What is Cardassian ground transport like, I wonder? Like I get transporters crust but what if you don’t have access or it’s easier to using… drive or whatever
in the novels they use "skimmers" which i envision as kind of like hover cars. garak has a big sleek one as castellan lol
i also personally think there'd be a lot of earth style bikes or something similar? especially in the years following the dominion war (and leading up to, i suppose) when resources were especially limited. little child seats on the back / trailers etc. would be common.
I think skimmers are indeeed like hover cars. As I write them, it’s not common to own your own - if you do, you’re rich. You can rent them, though, and there are taxis.
I think there are mentions in the novels of shuttles that go between the districts in the Union Capital. I also like the idea of there being trams (which run mainly within the districts). I imagine it’s pretty common to use public transport when getting to and from work and such. I also like the idea of there being an underground, with stations that look like the ones in Moscow and St. Petersburg. I’ve never included that in a fic, but I really should...
I like the idea of bikes (or something fairly similar) becoming common around the war and afterwards. I don’t imagine that the Dominion does any infrastructure upkeep. Maybe there are rickshaws?
i also feel like there'd be trams! they might've been a thing in the novels but i'm not sure.
it seemed to me that most of the population was/is working class and they don't have a lot of extra money to spend. that, coupled with the focus on the state does make me think public transport (which was probably not so nice and not so modern) would be how most folks got around. skimmers were probably a thing for the super rich and powerful. and yeah. lots of folks probably have bikes (and i do love the idea of rickshaws!!). i envision families riding together, little kids in a trailer or back seat, bigger kids learning how to ride their own bikes.
although now i'm also imagining like. cardassians rollerblading. or skateboarding. who is the cardassian tony hawk and what does that holoprogram look like. does dukat ride around on one of those douchy one-wheels because i think he does.
Fanfic depictions of Cardassian transport:
1. Fuck yeah there are trams. My fic Déjà Vu takes place entirely at a Cardassian tram stop.
2. Fuck yeah there are skateboards. @kaelio mentions them in Restore, Remake, and Rebuild. She also did some really great art but I can’t find it.
I like the idea of Parmak having had a hoverbike when he was involved with his resistance group and weaving through traffic to avoid suspicious skimmers with tinted windows trying to tail him.
