M
MrBriWolf
Guest
Original poster
"The dream of everyone is to make it big in some city somewhere- to make a name for oneself however you can. Try as they might, not all make it, not all really can make it, though it's a lot harder nowadays to work as an artist in this damn country.. Police everywhere.. Fact is even if I can get my art off the ground the government warps my words for the good of the people." There was a puff of smoke emitted from the young man's mouth, his lips pursed into an uneasy smile as he looked out of the old 4 story building on the outskirts of what was once New York's Brooklyn borough. The year is 2045, and this 23 year old artist was one of the few to be selected to live in the Chinese Occupied Territories under that profession as an artist. The problem? This city isn't what it used to be. Crime, frequent purges, and police presence at an all time high means little rest for the group. There are 7 of them in total. 3 men and 4 women, taking up the top half of the brownstone just outside Brooklyn.
When China rolled in, they didn't change much on the surface. Politics was always about money, a game of sorts, and the artists were in the middle. Crafting their poems and their speeches to the masses, though now there was heavy regulation. Five Points, once seen as a grand display of artistic imagination, was torn down as soon as the local Party boss decided it best that they focus on 'proper values'. English, thankfully, was still the most commonly spoken language in the continent however China had divided the nation. Interestingly enough, they took control of the Western Coast states (California, Washington, Oregon) to the Rocky Mountains, yet oddly enough left Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona largely ungoverned, leading to local coalitions to form.
Colorado was taken over and turned into a training facility for soldiers from around the region, with mandatory conscription being enforced in that state alone- no other state in the West had that policy. In the East, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York State and New York City, as well as New Jersey were bought out by senior Party officials who left the states alone for the most part so long as they provided China with a portion of their nuclear power and electricity. In exchange, these states were modernized to the point of becoming as technologically advanced as Estonia. The Eastern Coalition was formed to regulate policy as a proxy government for the Chinese regime, and even though the Party rarely puts soldiers on the ground, there are key points of interest- such as New York City, where they need to keep a high presence. The residents in the city are 90% handpicked by local officials to live and work for the Party in science, technology, the arts, and international business. This is the story of artists trying to make ends meet, and to thrive, in American China.
----- So yes this was an idea I've come up with on the spot :) the current plot is very free form however I will stress that this will delve into crime and deception VERY quickly ;D. The artists won't be, ideally, rebelling outright against the government as it would surely mean a death sentence, however they won't be docile. I hope you join me, and please leave questions and feedback below :)
When China rolled in, they didn't change much on the surface. Politics was always about money, a game of sorts, and the artists were in the middle. Crafting their poems and their speeches to the masses, though now there was heavy regulation. Five Points, once seen as a grand display of artistic imagination, was torn down as soon as the local Party boss decided it best that they focus on 'proper values'. English, thankfully, was still the most commonly spoken language in the continent however China had divided the nation. Interestingly enough, they took control of the Western Coast states (California, Washington, Oregon) to the Rocky Mountains, yet oddly enough left Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona largely ungoverned, leading to local coalitions to form.
Colorado was taken over and turned into a training facility for soldiers from around the region, with mandatory conscription being enforced in that state alone- no other state in the West had that policy. In the East, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York State and New York City, as well as New Jersey were bought out by senior Party officials who left the states alone for the most part so long as they provided China with a portion of their nuclear power and electricity. In exchange, these states were modernized to the point of becoming as technologically advanced as Estonia. The Eastern Coalition was formed to regulate policy as a proxy government for the Chinese regime, and even though the Party rarely puts soldiers on the ground, there are key points of interest- such as New York City, where they need to keep a high presence. The residents in the city are 90% handpicked by local officials to live and work for the Party in science, technology, the arts, and international business. This is the story of artists trying to make ends meet, and to thrive, in American China.
----- So yes this was an idea I've come up with on the spot :) the current plot is very free form however I will stress that this will delve into crime and deception VERY quickly ;D. The artists won't be, ideally, rebelling outright against the government as it would surely mean a death sentence, however they won't be docile. I hope you join me, and please leave questions and feedback below :)