3.1 - Starbase 65
Alpha State
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Contrasting Environments
We've talked a lot about Free Zones and Corporate Zones, but what's the difference on a personal level? How does it feel to exist in one space, as opposed to the other? The following examples aren't all-encompassing, but should give at least a picture of some of the most noticeable differences.
Corporate Zones
- Tech is usually ICS-based; non-physical interfaces, nano-scale at its largest, and all heavily corporate branded. Smooth, easy to use, heavily monitored and controlled.
Free Zones
- Tech exists in standard corporate capacity, but punks and gangs use a lot of hardtech. Old school CPUs, monitors, keyboards, with physical wires connecting everything.
Just as SB65 is divided by Sectors, it's fairly effectively divided horizontally as well. Most of these divides are social or economic; if you just can't afford the housing or businesses on a level then you don't go there, likewise if you can afford better than a certain level you've no reason to go there either.
Social Connections
Technically each Social Level consists of many floors, levels, or what have you; some areas are as short as ten floors, some can be as tall as twenty-five or more. The thickness of a Social Level can even vary from one habcell to another. What keeps them together is a sense of shared identity. People from each social level think of themselves as more alike than people from higher or lower levels. They value different things, which shapes how they communicate. If somebody from the exec levels ever went to a hatchtown, aside from being mug-bait they'd have a hard time communicating with people, simply because the things they choose to talk about, or the questions they might ask, don't mean anything to people down there.
By way of extending that example, we can think about an exec who decided to slum it in Hatchville for a while. One day, while at a speakeasy, he ends up being threatened by some local thugs. He's not worried about it, because back home up top he's got the weight of his father's money and he knows exactly how to intimidate people. So he intimidates the thugs by threatening to have their $Index portfolios flatlined. It's a very serious threat, and he genuinely can make it happen; he's done it before, destroyed the lives of schoolmates. The thugs erupt into laughter, then close in for the kill. The exec's threat meant nothing to these people, who wouldn't even know what a positive $Index portfolio looked like.
You see what I mean? The values we hold shape the ways in which we communicate, and the ways we communicate shape the course of every interaction we have. It can be difficult to have simple social interactions when talking to someone from such a different social background.
Basic Layout
Described below are the different social levels, from "lowest" (farthest from SB65's centerpoint) to "highest" (closest to SB65's centerpoint).
Hatchtowns
Outside the station superstructure is an array of shuttles, spacecraft, slicers, and cargo containers locked together, access hatch to access hatch. Every hatchtown consists of at least five units, some can have hundreds. Each town has its own name, and some consider themselves wholly separate from SB65, with their own laws. Hatchville, the oldest and largest of these, even considers itself outside the jurisdiction of Neuro Corp. This claim is heavily contested by Neuro Corp.
Although not officially part of SB65, hatch-towns are a known quantity. People live in them, and you can find almost anything you need; merchants, speakeasies, barbers, printer farms, anything. Some people live their whole lives here. Those who do travel to or from a hatchtown usually take slicers or shuttles; almost nobody cuts through the engineering levels, for safety reasons and for simply saving time.
Life in a hatchtown is hard. The only beds are found in larger shuttles, space buses, old train cars, or cargo containers; all of which are claimed by the people who own or have the strength to claim them. Most folk sleep wherever they can find the space; the floor of a container, one of the side corridors in a spacecraft, an unused bathroom, or a random exit hatch.
People sleep, cook, build, and live however they can. It's cramped, and the population density is extremely high. It also usually comes with a lot of community. Most people don't travel far, so they tend to know everyone in the vicinity. They look out for each other, they share cultures, struggles, and values. Some hatchtowns can become very tight-knit communities.
Engineering Levels
The deepest sections of SB65's superstructure, the areas furthest from its center, are generally reserved for heavy machinery. Water refineries, fuel depots, power generators, long term batteries, temporary refuse storage, and other similar things dominate the level. It's dark here, with little in the way of safety measures. Some areas aren't even protected from space.
Between all of this, through maintenance crawl-ways, trash chutes, and giant machinery, live the poorest of the poor. They scrounge and steal what they can, usually not living very long at all. From time to time, one community or another will crop up, scraped together by people struggling to build their own society in a desperate place. Those communities rarely last long, but can provide some warmth among the unforgiving machinery.
Storage Levels
Originally built for long term storage, these levels are dominated by warehouse spaces. Some are cavernous chambers that could fit mid-size starships, and others are clusters of small individual storage rooms. Many are still used for storage, especially by gangs and orgs housing unregulated goods, but just as many have been converted into small towns and settlements of those who can't live up above. They've got too much debt, bounty, or both.
Life here is very quiet and dark. The lighting was never intended for living conditions, and temperature control exists only in more advanced storage areas, so it's usually pretty cold. Outside the community-converted storage areas, these levels are a maze of dark, endless corridors. It's a good place to get stabbed, or worse.
