October 2013

I haven't been having a great couple of months, and the materiel on this site is thinner that I would hope. Its been harder to keep my commitment to you than I'd like.

To make it up, let me show off some of the other work that I have produced.

A Teenage Texas Road Trip 
While still in draft form, is a longer piece of fiction set in the zone, and deals with a group of teenagers exploring the area outside of the Lone Star arcology. It contains an encounter with both the Planetary Citizens and Type One/Alpha reanimates. I think the story gives a good impression of entering a new town and dealing with the aliens.

The Last of Second Platoon, Charlie Company
This story is a fairly good example of how I want to eventually anthologize the sort of stories on this blog. While some of it should be recognizable from the archives, they are linked fairly well and the last section gives a good feeling for both operating a power armor and fighting Beta reanimates.

On My Way to Birobidzhan
This has no relation whatsoever to Dead... and Back, I just want to show I can write things that aren't related to zombies, and do so pretty well in fact.

Remington, IBM, Smith-Corona, and Underworld Typewriter Repair
Also unrelated to the game, but part of a different demon infested  cosmology I occasionally write about.

Let us not forget - its October 31st. Time for a music video to inspire your games. This time around, its scenes from "Hellsing"

There is no reason you can't replicate vampires in my game, and I certainly hope the above gives some good pointers on how to destroy ghouls with style.

Good luck with your gaming, and aim for the head!

Back to Texas

Adam drained his second canteen, and wiped the sweat from his brow. Dry heat wasn't supposed to be as bad, but everything counts in large amounts. It had been a long time since he was in this part of the country, and needed to acclimate once again. Another few days, and the tacky giant glass disco ball that formed part of the arcology complex would be visible. It contained high class restaurants and five star hotels, yes, but that would never change his opinion of the architecture. None of them would be quite so fancy five years of the apocalypse anyway..

Other feats of engineering were already visible - roads, construction depots, clusters of adobe houses, and metal shelters. Two entire communities popped up around the mega construction project. One was just the workers seeking to avoid commutes and costs by living nearby. Adams father had been one of those. Farther South of the complex was a refugee camp where his mother had lived. It almost seemed like Moses had parted Central America, sending people flying North and South - though sea rise and desertification had more to do with it.

There had been some attempts to make the place more livable than a shanty town. Few of the official actions had amounted to much, but a very large number of women had unofficially become tile layers and painters for the project. Normal union rules didn't apply, since the area had been declared and EDGE special economic zone. The government decided getting things done was more important than being right, and had let private interests take a free hand.

Even now, that was part of the reason why the young man was reluctant to return. There were many people who still held large amounts of the old money and a feeling that they owned the place. Legally that was true, but did those old rules mean they got to be the uncollected de-facto rulers of the complex? A legislative body existed, but the old rich held veto power over all but the biggest majorities. Maybe it was just a bit of low class resentment, but it just didn't seem right that there be kings in America.

Other problems waited there as well. To the East were the holy soldiers of New Birmingham, always eager to assimilate the complex. West and North were a pair of Planetary Citizen - tribes? Swarms? Nations? Groups - and opposed to each other no less. Alternately both sided would cajole or threaten the people of Lone Star to get supplies for their conflict, and none of the humans were really quite sure which to support. Mexico to the South had returned to the semi-feudal Hacienda system, a patchwork of plantations, some owned by the former government, some by independents, and many by former criminals. It was the 1910 revolution all over again, complete with soldier trains and horse cavalry. No brilliant general Obregon to bring it to a close, however.

For now, all that could wait. Only a few hours remained until sundown, and traveling at night was rarely a good idea. Better to stop now and find a residence. Provided they were free of reanimates, the old adobe houses up ahead would be the best accommodation Adam had in months.

LOST Sec Interview

You would think that sitting in a naval base with a group of fully equipped cruisers would be the safest place to be in this world. You would be right. And wrong. We're a target, from so many different sides, its hard to tell who is an enemy.

