What’s up Cosmic Nomadics! Welcome back to the Halcyon Daze! For those of you just joining us, my name is Deno Wynn and I’m taking you all with me as I journey across the universe. I’ve been chilling on Braroclyn for the last little bit, and I’ve discovered there’s a lot more here than meets the eye.
Last time we talked I told you about my time with a pirate crew operating out of Braroclyn. Well, hanging out with them got me an in with the underground on the asteroid colonies of Braroclyn. The people that live down there try to exist in the unspaces that most people don’t even think about. I got to hang out down there, learn about their lives, and now I get to talk to all you fine people about it. So, get comfortable, sit criss-cross applesauce, and settle in.
The Labyrinthine Network:
Braroclyn is absolutely riddled with underground tunnels and spaces. My guide for this journey called them ‘the unspaces’. These are the locations in the world that exist but we just don’t think about on the regular. Check it out, my first introduction to unspace was the crawlspace under the tavern where I met my contact. It had the same amount of floor space as the tavern above but was only three feet tall. Had to crawl around on my hands and knees the whole time. But this is an example of unspace.
And there are so many places like this on Braroclyn!
Space to live around the asteroid colonies is a precious commodity. If you want some space of your own you have to jump through all sorts of hoops to get it. That usually involves a lot of paperwork, scrutiny, and units. But, if you find some unspace that no one is using, you can just kind of move in and make it your own. If you don’t cause any problems people don’t make a fuss about it. If you start being a nuisance, you might get a visit from the marshals. Attics, wall voids, crawl spaces, all you have to do is find an entrance and you might be able to score yourself a little hovel to call your own.
And that’s just scratching the surface, literally.
When they were building the colonies they had to carve out lots of space in the asteroids for substructures and utility tunnels for all the workers to move around. Now that those places aren’t being used people have moved down there and created whole communities for them to try and make a go at living life on Braroclyn. These people exist to the side and below everyday life here and it’s amazing what necessity and ingenuity can create.
Factions and Frictions:
Delving into the secret unspaces of Braroclyn has shown me a different layer of society. Sure, all the stuff on the surface of the asteroid colonies is still there, but then there are the things beneath the surface. There’s a lot to unpack, so we’ll just be going over the more important, or strange, groups I encountered.
First, the Subspace Underworld rules the unspace. All the different gangs have a presence, but the top two on Braroclyn seem to be The Ebon Hand and the Breakers. Breakers sort of act as the police and enforcers down here. They take care of anyone causing trouble, but you better send a little something their way or they’ll be the ones causing the trouble. The Ebon Hand are still sort of a mystery to me. Word has it that they’re deep into smuggling operations on Jargun-Ba. I’m hoping to find out more because I’m trying to find a way down there for you guys. Those should be some interesting adventures.
There are other gangs as well, but it's made up of a surprising amount of kids. Most of them are orphans trying to make ends meet by picking pockets or running hustles. They are some cool people to hang out with, though it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on your credits around those sticky fingers.
There are a few other groups, mostly good ones, but since this is a travel blog I think I need to warn you about one group in particular. There’s something of a cult around here called The Children of Grater. Anyone I’ve talked to about them says to stay far away and not to listen to their bullshit. The thing is, I don’t even know what they believe in or where they operate from. People talk about them like they’re some kind of boogeymen. Whether they’re real or not, keep your distance. Nothing cloaked in that much secrecy can be a good thing. I’d rather take on an ‘in-your-face’ thug than some fanatic.
Resource Management:
Stuff is hard to come by in the unspaces. A lot of these people live on the wrong side of the law so it’s not like the Black Palace is sending supply trains to restock them. The black market is the only market, and trading goods or favors can get you a lot more than credits sometimes. Don’t get me wrong though. Credits still spend. They always do.
There’s a sort of ecosystem down here though. Everything works, and most of the time people get what they need. Pirates go out and bag shipments of goods. They sell the goods to various brokers, gang contacts, and black market purveyors in the unspace. Then those guys sell or barter those goods to the regular people that live in the unspace. There are not many ‘regular folk’ down here though. Most people are involved in one sort of shady deal or another. That’s not a judgment on my part, by the way. They’re just trying to get by without being under the thumb of the Black Palace, and I get that.
Living in the unspaces of Braroclyn has been eye-opening. In fact, the whole trip here has been. I expected to kind of kick it around the place, take in some of the local sights, and have a few neat experiences outside where I grew up. Instead, I got so much more. I spent more time looking at the places outside of what most people would consider normal on Braroclyn. But, thinking about it, that’s how a lot of the people here live. The facade of life on Braroclyn is kind of bleak. The people are poor, oppressed, and under constant surveillance. But whether it’s the pirates, the secret history, or the unspaces, the people here are determined to build the life they want, despite what the Black Palace says.
No, coming here wasn’t what I expected. It was so much better. I got to see a group of people showing resilience and determination to build the lives they wanted. The Braroclynites are a people who are fighting in subtle ways to be free. Almost everyone I’ve talked to talks about going back to their home planet and making it the home they still know it is.
It was always my intent to go to Jargun-Ba next. But, more than ever, I want to go there. If there was this secret side to Brarcolyn, outside of what The Surface Chronicler and its propaganda says, then what’s Jargun-Ba really like? Are things not as bad as what we’ve been told? Are they worse? I plan on finding out. I’ve made some pretty legitimate (or illegitimate) connections here and have passage and protection for going planetside. We’re going to get the scoop, and you’re going to hear all about it.
Thanks for going on this adventure with me. There’s much more to come. Until next time.
-Deno Wynn
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