MSFC: Fire At AtmoTower 15

[Tereglith]

It may be 2597, but the fastest way to change a planet's atmosphere to something more breathable is still using plants. That's not to say that plants can't get a little help though; for nearly two centuries the Federation has been using the venerable AtmoTower, a vertical farm filled with greenery genetically engineered to transform carbon dioxide into fresh, clean oxygen with the utmost efficiency. Carbon-saturated atmosphere flows in through the front of the tower, is cycled down and around, and wafts out the back as a breath of fresh air.

Sadly, the tower was so ubiquitous and dependable that after a few generations engineers stopped bothering to check their parameters before plunking a few down on any new world that wasn't quite M-class. Such a mistake was made twenty years ago when setting up the new colony on Aranak VII, a barren world with a nasty oxygen deficit, little indigenous life, and, most importantly, slightly higher gravity than your average colony world. The machinery of the AtmoTowers strained against the slightly heavier air. Nobody noticed the operational shortfalls: the towers were all ensconced in a barren industrial park, surrounded by decaying fences and rusted-out machinery. They still worked dependably, but all the while a pocket of volatile pure oxygen too heavy to be lifted to the top vents was growing in the bowels of the tower machinery.

All it took was a single spark to set off the conflagration. Fire vehicles from the nearby town were quickly dispatched, but could do little more than hold back the blaze. The next morning all the HyperPapers on the planet bore the headline: "Fire At AtmoTower 15!"

MSFC above by Tereglith, on Flickr

(Click on any pic to go to Flickr and see way more details)

MSFC Front by Tereglith, on Flickr

It was lucky that the nearby fire department had recently received a brand-new Elephant-Class Flying Truck able to combat the blaze from above. Its old fleet, merely a bog-standard Hovertruck retrofitted with a tank and an ancient FireTrike from the 2400s, would have been completely overwhelmed on their own.

MSFC Light by Tereglith, on Flickr

(That's right - this baby has a LIGHT BRICK!)

I built this over about 36 hours in a fit of inspiration, after seeing the clear windshield of my Swarm Interceptor next to the smoky windshield of my new A-Wing. Sadly, my improptu photo studio works way worse in the winter than it does in the summer, so please excuse the obvious shadows. I'll try to take better pics before the contest deadline is up.

This is one of those MOCs that works way better in person than in photos, where you can't really appreciate the three-dimensionality of it. I would recommend clicking on any of the photos to see the rest of the pics in my photostream, because there's a lot of details I put in that can't be seen here, especially on the backs of the AtmoTowers.

Thanks for reading/looking! Any feedback is appreciated!

[DraikNova]

Awesome build. The towers Are nice, but what really steals the show is that awesome tricycle fire truck. NPU on using that crystal ball.

[Si-MOCs]

That was awesome.

I'm seriously blown away by the story/concept, and space-firetrucks

Great entry

And you have until the end of month if you want to try retaking pictures if you're not happy with the above.

[Maxim I]

Indeed a very nice concept!!

And the fire works very well!

[Tereglith]

Awesome build. The towers Are nice, but what really steals the show is that awesome tricycle fire truck. NPU on using that crystal ball.

Thanks! The tricycle was actually the last part I added, when I felt the ground level needed a little extra spice. I was just messing around with some parts left over from building the Elephant, but the trike became my favorite part of the build too.

The idea with the crystal ball was that the firefighters needed a 360 panoramic view when fighting the fires. It think it looks a lot more distinctive than just a normal windscreen.

Indeed a very nice concept!!

And the fire works very well!

Thank you! I was quite pleased with how the fire/lightbrick combo worked out.

That was awesome.

I'm seriously blown away by the story/concept, and space-firetrucks

Great entry

And you have until the end of month if you want to try retaking pictures if you're not happy with the above.

I always love coming up with fictional justifications for my sci-fi MOCs. It's almost as much fun as building them.

I'm going to try to take some pictures towards the end of the month, when hopefully the sun will be more willing to cooperate.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

[Artanis I]

Very well and thoroughly constructed, down to the fence. I especially like the cartoony appearance.

[TenorPenny]

I like the vehicles, although it's a bit too busy for me.

[Tereglith]

Very well and thoroughly constructed, down to the fence. I especially like the cartoony appearance.

Thanks! I like the fence too - up until I was building it I never realized that the two types of treads go together.

I like the vehicles, although it's a bit too busy for me.

I think at least part of the apparent 'business' is caused by the chaotic lighting conditions of the photographs. Before the month is out I hope to have some photos that more accurately reflect what the creation looks like in real life.

[M153Ry]

keep those fire burning nice MOC

[09holded]

The light brick (or whatever it is) lighting up the fire gives a great effect. I like the use of a blue tube as water too.