New Gibson

A Gibsonite Understad, built underground in pursuit of downwards-facing drills. These cities crawl at a snail's pace, but over hundreds of years have grown kilometers underground in some places.

New Gibson is the second exoplanet to be colonized by humanity, shortly after the initial success of Biesel's colonization attempt in 2167. While the economic and social powerhouse established itself on Biesel, New Gibson was set to become the industrial workhorse of the Tau Ceti system. New Gibson contained a rich and valuable resource pool together with the highest concentrations of many valuable minerals of any planetary surface in Tau Ceti, in the form of highly concentrated ores. This vast mineral wealth was highly sought after, especially for the continued development of Biesel's fledgling colony at the beginning of its life. While New Gibson has a complex dedicated to virtually all industries, its major players are shipbuilding and wide-ranging manufacturing adjacent to its titanic planetary mines. This is an old world, with efforts to commercialize every crevice ranging back hundreds of years. In the cavernous pitfalls and valleys of New Gibson resides both its thriving mining economy and its greatest dangers. Active tectonics of New Gibson are nonexistent, leading to a very cold, dark mantle. It is assumed with current technology that the core of New Gibson is long dormant, though no recorded effort to reach it has ever succeeded.

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History

Settlers from the regions of Scandinavia populated New Gibson’s wayfaring colonization fleets in its early days - following the near-collapse of the Earth biosphere. Unlike Biesel, a tremendous measure of preparation was required before even considering landing on New Gibson. Colonization ships were unusually huge, purpose-made to carry the equally large terrestrial biodomes for orbital delivery. The colonization of New Gibson in 2167 shortly after Biesel came with small praise and little media coverage, contrary to its neighbour which had blown minds as the first habitable exoplanet colonized. New Gibson was relatively unnoteworthy, and simply seen as a stepping stone for Biesel’s upcoming dominance. From its colonization and onwards, the history of New Gibson would be turbulent, and often seen as secondary to Biesel in many ways.

The industrial prowess of New Gibson however was never questioned. Unlike Biesel’s planetside capabilities, New Gibson had been developed as a mining venture from the start. Early corporations sought to jeopardize the immigration boom to Biesel by raising New Gibson to be a boomtown for different reasons. Though, due to the difficulties with its habitability and extreme weather conditions, the population of New Gibson would never soar. People sought comfort in the paradise of Biesel’s landscapes, and quickly New Gibson receded into being nothing more than another one of Biesel’s ventures into independence.

Most everything for New Gibson’s colonization was eventually manufactured in-system or in orbit. Facilities such as biodomes would be dropped from orbit on one-way trips, unpiloted and half-complete. Once landed, they would be properly constructed in gravity with the proper necessities planetside, such as electricity and water pump systems. The dropping of biodomes would usually be catastrophically mismanaged, and the hasty rate at which they were constructed did not help. Most of the dropped facilities would fail mid-flight and slam into the planet destructively. This led to biodomes being spread out in landing, and many ended up being connected by less-than-stable structures built overground.

Underground, things were far different - drilling arrays and material acquisition made plenty of room for development, and within the turf of New Gibson, there was some warmth still. While traversal would still require extensive EVA protection, underground facilities would be built much more comfortably without constant winds barraging the ground crews. Biodomes were the start, but in truth, the underground would expand New Gibson’s industry exponentially over the years.

Founding

The encroaching ecological collapse of Earth spurred numerous countries across the European Union to attempt to colonize planets as a way to preserve their way of life - even if it existed in another form on another planet. Majority of the original colonists of New Gibson were refugees from the environmental circumstances of their homeland - melting icecaps flooding the coastal regions of Scandinavia. Entire regions were wiped from the flood, resulting in overpopulation within the major population centres and rising political tension. The issues presented across the Nordic region eventually prompted the unified colonization effort of New Gibson - its abundance of natural resources and proximity to Biesel and Valkyrie made it an optimal decision.

Several settlements were established during the mid-2160s, marking the first wave of colonization, utilizing modified archology technology from Mars. The first biodomes are considerably different from what exists across New Gibson currently and were heavily industrialized. Artificial environments were unheard of for the initial colonists of the planet, and industrial architecture was a common sight. The limited ability to sustain colonists, whilst also providing for their needs, resulted in cramped living conditions until the expansion of the settlements deep within the permafrost and crust.

