///From the author: Mars has always held a special place in my heart, and a unique place in the story of the Spacers Saga. Originally the main enemy of Earth in the original take on the Solar Civil War, it became the primary world in Solar Space in later drafts, after I decided to toy with global catastrophe which rendered the Earth uninhabitable, a lá Cowboy Bebop. In current drafts of the stories, however, Mars is sort of the "second-best" world in the solar system - number one in military spending, but down the list in many other metrics, including civic freedoms. But the mystique of the legendary Red Planet lives on, and as we will see in this record of the world and its history, the Martians do have very much to be proud of in 2389
The Red Planet in the 24th Century
(Physical map of Mars circa 2389)
Critical Stats:
First reached by humans: December 1971 (uncrewed); September 2034 (crewed)
2389 Population: approximately 297 million, including orbitals
Capital: Aldrin City, Federal Capital region; metropolitan population: approx. 7.5 million
Affiliation: Interplanetary Cooperative Administration (ICA)
Current government: United Nations of Mars
Established: 12 September 2169
Current constitution adopted: 27 August 2306
Government details: federal constitutional republic; seat of government - Federal Compound, Aldrin City; primary government authority - the Martian Federal Senate; Prime Minister - Rodolfo Tevari (since 2384)
Primary industries: heavy industry/manufacturing (Mars is the number one manufacturer of civilian & military products in Solar Space)
Gross Domestic Product: approximately $21.17 trillion
Average GDP per capita: approx. $71.3 thousand
Historical Notes:
The history of Martian exploration goes back centuries, with the earliest robotic probes having visited the so-called Red Planet as far back as the 1960s. Crewed exploration kicked off in the early to mid-2030s on the heels of Larsen's Gambit, when rogue industrialist Charles Larsen unveiled fusion power generators and gambled that he could use them to fund the colonization of Mars. The first crewed landing took place in the fall of 2034, and a long-term base (Edwin E. Aldrin Memorial Station) was established in the Valles Marineris five years later.
Early settlement continued slowly after these milestones, but sped up following an incident at a Martian science outpost in the Arabia Terra overseen by the Scientific Advancement & Development Initiative (SADI). This led the pioneering citizens of the Red Planet to sign their founding treaty, the Marineris Accords, in 2062, which paved the way for general immigration to Mars.
Following the Brookenden Accords, signed in 2064, the race to explore Mars heated up quickly. Thanks to a population boom after the Great Migration (2098-2129), when almost half a million people immigrated to the bustling settlements on Mars as a response to economic downturn on Earth which grew out of the so-called Resource Wars (2068-2097), over two and a half million people lived there by the time the Treaty of Union was signed in 2169.
This epochal treaty was introduced shortly after the Martian Civil War (2165-2168), which saw nation states affiliated with the Republic of Marineris and those affiliated with the People's Republic of Hellas fighting an undeclared low-intensity conflict across the southern latitude regions of Mars in an attempt to shore up support for their opposing economic doctrines. After the ICA mediated a ceasefire, the Treaty of Union formed the new United Nations of Mars.
Mars rose quickly as an industrial power over the following century, riding a tide of economic prosperity fueled by its partnership with the mining barons of the Asteroid Belt. This success made Mars the richest single world in Solar Space, and gave its citizens the highest standard of living in the inner system. The terraforming program also flourished in this period, and as of 2389 there are several sizable bodies of water on the Martian surface. Notable among these are the Hellas & Argyre Seas and the Mariner Valley Waterway, all of which are banked by great fertile zones used as farmland in order to fill the citizens’ grocery carts.
Much of the southern highlands, meanwhile, have been transformed into sprawling industrial tracts, where the various subsidiaries of the Mars Industrial Conglomerate build, fabricate, or otherwise stamp out the various mass-produced necessities of life in the solar system. The M.I.C. was formed in 2187 from a merger of the eight largest contractors on Mars and has been a major player in Solar commerce ever since.
