Katzgate

[astronelson 339]

Prelude

The Geographical History of Katzgate.

Several million years ago, two tectonic plates, drifting slowly along a transverse plate boundary, jarred. There was no-one around to see this, of course, Homo Sapiens had not yet even reached the stage of Homo Erectus, and, in any case, it was in the middle of the ocean. The result was a small island, forced up by the plates buckling under the stress. Eventually, something had to give. A few moments later (geologically speaking), the plates lurched past one another, leaving a network of fault lines throughout the region. The region remained geologically active for another few dozen millenia, with frequent earthquakes, some fault lines widening, and a couple of small volcanoes. Eventually, however, the area settled down, and erosion worked upon the softer rocks, leaving behind:

a granite moutain range,

which wound its way through the island;

a channel where an expanding fault line once lay;

and a pair of lakes where the volcanoes used to be.

Trees sprung up on the island, from seeds carried on the wind from far and wide, and fertilized by the nutritious volcanic soil. It remained uninhabited throughout human history: the rise and fall of the Roman Empire; the Dark Ages; the Rennaisance; the colonial expansion of Europe; both World Wars, and the moon landing all passed by. No-one had come. A decade or so into the start of the 21st century, however, that was all to change...

[Keegan V50 15]

great start here my friend,very nice region view there,cant wait to see towns and homes cover up those empty lands!!

all the best

victor

[88fordwayne 19]

Very great start!... i'm lovin that region view!

[jacqulina 162]

great start and intro my friend,nice region too.

[pickled_pig 7]

Now, what will happen once homo sapien arrives onto that fair plot of land? The flat terrain is excellent for city-building, and I'll be awaiting to see how it inspires you to build some cities.

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Cool! I am eager to see where this leads.

[Djohaal 121]

Pretty nice choice of terrain, it'll be interesting to see how it develops...

[Chptrk 86]

No-one had come. A decade or so into the start of the 21st century, however, that was all to change...

quote>

Forshadowing! Anyway, can't wait to see whats next!

[Zelgadis 638]

Oh dear. A CJ by Astronelson. Is the end of the world nigh?

ISF

[astronelson 339]

Chapter 1

Cygnet's Landing

Alexis Marfan's cabin, the Cygnet, the middle of the ocean.

Alexis leaned back in her chair. They had been at sea almost two weeks now, and it was almost at an end. Their voyage had almost finished. Their work, however, had just begun. There was a knock at the door.

Alexis: Enter!

It was Steve Price, the navigator and chief helmsman.

Steve: "O captain, my captain! Our fearful trip is done".

Alexis: Quoting Walt Whitman again, Steve?

Alexis grinned. Quoting apt pieces of poetry was a habit of Steve's. Annoying at times, but nevertheless entertaining.

Alexis: "O captain My captain" is hardly appropriate. I am, after all, still alive. It is good to hear that we have arrived, though.

Steve: Are you going to come up to the bridge?

Alexis: Yes, I'll come up. Has Sparky readied the landing bosts?

Steve: It's Sparky. Do you really think she would have left a job undone?

Alexis chuckled. Sparky was the ship's mechanic. She could have readied the boats in her sleep.

Alexis: No. Now, to the bridge?

Steve: To the bridge.

The bridge, the Cygnet, approaching the coast of Katzgate.

Alexis looked out the bridge window. About 2 kilometres away was the shore. Their goal was in sight.

Steve: Engines half reverse... slowing her down... 1500 metres to the shore... depth 400 metres... speed 15 knots.

Seconds passed.

Steve: 1200 metres to the shore... depth 320 metres... speed 10 knots.

More seconds ticked by.

Steve: 800 metres... depth 260... speed 5 knots.

Alexis could sense the tension in the air. If Steve had set the reversing speed too low, they would crash into the island, and that would be a right mess.

Steve: 300 metres... depth 100... speed 3... 2... 1... engines full stop... speed 0 knots... anchors aweigh!

There was a faint shudder as the anchor dropped off the side of the ship. Alexis and Steve both let out a sigh of relief.

Alexis: Good work, Steve. Shall we go to the boats?

Steve: Do lets.

Landing boat bay, the Cygnet, anchored off the shore of Katzgate.

Sparky: Captain Alexis! Steve!

Alexis and Steve in unison: Hi, Sparky.

Alexis: Are the boats ready?

Sparky: As ready as they'll ever be.

Alexis: Good. Let's go.

The beach, south-west corner of the island, Katzgate.

