Van Allen's World

Van Allan's World was a minor Terran colony first established in the early 22nd century

Location

Located on the Tranoan border in the Sigma Pharon star-system, Van Allan's World was not considered habitable when first surveyed in 2085. Sigma Pharon is a binary star system with two mid-stage blue stars, giving the whole star system a somewhat spooky blue tone.
There are no other inhabitable planets in the star-system

Colonization

Van Allan's World was established as a potential research base and outpost during the 2140s and colonized in 2150. The Federation set up a base dug into the deep ice on the planet.
Over generations, the outpost grew into a colony, though it never became a major colony-world.

Climate

Van Allan's World is estimated to be in the middle of an ice-age, expected to last at least another seven hundred thousand years. The planet has a very deep cold temperature and despite receiving lots of sun and radiation, its surface temperature rarely gets above one or two degrees Celsius. The planet has experienced lows of minus one hundred to one hundred and twenty degrees.

Native Flora and Fauna

Incredibly, Van Allan's World is not life-less despite the deep cold. The planet is home to many insects that dwell in the deep ice and in geothermal vents. These mollusks and arthropods are generally not very active and go into hibernation for years at a time.
The planets rare but incredibly hardy surface plants resemble lichen but there are some powerfully built thorny vines that grow up around the geothermal vents.
In the frozen oceans, there are some deep water animals that resemble cuttle-fish or nautilus, some ranging up to around four or five metres in length.

Demographics

Van Allan's World has never had a big population and, as of 2520, it is home to 6,400,000 people.

• 6,100,000 humans
• 350,000 Indirians
• 1,100 AI
• 110 other aliens

Government

Van Allan's World was initially governed under a Terran military charter but it was granted its status to elect its own governor in 2195. The planet has a small elected legislature who work with the governor and the planet is known for its democratic activity and the high levels of participation encouraged on the planet.
Van Allan's World was granted to House Bluth by the The Terran Empire and, as of 2520, they remain in charge on the planet and rule as a constitutional monarch.

Terran Politics

Van Allan's World was generally part of the primary Terran state. As of the collapse of the Terran Empire, Van Allan's World became a founder member of the newly formed The Terran Republic

Major Places

Strickland City

Strickland City is the planetary capital and home to around six hundred thousand people. Strickland City, like all major settlements, is dug deep into the ice on the planet and uses a mixture of geothermal vents and solar collectors to keep warm.
Strickland City is a very modern city but is famed for its high house prices and the high cost of living there. The government quarter is the main employer for people in Strickland City but there are also several prominent hospitals and schools and Strickland College is a well regarded college.

New Parma

The New Parma estates are a loose collection of fishing townships and fisheries that ply the frozen sea on Van Allan's World. The people of New Parma are famously hardy and tough and value hard work and community. They often regard the other people of Van Allan's World as being somewhat effete but still buy into the planet's rich democratic history and reject commercialism and nationalism.
New Parma is home the planet's shipyard, though it has more work creating surface and submersible vessels than it does creating starship hulls.

The Sunless Well

A wonder of science and a major tourist attraction, the Sunless Well was cut into the ice in 2216 by a Federation exploration team. They cut fourteen point one miles into the ice without hitting water or magma. The views from some of the deep ice wells are truly incredible and the soundscape of billions of tonnes of rock and ice shifting above a persons head have to be experienced to be believed.
Many top research teams have speculated that an entirely different eco-system may exist below the Sunless Well but there has never been the budget or the will to explore deeper towards the planets core.

by Viktor Hanh

Type

Planet