Franchises of the Golden Gate
What kind of life do you choose for yourself? Into what world should your children grow? What franchise is ready to accept who you are? Where you were born? Or, maybe, where do those who you love live? Where are more opportunities for development in what you like to do besides work? What clothes do you like to wear? What church should you go to? Who do you want to see as your neighbors? What traditions are important for you to preserve? Or, maybe you want to create new ones?
These are the questions that people answer for themselves, choosing a franchise. And — no, no one has to choose one of them forever. It is much easier to change franchise citizenship in the twenty-first than state citizenship in the twentieth.
The main thing that brings us progress by the middle of the twenty-first century is freedom of choice. There are more and more options, what to be — changing or unchanging, living or dead, steel or virtual. It is not surprising that in the question of where, with whom and how to live, modern man also refuses to rely only on luck and blind fate.
Once, the golden dreams of Frank Pontecorvo and his firm conviction – that a group of intelligent people can always build the most suitable society for themselves – met the reality of corporations which had the resources to transform the idea into reality. At this point, the weakened state had to give some space in its claims to control the way of life of its citizens.
Today in the territory of several states the franchise system is widespread. This means that part of the territory belongs to franchises — territories that live according to their laws in all senses of the word (however, the observance of a few remaining state laws is always included in their number). Usually the territory of the franchise is not integral, one franchise may have several complexes in different parts of the country and even within the same city. Theoretically, any organization that has fulfilled certain requirements, owns land and has concluded an appropriate contract with the state can obtain the status of a franchise. In fact, the set of these requirements is such that most of the franchises are owned by large corporations or influential public organizations.
On the territory of the Golden Gate State there are territories of four franchises. Three of them belong to corporations — Serenity, Johnson & Johnson, PanAm. The fourth is the US franchise, under the management of the local representative of the state, Sunlight Corporation.
In some of them it is easier to obtain citizenship, in others it is more difficult. The choice of place of residence is not directly related to the place of work. Of course, many of those who believe in their corporation, as in the Lord God, and prefer to sleep at work, tend to live in its franchise. But these are not all the residents of the Golden Gate.
Franchise USA
Here live those for whom the idea of State still means something. And who – maybe just for a few minutes — are filled with pride, when the hymn sounds in the morning, and the flag flutters outside the window.
Here live those for whom it is important to preserve their particular national traditions. The US franchise is especially attentive to the preservation of different national cultures. Here you can often meet people in traditional clothes or smell the incense coming from someone's family altar.
Here live those who want to live a calm civilized life, but who do not have any special intentions or ideas about how the world should be arranged differently. Just a normal place to live, a police station around the corner, what else do you need?
Serenity franchise
In this franchise, Japanese and American ideals were interwoven in a complex way. Here minimalism is in fashion. It's in fashion to be the best. Restraint and hierarchy reign here.
They say that if you are the best in your business, one day you will receive an invitation from the Serenity franchise to accept its citizenship. Of course, this is not the only way to settle here, but the selection of potential citizens is quite severe. It is also said that the top management of the corporation has installed neuroimplants to disable emotions and increase efficiency. It is not known whether this is true, but the territory of the franchise is much more suitable for calm reflection than for expressing turbulent emotions (which, however, is fully compensated in some closed institutions). Many of the residents of the franchise are fans of neo-Confucianism. A characteristic style for those who live here is an organic combination of traditions and high-end. For example, a combination of an implant of the last model and a katana or fan.
Here, more often than in other parts of the city, you can meet androids — the residents of this franchise are better than anyone else in using this "social augmentation." However, having enough money, anyone can rent an android.
Johnson & Johnson franchise
The brightest, terrestrial, energy-rich franchise full of joy of life. They believe that "to work well, you need to rest well, live brightly and get new impressions". At work your mind and skills are valued, you are doing everything you can for society and corporation. After the end of the working day, enjoy yourself as you like: any pleasure, any sins, permissiveness. The laws within the franchise are eased as much as possible. You don’t have to limit personal need for external self-expression. No artificial limitations and boring traditions! You can be a successful world scientist, the face of the laboratory, and go to work, with fish scales inserted into the skin of his face; with a mohawk; dressed in a yellow jacket, crimson pants and green sneakers with luminous soles (or all of this at once) – this is normal. Here no one hesitates to speak loudly, love sex or show muscles through the transparent skin. In this franchise they believe that our body is given to us by the Lord, and that is why it is beautiful.
By the way, about the Creator of all things: this is also the most religious franchise of all. Only in contrast to the stagnant traditional religions still preserved somewhere in the Lower City, religion here does not deny, but, on the contrary, welcomes and supports the interest and acceptance of everything carnal. The Lord created us not just as souls, but clothed in flesh and blood. We consist of something thatdies, and that's the point. Religious rites in this franchise are more like mysteries and carnivals, but in the church it is more interesting than in virtual reality. It may seem like a strange combination, but remember the Irish or Italians of the previous years — that's who was a believer and at the same time was able to live a full life!
They say that their inner slogan is "Try Again!" This hints that instead of almost any damaged body, a resident of this franchise can easily get a new one by insurance.
PanAm franchise
Here you will never be alone. Here live those who appreciate drive, joy and style. Immortal "New Look" (of course, glowing of lights in modern fashion), hats and tango — that's what this franchise is associated with.
Advertising slogan is "Live a better life" — the franchise offers a perfect life for ideal people. And the main ideals here are eternal values: the beauty and joy of human communication.
PanAm Corporation has become famous for its developments in the field of VR, telecommunications and entertainment. Of course, the insurance of this franchise includes the possibility of a longer stay in VR.
They say that this franchise has the warmest good neighborly relations. But what is absolutely certain is the fact that PanAm Corporation was the first to take care of the inclusiveness of jobs and franchise territory for people who suffers from zagreofreny.