Mwendwa Station
Drilled into a rocky outcropping in the arctic region, armoured windows and shutters frosted with salt, is the storm battered Mwendwa Station. Once just a dedicated research station, it's now a small community; and its very existence is apparently an affront to nature. "There's other seasons?" is a common saying for its inhabitants when talking about the weather, as the station sees an unprecedented six month long storm season, and gets regular storms during the other seasons as well. This hasn't stopped people from living there though. Owing to its remoteness, it's officially overseen by the TSL, and there are agreements in place for its security and assistance from the nations of Tanit II. Mwendwa Station is named for the leader of the scientific expedition that founded it, Francis Mwendwa. In addition to being a small community and still active research station, it's a vital trade hub for the many groups descended from Arctic Indigenous Peoples who now call the larger region home. Largely self contained, they still need some materials that they can't make on their own to survive under the stormy conditions of Tanit II's arctic and high latitudes. Seasonal trade submarines make the trek to and from the station every year, and emergency air and orbital drops of vital supplies and components have happened before.
Demographics
The station's population is small and diverse. Owing to time passage and intermixing, only broad ethnic backgrounds are recorded/maintained. As zoanids and synthroids are fully integrated into cultural communities, they are only part of the human/zoanid/synthroid breakdown.
Species Demographics
- Human: 48%
- Zoanid: 24%
- Chimerid: 18%
- Synthroid: 10%
Ethnic/Cultural Background Demographics
- Arctic Indigenous Peoples: 22%
- Bantu Peoples: 20%
- Caribbean Peoples: 12%
- Southeast Asian Peoples: 9%
- South Asian Peoples: 8%
- East Asian Peoples: 7%
- Oceanian Peoples: 5%
- Southwest Asian Peoples: 4%
- Other: 13%
Government
An unicameral elected Station Council of 15, overseen by a TSL appointed Station Administrator. The council covers the day to day running of the station, but major decisions are typically done by direct democracy. Elections are held ever three years, but can be postponed for up to a a year in emergencies, as it was in 531 TE (12931 HE) when a once-a-millennia level storm severely damaged the station. The repairs and rescue efforts lasted 51 weeks, after which there was an immediate election and celebration.
Defences
Secure Construction
The entire base is armoured and built to survive the worst storms that Tanit II can produce, and this is the base's primary defence. Pure endurance. All the "glass" is armoured, circular or rounded, and actually sandwiched layers of hardened glass, polycarbonate, and other materials. Concretes used contain volcanic ash and sea water, making them "self-healing". There are armoured shutters for the worst of it.TSL Peacekeepers
There's a reinforced platoon size element of TSL Peacekeepers, including a military police section, who take care of security and police work on the station. Their presence was mandated after a particularly violent raid in 525 TE (12925 HE) that targeted a research group from Kingston by Remnant terrorists. They're lightly armed and currently enjoy a mostly positive relationship with the permanent inhabitants.Industry & Trade
Employment
Station maintenance, stations-side scientific research, and field work teams are what the station is best known for. But all of those occupations need support; mechanics, techs, logistics, support personnel. And then there's the shop owners, the harvesters, and entertainers. The station is truly a microcosm of a full sized economy, but with research as its core goal as opposed to capitalistic gain.Industry
the station has limited industrial space, but does have a thriving Storm Salt trade. After each storm season, the Mwendans collect the caked salt from the rocks and buildings, process it, and sell it to gourmet ingredient companies in the south. All other industry is focused on replenishing the station's stores and building up a larger stockpile for trade with the various groups of Independent Arctic Peoples (IAP).Trade
For the people of the station, trade comes from two sources. The south and IAP. The south brings trade goods and equipment that can't be manufactured on the station. The IAP trades primarily minerals from their territories and in animal products from their internally regulated hunts. All trade is overseen under TSL Trade Law, much to the chagrin of companies from Tanit II, as it actively prevents them from taking advantage of the situation.Infrastructure
Overview
