Last Gas
From Reach
Buried several hundred meters below the surface, Last Gas has the distinction of being the only permanent settlement actually within the Equatorial Desert.
Contents |
History
The richest Carbon 122 deposit on the planet was long thought inaccessible. Several hundred meters below solid bedrock, well within the Equatorial Desert. Establishing a permanent presence in the desert is extremely challenging. Anything expected to last more than a day must be buried deep underground, but digging more than a few dozen meters into the sand is no small task. Hoping for similar deposits nearby, carbon prospectors began mapping the surrounding bedrock. They found none, but their subterranean cartography revealed a massive rock formation over the deposit, extending well into the northern Tropical Belt.
Within weeks, the colony Esperanza Nueva began a massive tunneling operation. The work was hard, dangerous, and slow, costing several thousand lives over eight years. By the time the tunnel was complete, the colony was nearly bankrupt, and could only establish a small extraction operation. Cutting corners to save money led to several accidents, with great loss of life. The mining operation never produced enough Carbon 122 to pay back it's cost, and the prime colony Esperanza Nueva was eventually abandoned.
The carbon operation survived, with approximately 50 workers making a decent living for themselves. Years later, a complete map of Baal's canyon showed that the still unnamed operation could be the gateway to a new Twilight corridor. The passage out was much shorter than the passage in, steeply ascending to the surface, and was completed in only a few months time. The operation became a popular stop for travelers waiting for their window, and eventually took the name "Last Gas," which it keeps to this day.
The carbon mines and refineries still produce wealth. Most travelers barter food and other supplies for services and fuel, and the buried little village is doing quite well for itself.
Location
Last Gas is located on the northern end of Baal's Canyon, a 500 kilometer long rocky canyon crossing much of the Equatorial Desert and ending in the southern Tropical Belt. The steep canyon walls provide limited shade, and some protection from sandstorms, creating an effective Twilight Corridor. Baal's canyon is part of the Devil's Trail, and sees significant action during The Trans-Polar. A fifty kilometer underground passage leads one of two surface entrances to the settlement, a heavy blast door in the northern Tropical Belt. The other entrance is a series of 15 heavy, insulated doors leading to out to the mouth of the canyon. Underneath Last Gas one of the planet's most rich Carbon 122 deposit, allowing the colony to produce it's own fuel.
Population
Last Gas has a regular population approximately 100 Carbon miners and refinery workers. Last Gas produces enough Carbon 122 to easily meet the population's financial needs, but they rely on the outside world for all of their food, potable water, and other supplies. Travelers going into Last Gas expecting to barter away some Tins won't get very far, but a few pounds of fruit can get your ATV fixed or buy you a night's stay on a miner's couch. At Last Gas, Nutrifood fetches three times the price it does on the surface.
Most of the workers rent out space to travelers needing a place to wait until twilight allows for a crossing. Other workers moonlight as mechanics and barter their services for sundries. Most of the year, traders from the northern hemisphere frequently visit Last Gas to purchase fuel to export to other colonies. During the The Trans-Polar, another few hundred opportunists move in; Mechanics, arms dealers, and prostitutes from nearby colonies flock to the area, hoping to make some money off the racers.
