Most builldings and facilities within the city are in very good condition, and large parts of the city have maintained a modern near-new feel. The city is filled to the brim with premises offering the goods and services craved by consumers with plenty to spend. As well as shops and malls there are casinos, nighclubs, bars, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, hotels, amusement parks, sporting facilities and a large variety of other entertainment venues. In addition to the staff who provide these thriving support businesses a large number of tourists travel here to experience "the Sapphire City lifestyle".
In a city that produces few durable products, almost everything is imported - by plane, train, road and sea freight. This in turn has lead to the northern third of the city becoming a major transport hub connecting other cities and production areas in the region. The importance of this hub, and the research of some of the ETC companies, has seen the development of several important nearby military facilities.
Nothing good lasts for ever however. The fortunes of the ETC companies have shifted, with one company divided by a bitter internal dispute and another on the verge of collapse as a result of shifting markets. The easy wealth lifestyle has seen the emergence of vice, corruption, and the highly addictive drugs 'chill' and 'pump'. Organised crime is gaining influence, and a violent gang culture is developing amoung some of those who have been less fortunate in recent times. To add to these concerns, an 'undisclosed emergency' at one of the corporate research labs has seen a quarantine zone placed around a six kilometer square block of the city.
