lb:toaru:what.if.academy.city.existed
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+ | ====== What if Academy City existed? ====== | ||
+ | <WRAP centeralign> | ||
+ | This article is related to the [[lb: | ||
+ | [[lb: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | ===== Introduction ===== | ||
+ | One day, while walking about no doubt, I started thinking about Academy City, and what it would be like if it were real. After a while, I realized it would be perfect for the wiki and decided to think more deeply about it.\\ | ||
+ | After //months// of procrastination, | ||
+ | It should be noted that it's meant to be more ' | ||
+ | Spoilers on this article //will not// be hidden. It is recommend you go through the series before reading, but it is not required.\\ | ||
+ | The first part is dedicated to the foundation of Academy City, which I tried to make plausible. It's written in a slightly different style, because it isn't immediately concerned with the effects of the City. The third part is written in a similar style to the first. | ||
+ | ==== Scenario Considerations ==== | ||
+ | Here are a list of things I kept in consideration while developing the scenario. All of these are kept to a single sentence, but with explanatory notes attached to them if you want more elaboration. | ||
+ | * Magic will not be considered within the scenario, only the ' | ||
+ | * ++ Explanation: | ||
+ | * The state of the city, as we see it in the main series, should be maintained. | ||
+ | * ++ Explanation: | ||
+ | * Characters of the series will be considered in the scenario, provided they aren't related to magic. | ||
+ | * ++ Explanation: | ||
+ | * ++ Kamijou Touma: |Putting it bluntly: he is weird. I mean this both regarding the scenario and the main series. I found that after reading, his power isn't related to science or magic, so he should theoretically still be around. However, Kamijou is more involved with Magic than Science, so I have no idea how much his first adventure with Index affected him as a protagonist. This was a much bigger issue early on, when I couldn' | ||
+ | * ++ Aleister Crowley: |This character failing to be present is a pretty big issue, as he's canonically the founder of Academy City. To deal with this issue, I created the character of ' | ||
+ | ===== Beginnings of Academy City ===== | ||
+ | ==== Initial Foundation ==== | ||
+ | Following the Second World War, a British soldier, named Lester Foully, stationed in Japan decided to settle in the lands. Using his wealth and cunning, he successfully bought a big chunk of Western Tokyo, where he built a number of schools and research institutions. Foully also founded a business to manage all the land.\\ | ||
+ | As the Japanese economy recovered, Lester Foully and his assets contributed to what would be known as the //Japanese Economic Miracle// | ||
+ | Foully later took advantage of the growing power of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. In exchange for his support, the LDP would grant his corporation exclusive contracts and privileges. As the years pass, the land under his control became virtually tax free. His research institutions are virtually unmatched country-wide. However, Lester Foully was still unsatisfied.\\ | ||
+ | During the 1980s, Lester Foully had successfully developed a guaranteed method to produce ' | ||
+ | Foully first considers bribing officials again, as he had before. However, he quickly realizes that a far better opportunity would soon appear.\\ | ||
+ | The Japanese Asset Price Bubble bursts, leading to the Lost Decade and undermining the //1955 system//, which previously granted Foully incredible power. As the economy stagnates, and the LDP continually fails to revive it, Lester Foully approaches the government with a proposition: | ||
+ | He requests the government grant his corporation even more privileges within the area of western Tokyo that he specifies. He specifically requests that his corporation become an autonomous territory of Japan, where the law would be somewhat different. To support his proposal, he points to the Disney territory within Florida and the various ' | ||
+ | The Japanese government rejects his proposal, seeing it as ridiculous and unthinkable. A few years later, and in the wake of several other failed attempts at reviving the economy, the Japanese government approaches Foully again, and they accept his proposal.\\ | ||
+ | The land of western Tokyo is ceded to Lester Foully and his Board of Directors. | ||
+ | ==== Road to Current Year ==== | ||
+ | Lester Foully, as the Chairman of the Board, alongside his Board of Directors, reform their corporation into a pseudo-state. The Board of Directors, with the Chairman on top, is now the supreme authority within Western Tokyo...second to the Japanese government.\\ | ||
+ | Although the police and other services continue to operate within this territory, the Board of Directors establish their own security force. Their primary concern at this time is to guard the property of the Board.\\ | ||
+ | To supplement the existing schools and research institutions, | ||
