So what is life like in 2300 AD? To answer a question with a question, What's life like in the 20th Century? The answer depends on where you live, how well-to-do you are, who and what you know, etc. Because of that, there is no easy answer to such a question. Life in Africa, on Earth, is much different from life in America/Canada, which is much different from life on Aurore, Bessieres, Crater, Daikoku, Kie-Yuma, Kimanjano, or King. Even within one culture on a world, vast differences in quality of life are visible, depending upon wealth. The information below is intended as a general introduction, and not the final word on the subject. For further information on any specific region/world, see the _Earth/Cybertech Sourcebook_ the _Colonial Atlas_, your local library, and/or your nearest travel agent.
As mentioned above, life anywhere varies based on world, nation (on Earth) or Colony, Outpost, or Enclave (on other worlds), and even possibly by region (climate, terrain, wildlife, flora, etc.). Cultural differences add even more distinctions. Wealth adds several more levels of distinction. How, then, can any generalizations about life be made?
The first step is to divide things up by the regions of space that they occupy, and factors influencing things there. The first level of distinction is "Frontier/Core". The "Frontiers" are further divided into "Arms", which are sometimes sub-divided into "fingers". Next comes National status (in the Core), or Colony/Outpost/Enclave (on the Frontiers). "Culture" is generally defined by the above, but may add another level of distinction, when not. Finally, wealth can be grouped into Upper/Lower/Middle Class, etc. Taken together, these general levels of distinction allow a general overview of many different parts of space to be generated. More on these distinction, below:
Technically, the term "Frontier" refers only to the multitudinous "fingers" of the French Arm. As used in this article, however, (and in dealing with backgrounds, in general) "Frontier" refers to any world except those in the Sol/Alpha Centauri/Proxima Centauri systems. Those systems, alone, are referred to as the "Core" worlds. The general distinctions between the two are the skillset/mindset of most of the inhabitants, and the degree of reliance upon technology. Readers should be familiar with these terms and their distinctions, but we feel compelled to add yet a third and fourth level of distinction to this primary group, by specifying "Outpost" and "Enclave" as other possibilities. Outposts, whether in the Core or on the Frontier, face much the same problems, solve them in the same ways, and produce a fairly typical mindset/skillset. Thus, "Frontier/Core/Outpost" becomes the primary level of distinction for a resident's way of life.
As an additional, very rare alternative, some few people (mostly Contact Specialists, and their families) may live in "Enclaves" on an alien world (such as Stark, or Kormoran). There are very few cases where such situations occur, however, and the people who live there are almost entirely Contact workers, but the facts that people in this situation are living on a planet capable of supporting life, with a population (but one that is mostly non-human) makes it a special case, even if a rare one. Thus, it becomes yet another sub-distinction under Frontier/Core.
"Nation/Colony" defines most cultural aspects, in nearly all cases. These can actually be treated as the same thing, in general, since almost all Colonies (save the multinational TANSTAAFL colony on Aurore, The Life Foundation's on Austin's World, and Trilon's on Kie-Yuma) are basically national in origin, and this defines their culture. In cases where multiple Colonies from different nations inhabit a world, there is usually little mixing of the two (or more), and this is almost exclusively true, in the case of Outposts. A very few exceptions (such as the Chino-Mexican mix of Kwantung) do exist, however, and exceptions will be pointed out, where necessary.
Nations can be ranked into three major groups: France, The 18 starfaring nations, and the "Third World" powers. This ranking system is not quite adequate, however, since some starfaring powers are far stronger than others (America, Australia, France, Germany, Manchuria, the UK), some are less so (Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Texas), and the rest fairly weak. Also, Indonesia would be a starfaring nation, were it not for their pariah status (earned because of their actions in the Tantalum War). The refusal of the other starfaring nations to deal with Indonesia may be coming to an end, however, since AECA is currently sponsoring the Lowe Act, which would allow Indonesia, New Zealand, and the Scandinavian Union to colonize Avalon (DM+51 2402 I) by 2315, using American starships and technical support.
Always a defining factor wherever you go, wealth continues to separate people in 2300 (less so in the Core, than on the frontier, although the gaps between the two are wider, in the Core). There are still the "haves" and the "have nots", just like in any other era. This is also a major factor defining the lives of an area's citizenry. (Those desiring even more levels of economic complexity are directed to Andy Slack's "Social Class in 2300" article, on his web site.)
Life in an outpost is little different on the Frontier than it is in the Core. Outpost worlds are not Colonies generally because they are uninhabitable for one reason or another (vacuum, temperature extremes, radiation, etc.). Thus, everything needed for survival must be built by/imported to an Outpost world, then assembled, sealed (in most cases), and maintained by the personnel manning the Outpost. This is expensive, and such duty stations are not generally sought after. Life support is generally required, and everything needed by the Outpost personnel must be either imported, or manufactured there. Outposts are generally only built in uninhabitable systems between inhabited systems, but occassionally an Outpost will be built for mining or scientific studies.
