ABSOLUTE ASCENDANCY

Everything about Black Metro’s exterior was dark and somewhat forbidding, providing a striking contrast to the laboratory interior, which was mostly white. Danielle had long since adjusted to her work and city environments’ duality and no longer suffered from nausea through her daily environmental transitions. She used to be fearful of walking alone at night, but one particular encounter with a couple of thugs emboldened her resolve.

One of her lab colleagues, who worked in the weapons research division, had given Danielle a simple yet effective shock device prototype. The small spherical gadget could be concealed easily and was straightforward to use at mid-range. It proved shockingly effective at bringing down the two thugs with frightening ease and Danielle fed back the results to her colleague. She always kept a couple of these weapons close at hand while on her daily half-hour commute.

Black Metro’s creed encouraged a ‘might is right, but only if you are worthy of it’ doctrine. Power to those who could take it and keep a firm hold of it. Black Metro was ruled with a loosely iron fist which allowed for a city of controlled chaos. Despite the imposing nature of the city and its million or so inhabitants, it was not a rundown place. Criminal activity was not a frequent occurrence, which may seem surprising, but everyone knew how to defend themselves, so an environment of non-aggression permeated naturally. There were no easy targets for thieves to prey on, so success in such a profession would require tremendous skill.

A part of her wished she lived closer to work but Danielle surmised that her daily walks made a considerable positive contribution to her physical health. Besides, walking provided an excellent means of thinking on the move as long as she did not lose awareness of her surroundings, something which happened on more than one occasion.

The Astral Tower loomed ahead as a mightily fortified and imposing structure which stood proudly as Black Metro’s centrepiece. Armoured mechanisms and brutish infantry patrolled the borders. Wall-mounted lasers and Gatling turrets lined the darkened walls. It was heavily guarded, as always. The Astral Tower was where the city ruler, known as the overlord, resided.

The major influential powers of the dark city consisted of twelve syndicates. Each syndicate had its own agenda, so there was often a lot of political interplay at the Astral Tower. The Astral Cabinet syndicate took quarters at the Astral Tower and held responsibility in the overall governance of Black Metro. The remaining syndicates also had their own corresponding districts, which lay distributed across the dark city, surrounding the tower. Each district housed a distinct facility that served as the key identifier.

The Shadowforge Factory served as the dark city’s industrialised manufacturing powerhouse. The facility mass-produced all the raw resources necessary for Black Metro to function, and it was the primary duty of the Investors Guild syndicate to maintain such operations. The various manufacturing processes were mostly automated, so there were only a few workers at any one time providing the minimal human effort required to maintain the existing systems or to oversee the vast operations. Removing human error from the equation meant that things very rarely went awry at the factory.

Of course, Black Metro housed an entertainment district, too. Known as the Swiss Casino, with a colour scheme of royal purple, it provided an attractive place of high-stakes temptation for those who enjoyed living life on the edge. Filled with handsomely dressed men and tantalising women in exotic dresses, the Swiss Casino was a place where a few claimed great riches, but many more found themselves in great ruin. An infamous gambler showed up occasionally, often in disguise, to clean house and balance the books. The Fortitude Trainers syndicate was tasked with developing the mental resiliency of the citizens.

The Gilded Bank was a large building in all dimensions, created entirely out of rare metals. The place was operated by men in black suits and red ties, and the top banker, who headed up the Financial Elites syndicate, was nicknamed the ‘Fat Cat’. This syndicate held the primary duty of ensuring the city had sufficient cash flow to undergo the myriad of business operations – shady or otherwise – into which it delved.

The Chronicle Archives was a grand structure comprising a multi-storied cylindrical room with concave bookcases towering toward the ceiling. The archives embodied a vast sea of information. Its tributaries formed an endless stream of topics for the intellectually keen to dive deep and explore. A restricted section safeguarded classified information pertaining to the secrets of the dark city, among other taboo subjects. Only with special permission, granted at the Astral Tower, could anyone hope to acquire such hidden knowledge. The archivist, part of the Information Brokers syndicate, was responsible for the management of all information held at the Chronicle Archives.

