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Author Topic: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)  (Read 16144 times)

Ché Biko

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[Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« on: 26 Aug 2015, 19:29 »

This thread is for the in-character portion of this project. Caldari/Gallente roleplayers are welcome to help worldbuild this scarred planet; others are asked to please limit themselves to listening quietly. The coordinating portion of this project may be found here; participants may use that area to brainstorm and bounce ideas around without Aria's OOC knowledge.

----

Ché flicked a few switches at the command of the pilot to his left, who is piloting this space plane down to Caldari Prime, which is growing increasingly larger in the forward viewscreen. It is less white than one might expect. Ché had explained a number of factors played a part in this: natural evaporation does not play a major part in the water cycle, some vegetation had adapted to grow in snow and on ice, the effect industries and cities and human activities on the surrounding landscape, and in recent years, the planet was close to the periapsis of its fifteen standard year orbit while Luminaire's star is at the high output portion of its solar cycle.
The scar of the planet, the Shiigeru crash site, is clearly visible now. Ché glances to his left, at Aria, who is sitting between him and the pilot, and he notices her looking at it. Ché looks at it for a moment as well before raising his arm to point at it and some other recognizable features.

"Ok so...Shiigeru crash site...that's the southern edge of the Kaalakiota mountain range. The equator runs approximately like this...and that big body of water near it is the landlocked sea Arcurii. North of that is lake Saaika, aaand between the two, roughly at the same latitude as the southern edge of the Kaalakiota Peaks, that grey spot that's a different grey than the other grey spots...the one the ship is sorta pointing to, that is Arcurio."

Ché smiles and glances at Aria for a moment. He's not certain if he was telling her anything she already knew, but he felt like breaking the silence, so he did not care that much.

The decent through the thin atmosphere is quick, and soon the space plane starts leveling off about one kilometer above the plateau of basalt and granite, just underneath a thick layer of hazy cloud cover. The sun is still low in the sky, it appears not much brighter than a moon through the clouds. They pass some of the twelve graviton reactors and pulse generators that make up most of the power network, dark industrial monoliths, definitely of Caldari making, each standing in a small white cloud of vapor, towering over the surrounding tundra at the base of a hill, series of pipes zigzagging between them and into the distance toward. The surrounding buildings are dark as well, few lights can be seen. One of the buildings appears different, a large tube-shaped building, it appears to extend into the hill. The dark grey material is different from the other buildings, but hard to make out in this light. It has no windows apart from a single level, close to the ground.

As the spaceplane turns, Ché points at a greenish patch between the white and brown landscape, which is seemingly the only "green" in the immediate vicinity that appears to have reached the size of a big bush.

"See that?" he says. "Those are Pit-ki-aikanen trees. What you see is only their tops sticking above the snow level. They appear short, but they can actually be over ten meters tall. As they rely on packed snow for support, they grow tallest where there's a lot of snow. If the snow melts, then the thin trunks lie down on the ground, spreading away from the center horizontally, claiming more surface area for the old and new trees to grow when the snow falls again."

The space plane ends the turn, now flying parallel to a series of dark pipes going into the distance, slightly zigzagging over the tundra, a patchwork of snow, granite, evergreen trees and smaller vegetation. Not a lot of signs of animal life can be seen from this height, although an occasional bird can be spotted in the sky.

The underside of the thinning cloud layer rises quite a bit, the light from the sun becoming brighter as the skyline of Arcurio starts to come into view. Ché looks at it, a slight smile forming.

"Behold..." he nods towards the skyline, some buildings appearing over a kilometer in height "...that skyline of highly developed glass and steel...or one similar to it...was the first thing many Gallente saw of the Caldari. I was not alive when we first saw it, but I can imagine that those living in those days...when we saw that...we were sure that we would make new friends."

His smile turns a bit wry before turning his attention to some of the instruments in front of him. The space plane continues swiftly, increasing height while flying over a series of enormous windbreakers housing turbines before reaching the outskirts of the city, that covers over 5800 km2. From above, the city looks remarkably Caldari in style and efficiency for the first city that was exposed to Gallente culture. Its 128 wards, arranged in 32 groups of four according to tradition, can be distinguished. Heated silicate-glass snow canopies protect vast areas of the city's lower levels and non-heated transportation infrastructure. The reconstructed Qaiian Tower, the headquarters of the Nugoeihuvi corporation, dominates the skyline, around 2 kilometers in height.

