I typed some cyberpunk additions yesterday to one of Eric's older posts. And I found the option of the Wired so cool that I kept thinking where they would live, what kind of a society they would be in and how it came to be. Because in just this world it would not quickly happen. So I decided to try and see how our current situation could change to accommodate the Wired. Thus Skyland starts to take shape.
It's not ready since there are so many options. So I've typed up what I've got and like to see how it'll evolve better. And since I'm not really at home in the entire science, computer, futuristic developments etc field, I'd like to have some more experienced people take a peek at it.
Here's the seed.
Skyland
As time went by, the world population kept growing. In the end there were too many people to be living with each other continually. The elite (the guys with the money) had found a solution. But it was only available for the rich people. A city was build upon the existing city. Since this was entirely new ground, things could get redesigned properly and efficiently. Thus there was lots of decent research. In the beginning only the very elite were up there, but soon the somewhat ordinary rich man could also rent, buy or build little additions to the sky homes.
Thus the sky towns and sky cities came to be. Seeing this, new cities where built with the purpose of being a city. This means that there were roads and squares and governing bodies. All the while the poor and common man still lived down on the surface, in the small, dark and narrow streets. They referred to the city above as Skyland.
Some have a grudge at the elite "because they leave us here to rot." while others have the ambition to climb up to this land of opportunity.
The Surface
Some have a grudge at the elite "because they leave us here to rot." while others have the ambition to climb up to this land of opportunity. This exodus of the rich created a great division between rich and poor though. With the rich parting from the surface development needed to follow them because research needs money, thus only the idealistic researcher stays behind. Yet that is not much. Thus the surface fell into decay and almost returned to the stone age, certainly when the fossil fuel sources dried up and cars where of no more use.
The surface dwellers, ‘compassionately’ called Dustbiters by the Skylanders, have thus needed to rely on physical strength a lot more, doing things by foot or by bike mostly, though some might use a paraglide or hot-air balloons like that. But when there’s no wind that has little effect. This makes their appearance more robust then their above land counterparts.
The surface dwellers have since depletion of fossil fuel sources started to cut trees for fire to get energy. This has the effect that there are only a few patches of forest left, which cannot take all the pollution. The air became toxic and the surface dwellers have to wear a form of filter/gasmask when outside. People are starting to replant patches of forest as there is more space for trees now that the elite moved up. But that will still take some time to grow, and large areas of the sky have the sun blocked out by the Skyland cities overhead. The Skyland cities are domed and filter the air coming in.
Skyland
The elite, with their scientists who had foreseen this had already, after decent research implemented the use of another source of energy, one that did not dry up, the sun. Using their technology they could send solar panels into the sky because of the solar kites. These solar kites did not use much energy while in the mean time charging batteries and feeding power to the city below.
The Skylanders, just as ‘compassionately’ called Airheads by the surface dwellers, don’t need to rely on force, since everything is done for them by electronics. This results in 2 distinct postures. One part of the population is fat and out of condition, feasting on the possibilities to have all they want within hand’s reach. Others are thin, as they gain no muscle but don’t eat unhealthy either. They eat supplements. Something like the next-gen vitamins, capsules or goo that has everything in itself that the body needs to be healthy. Both of these forms can be here because the rich guys will want the comfort and get fat, while the scientists will on the other hand try to perfect the health of the body. Only the police and military forces are somewhat more muscular, but still not much, since they are in suits that give more power and that give the ability to fly (or hover) and need to be as light as possible to cut down energy us of the suits. It’s also the police/military forces that have special forces called the Wired.
The wired
The Wired have wires in their body that can connect to electrical devices. In some way they can control how these wires move (they are linked to nerve systems or something?). First they where applied to the hands, but limiting the use of the hands otherwise there had been quickly decided that shoulders, backs and torso's, the head and neck were better alternatives since your hands are free to drink coffee in the mean time, or keep typing while managing different systems at the mean time or have a weapon if needed. (To stun, kill or sedate the guards with the gun while you are wired to the safe, cracking its digital lock or something).
Applications could vary. You could be the hub to connect different systems or you could wire yourself to a device completely controlling it through your mind or nerve system or something other appropriate. This could be a major computer, a building (with security camera's (with a link to your eyes or several screens or your helmet)) or an entire mobile suit. When you power something it will cost you energy, but if the thing powers itself you will only spend energy as if you do other things normally (thinking, walking, ...). There are also Battery Packs to which you can wire yourself.
Hey Nikolaj, you're doing what I used to do. You get an idea in your head and just run with it. How would you like to work with me on one of these such threads? It was called Daywalkers. It's a zombie apocalypse world. I kind of ran out of ideas, but perhaps you would be interested in checking it out? Let me know.
