Pocket city - the short story of Layering

Under the Royal Family level, there are four headquarters and twelve quarters, as the number increases their importance decreases. The first headquarter is called general headquarter. It is the best place to live. Importance of headquarters and quarters define the level of happiness to all inhabitants of Layering.

Levels are connected by elevators. Elevators are situated in the Elevator’s Hallway. By entering the Hallway, your status will be recognized. To upgrade, a certain amount of resources is needed. To travel, allowance and ticket are required.

Behave well, upgrade quickly!

University of Strathclyde Glasgow

AB421 Pocket City Reg No.201714968

LAYERINGS

by Klara Skodova

***

‘Under the Royal Family level, there are four headquarters and twelve quarters, as the number increases their importance decreases. The first headquarter is called general headquarter. It is the best place to live.’ This was written on the first and the last page of every Layering handbook.

“Importance of headquarters and quarters define the level of happiness to all inhabitants of Layering.” Margot finishes the paragraph without looking and shut the book. “Bullshit,” whispered to herself. “Who and how can define happiness?” She felt happy, or at least, she considers herself happy.

The book was describing the beauty of headquarters. She loved to read about it, to get lost in the descriptive world and forgot about reality.

She always imagined herself walking in the wide streets on the top levels while wearing an impressive dress. She dreamed about meeting famous people of headquarters and about spending the incredible amount of resources in the same way as the inhabitants of top layers did. The lack of illustrations in the books allowed her to dream about it, the descriptions were unbelievable, supposedly precise and easy to follow. Her favourite part focused on the parliament buildings at the royal family level.

Those buildings were built upper then anyone 7

could imagine and covered with eyes which were looking at all directions. While they wink, it was possible to hear whist of their eyelashes. During the night their iris sparkled, on sun it had rainbow reflections. *** Living in higher quarters meant a lot to many people. There was reasonable easier access to basic needs such as the possibility to buy or exchange stuff, pick from various options or make a request.

Also, the possibility of higher education was a tempting option. It offered wider possibilities to earn sources through specializations to upgrade faster. Studying on prestige institution also added bonuses to behaviours. On the other side, there was higher centralisation of power and a bigger impact of supervisors. Everything was strictly regulated by many rules.

It was possible to move upper and upper in the quarters unless a breach of conducts. Even the tiniest rule could push you lower and banned you in progress, temporarily or forever based on the severity of the breach.

There was also a possibility to move lower, but not so many peoples have done that. Actually, 8

nobody has heard about someone downgrading voluntarily either permanently. If there was a chance, downgraders were always coming back. *** Margot wished to attend the extraordinary events and glorification of happiness, which were illustrated on the walls of Elevator’s Hallway; the colourful halls with luxury lighting at the hill of fame. She imagines herself being driven there in one of the silver editions of private cable cars, walking on fluffy carpets, sitting behind the table, drinking luxury vine and eating delicious food while listening to famous music. “Margot, the pearl of the 6th quarter,� she laughed. The idea was foolish. She felt suspicious about all those descriptions, especially with the passages about gaining happiness. Sometimes she felt it as a part of a social game and her imaginations just increase her feelings. *** Lilith, a young intern from second headquarter, was interrupted by a tall strong guy in his thirties called Tyrant during one of the proclaimed parties organized by a 6th quarter Cheap hostel on the 9

corner of a Side Street. The party was more about drinking than dancing, but Tyrant didn’t let her go without a hot dance performance on the shabby dance floor. She loved dancing, but this was too much. The happiness in her eyes was very obvious when sweaty Tyrant finally walked her towards the smelly toilets. She didn’t need to go, but she needed to get there. The knowledge of the loose grille at the window was now very useful. She never thought to use this cheap trick before. *** “Tyrant loves dancing girls. Especially when they are sexy.” Margot drowsily replied to Lilith’s complaints about that night. “There is nothing to worry about. He just loves to look at us.” *** Lilith didn’t belong to the 6th quarter. It was really obvious; she grew up sheltered by her family in the 2nd headquarter. Sometimes she just couldn’t understand the chastity of living in a lower class. How could she? She never experienced the social difference before. The poor ordinary life didn‘t exist in headquarters and now, she was forced to understand it. Luckily for her, she had 10

enough resources to deal with the discomfort. She could always buy the ticket and level up for a while the buy what she needed. She usually popped up for some pharmaceuticals and fresh exotic fruits or some spices for Margot’s cuisine.

