Contents Acknowledgements Milky Way Galaxy – Top View Milky Way Galaxy – Side View United Federation of Planets From Earth to New Canada The Trans-Briar Patch Sectors New Canada System New Canada I – "Hummingbird" New Canada II – "Tosnoqua" New Canada III – "Serenity" Moons of Serenity New Canada IV – "Txamsem" New Canada – Trojan Planetoids New Canada – The Black Gate New Canada – Asteroid Belt New Canada V – "Bukwus" More to come. . . . . . . Revision History
Acknowledgements This short booklet stands on the shoulders of true giants. My primary source of inspiration was, of course, Geoffrey Mandel's Star Trek Star Charts, and decades before that, his Star Trek Maps. The scale of my Federation (much larger than is currently fashionable in Trekkie fandom) is strongly influenced by Franz Joseph's classic Starfleet Technical Manual. The maps in this addendum deviate from the maps in Geoffrey Mandel's book in several places, most relevantly in the location of the Briar Patch. The Banshee Squadron stories were begun long before Star Trek Enterprise located the Briar Patch near Klingon space. Moving my Briar Patch would have meant changes to everything that had been written up to that point, so I decided to just leave it where it was. I would like to thank the people at the Star Trek Photomanipulation Archive (http://stpma.net) and the Trek Creative Yahoo Group (http://phoenixinn.iwarp.com/trkguid/tcindex.html) for their wise advice and constructive feedback over the years. The maps and other illustrations in this booklet were created using Corel's Paintshop Pro X and Flaming Pear's LunarCell and Glitterato. The model of the Banshee class starfighter on the cover was built using Eovia's Hexagon 2 and Carrara 5, and rendered in Carrara. And corny as it may sound, I'm going to thank Gene Roddenberry, who pointed out to us so many years ago that the human adventure is just beginning‌
Richard A. Merk January 2010
Milky Way Galaxy – Top View
The United Federation of Planets has charted approximately 25% of the galaxy, mostly in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. An extensive bio-survey has been done in the area immediately around the Bajoran Wormhole's Gamma Quadrant terminus. Knowledge of the Delta Quadrant comes almost exclusively from the logs of the USS Voyager. Several wormholes criss-cross the galaxy, and there is some indication that the wormhole network is much more extensive than previously believed. Many ancient civilizations, including the Iconians, Sky Spirits, Vaadwaur, Guardians of Forever, possibly the Hur'q, and others all seem to have possessed various forms of wormhole technology. Modern day wormholes all seem to be relics of various ancient systems.
Milky Way Galaxy – Side View The Galactic Barrier is an extremely powerful negative energy field with unpredictable neurological effects which presumably surrounds the entire galaxy in a giant sphere approximately 100,000 lightyears in diameter. It is not known if the Barrier is artificial or natural in origin, but it is generally accepted that of all the nearest galaxies, only the Milky Way has this feature. According to Kelvan colonists from the Andromeda Galaxy, no such barrier was crossed upon leaving their own home galaxy. The closest Federation planet to the Galactic Barrier is the uninhabited mining outpost Delta Vega.
The Great Barrier near the center of the galaxy is a separate energy field that surrounds the planet Sha Ka Ree. Though it serves to imprison a powerful, evil lifeform, it is not known if the Great Barrier was artificially created for that purpose or if it was an alreadyexisting natural phenomenon turned to that use. To date, no unmanned probes have ever successfully traversed the barrier, though two starships did manage to do that in 2287. The planet Megas-Tu orbits near the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Saggitarius-A. The dimensional barriers in the region are torn and fragmented, resulting in the breakdown of physical laws and allowing passage back and forth between alternate universes.
United Federation of Planets The United Federation of Planets is over 8000 lightyears in diameter at its widest point. Its founding member planets are Earth, Alpha Centauri, Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar. There are major hubs surrounding Antares, Rigel, and Deneb. Major high-traffic space lanes connect all the hubs, and are heavily patrolled by Starfleet.
