"A most welcome sight after weeks of hard sailing. A free haven to all, even those damned Dutch. And also sometimes pirates and brigands."— Adam Whitston, Midshipman of SS Great Western
Standing at the midpoint of a wide sea of roiling lava and swirling ash stands a windswept spindle of hard granite. Its summit is capped with a flat plateau, upon which sprawls a cluster of low stone buildings roofed with slate tiles. Originally built by
New England, the
Treaty of Midway has established this outpost as a Free Haven, and is a welcome sight for airship crews in need of a rest after weeks or even months of sailing over the vast
Pacific Lavasea.
The Roost
"You would not find a better alehouse within five hundred leagues. But that's only because there are none."— Andres Piscine, bartender
Two of the low built buildings serve a separate and equally important purpose to the rest of the resupply station. Connected by a sheltered walkway, they form the tavern known as "Midway Roost", or more commonly as "The Roost". The exterior is mainly rough stone, with only the barest hint of plaster and paint still remaining, the majority being sandblasted off by frequent ash storms. Leaded glass windows let in natural light, with heavy wooden and iron shutters to protect against ash storms. Dormer windows sit high in the roof, each consisting of fifteen thick cylindrical glass boules, thick enough to withstand the weather while still able to provide some natural light.
The taproom is fitted out in the traditional New England style, with wood paneling on the walls and a large number of small round tables. The upstairs portion of the second building is primarily fitted out with snugs where airship officers can drink in relative private. The larger of the two taprooms has a state of the art steam driven pianola.
The bars in both buildings are large and well staffed. State of the art steam powered pumps draw up drinks from casks in the basement, primarily Germanic city state draught beers and Occitan crimson wine. A number of spirit bottles sit behind the bar, primarily Hispanian brandy, Colonial rum, and Taiyo sake. A bowl of roasted peanuts sits on one of the bars. Nobody knows where it came from or who refills it.
A small New England style beer garden sits at the back between the two tavern buildings and the sheltered walkway. It is filled with rough wooden benches and tables, which are taken into a small shed when ash storms loom.
Staith and Waystation
"The Pacific Lavasea is so vast, stopping here is an absolute must. Unless you have coal bunkers the size of a small hamlet, that is."— Manuel Florez, coal crane operator
Midway Spindle was originally claimed by New England explorers, recognising its strategic value as a potential base in the middle of the Pacific. A subsequent expidition constructed a small resupply and coaling station there in 452 AB. At first, only New England and their allies were allowed to refuel and resupply there, with all others being turned away. With the Treaty of Midway in 518 AB, Midway Spindle was designated a Free Haven, open to all nations under international law.
Construction work began in ernest. The top of the spindle was levelled, and pits excavated into the granite. Material removed from the spindle was used to construct a tall lighthouse. Subterranean stores and coal bunkers were dug out, and a large pressurised
Aether gas tank was buried and held down under blocks of granite and bolted in place with heavy cast iron banding.
A web of piers and staiths stick out from the sides of the spindle, a safe mooring space for visiting airships. Networks of hydraulic cranes, coal conveyors and pipes were installed to assist the resupply and refuelling efforts.
A large steam plant was installed near the largest concentration of cranes in order to supply power to pressurise a network of hydraulics, and to provide enough electrical energy to light the large arc lamp installed in the lighthouse. Where steam pipes must be routed above the surface, they are insulated by
Ashstone blocks.
The low stone buildings were originally plastered and painted white, however frequent ash storms have practically sandblasted off both paint and plaster.
Recent innovations and the proliferation of
Fuel Oil has lead to further work. The stone ground bears scars from recent excavation work, with the addition of an oil bunker and a refrigeration plant.
This sounds like a wonderful place to reach, for a moment of respite before having to face the endless sea again. Bet their prices are gougingly expensive though. o,o
Too low they build who build beneath the stars - Edward Young