
At the very edge of known space lies a vast region of space known as the Kellinan Reach. The Reach is only just beginning to be explored, and no one knows what may lie within, or beyond, the 165 light-year expanse. At the very edge of The Reach, on a lone planetoid in the Bloodfield Nebula, sits an abandoned alien installation, perhaps a mining facility. No one knows who built it or when, but it has become a haven for thieves, rogues, and ne'er-do-wells. Bridgetown is the local name for the alien installation built on the surface of the planetoid of the same name on the outskirts of the Kellinan Reach, a largely unexplored region of space located above (on the positive Z-axis from) Federation space. The installation is a giant arch spanning a deep chasm known simply as "the Hole." The builders or the installation are unknown, but may be the mysterious Kellinans. Discovered three decades ago by a mysterious man known only as "Sam", it is a veritable wretched hive of scum and villainy. Anything can be had for a price, from death sticks to weapons. All forms of alien life can be found here. He calls it "Sam's Place" but the name Bridgetown refuses to die. An explorer, prospector, and rogue Sam discovered Bridgetown and is considered the unofficial administrator of the place, the self-titled "Prince of Thieves." He and others have turned Bridgetown into a thriving center for trade along the Kellinan Reach, including a very active black market, where nearly anything is available for a price. Sam is fond of telling stories of his early exploits, and can go on for quite some time if he's allowed to. He's enjoyed his newfound wealth and (relative) celebrity, although he's concerned about the increasing Federation presence in the sector. Recently, the Federation has decided that Bridgetown should be monitored, and have towed a R-class station to a location about 500 km from the asteroid that Bridgetown was built upon. Far from home, and not exactly welcomed by their neighbors, the crew of Deep Space Six-Alpha, locally known as Bridgetown Station, is charged with monitoring activity at the pirate port, defending Federation interests in the region, and exploring the Kellinan Reach.
Shiela Star System:
Stellar Type: τ-Tauri pre-main-sequence star
Planets:
Bridgetown: A class D planetoid, 940km in diametre orbiting the star Sheila. Located in a crater at 60°N latitude, 180$deg; longitude, is a captive subspace anomaly embedded in the surface of the planetoid; known as The Hole, measuring 5 kilometres in diametre. Spanning the Hole is The Bridge, an ancient alien structure which seems to be able to channel the energies of the anomaly. An ancient alien complex surrounds the south end of the Bridge. This was named Sam's Place by Sam himself and he continues that usage, but inhabitants simply refer to it as the Main Installation or the Town. The Hole, when viewed with subspace sensors shows a complex pseudo-structure within the anomaly. The USS Odyssey's Quantum Para-Dimensional Transport Device (colloquially known as the Silver Ball) was able to use the anomaly as a dimensional conduit on stardate 9275.5. The radiations produced within the anomaly make it lethal to attempt to enter the Hole.
The Shiela Belt: A large asteroid belt orbiting the star in the Shiela System.
Artificial Objects:
Bridgetown: Sam's Place, an abandoned alien installation on the asteroid Bridgetown.
Bridgetown Station: Officially, Deep Space Six-Alpha, a Federation space station monitoring Bridgetown.
Other Stellar Objects:
Bloodfield Nebula: The Bloodfield Nebula is a red-hued solar nebula centred on the Shiela star. Classed an acctretion phase protoplanetary disk, it is about a parsec (3.1×10¹³km or 3.26 light years) in diametre, though the visible protoplanetary disk is only 3.1×10¹¹km in diametre. The nebula makes sensor scans unreliable, making it a perfect pirate haven.
Affiliation: Independant
Law: Neutral territory, loosely governed by trade representatives.
Type: Starport/Installation
Facilities: Level Three
Fees: Docking (5000 credits per day times the ship's Size). No taxes or tariffs. Patrons negotiate all other costs directly.
Trade: Imports information (particularly stellar navigation and planetary survey data), foodstuffs, luxury items and technology (especially starship parts, replicators and weapons). Exports Kellinan trade goods (including technology and cultural items), information on local star systems and planets, minerals and crystals, and exotic materials and luxury items.
Advisories: The port is almost entirely lawless, so visitors are encouraged to hire trustworthy bodyguards and/or security personnel. Visitors are advised to beware of Linou vessels, which often claim regions of the Kellinan Reach as theirs and engage in piracy in the name of seizing property in "their" space.
Roll Call: Sam Lowry, Administrator; Captain Theresa "Teri" Harris, Starfleet; Krist Mor, Orion Syndicate leader; K'hite, mercenary and scholar.
Additional Information: Bridgetown is the local name for a settlement surrounding an alien installation (The Bridge) built on the surface of a large asteroid on the outskirts of the Kellinan Reach, a largely unexplored region of space located above (on the positive Z-axis from) Federation space. The installation is a giant arch spanning a deep chasm known simply as "the Hole." The builders of the installation are unknown, but may be the mysterious Kellinans.
Explorer, prospector, and rogue "Sam" discovered Bridgetown and is considered the official administrator of the place, the self-titled "Prince of Thieves." He and others have turned Bridgetown into a thriving center for trade along the Kellinan Reach, including a very active black market, where nearly anything is available for a price. Sam is fond of telling stories of his early exploits, and can go on for quite some time if he's allowed to. He's enjoyed his newfound wealth and (relative) celebrity, although he's concerned about the increasing Federation presence in the sector. In 2290, after three decades of anonymity, Sam was revealed to be an MiA (presumed deceased) Starfleet officer, LCdr Samuel Claybourne Lowry a former science officer who had bought a treasure map on the black market which led to the Sheila system and Bridgetown.
Bridgetown has facilities for docking ships in the fairly light gravity of the asteroid (the town itself has artificial gravity generators). Larger ships remain in orbit, sending crew and cargoes down via transporter or shuttlecraft. The central core of the bridge, known as "the Strip," is a single large bazaar of shops, restaurants, bars, casinos, and similar such places. Members of many different species mix and mingle there, all buying and selling.
The United Federation of Planets has established a Starfleet presence in Bridgetown, since it is a useful beachhead in the Kellinan Reach. The town remains a free port, not under Starfleet administration. This limits the authority of Starfleet personnel stationed there, and frustrates Commander Theresa Harris, the commanding officer of the Starfleet contingent. Officers often have to bend regulations and overlook violations in order to get things done in Bridgetown.
Among the town's other major figures are Krist Mor, an important figure in the Orion Syndicate and the head of the Bridgetown black market. Mor knows everything and everyone in Bridgetown and it's said that nothing happens in the underworld there without his authorisation. He's nearly always attended by bodyguards and one or more green-skinned Orion slave women. The mysterious K'hite belongs to a humanoid race unknown to the Federation. He has lived in Bridgetown for as long as anyone can recall, and seems to have a great deal of knowledge about the mysteries of the Kellinan Reach, which he is sometimes willing to share for the right price. Rumour has it that he is a member of the afore-mentioned Kellinan species.