Quinton

Founded in 2286, the city of Quinton is located along the equator, anchored by a beautiful oasis nestled between a small range of mountains and the coast. The skyline is one of the most iconic in Human experience, rivaling those of Earth and even Terra. Due to the planet’s tumultuous geological activity, all of the buildings here must adhere to strict engineering codes to protect against the earthquakes, but they utilize a variety of techniques to achieve it. The most common is the use of tuned mass dampers in the taller skyscrapers, massive pendulums incorporated into the building to offset movement allowing the structure to withstand high winds and the shifting land mass.

So what should you know heading into Quinton? Well, Randal Hope’s classic 24th century song painted a very specific picture: “I came to Quinton and tried to forget, but there you were in the sad and lonely.” Residents disliked being associated with the mournful ballad; to them Quinton was a place to start over. It was a fresh world for those frustrated with life on Earth.

These days, Quinton is commonly associated with the same traditional vein as Earth. It is a heavy commercial traffic zone, home to many companies that wanted proximity to Earth but without the exorbitant real estate prices.

It is this commercial angle that will greet you when you set down on the R&H landing pad. Immediately you will find connecting halls to the Trade & Development Division that handles all incoming and outgoing commercial shipping. Job ops aside, the real gem here is Tessa Weiss, the most welcoming and accommodating person to ever work a TDD counter — so much so that the haulers who frequent Croshaw have nicknamed her “Mom.”

There’s a market nearby with many of your favorite stores: Cry-Astro, Hardpoint Guys, and Apocalypse Arms to name a few. Here you will also find a statue of the man himself, Nick Croshaw, proudly standing in the center of the market for all travelers to revere.

The Governors Council has their offices in Quinton to satisfy any civic needs you may have.

Grab a drink at Tug’s Court, a bar near the water that bears a mystery for the ages. Opened in 2910, the name of the small drinking establishment is allegedly a literary reference but, to date, no one has ever figured out where it came from. The mystery will most likely continue on as the original owner, Marian Tessle, died in 2935. It hasn’t stopped customers from trying to guess.

The new owner, Renly Sig, has monthly contests where the patrons can present their theories on the origin. Renly claims that Marian did not disclose the answer to him.

One word of warning to our readers who may live on the more … questionable … side of the law. You might want to avoid Tug’s entirely, or if not, at least avoid mentioning your activities too loudly, as Renly earned the money to buy the bar by hunting pirates. He has openly stated that he might come out of retirement if “the right scumbag walks into my joint.”

Hopefully, you won’t require the Quinton Medical Center after your visit to Tug’s, but it’s there if you need it.

The city of Quinton has one more part in Human history. The writer Binh Osgoode moved to the city shortly after the terraforming was complete. During the groundbreaking ceremony for Quinton, he was quoted as saying:

"I honestly can’t believe I will say this without fiction or imagination: I live on a planet in an alien system."

- Binh Osgoode