Welcome to the Hyades Cluster!

[Joe Manning 0]

WELCOME, interstellar traveller, to the HYADES cluster!

Last bastion of FREEDOM in the Alpha Quadrant!

 

Locals call Hyades the Bull's Head. It was first explored by our friendly Federation neighbors in the 2230's, and the first colony was established in 2258. But being a true survivor in these times of bleak outlook and a scheming opportunist in these times of personal potential you don't care about history, do you? You want to know about the Bull's Head of the present -- the sights to see, the people to meet, the places to visit, and the best ways to make some LATINUM!

 

TRUTH: Bull's Head is the single greatest refuge for disgruntled persons looking for a new way of life outside the Federation's tyrannical yoke! You may have heard of the so-called Union of Nine based in Bajoran space, but as bringers of truth we are here to inform you that their fanatical Prophet worship is but a thinly veiled disguise for the most CUTTHROAT criminal operation this side of the Orion Syndicate. Tainted by the worst variety of Ferengi greed and Cardassian corruption, the 'Union' has nothing to offer refugees but pain and loss! Bull's Head is FREEDOM, Bull's Head is unity of spirit and purpose, and Bull's Head is the opportunity for financial gain which is the right of every sentient man and woman. All without the slaving, piracy, narcotic mind control and myriad of other despicable devices which the new Bajoran regime uses to exploit the beleaguered outcasts of an unforgiving Federation society.

 

Being an intelligent man or woman of means, you're sure to be asking -- who is responsible for this? Who keeps the PEACE in Bull's Head? Who runs the show?

 

The PEOPLE! Who else? Democracy is the ideal that the Federation was founded upon, and now the Bull's Head commonwealth is preserving that ideal, even as the neatly-uniformed dictators on Earth and Andor crack down on 'unsafe' concepts like freedom and sovereignty. The people keep the colonies of Bull's Head running. They keep the trade routes open and moving. They pay the bills of thousands of families. They crew the starships that keep our space secure from pillagers (foreign AND domestic). They answer to no one but each other and the tenets of decency and common sense that bind us all despite the efforts of tyrants to keep us all apart.

 

Lest we be accused of deception, let it be known now that Bull's Head, like any good society, does have a heart. Last century, the TRUE Federation called it Theta Tauri II. But that's no good name for the unofficial capitol of FREEDOM, now is it? So now we call it Tranquility, the oldest and the biggest colony in the Hyades cluster. There isn't a citizen of Bull's Head that hasn't made his way through Tranquility City at one time or another. The possibilities for residence, commerce, employment, transportation, and entertainment in Bull's Head's only true metropolis are limitless.

 

The city is unofficially managed by the three TAURUS brothers. Some say they have connections with all the big players in Bull's Head. Some say (nonsensically, of course) that they're secretely organizing efforts to overthrow the Federation. Some say 'Taurus' is not even their real family name. Some say one of the brothers is really a sister! The myths and mysteries surrounding the trio are ample testament to the influence they enjoy in Bull's Head and the spirit of advancement that our society encourages like no other. Play your cards right in Bull's Head and YOU can become a Taurus brother ... in a manner of speaking.

 

Among the many important landmarks to be found in Tranquility City is the headquarters of The GUARDIANS, unofficial keepers of the peace in Bull's Head. This loose band of mercenaries has access to the largest fleet of ships and the biggest cache of non-prohibited defense technology in the cluster. They charge a fee for personal security or trade escorts, but they're also amply funded by the Taurus brothers to investigate and neutralize threats to Bull's Head society at large. You don't have to pay the Guardians to protect you from the pirates, the Gorn, and the other assorted madmen of the outer regions; the Taurus family already has you covered!

 

TRUTH: Any man or woman with the proper skills to offer can seek the Guardians for employment, long term or short term. It doesn't matter if you can handle a gun or cook an omelette -- the Guardians can find a place for you on one of their ships or outposts. Engineers and doctors, being in particularly short supply, are highly valued. Even if you have valuable information that could aide in the capture of disruptors of the peace, the Guardians can pay you. Just stop in to your local Guardian recruitment office, spread throughout Bull's Head and outlying settlements.

 

The markets of Tranquility City are the hub of TRADE in Bull's Head. Anything from food to fuel to personal security can be acquired at Tranquility, with any number of more 'exotic' goods and services available at outlying colonies. Latinum is the standard monetary unit, though barter is generally accepted and the banks of Bull's Head support a highly secure electronic credit system. BE ADVISED that there is no centralized economic system, each individual colony being allowed to handle trade as it sees fit! The savvy trader is sure to carry cash, credit, AND goods to meet the needs of any trade partner!

