Himeo

The United Syndicates of Himeo, commonly referred to as Himeo, is one of the foundational worlds of the Union of Progressive Colonies in no small part due to its vast mineral wealth, which has formed the cornerstone of the Himean economy, alongside manufacturing. Though a combination of a treacherous environment and disastrous colonization effort has provided its fair share of struggle, the people of Himeo have adapted to these challenges and survived, with a timely discovery by New Xanu propelling them even further than thought possible. Himeo is governed by an often cumbersome direct democracy and organizes its entire workforce into a series of trade unions. Abroad, Himeans are viewed as hardworking and strong by some, and as ungrateful and reckless by others, but both sides often view Himeans as rather unsophisticated, a common conception that holds some truth.

History

Colonisation

Of all the worlds humanity has settled, few can claim as disastrous a colonization effort as Himeo’s. Initial surveys of the system, labeled as “Life Viable Candidate 135”, painted an appealing picture of a chilly yet entirely habitable world, as well as a resource rich asteroid belt. The system was purchased in a joint operation between Nanotrasen and Hephaestus Industries, who gave the planet the designation of “Hephaestus Industries Mineral Extraction Operation.” Ferrying the colonists there would be a prototype second-generation colony ship, outfitted with a Nanotrasen-developed long range bluespace drive. With all preparations made, the ship, filled to the brim with Hephaestus employees and a small detachment of Nanotrasen researchers, departed in 2243. What followed next disrupted every carefully devised plan.

When the colony ship jumped into the system, the crew were first to find out that many of the readings the surveyors had taken were completely incorrect, most notably the fact that the ship had jumped into a much denser and larger asteroid field than reported. To make matters worse, the bluespace drive had finally given out after numerous long jumps and forced the ship into this position. Asteroids tore gaping wounds into the craft, venting many sections and throwing supplies and bodies out into the airless void. It was the heroic efforts of the bridge crew, operating without the guidance of any living captain, that guided the ship through the field and down to the surface of Himeo. Many colonists died, many more supplies were lost, and the survivors were in for one more unpleasant surprise the survey failed to recognize.

Himeo was more than just “chilly”. Fierce winds whipped across the landscape, with not a single shred of life to be seen, even beyond the often abysmal visibility the environment provided. The prefabs were barely designed for this environment, and several emergency barriers were hastily built to keep out the worst of the wind. The colonial administration worked the colonists to the bone to get everything put up as soon as possible, so mining could begin and they could get the company off their backs about not meeting quotas. The scientists from Nanotrasen had also joined with the administration as part of the ruling class, albeit with their own motivations for getting the colony running as soon as possible. In response to the abysmal conditions, many of the colonists opted to form unions around their respective fields, in order to achieve better working conditions. For the most part, they were minimally effective. The unions would have to work much harder for any major victory.

Liberation

Some time after planetfall, the administration realizes the unions are becoming a major problem, and choose to crack down, arresting a known agitator for the unions. The response is immediate and fierce, with colonists demanding for their release at once.To make matters worse, the scientists, frustrated with the administration’s focus on mining, choose to leak one crucial detail; the colony had fallen out of contact with Sol, the administration was operating independently and could not call Hephaestus to save them. With this, the majority of the workforce goes on strike, demanding the resignation of the administrators. Far from idle, these striking workers took the construction and mining equipment for their own use, and began carving out a network of tunnels and caves. Crackdowns in response to this were brutal, as the colony’s law enforcement had not joined the strikers, but those very strikers responded by fighting back.

Despite much of Himean media about this time period portraying the revolution as a glorious battle between near-mythical heroes and unimaginable villainy charging towards each other in massive caves, the reality is much less glamorous. Fights were often short and brutal affairs contained within claustrophobic tunnels, with both sides deploying often underhanded tactics. Eventually the strikers gained the upper hand and stormed the colony’s headquarters, dragging the administrators out into the snow. The executions were as slow as they were cruel. With the fires of rage extinguished, the colonists began shaping what the new Himean society would look like. After much deliberation, a direct democracy was decided on, though one heavily influenced by and with an economy run by the unions, or syndicates as they were often called by many. With that, the United Syndicates of Himeo were officially established on the 1st of August, 2260.

Evolution

Over time, the colony of Himeo grew, formed new cities across the planet, and re-established its presence in space, where it found the asteroid field that had caused so many hardships was as abundant in resources as originally recorded. The government had also evolved, retaining its democratic elements but also establishing a legislative branch known as the Council of Himeo, and an executive called the First Speaker, both of which were permanent fixtures designed to introduce laws and approve them before allowing them to proceed to public elections, a process who’s sluggish pace was a cause of much complaint. Many also grumbled at the dominance of political parties in the process, though few had any real alternatives yet. It would be a chain of events that brought Himeo into the greater Spur that would eventually spark change.

