Tatiana
The Planet
Physical
Tatiana is a relatively recent human colony world, just 29.79 parsecs
from Earth. It was colonised only 200 or so years ago, since it has no
atmosphere to support a surface population. It is a small rockball in
a system with no gaseous material at all. Tatiana orbits the G5 V
star Bond, along with several other small rocky planets and some
extensive asteroid belts.
Tatiana is warmish on average, but the lack of atmosphere means the
surface bakes under the sun during the day and freezes at night. Lack
or air and water makes it a hostile place at best, deadly without the
proper equipment.
Biological
Tatiana is sterile. The only life to be found is imported and sequestered
away in the habitat areas under the ground.
Civilisation
Tatiana houses 350,000 humans and a handful of aliens. The planet serves
as a base for asteroid mining operations in the Bond system, with the
population basically consisting of the miners, support staff, families,
and enough people of miscellaneous professions to make a functional
society.
Economy
Tatiana only exists because of its asteroid mining industry. Several
secondary industries such as refining and starship and machinery
construction utilise the raw materials to good effect. The relative
lack of light elements in the system means heavy and rare elements
are more abundant than usual, so mining is very efficient.
Obviously Tatiana exports many metals and metal products. Most of the
necessities of life, however, must be imported. Food forms the major
import, though underground hydroponic gardens are beginning to cater
for more of the demand. Water and air are recycled thoroughly, so not
much needs to be imported.
Other significant imports include organic materials, plastics, and
computing technology.
Politics
Tatiana is administered by a representative democracy, set up early
in its history to break the corporate mining monopoly which originally
built the settlement. Now there are many mining companies, ranging
from large multistellars to small independent belters with a single
ship, and there is generally enough raw material for everyone. One of
the largest governmental duties, however, is to sort out competing
mining claims and resolving legal issues related to mineral rights.
The government necessarily regulates environmental conditions in the
sealed living environments on Tatiana, and acts to expand and
develop new areas, and regulate private construction. Explosives and
beam weapons are strongly regulated, because of the potential for
catastrophic failure of life support systems and environmental
seals, but other weaponry is tolerated quite freely. Personal taxes
are fairly light, since duty on mining products raises plenty of
government revenue.
As a relatively new world in the region near Earth, Tatiana's
influence on interstellar politics is less than its population would
imply. However, the residents are proud of their world and generally
content to look after themselves without too much concern for the
state of the others in their vicinity.
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