DiasporaAdaptations:Planetes Cluster

The Planetes Cluster

Warning: May contain spoilers for the show!

Normally, the Cluster Generation systems in Diaspora are used to randomly build an interconnected series of star-systems, and how they interlink through what are called Slipknot points.

Much in the same way as the others, I'm recontextualising the system so that it refers to planets rather than star-systems. The positive element with Planetes is that space-travel is limited enough that a linear map makes perfect sense.

Planets and inhabited moons, from the inner-system to the outer solar system:

Earth: T1, E0, R-1. (Connects to the Debris Field)

Righty ho. T1 is "Exploiting the system," which I think fits. The chapter refers to Technological development of space going through phases, and commercial exploitation follows government. Considering the heavy focus on corporate interests in space within Planetes, that makes sense to me. Otherwise, I'd give it T0.

E0 is pretty neutral. The world does not look much better than it does now in Planetes, and is if anything more crowded. But it seems to work. Space travel is not motivated by a need for environmental resources. Yet.

R-1 is "Almost viable." Much is made in the series that the world is full of enough people that the resources in space are what is required for growth - assuming you're unwilling to go to war to get someone elses' resources. I'd knock it down to R-2, but I'm not convinced it's that bad. Yet.

1) Cradle of humanity.

2) No room to move or grow.

3) At the bottom of the well.

The Debris Field: T-4, E-4, R1. (Connects to Earth and the Corporate Space Stations.)

Nobody lives or could live in the Debris Field. It's extremely dangerous, but there's also riches there for the lucky Debris Team assigned to the good stretches... as opposed to the stretches that are actually dangerous to shipping, which is a core point of tension in the series.

1) Barrier to space-travel.

2) Hidden riches.

3) Could well kill you.

Corporate Space Stations: T1, E-1, R1. (Connects to the Debris Field and the Moon)

(As exemplified by TechNora in the show.) The Corporate Space Stations are the first significant leg established off-planet, and they don't want competition: You want to get into space, you need to do it on their terms. Space is where the money is.

   {Their Tech is comparable with that of Earth, although I could be persuaded to bump it to T2. However, if I was going to do that, I'd take Earth down to T0.}

Environmentally they're functional but not comfortable, witnessing all of the hoops around those who need to smoke, and the cramped freefall accomodation.

The Resource level qualifies as "Rich," which I figure bundles in all of the production-facilities and asteroid mining - plus the reason that the stations want to keep their monopoly.

1) Ruthless bureaucratic infighting.

2) Where the money is, and that means power and ambition.

3) You want to get to the stars, you go through them.

The Moon: T1, E-1, R2. (Connects to the Corporate Space Stations and Mars)

Same tech as the space-stations, really. The environment is survivable... right until you crash in the wrong place and run out of air. Plus, you know, that whole thing where if you're born on the moon you can never leave.

But resources? Yeah, the moon is where to be.

I kind of imagine that much of the moon mining is done by the different Corporate Space Stations in a similar arrangement to Antarctica and different governments - but with more strip-mining! Not to mention the tourism.

1) A boomtown where no one can live permanently.

2) Safe right until it kills you.

3) A frontier-town... but with tourists!

Mars: T-4, E-3, R1. (Connects to the Moon, and the Outer System.)

There has been a manned mission to Mars, but no settlement more significant than a potential scientific station - and I'm not even sure there's that. Humans have been to Mars, but have not stayed to claim it.

1) Known to a scant few explorers.

2) No significant human presence.

3) The next step.

The Outer System: T-4, E-4, R?? (Connects to Mars.)

It's a big black, but also a significant presence felt throughout the series.

The Planetes Cluster Map.

It works best if thought of as a core-sample, to start with. Yes, you can go into orbit from anywhere on Earth - but on the way to anywhere, you pass through the Debris Field.

You can't avoid it. Likewise, you can't avoid the Corporate Space Stations.