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Shadowy Seattle

by S.G. Hagen

After all the arguing about cyber game balances and their silliness or lack thereof, I decided something a bit light-hearted might be fun.

I hope FASA can forgive me for appropriating some of their names.

SHADOWY SEATTLE

Your Weekly Electronic Look In The Shadows

  • A Message From The Editor
  • Personalities by Andrea Yamaguchi
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A Message From The Editor

It wasn’t my fault! For the love of God, please don’t kill me. I’m armed, stay away, I’m warning you. Allen Harendale

* What a zip. Not like anyone will miss Allen when he goes bye bye. Not like Candice, now there was an editor. Always faced everything on her feet.
* White Rabbit (08:12:45/08-28-55)

* What ever happened to Candice. As far as I’m concerned she was the best editor this rag has ever seen.
* Findler-Man (08:45:01/08-28-55)

* Blowed up real good.
* Jake (09:26:26/08-28-55)

Personalities In The Shadows

Well, you may have noticed that last week’s issue was suspiciously absent from the matrix. I’ve been told by friends that they thought it was one of the best issues we have ever put out. You may have also noted that this week’s issue is fairly light. These two facts, which should not surprise you much, are connected.

Last weeks issue contained several really great articles. A number of secrets Azetechnology would like to keep secret. A wonderful piece about political corruption in the Tir, not our usual beat but it was too good to pass up. And my own expose on a group of Shadowrunners, sorry guys but I gotta eat you know.

Anyway that that issue never got any farther than our computer should not surprise you. A number of our staff have also, shall we say retired.

* So that’s what happened. I just thought Allen-kun forgot the access code he needed to put it out.
* Urd (11:56:01/08-28-55)

Poor Allen has snapped, he has barricaded himself in his office with a machine gun he found in my office, is my face red. Anyway he’s shooting anything that moves, including several staff members who thought they could talk him out. Futile.

Hopefully things will be back to normal next week, or as normal as things ever get her. We are accepting aplications for the position of editor.

Fortunately I was not retired having learned to value of ducking in the Amazonia boarder wars and so my article is here. The following are a few interesting personalities that occupy the shadows of this city.

* I knew the name was familiar. Colonel Andrea Yamaguchi, intelligence officer working directly under one of the Dragons in Amazonia.
* Harlock (11:12:56/08-28-55)

Bones

  • Real Name: Unknown
  • Aliases: Unknown

* Ghost knows what his real name is but the alias he is using in Seattle in Lehnord McCoy. He lives in a high security building in Seattle proper.
* Double Cut (11:34:12/08-28-55)

* So, he’s into old SF.
* Vid Watcher (12:02:46/08-28-55)

  • SIN: Unknown
  • Place of Residence: Unknown
  • Implants: Full visual package, smartlink, and wired reflexes suspected.

* I think the man has got some bioware load ins as well. From the way he moves I would guess enhanced articulation.
* Waste (09:08:13/08-28-55)

  • Appearance: Caucasian, about average height, athletic build, late thirties, black hair, touches of grey, dark brown eyes, handsome.

I was not able to find out Bone’s real name, or whatever alias he uses and a SIN just isn’t going to happen.

Perhaps you have seen him in his flat black van with the flat red crosses as he cruises the city, looking for accidents. Or perhaps you caught that news clip last month on KPUBs Lone Star Report where he crashed the flaming barricade during that gang war out in Redmond to yank out the suits in the Fuchi owned limo.

* That bastard is a menace and a threat to good emergency health care in this city.
* EMT (14:23:01/08-28-55)

* EMT is an employee of Doc Wagon so take his word with a grain of slat.
* The Smiling Bandit (Strikes Again!/Ha-Ha-Ha)

* When it comes to hot extractions though Bones has a 60% higher success rate than DW. Makes you pay through the nose though.
* Hatchetman (14:41:05/08-28-55)

* And don’t try to stiff him his fee either. The last Chummer to try it was a suit who found her butt dropped back in the middle of the fire fight he had pulled her from.
* Johny Fever (15:01:27/08-28-55)

* I did pull the lady out after that.
* Bones (18:23:14/08-28-55)

* And charged her nearly 50K to do so, ne?
* The Smiling Bandit (Strikes Again!/Ha-Ha-Ha)

He can perhaps be best described as an urban combat medic. He takes chances even Doc Wagon won’t, his armoured ambulance a well know sign in some areas, ones that even Doc Wagon is somewhat nervous about visiting.

