Elite Dangerous 030 Col 285 Sector WL-L c8-40
Quick Horizons - Baker Fortress - Winstone Defense Outpost - Webster Barracks
Luna Command Garrison - Stephenson Vision - Cannon Horizons - Kirshner Sanctuary
The Grand Tour, PAGE 29
NOTE: All 138 facilities built in this system are listed (and shown) in order of distance from the sun. At least, according to the in-game architect’s view. There's a total of slightly over 18 hours of video, so the video, and the descriptions, are broken into smaller portions across multiple posts.
Some descriptions were written by myself, some with the help of AI. I've personally edited all of them, so if you must blame someone, blame me. :^)
11G Orbital 00
Quick Horizons
Communication Installation (Pistis)
DOCK: NONE
William T. Quick is a prominent American science fiction author and blogger, celebrated for his contributions to the cyberpunk subgenre during the late 1980s. Before establishing himself as a novelist, Quick developed a deep interest in computing and network communications, an experience that shaped his projection of future technological landscapes. He is most famous for his Dreams Trilogy, which launched with the 1988 cult hit Dreams of Flesh and Sand. This work is regarded for its depiction of corporate espionage, AI, and virtual space long before the internet made them popular.
His stories detailed the technical and legal frameworks of a future where megacorporations utilize elite hackers and sentient data constructs to manipulate planetary economies. He treated cyberspace not merely as a visual gimmick, but as an economic reality. Quick expanded his reach in the genre by co-authoring the Quest for Tomorrow science fiction series alongside William Shatner. He also left a unique mark on real-world digital culture through his early political blogging, where he is widely credited with coining and popularizing the term "blogosphere" in 2001.
11G Surface 00
Baker Fortress
Military Settlement Small (Ioke)
DOCK: Medium
Kage Baker was an accomplished American science fiction and fantasy author, best known for her time-travel stories and planetary romances. Before becoming a novelist, she worked in theater and taught Elizabethan English. This background gave her writing a rich historical texture and a sharp eye for cultural detail.
She launched her career in 1997 with stories in Asimov’s Science Fiction, followed by her debut novel, In the Garden of Iden. This book began her twelve-volume Company series. The series centers on a 24th-century megacorporation that uses immortal cyborg operatives to travel through time and salvage rare, extinct treasures from Earth's past.
Baker’s work blended corporate logistics with historical exploration and humor. Her stories often explored the psychological weight of immortality, the ethics of corporate greed, and the cultural friction faced by time travelers. She also earned acclaim for her 2003 novella, The Empress of Mars, which she later expanded into a novel. Set on a red planet abandoned by a profit-driven British colonial firm, it follows a pioneer woman who builds an independent settlement around the only tavern on the Tharsis Bulge. Baker portrayed these frontier settings as complex, living ecosystems where outcasts and entrepreneurs struggle to survive harsh conditions and navigate shifting monopolies.
Also… Sherlock Holmes reference.
Maybe Baker Fortress is what the Baker Street Irregulars call the place they live?
11G Surface 01
Winstone Defence Outpost
Military Settlement Small (Ioke)
DOCK: Medium
Simon Winstone is a respected British editor and author whose professional career has been heavily anchored in classic science fiction literature and media. Working closely within the modern publishing landscape, he served as a primary editor for the Virgin Doctor Who New Adventures series, a line of novels that kept the iconic franchise's narrative flame burning during its long television hiatus.
This required Winstone to manage networks of contributing writers, enforce strict continuity across branching storylines, and maintain intricate thematic worldbuilding protocols. This deep background in overseeing shared lore gave him a specialized understanding of narrative frameworks and structural consistency, allowing him to seamlessly bridge the gap between creative storytelling and disciplined administrative design.
Winstone's strength was his ability to guide complex, long-running storylines through challenging thematic transitions. Alongside his extensive editing work, he co-authored Where Angels Fear, a notable entry in the speculative sci-fi genre that blended human investigations with bizarre anomalies. His experience with dense science fiction frameworks and the realities of fictional universes translates perfectly into the concepts of data management and structural development. He treated worldbuilding as an analytical challenge, maintaining the internal logic of a complex universe with a balance of innovative vision and careful oversight.
11H Surface 00
Webster Barracks (Was Wolff)
Military Settlement Small (Ioke)
DOCK: Medium
Bud Webster was an American science fiction author, historian, and bibliographer who dedicated his life to preserving the history of speculative fiction. Active in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, he was revered in the genre community as a top scholar and a "past master." He gained acclaim as a fiction writer with his Bubba Pritchert stories, published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact. These tales earned multiple Analytical Laboratory awards for their witty, grounded portrayal of ordinary people encountering interstellar anomalies.
His most monumental contribution was his work as a literary detective and preservationist, serving as head of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Estate Project. Through this, Webster built massive databases to trace copyright records. He rescued forgotten Golden Age authors from obscurity, ensuring their families received credit and their work remained available to future generations.
Webster was known for balancing meticulous research with infectious humor. His landmark non-fiction books, such as Anthopology 101 and Past Masters & Other Bookish Natterings, analyzed the evolution of science fiction magazines and anthologies. He viewed genre history as a vast network where early publishers, editors, and writers established the rules modern creators still use today. He held a profound respect for that creative spark, working to organize the messy corridors of pulp history so those foundational architects would never be forgotten.
11H Surface 01
Luna Command Garrison
Military Settlement Medium (Enyo)
DOCK: Medium
8. Last time for a base named Luna.
I’m amazed that Elite random-rolled Luna’s name 8 different times!!
See Luna Market, 07A Surface 03, for the full description.
