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Zikhron
Galactography > Regions of Space > Middle Regions/Hinter-regions
Galactography > Systems and Worlds > Systems & Worlds Y - Z
Galactography > Civilized Galaxy - Sephirotic Empires > Terran Federation
Galactography > Systems and Worlds > Systems & Worlds Y - Z
Galactography > Civilized Galaxy - Sephirotic Empires > Terran Federation
Originally a Jewish colony, now culturally diverse |
 Image from Steve Bowers |
Star: HD 30380
Type: G2V
Luminosity: 1.03 x sol
Distance: from Sol 222 ly
Constellation: Taurus
Planets
Chayah Type: Hot Neptune; Diameter 27600 km, Mass 20.5 x Earth, Orbital period 9.3 standard days, Semi-major Axis 0.086 AUNeshamah Type: Azurijovian; Diameter 142000 km, Mass 2 x Jupiter, Orbital period 0.44 standard years, Semi-major Axis 0.58 AU
Zikhron (Memory) Type: Areanlacustric; Diameter 8920 km, Mass 0.32 x Earth, Surface Gravity 0.66 gees Orbital period 1.03 standard years, Semi-major Axis 1.025 AU
Kerach Type Ymirian; Radius 14091 km Orbital period 6.23 standard years, Semi-major Axis 15.5 AU
Settled by secular Jewish colonists in 2830 AT, this comparatively wet and warm Mars-like world was terraformed with some minor difficulty. Joined the Terran Federation during the Consolidation Wars, but was nevertheless occupied for thirteen years by the Geminga Orthodoxy until it was liberated by a Terran Federation force in 3802. A wormhole link from HD 31781 was established in 3920, at which time Zikhron started to be heavily influenced by mainstream TF culture and philosophy.
Zikhron retains elements of Hebrew culture dating back thirteen thousand years or more, and these elements are regarded as intrinsically valuable by Federation Authenticists; but the world has become culturally diverse since the world was connected to the Nexus, with a considerable number of the population following Muslim, Christian or Druze faiths plus a substantial number of Universalists, many of whom follow the subtheist philosophy which regards the Archailects as local subtheons, infinitely subordinate to true divinity.
During the ComEmp a significant community of Cyberhermeticists established themselves here, with the intention of studying any remnant of original Kaballistic belief in the Zikhron cultural heritage, with inconclusive results. Zikhron maintains contact with other worlds which follow the Hebrew faith, most of which are in the Sophic League; but the Terran Federation places more importance on the preservation and development of this world's culture, rather than its spiritual development. More than half of the population of this world follow no faith at all.
Since the traumatic occupation there have been a number of escatological sects which have been moderately influential, predicting the end of the world, the Sephirotic Civilisation or the universe itself in various forms at various dates; but each of these predictions have (of course) failed to come true. No doubt as a reaction to this, a satirical group known as the False Prophets emerged in 7101 who make it their business to constantly make such predictions and rejoice when they fail. Kieza Keret, their current spokesperson, maintains that if the False Prophets were ever to fail to predict the end of the world, then that is when it would happen; for this reason she will continue to make false predictions to protect the peoples of the universe.
One long-lasting institution on this world is the Orbital Bakery. Using carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and other elements mined from handy Near Zikhron Objects, the Bakery converts this material into uncooked meals, particularly matzah, kubbeh and bagels with various fillings, which are placed in metal re-entry vehicles and baked using the heat of re-entry, arriving from the sky at the point of consumption. The re-entry material contains a "smart oven" that uses a network of heat stores and exchangers to use the heat from re-entry to cook the meal properly. This prevents the container from becoming too hot to burn on the outside, and instead stores heat and releases it when the re-entry is over. On occasion the re-entry vehicles are entirely edible, apart from the minimal guidance systems and heat exchangers, and arrive like a hot pie from the sky for special celebrations.
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Development Notes
Text by Steve Bowers
Initially published on 20 March 2014.
Initially published on 20 March 2014.
