Way-stations

Commission by: misspolycysticovary

Today we’re talking about places in-between others in space. More than stations less than colonies, way-stations will be the equivalent of the 7-11 in the sky. We have a lot of free floating rocks out there, with a bit of elbow grease any one of them could be a chill place to hang.

These stations will see their first days as mining communities. Today a handful of companies are vying for opportunities to hunt for metals rare on Earth but are found in abundance out there. Mining targets will likely be identified by drone spectrometry, a second wave of drones then comes in with sonic surveying equipment (did you see the first scene of Jurassic Park where they shoot the ground with a shotgun shell- same basic concept, minus the shotgun shell) and basic mining equipment. When these are full they leave their mining sites and transfer their loot to a collection point. A third wave of drones is sent out, and this is where things get interesting. At this point dedicated infrastructure is on site and there is at least one big hole in the ground that, when all is said and done, can be used for just about anything.

Items a ship can’t replace on its own, along with fuel can be positioned in hardened locations across the solar system with minimal upkeep cost. This also opens up possibilities for black market opportunities, as these stations are distant from colonies and nations that wish to impose their ideals and regulations.

The laws of space are centred around vehicular sovereignty, basically whoever owns what you’re floating is king. There was a space treaty banning countries from claiming celestial objects as territory (under the idea that they are the heritage of all humankind) but now the American legislature is entertaining the notion of allowing corporations to do just that. So if they can do it-so can you, or you can buy one off of them when their done with it. As to what you do when you get one, whatever floats your boat is just fine and dandy. Keep in mind though that you can be denied entry anywhere else if your reputation gets too crazy.

Using asteroids offers a double advantage of camouflaged passive radiation shielding. If you’re hiding whoever is looking for you has to search through thousands of rocks in the area he thinks you’re in. If you’re not then the sheer mass of the asteroid will absorb the brunt of radiation from the environment. There’s a reason that space suits smell like seared bacon and welding fumes when they come back from a walk outside. All that energy gets absorbed by the first thing that it hits, whenever that doesn’t have to be you-go for that.