"Outposts" are not always just in Outpost systems, either. Space Stations (such as Station Arcture in the Arcturus sytems, or Gateway, L-4, or L-5 in the Sol system) may also be treated as Outposts, as may the scientific facilities on Limbes and Sheol in the Alpha Centauri B system, or the mining facilities on Mercury or Mars in the Sol system. Even starship terminals fall into this class.
As with Colonies, if an Outpost has something, it will be the latest. Unlike Colonies, however, an Outpost will have been provided with everything it needs, and so will be quite up-to-date (due mainly to the resident's inability to survive without it). If a Nation or Company is going to provide something, they might as well do it right, and save maintenance on it... Older Outposts will have older technology, however (generally the best of its day), and some newer technology replacing it, as the older became unable to do its job.
Life in an Outpost is specialized, depending upon what type of Outpost it is. Scientific Outposts will concentrate on researching whatever topic(s) caused them to be located there, and Mining Outposts will concentrate on mineral production, instead. Everyone in an Outpost will generally focus on their specific tasks. Off-work hours are generally spent seeking recreation, as the work, confined quarters, and lack of both variety and facilities induce an almost claustrophobic sense of boredom in many (note here that a few of the largest Space Stations in the Core, such as Gateway and L-4/L-5, do not have this problem, due to their large size, and more frequent visitors).
Due to the hostile environment and the need to keep things running, General Skills such as Electronics, Mechanics, P-Suit, and Survival are almost as common on Outpost worlds in the Core as they are on the Frontier. Indeed, it takes a self-reliant individual with almost a Frontier mentality to live in an artificial habitat surrounded by a hostile environment. Vehicle and Combat Skills tend to be rarer in Outposters, though, as there is less chance to develop them.
Environmental Engineering is also a more common specialty skill in Outposts than elsewhere, as it is used to handle Life Support, water treatment and sewage processing, and hydroponics systems. Since Outposts usually tend to be built on smaller worlds or moons, the Zero-G Skill and Thrusters also tend to be more common, and of course Spin-Op is almost ubiquitous! Ship Drive Engineering is a bit less common, but appears in the larger stations that have stutterwarps for maintaining position.
Since the majority of Outposts tend to be smaller, and constantly manned, people tend to get to know everyone they work with very well, and in the smaller Outposts it is not unusual to know everyone on the station. The relative lack of entertainment on Outpost worlds tends to make the arrival of ships a welcome break from monotony, and any new arrivals are quite popular, as 'posters come up to meet them, ask about the latest news from (fill in the world), who won the latest ballgame, election, World Cup race, etc. This is especially true of Outposts which are not on a regular trade route. There, visitors may be seen only once every few months, and the arrival of an unexpected ship is nearly cause for celebration. In such out-of-the-way Outposts, work stops when the X-mail arrives!
The smallest Outposts tend to have no permanent residents, but to rotate crews in and out several times a year. This is especially true in the Core (such as Manchuria's Mercury mines). In general, larger stations, and those farther out, have more permanent residents than smaller ones in/near the Core.
Life under such conditions can be dangerous, and psychologically stressful, if help is not nearby. For 'posters in the Core, help will almost always be close-by. For those on the Frontier, there may be no help but what you and your crewmates are able to give yourself.
(Interstellar News Service's Jon Barbiere is at France's Portes d'Enfer, on Inferno, in the Nyotekundu system, where he interviews some of the local residents frequenting a small bar about life in a Frontier Outpost.)
Jon: Bon soir, Monsier. Je voudrais...
Prospector: Huh? Caintcha speak no English, Sonny?
Jon: Pardon, I would like to ask you a few questions about life here, on a Frontier Outpost. What's it like for you?
Prospector: Well now, I caint rightly say as I see that it's any o' your business, stranger! It is my life, after all! (Prospector gets up and walks out. Jon cooly recovers as cameraman pans a sign reading "O'Reilly's Bar & Grill", and catches some laughing patrons, beginning to crowd around.)
Jon: Well, Bob, let's see if we can find anyone who
Stan: Howdy, stranger! Mine's Stan.
Jon: I'm Jon Barbiere, and this is Bob Durban. We're here with INS doing a documentary about the different lifestyles, Stan. Stan... who?
Stan: Stan the man! Jus' Stan. Welcome to Inferno, and O'Reilly's!
Jon: So would you be interested in telling the viewers back home what it is that you do out here, and what life on a Frontier Outpost is like?
Stan: Well, I reckon. I got nothing better to do 'til next shift.
Jon: Is boredom a problem here, Stan?
Stan: Yeah, some. We've got vids, but you can only watch so much before you get a hankerin' to go do something! There are a few places like this one, here, but not really that much to do. Once work's over, you want something more entertaining.
