Aldea
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Aldea is the third planet of eight orbiting the star Epsilon Mynos, a G2 V yellow dwarf. Epsilon Mynos I and II (Ekasi and Zevae to Aldeans, respectively) are both Class F planets, rocks too close to their sun to support life. Epsilon Mynos IV (Deadara to Aldeans) is Class L, and could support life should the Aldeans choose to terraform it, while Epsilon Mynos V through VII (Chynne, Seosire, Telea, Phaldos to Aldeans, respectively) are Class J gas giants of varying sizes and compositions. The system lacks an asteroid belt or cometary Oort cloud, making it as tranquil as Aldea itself.
For centuries, stories of a utopian world where fantastic technology provided for every citizen's needs, freeing them to pursue intellectual an artistic endeavors, spread quietly throughout known space. Aldea remained the galaxy's "Eden," an idyllic paradise lost to history. Until the world's inhabitants decided to reveal themselves, that is.
In the time since Aldea revealed itself to the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, the planet has stepped out of the pages of legend and into reality. Now, the planet's inhabitants struggle with their role in the galaxy, the repercussions of their technology, and the future of their world.
The current native population is less than 10,000. In addition to the native population, Aldea's population has been bolstered by hundreds of Federation and Starfleet personnel. Scientists from the Daystrom Institute, named for Richard Daystrom (the famed computer scientist of the 23rd century) work to unravel the secrets of the Custodian's construction and programming. Terraforming experts from across the Federation tackle the problem of restoring Aldea's ozone layer. Starfleet Medical sent dozens of doctors and scientists to find a treatment for Aldean sterility. Cultural attaches explore the complexities of Aldean culture. In the interests of fostering close ties, these visitors live side by side with the native inhabitants. Overseeing them all is the Federation advisor to Aldea, William M'benge.
Environment
Aldea's environment befits its reputation as a paradise. Thanks to a sophisticated weather control network that rivals Federation technology, virtually every region of the planet enjoys a mild, temperate climate. Storms occur when and where the Custodian deems them necessary, or the Aldeans desire them. Otherwise, Aldea is near Earth-like, with geographical features ranging from temperate grasslands and woodlands to towering mountains and idyllic tropical islands, and two small, polar arctic regions.
On a planet of artists, practically every view is a breathtaking vista waiting to be painted or immortalized in poetry and song. Aldean cities tend to be small, with few high buildings, so as not to spoil the landscape's natural beauty. Architecturally, Aldean cities blend in well with the surrounding countryside, as though they were a part of nature, using a philosophy similar to Earth's ancient Chinese philosophy of feng shui. These communities are small, numbering no more than a few thousand inhabitants, thanks to generations of sterility.
The most important location on Aldea is the Chamber of the Custodian. this building contains Aldea's guardian supercomputer, known as the Custodian, which once supervised all aspects of Aldean society. Although the Custodian can be accessed from many terminals throughout the planet, this is where its "brain" resides; it can only be dismantled from here.
History
Aldea is a myth come to life. Centuries ago the founders of an idyllic artists' society on the planet Aldea, known as the Progenitors, withdrew from the rest of the universe using highly advanced technology to cloak their world from the eyes and sensors of the rest of galaxy. During this time legends about the vanished planet grew and spread; it became known as a paradise secreted away from a universe of sinners. Its existence became a myth, a story to fire the imaginations of space explorers.
In truth Aldea lived on under its cloak and for a long while it prospered. Its small population concentrated on artistic and life-affirming activities. There was no war, no discord, no worries. Then a hidden peril slowly began to destroy paradise; the population grew sterile for no discernible reason. The Aldeans, made soft by centuries of health and security, had no doctors or scientists who could solve the problem. They realized that they, and their way of life, would die unless something was done.
In desperation, the Aldeans revealed themselves to a passing Federation starship, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. They kidnapped a number of the Enterprise's children, planning to raise them as their own. The crew intervened and retrieved their stolen children, and in the process discovered the source of the Aldeans' problems. The ship's doctor discovered that the Aldeans' sterility was a side effect of the planetary cloaking device, which had destroyed the planet's ozone layer. The Enterprise helped dismantle the cloak to allow the atmosphere to heal itself, but the Aldean way of life was changed forever. The years of hiding were over.
