{visual: Lux in front of the Palace – the picture’s shaky, but his smile is steady and reassuring.}

Dear Citizens,

As many of you know, a few of us have been working up some ideas on how to make life run a bit more smoothly in the boroughs. As much as we try to treat each other with respect and compassion, a few tiffs have broken out… we’ve seen more than a few threats of violence… and I personally have witnessed a ring of human trafficking growing right under my nose… slavers… guys… we can’t go on like that. We’re New Yorkers, for God’s sake. Americans – right? So somebody had to step up and make things better.

Most of you know me – hell, most of you have eaten at my table once or twice. You’ve probably met my buddy Dell. Some of the other names will be familiar to others of you. Rodgriguez. Van Horn. The full list will be available at my house, and the other courts that are being set up in the boroughs. We’re each of us taking responsibility for one of the boroughs – a couple of em we’re splitting up – listen the details are going to be available for everybody. The bottom line is if you have a problem with somebody, you can both go to the judge of your borough and a judgement will be issued. Everybody agrees to stick with the judgement. We’re going to work on a system for keeping track of those who don’t cooperate, some kind of marking system. Haven’t worked out the details. If you’re living in my area, come to the palace and talk with me about it. If you’re staying in Harlem, go to the old theater for now until the new courthouse is rolled out.

Please tap this vid to everyone you know who has a pod of their own and share it with anyone you know who doesn’t. We’re gonna get the word out as soon as possible and get this system in place by the end of July. Take care.

{end of vid}

At the time the council of the judges convened, the proposal was to have one judge for each of the five boroughs. However the population in the island of Manhattan – particularly in the northeast, near where Lux lived – was dense enough that one judge couldn’t be expected to look out for the welfare of all of them. A proposal was made to have two judges for Manhattan.

Additionally, the population living in the airports and in the surrounding nature preserves was large enough to justify an extra judge as well. The borough of Queens, it seemed, would also need an additional carekeeper.

Rather than split two of the boroughs, it was proposed that the northern half of Manhattan be separated into an independent state, and that the airports, too, be given unique designation. Rather than tamper with the original boroughs, the resulting seven geographical areas were called ‘jurisdictions.’ A mouthful for the common man, these areas are referred to as jds, as in, “I am a citizen of the first jd.”

The first jd was called Staten Island. Athought least heavily populated, the quality of life in Staten Island was the highest, with rich vegetable gardens supplementing nearly every residence and almost no population living underground.

Sadly, five years after the convention of the council, on July 4, a festive bonfire was left unattended. It is widely believed – though there is no way to know for sure – that the hosts were intoxicated and fell asleep. The fire spread from the heart of the residential areas and tore into the abandoned ruins. Those who could be were evacuated – most died. If Staten Island hadn’t been so well insultated – even if the wind had blown wrong that day – it is possible that the rest of humanity would have been wiped out that day. As it is, the first jd stands vacant as a reminder of how precious our lives are and how easily they could still be wiped from the earth.

The Patriarch of our family is Dell Howard. Father was in the running to be a state senator when the fall came and all the people feel asleep. When Lux, I mean Mr. Lux proposed the council of the judges, Father was a natural to be the ruling judge of Harlem, which is now called the 6th JD. Father is good and means all people to be equal and free.

Our mother is called Apple Howard. Father says she’s called that because when he saw her she was sitting in the back of a truck between a barrel of apples that you eat and a stack of Apples that you used for a computer, which was like a really fast pad that connected to other pads to play games and write documents and stuff. So basically just like a pad, except it folded in the middle. Mother doesn’t like that story. But everyone says Mother is the most beautiful woman in all of Harlem. She has skin that’s almost black and dark brown hair. She doesn’t look anything like me and Perry because we’re adopted, but we don’t care, we think she is the most beautiful woman in all of the boroughs, and dad says so, too. She’s also very intelligent and taught me and Perry Math and how to read spell. She read us lots of literature and even some Latin and French.

Me and Perry, I mean Perry and I, are blood brothers, and we were adopted when we were little. We came out of the first JD, which was called Statten Island, but it’s gone because of the fire. That’s why Mr. Lux makes his people take care of all of the lightning rods and tries to get people to reign their fires in. Dad says he wishes his people were as good as Lux’s people, but Mother just laughs and says Mr. Lux has charisma but Dad has wit. That seems to make Dad pretty happy.

Our family lives in what Mother calls a “Well-Preserved Brownstone”. She’s proud of it and always makes sure there are flowers outside.

–Andrew Angelo Howard, 12 Years Old
January 2119

Last week, I hired a young man named Grant Hill. Mr. Hill arrived on the heels of my new step-daughter. He had that hungry look in his bold, black eyes, the look that said if she walked out of the room his heart would follow. He denies that he’s in love with her but I’m not blind. It’s the same look I wore for the two months that I spent searching for her mother.

I sent the girl upstairs with her mother – my new wife – so I could get the measure of him while she wasn’t around. Turns out he’s solid to the core. I’m a good judge of character – have to be, in my position; wouldn’t have survived this long otherwise – and I think I’ve got a keeper here: ethical, industrious, honest, selfless. I offered him a job on the spot, never expecting him to accept right away. He said his mother wouldn’t approve of his taking a brand in exchange for a salary. Said she values freedom above safety. That made me laugh – sounds familiar. I think I knew somebody like that when I was young. I reminded him that there are some kinds of freedom a lot easier to obtain with a pouch of gold. Well, I thought he’d run home to mother to hash it out, but he only talked to the girl and then presented himself to be branded the next morning. Said he’d deal with his mother later.

Probably more about the girl than the gold, but I think the choice will benefit him as much as it does me. You can be damn sure I’ll do right by the kid.

Best part of it all? Kid’s strong as an ox and says he’ll play for the Broilers. Looks like Frenner’s getting demoted to sub.

Lux

Alexander “Lux” Jackson
October 2131

One of the first marks of civilization’s return was the renaissance of football. Football in the boroughs is played with a round, heavy, kicked ball. The Boroughs play on three teams. The Bronx and Brooklyn play for the Broilers. Harlem and Queens plays for the Mudders. Manhattan and the Airports play for the Towers. (Staten Island, the first jurisdiction, was abandoned due to wide spread fire before the Football leagues were established.)

There are two rules of football – no hand on ball or man. The ball is kicked from one end of the field to the other. When a ball is kicked into the goal, the team wins three mocks. If the referee sees a member of a team touching the ball, they are marked mock down one. If they see a player touching another player, they team is marked mock down two.

One game is played each Saturday, with the teams meeting each other successively. The best two out of three play on the fourth Saturday of each month.