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Located in the Sol System, the icy body of Europa was the first location where humanity discovered extraterrestrial life - though no species on Europa has exhibited intelligence approaching sentient life. However the harsh and inhospitable environment of the Europan surface, and Europan Sea, have led to the moon's population remaining relatively small even in the present day. Europa's small population of roughly three hundred million residents exists in one of the most unique environments in the entire Sol Alliance, as the entire population resides beneath the outer ice sheet of Europa due to the immense radiation that constantly strikes the moon's surface. The Europan Sea where the entire population makes their home is, at best, poorly understood. More is being discovered about the moon every day, though the population believes that some secrets should perhaps be left unknown in the inky depths of the Europan Sea...

History

Life on Europa was first discovered in the late 21st century, but serious colonization efforts did not take place until the mid 22nd century due to economic issues on Earth and a perception that Europa, unlike Callisto, would be too difficult to maintain colonies on. The first settlement on Europa is Korormansk Station, a research settlement established in 2145. Unlike many of the Europan settlements that would follow it Korormansk was built around a large borehole drilled into the Europan ice, as the settlement was intended to serve as a major spaceport. Over the following decades and centuries Europans have slowly and steadily established more stations under the ice and carved out more of a foothold for humanity.

Europa has never truly shifted away from its roots as a research colony and, over time, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals has come to be a major employer on the moon. Research drives the economy of Europa due to the ready demand for new submarines and equipment, which must be produced on the moon itself for the sake of convenience. The advent of plasteel in the mid-2400s has led to a new boom in the Europan manufacturing sector, due to the incredible depths plasteel-hulled submarines can descend to creating a massive demand for them. Tourism is another pillar of the economy, with Idris Incorporated operating many tourist facilities on the moon, including the truly impressive Jovian Jewel.

The Europa of the 2460s is a growing economy in the Sol System, though its environment is not the most welcoming.

Environment

The fourth largest moon in the Jovian System, and only slightly smaller than Luna, the environment of Europa was one of the first truly alien ones encountered by a young humanity. The moon’s icy surface is one of the smoothest natural ones in the Orion Spur, with very few craters and mountains, likely due to its high tectonic activity - a condition the stations attached to the ice must endure to the best of their abilities. The surface of Europa is bathed in radiation due to its lack of a true atmosphere, and mere hours of exposure to the radiation levels of the surface can prove to be fatal without treatment. As a result all non-shielded human settlements must be constructed below the ice of the surface, which is thick enough to act as a preventive shield against radiation. The Europan surface ice can be as thick as twenty miles in certain areas, with thinner areas often exhibiting the moon’s iconic cryogeysers as the water below interacts with the ice above. Some of these cryogeysers are capable of reaching over a hundred miles into the space above the moon, and have been known to interfere with craft passing by the moon.

Below the ice of the Europan surface lies the primary reason for humanity’s colonization of the planet: the Europan Sea. This massive ocean spans the moon in its entirety, and is upwards of one-hundred miles deep in some areas. The Europan Sea is extremely cold due to its position under the icy surface of the moon with the average surface temperature being -160 Celsius (or -260 Fahrenheit), and the coldest temperatures ever recorded in Europa being -220 Celsius (or -370 Fahrenheit). A higher salt content in the Europan Sea than its Earthborn counterparts has led to a lower freezing point, and a lower temperature overall. Exposure to the waters of Europa will rapidly result in hypothermia, and maintaining a livable temperature is a constant concern for every resident of and settlement on the moon. Heavy clothing is a common sight for residents of Europa, as not all of the cold can be staved off. Aside from the cold, another constant feature of the Europan Sea is the extreme amount of pressure it is capable of producing in its depths. Those submarines that proceed further down into the inky depths of the ocean are known to have heavily-reinforced hulls, often made of plasteel. In order to withstand the pressure exerted upon those brave, or stupid, enough to conduct EVA work Europan diving suits more readily resemble spacesuits than wetsuits.

But despite these inhospitable, completely dark conditions, Europa is not as devoid of life as one may assume.

