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mostlysignssomeportents · 4 months

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Kelly and Zach Weinersmith’s “A City On Mars”

In A City On Mars, biologist Kelly Weinersmith and cartoonist Zach Weinersmith set out to investigate the governance challenges of the impending space settlements they were told were just over the horizon. Instead, they discovered that humans aren't going to be settling space for a very long time, and so they wrote a book about that instead:

https://www.acityonmars.com/

The Weinersmiths make the (convincing) case that ever aspect of space settlement is vastly beyond our current or reasonably foreseeable technical capability. What's more, every argument in favor of pursuing space settlement is errant nonsense. And finally: all the energy we are putting into space settlement actually holds back real space science, which offers numerous benefits to our species and planet (and is just darned cool).

Every place we might settle in space – giant rotating rings, the Moon, Mars – is vastly more hostile than Earth. Not just more hostile than Earth as it stands today – the most degraded, climate-wracked, nuke-blasted Earth you can imagine is a paradise of habitability compared to anything else. Mars is covered in poison and the sky disappears under planet-sized storms that go on and on. The Moon is covered in black-lung-causing, razor-sharp, electrostatically charged dust. Everything is radioactive. There's virtually no water. There are temperature swings of hundreds of degrees every couple of hours or weeks. You're completely out of range of resupply, emergency help, or, you know, air.

There's Helium 3 on the Moon, but not much of it, and there is no universe in which is it cheaper to mine for Helium 3 on the Moon than it is to mine for it on Earth. That's generally true of anything we might bring back from space, up to and including continent-sized chunks of asteroid platinum.

Going to space doesn't end war. The countries that have gone to space are among the most militarily belligerent in human history. The people who've been to space have come back perfectly prepared to wage war.

Going to space won't save us from the climate emergency. The unimaginably vast trove of material and the energy and advanced technology needed to lift it off Earth and get it to Mars is orders of magnitude more material and energy than we would need to resolve the actual climate emergency here.

We aren't anywhere near being a "multiplanetary species." The number of humans you need in a colony to establish a new population is hard to estimate, but it's very large. Larger than we can foreseeably establish on the Moon, on Mars, or on a space-station. But even if we could establish such a colony, there's little evidence that it could sustain itself – not only are we a very, very long way off from such a population being able to satisfy its material needs off-planet, but we have little reason to believe that children could gestate, be born, and grow to adulthood off-planet.

To top it all off, there's space law – the inciting subject matter for this excellent book. There's a lot of space law, and while there are some areas of ambiguity, the claims of would-be space entrepreneurs about how their plans are permissible under the settled parts of space law don't hold up. But those claims are robust compared to claims that space law will simply sublimate into its constituent molecules when exposed to the reality of space travel, space settlement, and (most importantly) space extraction.

Space law doesn't exist in a vacuum (rimshot). It is parallel to – and shares history with – laws regarding Antarctica, the ocean's surface, and the ocean's floor. These laws relate to territories that are both vastly easier to access and far more densely populated by valuable natural resources. The fact that they remain operative in the face of economic imperatives demands that space settlement advocates offer a more convincing account than "money talks, bullshit walks, space law is toast the minute we land on a $14 quadrillion platinum asteroid."

The Weinersmiths have such an account in defense of space law: namely, that space law, and its terrestrial analogs, constitute a durable means of resolving conflicts that would otherwise give rise to outcomes that are far worse for science, entrepreneurship, human thriving or nation-building than the impediments these laws represent.

What's more, space law is enforceable. Not only would any space settlement be terribly, urgently dependent on support from Earth for the long-foreseeable future, but every asteroid miner, Lunar He3 exporter and Martian potato-farmer hoping to monetize their products would have an enforcement nexus with a terrestrial nation and thus the courts of that nation.

But the Weinersmiths aren't anti-space. They aren't even anti-space-settlement. Rather, they argue that the path to space-based scientific breakthroughs, exploration of our solar system, and a deeper understanding of our moral standing in a vast universe cannot start with space settlements.

Landing people on the Moon or Mars any time soon is a stunt – a very, very expensive stunt. These boondoggles aren't just terribly risky (though they are – people who attempt space settlement are very likely to die horribly and after not very long), they come with price-tags that would pay for meaningful space science. For the price of a crewed return trip to Mars, you could put multiple robots onto every significant object in our solar system, and pilot an appreciable fleet of these robot explorers back to Earth with samples.

For the cost of a tiny, fraught, lethal Moon-base, we could create hundreds of experiments in creating efficient, long-term, closed biospheres for human life.

That's the crux of the Weinersmiths' argument: if you want to establish space settlements, you need to do a bunch of other stuff first, like figure out life-support, learn more about our celestial neighbors, and vastly improve our robotics. If you want to create stable space-settlements, you'll need to create robust governance systems – space law that you can count on, rather than space law that you plan on shoving out the airlock. If you want humans to reproduce in space – a necessary precondition for a space settlement that lasts more than a single human lifespan – then we need to do things like breed multiple generations of rodents and other animals, on space stations.

Space is amazing. Space science is amazing. Crewed scientific space missions are amazing. But space isn't amazing because it offers a "Plan B" for an Earth that is imperiled by humanity's recklessness. Space isn't amazing because it offers unparalleled material wealth, or unlimited energy, or a chance to live without laws or governance. It's not amazing because it will end war by mixing the sensawunda of the "Pale Blue Dot" with the lebensraum of an infinite universe.

A science-driven approach to space offers many dividends for our species and planet. If we can figure out how to extract resources as dispersed as Lunar He3 or asteroid ice, we'll have solved problems like extracting tons of gold from the ocean or conflict minerals from landfill sites, these being several orders of magnitude more resource-dense than space. If we can figure out how to create self-sustaining terraria for large human populations in the radiation-, heat- and cold-blasted environs of space, we will have learned vital things about our own planet's ecosystems. If we can build the robots that are necessary for supporting a space society, we will have learned how to build robots that take up the most dangerous and unpleasant tasks that human workers perform on Earth today.

In other words, it's not just that we should solve Earth's problems before attempting space settlement – it's that we can't settle space until we figure out the solutions to Earth's problems. Earth's problems are far simpler than the problems of space settlement.

As I read the Weinersmiths' critique of space settlement, I kept thinking of the pointless AI debates I keep getting dragged into. Arguments for space settlement that turn on existential risks (like humanity being wiped out by comets, sunspots, nuclear armageddon or climate collapse) sound an awful lot like the arguments about "AI safety" – the "risk" that the plausible sentence generator is on the verge of becoming conscious and turning us all into paperclips.

Both arguments are part of a sales-pitch for investment in commercial ventures that have no plausible commercial case, but whose backers are hoping to get rich anyway, and are (often) sincerely besotted with their own fantasies:

https://locusmag.com/2023/12/commentary-cory-doctorow-what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/

Both AI and space settlement pass over the real risks, such as the climate consequences of their deployment, or the labor conditions associated with their production. After all, when you're heading off existential risk, you don't stop to worry about some carbon emissions or wage theft.

And critically, both ignore the useful (but resolutely noncommercial) ways that AI or space science can benefit our species. AI radiology analysis might be useful as an adjunct to human radiological analysis, but that is more expensive, not less. Space science might help us learn to use our materials more efficiently on Earth, and that will come long before anyone makes rendezvous with a $14 quadrillion platinum asteroid.

There are beneficial uses for LLMs. When the Human Rights Data Analysis Group uses an LLM to help the Innocence Project New Orleans extract and categorize officer information from wrongful conviction records, they are doing something valuable and important:

https://hrdag.org/tech-notes/large-language-models-IPNO.html

It's socially important work, a form of automation that is an unalloyed good, but you won't hear about it from LLM advocates. No one is gonna get rich on improving the efficiency of overturning wrongful convictions with natural language processing. You can't inflate a stock bubble with the Innocence Project.

