Location: Skull, Lanth Subsector, C-2237C7-9 Poor. Non-agricultural. Naval Base
Library Data: Skull is a barren, desolate planet with a
very thin atmosphere, tainted with heavy metals, requiring respirator and
filter mask combination to breathe outside.
There are two small oceans, which are stagnant and have a very high
metallic content. At the South Pole is located
a Naval Base, home to two cruiser squadrons and a marine battalion. All the people live in one of a hundred
city-complexes. The greatest proportion
of each city is located underground, but the best properties are located in
above ground domes. Because the
atmosphere seals are so important, the possession of all firearms, ammunition,
explosives, and energy weapons are strictly forbidden and it is a major felony
to be caught with such weaponry. The
planet is ruled by the Council of Dome Elders, a self-selecting committee of
one individual citizen from each recognized dome city. The Elder for the Dome acts as its governor
and also as its representative on the council.
There is a chairman who runs all meetings and handles formalities with
foreign dignitaries. The chairmanship,
however rotates every 6 months, in a fixed scheme.
What is it like on
Skull?
Skull
is a planet you wouldn’t send your mother-in-law to, even if you lost a
bet. Most people live in crowded
underground quarters that are both cramped and stinky. The corporate big-wigs live like school teachers
or insurance salesmen do on decent planets.
Nowadays things are even worse, every where you go you are accosted by
homeless immigrants (know as orange-heads because of their orange skin tone)
constantly trying to get you to buy all sorts of worthless crap. (The
orange-heads are from the Red-Zone planet Victoria, and their orange skin
pigment comes from their adaptation to an atmospheric taint).
So I finally got a couple characters to survive, actually three. Let me introduce them...
ReplyDeleteDorkon The Hunter
Dorkon MAD. Dorkon hunt for many trips with group. Dorkon good hunter! Then they dump Dorkon here. Stinky death planet. No thing to hunt. Funny-hat men try to con Dorkon, but Dorkon knows better. No hunting here. Dorkon broke with nice hunting ship, but no crew.
Skip Jockly
Smarter than he is strong. Skip has a knack with most anything. Good thing! Because after just one term in the Navy, Skip finds himself dumped on the wonderful paradise of Skull. No money. The only thing he had was a pistol, and THEY took it.
Verdon Thuul
After 3 terms in the Merchants, Verdon found himself with one commission and no promotions. "Hell, with these skills I should be doing better than this. I could make more as a fucking Steward for some rich bastard!" Unfortunately for Verdon, Skull was the nearest drop-off point for his mustering out. "Fuck It! I got a Low Passage and a fist fulla credits! I'M outta here!"
Regarding skull: Are firearms and such illegal on the entire planet, or just in or near the city? I'm assuming that non-lethal guns might be allowed in, just not anything that could damage the dome. I could see also see them having a gun check-in, sort of like the old west, where they would let you check your gun in (and retrieve it after you leave) then they run you through a weapon scanner (putting a bullet through your brain if you try to smuggle something in). Or maybe they only allow guns at, say, private compounds well away from the dome, not really caring if a private citizen kills himself by shooting his dome out.
ReplyDeleteIn the Third Imperium the star-port is Imperial Territory, and not subject to the world's law level. So, if you come onto the world you can leave any "illegal" weaponry in a locker at the star port with no legal consequence (I imagine the starport authority would want you to declare the presence of missiles or explosives in said locker).
ReplyDeleteBlade weapons and anything on the non-lethal list is permitted too. You may want to look at the non-lethal list (up to TL 9) ahead of time, but don't go shopping yet.
I finally got around to doing up my 3rd character. And I'm gonna rip off Bob's idea for introducing his characters.
ReplyDeleteJack Murdoch
Jack had been a imperial military drop-ship pilot for a long, long time. Not very bright, Jack had gained a little bit of insight over the years, and realized that while he was just as fit as he had been when he enlisted, it just felt like time to muster out before random gunfire finally put him down for the count. Even though Skull is a hole, it's convenient, isn't in imminent danger of massive conflict, and there's always somebody looking for a reliable pilot with a stead hand.
Reginald Stuffington
Reginald joined was the dumber son of a diplomat, who was sleezed into the service. As his terms of service went on, Reginald got a little smarter, and picked a few tricks up. Before he got through his final term of service, Reginald had picked up a reputation as the sort of diplomat who knew how to find people or things, that might not always be entirely tasteful, tactful, or legal. After his term was up, Reginald realized he had done enough dirty deeds for enough powerful people, that it would be in his own personal interest to quietly muster out and head to some obscure hole in the wall. Skull was worst, most remote place he could think of. He knew he could blend in, find another piece of work, and even more quietly get off the planet to someplace else.
Old Doc Spurlock
Doc Spurlock was one of the best and brightest the imperial medical college has turned out. He spent his seven terms healing the inhumanity of man (or alien) towards man (or alien). When it came time to muster out, Doc's natural talent, skill, and experience led to dozens of lucrative offers from accross the civilized universe to teach, or study, or even be a personal physician. But Doc had realized, despite healing thousands of people across his nearly 30 year career, he had actually experienced very little that life has had to offer. So he picked a ticket to a destination at random, and found himself on Skull in need of employment.