I'm not really a zombie guy and right now I've got a bit of spare time, that's why I can think about this. But my time will soon run out (that is, the time I have for this kind of stuff). But I'll take a look. I always have a million ideas running through my head, this is the result of the part that I have been able to straighten out a bit.
Important Characters
There are some characters in this world that could play an important role in the story.
Beta is the ‘Strider’ of Skyland, except that he didn’t choose himself to go into exile, or to change his name. He was one of the first Wired, where the outputs where at the appendages of where they would connect best to different machines or to the mobile suits. He’s outdated now, and because of ... disagreements with his superiors, he didn’t get upgraded. (let’s say that he didn’t want to compromise any longer or found out that they worked in a horrible manner of which he didn’t want to be a part any longer)
Most of the modern day equipment for the Wired is not compatible for him. Not because of software, but because the connections have almost all been centralized on one output in the back, with the wires running intradermal (in the skin), subcutaneous (just under the skin) and/or intramuscular (into the body of the muscle) from there on to their destinations. But they wouldn’t give him any equipment anyway.
Right now he lives down on the surface. He now lives there. From time to time an old model appliance is found which he could use if he wanted, but they often needed repair. That’s how he got to know Oldtimer. And they became good friends, since having a thing in common (even to complain about) tends to bond you together.
He gave his life to test this new Wired thing. The forces were his life. Providing safety for the civilians his motivation, his calling. He wanted to keep people safe. He had gone through everything in the special forces. Now they wanted something to test this new thing, with wires and all. And he volunteered, because it would make him better at doing this.
All was implemented ad they wanted to test it, test him on every front. The first tests were nothing, they tested his capabilities. But then there were other tests, other missions. And it didn’t seem as if they developed this for defensive purposes. They wanted him to do things that weren’t right, and he couldn’t agree with it. He had to disappear. So he fled to the surface and remained hidden, a renegade to the Skylanders.
Oldtimer, besides being old, is intimately familiar with all things mechanic and electric from a few generations before this generation. He also fled from the Skyland to the surface, and thus hasn’t been up to date with technology-advances from the new stuff. He is one of the idealistic scientists, who could not stand the surface dwellers to fall entirely back into the stone age.
He installed some fan-like things that generate energy to power the air filters in the region where he lives. He tries to find people who want to learn it too and help get the surface clean again. But most of his apprentices all see the golden opportunies on Skyland and flee once they know enough.
That doesn't sound like a problem to me--I'd just acquire the appropriate jacks and build a wiring harness to interface the old with the new. It's something any amateur electronics guy could do. Oldtimer certainly could do it, and many of the versers I know would have the necessary skills.Most of the modern day equipment for the Wired is not compatible for him. Not because of software, but because the connections have almost all been centralized on one output in the back, with the wires running intradermal (in the skin), subcutaneous (just under the skin) and/or intramuscular (into the body of the muscle) from there on to their destinations.
And the word you want for those "fan-like things" is wind turbines.
Good thoughts.
--M. J. Young
Cool, thanks. Yeah, I was worrying about that. (the outdated-ness). I had already in my hand that Oldtimer would be the one upgrading or downgrading, anyways adjusting the appliences. It is a great opportunity for non-combat versers to get involved or started in that world too. So that's no problem. I think that Oldtimer would be one of the last and few who can do major electronics. Since the rest is or gone to Skyland or dropped back to stone-age level. There are no or few resources to power things, so mechanics and electronics are of little use. It's horse and cart, bicycles and walking for the most part. Thus there would only be a few men who'd know what an in- or output is, let alone distinguish between those.
I need to work on more of a look for the world. I'm thinking of some pre-colombian based geometric designs on one part and maybe some hip-hop baggy pants thing on the other side. But I'm not out on that. I know I just like unconventional styles, and I haven't seen much Peruvian-styled worlds (except maybe the one Greame's in now). But I'm also playing with a more jewish thing. But the cultures don't matter so much because they can differ from place to place.
What I'm thinking about is whether the Skyland floats or is in an other way suspended, resting on giant pillars or something like that. If I want to finish this world, I need to start and make decisions. I'll be starting my internship soon and time will be severely limited for a creative work such as this.
People who have the means to be secure from random harm aka the rich have two choices about how to get it in a modern society.1. Carve out special areas heavily guarded by private security forces (gated communities, skywalks, and so on.)2. Enforce societal peace by behaving decently, but primarily by enabling the police and society to do its job.There is a third technique of course....be the dictator...kill anyone who looks at you crosswise. But thats not really relevant to this discussion.It seems that the rich in your society have chosen #1.Personally, I find this immensely short-sighted. We do it to some degree in America. MJ has noted that cities are not essentially broken. He is correct. Cities are eminently fixable. However fixing them would require the rich to go against their religious left beliefs. And so in the conflict between their religious beliefs and their need for personal security, they have chosen to let the poor man suffer the ravages of bandits while they cluster up in their safe havens.
