"She's really something, isn't she?" Kate said, joining Michael in admiring the view. "The only head of state you can see from orbit."
Michael turned to look at her. "Is that really true?" he asked. "About Majestrix Kyia being the Citadel, I mean."
Kate shrugged. "That's what they say. She looks human enough on TV, but she's been around for about as long as the Earth itself, so there's obviously something special about her. And she can certainly make the Citadel do whatever she wants. That–" she nodded toward the Citadel "—used to be a mountain ridge with a little castle on top, according to the history books. Over time, though, the Citadel grew and changed until all of that was swallowed up."
— Welcome to the City
Background
The defining landmark of Metamor City is Kyia's Citadel, the latest form of the ever-shifting structure that was once called Metamor Keep. The Citadel is a mind-bogglingly huge structure, an arcology that towers over 1500 meters above the valley floor and whose base covers more than a quarter of a square mile of real estate. Nobody's quite sure just how many people live and/or work in the Citadel, but it is certainly upwards of a million (remember that the Citadel, like previous versions of the Keep, has variable geometry and is bigger on the inside than the outside).
The Citadel is composed of four main stylistic elements: a broad, low base with sloping sides, a huge central spire whose "head" resembles a cobra lily, and two slightly shorter minarets (1200 meters tall apiece) that stand to either side of the spire. All three towers are joined together by smooth, broad curves, so that the overall structure looks a little like a person in cape and cowl holding a thick, tall staff in each hand. The citadel's outer shell is made of light grey stone, which is light enough in tone that it shines brightly during the day, but the surface is non-reflective to cut down on glare.
Near the top of the spire, under the Citadel's "cowl" (where the face would be in the aforementioned analogy), is a huge oval-shaped dome made of tinted glass (or something similar — Kyia doesn't often divulge the actual construction materials that she uses in the Citadel). This dome is reflective, and shines brilliantly on clear days — but then, it's almost a mile up, so it doesn't interfere with people on the streets below. Behind the dome is a beautiful nature preserve, a microcosm containing many acres of forest, grasslands, foothills, even a large lake. There is also a large and elaborate garden on this level. The microcosm serves much the same purpose for the people of Metamor City that Central Park serves for the people of New York — a place to go to relax reflect, and escape the insanity of big-city life. The microcosm is much smaller than Central Park, though, even with the Citadel's variable geometry, and there are other parks throughout Metamor City that serve a similar purpose — but none is quite as remarkable as this one, with its mile-high view of the world outside.
The top floor of the Citadel is home to Majestrix Kyia's office. Her desk sits in front of a large set of windows facing south. The office also has bookshelves, potted plants, a large globe, and a few chairs for guests. A conference room and a private study flank the office on either side.
The minarets are topped with faceted glass observation decks, which look like enormous glittering jewels. The one on the east side houses a revolving restaurant that is a popular tourist attraction, rotating completely every 53 minutes to give diners a view of the entire valley. The western minaret is home to Nocturna and several other high-ranking members of Kyia's administration.
Author's Notes
Source: http://transform.to/~ravenb/stories/mk2k/bible/geography.htm
