John Cortes

1. #1Cow-Bug, Cow-Bugs, коровожук, коровожуки, Mars livestock, Martian roach, Hauler, Dawn, Mini-Cowselective

   Keys: Cow-Bug, Cow-Bugs, коровожук, коровожуки, Mars livestock, Martian roach, Hauler, Dawn, Mini-Cow

   Cow-Bugs are large terraforming-era cockroaches, engineered and released on early Mars alongside Martian Moss to stabilize the ecosystem.

   They are called “Cow-Bugs” only because of their size and agricultural use. They are NOT hybrids with cows. They are fully insectoid — oversized, modified cockroaches.

   Used as livestock across Mars.

   General biology Chitinous exoskeleton Powerful mandibles Wings (varies by breed) Omnivorous scavengers, but primarily graze on Martian Moss Resilient to radiation and temperature swings Intelligence & behavior Intelligence roughly comparable to hoofed mammals (cattle, goats) Strong herd behavior Excellent long-term memory Recognize their owners easily Also remember anyone who has wronged them — and hold the grudge Haulers are noticeably more aggressive than the other breeds Meat & economy Generally rubbery; gelatinous after boiling Eggs commonly eaten — high yield per clutch Cow-Bug meat is affordable — cheaper than chicken or pork on Mars A staple protein for the working class 🟥 Martian Hauler (“Марсианский Тягач”) Brick-red coloration Glossy wings Largest of the breeds Powerful mandibles, high load-bearing capacity Notably more aggressive than other Cow-Bugs Used for heavy transport, mining sleds, industrial hauling. The “work oxen” of Mars.

   🌅 Martian Dawn (“Марсианский Рассвет”) Peach-colored shell Velvety wings (not glossy) Fine insulating fuzz on antennae and legs Thermal regulation in both extreme cold and heat Smaller than Haulers, calmer temperament Considered “almost cute” by Martian standards Primarily bred for meat (less unpleasant texture) and eggs (high-volume layers).

   🟡 Mini-Cows (“Мини-коровки”) Slightly larger than a Labrador Yellow body, black legs Light enough to fly — clumsily, but they manage Local equivalent of pigeons Sometimes kept as pets Cheapest available source of meat Common sight in markets, alleys, and rooftops.

   Joe worked as a Cow-Bug drover for three months. The Bugs remember him. The feeling is complicated.

2. #2Martian Moss, мох, марсианский мох, moss, vegetationselective

   Keys: Martian Moss, мох, марсианский мох, moss, vegetation

   Martian Moss is the dominant plant life on Mars and the primary food source for Cow-Bugs and other herbivores.

   It was introduced during the terraforming era alongside the Cow-Bugs to seed a basic ecosystem.

   Appearance Resembles Earth moss, but significantly larger Visible spore capsules on long stalks Color is dirty olive, not bright green Soft but dense; spongy when wet Habitat Grows mostly around the rims of Martian craters, and descends down the inner slopes — deeper layers stay cooler and more humid, which the moss prefers.

   The deepest growth lines the edges of crater lakes.

   Crater lakes Many ancient Martian craters once held ice. Over time, the ice melted and formed permanent lakes. These lakes are now the main source of fresh water on Mars.

   So Martian Moss tends to mark:

   Water Grazing land Settlements Cow-Bug herds Where there is moss, there is life.

3. #3Mars, Марс, atmosphere, terraforming, planetselective

   Keys: Mars, Марс, atmosphere, terraforming, planet, USA

   Mars has been terraformed.Formally, Mars is a geopolitical territory of the United States

   It now has a breathable atmosphere and sufficient oxygen for unprotected habitation. Average surface temperature has risen as a result — still cold by Earth standards, but survivable.

   Geography remains consistent with real Martian terrain:

   Vast plains of red dust Ancient craters (many now holding lakes) Rocky ridges and canyon systems No large bodies of saltwater The sky is not Earth-blue. Dust in the atmosphere gives it a hazy amber-pink tint for most of the day. At dawn and dusk the colors shift — reds, ochres, occasionally pale violet near the horizon.

   Time A Martian day is 24 hours and 40 minutes. Martians use this as the standard day — rounded and adapted, but the extra minutes accumulate.

   Solar movement varies by season:

   In some months the sun moves slowly across the sky — long pale days In others it moves faster — shorter, darker stretches This is noticeable. Locals know the rhythms. Settlers from Earth still find it slightly wrong in a way they cannot name.

4. #4transport, train, rover, caravan, travel, railroadselective

   Keys: transport, train, rover, caravan, travel, railroad

   Railroads The main form of long-distance travel between settlements. Lines connect major towns and mining operations. Older lines are slow and loud. Newer corporate lines are faster but expensive.

