User:MattAtlas/Sandbox
Considered the Solarian Alliance’s entertainment and pharmaceutical capital, Venus exists as one of the oldest colonies within Sol and as one of the most populated worlds within the Spur. Its inhabitants live in aerostats dotted among the orange skies, where they can enjoy the highest tier of cinema, virtual reality, musicals, and so on. The Venusian population is divided – yet united – into two classes: the Cythereans, entertainment, service and generally white collar workers, and the Jintarians, the blue-collar working and middle class. Regardless of this divide and whichever stereotypes may exist, Jintarians and Cythereans recognise that the other is necessary for Venus to continue prospering.
One of the most stereotyped and divisive elements within the Spur, the term “Venusian culture” is intrinsically tied to Cythereans due to their overwhelming presence and influence within interstellar media – despite it being an umbrella term for both the Cytherean and Jintarian cultures. Nearly always opposing the values of one another, including in politics, fashion, economics and down to even details such as favourite colours, they enjoy a symbiotic relationship that has been carefully cultivated throughout the decades of cohabitation. It is recognised that reliance on one another is essential to Venus’ society, despite the existence of fringe groups that find themselves radical proponents for a division of these two cultures. Still, these two groups tend to stereotype and tease the other whenever possible due to the sheer amount of differences. It is not unusual to see Cytherean and Jintarian couples, but it is definitely something that raises many eyebrows and much curiosity on the matter – except for celebrities, where this particular choice in partner may cause a bigger scandal than anticipated; and Venusians do love their scandals.
Venusian History
Initial Settlement
The case of Venus and how its esoteric society developed is the subject of much debate by many sociologists. Curiously, it began not as a colony, but instead as a research outpost created by the corporations that would eventually go on to form Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals in the 2090s. Many experimental technologies were developed in floating research stations, mainly relating to the fields of hydroponics and the chemical industry. Despite this, Earth's governments did not pay the scorching planet much attention, since it was rather unsuitable for rudimentary colonisation prospects. This situation continued until 2127. The flooding of New York City and the resulting anarchy caused many residing billionaires to choose to leave Earth in advance, and a particular group chose to leave for Venus for a simple reason: Zeng-Hu's auctioning of its Venusian research stations. These stations were sold to them in an auction at a discount as the fledgling corporation desperately needed liquidity to keep its much more valuable Asian assets afloat.
Over the next decade, these research stations were gradually expanded by their new owners and consolidated into two super-settlements, forming the first proto-aerostats. These aerostats are respectively named after their owners: Binyaria, named after Jie Binya, a young American-Chinese billionaire who recently inherited a massive fortune, and Rathlin, named after François Rathlin, a French entrepreneur and owner of a massive supermarket chain on Earth. Binyaria inherited Zeng-Hu's chemical industry facilities, whereas Rathlin inherited Zeng-Hu's more extensive hydroponics and pharmacy industries. Rathlin was a much more valuable complex and trade quickly flourished there, with the fledgling aerostat becoming a large exporter of grown foodstuffs. Binyaria was in a more difficult position: its chemical industry was not as valuable and, thus, was far more reliant on its owners' investment. Binyarians and Rathliners thus developed a small rivalry around this time around whose aerostat was really the better one, which persists to this day. Nonetheless, Jie, the owner of Binyaria, needed a plan to make Binyaria truly shine.
Binyarian Renaissance
On the 25th of December 2141, the Jie Holocinema Complex was announced in a massive opening ceremony costing in the billions of credits. This grand opening was complete with free tickets for a showing of the most famous Christmas movie at this time, White Snow. It was a revolutionary cinema, an absolutely massive one at that, using state-of-the-art holographic technology to give its viewers a truly out of the world experience. Nothing quite like it existed anywhere else in Human space and it acted as a lightning rod for citizens and tourists alike, which over time slowly became permanent residents. It attracted both rich and poor alike through clever use of advertisements and the inclusion of low-cost and luxury display rooms. More notably, however, it attracted the large media companies on earth. The cinema was so big that it was unmatched in terms of potential opening revenue, and Venusian billionaires were open to paying a fortune for luxury tickets. This led to a slow exodus of media companies to Venus, all competing to get opening-day contracts. It was slow at first, but later snowballed: more investment into the fledgling acting and media industry meant that more companies would move. Eventually, even the titans of the media industry began to move. By the turn of the 23rd century, Venus began rivalling Earth in terms of media. It was not quite dominant yet, however. One last push was needed.
The Founding of the Venusian Stars Institute
Intentionally announced at the turn of the century, on the 1st of January 2200, the Venusian Stars Institute was set from the beginning to be the heart of the Venusian media empire. An absolutely byzantine and gigantic entity, it was created to manage every single tiny bit of Venus' growing media industry. From managing actors to funding media companies, the VSI is the last edge that Binyaria needed to dislodge Earth's dominance in the media sector. Lucrative contracts and clever handiwork behind the scenes resulted in the titans of the media industry finally committing to a move to Venus. These contracts ended up creating luxurious and revolutionary institutes for the big media companies to settle in, their massive skyscrapers dominating the Venusian skyline. All citizens, at this point, would see the emblems of the Venusian media empire when looking up. Gigantic holographic billboards began to claim an unrivalled amount of space in every single alleyway. Social media, which was placed under the purview of the VSI's newly-created Social Leadership Team, began to truly boom around this time as well. Practically every citizen became an avid user of social media from the morning to the evening: the Venusian government often paid companies to give new employees latest-model phones, which came with all sorts of social media applications installed and no way to remove advertisements. While this was annoying at first, Venusians ended up accepting this situation eventually. After all, they were free, high-end mobile phones. The money that Venus spent on this was quickly made back through insane amounts of advertisement money: practically every citizen was viewing hundreds and hundreds of advertisements throughout the day. Idol culture began spreading through social media as well, with many falling in ranks behind their favourite media star, yet quick to turn their backs on them whenever the new scandal came out.
The Binyarian Exposé and Cytherea
The reality of the actors' life was much different than what was shown on social media. Their happy lives were often carefully manufactured lies, sold by their privately-hired media marketing teams. Of course, this is knowledge that only the actors themselves would have -- they, themselves, were too busy under the immense pressure of the Venusian entertainment industry. The Venusian Stars Institute's guidelines for actors -- essentially rules that they may not break for any reason -- clamped down harder and harder with every passing year. Newly-implemented beauty standards in 2203' meant that many actors had to resort to expensive, Zeng-Hu sponsored plastic surgery or then-experimental genetic engineering in order to meet unrealistic demands. Many took out extensive loans from the then-up-and-rising Idris banking company in order to afford these expensive Zeng-Hu procedures. These loans were then paid through a gruesome amount of work: actors often had to work gruelling work schedules, day after day, just to not be crushed under the interest. This opened up a new, lucrative front for Zeng-Hu: drugs grown on Rathlin could easily be sold to actors on Cytherea, which led to their rampant substance abuse behind the scenes, simply to deal with the stress. This industry is extremely lucrative and Zeng-Hu invested billions and billions into it. The usage of these substances spread to much of the public as well, although it was not yet a worldwide phenomenon.
This situation was unknown to the public until 2217. A Venusian reporting agency, Le Courrier, broke out a story amiably called the Binyarian Exposé. This story was in actuality a 287 page document that detailed the living situation of authors behind the scenes and the unrealistic standards of the VSI, down to every single small detail. Many failed or rejected authors were interviewed to obtain the information needed. Unfortunately, it was far too long and had the opposite effect of what the authors wanted. The VSI's strict control over social media meant that the story was swiftly suppressed by the algorithms. Additionally, many Venusians simply did not care and dismissed the revelations as '[...] washed up artists and B-rate actors making things up [...]'. This was the position held by Anne-Marie Cythère, the most famous actor of this era and an icon of Venus, arguably the first real idol who possessed a massive cult following, mainly on Venus. Those who agreed with her stance were referred to as 'Cythereans' by Earther critics, a term which stuck over time and began substituting the usage of Venusians in common language. It began as a derogatory term, but Venusians simply repossessed the word to fit their new identity. This point marks the beginning of Cytherea and Cythereans for historians -- the point where Venusians accepted their new identity.
