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 Capitol Guide to Mars |
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The first manned landing on Mars was achieved in 2042 AD by an American expedition, and the first man to set foot on the red planet was an astronaut by the name of Damon Hacker. The expedition brought with it an environmental module that sustained the first explorers there until a second lander arrived three months later with the command module. From that point on, mankind established a constant presence on Mars, living in artificial environments, and overseeing monumental achievements in the new science of terraforming - which had only previously been used on Earth's moon, Luna - to alter Mars to become habitable.
The Capitol corporation, which had previously established itself as a long-standing presence on the moon with the first privately-owned off-world space port, pioneered the way in planetary terraforming, and in the year 2100 AD (timed no doubt for PR reasons to herald in a new century) the transformation of Mars was complete: Gravity was artificially stabilized at 1 g, the atmosphere was altered to be breathable and to maintain an acceptable temperature range, the polar caps and permafrost were partially melted to form surface water and precipitation patterns, and vegetation was introduced. Since this was a pioneering effort, the terraforming of Mars was not as successful as later attempts, such as with the forests of Ganymede, the lush underground environments of Mercury, or the varied habitats on Venus. Genetic engineering was used to establish an animal ecology on Mars, though the majority of them are little removed from comparable species on Earth - Though there are rumors of vast worm-like creatures to be found burrowing under the sands with the return of the Dark Legion, the creatures to be found on Mars as a whole don't match the exotic splendor and deadliness of the neo-dinosaurs and oversized predators of Venus and Mercury ... which, actually, is a point in favor of Mars, given how hazardous life can be on those worlds. In time, with the coming of the age of the Megacorporations, Capitol came to become a governing body of its own, as its parent nations - in the form of the United States and its collaborators in Canada and Mexico - fell by the wayside. Capitol has become the new America of the post-Exodus age, though it doesn't quite live up to all the old roles of the United States - It can no longer try to fill the shoes of America's self-appointed role as the "world's policeman", and the unfortunate circumstance of Mars being mostly covered by desert means that it is no longer the "breadbasket" of the world(s) - While irrigation and hydroponics have allowed it to convert a considerable amount of land into farmlands, it still struggles from time to time to feed its large population. (This, sadly, has led to conflicts with the other corporations for precious resources.) Now, Mars is home to the largest human population on any world in the solar system, and while Bauhaus may be the most powerful of the corporations from a military standpoint, Capitol boasts the largest population. Less than five percent of the planet is covered by water, but there are water deposits underneath the soil that can be found over a considerable portion of the planet, accessible either through natural aquefers, or else by artificial wells. Plant life on Mars accordingly tends to put down extensive and deep-reaching root systems in order to get to this water, and tends to have a scraggly, sparse look - Mars by and large still looks red when viewed from space.
Creatures By and large, the animals to be found on Mars are little changed from creatures that could be found back on pre-Exodus Earth ... while their counterparts on Earth have long since vanished there, or have mutated beyond recognition. The main difference between Martian animals and their ancestors of Earth origin would be in matters of size and temperament, and "superficial" differences, such as color. This is due in part to side effects of genetic engineering and the whole terraforming process, and in part due to adaptation to the Martian environment. (Whether it is thanks to a helping hand from long-lost Terran technology or not, evolution is an almost observable process over the centuries mankind has away from Earth.) Here, however, are a few noteworthy species unique to Mars:
Major Locations Below is an overview of some major locations on Mars. Even if the action doesn't take place here, some of the locations might be the subject of small-talk or odd references by characters hailing from Mars or from Capitol in general.
Vastitas Borealis This is the northern polar region, where Bauhaus has succeeded in establishing a strong foothold. It is rich in natural resources and provides Bauhaus with a good strategic position from which to strike at any of Capitol's major holdings in the northern hemisphere.
Vastitas Australis This is the southern polar region, largely devoid of life ... as we know it. The southern hemisphere lacks the large oceans of the north, and hence over ninety percent of the Martian population lives in the northern hemisphere. This has allowed the Dark Legion to maintain a strong, almost unopposed presence at the south pole, and in the arid southern deserts.
