Arek’Jaalan Museum

Author: Faulx

Original post: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1-UwfSmPJqTHNbn9jpvYSlYsWCX8qJ3zzkXDfqfvcprc/pub

Entry for the YC114 Pod and Planet Fiction Contest in the A Day in the Life category.

Construction of the Arek'Jaalan Museum has been underway for quite some time. It is a for-profit museum, open to the public for the exhibition of artifacts recovered from Anoikis, and houses much of the Arek'Jaalan Acquisition Division Inventory Listing. Nestled atop the Gallente Administrative Outpost at the Antiquus Site in Eram, the Museum rests within a spacious arboretum constructed specifically for it.

Patrons visiting the Museum may pay a small fee for single admittance or may purchase access for longer periods at various price points. When accompanied by scientific credentials, these increased periods of access typically also allow patrons deeper access to research areas and lab materials. Upon admittance, patrons may ride the central elevator shaft for the outpost to the highest levels of the forward tower. As the elevator summits above the "ground' level, a full view of the Museum grounds rapidly forms through the shaft's polycarbonate glass walls.

A vast open space within the outpost's upper decks houses a greenhouse of monolithic proportions. The top two hundred decks of the forward tower have been completely hollowed out, and the bottom most decks of this cavity converted into a green, hilly simulation of a planetary surface approximately one kilometer across and nearly three kilometers wide. Rolling hills, trees, roads, numerous small buildings, and even a lake accompany the Museum Compound, which is itself nearly 900 meters across. Gravity is simulated by emitters in the decks below.

The curved, forward wall of the tower is constructed mostly of a strong metamaterial, designed to be transparent in the visual spectrum. The technique is quite common in Gallente construction and offers an expansive view of Eram solar system beyond. The view is limited on either side only by the two opaque metallic rails that flank the central section of the tower. The rails themselves act as tall buildings and are dotted with many windows and balconies facing inward on the stunning view of the "ground" below.

As the lift ascends, the shape of the Museum itself comes into view. The compound's buildings are scaled down models of prominent ancient structures found in the star systems beyond the wormholes (a.k.a. Anoikis). Centrally located is a Talocan Polestar, ringed by eight Sleeper Enclaves configured in the shape of a Sleeper "Mirror". These buildings house the exhibits of the various Arek'Jaalan divisions and are constructed, somewhat anachronously, upon (and within) a spot of level ground on the floor of the arboretum near the central wall containing the main elevator shaft.

Before long, newly arrived patrons disembark into an entry hall, far above the museum. Through this room's glass walls and floor, the true reason behind the removal of so many decks becomes apparent. Floating in the space between the thick transparent ceiling above and the Museum below are whole and fragmented ships of Talocan and Sleeper design. Simultaneously exhibits and research specimens, these ships can be accessed via a network of catwalks and small lift shafts. Suspended by graviton fields, these hulks drift lazily: awaiting examination.

In addition to giving a hawk eye view of the Museum, another special feature of the entry hall is an advanced head tracking system. As users stare through the transparent floor at the sights below, the system projects a heads up display onto the polycarbonate glass from each user's perspective, highlighting buildings and features and offering detailed information on them. With a gesture, patrons can indicate to the system what buildings they are interested in and navigate sub-menus to plan their museum experience for the day.

The head-tracking system shows patrons a breakdown of the exhibits contained in the Museum's buildings. Within the Sleeper Enclaves are the Arek'Jaalan Library and Archives and exhibits related to Sleeper History, Sleeper Technology, Jovian History, Rogue Drones Technology, Anoikis Astrometrics and Phenomena, and an enclave dedicated to replicating select interior sections of Sleeper structures. Within the Talocan Polestar are exhibits dedicated to Talocan History and Technology.

With their courses plotted, patrons may exit through lift shafts all around the room, providing a quick descent to the areas of interest below.

Exhibit Directory:

enclaves-

1-Arek'Jaalan Library and Archives

2-Sleeper History

3-Sleeper Technology

4-Jovian History and Other Ancient Races

5-Rogue Drones Technology

6-Anoikis Astrometrics and Phenomena

7-Sleeper Structure Replicas

8-TBA

polestar-

Talocan History

Talocan Technology

catwalks-

Talocan Ships

Various Sleeper Drones

Tech 3 Subsystems and Hulls

academic access-

Research Labs (Ancient Technologies: Yan Jung, Sleeper, Talocan, Takmahl, Terran)

Research Labs (Material Sciences: Fullerenes, Ore Samples, Polyferrus Compounds)

Research Labs (Historical Documents)

Preservation Rooms (Artifact Preservation and Reconstruction)

Arboretum Dimensions (From the front of the outpost looking in):

1.02295 km across (with rails, 2.04590 km)

x 1.87541 km tall

x 2.89836 km deep

Arek’Jaalan Gallente Outpost at Eram

Houses Museum in Top Floors

(( Thanks Tykari for the angle on the Polestar ))

Hills Lake Smaller Buildings Roads Museum Complex (a mockup of "The Mirror" and "Talocan Polestar")