Oh look, it's a dome...

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Did all of the beings in the MU honestly never realize that the "sky" was just a projection formed by a giant dome covering their land? It seems as though the people in the MU were surprised by the fact that the "sky" was able to be ripped open when Mata-Nui fought Makuta, but I would think that after thousands of years of traveling between the different domes in the universe that someone would look up and realize that the dome walls were turning in and becoming part of the sky, and that the “sky” was not so natural…

 

Were the domes just so large that it was impossible to see them becoming dome-like, so people assumed that it was just an enormous wall that faded into the sky? However, it seems that beings in the MU understood that the domes were "domes", not "walls". Although the only name for the domes that I recall is the Great Barrier, which doesn’t necessarily imply dome-ness, and may suggest something even more along the lines of a large wall, so then again, maybe they were believed to be walls…?

 

Also, did no one ever attempt to fly towards the sky and realize that it was just an illusion? It isn't likely that people would think, "hey let's fly into the sky for fun", but after such a long period of living in a dome, I assume someone would get curious and just try it?

 

So what have you all believed about the matoran's perception of the MU domes?

Edited February 1, 2014 by Loading...

[Taipu1]

I'm pretty sure they knew there was a ceiling. I imagine any surprise they had would simply be the fact it was ripping open. It's not something you would expect to happen. Given the gravity generated by the Mata Nui robot as well, up until that point, I don't think the people in the MU would have any idea that there was anything major happening outside of the domes.

[Takhamavahu]

They knew there was a ceiling, but they had never known anything else. If you lived your whole life in a world where the sky has a finite end, you wouldn't think it was weird. Nobody in the Matoran Universe had ever heard of a sky that was just empty space forever.

It wouldn't have occured to them to think there was something beyond the dome. To them, that was just where the edge of the Universe was.

[bonesiii]

It wouldn't be a very effective sky illusion if they weren't fooled by it, now would it?

 

Besides, they had no frame of reference with which to compare it. They lived their whole lives there, and naturally assumed that's just how things are. Not until Mata Nui was struck down did the Turaga learn this, and then not until a thousand years later (due to the Matoran memory loss) was it revealed to the others.

 

That said, exactly what they thought it was, is not very clear.

 

To get to some specifics:

 

Did all of the beings in the MU honestly never realize that the "sky" was just a projection formed by a giant dome covering their land?

You mean domes, right? The entire MU was not under one dome. But I'm just being nitpicky there.

 

Well, mostly. Apparently the sky over Metru Nui was very different from the others, as the stars (and I guess sun(s)) were lightstones, not illusions and actual windows. I think most Matoran wonderings would center on this bizarre difference, and its relation to probably the second biggest mystery -- the series of ring-walls around the lands they called the Great Barrier. Because if you cross through a tunnel from Metru Nui to one of the torso domes, you witness a different sky.

 

It seems as though the people in the MU were surprised by the fact that the "sky" was able to be ripped open when Mata-Nui fought Makuta

What is this a reference to? I have yet to review these parts of the story, and I don't seem to recall any domes being ripped open like that. Probably my fault for missing something though; I didn't manage to get my hands on every story source in the final years (might be about to try if I can get 'em from libraries; I'm about to write the end parts of my retelling).

 

In any case, word of the strange nature of the island above the other lands would probably have reached most by then, but that doesn't mean they know what even most fans didn't figure out after years of knowing that -- the fact that the lower lands were inside a giant humanoid, or that another could rip open a hole (pardon if I've misunderstood this part though). It's possible, however, that some still hadn't quite heard or grasped about the sky. Plus, a lot of people in real life know bad things can happen but still react in shock when they personally experience them.

 

realize that the dome walls were turning in and becoming part of the sky

Probably so, but if you're raised just thinking that's how it is, you probably won't do anything about it. However, there was an illusion effect that made it impossible to track the real wall all the way up, at least in Metru Nui's dome. Might even be an illusion effect of extra depth.

 

However, it seems that beings in the MU understood that the domes were "domes", not "walls".

Source? In my reviewing so far I have noticed some references to something like this, though I forget if "dome" was used, but only by people who clearly knew something was up because of the Matoran's migration to Mata Nui Island.

 

Also, did no one ever attempt to fly towards the sky and realize that it was just an illusion? It isn't likely that people would think, "hey let's fly into the sky for fun", but after such a long period of living in a dome, I assume someone would get curious and just try it?

