Beta Fumari Megasphere

The **Beta Fumari Megasphere** is a planned Dyson shell currently under construction surrounding the Inner Belt star Beta Fumari. Construction of the sphere began nearly 400 years ago, in 13720 UU, and has been shrouded in scandal and controversy ever since. The structure is planned to be completed by 14200 UU. When finished, it will span over 3.8 million miles in diameter. The surface area of the sphere will be nearly 45.4 quadrillion square miles, making the Megasphere by far the largest man-made project ever constructed in the history of the known Universe.

## Purpose

The purpose of the Megasphere is to provide nearby star systems with ample amounts of power to support growing populations. For instance, the Cellus system planet Uurb is home to 8.32 trillion sentient life forms, a population which consumes 85.6 quadrillion kilowatt hours of energy annually. By early estimates, the Beta Fumari Megasphere's daily power output will dwarf that number. The inside surface of the sphere will be coated with a layer of solar panels.

## History

Following the energy crisis on Kronos eight years prior, the concept of a Dyson shell surrounding Beta Fumari was proposed at the 293rd session of the Council of Worlds in 13647 UU by Ritalgan engineering corporation Konzdrugd. The proposal drew both praise and heavy criticism from the Council. Among the most vehement opponents was Raguu, a dwarf world orbiting Beta Fumari whose status at the Council was merely "observer world" at the time, meaning it had no official vote in the debate. Raguuian ambassador to the Council Sogapi Lechu Bimelek pointed out that the Megasphere would block out Raguu's homestar, making the planet uninhabitable. The Council erupted into such furious debate that Councilor-Magistrate Iboden Selvamiit elected to postpone the vote until the following session of the Council.

During the eleven-year gap between sessions 293 and 294, public protests both for and against the Megasphere erupted on Raguu, Ritalga, Uurb, and Kronos. The populace of Raguu was in such unrest that the planet's government declared martial law, imposing a mandatory planetwide curfew. In 13650 UU, Sogapi Lechu Bimelek was assassinated (ambassadors to the Council typically serve for life on Raguu).

Construction for the Megasphere was finally approved by the Council at the 294th session in 13659 UU, but by razor-thin margins. 220 member worlds voted for the project and 218 voted against, with 164 abstaining. Following the vote, Raguuian ambassador Sogapi Punta Zesguiin dramatically hovered out of the council chamber, followed by three other observer worlds and eighteen member worlds. Raguu would never return to be represented at the Council.

As construction of the Beta Fumari Megasphere continued into the centuries following the vote, Raguu began to see less and less of its own star. The dwarf planet's average surface temperature dropped significantly, and by the 13900s over half the planet's population had emigrated to other worlds. Society gradually descended into anarchy as the elite fled their homeworld.

By then, many member worlds of the Council has acknowledged the severity of Raguu's situation. At the 315th session in 13923 UU, fourteen member worlds signed the Raguu Treaty with the intent to embargo Ritalga for 48 years and provide necessary aid to Raguu. In the end, this treaty turned out to be nothing more than a friendly but meaningless gesture. What little aid that did eventually arrive at Raguu did nothing to stem the planet's decline into poverty.

In 13981 UU, the remains of the Raguuian government declared the planet uninhabitable and enacted a mandatory evacuation of the dwarf planet by the end of the following year. Many Raguuians ignored the mandate and starved to death with their dying planet. By 13993 UU, Raguu was completely barren.