The Rift
「 THE
FORGOTTEN UNDERCITY 」
[A/N: Hover over unfamiliar words to view their definition/translation.]
A place of eternal night, The Rift lies closest to the ground where sunlight cannot reach it. It is where the impoverished are left to rot, where criminals and prisoners of war flee to escape punishment, where the city's overlords indulge in sinful diversions. Everything here is an assault to the senses, from the stench of garbage to the disorganized hellscape of narrow steel walkways drenched in neon; it is the perfect backdrop for the worst of crimes.
The Haze
Sirens are sounded in the Rift to warn denizens of Hazedrones. Every week, these drones sweep over the narrow street and alleyways like clockwork, releasing a storm of chemtrails that evaporate when they touch the ground. This vapor is known as the Haze. It is advised to seek cover during and after emission, as chemtrails can burn the skin and the vapor can render sight and breathing difficult.
The Haze inflicts long-term effects, like permanent loss of vision and cancer, even to those who take great care to avoid it.
The Stiffs
Denizens of the Rift are strong believers of the Gaian Faith, but there are some practitioners who take it to the next level. These blinded by religious propaganda–also known as the Stiffs–make their home on the streets, where they preach their beliefs to anyone who would listen. Liberate your body, liberate your soul. To them, technology is the embodiment of all that is corrupted and evil.
It is not uncommon to mistake them for corpses. Their complete rejection of science and modern life has made them hosts to many illnesses, and their exposure to chemtrails has destroyed their bodies beyond recognition.
Bliss
The continued survival of the Stiffs can be blamed on a popular drug known as Bliss. When orally consumed, Bliss numbs the senses and staves off pain without affecting one's consciousness or executive function. In some cases, it may even keep death at bay. Cheap and easy to procure, Bliss is abused all throughout Neoterra but is especially widespread in the poorer regions, where the starving use the drug to forget their own hunger.
Originally created during the colony wars, Bliss was a useful asset to the military as it enabled soldiers to be unencumbered by mortal injury. To this day, it remains a staple among enforcers and other defenders of peace, although their consumption is strictly regulated as required by law.
Strict regulations are in place because Bliss is not without side effects. Too much of the drug can cause users to grow acclimated to numbness. When an addict allows it to wear off without medical supervision, the sudden onslaught of sensation may come as a shock. Oftentimes, this can be deadly. The sun becomes unbearably hot, the buzz of neon lights induces nausea and grates the ears. As a result, addicts who are low on Bliss seek dark, quiet places like the Underground–an unfinished doomsday bunker that is a relic of the colony wars.
Low Tech
To say that tech in Neoterra is unevenly distributed would be an understatement. The Rift, especially, is held prisoner of the past, for technology in these parts is straggling far behind that of wealthier districts. People here are too impoverished, and the few who do manage to scrape together a few thousand yen would find it difficult to purchase tech legally. After all, merchants from the Strip are known to discriminate against the poor and rarely ever visit the Rift to begin with.
It is a cruel irony, then, that the downtrodden are the most in need of augmentations to survive, despite their inability to acquire them. Many emerge from childhood needing a new organ or limb due to the treacherous nature of their surroundings, but they are forced to live with their handicaps, further making continued survival untenable.
There are other ways to obtain tech, however, if one knows who to ask and doesn't mind skirting a few laws. Illegal clinics are hidden in plain sight, whether it be behind a ramen stall, or sequestered in the basement of a brothel. They provide an impressive array of devices, weapons, and augmentations; and they may even fix you up with a fresh organ for a price, so long as you don't question its origins. The only caveat is that clinics are run by gangs, which keep to their own.
One Man's Trash
People as young as seven could be found digging for scraps in landfills (also known as Treasure Mountains), hoping to find something they could sell or use as parts for their augmentations. They may even disassemble maintenance bots in an act of desperation, or steal from individuals bearing premium augs. After all, resources are scarce in the Rift, so every scrap of tech is seen as valuable.
Locals also tend to hold onto their belongings long after they have served their purpose. Every personal item is sacred when one does not have a great deal of them.
The Land of Lowlives
This district is rife with criminal activity–it could be a clandestine exchange of goods in an alleyway, or a crime of passion behind the doors of the Seventh Heaven brothel, or the screams of a child being dragged into a van defaced with gang signs. This is a lawless land. To survive means to know when to run and when to hide, and where to stick the knife when all else fails.
But there is safety in numbers. Should one possess a valuable trade, or enough grit to wield a gun, they might carve out a place for themselves among the many gangs of the Rift.
