Ceres was first permanently settled in 2151 by standard-issue 16228 ton parochial automated pioneer, establishing the Californian Parish Liberty, with a “reduced” crew of five, after a voyage of under 14 months or 35923520 seconds from exit to entry burns. The crew entered a 250km equatorial orbit on 6 march 2051, and set down its 2-person 3 days later along the Kerwan rim of the Planitia region. UN central registration affirmed the wildcatter claim almost immediately. The two crew consisted of the reduced remains of astronauts Alexei Wilforst and Bruno Ithaqua, who were declared legally deceased shortly thereafter. (Quaint mid 21st century law required a living human to be able to establish a permanent base – the practice meant that an almost dead human, with most its body removed, kept alive in stasis was legally an acceptable vessel for establishing a claim).
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The first “meatsack” colonists arrived eight months later with a standard Connestoga vessel, after a 38 months voyage, originating from Earth Archipellago (L4), with a crew of 28. The first conscious human to land on Ceres was Draghira Stebanov, registered Californian.
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By any metric the Ceres city Kerwanorth was a highly successful colony, a critical main belt trade, ideological, cultural hub. Although not as brutally libertarian as most other Belt asteroids, the capitalism here is still regarded as extremely devout and unregulated. In 2150 Ceres spots 16 steel core equatorial elevators, with an equatorial cabled habitat ring. Population numbers of citizens in the surface-orbital system (Ceres maintains a strict Census) increased quickly – E2(100) in 2156, E3 in 2164, E4 in 2170, E5 in 2179, E6 in 2207, E7 in 2219 and current stabilizing at over 31 million. Most its citizens are cyborgs and partial (hybrid) uploads.
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Ceres is still predominantly mixed Californian anglo, obligatory English language. 93% are effectively prolized (not economical agents, i.e. living of colony civilian dividends) even they would vehemently claim otherwise. It has 6 major (E5+)and 16 major (E6) surface cities. The biggest city in 2150 is still Kerwanorth, with approximately 551000 citizens.
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The Ceres government is strongly aligned with Lunar Bank, and co-signatory to the inner system treaties, much to the chagrin of Main Belt radicals. Nonetheless its kanton-based government structure actively resists inner system refugee streams, having established an immigrant quotum of 10 thousand per 30mS (under a terrestrial year). Transgressors are housed in temporary refugee camps along the orbital, do not receive civilian status and are deported routinely to other main belt asteroids designated refugee resettlement areas. There have been illegal landing incidents which are dealt with harshly (forced involuntary remigration in a hatchetcan to the Terrestrial Archipellago).
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The Ceres system maintains 5 large O Neil Habitats, in 250 sixth under construction. These are not popular, with most The “Cereals” preferring median Ceres gravity – and used primarily for refugee processing. All these structures orbit at 150.000 kilometers.
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Ceres has six Tyson Spiral orbital launchers sharply reducing travel time across the belt.
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