Rubin

Rubin is the second planet of Gotham's Stern (Gotham's Star), also known as the Mistral System, and the location where the entire saga of Die Terranauten begins. A thinly populated jungle world on the outer edges of the Terran Star Empire, Rubin is dominated by the Roter Dschungel (Red Jungle) -- a vast, crimson-canopied wilderness that covers much of its surface. The planet hosts only a single human city, Lakehurst, alongside the ancient alien ruins of Bortzynn, a non-human city hidden deep in the jungle. Despite its apparent remoteness, Rubin harbors one of the most strategically significant features in the galaxy: a junction point in the Space Roads network, located within Bortzynn, that provides a direct transit connection to Shondyke, the secret central world of the Gray Guards.

Rubin appears in three booklets of the saga (001, 027, 035) and is referenced across numerous character, ship, and concept entries. Its role spans the opening of the narrative -- where David terGorden's identity is first exposed -- to the mid-saga infiltration of Shondyke, making it a pivotal location that bridges the saga's early and middle arcs.

Physical Description

Environment and Terrain

Rubin is characterized by its immense red jungle -- the Roter Dschungel -- which gives the planet both its name (German for "ruby") and its distinctive appearance. The jungle canopy produces a red sky visible from below, creating an alien, suffused light over the landscape. The Jungle of Rubin (German: Dschungel von Rubin) surrounds the ancient city of Bortzynn and extends across much of the planet's habitable surface.

The planet's atmosphere is breathable and supports human life without technological assistance, unlike the harsh environments of many other saga worlds such as Shondyke or Arioch. However, Rubin's jungle terrain is dense, difficult to navigate, and conceals dangers both natural and artificial -- including the energy field that hides Bortzynn from scanners.

Settlements

Rubin supports two known settlements:

• Lakehurst -- The only city inhabited by humans on Rubin. Lakehurst functions as a spaceport and frontier settlement, servicing the freighters and merchant vessels that pass through the outer trade routes. It contains docking facilities capable of performing ship overhauls, taverns where spacefaring crews socialize, and the basic infrastructure of a colonial outpost. Despite its modest size, Lakehurst is a crossroads for Driver crews and independent merchants operating at the empire's periphery.

• Bortzynn -- An abandoned city deep in the jungle, built by Nichtmenschen (Non-Humans) -- the original alien inhabitants of Rubin. Bortzynn is hidden by an energy field that disrupts scanners and causes nausea in approaching humans. Within the city lie ancient alien structures, including a deadly glass labyrinth and, most significantly, a junction point in the Space Roads network. The city's non-human architecture and its connection to the galaxy-spanning Space Road system confirm that Rubin was once part of a pre-human interstellar civilization.

Star System

Rubin orbits Gotham's Stern (Gotham's Star), a star system containing at least two planets. The system is also referred to as the Mistral System in some sources. The system lies on the outer fringes of the Terran Star Empire, far from the core worlds of Terra, Syrta, and the major corporate centers. This remoteness makes Rubin a natural waypoint for independent Driver freighters plying the galactic rim and an unlikely place for the major powers to maintain a strong presence -- factors that drew David terGorden to the planet in the first place.

Political Structure

Rubin falls under the jurisdiction of the Council of Corporations, with a Rubiner Kaiser-Vertreter (Kaiser representative) serving as the Kaiser Corporation's local authority. The presence of a Kaiser representative confirms that the planet, despite its sparse population, is part of the corporate governance structure that dominates the Terran Star Empire. The Kaiser representative's authority extends to coordinating with security forces -- as demonstrated when the Gray Guards later investigate ships departing from Rubin after David terGorden's disappearance.

The planet's governance appears minimal in practice, reflecting Lakehurst's character as a frontier spaceport where independent Drivers and merchants operate with relative freedom, far from the direct oversight of the Council's core bureaucracy.

History

Pre-Human Era

Rubin's history extends far beyond human colonization. The alien city of Bortzynn was built by the planet's original inhabitants, the Nichtmenschen (Non-Humans), a species whose identity and fate are not fully described in the saga. The presence of a Space Road junction within Bortzynn indicates that Rubin was once integrated into the galaxy-spanning transit network created by the Ancients -- the intelligent plant civilization of the Pre-Cosmos. The junction point, which connects Rubin to Shondyke and potentially other worlds, predates human settlement by an immense span of time and confirms that the Non-Humans of Bortzynn either used or maintained the Space Road network.

The Non-Humans eventually abandoned Bortzynn -- or were driven from it -- leaving the city to be swallowed by the red jungle. The energy field that conceals the ruins from scanners may be a remnant of the Non-Humans' technology, a feature of the Space Road junction itself, or a natural phenomenon that contributed to Bortzynn's isolation from later human colonists.

