Wanted Criminal (11)

Living in Magitera was not easy. Needless to say, that applied to the lower levels.

That didn't mean the surface levels were particularly pleasant places to live, either. All they had was bright, scorching sunlight and somewhat less polluted air. But that was all.

Magitera was a city meant only for a select few. The closer one got to the sky, the more one lived like an immortal; the farther down one went, the more life was driven into the ground, right up against the underground levels. Most citizens living somewhere in between fit their bodies into corporate schedules every day.

In the morning, the radio played.

-Good morning, citizens of Magitera! Your diligent labor makes the city shine today as well!

Silas Volt's voice was as lively as ever. The mockery came free.

-Today's average labor efficiency is up 2.3% from yesterday! Thanks to that, corporate profit forecasts are looking bright as well. Of course, this won't be reflected in your wages, so please don't get your hopes up!

When the same thing repeated every day, burnout was inevitable. Even for people with lives this wretched. It meant thinking the same thing every day: I'm tired. In body and mind.

Workers tapped their wrist terminals at the commute gates, while freelancers searched for jobs that would keep them alive another day.

Everyone was tired, powerless, and worn out...