Despite there being several setbacks across the colonies of New Gibson, it was eventually deemed a successful effort from all sides in 2192. Colonies that previously were self-sufficient had begun industrially specializing, and an expansive trading network between the biodomes became critical to the survival of those across the arctic plains. Initially making use of atmospheric carriers that proved to be ineffective in the long run, the notion of an interconnected subway crept into the colonists’ minds. The New Gibsonite Subway was established in 2224 and brought with it a new type of connection between the biodomes. Travelling among biodomes became popular, and the myriad of colonial cultures began to fuse into one.

Second Great Depression & Interstellar War

The ushering in of the Second Great Depression resulted in a dark age occurring across the colonies of New Gibson. The collapse of the Solarian Alliance’s economy initially meant that New Gibson saw itself rise to prominence as a regional industrial superpower, and enjoyed a somewhat delayed impact of the economic slump as outer colonies found themselves relying on New Gibson as a manufacturing hub in the region. The continued economic downturn eventually forced the rerouting of funds allocated to New Gibson to other colonies deemed more vital. While other colonies had begun to adjust to the instability of the economic recession, New Gibson had been plunged into the deep end. With the inability to fund the maintenance of their biodomes combined with escalating demands from its industrial sector, New Gibsonites were forced to replace several residential districts with industrial zones in the hope of their export income sustaining the colonies. Biodomes returned to cramped living conditions, with overpopulation quickly overtaking the other issues faced.

The outbreak of the Interstellar War only added to the abuse that New Gibson was suffering from the increased demand for its manufacturing ability. Much of the smaller industries funded by the inhabitants found themselves swallowed by larger off-world competitors, namely Einstein Engines. While the shipbuilding industry of New Gibson was repurposed for simple refuelling and repairs, it quickly became the foremost and most critical base for the war effort towards the galactic east. The bailouts received from the Solarian Alliance for Einstein Engines at the height of the Second Great Depression, with many on New Gibson viewing it as funding meant for them, found itself injected into the planet's shipyard infrastructure. For a brief period in time, New Gibson seemed to recover slightly from the mistreatment of its sovereign power. This would unfortunately not last for long.

The brief respite for New Gibsonites was just that; despite other participants within Tau Ceti contributing to the demands laid out by the Solarian Alliance, New Gibson was often forced to shoulder the large majority of it due to it specializing in manufacturing early on in its development as a colony. Overpopulation was rife, and the ability to sustain its inhabitants continued to dwindle through the decade long war. Its conclusion only brought with it growing unemployment and political tension between New Gibson and the Solarian Alliance.

Crisis of 2294

Dwindling necessities, overpopulation and unemployment were just the major factors that contributed to the Crisis of 2294. The inability to provide basic necessities, or afford to import it from Biesel, resulted in a famine that wiped out almost twenty percent of New Gibson’s total population. Hundreds of thousands died in the ensuing weeks, alongside the proliferation of diseases such as dysentery across the biodomes. Riots broke out shortly thereafter, attempting to breach the restricted hydroponic districts, taking what little food was still being grown with limited resources.

It is seen as the most defining moment within New Gibsonite history. It was months before a helping hand was extended by both Biesel and Valkyrie, against the wishes of the shared colonial sovereign. It took almost two years to fully recover from the effects of the Crisis, with Einstein Engines liquidating the majority of its corporate assets across the planet due to the grim circumstances that made recovery seem unlikely.

The Crisis of 2294 resulted in the introduction of the New Gibson Parliament, and the change of hands in leadership. Biodomes would be afforded seats based on their population, and those holding seats in parliament would be elected by the people. It also brought with it the replacement of the Colonial Governor’s office, with the office of Presiding Speaker taking its place.

Contact with the Skrell

First contact with the Skrell in 2332 brought with it incredible changes, especially for New Gibson. The tension between the Solarian Alliance and New Gibson was at the highest it had ever been and was continuing to grow. The vestiges of the problems experienced almost forty years prior still had a profound impact across the biodomes of New Gibson. Growth across New Gibson was still restricted due to the lack of funding from the Solarian Alliance and issues presented shortly before the Crisis were beginning to re-appear.

After several years of brokering agreements, the Nralakk Federation had agreed to integrate their biodome technology across colonies within the Solarian Alliance. While this was first treated with hostility by New Gibsonites, who believed it to be an alien invasion into their culture and way of life, it eventually became the foundation for an amicable relationship between Skrell and Gibsonites. Skrell were migrating in droves to the biodomes across the planet, integrating their foreign technology into the decaying systems of New Gibson - revitalizing and revolutionizing the quality of life on the planet.

Hydroponics were no longer struggling to reach quotas, and cramped conditions disappeared almost overnight as Skrellian technology continued to be introduced and expanded upon. New Gibson readily accepted the Skrell into their society, with many choosing to remain even after the leasing agreements had concluded. This resulted in New Gibson hosting one of the largest populations of Skrell outside the Nralakk Federation, and the largest in Tau Ceti.

