Rebel
Chapter 7: Ross City: Eden 4
by Lu, MarieThe chapter opens with Eden reflecting on their fascination with drone racing, sparked by their first experience watching the vibrant streaks of drones in the Undercity. The setting is vividly described—a gritty, neon-lit world beneath the polished Sky Floors of Ross City, where the Level system breaks down, and crime thrives. Eden navigates this dangerous area with a hacked identity, masking their true Level 54 status as “Eli Whitman, Level 5,” to avoid detection. The tension is palpable as they move through crowds of criminals, feeling out of place and vulnerable, yet determined to reach the drone race.
Eden’s journey through the Undercity highlights the stark inequalities of Ross City’s society. The area is a haven for those who hack the Level system to access basic necessities like transportation or medicine, often at exorbitant costs. Disappearances go unnoticed, and violence is unchecked, painting a bleak picture of life for the desperate. Eden’s unease grows as they pass tents housing people with “flattened Levels,” their stares making Eden acutely aware of their outsider status. The chapter underscores the risks Eden takes to participate in the race, driven by a mix of curiosity and defiance.
Upon arriving at the race venue, Eden finds a hidden, chaotic world beneath the city—a neon-drenched plaza packed with spectators and racers. The atmosphere is electric, with crowds betting and preparing for the semifinals. Eden’s false name appears on the virtual roster, but their inexperience becomes apparent when they’re asked for a patron to vouch for their financial responsibility. Confused and unprepared, Eden is nearly turned away until their friend Pressa arrives, hinting at a deeper connection to this underground world. The scene captures the thrill and danger of the drone racing subculture.
The chapter culminates in Eden’s realization of the complexities and unspoken rules of the Undercity’s drone racing scene. Their initial excitement is tempered by the harsh realities of participation, including the need for a patron and the scrutiny of seasoned racers. Pressa’s timely appearance suggests she may hold the key to Eden’s acceptance in this world. The countdown to the race heightens the suspense, leaving Eden—and the reader—eager to see whether they’ll overcome these hurdles and compete. The chapter masterfully blends world-building with personal stakes, setting the stage for further exploration of Eden’s journey.
FAQs
1. How does the Level system function in Ross City’s Undercity, and why does Eden need to hack it?
Answer:
The Level system in Ross City is a digital hierarchy that displays citizens’ statuses and privileges, with higher Levels granting better access to services. In the Undercity, however, the system breaks down as many residents hack their accounts to manipulate their Levels. Eden hacks his Level (changing from “EDEN BATAAR WING, LEVEL 54” to “ELI WHITMAN, LEVEL 5”) to blend in and avoid detection, as the Undercity is a dangerous area where violence and crime often go unmonitored. His brother’s government connections give him insider knowledge to bypass the system temporarily.2. What role does the “patron” system play in the drone racing underworld, and how does it create a barrier for Eden?
Answer:
In the drone racing scene, a patron acts as a financial guarantor, ensuring racers can cover damages caused during events. This system prevents unprepared participants from joining, as races involve high stakes and potential property loss. Eden is unaware of this requirement until registration, where the official refuses his entry despite his roster spot. This highlights the hidden rules of the Undercity’s subcultures and Eden’s outsider status—his lack of connections and knowledge nearly disqualifies him until Pressa intervenes.3. Analyze how the author uses sensory details to establish the atmosphere of the Undercity. Provide specific examples.
Answer:
The author immerses readers in the Undercity’s gritty, high-stakes environment through vivid sensory descriptions. Visual details like “neon-red bulbs,” “crimson fog,” and “flickering yellow signs” create a chaotic, neon-lit aesthetic. Auditory cues such as “pounding music” and “roar of voices” emphasize the crowded, frenetic energy. Olfactory imagery—like the “smell of sewage” in the hidden elevator—reinforces the area’s decay. These elements collectively paint the Undercity as a lawless, overwhelming space where danger and excitement coexist.4. Why might Eden’s demeanor make him a target in the Undercity, despite his efforts to disguise himself?
Answer:
Eden’s nervous body language—hunched shoulders, fidgeting with glasses, and hesitant movements—signals his unfamiliarity with the Undercity’s norms. Locals likely recognize his tension as a mark of vulnerability, making him a potential victim for theft or scams. His awareness of “not belonging” becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, drawing unwanted attention. This contrasts with Pressa, who navigates the area confidently, underscoring Eden’s inexperience and the Undercity’s emphasis on survival instincts.5. How does the drone racing event reflect the broader societal inequalities in Ross City?
Answer:
The race exemplifies Ross City’s divide between the privileged Sky Floors and the marginalized Undercity. While the Sky Floors enjoy virtual murals and regulated systems, the Undercity’s races operate in abandoned, hazardous spaces with no official oversight. The patron system mirrors real-world barriers where wealth determines access. Additionally, the event’s illegal nature—hacked Levels, unregulated gambling—highlights how the Undercity’s residents must circumvent the very system that excludes them, reinforcing cycles of inequality.
Quotes
1. “Where the Sky Floors of Ross City are awash in virtual murals, the scenes down here have the grit of reality.”
This quote contrasts the polished, artificial upper levels of Ross City with the raw, unfiltered reality of the Undercity, establishing the chapter’s central theme of societal stratification and hidden truths.
2. “The Level system starts to break down here, where the majority of people have hacked accounts. Numbers and names don’t float over most heads. And when violence and murder break out, there are no points deducted, no alarms sent digitally to the police.”
This reveals the dark underbelly of Ross City’s social credit system, showing how the Undercity operates outside official surveillance and control, with dangerous consequences for its inhabitants.
3. “If you can’t pay that price back after your Level goes back down to normal … well, a lot of desperate people go missing all the time, their disappearances uninvestigated by an uninterested country.”
This chilling observation highlights the human cost of the Level system and the government’s indifference to those trapped in poverty, foreshadowing potential dangers for the protagonist.
4. “Something about my demeanor—the hunch of my shoulders, or the way I push my glasses up, or maybe just the fact that I know I don’t belong here—makes me stand out.”
This moment of self-awareness shows Eden’s vulnerability as an outsider in the Undercity, creating tension and setting up his precarious position in the drone racing world.
5. “No patron, no race. I don’t care where your name is.”
This blunt rejection reveals the hidden rules and power structures of the underground drone racing scene, presenting a major obstacle for Eden and introducing the concept of financial gatekeeping in this subculture.