Los Angeles

The City of Angels was once true to its name, but then the California Free State “gifted” Los Angeles with free city status in 2046—and for the record, we all know they cut and run because LA was too expensive for too little in return. All but forgotten, the city’s residents out- side the enclaves where the rich walled themselves off faced a daily battle for survival as the city devolved. In 2061, earthquakes brought down some of those enclave walls, and LA went insane—looting and rioting paralyzed the city. The Pueblo Corporate Council, LA’s neighbor to the east, slid in to help LA get a handle on things, and with the gratitude of city officials, annexed LA into PCC territory, where it remains today. Founded a couple of years later by a gaggle of movers-and-shakers and led by trid star Gary Cline, Horizon took steps over the next decade that cemented their prominence in Los Angeles, including rolling out the first wireless grids and (ever-popular with the diaper bag set) Virtual Disney. Then in 2069, simultaneous earthquakes rocked the coast, followed by a major tsunami. Over twenty sinkholes opened up in the ground around LA, and half of Los Angeles was under the ocean. Thousands died. The city has devoted the past decade to recovery and rebuilding. Researchers found a huge network of tunnels beneath LA (and all along the coast) during the reclamation effort. They’ve dubbed it “Deep Lacuna,” and I’ve noticed a steady stream of magical research teams coming through the area. I’m no mage, but the sheer traffic tells me it’s pretty important to them. Horizon’s put a ton of money into the city: Down- town is so sanitized now, you’d never recognize it if you were here in the fifties. You’ll still find the high- and-mighty in their enclaves: Hollywood, UCLA, Studio City, and Fun City—that perma-1950s-white-picket-fences theme park of a neighborhood that creeps me right the hell out. Anyway, the rebuild has made progress, and we’re finally starting to find our new normal.