Great Flood Belt Before the terraforming of Mars, the Great Flood Belt was simply a low-lying area of terrain encircling the northern hemisphere of the planet. However, when the frozen water was released from the Martian permafrost, it ran out of the highland regions, and flooded the lowland areas. Erosion caused by this Great Thaw carved the great cliffs that are typical of the geography of the northern hemisphere. By the time the humidity of the planet had stabilized, the water had receded into a series of lakes and seas, the largest being Mare Arcadia and Mare Acidalia. These bodies of water are linked by massive rivers and separated by extensive dune fields which are flooded in the spring when waters flow from the melting north polar ice cap. Due to the presence of surface water, most settlements are located near this region.
Elysium Rise This is a highland area, home to the mountain Elysium Mons, and also to the historic landing site of Viking II. Imperial siezed these lands long ago, back during the time of the First Corporate Wars, and with the advent of the Second Corporate Wars, a vast fortified zone has been built up between Capitol and Imperial lands, known as the McCraig Line. The McCraig Line marks a considerable build-up of troops and entrenchments by both sides, where Capitol forces fell back from Imperial encroachment to dig in defenses that have stayed more or less at this point for over a decade. Great Rust Desert The Great Rust Desert spans halfway around the equator of Mars, and is largely uncultivated, save for crater lakes that dot the desert, and form little microecologies of their own. Wandering nomadic tribes cross the desert, roaming from lake to lake, and these tribes are regarded as being especially superstitious and religious, the most notable among them being the Zealots, which prophesy the end of the world. While most of these tribes are human, quite a number are tribes of Dog-Men, and from these tribes are recruited the bulk of Capitol's Dog Soldiers special forces. Huge sandcrawlers roam the desert, sifting the rusty sand for iron-rich ores, and ferrying them back to the smelting factories in the massive city of Valley Forge. It is rumored that, since the return of the Dark Legion, giant monsters now burrow underneath the sands, capable of coming up to swallow entire sandcrawlers in a single gulp ... and much more so any unwary traveler that might be traversing the sands. The desert nomads claim to be adept at being able to cross the sands without attracting the attentions of these monsters.
Olympus Mons This is the largest mountain on Mars, and, at 25 km high, it is the largest (extinct) volcano in the solar system. In times of peace, without threat from the other corporations or the Dark Legion, the Olympus Mons has been a prime spot for pleasure-seekers aiming to ski the longest slope of any of the terraformed worlds.
Valles Marineris / Grand Martian Canyon Located southeast of Olympus Mons is a collosal fault line that dwarfs the Grand Canyon on Earth, at 4500 km long and over 5 km deep. Capitol maintains a strong military presence here, as both Mishima and Cybertronic make use of it when launching attacks into Capitol territory. The canyon has many outlets, making it inviting to troops seeking a way to creep further into Capitol territory without detection.
Trans-Martian Railroad The Trans-Martian Railroad is a great feat of engineering, a railroad that once encircled the equator and spanned the 36th and 324th longitudes to the north and south poles, with smaller lines branching off to every major Capitolian city. With much of the southern hemisphere claimed by the other corporations or the Dark Legion, the southernmost reaches of the line are no longer operable, but it's still one of the major ways to get around on the red planet. Trans-Martian Railways, which maintains the lines and operates most of the trains running the rails, has established a line of cheap hotels in every city where the trains stop, ensuring that any travelers on the rails can find a place to stay for as little as 100 crowns a night. The Capitol AFC also maintains numerous railway fortresses that dot the railroad during its treks across contested areas, and these fortresses have been made famous thanks to movies featuring the beleaguered forces of the Freedom Brigades posted to defend these forts from invaders (most often Imperial, but in recent years, against the Dark Legion as well). The Trans-Martian railroad actually operates in several gauges - of such width that smaller gauges can be fit in between the largest rails. On these larger rails, collosal rolling fortresses known as Juggernauts patrol the Trans-Martian railroad, and serve to ferry troops around the planet, serving in lieu of a naval fleet, as the planet has only land-locked oceans. Each juggernaut is a unique construction, and most have served the military for centuries.
