Ore Belt Region

The very first attempts at colonizing space were centered around a resource necessity: metals and rare minerals. Centuries of war and development had stripped the Earth of much of these materials, necessitating exploration and colonization of space. As research was focused on helping humans survive within space, it only made sense that the first colonies were built for zero-g environments, similar to the ships that carried them.

The first colony models were built no differently than the ships of the era, simply being larger and having more internal space. Standard models existed for a time, but as the available space changed based on the asteroid they were attempting to colonize, more adaptable structural models began to emerge, and soon enough a history of vastly different looking colonies emerged. As space technology advanced, modern colony technologies began to emerge, though using the rigidity of the asteroid provided. Torus rings and O’neill cylinders built into huge asteroids, allowing entire cities worth of people.

As time progressed, these colonies became less and less common. Many of the earlier ones were temporary, and once the resources were tapped out, the colony facilities were abandoned. Larger ones became more permanent locations, with entire industries coexisting. Even should a large colony run out of immediate resources, its general location, size, and facilities can enable its people to continue living there- tapping resources from nearby asteroids.

Still, the population found within the Ore Belt region is relatively small compared to other areas within the system. It’s also not nearly as economically important, and often results in the region being poorer than others. Old political ties have worn away over time, essentially making the region ‘forgotten’ in terms of geopolitics. This has opened it up to the interest of pirates, smugglers, and other similarly-minded folk, who often have a symbiotic relationship with the remaining population living there, providing needed resources while simultaneously protecting them, in exchange for basic spacefaring necessities the colonies produce and a hiding place.

There are still sections of the region that are unofficially claimed by big political players, in particular the ESU. These sections are used as makeshift ship factories, military outposts, and other things. It is widely believed that the region was used for much of the ESU’s prototype machine testing during the 6MW.