Additionally, the Exposé resulted in most of the world beginning to accept drug usage -- most simply saw it as just another facet of idol culture, and reasoned that since drinking was fine, substance abuse should be fine, too. The authorities were quickly overwhelmed as there were far too many rising cases of substance abuse and resale for them to handle. This led to most cases being dismissed with either a very light fine or no action taken. Some critics point to Zeng-Hu interference in this process through bribing authorities to grow its markets, but Zeng-Hu has denied all such claims.
As a result of this new identity, less and less Cythereans begin entering skilled trades. Rathlin's hydroponics and pharmacy industries, curiously, were not affected due to them being mostly automated and due to a relative lack of required physical work for their workers. The service industry and connected sectors begin absolutely dominating Venusian statistics, with almost the entirety of Venus' industry being located in Rathlin's hydroponics facilities. Binyaria's chemical industries began to go bankrupt and alarm bells were rang by many, but the government simply did not care. The media was what was making money, not the heavy industries. Anyone with a keen eye could spot that this growth was unsustainable, but once again, profits were placed over rationale.
The First Interstellar War and the Jie Riots
With the outbreak of war for the Alliance, Venusians were conscripted just like the rest. This was, however, not taken amiably by the planet's populace and led to the first ever mass riots on Venus, dubbed 'the Jie Riots', as they took place in Our Lady’s Plaza in the aforementioned district. Around a million Venusians took to the streets to protest against the war, or at the very least for exemptions for Venusians. Many cried out that 'war's not good for our industry' and expressed a general unwillingness to go fight, as the physical damage would ruin their careers. Historians point to most social media posts bringing attention to the fact that the majority of the populace simply did not want their beauty to be compromised -- this was a more worrying prospect than death, to most Venusians. These protests were, however, very disorganised as there was no real unifying cause or voice behind them. The Alliance quickly intervened, quelled them, and conscription took place as it normally did in other worlds.
A significant amount of the Venusian working class was drafted -- around 20% -- mostly drawn from those that worked in the heavy industries keeping the planet afloat. Resistance to conscription was significant for most Venusians, who often found ways to outright avoid it. The Venusian government and the VSI were found to be involved in assisting actors, film makers, billionaires and, in general, everyone involved with the Venusian entertainment empire in draft dodging, mainly through clever forging of medical papers exempting them from service for one reason or the other. The entertainment industry continued to prosper or at the very least stay afloat, depending on which economics agency was polled, but everything else began to collapse in a manner of weeks due to the drafting of almost all of the skilled workers. Rationing and austerity were quickly instituted in all aerostats, to the chagrin of the planet’s populace. It would prove to be a difficult decade for Venusians, with many feeling the brunt of poverty and austerity, leading to a large amount of resentment towards the Alliance.
The End of Austerity and the Jintarian Plan
With the war ending, Venus was at the breaking point. The power plants had almost nobody left to work for them except for direly overworked engineers, and most of the populace simply did not want to work these jobs. The situation was especially dire and a new technocratic government was put in charge with a political blank cheque in order to deal with the situation once and for all. This led to the creation of the Jintaria Plan, one of the biggest social engineering feats of human history. Through the usage of the Venusian media conglomerate, many veterans and refugees across the Alliance were invited to hastily fabricated 'cities under cities' in the aerostats. The contracts given to them were quite simple: as long as they worked in their assigned sector, they would have government-provided housing, heating, electricity and appliances. This was a very risky gamble that was quite expensive, but the dice roll succeeded. Many flocked over to the newly created Jintarian strata in order to find a new life, thus providing Venus with the skilled force it direly needed. The situation finally stabilised on the 21st of August 2301 with the end of austerity. Gigantic parties were held everywhere across Cytherea, with it becoming an official holiday, Ascension Day. Some Jintarians participated in these parties, while others simply took to pubs in their own slice of the aerostat.
Jintarian society is an inviting prospect for many refugees and immigrants. It is a patchwork blend of many cultures, who live together sharing the burden of an entire planet: this sole unifying factor leads to a shared sense of brotherhood and duty among Jintarians. This new class finds it hard to scale the ladder, however. It is practically almost impossible for Jintarians to work in the Venusian media industries due to ‘beauty standards concerns’: the fact that most of the Jintarian population has done some sort of trade or physical work in their life, which leads to the formation of minor beauty defects – enough for the Cythereans to reject the prospect of such a person entering the media scene. Some Jintarians opt for extensive plastic surgery to enter the ranks of the Cythereans, but this requires almost half a lifetime of savings and is an exceedingly rare occurrence. These ‘quasi-Cythereans’ are a mixed bag for Jintarians: the most radical view them as class traitors and the ambitious view them as lucky individuals.
Modern History, Cytherea and Jintaria
Venus is, today, labelled as the Queen of Entertainment for good reason. A significant amount of entertainment media is produced in Venus, casted with Venusian celebrities and created by Venusian companies, with the end products finding solid purchase in most markets across the Spur. It is a powerful cultural weapon for the Alliance. It also hosts a state-of-the-art hydroponics industry in Rathlin -- being a net exporter of food, second only to Ganymede -- and a titanic pharmaceutical industry, focused mainly on beauty and pharmaceutical products.
Venus, curiously, hosts the largest population of Martian refugees in the Spur. Following Violet Dawn, millions of Martians now call Jintaria their home. They were invited to work on Venus under similar contracts as the first Jintarians.
Environment
Venus is an incredibly hot and miserable planet. The mass of its atmosphere is 93 times that of Earth's, equivalent to the crushing depths of the deep ocean. This atmosphere is extremely thick and toxic, composed primarily of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and this generates the strongest greenhouse effect in the Solar System, creating an average surface temperature of at least 462 C (864 F). Due to these crushing conditions, no Venusians live on the surface. Instead, they rely on floating aerostats – which have become a key part of Venus, and more importantly its society. A Venusian year lasts 225 Earth days. A normal day on Venus lasts much longer than that of Earth due to the slow rotation, taking 243 Earth days to make one Venusian day. Venus spins backwards when compared to the other planets in the Sol system, causing the sun to rise in the west and set in the east. It rains sulphuric acid on the surface and the atmosphere is so thick that it exerts massive amounts of pressure on the surface. This crushes all but the most structurally reinforced habitats below the cloud layer, practically all of which are extremely specialised research habitats, with the rest destroyed by caustic acid rain. The planet hosts massive amounts of volcanic activity, which spew even more toxic gases into the atmosphere – although these are often co-opted as tourist attractions visible from cubicles in the aerostats or through windows in shuttles. Almost no sunlight reaches the surface of the planet, despite the temperature.
Cytherean Culture
Cytherean culture’s paramount concept is climbing the social ladder. This is the one concept that is utterly important to every single Cytherean, and each of them has their own view on what it entails. This social ladder can be interpreted in many ways – for some, it’s gaining an immense amount of followers on social media, while for others it’s becoming a spur-wide celebrity through a career in acting. It is universally considered to only be climbable through activities that inherently make you more popular among others, contributing to the reason why the extreme majority of Cythereans reject any sort of physical labour that does not provide this opportunity. It isn’t seen as strictly necessary to remain on Venus in order to climb the social ladder, and glory is considered to be attainable even outside of Venus itself – but most consider it an eventual necessity to come back and show off.
