Patras
Patras is the capital of the colonized planet of Banas which is a sovereign planetary territory of Sayaffallah with a population of 26.5 million people. With over 30 capital districts Patras is the largest city on the planet of Banas and indeed the largest in all of Sayaffallah with a population each year pushing closer to double the population of Bellissimomare. Like the capital city, Patras, is designated a recipient of crown protection and is governed by an appointed Royal Governor who serves a 10 year term and is either renewed or replaced at the end of the 10 years of service.
History
Founder's Day
July 4, 1960 is celebrated as the founding day of Patras and indeed marks the time that Banas was full time inhabited by human beings. Each year Founder's Day is celebrated in Patras with all businesses and government offices closing on July 4 and great celebrations taking place throughout the day and into the evening finishing with a large scale fireworks demonstration. However when Patras was founded it was in much more austere conditions than the currently existing capital. Its founders consisted of 10 individuals sent to the planet by the Western Corporation in a quasi experiment to see if human life could be sustained and survived on the planet.
Within a month petty squabbling began among the 10 space explorers and the group split in half with 5 venturing approximately 600 miles out in a 3 month long journey and ultimately these individuals served to found several settlements for mineral and resource cultivation along their route. While the remaining 5 worked feverishly with assistance sent from the planet of Micras to help in the process of developing the settlement into a proper village and eventual city that could not just sustain human life but contribute to human life absolutely thriving within that environment. Large shipments of steel and prefabricated frames were sent to Patras and eventually more transports containing additional human volunteers arrived to join the community and to contribute to its growth and sustainment. Scientists, psychologists, medical doctors, nurses, plumbers, electricians, architects and all manner of occupations soon became prevalent in Patras as the city developed itself and within five years time the population had reached 22000 people and saw the election of its first mayor.
First elections
July 1, 1964 was the date agreed upon by a common majority of residents in Patras to be the date upon which mayoral and local elections would be held. This agreement was reached several months earlier on March 16, 1964 in a general meeting and vote held at the Patrasian Palace of Achievement which had been built as a monument to human achievement on Banas during the 5 short years they were on the planet. When the elections were held a 100% turnout was achieved in the plebiscite of voters over the age of 16 in accordance with Sayaffallan law.
The elections in Patras elected 16 year old high school student Josiah Parker as its first Mayor after he promised to devote greater attention to developing the town over the next five years and work to see the first university built and established in Patras. During his tenure in offer Josiah proved to be a tenacious leader and a dedicated one at that and after five years in his 10 year term construction began on the Royal University of Patras and was dedicated by the Sultan of Sayaffallah who traveled from Sayaffallah to the planet of Banas to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony marking the first time a head of state ever stood on the sacred soil of Banas. Also during his term Josiah oversaw groundbreaking on the Patras International Spaceport and Airport complex with a terminal capable of handling 60,000 passengers a day and the ability to receive spacecraft in an organized fashion.
At the end of his term Parker stepped down and declined to run for a future term indicating his desire to travel to Sayaffallah itself and to attend the Military College of Sayaffallah. His immediate successor was elected in the elections held on July 1, 1974 in which Asmina Sawah was elected as the first female mayor of the town at the age of 62 a former astronautical engineer who helped to oversee the construction of the spaceport facility in Patras.
Population explosion
By 1974 the population of Patras was well over 95,000 people with the city having hit the 65,000 mark only 4 short years earlier. The population explosion saw a shortage of available housing within the city and the beginnings of urban sprawl outside of the city of Patras. In an effort to combat the population explosion and also provide for the housing of newcomers the city voted in a 9-1 city council vote to have permit fees assessed to those desiring to live in the city which would be based on 25% of their annual income or their potential promised income if they had a job lined up in the city and for students incoming it would require the university to provide 15% payment of the total tuition for university in Patras.
This tax proved to be a successful measure as the demand never really sloped off after its introduction but instead increased as interest in space travel and living on Banas increased. The funds from the taxation and permit fees allowed for the construction of public housing and the refurbishment of Patras. The roads of the city were converted into large thoroughfares and the Patrasian Palace of Achievement was converted into the Patras Royal Citadel as a defensive and half military outpost with extensive accommodation eventually for the Royal Governor of Patras in 1990. The Mayoral lodgings were built in the center of the city on the top floors of the Patras City Hall allowing the Mayor of the city a generous 35 rooms in a 6 floor glass ensconced residence.
