Blackrock Notes

[The Bindoner]

Blackrock has been in operation for a long time, but it has changed a lot in the last ten years.


The original facility was bombarded and left in ruin in the Sinner war. At some point, it became a known place for pirates to lie low.

Most of the original facilities were stripped out long ago, and the ruin was open to vacuum for centuries before becoming a haven for pirates to lie low. Eventually, enough pirates knew of it that it became a hub for meeting to exchange information and cargo.

The current operator has been opening up new sections of the base for some time now, turning it into a real draw for black marketeers. It seems there are very few sophonts permanently working/living on Blackrock, but there are numerous robots, performing most tasks. Even so, it is hard to see how the income from operating Blackrock (small rental/docking fees and a 5% commission on trade) can pay for the work that has been done, even with a robot workforce.

There is no hint of the involvement of GeDeCo or any other corporation/government. GeDeCo do operate a Starport at Marduk – they have an orbital Highport that services passing trade and a Downport that hosts the fishing fleet and associated processing industry.

Being a fairly long-established haven and trade post, the location of Blackrock is not too hard for people in the criminal underworld to discover.

Without precise coordinates, it is more difficult. There are many large asteroids to pick among, and even more smaller ones. The installation is well shielded and almost impossible to locate by radio signals. Several locations in the belt do emit noise, however. Some are radioactive material, some are, presumably, decoy transmitters and/or re-transmitters. (A laser comm link to a radio re-transmitter is a splendid way to confuse searchers).


The backwater nature of Marduk means there is relatively little traffic in the system as a whole, and especially beyond the small gas giant in orbit 1.

It would be possible to watch traffic entering the Belt over an extended period and work out the general area that Blackrock is in.


Blackrock started as a few breached hangars open to vacuum that could shelter a hiding pirate ship. Over the years some hangars, and parts of the complex behind them, were sealed and made habitable for longer term occupation and field repair.

At first the base belonged to whichever group held it, but the Pirate Lords of Theev decreed that it should be a neutral space, owned by no one group and open to all. It continued as a meeting place for pirates and their customers/suppliers on an ad hoc basis for years, with a gradual build up of more-or-less permanent services in occupation (a bar/trade post, a repair shop, a chandlery). About a decade ago things changed. A new player bought out the independents and refurbished the complex, turning it into the small Starport it is now.

Nobody is sure who the owner is, or if they have, indeed, met them. There is a Broker who handles trade for Blackrock, mainly over comm-link, but most trade is between visiting ships.

Whoever the controller of Blackrock is now, one thing is certain - they have the blessing of the Lords of Theev.

[The Bindoner]

Most ships land on the surface of the asteroid and the crew either take a drone transport or EVA to an airlock. For a small fee, a foil dome can be erected over a ship to shield it from sensors.

A vessel of up to 500dT can pay to use a hangar, but that favour is only for a few trusted captains.

Most of the landing pads are located in or around the craters that opened up ancient hangars, and use new airlocks built in the ruins for access to the interior. Beside each docking area there is a small complex with basic accommodation, a lounge, a suit maintenance room and a storage area for a drone truck to transport cargo containers.

Inside the asteroid are clean tunnels and chambers, brightly lit and monitored by cameras and sensors. There are several small bars, a large nightclub, vending machines at convenient locations, some small “cafe” areas, a large canteen and a theatre space. Adjacent are cheap staterooms for visitors who want to sleep away from their ships, or are waiting between vessels. One area is given over to trade, with various offices, meeting rooms and retail spaces available for rent by the hour or day. Nearby are secure storage facilities, with cargo airlocks for ship to station transfer. The warehouse spaces are variously rated to hold inert cargo, livestock, or hazardous materials. Between the warehousing and the business district, there is an auction room. Adjacent to the auction room is a sector consisting of blocks of holding-cells for the temporary accommodation and display of slaves.

On the lower level there are hotel rooms, a lounge-bar/restaurant, and a hydroponic garden. This area is more expensive to stay in, and has live staff when the station is busy. It, too, has a complement of menial and security robots.

There are other, private, sectors of Blackrock where the operators, staff and infrastructure are located. These areas are out of bounds.


The station is patrolled by service 'bots that clean and maintain the facility, and small security drones that fly around at ceiling height monitoring the area in what seems like random patterns. Dog-like robots wander the public areas, seemingly at random. The bars and canteen all have robot staff, cooks, barkeeps, waitrons and even entertainers. Many of the robots appear quite simply constructed, even home-made, but others are commercial models and some are high-end. They come in a wide variety of forms, from humanoid or animalistic to mechanistic. Most are mobile, but some are static machines. The animal-like robots are likely security 'bots, because they either lurk behind things watching or prowl about, watching. It is possible to commission the building of robots from Blackrock, the only trade-good produced here.