In the year 2429, an unknown ship was detected warping into the system. Worried it was Hephaestus, finally returning to reclaim what they lost, the Planetary Guard mobilized to meet this ship face to face. To much relief, the ship came from an entirely different world, New Xanu. Over time, the people of the two worlds would grow closer together, though Himeo would remain cautious about allowing too much of Xanu’s socialist policies to influence the syndicalist society they have built. Of greater interest was Himeo’s access to a salvageable bluespace drive, and a contingent of scientists from Xanu eager and able to reverse engineer it. These exchanges and others would bring the two worlds closer together, and Himeo would join the Union of Progressive Peoples in 2432. When the UPP made contact with the rest of humanity, people across Himeo were largely disgusted with how much corporate influence had taken over the rest of humanity, and began looking at their own system with worries of how it could be subverted.

The push for reform was small at first, with only a few voices opposing the Council and First Speaker, none of which had any influence on the government. As media kept pouring in about whatever acts the megacorporations were committing, as well as the lives of those living under them, the voices got even louder and more numerous. Alongside them rose a new movement, known as the Worker’s Voice. As expressed in their motto of “A worker speaks through their actions, not through the ballot box”, the Worker’s Voice advocated for another general strike to force a reform of the government, often evoking names and icons associated with the original Himean Revolution, and directly accusing the political parties of trying to eclipse union power. Combined with these threats and a completely unrelated fringe party experiencing a sharp rise in seats in the Council, the rest of the Council voted to dissolve the legislature, and through some loopholes, opened a way for complete reform in the year 2577.

In the modern day, Himeo forms a crucial part of the UPP's economy, and its workers are considered some of the highest quality in the Spur. However, the planet stands at a crossroads. It's forging a new path in how worlds are governed, but this comes at the cost of uncertainty and risk. More mundane issues grip almost all cities. Despite all this, hope for the future remains at high levels even nearly two decades after Himeo rebuilt itself from the ground up. To some, it's a place where anything can change, and this vision for Himeo must inevitably come into conflict with the stagnation present in its society. Sooner or later, only one of the two will emerge victorious.

Government

Among the worlds of the UPP and humanity in general, Himeo possesses a government like no other. Though rooted in the idea of direct democracy since day one, it has undergone substantial changes since then. In the modern day, Himeo possesses neither a legislative branch to propose and vote on laws, nor a true leader. For matters impacting the entire planet, or for admitting new unions into the United Syndicates, a “worker’s assembly” is formed, consisting of representatives from each of the syndicates. During these sessions, the representatives vote on the admittance of new unions and write up laws that are then sent to the public for voting, and dissolve the assembly as soon as the session is done. On the scale of cities or smaller subdivisions, the process is much more straightforward. Citizens are able to suggest new laws through petition, these requests are processed, and the final version of the law is put up for election.

Being a representative is never a career for anyone, due to the sporadic schedule of the assembly, and the fact that when one does happen, each syndicate must vote on who will be sent to it. While this was designed to decentralize the government and reduce the impact of political parties on Himeo, it had the side effect of giving any change beyond the local level a glacial pace and further cemented the influence of the syndicates on society, for better and for worse. Currently, there are no measures in place to expedite the process in case of a true crisis.

Economy

Himeo has grown to be the industrial hub of the UPP, and it’s unsurprising to see why. Not only is the asteroid belt within the system rich in materials, but it also holds large deposits of phoron, and some asteroids even have trace bluespace crystal formations. As a result, the Himean economy revolves primarily around the refining of minerals, the manufacture of industrial goods, and the export of both. Mines and factories across the UPP often use equipment bearing the production quality seal of the United Syndicates, and even outside the Union, Himean equipment is known for its reliability. Though also another major industry, Himeo rarely exports any ships of its own design, save for the occasional freighter. Consumer and luxury goods receive much less focus in Himean production lines, to the point where they make up Himeo’s primary import.

Despite being an industrial powerhouse for much of its history, the Himean economy is in a precarious position. Himean engineers, as much as the average worker makes unsavory comments about their work, are often regarded as some of the most capable in the Spur and responsible for keeping Himean equipment up with the times. Himeo’s scientific sector, on the other hand, is nearly nonexistent, leading to a stagnation in terms of innovation, a problem that can be seen most readily when compared to worlds other than Himeo. The worst of this issue has been mitigated thanks to a steady stream of research from New Xanu, but the risk of Himean equipment becoming archaic in comparison to the rest of the Spur is ever present.