By the same token, learning about improving gestational health by breeding multigenerational mouse families in geosynchronous orbit is no way to get a billionaire tech baron to commit $250 billion to space science. But that's not an argument against emphasizing real science that really benefits our whole species. It's an argument for taking away capital allocation authority from tech billionaires.

I'm a science fiction writer. I love stories about space. But I can distinguish fantasy from reality and thought experiments from suggestions. Kim Stanley Robinson's 2015 novel Aurora – about failed space settlement – is every bit as fascinating and inspirational as "golden age" sf:

https://memex.craphound.com/2015/11/02/kim-stanley-robinsons-aurora-space-is-bigger-than-you-think/

But still, it inspired howls of outrage from would-be space colonists. So much so that Stan wrote a brilliant essay explaining what we were all missing about space settlement, which I published:

https://boingboing.net/2015/11/16/our-generation-ships-will-sink.html

With City on Mars, the Weinersmiths aren't making the case for giving up on space, nor are they trying to strip space of its romance and excitement. They're trying to get us to focus on the beneficial, exciting, serious space science we can do right now, not just because it's attainable and useful – but because it is a necessary precondition for any actual space settlement in the distant future.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/09/astrobezzle/#send-robots-instead

#pluralistic #books #reviews #space #bezzles #mars #spacex #robots #science #space science #space travel #space settlement #space colonization

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zvaigzdelasas · 3 months

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The U.N. human rights office says in a report published Friday that the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem amount to a war crime.

The report covers the one-year period from Nov. 1, 2022, to Oct. 31, 2023, when it says roughly 24,300 housing units in existing settlements in the West Bank were “advanced” — the highest number in a year since monitoring began in 2017. It deplored an increase in the building of new settlement homes in recent months.[...]

Reports this week that Israel plans to build nearly 3,500 settler homes in three areas "fly in the face of international law,” he said.

Türk said the creation and expansion of settlements amount to the transfer by Israel of its own population into territories that it occupies, “which amounts to a war crime under international law,” his office said in a statement.

Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva, which regularly accuses Türk's office of overlooking violence by Palestinian extremists against Israelis, said the report “totally ignored” what it said was the deaths of 36 Israelis and injuries of nearly 300 others in attacks due to “Palestinian terrorism” last year.

8 Mar 24

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holymaccaronii · 1 month

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It’s lore dump time :3 (each day this AU gets even further from looking like it’s inside the ihnmaims universe BUT I SWEAR IT IS!!! IN MY HEAD!!!!)

So euurm these are concept designs for some of the models that I once mentioned in another post, in a few words, funny robots that live in a settlement on the moon and that are divided in a hierarchy. I’m gonna really try my best to explain myself abt this, even with my English, so enjoy!!!1!!

-All the robot units that inhabited this “kingdom” were divided into a hierarchy. The units were named after planets, though the hierarchy didn’t necessarily follow the order of the planets to rank them (from higher to lower ranks of units we have: Sun (HEL-102), 34RTH, M3RCUR1, V3NU2, N3PTUN3, UR4NU2, M4R2, 7UP1T3R, 24TURN, and PLUT0 respectively.)

[Important details to take note of: all robots consisted of a “shell” (empty body parts/model) and inner cables/systems that brought that shell together, thus a robot was able to change models by transferring its cables to another one (similarly to what snails do). We call robots with both a model (shell) and inner cables a unit. We call the shell alone models, and these own the names with both letters and numbers. The ranks are named after the proper name of the planets].

-Units of the hierarchy:

The monarch, HEL-102 (they/he), was considered the “Sun”: supreme leader and the only one to give permissions for any important activities or movements done around. The insides of its body contained the encapsulated remains of his original human body, still alive though unconscious. Although he did have a solid model, they also enjoyed to move around without it as an amalgamation of cables.

The monarch’s closest subordinates that communicated any events to them were the M3RCUR1 (Mercury) units: they constantly supervised the city around and practically were the sun’s secondary eyes. The M3RCUR1 units were the ones to decide if a unit was worthy of keeping its model/rank or not: those who did an inefficient job on their rank could be downgraded to the model of the rank below (with an exception of 34RTH units) forcefully.

The V3NU2 (Venus) units were in charge of entertainment and sometimes tidiness inside the monarch’s palace. They had a lot more liberty to choose the shape of their model. The wax inside them could be colored and dispersed at their will to simulate clothes, and their screens could show a face of a character in order to act in a play. Even so, they also offered many other entertainment spectacles such as circus shows, dances, and even simulations of tv shows.

The E4RTH (Earth) units were considered as high ranks despite them having the N3PTUN3 units as their superiors/caretakers/teachers: they were in charge of supervising the seeds and embryos now stored in a vault inside the moon where the original AI was kept. They were considered valuable as their programs and physical models were being adapted to help humans regenerate Earth’s nature and biodiversity with plenty of strategies and methods (involving plant propagation, care of embryos, etc etc.), + they were built with the materials closest to the core of the original AI. These models were not allowed to access the city itself, and were safely kept inside a dome where they were constantly trained, upgraded and tested for the efficiency of their programs in different situations. For some reason, they weren’t allowed to touch each other either.

The M4R2 (Mars) units were mostly authorities for the army that directed the investigation, recollection and attack missions to Earth. These missions had the objectives to 1: investigate the bowels of AM as much as they could, occasionally the surface too, 2: recollect materials, mostly metals, to replenish most of the models and 3: slowly but gradually attack AM’s systems as their army was exponentially growing. M4R2 models were usually seen in two versions, as one type usually took charge of the investigative missions and the other of the offensive/defensive ones.

… (Missing a few units to draw yet.)

Ok as a last comment now I have a lot more material to doodle with, so expect them being silly very soon (and perhaps serious too). I also wanted to explain their common behaviors and other stuff but I’ll leave that for another post.

#ihnmaims #i have no mouth and i must scream #ihnmaims oc #ihnmaims au #ihnmaimsplanbau #robots #robot #character design #ihneaimc #i have no eyes and i must cry #HEL-102 ihneaimc

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yokowan · 6 months

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The bus is late. You tug uncomfortably at the mask of your pressure suit. This isn't your first time wearing one by any means, but it certainly doesn't help make the walls of the city leaning in around you feel any less stifling. An old man lowers himself onto the bench next to you. "Y'on't look like yer from here. Mariner Valley?" You reflexively jump in your seat a little, alarmed by the unprompted attempt at conversation. "Y-yeah. How could you tell?" "Ah, all you communists look the feckin same." You open your mouth as if to speak, before electing not to respond.

WELCOME TO MARS MOTHERFUCKERS

It is two hundred and fifty-odd years in the future. Mars, once a cold dead husk, is now a developed world with bustling industry and a contested legal status that hasn't become a problem yet because everyone chooses to ignore it. The planet has slowly been gaining a breathable atmosphere, not through any concerted terraforming effort, but instead because oxygen is produced as a byproduct of many metal refining processes. After over a century of heavy industry, the parts of the planet's surface at low elevation have a high enough atmospheric pressure that crops can be grown in the open air, and humans can survive without needing a pressure suit.

Which parts of the planet become breathable first has a huge impact on Martian socioeconomics, leading me to perhaps my strangest science fiction writing project yet:

THE REGIONAL STEREOTYPES OF MARS

EAT MY TAINT YOU GODDAMN MARINER HIPPIES

Hellas

Hellas is a large impact basin surrounded by the southern highlands. Its very low elevation means it was one of the first parts of the Martian surface to have arable land, and provided the majority of the planet's food before most agriculture moved north. The height of the surrounding terrain traps in moisture, resulting in it being the most lush part of Mars, containing its only wild grasslands. Hellas is the most populous region of Mars, and is home to the planets colonial administrative capital of Badwater.

