RK Historical Society?

[Astera]

I had heard about a society of sorts, but since i've never met anyone from said society, I figured they were a myth more than an actual organization.

I second guessed myself today when I found an "Info Disk" marker on the ground in Milky Way which tells the story of what happened during the corporate wars.

Coordinates: 3268 x 542, Milky Way

For all I know, it's always been there, but it's new to me, so it's got to be new to someone else too.

(( If it has been there for a long time, then it is a nice suprise. If not, then thanks for putting it there. Those are great little easter eggs! ))

[Gimpeline]

((It was added not long ago http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?...&link=0&id=357))

[Binarybits]

((yep new quest a patch or two ago, a whole series of those disks full of interesting tidbits.))

[Xariama]

(Something related to history? Uh oh... )

[ArienSky]

As you probably know, the tour costs 10.000 credits.

What you might not know, is that all you will meet is pre-recorded data-disks.

Back in christmas 29479 they had a tour with local guides telling about the places, for free! and on top of that they gave you gifts..

Well back to what Rubi-Ka Tours offer now:

First you get a little disclaimer and then you get coordinates for the info-discs uploaded in your NCU.

Welcome to the Galway Castle Miniature Model. This disk will provide you with some basic information about one of the most recognisable landmarks in Galway County.

When trade mogul Galway wanted to build his own town in the 60's, architect and artist Darren Thurston presented this 1/10 scale model to him as a suggestion of how it could look.

It took him eight days to complete and consists of 27553 pieces. It comes fully installed with water, electricity and even a small gravity engine to keep the entrance sign hovering.

Reportedly, Galway liked the model so much that he ordered it permanently installed not far from where his town would be built. For a time, he charged a small fee for people to enter the installation and walk around in "The Smallest Town on Rubi-Ka".
It was a moderate success, but people lost interest once the actual town was built and the fee was lifted.

The miniature city still has plenty of visitors, and it now serves as a local curiosity and landmark in Galway County.

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Welcome to the Clon**** Open Pipeline. This disk will provide you with some basic information about the most important industry on Rubi-Ka - Notum mining.

Since its discovery in 28715, notum has forever changed human kind. This astonishing element completely revolutionized galactic nanotechnology and pushed physical and meta-physical boundaries on Rubi-Ka. Found here only, it put Omni-Tek in the lead among the galaxy's hyper corporations, a position it has kept ever since.

Much controversy has surrounded notum, or rather its harvesting and worth. From lethal accidents to large scale wars, the fight to control the flow of notum seems to be a never ending one. Nevertheless, Omni-Tek still exports one and a half million tons of raw notum off the planet annually, and it all happens from the export facility in Clon****.

Approximately one hundred thousand miles of pipes cross the terraformed planet, bringing harvested notum to the facility where it is bundled and transported off planet. This area in Clon**** is one of the few places on the planet where a pipe is actually exposed. For security reasons, this line is only an auxiliary pipe and usually does not transport notum.

The export of notum remains in control of Omni-Tek until at least January 1st 29550, when the current lease on Rubi-Ka runs out.


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Welcome to Versailles Tower. This disk will provide you with some basic information about one of the most curious buildings on Rubi-Ka.

It is not clear exactly when the Versailles Tower was built, but it was commissioned by the eccentric leader of the clan Knights of Avalon, Lord Galahad. The Knights have always been quiet about the purpose of the small castle, but outsiders have been admitted inside its vast, empty halls.

Built between waterfalls and a forest, the castle is almost always shrouded in fog, adding to the mysterious reputation it has. Rumors fly high whether this castle houses another bio-mechanical creature hidden away in a secret basement, like the one in Camelot, but it has proven impossible to confirm.

During the last year, the soldiers of the Knights have abandoned the castle, leaving it to dilapidate into a reet's nest, but it remains one of the most curious locations on the planet to this day.

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Welcome to the Soul Fragment monument. This disk will offer some basic information about the existence of the soul.

This sculpture, made by the renowned artist Reese Winslow, portrays a giant soul fragment carved from the largest quartz crystal ever discovered on Rubi-Ka. It represents the only physical trace human kind has been able to find of the spirit, or soul as some call it.

Scientists were able to prove the existence of the life force, spirit, or soul in 28906. This monumental breakthrough made way for cloning technology and ultimately insurance technology.

There is still much discussion on what exactly the spirit is. The scientists were able to measure an inherent life force in living creatures, but it carries different meaning to different people.

To some, the spirit is an individual and personal energy that grows and develops as you do. To others, the soul carries religious meaning, and is widely believed to be eternal, even after corporeal death.

No matter the opinion, the proven existence and the manipulation of this life force with trace notum is why insurance tech works on Rubi-Ka and no where else.

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Welcome to the Mystic Circle in Greater Omni Forest. This disk will provide basic information about the various standing stone formations found on Rubi-Ka.

It has always been a great mystery who put up these stone formations and what the purpose of these rocks are. The formations themselves are clearly raised up after terraforming of the planet began in the early 290th century. So far, a little more than one hundred sites have been discovered.