The Syndicalist System

Unique to the Himean economy, as well as often supplanting government agencies, are the syndicates, a form of union that has much more control over the workplace. Instead of relying on a system of managers and executives to make decisions for the workers, it’s the workers themselves who decide on what happens within their workplace. Profits that once may have flowed into the bank accounts of a company’s elite are instead invested back into the job site or distributed amongst the members of the syndicate. In addition, syndicates provide essentials such as housing, food, and clothing to all of their members, as well as amenities such as syndicate-owned bars, social clubs, and so on, in exchange for an occasional payment of dues to the syndicate. All are expected to contribute to the continued operation of the syndicate, though some leniency is given to disabled workers. Continuous failure to pay these dues often result in a loss of access to some services and in the worst cases, ejection from the syndicate due to “selfish behaviors”. Not being affiliated with a syndicate has many downsides, including an inability to legally leave the planet.

As a result of how syndicates are organized, Himeo is able to boast a near total employment rate, though with some caveats. Work is guaranteed for anyone who can join a syndicate, but these jobs are not always what a worker had in mind. Gaining the ideal position within a syndicate is a frequently arduous task, involving both a display of ability to perform the job, and navigating the often byzantine internal politics of the syndicate. Workers disgruntled with their position sometimes seek work with offworld companies, hoping to use their time with the company to persuade the syndicate to give them their desired job. Such actions are rarely motivated by ideology, but instead by the workers’ own ambitions.

Syndicates often collaborate and depend on each other to achieve common goals, but competition is far from unheard of. In situations where syndicates disagree on something, they have been known to restrict their services and interfere with the others’ operations until they can secure a better arrangement, or in the most extreme scenarios reserved for syndicates they view as behaving irresponsibly, uniting with other syndicates to force the target to dissolve. These tactics and more are derided by some as underhanded, but defended by others as a healthy way of resolving conflicts, citing the lack of physical harm caused by these actions.

Society & Culture

Himean society is broadly defined by the spirit behind its original founding and the conviction that the planet stands apart from all others as an incredibly unique and exceptional world. In keeping with that spirit and arising from the harsh environment of the planet, Himeans are often of a more collectivist persuasion and place the wellbeing of their neighbors on a high pedestal. That’s not to say Himeans take no pride in their nation and syndicate, as the Himean flag and objects bearing its design are seen in many locations, though it is seen alongside the iconography of a specific syndicate in many cases. With this exceptionalism, however, comes a distrust for outside institutions. At best, they can hold friendly relations with planets like New Xanu, albeit with a level of caution that guards against excessive influence. At its worst, corporations and similar entities are completely locked off from Himeo’s system and political opponents are often accused of being corporate agents. This does not completely stop Himeans from seeking to advance their career back home through working outside the syndicates, where the stubborn attitudes that Himeans often express result in significant clashes.

Owing to the primary groups involved in the revolution, Himean culture also takes on a decidedly blue-collar feel. Jobs in manual labor and the skilled trades are held up as the ideal careers for the Himean worker, followed closely by healthcare, and engineering behind it, albeit not without plenty of lighthearted mockery. The humanities and most fields of research, on the other hand, are frequently neglected and derided by most, believing their overly academic nature leaves Himeans weaker and less connected to the concerns of the working class. If they even have them, most schools with programs in these fields leave them often understaffed, underfunded, and rarely attended. Himeans looking to become scientists, artists, historians, or many other fields often leave the planet to study abroad and rarely come back after finding work.

Though largely free of many issues that plague other worlds across the Spur, and with a general satisfaction about how the planet is run, Himeo plays host to some specific issues that have yet to be resolved, and that many have an opinion on. Compared to other planets at its level of development, the quality of education on Himeo is often lacking, and the rate of dropouts is well above the human average. Some syndicates have opted to require prospective members to have completed their education before joining, and it remains to be seen how this will change the statistics. Much more difficult to stamp out, however, has been the rampant use of psychedelics. These recreational drugs are produced on Himeo more than anywhere else, and just about anyone knows someone who uses them, even if they don’t use the drugs themselves. Workplace incidents and hospitalizations have sharply increased in recent years as a result of this, and the syndicates are scrambling to find a solution to the issue.

Religion

The position of religion in Himean society is a complicated one. As a variety of workers from all sorts of backgrounds made up the Himean Revolution, few felt particularly eager about doing away with a major part of the lives of many. Despite this, some changes were made to the impact they had on society. On a governmental level, Himeo has committed to the separation of church and state from the beginning and has found continued success in upholding that division. Another factor impacting the presence of organized religion on the planet is the view that asking for donations constitutes wage theft, with the legal consequences that implies. The result of this is that most leaders within a place of worship take up another job with one of the syndicates in order to make a living, save for the exceedingly rare professional who is often subsidized by a religious authority outside of Himeo. Said places of worship tend to be smaller, plainer and are one notable place where communities are built between syndicates.

