Colonial worlds play an important role in the maintenance and protection of the United Federation of Planets. They are the jumping off point for further exploration of the galaxy, the ports from which the defense of the Federation is launched, and the essence from which new member worlds spring.

Siencia Colony is just such a world, a struggling, small colonial endeavor that has been on the edge of disaster many times. Siencia, however, has come under the capable if inexperienced hands of a colonial government that wishes to solidify Siencia's status as an integral part of the Federation. One day the colonial leaders hope to usher in a new era...one that will see Siencia become a Federation member world.

The following is a selection of maps and pertinent planetary information for the Siencia Colony and USS Santee SIMs. It is impossible and impractical to present maps of every known part of space, Federation and beyond, and it is not the intent of this section to provide a thorough atlas of known space. Only pertinent information is contained and only to the level deemed sufficient by the SIM staff. This section will continuously be updated in an attempt to expand the reach of the aforementioned SIMs...it is recommended that players review this section occasionally.

Siencia Colony is located in the Milky Way galaxy in the Alpha Quadrant. If one is to apply normal terrestrial mapping logic to a map of the Milky Way, Siencia Colony and the Dubo System lie in the southwestern section of the map. This is a section of space that is bordered on the 'south' by the Ferengi Alliance and on the 'west' by the forces of the Dominion and Cardassia. This precarious position has put Siencia in a unique position...it is both on a highly profitable trade rout between the Feringinar and the Federation and uncomfortably near the front lines of the war between the Dominion/Cardassian forces and those of the Federation.

Siencia is on the very edge of Federation space, a factor which has caused Starfleet Command to upgrade the Siencian installation for use as a quick strike base and port of departure for Marine troops being inserted into the Cardassian theater of operation during the Dominion Conflict. Siencia is approximately 80 light years from Bajor and Cardassia Prime and 40 light years from Ferenginar. The Dubo system is only 45 light years from what was the Dominion flank though the high concentration of Federation patrols coupled with the secretive nature of the Starfleet installations on Siencia that keep Cardassian and Dominion troops at bay throughout the war. Most of the star systems surrounding the Dubo system are still being explored...a process that was drastically slowed during the war.

For cartographical simplification, the Milky Way has been divided up into four distinct regions or quadrants. The Federation, Bajor, Ferengi Alliance, and the bulk of known worlds are located in the Alpha Quadrant along with Siencia and the Dubo system. Parts of the Klingon and Romulan Empires are located within the Beta Quadrant. The Dominion (or it's remains) are located in the Gamma Quadrant while the stronghold of Borg Space is located in the Delta Quadrant.

To the largest extent, the Gamma and Delta quadrants are unexplored. The USS Voyager's trek across the expanses of the Delta Quadrant have revealed many secrets about this region's inhabitants however even the terraquads of information that have been relayed back to Starfleet Headquarters are only the smallest drop in the vast and unexplored sea of space that lies in this region. Likewise, the tragic events of the Dominion Conflict have led to some information about the species and cultures in the Gamma Quadrant...inevitably, information is attained through war, however this information is far from complete and much exploration is left to be done in the Gamma Quadrant.

With the Dominion Conflict finally at an end the Siencian Command Center's mission objectives have changed to encompass the fleet's original goals of exploration and discovery...long range missions are launched and supplied through the Siencian Spaceport and every day new information about unexplored space filters back to Siencia Colony.

Dubo is a binary system consisting of two class A stars: Aspiro and Khiori. These stars are of approximately the same magnitude as Sol, the Terran star. The twin stars are locked in close proximity by their massive gravitational pull.

Aspiro is the smaller of the twin stars (classified as a type A1 V star) in the Dubo system and it slowly orbits its sister sun Khiori at a rate of one revolution per Terran day (24 hours). When viewed from any of the terrestrial bodies within the system Aspiro seems to merge with and then separate from Khiori as the day progresses. The zenith of its separation occurs at dawn (when Aspiro rises a full hour after Khiori) and dusk (when Aspiro lingers above the horizon an hour after Khiori sets).

Due to the smaller mass of Aspiro, it is continuously loosing matter from its shell to its sister star. Scientists estimate that in approximately 130 billion years Aspiro will loose all of its atomic fuel to Khiori. Little work has been done to predict the consequences of Aspiro’s extinction, although some believe the star will collapse and create a black hole.

Khiori is the dominant star of the Dubo system. It is a class A5 star of slightly larger magnitude than the Terran star; Sol. Khiori’s great mass holds its sister, Aspiro, in a perpetual orbital dance. Throughout this orbit Khiori robs Aspiro of small amounts of atomic fuel. This process creates great eddies and streams of ion radiation traveling between the two stellar bodies. These rivers of energy occasionally spawn ion storms that cascade out through the Dubo system causing communication blackouts and navigational problems.

