History of New Athens []
In 2048, the world was at War. The UN was in shambles, leaving all countries to fend for themselves. A few nations would align themselves with other countries in hopes to gain some sort of foothold or inkling of control in what had become utter mayhem, but anyone looking back today would see that all attempts at bringing back the Peace were futile.
It was a little over a decade before the first bomb dropped. Not a minute more before the second and third… tenth… hundredth. The domino effect that the logicians from decades earlier foretold of came to fruition, and before anyone knew what was happening, the entire world was covered in nuclear winter. The initial blasts took millions, but it was the radiation that proved to be most dominantly fatal. By 2062, the world’s population was cut down to one quarter of what it had been just fourteen years earlier. Worse than that, over half of those left alive were dying from lesser forms of radiation poisoning that would carry over to their offspring, and even possibly the generation after that. With no known governments still operating, those who did survive were left to fend for themselves.
It didn’t take long for people to realize that anarchy was not the way. Years passed as one restoration project after the next failed. Fledgling governments struggled to replace the once mighty sovereignties that failed them, but to no avail. A resonating sense of defeat loomed over the entire Earth. It wasn’t until the summer of 2079 that a glimmer of hope seemed to shine down from the heavens upon the remaining survivors. A man named Teodoro Cuccini from the ruins of New York came forward, and over whatever airwaves remained, swore that he would create a city from the ashes, an Eden for all to reside in Peace. He set off at the age of 57 to a place he had visited nearly four decades earlier when he served the U.S. Navy: Greece.
The logic behind using Greece was a sound one. Since the Ancient days of Athens and the Gods, Greece had been a somewhat neutral force in the world. After things started falling apart, Greece made no allegiances, and thus lessened the amount of other countries that would put them in the crosshairs during the nuclear fallout. Though is would not be a perfect haven, it was mostly in on piece... and any land with that much history could not be argued against. So, Greece was the setting, and Cuccini was the mastermind. He gathered a group of New Yorkers to join him on his journey across the world, and set off for new horizons.
Three months later, Cuccini and those left of his party arrived on Grecian soil, and though they were battered and worn, they were ready to start a new life. Over the next ten years people from all over the world came to help, and January 1st, 2090, the city was dubbed New Athens, with hopes that it, too, would thrive as the original city had millennia earlier.
Cuccini was the first Prime Minister of New Athens, and with a council of men and women chosen from all different countries and origins, they created a layout for the new government, along with laws to be followed by the people who chose to live there. In the era of Cuccini’s reign, a great ten-story wall was built up around the city, and a great deal of immigration seemed to set the tone for decades of growth. Teodoro Cuccini passed away in early 2101, and a Spaniard named Arturo Vaz was chosen to be the new Prime Minister by the High Council of New Athens. This marked the turn of a new century, and a great time of change for Earth’s only true civilization.
Vaz was a good leader, by all accounts, but died suddenly in March of the same year, and was followed by Hugo Vega, a dark and sinister man from Argentina who found fuel in his new position to change the direction in which New Athens was headed. He created the first Athenian Army and quickly appointed an entirely new High Council, so that his ‘improved’ form of government would see light. Still, the population continued to grow, and it became apparent that the walls of the city would have to come down and be rebuilt.
Outside of New Athens, the world seemed to have digressed. EMP blasts from nuclear weapons from decades earlier had created a world with little electrical capabilities. Fueled power generators were rare, as was the gas that made them run. Townships were the law, just like in the old days of the wild west, and farms and livestock had replaced industry. But with new boundaries set, New Athens became a paradox to the rest of the world. The tri-domed city had become a megalopolis. By the time the new city walls were in place, Hugo Vega had passed the torch of leadership onto his son, Marko, who seemed to be a beneficent man, and a kind leader. Over the next thirty years, New Athens became the beacon of hope that it was meant to be. The brightest minds from every corner of the planet came, creating new technologies, far out-advancing the technologies of the past, and making science fictions of old into science fact.
New Athens was a place of Peace.
No crime, no civil unrest, no poverty, no homeless... so long as you don't ask any questions, your life in New Athens will be perfect.
Culture []
Government- New Athens is currently a Monarchy, ruled over by Marko Vega. It is not a pure monarchy as there is still a High Council of men and women who make decisions important to life in the city. Truthfully, though, Vega has the real power.
