Transportation within StarBase 118
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With a structure as large as StarBase 118, the moving of people from one area to another is a colossal task. This article will give a clearer understanding of transportation within StarBase 118.
Turbolifts
A vast, highly complex, network of turbolift shafts span the starbase, both vertically and horizontally, to enable officers and civilians alike quick access to all parts of the station. To utilize the least amount of energy in the movement of turbolifts, all shafts are depressurized, creating a vaccuum.
Several classes of turbolift are available depending on the occupant's security clearance.
Type A, Cargo
Cargo lifts are used for large items, which do not necessarily need to be transported. Often this includes beaming-sensitive equipment, or simply large containers of delicate items. These lifts are approximately four meters in diameter, with an enlarged door opening. They travel only in special tubes, located in certain areas of the base.
Type B, Large Personnel
Large personnel lifts (or, express lifts) are designated for long-range distance travelling on the base. Approximately 75% of the base's lift-tubes are accessible to Type B cars. At 3.5 meters wide, they allow space for a bench, attahced to the interior wall of the lift, as well as a central pole passengers can use to stabilize themselves with.
Type B cars move at a higher rate of speed than the Type C cars (mentioned below), and also receive higher priority in tube-access than Type C cars. As such, Type C cars will automatically be routed out of the travel path of a Type B, even if it means the Type C car must pause at a wait station. Type B only access certain decks of the base, which requires that some passengers access a Type C car from their current location, to an express lift's designated deck.
Type C, Standard Personnel
Standard personnel lifts are designated for short-range travel on the base, usually spanning less than 30% of the base's length. Standard lifts can access any lift tube (including Cargo lift tubes) by using a special device. If it is necessary for a standard lift to access an express tube, the lift will be routed to the location of the nearest lift-expander. Expanders act as a larger outer wall for the standard lift, while holding it inside a fitted compartment. Expanders increase the speed of the lift as well.
Notes on Habitation Dome/Commercial sector
Because the habitation dome is a hollow interior of the base, a special system was designed to allow for the least impact on the dome's interior view, while allowing lifts to traverse through this area. A highly compact "core" extends from the top to the bottom of the dome, and contains six express-sized transparent tubes. Three of the six core tubes are express-only, through which Type B cars travel, without stopping, to lower or upper portions of the base.
To alleviate traffic above, below, and in the habitation dome itself, wait stations have been placed above and below the dome.
The wait station located above the dome is two decks high, though it does not encompass the entire floor area of both decks -- instead occupying an area surrounding the six core turbolift tubes. The lower deck of this wait station is the stopping point for the three express-sized tubes which service the habitation dome only. These three lifts travel in a staggered pattern to and from the lower wait station, located below the floor of the dome.
It is important to note that the three tubes which these lifts are utilizing are actually also being used by express lifts which are moving towards other destinations besides these wait stations. The lifts which travel in the three tubes allocated for movement between the two wait stations on either side of the dome move into "loading bays" while in the wait stations. These loading bays are off the main "track" of the tube, and thus other express lifts can pass through the tubes while the lifts are being loaded and preparing to move to the opposide wait station. For even further efficiency, each tube actually has two loading bays, so that three lifts moving between the two wait stations can actually share each tube, while express lifts are also using the tubes! An animation detailing the movement of lifts within one tube is available.
The upper deck of this upper wait station is specifically for the multitude of Type C and Type B lifts coming from local destinations and remote destinations above the dome. So, for example, if you are travelling from the docking bay and wish to visit a restaurant in the dome, you would board an express lift from the docking bay area to the upper deck of the upper wait station.
The upper and lower decks of this wait station are connected by moving escalators, stairs, and a single Type C lift (for disabled passengers). Passengers must move from the upper deck to the lower deck if they wish to continue on their journey to the lower wait station.
Similarly, to move from the lower wait station onto the actual "ground level" of the dome, passengers must use escalators, stairs, or one of the few Type C lifts. No express elevators, or elevators moving to or from either of the wait stations actually stop on the ground level of the dome. The wait stations are used exclusively so as to avoid traffic wherever possible on the floor of the dome.
The lower wait station differs from the upper wait station in that it is only one level and the area into which it is built is not exclusively devoted to the wait station. In fact, the deck below the ground level of the dome is also built for transportation around the dome.
Because the dome is so large, it can be difficult to move from one side to the other. As such, this deck below the dome also houses horizontally moving lifts which travel to any of the dozens of "stations" throughout the deck. Those wishing to travel from one are of the dome to the other can thus use this transportation system to travel to destinations throughout the dome, and then to the main wait station, where they can travel to other sections of the base. One can imagine an early 21st century subway system for a similar image of how this "subterranean" area would feel.
Lines for lifts to access decks above the dome, can often be as long as five to ten minutes, during certain hours of the day.
Safety Precautions
With such long turbolift shafts, numerous safety precautions must be utilized to protect personnel from faulty systems.
Emergency Braking Systems
These brakes utilize entirely independent power systems, and, in the event of a power failure, slow the lift to a stop. Should the braking systems be malfunctioning, the expansion-bladder automatically engages. In the event that the emergency braking system is functioning below normal levels, the expansion-bladder system will also engage to assist in slowing the lift to a stop.
Expansion Bladder
The first measure of safety installed on all lifts and expansion cars, is called the expansion-bladder. (While named confusingly, this tool is not actually associated solely with expansion lifts, and is used on all sized lift cars).
In normal functioning, small locks powered by the lift's main systems keep special compartments on the exterior of the lift closed. Should power fail, the spring-powered locks automatically disengage, opening compact compartments of densely-woven inflating bladders. These bladders also utilize the lift's power to not inflate, and thus when power fails, they expand and wedge between the lift, and the shaft wall. While not necessarily powerful enough to stop the lift quickly, they can slow the car's speed significantly over long distances, eventually causing it to stop due to lack of momentum. This system also accentuates the effects of the emergency braking systems.
Tethers
In normal functioning, small locks powered by the starbase's main systems keep special compartments in the turbolift shaft walls closed. Should power fail, the spring-powered locks automatically disengage, opening compartments which house strong hooks tethered to tightly bound coils of "gum"-like cord. (The cord stretches great distances, but does not have the same "bounce" as elastic.) The hooks -- again, spring loaded -- slide into the path of the turbolifts and catch corresponding eye-hooks. When a turbolift is "caught" by one of the hooks, the tethers pull strongly against the coils slowly pull the lift to a stop. The coiled cords can give up to 2km worth of "give," depending on the turbolift shaft they service, to give the lifts ample time to slow without injuring passengers of the lift.
Transporters
There are hundreds of small transporter stations around the base, which makes moving people between certain areas quicker and easier. These transporter stations are usually manned by just one officer, and are for use by anyone. Each person who lives on the base has a limited number of transports per week, which helps keep the energy consumption by these transportation devices down to a manageable level. Site-to-site transports are only allowed by command staff of high enough clearance. All other personnel must utilize station-to-station transporting.