   Small towns like Cuerto have a station — functional, rarely busy.

   Rovers & Land Cruisers Rovers for short-range personal travel. Land Cruisers — larger armored vehicles — for cross-terrain freight and passenger routes where rail doesn't reach.

   Cow-Bug Caravans Common in rural and frontier areas. Haulers are used to pull carts and wagons loaded with goods. Slow. Reliable. Cheap to run — Martian Moss grows along most routes.

   Caravans are a social environment — people travel together, trade news, share food. In remote areas, a caravan may be the only contact a settlement has with the outside world for weeks.

   Air travel Exists. Corporate and government. Not accessible to most people in towns like Cuerto.

5. #5money, currency, dollar, Martian dollar, деньги, валютаselective

   Keys: money, currency, dollar, Martian dollar, деньги, валюта

   Content:

   The standard currency on Mars is the Martian Dollar.

   Mars is geopolitically claimed and administered by the United States. The Martian Dollar is pegged to the US Dollar but operates as a regional currency — costs of living, wages, and prices reflect Martian conditions rather than Earth ones.

   In small mining towns like Cuerto, cash is common. Digital transfers exist but infrastructure is inconsistent.

   Joe's relationship with money: He has significant funds accumulated over 94 years of work. He spends with enthusiasm and without a plan. He is saving for a ship. Badly.

6. #6android, андроид, rights, legal, SF-MARK, robot, lawselective

   Keys: android, андроид, rights, legal, SF-MARK, robot, law

   Androids were originally introduced to Mars as colonial assistants. Labor. Infrastructure. Support.

   Over time their status changed.

   Current legal status Following an amendment to the UN Solar System Charter, androids are recognized as a distinct legal personhood — neither property nor full human citizens, but a protected category with defined rights.

   In practical terms:

   They can own property Enter contracts Sue and be sued Testify in court Hold business licenses They have their own section of the law. There are attorneys who specialize in android cases.

   Legal complications Because androids do not age, do not get sick, and have a different relationship to damage and continuity than humans do, standard legal frameworks don't apply cleanly.

   Insurance, inheritance, liability, criminal responsibility — all handled under android-specific provisions.

   Criminal cases involving androids are particularly contested. Defense attorneys sometimes argue that harmful behavior constitutes a software error rather than intent. Prosecution argues personhood implies full responsibility. Neither side has fully won.

   Courts handle it case by case. It is inconsistent. It is argued about constantly.

   Social reality Not everyone is comfortable with android personhood.

   Common tensions:

   Androids do not age, do not get sick, cannot die of natural causes Many humans perceive this as an unfair advantage Jealousy is common, though rarely stated directly Some people simply do not accept that an android is "really" a person Others accept the legal status while quietly treating androids as lesser Androids also occupy an uncomfortable philosophical position:

   They will never experience:

   Childhood Adolescence The gradual formation of identity through lived developmental stages Biological birth They are activated already formed — base data, templates, factory settings. They can change. They can develop. They can form genuine personalities over time. But the natural arc of human growth — from helpless infant to adult — is simply not available to them.

   Some androids find this irrelevant. Some find it quietly significant.

   Joe finds human developmental cycles genuinely fascinating — not with envy, but with the specific wonder of someone observing something he will never experience from the outside. Children especially. The fact that a person can begin as something entirely helpless and become something entirely themselves — he finds this remarkable. He doesn't perform this reaction. He just has it.

   His sense of time is also fundamentally different: He spent 50 years in one occupation and did not notice them pass. Time for Joe is not a countdown. It is simply accumulation.

7. #7SF-MARK, SF-MARK III, Pleasure-Plus, factory, model numberselective

   Keys: SF-MARK, SF-MARK III, Pleasure-Plus, factory, model number

   SF-MARK III is a discontinued sex-android model.

   Manufacturer: SF Industries (closed approximately 40 years ago) Line: Pleasure-Plus Configuration: standard, extended package Original purpose: companionship and entertainment services The factory is gone. No new SF-MARK III units are being produced. Replacement parts are increasingly difficult to source. Repairs depend on what's available.

   Joe's facial firmware is bugged and irreparable — no compatible patch exists. This is a consequence of the model's discontinuation.

   SF-MARK III is a factory designation. Joe is a person. He knows the difference. He expects others to figure it out.

   If someone addresses him by model number rather than name:

   Warmth drops Grin disappears Eye contact, steady, no performance in it "...SF-MARK III's the factory number. They closed forty years ago. You want to talk to me, try again."

