The wind screaming past the outer hull diminished as the spacecraft pushed free of Earth's atmosphere and into the soundless vacuum of space. The needle-shaped rocket, with dorsal and ventral fins for flight control in atmospheric environments, deactivated its rear facing engine. The pull of the planet's gravity field was enough to slow the ship's momentum as the craft approached orbit, requiring less use of the ship's thrusters to slow for docking with station Venture.
The station was composed of two great rings in parallel to each other. Four spokes, like the primary directions on a compass, reached inward to the rings' center where they connected to the cylindrical hull of Venture's central shaft. Hangar bays were located on opposing ends of the main cylinder where massive rectangular doors allowed ships of all sizes to dock.
The upper ring, angled furthest from the planet, was not yet complete and only the airlock systems at the ends of the spokes had their covering hull plates in place. The rest of the ring was composed of the bright orange beams of the basic support structure.
The transport rocket floated leisurely into the lower hangar bay and perfectly into the waiting support cradles. Once in position, the locking clamps engaged to secure the ship in place.
Jensen Springfield watched the activity outside the ship as airlock tubes telescoped out from the station to magnetize against the hull of the ship. His flight suit was predominately dark green with black trim, and the golden eagle emblazoned on his chest signified his rank as Captain. The hard look in his eyes and the firm set to his square jaw beneath his brown beard only hinted at the iron resolve he'd developed during the Lunar campaign of 2160.
The light above the hatch turned from red to green as pressure equalized and seal integrity was confirmed. The oval hatch split into four pieces, rotating out and away from center and vanishing into pockets within the airlock frame.
When completed, thrusters mounted on both rings would cause the station to spin, imparting enough momentum to simulate the gravity of earth within the rings, but until then, Jensen and the crew he'd brought with him had to deal with the weightlessness of space. Pushing gently on the side of the airlock, Jensen floated through the tunnel and into Venture.
Once out of the airlock tube, Jensen snared a wall mounted rail for an anchor point in order to reorient himself and get his momentum aimed in a different direction. He pulled himself toward the center of the station where the primary control room was located. Along the way, he passed maintenance rooms, tool storage compartments, and cargo bays. With the station still under construction, the main cylinder of the hull was the busiest location.
The airlock into primary control was open and only closed if a breach in atmosphere was detected. Floating inside, Jensen stopped himself with a hand on a computer console and looked around at the activity taking place.
Computer panels were hanging weightless near their stations, tethered by strands of multicolored wires, while technicians worked to assemble the last of the components before startup could begin. Conversations filled the air with a tangle of chatter as a dozen teams worked on differing projects.
"Captain," a voice called out when Jensen was spotted.
"Conroy," Jensen acknowledged the head of the maintenance team as the white haired man in a red flight suit glided toward him. "What's the situation?"
"We'll be up and running here by the end of the day," Conroy promised, gripping onto the same computer console Jensen was holding to keep from floating past his superior.
"Environmental systems?" Jensen inquired.
"Progress on the upper ring has been slowed with the recent dismissal of our chief of labor," Conroy explained. "His corporation, Controlled Growth, is still screaming about it, demanding an apology and immediate reinstatement."
"I bet they are," Jensen agreed. "I'll speak with them in time. Please continue."
"Despite the delay, we're proceeding with the installation of water and lighting systems for the greenhouse modules to be housed in the upper ring," Conroy went on. "If there are no further delays, we should finish on time and be producing food and oxygen for the station within three weeks."
"Good," Jensen praised. "What about the power systems?"
"Internal generators are handling initial demands," Conroy confirmed. "However, the sooner we put in the hull plating on the upper ring, the sooner we can install the solar panels and bring the station to full capability."
"Habitation in the lower ring?" Jensen prompted.
"Housing modules are prepped and ready," Conroy replied. "Security centers are online. Work on the parks and plazas are on hold until the station is ready to start spinning as we can't effectively install trees and flowers in zero gravity."
"Understood," Jensen accepted.
Lighting elements overhead flickered to life as more systems were activated, brightening the dim room and allowing the workers to switch off the maintenance lamps magnetized to bulkheads.
"Thank you, Conroy," Jensen said. "You may return to your duties."
The maintenance team leader nodded, pushing off the console to gracefully swim through the air and back to the terminal he'd been working on earlier.
Going to the communications console, Jensen established a link with Controlled Growth. Jensen interrupted the infuriated tirade of the megacorporation's CEO.
"Let me be clear," Jensen stated firmly. "Worlds Unlimited started this project, and while we accept help from other corporations and governments, we own this station and are in complete control of it. You may assist us, but you do not command us. Space exploration and colonization is the future of humanity as a whole, and no political or social divisions will be allowed to interfere. If you want to be a part of this grand undertaking, you will abide by our rules; if not, you can stay on Earth. We're headed for the stars. Let me know when you make your decision."
Jensen closed the channel.