As the industrial might of Mars expands, so too does the strength of its military. By 2389, the Martian Command makes up roughly one third of the Interplanetary Defense Corps, which speaks to the many real and perceived threats to Martian prosperity that have emerged across the outer solar system. This is especially true in light of a longstanding rivalry between Mars and Titan for control of outer system resources.
Chief among Mars' challengers is the Alliance of Free Worlds, a federation of rebellious colonial nation-states dedicated to dethroning Mars as the primary benefactor of the Solar System’s vast wealth, and to establishing a sovereign empire of the outer system. As the Alliance rises to threaten Mars’ role as the second power in Solar Space, the demands placed upon the IDC (aka the Spacer Corps) to defend Martian interests alongside those of the rest of the ICA will only continue to intensify.
The rivalry between Mars and the outer system dates back at least as far as the mid-23rd century, following the Martian Reconstruction of 2219-2227, which led to an increase in Mars' military spending to defend its new imperial interests. This in turn culminated in the Mars-Titan War (2292-2297), where the UNOM fought Titan for control of the outer solar system’s resources. Ever since, as Mars has led the charge to clamp down on outer system nationalism, movements such as Draconism have exacerbated the situation and led to the rise of the Alliance.
This ultimately led to the Frontier Wars, which plunged Solar Space into chaos from 2371 to 2381, and only ended when the Zharan Collective entered the war on the side of the Alliance and forced the ICA to agree to peace negotiations. Now, in 2389, with the ICA caught up in an ongoing series of tense peace talks that seem to go nowhere, it seems that the only catalyst needed to plunge Solar Space back into war will be a single spark. And evidence is mounting that the Alliance Armada may have just the right spark in mind…
Annotated Map of Mars
Notes on the map:
The above map showcases a few key points about Martian geography. For starters, it shows that, of sixteen capitals in the UNOM federal system, twelve of them are south of the equator. On a similar note, roughly eighty percent of major Martian cities are south of the equator. This is largely due to the fact that the natural Martian climate in the south is more amenable to human habitation, and that settlements on Mars gravitated toward the southern hemisphere during the early era of colonization as a result.
The map shows the sixteen capitals of the major states of UNOM, as well as four large cities of similar importance. A few points of interest: New Ganges, the hub of UNOM’s interstate terraforming initiative; Nereidum, the second-largest city on Mars and a longtime hub for interplanetary transit and spacer culture in general; and New Beijing, one of the first true cities established on Mars (circa 2089).
The five other locations featured on the map include three Spacer Corps military installations, namely Forts Acevedo, Rialto, and Zakaria. The first of these is the center for training new MARSCOM and IDC recruits. There is also a maximum security prison complex, Outpost Omega, which is used by the IDC as a holding facility for military prisoners. Lastly, there is a federal heritage site, the former location of Mars Outpost Delta-4, which holds significance in the history of Martian independence, for it was there that a foiled plot by Terran business interests to control Mars’ future led to the signing of the Marineris Accords in 2062.
