Regarding some of the questions on habitats...
Most of the habitats in my game world (I don't really rely on Tech Levels
all that much, except as a reference for when certain tech items show up;
everyone is pretty much at the same very high level of technology) can
run on their own for a while. Eventually, the environment will break
down, but these things come with a series of very smart environmental
computers and a lot of tech robots to help the environmental engineers
keep things going. If everyone suddenly died, the habitat would keep
running itself for a while.
As for moving them, why not? If the habitat is using fusion and matter-
antimatter power, you won't disturb the power source by moving it (as you
might with a solar-based power system); if you boost the thing at a very
low degree of thrust and build it up slowly, you could eventually make
the thing an oversized spacecraft. The internal gravity will not be
disturbed that much, even on rotating habitats, if the thrust from external
engines is only, say, 1/1000th of a gravity. (or 1/10000th.) Sure, it
will take years to get anywhere, but you have a habitat, so what's the hurry?
Abandoned habitats? Not very many of them. Habitats are very expensive;
even the raw materials used to build them are quite valuable. If a habitat
has been somehow rendered uninhabitable (terrorists, plague, war, etc.) or
if it has simply broken down over time, and it takes time, I assume a high
technology habitat can probably last a million years or more if properly
maintained, the raw materials will quickly be recycled for something else.
Someone will claim it; people will probably fight over that much refined
material! (Good source for adventures--salvage wars!) The only place I
think you would find them would be underpopulated systems or the cometary
halo (i.e., isolated areas where there is not enough a population base to
handle the industrial problems involved in recycling that big a hulk.)
Well, go go now. Take care.
Mark
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