Central Station

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Spacecraft Registry
Central Station
Bernalsphereartwork.jpg
Spacecraft Characteristics
Base HullBernal sphere
Drive Ratingstationkeeping only
Flag of RecordFenspace Convention
Registry NumberL5-I
Other Crewapproximately 2,500 residents
Operational StatusActive
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Genaros is a cyberpunk theme park; Island One is ‘70s kitsch. Central is aggressively European. The interior is laid out like a small town from central casting’s idea of Europe, Rural Generic. The streets are moonrock cobblestone, and laid down to suggest that some wandering band of post-Roman barbarians decided to settle there and the town just grew naturally out from around their camp. Getting lost in Central’s winding streets and alleys is a refreshing change from the heavily planned American-style road grid in Kandor and Port Luna; almost like a two-dimensional Port Phobos.

Politics is the lifeblood of Central. The locals make no attempt to disguise their ambition to become the capital city (station, habitat, whatever) of the L5 cluster. They’ve got an uphill battle ahead of them: Stellvia is the closest thing to a de facto capital in the cluster, and that’s not likely to change any time in the future. Still, the mood in Central’s many cafes and salons remains optimistic. “Scott will get bored eventually,” they say. “He’ll turn away from politics back to making money, and then we’ll have our chance to federate.”

The politically-charged atmosphere and the laid-back European landscape make for an interestingly collegiate air, and indeed several ‘Daneside institutions have established branch offices here. I spent a lazy Thursday afternoon in a pub off the market square arguing post-capitalist structures in Fenspace with an earnest young Maoist just up from the University of Otago. There are a lot of people like my debate partner, fendanes and mundanes both, living and working in Central these days. The station has an energy about it that reminds me of the heady three weeks on the Island back in 2009, when pretty much everybody aloft at the time got together and hammered out the Articles of Convention. They’re trying to build something new out here, and the place is filled with bright-eyed optimism.

I wish them the best of luck.

Malaclypse Fnord

Central finally got the political power it wanted in May 2016, when Noah Scott threw his support behind the "Clarke Group" faction resident there. All this did was shift the focus of local politics from Stellvia to Central and contained most of the political infighting to within the station; life has gone on as usual in every other station at L5.

Trivia

Artist's impression of the interior of Central Station

One of the ways that Central tried to make peace with (and subtly undermine the power of) Stellvia was by joining the L5 All-Stations. They've sent a pilot to be part of the all-L5 astroball team every year since 2013, and this has continued even after they assumed their current political status.

Central is home to the first Brubek's pub.