Spokie

Spokie is the hometown of the Dust. A suburb of New Chicago, it is the location of DOME's regional headquarters.

History
Spokie suffered severely during the States War. When General Lamson won his decisive victory in the east, Spokie was burning. Relieved to be at peace again, most of Spokie's residents accepted the Mark without question. Most of those who did not ended up living on Slog Row, away from the rest of the town.

Geography
Spokie, located in the Corn Belt, is a suburb of New Chicago. A highly urban setting in itself, it is surrounded by farms and woods. Beyond the farming areas, environmental disasters have caused the land to be unfit for growing crops.

Economy
DOME's regional headquarters, commonly called the Umbrella, are located in Spokie. Spokie's Center also employs many people, including receptionists, Markers, and nurses. Employment is not plentiful in Spokie, however, and some residents of the town commute to the nanomaterials plant an hour and a half away in order to work.

Architecture
Space within Spokie is limited. To conserve land for farming, strict zoning laws prevent private lots from taking up more than 400 square feet of ground space. Buying more than one lot is extremely expensive, so many people compensate for the loss of space by building homes with ten or more floors.

The Old District contains homes that were built prior to the zoning restrictions, so they are wider than they are tall. Only the very wealthiest residents of Spokie, like Dane's parents, can afford a home in the Old District.

Many public buildings, including Spokie Middle School, were constructed underground in order to preserve space.

Education
Spokie has a number of schools, including Spokie Middle School, which Logan, Erin, Hailey, and Dane attended. Spokie's school buildings are expensive and well-designed, but its educational system is considered substandard by those in Beacon City.