Slumrat Rising

Why We Do It

Truth was floating as he made his way back to the apartment. Ninety three thousand credits a year. He still didn’t have a very good feel for what that meant, but… he was able to afford the subsidized Class C housing for the sibs on his National Service salary. Odds were good that the monthly cost in credits for the sibs’ food, housing, education, healthcare, clothes, all of it, was about to become a nothing expense. Incredible, incredible, incredible. All glory to Starbrite! All hail Starbrite!

He walked up to their apartment building. It was smaller than the one he grew up in, but infinitely nicer. Not fancy, maybe. Polished concrete floors in the hallways, painted concrete walls, big metal fire doors to the stairwells. But it was clean. Everything was in good working order. If there was a problem, someone from maintenance would be around in an hour or less. Usually less. He hadn’t spent much time there, but it was almost eerily quiet in the apartment. It’s not that they didn’t have neighbors. It’s that they had good soundproofing. And it was well insulated, the heating worked, and the windows opened in the summer for some natural ventilation.

It was like paradise.

“TRUTH!” He was spear tackled by Sophia when he walked in the door. Vigor and Harmony were right behind her.

“How was it? Did you have fun? Did you get a girlfriend? Wow you got big! Look how big I got! I got 94 on my last math test! Do you want noodles for dinner? I know how to cook noodles!” The words fell like a waterfall, crushing him under the repressed love of his siblings. He couldn’t have been happier.

They sat down around the table in the family room (which, annoyingly like their old apartment, was also the kitchen) and had a big bowl of noodles, each. There was even an egg in each bowl. Truth caught them up on enlisted life, and then broke the big news.

“So, we do have a change of plans. A pretty amazing change of plans, but it’s got its downsides too.” He explained the change of plans, and how he would be working in Security. The upside was financial security. The downside was… he was going to be away from home. A lot.

Sophia stormed away in tears. Vigor just stared at his plate and wouldn’t speak.

“Do you really think it’s worth it?” Harmony said quietly. He was only about sixteen months younger than Truth, and the SAT was looming large. Filling in for Truth, and their parents, had been hard. He had hoped that, when Truth came back, he could put down that burden and try to finish high school like a normal kid. Normal-ish kid.

“I really do. You have been keeping quiet about your grades- bet they're in the shitter, right?”

Harmony looked ready to deny it, then snorted and nodded.

“Yeah, I figured. My Army classification was basically “Dangerous Moron.” I had to do catch up classes while everyone else was learning how to use needler talismans. Our old school wasn’t just bad, Harmony, it was made to keep us poor and stupid and sick.” Truth shook his head in disgust.

“But now we’re here. And you are in a real school. Struggling. Maybe we need to get you and Soph and Vig tutors or cram school. Which we can do now. You are going to be eating real food. Getting your shots. Getting real fucking elixers for your breakthrough to Level One.” Truth growled a bit on that last point.

“Well, maybe not elixirs.” Harmony hedged. Truth thought it through, and agreed.

“Alright, well, at least real high end tonics. Potions, maybe. It depends on just what my discounts cover for “healthcare.” Point is that this will set all of you up for life. Maybe you could go to college. Or if you think it’s too late for that, Soph or Vig. Soph always had a big brain, she could do it.”

“College? Truth…”

“Point is that you have options that ain’t the fucking Meat Market, Har! Point is that you ain’t ever missing another meal. Or Soph or Vig. Or me, for that matter. I would have made a good gangster, I think. You might have too. But now, I can stand in a mansion and ignore my protectee being a dickhead for eight hours a day in exchange for enough money to buy…”

Truth stalled out. What did he actually want to buy? Not much, when you got right down to it. Good clothes? Weren’t his fine?

“Well, enough money to hire someone to tell me what I’m missing and then have enough left over to buy that.” Truth concluded victoriously.

Harmony just shook his head. “Not the same as having you around, though. We need you, Truth. Always have, always will.”

It was Truth’s turn to look down. “You will always have me. I just can’t always be here. I love you all so much. But I can’t always be here.”

Three days later, they marched off for the administration of the Oath. The Oath ceremony was taking place in a track and field stadium that happened to be owned by a Starbrite subsidiary. Truth zipped into his appointment with the Confessor while the sibs found their seats in the stands. There was a bit of time before it started, but everyone said to get there early.

The Confessor had his own comfortable little office, with a small chair set behind and to the side of an overstuffed recliner. Truth plonked himself in the recliner as the Confessor half smiled and sat in the little chair.

“Seems like you know what we’re doing here. Sorry, you get the same spiel as everyone.” The Confessor cleared his throat. “Before we begin, please remove your shoes and keep your socks on. Please hold the engram reader with both hands. Please be sure your answers are honest and complete, as failure to do so can have serious legal and health repercussions. Including, potentially, disability and death.” The Confessor rattled it off in almost one breath. Truth complied. The Confessor continued once Truth was holding the reader.

