Mars
Description
Mars is subject to an intensive terraforming operation on behalf of the United Nations, funded by the space programmes and new colonial programmes set up alongside them. The undertaking of turning Mars into a habitable world is viewed as a boon for all of humanity and for every nation, regardless of their politics or relative wealth. The whole project is overseen and policed by the United Nations who act as the neutral intermediary body between the various involved governments. Even though Mars is not yet inhabitable without the aid of vacuum suits expansive tunnel cities and pressurized domes mean that Mars already has a reasonably extensive population. The actual terraforming proceeds slowly using reliable and well-tested technology but the international nature of any decision made regarding the Mars colony means that everything proceeds at a snail’s pace and has to contend with a great deal of bureaucracy. This slow progress is extremely frustrating to many of the ideologues and scientists who have volunteered for the Mars programme and they constantly lobby for the Mars mission to take more risks in order to proceed more swiftly, citing the relative progress of the private Venus terraforming project as precedent.
Government
Mars is designated international territory. As such only international law applies and, technically speaking, most things are legal there. In addition to this a specific Mars charter, agreed on by a majority of the involved governments and ratified by the United Nations places certain limits and additional legal enforcements upon what is allowed to be conducted on the planet. Everything on Mars is governmentally owned and there is no real economy to speak of as everything is requisitioned or assigned on a basis of need. This has lead to the springing up of a barter economy dealing ‘black market’ Earth goods brought legally or smuggled from the home world and a problem of what amounts to prostitution, sex being one of the few things everyone has that can be traded. Corruption is also prevalent in the bureaucracy and everyone on Mars feels safe and far from any authority that might otherwise punish them. The severest penalty available on Mars is deportation and that is so expensive that it is reserved for the most terrible cases only. Ostensibly Mars is governed by a United Nations appointed governor but in practice the scientists and engineers are the true power. That being said, Weyland Consortium owns about two thirds of the terraforming contracts - which gives them a unique position in any governing decision.
Geography
Mars is a cold and cold and desolate planet of rusty sand and the terraforming effort, despite its vastness has – thus far – made little dent. Comets are being hard landed in the polar regions to thicken and hydrate the atmosphere and solar reflectors are being deployed to increase the heat and atmosphere of the surface but as of yet the outside surface is still too harsh for anyone to venture unaided. The largest Martian city, Ares, is constructed upon and within a section of the Martian crust with a very strong intrinsic magnetic field, this protects the city from solar radiation and thus provides a relatively safe location from which to expand the colony. Other research stations are scattered around the surface and are reached either by massive-winged glider craft or by all terrain vehicles.
Starport quality
A, Naval, Scout, Research, TAS
Size
5
Atmosphere Type
4
Hydrographic Percentage
3
Population
9
Government Type
3(4)
Law Level
3
Tech Level
D
Price Multiplier
1.25 (1.0 for spacecraft)
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