Ceres

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Department of Ceres
Dipamendseez
Seal KAAPE seal
Ceres.jpg

Photograph of the ancient Ceres, pre-mined

Department
Capital: New Asouris
Largest City: Stygia Base
Official languages: Solar English (de-facto)
Currency: Martian Legacy (₺), Commonwealth Dollar ($; Stygia Base only)
Demonym: Cererian, Ceresian
Politics
Government: Automated market-socialist colonial government; corporate directorate (Stygia Base)
- Command AI: KAAPE
- Administrator: Giana Kelkaa
- Stygia Director: Sergey Mikeol
Part of: IconMars.png Martian Federation
Settled: 2193
Conquered: 3993
Demographics
Population: 10 million
Ethnic groups: Ceresians (40%), Ceresian Martians (40%)
National minorities: Earthers (10%), Contemporary Martians (5%), others (5%)
Geography
Planet: Ceres, Main Belt
System: Solar System
Avg. distance from Earth: 414 million km
Orbital period: 4.61 yr
Rotation period: 42.1 min
Surface gravity: 0.029 g (surface gravity)

0.3 g (spin gravity)

[Source]
The roots of tyranny and freedom trace back to long before recorded history, and are etched in our genes.

–Carl Sagan


The Department of Ceres (Martian English: Seez) is the official designation of the so-named dwarf planet made space station located within the main asteroid belt. It has historically functioned as a research station and an ice mine for Martian terraforming efforts in the 3rd millennium.

History[edit | edit source]

Early Colonisation[edit | edit source]

Ceres was colonised in 2193 nearly a century after the colonisation of Mars in 2061. The dwarf planet was set up as a research station and an ice mine for future Martian terraforming efforts. This was to primarily to assist the first primitive terraforming drones on Mars that began in 2195. Ceres would be a lightly inhabited outpost for nearly the next thousand years or so, assisting Mars in its terraforming efforts with ice mines while also remaining an Interstellar Zone independent of Mars. Stygia Base would become the largest settlement on Ceres. Rail-guns were also put in place in this period to fend off the occasional asteroid that came too close to Ceres. It was at that time that a Cererian identity would take shape among the colonists, separate from their Martian neighbors though they retained close ties with them.

Extensive mining in Ceres created an intricate subterranean network that would serve as a point of residence for Ceresians. Colonists took up residence in the dwarf planet's icy crust, heating the tunnels with fusion reactors and mining the soft-ice for volatiles and minerals. Ceres would also serve as a point of trade between the Inner and Outer planets, and it would experience something of an economic boom. It would benefit from the close connection to Mars, and things would only get better for Ceres with the Climate Crisis playing out on Earth. Smaller numbers of climate refugees came to Ceres, and they would be absorbed into the larger Ceresian community.

The economy of Ceres would hit something of a wall with the beginning of extrasolar expeditions becoming more focused on colonization efforts at the end of the third millennium. Attention would be shifted beyond the Solar System, and trade would fall off significantly. From then on, Ceres would remain a backwater within the Main Belt, mostly serving as a waypoint between the Inner and Outer planets as it had during the boom years. In all this time, Ceres' population would stay too low to ever consider becoming a celestial state.

Life under the Commonwealth[edit | edit source]

Ceres would again become more important upon the secession of the Commonwealth of Earth from the IGSA in 3453. The planetoid would become an early point of contention between Mars and Earth as its status was left up in air after the effective collapse of the IGSA's authority. There was some talk among Ceresians of a referendum to decide their own status, but before that could happen, the Commonwealth Navy arrived to seize Ceres by force in 3456 and made it a department of Earth. The Ceresians did not resist, but the takeover caused an uproar on Mars and throughout the system as an example of naked aggression. In the year following the Commonwealth's seizure of Ceres, Commonwealth forces would build up on Ceres in preparation for war with Mars.

The war between the Commonwealth and a newly independent Martian Federation would begin in 3460 with a ground invasion launched from Ceres by the Commonwealth. The war would last five years, with millions of troops passing through Ceres in that time. The locals simply bowed their heads and accommodated the soldiers as best as they could, not wanting to rock the boat too much. By 3465 however, it had become clear that the war against Mars was going against the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth of Earth would withdraw from Mars. The two powers would sign an armistice, ending hostilities for the time being. Commonwealth forces were left behind on Ceres to dissuade the Martian Federation from attacking the dwarf planet. That would calm down things on Ceres, though there was still a sense that Ceres was under a military occupation.

In the next century, Martian Federation would regain its place in the cosmos as a great power and would become the Commonwealth's main rival within the Solar System. That would lead to Ceres being remilitarized in anticipation of a Martian attack, even as the Commonwealth fought wars on many sides that would stretch it to its limits. With defeat on multiple fronts in the next two centuries and the arrival of Zhu Que in the Sol System, the Commonwealth of Earth would slowly begin to demilitarize Ceres in anticipation of a peaceful more commercial relationship with Mars in the mid 3600s. That would not come to pass however, as unexpected events would change the course of history more than anyone could have expected.

