Isolation

Isolation (Mirror VII)
Type: Rocky Moon
Primary Star: M5V (Red Dwarf)
Satellite Of: Mirror (14 Earth Masses)
Gravity: .02 g
Diameter: 944 km
Atmospheric Pressure: 0 atm
Atmospheric Composition: N/A
Surface Temperature (Mean): -222 C
Day Length: 19.11 hours
Orbital Period: 371 Days
Gate Access: Carnivale Gate
Notes: Small Number of System Bodies, Extreme Axial Tilt, Impressive Natural Terrain, Archaeological Traces, Resources Available, Interesting Sky
Isolation is another rocky moon, orbiting a Neptunian world far from it's primary star with minimal other bodies besides possible small planetoids in the system. It's cold, and airless, and has very little of note that can't be found "closer to home" as it were, though the surface and subsurface formations of ice and traces of metallics under the crust are certainly "valuable". It also has an interesting look at "Mirror", it's host planet which has a particularly high albedo and an interesting ring formation. Tidal forces and a few impacts have given Isolation some impressive impact basins and cliff or rise formations, which in turn form deposits of fleeting ice in their shadows. There are only two things which give Isolation any note in terms of Gate destination. One, it's only majorly notable Gate connection is to the scum exoplanet Carnivale, and two, the "Star Crypts". The first would not be so important in of itself, other than that some Gatecrashers on Carnivale found Isolation first. This let to an interesting movement which has begun settling small crowds on the moon. If Carnivale is the place where people go to party, where all kinds of things can be arranged with appropriate consent, Isolation is a place to go to "get away". Several more philosophically minded Scum have migrated to the moon and established something between a rehab clinic, a monastery and a business retreat in the rocky crags of the moon. If the stress of partying hard every day gets to you, or you feel out of connection with your inner self, or even if your fellow Scum think you might be hitting the sex and drugs a little to hard in a way which isn't good for your long-term mental state, you might end up on Isolation. Living in the growing clusters of habitation modules and pressurized caverns is simple, open and communal. Organized along many common anarchist lines, people here are encouraged to cleanse mind, body and spirit through a number of methods. Egos are not necessarily kept on Isolation against their will, but the Gate connections work on strict timetables arranged with Carnivale, so people often make the most of time they may accrue there, working on simple hobbies, doing basic work which is said to clear the mind, enjoying conversation with other visitors and looking at the local landscape. In general, people find it very therapeutic to stay there even briefly, though the lack of mind-altering substances (at least which can't be grown in simple hydroponic planters) means a few people have some unfortunate detox periods.
The other thing is the "Star Crypts". Found by a wandering "patient" of Isolation who was taking an exploratory stroll - they are an interesting archaeological question. They are a series of openings cut into a tall, rocky shelf or cliff, with a placement so that when the "night" of Isolation passes they are exposed to the minimal light reflected off Mirror at "planetrise". These openings resemble certain types of burials utilized on Earth, hence the term "crypt" even though no Xenoarchaeologist can say for sure if it was a burial chamber. The openings are a little unusual for by normal transhuman standards; just over 2 meters tall, but under 1 meter across. They show no obvious tool marks and thus should have been made with very precision tools. The interiors have no distinguishing features other than a variable depth, at a minimum of 2 meters, but usually closer to 10, and that the interior appear to have slight striations in the color in vague patterns which appear to be artificial, but are too subtle for transhumans to properly appreciate. Traditional geologic dating does not work in this sort of environment, and best guesses have a wide swing between 20,000 and 500,000 years old. There are no other traces of who built these indentations, or how they accessed the cliff face to make them. It is also not known if the original body (containing a currently estimated 26 "crypts") is the only site, or if there are others, though some Xenoarchaeologists are planning on thoroughly surveying the moon. However, the fact that Isolation is two gate connections away, which are through some fairly "non-standard" environments has scientists moving slower than usual.