EP104 The Price of Freedom (Tomorrow We Die)
CASE A102D/3025 PLANETFALL
SITUATION (XXYYY3025 UPDATE)
Area of Interest
WOLOF III, third and the only populated planet in the Wolof-system. The Wolof system was terraformed and settled during the Terran Hegemony era, and was an important mining colony during the late Hegemony period. The terraforming efforts were only partially successful, and after 2800s the environment has slowly been returning to original state. During the last 50 years two major population centers have been abandoned due to catastrophic snowstorms that have caused an ice build-up of several meters over those centers.
WOLOF III is a cold planet, with a narrow band of land suitable for farming surrounding the equator. The planet consists of four major continents of which only two, ALEXANDRIA and KELSEYLAND, have populated areas. The continent of DRAKENSBERG had a significant population, but the permanent snow and ice forced the population to abandon the continent. The fourth continent, NEUPARADYS, is the planets northernmost continent. The whole continent is covered by ice that averages 2.4 km in thickness, and the ocean surrounding the continent, the BAHARI NYEUPE, has a permanent ice cover reaching 300-1000 km from the continent.
Most of the population is centered in two regions, KELSEYLAND and ALEXANDRIA. Kelseyland is the economical center of the planet, holding 90% of the planet’s mining and refining industry, and almost 70% of the population. Kelseyland has four megacities, each having a population of approximately 50 to 75 million. Alexandria is the agricultural center of the planet, producing over 80% of food consumed in the planet. Population in Alexandria forms a chain of small towns and cities, with only one city reaching over million residents.
The arctic planet WOLOF III is facing an imminent crisis. A supervolcano in Alexandria is predicted to erupt during the next 12 to 36 months, and the consequences for such an event would be catastrophic for the planet. The supervolcano is located in the middle of the Alexandria North Valley Region, the most fertile agricultural region on the planet, and the eruption would directly destroy 40-50% of the planet’s food production. The predicted nuclear winter would devastate most of the remaining crop centers, leaving only the dome-based greenhouses (estimated as 6-8% of the food production on the planet) as a reliable source of food.
A planet-scale evacuation named OPERATION VOORTREKKER has been set in motion. The WOLOF GRAND COUNCIL (“LOCGOV”, local government) has transferred the military and the law enforcement authority to the WOLOF EMERGENCY TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY (“WETA”), which is coordinating the evacuation efforts. FREE WORLD LEAGUE PARLIAMENT has issued an emergency order (no. 2322B/3022) which gives both funding and transport capabilities for the evacuation. COMSTAR has also directed some transport capabilities for the effort, and the ComStar Precentor Bruxelles (ComStar High Commissioner for Victims of War and Refugees) is also acting as an intermediary between the Wolof local government and the various other FWL local governments that are taking in the refugees. Several other actors are also contributing to the effort.
