The City
The City is a immense metropolitan complex covering 150 square miles of land and located in the middle of a vast uninhabitable desert. The City proper consists of a several glass and steel towers, some as tall as 4,000 ft, that are interconnected through a subterranean complex known as the Undercity. These towers have been constructed and refitted a number of times throughout the many decades of their existence. The City is controlled and kept safe by IAM.
Architecture
The first seven of the towers, constructed over 200 years ago, are grouped in a contiguous sector known as Alpha Complex, which comprises the urban center of the City. Six 3,000-foot towers are clustered around a single 4,001-foot tower, all reinforced to withstand earthquakes up to 10.0 and Category-6 storms. This central tower, known as the Power Tower, is the home of the Department of Water and Power (DWP). Directly beneath Alpha Complex is the area known as the Core (actually an acronym for Central Operations and Resource Exchange), comprised of several subterranean levels that provide support infrastructure (such as water, waste disposal, and other utilities) for the entire urban complex.
The Utility Core
Located at the center of the city, towering hundreds of feet and reaching twelve miles into the surface of the planet, the Utility Core is the literal and figurative heart of the City. Every aspect of the complex infrastructure that exists within the City either originates or passes through the Core. The Water and Power Department (H2O) is located in the Primary Utility Core UC1), also known as the Power Tower, the central tower of the City and the only part of the core that is above ground. The Secondary Utility Core (UC2) is located directly beneath UC1. This contains Nuclear Engineering Module (NEM) that controls the reactor cores as well as the power distribution to UC1. Though workers maintain shifts throughout the day and night, mutants and other outcasts are the only residents of the Core, as prolonged exposure can result in mutation and death. City Sanitation stages yearly purges of the Core, releasing poisonous gases and other materials in order to eliminate those illegally residing in the core areas.
The Computer Core
Alpha Complex
The first and oldest of the City's sections is also the most complex and populated. This is the primary urban zone of the City, where a number of important functions are located. Most City government and law enforcement functions are centralized here. Alpha Complex is densely populated and features every variety of food, music, lifestyle, and other options in existence. It is also a region high in crime and violence. However, many prefer to live here than in the safer but more staid Burb Rings.
Burb Rings
Rings of suburban enclaves encircle the city. These are not the suburbs of tradition, but large towers which reconstruct the style of suburban living on each of their multiple levels. Each tower is over 1,500 feet in height and consists of 50-100 levels that are nearly nine square miles in area. Some levels are constructed as densely populated, low-ceilinged urban zones while others feature verdant neighborhoods with open skies (simulated) reminiscent of ancient pastoral settings. There is a great deal of variety of living and lifestyle choice within every burb ring. Each burb ring is surrounded by a three mile wide security zone that acts as a buffer. These zones are constantly monitored and occasionally patrolled by COPS.
Zeta Omega Tower
The Flats
The surface area between the towers of the City is known as the Flats, a harsh and unprotected urban environment. Most of the buildings here are surprisingly well-constructed and consists of scavenged materials that include discarded housing units, storage containers, and even old vehicles. While hundreds of mutants and outcasts live in the Flats, not much is done about it as life expectancy outside the towers is quite low. Most days on the Flats are windy and hot, and during storms the wind can reach as high as 100 mph. This is the only area of the City that is not regularly patrolled by any law enforcement entities. Outside the security buffers of the burb rings, there is no law on the Flats. Those who live in the Flats are known as Scrubs.
Population
Officially, there are 500 million citizens in the City. This number does not include unregistered mutants, outcasts or others living in the Flats. Actual census data is classified (UV) but sociologists estimate the total number of City residents to be roughly 750 million. The primary language of the City is English, but Spanish, Chinese, and Russian are also spoken by large numbers in Alpha Complex.
Government
The City is governed by a tribunal of citizens, known as Governors, who are selected by IAM. Each governor is given a primary area of responsibility or function over which they have authority. Governors are appointed for life, but may retire after seven years of satisfactory service. Primary divisions of city government usually begin with the designation “Civil Uniform,” such as the Civil Uniform Justiciar Office (CUJO), the division responsible for law enforcement and judicial proceedings.
Law Enforcement
See also Laws and Customs in the City
There are two offices primarily responsible for the safety and security of the City. Primary law enforcement on an individual basis is performed by Civil Order and Patrol Service (COPS), who operate on foot and on hovercycles throughout the city. The highly-trained officers of the Grave Order and Offensive Nuisance Service (GOONS) combat gangs, control crowds, manage riots, and perform other functions of mass pacification. GOONS operate hover tanks and other heavy equipment in the pursuit of their quarry.
Transportation
The Civil Uniform Transportation Office (CUTO) supervises transit throughout the city. An intricate network of mag-lev trains serves most of the City, connecting throughout all sectors and most burb rings. Small people-mover trains may operate within some areas, but most citizens walk or use the moving sidewalks to make their way in the day-to-day. Some utility divisions of City Operations may utilize a variety of vehicles for any number of purposes. Law enforcement divisions often operate hovertanks (UT 226) for riot control and other mass pacification. Some very wealthy individuals may own their own air cars, and electric carts or scooters may be used in some areas of the burb rings.
Daily Life in the City
Everyone works, every day (unless you're a Lazie). Even Commies work. Most people work some overtime. Dedication to duty is the mark of a good citizen. A sixty-hour work-week is the average. Citizens are required to engage in relaxing activities (not including sleep) for no less than 20% of each working day. Those citizens not meeting their relaxation quote will undergo mandatory vacations. Unfulfilled relaxation hours and mandatory associated penalties are cumulative. Citizens are also required to participate in the local economy, spending no less than 20% of their income on non-essential goods and services. All commercial and business areas of the city have strictly enforced dress codes which require either uniform or status-appropriate dress.
Associated Skills
- Area Knowledge (The City): You have a good working knowledge of every area of the City, including the Burb Sectors. You know which sectors and towers are devoted to what purposes. You even know general customs and practices of Burb Rings as well as Alpha Complex, but you can't find your way around without a map. Most of the time, you use a personal computer for directions and information anyway. You can tell the difference between a Delta Burber and a Beta Burber, but most Alpha Complex people look the same to you (i.e. you don't know a Freejacker from a Core Worker from a HydroProle). You roll straight for common and general knowledge, but -4 for specific information.
- Area Knowledge (Alpha Complex): You know AC like the back of your hand, but the Burbs are a vague and mysterious place). When it comes to Alpha Complex, you know where to get the best hot dogs. Where to find the clean hookers. The best places to jack-in for entertainment purposes. How to tell a real Core Worker from a poser pretending to be a Core Worker. Passing familiarity with most urban legends and possibly even a scant awareness of City history. You roll straight or with pluses for anything to do with Alpha Complex, but you're at -4 for anything to do with the Burbs.