Canals Another major feat of engineering would be the complex network of canals dug across the surface of Mars, reaching from the two poles toward the equator. These canals are, at some points, a mile wide, and have many pumping stations along their length to keep the water flowing. These canals irrigate the land and have a number of locks through which pass various waterborne vessels which use it as a means of travel. During the course of the South Martian Wars, many of the canals were destroyed, and the pumping stations and locks are often military targets. The southern network of canals has been all but destroyed, and Capitol has been unable to rebuild it due to interference from other corporations and the Dark Legion. Thus, the Great Rust Desert, which spans halfway around the equator, has been expanding slowly southward. The Waterways Department of Capitol is charged with the defense and maintenance of the canals still under Capitolian control, and there is a dedicated law enforcement branch known as the Canal Police, which patrols the canals, assisting travelers in need, watching for drug smugglers, and reporting damage to the maintenance crews ... as well as watching for any activities of rival corporations or the Dark Legion.
San Dorado San Dorado is the largest city on Mars, and the second-largest city in the solar system (the biggest being Luna City). It is located at the northernmost part of the Tharsis Rise, between the landlocked oceans of Mare Arcadia and Mare Acidalia. The Board of Directors meets here to determine the course that Capitol will take, and various landmarks of great symbolic importance to Capitolian society are located here: for instance, the Statue of Freedom, and the great Pyramid Building of the AFC. It is a city of towering starscrapers, sky-sweeping spotlights, monumental statues of Capitolian icons, flashing billboards, flickering neon signs, buzzing gyrojets and airbikes, elevated highways crammed with Capitolian cars, monorail systems, and lots and lots of noise. Underneath the city is the Old City, a network of tunnels built by the original Pioneers on Mars, and here crime runs rampant, with many areas that the police won't even enter. It's a place of glamor and excitement, with a dark, corrupt underbelly.
Wonderland About 35 miles east of San Dorado is the theme park of the solar system, Wonderland. Actually, this is a combination of several theme parks all rolled up into one, although the truly wealthy can theoretically purchase "park hopper passes" to allow them to hit as many as they possibly can in a single day. This, however, would be an Olympic feat (and, quite frankly, miss the whole point of going there) as the combined size of this park would be sufficient to be equivalent to a good-sized city. In fact, it even does incorporate a city, as the idealized, pastel-colored houses of the adjoining town of "Holiday" attest -- a high-priced and idealized life for those who wish to "Live the Wonderful Life" in a modern interpretation of the ancient dreams of the founder of one of the Wonder Company's predecessor corporations. It's just about every kid's dream to get to go to Wonderland someday, and it's one of those "must see" places if you ever visit Mars (and have lots of money to blow).
Kirkwood Bunker This mountain fortress overlooks San Dorado, and is home to a massive arsenal of missiles and other weapons designed to protect the city of San Dorado from spaceborne attack. It also houses Capitol's Fourth Army, which can be deployed to come to the city's aid in times of riot -- and, theoretically, in the unprecedented event of actual invasion. During times of war, the President is shuttled off to Kirkwood Bunker to take charge of defense from a command center deep within the mountain.
Endless Caverns The Endless Caverns are a natural marvel that stretch on for hundreds of miles underground, with several openings near San Dorado. Some of these caverns have access to rich mineral deposits and ores. Mishima, having far more experience in subterranean environments than Capitol, has capitalized on this by building the city of Asaka at an access to one of the more rich deposits. Capitol has repeatedly tried to make arrangements to lease the lands to Mishima (and thus get revenue from the mining operations there), but Lord Heiress Mariko maintains that since Mishima is taking all the risks in this venture, it should keep all the gains. This is a source of contention between Mishima and Capitol, but so far has not led to any armed conflict over this particular issue.
Cyberopolis Cybertronic has built a "city" of geodesic domes and factory complexes not far from San Dorado, on land leased from Capitol. The area is patrolled by an army of Chasseurs, Cuirassiers, Deathdroids and the dreaded T2000 heavy combat robots, making it a place that no tourist will ever get to see except from a great distance.
Burroughs Burroughs is home to the AFC's largest military base, and also to the second Cathedral built on Mars, where the Fifth Chronicle -- Algeroth and Demnogonis -- is inscribed upon the walls. Since the return of the Dark Legion, this base has grown considerably in size, serving as the center of Capitol's anti-Dark-Legion operations. There is also a very large presence maintained by the Cartel and the Brotherhood as well. Burroughs is located very close to Astoria Steelworks (Valley Forge), and is frequently involved in its defense from attacks by Mishima and the Dark Legion. It's situated at a major hub of the Trans-Martian Railway, near the Syrtis Major Plateau, and Lake Isidis.