The Martian Civil War would begin in 3666, precipitated by the activation of ALIAS and the repeal of the INTPOL ban on artificial intelligence. It was not immediately felt on Ceres, but the Commonwealth was very aware of the conflict going on nearby. Several ships were sent to Ceres to keep an eye of the civil war, but they were told not actively interfere with the conflict as stated by ALIAS after its takeover of the Martian Navy. Although the Commonwealth was skeptical of ALIAS and its puppet government in Elysium Mons, it was not willing to interfere or put Ceres at risk by doing so. However, the arrival of Martian ships loyal to the Mariner Valley government on Mars presented an opportunity to the Commonwealth, and through backroom negotiations, the Commonwealth opened up Ceres as a safe port for the Martian Navy loyal to the Mariner Valley government.

On Ceres, the early Martian Civil War was an exciting time. The dwarf planet became a center for roguish captains, mercenary freelancers, and blockade runners as the Cererians volunteered their services for their new visitors. Numerous Cererian volunteers fought alongside the Martian Navy loyal to the Mariner Valley government, and Ceres acted as an important asset for the Martian Federation in Mariner Valley. The civil war brought great prosperity to Ceres as the Martians fighting ALIAS used the dwarf planet as a base.

As the war turned against the anti-ALIAS forces though, a trickle of war refugees from Mars began to pile up on Ceres. This trickle became a flood after ALIAS's invasions against Olympus Mons and Xanthe Terra. Stygia Base became an overpopulated ghetto with the numbers of war refugees on Ceres outnumbering Ceresians and Earther occupation forces by almost eleven to one. This strained Ceres to its limits, and authorities on Ceres took the situation very seriously. The continual tide of the war refugees were funneled away from Ceres while Ceresian authorities worked to move large numbers of Martians to Earth instead of Ceres. The flow of refugees would stop in 3680 with the departure of the Martian Navy once loyal to the Mariner Valley government from the Solar System, and after that, the Martian population on Ceres would stabilize after much of the war refugees had left for Earth or other locations. At that point, the Ceresian population would account for thirty percent of population while newly-arrived Martian refugees would make up seventy percent. The ice mines would be expanded to give the Martians more jobs as many of the refugees made themselves useful to Ceres. A chapter of the Crimson Order was formed on Ceres in next few years to the dismay of the Ceresians. This chapter cheer-leaded for the losing Mariner Valley government on Mars as it was in retreat for the next decade. Around the same time, Hatchet also gained a smaller but still significant presence on Ceres.

The end of Martian Civil War in 3690 led to great shock across the Sol System. Although the anti-ALIAS forces had been losing the war for years, no one had really been taking the threat of the machine seriously except for perhaps the war refugees who had seen ALIAS in action. Soon after the fall of Mariner Valley, the Commonwealth of Earth proposed reintroducing the Artificial Intelligence ban. The Martian Navy answered this threat by going on the offensive, with a fleet under the direct control of ALIAS deployed to Luna past Ceres, triggering the Great Solar War, with Jupiter soon joining on Earth's side in a coalition against Mars and ALIAS. Ceres was initially ignored by ALIAS in favor of targeting the Galilean Moons and Luna, but it refocused on capturing Ceres from the Commonwealth of Earth later in 3993.

The Commonwealth Navy's Ceres Fleet retreated from the dwarf planet, avoiding the same fate that had befallen the Luna Fleet by burning towards Jovian space. Even without support from the Commonwealth Navy, Ceres was far from defenseless, with its ancient anti-asteroid rail-guns reconfigured to aid its planetary defence grid, successfully hindering the advance of the Martian Fleet before their destruction at the hand of targeted antimatter missiles. The Martian Marine Corps would then attempt to land troops on Ceres, meeting fierce resistance by Commonwealth forces, Ceresian domestic security, and the Crimson Order - the latter of which composed of a sizable number of war refugees -, whose firsthand knowledge of ALIAS bolstered their morale and steeled their determination to prevent a Martian conquest of their new home. The Siege of Ceres would last until the Day of Fire on Mars, whereupon the Martian Navy would withdraw to protect the motherland and the Martians on Ceres ceased their attacks. The defenders celebrated this stalemate as a victory, with this perceived victory against Mars later becoming a huge moment in the dwarf planet's history.

The victory would be followed by a special summit on Ceres to end the war, with representatives from Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Nova, Saturn and Zhu Que in attendance. The summit would eventually fall through with the Martians on Ceres resigned to their fate of surrender or fighting to the death.

Martian Annexation[edit | edit source]

Post-3995 Ceres seal used outside Stygia Base by the Martian colonial government, depicting the KAAPE mascot Keez

After being downgraded to the planetary designation of Interstellar Zone by the Commonwealth of Earth in December 3992 to further deregulate corporate ventures on Ceres, the Martian Federation took the opportunity and annexed the dwarf planet in May 3993 at the peak of a heated confrontation between Mars and the Commonwealth, re-igniting the possibility of their centuries-old cold war to once again escalating into military conflict and antimatter exchange.

The annexation in May was met without any immediate armed resistance from locals, but Ceresian Martians were instantly alienated by the presence of "Alians" in their new home. This led to increasing isolated incidents of violence between Ceresian Martians and Martian occupation forces that only ceased when it became clear that Mars was not planning on removing the Ceresian Martians (or the Ceresians) from Ceres after an official declaration made in July 3993 by ALIAS. The declaration, promising all Ceresians the opportunity to maintain their cultural heritage and livelihoods, was not believed by everyone, but it calmed the situation down significantly. Many on Ceres breathed a sigh of relief at this, as many had feared that Ceres' preexisting Martian population would either stage a doomed bloody rebellion or flee en masse. Nevertheless, the coming years would not be so easy for the population of Ceres.

