The Decadence

Everything is better in space. Everything.

— Decadence Patron

Reserved for the wealthy, the influential, or the lucky, the Decadence is a den of luxury and excess, floating just at the edge of space (and the legal zones of Earth). Probably the most expensive vehicle ever created, it is a hotel-sized airship with an interior of mahogany, gold, velvet, and silk. Only the finest looted artwork and historical artifacts are on display here, pillaged from the corpse of the old world, or donated by (possibly blackmailed) patrons. All in all, it is by all reports one of the best places money can buy.
Access to the Decadence is strictly at the discretion of its mistress, and even rumors of an available booking make knife-fights in a phonebooth look tame.

The enigmatic Leash holds court in the Decadence, acting at once as its empress and host to all who visit.

All Aboard

The Decadence hovers just at the earth's orbit, sometimes dipping low or high depending on the view (and degree of gravity) desired. It usually remains (relatively speaking) above the Megacorpolis, but has been known to take tours across the world (and some say, away from it entirely) to see the sights.

Corporates who reach their first billion are all given a personalized invitation to book a visit to the Decadence, delivered in a stylish envelope - sometimes including photos or other details of sufficiently damaging nature to ensure good behavior.

by Industry Global News24

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The station-ship has been compared to a flying hotel on its side, and it's a pretty good description.
The Decadence is divided into five sections, each one dedicated to its own set of vices and whims - not counting the engineering part which dominates the entirety of the Decadence's belly.

The Lodge

Set at the front of the Decadence, the Lodge is for mingling in style and class. Hardened screens and displays allow the passengers to watch both the world below them and the void above them.
The Lodge has a restaurant, a bar, and a cafe, with onboard kitchen-labs creating everything from vegetables to meat.

Paradise

Gardens and artificial lakes dominate the Paradise section of the Decadence. For a slice of nature at altitude, look no further.
The Paradise is populated by a variety of genetically constructed animals, with songbirds being a particularly common feature. Some are so modified that they resemble creatures of myth more than anything.

Passage between sections is either through richly decorated corridors or through fastpass tubes with two-person spheres as vehicles.

The Den

A more relaxed, informal place than the Lodge, the Den is the party of the Decadence. Alcohol flows freely, drugs are enjoyed, and rented affection of the highest quality are available here.
At night, the Den turns into more of a nightclub, and the revelry takes on a new tone beneath neon lights and to the tune live music.

Wonder

Dedicated to the senses, of experience and beauty in all its forms, Wonder is at once a museum, a library, and the highest quality brothel that money can buy.
Here, security is particularly tight, though almost invisible. Patrons are vetted before they are even allowed to experience Wonder.

Any who mistreat the workers or artworks are made to leave the Decadence at terminal velocity.

The Court

The smallest of the Decadence's sectors, it is the seat of power and where the Leash directs the symphony of pleasure and wonder of her domain. Only a favored few are allowed here; most are companions that she has known for years. To be invited here is to join one of the most exclusive social circles in the world.
Of course, that just leads to plenty of speculation about what exactly they're plotting.

In case anyone was thinking of sneaking in, the Leash also keeps a somehow tame Sewer-Gator in the Court.

Who Is The Leash?

In the absence of information, conspiracy rushes to fill the void. There's plenty of theories just as to who the Leash is and what exactly she's up to.

She is...

A Psychic!

The Leash has been attributed to supernatural abilities, from mind-reading to telekinesis. Some patrons swear she can kill with a look, but they might have been speaking metaphorically.

An Alien!

After all, she's only been known to live in space. Coincidence? The conspiracy theorists certainly don't think so and are happy to tell you all about it in websites with neon-green text on black background.

by Jose Borges

A Vampire!

There's a common (and incorrect) myth that the Decadence never settles in full sunlight, and that obviously can only mean one thing. The most logical and simple conclusion to some: vampire!

A Robot!

Some people think the Leash is not a person at all, but a robot. They base this on pretty much nothing, in true conspiracy theory fashion.

All in all, conspiracy theorists can't seem to settle on much, and the Decadence even has a running game where they take bets on what the next theory will be.

An AI!

A variant of the robot theory, some claim the Leash is an AI - sometimes cast as a sort of female counterpart to The Computer; nevermind the fact that the Computer doesn't have a gender.

A Infohazard!

A few say that there is no Leash. In fact, there's no Decadence either - it's all a memetic fever dream, and no they aren't upset about not being invited, shut up, you're the one who's lame.

