Old Wounds Still Bear Fresh Trauma for Omni-1
January 10th, 29487 - Drew Takamia
Eleven years ago Omni-1 suffered the most devastating attack it has ever received from an enemy – But why do the scars still show?
IRRK Newswire via PSN Borealis Field Office, RUBI-KA – The evening hours on December 19th 29745 were just like any other in the city’s Entertainment District; citizens taking in shows, employees tending to tasks about the city, and visitors doing their last minute Christmas shopping in one of the many boutiques. That is, until the “Dusters” changed the landscape of the city.
Horror, carnage and cries of anguish and grieving filled the Rubi-Kan capital of Omni-1 in the hours and days following the heinously brutal attack on the city by the notorious terrorist group known as the Dust Brigade eleven years ago. Without notice, the Dusters detonated a powerful anti-matter bomb in the northern residential section of the Entertainment District. The effects of the blast could be felt immediately as it instantly vaporized a high-rise apartment complex claiming hundreds of lives, including children and the elderly not connected to the reclaim technology, as well as causing massive infrastructural damage to the seawall which holds, or rather held, the Stret River at bay.
Since that infamous day the Stret River has been pouring into the northern Entertainment District which has led to extensive flooding, ground erosion and rampant property abandonment. Worst of all, some would say, it has paved the way for Neutral vagrants who have moved into the slums created by the relocation of affected Omni-Tek employees. Hobos, slum houses and garbage now proliferate through the once beautiful urban sprawl, which leads to one question, a question that many have asked over and over again: Why?
Why does Omni-Tek, which prides itself on displays of grandeur and excess, allow such a scar to persist? Surely Omni-Engineering, whos famous slogan is “Rome Was Not Built in a Day. It Took Us a Week.”, could have the seawalls repaired and the flooding mitigated in short order if they so desired. Are the damages allowed to remain as a monument to the strength of a wounded warrior, an ever flowing vigil to remember those who have fallen, or simply a lack of proper prioritization by Omni-Tek city planners?
In these eleven years the Clans, who lack the infrastructure and capital of Omni-Tek, have been able to undertake large scale water treatment projects in Tir and successfully executed a revitalization campaign in Athen (formerly: Omni-2). Meanwhile, all Omni-Tek has been able to accomplish is an occupation of Borealis, which, has been fairly mild on resource consumption.
An independent observation of this Omni-Tek situation would lead one to believe that the only reason that Omni-1 has not yet recovered from the attack is a lack of compassion for the Omni-Tek Employee. If the attack had occurred in Omni-1 Trade, the economic core of the Omni-Tek’s Rubi-Kan operations, do you believe repairs would have begun immediately? If the attack had occurred in Omni-1 HQ, the proverbial nerve center of Rubi-Ka, do you believe repairs would have begun immediately?
I do, how about you? In this case the attack occurred in Omni-1’s Entertainment District, a location which mostly focuses on Employee housing and recreation. Perhaps the rebuilding has been mothballed since employee housing is an expense and not revenue generating. If this is the case, does this not bring us back to the “Atrox Incident” where the Corporation is looking upon the employees as tools and not people?
Since we were unable to get an official statement from Omni-Engineering on the matter we will leave it to our readers to draw their own conclusions.
This is Drew Takamia reporting for Perseus Spiral News from Borealis City.