AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ideally I might be able to get another chapter out every few weeks or month or so. Not making any promises, but I've been on a recent Hunger Games writing binge and so I'm taking advantage of it while I can. Hopefully I can crank out the remaining few chapters and get this story done and out of the way. Not that I haven't enjoyed it' just that I've kind of let it drag on for much too long.
Anyways, here's District 6. Like District 5, we don't really get a lot of information from it or its victors in the books, and so a lot of made up. I capitalize greatly on the drug/Morphling endemic, but not necessarily in the way people expect. '6 might not be cunning the way '5 or '3 are, but they're not brain-fried druggies either (well, not all of them). It works as a nice cover for some people though, and so just because someone might ramble about butterflies and rainbows and go cross-eyed on you doesn't necessarily mean they're an idiot. Just something to think about.
Whatever the case... Happy Reading!
Tour Stop #6: District 6
There had been an obvious sense of mystery surrounding the elusive District 5, from its citizens to its tributes to its inner workings and daily life. Today's stop would be similar, except the mystery surrounding this place was not the same as the previous one.
No, the mystery of District 6 was how a district so large and so notoriously plagued with drug abuse from both its citizens and Peacekeepers alike, not only managed to produce victors in the Hunger Games, but how were they able to function? It was clear that whatever they did, they did their jobs well, as evidenced by the fine craftsmanship of the trains, hovercrafts, and other vehicles used by the Capitol to get around, as they were all made here. These were the kinds of thoughts flowing through Junichi's mind that morning as she woke up and prepared for the day. Perhaps Cressida could shed more light on the situation?
Just as she had done for the last six stops (the five districts and the Capitol party prior to her tour of Panem) Junichi styled her blue hair the same way, wearing the same black and blue frilly outfit and heels the she was famous for having. While she liked to at least think or pretend that she was a morning person, in truth, that role belonged to Cressida, who either ran off of much less sleep than Junichi, fell asleep much sooner, or simply didn't sleep at all. Humorously, Junichi did not dismiss that last theory as false just yet. Instead, she joined Cressida out in the main car, ready for the briefing on District 6 over some breakfast and morning talk.
"District 6, as you surely know, is notorious for the drug abuse." Cressida began, shuffling through stacks of papers as she watched Junichi's reactions, "and is mostly a middle class district. It's not as well-off as places like '4 or '3, and nowhere near the likes of '5, '2, or '1, but it's better off than almost every district after it apart from maybe '7. Most would also say they are a rebellious group, since word from District 2 and the Capitol indicates that wages for Peacekeepers in District 6 are noticeably higher than other districts, including even the dangerous districts such as '11 and '12. It is the most populous district as well, which I'm sure makes it harder."
"And the Morphling abuse has nothing to do with it I'm sure." Junichi chuckled.
"Not a bit," Cressida played along with Junichi's joke only for a moment. "In truth, most people just summarize and generalize it as being Morphling, even though it's actually a slew of drugs. Some of the victors have even created some of their own, the most popular of which is a certain "Substance 21", which is manufactured primarily by the Meraxa family. You probably recognize that name from Shishio's recent victory, or his grandfather Dezna over 50 years earlier."
"I'm sure we'll see at least one Meraxa on this trip." Junichi agreed, "what else do I need to know?"
"Similar to District 5, I do not think the mayor is on our side, so to speak. I do believe he is more of a neutral entity; a wildcard, if you will. Most of this district will be. There are enough rebels here to cause a storm, but most of them are so intoxicated by this or that, that they can't really do a whole lot."
"I'm sure we'll come up with something," Junichi chortled.
"It's a large place with a lot to see," Cressida pointed out, "and a lot of people to watch out for. Just keep that in mind as we go in. We're about to the station."
Sure enough, hardly a few minutes after Cressida and Junichi finished their conversation, the train began slowing to a halt in an enormous station that was even larger than that of District 2. It was unsurprising that this was the largest station among the Districts because trains had to come here for repairs and maintenance, and they were shipped out from this district where they were made.
It was much less fancy than the Capitol station, but was nearly as large, and much more practical. The district gave off a very metallic vibe, with greys and blacks being the most common colors in right near every direction. Unlike in some of the other stops, Mayor Kellam Carter was waiting for them hardly a few meters away from where their compartment door would open. He kept a respectable distance as to not come off as overly eager or awkward, and with him was a very mellow-looking young man wearing baggy clothes. After a few moments, Junichi recognized this fellow immediately.
A few moments after Junichi and Cressida had stepped off the train and onto the platform, the well-dressed man approached with the younger one in tow.
"Thatch and Kiya, I presume?" he offered his hand, which the two women shook in turn,
"Then you know why we are here." Cressida was the one to speak first.
