Plotting and Planning

[andrav]

Yeah, I am liking the commentary that gender and capitalism are existentially linked somehow. Lol. But also really appreciate a world where gender is a ridiculous concept now or very outdated.

But, yeah, I do think there are cell blocks with different levels of security and sectors/cohorts of people.

[Zyriel]

Couple of questions.

1. I had anticipated cell blocks, like a usual prison and based on the meta thread. At first when you read Auryn's recent post I worried the description didn't match but I think it could match. Auryn said "Three sides of this level" so I wonder if the cell blocks occupy their own levels. Would that make sense or were you (Auryn) picturing only one cell block for the whole station?

   Auryn's Answer: I was definitely imagining many cell blocks, each on their own levels with their own work areas and equipments...and perhaps different "security" levels if different folks pose different risks or need higher security. Andra and I have said that we consider the area where Anya and XJ are is kinda lower security

2. So you are thinking the work/mining area is also specific to each cell block rather than a centralized area that any inmates deemed safe for that role would go to during their work session? Mostly don't want to step on anything you have envisioned accidentally.
3. Auryn, I want to reference Anya's arrival. Some options I can think of is that Hamish was a responding guard when Anya arrived, the Jeromy/Jeremy you mentioned was, or other guards that haven't been named and aren't currently relevant. Wanted to see if you had a preference.

[Auryn]

You got my thoughts about Question 1

For Question 2, as in messenger: It'd make sense to share some work spaces with different shifts, but it also would make sense for there to be other work levels as well for other tasks, maybe. Who knows? Although, I am imagining a fairly large space station. If you're going to build a huge space station for mining, you might as well save money and make a few big and capable ones, rather than a whole ton of small ones all needing their own...stuff (engines, etc)

Question 3: I searched and apparently had actually named him Gerald. I can change it to Jeremy if that makes the most sense. I'm good with Hamish being the person who dealt with Anya's wardrobe arrival debacle. We could also play out that scene if it's ever relevant. Anya's reference to Gerald was hinting at some time when Anya wandered the prison without any clothes a different time. I'm not sure what that time was, but Gerald made her go put on her jumpsuit, and she feels fairly cross about it.

Two additions about the station that I had thoughts about:
1. There are probably at least two levels on opposite "sides" of the station, like top and bottom, that are massive forests. These would likely be super off limits to prisoners, but they would help with any tech in recycling air. If you have it on top and bottom, diffusion allows for ventilation systems to be a little less energy intensive. Something to keep in mind if any of us break out of the prisoner areas.

2. Uh... gravity. I dunno why we didn't think of gravity yet. Or maybe we answered this already somewhere else and I forgot. Centripetal force seems to make the most sense to me in order for us to be experiencing gravity, however loading a cargo bay while spinning would be no easy task, even for a precise drone. Probably doable, but also maybe impractical. I suppose the easy and cheap solution would be to stop the spin at a certain time every day for asteroid loading. That made me think that the prisoners would also lose this gravity, but I suppose if the prison level is on a different spinning segment, then maybe not. If the solution is centripetal force, then we're looking at a tube-ish station with spinning segments of livable rooms. That would also mean that any central shaft or area would not have gravity. Anyway, thought I'd ask the question.

[Zyriel]

Ok so to recap some of my understanding:

• Multiple cell blocks - I was going to recap Auryn's description of what a cell block looks like but I'm having trouble working out how to picture it from the description. I take it each cell block has it's own automated cafeteria?, and there are corridors leading away from the cell block to other things such as other cell blocks, guard stations and living quarters, the re-education room(s) and the lifts to the processing plant(s)
• Multiple, though much fewer, mining/processing plant rooms - maybe the process different minerals or different sizes of rock/material
• Inmates work in the processing plant rooms in shifts
• Gravity is granted via centripetal force - I don't think drones would have much trouble docking with the moving parts of the station. But if you do then they could bring the asteroid pieces in through the central column and maybe there's some machinery in there that pushes them though a hatch at just the right time, when they line up as things turn, so they're then in a spoke and can be transported to a processing room.
• Oxygen scrubbing is performed by forests - I'm curious about the sunlight needs of a forest, might it be something more like algae tanks?
• There are levels dedicated to non-inmate activity such as oxygen scrubbing, probably drone maintenance and docking, and likely the guards' living quarters
• Hamish can be the person who dealt with Anya on arrival, and we could set that up as a thread later - I can also make use of that Gerald comment and assume Anya elected to go nude on another occasion (apparently to Gerald's dismay) if you are into that

