Far from the glittering towers of Trantor, at the very edge of the spiral arm, lies a world of solitude and hardship. This is Terminus, the rock upon which the new Galactic Empire was to be built.
A World Without Resources
Terminus was chosen by Hari Seldon not for its wealth, but for its isolation. It is a planet poor in mineral resources—almost entirely lacking in metals. This scarcity forced the Foundationers to become masters of miniaturization and efficiency.
While the rest of the galaxy built massive, hulking machinery, Terminus developed nuclear devices the size of walnuts. This technological superiority became their primary trade good and their greatest weapon when the surrounding "Four Kingdoms" reverted to barbarism and coal power.
The Encyclopedia Galactica
The original settlers of Terminus believed their mission was solely to compile the Encyclopedia Galactica—a compendium of all human knowledge to preserve it through the coming dark ages.
The Great Deception
"We are the Foundation. We are the Encyclopedists. We are the preservers."
However, this was a ruse. Seldon knew that a colony of academics would eventually be threatened by their aggressive neighbors. By distracting them with the Encyclopedia, he ensured they would be physically weak but intellectually strong. When the first "Seldon Crisis" arrived, the Encyclopedists were overthrown by the pragmatic Salvor Hardin, who recognized that "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent."
Religion of Science
To survive amongst the barbaric kingdoms of the Periphery, Terminus adopted a unique strategy: they turned science into a religion.
The technicians sent to maintain the power plants of neighboring worlds were trained as "priests." Nuclear power became "holy light." The simple maintenance of a generator became a sacred ritual. This "Scientism" allowed Terminus to control vastly more powerful nations without firing a shot—for to disobey the Foundation was to risk the wrath of the Galactic Spirit (and a sudden power outage).
The Growth of Power
Over centuries, Terminus evolved from a library outpost into a Trade Federation, and finally into a military power. It weathered crisis after crisis—from the warlord Bel Riose to the mentalic mutant known as the Mule.
Though physically small and resource-poor, Terminus proved that true power lies not in massive fleets or endless armies, but in knowledge, diplomacy, and the adaptability of the human spirit. It stands as the beacon of light in the gathering darkness of the galaxy.