About Mars Roleplay

About 36 million – 250 million miles from earth lays the 4th planet from the sun. It’s a red carbon dioxide rich planet with an atmosphere that amounts to merely 1% of earths. War torn and splintered factions still struggle for a handhold in the mineral rich environment. The land hints at hidden resources in a geology that dates 4.6 billion years with micro organisms frozen in solid ice. Genetics research, mineral extraction, Terraforming operations, cloning and ever-evolving technologies are but a few of the reasons so many have pushed the limits of this new frontier. Solar storms and cosmic radiations keeps the surface bombarded with deadly levels of radiation, dust storms and changes in temperature keeps the environment hostile. The red planet is not easily approached or lived in and is not for the faint of heart.

Welcome to Mars a deadly arena of roleplay where survival is an art form. While Mars certainly is not for elitist it is very specialized and exclusive. The average roleplayer might need to be savvy of certain information before venturing out into the red dunes composed of Iron Oxide. This page contains some of the information needed to begin roleplay as well as help broaden the IS lore concerning this new frontier.

PROTUS outpost 15

Polar Regions Operational Terraforming United Services (PROTUS)

VASC Mars PROTUS outpost #15

From the outside Protus outpost #15 is a remote privately funded Terraforming operation, complete with hydroponics and a resource processing plant. On the inside however the base is a secure R&D department.

Location: Borealis Dunes North Polar Region. 60 degrees 14 minutes and 32 seconds North, 240 degrees 40 minutes and 28 seconds east.

Crew accommodation:  8 *with a max capacity of 40 if additional habitats are corrected. The most common contract period is 18 months long.

Travel

Conventional drives would take anywhere from 6 to 18 months, braving cosmic radiation. This kind of conjunction class journey is typical of low budgeted travel as seen in the early century. Modern day drives that are capable of reaching velocities near 1% of the speed of light or 2,997,924.58 m/s are capable of cutting flight time down to 4-8 days depending on proximity of elliptical orbit. During this travel time players are encouraged to roleplay whatever methods they choose for the flight. Using ships in a space created build and zero g settings are simply suggestions that can prove to provide a unique rp experience. Centrical force can maintain an artificial gravity during transit.  Being put into cryogenic stasis for the journey while the ship travels along an automated path can also help if you don’t have any of the other methods available. cH4/CO2 is a methane oxygen fuel is the most inexpensive form of fuel used for transportation in conventional drives and can be produced directly from the Martian atmosphere. Depending on your approach to how you want to travel will greatly affect the RP.

A VASC member on earth has no rights, its the exact same as an earth based player on Mars. Remember that you stand alone when you are on earth and outside of the range of any kind of help. Your actions represent our company as a whole and captured VASC members will either be rescued covertly, denounces or eliminated as a liability. If you are a field agent you know better than most that discretion while on earth is essential.

Pressure Suits

One of the most common forms of survival will be pressure suits designed to keep a positive pressure and the proper mixture of elements needed to sustain a breathable atmosphere both in pressurized habitats and vehicles.Should any of these be compromised decompression can be quick, painful and messy. All players are encouraged to obtain or create a pressure suit for RP on mars. This of course is mandatory for any roleplayer that uses organics in their character. You can find free space suits around SL and SLmarketplace might be a good starting location for a quick and inexpensive means of jumping in. Special sealant gel is used for any compromises in the pressure suit, should a positive pressure equalize the inhabitants blood would boil. State of the art pressure suits have Smart Response for instantly sealing any breaks or tears but remain expensive and not altogether easily obtained by the average visitor.

Traversing the martial terrain is not advised without a nearby habitat or vehicle not only because of limited oxygen but also because of solar storms which can spike radiation. It’s not advised for anyone to spend prolonged periods of time without a means of shelter. The D’naa are the only ones who seem confident in this mode of travel.

Oxygen

Oxygen is extracted directly from the environment in a processing unit separating oxygen molecules from the carbon dioxide atmosphere. These units are available in all habitats found on Martian soil and some state of the art pressure suits utilize micro processing units to negate the need to carry tanks of oxygen. On average however the most common pressure suit will limit the mobility of the user due to limitations on how much oxygen they can carry which keep them close to habitats and shelter. The D’naa are renowned for their specialized pressure suits and micro processing units which can keep them mobile indefinitely.

