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DispatchAccountCulture

by Khorlethia. . 5 reads.

The Grand Heterotopia

THE GRAND HETEROTOPIA

The Grand Heterotopia was a place of silence and fear. The beautiful marble floors were always polished until they gleamed. The shelves, packed with copies of every book ever published, were always in perfect order and every surface was always free of dust and recently wiped down. Despite all this loving care, not a single member of the "staff" was ever visible, and they never made their presence known. With only a few individuals ever able to access the Heterotopia, an individual was always alone inside its halls, and existing within its confines always seemed to mean leaving the plane upon which one had been situated, suspending in time and space. Every passage seemed longer or shorter than it appeared, every room simultaneously still and yet in constant motion, and every illuminated area in the distance falling into gloom once it was approached. Nothing was as it seemed, and visiting the Heterotopia was thus always a supernatural experience. If one wanted something, they could always find it in the Heterotopia. It was a particular ecstasy to plunge into its depths, to navigate its archives, and to grab ahold of one of those particularities that could only manifest in such a space. An Ousia - as they were known - could be a piece of knowledge, a unique feeling, a section of time or a particular place, reflected in the Heterotopia as though it were being observed through a one-way mirror. These pearls could only be manifested in such a space. Blurry in the external world, it required a Heterotopia to shake the universe as it is perceived, thus rendering the Ousia motionless. The architecture that had gone into the Grand Heterotopia was far more advanced than a typical library, just as the Panopticon was purer than a standard prison. This was the one true Heterotopic space, and only those acutely aware of its vices could be permitted to venture inside... Though the "staff" were never seen... every inch of the Heterotopia was potentially under observation. Bookshelves were placed in front of hidden passages, through which "librarians" patrolled and leered at their millions of books and materials... Every other floor was sealed away, and "custodians" constantly polished the floors above and the ceilings below them, two-sided panels designed to rotate for careful maintenance. One could never see the "staff" at work, and nothing moved when it could be perceived. The second a guest turned away however, a book would be replaced or a panel would be turned. The experience was one of constant apprehension and solitude, the feeling of being completely and absolutely alone and yet watched intently from every direction. The "staff" would follow [guests] through the building, and once [they] left it would be as though [they] had never come in the first place...

- "Familiar Faces"

What is a Heterotopia? Heterotopias are 'other' spaces, worlds within worlds, and locations that: juxtapose abnormal or incompatible elements; manipulate spatial and temporal elements; encapsulate temporal divergences, or present an unbalanced or different accumulation of time; possess ambivalent methods of entry/opening/access; simultaneously oppose and represent the outer society in which they are present; and have a role or impact within the society in which they are present. They can be real, physical locations or mental spaces, and are essentially marked by areas where normalities are suspended. They are often visited by individuals in "crisis" or abnormals, such as pregnant women, the elderly, the very young, the insane or the criminal. A key feature of a Heterotopia is juxtaposition, like a zoo or a greenhouse where flora and fauna from a wide range of locations exist simultaneously. Examples of Heterotopias can be colonies, libraries, boats, asylums, hospitals, churches or the internet.

What is the Grand Heterotopia? When Khorlethia took power in 2302, it condemned Heterotopic Spaces as rogue normalizers and attempted to breach these locations as best as possible. The inclusion of clocks, news updates, windows and other architectural alterations help to limit the impact of Heterotopias, but it is nearly impossible to eliminate them all. It was decided that a monument to Heterotopic study should be erected, and that this location should be both understood and conquered by the nation's leaders. The Grand Heterotopia thus underwent construction, having been partially built during the time of the Aggregate. Essentially a massive library, the archives of the Grand Heterotopia hold more than just books, compiling all possible information in all possible mediums, ranging from sticky notes to alternate reality. It is designed the be ultimately isolating, ultimately subjugating, and irreversibly life-altering.

Who Are the Staff?

Khorlethia

Edited:

RawReport