"That I do," Kellam nodded, "and as such, allow me to offer you a formal welcome to District 6. It's a large place, so I would recomm4end staying with your guide. Enough of this district looks alike that it's easy to think you're going one way and accidentally be going another."
"Well, as fun as wandering around and getting lost might be," Junichi quipped, "I highly doubt that it would be fundamental for delivering a report of the district life and activity back to the Capitol."
"It's hardly a wonder why so many like you, Thatch," Kellam chuckled, "it makes me wish I could join you for your tour. Unfortunately, I have preparations I must make for this evening, which means for now, Shishio Meraxa here will be your guide."
The fluffy-haired boy flicked his hands in what seemed like a casual wave, in order to acknowledge the presence of the two Capitol women. "I heard you two want to take a peek into the secrets of District 6… welp, ol' Carter's left you two in my hands, so prepare for a wild ride."
Cressida and Junichi both remained silent. Junichi was familiar with Shishio's antics, and knew that the odds of him being supportive of the Capitol were slim. Very few if any victors actually were that way.
"Don't look so shocked…" Shishio took a swig from a small flask on his hip that Junichi was fairly certain did not contain alcohol, "not even the Capitol's favorite victor would be spared their wrath if I harmed either of you. You're in safe hands. Now, come along; there's a lot you should see."
Shishio almost seemed to be whimsically aloof in his own little world as they walked towards a small truck. It was dwarfed by almost all of the military vehicles that were mostly seen in District 2, and even the ones that Peacekeepers used here were much larger and probably much faster. Cressida mentally noted this, figuring that it made sense to have cars in such a large district, and that they would be much smaller than the military vehicles the Peacekeepers used, in the case of an uprising.
"The first thing to know about '6 is that the reason we're so expansive is because there's a lot of people needed to put all these fancy machines together, and then housing them takes even more space. We'll take you through town first, and then out to the outskirts to see all the runways and hangars where we keep planes and hovercraft, and then back around in time for the party. How's that sound?"
Shishio's remark seemed more rhetorical than anything, for he was already escorting the Capitol women to the center of town. Unsurprisingly, it was a very urbanized district full of factories similar to Districts 3 or 5, except the ones here were a lot dirtier and less attractive or aesthetically pleasing. They did not need to be though, as they were not one of the wealthy districts, nor did they get much attention.
"District 6 is like a TV." Dezna explained, "You don't thank it when it does its job properly, but the moment it slacks or cuts you out, you kick your foot through it and curse it to high heaven or whatnot. Well, most people do. I really don't care one way or another. Getting angry is weird."
"Have you ever been angry?" Cressida hoped to pry a little bit.
"Upset at a few things, which I'll tell you outside of Capitol earshot," Dezna motioned to the occasional camera out on the streetlights, but these were mostly for public areas rather than every citizen's private quarters, "but actually getting angry and fuming? Nah… I can't really grasp that concept. Mom, grandma, and grandpa all said they couldn't really either, so I'm not sure?"
"Many people outside the district say that there's a Morphling endemic here," Cressida inquired, "can you give me the details on how true or not this is?"
"It's definitely true," Shisho chuckled, "and if it's not Morphling, it's various other drugs, narcotics, hallucinogens, painkillers, and that kind of thing. My family has a market for the notorious Substance 21, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone."
"What does it do, exactly?" Junichi was the one to ask.
"It mostly just lets you hallucinate something fierce. If you've got any Red Gold from District 1, that stuff makes it so much better. Essentially, it's like getting drunk except you get to see rainbows and sparkles and other lovely things."
Shishio seemed very aloof, but the roads of District 6, which were filled with more cars than any other district, were like second nature to him. he wove his vehicle around and didn't even come close to hitting anything or anyone, much to Cressida and Junichi's surprise.
"So if everyone's jacked on drugs," Junichi asked, "how does anything get done? How are you even driving this car so well, if you're intoxicated?"
"I'm always on some kind of drug." Shishio chuckled, "and that's what makes things so interesting."
While this might have weirded out normal people, Cressida remained calm because Junichi had remained calm, because Junichi knew Shishio well enough to understand how the boy worked.
"So where is our next destination?" Cressida decided to get them more focused on the subject and task at hand.
"The market for starters," Shishio replied, "someone's gotta show you the kind of drug endemic that's going on right around us that no one cares about."
The District 6 marketplace reminded Junichi of a larger and more urbanized version of The Hob from District 12. It looked like one big black market, with several merchants and vendors having crates that clearly looked smuggled. How this worked was beyond anyone's guess, but Junichi figured that since every car, train, and plane that was ever made came in and out of District 6, that perhaps some supplies got left behind. Junichi might have normally asked where the Peacekeepers were and why they were not enforcing the laws as well as in other districts, but to her surprise, Cressida pointed out that they were among some of the buyers, and even in a few rare cases, sellers.