She was lucky and unlucky at one. She was chosen to gain new experiences in lower levels, but she gets the worst option from all the offers. Little nightmare for all her classmates. They used to make jokes about hunger and misery “down there”, they called it. If you considered there were only twelve quarters in total, her situation wasn’t that bad, she was still in the better half. *** Margot lived on the outer side of the 6th quarter. Her house was the last one on Friendless Street surrounded by Nothingness. She hated living there.

In former times it used to be a very expensive place with fancy villas in the neighbourhood, shops and rich nightlife. Not anymore. Half of the neighbour‘s houses were empty now. Everyone was heading toward the better quarters.

Margot thought to sell the place as all her enriched neighbours had done, but it was her 11

precious family house and she wasn‘t prepared to leave it behind. She wasn’t prepared to change her level, at least not yet. She loved the sunny garden where she had played as a child and her house always seemed to her more rustic than the others, she felt as if it didn’t belong to the quarters. It had to be built by someone else than the 6th quarter constructors. The houses of 6th quarter were very geometrical, massive and heavy with squared windows, unified facades and flat roofs. Her house had a gabled roof, several kinds of rectangular windows and next to the heavy structures of neighbourhood villas felt light and healthy.

She often wished to move to the mysterious place called countryside, if possible, with entire house and the lovely garden, her peaceful garden full of birds.

It was prohibited to talk about the countryside.

There was no description in any handbook she has ever read. Once she was told there were only a few paintings somewhere at black markets which illustrated the beauty of the wild nature. She wasn’t sure if it was a real place or just someone‘s fantasy, but what she had heard about it impressed her a lot. “Does a place without houses really exists, or is the entire surface covered by the city?” she 12

asked herself frequently. The place was described as an infinite garden full of trees and flowers. There was a wind playing with the straws and birds were flying around. It was possible to see several kinds of animals enjoying its freedom. There were no houses around and a no people, it wasn’t surrounded by Nothingness. It was a pure endless beauty. *** Later that month a grandiose ball was held in the Peculiar building close to the end of a Friendless Street. The melancholy voice of a singer was lost in the crowd of cheering people at the entrance.

“An intellectual person wouldn‘t join this juvenile crowd gorging deep-fried dishes from a mediocre restaurant.” Thought a blunt looking elderly man with trembling hands and ragged clothes. He was wandering around the crazy place until his faint steps reached the blazing container by the moonlit dead end. Only he could hear a weeping woman from a nearby house. The Tyrant was there. *** Margot was asked to go out and have some fun quite often, but she didn‘t like the self-conceited people around her. She felt above them and this 13

could become even worse in upper levels. She was actually playing with thought to downgrade or at least try to go for a trip to a lower level. On the other side, there was Lilith staying with her, after ‘the hostel incident’, so she had someone to chat with from the top level and compare the life down there with her.

Margot never wanted to play the class game, she didn’t need to feel better, even while she felt alone, time-to-time. Almost everyone from her friends already upgraded. Also, she could move with her parents ten years ago, but she refused. She was just fifteen when she decided to get separated from her family. It was quite normal at that age, but even that, they called her childish and irresponsible. She didn’t care, there was no why.

As a kid, she already developed her own way how to deal with daily problems of living in low class. She didn’t need any help when her parents moved. Whenever she compares herself to Lilith, she felt free. She knew how to care for herself, she was able to get a good job, she knew how to cook food available on the market, and she knew how to pick friends. She was able to drink and don’t get wasted. She felt adult and free in her choices.

Lilith was more into night parties, irresponsible, 14

spending resources quickly and ignoring all safety regulations. She was randomly talking to strangers or letting them buy a drink(s)?! It couldn’t be worst. She was always busy with her futility and surprisingly naive, but she, Margot, had much more time to focus on herself, her ability. *** Lilith was working almost every morning at the rehabilitation centre in customers’ service head office. She was treated as the lowest person in the office, even though she came from 2nd headquarter, she was in charge of flower watering, coffee making, kitchen cleaning, welcoming customers, thankless problems solving, event organizing and post sorting. All of these at once.