Past a certain altitude there were problems with that. Anyways, I'm out of time to say more. *posts what he's got so far*

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What is this a reference to? I have yet to review these parts of the story, and I don't seem to recall any domes being ripped open like that. Probably my fault for missing something though; I didn't manage to get my hands on every story source in the final years (might be about to try if I can get 'em from libraries; I'm about to write the end parts of my retelling).

 

I was referring to Reign of Darkness when the in the matoran in the archives mention the hole in the MU robot's head. Though after reading it, their reaction is calmer than I remember.

 

"Macku pointed up. Taipu looked and saw a massive hole, and beyond that, blue sky like he remembered from the island of Mata Nui. It had only been recently that Taipu and the other Matoran had learned their "universe" was the inside of a giant robot. Now someone had evidently punched a big hole in the robot's head."

 

So I guess the Matoran weren't really surprised at the hole in the sky, considering their experience with the world outside the MU already. Bad reference on my part then.

 

As for the thought that the MU residents didn't expect for anything to exist outside the domes, why would the Toa Metru travel through the hole in the Great Barrier? I mean, obviously they wanted to get away and that was the quickest way to possibly leave non-Brotherhood ruled realms, but if they considered the domes to be the limits of the universe, where did they think they were headed? Also, for beings who didn't believe anything existed outside the domes, the Metru seemed rather unimpressed by the nature of the world outside the MU and the fact that the universe wasn't limited by their domes. Though that's probably just a part of the Bionicle novels' nature as short children's novels...

Edited February 2, 2014 by Loading...

[bonesiii]

As for the thought that the MU residents didn't expect for anything to exist outside the domes, why would the Toa Metru travel through the hole in the Great Barrier?

Because it was there.

 

They had to go somewhere, and had been told the sea gates to other lands had been sealed. Besides, Teridax would clearly know about places like those; they were looking for a place he wouldn't know to look (so they assumed; they were wrong, as becomes clear at least as early as Time Trap, and we know that's because of TK's reveal to Mutran). So it would make sense to explore a place nobody had ever seen or heard of before.

 

Something I was going to add to the previous post is, if you're really busy, engrossed in hard work that's very time demanding, you don't have a lot of time or energy for other things like exploring or worrying about the sky. At least in Metru Nui I definitely get that impression (all the more so once Vahki were invented). It may have been similar in many other places. In some places where the old order had collapsed due to anarchy like Zakaz, or tyranny, etc. people had other problems to deal with (on Zakaz they were the problem lol).

 

if they considered the domes to be the limits of the universe, where did they think they were headed?

Nobody knows if they believed such a thing or not. But they didn't have a clue where they were headed; that's why it's called exploring.

 

Well, not no clue, literally. They would know only that it was a source of water because they were going upstream in an underground river (at least after Mavrah's section). They would know not to expect just ocean up there, but air too, because there was air above the water consistently in the tunnel. But I doubt they were thinking too hard about this at the time, because they were just fleeing from Vahki by that point, if memory serves. It was enough to know that a source of water implied it might be a way to escape and they had no other options.

 

Keep in mind Mavrah had been in the lake part of the cave even before the crack on the surface opened up (before the giant robot even landed on Aqua Magna). So, that part of it wasn't brand new, and had thus technically been explored already, Mavrah just hadn't gone back to report it to anyone. It's assumed that this part was level with the Silver Sea, since it had to have its water before the river opened up.

 

the Metru seemed rather unimpressed by the nature of the world outside the MU and the fact that the universe wasn't limited by their domes.

Well, I'd have to review looking specifically for a reaction. But what are you looking for? Spontaneous breaking out in song? They were in an emergency situation and had to think practically and worry about whether the newly discovered land would work as a refuge, and had to think about getting back. I'm not really sure how someone would realistically react in such a situation. Probably part of it would just be caution to keep investigating it, worrying it might be too good to be true. And after their shock at the betrayal of Teridax, the Great Cataclysm, and even back to "Dume" shocking them with his behavior when they appeared at the Coliseum, they were probably fresh out of surprise.

 

 

Thanks for the clarification re: Reign.

