Zirconium-12

In 2520, humanity ventured beyond their solar system to find more resources for their technology and more space to expand their empires. Little did they know, in different corners of the galaxy, there were others taking these daunting first steps as well. In the year of 2722 on the planet of Zirconium-12, two other races would meet them in competition for the planet’s most valuable metals - zirconium and platinum.

The Axolotilians were the first to arrive on Zirconium-12 and had some established hydroponic farming systems. They agreed to share some of their agricultural products in exchange for a share of metals from the Humans. This agreement and colonization adjustment period went on for about 10 years before the Hummerians arrived. Their upper class brought riches and valuable resources from their home planet, and they joined the trade agreement with the other two races. Now, 100 Earth years (53 Zirconium years) after the humans arrived, each colony has become largely self-sufficient.

Each race has a very different way of living, with each society having a different form of government. The humans have a parliamentary democracy, the Axolotilians have a unified oligarchy, and the Hummerians follow their homeworld’s traditional Monarchy.

Since each of their homeworlds are spread thin across all of their colonization efforts, there are large wealth and class gaps present in the societies of all the races. The lower classes slave away in the mines and on the fields, while the upper classes deal with squabbles amongst themselves, international relations, and trade. Wealthy groups, such as the hydroponic farming corporations in Axolotilian society, are rising to power. On the flip side, the long-repressed lower classes of Hummerian society grow restless and envious of the freedom and career mobility they see in the other colonies.

Culturally, each race is very technologically advanced and all of their homeworlds are colonizing various locations in the galaxy. Humans make use of cybernetic enhancements and androids in their daily lives. All of the races use zirconium and platinum to create space equipment suitable for transportation between their colonized worlds, including their homeworlds.

Governance

Government Presence

Government for all of the colonies was strongly established when colonization began, but is gradually dissolving as wealthy groups rise to power and take over trade. A sense of independence has crept into the minds of many of the inhabitants due to the vast distances between this mining planet and their home worlds.

The human government is a parliamentary democracy. It is weakened in light of the hardships the world presents, making it easy for wealthy, feudal-like groups to take over and spread their influence. There was a large disparity between social classes when they first arrived and this disposition has not changed much since. A large number of the people who traveled to Zirconium-12 aboard the colony ships came as contract laborers, seeking to pay off debts or start a new life. The remainder consisted of government and military personnel as well as representatives of industry and their administrative entourages. It is these business people who are now rising to challenge the official government presence through forming coalitions and making deals to influence the operations of the colony.

Axolotilians were the first to colonize Zirconium-12 and have their own established government - a unitary, oligarchical state under the common goal of using nature and technology responsibly. It is organized hierarchically, much like a corporation, though the “middle managers” are little more than paper pushers for the elite families that own the land. However, some of them have been able to bend this system to accumulate loyalty and resources for themselves, and the system is beginning to fall apart as smaller factions become self-sufficient enough to break off from the main state.

The Hummerian people have a long-established tradition of monarchy. The word of the royal family is law, and everyone must obey the customs and traditions of their homeworld to maintain their “integrity” in a new land. Whispers of revolution and a new “era of equality” among the Hummerian serfs are beginning to emerge due to their exposure to the other races and their respective governments. This is more from the younger population however who were born on this mining planet and know little about their ancestors’ homeland.

Rule of Law

The rule of law among Zirconium-12 has remained surprisingly stable despite the dissolving and weakening of governments among the various races inhabiting the planet. Different races exist under different code-of-laws, with the main changes existing in how their laws are passed and enforced. The Hummerians have the most well-established rule of law, centered around keeping the integrity of their race held among the numerous races that inhabit the planet.

Punishments to breaking the law among the Hummerian race are generally strict and coupled with a societal backlash and ostracization. This is especially prevalent in the recent outbreaks of independence among the younger population. Public shaming is a powerful weapon among the Hummerian people; rumors travel quickly and are not easily dismissed.

Axolotilians generally uphold societal expectations based around the balance between nature and technology. It is not unsurprising to see arrests made when breaking the law, with the same being reflected when looking at the humans on the planet. Generally, when the races meet to exchange goods and trade the rule of law tends to weaken, with general respect being upheld despite underground trading and shady deals developing as the species continue to trade and colonize the planet.

