04-24-2007, 01:24 AM
The Earth Ring Station was constructed over the course of two centuries, before the war that nearly destroyed the planet Earth itself. It consists of three massive rings that intersect at perpindicular angles to one another, perfectly quartering the planet. At each intersection of these tubes is a massive node where megacities have been built, each capable of housing billions of people.
The megacities are each self-sufficient with the exception of food production. while they grow impressive amounts of food themselves in hydroponic gardens, it is not nearly enough for them to support their entire populations. As such the primary import of the Earth Ring Station is food.
Power is generated through a combination of fusion generators, photovoltaic cells on the surface of the station and a unique fluid system that generates power by circulating fluid throughout the rings of the station by the heating/cooling action of the sun on the surface of the station.
The rings of teh station are used for the dual purpose of docking ships, both large and small, and fabrication/industrial activity, as well as additional housing, mostly for transients although many permanent residents choose to live in the rings as well since that allows them to stay closer to their work.
The normal, permanent population of the Earth Ring Station is in the neighborhood of forty billion, making it by far the most populace center for human habitation in known space.
Each of the megacity nodes is equiped with everything anyone could need including housing, schools, recreation, shopping, public parks, and anything else a person might need. An additional, long-unused feature of each of these cities are the six orbital elevator shafts that were once, more than five-hundred years ago, used to efficiently move large and small payloads from teh surface of the Earth to the space station. Most people no longer even remember the existance of these facilities, let alone where they might actually be located.
The megacities are each self-sufficient with the exception of food production. while they grow impressive amounts of food themselves in hydroponic gardens, it is not nearly enough for them to support their entire populations. As such the primary import of the Earth Ring Station is food.
Power is generated through a combination of fusion generators, photovoltaic cells on the surface of the station and a unique fluid system that generates power by circulating fluid throughout the rings of the station by the heating/cooling action of the sun on the surface of the station.
The rings of teh station are used for the dual purpose of docking ships, both large and small, and fabrication/industrial activity, as well as additional housing, mostly for transients although many permanent residents choose to live in the rings as well since that allows them to stay closer to their work.
The normal, permanent population of the Earth Ring Station is in the neighborhood of forty billion, making it by far the most populace center for human habitation in known space.
Each of the megacity nodes is equiped with everything anyone could need including housing, schools, recreation, shopping, public parks, and anything else a person might need. An additional, long-unused feature of each of these cities are the six orbital elevator shafts that were once, more than five-hundred years ago, used to efficiently move large and small payloads from teh surface of the Earth to the space station. Most people no longer even remember the existance of these facilities, let alone where they might actually be located.