Recent Times

The independence of Tau Ceti in 2452 was highly celebrated in New Gibson, ending the rising political tensions between the planet and the Solarian Alliance. Independence brought opportunities to expand and allowed New Gibson to rise to prominence once again. Tau Ceti’s status as a safe haven for megacorporations was however met with bitterness, especially after NanoTrasen's and then Hephaestus' acquisition of most planetary administration. Skrell still remaining on New Gibson were utilized once again, but instead of integrating their technology into pre-existing structures, were tasked with constructing an advanced biodome that would become the capital of the planet - the Hengsha Biodome Archology, named after Presiding Speaker Xin Hengsha.

New Gibson remains an industrial superpower within the Republic of Biesel, and is responsible for the production of the majority of industrial and consumer goods that can be bought within the region of space it encompasses - even exporting to lesser nations such as the Izweski Hegemony and the Peoples’ Republic of Adhomai. There are several events that have transpired on New Gibson in recent times:

August 18th, 2460: The Hengsha Biodome Archology is attacked by the Lii’dra Hive. Thousands are injured in the ensuing chaos, and the deployment of Black K’ois is first seen.

August 19th, 2460: New Gibson is placed in lockdown, and the New Valley Biodome experiences a communications blackout. Expeditions are launched by survivors to investigate.

August 21st, 2460: Black K’ois is finally contained on New Gibson, being confined to several controlled locations carefully monitored by authorities. The New Valley Biodome is discovered to be the breeding ground for an unknown substance.

September 4th, 2460: The Lii’dra are successfully repelled. Damages estimated from the carnage are high and expected to take months to repair. The death toll of the New Gibson invasion sits at 192.

Both the Phoron Scarcity and the King of the World Arc have brought several changes to the arcologies across New Gibson, mostly in the forms of compounding issues that many fear will turn into another Crisis of 2294. With most of the arcologies utilizing Phoron generators to power their districts, there have been several power fluctuations resulting in entire districts having to undergo brown-outs to ensure life-support is sustained throughout their archologies. There are calls from Gibsonites to address the developing issue, however, little has been done by the government - many voicing discontents as their calls fall on deaf ears. The Solarian Invasion of the Republic Biesel by the 33rd Fleet only added to the problems faced by New Gibson. Using the orbital bombardment of the arcologies as a diversion attempt, many of the levels close to the surface found themselves heavily damaged, and requiring extensive repairs. Much of the damage has not been repaired, due to the power constraints in the face of the Phoron Scarcity as arcologies face brown-outs in order to keep themselves alive, even just barely. The Crisis of 2294 lingers on the minds of Gibsonites, many fearing yet another may occur and plunge their planet into another era of darkness.

New Gibson

Tau Ceti System

Sector: Tau Ceti

Capital: Hengsha Biodome

Species: Human, Skrell, IPC, Vaurca

Common Languages: Tau Ceti Basic

Demonyms: Gibsonite

Part of: Republic of Biesel

Formerly part of: Sol Alliance

Environment

New Gibson's weather is turbulent. Their blizzards are growing more rapid, and upsets of the weather system are common.

Characterized by huge snow-covered valleys with large solitary mountains, New Gibson experiences some of the coldest temperatures across Tau Ceti. Its atmosphere is primarily composed of methane, ammonia and trace amounts of water vapor - requiring those that wish to explore its landscape to wear bulky and cumbersome EVA equipment.

Due to its axial tilt, combined with its orbital period, New Gibson is enveloped in perpetual twilight. These factors also contributed to the planet’s frequent blizzards, engulfing the plains of New Gibson in its frost. Temperatures during these blizzards can reach as low as negative 187°C.

Regional weather and blizzards are frequently turbulent on New Gibson. But, every three years (GST), the planet is globally pummeled by an upset of the weather system. In the hundreds of years that have passed since its colonization, these storms have grown far worse, far more frequent and far more deadly. A clear cause would be pollution from industrial development and mostly gaseous byproducts dumped into the cold planet’s already freezing atmosphere.

These dangerous conditions imply that, if not adequately sturdy, every residence is temporary. Only underground structures and hundreds of years old biodomes stand the test of time here.

Native life on New Gibson is, to some surprise, completely nonexistent. Only invasive species able to handle the brutal habitat definitively survive, and these are very few. Cases like these are usually small mineral-eating insectoid species with long hibernation cycles. The sole exception is Greimorians, which have taken advantage of deep-mantle burrows and a chilly subterranean cave system. However, there are rumours that do circulate among New Gibsonites that the snow is in fact an alien species, connected through millions of pathways only observable through powerful microscopes. Whilst this has supposedly been disproven, the superstition of the frost harbouring life continues to proliferate across the planet - with stories of the snow forming shapes and even interacting with people.

