• Altair - Biggs Colony.
Out of the twenty bodies of this system this is one of two notable planets, for their
extreme conditions. Biggs Colony is a jungle world with high humidity and very interesting
wildlife, which makes it a popular holiday destination for those who like an adventure. Hotels
abound and cater for all tastes, even providing conditions for those who normally live in very
different environments, in case they need a break while on holiday. For example natives of
Stevenson in the Phiagre system can rest in refrigerated apartments. Outside hotels, humans
need to wear an environment suit such are the extremes of heat and humidity on these sort of
planets. When tourists arrive on Biggs Colony they must sign a disclaimer in case they are
injured by any of the wildlife (unless on hotel property, such as the animal free areas). All
sorts of life abound, and visitors not used to this tend to go wandering unprotected, enchanted
by the sights and sounds. Jungle Search is a thriving business which offers to search the jungle
for parts of a lost friend or relatives of tourists, when they go missing, for burial purposes.
• Many vaccinations are required if you intend to go on jungle treks, as the diseases are
as varied as the wildlife. When you leave a hotel you are issued an environment suit, a stun
gun, a large swat big enough to down an Oort fly (you would need body armour to
protect yourself fully from this beast). If you pale at the thought of close contact with
nature, you can take a trip on a Landcrawler which transports you through the jungle protected
by a Securifield.
• The second planet, Darkes Hollow, is very hot and not pleasantly so - The average
temperature is 226 degrees Centigrade. The reason it is populated at all is the ore available for mining is very rich in metals. Miners' families live there in small underground communities
and the mining corporation subsidises two holidays on Bigg's Colony per year. Robots have to
do most of the surface work as the temperatures and radiation there are too great for humans.
Power is derived from massive anays of solar panels which run the very powerful air
conditioning units for the settlements below, and also drive the vast smelting operation.
Reputedly, enormous danger money is paid to miners when they need to venture on to the
surface in their powered armour, in order to do some urgent repair or other. There have even
been stories of disenchanted workers arranging for robots to be unavailable when a need
arises, just so they can receive the one-off payment and leave the hated place forever.
Entry by Kathy Dickinson
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