The air is thick and hot holding to the skin like an infection. The clang of hammers ring out, the smell of burning leather and welding fumes… A man named Screw beats on a piece of metal with a hammer, slowly molding it into shape. With each hit, metal shavings bounce onto the dirty concrete floor. He barely ever goes anywhere neither does anyone else that works here. He is always stuck in this place working and working until rations arrive then work comes again.. The only time Screw stops is when he has to sleep. That is paradise.. Most of his friend, including him, have muscle built from the hardship of their work. Most were trained, but Screw grew up in this hell hole. It's improved but the long hours of work never change.

"So screw...we are going to celebrate Victor's promotion into the ranks later are you going to come?" A woman says she also is beating on metal it seems it is a long table … an assembly line….

-Screw Coughs.. the thick air stuck in his throat is finally pushed out. He licks his lips. As dry and cracked as they were it was painful-. he looks at the woman. Her name is Kelly. she has a few missing fingers and her hair is knotted from sleep….

"Is it near sleep time? Like how Gary's was?"

Kelly takes a moment to think… She beats another piece of metal and passes it to the next person.."No.. it's right after break time don't worry they wouldn't put it at night that's when the soldiers go out to the box"

"Alright i will come it gets us out of work for a little bit and that is good… I think it's good i guess"

They beat on the metal pieces that are passed to them some are shoulder cuffs others are random parts each person in this place is taught what is what and how you should work it some parts come in right off the molding process and a conveyer belt brings it along the line.

A couple hours later-

A buzzer sounds and a red strobe light blinks on a wall. A metal door opens and every worker sets their tools down and walks for the door…. Screw looks up at the Raiders on the scaffolding with guns in hand. They have a special door to walkways throughout the City. To watch,

Listen ,and inforce. Screw soon finds himself walking alongside Kelly.

He kinda shrugged it off.. They walked through the doorway they were the last through the metal door and just as his foot crossed the metal door started to close.. The Door screeched closed and the hisses of the claps are the last thing they hear from it. until they have to return….

They walk down this dimly lit hallway… Dust and dirt are kicked around at their feet as they walk it.. the air is a bit cooler in the hallway. They start to see light and it's not from a bulb it's the sun… They walk out of the little tunnel and the sun greets them with warmth not of a Forge that is hot and heats the air like a furnace but a smooth and comforting heat.

Screw and Kelly walk beside each other she is supposed to be leading him to the ceremony but screw knows where they usually take place and she is not leading him the right way. Soon Screw is walking past an alley and Kelly pushes him in there is couple in this alleyway already… He figures out what is happening…

"No I won't do it". Screw Demands…. Kelly grabs a hold of Screws face and strokes it gently…"Please...I need this..I need out just for a couple of months..Please" She begged she didn't sound sad but trying to lure Screw in…..

"We must work you know what happens if they find out" Screw thinks of the Ravens and the bodies

"But they won't I promise I won't break for them and they won't break me they need me as much as they need you once it's done nothing changes…" Kelly says.

"You know what happens to the ones that are caught…"

She tries to get his pants off but Screw pushes her away she falls onto her back . it's too much of a risk. he backs out of the alley, leaving Kelly there. She start to cry… He looks around to see if anyone seen him come out of the alleyway… He sees that nobody noticed and quickly walks towards this ceremony… Thinking of Kelly and why she would do that.. She was a friend to him he didn't want anything to do with the crime they were about to commit it was more of a danger for the man than the woman….. The only way to get out of work is a crippling injury like losing an arm or a leg but there is a new popular way with Women… If they get pregnant they can take leave until they give birth and most take this option over losing a body part... After they give birth the baby is taken from them and cared for she never sees her child again maybe when he is grown up but it's unlikely as the young ones are shipped around and used for a variety of things….. If the Raiders make the mother tell who the father was he will be flogged and tortured.. It is considered a crime because it takes time out of work to commit this act and if it happens on break they still consider it wasted time…

