The Belt

I don't know if anyone else has traveled international, I got to go courtesy
of the U.S. Navy (Submarine
Service) but when I was traveling I saw lots of places in the Asian and
Polaponesain(?) communities,
They had an interesting way of living. They would link several hundred
boats, of all sizes, together and
formed little floating commmunities.
A person could sleep, eat, shop and never ever leave the community.

This was my foundation for the belt concept.

I visualize lots of ships and asteriods being interconnected together to
form a "floating" community in space.
Some ships have probably been in residence at the belt for such long times
that leaving is no longer an option
for them. Several ships do nothing but find asteriods that have rich
minerials, they move them to the belt so they can cut down on shipping cost.
The asteriod is mined out and then sold to someone, suddenly you have new
living spaces and areas for markets.

I am still working on the history of the belt, as far as who founded it and
the first ships to arrive and
why they needed a place like this.

Personally I am leaning towards a smuggling and/or pirate base that had to
be evacuated  (Maybe something moved
into the base)and left empty for centuries; only to be re-discovered by an
crippled merchant ship.

Sorry, I don't have any more details, but I've got my fingers in several
pots right now.
As I develop more ideas I will let you know.
Please any ideas you have let me know I will incorporate them into the universe.

Thanks for all the responses.

"I can only conclude that I'm paying off karma at a vastly accelerated rate."
	-- Ivanova, "B5"

		Douglas J Russell