Hellas' habitability and developed infrastructure means it is the region of Mars most frequently visited by outsiders. Its culture and general appearance have become Earth's main conception of the planet.

Hellas is positioned on the opposite side of the planet to Mars' other major population centers, so overland travel is inconvenient and uncomfortable. This has made it quite culturally isolated, with much of the planet seeing the region's citizens as stuck up, backwards, and blind to the plight of the average Martian. Having the planet's oldest settlements, Hellas' residents view themselves as being the "real" Martians, and hold some resentment towards the rest of the planet for being so weak-willed and forgetting their roots.

Chryse

Chryse is a large, flat plain in the northern hemisphere. Its elevation is mostly not low enough to be habitable to humans without pressure suits, but genetically modified plants thrive in the nutrient-rich alluvial soil. Though Chryse's population is quite small, only having a couple of dense towns located in deep craters, it provides a majority of the planet's food.

Chryse's inhabitants are commonly perceived as easygoing, hospitable and a bit simple-minded. That is, if they are perceived at all. Despite its importance, the region is often forgotten in discussions of Mars.

As its exports are mostly local to Mars and occasionally to the outer solar system, the region finds itself largely isolated from Earth politics. This is a point of pride for its inhabitants, who consider themselves for this reason to be truest Martians, embodying a spirit of independence and self-reliance.

Mariner Valley

Mariner Valley is a system of rift valleys near Mars' equator. Its higher elevation means that it became habitable slightly later than Hellas, but the moderate climate and abundant water make it highly desirable as a place of habitation. Originally it served as a staging point for people and cargo moving to and from mining settlements on Tharsis, but it slowly evolved into a highly developed center for manufacturing and industry.

The region's value as a manufacturing hub which is easily accessible to the outer solar system makes it highly desirable to Earth corporations, who have long been vying for political influence in the area. This is met with resistance from many of the locals, upset that the fruits of their labor are largely spent on the interests of Earth instead of bettering their own planet. Mariner Valley is the nucleus of a socialist independence movement, and is currently under partial administration by the Martial Coalition. This is allowed to exist as it serves to take some administrative burden off of the colonial government and doesn't inconvenience them, though any acknowledgment of its existence is completely informal and under very vaguely defined terms.

Depending on who you ask, Mariner Valley is either a place for well-meaning but starry-eyed and unrealistic idealists, or a rotting trench full of communists. Its anyone's guess, really. Broadly, Mariner Valley sees itself as the future of Mars: real, red-blooded Martians who truly believe in their people.

Tharsis

Tharsis Rise, often simply "the rise", is a massive plateau around the Martian equator. Its high altitude and harsh winds render it uninhabitable. Its valuable deposits of highly accessible ore minerals mean that people live there anyways. A pressure suit is needed to be outside here. At moderate altitudes, a partial counterpressure suit to assist with breathing is sufficient. In the mountains, full body pressures suits are necessary to prevent bodily fluids from flash boiling.

Settlements in this region are largely run by Earth corporations and structured entirely around resource extraction. Despite the huge value of the area's resources, it remains among the planet's poorest. Escaping poverty proves particularly difficult when your boss sets the price of oxygen. Public perception is largely divided, with some people seeing the struggles of Tharsis as a symbol of Mars' oppression, and others seeing it as their just comeuppance for being lazy and reliant on handouts from Earth.

The population of Tharsis is spread out, and apart from a few large settlements with good transportation, isolated from the rest of the planet. They are not linked by kinship nor ideology, but are together in their misery. They're born in the dirt, they work in the dirt, and they die in the dirt. In the dirt, they're one people, and what's more truly Martian than that?

All elevation maps were made with MOLA data using JMARS

#mars #scifi #writing #worldbuilding

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clonerightsagenda · 6 months

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A major hurdle that must be cleared before we achieve self-sustaining space settlements is determining whether humans can successfully reproduce in those environments. Some animal experiments simulating altered gravity found that rats' testicles sink into their abdomens, which can damage sperm health. An experimental solution for the rats was surgery, but understandably, there have not been human trials. However since Elon Musk is so enthusiastic about his Mars colony I nominate him to take this bold first step/invasive balls surgery for humanity.

#terrible space facts #source: weinersmith & weinersmith p. 79

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voraciousvore · 2 months

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Giganterra (Chapter 4)

Prologue/ TOC | Previous (3) | Next (5)

Word Count: 2.2k

------ Chapter 4: An Arrow to the Knee ------

Eren had the misfortune of living near the colossal border walls. No humans wanted to be in the shadow of the unsightly structures that marred the natural landscape and reminded them of their own confinement, so settlements on the fringes of the kingdom were sparse. Eren had grown up in the area, so she was used to it. There were advantages to living away from the large farms and the bustle of the cities. Her humble little cottage was surrounded by a forest with abundant quantities of untapped resources. She could harvest fresh mushrooms and berries and hunt for game like rabbits and deer. She also had plenty of room for a modest garden of fruits and vegetables. She appreciated the solitude and extra space.

Even so, Eren hated to be reminded that she was fenced in on all sides like a caged animal. While she had peace and quiet most of the time, giants were noisy simply by virtue of their great size. Their footsteps frequently caused seismic ripples through the earth. Occasionally, during late nights, the giant guards would get drunk and rowdy, and Eren could hear their deep voices resounding from the other side of the wall as the scoundrels laughed, argued, gambled, and engaged in minor scuffles. She’d have to bury her head under a pillow and plug her ears to get any decent sleep.

Hatred festered in her heart for giants. She despised them for their arrogant air, their casual cruelty, and their constant oppressive presence. With her being so close to the border crossing, she had personally witnessed giants carrying off distressed humans in cages. They felled trees by kicking them over and scarred the forest by crushing the vegetation underfoot. She’d almost been stepped on once herself, with complete indifference from the offender. They didn’t care about human lives at all and saw them as nothing more than commodities to be exploited, not people.

Today, she was hunting in the forest, one of her favorite activities. She enjoyed the thrill of the hunt: tracking an animal through the woods, stalking her prey, killing it, and reaping the fruits of her labor in the form of a hearty meal. She discovered a set of fresh deer tracks in a patch of mud and followed them. She spied the distinctive shape of a deer through the trees and slowed her pace, moving stealthily in a crouch until she had a direct line of sight.

It was a doe with her spotted fawn, grazing on a plot of grass. Eren slid an arrow out of the quiver strapped to her back and raised her bow. She aimed, keeping her hands steady, and pulled the string taut. Just as she was about to launch her arrow straight into the deer’s breast, the earth shook beneath her and disrupted her aim. The deer jolted at the interruption and darted off into the forest.

Eren cursed to herself with frustration. The ground quaked again, and again, with the rhythm of giant footsteps, several of them. She didn’t have to look far to discern their towering profiles striding towards her. A flock of birds scattered in a panic.

“Why—the trees are so small!” a deafening voice boomed, echoing through the woodland. The birds swooped past the giant’s pillar of a leg, far thicker and taller than any tree. “Look at those birds!”

Eren rolled her eyes. Stupid giants. They were so clueless and indifferent to the interruption their mere presence caused as they stomped through the forest. She perceived, with some alarm, they were heading right for her as they stepped over the trees like they were nothing more than tall grass. She dashed to get out of the way, ducking into a bush as an enormous boot clomped down and split a tree trunk straight down the center with a loud crack. Eren shuddered at the raw power on display. The giant didn’t seem to even notice as he kept walking, chattering on in a voice that resounded across the land.

