Under the harsh white light of the fluorescent tubes, one after another, inmates clad in prison clothes were engaged in simple tasks on the assembly line, assembling some complex components, or packaging finished products into boxes, and so on.
This was the industrial district located in the lower levels of Payin City, a place that served not only as a factory but also as a prison, detaining people who had been apprehended before.
After a month of investigation and interrogation, the Federal Government of the Northern Seventh District had largely clarified the situation in the Underworld of Payin City. The past blockades were gradually lifted, and the personnel involved in the previous incident were also progressively dealt with.
"Blu!" A guard dressed in a gray-blue uniform, holding a personal terminal displaying information, walked into the underground workshop.
A towering, burly man rose from the crowd, standing tall like a polar bear rising from the ice, exceptionally eye-catching.
"Come with me," he gestured to Blu and led him out of the room.
The two entered a room designed for conversations, equipped with rigorous surveillance.
"Have a seat, drink some water," the guard said, his tone slightly better than before.
"Received," Blu obediently opened the bottle of mineral water on the table and drained it.
Seeing him so compliant, the guard nodded with satisfaction. Although many from the Underworld were insubordinate and had foul characters, there were exceptions.
"You've behaved well in prison and passed evaluations from all aspects. Plus, your prior offense was comparatively minor, so—" He paused for two seconds, playing coy, before continuing.
"You're lucky to be released, as of tomorrow. For the next five years, as long as you abide by the law and avoid any rules violations, you can live peacefully as an ordinary Federation citizen."
"Thank you for your guidance," Blu said, his expression slightly moved, but he was at a loss for what high praise to articulate.
"Alright, that's all I wanted to say. Make sure you live well from now on," the guard clapped his shoulder and then walked out.
Two days later, the massive gates of the underground prison slowly opened, and several sturdy, armored transport vehicles drove out, followed by a few released individuals, among whom was Blu.
He carried a large package containing his clothes and bed sheets, having asked what he could take with him before leaving, and the staff had told him what was allowed.
"Here's 500 Federation Coins as a modest compensation for your time served. Once you're out, you should find a job as soon as possible so you can settle down,"
Touching the card in his chest pocket that held the Federation Coins, Blu thought back to the guard's instructions before his departure, full of emotion.
Although 500 Federation Coins weren't a lot, they could be stretched to last a week with frugality. The most crucial thing during this time was securing a job. Now that the Underground Gang had been disbanded and the people he previously knew had mostly vanished, he had to put effort into thinking about where he could be accepted.
If this were the distant past, his stature would make finding a means to subsist not too difficult, but this was the technologically advanced Interstellar Era. Most of the heavy labor was replaced by machines, and those who were quick learners and intelligent were more sought after, so the coming period might not be so smooth.
Regardless, he was finally free.
Stepping out the gate, Blu looked back at the prison fortress illuminated by the bright yellow streetlights, its thick steel structures enclosing it like a colossal beast lying on the ground.
Three days later, in the 14th wholesale market on the 45th underground level of Payin City, Blu found his first job.
The job involved loading and unloading various goods in the market, paying a salary of 2400 Federation Coins monthly, including room and board.
Although there were T6-grade AI machines in the market for loading and unloading, they were responsible for uniform, coded bulk goods. The distribution of small, assorted items was still more convenient and cheaper with human labor.
To salvage the declining employment rate, the Federation had already increased the tax on AI chips multiple times. Nowadays, about 90%-95% of the price of a newly manufactured AI chip goes to taxes, with a second levy based on the duration of activation and use.
"Hey, big guy, we've got a new batch of goods, come with me,"
In a dim corner of the warehouse, Blu sat with his vest soaked in sweat, having just finished a delivery and managing to sit for a brief few minutes.
"Received," he responded in a deep voice and stood up again, following the skinny supervisor.
In the loading area, trucks of various sizes were docked, orderly loading and unloading in front of warehouse doors with distinct numbers. Each door had surveillance, strictly monitoring the quantity of goods being handled, and drivers only needed to input the designated order number into their personal terminals and confirm to wait.
There were three transportation routes from Payin City to the outside world. The first was the most common ground haulage road, where goods were unloaded upon reaching Skylight, then sent underground via industrial elevators. The second was the underground rail train, a transport line buried deep beneath the surface, built hundreds of years ago considering the possibility that surface rail bombardment might cut off transportation, hence all underground cities were connected via such lines. The third were the Flight vehicles or spaceships, mainly responsible for connecting the distant southern districts and space routes to other star domains.
Of the three transportation channels, the subterranean line was the least costly, but generally only ferried bulk industrial materials and products. Ground transport was more flexible, accommodating daily necessities and goods from nearby districts, while Flight vehicles and spaceships were the most expensive, typically reserved for imports, exports, and time-sensitive deliveries.