[FallenCor]

Matoran amnesia aside, I just assumed the MU inhabitants believed the domes to be force-fields situated atop the Great Barrier. Like those fictional cities on planets like Mars where everything is located under a number of massive force-field-esque domes, all connected via tunnels, or like the Gungan cities in Star Wars. *shrug*

[Toa Of Anarchy]

Personally I don't think Mata-Nui would need a illusion to make it not look like a dome, think about out own sky, it is sort of like a dome, yet the sky looks flat to us (for you who haven't been outside, just do it for one second, its worth it )

Another sort of on topic question I've had, is how was it ever night in Metru Nui, and did Mata-Nui's eyes move, keeping the day from eternal noon? Did the light automatically shut off?

[bonesiii]

Personally I don't think Mata-Nui would need a illusion to make it not look like a dome, think about out own sky, it is sort of like a dome, yet the sky looks flat to us (for you who haven't been outside, just do it for one second, its worth it )

I think the issue is when you get close to one of the walls, the shape of the stars would seem distorted (and the sun(s)* but stars would be especially obvious even at a glance -- this assuming there's no illusion of depth, but I'm guessing that's the kind of illusion you meant that you don't think is needed; correct if wrong). If you've ever been in a planetarium and you get an edge seat, it can be quite annoying, and definitely noticeable. Of course, that doesn't prove the Matoran care; they're deeply caught up in a busy work schedule generally. Also, at least on Metru Nui, the city is so small inside its dome most of them would have the equivalent of center seats, and might not actually notice. But for sea trade, it would be obvious. And parts of the continents closer to their coasts, etc.

 

 

Another sort of on topic question I've had, is how was it ever night in Metru Nui, and did Mata-Nui's eyes move, keeping the day from eternal noon?

Greg confirmed Metru Nui's illusion-sky bent the light of the sun-holes to make it look like they rose and set normally. This is shown in LoMN, I believe, at least once. He once commented that he actually had to ask to make sure this is what was meant, and it was confirmed.

 

Did the light automatically shut off?

Little rusty on this but I think it was stated that the eyes would close at "night", and that was Mata Nui resting... or something...

 

*Unsure if the other domes have one "sun" or two like Metru Nui's, and not sure if they appear to rise and set. The stars apparently are definitely different dome to dome (maybe all of the lightstone-stars and Metru Nui's normal ones are in the same formation, but Metru Nui's at least definitely changed sometimes to portray different prophecies and info like the health of Mata Nui), and we know only Metru Nui's suns are holes. Lightbending might also make the other sun(s) seem to rise and set, but probably the stars could not, because it's a ceiling of lightstones, how could you fill in the other half?

 

Note also that most Matoran probably are sleeping at night anyways so wouldn't notice much about the stars, just the suns.

 

I could nitpick about our sky too, with clouds; they don't look quite flat if you look closely from one side of the horizon to the other but you can actually tell it looks like we're looking at part of a sphere from very close to the surface, from inside. Not sure if that's what you meant though... certainly looks flatish.

Edited February 5, 2014 by bonesiii

[DarkLordBane154]

Does anyone have a quote or source stating that the Matoran knew that the sky "ended" and that there was a top to the dome. As far as I know, they knew about the great barrier, and likely the edges of the other domes but could have just thought that they were really tall cliffs which faded into the haze in the sky. We know that they obviously couldn't see the tops of the domes because of the atmosphere inside of the dome, so the only way to see that there was metal along the roof of the dome would be to fly all the way up there, and given that we don't know that sizes of the domes and their height measurements, the tops of the domes could have simply been beyond the flight ceiling of any technology that the Matoran had. Most planes in our world today can't go over 5-7 miles at most, and given the size of the domes, its not unreasonable to think that they could have extended 100s of miles high, which could easily mean that nothing could fly at that altitude.

[bonesiii]

Does anyone have a quote or source stating that the Matoran knew that the sky "ended" and that there was a top to the dome.

Methinks not, and it seems strongly implied it was not discovered until the Toa Metru found Mata Nui, on their first trip through caves (up). Although, they did seem to deduce it fairly easily because they thought of using the airships to go up through the one sunhole that had gotten stuck before fully closing, under Ko-Wahi. (It's possible, as I have theorized, though, that they tried to find another cave first and the airships wouldn't fit, so it might have taken them longer than it seems to think of that; the official story sources are very unclear about this part and we understand it only thanks to Greg's reveals -- or, it's also possible Nuju found the open hole when he was exploring Ko-Wahi, and saw Metru Nui below).

