Hellno

In the coreward sector of the Chiron Outzone there shines a ruddy orange star around which limps a single rocky planet.  The star still bears the name CK230-HE11N0 in official charts, but the entire system was simply called Hellno by the unfortunate Human settlers who woke from their colony sleeper ship almost 300 years ago.  It is still called Hellno by those who live there now.

The rocky planet was low in mineral wealth, was perpetually cloud covered, was cold and drizzling. It sat far from any trade routes or potential sites of interest.  When translight travel became ubiquitous, and interstellar society opened for business, Hellno benefited little, as it found itself deep in a translight outzone and hidden behind the Prokofiev nebula. Given little choice, the colonists clung to this wet rock. Through hard work and the magitech of weather control and nano-replication they turned Hellno into a beautiful sustainable outpost on the edge of The Bleed.  Finally after many generations the residents had turned their efforts from survival to art and architecture and culture.  Their children inherited this new world and they lifted their eyes to the golden sky and looked outward with native pride.

Then came the war, and when it was over the ruddy star carried flecks of grey.  The magic machines began to fail and the clouds began to return.  So began the long slide back into the damp.

After 8 months in the deep Outer, the Snowball’s Chance arrived back in bleedspace.  The half starved crew gazed out at civilization once again and only had one thing to say.  

“Oh, Hell no…”