The Habitat Belt

Petra leaned over the railing of her apartment balcony and looked out at the artificial sky of habitat Caspian Blue. A few birds flew through the air and landed on one of the nearby trees. Petra sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her face up to the light column that ran the hab's length. She wondered if its warm light felt anything at all like a real sun.
The cylindrical habitat was the only home she had ever known, the only home her parents and grandparents had ever known. She took the shuttle ticket from her pocket and smiled down at it. She had been working shifts in the fabrication sector for months to save up enough for a vacation on Terra. It was expensive, but she had to see the homeworld with her own eyes just once. Not just in the vids or simulations, but to actually be there! Sure, she could have upgraded to a nicer apartment or even bought a fancy new hovercar, but she knew visiting Terra was going to be a life changing experience. This tubeworm was going planetside!

The Habitat Belt is a collection of hundreds of artificial habitats existing in the Solar System where the asteroid belt once was. The asteroids have long since been integrated into the industry of the habitats and are no longer the defining feature of the region.

Demographics

The majority of Terrans within the Solar System live within the Habitat Belt. Most hab dwellers survive on the Union's basic needs stipend. While none go hungry or without a place to live, hab dwellers are typically the lowest rung of Terran society.

Government

Each habitat functions as its own independent city state, with local clusters forming regional councils. Habitats are able to move and join different clusters that better meet the needs and culture of the habitat's population.
Conflicts between clusters are rare and are quickly settled by Union intervention when necessary. Most serious grievances are resolved when the offending habitat is expelled from their cluster or chooses to withdraw of its own accord.

Defences

Habitats are heavily armored structures made of duranium alloy and can be equipped with capital ship scale weaponry for self defense. Many keep a contingent of fighter craft and gunships for policing and security purposes.
While part of a cluster, habs typically have only the bare minimum of integrated weaponry to enforce space traffic and destroy hazardous space debris. On the occasion where a habitat is converted into a colony ship, they are more generously equipped to defend themselves during the journey from piracy and other opportunistic threats. However, they still rely primarily on military escort.

Industry & Trade

Most of the Solar System's industry is located within the habitats. Many hab clusters specialize in specific industries such as mining, farming, or manufacturing. Mining habs are often built directly into large, mineral rich asteroids for rapid resource extraction. Farming habs utilize advanced hydroponics techniques to produce enough food to feed dozens of other habitats each.
In addition to physical goods, there are science and engineering focused clusters that perform research best done in the vacuum of space. Dangerous research, especially anything classified a biohazard, is generally restricted to habitats where it is easier to isolate samples from potential harm to populations.
Trade of goods and services between the clusters is very profitable and there is a steady flow of exports to the rest of the Union.

Infrastructure

There are many different habitat designs, but most are based on the concept of the O'Neill Cylinder. The massive tube rotates on its axis to generate spin gravity for up to half a billion people living inside. The center of the cylinder has a bright lighting rod running from end to end in order to simulate day and night. The habitats are powered by fusion reactors and a series of backup batteries for emergency situations. Many are designed so that they can physically link up with their cluster, allowing for easier transportation between habs.
Some of the newer habitats make use of advances in artificial gravity technology, allowing for a wider variety of physical configurations. However, these habitats are considered luxurious and beyond the reach of the common hab dweller.

History

The first habitats were created to relieve the pressure of an overpopulated and ecologically damaged Terra. Exploiting the resources of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter provided near limitless building materials and new habitats were being constructed yearly.
Initially, most saw life in a habitat as a fresh new start and the waiting lists were long. However, as more habitats were built and Terra's environment recovered, the appeal of the habitats waned. By the time the population of the habitat belt had exceeded that of Terra, the descendants of the original hab dwellers dreamed of life on the idyllic homeworld.
The Union offers new colonization opportunities to hab dwellers first, as they are the most enthusiastic about settling new worlds despite the dangers involved. The bravery of hab dwellers has allowed the Terran Union to spread humanity to dozens of planets across the Orion Spur.

Alternative Name(s)

The Habs, The Belt

Type

Orbital, Station

Population

150 Billion

Inhabitant Demonym

Hab Dwellers, Tubeworms

Location under

Solar System

Owning Organization

Terran Union