Hurston in Stanton-System – for most people it is a place one usually encounters for transit stops only. Yes, of course, some spots on the planet aren´t as bad as they seem evidently. Lorville is there – those Metroplex with it´s proud and splendoring Central Business District… Or Hadley Canyon with it´s awesome landscape…. Or those untouched Savannahs around the Oparei-Plains and Foothills.
But otherwise most people do not think to travel this place for something else than changing their spaceships or doing a good deal in ship armament. If we are true – for most of us, Hurston is more or less a polluted planet with a tainted atmosphere and a more less lethal, toxic hydrosphere – So it is hardly a place where you would like to expect beautiful journeys and adventures. Or would you travel to such a place for sightseeing? Or hiking? Or for a Photo-Safari, alternatively? I guess not. Right?
But well, so it is time to tell you a little bit more about this place – about it´s life, it´s landscape and it´s enviroment. Later on we will also tell you something about the places of it´s own beauty – the sites you never would have thought that would be there.
But let´s start with the basics initially. Hurston orbits around a more less smaller Main Sequence Star – nothing as huge as the good old Sun in Sol-System, just a smaller “Starlet”, shining in a yellowish color.
Hurston circles around this fiery ball in the first orbit. And it has an impressing speed when rotating around it. Average day-length on Hurston is just around three hours. Whew, that is fast. Isn´t it?
Once you get close to it, you will recognize that Hurston is also in another way similar to the good old Earth – at least in Size. Although some journalist consider it as a “Super-Earth”, it just has a size of 12.000 km in Diameter. But why is it called super-earth then? Well, the issue is connected to it´s planetary mass and density. Hurston is a heavy “planet”, indicating that large amounts of metals and ores are hidden beneath it´s surface. No wonder that Hurston Family wanted the place and exploited it.
Also, there is another similarity to our good old home-planet called “Earth”. Both have companions. Our home planet has one Satellite, Hurston has four: Arial, Aberdeen, Magda and Ita. We will tell more about them later.
And the next best thing is – Hurston has an athmosphere that is breathable and ranges up to an altitude of 100 km. Okay surface pressure is rather light-weight and lies at around 0,82 Athmospheres. That is not very dense, as one might expect it when looking on it´s planetary mass. But at least there is something that is rather rare in the universe – you definitely have BREATHABLE air. The latter consists mainly of Nitrogen (78,1%), Molecular Oxygen (20,9%), Argon (0,93%) and Carbon Dioxide (0,04%). So normally you would not need to wear respirators or oxygen masks… Normally …
But well, sadly there is this air pollution due to the planet´s heavy industrialization. Hundreds of mines, refineries, forges and production sites left their trace on the planet. Smog is ever present as well acidic precipation and industrial dust contamination. So it is highly recommended to wear proper breathing equipment – especially when you spend long time outside or when you have to do strenuous tasks in outer environment.
Ah yes, and there is one last thing, where Hurstons looks so similar close to good old Earth. Pilots and Scientists call it Troposphere. That is the place where weather takes place. You will have clouds on Hurston, Sandstorms and even occasional precipation.
But by the way- while we speak about water. Hurstons Hydrosphere is highly toxic and will kill you rapidly. So don´t even think about going to swim at the beaches. You might not survive it …
But issues here are even very much worser. The acidic grade of Hurston´s water is that high, that even just stepping into it up to your ankles will kill you – rapidly and mercilessly.
Well, with all this things told, the similarities of Hurston already end. By matter of Landscape and Topography, the place looks considerably different than “Home”.
First difference – the hydrosphere. Hurston´s has by far less Water bound in it´s atmosphere than earth. Clouds are usually thin mantles hovering in an average height of 10 kilometers. And they aren´t very big or large, sometimes being even nearly transparent.
Why is that? Due to it low atmospheric density, Hurston has more or less bigger problems in keeping water bound in it´s atmosphere. So the Geographic/ Hydrographic ratio is very much dryer, arid and land-like, logically… Major water-masses like oceans, seas and lakes are sparse and mostly scatter around the southern hemisphere of the planet.
Yet the dry arid face of the planet betrays it´s observers. Large amounts of water-masses are bound beneath Hurston´s surface, giving the local fauna and flora a chance to bloom. Where the environment escaped industrialization you will occasional dense vegetation. The best example here is Oparei with it´s breath-taking savannah, remembering most people on good old Africa. Here you will find a dense flora consisting of Trees, Ferns, Cacti and Grasses. So if you are ever on Hurston. A trip to Oparei landscape is a must-be for each backpacker and wanderer. Here you will find the real Hurston, how it looked like before the workers arrived… I can promise, you won´t regret it.
Stardust2x4´ s Guide through the Verse 