From The Journal of Chase:
“I accept this badge, I accept this honor, and I vow to never betray my integrity, my character or the trust of the people I serve” - Corver City Police Department Oath
I remember saying those words many years ago, and I meant them. I remember watching others say those words; some were old friends, some were new colleagues, but at the time I thought they meant them, too. And maybe they did, who am I to say. People change, priorities shift, bills need to get paid. We all like to think we are uncorruptable, but the truth is, here in Corver City they can get to almost anyone. The mistake that’s made is believing that anyone can live in a corrupt society without being corrupt themselves, I think George Orwell said that. And there is no more corrupt society then the city I call home.
Here in Corver City, those who make the rules also break them, and everyone looks the other way because they are either on the payroll, or too scared to speak up. It’s the carrot or the stick, method. First, you’ll be offered a bribe of some kind, whether that be money that you desperately need or a position you didn’t earn. If the dangling carrot doesn’t work, the stick comes out. If you have a family, be prepared to have them threatened, if you have a job be prepared to lose it, because someone at your company is munching on their carrot while you try to dodge the stick.
Sometimes I feel like I’m the only holdout, the last man standing. And I have to admit, there are days when I ask myself if it’s worth it or not. There are mornings where I wake up before my alarm, and I get out of bed ready to take on the day and make a positive change out in the world, and then I remember where I live and the reality of it hits me like a barrel of freezing water to the face. The pressure to submit is intense sometimes. I could just stop swimming against the current, lay back into the water and allow it to push me along. I could rest for once.
But then I remember I don’t have much to lose. I have enough money saved to pay my meager bills, I have no children or wife to protect, and I do have a job but I think my superiors believe it’s better to keep me close where they can see me every day rather than fire me. If I lost my job the next time they see me I might be jumping from building to building, wearing a mask and a cape, vigilante style. I might be the last man standing, but I’ll still stand while my legs can hold me, I’m not ready to float down that lazy river just yet.