The Siencian sun-pair is orbited by two major planetary bodies, Aspiro 1 and Khiori 1.

Aspiro 1 is a very large class H planet that orbits the binary star-pair of the Dubo system at a distance of approximately 483 million miles (773 million kilometers). The planet has a circumference of 22540 miles (36064 kilometers).

Little exploration has been done on Aspiro 1. There is only one recorded account of visitation by a Federation survey crew and no further exploration is currently under consideration.

Local Conditions:

The atmosphere of Aspiro 1 is thin and un-breathable without life support; it is primarily composed of carbon dioxide with trace amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor. The polar regions are dominated by massive ice caps composed of frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice).

The terrain of Aspiro 1 is battered and rugged. The rocky plains bear witness to thousands of years of meteor impacts. There are soaring mountains reaching heights of 50,000 feet and deep rift canyons that plunge miles below the surface. To date, a thorough geologic study of Aspiro 1 hasn't been completed, leaving little information about the planet's potential wealth.

Habitation:

At present there are no habitations on Aspiro 1 nor are there planned efforts at colonization. Insufficient exploration has been done to confirm the existence (past or present) of life on the planet.

Weather:

Due to the thin atmosphere of Aspiro 1 most of the sun's heat is reflected off the surface, radiating into space. This causes the surface temperature of the planet to be exceedingly cold more than a few meters above the ground. Equatorial temperatures range from -17°F (-8°C) during the day to -130°F (-90°C) at night. The cold conditions of the planet are further aggravated by strong, gusty winds that carry an abundance of frozen particulate matter, creating massive dust storms.

Observation indicates that Aspiro 1 has four seasons similar to those on Terra. However, these seasons are of greater length due to the planet's distance from its binary star group. The Aspirian year is approximately two earth years in length.

Satellites:

Two terrestrial satellites orbit Aspiro 1: Viencia and Ziencia.

Viencia

The moon of Viencia has a circumference of 2160 miles (3476 kilometers). Much like the Terran satellite, Luna, Viencia has an elliptical orbit. Its distance from Aspiro 1 varies from 66000 miles (105600 kilometers) at perigee (the point when Viencia is closest to the planet) to 759000 miles (1214400 kilometers) at apogee (the point when Viencia is farthest from the planet).

Local Conditions:

Viencia is the proverbial "rock in space", a class D planetoid with no atmosphere or water. The Viencian surface is composed of high, rocky mountains and highlands separated by large, crater-pocked plains.

The mountainous regions of Viencia reach an elevation similar to that of Terran mountains however they lack the steep incline of their terrestrial relatives and are composed of long, rocky slopes. The Viencian plains are shallow, bowl-like regions that are covered in a fine, powdery dust of crushed rock possibly produced by meteoric impact.

Habitation:

There are no habitations on Viencia as it has no atmosphere and no saleable resources that would offset the cost of mining in the moon's hostile environment.

Weather:

Having no atmosphere, Viencia has no weather per se. Daytime temperatures on its surface reach 212°F (100°C) while the nighttime temperatures plunge to -247°F (-155°C).

Ziencia

Ziencia is a mysterious moon that mirrors the position of Siencia in relationship to its partner planet of Aspiro. Ziencia orbits Aspiro 1 at a distance of 132000 miles (2112000 kilometers) at perigee (the point where Zeincia is closest to Aspiro 1) to 1518000 miles (2428800 kilometers) at apogee (the point where the moon is farthest from the planet). The orbit of Ziencia is retrograde (reverse) meaning that to an observer on the surface of Aspiro 1, Ziencia would appear to rise in the west and set in the east. Ziencia has an equatorial circumference of 7900 miles (12640 kilometers) and is of a similar mass to that of Terra.

In 2179 a science probe was launched to return information on the atmospheric and terrestrial conditions that were predominant on Ziencia as a precursor to possible settlement. The probe reported only fragmented data from its initial atmospheric entry and then suffered a system failure prior to attaining the surface of the moon.

Local Conditions:

Little is known about the surface of Ziencia. Initial log data from the attempted probing of the planet indicated a possibility of class M conditions; however this hasn't been confirmed. Further exploration of Ziencia has been proposed, however, it has been delayed by political problems in the system.

Of the small amount of information that is known about Ziencia, it is clear that the moon has an atmosphere that may well prove breathable. It is also known that the magnetic field of Ziencia is oddly skewed, much like that of the Terran system's planet Uranus. This odd magnetic field can pose a hazard to those who are unfamiliar with the field and its oddities. To prevent navigational hazards, the area surrounding Ziencia is restricted unless otherwise noted by approved permits.