Mwendwa Station consists of three areas, Core Base, The Out Buildings, and Sea Base; all situated on and around the rocky environs of Qaiqsu Island. The entire settlement, like everything else in the high latitudes and arctic, has been built with extreme redundancy in mind. There are utilidors and subsurface conduits for power, sewage, and water. There's surface and subsurface paths to link all the buildings and facilities. The station is as self sufficient as it can be, keeping stocks of spare parts and maintaining some limited manufacturing to keep it all running.Waste Management
Because of the incredibly fragile environment of the arctic, MWendwa Station must maintain standards of waste management that exceed anything else on the surface, or below sea level, on Tanit II. It was an explicit part of the agreement with the peoples of the IAP, and something the base has taken seriously since day one. The Core Base and OB4, where the overwhelming bulk of research and experimentation occur, have cutting edge waste processors that operate at 98% efficacy on bad days. Getting a contract to install your equipment on Mwendwa Station is possibly the greatest bragging point an engineering company or university research group can achieve on Tanit II, comparable to an orbital agreement. The TSL and IAP independently monitor the station's emissions, with construction periods being the only times that norms are permitted to be exceeded.Districts
Core Base
This is the heart of the station, a multilevel micro-arcology array drilled deep into the rock of Qaiqsu Island. It houses the primary habitation areas, lab and research areas, and is the primary storage facility for supplies. It's also the home of The Market, the trade space used by both inhabitants and visitors. The core base contains the fusion reactor that powers the station, located 580m below sea level in the bedrock. The Core Base contains the main hospital, primary and secondary educational facilities, and the remote learning stations for three universities. In the worst case scenario, the Core Base can shelter the entire population, thanks to the addition of Kiviaq Arena.The Out Buildings
Arrayed out to the edges of the island and into the shallows around the north shore,these tower-like buildings are the newest part of the station. Built to expand the habitation space and to provide distance from riskier research, they look only marginally newer than the original Core base now. Between them and the Core Base, the settlement is approximately 60% at capacity. There are four towers, numbered OB1 through OB4. They're connected to the Core Base through enclosed transit ways capable of moving cargo via small electric vehicles. OB1 to OB3 are primarily focused on habitation, living spaces (shops, facilities etc...), recreations space, and industrial activity space. The Saltery is in OB2 for example. OB3 and OB4 are the furthest out, and are partially submerged. These towers have basic surface docking facilities and act as a local port. OB4 is the research tower, with its industrial space being replaced by a research and development one.The Sea Base
Plunging into the deep water off the southern edge of the island, it's an undersea docking and repair facility with limited habitation facilities. Able to deal with up to class 3 cargo subs, its construction was instrumental in securing the station with all year access to resources. The highest point of the Sea Base is 60m below the surface at low tide, and the O2 sensors on it have registered fresh air several times in the past; a grim warning of how severe storms can get in the area. The people who choose to live in the Sea Base are a strange breed, even by station or arctic standards.Assets
Science Tech
The greatest assets of the station can be found in its accumulated and ever expanding collection of scientific research equipment. Decades of researchers visiting and researching in place building, designing, deploying, and abandoning equipment means that, odds are, there's a gadget, sensor, or machine somewhere in storage. Tech pickers can be found in the storage areas at any given point, salvaging, restoring, or recombining what they find there for something needed now.Stores
Hard lessons in the early days of the station have given way to a "ready for anything" attitude among the inhabitants, something they now share with the peoples of the IAP. At any given point, the station has at least two years of supplies at regular ration rates. This is food, water, medicines, ammunition, energy cells, the lot. The goal is to have at least five year's worth for a "Doom Storm" scenario, a hypothesized but possible scenario where the arctic comes under a multi-year storm season.Guilds and Factions
There are several political factions and social factions at work in Mwendwa Station.
