Welcome to ITA Earth Prime, also known as Neo-Edwardian Earth. Prime is the birthplace of the Gridney, the fantastic machine that has forged this unique alliance of worlds. Prime is not a fast paced world, in fact, it is a world that encourages you to take your time and do a good job of it.
For some people, stepping out onto the streets of Earth Prime, is like stepping out into the past. Trolley cars still roll along the streets, motor cars are few and far between. Many areas of London are still lit by gas lamps, airships ply the skies, and television, while known, is nothing more than a curious toy. Then there are the Babbages, mechanical computers. Then it hits you that this is the world that discovered the Gridney, and doesn't seem that old fashion at all.
Motorcars, when seen, are sleek, ultramodern vehicles. The trolleys are well designed and handle passenger traffic in a incredibly efficient manner, while the gas lamps are designed not to drown out the stars at night, so when walking along a street, one can look up and see the constellations. It all works, and looks antique at the same time.
At the same time, this world does not feel as crowded as other worlds do. With a world population of about 2 thousand million, Prime has the lowest population of any world. This is due to the fact that 70% of the people who live here, live with the same, high standard of living as the British Empire. This is the manifest destiny of the Empire: to allow all of Prime's people to live in equality with equal access to all resources. This may come true in 2089, when the grand project is to be completed, nearly 260 years after the start of the project.
Earth Prime is one of the five founding members of the ITA, the others being Marketplace, Niew Amsterdam, Hanseatic Earth, and Remu, commonly known as "the First Five". The ITA was founded in 1910, after twenty years of raiding by Primer Alter Pirates and the first Alternate World War between Prime and Marketplace. Casualties where light, the Marketeers had to pay for the damages they caused, and the Primers returned the stolen artwork or paid restitution.
Because of this, it was decided that a meta goverment had to be formed to oversee the relations between worlds, which led to the first alternate world convention in Chicago, Marketplace, in 1908. Over the next two years the five worlds hammered out a set of laws, regulations, and created the Board of Governors of the Interdimensional Transit Authority. Initially, the ITA was only to govern the use of Gridneys and interworld trade, but it has expanded beyond this as a true governmental entity. Prime has always had good representation in the ITA, despite its low population numbers.
As with Rome, all roads lead to ITA Prime. Well, at least all rails lead to Prime. You are no more than 3 worlds away from Prime by rail, a 3 month cruise by ship, (minimum), and a long, but interesting bicycle ride if one eschews the more prosaic methods of travel. Cost of most rail passenger tickets is £60 ITA, and a trip by sea would run £320 - £400. Travel by rail would take no more than 5 hours, over 900 Km in distance from TDRS railhead to railhead.
Travel to Prime by a uncalibrated Gridney is forbidden and dangerous. Most of Europe is covered with TDRS railheads, Great Britian is covered by three: London, Liverpool, and Glasgow, France has three also: Paris, Bordeaux, and coverage by the Geneva railhead. One in Brussels, Belguim, two in Germany: Berlin and Munich. Italy has two: Venice and Rome, Autria has one in Vienna, and one 50Km northwest of Prague, Czechoslovakia, in the only spot not covered by the Berlin-Munich-Vienna railheads. Spain has one in Madrid, and Portugal has one in Lisbon.
With this coverage, any Gridney attempting a Europe entry would be destabilized and destroyed. The TDRS railheads affected would be unstable, and require recalibration, taking about a fortnight to do. If you survive unauthorized entry, you will be arrested and imprisoned. The only independant Gridneys allow to operate, are ones specifically calibrated for Earth Prime, with "stops" put in to preven one from entering a Gridney prohibited area. Even then you can only appear in specified areas, at specified times.
Prime is home to many governments of all types and stripes. The following is just a sampling.
Constitutional Monarchy: This government still has a monarch on the throne, but is now far more subservient to the will of the people. The British Empire is one such Constitutional Monarchy. Most laws are in regard to acts that could harm the Empire, or its subjects. Currently on the throne is His Royal Majesty, King Randolph the First of Windsor.