Human Colonization

Human settlement on Rubin is sparse and recent by galactic standards. Lakehurst is the only human habitation, functioning as a spaceport and supply point for the outer trade routes. The planet's thinly populated status and its position on the galactic rim make it a place where individuals seeking anonymity -- such as fugitive Drivers -- can find temporary refuge.

The Heir of Power Incident (December 2, 2499)

Rubin is the location where the saga of Die Terranauten begins. On December 2, 2499 (Terra-Normzeit), the Driver freighter BELFAST, carrying Stardust-Dave (David terGorden), arrives at Rubin. The BELFAST suffers damage to its oxygen supply system, requiring an overhaul of more than one week at Lakehurst's spaceport. This mechanical failure -- a seemingly mundane incident -- sets the entire 99-booklet saga in motion.

During the enforced layover, Dave encounters Smellinger, a merchant who persuades him to visit Bortzynn, the alien city in the jungle. Smellinger claims the city is a marvel recently discovered, hidden by an energy field. In reality, the invitation is a trap: agents of the Kaiser Corporation have identified Dave as David terGorden, the heir to the Biotroniks Corporation, and plan to capture him at Bortzynn.

Upon arriving at Bortzynn, Smellinger is murdered by an unseen assailant. Dave realizes he has been led into an ambush. He is guided through a deadly glass labyrinth within one of the alien structures by a mysterious blue light -- possibly a manifestation of the ancient intelligence embedded in Bortzynn's Space Road junction. Dave escapes the labyrinth and returns to Lakehurst.

Knowing his enemies have identified his membership in the BELFAST's Driver Lodge and will be watching the ship, Dave abandons the BELFAST and seeks passage on another vessel. At a Lakehurst tavern, he meets Dime Mow, a member of the GDANSK's Lodge. Dime Mow introduces Dave to Lodge Master Hadersen Wells, and Dave is formally admitted into the GDANSK's crew, reciting the traditional Driver admission oath: "No crime drives me, no obligation hinders me. I am free for the stars."

The GDANSK departs Rubin for Syrta, where Dave will meet Llewellyn 709 and be declared the Heir of Power, igniting a galactic rebellion. Meanwhile, the Gray Guards investigate the five freighters that departed Rubin during the relevant period, seeking to determine which one carries the fugitive heir.

The GDANSK's Return (c. 2547)

Decades later, the GDANSK's crew returns to Rubin under dramatically different circumstances. In booklet 027, the GDANSK, still commanded by Hadersen Wells's Lodge, arrives at the restricted planet Onyx to investigate a distress call. There, the crew discovers the Transmitter Tree -- an ancient alien artifact the Gray Guards have been torturing to manipulate the Space Roads. When Hege Krotzer, a defecting Gray Guard scientist, engineers the crew's escape through the Transmitter Tree's transit field, the Drivers are guided by the tree's final surge of power and transported to Rubin -- the planet where their story with David terGorden had begun.

This return completes a narrative circle: the planet that launched the GDANSK crew into the broader saga becomes their destination when fate and alien technology intervene. Their arrival on Rubin via the Space Road also confirms the planet's connection to the wider transit network.

The Shondyke Infiltration (c. 2501)

In booklet 035, Rubin serves as the staging ground for one of the saga's most consequential missions. David terGorden, Llewellyn 709, Queen Mandorla, and Scanner Cloud -- transported to Rubin aboard the CYGNI, a Kaiser Force cruiser converted into a Terranaut warship -- use the junction of space roads in Bortzynn to travel directly to Shondyke, the hidden central world of the Gray Guards.

The success of this transit demonstrates the strategic significance of Bortzynn's Space Road junction. The abandoned non-human city, dismissed by most humans as a curiosity in the jungle, contains a functioning link to one of the galaxy's most closely guarded locations. The Terranauts' use of this junction -- navigating ancient alien infrastructure to bypass the Fire Bowl that shields Shondyke from conventional approach -- represents a pivotal moment in the saga's mid-arc, leading directly to the Clone-Queen revolution and the transformation of Shondyke into Neunfarben.

Strategic Significance

The Space Road Junction at Bortzynn

Rubin's greatest strategic asset is the Space Road junction located within the ruins of Bortzynn. This junction is one of the most important known intersection points in the galaxy-spanning transit network created by the Ancients. The junction enables instantaneous travel to Shondyke and potentially other destinations, making it a critical node in the Space-Time Stroboscope network.

The junction's significance is recognized in the saga's detailed treatment of the Space Road system:

"The most important known junction is located in the abandoned non-human city of Bortzynn on the planet Rubin, which connects to routes reaching Shondyke."
-- Space Roads entry (Booklet 035)

The existence of a functioning Space Road junction in an alien city on a thinly populated frontier world highlights the saga's recurring theme that the galaxy's most powerful infrastructure is organic, ancient, and hidden in plain sight -- overlooked by the corporate powers that dominate human civilization but accessible to those who understand the living systems of the cosmos.

