Tsubomi City (Tsubomi-shi), named for a flowering bud and called Tsubomi in casual use, is a city southeast of Kyoto on Yamatai (Planet). It is located on the border of the Kyoto and Vela Provinces, though Kyoto Province assumes control of the region. The city is intended to allow young orphans without families to live in an environment allowing them to bloom into the well-adjusted adults they need to be. It is intended as a city built around boarding schools, but with the feel of a true city. It not only exists as a place to learn and live, but also to give these children a rich childhood with the proper guidance needed to prepare for life, a childhood on which they can look back on fondly.

In late YE 33, the Battle of Yamatai occurred, causing massive damage to the orbital ring Hoshi no Iori and destroying multiple cities on the Yamatai (Planet). Millions were killed, leaving roughly 32,000 orphans in need of care. In the early months of YE 34, Taisa Kage Yaichiro investigated using some of his fortune to establish a boarding school-like site for these young displaced, and received direct support from Empress Himiko I of the Yamatai Star Empire. Upon obtaining permission to plan the city, Yaichiro’s associate at Hotaru Star Fortress, Grapefruit, sought to purchase raw materials from private industry for the effort. Instead, massive donations were provided which not only gave a large amount of raw materials, but also secured supplied for use until construction was completed and even provided valuables worth 27,525,513 KS when combined with the money Yaichiro was able to contribute and other donations, and was used to create the city and allocate funds to its maintenance.

Tsubomi was designed to cater to at least 80,000 people with potential for expansion, so the minimum of 32,000 children plus any additional orphans and qualifying children of Star Army and Government personnel would have enough adults present to help with their lives. The city was also designed to cater to children whose parent or parents were alive, but serving the Empire off-planet.

The intended populace for Tsubomi consists of:

• 32,000 orphans of the planet Yamatai

• A minimum 32,000 adults estimated as necessary to take acceptable care of them as well as maintain and enforce the city,

• An additional 16,000 for additional adults as well as children of soldiers and government personnel who are alive but on assignment off planet for extended periods.

The city’s population, however, is intentionally made less dense than others in the empire to allow for population increases if needed, and the districts can also expand to take more territory if deemed necessary by the Empire.

To become a citizen of Tsubomi, one must be:

• An orphan of the Yamatai Star Empire, the former United Outer Colonies, or another former Imperial holding

• An underage foreign national or child of unknown origin which has been approved by the Empire to stay within the city pending case-by-case requirements

• An adult specifically approved to live and work in Tsubomi by the Empire

• A child whose parent(s) or guardian(s) are in the Star Army of Yamatai on an off-planet assignment or are attached to such an assignment as civilians through a government agency such as the SSS

• A child taken away from their parent(s) or guardian(s) by the Yamatai Star Empire for legal reasons, such as abuse or domestic violence

• An adult alumnus who lived in Tsubomi before reaching adulthood and continues their education at a Tsubomi institution of higher learning

• An adult alumnus who lived in Tsubomi before reaching adulthood and was allowed to stay as a citizen by the Empire and/or the local Government

• A child whose parent(s) or guardian(s) live in Tsubomi as alumni and/or workers, or a child who started their education in such a situation before their parent(s) or guardian(s) relocated and obtained approval to stay independent of their family

The city does not exclude other situations which may require a child to live in and attend school in Tsubomi, but such cases are weighed on a case-by-case basis.

The basic layout of Tsubomi is in eight sections of roughly 10 square kilometers each. The sections, referred to as wards or -ku, are arranged in a rough circle, with the two central wards being fixed in physical size, and the other six wards open to growth. The city, to start with, was designed to cater to 80,000 people, with 10,000 averaged out per ward and a population density of 800 people per square kilometer. The population density is low both so that the children have plenty of room and so that there is room to hold more children if necessary. The wards of Tsubomi are far smaller than normal wards, but the unique structure is chiefly geared toward the special needs of the city. Though there is a ward-level administration, the wards advocate the feeling of a whole city.