Republic: Very few Republics exist on this world, what do exist are mostly in the Americas. Arcadia is one, as is the Western Russia Republic on North America's west coast. These are the standard type: people elect representatives to a governing body, who in turn elect the premier or president of the nation.
Commonwealth Nations: There are many Commonwealth nations that still owe allegiance to the British Empire. The American Commonwealth is the largest. It stretches from the artic circle, to the Grand River, separating it from the Mexican Kingdom, as far west as the Continental Divide, and all of the Atlantic seaboard. It barely has the population of 100 million, though new deposits of oil and coal are stiring development in the West.
Dictatorships: These poor nations are ruled by a military junta, and the people subjucated to its will. Usually lead by a strong man, they are small, but numerous in South America, and South Africa.
Kingdoms: These are the more traditional monarchies, were the ruler governs by divine right. The Kingdom of Mexico is a prime example. Descendants of the Aztecs that Cortez defeated, now rule over a kingdom that stretches as far South as Panama.
Prime uses the ITA pound almost universally, except for a few nations. Off world currency is usually not accepted, and visitors are encouraged to convert their Confed Dollars into stable ITA pounds.
Prime has many excellant hotels, lodges, and other forms of accomadations. The following is only just a sample.
The best, rare on Prime, non-existent
on some worlds.
The Equivalent would be the Forbidden City on Marketplace or Du Regent in Paris at the Communauté Globale.
These hotels provide memorable accommodations, with every luxury you could imagine.
The King Edward Hotel (London): The epitome of elegance, luxury, and class, the King Edward is the place to stay if you wish to be pampered to an inch of your life. The smallest aparments are at 500 square meters in area, with a sitting room, small bar, sun room, bedroom, and lounge. A room like that would cost £200 a night, or £800 for a full week. The hotel offers several small, select shops that cater to the more affluent clientle. For entertainment, the King Edward offers a theatre, a casino, a cinema, four 4 star resturants, and several bars.
Luxury hotels not as good as a 5 star but still very
nice.
The Ritz (New York): Luxury accommodations, whirlpool spa in the bathroom, Super sized bed, several amenities.
Very comfortable
Serge's Comfort Inns: 2 rooms, comfortable but not luxury, nice swimming pools.
Economy comfort
Howard Stevensons: A basic 1 room hotel room or basic suite. Look for the Cyan roof.
Economy
Most Economy are a basic 1 room accommodation. It's a bed to yourself, a radio, and your own bathroom, safe clean and comfortable, with no frills.
Motel 5: Soft beds for a 1 star and Babbage hookups, no bathtubs.
Super Economy - A safe place
to sleep
Sleepmart: An import from Marketplace, Sleepmarts offere just one service: Sleep. It's a hostel level accommodation. Sterile, clean,and reasonably decent beds.
There have been some complaints about Sleepmart but mostly with the Marketplace franchises.
ITA Prime is in a quandary, as it has nearly 100% employment, such that it is an applicant's market. But then the jobs that are available are either in the lower levels of the service industry, (jobs which are slowly being replaced by automation, but are currently filled by offworld immigrants.), or in upper level, "white collar" careers. Most people are employed for life by their company or are self employed. The American Commonwealth and the Australia Commonwealth are places to look for employment in all levels. Your best bet is to check with the local branch of ITemps, a Marketplace temporary-long term contract employment business, who make it their job to make sure you get you a job.
As for other types of careers, authors are making money hand over fist, especially those that write about there travels on other Earths. Artists can a few pence illustrating these, while filmmakers can have a steady living with the burgeoning Cinema industry.
Neo-Edwardian Earth has a Class D-2 and four Class D-1 travel advisories in eastern asia and micronesia.
D-2: The kingdoms of Vietnam and Siam are in conflict over the remains of the Kingdom of Laos, with the Laotians feircely fighting for independance. So far, noone has been foolish to step into this intercine warfare of this region, but that may change in the future.
D-1: The microneasian islands are again clashing over fishing rights, but no overt warfare has erupted as of yet.