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During the Age of Discovery mankind, using the theories explained by Prof. Markus Tannhauser in his masterpiece "Principia Universalis", discovered space-time discontinuities that took them from Earth to the far reaches of the galaxy. The first 'gateway', as they were called, took the explorers to a binary system with no inhabitable planets. But with in that system they found a gateway that took them to the dead planet of Caprice. This planet became the 'hub' of the web from which all other planetary systems were discovered. From Caprice three systems were discovered with planets that could sustain life. They are(with the colonized planets): The Utopian System
(From: the Heavy Gear Rulebook (c) Dream Pod 9, pg. II) Utopia Utopia was perhaps the greatest colonial success story. When the planet was initially surveyed in 5435, it was a barren rock. It was purchased by the Wilder-Grosz Group and a massive terraforming project started. Utopia began to live up to its name. Rich mineral deposits and a flow of enthusiastic colonists helped Utopia become the second most influential colony, after Caprice, by 5600. Utopia was preparing to build its own shipyard and its own fleet when Earth withdrew its support. These plans were apparently scrapped since no Utopian ships are known to have ever visited Terra Nova. Jotenhiem Surveyed in 5491 and colonized in 5510, Jothenheim was the only planet bought by a consortium of private citizens. No major corporation ever managed to get a strong foothold on Jotenheim. Its mountainous surface was colonized by strong-willed adventurers and freeholders. Jotenheim was often called "New Switzerland" because of its canton-style system of government. Jotenheimians were never very friendly to outsiders and little is known of their condition at the time of the colonial fleet's withdrawal. Botany Bay After ten years of trying, the Earth government finally abandoned all hope of selling this lifeless rock. Rising crime rates across the colonies and Earth itself, combined with a popular anti-capital punishment movement, led the Earth government to establish Botany Bay as a prison planet. Prisoners were forced to mine radioactive ores and grow experimental crops. The military wardens of Botany Bay were notoriously cruel. When Earth's Gateships withdrew, most of the staff and all the prisoners were left behind on the barren rock. Little is known of their fate. Atlantis With 97% of its surface covered by water, Atlantis could only be described as a water world. The planet was surveyed in 5392 and purchased by the Kincaid Aquapharm Consortium a year later. The planet was rapidly terraformed and Earth life forms were introduced in 5421. Atlantis' domestic economy rapidly diversified, but like most of the colony worlds, its foreign trade was limited to a few products: pharmaceuticals and seafood delicacies. While Kincaid Aquapharm owned the planet, the colony was governed by a participatory democracy. There are indications that Atlantis was coveted by the CEF, but it is unknown at this time if it was captured or not. New Jerusalem The purchase of New Jerusalem by the Roman Catholic Church in 5415 caused quite a bit of controversy. Many consortiums which had placed rival bids for the world argued that the church had no right to interfere in political and business affairs such as planetary colonization. In 5430, the church won a lengthy court battle over its ownership of the world and began creating its utopia. The final outcome was somewhat less then stunning. At the time of the fleet's withdrawal, New Jerusalem resembled a medieval agricultural nation ruled by the religious technocracy. Home After its discovery in 5395, Home was purchased by Sandrakar-Xia Interworld. SXI, led by its visionary president Ferrin Tynes, dedicated itself to creating a truly independent colony. SXI was the only colony-owning corporation to move its headquarters and primary facilities to their colony. When Earth withdrew, Home was a prosperous colony of fifty million inhabitants with a strong domestic economy. Eden When it was first surveyed in 5428, Eden was in the first stages of developing Earth-like life. Terraforming techniques accelerated the process, turning Eden into a lush garden world. When Udunar Corporation, Eden's owner, collapsed, the residents of the planet took advantage of a legal technicality to buy out the rights to the world for a pittance. Since the new owners could not agree on any form of government, a form of cooperative anarchy evolved. Eden became a paradise world so lush that the inhabitants did not even have to work if they did not wish to do so. Although emigration to Eden rose rapidly, the prohibitive costs of space travel through the planet's Gate prevented the planet from becoming over-populated. Caprice As a dry, barren planet with an eccentric orbit, Caprice was never a pleasant place, but it has always been a very valuable world. Caprice is located at the nexus point of every major Gateship route ever established by humanity. This ideal location, combined with its rich mineral deposits, helped Caprice become humanity's industrial center. Over half of Earth's Gateships were built in Caprice's shipyards. Unfortunately, this success had a price: Caprice's entire population was concentrated in one gigantic metropolis known as Gommorrah and led by a council of major corporations. A little over the Earth years ago, the Colonial Expeditionary Forces came to Caprice. Having no armed force to call their own, Capricians saw in the CEF an opportunity to make a profit and quickly made a convenient alliance with the Earth forces. Terra Nova Terra Nova is the most populous and successful human settlement. It became an independent planet when Earth left several centuries ago, and has developed its own military technology, including the versatile Gears. The planet's hemispheres are composed of leagues (three in the North, four in the South), which have become united under polar confederations. Only the equatorial zone known as the Badlands offers complete freedom (and poverty) to those who reject the rule of the polar governments. Of all the colony worlds, Terra Nova is the one with the most resources and the most coveted by the desperate government of Earth. Despite the threat of a second invasion from Earth forces, both North and South have antagonistic attitudes towards each other, and plan on using the Badlands as their battlefield in an upcoming conflict. |
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