Editing Platform

{{item
|image=Sky City by Bryan Mark Taylor.jpg
|creators=Humans
|'world=[[Detritus]], [[Starsight (station)|Starsight]], other planets
|universe=[[Cytoverse]]
|books=[[Skyward (series)]], [[Defending Elysium]]
}}
A '''platform''' is one of several types of space station. In particular, the term is used to describe massive floating metal cities that are thought to be originally designed by humans.{{book ref|elysium}}{{book ref|sky2|9}}

==Origin and Design==
{{quote
|The platform resembled others of its kind—a flat sheet of metal fifty miles long, with buildings sprouting from both its top and bottom. It wasn't a ship, or even a space station—it was nothing more than a collection of random buildings surrounded by a bubble of air.
|[[Jason Write]], on [[Evensong]]{{book ref|elysium}}
}}
During the [[Phone Company]] era on "Old Earth", humanity deployed a number of space stations throughout the solar system. Older stations had been built in a more conventional style, and used a sphere or force field technology to maintain a livable atmosphere. However, newer stations were developed that were made of a fifty-mile long sheet of metal (ideally [[telanium]]) with tall, multilevel prefabricated metal buildings built into both sides. These cities, known as "platforms", were self-sufficient through the use of element-specific gravity and fusion generators, and could sustain millions of residents. Some platforms were in planetary orbit, while others were in the space between planets. It was expensive to live on a platform, and the most distant platforms were several months travel from earth.{{book ref|Elysium}}

===Known Platforms===
*Jupiter Fourteen - contained a [[United Intelligence Bureau]] training center, a [[Phone Company]] office, and advanced medical facilities{{book ref|Elysium}}
*Jupiter Seventeen - home of CLA labs (the subject of an investigation by [[Riely]]){{book ref|Elysium}}
*[[Evensong]] - one of the distant '''Outer Platforms''', it was situated between Saturn and Uranus and was the farthest human settlement from Earth; it contained a Phone Company research facility and was the location of [[Jason Write]]'s investigation into [[Denise Carlson]]{{book ref|Elysium}}

==Detritus==
Centuries after the Phone Company era, the human prison planet known as [[Detritus]] was surrounded by multiple layers of platforms. These platforms could exceed one hundred meters in length, and were so numerous that they looked like metal shells around the planet.{{book ref|sky2|i|1}}{{book ref|sky2|3}} The platforms included [[skylight]]s, living quarters, shipyards, and automatic defense weaponry.{{book ref|sky2|2}} The human residents of Detritus referred to the platforms as "ancient" and believed that they predated their arrival.{{book ref|sky2|3}}{{book ref|sky2|4}} By the time of the [[Battle of Alta Second]], some platforms had fallen into visible disrepair (particularly those closest to the planet),{{book ref|sky2|3}} but many of the automatic gun turrets were known to still be functioning.{{book ref|skyward|46}} Although the creators of the platforms were not known, previous human habitation of Detritus was suspected due to the presence of Old Earth languages on the planet;{{book ref|sky2|4}} the platforms were also observed to include skyscrapers similar to those seen on Old Earth.{{book ref|sky2|3}}

Assisted by [[M-Bot]], the [[DDF]] was able to begin landing on platforms to reclaim them.{{book ref|sky2|3}} One of the largest reclaimed platforms, christened [[Platform Prime]], was used as the DDF's orbital headquarters. It had artificial gravity and atmosphere, and was generally in good operating condition.{{book ref|sky2|10}}{{book ref|sky2|15}} DDF technicians were able to hack into the platform's data banks—aided by built-in security exceptions for humans{{book ref|sky2|3}}—and found video confirmation of the platform being used by ancient humans.{{book ref|sky2|4}} The Detritus platforms were confirmed to date back to the [[Human Wars|Second Human War]]{{book ref|sky2|38}} and the arrival of the [[delver]]s.{{book ref|sky2|4}}

==Use by Superiority==
{{quote
|The station looked kind of like one of the platforms that surrounded Detritus. A floating city—shaped like a disc, with buildings sprouting from both sides. A bubble of something glowing and blue surrounded it.
|[[Spensa Nightshade]], on [[Starsight (station)|Starsight]]{{book ref|sky2|9}}
}}
When Spensa first approached the [[Superiority]] space station [[Starsight (station)|Starsight]], her description of the station was strongly reminiscent of both the Detritus platforms and Old Earth-built platforms such as Evensong.{{book ref|sky2|9}} Starsight had an artificial "bubble" atmosphere and metal buildings built on both sides of a large disc.{{book ref|sky2|10}} [[Morriumur]] indicated that the Superiority oversaw dozens of platform cities like Starsight that had existed for hundreds of years.{{book ref|sky2|28}} It is unclear if humans actually built these platforms or if alien races who had early contact with humans (such as the [[tenasi]] or [[varvax]]){{book ref|Elysium}} copied their design and technology. The Superiority also used similar artificial atmosphere technology to run smaller platforms, such as mining stations.{{book ref|sky2|13}}

== Notes ==
<references />
{{partial}}
{{Skyward}}
[[Category:Defending Elysium]]