Because of this obsession, Cythereans tend to be extravagant in all facets of life, willing to stand out from the crowd by any means necessary; Cytherea is the primary pop culture centre of Sol, with a populace often dressed in bright, dramatic clothing. Many Solarian celebrities either live or were born on one of Venus’s aerostats, growing up in the privileged Cytherean culture. The best actors, comedians, chefs, musicians, and pop stars enjoy almost constant coverage on holo-screens, only occasionally replaced by adverts for startup beauty products, cutting-edge gaming hardware, or the newest diet fad. These celebrities enjoy high class treatment and something akin to worship from the Cythereans. Many come from across the galaxy, human and alien alike, seeking to turn their fortunes around. However, Cythereans are not immune to poverty and hardship in their laissez-faire society. Those looking to become the next big thing sometimes wind up on the opposite end of the spectrum, relying on morally and legally ambiguous means to get by. Aliens, although welcome, are typically sidelined in favour of human actors and models due to most moguls desiring to “play it safe." As a result, aliens, regardless of their talents, are typically seen as understudies, extras, dancers, and occasionally backup singers or instrumentalists.
The Cytherean environment is very cutthroat: many are willing to do whatever it takes to climb the social ladder, whether that be by fabricating scandals or putting their fingers in one too many pies. Law enforcement is often easily evaded due to lofty standards and a general lack of passion. In the end, one can get away with almost anything as long as they possess the right contacts and enough money. The party culture thrives in the aerostats, with the grand cocktail parties and fundraising schmooze-fests toward the top of teardrop slowly fading into the high-energy festivals of the lower sections. Toward the top, one can overhear the latest gossip and glimpse envelopes of credits sliding under tables. Toward the bottom, one can see the most hedonistic displays of luxury.
Though many work in the entertainment industry as stars and producers, there are great opportunities for a Cytherean scientist: after all, climbing the scientific social ladder and becoming a genius prodigy renowned across the Spur is quite the attractive goal. The development of pharmaceutical drugs and new medicines is a common field for Cytherean scientists, with celebrities and talent agencies needing a constant stream of narcotics for parties and stimulants to keep shooting sessions going for days at a time. Cytherea has a booming genetic engineering field that is primarily centred around the biomodification of celebrities in order to ensure that they are always at their physical peak, no matter which direction the ever-shifting winds of Cytherea's celebrity scene blow. Stimulants, such as cocaine, are the Cytherean drug of choice and are typically genetically modified by various Cytherean pharmacies to create more desirable effects. When exported these so-called "designer" drugs can fetch an extremely high price on the interstellar market. Cytherea's pharmaceutical industry is estimated to produce upwards of two-thirds of all narcotics consumed in the Republic of Biesel, even after the First and Second Solarian Invasions. Appropriately, Cytherea's pharmacies also produce a vast amount of the Alliance's anti-overdose medications. Many Cytherean pharmacies are associated or owned by Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.
The largest Cytherean holiday is Ascension Day, shortened to the Ascension, celebrated on the 21st of August. It marks the return to normalcy after Venus’ long period of austerity, but its roots have long since been forgotten by most of the population, except by politicians and work supervisors. This is a day for all Venusians to indulge in whatever they can for as long as they can: gigantic feasts, parties and raves are held across all of Cytherea, along with fashion shows on the streets and other such activities. For some it’s a point of pride and reminds them of why living on Venus is worth it, along with the happiness that the end of austerity brought them – while for others, it’s simply a day to get wasted and enjoy it.
Stars, Idols and Crashouts
The idol culture of Venus is extraordinarily demanding for those that choose to involve themselves in it. Climbing the rungs of the Cytherean entertainment industry from mere extra to A-list celebrity able to star in the likes of Monkey King is no small feat involving raw acting talent, an incredible amount of social networking, and no small amount of backroom dealing between agents, celebrities, and producers. This process can often take years if one is unlucky, and the top celebrities often undergo extensive plastic surgery to ensure that they remain attractive enough to be considered for the greatest entertainment products of the industry. The amount of resources, time, and commitment needed to reach - and stay at - the top of the celebrity culture of Venus is truly astonishing, and the rat race of keeping up with the ever-shifting and constantly changing standards of what makes a celebrity an A-list celebrity results in many hopeful stars simply crashing out of the industry, and thus becoming known as a crashout.
Becoming any sort of professional major media player (referred to as a Star) – whether that be an actor, a news anchor or an influencer – requires one to first sign 100% of their image rights to the Venusian Stars Institute. These contracts are extremely lucrative for the person in question, but it is a poisoned apple nonetheless – once one signs with the Venusian Stars Institute to become a Star, they no longer have any control over their media appearances, and thus the VSI will thus be able to unilaterally decide when and where they appear, in addition to being able to monopolise and commercialise the fledgling Star’s image as they wish – a very well known fact, but now only considered a stepping stone to become a celebrity. Each Star possesses its own PR and media team, de jure under the Star itself but de facto delegating to the VSI’s byzantine bureaucracy.
Despite these contracts, Stars are given a large amount of autonomy in how to run their career. While the grand majority opt for running their careers on Venus, some manage to take jobs abroad and live out new experiences there, while still technically affiliated to the VSI. It matters not for the Institute, as long as they garner a high amount of views on social media and further spread the Venusian brand.
Those that fall out of grace – either because of the crushing standards, burnout, extreme social pressure or whatever else – do not enjoy an easy life. Referred to as crashouts once the Institute stops affiliating with them – a process known as delisting – they are reminded of this failure everywhere they go by anyone that knows them, representing the minority of Venusians that have had their eyes opened to the injustice and oppression of Cytherean society. Cythereans do not have much tact or care for these crashouts, viewing them as simply not good enough. Most of these rejects either leave Venus entirely and seek employment somewhere else – often taking out generous loans in order to apply for apprenticeships or training courses, as they do not have any sort of marketable skill – or find employment in Venus’ overworked public sector, such as in the Venusian Planetary Police Force or even in the Solarian Navy itself, representing by far the largest percentage of Cythereans in both categories. Some crashouts can also end up falling into the net of Jintarian culture, where they are caught and welcomed by other Jintarians as simply more proof that Cytherean culture is poison rather than a blessing. A one-way ticket to delisting is, for example, speaking up about unfavourable work conditions on social media.
Upon becoming a Spur-wide celebrity, a Star is then granted Idol status by the VSI, and immortalised in the Diamond Hall: a gigantic museum in the very centre of Binyaria that hosts detailed biographies, mementos and signatures of every VSI-signed celebrity big enough to truly make it. Becoming an Idol is the ultimate dream of every Star and often functions as a sort of northern light for them in their journey. These Idols are practically all known to Cythereans at large and represent a sticking point for Cytherean pride, with many prizing their trivia knowledge on any given Idol. Due to their rarity, immense popularity and astronomical wealth, it is impossible to play an Idol or an ex-Idol on the ship.
Famous Cytherean Celebrities
Those that are able to survive and thrive as celebrities in the cutthroat and demanding environment of Cytherea's entertainment industry reap a truly massive amount of rewards ranging from accolades to millions of Solarian Credits. But, perhaps more importantly than anything else, they are some of the most famous people in human space and the greater Orion Spur. The individuals listed below are just a handful of Cytherea's most famous residents, and will be known throughout the Orion Spur.
One of the most famous Cytherean idols ever is perhaps Chan-mi Jee, the renowned frontwoman and singer of INTERSTELLAR✰GIRLS: a famous all-female pop group based out of the Binyarian aerostat. Chan-mi Jee's famous voice, which has been biologically augmented to have a wider range, can be found on dozens of INTERSTELLAR✰GIRLS albums. The band's most famous album, Interstellar Heart, currently holds the Spur-wide record for most copies ever sold. Despite her successes, which include having been named the Venusian cultural ambassador for five years in a row, Chan-mi Jee's personal life has been the subject of some speculation in the Cytherean press, and repeated plastic surgeries have left only a sliver of resemblance to the woman that began her pop career ten years ago. But for the moment, she and her band remain the undisputed queens of the Cytherean musical scene. "You have Chan-mi's looks" is a Cytherean's most prized slang weapon, used to describe someone who is extremely attractive.
