Cloud Cent Chronicles: Part 1 Chapter 3

A Project to Save the Slums?

Cloud Cent is on the scene

Written by Cloud Cent

Edited by Night of the Sergeants

Everyone who lives in the city knows to avoid the Slums. For my readers outside of the city, the Slums is the southernmost area of the city, lining the southern border. The Slums goes the entire southern wall. The area that us citizens consider the Slums ends where the eastern and western walls meet the southern wall. It’s a pretty big area of the city, yet the entire area has unfortunately been stricken by poverty as the rest of the city prospers.

   “The people who live in the Slums are there for a common reason: poverty. Either through laziness or bad luck, all of these people are there because they aren’t up to the standards of our great city. However, We are wise enough to know that people can change, and We are generous enough to give these people a place to live, while they work on changing.” When the former leader of the city said this, there was outrage from not just the residents of the Slums, but from activists in the center of the city as well, myself being one of them. These are people in the Slums, not just numbers for the city. 

This quote was one of the major contributors to the former leader being ousted, with the Sergeants promising that the new leader would work to revitalize the Slums. However, not much has really been done in the Slums. From the perspective of someone who lives towards the center of the city, I’m truly disgusted by the treatment of the people in the Slums as lesser than those in the center of the city. But, according to the Sergeants, they’re about to keep their promise to bring new life to the Slums, and I for one am excited. So, lucky ‘ol Cloud Cent has been sent out to go investigate this new Slum saving spectacle that the government has in store.

I got to the outer area of the slums and was greeted by a low ranking Sergeant grunt giving the press information. I was one of the few with access to the inner area of the slums, but I decided to stay for a bit to listen. It was mostly fluff, not going into any real detail, but hey, if they gave everything away there, then this article would be pointless. The Sergeant finished up his talk and the crowd cleared up. I decided to go speak with him, see if I could learn anything before going in myself to investigate.

    I approached and let him scan my press prost, confirming my access for inner access. (For the uninitiated, because as I’ve recently learned, there are some people who don’t mess with mods, a press prost is a mod required by the Sergeants if a member of the press wants special access to anything. It’s essentially just a screen in your forearm. A bit of a useless mod all things considered, but hey, it can be used as a tv remote...so there’s that.) He confirmed me and identified himself as officer Santos.

 

Me: So officer, let me get right to the point. What can you tell me straight out about this new project?

Santos: Well Mr. Cent, you were at the briefing. That’s really all of the information we have to give you. But just to reiterate... The Sergeants have begun graciously working on a new project in the slums set to bring new life to the area! We’ve begun working, but we’re still a ways out from completion! This project will bring new opportunities and wealth to the people of the Slums, as well as making the Slums much more contributive to the greater city! I hope you’re as excited as I am… you get all that Cent?

 

Me: ...yeah... got it. But you scanned my prost, you know I’m inner press. I’m gonna go investigate anyway, so can’t you let me know what I’m getting into?

 

Santos: Uh....I’m sorry sir, but this is all we have to share at this time!

 

Me: Okaaaaaay....So how will this project generate revenue for the Slums and the city? Or is this an investment on the part of the government? Are they putting money into the slums and hoping to later get a return when the Slums’ revitalized?

 

Santos: Um...uh...I’m sorry sir, but this is all we have to share at this time!

 

Me:...Okay, how about this? Why don’t you join my investigation, and you can describe to me what I’m looking at and how the government’s involved?

 

Santos:...

 

Me:...

 

Santos:...

 

Me:... You don’t know anything, do you? You don’t even have inner access to the Slums project.

 

Santos:............ You can go on in now.

 

Me: Yeah, thanks.

 

And so I did. Most people think they know what the Slums are like. They’re dirty, rundown, and behind the times. However, most people haven’t actually been there. So, what are the Slums actually like? Well, the previous description isn’t inaccurate, but there’s more to it than that. When I was walking around the Slums, my mind kept going back to the Village I visited for my last article.