Alexis: I, Alexis Marfan, do hereby proclaim, that on this day, the 5th of August, 2009...

Steve: Oh, get on with it.

Alexis: ... that the town of Cygnet's Landing is established and that the island of Katzgate becomes an Australian territory, and I'm sorry Steve, I'm legally required to do this.

The passengers of the Cygnet, now citizens of Cygnet's Landing, cheered. Steve cleared his throat.

Steve: I, Steve Price, do hereby nominate Alexis Marfan for the position of Mayor of Cygnet's Landing.

Sparky: I, Jessica "Sparky" Roberts, second that nomination, and put it to a vote. All in favour, say aye.

The crowd responded unanimously in the affirmative.

Steve: The motion passes! Congratulations, Mayor Marfan.

Alexis: .... Okay. Thanks. First things first, we will need accommodation, farms, manufacturing facilities, and stores.

The citizenry applauded, and got to work.

First, a pontoon was built for ease of access to and from the ship. A few houses were built, some farms were planted, and a small solar array erected to provide electricity.

Soon, more houses were built, more farms seeded, and the first factories were constructed.

More houses sprang up on the north of the town. For some unknown reason, the water and rocks changed colour during construction.

The factory area expanded, more homes were built, and a small area to the north-east became a shopping district.

Finally, a proper pier was constructed for easier access to and from the ship.

The island is uninhabited no more.

Replies:

Victor Valdez: Thank you. I can't guarantee the entire island will be filled, but I'll do what I'll do.

88fordwayne: Thank you.

jacqulina: Thank you.

pickled_pig: What will happen? Wait and see...

Schulmanator: It shall lead on, for one thing. Your eagerness is heartening.

Djohaal: Thank you. It shall be interesting. I hope.

chptrk: Well, I can't leave it uninhabited, now, can I?

Zelgadis: Erm... thanks. I think.

Final Note: All repliers have had streets named after them, except Zelgadis. In homage to his obsession with such, the bridge is named after him.

[Zelgadis 638]

I get a bridge! Yay!

So... Cygnet.. I know I've heard that name somewhere before... Big question is, where did they come from? Why are they going there? Or am I supposed to not give a damn and just enjoy the story. (Hee hee. I split an infinitive. How naughty I am. )

Ah, and the good news is, nobody will ever accuse you of plagiarizing your avatars.

ISF

[Chptrk 86]

Nice update! Nice avatars! Nice everything! And I get a street named after me? Thats so nice! Now, how to repay you?

[Follarch 326]

I'm always one for a good story!

Time for the developments to start full throttle!

[jacqulina 162]

great progress so far my friend

[Keegan V50 15]

Looks great!!,love the street curves and the farms!!

all the best

vv

[astronelson 339]

Zelgadis: First, a cygnet is a baby swan. Second, as the island is now a territory of Australia, I would think the question of where they came from is already answered. Third, not splitting infinitives comes from Latin, in which, as the infinitive was just one word instead of two, it was impossible to split them. Now, while it is possible to consistently avoid splitting infinitives, sometimes readability is improved through splitting them. You also started a sentence with a conjunction. Fourth, no, no-one could ever prove anything about avatar plagiarization.

Chptrk: Thank you. Repayment is not necessary.

Archean: Hopefully, the story will be good. I'm just winging it during the early stages of development, and will actually try to develop a plot when I have more time. And, regarding developments, you ask, and shall recieve. Although 'full throttle' may depend on personal opinion. Heh heh heh... I also started a sentence with a conjunction. Even naughtier than splitting infinitives.

Jacqulina: Thank you for your encouraging comment.

Victor Valdez: Thank you. Street curves are a pain to make, but they do make it pretty.

Chapter 2

Why are we here?

Alexis: Ah, you're here. Hello. We return to Cygnet's Landing now for two main reasons. First, to explain why we are here on Katzgate, which we shall get to eventually, and second, it's the only town on the island. Although that doesn't seem to stop it having a rail system... anyway, odd rail system aside, Cygnet's Landing has seen some rather good growth recently. The industrial sector has started producing more goods than the residents actually need, so, a small seaport was constructed on the west coast. The seaport also handles all the household waste produced. We could hardly spoil this pristine wilderness with our trash, now, could we?

Alexis: With a growing town comes growing need for goods. And while we could have had a spread-out town, with malls stretching as far as the eye could see, a centralised location was chosen, both for more convenience, and because I said so. I give you the growing downtown.

