Alexandria

System: Cleopatra

Sector: Primus

Alexandria is a moon covered primarily in lush jungle that orbits the gas giant Cleopatra IV. It is 11 light years from Terra Prime and was the first habitable moon ever discovered by mankind.

But more than any of that, Alexandria was the site of what most consider the greatest archeological find in all of human history: The Great Archive.

The Great Archive is a large structure that was completely covered by the aggressive Alexandria jungle until it was discovered by explorers from Terra Prime. It is estimated to be about 1.3 billion years old. Not only was it the first Deep Time Artifact ever found, but it was also the first conclusive evidence of the existence of intelligent alien life.

The Great Archive, which most believe may have been a simple astronomical observatory to its creators, contained a treasure trove of information on surrounding star systems, but most of that information was millions of years out-of-date, as the stars and their planets had long since moved and shifted from the positions the creators charted them at. However, the archive contained data on physics, the fabric of space-time, quantum mechanics and gravity control that catapulted both power production and FTL propulsion at least a century forward in a matter of months. FTL drives went from a maximum speed of about 10 times the speed of light to speeds over 200 times the speed of light (and now approach speeds of nearly 400 times the speed of light). And for the first time, humans were able to begin mass production of stable antimatter and a stable form of unupentium, also known as Element 115. Element 115 has two incredible properties: First, it has a gravity field that extends beyond the perimeter of the atom which can be manipulated and amplified. Second, when Element 115 is subjected to fission, it releases an incredible amount of energy several orders of magnitude beyond what one can get from uranium or plutonium. When it is bombarded with antimatter (usually antihydrogen), the energy release is fantastic.

This sparked a renaissance and an expansionist period that is only now beginning to slow down. And it made Alexandria one of the most important worlds in known space.

The Order of Voltaire was the natural choice for a clan to steward this world, and the order has turned out a significant number of discoveries and insights into the creators. There are still secrets buried on Alexandria, however. There are a number of structures on the planet that serve no purpose, and seem to be completely inaccessible. It is clear they are buildings meant to be entered. They contain doorways and archways and seem to be built on the remains of roads, but they cannot be opened by any technology or weaponry that mankind has devised. One or two have allegedly been found “cracked” open by age and time and the jungle, but these are just conspiracy theories to which few people pay attention. These theories often make outlandish claims of the corpses of “gods” and secrets of universes beyond our own which the Order of Voltaire and the Terran Protectorate government are keeping from the rest of humanity.

Surely, there are a number of restricted sections of Alexandria, but if such theories are true, then the government has done an excellent job of keeping them under wraps.

There are several large cities on Alexandria, and the capitol city of New Luxor is built only two miles from the Great Archive Archeological Preservation Research Site. However, the planet is one of the least populated of the core worlds. It is still a hotbed of scientific research and is the seat of power for the Order of Voltaire, however. It is also considered one of the most important worlds in the Protectorate, giving it the classification of a core world.

Alexandria has a cornucopia of life forms that could rival Earth. Many of them are extremely dangerous, and travel outside of the cities is not suggested. The planet produces and exports a number of medications, exotic lumber and life forms, and scientific research. It is also a training ground for archaeologists and scientists, and has a hostile environment training base for the Colonial Marines. Ares-Draconis has a strong presence here, due to the fierce military protection afforded the planet.

Population: 18 million

Controlling Clan: Order of Voltaire

Diameter: 3,190 miles

Atmosphere: Earth-like, with slightly higher pressure and extremely high humidity. Believed to be cooling off from a greenhouse gas effect, it is estimated that the moon will only have about 4,000 more years of habitability unless terraformed. It is assumed that the creators of the Archive stabilized its atmosphere for much of its history through artificial means.

Average Temperature Range: 65°F – 140°F (18°C – 60°C)

Gravity: .8 G

Calendar: Alexandria makes a full rotation every 14 hours, however it orbits Cleopatra IV every 10 days, meaning that the entire moon experiences 3 days of darkness every 10 days no matter what time of day it is while it is completely behind the gas giant.

Satellites: A Cerberus-Class Defense Space Station orbits the planet. All traffic to and from the planet is monitored and coordinated from this heavily armed battlestation. There is also a scientific research station that orbits Cleopatra IV in a lower orbit, and Alexandria has three “sister” moons that orbit Cleopatra IV as well. All of the others are rocky, smaller moons that have no atmosphere.

Defense Assets: The Cleopatra Star System is home to a large task force meant to keep the system locked tight against smugglers of artifacts and saboteurs. The task force has a large number of fast, sub-capital vessels. It includes three Armstrong-class heavy cruisers, two Archer-class escort carriers, 14 Rama-Class destroyers and 30 Holstein-class pinnaces. The Cereberus-Class defense station also has two wings of Crossbow fighters and a wing of Ballista fighters.