Difference between revisions of "Oligos"

Revision as of 18:38, 22 December 2013

Oligos
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Segmentum:	Ultima Segmentum
Sector:	Australis Ultima
Subsector:	[[Helix Cluster]][[Category:Helix Cluster]]
System:	[[Kaloran System]][[Category:Kaloran System]]
Class:	Agri World
Type:	Minor
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Geography

Physics

Type Gas Giant

Mass 1.16 x 1025 kg

Density 5.67 g/cm3

Composition 38.8% methane, 26.4% oxygen, 18.1% hydorgen, 9.7% helium, 7.0% other gases, trace other elements

Gravimetry

Gravity 12.42 m/s2

Escape Velocity 13.99 km/s

Rotation Period 18.12 hours

Axis Tilt 7.71 °

Atmosphere

Type Dense reducing

Pressure 216.61 kPa

Composition 75.0% methane, 25.0% carbon dioxide, trace other gases

Oligos is a gas planet with an Aqua hue. Instead of land masses its atmosphere is choked with floating islands of dark green vegetation. These Islands vary in size from chunks the size of a shuttle to massive pieces the size of a small country.

On these islands dwell all manner of avian creatures. An entire eco system of insects, herbivores, predators and scavengers flit between the islands in search of food. The largest of these is the Oligos Pterodactyl .

It is these islands, and the nutrient rich plant growth on them that the harvesters of Oligos collect and turn into an edible gruel for the people of the Helix Cluster.

Population

The green islands of Oligos are unsuitable for permanent settlement because of their propensity to keep growing until they split apart into smaller islands. That, and the fact that they keep getting pulled apart by flocks of herbivores or harvesting machines.

Because of this the human inhabitants of Oligos live in large flying platforms high in the atmosphere. Each platform is the property of a Harvesting guild and all life on board is slaved to the process of harvesting and processing the islands. Each platform has a handful of harvesting blimps at their command which descend continually to collect chunks of vegetation from the islands below. Some are relatively small, acting more like conventional combines that roll across the top of the islands. Some rival the landing craft of the imperial guard, able to devour entire islands whole and process them in situ.

Once the plant matter has been processed it is sent up to the orbital stations to be stored ready for transport off world. It is on the orbital stations that the planetary government (such as it is) keeps its offices

History

When the plant masses of Oligos were discovered, their potential for food was immediately apparent. Although lacking in taste, the dark green gruel refined from the rubbery growths was rich in essential nutrients and much superior to corpse starch rations for morale. It also kept for ages and was easy to store and transport.

It was only after the agri colony was established that further studies of the eco system revealed it was not a natural phenomenon. All of the animal and plant species could be traced to other planets in the Helix cluster, light years away. All except the strange green plant material that the floating islands were made of. Upon close scrutiny of the plants structure it appeared to have been bio engineered. With the right amount of nutrients and light the plant could grow exponentially until it grew too heavy to support its mass. Then it would break apart under its own weight into smaller islands and the process would continue. Some of the animals fed on the green islands themselves, preventing them from growing too quickly. Others would feed on the herbivores to keep their numbers under control.

Someone, or something, had gathered all these animals and plants together to make an eco system to sustain the islands.

Quite who was responsible is still a matter of debate amongst magos biologis across the Helix sub. But as long as Oligos keeps sending food shipments out, production gets precedents over research. Occasionally the huge harvesters get a hunk of mangled alien machinery jammed in their workings and the whole cycle of speculation starts up again.

Battles