The large infestation of Greimorians in New Gibson's lower crust are typically out of sight or scared off by drilling expeditions. Noisy drills tend to ward off hostile Greimorians, but smaller vibrations like small mining teams is known to attract burrowing Greimorians in swarms. In recent years, these have grown more common as hungry, unseen hives grow larger. The origin of these Greimorians is unknown, but sightings have been prominent for at least a decade.

Government

Patriotic flag of New Gibson.

Initially, the colonies established across New Gibson were subservient to their respective colonial powers, the majority of which was Nordic in origin or northwestern European. There was no unified government across New Gibson until after the Crisis of 2294, where the Parliamentary Republic of New Gibson was established, a representative democracy that relies on population statistics to award influence within its highest chamber of authority. Those within Parliament are elected by inhabitants of the respective biodomes, who in turn elect an individual among themselves to represent the entirety of New Gibson; the Presiding Speaker. The current Presiding Speaker is Åke Torvald.

New Gibson, unlike other planets across the Orion Spur, does not possess a military force. It only utilizes law enforcement agencies to ensure there maintains a level of order within its biodomes, known as the New Gibson Security Forces. The administration of the New Gibson Security Forces falls under the purview of Presiding Speaker Åke Torvald, who has assigned each biodome, adequate members of the force, to ensure effective law enforcement.

Culture and Demographics

New Gibson has always been considered a rather reclusive society. In all its history, New Gibson has played underdog to Biesel. Referred to as the breadbasket of freedom, New Gibson has always been in the shadow of its more appealing counterpart - regardless of their contributions to the success of the growing Republic. As a result of its neglect, New Gibsonites often harbor resentment towards Biesel, staunch nationalists often citing the name of the Republic of Biesel as an insult to Non-Biesellites that helped create an independent Tau Ceti.

The industrial might of New Gibson is undoubted across the Republic of Biesel - supplying most, if not all, of the resources required for the continued success of the growing system. TIt is due to this that those from the arctic planet are often complimented for being an industrious workforce, mostly stemming from the first colonists of New Gibson - who faced considerable challenges in the early days of colonization, burrowing deep within the planet and creating expansive mines that unearthed several mineral riches. It is due to these initial hardships, and the continued intergenerational mindset across the centuries, that New Gibson has developed an almost unhealthy approach to work - with more than a few reports of New Gibsonites having been injured whilst working due to exhaustion, or placing themselves under additional stress to the point that their health often takes a toll.

New Gibsonites wield considerable skills usually related to either engineering or mining, thanks to its heavy-industrial focus. Despite their colonial roots, there is a subculture that exists that revolves around these two fields - even resulting in competitions and holidays. It has also become a focal point in the mocking of New Gibsonites, with many displaying the culture negatively through the caricature of an obviously-exhausted muscular miner with a strong accent, oftentimes shown with an abrasive personality.

On New Gibson, there exists a clear-cut cultural schism between the Undirstads and the Ovanstads. While the colonial culture has grown steadily and evolved over time in the Undirstads, it has all but vanished in the population of the Ovanstads. The Ovanstads, characterized by their strong megacorporate influence and much more marketable locations, house nearly all of New Gibson’s foreign industry. Many affluent families from Biesel vacation in the Ovanstads, and there exists a thriving financial and entertainment industrie. Many families from the Undirstads fiercely hold onto their cultural traditions, seeing the surface-dwelling societies as having lost something important to their identities in the abundance of wealth and foreign influence - especially from Biesel.

Undergrounders and Undirstads

With the expansion of New Gibson beneath the surface, there exist generational lineages that refer to themselves as Undergrounders - having originated shortly after colonial expansions began within the crust of the New Gibson permafrost. These lineages are typically long lines of miners, who continue to expand the subterranean archologies - having done so for centuries at this point. It is not uncommon for Undergrounders to have never seen stars before, with those leaving New Gibson for other opportunities remarking on their surprise that space isn’t just pitch-black. There also exist several settlements created by Undergrounders, referred to as “Undirstads."

Undirstads that were founded shortly after subterranean excavations began have evolved and expanded considerably, and some find themselves recognized as “City-States” so to speak by the New Gibson’s native sovereign Parliamentary Republic. Those recognized are oftentimes integrated, and required to contribute to the overall success of New Gibson. The industrial focus of the Undirstads is the primary reason for New Gibson’s industrial might, with hundreds contributing to the overall production ability of the planet. Undirstads still retain most of their autonomy - only having had their autonomy curtailed during the Crisis of 2294 in order to attempt to delay a famine, in which they were forced to provide what little provisions they stored to the surface archologies.

