Setting

Setting
Route 47 is set in the small desert town of Cicero, a fully functional town that looks as if it's been lifted straight out of the American 1950s or early 1960s. Currently there are no NPCs in Cicero—it's just the Keyholders and the empty town.

The town doesn't look like everyone up and left in a huge hurry. Most things are neat and tidy in Cicero; newspapers are folded on tabletops, clothes are neatly in closets, cars are parked in driveways instead of sitting out in the streets. The deli counter in the grocery store is still fresh. The ice cream is still frozen. If everyone left, they left it damn clean.

The most current newspapers, calendars and whatnot in Cicero are dated August 13, though there is no year. Day and night occur, and clocks keep a standard twenty-four hour day, but nothing in the town really changes from day to day except restocking and repairing itself. No electronic clocks means it's hard to tell if time is actually passing at all...

Because Cicero is in a desert, good luck finding any water outside the town. We're talking lots of dry dirt, cacti, joshua trees, and sage brush. Most of the land outside Cicero is scrub, punctuated by said joshua trees and cacti. Route 47 spans off into the horizon in either direction, and from Cicero at least, there is nothing else visible except the road in either direction.

Culture
''[It should be noted that while specific authors and titles may be mentioned in this section, all books, comics, films, etc in Cicero will only be generic representations of their type. None of these actual names will appear on anything in Cicero.]''

The 1950s in America were considered the height of the motor travel era. Vacationers could travel nearly the entire length of the country by highway; motels and other tourist destinations sprang up along these highways to lure travellers in. Neon signs advertised each liquor store, every travel lodge, hoping to capitalize on the success of the tourist industry. A sort of culture rose around these highways, popularized by the beatnik generation and books such as Kerouac's On the Road, as well as popular songs and television shows.

While the 1950s are generally considered highly conservative, juvenile delinquency was seen as a major problem during this decade. The Cold War was going strong, and depictions of both apocalypse and hostile takeover from other worlds were popular in books and films.

Television was rapidly gaining in popularity—many homes in the US purchased their first television set during this decade. Shows aired in black and white, everything from comedy and variety shows to sitcoms to game shows to news journalism and talk shows.

Filmmakers, trying to lure viewers back from their television sets, started a chain of big budget sword-and-sandal epics (think Ben Hur) and science fiction films (The Day the Earth Stood Still, among others). Teen movies began their rise to prominence during this time.

Comic books had gained in popularity during and after the Second World War, and the Golden Age was gradually giving way to the Silver Age. Along with the standard superhero stories, westerns and science fiction/horror titles were hugely successful.

The beatnik generation was at its peak during the 50s, with authors Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Salinger all publishing (to name a few). Science fiction was having a heyday as well; authors during this period included Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke and Heinlein. The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia both came out during this decade.

Popular musicians of the time were Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Ella Fitzgerald and Little Richard. The most popular musical styles included jazz, rockabilly, doo-wop, and rock and roll.

Successful toys during this era included the hula hoop, Mr. Potato Head, the original run of Barbie, Radio Flyer wagons, Frisbees, Lincoln Logs, Silly Putty, and the Slinky. These sorts of toys may be found in Cicero, though they'll all be boxed and stamped with different, generic names.

Locations
All of the buildings in Cicero are functional and open for Keyholders to use as they will—provided here is a brief description of each location. As previously stated, all perishable and usable items restock on a daily basis. Furthermore, any damage done to the town will repair itself within twenty-four hours.

Please note that Cicero was a relatively small town, back when it had people, so most locations will be within easy walking distance of each other. Visual references forthcoming~

Alto's:

Alto's is a fine Italian restaurant—possibly the nicest place to eat in Cicero, and definitely the most expensive (from looking at the menus). The décor is all-out Italian, complete with fine table linens, nice china and crystal wine glasses, and those funky green glass bottles with the wicker stuff on the bottom. If you're used to the finer things in life, Alto's is about your only hope.

Astro Bowl:

Wooden lanes, a shoe rental counter, and a concession area that serves beer. Yep, it's a bowling alley. Astro Bowl boasts a whopping eight lanes, plastic chairs, and those little table areas where you sit and compute your score—by hand, on a piece of paper.

Cicero Courthouse:

The courthouse is a large, low, brick building that does exactly what it says on the tin, as well as housing all local governmental offices and the local police station.

Cicero Elementary:

Another sprawling, one-story building in the heart of the residential section of Cicero. The playground features uneven bars, two teeter-totters, a row of swings, and a merry-go-round. The classrooms are fairly small, and the desks are small as well. On one edge of the building is a taller section that houses the gymnasium. There is no high school building in Cicero.

Cicero Fire House:

The fire station in Cicero is directly adjacent to the courthouse; it is a two-story brick building complete with the traditional fire pole. There is only one fire truck in operation at the fire station.

Cicero Post Office:

Located near the fire station and the courthouse. A very small brick building.

Colonial Grocery:

A modestly-sized chain grocery store, holding just about any staple food a character might want (as well as a small selection of junk food). The store includes a deli counter and a soda fountain/ice cream counter.

Desert Hills Liquor:

Yep, it's a liquor store. There's a neon sign out front of this tiny shop, and the selection isn't too bad. The really good stuff is kept in a locked cabinet.

Flamingo Lounge:

The Flamingo Lounge is located directly on Route 47, and is a big neon hotspot for the of-age crowd. The bar is well stocked, the stage looks big enough to have had quite a dance routine performed on it (back when there may have actually been dancers), and the neon is everywhere. The Flamingo is slightly larger and definitely flashier than the Zanzibar Lounge. (Note: Thanks to Kiba's illusions, the Flamingo has become a strip club with illusionary strippers and waitresses.)

