Glitch City

Glitch City is the city-state where VA-11 Hall-A is located and all the characters live. Nominally led by an elected Mayor, the city is in fact controlled by mega-corporations (namely Zaibatsu Corp.) for which Mayor Quincy acts as a mouthpiece.

## Economy

All of Glitch City serves as Zaibatsu Corp.'s privately run testing ground for experimental technologies, especially in realm of AI and nano-machines. Security, medical, and military technologies are tested en-mass on a semi-captive populace, with citizens given little ability to refuse. These technologies are deployed en-mass in Glitch City before being adopted elsewhere. Such is the extent of the testing that Glitch City had earned the nickname "The Guinea Pig of the World".

Such technologies include, but are not limited to:

* Advanced aerial drones and/or aircraft
* Powered armor
* Nanomachine-based crowd control weapons
* Nanomachine-based surveillance tools
* Prosthetics and medical equipment
* Sensory replacement and enhancement
* Advanced AI and AI support systems
* Artificial water

Despite Glitch City's access to highly advanced technologies, the people of Glitch City live an isolated and barely subsistent life. Glitch City is often touted as "self-sufficent" in state media, importing 0.8% of their consumer goods. However the lack of imports for a highly urbanized city has resulted in chronic shortage of foodstuffs and other basic goods. Many foodstuffs are adulterated or completly replaced with artificial substances best described as "experimental". "Real foods" such as chicken and shrimp are rare and expensive luxuries, and the populace instead subsists mainly on chemical substitutes. This is likely by design, encouraging citizens to consume experimental foodstuffs provided by Zaibatsu or their clients.

Many of the advanced technologies tested in Glitch City find their way to the general public. Products such as nano-machine based wallpaper, flooring, and even underwear are available for purchase online. These products often are little more than distractions for the public, providing neither sustenance or sense of security.

## Society and Culture

Glitch City is notoriously unsafe; gang warfare and civil unrest are common occurrences, and citizens live under the constant threat of violence. The city's security forces are often no better, extorting and assaulting citizens for money or even basic necessities. Many people express a desire to leave Glitch City, but are often unable to due to the weakness of the Glitch City dollar.

Media and advertising is a major industry and tool of control. Much of the population spends their time watching pop idols, playing video games, or browsing the internet. Despite the advanced media tools available in Glitch City, the internet is highly monitored and restricted; citizens frequently complain about the slow and restricted connectivity. Some citizens however are able to access higher speed internet; with higher speeds, users are able to stream themselves, in real time, 24 hours a day.

Yet Glitch City as a whole is socially progressive. There is little discrimination based on ethnicity, race, or nationality. Non-humans in Glitch City enjoy a high level of social advancements, particularly Lilim, who enjoy a social status near equal to humans. Glitch City is also the center of the AI Reformation Program, a social program designed to rehabilitate corrupted or damaged AI with an 88% success rate.

However there are still social tensions; many citizens are uncomfortable with the AI Reformation Program, which stipulates that AI are sent to perform menial tasks throughout the city (similar to a prison work-exchange program). The idea of their packages being delivered by a device that possibly commited murder is a cause for concern for many.

## Trivia

* It is evident that the city has terribly inflated currency, as Jill states that $80 is not enough to even get a decent lunch and there are commercials for cup ramen going for the "low" price of $59.99.
* Glitch City was founded less than 55 years ago, according to The Augmented Eye's article on Kira Miki. This would place Glitch City's founding sometime in the 2020's or 2030's. However, while reading a DANGER/U/ thread, Jill says that her grandfather remembered a time "before they made it into Glitch City", which would suggest that it had another name prior to this one.
* Glitch City is the most self-sufficient city in the world with an import rate of 0.8% according to the Augmented Eye.