BARD PAPER: OPAL8702

Pagamin

by Pete Gray

Starport: Class E, No refueling facilities available

Diameter: 9,016 Miles

Atmosphere: Standard, tainted by silicate dust clouds

Surface Water: 11%

Climate: Cold

Population: 25 Vargr

Government: Gvaekurs Clan

Law Level: 0

Tech Level: 5

Local Day = 22.34 hours

Local Year = 0.35 Standard years, 126 Standard Days, 135.4 Local Days

Axial Tilt = 30 Degrees

Avg. Temp = -10.4C (1.6C to �38.4C)

Season = +18C to -30C, 100% at 54 deg lat

Daily Flux = +4.4C Day, -11.2C Night

Surface Gravity = 0.4g

Pagamin never really attracted that much attention over the years. Although Pagamin is the closest world to its sun, Quinzica, it orbits 0.4 AU�s out, which is outside of the habitable zone. However, the average temperature of �10.4C is not bad as far as cold worlds go. The world is dry, only 11% of the world�s surface is covered by water. The atmospheric taint rating is due to infrequent dust storms, which can make the air unbreathable, without filtration, for days. The combination of the cold, the dryness, and the silicate dust storms kept people away.

Pagamin lay unsettled until 1068. That was when a Delgado Trading mining operation was established on the world. What caught their attention was the Second Survey report on the world. It stated that large concentrations of Gallium Arsenide were present. Gallium compounds make excellent semiconductors and have been extensively used in rectifiers, transistors, photoconductors, and laser and maser diodes. Gallium is also used in neutrino detectors.

The operation wasn�t large. About fifty employees were required to oversee the automated mining equipment and refining process. Production continued until the Abandonment. At this point, Delgado Trading shut down the facility and evacuated its personnel. D.T. mothballed the facilities in hopes of one day returning to Pagamin to resume mining.

Pagamin lay dormant once again until 1161 when Vargr from the Gvaekurs group on Mazirbe moved in. Looking to establish a Wildside base close to Mazirbe for their smuggling operation, the Gvaekurs had little choice but to pick Pagamin. Dunmag and Niven were inhospitable. Nibel, Haggard, and Bangwe were crawling with RQS and RISS agents. Sneaking past RISS and RQS personnel on Mazirbe was difficult enough. Besides, the Gallium mines made for excellent hiding places.

Upon hearing about the Vargr presence on the world, Delgado Trading protested. Fearing that Pagamin would one day become another fait accompli world, they demanded that the Regency force the Vargr off the world. The Regency complied somewhat by routinely sending RQS patrols to Pagamin to pay the Vargr a visit. All checks for contraband have come up empty. With no evidence of any wrongdoing and not seeing the Vargr presence on the world as much of a threat, there are only two dozen or so Vargr on the world after all, the Regency has not brought down the proverbial hammer. However, the RQS does continue to keep watch.

With the announcement of the opening of the Frontier, Delgado Trading has vowed to reclaim Pagamin, but time has tempered them somewhat. D.T. has stated that they will be willing to negotiate with the Vargr on Pagamin, but they will not settle for anything that does not allow them to renew their mining operations.