Venus
General Information
System: Sol
Moon(s): N/A
Development level: Low
Capital: Arianrhod City
Population (Planetside): 310,500 (last census) Population (In Orbit): 50,000
Venus (Sol II) is the second terrestrial planet in the Sol system. It orbits Sol at an average distance of 0.72 AU. A Venusian year lasts 225 standard days, while a Venusian day is longer, at 243 standard days. Venus spins retrograde when compared to the other planets in the Sol system, causing the sun to rise in the west and set in the east in its sky. Venus has an extremely thick and toxic atmosphere, composed of large amounts of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The rain that falls upon the surface is composed of sulfuric acid. Because of how thick the planet’s atmosphere is, a runaway greenhouse effect has made the planet uninhabitable to all life. The atmosphere is so thick that it exerts massive amounts of pressure on the surface, which has crushed all but the most structurally reinforced of scientific equipment sent to study the planet, while the rest was destroyed by caustic acid rain. The planet hosts massive amounts of volcanic activity, which spew more toxic gases into the atmosphere. Almost no sunlight reaches the surface of the planet, yet temperatures exceed 480 °C.
It has seen very little colonization due to the crushing atmospheric conditions, but as science marches on, the population has been slowly, but steadily expanded. Some specialized industrial and research outposts have been built here by both corporations and governments, largest of which is Arianrhod city.
Arianrhod City
Arianrhod city is a conglomeration of structures several kilometers long located 50km up in a significantly more habitable section of the Venusian atmosphere, where temperatures are only 70c and pressure is roughly 1 Earth atmosphere. The structures are held up by thousands of 'balloons' of hydrogen (Which can be mined locally from the surrounding air) of various size spread across the structures of the city.
Created initially by a conglomeration of corporate interests led by Adlersflügel-Jelen GmbH during the colonial boom of the early 2100's, Arianrhod city had its humble beginnings as a industrial complex designed for atmospheric mining, and the production of a number of products from exotic Nitrogen-based ceramics to agricultural products. As workers, their families, support and management staff and a handful of contract-personnel moved into the complex it expanded exponentially, and when Adlersflügel-Jelen fell apart Arianrhod-Industrial complex merged with nearby platforms into the modern-day Arianrhod city complex, which has since multiplied in size and population more than ten-fold.
Arianrhod city today is controlled by the Sol Alliance and ruled through-proxy by the Arianrhod Governing council. The council is elected democratically, though the candidates capable of running are selected by both the Sol Alliance Governor-General and local corporate interests, ensuring that the elected council is almost always remarkably pro-business. Though the population has rarely made objections, due to the universal healthcare, generous pension and other unexpectedly generous benefits offered by the governing council and companies on the city.