Flora and Fauna of Europa

The lightless waters of Europa contain a shockingly high amount of biodiversity within them. While many of the creatures found in the Europan Sea are harmless - and many are even edible, such as Europan shrimp - and others are merely irritating to deal with, some can be quite dangerous for divers. Some very rare sea creatures can even be dangerous for submarines, though these are very rare. The biodiversity of the Europan Sea is fairly poorly understood due to the immense size and great depth of the ocean, with many areas of the Sea being inaccessible to submarines until the creation of the first plasteel hulls in the 2400s. The prohibitive price of these modern plasteel hulls has limited exploration of the deepest depths to Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals craft only, and very few have been built due to their high costs. As of 2462, the theoretical lowest point of the Europan Sea (so far only detected via sonar) has yet to be reached. This lack of cataloging has led to vast amounts of “Europan cryptids,” a local term for creatures reported but otherwise unconfirmed to exist. Very few of these creatures have been actually discovered, with many being regarded as nothing more than fanciful submariners’ tales. Here are some of the flora and fauna that can be found, or are rumored to be found. beneath the Europan ice:

Europan ice kelp is one of the most common sights in the Europan Sea. This bioluminescent plant is typically found attached to the inner side of the moon’s icy outer layer, and has hooks at the end of its kelp “branches” that allow it to dig slightly into the ice and prevent it from being swept away by the current or the shifting of the ice itself. Ice kelp is also known to attach itself to the outer hulls of stations under the Europan ice, and is often regarded as an annoyance by the residents of the planet. This plant is often found grown in aquafarms in stations, and is often consumed by the residents of the planet in addition to being exported for consumption. Many naturally-occurring cave systems in the Europan Sea are filled with ice kelp.

The Europan bone whale is one of the largest known creatures found in the Europan Seas. The bone whale derives its name from the bone plating that surrounds its body, allowing it to survive in the crushing depths of the Europan Sea and defend itself from predators. Despite the intimidating name, bone whales are herbivorous creatures that tend to primarily dine upon Europan ice kept. However, they are known to become quite dangerous when provoked or otherwise threatened, as their thick bone plating is able to easily severely injure a diver or even damage the hulls of weaker submarines. Bone whales are generally only found in the open sea of Europa, and their bodies often fall into the deep abyss of the Sea - well beyond the crush depth of most submarines. Bone whales are large enough to produce a significant sonar signature and have often been confused for other creatures, particularly by inexperienced sonar operators. Some theorize that many Europan “cryptids” are, in reality, misreported bone whales.

The light-shrimp (often simply referred to as “shrimp” on Europa proper) is a bioluminescent animal roughly a meter to two meters long that somewhat resembles the shrimp of Earth. However light-shrimp are much larger than their Earthling counterparts and, as the name implies, produce a form of natural bioluminescence. These shrimp are fairly low in the Europan Sea’s food chain, and are often picked off by batsharks and other carnivores. They are also a primary export of Europa, and are utilized in a variety of dishes on the planet. The most skilled chefs are capable of maintaining the light-shrimp’s bioluminescence, which persists after deal for a brief period, even as it is being served.

The batshark is one of the most common predators found in the Europan Seas, and is often found in the more open oceanic environments of the Sea. It is a fairly large animal particularly due to its wide “wings” that it utilizes to glide through the water, and it is capable of reaching very high speeds due to these fins. Due to not producing its own light, the batshark is entirely blind - lacking eyes completely - and instead relies upon echolocation to locate other members of its hunting pack and prey. Attacks on humans are fairly rare, but are a constant worry for many personnel going EVA from a submarine. The intense amounts of sonar these creatures produce is known to often befuddle cheaper sonar equipment, but batsharks are otherwise harmless to submarines. A final note of interest is that batsharks often produce noises described as “unsettling and unnerving” by submarine crews when communicating with one another, and that these noises can usually be heard within the hulls of submarines - often leading to significant stress and anxiety amongst the crew. It is theorized that batsharks may be one of the main reasons for psychological issues such as “Deep Crazy” amongst submarine crews.

The greater Europan cave crab is a very common sight in the caverns of Europa. This omnivorous crustacean is capable of reaching a width of almost a meter, and is an omnivorous hunter that tends to reside in “villages” of up to thirty cave crabs. Due to a lack of light in the caverns of Europa, these crabs have very large eyes capable of taking in even the faintest amount of light. They are naturally curious animals, and are known to often jump or leap onto the hulls of submarines passing through the Europan caverns in order to either travel upon them or simply to satisfy their natural curiosity. The scuffing and scuttling noises created by these crabs are often known to spook crew, as the footsteps of a cave crab sounds eerily similar to somebody knocking on the outside of the submarine’s hull. They are otherwise harmless to humans, though still capable of inflicting dire wounds with their claws if threatened or otherwise cornered by a diver.

Europan Cryptids

None of these creatures have been confirmed to exist by any scientific expeditions, but many veteran submariners will swear that they’ve seen something like one (or similar to one) in the depths of Europa.

