History – Romulus

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ROMULUS & REMUS

The twin worlds discovered by Captain Tshuapa Lomela and the crew of the Kara in 2342 remained uncolonized for eighteen years. The need to further refine the Galactic Association’s noninterference policy caused much of the delay. No primitive but advance-able life form had ever been discovered in a star system that also contained a potential colony planet. The debate over Romulus settled this question, the outcome being that an intelligent, but still planet-bound race is entitled to freedom on its planet, but it does not ipso facto lay claim to all habitable planets in its star system. The Ergints’ opinion carried the most weight. Their arguments implied that they too had once inhabited planets in the same star system with primitive, but intelligent life, perhaps even the systems of the other Association members.

To ensure that Humans are not tempted to interfere with the development of the Remusans, other Association members make periodic surprise visits to the twin worlds. Interference with the Remusans by Humans will cause forfeit of the colonial rights on Romulus. GAIL has made a partial exception to this strict policy. The development of any intelligent life form from the primitive state to an interstellar technology is, of course, of great interest to all GAIL members. For this reason, GAIL maintains a permanent surveillance project on a space station orbiting Remus. Scholars from all of the Association worlds participate in this project, but Humans naturally provide most of the workers. Should the presence of this investigation, through accident or carelessness of some individual, cause the Remusans to become aware of the Association members, this, of itself, shall not be deemed a violation of the non-interference treaty.

The first pioneer on Romulus grounded in 2360 adtc, making Romulus the youngest of the worlds presently settled by Humans. The pioneers chose the tip of a long peninsula extending off the continent of Bounty at 35°50′ north latitude for their first settlement, Sharam. The climate at this spot is mild year-around with moderate rainfall. The shorelines border on a large sound formed between the continents of Paix and Bounty and are therefore protected from the full force of ocean storms.