Frangible Ammunition and Weapons

Because of the sensitive nature of habitats and the need to keep positive pressure the paramilitary forces utilize a special form of ammo that are designed to break apart when they hit anything harder than organics. These frangible rounds are used in close quarter combat and are not made from lead projectiles covered with copper jackets. They instead are made from a hybrid poly adhesive which is designed to break apart should the kinetic resistance be anything harder than they are. Glaser Safety Slugs are used for limited penetration in a pressure sensitive environment. The low pressure and micro dust particulates break down average weapons quickly and often renders them inoperable. Special weapons designed specifically for Martial combat are used on average. The Mars Institute of Standards and Technology (MIST) have conducted multiple tests to evaluate the performance of such weapons in the Martian Environment.

Water & agriculture

Mars is rich in hydrated silicate minerals especially at the Polar Regions and found within the soil. Through chemical engineering procedures water can be extracted from the Martian environment and purified in secondary processing units. Combined with genetically engineered plant life designed to grow in martial soil general nutrients and additional oxygen can be sustained within a pressurized environment. Cosmic radiation also helps the growth of the agriculture even if it is deadly to humans. Automated chemical plants produce propellants, water and vegetation with minimal mandatory labor.

Hydroponics can be found genetically synthesizing strains of Deinococcus radiodurans. The nanobes and the threshold of nanites which are analyzing the nanobacteria. The microbe seems to have a high redundancy with a high polyextremophile rate and are used in all manners of medical products.

Environment & Flight

Solar storms and high proton counts keep the Borealis region and the rest of mars bathed in solar radiation. Routine checkups and radiation readouts from x-rays to electromagnetic radiation keep the environment hostile. Following the winter solstice on mars all polar regions are in darkness for 154 Sols (Mars solar days) or 89 Earth days. During this blackout time the small crew undergoes psychological observation from an on sight psychologist.

Storms traditionally begin in the Hellas basin accelerating storms thousands of kilometers away and move with the southern hemisphere jet stream east. With the storm propagating across the equator, the acceleration becomes planet wide bathing Mars in darkness for months on end. With microscopic dust particulates and drastic changes of temperature the environment is not easily lived in or approached. During these storm periods landing pilots are advised to use a combination of aerobraking or toe-dipping into the Martian atmosphere until the desired drag levels can be found. Also keep an eye on the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) for any changes in surface temperature.

Winds can reach around 80-120 mph on the surface with 250-300 mph at higher altitudes, while the atmosphere is only .006 (six tenths of one percent) the density of Earths there is less drag and resistance from wind however the low gravity of mars allow more dust to be picked up. General flight and antigravity propellants will find it hard to navigate without trouble and during massive dust storms flying is impaired.

Particle accelerator reactors

D’naa are considered to be the original colonists of Mars. Originally an interplanetary maritime expedition composed of scientists, explorers and engineers, these pioneers of the new frontier braved the dangers of colonizing mars paving the road to new science and industry. As well as propelling the human species into the new role of a space faring race. However whether due to their isolation from the outside world, their own unique live off-the-land mentality or a vision of providence the D’naa have splintered themselves from the rest of Martian society. Their complete isolation and self sufficiency in their social community had elevated them to merely rumors and legends over the coming years.

It wasn't until they began an active and aggressive campaign against the Terraforming of mars and the extraction of precious minerals that they began to take on a new form in the eyes of the general media. Being nomadic in nature the D’naa travels the expansive complex geological terrain. They are capable of erecting and dismantling camps quickly as well as using hidden caves as strongholds. Their presence has often completely stopped production on mars and uniting the often warring corporations against a common enemy. What the

corporate bureaucracy decided to do was compose open ended standard rules of engagement concerning the D’naa and fortune hunters soon began to actively hunt the native born Martians.

Their ability to mobilize and move quickly as well as their direct knowledge of the land has made them impossible to be eradicated by the corporations. They are identified generally by hood and robes which cover their pressure suits and knives which they use to depressurize enemy suits.

The entomology behind the name is a derivative of Dine’ which is a Navajo word for the people and was used in reference to the Martian natives during the initial corp. wars. They are also referred to as natives and reds for their anti-Terraforming sympathies.

Particle accelerator reactor analysis (PARA) group with Mars Nuclear Science and technology division (MNSTD) has approved this reactor model. The Chloe Singularity drive is the same micro processing plant found in interplanetary vessels. Additional Modifications from subsidiaries of VASC has further developed the Chloe drive for contained energy needs up to fifty years with minimal maintenance. SuperString ltd. particle accelerator generators require permits to be modified or operated on within lunar and earth territories.

The indigenous people seem to use a form of geothermal energy to sustain their hidden habitats and corporate enterprises would pay their weight in credits for a peek of how they power their self sufficient communities.