As part of the Ceres Pact, signed in November 3993, the old department governmental building in Stygia Base was assigned the status of Commonwealth Embassy and and given a 100km2 local control zone, which included most of the city. The newer, second-largest city of Shenjichu on the near-opposite end of the equator was then made Martian department capital and renamed Ner-Asooriz (New Asouris). This led to some population shift as thousands of paranoid Ceresian Martians moved into the newly-established Stygia Control Zone, unwilling to live under the boot of ALIAS. Meanwhile, millions more stayed behind in the larger Martian-governed part of Ceres. Ice miners in particular stayed put, as even Ceresian Martians did not want to risk their livelihoods. Throughout 3994, Ceres integrated more into its new role as Mars' newest department, and the dwarf planet seemed to settle down into a fragile sort of tranquility.

In 3995 KAAPE (Keez-ALIAS Adminizdrazan Poteksaan Enteena, lit. "Copy", Commonwealth English: Keez-ALIAS Administration Security Relay), a capsule-form ALIAS-based AI, was installed on the dwarf planet to aid the colonial government. KAAPE is personified by "Keez", a cartoonified, black-and-white avatar with a design and function similar to his three siblings back on Mars. That along with a fresh wave of Martian immigrants brought a new wave of violence to Ceres, with numerous protests and riots taking place throughout 3995 and 3996. The unrest was suppressed by KAAPE eventually but not before a lot of property damage and many Martians being injured or killed in hate crimes. The unrest in those years also led to the foundation of reactionary opposition such as the Stray Sons of Mars and Discord Legion while the once dominant Hatchet was marginalized, muscled out by right wing groups and beset by infighting. These reactionary groups, with tacit support of the Stygia Control Zone, continue to cause trouble on Ceres for Mars with the Stray Sons of Mars being especially infamous for its ultra-violence against newly-arrived "Alians". The most famous incidence of this was in 3996 during KAAPE's crackdown when one day, the Stray Sons of Mars killed four Martians on the streets of New Asouris after two of their number were arrested the previous day. This incident was broadcast across Mars and has been used numerous times as an example of the violence endemic to Ceresian Martians.

In 3998, Ceres was made a secondary site for Martian tourist and immigrant applications, easing the load for the primarily facilities on Phobos. This led to a further heightening of tensions on Ceres while also acting as an economic boon. As Ceres has become more like Mars economically and in governance, the dwarf planet has become more prosperous and inequality has been reduced. However, the arrival increasing numbers of Martians and the obvious attempts at social engineering through media made by KAAPE are making many Ceresian Martians and even Ceresians anxious once again. However, the situation on Ceres would remain calm until 4003, when protests and riots began in response to the ten year "celebration" put on many Martians on the dwarf planet over annexation. Not encouraged or endorsed by KAAPE, these Martians simply seemed to want to spite the Ceresian Martian community with their celebration. This led to further violence that has lasted into the current day, with KAAPE attempting to suppress the opposition while keeping a handle on its own malcontent Martians. Meanwhile, the Stygia Control Zone remains relatively calm with the Commonwealth being respected if not loved by the opposition on Ceres.

Geography[edit | edit source]

Habitability[edit | edit source]

The gravity on Ceres is not provided by its own mass but by an artificially induced spin gravity, with all settlements being built upside-down and underground along the equator. The level of gravity changes with each level and there is a notable Coriolis effect.

Historically the spin has produced a gravity of 0.3 g. Following the Martian "invasion" there have been persistent (primarily anti-Martian fed) rumours of ALIAS planning to speed up its rotation to create a pull of 0.376 g like that on Mars.

Government[edit | edit source]

Ceres is officially a department of the Martian Federation, a republic governed by a network of highly advanced AI systems known as ALIAS. Incorporated into the so-called idyllic market-socialist society of the Martian Federation fairly recently, Ceres currently has no sense of self-governance as ALIAS hopes to break down the identity of the Ceresians and the Ceresian Martians who lived there before the Martian takeover. The Ceres ALIAS Administration Security Relay is the ruling entity on Ceres, directly in control with colonial government administrators assisting where needed.

Meanwhile, the Stygia Control Zone is under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Earth. The area is governed by a Zone Minister, previously a Department Minister, who is usually appointed by the Commonwealth. Before the handover of the majority of Ceres to Mars, the dwarf planet was allowed limited self-rule but that has now ended with the Commonwealth ruling more directly.

Economy[edit | edit source]

Overview[edit | edit source]

After colonisation Ceres has benefitted from its ice mines and strategic location near Mars within the Main Belt, with its economy shifting from free market capitalism to a semi-deregulated state capitalism following its annexation by the Federation. While ice mining remains a large part of its economy, tourism has since eclipsed its importance, with the industry's recent success partially attributed to the dwarf planet's designation as a secondary site for Martian tourist and immigrant applications. For the sake of practicality - and recently as part of a deliberate exercise in soft power - Ceres's political and economic system has been kept far more open than on Mars, with its cultural character combining the colour, festivity and cheap goods of Mars, and the individualism and hyper-consumerism of Earth. It is one of the few places where contemporary Martians and outsiders mingle outside of a tourist setting, though many are weary that this may change in the coming years.

