Slow Zone

The hub of one thousand gates: A starless void controlled by an unseen hand.

The Slow Zone is the name given to the hub of starless space created when humanity first passed through the Ring Gate located two AU outside the orbit of Uranus. This region, approximately one million kilometers across, connects over 1,300 other rings leading to different star systems. Unlike the rest of the universe, this central area is governed by a highly defended alien space station situated in its center. The hub is referred to as the 'slow zone' after the third novel; its alien station can set instantaneous speed limits on objects inside it.

Quick Facts

Hub diameter: one million kilometers
Number of connected rings: more than 1,300
Ring gate location (sol): two AU outside the orbit of Uranus
Gate size: thousand-mile diameter structure

Lore & Background

Before the discovery of the rings, humanity was confined to the Solar System. The creation of the Epstein Drive allowed for continuous acceleration but did not enable interstellar travel, leaving Earth, Mars, and the Belt in a tense military standoff. Everything changed when the Ring Gate near Uranus revealed a hub containing more than 1,300 other rings. This structure is maintained by a long-dead alien civilization. In the center of this starless expanse lies a highly defended alien space station that controls all gates.

Reader's Guide

To navigate the Slow Zone, one must enter via a Ring Gate. The hub itself is roughly one million kilometers in diameter and contains no stars, only the ring structures leading to other systems. Travelers should be aware that the central alien space station has the authority to set instantaneous speed limits on any object within this zone. The zone serves as a transit network; once inside, one can choose from over 1,300 gates, each leading to a unique star system, provided they adhere to the speed limits enforced by the central station.