THE RENEGADES_
One of the most notorious gangs is the Renegades, formerly known as the Tanigawa-kai. They are a large and powerful syndicate, owning about 40% of businesses in the Rift. The most seasoned of members are said to own cars and even premium augmentations–rare luxuries in the impoverished district.
Those who have lived in the Rift long enough know that the Renegades weren't always this powerful. Their true reign began with the murder of the former oyabun, the last surviving son of the Tanigawa clan. The man dreamt of insurrection, going so far as to speak publicly against the government and the corporations that pull their strings. His ambition and candidness was his downfall, and before long, a bullet silenced him forever.
His successor, Cyclone, assumed the mantle and made the Renegades what they are today. It is widely believed that Cyclone killed the oyabun himself, although it has never been confirmed.
WAR FOR THE METRORAIL_
One frequent point of contention among mobs is the undercity Metro. Although faulty and marred with graffiti, it remains to be the fastest way to travel around the district. Damaged shuttle pods have been tossed aside in favor of motorcycles and other small vehicles, turning the MetroRail into a makeshift highway for the lower class.
The Vandals, second only to the Renegades in power, have laid claim over the MetroRail and demand toll fees, which can come in the form of yen or techno scraps.
The Pits
The Pits is an indoor establishment that is popular among locals seeking cheap entertainment. The makeshift fighting ring is an artificial cavity in the ground, in which fighters engage in brutal one-on-one battles while onlookers watch from above. Fighters could be anything from humans seeking to show off their augs to handmade automatons, or even wild animals. Bets are wagered, precious inventions are lost, and sometimes victors gain monetary prizes and recognition.
Promising individuals are recruited by scouts from the Strip. Recruits could either become professional fighters or a member of the Skywarden, the celebrity superheroes of Neoterra.
The Strays
The Rift is teeming with stray animals, and it is their existence that inspires a popular legend unique to this district. It is said that some of the strays possess supernatural speed and strength, rivaling humans and deadly automatons in prowess. Although they blend in well among their ordinary counterparts, these creatures possess one defining trait that sets them apart: their eyes, which glow when they are provoked into using their power.
As for their temperament, there are conflicting reports. Some say that these animals are as vicious and aggressive as those with rabies. Others say they are harmless beings that possess remarkable intelligence, such as the ability to comprehend abstract ideas and even human language.
Hunters can reap large rewards from syndicate groups should they succeed in capturing these elusive strays. And yet, to this day, not one has succeeded.
The Seventh Heaven
It is always suspect when someone from the overcity visits the Rift. It is often the case that they are taking part in illicit activities, whether it be gambling, piracy, or recreational murder. This lawless land is the perfect place to indulge in such activities without being subjected to public scrutiny.
Brothels are the most common attraction. In particular, the Seventh Heaven has a lot to offer to those with more niche or extreme tastes. Prostitutes are auctioned off to the wealthy, who do unspeakable things to them behind closed doors. While prostitutes are paid for their services–sometimes generously, sometimes not–most do not come out of this arrangement without some form of physical or emotional trauma, causing them to blow a large sum of their income on facial reconstruction surgery and augmentations. There have also been deaths. Sudden disappearances happen all the time, and very few think to question it.
WARNING: NSFW IMAGE. CLICK TO VIEW.
The Search for Paradise
Life in the Rift is hell, so it is no wonder that people seek solace in fantasies and dream of paradise beyond the walls. They say that the war did not wipe out all the other colonies, that some survived and built their cities anew. For most, this is only wishful thinking, but there are those who grow obsessed with Paradise and are convinced that it exists. Some have even managed to escape Neoterra despite the impossible odds. However, nobody knows what became of them. Perhaps they did find their Paradise–not in the other colonies, but in the afterlife instead.
The Colonials
The Colony Wars may have ended two decades ago, but their effects could still be felt, in large part due to wartime propaganda. Colonials receive the brunt of this. They are prisoners of war–or at least, they were, before they escaped to the Rift and buried old identities in favor of new ones. Should their true identity be discovered, they would be executed for their crimes. That is, if the citizens don't get to them first.
However, not all Colonials managed to escape. Those who remained within the government's grasp have disappeared from society altogether. Executed, as widely believed. But something doesn't add up: there is no reason that the government should take them captive, if all they planned to do was execute them.
The Immune
Unlike the upper districts, the Rift was unaffected by the Fall. Not a single resident was hypnotized by the glowing creature in the ocean. It is a mystery as to why this is the case.
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