Their long strides brought them through the area with alarming rapidity. Their footsteps faded as soon as they came. They transformed into distant figures on the horizon, their voices still traveling through the air in a low reverberation. Eren huffed and gritted her teeth, returning her unused arrow to her quiver. She was mad about missing out on some venison, but her rancor over the situation ran deeper than that. More than anything, she felt weak and insignificant, in the face of such overwhelming power.

She tried to push on through the day and sought out the deer she lost, but they were gone. The giants had disrupted the wildlife and sent the animals into hiding. Her mood soured further. Later on, she caught sight of a rabbit nibbling on some dandelions, unaware of her presence. Her heart quickened with anticipation as she prepared her bow. Yet again, the ground rumbled and the rabbit fled at a breakneck speed.

“Sir Maneater, are you alright? You seem a bit flustered,” a giant voice cut through the air. “You needn’t worry, no harm was done to the wee lass.”

Eren swore and glared up at the great behemoths as they appeared far above the treeline. With her bow still drawn, Eren leveled her weapon at the nearest giant in a burst of impulsive anger. Without thinking of the consequences, she shot her arrow. The projectile sailed over the leaves of the trees and bounced harmlessly off his boot as he raised his leg to step over a tall tree. She heard the soft clink of chainmail from under his clothes.

“I’m fine. A word of advice, Joey, it’s best not to get too attached to humans. Particularly with our purpose for coming here,” the knight wearing the chainmail recommended. He was speaking more to himself than to Joey, as he couldn’t get the cute, tiny blonde damsel out of his mind. He knew it would be foolish to get emotionally involved—yet, he could still almost feel her light weight in his palm, and for whatever reason it made his stomach flutter with butterflies.

Eren’s temper flared hot at his dehumanizing words, particularly since she was unaware of the context. She had a brief moment to reconsider her actions, but dismissed any caution and nocked another arrow. Her rage encouraged her to be reckless. She knew better than to try piercing chainmail, and instead aimed for the other giant he was speaking to. She aimed far higher and fired another arrow, watching as it sailed in a magnificent arc and planted itself right beneath his knee.

“Ouch! What was that?” Joey muttered, halting in place. A small spot of blood appeared on his breeches. Eren covered her mouth and giggled to herself, hiding behind the trunk of a tree. Joey deftly pinched the tiny arrow embedded in his skin and plucked it out. “I got a splinter or something in my leg.” He didn’t realize that the microscopic bit of wood was, in fact, an arrow, and tossed the minute sliver away.

Emboldened by her victory, Eren loaded another arrow and aimed as high as she could. She drew back the string with all her might and released with a twang. The arrow followed an impressive parabola and stabbed into his leg again, this time in the flesh of his thigh just above the knee.

“Ah! Again?” Joey said. This time, when he pulled the arrow out, he examined it closely. “Hey, this is an arrow! Somebody is shooting at me!” He angled his head down and his glasses caught the sun with a bright flash. His fearsome look made Eren’s blood run cold as she realized she was in danger. She stayed hidden, her heart pounding in her chest. Fortunately, the giant wasn’t able to spot her in the bushes.

Leon and Sir Maneater shrugged and kept walking, clearly not considering the mini rogue archer a threat. Joey frowned but followed behind them, continuing to sweep the ground with his eyes as he proceeded. The canopy of verdant foliage obscured his view of the ground, however. He felt a tiny droplet of blood dribble down his knee from the fresh wound. It bothered him that a creature so small was able to wound and evade him; his pride as Sir Maneater’s trusty squire was wounded, ever so slightly.

As the giants stomped past her, Eren experienced a surge of courage and peered out from around the tree. She aimed her bow at the flesh of the giant’s calf and launched a final arrow. Her arrow bit into its target with perfect accuracy, and Eren grinned mischievously. Her grin vanished, though, when the giant spun around with startling speed. He was expecting her to fire again, so he was already on edge and ready to go. Eren didn’t have time to duck behind the tree before his eyes landed on her.

Her mind went blank with fear and she bolted, just like the rabbit and deer earlier. She couldn’t outrun a giant, however, and he easily crouched down on his haunches and blocked her path with a massive hand exceeding her height, like a wall. She squeaked and dropped her bow as he effortlessly scooped her up into his hand.

“Hey, what are you doing? Why are you shooting at me?” Joey inquired. “Attacking a giant so rashly could be dangerous for a little human!” He didn’t intend to frighten the diminutive woman, but his voice was as loud and menacing as thunder to her. Thinking fast, she grabbed an arrow out of her quiver and thrust it into one of his fingers.

“Ah!” Joey gasped with surprise and dropped her. Luckily, she didn’t fall far and managed to land in Joey’s lap without serious injury. Before he could react, she slid down his enormous thigh to a soft patch of ground, sprang to her feet, and sprinted as fast as her feet would carry her.

“Hold on, wait—” Joey called to her, reaching out his hand, but then he stopped. He could’ve easily grabbed her again, since she was well within arm’s length, but he considered the look of terror on her tiny features and reconsidered. He watched her disappear into the brush, her long black hair flowing off her shoulders. He felt a mild guilt, knowing he had frightened her; it hadn’t been his intention. His regret only deepened when he realized that this was his first real interaction with a human, and he had failed miserably, without regard for how she might feel about being grabbed against her will.

Joey looked down at his hand pensively, at the arrow poking out of his skin. She hadn’t hurt him that badly. The tip was sharp, but the arrow was too tiny to really cause him significant damage beyond spilling a single drop of blood. He pulled out the thin stick and flicked it away. He noticed the miniature bow in the grass and picked it up gingerly between his thumb and forefinger, so as not to break it. Joey, in his training for knighthood, had handled a bow many times before, and he marveled at how teeny and cute the weapon was, like a toy, while also so precisely crafted. No giant could possibly manufacture an item so small and with such fine detail.

“Joey, are you coming?” Leon questioned, from several paces off.

“Y-yeah,” he replied. He carefully set the bow back down where he found it, as tempted as he was to keep it as a souvenir. He stood back up, removing the other arrow from his calf, and rejoined the other giants.

Eren felt like her lungs were going to pop from exertion as she fled at top speed. She ran as far as she could before her breath finally gave out and she had to stop, flopping down against a fallen log. She gasped for oxygen, sweat pouring down her face. Despite how terrifying the encounter had been, she was exhilarated. She had succeeded, not only in wounding the giant, but also evading capture. She survived, with only her bow as a casualty.

Despite their godlike size, the behemoths weren’t immortal beings, immune to damage. They could be hurt, which meant they could be killed. Eren grinned to herself wickedly, clenching her hands into fists. She wanted to slaughter them all. She’d gotten a huge thrill out of sinking her arrows into some giant flesh, as revenge for their complete domination of Minimaterra, and their despicable superiority complex. Her resentment escalated into bloodlust as her victory clouded her judgement.

She no longer felt like some insignificant little bug at the feet of the giants, only worthy of being stepped on. She had agency. She could become a giant slayer, a hero, saving the lives of other humans. She imagined sneaking into the castle and assassinating the giant king, perhaps poisoning him or slitting his throat while he was sleeping. Her thoughts may have been nothing but pure fantasy, but they were rewarding, and comforting to her. They followed her into her dreams that night, and she slept well, despite the obnoxious voices of the giant guards over the walls, echoing from afar. For once, Eren felt she had control over her life, an outlet to vent her murderous resentment. She had hope for the future.