The Village was beautiful and foreign to me. It was like a piece of history preserved, and while I might not necessarily get why people choose to live there, it definitely has its appeal. The Slums is like a destroyed version of the Village. Technology wise, it is far behind the times. As I walked around, I noticed physical televisions and phones, paper strewn about, and even some books still bound in said paper. I did see a mod station, and I saw some people with mods, but I highly doubt that the docs are certified. It was like an ever shadier version of mod block, but here, this is the only option that the people of the Slums have. And therein lies the biggest difference between the Slums and the Village. People in the Village choose to live there. They leave their lives in the city and choose the Village. Before I didn’t get that. I didn’t get why people would actively choose to leave the city and live in the past. But now that I’ve been in the Slums...I get it. I knew the Slums were bad. Everyone did. But I didn’t fully understand it. How did it get this bad? How did anyone let it get this bad? How did we let it get this bad? I looked around and saw people laying on the street, since there were no vehicles driving by to hit them. Maybe they wished one would…

I’m sorry to get so doom and gloom here, but I think, going forward, it’s important for you, dear reader, to understand what the Slums are like. You need to know that no one chooses to live here. It isn’t laziness that keeps them here either. It isn’t them choosing not to work and leave. They’re stuck here, with no way to be able to move up into the inner section of the city. And so, their only option is to accept their fate, or leave the city completely.

But it isn’t all bad folks! This article is all about a project to revitalize the Slums! The officer I talked to previously wasn’t exactly the most helpful, but luckily, there was a senior Sergeant willing to speak with me at the construction site of the project! Speaking of the construction site, it has to be the biggest undertaking that I’ve personally seen in the city. Standing at the base of the project, looking up at the colosseum-like structure being built, I felt tiny. A construction manager walked by, tapping his temple to control a bot carrying supplies. I was awestruck. In the moment, I completely forgot the oppressiveness of the area I was in.

I spoke with the Sergeant in charge of overseeing the construction of the project. His identity is being kept secret, as this project is not being revealed to the public just yet.

 

Sergeant: Hello Mr. Cent, and welcome to the construction site. We’ve been expecting you.

 

    The Sergeant tapped his temple, causing his eyes to briefly flicker, then projected a map with two points on it, both points being at the construction site. One was the site itself, and the other, I quickly realized, was myself. I moved left, and so did the dot. I moved back, and the dot followed me as I did. The Sergeant smiled at me.

 

Me: It’s good to be here. I have to say, this is an impressive undertaking. There’s clearly been a ton of resources thrown into this project. Not to mention time and manpower. One has to ask, why do this? Why throw all of these resources into an area which many have labeled as worthless? Up until now, the government has largely let the Slums be. What goes on in the Slums doesn’t affect the rest of the city, so what is the motive behind this project?

 

Sergeant: Well Mr. Cent, you hit the nail on the proverbial head. The Slums have been left largely alone by the government. It is rundown. It is in ruins. And this is a massive undertaking, but it is one that We believe to be worth it, morally. Many citizens consider the Slums to be separate from the city, not wishing to associate with the people here, however, the Slums are part of the city, whether people acknowledge that or not. We acknowledge the Slums. The people here are Our people, and going forward, the government will be treating them as such. This project is the first step towards this.

 

Me: Did the activists have anything to do with this decision? Some people towards the center of the city have been protesting and trying to get the government to do something with the slums for a long time. Did they finally lay on enough pressure? Is this just to shut them up? The government has been promising to help the Slums for a long time, and a project is only just now happening, so it’s easy to think that the government doesn’t actually care and this is just to appease the activists.

 

Sergeant: Mr. Cent, you are here in person. You can see the work being put into this project. You yourself commented on the immense number of resources being put into this project. Does this seem like simple appeasement to you? 

 

Me: I suppose not. Alright sir, I just have one final question. What exactly is this project? There has been much speculation and I have to admit, I’m curious myself. Is this something designed to help the people of the Slums directly, something like a school? Or is this more so something that will bring business to the Slums to begin making it more financially viable?

 

Sergeant: I’m afraid I can’t really go into details on the project right now, but I assure you and your readers that this undertaking will be good for the people of the Slums. This was designed to help them, and We are confident that it will.

 

Me: So this is designed solely to help the people of the Slums, and not the government?

 

Sergeant: I’m not sure if I like what you’re insinuating Mr. Cent.

 

Me: Just asking a question. Whatever you think I’m insinuating is stemming solely from yourself. Why, what did you think I was saying?

 

Sergeant: I have to get back to work. We’re done here.

 

Me: Thank you for your time Sergeant.

 

    Something about that interview left me wondering, but I wasn’t sure why, or what about, so I decided to keep walking around the Slums to see if I could find a resident who might have some more information. I looked around for people, but whenever someone saw me, they ducked into a building, trying to get away from me. As I walked, I kept seeing the same repeating things. Rundown buildings, roads barely fit to walk on, and people moving away from me. How could one project save this? The Slums is not a small area, and although the project is huge, it’s just hard to imagine it having any major effect on the people living here. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. 

