THE CITY OF LIFE

[Hunter E. Xenith]

It is the year 2573. There are hover cars populating the sky, and kerojacks are a popular mode of transport. There are still trains and cars grounded to the... Well.... Ground, but the richer people prefer teleporting. It's all good in The City of Life.

The City of Life. Named after the Commander himself, Louis Vida IV, he and the people close to him know that the name will not last forever. He has no children to follow in his footsteps, and that is entirely a fault of his own, as he so frequently tells his lamenting wife. Even now, the stench of death is pervading the outer perimeter of Sector 8. But who will the new Commander be? Will he be as loved as Commander Vida? Will he be hated by all? Will he cause a revolution? What will he do to help his charges? Nothing? Everything? Nobody knows. Nobody.... Except the Commander.

Each sector has it's own Sultan, or Sultaness. These are regal-blooded people, all descended from the same line as Louis Vida, but not as directly. Some cousins, some aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces. But who deserves the crown? Some don't care for it, and others claim not to, while secretly planning ways to get it. Others are more open, but unlikely, through their brutal honesty, to get near the throne. Each ruler is to be given an envelope. Each envelope contains a piece of the puzzle. The envelope cannot be opened until the death of Commander Vida, and that puzzle will then reveal the next ruler. There is only one clue. YOU WILL NOT EXPECT IT.

Whether the five words refer to the method of Commander Vida's death, or the time, or his successor, nobody knows. Nobody.... Except the Commander.

What will the rulers do to get to the throne? Lie? Cheat? Steal? Kill?