Missiles, we have a plenty. Spare parts - those too. Fuel. That is a problem. Ship oil consumption is measured by the ton. We've got the preservatives and reprocessing additives to prevent it from turning to sludge in the tanks - but there is no way to collect or process enough crops to replenish our supply. There are only so many sorties we can run before the ships will be useless. I won't say how many, of course. You claim to be from the government, and have the confirmation codes to back up, but with all due respect Mr. Mauser - information like that is probably well above your security clearance.

We've had our fights about what to do. Every idea has had its time in the limelight - from one last hurrah for the Navy taking nuclear warheads to any known alien infestation to taking them out to sea and opening all the valves to deny anyone the use of the vessels and claim we never surrendered. Sure, there has been some scuttlebutt about going pirate like the Soviet fleet - but it never had much traction. On the other hand, one of the captains had a popular idea that we travel to then end of our fuel, heading for the North Sea, then engage in the war we've planned for the last hundred years - fighting what remains of the Russian fleet and saving Europe from those raiders.

Poetic. But have we not responsibilities closer to home?

Of course there have been offers from New Birmingham crazies, and I won't lie, they have some sympathy in this fleet. Various factions in the Mexican nations have also made offers - they have less sympathy - but a hell of a lot more money, oil, women and booze than our local god squad if you catch my drift. Many of us have family at, or at least visit the LoneStar complex, so there is that reason to just stay put.

The only ones that haven't offered us an overture is the aliens themselves. At least I don't think they have - we see some of their vessels approach surprisingly often - we keep some smaller patrol craft out and about just in case they try to do something.

Otherwise, its just damn boring. This base was built for aircraft carriers, so we don't have anywhere near the over crowding of the boys in Vegas. We also don't have the blind loyalty of they do - Mister Mauser. You're not the only one who has claimed to be a representative of the USA, not even the only one with official looking code documents. There have been claimants to the throne from the North East, and down in Florida or Gitmo. We might be the US Navy, but we want to make sure it is the right US.

Teenage Hunters, Part Two

Kendra pushed the dark SPHERE goggles up onto her forehead, not that there was much to see.. A pair of battery powered lanterns kept Jeff, Heckoya, and Jane well illuminated, but most of the large former restaurant was lost in the darkness. Even in the pool of light, all that really held her attention was the tiny gyro-jet pistol she was idly spinning in her hands. Plastic, ceramic, and light metals, it was toy-like compared to a human weapon with a steel barrel and ferrous acceleration coils. But as interesting as the alien artifact was, her patience was growing thin.

"What the hell is taking so damn long?" she asked "where are the others?"
  Jeff spoke up first "We invited Kirk a few months ago, but he didn't show much commitment to the project."
  "My main man Rick working tonight, helping out with the water pumps." Heckoya added
  "Is there anyone who isn't 'your main man'?" Jeff shot back
  "Kendra?"
  "That is because she is a girl! Have you even tried one?"
   "Boys! Can we get back on topic!" Jane was usually pretty quite, but when she wasn't, everyone listened.
Jeff nodded - "Yes. We came here because Jane wished to voice a concern."

"As Jeff said, not long ago, he wants to keep the trip short - two days out to the next town and back. Now I've been thinking - we should do just the opposite. The 'rents are gonna be livid with us over leaving. Two days or two weeks - we're still going to be facing a few years house arrest - or at least I am. But, we might be able to limit the damage if we bring back something good - actually help the community in exchange for all the worry we caused. Of course, anything all that close has already been picked pretty clean, so we probably need to go farther."
   At first, no one said anything, but when Heckyoa spoke, it was incredulous for the lot "Really? Things have been going fine, and now you bring this up? Not when we're starting, not when we're agreeing to the plans, not at any other time we offered you to opt out - its after we figure out if we have weapons and other illegal stuff - its too late to back out now girl!"
   "Staying longer is the opposite of backing out, you know."
   "You know what I mean - changing the plan. If you we're scared of your folks..."
   "I'm not! I - well, Look. My sister's test results came back, and they're not good. If I can find some nano-vac or at least something to make her happy - it will be worthwhile. But we're not going to find in Tohmpson - that's for sure."

