NaNoPrep 2016 - Colony Base 182: Casting

The past few weeks, I've been building Colony Base 182, first with its place in the overall setting of the Terran Confederation, then its world and main and only settlement.  But a colony needs people.  Time to work out the roles needed.

First, the people already on the ground.  I have Exploration Service researchers working beside homeworld scientists making sure that the world is inhabitable.  Not all will be staying, but some will.  The mission is a joint effort between the Exploration Service and the homeworld's government, so there will be a senior representative from each.  Since this is a team of field researchers, there aren't any dedicated administrative personnel, though the Exploration Service will have someone who will act as liaison and make sure that paperwork is done.  The Exploration Service is also supplying a small medical team, just long enough to help get the first wave of colonists out of cryo-stasis.

The Exploration Service is also providing personnel to act as law enforcement, at least until the colony establishes itself and works out its own laws and how they get enforced.  The service is providing two scouts, a senior constable already onsite and a constable who may be the viewpoint character.  On paper, the senior constable answers to the senior scout planetside, but, given the duties, he or she will act autonomously.  The goal is to keep the peace and make sure people don't kill each other, more easily done when pressure from above doesn't interfere.

Over at the starport, the settlement needs traffic control.  It's not a busy site, so minimal staffing will suffice, with enough backup in case of illness.  Traffic control will also handle shuffling cargo around; actual traffic will be low, mostly Exploration Service vessels handling mail duties and asteroid miners arriving for resupply, with the occasional shipment from the colony's homeworld.  The only busy time will be when the first wave of colonists arrive.  The Exploration Service will have mechanics, mainly for their own vessels.  The Commonwealth will have some mechanics at the starport to service private vessels.

That leaves the colonists, the people who will make permanent homes on the planet.  First wave consists of one thousand settlers, mostly young couples.  Figuring out all one thousand colonists isn't productive; most will be extras.  Having a few detailed, though, isn't a bad idea; a sample of who arrived.  The young homesteaders wanting to start a new family where the air is clean.  The miner hoping to hit the motherlode.  The settler escaping the homeworld's laws.  The would-be rowdies who keep the constables busy at night.  Enough to provide colour as the story progresses.

There will be a second wave of colonists.  This wave will have more townsfolk - administrators, merchants,

Here's the list so far.  I still have to flesh each role out more, but this gives me an idea of the size of the cast.

• Senior Researcher.
• Senior Scout, Colonization
• Administrative Liaison
• Scout Doctor plus medical team.
• Senior Constable.
• Constable.
• Space Traffic Control, three shifts.
• Ground Crew.
• Young Homesteaders.
• Miner.
• Rowdies.

Still a bit of work to go.