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A snippet of the origin story of the Okeanic religion, as told by Saul to Khana…

In the beginning, there was Nathosa. She was all and everything, the mother, the one great spirit.

Nathosa saw there was nowhere to lay her head, nowhere to rest, nowhere to feel warmed or to see beautiful things. There was nowhere to smell good scents or to hear comforting sounds, nowhere to taste delicious things. There was only the deep black of nothing. She was alone in the nothing, so Nathosa wept. Her tears met the nothing and became droplets, floating away, and she saw them sparkle in the darkness. This brought a smile to her face, and her smile was so dazzling that her tears became stars.

Nathosa was so pleased by the stars that she wept for joy. This time, as she wept, she gathered her tears in her hands until at last she had enough to create a beautiful planet. She named it Okeanos and gave it all of her blessings. As her blessings filled Okeanos, it swelled with life.

First was the whale, its skin black as night, and its haunting songs. It sang to Nathosa and she was so moved by its loneliness that she made it a lover. Nathosa saw their love and desired her own. The whales were grateful to Nathosa for her gifts and so they cut themselves. From their blood was formed Epomone, the father, the patient protector. From this time, the whale has been black and red from the blood it gave for Nathosa’s lover.

There is more, of course, but that’s all you get for now.

The terraforming process was made possible by the discovery of the formacule, a substance similar to a mineral but with biological processes similar to an organism. It was found extensively throughout the 378 moons of the Thomas Lee system.

By genetically affecting a base group of formacules in a case-specific way, they can be made to “charge” other matter around them into adapting. Scientists at a premier Cymric institution found a way of creating “catalyst” agents which could be specifically engineered to prompt particular reactions in formacules according to the particular environment they were introduced to.

Thus, on an uninhabitable planet, a base group of formacules is introduced to a catalyst designed to adjust the unique make-up of that individual planet. The formacules then change the matter surrounding them on a submolecular level, gradually bringing that planet to an ideal state for those who colonize it. Other formacules are sown throughout the planet regularly and activated by the already-charged formacules in a domino-effect, but have to be nurtured regularly by the catalyst agent much like watering and fertilizing plant seeds.

Consequently, it is necessary for a colony to move in and take up the task of working terraforming fields very quickly after the initial formacules have begun taking hold. The formacules only continue to work as long as the colonists nurture them, and the colony can only survive as long as the formacules continue to work.

The downsides to terraforming and formacules are obvious, however:

• The mines and mining process are renowned for the misery surrounding them and the shortened life expectancy of miners.
• The Biome Principle dominates and restricts possibilities for a colony on a given planet.
• Formacules and terraforming can fail, rendering a planet forever uninhabitable.

The mining process required to harvest formacules from the moons of the Thomas Lee system is by no means easy. Miners have to live in the Thomas Lee system long-term, often on the moons where they work, due to the distance from other systems and the cost of commuting planet-side. The moons average temperatures of 90 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit daily, yet are still freezing at night; they are also rocky, and generally barren since terraforming on the moons is outlawed to prevent formacules being activated before they reach their intended colony planet and thus becoming useless there. The mines themselves are deep, dangerous, amplify surface temperatures, and cost an average of 110 miners’ lives a year. The record for miners killed in a single year in the Thomas Lee mines was 302. Even once retired, miners often report varied and frequently fatal health problems for the remainder of their lives.

The ownership of the Thomas Lee moons is also highly contested between the Cymryn Kingdom and Rushan Nation. Every couple of decades a battle or two may break out when they disagree on whose mines will harvest a moon, though recently the Treaty of Corinna has called a halt to any attempts to found mines on new moons until the two countries have defeated the Blue State threat together. It is the fear of every miner that the moon they are on will become the prize in a battle between nations, regardless.

Meanwhile, the pay for hired miners is recognized as one of the highest wages in the galaxy and lures the impoverished year after year, who often send their pay home to families in other systems.

The other downside to formacules and terraforming is what is referred to as the Biome Principle: formacules have a tendency to imitate a particular biome worldwide once they begin their domino effect. If they are introduced to a colony-viable biome initially, they will imitate that biome; otherwise, they will simply replicate the base group’s suggested biome instead. For example, if terraforming begins in a tropic biome, it will spread that tropic biome world-wide as far as formacules are spread. If terraforming begins in a desert, but its catalyst agent suggests a fertile-soil prairie, a fertile-soil prairie will be the dominant biome world-wide as far as formacules are spread. This biome-domination can be seen as a problem in some cases, as it restricts what sort of industry and lifestyle a planet’s colony can manage.

