#chutes

           Banks exist, making investments and often attracting a wide variety of desperate entrepeneurs. Debt to these heavily-guarded banks is frequent, as many Xians are unable to afford the massive interest payments required for the loans they take out for basic survival. Many Xians will live the rest of their lives in debt, and some will even be legally captured and made into slaves in order to pay off the money they’ve ‘stolen’; As a result, many view major, ‘official’ banks with extreme distrust, and taking a loan from one is essentially making a deal with the devil, with major risks towards one’s individuality and freedom. Thankfully, only major Banks have the authority to turn people into slaves. Debt-collectors are depised, and smaller loan sharks also exist to provide payments that the larger, ludicrous banks would be more cautious towards. In addition to banks, various scams and Ponzi schemes are also common amongst both the Xian upper and lower-class.

           Not only is Stelt the center of shipping, commerce, and business deals, but it’s also the main heart of Xia’s agricultural and food production centers. Within carefully-ventilated buildings, massive crops are grown entirely in-doors and carefully monitored so as to avoid contamination from outside smog (Although as mentioned earlier, health-codes are still abysmally lax). Corn is Xia’s top cash crop, and various other produce is harvested and farmed within massive greenhouses to be shipped across the chutes to processing centers. In these centers, the produce is picked apart and ground apart, either as ingredients for more products, or for consumption as processed foods. The frozen TV dinner industry is a very ludicrous venture.

           Most of these foods, alongside other products, are then shipped to various stores and massive supermarkets, a few owned by Xia’s top celebrity Kratakal. Aside from supermarkets, sprawling malls of indoor and outdoor varieties exist, offering various independent wares and services. Although some businesses are of questionable trustworthiness, these malls still find frequent customers and passerby.

           Livestock is also another industry; While many animals are grown in the Zakaz District and shipped over to Stelt, others are born, live, and die within the crowded, mechanical confines of Stelt’s meat-market. The conditions are horrific and crowded, with the animals being frequently filthy; Alas, only the Xian upper-class can afford to have their food prepared in a clean, humane manner. With most Xians grappling with their own plight and poverty, very few find the time nor compassion to demand better living conditions for livestock. The working conditions and smell in meat-processing centers are awful, as noted by various Xian workers. As an alternative to regular meat harvested from animals, lab-grown is also an option, although many have commented on it having a gelatinous, processed texture… But again, beggars can’t be choosers. As long as nutrient and calories are acquired, who cares?

          While most of the meat-market is controlled by powerful monopolies, individual butcher shops also exist and will buy meat from factories, or even pay others to steal it for them at lower prices. Those who attempt to break into Xia’s agricultural and food sector are frequently shot on sight. On another note, many Xian scientists have dedicated their lives and research into engineering efficient, healthy GMOs with large calorie yields, utilizing genetic engineering and other methods to create the ideal crop and livestock. Hybrids, either bred naturally or grown from test tubes, are not out of the question.

          And although motives behind many of these efforts aren’t entirely altruistic –mainly to save cost and cheaply nourish a working force- it is nevertheless in everyone’s best interests for these scientists to succeed in their efforts. Starvation MUST be defeated, no matter the –usually material- cost. Indeed, some of these scientists are genuinely invested in Xia’s wellbeing, having come from positions of starvation themselves.

           While Xia usually operates on a set, standardized currency, many Xians in Stelt’s blackmarkets and malls will resort to haggling and bartering to get what they need, as most of the wealth is pooled and concentrated within the accounts of the Xian upper-class. The most ruthless, unyielding, and charismatic dealers frequently make it out with plenty for a small cost, or sell little for a massive price. Due to the cutthroat nature of Xia, with every person for themselves, those who are scammed are usually not given pity, as most will laugh or jeer at such fools and believe them deserving of their misfortune due to their stupidity.

           Travel is another plentiful sector in Stelt. As mentioned before, Chutes are frequently used to transport goods across the district and even towards other parts of Xia. Not only that, but subways and trains that run below, at, and even above the district of Stelt are common. Most Xians travel by these means, although individual vehicles such as the Cendox or Kaxium bikes are not out-of-place on Xia’s streets. Otherwise, most Xians just walk from Point A to Point B, with some occasionally having the luxury and extra wages to pay drivers to transport them.

           Due to the Chutes’ primary usage as a way of transporting precious, valuable goods, they are under frequent attack by bandits and rogues who seek to reap whatever they can find. As a result, Vahki are frequently stationed along the Chute System to defend against such interlopers; Stories of local Robin Hoods who raid the Chutes for fresh produce and distribute it to the population are not uncommon. Unfortunately, these people are frequently arrested by the Vahki and imprisoned for their ‘crimes’.

           Some rowdy Xians will take to riding the Chutes themselves, not necessarily within designated civilian transports, but either atop cargo containers or even floating within the liquid protodermis themselves! The strange, malleable properties of liquid protodermis –specifically the variant used in the Chute System- actually allows Xians to ‘breathe’ in them, although the sensation is heavy and frequently uncomfortable. Xian delinquents can sometimes be found hopping into the Chutes, either to escape local law enforcement, or to find adrenaline and thrill by riding firsthand through the Chutes.