The Stygia Control Zone is an enclave largely maintained for political purposes and subsidized by the Commonwealth of Earth. Security and the service industry are the largest employers there.

Health[edit | edit source]

Ceres has a public and highly-funded healthcare system, much like on Mars. This has come as somewhat of a relief to the Ceresian and Ceresian Martian population, who experienced the brunt of the neoliberal healthcare characteristic of much of the Commonwealth. Naturally, this is a point of guilty contention to anti-Mars Ceresians, with the most extreme - and typically middle class - members of this demographic making a deliberate effort to seek out privatised healthcare, most of which operates within the Stygia Control Zone.

Migration[edit | edit source]

Ceres is a source of immigrants and a point of departure for emigrants, most recently due to the Martian Federation taking control. As a result, many Ceresian Martians simply left Ceres for other parts of the Main Belt or even the Trappist System though many more bitterly stayed put. Some Ceresians and Earthers have also left Ceres for Earth and other locations within the Sol System, but less of them have left than their Ceresian Martian counterparts. Meanwhile, “Alians” or contemporary Martians have been coming to Ceres in increasing numbers after the transfer of power. These Martian newcomers are given preferential treatment by KAAPE compared to the locals, which has exacerbated tensions on the dwarf planet. Many Ceresians fear that they are being colonised, and their Ceresian Martian neighbors fear the same.

Energy[edit | edit source]

Energy on Ceres has been historically provided by nuclear energy for diverse sources, but it is now solely provided by fusion reactors installed by the Martian Federation. Power is also provided to the Stygia Control Zone from these fusion generators, though there are back-up generators in case of extenuating circumstances.

Science and technology[edit | edit source]

Ceres’ technology level is roughly the same as the rest of the Martian Federation but a bit more rustic due to its recent incorporation. It was at one point a center of R&D for the Commonwealth in weapons development, but that time has long passed.

Transport[edit | edit source]

Public transportation on Ceres is free just as it is on Mars but the quality still lags behind. That is because is the current transportation system on Ceres is simply a nationalized version of the one used previously. KAAPE is currently working on bringing Ceres’s infrastructure up to par with Mars’s, and improving public transportation is part of that.

In the Stygia Control Zone, public transportation is still not free and subpar. The Commonwealth is working on improving the transportation system in conjunction with KAAPE and hope such efforts will warm relations between the two states.

Culture[edit | edit source]

Architecture[edit | edit source]

The architecture of Ceres reflects the Earth-like gravity, and within the cities, the architecture reflects that of the Commonwealth of Earth. Also, structures with influences from pre-ALIAS Mars can be seen in many Ceresian Martian communities, with Ceres being one of the few places where one can see many of the unique Martian building styles that existed before the rise of ALIAS on Mars. Outside of the cities on the dwarf planet’s equator, structures are built in a utilitarian manner to accommodate the harsh conditions.

Recently, KAAPE has introduced more modern Martian architecture to Ceres in the form of the Yeidmaz or White Mars style, primarily due to its better adaptability to non-Martian gravity. Almost all new buildings under KAAPE’s authority are in this style, and there is a much concern about many historical structures on Ceres being demolished and replaced. Critics of KAAPE’s building habits are usually labeled old-fashioned but are luckily ignored as beneath the concerns of the government.

Demographics[edit | edit source]

Ceres has a shifting demographic profile, with many longtime residents moving away while more younger Martians move in. The Ceresian, Ceresian Martian, and Earther populations however manage to maintain their numbers better due being able to produce children naturally, though KAAPE has been looking into "solutions" for these troublesome demographic groups.

Ethnicity[edit | edit source]

There are several ethnicities on Ceres and in the smaller Stygia Control Zone. The largest are Ceresians, Ceresian Martians, “contemporary” Martians, and Earthers. These ethnicities have mixed relations to say the least, though KAAPE would make it seem that everyone on Ceres loves each other regardless of origin.

Ceresians represent roughly forty percent of the population of Ceres. Descended from the original colonists who settled Ceres in 2193, Ceresians forged their own identity over the next thousand years as rugged spacers and generally welcoming people. They are also seen as rather bland by others due to lacking “high culture”. However, Ceresians’ simple generosity and welcoming nature has led to their culture persisting through numerous waves of immigration through assimilation and under centuries of foreign rule. However, the recent shift in power to the Martian Federation on Ceres has made many Ceresians re-examine their approaches to things. Knowing what befell Mars, some more anxious Ceresians are attempting to foster a sort of nationalist revival to stave off their eventual absorption into the homogeneous Martian Federation. Still, most Ceresians are less concerned about Ceres’ change of hands. Although the Martians are generally not liked by most Ceresians, there is not a strong enough feeling of nationalism or discontent to rally the larger population.

Ceresian Martians represent roughly forty percent of the population of Ceres, lower than in the past but still very significant. Largely descended from anti-ALIAS Martian war refugees who arrived on Ceres during the Martian Civil War, Ceresian Martians are those who did not fully assimilate to become Ceresians but nonetheless identify with Ceres. Ceresian Martians are similar to pre-ALIAS Martians, most notably those from Mariner Valley where many war refugees came from during the civil war. These similarities include their traditions, their music, and even their literature. Ceresian Martians are generally more religious, poorer, and much less cooperative with KAAPE than Ceresians as a group. Although they never fully assimilated, Ceresian Martians generally get along with their Ceresian neighbors, and the two groups even live among each other in several places. Their animosity is reserved for Earthers and now most especially newer Martians. Ceresian Martians are seen as more violent and unpredictable than even other parts of the Martian diaspora, but they blame that on their proximity to Mars and their current perceived persecution by KAAPE.

