Out of the dozens, only three gangs runs the show in Dark Side (Sector 9)
Each spawned into existence in the most hazardous of environments.
They shouldn't really exist, and yet they do. Each of their existence being an outlier in any statistical graph.
The first gang was called Nocturne.
Led by a notorious criminal known as Sweetener, she controls a vast black market empire that operates in the shadows of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods, in this case being the Dark Side.
Sweetener was a ruthless leader, although quite beautiful with her pale skin and bright white eyes, she was feared by both her enemies and her own gang members alike.
But her story was more a tragedy for those who knew her personally, she has been turned into a THING by a slaving guild that once existed.
However, the slavers were unsuccessful in her transition into a Food Person.
She was permanently scarred, although maintaining her human form, white sugar crystals would appear all over her body like some sickness.
It was as pure as snow and sweet as nectar, and yet it drained her.
Normally people who become THINGS, lose their sense of taste forever, and yet she tasted something… something very* sweet.
Micro particles of pure concentrated sugar emanated from her giving a high unlike any other.
Those who stood near her would be drowned out by the blinding taste of sugar.
It was a premium commodity in the slums unfortunately they would soon realize it was a curse.
Sugar Sickness as the Nocturne gang called it, quickly spread amongst themselves contaminating the entire gang causing most of them to be permanently scarred.
Most of them developed an almost marble white eye and patches on their bodies, as a mark to their sickness.
To avoid this high, her gang employed gas masks, or filters of any kind.
Dawning the color of Black and Green, mimicking that of a poisonous frog, the Nocturne gang had quite the reputation in Dark Side.
Using their seemingly endless supply of high grade sugar, they armed themselves to the teeth and were fiercely loyal to Sweetener, and they were feared by most of the other gangs that operated in the Dark Side.
The Nocturne's black market guild was a labyrinth of underground tunnels and hidden rooms, where illegal goods and services could be obtained for a steep price.
It was a place where anything could be bought or sold, from weapons to drugs, Food People to Slaves, and many more exotic goods.
Of course, their primary export being the pure unfiltered sugar that Sweetener generates.
>>>
In contrast to Nocturne, Mithril's primary export was salt.
If spices run the world then G-Tea, their leader certainly ruled a fair bit of the world.
G-Tea although a heavily modified individual still kept quite a human side.
In the way he acts and behaves, contrasting his appearance.
He himself was fully augmented from head to toe, very little flesh remained on his body except for his brain and heart.
Although no one knew the extent of it.
Rumors circulated that his body contained a thousand blades, or that his body was made of a nearly indestructible metal.
Whatever the case, it was clear that G-Tea was not a man to be trifled with.
After all, he operates the oldest Guild within Dark Side.
The Mithril gang has swapped a lot of hands over its existence but seeing as they still remain just proves how crucial they are to the underworld.
Their signature color being white and gold, majority of the members followed suit and heavily augmented themselves with cyberware and bling.
As for why salt is their primary export?
It was quite simple. During World War 10 the machines decided to poison all salt on earth in order to sabotage all living organisms.
It would've worked, but ultimately the killer robots have failed. Some pockets of salt remain; or so that's what the explanation that the Mithril gang gives.
In reality… the machines succeeded in poisoning the earth's salt…
Countless die from the lack of salt even to this day.
How the Mithril got the salt is completely unknown, a closely guarded secret that only one man possessed, and currently that man is G-Tea.
>>>
NOX A remnant of the Machines… of Hyperion
A group of fully sentient automatons, they have made quite a name for themselves in Dark Side.
Learning the error of their ways and using their vast intellect they were able to forge the most exotic of luxuries, a semi immortality.
It was a simple promise, with major ramifications.
They will fabricate a dream world for you within the old Net, a completely virtual world with unlimited possibilities.
They would fuse your brain and nerves into their advanced logic engine and seemingly transfer your consciousness into the old Net, where you can do as much harm, deviant, pornographic, and immoral behavior as you want.
"The ultimate escapism, the ultimate control."
And like any obscure and strange things people bought it up as if it was something never before seen.
Their promise was true to their word for machines cannot lie, but very few knew of the horrors of the devil's contract.
Their leader Scooter didn't speak in human tongue, opting to speak using code instead for a more instantaneous and efficient means of communication.
Scooter was a generation 4 Tactical Droid, made during the beginnings of World War 10, he had vast knowledge, eclipsing that of even the most avid of scholars.
However, as a tactical droid he had little in terms of combat strength. No weapons or slabs of steel plating.
He was more like a grey tower resembling that of a lighthouse to help navigate boats in the ocean, with wheels.
The other machines within the group however, were far more militant with their humanoid form, having been forged for battle, their combat expertise was far beyond that of bioforms.
Equipped with the original energy based weapons such as the plasma cannons and beam sabers, they were far more destructive than the primitive weapons that the MPD currently employ by several human generations.
The three of them gathered in a secret location to discuss the MPD's… behavior.
The room was underground, dark and cold like an empty cave. A remnant of the old world that laid beneath Omega Sector like the mantle underneath the earth's crust.
It was a large open area with many ruins in the center; there were several silhouettes of other prominent figures, hoards of thieves, bandits, merchants, and other degenerates surrounding those three in their respective groups.
G-tea spoke first breaking the subtle mumblings of the crowd, "I-I sa'y gatha da men and chase'em outta here!"
A translator for Scooter spoke back with an audible staticy tone, (SHZZ) "Their location… The outpost is a bunker complex, even if it was semi destroyed I fail to see a profitable outcome. (SHZZ) Advice, wait for them to leave before disputing the territory."
"Shud up Sco'oter! No one here give'a dam about your advic'e! We'v fot bloodie wors agains da MPD before and won!"
The gangsters were getting restless, perhaps a sense of unease swept the room as they continued to snicker and talk behind the leader's backs.
"Sweet-na! geta yo men'n let go bash em without Scoot'a"
Sweetener who sat on a large rock twiddled her fingers. Her eyes would be closed as if in deep thought.
Her silence broke with a quiet voice, a gentle voice, due to the rarity of her talking everyone fell silent whenever he talked, "Did you know..? One of my men said that a man in an old military uniform blew up the outpost..."
Everyone tensed up, even Scooter remained absolutely still as if it had a malfunction.
Sweetener continued, "General… J… Bottle…"
"WOT? B-B-Bottle? Don tell me y'e really believe dat he is hera? His'a justa rumo'a dat par'ents tella teyir kid at nit. Beside no one has'a seen him ova a yea'r."
Scooter, using the translator, spoke, "I wouldn't count that out. From documents that I've found from the war, it has been noted that General J. Bottle was never KIA(Killed in Action) but rather silently disappeared after the end of the war."
"Bah! Who'da hell cares! Right now we got bett'a things to worra' about than dat!"
"COM'ON LADS! LETS GO WE GOTA WOR TO WIN!" G-tea shot up from where he sat, cracking the ground beneath. He then proceeded to stomp obnoxiously as he left the chamber.
His gang was all pumped up, with blood thirst and hunger for battle, they marched out of the room, clanking as they did as their augments clashed with one another.
Sweetener watched as the last bits of Mithril's members walked out the doorway. She then proceeded to stand up and follow them. Her men, who were covered with tight black and green leather suits with hoods and gas masks, soon followed in her silent footsteps.
Scooter retorted to Sweenter, "I do not compute… Why join him in needless conflict?"
Sweetener stopped, "I-I want to see him… the so-called Legendary General who won World War 10…"
Scooter's translator fell silent, it would crackle in the occasional static. He then whispered to himself, "Humans… how… very human..."