Pioneer Lodge:

The Pioneer Lodge sports a lumberjack sort of character on its neon sign out front. The Lodge has twelve rooms, all on ground level and all opening outward. The Lodge forms a sort of U-shape with the rooms opening to the center of the U and parking spaces in the middle. The office is located on one end of the U-shape, as well as laundry facilities. Each room contains the standard: a queen bed, a television and a telephone, a dresser, a table and chair set, and a small washroom. The Pioneer's rooms are probably too small to house more than one person at a time, at least for more than a few nights.

Rest Haven Inn:

The Rest Haven is a smaller motel than the Zanzibar, with only one level and ten rooms. Each room in the squat, white-washed building opens outward and features two full-size beds, a television, a dresser, a table with two chairs, a telephone, and a small washroom. The office is located at the front as one enters the parking lot; a laundry room is available but there is no kitchen. The rooms in the Rest Haven are ideal for two people to stay in, but there are only ten of them. When they're gone, they're gone!

Rialto Theater:

One of Cicero's two movie theaters, the Rialto is a one-screen indoor theater boasting fairly uncomfortable seats and a spiffy balcony section. It has an overhead marquee sign out front, as well as a small box office near the doors. The upstairs projection room houses a decent collection of movie reels.

Route 47 Oil and Gas:

The main service station for Cicero, located right on Route 47 at the eastern edge of town. The station also has a small garage attached where some repairs can be made.

Sky View Drive-in:

A towering outdoor movie screen on the west side of town. A little building sits at the front of the lot as one drives up; here tickets would be sold and refreshments may be found. The projection booth for the theater is located on the second floor of the concession stand. Poles set into the ground to the side of each parking space hold speakers that transmit the audio tracks of movies.

Sunshine Sundries:

The Wal-Mart of days gone by. Sunshine Sundries is a modestly-sized shop holding most of the various, everyday items a character might need: things like toothpaste, deodorant, notepads and pens, towels, cleaning supplies, and some clothing (though the style might not be to everyone's liking). Think Dollar General, or any of those type of shops. If your character needs to find something and can't get it at a grocery store (and doesn't feel like looting random houses), chances are it'll be at Sunshine.

Starlite Diner:

The quintessential 50s style diner. Chrome and neon are overused, and the floor is the black and white checker pattern everyone knows and loves. There's even a jukebox filled with generic 1950s-style music. Bar stools sit up at the counter and booths are available around the outer edge of the interior. The coffee's not bad, but the coconut cream pie is to die for.

St. Vincent's Medical Center:

St. Vincent's is Cicero's one and only hospital. It's pretty small, in the grand scheme of things, but compared to the rest of the town it's a rather large building. St. Vincent's has three floors, a cafeteria, a pharmacy, a mental health wing, and is full of somewhat dated but completely serviceable medical equipment.

Trinity Lutheran:

The largest church in Cicero, and rather typical of the kinds of churches one finds in a small town. Wide stairs lead up to large, arching double doors. The main room is tall, with two rows of pews and a raised altar at the front. The sign out along the street has movable letters, and currently has some random proverb spelled out.

Zanzibar Lounge:

Sitting directly next door to the Zanzibar Motel is the Zanzibar Lounge, an intimate little hotspot of the Cicero night life. The interior is a collection of various bar stools and booths, the lighting is dim, and the booze is plentiful. There's even a little stage for lounge singers or dancers to perform.

Zanzibar Motel:

The Zanzibar is home base for the Keyholders. Even if they should choose to spend their time elsewhere while in Cicero (at the Rest Haven, in a residence, etc) the Zanzibar has one big perk: the Keys will only work to return a character to their home world from the specific room they are meant for in the Zanzibar. This of course does not mean they have to spend every waking moment there, or even any real time at all. It's simply a good start.

The Zanzibar has seven levels and is built in the shape of an L, with an equal number of rooms on either side of the L and four fewer rooms on the bottom floor than on the upper floors. Should the number of Keyholders in the game surpass the current number of rooms, the Zanzibar will mysteriously grow additional floors. How does this work? Who knows!

In the center of the L-shape is the lobby and office area, along with a small kitchenette, which is why there are less rooms available on the bottom floor. The kitchenette's cupboards and refrigerator are fully stocked, and there is a stove available (sorry, no microwave!). A laundry room is located behind the lobby and kitchen area, with a door opening to the rear of the motel for dumpster access. (Yes, characters are going to have to do their own laundry.)

Guest rooms open out rather than inward; there are no internal hallways connecting them but rather outdoor walkways that run the length of the building on each floor. Each room comes furnished with a queen-sized bed, a small table with a chair, a dresser with three drawers, an old-style black and white television set, a telephone, and a small adjoining bathroom with a shower, sink and mirror, and toilet. The rooms are large enough to comfortably house two people, provided said people are somewhat cozy with each other—Keyholders will not initially be given roommates because of the one bed situation. You want to share a room, work that out amongst yourselves.

A typical 1950's motel room

Yes, the Zanzibar has a pool! It is outdoors, surrounded by a metal fence. Watch out kids: there's no lifeguard on duty.

Phone numbers for rooms will be four digit numbers - 2, followed by the room number. For example, Ea's phone number from any Zanzibar motel room would be 2109. Outside the Zanzibar, the motel rooms can be reached by adding 555 to the beginning (555-2109).