 

But where do you get all those resources? There's a saying in Bull's Head that there's always someone somewhere looking to pay you for something. Gainful employment is the greatest friend of the Bull's Head traveller. Resources like food, starship fuel, medicine, and weaponry are valued commodities that only an elite few possess in large supply. The needs of these wealthy movers and shakers of our society often require the services of bold and resourceful starship travellers willing to face risk and danger for OPPORTUNITY. Imagine indebting the Vulcans and Bynars of the renowned Xorax colony science labs to you by recovering alien technologies from the outer regions! Imagine protecting sensitive shipments from the pastures and hydroponics gardens of Gaia Prime and securing a deal that could keep you fed for a year! And if you're willing to get your hands dirty (within the bounds of the Taurus brothers' tolerance), the casino bosses on Vega colony are known to offer some of the most lucrative deals.

 

FACTS: There are 17 planets and 4 moons currently known to be inhabited within the Hyades cluster's tidal boundary. Contact is maintained with 8 colonies and settlements in the outer regions within 60 light years of the boundary. These 29 settlements together with the Andus city-station currently comprise the Bull's Head commonwealth. The Guardians are known to make regular travel between six major border outposts and space stations, though it is rumored that more are operated in secret. The Guardians claim that their emblem is painted on 44 starships. It is difficult to guess how many freelance starships (not counting assorted hostiles) ply the spaceroutes of Bull's Head, but estimates place their number around 70.

 

There is no shortage of settlements in the Hyades cluster for travellers who have seen enough of Tranquility City (and that could take decades). If you haven't a ship capable of high Warp speeds, you can always book a seat on one of the passenger liners that regularly disembark from Tranquility City. If you're in a hurry (and would by comforted by a little extra security), you might even be able to pay for passage aboard a Guardian cruiser.

 

Hushed whispers make reference to the Andorian city-station in the ANDUS asteroid field, said to house a clandestine weapons manufacturing and smuggling operation. Many wonder at their allegiances, but the Taurus brothers have gotten ample assurance that the displaced Andorians have no ties to their brethren in Federation space. Andus station is the place to go if you're wealthy, you're looking to acquire advanced weapons technologies, and you don't believe the Andorians when they say they would never do anything that the Feddies would disapprove of.

 

If the gaming on Vega isn't up your alley, the sea-sprayed beaches and scenic cruise lines of NEW RISA ISLAND provide the hottest vacation locale in Bull's Head. The tiny isle is the only land mass on sea-covered New Risa, and the real estate is owned by Hetta Ser'vya (rumored to be an escaped Orion slave). If you want to enjoy the exquisite cuisine of her renowned staff of chefs, the company of the Old Risan natives in her employ, and the SURREAL relaxation of her massage parlors and mud baths, you'd best have plenty of cash to spend.

 

Second in size (and, perhaps, importance) only to Tranquility is the GOLDROCK mining colony, source of the commonwealth's chief export -- TRITANIUM. The shipyards of Goldrock provide maintenance and refit services to paying starship crews and can even be commissioned to build a starship for VIP (read fabulously wealthy) customers. On the rocky planet's surface, dust-swept Goldrock City houses the miners and engineers that make up some of Bull's Head's roughest and proudest citizens. They're known more for their drinking binges at the local taverns than their friendliness to outsiders, so visitors are advised to avoid sticking out. Looking over the city and the tritanium deposits of the surrounding network of canyons is the central office of the Gular Mining Consortium. Said to be composed mostly of Starfleet officers displaced during the war and original Theta Tauri II colonists, the Gular Consortium has laid claim to most of Bull's Head's natural resource deposits. They are also the chief trade partners of the Klingon Empire's DILITHIUM dealers, making Goldrock the best place to acquire the precious light speed enabler. The shipyard facilities orbit Goldrock's icy moon, site of the massive subterranean deuterium and antimatter manufacturing plants that support the starship service operations. Like Tranquility, these facililties predate the war and are well-stocked with advanced technologies. But think not that it isn't all watched closely by the Guardians, who exchange their protection for significant discounts at the shipyards.