These renovations also saw the construction of government housing along the major thoroughfares leading from the airport zone to the heart of the city with the ability to accommodate and house approximately 2.6 million families upon completion. These housing complexes featured direct transportation link for those with a housing complex access card and featured large interconnecting park space with lakes and trees and landscaped features only accessible to those with public housing access cards. In addition to this law enforcement saw upgrades with a CCTV system installed in the downtown corridor and bike patrols instated in the farther stretches of Patras making it much more effective in carrying out its duties within the town.
A Championship host
During the Tragedy of 1974 which occurred in Bellissimomare Stadium the SRL designated that the 1975 Sayaffallan Royal Football Cup be held in Patras at its newly constructed soccer stadium with a capacity to seat over 105,000 people. Patras Field was quickly outfitted with the insignia's of the SRL and seating was changed to accommodate the increased amounts of crowds arriving for the game and soon the city was abuzz in preparation for the championship.
1975 proved to be a critical test for the infrastructure and development of the city, additional housing was constructed and hotels began to spring up in preparation of the game being held. The 1975 Championship game saw the arrival of over 460,000 fans many of whom watched the game outside the stadium in large fan designated plazas constructed for the purpose of providing an enjoyable atmosphere for the fans during the final game itself. The game was completely sold out and saw all 105,000 seats taken and also was the first time a game was televised through space to the nation of Sayaffallah in a triumph of human ingenuity and engineering as well as the perseverance of the human spirit.
After the successful hosting of the Sayaffallan Royal Football Cup the city became a new destination for those wishing to take in athletics within Patras and before long a push was held to hold a semi-annual exhibition of athletics in Patras with its starting year taking place on December 4, 1980 and lasting through the month of January and ending on January 31. This athletic exhibition included everything from downhill skiing to formula one racing to large scale football matches in stadiums across Banas. In many ways it served to begin to formulate the hodgepodge cultural identity of a planet colony of Sayaffallah and began to see the identities of competing cities begin to form as well.
Infrastructure challenges
November 1990 saw a series of significant meetings held to discuss growing infrastructure challenges. By this point the population of Patras had reached 8.2 million and daily saw congestion lasting for upwards for 4 hours or longer in the morning and evening. To alleviate these problems of congestion and transit delays the city began a series of projects to increase and further the abilities of the city transit network the first of which saw a large scale high speed monorail installed around the periphery of the city connecting to a central downtown station which had a direct link to high speed subway system within the central heart of the business district in Patras.
These changes alleviated congestion significantly reducing congestion related delays from 4 hours to 30 minutes or less in the morning and evening hours. Beyond this the installation of helipads led to the creation of a helicopter transit network at a reduced rate for this who bought in with an annual membership. The helicopter network established a preset list of 30 destinations along a route with the helicopter starting at one point making stops along 30 places before ending its route and returning to the beginning to repeat it again. The speed and safety of a helicopter proved successful and it sold out within an hour of being announced as people phoned in to take advantage of the helicopter network and more the novelty of traveling to work by helicopter rather than other modes available.
The airport itself was upgraded in the year 2000 and saw significant changes including the introduction of a massive hotel bridging the gap between the international and domestic terminals with security checks in the lobby of the hotel allowing guests to expedite between terminals quickly and efficiently without much hassle. The hotel saw the creation of 2,500 rooms many of which stay full all year round due to the volume of travel through the Patras airport.
Climate
Patras is a coastal city surrounded by an interlocking ring of extremely tall alpine mountains. Both the mountainous areas and the coastal areas are inhabited and considered to be Patras proper. Because of this Patras is informally divided into two distinctive sub cities with Patras Upper being the mountainous area and Patras Lower being the coastal area. Patras Lower frequently has warm temperatures in the summertime with only 6-10 days of rain while Patras Upper in the summertime has moderate heat with only 14-26 days of rain in the summertime. During winter Patras Lower experiences a cooling of temperatures which only reach the freezing mark 2 or 3 times during the winter cycle while in Patras Upper the winter weather is consistently cold with daily snowfall accumulations of 4-5 feet on a daily basis making the need for snow blowing equipment essential to survival in the cold sub-arctic environment.
