Oasis is the second largest Lunar Federation colony in the Iridescence. It is home to a massive trade port, making it a crucial asset to the Federation’s colonial initiative. Thus, the colony’s security is elaborate, making it one of the safest places on the planet for Federation citizens to migrate—at least, according to the several travel sites Sebastian perused before embarking on his journey downward. He has lived here for a little over a year.
The city is a harmonious combination of luscious greenery and urban architectural eclecticism. The majority of the structures are composed of limestone. Amongst them are shining metal skyscrapers that stand as bright beacons, reflecting the light of the desert sun. Surrounding the city along the slope of the colony wall, there are several white cylindrical towers. Each cylindrical tower is lined with hundreds of intake vents and bears the alchemical symbol for air at the peak of their height.
These are the massive air purifiers that Sebastian admired for their red lights. Each tower efficiently scrubs the air of the desert’s hazardous glass dust. These particles aren’t immediately harmful, but long-term exposure can degrade the lungs. However, thanks to these towers, the air here is completely safe. They even provide a relaxing layer of white noise to the city’s ambiance; gently humming all day and night.
Specular reflections dance along large polygonal UV glass covers that hang above the city streets, protecting the traffic below from the sun’s harsh heat. These covers are spread throughout the city—mandated by the Federation to make Oasis accessible to off-world travelers, who are sensitive to direct sunlight. The sun’s light bounces off building windows and passing ships; its reflections dance along each UV cover’s surface in gentle waves like the Aurora Borealis. Atop the majority of the city’s buildings are luscious green gardens that overflow the rooftops, spilling vines across the façades. These rooftop gardens are where the city gets its name.
It’s a beautiful city and Sebastian is happy to be here. However, he has yet to adjust to this city’s abrasive pace, which has been made even worse by the lockdown. Tadpoles fill the streets, bumper to bumper. They navigate over wide lanes of hexagonal-patterned roads, assembled from thousands of deep blue solar panel tiles. The bustle of foot traffic can barely be contained on the sidewalk, leading pedestrians to dangerously dip into the street. Sebastian waits at the edge of a crosswalk grid that spans the length of a large intersection. A flurry of colors swarms the area as holographic billboards are projected overhead and decaled advertisements swoosh by on passing public transports. Ads for military recruitment, Lunar chain restaurants, a museum exhibit about The Prelude, and promotions for the royal family’s upcoming visit to Earth. The crossing signal gives the waiting crowd the go-ahead.
Colonists of all types walk the streets today. Traders, both local and traveling, peddle their wares and transport goods on robotic quadruped carts. Almost every restaurant in sight is packed with lines winding out the door. Grizzled space truckers and local laborers enjoy a rare moment of levity as the lull in infrastructure has slowed business in every sector. Lunar aristocrats stick out of the crowd with their eccentric, vintage-inspired fashion. Most of them look visibly annoyed, obliviously complaining about how the intense traffic is "ruining this city". Above and throughout the crowd, armored Lunar Vanguard soldiers patrol the streets in squads. The heavy military presence is unnerving. Armored fighter ships float above, guns loaded and ready to blast at a moment’s notice.
A large cargo ship launches out of the spaceport. Its distant rumble shakes the nearby urban sprawl, disrupting countless conversations and internal monologues. Sebastian watches it climb high into the air and through Earth’s atmosphere. Its afterburners roar loudly as it lifts several tons of refined ore and groundwater. Unlike the Moon, the ships here must fight to rise. The quiet process of floating a ship off a Lunar boarding tube is tranquil, but the intensity of an engineered fight against gravity is inspiring. After watching the ship launch, despite the madness surrounding him, Sebastian feels glad that he came out here.
On his few days off work, Sebastian will explore the town and try out one of the local restaurants. There are countless Lunar chains available to eat from, but these are nothing more than nostalgic familiarities to him. Sebastian has recently begun to independently study Post-Impact cuisine. It’s an entirely new world of culinary culture to him.
In his own written words, it’s ‘the Earth’s collective effort to reclaim good eating after the Sunshine Asteroid decimated the planet’s surface six centuries ago. Six centuries of struggle and hunting horribly mutated wildlife has culminated in a cuisine with vast nuance and incredible flavor possibilities.’ As he walks, Sebastian mentally navigates a list of restaurants that he has selected to visit.
Sampling the local food scene is key to his research. He has enjoyed food at the popular spots, but his favorite places are the dives. Sebastian has found that once a restaurant has garnered enough attention from Lunar travelers, the spot is usually bought out and restructured to handle the exposure. It’s often good for the restaurant owners, but in his opinion, this trend is a slightly disturbing process of assimilation. Though, this notion may be pessimism born from his years of involvement in the industry.
As a result, Sebastian has to pick his visits carefully. Though, it’s easy to avoid popular spots based on the length of the line. He finds the holes-in-the-wall. The little spots. These places are where true research can happen because these places are the most authentic. It’s good eating. But it’s all productive, of course. This hobby has been good for him. Getting out of the apartment, rediscovering his passion—it’s been a good distraction from everything else. He archives all his experiences and research in his journal, which he hopes to publish someday. Maybe that will alleviate him from his financial struggles.
Sebastian’s intended destination is an izakaya called Kintsugi in the government district. He has to take the Ore to get there. However, before he can get to the station, he can feel his phone begin to ring. Caught up in the buzz of the city, Sebastian is eager to know who’s calling. Is it Berkeley again? Or maybe Delphine wants to meet up today? Could it be his parents? What if it’s Anisa? He excitedly takes his phone out of his pocket. However, his heart sinks as soon as he sees the screen.
It’s Chef Polard.