Campaign:SBRD/Library/Nexus (world)/Nexus-Under

Nexus-Under

Note: Although official UWP of Nexus XII-H is X510000-0 (orbit 6.48M km, 100-D limit 800,000 km) abandoned mining base; the real UWP is G510330-9; semi-secret smugglers' port; invitation required!

Approach Protocols

Approach to Nexus-Under is By Invitation Only. Recognized previous visitors will usually not be challenged (depending on the status of their last departure!), but first-time visitors had better have an invitation, and a code-card to prove it, from someone with status.

No Ships Larger Than 200 dTons are allowed to land at Nexus-Under, or anywhere else on Nexus XII-H. This is an informal rule imposed by the mainworld of Nexus XII-G, which also controls the rest of the Nexus system (presumably they want to make sure that the bulk of shipping goes through the official port). Nexus-Under Traffic Control will warn off any ships in violation of this rule; if the warning is ignored, they may attack, as the Triarchy does not want to stir up trouble with the mainworld government.

Physical Layout

The landing field is nestled into a curved space in the west side of a plateau that was rich in minerals - picture what would be a bay if this were a seacoast.

East of the landing field, the base is dugout into the side of the plateau. It has an organizational and housing space that goes back about 5km into the plateau, of which about half is still kept pressurized, on the side toward the landing fields. Tunneling off from the main base in all directions are many unmapped tunnels where the mining machines followed veins of ore until they played out. The main entry/exit is at the personnel and cargo locks facing the landing field, but there are a few other tunnels to the surface with functional airlocks back in the uninhabited, unpressurized zone.

As for the layout within the occupied parts of the base, it is somewhat fan-shaped, spreading out to the east from the entry/exit ports. There are three major "avenues" radiating out from the entry/exit side. These are large passages through which cargo and vehicles can move; most side passages are too narrow, only 1.5m or 3m in width. The northernmost avenue is Control Avenue, so named because it originates near the traffic control center and goes northeast from there. The central avenue is Main Avenue, which originates at the main personnel airlock and travels due east from there. The southernmost avenue is South Avenue; it does not touch the surface near the landing field as the others do, but originate a little ways south of the entry/exit airlocks and travels southeast from there. In between these three avenues are a maze of smaller passages connecting everything.

Visitors without an invitation or affiliation with any particular gang are advised to remain within the "commercial" area of Main Avenue, or over to Control Avenue if on business there. Most other areas are claimed by the major gangs, including almost everything around South Avenue.

The pressurized part of the base is only inhabited at about 20% of intended capacity, so there are LOTS of vacant compartments which can be used for rooming quarters, storage, or other purposes. However, many of these, even if vacant, are claimed by one gang or another who will claim the right to charge rent for their usage. The safest thing for visitors to do is rent a space from someone near Main Avenue.

The Black Thumb (Niven's bar) is located on Main Avenue at the intersection with Cross-Corridor 21, a major cross-passage over to Control Avenue.

Politics

There isn't any formal law on Nexus-Under. It is officially abandoned. Informally, it is anarchy in which the strongest rule the weakest. The Triarchy is the three strongest gang leaders, so their men run most of the important facilities; including the very important traffic control that determines who lands without being shot at. Beneath the Triarchy, there are a number of other gangs with continual shifting of power and control. Beneath those, there are just individuals and small gangs trying to get by and not offend anyone more powerful than themselves.

"Restricted Areas" are only those that someone has decided they want to restrict, and has put some of their men in place to guard. The Triarchy has guards at the entry points from the landing pads, mostly to make sure that the facility is not under any combat assault by law enforcement (or anyone else) that is likely to damage the facility. They are supposed to prevent entry of any major destructive weapons without permission of the Triarchy, but their security procedures really aren't very good. The Triarchy thugs wear identifying sashes (green and gold striped) to warn everyone else that they work for the Triarchy and should not be messed with.

Large parts of the pressurized area are "Restricted" as turf of one gang or another. The "public" areas are a few major corridors fanning out from the pad entries, with some bars and restaurants and offices where "business" is done. Anyplace else you want to go, you'd better have an invite from whoever claims it.

Accomodations: If a visitor doesn't mind roughing it, there are plenty of unclaimed compartments in the pressurized area. If a visitor wants a nice room comparable to an apartment with amenities, he/she needs to find someone who has such a space for rent and make the necessary payment. There are no hotels, although some of the bars have back rooms where they will allow transients to sleep for a fee.

Fees: There will be the usual port fees and refueling fees (double standard prices). Anyone who is coming in to do business (has permission to land, but is not here at invitation of someone in upper level gangs) is required to pay a "Cost of Doing Business" fee for the privilege of using this facility.