This great diversity in climate between Patras Upper and Patras Lower has been a point of research and study for scientists for some time now. The population of both however enjoy being able to hop on a chairlift or the monorail and within 30 minutes max be in either tropical or snowy temperatures and able to enjoy the leisure pursuits that come with both climes. Both areas are subject to the occasional strong storm with typhoons hitting Patras Lower once or twice a year with large size waves that sometimes will breach the sea walls while the same system will generate strong winds and occasional tornadoes in Patras Upper.
Government
Royal Governor of Patras
The Royal Governor of Patras was a position created by decree of the Sultan on October 1, 1990 in recognition of its exponential population growth and the desire to oversee the growth and development of Patras as a crown protection city. The Royal Governor is housed in the Patras Royal Citadel along with a garrison of Royal Guard troops for his protection and that of dignitaries in the city of Patras. The Royal Citadel also serves as a reception lodging for foreign heads of state and for the Sultan of Sayaffallah to stay whenever he is in Patras.
The Royal Governor is responsible for appointing 10 of the members of the Patras City Council while the electorate of Patras votes directly for the other 10 members of the City Council which is drawn from individuals who decide to run for the post from within the city of Patras. The Governor is also the individual at the head of administration of the Royal University of Patras formally replacing the old role of President that existed before the Governorship was created. Beyond this the Governor is the Commander of the Garrison of Banas a wide planetary role that sees him traveling to various parts of Banas to inspect the troops. The Garrison is the first line of defence in the event of invasion and presently numbers 2.1 million in overall force size.
Mayor of Patras
The Mayor of Patras is responsible for the general day to day management and running of the city of Patras and is elected every 10 years. The first Mayor was Josiah Parker, a high school student at the time, who oversaw the construction of the spaceport and airport within Patras among many other accomplishments. The mayor is responsible for overseeing all emergency services in the city and is the first point of contact during a city wide or localized emergency in Patras. The Mayor is assisted in his duties by the City Council of Patras of which the Mayor is able to appoint 5 deputies which serve to bring matters to the attention of the council but lack the power to vote on any matters. The Mayor's residence is on the 6 top floors of the Patras City Hall building.
City Council
The City Council is composed of 20 members. Of those 20 approximately 10 are elected while the remaining 10 are appointed to their 1 year term by the Governor. Council members are only allowed 5 consecutive 1 year terms before they must take a 5 year break during which time other individuals are able to serve. The Council is responsible for setting taxation and for implementing and creating ordinances for the city. The Council is also the first line of contact for concerned citizens and those wishing to develop business within Patras itself.
Council of Citizens
This 38 member council is seated for 5 year terms and are elected by the members of each district some of which are university districts representing the students at the Royal University depending on their class year and their status as undergraduates, graduates or postgraduates or alumni. The Council of Citizens is a purely advisory board with the ability to introduce policy proposals to the City Council directly that the City Council may either entertain to hear or dismiss altogether at their leisure. The Council of Citizens can be dismissed at any time by the Governor and elections also can be held anytime. The Council of Citizens also serves as a dispute resolution court with the ability to hand out verdicts (must be unanimous) or to recommend prosecution or handling by a higher court. Cases may only be taken to the Council of Citizens if both the plaintiff and defendant as well as their legal representation agree to the jurisdiction and legal binding of the Council of Citizens.
Culture of Patras
Patras is a richly vibrant cosmopolitan city with a growing population of young adults mainly those who are studying in the University and those who have just graduated and are seeking employment within Patras. The culture of Patras is a vibrant one and streets are often closed on the weekends for large scale festivals and celebrations which are unofficial in nature and often an accepted part of the overall cultural atmosphere of Patras. Patras originated from a group of space explorers who came with very little of anything to Banas and established Patras from the back of their hard work. This spirit of hard work and adventurism can still be felt through the sheer amount of outdoor activities that exist in the surrounding area of Patras which emphasizes extreme athleticism and survival.
Patrasians are a hardy outdoorsy group of people from all walks of life with the majority (over 95%) being from Sayaffallah originally. Patras is an isolated capital in that it has some urban sprawl extending out 150 kilometers in all directions in smaller towns here and there but beyond those 150 miles it is raw wilderness for over 600 miles before the next major town. Settlements that really can only qualify to be called villages exist in the space between with those living in homes with solar panels and generator pumped water in those in-between places. That means that the mindset of those in Patras is not the typical city dwellers mindset but more of a survivalist/outdoors type mindset with people enjoying the great outdoors for most of the year.
