Bastions

North and South American bastions as of 2084.

Bastions are massive centers of population. They are most often created by refugees fleeing an anomalous area, but many have become established enough to be centers of industry in and of themselves. Many bastions are on frontier lands where displaced people exist in limbo before finding a new home. These cities are usually ramshackle in nature and run federally (with horrible conditions) or privately (with better conditions but at what cost). Oftentimes bastions are created even before the rift zone expands so that there is a plan for when people need to evacuate.

A couple of bastions, though, are unique. There are a few that are so massive and established that they exist as permanent residences and centers of anomalous research and industry. These typically have high security and are on the forefront of anomalous technology.

Bastions aren’t the only centers of human population, though. Cities and states still exist in safe zone areas, but bastions tend to be larger and more focused on displaced citizens and anomalous industry.

Many bastions end up abandoned due to their nature of existing near zone borders. Some, like New Detroit, simply move, and others forge on despite dangers.