Coriolis

The Coriolis space station is the hub of the Third Horizon, in more ways than one: it was from this place that the Zenithians brought the Horizon back to life. The station lies at the intersection of all the major trade routes, and houses both the Council of Factions and many other rulers.

The Coriolis station was constructed from the corpse of the arkship Zenith that arrived in the Third Horizon some 60 cycles ago. Portions of the Zenith’s components and gear were taken by the Quassar family down to the Monolith on Kua, and some went with the Draconites when they broke the chain of command onboard and vanished into the void. Left in the remnants were the seconds-in-command, the Yriedes clan, and the newly awoken colonists who together formed the Consortium. Coriolis was constructed as a signal to the entire Horizon that a new era was dawning – and because it was a practical use of the Zenith’s cadaver. The leftovers became the Net, the reloading port that floats outside the station. In a show of Zenithian fellowship, Coriolis was parked in a geostationary orbit above the Monolith, with the Spire pointing towards the top of the black column below. This is how it all began. When the Zenithians stripped their arkship for parts and created the colossus that would become Coriolis station, they had no idea what it would mean to the Horizon. During the first cycles of the station’s existence, many areas were empty and uninhabited. Over time, the station filled up with activity and experienced a cultural boom – while decaying at the same time. From the deep echoes of the Cellar to the floors in the Spire mimicking real planetary nature under blue holo skies, the Coriolis of today is a melting pot of Algolan refugees, masked Sadaalian bureaucrats, and wealthy pashas from Sivas and Dabaran. FACTS ABOUT THE STATION

POPULATION: According to the census of CC61, Coriolis has 521,465 permanent residents. The number of occupants with temporary residence permits was at the time of the census 189,453. Semi-intelligences and slummers in the Cellar were not included in the census, but their numbers are kept low by the purges of the Coriolis Guard.

PHYSICAL DATA: The station measures 6,136 meters from the Cellar to the top of the Spire. The diameter of the Ring is 3,540 meters and that of the Core is 1,500 meters at its widest point. The four larger plazas are 604 meters in diameter.

CALENDAR: One Coriolis Cycle is divided into 336 days. Each day is divided into watches of six hours each – morning, day, evening, and night. The cycle is divided into nine 37-day segments, each devoted to one Icon. Each segment ends with an extended rest period, and after each triad – three segments – a special holiday is celebrated. The three holidays are the Founding, the Cyclade (or New Year’s Eve), and the Pilgrimaria.

LAW AND ORDER: The Coriolis Guard is the keeper of the peace, both on the station and in the surrounding space, and is under the direct control of the Governor. The Judicators, who have extensive authority to investigate, make arrests, and, in some cases, punish the guilty parties at the scene of the crime, handle serious criminality. The Judicators answer to the courts, who are independent from the Governor and the Council, but who rule in accordance with the laws of the station.

GOVERNANCE: The Governor rules the station with the help of the Council of Factions and the will of the taxpayers through the 2,001 seats of the Popular Assembly. Taxes are optional, and are usually paid collectively by a company, clan, or other group to get a vote on the Assembly, but a number of wealthy individuals also hold seats – 732 people as of CC61. The price of a vote on the Assembly was 9,000 birr in CC61. The Popular Assembly votes on issues where the Governor and the Council need the support of the people. The Assembly always gets to vote in legislative matters.