Ché turns to Aria: "Do you wanna do a circle over the city before we set this lovely down?"
« Last Edit: 26 Aug 2015, 19:33 by Ché Biko »
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Aria Jenneth

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #1 on: 26 Aug 2015, 21:30 »

Aria has sat in silence during the descent, black little eyes ever watchful, outwardly serene. An attentive companion, however, might notice her knuckles whitening on the armrest during atmospheric entry, and the natural pattern of her breathing catching and switching to a calming breathing exercise (in through the nose, out through the mouth, in through the nose, etc.). She listens quietly, but whether she actually absorbs anything is difficult to say.

Her ever-so-subtle death grip loosens as the descent slows, and she sits forward in her seat to get a better view of the planet. She takes in the scenery as it passes, but doesn't speak until Che' asks a direct question.

"Sure," she says. "If ... it's no trouble. There's something ... well. 'Right' about seeing a Caldari city as though from a bird's eye."

Then:

"Hm. Glass and steel ... I would have guessed wood and stone. The Caldari had only just developed the radio, hadn't they?

"Also-- um. About the Pit-ki-aikanen? That's a strange survival strategy-- is surface area really helpful under so much snow? Sorry-- I've ... just been sort of mulling that over since you said it."
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Ché Biko

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #2 on: 27 Aug 2015, 13:02 »

Ché had not payed a lot of attention to Aria during entry, only offering an occasional assuring glance towards her as he was calling out pressure, speed and temperature. His voice was calm, he seemed to enjoy this. Ché keeps looking at Aria for a bit after her reply, raising his left eyebrow to its usual slightly raised position.

He replied "No trouble...its fun!"

Then:

"Well, maybe my historical facts are mixed up with not-so-factual dramatized holoreels, but you don't need radios to make glass and steel. But yeah, I guess the buildings were smaller back then. Anyway, I think we would feel sort of the same if it was wood and stone."

"The Pit-ki-aikanen are usually not covered in snow for very long. When snow falls, they grow upwards, twisting and rubbing around and against eachother, which removes the snow from their tops. If they did not spread outward, there would be less room for more new trees to grow."

He looks towards the pilot at his side as Ché takes the controls. The pilot responds by letting go of his and says "You have control."

"I have control." Ché responds, and smirks at Aria for a moment before rolling the plane left and right abruptly for a second, still keeping his smirk on her to see her response. He then continues to throw a glance outside and over the primary instruments before increasing thrust a little, first turning to the right, then lazily to the left.

As they fly over the city (where cleanup and reconstruction, started after Operation Highlander, is still ongoing), Ché points out various landmarks: First they make a high pass over central Arcurio, known as simply as District 1, housing the Metropolitan government, City Court, and the headquarters of the Arcurio City Security Force.

"Those are the original four wards, named after the atmospheric processing arrays that the city grew around. The arrays have been dismantled centuries ago, but their names live on: Bukkaido...Okuuda...Hiishara...and Kotowaari."

From central Arcurio, Ché turns the plane to slowly spiral outward. Some of the streets between the high rise buildings are barely visible at the bottom of dark and narrow man-made chasms, small spaces between otherwise efficiently build up area. Although there appears to be some framework all the buildings adhere to, there are slight variations or customizations, between the buildings, or between the levels of the same building, or even between neighbouring appartements on the same level. Some appear to have a slightly Gallente style, others appear more like the Raata style, others have taken on a Matari-rusty colour. Mosts adjustments appear to be practical in nature, though, as opposed to aesthetic. Here and there, cables can be seen between the buildings, and even an occasional bridge or corridor. These narrow chasms are not very suitable for hover vehicles, and as such, not many can be spotted there. Most keep to the wider streets, and Ché does not seem tempted in any way to try his cornering skills down there.

As they spiral outward, Ché gradually decreases altitude. As they fly over the Matari district, he points at one of its wards.

"That entire ward is sort of a red light district."

Ché frowns a little, suddenly becoming a bit self-concious about that sharing this knowledge betrays that he has that kind of knowledge.

