Flaming Rage
Cypress Creek had also been on an expanding spree during Benzoate's growth spurt. The western half of the city was proving to be a popular area for new immigrants. Both Michele and Jason agreed that it needed to be capitalized upon using the open land separating much of the already developed housing from the businesses near the Dessan River. The construction began in the fall, and by the spring a whole new section of the city was complete.
The majority of the new buildings were already fully occupied by the time the flowers and trees were in full bloom. It was a testament to the efficiency of the construction workers, to be sure, but even more so to the simplistic construction methods mandated by Michele. While the buildings kept up the necessary safety standards, the designs were simple and unvarying for many of the new buildings so that more could be built in such a short time. It was extremely obvious with some of the apartment buildings sprouting to the south, but the smaller homes were also showing these characteristics. It didn't please Jason's sense of aesthetics, but he could definitely appreciate the efficiency it brought.
The influx of people to the region left the roads clogged with cars for miles. The city's infrastructure was starting to show a great need for upgrading, including the power plants. A new power plant was needed, but too many geothermal plants were already in place; the ground could not support another. Solar power wouldn't suffice, and oil would be too expensive to import. There were known coal, oil, and natural gas reserves in the mountains to the west, so until the coal and oil could be unearthed, the easy-to-reach natural gas deposits would be enough to power the city for the immediate future. The air and water pollution levels throughout the city were rising at an ever-increasing rate, especially with the new power plant operating.
This didn't concern Michele much, as her mansion was located high above the main city where all the pollution gathered, but the people living there did care, as did the original residents of the mountain village known as Cypress Creek...
It began with the torching of a single building that spread to a nearby warehouse. No one claimed responsibility, but it was clearly a case of arson. Thankfully, no one was present at the time and thus no injuries were reported.
The next day three more buildings fell victim to arson. This time, however, the attackers deliberately targeted more populated buildings, and three people were injured in the ensuing chaos.
A week passed without any more incidents. And then, at approximately noon, a riot broke out in a side street not far from the downtown train station. Many buildings were set aflame as the rioters recruited more and more followers of chaos and destruction. The rioters soon broke up into groups, overtaking the downtown businesses by storm.
The riot broke out so suddenly, and so many people in the area were taken in by the chanting out against the mayor, that it was almost an hour before police arrived to put an end to the unrest.
They were far too late to put a quick end to the conflict, however. Far too late. It wasn't until late at night when the police were finally able to get an upper hand over the rioters. That upper hand came in the form of police helicopters, which were put to great effect in rounding up the people involved. The police spent the rest of the night patrolling the streets, seeking out any stragglers that may have escaped arrest.
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