Social Services

Provided social services across the colonies are generally minimal. There is generally an attitude of “fend for yourself” across all races. Besides limited medical facilities and public transportation there is not much available.

The humans are working on increasing their infrastructure, but it is rolling out very slowly thanks to the endless delays known as bureaucracy. The rise in wealthy groups is in part due to being able to bypass the system to distribute resources… in exchange for loyalty, of course. It is not uncommon to see a business leader or one of their lieutenants meeting with government officials or more suspicious individuals at one of the many drinking establishments throughout the human settlements.

In the Axolotilian communities, however, there is a large irrigation system that runs throughout the colony, providing fresh filtered water for growing home gardens. This is only in order to ration the limited resource that is water while also enabling people to self sustain themselves with their own agriculture as well. Water is sourced by the Axolotilians through giant purification chambers that process and filter the hardly usable water found on the planet. There have been a few cases of “water bootlegging” seen throughout the colony where small groups siphon off more water than they are allocated; however this is usually met with swift justice.

Most requests for aid in Hummerian society go to the monarchy (where else), which tends to take its time in granting and supplying these requests without some motivation. The upper class owns most of the means of motivation.

Economics

Agriculture and Trade

Agriculture is predominantly mastered by the Axolotilians who thrive in developing hydroponic farms and incorporating various forms of crop production within their architecture. This abundance of produce allows them to barter more efficiently with other races. As mentioned before, the profound irrigation system set in place helps all members of the community grow their own produce and be more self-sufficient.Trading generally takes place in large open markets that are welcome to outsiders. These markets can be found along the outskirts of the colonies.

All three species are mining for zirconium and platinum to make space equipment and androids/cybernetic enhancements. Each race brought a variety of supplies and materials that they thought were suited best for the world. As time passed however some of these goods became more useful and profitable for trade than others. Generally these groups do not directly trade zirconium and platinum in its raw form but rather forged and processed forms of it.

Wealth Distribution

The wealth distribution among all of the races is lacking. Everyone is expected to look after themselves. Those that have surplus are not willing to share or provide for others, particularly to those not of their own race or family.

In spite of the Axolotilians being united under a common goal of balancing nature and technology, there are large wealth gaps between the lower and upper classes, with few people in the middle. This is due to the wealth and influence of the original families that settled the hydroponic farms around which the cities were built, made rich from trading with the other nations. A large number of the lower class are serfs working independently owned farms. The fact that this upper class also has a tighter hold on the water supplies further widens this disparity between classes.

The Hummerians have the highest level of segregation between their lower and upper classes. The royal family puts emphasis on art and culture as a business. Being an artist in their society is highly lucrative, but very competitive, and only the wealthy can access the best materials and mentoring. This leaves other, less-rewarding careers to 80% of the population.

Many of the poorer individuals of different societies have established black markets and engaged in indentured servitude in an effort to better their own situations.

Economic Strength

There has been little hand-holding from the motherlands to the colonies, meaning that their economies are developing independently. The home societies are only just wealthy enough to colonize in the first place, so they can’t afford to set up infrastructure that could immediately stabilize the forming territories. Since their first arrival 100 years ago, all of the initial supplies and goods they brought with them have either been used up or repurposed.

The humans, in particular, use the mined metals to create android helper bots that populate Earth and Earth’s colonies, often taking on manufacturing jobs that are dangerous for humans to do. To the north of the main port city, humans have dug out a large quarry for the mining of these metals. Much of the lower classes of all species work in these quarries, with humans taking most of the jobs.

The humans are the poorest of all the races on Zirconium-12, since Earth’s priority is divided between a few other star systems that are more scarce in resources. Because of this, humans are expanding rapidly and looking for any way to turn a profit on the land. They have recently sent workers to exploit undersea volcanic vents near the Axolotilian’s main continent for power generation, causing tensions between the two groups to rise. It is not uncommon for valuable underwater construction tools and Androids to go missing.

The Axolotilians are the most stable of the races in terms of economy, since most of their wealth comes from agriculture and trade. Being the first to establish a colony on the planet, they were able to pick the most suitable place for farming off the land. Much of the other colonies rely on extensive trade with these peoples for food to pad out their inferior agriculture efforts. Given their strong trade position and vast supply of water due to their advanced purification system. they are able to trade for most things they don’t already have access to.