Political Map of Mars circa 2389
Major Nation-States (ordered by population):
Republic of Marineris & Chryse
Population: 46.5 million
Capital: Aldrin City
Founding date: 15 July 2138
Initial sponsor nations: North American Union
GDP per capita: approx. $77 thousand
Argyre Republic
Population: 42.6 million
Capital: Nereidum
Founding date: 4 November 2137
Initial Sponsor nation: European Federation
GDP per capita: approx. $79.5 thousand
People’s Republic of Hellas
Population: 39.4 million
Capital: Orleena
Founding date: 23 May 2139
Initial sponsor nation: People’s Republic of China
GDP per capita: approx. $69.1 thousand
Union of Wele Xakaba
Population: 26.1 million
Capital: Uhuru
Founding date: 23 October 2143
Initial sponsor nations: East African Federation
GDP per capita: approx. $64.8 thousand
Union of the Paraná
Population: 19.3 million
Capital: Manaus
Founding date: 16 September 2154
Initial sponsor nations: Federal Republic of Brazil
GDP per capita: approx. $66.4 thousand
Miyamoto Kyōwakoku (“Republic of Miyamoto”)
Population: 16.8 million
Capital: Tengoku
Founding date: 4 June 2149
Initial sponsor nation: Serene State of Nippon
GDP per capita: approx. $78.9 thousand
República Occidental (“Western Republic”)
Population: 14.3 million
Capital: New Bolivar
Founding date: 9 July 2157
Initial sponsor nations: Latin American Federation
GDP per capita: approx. $68.6 thousand
Dimokratía Odysséa (“Odyssey Republic”)
Population: 13.7 million
Capital: Cyrenaica
Founding date: 21 June 2162
Initial sponsor nations: European Federation/Mediterranean Organization
GDP per capita: approx. $67.4 thousand
Adawlat Alsamawia (“Heavenly Nation”)
Population: 11.6 million
Capital: Nijara
Founding date: 24 March 2165
Initial sponsor nations: United Arab Republics
GDP per capita: approx. $73.8 thousand
Commonwealth of New Timbuktu
Population: 10.9 million
Capital: Ashanti
Founding date: 18 July 2177
Initial sponsor nations: West African Union
GDP per capita: approx. $60.5 thousand
Federal Republic of Cimmeria
Population: 9.6 million
Capital: Kara Tepe
Founding date: 6 December 2179
Initial sponsor nations: Turkic Federation
GDP per capita: approx. $67.9thousand
People’s Republic of Tharsis
Population: 9.4 million
Capital: New Xi'an
Founding date: 1 October 2149
Initial sponsor nation: People’s Republic of China
GDP per capita: approx. $66.7 thousand
Respublika Prometeya ("Republic of Promethea")
Population: 8.2 million
Capital: Kray Neba
Founding date: 26 September 2174
Initial sponsor nation: Russian Federation
GDP per capita: approx. $63.9 thousand
Republic of Sidra
Population: 7.1 million
Capital: Thebes
Founding date: 5 May 2189
Initial sponsor nations: United Republics of Kemet
GDP per capita: approx. $71.3 thousand
Free State of Noachis
Population: 6.2 million
Capital: Antaboga
Founding date: 3 August 2193
Initial sponsor nation: ASEAN/Federation of Oceania
GDP per capita: approx. $74 thousand
Republic of Neu Alemania
Population: 5.7 million
Capital: Südschloss
Founding date: 25 April 2194
Initial sponsor nations: European Federation
GDP per capita: approx. $76.8 thousand
Additional Political Entities:
Elysium territory
Population: 3.1 million
Territorial seat: Winston's Rest
Established: 3 November 2203
Status: unincorporated federal UNOM territory
GDP per capita: $57.9 thousand
Utopia territory
Population: 2.3 million
Territorial seat: Vandenberg
Established: 28 February 2197
Status: unincorporated federal UNOM territory
GDP per capita: $57.1 thousand
Arcadia territory
Population: 2.1 million
Territorial seat: Hamilton
Established: 12 June 2219
Status: unincorporated federal UNOM territory
GDP per capita: $56.7 thousand
Arabia territory
Population: 1.7 million
Territorial seat: Al-Khasiba
Established: 7 July 2224
Status: unincorporated federal UNOM territory
GDP per capita: $61.6 thousand
Deimos Autonomous Republic
Population: 400 thousand
Capital: Port Candor
Established: 11 January 2186
Status: orbital republic/equal partner in UNOM
GDP per capita: $67.5 thousand
Borealis Designated Conservation Area
Centered on: Northern Ice Cap Conservation Zone
Established: 30 June 2226
Status: federal national recreation area
Australis Designated Conservation Area
Centered on: Southern Ice Cap Conservation Zone
Established: 30 June 2226
Status: federal national recreation area
Olympus Mons Designated Conservation Area
Centered on: Olympus Mons National Monument
Established: 17 December 2233
Status: federal national recreation area
Solis Planum Special Military Zone
Centered on: Martian Military Complex (AEROCOM HQ)
Established: 4 October 2257
Status: federal military operational exclusion zone
Elysium Mons Special Military Zone
Centered on: Elysium Mons Special Activity Region (training/R&D implementation)
Established: 12 April 2261
Status: federal military operational exclusion zone
Aldrin City - The Capital of Mars
Notes:
The urban expanse referred to as Aldrin City emerged from the earliest Martian outpost, dubbed Aldrin Station in honor of the late Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin of Apollo fame, himself a longtime proponent of Martian colonization. As of the late 24th century, this metropolis is home to more than fourteen million people, or around five percent of the Martian population.