Kendra crossed the lighted patch and gave her friend a hug. "That is different Jane. But it also a big problem for us. We've been trying to keep things covert. It would be possible to collect all the supplies our bikes could carry if we got some friends to help and didn't mind making a run for it rather than just slipping out."
   "My brother dated Jane's sister "Heckoya began "and anyone he calls a skanky b-- and hates is fine by me - I'll do it if everyone else agrees."
   Jeff spoke next "Well, I'm not willing to throw the plan to the winds just to annoy his older brother, though I do at least agree that guy is an a-hole. Kendra, we need a majority vote,  are you for or against?"

Lost SEC Part One

With the rise of the Brazilian nuclear navy, Argentina and Chile beginning massive armament programs, drug enforcement issues, and climate recovery operations gaining ever more urgency, and the need to safeguard the few remaining productive oil platforms - a new naval base in the gulf of Mexico was desperately needed.

Hence a new Naval base was built in Southern Texas to cover the gulf with greater force than ever before.  Once completed, it would be capable of maintaining multiple atomic powered cruisers, submarines, and carriers.It was even built in concert with an archaeology complex further inland which would provide housing for off base families, education, and recreation. The new complex would also receive power from naval style reactors, allowing for training of technicians, and fuel reprocessing.

Construction proceeded slowly, partly due to the plans grandeur, and mostly due to lobbying. Many felt that current bases could maintain capital ships, which could move to the gulf on their own power, while small coastal patrol vessels didn't require a massive base the Lone Star Sea Enforcement Complex was turning into. In an attempt to limit funding cuts, the largest parts of the project - including satellite hide shelters for carriers and a dry-dock capable of holding a Nixon class carrier - were built first. By that point, the firms responsible hoped, that people would either accept it as a sunk coast and continue, or that the facilities could be used for other large projects like oil rig recovery should the base deal fall through.

Although the project would not be canceled, these huge berths never got the chance to host a carrier either. The most it ever played host to was a half dozen Morton class destroyers, while the largest was the USS Green Bay of the San Antonio Cruiser class.

The citizens did not attack the base during The Event. Ironically, the lack of warships present apparently had them misidentify it as a non-military port, and thus of low targeting priority. Once the alien fleet began to suffer from power loss and in-fighting, the base became a haven for a few of the remaining units of the Atlantic fleet.

...That Wears the Crown

The study was dark polished wood. Or, at least looked that way to most who were used to offices of acrylic and glass. Most of it was actually fairly cheap and just heavily lacquered to hide the tool marks and other signs of amateur workmanship.  Reverend Luther Powell had been many things, but professional carpenter was not one of them. To his credit though, he did try to make everything himself, and aside from the electrical wiring, most of the renovations in the house were done with his own hands. The bookshelves were straight and workman like, the desktop surface level if you left the plate glass centered, and the chairs - were bought at a shop after one of the power tools broke.

Most of the other decorations in the room were of more passable quality. Brass lamps picked out by wife Mary, and artwork gifts from friends and parishioners lined the walls.

Duncan Moses Powel, was nigh perfect in every way the furniture was not. An imposing - if young - presence, tall, strong, and and built to last through seasons of football and water-polo. But most people didn't see him as a demigod figure, instead noticing the priests vestments he tended to wear, or else simple overalls and shirts. Lacking the army command expense of Luther, Duncan tried for the role of village priest and man of the people instead.

He was opposite in almost every way to opponent in the Texas arcology. But there were some unfortunate similarities- the burdens of leadership. 

Electricity and Safety, the two demons that bedeviled the good state. Keeping the people content with the ways of the city state required providing them amenities and illumination - but the local production facilities were not increasing output to match the populace of the towns. Even with every adult male trained in the use of a weapon, there was always the threat of those ungodly creatures. Rare was the day that less than a dozen congregated outside the gates of the ABERHAM research campus, and there always seemed to be a steady stream of them from the concrete islands of New Orleans, the ruins of Mobile, swarms from the crater that was the original Birmingham - scouts had tracked one group all the way back to the CDC campus in Georgia.

