Hesperus Initiative — Venus terraforming company founded 2078 by Torvald Meling and Dr. Livia Conti. Targets Venus’s cloud layer (~50–60 km altitude) rather than the surface, exploiting near-Earth gravity, hospitable pressure/temperature, and unmatched inner-system solar flux. Recruited for 22 years before deploying its first unmanned habitation module into the Venusian atmosphere in 2100. Recruited headcount above 40,000 as of 2100. In early discussions with UN Treasury on the Antimatter Bond, a reserve-asset instrument planned for mid-2110s rollout, using byproduct material from atmospheric-processing solar collection arrays. Has not applied for Ceres or belt extraction permits. Explicitly not a weapons or propulsion company.