Several key areas in each ward, and the bulk of the central two wards, are constructed of Type 30 City Blocks. This is not only for the sake of uniform structures and ease of assembly, but also allows for transit and parking to be conducted underground. It also served to swiftly set in place the backbone of the city’s infrastructure. Sublevel Four of these City Blocks are typically converted into both hydroponics bays and large, space-tight shelters which exist between 100 and 125 meters underground, in case of attack. Select areas at this depth are also allocated for other purposes, such as the storing of ST Backups regulated by the Empire.

There are places which exist among each ward which provide basic needs to its citizenry and are interpreted as prerequisites for the minimum necessary for a ward to function, with at least one in each ward but some having two or more depending on certain circumstances or needs. Some may be identical in physical appearance, but this is generally avoided to prevent an overly institutional feel to the city’s citizens. Wards which contain special programs such as juvenile hall or military-style training programs may have multiple elements of this infrastructure to better cater to both their regular and unique populace.

These systems exist not only to help cater to needs at the ward level, but help give a system of redundancy. Should one ward be unable to manage itself or find itself insufficient to manage a crisis, the other wards can assist or take over as needed – even transferring the ward’s seat of government entirely if one has fallen to attack.

• Ward-level government and utilities management buildings
• Yamatai National Police Station
• Taxi, bus, and subway stations and hubs
• Tsubomi School Store
• Stores and Supermarkets (often built around the School Stores)
• Restaurants (often built around the School Stores)
• Apartment buildings and Dormitories
• At least one complete school system catering to all grades
• Hydroponics, Bunkers, and ST Backup storage
• Parks and Recreation
• Banks
• Hospitals
• Fabrication Areas for production (from Ayame-classes used as materials for the city)
• Trinary Star Shipping

Tsubomi's wards also have a unique character which makes them interesting, with different roles. The east of the city is developed around the spaceport with the more impressive components of the city in that area, while the western half is more subdued with a slower pace to life…though it still has much to offer. The south has more wealth while the north has more culture. The center wards are urban areas which are influenced to varying degrees by their neighbor wards.

Here is a list of specific known areas in Tsubomi, though schools are listed further down the article in the relevant section. This is not a complete listing.

All driving in the city is computer controlled except in designated areas specifically geared toward Driver’s License training. This allows those children who lack licenses to still utilize personal vehicles to travel as needed, though public transit is still more common. Small, cheap vehicles such as the Soyokaze/Windbreaker Cyclecar serve as AI-guided taxis throughout the city for the needs of the students, and it is also possible for licensed students and adults to purchase similarly equipped vehicles which can switch to manually driven when outside the city. It also ensures the enforcement of the speed limits, and allows the vehicles to react more precisely to children running out into the street in the above ground areas. Suburban areas have slower than normal speed limits due to the greater proportion of children in the population. While hover capable, these cheaper vehicles are required to stick to ground-based roads unless a child has run out into the road or unless there is a criminal or suspicious person on foot in the area. Higher altitudes can also be used by emergency vehicles or for people who have asked an AI for travel to a hospital. This gives YNP personnel a notable advantage in apprehending suspects, allowing them to use this route.

The Soyokaze/Windbreaker Cyclecar was specifically intended for use in the city, and as a cheap vehicle even children could afford. As a result, it is not uncommon for children who do not even yet have a driver's license to own a cheap, AI-equipped Soyokaze. The city has the right to produce and sell this vehicle within its city limits.

Taxis in the city are mostly Soyokaze/Windbreaker Cyclecar with the Taxi Package, and are AI-driven like all vehicles in the city limits. They also have a sensor to determine the identity of the person using the vehicle if a citizen or a permitted visitor. If a student hails a taxi within 30 minutes of curfew or after, the vehicle will only take them to their residence, to the police department, or to a hospital. Taxi travel is not a form of transportation included in the regular living package of the student, though the students get a sizable discount off the already fair rate. Travel to a police department or a hospital is free, and a student gets ten free taxi rides home per year – to be used when in a pinch when needing to meet curfew or if a bus wouldn’t get a student to a destination fast enough.