The neighborhoods in Patras are unique in that there is no official power grid to power the city and no water grid either. Each home has a well dug approximately 600 ft into the earth into the water table itself which is supplied through underground rivers and streams. The water is extracted and sent to a purification tank which removes any harmful compounds and impurities and then is set into the home through the faucet that is in use. The electricity is also generated through solar panels on the roof and in the mountainous areas where sunlight does not happen much except in summertime there are wind turbines in the backyards of homes and also hydro-electrical generation from the same underground rivers and streams that the water supply is taken. As water travels up it generates friction and speed and that is in turn converted into electrical output which powers the house when the turbine output is minimal.
Landmarks
Royal Garrison Tower
The Royal Garrison Tower was created as half tourist museum on the functions of the Royal Garrison and also as a formal military observation outpost from which the Royal Garrison could observe any movements from deep space into the atmosphere and also from the surrounding countryside into the city. The outpost is a combination communications and surveillance post with half of it being open to the public and the other half being strictly for military usage only. The Royal Garrison post was finished in 1991 and saw its opening by the Royal Governor of Patras.
The Royal Garrison Tower spans a height of 190ft with an underground command complex with housing for 300 troops. The communications center allows for immediate response in an emergency and quick response in non-critical events. The tower has also served as aircraft approach beacon because of its navigational lights however in the event of an emergency these lights can be turned off making the tower completely dark during nighttime hours. The Garrison Tower is recognizable in the Upper Patras area and can be distantly seen from certain points in Lower Patras if the right equipment is used and the right vantage point is had.
There has been some complaints that the location of the tower obscures a migration route for bird species in the area however no conclusive evidence has ever been presented in support of this conclusion. Instead researchers and scientists are conducting a 20 year survey to understand what if any effects this tower might have on bird migratory patterns in comparison with existing knowledge and research for the geographic area that the tower is located in. The tower was chosen for its location because of its height and its prominent view of the city of Patras and its favorable reception for communications equipment. The museum on site is open during regular hours of the day from 8 until 5 and has an interactive series of exhibits about the history of the Royal Garrison, its training and its missions on Banas.
Royal Citadel
The Royal Citadel was created as the home of the Garrison on Banas and the lodgings of the Royal Governor of Patras. The Royal Citadel was constructed as both a fortress and as a luxury hotel for guests of the Governor and also when not in use for tourists to use as well. The Citadel has barracks space for 6500 members of the Patras Garrison and also has its own field hospital and underground communications and control bunker from which a direct link can be achieved with Sayaffallah itself. In addition to this the citadel serves as a primary location for many weddings of Patrasians throughout the city and is often the location of wedding ceremonies and private events when it is rented out to the public.
The Royal Citadel is situated on the eastern sea cliffs of Patras with its foundations seamlessly extending down into the cliffs that drop dramatically into the seafront. Its walls are reinforced over 350ft thick with a mixture of reinforced concrete, titanium and steel in its core providing skeletal support from attack. The main gates are located on the side facing the "Old City" and are a set of 16 reinforced steel and iron tooth gates each can be automatically opened electrically and also can be opened manually in the event of a malfunction. The gates are the main point of entry for the public however there are alternate gates for vehicle access for important staff and the military to access the citadel.
The Citadel itself is situated in 6 parts, as follows:
- Outer Courtyard
- Outer Sally Port
- Inner Courtyard
- Atria
- Royal Colonnade Court
- Keep/Royal Lodgings
The Outer Courtyard is the main entry point into the citadel for the general public and is narrow so as to restrict access to double length of people rather than four or five people. The Outer Courtyard is also the location of the security checkpoints leading into the citadel and the physical location of the screening huts in which all visitors must pass for mandatory screening before being authorized entry. Beyond the outer courtyard there is the outer sally port which is a controlled access point that visitors typically move very quickly through. However in the event of an emergency the sally port can be locked down with access denied back into the outer courtyard and into the inner courtyard. The walls are an impressive 165ft and are constructed from smooth limestone slabs making scaling the walls an impossibility.
