Getting Around: 2 if by Sea, Pi if by Air

Aquatic Transit
Watercraft are easier to retrofit to alternate propulsion than cars. While the width of roadways is rather fixed, ships can be built with a greater beam or deeper drafts could be built to accommodate battery cells and other alternate propulsion means - up to and including nuclear reactors in many larger military craft. Sail power for personal craft is common, but most commercial loads would be impractical for standard sails. However tethered "kites" that hold wind turbines in the slipstream several hundred meters above the ship can provide plenty of electricity.

Despite the efficiency and available power, the use of boats and ships is highly situational in the US anarchy zones. On one hand, many of the cites were built near major bodies of water as a legacy of being settled before the construction of the interstate system. However the many sets of river locks, levies, and other products of the civil engineering corps that contributed to the ease of navigation along the waters have degraded.

Large ships require a lot of dockyard maintenance for everything from rest prevention to the multi-ton engine gears. No transit and limited manufacturing mean that most large ships are stuck where they are moored. However, this has been turned into a boon, as a an old cruise ship can make for a very nice and defensible base of operations, with several miles of ocean separating it from reanimates.

Reanimates have been observed swimming to cross obstacles. Their unusual biology should allow them to survive being underwater for several minuets longer than a human could. However, they are often reluctant to enter water.  Kappas/Epsilon types have far too many integrated pieces of metal to be buoyant, type ones lack the coordination to do much more than dog paddle, and alphas have too much a sense of self preservation to enter dangerous situations from the water. Twos and Betas on the other hand, love to ambush from the water like crocodiles.

Reanimates are not the only danger at the water's edge. The populations of alligators, aquatic snakes, bears, crocodiles, and other predators have exploded in recent years. Previously, Human activity was a major check on populations as they either competed for prey split up habitats with construction, accidentally killed large numbers of animals with pollution and occasionally actively destroyed the large predators. Without the regular spraying of pesticides, disease carrying pests like mosquitoes have also become a much larger problem near water.

Europe has a slightly different problem with aquatic transit. Most notably, the Baltic, North Sea, and occasionally the English channel are patrolled by members of the Kola Command Authority. In turn, anything larger than a rowboat risks being run down by a nuclear powered cruiser or ambushed by fuel cell equipped diesel-electric submarine, and held for ransom. Major rivers might occasionally see an ekranoplan or missile hydrofoil representing the KCA, but are much safer, if not leading quite as far.

The disposition of the world's navies will be discussed in a later article.

Taking to the Air
Ultralite aircraft are a popular choice for long distance travel and exploration. While the necessary power to weight ratios require liquid fueled engines, once the appropriate supply has been manufactured or obtained they can bypass many roadblocks. Many craft in this style are easy to maintain, and to disassemble which has become even more important. After-all, its the best way to keep such a valuable piece of equipment safe - either keep it in the shelter with you, or remove a few key parts to prevent others from absconding with it.

Long stretches of abandoned highway have made for plenty of stopping points for civil aircraft. However, the requirements for maintaining them means that there are thousands of planes that are simply rotting away in hangers and on tarmacs. Much the same applies to agile but fuel hungry helicopters may be agile, and multi-surface inflatable skirt hovercraft.

However, two seemingly dead aviation technologies have witnessed a renaissance.

Zeppelins made a rather surprising comeback in the mid 2030s. Although lighter than air craft often rather slow, they are more efficient fuel wise than jet aircraft, and can hover in one place longer than helicopters while maintaining higher altitudes. They are used for long range patrols, mobile cranes, or in the role of cruise liners for multinational trips. Despite the Hindenburg disaster that ended the first era of airships, many modern zeppelins  use hydrogen - its cheaper than Helium, has a greater buoyancy, and can be manufactured on site, while modern materials and safety systems mitigate its flammability risk. Several dirigibles are still airworthy because their main requirement can be easily manufactured, and their low speeds allow for simpler and more robust engines. Of course booking passage on one these days is more likely to invoke a quest of Tolkien-esq proportions than booking with a local agent.

Wing in ground effect vehicles - also known as ekranoplans - became rather popular means of transit for situations where higher speeds were required. The infamous 550 ton Caspian sea monster was able to travel at high speeds low over the water with 1960s technology. Modern composites, better engines, and computer aided design coupled with the efficiency of flying in ground effect made them quite desirable when oil shortages rendered conventional jumbo-jets exceedingly expensive to use. Furthermore, these low flying boats needed to a body of water, rather than expanding already overburdened airports.