I don’t doubt for a moment that he runs the Shadows and a rumour here and a rumour there would seem to confirm it but you can’t base anything on rumours.

* Rumours, yea, right. Rumours don’t fire rifled slugs full auto into corp troops.
* Leopard Guard (11:05:50/08-28-55)

He might also have a military back ground, just a gut feeling really but I’ve known military types and he has the bearing.

* I believe that he was a member of the Perigines, Nadia Anderson’s old merc company. I also think he was one of the core members. Considering that members of that company are still wanted war criminals in parts of Europe Its not surprising he’s made his past such a blank.
* Digger (13:43:09/08-28-55)

* Perigines eh? Bones could have been one. His high body count tactics is very reminiscent of the Perigines style.
* Matador (14:21:05/08-28-55)

I cashed in a favour or two and caught up with him in Newcastle in Bellevue. In a few moments I was glad that I had chosen all the extras on my Westwind, that armour comes in real handy.

I sometimes wonder about Go Gangs, they’re on bikes and they tick people off who are in bigger vehicles. Of course they often claim skill makes the difference, it didn’t that night.

The Nova Rich were circling a battered deuce and a half that I guess they had crippled. They were making a real mess of it, and the passengers, when Bones hit them, and I mean that literally.

He took out four with that urban assault vehicle he calls an ambulance then got out for some personal work. He popped thermo smoke and fired out of his cover with an automatic weapon of sorts.

When the smoke cleared the Nova Rich were no longer a threat and Bones was treating the wounded.

* So that’s who did it? We’ll kill the Fragger, cut out his liver and fry it for lunch.
* Overtork (13:01:45/08-28-55)

* So the Nova Rich are going to war with Bones eh? Any Go Gangs take note, the Bellevue area is going to be open for the pickings within a week.
* The Neon Samurai (14:43:12/08-28-55)

Afterwards I followed him around for a few more hours, watched him get the jump on one Doc Wagon call but nothing else of great interest. He finally pulled off into the parking lot of bar in Redmond.

Of course I should have just stayed in my car and waited for him to come out but that’s not this reporters style.

As soon as I entered the place the bouncer showed me to Bones’s table. He told me very politely and very coldly to stop following him or I was likely to get hurt. Then he left.

I didn’t follow him. I doubt I would have come up with anything new anyways. And I was a little afraid.

Slide

  • Real Name: Maki Tetsuda
  • Aliases: Alice Devost
  • SIN: 9041-0215-8043-2619
  • Place of Residence: Old 2 story Warehouse in Riverton.
  • Implants: Data jack, Encephalon 4, Cyber optic package, Smart Link, Vehicle Control Rig 1.
  • Appearance: Japanese/caucasian, 169cm, 52kg, shoulder length brown hair, hazel eyes, attractive, 19 years old.

Born in California, before it separated, she ran away from home when she was fifteen.

Her mother, Catherine Devost, is a hot shot programmer for Renraku and is currently using the company’s large resources in an attempt to reclaim her daughter.

* Great, like Slide needs you press parasites dumping all her secrets. Do you actually think before you send this crap out?
* Sharpie (12:01:56/08-28-55)

* Don’t be such an idiot Sharpie. If all it takes is Andrea’s article to have me packed up by mom’s flunkies I don’t deserve to be out on my own.
* Slide (17:23:14/08-28-55)

Criminal record as Alice Devost, minor charges, (shoplifting, vagrancy, ect.) one of grand theft, dropped due to defendants age and willingness to join special program.

* Willing? Not particularly. I remember her asking the judge whether she would have to serve the two years in a minimum or medium security prison. He bumped it up to maximum and she accepted the Lone Star option.
* Lash (10:15:12/08-28-55)

Perhaps you have seen this young lady, riding her customized, grey and red, 1000cc Mazda Lightning throughout the city, all too often not on roads. Or maybe you are more familiar with her as vehicle specialist Alice Devost of Lone Star Chase Division which was a position she held up to four months ago.

Her name has begun to creep up among the motorcycle crowd of this fair city. That was how I heard of her.