In recent times, Undirstads have become something of a hotbed for anti-Biesel sentiment after much of their foundries and manufacturing facilities have been refitted to produce equipment for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in the wake of the Peacekeeper Mandate within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. Many Undirstaders believe they are being forced to support a conflict that they have no stake in, or even any part in - their resources and labour consumed by Biesellite interests at the detriment of local communities, and with nothing to gain from it. These two events have contributed to a spreading anti-war sentiment in the Undirstads, the populace often feeling alienated and exploited as a result of surface-dwelling - and by extension - Biesellite goals. These sentiments predominately are expressed as acts of civil disobedience, however, as the various anti-war groups continue to gain momentum, only time can tell whether they pose a threat to the status quo of New Gibson.

The Undirstads are, as a rule, much more insular than their Ovanstad counterparts. Cultural traditions from Earth are still held by the inhabitants and have been passed down from generation to generation over the centuries since Nordic colonization, changing all the while to become something uniquely Gibsonite. Many Undirstaders hold a deep respect for their forebears, and many create shrines or other offering areas for them. The snow of New Gibson, in particular, is respected as a powerful living entity. It is a beloved cultural tradition for elders of a community to claim to be able to scry using the snow,- sitting and watching the falling flakes to identify shapes and motions in their movements that could foretell future events or advise on decisions. Additionally, common are folktales of an Undirstader on the surface becoming lost in the snow, only to be guided to safety or tricked into loosing themselves further by the snow depending on their quality of character. It is an often held belief that dead loved ones or ancestry will come back to visit their living family through blizzards or snowstorms, and many Gibsoners venture out into these storms for the sake of hopefully catching a glimpse of their forebears, spouses, and so on. For this reason, it is considered a terrible thing to not be buried on New Gibson, and those abroad generally insist on their bodies being returned to the planet. Undirstads nearer the surface will often have long, narrow shafts to the surface that may be opened to allow the snow to drift down into special chambers known as Skrytisherbergi that are created for these purposes. Skrytisherbergi serve as local community centers and congregation points for the populace of the Undirstads, with people from cities without them often journeying from home to attend ceremonies or merely to spend the day with their kin.

Designed in a manner in which they expand from a singular point, Undirstads typically make use of either a Fusion Power Rely or relays, depending on the energy needs of the underground settlement. Some of the eldest Undirstads find themselves relying on modified ship engines from the initial colonisation of the arctic planet. Considered vital to New Gibson, these relays are utilized to power and fuel the titanic industrial might that the Undirstads wield, which are responsible for most if not all industrial production on the planet. Industrial sectors within the Undirstads produce anything from the simplest battery to the advanced components required for artificial intelligence.

Surfacers and Ovanstads

Atop its icy peaks, New Gibson hosts fully-developed archologies referred to as Ovanstads. These archologies are capable of sustaining millions - many able to house skyscrapers. These tremendous arcologies know little respite from the blizzards which wreak havoc across the arctic plains of New Gibson. Suitably, Ovanstads are considered to have been constructed to stand the test of time - with many having been adapted from the original frames placed after the colonization rush of the 2100s. Cavernous, spacious and dark, these frames were designed to accommodate expansion for many years to come with the external protective barriers specifically enhanced to protect its contents.

The other half of New Gibson’s population resides within the Ovanstads, and almost all tourism and immigration flocks here particularly. The industry here is primarily entertainment, and upper-level executives reside here as opposed to Undirstads where the inner workings of the industrial sector churn. Food business and agriculture are the main planetary outputs of Ovanstads, through massive vertical hydroponic facilities. Ovanstads are also outfitted with environmental recreation abilities, with most being able to replicate the conditions of Biesel perfectly, even creating artificial rain clouds to make the watering of the hydroponic facilities seamless.

Ovanstads are often recognised as the face of New Gibson and marketed across the Orion Spur. This results in a skewed perception from tourists and immigrants who place more importance on these archologies as a result of the biased advertising that oftentimes doesn’t depict or even mention the Undirstads. This has also resulted in a bit of tension between the Surfacers and Undergrounders, with the Undergrounders claiming the advertising to be disingenuous and not reflecting the reality of the situation in which many will be staying far beneath the permafrost of New Gibson and not within the picture-esque Ovandstads. Dissimilar to Undirstads, Ovanstads are often mixed baskets of culturalism. The elevation of the Republic of Biesel as an immigration hub (as well as a drawer of tourism) has resulted in a rich, vibrant multicultural existence across the surface within the Ovanstads. There are no set conventions for those that survive within the Ovanstads - only those that individuals apply to themselves.