Since that time, Aldea has struggled with change. The biggest change has been the sudden influx of Federation scientists, doctors, and diplomats: Scientists from the Daystrom Institute arrived to study the Custodian, terraforming teams showed up to help repair the hole in Aldea's ozone layer, and the Federation's best doctors came to research the Aldeans' medical condition. Furthermore, the Aldeans have begun to struggle with their place in the galaxy. Thrust suddenly into 24th century intergalactic affairs, the Aldeans were woefully unfamiliar with the likes of Cardassians, Ferengi, Orions, and the dozens of other alien races interested in a piece of paradise. The Aldeans asked for, and received, Federation help to integrate the Aldeans into life in the galaxy at large. The Aldeans have since become consumed with questions: Should they share their advanced technology with the Federation? Should Aldea return to isolation? For the first time in recorded memory the Aldean people are divided. This internal dissension may have an impact on how Aldea relates to the Federation and other political entities.
Government
Up until recently Aldea had no government. The Custodian, a sophisticated computer, provided for virtually all the inhabitants' needs, freeing them to pursue their artistic endeavors. The Aldeans lived in small artist communities, concentrating on painting, writing, sculpture, and music. They had no disputes to mediate, no issues to debate. Unified in their pursuit of art, and lacking any internal or external conflicts, the Aldeans simply lived together in idyllic harmony.
Since Aldea was revealed to the galaxy, the inhabitants have had to form a government, if not for themselves, then for the spacefarers who visited them. They instituted a pure democracy, in which all Aldeans have equal say in all important matters. Aldeans elect the First Appointee as their spokesman to the galaxy at large. The First Appointee enacts the will of the people, and has unrestricted access to the Custodian. At first, Aldeans voted in unison on the basis of what was good for the planet, but lately have begun to split into factions.
For the most part the factions meet informally, at occasional "town meetings" where small groups of Aldeans come together to discuss their thoughts on a variety of issues. These meetings, called expositions, were originally a forum for Aldeans to share their intellectual, artistic, and philosophical achievements with their friends and neighbors. In recent years their tone has changed dramatically. Most expositions after the Federation's arrival have dealt exclusively with scientific topics, leaving all other matters aside. Of late, as the Aldeans become thoroughly used to politics, the expositions have turned to discussions about Aldea's future, Federation membership, and whether to share Aldea's advanced technology with outsiders. As a result, the Aldeans have begun to form their own political groups.
The Federation would like nothing more than to have Aldea join the alliance as a full member. Certainly they have the potential to make fine, upstanding Federation citizens, and the sharing of Aldean technology, art, and philosophy would enrich other UFP members. The Federation Council assumed that since the Federation had provided medical and technological support to Aldea for many years, the Aldeans would eagerly petition for membership. The sudden outbreak of political dissension within the Aldean population has taken the Federation by surprise, leaving it unsure as to how to proceed.
Aldea's location has little strategic importance. The strategic importance of its resources, however - namely, its highly advanced technology - is astronomical. Whoever gains full access to Aldean technology will undoubtedly obtain an advantage (perhaps a decisive one) in any conflicts to come. Therefore the eyes and minds of many Federation politicians and military planners are turned toward Aldea.
The philosophical differences expressed by the various factions are the only conflicts that currently beset Aldea. With so much importance ascribed to Aldean technology, and the interest it has generated, the planet may soon become the ground for all sorts of contention and strife.
Political Factions
By far the largest faction, led by the First Appointee, is composed of those Aldeans who desire full membership in the Federation. Immediately after the encounter with the Enterprise, one would have been hard-pressed to find many Aldeans who would have opposed Federation membership. Most Aldeans want to ensure the status quo - to maintain their quasi-utopian society - and believe Federation membership will achieve this. Recently, however, the pro-Federation position had been losing support to three other factions.
The Home Front, led by a philosopher named Whelin, argues for complete Aldean sovereignty. This group maintains that Aldean technology, centuries ahead of anything else in the Alpha Quadrant, represents a huge responsibility; they fret over the ramifications of sharing that technology with outsiders. Whelin does not want Aldea to withdraw from galactic society, but rather to retain its neutrality. Paranoid about the dangers presented by more antagonistic species, some of her followers call for the rapid development of a defense program and the founding of Aldean colonies in other systems (something Whelin has not yet made up her mind about). The Home Front advocates allowing other peaceful, genetically compatible races to join the Aldean community as immigrants (thus solving the population problem).
