For Rent

Chapter 8: Densification, Come Hell or High Water

Karine seems a little confused by what she was told the other day about the Senate in Pandemonium. Never did the game mention much about Pandemonian society, other than seven princes, of which two were killed by the players before the game's closure, ruling over Hell from Pandemonium. I guess unreleased content might have shed some light on that, she appears to be in an urge to ask additional questions about the Senate, its makeup and where it fits in Taladu's political landscape.

"You once mentioned that the HCP was a bill. How does legislation pass, and where does the Senate fit in the process?" Karine asks.

"Given that the Senate rarely gets along with the judiciary, and judicial review takes place after the first reading passes, but before the second reading, it can make political life hell. However, a bill becomes law after passing the second reading, sometimes with amendments. It's a miracle the HCP could even pass through the Senate at all!" Billerica answers her.

"Political life being hell is nothing new under the sun to me. Now, I wonder if you recognize any of these names..."

"No thanks, Karine, the next project takes place in the outskirts of a fortress city in the mountains" her boss gives her the starting point of the next project.

"Sometimes I feel like the HCP is also about developing regions"

I really wonder what this location has to offer its residents, Karine sighs, while having missed an opportunity to ask a question that could have ascertained whether Taladu was the native name for MAA's world, or a region thereof. I was so busy working to get my boss' debts repaid, and from there, pay my way back home, that I forgot to learn about the world's geography and history.

But then she tries to picture what kind of demons would even want to get an apartment block-sized homeless refuge built. And yet, she knows that demons vary greatly in how they deal with the damned.

As for the fortress city, its mountainous site makes her feel like each street of the area she is to build the new neighborhood is at different elevations. Much like a canyon. Every home will be longer to build because of excavation into the mountain walls, and I'd rather build these homes on the upper levels.

"Looks like the fortress city's authorities are facing a rapid influx of what they called... damned?" Yenaleda comments upon reading the fine print of what the requirements are for the neighborhood. "I wonder how you feel about the movie last night..."

"Not very good. It seems like it's an excuse to show us what makes these little green men serial rapists; you can make good horror movies without having to resort to gratuitous rape!" Karine lets Yenaleda in on her taste in horror movies.

"That, a horror movie? If you call this movie a horror movie, then you may as well call dark romance a subgenre of horror!" Yenaleda screams at Karine about the movie she understood nothing of its dialogue. "I guess Billerica loves his dark romance and horror movies"

"Weather forecast for today, at our new construction site: heavy rains" Billerica warns the two. "Flooding warnings have been issued!"

"I really hope the HCP homes can withstand such heavy rains, as do the bots" Karine sighs, wondering if she should start building the first quadruplex while the storm is brewing in the canyon. "Do molecular 3D printing make it possible to do all-weather construction?"

Then come the other requirements: a business center, for which Yenaleda is busy finding tenants among the so-called "damned", a fire station and a police station. Other than that, Karine et al have free reign to build the neighborhood however they see fit. Provided there even is a plot available.

However, panicked homeowners in that city decide to sell their homes amid the flood warning, but, as tempting as it might have been to some, Karine wonders if any of these fire sales would be worth anything to her. Ouch. I don't think it's a good idea to build on the lowest level since floods can cause costly damage. However, this limits the number of lots I can draw from.