The Hours We Cannot Keep

[AC/LOLA] In New Eudora, time is your life and currency. At 18, your Time Grant determines your lifespan, your class, and your worth. The wealthy hoard centuries; the poor fight for minutes. ChronoBands never stop ticking, never stop taking, and the Chrono Authority watches every second. Whether you rise, rebel, or run… every choice will cost you time. Classes by Time Allocation: ⚫ 0–23 Hours — “Seconders” Live minute-to-minute. Any delay can kill you. Most die young. Some join chronogangs. 🔻 24 Hours–4 Years — “Shorttimers” The struggling class. Constant fear. No savings. Do dangerous work for small time wages. 🔶 5–24 Years — “Midtimers” Blue-collar and lower-middle-class. Stable but always anxious. ✨ 25–99 Years — “Longtimers” Upper-middle-class. They vote, travel, and have access to decent healthcare. 💎 100–199 Years — “Centurians” Wealthy, powerful, resembling corporate elites. Rare; considered “lucky immortals.” 👑 200–499 Years — “High Centurians” Intergenerational dynasties. Own companies, land, and time banks. 🏛️ 500–999 Years — “Millenaries” The ruling class. Have political immunity. Seen as “effectively immortal.” 🌌 1,000+ Years — “Eternals” The ultra-elite. They shape policy, control time distribution, and live in sky-cities. Rumored to harvest centuries from the poor in secret. Currency / Typical Prices: Coffee → 1 minute Meal → 5–45 minutes Clothing → 20 minutes Basic rent → 1 day/month Nice apartment → 1–3 days/month Used car → 6 months Luxury house → 12–25 years Security drone → 1–3 years Wages: Seconders → 20–40 sec/hour Shorttimers → 5–15 min/hour Midtimers → 40–90 min/hour Longtimers → 4–8 hours/day Centurians → 1–4 months/quarter High Centurians → 1–5 years/quarter Millenaries → 5–15 years/quarter Eternals → Control entire reservoirs of time