Mars

Mars has been inhabited by the Earth Republic since 2102; it has been a permanent colony since 2114 and represented the pinnacle of Earth Republic technology at the time. The population grew steadily through the first half of the 22nd century, stabilizing around a million people by the early 2140s. With the rise of more advanced, further afield colonies like Epsilon Eridani and the investment in the "frontier" systems, Mars became something of an afterthought in the broader Earth Republic.

Mars has few major settlements, with the domed Olympus City being by far the largest. Other areas, often built around mining colonies or operations, are often referred to just as the Domes or Domes 2-6 (Olympus City being Dome 1 and *never* referred to as such).

As of 2157, the population of Mars is 800,000, having suffered catastrophic losses and damage during the Howl Attack in the last days of the Z conflict.

## Culture

Insofar as Mars has united cultural traits, they are an emphasis on independence, self-reliance and material reuse. Waste is often viewed as decadent and dangerous, and the results are a material culture of using things for unintended purposes or after unconventional modifications. This can contribute to Mars having a sense of danger even to routine activities or situations for the uninitiated. However, the Earth Republic's focus falling elsewhere so often can also contribute to complex relationships between Marsers and the rest of the Earth Republic. Earth is, by comparison, a luxurious land of plenty where the Earth Republic has erased poverty, where cutting edge technology is readily available to everyone and where the planet is warm and the air breathable. Sirius and Epsilon Eridani are often viewed as more modern and the objects of the Republic's more recent interest and investment.

Marsers often ascribe a beautiful serenity to the outdoors of the desolate Red World, and most regard it as both scenic and deadly.

The Earth Republic Star Navy is often viewed as the best way *off* Mars for many people, and Marsers make up more than their share of ERSN's engineering corps and starfigher pilots; Marser Command officers are notably uncommon.

## Cultural Standbys

Pixie's Chicken and Fish originated on Mars, and it is a beloved institution. Using vat-grown Martian chicken and whitefish, hydroponically grown potatoes, and an ever-expanding rotation of vitamin-packed flavor sprinkles, Pixie's Chicken and Fish is the favorite food of starfarers, miners, and colonists throughout the Earth Republic, and Marsers are incredibly proud of it.

Pixie's Pastries, an offshoot brand originating on Epsilon Eridani, is also a grudging favorite in Olympus City and Dome 2, where several coffee kiosks and "standup cafes" have won the hard hearts of Marsers with their low-flare, no-nonsense style, their synthetic coffee flavored with homegrown chicory, and especially their delicious potato flour donuts.

Real coffee has historically been a luxury on Mars, making freeze-dried synthetic coffee the norm, and the Martian palate is more than inured to it--Marsers now almost perversely prefer synthetic percolated coffee, and eschew the real thing or any "fancy" Earth coffee drinks. Lattes and cappuccinos are virtually unheard of on Mars, and to ask for one is tantamount to uttering an extremely offensive expletive. Coffee is always served standing up; there are no cafes or coffee houses.