Luna
(click here for an aerial view of Luna)

Luna's Olympus is an independent city state. A collection of cities that sprawls across (and primarily underneath) the Lunar surface, Olympus has grown far and fast from its humble beginnings. While the original colony (often referred to as "Old Town") is still close to the geographic center of the burgeoning new nation, the arms of Olympus shoot out across the landscape like ice crystals on a windowpane. New communities spring up, linked by narrow threads of excavation, spreading across the Moon. Earth based environmental groups already protest the "visual pollution" scattered over Luna's once pristine face.

While the intensity of the hard radiation hitting the Lunar surface made the original settlers burrow down as deep as they could, recent alloys and design advances allow the more or less unlimited surface construction. The wealthy and the status conscious now flock to Luna, drawn by brochures promising spun glass structures with views of spectacular Earthrises.

Of course, these glittering new structures exist side by side with a half century's worth of industrial and technological detritus. In the early days of Olympus' expansion, construction consisted primarily of excavation. The rock carved from Luna to make room for new residential and industrial burrows had to go somewhere, and the surface was the logical place. IT wasn't like anyone was ever going to live up there. Once Luna industrialization hit full swing, sparkling domes and starscarpes sprang up near tumbles of discarded Lunar rock. Skimming across the Moon's surface, one finds enclaves of fairy-tale towers cheek by jowl with ravaged scenery reminiscent of the worst of the desolation of Bahrain.

An equally startling dichotomy exists Underground. The rich and powerful once burrowed deep beneath the Lunar surface, leaving the dangerous "shallows" to the poor and transient. Now, however, the wealthy return to the sunlight, leaving entire sublunar complexes to the dark and cold. After all, there's no need to tear down a hole in the ground - even an expensively furnished one - when the inhabitants leave. Simply turn out the lights and leave it to entropy. Not surprisingly, abandoned burrows have become home to more and more of those dispossessed who, lacking the benefits of advanced shielding and seeking shelter from killing radiation, migrate downward.

The few remaining wealthy Downside communities are often islands surrounded by teeming slums. Luna's middle class keeps to median levels near the surface Mezzanine, where prices are reasonable and protection is affordable. Still, as the underclass continues to swarm downward, not even middle class levels are as idyllic as they used to be.

The Underworld
(click here for a map of Olympus)

Olympus has the feel of one of the Seven Sinful Cities - and the neighboring Pit is worse. While a veneer of law and order is maintained, that image has been worn so thin that it is nearly transparent. Money - and raw power - rule here. The middle class huddles behind its illusions, dutifully electing mayors and funding public works. The multinational, psi order and wealth scions of soi - distant Earth have created feudal domains along spurs radiating from Olympus. Official maps barely conform to the true contours of the Underworld's sectors any more, with old burrows abandoned and "pirate" tunnels carved out by tough minded souls who try to avoid scrutiny. While new corridors and constructs are gleaming and postcard perfect, the old burrows fall into disrepair or are left to the long dark. Illicit bazaars, where one can buy any good or service imaginable, spring up on the spur of the moment. Crime syndicates, which may or may not have links to more reputable organizations, can by found anywhere.