The Leash

The owner of the Decadence is known by the moniker 'Leash', for reasons unknown but probably due to all the blackmail material she has on others. An elegant woman with red hair and of matronly demeanor, her real name is a secret left to only her favorites.

by stiledo.co.uk

It isn't entirely clear how she factors into the Megacorpolis structure, with most assuming that the Decadence is just a front of a boggling amount of crime. Certainly, something keeps her independently wealthy and out of the reach of corporate retaliation.

The Leash is considered to be highly eccentric by her corporate customers. For some reason, she seems to care about her employees and take an interest in people who aren't even wealthy. Money can get you aboard the Decadence, but never into her good graces.
What's up with that?

Food for Thought

In the Lodge, the Cannibal's Club specializes in vat-grown human meat dishes to sate the curiosity and cravings of its select, few members.
Exclusive even among the patrons of the Decadence, the Cannibal's Club often hold open house to "open the minds" of others.

All human meat found there is grown in vats and cooked by robots, and definitely aren't the remains of people who broke the rules or injured one of the Leash's employees.

by Stockfresh

Space Java

The Decadence brews its own brand of Java that is sold nowhere else. Some say it is one that won't cause Javamania but that's probably just because the pricetag attached prevents overindulging.

Space Fun

What's there to do in space, anyway?

Space Invaders!

A version of shooting clay pigeons, patrons can man the defensive turrets of the Decadence and shoot various debris that gets launched from the ship.

Space Reading!

The Decadence has an enormous collection of physical books in its library, for those who which to experience the nostalgia of sitting down with an actual book.

Space Party!

Throw a dart, and you'll probably hit a party somewhere on the Decadence before security escorts you out. In these, having fun is mandatory.

Space Sports!

In low or zero-G, everyone can be an amazing athlete even without cybernetics and/or steroids. Everything from tennis to Sepak takraw to full-on MMA fights takes place here.

Outside sport, no violence is allowed onboard the Decadence. To the chagrin of many corporate overlords, there'll be no hunting exotic animals (or poor people) in zero-g here.

Why not have your picture taken?

Besides those, there's the old stand-by's. Drink, drugs, food, affection purchased by the minute, complaining about the cost and/or weather of your vacation.
On occasion, the Decadence will land on the moon for a brief visit - both to restock and for short lunar excursions.

by Unsplash (Zoltan Tasi)

All of the Above!

It's the only way it makes sense, see?!

by Rob Treen

Decadence & MegaCorpolis

To the citizens of the Megacorpolis, the Decadence is regarded with a mixture of jealous awe and suspicion that comes naturally to them. Most would give their left leg and an arm to get a seat on the cruise, while at the same time thinking to themselves that nothing good can come when a bunch of rich people needs to go to the edge of space to... Do whatever it is they do. Surprising no one, the Decadence is the subject of countless conspiracy theories beyond who (or what) its queen happens to be. Anyone who enters the Decadence becomes part of the conspiracy.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

The Decadence has a more complicated relationship with the MegaCorps. Sinners Syndicated would love nothing more than to claim the ship, it's business, and its overflowing coffers of blackmail material for its own. For the same reason, no one else particularly wants them to have it, and other Corps have gone out of their way to help the Decadence against such acquisitions, if only to spite the Syndicate. Aggravating the Sinners further, all employees from their Corp have been banned from the Decadence, so it might in part just be sour grapes by now.
Nobody trusts the Leash, but nobody else wants to move against her - if only because of the dangling carrot of a potential invitation to a cruise. They're content to watch and wait for something to change and the balance of power to tip in their favor, as all things always do. Until then, the Decadence is a favored customer of many Corporations, and the Leash never sells her secrets.

Every now and then, the Decadence docks with the Megacorpolis to refill its stock of food, fuel, and alcohol. Crew members need to be replaced, and maintenance on the ship-hotel is done, the latter the exclusive domain of an obscure, minor Corporation who seem to make all its money from this one venture. Whenever it lands, the occasion becomes something of a festival, with hopefuls crowding the place to see if they can get aboard, get a job, or get a meeting with any of the departing dignitaries. In turn, others show up to sell things to the waiting hopefuls, journalists gather for interviews and photos, and trouble inevitably follows.

For her part, the Leash has never moved against the MegaCorps and has never had to. Enough photos of corporate executives in full-body Yeti Suits in compromising positions have been released by now for all but the most dense to get the hint.