Everything's Better, Down Where It's Wetter | First Order Dominion of Qeravert IV

[Natasi Fortan]

Lydia's hands found purchase on the handrails that allowed her to steady herself as she clambered into the submersible, ducking low to avoid hitting her head on the doorway. She still managed to trip over the raised bulkhead beneath the entry, and seized upon her companion's arm to prevent collapsing to the ground. She gave [member="Rolf Amsel"] an apologetic smile as she stood up and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Sorry," she muttered as they shifted towards one of the windows to make room for more people to enter the submersible.

It was nice to be with the Colonel again; it had been too long since they had met, and the fact that it came with a scoop was only the icing on the cake. The opening was technically during the day, and the dress code was smart but not formal, so she had elected a simple day dress and a smart cardigan in case it got cold. By the halfway point of the ride -- or so she estimated -- she was glad she had brought it and draped it across her shoulders.

Neritria came into view, all gleaming art deco towers and glass tunnels. It was breathtaking as a technological accomplishment, Lydia knew, and beautiful to look at. She wasn't sure she could ever live there, for even before the end of the ride, Lydia was more than ready to depart the comparatively small submersible pod. On the way down, she gawked at the marvels of the city, occasionally casting her eyes skyward as if to see if there was any kind of sunlight that filtered down. The only light seemed to be provided internally, and by decorative lights on the exterior of the buildings.

"That's exactly how I'd describe it," said Lydia breathlessly as they disembarked the submersible. She hung back, seeking to quietly catch her breath away from the others, and offered another apologetic smile to the Colonel. "I seem to have discovered a new claustrophobia." She sat on a nearby bench and leaned over until her head was nearly between her knees. A few moments passed and she finally sat up. "Sorry. I'm fine." She stood and straightened her dress. "Where do we go first? Have you been down here yet? Look how... normal, everything looks. How did they do it?"

 

[Progflaw99]

A soft look of concern creased the Colonel's features for a moment as he felt a gentle tug at his sleeve. He held his step and looked back to Lydia, an inquisitive eye raised at first, but as she spoke a knowing smile brought up the corner of his lips. He too had struggled with claustrophobia as a new recruit after joining the Stormtrooper Corps. Contrary to what his drill instructors had yelled at them over the roar of the dropship engines, the boarding pods really were that bad. At least at first, you got used to it. Gently resting his hand atop her shoulder as she took a brief moment he kept the group in his peripherals.

"Take all the time you need." he said kindly. In a moment she'd hopped right back up, her apology eliciting a chuckle. "It's really not a problem Ms. Finn-Camden. Besides, we might as well enjoy this right?" He paused before continuing. "Well, as much as we can." he shrugged.​

​

With a gesture he moved to walk down the transparisteel corridor leading towards a large bank of turbolifts. Even from within the confines of the city it almost felt like he could reach out and touch the fish that floated by, the colorful flora moving as if in some undetectable wind - the ocean current. With curiosity he watched the group ahead, no doubt they'd be eager to keep to the schedule. He couldn't blame them exactly, the trip down had taken significantly longer than they'd first planned due to a security concern. Turned out one of the honored guests had forgotten that he'd packed twice the allotted luggage - at which point the FOSB had gotten involved, sure that it was an attempt to sabotage the newest First Order development. The thought caused him to nearly roll his eyes just thinking about it. No matter, they were here now and as they approached the bank of turbolifts, he paused to look at his guest.