The wealth and economy of the Hummerians is primarily driven by mining and agricultural labor, though their developments in arts and science are significant contributors as well. They often trade research notes with Axolotilians and have an established committee with them for biology and ecology research on the planet. Hummerians primarily export forged metals and some agricultural products to the other colonies. As a whole, their economy is neither strong or weak at the moment.

Environmental Relations

The environment is hospitable to general carbon-based life - no one picked Zirconium-12 as a terraforming project. The planet does host a variety of native lifeforms, most of which are still unknown, as much of the planet has not yet been explored. Each colonizing race has its own compendium of what they have encountered and its own approach to collecting this information.

The Axolotilians are the most involved, as they are actually interested in ecology and are taking their time to study species in-depth. Of all the species they also have the most efficient water supply as well which aids their agricultural advancements in the region.

It is actually the Hummerians that have the highest number of recorded species, but that’s because they mostly care about appearance and almost never take notes that are detailed or accurate. Think of the weird things early European ecologists wrote down about species and fossils.

As colonization is still fairly early on, there is little concern about the resource supply on the planet for any race. However, one of the humans’ motivations for their settlement is gathering resources, as they are facing scarcity in some of their other colonies. This also means they are expanding much faster than the other two races.

Social

Gender Relations

In general, relations between the male and female sexes throughout all races are equal and stable, with most, but not all, members of each sex holding to roles specific to their societies. While gender stereotypes do exist, there are no hostile attitudes associated with how the members of each species think of each gender. The general attitude is that some sacrifices of conscience are preferable to possibly threatening the survival of the colonies through some kind of popular uprising.

Sexual Orientation Relations

Sexual orientation relations throughout the colonies is not a highly debated topic. Most species are too busy working on innovation and survival to worry about who is sleeping together. When the colonies were first starting out this was more of a concern given that each race was working on growing their respective populations on the planet to provide a strong labor force, but at this point in time the colonies are plenty populated.

Class Relations

Class relations amongst the world and across races are very negative. With such a heavy abundance placed on trading for survival, as well as natural authority placed on typically smaller groups of citizens across the races, large gaps between classes naturally developed. With the weakening of governments as trading between races gained prominence throughout colonization, little measures were taken to decrease these gaps, allowing for unrest and frustration to develop throughout the lower classes of the races.

Hummerians have the highest stratification of classes, with the lower class making up the most of their population. These destitute citizens are often only able to work the fields or the mines. Being smaller than the other races, they are valued in mining work for their ability to get into small spaces that others can’t, meaning that their jobs are often much more dangerous. The life expectancy for these small minors is dismal due to their small lungs being clogged with soot and grime in the mines. The middle class consists of merchants that sell artwork and other valuables gathered from the companies employing the lower class, but even their earnings can’t hold a candle to the wealth of the upper class of their motherland. Often, these citizens engage in indentured servitude just to leave their motherland, where class division is worse. The upper class, which includes scientists and the royal court, is incredibly removed from the rest of their citizens, only involving themselves in diplomatic matters such as trade, environmental relations, communication with their homeworld, and international politics. This class also makes up the entirety of the art scene as well since they are the only ones who can afford the materials and time needed to perfect the craft. Whimsical pastimes such as this are very popular among the upper elite class. As long as the currency keeps flowing and there are no revolts, they don’t look down.

The Axolotilians are more equal than the Hummerians, but wealth differences are still very prominent in their society. Leaders of large, hydroponic farming firms take up much of their council and often bicker amongst themselves, pushing laws and regulations geared towards helping their own business more so than the greater population. The middle class consists of scientists and researchers dedicated to the study of Zirconium-12’s ecology, while the lower class consists of farmers and miners along with the rest of the species. Class distinctions also determine the amount of water allocated to each residence.

Race Relations

Relations between races have gradually improved throughout the planet’s colonization, spurred and supported by the rise in trading between the races inhabiting the planet. When first contact between races was made, animosity between races was not uncommon, the main catalyst being the treasure trove of resources that the planet holds. War between races was avoided due to the stronghold of the numerous governments working together to avoid the destructive act, placing the priority of resources above individual gain. Initially, individual races were extremely standoffish, wary of the foreign races that now inhabited the planet all at the same time.

