Virgil is half again as luminous as Sol with more ultraviolet.
Aeneas, the fourth planet, orbits in 1.73 standard years at a distance of 1.5 astronomical units and receives two-thirds the radiation of Terra. Its mass is 0.45 Terran and surface gravity 0.635. The Terran diameter is 12,742 kilometers; Aenean 10,700. The Aenean atmosphere is humanly breathable, comparable to Denver at the lowest level and to the Peruvian altiplano at the highest. The density gradient is small and mountains are low. Water molecules have ascended and been cracked open by cosmic radiation. Hydrogen has escaped and oxygen has united with minerals. Oceans have shrunk, deserts grown.
Scientists settled Aeneas to study the natives on the sister planet, Dido. Others came but the intellectuals dominated. Aeneans respect learning like their remote descendants, the Kirkasanters. Students and scholar travel vast distances to the University of Virgil in Nova Roma on Aeneas. A heritage of the Troubles is universal military training. Baronial families hold strongholds and lands. Aeneas supplies many men to the Terran armed services.
One thing is certain: if the Terran Empire becomes oppressive, then Aeneans will resist.
(The woman in the attached cover image could be either Kathryn or Kossara.)
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
A quick guesstimate: an Aenean year is about one year, eight Terran months long.
I thought the University was called the University of Nova Roma, not of "Virgil"?
Ad astra! Sean
But it says "of Virgil" in the text.
Kaor, Paul!
I'll have to check my copy of THE REBEL WORLDS. I thought the way the University was named a bit odd.
Ad astra! Sean
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