The Floating Point

The first major industrial wonder

I like it here. It's decently quiet if you don't count the howling winds, and I don't have to deal with city bureaucracy bullshit. Thankfully the Ministry still finds me useful to have me stationed out here. Good riddance, and bless Mother for my gifts.

— An elder Standalone

Despite its name, The Floating Point doesn't actually float in midair. It hangs desperately on the precipice of a sheer cliff underneath the Isle of Keio against the power of gravity from pulling it into the ocean below. Its purpose was to provide reliable access to a precious resource, C.A.D, that was found in an open cave from an earlier expedition. This dangerously placed outpost provided the seeds for advancing major technology across The System. In its early days, bigger crowds used to walked briskly through metal corridors and barricades to areas where they shared research notes, conducted experiments, and gathered information about their unique environment. Now only Standalones keep coming back to this outpost as a safe isolated area to rest, exchanging their services whenever the Ministry needs to fetch more resources or maintain the compound.

Infrastructure

The L-shaped complex is mounted on an upside-down cliff on the northern side of the floating island's antimounts. It is built to hug the rocky overhangs, with an amalgamation of natural rock and metal constructed to bolt the main structure securely into the rock face. The frame was built to withstand rough winds from breaking its mounting mechanisms, though the eventual swaying becomes unsatisfying for those who suffer from motion sickness.
An elaborate mining rig faces the opening of the nearby cave, with tracks leading in and out for carts to carry resources back to the building and an aerial lift transportation system to carry entities. Outsiders can only get to The Floating Point either through the newer docking area for ships or through a set of older mechanical elevator systems that lead downward from an access point at the top of the island. Officials from the Ministry visits every quarter to check the facility and its inhabitants.

Type

Outpost / Base