A few months ago she was a member of Lone Star SWAT, Chase Division (they just love motorcycles over there, less damage to property when they crash). According to official records she was dismissed after charges of corruption were brought against her. The less official records state she was set up to take the fall for higher ups.

* Alice was set up, big time. It’s too bad, she was good at her job.
* Richard P (13:02:12/08-28-55)

Whatever the reason she has currently moved onto courier jobs within the city. She works on and off for Kamikaze Kouriers, you know them, they have the wonderful slogan “If you don’t get it, the courier must be dead.”. Nice people to work for I guess, effective at their job from what I understand.

* But of course we are effective and we’ll handle all your needs, large, small, no job too big, no job too dangerous, we are at your beck and call.
* Sam Sam (09:23:37/08-28-55)

* And you throw away your couriers’ lives like they were worth less. I’m surprised Slide has lasted as long as she has
* Falstaff (12:09:12/08-28-55)

Twice she has been brought in on charges relating to felony offenses including manslaughter, see Shadowrunning ladies and gentlemen. Nothing could be proven though and charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. It is possible that she still has friends on the police force. It is also possible that deals were made behind closed doors as it were.

* Richard Phillips, high placed in Lone Star, is a good friend of Maki’s, he has pulled some strings in the past. He has also no doubt received certain shadowy services for pulling those strings.
* SPD (14:18:41/08-28-55)

After a few inquiries I found that Maki was to be involved in a race through the city with another Rigger who goes by the name of Rebel. I intercepted them on 5 when they whipped by me going several times faster than what most would consider safe, weaving in and out of traffic.

I’ve done a lot of stupid things but this one is going to top of the list. It did my best to keep up with the both of them and almost got killed several times. Needed to change my underware afterwards.

I still do not believe what happened next. Maki hopped her bike onto a flat bed, jumped the median divider, landed in the opposite lanes, skidded around and headed back the way we had come.

* All in all Rebel is the better biker, and has a higher quality control rig. Slide has one of the best bikes in the city and is insane. So far Slide has held the title of best biker in the city since she took it from Rebel two months ago.
* Red Rover Ranger (13:12:45/08-28-55)

From the way Rebel acted I guess she could not believe it either.

Rebel had obviously lost and slowed down, well relatively slow, and got into the other lane using the more conventional off and on ramps.

I eventually followed her to a Drive In restaurant, they still exist, between Seattle and Snohomish called the “Rat’s Nest”. It is currently a hang out for Go Gangs, all Go Gangs. The place, and the area 500m in radius around it is considered a demilitarized zone.

Always fun to sit at a grimy plastic table, eating a greasy soy burger between a group of Red Rovers on one side and Eye Fivers on the others.

Maki was receiving the congratulations of her peers, money was exchanging hands and Rebel stayed only long enough to give Maki her due credit.

Anyway, after the excitement had died down a little I got a chance to talk to her. Generally she is a nice young woman, who reminded me of any girl her age. A bit too romantic, I’d put money on the fact that the girl’s a virgin which I only mention because its the sort of interesting thing you perverts like to read.

* Okay boys, and of course girls, you know the rules. Everyone interested puts in a thousand nuyen. First one to take Maki’s virginity, and remember rapists will be punished severely, and provides proof, tasteful video is always appreciated, wins the pool.
* Alia (08:16:23/08-28-55)

* Tasteless as always Alia. You of course can expect my thousand posthaste.
* The Smiling Bandit (Strikes Again/Ha-Ha-Ha)

* Thank you Alia. I’m looking for Mr. Right, you’re ensuring every guy I meet will have Nuyen signs in his eyes
* Slide (17:34:01/08-28-55)

We talked, she told me a bit about her life, what she liked to do (ride her bike, work on her bike, read romance novels, and shoot multiple skeet with her AS-7).

After a time Donal Asaki, current leader of the Ancients showed up. I think the truce came close to being broken at that moment.

Maki excused herself and went over to talk with the man. They kept their tones hushed and after several minutes Donal slapped her, split her lip in fact. She got up and returned to the table, holding a handkerchief over her bleeding lip.

* Think Donal might be able to win the pool?
* Winger (18:01:27/08-28-55)

Grabbing her helmet she excused herself and headed for her bike. I decided that the interview was over and let her go.

