Chapter 1

  "Ever felt like you could do more with your time. That if your home had just that one self cleaning table or self organizing shelf. Fear not For the future is here with Future tech and health we take care of the small things so your time isn't wasted"

  -Future tech and health ad ~2040

  Evan PoV

  Today could have been a good day I did think to myself as I was standing in the quiet grand dining hall of the family estate that was in the middle of the east part of the more ultra wealthy districts of New Tucson. The room being a clear example of the tastes of my parents foux marble walls with real hardwood accents a long mahogany carpet under the expensive real redwood table.

  I got snapped out of my thoughts as my father Matthias Price stared me down from his seat at the head of the large dining table. My father having a sharp jawline set in to a tight smile as his piercing gray eyes stared at me from across the room wearing one of his finer suits something from one of those larger fashion brands his soft chestnut hair in a stylish cut "Wanting to see a psychiatrist do you? Is this more of that nonsense related to that Project of yours that I had to shut down?" He asked with that all too familiar frown of disappointment.

  I opened my mouth to respond only to be cut off "This is the last straw Evan, You are an embarrassment to the family and we have tried time and time again to get you to understand our place but you just don't get it. First you publicly stated that it was our fault that those workers died when they failed to get out of the warehouse fire." A warehouse fire that only started because you refused to get the correct ventilation and the fact that it only had one way in or out I thought as my father kept talking. "That cost our company quite a bit to make go away. Then you went and started that outreach program last year you were meant to show what you could do for the company instead you went and created a 'care' division. Sending in those two trucks in to the undercity and providing free food and healthcare and your reasoning? It will make them more productive workers. And now you want to drag the family name through the mud? No get out and do not return." I stood there blinking a few times not sure what just happened all I had done was say that I needed to see a psychiatrist.

  Opening my mouth to speak just to be cut off by my mother a stern looking woman who's features at least in public were soft was currently looking at me with the same disapproving frown as my father causing those soft features around the eyes to harden and lip to tighten. "No you have nothing more to say. Your father has told you to leave this house. So go before I call the guards to drag you out." With that I just turned and walked out in a bit of a daze barely noticing the fine hallways as I walked towards the door.

  Outside the gardens around the quite frankly massive building were green a feat in itself considering where we lived. The area might not have been too bad in the early 2020's but now, now it's closer to a wasteland, Between the corporations running wild and the antithesis eating everything it never stood a chance but here we have lawns flowers gardens hedges and trees native to more temperate areas of the world. Walking down the drive way the daze I finally snapped out of the state I was in and looked down at myself wearing some simple jeans and t-shirt in quite comfortable materials and some sneakers wouldn't get me far as I got to the guard-booth I looked up seeing a reflection of myself my fathers gray eyes staring back with a slightly lifeless look to them short brown hair and clean shaven jawline and mouth shape that would get you lost in a crowd in how generic they looked topped with a slightly crocked nose from when it had been badly broken during 'survival' training with my older brother a few years back as he had elbowed it. The guard at the booth opened the gate and then ignored me as I walked down the private road towards the gates to the community if you could call an area with three mega mansions that.

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  Reaching the gates and leaving I went through my augs so check what I had left only to find that I was locked out of my of my contacts and accounts with the exception of one private account I had set up with a bank owned by one of my fathers competitors with just 10,000 credits. Looking through the contacts anything related to the family or their contacts is blocked as if they had planned it. I stopped and sighed looking out over New Tucson gleaming towers with large logos and neon sighs between them and the megabuildings the city had standing towards the edges below built on platforms above the old broken city below. Looking back on my contacts there was just one left. One I had only used a few times once when setting up my operation, once more when I wanted to move in the second truck and the last time when I told them to strip down the carts and keep the fabricators within. Looking back towards the city and the tower in the center of the city with the big logo 'Tomorrow's tech and health' I made up my mind and initiated the call.

  Hal PoV

  Oh what a good day it had been we had managed to get some great trades for the goods we had made over the last week meaning the gang had gotten better food and some new guns. Being the leader of the East Rattlesnake Guard wasn't always an easy thing, but today it was no big fights no surprises. "Hey Jack" I called out to leader of the guard fee collection group "Boss" He responded "How did the collection go any trouble?" I asked as they passed heading towards the armory of our fort. The undercity or Old Tuscon even if there was next to nothing left of the old city down here was not the friendliest of places. Gangs such as our own and worse ruled the lands. Yes corpo sec and what was left of the old law enforcement had a small presence down here mainly around the factories and warehouses belonging to the people above. "The corner store that the old man set up in the main E5 square got robbed. We found the people that did it and roughed them up. Managed to return most of the goods." Jack said and I nodded. "Good wouldn't be good for us if we didn't actually protect the stores that we collect protection money from." I said before turning around and walking across the courtyard towards one of the three main buildings. "I will be in my office if something happens" I said as I walked away. "Will do Boss" Jack said in return.

  Sitting in my office going through reports drinking what I did consider a good cup of synth coffee I couldn't help but sigh and mutter to myself. "So much paperwork why do we use paper as a gang" Only to blink as a sudden call came in over my augs with a name I hadn't heard for weeks. "Young Price. How come you are calling this time?" I asked only to hear the answer from the now seventeen year old on the other end."I got myself kicked out. And more or less cut off from everything." he said in return. Taking an other sip from my cup before answering "That sounds rough. But why call me? It isn't as if we are close friends or anything." Hearing a sigh from the other end caused me to smile not a bad kid for a richie at least. "Mostly to see if you can take on some credits. I only have access to a small amount but I'm sure -He- will hate that I sent it to what he called a good for nothing crime lord that don't even accept reasonable bribes." That caused me to laugh. "I used to be a high-roller up there once and that bribe.

  Five thousand credits for my men to look the other way as he grabbed people off my streets as workers." Shaking my head "We might be criminals.. Underground gambling drug dens and the like. But we don't deal in people like that." Said with some venom in my voice as I leaned back looking up at the mirror in the ceiling. My short red hair being a bit of mess again as my green eyes scanned the scar crossing the right eye and passing down over the soft jawline. "I know. And that's why it will piss him off that I give it to you. I won't last the week on the streets anyway so call it a last fuck you to the bastard." Evan responded. Sitting back up "Oh you won't that is true. But we still owe you for those fabricators and the food you did bring our people down here. Every bit helps after all." I paused. "Head down to the ground level entrance to the undercity. East side and some of my men will meet you. And then we can see if we cant make a snake out of you" I said before hanging up.