Rn'R
Ruined Worlds
All the following are worlds that show evidence of once having hosted a
flourishing ecosystem and, in most cases a flourishing civilisation.
In general these are ordered in
decreasing chance of finding living
cultural remnants
increasing Tech Level [T/L] either of the indigenous population
or the alien invaders that destroyed their homeworld
increasing
level of danger indeed some worlds will be so dangerous that the world
is interdicted or quarantiined by the Campaign Super-Powers nominally
The Patrol.
this is indicated by the Q prefix to the I-XXI subscript used as
an abbreviation.
The first seven are the worlds where the indigenous population were
largely to blame for their own extermination. Some worlds may be failed
attempts at self-extinction with pockets of life and (primitive)
civilisation.
The
middle seven
are the natural disasters that can befall a habitable planet.
Unlike the first seven, most of these disasters take place over
geological time. Thus the indigent population will have time to prepare
and, in most cases, emigrate to the less habitable worlds in
the solar system with tenacious 'stay-at-homes'
maintaining a
technic civilisation using sealed environments, life support systems,
fusion power and other disaster beating technologies. Or, in
exceptional circumstances, may have regressed and adapted to the new
circumstances. More advanced cultures may mass migrate to another solar
system leaving a
epitaph to their migration.
The last seven show signs of externally and intentionally applied
devastation; possibly the
result of Interplanetary/ Interstellar/ Intergalactic War between
warring: cultures; planetary states; interstellar civilisations;
advanced cultures and ultimately the 'Gods'!
(Precursor species of the previous Galactic Milieu.)
After delicate sensor scans and a perilous overland journey... some
ruined
buildings with strange geometries may be found. But that's
another adventure...
In more recent times various worlds have become battlezones especially
those with nexial Jump Stars and sites of special scientific interest.
(Usually Precursor ruins!) Interested parties may use covert methods of
planetary genocide; disguising a deliberate attack as a 'natural
disaster' (VIII - XIV) and even 'self extermination' (I - VII); the
last seven are clear indications of 'dirty work' on the cosmic scale.
Finally: some planetary surfaces and cultures are just too dangerous...
even for the D/M. Here the Patrol and Survey maintain interdiction and
the Grand Scheme of Things.
MADWorld - the traditional all out global
thermonuclear exchange. All the classics: radstorms, glassy deserts,
mutants, killer cockroaches (or local equivalent),...
GreenWorld - on the exponential curve to
becoming a runaway greenhouse world; generally traced to a Carbon
Dioxide/ Methane/ Photochemical Smog/ ... build up. Vast deserts;
dwindling forests, seas and oceans; raging forest fires,... and,
perhaps, just before the curve goes asymptotic: a primitive and
bullheaded civilisation still addicted to fossil fuels.
WhiteWorld - a little knowledge is a
dangerous thing! In the efforts to
reduce the greenhouse effect the indigenes went a little too far:
pumping
sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere; orbiting trillions of reflective
particles;... And
tipped the global climate to the other extreme. If the ice sheets don't
extend to the equator some primitive indigenants may
eke out a precarious (pseudo-polar) existance. Small pockets of
'nuclear savages' may maintain a fast breeder cycle based around
ancient nuclear power and reprocessing plants.
ToxicWorld - global technic pollution of the
worst kind; to the extent
that the few (vicious) predators left: eat filter masks for
breakfast and environment suits for dinner! Otherwise there is no
biosphere worth talking about.
MechWorld - the machines won and then,
without organic sophonts to repair them or reprogram or give them
purpose... just rusted away. Both living and mechanical remnants may
survive in a peculiar symbiosis or in a state of perpetual war. Other
explanations require an over mechanised world (of any T/L) followed by
a 'tipping point' usually a vital resource becomes exhausted: coal
reserves at the height of the steam age, running out of flint in the
neolithic,...)
GloopWorld - 'GreyWorld' a variation on
ToxicWorld, here a
nanotech dissassembler has 'gotten out of hand' and dissassembled an
entire civilisation or just everything made of carbon. In extreme cases
non-carbon feeders are on the loose too. Disassembling: environment
suits, tools and even landing craft! For comedic purposes the carbon
feeders may have self destructed, leaving the AAs safe but
standing in their (woollen, cotton,...) underpants and nothing else
made of synthetics.
Junk World - similsar to the Mech World
in appearance. But in this case, the teetering edifice of a highly
mechanised and integrated industrial complex reached a tipping point
generally for the want of a nail. And thus the planet was lost.
Technologies may range from a Super Steam Age, that ran out of fossil
fuels... to a 'Ghost World' where everyone went on a virtual
cyber-holiday and forgot to procreate! Hel(1)Well (Supra
Polar World) - various natural causes may be to blame: unfortunate
continental drift, super-vulcanism with an excess of sulphur dioxide
but usually orbital fluctuations or simply that the local primary is
having an off eon.