Internal vs External Games

There are two main ways of running a game in the Anarchy Zone setting, and. these styles are mirrored opposites of each other. Internal games focus on the population of a single city state, while the outside is on the areas outside.

Internal games are usually fairly close to the standard zombie apocalypse scenario. Beyond the walls of your home settlement or city state, is a wasteland full of things that want to eat you, and human scum that is probably worse. Instead, you must build alliances amongst your fellow survivors, quell the rumbles of unrest, and try to rebuild as best as possible.

Sometimes this involves investigating a murderer when the culprit is hiding in the miles of NEST maintainece halls. Other times its helping lead the rebellion against the Birmingham Theocracy, only to turn on your so called comrades and show you were an Inquisitor and in the right all along. Considering that many of the city states have been running under absolute authority for several years now, just getting elections to run smoothly could involve risking your life and protecting others at the polls.

It may be necessary to leave the walls and find some supply to help with the long term survival of the state. If its possible to make someone else go, all the better.

External games are about exploration and freedom, dodging reanimates along the way. There are places with a population of several thousand, running water, and restored sphere access. However, they are merely grasping at the former grandeur, and maintaining them through draconian measures. Leaders are willing to exile or execute anyone who doesn't wave the tattered old flag of nationalism. Every last one of those residents is willing to kill their bretheren to keep just a little more of the bones of the past to themselves.

Games on the external model focus more on the beauty and opportunities of the anarchy zones. This is a time for pioneers, not all that worse than the nineteenth century. Aliens  have replaced cholera, reanimates indians, and a nano tech factory is the new comstock lode. Make your own legend in the wastes, and help others along the way if you can. With a sudden population crash, an invasion wiping out old nations, its a chance to have the world new again - there is space and resources enugh for everyone if they put a little work into it.

Cruel as Wagner

Its Vivaldi. An electronic reproduction lacking in nuance, from some sup-par speakers, I'm afraid. These are truly brutal times. But that is no excuse for bad manners. You're my guest, is there a composer you would prefer?

...


Don't look so surprised. One simply can't be a raider in this day and age, without an appreciation for the baroque era of classical music. Natural selection - those who didn't are now dead. Well, not so much natural as guided - if I spoke of the "Will to Power" would I need to repeat myself?

Of Course. Nietzsche is a little bit advanced when you don't have the sphere. I'll try to explain it less philosophically, though if I am reduced to monosyllabic grunts, I will have to take you outside and put a bullet in your cranium.

Polite society did not fare well in the days following the arrival of our extraterrestrial guests. A large portion of the clerical grid went down, and government resources to deal with the scenario were rather thinly stretched. Quite a few took this time to rationalize their anti-social behaviors. Some justified it as protecting their family, and others felt that this lack of oversight meant some stumbling block had been removed from their path to becoming an ubermensch and dictating their own morals. A horrid perversion of the concept, mind you, the true superman rejects limits on creativity and living to the fullest, but does not fall to destruction.

That is the key. So many out to prove their dominance, to take what they feel is theirs. But you can only demonstrate your power over the windows of the local liquor store so many times. Filling bottles with a mixture of dish-soap and gasoline will not build fear or good protection.

Control is so much more. It is knowledge! Maintaining supplies of arms, knowing where convoys are going, knowing how far to push, without razing it all to the ground.

The raiders and brigands today are not the violent youths that grabbed as much as they could carry and ran off in the early days. Its the ones with keen minds and the ability to think in the long term. Knowing about Zugzwang in chess is as as necessary as the use of guns - though I will admit, if you learned to play chess while serving time in San Quentin - you have the best of both worlds.

We just about never hit a convoy directly. We harass from afar, leave some trees in their path, and put holes in one or two of the drivers every now and then. Just enough to let the towns along the way understand we could sever their life lines. In turn, they are willing to give us tributes to prevent this scenario.

Better to be the tax collector than toe cutter. The benefits of recurring business over a single raid is quite self evident. Indeed, we lose far more recruits in skirmishes with other outlaws than broaching the walls a settlement. It is to our benefit to make sure the areas under our - protection - remain viable an paying unto us.

Sometimes it is necessary to exert a bit more force. It would be dishonest to say I'm sorry that your caravan happened to bare the brunt of that occurrence. But flexibility and recognizing opportunity are important personal traits, and this is your time. My men were quite impressed by your performance protecting your wares.

You could do very well if you cultivated an appreciation for Stravinsky and signed on with our organization.

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.

