A Hellish World Containing Secrets and Surprises
Towards the centre of the Regina subsector of the Spinward Marches sits Beck's World, a hellish world containing secrets and surprises. Sat to the coreward of a small gaggle of systems, it provides access to the Kinorb cluster for those merchants with limited jump capability. With an Amber Zone rating from the Travellers' Aid Society, the system is not one for the faint-hearted, but for those willing to venture down to the surface, there are wonders to behold.
Beck's World was colonised by the Imperium in 228 as "Frisini" and was a critical field of battle at the end of the Civil War. In 622, it ultimately capitulated to a pro-Arbellatra mercenary strike force called "Beck's Bruins" under the control of Colonel Vilina Beck[1]. Many of the mercenaries remained on the planet after the war had ended through the promise of land grants, and after some time, the planet's name was officially changed to Beck's World.
Today, Beck's World is a hellish globe that looks like a red-streaked black marble from afar. The surface is scorched, pockmarked and burnt, consisting of jagged mountains and endless lava fields. Massive volcanic vents pump acrid black smoke into the air, and thick ash clouds can obscure the sun for months. Whilst most volcanic activity has subsided, the planet is still geologically active and hundreds of thousands of years away from developing a significant biosphere. The sole native lifeform on the surface is a lichen-like plant that clings aggressively to anything cooler than the lava-heated rocks[2]. A mining survey undertaken in 1020 found no commercially viable resources, and the dense atmosphere and limited surface water make the environment harsh for unadapted life.
Arriving at the Beck's World starport is described as a "leap of faith". Pilots must descend carefully through the thick black clouds thrown up by the volcanic vents, assisted solely by the starport's aged landing beacon. Upon breaking through the cloud cover, the dull red glow from the lava veins becomes intense, along with the cracks, vents, and towering volcanoes spewing smoke. The starport, officially Class D, is merely an irregular oval of semi-level ground marked out on the bedrock with tired warehouses and surrounded by a chain-linked fence. Fuel is available, but it is impure and expensive. The facilities are minimal.
The population of a few thousand is concentrated primarily in a single settlement known as Beck's Town, often also called Beck's Dome after the largest building housing bars, shops and traders alike. The settlement is grisly, soot-stained pre-fabricated boxes and domes, yellow with age, arrange themselves next to a sickly milky-blue lake that bubbles and froths. The inhabitants are a mix of the exiled and the desperate, homeless travellers who got stuck here, often described as nasty drifters. Local law and order are maintained by a local military force known as the Thanes, who are part of the paramilitary gang that controls the settlement.
Regardless of its unattractiveness, Beck's World is of considerable interest due to evidence of Ancients activity. Not long after the planet was first colonised, explorers discovered a vast tunnel system beneath the crust, largely untouched by lava flows. The entrance was uncovered in 295, and by 301, archaeologists from the University of Regina had launched a full-scale excavation. The upper layers consisted of natural lava tubes, but deeper down lay a complex network of interwoven tunnels and shafts covering roughly two square kilometres. Despite early enthusiasm, the site was mostly abandoned following the Civil War, under the assumption that nothing of major significance remained. This assumption was later proven wrong. In 1020, a mineral survey — initially deemed a failure due to the lack of valuable resources — uncovered new anomalies. Using advanced sensor technology, University of Regina archaeologists identified a second Ancients site hidden beneath the original. Excavations resumed in earnest during the 1090s and continue to the present day. The digs are managed by a modern university outpost, which stands in stark contrast to the older town. Access is restricted to university personnel, a policy that often breeds resentment among local residents, who suspect the archaeologists are "stealing treasure."