Cuisine

Up until contact was established with Xanu, the Himean diet was very sparse. Due to the environment the colonists found themselves in, mushrooms were one of the few viable sources of nutrition one could grow. After contact, however, new hydroponics techniques were introduced to Himeo, allowing for a greater variety of foods that could be made. Despite this, the mushroom in many varieties remains a staple of most Himean dishes, with meat being rarer than most other worlds due to the space and resources needed for its production.

Clothing

Clothing on Himeo is, by demand, practical and extremely rugged – designed to endure a harsh environment and last for a long time. Much of it features multiple layers, and very little skin is left exposed. Due to the lack of real animals on the planet synthetic furs are common, with Himeo’s furs being commonly referred to as “fish fur” on the galactic marketplace. Himeo’s clothing is prized for its ability to keep in warmth and its low-maintenance designs. Coloring and dyes are generally quite muted due to scarcity, though reflective materials are common for practical and aesthetic purposes. Many Himeans make patterns on their clothes using reflective material, causing their clothes to vibrantly light up in the low-light environments of Himeo’s cities.

Music

Though the arts are not a major area of interest on Himeo, the music scene has continued on unabated and, in the absence of any major record labels, has arguably thrived for independent musicians. At the present time, a revival of folk music in the style of revolution-era songs is sweeping across the planet, a style that often utilizes little more than an acoustic guitar or similar stringed instruments and the singer’s own voice. Lyrics often revolve around social issues relevant to the artist, or retellings of older stories with a Himean twist to their message. Only a small minority of these musicians attain popularity outside of their local community, but within said communities, attending live performances from these smaller artists is a pastime shared by many.

Cities

Stemming from Himeo’s harsh environment is an approach to urban design not seen anywhere else in the Spur. All cities are built entirely underground, formed around extensive tunnel systems that have long since outgrown their original purpose for miners. In some cases, these cities can extend further vertically than they do horizontally. Outsiders frequently have difficulty navigating Himean cities, with those dimly lit labyrinths playing host to many a lost tourist. Even when they find their way, there is rarely much to look at. Locations within Himeo are rarely referred to as actual buildings, and more often viewed as individual units and even rooms that are connected by a larger structure, and the exteriors are often drab and constructed of identical materials. Lines of hydroponically grown greenery line most major tunnels and provide a nice means of breaking up the dullness of the rest of the city.

Some major cities within Himeo include, but are not limited to:

The largest of Himeo’s cities, and the most important manufacturing center in the UPC. It’s also home to one of the few districts on the entire planet centered around arts and entertainment. Also known for producing some of the best mushroom vodka on Himeo. The manufacturing syndicate Industrial Workers of Himeo holds a substantial amount of influence over local politics here, and rumors swirl around about local infrastructure being subtly developed to suit their needs first and foremost.

The second largest city, and home to the Inverkeithing Industrial Anchorage, one of the only interstellar ports on the planet. All goods marked for export are transported along Himeo’s venerated railways to this location. Inverkeithing is a hotspot for the rivalry between the United Locomotive, Rail, and Automotive Syndicate as well as the Himean Interstellar Transport Union, both of which split from the now-defunct Federation of Logistics Workers in 2489.

Once the center of mining within the planet itself, this boom town has stagnated in recent years, as Inverkeithing’s infrastructure allows it to bring in more ore from around the system than Cannington can hope to keep up with. Even in comparison to other cities, the tunnels here are difficult to navigate and much more haphazardly built. The presence of subterranean hot springs has led to a push to revitalize the city through tourism. Strangely, the local United Mineworkers Alliance chapter supports this shift, and has even formed a branch dedicated to staffing the tourist locations.

The unofficial “capital” of Himeo, as its location is roughly equidistant from most major cities. Worker’s assemblies meet in this city whenever they are called, but in most other times, Uusi Viipuri is more known for its schools. The city prides itself on having the highest test scores on Himeo, which means Uusi Viipuri itself just barely squeezes into the “average” range when compared to the quality of education in the rest of the UPP. Much more effort is placed in this city’s aesthetic than others, and it’s frequently deemed the prettiest city on Himeo.

Compared to all the other cities of Himeo, Lirmak is not inhabited by humans at all, but rather by a community of Tajara. After a failed Xanu-backed uprising in the Free Tajara Republic, those involved or sympathetic to the cause were quickly shuttled offworld and given an abandoned quarry on Himeo to call home. The Tajara took to their new home incredibly well, and in the present have created a stable community, albeit one covertly preparing to finish what was started. These efforts have stalled out as these would-be revolutionaries spend more time debating the merits of Himean vs. Xanan ideology.