The Laplacian Ring

The ruins of the Demon station are one of the most remarkable features of the 25th century Terran night sky. In 2305, the Laplacian Guild undertook the most ambitious space construction ever attempted: a giant ring-shaped simulation computer that was supposed to materialize Pierre-Simon de Laplace's delirious imagining of an omniscient demon aware of the precise position and movement of every particle in the universe. Although the very possibility of Laplace's Demon had been discredited by serious scholars as early as the 19th century, the Laplacians made it the cornerstone of their metaphysical quest for the ultimate technology. Construction of this metallic monster began rather recently, but the concept itself had been incubating in secret Laplacian circles for centuries. Some of the greatest fortunes of the world were tapped through the recruitment of generation upon generation of donors. Wars and invasions were orchestrated by Laplacians just to gain control over precious ore deposits around the world. Whole universities were created and funded century after century just to nudge research in a useful direction. Of all seekers of the Sirakoth, the Laplacians are by far the most disciplined, systematic, and relentless since the end of the Napoleonic wars. Building the Sirakoth is their ultimate goal, and they see the Demon as a necessary first step.

In February of 2305, the world of the corridori was taken by surprise by the launch of the first modules of the Demon. Few had agents within the Laplacian Guild, or even reliable intelligence regarding its activities. So, the scramble to find out what the Guild was up to was frantic and disorganized. Speculations ran wild, especially when the Laplacians announced that they would bring a very special item to the auction block of Capraria three months later. This left the other corridori organizations even more confused, as the Laplacians put weekly payloads in orbit like clockwork.

Everybody had eyes, telescopes, x-ray scanners and thermal imagers locked on what was definitely taking the shape of a giant space station ring. But its purpose, other than its obvious and massive quantum computing capabilities apparently remained a mystery to all the Laplacians' competitors. It is not surprising that the moment the Guild's delegate set foot on the island of Capraria, he was kidnapped and, most certainly submitted to interrogation by the Absalom family. However, as should have been obvious in retrospect, that move only played to the Laplacians' hand. Whatever they were told, or promised, in that interrogation room led them to agree to a truce with the Laplacians, and pool their resources with those of the Guild for the protection of the new installation. The promised item never made it to the auction block. It is said it was given to the Absalom family as a gesture of good faith, and a demonstration of the Demon's potential.

The Absalom family pledged to defend the Demon and, for seven years, reallocated most of its considerable resources to space warfare. Attacks on the ring station were constant. Nobody knew exactly what it did, or if it had the capacity to deliver whatever it promised. But one thing was certain: no corridori organization could tolerate even the possibility of seeing the Demon become operational.

By 2312, most of the construction seemed completed. If the Laplacians' adversaries were ever to destroy the Demon before it stared to deliver results, now was the time. Thus, the largest coalition in the history of the Corsa was put together. No less than ten corridori organizations, most of them bitter ennemies, joined forces against the Demon ring and launched one of the most massive space offensive in the history of humanity. The Deuterian Order and the Kirle Clan took car of operations on Earth, attacking Absalom bases -- and securing some price territory for themselves in the process. Simultaneously, the Corbu family coordinated Feyer, Lathrop, Gebelin, Clarissant, Ming, Quilaqueo, and Katchelewa forces in orbit. After three weeks of confrontation, the Ring was boarded and the Demon dismantled. From then on, it was each corridori for themselves once more. The core of the Demon was quickly dismantled, and every organization took whatever piece of equipment it could lay its hands on. But nobody had enough to get a clear picture of what the Demon had been, or how close the Laplacians were to their goal.

Today, only an empty shell remains in orbit. Its massive size has turned it into a strange celestial body, over which people ignorant of the secret world of the corridori wonder constantly. What is that strange thing that suddenly appeared in the sky?

Geography

The Laplacian Ring has remained in orbit around the Earth for over a century now. It seems that it was strategically located to maintain it position with the smallest effort possible. Although it is believed that all of the station's most valuable components have been looted by the corridori forces who participated in the assault of 2312, the ruin is still a frequent destination for space scavengers. It sheer size also make it an ideal hiding place for smugglers and ambush operations in Earth's orbit. For reasons unknown to this days, the Laplacians built an intricate network of corridors within the ring station, No one but the most foolish venture in this maze. The ruins have decayed dangerously, and some truly shady operators have established their base in them.

History

The known history of the Demon station is sketchy at best. Of course, the Laplacians have records of its origin, construction, and perhaps even some data generated during its testing and calibration period. Of course, the ten corridori organizations involved in the attack of 2312 have kept records of what they saw. But apart from that, most of the station's history is speculation, especially when it comes to what happed to the installation after it was evacuated by the Laplacians. Still, even a century latter, many corridori groups devote considerable resources to piecing together the history of that station. It is quite probable that the Demon project was not abandoned by the Laplacians after the debacle of 2312. After all, building such a machine is central to their organisation's strategy. It is believed by some that the Demon has a younger twin, built in orbit around Jupiter. If such is the case, the history of Laplace's Ring might truly be only a prelude of what is to come.

Alternative Name(s)

The Demon Circle, the Ghost Station

Type

Megastructure