United Federation of Planets In the map above, the huge shaded loops are areas of interstellar molecular gas clouds. The large empty circular areas inside the loops are areas that have been blown clean of material by ancient supernovae. The core worlds of the Federation lie within what is called the "Local Bubble", a region approximately 300 lightyears in diameter. The Bubble is not completely clear; there are several denser "Local Clouds" immediately surrounding Sol and in the direction of Antares. Outside the Local Bubble in the rest of the galaxy are other bubbles and tubes, all interconnected, like the cavities in a giant sponge. The changing density of these interstellar loops and bubbles affects the spatial curvature of subspace and thus the potential warp speeds attainable by passing starships. As Zephram Cochrane pointed out in 2063, actual warp speeds relative to the speed of light are calculated by multiplying the warp factor cubed by a variable that accounts for the curvature of subspace by the presence of mass. At the edges and intersections of the supernova bubbles, the interstellar gas is compressed and at its densest, so the Cochrane Variable increases dramatically along these lanes. The trick to fast travel therefore, is to navigate these lanes as much as possible. Using the most advantageous route, it is possible to visit the edge of the galaxy and even the galactic center in a reasonable amount of time. Mapping interstellar molecular clouds is an important mission of Starfleet vessels in distant sectors. Gas distribution has not been mapped in the Delta Quadrant, hence the relatively long 70-year travel time Voyager would have had to endure had they not found other means to traverse the distance.
From Earth to New Canada
The Trans-Briar Patch Sectors The term "Trans-Briar Patch" encompasses the region approximately 120 lightyears square on the opposite side of the Briar Patch nebula from Earth. Starfleet activity is centered in the New Canada system on the edge of the Briar Patch, and newly-opened Federation territory extends more than 120 lightyears coreward into the former Mulluran Empire.
The Trans-Briar Patch sectors are home to the Son'a and their allies, the Elora and the Tarlac. The remnants of the Mulluran Empire are also here, wedged between the Ferengi Alliance and the Breen Confederacy. Other systems formerly under the control of the Mullurans include Polon, Rostella, and G'Kra.
New Canada System The New Canada system is a single-star system in the Alpha Quadrant beyond the Briar Patch. It supports a collection of five planets, three planetoids, two moons, and an extensive asteroid belt. The New Canada primary itself is a spectral class K9V star, which makes it slightly oranger and cooler than Earth's sun.
New Canada sun Hummingbird Tosnoqua Serenity Moose Squirrel Txamsem Nanuq Amaguq Tekkeitsertok The Black Gate Asteroid Belt Bukwus
History Starting in approximately 2376 in response to escalating raids by remnant Son'a and Jem'Hadar factions as well as the growing threat of invasion by the upstart Mulluran Empire, Starfleet entered the Trans-Briar Patch theater and established an orbital facility above Serenity called Starbase 901 to serve as a port from which to launch their defense and base new exploratory missions.
Ancient Visitors There is archeological and geological evidence on many of the planets in the New Canada system that a race of unknown nature and origins visited and exploited the region from anywhere between a few hundred thousands years to several million years ago. The planet Hummingbird seems to have been exploded from within, there are geological formation on Tosnoqua that may or may not be ruins of an ancient city, Txamsem seems to have been stripped of all its moons, and hollowed asteroids have been discovered in the main belt. Most unusual of all are the three possibly artificial planetoids and wormhole aperture which orbit in Txamsem's trailing Trojan position.
New Canada I – "Hummingbird" The planet Hummingbird (New Canada I) is the innermost planet in the New Canada system.
Mythology Celestial bodies in the New Canada system are named after figures from the mythology of the ancient Canadian Indians on Earth. The Hummingbird was a symbol of beauty and intelligence. It was known as the messenger of the spirits.
Geology The surface of Hummingbird is crisscrossed with cracks in the planet's crust, huge chasms 10 km wide and up to 100 km deep, some reaching almost down to the mantle. These rifts separate the surface into a myriad distinct plates, giving Hummingbird its distinctive appearance, somewhat like dried, cracked mud on a dry lake bed. Each plate is approximately 500 km across. It is not known by what geological process this peculiar fracturing occurred, but it is theorized that at some point in the distant past, the planet suffered a massive internal explosion, just short of being powerful enough to destroy it completely. After the explosion, the planetary fragments reassembled themselves under their mutual gravitational pull, giving Hummingbird its cracked appearance.
Biology To date, no forms of life have been discovered on Hummingbird, and no evidence has been found that any ever existed.
Meteorology Humingbird's tenuous atmosphere consists of trace amounts of oxygen baked out of the rocks by the intense heat, and hydrogen temporarily trapped by gravity from the solar wind.
