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SLA Industries: Eastern Terminal Sector

Overview

The Aggrovate turf lies just outside the Downtown perimeter wall in Eastsector Downtown and south of Dire Street, split almost accurately in half by East Main Street. The southern part is a little worse off than the northern one, but neither area is particularly dangerous or seedy - at least, until now. Most inhabitants of the area are either in direct employ of SLA Industries-owned companies and factories and commute to suburbia or the factory area further south daily. The East Terminal in the perimeter wall is one of the main means of entry into Suburbia and connects conveniently to East-3 station of the Suburbia Bullet Train line. Shiver units are very visible here.

East Main Street passes through the terminal, although the actual terminal itself is three stories above it. The lowest level of the street itself can be passed with motor vehicles only, and is used only by SLA employees living in Suburbia, Uptown or Mort Central; people from Downtown wishing to access Suburbia by vehicle must do so at the main terminal which can be accessed by ramps from street level 1, 'ground floor'.

Originally East Main Street ran at street level 1 straight to the east but now less than 200 km to the east Cannibal Sector 4 straddles the collapsed remains of the street, while a makeshift New East Main Street veers off to the south a couple of klicks before the Cannibal Perimeter.

The buildings along East Main Street are all 30 stories high when seen from street level 1 and extend up to six stories downward, though in places more sub-basement floors may still be in use. There are four more street levels at the 3rd, 7th, 12th and 18th floors, each a little narrower and leaving a wider open space between the lanes. Vehicles can travel between street levels by elevators and ramps installed every 5 km along East Main on both sides. Lanes can be switched at U-turns hanging perniciously over open ground halfway between the elevator accesses. Elevator use costs one unit per use, free access cards are also available for 80 units per month. The ramps are free, but cover only one level at a time.

At all street levels the buildings contain shop fronts and factory outlets, with street level 2 (3rd floor) being the main shopping centre of the area. Street level 1 is almost devoid of life and only some illicit shops and brothels catering to well-to-do perverts from the other side of the Perimeter Wall can subsist here; DownTown dwellers usually don't care for their expensive specialties. The shops on street levels 3 and 4 are cheaper, less stylish and less original than those on level 2 but still make good profit from both the local people and those from behind the wall; many night clubs and other attractions can be found at these levels. Street level 5 on the 18th floor is another seedy area where crime is high and illegal goods can be obtained. The red light district is also on this level, confined to the south side.

The actual Aggrovate turf extends for 15 blocks to the east from the Terminal, and for 8 blocks to the north and south. The well-to-do part of East Main Street extends only about 8 blocks to the east and shops become thinner and less inviting after that. The final 5 blocks of East Main are almost devoid of life.

Girders keeping up the monorail for the Cannibal Train extend upwards from the tops of the buildings along East Main. The monorail itself is suspended above East Main, and whenever the Cannibal Train passes a drizzle of rust mingles with the ubiquitous rain and shimmers sparklingly while it falls down betwen the lanes of East Main. The Cannibal Train is, as the name implies, headed for the Cannibal sectors and is used exclusively by Shiver units or operatives on their way to perimeter duty. There are no stops within Downtown. The train starts at the East Terminal from a station perched atop the perimeter wall and serves numerous stops along the cannibal perimeter.

The top three levels of all buildings along East Main are shuttered off and considered off-limits to anyone not Shiver or SLA operative. There is a shoot-on-sight policy here; several attempts to sabotage the Cannibal Train have been recorded, and most have been preempted effectively and with utmost aggression.

Off East Main Street to both sides only street levels 1, 2, and 3 remain, and the height of buildings drops accordingly. There are some blocks with only street levels 1 and 2 or even 1 only.

Interesting Places
The Maelstrom

The Maelstrom is a dance club in the northern part of the Aggrovate turf and just a stone's throw away from their headquarters in an otherwise very dilapidated area where the buildings are no taller than three to five stories. Many buildings are ruins. The Maelstrom itself can be found in the sub-basement; it is located inside a large water reservoir where five sewers from different directions converge, transporting the collected rain water and sewage from a wide area. In the circular hall making up the main room of the Maelstrom the waters are drained down into unknown depths in a fashion giving the club its name.