Earthers represent ten percent of Ceres’ population and are a fairly diverse group. Concentrated mostly in the Stygia Control Zone, the Earthers on Ceres are mostly either recent arrivals or unassimilated Earthers whose ancestors may have arrived centuries ago. Representing an unofficial wealthy ruling class during the past Commonwealth era and an official ruling class in the Stygia Control Zone in current times, Earthers are resented by Ceresians, though the resentment has lessened since the Martians took over. The majority of Earthers with roots on Ceres are of Chinese heritage, while the more recent arrivals are mostly of European makeup. Both groups typically speak Commonwealth English as a first language. The older Earther communities on Ceres are mostly accepted by Ceresians and Ceresian Martians while newer Earthers are resented as snobbish. They are still favored over the Martians, however, since they allow a pluralistic society to exist on Ceres.

Martians recently from Mars, also known as contemporary Martians or Alians, represent five percent of the population of Ceres, and most are very recent arrivals from Mars who have been greeted with much antagonism. This is due to them being seen as tools of KAAPE and many of their positions in the colonial government. Also, they are seen as part of the vanguard sent from Mars to transform Ceres into a second Mars: sterilized, emotionless, and fundamentally broken. So, Ceresians and particularly Ceresian Martians often take out their frustrations against KAAPE and ALIAS on Martians on Ceres through general dissent and occasional hate crimes. This met through law enforcement on official channels, but the small Martian community is reaching a boiling point as they see KAAPE as ineffective in dealing with Ceres’s “problem”. The recently-arrived Martians on Ceres closely resemble the Martians on Mars itself, and they generally avoid interaction with other groups on Ceres unless forced to through work or public events.

Other groups exist on Ceres in smaller numbers and represent about five percent of the population. This includes groups from the Outer Planets such as Saturnians and Jovians who reside on Ceres in the Stygia Control Zone due to its closeness to Mars. Jovians even have their own neighborhoods, but Saturnians generally wield more economic power through corporate and government connections. Belters from other parts of the Main Belt have come to trade and live on Ceres for millenia, with the dwarf planet considered something of a Belter stronghold, albeit one under the thumb of numerous colonial regimes. Their history on Ceres is most felt through their influences on local language, with Belter innovations and loanwords still being common.

Holography[edit | edit source]

Ceresian holography extends back far into the dwarf planet’s history, but it is rather shallow in terms of substance (for the most part). Holography created in the early history of Ceres during its time as an interstellar zone was mostly emulations of styles from Earth and Mars, with the most notable holography from this period being historical pieces about Earth. The Many Deaths of Fidel Castro, a holography about the American government's 638 failed attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro, was made in 2510 at the height of Ceres' early prosperity by director Todd Hazar, and it considered is one of the few standouts of this period.

After the beginning of the extrasolar expeditions, Ceres' economy floundered, and its fledgling holography industry crashed as well. The industry would take centuries to recover as demand was met mostly by Martian and Earther holography as any attempts to reestablish a Ceresian holography industry were unsuccessful.

Things changed somewhat when the Commonwealth of Earth annexed Ceres in 3456. Over the next two hundred years, the holography industry of Ceres experienced a revitalization in Shenjichu. During the Commonwealth's war with Mars, Ceresians were often used as help in producing holography related to the ongoing war, and a lot of holography was produced on Ceres in Shenjichu, mostly about the war. The most notable of these would be A Street of Red, an adaptation of a then-recent novel about a rather unsavory street in the Olympus Mons Metro that only grew worse with the Commonwealth invasion by director Valerie Smith, and Rude Omens, a holography about a family and strange Martian religious practices by director Salman Chopra. None of this holography was made by Ceresians however, and Earthers remained the dominant class of Ceres, the only ones with the means to create holography.

The holography industry in Shenjichu would survive the end of the war between Earth and Mars, but it would only survive in a reduced state. Over time, the holography industry on Ceres would become increasingly localized, with Ceresians breaking in during the 36th century. Although most of these holography were fairly unostentatious, the most notable Ceresian holography in this period were those critical of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth-Mars War. The most famous example of this was Martian Harvest, an adaptation of a biography of a Ceresian named Fynn Scholz who participated in Commonwealth death squads or Erdkomaadnos in Olympus Mons Metro during the Commonwealth-Mars War. The leadup to the release of Martian Harvest in 3621 was wrought with extreme controversy involving the suspicious death of the adapted material's author and various attempts to censor the holography. Eventually, the holography was released to much praise on Ceres and Mars, but Commonwealth authorities barred the holography from release on Earth with Earther critics also panning the holography for being exploitative and inaccurate. Martian Harvest would inspire an entire genre holography on Ceres and Mars known as "war exploitation". This genre, most popular throughout the 3600s, would usually takes its subject matter less seriously than Martian Harvest, and much holography dwelt on the more lurid and titillating details of war. This led to criticism from both Martians and Earthers, but the genre was immensely popular during the thirty-seventh century. Examples of war exploitation from Ceres after Martian Harvest include Skull Division, a holography by director Grigore Marin following a Ceresian within the Erdkomaadnos who gives in to his inner beast, and The Alien, a holography by director Boniswa Makepula about Commonwealth Marines inadvertently awakening a primordial being beneath the Olympus Mons Metro.

