When people talk about the minds behind the post-Network Arena, it's often Sprocket who comes to mind. Certainly, hir inventions and innovations form a vital part of the Arena as we know it today - the majority of the automated systems are hir work, and her passion for narrative and creativity are what brought the Arena it's contemporary status as a cultural centre for all the arts.
However, of the original Management Committee, credit for keeping the Arena afloat through the turbulent transition between UMBA and UMBC falls squarely on Dashboard. Sprocket may have been the heart of the operation, but if so, Dashboard was the brains.
The business acumen he first developed running Dashboard Mechanics - a company that was quietly liquidated, under the terms of Dashboard's agreement with Diamond, when the Arena came into his hands - served him well as he took on the task of running Bastion's greatest institution.
It was Dashboard who drew up the initial contract between the Arena and UMBC; in a tense negotiation with Bullhorn, preserving the newfound independence of the Arena as a venue. And it was Dashboard who negotiated sponsorship deals - most notably with Maximum Taste, who remains the largest non-controlling shareholder in both UMBC and the Arena - which brought in sufficient funds to make the rapid progress of repairs and improvements in those early days possible.
As an independent venue, the Arena was free not only to impose conditions and regulations on the conduct of fights - but also to expand in new directions in accordance with the interests of the Management team.
Dashboard quickly began offering in-house repair services for mechanical Monsters, which led to the recruitment of Monster healers to provide a corresponding service with regard to biological Monsters. This, as much as the regulation of fights, and the encouragment of non-lethal forms of entertainment, contributed to an improvement in the Arena's reputation on Monster Welfare.
Protests from SPAM, which had become near-constant in the latter days of the Network, died down to a trickle. How much of this was due to the influence of Dashboard's sibling, Arch, who joined SPAM around the time their brother joined the Arena, and how much to pure idealism on the part of Dashboard and Sprocket themselves, remains an open question.
- From After UMBA, by Twilight.
Following an increasing rash of mid-match incidents in which otherwise well-trained Monsters have gone berserk and attempted to attack spectators and scenery, concerns have been raised about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Arena.
Arena Maintenance are sanguine about these incidents, in which no-one has yet been hurt.
“Yeah, it would have been a tragedy in the old Arena,” Sprocket told ENTROPY. “But have you SEEN the awesome upgrades Crash made to the stands?! That shielding's impregnable.”
We have, however, seen a return to the routine sedation of Monsters at the end of matches at a level not seen since UMBA Season XXXV. Ironhide refers to this practice as a “regrettable necessity”, and expressed gratitude to Fatesmith for providing the Arena with high-quality Monster sedatives for this purpose. “At least we aren't still stuck using Xenon.”
The Arena Maintenance Management Committee have called on UMBC to consider regulating drug use in their matches more stringently - if only for the sake of Monster welfare, since neither performance-enhancing drugs, repeated sedation at the end of fights, nor being mauled by a drugged-up opponent are good for a Monster's long-term health.
- ENTROPY, Season 3: Issue 4
THE SEASON MAY BE NEARLY OVER, BUT THE ACTION ISN'T
CRASH PRESENTS: UNMISSABLE, DEATH-DEFYING, GRAVITY-DEFYING, HIGH-OCTANE, HIGH ALTITUDE, HIGH SPEED MECHANIZED RACING ACTION COMING SOON TO AN ARENA NEAR YOU!
ON A PURPOSE-BUILT COURSE, BRAVE PILOTS IN SPECIALLY DESIGNED FLYING MACHINES RACE FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT!
EVERY DAY UNTIL THE START OF UMBC SEASON XI!
[UMBC Season X Season Tickets not valid for race days. UMBC Season XI Season Tickets not valid for race days. Arena Annual Passes valid for race days, and for all other sporting and cultural events!]
- Promotional flyer distributed at the Arena.
“…oh, that was very nice. Murk's a canny operator, decades of experience really showing here. That's Sunspot down.”
“Now, as I'm sure all you hardcore fans know, Murk's been Fan Favourite more than once, but never made it to Lightweight Champion. Could this finally be his season?”
“Wait, no, Sunspot's back on its feet. And that's…”
“That's a beautiful Special Move from the newbie, but what a shame for Murk! Chances of glory slipping away once again as Murk goes down - and a loss here will see him slip back into Beta Division.”
- Dazzle, commentating during UMBC Season XIX
Of course, in the post-Diamond era, whilst repairs to the Arena infrastructure were crucial, just as important - if not more so - were the repairs made to the Arena agenda. Alongside the structural damage left by crisis upon crisis, the ideological damage was rife: a new creative path, a new narrative was required.
In Season XXXVI, prior to the collapse, it was not uncommon to see the Arena being used for entertainment that went beyond standard Monster fighting. Seeds of the cultural revolution had already been sown by Beetle Circus and their immensely popular half-time shows - in addition to the high-profile political protests of Square Peg, the Trend's theatrical advertisements on behalf of Maximum Taste, and the pro-love, anti-marketing performances of Thistle.
However, it was Sprocket who, post-Network, offered a cultural direction for the Arena itself. Naturally, and most importantly, it continued to offer Monster fights, but during off-Season days it also became a space dedicated to the rich artistic tradition of the wider Bastion. The Arena became a thriving centre of the arts, even more so than in previous Seasons, hosting workshops, concerts, theatrical performances and exhibitions during all times of the year. Bastion's Fans, ever creative in their endeavours, were given free rein to experiment with a range of mediums, with literary and artistic experimentation keeping Bastion culture fresh.
Sprocket personally planted rows upon rows of greenery within the Arena space: seasonal flowerbeds; beautiful, rare plants from hir travels to the Wasteland; and evergreen trees to keep the stadium in bloom all year. It is a tradition that has survived to this day. We can thank hir meticulous attention to detail for the lively, floral theatre that the Arena has become. Both plants and culture thrive in abundance.
- From Fight Ring to Phenomenon: A Cultural History of the Arena, by Coral