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In 2063 the Ikebara Consortium, an international conglomerate of investors and visionaries, announced plans to construct the Ikebara Tower Arcology, a theoretical mega structure intended as "the next step in human civilization". The Ikebara Consortium visualized the replacement of cities with arcologies, freeing up land for farming and natural preserves. Though utopian, their vision seems attainable for the first time in human history. The mega structure, designed to stand nearly two miles high, is immediately scoffed at. Ikebara scientists unveil their new materials and techniques, purported to be strong and light enough to make such a structure thinkable. Their techniques make use of cutting-edge developments in ceramics and nanotechnology, as well as newly developed engineering theories. The tower is intended to serve as a vertical city, houses upwards of 500,000 people, as well as factories and businesses. The city would get all of its power through a combination of solar panels, wind turbines, and a massive geothermal tap which doubles as an anchor. Industrial needs would be met by modular fusion reactors placed as needed. The tower, standing over 10,000 feet high, would be stabilized by massive flywheels and computers, and would have AI driven emergency and police services. In theory, the entire system, though unimaginable in its complexity, would be dynamic and intelligent in response to changing conditions. Finally, the tower would be so strong that nothing short of a nuclear weapon could destroy it.
Construction began in 2075, and tens of thousands of workers relocated to Southowilson to participate in the project. It was one of the largest projects ever attempted, and definitely the most audacious. Despite massive cost overruns, the structure was completed in 2084, and the first tenants began moving in shortly after. The massive effort expended permanently changed the shape of Southowilson. Hoping to duplicate the success of the Southowilson tower, the Ikebara Consortium began building similar towers in Khabarovsk, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro, and Pretoria.
The "Big One", a chain of deadly earthquakes, struck the West Coast in 2086. Large areas of California were affected, and Southowilson suffered a catastrophic subsidence of its southwest section. This area dropped 5-10 feet instantly, killing 32,000 people. Ikebara Tower, standing on the fringe of the devastated area, suffered heavy structural damage. The sudden snap of the tremor caused the tower to whip back and forth, throwing debris all over the city, and killing hundreds. By some miracle, however, it remained standing. In later years, many would blame the collapse of the south side on Ike Tower's mass. The Ikebara Consortium suffered heavy losses in NorCal that combined with a massive financial scandal the next year and allegations of dangerous cutting of corners in the Rio tower project led to the dissolution of the Ikebara Foundation. By 2088, Ike Tower was officially abandoned and condemned. Too large and durable to demolish safely, and too damaged to economically repair, the tower remained officially unused to the present day. In reality, the increased crowding on Southowilson streets drove people to seek housing in the tower. With a few short years, the lower floors were filled with squatters and gray-market businesses. The residents form an unorthodox community of thousands, most completely zeroed. A number of interesting and powerful people make their homes in Ike Tower, and the city and corporations have no power within its doors.
The most distinctive feature of Ike Tower is without a doubt its height. The structure stands approximately 10,750 feet high from base to top, and stands atop a base platform nearly 3000 feet on a side. From a great distance, it looks like many other skyscrapers. It is square in cross section, and colored primarily black and gray. The original decorative scheme was art-deco futurism, with swooping clean lines. Time has made it more sinister. The lines are broken up by scaffolding, exposed structural frames, and the ravages of time. The composite materials used to build the tower have turned a matte black with age, losing all of their color but none of their strength. Against the night sky, Ike Tower is a black void. The 150ft tall statues of various ideals such as "Justice", "Freedom", and "Harmony", which flanked the entrances to the tower have decayed and eroded. Now they are menacing, featureless black human figures.
Combined with its size, Ike's oppressive appearance has a definite negative effect on the human psyche. Even worse, some researchers believe that the frame itself resonates with the wind and tides, generating harmonics which can disrupt the human nervous system. These researchers blame Ike Tower for the increasing crime rate of Southowilson, as well as the irrationality of Ike Tower's permanent residents. Running throughout the tower are a system of roadways, elevators, and access tunnels which were intended to serve the tower's community. Today they are an unmapped maze, hundreds of miles of black tunnels. Rumors abound about the denizens of the upper floors. Many claim the tunnels house monsters, cannibals, and other such mythic beasts. In any case, the upper levels are dangerous and unknown, forming a vertical frontier.
Structure Overview
Base Platform: 60 feet thick, 3000ft on each side
Main Gallery Floors (1-15): 30ft per floor, 2400ft each side
First Tier Floors (16-120): 10ft per floor, 2400ft each side
Second Tier Floors (121-780): 10ft per floor, 1800ft each side
Third Tier Floors (781-800): 30ft per floor, 1200ft each side
Upper Structures: various structures up to 600ft high
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