"Ahemhm...Oh, look. There's park Sarayaa, in district 3."

They fly over an area packed with evergreen foliage and trees surrounding vast areas of parkland and recreational space, clearly visible, the enormous snow canopies protecting it in their rectracted state. The open, light and natural area must be nice place to visit after spending a day in the nearby dark chasms.

"That's one of three "green parks"."

Ché let go of the controls for a second to gesture the quotation marks, the plane banking a bit more as he does. He then takes control again with one hand, correcting the bank, and points in the distance.

"There's also park Akiikala in District 7...and park Horaado in District 11."

The down-and -outward spiral continues, and they pass over the Gallente-Caldari Historical museum in district six...

"Maybe we can do a little fact checking there."

...the Caldari Prime Natural History Museum...

"I guess you can skip that one on this sojourn."

...and some of the city's Mindclash, Gravball and Splinterz arenas...

"That's the New Eden Clash Coalition Gigadrome, with 650,000 seats, it is the largets Mind Clash auditorium on Caldari Prime. And over there is the home of Arcurio's Gravball team, the Arcurio Scorpions."

"I'm sure you can make out the two districts that are Amarr dominated...just look for the places of worship."

Although Ché does not point them out, there are several other districts that, while still retaining a Caldari appearance, are subtly different from the others. These are likely the districts with a Gallente majority. It may be surprising to see that from above, the prolifiration of the Gallente culture seems to be quite limited, even in the city that must have recieved a lot, if not the most exposure to it. The Amarr districts are more recognizable.

Ché looks to the pilot to his side.

"Take this beauty down, will you? You have control."

The pilot nods and takes control, then requests landing clearance, and quickly follows the vectors to the ground, occasionally instructing Ché to do something. After touchdown, Ché thanks the pilot as he quickly gets out of his seat, then helps Aria climb out of her's.
« Last Edit: 21 Jul 2016, 19:28 by Ché Biko »
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Aria Jenneth

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #3 on: 28 Aug 2015, 14:04 »

An indrawn breath, tightening of fingers on armrests, and hardening of posture are Aria's outward reaction to the abrupt maneuvers. She seems to wait them out, more than react strongly one way or the other. Her brief "statue" impression thaws as the craft begins its lazy left turn. She listens quietly to Che', her gaze going where directed, and a few additional places besides.

After landing, she is half-detached from her chair by the time Che' offers his assistance, but she nevertheless accepts, pausing a moment to check her jacket and scarf, and to pull on a pair of gloves.

"The city's pretty multicultural, isn't it? ... So ... this area would be under Gallentean administration, right? ... One of the Federal districts? I don't know all the details of the agreement they hashed out, but I'm sure the Caldari wouldn't like to have Amarrian worship sites here, certainly not visible ones. They're pretty sensitive about this world.

"Um. You mentioned atmospheric processing? ... Were those something left over from the Ancients? Talocan technology? ... And they removed a site like that?"
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Ché Biko

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #4 on: 31 Aug 2015, 08:15 »

"Well, it's no Caille...and Heth's reign did quite a lot of damage to that multicultural side, but yeah. Less than half the population is Caldari, about a third is ethnic Gallente, and the Amarr and Matari are about a tenth, each. Some, if not most worship sites precede the current Gallente administration and were build during our initial...occupation, preceding Heth's reign. I guess Heth...and other Caldari, didn't feel like kicking allies in the shins by having them demolished."

"...Hmm...Well...good question. I initially asumed that it was ancient stuff...I don't know much about Talocan...and I would still think that's the case, but...yeah. I can only assume that throughout the centuries, the Caldari were practical enough to replace broken parts, to the point that there was hardly any original technology present when they were finally decommissioned."

Ché opens the door to the outside apron, which also lowers some steps. A frosty breeze enters the ship, and Ché zips up his coat, then picks up one end of his travel bag, then looks at Aria.

"How long were you planning to stay here?"
« Last Edit: 14 Sep 2018, 11:28 by Ché Biko »
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Aria Jenneth

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #5 on: 02 Sep 2015, 08:55 »

"Hee-- I can just imagine some of the stone, bronze, and iron age 'replacements'. 'The sacred shiny thing is blackened, and no longer a fit home for the spirits! I have put in its place a new home of wood, carved in its image. It does not shine, but I felt the Winds' approval.'

