The Lakeside Dome is a truly unique object. Traditionally, whether domes are geodesic, built with long spans, inflated or constructed by some other enterprise, they are all fundamentally solid materials. The Lakeside Dome is a pure energy field whose properties we've decided shall remain our secret, so that we may ensure it will be used only for good.
Okay, stop groveling, we'll give you a small glimpse into the mysterious inner workings of the Dome. It is powered and it's erection is maintained by a series of holographic emitters strategically located on a geometric grid in and around Lakeside. The emitters have been cleverly disguised to resemble ice chests full of beer, abandoned vehicles, or tree stumps, etc. On occasion, one of us has inadvertently damaged the Dome by foolishly attempting to drink from, sit on, or sleep in an emitter (hey, the damned things are disguised). So far tragedy has been averted, but we know our luck can only hold for so long. If the truth be told, we must admit that we do not fully understand the energy source we use to power the emitters. We didn't build this thing. None of the Old Ones are left, but the work has been handed down. We all know where and how to gather the crystals, and we can tell when we need more, but hey, we're drunks not physicists.
We try to use the Dome as sparingly as possible: when we're having a party and the weather looks threatening, or to impress chicks. However, due to the extreme clarity of the Dome, and the placement of the Dome switch next to the dock stereo power switch, there have been times when the Dome was accidently left up for extended periods of time. This causes some problems with a lack of rainfall, and the vegetation at Lakeside suffers. It is very important to check the controls on a regular basis to make sure all is right with the Dome. Several studies, while inconclusive, seem to indicate that most of the problems with the Dome can be traced to heavy consumption of alcohol by the Lakeside dwellers.
