2039rebellion.com

Several years after Ebisu’s purchase of the bay area as it was still recovering from the disasters four years earlier, acts of crime and violence skyrocketed. The initial factors were largely blamed on the large amount of citizens who had lost homes or other large investments during the 2020 event and were never able to recover. Those forced to eke out a meager existence in the city streets began to target others who had weathered the yo-yo of economic hardships. In response to the rise in activity, Ebisu established a new social structure.

At first the restructuring was a welcomed change. Many in the city praised the Corporate leader for taking the first steps to creating a utopia. Individuals who had lost homes and jobs were given monthly ration cards and free housing under the condition that they would attend and complete reconditioning courses sponsored by Joubu Corporation. Persons completing the course would enter Joubu as a skilled employee, loyal to their CEO for caring enough to help all who came before him.
The initial success of the program led to the skills being adopted and adapted into the schools, which further drove the city employment rate upwards.

With the unemployment rate now vanishing the city began to bloom as it neared its rebuilding phase. However, many failed to notice that while the unemployment rate dropped the poverty line became greater and greater, and individuals, such as the disabled, transients, certain immigrant groups, and ex-Joubu employees became more and more desperate. Their inability to attend or finish corporate training assessments left them unable to find any employment as the line between rich and poor became more opaque and bold.

Joubu Security teams, whom were founded to police the city, coined a nickname for these individuals. Referring to them as Yuurei, one of the types of Spirits of Japanese myth. To many the pun was well earned.  A Yurrei was the spirit of a dead individual, returning to the land of the living to complete unfinished business, or to attain something they were never able to in life. In this new social structure, those unable to attain work were but ghosts to the majority population, their presence largely ignored. However, over time the Yurrei became more and more desperate. Petty thefts and identity theft became rampant, leading the Security teams to detain more and more Yuurei. It was decided around the year 2027 to begin marking these individuals with nano transmitters under the skin, marked over with the kanji of the word “yuurei”, making it impossible for them to assume the identity of another. As an added insult, the petty food rations the corporation offered them were stripped, as well as the seizure of any and all personal records of the individuals existence.

Joubu corporation offered the statement that the taking of ID, essential for any monetary transactions, receiving rations, or employment, was only temporary, and they would be returned after an individual had reformed and was able to conform with society. “Any nails standing out must be hammered down”. It soon became clear however, that these individuals would never have their life returned to them, never were given the ability to reform. With no ID they could not prove who they were, could not be trained, could not function in society at all. Even local gangs had support from various persons of wealth. The yuurei had in fact become little more than ghosts to the rest of the population.

By 2028 roughly 80% of those originally marked as yurrei had moved out of Joubu controlled land, knowing they could never return, had been killed during conflicts with security teams, or fallen to natures mixture of exposure, starvation, and disuse. New Yurrei were being created daily, individuals “fired” from Joubu, corporate rivals who failed to block a buy out, even those found caring for a yurrei were themselves cast out. It was not long before some yurrei began to band together to try to combat the systematic purging of the social classes. The groups adopted many forms, one such group aptly named themselves after another spirit of Japanese myth- the ” Goryoo”

In myth a Goryoo is a yuurei of aristocratic or other high society status, many whom were martyred. A Goryoo, the belief was, were capable of catastrophic vengeance, including destruction of crops and the summoning of storms and earthquakes, or other disasters. It was in this lore that many fallen corporate heads of rival businesses and political personnel with no positions banded together. Like the lore they were spiteful and enraged over Joubu’s treatment of them, and though classed as Yuurei, many still held many loyalties and contacts within the corporation. Their ability to conduct financial terrorism had near earth shaking ability. The Goryoo quickly established themselves as a group above the others, who in their mind were the true rulers of the city, taking actions against Joubu corporation, it’s child companies, and even its schools. Many Yurrei saw them as heroes at first, until the Goryoo turned on other Yurrei, knowing full well that once they were to reclaim their power they would have to contend with the problem of the lower cast as well.

Still other groups of noble cause formed, namely a group known as ” the Onryo”. In Myth an Onryo was a vengeful spirit, often a warrior who had returned to right any wrongs done to them in their lifetime. The Onryo faction took this another step, believing that they would not only avenge themselves, but that of every innocent soul who was wronged. Many Onyro were city police, Military, or average good natured individuals who were punished for aiding others or had discovered many of the dark secrets of the corporate giants. What makes the Onryo so dangerous to security teams is that many are not tagged, most onryo having never been tagged, as they chose a secret exile, Many still hold employment to the public eye.
Because of their nature, the Onryo work in very small groups to avoid detection, performing assassinations of key corporate officers or detonating small nonlethal explosives outside of buildings during meetings with partner corporations to scare Joubu’s allies away. Still others do simple tasks, such as purchasing food and medication for yuurei most in need.