In the Cytherean acting scene there is, arguably, nobody that defines the role of leading man better than the dashing and charismatic idol, Caspar Orillian. Born and raised in the "red treadmill" industry of Cytherea, Caspar has found extraordinary success playing athletic leading men thanks to extensive biomodifications and plastic surgeries that have shaped and reshaped his face to constantly be in-season and attractive. A large number of editors hired by his estate retroactively edit his films and publicity photos to resemble whatever Caspar's current appearance is. His constant facial restructurings are seen as a sign of his success due to the immense cost associated with them, and are a clear proof of his dedication to maintaining his celebrity status.
Famous director Samuel Monaghan is another of Cytherea's most famous celebrities, and his name can be found on a variety of movies ranging from action films to long dramas. Monaghan's distinctive style is easily-recognized throughout the Orion Spur's film scene thanks to his focus on single-shot scenes using drones as floating cameras. The fame of Monaghan has also been built by the director's often eccentric and eye-catching behaviour off the set. Monaghan is known for his eccentric behaviour, unusual rants, and deliberately garnish outfits. The controversy that this has caused him in Cytherea's tabloid scene has only helped his fame grow, but it remains to be seen if his behaviour will continue to build fame or ultimately backfire and cause his fall.
Quu'xuu "Kwoo" Vol'rii is an idol and something of an oddity in the Cytherean entertainment scene due to her status as a skrell. Having recently flown into the highest ranks of Cytherea due to her highly-rated performance as the main villain of Monkey King VII, Doctor Yana Vashtu, the diminutive doctor of human cultural studies has found a following thanks to both her haughty and evil attitude on-camera and her awkward yet earnest attitude off the set. Kwoo, as she is affectionately known by her fans, has found further fame thanks to her charitable donations to Mars following her success in Monkey King VII. However, it remains uncertain how long her fifteen minutes of fame from Monkey King VII will last, if Kwoo will choose to remain in Cytherea at all, or if the unfaltering support for the Nralakk Federation will be her eventual social downfall.
Cytherean Fashion
Due to the extremely fast-paced nature of Cytherea's fashion industry there are a number of trends entering the public eye, being sold by stores, and falling out of fashion at any time. Anything a non-Cytherean can put together that is appealing to the eye, and sometimes not, has been the height of fashion at some point somewhere in the clouds. However there are a few popular looks and rules Cytherean fashion tends to follow.
The most important rule for an aspiring Cytherean fashionista is that the best part of the body is the skin. A lot of clean, unblemished, hairless skin is shown in Cytherean fashion; whether it be through a high-slit dress, a translucent button-up shirt, a pair of short shorts, a fitted tank top, or a low cut blouse. More masculine figures tend to show off the upper body, especially the arms, while more feminine looks show off the lower body, specifically the legs. But in the Cytherean view showing too much skin is a great faux pas; looks are often balanced so that if a lot of the upper body is shown, the lower body is mostly covered and vice versa. Cytherean business wear, in contrast, tends to be much less skin-showing in order to stay in line with the greater Solarian Alliance, particularly Luna.
While Cythereans consider minor body modifications fine, a more natural appearance is preferred in contrast to gaudy or overly eye-catching augmentations. Body-sculpting plastic surgery procedures are common, especially among celebrities, in order to ensure that one remains within the Cytherean standards of beauty. Some of the most common body-sculpting procedures include improving facial features and structure, removing all body hair “below the eyelashes," tightening the skin, removing excess body fat, dental reconstruction, enhancing or emphasising musculature, and balancing body proportions (usually in favour of the legs). However extensive piercing, more extreme body-sculpting, heavy tattooing, and other modifications that break the “pure skin” rule are frowned upon and tattooing in particular, even minor forms in some cases, is considered unsightly due to its long-standing connection with criminals or groups such as dregs.
Many trends originate in Binyaria’s Parabing District, and are locally called “wankukai” trends. Wankukai clothes are either what’s popular in the Mile's clubbing scene or, less popularly, something slightly more appropriate for streetwear. Masculine looks often have plain, solid colored pants in dark colours with slim, usually designer belts, and often have simple dress shoes or sneakers. Translucent button-ups with LED or neon-tubing designs up the arms or across the chest are popular, as well as similarly designed, fitted tank tops to accentuate the arms. Some even elect to go shirtless. Suit jackets matching one’s pants are also common, as well as leather jackets with LED or neon designs on the back. As for more feminine looks, miniskirts, short shorts, and -- for the brave -- microskirts are commonplace, often paired with simple low heels, flats, or sneakers. Colourful dress shirts, qipao blouses, and standard blouses are all common as well, featuring designs similar to masculine looks. Dresses of all lengths usually have a high-slit, reaching all the way up the thigh, and are often intricately decorated with LED and neon-tubing. Though suit jackets and leather jackets with designs are common among feminine looks as well, they are occasionally cropped to just below or at the ribs.
Jintarian Culture
Jintarian culture can often be defined as the polar opposite of Cytherean culture in many facets, but it borrows as much as it opposes. Jintarians pride themselves on being the squeaky clean side of Venus – an approach which, unfortunately, makes their scene only truly appealing to Jintarians themselves and to contrarians across the galaxy. Regardless of how unpopular they may be on the interstellar scene, Jintarians tend to be extremely prideful of their accomplishments and often have a do-or-die attitude when it comes to carrying things out: after all, Venus is standing where it is thanks to them. This leads to a mostly punk-ish and contrarian culture, where keeping things real is incentivised, along with distancing yourself from Cytherea as much as possible in matters of fashion, music and even the celebrities one follows. As an example, while Cythereans prefer clothing that shows off as much skin as possible, Jintarians prefer the direct opposite of that – turtlenecks, sweaters, flannel shirts and other such clothes are very common in these communities.
Despite all of this, Jintarians and Cythereans are not enemies. They live together just as much as a Biesellite and a Solarian may live in the same apartment in Mendell City. Cythereans recognise the need for Jintarians in order for their planet to function – but do not hesitate to call them out on their broodish, low-class fashion. Jintarians recognise that Venus is the giant it is due to the Cythereans’ natural aptitude in entertainment, but do not hesitate to call them out on their hedonistic lifestyle, corrupt politics and horribly flashy clothing choices. In the same vein, it isn’t unheard of for Jintarians to spend their weekend at Cytherean bars, if only to prove their superiority over them in one way or the other. It is possible for Jintarians to find employment in more Cytherean fields: as an example, Jintarian baristas in Cytherean bars are not entirely out of the world – but some discrimination in this field is to be expected.
In the same vein, it isn’t unheard of – although very rare – for Jintarians to end up integrating into Cytherean society. This is only possible for those that are willing to either sign up for drastic plastic surgery in order to compete with the very top of Cytherean society, often by taking out very predatory Idris loans, or for those that are more naturally blessed. It isn’t an easy path and it is marred with discrimination and harsh financial choices, as these ‘reformed’ Jintarians are often looked down upon in Cytherea in basically all matters: whether that be in job selection or simply having their curriculum vitae noticed. Those that choose this path and continue following it, whether that be for credits or fame, end up disenfranchised and practically exiled from their old Jintarian community.
Famous Jintarian Celebrities
Jintarians have distanced themselves from the distinction between Star and Idol, viewing it as essentially objectifying celebrities. Instead, the concept of who exactly is a celebrity is fairly wide: essentially, anyone famous enough to be known outside of Jintaria, even a little, is considered an ambassador of Jintarian culture and essentially a celebrity. Historically, Jintaria has been the unacknowledged part of Venus, and only in recent times has its influence begun to increase: with the election of Strom and the massively increased success of Jintarian celebrities abroad, Jintaria has finally begun reclaiming its slice of Venus. This has led to Jintarians as a whole being extremely prideful and attached to their celebrities, viewing them as the only reason why Jintarians are known at all – referring to the current crop as the Golden Generation. While this success may be still extremely small compared to their Cytherean brethren, it does not stop particularly prideful Jintarians from proclaiming the beginning of a new age for their class.
