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@kodaiphoto recreates Christian Dior S/S 2000 by Nick Knight for METAL 37. Styled by @sh0tar0y Starring @_n_a_t_s_u_m_i_ Hair by @bb0127 Make up by @rieshiraishi1220 #remakethepast #rethinkthepresent #metal37 #metalmagazine http://ift.tt/2pdegGt

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by Chris Kesler via Concept Art World

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Paris Smart City 2050

Architect: Vincent Callebaut

Location/Year: Paris, France /  2050

Source: Les Lumières de la Ville

The Gasoline Station is a proud partner of the Minuscule community network.

Artists + Bloggers + Sponsors = Stronger Together

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ArtStation - Cyborg Skull, by Nikolay Razuev

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“𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝒸𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓀 𝓉𝑜 𝓇𝑒𝓂𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝒷𝓊𝒹 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓀 𝒾𝓉 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓈𝑜𝓂.”

- Anaïs Nin

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—– Oben, 45 (fc. Mike Colter)

As the only child of the late great Dr. Carissa Oben, it’s surprising to most people that instead of following in his mother’s rather large footsteps, he instead went into a career in the military (which isn’t all that uncommon with the Homo Sapien Apicem). And despite owning a whopping 15% of his mother’s company, Oben is more or less uninterested in running it. Instead, as a commandant in the Ancile private military and a happily wed man with two children, Oben spends his time planning troop movements and raising his family. 

—– Moon, 42 (fc. Daniel Henney)

A native of France by way of South Korea, Moon is a world renown economist and vocal supporter of the One Voice political movement. After meeting his future husband in Paris, he relocated to the US after getting his Ph.D., where he became a Princeton fellow. Before moving to Saltaire with his family,  Moon was a professor at Harvard. He is now the inaugural Department Chair of Economics for Saint-Hilaire University, as well as one of Gov. Shirazi’s top counselor’s. Moon greatly influences Saltaire’s economic policies as a result. 

Jessime Iseul Oben-Moon, 17 (fc. Han Hyun Min)

As he is today, Jess would not have existed without Ulex’s contributions to the field of genetics. A product of human engineering, he has no ‘mother’ and has two genetic fathers instead. By transforming stem cells harvested from Oben, 45 into an egg, inseminating it, and gestating the resulting zygote in an artificial uterine chamber, Jess was ‘hatched’. A changling, Jess grew up at Cavender (the original campus) before moving to Saltaire. 

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𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚂𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳 𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙰

Earth is currently experiencing extreme flux, with entire populations migrating in every direction. Governments are straining to the point of collapse, borders are meaningless, and climate refugees search in vain for more bountiful and forgiving lands. This level of global upheaval has culminated in a level of chaos which allows outlaws to thrive, resulting in a level of piracy that has not been seen since the 1700s.

For the most, these pirates are ragtag groups of desperate delinquents who are only a threat to the poor and displaced. So while they prey on the disadvantaged migrants, taking what very little they have, most pirates with any sense know better than to go after anyone with any real wealth or power. There are some groups, emboldened by the general chaos and crippled militaries of the world, who grow ambitious enough to defy this unspoken rule. Chief among these piratical factions is Hanging Sword.

One can never know the way in which war can change the direction of history. Gunnery Sergeant Vasco Sevilla might have had an illustrious and well-respected military career, for example, had he not been ambushed by Chechen combatants during an off the book's mission. But ambushed he was, and captured as a result. Consequently, this seemingly typical skirmish led to the formation of the deadliest outlaw group operating in international waters, however, because GySgt Sevilla was an HSA operative for a country who, on the record, promised never to deploy genetically modified soldiers. The scramble to both cover up the deceit and prevent America's enemies from learning from a live HSA body was exceedingly sloppy, and it was decided that an airstrike was the simplest solution for their problem.

Platoon Commander Fitzgerald disagreed.

Disobeying orders, 2ndLt Fitzgerald broke ranks and launched the same rescue mission that was deemed too risky by his superiors, and though he rescued his men, the effort gave the word of America’s duplicity a chance to spread; leading to a global incident that resulted in a Hague Convention amendment. Because of this, 2ndLT Cordero was court-martialed and dishonorably discharged from service, despite a bheretofore exemplary record. Betrayed by their government, the platoon of highly trained marines - many of them genetically altered - stayed loyal to their Platoon Commander and went AWOL shortly thereafter.

Presently, this former group of disenfranchised marines makes up the core of Hanging Sword, though their ranks have since expanded. And, because of their extensive training and abilities, they have enjoyed a great deal more success than the average band of pirates. Greater success equals bigger scores, and bigger scores mean more resources, which has led to a level of self-sufficiency not achieved by more independent settlements. More recently, Hanging Sword has settled in Puerto Rico, which has largely been destabilized when Congress abruptly granted its independence, and the vast majority of its citizenry left the island as climate refugees. But the country has benefited from the pirate activity on its shores and Hanging Sword’s influence continues to grow as a result.