The Laughing Tavern was a well-maintained establishment for recreational downtime in the city. Citizens from all walks of life sauntered in to have a drink and relax after work. Rumoured whispers would make the rounds within the tavern walls and information could be inferred readily by those who kept quiet and had a keen ear. Saturday evenings proved to be popular as a renowned entertainer often appeared to wow the crowd. The Fan Club syndicate aimed to please the masses at Black Metro and took utmost care to look out for everyone, especially minority or repressed citizens.

Secluded from the structuralised city, but still a part of it, lay the Ancient Shrine. It stood at the apex of a series of old stone steps. In a brilliant red shade, a large gate was the first architectural piece all visitors passed through to enter the shrine. It provided yet another striking contrast to the overall dark theme which permeated the rest of the city. Legend had it that a sacred power slept deep within the shrine, but the validity of such claims was dubious at best. The head shrine maiden was responsible for overseeing the various duties at the Ancient Shrine, from spiritual cleansing to holistic dancing and maintaining the grounds. The Astrologers Group syndicate held the duty of ensuring the overall spiritual wellness of Black Metro.

In contrast to what an outsider might expect, Black Metro had a fully functional medical clinic equipped with the latest technology and knowledgeable staff. The Highfield Hospital was a light shade of grey and stood as one of the brighter-coloured facilities among the dark city. The Life Coaches syndicate served primarily to keep the denizens of the dark city in good physical health. The head doctor was highly reputable and performed many feats which were nothing short of miracles by making full use of the vast technological advances the city made.

The Oakland Laboratory took up a quarter of Black Metro, though most of the lab facilities were deep underground, hidden from the public eye, almost as if there were secret experiments that the dark city wanted to hide from the rest of the world. The Researchers Study syndicate had one purpose: to continuously advance the dark city in a scientific manner. The lead scientist was rumoured to be highly unorthodox; although many technologies produced by the Oakland Laboratory benefited lives, there was doubt surrounding the ethical processes involved with some of the scientific advancements that were made.

In one corner of Black Metro lay an expansive area of brownfield sites secured for future city developments. It was here at the Broadsward Construction that the vast majority of city works took place. Large and complex machines bulldozed their way across the barren plains, directed by supervisors and operated by workmen clad in personal protection equipment. The chief foreman oversaw all of the construction projects in Black Metro, and it was the duty of the Builders Union syndicate to ensure city developments were carried out in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Fenced off with electrified barbed wire on all sides was the Crossfire Armoury. Relentless combat drills were invoked by a sometimes ruthless colonel, who instigated the harshest of training regimes for the warriors who dwelled within. Soldiers and civilians alike trained daily through blood, sweat and tears, in the hope that they would become enlisted for their services. The Armed Patrollers syndicate aimed to train superior soldiers, known as paragons, to defend the city. They also worked closely with the Oakland Laboratory to create new weapons.

Unbeknown to many citizens, a massive expanse of flatland lay underneath the dark city. Although not officially established as a city district due to its somewhat secretive nature, those in the know were aware that a certain ragtag group of citizens often occupied the area – for what purpose it was not known. Eventually, through unknown means, this ragtag group established itself as the Wild Cards syndicate and was included as a political voice at the Astral Tower. It was unclear what agendas the Wild Cards supported and it seemed their political views would change haphazardly, which made them unpredictable and dangerous.

A cool breeze swept Danielle’s hair across her face. She brushed it back while continuing her walk home. It was getting chilly, but Danielle liked the cold; it kept her senses sharp and helped her not to become too caught up in a web of her oft-entangled thoughts. She had passed the Shadowforge Factory and was beginning the final stretch of her journey home when an explosion resounded behind her. Startled, she turned around to see one of the factory warehouses ablaze.

Conclusion

Stay tuned for next month when I release the next chapter!

Mission complete – Overlord Drakow signing out.