She couldn’t decide which part was the worst. She didn‘t like to be treated in this way.

She received a better education than all the workers. She could easily become a head officer at the department office on this level. Happily, the internship was just a few weeks long.

To keep in a good mood, she went to several parties every day. She was bored by the foolish local people. She got drunk quickly to keep on their level. Luckily for her, the headquarters were 15

heavily supplied by anti-hangover pills, which were unavailable in quarters. It was illegal to sell them on lower levels. Selling them meant immediate downgrading to the current quarter. Even though, there were several illegal markets running on every level. She was also questioned several times about those pills. It was highly valued ware on the 6th level, so she kept the ownership in deep secret. *** Margot’s family now live in the 3rd quarter.

They are too busy with life to visit her. From timeto-time, she receives tidings, usually for birthday.

Lilith bought her two gold tickets to an occasional ball in the Peculiar building in front of her place. She had high expectations of the event itself. She still believed there is a chance of a luxury event in the 6th quarter and she will be able to meet some sophisticated people. *** The elderly man loitering around the Peculiar building wasn’t old, either blunt. He was Agent following Tyrant across his downgrading journey through the levels. He was only twenty when he started this never-ending job of Secret Department.

16

When he and Tyrant met for the first time, Tyrant was a member of the general headquarter guard, however, now, he was nothing more than a weirdo and freak in eyes of headquarters. He was the beast looking for easy sex with drunk girls.

Whenever he had success and injured the girl, he was expelled.

To stay unspotted, Agent used to change his look every few weeks until now. He was an old homeless man with an obsession for Nothingness for nearly half a year. It was the perfect disguise for him without any need for changes since they enter 6th quarter. Tyrant would never look at low-class men closely.

Friendless Street was full of squatters and weirdos obsessed with entering Nothingness and popping out several minutes later without a clear understanding what was happening to their body while they become part of Nothingness. Majority of witnesses explained the process as drowning in happiness, on the other side, sometimes people never popped up again. Nothing leads to nothing, one of the rules says and of course, all the process of experimenting with Nothingness was considered as a bad behaviour, not worth to try. *** 17

When people start upgrading through quarters and headquarters they are unable to stop. The curiosity and challenge of living in the upper layer lead them forward until they fail. Then they live under pressure and discipline in awareness of any other fails. In many cases, they drink to get good sleep. Then the behaviour pushes them down. Even lower then they have been.

The unwilling way down is difficult. Especially when they start downgrading from the general headquarter. With no experience about life on such a low level, they suffer. Nevertheless, Tyrant took the other way around and made his descent pleasant. The lower he got, the less effort needed to achieve things he wanted. *** Agent tried to keep a stolid mind, but there was something calling his attention. The innermost part of his heart called aggravatingly toward expressionless shadows in the garden next to the house. Then he covered the flames with a monocumutable blanket and followed his instructions. *** 18

Lilith was shocked. Right after arrival, the usher couldn‘t find her and Margot’s name on the guest list. Even with the gold tickets, they had to wait an entire half an hour to be seated. Lilith was mad, they missed the starters and entire attendants were already drunk.

“Shouldn’t you tell me to pre-drink? It is embarrassing to be drunk on fancy events before midnight, unacceptable before 8 pm.”

“It is always like that here.”

Margot’s answer pissed her off. Why did she believe in a better world in the sixth quarter? She shouldn’t bother with buying a fashionable dress or to wear high heels either. She felt so disappointed.

It was Margot birthday gift and she wants it to be perfect.

Lilith changed her eleven centimetres tall heels back to boots and helped herself to some drinks on the bar. “Incredible,” Lilith whispered to herself and tried to get back to the table with Margot’s cocktail and two more bottles of cheap wine grasped under her arms.

The only positive thing on the ball was a 3rd quarter band, the singer had colourful alt, perfect fit with all the instruments. Sadly, she could barely hear her. The acoustic of the hall was dreadful, 19

drunk guests screaming over each other and chaotically jumping on the dance floor definitely degraded the event, at least in her mind. *** Margot wasn’t at the table. She promised her to stay there until she got back. “Where the hell is she?!” Lilith dropped the bottles on the table and decided to take a look around the Peculiar building.