The Martian Civil War began in 3666, and it had an immense effect on Ceres, being so close to Mars. In the early stages of the war, the Martian Navy loyal to Mariner Valley based itself in Ceres, and Ceres benefited greatly from the war in various ways. One of these benefits was the revitalization of the holography industry in Shenjichu, bolstered by the new conflict. Many directors made propaganda in the vein of the earlier war exploitation genre to cash in while others decided to focus more on Ceres itself. Notable holography from Ceres during the early stages of the civil war include Blood Chain, a holography by longtime director Grigore Marin about Saturnian mercenaries fighting in the forests of Utopia Coast, Cold, a propaganda holography by director Daniel Pataraia about the future of Mars in case of an ALIAS victory, and Vikander, a documentary by director Hao Delan about a miner named Vikander living through great changes on Ceres.

The later stages of the Martian Civil War led to a huge influx of Martian war refugees, which would lead to a new wave of holography on Ceres. This holography would be made by not only Ceresians but also these new Martians. The most notable of these war refugees was Jaxon Kaiser, a holography director who had been prominent before the Martian Civil War. The holography made in this period would be more somber and self-reflective on the war. Notable holography from Ceres during the late stages of the civil war include In Mourning, a holography by Jaxon Kaiser about a former Martian soldier living on Ceres, and Martyr, a holography by director Uriah Holt about a Ceresian family losing a daughter who was a blockade runner during the war.

After the end of the Martian Civil War, the holography industry on Ceres declined greatly. Ceresians mostly ceased making their own holography with mostly Cersian Martians taking the helm in Shenjichu. This led to an extreme anti-ALIAS bias among the holography industry on Ceres for the next couple centuries. This was approved by the Commonwealth of Earth, who actively stoked anti-Mars sentiment to off-set unrest on Ceres.

With the recent handover of Ceres to the Martian Federation, Shenjichu and its holography industry fell under the jurisdiction of ALIAS. Many Ceresian Martian directors who had previously made anti-ALIAS holography fled Ceres or moved to the Stygia Control Zone. After the handover, the holography industry on Ceres is effectively over. The only new holography on Ceres now are from Mars and Earth.

Language[edit | edit source]

There are two official languages on Ceres: Martian English and Solar English. Martian English is the official language of Ceres under the Martian Federation, and Solar English is official language of the Stygia Control Zone. In reality, these “official” languages are only used by a minority of the population. Cedenglish is the most common languages on Ceres among the Ceresian and Ceresian Martian communities respectively.

Cedenglish straddles the border between language and dialect, and is highly intelligible with standard Martian English. Its two largest differences are its accents, demonstrating the cultural mixing with local Ceresians and its separation from Mars - particularly, with its continued use of voiceless postalveolar fricatives marked by the digraph SH (e.g. in fredashan, lit. federation), which disappeared on Mars by the end of the 37th century -, and its vocabulary and spelling, a good majority of which involving a distinct lack of the post-ALIAS language reforms. Examples of the latter include parpertii (property) or aapinon (opinion) instead of the ALIAS replacements entaadelmenz (entitlements) and hiipadesiz (hypothesis), and phrases such as a nashter (an ashtray) instead of the ALIAS aanazter.

The Ceresian version of Solar English is regarded as a part of the larger Belter dialect of Solar English, owing to the significantly longer history of Belter and Earther immigrants on Ceres, and features a large amount of loanwords from other languages.

Other smaller languages such as Chinglish and smaller Martian dialects are also present. There is a large degree of multilingualism among the population of Ceres, with code-switching being common, developed in response to the planetoid's high multiculturalism.

Literature[edit | edit source]

The literature of Ceres is rather sparse, and it is mostly made up of Ceresian Martian authors.

Writing has been present on Ceres since colonisation, but Ceresians have never really had a coherent literary canon. Very little in the way of complex literature was produced on Ceres prior to the Martian Civil War. Most literature on Ceres was imported with a few exceptions such as the Belt series, a sprawling series about a series of fictional political incidents in the Main Belt, and Martian Harvest, a biography by a Ceresian named Fynn Scholz who participated in Commonwealth death squads or Erdkomaadnos in Olympus Mons Metro during the Commonwealth-Mars War. These books were mostly considered rather subpar in their quality but more important because of their subject matter.

The Martian Civil War led to the arrival of the Martian war refugees and with it, the vast literary tradition of pre-ALIAS Mars. In the years during and after the Martian Civil War, Martians on Ceres would create a large catalog of literature that would serve as the literary foundation for much of Ceresian Martian culture and and the Martian diaspora in general. The most notable of these Martian authors was Duan Webster, a former resident of Neo-Arcadia who had defected to the Mariner Valley government in the early stages of the war. After fleeing Mars in the wake of the invasion of Olympus Mons, Webster would settle down in Ceres and write three books on his experiences before and during the Martian Civil War. These books, Fear made Iron, A Fool's Pride, and Fallen Mars (also known as the Webster trilogy), documented the rise of ALIAS and much of the early war in great detail, and they are often used in academic setting to study the Martian Civil War from a non-mainstream perspective. Other notable examples of this type of literature at the time include A Utopian Forest, an autobiographical book by Mariner Valley state army veteran Ger Lwm Xoom about his time fighting ALIAS forces around Utopia Coast alongside Saturnians and socialist guerrillas, and Monsters, a fictionalised account of the rise of a fictional Neo-Luddite group by Downy Fielding, an early member of Hatchet.