"... huh. Four atmospheric processors, four Winds. I wonder."

Aria shudders as the chilly breeze blows through. She wraps her scarf up over her mouth and nose and pulls up her hood leaving only the bird-bright eyes exposed, peering from beneath her forelock.

"Uh-- I hadn't entirely decided. I'm sort of making this up as I go along. Probably just a few days, though-- I'm here more to explore the Gallente Federation than the Caldari State."
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Ché Biko

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #6 on: 02 Sep 2015, 11:04 »

Ché looks at the hooded Aria, and smiles at her nodding for a bit, perhaps a bit too long, apparently thinking she looks funny/cute.

"...Yeah, I thought that would be the case. I was wondering why you would visit Caldari Prime, but I suspect it is to see how the cultural clash worked out? It's part of why I thought Arcurio would be a good place to start...first point of contact and all...maybe we're not far from where the ISCSS Venture landed. I'm not sure if Arcurio was also the place where the Cultural Deliverance Society landed. Anyway..."

He steps halfway out the door, his free hand sweeping over the skyline before his arm remains stretched and slightly raised in front of him.

"...Welcome to the Arcurio, birthplace of Visera Yanala...and many others."

He waits for a moment, then steps out on the starport's apron, looking around. In the distance, amid the sparkling reflections of snow canopies in the low sun, the dark-grey monoliths of central Arcurio stand in contrast with the blue-ish white, slightly hazy sky, filled with traffic. The starport and its terminal appear largely Caldari in style and construction efficiency, although the use of glass is present in Gallente-like quantities. Apart from that, the lay-out of the starport is quite spacious, not very in tune with Caldari efficiency, although it is obvious that some attempts have been made to improve that.

Ché heads of towards a particular nearby section of the terminal, dragging his bag behind him, which hovers just a bit above the ground. He then looks back at Aria and stops for a moment, allowing her to catch up, then continues with a pace more suitable for those with shorter legs.

"Sorry, I'm used to walking briskly, it's often the only exercise I get." he smiles apologetically.

They enter the terminal and walk down a quiet corridor, and after a couple corners, they end up at a security checkpoint. A single guard sits in the booth, leaning back as he reads from a pad in his palm, quickly sits up as he spots Ché and Aria, putting down the pad and watching them approach with folded hands. The booth is an ovoid shaped tube, the upper two-thirds are made of transparent nano-alloy. Ché bows his head to the guard, then holds his thumb near the ID scanner. This triggers a picture of Ché being projected inside the nano-alloy, approximatly at the height of his actual face. The guard compares the picture with Ché's face, which is behind the picture from the guard's perpective. He then looks to another screen before nodding to Ché.

"Welcome back, Mister Biko."

Ché takes a few steps towards the door, then turns to Aria. The guard turns his attention to Aria as well, then pushes a button, which lowers the booth a bit. The guards stoically sinks along with it, his blank expression returning to Aria after the movement stops.
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Aria Jenneth

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #7 on: 05 Sep 2015, 00:14 »

Short legs or no, Aria has been keeping up reasonably well-- at least where there's no ice or slush. As long as the footing's good, she has a tendency to scurry (though Ché's long limbs do make keeping up more than an average challenge). Her response to Ché's apology is noncommittal-- it might be a shrug, except that she's moving around enough as she hurries along that it's hard to tell.

She watches as Ché passes through security: apparently there's no need to hide their capsuleer status just yet. Her personal data system analyzes the security network as she steps forward. As Aria presents her thumb, this system presents the security network with her identification and authentication credentials, including her terrible Federal standings, her status as a PY-RE combat pilot formally at war with the Federation, outstanding murder warrant on Saisio III, and the Outlaw security rating that allows her ship to be attacked on sight in space.

It also carries an invocation of an egger's effective sovereign immunity and the usual rules disallowing planetary or stationside law enforcement from moving against purely space-based threats, as well as a sworn declaration of peaceful intent.