Ovanstads have seen an increased Legion and Private Military Contracting Group presence as the Peacekeeper Mandate continues. New Gibson’s Ovanstads serve as an important wayfare between themselves and Undirstads, where military ordinance finds its way to the surface and is subsequently carted off to the Corporate Reconstruction Zone to further Biesellite interests. Additionally, the mass influx of ships has bolstered New Gibson’s smuggling trade, with crafty blockade runners and illegal freighters using the increased shipping to their advantage. For those caught in the quagmire of danger and lawlessness that is the CRZ, many refugees are smuggled into Tau Ceti by these highways.

Skrell on New Gibson

See also: Skrell in the Republic of Biesel

Following first contact with the Skrell in 2332 CE, various agreements between the Nralakk Federation and the Solarian Alliance facilitated the introduction of Skrellian technology on New Gibson; much of which was being used on Aliose. This led to the "leasing" of Skrell to oversee the application of their technology, making sure that its use holds up to skrellian standards. This new technology was rapidly applied across the colony, replacing the rather rudimentary archologies established across the arctic planet.

Initial integration proved to be difficult, owing to the cultural differences of the species. Whilst tensions were rather high between Humanity and Skrell on New Gibson, it eventually came to pass shortly after the assimilation of Skrellian technology. The new biodomes proved to be a success as the archologies were massively overhauled, allowing for the various restrictions forced upon the archologies to be repealed. Many of the "leased" Skrell chose to remain on New Gibson, with the Nralakk Federation supporting those that remained through the establishment of spa clinics, allowing the new colonists to receive similar characteristics to Skrell found on Aliose - primarily thick white skin.

Most Gibsonites, as a result of the planet's assistance from the Skrell, possess a more positive view of Skrell than other humans within the Orion Spur. This has prospered in many skrellian individuals continuing to visit their quya that remained on New Gibson or even emigrating due to the welcoming attitude towards their species. New Gibson now hosts the largest population of Skrell within Tau Ceti, and one of the largest outside of the Nralakk Federation. This change in demographics has pushed many Gibsonites to share a similar bias towards Synthetics that the Skrell do; prompting more discrimination to occur to IPCs than anywhere else within Tau Ceti. Whilst the official discrimination against IPCs is similar to that on Biesel, unofficially, many IPCs have commented on the mechanophobia that has enveloped Gibsonite society.

Unique Constellations

Much like Skrell colonies outside of Nralakk in the Federation, the Skrell on New Gibson have their own unique constellations that they have catalogued and give reverence to. Although these constellations are considered minor by the Qeblak faith, they still hold importance to the Skrell of New Gibson and have influenced the Skrell living there to focus more on personal freedom, advancement, and community cohesion.

The Dyn: Survival. Generosity. Community.

The Iqi Star: Self-Advancement. Social standing. Success.

The Sky-Grazer: Expressiveness. Freedom. Adventure.

IPCs on New Gibson

The cold environment has many pleasant realizations for IPC immigrants to New Gibson. Most commercial bots enjoy the more peaceful end of weather in their bare frame, provided they avoid storms or upsets. Although harsher weather, typically in the winter months, still require heavy protection, they are far more dexterous and agile than their organic counterparts in the crippling cold.

Of the IPC population on New Gibson, a fact of life is the conflict between its longstanding native Skrell population and the recent presence of sentient robots. While the Republic of Biesel expanding on IPC rights has shifted the foundation of these bots' freedoms, Gibsonites more often express disappointment for their uprising. These attitudes have trickled down to the planet's human population as well. It is seen as yet another debate they have found themselves excluded from at best, and a betrayal of the natives' wishes at worst.

Circumstances like these make IPCs inclined to pursue two avenues of life on New Gibson, both seeking isolated attitudes. One such potential is to move into an exclave of sorts; one of many IPC-centered businesses ran by megacorporations that expand around the Ovanstads. A second opportunity is to leave the planet entirely, and Gibson sourced free IPCs frequently seek service to the Legion to accomplish this. Ironically, this often takes them a step away from their goal as higher-ups in the TCFL prefer to station IPC personnel on the planet, viewing them as more reliable in the conditions.

Being an external planet, the second closest to the Romanovich Cloud, intake of runaway IPCs here is obviously very high. In fact, many of those fleeing into the Republic use New Gibson as a way station to either secure themselves a future within the Republic, or silently live a new life.