"Actually, this is my first time visiting - I've read enough in the internal memos to stay apprised however. Speaking of where to go..." He procured a datapad from one of his pockets, holding it so they could both see the screen. "I've heard the underwater gardens are quite vibrant, though if you're looking for something a bit less conspicuous.." he winked. "..I'm sure your viewers would love to see some of the impressive advancements we've made in sub-nautical technology. Otherwise, the choice really is yours. But we should decide quickly, these guides don't seem to be playing around."​

​

He gave her a feigned expression of fear, his teeth bared. The guide's voices rising to fill the small space as they tried to herd their respective groups towards the lifts. Turning his attention back to the datapad, he brought up a list of locations with labeled tours. Each one designated a different route and even color coded to their guide's uniforms. Albeit a tad over the top, he supposed it made sense considering this was literally and entire city beneath the ocean. "Anything stick out to you?" He said, expanding the list as he held the datapad out to Lydia. On the screen, a listing could be seen.

Tours:

• Green: Hydroponic Garden & Fishery
• Red: Hydroelectric & Geothermal Power Generation
• Orange: Architecture and Design, The Arts
• Blue: Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation
• White: Resort and Vacation Items, Tourism

Note: At the conclusion of the tours, there will be a brief period of free time where guests are able to either return to various areas throughout Neritria or visit other attractions they were unable to visit due to time constrains. Concluding that period, there will be a brief dessert before the official tour concludes. For those guests staying overnight, amenities and lodging have been provided by generous donations...

At that point Rolf stopped reading and had turned his attention back to the woman before him.

[member="Lydia Finn-Camden"]​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Lydia considered the menu of tours on offer, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "I think you're right. The powerplants will be off the regular beaten path for my viewers. I think they've seen enough of me in a pretty dress looking at gardens, or artwork, or fancy restaurants. Instead they can look at me in a pretty dress, looking at industrial machinery." They followed the directions to join the tour group, Lydia flashing her press credentials to explain the hovering holodroid that followed her. The droid came equipped with a censorship device that allowed the Ministry of Culture to monitor what was recorded and remotely edit or delete files.

Life as a journalist in a fascist regime had its benefits, but free press wasn't one of them.

Lydia followed Rolf along the tour, staying close enough to the guide to listen to his presentation. Of course, there wasn't a lot that could be said without compromising the security of the installation, so the broad focus was on the revolutionary methods of construction and safety that allowed the city to stand and be powered leagues and leagues under the sea. Lydia turned to [member="Rolf Amsel"] and inclined her head. "Are you going to help me with this?" She gestured at the holodroid. "I'd love to get your view on other applications for this technology when I start rolling."

 

[Progflaw99]

Lydia's musings brought a smile to Rolf's face, the image of a done up Ms. Finn-Camden gallivanting about an industrial super-complex humorous. Flipping the data pad over, he slipped the device back into a pocket before gesturing for her to lead the way.

"I'm sure that's quite the contrast." He chuckled. "Ladies first."​

​

Rolf followed closely behind, keeping up with the small group who'd decided to take the route less traveled. If the size of the groups were anything to go by, the much more aesthetically pleasing tours had been jam packed. The gardens and hydroponics seemed to be the most popular, but the grime and grit of how everything worked - that was more likely the real wonder of Neritria. Through a series of corridors and transparent turbolifts, they finally descended below the sub-floor of the ocean. Almost immediately the atmosphere changed, not only figuratively but literally. Gone were the transparent bulkheads, replaced with the dingy gray-steel of durasteel.

Continuing on further, the large corridors opened up into a giant space, carved out of the rock of the sea bottom. In the center were massive turbines, colored tubes and marked lines tracing all throughout. This was the central hub of all the power processing done on behalf of Neritria - thousands of kilometers of tubing, piping, electrical work all terminated somewhere in the mess of machinery below. The guide's voice rose above the din however, now prattling on.

"As you can see here, all of Neritria relies solely on its own power generation. The city is powered by a combination of both Hyrdro-electric power gathered by the natural movement of the ocean as well as tapping into geothermal power derived from hot spots deep beneath the surface. Not only does Neritria produce and recycle its own power, but you may be wondering how oxygen is created this deep in the ocean. That, friends, is an entirely different story. If you'll walk with me here, we'll continue on towards that particular area."​

​

The group would progress, travelling a long catwalk across the open space, eventually arriving at a double wide corridor, a small platform suspended via repulsors waiting for them.