Jon: I note you and your compatriots seemed to be having a good laugh, just a moment ago; what was that about? (Stan grins and looks at his friends, off-camera.)
Stan: Yeah, we were just watching you tangle with ol' Bert, the Prospector. He's pretty secretive; never did take to anybody "invading his privacy". Guess he's afraid someone'll wildcat his strike!
Jon: Are there a lot of "private" people like that?
Stan: Nah, just old Prospectors. (Stan grins. Guffaws from off-camera. Jon grins back.)
Jon: Okay, what is it that you do, here? I take it you're not a prospector?
Stan: Nope, not me. I'm a RoboTech.
Jon: That's a Robotics Technician, right?
Stan: Yep. They break'em, I fix'em. Keeps me real busy, during the work shift.
Jon: Are there a lot of robots in the Wolf 359 system?
Stan: Nyotekundu.
Jon: Escusez moi?
Stan: You must be from Earth. Nobody calls it "Wolf 359" anymore. The Azanians named it "Nyotekundu". Means "Dim red one" in Swahili, or some-such... and yeah, there're a fair number of robots here. The station has several, and AMEC has a bunch more. They letcha get work done without riskin' the hide of a human.
Jon: So during the day you work on those, but what about your leisure time?
Stan: Well, there's the park up on Level Six, and the clubs here on Level Eight. If you're really bored, you can go watch for ships coming in (there're three or four a day that land here), or rent a crawler and go for a drive... Not that there's anything to see, out there, or any place much to go, except Naragema. Mostly, you just hang out with your mates.
Jon: Naragema? That's the Azanian Outpost?
Stan: Yeah.
Jon: How far is that from here, and do you go out, much?
Stan: I guess it's about 10,500 km, or so, but no, we don't go out, much. Nyotekundu's a flare star, and Inferno doesn't have enough atmosphere to shield us, so when a flare comes in, you hide or get fried. Only crazy old propectors like Bert, and Fix-it men who have to, go out (I'm glad I don't!)... Unless you count folks comin' and goin' off-world. They have to go outside to get up into orbit. I'd say ten or twelve ships a day come through here, although only about a third of'em stay long enough to do more than discharge. Still, we're lucky. At least we get regular X-mail, and being on the only Trade Route between Earth and the French Arm, we get more traffic than a lot of places! Still, not being able to have an orbital terminal hurts us. Only interface-capable starships land here.
Jon: You mentioned levels six and eight, a moment ago. How many does the Gates of Hell have?
Stan: Huh? Gates of...? Oh! You mean Portes d'Enfer!
Jon: Oui, Portes d'Enfer. That was English for the French.
Stan: Well, Portes d'Enfer has ten levels. The topmost is the only one that's outside. Mostly landing pads, a few outbuildings for parts storage, a big vehicle maintenance garage, the port facility, and security office... scares some folks outta goin' to the pokey, knowin' it's up-top! Level Two's offices for about everything (I get up there every once in a while, but they don't break their robots quite as much). Levels Three through Five are all housing, going from lowest class to highest. Level Six's the Park, where they keep some critters, and real trees. Even draws in some "Tourist Trade" from Naragema and the OMS crews, and such. Once, Harry Lundgren's Cosmic Circus even stopped there, for a couple of months. Level Seven's all shops (there's a few on Six for the picknickers an' such, but most everyday stuff's for sale on Seven). Here on Level Eight's all Bars, Clubs, Theatres... y'know, entertainment stuff. Sometime we go to one of the courts for some ball, or somethin'. Level Nine's mainly life support. The power plant's there, too. I do a lot of repairs down there. Level Ten's the bottom floor, and where all the factories and maintenance storage areas are. I do some work there, too, gettin' parts and repairin' load-lifters.
Jon: Is Naragema much the same?
Stan: Don't know, actually. Never been there. Never had any reason to go. I guess they can fix their own robots!
Jon: Bob, let's see if we can find someone else here, who's been to Naragema. The camera swings around, panning the bar, focuses in on a tough-looking black man, sitting in the shadows, and moves forward.
Jon: Pardon, monsieur...
Man: Not me, man! I'm from LA, on Terra! Ask one of the Brothers over there, Jack! (At the man's thumb-jerk, the camera swings, then bobs up and down as Jon and Bob make their way over to another table. There sit several people in French Foreign Legion uniforms. A tall, stocky, unattractive woman with sandy-brown hair and dark brown eyes addresses Jon.)
Changatta: Jambo! I am Azanian! Changatta Tunkubwa, from Nibelungen. I have just been to Naragema. You want to know how many levels?
Jon: Well, yes, and what life's like, there.
Changatta: Good! You listen, Changatta tell you! Naragema is older, but smaller. Level One (like all levels, there) is half the size, and no starships get fixed, there. Level Two is offices, and some homes. Level Three is all homes, mostly like Level Four, here. Level Four in Naragema is life support and power. That pretty much it. Baratwani, the "deceitful road" supposed to run under that to "weather tower" that warns everyone of flares. They give that idea up! Life there centered around that tower and predicting flares, and servicing Azanian ships. Life not much different than here.