Class: B Mean surface +250° to -170° temperature: C Atmospheric .00001 Mbar pressure: Gravity: .40 g Atmospheric Oxygen, composition: Hydrogen Diameter: 4,900 km Distance from 54,800,000 primary: km Land/water ratio: 100/0 % Planetary year: 80 days Planetary day: 80 hours Natural satellites: 0
Since Hummingbird's day is exactly as long as its year, one side of the planet is always facing the sun and the other side always away from it. That makes predicting the weather very simple: on the day side it's hot and on the night side it's cold. Temperatures range from +250° to -170° Celsius.
Habitation No permanent settlement has ever been set up on Hummingbird, but facilities exist on the equator just across the terminator on the dark side for visiting scientific research teams. Any visitor is strongly advised to invest in a high quality, reliable life support system.
New Canada II – "Tosnoqua" The planet Tosnoqua (New Canada II) is the second planet in the New Canada system.
Mythology Celestial bodies in the New Canada system are named after figures from the mythology of the ancient Canadian Indians on Earth. Tosnoqua was both a symbol of wealth and a figure to be feared by all. She was a slow moving giant who lived in the deep forest. She would scare children who had left their community; the children would be unable to get away and would be captured and carried off to her cave in the forest. The supernatural woman who lived in the woods and was said to be half blind. She would hold children in a basket that was strapped on her back.
Geology The surface of Tosnoqua is ancient. If there ever was tectonic activity, it has longsince subsided. There is ample evidence in the form of old river channels and coastal erosion that the planet was once considerably wetter than it is in the current epoch. It is unclear where the water is today — possibly locked in subsurface ice deposits at the poles, or in vast subterranean reservoirs. A massive crater basin dominates the southern hemisphere, and a bulge of cracked, upthrust land on the exact opposite side of the planet indicate a powerful impact sometime in the distant past. Of particular interest is the highlands plateau in the northern hemisphere. The plateau is covered in curious, artificial-looking mesas and buttes, whose regular angles and linear arrangement could almost be taken as an ancient, alien metropolis. The entire region has been nicknamed The City. In addition, several other, highly odd geological formations across the surface defy explanation.
Biology
Class: K Mean surface 5° C temperature: Atmospheric 150 Mbar pressure: Gravity: .41 g Atmospheric Carbon composition: Dioxide, Argon Diameter: 6,842 km Distance from 106,900,000 km primary: Land/water ratio: 100/0 % Planetary year: 206.8 days
Planetary day: 18.27 hours Several forms of anaerobic microbes have been discovered in Tosnoqua's temperate latitudes, typically a few centimeters below the surface of the ground. Primitive Natural satellites: 0 lichens grow on the rocks and formations in and around the City plateau, indicating the possibility of the presence of liquid water. According to one theory (not widely believed), the highland region known as The City is in actuality the ruins of an ancient metropolis built by an unknown alien race who inhabited the planet millions of years ago.
Meteorology Apart from the periodic monster dust storms that sweep out of the south during Tosnoqua's closest approach to the sun, the weather is quite consistent. The sky is clear and cloudless, and the thin, mostly-carbon dioxide atmosphere means the temperature can vary from +20° C in the afternoon to -50° C just before dawn. Space suits are not required for surface excursions, but because of the low temperature, pressure and lack of a significant planetary magnetosphere, radiation-shielded, thermal outerwear complete with respirator is a must.
Habitation There are several scientific camps spread across the surface of Tosnoqua for the purpose of studying everything from the atmosphere to xenobiology, to searching for evidence of ancient habitation in the 'ruins' of the City. Civilization has followed the scientists, as businesses move in and set up shops supplying the researchers with living essentials and diversions. Most of the non-scientific population is concentrated under a massive transparent-aluminum dome, situated near the City plateau.
New Canada III – "Serenity" The planet Serenity (New Canada III) is very similar to Earth; gravity, temperature and atmosphere are all within a few percent of Earth-normal. A day is a few minutes longer than a day on Earth, and a year a few weeks shorter. Serenity has two moons, Moose and Squirrel.
