Alo

**Alo** , also known as **YBP1194 c** is the third planet orbiting the G-type main-sequence star YBP1194, and the homeworld of the Argommi. The YBP1194 system is located in the open cluster M67 in the constellation Cancer, some 2,920 lightyears from Earth. It is one of only two exoplanets to produce an industrial civilization, the other being Tel-ma.

Alo has a mass 71% and a radius 83% that of Earth, leading to a gravitational pull of 10.09 m/s^2. 82% of its surface is covered with water, with three continental or subcontinental masses inhabited by industrial civilizations. The planet once had considerably more land prior to a climate shift that resulted from a comet strike in a taiga forest region. Atmospheric pressure is 109% that of Earth.

## History

Complex life first emerged on Alo some 570 million years ago, around the time of other Life Explosions that have been positively identified on many life-bearing planets, further contributing to the Sag A\* Great Filter Hypothesis. Based on archeological data most land-dwelling "vertebrates" on Alo evolved from an ancient clade of sea slugs, with hydrostatic muscles. These evolved a skeletal structure--based on copper, not calcium as on Earth-- as adaptations to life on land about 400 million years ago.

The current clade that dominates the Alo biosphere emerged some 90-110 mya and shares many biomechanical features with Earth's Synapsids. These organisms are usually warm blooded, scaled, and often have a form of fur or psuedofeathers. The largest terrestrial Aloan Synapsids exhibits a body plan similar to Deinocheirus, and possesses a large mane. The Argommi themselves possess vestigial body hair and a scalp similar to that of humans. Most vertebrates on Alo are egg-layers, with the majority of these incubating their soft-shelled egg cases in a ventral brood pouch. This pouch can be found in specimens with both male and female reproductive organs, a common feature across the biosphere, giving rise to the Aloan scientific community's use of four gender groups.

## Human exploration

Humans began charting the YBP1194 system in 2013 with the discovery of YBP1194 b, a Hot Jupiter with a mass projected at roughly 34% that of Jupiter. With an orbital period of just under a Terran week, and an eccentric orbit 0.24 (similar to Pluto), it was disregarded as a potential candidate for life.

Later observations using the United Interferometer Network charted the entire planetary system in greater detail. A total of 12 planets were identified. YBP1194 c was identified in 2052 as a habitable world.

YBP1194 was considered a desirable destination for the first generation of warp ships. However, it would take another 30 years before NASA even began formally preparing for such a mission, due to the extreme distances involved. No spacecraft fitted with a the early generations of the White-Alcubierre Drive were capable of reaching YBP1194 in what NASA considered to be a reasonable amount of time. With so many desirable worlds far closer, NASA deferred the mission until the Falcon-class intstellar vehicle began development in the 2080s. When the first Odysseus-series of probes started to enter production, NASA was given support by Congress to prepare a mission to YBP1194 c. On April 1, 2088 the probes Odysseus VIII, IX, X, and XI were launched toward YP1194 to chart a safe path for a crewed interstellar vehicle. The Odysseus IX and X were lost after the first 5 years, and the Odysseus VIII after 7 years. After 15 years, and 700 transits at warp, the Odysseus XI safely reached the YBP1194 system on July 4, 2103.

Having only traveled half a light year on its last transit, Odysseus XI's Bubble Trap produced a relatively small blast of radiation visible as a twinkling star from the surface of Alo. By all accounts, this went unnoticed by the all but two amateur astronomers who were unable to identify a source. Their log entries identifying the light they saw would not be reported until after First Contact. Odysseus XI spent two years charting the planetary system and observing Alo, confirming the presence of intelligent life. Upon confirming the presence of an industrial civilization, NASA changed the flight schedule for the IV-402 Beagle III to conduct first contact.

## Pre-contact geopolitics

Since the establishment of the Tilio'ramna Pact in 2047, power on Alo has been divided into 5 major supranational entities with varying degrees of intigration of their member states. Only the city-state of X'anlio'ramna has remained unaffiliated and completely neutral since the start of this era, a consequence of it being located in the Tavurl Mountains and not easily accessible by any single power.

### Osomi CoDominium

Made up of most of the Osomi continental mass, and far and away the largest economic bloc on the planet prior to First Contact. The OC is a singular economic union and mutual defense pact. From New Glava in the Djanni Republic, the member nations of the OC send delegates to the CoDominium Parliament, which elects a Director General from its ranks. Per the Treaty of Molyog and the OC Charter, member nations surrender monetary policy to the CoDominium Central Bank, while the parliament sets CoDominium-wide limits to the fiscal policy of its member nations.