The majority of these people live in the Melas Chasma, which has been extensively terraformed in the two three hundred and fifty years since the region was first settled in 2038. Many modern historians compare the Aldrin City metro area to that of Los Angeles in the early 21st century, complete with many of the same environmental and economic shortcomings.
It is also home to a number of prestigious colleges, including Marineris Technical University, and a very vibrant commercial and service economy. Among the many millions of working class citizens eking out a more or less prosperous living here are best friends Sam Taskaro, Devon Wastani, and Matt Cavanaugh, all of whom are students at MTU.
They are also reservists in the Interplanetary Defense Corps, which keeps the peace across space governed by the Interplanetary Cooperative Administration. This role will soon dominate their futures, as war breaks out between the ICA and its longtime nemesis, the Alliance of Free Worlds. A war in which the trio will shape much more than their own destinies…
History - The One Mars Party:
Officially the Partido Trabajador Marciano or "Martian Worker's Party," the OMP was founded in 2237 as a response to the excesses of Project Wayfarer but did not rise to prominence until the Antarean Insurrection (2251-2276) also inspired by its overspending. After taking power in 2268, they instituted reforms aimed at modernizing and expanding Mars' military with the goal of making it a superpower in Solar Space.
This military expansion occurred in opposition to that conducted by the warlords of Titan, who seized the on the discovery of the Ramayana artifacts to build up their own wealth and prestige. This mutual enmity and military stockpiling eventually resulted in the Mars-Titan War (2292-2297), which ushered in the modern era of solar politics.
The One Mars Party's influence waned after the War ended, and it was ultimately forced from power in 2306 thanks to the rise of more moderate, not to mention much more capitalist interests in the Martian Senate. Nevertheless, from establishing the Martian Command (MARSCOM) to installing the United Nations of Mars as the preeminent military-industrial power in Solar Space, the Party's legacy speaks for itself.
Additional Notes - The Rise of a Green Mars
[MTA promotional poster, circa 2268]
Late in the 21st century, the denizens of Mars initiated a campaign aimed at transforming the vast, dusty desert of the Red Planet into a second Eden. At the centennial of the Brookenden Accords in 2164, this project was unified under a new name: the Mars Terraforming Authority.
The MTA was the brainchild of one Dr. Franklin Meier, a descendant of early settlers who studied biology and agriculture in the hopes of supporting the Martian settlement program, but who ended up championing the full-scale terraforming of Mars. By the time he retired in 2213, the groundwork was laid for Mars to be a second Earth by the end of the millennium.
Over the next next two centuries, the people of Mars devoted substantial economic resources and effort to cultivating the barren Red Planet into a new garden world through methods which would have seemed fantastical only as far back as the middle of the 21st century.
From the creation of the Great Magnetodyne in orbit at Mars’ L1 point between 2182 and 2193 to the engineering of Hypnodendron martialis (commonly referred to as “Mars Moss”), the scientists of the United Nations of Mars have worked wonders to suit the needs of those living there. In the 24th century, these efforts have brought forth the era of the Tricolor World.
A major factor in the development of Mars as a garden world is the fervor of the MTA's employees. Despite the threat of war between the ICA and the Alliance of Free Worlds looming large over Solar Space, they attend to their duties just as eagerly as they did in the 23rd century. With early progress shown in the Hellas and Argyre Seas and Marineris Waterway, they clearly have been pulling out the right stops to accomplish their goals on schedule.
We should use this in Shadowplay!