Some theorists say it was simply a prank, others claim the formations have religious importance. Others again say there are strong Shadowlands influence in the formation, but this is broadly been dismissed since the formations have all been raised long before the Shadowland portal was opened.

We may never learn what purpose, if any, these locations have, but at least discovering the sites offers a wonderful trip around the planet.

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Welcome to the Milky Way crash site. This disk will provide you with some basic information on the Corporate Wars and the scars it left on Rubi-Ka.

In 29204, following a period of tension between Omni-Tek and Sol Banking Corporation, war breaks out between the two hyper corporations when Omni-Tek destroys a giant SBC cargo ship on Rubi-Ka. This is the wreck of that ship and has been left as is as a war monument.

The first corporate armed conflict lasted only 8 years and it is widely believed that increased cost on both sides spelled the end of the war, not a mutual wish for peace.

The second corporate war broke out in 29389, and this time Omni-Tek was targeted by several corporations in a newly formed alliance. At its peak, the war spreads to 250 solar systems and includes over 100 corporations.

In 29442, after 53 years of war, ICC manages to broker a ceasefire. It is estimated that 120 million people have been killed during the span of the second, and last, corporate wars. Since then, there have been no Rubi-Ka relevant armed conflict between corporations.

As part of the cross-corporate penalties following in the wake of the wars, Omni-Tek's lease on Rubi-Ka was reduced to expire in 29550 instead of 29708. Sol Banking, Truspace and NipponTech were also among the most severely punished corporations.

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Welcome to the Tir Crater farm, where it is believed infamous clansman Simon Silverstone lived after arriving on Rubi-Ka.

It has been documented that Mr. Silverstone arrived on Rubi-Ka in 29477 as a stowaway on a smuggler ship. Even as a young man, he was a political activist, and while he got married and raised a family on his farm, he was also strongly involved in the anti-corporate movement on the planet.

After a raid tragically left his wife and three children dead, Mr. Silverstone turned to radical opposition to Omni-Tek and subsequently formed the clan Sentinels.

It has never been confirmed nor denied by neither Mr. Silverstone, the Sentinels, or Omni-Pol that this was indeed the farm where he lived and where the raid took place. It is widely believed the reason for this silence is to avoid vandalism.

Despite its desirable location, the farm lies in ruins and no one works the soil. It joins the thousands of ruins on the planet; homes and workplaces brought to rubble from the many years of conflict.

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Welcome to the Notum Tree. This disk will provide you with some information about one of the most unique sights on Rubi-Ka.

The Avalon Notum Tree is a mystery. Despite several scientific studies, no one has been able to explain how it is possible for a tree to grow here, in the very high soil temperature. Neither can anyone logically explain its unique appearance.

Growing in the midst of an active lava lake, the leaves of this tree have a 87.5% higher notum saturation than any other known plant or fungi on Rubi-Ka. As a result, its leaves are glowing blue, visible from a distance even in the middle of the night.

Many attempts have been made to harvest the leaves or to take samples to regrow the tree, but the notum concentration withers instantly when removed from the tree, and it has proven futile to grow a clone anywhere else.

To this day, the notum tree remains one of the mysteries unique to Rubi-Ka.

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Welcome to Harry's. This disk will provide you with some basic information about one of the largest trading posts on Rubi-Ka.

Originally an independent trading outpost, it was bought in full by a man called Harold Raine Jr. in the early 29470's. He renamed the place to "Harry's" after his own name and opened his business to everyone who passed by.

Strategically placed in the north east corner of Lush Fields, with immediate access to 20K and Omni-1, Harry's remains important even after the global market opened up. Most people only pass through here a few times, but Mr. Raine makes good business by renting out storage facilities to wholesellers.

In recent years, Harry's has also been home to a miniature bronto farm. Originally meant for meat production, it has proven lucrative to sell the animals as pets to the rich and famous on Rubi-Ka.

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Welcome to 4 Holes and to an instance of the biodome wall. This disk will provide you with some basic information about the terraforming of Rubi-Ka.

Terraforming is the process of modifying a planet or moon's atmosphere, temperature and ecology to make it habitable by humans. The first processes started immediately after Omni-Tek signed the lease of Rubi-Ka.

The first stage of the terraforming was completed within about fifty years of the first planet fall. The planet now had an atmosphere, although only an enclosed biosphere was inhabited. Since then, the biosphere has grown to cover several hundred thousand square miles.

The part of the planet that at any given time is outside the biosphere is called the Outzone. While the atmosphere provides the same oxygen levels and temperature as within the biosphere, this area is without water, flora, and fauna. As such, the Outzone is a permanently dry and inhospitable place and makes up the majority of the planet.

The wall you see here is part of the biosphere dividing barrier between the Outzone and the completed terraformed areas. Usually the barrier is beyond one's reach and you will be stopped by a static sphere just inside the biosphere that acts like a security buffer.

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Just reading this information will of cause not give the same experience as being there in person. Especially the Versailles Tower is a great place to explore.

I have not included coordinates, as those can be obtained from the guide at holes in the wall. But most of these and other nice locations are marked on the upgrayedd planet map.