Entrance Examinations Part One

In a world with reanimates, alien war machines, and the occasional raider, security is of the utmost importance. The facade and portals a settlement shows to the world can go a long way to telling how friendly or desperate an area might be. Its unlikely that any settlement will have a shoot on site policy, except for the occasional criminal they have exiled.

General Ideas for Fortification
Due to the lack of coordination on behalf of the most common reanimate types, (One, Alpha, Two, and Three) simple walls of debris or uneven landscaping can slow them down enough for a warning to be issued and armed personnel to thin their numbers. Many small settlements don't go much farther than this, preferring to be able to relocate citizens quickly, over attempting to build barriers sufficient to sop they types that can leap six meters or smash reinforced concrete.

More permanent areas will usually have at least low walls of sand bags and wood to keep out humans as well as creatures, and perhaps provide elevated firing platforms. Using the remains of a nearby building or a newly erected tower are common means of keeping an eye on the surrounding area.

Those who can get their hand on old shipping containers, box cars, or semi-trailers are fond of using them as parts of the walls. Some truly paranoid communities will often set up "killer hallways". One common scheme for this is to have a pair of heavy shipping containers in an L shape, with a machine gun at the end of one leg, waiting for the people to blindly turn the corner. Another is to have the targets pass though a lightly built trailer, and simply shoot through the walls with a heavy caliber weapon after blocking the exit.

Generally speaking, most people like their entrance doors to be based on a dropping gate. Its a form of fail-safe - loosen the clasp, and gravity should take care of the rest. Sliding or conventional swinging doors can be hard to secure things are attempting to force their way in.

NEST
Megastructure arcologies are best thought of as "fortresses constructed from a sieve".

The bases of these huge buildings are giant shopping mall and entertainment complex, originally meant to help attract outside commerce. Thus ground level has dozens of doors, plate glass show windows, while further complications pop up in trying to secure the many underground access points - sewer access, subways stations, parking garages, and the loading docks.

However, the buildings were made to withstand fire, riots, and acts of terror - in addition to the normal security gratings and locks one expects on commercial ventures. National guard presence and a high population has also allowed these places to become heavily fortified. Many of the above ground entrances have been welded shut, then have old cars lifted over the concrete vehicle stopping blocks and placed in front of them. Others can have safety gates shut quickly, and are kept under armed watch at all hours. Even should the outer walls be breached, reinforced metal doors designed to contain jet fuel driven high-rise fires can corral opponents into predetermined kill zones.

New Birmingham
The truly surprising element about NB is how seemingly unsecured it is.

While most of the other city states tend to cluster around a centralized area seeking with strong walls and barricades,  this one is set up more like a series of suburbs. Each small area is easier to lock down in case of a breach, and puts fewer people at risk. Each six to ten square block area surrounded by a double chain-link fence, all but the portal areas with razor wire strung between. Towers, or simply standing on flat roofs gives excellent visibility, and  its often possible to shoot right through the fence at invaders and patch it later.

Some buildings are reinforced, and given murals to stand out from the rest.  These are secondary evacuation sites, for people to escape to until rescue arrives. Armed guards are usually posted at these buildings to make sure no one attempts to steal any of the emergency supplies kept within. Most of the churches also have reinforced panic rooms to protect the faithful.

Las Vegas
No outside problems are likely to get into Vegas, thus making it quite likely inside problems can get out.

With over four battalions of soldiers and much of their equipment, situated in a desert with clear lines of sight, noting unliving or alien is likely to approach within five miles of the former resort town. Its unlikely any traveler - presidential cabinet members including - to mover over two blocks without a check point asking to see their ID cards and inquiring bout their reasons.

Unfortunately, much of this is simply rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. The patrols are far less about crime, and  a desire for the mil-gov to run a junta. Indeed, they tend to hate the busy work, but keeping the soldiers on patrol helps sideline the tensions that might otherwise flare up.

Orders and Vocorders

Hobbes was standing on a large rock, while the alien machine had its feet planted in a dry river bed, and yet he still only came up to the middle of its chest. Still, he was amazingly nonchalant about the encounter, opposed to the soundman De Zufingia who kept throwing furtive glances at the the two other machines. 

   "...battery at 95 per-cent, directional mics are hot - whenever the two of your are ready."

   "Thank you, no time like the present. Hello listners, we're live with...

   "Boss we're recording - you can edit in the intro later, and we shouldn't keep armored people with laers waiting. I'm sure they had other plans for today beffore we showed up."

   "Plans, thats as good a starting point as any. Question one my good man, er being - the one all my listeners, and myself - and probably Deiego are wondering - what are you doing here on Earth, and what are you planning to do?"

