Orb

Orbs are the rotating, hollow spheres that form the living heart of the Orbstack on the starship Daban Urnud. Each orb functions as a self‑contained neighborhood linked to its neighbors and to the ship’s central Core, providing long‑term habitation for the ship’s communities.

Structure and environment

• Orbs are large spherical shells; rotation provides pseudogravity along their inner surfaces while the geometric centers remain effectively weightless. Structures can thus be built on the inner surface while other spaces—such as ceremonial rooms—may float nearer the center.
• Light collected on the ship’s exterior is routed inward to illuminate interior spaces and rooftop farms.
• Many orbs are partly filled with water supporting house‑boat style dwellings and agriculture, consistent with accounts of the Orbstack’s design.

Organization and access

• The Orbstack comprises sixteen numbered orbs arranged in four stacks of four; the stacks meet the Core at large junctions called Nexi. Access to an orb from the Core is controlled by giant ball valves that can align to permit passage or rotate shut to isolate a sphere.
• Numbering and assignment follow custom: Orbs 1–4 are associated with Urnud, 5–8 with Tro, 9–12 with Laterre, and 13–16 with Fthos, with the lowest‑numbered orb in each set commonly housing higher‑ranking members. Specific practice varies over time and mixing occurs.

Notable references

• “Orb One” (Orb 1) is cited as a forward, high‑status sphere in the Urnudan stack and a site of formal meetings. A visit to a ceremonial chamber near its geometric center highlights the weightless interior locus contrasted with pseudogravity at the inner shell.

Usage

The term is used both in the singular (Orb) for an individual sphere and in the plural (Orbs) when referring to multiple spheres or to the set as a whole within the Orbstack.