To be continued

[ArienSky]

Sadly there are some places worth visiting that are skipped in the info-disc tour, my favorite place being the Notum Canons in Clon****. Christmas 29479 there were a guide there, who had the following to say about them:

These are the Notum Cannons... at regular intervals they blast the notum mined by the mining operations out of the atmosphere to waiting cargo ships. This is why there are so many guards here. As the only facility of its kind on Rubi-Ka it is of very significant financial value. Before the construction of these guns mined notum had to be airlifted into orbit by transport ships.. as you can well imagine achieving escape velocity with heavy cargo can get very expensive. Getting anywhere near one of the guns as a clanner is very difficult. I love this place... explosive concussion launches every few seconds.. ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT! Like music to my ears!

And when you already are on your way to the notum canons, then stop by the Kringshaw 1; the drilling machine that was the first to discover the rare mineral MTG411/6 also known as Notum.

Actually that piece of notum is still on display, right by the side of Kringshaw 1.

Just take the grid exit in Clon**** and walk a little north. There are no guards in the museum area, so it is also safe for clan.

Bring the family, there are both a Dining Globe and Mongol Meat.

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Another place visited in December 29479 was some hotsprings, sadly I have forgotten where it was. It was an area with lava and then a nice pool.

These are some of the finest hot-springs on the surface of Rubi-Ka..If it wasn't so hard to get here they would be an enormously popular spa location. Then again.. this way you get it more to yourself.. There are only a couple things you need to know about this place.

One..The Shades... leave them alone, and they will leave YOU alone. Two.. The water is great for bathing... so throw on a suit and do some serious relaxing. Don't fall in the lava... I almost forgot your free gift!

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Another place was Ergo's cave, "right" outside Reets Retreat; due east, on the other side of the cliffs, on the upgrayedd planet map it is marked as Cavern.

This is the cave of the mysterious Ergo. He will put you on a path to wonders you can not even imagine! Having come this far, don't waste any more of your time with me. Good luck!

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Also the Crypt of Home in Broken Shores was visited, with the following information from the guide:

This is a place shrouded in mystery and buried in time.. Inside you will find stuff that is so scary so DANGEROUS that I don't even feel safe talking about it. A visit to Rubi-Ka should include the blood-curdling action that lies underneath this very spot!

You haven't actually been inside.. have you?

To be honest Robert Sinsen looks around to make sure nobody is listening.. ..no.. But I have heard about some of the stuff from people coming out... Apparently you need at least two people working together to even really get inside the main part...something about synchronized levers... This is something I wouldn't try without a good group of friends.. Apparently your more experienced people will need to be warped in by an engineer.. Make sure you stop by and tell me all about it when you come out.. IF you come out...I hear the thing at the bottom has burried everyone who has tried...

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Some lookout trees were visited too, I forgot which ones, as there are several on the planet map..

This is an enormous treehouse...I'm sure you already noticed that.. What you probably haven't checked out is the gorgeous view! The small creatures running around here built these... as far as I know anyways... The stairs are a bit dodgy...you might even have to fly up there in a yalm.. Either way.. sitting up there with someone else..you can't enjoy a better view.

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Finally there were this one, a very beautiful area hidden away from the rest of the world by a tunnel. If you have bought the upgrayedd planet map you will see it marked in the lower right corner of Wailing Wastes

Welcome to the Hidden Oasis!

This doesn't look like much

Of course this is a beautiful spot to visit! Rubi-Ka Tours only picks the best! There isn't much to see right where I am standing but if you follow the tunnel behind me you'll get to see one of the most remote and beautiful natural oasis locations on the planet! You can walk around and check out the wildlife, or just relax, maybe have a swim.. Take some time for yourself, you deserve it!

Umm...I don't know how to tell you this...but your oasis is infested with Rollerrats.

Ewwwww! I hate those things..with the rolling.. and that horrible squealing noise! We have to do something about it... I'm hoping you'll help because there is NO WAY I'm going in there now! How about I bring in a natural predator.. and you point him in the right direction? PLEAAAASE?

Thank you so much! I really didn't want to go in there myself. Please tell Leetzilla where to go so he will know what to do.

Then the guide let loose her leetzilla pet, that went into the cave killing the rollerrats!

I hope that has helped you plan your vacation on Rubi-Ka, especially for all us nanomages not able to go off-planet for the summer-holidays.

Kind regards
-Pearlie "Ariensky" Wright

[playboyfixer]

(( pssst, try another color than dark blue xD it hurtz us ))

[Amosco]

((I'm not sure if those grammatical errors are the fault of the poster or the Devs (I'm guessing the Devs) but the text for the Mystic Circle in Omni Forest is quite poorly written.

Someone should go back and fix that sometime, if they haven't already (assuming it was ingame text that was quoted here).

Otherwise, I wasn't even aware of these tour disks. I'll have to check them out some time. It sounds pretty cool.))

((EDIT: Oops... I didn't realize this was in Atlantean Buzz! This should really be in Knowledge Database for the useful information about the tours.))