Obsidian Reach

At a glance

World Type: Talarq high-temperature and reactor test world
Primary Role: Live-fire testing, failure analysis, and certification of power cores, drives, and containment systems
Constellation Link: Talarq (Tal → Scoria → Obsidian Reach)
Reputation: Strict safety culture, clear procedures, low tolerance for delay or tampering
Key Institutions: Range Authority, Safety Commission, Containment Office, Incident Bureau, Licensed Certifiers, Neutral Arbitration Annex
Primary Imports: Refractory stock (from Scoria), cast housings (from Tal), coolants and sealed water (Vellari), high-grade sensors and compute (Synthborn), ores and fasteners (Caraphex)
Primary Exports: Certification packets, calibrated cores, containment vessels, failure reports, safety labels, waste-handling contracts

Role in the galaxy

Obsidian Reach is where cores, drives, and heat systems are proven under controlled risk. Makers book range windows, install units into test cradles, and run step-ups to failure or to rated output. Licensed Certifiers issue pass, fail, or conditional pass results that other worlds accept. Courts on Kedra often cite Obsidian Reach certificates when ruling on accidents, insurance, or warranty disputes. The world also issues standardized safety labels for high-temperature parts.

History and USD markers

USD 0029.x: The Talarq constellation is formalized. Obsidian Reach is designated as the primary reactor and containment test site for the cluster.
USD 0034–0042: Range Authority expands to three surface ranges and one orbital sled track. First shared data format for failure curves is adopted.
USD 0049.6: Incident Bureau is created after a chained coolant fault kills a test line. All lines move to double-seal protocols and mirrored telemetry.
USD 0068.3: Neutral Arbitration Annex opens on-world. Makers and buyers can settle certification disputes without leaving the site.
USD 0091.1: Waste Handling Compact is signed with nearby belts. Spent media and slag move under sealed convoys with escort rules.
USD 0104–0107: Beacon and permit rules tighten. Range windows are tied to verified beacons and blacklist checks for all haulers and crews.

Governance and law

Range Authority (RA): Schedules tests, enforces exclusion zones, controls range power and emergency systems.
Safety Commission (SC): Publishes the test manuals and approves any deviation. Only SC can grant a waiver.
Containment Office (CO): Oversees coolant, venting, waste, and post-test cleanup. Maintains sealed yards for hazardous storage.
Incident Bureau (IB): Investigates near-misses, accidents, and data tampering. Can seize hardware and records.
Neutral Arbitration Annex (NAA): Runs fast hearings on disputes over results, methods, or labels.

Law style: Written procedures with mandatory checklists. Violations trigger automatic holds. Tampering with telemetry, seals, or timestamps is a major crime and results in blacklisting.

Environment and ranges

The surface has many stable hot zones and thick basalt fields. Weather is dry in the test basins and windy in the high ridges. Ranges sit inside crater bowls or on hardened flats with blast berms and coolant trenches. Radiation and heat alarms are common. The planet has a narrow safe-orbit band kept clear of debris during test windows.

Named facilities

Furnace Spine Range: Heavy-core endurance tests. Long burn windows.
Blackglass Apron: Rapid step-to-failure pad for housings, seals, and valves.
Sled-One (Orbital): Drive spike tests on inert sleds along a fixed track.
Containment Yards A–C: Post-test cooling and inspection; sealed cranes and drone crews only.
Calibration Hall: Sensor rigs, load cells, and thermal cameras are checked and sealed before use.

Ports and districts

Range Gate Port: Arrivals, permit checks, and crew health scans. Most visitors never go past this point.
Certifier Row: Licensed Certifiers, test integrators, and data labs.
Containment Bazaar: Suppliers for valves, gaskets, refractory parts, and coolant lines.
Inspectorate Annex: Central Authority inspectors, blacklists desk, and seal auditors.
Arbitration Ring: Neutral hearing rooms and escrow counters.
Worker Blocks: Short-shift housing, clinics, and canteens for line crews.