Buses are a free service in the city, and also serve as a method of transit out to other areas. The standard bus is the Emrys Industries EM-K6 "Kouteki" Grav-Bus from Tamahagane Corporation, for which the city has a license to produce within its boundaries. Blue buses are for intra-city travel, while green buses travel outside the city. While many students and workers can ride within and between wards on the intra-city blue buses, Green buses only allow those who are adults or have permission to leave the city to do so. They are even stricter regarding who is permitted into the city, requiring advanced notice unless they are a government official or a member of the Army. Due to this, the blue buses tend to have a physical driver, but the driver is there more to watch the kids than drive, which the AI handles. Green bus drivers drive when outside the city limits and also act as a layer of security on those entering and exiting the city. They also keep children under the age of ten from using the green buses without an adult or a sibling travel ling with them.

Due to the fact that almost all communication is done electronically, the delivery system in Tsubomi is geared toward package transport even though physical mail is still supported. Materials and wares are delivered typically by large truck for businesses making mass orders, and by smaller delivery trucks or modified Soyokaze functioning in a similar method to taxis for sets of individual orders. These vehicles always have a driver whose role is not to truly drive, but to help map the route if needed and actually facilitate the delivery and loading/unloading of materials. Tsubomi's delivery system is efficient, often boasting at most 18-hour delivery in the city between wards except for special cases, and 6 hour delivery within wards. Deliveries can be scheduled around the schedule of the recipient if desired, though most dormitories will accept packages on behalf of the student and simply allow for the deliveries to be made at the best opportunity within that time frame.

Tsubomi integrates with Yamatai's own transport system at the ward and city levels; allowing for items to be shipped in and out of Yamatai via road or spaceport. Extremely thorough inspection is made of anything entering and exiting Tsubomi in this manner.

The subway system connects all the wards together along with the bus line, and also connects to nearby cities, though the ones connecting to nearby cities are carefully scanned and checked for people who shouldn’t be entering or leaving the city.

Access to the spaceport is strictly monitored and sensors scan for anyone trying to sneak in or out of the city, as well as contraband. Most students trying to get into the spaceport are generally those arriving to welcome parents or relatives taking a break from active duty to visit, those who are studying an advanced trade curriculum involving some aspect of spacecraft maintenance or operation, are involved with a form of junior military curriculum, are Yamatai National Police Junior Officers participating in searches and training, or are volunteer students or members of student council sent to greet new classmates.

The school system in Tsubomi is a rather strong and extensive curriculum, with standards above those of most other cities. Not only is this to give students something else to focus on, but also to give them the edge they need to recover from the loss of their family and become contributing members of society. It goes all the way from Nursery School to University, giving anyone and everyone an education option. Every school has an attached dormitory or series of dormitories, sorted by grade and gender.

Please note that Neko Gakuen is integrated into the other school systems and is not specifically listed here.

• Tsubomi School Life and Curriculum

Residences in the city are wide and diverse, though the primary ones are dormitories, apartments, and houses. The system is specially designed to room students together by age and gender, and to keep families together. There are various rules regarding this process, but there are also special options depending on the given situation.

• Tsubomi Residences

Having students being able to attend a robust curriculum is not enough, particularly in the case of a town without families. After-school activities are also important, but they can’t exist simply to distract. Each activity has a distinct purpose and gain or gains associated with it, such as the learning of important skills or values. Some activities even translate into work experience, while others involve improvement of the community and/or improvement of the self.

• Tsubomi Extracurricular Activities
• Tsubomi Internships and Apprenticeships

The curfew system used in Tsubomi is fairly fluid and customized. While it is based in large part on the education level of the student, there are criteria which can alter their curfew in regards to this particular situation. Curfew data on someone can be accessed by computer system, Artificial Intelligences used for transportation, or by personnel with sufficient access such as police officers.

