Earth

Earth

View from Space

View of Milky Way from Low Earth Orbit

Surface view

Nickname:
Home

Native Species:
Humans

Occupying Species:
Kristang White Wind Clan (past)

Notable Features:
Perfect for human survival

**Earth** (sometimes: **the Earth**) is the homeworld of Humanity. Temperate, the world possesses four annual seasons and is capable of supporting liquid water and a biosphere on its surface; it possesses an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. Its seasons are caused by its 24° axial tilt, rather than orbital eccentricity as in the cases of worlds such as Newark. It possesses a moon, whose gravitational influence causes tidal cycles.
It is the third planet from its G-type star, Sol, around which it formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago. It orbits at an average distance of 1 AU. It is one of four rocky planets within the Sol system, the other three being Mercury, Venus, and Mars.

Earth's star is located approximately 26,000 light years from the Milky Way's barycenter, within the Orion Spur. Its Ecliptic Plane is inclined to the Galactic Plane at 60.2°. Sol is generally believed to lie ~65 ly above this Galactic Plane.
Earth has an active magnetosphere and plate tectonics, protecting inhabitants from cosmic hazards as well as preventing geological stagnation. This balance provides for a self-renewing resource pool from which its native biosphere can draw. For this reason, Earth evolved its very own sentient species, ~~Monkeys~~ Humans. This also makes Earth somewhat desirable real estate for the various civilizations of the galaxy.
The equatorial Space Elevator, which is located in the nation-state Ecuador on the planet's continent of South America, provides for mass-transit to Low Earth Orbit. The space elevator possesses Thuranin defensive installations. Seventeen defensive maser satellites orbit the planet. Per Skippy, *"Each satellite is fifty eight meters long, powered by a fusion reactor which can generate eight hundred twenty megawatts of maser power."*

Regions
*Africa* is Earth's second largest continent. Nigeria is a nation-state referred to as being located here.
*Antarctica* is Earth's fifth largest and least populous continent.
*Asia* is Earth's largest continent. It is the location of China and India, two of the comprising nations of UNEF. Indonesia, Japan, and Nepal are additional nations mentioned as being located within Asia. Sumatra is an island administered by Indonesia. The Gobi Desert is a region within Asia.
*Europe* is Earth's sixth largest continent. It is the location of the United Kingdom and France, two of the comprising nations of UNEF. Europe also contains the nation-state of Poland.
*North America* is Earth's third largest continent. It is the location of the United States of America, one of the comprising nations of UNEF. California, Maine, Massachusetts, the Marshall Islands, and Nebraska are components mentioned as being within that nation, while New England and Yosemite National Park are regions referred to within it. North America is also stated to contain the nation-state of Canada.
*Oceania* is Earth's smallest continent. Indonesia is referred to as being partly located on this continent in addition to Asia.
*South America* is Earth's fourth largest continent. It is the location of the nation-state of Ecuador, within which the Space Elevator is located. Brazil and Venezuela are other nation-states referred to on this continent.

Pre-Columbus Day
Sometime prior to 2030, Nigeria had been subject to intervention by foreign powers, at least including the United States, due to unspecified geopolitical turmoil. The U.S. Intelligence Community had seen this intervention coming at least six months in advance.

Columbus Day
On the 14th of October 2030, the Ruhar attacked the planet, targeting its infrastructure and industry. Global electrical grids were rendered entirely unusable. This event came to be known as Columbus Day. Soon afterwards, the Kristang White Wind Clan 'saved' the planet, subjugating its native species as their new clients.

Kristang Occupation
Due to its strategic location in proximity to Kristang space, Earth's natural resources and manpower began to be exploited by the White Wind Clan. The Ecuador Space Elevator was constructed with Thuranin assistance in under a month, with plans for future elevators.
At the height of the occupation, 1,423 Kristang resided planetsifr on Earth, primarily within seven administrative compounds. The total number of Kristang in-system numbered just over 2,000.
A Kristang Frigate and the troop carrier *Khost Flacronda* orbited the world. The latter functioned as the command center of Kristang operations in the system.
The Kristang initiated construction of dams at Lake Superior and the Caspian Sea. They planned to sterilize the bodies of water with powerful gamma rays upon the dams' completion, and set up their own biosphere in the waters, particularly fish that were edible for them. Planned evacuations had to account for hundreds of kilometers of collateral damage from the gamma rays.
Much of the American midwest was appropriated by the Kristang to grow their crops. This involved an intensive project of land-modification. When farmers protested, Kristang utilized some or all of the seventeen maser satellites as well as shipboard railguns in retaliation. Chicago, Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai and other population centers were bombarded when Human authorities failed to pacify anti-Kristang protests. Several attempted rebellions against Kristang rule were put down hard. Major cities suffered extensive damage. Human casualties as a result of the Occupation are estimated in the millions. Some population centers deemed unimportant were not hit by the Kristang, such as the town of Bangor, Maine.
Mumbai, New York, Sao Paolo, Shanghai, Tokyo, along with "all the usual suspects" were considered for deployment of bioweapons by the White Wind Frigate in orbit.

Liberation
Two maser satellites along with the Frigate were prevented from striking protestors in Mumbai by the Pirates. The frigate intended to employ a bioweapon which was designed to reduce the Human population to a number considered more manageable by the Occupation forces. It was an early form of the prion bioweapon nearly employed on Paradise.
Skippy used the Kristang's weapons against them, dispensing of all but one hundred sixty-four Kristang on Earth and four aboard the *Khost Flacronda*. The Kristang machinery controlling midwest farmland and water sterilization were halted and had their electronics fried. The crew of the Flying Dutchman visited Beijing, Dehli, London, Paris, and Washington D.C. after disembarking.
The world's nations began to rebuild the global economy, infrastructure, and power grids. Refugee programs relocated former urban residents to rural regions, though global housing conditions had rebounded quickly enough that within a few years these practices were greatly reduced or discontinued entirely. Less than a decade after the Occupation of Earth, social media trends were able to influence hipsters to purchase undesirable items in bulk, indicating a major to complete recovery of international trade.
China, India, and the United States each came into possession of one Kristang dropship. Over a period of only a few years, flight operations were hampered due to a shortage of replacement parts. International efforts to learn the operations of the Kristang troop ship were slow to progress, requiring hints from Skippy.
A submind of Skippy left on Earth had five months after the departure of the Dutchman founded a religion, cult, or club which was possibly rendered defunct. Schmaybe.

The closest inhabited planets to Earth are two Thuranin worlds roughly sixty light years away.

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 ExForce 1: Columbus Day
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ExForce 7: Renegades
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 ExForce 6: Mavericks
4. ↑ ExForce 3: Paradise