Political
There's three broad political movements in the station. One favours closer ties with the south, and possibly annexation into a southern nation. Another, the dominant one, maintains that their links to the TSL and independence are paramount, and this is driven by the strong research tradition of the station. The final political faction wants to merge with the IAP as the first city of the arctic. Disputes between factions are peaceable for the most part, but the odd brawl has occurred.Social
The biggest splits socially are between researchers and the directly associated staff and everyone else, particularly the harvesters. It's a vestige of classism that the Station Administrators and Station Councils have spent decades trying to stamp out with some successes. The challenge is that new crops of southern academics arrive and keep it alive. A second collection of factions are the Station Teams. A compact sports arena is one of the underground facilities of the Core Base, and the sports played there are a KEY part of making it through the winter, not just for the station, but also the larger north. Arena Lacrosse, Arena Football, and Basketball are the sports of choice, with five teams in each. Even the least sports inclined has an opinion on who's best, and in the hardest parts of the storm season, it's a riot of team colours in the station.History
Foundation
In 495 TE (12895 HE), after long negotiations with the IAP and the families in the immediate area, Francis Mwendwa gained permission to establish a permanent research base in the low arctic. Representing seven different universities and research institutes, his efforts are widely regarded as one of the greatest diplomatic feats on Tanit II. The initial base was seasonal, and had to be closed during storm season. It was determined that the station was best placed under TSL administration to try to keep national interests from turning the base into a political pawn.The First Expansion
by 503 TE (12903), it was clear the station needed to be occupied year long and funding was secured for the construction of a submarine dock and an expanded core base. Construction took three years and revolutionized both research and trade relations in the far north. People from all over Tanit II volunteered to be permanent staff, and the researcher population exploded.The Second Expansion
Things progressed well, but it was soon clear that there was going to be a permanent non-researcher population. The Outbuildings were authorized and constructed with an eye to continued growth (the station can sustain up to an estimated 20000 people). The plan succeeded and the research station transitioned to being a full community.The Sudani Raid
Raids are not uncommon on Tanit II, and piracy is an ongoing issue both planetside and in the larger system. In 525 TE (12925 HE), a team of Sudani pirates raided the station. Their target was the research team from Jin Ning, and the research on local minerals as super conductor components they were working on. Using a stealth sub, they assaulted the Sea Base, and managed to reach the central research levels of the Core Base before lockdown could be established. The TSL Constabulary section was wiped out, and Orbital Drop Forces from Jin Ning and New Mombasa on exercise were re-routed and dropped onto the island. After a fierce firefight, they were able to kill the pirates and secure the station. 32 people were killed, including the 12 member pirate crew, and 14 were injured. After this event, the TSL deployed a Peacekeeper force to the station to dissuade further such attempts.Ice Typhoon Maria
In 531 TE (12931 HE), Mwendwa Station was struck by a once-a-millennia storm. The storm was tracked for weeks as it developed, and the station was in full lockdown when it hit. None of it mattered. For 96 hours, Ice Typhoon Maria smashed the station and its surroundings. Primary systems failed, secondary systems failed, and only the systems buried deep in the bedrock of Qaiqsu Island operated near normal levels. Storm shutters were torn free of The Outbuildings, and propelled by 278kph winds, smashed into the Core Base. Massed ice chunks battered the armoured tube that connected to the submarine bay, causing flooding and requiring the bays to be closed off. By the time the storm had fully passed, there was billions of credits of damage and 248 fatalities at the station. Rescue efforts were extended into the surrounding IAP territories, and the final toll was 1359 dead, 897 injured.Points of interest
Core Observatory
On top of the highest point of the Core Base is the observatory, and in the handful of weeks there's clear skies every year, it's a hotbed of activity as researchers, locals, and visitors alike come to see the stars and nebulae above. Combined with recently launched satellite telescopes the Core Observatory is leading the way in modern astronomy and astrophysics.The Saltery
After every storm season, the station and rocks around it are coated with salt and sea minerals. Delicious salt and sea minerals. So the salt harvesters spend weeks carefully harvesting it before the cleaning crews come in. It's all taken to The Saltery for processing, where dangerous elements are removed and it's prepared for Terran consumption. The process is apparently fascinating to some, and regular tours of gourmands arrive every year to watch the process and get "young salt" for their own kitchens and restaurants.Kiviaq Arena
Built in 533 TE (12933 HE) as part of the post-Ice Typhoon Maria repairs, it's a fully appointed underground arena with the dual purpose of sports and emergency shelter. Named after a famous arctic indigenous athlete from the 11900's, it has swiftly become the community heart of the station. Capable of seating 1200, it's set up for all angle video broadcast in UHD 2D or HD 3D. During the Storm Season, the station's teams participate in The Season, ending in the Station Championship Matches between the top performing teams in each sport. During the summer, it's now home to the Arctic Games, with station and IAP athletes converging on the location.Tourism
The tourism industry of Mwendwa Station is small but surprisingly steady. The IAP has few facilities for tourism and little interest in developing it, making the station the only real destination in the north. There's several categories of tourist who come to the station, according to the inhabitants. These are Salters, Wanderers, Divers, and Storm Watchers.