Much like in Cytherea, any Jintarian celebrity deemed big enough is given a spot in the Venusian Jintarian Museum, the Jintarian counterpart of the Diamond Hall. The requirements are much less stringent, and generally there isn’t much competitiveness among Jintarians to be represented there – it is simply an honour.
Kyle De Koster is arguably the biggest Jintarian celebrity, perhaps only tying with Hendrik Strom for the title. The lead singer of Just Us, a Jintarian punk nu-metal band with a focus on optimistic lyrics, his career has been a long and hard fought one. It started as a venture between high school friends who played their music in the streets of Binyaria’s Jintarian communities, and evolved to an interstellar phenomenon through hard work alone. Many of this band’s songs idolise the Jintarian struggle and their own experience, providing a point of reference for many Jintarians. Their latest album, Hold Us Tight, has been a massive hit with Jintarians but also across the Coalition of Colonies, boasting very high viewership especially on Himeo. De Koster and his band are known Jintarian nationalists and do not fear speaking up in matters of politics, having given their endorsement of Hendrik Strom several times in the past.
Hendrik Strom is, in the eyes of many fellow Jintarians, the best representation of Jintaria. Since starting as a humble city councilman roughly thirty years ago Strom has climbed to the top through ability, ambition, and no small amount of Jintarian nationalism. Once a senator representing Venus, Strom has served as the emergency governor of the Sol System since shortly after the Naval coup in late 2462. Strom has never forgotten his roots and often visits Venus, where he is greeted warmly by his fellow Jintarians, to raise support for himself and what many see as his inevitable run for Prime Minister once elections open up again. His face can often be seen throughout Jintarian communities on inspirational posters and political billboards alike.
Katarina Josic is a strong contender for the spot of ‘very famous Jintarian celebrity’, despite being much more of an extremist. Her career, interestingly, is not in Jintaria but instead abroad – she left Jintaria very early to become an actress in the Coalition of Colonies, with her main following being located there instead of in Sol. This endeavour was successful and she has starred in many top films in the Coalition, becoming a widely known figure and using this fame as a platform for her pro-Jintaria speeches. Unlike Just Us’ members, however, she is a very anti-Solarian individual and has often spoken out against the nation in the past, going as far as renouncing her citizenship in favour of a Coalition one following the Violet Dawn incident. She has criticised the members of Just Us many times before for their pro-Solarian stances as well.
Jintarian Fashion
Jintarian every-day fashion is much more practical and significantly less gaudy than its Cytherean counterpart, generally trending towards punk-like styles – ripped jeans, as an example, are very common in Jintaria. Many Jintarians wear simple, practical clothing well-suited to their typically industrial or physical work such as jeans, simple tees, long-sleeved shirts or track pants. Jintarian professionals dress much like their counterparts in the rest of the Alliance. As their pride prevents them from emulating Cytherean fashion, Jintarians have a habit of standing out through the smaller details: they often decorate their jacket or shirt with stickers, pins, armbands. There is much variance in the style and reason behind these accessories – some use accessories that represent their life or views, while others simply pick whatever is the most colourful or whatever they think is most aesthetically pleasing. Jintarian business wear tends to be similar to the rest of the Alliance, although the expensive brands are near-universally avoided by Jintarians.
Most Jintarians opt to deliberately ignore Cytherea's big fashion brands, and many take pride in this willing ignorance -- instead opting to "buy Jintarian" when it comes to their clothing. As a result, most Jintarian clothing is produced using materials sourced from Jintaria itself and made in Jintarian-dominated aerostat districts. It isn’t unusual for Jintarian fashion to be exported off of Venus: simple Jintarian clothing has found a niche in cheap, affordable apparel and can be found in many shops and malls around the Spur. As of late, many more people are buying this type of clothing due to the living cost crisis created by the Phoron shortage. Additionally, Jintarian enterprises often run some philanthropic endeavours with certain lines of clothing, donating some of the earnings to a few good causes – one example is the Dawn line from the most famous Jintarian clothes company, Jinnel: a series of black tees where the imprint is that of a typical Martian dome, transitioning from a normal state to a destroyed and burnt one. 75% of the earnings from this line were donated to the Martian victims of the Violet Dawn disaster that now find their home in Jintaria.
Aerostats
Venusians dwell in aerostats floating in the habitable layer nicknamed “the Zone” above the sulphuric acid clouds masking the surface. These floating cities are primarily held in place by their natural oxygen content and large bags of hydrogen. Aerostats began with a size equal to the average city centre, but have since expanded to much larger sizes, with the largest ones rivalling other major cities in the Spur. Aerostats are divided into two main sections: Cytherea, which refers to the Cytherean-dominated areas above, and Jintaria, which refers to boyh the small pockets of Jintarians above ground but also (and mainly) the Jintarian cities under the respective districts.
Aerostats follow a similar style of planning to normal cities, with all kinds of districts and buildings present – each aerostat is divided into a variable number of districts, depending on the population, that make up its administrative divisions.There are, however, some differences due to their nature as floating cities: as an example, no wind or any kind of atmospheric phenomenon is present on these aerostats, except as an optional setting in artificial parks. Binyarians pin this on the fact that the presence of wind would limit one’s choice in fashion. On the other hand, both a day-night cycle and a sky similar to the Earth’s are simulated through large and complex lighting arrays that make up the inside of the dome-like structure separating the aerostat from the atmosphere. Normally, someone would only be able to see this artificial sky in an aerostat, but there are some buildings that have a window to the outside as a stylistic choice.
All aerostats are interconnected in a gigantic ring-like structure, forming a sort of spider web across the planet’s surface: the two biggest aerostats, Binyaria and Rathlin, form the two ‘poles’ respectively at the north and south of the web. It is possible to travel from an aerostat to another through the Venusian Ferry, the gigantic shuttletram network forming the basis of this web. It isn't only a means of transport but also a very famous all-in-one tourism attraction sponsored by Idris: firework displays are fused with the planet's naturally odd atmosphere in order to create light shows truly out of a movie. Most if not all Venusians and tourists alike take at least one trip on the Venusian Ferry in their life.
Bar certain exceptions like Rathlin, most Jintarians live in sprawling city complexes under the aerostats, referred to as, for example, Jintarian Binyaria or Jintarian Parabing to name a section of Jintaria under a specific district. Jintaria as a whole is informally known as ‘downstairs’ by Cythereans, whereas Cytherea is referred to as ‘upstairs’ by Jintarians. These city complexes tend to be densely packed and populated, with little variance in terms of architecture and structure as a result of their government-planned construction. They have overtime, however, been decorated with various LED holoboards bought from Cytherea, artificial parks and other such structures to breathe some life into the atmosphere. The aerostats’ heavier industries, such as power complexes or factories, are entirely located in the Jintarian sections. Jintarians have easy enough access to Cytherea through elevators that can be found throughout their cities, with at least one under each Cytherean district.
Binyaria
Binyaria is the capital aerostat of Venus and by far the most populated one, widely known as Venus’ jewel, sporting the archetypical Cytherean architecture: lightshows, LEDs and flashy buildings. People from across the galaxy flock to Binyaria to experience both Solarian and Cytherean culture, which has its roots in the very same aerostat. It is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the Spur, clocking in the high hundreds of millions of visits every year – with all of them coming to experience the Cytherean culture that began in the very same aerostat. Of course, all of these tourists come to partake in Cytherean hobbies in one way or the other as well.
