New Athens

New Athens is the capital city of the Democratic Peoples of Terra, located on the planet Agora within the Alpha Centauri system.

History

New Athens was the first successful colony of the Terran-led Hermes Initative. The Garneau Expedition warped into Alpha Centauri's outer rim on 18 May, 2158, and traveled for roughly 11 months towards the planet which is now known as Agora. On 20 April, 2159, the Arcship "Garneau" communicated its landing message to Earth, to much celebration and rejoicing. The message was recieved eleven days later, on the May 1. The original colony was established around a deep water delta that fed into a large, naturally forming bay. Initial Colonization utilized the fast-flowing river for hydroelectricity and the bay as a research station for new lifeforms as well as testing potential food sources. The land was naturally fertile and helped early colonists establish farms.
In these early years, colonists established residences underground due to the catastrophic superstorms that occurred seasonally. Overtime, the city's underground network expanded a massive underground metropolis, capable of holding hundreds of thousands of people. In modern day, this area is now known as the "Dark Town" district, which is scarcely inhabited and largely dilapitated.
In 2203, following a series of environmental terraforming efforts, the planet of Agora was declared safe enough by the planetary authority to begin allowing new colonists from Earth.
In 2340, under the United Terran Commonwealth, the planet of Agora was named the seat of Centauri Sector which included Alpha Centauri and surrounding systems. This greatly improved tourism to the planet, as well as boosted colonial efforts and industry on the planet.
In 2458, New Athens was repeated assaulted by Legion of Free Men, leaving large swaths of the city in ruins. Various parts of the planet were also occupied by the pirates who harassed traders and attacked United Terran Military vessels. This occupation would end in 2462 with the assistance of Aedar Kincaid, who was forced to burn the city and many settlements on the planet to ensure its liberation. New Athens would remain largely a ruin during the war, as supplies from the United Terran Commonwealth were constantly being stolen or redirected to the war effort. The city fell into a crime-ridden cesspool as starvation and desperation overcame moral reasoning. The city was officially abandoned in 2476, when the colonists began to develop symptoms of the Phorus Disease which had begun to spread rapidly across United Terran Space.
In 2485, following the Terran Colonial Wars, the Democratic Peoples of Terra chose the ruins of New Athens as a new homeworld due to its closeness to Old Terra, but also its history and connection to the old Terran ways. Utilizing the ruined structures, the Democratic Peoples created a safehold and quickly went to work rebuilding the city. Within a decade, the city was fully functional and recieving regular supplies. By 2500, the city was named the capital of the new Democratic Peoples of Terra and boasted a population of over 1 million, though many of these were largely refugees from the war.
In 2516, following failures to commit economic support to the veterans of the wars as well as no real commitments to create benefit programs to wounded soldiers, the Democratic Peoples of Terra's new regime met opposition from former United Terran Soldiers who demanded monetary assistance. The government, believing itself not responsible for the failures of the old United Terran Commonwealth, refused to honor those promises which led to widespread rioting throughout the new city. In response, the government ordered military and police to open fire onto the crowds to disperse these oppositional elements, the event became known as "New Athens Massacre of 2516".
Under the leadership of Rhiannon Sharpe (elected 2520), New Athens has begun to advertise itself as a refuge for the needy, a home for the homeless, and a place of sanctuary for all who need it following the war. While many do come here for sanctuary, residents of the city are not nearly as open-hearted as Rhiannon Sharpe, leading to minor skirmishes between police, citizens, and homeless people. While the city tries to help everyone, it is clear that the scale of the refugee crisis is overwhelming all social programs within the Democratic Peoples of Terra. Despite this, High Secretary Sharpes continue to make promises to ensure peace and salvation for all.

Founding Date

June 20th, 2237

Type

Megalopolis

Population

26.7 Million

Inhabitant Demonym

Athenians
Terrans

Location under

Agora

Owner/Ruler

Rhiannon Sharpe

Ruling/Owning Rank

Secretary-General

Owning Organization

Democratic Peoples of Terra