What can I say about Scraptown? The hardscrabble shanty town that lies between this side of Salvation City and the rest of Hellion has always been a bit of a mystery to her upstairs neighbours. In some ways inseparable from the city in economic and practical terms, in others, a complete alternate world, with their own laws, culture and customs, and a fierce independent streak. I have been wanting to visit properly for a while, but it’s the rumours of plague that call me down to the desert.
Despite their reservations, the medical staff at the Scraptown clinic were willing to share with me what they know. There is certainly a strange condition suffered by some Wasteland travellers: those afflicted suffer from strange boils and a greenish tint to their veins. There are also incidents of the infected acting strangely, even rumours of communication with a ‘hive mind’.
They were quick, however, to emphasise that this is not a plague. Only those who ventured into the Wastes have become ill, with person-to-person transmission appearing extremely rare. “As long as we wear masks and actually take showers, no-one’s getting infected.”
With such outlandish symptoms, it’s not surprising that I’m not the first city slicker to take an interest. But do-gooders from the city are met with suspicion. “They came down here, and they told me all about it, and it’s like an evil amoeba that keeps changing”, one clinic employee tells me. We’ll call her Flowers. “I don’t trust them either.” She adds at the prompting of one of her coworkers.
Mistrust goes double for those affiliated with a corporation. The staff insinuate that visiting Avalon staff ‘kidnapped’ the infected patients, spiriting them away to the city. When I raised this with a Scraptown Councillor, who we’ll call Duster, he was quick to make clear these allegations were unfounded. “I wouldn’t say kidnapped. They willingly left with them.”
Duster admitted to me their concern that loose talk of plague would lead to the city shutting down the elevator that carries people and cargo to and from Scraptown. Despite the independent spirit of the shanty town, their connections to Salvation City are just as vital as those scavenged in the wasteland.
Yet such links aren’t without tension. As I walked the town, many mentioned their mistrust of city folk, and their bringing of outside problems down to the Wastelands. I asked Duster his own views on the subject. His response was laconic. “They can come, if they want to pay our people to take them out there.” He followed. “If you come down here and take stuff from the wasteland, you should have to go through us.” And if they don’t like it? “They can come down a different elevator.” And if they try to force the issue? He gestures towards the Scraptown laws.
Three laws are painted on a huge metal sheet at the gateway. “Shootin’ in town gets ya shot”. “If you’re gonna fight, do it in the ring. (We like to watch)”. “If you’re gonna steal a car, get ready to die for it.” I don’t need him to spell things out any further.
Trust, it seems to me, is as hard to come by as clean water here in Scraptown. At the Oasis Grille, water is sold as “Basic” and “Deluxe” (the latter proudly ‘grit free!’). The Grille itself and the bubbly owner Jyggal offers a welcome hospitality and a break from the beating suns. Yet after a few much needed gulps of ‘Deluxe’ water, I can’t help but think it’s the relationship between Wastelanders and City folk that isn’t ‘grit free’.
That isn’t to say that this mistrust isn’t well founded. Old grievances die hard, and there are clearly too many to count. Caught between the grasping city above, and the harsh wastelands filled with beasts and bandits beyond their walls, it’s not hard to see why the trust of outsiders is a luxury many Wastelanders can’t afford.
But none of us – no sector of this city can stand alone. Crises like the infection demonstrate that clearly. Without the expertise from the city and without the Scraptowners’ willingness to co-operate, however fragile, our understanding of the infection would be poorer. If this was an airborne infection, a co-ordinated response could mean the difference of thousands of lives. It means spending our effort worrying about how to fight disease, not each other.
But how do we bridge the divide? As I made my way home, I knew I didn’t have the answer. But in Row 32 I bumped into Jimothy Young! While you may know him from shows like CEO of Sex, you might not know that Jimothy spent time in Scraptown. The Scraptowners even called him one of their own. I asked him how he thinks this tension can be resolved. “Understanding their rules, and respecting their culture.” He said. “I’m still not sure if I consider myself truly a Scraptowner, but they’ve been really wonderful people.”
“I have had thoughts at times about whether I want to [move out there]. There’s far more of a community there than anywhere else I’ve been to.” He said, though he looked a little conflicted. “It’s a family, really.”
There’s a lesson in the tale. Trust isn’t something we can expect or demand. It has to be built, on both sides, on a foundation of respect. Scraptown is our gateway to the Wastes, and therefore, to the rest of Hellion. That means what affects one will always affect the other. So when you’re there, follow the rules, and be honest about your intentions. As for the Scraptowners? I hope they can find the strength to give us a chance.
One last thing before I call it a night! Today was the first round of the Valkyrie Fighting Tournament. (Footage still available on Trident pay per view!) Tomorrow, brought to you by TraVerse, the Air Derby will bring the roar of the engine right to your door! Trident’s own Vivienne “Big Money” will be racing with our corporate colours, so be sure to cheer her on! Not one to be beaten easily, Jimothy himself will also be racing in the TraVerse colours! It’s sure to be a hell of a showdown that you won’t want to miss!