The OC was founded after the second planetary war as an free trade zone and currency union among the nations around Sonhams Bay, all of which were former Hakloan colonies. Over the subsequent decades the other former Hakloan colonies in the Northeast of Osomi joined, with the bulk of the continent coming under the CoDominium during third planetary war of 2064 (Earth calendar). During that conflict, the Osomi nations had created a collective defense bloc and unified naval command system which would serve as the foundation for the Treaty of New Glava, evolving the economic union into a joint collective defense and economic pact.

### Tilio'ramna Pact

Made up of most of the Haklo continental mass. Considered the second most powerful bloc on the planet, the Tilio'ramna Pactr was the most regressive prior to First Contact. Most of its member states practiced a form of indentured servitude or serfdom with around 10-15% of the population being in bondage. Prior to First Contact, many if not most of the Pact members had some form of an emancipation movement, and servile rebellions were not uncommon.

Despite its economic power and historical prestige, most on Alo agreed that pre-First Contact the Tilio'ramna Pact was on the decline. They had lost the last planetary war with the Osomi CoDominium, and were struggling to keep pace militarily with the OC. The alliance was also facing an inverted demography, with an elderly dependency ratio comparable to early 20th century Europe, while Osomi still had a young and growing population. The annual war games of the Pact suggested that the next planetary war would not only end with another OC victory, but that their Navy would not be able to hold their position at all in the Taura Sea. There was also a movement within the leadership class of the North Hakloan Security Organization to abandon neutrality and ally with the OC should the TP be unable to hold their half of the Taura Sea. There was also a fear that the OC's covert attempts to support the Pact's servile insurrections would eventually destabilize many of its member states.

Facing the choice of subjugation or potential destruction, First Contact offered the TP leadership a third option in which they could be equal members with the OC in dealing with humanity. Further, humans offered technologies that would provide them the means of overcoming their demographic problems while the Pact's capital base was still intact, and considerably larger than the OCs. This is considered fundamental to the TPs willingness to create the Common Defense Pact.

### Canavin Union

At the time of First Contact, the Canavin island-continent was fully unified under the CU, which had reached a point in its political evolution to resemble a Federation of states, rather than multiple, trade zones and mutual defense organizations. It was considered a fairly progressive entity prior to First Contact, having instituted a democratic legislature for its security council, created a single charter guaranteeing the rights of the residents of the CU in every member nation regardless of race or creed, and even made progress on queer rights.

As the only major landmass in the northern hemisphere, Canavin's geography gave the population a sense of isolation and independence from the rest of the planet, and they developed a culture that tended to be almost contrarian when it concerned their southern neighbors and former colonial overlords. Further, while they were by no means left out of the First Contact negotiations in Sansomi, the TP and OC's willingness to work together when dealing with the humans meant that Canavin was always being treated as a second rate power. There was a perception among the Canavin member nations that their former colonial masters were attempting to gain the favor of an advanced alien benefactor for the purposes of once again subjugating their old colonies. Canavin's leaders made the choice to not join what would become the CDP quite clear: between the choice of subjugation and isolation, they choose isolation.

### NHSO

Located along the north-central coast of Haklo, the NHSO was a comparatively minor power, but had the geographic defensibility and wealth to maintain its independence from the TU. Nominally seen as the more progressive bloc on Haklo, the NHSO has endeavored to maintain neutrality between the other blocs.

### CCMS

The smallest of the blocs, and the only one to be completely landlocked. The CCMS is located in the interior of Osomi, and the majority of its territory is scrubland and desert, with most of its population centered on the south shore of the Lonli megalake. The CCMS has a largely cordial relationship with the Komi Republic, and through that is able to maintain favorable relations with the rest of the OC. It is the only non-nuclear supranational entity on Alo, and militarily its independence is maintained by the impassability of its territory.

### First Contact

IV-402 *Beagle III* departed the Sol System for the YBP1194 system on August 20, 2105 for a 7 year transit, a duration second only to the relief mission to Tel-ma beginning in 2091. On January 9, 2112 the *Beagle III* reached the edge of the YBP1194 system. Antimatter propulsion ceased on January 15, 2112, and construction of the YBP1194 Beachhead Orbital began on February 1. The crew of the *Beagle III* was completely awoken from suspended animation by March 3, 2112, and satellites manufactured from the Trojan asteroid and real-time data from Odysseus XI confirmed not only advanced industrial civilizations but large ground based observatories, which convinced NASA to issue an order to *Beagle III* to halt all plans for uncrewed landings and to instead prioritize First Contact-at-a-distance or radio First Contact on April 2, 2112. For the next year, the crew of the *Beagle III* would use their satellite network to tap into the radio and TV signals of the planet. They made no attempt to mask the presence of the satellites orbiting Alo, as it was assumed any civilization with ground based observatories on the scale of Alo's would have been able to spot an anti-matter driven spacecraft.