"Kind of dreary down here, don't you think?" said Rolf, leaning in towards Lydia's ear.​

​

[member="Lydia Finn-Camden"]​

 

[Dyn Hela]

He walked along the ship's corridors calmly, his blue eyes scanned for trouble by instinct as he walked. It was not his usual choice of pass time but he had chosen to give it a chance. His long strides ate the corridors length by the meter though he had no real idea where to go or what to do. The lavish interior was quite nice, far nicer than he was accustomed to, but he wouldn't complain. His ticket was paid for, as were his meals.

He found the stairs to his left and followed his last train of thought toward the dining area. His simple grey suit was not as comfortable as his cammies, or his trooper armour but it did fit well and he had to say he filled it well. His shoes shone nicely with the fresh polish he had just applied in his room.

The big trooper moved calmly into the dining room and found his assigned table. The glasses and dinnerware were pristine. The service seemed excellent he observed as a well dressed man came over and offered the wine menu.

"The red blend looks excellent." Dyn told the man as he did his best impression of a wealthy man, "And then the Champagne with dessert."

"Very good, sir." The server replied before another took his place for the first course.

"I'll have the chef's specials for all the courses, please." Dyn said as he waved off the menu with a friendly smile.

"Excellent, sir." The second server said while the first returned with his wine and poured.

He could get used to this. Though he had better not.

 

[Arage Bao]

Hand pressed against the glasteel of the City's viewport.

They were in one of the higher warrens, the entertainment district and Alec was taking another sip from his... drink. One experimental look confirmed it was, in fact, green and positively acidic. But it tasted nice enough and had a good bite to it, what more did you really need? "Tal, I might never leave." The man joked over to his friend as he joined him at the 'port.

Money well-spend as far as Alec was concerned.

Not everything was finished yet. Some districts still needed a small touch, others something more major, but the broad strokes were most definitely in place at this point and projections were already immensely pleasing.

Enough that the worry was out.

Unless some kind of seismic event wiped this entire place ou- well, then there was still the insurance money, he supposed. No, this was going to be fine. "How's your drink and do you need a refill?"

[member="Talbot Vitalis"]​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Lydia followed along with the tour, keeping notes on her datapad as the tour guide went on, her eyes occasionally flickering to [member="Rolf Amsel"] for a confidential smile. "It is a bit," she said. It was dreary, in a way, far away from the polished chrome and marble of the city, far away from the neon lighting and the crowds. "Endlessly fascinating, though, don't you find?" she said, bowing her head back over her datapad to keep notes. "Obviously I won't be able to punish a lot of the nitty gritty details, but there should be enough to make an interesting article."

As the tour went on, they moved towards a tour of one of the oxygen plants. "Do you know," Lydia murmured to the Colonel as they followed the crowd up the industrial stairwell. "My brother used his influence as an investor to get us a block of rooms at the hotel. You know, the tall one with the blue neon lights?" They rounded the landing, continuing up the corrugated metal stairs towards the 'surface' -- if one could call the ocean floor the surface. "Perhaps you'd like to come for a tour of that part of the city." There was the barest hint of suggestion in her words, though her tone was just a tiny bit mischievous. "I've always wondered if whisky tastes different at this -- would we call this altitude?" she concluded, gesturing to the surroundings.

The tour guide described the way the oxygenation process worked; apparently, in addition to emergency oxygen tanks that could provide enough breathable air for the entire city for weeks, should things go wrong, there was a hybrid organic and mechanical air-scrubbing system, including a newly-bred type of algae that cleaned air. "It's a technological marvel, I'll give them that," Lydia told Rolf quietly as the tour guide led them on.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"I think they're planning a concert tour to highlight it. Maybe a holoball stadium or something. Something that says, 'Look, life can exist here, and not just exist but thrive.'" Talbot swirled his drink, some sort of thick greenish liquid made from God only knew what in the ocean. It didn't taste bad, but he would much prefer a scotch. "It's too bad Marzena Vaas has gone off. We don't have that kind of starpower in the First Order anymore. The Ministry of Culture is really letting the side down."