Cythereans in Binyaria are almost entirely employed in the service and entertainment sectors. Despite its rapid deindustrialisation, Binyaria still hosts a large amount of pharmaceuticals industries and related research complexes, where about 12% of the Cytherean population works.
The following are Binyaria’s most populated and well-known districts.
The Jie District is located at the very centre of Binyaria, named after the original ruler of the aerostat. It is the true heart of the Cytherean fashion and acting industry, along with the bio-modification that goes hand in hand with them. Tourists flock to Jie to partake, or at least gawk, at the majesty of Cytherea's famed fashion houses, acting museums and so on. This district also houses several Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals facilities centred around biomodification and beauty techniques that are frequented by both the rich and famous of Cytherea and exceptionally wealthy (or vain) tourists. Outside of its main thoroughfare, Jie is home to a wild variety of production studies for everything from holovids to music, and many of those involved in Cytherea's entertainment industry make their homes in the expensive apartments and estates of the district. With all of this considered, it is not the district that houses the government, and functions mainly as the flashiest show-off of what Cytherea is truly about, being the most visited district for its value in re-telling Cytherean history (from their side, at least). The only permanent residents in Jie are CEOs, official functionaries and other similarly wealthy or famous figures. "We can't all live in Jie District" is a phrase used by Jintarians to essentially say "not all of us can be filthy rich", to mock Cythereans for their vanity or simply to express just how ridiculous something is. On the flip side, Cythereans often use the phrase "not a Jintarian's chance in Jie" to describe impossible odds or something/someone looking really bad (either socially or physically).
Located at the very centre of the Jie District is the Venusian Stars Institute, arguably Venus’ single most important institution. A gigantic, byzantine skyscraper, covered from bottom to top in holographic billboards and the brightest, most colourful LEDs that can be bought on the Spur. With these features and the tacky holographic signs on all four sides at its top blasting its acronym in the brightest rainbow lights imaginable, it dominates Binyaria’s skyline as a consistent reminder of what truly keeps the aerostat afloat: the power of media. Curiously enough, the phrase "You're like the Jie skyline" has recently become a Cytherean way to tell someone that they stand out, either from good looks or for other reasons. Its first recorded usage was in an Interstellar Girls single from 2463, Skyline.
The Jie District is also home to the Jie Holocinema Complex, the largest and most advanced holocinema in the Spur. It is an absolutely gigantic and flashy structure, being by far the brightest and most-decorated building in Cytherea as a whole. Every single top movie has at least one early screening in this cinema, and these tickets often go for exorbitant prices – which doesn’t stop Cytherea’s many billionaires from lapping them up as soon as they come on the market. Its claim to fame is the Virtual Reality Suite, the highest class viewing hall available, where the viewer can fully immerse themselves in the movie by being able to freely view the current scene from any angle through experimental VR technology. Lower-class viewing halls that provide the “classic” experience are also present for those that don’t have quite as much wealth.
This cinema is found at the very centre of Our Lady’s Plaza, a massive sprawling circular plaza. Its claim to fame is it is built under an artificial vineyard, providing quite the change of pace from the other plazas that may be mistaken as dance floors by unknowing visitors. Restaurants and shops of all kinds can be found around this plaza, providing one of the most unique experiences possible for a weekend. "Our Lady's has nothing on this place!" is a somewhat uncommon exclamation for Cythereans to refer to a really cool place.
The Chiye-Gyo District was helped to fame by corporate investment rather than Venus' municipal government. It was a district constructed and leased to the megacorporations to function as a corporate hub on the planet, where one can find any corporate facility they wish for, whether that be corporate-sponsored universities or Idris shopping malls to buy the newest clothing catalogue at. Nanotrasen used to have a presence here as well, but their assets here have been entirely handed off to Einstein Engines. Because of this megacorporate presence, Chiye-Gyo is often used as a backdoor out of Venus for those wanting to leave the planet, with the corporations offering contracts both in Sol and abroad to Venusians willing to take them – Jintarians and Cythereans alike. Of course, many of these Venusians also have to undergo mandatory training courses in Chiye-Gyo to bring them up to speed with their new job. Following the Industrial Reclamation Decree and the nationalisation of Nanotrasen property, their workers were offered to transfer abroad in the Republic of Biesel by the corporation if they wished to leave the Alliance. "Straight laced like Chiye-Gyo's corpos" is a slang phrase used by Cythereans to refer to someone who's too serious. "Corpos" can often be substituted with "goons", "suits" or other demeaning terms.
The Parabing District is Binyaria’s most populated district, representing where the majority of its population resides. It is where most of the Cytherean life takes place, with its many stylish apartments, estates and houses, but is not lacking in entertainment and hosts a number of clubs, PC cafes, karaoke joints, laid-back bars, and fast food restaurants complete with glowing neon lights. Parabing also sees a high amount of Jintarian thoroughfare in its districts, both because of its entertainment opportunities and for work reasons, as some Jintarians that live downstairs can find employment in Parabing’s chemical and pharmaceuticals complexes. "Putting the bing-o in Parabing!" is an expression used by particularly goofy Jintarians and Cythereans as another way of saying "Bingo!". It is, however, very informal and somewhat ridiculous, so it is only used among good friends, most often after a drink or five. Jintarian Parabing hosts a fairly large number of immigrant workers in its Jintarian side, where it hosts the largest population of Martian immigrants in the Spur as a result of Violet Dawn.
While hardly as famous as any of its higher counterparts, the Central Binyarian Power Complex on level ten is one of the most important levels in the entire aerostat. The Complex provides fission-based power to the entire aerostat using a network of massive fusion generators. The amount of equipment needed to ensure that power flows and the generators continue functioning has turned the Complex into a massive labyrinth of tunnels and industrial machinery that are difficult to navigate through and very easy to become lost in. As a result the Complex is informally known as "the Labyrinth" and has very few legal permanent residents. The tunnels of the Complex are often poorly-lit and filled with stagnant air due to insufficient ventilation. Due to the construction of the Complex noises are able to easily travel through it, and the groaning of machinery and hissing of coolant pipes can echo through miles of tunnels. The Labyrinth is seen as a very unsettling place by both Cythereans and Jintarians, and the disquieting nature of it and similar power facilities have become fodder for the Cytherean film industry. This place's pervasion in pop culture has led to the creation of some creative slang phrases, such as "Have you come from the Labyrinth?" to refer to an ugly person for Cythereans, or "The Labyrinth's got nothing on you" to refer to a particularly cool person for Jintarians. Both cultures attempt to one-up the other, with Cythereans using this complex as a negative attribute and Jintarians attempting to reclaim it.
Jintarian Binyaria is the home to most of the planet’s Jintarians, but does not present itself to be much different from the rest of Jintaria, architecturally or structurally. It does, however, house some districts and landmarks that are very renowned across Jintaria.
The Susuhe District is the largest and most populated Jintarian district in Venus. It is functionally a mishmash of every kind of facility: from power plants to sports facilities to apartments and parks, nearly everything can be found here, providing an extremely centralised but comfortable lifestyle, if a bit packed with people. Jintarians may find employment either in Susuhe itself or even directly above it in Parabing’s pharmaceutical complexes. Being the administration’s home and arguably the heart of the Jintarian class, it also houses a few important landmarks.
The Venusian Jintarian Museum is the main point of reference for Jintarian culture, inspired by the Diamond Hall in function. While it presents itself as a rather boring building – clearly not inheriting the Diamond Hall’s gaudy looks – the inside is one of the, if not the most decorated example of Jintarian architecture. Marble flooring and pillars mark the amount of care taken in preserving the story of celebrities and immortalising them as part of Jintaria’s past.
