Heinlein
To many on Earth, Heinlein is synonymous with the Moon. No longer does the Moon seem to wane and vanish in the night sky every month. Now, as it turns to face the sun, glittering jewels of light appear across the Sea of Tranquility and beyond. These are the lights of Heinlein Colony and its web of satellite domes, a visible reminder that millions of people now live and work on the Moon.
Built on and under the lunar surface, Heinlein is a collection of domes, stations, tunnels, and warrens. Politically, Heinlein is the distant (and often overlooked) twelfth district of New Angeles. Publicly, it is widely known for its independence and the autonomy that it maintains in its everyday affairs. Realistically, the mining corporations dominate the district’s government and economy—and much of the rest of the Moon as well.
To be sure, the attitudes of independence are grounded in a pragmatic outlook on life on the Moon. Heinlein’s issues and realities are far different from those of Earth-side New Angeles. Most New Angelinos don’t have to worry about where their next breath of air will come from, or that knocking a hole in a wall could risk the lives of everyone in their neighborhood. Thus, although a representative from Heinlein sits on the New Angeles city council, for the most part, the Heinlein district manager acts as a de facto mayor for the colony. Most New Angelinos forget or ignore the fact that Heinlein is technically part of their city, and the majority of colonists are more than happy to return the favor.
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