Corinth

  • Real Name: Unknown

* Actually, I was wandering around the mall in Renraku, looking for a little something when I saw someone who looked an awful lot like Corinth but I figured it wasn’t her. I mean Corinth is a little immature but this kid was a giggling vapour head hanging around with several others like her. Still, she looked an awful lot like Corinth so I followed her for a bit. Pretty sure I heard one of them call her Becky. After a bit I noticed the mall cops giving me the eye, not that I blame them, so I left. Becky is the only name I got as a possibility
* Silent Wings (08:58:14/08-28-55)

* Becky? Are you sure of that?
* G.W. Ryumyo (13:12:01/08-28-55)

* Well, I’m sure that a girl who looked a lot like Corinth was called Becky. In fact, I remember that this Becky paid for one of her purchases with a platinum cred stick. Not likely that Corinth has one of those.
* Silent Wings (15:02:57/08-28-55)

* Are you sure of that, that it was platinum?
* G.W. Ryumyo (15:04:01/08-28-55)

* Of course I’m slotting sure. Do you think I’m an idiot? What’s your problem?
* Silent Wings (16:45:13/08-28-55)

* It’s always tough when you discover one you care about as much as you would if she were you’re own child is engaging in dangerous activities.
* THE BIG ‘D’ (17:21:32/08-28-55)

* Go to hell.
* G.W. Ryumyo (18:01:46/08-28-55)

  • Aliases: Unknown
  • SIN: Unknown
  • Place of Residence: Unknown
  • Implants: None
  • Appearance: Caucasian, female, 166cm tall, 52kg, somewhere between 13 and fifteen years old, long blonde hair, green eyes, too cute to be believed.

* Too cute to be believed indeed. I love those Sailor Suits she wears. She’s one of the few mages who can pull that look off.
* Blackwell (11:14:28/08-28-55)

After the interviews with Bones and Slide I decided to look for someone with, how shall I say it, more original parts. I decided a magic type would be a good way to round this article off. But who?

There are a lot of interesting magic types in the fair city of Seattle and picking one would be tough. Still, there was one who had intrigued me for some time and I decided to see if I could talk to her.

* Well she is one of the more interesting ones. If she is really as old as she looks, between thirteen and fifteen, she is amazingly powerful for anyone that age. She’s at a level many mages or shamans don’t hit until they are in their later twenties. She might even be an initiate.
* Alice (11:23:17/08-28-55)

* No mights about it. She’s started masking. Freaked me out when I first saw her aura registering as a mundane.
* Grizzly Adams (12:34:33/08-28-55)

Corinth is even a larger mystery than Bones was and she has managed to keep herself well concealed. I don’t think this lack of information is due to any great work on her part but due to her age. She just has not left much of a paper trail.

* Not entirely true. No criminal record, no corporate employment record, nothing about her at any university or college, assuming that she’s older than she looks. Those are the obvious areas to check but it still leaves a lot of ground to cover.
* FastJack (16:23:10/08-28-55)

* Now there’s an idea. Maybe Corinth is what she appears to be. Might she be a free spirit or something?
* Dirk (17:56:01/08-28-55)

* Or a Dragon?
* Jake (19:35:10/08-28-55)

* Let’s not be stoooopid
* Hitomi (21:21:34/08-28-55)

Rumours suggest she engages in shadowy activities.

* Why does Andrea always say it’s rumour?
* White Rabbit (09:13:05/08-28-55)

* Because coming right out and saying it might not be too healthy?
* Waste (11:02:55/08-28-55)

Still, I managed to dig up some interesting things.

I set myself up in the Alabaster Maiden where I was told the young woman often hangs out. Obviously being a mage is more important than the fact she is underage.

I caught site of her on the dance floor after I had been in there almost twenty minutes, and a few practical jokes later. Honestly, you would think that people who have the greatest power on this planet at their beck and call would be more mature.

* Hey! I resemble that remark.
* Silent Wings (09:15:43/08-28-55)

So there she was, short skirt, cute blouse and dancing with, while not a lot of skill, a huge amount of passion and energy that made up for it. Honestly, I cannot remember being that vital when I was her age.

Anyway, I spent another thirty minutes watching her, seeing if anything interesting might happen. She rebuffed several people who tried to pick her up, with a little help from some of the Club’s other patrons, before heading for the door.

