All About The Colony of Initium

[Marcus Caine]

Initium
"Home of The Colony of Initium"

Overview
Initium is a satellite of the planet of Hale. It is a mostly-barren, generally dusty moon, home to a slightly less-than-diverse collection of wildlife. Its surface is mostly flat with some rolling hills and forested areas here and there. There are two mountain ranges of note, but their elevation is nothing capable of awing a well-traveled man, for the most part. All-in-all it is like Hale with much less water and a bit more warmth from time to time. Read more about the environment here, if you're interested!

The Facts and Figures (courtesy of some fantastically advanced technology)
Radius: 2,538 km
Day Length: 26 Earth Hours
Atm. Pressure: 1 atm
Surface Temp: 22 °C
Surface Gravity: 1.0 g

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The Colony of Initium

Facts and Figures

Founded: 2386 CE, 25 years ago
Population: Approx. 2,000 people
Age distribution:

0-14 years: 15%
15-45 years: 52%
46-65 years: 20%
66+ years: 3%

A Brief History

Founder, Marcus Caine
The history of the colony of Initium began on Hale with the aspirations of Marcus Caine, or so the story goes. The colony was built according to his plans after he charismatically presented a proposition to governments of Hale and Corwin. The council of Hale awarded him the position of colony founder due to his clever mind and apparent skill in science, counting primarily on his skill in biological sciences as they pertain to plants. With funding from Corwin and the basic technology from Jackson, 300 researchers and family members were sent to Initium to establish the facility, which was given the task of performing agricultural research in the unfavorable conditions of the dusty moon.

Twenty-five years later, some progress has been made, and the colony's numbers have grown to include a number of civilians from all over the Nu System (both involved and uninvolved in the research on Initium), but conditions are still rough.

Government

There is no written law of Initium. The council of Hale has offered complete authority to Marcus Caine, who must answer to authorities from Hale and Corwin, but he has taken that authority and divided it amongst others both within the community of researchers and outside it. The system is not perfect by any means, but the size of the community and the shared desire to see the colony endure has been enough to keep things from falling apart due to a power struggle.

Initium isn't much to fight over.

The Council of Initium
The Council of Initium is elected yearly by the citizens who are 18 years of age or older, regardless of the citizens' occupations or origins. It consists of a total of six representatives, one for the researchers (Dr. Harrington Lark), one for the farmers (Joseph Carter), one for education and youth concerns (Bethany Davies), one for trade and resources (Wesley Daniels), one for interplanetary affairs (Helena Torres) and another for general welfare (housing, etc.- Tabrett Anders). Re-election for two consecutive terms is not allowed. People under 25 years of age cannot be elected to office. A colonist must have lived in the colony for at least 3 months in order to be elected to the council.

The Council is tasked with managing their respective areas of expertise and seeking to address problems brought to them by the people by working with each other to make changes more quickly and effectively than would be possible with a direct vote from all adult colonists.

The Council also hears cases to act as the judicial system of Initium.

Democracy
Although many problems are handled through the council, some issues are put to a vote- mostly those which are not extremely time-sensitive. Colonists may (and have) petitioned to change rulings from The Council.

Values and Beliefs

The values and beliefs of the residents of Initium are almost as varied as could be. Their religious beliefs range from a militant lack of belief to devout spirituality and fundamentalist belief in the One God. Their political beliefs range from preferences of anarchism to desires for Communism or even Monarchy.

What the vast majority of them seem to share is an interest in sustaining and bettering the colony that currently serves as their home. There is a great deal of sharing amongst the residents of Initium, and compassion and hospitality are often expected or even demanded. With the resources as they are and the population so small, it seems that the colonists must rely on each other and help their fellow colonists. Even with cooperation they must work hard to keep business running and research properly funded and facilitated. As a result, working hard and remaining dedicated to the colony is the best way to earn true respect on Initium.

One should also note that with many colonists, especially those who have come to Initium for reasons separate from the original research mission, it is expected that people will not question others about their pasts. Many seek to live in the moment and seize the day. With that said, there are certainly those who are caught in the past, and there's nosy, rumor-spreading people in every society, especially one as small as the colony of Initium.

Note that these common beliefs and values don't guarantee peace in the colony. Disputes erupt, especially during shortages, about peoples' work ethic, bias and selfishness from time to time.

Entertainment

Unfortunately for the colony, there isn't much in terms of high-quality entertainment on Initium. . . at least for people outside the Agricultural Research Facility. Films are few, and it isn't easy to get one's hands on working viewing equipment. Literature isn't exactly all over, and the majority of what is available pertains to science and education. Music is quite common, along with organized concerts and the like, but the music isn't in line with the fine tastes of The Alliance as the majority of it is made without the assistance of technology. The sports, commonly enjoyed by the males of the population (from children to middle-aged workers), are incredibly simple, often requiring nothing more than a ball and a few rocks and things for markers. . . perhaps a stray bucket or a rickety bunch of scraps for a hoop or two. Things are a bit more high-tech for researchers within the facility, but they rarely have time to take advantage of their privileges.

Education

For colonists looking to get into the Agricultural Research Facility for work, education is very good for their purposes. For everyone else, education on Initium is rather lackluster. New information is slow to get to Initium, and the site of most of the schooling, a grounded transportation ship, definitely wasn't meant to be a school. The small population makes it difficult to form groups of students at similar levels, and there aren't actually many teachers to cover a variety of subjects. Literacy isn't much of an issue, and the colonists as a whole certainly aren't stupid, but Initium doesn't hold much in education for geniuses or even notable scholars.

Those who want a solid education pursue it elsewhere, but many make due with what is available to them. The education system on Initium seems to work well enough for those who have no aspirations of leaving, at the least.

The Middle Class

To say that there is a significant separation between social classes on Initium would be inaccurate. With the distribution of resources as it is, everyone is fairly equal in terms of possessions. However, the researchers are undoubtedly the most fortunate, especially with respect to living arrangements, and there are some who are forced to live in tents along the borders of the settlement.

[Marcus Caine]