Not long after the meeting in the crew's lounge breaks up
those that are going ashore gather at the hatch and leave the
ship.
[Let me know if you aren't going ashore. Also, let me know if
you're wearing anything other than your ship's uniforms, and
if you are carrying any weapons.]
The first thing you notice as you walk down the gangway is
that the gravity here is low...about half standard, and the
air pressure is thin, but still breathable. From experience
you know you will tire faster in the thin atmosphere, and
although the lighter gravity means you can jump higher and
lift larger masses, you'll have a bit of trouble controlling
your walk and anything you move around until you get use to
The sun is angling down through high clouds, tinged with
red and orange on the horizon and there is a weak smell of
salt water on the fresh breeze blowing off the water out
beyond the edge of the Star Port.
A high chain link fence topped with tangle wire surrounds the
entire field. Beyond it, you can see another small field with
what look like an SDB parked there. There is no Imperial Base
here, so that has to belong to the local government...but
wait, Overnale is a balkanized world, so would that be *a*
local government? Would that be the government of Lorton...
You note that security teams are patrolling *both* sides of
the fence. On the internal side the patrol you see is a pair
of men wearing combat environment suits, carrying gauss rifles
and riding in jeeps. The patrol on the outside is made up of
four men in a vehicle. It looks like a driver, a machine
gunner, and two riflemen.
As you walk across the tarmac toward the Terminal Building you
look around. The Star Port here is small. You only count six
landing pads, and there can't be more than twice that out of
sight behind the Terminal Building. You can see a ship's upper
deck rising up behind the Terminal, and another smaller
one...looks like a Suleiman...landed on this side of the
building. The Terminal Building looks to be in fairly good
condition. As you enter the building you note there is a date
engraved in a block of concrete next to the door...1098, so
the building itself is only 12 or 13 years old.
Inside the building you walk through a brightly lighted lobby
and show your Imperial ID's to a scanner which passes each of
you past and into the remainder of the building. There are
offices for the Port Captain here, restrooms and what passes
for a small gift shop. As you walk through this area you see
another pair of Security Guards, you are close enough to see
that they are wearing ConTech uniforms. The guards watch you,
but don't seem unfriendly.
[ConTech is a sector wide corporation focused on providing
security for both Imperial and Corporate sites. Knowing
ConTech there is probably a lot more firepower around, but not
obvious.]
After walking past this area you exit through wide double
plexiglass doors into the star town. An obelisk here has a
list of facilities here in the area inside the Externity Line.
Pressing the name of any of the listed businesses displays a
map showing how to get there.
The star town that exists inside the externity line here at
the Lorton Star Port is small. There are not that many
businesses, and all are in walking distance.
There are several local banks and exchange houses and three
Imperial ones.
Two hotels are listed and one Boarding House.
ConTech has an entry for a repair facility.
A couple of bars are listed: The Ringed Planet Bar and Grill
and Long Jumpers.
There are a few governmental offices, too: Interface Offices
(Department of Trade Expediters), ISA Offices, ImpForces
Center (for local recruiting and coordination with the local
forces).
One Medical Clinic is on the list.
Consolidated Ship Services (Ship chandlers) is listed.
Two brokerage houses are also listed.
There is an entry for the Interworld Bazaar with a number of
shops listed. If it's like any other Interworld Bazaar (and
there are many all over the Marches) there will be small
booths available both for locals and offworlders where goods
can be bought and sold as well as several permanent shops.
There isn't a listing for Brubakers...it might be in the
Bazaar, probably *is*. Pressing the Interworld Bazaar icon
should show the shops that are there...