Habitation Levels
When SB65 was first built, these levels were the only ones intended for long term habitation. They're built in an efficient system of clusters of housing areas, business areas, hydroponics and other immediate needs, all centered around a central social area. At the time these were very roomy accommodations, intended only for scientists and their support staff.
Now, life here is cramped. Apartments built for one person now house several families, and larger family apartments house families that run mom-n-pop shops. Hydroponic gardens are either destroyed to make more living space, or they exist to be viciously fought over. The old central social areas remain, and they usually become a local bazaar where people hawk any kind of merchandise you might want (most of which you don't actually need).
Deck Plates
When the population grew too big for the original interior, people started building on the station's concave exterior. Now, those original constructions are crushed beneath dozens of floors above, all but forgotten by those at the top. Here there is an odd mix of prefab buildings modified for permanence, crowded foot-traffic streets packed in with vehicles, street food vendors, parades of brightly lit desperate joy, and a mass of humanity.
Anyone who lives here learns to watch their back and their pockets; if you're not paying attention, you'll lose something. Yes, even from your tightest pockets. Every alley is a place to get knifed, every social area is a place to get trampled, and every little street restaurant is a tiny island of respite in the chaos. Up above, the higher levels loom like judgmental gods, and air traffic soars in every direction.
Street Levels
When life on the deck plates turned into a more permanent thing, people desperate for more space began expanding upward. The street levels are actually many floors above the deck plates, but there's such a mismash of sky bridges, walkways, and interconnected buildings that nobody here has any reason to ever go down to the deck plates. Just beneath these walkways is an endless rush of air traffic, but nobody on these levels pays much mind.
As crowded as the deck plates below, life on the street levels is busy and dangerous. People here aim to survive today; they'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here. Some of the most common living here is renting one-person sleeping pods next to a laundromat, or paying the exorbitant fees for a long term hotel cube.
Mid-Streets
Above the base street levels, the mid-streets are essentially a continuation of the same collections of bridges, walkways, and building connections that make it unnecessary to go to any other levels. These levels are a bit more comfortable than those below, and a little less comfy than the ones above. They're like the Goldilocks of the so-called street levels, but it actually kinda sucks.
Housing here consists of actual apartments, but they're usually old pre-fab affairs built more for efficiency than any kind of personal space or comfort (think Korben Dallas' apartment). You can cram a lot of people into any apartment when all the beds, appliances, and even the bathroom can fold into the walls.
High-Streets
Originally built as the "luxury" levels, back when they were the highest levels on the station, life here is a lot comfier than below. Most of the sidewalks are actually moving walkways, and they even work! Just like the lower two street levels, the high-streets are a latticework of interconnected bridges, walkways, and structures, but up here things are a bit nicer. Buildings are more well maintained, at least.
Housing here is fairly comfortable. It's old, with worn carpets and doors that get stuck until you hit them just right, but it was at least originally built for comfort. Apartments have more in the way of personal space, some even have full kitchens or even a garage. Nobody actually wealthy lives here anymore, but the people who live here now can at least pretend they get to enjoy what used to be the luxury of wealth.
Upper Levels
When the rich started getting richer, the high-streets weren't good enough anymore. So they built ever upward, and this time they aimed for more luxury. There's fewer bridges and walkways here, because most homes have a garage for slicers, shuttles, and other flying vehicles. Businesses on these levels tend to have fewer customers and exorbitant prices, restaurants are calm and quiet and don't list any prices.
Not only are homes here built for comfort and luxury, they're built for security. Most don't have any direct connections to levels below or above them, neither foot nor elevator. Cops actually patrol the gardens, public squares, and shopping centers of these levels, at least in corporate zones. In free zones, these places are equally heavily guarded by gang soldiers.
New Levels
As ever, some rich people got even richer, so they wanted better. They built multi-level mansions and whole sprawling complexes to live in. Here there are no bridges, no walkways, and all public areas are heavily guarded. These levels are quiet, almost contemplative.
Homes here are built for genuine luxury and personal space. These are mansions by every definition, with back rooms and hallways so the wait staff can remain unseen. Many even have luxurious pools, where residents can relax and watch the city around them.
Exec Levels
Finally, above it all, top execs build their homes like castles reaching up into the stars. Here, gigantic mansions with half a dozen levels exist for the comfort of one single person. There are no stores here, because the residents don't shop; they need nothing. Restaurants are cavernous, luxurious, and serve real food. In free zones, these levels are usually claimed by the most powerful gang bosses.
Starbase 65 is a megastructure in the truest sense. It's roughly the size of a planet, its interior is an unmapped honeycomb of hatchways and chambers, and its concave exterior is an endless city sprawl of multi-kilometer buildings. Making your way anywhere across the station, or moving through its myriad levels of crushing humanity, is never a simple thing.