I think this covers what was discussed in FB messenger too. Holler if I got anything wrong but that should answer what I needed to adjust what I had written so far and move toward a post/reply. Thanx

[andrav]

I just gotta say that I really appreciate how technical this is getting! It really not my strongsuit, so I'm grateful for the effort, creativity, and knowledge you both are bringing there! Thank you!

I'm on board with the description of the cell blocks and processing rooms. I think the drones can hone in just fine, though I think it would be pretty awesome for the characters to lose gravity once a day. That would be very enjoyable to describe. Lol. Maybe that's before or after count. Not sure.

XJ loves the idea of a forest! Once she finds out about that, she's going to want to spend time up there whenever possible (illegally, of course). Maybe that's on the top level of the space station? Or the bottom one.

No personal preference on previous stories with Anya and Hamish/Gerald, but happy for whatever wants to happen there.

Also, I think I might want to throw in another one of my characters, Jaz, when it becomes relevant. I was thinking that maybe Dolly/Anya might get split up or maybe Jaz has to teach XJ the ropes, not sure. I'm also not totally sure why she's in prison yet, but I have been wanting to get to know her, and this might be a good opportunity.

[Zyriel]

Description of Hamish:

• If you picture David Madsen you'll be pretty on target
• Anglo Saxon type white dude
• Brown hair
• Moustache, kinda bushy
• jar head haircut
• 5' 10" or so
• Medium to slender build
• Brown eyes
• Mid/late 20's
• Wears a guard uniform with combat boots. I'm comfortable not defining what this uniform looks like specifically and if you have an opinion so be it
• Carries a shock baton, which is a telescoping baton that can deliver an electric shock. I assume this is standard issue for the guards
• I'm assuming the guards do not have fire-arms. Seems like a bad idea in a space ship but if you think different then he has whatever is standard issue. Perhaps there is an arms locker on the station? I dunno.

[Auryn]

All that looks good. I think trees and underbrush is probably the thing, likely a top amd bottom level is dedecated to plants. I had figured they would help in a big way with O2 scrubbing, but I assume there is also technology helping in tandem. Powerful grow lights should be enough to grow the plants, and Oh-bee probably maintains them. I would guess there's some kind of park for guards amd any visitors, but it's probably mostly just a level devoted to packing in plants.

The more I think about it, the more I am fairly certain that docking vessels would have to come in with non-spinning areas. Rotating, maybe, but getting a fast enough orbit around a station that doesn't create its own gravity well would take just too much energy and would also be a logistical nightmare. Ore and passengers would have to come through the central shaft. On that topic, I think the prisoner transport orbs are probably designed to dock, and then immediately get funneled to the cell block where they open, so I don't think it changes the story.

I think describing 0 gravity sounds fantastic, but we'll probably not experience it until some malfunction, or sneaking into the central shaft somehow, or similar. All that said, there would probably be leather straps underneath the beds that one could strap themselves in for safety, and all loose items would likely have places to securely stow them in case of emergency loss of spin (and gravitational functions).

[Zyriel]

I think top/outer level(s) devoted to plants, and lower/inner levels devoted to mining makes sense to me. That puts the mining operations closest to where the materials will come in/out.

So working from the inside out:

1. Mining/Processing operations
2. Inmate habitat
3. Guard habitat, admin offices, maintenance, storage, and machinery
4. Plants

?

You're other comments also make sense to me.

[andrav]

Sounds great to me! I'm on board! So ready for gravity malfunctions! Yes!

I do sort of doubt that this prison would allow visitors, though, so I don't think a park is necessary. And the guards are probably accustomed to rotating out for leisure months, so I don't think they really need amenities.