Fire erupted from a steam pipe pointed high into the air above a busy street; those below the pipe recoiled and fell to the ground in a panic. Those further away looked over with shock before sprinting in the opposite direction. Screams broke out faster than those in the crowd could turn to run. The sound of the crowd stampeding across the heating pavement could be heard blocks away before it was all silenced by the deafening blast of an underground refinery exploding. The whole city block was turned to ash and rubble that rained down on the buildings that managed to stay standing around the new crater in the city.

Sirens filled the streets as the firemen took to the road; roaring down the worn roads, they bounced through potholes and swerved around fallen power poles. Coming to the edge of the crater, they all bailed out of their trucks and started to douse the flames that were burning from the large metal furnaces that were hidden by the city streets.

Civilians on the streets fell to their knees as they wept for those who may have been consumed by the raging inferno that was now raging in the city center. The buildings nearby that were on the edge of the explosion started to groan with anticipation, but the cacophony of the streets below drowned them out; their warnings went unheard, then they made those beneath them unheard as they came crashing down on as many as they could, adding to the horror of the night.

Watching from a tower in the distance, a man sipped at his glass as his glass wobbled gently against the diminishing shockwave that had faded by the time it reached his home.

“Why do people assume that building highly volatile refineries under a city was a good idea? I understand that we are low on space, but surely we can put some of the less explosive industries underground to avoid all this death and carnage.” He said with a sense of serenity in his voice.

Turning around, he faced his wife, who sat relaxed on the velvet red couch with a sleek glass in hand and a designer dress that matched the couch.

“Sit down; we don’t need to watch the poor people suffering.”

“They’re not suffering.” He laughed. “They’re all dead; they should have voted against the clause that allowed those constructions to happen in their city blocks.”

“Oh, didn’t you hear? They were not given an option. They ran the referendum from high to low, but by the time it reached low, everyone had said no, so the government just forced Low into more debt for the sake of the city.” The wife stalled as another flash of light caught her eye. “Or maybe it was in order to sink the city.” She said with a grin.

The husband glanced over his shoulder, watching as a new collection of buildings fell to the secondary explosions.

“Now that you mention it, with all that destruction, that does make that specific low-block prime real estate. I can think of a couple of companies that might be interested in acquiring that land.” Tipping his glass to his wife, he smiled. “At a much-discounted price, on account of the explosion damage.”

The wife chuckled as she took a sip of her drink.

“By the way you say that, it is almost like you are implying that this was planned.”

“Now, those are dangerous words coming from your mouth, dear. Best we keep them hidden less any ears are listening.”

The wife stood from her lounged position; with a devious grin, she placed down her glass and wrapped one arm around her husband.

“I say, let them listen.” She said as he put three rounds from her pistol into her husband.

His eyes widened, and he slumped to the floor with death in his eyes.

“God, I could not fucking take it. You pompous fucking asshole.” She screamed as she kicked him in the ribs. “All you can fucking think about is money, and connections, and land. We literally live in a fucking tower worth more than the whole of lower you absolute cunt.” She continued as she slumped down onto the couch, tearing her tailored dress in the process.

Alarms started to blare, and she sat with a silent acceptance.

“Sold like a damn animal, thanks parents. I love being a trophy wife. It is good to know that the only worth I have is in my looks and my reproductive organs.”

The wife held up a small sheet of tablets.

“Well, guess what fucker? I have been on birth control this whole time. So you get nothing of what you want. You get no trophy wife, no heir, and no life. Your family’s kingdom is going to crash and burn just like the suburbs of the lower.”

The wife spat on the ground and leered at the fires in the distance.

“I hope my parents were in that explosion, but they probably got paid well for me, so I doubt they were living in the slums anymore.”

Gunshots were fired on the 38th floor, the building is now in full lockdown. Please remain calm as the security makes their way to the floor of disturbance.

The intercom rang loud in the wife’s ears; she winced as she grabbed for the bottle of drink as the doors locked automatically.

“Come now, military police, do you really think little ol’ me would try and escape?”

We take no chances with murderers.

“Oh, so you are listening up there, high authority, the governing eye. Should have done a better job watching. Maybe Reiner’s last heir wouldn’t be dead now.”

Filthy lower, Lord Reiner is not dead, yet there is still time.

“Time?” The wife laughed. “He is as likely to breed as I am to survive the next five minutes. Not only is he senile, but with as many diseases as he has, I would be surprised if it was still even intact.”

2 minutes until floor 38 breaches, feel safe residents; those of you who pay will be able to watch the raid on the murderer.

“Oh, I forgot blood sports was a thing up here. Does that mean I am being recorded now?”

Yes, your death will be a spectacle, a reminder to all who dare stand against us.

The wife unloaded her pistol into the corpse of her husband; standing over him, she spread her legs, ripping her dress further before pissing on his face.

You will be punished for this.

“Punished, more than death and torture? I know what comes for me, so don’t you dare threaten me with worse.” She screamed up to the intercom. Clicking the gun, she tried to fire the empty chambers into the speaker. “Stupid fucking thing, just wait, and I will get to you.” She said as she walked to a small cabinet, unlocking it with a small key on her charm bracelet.

Inside were mostly papers and envelopes, but in a small drawer was a collection of clips for her gun; she checked them all to make sure they were full, then reloaded her pistol as the sound of footsteps amassing outside her apartment crept under her door.

You have ten seconds; any last word for your fellow apartment dwellers’ murderer?

The wife remained silent; walking calmly to the front door, she unloaded her pistol through it. Small shells fell to the ground as she blinked through every pull of the trigger. Those on the far side of the door were pelted with bullets, several of them wounded with looking to be on the brink of death. Before they had time to react, she dropped the empty clip, loaded a new one, and started to fire once again, scaring away the riot enforcers behind the door. She then turned to the window of her apartment and unloaded her final clip into it, smashing the window and inviting a torrent of high-altitude air in. She walked through the torrent of wind and glass calmly, her feet being pierced with the broken glass stained the carpet red with blood before she took her final step into the open air, plummeting down the side of the building. Her eyes closed as she struggled to breathe against the wind forcing its way into her airways. Tears were pulled from the corners of her eyes before her body collided with a car that was waiting on its valet to park, crushing it completely.

The owner of the vehicle groaned as he handed off the key to the valet.

“I expect it to be repaired before I need it again; the complex has three days.”

“yes, sir.” The valet said reactively; looking back to the crushed vehicle, he stared at the corpse of the wife as her blood dripped from her corpse. “It will be repaired and cleaned as soon as possible.”

“Good, see that it is, or else I will have your job.” The man said as he walked his wife into the apartment complex.