She removes her thumb from the scanner and regards the security officer impassively.
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Ché Biko

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #8 on: 06 Sep 2015, 10:41 »

As the ID scanner pick up the information supplied, another scanner, embedded invisibly in the wall opposite the security booth, scans Aria and her stuff, not only for illegal items, but especially for things that could pose a hazard to Caldari Prime's often delicate ecosystems.

Ché watches, his eyes darting from Aria to the guard and back, apparently a little uncertain if there will be any problems with her credentials, but he hides it well, in case the guard would look at him. When the guard takes longer to clear Aria through (because of the amount of information presented on his screen) then was needed with Ché, Ché starts to frown a little, but the frowns is quickly replaced with a slight smile as the guard finally clears Aria with a "Welcome..." This welcome is slightly more formal in tone than Ché's, but it would take a rather perceptive person to notice that.

As they walk away from the guard, the first pair of a set of two pairs of opaque glass doors slide open, and after they pass the first, they close and the second pair opens, revealing a corridor bathed in real light. On one side, there's a wall and a few doors, on the other a transparent glass divider, separating the area they are walking through from the rest of the terminal, clearly visible on the other side. Above them, the heated silicate glass ceiling is definitely of Caldari making, in contrast to the otherwise very Gallente use of glass.

The people in the terminal are as varied as one would expect from Ché's description of the populace, perhaps even more so because of the nature of this terminal. Guards are visibly present here and there, some of them belonging to the ACSF, others to Mordu's Legion. As Ché and Aria approach the end of the corridor, a single ACSF guard steps more to the side of the door-less doorway allowing them to pass. Nothing else separates them from the baseline area, yet Ché stops and turns to Aria.

"...So...I'm not...I guess- We could continue towards the city in various ways...but...if you don't mind b-lining in crowded areas...you might want to make use of the Arcurio Kaanaiisiga Transit Authority network. It's the largest metropolitan rapid transit system in the Federation, and it has an excellent reputation when it comes to punctuality. It connects to Tovil and Pakuri as well, and in my opinion, it's the best way to visit the Nouvelle Rouvenor memorial site. The elevated monorail that goes from here to the city center is quite enjoyable as well...if we can find a seat near a window. I suppose our chances are good in first class, although I'm not sure, I usually don't travel first class."
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Aria Jenneth

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #9 on: 08 Sep 2015, 23:30 »

"It seems like first class usually comes with a sense of assured well-being that no one else gets to enjoy. We live most of our lives that way.

"If I have a choice, I'd rather try something different."
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Ché Biko

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #10 on: 12 Sep 2015, 15:45 »

* Ché Biko nods and frowns a little.

"Of course. So...we take our chances in 2nd class, or...?"
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Aria Jenneth

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #11 on: 12 Sep 2015, 22:46 »

"Well ... I guess it depends on which sort of sights I'm seeing. Architecture is nice, but since second class is going to be full of people...."
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Utari Onzo

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #12 on: 15 Sep 2015, 10:34 »

The guards at the Terminal check-in allow another individual through. Clad in a black overcoat, with gold threading betraying the Amarrian origin of its make, he proceeds after getting clearance into the segregated area. A wide smile forms on Utari's face as he notes Aria and Ché, that face a curious mix of sharp Civire features, framed by high Amarrian cheek bones and wrapped in the soft tanned glow of a Ni-kunni's skin.

Stepping beside the two, he listens to the end of the conversation before speaking. "Aria, Mr Biko, how wonderful to see you both here on Caldari Prime. Forgive me for butting in, but it sounds like you're deciding how to travel on further. Perhaps a rental hovercar for seeing the city sites?"
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Aria Jenneth

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #13 on: 16 Sep 2015, 12:34 »

"Saisieni and salve, Mr. Onzo...." Aria's manner remains serene-ish with obvious difficulty as she restrains her face from beaming and her toes from levitating three inches off the floor. "It's ... good to see you. Um. I don't mind traveling by hovercar, or ..." she trails off with a shrug.

"Whichever way we don't take I might maybe try later."
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Ché Biko

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Re: [Collaboration] Caldari Prime Tour (IC)
« Reply #14 on: 16 Sep 2015, 16:34 »

Ché smiles at Onzo, and bows his head to him. "Please...call me Ché."

He looks at Onzo and Aria in turn, then nods. "A hover-car may provide a more suitable environment for conversation."
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