Screw walks down the pathed road even for it being brand new dirt and blood cover it like a blanket it's sticky with Booze and empty syringes litter the ground some places more than others. He gets to the Palace (Haven) or Valentines Domain he kinda fixes himself to look a little nice sometimes Valentine gives out breaks to people at random..hopefully he is one.. He walks onto the big expanse of dirt and concrete powder… This is where the populace stands to watch the speeches but it's also where the highest crimes are settled mostly brutally. The scene of some bodies tied and mangled against the wicker man makes a shiver go down his spine…. Some Ravens peck at the insides of a man's skull pulling out strips of flesh… They see Screw and tilt their head.. Another puts back its head to swallow its meal. He gets to the front of Haven the improvements that were made to make Haven look like a fortress has altered its look. He stands were Valentine's stage is set instead of Valentine at the podium a man notably named "The Enforcer" he stands in front of 20 or so Soldiers they are new recruits some are slaves others are Raiders that came to join up… A large crowd gathers as workers and soldiers on break gather for a ceremony. Mostly the slaves have food as this is there only break until they get off work in 7 hours. The Raiders have the assortment of alcohol. Some have women with them.

"Today I bring something to the Syndicate…. What was once broken and sorry individuals. Have found something greater.. They have found the Syndicate… Trained by the Syndicate...Feed by the Syndicate and now reborn into the Syndicate…. I Present you 86th class of recruits may the Steel Legion take you in as there brothers and sisters. …..For the Syndicate…" The Enforcers Yells out at the end… The Recruits and the soldiers and slaves yells -For the Syndicate- loudly

The new recruits make a fist and cross it over their heart and then climb down from the stage. and disappear into Haven they will be getting their medals inside

Screw mimicked the Enforcer on his every word.. He has seen almost everyone of the ceremonies since he has been here he only slipped once when the Raiders made him repair a piece of armor on the side of the road...

Screw walks away and heads down a street full of vendors.. He is not allowed in the Box because he is a Slave… And the Box leads out into the Wasteland so he is stuck… Stuck finding food that will actually be worth eating.. Not that the food is bad but the food is the same… Thick pasty gruel.. The only difference is a different vegetable sometimes the meat changes… Most say it's cut up molerat and Brahmin….Other vicious rumors say that it's human flesh. Most only say that when they get the shakes from another illness and blame the food.. (The Slaves are worked hard but are feed well other than the gruel an assortment of other items are put out for consumption.. The Slaves don't pay because they pay with work… Some of the lesser slaves have ration cards but once your trusted and established in a trade you can eat what you want.. But there is a limit to the amount some slip by but if you are caught with more than your share then you are punished).. Long ago when Screw was a young man he was punished for taking more than his share he still has the long slash marks of the spiked wip.

Screw walks up to a vendor that is giving out the gruel with an iron spoon he takes it slowly as it's filled almost to the top. and along with it a tin cup of water. He walks over to a corner that leads to the factory and sits at the corner with a number of other slaves… He dips the spoon into the gruel and it slowly sinks to the bottom of the cup… He takes a quick drink of purified water and shovels the first bite of the thick gruel into his mouth.. It says on his tongue until he can swallow it down it goes down hard and he takes another drink of water savoring it as he would have to get back very soon. A couple more bites and some more minutes pass until he can get the last of the gruel down… He gets up and walks over to the vendor and gives the empty cup and the fork he downs what little water he has left and starts to walk away…. Another slave passes him "Thick" He says….. "Just like usual" Screw replies he walks around the corner he been previously sitting at and walks down the street the crowd at the door shows that work will be continuing soon. He spots Kelly and she looked happy the tears from her face had gone… Maybe it's an act to hide her sadness but maybe she got what she wanted that he couldn't give.

Because he was loyal to the Syndicate.

The Buzzer rang out and the Metal doors opened the crowd filed in not pushing and shoving but mindlessly streamed into the tunnel. Not just slaves went into the building but a ladder up to the scaffolding and walkways above the factory is busy with the new shift of guards.

Screw gets back to work beat after beat of the hammer against the metal…. The daily workday goes on… On occasion some slaves can't take it and are escorted out for leave they will make up the days when they are supposed to be off…

Mindlessly working ….