+ | Due to the limited space within the city, the Board of Directors begin heavily investing into methods to increase territory, primarily into Skyscrapers and Geofronts((fn:> | ||
+ | At this point, the city is already benefitting from rapid innovation. Lester Foully takes advantage of this technology to make himself younger.\\ | ||
+ | In the 2000s, the Chairman of the Board officially begins the Esper Development Program, establishing it as the standard curriculum. The first Espers were to be children((fn:> | ||
+ | The 'First Generation' | ||
+ | As the First Generation grows in power, the Japanese government finds it harder to control them. Unofficially, | ||
+ | The growth in power of the Espers contribute to rising instability within the city. As a result, the Japanese government urges the Board of Directors to increase security. The Board establishes an ID system to keep track of Espers and they start installing cameras. To somewhat restrict travel in and out of the city, they establish a few border control offices, staffed by their security forces.\\ | ||
+ | === The Accelerator Crisis === | ||
+ | An Esper with the ability ' | ||
+ | Eventually, Accelerator is ' | ||
+ | === After the Crisis === | ||
+ | In a meeting with the Japanese government, he manages to convince them that the City's organizations are more capable of handling the Espers. In fact, he argues, the Japanese Government is at fault for not giving the city //more// freedom to exert control over their territory. The Japanese government, staffed by members of the LDP, who remember the failures of the Lost Decade, agree with the Chairman.\\ | ||
+ | The Japanese government fully withdraws from the City, leaving the Board of Directors alone. The City adopts ' | ||
+ | Academy City, now de-facto independent, | ||
+ | Surveillance is increased significantly. A Board member commented ' | ||
+ | The Chairman relies on the technology of Academy City again, and chooses to turn himself into the ' | ||
+ | This massive increase in security necessitated an expansion in manpower. Academy City thus seeks out and hires ex-soldiers, | ||
+ | As the line between ' | ||
+ | The Espers became another security concern, especially many of the vigilantes, who would use their powers to suppress criminals. They realize that they can kill two birds with one stone. The vigilantes would be accepted as another security force within the city, which would help pacify the remaining Espers. Thus, ' | ||
+ | The City quickly finds they have issues supplying enough electricity to keep the City running. They thus separate the City from Japan' | ||
+ | Academy City thus settles into a comfortable position, bringing us to ' | ||
+ | ===== Current Year ===== | ||
+ | Now that we've dealt with the foundation of Academy City, we can move onto the good stuff. What is Academy City like in //current year// and how does it affect the rest of the world? | ||
+ | ==== Academy City ==== | ||
+ | === Culture === | ||
+ | As a result of their isolation, unofficially starting in the 2000s, the culture of the City is lagged behind the rest of Japan. I'm guessing it's roughly a decade behind, with a lot of 90s and early 2000s Japanese culture surviving in the City.\\ | ||
+ | Social media will not have any presence within the City((fn:> | ||
+ | One unintended side-effect of the lack of social media would be that the people of Academy City will have better mental health, compared to those outside the city. As they'd prefer communicating face-to-face, | ||
+ | Another consequence of the mass surveillance would be an incredibly low crime rate. Petty crime just wouldn' | ||
+ | Academy City would do all in their power to restrain the Espers. What should be noted first is that this task is not as difficult as it appears. While we don't know how many Espers there are in total, there are // | ||
+ | * Anti-Skill | ||
+ | * This organization possesses military grade equipment, including tanks and aircraft, and they receive military training. Anti-Skill is also specifically trained to handle Espers and, since it's made up of teachers, there' | ||
+ | * Judgment | ||
+ | * This organization is composed of Espers who receive training most Espers don't. Since they' | ||
+ | * Skill-Out | ||
+ | * While arguably the weakest of the things restraining the Espers, especially the highest levels, they can be dangerous in large numbers. Skill-Out(' | ||
+ | * Other Espers | ||
+ | * Since Espers look like regular people, there' | ||
+ | * The highest levelled Espers, the Level 5s, are the largest deterrent, and if you met one, you would probably shit yourself. However, this also makes them the hardest to control. Fortunately, | ||
+ | * Surveillance | ||
+ | * Any dictator would envy the scale of the surveillance in Academy City. It would be hard to get away with anything in this City. | ||
+ | * Culture | ||
+ | * Espers would be taught to restrain themselves; not to use their powers without good reason. The general Japanese attitude of conformity and manners would help here. Finally, there are a lot of prestigious schools in the City, which have high expectations relating to good behavior. | ||
