Table of Contents
Races | Culture | Institutions | Buildings & Organizations
SPACE MARKET
Overview
- Location: Public Services Ring, New Kourou
- Address: SW Public Services Ring Road 4
- Surroundings: Adjacent to the Geisha's Inn
Opened in February 2626 by Space Drinks Inc., the Space Market became the settlement’s first purpose-built liquor store — ending months of dubious home-brew and potato-still hangovers. Stocking Space Beer and an ever-growing line of “orbital spirits,” the shop quickly supplied ≈ 80 % of all alcohol consumed in New Kourou and shipped casks to Hope, Morningstar, and even distant Firetown.
Though a retail outlet by day, every Friday 8 PM – 11 PM the sales floor transformed into a pop-up bar dubbed Space Friday: collapsible tables emerged from storage and local musicians filled the aisles with frontier jazz—turning grocery run into social ritual.
The story ended on 8 April 2631, when the Peace Treaty dissolved the Free State of Settlers. All private corporations were nationalised, alcohol consumption was capped at one drink per guest per visit, and each settlement was limited to a single, state-run Federal Hostel & Saloon. Feder-engineers judged the ageing Space Market structure unsafe; it was torn down rather than repurposed, leaving only foundations where New Kourou’s boisterous Fridays once echoed.
Architectural Significance
- Construction Material: Polished galley bulkheads, cargo-bay decking, and viewport glass salvaged from the Last Frontier.
- Floors: 1 (high-ceiling sales floor with mezzanine stock loft).
- Interior Feature: A 10-m mural “Evolution of Intoxication” depicts Dionysian revels, medieval alehouses, zero-G cocktail bags on generation ships, and ends with settlers toasting under VOI 700 D’s twilight sky.
Building Structure
Sales Floor
- Front Counter: Two Butler Bots greet customers, process Kourou payments, and dispense tasting samples.
- Aisle Racks: Crates of Space Beer plus colour-coded spirit bottles.
- Mural Wall: Artworks with small signs explaining each era of drink culture.
- Fold-Out Bar Tables: Stored flat against a rear wall; deployed for Space Fridays.
Stock Loft (above rear third)
- Keg stacks, spare glassware, and collapsible stage riser for musicians.
Look and Feel
Metallic walls shimmer under soft blue strip-lights; bottle glass refracts color onto the deck. A perpetual whiff of malt, citrus, and cleaning solvent hangs in the cool, recycled air. During Space Fridays the hum of refrigeration gives way to laughter, clinking bottles, and upbeat string solos as Butler Bots pivot from cashiers to barmen.
Roles and Responsibilities
Human Staff
- Distribution Manager (part-time): Audits stock, files export manifests to other settlements.
Automated Staff
- Butler Bots (2): Day shift—customer service; Night shift Friday—mixology & crowd control.
- Cleaning Bot (1): Polishes aisle decking, sanitises taps after events.
Public Access, Operating Hours and Operational Rhythm
- Retail Sales: Mon–Sat 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Space Friday Pop-Up: Fri 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Products and Prices
| # | Label | Style & Flavour Note ( ABV ) | Quick-Play Table Quirk | Bottle Price |
| - | ———————– | —————————————- | ————————————————————————————————– | ———— |
| 1 | Space Beer | Light, foamy lager; faint citrus (5 %) | First pint grants +1 temp HP; drinker emits a joyous shout audible 30 m | 8 K |
| 2 | Red Dwarf Firewater | Cinnamon-hot liqueur that self-warms (45 %) | Resist cold damage 1 h; must pass Con DC 12 or take 1 fire dmg | 16 K |
| 3 | Gravity Grog | Heavy amber ale (8 %) | Move speed –1 m for 30 min; Advantage on Intimidation checks | 12 K |
| 4 | Starshine Schnapps | Virel Spice-infused schnapps (30 %) | Breath fog glitters; Stealth checks –2 for 1 h | 13 K |
| 5 | Orbital Stout | Thick, ration-grade stout (6%) | Counts as one food ration; drinker becomes drowsy (Disadvantage on Perception) after 1 h | 10 K |
Security Measures
- Locked Metal Door (after 20:00) – The front roll-up is secured with a ship-grade alloy bar; only the Distribution Manager carries the physical key.
- Cash-Desk Panic Button – A red toggle beneath the cashier counter activates an analog bell mounted outside the shop; the clang is loud enough to alert Guarding Troopers walking the Public Services Ring patrol beat.
Player Interaction Possibilities
Legal interactions
- Purchase Liquors and Space Beer
- Enjoy a couple of drinks on “Space Friday”
- Perform music on Space Friday for tips and discount drink tokens.
- Study the mural to glean historical trivia (possible lore advantage later).
Illegal interactions
- Swap label seals to smuggle contraband stimulants.
- Hack a Butler Bot’s price database for one-night half-off chaos.
- Steal a keg of Red Dwarf Firewater to weaponise its self-heating property.
Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters
The Space Market is a ready-made venue for hijinks with booze, barter, and frontier tension. Consider using it for:
- Ralar Rumor Recruiter – An intoxicated prospector corners the PCs during Space Friday, begging them to join an expedition to the Ralar Region after “ancient artifacts” rumored on the Dark-Side face of the Atrana Mountains. Is it treasure, myth, or a death march?
- Old Ghost, New Heist – A settler the players believed dead in the crash appears at the bar, claiming a stint at the Forge of Atrana before being fired. After several Space Beers he reveals plans to raid the New Homeland Bank — and wants the PCs on the job …
