ATLANTIS

ATLANTIS

Named after the mythical city that was said to have been swallowed by the sea Atlantis is the example of innovation and the solution of the future. Set on the ocean floor Atlantis once started as a prototype city while the world was searching for alternative ways to populate the earth. Originally a penal colony for those sentenced to life the city was designed to give convicts a second chance at life whilst keeping them away from the general populace and at the same time test out this new city concept. Equipped with the latest technology to collect data and to monitor its inhabitants the experiment soon grew to be a success, allowing states to re-adopt an old concept into a new jacket; banishment to the depths of the ocean. 

While Atlantis in its whole is an impressive piece of innovation it is most famed for employing the controversial Citizen Credit System, also known as CCS. Though the concept of accumulating credits and points isn’t unknown to the modern world the use and the application of it has proven itself to be effective in crime prevention, showing that the convicts sent to Atlantis have less chance of re-offense.

CITIZEN CREDIT SYSTEM

The Citizen Credit System (CCS) is a reputation system that scales the citizen over four fields, aiming to encourage good behaviour through rewards and the accessibility of privileges. With the introduction of CCS the need for on-site wardens has dwindled as maintaining the order has become easier to do so from a distance. 

The credit of citizens is tracked through a chip implanted in the wrist of their dominant hand and in the back of their neck. Through special service platforms, such as with public transport, the chip in the wrist is used to read their score. The chip in the back of their neck is used to monitor the overall condition of the citizen as well as accessing information only available to the citizen and the authorities. The citizen credit is presented in four numbers, representing the four spectrums in which the citizen can earn points in. Newcomers all start with a total of twelve points spread across the four categories equally. In each field nine points can be earned at a maximum and zero at a minimum. The four fields over which each citizen will be rated at are:

Political integrity - Keeps track of and measures the political and sociological beliefs of the citizen. Voting history is tracked and so will be the participation in certain movements and the coalition with groups. The membership of fraternities and involvement with radicals can affect the score. Taking everything into account it is then weighed and measured to see what sort of threat the citizen may pose towards the government and ruling power of Atlantis. It goes without saying that those who support anarchy are more likely to score low.

Economic credibility - Traced here is the ability of the citizen to budget and their trustworthiness with loans. Outstanding debts will bring down the score, but that may be improved by paying off the debts and by moderate budgeting. Failure to pay within a timely manner can hurt the score again, while purchasing power can increase the score. Active participation in the labour market and earning a full wage are favourable over the inability to retain a job.

Social integration - Rates the citizen depending on the relationships they have, the social circles they are involved in and what crowd they hang with. Encouraging networking and discouraging street youths is one way to up the social integration. A unique feature of the social aspect of the CCS is the rating system that is accessible to every citizen. Upon meeting, citizens are allowed to rate each other one to five stars, editable at any new meeting that occurs. This popularity rating encourages meaningful encounters and leaving good first impressions which are needed as well to boost the credit system. 

Judicial credibility - In here any encounters with the legal system are registered. The score here is a grade given to reflect the supposed understanding of the legal system by the citizens. Important factors are fulfilling their duties and plights, but also their understanding of their rights and boundaries. New convictions or arising legal disputes may lower the score. Rule breaking behaviour, such as jaywalking can also harm this last score and affect the overall documentation of the citizen.

PENALTIES

As rewards for good behaviour exist penalties for breaking the rules exists in parallel. Actions are taken in several ways, most often by deducting points from the CCS which could mean the loss of privileges in hands. There are two main forms of actions that the maintaining order can take against citizens: 

Disciplinary sanction: A severe point deduction as well as an overall analysis of the behaviour will take place and reported for personal documentation. Sometimes house arrest will be imposed as well, further hurting all privileges and statistics. A disciplinary sanction is only given when rules have been broken. 

Measures: Used to control a potentially dangerous, or rule-breaking situation. House arrests may happen, which can hurt the statistics, but actual point deduction from the CCS is rare. If a citizen is found guilty, or deliberately tries to further provoke the situation, point deduction may take place as changing the measure into a disciplinary sanction.

DOMES

Surrounding the city are balloons of glass acting as the garden of the city. The Domes, as they are called, is the source of food production within the city. With the help of artificial lightning to replicate the sun and the constant temperatures maintained by the sea The Domes are capable of housing and cultivating a great range of vegetations needed to provide for Atlantis. Though the main source of food supply still comes from the mainlands the development of The Domes are promising, cutting down in the costs greatly and providing a steady supply of accessible and affordable fresh crops.