The second planet from the sun, which becomes the protomolecule's workshop after Eros is redirected into its surface. For months following the Eros incident, Venus is shrouded in activity as the protomolecule processes the biomass and materials from Eros, constructing something no human can identify. The result is the ring gate - a massive structure launched from Venus into orbit beyond Uranus, opening the first portal to the gate network and thirteen hundred new solar systems.