Deadly Junk: A Brief Review of the 'Junk Stores'
The ‘Junk’ Shop. A common presence in most cities, and these days, its name is sort of a cheeky joke. While technically one might find the goods there to perform other tasks, it’s known mainly by weapon enthusiasts, rebels, criminals and people who have to regularly deal with monsters as the place to assemble weapons for those who are not part of a professional military. Together with you, dear reader, I hope to explore the origin of this modern phenomenon, how it is tied into our history, and what might be in store in the future.
To begin the story, we should start with the dissolution of the Holy Dollet Empire, followng the Lunar Cry that destroyed the Centra civilization. This was a time of great chaos. The presence of monsters had greatly increased, and the Empire faced unrest as its claims of executing Hyne’s will sounded hollow with the sea of monsters and what seemed like the end of the world at the time. Many nations, among which Galbadia and Timber proclaimed their independence, and Dollet, barely able to keep its own citizens safe and unwilling to battle, conceded after only token resistance.
Until this time, weapons being sold was a rarity. The world then was a far more peaceful one. Now, with no knights coming, and new governments not truly having established a military force yet, it was the time for innovation. The Gunblade has its origin in this era, and became a romantic image of the ‘Lone Knight’ defending the people from the depredations of monsters. In this era of course, they were sold quite openly, and weapon craftsmen would sell fully crafted weapons. Magazines like Weapons Monthly sprung up, with the results of various weaponsmith’s experiments with monster parts shared with the world.
The Sorceress Wars and Galbadia’s Conquests are what changed this. To explore the history and atrocity-fraught tales of the conquest is beyond this article, but Galbadia had centralized its fighting power, modernizing it rapidly in order to face the technologically superior Eshtar and their para-magic. In order to do so, Vinzer Deling had demanded all weapon development to happen in service to the Galbadian Republic and the war. Weapon shops were closed, with any of its former proprietors eagerly joining Galbadia’s war machine, if only to hold back Eshtar.
After the war ended they found that Vinzer Deling was not of a mind to simply let them go back to their jobs. Some of them continued to work for the regime, others vanished in D-district prison or were executed. It was in the regime’s interests that travel between cities without easily restricted trains and cars was extremely hazardous, especially without weapons. In their power, they managed to put pressure on other countries, such as Balamb and even the Dollet Dukedom, to comply with these regulations. It was illegal to sell weapons, or weapon parts, or ammunition.
It was in this era that the Junk Shop was born. More specifically, in good old Timber itself. Filled with various resistance cells, there was a high demand, but a lot of Galbadian soldiers looking for weapon stores. It is perhaps the most audacious move that it was the person who bought out the weapon store when its old owner was arrested renamed it a ‘junk’ store, and proclaimed that he simply sold 'odds and ends’. While of course, what he WAS selling was work space to turn various parts into weaponry. Both for the Resistance as well as other elements that had need of weapons.
Why was this never found out? If you ask the man on the street in Timber, the reason is that Galbadian soldiers were too used to their mass produced weapons and didn’t even consider such a possibility, but this reporter thinks that answer shows more patriotism than honesty. The answer must be sought in a combination of a shift in focus, bribery and, in the latter years, the military leadership of occupying forces in Timber consisting of relatively restrained and even timid figures, a far cry from the days of terror shortly after its conquest. (Consider the lack of retributive action after two attempts on Vinzer Deling’s life within a short time) And naturally, which officer would like to tell their superiors that they spent several manhours investigating a literal junk store. These stores were purposefully built as being hard to navigate, unpleasant to be in and filled with goods that were simpl red herrings.
Regardless, from Timber, the concept spread. Ironically, first to Galbadia itself, where the local criminal underground, as well as anti-government forces kept a trade going, and into Dollet and Galbadia, where they operated with relative impunity as the local governments were not very enthusiast about the ban on weapon stores, the result of Galbadian pressure.
Of course, we are in new days. Vinzer Deling is dead, the Sorceress has vanished and Seifer Almasy has resigned all functions. The future leaves questions. Big questions like 'what happens with Galbadia, what happens with Timber’? But also smaller ones, like 'what to do with these 'junk stores’ Some people support them, as a part of our history, and a way for each person who has a weapon to have one personalized, having gathered his own parts. Others wish to return to weapon stores, with professional, reliable weaponry available for all. The world after all is still a dangerous place, and the Lunar cry in Esthar teaches us that we cannot rely on any nation, no matter how technological advanced, to endure. Other voices are raised that it is unacceptable that it is easier for a young person to acquire a gun or blade than an alcoholic drink. That the problem of monsters is best fought by professionals, and the problem of tyrants is best fought by free press and peaceful resistance.
So what is in store for the Junk Store? Will it be junked in the future? Or will our grandchildren still be dreaming of one day gathering the monster parts they need to walk into a store and walk out with their very own weapon? What do you think Maniacs?