    I had been walking for at least five miles when I stumbled upon what seemed to be a small local market. They were selling the necessities. Food, water, a few physical books that have withstood the test of time. When I got a closer look, I realized that the people weren’t buying and selling, but trading. There was a stand with a man selling homemade bread. Someone handed him a container of soup, and the man handed him bread in return. That man then went to a bookstand and traded the bread for a novel. There isn’t really anything like this in the main part of the city. The government requires that all transactions be done with government credits, but here, the people have their own system.

    I went into the market to try and talk with someone. The people here were apprehensive of me, but since it was a decently large number of people, they didn’t feel the need to hide. I walked up to the bread vendor and struck up a conversation. He agreed later to let me print our conversation, but asked that his name be left out.

 

Me: How much?

 

Vendor: You’re not from around here, are you?

 

Me: No, I’m not.

 

Vendor: You with them?

 

Me: Them?

 

Vendor: The Sergeants. They’ve been coming in and out of the Slums nonstop, causing a ruckus, working on that damned project of theirs.

 

Me: No, I’m not with them. I’m a reporter. My name’s Cloud Cent. So, how much for a loaf? I brought physical credits with me, so I can pay.

 

Vendor: Ha! We don’t use credits around here.

 

Me: I thought as much, but still, figured I’d ask. How did you make that? Where’d you get the ingredients for it?

 

Vendor: ...I have a small farm. It isn’t much, but it’s enough to keep me going. And if I don’t have enough ingredients from just my farm, chances are I can get them from someone else.

 

Me: I’m surprised you have a farm. In the inner ring of the city, there’s no real need to farm, since we can just process food. 

 

Vendor: Generally, I think you’re right, but not here. But since the land here is pretty fertile, we use it to survive. Plus, processing food may be easier, but it takes way more energy, something that is always in high demand. I’ve actually heard that the government has been looking to start importing farmed goods and processing less because of this. A buddy of mine heard a Sergeant talking about it the other day.

 

Me: Hmm, interesting. There are a bunch of stands in this market though. Surely you don’t all farm. I mean, there can’t be a market with only one type of goods.

 

Vendor: Of course not. Everyone has something different to offer the community, whether it be food like myself, or if someone can make clothing, or even just recreational things like books. Us here tend to get by better than people give us credit for. We’re not just a bunch of lazy bums begging for government help so we can live carefree. In fact, I don’t think there’s a single person here who would say that they wanted the Sergeants to come in and help us.

 

Me: Really?

 

Vendor: Yeah. For so long, the government just left us to rot. They didn’t give us squat. Not any help whatsoever. Do you know why the Slums are like this?

 

Me: I can’t say I do.

 

Vendor: The Slums was one of the first parts of the city that was built. As soon as the area opened, people started moving in. Then, there was an earthquake.The earthquake didn’t really cause any major damage, since most of the city wasn’t built yet, but it did cause quite a bit of damage to the Slums. However, the damage was nothing that couldn’t be fixed. Yet, the folks in charge made a choice. They decided to abandon the people of the Slums and keep pouring resources into building the city instead of sparing any resources to help the people of the Slums.

 

Me: I can’t say I’m familiar with that story.

 

Vendor: Yeah, well I’d assume the government doesn’t exactly like to display that story to the public.

 

Vendor: Yeah. The Slums don’t really want the government meddling with us. 

 

Me: I’m sorry, I’m not sure if I understand. You complain the government's not giving you any help, but now that they are, you don’t want it.

 

Vendor: We don’t need their help now. We’ve learned to be self sufficient, and they’re now looking to take that away. To make us rely on them. To force us to be part of their system, the system that made the Slums like this in the first place.

 

Me: What do you mean?

 

Vendor: This whole ‘project to revitalize the Slums’ is a trick. Here’s what’s going to happen. This project brings big business to the Slums, a cheap area where they can do whatever it is they do. They’re going to destroy our local businesses, taking over our land and changing it into whatever they change it to. And because we use our own system of bartering instead of government money, we won’t be able to fight back at all and be forced into selling so we can have credits to live on. Then, we have to use those credits on the new businesses, and suddenly we’re reliant on them. The Slums is untapped land that the government is going to use, and yet again, we’re the ones who suffer.

 

Me: I-I didn’t know. I’m sorry.

 

Vendor: Nothing you can do about it.

The interview ended there