Jon: And how many people live there?
Changatta: Oooh... 600 to 700. What you say, Junta? (Turns to a sensational looking older man with a tight black afro and dark brown eyes, sitting across the table, next to an olive-skinned man in robe and turban. When the darker man speaks, he has a strange, musical accent.)
Junta: 675, more or less. Portes d'Enfer has maybe 1650.
Jon: I wasn't aware there were any Legionaires posted, here. What do you folks do?
Changatta: We are officers on an FFL Courier vessel. I am the Computer Officer, Junta is the Communications officer. Anwhar is the TAC Officer.
Jon: So you're not stationed here? What brought you to Nyotekundu?
Junta: We are just here for maintenance, be gone in the morning. We move up and down the French Arm, wherever we're ordered. The Capitane gave the night-shift shore leave. We decided to get some real food, while we were here. None of those Azanians can cook real Nigerian chow, though, so we decided to try here. Still no Nigerian cooking, but at least they can do a good Irish stew!
Jon: You're Nigerian, monsier? And where are you from?
Junta: I am Lt., JG Junta Bwana, of Chengdu, in the Chinese Arm.
Jon: A long way from home, I see! And who is your friend?
(The sensational looking olive-skinned, grey-eyed, bespectacled man in the robe and turban looks up, and introduces himself.)
Ahnwhar: Allow me to introduce myself... I am Lt. Ahnwhar Dilbecky, the TAC Officer of La Cavalerie, originally from Bombay, on Earth. I'm afraid I can't tell you much about life, here, as this is my first time down on Inferno.
Jon: Well, we thank you for answering our questions, enjoy your leave!
(Scene cuts to outside an office, on Level Two.)
Jon: Now we're going in to speak to Dr. Larsson, Chief Medical Officer of Portes d'Enfer, and get his take on Outpost life. (Jon opens the door, and walks through. Bob the ever-faithful cameraman follows him in, panning the office. A tall, blond-haired man walks in, wearing the white coat of a Doctor. He smiles and greets Jon.)
Dr.: Bon Jour, mes amis! Entrez vous! Comment-allez vous?
Jon: Nous somme bien, merçi, et vous?
Dr.: Fine, thanks. So, I understand you want to conduct this interview in English, for the maximum viewer audience?
Jon: Français is fine with me, but INS is paying the bills, so yes, please.
Dr.: Very well, let's have a seat. (Bob shoots the Doctor sitting behind a large desk, Jon sliding into a chair where they can both be easily seen.)
Dr.: So, what would you like to know?
Jon: What kinds of medical problems pop up here that Doctors on Earth might not see? What's your life here like, and why are there so many non-Frenchmen on a French Outpost?
Dr.: Everything from Space-sickness to infestations of alien parasites, frontier diseases, claustrophobia, cave-ins... I have yet to see any Kafer Rot, but that's about the only thing I haven't seen. My life here is usually pretty quiet, but it can get hectic at times. As for non-French employees, France prefers to hire citizens of the Empire whenever possible, but will take anyone qualified, when there's a spot that needs filling. I'd say almost 60% of the crew is French, another 20% or so might be Azanians, Swiss, Gabonese, or other members of the Empire. The rest are split about 50/50 between ESA members, and others, all working for the French Government, or their contractors.
Jon: But you are French, no?
Dr.: Actually, no. I was born in Oslo, but my wife is.
Jon: Are there many families here?
Dr.: Since Outposts beyond the Core tend to have permanent crews, yes. Only about 1/3 of the people here are actually employees, the rest being dependents. Most of the adults find something productive to do, however. Many run shops, make or repair things, etc. Otherwise, they go stir-crazy, and come to see my wife. (He grins.)
Jon: And she does...?
Dr.: She's the Chief Station Psychologist.
Jon: There is a lot of need for that, here? Enough to support a full-time specialist?
Dr.: Unfortunately, yes. Agoraphobia (fear of large, open spaces) is exascerbated by space travel, to say the least. Many Outposters leaving Inferno for the first time suffer from that. Claustrophobia (fear of small, enclosed spaces) can affect many offworlders, once they get here. All sorts of accidents can happen, and once the body is healed, there may be other scars that are less easy to detect. A prospector who operates one of those massive, armored ground vehicles alone, for weeks at a time, in dangerous conditions, may suddenly find the stress too much! In fact, Anne (that's my wife) had to help coax one out of his land-crawler, after it had been dragged back to base, and to this day he patrols the corridors, watching for the "natives of Inferno" that he swears he saw. He frowns, shaking his head.
Jon: You mentioned cave-ins as one of the dangers, here...