The worst possible thing that can happen to a colony is terraforming failure. This only occurs in 5% of all terraformed planets or moons, but is disastrous when it does. In this event, the formacules work for a time…only to revert to “black state” abruptly. “Black state” is the original, barren state of a formacule, and it spreads much the same as terraformation is meant to, but far faster and with the addition of exuding toxic molecules in the process. The reasons this happens are impossible to predict and the frustration of generation of terraformationists (the scientists who design catalysts). If terraforming failure is detected early enough, a colony can be evacuated; if not, an entire colony can be killed quickly by the rapid deterioration of the planet to its original ecology and poisoning from formacule toxin. Unfortunately, after formacules revert to their black state on a foreign planet or moon, 90% of the time they render a planet permanently uninhabitable. New formacules will not be able to work in the presence of black ones, and the side-effects of such rapid climate and habitat change as well as the introduction of formacule toxin to the soil, water, and atmosphere can destroy a planet’s sustainability thereafter. In slang, the event of a planet/colony/people enduring terraforming failure is referred to as being “terrafucked.”

Understandably, a great deal of research has to go into a planet or moon before work can even begin on designing a terraforming catalyst. The planet/moon’s chemistry, biology, weather patterns, solar and lunar patterns, and any other potentially affecting factors have to be analyzed and addressed in a catalyst. It can take anywhere from five years to decades to go from the beginning of research to the point of successful catalyst design.

In the Cymryn Kingdom, the science of designing catalysts for new colonies is highly refined and enacted by scientists of the Queen’s Institute for Terraformation. In the Rushan Nation, graduate students of the Rushan University’s terraforming sciences program are required to create a successful catalyst for a new colony as their thesis work, a project which they begin by selecting their intended planet or moon in their application to the University. The first student to design a successful catalyst for a planet or moon in a previously un-terraformed planetary system will be honored by that system being named after them.

The following are slang, sayings, and phrases commonly heard in common speech galaxy-wide or in particular regions.

“Bus”

• A common term for a space-capable transport that can seat between 5 and 12 people, with a small cargo area, not intended for long-distance travel. A typical “bus” is only used for short trips cross-planet or to orbiting moons. Sometimes owned by a single private citizen, it can be rented out to neighbors or the person’s community as they see fit, and is thus often put to use as a community-shared vehicle where needed. As buses and their fuel are very expensive—even if they are the cheapest and smallest non-military spacecraft—some communities will chip in to pay for one together and then share it.

“Never hold your breath against a fisher.”

• Refers jokingly to the impressive length of time many Okeanic can hold their breath, and metaphorically to how unwise it is to assume that strong-willed Okeanic will back down from a threat, challenge, or fight. It can also be said about non-Okeanic people or endeavors, such as in the instance that one person is foolishly trying to contest something they have no chance of winning.
• Example: John told Jane that he was going to win the race. Jane looked at the many other, far more capable racers, and advised him, “Never hold your breath against a fisher.”

“Don’t walk into my house looking for Thύlia, and I won’t walk into yours looking for Xeplύno.”

• An Okeanic saying that reminds one to respect others’ beliefs and differences when they are harming no one. Likely came about as different island and boat communities on Okeanos developed varied pantheons of demigods and spirits. The use of the gods Thύlia and Xeplύno as examples is apparently tied to their standing as twins of very different personalities and because separated they are considered benevolent, but when combined are considered an embodiment of the spirit of war and conflict. This suggests that arguing belief of one over the other to someone who feels the opposite is only an invitation for conflict and should be avoided.
• Example: Jane was frustrated that John still didn’t agree that her pancake recipe was better than his favorite. When she began to argue again, John requested, “Don’t walk into my house looking for Thύlia, and I won’t walk into yours looking for Xeplύno.”

“Watch out for bunyan trees.”

• A common proverb of warning against assuming a new, seemingly wonderful thing, event, experience, or place will be without unforeseen problems or consequences. This saying came about after the discovery of bunyan trees in the tropical forests of Shindi. The trees were admired for their beauty, shade, flowers, tasty sap, and sheer size, but as settlements encroached on the forest it was also quickly discovered that if something disturbed or stepped on the bunyan’s root networks, it would drop bowling-ball sized nuts of heavy weight in mass quantities on the intruder, resulting in bruises, broken bones, and other potentially painful or even fatal injuries. Thus, a seemingly great thing turned out to be not so great after all.
• Example: John told Jane about his new apartment. The rent was incredibly cheap for the expensive neighborhood. Jane had a hard time believing that the landlord would give John such a great deal unless there was something secretly wrong with the apartment. “Watch out for bunyan trees,” Jane warned.

“Fisher”

• A person from Okeanos. This term is used commonly to refer to Okeanic people and is generally seen as harmless and is not minded by Okeanics usually. However, it can sometimes be used in a derogatory fashion as well. It comes down to a matter of tone and context.
• Example: John and Jane met an Okeanic woman while waiting for their table at the restaurant. After a long conversation, the woman’s table was called and she left. “What a nice fisher,” Jane remarked to John.