Alexis: And what better way to satisfy your hunger after all that shopping than to dine at one of our two McDonalds? It might seem odd to have two, but there were two applications filed, and two were built. McDonalds representatives have been in contact with my office, and one of them will be knocked down. If memory serves me correctly, and it has for rather a lot longer than you might think, it was the one on the left. Although I could be wrong... I was wrong about William IV, I reckoned he would rule for at least 15 years. Died after seven, though. Pity about that. Lost a fiver on that one...

Alexis: And now we come to the reason for our colonisation of the island of Katzgate: the Radio Telescope. This is just a temporary location until we can extend a road out to the mountains. Our mission, and thus the reason for this telescope, is officially to search for, and study, supernovae. Unofficially, however... well, I can't tell you that just yet. Once the new telescope is built, this one have the task of providing telephone and internet service to the population. Until then, the alien-seeking mission must remain secret... oh, [expletive].

Alexis: I may as well just tell you. Our mission is to search for any signs of life in a region of the galaxy thought most likely to harbour it. If there is intelligent life out there, and it is broadcasting radio signals, we should be able to detect them. Now, you might be thinking, why Katzgate? Well, being in the middle of the ocean, away from all flight paths, we are free from any radio interference. There was also the reason that it was one of the only islands on Earth that hadn't had anyone set foot on it. Rather interestingly, there is absolutely no animal life. We're still investigating why that is. There should at least be some birds and insects... oh, you have to go? OK, I'll see you next time. Before you leave, an update on population and various city statistics.

[Follarch 326]

Update two and already searching for extra-terrestrials. Good for you!

If you want to find them quick, just ask Follomer. Nice continuation, when I first saw the town, I thought "Great work!". Seriously, i did!

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

What ho!

How did I miss this little anti-gridorial gem?

Zelgadis gets a bridge?   What do I get?  Huh huh huh?

(Seriously matety, I am really liking your road layout..)

[Chptrk 86]

Well thats a lot of curved streets there, I didn't know it was possible. But I guess it is and you made them look so awesome! Just one small request: if anything gets too sciency, please explain in English for me, okay? Can't wait for more!

[LycanFhang 0]

Nice CJ so far ^^ I really like the region.

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Color me intrigued.... quite interesting this one is turning out.

[Korot 6]

So the SETI project is setting up a new telescope? Nice start though, I however wonder why there are no birds, perhaps the plants growing there are poisoned?

Regards,

Korot

[Fissure 0]

Originally posted by: abcvs

What ho!

How did I miss this little anti-gridorial gem?

Zelgadis gets a bridge?   What do I get?  Huh huh huh?

(Seriously matety, I am really liking your road layout..)

quote>

I bet something is coming for you...

(I'd like a rail line lol , if you can)

Anywho, great pictures and storyline. Hella lot better than mine.

EDIT 1: Hurrah for 10 Posts, am I right?

EDIT 2: *opens mouth* Me want McDonalds!

[Zelgadis 638]

Well, if you set your receiver to sub-space bands, then you might pic up some Carpathian activity. Otherwise, no go. We don't use radio signals anymore.

If it's abcvs who needs something named after him, how about the garbage barge?

Might as well keep both McD's. Seems like there aren't any other fast food places in the area. Unless you've got a permit app for a Wendy's out there or something. Or a Coco Ichiban. Now there's a fast food place I'd love to import!

ISF

[Aldender 15]

Nice story!

[astronelson 339]

Archean: I might just ask Follomer for a little assistance later. And thanks, I've had a bit of practice making towns. None of the previous ones have been CJ quality, though.
Abcvs: You'll see what you get.
Chptrk: It is possible, with rather a lot of elbow grease or the diagonal street helper pieces. And OK, sciency stuff in english. Got it.
LycanFhang: Thank you, and welcome to Simtropolis.
Schulmanator: Intrigued? I don't seem to have that colour in my pencil box... just these lead ones . Thank you.
Korot: Yes, SETI has a new telescope. And as for the birds and animals, well, there's a rather banal reason for that which shall come in an update sometime.
Fissure: Sure, but I don't have a railway sign up. It will be mentioned, though.
Zelgadis: We'll find Carpathian stuff later, as it's slightly too early right now. Around a century before NCCP 1, in fact. Although, there is at least one character who will still be alive then... if, of course, I fast-forward time for a while.
Aldender: Thank you.

Chapter 3
Golf Confessions.