 

FACTS: Being composed of relatively young stars, the Hyades cluster boasts very few habitable planets. Several of Bull's Head's colonies have only been made capable of supporting life through the use of terraforming and atmospheric shielding and generation (both expensive proposals, undertaken only if a planet provides a valuable resource). Explorers of the uncharted regions outside the cluster may be paid handsomely for the discovery of habitable worlds. Explorers with the means may even be inclined to set up a colony themselves, either for settlement or (if the planet possesses a quality which could draw visitors from the Hyades cluster) profit.

 

And what WONDERS might be found BEYOND the boundary of the Hyades cluster? What lies on that DARK frontier where stars are fewer and farther between? The greatest of opportunities! But also the greatest of DANGERS! The regions beyond the Hyades cluster were largely unexplored even during the glory days of the Federation, leaving worlds that have never felt the footsteps of sentient beings. If that is allure you are feeling, interstellar traveller, to claim the bounties of unspoiled worlds, you are well cautioned to go prepared. Greedy pirates, paranoid aliens, and remorseless slavers are just a few of the dangers which thrive in the regions where the Guardians' influence is spread thin.

 

Of all the outer region settlements, none is more well-known and well-travelled than ALDEBARAN, the so-called EYES OF THE BULL. Halfway between the core of the Federation and the heart of Tranquility, Aldebaran was one of the Federation's oldest colonies before their borders were pulled in during the war. It is now the outermost boundary of the Bull's Head commonwealth before one reaches the patrol lanes of the Federation Starfleet. Is is little surprise that the Aldebaran system now houses the largest Guardian outpost outside the Hyades cluster. Much like the twin stars of Aldebaran, the sensors of Aldebaran Station are always watching Federation space and reporting any suspicious activity back to the Taurus brothers and other Bull's Head VIP's. The Federation is content to ignore Bull's Head as long as no signs of military or technological buildup are demonstrated, but should (gods help us all) their stance change, Aldebaran would be our first line of defense.

 

In the days before the war, when the colony was a more quiet and relaxed place, Aldebaran's WHISKEY was the envy of beverage brewers across the galaxy. Now, Aldebaran's tenuous placement near the edge of Federation space has significantly slowed the export of their oddly-colored aqua vitae. This has only served to heighten its value to the drink connoisseurs of Bull's Head. Tavern owners and wealthy VIP's dish out hefty sums both to purchase whiskey from Aldebaran and to secure armed escort of incoming shipments; pirate activity along the Aldebaran-Hyades trade route has been understandably intense and notoriously elusive. The colony isn't only famous for its liquor, however. Artistic expression has thrived on Aldebaran colony since its inception, producing some of the greatest works of literature and cinema in Federation history. While much of the colony's most advanced technology has been turned over to the Federation, their renowned film school and studios continue to operate at peak efficiency. The war and the paranoia of a Federation invasion has not stifled the writers and filmmakers one bit, but only provided fodder for some of the most stirring historical and sociological pieces that the colony has ever produced. Is it the planet's breathtaking vistas, rich clean air, and remarkably unique wildlife that inspire such creativity in the colony's citizens? Or is it the whiskey? Another question for the galaxy's learned sages.

 

TRUTH: Bull's Head maintains very close relations with the Klingon Empire, our nearest non-Federation neighbors. Klingon assistance was invaluable to the first civil war refugees after the Federation's technology confiscations left the colonists without basic matter replication capability. It was not long before treaties were signed (unrecognized by the Federation of course) which reasonably divided the Federation-abandoned territories between Bull's Head and the Empire. These agreements provided the foundation for the free trade which now benefits both civilizations. Bull's Head banks provide fair exchange rates between latinum and Klingon darseks, and the local merchants are sure to stock Klingon goods for immigrants and visitors from the Empire. The free exchange has lead to an infusion of Klingon culture into Bull's Head society. Klingon sport (chiefly arena combat) has achieved great popularity, the Klingon language is learned by most businessmen for times when translation technology is unavailable, and Bloodwine is one of the more popular tavern beverages. The Klingons have made it clear that the alliance will not extend to military protection in the event that the Federation attempts to reassert control of Bull's Head space, but there is little doubt that knowledge of the alliance helps stay the Federation's fist.

 

Right along the treaty-established border between Bull's Head and the Klingon Empire is the LAKOTA colony, symbol of the alliance between the two interstellar societies. Founded on the very ground upon which representatives of the Bull's Head refugees met with representatives of the Empire during the war, the colony features a unique blend of Klingon and old-Federation architecture and culture. The travel artery which flows through the commercial and diplomatic offices of Lakota is well patrolled by the Guardians; it is the most active transportation route outside the Hyades cluster. If you wish to conduct business with the Klingons, or if you wish to acquire a genuine Bat'leth from the forge of Kotaj the Eyeless, Lakota is your destination.