Aha, thank you! very valuable. I was thinking about three though but didn't want that. And I saw the solution. The Skyland is sterile, and people trying to go down cannot stand the surface. Nearly all are allergic or just scared about dirt, earth...
I was also thinking about whether Skyland would be the only thing the Rich and Powerful would have done. I was thinking that some might have gone to the caves, underground, and on the bottom of the seas and lakes (one might even be named Tir Na Nog if you feel it necessary.
There might be a healthy dose of idealists. But I think you can see in our current society that it are not to much of them that have money.
I think I'd like to go for a floating world. But how would I pill this off? There are some 'fantastic' things that I'd like, but I don't know if they are realistic enough.
Skyland could be held up by some kind of balloon or screen or something of that sort. Yet again it could also propel itself up by means of giant rotating fans.
Or it could be something else, but I don't have any ideas. What do you think?
Lots of jet engines would actually work, though you'd need a lot of redundant ones.
Anti gravity. It's a science fiction concept. Needs no power, and will make things float like you're describing.
Most anti-gravity systems do require power, but if you're assuming anti-gravity you can also assume cold fusion power.
Magnetism could be made to work, but it's got a lot of tricky bits to it.
--M. J. Young
Well, actually, it needs power, it just needs as much or little power as you feel like.
So if you want them to stay floating until the last tiny power source is shut down, it can work that way.
But if you want the power required to dwarf the entire rest of the city's power consumption, thus meaning that as power plants go offline the city services decay rapidly as a higher and higher percentage of the city power is devoted to keeping the thing from crashing it can instead work that way.
EDIT: I see the top line was 10 seconds too late to be needed.
I recently saw the Mythbusters show about anti-gravity. They found some things that defied gravity but were not gravity since it used a force to defy or go against gravity (magnetism, wind-propulsion through electricity), while in current theory anti-gravity should be the lack of gravity, or something like that.
Cold Fusion seems a bit too futuristic for a cyberpunk, or at least for what I'm aiming at.
The magnetics sound cool, like big artificial magnetic plains that keep the Skyland in the air. But should they be real magnets or electro-magnets? If they were electro-magnets they would need to be powered and are thus likely sabotaged or tapped. The people below have virtually no powersource. But is it possible to find big slabs of magnetic rock or to make big artificial magnets? (I don't know anything about that...)
(I don't know anything about that...)
Well, fortunately, I do. The earth (and probably all planets) have their own magnetic fields. (North pole, South pole) This is why compasses work. It's attracted to the magnetic pole of the earth. In theory, you could make a magnet which would repel the planet's natural magnetic field. This would give you the needed lift. It could be natural magnets, called Lodestones, or Rare-Earth magnets. I used to have some Rare-Earth magnets. They're amazingly powerful for their size. The magnets that I had were about 3cm long, probably 1 1/2cm in diameter, and could lift 1Kg easily. I've seen Rare-Earth magnets that were about the size of a man's billfold, which could lift upwards of 200 pounds of more. If they attract with that amount of force, they would also repel with the same amount of force.
The problems that I see is that the Skyland would probably need to be located in a place where the planet's magnetic field was strong enough to be repelled. I would guess over the North or South pole. The other problem is that you would have lift, but not side to side stability. The repulsion of the magnets would make it "slide" sideways. (Hold two same pole magnets close to each other, and you'll see what I'm talking about) In theory, a method like this could work.
I also recall an episode of Star Trek Voyager where they had cities like this. The cities were connected to the ground by huge elevators that went from the ground almost into outer space. That could help with the problem of the Skyland "sliding" sideways I suppose, and would also provide a means of sending supplies and people from the planet. Hope it helps Nikolaj.
Its not terribly realistic, but you could go whole hog on the elevators, and make them skyhooks. That is, earth to geo-synchronous orbit 23,000 miles up. And then Skyland is posted relatively low on this enormous cable.
I've seen cyberpunk stories with this. I don't think it really fits, because if you can do a skyhook, you can do a LOT of things I'd guess, and a huge number of doors are opened, but authors of successful books have ignored that.
I think that magnets that repelled the earth's magnetic field itself would "snap my disbelief suspenders"; but then, cyberpunk tends to do that for me anyway, so that's not a good argument
I would suggest instead that the city builders would first construct a huge natural magnet base, carefully aligning it probably in a vast ring whose circumference was greater than that of the city. Within the ring, they would build the platform on which the city would be built, and around the edges would build powerful direct current electromagnets. By fine-tuning the strength of each of these, and aligning the polarity to match the magnets below, it should be possible to lift the platform. It would take something very like a computer constantly to process the positioning information and adjust the magnets to make it anything like stable, but if the ground-based magnets are all positioned such that one pole is up and the electromagnets have the same pole down, the danger would be that an imbalance in the field would cause the platform to flip and head for the ground.
