Randall Bay Megalopolitan Complex
Randall Bay Megalopolitan Complex
Approximate population:
- 23,000,000 (250 AI Census)
- 38,000,000 (300 AI estimate)
Principal cities: Adamopolis, Anthem, Overture, Birdland, Voston
The Randall Bay Megalopolitan Complex is a collection of major cities and metropolitan areas centered around Randall Bay in southeastern Illuminatia. It contains the most densely populated regions of Illuminatia.
The population of the megalopolitan complex exceeded 23 million people as of the 250 AI Census and is estimated to surpass 38 million people at the 300 AI Census, making it by far the largest of Illuminatia's conurbations.
The megalopolitan complex is anchored by Adamopolis. Other major cities contributing to the region include Anthem, Overture, Birdland, Voston, Maiden Voyage, and Thelonious. The region represents the epicenter of Illuminatian culture and industry in many respects, with a heavy share of Illuminatian media and commerce originating from here.
This compounded region of densely-packed metropolitan development is the result of a pattern of urban growth set into action when a significant number of Lucidus spacecraft modules landed in and about Randall Bay, planting about a third of Illuminatia's seed population in a relatively compact geographic area. These original settlers built their towns in close proximity and these settlements eventually merged into larger cities that in turn developed in close geographic proximity to one another.
The Randall Bay Megalopolitan Complex is bisected by Randall Bay, dividing much of the region into a north shore and a south shore. The two shores converge at Adamopolis, from which the urban development then generally follows two rivers—westward and northward along the Adamopolitan River, and northward along the Vostonian River. The Randall Bay Megalopolitan Complex is fully contained within the intermountain region bounded by the Timmons Range to the northeast and the Transilluminatian Range to the southwest.
The megalopolitan complex is generally agreed to reach southward along the southern shore of Randall Bay to Coltrane, eastward along the northern shore to Anthem, northward along the Vostonian River to Voston, and westward along the Adamopolitan River to Blue Note.
The Randall Bay Megalopolitan Complex was settled almost exclusively by the first multiversal duplication of Lucidus survivors from all three Lucidus ships. Craft containing survivors from the Lucidus I ship landed in and around Adamopolis; survivors from Lucidus II landed in and about Anthem; and Lucidus III crewpersons landed in and around Overture.
It's generally believed that some significant factor or collection of factors influenced the automated guidance processes aboard the Lucidus spacecraft to target this region for such a large number of its landings upon the unexpected termination of their mission. It's just not known what that factor is.
Other multiversal duplications of Lucidus survivors landed in other parts of Illuminatia, but not with any geographic density approaching the magnitude of the landings in Randall Bay. This is why it is believed that all locations targeted by landings were survivable and conducive to the establishment of a branch of the human race, but factors not yet understood by Illuminatians were calculated to be especially advantageous to a thriving and rapidly expanding population. The mission would not have placed such a large proportion of its precious population into such a small geographic area without nearly certain assurance that the population would survive.