It was a perfect day to be in the city park. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and the birds were singing. Though, for the line of debtors waiting to be auctioned, it was likely the worst day of their lives. So far. While debtors' prisons were still illegal, there was a return to indentured servitude where the rich could pay off the debts, at least, of those who failed at the modern economic system and own the debtor until they'd earned off the sum that was paid. This was rarely possible, and those purchased remained slaves for the rest of their lives. Bidding above what they owed usually ensured this. Slaves purchased in this way were used for many things from domestic help, to pleasure slaves, to high-level employees who could never accept another job, to factories with dorms and no vacations or weekends.
Kyle Tran was in line with the other slaves. His entrepreneurial spirit had failed him, and it was determined by the courts that he could never reasonably pay off his debts. His meager assets were seized, and he'd spend the last few days in regular county jail along with many others currently in line. There was little period of adjustment to come to terms with being a normal, free man and then being sold into veritable slavery. They wore lime green prison jumpsuits, shapeless pants and tight tshirts. The green was to show their 'crime' was money, and made it easier for the police to spot the rare runaway. Kyle wasn't tall, standing at 5'8", but his tight tshirt indicated his athletic physique which made him stand out in the dejected looking crowd.
The facilitator of this sale acted like any other auctioneer. He'd list a qualification or two of the subject in question, then their total debt, which was the starting price. There were about a hundred bidders, agents, and spectators, today, while children laughed as regular families enjoyed the surrounding park. Eventually, Kyle was called on stage, and he trudged up. His posture was usually excellent, but today his shoulders hung. He just looked down at the platform in front of him while the auctioneer spoke about his bachelor's degree in exercise science, then his total off $230,000 of total debt, which was his starting price. As the moment came for the actual bidding to begin, he finally looked up, scanning the crowd for any sign of sympathy or kindness. He primarily looked for female faces, as the bitter jokes in prison were that being purchased by older lonely rich women were the best any of them could hope for.
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