The Lunar High Republic

Copyright 1984 © Edward E Simbalist

StarSystem Coord 000/00 GSC 14 JJ/+000

Stellar Primary G2V main sequence star

FTL Conversion 10,000 LS (light seconds)

Planets in System 1 0

On July 20, 1969, as the result of a crash program by the old American NASA, Apollo 11 landed in Mare Tranquillitatis; two astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, undertook the first manned lunar expedition.

After five more landings, the national will of the USA to conduct manned operations beyond close earth orbit declined for several decades.

The Soviet Union established a secret military outpost at Tycho Crater in A.D. 2005; a NorthAm expedition landed shortly afterwards at Clavius Crater, hundreds of kilometers distant, to assault the Soviet bomb launcher on the eve of the Wet Firecracker War.

Only 17 warheads were fired before the linear magnetic accelerator was captured.

The Battle of Tycho Crater, April 2, 2008, marks the entry of Terra into space warfare It is also significant as the moment when Terrans accepted that their affairs were inextricably bound to the exploration and development of space Tycho soon expanded into a major military and scientific establishment, with 5,000 personnel by A.D. 2015.

Mining operations commenced, while a new, more powerful magnetic launcher was completed to send raw materials to the L-5 colony construction sites The discovery of vast deposits of ice beneath the lunar surface made possible the colonization of the Terran moon as a “habitable” world.

With an abundance of solar power, ice was made to yield oxygen in great quantities, with hydrogen produced as rocket fuel for deep space exploration.

Most importantly, ice provided the water vital to hydroponic farms for both Luna and the L-5 colonies.

When L-5 O'Neill was completed in A.D. 2028, almost 60,000 people were living in Luna, 35,000 of them in Tycho City, a vast tunnel complex beneath the site of the original Soviet base Luna’s attraction was considerable.

The low gravity had a salutary effect on human physiology; the life expectancy of lunar colonists rose beyond 125 years.

Degenerative diseases associated with aging in a high gravity field were almost unknown, and when encountered were of a minor nature Heart ailments were a rarity.

Aging seemed to slow drastically, and Luna exerted an appeal as a world granting eternal youth and vitality.

Of course, prolonged periods in low gravity caused dramatic physical adaptations which made a highgravity field like Terra’s most uncomfortable for Lunarites, but the price was considered a small one to pay for the benefits gained from life on Luna The rise of the infamous Pure Earth Movement on Terra was a catastrophe for Luna.

The space colonies were regarded as a luxury which could be ill afforded by the «poor and starving billions» of Terra.

Transportation to Luna became a standard sentence for political dissidents, malcontents, and criminals.

A flood of transportees swelled the lunar population to more than fourteen million by A.D. 2138 Transportees and Free Citizens alike were brought under the increasingly harsh government of the Lunar Administration Ever higher production quotas were imposed on lunar farmers, with savage penalties for failure to deliver the required grain at the launch head.

The price paid for produce was held to cripplingly low levels, forcing farmers into everdeepening debt to the Administration.

By A.D. 2100, there was little difference between the lot of Free Citizens and that of convicted criminals The matter came to a violent conclusion on June 24, 2136, with the announcement of the frightful Air Tax by the Lunar Administration.

Lunarites reacted with violent demonstrations; Admin «PeaceKeepers» intervened, and the population of Tycho City arose in general rebellion.

News of the uprising spread to the other major colonies of Clavius, New Tokyo in Mare Imbrium, Copernicus, and Plato.

By July 12, the Lunarites had eliminated the last vestiges of Terran control and had declared the Lunar High Republic Pure Earthian preparations to bring the rebels to heel were dramatically frustrated by the rebellion of the L-5 SkyCities the following week.

Also suffering under Terran repression and disinterest, the L-5 colonies «spaced» their Pure Earthian administrators and refused to provide the spacecraft required to transport a Terran expeditionary force.

With no spacecraft built or based directly on Terra, and an administration which had dismantled its planetary spacecraft production facilities and technology, Terra was helpless to suppress the rebellion of the OutWorlds Free Luna prospered, becoming a haven for refugees from Pure Earthian repression.