Geology Map of planet SerenitySerenity is tectonically very active. Spectacular, sheer mountain ranges result from crustal upthrust at plate boundaries, and several impressive volcanoes tower above hot spots. The land area is very much like that of Earth, with environments ranging from tropical rain forests near the equator to frozen tundra near the polar regions. A vast desert dominates the central part of the northern continent, while elsewhere are green, fertile valleys and forests. Mighty river systems drains most of the continent into the southern ocean. The southern continent is still a mystery. It is unexplored, but is known to be covered by thick rain forests and jungles. A huge, mist-shrouded mountain peak sticks out of the forest canopy deep in the heart of the land. Nearly 2/3 of the surface area of Serenity is ocean, which is churned by a tidal cycle that's powered by the gravitational pull of Serenity's larger moon Moose.
Biology Serenity's biosphere is as diversified and abundant as Earth's, although somewhat more primordial. It supports a vast diversity of plant, avian, and insect life as well as a great diversity of fish and crustaceans. The dominant life forms are a curious combination of mammalian and reptilian characteristics: warm-blooded, having both scales and fur, laying eggs instead of bearing live young. There are persistent rumors of large creatures resembling Earth's dinosaurs inhabiting the impenetrable southern continent, but the existence of such has yet to be proven. Imported Earth grains and livestock have little difficulty adapting to Serenity's conditions.
Meteorology Serenity's atmosphere is nitrogen-oxygen, rich in water vapor. The climate ranges from arctic conditions in the polar regions to tropical conditions near the equator. Serenity is tilted on its axis in a manner that gives it seasons that are very like those of Earth.
Habitation Three hundred years ago, a ship of El-Aurian colonists landed on Serenity, and the planet has been sparsely populated ever since. It wasn't until the arrival of the humans and Starfleet twenty ye1ars ago, however, that the population began to rise dramatically. Where once a few hundred farmers made a living on the fertile soils, today the population is over 500,000, with most of those divided between Serenity City, Lake Town, and the SF Marines Base. There are no human settlements on the southern continent due mainly to the impenetrable jungle that completely covers the land area. There are persistent rumors however, of sightings of native aboriginal inhabitants there.
Class: M Mean surface 20° C temperature: Atmospheric 982 Mbar pressure: Gravity: 1.09 g Atmospheric Nitrogen, composition: Oxygen Diameter: 12,547 km Distance from 148,600,000 primary: km Land/water ratio: 64/36 % Planetary year: 342.17 days Planetary day: 24.76 hours Natural satellites: 2 (Moose, Squirrel)
New Canada III – "Serenity"
Cities and Installations Serenity City Serenity City is the largest settlement on the planet, and the capital city. The population is over 380,000 full-time residents. The city is divided into sectors, called 'Quarters', for residential, industrial, commercial, administrative, docks and warehousing, spaceport, and Starfleet uses. Unlike the rest of the planet, which is rather rustic, Serenity City is very new and completely modern in every way. Today, the primary settlement on Serenity is Serenity City, located on a huge bay on the northern continent. It is a bustling, modern metropolis of over 380,000 inhabitants. All manner of facilities and entertainments can be found downtown. The broad, flat landing fields of Serenity Spaceport dominate the Spaceport Quarter, and the office towers of the Starfleet sector base can be seen in the Starfleet Quarter. Scattered all over the rest of the continent are many other small settlements, fishing villages, mining towns, cattle ranches, etc. Starfleet maintains a large Marine training facility on the east coast, built during the First Mulluran War. Lake Town Built partly on the shores of Blue Lake and partly on pontoons and stilts above the lake itself, Lake Town's primary export is fish. It also serves as a base for explorations further into the continent's interior and is a very popular tourist destination. The main street is lined with souvenir shops and hotels. The tallest building (three stories) in the entire town is the Ogopogo Inn. A small spaceport/airport services the settlement. Local folklore says Blue Lake is home to a lake monster named Ogopogo in honor of the legendary lake monster in Canada on Earth, and much of the tourist trade is dependent on sales of Ogopogo memorabilia.