Law Enforcement- New Athens is and has always been governed under martial law. One sect of the New Athenian Army serves as what we would consider to be a Police Department. There is also a special, highly trained group of Athenian soldiers who are held as the Elite Guard, somewhat like the once prominent American Secret Service.
Weapons- For all Citizens, weapons are illegal. Only members of the NAA are allowed to carry weaponry. They use duel-barrel, electric pistols that fire normal rounds, and tazer-like electrical bullets that can fully immobilize a large Human. They also have assault rifles that fire rubber bullets with three different intensities; Hurt, Immobilize, and Kill. Their only other weapons are retractable batons with 'stun' capabilities.
There are only two ways for Non-military personnel to get weapons; Theft or Old world weapons via the Black Market. Keep in mind that 'Theft' would be HIGHLY Unlikely. New Athens is peaceful.
Transportation- A super advanced and complex series of people movers called 'The Magtrax' spread from all points in the city. White, subway-like cars move through tubes via electro-magnetic propulsion. When people refer to this mode of transit, they generally either call it the Magtrax, the Tram, or the Tubes. Both the tubes and the tram cars are perfectly white, in and out, which actually takes a lot of money to upkeep. Being a Tram Cleaner is one of many menial Athenian Jobs. Inside the tram cars, cushioned seats line semi-padded walls to give a completely neutral, non-distracting travel environment. Of course, like many other places, each tube is wired to record video and audio. While the Trams move six times faster than the once common Subway trains, they are also designed such that you cannot feel the cars accelerate or decelerate.
Those that are wealthy can afford Chauffeured services, or own private transportation. Both come in the form of what we would call "flying cars" but are just known as cars, or Limos and Sedans. These vehicles are air-propulsion vehicles that are all connected to the City's Central Mainframe. There is no need of a license, as the passengers don't actually pilot the vehicles. All one would do is input a destination, and let the car do the rest. This is important to note, because there have been zero vehicular accidents since the inception of the product. The mainframe programming is too highly advanced to make a mistake.
Economy- Even though there are other cities in the world now, New Athens is a mono-economic Megalopolis. So, New Athens has its own plastic-chip based currency. People can own and operate their own businesses, but there is a strict series of laws that give the government ultimate control over all commerce. Interesting to note: supply and demand in the future is very different than it is for us today. Entertainment and Style are held in low regard with the exception of the Dreamscape Sleep Enhancer and Holo-sports. People tend to spend more money on necessities and devices to improve basic living.
Money- While there is printed script with the faces of the city founders on it, most businesses have switched over to 'plastic,' so to speak. Every citizen gets an Identity card that doubles as a "Checking" card that accesses their account at the Bank of Athens, the only bank in the city (fully owned and operated by the government ). The card is quickly swiped over a scanner.
Black Market- It isn’t a “Black Market” so much as a means for people to get in touch with the past. Most contraband isn’t even illegal, but in order to keep it that way, people who find secret “rings” are able to get hold of all sorts of historical items. Most anything you can think of can be found in the ruins outside of the Major Cities of the world, and certain people who have made the right contacts can get you anything. The only items that are considered illegal are those that are still heavily radioactive. Fortunately, it is next to impossible for anything even slightly radiated to get into the City.
Entertainment- Though the Entertainment industry is held in low regard, a new phenomenon has been catching on over the last few months. A new virtual reality gaming unit called simply the “Gamer” has hit the market, and has hit it hard. In fact, it was so popular in its first week out that, while the Government wanted it quickly discarded, the financial benefits were too great to dismiss. So, due to the fact that up to 25 units can be linked, VR Gaming has become a multi-game, multi-League business that houses numerous sports. From Survival games to retro-sport games like American football, players are perfectly duplicated into the Virtual world, and matched up against other players. While at first VR Athletes played strictly for fun, now it is a paid Career, and all sorts of Sports can be seen via video input to the home, or even at the “Arena” which was built in northern Athens.
Family Life- Families are very much the same as they are for us, with only a few differences. First, there are no houses, so all families live in Apartment-style living units. Secondly, each Family is only, generally, allowed one child. The exception to this rule is twins, and even then... there must be a surpluss of vacancies in the population for a family to be allowed to keep both children.
Employment and Careers- New Athens has all sorts of jobs, just like any city, but the most popular careers are generally government based. Government Offices include Transportation, Engineering and Design, Agriculture, Census Control, Commerce, etc. Important to note is that the work day for most jobs is 10 hours.