Travel Options
When you need to travel to a different area, these rules can help you abstract the trip. The purpose isn't to tell a side-story about the trip over there, rather it's meant to be a quick determination of what happened along the way. Did nothing happen? Awesome, lucky you, move on with the next Scene. Did something happen? Bad luck friend, let's see how it affects you; when you start the next Scene, decide how the events of your travel would affect things.
Foot/Mobility Travel
You can always hoof it, or use personal mobility. This is the cheapest option by default, unless you run into a toll bridge or paid elevator, have to pay tribute to a local family or gang, or you just flat-out get mugged. There's also a limit, because eventually you'll reach a point where there's no bridge, stairs, or sidewalks that continue in the direction you need to go. This method of travel also takes the longest, which may be a problem depending on your story.
Rideshare Travel
There's lots of rideshare apps. Their primary advantage is that you can pay in $cratch, but most drivers are only willing to go so far. There's also the risk they'll take a wrong turn through a toll tunnel, cross gang or family territory and have to pay tribute, and you're always on the hook for those. And if the driver decides to drive you into deadly territory and say "pay up or get out here," that's expensive too.
Cab Company Travel
Basically the same thing as rideshare apps, cab companies differ in that the drivers are under contract with the corp that owns said contract (and most likely their car). They're a little more reliable, but corps don't accept $cratch so your only option is to pay on the $Index. Which means, if you're most people, this isn't even an option.
Monorail Travel
The SB65 monorail system was built decades ago, and it shows. The thing rattles and shakes like it's gonna come apart, but it'll usually get you where you need to go. If you don't have a membership you'll just pay the ticket cost, which means you're in a regular seat for the duration of your journey. Alternatively you can try to sneak on with a DN13 STK Check. If you do sneak on, you'll have to make continued STK Checks to avoid being caught; usually one check per border crossed.
Lightrail Travel
Still pretty new in the grand scheme of things, only about a decade old, the lightrail runs on a beam of hardlight that it generates on its own. This gives it all the advantages of a train plus the freedom of a personal vehicle as it weaves in between starscrapers. It's also the smoothest ride you've ever had, plus every seat is comfortably plush. If you don't have a membership you'll pay full ticket price and sit in a regular (tho very comfy) seat. You can sneak on with a DN17 STK Check, plus another one for each border crossed to avoid being spotted.
Vehicle Travel
If you've got your own vehicle, that's usually a great option. If you do, then happy travels to you! Except, of course, there's always the chance you'll have a wreck, get lost, get carjacked, or any number of other dangers along the way. You see why most people just stay local?
Cross-Station Travel
Whenever you need to travel somewhere, here's a quick game system to help you narrate the process. (1) Choose your travel method and pay its initial cost, (2) make an STK Check based on your chosen travel method, (3) reach your destination, having either suffered some consequence, paid extra money, or arrived safely. Easy!
If you're not crossing any HabSec borders, cut the Initial Cost and Base Time in half. Some travel methods aren't available based on how far you're traveling.
| Travel |
Initial |
Base |
|
DN by No. of HabSec Borders |
| Method |
Cost |
Time |
STK Check |
0 |
1-2 |
3-5 |
6-9 |
10+ |
| Foot/Mob. |
— |
2 hr/border |
Quick + Fitness + Transit |
13 |
16 |
19 |
— |
— |
| Rideshare |
$c3,500/border |
10 mn/border |
Cool + Social + Transit |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
— |
| Cab Co. |
1$/border |
10 mn/border |
Cool + Social + Transit |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
— |
| Monorail |
1$/border |
1 hr/border |
Cool + Awareness + Transit |
— |
16 |
15 |
14 |
13 |
| Lightrail |
4$/border |
20 mn/border |
Cool + Awareness + Transit |
— |
— |
13 |
12 |
11 |
| Vehicle |
— |
10 mn/border |
Techie + Vehicles + [Relevant] |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
Vertical Travel
Moving vertically through SB65 can be a fairly simple process, but never a straight line. The more levels you travel through, the more gangs, muggers, police checkpoints, structural risks, and other dangers you might run into.
When traveling vertically, it's assumed you're traveling on foot or mobility. If you're traveling by vehicle, use the cross-station travel system above. To use this system just (1) pick your travel method, (2) make a Quick + Fitness + Transit STK Check, and (3) compare against the table below to see whether you made it without any complications. Note that some travel methods have restrictions, or are simply not available on certain Social Levels.
