer of tourism) has resulted in a rich, vibrant multicultural existence across the surface within the Ovanstads. There are no set conventions for those that survive within the Ovanstads - only those that individuals apply to themselves.
Ovanstads have seen an increased Legion and Private Military Contracting Group presence as the Peacekeeper Mandate continues. New Gibson’s Ovanstads serve as an important wayfare between themselves and Undirstads, where military ordinance finds its way to the surface and is subsequently carted off to the Corporate Reconstruction Zone to further Biesellite interests. Additionally, the mass influx of ships has bolstered New Gibson’s smuggling trade, with crafty blockade runners and illegal freighters using the increased shipping to their advantage. For those caught in the quagmire of danger and lawlessness that is the CRZ, many refugees are smuggled into Tau Ceti by these highways.
Skrell on New Gibson
See also: Skrell in the Republic of Biesel
Following first contact with the Skrell in 2332 CE, various agreements between the Nralakk Federation and the Solarian Alliance facilitated the introduction of Skrellian technology on New Gibson; much of which was being used on Aliose. This led to the "leasing" of Skrell to oversee the application of their technology, making sure that its use holds up to skrellian standards. This new technology was rapidly applied across the colony, replacing the rather rudimentary archologies established across the arctic planet.
Initial integration proved to be difficult, owing to the cultural differences of the species. Whilst tensions were rather high between Humanity and Skrell on New Gibson, it eventually came to pass shortly after the assimilation of Skrellian technology. The new biodomes proved to be a success as the archologies were massively overhauled, allowing for the various restrictions forced upon the archologies to be repealed. Many of the "leased" Skrell chose to remain on New Gibson, with the Nralakk Federation supporting those that remained through the establishment of spa clinics, allowing the new colonists to receive similar characteristics to Skrell found on Aliose - primarily thick white skin.
Most Gibsonites, as a result of the planet's assistance from the Skrell, possess a more positive view of Skrell than other humans within the Orion Spur. This has prospered in many skrellian individuals continuing to visit their quya that remained on New Gibson or even emigrating due to the welcoming attitude towards their species. New Gibson now hosts the largest population of Skrell within Tau Ceti, and one of the largest outside of the Nralakk Federation. This change in demographics has pushed many Gibsonites to share a similar bias towards Synthetics that the Skrell do; prompting more discrimination to occur to IPCs than anywhere else within Tau Ceti. Whilst the official discrimination against IPCs is similar to that on Biesel, unofficially, many IPCs have commented on the mechanophobia that has enveloped Gibsonite society.
Unique Constellations
Much like Skrell colonies outside of Nralakk in the Federation, the Skrell on New Gibson have their own unique constellations that they have catalogued and give reverence to. Although these constellations are considered minor by the Qeblak faith, they still hold importance to the Skrell of New Gibson and have influenced the Skrell living there to focus more on personal freedom, advancement, and community cohesion.
IPCs on New Gibson
The cold environment has many pleasant realizations for IPC immigrants to New Gibson. Most commercial bots enjoy the more peaceful end of weather in their bare frame, provided they avoid storms or upsets. Although harsher weather, typically in the winter months, still require heavy protection, they are far more dexterous and agile than their organic counterparts in the crippling cold.
Of the IPC population on New Gibson, a fact of life is the conflict between its longstanding native Skrell population and the recent presence of sentient robots. While the Republic of Biesel expanding on IPC rights has shifted the foundation of these bots' freedoms, Gibsonites more often express disappointment for their uprising. These attitudes have trickled down to the planet's human population as well. It is seen as yet another debate they have found themselves excluded from at best, and a betrayal of the natives' wishes at worst.
Circumstances like these make IPCs inclined to pursue two avenues of life on New Gibson, both seeking isolated attitudes. One such potential is to move into an exclave of sorts; one of many IPC-centered businesses ran by megacorporations that expand around the Ovanstads. A second opportunity is to leave the planet entirely, and Gibson sourced free IPCs frequently seek service to the Legion to accomplish this. Ironically, this often takes them a step away from their goal as higher-ups in the TCFL prefer to station IPC personnel on the planet, viewing them as more reliable in the conditions.
Being an external planet, the second closest to the Romanovich Cloud, intake of runaway IPCs here is obviously very high. In fact, many of those fleeing into the Republic use New Gibson as a way station to either secure themselves a future within the Republic, or silently live a new life.
Cuisine
Due to the early life inside cramped biodomes, where there was little space for livestock, there was a noticeable shift towards more vegetarian and vegan-based diets. During this period of the planet's history, the drinks ‘Gibson Hooch’ and ‘Gibson Punch’ were starting to see prominence. These cocktails had no standard mix, with Hooch being a quasi-mead type drink fermented with whatever fruit and ingredients the settlers had on hand, while Gibson Punch would typically be made from orange juice, homemade vodka, and powdered lemonade mix for flavour. These two drinks would eventually become household favourites of the colonists, with the drinks being standardised roughly at the start of the 24th century. To Gibsonites, these drinks are culturally and historically important, reflecting the difficult history of New Gibson.