However, with the rise of trading amongst and between the race relations are gradually beginning to improve, with the societal backlash of intermingling races steadily decreasing and looking towards positive relationships between races in the future. The opening of the markets on the outskirts of the Axolotilians especially helped soften this race divide.

Cultural

Military

Mostly to protect their citizens against dangerous, indigenous species, each colony came equipped with enough resources to defend their walls however they are rarely used in action.

Humans, naturally wary, came well-equipped with advanced electromagnetic weaponry and have a well fortified outer perimeter around the center of their colony. They also send regular armed android patrols around their borders to keep an eye out for intruders that never come.

Fiercely protective of their aquatic farms, the Axolotilians have an established warrior tradition, with fighters being extremely capable in underwater combat. Utilizing sonic weaponry, harpoons, and sonar, they are equipped for long and close range fighting. Having little interest with surface life, however, they are not very adept at fighting on the land or air.

The Hummerian people, although not maintaining any standing army, have honed their ability to quickly mobilize a fighting force when necessary, specializing in hit and run tactics. Because their combination air/spacecraft are capable of such high speeds, they can become all but undetectable to sensors when pushed to their limit. As with the rest of their technology, however, their ability to plan tactically is less effective.

Technology

Each race has been able colonize a planet beyond their own solar system and therefore has developed faster-than-light (FTL) travel.

The humans arrived on a pair of massive dreadnought colony ships, Alpha and Omega, designed to land and serve as the basis for permanent settlements. A fleet of rugged wheeled and tracked vehicles serve as ground transportation, with rotary VTOL aircraft providing rapid air transport for exploration purposes and emergencies.

The humans’ other technology also fits into the theme of being very bulky and not the most advanced, but durable and practical. The other races particularly don’t like their mining and logging equipment for being loud and disruptive.

The Axolotilians arrived in a single, bulbous vessel that has remained in orbit above the planet as a space station, sending smaller transports to the surface. As an amphibious species, they have developed submersible vehicles of varying sizes that provide for even swifter movement than their aquatically adept bodies already allow. Due to their ability to breath underwater, this means that very few of these craft have been made with airtight compartments, making them of little use to other species unless they have their own diving equipment.

Much of the Axolotilians’ technology is protected aboard their vessel, although similarly to their transportation, much of it is designed around the physical properties of water rather than air. The other races tend to think of them as comparatively backwards due to this secrecy and their low resource intake, but the truth is that their tech is rather advanced and has extreme longevity and sustainability.

The Hummerians arrived via a large fleet of several dozen sleek, angular ships, each capable of housing a number of families as well as launching two smaller sub-vessels capable of atmospheric and space flight that they frequently use to explore. These sub-vessels, while not capable of FTL travel apart from their motherships, can achieve supersonic speeds in atmosphere. Adolescents of their race are also uncannily capable of commandeering these craft for their own amusement, taking them for joyrides, darting across treetops and through canyons, as well as performing flybys on unsuspecting people on the ground - much to the chagrin of those left to feel the crafts’ supersonic wake.

Much like their fleeting cultural trends, Hummerian technology is efficient, but short-lived. It’s not uncommon for a fleet of settlers or resource miners to claim or clear out a square kilometer of space practically overnight. They use a lot of experimental tech, which often results in accidents, especially among what’s available to the lower class which is mostly just bad.

Arts

Since the settlers of all three races are still around and also in charge, the colonies all identify with their home society. It is only recently that native-born citizens have reached adulthood and that the merchant and working classes have begun to rely on trade for continued prosperity, both of which bring forth cultural exchange.

The Hummerians have the largest art scene of all the species by far. A large portion of the upper class devote their lives to the arts. Using native plants and materials from the planet they construct enormous natural sculptures depicting idols and political figures from their home planet. Generally these works incorporate stone bases laced with zirconium accents that flex the wealth of the establishment in which they were built.

Religious Influence

Most cultures, although liberal in selling their art for profit, tend to stick to their own religion and not engage in that of other societies. The amphibious peoples generally believe that everything in the universe has its place and a role to fulfill, but would not be considered religious by others.

Humans on this planet are somewhat religious, but a good number prefer to place their faith in technology and science rather than a higher power. Even so, (primarily) western religion is present, and various places of worship have been built in the cities and suburban areas to accommodate this. Few humans, particularly those in power, are not subtle about pushing their beliefs onto the other species, which has led to some conflict and resentment.