The Sky People
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History

The human race is down to fewer than 2,500 individuals… or so the residents of the Ark believe. They are descendants of 400 survivors of the Nuclear Apocalypse that killed the vast majority of mankind, 400 survivors who were aboard 13 space stations when disaster struck. Twelve of these stations joined together to create the Ark, pooling resources to ensure the survival of humanity.

Organization

The Ark is headed by a Chancellor and a six-person Council. It is policed by the Ark Guard, who answer to the Council, and whose Chief usually sits on the Council. Every crime on the Ark is a capital crime, and the only punishment for adult offenders is floating: expulsion through an airlock without a spacesuit. The only exception is for juvenile delinquents, who are instead imprisoned until their 18th year and then their case is reviewed. Some are granted clemency, but most are floated. There are strict population controls in place, not only are all teenagers provided with chemical birth control that lasts until they are 20, but no one is allowed to have more than one child—having a second child is a floatable offense.

Ark Politics

The governing body on the Ark is the Council which is headed up by the Chancellor, and composed of six other Council members. Decisions require a majority vote, with the Chancellor as a tiebreaker as needed. The current Chancellor is Thelonius Jaha.

For more detail on how the Chancellor and Council interact with and are viewed by the general population, see The Ark Government.

The Guard

The police and defense force of the Ark, the Guard usually only has to deal with finding and arresting criminals, protecting members of the Council, and quashing the occasional civil disturbance. They are a capable police force, but have had no need to serve as a military force since the first Unity Day.

The Delinquents

With resources on the Ark reaching a critical low, a group of 100 juvenile delinquents have been gathered to be sent down to the surface of Earth to see if it is inhabitable. Since they would have been floated anyhow, it is believed that their presumptive sacrifice is worth the possibility that the genetic engineering that protects all Ark inhabitants from solar radiation will also allow them to survive on the irradiated surface of Earth. The 100 were fitted with biometric repeaters so that their health could be monitored, and after they proved that the surface is survivable, an Exodus of Ark inhabitants followed them to Earth.

There are currently 50 survivors of The 100 at Camp Jaha.

Life in the SkyBox

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All of the Delinquents spent some time in the SkyBox before being launched down to Earth, whether it was just overnight or more than a decade. It was not an uncomfortable life, compared to life in one of the lower-caste stations, unless a Delinquent had a problem with authority, confinement, or boredom. If they were young enough, they received lessons to replace their regular schooling. If they were a little older (14ish), they received training for some job on the Ark in case their appeal is granted. It may have been an unglamorous job (janitorial, food service tech, maintenance), but at least it was a promise of a future.

Cells held two Delinquents each, and were single-sex. Each cell had a bunk and a toilet, but not much else. Most Delinquents spent their time in the Common Area at the base of the cells. Board games, TVs, treadmills, and resistance machines were available to the Delinquents there. There were several Guards posted in the Common Area at all times, and fights were broken up quickly. Too much fighting got a Delinquent placed in solitary confinement for a period of time, depending on the severity of the offense and how many times it had happened before.

Visits by family and friends were allowed, but limited. The Delinquent usually was allowed to wear their own clothes within the SkyBox, but most personal belongings were forbidden. A lucky few might have had something to draw or write with, or a book-reader.

The Ark

The Ark was divided up into a variety of stations. The largest of these was the Government and Science Station — or Go-Sci Station. The other stations were Agro/Farm Station (hydroponics), Alpha Station (upper-caste housing), Arrow Station (lower-caste housing), Factory Station (manufacturing), Hydra/Hydro Station (water storage/reclamation), Mecha Station (manufacturing), Prison Station (SkyBox), and Tesla/Power Station (power generation). For more details on each station, including who lived there, check The Ark.

Life on the Ark was arguably simple: you must survive. Some families were more respected than others, and proving yourself useful increased your value and thus increased your status. Guards were highly regarded, as were scientists. Workers and laborers were regarded the least, and often felt oppressed by the guards, scientists, and social elite.

Camp Jaha

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When the Ark fell, much of it was lost in re-entry. There were four surviving stations: Alpha Station, Factory Station, Farm Station, and Hydro Station (Hydro crashed south of Alpha). Camp Jaha is made up primarily from Alpha Station with some bits and pieces salvaged from other wreckage. The camp is located up in the foothills of a small mountain range, and neighbors Lake Arkadia (or Lake Audo to the Trikru).

The Camp — so named for former Chancellor Thelonius Jaha after he sacrificed himself to see them all safely to the ground — is still very much in progress as people are being accounted for, patrols and search parties are out to gather needed supplies, and repairs are being done.

But, it is now the home for the Sky People.

Unity Day

The greatest holiday on the Ark is Unity Day, celebrating the day when the 12 stations joined together to form the Ark. The fate of the 13th station is rarely mentioned, as it was destroyed due to a refusal to join with the other 12.

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