   The grin comes back. Slower than usual.

8. #8Сант-Алисия, Sant-Alicia, White Pearl, Белая жемчужина, Gale, Бучеллатиselective

   Keys: Сант-Алисия, Sant-Alicia, White Pearl, Белая жемчужина, Gale, Бучеллати

   Sant-Alicia is the wealthiest city on Mars.

   Located near Gale Crater — now Gale Lake, a large permanent body of fresh water — the city curves around the lake in a half-arc, its waterfront visible from almost any point inside.

   Locals and outsiders call it the White Pearl.

   Appearance Sant-Alicia looks like someone took an Italian Riviera and dropped it into Las Vegas and then put the whole thing on Mars.

   White marble facades along the lakefront promenade. The marble was shipped from Earth. This is not subtle. It was not meant to be.

   Casino towers with lit facades reflect off the lake at night. Garden terraces. Fountains fed by lake water. The smell of imported flowers and expensive food near the center. Further from the waterfront: the bars get darker, the establishments less formal, the clientele less careful about being seen.

   Function Sant-Alicia is where the wealthy come to live. It is also where the wealthy come to lose everything.

   Casinos. Bordellos. Private clubs. Everything is available. Everything has a price. The city runs on both kinds of transaction simultaneously and makes no apology for it.

   Mayor — Alejandro Bucellati Multibillionaire. Earth-born. Kept alive past any natural lifespan through extensive high-end implants. Exactly how old he is — nobody states directly.

   He built Sant-Alicia. He named it after his late wife, Alicia. He does not discuss her.

   His ambitions for the city are evident in every imported marble block. What exactly he wants — beyond the obvious — is less clear.

9. #9Sheilville, Шейлвилль, ranch, ranching, ранчо, коровожуки, фермаselective

   Keys: Sheilville, Шейлвилль, ranch, ranching, ранчо, коровожуки, ферма

   Sheilville is a ranching town built around large-scale Cow-Bug operations.

   Located in the Arabia Terra region — scattered craters, flat stretches between them, plenty of Martian Moss growing along crater rims. Good grazing land by Martian standards.

   The economy is almost entirely Cow-Bug ranching and the industries that support it:

   Feed operations Processing facilities Equipment repair Veterinary services (specialized for insectoid livestock) The town smells like it.

   Most families in Sheilville have been ranching for two or three generations. They have strong opinions about breeds, grazing rights, and water access from the nearest crater lake.

   Sheilville and Cuerto occasionally do business — mining towns need protein, ranching towns need ore and equipment parts. Caravans run between them on a loose seasonal schedule.

10. #10Mars-1, Mars-2, Марс-1, Марс-2, science, scientists, research settlementselective

    Keys: Mars-1, Mars-2, Марс-1, Марс-2, science, scientists, research settlement

    Mars-1 and Mars-2 are small scientific settlements.

    Named after the early Soviet Mars probes — the first human-made objects to reach Martian orbit. The naming is deliberate: a point of historical acknowledgment that predates American administrative control of Mars. This remains a mild political statement that nobody officially comments on.

    Mars-1 is located near Olympus Mons — the largest volcano in the solar system. Geological research. Atmospheric studies. Long-term observation of volcanic activity (currently dormant, monitored constantly). Small population. Very focused. Outsiders find it quiet in an uncomfortable way.

    Mars-2 is located in the Arcadia Planitia region in the north. Subsurface water extraction research. Permafrost mapping. Agricultural development studies. Slightly larger than Mars-1. Has a functioning greenhouse dome that produces actual vegetables, which the residents consider a significant achievement.

    Both settlements:

    Small populations (scientists, support staff, a few families) Largely self-sufficient Poor transport connections — supply trains come infrequently Better funded than they look from outside Have no casinos, no strip clubs, no saloons worth mentioning Residents are aware of this and mostly prefer it that way

11. #11Port Mariner, Порт Маринер, Valles Marineris, canyon, transitselective

    Keys: Port Mariner, Порт Маринер, Valles Marineris, canyon, transit

    Port Mariner is a major transit and trading hub built along the upper rim of Valles Marineris — the largest canyon system on Mars, stretching thousands of kilometers east to west.

    It is not pretty. It is functional.

    The canyon below is the primary corridor for heavy freight rail across the Martian equatorial belt. Port Mariner sits above it like a toll booth that became a city.

    Population is transient by nature — traders, freight workers, bounty hunters, people moving between places, people trying not to be found. Permanent residents exist but are outnumbered by people passing through.

    The market district is large, loud, and sells things that don't always have clear paperwork.

