Century City
Century City lies on the ruins of old San Francisco; towering glistening glass towers of the true powers of the city and the region reign over the city, at the heart of the city is the VSC tower; although it appears to be more like a man-made mountain then simply a tower, dominating the Century City skyline with its wealth and power.
The city was built incredibly fast thanks to tireless android workers donated by VSC, synthetic beings sold into civil service by Magog Genome Inc, and the United States Government as a monument to the American Spirit to never give up, even in the face of disaster.
Despite the altruistic beginnings of the city, Century City is a haven for corruption behind the clean façade. It is a true city of tomorrow, everything is computerized and integrated; despite the high volume of occupancy, most people live in relative comfort, or so the brochures would have you believe. The comfort comes at a price, that price some would say is your soul as you insinuate yourself into the system and become part of the soulless machine that runs Century City; the megacoporations, crime syndicates, and information brokers that cut deals in their high rise castles that play out in the streets in a day to day game of cat and mouse…
Century City is divided into districts, it is generally considered to be about four districts of any mention…
The Core
“The Core” is the most influential sector of the city, where all the power players maintain posh and lofty corporate structures to their wealth and prestige; it is clean and almost idyllic in its appearance. A constant security presence by the city police via remote security drones and airborne units keep the district a dangerous place for shadow operatives, and is often avoided. But it is well understood that the biggest jobs come from this district, and the most lucrative contracts often mean stabbing deep into The Core; wealth and prestige await any shadow operative that can pull the job off; but more often then not it is simply a gilded grave for those who couldn’t measure up.
The Core is actually a large sector of Century City, and is best described by glass and steel high rises ringing the VSC Tower that dominates the Century City skyline; The Core is more then just a commercial district, several affluent homes are located in the Core along with businesses that cater to the rich and powerful; or those who only wish they were such. It is no secret that the Brass Orchid Triad maintains a headquarters in the Core. The Core is the place to be for a mover and shaker, and most jobs for shadow operatives come from the Core…
Water Margin District
This colorfully named district is a hodgepodge of Asian motifs; many of them are refugees who fled the collapse of China, while others have come to the United States as employees of some of the larger corporations in Century City. The district is filled with Asian flavor, and it is also a haven for the criminal syndicate known as the Brass Orchid Triad; despite the distinctly Chinese origins of the name of the district there are large Japanese and Korean communities in this district that overlooks the bay of the city. As far as districts go, it is one of the smaller ones, but equally influential in that there is a booming business of black market operations. If you can buy anywhere on the open market anywhere in the world, it can be found in the Water Margin District.
This area is also popular with tourists, because of the distinctive style of the region, many of the inhabitants maintain their cultural ties even so far from their ancestral homes, and are proud of their heritages. The Brass Orchid is the main power in the Water Margin District but recent influx of Yakuza crime bosses have created a deadly turf war that could well turn the whole district if not the whole city into a bloody war zone. Thankfully both groups have not acted outside of propriety and rely on clandestine hits and assaults, but only time will tell if this self enforced cold war will stay civil or if things will escalate to outright warfare. This is often a favorite area for shadow operatives to congregate either for gathering much needed supplies for missions or perhaps to find employment for the numerous crime bosses or the Brass Orchid if they are so inclined.
The Gray City
The Gray City is aptly named because it houses the remnants of the older city that existed before the creation of Century City. The Gray City is perhaps the largest district in the city, and is only in name a district; because the Gray City is essentially any impoverished neighborhood that dots the beautiful City of Tomorrow. The Gray City is not a shanty town nightmare, but it is a gray zone of concrete and steel, where life continues on in a semblance of passion, where the only hope a resident has is perhaps surviving long enough to exploit his neighbors to make a better lot for himself in Century City.
Crime runs rampant in the Gray City; the police presence is prevalent via AI Security Enforcement Androids to provide 24 hour security. It is rare to see a flesh and blood police officer, and response to criminal activity is often lethal and final. But crime is still rampant because for many in the Gray City, it is only the avenue of upward mobility, either that or perhaps trying to crack the system and join a corporate entity, but that path is often barred to most residents of the Gray City, but not unheard of for the truly ambitious, vindictive, and opportunistic of its residents.
The Gray City has all the modern conveniences of the age, except hope. The residents look up from their concrete cells to the Core and its lofty high rises of grandeur and wealth, gleaming in the skyline as a beacon of everything they do not have. This is the primary stopping grounds of the shadow operatives, who can operate amidst the masses with virtual anonymity, few rules are enforced in the Gray City, and there is little love for the authority. These shadow operatives are like local heroes to many residents, despite the irony that many work for the very same corporate machine that grinds the residents through its teeth.
The Burbs
On the outskirts of Century City several idyllic communities have cropped up as many corporate suits seek sanctuary outside the city in man-made paradises of security and beauty that many city dwellers simply call the burbs. The burbs seem like the perfect community, green trees line the streets, families live in beautiful copy-cat houses with fences and a dog. But beneath the veneer are the constant corporate security presence, commercialization of education, and a loss of identity.
To live in the burbs is to be an asset to a corporate entity, to give up your freedom and become just another cog in the machine, and to know that your families are simply cogs as well waiting to be exploited for profit. But for this gilded cage of slavery comes comfort, safety, and the relative knowledge that there will be a better tomorrow for yourself and your children.
The burbs are the refuge for many of the elite, but even this refuge is but an illusion. Crime is almost unheard of in these areas because it never goes public. Often many youths from these affluent neighborhoods descend on the Gray City like a virus and wreak havoc on the lower classes, only to retreat to the safety of their burbs avoiding any censure or repercussions. These same youths commit vandalism in the burbs if caught are returned to their homes and their parents are censured, causing a downhill ripple of loyalty, discipline, and obedience. The worst thing that can happen to a corporate employee is expulsion from the burbs; from security, safety, and affluence into the soulless world that will eat them alive and never look back.
For shadow operatives the burbs can be a haven as well, a dangerous game but one with rich rewards. The burbs are often a meeting place as well between a prospective employer and shadow operative; though rare it has been known to happen. But the burbs are important because if a hit is put out on a corporate you can bet the path will lead back to a burb…
