Refugees of Mercury
About Solaris | Guide to Solaris | Prologue
Cultural Legacy
Matchmaking
Let the Archerons, the Cuprina and the other great families tell you where they were. I was doing my duty. We Atlases are people of action. I looked through our fleet to see which ships could be immediately spared, which were close enough to deviate from their original plotted destination for some additional, far more valuable cargo. Logistics do not cease to exist just because one planet is dying, no, indeed, it becomes more important than ever. Darling Duponchelia
Forgive me, I lived wonderously while it wore down around me. I couldn't take it, those dreadful news, I just couldn't. Can you fault me for favouring music loud enough to drown out the rest? Drinks hard enough to erase any consciousness or conscience? If you had the opportunities I had, wouldn't you too? Erax Acheron
I was leading her people to the ships. I can't fault them for forgetting us. Who would want to remember the deathly heat of a planet that was supposed to be home?
Deep Pockets
Deep pockets help with navigating disaster. While fortunes invested into Mercurian real estate or vanity projects like the Sunscrapers were destroyed alongside the planet, Mercury's wealth and power came primarily from its expansive fleet of merchant ships. A fleet which is by no means out of commission. The merchant families were among the first to leave Mercury, and watched from their penthouses abroad. A few notable families, the Duponchelia, Atlas, and Andriana, made more than a token effort at aiding the refugees. The vast majority of Mercury refugees made it off-world on a Atlas Ship, recieved a stipend from the Andrianas until they could find employment, and lived in housing provided by the Duponchelias.Institutions
Institutions such as schools, banks, and museums were forced to evacuate with very little time. There are many stories of priceless archives of physical books and art that were unfortunately left behind, and ships packed to the brim with an unsorted jumble of data crystals that had to be combed through later at great expense. The larger academies of Mercury were welcomed by the scholars of Mars and were able to establish new campuses, while smaller ones either merged with off-planet schools or disappeared entirely. The Baishi Museum of Arts covered many of its statues and other large exhibits in gypsum and firefoam to preserve them so that they would be preserved, with some archivists giving their lives to save the art. These precious pieces have not been forgotten, although they remain on Mercury to this day.☿ Mercury | ||||||||||||
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I really enjoyed this! Loved seeing another diaspora article and love how they've continued to be a people despite the loss of their homeland.
For your consideration, my submissions for the WorldAnvil Worldbuilding Awards 2024. (I've also included some of my favorites other worldbuilders.)
Thank you! Yes, land does not make a people, people make people. As long as they continue to see themselves as Mercurian, they'll remain Mercurian.