Sometimes the summer feels like time speeds up and slows down, all at once. The weeks go by quickly, but each day seems to stretch on forever. The further south you reside, the more this effect seems to be potentiated by the volcanically influenced weather, or maybe the ocean is different there?

About an hour east/northeast of Port Worden is a vast area filled with loess-like rolling terrain. Boundless, round, green hills stretch for tens of kilometers. They begin at the base of the Ikan Mountain Range, and proliferate all the way to the ocean. They are the result of tectonic compression and shifts along the Emperor Fault and related systems. Now, the hills are a peaceful, idyllic, exceedingly liminal biome that retains an occasional severe earthquake every few years. 

This has prevented any significant construction in or around the area. In 1993, a proposal was brought to JLA/JTC regarding the reclassification of an 1100 square km area as a nature preserve, similar to the large island north of Reitoru, Ketinio. The source of this proposal was a joint venture between Port Worden Leadership and the Baisho-Caplan Executive Land Committee. The first question that was asked during the hearing was why a corporation with questionable business practices is not only condoning, but requesting a Nature Preserve Designation. This would essentially forbid any farming, mining, construction, or interference outside of peer-monitored scientific study. 

Regardless of the implications, the proposal was granted in December 1994. The required environmental impact reports were completed by JLA officials, but it was only after the fact that the public found the studies were completed by Baisho-Caplan, and then approved in writing afterwards by JLA. The 3 people responsible within the Jaladri Leadership Authority were then fired, but the designation remained.

Aerial study of the area began in spring of 1994. A 6 month aerial survey conducted by Pelican Craft, using Substrata Imaging Grid (SIG) flights, and Below Horizon Mapping (BHM). Through specialized Multiphasic Lithoscanning, Resonance-Integrated Cartography (RIC), and Gravitometric Topogramming, scientists can not only conduct topographical photography and 3d mapping, but also scan sometimes up to 1km underground in the same area, mapping cave systems, water tables, bedrock, etc.

As Pelican Craft are capable of loitering for hours, heavily modified versions completed this project working 15 hours a day. Although the horizon and grid work was completed by JLA/JTC, Baisho-Caplan executives and security were on site the entire time. 

Community and alternative news feeds have been questioning why there wasn’t a similar exhaustive survey conducted on Ketinio. The public facing answer is that the planet did not have the tech or infrastructure back when the island was designated. But the truth of the matter is that Ketinio has been surveyed 7 times in the last 10 years.

Before the initial proposal was even presented, Baisho-Caplan and Port Worden Leadership had already begun the construction of a Tide Frame. A mobile oceanic platform, four times the size of an oil rig, housing scientists and crews who manage a vast marine/nature preserve, capable of relocating across open waters to monitor and protect ecosystems. The only other structure on the planet resides near Ketinio. The structure there is known as the NCOS Seastill. (New Cascade Oceanic Structure). The newly built, privately owned Tide Frame is known as the BC Maris Verge. (Baisho-Caplan).

In January of 1994, the crew (over 2000 people) began to move into the structure by night boat. Departing from Baisho-Caplan’s private harbor, in the evening hours, as the seas are calmer. The voyage takes 8 hours, employees are encouraged to sleep or relax in their bunks and view informational videos.

The BC Maris Verge differs from its On-World counterpart in two ways. It’s more than twice the size, and like a space freighter, all of its systems are controlled by an Ops-Core. Unlike most Ops-Cores, this is an experimental unit produced by Baisho-Caplan. Its initial architecture is based on what is known as an Isochron Array, originally built for planetary-scale survey coordination used by the City Ships.

When integrated into existing Ops-Core systems, the Array oversees all operations of the Tide Frame, including crew assignments, resource allocation, communications, navigation, and docking. It schedules survey craft launches, optimizes grid coverage with real-time isochron calculations, and integrates BHM and SIG data into a unified preservation model.

This dual system allows for widespread automation aboard the Tide Frame, while forecasting the optimal position of the Tideframe weeks or months ahead to maximize ecological oversight.

Used for years on the hulls of all freighters entering planetary airspace, ablative ceramics have been widespread across the coasts of Jaladri, littering the ocean floor and exo-coral reefs. It was only in 1973 that traces of these materials were found in the oceans surrounding Reitoru and Hoshimi. Furthermore, it was found that these materials were incredibly harmful to the oceanic ecosystems On-World.  It was then that research and development of a new form of Atmospheric Re-entry Ablatives began.

Baisho-Caplan were able to get their foot in the door on Jaladri by sending a team of Private Corporation Science Exchange Delegates back in 1968 when the first passenger freighters arrived from Earth. They arrived initially to work on a joint venture with Jaladri, Terra-Proxy/Baronessa, and Earth pertaining to environmental studies. It was their team which later invented and tested Pelagite-A. An advanced ablative ceramic designed for post-mission environmental integration.

Composed of Microcellular alumino-silicate ceramic, expanded silica spheres infused with trace calcium carbonate and strontium and Non-toxic phosphate-bonded ceramic resin. When jettisoned or ablated during descent, the cooled fragments provide a chemically benign, bioactive surface that fosters marine colonization. In trials, Pelagite-A substrates showed a 68% faster colonization rate than natural basalt and a 92% survival rate for initial settlers in high-energy coastal waters.

This was the beneficial and environmentally-conscious basis that Baisho-Caplan was able to exploit to gain influence and presence On-World.

