Chapter 1.1- First Day

It’s really here- my first day in Newcrest. Honestly, it’s all been a little weird… one second I was signing up for some “contest” and the next thing I knew I was signing legal document after legal document. I guess I didn’t really realize what I was getting into when I sent in that initial application, but whatever here I am today writing in this “required” documentary journal of my journey.

I guess I should start off by giving a background about me. I am Jace Hope… Jace is short for Jackson- my father’s name, but I legally changed it to Jace a few years back. More on my “family” later. I am 23 years old, and I have grown up in the Spice District of San Myshuno my whole entire life. I am an only child, no siblings… my parents hated each other enough that they could only bear to have one child. Not to mention my Dad skipped town about two months after I was born- I haven’t seen or heard from him since.

My Mom died when I was 17 years old from cancer. Let me tell you, it was a shock when we found out she had been diagnosed with lung cancer- but when the other residents in and around our tiny apartment started getting sick and dying off we determined it was the air quality in the “beautiful” spice district. Good luck trying to prove that in court- not like I had the money to hire a lawyer and even attempt a lawsuit. By now you’ve probably determined that I didn’t grow up in the most ideal of settings- honestly my Mom was dirt poor, but did everything in her power to ensure we had food on the table every day and roof over our heads. She was the strongest woman I’ve ever met and I’ve vowed to make her proud of me somehow and some way- that’s why when I saw the ad in the local Sunday paper to “become mayor of Newcrest- no requirements necessary” I figured- what the hell? It couldn’t hurt to apply.

The acceptance process was- for lack of a better word- rigorous. I think half of the candidates dropped when the found out the requirements. They seemed simple enough to me- plant a garden of perfect plants, build a park. Simple. I guess what I didn’t realize is that they were intending on dropping me off here- alone… in a deserted city. When I say deserted- I mean literally nothing is here. I guess that is the whole “goal” of this- to re-build Newcrest back up to like it was in it’s glory days. For those of you who don’t know- Newcrest was ravaged by nuclear fallout from war about 85 years ago and they swore up and down to me (and the other candidates) that it was safe now. I guess I am the first person crazy enough to step foot here- but there’s been a lot of press about it so I am hoping that maybe people will pass through once in a while.

I guess that brings me to today- the highly publicized arrival of Jace Hope to Newcrest. The “council” (whoever they are) probably just picked me because of the last name, whatever I guess this can be the first thing my bastard of a “Father” ever did for me…

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Did that email sound like a threat to you? It did to me… one thing you’ll learn about me, quickly, is that I don’t like being told what to do – by anyone. I laughed to myself and erased the email. It was time to go exploring.

As I rounded the corner from my plot of land, I was surprised to see a taxi pulling up… I thought I was supposed to be the only one here. Curiously, I followed the taxi and it lead me to a beautiful stream with water rushing through it. The water was so clear you could see all the fish swimming rapidly against the current, I could even see the tiny pebbles that covered the ground sparely in between the sand.

“Mr. Hope?” a woman’s voice startled me so badly I almost screamed like a little girl. Thankfully.