And then there were the heretics. Duncan was willing to soften his father's language to just the lazy - but then mother would chime in that sloth is a deadly sin. Whatever name was attached, the problem was, people just weren't willing to empty their hands of the old ways and grab onto the rope of right conduct. Perhaps women had shown themselves equals in the past, but now a steady home environment and division of labor was required. Certain devious lifestyles had been allowed, but now that the time had come to rebuild civilization, the obligation was to do so correctly and by the book.

It was always a bit vexing that the population could at once be growing too fast for the services, and yet not fast enough as outsiders were reluctant to join the church.

Nothing would take him from his father's shadow, but he hoped to shine a bit of light on his own. Duncan had never wanted to be a senator or president, but now he was in charge of both the physical functioning and spiritual security of over a dozen villages held together by his father's dream.

He removed the interface glasses and rubbed his temples, then swiveled the chair to look out the window. A few taps on the suit's arm turned down the air conditioning another two degrees. Rank had its privileges.

Heavy is the head...

The office was decorated in somewhat out of date "dream wave" style. No straight lines when gentle curves could be used instead, almost everything a clear acrylic except for one white patch on the desk that held its internal electronics. Blue painted natural bamboo mats covered the floor, off setting the otherwise sterile lack of color on the walls or in the furniture. At quick glace, it looked like a floating white panel and trio of cushions floating over an ocean, before one picked up the furniture edges. A large picture window faced West, framing the sun as it turned the landscape red at dusk. Despite the UV filtering glass, there were still differently colored regular patches on the wall where the current occupant had removed the former's personal effects and photos.

Victor H.R. Seagram was also a bit out of date in style. Most people had given up on older forms of dress. Wearable computers were a bit stiff, and after too much flexing and washing, simply broke, even if there were no tears or holes. Nor did the weather this time of year really lend itself to large patches of skin covered by plastic fibers.Indeed, it was often warm enough in the buildings that there was a movement to make public nudity allowable. If that was the only issue he had to worry about, he'd have found religion just to than god for it.

But the man who insisted on suits or sport coats to keep to appearance of his job as mayor had far bigger things than that. (And the answer would continue to be no - people had standards, after-all). Citizen recon-aircraft had been spotted last week, an Argentine submarine had been tracked, and there were only a few months more of uranium for the power plant.Weather like this wasn't helping the farms either. And yet another group of teenagers ran off of r a three day adventure in the old cities. If the police couldn't keep their own kids in, how were they supposed to keep things out?

And those damn god squads. The witch burners in Birmingham had been making overtures to join for two years, maybe more. Certainly it could help the supply situation, and in theory, double the amount of US territory considered under government control - even if it wasn't necessarily the old congress.

Mr. Seagram had be considering a run later in the decade, mayor of an arco project was a pretty good resume for being a representative.

But now they were just getting nasty. Trade deals had been getting less and less fair, and now it seems some church affiliated groups had actually attacked some wasteland patrols. Rumors had it that the other city state was gearing up for a conflict.

And on a purely personal level, he couldn't well deal with a group that thought of his mothers and an abomination.

He removed the interface glasses and rubbed his temples, then swiveled the chair to look out the window. A few taps on the suit's arm turned down the air conditioning another two degrees. Rank had its privileges.

Teenage Hunters (Part One)

Kendra slipped the darkened lenses down over her eyes, everything in the room took on a spectral appearance- darkened, yet highlighted along the edges by animations. Using the tack-ball mounted on a wristband (tactile feedback is so retro) she clicked on the message indicator floating off to her left. A large plant began to grow in front of her, the stem and vines twisting in a nearly hypnotic pattern, before shooting off a single carnation like flower from the top. The adults would dismiss it as one of her friends displaying their animation skills, but in fact the pattern held a code for those in the know. Now the trick was to to get out of her room and too the meeting place the vines to mapped to.

