Nexus Station

Nexus Station, the pride, joy and pain of the Tasiv Empire. An article of extreme controversy within the Tasiv community, yet also an object of curiosity. With Nexus Station, The Tasiv Empire takes its first tentative steps into welcoming relations with the wider galaxy.

Nexus Station is a very angular looking construction, undoubtedly a sign of the rigidness embedded in Tasiv psyche. The entire station looks like it was carved out of rock, as many ancient Tasiv buildings were. It is roughly round at its center, with a jagged tapering point going up and many inverse “towers” stretching down.

The Station is the size of a small city, roughly, spanning approximately six kilometers in diameter and having multiple layers. It also functions as a city, providing lodging, food, and employment for a modest number of people.

While at first glance, the entire construction may look haphazard and oddly random, closer inspection reveals a meticulous construction pattern that appeals to the subconscious, though mostly only to the Tasiv.

There are many openings leading into private hanger bays scattered throughout the entire station, with one central hanger that dominates a good portion of the lower level.

The station orbits Tasivid, the home world of the Tasiv and the capitol of the Tasiv Empire. Tasivid is a high gravity ball of rock and sand. It has a high core temperature, making it a very undesirable place to visit. Off worlders are not allowed on the surface of Tasivid. All traffic going to and from the surface must pass through the customs station, which orbits geosynchronously above Kaphal, the capitol of the Tasiv Empire. Tasiv view their homeworld as holy ground, and thus any who attempt to intrude on these premises find themselves awakening a righteous anger within every Tasiv.

Also in orbit around Tasivid are Tasiv military shipyards which are about three hundred kilometers from Nexus Station.

=Exterior Fly Zones= The space surrounding Nexus Station is divided into three permission fly zones.

No fly zone
There is a fly zone around the High Security Storage satellite facility. The facility is equipped with several ion cannons which will automatically begin firing at any craft that gets within firing range. The only craft it won’t fire upon is the Tasiv transport Quasar, which is the only craft that can come to or from the storage facility. Any craft within six kilometers of the facility will be challenged by one of the fighter patrols in the area.

No fly zones also cover a two hundred kilometer perimeter around the shipyard and the area around the the planet itself.

Restricted Access fly zone
Ships must obtain clearance from Nexus Control before entering the Restricted Access fly zone, which surrounds a container stockyard. The stockyard is surrounded by an ion mine field and is patrolled by fighters and smaller surveillance droids.

Other restricted access fly zones are lanes of travel for private hangers. Only ships with the proper clearance may use the private hangers, and other ships will be attacked and confiscated.

Free Flight Zones
These are the free lanes of traffic in and out of Nexus. These highways are clearly marked by a string of navbouys, and are fiercely enforced. The Nexus Enforcement Team has quickly gained a reputation for not fooling around on this score, and more than one spacer has found his craft confiscated for trying to push the limits of their tolerance.

=Nexus Levels= Nexus Station is divided into multiple levels, each one with a specific purpose for a specific sort of clientèle. Level 1 is at the top, level 6 is at the bottom. There are multiple floors per level, so it is a great deal taller than a six story building.

Level 1: Commander Center
This level is set up for Tasiv only, and it is unlikely that any non-Tasiv will ever set foot in it. This section also contains the computer core for Nexi, the station computer (see below for more information about Nexi). Apart from the control room, there is also a large barracks for Tasiv here. The entire level is kept at about 105 degrees (average Tasivid temperatures) and 0 humidity.

This level is completely utilitarian. There is no wasted effort on décor or other non-necessities.

Level 2: Recreation Level
This level contains many gardens, a zoo, a casino, as well as several very high class apartments (more like houses then apartments). It is decorated with greens, plant foliage and trees. The floors are covered with a layer of stone, as are the walls. Full spectrum lights simulate sunlight, while wide, winding hallways give the feeling more of being outdoors. It is a very pleasant place and, as many of the gardens are further of the beaten path, it is tranquil. This level is not as big as the others.

Locations of interest: Gold Leaf Casino (very high class), Path’s End Hotel (also very high class), Misty’s Restaurant (also high class), public gardens.

level 3: Residential
Although there are residencies on all almost all levels, this level is the primary place for people to live. There’s a pretty wide range of apartments here, though most of them are nice places, if small. Some of the larger ones even have their own private gardens. There are also a wide variety of restaurants and bars on this level. Everything on this level is of lower standard then level 2, but is still good.