Chapter 5

#giant #g/t #giant/tiny #tiny #g/t writing #giant tiny #size difference #g/t story #g/t art #gt art #giant men #gentle giant #gianttiny #gt writing #gt story #my art

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hezzabeth · 6 months

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"I don't think that's it. Here, let me show you something," Revati said, gesturing for her sister to follow.

Dityaa, who always found silence terrifying, spent the brief walk chattering away.

"I don't know if I should continue things with the Duke; he is adorable and very sweet, but I've been stabbed and bruised," Dityaa said, more to herself than to Revati.

"Exactly," Revati agreed.

"Of course, it would be nice to live in a romantic villa with a wardrobe filled with gowns," Dityaa added, touching her dress.

"You do love gowns, and that one is starting to look a bit shabby," Revati smirked.

"Don't judge me for liking feminine things! You act like a warlord but you still make lipstick out of ash and oil," Dityaa snapped back.

"I don't judge you for being girly! I judge you because you spend your life acting like one of the drunk moths hanging around our lampposts," Revati argued as they turned a corner.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Dityaa demanded.

"You go to balls and seduce dukes, ignoring the fact we are trapped here for the rest of our lives!" Revati said. It was something she had thought many times but never said. Mars had been long ago terraformed in pockets with massive stretches of freezing wilderness between countries and settlements. Older Landon had been built miles away from the nearest city in the middle of an AI machine zone. The only way to reach the park was, of course, by driving or on a high-speed floating train.

"I don't ignore it; I remember more than you do! I remember us running towards the gates trying to get the last train out! I remember watching people leave the park on foot thinking they could walk to the city," Dityaa replied. Sometimes, the Hardi brothers would discover the old bodies of tourists frozen solid in the wasteland. They would, of course, rob them and then rush back towards the park before night fell. Sometimes late at night, Revati could see the distant city lights. It didn't change the fact it was still a day's walk away.

"What's that?" Dityaa suddenly asked, stopping her tirade.

Dityaa had spotted the Android.

"I have no idea; it said it was looking for its daughter," Revati admitted as Dityaa stooped down at the Android curiously.

"Daughter? Can androids have a baby?" Dityaa asked.

"I suspect it was a human using the Android as a surrogate. The voice didn't sound like an AI appliance," Revati admitted.

"It looks familiar, doesn't she?" Dityaa asked.

"It looks exactly like the portrait of the lost princess in Whistleton," Revati said as Dityaa carefully touched the Android's face.

"No, it's more than that," Dityaa said in a soft dreamy voice.

Revati merely leaned down, grabbing the Android's broken legs.

"Go get the balloon cart and push it back here," Revati said.

"You're not thinking of taking it back home, are you? Amma will kill you," Dityaa protested.

"Obviously I'm bringing it back! I need answers," Revati snapped back, and Dityaa marched off.

The second she vanished around the corner, the Android's metal eyes fluttered. Its hand tried to grab Revat's wrist before falling dead once more.

******

A forest had engulfed Baker Street. A romantic, sunlit forest with twisting trees covered in puffy, bright yellow blossoms bursting from upturned cobblestones. Dotted among them were smaller, dark trees heavy with bunches of magenta berries. Two of the feral children had already attacked the berries, their lips a deep purple.

Dityaa stopped helping Revati with the popcorn cart and started skipping towards the children. Revati sneezed loudly as the pollen hit her nose. She hated to admit it, but it was all rather pretty.

A few feet away, Brigadeiro was working outside the greenhouse along with the school students and Dusk. Mrs. Gupta was glaring at them with firm disapproval. “Does that fool have any idea how much water plants use?” She grumbled to Revati, who was pushing the cart towards everyone.

“I told you, Mrs. Gupta, these are all drought-resistant native Australian plants,” Brigadeiro replied as he stooped over an upturned cobblestone, spraying the mud below. There was a faint rustling sound, and a bush burst from the earth. The bush had peculiar finger-like mint-green leaves. Seconds later, it was covered in hot pink fleshy fruit.

“They look like your hair,” Revati remarked, faintly startled by the entire thing. “Here, try one,” Brigadeiro replied, picking a piece of fruit and handing it to Revati.

“I was only gone for less than an hour! You’ve turned the entire street into a jungle” Revati pointed out.

#nanowrimo2023 #nanowrimo #writing science fiction #creative writing #writers on tumblr #speculative fiction #speculative worldbuilding #life on mars #sci fi ya #ya books #saying farewell to armageddon

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praetorqueenreyna · 7 months

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lovely and lonely, Tamlin/Lucien, chapter 15

Read below, or click here to read on AO3!!

(Click here to start from the beginning)

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5 weeks after the curse

In no time at all, the soldiers of Spring established a schedule. Every day, one of them would cross the Wall and roam the human lands. Andras had the idea that they should be turned into a beast that humans feared and hated almost as much as the fae, to entice them towards violence. They were instructed to growl and behave aggressively, but not to harm anybody. At dawn, Tamlin would meet them in the courtyard. He’d place a hand on their forehead, a blessing as well as a thank you, and transform them into a wolf. Although it was long before most of them had to be awake, Lucien and the other sentries were always present. The grief in Tamlin’s gaze as he sent the transfigured fae into the woods compelled them all to be there, lending whatever support they were able.

Tamlin hated sending his sentries out as bait, but he grew extra surly whenever it was Lucien’s turn. Every time, he asked if Lucien could skip it, and every time, Lucien declined.

“There’s no point in you going out anyway,” Tamlin complained. He was braiding Lucien’s hair before his transformation, which made it easier to manage post-wolf.

“What do you mean?”

“I could never love somebody that killed you.” Stated as an obvious, immutable fact. He finished tying the end of Lucien’s braid and resorted to smoothing his hands across his forehead, sweeping around his ears to the back of his neck.

Lucien, throat clogged with emotion, couldn’t speak. He leaned back against Tamlin and closed his eyes, savoring what could be their last few moments together. The soothing brush of Tamlin’s fingers in his hair grounded him.

In the courtyard, in front of everybody, Lucien received no special treatment. He kneeled before his High Lord, and the hand that Tamlin placed on his head was devoid of his earlier warmth. The transformation was painless, and Lucien did his duty as well as anyone else. He sniffed out the nearest human settlements, he chased their children and he slaughtered their sheep. He prowled around the women, snarling furiously, hoping that one of them would be brave enough to strike against him. Despite what Tamlin said, Lucien knew that if he were gone, the curse would be broken far more easily.

Each time Lucien returned, Tamlin embraced him and fucked him like it was their first time. Whatever affection he withheld in the morning was returned tenfold in the evening, when they were alone and together again.

2 months after the curse

Tamlin rolled one of the innocent-looking red berries between his fingers. “Have you tried them before?”

“A few times.” Witchberries were potent, and usually caused a wicked hangover. Lucien had indulged with Andras and some of the other warriors, and had mixed results. It had come up that Tamlin had never had them, and so Lucien had dragged him outside immediately to pick some. He did have an ulterior motive: everything was going terribly. Fae were pouring out of Spring Court, seeking refuge in other courts or retreating to under the mountain to curry favor with Amarantha. There had been no luck with the sentries so far; all the women they encountered as wolves screamed and ran away. Tamlin was barely sleeping, dark circles marring his beautiful eyes. He needed a distraction.

“How many should I take?”

“Start with one, then see how you feel.” Before either of them could chicken out, Lucien popped one of the berries in his mouth. His tongue was flooded with a deceptively sweet taste; any fool who didn’t know the effect of the fruit could eat a huge quantity before realizing what a mistake they had made. Never one to be outpaced, Tamlin followed suit.

