Jack of Harts

The lowest classes of the Socialist Republic of Juneau under the old Life Debt system were filled with those burdened under generations of legal or social infractions that had ballooned their Life Debt beyond any ability to repay. Others earned Life Debts through truly terrible acts that proved they could never be part of society again. These lowest casts, often living off the public largess in Debtors Prisons, were too deplorable or irredeemable to be allowed to pollute the best and most Socially Aware society in all the worlds once the Life Debt system was largely removed. So they were ceremoniously packed onto passenger boats and deposited outside the borders of Juneau. Though there are persistent rumors that not all who got onto the boats made it to safety outside Juneau. Many families tell stories of people who disappeared during the exodus from Juneau, though in the vast majority of cases they were later found having simply been packed onto a different boat with a different destination. Still, the rumors of mass disappearances continue to this day and numerous conflicting studies have been penned in the decades that have followed.

Those who earned new Life Debts to the people of the Socialist Republic of Juneau had numerous ways of paying back their Debt. Most often these were in low risk services like cleaning the public roads or emptying the trash in public venues. Another way to pay off their Debt was for individuals with higher Social Credit to use some of their Credit to buy a portion of the Life Debt, creating a term of Indentured Servitude for the duration of the resulting Social Contract. This formalized a long tradition of The State providing individual servants for the Zero Balancers under the old system, and has helped to create an interesting economy in Juneau. Since all the necessities of life are free, the very best family servants, such as celebrities who have incurred Debt by violating the Social Contract, become a way of showing status. And so the upper crust of Juneau take every opportunity to show off their, sometimes very famous, Indentured Servants to other upper crust families.

The Socialist Republic of Juneau’s new Social Credit system was a profound change to the way of life in Juneau. With no more need to work for a living thanks to fabricators and robotic labor, Juneau built their new system to promote social awareness and responsibility in the growing worlds. Acting and speaking well for themselves and Juneau improved Social Credit and gave them access to more prestigious rewards in life. Outside observers noted that this was little different than the old Life Debt system, but the government of Juneau was quick to say that such was not so. The old system was based on the needs of the people and the debt that engendered. But fabricators changed everything. Material needs no longer existed. The only challenge left was to improve themselves and society. All they asked now was that the people treat each other well, and those who did it best would be rewarded with the best in life. Juneau was happy to give them access to the far better society of tomorrow, where hunger and want was a thing of the past, that today’s technologies made possible.