Hell(2)Well (Supra Tropical World) - as supra
polar but in the opposite direction.
Dry Well (Radiation Flux) - variations of
a
sun in the local galactic neighbourhood: recurrent nova, gamma ray
burster,... or, closer to home, perhaps the local primary just
went 'a bit funny'. All but the most radiation hardened organisms have
been wiped out. But all the buildings and artifacts are intact!
Naturally any working electronics have been deep fried by the EMP.
Plague Well - most but not all mass
exterminations of a planetary population are microbial in nature.
Advanced cultures can also fall prey to viscious animal predators
arising out of evolutionary extremes. Surviving organisms then go on to
become an interstellar problem, unless strict landing protocols are
maintained. The ConSapient Medical Alliance (CSMA) may patrol these
worlds. And even mount surface expeditions!
'Splashed' Well (Impactor) - the planet
killing asteroid
or comet has thrown the evolutionary clock back to whatever extent is
required. Even to pre-biotic times. In the latter case there's usually
a planetary debris torus and accreting moon(s). Planetary conditions
can be determined by the composition of the impactor or, more likely,
by the underlying geology of the impactor site(s): limestone releasing
vast amounts of CO2 leading to a Hel1 Well or GreenWorld conditions or
haematite releasing large quantities of SO2 leading to a Hell2 Well or
WhiteWorld conditions.
Poison Well - as ToxicWorld
but
caused by vulcanism and other natural out-gassing. High core
temperatures are maintained by 'tidal flexing' from a moon that's too
big and too close.
Naked Well - the planetary
gravity field was just too low to retain a dense atmosphere. Worlds
with a higher gravitational field are not immune, the approach and
capture of rogue moon(s) can strip the atmosphere away from the planet
by tidal effects. In rare occasions both planet and moon retain a shared
low pressure atmospheric envelope. Blighted as
ToxicWorld but caused by bio-warfare. Generally the easiest way of
eliminating a
planetary civilisation ithout destroying resources and infrastructure.
The difference between a Plague Well and a Blighted one is minimal.
Generally the first culture to develop an anti-toxin, antidote,.. gets
the blame! Busted - Planet Buster bomb, or similar,
has turned the world into a debris torus with roughly the same orbit.
At
first glance, would seem to be an asteroid belt 'with unusual
mineralisation'. The remnants of the planetary civilisation are strewn
across billions of cubic kilometers. Banned - for crimes against sapiency the
planet has been interdicted by "The Patrol". The blockade maintained by
a Vedette or two then moving to automated Guardian Satellites. In
certan cases some nascent civilisations (ie. pre-FtL) have 'protected
status' with a stand off watch. Safely beyond their primitive detection
capabilities. Blitzed - heavily
cratered world from
multiple kinetic kill weapons: usually large (huge!) asteroids for
widescale
devastation, down to smaller 'chunks' for pinpoint genocide. In latter
case there may be a viable biosphere. All major conurbations will be
large craters and the small villages: small craters. Only the
deepest levels: military defence complexes, mines and other hidden
refuges will survive. Planetary conditions may well be determined by
the underlying geology of the impactor sites. (See Splashed Well u.s.) Burned (Off) - entire world has the colour
and texture
of well carbonized toast. Various methods: ranging from a hell burner
(M/C) that converts the planetary atmosphere into a firestorm, through
various orbital beam weapons to the space barbarian's favorite: nuclear
bombardment from orbit! Easily confused with (concealed as) a MADWorld.
Banished - the world has been cut off
from the Known Space (Galactic Milieu) by 'superior powers'. Usually
'The Patrol' via Interdiction and sometimes by 'The Co-op' via Quarantine.
At the low end of the judgement (T/L) the world is merely made more
unhabitable by Blighting it with designer plagues, nano dissassemblers
and giant killer robots. Sometimes the world is patrolled by a
blockading force but more often by cheap but deadly orbiting 'guardian
satellites'. At higher T/Ls the world may be surrounded by a matter
conversion field, encased in a stasis field and, ultimately, rotated
into another
dimension (with or without its primary). This latter punishment is only
reserved for extremely naughty Star Cultures.
Bashed The whole system has suffered a
catastrophic event. A near miss by another sun, ranging from a brown
dwarf to a black hole! In the latter case perhaps the only evidence is
a debris field still orbiting around the galaxy. In the former: yet
another multiple star system with ruined worlds; once inhabited and
still marginally habitable! The number of such worlds, discovered to
date, is clear evidence that these systems were the result of targeted
attack by cultures that could throw suns at each other! As every
astronomer knows "Multiple star systems can't have planets. Let alone
habitable ones!"
'Bandoned - a final mystery; sometimes a habitable world spawns
a great (galactic) culture that sees everything, feels everything, does
everything, and then just disappears. Claims that
some species have 'moved on to greater things' and 'higher planes of
existance' are all true or propaganda depending on who you listen to.
Rn'R
Ruined Worlds