Fort Kurzon

Fort Kurzon was a minor Terran colony first founded in the late 21st century

Location

Fort Kurzon is located in the Gilese 686 star system. Its sun is a mid-stage yellow star and there are thirteen planets orbiting, along with a number of other stable moons and asteroids. Fort Kurzon is the fifth world in the system and whilst it does not have a breathable atmosphere, it is not bathed in as much lethal radiation as other worlds in the system.
The Gilese 686 star system has excellent mining from the various mineral and metal rich worlds, as well as hydrogen mining from its three major gas-giants.

Colonization

Due to its proximity to the Sol system, as well as its excellent prospects for mining, Fort Kurzon was selected to be an early outpost of Terran expansion and was made a military and mining outpost. It was first settled in 2087 and had a small domed outpost with a population of 750.
Over time and with improvements to technology, the colony was expanded and the successful terraforming of Alice (the 6th world in the system) saw the Gilese 686 system gain many new settlers.

Climate

Fort Kurzon was partially teraformed in 2191 and gained a thin but breathable atmosphere and gained increased protection from radiation, though it still suffers from occasional meteorite strikes.
Fort Kurzon is a small, cold planet and very rocky.

Demographics

As of 2530, 12,600,000 people live on Fort Kurzon:

• 12,440,000 humans
• 360,000 Indirians
• 45 AIs
• 250 other aliens

Government

Fort Kurzon was initially governed as a military outpost but later was allowed to elect its own governor and colonial legislature.
During the time of the The Terran Empire it became the fiefdom of House Jospin.
After the collapse of the Terran Empire, Fort Kurzon became part of the Hassall League
Following the end of the 10th Karkouri War and the liberation of the Hassal League, Fort Kurzon had been liberated by Martian Marines. An election was held in 2535 and its new Governor, Dr Galen Drayfuss, agreed for Fort Kurzon to join the Federation

The Ghost of 686

A persistent story of the Gilese star-system is the "ghost of 686", a strange creature (or ship) that is reportedly encountered by some prospectors, scouts and miners who venture out to the edge of the system, near the dwarf world of Lilith.
According to, admittedly never proven, reports, the Ghost causes ships to lose power and to drift aimlessly as it comes close to them, never showing up on readings. This "dreadful ship", sometimes described to as seeming like it was alive, is variously described as being over a kilometre long and yet moving incredibly quickly and matching no known ship configuration.
Imperial Historians and agents of the IIS conducted a survey into the matter in the 2460s but concluded that the ship was likely just a myth or a sensor anomaly. Whilst the Eridani 686 system does report a higher than average number of missing ships for a "core system", they concluded that this was due to the remote nature of some mining operations.
Still, bringing the Ghost up on Fort Kurzon itself will earn you a strange look and cause conversations to stop. Most miners and scouts refuse to talk of it, lest they draw the "thing" on themselves.

Major Locations

Boxworth Town

Whilst Boxworth wasn't the first major settlement on Fort Kurzon, it is the most populous with a population of around 650,000. A fairly modern city cut into the rocks of Boxar's Canyon, Boxworth Town has a rustic charm and is home to miners, prospectors and renegades, as well as a healthy number of corporate execs looking to make money from the mining trade.
Boxworth Town is home to much of the planets principal infrastructure, though nearly all of this is corporate owned.
Pickaxe College is the only recognized major college on the planet and is well known for its engineering and mining degrees.

St Martin's Island

St Martin's Island is a small community established in the early 2300s after the Karkouri Occupation ended. Settled by Terrans who felt that the final collapse of the Terran state was upon them, they established the secured settlement and became known for being reclusive and strange, though over time they became more involved in the planet.
St Martin's Island is home to people who prefer to get away from others and enjoy a quiet life of seclusion. There is a Valtinist school and hospital and several small scale mining operations but barely 100,00 people live there as of 2530.

Binder's Point

Binder's Point is less of a settlement and more of a historical oddity. The military base placed here by the Federation is dug deep into the rocks and shows impressive engineering and excellent geothermal technology, leading many to speculate that it may have been more than the mere military outpost that the Federation claimed it was.
It was abandoned after the collapse of the Federation and sold to VENTRISS UDC who then turned it into miners accommodation and a corporate HQ. VENTRISS UDC lease offices here to smaller corporations.
Binder's Point is home to about 25,000 people but most who work here, live elsewhere. Many visitors report hearing strange things if they stay at Binder's Point, as well as unexplained electrical faults and computer glitches.

Sewell's Landing

Sewell's Landing was the first major settlement on the planet and still has the skeleton of the old domed colony. Now a small but historic township, it is home as of 2530 to around 200,000 people and the planet's secondary downport.
Sewell's Landing is also home to the government quarter.

Fellowe's Township

Fellowe's Township was built in Fellowe's Canyon, a massive meteor crater that some speculate may have been a planet killer and caused the planet to become uninhabitable more than a million years ago.
Fellowe's Township is large enough to allow settlers to build their own ranch or shack with plenty of room without being observed and this has led many wanderers, renegades and criminals to the town.

by Viktor Hanh

Type

Planet