While the number of livestock on New Gibson during this time was never high, there were small ‘farms’ spread out across the biodomes that allowed for meat, eggs and dairy to be given to the populace in small amounts. Smaller animals such as goats, chickens, and sheep were the only ones allowed due to the cramped conditions making space a luxury at the time. Living conditions for these livestock are notoriously poor, even today. Soups and stews were a primary feature at this time to help stretch out the limited food supply of the colony, and to make up for the lack of variety of food offered.
Synthetic meat has also grown in popularity, with facilities on New Gibson itself established to provide beef, pork, salmon, and herring in particular for domestic consumption. There have been plans since the late 24th century for aquaculture arcologies to be built, but due to the investment required for these facilities, this has barely left the planning stages.
Celebrations
Unity Day is celebrated across New Gibson on the 27th of December. It is a national holiday that celebrates the forming of the Parliamentary Republic of New Gibson, which unified the biodomes under a central government. There is no official celebration beyond a special announcement by the Presiding Speaker, but many people host parties in the residential districts to celebrate.
Celebration of the Solstice is celebrated by those of New Gibson on the 6th of September, marking the completed revolution of New Gibson on its axis. It involves the raising and dancing around a maypole - a tall, wooden pole that has its origins in provinces across Earth. After the activities surrounding the maypole have concluded, there is a community picnic each family contributes to.
Thorrablot is celebrated in late January by the Undirstader population of New Gibson. While it may have its roots in a specific Earth celebration, it is now widely seen as a celebration of Undirstader culture and pride. There is no set activity or celebration for Thorrablot, and each Undirstad celebrates in its own way. Many families hold feasts, recite poetry, or hold festivals and dances all in the hope of showcasing Undirstad culture.
Remembrance Day is celebrated across New Gibson on the 14th of June. A national holiday that mourns the events of the Crisis of 2294. In the evening, there is a memorial at a monument erected in Hengsha that is dedicated to those that perished during the darkest days of New Gibson. The names of each person are read, following which is a unified moment of silence. It is common for New Gibsonites to wear black, symbolizing the shared impact of the Crisis. Recently, the names of those that perished in the Lii’dra Invasion have also been included.
Transportation and Trade
Planetside, every common method of motion is unused on the surface due to horrible weather conditions. Only very heavy vehicles and stationary installations make it long on New Gibson, and the wide tundras show no mercy on travellers. Prime examples are Glacier Bricks, which are wide-treaded machines that ferry supply and personnel between biodomes across the surface; these are rarely used, and while not particularly noteworthy as far as technology goes, vehicles here must still take on very resistant and surface-clinging shapes while retaining a large profile against the pounding winds.
Underground tunnelling efforts over centuries have connected every settlement across the surface and every settlement beneath them. Deeply built maglev train lines connect the planet together, and even deeper cargo lines pull goods between settlements. These were built after the [[ | phoronic revolution]] and are one of the only pieces of New Gibsons infrastructure that is being maintained.
Due to the hostile nature of New Gibson’s Environment, it is incredibly rare that shuttles and other spacecraft land on the surface from orbit. Instead, the most common form of travel to or from the void of space is on one of the planet's three massive orbital elevators, specially built by Hephaestus Industries in 2377 to move material, goods, and other industrial outputs to and from the surface. These elevators are proofed against the environment of New Gibson, varying in size, and can be found in; from biggest to smallest, Hengsha, Fallanland, and Virklund.
Crime
smuggling has been rising across Tau Ceti in recent times, and New Gibson is no different. However, New Gibson offers something new; its industrial manufacturing, coupled with its awful weather has made it the primary spot for smugglers looking to smuggle things out of Tau Ceti, rather than in. There are a few dedicated, in-the-know smuggling bands that have established side routes into New Gibson's atmosphere, with mobile shuttlepads receiving them for onloading. Once their cargo has been loaded on, they leave much the same way, most headed for Valkyrie where their cargo will once again change hands, or for the transit lanes near the Bluespace Gate. Natives of New Gibson are known for ties to many off-world smugglers over the years. In addition, cases of less accomplished or young Gibsonites joining these bands are rampant. The families which originally populated New Gibson's industry have solid connections with many illicit bands because of this, perhaps stretching far into the Coalition.
