Atlantica is a tiny [[Cole bubbles|Cole bubble]] located in the [[Main Belt|main asteroid belt]]. It’s like any other bubbleworld, with one key exception—the water used to form the cylindrical shape of the habitat was never drained. Instead it was ﬁltered and augmented with certain sodium and magnesium salts. The habitat rotates along its axis, imparting a centripetal acceleration that mimics gravity. Ocean dwellers have no particular use for gravity, but the angular momentum slings the water to the habitat’s walls, leaving a cylinder of air along the habitat’s axis. The mirror arrays that provide the habitat with its light are carefully arranged to reproduce Earth-like patterns of day and night. When the sun shines, the water in the entire habitat is a crystalline blue. During darkness, an augmented reality version of Earth’s night sky is projected on the water’s surface along the center axis (“up,” given the spin gravity).
Atlantica is a little slice of ocean a kilometer in diameter and three in length, home to 3,000 aquatic uplifts as well as numerous transhumans who yearn for the oceans of Earth. As might be expected, Atlantica is home to neo-cetaceans and neo-octopi—including the last of the true whales. Politically, Atlantica is a non-aligned habitat based on free-market libertarian models along the lines of [[Extropia]]. The habitat is largely self-sufficient, but there are many things its inhabitants want from the outside world.
Atlantica has amassed one of the best aquatic genetic archives and collection of sea life from Earth, hosting the largest living populations of coral reefs, sea turtles, tropical ﬁsh, and plankton in the solar system. Some whisper that the Atlanticans have been involved with smuggling sea creatures from Earth. The Atlanticans deny the charges, saying they have resurrected some species from DNA, and maintaining that the convict tangs, Picasso triggerﬁsh, and other dazzling organisms came from the genetic stocks of marine biologists and private collectors. The habitat’s principal business is ecotourism, drawing people from around the solar system to experience an artiﬁcial ocean environment and charging astronomical fees for the opportunity to sleeve as a neo-cetacean or neo-octopus. Some mercurials consider this a sellout, but the Atlanticans argue that they are building a constituency within transhumanity that is sympathetic to uplift interests and needs.
Atlantica owes its existence to the wealth and support of the famous neo-whale, Deep Current Black Killer of Squid, as well as several other unknown private investors. Given the great success with Atlantica, these parties are already planning their next ambitious project: Pacifica. Ten cubic kilometers may seem like a lot of space, but only half of that is water, and neo-cetaceans require a lot of volume. In some ways, Atlantica is a proof of concept. The next habitat will be a much larger environment for Earth’s refugee sea life to call home.
===Sidebar: Pacifica Project Acquisitions List=== 
I got the following passed along to me by a “friend” at Atlantica who thought we might be the people to talk to about getting ahold of some rare biological specimens. This is the kind of friend who has very deep pockets and is offering excellent compensation for these samples.
She seemed to believe we might have some secret means of actually getting back to Earth but I took pains to assure her that she was mistaken and that myself and the reclaimers of [[Vo Nguyen]] work for the safe and legal return to our homeworld. Still, I can see her point, some of these species likely were never taken offworld and, if they exist at all, it’s in the oceans of our lost home.
//Pang, if you ﬁnd any collectors or dealers of the following in your travels please let them know I am most interested in striking a deal with them to procure their specimens. Of particular interest to myself and my fellows are://
* Lysiosquillina maculata//, the zebra mantis shrimp, which once was found in the Indo-Paciﬁc region.//
* Antennarius striatus//, the striated frogﬁsh from Indonesia and Malaysia.//
* Vampyroteuthis infernalis//, the vampire squid that formerly inhabited tropical and subtropical deep waters.//
* Chondrocladia lampadiglobus//, the ping-pong tree sponge, one of the rare species that called the Marianas Trench home//

[ [[Home]] | [[Setting Information]] | [[Uplifts]] ]