Dr.: Yes. Cave-ins are a danger anywhere there are mines. Also, Inferno is a bit unusual, among Outposts, for having an almost Earth-normal gravity. Normally, cave-ins will be less common on Outpost worlds, due to the lower gravity. Here, they are as common as on Earth.
Jon: So how does that affect Medical Workers, here?
Dr.: If you want to be an Outpost Medical Worker, make sure you have some skill in a Pressure Suit! If someone gets hurt, it is probably going to be you that has to go out and get them! Also, depending upon where you are, Zero-G and/or Spin Operations skills may be a necessity (although they're not needed, here). You also have to be ready to operate under more adverse conditions than usual. For instance, the EMTs take pressure tents down into the mines with them, when there's an accident. Instead of having to try to carry an injured miner in a leaky suit back to a vehicle before they can operate, they can quickly set up the tent, get inside, and operate there. A few more lives get saved by that method, every cave-in... and a pressure tent is a lot lighter than a portable automed!
Jon: That's an ingeneous idea! I'm surprised you'd just give away such secrets! Do you have it copyrighted/patented, or something?
Dr.: Bien sur que non! I hope that other Outpost Chief Medical Officers will adopt it, and save more lives! That was the purpose in telling you!
Jon: Bien sur! So, several people have mentioned the flares. Do they give you a lot of problems?
Dr.: Not as many as some might think. The Outposts, of course, are constructed underground, shielded by mountains, so the rock protects them. Ground vehicles, here, are heavily armored, but flares can generally cut through all but the most heavily armored ones. Usually if someone gets caught in a flare and is unprotected, though, there's nothing to be done for them... They're dead when you find them. Rarely, we'll get someone with radiation burns that was a little too far out to get under cover before the flare hit. If they are fairly close to a good-sized rock, they can often park behind it, until the radiation passes, and only get a low dose. If not, they can come in high-red, or even with third-degree burns. In cases like that, it's almost better if they don't make it, since they usually don't live long. Sepsis (that's blood poisoning) usually sets in.
Jon: Are there any other problems travellers should be aware of?
Dr.: Make sure you have had a complete immunization panel before going to any Frontier world. You never know what strange new disease or infection may suddenly pop up. Other than that, no... Not being an Orbital Terminal cuts down on a lot of problems that we might otherwise have: Bone decalsification, muscle atrophy, Space Adaptation Syndrome, etc. We don't even have to worry about the nauseating effects of Spin Gravity, here. Other than in dealing with Cave-ins, Inferno's 1.0 Gs actually makes my job easier, although I could do without the flares! (He grins.)
Jon: Well, Dr. Larsson, we thank you for your time and insights. Bon soir!
The scene switches to an airlock on Level One, where Jon and Bob are preparing to board a ship.
Jon: Now we will be going to Naragema, the Azanian Outpost on Inferno, to talk to some folks there about life in their Outpost, and how it differs from life in Portes d'Enfer. As you can see, the airlock is now cycling open, and Bob, our intrepid Cameraman, in going first to give our Earth-bound viewers (who might not be familiar with them) a good shot of the transport tube that connects the airlock to our ship. As you can see, it's clear plasteel, circular in shape, and has a spiral spring-type construction to it. Outside the accordian-style tube, you can see pressure-suited figures at work preparing our ship for departure, and over there on your left, one of Inferno's massive ground vehicles being worked on. These boarding tubes allow us to enter our ship in a shirt-sleeves environment, without having to close the massive bay doors visible in front of Bob. This way, ships can taxi (or be towed) into/out of the garage area while we board. As we cycle through our ship's airlock, you can see the pressure-suited maintenance workers behind us disconnecting the boarding tube.
We will now take our seats, and interface the camera to a viewscreen, so you can see us taxi out of the garage, and lift off. We've already had our pilot contact the Azanian "weather" station, so we know there should be no solar flares during the rest of our trip. Still, we'll be cruising across the dark side of Inferno, just in case, placing the bulk of the planet between us and Nyotekundu, the sun. As you can see on the screen, Inferno looks much like Luna, the Earth's moon... Now that you've seen a good low-level shot of the surface (illuminated by our landing-lights), we'll cut away for the rest of the flight, and pick back up again when we're ready to land. See you all shortly!
(Jon slumps down in his seat, closing his eyes. The camera fades to black, then shows him sitting upright, again, at the end of the trip.)
Jon: Bon Soir, and welcome back! The pilot has just informed us that we're about to land at the Naragema landing field. Once again, Bob has interfaced our camera into the viewscreens built into the backs of the seats in our LC ("Landing Craft", sometimes affectionately known as an "Elsie"), so that passengers can see what's occurring outside the craft. As you can see, Naragema is a bit smaller, as are its landing pads, compared with the facilities of France's Portes d'Enfer. Now the pilot is angling us down, and there goes the dust and gas kicked up or sprayed out by our landing thrusters! Since this is a 1 G world, we'll cut several more moments of this, and skip to where our LC, "Nom de Plume et Lens", is being towed into the hangar by several of those massive, armored Inferno land-crawlers. Now you can see the workers running out, pulling the tube into place... Bob, see if you can get us a picture from the airlock camera...