The Maelstrom itself has three levels to it - entry is at the lowest level from five different access points, each of which is located above one of the sewers. The lowest level has checkrooms and restrooms, a kitchen and six bars surrounding the wide walkway which circles the maelstrom; light fixtures overhead play colourfully on the churning waves of sewage below and there is just a wire fence keeping people from falling over the low railing when the club is crowded. Three dance floors jut out over the maelstrom like balconies. The stink can become unbearable down here, and people becoming unconscious and occasionally trampled to death is a frequent sight.

Stairs lead up to the slightly narrower second level which has four bars and three further dancefloors located above the space between those on the lower level. The dancefloors on this level are connected by walkways enclosed with metal bars on both sides and overhead, spanning the width of the hall and converging at a round platform in the middle of which is a cage with a gogo dancer inside. It is possible to walk past the cage an on to the other dancefloors.

Five more cages are suspended from the ceiling, a bit outside of and higher than the central platform, and accessible by rope ladders which are hauled up by the dancers once they're inside.

There is a third level which can be reached via guarded stairs; the bouncers will only let through special guests with better-than-average looks and attire, and Aggrovate members are always welcome here. The air is better up here near the ventilation shafts, and there are cubicles for privateness. The third level has its own kitchen and serves special meals. It also has its own guarded entry and exit which is on ground level.

The Maelstrom plays popular music at a level to drown out the thunder of the maelstrom below; but the noise of the water is always present.

The Aggrovate headquarters

The Aggrovate headquarters are located in a four storey building just a stone's throw away from the Maelstrom. The first floor of it was a warehouse once; it had access to a street level no longer extant, and street level 1 meets the entrance about halfway up the floor; entry is by a double gate, electronically locked, and there is a ramp behind the door leading down to the warehouse floor. There is also an exit through a vertical trapdoor which leads out underneath street level 1 and to a former street level, now obviously defunct, which is only 1,5m high and capped off by the hexagonal metal grating of street level 1. Still, it can be used to get away and there are further trapdoors leading into sub-basements of other bulidings in the area. The former warehouse itself is now used as a vehicle storage room for the gang's motorcycles. Other large possessions may be placed here, too.

The second floor is a kind of living area with private rooms for the higher-placed gang members and common rooms for spare time activities. There is a pirated TV set installed in one of the rooms. There is also a kitchen, restrooms and other amenities.

The third floor contains a laboratory for the manufacture of drugs, a weapons cache, a well-equipped technical laboratory and other such facilities. The fourth floor is a training range with a gym and a shooting gallery.

All windows have been equipped with bulletproof glass and cannot be opened. Climate control has been installed at the three upper levels; the warehouse itself has a bit of a wetness problem.

There is a barred exit to the roof which can only be opened from within, and the flat roof connects to those of other buildings in the area.

In an otherwise deserted house halfway between the headquarters and the Maelstrom the primary recording studio of Chancel is located. Here the equipment can pick up all signals broadcast in any of the two locations and the surrounding area. The recording studio has been all but sealed off with only a concealed entrance through the roof.

Ashen Rest

Ashen Rest - The Rest is Ashes. This is the motto of a SLA-owned chain of franchise crematories. They pepper the whole area of Mort, from Mort Central to Downtown, and they provide the only legal means of body disposal freely available. In the Aggrovate area the local outlet is located on East Main, Street level 4, 12th floor and extending upwards to the 16th, six blocks from the Terminal on the south side. It's proprietor, a gaunt man called Sherman, is not above disposing of unidentified remains for a bonus. At least here it's not like in those poorer areas one hears about where they don't burn the corpses but sell them to the local butchers.

Ashen Rest is under constant surveillance by Chancel, and their offices and workrooms are bugged; so far no immediate action was needed, but the last thing Chancel can use is having the nosey Sherman or his employees discover the extra biotech in the brains of deceased Aggrovates or Bluejacks. Doc Morose knows to remove the biochip if a dead one lands on his table, but in many cases the detour to Doc's clinic will be spared. In the event that an intact head with a biochip inside will be delivered, Cayne's forces will employ whatever means necessary to stop its discovery.

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