Merdem's Ring is a Venusian independent orbital, widely considered to be its own nation. Though not officially recognized by any of the major powers, Jannat Orbital Republic (the ring’s true name) did business with all three, though their relationship with the Union was incredibly tense given the structure was originally built under Communist rule.
The space station handled much of Venus’s cargo shipments and food processing. Perhaps not quite as celebrated was its notoriously shoddy construction and terrible ecosystem design, which some cite as the spark that started the rebellion that turned it independent.
Development
As Venus was rapidly transforming into the new “breadbasket” of the System by the 2040s, nearly outproducing Earth in crops and consumable products thanks to a few brilliant genetic innovations mixed with pristine alien soil, the Union began to run into a bit of an issue. Too much stuff. Simply put, there were far more orbiters than terrestrial cosmodromes could handle, too many vessels resting in orbit, and a massive production bottleneck. The solution was self-evident.
Constructed mostly by automated systems, Tolkiy Orbital was the original name for the enormous ring. A unique sloped wall design permits a maximum number of interior units to have window access to the outside, and the interior architecture is mostly brutalist concrete over steel, representative of the Union’s efficiency-minded process.
At the core of the ring lies a hastily-planned nature band. The ecosystem here languished and collapsed within a decade of construction, leaving behind a sterile-looking concrete courtyard stretching between habitation blocks. Besides the hardy engineered grass, roaches, and a few trees maintained by the local community, not even a dedicated robotic workforce could keep it alive.
Though the population was representative of the entire Greater People’s Union, the majority was Central Asian, hailing from republics including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and subjucated Afghanistan.
Revolution!
By the 2060s, it had become clear that Tolkiy was a space-age labor camp. Poor environmental conditions, harsh authoritarian rule, and a population mostly made up of exiled political dissidents had humanitarians across the System condemning it as the new gulag of the 21st century. It was an uncomfortable truth for the Union and its ideology, but they wouldn’t be able to turn a blind eye for much longer.
Within ten days, the station’s control room and critical checkpoints were in the hands of Merdem Khan and the rebellion. Though it was an uprising, it was obvious that the operation was well-planned and supported by external groups. The Coalition’s MRDCI was rumored to have been involved, though it was never confirmed.
Union forces and government officials retreated to the nuclear module, a section of Tolkiy reserved for nuclear pulse modules and other weapons aimed primarily for Venusian terraformation.
Permanent Stalemate
The trapped troops were forced to submit an ultimatum: halt, or the entirety of Tolkiy would be scuttled. There was no chance that the Union would allow nuclear weapons in the hands of Merdem Khan.
Within the next several years, a demilitarized zone was established around the nuclear module. The vessel was eventually renamed to Jannat Orbital Republic, though it would forever be known as Merdem’s Ring, the name given by news organizations during the events of the rebellion. A special arrangement permitted Jannat and the Union to operate independently, with the orbital eventually resuming its former duties under new leadership.
Were things better now? Perhaps. Though Merdem’s Ring was still a self-proclaimed hellhole of a space station, at least they were under their own rule.