For this trick, she had set up a map of the halls, and taken notes on where people were likely to be and when. All she would need to do was take off her shoes to avoid squeaking on the linoleum floors, and follow the floating notes. In theory at least - people did have a tendency to be occasional move or break with routine. It went without a hitch this time.

Sidling up to the door, she gave a quick knock and broadcast the entry code. A bolt shifted, and it swung open reveal most of her co-conspirators were already there. Jeff of course cheated - he only called the meetings once he had found a good location, and thus was de facto always first. Heckoya's apartment block was quite close - she just had to climb out a window, repel to a roof six meters below, run across, roll down the awning, jump over the stairs, and a few other tricks that were by now boring for the dark skinned free-runner.

"How did you get here so quickly?"
"I just told my mom I was rehearsing for a play with friends. She practically forced me out of the apartment."
"Good story - but isn't she going to expect us to actually preform eventually?"
"If it comes to that, well we can use our interface. We're gonna have to use virtual sets due to lack of materials on hand -right? So if we got our lenses on, then then the text can just scroll past. give it a once through a day before so it isn't too obvious, and we good to go."

"We will now come to order," Jeff interrupted, serious as usual. At least a few of those involved took the planning as more of a thought experiment, but he was dead set on actually going on an expedition. That drive, combined with the notes from his father's notes from his time with the Wasteland Patrols made him the natural leader of the group. In a way, he was both the source of the greatest excitement, and the biggest kill-joy.

"Let us begin with a quick inventory - a trade group came through here earlier today, and I'd like to know if anyone has something new to contribute."
Jane Stood up - "Not from the caravan, but I've managed to dry and pack some more food - an extra meal for each of us I'd say. That puts us up to what - enough for three days, provided we don't scavenge anything?"
"Yes, I believe that is right. I'm still thinking of limiting the run to a 48 hour trip to Thompson - but it always pays to be prepared for whatever bat country can throw at you."

Kendra reached into one of her cargo pockets, and brought out her coup-de-gace. I managed to collect this from one of the traders, and a couple of ammo rockets."
"What is it?"
"A citizen weapon - a gyrojet pistol. Little explosive rockets about fifty-percent bigger than a double-A battery, and sized for their tiny little hands, so its easy to conceal."