Word now spreads that Puerto Rico will take in anyone capable of useful work in exchange for protection and food, particularly those who are handy with a computer.

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Constantin Brancusi - The Sleeping Muse

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✵ ℂ ℍ ℝ 𝕐 𝕊 𝔸 𝕃 𝕀 𝕊 ✵

A broken bottle of champagne, an opulent expense now that French vineyards have withered into dust, has christened a new mobile territory, signaling a new area of American expansionism. With the world watching, the floating city, a modern marvel of human genius, embarked upon its first diplomatic mission to the new settlement of West Antarctica, carrying with it nearly 200,000 of the most unique and talented minds on the planet. But even as the commonwealth and her citizens aim to change a dying world for the better, there are those who oppose everything she stands for…

And then there are some who will stop at nothing to watch her sink to the bottom of the ocean.Welcome, to the 𝒞𝑜𝓂𝓂𝑜𝓃𝓌𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓉𝒽 𝑜𝒻 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒜𝓇𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓅𝑒𝓁𝒶𝑔𝑜.

STAFF SEARCH // #TRACK // FOLLOW // UPDATES

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NAME: John

AGE: 27

TIMEZONE: EST

INTERESTS: Reading, writing, playing video games, eating, cooking, petting puppies, butts

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Control over time. For napping purposes obv.

GIF:

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“𝒲𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝓊𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒷𝑒 𝒿𝓊𝓂𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝒻𝒻 𝒸𝓁𝒾𝒻𝒻𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒹𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓁𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓃.”

 - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

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Update!

We’re edging closer to our ‘first week of June’ soft release, and soon we will be releasing skin/plot sneak peeks! At the moment we have nearly fifty of you guys following, and Watcher and I are happy to have you! Please feel free to introduce yourselves, ask questions, post your playlists and collages in the tags, and help yourself to a piece of pie! We can’t wait to meet and start creating worlds with you all!

Josh

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Welcome to 𝓢𝓪𝓵𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓻𝒆, 

Seen by industrialists as the preeminent vision for the ecotechnic utopia, the Commonwealth of Saltaire Archipelago is the newly minted city-state currently floating off the coast of Massachusetts. In a contract with the overtaxed and desperate American government, TrueStar Industries (an engineering research and development division of the Ulex Conglomerate) was tapped to solve the major issues plaguing the United States: alleviate the strain on overcrowded cities, raise the general quality of life experienced by the average citizen, and help reverse the damage to the earth caused by climate change and social turmoil. TrueStar pitched many ideas, but the most expedient involved utilizing the vast, blue and largely unused space covering seventy percent of the globe.

Thus, the Offshore Settlement Initiative (known more fondly by those involved as Operation Lilypad), a project aiming to make net positive living spaces atop the Atlantic Ocean, was founded. In the tumultuous era of the 22nd century, self-sufficiency, sustainability, and social responsibility is of the utmost importance, and as such, every inch of the ‘ships’ themselves are packed with the best organization and engineering humanity has to offer. As upheaval and uncertainty lay heavy upon all world citizens, Saltaire was designed to introduce safety, security, and comfort back into a culture riddled with catastrophe. As such, Saltaire is a decidedly optimistic beacon for the future of humankind.

To that end, the buoyant colony enjoys many amenities that are usually available to only the wealthiest land dwellers. In addition to a continuous supply of food provided by the Euryale Island and freshwater desalinated and filtered from the ocean, various facilities are available including virtual reality suites optimized for Esper link-ups, state-of-the-art android servants/companions, crystal clear saltwater swimming pools, landing pads for anti-grav vehicles and much more. But most importantly, the islands are covered in green arboretums, lush gardens, and the Euryale Island is used exclusively for plants and insect agriculture. Thanks to Ulex technology, many rare plant species are being preserved on The Commonwealth while other extinct plants (like cocoa and coffea plants) have been successfully revived, and Saltaire citizens are the first to enjoy their reintroduction to the world as a result.

Above all the luxe trappings, however, the archipelago serves a purpose greater even than providing safety and comfort to the masses, for its main function lay in reversing the damage wreaked by industrialization.Coastlines are caked with garbage, the acidity in the ocean is killing marine life at a shocking pace, and the air we breath is clogged with harmful pollutants. To combat this, the archipelago itself acts as a massive powerful filter, removing and recycling chemicals and trash, and restoring the ocean’s natural pH as it roams the expansive waters. Meanwhile it’s robust gardens, arboretums and fields work alongside cutting edge carbon sequestration systems that scrub the air clean of pollution. Though a single island is hardly enough to overcome centuries of damage, progress toward healing the planet will gain momentum as more offshore settlements set sail.