The machine dropped its elbows to its waist, then scissored its forearms, holding the palms upward, left hand over right.

"OK, and what does that mean? and if I might remind you, this is audio only."

It repeated the motion, then the translation device kicked in with its usual mechanical stutter. "When you do not know or disMis the poss Ibil Ity"

   "So its the the alien equivalent of a shrug?" Hobbes raised his shoulders, then dropped them to demonstrate.

   "Yes"
   "How can you come billions of light years, and not know what you're doing here?"

   "TechNIcal problem with ships. I am not a [SQUEEL] [pause] repAir indIviduAl. I don't know deTAils. I just folLow ordErs."

  "Was that noise the untranslated version of spaceship enginereer."
   "Close Enough"  
"Do you agree with those orders?"

   "No Opinion. Not my place."

   "Surely you must have some thoughts on the issue. You must have come exceptionally far to just trust what everyone else says."

   "Home World is place of many [Squeel] famIliEs and [squeel] close workIng groups. Many wars damAge planet a lot. New group trys to [squeel]...[squeel] [alien shrug] talk out probLEms. Puts war sciENce to good use to show good will by doing imPOsIble - sent citIzens to all three moons. Now helps most of home world"

   "So your planet is run by a combination united nations and NASA - space program and world government."

  "They just help. Still DisagREements.Some of all factiONs on each colOny fleet. Small amount of REsources on each ship. CaptAIn full comANd to avoid waste and inFIghtINg."

"This is only one of many fleets?"

"SevRAl others. Most CloSEr to home. We are a little lost."
"Understatement of the year. But if you're just lost, why did you attack, rather than ask for help?"
"CaptAIn murdERed. Some think this is good sign this plaNEt belOng to us. Others belIEve we should avoid you. FightINg within fleet."

"So you're as lacking in unity as we are?"

"Yes"

"I take it since we're talking - and you listen to my show - that you personally don't mind humans?"

"Yes"

"Would you go so far as to help us rebuild?"

"I..."

"Is something wrong?"

"The othErs with me might disAgree with my answer."
"Ah, that divisive, huh? Well, I'll try to ask less pointed questions then. I prefer not to be in the middle of weapon backed arguments."
"I agree"

"Ok, well... damn it! So eager to start I overlooked the basics. Sorry. Should we need a follow up interview, what is you name?"

"[six note signiture whistle]"
"Is there a good way to find you?"
"We'll be here."
"Thank you."

Prequel Enviroment

I'm aware that some people find the topics of Global Climate Change and Peak Oil controversial. Generally, the science I've read supports these theories - and frankly, it can't hurt to address them as problems. What is the worst that can happen? "Oh no, we made the world a better place for no good reason! The water is too clean, we must dump more sludge in it for the children! Curse you James Lovelock and your Gian hypothesis."

Such rants aside, these two elements are a fairly major factor in the back story of the Anarchy Zones, and how the world came to have a very cyberpunk milieu before the events of 2050.

Doubling and doubling again of oil prices between 2020 and 2030 effectively mandates the creation of more nuclear power plants, dams, wave energy, and wind turbines. It also serves to limit travel, encourage armies to downsize (Tanks get an economy of one to three gallons of fuel to the mile!),or focus on multi-fuel vehicles.

Altered climate changes migration patterns of humans and other creatures.With more people moving, new virus resiviours opened up, and urbanization brought them together. Nana-vaccine was not so much a medical breakthrough as a much needed counterstrike in the war against new diseases.

These elements combined make super expensive projects like the NEST arcologies feasible. As expensive as a 150 story city in a bottle is, that removes potentially thousands or cars from the roads, places the inhabitants in one place to monitor for disease and quarantine pandemic, and high standards in construction reduce future resource requirements.

This also placed more emphasis on telecommuting and centralizing resources.  Even in America, long beholden to its cars, High Speed trains like the French TVG began to appear. Dirigibles and blimps made a surprising comeback due to their ability to transport large loads with decent fuel economy, and VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) meant they could bring supplies right to the factories rather than hubs.

Nano-factories and micro-facs began to sprout up as transportation costs prohibited the ease of accepting international manufacture.

These new migrations and the importance of augmented reality over physically being there led to new social groups, and a belief that old national borders may be obsolete. These sentiments would lead to the free city of Tesla in the "present day" of the setting.

Before 2050, the setting would be ripe for a cyber-punk game, and indeed, perhaps a decade from now I'll write that prequel.