Line station

A line station is a satellite, normally placed in a stationary orbit, from which a downline is then lowered and connected to the ground. All planets at tech class 2 or better have at least one line station.

The line station can be used as a docking and embarkation point for all kinds of spacecraft. Cargo vessels will often carry rigs suitable for dropping containers down the line, and most stations have their own pressurised elevators for lowering and lifting passengers and smaller cargo.

While a basic station is little more than a platform for ships to land on, most have at least their own basic shops and rest facilities, such that pilots in a hurry can stop off without having to descend to the world. In many cases, a station will also be the centre for immigration and passport control, such that off-world visitors will need to present their documents before reaching the planet itself.

On some worlds, such as Kaizer and Whence, the line station is a good trading market. In these cases, businessmen representing the planet will meet with traders at the station, so outsiders don't even need to bother getting a visa to travel down to the surface.

On linked worlds and scattered worlds, there is not such a great need for a line station. However, many still maintain small rocks or satellites which serves the same political and economic purposes. These are typically known as embassy stations.

On some more populous worlds, there may be line embassy stations owned (and considered the territory of) specific other planets. These embassies are often suspended on lines on a level above other inhabited or docking stations, maintaining the symbolism of the line station as a link to the outside world, and also emphasising the embassy's separation from the planet it is based on.