 

Most planes in our world today can't go over 5-7 miles at most, and given the size of the domes, its not unreasonable to think that they could have extended 100s of miles high, which could easily mean that nothing could fly at that altitude.

Out of curiosity I ran some numbers based on my previous discovery that the giant robot is 12 times the height of its head. 40,000,000 feet height of robot divided by 5280 (feet per mile) gives 7,575 miles robot height. Divided by 12 gives head height (chin to top of head) of 631 miles. Width of the head at the eye location compared to head height is roughly half total head height, so 315. Let's trim that to 300 miles as the absolute maximum diameter of the dome (it's probably actually much smaller but I'm aiming for a maximum) as measured along the Silver Sea. From Silver Sea to dome's upper point would be half that; the radius, so 150 miles.

 

So, maximum dome height of around 150 miles. 100 miles is probably a better guess for a more realistic maximum.

 

So, assuming you're right about the 7-miles planes thing, yes, things like winged Rahi wouldn't be able to. But then, airships are confirmed to have, and they were used on Metru Nui for a long time (we don't know exactly how far back but at least hundreds of years BGC). Of course, who knows how the atmosphere is arranged inside; it's an artificial environment with artificial gravity and inertial dampeners. Possibly there's also a field keeping a steady air pressure over the whole distance. It seems a natural field like this is actually necessary for Spherus Magna, so it's very possible it was imitated in the giant robot. So... inconclusive there.

[skratchR]

I think that they knew they were in domes, but considered it normal. They had known no other sky.

Even us humans, before astrology and things, considered the sky to be a dome over the flat world. Until Galileo came and taught us the much less poetic view of an insignificant round place.

[Toa Of Anarchy]

For the question if the Metru-Nui inhabitants wondered about the sky, I was reading book 3 of the Metru-Nui series. When one of the other Toa asks Nokama what she will do with her knew Toa powers, she mentions exploring new places and specficly mentions wanting to know what is behind the sky.

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For the question if the Metru-Nui inhabitants wondered about the sky, I was reading book 3 of the Metru-Nui series. When one of the other Toa asks Nokama what she will do with her knew Toa powers, she mentions exploring new places and specficly mentions wanting to know what is behind the sky.

Whoa,could we get an exact quote by chance?

[fishers64]

Okay, here's my schitck. If the Metruans couldn't fly high enough in the Metru Nui dome to figure out that it was a dome, because of the "icing problem", how did the Metru get their airships to fly higher than that to exit the Metru Nui dome and end up on Mata Nui?

 

That doesn't add up. They must have been capable.

 

Also, I don't know why the airplane thing is relevant here, seeing as airships had lift from Levitation Kanoka and not wings.

 

 

 

For the question if the Metru-Nui inhabitants wondered about the sky, I was reading book 3 of the Metru-Nui series. When one of the other Toa asks Nokama what she will do with her knew Toa powers, she mentions exploring new places and specficly mentions wanting to know what is behind the sky.

Whoa,could we get an exact quote by chance?

 

 

 

"Well, I'm not sure," replied the Toa of Water. "There are so many places to see and explore. What is it like under the sea? What lies beyond the sky? Where do all the strange creatures you see in the Onu-Metru archives come from? Now I have the power to go wherever I please and learn those answers."

[bonesiii]

Okay, here's my schitck. If the Metruans couldn't fly high enough in the Metru Nui dome to figure out that it was a dome, because of the "icing problem", how did the Metru get their airships to fly higher than that to exit the Metru Nui dome and end up on Mata Nui?

That doesn't add up. They must have been capable.

MU inhabitants were capable, but I think we established in a much older topic that Nuju and Nokama ensured the ice wasn't a problem for them. For Matoran-piloted craft that would have remained a problem. So, that does at least lessen the percentage of likely sky explorers. And until the GC, Toa didn't really have an obvious reason to go exploring as opposed to rescuing Matoran in trouble, etc. etc. But it's also hard to imagine that nobody explored in all that time. Still, possible.

[fishers64]

 

Okay, here's my schitck. If the Metruans couldn't fly high enough in the Metru Nui dome to figure out that it was a dome, because of the "icing problem", how did the Metru get their airships to fly higher than that to exit the Metru Nui dome and end up on Mata Nui?

That doesn't add up. They must have been capable.