This level has lots of byways and side streets as well as wide avenues. It is well lit, well patrolled, and very orderly and structured. Decorations are much more “urban”, ranging from sculptures and fountains to other pieces of art.

Locations of interest: High Winds Casino, Chakka’s Cantina, Stone Table (restaurant)

level 4: Commercial center
This is the biggest level on Nexus Station. It is devised of two main avenues that intersect in the center of the station. This circular center is a large market place, where many vendors can set up either temporary or permanent booths to sell their wares. Street entertainers can buy a permit for 15 credits which allow them to entertain for money. A good percentage of the traffic that comes through Nexus Station passes through this level.

Locations of interest: various shops, market circle, main hanger

level 5: industrial / cargo transit / slave/animal holding facilities
Level five is a good deal seedier then the previous four. While it certainly is not less patrolled then the other levels, rules are more lax. The only areas that are well lit are along the cargo transit routes, which cargo between the pick up/drop off hangers and storage, and the manufacturing centers on the station. This makes a lot of darker back ways on this level, lit dimly. Apart from the factories, transit system and live cargo holding facilities, there are also smaller, sparsely furnished apartments for factory workers who need to stay near their work place, and a smattering of night clubs and much more untamed cantinas then on the other levels.

The Tasiv don’t care a whole lot what happens on this level, as long as it isn’t disruptive or obvious. They will, however, react quite quickly and violently to any incident which threatens the station itself or one of the businesses that has residency there. A few of the more gutsy and foolish denizens of this level have taken to swoop racing through the transit system tunnels. As, thus far, they have only raced when the tram is not in operation, the Tasiv have taken no moves to stop this.

This level also contains the terminal from where the Quasar arrives and departs from. All high security storage has to pass through this point for a routine (and extremely specific) inspection. No explosives, life forms, active electronics or transmitters of any kind are allowed on the Quasar. In other words, nothing that could potentially damage or infiltrate either the ship or the security station,

There is no decorations on this level, just straight steel decking.

Locations of interest: Deogun’s Cantina/nightclub, live cargo holding/brig, cargo hanger, transit system, high security storage terminal.

level 6: Engineering
This is a strictly Tasiv area, and any outsider caught walking around would probably be instantly under suspicion. This level contains much of the guts of the station.

Locations of interest: power generator, life support, other

=Cargo classes/loading zones= Only certain cargo types are allowed in certain areas of Nexus. Here is the break down:

Class A Cargo - Passengers - Levels 2-4 Class B Cargo - Items for sale, trade or storage, non-weapon - Levels 2-5 Class C Cargo - Weaponry, inert electronics (droids and the like) -levels 4-5 Class D Cargo - Explosives, active electronics - Level 5 Class E Cargo - Slaves, live cargo - level 5 Class F Cargo - Misc cargo - requires special permission to offload

=Main Hanger=

The main hanger looks like a 3D maze, with platforms and catwalks running every which way. Ships need only get to the hanger entrance, and a series of relay tractor beams will maneuver the ship to the assigned berth. The hanger can actually hold a great many ships more then would be expected for the space, as vertical space is efficiently used.

There is repair facility installed into the main hanger, though it is rather low key.

=Nexi=

Nexi is Nexus Station’s central computer. She is hardwired into almost every system in Nexus Station, though most tasks she relegates off to simpler computers and droids to handle.

Designed to be self-correcting and learning, Nexi is an AI that is still very young since her conception. While starting an AI with no previous personality programming is designed to yield more long term stability, it also means she’s a bit odd and unpredictable at times. She is, however, friendly and helpful, as she was designed to be, and also is highly curious. This curiosity most likely comes from her Tasiv creators, whom are by nature very curious.

There are several kiosks scattered through out the station that allow a person to interface directly with Nexi via a holographic image. She generally shows images of a female of whatever race she’s dealing with, so as to communicate better. Some of her forced programming includes protocol programming, so she is fluent in millions of languages, including subtle body language.

While the interface kiosks are not really intended for average customers to use, they are not in high security areas, so one could access them with minimal effort.