Future air traffic laws

[DoctaDajman]

Thinking about Lurchers and Coinshots flying through the cities in the future and couldn't help but question how to avoid mid air collisions... I know I have danced with many a people where we are each trying to dodge the same direction and if you are both traveling 60+ miles per hour that kind of collision would leave both parties dead. 

My first thought was that buildings would have anchors built into them along specific floors. Iron would be required underneath and steel above these limits. Then following traffic laws as far as lanes and what side of the street to be on. This should avoid 99% of all collisions so long as they all follow those guidelines. And really they only need to follow them when in the presence of other metalborn. 

What other laws and regulations do you see popping up for metalborn. And more importantly how would you enforce these laws? 

[Quantus he/him]

Even in the final empire it was considered bothersome that allomancers would use metals in buildings for their anchors and cause damage because they weren't stout enough to support a full person's weight, etc.  So I think at minimum you'll see specifically designated lanes and "roads" with stout metal anchors that they have been built and installed to support the allomantic acrobatics.  Anyone caught using other metals and/or actually causing harm would face appropriate legal penalties, akin to driving on a sidewalk or through a park.  

 

I could see individual cities having ordinances against dropping metal trash as your own personal anchor (like the spent bullet shells Wax used).  So I could see that getting caught up in littering laws. Though I could also see there being a specifically stated exception for using Coins and just calling that a nominal act of charity for whomever picks the coin up later on.  

Edited March 27, 2025 by Quantus
Awful spelling...

[DoctaDajman]

1 hour ago, Quantus said:

Even in the final empire it was considered othersome that allomancers would use metals in buildings for their anchors and cause damage because they weren't stout enough to support a full person's weight, etc.  So I think at minimum you'll see specifically designated lanes and "roads" with stout metal anchors that they have been built and installed to support the allomantic acrobatics.  Anyone caught using other metals and/or actually causing harm would face appropriate legal penalties, akin to driving on a sidewalk or through a park.  

 

I could see individual cities having ordinances against dropping metal trash as your own personal anchor (like the spent bullet shells Wax used).  So I could see that getting caught up in littering laws. Though I could also see there being a specifically stated exception for using Coins and just calling that a nominal act of charity for whomever picks the coin up later on.  

I like the thought on littering. Do you suppose in era 3 there will be a registry of metalborn and cameras that can capture something for facial recognition of said law breakers?  Like cameras at red lights, you just get the ticket in the mail sort of thing?  

Not to open the can of worms that is registered powers because we have seen that in enough shows. But it would be interesting to see Scadrial go through those difficulties. 

[Treamayne]

32 minutes ago, DoctaDajman said:

Do you suppose in era 3 there will be a registry of metalborn and cameras that can capture something for facial recognition of said law breakers?  Like cameras at red lights, you just get the ticket in the mail sort of thing?  

Doubtful, but possible. Last known put Era 3 around 1980s tech and the start of the computer age; which would be well before automated camera systems and facial recognition software. 

[dezaS Hᴇ/Hɪᴍ]

36 minutes ago, DoctaDajman said:

I like the thought on littering. Do you suppose in era 3 there will be a registry of metalborn and cameras that can capture something for facial recognition of said law breakers?  Like cameras at red lights, you just get the ticket in the mail sort of thing?  

 

That's a really cool idea - a metalborn registry! Let's see Sanderson's take on the registered-powers trope. But, since era 3 is to be the 1980s-level technology and car speeding cameras weren't at a serviceable level in the 1980s let alone facial recognition, I doubt that Scadrial will have automated metalborn tickets.

But, this is really interesting to see how the population will probably be increasing wildly whereas the proportion of metalborn will have stopped decreasing and how they deal with that

 

sorry treamayne 

Edited March 26, 2025 by dezaS
ninja

[DoctaDajman]

1 hour ago, dezaS said:

That's a really cool idea - a metalborn registry! Let's see Sanderson's take on the registered-powers trope. But, since era 3 is to be the 1980s-level technology and car speeding cameras weren't at a serviceable level in the 1980s let alone facial recognition, I doubt that Scadrial will have automated metalborn tickets.

