A wiki for Chaos is Eternal.
Location: Sol☀️System
Pluto, located at the far reaches of the Sol System, has evolved into a massive hub of shipbuilding, known for its relentless efficiency and near-obsessive adherence to precise scheduling. Although no longer considered a planet, Pluto is far from insignificant; it plays a crucial role in the Sol System’s economy as a powerhouse of industrial output, particularly in the production of starships. Its orbit is surrounded by gigantic shipyards, which can churn out entire fleets at an unprecedented rate, with frigates being produced every few minutes and even super-carriers finished in mere hours.
Pluto’s economy and infrastructure are built around a brutal cycle of resource extraction, expansion, and efficiency, where even the smallest deviations from the schedule can lead to devastating consequences for independent traders, harvesters, and even diplomatic agents. The planet’s role as a supplier of mass-produced military vessels makes it a cornerstone of the Sol System’s military-industrial complex, although it is also heavily dependent on external resources—primarily harvested from the Kuiper Belt.
Pluto’s shipyards are a marvel of industrial efficiency, capable of producing ships at a scale that dwarfs most other planets’ industrial output. This relentless production is fueled by a steady stream of raw materials harvested from the Kuiper Belt, but the nature of this industry has created a self-perpetuating cycle of expansion and resource consumption.
Clearing Pluto’s Orbit: To protect the shipyards and maintain the industrial machine, Pluto’s orbit has been completely cleared of debris, with any remaining material being harvested for resources. The shipyards, constantly expanding, now occupy much of Pluto’s orbital space, forcing harvesting ships to venture deeper into the Kuiper Belt each year to gather the resources needed to keep production moving.
Larger Harvesting Ships: As nearby resources become scarcer, harvesting ships have grown in size and complexity, making longer trips further out into the Kuiper Belt. These larger ships bring back increasingly vast amounts of raw materials, but they also require more resources to construct and maintain, further fueling Pluto’s need for expansion.
Extended Stay Docking Slots: While Pluto’s production operates at maximum efficiency, its strict schedule leaves little room for flexibility. Extended docking slots, which allow ships to remain docked longer than usual, are extremely rare and expensive. Many independent traders who come to Pluto expecting massive profits end up financially ruined by the exorbitant docking fees before they’ve even unloaded their cargo. Traders who cannot keep up with Pluto’s rigid timetable often face bankruptcy, with their ships and cargo repossessed to cover the costs.
The entire structure of Pluto’s shipyards operates like a finely-tuned dance of logistics, where every arrival, docking, unloading, and departure is choreographed down to the second.
Scheduled Rendezvous: Harvest ships must arrive at Pluto at specific points in its orbit, syncing their approach with the planet’s orbital speed to avoid delays. Missing a scheduled docking slot can have disastrous consequences, as ships may be forced to wait until Pluto completes its next orbital cycle, by which point food, air, and fuel could run out. Ships that miss their window are often marked for salvage—their crews and cargo written off, with the ship being repurposed when Pluto returns.
The High Cost of Docking: For those who require more time to offload or refuel, extended stay docking slots are available but come with sky-high fees. The Plutarchs—the ruling elite of Pluto—consider any time spent docked without active production or contribution to be an affront to their ruthless pursuit of efficiency. This forces many traders to operate at the limits of their endurance, either scraping together enough funds to cover their docking fees or watching their profits evaporate under the weight of costs.
While independent traders and contractors are subject to Pluto’s harsh docking fees and schedules, diplomatic agents and ambassadors often arrive with immunity from these fees, causing immense frustration among the Plutarchs.
Unwelcome Diplomats: Ambassadors, representing various factions or planets, are immune to the fees and strict timetables that others must follow. However, their presence causes deep resentment among the Plutarchs, as their ships occupy valuable docking slots without contributing to Pluto’s economy. Even though the slowdown may be imperceptible, to the Plutarchs, every second that a diplomat’s ship is docked without paying represents an affront to Pluto’s industrial system. This resentment simmers beneath the surface, creating tension between Pluto and the diplomatic agents who visit.
Diplomatic Maneuvering: Diplomats are often aware of the tension they cause and try to minimize their impact on Pluto’s operations. However, the slow, deliberate pace of diplomacy often clashes with Pluto’s culture of speed and efficiency, further irritating the Plutarchs, who see time wasted on political maneuvering as anathema to their goals.
The Plutarchs—the elite ruling class of Pluto—are deeply invested in the idea of efficiency above all else. They believe that time is the most precious commodity, and anything that slows down their carefully orchestrated schedules is viewed as a direct threat to Pluto’s economic and industrial dominance.
A Rigid System: The Plutarchs enforce a system where no second is wasted, and every process, from harvesting to ship production, operates at peak efficiency. Their control over the shipyards and the rigid schedules they maintain ensures that Pluto remains at the forefront of the Sol System’s ship production.
Intolerance for Failure: The Plutarchs have little tolerance for those who can’t keep up. Independent traders who fall behind or struggle with docking fees are left to sink or swim, often going bankrupt in the process. There is little sympathy for those who fail, as the Plutarchs see their failure as a weakness that has no place in Pluto’s grand industrial machine.