The other worlds of the solar system, where most of the Human population live, are highly diverse in their culture, but the basic needs of life support mean that their infrastructures are somewhat similar.
Mercury
Mercury, being so close to the sun and bathed in high intensity solar winds, is a rather inhospitable world. It’s main resource is it’s proximity to the sun, and a number of very important Solar Observatories are implanted on the planet, connected by a network of tunnels. High radiation levels and extremes in temperature keep this world as mostly a research installation, with a global population of less than one million.
Venus
As the Earth’s Sister planet, some people had Venus in sight for long as a target for terraforming efforts. However, its dense and thick atmosphere mean that setting down on the surface of Venus is the equivalent of plunging 1000 meters into the ocean. Some scientific stations have been set up on the planet, most are automated, and very few people live permanently on the surface. In orbit around Venus is a large space station that is a popular vacation destination for Terrans, called Aphrodite. It is a leisure center with spas and pools, but is mainly the largest bordello in the Solar System. It’s construction in 2435 was largely viewed as a publicity stunt by the adult industry, but this stunt payed off, and two centuries later, it is highly successful.
the Moon
The Moon is permanently occupied by humans since the mid-21st century. It took a long time to host a significant population, but in the 22nd and 23rd century, when the emigration to the outer worlds began, a large population settled on the Moon: “All the excitement of moving to Space, without the hassles of interplanetary travel” was the main sales pitch. The main cities are Aldrin and Collins, near the North and South poles, where ice has been found in some quantities. The main economic activities are logistics-related, since the moon is the gateway between the Solar System and Earth, since the lower gravity means a lot less energy spent to get to space. Transportation from the moon to the surface of Earth or to the space elevator is easy and fast, and shipping lanes to all planets of the system go through the Moon’s spaceports.
Mars
Mars has held a special place in Mankind’s collective imagination, and many people who moved there in the first immigration waves were going to Mars because of that imaginary Mars. Many were disapointed when they were faced with the mundane problems of living, be it on another planet. The closeness to Earth means that the Terrans have long tried to meddle in Mars Internal affairs, considering it a colony under it’s control. This even led to a war which in turn, in 2434, led to the creation of the League of Worlds. Mars has been from the start a mining colony, but has developed a diverse economy and a culture very different to Earth’s. Terraforming efforts undertaken in the 23rd century, shortly after the arrival of the first settlers, have either been mostly unsuccessful or have be abandoned during the war, and never restated. The result is that the atmosphere is thicker than it was before human intervention, but is still insufficient for humans to life on the surface unprotected.
the Asteroids
The largest asteroids, Ceres, Vesta and Pallas, have permanent colonies, mainly spaceports used for the mining operations of the asteroid belt. Those mining operations are conducted mainly through automated robotic diggers, but ships patrol regularly the whole belt for maintenance of the equipment.
More on the Outer Worlds on another day…