12 Orbital 00
Stephenson Vision (Was Rock)
Communication Installation (Alethia)
DOCK: NONE
Neal Stephenson (born 1959) is among the most ambitious and influential American science fiction authors of the last forty years. He is known for dense, idea-rich novels that blend a broad range of themes. His encyclopedic approach has earned him a reputation as a master of "hard" science fiction.
He achieved widespread acclaim with Snow Crash (1992). This groundbreaking cyberpunk novel popularized the term "metaverse" and helped inspire modern virtual reality concepts. The story follows Hiro Protagonist, a hacker and pizza delivery driver, as he battles a dangerous new drug and a viral threat in both the real and virtual worlds.
His other major works include The Diamond Age (1995), which explores nanotechnology and education in a tech-stratified future. He also wrote the Baroque Cycle, a massive three-volume historical hybrid set in the 17th and 18th centuries. Another notable title is Anathem (2008), an ambitious philosophical novel set on a parallel Earth where scientists and philosophers live in monastery-like seclusion.
Stephenson’s writing is defined by meticulous research, long-form storytelling, and intricate world-building. He is fascinated by how technology, economics, and culture shape human civilization. Often called a "maximalist," he is respected for the intellectual depth and the sheer scale of his narratives.
Personal NOTE: I read Snow Crash. It was an excellent story with immense depth. But I felt that he added words into the text simply to add bulk to the book. I wouldn’t go so far as to accuse him of "padding" like L. Ron Hubbard—no real writer deserves that accusation—but Stephenson does have a tendency to use more words than necessary.
13 Orbital 00 Cannon Horizons
Relay Installation (Ichnaea) DOCK: NONE
This was a random name roll, and it’s not spelled correctly, but the spirit is there…
Canonn’s official website: https://canonn.science
From their official website:
“The Home of Science in the Galaxy
Founded in April 3301 by the eponymous Dr Arcanonn, Canonn Interstellar Research (also referred to simply as The Canonn) is the largest and most active scientific community throughout the Bubble.
It all started with the emergence of the now infamous ‘Unknown Artefacts’ – a mystery (or is it a conspiracy?) that continues to dominate the Elite Dangerous universe.
Operating out of Thompson Dock, Varati, our extreme focus and diligence can be attributed to our diet of biscuits, whisky and a penchant for wearing tin foil hats. We take our Science seriously, but we do it without covering ourselves in chalkdust.
Our never-ending mission is not just to uncover the truth about these Unknown Artefacts, but all mysteries throughout the galaxy.
Dr Arcanonn is now helped by the Council who, in turn, only exist because of the members – those brave tinfoil-hat wearers who tirelessly sought the unknown artefacts in those dangerous early days; and who now continue to find exciting science to do, day after day after day after day after day.”
“The Canonn
Canonn Interstellar Research Group (or the ‘Canonn’ for short) is an independent cooperative made up of thousands of Commanders committed to science and discovering the mysteries of the universe. Founded in Varati on August 4th 3301 the Canonn has continued to spread and is even present in Colonia.
We are a non-exclusive, open group that does not take part in politics and is adamantly neutral, we believe anything that distracts from our research is to be avoided. We do not restrict our pilots but we do enforce that any overtly political actions are not taken in our name.
While initially founded to research the Unknown Artefact the Canonn has branched out as new mysteries have become available. Our interests also extend to the Large Barnacle, Unknown Probe, the Unknown Ships and any other mysteries we can get our hands on. A complete up to date list of our studies can be found in the codex of this website.
You can find all our research in these pages and we encourage anyone seeking to work with us to join us, take part in our discord and follow the “threadnought”. Be forewarned there will be plenty of off the wall “tinfoil” theories and talk of biscuits but that’s just an average day around here. Join us, discover the ongoing mysteries, and make some new friends!”
NOTE:
The above two quotes are directly from the Canonn website. I don’t understand why the two paragraphs have different founding dates, but assume it’s somehow correct, otherwise all these seriously brilliant folks would have noted an error and corrected it.
And however you feel about it, the source is literally… canon. (Drum roll, please.)
ANOTHER NOTE:
I asked Grok, and received a very reasonable explanation…
The dates don't actually conflict — they refer to two slightly different moments in the group's early history.
April 3301 — This is when Dr Arcanonn first began calling for research and started organizing the informal group around the Unknown Artefacts mystery. This is generally considered the founding of the Canonn movement/community.
August 4th 3301 — This is the date when Dr Arcanonn made the official public announcement of the formation of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group, and when the group was more formally established in Varati (specifically at Thompson Dock).
Simple Explanation:
Think of April as the “idea was born / informal start” date, and August 4th as the “we are now officially a group” date.
13 Orbital 01 Kirshner Sanctuary (was Image)
Communication Installation (Pistis) DOCK: NONE
Honoring Don Kirshner (1934–2011), a legendary American music publisher, producer, and talent scout known as “The Man with the Golden Ear.”
Kirshner had an extraordinary career shaping popular music. He discovered and nurtured talents like Carole King, Neil Diamond, and Bobby Darin, and played a major role in the success of The Monkees and The Archies. He later created and hosted the influential television series Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, which brought live performances by major rock acts into homes across America during the 1970s.
For science fiction fans, Kirshner is particularly remembered for his work on Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974). As music supervisor and executive producer for the show’s soundtrack, he helped shape the sonic identity of the first animated extension of the Star Trek universe. Working with composer Ray Ellis, Kirshner brought a sense of grandeur and emotional weight to the series’ scores, giving the animated adventures of Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise a memorable musical backdrop during its two-season run.
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