Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun, orbiting in the Outer System, and is one of the latest of the planets to undergo terraforming efforts. Being a gas planet, as well as Sol’s second largest planet, Saturn is widely regarded as the most difficult planet to undergo the complete transformative process. Terraforming efforts began in August of 2024, with drone assembly platforms being established on Titan, and many of Saturn’s minor moons and local asteroids nearby being corralled in an artificial gravity well for raw resources. Production of the artificial ‘shell’ commenced in October, and each panel was placed on a high orbit over the planet after completion. It took almost 20 years to fabricate the artificial surface and atmospheric machinery needed to convert the planet into a hospitable one. A citizen petition gained widespread popularity in 2030 to make all attempts to preserve Saturn's icy rings, which was endorsed and accepted by the United Federation in 2031.

Saturn currently serves as one of the most populated planets in the Sol System. It’s challenges during terraforming and the overwhelming support from citizens of the Federation after it’s completion brought forth a series of political actions that resulted in the formation of the Offices of the United Federation building in the planet’s capital, Electric City, officially marking it as the capital of the UF as a whole.

Pre-Federation
Prior to the Day of First Contact, Saturn remained a relatively unexplored planet due to the limitations of human space travel. Several probes and long distance telescope arrays ran countless studies on the planet in order to determine its makeup and physical traits. Although humanity had made extensive goals to eventually deploy problem to the planet itself, the current race for Mars took precedence. This, however, changed when the Alyssian refugees arrived.

On January 3rd, 2020, the First Many tactically hid their fleet of starships behind Saturn, using the planet to conceal their armada while they prepared to reveal themselves to humanity. Having studied humans for decades prior to making contact, the First Many touched down on Earth and announced their presence to the world. Although many were skeptical, the majority of the Earth’s population were delighted to welcome the beings to their world, as the First Many brought with technology once thought to be forever out of reach, such as advanced nanotechnological medicine, matter manipulation and food generation, hyper-intelligent artificial intelligence, and faster-than-light space travel. Over the next few decades, the technology of the First Many, and their people, spread across the Earth, integrating with human society and providing massive advancements to quality of life. Space travel soon became a regular and inexpensive operation, poverty levels plummeted thanks to rapidly generated housing and fusion energy providing near limitless levels of power. Money was soon reserved more for personal and luxury items, with all beings on the planet having access to free food, housing, education, and medicine.

Terraforming
On August of 2022 the United Federation was formed, and announced a campaign to solve the population crisis by beginning the terraforming of the various planets and moons of the Solar System. The first planet to undergo terraforming was Mars, which was reported to be the easiest of them to make into a habitable place. When plans were made for terraforming all other planets, it was originally decided that Saturn and Jupiter would not undergo the process due to the sheer difficulty of such a large project. The recently developed Modex Corporation began allocating and financing for the planning of a terraforming project for large gas-giant planets, and was successful in testing a simulated construction of such a planet. The tests in hand, the United Federation approved and began funding Modex Corporation to begin development of a terraforming design for Saturn.

Saturn underwent it’s first work in late August of 2022, where its moon Titan was used to begin the rapid production of OxyGen systems, a network of massive prefabricated “tiles” that would interlock to form the new surface of the planet, as well as gravity disruptors that would allow for the modification of the planet’s rotation rate and gravitational forces. Under careful guard, the planet underwent several theoretical experiments to determine the best course to bring it’s crushing gravitational forces to a living condition. In 2026, a quarter of the tiles needed to form the new planet’s surface were fabricated and parked in high orbit, which allowed Federation personnel the opportunity to see the current rotation rate of the planet. An effort to decrease the planet’s mass proved successful using enlarged versions of the Alyssian matter manipulators, which allowed for the material of the planet to be converted into matter blocks and subsequently transported off planet to fuel Federation food generators.

In 2032, on the ten year anniversary of the start of Saturn’s terraforming, half of the planet’s artificial surface was designed and placed into high orbit. The tiles were designed to form a massive surface of supercontinents, with large flat sections to build megacities, and canyons and crevices that would become oceans and canyons. After receiving a credible threat against the terraforming process from an anti-alien group, a vast network of defensive satellites was built around the planet, which were designed to identify, alert, and deter intruders to the terraforming project until deemed safe to do so.

In 2047, Saturn’s surface was completed and lowered onto the planet, locking together at the new equator. The first step taken on the surface of Saturn was by Captain George Rutherford of the Federal Department of Space Exploration, aboard the FSS Discovery. Although the atmosphere was not yet oxygenated, Rutherford stated that, ‘it was an unreal feeling, being the first person to be welcomed to the surface of such an unusual planet. This is a true testament to the accomplishments achieved through our unique friendship with our brothers and sisters from the unknown.”

In 2052, Modex Corporation first tested their new OxyGen systems across the planet of Saturn. Due to certain limitations in the devices, as well as concerns regarding the mass consumption of oxygen and other important gasses necessary to support life, the cities of Saturn were built under a protective energy shield, which was powered through dozens of generators placed along the perimeter of the shield. The shield was developed to prevent damage from inbound space debris, as well as provide a secured pocket of oxygen in the event of failure in the OxyGen network. Once tests returned with successful results, Modex hosted a massive giveaway, offering hundreds of tickets to take the first breaths of Saturn’s new air. The event was a massive success, which boosted the company’s stocks, and guaranteed them an exclusive contract in advanced terraforming efforts. Shortly after, matter manipulators were then placed in the canyons of Saturn to begin the development of artificial oceans and rivers. This process was eventually completed in 2057.

In 2060, the primary infrastructure for the city was completed, and with the formation of the United Federation Navy, a large naval base and facility were built. The City of Emerald Bay was chartered and acts as the home base for all Navy operations, with an office district consisting of workspaces for the Navy’s executive officers, a multitude of laboratories for space research, and training areas for members of the UF Naval Academy. The office of the Fleet Admiral was also placed in Emerald Bay. The primary reason for the Navy’s decision to base their operations in Saturn was to accommodate the size of the Navy’s ranks, as well as show their everlasting faith in the Federation’s terraforming abilities, a move that was then followed by the United Federation itself when it moved it’s operations to Electric City, building a modified version of the White House on the Saturn surface.

Gravitational disruption equipment and OxyGen facilities were installed onto the orbiting shell pieces. In November of 2032, the pieces of the shell were lowered onto the planet and secured to one another simultaneously.