Habitation:

Initial atmospheric readings indicate an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere exists on Ziencia, however, no life science readings have been made on the planet. Optical observations, however, show a blue-green hue to the Ziencian landmasses, which may indicate plant life.

Weather:

Atmospheric readings indicate a high concentration of water vapor. This, coupled with optical observations of cloud formations in the plane's atmosphere, indicates that there are possible weather systems that mimic the seasons of other class M planets.

Khiori 1 is a very large class H planet that orbits the binary star-pair of the Dubo system at a distance of 350 million miles (560 million kilometers). Conditions on its surface closely resemble those of Aspiro 1 with an un-breathable atmosphere of carbon dioxide and argon with trace amounts of oxygen and water vapor. The planet has a circumference of 23000 miles (36800 kilometers).

Presently there are several proposals for further exploration of Khiori 1, however, all are locked in a political limbo while the local government becomes more established and the political climate settles.

Local Conditions:

An appreciable, though far from complete, amount of research has been done on Khiori 1 from the orbiting satellite of Siencia. The atmosphere of Khiori 1, like that of its sister, Aspiro 1, is thin and un-breathable without life support. This thin atmosphere is primarily composed of carbon dioxide with trace amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor. The polar regions of the planet are dominated by massive ice caps composed of frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice).

The terrain of Khiori 1 is battered and rugged. The rocky plains bear witness to thousands of years of meteor impacts. There are soaring mountains reaching heights of 50,000 feet and deep rift canyons that plunge miles below the surface. To date a thorough geologic study of Khiori 1 hasn't been completed however there are indications that there may be significant wealth to be had from mining operations on the planet.

Habitation:

Life science readings on Khiori 1 have only located one natural life form on the planet, a type of lichen that seems to metabolize minerals from the local rocks. No specimens of this species have been returned for examination and no surface exploration has been made of Khiori 1.

Weather:

Due to the thin atmosphere of Khiori 1, most of the sun's heat is reflected off the surface, radiating into space. This causes the surface temperature of the planet to be exceedingly cold more than a few meters above the ground. Equatorial temperatures range from -17°F (-8°C) during the day to -130°F (-90°C) at night. The cold conditions of the planet are further aggravated by strong, gusty winds that carry an abundance of frozen particulate matter, creating massive dust storms.

Observations indicates that Khiori 1 has four seasons similar to those on Terra and that the polar ice caps advance and retreat in harmony with these seasonal changes. These seasons are of greater length due to the planets distance from its binary star group. The Khiorian year is approximately one and a half earth years in length.

Satellites:

Khiori 1 has two terrestrial satellites, moons: Meincia and Siencia:

Meincia

The moon of Miencia has a circumference of 2160 miles (3476 kilometers) and a mass that is approximately 3/5 that of its sister moon, Siencia. Miencia has an exaggerated elliptical orbit; its distance from Khiori 1 varies from 300000 miles (480000 kilometers) at perigee (the point when Miencia is closest to the planet) to 759000 miles (1214400 kilometers) at apogee (the point when the moon is farthest from the planet). The exaggerated ellipse of Meincia's orbit actually causes it to cross the orbit of its sister moon, Siencia, once each orbital cycle. Miencia has a retrograde orbit meaning that an observer on Khiori 1 would see the Miencian moon rise in the west and set in the east.

Local Conditions:

Unlike its twin Viencia, Miencia is class K and has a thick murky atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulfur with trace elements of oxygen and nitrogen. It is dominated by rocky mountains and highlands as well as bowl-like plains that are battered by meteoric impact. The plains of the moon are traversed by rivers of molten sulfur that are discharged by the many active volcanoes that populate the mountainous highlands. The massive gravitational forces of Khiori 1 create this violent geologic activity cyclically as Viencia moves close to and further away from the planet during it's orbit.

The mountainous regions of Miencia reach an elevation similar to that of Terran mountains. Miencian mountains tend to be treacherously jagged and steep due to the overall corrosiveness of the atmosphere. The Miencian plains are jumbled and broken areas of rock and meteoric remnants.

Habitation:

There are no indigenous species on Miencia and no permanent settlements. There have been plans for potential mining operations; however, these have been delayed due to political strife within the Dubo system and the war with the Dominion.

Weather:

Miencia has an active weather system of acid rain and gale force winds. Sulfuric clouds billow across the Miencian sky, obscuring most of the moon's features from optical observation. Daytime temperatures reach as high as 424°F (223°C) and drop little at night due to the insulative nature of the Miencian atmosphere.