New Canada III – "Serenity" Starfleet maintains a small field office in Lake Town, near the spaceport. An old cemetery lies some distance southeast of Lake Town on the edge of the Cairn Hills. The graveyard is ancient, used by the very first settlers on Serenity more than three hundred years ago. Nowadays it is almost forgotten by almost everyone, and local legends claim the area is haunted by the ghosts of those buried here. Vesputian Monastery One hundred miles north of Serenity City along the banks of the Serenity River is the impressive Vesputian Monastery. Similar in appearance to a medieval castle, the monastery is surrounded by hundreds of acres of rich farmland, and is home to several dozen Vesputian Monks. The monks grow many exotic crops for their own use and for export. They value their privacy, so the idle traveler is strongly cautioned against straying too close to their lands. Starfleet Marines Training Facility Built as a forward arming and refueling point (FARP) during the First Mulluran War of 2384, the SFMC Training Facility is situated on a broad plain on the eastern coast of Serenity. The base is complete with administrative and educational buildings, barracks, hangars for small spacecraft repair and storage, ammunition and fuel dumps, parade grounds, and landing tarmacs.
Taylor Oceanographic Institute Named in honor of the famous cetacean biologist Doctor Gillian Taylor, who oversaw the reintroduction of the extinct species 'humpback whale' into Earth's oceans. The Institute is situated in a broad bay on the large island Tranquility's eastern coast and studies all aspects of Serenity's deep oceans. Its isolated placement was intentional, meant to put it as far away as possible from man-made environmental contaminations. Other Settlements Fishing Villages – There are many small fishing villages scattered about western Serenity, where the waters are warm and the fishing is most productive. Living so close to the often-wild and unforgiving sea, the fishermen have become among the hardiest—and gruffest—inhabitants of Serenity. Mining & Lumber Towns – High in the Serene Mountains are the mining and lumber towns — small communities that look almost like the old mining towns from Earth's Ancient West. Miners dig for precious metals, but also for more commonplace elements used in construction. There is an ongoing search for dilithium, but none has yet been found.
Moons of Serenity Moose Moose is the larger moon of the planet Serenity in the New Canada system. Its surface is heavily cratered, extremely rugged and covered in light gray dust. There are no settlements or permanent bases. Moose is large enough to affect the tides on Serenity.
Moose
Class: D
Squirrel Squirrel is the smaller moon of the planet Serenity in the New Canada system. It is probably a rogue asteroid that was captured by Serenity's gravity billions of years ago when the system was still forming. Its surface is heavily cratered and extremely rugged. Trace elements in its composition tint the dust that covers the surface light blue. There are no settlements or permanent bases.
Squirrel
Class: D
New Canada IV – "Txamsem" The planet Txamsem (New Canada IV) is the fourth and largest planet in the New Canada system.
Mythology Celestial bodies in the New Canada system are named after figures from the mythology of the ancient Canadian Indians on Earth. Txamsem was the symbol of wisdom and conception. It was recognized as a hero. The Raven is the Lord and Creator of light in the majority of Native mythology. He placed the Sun, Moon and Stars in the Heavens, and brought Salmon to humankind.
Biology On a gas giant planet like New Canada IV, there is no accessible solid surface, only a dense, cloudy atmosphere rich in hydrogen, helium, methane, water and ammonia in which organic molecules fall from the skies, but the skies are teaming with life. The food chain on New Canada IV is very simple: Microbial 'Sinkers' are at the bottom. Next up are the 'Floaters', which feed on the sinkers like Earth whales feed on plankton. At the top are the 'Hunters', which prey on the floaters. It is not known if any intelligent species inhabit the planet.
Meteorology Most of Txamsem is traversed by broad cloud bands. The planet's hot interior stirs these bands convectionally so that the light colored zones are rising gas and the dark belts descending gas. In the polar regions this banding is replaced by a turbulent mottling, indicating convectional weather cells. The temperature range on the planet is immense. Lower down in the atmosphere temperatures are between 35° C and 85° C, while the visible cloud tops are at a chilly -180° C. Above the surface of liquid hydrogen, Txamsem's thick, turbulent atmosphere changes over a depth of 100 km from water crystals at the base through ammonia crystals to cloud tops of gaseous hydrogen.
Habitation
Class: J Mean surface -180° (cloud temperature: tops) C Atmospheric ? Mbar pressure: Gravity: 1.6 g Atmospheric Hydrogen, composition: Helium Diameter: 442,500 km Distance from 1,402,000,000 primary: km Land/water ratio: 0/0 % Planetary year: 10,271.1 days Planetary day: 20.11 hours Natural satellites: 0
Since there is no solid surface, there are no human settlements on Txamsem, although there is abundant native life in the thick atmosphere. Several Helium-3 and Deuterium extraction factories orbit the planet, as well as a resort hotel where vacationers can take in the breathtaking view of Serenity's giant or go on orbital skydiving excursions. A limited floater hunting industry also exists, harvesting the creatures for their store of rare biological chemicals.
