Luna

  Luna is one of the primary economic hubs of the Sol System, and is a major base of operations for several galactic organizations, including the Galactic Mercenary Guild and several major corporations, particularly the Solar Industrial Consortium which operates its primary shipyards from Luna, and the Galactic Surveyor's Guild, one of the largest and most powerful organizations in Civilized Space, which has its headquarters on Luna. Luna is also home to the largest and most successful of the Union of Sol's Special Economic Zones and is major gateway between the Union and the rest of the galaxy.

Major Settlements

Luna has grown rapidly since the before the Great Cataclysm, but has especially developed in the years since the end of the Long Night. There are several major arcologies each of which are responsible for a respectable segment of the world's billion inhabitants. Arcologies are connected to each other, and a number of smaller domed settlements by an underground grav-train network that spans most of the surface of Luna. This project has been ongoing for two millenia, and has resulted in significant resurfacing of the world's surface to the point that it is somewhat difficult to recognize what structures are part of its original, natural state. The largest settlements on Luna are the following;

Ghandia

The oldest of Luna's settlements, Ghandia is a continuation of the Mohandas Ghandi Lunar Base established by the Republic of India, a nation of Old Earth that predated the age of unity. It grew from a lunar base to a proper spaceport, and eventually, into a major city and arcology. It is now the largest settlement on Luna, a melting pot of galactic cultures.

Veluna City

Established in the sea of tranquility, Veluna City was established during the early age of unity as a base for miners operating in the inner and outer belts of the Sol System. It eventually came to grow into a major industrial center, and is home to the largest shipyard in the Sol System, becoming the major provider of military vessels during the Jred Scourge. After the Great Cataclysm, Veluna City was quickly secured by the nascent Union of Sol, and was placed under the direction of the Solar Industrial Consortium, and the Solar State Armaments Corporation, who have become the de facto government of the Arcology, and many of the outlying settlements.

Gainoi

 A relatively new arcology that was constructed to house refugees fleeing from the Jred. Gainoi grew rapidly in the later phases of the Scourge, especially after the Scourgining of Earth. During the Long Night, Gainoi languished in relative poverty, and was therefore selected by the Union of Sol for economic development, and became the basis for Luna's Special Economic Zone. Gainoi has since evolved into one of the wealthiest and most prosperous settlements in the Union of Sol outside the garden worlds.

Einsteinopole

An older domed city that grew into a proper Arcology, Einsteinople remained relatively independent throughout the later age of Unity, even after the rise of the Stellar League, the Jred Scourge, and the start of the Long Night. The city eventually became home to the Galactic Surevyor's Guild, and served as the Guild's Headquarters until the establishment of Guild Central. It remains however, a vital source of supply for the Guild building most of their ships, and other equipment.

Libertalia

 The primary spaceport of Luna, and consists of the primary orbital facility, a difficult to maintain station due to the interplay between Earth and Luna's gravity. This port services most of the spacegoing vessels coming into the Sol System. The downport, where most of the city lies, is a domed edifice that serves as a tradeport, and, aside from the arcologies, Libertalia is the most economically powerful settlement on Luna.

Economics

Infrastructure

Luna is one of the most highly developed settlements in human controlled territory, with unusually advanced infrastructure even for the Union of Sol. There are several large spaceports, including Spaceport Libertalia, which is up the standards of a class A starport in terms of service quality. Each spaceport has a highport in orbit, and a downport within the arcologies. Within Luna, most infrastructure is underground, with several grav train lines connecting the arcologies and outlying facilities. The surface is comparatively underdeveloped, this is due to the lack of a lunar atmosphere and the expense of operating on the surface. Within lunar arcologies there is robust infrastructural development with modern air circulatory, water, and networking facilities, and grav tram lines, as well as roads for ground cars, and low flying grav cars. Areas within the domes are covered in grav plating that successfully simulates earth gravity. Outside the main arcologies there is usually less development, though living standards remain quite high even in the smallest of Lunar settlements.

Industry

Luna is an industrial powerhouse, which would, in almost any other part of the galaxy would be considered a system, perhaps sector wide industrial capital. On Sol however, it is outshined by the facilities on Mars in all but one respect, shipbuilding. Luna's shipyards are the finest in the Sol Sector, and are some of the few with access to the Standard Build Template for the Sol Sector Fleet, ships which, even after five centuries, remain near the pinnacle of human technological achievement, on top of a slowly growing library of novel ship designs developed since the Great Cataclysm. These shipyards, particularly those in orbit of Einsteinople also produce ships and smallcraft for the Galactic Surveyor's Guild. Other well developed industries include medical technologies, and civilian robotics which have rooted themselves into lunar society. Luna, despite efforts to create urban permaculture has always struggled to produce enough food to meet its needs, and is a net importer of food in order to avoid tight rationing.

Trade

Luna is one of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) of the Union of Sol, an outlet for international trade, one with lower levels of restriction than most worlds within the Greater Union. This freer approach has led to Luna becoming a major hub for trade with traders from throughout civilized space coming to Luna to sell off cultural products, art, and certain luxury goods from far away, in order to purchase high technology goods from the Union of Sol. As a result the economy of Luna has grown up rapidly, with many goods and services available on Luna that would be nearly impossible to find on Mars, indeed, with fears of 'cultural pollution' a lot of trid productions, can be screened only on Luna, and many concert tours to the Sol System played exclusively on Luna.

Government

Legally speaking, the government of Luna is split between two entities, the Union of Sol, and the Galactic Surveyor's Guild. The Guild is responsible primarily for Einsteinople and the highport of Libertalia, and the Union of Sol manages the rest of Luna. The Union of Sol has however, turned much of the governance to the various corporate entities that it has partnered with, or owns a stake in. These corporate exclaves, mostly take over the smaller facilities though SIC has taken over much control of Veluna City from the Solar government. The largest single government, that appointed by Sol takes the form of an executive council that manages all of the legislation for the colony, and is primarily responsible for following the directives of the Union of Sol, though the council, governing over an SEZ, has more latitude than is the norm.

Law Level

The Guild UIS law code for Luna is three. This relatively low law level is rare for the Union of Sol, and limited primarily to Luna's status as an SEZ. Most products are legal here, in particular arts and entertainment are subject to much less censorship on Luna than in other parts of the Sol System. Weapons and armor are relatively free for sale, though carrying of those particular implements is strictly forbidden. Free speech is, officially, protected on Luna, though those openly speak out against the Union of Sol to the point of being a possible threat have the tendency to disappear without a trace, rarely seen again.

Security and Defense

Luna is heavily defended, with several squadrons of custom-made system defense boats, and fighters as well as patrols from the Solar Navy. Its primary spaceport is armed to the standards of a cruiser by itself, and many of the smaller ports being surprisingly well armed by themselves. Luna's defense forces are large, several divisions, and well armed, to the standards of many interstellar state's elite troops. Regular law enforcement is extremely present in most common areas, with a wide array of robots and drones available to supplement human members of Lunar Security.

Demographics

There are over one billion inhabitants living on Luna, most of which are citizens of the Union of Sol, making it the second largest population center in the Sol System. Luna's population consists primarily of Neohumans, though it has an unusually large population of Terrans, and of Psions thanks in large part due to the evacuation of Earth after its scourging. Luna's population is highly concentrated with almost ninety percent living in the largest arcologies, owing in large part due to its lack of a breathable atmosphere, or indeed any atmosphere.
Luna Map by Travellerworlds
Alternative Name(s)
The Moon (Old Earth tradition)
Population
1,152,250,115
Inhabitant Demonym
Lunar/Lunar (used as an adjective)
Location under
Owning Organization
by Nightcafe

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