The Base Time for vertical travel is 10 minutes per Social Level. If you're traveling vertically within the same Social Level, it either takes 5 minutes or doesn't require a check at all. There is no Initial Cost for vertical travel.
|
DN by Social Level Destination |
| Starting Point |
Hatch |
Engin |
Stor |
Hab |
Deck |
Street |
Mid |
High |
Upper |
New |
Exec |
| Exec Levels |
25 |
22 |
19 |
17 |
15 |
13 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
— |
| New Levels |
22 |
19 |
17 |
15 |
13 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
— |
8 |
| Upper Levels |
20 |
18 |
16 |
14 |
12 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
— |
9 |
10 |
| High-Levels |
18 |
16 |
14 |
12 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
— |
9 |
10 |
11 |
| Mid-Levels |
17 |
15 |
13 |
12 |
11 |
10 |
— |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
| Streets |
15 |
13 |
12 |
11 |
10 |
— |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
15 |
| Deck Plates |
14 |
13 |
12 |
11 |
— |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
| Habitation |
13 |
12 |
11 |
— |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
| Storage |
13 |
12 |
— |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
17 |
19 |
21 |
23 |
| Engineering |
12 |
— |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
17 |
19 |
21 |
23 |
26 |
| Hatchtowns |
— |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
22 |
24 |
27 |
30 |
Travel Problems
If your STK Check for travel fails, for either cross station or vertical, roll on this table to decide what went wrong. Sometimes, depending on story or circumstance, the Narrator might decide something more specific happened.
| d100 |
Cost |
Time |
Events |
Effects |
| 01-08 |
— |
x1.2 |
— |
— |
| 09-15 |
+$c15,000
or 1$ debt |
x1.4 |
— |
— |
| 16-23 |
+$c20,000
or 1$ debt |
x1.8 |
— |
— |
| 24-31 |
— |
x1.8 |
Mugged; lose all $cratch on you. |
— |
| 32-39 |
+$c25,000
or 2$ debt |
x2 |
— |
— |
| 40-46 |
— |
x2 |
Had a convo with someone who turned out to be an Ad AI. |
1 Dissonance |
| 47-54 |
— |
x2 |
Mugged; Lose all $cratch on you. |
1 Apathy |
| 55-62 |
+$c35,000
or 3$ debt |
x3 |
— |
— |
| 63-69 |
— |
x3 |
Waited for a car/elevator/etc. that turned out to just be a neuroholo art piece. |
1 Dissonance |
| 70-77 |
— |
x3 |
Mugged; Lose all $cratch on you; gain lightly injured/damaged. |
1 Apathy |
| 78-85 |
+$c50,000
or 4$ debt |
x4 |
— |
— |
| 86-92 |
— |
x4 |
Tried using a bridge or tunnel that turned out to be a neuroholo from a prank streamer. |
1 Dissonance |
| 93-100 |
— |
x4 |
Mugged; Lose all $cratch you; gain badly injured/damaged. If you're in a personal vehicle, it gets stolen. |
1 Apathy |
Cost applies an increase to the Initial Cost of your journey; if you paid $cratch, use that; if you used the $Index, you gain a temporary debt. This is an abstraction, which you can describe in any number of ways. Maybe you took a wrong turn and accidentally got funneled through a toll booth (or multiple); or you got scammed with inflated prices; or you accidentally traveled during peak traffic when prices get jacked up.
Time applies a multiplier to the Base Time. Again, this is an abstraction. Maybe you chose the wrong street, or you flat-out went the wrong direction, or you got completely lost, or you forgot that there was a parade in one part of town. SB65 is a busy, complex place with lots of things that can screw up your journey.
Events determines whether something specific went wrong. If nothing is listed, you can make up whatever you like. If it does describe something, you can flavor it however you like; if things went badly enough, you also got hurt along the way. Keep in mind the damage category you gain here applies as it does in combat: if you already bear that negative state, increase it to the next highest value which you don't already bear.
Effects is a simple binary of whether you built Apathy or Dissonance from the thing that went wrong. If you do, try to imagine how that happened. Maybe being mugged was especially rough this time; or maybe it was unrelated and you witnessed another murder along the way, or any number of things. Let the abstraction fuel your storytelling.
But That Wouldn't Happen!
It's entirely possible that you might feel it ridiculous that your character would be mugged along the way; especially that you would have no say in the matter. Perhaps you're built for combat, or you're a Heavy, or both! It might seem incongruous that you can be fighting corporate power one minute, and mugged on a monorail car the next. I encourage you to roll with it, because that's life in NeoNeuro. Combat is incredibly dangerous and best avoided, even if you're specifically trained for it. Muggers know this and use it to their advantage.
If you're built specifically for combat and you get mugged, use this as a narrative moment. Try to decide how it happened, why it worked, what they did to catch you off guard. If you're especially upset about it, you can always try to track down whoever did it. Maybe you can get back your ill-gotten goods. Maybe, if you're lucky, they're not using your $cratch to pay off the lukemia treatments for their infant child.