Themes: self-reflection, hustler, exploiting and being exploited, proving yourself
In the past, all three Verhoog children (Kit, Ira, and Billie) tried to use the money earned by the family pawnshop to get out of La Cage. Kit was the only one to actually succeed to some extent. They see themselves as the boss and deeply believe in applying the rules of the jungle in everyday life. The citizens of La Cage are poor because they deserve it. If they just hustled a bit more, fixed some windows, and sold more things, the place would be nicer. The only question is: why, then, did Kit end up here in La Cage again? Of course, there was a letter from their parent calling them back. But Kit is not interested in only that - they are here to prove that they have really made it. They can work harder, they can leverage all their connections, they can totally exploit their teen friends and they can make it big even in La Cage. Of course they can.
Everybody who lives in La Cage is mostly poor and desperate. The families and professionals living in Apartment Blocks are the ones who really try to keep some semblance of normality in their lives. The Block A is the wealthier one - it consists of people that are sure to have food even next week but are not entirely sure if they can get medical care in times of need. All while enjoying the luxury of reliable electricity and mostly repaired windows. The people living here have at least some "power" due to their jobs, but almost everybody is afraid that their little slice of paradise will be taken from them by relocation to a different flat.
You know the truth. You can see it all around you. You are some of the few enlightened people around here. Nothing is as it seems and all of humanity faces extinction. The mold is not just a fungus, it's a macro-organism who has invaded Earth long ago. It has taken root all over La Cage, breaking down not just the building but the very foundation of its humanity. And its tendrils? They've stealthily coiled around some of the most influential figures here, puppeteering them in a silent conquest that goes unnoticed by the unseeing masses.
The Mold conspiracy is a group with a strong belief in various conspiracy theories - they look past the veil of what they perceive as ignorance, but as often, the reality can be more complex than that.
Everyone knows HealthiLife: the vitamins aren’t cheap, but what is your health worth? That’s the question its sales cadre asks as they go door to door, promising health in a little pill. Some swear by it but those who signed up to sell it only curse the day they did, somehow never able to get out from under the debt.
But now there’s a new game in town: Elixir! Health in a vial, treating all manner of ailments and slotting neatly into the HealthiLife product line. The cynical might say it’ll be just as useless as HealthiLife (and the foolish and cynical might say it will get you just as sick), but nothing sells like hope.
When the two managers go head to head, however, and secrets about the organizations are brought to light, who will come out on top – and who will get trampled beneath their feet?