Bob: Not anything that looks good; there's no external videocam on the airlock door. We really need to get one installed, maybe when we get to the OT (or Obital Terminal) at Beowulf, in the Queen Alice's Star system.
Jon: Excellent idea!... Is it just me, or do these workers seem to be in a hurry?
Bob: They certainly do, Jon. Here's a shot from the camera inside our airlock, where you can vaguely see one of them wrenching the tube onto the outer lock doors... I'm accessing the LC's computer system, trying to get the most recent weather update from the station.
Jon: Do you think there's a flare on its way, Bob?
Bob: God, I hope not! Maybe you should demonstrate for our viewers how quickly a veteran reporter can shimmy into a Hostile Environment Suit, just in case, though. This could be an interesting segment, for those who have never left their Homeworld, anyway.
Jon: Yet another excellent idea, oh intrepid Cameraman Bob! That's why INS pays you the big bucks! Lets hurry down to the airlock... Keep rolling!
Bob: Here's a shot of the worlds-famous Jon Barbiere's back, as he wastes no time heading for the airlock... (The camera begins to bob up and down, as the two reporters jog along.) Here we are at the lock, where you can see the control panel, and the locker for storing Vacc Suits, and such. You'll notice that our experienced reporter is passing over all of the standard Pressure Suits (also known as "P-Suits", or "Tourist Glad-bags", to some), and selecting a Hostile Environment Suit (or HES), with its tougher shell, and added protection against radiation, among other things... As Jon gets it out of the locker, we'll take a brief shot of our foresighted Cameraman's HES. (The camera pans down to show Bob's lower legs and booted feet, then swings back up to show Jon holding the unzipped suit, one leg already in it, sliding the suit over that, and fitting his foot into the integral boot.) You'll notice Jon's suit is already unzipped, and that the zipper goes from neck to crotch. He's already put one leg on, and is now quickly getting into the other... That done, he inserts both arms..., then shrugs on the rest of the suit, zipping it up. Now the helmet, Jon. (Jon looks at Bob, over the camera.)
Jon: You think we need those, Bob?
Bob: If it's a flare, yes, definitely! You wouldn't want to protect everything except your brain, Jon! You can't see that mine's on already, of course, viewers, but here you see Jon putting his on, and sealing up. I'm also going to seal the visor of my suit, at this time. (There's a sound like "shhhhukt!", and the speech that follows is muffled and less distinct.) Next, I'm checking the integrity of his suit, while he checks mine... (The camera whirls about, showing odd views of the airlock and both mens' suits, as they ignore it for a moment.) Lastly we'll check the suits' transceivers, and I'll patch the camera into them. Hold on... (The sound clears.) Test, Jon...
Jon: Check, Bob! You reading me?
Bob: Roger that! We've already cycled the internal lock closed, as we came in. We're ready to open the external lock to the boarding tube, now. Jon, if you'll do the honors, I'll get a shot of the controls, then our exit.
Jon: Roger that, Bob. Pressure in equalized, opening the external doors...
Bob: Here we see the transit tube, once again... Lots of workers seem to be surrounding the tube, though... Can anyone hear us?... Jon, do you know what frequency the Naragema crews use?
Jon: No, I'm afraid I don't Bob. Let's not dawdle getting photos. Let's get inside, and see what's going on. (Camera bounces quite a bit, indicating that Bob is running. The Naragema airlock bobs in and out of view, they enter, and cycle through the lock.)
Jon: Seems like there are quite a few people just outside the lock, Bob. Let's open our helmets.
Bob: Pressure's equalized already, I'm opening the internal lock...
(An innundation of noise follows, as a large group of people, about 85% black, along with a few whites and asians, press in around the opening doors. Little can be understood, although a few cries of "Jambo!", "Welcome!", and other such friendly greetings can be heard over the roar. Lots of smiles are visible, and one woman can be seen energetically pumping Jon's hand. After several minutes of this, and the pair trying to push their way into the station, an ultra-serious, uniformed security officer appears at the head of a small security detail, and begins pushing through the crowd. Nothing he says to Jon can be heard, but Bob records him leaning head-to-head with Jon, who motions for Bob to follow, then steps in between the security officers. Bob follows, and the camera goes off.)
Jon (now sans HES): Well, that was interesting! We were just ushered into the Station Administrator's Sub-Secretary's office by the Security Chief, and asked why we were here, disrupting Station business! It seems there was no flare, only our arrival caused quite a commotion! Apparently, so few ships stop, unscheduled, at Naragema, that it's "a big deal", as the Americans would say. We seem to have disrupted the whole day's production schedule, by showing up unannounced! In any case, the Azanian people here were quite friendly, and all seemed anxious for the latest news from Earth. Even the tiniest details of what's going on there, at Gateway, and even at Portes d'Enfer seem of inordinate interest to all concerned. The Station's Security Chief has demanded to see our chips, purportedly to see whether or not we really are journalists! Bob, I hope you've had the foresight to secure back-up copies of all our work, and secure them somewhere aboard Nom de Plume et Lens!
