Tantalus IX’s far northern mountainous region was the first area to be mined by
the GHC’s early CMR models. While covered in a fine dusting of precious minerals, the
Muckro mountain range was quickly deemed barren in comparison to the number of
casualties incurred by the robots. The characteristics of these mountains included an
incredible height; jagged, sharp indentations down the mountainsides; and steep inclines.
The shrill cold of this location often cracked large metal plates on the CMRs, while the
constant darkness and wind had an impact on mining efficiency. After six weeks of a
mining effort in this area and very little material recovered, GHC leaders overseeing the
effort approved the relocation of a group of CMRs to a new area.
Just south of the Muckro Mountains lies Agora: an area masked in a glow of
crimson gas, it is mountainous, but not nearly as dangerous as Muckro. The many plateau
formations in Agora make it an ideal area to set up mining bases, and so, the CMRs
divided themselves into mining and building groups – half did nothing but mine, and the
remaining CMRs built tunnels, bridges, ramps, and bases in order to facilitate their
mining effort.
Agora’s atmosphere is rich in compounds which absorb blue light, as is the case
in many areas on Tantalus IX; the multitude of complex hydrocarbons in the air bathe
Agora’s sky in a red cloud. The rocky, dusty landscape is prone to fires and smoldering
when the sun is in certain positions. It is suspected that a charcoal mix in the terrain
causes this. After a year of successful mining, several area fires prompted the GHC to
consider establishing a permanent home base in a safer location on the planet. A scouting
bot traveled to Tantalus IX on the next empty ship that would carry mining materials
back to human civilization.
After much research, it was in nearby Aequor where the new base was chosen to
be built. A calm desert area, with a hazy light red-orange sky, had a thick atmosphere,
similar to its northern neighbor, Agora. Luckily, the area’s fog prevented extreme heat,
while at the same time, denying the kind of light that would facilitate a non-desert
ecosystem. The moderate temperature and wind conditions made this an ideal area for
establishing a base, however, Aequor is thin in minerals. Its sand has been mixed with a
hefty amount of crushed lava, turning it a middle-gray. The scouting bot inspected a
number of other areas on Tantalus before settling on Aequor, and returned with full
information on what mineral-rich areas should be targetted by new CMR groups, as well
as the locations where no mine-bots should ever enter.
Most notably, the plains to the east of Aequor are electrically-charged. The
various metallic minerals that are a staple of the Reboare Plains, and its neighboring
mountain range, Y-Grene, are half of the equation resulting in atmospheric electricity.
Gas particles in the air get an electric charge from ultraviolet sunrays, and together, create
a geological incompatibility. The terrain is silvery-black, and the sky is a humid grayblue cloud. The area is perpetually dark, but not nearly as dark as Muckro. The frequent
storms and lightning, coupled with this area’s predisposition to electricity, make this a
dangerous and unsuitable area for mining, and for valuable CMR models. GHC leaders
were frankly surprised that the scouting-bot emerged unscathed from these two regions,
despite its general preparedness for all types of terrain and atmosphere.
South of Aequor, and to the west of the Reboare Plains, lies another desert. It is
unfortunate that this desert did not inherit the thick skies of Aequor, just the opposite, in
fact. The Ventrosus desert has an atmosphere so thin that, when airborne, its jet-black
© 2005 COR / Nicole Graham
sand is as fine as cigarette smoke. Naturally, this means Ventrosus is prone to regional
dust storms, and the extreme amount of dried lava in the terrain makes visibility only a
dream. Of course, it is not surprising that a nearby area contains enough active lava to
have created the mess of dark sand in the Ventrosus region.
The Infervea Caves, lava-filled corridors of dark stone, are incredibly hot and
offer little genuine shelter, as nearly the entire region is bathed in the glowing substance.
The incredible amount of airborne ash means a thick black sky in both Infervea and the
eastern neighbor, Extusio. Not surprisingly, Extusio is a region of extremely active
volcanoes. It is for this reason that the cave region of Infervea is constantly flowing with
lava. These regions were both deemed hazardous and unfit for mining.
The saving grace of Tantalus IX’s Eastern Hemisphere was the Usura Plateau
area. Despite being prone to thunderstorms, being so close to the Reboare and Y-Grene
areas, Usura was extremely rich in minerals, one of the most suitable mining areas on the
planet. The area is essentially very similar to its southern neighbors – its rocky plateaus
are filled with precious metals. Luckily, the electric charge created is not nearly as
dangerous in Usura. In fact, it is easily harnessed and would eventually be used to power
mining tools. Like the Agora region, Usura has some primitive crystalline plant life that
is actually quite beautiful against the limestone rock walls.
However, the aesthetic appeal of the area is considerably irrelevant, especially
taking into account how much of Tantalus IX is contaminated and disgusting. A river that
divides the planet’s hemispheres is particularly muddy with methane, and it bleeds into
Tantalus’s only sea: Pericla. The water is a gray-brown, and steams into the air. The sky
in this area is clouded with methane and surrounds an ancient man-made island –
Facticius. The dated, metal island has wide horizontal doors that open into a cavern,
straight down to the floor of the sea, where a precious mining area is protected. Centuries
ago, Tantalus was not as dangerous – mining efforts were much easier and more
prevalent. All that remains of the ancient mining effort are the rusted ruins of Facticius
Island.
