Hermes Base

Hermes base was built on the south pole of Mercury in 168. It was assembled in orbit as a small metal habitat, produced largely to resist the extreme elements of Mercury's surface. The base was lowered from orbit into a small crater, and there buried with metal byproducts. Devoid of artificial gravity, recreation facilities, or a proper greenhouse, the small base grew slowly. With easy access to The Trans-Planet Beltline, the Hermians had easy access to abundant resources and bountiful energy stores. The Hermians used their powers to create a large series of small ships, designed for space travel and asteroid mining. Hermes base had a population of 2.5 thousand in 182, When Earth Went Dark . Without proper greenhouse facilities, and all but 400 of these starved in the years after Earth's apocalypse. No other settlement in orbit or on the surface would survive, leaving Hermes base completely alone. Driven to extremes by their isolation and starvation, the inhabitants of Hermes base declared their previous leader, Derek Kubler 'King' of Hermes base. This made His son Gherard Kubler his heir.

Gherard would eventually recontact the outer System, and drew up a contract with Joergen Rance to help clear Earth's orbit of debris. Between 224 and 229, Hermes base exported millions of laser weapon emplacements, and several hundred engineers were sent to New Murdo, South Dakota to help with their operation. When Earth was set free in 229, the newly formed Interplanetary Governance Council formally thanked Gherard Kubler and Hermes Base, but soon their relations soured. The Hermians were resentful of King Gherard's open attitude and generous gifts to the outside world, after so many of their parents had starved in Hermes base's dark tunnels. The government of Mercury took a more isolationist approach in the years after, which would eventually lead to some startling events.

King Gherard of Mercury died in 268, after ruling Mercury for 86 years. His successor was a daughter, Queen Emma Kubler, who early in life had shown violent tendencies. The Queen had attended The Hermian Academy of Science and reportedly even killed a teacher there. She exited the academy with powerful friends, a keen mind, and an interesting in breaking rules. Early in her reign she would reinforce and legislate Mercury's isolation from the Interplanetary Governance Council, and begin developing numerous secret projects across the surface. The Queen would use her pawn, Travis O'Connor to exponentially increase her planet's industry, and produce massive weapon emplacements across the surface. In 301 this tension reached a boiling point when the ICG passed a resolution to decrease its representatives per citizen value from 1 per 10 million citizens to 1 per 100 million. This had a significant effect on the Hermians, as it removed all four of the planet's representatives, and attempted to merge their governing body with Venus. Outraged, the Mad Queen of Mercury promised to expel all ICG representatives if they didn't remove the new law. The Queen carried out her threat, and for the next six years the ICG and the Hermians lived in a unsteady truce. In 307, the ICG discovered Self Replicating Robots across the surface of Mercury, which soon escalated the Solar System to War. The Mad Queen of Mercury easily defeated a small ICG armada, and fled the Solar System aboard one of her secret projects, The Hearth of Gold spacecraft. This left the Hermians without a leader, and completely open to ICG occupation. The Council would occupy the planet mere months after the Queen's declaration of war, and begin to dismantle hundreds of the secrets the Queen had hidden across the surface. With the War's end came a wealth of science for the Solar System at large, as Hermian scientists were captured and revealed their secrets for the good of the general public.

Since its first war, Hermes base has been fully integrated as an Interplanetary Governance Council holding. Its industry has flourished as its population grows. Modern conveniences such as virtual worlds and a full-g birthing and childcare facilities. Modern Mercury is a hub for transportation and industry, and it produces more power across its surface and space station than any other planet in the Solar System, Jupiter excepted. With over seventy million permanent residents, Hermes base remains as the only permanent habitat on Mercury's surface.

Geography

Originally located inside Hermes crater, Hermes base now covers 5.2 million square kilometers, or 7% of Mercury's surface.

Type

Crater / Crater Lake / Caldera

Included Organizations

• The Hermian Academy of Science

Owner/Ruler

Queen Emma Kubler