Notes: Iron Lung Timeline, Mars Seasons & More Ideas on Eden Culture
To preface: I'm using Mark's current age (36) and applying it to Simon to do the math here. I'm also literally using this post as a notepad so bare with my rantings please!
2370 AD <- Events of Iron Lung
2370 - 36 = 2334 AD <- Simon's birth year
2349 AD <- Quiet Rapture
2349 (Year of Quiet Rapture) - 2334 (Simon's Birth Year) = 15
Simon was 15 when the Quiet Rapture occurred.
EIC (Earth Time) Conversions
This is the C.O.I.'s native time perception.
2370 - 1992 = 378 EIC <- Events of Iron Lung
2349 - 1992 = 357 EIC <- Quiet Rapture
2334 - 1992 = 342 EIC <- Simon's birth year
IMC (Mars Time) Conversions
This is Eden Station's native time perception (and Simon's).
378 / 1.88 = 201 IMC <- Events of Iron Lung
357 / 1.88 = 189 IMC <- Quiet Rapture
342 / 1.88 = 181 IMC <- Simon's birth year
Teenhood begins at 13 years old in EIC, but at 7 years old in IMC.
Despite being biologically 15 at the time of the Quiet Rapture, Simon was 8 in Mars years.
18 years old is around 9.5
Full legal maturity for Earth humans is at 21 years old. On Eden, it is biologically the same, though their "big number" is 11.
Simon is 19 in Mars years, even though he is biologically 36.
School age on Earth is 7 years old (usually.) Using Mars timekeeping, it's at around 3-4.
Middle aged to an Earthling is at 50 years old. to a Martian, it's at around 26.
Old age, at 75 on Earth, is around 40 Mars years.
In Earth culture, being 10 years old is just the start of being a "big kid." In Eden, being 10 means you have survived nearly 19 Earth years.
If an Edenite and a C.O.I. survivor both celebrate a "birthday," the Edenite has endured roughly 322 more days of labor between celebrations than the Earthling. To Simon, celebrating a birthday every 365 days would feel like a shitty participation-trophy version of timekeeping.
A "Two-Year Plan" for the Brotherhood (gardening progress, building expansions) is nearly four years of actual labor.
The time from the Quiet Rapture to the events of Iron Lung is 21 Earth years. To the Brotherhood, this is only 11.1 IMC years.
While Mars days (Sols) are nearly identical to Earth (Mars days are only 40 minutes longer), the larger units diverge quickly:
An Edenite expects a "season" of work to last nearly half a year in Earth-time.
They would have had to figure out how to get their earth-born gardens to grow properly according to Mars seasons, since Eden would presumably be built to simulate Mars' climate so the colonists could acclimate on their trip to Mars itself.
In Eden, heat and energy are absolutely vital, because it's the only thing keeping their plants alive. They would have rerouted almost all of their power to their greenhouse rooms, leaving most of their station either in the dark, or freezing cold.
This ties into Simon's inability to tolerate the heat.
The greenhouses would be the only places of true warmth. The Last Tree's chamber would have been one of the only true warm environments on the station, leading to the populace probably spending lots of time in there. Keeping close to their deity.
The "Last Tree" likely sits at the center of the most intense heat-sync. Culturally, the closer you are to the Tree, the warmer you are. This may have created a social hierarchy based on thermal proximity.
Since they are rationing heat, their clothing would evolve into highly functional, multi-layered outfits.
Because they use Mars seasons (IMC), which are nearly double the length of Earth's, they might spend 300+ days in a single simulated "winter." Their clothing would be designed for long-term wear without washing (to save water), leading to a rugged, grimy, yet uniform aesthetic.
This ties into Simon's outfit being very warm, and why he has to nearly strip half-way through Iron Lung. Space is cold.
To trap breath-heat, they might wear masks or heavy scarves. This fits the "puritanical" situation, as it hides the face and individual identity. Also note Simon wears a hood and high-collar vest.
Earth-Born Agriculture on Eden & Agrarian Ritual
Earth-born plants (like wheat, potatoes, or the "Last Tree" itself) are biologically hardwired for a 365-day cycle. Forcing them to adapt to a 687-day Martian cycle creates some dissonance that would have caused issues early on in their survival efforts.
Farmers would have to use artificial lighting to trick the plants. The "Spring" in Eden would feel agonizingly slow.
In Earth-time, a harvest might happen every 4–6 months. In Eden, a full Martian "Year of Growth" takes nearly two Earth years. Two harvests per IMC year. A successful Martian year of cultivation would be a massive, once-in-a-lifetime-style celebration. Cult ritual stuff.
If a crop fails, it would be catastrophe. Mass starvation. They are riding on this garden thing with very small room for error. This is a part where the "Death Cult" thing ramps up: if the plants aren't growing, the Brotherhood might believe they need to "feed" the Tree with sacrifices to appease it.
Not only would people be hungry, people would be killed. Leaves more room for error the next time around. Less mouths to feed.
This is a good tie-in for Simon's fanatical animism and PTSD-related superstitious behavior.
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