The Subolehz region nearby provides an explanation in regards to the state of
Tantalus IX’s atmosphere. The area is packed with sulphuric geysers that blast methane
and other toxic compounds into the air. They have been active for many years, but in
older times, they were dormant. Bubbling water and chemicals crowd the soft rock
surface of Subolehz. Many areas are flooded, and this region is practically impossible to
mine, however, if it were able to be, it is a rich area. This region will be studied further as
new technology emerges, as the GHC would be very interested in a mining effort in
Subolehz.
A more suitable area lies to the west – Larenїm. As it is prone to earthquakes, this
dusty rock region has large chasms caused by the phenomenon, and they reveal veins of
minerals. Information gleaned from the scouting bot points to a giant canyon with a
nearby subterranean area as being one of the more suitable areas to establish a mining
base. Larenїm also boasts one of the clearest skies on the entire planet, despite being
prone to bad weather.
Most likely, it is the Onis area that causes foul weather in Larenїm. Onis is not
simply prone to hurricanes, it is constantly under the barrage of storm after storm. Heavy
winds, thick, obtrusive clouds and a bluish hue that’s cast over the entire region are
characteristics. It’s unknown whether this area is rich in minerals, as the conditions are
© 2005 COR / Nicole Graham
too severe to tell. GHC scientists are investigating whether any technological advances
would make it possible to quell the storms at certain spots inside Onis.
Being adjacent to Onis as well as the Pericla Sea, the Imber Mudlands are aptly
named, and unlikely to ever suffer a drought of moisture. The thicker mud pools
together, especially in areas near to the Pericla border. Frequent rain produces ripple
effects throughout many of the mud pools, and also has the effect of producing thinner
mud in western Imber. Near the Creber-Caelem border, a yellow gaseous mixture enters
the air and reacts with the Imber atmosphere to create caked plates of mud. While this
region has nothing to mine, Tantalus mud is uniquely thick – a similar consistency to
whale blubber. As it is used in a variety of products, it is quite valuable and worth
gathering. It is likely that a base will be set up in Imber in order to retrieve some of this
mud.
The westernmost area on Tantalus is Creber-Caelem – toxic, and overrun with
carbon dioxide gas. The entire region is clouded in a canary-yellow haze. The ground is
cracking, sandy and caked, and for the most part, flat. However, there is one spot in
northern CC where the terrain begins to shift, and the ground raises into small plateau
formations. This is Creber-Caelem’s only mineral-rich section.
Directly east of the CC plateaus is another plateau region – Suffragium. To be
more specific, the area’s name is Canyon Suffragium; named for the expansive canyon
that occupies the majority of the region’s space. This area has a clear sky, allowing for
beautiful views of the neighboring planets. The limestone striped canyon and plateau
walls make this area quite similar to Usura, though there is not nearly as much plantlife.
Also like Usura, Canyon Suffragium is one of the most mineral-rich areas on Tantalus.
Upon receiving the information from the scouting bot, the GHC make immediate plans to
create a mining and transport system in Suffragium.
With the study of Tantalus’s surface and regions completed, construction is
scheduled to begin in a number of areas. However, the extreme number of CMR
casualties has prompted construction of a different kind. It seems necessary to create
some kind of intelligence for CMRs if the Tantalus IX planet is to be mined to its
potential. For this reason, the GHC launch a project called ADAM, and it is their hope
that eventually, this project will pave the way for an extremely high degree of efficiency
in mining, one never before reached.
Region Name
Description
Location
Canyon Suffragium
Heavy mining canyon
Far North-West Tantalus
Muckro Mountains
Dangerous mountain range
Far Northern Tantalus
Aequor
Calm desert
Central Tantalus
Infervea Caves
Lava filled caves
Far Southern Tantalus
© 2005 COR / Nicole Graham
AGora
Plateau/mountain region
Central Tantalus
Reboare Plains
Electrically-charged plains
Eastern Tantalus
Usura Plateau
Plateau region, mining area
Far North-East Tantalus
Larenїm
Canyon; earthquake region
Far South-West Tantalus
Y-Grene Mountains
Electrically-charged mountain
range
Far Eastern Tantalus
Imber Mudlands
Rainy mud-land valleys
Western Tantalus
Pericla Seas
Methane flood-plane/ocean
South-West Tantalus
Extusio
Volcanic region
South-East Tantalus
Onis
Harsh hurricane region
Western Tantalus
Subolehz
Nasty geyser area
Southern Tantalus
Ventrosus Desert
High-wind/dust-storm desert
Central Tantalus
Creber-Caelem
Gaseous region
Far Western Tantalus
Facticius Island
Artificial Island - mining area
South-West Tantalus
© 2005 COR / Nicole Graham