129 Terra Noir Introduction (preface) Terra Noir is the third planet from the star in a solar system designated 2087EL1. It is the first "Earthlike" planet ever discovered that was proven to be able to support carbon based life. Just under 5 light years from Earth, it is about one and a half times the size of Earth. This planet is very similar to Earth in some ways. An atmosphere rich in nitrogen and oxygen. But completely alien in other ways. Like the fact that there are no oceans. The entire surface of the planet is one large land mass dotted with numerous lakes, some large and some small and cris-crossed with rivers and tributaries. Much of the surface of the land mass is covered in dense vegitation. Unlike Earth, Terra Noir has no deserts. If Earth was named "The Blue Planet" because it is mostly ocean, then Terra Noir would definitely be called "The Green Planet". Make no mistake, though, there is plenty of water on Terra Noir, and it's all fresh water. In some places a person can't walk two miles in any direction without encountering a lake or a river. A trip up into the mountains would reveal mile high waterfalls more beautiful than any found on Earth. Some of the biggest physical differences though, are the fact that there are two moons, both of which have sustainable atmosphere, and the fact that animal life never developed on Terra Noir. The first scout ship orbited the planet four times looking for life signs before confirming the absence of non-plant life. A more intensive scan confirmed the absence of even microscopic organisms. This caused a problem for the scientists back on Earth. Terra Noir could not be colonized if there was no animal life. It simply failed to spring up like it did on Earth. This was not totally unexpected, but it did slow things down quite a bit. The planet would have to be "seeded" with animal life. The science teams decided that the needed to start with aquatic life and at the bottom of the food chain. On Earth, there are microscopic organisms that feed on the algae in the water. Once it was learned that these same organisms could live in the fresh water of Terra Noir, the waters of the planet were flooded with them. Then slightly larger organisms that feed on those microscopic organisms were introduced and allowed to flurish, then larger and larger animals were eventually introduced. By the time of the first settlement, the waters of Terra Noir were ready to be fished