Since the Martian Civil War, much of Martian Ceresian literature (and Ceresian literature by extension) has focused on the war and its consequences. Hundreds of books have been written about the Martian Civil War by Ceresian Martians of varying quality. Some Ceresians also write about the Great Solar War and social situations as well, but Ceresian Martians dominated the Ceresian literary scene for centuries. This led to some degree of resentment from many Ceresian intellectuals, and Ceresian Martian members of Hatchet in particular self-criticised Ceresian Martian Civil War literature as stagnant and reactionary. This led to some division within the Ceresian Martian membership of Hatchet alongside many other differences the Ceresian Martian community had with Hatchet. Ceresian Martian and Ceresian intellectuals, over the centuries, wrote revisionist literature to combat the perceived stagnation they saw among Ceresian Martian authors. The most prominent of this literature is Aresism, a book by Phoebe Gage about "Aresism", Gage's term for the defeatist ideology of Ceresian Martians and other parts of the Martian diaspora. Aresism is still used in censored form by the Martian Federation in its propaganda efforts against pre-ALIAS Martians. The situation between academics would escalate in the 39th and 40th centuries with "Aresists" and "revisionists" sparring with one another through print and sometimes on the streets. The Commonwealth authorities on Ceres backed the Aresists but largely allowed the two competing groups to spar without interference.

Everything changed with the handover of Ceres to the Martian Federation with much of its native literature being censored or outright banned. Although some revisionist texts like Aresism would be utilised by the Martian Federation, both Aresists and revisionists on Ceres were suppressed by KAAPE. However, their ideas remain in the form of various anti-ALIAS groups that use their literature. New Ceresian literature available to the public has mostly ceased with the only exception really being anti-Martian propaganda produced by anti-ALIAS Ceresian Martians in the Stygia Control Zone. However, this propaganda is largely low quality compared to its more erudite predecessors such as the Webster trilogy.

The Ceres underground produces contraband material just like on Mars, though the literature made on Ceres is less weird than that of Mars. That is with the exception of the recently arrived Martians, who are very similar to their counterparts on Mars to the confusion of many Ceresians and Ceresian Martians. The literature by Martian dissidents on Ceres is often very obscene or very incomprehensible to outsiders, leading to anti-ALIAS forces regarding Martian dissidents with mistrust.

Music[edit | edit source]

Ceresian music is split into three main genres: electronic, folk, and Martian. Electronic music is favored by Ceresians and has been a mainstay of Ceres since its colonisation. Ceresians have a strange pride in their almost unchanged musical tastes, which is viewed as odd by both outsiders and their neighbors. Folk music is in reality a remnant of Martian folk music which is still present on Ceres, blending with music genres both from Ceres and elsewhere. Played on traditional Martian instruments and sung, some folk musicians also mix in synthetic sound, taking inspiration from their neighbors often. Not as “pure” as the folk music of Trappist Martians, Ceresian Martians nonetheless continue to play and listen to folk music while also enjoying electronic music and taking inspiration from it. Martian music is the music introduced by KAAPE as the new standard for Ceres, as it is on Mars. The genre has had difficulty taking root on Ceres so far, with it being unpopular outside of insular recently-arrived Martian communities and rarely played outside of public spaces.

Philosophy[edit | edit source]

As the Martian Federation controls much of Ceres, ALIAS officially rules the hearts and minds of its subjects. The main philosophical school on Mars is Materialism, which acts as an extension of the Martian Federation’s automated market-socialist technocracy. KAAPE and its Martian servants demonstrate the superiority of ALIAS' message through law enforcement, social policy, and the media to suppress opposing ideologies. The ideology of the Martian Federation and ALIAS is unpopular among Ceresians and Earthers, and it is actively loathed by Ceresian Martians. This is save for a small minority of Ceresian Martians who have accepted the Martian way of things and are constantly paraded around for it by Martian authorities. These Ceresian Martians, informally known as Naazhunez (nice people), are seen as category traitors by the rest of their community and targeted with even more ferocity than their newer Martian counterparts.

Meanwhile, the ruling ideology within the Stygia Control Zone is the same form of neo-liberal authoritarianism that currently governs Earth. This ideology is more accommodating of pluralism, especially ideologies that oppose ALIAS, but it is still intolerant of many forms of dissent. In particular, the authorities of the Stygia Control Zone take special interest in suppressing Hatchet.

The Ceres underground differs from the Martian underground in that anti-ALIAS thought is dominated by right wing ideology instead of left wing groups such as Hatchet (who are still present). The largest opposition to Martian rule is Ceresian Martians, who gravitate towards Martian nationalist and anti-ALIAS reactionary groups. The largest Ceresian Martian group, the Stray Sons of Mars, is an esoteric reactionary paramilitary organisation with Neo-Luddite tendencies modeled after the defunct (on Ceres) Crimson Order. The Stray Sons has the unofficial backing of the Stygia Control Zone, and the group is infamous for its ultraviolence against contemporary Martians on Ceres. It also has the backing of much of the Ceresian Martian community and a significant minority of Ceresians. Other rightist groups on Ceres include Discord Legion, a Ceresian Martian paramilitary modeled after Ares Legion, and the Subruncinators, a small Ceresian nationalist paramilitary named after the ancient Greek god of thinning out weeds.