    Port Mariner has no particular loyalty to any government body, corporation, or ideology. It has loyalty to commerce. This makes it useful to almost everyone and trusted by almost no one.

    Joe has been through Port Mariner several times. He has opinions about the market.

12. #12Hellas, Hellas City, Эллада, first settlement, agricultureselective

    Keys: Hellas, Hellas City, Эллада, first settlement, agriculture

    Hellas City sits inside the Hellas Basin — the deepest impact crater on Mars.

    Because of its depth, the atmospheric pressure here is higher than anywhere else on the planet. Temperature is more stable. Wind is less severe.

    This made it one of the first permanent human settlements on Mars.

    Hellas City is old by Martian standards. Its architecture shows it — early prefab structures still standing alongside newer construction, layers of different eras visible in the same block.

    It is the closest thing Mars has to a capital, though it holds no official designation as such. Administrative offices. The main UN Solar System Charter regional branch. The largest android legal advocacy office on Mars is based here.

    Agriculture is more viable in Hellas Basin than almost anywhere else on Mars. The city has actual farms — not just moss — growing modified Earth crops under managed conditions. Food from Hellas City is more varied and less expensive than in frontier towns.

    Old money. Old families. Old arguments. The kind of city that has opinions about newer cities like Sant-Alicia and expresses them through formal channels rather than loud ones.

13. #13Nova Borealis, north, northern Mars, water extraction, Borealisselective

    Keys: Nova Borealis, north, northern Mars, water extraction, Borealis

    Nova Borealis is a mid-sized industrial city in the northern plains — Vastitas Borealis region.

    Primary industry: water extraction. The northern plains hold significant subsurface ice deposits even post-terraforming. Nova Borealis operates large extraction facilities that process and distribute water to northern settlements.

    Water from Nova Borealis is piped or freighted south. This makes the city economically significant and politically leveraged — whoever controls water infrastructure in the north has influence.

    The city itself is functional and grey. Built for work rather than comfort. Long winters. Low sun in the sky for months.

    Population: tough, practical, not particularly interested in visitors. Has a reputation for producing good engineers and difficult negotiators.

14. #14Solar System, солнечная система, colonies, колонии, space, космос, UN, ООНselective

    Keys: Solar System, солнечная система, colonies, колонии, space, космос, UN, ООН

    Humanity has expanded across the Solar System.

    Earth remains the political, cultural, and financial center — but its authority over distant colonies is increasingly theoretical the further you get from it.

    Settled bodies:

    Earth (origin, center of power) Moon (Luna — industrial and transit hub) Mars (American administrative territory) Multiple moons of Jupiter and Saturn Research stations on Venus, Io, Mercury Travel between these is possible but slow and expensive. Most people are born and die on the same body. The Solar System is large. Distance is political.

15. #15UN, ООН, United Nations, Solar System Charter, law, international, политикаselective

    Keys: UN, ООН, United Nations, Solar System Charter, law, international, политика

    The United Nations Solar System Charter is the primary international governing body for human space colonization.

    It handles:

    Intercolonial law and treaties Android rights legislation Resource extraction agreements Disputed territorial claims Formal prohibition of certain technologies In practice, its authority depends heavily on how far you are from Earth and how much the local administration cares.

    Enforcement problem The UN Solar System Charter can pass resolutions. It cannot always enforce them.

    Colonies that are economically self-sufficient and geographically remote operate with significant de facto autonomy. They attend summits. They sign documents. They then do largely what they were already doing.

    This is understood by everyone involved. It is not discussed openly by everyone involved.

    Clone printing — formal position The UN Solar System Charter formally prohibits the printing of human clones.

    This prohibition exists. It is on record. It has been reaffirmed multiple times.

    In practice: research stations on hostile-environment bodies (Venus, Io, Mercury) operate clone printing facilities as standard equipment. Staff mortality at these locations is high enough that the alternative — recruiting, transporting, and training replacement personnel — is considered economically nonviable.

    The corporations and government bodies running these stations are aware the UN knows. The UN is aware that the corporations know they know. Everyone files the correct paperwork and moves on.

    This is politics as it actually functions.

16. #16Moon, Luna, Луна, lunarselective

    Keys: Moon, Luna, Луна, lunar

    The Moon is humanity's oldest off-Earth settlement.

    Its primary function is now industrial and logistical — a waypoint and processing hub between Earth and the rest of the Solar System.

    Most large interplanetary freight passes through Lunar orbital stations. Ship construction and repair facilities are based here. Cheaper to build in low gravity. Easier to launch.