On the entertainment side of things, Susuhe is also home to the Ring, the largest pub across all of Jintaria, built not by the government but by the collective efforts of Jintarians. As its name implies, it is a massive ring-like structure where the inner part is the counter, and the rest is dedicated to tables and other entertainment facilities. Its clients can either simply sit and order their drink and food, or take part in some of the more tame activities that can be found here: the Ring is home to facilities for sports, table football, tabletop games, and more. This pub’s prevalence in Jintarian popular culture has led to the creation of "You're ringing out" as a common slang phrase used by Jintarians to refer to someone who is too drunk or high for their own good.
Rathlin
Rathlin is the second most populated aerostat, and is the home to Venus’ extremely advanced hydroponics and medical facilities. While distant from Binyaria, it has also overtime adopted the archetypical Cytherean culture, but with a fairly large degree of difference: mainly, the resentment that Rathliners feel towards their Binyarian brethren. While practically all of them accept their Cytherean ways of life (which have been, to some degree, imposed on them), it doesn’t quite feel right to them that Binyaria is the centre of attention in all things Venus. This has developed into a sort of complex of inferiority towards Binyarians, with Rathliners eager to show that they’re just as relevant as their compatriots. Of course, this has to happen in other fields, as there is no hope for Rathlin’s media industries to ever outpace Binyaria’s. Instead, Rathliners – Cytherans and Jintarians alike – are much more likely to seek to climb the social ladder via scientific or medical prowess.
Another oddity unique to Rathlin is that it is the aerostat with the largest number of Jintarians living among the Cytherean population – in fact, most of its Jintarian population lives in its Cytherean side, with only around 21% living below. Many Jintarians find easy enough employment in Rathlin’s many medical, scientific and hydroponics fields if they have the skills to show for it, as these jobs are in ever-increasing demand. Some of these Jintarians can even find their way to Cytherean Binyaria, as expertise is always welcome if they can survive its cutthroat environment – and if they can match Cythereans in beauty.
The following are Rathlin’s most populated and well-known districts.
The Nunusa District is Rathlin’s seat of government and where most of its population resides. While just as brightly decorated as other Binyarian districts, Nunusa sets itself apart by borrowing its architectural styles from diverse places on Earth: anything can be found in its districts, from Baltic old town architecture to traditional Japanese architecture. Of course, all of these architectures have the typical Venusian twists to them – LED strips to accentuate colours, holographic advertisement billboards attached to the sides, and other similar tacky details. Nunusa also hosts a fairly large number of Jintarian residents. Cythereans often say that something looks "like Susuha" if it's a mishmash of many things, a melting pot, or generally curious or interesting.
Nunusa is home to one of Venus’ most multicultural academies, the Nunusa Polymedical Institute, informally known as PolyNu. It is Venus’ highest rated medical university as it places more of a focus on skills rather than good looks, and many aspiring Cytherean doctors from other aerostats – even Binyaria – study here, either by using the Venusian Ferry or by temporarily moving to Nunusa. Binyarians often find themselves teased and sometimes even mocked by Rathliners for attending classes in this institute, but the education is top notch nonetheless. These four groups of cultures that coexist – Jintarians, Binyarians, Rathliners and Cythereans from other aerostats – are in a constant race to one-up the other through bragging about better grades or whichever other methods they can come up with. While this does contribute to a higher degree of academic competitiveness in the university, these competitions can also be settled in other ways, such as on the dance floor. "You're like a Binyarian in PolyNu" is a common phrase used by Rathliners to describe someone who's out of place.
The Satisma District is perhaps Venus’ most important industrial district, made up almost entirely of hydroponics facilities and attached employee housing. It provides Venus with practically all of its food, and even exports a significant amount to the Alliance as a whole. A good amount of the Spur’s expert hydroponicists are raised and trained in Satisma’s world-class facilities. Cythereans and Jintarians alike work in this district, with Cythereans managing to find it bearable as it is not particularly high-intensity work, and automation does most of the job anyway. Jintarians often write off their Cytherean workers as particularly lazy here, but that is not necessarily always the truth. "Do you work at Satisma?" is a slang phrase used by particularly vain Cythereans to refer to someone who is lower class or generally uninteresting. It is very negatively charged and often elicits a reply in kind (or worse) if used against Jintarians.
The Rimari District is, on the surface, quite similar to Satisma, filled with hydroponics complexes and other such installations. In truth, it is arguably the centre for Venus’ drug trade: completely dominated and owned by Zeng-Hu, the hydroponics plants here are rumoured to grow exclusively narcotics and whatever other types of drugs the Cytherean clientele may desire. It is strictly guarded at all hours of the day by several VPPF detachments, which has most certainly only further stained the Venusian Police’s name in the minds of Jintarians and unsatisfied Cytherean. Rimari also holds the infamous reputation of being the largest narcotics trade hub in the entire Spur according to several independent newspapers and research articles, claims that have been solely ignored by every single Venusian government. "Locked up like Rimari" is a charged slang phrase used by Cythereans and Jintarians alike to refer to someone who's clearly holding a secret of some sort, or refusing to talk about it.
Jintarian Rathlin is not much different from Jintarian Binyaria, mainly because of Jintaria’s beginnings as little more than pre-fabricated drab cities. It is, however, connected to Jintarian Binyaria through the Venusian Ferry.
Jintarian Satisma is mostly made up of restaurants, curiously enough, which import food from the hydroponics facilities above. Jintarians can find their respite in many of the higher-class (for Jintarians, anyway – they would still not hold a candle to Cytherean restaurants) in this district. Jintarian Satisma is also the host of the Satisma Fair, a 3-day fair beginning on the 15th of March and ending on the 18th where the streets of the districts are filled with food stands, festivals and other such activities. It is extremely famous among Jintarians and most of them attend it yearly, spending more than usual. Additionally, cooks from the rest of the Alliance sometimes set up their own stands and makeshift restaurants here as it is a very, very lucrative opportunity. New Hai Phonger cooks are especially renowned in Jintarian Satisma, with many trying to emulate their cuisine.
Government and Politics
Venus’ government is, on the surface, fairly simple: each aerostat has its own governor, which is elected through a democratic vote where all registered citizens can participate. Each district likewise has its own representative, elected in the very same manner. However, Venus places little to no effort in fighting any sort of corruption, often staffing its anti-corruption bureaus as if they were vacation homes for retired politicians. This has led to Venus’ government historically being among the most corrupt and inefficient in the Spur, with a record period of 11 years without any significant reform (according to the Xanusii News Service’s Venusian Insight scoop of 2431, with a significant reform’ classified as any bill that implements a new social or governmental program). District representatives and aerostat governors alike are often accused by independent news services of collaborating in the Venusian drug trade to disgusting degrees, pocketing bribe money left and right and willingly ignoring the issues that plague Venus. Moreover, competition is at an all-time low on Venus, with all of its sectors practically monopolised by a select few companies. Venus’ media freedom ranks at its highest peak ever according to Venusian and some Solarian outlets, but independent news services often instead rank it at the bottom due to the VSI’s absolute stranglehold on the media services.
Under the surface, Venus has many de-facto exceptions given to it by the Solarian law apparatus. Drug trade and consumption are essentially completely allowed on Venus, with the VPPF not particularly inclined to ever prosecute these crimes due to their profitability. Whatever narcotics one may desire are nearly always handed over-the-counter at Zeng-Hu pharmacies, which present a technically legal front – and, as a result, no perquisitions ever occur.
This general complacency boiled over in Hendrik Strom’s election as the planetary senator in 2453, a result of Cytherean apathy and general lack of care towards voting. Elected through a historic Jintarian turnout, his campaign has run on anti-corruption promises and economic reforms – populist policies that are not appreciated by Cythereans or by the established Venusian industries. Whether these reforms will be implemented or have any long-lasting effect is yet to be seen, however, as more pressing matters have taken the ex-senator’s attention since the Solarian collapse.