Curfews are generally as follows:

It should be noted that special circumstances can be temporarily or permanently considered, and that those who have completed high school have no curfew. Upper Secondary/High School students who live by themselves in apartment complexes or other off-campus housing are encouraged but not required to abide by the curfew restrictions, though negative performance or behavior may result in their returning to dormitory life. Nursery, Elementary, and Lower Secondary/Junior High School students living off-campus must still abide by these requirements, unless in the company of a parent or guardian.

Those who have bad behavior and grades may also have their curfews modified accordingly on a case-by-case basis, and repeat offenders or those guilty of criminal activities may have their freedoms restricted to those of nursery school students – supervision only. It should also be noted that most curfew bonuses are only applicable to extending evening hours rather than morning hours, but employment and extracurricular activities may alter the morning curfew limit instead if deemed necessary.

Most students, while they have their basic needs met for them, are actually given an allowance in the city’s special Gakuen Satsu currency which is influenced by their age, behavior, and academic studies. Participants who donate their time to certain optional programs or extra-curricular activities may also be paid additional money. The city has a base allowance system in place with modifiers for behavior, grades, and extracurricular activities. Students may also be penalized for bad performance in amounts determined on a case by case basis. The system of allowances is specifically designed to help teach the children important lessons at different times. It should be noted that since the shown interest rates are inflated compared to actual banking structures, the bank receives the difference from the city’s government. These rates are prone to adjustment, so children may see the war effort reflected in their own finances and interest rates.

In Elementary School, children are introduced to the bonuses and are taught generally how to spend their money wisely. High interest rates for putting the money in the bank encourage the saving of the money for buying more important things, or saving for later grades where interest rates are lower. The system is also managed so that the best way of all to get a high allowance is simply good behavior. While there is some reward to good grades and extracurricular activities, it is not as essential as behaving well and becoming a well-rounded person.

Once entering Lower Secondary/Junior High School, the focus balances out a bit. While there are still rewards for good behavior, an even and slightly greater emphasis is placed upon good grades and extracurricular activities. This is to guide the student toward bettering their studies and participating in the community, but not to do one at the expense of the other. Interest rates continue to drop, but are still greater than in the outside world. Saving money and budget planning become more important as the students are introduced to more complex concepts such as loans.

Upon reaching Upper Secondary/High School, the base allowance stays fixed. Good behavior is still rewarded, but at this point is expected. There is still a strong emphasis on getting good grades, but the emphasis on extracurricular activities is strongest here in preparation of the student obtaining employment. A student who sacrifices their grades for such a bonus or for a job, however, loses the privilege to participate in the extracurricular activity or the job until their grades rise. In this way, good grades are also more heavily expected. Upper Secondary/High School students may actually obtain a job and be paid in more money than shown in the table. Nekovalkyrja have the same rate as Upper Secondary/High School students throughout their participation in the school system.

Students who are older are even given gradually more complex and educational opportunities to borrow against their allowances after taking a class about finance, to form a line of credit and make major purchases with the school or even the bank. This is done not only to prevent students from loaning each other large sums without understanding the consequences, but also to allow students to learn how the credit system works and learn how to attain a good credit rating. Problems with a student’s ability to manage their finances and pay their loans can be discovered early and corrected before they ruin the student’s life later. Parents are allowed to send a supplemental allowance or a cash gift if they desire, but it is to be converted into the city’s special currency and tracked by the city.

Tsubomi uses a special currency known as the Gakuen Satsu (GS). The GS is actually a voucher equivalent in value to the Kikyou Satsu, but can only be redeemed by certain businesses and institutions within Tsubomi which also provide information on their customers and their purchases, or directly by the Empire. In this way, the city government can teach its students the value of money while still restricting what they are able to purchase, and even track the purchases of the students if needed for a specific case or requested by the parents. The tracking is mainly to allow a student to view a monthly digest of their purchases for their own evaluation and learn where to more efficiently distribute their funds, as well as to better stock the stores in the city, but another benefit is that things such as drugs and other contraband are less likely to be brought into the city if the profits from them can only be spent on site. Students who have their driver’s licenses or adults who work within the city can be paid for their job in KS, but receive a slight percentage-based bonus if they accept their payment in part or in full in GS instead.

