Book 1: The Thieving City: Chapter 1: Boy No More

This city is a nightmare. A long time ago it was called Nimbus Station. A group called The Nexus Force made its main economic and military income here. They succeded in defeating the Maelstrom, the enemies, and soon disbanded. Veterans of the Maelstrom War have since vanished or went into hiding. They knew that without a force to keep law, thieves would loot endlessly. Some scoffed at them, but they were right. Thieves are everywhere, and there is almost no social order exists anymore. Ruthless gangs and groups occupy certain areas of town. Five years after all the chaos started and calmed down, a few gangs agreed to join together and take over all of the Maelstrom-free worlds that the Nexus Force had freed. The ruthless New Empire, as they call themselves. They have since then destroyed all gangs that tried to stop them, or tried to defend their land. The smart gangs joined them, but the prideful ones lost their bricks and their land. The New Empire is the leading government all across the land. I was born during the peak of the New Empire, which some say is still going. Some say their downhill is near, but I see no end in sight. Anyways, they made their own currency, their own army, and crushed every uprising against them. If you even so say a mean word about the New Empire, you get smashed. Sounds like a good world, now that there's government, right? Wrong. They don't stop any looting, and it has since then gone up. Prices have gone up on everything. Those who can spare money buy a weapon to try and defend their families, but most cannot afford to do so. The rich use guns and loot poor families, take their children, and sell them as slaves. The parents are smashed and all their good taken. We would have been better off without government. Whenever we see New Empire officials, you know you gotta take cover. They're even worse than the rich. They will gun you down and take your money. They drive around in handfuls, so you can't hope to smash them by yourself. It's bad world, and the only way you can make money is to farm. I lost my family when I was young and I've been a slave ever since. Well, I'm outside, going to buy seeds. A few basic rules to keep in mind when you're in the New Empire's version of Nimbus Station. You gotta look around and be aware of what happens if you wanna survive. Keep your hand on your wallet at all times. The thieves here won't hesitate to rip your pockets out just to get your wallet. All banks have been closed since thieves became too common. You must not look at anyone while at the streets. Keep a weapon with you at all times. So many thieves and burglars in this city because of rumors of a city which pours great fortunes and protection. They say renmants of fair government and veterans of The Nexus Force rest there. Currency is worth something, law is strict, thieving is non-existant, and food is available more than two times a day! I met my best friend during the first day of school by talking about the rumors of the city. He is now a Professor, and he is only a year older than me! His name is Professor Mike. He knows all about every single rumor about the great safe-zone treasure, as we call it. He recently acquired a burnt-up old paper from when he went to Riverndank Canyon in Crux Prime. Our boss said mega-rare seeds were there. We could make millions off it, and if we succeded, we might get more than one meal a day! Imagine, two meals a day! No more saving some food for later. We never found the seeds, and our boss let Mike live. I am grateful to our boss for that small mercy. The paper had these instructions: "Take me to the underground of this city, the town where the ghosts live and hide. As soon as your arrive, the next instructions will show in this paper." Mike and I are running away from our slave owner this weekend, and leaving to find this "Ghost Town" as Mike and I jokingly call it. I have now bought the seeds and are heading back to the shack. If I take more than half an hour coming from here and there, the guards around our shacks, will gun us down at their sight of us. 

"Castle! What, you think you can be late? You're one minute before the deadline!" Mike greets me with a handshake. We walk away and he looks around, making sure one of our guards isn't listening. The sound of planting seeds fills the air. "Tomorrow is Saturday. We can go on to our journet. Make preparations, we leave tonight at three in the morning." I nod and keep doing this vigorous work, Mike next to me working along. We both smile under our rice hats as a New Empire jeep passed by in a dirt road.