The air hung thick, a soup of recycled breath and the damp rot of the fungi farms that clung to the curved wall. The glow of the cultivated spores cast long, flickering shadows, a perpetual twilight that pressed down on everything. At the deepest levels fish persisted in water, carefully farmed. Plants were grown under special lights. Generations had been born and died in the Shafts, a warren of holes clawed into the earth after the Sundering. The world above was a ghost story, a tale told to keep children in line – a place of light and open air, lost forever.
The Echo Network, a crackling whisper across the rock, was all that held the Shafts together. Each one, a world of its own, built from scrap and desperation. Different customs, different ways of doing things, all born from the same fear. Fear of the outside, fear of the Sundering, fear of what lurked in the rock between them. No tunnels, no paths. Just the whispers.
The Sundering had taken everything. The sky, the sun, the memory of what it meant to walk under them. All that remained was the rubble feed. A grainy, flickering image of broken concrete and twisted metal, the only view of what was left of the world above. It played on a screen in the upper levels, a constant reminder of what they had lost.
Now, in Shaft 7, something had shifted. The hatch at the top, the one sealed tight since the Sundering, had groaned open. Rust flaked off the heavy metal as it moved, the sound echoing down the levels like a death knell. A spiral walkway, swallowed by the darkness above, was all they could see. No light, no sound. Just the open hatch and the promise of what lay beyond. Was it the salvation the preachers whispered about? Or just another layer of rock, another crushing silence? The air grew heavy, the silence in the shaft was palpable. No one moved, no one spoke. The only thing certain was a vast uncertainty.
Article 1: The Pact: The following articles constitute the sacred Pact by which all citizens of the Shaft shall abide, ensuring the continued survival and prosperity of our community. Disregard for the Pact is a grave offense against the Shaft and its inhabitants.
Article 2: Citizenship: Citizenship within the Shaft is granted by birth within its walls. All citizens are bound by the articles of this Pact from the moment of their birth.
Article 3: Collective Contribution: All citizens must contribute to the collective survival of the Shaft to the best of their ability throughout their lives, appropriate to their age and skill, as laid out within the Pact, be their work that of the highest citizen or the deepest.
Article 4: Legislative Authority: All legislative powers shall be vested in the Office of the Governor and its subsidiary departments. No fewer than two candidates for Governor of the Shaft shall be proposed, with one elected every five years by the process detailed in the Code, who shall serve with the dedication and devotion to duty that this most sacred office demands.
Article 5: The Syndrome: No person afflicted with The Syndrome may hold a public office of any kind or undertake any responsible work within the Shaft that may jeopardize the Citizens of the Shaft. Those so affected must report their status promptly upon discovery and immediately resign any aforementioned office.
Article 6: Staircase Integrity: Mechanization of the Stair is strictly forbidden to protect the imperative safety and security of all citizens and to maintain the physical conditioning required for life within the Shaft.
Article 7: Obstruction of Office: Deliberate causation of any obstruction, event, or hindrance of any citizen in the process of discharging public office of the Shaft is a most serious offense.
Article 8: System Integrity: Interference with any aspect of the Circulatory, Energy, or Recycling systems of the Shaft is punishable swiftly and severely without trial, by the Officers of Judicial at the implicit command of the Mayor. Representations may be made after the fact by the offender's family, but any subsequent action will not affect the initial term imposed.
Article 9: Emergency Protocols: Emergency power will be provided in accordance with Pact protocol as laid out in the green list, Section 5. All citizens must ensure they maintain a thorough and updating knowledge of emergency protocols and designated shelter locations.
Article 10: Personal Health: All citizens are personally responsible for noting and maintaining their health by making regular use of the recreational facilities and by attending mandatory health screenings to which they are invited.
Article 11: Birth Control: All parents of female children must ensure implantation upon achievement of their eleventh year, to maintain the population balance within the Shaft. Birth licenses must be applied for.
Article 12: Generator Level Restriction: The Generator level is absolutely forbidden to all citizens other than those directly responsible for maintainance for the good of All.
Article 13: Resource Allocation: The distribution of resources within the Shaft shall be determined by the Governor’s Office based on the needs of the community and the principles of fairness and sustainability.
Article 14: Communication Protocols: All use of the Echo Network shall be strictly controlled by the IT department. Unauthorized attempts to communicate externally are punishable by exile to the lowest levels.
Article 15: Dispute Resolution: Disputes between citizens shall be resolved through mediation by designated officials. If mediation fails, the matter shall be brought before the Judicial Officers for final judgment.
