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    "V.F.D.," Moxie said. "Is that real?"
    "As real as literature," I said.
    "What's V.F.D.?" Cleo asked.
    "It's a secret organization," Moxie said. "I've seen mentions of it here and there."
    "V.F.D. stands for Volunteer Fire Department," I said.
    "So you put out fires?" Kellar asked.
    "When we can," I said, "but there's more to it than that. We try to do what good we can in the world."
    Jake frowned. "Doesn't everybody try to do that?"
    "Not enough people," I said.
    "I don't understand this," Moxie said. "What is it, exactly, that you do? What does V.F.D. believe?"
    "We believe in an aristocracy," I said.
    Moxie wanted to type so badly that she rattled her fingers on the table. "Doesn't that mean people who are rich and powerful?"
    "Not that kind of aristocracy," I said, with both feet on the floor. "Not an aristocracy of power, based on rank or wealth, but an aristocracy of the sensitive, the considerate, and the plucky. Our members are found in all nations and classes, and all through the ages, and there is a secret understanding between us when we meet. ... We represent the true human condition, the one permanent victory over cruelty and chaos. We're an invincible army, but not a victorious one. We've had different names throughout history, but all the words that describe us are fals and all attempts to organize us fail. Right now we're called V.F.D., but all our schisms and arguments might cause us to disappear. It won't matter. People like us always slip through the net. Our true home is the imagination, and our kingdom is the wide, open world."

- From All The Wrong Questions, Vol. 3: Shouldn't You Be In School?

To All Out-of-Dimension Residents:

I would like to preface this by saying that it is, by no means, an exhaustive resource for all of Pantropa. If you come across a new location or a piece of information which you feel would benefit those of us who find ourselves adrift here, please attach your findings to this NOMO Network post. I thank you in advance for your contributions!

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

The Terminal, The Portals, And Portal Travel

All OOD residents arrive here, through the portal gate. It is maintained by Rick Sanchez, who has been able to stabilize it enough to allow passage back and forth. Unfortunately, it is still malfunctioning at random intervals: a phrase which here means "people still show up unexpectedly even though it is supposed to be repaired". On New Year's Day of 3059 PE, Rick Sanchez gave every OOD currently in residence a band which allows them to control the portal in the Terminal for personal use. Each band comes with a user's manual.

I have questioned the long-term residents of Pantropa (Dr. Percival Cox, Thomas and Tina Allister, and Jayne Cobb), as well as Rick Sanchez, and they have all confirmed that time spent on Pantropa in the 76th Dimension is somehow separate from time wherever one happens to have come from. That is to say, someone could brew a cup of tea, be pulled here, live for years establishing a career and a sturdy social network, then return home to find their cup of tea still steeping and hot.

The rest of the terminal seems to have originally been engineered as a massive spaceport, perhaps for a network of portals and a variety of ships or other vehicles, but is largely abandoned. When I attempt to question native Pantropans about this phenomenon, they largely dismiss me or say it is a matter best left alone. It may merit further exploration in the future. Photographs of the terminal can be found in the Coalition's original welcome brochure.

The City Islands

The City Islands are connected by the Blue Line of the monorail. A full loop of the Blue Line takes eighty-seven minutes to complete, with stops at The Hotel Detritus, Our Lady of Perpetual Trauma, the Indoor Market, and the Industrial District. Most of the Industrial District appears to be highly secure and off-limits to anyone without proper clearance, but there is a circuit of very impressive, tall, well-lit structures at its heart. If I had to make an educated guess, I would think it is where most of the power, water, and other municipal plants are located.

There are several entertainment establishments scattered throughout the city, including a pleasant open-air garden next to the Bread and Jam Tea Shop, and an indoor gaming pavillion called Red Ringer's which specializes in a sport called Plontza. As far as I can tell, Plontza is a combination of bocce and horseshoes, and the projectiles thrown at the target field explode upon impact. It makes for thrilling spectation, if nothing else, though why Red Ringer's even sells alcoholic beverage in conjunction with such an activity is thoroughly beyond me. The most popular bars in town seem to be Dinlop's - which is more popular for its low prices, and One Last Shag, which is decidedly better in atmosphere, if not in name. There's also a small, upscale cafe called Quench on the South Island, on the roof of the Bayview Building.

The Badlands

My experience with the Badlands is largely lacking, but I had a chance to speak briefly with the Town Marshall, Jayne Cobb, at the General Mercantile. It seems a much quieter place than the City Islands, and far more spread out. There is a bunkhouse for those who prefer simpler living, and one particularly driven man has built his own home from the ground up. It reminds me very much of the American frontier during the age of the Gold Rush in its simplicity and rustic nature, and resources are limited. However, there also seems to be ample opportunity for exploration for the adventure-minded, as there is a well-worn path leading up into the mountains beyond the center of town.

Pantropa and Its People

After conversing with the members of the Coalition at great length, I have learned a fair amount about this planet and its native race. We are all able to understand one another due to a strange sort of microbe in the air, which has a mild psychotropic affect and allows for rudimentary psychic connection. It does not, by any means, allow for mind reading, but anything spoken can be understood. A strange caveat exists, however: if the person is speaking in something other than their native language, the listener will only understand their native language. For example, I could say "I'm having a strange sensation of deja vu", and a Pantropan would hear "I'm having a strange sensation of deja vu" instead of "I'm having a strange sensation of already seen".

Pantropans are all varying hues of purple, and what may, at first glance, appear to be accessories are actually armored growths on their bodies. These growths generally take the appearance of headbands, close-fitting collars, and wrist braces. Pantropans do not have ears, so I would make an educated guess that those head growths are linked to their sense of hearing. Their hair colors range on the cool end of the color spectrum, from pale green to deep purple, as do their eyes. Aside from their lack of ears, they resemble humans very closely, and seem to be gifted with a great sense of dexterity and balance.

They tend to keep to themselves, but their society is very structured, as is their rule system. As Axa, one member of the Coalition, once told me: "We see no sense in attempting to impose our full set of rules upon you, because we are taught it from birth, in stages, and to begin to teach you what we know at your age would likely stretch the limits of your mental capacity". The Pantropans have a very delicate and intricate relationship with the planet they live on, and that seems to be why their regulations are so extensive. It would also explain why the monorail only leads to certain districts, and why they are not overtly welcoming and inclusive of outsiders: it may not be xenophobia so much as an attempt to preserve their ecosystem. Indeed, the excursion several made to the mines on the North Island in November of 3058 PE seems to have upset the Pantropans greatly, though I've yet to discern why.