After the socio-dynamic collapse of Terra in A.D. 2165, the Lunar High Republic played a signal role in the reconstruction of the shattered planet, and has since provided vast quantities of food to Terra at premium prices.

Most importantly, it became the center of OutWorld exploration and colonization.

Luna’s vast shipyards and industrial complexes at Tycho City, New Tokyo, and Copernicus have outfitted numerous colonization expeditions, the bulk of the huge Solarian merchant marine, and the primary strength of the BattleFleets of the Terran Union and the Federation.

A major naval base is located at Marius in Oceanus Procellarum (a AAAAAx5 starbase) and nine lesser bases exist as well (each AAAAA class), each guarded by some 2,000 heavy planetary defense guns and over 1,700 startorpedo launchers Luna is also a major mercantile center, with eight major civilian starports (each AAAAA class) and over fifty lesser starports (A to AAA class) at the main population and production centers.

Some 5,800 interstellar corporations now maintain head offices and production facilities on Luna.

A very respectable 158 starlines, from huge TransGalactic to the tiny independents, operate from New Tokyo, Copernicus, and Clavius, to span the vast reaches of the growing Federation The Lunar economy is one of the strongest in the Federation, with an average per capita income of CR 42,500 for a gross planetary product of MCR 10,625,000 per year.

About MCR 2,000,000 is contributed annually toward Lunar and Federation defense.

Free trade without tariffs is standard policy.

Luna’s chief exports include spacecraft, high-tech equipment, and foodstuffs.

Imports include industrial and power metals and a variety of manufactured goods According to the census of A.D. 2583, the population has risen to 50,000,000 human citizens, and perhaps another 200,000,000 semi-permanent residents who are citizens of Terra and the other Solarian Outworlds.

Some 7,000,000 nonhumans also reside in Luna It should be noted that one lives «in» Luna, not «on» it Though domed installations exist on the surface, all settlements are located largely underground in multi-level (and sometimes rambling) tunnel complexes.

Seven cities with populations of more than 2 5 million are present: Tycho City, New Tokyo, Copernicus, Crisium, Clavius, Marius, and Aristarchus Thirty-four cities with populations of more than 500,000 may be found, as well as 570 smaller centers.

Most Lunarites are as at home on the surface as they are under it, with the majority owning vacuum suits for surface activities and as a precaution against blow-outs in the tunnels.

The Constitution of the Lunar High Republic is based upon that of the old U S A.

However, it provides inalienable protections for the rights and freedoms of the individual on an order unheard of in earlier states.

Oppressed for decades by one of the most viciously authoritarian regimes in Terran history, the Lunarites laid down a code of conduct for government that amounts to a «hands off» policy with respect to most areas of human activity Each citizen is held to be «sovereign in his own right,» fully answerable for his actions only when such actions endanger the rights and prerogatives of other citizens.

Such laws as do exist confer authority to the government to intervene whenever the safety of the citizenry as a whole is threatened The universal belief is that the less government there is, the better.

The principle followed is that of «user pay»; put in Lunarite terms, «If you want it, fellah, pick your own pocket!» At the same time, the ever-pragmatic Lunarite has no delusions about the cost of things, and he is prepared to pay the going rate for what he needs.

His only objection is paying for anything he doesn’t need or want.

Suspicious of anything smelling of government bureaucracy or monopoly, he will prefer to do business with private interests, who invariably provide superior service for the credits spent because competition soon weeds out the inefficient and the unresponsive The regulation of business is left largely to «established custom,» and a highly ethical code of business conduct has evolved.

Sharp business practice is acceptable, but outright fraud and failure to perform on the terms of an agreement is guaranteed to bring disaster to the dishonest firm or individual Good repute is essential to doing business.

Once it is known that a person or company cannot be trusted, business will fall off to nothing in short order.

Further, Lunar custom permits anyone convinced that he has been wronged to hold the individuals responsible to personal account.

No one can hide behind the legal fiction of corporate action.

If XYZ Corporation failed in its honorable duty, the officers of XYZ can expect to be «called out» if they do not set things straight The Lunarite always has the right to challenge anyone who has broken any of the numerous codes of behavior which arose during the penal period.

It might seem that Lunar society is chaotic, with everyone free to do much as he likes in the absence of firm laws.

Such is not the case at all.