The Europan hell squid, or greater Europan hell squid, is a large squid-like predator rumored to exist in the open ocean of Europa. This apex predator is allegedly roughly the size of an adult bone whale, and is rumored to attack submarines that descend too far into the waters of Europa. No sightings of the hell squid have been confirmed since it was first reported in 2394. Hell squid attack reports, and sighting reports are scattered and infrequent enough to suggest either a creature that typically hunts in the lower levels of the Europan Sea or a migratory predator that tends to avoid humanity. Regardless of the truth (Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals has sworn to discover the species by 2500) the hell squid continues to be a frequent feature of submariner’s tales on Europa.

The Asterios, for there is allegedly only one, is rumored to be the largest living thing on Europa. This crab is rumored to be the size of an entire research station, and is supposedly able to create earthquakes and significant disturbances in the water by stomping its massive shell into the ground. Allegedly the product of a crab being left in an abandoned Zeng-Hu black site research facility in which it grew to a massive size, Asterios is rumored to utilize its former home as its shell. Nobody has ever actually seen Aserios - perhaps due to its rumored ability to crawl along the ocean’s floor - but this has not stopped rumors of it from circulating. Zeng-Hu has denied that this creature, or its facility of origin, even exists.

While similarly unconfirmed, there are reports that a massive eel exists in the abyssal zone of the Europan Sea that is sometimes referred to as the Cetus by residents of the moon. Some suggest that this creature is a very powerful psychic, and the true root of the “deep crazy” psychological phenomenon. Aside from fringe groups, some of which look upon the alleged Cetus as a kind of god from the depths, very few residents of Europa believe this particular cryptid to be real.

Life on Europa

One’s standard of living in Europa depends heavily upon what facility they reside in, but there are some general rules. Settlements on the moon, due to its very light gravity, are universally built around large gravity generators that predate their shipborne counterparts - these models are by far larger and more power-inefficient, making them unsuited for non-planetary use. The primary method of travel for the vast majority of Europans are submarines of various sizes that make their way through the massive ocean under the planet’s icy surface. Due to submarines being far cheaper to build and maintain, and settlements being under the ice for safety, space-based travel between settlements remains rare even in the 2400s. The so-called “Deep Crazy” is another phenomenon that can be found regardless of where one is living on Europa, though some sailors and residents will claim that certain areas lead to higher rates of the affliction than others. Another constant factor for all settlements is the cold, often damp environment of the moon. Devices must constantly be maintained to ensure they do not break, lest the cold water seep into an area that humanity has carved out to live in. Beyond this, settlements begin to diverge in quality. Space is typically at a premium under the ice of Europa, and cramped quarters are a common feature of daily life.

The most common settlements under the Europan ice fall under a loosely-organized category best defined as “civilian stations.” These stations range in size from only a few thousand to upwards of several million residents, and vary widely in quality. The common nickname for these stations is derived from the fact that they are primarily utilized as residential areas for those that reside under the icy surface of Europa. These are some of the oldest settlements on Europa, and are often connected to nearby research, tourism, or industrial stations. The highest-quality civilian stations are often shared between Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, which uses their attractive housing to attract new employees and encourage transfers to the Europan branch of the corporation, and Idris Incorporated, which utilizes them as tourist icons for the planet. Lower-quality civilian stations often suffer from a variety of issues, such as heating problems and persistent leaks in the hull - problems on any Europan station, but ones that become far worse when one’s home is barely breaking even.

Research stations are, aside from a few Sol Alliance stations hanging on by a ragged thread, owned and operated by Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. Advanced research submarines come and go from them, heading off to a myriad of locations in the murky depths of the moon’s oceans - some never to return. These state-of-the-art facilities vary in size from small observation outposts to facilities that are cities onto their own, and some are rumored to only be accessible to very high-ranking Zeng-Hu personnel. What goes on in this Europan “blacksites” is barely known to the general public, or lower-ranking Zeng-Hu employees. The research provided by Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals provides a large source of employment for the moon’s population, and the megacorporation is known to possess the largest submarine fleet of any actor on the moon. Zeng-Hu submarines are known to go on longer expeditions and go further into the still poorly-charted depths of the Europan sea than any other vessels. Incidents of “Deep Crazy” are an unfortunate fact of life in these research stations, but Zeng-Hu is known to pay extremely well for contracts on Europa.

Tourism stations are a hallmark of Idris Incorporated’s presence on the moon, and are typically situated in major civilian stations. The most famous of these is, without a doubt, Idris’ Jovian Jewel resort and Galileo's Pearl facility. Due to their locations near the surface of the Europan Sea, “Deep Crazy” is not a common factor in these tourist facilities and Idris Incorporated does its best to avoid the affliction. Many Idris Incorporated employees dislike working on Europa, particularly those in lower-level positions such as the cargo departments of stations - those responsible for loading and unloading the many cargo submarines that traverse the depths of Europa.