(The fix for this would be that all the magnets on one side would have to be reversed abruptly (can be done by reversing the flow of current) so that one side suddenly repels and the other attracts, and then when the momentum of the platform moving toward vertical has been achieved, shut off all magnets for long enough to complete the flip and turn them all back on in their original polarity. It's a thrilling moment in which anyone and anything not contained falls to death or destruction, but perhaps the city has a dome just for that purpose. That would be a wild event.)
--M. J. Young
That was something about like what I was thinking when I thought magnetic suspension. Something with a base where-from something else is repelled. There is this kind of rotating toy that can keep balance because of centrifugal powers I think (I think it's like a gyroscope), so the cities could have large rotating rings around them to keep them stable.
The fact that they could be sabotaged to crush down would provide potential for a campaign, certainly with the strife between the Skylanders and the Surface Dwellers. a fanatic group of surface dwellers somehow got into the city or at least into the cities main computer and put a virus in the stabilizing program, giving them time to escape again when it crashed.
The victim surface dwellers where necessary casualties. They were a sacrifice for the vengeance of the Feathered Snake (as long as I'm going with Colombian or pre-colombian themes I might as well put in Quetzalcoatl, right?).
Does sanitation (plumbing etc.) require any energy? Would the degradation of the surface make running water unavailable? Those are things that I don't know much about.
It does need power, though it'll last a while before the water pressure is completely gone; however, once the power fails the water will become unsafe to drink without boiling.
You can make gravity flow plumbing for water supply and sewage disposal. I have an unused now water supply like that, and my sewage does gravity flow into the septic tank.
Yeah, good point Eric. You could siphon water pretty effortlessly up to SkyLand, so long as the source was at a higher altitude than the waste end. Maybe SkyLand get its water from a nearby mountain spring, and goes back down into a valley. That would create siphon pressure and reduce the power needed to pump up water.
Hey John, I was talking about the water on the surface for the surface. But this gives me a new problem. How do the Skylanders get their water. The question is whether this is important enough. But it could be handles by another system like tapping from the clouds or catching condensation or something more or less like that.
I really like those ideas Nikolaj.
(Doing Therapy)
I was actually talking about the existing water supply and piping system.
As for skyland getting water, condensation capturing is a partial solution, and really the only one i can think of that doesn't allow groundland to attack the source without living way out over the ocean.
Nikolaj, did you ever see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow? It's actually a pretty good movie, despite all of the negative reviews it got. Anyway, they had a flying airport, kind of like what you're envisioning here.
All of the ways we have suggested thus far would be a stationary floating city. Why does it have to be stationary? This is FICTION right? Well, in FICTION you can do anything you want. Why not have the thing held in the sky by gigantic helium balloons? (Hey, they lifted the lost city of Atlantis like that in Duck Tales!!!!) Attach helicopters to a blimp, maybe the surface of the planet is largely covered by thermal geysers and the city floats like a gigantic air hockey puck. It's your story. Do it however you want.
that actually was one of my first ideas :)
Skyland could be held up by some kind of balloon or screen or something of that sort. Yet again it could also propel itself up by means of giant rotating fans.
I was just in an unusual mood (even for a psychotic) when I typed that. But yeah Nikolaj, check out Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. It's a pretty cool flick.
I saw it. I wasn't very thrilled about it though :)
For what it's worth, there are both anti-grav based and hovercraft-based flying cities in one of Kyler's worlds, which he calls Terrarium, which we hope we will be releasing in a future Triple Play release. Both are designed to move relative to the ground. I'm not certain of the technical details on utilities and such, but they are run by two different races (species not more closely related than class, actually) who have different levels of technological understanding.
--M. J. Young
Actually, what gets really "fun" is trying to keep them stationary. If somthing just floats, it will move. It will move very slowly, but with only air to stop it from moving, it's going to move after a while.
I've actually been involved in a big debate over how to pull that off in a fantasy setting, because the project leader type and many others are trying to figure out a way to have physics-based efforts to move the cities not work for a reason while at the same time letting identical magic move airships that can be forced out of position by pushing on them really hard.
The ultimate solution was for them to be attached by metaphorical rubber bands to "anchor points" with a fixed position relative to the planet's core, but in a sci-fi setting you'll want to do somthing different, such as computer-controlled ion drives keeping it in place, which we actually could do today in space with sufficent fuel supplies.