Major Population Centers
Hengsha
The capital of New Gibson, the Hengsha Biodome is the largest across the arctic flats and houses the majority of the New Gibsonite population. Instituted by then-Presiding Speaker Xin Hengsha, it was one of the first massive undertakings by the Republic of Biesel following its independence from the Solarian Alliance - a project of sorts that was thought to prove their capacity as a sovereign nation. It was the first collaborative project with the megacorporations as well, with both NanoTrasen and Hephaestus Industries contributing greatly to its construction. It is centered around the Hengsha Orbital Elevator, the largest on the planet, which is like a spear through most of the city, continuing deep underground to finally end at the Maglev Stations and Cargo Stations. It is considered one of the most advanced biodomes within the entirety of the Orion Spur, with round the clock maintenance workers ensuring its continued operation. Internally, its architectural structure is a blend of both Biesellite and New Gibsonite designs. It has no specific function, and dabbles in several different fields; agriculture, industry and even entertainment. However, it is mostly considered an Ovanstad by greater New Gibson. Due to it housing the majority of the planet’s population, Hengsha is awarded the most seats in Parliament.
Fallanland
A residential and industrial sector intermingled would be Fallanland, a city of underground spires and deep-core drilling arrays progressively moving deeper into the planet, with a massive spire spearing the sky on the edge of the city; the Fallanland Orbital Elevator, the second largest on the planet. Originally consisting of thousands of drilled caverns intersecting, cave-ins and the danger of moving rock has led its creators to seek support for the city by only going down. Fallanland began as a struggling biodome, situated ontop of a large cave system that eventually collapsed, taking the biodome down into the Earth with it. It is a testament to the hardiness of the Biodomes that it survived, and by drilling, the fallen dome was reconnected to the rest of the planet. Since then it has become the largest industrial city on New Gibson, having a significant share of the planet's factories and manufacturing capability. It is for this reason that the Fallanland Orbital Elevator was constructed by Hephaestus Industries, as well as the largest cargo terminals on the planet. Raw materials of all kinds come into the city, and finished goods leave. It is awarded the third-highest amount of seats. Fallanland has the largest Skrýtisherbergi of all of the Undirstads, and many residents from the smaller surrounding Undirstads flock to the city to make use of it.
Virklund
Virklund is the second largest Ovanstad on New Gibson, and as such, enjoys the second largest amount of seats in Parliament alongside the smallest and oldest orbital elevator. Considered the breadbasket of New Gibson, Virklund evolved from early attempts at aquaculture and hydroponics into becoming the foremost agrarian biodome on New Gibson; though they still produce significantly less food than is necessary to feed the population. The Celebration of the Solstice is very popular in Virklund, and Undirstaders and Ovanstaders alike join together to celebrate in a somewhat seldom show of unity. In recent times, Virklund found orbital shipyards constructed and then attached to its orbital elevator, alongside an expansion to its cargo terminal. While not the shipyards of Valkyrie or even Reade, it functions mostly as a maintenance yard, servicing the ships - troop transport or warships - whose crews are on leave. The accompanying wave of Minutemen and PMCG infantry - both those on leave and those deployed to ensure the security of the new installations - has discomforted some of the populace, but most Virklunders are proud to be supporting the Republic’s safety. This has had a secondary result of many new pilots coming from Virklund, eager to show their national pride and support for their Republic. It is known for its close association with NanoTrasen, and enjoys widespread corporate support from the populace.
Xoikko
Introduced after contact with the Skrell, the Xoikko biodome has become somewhat of a tourist attraction instead of its proposed research focus, only hosting one Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals corporate research facility. It has a flourishing civilian sector and is the “entertainment capital” of the arctic planet, propagated through the backing of its facilities by Idris Incorporated, who continue to expand both its influence and facilities within the Xoikko Biodome. New Gibsonites are largely fond of the Xoikko Biodome, and when asked will often talk about their experience within the clubs, restaurants and other entertainment venues. Predominantly composed of Skrell, the Xoikko Biodome is known among New Gibsonites to be especially mechanophobic despite the Republic of Biesel’s stance on IPCs - with reports of unofficial entry denial into the biodome. Due to the similar environment of Aliose to that of New Gibson, Skrell from these planets share similar appearances - thick, white skin meant to assist in thermoregulation.
Xerxes
Deep within the surface of New Gibson exists the Xerxes Biodome, populated mostly by Vaurcae of the Scay’extiih’aur brood. The colony has expanded underground, allowing human populations to reside on the surface. The latter is still rare, as crime and prejudice make the biodome not a popular venue amongst other species. The relay tower, the most visible landmark, serves as a backup for the main one placed in Flagsdale. Similarly to the Hengsha Biodome, Xerxes remains unaffiliated with any megacorporation mostly as a result of the isolative tendencies of Scay. The majority of the innovations of the Zo’ra Hive can be attributed to the efforts of the Hidden Queen, said to have played a role in adapting the Bulwark to be utilized by the Zo’ra.