Uakye/Regina

The main planet in the Uakye (pronounced Wack-yea) system is actually a moon of the gas giant Rubelad (Uakye-5). It has a diameter of some 6,530 kilometers and a gravity of 0.96. The atmosphere is very thin and radiation levels are fairly high, so a vacc suit or similar protective gear must be worn outside shielded buildings. The planet is almost entirely covered by cold and very deep oceans, and there are only two populated islands out of several thousand small islands scattered in archipelagos all over the world. These two islands are just about 500 km apart on the equator, and they each feature a city: Herbert (population 101,000) and Dariane (population 32,000).

Rubelad rising above an island on Uakye.

Helix starport, (type B) is located just outside Herbert, and it sees fairly limited use, although the facilities are kept in excellent shape. A passenger liner departs for Efate every month while non-scheduled cargo vessels may visit the system a couple of times per year. There are very few animals on the islands, and animal life is without exception small and hardy. However, the oceans contain a vast variety of animal life.

 Fish analogues in the Uakye oceans outside Dariane 

Uakye is ruled by a meritocracy of lifetime employed government officials and judicial officers. The legal system is strict and everyday life is regulated in extensive detail. The planet is fairly wealthy, although exports are severely limited. However, the high tech level means that the potential for significantly increased technology exports is great, and joining the Empire would mean that such exports could be taxed.

Uakye has been voluntarily isolated for the last 300 years, relying on its technological advantage to keep aggressors at bay and providing for its citizenry. Trading with or visiting Uakye requires foreigners to acquire a visa at the Uakye embassy on Efate, a lengthy, complicated and exceedingly expensive procedure. Hence, comparatively little is known about Uakye.  

Herbert. The aerostats provide communications 

The radiation combined with the very thin atmosphere has led to a unique form of social structure: the inhabitants rarely leave their shielded homes, and robots are instead used for all forms of engagement in society. The robots are all of a standard type, the Outreach Ambulator OA-III, albeit with variations for gender. Most citizens own or lease an OA, while a few very wealthy individuals own several. Less wealthy Uakyeans can rent timeslots in OAs owned by other individuals, the state or a few select companies. Other non-personalized robots take care of basic tasks such as simple maintenance, farming, and cleaning.

The OAs are both robots and remotely controlled vehicles allowing the owner to engage in other OAs or to send the OA off to deal with mundane tasks while the owner remains at home. The streets of Herbert and Dariane are indeed strange to experience, with OAs milling about and with the only organics out on the streets being the rare visitor and the very poor (“the self-ambulators” or “selfies”) who shuffle about in leaky environmental suits.

Outreach Ambulator OA-III