The humble Car is one of the most common, wide spread and ubiquitous vehicles ever used on Sera. These vehicles largely replaced the archaic Horse Wagon as the primary form of civilian transport during the industrialization phase of Seran history.
Overview[]
A car is usually a four-wheeled ground vehicle used either for private or public transport. Cars usually provide enough seats for a single family and many sub-variants exist such as muscle cars, utes, sedans, minivans and sports cars to name a few. These vehicles could be powered either by hydrocarbons, steam, electric, gas, compressed air and later imulsion; making them extremely versatile, although it depends upon the capability of their engines. Despite their humble utility, cars were a critical lynchpin in the majority of humanity's major historical events.
Because of their wide usage, humans of Sera started to run out of traditional hydrocarbon energy sources that powered up their vehicles such as the car. This eventually led to an energy crisis until Dr. Helen Cooper discovered the Lightmass Process, which turned the bountiful but useless Imulsion into a limitless fuel source. This led to the Gold Rush, of which the unregulated prices deflated the value of Imulsion and caused economic collapse to nations who pegged their financial currency to the fuel source. The crisis eventually led to the Pendulum Wars and later, the Locust War.
Throughout the franchise, all non-military vehicles such as cars are found abandoned, ruined and destroyed. Despite this, these car remains still provide as useful cover, set pieces and props.
History[]
Thanks to technological advancements and an increasing standard of living, cars first began to hit the roads of Sera's more developed countries in the later years of the Era of Silence, greatly changing the way the population traveled. However, due to limited supplies of traditional energy sources for automobiles like petroleum, steam and solar power technology, many worried that an energy crisis was imminent. The discovery of the Lightmass Process and the worldwide application of Imulsion as a fuel source, cars exploded in popularity for the human race. At the height of the Gold Rush, most alternate energy car manufacturers went out of business due to the efficiency of Imulsion based gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
Cars largely defined Tyran life during the Pendulum Wars. Highways crisscrossed the nation, allowing for citizens to travel between cities in mere hours in their personal vehicles rather than travel for days by wagon. Cars competed in the mass transit market with passenger trains and airliners. Factories in many cities produced cars for the average consumer. However, the needs of the Pendulum Wars would sometimes create rationing of gasoline and other fuels. Many Tyrans had a passion for cars, with Car Gold Magazine reporting on current events in the industry. Eduardo Santiago was a military trained mechanic who took great pride in fixing cars.
The Locust War largely destroyed the idea of the personal automobile. Gas rationing ensured virtually all Imulsion would go to the war effort and not to the civilian population. The Fortification Act nationalized all car manufacturers in Tyrus, directing them to produce vehicles for the military such as Centaur Tanks and King Raven Helicopters. This caused a severe shortage of spare parts as well, making owning, maintaining and driving a car nearly impossible for the average civillian, yet some continued to do so for years into the war. Many cars in Tyrus and around the world were left to rust and decay in the streets, their owners long gone.
The end of the Locust War saw the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon destroy the Lambency Infection, send the remaining Locust into a deep hibernation, and destroy all Imulsion fuel reserves on Sera. The remaining Lightmass supply was quickly used up, forcing Humans to return to traditional fuel resources. Surviving industrialists like Aaron Griffin mobilized fellow survivors in Char to refocus the city's industry around petroleum instead of Imulsion. As the Coalition of Ordered Governments reformed, a focus on developing new energy sources and manufacturing developed.
By 25 AE, civilians in COG cities and settlements once again had access to running cars, among other vehicles. Cars also existed intermittently among Outsider and Nomad groups, though fuel was scarce and maintaining old vehicles was difficult.
See Also[]
- Cougar Interceptor - a model of muscle cars advertised in the COG.
- Matador Sport - a model of sports cars advertised in Vasgar.
- Car Gold Magazine - a car magazine teaching how to modify and 'tune-up' a car.