Travels and Texas

"KC - you've been to Tesla, Vegas, several NEST towers - it seems just about everywhere. I have to ask - how do you do it?"
"I know where to find stuff, I know what people want, and I know how to take care of myself. Its a fine line to wall really - give too much of yourself, and people take advantage. Don't give of yourself, and people start taking because they believe you deserve it for being a [bleep]. Oh, right, your censorship thing. Sorry."
"Its all right. Please, continue."
"I live by the rules of the zone - I keep track of where I've been, I repay kindness, and stash what I can't take in marked sites so the next person coming though can be safe. If you're new to the wandering like, I'll help give you direction. But I'm not going to swear allegiance to anyone, and I don't pick fights. A fast motorcycle is ten times as good as a fast trigger-finger."
"There has got to be more to this than simply avoiding exploitation and confrontation."
"Not really. This world was almost big enough for billions upon billions of people five years ago. At ten percent of that, there should be enough to go around, and space that warring people should be able to get away.Its not like the yard at San Quentin.
"The prison...? You were at-"
"That's not appropriate right now. Maybe a better explanation is the Lone Star City-State."
"To be honest, I don't know much about them and if that's an apt metaphor. What can you tell us about the Lone Star arco complex. I hear they've become a de-facto city state, but not as much is said about them as all the others."
"They're kinda quiet, cause they don't want more trouble then they can take. NEST knows they've got problems, and don't mind using the radio antennas atop their two hundred story towers to call for assistance. Vegas thinks its still the rules of this country and sends out missives. New Birmingham wants to rule this country and points out their reasons loudly. Lone Star has most of what they need, where they need it. However, they're also stuck between New Birmingham's Expansion plans, a rather nasty group of the aliens that are far less personable then the one you've got working here, and a fairly high number of bandits - is that feed back or the thing speaking?"
"Sing-Sing - you know anything about the ones out west"
[High pitched squeel]
"Vocorder girl! uh - KC, would you mind if I went and spoke to her in her power suit, and you continued recording with Diego?
"Fine with me - how about you mister Dezf, des... I',m sory - how is it pronounced again?" 
"de Zúñiga  - like the fourteenth century Spanish philosopher. Not that Hobbes ever pronounces it correctly or spells it out in transcripts. But yea, you go talk to the alien, and I'll talk to our guest."
"If I can ask a question for a moment - how did you meet Hobbes, and how did an OB from the East Coast end up here?
"Its kind of anti-climatic really. We got stuck in this state when the EMP grounded air traffic, and somehow crossed paths, and both came to the conclusion we should get out of the big city quickly, because being stuck in an unfamiliar metropolis during a crisis was not going to be an easy trial to handle. A bit more to it of course, but our listeners probably want to hear about the Texas City State."
"Well, as I was saying, its in less immediate danger than most of the other states. Part of its territory was an old college campus so they've got education as needed, and a nuclear reprocessing station, so large amounts of electricity could be available. They're also pretty close to sea base meant to respond to event in the gulf and its resident cruisers. They don't have much in the way of industry - no micro-facs, nothing but some incomplete buildings that would have been zoned for it - yet everybody wants them.

It sits at a corridor into alien over-run California - so the PCs want it, NB wants its power plant for industry and the ships for power projection. Vegas shows the flag with occasional bomber over-flights because those ships officially belong to them. Frankly, I don't think the cruisers have left the docks once, because someone is going to blow them up if that happens - PC because they're a threat or USAF because they're stolen.

The people I've met there don't come off as wacky like Tesla or zealous as the religious freaks. You can still tell there is some sort of internal conflict brewing. I'd guess it has to do with which government they want to join, and on what terms. What else there is to it, they hide that pretty well."
"Don't they have some mag-lev hubs running through there or other transit stations?"
"I seem to recall such - yes."
"Is there a reason why you went there?"
"First and foremost, just to say I've been everywhere - you know, like why people climb mount Everest. The other is that there were a lot of rumors both down South and in Vegas about the reanimates down there. That they were a lot more organized then usual."
"Are they?"
"I'd have to say yes. I snuck past a lot more of the advanced types then I've encountered anywhere else."
"Do you think there's a reason?"
"I'm sure there is a reason. Don't have a clue what it is, but I know there has to be one."
"Anyone even making a guess?"
"Well a lot of people claim its some sort of conspiracy, and that the reanimates are under the control of someone - be it the aliens, Vegas, lone-star itself as a way of border enforcement, or even scientists at Area 51. All that is perfectly reasonable compare to the one about the cows though."
"Cows?!"
"Yeah, its one of those really strange things. You never see any domestic cows, very little live stock of any type really, but never cows. Yaks, Zebras, even elephants escaped from zoos in some places, but domestic cattle. As the reasoning goes - factory farm animals packed together in feedlots were some of the most terribly hormone and antibiotic ridden creatures on the planet and a major source of contamination and resistant bacteria - so even more than humans, they were injected with nano-vac. When that stuff went haywire and produced the reanimates..."
"So you mean the whole undead thing could be becasue of [bleep] cows?"
"Seems I returned just in time - Language Diego."
"You here this about the cows?"
"Yes, and some interesting facts from Sing-Sing. But we're going over time, so lets try to wrap this up and find a way to present it a bit more eloquently."
"Fair enough - I'm getting hungry and the guest looks like he could use something too. File set saved, back ups OK, music set to go, and powering down..."