MU inhabitants were capable, but I think we established in a much older topic that Nuju and Nokama ensured the ice wasn't a problem for them. For Matoran-piloted craft that would have remained a problem. So, that does at least lessen the percentage of likely sky explorers. And until the GC, Toa didn't really have an obvious reason to go exploring as opposed to rescuing Matoran in trouble, etc. etc. But it's also hard to imagine that nobody explored in all that time. Still, possible.

 

Nokama and Nuju were able to clear ice off an entire fleet of airships? That seems a bit much.

 

Also it's possible to use heating powers with proto if they really wanted to explore. I think having too much work to do and dread of enemies, Rahi, etc might have played a strong factor, as opposed to mechanical limitations.

[skratchR]

 

 

Okay, here's my schitck. If the Metruans couldn't fly high enough in the Metru Nui dome to figure out that it was a dome, because of the "icing problem", how did the Metru get their airships to fly higher than that to exit the Metru Nui dome and end up on Mata Nui?

 

That doesn't add up. They must have been capable.

MU inhabitants were capable, but I think we established in a much older topic that Nuju and Nokama ensured the ice wasn't a problem for them. For Matoran-piloted craft that would have remained a problem. So, that does at least lessen the percentage of likely sky explorers. And until the GC, Toa didn't really have an obvious reason to go exploring as opposed to rescuing Matoran in trouble, etc. etc. But it's also hard to imagine that nobody explored in all that time. Still, possible.

 

Nokama and Nuju were able to clear ice off an entire fleet of airships? That seems a bit much.

 

Also it's possible to use heating powers with proto if they really wanted to explore. I think having too much work to do and dread of enemies, Rahi, etc might have played a strong factor, as opposed to mechanical limitations.

 

But you always got Takua...

[DarkLordBane154]

 

Okay, here's my schitck. If the Metruans couldn't fly high enough in the Metru Nui dome to figure out that it was a dome, because of the "icing problem", how did the Metru get their airships to fly higher than that to exit the Metru Nui dome and end up on Mata Nui?

 

That doesn't add up. They must have been capable.

MU inhabitants were capable, but I think we established in a much older topic that Nuju and Nokama ensured the ice wasn't a problem for them. For Matoran-piloted craft that would have remained a problem. So, that does at least lessen the percentage of likely sky explorers. And until the GC, Toa didn't really have an obvious reason to go exploring as opposed to rescuing Matoran in trouble, etc. etc. But it's also hard to imagine that nobody explored in all that time. Still, possible.

 

 

That's a good point to bring up. Here's another theory that is just wild speculation on my part. Lemme know if you guys think it could help to explain it.

 

Normally prior to Mata Nui crash landing and things getting all broken and whatnot, Metru Nui was a sealed environment, and so the air would have been thinner at higher altitudes which would have caused icing, and lift problems. After the GC the light holes were shown to be able to be passed through by the airships, which means that whatever was keeping them sealed was broken open. If this was the case, then air from Aqua Magna would have simply sunk down through the eye holes and thus the "upper atmosphere" of Metru Nui's dome would have possibly come close to equalizing with Aqua Magna's air, and thus it was thick enough to fly through for the air ships. I could have been like a waterfall of denser warmer air or something. Thoughts?

[fishers64]

Warmer, denser air would have made it harder for airships to fly, not easier. Higher air pressure = more pressure on hull of ship = more cracks on hull of ship = ship implosion/crash.

But you always got Takua...

And what happened to him? He was shunned and ostracized. That means that the majority of the Matoran population aren't explorers.

 

Also, I doubt Takua had access to an airship. Remember, airships' primary purpose was cargo and it took many years of training to master the system. Metruans would be unlikely to produce them in big numbers or have one to spare for an exploring party. And can you imagine Takua trying to go through pilot training? I would think he would have found an easier way to engage his exploring tendencies.

Edited February 10, 2014 by fishers64

[bonesiii]

Nokama and Nuju were able to clear ice off an entire fleet of airships? That seems a bit much.

It was six ships, and they're Toa. Just aim at it and convert it to elemental energy, then release off in the air below them. (Nokama when it's just steam, Nuju when it's ice.) Wouldn't even drain their elemental energy, theoretically.

 

Also it's possible to use heating powers with proto if they really wanted to explore. I think having too much work to do and dread of enemies, Rahi, etc might have played a strong factor, as opposed to mechanical limitations.