He took another sip from the glass before setting it down and then glanced at his watch. "Fifteen minutes I think, then we should head back down for the ribbon cutting. We're both supposed to be on the dais. Clapping. Can you imagine." Talbot did not often complain about the ceremonial aspects of his work; to anyone who watched from afar they would have understood that it was a privilege for him to support his wife and her government, but here, cloistered with his oldest friend, he felt free to say what he felt. "Clapping like trained seals. I'm sure it's not her doing, but -- well. Keeps us off the streets, I suppose."

"What is this stuff, anyway?" he asked, lifting his glass again.

[member="Alec Sienar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Talbot Vitalis"]

Marzena Vaas.

He knew that name.

A few years back she had been the hottest thing out there on the market exported from the Unknown Regions. An unicorn surrounded by monsters, beastial aliens and worse, the Unknown Regions had never been particularly hospitable to the human populations streaming into it from the Core-worlds and beyond. That was only a testament to how surprisingly effective the First Order was- even the Lords of the Fringe had been practically forced to give the natives far-reaching sovereignty. But where the Fringe Confederacy had only started to codify and organize in the last decade of their years... the Order had been all about Law and Order from the very start.

Alec loved it.

If only it wasn't so hard to find a proper martini there. "I am sure I can tap a few of my contacts in the Tion Cluster," He smoothly offered after taking another drag from his glass. The green stuff went down easily, before it started to burn a hole through his throat.

Ooph. That was the stuff.

"Float some opportunities to extend their reach with the assistance of a sympathetic government simply trying to carve out an existence for law-abiding citizens surrounded by menace and threat." A light shrug followed soon before he turned away from the viewport and sized Tal up a bit. Glass raised and they ticked it in salute. "Oh, refined algae and moss, apparently distilled it hits like a light freighter." The pained look of Tal was summarily ignored before he threw over the glass and emptied it.

Buuuuurn.

"Alright, let's go make your wife happy, best behavior- and for Balance's sake... fix that tie."

 

[Progflaw99]

"Endlessly fascinating, though, don't you find?"​

​

Lydia wasn't wrong. Even as they ascended towards the surface there was an underlying beauty to the very infrastructure of the underwater city. First Order engineering at its finest he supposed. There was something about it - clean, efficient, everything functioning just as it should. *A machine*. Rolf was a loyal cog in that machine, a gear used to push it on ever further. And life? A brief pang of sorrow sent his mind reeling towards the abyss, his footstep faltering for a quiet moment. His hand saved him, tightening on the rail before a deep breath and he pressed on. There was no doubt in the Colonel's mind that Lydia was capable of putting together an interesting article. One of his guilty pleasures when on ship was using some of his officer's privileges to keep apprised of his favorite reporter's work. Suddenly realizing he hadn't responded to her question, he did so as they arrived at a small landing.

"There is something to be said for the efficiency and grace of the First Order. I wouldn't want to be those engineers though, I'd wager they have quite the headache trying to make all this efficient and look as great as it does." he looked out the wide tranparisteel viewport at the expanse below. "To be quite honest, I don't know how you manage to do it Lydia."​

​

A wink accompanied by sly smile spread across Rolf's features as he made eye contact with the woman. She'd begun speaking as they resumed their journey towards the ocean floor.