The Inner Courtyard is where the beginnings of the palace can be seen as the pavement turns from stone interconnected slabs to marble paving with large marble steps leading to the Citadel Museum and the Citadel observation tower which is physically located in the Keep but is accessible from the Inner Courtyard as a way of controlling visitor movement in the restricted keep zone. The Observation Tower is 751ft tall and is the highest point of the Citadel easily accessible by an elevator/lift. The inner courtyard also contains a formal sit down restaurant with sweeping views of the sea and access down to the inner docks which are a gated feature of the citadel.
The Atria is the next level and the formal entrance to the palace complex with large marble columns signaling the palace transition and diamonds inlaid into the bases of each column signifying that it is a royal palace complex. The Atria is partially indoors and partially outdoors with a large courtyard inside the atria allowing a square of sunlight and natural elements to cascade in. Within this courtyard is a fountain fixture with flowing water from the natural hot springs that exist underneath the foundations of the citadel itself. The water is pumped through the stones to heat the marble flooring as no shoes are allowed from the Atria onward.
The Royal Colonnade is the next phase of the complex with the majority of it being outdoors and directly connected to the Atria by way of a fountain walkway with dancing fountains on either side of the path. The Royal Colonnade on either side has corridors leading to the official meeting areas of the Citadel and the lodgings. These are typically locked and off limits to the visitors that come to the Citadel except on pre-approved tours that can be bought ahead of time by the tourists that come to visit. Finally the Keep/Royal Lodgings is the furthest point of the citadel and the portion that is on the very end of the cliffs providing panoramic views of the coastline and the sea and the mountains in the distance. The Royal Lodgings are available for tour when they are not being used by the Royal Family when they come to Patras. In contrast the Governors Lodgings are in a set of suites off of the Royal Colonnade meaning that the Royal Lodgings are only reserved for those with royal blood.
The Capitol Square
The Capitol Square is the central plaza separating the Banas Senate from the Banas Representatives Chamber and the Hall of Kings from each other. The plaza is distinguished by its white marble extending the equivalent of 26 football pitches in length and providing room enough for the entire garrison of Patras to assemble in parade formations during official events. The plaza is also a popular gathering place for families in the evenings and students during the day to socialize and study together in small groups which can be seen spread out on picnic blankets throughout the square most days. The Capitol Square was constructed in 1992 shortly after the Sultan of Sayaffallah ordered major renovations so that it would be an adequate capitol city for the colonized planet of Banas
The Square is also centrally heated with each marble square containing pipes underneath it through which water from natural springs under the far end of the square is pumped up 600ft from underground into the square and then circulated rapidly during winter months thus reducing the need to deice the square. In addition to this the square has the ability to be lit up with each marble square having over 60 million LED lights attached to the thin layer underneath it. These LED lights at night often turn on and flash different patterns making the entire square light up with brilliant light and often showcasing different designs, flags and images for those in the towering hotels nearby to enjoy.
The Skyline
From the mountains surrounding Patras the skyline of the city can be observed in particular definition in the early morning hours as the fog still lingers over the city. This phenomena is strongest in the winter time when the cold air lingers trapping any warm air currents underneath the fog making it to appear thicker and more billowing than ever before. The mountain range to the northeast in particular provides some of the clearest vantage points of access to the skyline of Patras. The Silesian Peaks in the northeast range tower above the rest of the northeastern peaks at an astonishing height however accessing them can be significantly difficult because of the sheer vertical climb and glacial icefields surrounding the main access route to the top of the Silesian Peaks.
On the Northwest Mountain range there are the Dove Mountains which tower above the first line of mountains closest to the outskirts of Lower Patras. The Dove Mountains cascade behind the first range of mountain peaks and provide a stunning contrast to the mountains around it. From the peaks of the Dove Mountains one can see an uninterrupted view point from the city all the way to the coastline as ships enter the harbor for trade and commerce. The Dove Mountain range is easier accessed with only two vertical cliffs in the ascent compared with the forty five vertical cliff faces in the Silesian Peaks of the northeastern range.
These two mountain approaches in the northeast and northwest respectively are extremely popular with climbers and require permits with the city government of Patras who monitors access in order to protect against erosion of the trails leading up the mountains. The permits are only required for those wishing to summit to the top of the peaks not for those wishing to go and stop at the first vertical cliff ranges. The permit process also ensures that rangers have a daily access log of who is on the mountain and what time they anticipate returning so that they can protect the safety of those hiking and climbing on the mountain and mount appropriate search and rescue for those who do not return within a five hour window surrounding their anticipated return point.
((More to come later))