          Disk Surfing is a popular sport and past-time for many, who will ride on metallic, protodermis disks that are naturally carried through the Chutes’ currents. Some Xian shops will even manufacture specialized vehicles and devices for the sole purpose of individual travel through Chutes! Chute Divers will attempt to enter not through designated stations, but in areas where the magnetic field is deemed weak enough- Those who fail simply strike a hard surface and slide off, much to their embarrassment and pain.

           Unsurprisingly, this practice is heavily banned due to the extreme risks- Many Xians have been thrashed around in the Chutes and slammed against cargo, some succumbing to their wounds. Others’ bodies are unable to handle the whiplash of sudden turns, especially in the infamous ‘Notch’, where many of these adrenaline junkies will dare one another to dive through. And of course, the potential threat of bandits latching onto cargo and using it for their own purposes is prevalent, so Vahki with aquatic enhancements can be found swimming through the Chutes, 24/7.

           Additionally, a phenomenon known as Force Spheres, in which a piece of electromagnetic energy can break off of the surrounding Chute, and amass into a whirling sphere of liquid protodermis that sucks everything inside, can occur. These Force Spheres will eventually amass enough mass and matter until they breach the walls of the Chutes they’re travelling in, causing the Chute to collapse and resulting in a massive implosion that destroys everything within. Chute maintenance staff frequently checks the surface of Chutes to ensure that they are not leaking energy and remain stable; Force Spheres themselves have also been repurposed and weaponized into Force Blasters for use in the arms industry, curiously enough. To deal with Force Spheres, Vahki maintenance staff are sent in to neutralize the force with their own electro-magnetic tools.

           Likewise, Chute Lurkers are another issue. These tall, insectoid creatures with centaur-like bodies and thinly-tipped limbs once relied on their massive webs to catch prey, suspended between branches and trees where birds and other creatures flew. But with the destruction of Xia’s ecosystems, many of these Chute Lurkers have become refugees, and have taken to inhabiting the Chutes as a means of gathering sustenance. Many will situate themselves within a Chute, usually just around a bend, and hold themselves in place with their bladed limbs to catch whatever comes around. Some of it is freshly-shipped food products… And some of it is Xian delinquents and passengers. Chute Lurkers aren’t necessarily aggressive and territorial, but desperate times require desperate measures.

           The Moto Hub is where a great gathering of Chute Stations is located, alongside ludicrous malls, stores, and supermarkets. Towering screens display various ads for the latest product, theater production, and so forth; The Moto Hub is considered in itself to be a memorable landmark of Stelt and its commercial industry. Luckily, access to the Moto Hub is not restricted, and anyone of any class can come here, including beggars looking for what little aid they can find; However, the high prices in the Moto Hub act as a more powerful deterrant than most Vahki guards.

[Basically it’s Times Square for Xia]

           Various, towering buildings serve as the heart and home for various corporations, such as the esteemed Vortixx Industries. Stock Markets are analyzed and conducted in buildings, and corporate decisions are made amidst a board of directors. But figuratively and literally below these buildings, underground criminal organizations operate, often in bars and abandoned warehouses. Stelt is home to a massive concentration of Xia’s poor, needy, and homeless, and many are so desperate that they’ll do anything to survive; Not only theft, but even murder as well. Gangs such as the Dark Hunters find easy, desperate recruits in Stelt, and utilize operatives to extort protection money and other fees from those underneath their ‘patronage’.

           Smoke stacks across Stelt’s skyline contribute to horrific pollution, and the sky is frequently tinted a nauseous, dirt-like brown at times. Health problems due to the air pollution are common, and in particularly crowded areas, Xians will wear masks to help filter out the chemicals. Although Cleaning Services and Industries exist, many Xian slums are nevertheless filthy, crowded with trash, waste, and pests.

          Directly beneath Stelt is a series of labyrinthine sewer systems that transport water and waste throughout the district. Many homeless populations will sneak into these sewers to find some refuge; However, much of Xia’s remaining wildlife, such as the lethal Lohrak, also make their homes here as well. Vahki squads are often sent in to deal with Lohrak nests and infestations, only to find the remains of many homeless that escaped below and ended up as prey for the winged serpents.

           Overall, many Xians view Stelt as the hopeless epitome and pinnacle of its greed, mindless industry, and ruthless economy that views workers only as tools and a means to an end. Long hours with few breaks and bare-bone wages are common, and unions are frequently shot down by the Vahki, or simply fired by bosses who can afford to hire new workers; There is always a ready supply of desperate Xians in need of a steady job. Thoughts of revolution and reform HAVE come up, unsurprisingly, but these ideas are frequently censored, monitored, and silenced by Dume- Particularly vocal dissidents are often brought to Artidax for ‘reconditioning’.