History

Estimated reading: 3 minutes

Marzion IX made history as the first large-scale gas giant mining operation in the Alliance, and depending on the definition it is the largest single industrial enterprise in Alliance space. It did not start out that way, of course – like the accretion of a star or the gathering of a workforce, the origins of IX are simple, even humble:

A -180: the Michel/Siculus system is discovered in the Spur region and surveyed for colonisation. It is determined to have high potential for resource extraction, but is ultimately declared unsuitable due to lacking habitable solid planetoids (along with its distance from developed worlds).
A -150: increasing demand for helium products and FABREP atmospheres across the Alliance leads the Marz Union to reconsider their approach to gas extraction. The existing Procurement Program IKB is rerouted from their work on asteroid belt and extraorbital debris field mining to begin a comprehensive research and feasibility study of the planet that will eventually be known as Marzion IX.
A -140 to A -115: Program IKB establishes the first research and mining colony in orbit around the gas giant, codenamed MU9MS1. The moon that the colony is based on is christened Brunel, later lending its name to Brunel Station. The mining operations produce encouraging results, and further research and colonisation efforts are authorised.
A -110: Development Program RT releases the first prototype of the IXTIS orbital platform – an “ambidextrous” model designed for both atmospheric operations and extra-orbital construction, using technologies similar to those discovered on the recently recovered Geostation Kessler (though the Marz Union officially denies any connection). A flotilla of IXTIS rigs are commissioned for use on MU9MS1.
A -100 to A -80: After recalculations, redesigns and the untangling of red tape, IXTIS rigs are finally delivered to MU9MS1. The first test dive to minimal depth retrieved in one day’s trip more resources than had been gathered by existing operations in the month prior. IXTIS rigs were swiftly adopted, and the operation expanded over the following years into the largest operation in the Marz Union. The planet is officially named Marzion IX.
A -54: year of the Carpathia Incident. The G3 IXTIS rig Hunter suffered catastrophic loss of power to its orbital tethers during an experimental dive, and began to fall into the core of Marzion IX. G2 mooring platform Swan managed to stabilise the stricken rig at the cost of its own propulsors. Marzionite vessels converged on the location within hours and conducted a deep rescue operation; Hunter and Swan were both lost, but every soul aboard was evacuated. The event is remembered as a triumph of Marzionite disaster response and is often cited in literature of the period and after.
A -10: Research Program JF published its study of Marzion IX’s weather patterns and magnetic field, which suggested a shift in the frequency and locations of electromagnetic storms since colonisation of the gas giant began. Day to day operations remain unaffected, but further research is urged to identify the cause(s) of this trend.