+ | After being restrained, Academy city will advertise the Espers as the ideal/ | ||
+ | === Economy === | ||
+ | Academy City's economy would be the most advanced in the entire world, due to the technological superiority. Unintentionally, | ||
+ | Due to its limited territory, Academy City would have to import resources to support itself...however, | ||
+ | * Food | ||
+ | * Academy City most definitely has the tech to construct hydroponic farms and produce synthetic meat. Combined with their knowledge of genetic modification, | ||
+ | * If Academy City produces a surplus, they can export it to Japan. As Japan imports a large amount of food, the City would make them less dependent on those imports. | ||
+ | * Energy | ||
+ | * Academy City definitely produces their own energy and they most definitely have good batteries((fn:> | ||
+ | * Oil | ||
+ | * Oil can be produced synthetically and it's possible Academy City could have perfected these methods. | ||
+ | * This would have massive international repercussions, | ||
+ | * Clothing | ||
+ | * Robots to automate clothing production are currently being developed, and since Academy City is 20 years ahead of everyone else, I'll assume they have these. Depending on how advanced the robots are, they might be capable of producing high-quality luxury clothing in large quantities. | ||
+ | * The only issue here is regarding the resources clothing is made of (wool, linen, silk, cotton). Cotton and linen are plant-based, | ||
+ | Despite this, Academy City would still be reliant on some resources, mostly those they can't grow or synthesize. Rare earth metals would be the most important of these resources, which will eternally vex the City. In this case, their investment in the Space Elevator Endymion makes a lot of sense((fn:> | ||
+ | Academy City would have a fully automated industry. I don't think this is too big of a stretch. This would make them an industrial power-house. One of my original assumptions was that, due to the lack of space, a ' | ||
+ | Everything in this section should tell you that Academy City is essentially living in post-scarcity, | ||
+ | ==== The World ==== | ||
+ | In all likelihood, the vast majority of people won't think of Academy City as an independent entity, and I believe a large chunk of them wouldn' | ||
+ | However, the rest of the world //will// be aware of the Espers, who they will view dismissively at first. Skeptics will talk about how Espers must be scientifically impossible, so only the conspiracy theorists and crazies will believe in them at first. This will change as the number of Espers grow and especially after the // | ||
+ | The world will start to fear the Espers, with Academy City, through Japan, trying to downplay their danger. The City's attempts to control the Espers will eventually lead to a positive image within Japan, with children dreaming of becoming Espers. For the rest of the world however, the fear will slowly start getting replaced by another feeling: envy.\\ | ||
+ | The Espers will have an air of mystery to them. After all, it's more than a little strange when a group of superhumans suddenly appear all at once and for seemingly no reason. On top of that, Academy City keeps the development process secret.\\ | ||
+ | Three particular groups will focus their attention on Academy City, those being the skeptics, conspiracy theorists, and nerds. The skeptics will focus on the Espers, attempting to travel to the City directly to confirm their existence. The conspiracy theorists will start to view Academy City, or Tokyo, as the ' | ||
+ | The world' | ||
+ | Academy City's resources, and economy in general, would be an additional source of resentment. The City seemingly has the capability to produce any resource they choose, except for a few. Additionally, | ||
+ | The world' | ||
+ | ===== Future ===== | ||
+ | Over the years, Academy City has faced many crises, most of which were swept under the rug by the City's administration, | ||
+ | ==== Skill-Out Uprising ==== | ||
+ | Under Komaba Ritoku, Skill-Out stages an uprising. Their aim is to disable the communication and surveillance system to target Espers and, if possible, to take control of major parts of the City. They successfully disable the system, leading to incredible chaos as dark-side organizations, | ||
+ | Academy City rapidly deploys Anti-Skill, Judgment, various loyal Espers, and whatever dark-side organizations remained loyal to put down the uprising. They managed to maintain control of various areas, including the Windowless building and the border wall.\\ | ||
+ | The Japanese government learns of the uprising in Academy City. They' | ||
+ | In the meantime, Skill-Out' | ||
+ | JSDF troops reach the City's wall. They request entry at the various entryways, but the Anti-Skill guards refuse, stating ' | ||
+ | Academy City restores the communication and surveillance system, allowing them to reorganize properly. They begin the counter-attack, | ||