The so-called “industrial stations” are the heart of the Europan submarine fleet. These industrial centers are typically situated near the surface of the moon’s seas and feature large bays to produce the submarines of the planet, which can range from small shuttles with a crew of under a dozen to massive research vessels with crews in the hundreds. Many of the materials utilized in the dockyards of the Europan Sea are imported from a nearby neighbor of the moon: Callisto, where materials mined upon the volcanic surface Io are refined. This is due to the immense size of the Europan Sea making mining impractical: it is difficult to reach the seabed for mining when the sea extends one-hundred miles downwards.

Deep Crazy

Life under the ice of Europa is a difficult one for the long-term residents of the planet, with a myriad of social and psychological issues arising in the dark biodomes and nuclear-powered submarines found underneath the ice. A commonly mentioned phenomena amongst the permanent residents of Europa is the so-called “deep crazy,” a result of prolonged exposure to the isolation often associated with the Europan Seas. Medical professionals, such as those employed by Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, insist that “deep crazy” is nothing more than the result of stress and isolation, and insist that rumors of the affliction being unique to the planet are nonsense. Residents often comment that “deep crazy” becomes worse the longer one stays on Europa, that symptoms gradually build over time, and that they inevitably grip anyone’s mind after enough time on the moon. Some symptoms the residents attribute to “deep crazy” are auditory and visual hallucinations (though many sufferers will attribute these as originating “in the depths” or “from the depths”), unsettling dreams often involving themes of drowning or otherwise traveling into the depths of the oceans, an extreme fear of drowning, a constant sensation of being watched by something outside of the Europan biodomes (described by some suffers as feeling like being “fish in a bowl”), and claims of seeing seaborne fauna inconsistent with any known species on Europa. No species reported by a sufferer of “deep crazy” has ever been formally catalogued by Europa’s scientific community, though many sufferers will report seeing similar creatures. Extreme sufferers of “deep crazy” are known to suffer mental breakdowns and manic episodes similar to those commonly associated with extreme stress and isolation. These extreme suffers, after coming out of their breakdown, report having been “called to the depths” or “called to the seas” by an unknown force, and have been known to claw at airlocks unless otherwise stopped. Medical professionals associated with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, one of the moon’s major employers, have stated that this is likely just another result of stress. However, Europa’s residents and submariners often believe that there is something far, far below the charted zones of the planet that causes this madness. Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, which seeks to attract more employees, offers extensive psychiatric assistance and attractive bonuses to its employees to both attract them and stave off the stress associated with the planet. Idris Incorporated provides similar psychiatric assistance to its employees. It also employs many IPCs in its Europan facilities, which has proven an effective strategy to avoiding the isolation and stress associated with “deep crazy.” Idris has also promoted findings that “deep crazy” is a condition resulting from long-term residence on Europa, and is unlikely to ever impact tourists traveling to one of the megacorporation’s luxurious vacation spots. Despite similar living conditions on Europa and Ganymede, with both planets housing their populations in underwater biodomes, residents of Ganymede do not suffer from a similar condition to "Deep Crazy." Researchers are still attempting to figure out why the "Deep Crazy" phenomena is unique to Europa.

Europan Submariners

The life of a Europan submariner is not an easy one even at the best of times, and hazards - both natural and manmade - are a constant concern under the waters of Europa. In the pitch-black darkness underneath the Europan ice, one must always be on edge as danger can come from anywhere, at any time. Europa is, according to some in the Jovian System, one of the most hazardous places to work in the Sol Alliance aside from the hellish surface of Io. The danger of working on the moon has led to Europan submariners becoming a very wary, very paranoid, and - at times - quite superstitious group. Here are some of the superstitions held by submariners. Though many submariners do not hold such beliefs, or may only hold a few of them, a significant number stand by these superstitions as the best way to survive under the ice of Europa.

One major superstition of Europan submariners is a belief that renaming already-named ships, without conducting the proper ceremony, is a surefire way to give the vessel bad luck. In order to properly rename a vessel - typically after it has been purchased by a new operator or owner - one must proceed through the proper ceremony, in which the submarine is returned to its port of origin and all metal that has borne its name is shorn off and replaced. Unless all of the metal is shorn and replaced properly, the ship will remain unlucky. Naming vessels after subs that have already sunk is also considered to be unlucky, as is giving “unfitting submarines,” for example Idris’ cargo haulers, grandiose names unfitting of their duty such as “invincible.”