The New Cascade based scientists who live on the BC Maris Verge have separate dorms and laboratories. They are there as part of the provisional agreements between Baisho-Caplan and the JLA/JTC.

After an initial period of cooperation during the beginning of the surveys, many of these employees suddenly had almost no assignments or work scheduled, and seemed to be tolerated only as fellow human beings on board. They were required to bring in their own vehicles, equipment, and tech to conduct any existing tasks. After multiple appeals to JLA with next to no response, many of them decided to start their own work.

In August 1994, they began to build The Provisional Ocean Farm. An experimental, self sustaining seaweed farm. The experiment lasted for 1 year, and now is being deployed in multiple zones all around New Cascade and Port Worden.

People love Kelp Milk.

After surveys of the reserve were completed, the BC Maris Verge sat until May of 1995. Initially, Baisho-Caplan tried to obtain usage rights to the NCOS Seastill, after pushback from not only the JLA/JTC, but local environmental groups, they abandoned that plan and spent 3 months retrofitting their largest Research Ship, the BC Darling River, to replace the BC Maris Verge, as the Tide Frame began preparing for departure to the south end of Ketinio.

The Ops-Core and all relevant data were transferred, as well as 50% of the Baisho-Caplan crew. “Assisting local JLA efforts” along the southern coast of Ketinio seemed to be a noble mission, but there are plenty claiming that Baisho-Caplan is abandoning its stewardship of the reserve.

Hoshizaki Takemori arrived on Jaladri in the mid 80’s. He was not only a prime scientific mind from Earth, but also a renowned artist. After his family settled On-World, he began his work as the lead researcher on the JWC Ottica in the mountains of Hoshimi. Most of his work centered around Singularity Transit Science, Hyperspatial Dynamics, and Quantum Transport Theory.

His son, Hoshizaki Arata, took the reins as the artist of the family. Following his father’s footsteps, honed his skills in sculpting metals. His famous two sculptures were a set of 2. One was a Golden Cat, 5 feet in height, sitting on its hind legs, and looking up at the sky.

The other was a Platinum Cat, using the same mold. The Golden Cat was sent as a gift to Earth along with the inscription “A gateway for our friends on Earth”. This sculpture was placed on the top of  Haleakalā, in Maui, Hawaii, near the observatory. Its counterpart was placed in the Kaen Mountain Range on Jaladri. Its inscription reads, “A gateway for our friends on Jaladri”.

Named after a group of small islands near Vancouver, Canada, New Broken Group lies off the south shore of Hoshimi, beyond the mountains. Entirely uninhabited and unexplored, they have remained mostly a mystery until the 6 month survey for the nature preserve was completed.

As it was discovered publicly later, their grid included the mountain range, and all of New Broken Group. Evidence of underground cave systems connecting the islands to Hoshimi were discovered. Any further exploration will require a joint operation with JLA.

One of the major scandals of the late 80s On-World was the leak pertaining to employee contracts. Crew and civilians aboard the initial city ships were signed on for life, due to the nature of the mission. Once the cities began to grow, word of beautiful Jaladri was widespread on Earth. Everybody wanted to go. JLA representatives on Earth thought it would be difficult to find specialized talent, so much so that they offered massive arrival and departure bonuses to all prospective employees. “Almost like being paid full time in hypersleep”. They were working at the time with Interline Hyperspatial (based on Earth) handling logistics and Vanth Green Global Assurance and Risk Management (based on Terra Proxy) which handled the financial and insurance aspects. 

The full newsfeed and physical posters advertised it as: 

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“ Pioneers Wanted—Build Humanity’s Future

Join us on Jaladri, where your work shapes the frontier. Hyperspace transit takes four years each way, so assignments are built to last, ten years of service before return eligibility.

Select critical roles may complete a five-year term, though many choose to remain, enjoying seniority, stability, and life in a thriving off-world community.

The future isn’t waiting. Neither should you.”

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The response was overwhelming. From 1975 to 1976, 3 different freighters carrying 1250 people were sent to bolster the skilled workforce On-World. The document leaked on Earth in 1989, a year before the last freighter arrived. It was all over the newsfeeds on Jaladri within weeks. 

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“MEMO – INTERNAL USE ONLY
From: Directorate of Off-World Operations - Vanth Green Global Assurance and Risk Management
To: Executive Board – Interline Hyperspatial
Subject: Retention Policy – Jaladri

Transit time to Jaladri is ~4 years each way. Standard term remains 10 years before return eligibility. For mission-critical roles with no qualified replacement, we enforce the 5-year minimum clause, which voids return rights.

This allows indefinite on-world retention at our discretion, ensuring operational continuity and eliminating unnecessary transit costs. Recommend maintaining current policy to reduce turnover and protect asset stability.”

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The BC Darling River began its life as a simple research and recovery vessel for the private harbor. Named after the old folklore nickname for the Ikan River. Rather large for its requirements, but that is a basic ethos of Baisho-Caplan. It underwent massive retrofitting while being prepped to replace the BC Maris Verge.

Half of the crew from the Tide Frame moved to the ship, as well as 600 more specialists from New Cascade, Terra Proxy, and Port Worden. The vessel is now tidebound, locked to the ocean floor with specialized anchors. 30% of the fleet from the Maris Verge was left onboard the Darling River with the former being ressupplied as it passes Port Worden.

There are only 3 non Baisho-Caplan personnel left in the area.