Cuisine

Due to the early life inside cramped biodomes, where there was little space for livestock, there was a noticeable shift towards more vegetarian and vegan-based diets. During this period of the planet's history, the drinks ‘Gibson Hooch’ and ‘Gibson Punch’ were starting to see prominence. These cocktails had no standard mix, with Hooch being a quasi-mead type drink fermented with whatever fruit and ingredients the settlers had on hand, while Gibson Punch would typically be made from orange juice, homemade vodka, and powdered lemonade mix for flavour. These two drinks would eventually become household favourites of the colonists, with the drinks being standardised roughly at the start of the 24th century. To Gibsonites, these drinks are culturally and historically important, reflecting the difficult history of New Gibson.

While the number of livestock on New Gibson during this time was never high, there were small ‘farms’ spread out across the biodomes that allowed for meat, eggs and dairy to be given to the populace in small amounts. Smaller animals such as goats, chickens, and sheep were the only ones allowed due to the cramped conditions making space a luxury at the time. Living conditions for these livestock are notoriously poor, even today. Soups and stews were a primary feature at this time to help stretch out the limited food supply of the colony, and to make up for the lack of variety of food offered.

Synthetic meat has also grown in popularity, with facilities on New Gibson itself established to provide beef, pork, salmon, and herring in particular for domestic consumption. There have been plans since the late 24th century for aquaculture arcologies to be built, but due to the investment required for these facilities, this has barely left the planning stages.

Celebrations

Unity Day is celebrated across New Gibson on the 27th of December. It is a national holiday that celebrates the forming of the Parliamentary Republic of New Gibson, which unified the biodomes under a central government. There is no official celebration beyond a special announcement by the Presiding Speaker, but many people host parties in the residential districts to celebrate.

Celebration of the Solstice is celebrated by those of New Gibson on the 6th of September, marking the completed revolution of New Gibson on its axis. It involves the raising and dancing around a maypole - a tall, wooden pole that has its origins in provinces across Earth. After the activities surrounding the maypole have concluded, there is a community picnic each family contributes to.

Thorrablot is celebrated in late January by the Undirstader population of New Gibson. While it may have its roots in a specific Earth celebration, it is now widely seen as a celebration of Undirstader culture and pride. There is no set activity or celebration for Thorrablot, and each Undirstad celebrates in its own way. Many families hold feasts, recite poetry, or hold festivals and dances all in the hope of showcasing Undirstad culture.

Remembrance Day is celebrated across New Gibson on the 14th of June. A national holiday that mourns the events of the Crisis of 2294. In the evening, there is a memorial at a monument erected in Hengsha that is dedicated to those that perished during the darkest days of New Gibson. The names of each person are read, following which is a unified moment of silence. It is common for New Gibsonites to wear black, symbolizing the shared impact of the Crisis. Recently, the names of those that perished in the Lii’dra Invasion have also been included.

Transportation and Trade

Planetside, every common method of motion is at a standstill on the surface due to horrible weather conditions. Very rarely do the wide tundras show mercy on travellers here. It is obvious that only very heavy vehicles and stationary installations make it long on New Gibson. Prime examples are Glacier Bricks, which are wide-treaded machines that ferry supply and personnel between biodomes. While not particularly noteworthy as far as technology goes, vehicles here must still take on very resistant and surface-clinging shapes while retaining a large profile against the pounding winds.

A Gibsonite Glacier Brick, trundling along at a respectable speed through the snow.

Underground, tunnelling efforts struggle to connect every settlement residing on the ground above. Deeply buried tram systems predate the Interstellar War itself and ease the difficulty of travelling between the higher population domes.

Large spacefaring vessels have been known to land on New Gibson, but generally take walled in routes. This implies huge natural and partially artificial mountains exist as walls to create uniquely stable weather systems inside, where travelers from orbit can easily enter into and land. These are functionally giant holes in mountains where high speed docking paths must align for larger vessels.

Crime

Tau Ceti is a highly developed system, so high-level spacefaring crime of any sort is very dangerous. This makes smuggling a thing of only thrill seekers and madmen. However, New Gibson offers something new; coupled with its relatively large distance from Biesel, and its awful weather systems, smuggling here is popular. Those willing to roll the dice and guide their ships undetected into the whirling winds frequently find themselves frozen dead in the icy expanse. Few dedicated, in-the-know smuggling bands have established side routes into New Gibson's atmosphere, with mobile pads receiving them for offloading. The rest of their business occurs underground, shady as it may be. Natives of New Gibson are known for ties to many off-world smugglers over the years. In addition, cases of less accomplished or young Gibsonites joining these bands are rampant. The families which originally populated New Gibson's industry have solid connections with many illicit bands because of this, perhaps stretching far into the Coalition.