+ | Japanese officials demand to meet with the Board of Directors, additionally demanding for them to allow the JSDF into the City. Some members of the Board agree to meet with the officials, while the rest refuse. They also unanimously refuse to allow the JSDF into the City. During the meeting, the Board members refuse to answer any questions. The meeting ends when the Board leaves, not having answered a single question. The Japanese officials are livid.\\ | ||
+ | Komaba Ritoku, satisfied with what he's accomplished, | ||
+ | Academy City retakes their territory and mop up any remaining criminals, but Skill-Out remains((fn:> | ||
+ | ==== The Power Gap ==== | ||
+ | The Japanese government orders the JSDF to forcefully enter the City. The JGSDF fortify outside of the entryways, threatening to fire at the entryways if they refuse entry. The JASDF sends fighter aircraft to fly over the City.\\ | ||
+ | In response, Anti-Skill deploy their own troops. The entryways open to reveal advanced tanks and mechs. Parts of the wall and the ground in front of it opens up to reveal turrets. Academy City's own fighters intercept the JASDF fighters. They also deploy their unmanned attack helicopters. In an instant, the JSDF can tell they' | ||
+ | Finally realizing the technological disparity, the Japanese government is frozen in terror. They consider mobilizing the JSDF and the police to prepare for an Academy City invasion. However, a representative of the Board of Directors appears requesting a meeting between the City and Japan.\\ | ||
+ | The meeting is attended by all high-ranking members of the Japanese government as well as every member of the Board of Directors, bar the Chairman, who sent a representative in his place. The Board of Directors at first simply request a return to the previous status quo, but the Chairman' | ||
+ | ==== War ==== | ||
+ | Academy City is by this point the most powerful and disruptive entity on the planet. If they choose to, they can crash an economy by simply smuggling their goods into it.\\ | ||
+ | The rest of the world' | ||
+ | Academy City relies on imports of rare earth metals, as they still haven' | ||
+ | The rest of the world is shocked and deeply angered by this. With their envy and resentment finally reaching a breaking point, a coordinated war begins against Academy City (and Japan). It's time for World War 3!((fn:> | ||
+ | The war is relatively short, and incredibly one-sided. Academy City has achieved victory. They' | ||
+ | Academy City launches its first asteroid mining operation, signaling the beginning of the space age. | ||
+ | ===== Misc ===== | ||
+ | * The scenario is a bit pessimistic near the end. I do also realize that Academy City is incredibly over-powered, | ||
+ | * For comparison, imagine if a country had WW2-era weapons and vehicles at the start of the First World War. The disparity would be insane. They wouldn' | ||
+ | * I realized recently that the existence of Skill-Out doesn' | ||
+ | * Skill-Out is something of an inevitability when considering the number of Level 0s and the ' | ||
+ | * Another particular of the crime would be that criminals (the smart ones) will start purposefully avoiding areas with cameras in them. It's even possible they' | ||
+ | * I realized recently that there is another potential possible origin for Judgment. Judgment could have been formed through a unification of various school Disciplinary committees across Academy City, with Academy City granting this unified entity more power/ | ||
+ | * Minor Scenario things: | ||
+ | * Cloning of humans is currently illegal in a lot of countries. I'm assuming that Academy City's technological progress would make it illegal internationally however, not that that' | ||
+ | * Academy City's government would be vaguely corporate. It's possible that rather than ' | ||
+ | * The group composed of skeptics, conspiracy theorists, and nerds (which I've taken to calling 'The Academics' | ||
+ | * There' | ||
+ | * It should be noted here that Aleister Crowley is functionally the entire surveillance system in the main series, and he is // | ||
+ | * Of course, if people realize that not all of the cameras are effective, their behavior will change. Unfortunately, | ||
+ | * Levels 3 or above would be more individualistic, | ||
+ | * The United States is mentioned as a country that tries to create their own Espers because they' | ||
+ | * I realized that Academy City could do something that's pretty small, but hilarious. If Academy City can produce luxury clothing at lower prices than anyone else, they can simply choose to sell it at the same-ish prices as ' | ||
+ | * Events: | ||
+ | * This bit is for minor stuff regarding events that occur within the main series. | ||
+ | * I believe that anything that's exclusively or mostly science-side will happen, but there are a few exceptions: | ||
+ | * I don't know if the Tree Diagram will be destroyed or not. Probably not, as it's destroyed by Index, by accident. But this has pretty massive repercussions. | ||
+ | * The Level 6 shift project might not end. Alternatively, | ||
+ | {{tag> |