Test workflow (for makers and crews)

Pre-booking: File a test request with hardware list, rated outputs, and failure limits.
Arrival: Beacon-permit and blacklist check, cargo scan, radiation baseline for crew.
Install: Hardware placed into a certified cradle; all sensors and cameras are sealed by Calibration Hall staff.
Briefing: Range Authority issues the run sheet, abort triggers, and safe-distance map.
Execution: Step-ups begin. Live telemetry streams to RA, SC, and the Certifier.
Outcome: Pass, fail, or conditional pass. Failure requires a teardown and full Incident Bureau review.
Post-test: Cooldown, residue capture, and waste logging. CO signs off before any cargo moves.
Release: Certificates and safety labels are issued, escrow is cleared, bonded cargo is released.

Common delays: incomplete run sheets, unsealed coolant lines, out-of-date gaskets, or non-mirrored telemetry.

Economy

Income comes from range fees, certification services, sensor leasing, coolant and waste handling, and contract salvage of failed units. Secondary sectors include crew housing, tool rental, and training. Insurance syndics and finance desks operate on-site due to the high value of tested hardware and the need for fast settlements.

Price drivers: range congestion, coolant reserves, and Incident Bureau caseload. Major failures can freeze schedules for days.

Society and culture

Local culture values direct speech, checklists, and calm work under pressure. Shifts are short with strict handovers. People wear personal monitors and treat alarms as routine signals. Training is ongoing. Public events are tied to safety milestones and completion of audits. Visitors who follow instructions are welcome; visitors who argue with line staff are removed.

Languages: Trade Common and Talarq work-cant. Many technicians also speak basic Synthborn interface terms.

Factions and power players

Talarq Foundry Guild (Tal): Provides cast housings and demands predictable windows.
Scoria Refractory Cooperatives: Supply linings, tiles, and sealants; closely track failure rates to refine blends.
Licensed Certifiers: Independent firms with strong insurance backing; reputations rise and fall with accuracy.
Range Authority & Safety Commission: The final word on methods and site control.
Inspectorate (Central Authority): Audits seals, timestamps, and permit chains; maintains the on-world blacklist terminal.
Free Companies (Escort): Protect high-value core shipments during arrival and departure.
Syndicate Fixers (covert): Seek early access to data or push uncertified labels; IB targets them.

Standards and technology

Telemetry Mirrors: Every sensor stream is mirrored to two independent stores; one belongs to the Certifier, one to RA.
Seal and Label Protocols: Safety labels include batch, blend, and test window IDs. Breaking a seal voids a result.
Coolant Rules: Only approved Vellari-sealed coolants; meter seals are checked before and after each run.
Waste Handling: Residue and slag tracked by weight and isotope profile; movement requires CO and escrow sign-offs.
Drive Sled Tests: Orbital track runs use dummy masses with fixed harnesses. No live cargo during these windows.

Relations with other worlds

Tal: Sends housings and frame parts; books blocks of windows.
Scoria: Ships refractory blends and expects detailed wear data back.
Kedra: Cites Reach certificates and labels in court rulings; handles disputes tied to accidents.
Slipwind (Keth): Provides beacon updates and timing advisories used to plan safe windows.
Brightline (Synthborn): Hosts escrow mirrors for large certification contracts.
Vellari hubs: Supply sealed coolants and enforce meter-seal integrity.
Caraphex yards: Provide heavy lift crews and take licensed salvage.

Security and crime

Main risks are data theft, counterfeit labels, and attempts to backdate a failed unit as a pass. Physical sabotage is rare but taken seriously. Range Authority can lock down a line and impound cargo without notice. The blacklist is shared in near-real time with core ports. Escort contracts are common for inbound and outbound convoys.

Penalties: cargo seizure, permanent test ban, fines, and referral to Kedra courts.

Risks and pressure points

Overrun tests: Exceeding planned steps triggers automatic abort and a full review.
Coolant shortages: Delay runs and push prices up across the cluster.
Sensor drift: Requires re-calibration and may void a run if caught late.
Waste backlog: If off-world yards are full, CO slows schedules.
Beacon outages: Suspend orbital sled operations and some surface windows.