Since this is the prologue, I feel as if this is a good point to address the readers. Thank you for stumbling into this novel. I truly hope to continue this novel to the point where I win the Spirity Awards but that is just a hope as of now. I believe that the quality and world-building of this novel will be exquisite and worthy of your interest. It is heavily influenced by the concept of futuristic worlds and war. I hope you have a good time reading this. Noodles out!
The city of Neon Haven has never seen sleep. As the sun slowly rose from the distant hills that were covered with a layer of morning haze and an unhealthy wave of smog, its towering skyscrapers stretched towards the sky like metallic giants, beginning to cast long shadows over the streets below. Alongside the light that came with the dawn, the everlasting neon lights from commercial buildings bathed the urban landscape in an array of colors - bright blues, electric pinks, and vivid greens - creating an ever-present glow from every possible angle that the city could be viewed from which made it both mesmerizing and disorienting.
Neon Haven was one of the five great cities that were founded in the aftermath of the Third Great War, a conflict of colossal proportion that had taken the lives of over a hundred and fifty million military deaths and approximately a hundred thousand civilian deaths from bombings and other war-related side-effects such as famine and diseases.
The conflict completely destroyed and reshaped nations as the surviving nations were forced to redraw the world map. And it was in the midst of the war-torn cities, towns, and other settlements of the past that lay in ruins, a coalition of the surviving tech giants and visionary leaders sought to create a central beacon of hope and innovation. As a result, the five great cities, including Neon Haven, rose from the ashes of old cities, serving as a true testament to human resilience and ingenuity.
From its inception, the city was created and designed to be a city of the future. The architects and engineers in charge envisioned a great metropolis where technology and humanity coexisted in harmony. The streets were lined with sleek, modern buildings constructed from cutting-edge materials that gleamed under the neon lights that would light up the nightscape of the city. The skyline was dominated by skyscrapers of various shapes and sizes, their reflective surfaces creating a dazzling array of colors as they caught the light from the dim sun. Nevertheless, culture and tradition were not something that humanity was willing to replace, thus there were areas of the city that were built with this in mind.
The city itself was divided into distinct districts, each with its unique character and purpose. The affluent Uptown Districts, located in the core were home to the city's elite, boasting luxurious penthouses, high-end boutiques, and gourmet restaurants. On the lower end of the spectrum were the Low Districts which were a bustling hub of commerce and industry. It was here that the city's heart beat the loudest, with its crowded streets, bustling markets, and ever-present throngs of people.
Meanwhile, in order to have the rich able to have such benefits, the exploitation of the poor was required and each great city had a huge problem with crime rates and poverty. And yet, the authorities did not bother with it. These poorer and commercial districts were where all the hustle and bustle in the daily life of the citizens occurred as on each building in these districts, holographic advertisements flickered and flashed, touting the latest cyber genetic enhancements, luxury goods, and entertainment experiences.
Nevertheless, the infrastructure of all of these districts was a marvel of modern engineering. The city was completely covered by a network of elevated highways and maglev trains that zipped through the air using an extremely intricate yet operational transport system that connected the various districts with incredible speed and efficiency. Pedestrian walkways and bike lanes were integrated into the urban landscape, encouraging a blend of traditional and modern modes of transportation.
The people of Neon Haven were a testament to the merging of humanity and technology. Over the decades during and after the creation of the city, the relentless drive for progress led to the development of advanced biochips and cybernetic modifications which were able to seamlessly integrate with human physiology. It had become a norm to undergo such operations to the point where almost everyone in the city had undergone some form of enhancement, ranging from simple health monitors to complex neural interfaces that boosted cognitive functions and physical capabilities. This initially spread to the medical field as the lifespan of a person could be extended with the usage of biochips and cyber-tech organs which could replace older organs. However, these were expensive and were often only able to be purchased by the well-off in society.
Meanwhile, biochips implanted beneath the skin, allowed citizens to access the city's vast digital network with a mere thought, streamlining communication, commerce, and entertainment. Modifications were not just practical but also a form of self-expression. Many of Neon Haven's residents could be seen sporting glowing tattoos powered by biochips, eyes that could change color at will, and limbs enhanced with sleek, metallic designs that enhanced strength and dexterity. For many, these enhancements were a means of survival, providing them with the edge needed to navigate the city's cutthroat environment. In a place where the line between human and machine blurred, the inhabitants of Neon Haven embraced their cybernetic identities, becoming living embodiments of the city's relentless pursuit of technological advancement.
And of course, these enhancements were also used by the military, actually, they were first used for military purposes but then spread out to the general public. However, such technology was heavily restricted and handled by the city's authority and mega-corporations that had dabbled their hands in weapons research.
District 7, that's where our focus is for now.
One of the most notorious areas in Neon Haven, District 7 was a stark contrast to the gleaming towers and vibrant lights of the city's core Uptown Districts. It was a sprawling, labyrinthine district where commercial and residential buildings were haphazardly intertwined, creating a chaotic landscape of narrow alleys, dilapidated buildings with worn-out signs flickering neon names, and makeshift markets that seemed to never sleep. The air was thick with the scent of street food from multiple cuisines, mixed with the acrid smell of burning metal from countless repair shops that were offering worn-out products that had been factory-rejects or no longer wanted by the Uptown Districts.
In such a district, corruption ran rampant as loan sharks and gang leaders ruled the streets here with an iron fist. Desperation was palpable among the residents, many of whom made their living off of running these food stalls and small product stalls, had to turn towards the gangs for protection in the form of a fee of some sort, and in return, they would receive protection from other gangs. Alongside this, neon signs flickered above rundown storefronts, advertising quick loans with exorbitant interest rates and underground fight clubs where bets were placed on cybernetically enhanced fighters. A melting pot of survival and vice where people did whatever it took to get by is what would best describe District 7.
Shady deals were struck in dark corners, and the law was but a distant concept, rarely enforced by the overwhelmed and underpaid security forces. Instead, most of the enforcement was done by the people themselves, mercenaries and hired hands were used in a way to enforce calm and stability among the wicked leaders. And yet, despite the decay, District 7 has a pulse of its own, driven by the relentless hustle of its inhabitants. It was a place where dreams were crushed as often as they were chased, and where the shadows held as much danger as opportunity.
Today too, District 7 was still equally as busy but today was a little different. And for that, we need to move our attention to the rooftop of an old residential building that had soot and rust spread all across its walls.