Gardens
The Archive's gardens are one of the largest sub-regions of the structure itself. A set of interconnected domes, the Gardens are home to an enormous number of fauna and flora. Each dome represents a separate biome with creatures from across different worlds. The main entry dome, which is also the largest, is actually an enormous park. The plants kept here are harmless, usually flowering, decorative, and nice smelling. The animals in this dome are also harmless and non-intrusive. However, even this relatively calm dome has some surprising secrets. At night, various species of night-blooming flowers and trees fill the space with ambient light. There are also domes that are completely blacked out if a visitor does not want to wait until nightfall to experience these wonders. A small waterfall in the back of the park is a popular date spot for young archivists as well.
While the main dome of the gardens is a wonderful, safe, and popular break spot, some of the auxiliary domes are more dangerous. There are some filled with carnivorous plants and others that are completely submerged in lava. Without the requisite knowledge, a relaxing trip to the gardens can quickly turn into a disastrous nightmare. As a result, many of the auxiliary domes are locked off to the general population with strict supervision by a subset of biologically-inclined archivists. Some domes have entire training programs that are required for entry.
Purpose / Function
The Gardens serve a twofold purpose. First, they are a repository for living flora archivists bring back from their excursions. The interconnected domes provide an unparalleled opportunity for Archivists to engage in long term studies of various species, as well as their interactions with other alien species. Furthermore, various environments can be created (or simply accessed as many have already been encountered through the Archive's many travels) for training or other activities the archivists require. Second, the Gardens, and especially the main dome, offer a quiet and relaxing place to take a break. Archival work can be tiring and at times the best way to unwind is to sit among the trees and flowers with a nice cup of tea.
Architecture
The construction of the main dome itself appears to be composed of some type of glass composite. However, a light filled sky is either projected on or generated by the dome to simulate an outdoors feel (which does not change with the currently anchored world). Over the course of an archival day, the dome changes color and hue, eventually dimming completely. While some of the auxiliary domes are made of this same material, many are also made of a spongy biological substance. While the main dome is not made of the same material and is definitely artificial, this biological substance shows many of the same light-generation and hue-changing capabilities. Furthermore, this substance is identical across many of the auxiliary domes, especially newer ones. From this we can conclude two facts. First, use of the artificial dome was phased out at some point (either for cost reasons or because the creation process itself was lost) and replaced with the biological construction. Second, since many of the auxiliary domes show the exact same construction on a base level, we can conclude that enormous portions of the Gardens are themselves a biological entity. In other words, parts of the Gardens are one big plant.
The interior of each dome varies dramatically. Some, like the main dome, have carefully manicured paths and spaces, every inch designed and maintained by groundskeepers. Others are left natural to see how the plants grow and change in a relatively undisturbed setting. Visitors are recommended to download the info sheets outside each dome's entrance to their personal Archival Device to ensure they are familiar with the routes and procedures associated with each region.
Type
Garden
Owning Organization
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