It was newish modern building with old fashion decor, heavy carpets and low ceilings.

Even the main hall wasn‘t how she expected. There was no balcony or luxury chandelier, as she knew from 2nd headquarter, just small lights creating a tired atmosphere. A labyrinth of corridors and stairs wasn‘t helpful in this situation. Somehow she managed to look around the entire building, backyard, foyer and street in front of the entrance.

Margot wasn‘t there. *** Hidden in the garden’s shadows he was able to see through a rustic window to the living room of an ancient house. “The house doesn’t belong to this level. It had to be built by newcomers an entire age ago. It was probably built to be alone on the edge 20

of the quarter, possibly surrounded by little fields,� though. He travelled a lot while following Tyrant, but he never saw such scenery in real life, all he had to refer from were paintings of the countryside he saw while tailing Tyrant through the black markets. *** Margot never considered Nothingness interesting enough to focus on it. Maybe because she grows up right next to it, maybe because it felt like the nothing, dense air barrier with a slight reflection of the nearby surfaces with unlovable energy.

What attracts her the most about it was the secret of its existence. If there is a beginning of nothing, is there an end? What is behind? *** The life journey of secret agents was particularly unpleasant. As a member of general headquarters they could live in heaven in comparison with this, but they were responsible for his life and he picked the life of a secret in royal service.

Agent was one of them. He was following Tyrant down through the headquarters, he had the greatest possibility to compare the nuances between 21

them, but while dropping through quarters, he felt shocked and saddened by the quality of lives of people living on low levels. Many people faced dire living conditions on a daily basis. *** Margot was surprised to see him there. Tyrant was smiling and holding two glasses of champagne with strawberries on the bottom of the crystal glasses. She was so happy to see him. They met only once before, but they had a nice time together - she liked the way he looked at her while dancing.

She loved his high fashion clothing and his cruel laugh. He must have come from upper levels.

She heard a lot about him. It was usually loving stories set up for listeners. It was obviously lies. He couldn‘t do anything like that.

Margot quickly finished the glass of champagne and stood up to dance. Her eyelids were heavy and she couldn’t walk smoothly.

“What was in that glass?” She asked Tyrant with slurred speech. *** Agent was sleeping mainly on streets or in cheap hostels across quarters dressed as the very 22

last person from the current quarter. He got to feel what poorness and low class means to other people.

The process of upgrade to the upper level was a challenge through a generation for a majority of them. Since he started living on the streets (around the 3rd quarter) he understood it very well.

He accepted his work as a life journey, he always felt above all the things happening around him. It makes it easier to deal with the misery. He was curious if the journey with Tyrant would take him through the entire system one day. He was curious about the prison, he hoped he will be able to take Tyrant there one day to see, what scares the people the most. *** “She may just go home.” thought Lilith. It may be worth just to take a look there before she will be looking for Margot at the ball again. “It is just across the road,” utter a sight and cross the street.

Margot was kneeling on the floor crying in the middle of the living room. She even didn’t look up when Lilith opened the door and asked breathlessly “What’s happened?” *** 23

The agent was muzzily watching paintings of the hill of fame on the walls while waiting for a lift to general headquarter. There were some unrealistic paintings of headquarters’ events. He didn‘t really focus on them. His mind still resonates by the two sharp shots and whenever he blinked he saw the blood trickling down over the rustic window. The paintings were just a propaganda.

He felt horrified. Mainly because he lost his chance to learn about life in lower quarters.

Secondly because of the loss of two young lives.

Without Tyrant, there was a miserable chance to get on the prison level, without him he couldn’t find out more about the countryside. Without him he just couldn’t imagine his existence in the general quarter. There was nothing he could do to change the situation He have to face the new life, the new beginning. ***

24

Death leads to death.

Under the Royal Family level, there are four headquarters and twelve quarters, as the number increases their importance decreases. The first headquarter is called general headquarter. It is the best place to live. Importance of headquarters and quarters define the level of happiness to all inhabitants of Layering.

Levels are connected by elevators. Elevators are situated in the Elevator’s Hallway. By entering the Hallway, your status will be recognized. To upgrade, a certain amount of resources is needed. To travel, allowance and ticket are required.

Behave well, upgrade quickly!