Callisto 6; issue 1 preview.

Issue #1: Preview.

Issue #1

In many ways, it looks just like some of us always imagined, a sterling silver cityscape with great platinum towers stretching like fingers of polish metal, like a giant titan, whose hand is reaching out for the blue California Sky. Vehicles dot the skyline, soaring at altitude in the light of dawn, resembling angry red streak of morse code that seems to scroll through the orphaned fog of night; in other ways, it looks wrong. 

Beyond the inner ring of the futuristic city, outside the boundaries of the corporation's inner sphere, Los Angeles is a sprawling, pitiless amalgam of 22nd century aesthetic, mixed with the brutalized city that existed before C-day, the shorthand reference for the day that Los Angeles died 40 years ago. Nine million people call this place home now, Los Angeles is a grand metropolis, the most advanced city the world has ever seen, but under the skin is a civilization living on mute. 

In many ways, it looks just like some of us always imagined, people in a frenzy of consumption, connecting at all times, connected at all times to the new digital dimensions that link humankind to worlds of data and fiction, never unplugging, never living, always connecting, always disconnected, always, always consuming. 

The survivors of C-day push on, living in a city that pays them respect, but never a living wage. The devastation and the flooding that had done more than alter the map, it's altered the culture of the city. In the old days, one would have to walk out onto the Santa Monica pair for a good look at the ocean sunset. Today, the tide laps against the beaches found as far inland as what was once known as Century City, Santa Monica, long beach, Marina del Rey, once thriving centers of life and culture, now all rest under the calm waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Here you'll find Raft City, an incredible network of boats, ships, decommissioned cruise liners, oil tankers, cargo ships, rafts, and pairs, home to 100,000 people who've created their own city from what was once a nightmare of desperation, a last resort haven from the cataclysm that swept away millions, and tore the Southern California Coastline away from the continent.

Below the surface, it's water remains the sunken city of old Los Angeles, now the largest artificial coral reef the world has ever seen, a colorful, vibrant Carnival grown over the remains of countless souls. Sometimes, if you look out to the horizon, you might catch a glimpse of a broken building, peeking out of the water's swirling white caps, like a skeleton peeking out of the grave. This is Los Angeles 2119, in many ways, it looks like nothing like any of us ever imagined it would.

Our story starts with a very very early sunrise in Raft City, where a very anxious, young genius and a technical mad person is waking up. Lacy, was waking up to the gentle swaying of Lacy's houseboat, the creaking sounds that are given off as you hear the ropes, lines, woods, and pieces of metal kind of being lapped against by the restless Pacific Ocean. Lacy hears movement from decks above and below, Lacy's family has begun to stir about, Lacy had mostly had no sleep naps sure but an hour sleep Lacy did not have.

The moment Lacy wakes up her chair activates and Lacy knows that not too long just outside of the windows of Lacy's room, Lacy can see off in the distance, still the city lights, the sun hasn't come up yet, but it is soon, Lacy can smell it. Lacy knows that she is meeting Luma soon and also knows Luma is meeting Lacy with an avalanche of platitudes that might make Lacy feel better about today.

Lacy double-checks the little trunk that she is bringing will remotely follow her, and the trunks false bottom is secure but also has Lacy's portfolio beneath the false bottom with a device that she discovered. This trunk is secured.

Moving up to the top of the boat area, and the elevator takes Lacy up, Lacy slide up onto the deck, as she reached the top of the deck of her houseboat, Lacy sees the sprawl of Raft City all around Lacy, this huge network of boats that are tied up, hundreds of thousands of people living out on the water like this, stretched out away from the LA Coastline.

Raft City used to be a refuge for people who had no homes left when LA was in a moment of desperation, and the Humanitarian crisis had reached its peak, and now this place stands as a symbol of the resiliency of those who refused to walk away from their homes.

And as Lacy looks up around the City itself, Lacy can see the great spires of downtown LA off in the distance, reflecting starlight underneath the sky as the dawn approaches. But more importantly, all around Lacy, these piers, and the boats, and Lacy can hear people shouting out, 'Good morning!' and the community of Raft City is waking up.

As Lacy is moving about, Lacy actually see one of her fathers, Ruben, is up on top of the deck, and has already started lashing some ropes to the sides of the deck, getting ready to go on his dive? And Ruben just looks up at Lacy and goes, "Hey, morning."

"Hi, daddy, are you diving?" Lacy asked.

"Recreational, not doing anything dangerous, don't worry," Ruben said.

"Oh, okay," Lacy says.

"I'm trying to…" Ruben says as he circled his arms around.

"Yeah, daddy?" Lacy questioned.

"Your Papa said something last night that kind of got under my skin," Ruben said.

"Oh, like a thing that's like a dad's thing, or a thing that's like a thing that I hear thing?" Lacy asked.

"Its uh… don't tell him I asked you this, could you be honest with me?" Rubin asked.

"But not tell him?" Lacy questioned.

"Yeah." Ruben agreed.

"Okay?" Lacy questioned.

"Sweetie…, do I look like I'm putting on weight?" Ruben questioned.

"Compared to when?" Lacy asked.

"I'm gonna go swimming." Ruben replied quickly as Lacy see Ruben pull up a few rebreathers pods, and Ruben sets them down, and he's like, "Just a mile a day, and I'll be great. I won't go far; it's a mild day." then it dawns on him, "Oh, my God, today's, today's the Expo!"

"Yeah," Lacy said.

"Do you have a ride?" Ruben asked.

"I'm going with Luma," Lacy said.

"Do you want me to take you, what can I do?" Ruben asked.

"Um, " Lacy said.

"Do you want me to take you, 'cause I can take you. I can drive you and Luma there." Ruben said.

"Okay, yeah, okay, yeah," Lacy said.

"Okay yeah, okay," Ruben said.

"Is it okay?" Lacy asked.

"Yeah, I can do this later," Ruben said.

(End of preview)