PP01-AL

PP01-AL is so named because it was the first planet discovered to have a parallel pair - understandably, as it's the planet from which the discoverers of the Paraverse originate. It is, therefore, Parallel Pair 01 Alpha, the alpha referring to the fact that this was the first universe known to said scientists.   The twist in the story which this planet features in - Those Who Run - is that PP01-AL and Hetraea are the same planets, thousands of years and a universe apart. The third name this planet has been known as is Earth, at a time when the Paraverse was not yet discovered, in PP01-AL's past and Hetraea's future.   PP01-AL is technologically advanced to the point that international peace has been effectively guaranteed by the principle of mutually assured destruction. The concept of the nation-state is largely abandoned, with continents being for the most part united and homogenous. Space travel is commonplace within the alpha universe, though over relatively short distances. The moon and Mars are colonised for commercial purposes and are both livable, though the vast majority of people still live on the main planet.