2 Pallas
| 2 Pallas | |
| Planetary characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Orbit | 414,737,000 km from primary (mean) |
| Diameter | 570x525x500 km |
| Surface Gravity | 0.016G outside envelope 1G inside envelope |
| Year | 1686.044 days |
| Day | solar: 0.336 days |
| Mean Temperature | 164°K (-109°C) outside envelope 288°K (15°C) inside envelope |
| Atmosphere | none outside envelope 1 atm (N2 78%, O2 21%, Ar 1%) |
| Water/Ice Index | 0% (5% inside envelope) |
| Population (2013) | Unknown (census not possible) |
| Political Affiliation | Fenspace Convention |
| Government | Anarchy |
One of the larger asteroids in the belt, Pallas differs from most of the other colonized asteroids in that, rather than being tunneled into and turned into a space habitat, it's the surface that's been transformed. With the application of a clear MacManusite wrapper, and soil and atmosphere generated by bacteria developed by The Jason, Pallas has been turned into the Solar System's largest greenhouse. Each pole has an open area, large enough to park any ship that's able to land, and facilities bored into the anchor rocks that allow visitors to take advantage of fresh air, green plants, and even a few wild animals, simply by passing through (and not trespassing on any land that's already been purchased). Due to the design, the ceiling of the greenhouse is anchored to the ground in a ring around the poles, and is about 5,000 feet above the ground at the equator, giving plenty of room for air circulation, even weather, inside the envelope.
From a distance, Pallas is very visible, as is it surrounded by a set of four enormous MacManusite mirrors, all of which reflect sunlight onto the sunward side in order to ensure that there is enough light for unmodified earth plants to grow. The reflected sunlight also maintains a temperate climate inside the greenhouse envelope.
Pallas has land for sale to anyone who wants more than a ship to live on, but doesn't want to go back to Earth. The one restriction on land sales on Pallas is that anyone purchasing land there has to agree to abide by the Pallas Covenant.
Pallas Covenant
The Pallas Covenant is a simple agreement that each purchaser is fully, individually, responsible for his or her actions and property, and the consequences of those actions. The Covenant also spells out that any group decisions (such as votes) are not binding on anyone who does not agree to the decision, and that no group has any rights or authority that is greater than any single individual. Beyond that, the Covenant leaves it up to the people who buy land on Pallas to work out how to get along with each other.
Principality of Laputa
The Principality of Laputa was created by Fred MacManus as a sarcastic response to those who insisted that he must be part of some faction, nation, or group, in order to have any legitimacy. It exists solely as a paper entity, with no powers, no laws, and no existence outside the imaginations of those who are afflicted by that particular form of insanity known as "government". Similarly, Prince Frederick the First is nothing more than the name Fred uses when he's dealing with people who are somehow convinced that the Principality of Laputa is real.