Arcology Apartments

No two arcologies are quite same, not even the NESTs which are semi-standardized. Any building project is going to need to acquiesce to the demands of the environment its built in, and megastrucutres all the more so. However, it can be safely said that any given area of an arco embodies a certain ethic about the role of the home and family.

In the low income areas of a NEST, the standard is "Life is outside the home". Individual apartments are often only four to six hundred square feet, with some beds, closets, a counter with sink and induction stove top, and a tiny bathroom. Most occupants are expected to remain within for a few hours to sleep, and to store their belongings. Otherwise they can expect to socialize in the hundreds of stores, cafes, bars, arcades and parks within the structure. Maintenance staff and police would be very concerned if someone remained in their apartment for an extended period.

Apartments with windows are actually fairly rare. Usually the outer area is reserved as walkways and parkways - with sunlight access for everyone, even on mostly residential floors there are communal dining areas and entertainment parlors. On many levels, there are even plants, landscaping, and grass fed by drip hydroponics to give the appearance of a park wrapping around the entire building. Living areas are set up in blocks of 20-40 grouped together. If one could look through the ceiling and outer structural elements, any given level would look quite a bit like a normal city block, just sectioned off at a three meter level. Hallways are kept quite wide - usually about five meters (14 feet) for ease of access, and to account for people standing outside and talking. Lighting in hallways is dimmed for night time, but does have constant signs. Large doors can be found every few hundred feet and in an emergency the various levels can be locked down tighter than a prison to contain fires, riots, or other problems.

Despite the tiny and seemingly temporary nature of the apartments, they are designed to be very livable, rather than depressing little boxes. Even those in the inner core of the building can receive natural light through fiber-optic "sun tubes". Programmable strips  lights are built into the walls at floor, chest, head, and ceiling levels to let the users customize exactly what level of illumination they desire at any given moment. Floors are usually bamboo-hardwood for ease of cleaning and a calming natural appearance - though the occupant can request different coverings. Projectors or screens are often built in to allow entire walls to be used for as a television or monitor.

A great deal of effort has been made to insulate the apartments - both due to the noise of so many things going on in a large building, and efficiency standards. Despite the normal connotations of block housing, sharing walls is often rather rare, as there are a great deal of passage ways between the various living areas. Part of this is structural - each tier is a bit offset to allow structural members through and the massive reinforcement needed for structures over twice as tall as any 20th century building. The other reason is the need for maintenance access for all the electrical tech - and to allow emergency services non-standard ways to move through a crowded building in an emergency. It is actually possible to traverse the entire building without seeing another person even at peak occupancy if one has the right key-cards.

More affluent areas of the NEST (ie Lower Down) are of course, notably larger. They are still not large penthouses, but something that separates the sleeping area from the dining room, or has an actual office in addition to the standard area is worth bragging about. Decoration is often more lavish as well.



Conversely, communities like the Lone Star Complex believe that the home is the center of one's social life. Although the bedroom and kitchen areas are often tiny - open floor plans lead to huge dining and living rooms so that many friends may gather to share food and entertainment. Multiple couches are such a part of this mindset that doors are specifically made wider than the long time 3 foot/90cm standard to ease moving them in. Although there are still nearby blocks of commercial areas, the overall effect is less metropolitan. Much the same lighting and sound amenities are present, but the larger space makes them more of a way to accent the space then a requirement tot make the tiny areas livable.

There are places that take both these elements to other levels. In the underground city of Tesla, most people store what they cant carry in banks and only use coffin like areas for sleeping. Meanwhile, other arcos are designed around traditional homes, but built in rounded or half buried forms for efficiency.

Places that are not arcologies are usually quite similar to 20th century apartments. The big difference is that most are adapted for new technology and living standards. Almost every surface is fitted with induction charging pads so one needs to simply set down a device and it powers up. Even closets contain power supplies as many garments incorporate semi-flexible wearable computers.

The use of electricity is heavily encouraged in future living. natural gas or oil are limited resources, and require special means to pipe them around. Electricity can be produced two thousand kilometers away by the tides or on the roof by the sun and works just the same. Water however, is quite often rationed or highly expensive due to the difficulties of piping and supply.