 

TRUTH: Negotiations with the Gorn Hegemony have not been quite so fluid. Many Bull's Head citizens are refugees of the Hegemony's hostile takeover of the Cestus colony during the war. Further Gorn expansion has thus far been discouraged by the Klingon Empire, but many Bull's Head merchants and governors still harbor ill feelings from the Cestus invasion. The more open-minded believe that much could be gained by pursuing an alliance with the Gorn. They are chiefly concerned with Bull's Head's reliance on the Klingons for foreign trade, particularly dilithium import. While the Klingons have been reasonable thus far, many wonder if they are simply waiting for the relationship to reach an adequate stage of dependency to increase their prices. Securing trade agreements with the Gorn, they believe, would foster trade competition between the two races which would ultimately benefit Bull's Head.

 

Life seldom flourishes on the young worlds of Hyades, so the people of Bull's Head must often look outside the cluster for sources of food. The MARGOSIS colony currently provides the richest bounty. Among the game of this jungle planet 25 light years from the cluster is the Margosan falcon which provide the most succulent meat known in Bull's Head. Attempts to establish an ecosystem of the bird in the Hyades cluster have so far been unsuccessful, though herds of the Margosan swamp sow are thriving on Gaia Prime. For now, Bull's Head gourmets must rely on interstellar hunters to acquire the falcons. Farming and gathering stations operate throughout the wetlands of Margosis, collecting samples for the Gaia Prime terraformists and assembling mass fruit and grain shipments for transport to the Hyades cluster. An orbital station supports a Guardian detachment assigned to repel pirate raids on the planet's abundant food resources.

 

Not inhabited, but of particular interest to interstellar explorers, are the mysterious ruins of ZOALUS IV, discovered by Bull's Head explorers only recently. The broken alien cityscapes that dot the world stand as silent monuments of the unknown civilization which once thrived on the Earth-like planet. Not all is as still as it appears, however. While the former inhabitants of Zoalus IV are nowhere to be found, their planetary defense systems are still present and operational. The formidable ground-to-air laser turrets and roaming defense drones have deterred preliminary attempts by the archaeologists of Xorax colony to learn more about the ruins and their former occupants. Looters have not been so deterred. Scavengers from Bull's Head have bolded the dangers of the defense systems to make raids into the ruined cities. A few have come back with useable supplies, alien technologies, or information which has been sold to the Xorax scientists. A few have not come back at all. The head of the Xorax labs is said to be looking for a capable crew (or even a fleet of crews) to accompany a large research expedition to the ruins.

 

FACTS: The Hyades cluster is roughly 65 light years across. 368 stars have been counted in the cluster, including the many binary and trinary groups. At the highly condensed core (where gravimetric forces make travel prohibitively hazardous) stars systems are often less than a light year apart. In the inhabited outer rings, 2 or 3 light years typically separate neighboring systems. This makes travel between the Hyades colonies unusually expeditious for the Bull's Head ships, often capable of no greater than Warp 5 speeds. The average travel time for a Warp 5 ship from one end of the cluster to the other (a trip which usually circumvents the dangerous core) is three months. For faster travel or travel outside the cluster, it is necessary to secure passage aboard one of the few available Warp 7 or Warp 8 vessels. The Guardian fleet counts roughly a dozen such ships, and all of the passenger liners which travel to the outer colonies are capable of at least Warp 7 speeds. Securing such transportation is not cheap; dilithium is a scarce commodity and the Federation's tech monopoly ensures that fast ships are no more common.

 

Trade? Adventure? Profiteering? Relaxed living? What is your preferred FLAVOR? What brought you to the Hyades cluster and its myriad colonies? Whatever it is, Bull's Head can provide it. We welcome well-meaning travelers of any species, and we allow you to conduct your law-abiding, non-disruptive business without interference. So what are you waiting for? Get out there! Take a tour of Bull's Head! Say hello to your new Hyadean neighbors! See the SIGHTS and experience the THRILLS that the Hyades cluster has to offer!

 

This pamphlet was prepared and distributed by the Hyades Tourism Bureau in Association with the Taurus brothers and the League of Free Merchants of Tranquility. The Bureau and its associates cannot be held liable for any damages or injuries incurred while voyaging in Bull's Head space. All transportation fares are nonrefundable.