While a Lunarite is free, he is also obligated by honor and custom to respect the freedom and rights of others.

Personal responsibility is absolute, even as personal freedom is exceedingly broad and unrestricted «Good manners» are essential in a world with its roots and its pride vested in its penal history.

«Good manners» demand respectable and honorable conduct.

The loudmouth, the dishonest man, the bully, the murderer, all may expect to be «spaced» through the nearest airlock to the surface or cut up with surgical precision in a duel with his victim or one of his victim’s relatives or friends.

Lesser offenses can result in a ruined reputation, hardly less disastrous in a society in which personal reputation really matters Lunarite «manners» extend to such fundamentals as honesty The simple fact is that thieves do not exist on Luna.

One can leave a valuable object in a public place and expect to see an advertisement in the «Found» column of the Daily Lunatic, the Selene Gazette, or any other new service on the next day.

Few thieves in Luna last long.

The citizens are very skillful at operating air locks Wrongdoers may elect to go to «court» to settle matters - which involves both parties agreeing on binding arbitration by some individual they trust to make a fair decision.

«Judging» is carried on by private citizens, and any Lunarite can set himself up as a «judge » For a pre-arranged fee, men of wise and honest reputation routinely hear cases brought before them, deciding matters quickly on the basis of the plain facts as any «reasonable» person sees them Justice is dispensed with equal dispatch.

Legalisms and lawyers are regarded with general hostility, and proceedings are conducted with an informality that is sometimes frightening to those used to formal rules of due process.

The «court» tolerates no attempt to impede its determination of the true facts The reputation of the «judge» depends upon his fairness and ability to cut through the fog of claims and counterclaims.

In Luna, reputation is everything if one wants to do business Judging is a most respectable and profitable business, and Lunar justice is counted among the most honest and certain of any in the Federation.

Visitors to Luna are advised to retain a «guide» - usually one of the many waifs who hang around the spaceports - to take them through the intricacies of the complex Lunar society Until one learns the accepted modes of behavior, a «new chum» can easily get into trouble.

At the same time, Lunarites are patient with tourists and newcomers, and may excuse conduct that would easily result in a duel if done by another Lunarite Luna is characterized by a degree of tolerance and diversity unequalled anywhere else.

The population itself is a mixture of every racial, national, and religious group of humanity; their transportee ancestors came from every part of Terra Intermarriage has produced a people exhibiting the bloodlines of every racial group of humanity.

Many non-humans now live on Luna as well, and they enjoy the benefits of a tolerant society in which they meet with no prejudice or difficulty Lunar culture is a melting pot, with words, manners, and values drawn from scores of Terran cultures and combined into a uniquely Lunar pattern of life.

Marriage practices appear in every known Terran form.

A number of new marriage systems evolved on Luna which answered the unique problems of a penal colony at one time woefully short of women and having no security for the family besides what it could provide for itself.

Even some alien marriage customs exist among Lunarites.

All are held to be most respectable, and a quick offense is taken at any criticism Women are held in very high regard, and one is advised to avoid any disrespectful conduct towards them.

Children occupy, a special place and are watched over and protected by the adult population.

Indeed, one soon gains the impression that Lunar society resembles a single extended family, with everyone involved with the welfare of all his fellows The family is the basic social unit.

The usual family involves multiple marriage, with women holding a dominant, matriarchal position.

This harkens back to the early penal period, when women were at a premium and several men had to share a single wife.

Equally common, are group marriages, with a number of male and female spouses.

Such marriages seem to offer the greatest degree of security, for the death of any one spouse does not shatter the family or disastrously reduce its ability to earn income or retain its resources The marriage relationships are genuine partnerships in most instances, with each adult member of the family having input into family decisions.

In many multiple marriages, for instance, a new spouse is carefully selected for both personal and business qualities that will enhance the family, and the spouse will not be taken without universal approval The powerful family ties perhaps explain the Lunarites’ refusal to accept much government intrusion into their private lives.

With an average of seven adults in family groupings, citizens possess most of the human and financial resources to pay their own way.

If they do encounter difficulty, their friends will step forward to help out until the family reestablishes itself This is not charity, but rather a loan between friends, and such assistance is invariably repaid with fair interest.