The whole station has a high-capacity datanet and visitors are required to register with it and create a profile. There is no need to use your real details, indeed it is probable nobody does. Secure comms can be arranged to talk privately and arrange trades. There is a small fee for using an encrypted channel. Since the entire business of Blackrock is less-than-legal trade, the station takes pride in the security of its systems, and welcomes hacking attempts by visitors. The management promises only to study your methods and patch the exploit, with a reasonable consultancy fee instead of punishment. If there are holes, they want to know them.

Of course, most people trading at Blackrock prefer to do so face-to-face, but there are those who prefer the anonymity of a digital connection.


The “public” area of Blackrock is rarely graced with the physical presence of the people who run it, but there are some human (and the occasional Vargr or Aslan) staff among the robots.


The TL is hard to determine. The robots vary from simple TL9/10 looking devices to impressive TL14 types. Some are commercial bodies, some are custom, many others look like the product of a workshop.

The entertainment models, including Personal Service model, and some of the security robots are quite sophisticated. The bartenders, “chefs”, waitrons, housekeeping and most security droids seem functional mid-tech (TL12/13), and the service, janitorial and maintenance ‘bots appear to be lower tech (TL9/10/11)

In general, the facilities appear to be around TL12.

[The Bindoner]

Docking and Facility rental:

There are three main options, with variations.

Orbit

A ship can remain in space and transfer cargo and personnel to and from Blackrock either by its own sub-craft or using drones hired from the station. Taxi drones are 50Cr, cargo is 10Cr per dT.

Surface

A ship can land on the surface of Blackrock and access the interior from there. A cargo hauler is provided and simple accommodation and storage facilities are included at the landing pad. There is a weekly 100Cr fee for using a landing pad. There are ten 500dT pads and four 1000dT pads.

Taxi drones cost 10Cr from pads and large-capacity cargo hauler rental 5Cr per dT.

Power and fuel connections are available, for a fee.

A foil dome to shield the ship from sensors (and sight) can be hired for 200Cr

A ship could land on the surface without charge, but the ship must be well away from the official landing pads.

Hangar

A ship can dock in one of the hangars. There are twelve 500dT and two 1000dT capacity spaces. (twenty-four 500dT and eight 1000dT hangars were destroyed long ago. Some of the craters from that destruction now house landing pads). The hangars are pressurised and provide a shirt-sleeve environment. Power, fuel and Life Support connections are available for a fee. Some off-ship accommodation, an office and cargo-handling and storage facilities are included as part of the hangar space.

A 500dT hangar costs 500Cr per week. Only favoured clients are given permission to dock in hangars.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

Access to the public facilities on Blackrock is free, but private space must be rented.

All business transacted on or through the station incurs a 5% commission payable by the vendor to the station.

An office is 10Cr per hour, 50Cr a day, 250Cr per week.

A simple retail space is 20Cr an hour, 100Cr a day and 500Cr a week, plus 5% commission to the station.

Slave trading is conducted either privately or in an auction room (an auction may generate higher prices than a private sale for in-demand merchandise, or it can be used to sell off unwanted stock for whatever the market will pay).

There are slave holding areas available to rent adjacent to the auction room, to facilitate showing merchandise. A section of 20 cells with a display room and office costs 750Cr per week, including basic Life Support (air, water, sanitation, two simple meals per cell per day).

Warehouse space, with attached office, is available for those who prefer to show clients their cargo off-ship. Rental is 500Cr per week for a 100dT cargo hold with office.

[The Bindoner]

Basic supplies for ships are available for purchase from the Chandlery at Blackrock: Life Support replenishment (including food), fuel, ammunition (missiles, sand, torpedoes and rail-gun projectiles), incidental spares for electrical, mechanical and engineering and other ship's sundries.

There are limited repair facilities available. Armour cannot be repaired, Structure and Hull damage cannot be restored beyond a point or two. Other Damaged components can be repaired, those Disabled may be repaired with more time and at greater cost, and Destroyed components will require replacement parts not locally available.

[The Bindoner]

There are no restrictions on the carrying of personal weapons at Blackrock.

So long as fights between visitors confine themselves to the belligerents, the station security does not intervene. Exchanges of gunfire in public areas that endanger other visitors, damage to the facilities or the use of destructive weapons provoke the security 'droids to respond with stunners and tranq.

[The Bindoner]

There is a medical facility on Blackrock. It is entirely robotic. The fees are high, but not extortionate.

[The Bindoner]

Blackrock is a strange place to an Oghman.

There is more empty space than anyone on Oghma normally sees. There are strange people and aliens, but never enough to give the place that comfortably crowded feeling of Oghma.

Accentuating all of that emptiness is the large number of robots. There are no autonomous machines on Oghma, only remotely operated devices and the occasional "smart" computer. On Blackrock every role a slave or free citizen would perform is filled by a soulless machine. It's unnerving.

