By Douglas Niles - Star Frontiersman

DATA READOUT: 9/15/61OUTER REACHCLIMATE: cold to frigid; very dry; average temp: —4 CDIAMETER: 13,045 km GRAVITY: 1.0LENGTH OF DAY: 35 hrsATMOSPHERE: 77% nitrogen, 15% oxygen, 8% inert gasesMOONS (5): “Diamond,” silver, completes orbit in 33 days, holds several colonies andresearch Stations; “Shadow “ brown completes orbits in 60 days; “Three Sisters,” red,three Moons whose orbits intertwine, moons complete orbit in 18 daysPHYSICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS:Outer Reach is cold and inhospitable. Theplanet’s original settlers were drawn bythe lure of mineral wealth locked withinthe planet’s rocky shell, Uranium, gold,and aluminum are just a few of the elementsthat have been extracted from Outer Reachby the millions of tons since they werefirst discovered.The severe environment on Outer Reach hasprevented the development of any nativelife forms——plant or animal. Although theatmosphere contains breathable amounts ofoxygen, the scarcity of water undoubtedlyprecluded any natural evolution.Barren rock fields and harsh, craggymountains cover much of the planet’ssurface. Chains of volcanoes lace thelands, many of them constantly spoutingmasses of smoke and lava. The planetpresents a bizarre picture from space:mile—wide streams of molten rock tracefiery paths through the landscape.POLITICAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS:Outer Reach is known throughout he Frontieras home for gangsters, pirates, cheapthugs, and other interstellar scum, Thisreputation is richly deserved.The mines are playing out, so now theplanet’s main source of income is theproduction of weapons and simple robots.Although not famed for quality, theproducts of Outer Reach can be purchasedanywhere in the Frontier——if you have theright connections, According to someestimates, illegal gains through smugglingactivities represent fully 50% of theplanet’s income.The population number’s only 20 million,Most of these individuals——immigrants andtheir descendents——live in large, climatecontrolledcities that draw energy fromgeothermal sources. In fact, the chiefadvantage of manufacturing on Outer Reachis the almost free energy that can beobtained from these underground sources.Outer Reach was originally settled byfreethinking individualists drawn by theplanet’s mineral resources, As theseresources began to diminish, competitionfor unclaimed territories became intense,and a “might makes right” philosophyevolved, A number of small kingdoms anddictatorships battled each other fordecades, until finally, the Styrigiannation emerged as the supreme power.After the warring ended, a fierce rivalrycontinued between the Styrigians and theirclosest contender for power: the MaltharianConfederation. Finally, the two forcesworked out a unique compromise. TheStyrigians gained control of the planet’ssurface, and the Maltharians took controlof the space stations orbiting Outer Reach.The two governments have cooperatedpeacefully. Both the planetary and extraplanetarygovernments are dictatorships.The Maltharians are ruled by a Dralasitecalled the Malthar.Several space stations orbit Outer Reach,holding a prime position on Frontier traderoutes, Pinnacle Station, the largest, isheavily armed and represents a majorbreastwork in the UPF plan for Frontierdefense. Darkworld Station is theheadquarters of the Malthar; it is alsorumored to shelter the “home offices” ofhis massive crime syndicate, which hastentacles reaching to the farthest cornersof the Frontier.In recent years, the discovery of Ixiol hasgreatly increased the Malthar’s profitmargins. This drug is readily available onOuter Reach, selling at a “street price” of100 credits per pill. The drug produces along—lasting euphoria, but it is highlyaddictive; an Ixiol habit debilitates andeventually kills its victim. How theMalthar produces the drug, however, remainsa mystery.Active secret police forces both in spaceand on the planet’s surface quickly stompout any dissident behavior. Generous bribesmust be offered at every level of thebureaucracy before any kind of action ispossible.Outer Reach has a small, highly trainedfleet of militia ships, and the Malthar caneasily muster a good number of piratevessels as allies. Because of thiscombination, the planet possesses thedeadliest starship attack force of anysingle planet in the Frontier. Fortunatelyfor peace—loving peoples, the criminalworld has not been able to prevent the UPFSpacefleet from coming to the aid of someof the criminals’ potential victims.36