Upon graduation or moving out of the city, it is possible to convert GS into KS, potentially with a slightly more beneficial exchange rate depending on how well they did as a student. A student leaving to visit family or on vacation can also exchange some GS into KS, but likely not their entire savings. It is also possible to convert GS to KS elsewhere in the Empire, but this is far more difficult and has a lot of red tape due to the increased chance of it being for criminal activity or other abuse of the system. Overall, the GS is viewed with enough care and tracking to prevent many forms of crime before they start, while letting the students learn about money in a safer environment before becoming adults.

This being said, there is still an underground market that deals chiefly with KS due to GS purchase tracking – generally snuck into the city by new students, older students who earn KS, adults, or family members. New or returning students are quickly advised to store their KS in the bank as GS or leave it at home, and not to give it to other students for any reason.

The ability to track the currencies of the students actually results in another benefit, this time to corporations. Private Corporations pay Tsubomi for data on those who most often buy specific products such as age and gender. While the private data and the names of the students stay quiet, the input helps Tsubomi to pay for the high interest rates it pays its students by using the GS tracking system to help any given company obtain precise and up to the minute marketing data on its products. In a large part because of this, companies use Tsubomi as a trial market for consumer goods which are intended to appeal to the young. This results in Tsubomi being among the first places where such goods appear on the market.

Tsubomi has an array of servers in secure locations under the city which back up and manage data for the city, and often have multiple redundancies. PANTHEON-enabled workstations such as the Starkwerk Touchcomputer (with civilian Kessaku OS) often access this data as if it were on board as a networked workstation or even a thinclient, but allows students to have access to their files regardless of whether they log onto their personal handheld device, their dorm room’s computer, or a school computer, with a password and biometrics. This has the added benefit of preventing the loss of data if a workstation is destroyed and damaged. A student that accidentally deletes an important file can also contact technical support and recover it at any time within two weeks. They can also copy the files on the workstation itself and use the device as a full-featured computer, especially if leaving Tsubomi for a time. It is not unusual for non-critical personal files to be stored on the workstations themselves.

These servers and workstations also allow for important things like storing textbooks and homework in a digital format, accessing GS spending and bank account data as needed (to supplement the monthly paper invoice), communicating with friends or staff, taking down notes, retrieving schedules and various other elements. Teachers can restrict what these devices can do in the classroom, to prevent cheating or distraction as well.

Upon entering Elementary or later, each student receives a universal set of items with which to function within Tsubomi as they learn. These students are expected to take good care of their items, though if lost or damaged they can be replaced. Adults and staff also have similar identification and devices.

• Identification/GS Card (Includes Driver’s License and KS data if earned)
• Starkwerk Touchcomputer, with a civilian Kessaku OS and PANTHEON access connecting to Tsubomi's server network
• Applicable School Uniforms
• Standard school swimwear
• Standard school gym wear
• Several sets of Casual clothing
• One set of formal wear
• Appropriate applicable clothing for extracurricular activities

Note that these numbers do not include all income, and do not include public grants from the empire. These include donations and founding expenses.

Only that not yet used/given out to students is listed.

• Box of bottled cleaning chemicals
• Bags of Flour
• Box of office supplies
• 6-liter bar-tap bottle of Nepleslian blood (O+ for transfusion)
• Computer Processor
• Andrium Armor bulkhead, intact
• Data Pad (Financial Information, 100 - 1000 HS)
• The Most Epic Bicycle Ever Seen
• Emfratec Stove - Hot Box
• Civilian Car
• Lo-Car - Green Edition (A Basic Electric Car)