[The Bindoner]

This will do as a representation of the hangar, until I draw a better version (it looks too rough, Blackrock is a very pristine, orderly place. The layout is about right though. There are 13 single-occupancy rooms and a security room between the hangar installation and the rest of the station):

[The Bindoner]

Hangar numbered w doors.jpg (105.75 KiB) Viewed 586 times

A-L: Airlock

1: Reception/Lounge/Retail space.

Desks with computer terminals and large display screens are arranged around the walls. These can be used to exhibit goods, for work or as entertainment. There is also a central table , some comfortable seating, and an automated galley.


2: Power Plant.

A small fusion plant, providing local power, and some ancillary machinery for running the hangar.

3: Pump Room.

Tanks for fuel, air, fire suppression and water, along with machinery for pumping and processing.

4: Cargo Bay

5: Hangar

6: Robot charging station and utility closet

7: Staterooms/Cells.

These basic staterooms can be converted into cells by the addition of security doors. These are fitted into brackets on the corridor wall.

8: Airlock

With decontamination showers.

9: Staterooms

These staterooms have better fixtures, and no provision for cell door fittings.

10: Vault

Five 2dT secure storage containers. Key-codes for the electronic locks are generated for each new client.

11: Lounge/Security

This old control room with an armoured glass window onto the hangar has been refitted as a private lounge. It retains the main control console, but the display is usually used to screen entertainment.

[Thumper]

It looks like there are airlocks near the numbers 4, 5 and 8. Does area 11 seal? Are any venting system controls on the station side of the airlocks to 4, 5, 8, and 11?

I'm kinda thinking we don't have to actually execute the Circus Maximus performance if the answer to those questions is "Yes". Thinking of ways to use the robots to deliver a deadly exposure to the biohazard barrel or some other chemical contaminant in the hangar complex and the ambient air onboard the Yeroaroa. The hangar complex will seal up while ship officers/raiders fight the Aslans on the station side of the airlocks. We then vent the hangar/ship complex and take possession of the ship.

Is there any mention of a bio-hazard detection system and automated response?

[Tiglath]

The hangar complex will seal up while ship officers/raiders fight the Aslans on the station side of the airlocks. We then vent the hangar/ship complex and take possession of the ship.

Is there any mention of a bio-hazard detection system and automated response?

Unless we can make that a very local response that triggers no alarms then we're "coming to notice" which I suspect is just "bad form" in a place built as a temple to "getting away with it".

Unleashing an actual bioweapon onboard would get us of Theev's Xmas card list straightaway. They would surely be beyond "miffed" and entirely into "put out". I believe that would be a bad thing per se.

Just mentioning it on the grounds that we do actually own one...

[The Bindoner]

Post by Thumper » Mon Oct 31, 2022 3:47 am
It looks like there are airlocks near the numbers 4, 5 and 8. Does area 11 seal? Are any venting system controls on the station side of the airlocks to 4, 5, 8, and 11?

I have marked the airlocks and added some doors that I felt were needed.

The small airlocks around areas 2 and 3 are standard ship airlocks, the larger ones exiting areas 1, 4 and 5 are stronger, with heavy blast-doors.

Area 11 does not have a door into the hangar. It has a large armoured window (laminated layers of glass and polymer). There is a metal blast-door that can drop down to cover it, and will form a pressure seal in case the glass is breached.


The venting system is designed to be automatic, or controlled by the station admin remotely. There are emergency manual controls, but they are operated from the pump room (area 3)

There are huge blast-doors just off the bottom of the map, sealing the hangar entrance.

Is there any mention of a bio-hazard detection system and automated response?

This threat is not specifically assigned a discrete protocol. Presumably, the chemical contamination protocol applies.

[The Bindoner]

The hangar complex will seal up while ship officers/raiders fight the Aslans on the station side of the airlocks. We then vent the hangar/ship complex and take possession of the ship.

Is there any mention of a bio-hazard detection system and automated response?

Unless we can make that a very local response that triggers no alarms then we're "coming to notice" which I suspect is just "bad form" in a place built as a temple to "getting away with it".

Unleashing an actual bioweapon onboard would get us of Theev's Xmas card list straightaway. They would surely be beyond "miffed" and entirely into "put out". I believe that would be a bad thing per se.

Just mentioning it on the grounds that we do actually own one...

Assuming you could safely breach the container, and there is a viable bio-weapon inside, then yes, unleashing it in Blackrock would be a display of poor manners egregious enough to constitute an abuse of hospitality.

Unless you managed to avoid detection, restrict the spread, and decontaminate all traces of the event. Not impossible.

However, using a potential planet-killer to overcome a small band of Aslan seems like overkill, and perhaps a poor use of resources.

[The Bindoner]

When Leon went shopping for smokes and drinks, Manfred was a friendly guide, steering him past the "standard" booths in the hospitality zone, selling via touch-screen to the stores in the commercial sector, with humanoid robotic staff.

There is limited inventory, and stock availability, for good quality alcohol, tobacco, and other luxury items, and the prices reflect that scarcity. The lower quality options are more abundant, and cheaper.