Half an hour later, they were both giggling on the ground. The berries made one euphoric, light-headed, and unsteady. The ground had rolled under Lucien’s feet in a very disagreeable manner, sending him to his knees. As he prepared to attempt to stand up again, Tamlin had fallen against him, sending them both tumbling into the grass. Lucien laughed until his sides ached and tears spilled out of his eyes. He looked over at Tamlin, who was glowing. Either the hallucinogenic properties of the berries were giving him a golden aura, or Tamlin had let his glamour slip. Either way, Tamlin shone, even in the bright midday sun.

“Golden prince,” Lucien murmured. He reached out on hand to brush the back of his fingers against Tamlin’s cheek.

“What’s that?” Tamlin caught his fingers in his own hand and kissed them.

“The first time I saw you, that’s what I thought.” To Lucien, his own voice sounded very far away. “You visited Autumn when I was a child. I thought you were so handsome, and you were so kind to me. A golden prince.”

Tamlin hummed thoughtfully against Lucien’s hand. “I don’t remember that.”

“I never forgot.” Lucien rolled over on top of Tamlin, laying against his chest. As he kissed his High Lord, the grass around them turned to rolling waves. They were in the middle of the ocean, completely alone.

4 months after the curse

Lucien could see the moment that Veer was killed. Him and Tamlin were eating in Tamlin’s office, taking a quick break from the endless mountain of work that they had to do. The apple that Tamlin had been preparing to take a bite out of dropped from his hand and fell to the floor with an ominous thud. His eyes widened and his skin paled.

“What’s wrong?” Lucien was scared, plain and simple. He had never seen Tamlin react like this before.

“Veer is gone.”

The words hit Lucien like a punch to the gut. After months of sending soldiers to the human realm daily with no change, they had grown lax. Lucien had joked with Veer as he was transformed into a wolf, never dreaming that it would be the last time he would see him.

“How do you know?”

“I can feel it.” Tamlin’s gaze was empty, his green eyes clouded over. “He was trying to provoke a young woman to attack him. A man surprised him, came out of nowhere. He was looking for her. He had an axe.”

There was no need for him to continue. Lucien could see it playing out in his own imagination. Veer, focused on his goal, missing the human man creeping up behind him. The man rising up and swinging the axe before Veer even knew he was there. Only the most brutal wound would be enough to kill a High Fae. It was likely that Veer had been beheaded, then butchered and consumed.

Lucien felt sick, but he had to ask. “And you’re sure it was a man that killed him?”

“Yes.” Tamlin’s mouth tightened in a line. “I’m sure.”

Veer had been funny. Foul-mouthed, but good-humored. He had been one of the first sentries that welcomed Lucien to Spring Court. He entertained them with ridiculously exaggerated stories that made them all forget the hardships of being a soldier. And now he was gone.

Lucien rose to his feet. “I’ll tell the others. You should eat.” He pushed a plate of food towards Tamlin.

“I’m not hungry.” Tamlin ignored the food and hunched over his desk. He picked up a pen to continue writing, but his claws shot out and sliced it into three pieces. He growled in frustration, and Lucien worried that all of their paperwork was about to be shredded to pieces. Instead, Tamlin shoved his chair away from his desk and strode past Lucien. “I’m going out to patrol. I’ll be back at sundown.” Lucien had no choice but to watch his love walk away from him, helpless to fix what had been irreparably broken.

#acotar #a court of thorns and roses #tamcien #tamlin #lucien vanserra #pro tamlin #pro lucien #tamlin/lucien #tamlin/lucien vanserra #fanfic #my fic #HERE WE GO BAYBEE #was overwhelmed trying to make stuff for all the event weeks but NOW WE FOCUS ON TAMCIEN

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swimming-karyss · 9 months

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(zoom in to see her freckles better)

More about Rouge, Makino and Goa(there is a simple map! to know who's where) under cut

In this au Rouge tries to hide her presence and identity as much as she can, and flees to Earth, as it's the most quiet and uneventful human settlement she could think of. She was able to find a place to live and not attract much attention, but her pregnancy isn't going so well, and her health is deteriorating, and then Garp finds her-

... to proclaim her as his daughter? ..?

Roger's last wish was for Garp to take care of his child, so obviously it also extends to the mother, right? right. And the least suspicious excuse for his help would be blood connection. Plus some protection from Garp's status. And the excuse for him not telling anyone about his daughter? also his status. He has too many enemies in the criminal word to let anyone get such information. Plus his actual son pretty much hates him too, so not much change there👍

With Garp's help Rouge was put in a good hospital, and while Ace was born without any complications, her health left much to be desired. She stayed under doctors's care for a couple of years, (I think Garp has brought both Ace and Dadan to visit her in the hospital on some occasions, once the boy was old enough). When her health has gotten better she and Ace moved to the Wind turbines district, because air there isn't as polluted as in the city, and it may help with her health a bit. She still can't be very active but slow strolls near the forest are already something. Rouge gets along with Dadan, because on good days she can match her temper very well, and while neither Rouge nor Ace really know how to approach each other, they will come to it one day. Her days are very uneventful, she tries to keep in touch with the news, and keep tabs on friends, but most of them lay low, so she doesn't get much information, and she can't contact them because it will bring attention to her. Another highlight of her days is Garp visiting during his vacation to check in on them. Rouge would rather not see him at all, but he complains about her friends specifically and some of the stuff he says can't be found in news (it's restricted information, Garp! you can't just- ah whatever), so only for this reason his presence is tolerable. It becomes more tolerable once he starts to bring Luffy with him(oh so what's why he spends half of his vacation month elsewhere), usually only for the duration of Garp's vacation, but after a couple of years the boy just stays for the whole summer. Rouge doesn't respect Garp in the slightest, and isn't afraid to show it (he knows he deserves it) but his sunshine grandson has nothing to do with it! plus, honestly, Ace and his sad kitten of a friend really could use some company. .....and they try to avoid him as much as they can. oh, these children....... But at least Ace seems to start to grow on Luffy as time goes on.

Also has anyone read Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō/Yokohama Shopping Log? bc that's pretty much the state the Earth is in in this AU. In a sense that the civilisation there is slowly deteriorating, many things happened there, it's greatly scarred by wars and poisoned by humanity's negligence. But all of it is in the past, many humans left to conquer other stars, hoping not to repeat past mistakes, ecosystems have recovered with the help from humanity (it's our beloved home planet after all), and now it was left to nature to reclaim, while only some sparks of human activity remain. Goa kingdom is one of them.

(Also Moon&Mars were the first places humanity colonized, so to simplify, Moon is something like a countryside you go to visit your grandparents, and Mars is an industrial city that was built for the plant, and the plant long since stopped working, so while the city didn't stop existing, it's definitely not as active or populous as it used to be)

(Venus is known for its scientists and researchers, civilians don't live there. Some moons of gas giants are colonised, and gas giants themselves have research stations. Same with asteroids)

(inner circle serves as the Romance Dawn East blue, (the weakest of the seas and the quietest star system) , I couldn't really think about something for the Red Line, but as some kind of treacherous entrance to more dangerous world, asteroid belt would work just fine. I'll think what to do with Crocus and Laboon later... outer circle is a couple of first islands of the grand line. The whole galaxy is divided into six parts. Four sectors of the habitable galaxy(four blues), inner core(Mary Geoise) and the edge of the galaxy (the grand line) or something like that)

Kingdom of Goa is a coastal city-state on Earth. (king is more of a figurehead than a real ruler, in actuality it's an Oligarchy). It's a rather prosperous city, but only the central District of the city enjoys it fully. There is still a problem with wealthy people disposing of their stuff just because it's out of fashion, but the trash managing is a bit better thanks to sci-fi, so there isn't a giant area of trash heap.

