Ulmo

Ulmo
Type: Terrestrial (Oceanic)
Primary Star: M2V (Red Dwarf)
Gravity: .84 g
Diameter: 10,076.62 km
Atmospheric Pressure: .53 atm
Atmospheric Composition: 55% Argon, 17% Oxygen, 17% Carbon dioxide, 7% Sulfur dioxide,
3% Nitrogen, 1% Other Gasses
Surface Temperature (Mean): 28 C
Day Length: 48 Hours
Orbital Period: 283 Days
Satellites: None
Gate Access: Vulcanoid Gate, Set Gate
Notes: Planetary Rings, Deep Oceans, Transhuman Settlement (Aqua Dimension Research
Station Bathyscaphe)
Ulmo is an interesting prospect, settled in relatively close to its star, with an ideal temperature range for transhumans, but an atmosphere too thin for those without Enhanced Respiration to breathe. Unfortunately or fortunately, as the case may be, much of Ulmo’s surface is covered in extremely deep oceans, which alleviates this problem for water breathing biomorphs. Due to it’s otherwise hospitable conditions, Ulmo has been settled by a aquaculture and biodesign extropian microcorp known as Aqua Dimension, based out of Ceres in the Main Belt. Aqua Dimension has built a sizable bathyscaphe near the Gate area, and begun exploration efforts. The discovery of an entire planetary body of oceans has interested both Neo-Octopi
and Neo-Cetaceans, and it is believed the Hidden Concern has invested into the exploration of the planet. Aqua Dimension has even created an amphibious variant of the Ruster (usually called a “Salter”) which allows normal Transhumans to survive on surface conditions on Ulmo. Ulmo has no moons, but does have a planetary ring formation, which is highly interesting. The Gate on Ulmo is located in a large, black rock grotto inside a seamount relatively close to the surface, with the gate itself located outside of the water.

Mera
Station Type: Bathyscaphe
Allegiance: Independent (Aqua Dimension/TerraGenesis)
Primary Languages: English, Spanish, Russian, Neo-Cetacean
Population: 3,000
Mera is a Bathyscaphe habitat on Ulmo anchored to the top of the seamount (usually titled Mera Seamount) which contains the Pandora Gate. Mera is owned and operated by Aqua Dimension, an extropian-style hypercorp primarily based out of Ceres and Atlantica in the Main Belt, with a contractual agreement with TerraGenesis. Aqua Dimension specializes in aquaculture and aquatic biodesign, and is considered a competitor to several major Genehacking outfits on Enceladus, and is also well known for a large volume of Neo-Cetacean and Neo-Octopi uplifts among its staff. The station is arranged into a series of submerged spheres at various depths (but never too extremely far from the surface), with the outermost layer of spheres partially flooded to accommodate amphibious morphs. Beyond the spheres are anchored frameworks which function as cultivates for aquaculture designed by Aqua Dimension to grow and thrive on Ulmo. Primary power for the station is generated by tidal plants along the bottom and attached to the anchoring tethers, with some limited surface solar facilities. The central bubble of the station, known as “The Sphere” is the largest, and holds the primary infrastructure and administration facilities for the colony, as well as connects to the anchors and to “Gate Grotto”, via pressurized elevator. The Gate Grotto itself has been sealed and increased to normal earth pressure, and connects via a short swim or submarine ride to a specialized “customs” facility which leads into the Sphere. The rest of the station’s spheres are arranged into roughly three layers out from the sphere, known as the Inner Circle, Middle Circle and Outer Circle. The Inner Circle contains most of the habitation, recreation and life support infrastructure for the station, the Middle Circle is made up of research and development labs, specialized towards specific projects, and the Outer Circle contains the amphibious bubbles which are for Aquatic morphs and uplifts, and some other specialized research tasks. On the topmost layer of Mera, where The Sphere actually breaks the surface of Ulmo’s vast oceans, is the TerraGenesis run resort known as the Pacifica Hotel, which is a large, mostly open air space, where people can rent one of Aqua Dimension’s custom “Salter” morphs, and enjoy the experience of Ulmo to the fullest.

About 50% of the population are employees directly with Aqua Dimension, with another 30% unaffiliated contract employees. The remaining population is a combination of dependents, unaffiliated researchers (mostly Argonauts and Europans), TerraGenesis and other Venusian and Extropian corp affiliates, and an indeterminate number of tourists, gawkers, aquatic mercurials and freelance gatecrashers. Mera is wholly owned and operated by Aqua Dimension (except for large sections leased to TerraGenesis to run their resort) operates off a Profundan anarchocapitalist model, where employees of the corp are provided with shares, the dividends of which go first and foremost to paying for habitation expenses on Mera. Contractors are provided with habitation and necessities as part of their employment contracts for the period of their employment (thus, coming out of their end pay), and all other parties must either obtain basic resources on a prorated basis, or are provided them by a group (such as TerraGenesis) who have an extant contract with Aqua Dimension. There is also the influence of the Hidden Concern, who have invested in the project though legitimate and illegitimate means, and as such, are one of the few forces to hold shares in the microcorp who are not employed by it. In addition to their living expenses, shareholders are entitled to vote on matters related to the corporation as a whole, including regular elections for the CEO and other officer positions in the corp.

Salter Biomorph (Ruster Variant)
Implants: Add Direction Sense, Echolocation, Gills, Lateral Line and Swim Bladder
CP Cost: 30
Cost: Expensive (Almost impossible to find off Ulmo)