Freedom Lands The Freedom Lands take up most of the northern hemisphere, and are an offshoot of Capitolian ideals of liberty and opportunity. These lands are dotted with countless settlements, where various peoples have flocked from around the system. With the exception of worship of the Dark Apostles or the practice of gross violations of others' civil rights, all religions are tolerated here, and various bizarre (and not so bizarre) cults and sects have found homes here, setting up farming communities in these fertile lands. It's also a place where many mutants and social outcasts go to find a new life as well. Except where obvious Dark Legion activity is involved, the Brotherhood agrees to live and let live here, though there are still rumors that circulate of entire towns that have gone over to the Darkness.
Hope Hope is the capitol of the Freedom Lands, located on a railroad hub, and home to processing plants and slaughter houses that form the heart of Capitol's massive food industry. It's also home to Hope University, the largest academic institution on Mars, and to the prestitious Air Combat Training School, home of Capitol's so-called "Top Gun" program. There are rumors that some day a third Cathedral may be built here in Hope, but so far, such rumors have not been substantiated.
Vega A large city situated on the edge of Lake Vega in the Freedom Lands, this is a place given over totally to vice and greed. It is best known for its casinos and gambling houses, where are brightly advertised with holographic displays on the outside, and on the inside, no expense is spared in creating the "perfect" environment to part visitors from their cash. Drinks are free to gamblers, food is cheap, there are no clocks on the walls, and artificial daylight ensures that no one should have any cause to think about just how much time they've spent there losing money. The Brotherhood frowns on the whole operation, but since this is part of the Freedom Lands, it is unable to take any action. All manner of organized crime is involved here, but, oddly enough, this city has the lowest crime rate of any Capitolian city on Mars. This is largely because the "powers that be" in Vega don't wish to scare off potential customers.
Valley Forge / Astoria Steelworks This is the largest city located in the Great Rust Desert -- close to Burroughs -- though it's not a very pleasant place to visit, thanks to all the fumes and smoke lingering in the air, with all the ore-processing plants that are based here. This is home to Universal Steel, the largest provider of steel in the solar system, and to the Astoria Steelworks. One monument of note would be the Valley Forge Monument, a steel spire that juts upward into the sky some one thousand feet, built entirely out of scrap taken from the battlefield where Imperial laid siege to the city for over a year. The attack was repelled, in one of Imperial's most devastating failures in pursuit of its policy of armed acquisition, and this monument has become a symbol for Capitol's attempts to repel invaders from its Martian holdings.
Valley of a Thousand Stones This secluded valley is located right next to the otherwise insignificant settlement of Clarkesburg, and is something of an out-of-the-way tourist attraction ... even more out of the way, thanks to incursions from Mishima and the Dark Legion that make it theoretically quite vulnerable to attack, save for its strategically unimportant position at the north end of the Whistling Sands Desert. It has approximately one thousand hexagonal pillars scattered about its interior, each pillar face inscribed with alien hieroglyphs. The columns have been dated by scientists as being over five million years old, but there are no other known sites on Mars that attest to any other signs of alien culture (despite claims by some individuals that if the light hits it just right, one of the mountains nearby looks like a human face).
Edison This city dates back to before the Age of Catastrophe, originally heralded as the "City of the Future", where Capitolian scientists created new inventions and researched new technologies. When mankind's computers turned against him, however, some of Capitol's most brilliant minds turned to despair and then madness, and the city of Edison was destroyed in a great explosion of unknown origin, generally attributed to a group of scientists gone berserk. The city has been diligently scoured by Capitol and other corporations for anything of value, though prospectors remained in the area, as well as others eager to find a life in the Southern Freedom Lands close to a link with the Trans-Martian Railway. A settlement flourished for a time, but the waters nearby dried up, causing the settlement to eventually become a ghost town, populated only by scavengers, treasure-seekers, and a nearby military garrison. Every once in a while, someone strikes it lucky and comes out with a valuable find, prompting a flurry of renewed interest that eventually dies down when no further discoveries are forthcoming. With the encroachment of the Dark Legion, only the truly brave or foolhardy bother to try to make a living in Edison anymore.