New Canada Trojan Planetoids Nanuq, Amaguq, Tekkeitsertok
The three Trojan Planetoids orbit the New Canada sun in the trailing Trojan position behind the fourth planet, Txamsem. They are almost identical to each other.
Geology The geology of the planetoids is not understood. It is not clear how a planetoid less than half the size of Earth can have almost the same gravity and atmosphere, yet they do, suggesting a super-dense core of unknown composition. The surface rocks are basaltic, and show little sign of erosion due to the absence of any appreciable weather or running water.
Biology The dirt and rocks of the planetoids are completely sterile — plants will not grow in it. No native life has been detected with one possible exception: Nanuq is home to a whimsically (but aptly) named life form called 'Smelly Jelly', but it is suspected that it is not native to the planetoid. How it came to be there is not known.
Meteorology
Class: H Mean surface 30° C temperature: Atmospheric 1400 Mbar pressure: Gravity: .92 g Atmospheric Argon, Oxygen composition: Diameter: 4,850 km Distance from 1,402,000,000 primary: km Land/water ratio: 100/0 % Planetary year: 10,271.1 days Planetary day: 23.4 hours Natural satellites: 0
An atmosphere one-and-a-half times as thick as Earth's with abundant greenhouse gasses helps to insulate the planetoids from the cold of the outer solar system, trapping the distant sun's feeble rays near the surface, enabling the temperature to rise to livable levels. Because of the low solar radiation, winds rarely rise above a few kph. There is a complete absence of water in any form. Atmospheric mottling is therefore not caused by water clouds, but by high-altitude dust clouds lifted into the relatively thick upper atmosphere by occasional dust devils.
Habitation Currently, there are no human habitations on any of the planetoids. Only the initial survey teams from Starbase 901 have visited the planetoids, and landed only on Nanuq. The air is marginally breathable, but the complete lack of water would make establishing any permanent settlements difficult.
New Canada - Trojan Planetoids Orbital Dynamics Nanuq, Amaguq, and Tekkeitsertok orbit the trio's common center of gravity, and as a group they orbit the New Canada sun in the trailing Trojan position behind the fourth planet, Txamsem. While the L5 Lagrangian position behind the gas giant is a natural gravitational collecting point, the planetoids' arrangement as a whole is not a stable one, and it is not understood how they maintain their equilibrium without either falling into the sun or Txamsem, or spiraling out of the system altogether. It is possible the Black Gate, an artificial wormhole apperture, has some unknown effect on the orbits of the Trojans, holding them in place.
Speculation The three planetoids of the New Canada system are a complete enigma — by all the known rules of planetary development, these three bodies should not exist. Only one other similar planetoid was ever discovered by the Federation: a Kalandan Outpost discovered by the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). The outpost was artificially created by the advanced but extinct Kalandan race 10,000 years ago. An artificial origin would explain the planetoids' impossible properties, but it still remains to be discovered how such a technological marvel was achieved, and who was responsible. Another possible theory that has been put forth is that the builders of Nanuq, Amaguq, and Tekkeitsertok are one and the same as the ancient builders of 'The City' on Tosnoqua.
New Canada - The Black Gate The Black Gate is a 21-dimensional space/time/thought discontinuity located in the New Canada system. The apperture is always open, but is invisible (hence the name). The destination of the wormhole is determined by the orbital positions of the three Trojan Planetoids around it, and its position in relation to the sun at the moment of entry. The Black Gate is closely orbited by the three Trojan planetoids, Nanuq, Amaguq, and Tekkeitsertok, and as a group they all orbit the New Canada sun in the trailing Trojan position behind the fourth planet, Txamsem. While the L5 Lagrangian position behind the gas giant is a natural gravitational collecting point, the arrangement as a whole is not a stable one, and it is not understood how they maintain their equilibrium without either falling into the sun or Txamsem, or spiraling out of the system altogether. It is possible the Black Gate has some unknown effect on the orbits of the Trojans, holding them in place. The Black Gate was discovered in July of 2383 when Banshee Squadron (VSF-6501) accidentally fell through it while fighting a Breen scout ship. At the time, the wormhole destination was near the planet Kurnugi, over 1.6 billion light years from the Milky Way galaxy.