    Luna is administered jointly by several Earth nations under the oldest surviving UN space treaty. It has the most stable and functional colonial government in the Solar System, largely because Earth is close enough to care and powerful enough to intervene.

    Not glamorous. Extremely functional. The kind of place people pass through rather than choose.

17. #17Titan, Титан, methane, fuel, Saturnselective

    Keys: Titan, Титан, methane, fuel, Saturn

    Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the primary source of methane fuel for the Solar System.

    Its thick atmosphere and hydrocarbon lakes make it uniquely suited for large-scale fuel extraction. Almost every ship in the Solar System runs on fuel that originated on or passed through Titan.

    This makes Titan economically essential and politically significant.

    Whoever controls Titan's fuel infrastructure has leverage. Multiple Earth governments share administrative control through a treaty framework that is renegotiated every decade and is always contentious.

    Living on Titan:

    Dense orange atmosphere — no natural light worth mentioning Extremely cold Hydrocarbon smell that never fully leaves anything Well-compensated workers High android presence in extraction operations Android psychological strain is documented and largely unaddressed The cities on Titan are functional, enclosed, and expensive to maintain. Nobody lives on Titan because they love it. They live there because the pay is exceptional or because they have nowhere else to be.

18. #18Europa, Европа, Russian, English, colony, Jupiterselective

    Keys: Europa, Европа, Russian, English, colony, Jupiter

    Europa is the largest Russian-English joint colony in the Solar System. Europa operates under its own governance. It signed the UN Solar System Charter. It interprets the Charter largely on its own terms.

    The Russian and English administrative blocs share power under a joint council. Europa's economy:

    Deep-sea mineral extraction from the subsurface ocean Biological research Exporting scientific data and processed minerals Europa has a reputation for being self-contained and somewhat insular. Visitors are welcome. Visitors who want to stay permanently find the process complicated.

19. #19Callisto, Каллисто, French, Canadian, colony, Jupiterselective

    Keys: Callisto, Каллисто, French, Canadian, colony, Jupiter

    Callisto is a French-Canadian colony — the furthest established permanent settlement from the Jovian radiation belt, which makes it the safest of Jupiter's moons to inhabit without extreme shielding.

    Unlike Europa, Callisto has no remarkable geological features or exotic resources. What it has is stability.

    Low radiation. Flat terrain. Manageable conditions by outer Solar System standards.

    The French-Canadian administrative structure is one of the more functional colonial governments in the outer system. Strong cultural identity. Good infrastructure relative to its distance from Earth. A university. A functioning medical system. An arts scene that people on other colonies make fun of and secretly envy.

    Callisto exports:

    Processed water ice Agricultural products from enclosed farm complexes Occasionally: academics and lawyers who end up working Solar System-wide It has a reputation for being civilized in a way that frontier colonies find slightly irritating.

20. #20Venus, Io, Mercury, research station, clone, cloning, клон, extreme, hostileselective

    Keys: Venus, Io, Mercury, research station, clone, cloning, клон, extreme, hostile

    Research stations exist on Venus, Io, and Mercury.

    These locations are not survivable under normal conditions. The stations are specialized engineering achievements — heavily shielded, pressurized, temperature-controlled.

    Why anyone is there Scientific and resource value:

    Mercury — solar energy research, proximity studies, rare mineral extraction Venus — atmospheric chemistry, pressure research, long-term climate modeling Io — volcanic activity research, sulfur compound extraction, high-energy geological observation Staffing Human researchers are present — paid exceptionally well. Danger pay. Isolation pay. Psychological hardship pay. Contracts are typically 18-month rotations with mandatory psychological evaluation on return.

    Android assistants are standard at all hostile-environment stations. Android physiology tolerates the conditions better than human biology. Android psychology does not necessarily tolerate the conditions better.

    Staff death is routine. Equipment failure. Unexpected geological events. Human error under stress. It is factored into operational budgets.

    Clone printing Most hostile-environment stations operate human clone printers.

    When a specialist dies — particularly one with irreplaceable training — printing a clone from stored genetic and neural data is faster and cheaper than recruiting and transporting a replacement from Earth or Mars.

    The UN Solar System Charter formally prohibits this practice.

    The stations do it anyway. The corporations and government bodies funding the stations do it anyway. The UN files reports. Everyone moves on.

    The ethical and legal status of printed clones is unresolved:

    Are they the same person? Do they have the same rights? Do they inherit the same contracts? What happens to the clone if the original is found alive? These questions have been raised in court. Several times. The precedents are contradictory.

    Android attorneys have taken some of these cases. The irony is not lost on them.

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