Introduction
Notes on the World of Merkab
As with many of the worlds that were separated from the Empire as a result of Reunion, the planet dubbed 'Merkab' has undergone a number of particular developments in the centuries of isolation that must be noted lest it prove to be a source of misunderstanding.
Firstly, while the Empire proper uses Earth time as its standard, Merkab, like many other worlds, adapted to local circumstances once the connection to Earth was severed. The orbit of Merkab is about a third shorter than Earth's and so the ages of natives must be considered accordingly. For instance, 30 is a common age of majority in many of the nations of the planet, but this would be the equivalent of about 20 Earth-years, so young people in their 20s are teenagers by Earth standards.
In the nations featured in the story, many people are polyglots and a few languages are close enough to be mutually intelligible for the most part. Often for the sake of a smoother narrative, not every instance of code-switching is remarked upon and a translation convention is applied except where the POV character cannot understand what is being said.
Lastly, while the general level of development can be equated to a particular period in Earth's history, there are occasions of divergence, especially where the New Earth Empire leaves its mark. To better visualize the world, imagine something in the range between the late 18th Century and the early 19th. This is, of course, nothing more than a helpful estimation.