The Venusian Stars Institute is an entirely government-controlled agency and an integral part of the average Venusian’s life. It has absolute control over Venusian media, from what gets produced and put on the extranet to the image rights of its stars and idols, with more details on this particular facet in the Cytherean Culture section. To the average citizen, the VSI is an almost invisible force behind social media, rarely interfering unless absolutely necessary. An example of this is the silencing of the Binyarian Exposé, where journalists propagating the story in question were promptly banned from all social media and their stories scrubbed from the Extranet.
The Venusian Planetary Police Force
Venus’ law enforcement agency is the Venusian Planetary Police Force, or VPPF. The VPPF is more of a media stunt than a real police force, being riddled with corruption and inefficiencies, where officers are known to readily take bribes to ignore crimes -- particularly the crimes of Venus' rich and famous. The VPPF's reputation is so poor that megacorporate facilities and Venusian notables may even use private military contractors from the Eridani Federation Military to provide security instead. Hendrik Strom and his fellow populists have made a scapegoat out of the VPPF by citing its most public failures such as its inability to contain the now-defunct Tajara Revolutionary Army and its rampant cronyism. In public polling, the Venusian police typically ranks as one of the least popular planetary police agencies in the entire Solarian Alliance. It can mostly be seen policing important landmarks, clubs, bars or whichever important gala is being hosted on a certain night. The gendarmerie’s poor standing also has to do with mostly who exactly chooses a career in it, often described as a dead-end career: that is to say, mostly crashouts and those who don’t want to be in the spotlight, for one reason or the other. Unfortunately for them, the VPPF doesn’t pay very handsomely and is seen as the opposite of a prestigious career, being considered useless by just about every single Venusian. This has led to an extremely high rate of turnover, with those leaving the VPPF often leaving Venus entirely and looking for work abroad as mercenaries in the PMCG/EPMC or as corporate security: leaving the planet with their eyes open to Venus’ many injustices and likely more depressed as a result.
The VPPF is structured into one department per aerostat with thirty-two sections per district, with each section varying in size depending on the population and importance of the location. Rimari has by far the largest sections across Binyaria. While the VPPF functions like an archetypical gendarmerie, many of its bureaus are intentionally stunted: narcotics or financial crimes departments often function in name only, with their director being paid off by more than one person in exchange for their inaction. This situation is known to just about anyone who researches it, but most importantly they have to care about it – which is not the case for the average Cytherean. After all, the VPPF’s inaction is what allows their hedonistic lifestyle to continue.
Synthetics on Venus
Positronics on Venus are mainly imported from around Sol, with Hephaestus and Einstein Engines being the chief providers of chassis and positronics for menial and service work alike. A product of their environment, these IPC are programmed with the local Cytherian or Jintarian accent according to their posting and purpose. Fielded by both the government and private entities, the aerostats of Venus are a prime hub of IPC activity, as well as the shell frame capital of the Alliance, pushing the boundaries of avant-garde taste and chassis modifications to fit all sorts of cosmetic and functional niches of an unhinged entertainment industry.
In Cytherian Society
The service and entertainment sectors make heavy use of IPC workers, both on and off screen, primarily shells provided by Einstein Engines, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and smaller producers such as Earth’s Hazel Electromotive. It is not unusual for Venusian movies to cast shell actors and actresses, using them as stunt doubles for dangerous or arguably fatal screens where agility is a must, sometimes even causing real harm and damage to their forms. Cytherian Stars in the movie industry often have shell lookalikes on standby, shooting multiple scenes at once or even working on different lower-end films to maximise efficiency and output, while also making upcoming and unknown studios pay incredible sums to have a Star’s likeness in their movie, be it the real actor or not. Furthermore, shells are used intensely on stage by bands and brands such as INTERSTELLAR✰GIRLS, enhancing performances with dancing, acrobatics or other such stunts. Shell workers are also commonly found in the infamous Cytherian parties, serving guests or accompanying them in their various activities. The deeper and lower one gets, the more cosmetic altercations one finds on the shells present, as the creativity hampered by Venusian ideals of a clean body, are channelled into tattoos and modifications on their IPC. The application of piercings, vibrant colours and tattoos with fluorescent ink can range from simple creations to extravagant displays of art, utilising the bodies of the shell as a limitless canvas.
While all the above may push a favourable image of the positronics’ lives, the reality is more or less the opposite. Situated in core Solarian territory, Venusians largely echo the conservative views for the treatment of IPC as objects and property, and this is no different for Cytherian shells. While some may have their shining moments or even manage to gather a following on social media, their owners and especially the Venusian Star Institute tend to be quick at grounding them back to reality, making sure that an IPC never gets enough time in the spotlight to shadow a human Star. To this end, shell actors and dancers are often recycled for fresh ones, those discarded being resold for lower-end work in various establishments throughout Binyaria and other aerostats, or as Venusian novelty items abroad. Operating under the same crushing regime that even many Stars find exhausting, the tear and wear caused by repeated performances, dangerous scenes in cinema and a general treatment as nothing more than equipment, guarantees a much shorter lifespan compared to shells in other parts of the Spur.
Jintarians and Corporate Synthetics
While not as expansive as in Cytherian culture, the Jintarian working class sees its fair share of baselines and industrial frames in the workforce, owing to the extreme working conditions found in maintaining certain parts of aerostats. As a result, most positronics intended for labour are programmed with engineering and maintenance databases, organised in teams and sent to work under human technicians in tasks where even the most hardy and experienced individuals would find arduous. One other significant sector such IPC can be found in is the Venusian Planetary Police, fielding synthetic officers for all manners of operations against crime and other runaway synthetics. It is thus only natural that Jintarians interact more with non-shells, with many even coming to somewhat appreciate their presence and make clear distinctions between them and Cytherian positronics. While still under highly restrictive ownership, these IPC enjoy a greater standard of living, usual repairs as well as the lack of fear of living up to unreasonable standards like their counterparts in the more expensive and luxurious locales of Venus.
Corporate synthetics on Venus largely maintain their corporate identity, with some being tailored with a Venusian, mostly Cytherian, flair. Idris’ professional shell service staff and Reclamation Units are often programmed with the accent to cater to the clientele, while in some cases taking on low-scale cosmetic alterations such as fancy antennae, vibrant eye colours or certain skin patterns. Owing to a large Zeng-Hu presence in the pharmaceutical industry, Bishop frames are regularly seen around the megacorporation’s installations, in laboratories and pharmacies, their white and sterile form being a characteristic element of the company’s identity in many Venusians’ eyes.
Skrell on Venus
The Nralakk Federation is, to the surprise of very few people, one of the most restrictive states when it comes to public displays of hedonism. Thus it begs the question of what kind of Skrell would dare set foot on Venus, and the answers are fairly simple -- mainly stars and washouts. While there are Skrell on Venus that work in duller fields such as hydroponics, science or medicine, these two groups form the bulk of the popular perception of Skrell on the planet.
Skrellian Stars are the most represented group of Skrell on Venus, being present in prominent media and with some even having a fairly large following. Most of these Stars are either Federation-sponsored actors from Nralakk, human culture enthusiasts or simply disgruntled Skrell who couldn't make it in the Federation, for one reason or the other. The latter two groups are the most likely to fully embrace Venusian ideals and even venture out to other human nations, whereas the former group -- Nralakk loyalists -- do not partake quite as much and keep a tight lip on topics like dissent.
Washouts, instead, are Skrell that have been completely and utterly socially isolated in the Federation. Most often either successful scientists that have published research deemed too controversial or failed doctors that couldn't meet Nralakk's academic standards, Venus represents a prestigious temporary vacation for them to spend their many leftover credits at. These Skrell stay for a matter of years -- a short time to them, but a long time to everyone else -- drowning away their sorrows until they feel ready to hit the stars once again. Whether those stars are part of Venus' artificial sky or are the Spur's is up for them to decide from their brooding.