Nölki (nølki)

The Salt Mine

Nölki is a small underground habitat in Ained. It was the first habitat project in its country and was entirely funded by the Hyöks family. Nölki, like most habitats, is a city-state.
It is formally a constitutional monarchy and Maittau Hyöks is the current king and formal Owner of the habitat, even though all taxation goes to the state treasure.
The strongest and most influent corporation in the city is the Omegatech, which the Hyöks had always funded.
Designed to be a small habitat, it became more important in the new world balance thanks to a nearby salt mine.

Districts

Being a smaller and richer habitat, Nölki presents a different basic architecture than poorer cities.
While developed underground for insulation, like all other habitats, Nölki resembles the ancient settlements of the old world. Large cylindrical tunnels host old-fashioned districts with two-story buildings and roads. People can live as if they were still on the surface, walking in spacious streets and comfortable houses.
Currently, three nuclear and one waste-to-energy plants power Nölki.
Below the city, there is an extensive free metro system, which is the only transport available.
Nölki hosts a total of eleven districts:

• three power generator districts, one per nuclear plant;
• a recycling district, which includes the waste-to-energy plant;
• an agricultural district with aeroponics and hydroponics facilities;
• the Omegatech local division district, which includes laboratories and the university;
• three residential habitats;
• the surface defence district;
• the salt mines district.

Metro Map

Nölki Metro Stations

Open full size

Guilds and Factions

The only corporation present in the city is the Omegatech. They provide drones for the salt mines and several other facilities. The Hyöks family has always been among the main sponsors of the Omegatech when it was still growing, so the corporation decided to repay them with discounts and a stable presence inside their habitat. A whole district in Nölki is devoted to Omegatech laboratories and factories.

History

Foundation

The Hyöks family decided to build their habitat after the first paper confirming the high likelihood of Ained's orbital ejection. They were the only family rich enough in their country to tackle such a massive task and commissioned a project to Omegatech. The corporation proposed Nölki, then known as habitat 203-s, a project including two external facilities, a defence surface district and the salt mines. It was the first habitat handled by Omegatech alone.
The Hyölks approved the project and bargained with the state to get the land to build the habitat. Omegatech started collecting materials even before the final state approval since time was running short. As soon as the country handed over the land, the corporation initiated the excavation.
The corporation suggested an external defence district since 203-s was going to be the only habitat of its country and was way too small to host the entire population. They guessed there might be disorders or even military actions against the habitat when Deniers would realise they were going to die outside, either frozen or starved.

Apocalypse War

203-s was operational almost a year before the Slingshot and people started to move in quickly. When the end began, Nölki had already shut closed its doors and activated its defences.
When the Apocalypse War ensued worldwide, the habitat excellently defended itself with anti-aircraft stations and rocket launchers. It reported minor damages to the defence stations, and the deniers occupied several sections of the mines, but the conflict ended sooner than most of the other habitats. Special troops tried to clean the mines, but they risked their lives to kill people that would eventually die anyway within a couple of years, so they were recalled, and operations stopped.
Rumour has it the early truce gave deniers time to organise before the final winter of humanity began so that a small settlement may still exist deeper inside the mines, where not even the drones reach.

EXRs

During the EXRs, people worldwide required reduction of Owners power, often with full fledge civil riots and military confrontation. In Nölki, the situation was tense during the period but did not escalate. The Hyölks family had been wise in the habitat management and promptly stopped the Omegatech from ever doing anything too inconsiderate, even fining them when the situation called for it.
Some people still wanted them to resign and donate the habitat and its facilities to the state, but supporters of the monarchy pointed out that would likely make the city weaker to the corporation's demands.
When the situation cooled down worldwide, tensions relaxed in Nölki too.

Natural Resources

Nölki is famous worldwide for its vast salt mines. Its location was purposely chosen in the old world to be as close as possible to the mines. As a private project, the choice created many problems with the administration of the owner's country, then possessing the mines. After negotiations, the Hyöks family successfully bought some land nearby.
Nowadays, the mines can be reached through a metro station. Omegatech drones operate there, but human access is possible, even without spacesuits, though limited to the entrance area. For further human exploration, usually for maintenance reasons, spacesuits are necessary since heating and pressuring the whole mines would require an insane amount of energy.
While salt is not strictly a necessity for modern habitats, it does make food tastier. Nölki is the only habitat extracting enough salt to export it elsewhere. All habitats in at least decent relations with Nölki have placed orders for salt import/export, which makes the city quite wealthy.

Founding Date

11910

Type

City

Population

251'345

Inhabitant Demonym

Nölkin

Location under

Ained

Owner/Ruler

Maittau Hyöks

Ruling/Owning Rank

Owner