"We've got a lot of porters, routers, and baggage-handlers that deal with goods, legal or otherwise," Shishio parked the car and let the women stretch their legs. The vehicle was small and slightly cramped, but not uncomfortably so. "welcome to The Checkerboard."
"Why is it called The Checkerboard?" Junichi tilted her head.
"Easy," Shishio laughed, "because it's full of squares within the main plaza, and half of the squares are full of legal stuff, and the other half are stuff you'd find on the black market.
"How can you tell?" Cressida asked.
"If you recognize it, odds are it's at least somewhat legal. If it looks shady, it probably is." Shishio took another shot from the flask on his hip, "Alcohol being an exception. It's technically legal, but no one really regulates it, so a lot of people spike it with drugs to give their customers the ultimate trippin' experience. It's not as bad as it seems most of the time."
"That's still pretty crazy," Junichi frowned, "is some of this stuff going to somehow turn up at the party tonight in any way?"
"It might, but that depends on where the mayor goes," Dezna shrugged, "really, if you don't find what you're looking for at The Checkerboard, you can usually find it in some of the smaller, abandoned warehouses. As the assembly lines grew larger and the Capitol's demands increased, we moved to large facilities, and no one was arsed enough to tear the old ones down."
Junichi mused about one of the odd similarities between District 6 and District 12 in this regard before Shishio escorted them back to the car for the next leg of their journey. He took them far outside the city to the large hangars and runways out on the fringes of town, and showed them one of the massive assembly lines where mechanics and conductors worked to make things happen, with large amounts of metallic parts being welded or riveted together to construct the hulls of planes, trains, cars, and hovercrafts, among other things.
The factory that Shishio stopped at seemed to house friends of his, for as he entered, he was greeted by a man that recognized him immediately.
"Shishi!" he used an affectionate nickname for the young man, "we haven't had a good mechanic like you since your mother showed up! I'm surprised she didn't get reaped or volunteer…"
"If she did, who's to say that I'd even exist?" Shishio laughed, "I got lucky, Remus—almost as lucky as grandpa Dezna did 50 some-odd years ago."
"there's a few of the older folks that remember that man and his sister." Remus chortled, "How are they doing these days?"
"Arza and Dezna are still doing the same old thing they've been doing," Shishio chuckled. "anyways, I'm here to introduce a couple of friends. Cressida, Junichi: this is Remus Wilde, one of the best factory overseers District 6 has to offer. Remus, this is Cressida and Junichi, some friends from the Capitol."
"Capitol, huh…" a woman's voice spoke up, "you're brave to come all the way out here then…"
"Hey mom!" Shishio chuckled, "still putting in hours despite that me and grandpa's stipends can keep you set for life?"
"You know you do it too," the woman laughed. "now, are you going to introduce me to your friends as well, or am I not special enough?"
Shishio introduced the woman as Zakura, and she had an odd resemblance to Shishio in appearance, mannerisms, and even the same fluffy hairstyle. The trio showed Cressida and Junichi around the massive assembly line, where they noticed plenty of workers that looked drugged or intoxicated. Despite all of this, everything ran like clockwork. Maybe some of the drugs were steroidal or something.
The penultimate stop before the party that evening was the Victor Village, although despite meeting faces like the notorious Dezna Meraxa himself, as well as victors Meili Meisha and Zerviah Hawke, there was no real information given that Junichi didn't already know. All of these victors seemed displeased with the Capitol, but friendly to Cressida and Junichi.
"We know a lot more than we let on," Meili pointed out, "and hey—someone's got to test drive the hovercrafts, y'know. Maybe someday District 6 will reap a kid that knows how to fly these things and he might bust his way out of there."
"Now there's a thought!" Junichi gasped, not sure if they were being serious or not. They chuckled, and so the two Capitol women chuckled along with them. For a district full of drug-addicts, there did seem to be a surprising amount of aloof laughter. Maybe that was simply how they coped; Cressida took plenty of notes and Junichi remained observant all the way up until the party that evening.
They concluded that while many of them were harmful or debilitating, that several of the drugs widely used in District 6 were not necessarily adverse. Some even seemed to enhance performance, for the Capitol Peacekeepers would have descended on layabouts. Yet, things ran like clockwork in most places, and that, to Junichi, was genuinely impressive.
Naturally, despite Cressida's warnings, she had to take part in drinks of all kinds, and Mayor Carter proved to throw a spectacular party in their honor. She was coaxed by Shishio, Zakura, Remus, Arza, and Dezna to try a mixture of Red Gold and Substance 21, cheering when she finally agreed.
"Huh boy…" Cressida muttered, and sure enough: hardly a few minutes later, Junichi was half-conscious under a table, randomly muttering things about rainbows and lightning as Cressida dragged her back to the train for the next day's trip to District 7...