Today: Cygnet's Landing.
City Population: 14705
Weather Forecast: Min. 17C, Max. 28C.
Average number of bicycles per capita: 0.56

Alexis: Once again, we are here in Cygnet's Landing. The town has expanded rather a lot now, as we can see in this aerial shot.


Alexis: Electricity demands had increased with the population growth, so a Geothermal Power Plant was constructed to take advantage of the rather thin crust.


Alexis: Rather annoyingly, both the McDonalds have been knocked down. However, the problem was tracked down to a typo in a copy of the destruction order given to the demolition crews, so McDonalds representatives have asked for another plot of land to build on. We granted this, but removed their monopoly by allowing Chick-Fil-A to build their own store just down the road.


Alexis: Some of the buildings and businesses, as well as the bus and rail systems, have been named after a few interested parties. The said businesses and buildings have erected signs to illustrate the fact.








Alexis: Visible in this last picture is Katzgate General Businesses, currently a rather small corporation when compared with companies such as Microsoft and Coca-Cola, but still the largest company to have come out of Katzgate. It currently has 3 subsidiary businesses: Katzgate General Enjoyment, Ford Wayne Bus Lanes, and Fissure Railways.
On another topic, with the growing population has come demand for a Golf Course. We, that is, the City Council and I, agreed. Here it is:


Alexis: And it is here on this golf course that we are today. Hole four, in fact.


Steve: Alexis, if you wouldn't mind, we would like to play golf. Not stand around while you monologue. Now, could you please tee up?
Alexis: Fine, fine. Don't rush me.

Alexis stepped up to the tee. Hole 4 was a short dogleg left, par 4. A 5-iron would suffice for the first shot. Alexis teed up her ball, looked down the fairway, and swung. The ball flew down the fairway, with just a hint of a draw, coming to rest just short of the rough. Steve gave a low whistle.

Steve: Good shot, Alexis. Sparky, your go.

Sparky picked up her 6-iron and gave the ball a solid whack. A slight fade put the ball into the second bunker on the left.

Alexis: Bad luck, Sparky. Steve, your shot.

Steve chose a 4-iron. Aiming down the left-hand side, he carried the water and landed next to the tree near the green.

Sparky: Nice shot, Steve!

Getting their bags, the trio walked down the fairway towards Sparky's ball.

Steve: Something's been bugging me for a while. Although we've been friends for a long time, we know almost nothing about each other. We don't even know each other's birthdays.
Sparky: Well, I was born on the 12th of May, 1974.
Steve: 7th September, 1981 for me. Alexis, what about you?

Alexis, to this point, had looked slightly worried. Now she was somewhat distressed.

Alexis: Well, I was born on the 13th of November.
Steve: What year?
Alexis: You wouldn't believe me if I told you how old I am.
Sparky: Sure we would.
Alexis: Can't I just say I'm rather a lot older than Iook?
Sparky: What, were you born in the '50s?
Alexis: No, quite a lot earlier than that.
Steve: '30s?
Alexis: Earlier...
Sparky: '20s?
Alexis: No... don't you remember, last week, I said I lost a fiver on how long William IV would reign for?
Steve: Yes...
Alexis: Well, William IV died in 1837.
Sparky: 1837... That would make you over 170 years old!
Steve: That is rather hard to believe. Although, I've never known you to lie.
Alexis: Nevertheless, I am older than 170.
Sparky: So, how old are you?

Alexis paused. No-one had asked her her age in a long time. She knew what year she was born, but she had to convert through several different calendars to figure out how old she was.

Alexis: About... no, exactly 14,217 years old.

To be continued...

[Zelgadis 638]

Hmmm... Alexis is slightly aged, isn't she? Who makes her skin care products? I simply must know!

Nice golf course! Though I hardly guessed you to be the golfing type.

I like the long diagonal road. It kind of makes itself a landmark the way it cuts through the map like that. I like that kind of arrangement. It makes a very good point of reference.

ISF

[jacqulina 162]

wonderfull work my friend growth is fantastic

[Chptrk 86]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLDY! Sorry, I couldn't resist. No hard feelings Alexis? Cities are really growing great, I just hope you have more then one hospital, because, for some reason, I just wouldn't feel to comfortable in Abcvs's Clinic.

[Korot 6]

Hey, I got a college named after me, how thoughtful. As to Alexis age, that means that see was born in the last ice age, around the time the Bering Straight was above sea level, which I guess is part of the story (Alexis being one of the first humans to settle in North America). I wonder why no-one ever wondered about her age.

Regards,

Korot