Ricky

 

Ricky is a young man, less than twenty, who lives in the Annex. He crosses into Boomtown daily on a work pass to apprentice at Holman Printing in Lowtown.

We meet him in the shantytown where he lives, reading a pulp novella whose title we can partially make out: Six-Gun: The True…

Inside his squalid home, we see Ricky change into one of several clean outfits for work. He hides his novella in a secret cubby which slides out of the wall when kicked.

Through Ricky’s experience, we see what life is like for a “slummer.” He gives an oath and presents his papers at multiple gates between localities; he must receive his food at the back door of a cafe rather than walking in the front; he is threatened with a baton by a Keeper when he crosses their path; he witnesses citizens spitting at a worker from the Annex as he performs hard labor.

Ricky speaks positively of Narissa and Six-Gun and seems to romanticize the struggles in generations past. Ricky spends Preamble gathering his thoughts for a pamphlet he intends to print. In doing so, he summarizes the city’s recent history going back several generations - a history he indicates is more thorough or accurate than what is taught to the citizens within the walls.

When Ricky arrives at work, he and Holman briefly discuss a humanitarian petition being debated within the Institution. Holman tells him it is looking “ever better” for them, but it would seem this is not enough for Ricky. He prints his pamphlet: “In Consideration of the Annexes and All Living People.” We gather that in it he accuses the Institution of neglecting its people and attempts to inspire those who agree and want to affect change.

It is made clear that reading such literature would be an offense - his risk in printing it must be great.

Ricky observes people in a crowded Lowtown square and tries to deduce who may be safe to approach with this contraband. He sees “loyalists,” “conservatives,” and “workhouse laborers.” When he sees a dirty, gruff-looking man going through a gate without showing his papers, Ricky follows.

Unfortunately, the Gruff Man knows Ricky followed him and is not pleased, but when he sees a copy of the pamphlet, he becomes nervous. Just then, Officer Meyer arrives and sees from Ricky‘s papers that he is out of his authorized area. Meyer lets him go with a warning.

After the close call, Ricky abandons his mission and heads back to Holman’s, where Holman is already waiting for him. Holman has discovered that Ricky used the press without authorization, and is angry that Ricky failed to file some of Holman’s reports as instructed. Ricky admits he printed the pamphlet hoping to get Narissa’s attention. Holman makes him burn the pamphlets and his work pass. Ricky is fired.

While walking back to his home in the slums outside Boomtown’s outer wall, Ricky hears gunshots. Carefully peering around the edge of a structure, he sees that Outsiders are raiding his slum, setting fires, and corralling the inhabitants.

He is caught by one of the Outsiders and says he has money - possibly all they came for. He asks to speak with Abarth, the presumed leader of this gang, to negotiate their peaceful departure. The Outsider is amused by this notion and points his gun at Ricky, saying, “Oh man… He’s gonna love this.”

It is not Abarth but Hank who is leading this Outsider tribe, the Hangman’s Horde. Hank accuses Ricky and the other slummers of supporting the Institution (which Hank refers to as The Black Pyramid) for living on the city side of the frontier. He shows Hank the undistributed pamphlet he’d printed earlier, insinuating there is widespread revolutionary sentiment within the city to back up his claim that they and the Hangman’s Horde share a common enemy.

Hank decides to spare Ricky’s life for having “lightened the burden.” The other slummers are massacred.

Hank thanks Ricky for giving him the names (presumably of Abarth and Marcus) and departs with his horde, saying to Ricky, “Look for us,” and leaving him alone among the corpses of his neighbors.

 
 
 

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