Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 09:46:50 GMT Server: NCSA/1.5.2 Last-modified: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 10:33:52 GMT Content-type: text/html Content-length: 7971
I visited Vyborg back in 1203 while I was working as a mechanic in Berger's old far trader. She had picked up some hot stuff in Aegir, and wanted to get rid of it before we went back to Saxe. A while ago she had swapped drinks with a group of half-mad free-traders from god-knows-where, and they had told her wild stories about a free-port trading post in Vyborg system. They had said that almost anything could be bought, sold or traded at Kuura-1 station, with no questions asked.
So, we had cargo bay full of stolen military hardware, and no place to go with it without getting our hands dirty. Berger was almost broke then, so she was desperate enough to go for the Kuura-1. We argued about it for a long time, but eventually she called the shots, and we jumped into Vyborg system.
Kuura was the only gas giant in Vyborg system, and it was the only sensible jump-point for anyone entering this system. The planet Vyborg itself hung very close to the dim binary stars, and the smaller binary star has somewhat chaotic orbit. I doubt that few astrogators are so skillful that they can safely kick the ship through jumpspace and land it next to a zero-orbit plane while the star's gravity field is unknown. Anyway, we were trying to find the trading post, and none of us ever thought of jumping to the main world.
We come out from the hole quite close to the gas giant, and caught the signal from a navigation beacon. Beside that beacon, our sensor operator could find only traces of radio traffic. Anyway, while we followed the beacon towards the trading post, Krook thought that we were being tracked with some pulsed fire-control maser.
Kuura-1 was a small rocky moon, witch only remarkable features were large ruins and navigation beacon. Berger consulted traffic-control and took us down on a freshly-fused landing pad. Our air-lock was connected with a pressured access-tube, and we just walked down into the underground buildings.
The trading post was under construction, but those completed parts I saw were strange. The main area was a large dome-shaped cavern where you could walk in artificial 1G gravity. The walls and roof of this dome were covered with a 'cloudy day in a terrestrial planet' hologram, and normal buildings were constructed inside the cave. It looked so real that I found it hard to believe that we were still inside a small rocky moon in the middle of nowhere.
Berger went to talk with the port authorities, while I and Krook went to search for a watering hole. The local time was late afternoon when we landed, so by the time we got into the bar, the place was already crammed. The bartender accepted Bootean currency without comment, and soon I and Krook were getting seriously drunk. I was completely wasted by the time when Krook dragged me back to the ship.
Berger had been nosing around, and had found out pretty wierd things. She said that most of the people we had seen were either refugees or freed slaves, and the trading post was used as a quarantine station. While there was few trading regulations, all cargo going to Vyborg itself had to go through very tight customs inspection. She thought that we could get better prices at another free-port at Helsinki-2 Orbital, but the in-system travel would take too much time.
Berger sold out cargo to a in-system trading and transport company, and bought mixed cargo from free-traders and local merchants. She later said that the only things she could not buy here were heavy weapons and slaves. I took her the whole day to arrange the cargo transfers, and I spent the same time looking for some spare parts. The maintenance facility was still under construction, but they had automated warehouse which sold salvaged and freshly manufactured components for just about any common starship. I got what I needed, but it was not cheap.
In the evening we went back to the bar, and I saw a group of soldiers drinking at the corner table. Krook said that they were native Vyborgians, and they really stood out from the crowd of refugees like a sore thumb. Those soldiers were all tall and fair-skinned, and had very close crew-cuts. None of them seemed to have visible scars, tatoos, moles of birthmarks. Krook muttered something about "gene-fixed bastards", but did not took the matter further.
Anyway, we lifted of the next local day, and jumped away, with no questions asked. Yes, I can say that I have been in Vyborg system, but I have never seen the main world.
James J. Tanner
Free Trader Engineer
FT "Which Way Now?", NE 8.
Vyborg is a solar system poised on the rimward edge of Solomani Rim sector. Being a target for 44 separate vampire fleet attacks, the whole system has been under self-imposed naval blockade for over 70 years. The grip of blockade was loosened in 1201, and it officially ended in 1203. However, the main world is still off-limits to foreign travelers.
Before the collapse Vyborg was one among the four high-tech Solomani worlds in the whole Solomani Rim, and was noted for its ship-building, genetic engineering, and ethnically pure population. The native name for Vyborg is "Viipuri".
Until recently Vyborg was considered to be red travel zone, and there were very little contact with other states in the Near-Bootis cluster. The first trade station was opened in 1201. The station is on Kuura 1, the first moon of gas giant "Kuura", and it is build on the ruins of old station destroyed by vampire ships. The station should be completely operational by 1208, but the construction has been plagued by freak accidents.
The mainworld is governed by a Civil Service Bureaucracy, where the selection state officials is based on their personal skills and achievements. Political activity is very relaxed, and political parties are almost nonexistent. Because of historical reasons, a president is still elected, but the president is used only as a reference point and has no real power. The other settled planets and moons in Vyborg system have their own representatives in the councils on mainworld and follow the same external policy, but are internally highly autonomous.
Vyborgians have no reasons or desire to expand into other solar systems, instead they prefer to develop the currently settled planets. As the whole Vyborg solar system do not have life-zone, the current condition of the main world is the result of 3000 years of terraforming.
The current interstellar policy is loosely based on the ancient writing found in the wall of King's Gate at Viapori castle:
To future generations:
Stand here, at your own land,
and never trust foreign help.
Because of the successful blockade, the local level of technology has not collapsed and some new progress has been made. The vampire attacks left large amounts of destroyed military hardware, some of which is still salvageable. The planetoid belt between Kuura and Vyborg is rich hunting ground for belters. The continuous vampire attacks forced Vyborgians to build strong defenses, and now every settled planet and moon is protected by SDBs, fighter bases, and deep bases.
The old sources of wealth, mining stations at Tura and Devil's Eye, are still operational, and the military shipyard at Kotka-1 orbital is capable of manufacturing very large hulls.