Although Aldea lies within the confines of Federation space, some Aldeans have begun to ask the simple question, "Why the Federation?' A little more than a year before the end of the Dominion War, the Romulans secretly opened a dialog with several important Aldeans, among them one of the planet's greatest poets, Toolan. Since then the Romulans have convinced Toolan, and others through him, that Aldea has much in common with them, in particular a dedication to art and beauty. This pro-Romulan faction believes the Romulans will allow Aldea to maintain its sovereignty and culture, while the Federation becomes increasingly involved in Aldean affairs. The pro-Romulan faction advocates an alliance with the Romulan Star Empire.
The final Aldean faction, the Isolationists, simply wants to withdraw again from galactic society. While the Aldean quality of life has not diminished, the number of concerns that distract their attention have multiplied. While they cannot simply reactivate the planetary cloaking device, because the rest of the galaxy now knows their location, they seek other ways to regain Aldea's anonymity.
Economy
Aldea has no exports or imports to speak of, as it engages in no trade. Aldean technological advances, in a variety of fields, would undoubtedly be a valued commodity.
The ancient Aldeans were a truly innovative people of perhaps unmatched genius. Their approach to building tools and defense mechanisms varies significantly from Alpha Quadrant capabilities. One aspect of Aldean technology which makes it so appealing is that all devices are easy to use; almost all devices respond directly to the user's thoughts and desires. A good example is the hand-held sculpting laser. By simply waving it over the material to be sculpted (marble, wood, Vulcan bureki stone, etc.), the sculpting laser carves it into whatever shape the user desires. Likewise musical instruments, artists' pallets, and even food preparation systems function according to the user's thoughts.
Thought-activated technology has wide-ranging applications. Spacecraft could have incredible maneuverability as they responded instantly to thoughts instead of commands. Replicators could produce food or clothing based on the user's desires, without requiring programming. Defensive weapons could pinpoint their targets without a humanoid margin of error. Although the Aldeans, and the Federation, have yet to understand Aldean technology fully, within a few years, Federation scientists believe such advances are possible.
The Custodian, the powerful computer responsible for seeing to the needs of Aldea's citizens, represents the finest artificial intelligence beyond even the best computers in the Federation. Wired into every aspect of Aldea - from weather control, to power and sewage, to planetary defense - it is capable of running the entire planet without any instructions. Scientists from the Daystrom Institute imagine a fleet of remote-controlled starships, all directed by a Custodian-like computer. This would not only keep precious lives safe, it would provide ships with a level of command and response time impossible to train with humanoid crews.
Similarly, Aldea's armaments suggest major advances in defensive technology. Aldea's famous cloaking shield, which hid the planet for so many centuries, represents one major accomplishment. The cloak is once again operational, though it is not currently in use. Federation scientists have repaired it, though it remains too dangerous to the planet's biosphere to use. Similarly, Aldea's powerful surface-mounted repulsor beams can hurtle a starship several light-years away. These huge weapons are buried in the planet's crust, but Federation scientists work to develop smaller versions for deployment on starships.
Noted Inhabitants
Aldea's people are little known to the rest of the galaxy. Perhaps the best known Aldean is Radue, the current First Appointee. As his planet's nominal leader, Radue is responsible for meeting with officials from the Federation and other governments who wish to open relations with Aldea. Radue is also the leader of the "pro-Federation" faction, since he favors an alliance with, or even membership in, the Federation.
William M'benge, an officer in the Starfleet Diplomatic Corps and graduate of the Harvard School of Interplanetary Affairs, serves as the Federation advisor to Aldea. He reports to the Federation Council on the progress of various UFP projects on the planet. He also advises Radue on the membership process, should the Aldeans choose that option; once monthly, he answers questions from the Aldean populace at a special exposition. M'benge oversees all Federation personnel on the planet and coordinates their activities. Should any disagreements between Federation citizens and Aldeans rise, Consul M'benge works to smooth them out.
Fauna
The Aldeans long ago made their planet an ecological as well as social utopia, so they have a wide variety of flora and fauna, with the few animals which are dangerous to Aldeans confined to vast nature preserves so that they will cause no harm. Unfortunately, the infertility which has stricken the Aldeans has likewise afflicted the other forms of life on Aldea, and many species are in danger of dying out entirely. Aldean scientists are working to correct this problem now that its source has been revealed.
Reference(s)
- Cambias, James, et al. Planets of the UFP: A Guide to Federation Worlds, Last Unicorn Games, 1999. ISBN: 0671040065.