Major Population Centers

Hengsha

New Gibson's capital, the Hengsha Arcology

The capital of New Gibson, the Hengsha Biodome is the largest across the arctic flats and houses the majority of the New Gibsonite population. Instituted by then-Presiding Speaker Xin Hengsha, it was one of the first massive undertakings by the Republic of Biesel following its independence from the Solarian Alliance - a project of sorts that was thought to prove their capacity as a sovereign nation. It was the first collaborative project with the megacorporations as well, with both NanoTrasen and Hephaestus Industries contributing greatly to its construction. It is centered around “Hengsha Square”, a promenade surrounding an artificial lake created to simulate the environment of Biesel. It is considered one of the most advanced biodomes within the entirety of the Orion Spur, with round the clock maintenance workers ensuring its continued operation. Internally, its architectural structure is a blend of both Biesellite and New Gibsonite designs. It has no specific function, and dabbles in several different fields; agriculture, industry and even entertainment. However, it is mostly considered an Ovanstad by greater New Gibson. Due to it housing the majority of the planet’s population, Hengsha is awarded the most seats in Parliament.

Fallanland

A residential and industrial sector intermingled would be Fallanland, a city of underground spires and deep-core drilling arrays progressively moving deeper into the planet. Originally consisting of thousands of drilled caverns intersecting, cave-ins and the danger of moving rock has led its creators to seek support for the city by only going down. Fallanland began as a struggling biodome in the Crisis of 2294. It was present atop a large cave system known to the dwellers within. Inevitably, it would collapse, and the establishment had no choice but to dig in to ensure their survival. In a miraculous turnout, the construction of drilling into this massive cavern would be just enough to support the biodome’s weight. Since, ample time has been provided to ensure the biodome’s citizens move underground, over one hundred years have passed. Fallanland’s populace lurks underground, still wary yet of the uncertain integrity of the biodome above their heads. It is awarded the third-highest amount of seats. Fallanland has the largest Skrýtisherbergi of all of the Undirstads, and many residents from the smaller surrounding Undirstads flock to the city to make use of it.

Virklund

Virklund is the second largest Ovanstad on New Gibson, and as such, enjoys the second largest amount of seats in Parliament. Considered the breadbasket of New Gibson, Virklund evolved from early attempts at aquaculture and hydroponics into becoming the foremost agrarian biodome on New Gibson. The Celebration of the Solstice is very popular in Virklund, and Undirstaders and Ovanstaders alike join together to celebrate in a somewhat seldom show of unity. In recent times, Virklund found some of its facilities repurposed into drydocks for ship production. The accompanying wave of Legion and PCMG infantry has discomforted some of the populace, but most Virklunders are proud to be supporting the Republic’s safety. This has had a secondary result of many new pilots coming from Virklund, eager to show their national pride and support for their Republic. It is known for its close association with NanoTrasen, and enjoys widespread corporate support from the populace.

Xoikko

Introduced after contact with the Skrell, the Xoikko biodome has become somewhat of a tourist attraction instead of its proposed research focus, only hosting one Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals corporate research facility. It has a flourishing civilian sector and is the “entertainment capital” of the arctic planet, propagated through the backing of its facilities by Idris Incorporated, who continue to expand both its influence and facilities within the Xoikko Biodome. New Gibsonites are largely fond of the Xoikko Biodome, and when asked will often talk about their experience within the clubs, restaurants and other entertainment venues. Predominantly composed of Skrell, the Xoikko Biodome is known among New Gibsonites to be especially mechanophobic despite the Republic of Biesel’s stance on IPCs - with reports of unofficial entry denial into the biodome. Due to the similar environment of Aliose to that of New Gibson, Skrell from these planets share similar appearances - thick, white skin meant to assist in thermoregulation.

Xerxes

Deep within the surface of New Gibson exists the Xerxes Biodome, populated mostly by Vaurcae of the Scay’extiih’aur brood. The colony has expanded underground, allowing human populations to reside on the surface. The latter is still rare, as crime and prejudice make the biodome not a popular venue amongst other species. The relay tower, the most visible landmark, serves as a backup for the main one placed in Flagsdale. Similarly to the Hengsha Biodome, Xerxes remains unaffiliated with any megacorporation mostly as a result of the isolative tendencies of Scay. The majority of the innovations of the Zo’ra Hive can be attributed to the efforts of the Hidden Queen, said to have played a role in adapting the Bulwark to be utilized by the Zo’ra.