'Countryside' is where Wind turbines district is! I've decided that it's more of a countryside than suburbs, bc I prefer to subject my beloveds to other kind of horrors. This district gets most of its energy thanks to wind turbines, hence the name. Some people have person wind generators, and most of the wind turbines is on the shore. Of course this means that the access to the sea is restricted, but. it's as close to the big city as it can be. I really wouldn't advise to swim in there anyway. even going to the mountains to swim in the river is less hazardous.

Makino's bar (simplified) ↓. It's a really cool bar with futuristic interior and neon lights. It's near the spaceport, too far to get a ton of visitors, but close enough to still see interesting clients. On the floor above is Makino's apartment.

Also Makino is older in this au, because I cannot put the task of raising a child and managing a bar on a teenager! Once Luffy started staying with Rouge for the whole summer Makino got her number to check in on Luffy. They continued communication throughout the rest of the year, because both of them could use both company(mostly Rouge) and friendly advice(mostly Makino). While Makino's bar is small enough for her to manage it by herself, there is actually a part-time employee here. Luffy found a concerningly intelligent kid somewhere, and she's not a big fan of letting children stay on the street. Plus he helps Luffy with his studies, and the boy really needs some help with that. (funnily enough, Luffy is the only one of the ASL who went to school... at least for a while)

Also while Makino and Rouge have never actually met personally, they have developed a great friendship! Once Rouge is confident enough in her health she decides to pay a visit to her and brings Ace with her. Makino is delighted. Particularly because she'll finally meet a dear friend! (yay!) and partially because she came to a certain realisation, and she is sure to have some fun once these people all come together.

I'm not really sure what to make of Shanks yet, so I'll leave him for a while. All I know is that he visited Earth in the end of August, to spend a year there. And it was the main reason why Garp decided to let Luffy stay with Rouge for the whole summer, to keep him away from that red haired idiot.

#Rouge #Portgas D Rouge #Portgas D. Rouge #one piece #op fanart #op sci-fi au #fanart #art #karyss' art #ah her flower isn't really visible from this angle......

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elbiotipo · 3 months

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Terraforming Mars and space exploration are different things tho. Wouldn't terraforming another planet destroy the things we want to study? Mars is different from Earth, we have to learn from what is left there. I'm sure you know more about field investigations than me as a biologist. I'm just a med student.

I'm actually glad that someone differentiates between just going to Mars and terraforming it. Terraforming is a process that, if possible at all, will take centuries. It's not an expedition for science, it's the transformation of an entire planet. Should we do it, if we could? What would a future Mars that is home to hundreds of thousands, millions of people, should it ever happen, have an opinion on this?

Terraforming is a much greater endeavor that I only think will be possible to a society where what we consider titanic efforts like going to Mars are commonplace and where moving asteroids and doing mass engineering in space is as easy as building here on Earth. In such a society, should we terraform?

This is so far a question for science fiction, but the subject of terraforming seems mixed with space exploration while the two are in completely different magnitudes. I asked about terraforming, and got lame answers about space exploration (fix our problems first, etc.)

Anyways, that depends on what we put our worth on, and it implies one of the things I study, landscape ecology. Landscapes are built by abiotic factors, biotic factors, and cultural factors. Once humans get to Mars and once there are settlements then, there will be a cultural and biotic factor (assuming there is no life on Mars, which is still unknown). Humans will start to transform that landscape. At what point does that become terraforming, should we support it? These are interesting questions.

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tisiphonewolfe · 4 months

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Where do you live in The Tectomancy Saga?

Pick what sounds nicest from the options below to find out which major settlement you live in from the world of The Tectomancy Saga!

Locations and descriptions unveiled below the cut!

1. Leirsham

You live in the ringed city of Leirsham, the human capital. It's built into a hilly island, raised out of Lake Simul a millenia ago by King Artol Tectus. The city falls in tiers, rings around the island divided by walls; The docks and storehouses; the merchants' district; the residential area; the academics district; the upper city, and the palace. As a hub of human trade and travel across the gigantic lake, it's always bustling!

2. The Genom University

The Genomic people take 'university city' very seriously. The entire city is a university filled with lecture halls and libraries and laboratories, where Genemos study hoping to attain their people's divine magic through rigorous scientific research. Its central feature is the archive, a library where all of Genomic history is stored - through the power of conjuration, this is quite literal. It is said that entire historic buildings can be summoned from the archive.

3. Ipurrol

Ipurrol lies in Versewelt, near the edge of the world. It was cut off from the rest of human civilisation 400 years ago, when a plague swept the land, turning its victims into various forms of bloodthirsty ghoul. Those who remain have learned to live with their condition and keep living on, rebuilding their community together. The Vismoores are the local nobles, who live alone in the castle that looms over the village - even among oddities, those two are odd.

4. Athyran

You live in the Alvian city of Athyran. On its surface, surrounded by desert, its grand architecture dazzles tourists, and baffles them by appearing to be abandoned; most of the city resides below the surface in cool caves, hidden by an illusion. The buildings extend below the earth, making it a forest of towers among glowing formations of crystals. Their cuisine is quite mushroom-heavy. This city represents the centre of the 'pattern' which Alvians bury their dead in across their lands.

5. North's Edge

North of human lands, in arctic tundra, wintery wastes, and snow-covered rocky mountains, the Droichs live in peaceful alliance with Dragons. The Dragons fled from humanity, their former allies, 900 years ago, and formed a partnership with Droichs. The Droichs mine to maintain the dragon's scales and hides with metal and stone; the Dragons serve as defence and transportation for the Droichs. They make their home nestled into a cave-pocked ravine, where Dragons and their Droichish riders gather around the fire together.

6. Hell

The Demonic city of Hell is far below the suface, near the very axis of the world. Its sloping side is marred with holes like a honeycomb, through which the swirling blue mists of the edge of the world creep. Lit by glowing plants and lava flows, the city is built into the rock like a warren, with only gothic spires and roofs peeking out above the ground. Due to the Demonic magic of enchantment, you have to be very careful who you talk to and what you say. Demons though, have this down to a fine art, and natter endlessly to each other.

7. The Hollow

Formally 'Colossus' Hollow', because it looks like a giant kicked a huge hole in a hill and people built a city there. Sat on the border between human lands and Alvian ones, and with a clear view to the Arboric Ocean, just about anyone and everyone could turn up there. With nobody quite able to lay a claim to its leadership, it is more-or-less ruled by an organised crime gang known as 'The Robes'. Their own operations take place in other cities, but their rules for everyone else just say "If you fuck this place up for everyone else, we're coming for your head."

8. Gorzlun Kudh

One of the largest Orken communities; its name means 'Risen City'. Made almost entirely of drenchwood, a form of moisture-resistant wood, it rises out of a great swamp on thick stilts. It is home to the Oracles, wizened Orken elders who have practised the art of future-sight for centuries. It is also home to the battle-mothers, and their endless raiding gangs of battle-sisters. Most older Orkus remember a time when it was not like this. They farmed, they relaxed, they made things with their hands, and they helped their neighbours. Maybe one day it'll be like that again.

#writeblr #the tectomancy saga #writing #bbs&b #mwc&c #made with crown and claw #writing fantasy #writers of tumblr #writeblr poll

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iwilltrytobereasonable · 9 months

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An award he was given for science education from the Starmus Festival, much to the delight of that guy behind him. (Brian May)

And from the Starmus website:

“Buzz is the author of 9 books, most recently his children’s book, Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet and his newest NY Times and Washington Post Bestseller, “No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons from a Man Who Walked on the Moon”. Both published by National Geographic.

In October of 2014 he revamped his ShareSpace Foundation to be focused on STEAM Education - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math to ignite the spark and fuel excitement for space in kids –Specifically for K-8. In August of 2015 he launched the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Tech to promote and develop his vision of a permanent human settlement on the planet Mars.”

