Nuova Eleganza
| StarBase 118 Ops | ||
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 ACTIVE STATUS | ||
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Note: This page details the current state of this area, as well as the simmed history leading up to those changes starting from 239112.29. To see the original history of the location please click here
History
After watching Starbase 118 reduced to it's component atoms by a combination of self-destruct and machinations of Kalendra Solret. The crew of Starbase 118 found themselves aboard Starbase 118's defiant-class vessel the USS Xanth. Starfleet assured us that the new Starbase would be completed in a matter of days and the command staff of the Starbase were given the mission to intercept a re-emergent Maquis cell before they triggered any incidents that may justify Dominion-Cardassian incursions into Starfleet territory.
The Below as a level existed before the Kalendra bombing in 2375; but the construction that allowed it to reach a level of infamy started directly after the bombing and subsequent partial triggering of the Starbase's self destruct system. The secrecy involved in the level went hand in hand with the rushed turnaround to get the Starbase repairs completed while the current senior crew was dealing with a Maquis terrorist plan.
It meant that the level which would become known as 'the Below' went largely overlooked, and those who had a corrupted interest in seeing it remain on board StarBase 118 could easily hide the level behind the chaos of the looming Dominion-Cardassian conflict.
As the following year saw more turmoil and changes in commanding officers on StarBase 118, the Below became firmly rooted - and firmly hidden from view. Allowed by a few corrupted officials in both Starfleet command and the Black Tower, the Below started to attract the most unsavory of elements.
For the next fifteen years the Below remained in operation, becoming a hive of scum and villainy for criminals and a terrible urban legend for the rest of the civilians on the base. A constant turnover of Starbase command staff ensured that it would remain hidden; and some command staff disappeared surprisingly quickly after getting wind of the area's existence.
This changed after the battle for control of the station between Elemental Avatars witnessed in the Elementary, My Dear Rogers mission. The widespread damage caused by the four elemental avatars prompted a temporary shut down of the command towers on StarBase 118, and caused the majority of the Trinity Section Command to move to the newly opened embassy on Raskor. Civilian and Starfleet traffic continued during this period, as well as all Academy activities, but temporary command of the station was given over to Lieutenant Colonel Kirsten Marcus to cover the interim repairs and reassignment of both marine and Starfleet personnel to StarBase 118.
On 239110.24 the repairs brought Starfleet engineers down to the lowest levels of the Dungeon, and it was then that the Below was rediscovered in part. Engineers and marines had a difficult time cracking into the area, however, and with heavy FNS scrutiny covering the repairs to the Starbase as well as a swiftly incoming new command staff the level was never entered. In preparation for the command of Commander Leo Handley-Page, a general evacuation order was given to all denizens of the Below with 72 hours to comply before the level was sealed and vented of all atmosphere.
This is how the level stayed - a desiccated husk of what it once was - throughout 2392. The majority of the Command staff remained unaware of it, and then-Captain Handley-Page was advised to not talk about it.
However, in April of 2393, with the rise of the conflict with the Jenatris Confederation the Orion pirate and slave trader Chennel decided to re-open the below using Pelian criminal Janker to do so. However, with rising scrutiny on criminal activity as well as partial knowledge of the area, Janker's work in breaching the sealed level attracted Starfleet's attention.
For the first time in many years Starfleet personnel ventured into the Below, finding a rotting legacy of crime and darkness. The automated security systems were still active and slaughtered Marine Captain Raymond Hughes who was one of the first to break into the level. Eventually Starfleet officers were able to capture Janker and shut the security systems off. Immediately following Captain Sal Taybrim sent teams of engineers down into the Below to remove the plasticized tritanium mesh that prevented sensors from piercing the level and to clear out all other equipment and evidence. The cleared evidence was all sent directly to the Black Tower for processing.
You can read more about the clearing of the Below in Ops mission logs: Way Down Below
Current State
On 239306.06 Rights to develop the area formerly known as 'The Below' were sold to Khobeerian mercantile queen Madame Lurtz for the equivalent of 30 million federation credits. Construction started that very week, with plans to turn the Below space into a trendy upmarket living and commerce area that retains it's dark and forbidden allure yet populates the area with legitimate commerce. As part of the rights agreement stores that are outside of Federation jurisdiction are allowed to do commerce in this sector, with the station commander's approval.
Following deliberation, the Lurtz Corporation have decided to theme the whole area after the ancient city of Venice, creating a genuine haven of culture in a familiar yet classical setting. While people will still enter from the belly of The Dungeon, they would enter from this dark area into a bright, Mediterranean retreat complete with waterways and cobblestone plaza's, lined with some of the finest clothing and food boutiques from the quadrant and beyond. With enough space for several hundred residents, The Below is to be come Città di nuova eleganza (Town of New Elegance) or simply Nuova Eleganza.
Engineering of the Below
The Below was crafted with a layer of plasticized tritanium mesh in the bulkheads - this was added in 2375 during the refit construction. Plasticized tritanium mesh prevents sensors from piercing the level and poorly done station plans overlooked this area, casting it as only computer circuitry and power relays.
All mesh was removed on 239306.03 and sensors can now penetrate all areas of the station, including those of the Below.
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