“You are here today to take the Starbrite Oath of Honorable Service, Tier C. This oath is both legally binding and magically enforced through the System. Do you understand that?”

“Yes.”

“You understand that violating the terms of your oath will result in penalties as enumerated in your Employee’s Handbook?”

“Yes.”

“You understand that, in cases of an intentional betrayal of Starbrite or any form of attack on, or subversion of, the System, the System will forcibly eject from you body?”

“Yes.”

“You understand that such a forcible ejection will cause severe damage to your spell apertures, potentially rendering you permanently crippled and unable to use spells?”

“Yes.”

“You understand that prolonged use of the System is known to cause behavioral changes and, in some people, a realignment of their ethical and personal priorities?”

“Yes.”

“Good. With the formalities out of the way, I’m ready to take your confession. Your file notes that you cannot speak about some things as they are subject to National Secret orders. Leaving that specific issue aside, use this time to tell me everything. Every awful, terrible thing you have done, you have seen, you have heard. Everything you are scared of. Everything you hate yourself for wanting. Dump it all on me.”

The Confessor’s voice was calm and soothing, almost seeping through the comfy recliner.

“I won’t judge you. There is nothing, nothing whatsoever, you could possibly tell me that would make me hate you. I, legally, cannot tell the police about any crimes you might confess to, or tell me you want to commit. Nothing goes in your file. This is about clearing the way for you to take the Oath. Clearing out all the psychic filth that you have spent a lifetime accumulating. You can’t get it all out in twenty minutes, but you will be amazed at how good you will feel just telling someone about it.” The recliner started to glow a faint yellow and the engram reader somehow became impossibly comfortable to hold in his hands.

“Just relax and tell me everything. Everything.”

Truth left the Confessor in an odd mood. He felt like he was a shaken bottle of soda, and someone just barely unscrewed the cap and then screwed it tight again. All the horrible little bubbles had come out of solution, with nowhere to go. Sooner or later, they would be reabsorbed into him, and he didn’t want that. It felt nice to be flat. The Confessor reminded him that psychiatric counseling was available under the health plan, and it was comparatively cheap. Truth instinctively disliked the notion of letting people in, letting them see weakness. Still. It did feel nice to be flat. Something to think about later.

Truth was directed onto the field and lined up neatly with the other C-tier oath takers. The whole scene felt unreal. He was lightheaded from the confession, blinded by the lights of the stands, lined up with strangers in a strange place to do the thing he had dreamed about for years. He was going to be sworn in. Become a real Starbrite Man, like the slick spell slinging guy on the billboard. Somehow he wasn’t excited. He knew he would be later, but now? Now he was just trapped in the void, floating between yesterday and tomorrow.

A man stepped on to a stage in front of the assembled workers of the future. He wore a cap with a “Starbrite” logo on it, light blue windbreaker, and tan pants. He looked like the guy telling you where to find the best spell beast on the lot, not someone walking you through the biggest change in your life. But there he was, spinning a sound amplification fetish up to hover in front of him.

“Hello and welcome! Welcome, future C-Tier Starbrite Employees! Can we get a round of applause?” The crowd cheered. People on the field waved back at the stands, trying to spot friends or family.

“Now, some of you are already Starbrite Employees who have worked your way up. On behalf of the Starbrite Corporation- thank you. It is your continuing dedication and hard work that has built this company, and when you put on that lapel pin today, I think you will feel it. This isn’t just anybody’s company. It’s yours. For our new Employees- thank you too. You are the fresh blood that will propel Starbrite into the most glorious of tomorrows. You, each and every one of you, are the future of this great company. You worked hard to get here. We are so happy to have you!

He sounded pumped. So utterly sincere.

“Now, everyone, we know what we are here for. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” They yelled back.

“I said are you ready!”

“YES!”

“In the back?”

“YES!”

“Upfront!”

“YES!”

“Left side?”

“YES!”

“Right side?”

“YES!”

“Everybody ready?”

“YES!” The crowd was rabid, and Truth was swept up with them. Screaming his throat raw that he was ready. So, so damn ready.

“HERE WE GO!”

Truth recited the words, repeating what the man up front said.

“I, Truth Medici, do swear that I will be true and loyal to the Starbrite Corporation and The System Astrologica; that I shall be diligent in my labor; and that I shall obey the orders of the President and all officers appointed over me, according to the Starbrite Corporation Employee Handbook and such local laws as may apply. So Help Me GOD!”

They were shouting by the end, exploding with emotion. Truth knew, they all knew what was coming next.

The hazy blue sky seemed to twist away, revealing the starry heavens above. One star glowed a brilliant blue, then another red, yellow, more and more stars lit up like they were going nova. The heavenly light showered down on the field, a stellar baptism for the chosen. They finally got what they had dreamed of, ever since they first heard of Starbrite.

Welcome, Truth Medici, to the System Astrologica.

I am going to have so much fun with you.