Aerie

The apartment lay bare. A small couch and a tv. A table with one chair. A futon in the bedroom. No pictures on the walls.
Kathy didn't need things. This small place was transitory to her. She wasn't in the Stacks where she grew up. She wasn't at her small dormitory at the University. Her first apartment under the tracks was only weeks ago, and much larger than this, but similarly empty. One month into her job at Ophidicorp, and she was spending three fourths of her incoming for this place.
The window had a view, of the dingy banks of the downtown district. Kathy shrugged. She wouldn't be here much, spending most of her time in the office. Nor would she be here long. She had her place in the Aerie, her foot in the door, and now she just had to move up. Both figuratively and literally.

Purpose / Function

The Aerie is largely residential and host to around 600 residences averaging about 1000 population, with the trunk of the tree packed with small condominiums. The branched floors tend to have larger families, owned by the more affluent of the city, some owning the equivalent of entire floors. Only the richest have residences atop the Canopy, with stunning views of Terminal City and the surrounding areas. Some families, such as the Strand Family , and the St George Family have sprawling estates on the Canopy. These lands are owned by the families who built the structure, and no new estates are permitted.
In the center of the Canopy is a public park called the nest, often visited by structure colloquially called 'The Egg'. The egg is a 50m gold and crystal ovoid structure with 5 floors, and is reserved for the most opulent of events, such as extravagant weddings and the Canopy Cotillion Ball.

Architecture

The Aerie is a towering golden structure dominating Beacon Island. The structure spans the breadth of the landmass. It measures just over 500m in height and houses around 300 families. Using Covenant construction technology the structure is a massive 1000m round diameter at its base. 24 vertical elevators serve the structure, with dozens walkways and of funiculars servicing the larger residencies in the upper branches. Docking services are available at several levels for dirigibles.
The bottom levels house a number of ritzy business, shopping centers, and restaurants to service the residents. Other business such as these are interspersed throughout the upper floors, thought they are the exception not the rule.
At 200m the structure widens, a tangle of branches that host free standing residencies on platforms.
The topmost floor is the Canopy, which is almost 2 kilometers across. The Canopy is a sprawling park, with groves and streams meticulously engineered to create the most pastoral experience.

History

The Aerie was built with funds from wealthy families who returned to Terminal City after the Trinity War ended. Many of them had Covenant construction contracts (such as St George owned Ophidicorp), and were allowed use of proprietary technology to build the structure.
Given the level of poverty and the general suffering of the refugees from the war, to many the structure is a monument to the massive wealth inequity of Terminal City. This is evidenced by the common graffiti found in The Stacks, of the tree turned upside down with 'revolution' sprayed across it.

Type

Arcology / Residential Complex

Parent Location

Aerie District

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