Kolob

In centuries gone by, Mormon pioneers trekked across North America in search of a home free of persecution. By the end of the 21st century, familiar pressures caught up with the resurgent LDS Church; overcrowding on the still-industrialized surface forced nonbelievers and Mormons alike into an uneasy coexistence, eroding the separate identity that had come to define the faith. Utah itself was drawn into the web of conflicting powers as nation-states fragmented, leaving its inhabitants dangerously alone among the old states. With the opening of the stars to Grey Drive-equipped craft, a new frontier opened for pioneers to carry forth their faith.
Pioneers in Samuel and Catherine Meacham's company proved the most successful, establishing the New Church aboard their vessel, the Brooklyn, as it set out for unexplored systems. Fundamentalist in its approach, the New Church is a distinctly militant branch, committed to self-preservation and carrying forth the message of Heaven to the stars. Kolob is the result of their journey's end, a haven made by the union of the Brooklyn and a suitable asteroid in the orbit of Ross 128b. In the intervening century and a half, Kolob has become one of the largest and most fiercely independent Brinker stations.

Demographics

Naturally, Kolob is almost entirely Mormon- close to 96%, in fact. The remaining 4% are a mix of varying faiths, afforded the right to practice within their own spaces; ironically, however, the 4% are largely excluded from the Mormon whole. This 4% typically occupies logistical positions and menial labor, dealing with the intake and outflow of cargo and wealth; this population can grow massively in good business times and shrink in slow months, leading to cycles of overcrowding and relative luxury..
Kolob embraces transhumanist ideals to a degree, reconciling the uplift of humanity with that of God. Though more extreme modifications are essentially unheard of in the habitat, genetic defects and implanted Links are standard, and the vast majority of people have undergone life-extending procedures, as well as mental or physical augmentation. Exceptions exist for those employed in permanent military positions and certain sectors in the government; as with most major powers, a handful of agents exist within the shadows of Kolob who stretch the very definition of "human" itself.

Government

Kolob is a constitutionally bound democracy in name, with extensive theocratic influences in practice.

Defences

The chief defense of Kolob is the sheer strength of its walls. The open-ended cylinder is capped off by a network of meters-thick bulkheads and emergency reinforcements, while the asteroid itself has been fortified against attack. Kolob's defenses emphasize endurance over returned fire, but weapons emplacements dot the rocky surface, sufficient to repel even large military vessels with proper support.
Much of the population is subject to military drafting in times of crisis, forming habitat block-based militias of respectable quality (for civilians). Self-defense is a universally taught skill, though firearms are restricted from general ownership. While the militias are not expected to win against trained soldiers of the Union, alien powers, or other Brinker forces, they are nonetheless an essential part of defensive planning and habitat culture alike.

Industry & Trade

By luck or providence, Kolob is a central node for Grey Drive travel for much of Brinker space. As such, Kolob has essentially preserved its existence through political alliance and trade; the dock sectors of Kolob host a wide variety of markets, so long as they violate no Kolobi laws.

Architecture

Much of Kolob's present structure is built within the hollow of the host asteroid. As a result of the vast cavern opened by the colonists' excavation, parts of Kolob have the high ceilings and seemingly-natural spaces only a cylinder habitat (or, of course, a planet) could normally host. While the use of space is inefficient at best, the cost of preserving a bit of Terra's nature and the connection to the homeworld of mankind is considered acceptable.
Much of the habitat itself follows nonstandard design, as its construction was undertaken in isolation. One end of the habitat's cylinder is near-entirely open; docks, vacuum-based industry, and the independently pressurized and supplied regions for non-Mormon workers stand throughout this zone.
At the core of the cylinder, on the far end from the docks, the Brooklyn is embedded within the structure of the habitat; its thrusters are long since deactivated (but not removed entirely), but its reactor powers large sections of the habitat and its facilities fill vital niches. Particularly notable is the Temple at the Brooklyn's fore, which is still held as the highest temple of the New Church.

Type

Orbital, Station

Population

4500000