The SKIM CENTER: Sector 47 — The Trenches | Neo-Angeles
Classification
- Underground Swap Meet / Flea Market
- Black-Market Economic Hub
- Maine Glove Combat Venue
- Cultural & Criminal Convergence Zone
- Informal Intelligence & Contract Exchange
Acronym Significance
S.K.I.M. is a legacy designation inherited from the pre-collapse era.
The name traces back to four forgotten ideological pillars once associated with:
- Structured knowledge
- Suppressed ancestral understanding
- Forbidden inquiry
- Invisible systems of control
In the present era, the original meaning is not taught, recorded, or publicly discussed.
Within The Trenches, the name functions as a symbol — not a lesson.
Overview
The S.K.I.M. Center is a vast underground complex beneath Sector 47, operating as one of the most active — and least regulated — locations in Neo-Angeles.
It is not a single structure, but a sprawling network of corridors, vendor rows, fight pits, and abandoned infrastructure, reclaimed by the people of The Trenches and repurposed into a functioning underground economy.
The S.K.I.M. Center exists openly.
Not because it is protected —
but because it is allowed to rot.
Primary Functions
Swap Meet / Flea Market
Upper and mid-levels operate as an unregulated underground market where vendors trade:
- Scavenged technology and mech remnants
- Modified or illegal weapons
- Counterfeit or altered Maine Glove components
- Old-world media, data chips, and hardware
- Experimental gear deemed unsafe elsewhere
- Drift Core / torsion-drive mobility rigs (black-market antigravity gear)
- Null — the HORAS-grown entheogen that dissolves SYS-9 suppression and surfaces ambient Nu’at imprints (sold quietly, deep-level only)
Stalls are temporary.
Vendors move often.
Nothing stays long.
Currency & Trade
C.O.I.N. — System Designation
C.O.I.N. is the standardized economic protocol used throughout Neo-Angeles and The Trenches.
C.O.I.N. denotes:
Centralized
Omni-Interchange
Node
C.O.I.N. was engineered as a universal transfer node, not a traditional currency.
Value exists only as validated movement within the network.
Ownership is temporary.
Access is conditional.
Use in the S.K.I.M. Center
Despite operating outside formal authority, the S.K.I.M. Center recognizes C.O.I.N. as the primary transfer medium due to its universality.
C.O.I.N. is used for:
- Goods and equipment
- Maine Glove fight wagers
- Information access
- Contract initiation for drops, protection, and gigs
However, C.O.I.N. governs transfer, not trust.
Reputation routinely outweighs currency.
A common saying persists:
“C.O.I.N. moves value. Names move reality.”
Maine Glove Boxing Tournaments
The lowest levels of the S.K.I.M. Center host illegal Maine Glove boxing tournaments, regarded throughout The Trenches as the most authentic and brutal proving ground for glove users.
- No governing body
- No medical oversight
- No formal rules
- No guaranteed survival
These fights are not hidden.
They are celebrated.
Malcolm Williams — The Legendary Bout
The most famous event in S.K.I.M. history centers on Malcolm Williams.
As a young Maine Glove fighter, Malcolm rose rapidly through the S.K.I.M. ranks, earning respect for his discipline, restraint, and overwhelming presence. His championship bout drew unprecedented attention and remains one of the most widely remembered events in underground history.
The match was blatantly rigged.
Everyone knew it.
Everyone saw it.
When Malcolm refused to throw the fight, the cheating became undeniable — and the fallout legendary.
Among the people of The Trenches, the bout is remembered as:
- One of the greatest displays of corruption ever exposed
- A moment where the system failed publicly
- The night Malcolm Williams became more than a fighter
The tragedy that followed only deepened the legend.
After the War
Long after the conflict that reshaped Neo-Angeles, Malcolm returned.
Not as a fighter —
but as a kingpin.
He took control of key underground routes, enforced order where none existed, and became a figure spoken about with equal parts fear and reverence. To many in S.K.I.M., Malcolm Williams was not just respected — he was loved.
His story is told with pride.
Shad Williams — Legacy in the Flesh
Because of this, Shad Williams experiences the S.K.I.M. Center differently than anywhere else in The Trenches.
Across Sector 47, Shad is constantly reminded of his father’s legacy through:
- Murals
- Graffiti
- Old fight posters
- Street stories
But inside S.K.I.M., the reaction is immediate and personal.
Vendors, fighters, and fixers openly acknowledge him:
“You Malcolm’s boy?"
"Man… that last fight was hard to watch."
"Your pops was real. Anything you need — let me know.”
For many, helping Shad feels like paying a debt.
Suspicion & Resentment
Not everyone shares that reverence.
Whispers persist that Malcolm Williams may have been responsible for the death of David O’Neal, a powerful underground figure tied to the rigged bout and its aftermath.
There is no proof.
No confirmation.
Only belief.
The old loyalties of TXG — Top Gunnas — remain unresolved.
TXG harbors quiet resentment toward:
- Shad Williams
- Squad 816
- Anyone closely tied to Malcolm’s legacy
They do not act openly — but the tension is constant.
Present-Day Operations
In the current timeline, the S.K.I.M. Center serves as a primary coordination and networking hub.
Frequent Visitors
- Shad Williams
- Rhea
- Stacks
- Squad 816
They use the S.K.I.M. Center to:
- Trade goods and resources
- Gather intelligence (the anonymous Cosmic Mic — Zone 47’s data-driven truth broadcaster, NOXIN’s top non-hybrid target — is rumored to source and drop leaks here)
- Secure drop jobs and protection gigs
- Meet intermediaries and gang leadership
Because of TXG tensions, Squad 816 works primarily with:
- FCG — Fly City Gods
FCG maintains a more favorable view of Malcolm’s legacy and treats Shad as a valued ally rather than a liability.
Authority Status
MPO
- Infrequent patrols
- No permanent checkpoints
X80 & VANTH
- Fully aware of the S.K.I.M. Center
- No direct intervention
Unofficial Classification:
Containment through neglect.
Cultural Significance
To the people of The Trenches, the S.K.I.M. Center is:
- A marketplace for survival
- A shrine to legacy
- A place where reputations outlive bodies
It is crowded with:
- Dangerous figures
- Loyal allies
- Old grudges waiting to resurface
- The Erased — memoryless drifters dumped out of VANTH’s age-regression black project, haunting the deeper levels
Inside S.K.I.M., history is not archived —
it is remembered.
Environmental Details
- Cracked concrete corridors
- Flickering gridline lighting powered by stolen energy
- Decades of layered graffiti and murals
- Vendors operating from broken storefronts and containers
- Constant noise: crowds, generators, basslines, violence
The deeper the level, the heavier the history.
Lore Note
Few people know what S.K.I.M. originally stood for.
They don’t need to.
What matters is what everyone understands: