Surreal Estate

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Surreal Estate, unlike Unreal Estate, isn't really a Fen term. As far as is known there is only one example of Surreal Estate, which involves a vine-growing valley in Italy and an unoccupied location at L5. The vineyard had been unsuccessful, though in previous centuries it had been quite well known - some blamed climate change. The new owners decided to move the entire vineyard to L5, but in such a way no one would realise it had gone, then grow 'L5 grapes', and make 'L5 wine'.

The idea was to pour handwavium which had got travel brochures, pictures of L5, and images of the vineyard as it looked in all seasons of the year, into a trench dug just within the new fence which surrounded the property. The fence itself was locally unpopular, and there was a disputed ancient right of way across the land. All appeared to go OK for the new owners, the land took-off on schedule, and they watched as it flew, totally secretly, to L5, with an amazing smooth movement. They also watched an outside view of the vineyard, using a web camera, hidden in a hut, outside the property - not a flicker, everything looked unchanged.

When they arrived at L5, after a careful six-hour flight, they decided to use a 'waved Fiat car to fly around outside. This drove this up the road to the property boundary, then slowly 'over the edge'. The slow speed was a good idea because the car hit the inside of the locked gates, on Earth. A small boy was standing watching, with a dog. They both seemed amused, but not as surprised as the car driver.

The now-called Surreal Vineyard is not physically at L5. There is an area at L5, the size of the vineyard, about 5' deep (the depth of the trench) below ground, and a flattened dome about two-hundred feet at its highest point, which no electromagnetic radiation passes through, but which you can fly though without any problem, though your instruments will likely get confused.

In Italy, on Earth, the property still appears to be there, and looks normally illuminated, though things like torchlight, searchlights (or lasers), and radio signals do not reach inside the boundary. Telephone and other signals carried by copper cable or glass fibre appear to cross the boundary both ways without any difficulty. Anything physical crosses the boundary without any problems.

Within the boundary all signs are that you're at L5. You can converse by radio or laser as if you were present there. But, if you physically cross the boundary you're on Earth. It is believed there is some sort of relay of light and non-injurous radiation from L5 to Earth, and a relay the other way of coherent light and radiation originating on the property outside the IR-visible-UV spectrum. It's believed that handwavium is running some sort of active filter. It's suspected that the radiation entering the property, on Earth, and 'spare' energy entering the relay area at L5, is somehow used to power all this.

The original family sued on a number of grounds, backed by the locals, and the regional and national government. They got the sale revoked, and got their land back. The climate on their regained farm seems much better, and they now sell L5 grapes, and L5 wine, as a successful business. As a serious business, time is money, so they have to both control tourist visits, and charge for the privilege. Except, of course, for locals, who have use of the ancient right of way.