C.2. Lower Middle-Class Urban

Individuals living at this level of society make their homes, for the most part, on the first level of skyways in Metamor City. These are people with enough financial means to avoid the harsh ghettoes of the Street, but not enough to afford the little luxuries people of the "true" Middle Class, the "Micks", take for granted. The Lower Middle Class ("Low-Micks") tend to work long hours, take few vacations, and seldom venture too far from home. Where Micks might go out to mid-scale restaurants once a week, Low-Micks would order pizza or Rukilian carry-out. Instead of eight-passenger "family" skimmers, they drive small economy models or low-end swoops; instead of a private spelljack with full-immersion WorldNet access, they'll use a low-end computer terminal with a simple viewscreen or (if they're lucky) a pair of 3D goggles. They have small townhouses, large mortgages, or both, assuming they even own their homes at all; many live in apartments or other rented facilities. Many of them have hefty student loans or other sorts of debt, which is a constant burden on their finances.

Low-Micks are often recently-married couples, who may be childless or have one or two young children. Others at this level include experienced laborers with little formal education, elderly individuals who never acquired much in the way of life savings, recent university graduates with a lot of school debt, and most university students (though these often live on campus, which is a world unto itself).

Professions:

Most Blue-collar workers fall into this social level.

White-collar workers are usually clerks working in entry-level positions or for temporary employment agencies. They may also be struggling small business owners.

Members of the Professional career paths are most likely working in apprentice positions: young associates at law firms, medical residents, grad-students and post-docs at laboratories, back-up singers or supporting actors in the entertainment business.

Religious employees at this level include members of convents and monasteries, as well as young priests and priestesses working in junior or assistant positions.

Mages at this social level are usually adepts, either close to completing their studies or having recently done so.

Psis are rare at this level, since the Psi Collective redistributes its wealth to ensure that everyone is cared for.

Government employees found at this social level include entry-level police officers, firefighters, and bureaucrats. (Kate Kitaen also lives at this level of the City, in Isri Fallon's apartment complex; this is below her means, given her current pay rate, but it's allowing her to build up savings for a place of her own.)

Criminal/Fringe workers at this level include many runners, the more successful drug dealers, most small-time fences and pawn shop owners, and entry-level workers in sex parlors licensed with the Sensualist Guild.