I agree, but just for sake of discussion, one problem with using heating powers, if they run by Kanoka (I presume we're still talking airship here) is that would add a lot of weight. Instead of hammers holding Levitation Disks plus ones holding Increase Weight, you'd need a whole third set, and probably on the outside, decreasing aerodynamics, harder (and less safe) to maintain, etc. I think it would basically require an official Turaga decision to embark on the exploration and sanction the design and testing of a vehicle.

 

Also you gotta keep in mind that fear for their lives would come into it -- Matoran who ventured high enough to experience icing would probably spread the idea that it's very dangerous to go that high and people would tend to doubt even a proven design, because on the off chance it failed at high altitude, that's a long way to fall to your death. That could be solved too with things like parachutes, but the point is it wouldn't be simple and they might have feared trying.

 

But you always got Takua...

True -- he might be the type to want to try this kind of thing, but I think for the above reasons it would probably be off-limits. He only traveled on his off-time which would make longer, more involved journeys rare. So I think he would largely be content to occasionally explore for example the Southern Continent, and wouldn't spend enough time doing that kind of exploration to get bored enough with it. Plus, he set up a business devoted to selling souvenirs from these travels, and there's not likely profit in anything he might find in the sky. He wouldn't know that, but he does know there's such things in the populated places he visits. And I get the impression his idea of a great time is walking with your own two feet and seeing where you end up. He would have to employ boats, but again, he knows that at his destination there's land to explore. They didn't yet know there was land above the dome (and then, only sometimes, heh).

 

Here's another theory that is just wild speculation on my part. Lemme know if you guys think it could help to explain it.

 

Normally prior to Mata Nui crash landing and things getting all broken and whatnot, Metru Nui was a sealed environment, and so the air would have been thinner at higher altitudes which would have caused icing, and lift problems. After the GC the light holes were shown to be able to be passed through by the airships, which means that whatever was keeping them sealed was broken open. If this was the case, then air from Aqua Magna would have simply sunk down through the eye holes and thus the "upper atmosphere" of Metru Nui's dome would have possibly come close to equalizing with Aqua Magna's air, and thus it was thick enough to fly through for the air ships. I could have been like a waterfall of denser warmer air or something. Thoughts?

I thought of this long ago but rejected it, on the grounds that that would create a strong downward wind that it would be very dangerous to try to fly airships up (most of them on autopilot, but all laden with the Matoran they're trying to protect). True, Matau could help prevent that, but the distance of this tunnel may be very long, and there would be a serious risk he'd run out of elemental energy fast, trying to hold back such a strong pressure differential. Also, true, it could help explain the sudden strange stormy weather during the Visorak Saga, and true as well that it might normalize by the time they tried the airships, so I wouldn't rule it out.

 

But I had theorized for a long time that there is an airshield, and so there's no need for something to break to allow them to pass. This thing is a spaceship; it makes sense there would be a shield that prevents air from crossing out, but not solid matter per se. And this pressure differential would exist across all the realms; air in for example Karzahni's dome should need to rise up to fill its low-pressure zone. That would take a long time; Karda Nui had a thousand years for water proven to be entering, yet did not entirely fill. So this would really be an MU-wide massive wind event that would probably last for many years, making all the tunnels between domes filled with the fastest wind, possibly enough to interrupt trade economics (cost more fuel to chug through headwinds). But that didn't happen, so I think an airshield is necessary.

 

Also, icing is caused by a temperature differential, not a pressure differential per se. We shouldn't assume it's pressure that causes that; like I said, it would be very possible to have a "multi-layer airshield" effect to keep air pressure about the same everywhere inside. It's possible the land-level is heated, but not much above that. Since such a natural multi-layer pressure fix appears necessary on Spherus Magna, it makes sense the much smaller MU domes would include an imitation of it. Thinner air would actually be a problem more for the Toa and their unconscious passengers' breathing (though as long as there's an airshield at the top, Matau should be able to easily handle making air inside the airships).

 

Warmer, denser air would have made it harder for airships to fly, not easier. Higher air pressure = more pressure on hull of ship = more cracks on hull of ship = ship implosion/crash.

