I'm not sure if it should go in the Places in Fenspace listing or Faction info, probably the first with a link from the second, but the notional home of
the Gearheads is Marsbase Sara, named for and styled after the version that appears in original Macross. It's the only place other than the Gnarlycurl
itself (and hence the only fixed location) where you can get things 'waved with the Seibertron type strain, doing which with structural members to provide
reliable spaceframes with the narrow pylons favored by the Trekkies being one of the settlement's biggest moneymakers. It's also pretty much the place
to go if you want robot pilots... and definately not the place to go if you have ideas of stealing one, especially after Crystal Osaka, the UN Spacy Mars
Force/ZION Mobile Infantry/Brave Knights (depending on who is ATC that day, mainly, subfaction rivalries are not generally strong enough to split the actual
response force) respond very quickly and noteably poorly to joyriders, let alone more serious criminals.
Tourists and paying customers in general are a different matter of course, and there are several pilots from various fandoms who give lessons and a
(stylized and ceremonial, for the most part) Upright Mode Special Vehicle Pilot liscencing process - essentially just a proficiency test driving one without
destroying the surroundings like Hikaru when he first hit the Battroid lever in his VF-1D during the attack on Macross Island. Owning your own mecha is
essentially an automatic pass unless you truly suck, but it makes a nice souvenir and there's a frameable certififcate as well as the laminated card, and
most places in Fenspace that ask for ID at all without requiring their own will accept one.
Aside from the mecha and piloting lessons, there are the usual complement of eateries and tourist ferries to the Pyramids and Great Face, and a nearby
outcrop features a 'mysterious fist imprint' in the solid stone. More honest tour guides will admit that it's known to have been made by Wave
Convoy, rather than being a pre-existing feature to be held up as evidence for still-hidden natives, at least after getting a few oohs and ahs.
One noteable restaurant is The White Dragon, serving good food at fairly reasonable prices in a Traditional Chinese themed atmosphere. It is located on the
surface level of the just completed transparent carbon dome added to expand the habitable area, giving a pleasantly park-like feel, not to mention a supply of
fresh produce once the farms start producing.
Another is Excelion's High Test Pit Stop, which actually caters to machine or partly machine (ie borged) clientele, though it's a viable place to
top up your fuel tank if you're just a squishie pilot too. Vaguely like the 'cafe' where the android girl I can't think of the name of works in
Gunbuster II: Daibuster ep 1.
Oh, physical layout - the original is a bunker-style building with a big bay door that leads down a ramp to the underground mecha bay, with five
high-but-not-THAT-high cielinged levels in the center of the wide spiral ramp, numbered from the top down. The new expansion dome only has the surface and one
sublevel complete, and those have an -EX added to the level number. See the Fodor's thread listing for more on the restaurants mentioned.
- CD
- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
the Gearheads is Marsbase Sara, named for and styled after the version that appears in original Macross. It's the only place other than the Gnarlycurl
itself (and hence the only fixed location) where you can get things 'waved with the Seibertron type strain, doing which with structural members to provide
reliable spaceframes with the narrow pylons favored by the Trekkies being one of the settlement's biggest moneymakers. It's also pretty much the place
to go if you want robot pilots... and definately not the place to go if you have ideas of stealing one, especially after Crystal Osaka, the UN Spacy Mars
Force/ZION Mobile Infantry/Brave Knights (depending on who is ATC that day, mainly, subfaction rivalries are not generally strong enough to split the actual
response force) respond very quickly and noteably poorly to joyriders, let alone more serious criminals.
Tourists and paying customers in general are a different matter of course, and there are several pilots from various fandoms who give lessons and a
(stylized and ceremonial, for the most part) Upright Mode Special Vehicle Pilot liscencing process - essentially just a proficiency test driving one without
destroying the surroundings like Hikaru when he first hit the Battroid lever in his VF-1D during the attack on Macross Island. Owning your own mecha is
essentially an automatic pass unless you truly suck, but it makes a nice souvenir and there's a frameable certififcate as well as the laminated card, and
most places in Fenspace that ask for ID at all without requiring their own will accept one.
Aside from the mecha and piloting lessons, there are the usual complement of eateries and tourist ferries to the Pyramids and Great Face, and a nearby
outcrop features a 'mysterious fist imprint' in the solid stone. More honest tour guides will admit that it's known to have been made by Wave
Convoy, rather than being a pre-existing feature to be held up as evidence for still-hidden natives, at least after getting a few oohs and ahs.
One noteable restaurant is The White Dragon, serving good food at fairly reasonable prices in a Traditional Chinese themed atmosphere. It is located on the
surface level of the just completed transparent carbon dome added to expand the habitable area, giving a pleasantly park-like feel, not to mention a supply of
fresh produce once the farms start producing.
Another is Excelion's High Test Pit Stop, which actually caters to machine or partly machine (ie borged) clientele, though it's a viable place to
top up your fuel tank if you're just a squishie pilot too. Vaguely like the 'cafe' where the android girl I can't think of the name of works in
Gunbuster II: Daibuster ep 1.
Oh, physical layout - the original is a bunker-style building with a big bay door that leads down a ramp to the underground mecha bay, with five
high-but-not-THAT-high cielinged levels in the center of the wide spiral ramp, numbered from the top down. The new expansion dome only has the surface and one
sublevel complete, and those have an -EX added to the level number. See the Fodor's thread listing for more on the restaurants mentioned.
- CD
- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