Salters
The salt fiends of the south descend on the station within weeks of the storm season ending. There to try the local meats and algae in their freshest state and to acquire "young salt". Young Salt is the product of the first stage of processing, where toxic materials have been removed. Approximately 30 cycles back, a gourmet influencer travelled to the station, tried some Stage 1 Salt, and declared it the best. This kicked off the craze that has lasted to today. Young Salt doesn't travel well in bulk, and is sold in 50mg packets. Station inhabitants aren't sure what the fuss is about, but are perfectly happy to take the money from the salters.Wanderers
These are the extreme hikers and "explorers" from the south and are a uniquely summer season phenomena. They come to camp out on nearby islands, maybe do some fishing or hunting, and otherwise experience the low arctic. The station, and IAP, are largely neutral towards them provided they respect nature. The arctic is dangerous though, and fatalities each season from wildlife, accidents, and sudden storms aren't unusual.Divers
Cold water diving in the low arctic is a wild experience, with unique flora and fauna unlike anywhere else on Tanit II, and so diver come. Most stay in the Sea Base, and beyond occasional trips to the shops on decompression days, they mostly keep to themselves. The Sea Base has a small but thriving dive community of its own, and is connected to a network of equally enthusiastic divers in the IAP. On more than one occasion, this community has come out in force for rescues and other activities, making them arguably the most popular tourists on the station.Storm Watchers
These tourists are the oddest. They come from all over to experience the storm season in the station, arriving int he weeks before it starts and taking up temporary resident status. Then they just... Watch the storms. What makes them unique is that many, up to 20%, end up applying for permanent residency in the station after the season ends.Architecture
The Core Base itself is an arcology-array with a central tower, connected lower buildings around and below it. Everything is rounded and built to standards that are used for orbital defence bunkers. All windows has storm shutters, and because of the abrasive winds, only building numbers are kept painted through the year. The Out Buildings are built in a similar style but are single towers. Inside, there's an emphasis on open spaces in habitation areas, but the safety designs show in the presence of bulkheads between sections and at regular intervals in the halls. Weather prevents much exterior decoration, but that's more than mods up for in the interior, which is brightly coloured and thematic for each section and sector of the station. With it s diverse population and the strong local influence of IAP artists, the station has been developing its own unique styles and preferences in art.
Geography
Qaiqsu Island is approximately 10 square kilometres of barren rock island, rough sandy beach, and some surrounding kelp forests. Geolocated in the upper end of the low arctic, it's location is perfect to reach numerous sites of interest to scientists and artists alike. The island's highest point is 55m above sea level. The waters around it are filled with fish, cold temperature adapted aquatic reptile-types, and numerous forms of algae.
Climate
Cool, with an average summer temperature of 19C, and an average winter at -28C, and lows of -57C. The storm season is notable for its ice storm features, with large chunks of ice achieving terminal velocities in the high winds.
Natural Resources
The main natural resource is salt, but there are numerous types of algae and animals that can be used for various purposes as well. There's also mineral wealth in the area, although that arrives primarily through trade from the IAP.
Founding Date
495 TE (12895 HE)
Type
Trade post
Population
12256
Inhabitant Demonym
Mwendan
Location under
Owning Organization
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