Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 14:33:27 -0800 From: David Dunham (via RadioMail) Subject: The Twelve Worlds Alas, much of my background was lost in a disk crash/bad backup combo. But here's some info on the setting: The Twelve Worlds The Twelve Worlds is the name given to an isolated region of space, formerly part of the Rosetta Sector of the Confederation of Worlds. Each system is different, but all were underdeveloped colonies when they were cut off from the Confederation about 200 years ago. This mysterious event is known as the Sundering. The Twelve Worlds are populated by humans of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Most worlds practice some genetic manipulation (correcting hereditary diseases), and some practice reshaping to add desired characteristics. People are also sometimes enhanced with implants such as computer links. The Twelve Worlds consists of the planets Boudicea, Braun, Cadac, Dore, Fortune, Kartoffel, Nesp, Pizarra, St Catherine, Tenshi, Tully, and Zaru, and the station Union (located at a jump point with no planets). Although the Twelve Worlds have been cut off from the rest of humanity, they do have some contact with four other species: the Craa, the Iinni, the Vnu, and the Wirn. Apparently, all of them are at least several jumps away from the 12 Worlds, and none are proven to have contact with the rest of humanity. About 200 years ago, ships no longer jumped into the Tully system from Yucaipa, the only route to the rest of human space. Ships that tried to jump to Yucaipa were never heard from again. Nobody knows exactly why. Theories abound, ranging from novas to aliens to the hyperspace analog of an earthquake. Most of the robot controlled comm-boats continued along their programmed routes and jumped out of the Twelve Worlds. Others were captured and reprogrammed. The effect was that communications between the planets were cut to a trickle. The Twelve Worlds lost access to cutting edge technology, produced outside the underdeveloped Rosetta Sector, and spent some effort trying to regain it. o Technology The overall technology level is (in GURPS terms) Tech Level 10, although on some worlds, some sectors are as low as TL 8. Most moderate power needs are met by cold fusion generators. These can be made about as small as a basketball, and generate enough power for a small building or planetary vehicle. Hot fusion generators are used for large energy demands, such as feeding a city's power grid, or powering a starship. Food can be cheaply synthesized out of single-cell protein, but anyone who can afford it prefers grown food (even if factory-cultured). Many towns are built on standard corporate plans, with prefabricated housing. Although each town has a slightly different layout, each has the prescribed number of homes, parks, retail centers, and factories. Spaceships use the Gusev reactionless drive for travel within a solar system. Most ships can generate about 2 Gs of acceleration. Travel between solar systems requires the Barghouthi jump drive. A starship maneuvers to a jump point, turns on its drive, and appears almost instantaneously at the other end of a jumpline. Hyperspace theory suggests that every system is connected to every other system, but in practice most jumplines require prohibitive amounts of energy. In fact, jumping draws more power than most starship power plants produce, and ships are equipped with capacitors which must be recharged after a jump. Drives are rated for the longest jump they can make. No ship in the 12 Worlds can perform more than Jump-5, and most only Jump-3 or -4. (Many people hope that perfection of a Jump-6 drive will regain contact with the rest of humanity.) Medicine is extremely advanced. Anagathics are available on some worlds. Genetic engineering, viral reshaping, and various implants are available to augment the natural body. Biosculpting exists, but is considered socially unconventional. Personal weaponry ranges from melee weapons (for situations when firearms are illegal or inappropriate) to projectile guns to plasma projectors. BRAUN Braun is an earthlike planet, with about 2/3 its surface covered with water. The land mass is relatively flat, with only a few significant mountain ranges. It's cooler than normal, with an average temperature of 17oC. Vegetation on Braun consists of brush and grasses. There are no native trees on Braun, though there are bamboos. Trees were introduced to inhabited areas and a few commercial forests, but most wood products are made of bamboo or imported. Braun's technology was concentrated on microelectronics. The population is about 80 million. The capital city is Tancha. Kanun is the main commercial centre. Braun's world government is a republic. Voters elect representatives to Parliament, and a President, who runs the executive branch of government. The government is relatively small, and doesn't interfere much with private or commercial life. The law protects both individuals and corporations. Natives are invariably called "Braunies," a designation they dislike. UNION Union is the "13th World" - it's a huge space station complex located at a jump point in a star system with no planets. David Dunham Pensee Corporation 206 783 7404 ddunham@radiomail.net "I say we should listen to the customers and give them what they want." "What they want is better products for free." --Scott Adams