Eh... That doesn't seem quite right. This pressure could only be below and approaching the pressure that they normally fly in below. Actually, though, if there's no airshield, pressure could start to become a problem (slight) at the land-level. The airships wouldn't have a problem with that; it's the wind this scenario would create that would be the big problem IMO. But at the land, they would have probably double the normal atmospheric pressure as they would now have the entire Aqua Magna air coming down on them.

 

 

Aaaaactually, come to think of it, all of this may be entirely unecessary -- I just finished reminding that Spherus Magna appears to need a natural airfield layering effect to keep its air (and rock BTW) from having crushing gravity, since it's so much vaster than Earth. Well, that effect has to continue for the three fragment planets too; they're each still much larger than Earth. So, maybe that natural effect alone on the source air would be enough to prevent it from rushing down inside the domes. I'd still think the giant robot would have an airshield anyways, since it is often in the vacuum of space, but on Aqua Magna it might be redundant protection.

 

And what happened to him? He was shunned and ostracized. That means that the majority of the Matoran population aren't explorers.

It sounds like you're mixing up Mata Nui with Metru Nui. He was shunned for wanting to explore on an island terrorized by dangerous Rahi. On Metru Nui is there evidence he was shunned? He had a business based on his travels, and he must have sold enough (with a tiny population of Metru Matoran) to keep it going. The attitude of people who had a total mindwipe in a radically different situation isn't likely to be relevant to the attitude of people in the largely peaceful society previously. I agree with the conclusion, but not for that reason; rather, the fact that they needed to buy souvenirs from his shop is what evidences that the majority of them weren't exploring. They weren't necessarily shunning him at the time.

 

The Vahki certainly didn't like him, but it was for traveling when he was supposed to be working; it was his irresponsibility rather than the specific thing he tended to do instead. If he had been very responsible in timing his travels he might have been respected for it, for all we know. Of course, his irresponsibility in this case certainly does show that Dume wouldn't have been likely to pick him to lead an official exploration mission anywhere, let alone the dangerous sky. But then, his disobedience shows that had he really wanted to, he probably would have tried regardless of what Dume said. I think he just wasn't that curious about the sky. Had he been a Le-Matoran instead of Av, he might have been.

[DarkLordBane154]

 

 

Here's another theory that is just wild speculation on my part. Lemme know if you guys think it could help to explain it.

 

Normally prior to Mata Nui crash landing and things getting all broken and whatnot, Metru Nui was a sealed environment, and so the air would have been thinner at higher altitudes which would have caused icing, and lift problems. After the GC the light holes were shown to be able to be passed through by the airships, which means that whatever was keeping them sealed was broken open. If this was the case, then air from Aqua Magna would have simply sunk down through the eye holes and thus the "upper atmosphere" of Metru Nui's dome would have possibly come close to equalizing with Aqua Magna's air, and thus it was thick enough to fly through for the air ships. I could have been like a waterfall of denser warmer air or something. Thoughts?

I thought of this long ago but rejected it, on the grounds that that would create a strong downward wind that it would be very dangerous to try to fly airships up (most of them on autopilot, but all laden with the Matoran they're trying to protect). True, Matau could help prevent that, but the distance of this tunnel may be very long, and there would be a serious risk he'd run out of elemental energy fast, trying to hold back such a strong pressure differential. Also, true, it could help explain the sudden strange stormy weather during the Visorak Saga, and true as well that it might normalize by the time they tried the airships, so I wouldn't rule it out.

 

But I had theorized for a long time that there is an airshield, and so there's no need for something to break to allow them to pass. This thing is a spaceship; it makes sense there would be a shield that prevents air from crossing out, but not solid matter per se. And this pressure differential would exist across all the realms; air in for example Karzahni's dome should need to rise up to fill its low-pressure zone. That would take a long time; Karda Nui had a thousand years for water proven to be entering, yet did not entirely fill. So this would really be an MU-wide massive wind event that would probably last for many years, making all the tunnels between domes filled with the fastest wind, possibly enough to interrupt trade economics (cost more fuel to chug through headwinds). But that didn't happen, so I think an airshield is necessary.

 

Also, icing is caused by a temperature differential, not a pressure differential per se. We shouldn't assume it's pressure that causes that; like I said, it would be very possible to have a "multi-layer airshield" effect to keep air pressure about the same everywhere inside. It's possible the land-level is heated, but not much above that. Since such a natural multi-layer pressure fix appears necessary on Spherus Magna, it makes sense the much smaller MU domes would include an imitation of it. Thinner air would actually be a problem more for the Toa and their unconscious passengers' breathing (though as long as there's an airshield at the top, Matau should be able to easily handle making air inside the airships).