Neighbors looking out for neighbors and pluralistic marriages are the ways that the Lunarites survived the Pure Earthian terror They have not abandoned such admirable customs because they are the most effective survival techniques available in any society The preference to do most things oneself or to hire some private firm to provide needed services is the reason that few government agencies exist in Luna.

The armed forces are composed entirely of Federation troops and are concerned with the defence of Luna from outside attack.

There is a police force, maintained by voluntary public contribution, but it is small and performs only investigatory functions (though with great efficiency) If manpower is needed, the police can count on finding large numbers of volunteer deputies.

Since most Lunarites sign up for a tour of duty with the Federation Armed Forces (and often retain their equipment and light weapons upon discharge), tough and disciplined posses are the rule.

In the event of a direct attack on Luna, they would also serve as volunteer militia - a tradition that originated during the penal period Above all, the Lunarite devotion to «orderly» (read «lawful») behavior is itself the best defense against crime, foreign espionage, and sabotage.

Lunarites witnessing any dishonest act will raise an outcry, and everyone nearby will join in the apprehension of the wrongdoers.

Lunarites take care of their own.

The Lunarite proclivity for gambling is notorious throughout the galaxy.

This, again, appears to be rooted in the penal days of the early colonies when everything was a gambling proposition Accustomed to uncertainty and danger, Lunarites always figure the odds.

They often show prescient powers by accepting risks that others would reject outright, and then succeeding in their ventures Gambling is in the blood of the true Lunarite, and one must take this into account whenever dealing with one.

For instance, dicing for discounts on purchases (or added value, if one loses) is regarded as mandatory if one is expected to patronize a business establishment again.

And any form of «sporting proposition,» be it racing, organized sports, or a street-corner pickup game of dice, will attract plenty of active participation from passers-by Visitors to Luna have the prospect of many unusual experiences The world is disease-free - the result of thorough medical examination upon entry, a totally controlled environment, and the finest medical facilities in the Federation.

Five interstellar universities have been established on Luna, each with superb medical facilities Lunar hotels are fully automated, with luxurious accommodations in even the modest, economy-class hostels.

The cuisine is cosmopolitan in the fullest sense, with foods from a hundred worlds readily available.

The population is friendly and helpful.

The nightlife is varied, with entertainment drawn from the length and breadth of the Federation, guaranteed to satisfy any taste.

Of course, Lunar gambling casinos are famous, and one can find his favorite game of chance at one or another establishment, however exotic and foreign the game might be In summary, Luna is the product of the «Botany Bay» policies of the Pure Earthian regime which dominated Terran politics from A.D. 2065 to 2167.

The Lunar population is a mixture of all racial and cultural elements of humanity, and evidences a degree of toleration for difference perhaps unique in modern experience.

Victims of brutal oppression and exploitation, the Lunarites are dedicated individualists who hold personal freedom paramount and resist any attempt to limit their personal choice and activities Yet Luna is a harsh and unforgiving world, and the Lunarites have learned to work together in a common cause.

Whenever threatened, Lunarites submerge their individualism into an unshakeable group solidarity and will labor and fight for the survival of their neighbors and their way of life with great courage and self -sacrifice With such a committed social consciousness and sense of responsibility, one might expect Lunarites to be politically active, but the opposite is true.

Politics is rarely on a Lunarite’s mind.

«Politics» is a matter of deciding what a problem is and who the best men are to solve the problem.

The whole process is carried on at such an ad-hoc level that one wonders how anything ever gets done But, as noted, Lunarites are hard pragmatists and usually know the facts.

That includes an awareness of the best men among them - ones who are both competent and trustworthy - and these are usually dragooned, kicking and screaming all the way, into doing what the community needs.

In characteristic fashion, such leaders dispose of the matter as quickly as possible so that they can resign their posts and get back to their private lives and endeavors.

Exercising power over others is distasteful to Lunarites, and will be avoided if possible Luna is one of the most highly developed planets in the Federation.

The average level of education approaches the equivalent of a Master’s degree at an elite university.

Learning for the sake of learning is a basic Lunar virtue.

Those less founded in the theoretical areas are invariably competent technicians or talented jacks-of-all-trades.

Lunar economic success is directly related to Lunarite educational excellence .