Mount Erebus Mount Erebus is home to a rare sight: an abandoned Citadel. It was once the base of operations of the Nepharite Malakhai, until it was bombed into rubble. Although the Dark Legion had been driven out, not all traces of the Dark Legion have been eradicated: Mount Erebus itself is carved with the visage of Malakhai's leering face, and all attempts to remove this image -- by bombing, by the Art, and other methods -- have seemed doomed to failure. The Brotherhood maintains a constant guard of Sacred Warriors and troopers here to warn away scavengers and treasure-seekers from the ruins. The leering face can be seen from the nearby stretch of railroad going between San Dorado and Augusta, though most passengers choose not to look at the strange landmark for more than a few minutes at most.
Southern Freedom Lands This was the site of the South Martian Wars during the time of the First Corporate Wars. These once fertile lands were fought over by the various corporations, until they were reduced (often by deliberate sabotage) to scrubby lands marked by countless wars. As part of the Treaty of Heimburg, Capitol was forced to cede these lands -- most of the southern hemisphere of Mars -- to anyone who would help rebuild them. Thus, the corporations have set up fortress cities here, following a general policy of outward expansion as the once-wastes are slowly reclaimed, and Capitol has no legal justification in the eyes of the Brotherhood or Cartel for contesting these claims. (That is, this is how it works for most of the corporations, save for Imperial, which, true to its usual methodology, largely just preys upon the holdings of the other corporations whenever an opportunity presents itself.)
Lawrence and the Imperial Mandate The Imperial Mandate is a large stretch of land ceded to Imperial by Capitol as part of the Treaty of Heimburg. While it was originally thought worthless by Capitol, it has since then proven to be home to one of the richest deposits of ores and gems on all of Mars in a hopelessly ironic twist of fate. Capitol, of course, has been fairly resentful of this, especially given Imperial's general treatment of its end of the peace process in the Treaty of Heimburg, but so far it hasn't seen fit to bomb the capitol city of Lawrence into oblivion and take the lands back. Given an opportunity to do so in a "cost-effective" manner, however, Capitol just might be tempted to throw caution to the wind and take the land back ... but doing so at present would require resources it can't spare, in holding back the Dark Legion. Imperial, for its part, maintains a fortress in the capitol city of Lawrence, and does its best to keep reminding Capitol that to try to take the Imperial Mandate back would be very costly.
Strathgordon Another major Imperial holding is the fortress of Strathgordon, built on the edge of the Grand Martian Canyon, in the Mariner Mountains. It is built upon several rich gem mines, and is another source of resentment for Capitol, though it is located in the southern hemisphere ceded by the dictates of the Brotherhood. Strathgordon is a major base of the Highlander Clans, who defend it against the nearby Citadel of Absalom that has appeared in recent years. There is an ancient prophesy that says that if Strathgordon falls, doom will befall the Imperial corporation ... and Absalom seems determined to see this prophesy come about, by sending attacks against the fortress on an almost daily basis.
Karkov Retreat Located atop the collosal Karkov Cliffs and the Silverspray Waterfall at the edge of the Grand Martian Canyon, this Brotherhood monastery is home to the Penitents -- an order of monks who are Brotherhood members that have been disgraced in some way, and here seek to serve penitence by performing the most menial labors that can be prescribed to them, in hopes of gaining absolution and being allowed to return to their calling in the Brotherhood at large.
Hosokawa Hosokawa is capitol of the Lord Heress Mariko, home to the Palace of the Skies (which is also faithfully replicated in San Dorado, minus the fortifications that surround the original). This is the base of operations for Mishima's holdings on Mars, and is located in the heart of scattered Mishiman settlements. Mariko has worked diligently to rebuild the Capitolian canal system in the southern hemisphere, despite interference from the Dark Legion (and other corporations). Capitol has resented Mariko making herself so "at home" here, and has repeatedly demanded return of control of the canals, but Mishima has invested so much in rebuilding this part of the southern region that this is simply out of the question.
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