Bob: Of course! The finished segments have also been sent back to INS' Earth Office, via Courier Missiles and X-boats, on a daily basis. The most we could possibly lose, under circumstances such as these, is the last day's work... In this case, just the material covering the ride over here, and events in the airlocks.
Jon (beginning to turn red): Good! We are now waiting to get our recording chips back from the security office...
Bob: Maybe we should point out, here, that something similar happened at Portes d'Enfer, where we were instructed by the Station's Security Officer on Earthquake safety precautions, the first thing, upon our arrival...
Jon: But they didn't steal our chips!
Bob: Uh... That's phrasing it pretty strongly, Jon! The Security Chief only said he wanted to see them. Let's wait and see if we get them back, before we start filing "Freedom of the Press" lawsuits, eh?
Jon (huffily): Still, this has never happened to me on a French Station!
(The door behind them opens, and the Security Chief rushes in, almost yelling something in an unknown Bantu dialect. He switches to French, and orders Bob to turn off the camera, and both of the men to follow him.)
(The camera blanks out, then returns with the well-tanned face of a thirtyish male with dark brown hair and eyes staring into it...)
Bob: Hi! I'm Bob Durban, INS Cameraman, back with an interesting new development in our continuing documentary on "Life in 2300"! It seems that Truth really is stranger than documentaries, and it has intruded itself upon ours, adding a little real-life police drama. While normally you'd never see my bearded face on-camera, Jon is rather tied up at the moment... Oh! I'd better mention that that's just an expression for "otherwise occupied"! (He grins.) See if you recall this segment...
(After re-rolling a previously filmed segment, Bob returns.)
Bob: It seems that the man who didn't want to be interviewed, two days ago at Portes d'Enfer, was actually a wanted man. Toby Eschardan, AKA "Loupo", is a former member of the LA "Chonterra" streetgang, and a member of the Black Scorpion Mercenaries, wanted in connection with the total destruction of a chinese alternative grocery in LA's China Town district! Details are sketchy at the moment, but the Azanian Security Chief refuses to allow cameras to record the investigation, even as Jon tries to help. They are currently contacting the Security Chief at Portes d'Enfer, but with two day's jump on them, I predict that "Loupo" will not be found on the station. No doubt he has moved on, down-arm from Earth. More news on this as it breaks!
(The scene switches, yet again, to Jon Barbiere, sitting in a well-padded chair, beside an Azanian woman.)
Jon: And we're back! I understand that Bob has already explained the situation to you, so moving right along, we have contacted Louis Montblanc, Chef de la Police at Portes d'Enfer, who has begun a Station-wide search for "Loupo". Records for the last two days show he has not left the Station, but he has so far eluded Les Gendarmes (Policemen)... In the meantime, Dr. Tyra Chartré is here with us, to tell us a little more about Naragema, Inferno, and the Nyotekundu system, in general. Tyra, you've seen our video, so far, do you have anything to add?
Tyra: From what you've said, so far, I suppose I would call Naragema a "Scientific Outpost". We spend most of our time, here, trying to get a better understanding of the mechanics of Nyotekundu's flares, looking towards a better working model that will help us predict when the flares will go off.
Jon: And what is it that you do here, Tyra?
Tyra: I'm a Theoretical Astrophysicist, working on the model. We hope to be at 98% accuracy within the next ten years. After that, we'll probably expand the model by moving to another M-Class star system, and gathering new data to incorporate into the model. Someday, we may be able to accurately predict the time and place of solar flares in any M-Class star, and begin work on a more general model that will accurately predict flares in Spectral Type O, B, A, F, G, and K stars, as well!
Jon: That sounds pretty ambitious...
Tyra (grinning): I'd say it's about 100 years off, assuming our theories of nuclear burning are correct. There's still the "Missing Neutrino Problem" and the alternative "Gravitational Collapse" hypothesis, you know!
Jon: Ah... I'm afraid that's a bit over my head, Dr. Chartré!
Tyra: Ah well... Some people say that Inferno must be a captured "rogue" planet, by the way. Personally, I believe that our theories of the formation of stellar systems is sadly outdated, and in need of repairs. We'll see!
Jon: I understand that your theories are often considered a bit... outré by... some members of the scientific community.
Tyra: "Some"? "Many", if not "most", I would say. If my theories were more in the mainstream, I wouldn't be working here, with the Azanians. Since many of the modern-day dogmatics call me a "Fundie", I'm relegated to testing alternate theories here, in what's generally considered an "unimportant" system... but that's okay! When my theories begin to prove themselves true, and show fruit, I'll be able to choose where to go, next. I've already received a few offers from the Australian/American fingers of space. If I can get accuracy up to 98%, I'll have no problem expanding the model, and if I live to see it advance to other types... well, let's just say that funding for future researches will have long ago ceased to be a problem! (Laughs.)
