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Difference between revisions of "Martias and the Angel"
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At the end of the [[40 Year Empire War]], the Celestines, like [[Song]], were devastated. They were exhausted physically and economically and lacked the will to prevent what quickly became a corporate takeover of their civilization. Within three decades of the end of the war, the Celestines were effectively ruled by a cabal of competing [[keiretsu]] - allied groups of large companies with interlocking relationships and shareholdings. The century that followed saw these keiretsu, some of whom were rumored to have ties to [[Syndicate]] Space (in particular the massive [[Wayland Astrotech]]), embarked on a development binge on [[Glisal II]], the capital of the Celestines, and ruthlessly plundered its environment of resources, destroying it. | At the end of the [[40 Year Empire War]], the Celestines, like [[Song]], were devastated. They were exhausted physically and economically and lacked the will to prevent what quickly became a corporate takeover of their civilization. Within three decades of the end of the war, the Celestines were effectively ruled by a cabal of competing [[keiretsu]] - allied groups of large companies with interlocking relationships and shareholdings. The century that followed saw these keiretsu, some of whom were rumored to have ties to [[Syndicate]] Space (in particular the massive [[Wayland Astrotech]]), embarked on a development binge on [[Glisal II]], the capital of the Celestines, and ruthlessly plundered its environment of resources, destroying it. | ||
Though always a wealthy area, much of [[the Singing Citadel]]'s more outsized testaments to personal glory and wealth were constructed during this period to house the executives of the companies that make up these keiretsu. An increasingly large portion of the Ascendancy's wealth was filtering upwards to these already fantastically-wealthy individuals, while the populations of [[Scrapston]] and the near-anarchic [[Subnet]] swelled. | Though always a wealthy area, much of [[the Singing Citadel]]'s more outsized testaments to personal glory and wealth were constructed during this period to house the executives of the companies that make up these keiretsu. An increasingly large portion of the Ascendancy's wealth was filtering upwards to these already fantastically-wealthy individuals, while the populations of [[Scrapston]] and the near-anarchic [[:Litharge#The_Subnet|Subnet]] swelled. | ||
By ~880 A.E., when [[the Angel of Scrapston]] made her first known appearance, the disparity in wealth in the Celestine Ascendancy had become truly acute. The middle class had all but disappeared, and life for most people was scratching out an existence in whatever short-term low-paying jobs they could find while the sky palaces of the masters of finance and production loomed over them. | By ~880 A.E., when [[the Angel of Scrapston]] made her first known appearance, the disparity in wealth in the Celestine Ascendancy had become truly acute. The middle class had all but disappeared, and life for most people was scratching out an existence in whatever short-term low-paying jobs they could find while the sky palaces of the masters of finance and production loomed over them. | ||
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Since Kimera was legally dead, she had no [[Mark]] account, and if she had used it, Martias may have discovered she was still alive, and come looking for what he would still consider his. However, like many places with a population that included a significant number of individuals who didn't want to be tracked, an informal black-market economy had arisen, using physical chits that could be converted into Marks deposited to their account for 80% value by those specializing in money laundering. | Since Kimera was legally dead, she had no [[Mark]] account, and if she had used it, Martias may have discovered she was still alive, and come looking for what he would still consider his. However, like many places with a population that included a significant number of individuals who didn't want to be tracked, an informal black-market economy had arisen, using physical chits that could be converted into Marks deposited to their account for 80% value by those specializing in money laundering. | ||
Kimera had no plan now, other than survival, and she quickly found that was harder than anticipated. Scrapston was a hard place. Perhaps not as difficult to survive in as the [[Subnet]], but not a pleasant place for Nusrizan woman with no resources and no on-planet friends. | Kimera had no plan now, other than survival, and she quickly found that was harder than anticipated. Scrapston was a hard place. Perhaps not as difficult to survive in as the [[:Litharge#The_Subnet|Subnet]], but not a pleasant place for Nusrizan woman with no resources and no on-planet friends. | ||
She slept in dark corners initially, fending off advances by inebriated men of more races than she cared to count. She got a job working one of the small skiffs that plied the canals of Scrapston and earned enough to move into group housing with others who worked the skiffs and rafts. They were six to a room, but it was better than the streets. | She slept in dark corners initially, fending off advances by inebriated men of more races than she cared to count. She got a job working one of the small skiffs that plied the canals of Scrapston and earned enough to move into group housing with others who worked the skiffs and rafts. They were six to a room, but it was better than the streets. | ||
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Individually, together, and in groups, the six of them began organizing the residents of Scrapston to make their lives and the environment around them better. For a time, it went fine. Kimera stayed masked, while the others, who were natives, did their work in the open. As the months went on, others joined the Guardians, and it swelled into a local movement. | Individually, together, and in groups, the six of them began organizing the residents of Scrapston to make their lives and the environment around them better. For a time, it went fine. Kimera stayed masked, while the others, who were natives, did their work in the open. As the months went on, others joined the Guardians, and it swelled into a local movement. | ||
The Guardians soon attracted the attention of the security forces of some of the small corporations poor enough to have to locate in Scrapston. The executives of these companies did not look upon the work the Guardians were doing with favor, for they were the power in Scrapston (and indeed, corporations effectively ruled all of Glisal barring the Subnet) and an organized populace could challenge their monopolies, ridiculous prices, and extortionate loans. | The Guardians soon attracted the attention of the security forces of some of the small corporations poor enough to have to locate in Scrapston. The executives of these companies did not look upon the work the Guardians were doing with favor, for they were the power in Scrapston (and indeed, corporations effectively ruled all of Glisal barring the [[:Litharge#The_Subnet|Subnet]]) and an organized populace could challenge their monopolies, ridiculous prices, and extortionate loans. | ||
===Conflict=== | ===Conflict=== | ||