* Oh, they all love protecting Corinth. She doesn’t need their help so there is no danger in helping her but it makes them feel like they aren’t a bunch of mercenaries.
* Silent Wings (09:20:04/08-28-55)

I followed her out of the Club, hanging back, doing my best not to be seen. She got onto her motorcycle, way too big for such a little girl, and headed off. I was off bikes after having tried to keep up with Slide and Rebel and my Westwind was in the shop. A friend with a taxi was acting as my chauffeur though. That’s the nice things about cabs. No one notices them.

We followed her Downtown to a parking lot near The Edge. As it turned out that restaurant was her destination.

* Corinth into that Eleven Poseur crap?
* Hitomi (21:38:09/08-28-55)

* No.
* Corinth (23:45:41/08-28-55)

I was a bit surprised at this, considering the restaurant’s usual cliental and the fact she was not at all dressed for dining in such a place.

My mistake. Halfway from the parking lot to the front doors she was suddenly clothed in attire much more fitting for The Edge. I really envy mages that spell, it would make my life so much easier. She passed by the doorman without a problem and entered the restaurant.

I considered following but I was certainly not dressed for it and I did not have a reservation either. So I ended up sitting in the cab for an hour and a half before she exited the restaurant, heading for her bike.

Her next stop was Renraku Arcology, but through a rather round about route that took her around Aztechnology Pyramid twice.

* Any reason Corinth would be scoping that place out?
* Smiley (12:23:41/08-28-55)

* Not that I know
* Pyramid Watcher (15:33:29/08-28-55)

She entered the Renraku Arcology through the mall doors and I decided it was time to talk to the girl and see what other information I could get for my article.

I found her in one of the Lingerie stores in the young miss section. I walked over to her, opened up with my famous interview starter and got nothing. She ignored me completely, picked out her purchases and went up to the cashier.

* So what exactly did she buy? Silk, cotton, colours, type, lace, frills, cute pictures? I have to know.
* Drooler (14:21:34/08-28-55)

* You need help.
* Slide (17:55:12/08-28-55)

Okay, threats, I can handle but total indifference? That’s damn insulting.

I waited until she had her purchases in a bag and had left the store before trying again. It got in her face.

She then politely declined to be interviewed in near perfect english with a slight accent I could not place and walked away from me. If I had to make a guess I’d say she was corporate. No street kid speaks so perfectly.

* Interesting.
* The Smiling Bandit (Strikes Again/Ha-Ha-Ha)

She headed for the doors she had entered from and I followed. She looked a little put off, I guess I had spoiled her shopping trip.

She looked over her shoulder a few times, meeting my eyes every time, before leaving the arcology.

A minute later she was on her bike and I was back in the cab. She took off at a good speed and I told my friend to follow. I was not going to let this one get away. I was going to get some facts.

* You got to give Andrea that. She’s persistent.
* Harlock (12:03:31/08-28-55)

* So are several types of nerve gas.
* Bones (18:51:27/08-28-55)

The girl is not in Slide’s league when it come to skill on a bike. Hell, she’s not even in my league. My friend had no trouble keeping up. She led us on quite the chase though that finally took us out into Snohomish.

She got onto an open rode and opened her bike right up. Nice and straight, she didn’t need much skill, just a lot of speed which her bike seemed to have in abundance. So did my friends cab.

I was beginning to wonder when she was going to give up when suddenly the road exploded.

* Any idea how she managed that?
* Fire Bomb (15:09:43/08-28-55)

* Sounds an awful lot like Urban Renewal or a variation on it. You got Corinth looking at her rear view mirror, the ground in front of the cab is well illuminated by the cab’s lights. She casts, bang, suddenly the road is cracked with pot holes. Hit that at high speed and it would be just like Andrea described.
* Johny Fever (16:34:58/08-28-55)

Well that’s the best way to put it. What had moments before been asphalt in relatively good condition was now broken and cracked. We lost one of our wheels and at that speed it was not fun.

When we were getting out of the car, which had gone off the road, Corinth rode back the way she had come.

As I watched the red light on the back of her bike fade off I decided that mages, even the young ones, were best left alone when they wanted to be left alone.

I looked back at the cab and the big dent on the left side and also decided that if I ever got the chance I was going to put that girl across my knee.

* Can we get vid of that?
* Alia (09:00:12/08-28-55)

* Shut the hell up.
* Andrea (16:57:07/08-28-55)