The World of Tomorrow

The World of Tomorrow
Station Type: O'Neill Cylinder
Allegiance: Independant (Morningstar Constellation)
Primary Language: English, French, Japanese

Tucked into the Venus/Sun L4 point, The World of Tomorrow is an unusual habitat. Earth Nostalgia is a huge factor in the post-Fall era, whether people admit it or not. The World of Tomorrow is a send-up of those dreams of the futurepast, a habitat modeled on humanity's vision of the future in the 20th century. This is the world our ancestors thought would be the future, which never came. A world of art deco and streamlined chrome, powered by THE ATOM and more. Sprawling skyscrapers of an early style dot its interior skyline, combined with exotic flying or suspended structures as there is a lot of emphasis on the air, and influence of Venusian culture. The cylinder is designed to mimic earthlike gravity and atmosphere.
World of Tomorrow is effectively a tourist destination, though there is some more serious work for some residents. Established by some Venusian hypercorps, it is run by the "Science Council" who built the hab and maintain it's specific atmosphere. People dress in retro sleek clothing, go about their daily commute using personal thruster packs or flying cars, and servitor bots wearing aprons and frilly headdresses scoot around doing menial work. AR skins can complete the transformation, turning any piece of decor or tech into a deliberate retro-ism. Some even can render the world in black and white. The aesthetics constantly reference early atomic and rocket science, and unnecessary blinking lights abound. Visitors will find quaint little throwbacks like "food pills", typewriters and public telephones. Permanent residents form a blend of actors, otaku and actual scientists doing some work.
For visitors, there are a variety of packages and levels of experience. "Day trippers" just out for a quick sleeve and go often simply just tour the hab, seeing the specific detail of life here and taking in some of the sights. One can hit up the range to play with some exotic beam weapons, visit the best recreation of a milkshake parlor in the solar system, or visit a variety of museums which explore the early history of spaceflight, atomic energy, computers and robotics. Several of the hypercorps which are invested into World of Tomorrow also operate "show labs" here, they do little in the way of actual research but are able to run demonstrations and presentations to advertise their companies and technology. There's even several drive in film theaters. For those who wish to recapture their child-like wonder, World of Tomorrow has a large stock of neotenic morphs to sleeve in to. For those paying for an extended stay, or especially who arrive physically, there are more amenities. World of Tomorrow has several comprehensive resort hotels which model several cultures and periods of Earth history, offer gourmet dining, robot butlers, the works. The various districts of World of Tomorrow are crammed with various unusual shops and services - specialists in retro tech. World of Tomorrow is one of the foremost places to either copy or produce retro storage media, like vinyl discs, wax cylinders and magnetic tapes. Art boutiques are masters of reproducing the hab's look and feel to any modern technology as well, selling various custom-made souvenirs to visitors, using one-time blueprints for those who did not travel there physically. And in some corners, one can find very expensive and elite stores selling actual Old Earth antiques and artifacts. The best of these have Reclaimer connections and occasionally sell objects recovered from the post-Fall Earth. If the simple art and culture aren't enough, there are many themed packages, which use actors, ALI and AR effects to create all kinds of neat scenarios you can interact with. You can fight (or be) a mad scientist, experience a kaiju attack or repel an alien invasion (Grey morphs are also popular sight on the hab), be part of a viral outbreak movie, be a giant robot pilot or space captain, and more. Depending on how much you're willing to spend, you can do group scenarios, generic ones, or even custom tailored things right to you. Those without an excess of funds will have to settle for XP.
For the residents of World of Tomorrow, things are slightly different. Corporate employees from sponsors are basically on permanent work visas - they're responsible to their employers, but still bound by the charter of the hab (based on Venusian common law), and still perform all their normal functions. While a lot of them handle PR, some real scientists and researchers are employed to do actual work, or just provide accurate technical descriptions of their work. Working at World of Tomorrow is usually considered a relaxed and positive posting, though some more serious workers find it a bit grating. Next are the "actors", or just the personnel hired directly by the Science Council. They are employed, and live a life many in a corporate owned hab would find familiar, though with the "softness" the Morningstar Constellation is known for. Many of them are indeed "actors", or at least roleplaying - they perform normal jobs such as repairing or directing bots, policing the streets, customer service and more, but must do so "in character". Indentures are rare in the World of Tomorrow as a result, few applicants have the personality and social skills for the work - instead a lot of glitterati types often end up here, trying to get a "break". For those who can't or need a rest from constantly dealing with tourists, like most Cylinders World of Tomorrow has large sections of green space which are used both for environments and to grow food - many earth classics. There are even some stock of cattle herds for that authentic "beef burger" experience (so yes, there are space cowboys. And girls, and neuters, and herms). While not an extensive shipyard, World of Tomorrow does have some facilities to build and repair spacecraft, often adding their retro flare. Other menial tasks are usually handled by ALI. Then there are the hobbyists. They come from all strains. Some are permanent tourists, some are former infugees looking to recapture the past, others wish to take a break from the "real" world of Luna and Earth Orbit. Even some are born from wandering Scum Swarms or emigrate from the Outer System to experience a world they never saw, having been born far from earth. While all of these are enthusiasts, their flavor can vary. A very few are actual experts, historians, anthropologists and documentarians who are consultants for the Science Council, or just want to get as close as possible to their subject matter. Many are artists, who are trying to recreate the style of "raygun gothic", producing vids, games, VR and more based on the aesthetics of the hab. Some may blend with the next group, the gearheads, who are the masters of the old mediums, understanding various outdated and retro tech - and even producing media on it. World of Tomorrow has one of the few functioning facilities to produce actual "film" vids in the solar system. And then there are those who are here just because they want to escape the modern solar system, and engage in a little nostalgia full-time. These all make their way as one does in the hypercapitalist economy, acting as freelancers or flexible employees to sell their wares or services.
Unfortunately, World of Tomorrow is heavily reliant on tourism and outside sponsorship. The system of Venus orbit is fairly open, requiring all materials to be recycled or imported, which can be expensive. The place generates positive PR and rep for most involved, so for now it is fairly stable, but if Earth Nostalgia ever becomes passe, the habitat could be in trouble sustaining itself. It is also a bit of hotbed for Reclaimer activities in the Venusian area. While the most hardcore are stationed around Earth, there is plenty of agitation, especially from the wing of Morningstar opposed to complete Venus terraforming. Those with these opinions tend to keep quiet in public, however, as the Planetary Consortium officially pushes that earth is dead and gone, despite being a large source of the tourism.