@nsomniacsdream

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zvaigzdelasas · 1 year

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Brazil’s new President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has so far shown little concern about defying consensus in the West on foreign policy -- even when it comes to dealing with authoritarian governments.

In recent weeks, Lula’s Brazil sent a delegation to Venezuela, refused to sign a UN resolution condemning Nicaragua’s human rights abuses, allowed Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro and flatly refused to send weapons to Ukraine, at war with Russia.

These decisions have raised eyebrows in the U.S. and Europe, but experts said Lula is reactivating Brazil’s decades-old principle of non-alignment to carve out a policy that best safeguards its interests in an increasingly multi-polar world.

Brazil’s foreign policy is based on its 1988 constitution, which establishes non-intervention, self-determination, international cooperation and the peaceful settlement of conflicts as guiding principles.

That involves “talking to all states at all times without making moral judgements, while respecting certain red lines,” said Feliciano Guimarães, a political scientist at the think tank Brazilian Center for International Relations. Lula’s red lines are not yet clear, he added.

16 Mar 23

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spann-stann · 2 months

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Setting Blurb: Hoppe City

Nestled snugly in the Hanami Planum, Hoppe City is the largest human settlement on the dwarf planet Ceres, and the de facto capital of free market civilization. Everywhere you go, after stepping off the Rags to Riches interplanetary spaceport (and casino resort) the planet's rich mineral wealth rewards those that were the first to claim it. From the many facilities for mining and refining what lies below Ceres' crust to the luxury estates and skyscrapers of those that made it big (never mind the slums in Refoogietown), Hoppe City and Ceres as a whole would reward those that would work for it.

As the inner solar system was being colonized by the three human powers in the late 2300s, ambitious eyes turned towards the asteroid belt and saw only opportunity. It was only a matter of time before the many construction projects in the inner system created a demand for resources that only the Belt could supply. The first ones to seize the Belt would reap the rewards. CorpEmp and the W.C.O.F. would dispatch a few expeditions to the Belt, and a swarm of independent miners would stake their claim in the untapped riches floating between Mars and Jupiter. The largest contributor to the Belt Rush would be the United Markets, and the largest of the U.M. settlers came from the Hoppean subculture.

The U.M. back on Earth was growing too corpocratic and libertine for the more socially conservative Hoppeans, and what available real estate there was was either too crowded for their tastes or would become so at an uncomfortable taste. Several thousand Hoppeans began to pool resources and capital together in the 2350s to settle, mine, and develop a plot of the Cerean surface, with the first families given stewardship over plots purchased by a secondary wave of Hoppeans staying behind to continue financing the colony back on Earth. Each family would be responsible for either mining their plot, providing a service for the other settlers, or develop for future use. Everyone also had to pitch in to buy military equipment for security. No freeloaders, no market failures, and definitely no Imps or Commies. Reserves could join the settlement proper, or pay triple to hitch a ride and disappear into the icy crevices to stead all their lonesome. C.P.C. gangsters were shot on sight.

The 2,500 families of the first and second waves (also known as the First Steaders) ratified the Covenant Charter on September 2nd 2355 in a rented Las Vegas convention center, affirming all families' adherence to the Non-Aggression Principle and describing in great detail what is and isn't Aggression. To help retain a united sense of identity, the founding families would model their colony's culture and memetics after the New England Puritans and the Scottish Covenanters of the 16th and 17th centuries, mixed with the stylings of their own brand of anarcho-capitalism. Three years later the first transport craft would land on the site of what would become Hoppe City.

For the next 500 years, the denizens of Hoppe City laid low mining and developing their part of Ceres and keeping an eye on newcomers to their neck of the Belt. The Hoppeans' large volunteer militia kept their colony and the rest of Ceres out of the Belt Wars in the 2600s. Likeminded groups from the U.M. would arrive and establish communities of their own, eventually adopting the Covenanter model of anarchist society. The rest of the U.M.'s subfactions would arrive to stake their own claims of the dwarf planet, with the Hoppeans giving them a wide berth, and wildly divergent Marketeers (NEVER bring up the incident with the Church of Randian Satanism) were treated like they didn't exist. Most individual miners would try their luck in the mines of Hoppe City, tripling the population just in time for the Human-Crystalline War (2801-2885).

As the Crystalline Aliens had a nasty habit of attacking any significant human presence, Ceres' population evacuated to the many underground mining complexes and rode out the war. Hoppe City's private militias remained on-planet in the event of an attack, but a few volunteered to join the rest of U.M. security forces to drive the aliens out of the Solar System. The aliens never touched Ceres, and because of that refugees would flock to the dwarf planet, tripling the population yet again. Most of the refugee population would be moved to the aforementioned mining complexes, they could either wait until it was safe to be relocated (especially CorpEmp and W.C.O.F. populations, and especially after fighting between the two groups), or try their hand at joining the planet's population. This refugee problem, and the threat of alien invasion, would lead to the expansion of the private security industry on Ceres. Many famous firms today had their beginnings in many volunteers that fought the Human-Crystalline War (against alien or refugee gang). The one group the Hoppeans were really wary of were the execs of the megacorps (MicroBucks, Morgan Industries, etc.) from the U.M. core.

Although they were sequestered in their own territories on Ceres, the Hoppeans didn't want the megacorps to start thinking they could run the dwarf planet like the rest of their assets. The descendants of the Founding Steaders (and a few Founding Steaders themselves who used life extension technologies) met with the megacorp execs, and stated that on no certain terms would Ceres be run like the old FVMEs on Earth. Pre-emptive strikes against acts of aggression were perfectly legal according to Covenant Charter, and it would be a shame if the execs did anything that would be considered aggressive. A few execs got the memo and drank the Hoppean kool-aid, or quickly relocated. Sympathetic megacorp employees would also subvert their employers' memetics with that of the Covenanters, bringing them more in line ideologically with the Hoppeans. By the beginning of the 2900s, Ceres and especially Hoppe City, would become the industrial and economic capital of the United Markets.

With the alien threat removed and their competition suborned, the Hoppeans and Ceres did what they did best: minding their own business and mining. As human settlement expanded into the outer solar system, a few expert miners from Hoppe City went to try their hand at establishing daughter colonies in the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. An even smaller few went out to stake their claims in the Extrasolar Territories. The Transhuman Wars were the only conflicts of the 31st century that the Hoppeans would get involved due to --DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BRING UP THE TRANSHUMAN WARS OR THE ACTIONS OF HOPPE HEDONICS IN HOPPE CITY - NEVER BRING UP THE TRANSHUMAN WARS - THERE WERE NO CATGIRLS - HOPPE HEDONICS NEVER PRODUCED CATGIRLS - UNDER THE REVISED COVENANT CHARTER OF 3106 ANY MENTION OF CATGIRLS CONSTITUTES AN ACT OF AGGRESSION-- in what would become know as Refoogie Town in the first layer of exhausted mining complexes below the city proper.

By the rise of CorpEmp's 5th ruling Dynasty, Hoppe City is an icy jewel that seems to only shine brighter. Most of Ceres by this point is "governed" (a dirty word in the U.M.) in covenants similar to Hoppe City, and Hoppean Scots has become the lingua franca of the myriad communites in the Asteroid Belt. Ceres has also emerged as the Mecca for developments in brine mining technology. Thousands of fortunes are made, lost, and won back daily in Hoppe City. In spite of all their history and achievements, however, there is one thing. One little frustrating thing that comes to most non-Cereans' minds first when asked to think about Hoppe City...

#my setting #setting #worldbuilding #United Markets #Hoppe City

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