Name of World: Grand Teton
System: Epsilon Eridani
Year Initially Settled: 2301.
Affiliations: Coalition.
Governmental Style: Corporate Republic. Largely unregulated outside corporate concerns, biosphere preservation, and keeping the peace.
Primary Languages: English, Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi
Primary Industries: Corporate Tourism, Conferencing, R&D, and Banking
Current Leaders/Figures of Note: Shiro Watanabe, CFO of the Nakatomi Group (Overseeing operations), a small council of CHL representatives and other corporate investors have a say, but Nakatomi makes all final calls.
In-Play Characters from this Location: None.
Human Mutations: None known. Settled too recently.
Geography/Biodiversity: The surface of Grand Teton is 88% shallow saltwater ocean. Much like some other planets, like Cantra, the biosphere on Grand Teton is a monument to macro-engineering and terraforming efforts, entirely imported and bred from the microbiota up to be suited for the planet. Though the poles are covered in thick ice year round, stretching to cover as much as 40% of the planet during winters, the few landmasses that exist are in a series of islands around the equator, large, mountainous, and a balmy 17°C (62.6°F) on average greets the residents and guests, ready for almost year round skiing, skating, sledding, and other winter activities in the mountains. The oceans teem with fish, crustaceans, and gastropods kept in check with careful monitoring and control by the strictest authority on the planet, that of the Fish and Wildlife Authority run by the CHL. On land, small rodents, some species of cold weather foul, and even some species of deer and elk have been introduced, though population controls are strict to prevent harm to the carefully cultivated vegetation. Pine dominates the forested land areas and mountain sides of Grand Teton, along with other grasses, brushes, mosses, and lichen suited to such cool environments.
History: Epsilon Eridani IV, despite being a quick 10 lightyear hop from Earth, was not settled at all until very recently for one very good reason: It was just another hot, volcanically active planet, like Venus or Io, until large-scale terraforming efforts were undertaken in the late 2150’s. It was a proving ground for the big corporations and the Coalition, proof of concept for their technologies that were getting better, safer with each planet they helped shape and mold for human habitation. As other planets dealt with extremes and mutations in their populations, corporations and Coalition scientists (chiefly The Nakatomi Group) quietly invested in the massive effort of cooling and sculpting Grand Teton in their own image. Where other planets were tinkered with, Teton was treated like the youngest sibling, cultivated from positivity and all the fixed mistakes elsewhere. The result? A world now exclusively run by and for the political and economic elite in Coalition space. A paradise, if not in name or climate, settled 12 short years prior and already approaching 4 million in population. Mountainous islands dotted with pine forests house fjords that shelter resorts from inclimate weather at sea. Though brisk, volcanically dormant islands offer attractions such as skiing, hiking, hot springs swimming, cruises, and ice fishing. The larger corporations secure building rights for extravagant resort towns and villages, while being the chief shareholder in the project, Nakatomi retains exclusive rights from the Coalition to develop and spread the capital city of New Kyoto from its idyllic spot built into the cradle of a crescent shaped island that used to be a volcano’s caldera.
Most transport on the planet is, by necessity, done by atmosphere capable shuttles and aircraft or boats, with only a few of the larger settlements having access to actual orbital transport systems. New Kyoto in particular has a space elevator to an orbiting CHL station. Simply called “The Peak”, this is where the majority of tourists flow through, whether for business or pleasure. The Nakatomi Group has one other ambition with the successful terraforming and colonization of Teton as well: Restructuring. Inspired to undertake new ventures and broaden its product and industry base, The Nakatomi Group is turning New Kyoto into a hub of corporate business, banking, finance, and R&D to become the envy of humanity. Their latest step in this plan? The official planned move of The Nakatomi Group corporate headquarters to New Kyoto to officially establish the city as their new seat of power.