"Oh?" he remarked. "A tour of your own? That'd be much preferable to this one."​

​

His own words were infused with a soft hint of laughter. A gentle blush filled his cheeks at the mention of whiskey. She knew him well enough, as to her wonder, he knew it would taste different though exactly how depended on a number of variables - none of which did he find more interesting in the moment than the mere presence of the woman beside him. He nodded his head in agreement as the guide spoke to the oxygenation process. As they shifted down another corridor Rolf noted that periodically there were several smaller corridors that appeared to lead into other areas. A strange thought entered his head just then, something months ago he wouldn't have done more than roll his eyes and shake his head at. He began to slow his pace, just a little at first. If they continued at present speed, the two would soon find themselves trailing towards the rear of the group.

[member="Lydia Finn-Camden"]​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"That's easy. I do all of my oxygen reclamation and air scrubbing at the weekend," Lydia responded with a laugh loud enough to earn her a withering glare from the tour guide. The reporter responded with an apologetic bow of her head, and when they had the opportunity to lag behind, Lydia latched onto it happily. "I don't think she likes me," Lydia muttered, nodding at the retreating back of the tour guide, who continued to describe the efficiency of the use of space and energy in the engineering levels of the city. She adopted a leisurely pace, no rush to rejoin the others.

"How long are you assigned to Qeravert IV?" Lydia asked. "I have the hotel suite for the weekend, if you need a place to stay. It isn't just a vestibule for consuming whiskey, after all." The reporter paused to look into the small window of a door, peering into a mechanical workstation. "Can I ask you something? And feel free to tell me to mind my own business or you don't want to participate, but I am curious." She stepped away from the window, turning back to [member="Rolf Amsel"].

"When you see things like this -- the cities and the hospitals and whatever else -- does that motivate you, as a soldier? Or do you see through it as -- propaganda, I guess? Does it bother you?"

 

[Progflaw99]

Rolf grimaced visibly, feigning embarrassment as the guide glared in their direction. As the attention returned towards the head of the group, Rolf's fingers gently reached out, giving Lydia's a gentle squeeze before returning to his own side. "I guess she didn't find that too funny.." he trailed off quietly. "I can't imagine she much likes this gig - stuck down here? Or do you suppose they rotate?" Rolf pondered that as their footsteps picked up again, the voice of the guide beginning to drone. This was actually quite refreshing, a moment of relative peace, sans the near breakneck speed they seemed to be trying to herd the tours through with. He matched Lydia's pace step for step, averting his gaze momentarily as he'd caught his eyes lingering.

As she asked the question he paused - that was a good question. "I'm not entirely sure, we never really know anything until it's time. Even as a Colonel." At that he shrugged helplessly. As of late, everything had been on the move, ever shifting. Even if they'd gotten orders one day, the overall plan might have changed the next. There was a distinct pattern to it all, but what that pattern was, only the Supreme Leader seemed to know. Oh, he might have been able to do some political manuevering to get a straighter answer from those who owed him favors but right now was not a time to be calling in markers. Through the subtle undercurrents and the surprisingly reliable enlisted non-rate underground Rolf was aware of an ever watchful eye across the military of the First Order - the FOSB. While there might not be anything on the surface or blatantly in violation of any regulations, should it look like one was in violation.. Let's just say Rolf didn't want to be sending up any red flags.

"As far as a place to stay..." he continued. "...I wouldn't want to intrude, but I would be obliged, provided this isn't another one of your 'joke's'. I might have to alert our lovely tour guide." He almost kept a straight face but as he finished speaking he couldn't quite hold it together. "In all seriousness, that would be lovely. I've seen the barracks plans for this place." He rolled his eyes. If there was one thing they hadn't considered during Nycteria's construction, it had been luxury for the soldiers stationed there. Rolf glanced momentarily towards the tour group, slowly disappearing around a corner further along the corridor before looking back to see Lydia move away from the window. He stepped closer to her as she asked him a question. It made him pause as he made eye contact with her, looking into her gray-blue eyes. Her question was by no means an easy one to answer, nor was it impersonal. To answer would require something he wasn't entirely used to giving someone other than his brothers in arms - trust. As he searched Lydia's eyes he knew right then that he could giver her an honest answer.