Lone Star Architecture

Not all arcologies are singular giant towers - most are more spread out, but still pack the population of a large town in a dozen buildings. There are in fact dozens of plans for the concept, and the NEST project was a notable aberration in being of standardized form. Arcology is a portmanteau of "Architecture and Ecology" and the true constant between all the designs is an attempt at minimal ecological foot prints and harmony with the surrounding environment.

Lone Star is a sample of a planned community built into a few dozen buildings. It was scheduled to be finished in time for the 220th anniversary of the battle of the Alamo (Spring 2056) though delays would probably mean the ceremonials would occur several years later than intended.  This would also be the time where it received its proper name. Technically Lone Star is only the name of the construction project - the actually name of the arco was to be put to a vote and be chosen by its new inhabitants at the opening. Population was expected to be between 50 and 80 thousand residents, plus a seasonal influx of several thousand more for its university campus.

The primary structure was officially the "Tri-part Globe" but is often jokingly called the crippled spider. Three legs in canted at 30 degrees from vertical stretch up about 25 stories, and then form a platform. Extending eight stories both above and below this point are large geodesic domes offering an excellent view of the surrounding areas as none of the other structures in the complex go above thirty meters.

As with the massive bases of the NEST, this was to be mostly a commercial and shopping destination to attract investments. Much of the central sphere would have been hydroponic farms for exotic plants destined to become special dishes at five star restaurants.

Spreading out in a radial pattern came a trio of curved habitation blocks, each representing a large rectangular apartment building, though only numbers one and two (North and Southeast) were complete, with the Southwest block just a foundation and a few walls. These are fairly low, but wide structures and often derisively compared to the appearance of housing projects from the 60's and 70s. However, their interiors are surprisingly open, the apartments quite a bit larger than old "efficiency" units (comparable at least to high-end hotel suites in many cases) and include a number of internal community areas, such as libraries, gyms, and a swimming facility.

(Actual layout of these buildings subject to change if I find some interesting buildings to model them on. My sister might be an architect, but I'm certainly not.)


A second ring consisted of three more buildings at opposite points (ie South, Northeast, and Northwest) for industrial purposes. Amongst the plans were fiberglass fabrication shops, ceramic kilns, and a medical supply factory - though these were subject to change, and for the most part, these are a series of large open spaces waiting to be partitioned and have their plumbing completed.

Further from the complex are the beginnings of some of the other planned elements of the community. A local college and technical school was the first order of business, and short of desks, the building is ready for use. An amusement park was also completed by 2050 in a push to monetize the project as soon as possible. Further expansion of the facilities to include casinos or additional living space could begin as soon as the original complex began to reach capacity.

The utilities system of the complex is quite unusual. Most arcologies were built in concert with alternative energy plants like solar towers, wave generators, or thermal taps. However, due to other projects in the area, the need for expansion, and the presence of a nearby military facility that would need a large amount of power, the planners justified the construction of a three unit nuclear fission plant. (Efficient fusion continuing to elude scientists despite earlier claims). Even more unusual about this choice, was rather than the now standard fluidized bed or pebble bed reactor of most civilian facilities, the design would instead be based on the smaller and more energy dense type of reactor used aboard submarines and aircraft carriers. In turn, this meant that one reprocessing facility could handle both the civilian and military fuel, as well as survey as a training facility for naval technicians, and allow for parts commonalty between the shipyard - as well as  get military financing for some of the arco's features. Although there is are reasons these style plants are not built elsewhere, there was surprisingly little protest, and two reactors were online by 2050, while the third was scheduled for fueling in 2052.

Each reactor was rated at approximately 1.2 MW, with a 15 month working cycle at high out-put. Aside from some stress tests, the plant has  never needed to be used at their full capacity, ensuring that there is enough fuel on hand for at least a decade of further operations. The current residents of the Lone Star Facilities find that electricity is one of the few resources they have in abundance.