Miencia has seasonal changes that are roughly equivalent to Terran seasons. It also has climatic changes that are closely related to its relative proximity to Khiori 1. When Miencia is furthest from the planet its volcanic activity lulls and planet-wide temperatures drop by an average of 75°F (24°C). Additionally, the apogee period is the Miencian "dry season" when the near constant fall of sulfuric rain stops.

Siencia

140 years ago the class M moon of Siencia was found during routine Federation surveys (see Siencia, Early History for more information). Siencia orbits Khiori 1 at a distance of 440000 miles (704000 kilometers) at perigee (the point where Siencia is closest to Khiori 1) to 506000 miles (809600 kilometers) at apogee (the point where the moon is farthest from the planet). Siencia has an equatorial circumference of 8150 miles (13040 kilometers) and a mass approximately equivalent to that of Terra.

Local Conditions:

Siencia is a very Earth-like world. It has an oxygen, nitrogen atmosphere that is rich in water vapor and a climate that ranges from arctic conditions in the polar regions to tropical conditions near the equator.

Siencia is tilted on its axis in a manner that gives it seasons that are very like those of earth, however, its greater distance from the Dubo star-pair gives Siencia a year that's approximately equal to two Earth years (730.5 days). Consequently, Siencian seasons are approximately twice as long as those on Earth.

Siencia is dominated by oceans, which account for nearly 2/3 of the surface area of the moon. The vast oceans of Siencia are churned by a tidal cycle that's powered by the gravitational pull of Khiori 1 as well as the neighboring moon of Miencia. The dry terrain of Siencia is very much like those of Earth with environments ranging from tropical rain forests near the equators to frozen tundra near the polar regions. Siencia has an active, volcanic core that causes geologic activity in the form of earthquakes and volcanism. This activity has forced up mountain ranges and created volcanic islands in the Siencian oceans.

Habitation:

Until colonization, no form of higher mammals inhabited Siencia. The reason for this has perplexed scientists for some time since there is fossil evidence to suggest that mammalian life did exist on Siencia in the distant past. Several theories exist as to the reason for the extinction of mammalian life on the planet, including the recent theory that a planetary plague destroyed all primitive mammals (see recent history for details), however more research will be required to answer all the questions. Siencia supports a vast diversity of plant, reptilian, avian, and insect life as well as a great diversity of fish and crustaceans (for detailed information on the native life forms of Siencia see the Scientific Database, Ecology).

Since the time of colonization a diverse population of Siencia has become diverse. Presently the colony is the home for over 3000 colonists of various races in addition to a Star Fleet installation (See the Star Fleet Contingent for details on garrison strength). Siencia Colony is the only habitation on Siencia, at present there are proposals for further exploration with an aim at development but planning is mired in the political problems of the colony as well as ecological concerns.

Weather:

Siencia is a very Terra-like moon and has weather ranging from tropical to arctic dependent on geographic location. The Siencian year (760.5 days) is twice the length of the Terran year due to the moon's distance from the Dubo solar pair.

The sole settlement on Siencia is located in the tropical zone of the moon and the colony experiences appropriately hot and wet weather. It is not unusual for the colony to see some amount of rain on a daily basis however; this becomes more prevalent around the months of March and April during the monsoon or rainy season. Rainfall during the monsoon season is extremely heavy and severe flooding is not uncommon.

Siencia Colony is located in the equatorial regions of the moon of Siencia, so there is very little change in temperature as the seasons pass. Temperatures in the colony average around 80°F (26.6°C) year round except in the alpine reaches of the mountains that surround the colony.

Tidal conditions on Siencia are appreciably different from their Terran equivalents due to the proximity of Siencia to Khiori I. The gravitation of Khiori I causes two large tidal surge each day...these is referred to as 'prime' high tides. The second moon of Khiori I, Viencia, also exerts its influence on Siencian tides although the resultant tidal surges are markedly smaller owing to the moon's distance and significantly smaller gravitational pull. The tides caused by the Viencian satellite are known as "secondary tides" locally. Tides at the Siencia Colony, however, are mixed, meaning that first and second occurrences of the prime and secondary high tides are of unequal magnitude. Prime high tide occurs every 12 hours (noon and midnight approximately) the surge ranges from heights of approximately 20 feet (6.096 meters) at midnight to approximately 6 feet (1.82 meters) at noon. Secondary tides also occur on 12 hour intervals, like their prime counterparts (6 AM and 6 PM) and they range from a surge of 5 feet (1.52 meters) in the morning to 2 feet (.609 meters) in the evening.

Siencian Surface Maps

As Siencia is the only settled world in the Dubo System there are various maps of it's surface available to the public for use in general navigation. These maps span from basic topographical constructs, showing the continental landmasses and waterways to detailed street maps. The following table provides information on the maps available and the information contained therein.