Planet Miura

DIAMETER: 12,803 km

MASS: 6.27 x 10e23 kg

TERRAIN: Arctic

TEMPERATURE: -54°C to 11°C

ESCAPE VELOCITY: 12.08 km/sec

Miura is an arctic planet with massive pure water glaciers and vast oceans, most of which are permanently frozen over. Only in sporadic locations where geothermal activity forces heat to the surface does surface water stay liquid. These narrow areas are oases of life on the planet, where algae, invertebrates and even primitive fish-like lifeforms have evolved. The harsh arctic climate has caused no life to evolve outside of the oceans - there are no plants or land animals in Miura's natural ecology. Despite this, the planet does possess a breathable atmosphere, provided the air is heated before being inhaled.

Initial studies suggested the climate could be adjusted, given enough resources and technology. When the survey of the system was completed, Kusari was content for the Gas Miners Guild to contract Planetform in exchange for de facto control of the system, and terraforming was begun in earnest. Construction of the Fujisawa and Isehara facilities started not soon afterwards with the planet providing a central location to store equipment and house GMG personel.

The terraforming project on Miura is aimed at raising the planet's average temperature by at least 20 degrees. The efforts are expected to turn the planet into an oceanic world, not unlike Honshu, over the course of the next century by releasing greenhouse gases. This would cause sea levels to rise accordingly however, and the settlements on the planet are located on a large continent expected to remain above sea level, where a single large mining colony that mines a sizable amounts of Uranium-rich ore has been established. The Isehara refinery in orbit refines Uranium - one of the active components in MOX fuel - from raw Uranium shuttled from the surface. This greatly helps towards the massive funding required for the project and allows traders to haul Uranium to Bretonian MOX fuel refineries, and pick up much needed terraforming gases on the return trip.

In order to reduce labor costs and the risk to their own people, the GMG has contracts with several police forces, offering the Miura mines as a "correctional" facility for prisoners sentenced to hard labor. The Kusari State Police and Liberty Police Inc. both make use of Miura in this fashion, mainly sending convicted terrorists in the hope they will never return. For the GMG, the prisoners have been a source of cheap labor, although their efficiency leaves a lot to be desired. The GMG have also refused to accept suspected Blood Dragon or Golden Chrysanthemum convicts, citing it does not want to give these groups more reason to attack the Miura facilities. Between the prison population, the terraforming teams and various civilian settlements on Miura, the planet now has a population of roughly 220,000 people, a number that is expected to steadily increase as the climate improves.

After the successful acquisition of Planet Kurile, Planetform has begun to apply the native Alien Organisms to planet Miura, accelerating the terraforming of the frigid world. The introduction of Kurile's organisms has already sped up the process, with two large gaps in Miura's frigid oceans thawing in early 825 AS. Planetform expects this accelerated change of the climate to advance the project by several decades, with a projected completion date around 890 AS.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Kishiro Technologies
* Interspace Commerce

* Bounty Hunters Guild

## News

However, with the recent Farmers Alliance bombing on Roppongi seemingly linked to the sudden increase in Cardamine use among Kusari's businessmen, New Tokyo's residents have expressed sympathy towards the perpetrators, speculating that the Alliance's blatant admission to such a vicious act is not to be taken as a boast or a threat, but as a sign that they will not allow their friends and families to be preyed upon by the greed of corporations that, "do not belong anywhere near our home", said Katsuyori Ichihara, Samura Industries financial consultant, and survivor of the Roppongi attack. "I don't blame them", Mr. Ichihara continued, "that vile drug destroys families."
Due to recent events, Samura Industries has taken it upon itself to act as a substitute for Interspace Commerce within the insurance market and many citizens have already expressed gratitude to Samura and their willingness to provide more financially preferable contracts than what the old management offered.

Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection.
Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source.

## Rumors

* With the war between Kusari and Bretonia now over, all the Prisoners of War Kusari sent our way are going home. Well not all of them, some look set to stay on and start a new life here. I guess they figure they have nothing to go home to, what with those Gallians coming down even harder on them. Out here on Miura, life is cold and hard - but there is great opportunity here and everyone is embracing it.

* This place is growing like you wouldn't believe! Cheap domes built by Synth Foods are popping up all over the place. Not that we grow food under them, they are to keep out the bitter cold. Before IC started delivering these new shelters, we had to get around in polar suits. The buildings under these domes consist mostly of old shipping containers.

* The mining boom has brought its share of headaches, as well as riches. The settlements on Miura are like mining towns throughout history. Everything is in a crazy excess - money, crime, decadence, violence. Everyone here works hard, and plays harder. This is nothing like the quiet, regulated life of my grandparents, on board our space stations.

* With the influx of workers into Okinawa, we need to be vigilant for criminal elements that come with them. With demand for services comes the risk of a thriving black market. We have had some instances of sabotage among the minesites as well, but we are growing far too fast for that to be a real threat to our economy.

* So I see there is a new government in power for Kusari? Good for them, the Guild figured out long ago that Samura was not to be trusted. Now that Samura has lost its influence in the government, it wont be long untl the Dragons finish them off. I have already put away a bottle of Wine for the occaision. Yes that's right, Champagne from Gallia - I have never tried it before.

* They say that Liberty finally put a stop to corrupt officials selling off their prisoners as Slaves. I know better. There is always a demand for 'excess labour', even here. The Guild Paramilitary brings what is left of Slave shipments headed to Outcast space. Not all of these people go home. Some stay on to find a new life here, others fall through the cracks and end up as indentured servants in one of the unregulated mining sites.

* Kishiro transports are starting to see more Farmers interfering with our convoys in Kusari, and even out here. The GMG runs them off when they come across them, but they can't be in all place at all times. Kishiro must look to its own security ships in times like these, or enlist the help of Freelancers and Bounty Hunters. It works in Shikoku, and with a more supportive government in Kusari, perhaps it can work in Honshu as well.

* The new trade lane to Sigma-19 gives Kishiro excellent access to our mining fields in that system. Without it, we would have only one escape route in the event of pirate attacks. It also gives us more options to travel to Rheinland, avoiding any Farmers who are looking to take their grievances out on us.

* We ship unprocessed uranium mined on Miura up to Isehara. It used to be our terraforming depot, now it is a dedicated refinery turning the raw uranium into shippable product. I oversee operations on some of our key mine sites. Things can become rather chaotic at times, such is the nature of boom times. You can have a lot of fun in the drinking and gambling dens here on Miura. I can do things here I would be scorned for back on Honshu. I see foreign workers from across Sirius here now, and they bring their vices with them to share!

* Okinawa is really starting to pay off for Interspace now. We don't get harassed on a daily basis like we do in Kusari. And now with the new gate to Sigma-19 we can ship directly to Rheinland, bypassing Kusari and their ridiculous tax laws. Sure it's more dangerous, a lot more in fact, but our risk analysts are confident we can make it work. At least we are self-insured!

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:46 UTC*