This work was part of a small series that represented my abortive early attempts to inject plot into my setting. This asteroid orbits a planet in the (deep breath) PSO J207.7496+29.4240 brown dwarf system and serves as the regional headquarters for the Astro-Metro Interstellar Logistics Corporation.
In order to perform as a proper orbital habitat, the asteroid has two counter-rotating cylinders situated within a single larger cylinder that goes all the way through the asteroid, passing directly through its center of mass. These cylinders, over a kilometer in diameter, rotate to provide artificial gravity for the station's inhabitants, while their opposing rotation prevents any undue forces being applied to the asteroid itself. Situated on the approximate equator of the asteroid is a ring, connected to the central cylinders by a series of elevators, which serves as a docking hub and microgravity environment to transfer crew and cargo onto and off of the station. The two long spikes support two massive (yet hard-to-see) solar arrays, which provide supplemental power to the station. However, due to the fact that the "star" it orbits is not even large enough to fuse hydrogen, and thusly is quite dim, the station is largely powered by fusion reactors, for which the solar wings also serve as colossal radiators.
In the setting, this brown dwarf is part of a small group of similar systems (which is true in real life as well), which are under the notional control of Astro-Metro, who uses the population as a workforce to maintain its infrastructure and interstellar shipping network, while also subtly manipulating the political affairs of the group to stay on top. The story would have started here, as the protagonists would be the crew of a freight ship owned by the corporation, which is the subject of the next entry in the gallery.
Add comment
Comments