New Canada – Asteroid Belt Ranging from microscopic grains of dust to small Class-D planetoids, the asteroids of the Main Asteroid Belt, or simply 'the Belt', dominate the vast gulf between Txamsem and Bukwus. Most of the asteroids are carbonaceous chondrites which contain almost half the organic-chemical content of oil shale, as well as water. Others are of the stony-iron type, varying sometimes to pure nickel steel. By far the most important resource of the Belt however, are the deposits of dilithium found in some of the larger asteroids. The presence of this invaluable mineral is a large part of what makes the New Canada system so important to the Federation. Several privately-owned mining companies operate extraction facilities in the Belt and sell the dilithium to Starfleet at a significantly reduced price in exchange for protection from pirates and raiders. Some evidence has been found among the larger asteroids of the Belt of ancient, alien mining activities; deep shafts bored into the asteroids, as well as signs of surface strip mining. Who these aliens might have been remains a mystery, although theories propose such possibilities as the ancient builders of The City on Tosnoqua or the builders of Nanuq, Amaguq, and Tekkeitsertok, or both. One large asteroid was discovered to be artificial and hollow, built by an unknown race more than 100 million years ago. Imprisoned inside was a Smelly Jelly.
New Canada V – "Bukwus" The planet Bukwus (New Canada V) is the fifth and outermost planet in the New Canada system.
Mythology Celestial bodies in the New Canada system are named after figures from the mythology of the ancient Canadian Indians on Earth. Bukwus was the Chief of Ghosts. He is a tiny supernatural being that lives in the woods and steals our children and persuades them to eat his ghost food so he can take their souls. A leprechaun, Bukwus is a spiritual embodiment of all things in the forest. He is a representation of people in our lives that attempt to influence us negatively.
Geology Bukwus is the smallest and most remote planet in the Serenity system, a frozen snowball of solid nitrogen and methane surrounding a small rocky core. The surface has a very low albedo due to deposits of space dust and dark organic chemicals caused by photochemical reactions in the methane.
Biology No life forms have been found on Bukwus.
Class: C Mean surface -236° C temperature: Atmospheric 4 Mbar pressure: Gravity: .16 g Atmospheric Nitrogen composition:
Meteorology Because of the intense cold in the outermost reaches of the solar system, the mostlynitrogen atmosphere of Bukwus is permanently frozen and lying on the ground in the form of nitrogen snow. Only during the planet's closest approach to the sun does the temperature reach high enough for some of the nitrogen to evaporate back into the air.
Habitation
Diameter: 2,350 km Distance from 5,148,600,000 primary: km Land/water ratio: 100/0 % Planetary year: 84,037.6 days Planetary day: 39.6 hours Natural satellites: 0
Only one scientific team early on in the exploration of the New Canada system has ever visited Bukwus. There are no permanent settlements and no facilities for visiting science expeditions, although there are plans for the construction of a semi-permanent research station.
More to come . . . . . . .
Revision History Date January 3, 2010 January 12, 2010
Edition Original 1001.12
January 26, 2010 March 19, 2010 May 5, 2010 May 9, 2010
1001.26 1003.19 1005.05 1005.09
June 1, 2010
1006.01
June 28, 2010
1006.28
Revisions • Original release • Updated Galaxy Side and Top maps. • Updated text on Galactic and Great Barriers. • Added Revision History page. • Changed text on back cover. • Improved Federation map • Slight changes to Galaxy Top map • Removed the "Moonbase Alpha" Federation outline from all maps. • Yet another Galaxy and Federation map iteration, this time adding a circle to represent the UFP's 8000 lightyear diameter. Still not happy. • Minor edits to the Galaxy top view. • Major changes to the Galaxy side view and the Galactic Barrier concept. • Deleted the Federation Exploration Zone map because I just couldn't reconcile distances between the large/small Federation theories. • Altered the Klingon and Romulan borders and outposts on the Federation Core map. Moved Canopus slightly to put it on the "right" side from the Klingons.