War and Peace Memorial

The Collective Security Union War And Peace Memorial (Atlas Memorial) is a memorial located in Validusia Station. The memorial was dedicated in Year 865 to the many peoples and groups who contributed to the Union's prosperity and wealth. The memorial is partially inspired by the mythical depiction of Atlas carrying the Earth upon his back.

Appearance
The centerpiece of the memorial is a sculpture group depicting a group of people, each representing a group, species, or profession living under the Union, holding up a gigantic orb above them with their hands. The memorial itself is located in an enclosed interior space with access to second floor catwalks to allow visitors to observe the upper orb from a more close-up position.

The Statues
On the lower half of the memorial is a number of statues holding up the firmament of the Local Cluster above them. The statues, each standing at a larger than life height of five meters, are cast from bronze and electroplated with various other metals. Each statue is crafted to represent a group, species, or member state existing under the umbrella of the Union and is detailed accordingly. The statues, in various stances of strain and struggle, hold up the upper half of the memorial with their arms and hands.

The statues departed from existing memorial convention in a few ways. First, no statue displays a bare face. Every statue has its face obscured by some manner of covering, helmet, or mask. For example, the statue representing the military forces of the Union wears a full head helmet that completely conceals its face. Existing conventions call for a generic face. Second, the statues include archetypes for previously unrepresented groups such as demi-humanoids, Androids, and signatories of the Accord of Free Nations.

The Orb
Above the larger than life statues is an orb ten meters in diameter representing the Local Cluster, within which is a collection of smaller orbs each representing an individual universe of the Local Cluster. Both the main orb and the smaller orbs are completely transparent to visible light, allowing for easy illumination and display of their contents. The orbs are constructed out of a transparent ceramic material chosen for its resistance to damage.

Located within each sub-orb is a depiction of the relevant astronomical objects, usually the galaxy or star cluster within which intelligent life in that universe reside, formed out of innumerable quantum dots. These quantum dots, visually resembling specks of frosted glass under visible light, luminesces under ultraviolet light and releases light corresponding to a point on the blackbody radiation spectrum. The effect of this is a visual display of each universe, luminescing in a very close imitation of the actual astronomical objects shown, inside of each sub-orb.

Connecting each sub-orb to each other are a series of golden strands made of the same quantum dots that form the display inside each sub-orb. Each golden strand represents a Jump Gate connection between the orbs on both ends of the strand.

Despite appearing to be a solid object, the main orb is actually mostly empty save for the sub-orbs. During normal display the remaining space is filled with a transparent fluid with the same refractive index as the orbs, creating the visual illusion of a solid main orb. This makes repair of the interior of the orb easier, as there is much less solid material to cut through in the event that one of the sub-orbs must be taken out or accessed.

The Base
The upper and lower halves of the memorial rests on top of a rounded cylindrical base ten meters in diameter. The base itself is made of black granite and features a number of gilded inscriptions on portions of its side face.

Inscriptions
"Dedicated to the peoples and nations of the Local Cluster, from past to present and into the future, in times of war and times of peace, who struggled and toiled in hardship and suffering, so that we and our descendants may live in comfort and plenty. Inspired by the myth of Atlas bearing the globe upon his back.  Erected by the Office of Consecration, with funds and expertise provided by member states and private groups, and with the support of many more.  Dedicated, Year 865."