“Fishertalk”

• The Okeanic language, as referred to by non-Okeanic people. Again, as with the term “fisher,” this can be harmless or derogatory depending on tone and context.
• Example: John agreed with Jane that the Okeanic woman had been very pleasant. “But,” he said, “I didn’t understand what she was saying when she used fishertalk.”

“Sandlice”

• A derogatory, annoyed term referring to the Alesh’eb people of Jannah.
• Example: Jane met a man from Jannah who told her about an attack on one of the settlements there by the indigenous people. “Those sandlice are always destroying our colonies any chance they get!” he said angrily.

“Two years in battle, a hundred at home.”

• A Rushan saying to refer to the reason why two years of military service are mandatory for inner-civilization citizens at age 18 to 20. The obligatory service is seen as a means of maintaining Rushan military strength at all times, keeping the opposition unwilling to challenge or threaten the Rushan Nation, and thus avoiding war. By serving in the military for two years, therefore, a person has preserved their right to a life of peace.
• Example: John’s brother had turned eighteen and was serving his required military service with the Rushan Army. One night on the phone, he complained to John about how he was sick of the Army and wanted to come home early. John knew that two years of military service was a small price to pay for a lifetime of peace. “Two years in battle, a hundred at home,” John reminded his brother.

“Terrafucked”

• A slang term for the event in which terraforming fails on a new colony unexpectedly, resulting in the loss of a settlement. A planet that has experienced failed terraforming will become permanently uninhabitable 90% of the time due to the formacules reverting to a “black state” which can make a planet barren to life. Attempts to introduce a new batch of formacules or terraforming will not work in such cases. Therefore, one can say a colony was “terrafucked,” that its citizens were, or that an entire planet is.
• Example: Jane heard that the new planet’s colony was having trouble with their terraforming and it was expected to fail. “I guess that colony is terrafucked then,” she sighed.

“Send a Thatcher to find it.”

• A Rushan saying for when something seems impossible to find, locate, or make happen. This refers to the Thatcher family of Rus, who have been considered the greatest trackers and huntsmen of the Nation since before its independence. The Thatcher bloodline is still considered one of the most respected in both the Rushan and Cymryn systems and Thatcher children are still taught to track and hunt in as many environments as possible. Though it is of course an exaggeration, some people firmly believe that there is nothing a Thatcher cannot hunt down or find a way through, and consequently an alternative version of this phrase is “A Thatcher could find it,” said to scold those who give up on something.
• Example: Jane complained that she could not find her favorite shoes. After helping her search in every nook and cranny of the entire house, John shook his head and said, “I guess you should send a Thatcher to find them.”

“Send a Salvo to kill it.”

• Another Rushan saying, often said in conjunction with the previous phrase, this is said when something seems impossible to escape, overcome, or deal with any longer, typically stated in exasperation, frustration, and occasionally in anger. This refers to the Salvo family of Carolina, who have been considered the greatest bounty hunters and gunslingers of the Nation since before its independence. The Salvos are still a respected bloodline in the Rushan Nation, but are considered much like ghouls by Cymric peoples. The Salvo family does pride itself on being able to hunt down and kill anything it sets out to, though they also do so only out of an alleged need to defend others or at requested justice for their community. Much like Thatcher children are raised to track and hunt, Salvo children are taught weaponry, combat, and hunting with intent to kill from a young age. An alternative version of this phrase, said only as a very serious threat, is “I’d send a Salvo for you.”
• Example: John’s new video game was continually freezing, glitching, and just not working at all. He finally grew exasperated and shouted, “Send a Salvo to kill it!” before tossing the game in the trash bin.

For clarity’s sake, here’s a basic breakdown of the hierarchy of places in Further West.

Nitsua is the capitol/biggest city on Jannah.

Jannah is a planet in the Aziz System. Systems are the collection of planets and moons orbiting a star. Systems in the Rushan Nation are named after the first student in the Rushan University’s terraforming sciences program to design a successful terraforming catalyst for a planet or moon within that system. Before that, systems are referred to by the names of their stars, which have often been named for thousands of years already anyway.

The Aziz System is in the Western Quadrant of the Rushan Nation.

The Rushan Nation is a federation of democratic systems governing 103 systems consisting of some 600 colonized planets and moons and 52 station-cities.

Other “countries” in the occupied galaxy are the Cymryn Kingdom, which is roughly the same size as the Rushan Nation, and the Blue State, which is actually more of a group of non-colonizing space-dwellers who travel in a single immense fleet.