 

 

 

In my opinion there had to have been something more substantial than an "air shield" over the eye holes, like a giant lens of glass or some other transparent material. It could have shattered in the GC and then the rest would all make sense. Your theory about the air from Aqua Magna rushing in and creating the different weather patterns and storms in Web of Shadows is a fantastic theory that makes a lot of sense. On the issue though of there being massive wind storms throughout the entire MU for the thousand years while all of the domes equalized. Remember that all of the sea gates leading out of Metru Nui were closed? This could hypothetically make the theory stand up because only the Metru Nui dome would be the only one to get affected by the atmosphere breach. Yes I know that Karzahni sticks out into Metru Nui's dome and that means that maybe there is still a land route this is unsealable, but work with me here, it's a cool idea. Perhaps excess wind blowing through Karzahni may have been nothing new...

[ToaJaller77]

The "Dome" you speak of was created by a great being known as Sancheeks ( )

 

Jokes aside, I'm guessing it's an atmosphere.....

[bonesiii]

Remember that all of the sea gates leading out of Metru Nui were closed?

Krekka tore one open almost right away after they were sealed. They were open for a thousand years, the population of Metru Nui just didn't know it. Closing the gates was merely a ploy to get the rest of the Toa Mangai away from the city so Eliminator could kill them. (Seems too that Eliminator would then have been trapped inside the dome, so the timing of Krekka and Nidhiki's arrival that way was probably intentional, so not only was Krekka letting himself and Nidhiki in, which they could have handled just by coming early, but also letting Eliminator out.)

 

And we don't know that the sea gates would be airproof. Still, good thinking.

 

In my opinion there had to have been something more substantial than an "air shield" over the eye holes, like a giant lens of glass or some other transparent material. It could have shattered in the GC and then the rest would all make sense.

It need not even have shattered. In my reteling I go with the idea that there's a glass(like) sliding layer, and a button underneath. Anyone flying up that high successfully could press that button (Nuju with telekinesis probably) and make it slide out of the way. The airshield would come into relevance then. Of course, there's no evidence for such a thing either way. The "eyelid" successfully closed over the Ga-Wahi sunhole, and Greg made it sound like that alone was what prevented a second giant waterfall. I go with it on the reasoning that the GBs' safeguarding personalities make it likely.

 

 

Yes I know that Karzahni sticks out into Metru Nui's dome and that means that maybe there is still a land route this is unsealable, but work with me here, it's a cool idea. Perhaps excess wind blowing through Karzahni may have been nothing new...

Not just maybe -- there definitely is such a land route. Jaller's team passed that way. Possibly that forcefield that keeps Av-beings out might also double as an airshield though. And true, that kind of wind would probably seem par for the course to Karzahni's inhabitants, but the pressure differential would not likely be a big problem for people in the centers of domes. Think of a draining bathtub -- is there strong current far away from the drain? No, it's near and in the narrow passageways where this wind problem would occur. My point about it happening throughout the MU is secondary -- if it happened at all, the main problem would be to the Toa Metru's airships, as they were passing through such a narrow passage, and in fact the key one that all the air rushing in was entering through.

 

Incidentally, we know for a fact that an open-to-air route existed from Mata Nui to Metru Nui's dome as a result of the Great Cataclysm, which the Toa followed during Maze of Shadows. And for a time, there was also air in the river tunnel they used to get up to the island originally from end of LoMN to Voyage of Fear. These are also part of the reason why I theorize an airshield, not just over the eyeholes but throughout the entire skin of the giant robot. The airship thing is not the only reason. There were clearly no glass doors over those two routes, yet the massive wind thing didn't happen, so...

 

(Note: Greg may have simply not realized this danger, and that is more likely the real reason you didn't see powerful winds in these three cases. If you asked him (if you phrased the question poorly ) he would probably just appeal to different Bionicle physics. But, the wisdom of having an airshield skin considering this thing travels through space makes it likely enough that IMO if he were asked with that part made clear too he might agree it makes sense. That is, the airshield would be specifically HOW Bionicle's physics are different in this case.)

Edited February 12, 2014 by bonesiii

[bohrokmaster]

I think you mean Reign of Shadows.