Education- Though it didn’t start out this way, school has become one of the most intensive parts of societal life. Starting at age 5, students go to school 6 days a week for 10 hours a day, and this lasts all the way up until age 16. Then, students are put through a rigorous mental and physical test that is used to decide where in society they best fit. Then they are placed into training programs for another year, and at 17 they are assigned a Job that they will usually stay in for the majority of their life. It is, obviously, possible to find work in other ways, however in order to remain a part of society, one must have a job at all times, or otherwise be financially supported by a wealthy family. If someone enters the city, or graduates school, and does not have a job within 60 days, that person will be kindly asked to forfeit their spot in the city.
The only exceptions to this system are the children of rich entrepreneurs who can afford to home school their children, and groom them to take over the family business, or as stated before, simply do nothing and live off of said wealth.
Technology- Use your imagination. Holographic tech is popular. Devices have been created to do all sorts of things: Apply make-up, make your bed, assist in getting dressed, make food, incinerate trash, etc. Also, assume most things are voice-activated.
Agriculture- While New Athens is large, it does lack space for farming and agriculture. So, in the early days, prospecting parties went out across the countryside of Greece, took soil samples, and found a series of locations that were radiation free so they could grow food. Domed like the city, these plots only serve as a secondary source of food as most Food Companies have learned to Bio-Engineer the tasty treats that serve as the diet for all Athenians.
The draw back to actual farming is that often times the hover barges that transport food from the plots into the city get raided by criminals who live outside the walls of the city.
City Appearance- New Athens is extremely clean and highly advanced in appearance. The city walls form three large, incomplete circles that meet at a center point. Each is domed by an incredibly dense glass alloy that is next to impossible to shatter or crack. In the center of the domes is a huge, futuristic-looking sky scraper that actually surpasses the domes into the open sky. The skyscraper is home to the central city mainframe, and the building is actually, in and of itself, a gigantic cold fusion power generator, which powers the entire city, and everything in it.
Caste System []
The Prime Minister The highest-ranking individual in New Athens, this Monarch is untouchable. He is at the top and hence has no need to worry about finances. The Prime Minister is a fatherly figure, loved by many and revered by all. Though some question how it is possible for the city to be so peaceful, most blame for any rumors will fall upon the High Council.
The High Council Beneath the Monarch, these ten individuals are highly respected in society. Each would be considered rich and powerful beyond all others. While this may have been different in the past, currently no Council member can be younger than 60 years of age. These men and women, many loved by the citizens as much as the Prime Minister, are little more than pawns and scapegoats. They are the face of any evil that could ever surface in the city, though for now... all less-than-moral acts of the government have gone largely unnoticed.
New Athenian Army (NAA) Members of the Army are considered higher ranking in society than all others aside from the Monarch and the High Council. Laws only loosely apply to these men and women, and all that a household would need is one member in the Army to be financially secure. Only the elite make it into the Army, so they are highly paid for their prowess. Within the Army, ranks separate the Soldiers as is custom.
Corporate Elite There are those higher ranking Corporate faces, owners and CEOs of the companies that truly make the world of New Athens "Go Round" that stand high above those that are ordinary Citizens. Financially, they may rise well above any members of the NAA, and often it is from this pool of individuals that the High Council takes new members...but even with those things considered, their rights are the same as even the lowliest of normal citizens, and can easily fall victim to the whims of the Government.
Citizens Though some Citizens are wealthier than others, in general all are equal. None are given precedence over others. There are no homeless in Athens, as they would be quickly ejected from the city. All jobs pay enough to get by, and getting by is considered the norm.
The Outsiders The people outside of New Athens, normal people, are often simply forgotten by those who live within the walls of this futuristic city.
Animals Animals are rare, and very few have been brought into New Athens from the outside world for re-population purposes. Parties of bio-suited Athenians have gone out to find clean blooded creatures, but only a few species have been successfully extracted from the outside world. Currently, bio-engineering techniques are being perfected to alter the species that have been acquired. As it stands now, an animal siting is basically unheard of.
Birds: Blue Jays, Doves, Hawks Fish: Gold Fish, Clown fish Mammals: Domestic Cats Reptiles: None Amphibians: Tree Frogs
© Dream Quest / Ian Jones 2006-2014