Trade Route Position

Beyond the Space Road junction, Rubin occupies a position along the outer trade routes of the Terran Star Empire. The BELFAST's merchant route from Rubin was bound for Omni Beta, described as lying in the opposite direction from Syrta, suggesting that Rubin sits at a crossroads between inward-facing and outward-facing routes. The GDANSK's planned route from Rubin included stops at ALGOL-555, Shinona, and Oyster, further establishing the planet as a hub for rim-world commerce.

Nearby planets Al Hamesh and Orsag are described as locations where "ships from Rubin were investigated," indicating that Rubin's departing traffic was monitored by the Gray Guards -- particularly after David terGorden's disappearance.

Notable Inhabitants and Visitors

Key Events on Rubin

Ships Associated with Rubin

Themes and Significance

The Inciting Location

Rubin's primary narrative significance is as the inciting location of the entire saga. The BELFAST's mechanical failure on Rubin -- a damaged oxygen supply requiring a week of repairs -- is the proximate cause of every subsequent event in Die Terranauten. Without this breakdown, Dave would never have been stranded, never met Smellinger, never visited Bortzynn, and never been forced to flee to Syrta, where Llewellyn 709 declares him the Heir of Power and ignites a galactic rebellion. A routine mechanical problem on a remote frontier world cascades into a hundred-booklet saga of revolution, cosmic discovery, and ecological transformation.

The Hidden Junction

Rubin embodies the saga's central conviction that the galaxy's most profound infrastructure is organic, ancient, and concealed within seemingly insignificant places. Bortzynn -- an alien ruin in a red jungle, dismissed by most humans as a curiosity -- contains a Space Road junction that connects directly to Shondyke, one of the galaxy's most strategically vital worlds. The corporate powers who govern the Terran Star Empire have no knowledge of this connection; it is accessible only to those who understand the living systems of the cosmos. Rubin thus illustrates the divide between the technological, extractive paradigm of the Kaiser Corporation and the organic, cooperative reality of the Space Roads.

The Circle of Return

Rubin is the planet where the GDANSK crew's story begins (Booklet 001) and the planet to which they are returned by the Transmitter Tree on Onyx (Booklet 027). This narrative circularity -- launching from Rubin, traveling across the galaxy, and being brought back to Rubin by an ancient intelligence -- underscores the saga's theme that the cosmos has its own designs, and that the living infrastructure of the Space Roads operates according to a logic that transcends human planning.

Frontier and Freedom

As a thinly populated world on the galactic rim, Rubin represents the frontier spaces where individuals can exist outside the direct control of the Council of Corporations. Dave chooses Rubin precisely because of its remoteness; he can operate as an anonymous Driver far from the corporate powers that seek to control him. The traditional Driver admission oath -- "No crime drives me, no obligation hinders me. I am free for the stars." -- is spoken for the first time in the saga on Rubin, establishing the planet as a symbol of the freedom the Drivers seek and the Council seeks to destroy.

Appearances

See Also

• Gotham's Stern -- The star system containing Rubin
• Mistral System -- Alternate name for the star system
• Lakehurst -- The only human city on Rubin
• Bortzynn -- The abandoned non-human city in the jungle; site of the Space Road junction
• Roter Dschungel -- The red jungle that dominates Rubin's landscape
• Jungle of Rubin -- The jungle surrounding Bortzynn
• Nichtmenschen -- The original non-human inhabitants of Bortzynn
• Rubin Kaiser representative -- The Kaiser Corporation's local authority on Rubin
• Space Roads -- The galaxy-spanning transit network with a junction at Bortzynn
• Space-Time Stroboscope -- The node technology that generates transit fields at Bortzynn
• BELFAST -- The freighter that brings Dave to Rubin
• GDANSK -- The freighter Dave joins on Rubin; its crew later returns here
• CYGNI -- The Terranaut warship that transports the strike team to Rubin
• David terGorden -- The Heir of Power, whose identity is exposed on Rubin
• Smellinger -- The merchant who lures Dave to Bortzynn
• Hadersen Wells -- Lodge Master of the GDANSK
• Dime Mow -- GDANSK crew member who helps Dave escape
• Llewellyn 709 -- Accompanies David to Shondyke from Rubin
• Scanner Cloud -- Navigates the Space Road junction at Bortzynn
• Queen Mandorla -- Travels to Shondyke from Rubin
• Shondyke -- The hidden Gray Guard world accessible via Bortzynn's Space Road junction
• Al Hamesh -- Planet where ships from Rubin were investigated
• Orsag -- Planet where ships from Rubin were investigated

Rubin appears in 3 booklets of Die Terranauten (001, 027, 035). Though thinly populated and seemingly insignificant, this red jungle world is the location where the saga begins, the site of a critical Space Road junction connecting to the hidden world of Shondyke, and a recurring touchpoint in the narrative's exploration of the ancient, organic infrastructure that underlies human civilization.