▁which ▁typically ▁arose ▁due ▁to ▁disput es ▁over ▁min ing ▁rights ), ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ▁has ▁been ▁frequently ▁employed ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁population ▁in ▁check . ▁Although ▁the ▁secre ts ▁of ▁the ▁Aut ocrat ▁are ▁closely ▁guard ed , ▁the ▁B elt ▁Community ▁has ▁developed ▁a ▁device ▁called ▁the ▁Core ▁cra cker , ▁and ▁quite ▁seriously ▁offered ▁to ▁blow ▁up ▁the ▁planet ▁Mercur y ▁both ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁second ▁astero id ▁bel t ▁and ▁assist ▁V IS OR ▁in ▁the ▁terra form ing ▁of ▁Ven us . ▁ ▁Gra v it ics ▁Research ▁Station : ▁Control ▁center ▁for ▁the ▁Ring ▁of ▁Char on , ▁the ▁largest ▁particle ▁acceler ator ▁ever ▁built . ▁Sl ated ▁to ▁be ▁moth b alled ▁by ▁the ▁UN ▁following ▁the ▁K - cr ash ▁after ▁years ▁of ▁un success ful ▁experiment ation , ▁a ▁perfectly ▁tim ed ▁break through ▁by ▁Larry ▁Ch ao ▁held ▁off ▁the ▁shut down ▁of ▁the ▁facility . ▁Loc ated ▁on ▁Pl uto , ▁this ▁was ▁where ▁human ▁experiments ▁in ▁gravity ▁control ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁accident al ▁aw ak ening ▁of ▁the ▁L un ar ▁Ring ▁and ▁the ▁the ft ▁of ▁Earth . ▁The ▁Ring ▁was ▁a ▁cru cial ▁tool ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁study ▁of ▁Char oni ans ▁and ▁eventually ▁to ▁fight ▁against ▁them . ▁ ▁Ty cho ▁Pur ple ▁Pen al : ▁Once ▁a ▁UN - san ction ed ▁prison ▁col ony ▁buried ▁under ▁Ty cho ▁Cr ater ▁on ▁the ▁moon , ▁this ▁converted ▁pen it enti ary ▁was ▁declared ▁a ▁so ver eign