A curious feature of Europan submarines is the high number of skrell on them. The psionic species is highly sought-after due to their ability to detect the psionic signatures of Europan creatures through even the most thick submarine hulls. Skrell are often rightfully regarded as good luck charms by the crew due to these abilities, and often find themselves employed as some of the highest-paying members of a given submarine’s crew. Ships with skrell serving as “psionic navigators” (the local term for their position) are much less likely to suffer collisions with local wildlife due to their abilities to transmit basic orders to most Europan sea creatures. This is an extremely valuable skill, as collisions with creatures such as bone whales have been known to cause significant hull damage to submarines. Skrell are also known to rarely, if ever, suffer from the maladies that ultimately lead to “Deep Crazy,” which has further contributed to their reputation as charmed. Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuicals is currently investigating why the skrell have proven to be so resilient to the madness often associated with the moon.

Another Europan superstition is the creation of bone charms from the remains of sea creatures, particularly those of the Europan bone whale. These charms are typically carved with messages in order to (supposedly) bring good luck to their holders, though some charms remain entirely blank. An improperly carved charm, or one with the wrong message, is said to bring immense bad luck to whomever is unfortunate enough to wear it, and many submarines are known to unceremoniously dispose of such charms - typically via an airlock, much to the dismay of whomever owned the now-unrecoverable charm. Other sea creatures are sometimes used for bone charms, but bone whales are regarded as the most ideal source of charms. On the contrary batsharks are almost universally not used in the creation of such charms, due to the cartilage of their bones leading to harder to carve surfaces. Of course more superstitious submarines may simply declare that batshark bones are not used due to being “cursed,” but these are simply the tall tales of submariners. These charms are sometimes taken offworld by former submariners, to systems as far away as Xanu Prime and Tau Ceti.

Major Settlements

Korormansk Station is the capitol of Europa, and its largest settlement at thirty million permanent residents. It is the oldest settlement on the moon, and remains the only major spaceport on the moon. The Koromansk Planetary Spaceport is placed at the base of a massive shaft bored through the Europan ice by drills centuries ago, and heavy steel - and more recently, plasteel - reinforcements on the side of the shaft ensure that the passageway remains secure. Many areas of the station are dug into the ice lining this shaft, which has allowed it to support a larger population than any other settlement. Korormansk maintains a large port, and cargo submarines from it can be found travelling throughout the Europan Sea. The Jovian Jewel, the famous Idris Incorporated resort, is located nearby. The station maintains a close relationship with its nearby neighbor, Trelenje Station.

Trelenje Station is located fairly close to Korormansk, only a few hours’ travel away in all but the slowest submarines, and has become the primary naval yard for the moon. The dockyards of the Trelenje Naval Yard produce the vast majority of Europa’s submarines, from shuttles designed to move barely a half-dozen individuals to massive plasteel-hulled Zeng-Hu research submarines designed to endure the crushing pressure of Europa’s depths, with materials transported from Korormansk Station. It is also the berth of many Europan submarine crews and a significant economy has developed around this, with Idris Incorporated operating many entertainment venues here. The station maintains a close relationship with its nearby neighbor, Koromansk Station.

Phumanus Station is considered to be the premiere location to base research operations taking place in the Europan Sea from. Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals has its primary Europan headquarters in this station and launches many of its expeditions from it. Phumanus Station’s position near one of the abyssal zones of the Europan Sea, which is upwards of a hundred miles deep in some regions, has likely contributed to the decision to pursue this station as a research headquarters. Despite heavy Zeng-Hu investment, the station possesses one of the highest turnover rates in the megacorporation and transfers from the station to other, less well-paying assignments are common. Instances of “Deep Crazy” are very common, and many submariners state that something is lurking in the abyssal zone nearby. Of course, nothing has been confirmed.

The Tethys is something of an oddity on Europa. Rather than a traditional station, it is instead a large submarine - perhaps the largest on Europa - that maintains a permanent population on itself, and is self-sustaining. The Tethys is the result of a failed Einstein Engines attempt to break into the Europan market through the creation of the largest submarine ever built on the moon to that date. When it launched in 2437, the Tethys quickly proved to be a worthless investment to Einstein Engines and was quickly written off, with its crew being left to do what they could without the support of their sponsors. In the years following their abandonment by Einstein, the crew of the Tethys turned it into a mobile city that now specializes in cargo runs between various Europan settlements, having removed most of the research equipment for more hauling space. The captain is, curiously, directly elected by their crew - which some outside observers have led to the submarine’s current, low-risk career of hauling cargo.