Gemworld

One of the most unique planets in the galaxy, Gemworld can almost be considered artificial, though the natives take exception to that label. Essentially a maze of crystals enclosed in a forcefield, it is home to six species; the Elaysians, Lipuls, Alpusta, Yilterns, Gendlii and Frills. It is a recent if isolationist member of the United Federation of Planets.

Located in Sector 69, Gemworld requires a network of forcefields to hold its class-M atmosphere, and there’s hardly any gravity. A spherical, metallic cage encompasses the planet, and this shell contains the forcefields, hydrogen scoops, solar collectors, dark-matter collectors, oxygen generators, and other equipment essential to maintain the planet. The Elaysian name for it translates roughly as ‘Gemworld,’ and it’s easy to see why. Nothing is left of the original world except for mammoth crystals in an array of colours. Gemworld is not artificial; it had conventional origins, with a class-G yellow sun. In fact, it may be one of the oldest inhabited planets in the quadrant. Gemworld flourished for eons and should be long dead by now, but the inhabitants have worked hard to give it a second life. Two billion years ago, it was an ocean world, rich in minerals and lifeforms. In this supersaturated solution, the mammoth crystals began to grow, and they gradually took over. As the crystals became like land masses, the water evaporated, and a myriad of unique species began to take hold. After more years, the inhabitants learned how to stimulate and control the growth of the crystals. In time, the water receded, and they learned how to use other matter to feed the growth of the crystals, replacing the need for a solution. They used fractal models to stimulate the crystals because fractal geometry kept the structure sound while providing infinite variety and expansion. Natural evaporation and dehydration caused the crystals to weigh less than the oceans and converted matter, so the planet began to lose mass. When the seas were gone, the inhabitants used the core of the planet to feed the crystals, reducing the planet’s mass even further. They had to build the shell and its forcefields to hold in the atmosphere. Millennia later, most of the gravity has disappeared, but the shell is still working. Over the years, it’s been upgraded to collect fuel for the crystal and protect the atmosphere. In return, the crystal affords multi-plane housing and sustenance for billions of beings.

Mammoth prisms and spindly spires stretch across the pale blue sky of Gemworld. From a distance, the crystalline fingers and branches look fragile, like coral growing in a fish tank. But at close range, the giant prisms are as solid as marble columns, and as smooth and dazzling as diamonds. Although the crystals look cold and foreboding, even with their uncanny beauty, they shelter a surprising variety of life. There is a hollow marrow to the crystal and in those with a clear pulsing gel center Lipuls make their homes. Close to the core of the planet, crystals grow in profusion, so there are plenty of smooth surfaces for Elaysians to push off of as they “fly”. Most of the crystals near the core represent old growth before the natural geometry had been improved by fractal models. At one time, the core of Gemworld had been a molten, metallic mass like a conventional planetary core, but the Ancients had sacrificed it to fuel the crystal. Now the inhabitants are slowly rebuilding the core with new crystal growth, with students regularly assigned to assist. Since it is hollow and equidistant from the massive crystal constructs surrounding it, the core is the most weightless part of the planet; only trace gravity is measurable there.

Communication with Gemworld is not easy. If you go through a special protocol, you can contact the Elaysians, and maybe the Alpusta. There’s no subspace contact directly with the Lipuls. The Elaysians keep a subspace hot line open with the Federation, in case of emergencies, but it’s not used for day-to-day chitchat. Access isn’t automatic. Due to gravity concerns, few inhabitants of Gemworld ever leave, and few outsiders ever visit. Although the planet has six sentient species, only the Elaysians have shown interest in regular contact. Elaysians make their encampments among the crystals, especially in the crux of the larger clusters. Netting and ropes keep their meager belongings and their children from drifting away, and the smooth columns and prism walls afford them shade and shelter. The Elaysians grow food hydroponically in the gelatinous form of the crystal. They use the inedible parts of the plant to make their ropes, nets, and clothing.