"Not everything is as it seems." He said in a hushed tone. "There are some days I can't deny the good of the First Order, but other times.. You've seen the battlefield first hand." He trailed off, breaking eye contact as if he'd had an unpleasant memory. "Perhaps this is a better conversation for later.. It's not that I don't want to talk about it, but.." He reached up with a hand, tapping the lobe of his right ear as he looked exaggeratedly around the corridor. Rolf kind of doubted the FOSB or any other organization had truly bugged the corridors down here but one could never be too careful. Stepping closer so that they stood only a breath apart, he spoke softly. "Nothing is ever as black and white as they paint it, wouldn't you agree?" He found his hands searching for hers once more, this time holding onto them as his eyes found hers again. The voice of the tour guide had all but faded into the distance.

[member="Lydia Finn-Camden"]​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Lydia's smile froze at his answer, and she half-turned, causing a shock of brown hair to fall in her face, covering her face. "I never joke about whiskey," said said gravely, turning to walk in the wake of the tour group. She said nothing for a while as they wandered along, considering his answer, considering the man himself. She didn't mean to fall into a pet, but she supposed his answer did leave something to be desired and, lost in thought though she was, that was the disposition to which she seemed predisposed as they walked forward.

"I remember," Lydia muttered, momentarily flashing back to Kaeshana. It had been a long time since memories of the planet had troubled her, had woken her up or kept her awake. She shivered and drew her wrap around her more tightly. "Yes, I think it's best left for another time," she agreed, her voice gravelly for a moment. She cleared her throat as they mounted another staircase, heading up. "We'd better get back. I'm meant to be recording the ribbon-cutting -- " Her voice dropped off when [member="Rolf Amsel"]'s hands took hers, and she turned to find him quite close. Despite herself, her cheeks turned somewhat pink.

"I'm in the media, Colonel," said Lydia. "I'm the one doing the painting, after all. Now we'd better get a move on before we get KP for being AWOL." She let him pass, then delivered a playful slap to his rear before matching his pace up the stairs.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"These are... comically large," said Natasi uncertainly as Clémence showed her the scissors with which the Grand Moff would soon be cutting the ribbon to officially opening the city. "What did I say, Clémence? Dignity, always dignity. How am I supposed to be dignified with these?" She favored her PPS with a look of deadpan unimpressed-ness. Clémence, for her part, seemed to be enjoying the thought, and so Natasi cleared her throat and then turned to Clem. "Very well, since you're enjoying it so much, you can hold them until I've finished my speech. Standing. Next to me."

They emerged a few moments later from behind the curtains and onto the stage, to the applause of the audience waiting in the grand entryway to the city. Natasi approached the podium, cognizant of the cameras focused on her as well as the eyes of the visitors. Behind her stood the tiger team, those who had made the city possible. It was to these people that Natasi initially paid tribute. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for that warm response and welcome one and all to Neitria!" She raised her arms in great flourish, gesturing towards the magnificent surroundings. "This wonderful city would not have been possible without the contributions of the men and women behind me. Please join me in thanking them." She stepped to one side, joining the crowd in applauding the panel behind her.

"This city represents the best that the First Order has: the best of engineering, the best of science and technological researches, the best of planners and builders and industrialists.They have created here a city of unparalleled luxury and industry, carved out of one of the most inhospitable climates known to man. If we can build cities such as this, there is no telling what the First Order is capable. As long as we stay true to our ideals and our Supreme Leader's vision, there is nothing -- nothing -- that we cannot achieve together. Now, I bid you all to explore and enjoy everything this city has to offer." She gestured to Clémence and took the unwieldy scissors from her principal private secretary, carefully -- and awkwardly -- using them to cut the ribbon that stretched across the stage, pausing to smile at the cameras before driving the handles home.

Qeravert IV was the First Orders, Neritria was open, and the oceans would soon harbor many other untold secrets.