Jon: Okay, moving right along, we've heard a bit about Inferno, how it's occupied mainly for its mineral resources, and AMEC's ice-mining station out in the rings of Cocito (Nyotekundu VI). We haven't heard anuthing about the rest of the planets in the system. Any comments on them?
Tyra: There really isn't much to be said, there. Planet I is Inferno, of course; very geologically active, and mined for its mineral wealth, spewed up by volcanoes. This is where the Azanian & French Outposts in the system are located. Worlds II - V (Caina, Antenora, Tolomea, and Giudecca) are all insignificant in terms of resources, and even to an astrophysicist. Cocito, the outermost, superjovian world, is mainly of interest only because its great rings system (far grander than Saturn (Sol VI)'s) is home to a lot of ice, which the Aberdeen Mineral Exploitation Company shoots here with a giant mass driver, to supply water to the Azanian & French Outposts. That's really all there is to this system. So where are you headed next, with this documentary?
Jon: After leaving here, we'll head out-arm to the next world, which I understand is Bessieries, another Outpost. From there, we'll continue on to Kimanjano, BC, and then to the Enclave in the DM+27 28217 system.
Tyra: And when will this documentary air?
Jon: Assuming we finish shooting on schedule, it should view in mid to late 2300. Well, Dr. Chartré, we thank you for your time!
Tyra: Merçi, Monsieur Barbiere! Au revoir!
Jon (chuckling): Au revoir! (Turns to the camera.) Next, we'd like to welcome Miss Marie Cecile, an independent prospector, and driver of one of the massive, heavily-armored land-crawlers that you've seen, and heard mentioned several times, now. Welcome, Marie!
(Bob shoots a very tall, thin, attractive younger woman with black hair and dark green eyes.)
Marie: Welcome to Naragema, Monsieur Barbiere! I have to say, I've been a fan, ever since your coverage of the Central Asian Wars, back on Earth! It's very nice to meet you! (Shakes his hand.)
Jon: Merçi! You seem much too young, to remember that, mamselle! So, tell us about life as a prospector on Inferno. It seems like a lonely and dangerous life for such an attractive young woman like yourself! What attracted you to such a life?
Marie: Well, I guess I'm older than you think, monsier, because I do remember! Prospecting isn't so bad... Sure, there are dangers, but that's true no matter what job you do, on an Outpost. There aren't many other jobs where you get to spend time outside, though! As a kid, I never could sit still... I know every level of Naragema, and all of the first ten miles or so of Baratwani, as well. I learned to drive crawlers going from here to Portes d'Enfer, giving the drivers a rest. I know the French Outpost almost as well as I know this one, even though I've spent less time there. I always wanted to stop and explore, on the trips to and from the Outposts, but no one else ever wanted to stop. Finally, I got some training through a home-study course, and with that and my driving skills, managed to finangle my way onto an independent mining contract.
Jom: Finangle?
Marie (shooting Jon a humorous look): Yeah. I got it done, however.
Jon: So you became a Prospector to get out, and explore? You still haven't explained to us what it was that attracted you to this life of driving massive "trucks" over a barren world with a poisonous Ammonia/Methane atmosphere, wracked by earthquakes, and fried by solar flares...
Marie (grinning): Sounds bad, when you say it! Like I said, there aren't a lot of career choices, on an Outpost world. I wanted something that would let me stay here (not like Ship Crew stuff), and let me roam around (I could never sit still long enough to be a Scientist). Anyway, at least I can get out and drive, always being careful to check for flare warnings, and even go put on a suit and prospect, if I see anything that looks good. What really attracts most prospectors, though, is Tantalum! Anyone who finds a load of that can sell it to the government for enough money to be set up for life! If I find one near Naragema and set off the next great "Tantalum Boom", we'll have enough cash to set up a Near-Stellar Station, with Courier Missiles to send us faster warnings of flares! Now that would be cool!
Jon: Any other dangers, besides the earthquakes, flares, and volcanic eruptions?
Marie: As long as a girl knows what she's doing, none of those should bother her. About the only other things that could bother you are getting a suit puncture, or running into the occassional claim-jumpers. Those are pretty rare events here, though, especially since I like to go a long ways from the Station to prospect.
Jon: Well, Miss Cecile, we thank you for your time!
Marie: My pleasure, Monsieur Barbiere! Please come back when I locate the big Tantalum lode, and I'll grant you an exclusive interview! (She smiles.)
Jon: We'll do that, Marie! (Turns back to the camera.) Next up, we'll be visiting another station on our trip out along the French Arm of space. For now, this is Jon Barbiere, for INS.