But, this is really interesting to see how the population will probably be increasing wildly whereas the proportion of metalborn will have stopped decreasing and how they deal with that

 

sorry treamayne 

Absolutely. I liked it in xmen. I liked it in civil war. The idea of a registry drives me nuts but the idea of the tension an author could get when they use it in their book is awesome. 

1 hour ago, Treamayne said:

Doubtful, but possible. Last known put Era 3 around 1980s tech and the start of the computer age; which would be well before automated camera systems and facial recognition software. 

Good to know about the 1980s. Glad to get at least one more era of loose rules and wild wild west as far as the ability to track and punish criminals. 

Although I say track but there will probably be enough tin eyes or tin ferrings around to legit track down criminals. Running away is going to be so much harder when someone can just sniff you out and the police have coin shots or steel runners to chase you down.  

Edited March 26, 2025 by DoctaDajman

[Treamayne]

2 minutes ago, DoctaDajman said:

Although I say track but there will probably be enough tin eyes or tin ferrings around to legit track down criminals. Running away is going to be so much harder when someone can just sniff you out and the police have coin shots or steel runners to chase you down.  

I'm curious to see if Bounty Hunting and Skip Tracing become important to Scadrial law enforcement. 

[Quantus he/him]

1 minute ago, DoctaDajman said:

Absolutely. I liked it in xmen. I liked it in civil war. The idea of a registry drives me nuts but the idea of the tension an author could get when they use it in their book is awesome. 

Good to know about the 1980s. Glad to get at least one more era of loose rules and wild wild west as far as the ability to track and punish criminals. 

Although I say track but there will probably be enough tin eyes or tin ferrings around to legit track down criminals. Running away is going to be so much harder when someone can just sniff you out and the police have coin shots or steel runners to chase you down.  

I dont think we'll see magic surveillance Cameras for that sort of thing, but I could see ettmetal tech that uses A-Bronze to detect and alarm in the event of a nearby allomantic Burn.  

[DoctaDajman]

8 minutes ago, Quantus said:

I dont think we'll see magic surveillance Cameras for that sort of thing, but I could see ettmetal tech that uses A-Bronze to detect and alarm in the event of a nearby allomantic Burn.  

That would be freaking awesome. Make copperclouds in demand again. 

[+Oltux72 he/him]

1. It seems to me that at least northern Scadrial still sees allomantic powers as a gift from their god. That means that regulating their use is a very dicey issue, so the answer is likely that the won't do that.
2. Registring the mages also means registring the muggles. Even if the powers are evenly distributed through the populace, I am sure that the nobles are not eager to admit that and more specifically that they themselves are muggles. So I think the answer to that question will also be negative.

[Quantus he/him]

7 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

1. It seems to me that at least northern Scadrial still sees allomantic powers as a gift from their god. That means that regulating their use is a very dicey issue, so the answer is likely that the won't do that.
2. Registring the mages also means registring the muggles. Even if the powers are evenly distributed through the populace, I am sure that the nobles are not eager to admit that and more specifically that they themselves are muggles. So I think the answer to that question will also be negative.

Agreed. And a big part of the classic Mutant Registration conversation is the inherent dangers posed by the entirely random and potentially catastrophic powers people might gain, but the Metallic Arts as they stand now are just not that Unknown to the general population, and overall getting weaker rather than trending stronger like Mutant powers.  That sort of registration would probably be limited to off-worlders (which might arguably be a reasonable immigration policy) and any revival of the full Mistborn or Feruchemist of legend that might be unlocked through their scientific advancement. 

Also I could see a very strict and detailed system tracking Hemalurgic Spikes.  For society's sake Hemulurgy would need to be either outlawed or heavily tracked and regulated to ensure spikes are either historical enough to predate laws or were created under whatever their "modern" definition of humanely harvested might be (full written consent of a terminal Donor, Heirloom family Spikes, etc).