Gagarin IV

Gagarin IV is the fourth planet of nine orbiting a blue star, approximately fifteen light years from Andoria. As with most planets orbiting blue stars, the world is very young, and would not likely survive to evolve higher life forms in the future. In many ways, Gagarin IV is a snapshot of the earliest stages of evolution on most worlds—as prokaryotic single celled organisms evolve into early eukaryotic organisms, designed to survive on carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. Were Gagarin IV orbiting a yellow or orange star, within a few million years life in all its glory would likely emerge. As it is, its star will have burnt up sufficient nuclear fuel to change size and luminosity long before that point, and the world’s protolife will have died out. A damp world of almost two-thirds water, Gagarin IV is nearly identical in many conditions to Earth when Earth first evolved eukaryotic life forms. The world is new, and the weather patterns can be harsh as a result. Rain and storms come suddenly and often, but disappear as quickly as they come. In many ways, the planet’s geographic features are rough and new, without eons of wind and water erosion to soften and smooth terrain. However, the preponderance of green slime—each cubic meter containing literally billions of single celled organisms—on all surfaces in temperate areas makes the rocks and terrain seem smoother from a distance. The “scum” is generally several inches thick along most river valleys, fed by the rainfall and waterways. Spores and buds fill the air as well, giving the sky a greenish cast, and even making the world look green from orbit. The percentages aren’t so great as to be a problem for breathing, unless someone is allergic. Still, Darwin station is careful to filter its air and water. The lack of sophisticated life forms makes Gagarin IV ideal for genetic research—the eukaryotic life means there is a breathable oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, but the lack of bacteria, viruses or organisms with complex DNA keeps the research from becoming contaminated.

The only population on Gagarin IV is at the Darwin Genetic Research Station, founded to be the Federation’s preeminent Life Sciences research facility. Darwin Station started as a humble building on the banks of a gorge. Later, as the Station expanded and research projects grew in scope and complexity, new, multi-level facilities were constructed on the opposite side of the gorge, with a transit bridge connecting them. Later construction expanded the facility to over sixty acres. Darwin Station is civilian-run and administrated, though Starfleet supports and supplies the station. Several hundred research scientists are in residence at any time, as well as visiting faculty, assistants, graduate students, workers, test subjects and patients at the attached medical facility. There are many concurrent research projects running, with each project being headed up by a scientific administrator. There is also a central administration that oversees all projects, allocates resources, seeks funding and support, and tries to keep an eye on the overall picture. This is especially important given the natural tendency for research scientists to focus on personal projects to the exclusion of all others. Unfortunately, several Head Administrators have also been researchers at the station, which has occasionally led to conflicts of interest.