So the breakdown from largest entity to smallest is:

• The occupied galaxy
• The Rushan Nation
• The Western Quadrant
• The Aziz System
• The planet Jannah
• The colony city Nitsua

The Rushan nation was established 2075 years ago. Originally a set of three neighboring planetary systems with a total of thirteen settled planets and moons, it was part of the much larger nation of Cymryn, the dominant interplanetary nation of the time which encompassed nineteen systems and one-hundred and sixteen settled planets and moons, as well as fourteen space station-cities.

The three original Rushan systems united to declare their independence from Cymryn following seven years of operating mostly independently following the Stevens Virus outbreak, a tech virus which severely crippled the operating systems of most spacecraft and thus cut many systems and station-cities off from one another. The Rushan systems (Moscow, Charleston, and Fyodor) were not hit by the Stevens Virus and quarantined themselves from other systems in order to avoid the virus, only operating between themselves. Over the seven years of the Stevens Virus, the three systems were united and led by a group of people, one from each settled planet or moon, who came to be called the Rushans because they typically held meetings at the Rushan Museum on the planet Rus.

The democratic way in which the Rushans chose to lead their homeworlds during those seven years was highly different to the Cymric monarchy system. Anyone was welcome to attend the Rushan meetings and calm debate and discussion was encouraged. If the people felt that their homeworld’s leader wasn’t representing them effectively, the sense of pressure to replace them was interplanetary and quickly answered.

By the time the Stevens Virus was resolved and Cymryn began sending ships to systems and planets that had been cut off again, the Union for Rushan Interests had formed. For the next ten years, the people of the Rushan systems clashed with their Cymryn government via the Union’s representation at court. Finally, the Rushans declared their independence, sparking what was possibly the briefest and most violent war since space-settling began. It lasted only six months and cost nearly 700,000 lives lives across nine systems (47 total planets, moons, and station-cities). Two planets in the Sonoma system even became uninhabitable after becoming the center point of the war.

The Rushan systems were rich in resources and had placed a great deal of emphasis on the importance of education in all matters during the seventeen years since the Stevens Virus outbreak began. The tactical expertise and technological advancement of the Rushan Union, as well as the on-ground combat strength of its passionate volunteer military, proved so adept that the Cymryn Crown and its military leadership were soon calling a treaty meeting with the Rushans.

The Rushan Nation, which would eventually grow to encompass 103 systems of 600 colonized planets and moons as well as 52 station cities, was born.

This is just a basic list of the members of Khana’s hezmh (aka pack/tribe). Because the non-Alesh’eb on the ranch have difficulty pronouncing Alesh’eb names, Clementine has given most pack-members a nickname that they are listed here by…

PACK LEADER, Hezmh-Alz’eym

• Khana = Khana’weldt Mekanmekdes (she who was born in the sacred place), female, 19

THE ELDERS

• Shewk = (thistle), female, 50s
• Jamala = Nejmh’aleshemal (north star), female, 50s
• Debbie = Debagh (tanner), female, 60s,
• Mary = Weldb’edmerekh (born after battle), female, 60s,
• Earek = Kesbalem’earek (may he win battles), male, 60s
• Tubble = Tebl’akheny (drum song), male, 60s

THE YOUNG

• Sherry = Abenshery’eh (quick daughter), female, 14
• Junior = Nejahlshelyhzerq (son of blue lizard), male, 12, Zerq’s son from previous mate
• Haley = Abenalha’ek (daughter of the weaver), female, 10
• Zerah = Alezher’alebq’e (flower-spots/rosettes on animal hide), female, 10
• Jeff = Jerfahsekhery (rocky cliff), male, 5
• Beytie = Weldbeyt’alejlesh (born in the meeting house), female, 3, daughter of Karl and Lelah

THE REST

• Alice = Aleryh’alesbah (wind of morning), female, 34
• Zerq = Shelyhzerq (blue lizard), male, 32, mated to Esna
• Karl = Nejahlqueh (strong son), male, 31, mated to Lelah
• Esna = Arakh’mesnenhadh (sharp-toothed leaf), female, 30, mated to Zerq
• Tal = Nejahltalth (third son), male, 29
• Tosh = T’ejaletyr (bristling bird), male, 28, mated to Shimmy
  
• Shimmy = Abenaleshem’barekh (sun-blessed daughter), female, 25, mated to Tosh
• Meral = Aleghen’almeral (singing sand), male, 23
• Lelah = Bared’mekanlelrah (cool resting place), female, 22, mated to Karl
• Kaleb = N’aledeydmekhaleb (with many claws), male, 21
• Emma = Nesyem’alelyel (night breeze), female, 19
• Dala = W’ed’alafeq (promise on the horizon/mirage), female, 18
• Hamir = Alhejr’alahemr (red rock), male, 17