RICE Paper on Hexos

Date: Tue, 09 Jan 96 11:22:18 -0500
From: lewis@chara.gsu.edu
Subject: RICE Paper on Hexos



RICE Paper Hexos Mora/Spinward Marches

Hexos/Spinward Marches (2828 B-534420-8) circa 1117
                       (2828 X-534000-0) RED ZONE circa 1202

Physical  Parameters:  Orbital Period:.644  years   
Rotational Period: 34 hours    Orbital Eccentricity: 0.015
Avg Temperature:283K = 7C      Axial Tilt: 39 degrees 
Planet Density: High

Appearance:  From orbit Hexos appears as a normal  world,  it  is
only  when  seen  through high resolution imaging devices can one
see the rotting corpse of a world that is Hexos.    The  extreme-
ly  thin   atmosphere  does  not retain much heat, so the average
tem- perature hovers about 10  C.   Most  of  the  water  on  the
planet  is located in two large ice caps at each pole. Geothermal
vents keep small lakes liquid.  Primitive   lichens   and   algae
live  around these  lakes, so far these are the only native forms
of life that have been found on the planet.

Society: Before the Civil War, the population of Hexos  lived  in
small  domed  cities.   Most  of these cities were located around
geothermal vents. These provided a source of  liquid  water,  and
heat.   Geothermal  power  generation  provided a cheap source of
electricity.
    Crops were grown in underground hydroponic tanks.   Livestock
were raised in huge factory farms, where animals were born, lived
and died all within a few feet.  There were several groups of an-
imal  rights  activists  which  protested the conditions at these
farms, but most residents wanted meat, more than they wanted hap-
py  animals.  The  government on Hexos was almost nonexistent, it
existed mostly to take care  of  interplanetary  issues,  and  to
maintain  the common facilities, such as the starport, power gen-
eration, and life support equipment.  A Planetary Council of  ten
individuals  were  elected  every  three  years  to  oversee  the
bureaucracy.  They made most routine  decisions,  anything   com-
plex,  important   or   even  somewhat controversial was put to a
planetary referendum. These were conducted over the  planet  wide
computer net.   A  week  long  period of discussion would be fol-
lowed by a vote. A simple majority decided all   issues.    These
referendums  were  not  that  common,  usually only one every few
months.
        Hexos had a  sizable  Chirper  population.   Unlike  most
worlds  where  Chirpers  are  second  class citizens, if even ci-
tizens, the people of Hexos treated the Chirpers with respect and
dignity.  They had full voting rights, but few if any took advan-
tage of it.  Most of the chirpers worked at menial jobs  such  as
janitorial staff, and all around grunt labor.
       The population had a laissez-faire attitude  towards  most
things.  People were free to do as they please, as long as no one
else was harmed. If someone was harm, society would shun the  of-
fending   party,   until  they  made  redress.  Extremely violent
crime was very rare, but did happen occasionally. When  such   an
unfor-  tunate  event occurred a group of citizens would find and
eliminate the diseased individual.

History:  Hexos was settled in the year 631, by  waves  of  immi-
grants from the Imperial core seeking a new life on the frontier.
The planet was an important station in the Xboat route.  The  Im-
perial Navy established a base on the moon of the closest gas gi-
ant. The planet was fairly stable, the  technological  level  was
almost  stagnant  rising  from  seven  to  eight over two hundred
years.  This fit in with the personality of the population,  they
are quite laid back.
        Not much changed until the Civil War. By 1117  the  Aslan
ihatei  had  made  major  inroads  in the Trojan Reaches and were
starting to enter the Spinward Marches.  The naval base  was  up-
graded   and  expanded.  This provided a bit of an economic boom,
as more naval personal took shore leave,  and  civilian  contrac-
tors  needed   some   place  to  spend their wages. Most citizens
thought that the boom was changing Hexos too much, too  many  new
people  with  new  ways of doing things.  They also didn't under-
stand the Hexos way of doing things. On 338-1120  a  large  fleet
gathered   at Hexos,   and   launched   a   strike   against  As-
lan  targets  at Craw/Glisten.  While the fleet was gone, a group
of  thirty   Aslan  ships  jumped  into  the  system.  These were
mostly small ships, under 1000 tons displacement.  A few of these
ships attacked  the Naval  base,  and  engaged  the  Naval  SDBs,
others split up and started a light orbital  bombardment  of  the
planet.  Ships return- ing from an earlier raid into Aslan space,
jumped into the system and attempted to engage the raiders.  See-
ing the returning ships, the Aslan jumped away.
        By the next day thousands of people had come down with  a
deadly  disease.   By 343-1120 half the population was dead, most
casualties were in the capital city of Dione.   The  deaths  were
not  limited  to humans, livestock and Chirpers also died in huge
numbers.  On 019-1121 Imperial authorities announced to  the  TNS
that  the last inhabitant had died.  Imperial investigations into
possible use of biological weapons by Aslan ihatei never  reached
a  definite  conclusion,  but  the circumstantial evidence forced
most observers to reach that conclusion.  Dr Julia  Kartinian,  a
scientist investigating the disease was quoted as saying "Whatev-
er it is that's killing these people Aslan appear be immune."
        Since 1121 the planet has been a wasteland.  The Navy has
designated  the  planet  a  War Grave and interdicted the planet.
The Navy placed a warning beacon in orbit and  only  occasionally
patrols  the  system.  The threat of still active biological war-
fare agents is enough to scare off most looters. Recently several
clans  of  Aslan that reside in the Imperium have asked that they
be allowed to emigrate to Hexos.  These clans were  not  involved
in  the destruction of Hexos, in fact they were not even involved
in the invasion of the Imperium,  rather  having  settlements  in
the Riftspan  Reaches.  They  came  to  the Regency after fleeing
the Virus.  Since then they have lived on crowded refugee  worlds
in Troy.  They reason that they are not being productive citizens
of the Regency crammed in a refugee camp,  and   if   they   were
given  Hexos,  they  could  help  rebuild  the  planet.  This has
stirred up a huge public outcry, especially on formerly  occupied
worlds.   Debate continues in the Regency Senate.

System  Details:  Primary:K1   V   Orbit     Name             UPP
Satelite Orbit      UPP
  0   Hot Belt    Planetoid Belt
  1   Gragfta           SGG
      Bracton                             4          X-S00000-0
      Xavfor                              7          X-S00000-0
      Lexot                              40          X-100000-0
  2   Hexos          X-534000-0
  3   Yavin             LGG
      Inner Ring                          2          X-R00000-0
      Rovwal                              4          X-400000-0
      Querntal                            8          X-562000-0
      Flofta                              9          X-S00000-0
      Boghtop                            13          X-710000-0
      Serton                             35          X-300000-0
      Folo                               50          X-400000-0
  4   Cold Belt     Planetoid Belt
  5   Wongal           LGG                3          X-300000-0
      Smalt                               4          X-834000-0
      Tlot                                6          X-S00000-0
      Yongtal                             8          X-100000-0
      Slofto                              9          X-750000-0
      Oot                                12          X-434000-0
  45 Secondary       M2 White Dwarf

References: The Regency Sourcebook
            Survival Margin