0404 Kairos

**0404 Kairos C 332100-C**

*Starport Type C* - Horizon
Downport is, in fact, the only settlement on the entire planet. It is
located within the caldera of Mount Veritas, an extinct volcano whose
rim rises above the atmospheric envelope, such as it is. Although there
is no starship fuel refinery and the repair facilities are, at best,
adequate, it is remarkable that such a tiny population can support a
facility of such size and technological level. It is mainly constructed
of pre-fabricated and low-embedded energy components.

*Planetary Size 3* -
 At 3,000 miles in diameter, the horizon on Kairos is quite close. There
 are some spectacular volcanic landscapes, though not many are still
active. The world is geologically quite old, and boasts a diverse,
complex, and quite dangerous native biosphere, though this is mostly
restricted to the lowlands and salt lakes.

*Atmosphere Type 3* - Although very thin, the atmosphere of Kairos is
 perfectly breathable with the aid of compressors. Conventional air
travel is impractical, so gravitic vehicles are the main means of
transportation for the inhabitants of Horizon to get around the rest of
the planet. Rather than fly over the rim, however, the downport is
connected to a largely automated facility (primarily a vehicle garage
and emergency shelter) at the base of Mount Veritas via an express cargo
 elevator.

*Hydrographic Percentage 2* - There is only one
water body of any size on Kairos the Great Salt Lake. Rivers are rare,
and generally feed into smaller salt lakes. Much of the landmass is
covered in extraordinarily diverse primal forest.

*Population Size 1* -
 The total population of Horizon numbers a mere 70 or so individuals.
Originally part of a group of engineers and adventurers from Bordyr who
came to explore what this abundant world had to offer, the current
inhabitants also include second- and third-generation offspring as well
as newcomers.

*Government Type 0* - The inhabitants of
Horizon are a diverse bunch, but none stand out as leaders, nor as
willing to be led. As first generation settlers they are universally
highly educated and skilled, and simply will not take orders from anyone
 else. Nevertheless, they are generally well able to recognise one
another's expertise in different fields, so the downport manages to
function remarkably efficiently (no doubt aided by the absence of any
form of bureaucracy).

*Law Level 0* - No government, no law
enforcement, no law. Still, the "citizens" will band together for
defence, and are usually rater well-armed.

*Technological Index C (12)* - Horizon makes a *lot*
 of money out of its unique resource. This, combined with an inquisitive
 and somewhat amoral populace, has created a situation encouraging both a
 robust local tech level and the ready availability of high-tech
imports.

*Notes* - Horizon Downport was built around
precisely one unusual local event - the Kairos harvest. Although the
lowlands are ordinarily effectively uninhabitable due to the lethal and
highly aggressive local wildlife, for a brief period of about five local
 days (each 19 hours long) twice a Kairosian year (213 local days), much
 of the fauna goes dormant, or at least morose. During this period it is
 possible to gather a number of useful creatures with interesting
biophysical characteristics, primarily to the weapons industry. More
than this, this is the time when the unique Kairos crystals can be
found, which command outrageous prices throughout the subsector and
beyond.

Horizon closes the planet during the harvest, and anyone
attempting to land is likely to be shot down by an extensive automated
defence satellite network. Nowadays the harvest is mostly carried out by
 robots and a growing number of autonomous drones. Horizoners see no
reason to risk their necks amongst the beasts, at least not for mere
profit - some still do it for fun, of course.