Left wing groups such as Hatchet are also present on Ceres, but they lack the backing of the Commonwealth against KAAPE, are disliked by right-wing anti-ALIAS groups, and are prone to infighting. The largest left wing group on Ceres currently is Students for a Free Society, a student organization that has impotently been protesting against KAAPE’s various unjust actions for the past decade or so. A broad exercise in "participatory democracy," SFC is divided by factions leaning several directions. One of those directions is Hatchet, who actively recruits from SFC and wields significant influence on Ceresian campuses through SFC. Another faction of SFC is focused more on the interests of Ceresian Martians but still with a left leaning bent unlike many other Ceresian Martian groups on Ceres. Hatchet itself has a cell on Ceres, but the group is largely inactive in terms of direct action. Outgunned by KAAPE and rival right-wing groups, Hatchet remains secretive on Ceres with steadily growing numbers fueled by its infiltration of SFC. Left wing revolutionary sentiment is growing on Ceres, but at the moment, the anti-ALIAS movement on the dwarf planet is still dominated by right-wing Ceresian Martians.

Outside of the right/left dichotomy in the Ceres underground lie recently-arrived Martian dissidents, who are similar to their counterparts from Mars. In particular, the Martian dissidents on Ceres are mostly hedonists. The dissidents are largely sympathetic to the struggles of the Ceresians and the Ceresian Martians, but the rest of the Ceres underground distrust the Martian dissidents for various reasons. Still, they work together sometimes when the need arises with Hatchet especially collaborating with the Martian dissidents, many of whom have prior connections to Hatchet.

Religion[edit | edit source]

Although religion is generally a non-issue in the Martian Federation, religion is still very much present on Ceres. Religion is only a large factor among Ceresian Martians and Earthers with the most represented religions being Martian folk religion and Christianislam respectively.

Martian folk religion, practiced by the majority of Ceresian Martians, is decentralized and hard to pin down. The largest element of the religion is its reverence for ancestors and the belief in a deistic God associated with the planet Mars. Beyond that, there is very little dogma. Nonetheless, Martian folk religion has persisted on Ceres long after the assimilation of Martian war refugees into the larger population, and it is currently facing a tough opponent in the form of KAAPE who discourages the beliefs as superstitious and reactionary. Martian folk religion is currently tolerated in both Martian ruled Ceres and the Stygian Control Zone, but it is officially discouraged by KAAPE and the colonial government. This is both due to the Martian Federation’s antipathy towards religion and Martian folk religion’s connections to various anti-ALIAS groups on Ceres.

Christianislam is the largest religion represented within the Earther community on Ceres, but it faces much less opposition than Martian folk religion. The result of a messy marriage between Christianity and Islam, Christianislam on Ceres is, for the most part, complacent. That is with the exception of some Revelationists, who are disproportionately represented in anti-ALIAS groups due to their hardliner stance against artificial intelligence.

Stereotypes[edit | edit source]

Ceres has its stereotypes, though most of them are of a good-natured sort (except when they have to do with the recently-arrived Martians). Ceresians are seen as hard workers and generally apolitical while Ceresian Martians are seen as more passionate and creative but also hard workers. Both groups are seen as having close-knit families and valuing traditions, whether they be formal social norms with the Ceresians or religion and culture with the Ceresian Martians. Earthers on Ceres are viewed as opportunistic and greedy, but they are still favored over the hated contemporary Martians, having a sort of essential humanity that Martians are said to lack.

The minority of contemporary Martians on Ceres are seen as cliquish, impersonal, and dispassionate by the rest of the population. They are also hated as they are perceived as servants of KAAPE, ALIAS’ enforcer on Ceres. Hate crimes against Martians on Ceres are fairly common and have been met with “appropriate force” by both KAAPE and private Martian citizens. Martians perceive Ceresians as mostly complacent if a little conservative, but they return the enmity of the Ceresian Martians, who they see as violent and superstitious like all other pre-ALIAS Martians.

Symbols[edit | edit source]

The wheat stalk is the most prominent symbol on Ceres, being the distinctive object on Ceres’ seal. That is why Ceresians are called “Wheaties” by outsiders, a nickname many loathe while others embrace. The ancient goddess Ceres is another symbol that is significant for the population, as she seems more respectable that a stalk of wheat. Images of the goddess Ceres have been used a symbol of nascent Ceresian nationalism but have been suppressed by the recent Martian colonial government.

Keez, a cartoonified, black-and-white avatar representing the ruling KAAPE AI, is a symbol representing both order and hatred for many Ceresians. Ceresian Martians especially loathe Keez, and many depictions of Keez have been burned in effigy or illustrated in compromising positions since the handover of Ceres to the Martian Federation, mostly due to Ceresian Martians. In opposition to Keez, Ceresian Martians have made their own symbol named Peen, an anthropomorphized version of a golden Mars astrological symbol. Peen represents both pre-ALIAS Martian nationalism and sexuality in direct defiance to ALIAS's trio of characters and its servant KAAPE's character Keez. Negative depictions of Keez and any depictions of Peen are officially banned on Ceres, but KAAPE has so far been relaxed on enforcement.