As an archipelago, Saltaire is actually a chain of “small” districts (or isles) comprising the first of what will become several modules. With a diameter of around 3000m, each pad has a 1000m tall central tower that houses the majority of the population and provides its necessities. On the oceanfront, the vast and open area surrounding the tower, there are low-rise townhouses that provide more living space, as well as businesses and government buildings. Comprising the outermost rim, however,  pristine beaches spread out before the eyes and meet with the water. Overall, the oceanfront is a versatile space and how it’s used reflects the norms and lifestyle of each island; a cultural nexus meant to be shared and enjoyed equally by all. Thus far, Saltaire is comprised of three islands:

Victoria (p. 40,000)  - As headquarters to U.G.C., many of its subsidiaries and global partners such as TrueStar and Lorica, Victoria Island is the financial center of the commonwealth, and the driving source of GDP. Tech and software, as a result, is Saltaire’s top export. Because of this and Ulex’s pervasive impact, Victoria is a major influence upon Saltaire’s culture. It is a constantly buzzing hive of activity and energy, a place where some of the best modern minds congregate and work toward a common goal. In Victoria’s case, its oceanfront is mostly for docking/landing pads, storage, and lab space. Acting as the financial hub of the commonwealth, it also sees the most foreign traffic in and out of the island. As a whole, the aesthetic is meant to be free of distraction and therefore leans toward minimal and utilitarian design. Thusly, there aren’t many families/children in this district, and those living on Victoria tend to be individuals recruited worldwide for their talent and vision in technology. 

Euryale (p. 125,000)  - As the most populated district, Euryale makes up the core of Saltaire’s government, and is the most diverse island in terms of function. Again, anyone allowed to immigrate to Saltaire was vetted - extensively - and serves a purpose. For the experiment to work, after all, everyone is required to do their part in advancing society. Nevertheless, people living on Euryale Island have more room to be simple citizens, to grow and figure out what it means to be a Salenite. As such, the people living here are going to be small business owners, technicians, scholars, servicemen/women, local government employees, teachers, medical professionals, students, families, artists, etc. In short, the common majority. While each tower contains everything a person might need, staying indoors is detrimental to human health. As a result, Euryale’s large oceanfront is a compact metropolitan area stocked with entertainment and culture venues such as restaurants, capitol offices, theatres, museums, libraries, clubs, and even a small arena for major events. Presently, many of these areas have to be shared do to the lack of space, so your favorite Italian place might sell Pad Thai on the weekends. But as the archipelago grows, the strain on Euryale’s facilities will lessen. Euryale Remoras - Unlike the Victoria and Padma Islands, Euryale also has a pair of towerless annex cells called Remoras. A last addition, these cells are each about a third the size of Euryale Island and hold the Oben University (p 1,684) and Cavender School (p. 523) campuses respectively. 

Padma (p. 10,000) - While Saltaire plans on using trade to supplement and diversify its food stores, it must first be self reliant. With the largest surface area of the three islands, Padma acts as the breadbasket for Saltaire. At the center of Padma Island is the hydroponicum, the large tower’s main function is vertical farming, but shares space with the agricultural labs. And though each district tower has its own hydroponics bays, Padma does the majority of the heavy lifting when it comes to farming and feeding Saltaire. It is also used as the proving ground for the revived plant and insect life coming out of the Flora/Fauna Genome Catalog.

Ancile Security HQ Garrison (3,400) - Despite the optimism for the future Saltaire is meant to represent, there is a substantial subsection of society that wishes to see the project burn. As a result, protection for Salenites is one of the leadership’s highest priorities. Unfortunately for the US government, whose resources are not what it used to be, the military simply does not have the manpower to effectively protect Saltaire. That, consequently, is where the Ancile Security Firm fills in the gaps. Using a Howard-class aircraft carrier as the firm’s HQ, Ancile has a fleet of warships and submarines that circle Saltaire as a barrier for those that would do it harm. HQ is the home of most of the firm’s highly trained mercenaries, and also the location of the Base Exchange, where Salenite small business owners can sell their goods and interact with soldiers. Civilians also provide medical/custodial work as well. While the 1st Expeditionary Cohort remains based in HQ to protect Saltaire, the archipelago is actually HQ for the entire firm as well, and the majority of Ancile soldiers come in and out of the carrier as a resul, leaving the islands when they are deployed elsewhere.

As a whole, Saltaire represents the good and ingenuity humanity can achieve despite circumstance. But to many on the outside, it is easy to view Saltaire as another way for the powerful to hoard resources for themselves while others suffer. To them, Saltaire is just an experiment in gluttony, and another way for the elite to deny the grimmer realities faced by everyday people. And for those with dark intentions, Saltaire is a target for retribution. The world has yet to see which version of Saltaire’s future will come to pass, but whatever the outcome, it will surely be forever changed.