Beyond Mavros and its accretion disk, the first significant matter encountered is a ring of asteroids that orbit, occasionally in turn being knocked loose and spiralling in to the singularity.

These asteroids are the remnants of planets that had previously orbited in the habitable zone or further out among the gas giants. Once a planet is no longer of use to the civilisations of the Mavros System, gravitational engineers guide it in towards the asteroid belt and cause it, by proximity to the singularity and by increasing its spin, to break down into smaller fragments which are then mined for their remaining resources.

Mining operations are installed in the larger of the asteroids with smaller asteroids mined by small, highly shielded vessels that pass through the belt. Most mining stations are short-term affairs as there is always a risk that the asteroid will fall from the belt and begin to spiral inwards towards the singularity.