If a Sci-Fi novel is to be believable, every world within it should be both relatable and fantastic, so I spent significant time world-building in Surrogate.
That said, here are ten facts about Takran, one of the three worlds detailed in Surrogate. (Okay, so I am a total Sci-Fi nerd girl for writing this, but an author must know her world(s) in considerable detail)
NOTE: This list contains information concerning Takran’s solar system, atmosphere, and geography. The rest, and there is a lot to cover, must wait for later posts.
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Takran is the second of four planets orbiting a yellow sun in a small solar system within the Milky Way galaxy. Look west… squint… you still won’t see it. There are over 100 million stars in the Milky Way and between 500 and ? galaxies. Astronomers are still counting.
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The other planets sharing Takran’s sun are uninhabitable.
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Takran has two moons. One of them, Safe Harbor, has an artificial atmosphere and is colonized.
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The travel time between Earth and Takran takes approximately four years by solar-sail transport.
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Takran’s surface is eighty-percent water.
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There are three continents on Takran which are interconnected via thousands of isthmi. Islands, atolls, and blue holes number in the millions.
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By Earth standards, Takran is tropical. Seasonal changes are mild. The most notable change comes when the Spring monsoons arrive. The weather forecast then is always the same – overcast with a high probability of torrential rain.
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Takran’s humidity, gravity, and atmospheric pressure can make new arrivals uncomfortable until their bodies adjust.
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The atmosphere is just over thirty-one percent oxygen, sixty-seven percent nitrogen, and less than one percent argon and carbon-dioxide. Very Earth-like, but different enough to temporarily strain a new arrival’s system.
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The humidity on Takran is rarely lower than eighty percent, and the UV light levels are high, though these levels are often reduced by the cloud cover. Bring a towel and sunscreen.
There’s my first ten list for Takran. Look for another next week.