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CONTENTS
THE NEW FUTURE
NORTH AMERICA 2070
Free West
Central States
Southern States
Old States
Canada
Mexico
WASHINGTON DC, OVERVIEW
DC LOCATIONS
WHO’S WHO OF THE NIGHT
GANGS AND GROUPS
American Syndicate
Italian Mob
Yakuza
Columbian/Hispanic Groups
MPDC METROPOLITAN POLICE OF DC
MODERN TECHNOLOGY
Computers and the Internet
Medical Science
Planes trains and Automobiles
MEGACORPORATIONS OF 2070

A DAY IN ALMOST A LIFE

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 2017 The first beginnings of the expansion of the orbital
space stations begins. Corporate money creates a massive
influx of technology.
Solid state memory becomes industry standard,
memory levels excel the terabyte level for the home
machine.

2070 2020 The first fully functioning cybereye is installed,

now installed inside the skull and with full colour
By the year 2070 the world has been through a function in four mega pixel. The first mass driver space
nigh apocalypse and a technical renaissance, both at the launcher goes online near Alice Springs, central Australia.
same time. Both were due to a single revolution in
technology. This double edged innovation was BINT, the
Bio Interface Nanotechnology. With this development of
2022 The second launcher goes online in Russia.
Neuralware processors are developed to aid in brain
Bio Interface Circuitry, and the ability to program Nanites
damaged people.
to perform all manner of surgical procedures, the world
seemed on the edge of the next great medical age.
With this technology came Cyberware, the cheap 2024 The Orbital Platform is now a fully functioning
alternative to therapy, and for the neon youth, a great virtually self sufficient space station. The Population
fashion statement. Soon came combat cyberware, and then reaches 5000. Nano Science successfully grafts damaged
the nano military applications. nerves.
Also, the space
race became corporate, 2025 Cyberisation starts
the technology to save the to expand medical science
food supplies on Earth for all manner of disabilities,
was used to create millions of people are
colonies on Mars and helped.
Corporations began to Nano Surgeons are
buy up the worlds used for the first time, and
governments and use are successful in removing a
them as they would any variety of Cancer tumors
other resource. with 100% accuracy and
The history unfolded as efficiency.
follows. Fashion cyberware
becomes available.
After launching in
THE NEW FUTURE the first orbital constructed
space craft, Mars Colony 01 lands on the surface of Mars,
2006 The first muscle controlled prosthetic arm robots and nanites start manufacturing a biodome for the
functions with a significant degree of control. Solid state first colony.
memory becomes the new direction for mass data storage.
2026 The Children of Purity, a Christian fundamentalist
2015 The first BINT is created. The first cybereye is group from Asia start to protest the use of cyberware as a
attached to the side of a blind man’s head in Australia, he desecration of God’s creation.
is able to see in half a mega-pixel, in 256 colour. The first
cyberleg is created, in the US it is bolted to the hip and
allows an amputee to walk again.
2027 The first vat cloned arm is created, and sewn on
with Nanites. Stem Cell research is accelerated. Religious
The iRobot is released by Apple, and is sold as a
uprising is quelled when the Pope receives a Stem Cell
house servant. SONY sues for breach of copyright. The
heart.
First Corporate war is fought in the net as hackers attack
The Cyberfashion market has exploded world
each company en masse. Apple is destroyed by their own
wide. Religious movements attack the over cyberization of
robots, proving that they were developed by SONY and
people. Cyberware technology expands in the military
Sony knew more about how to program them.
and the workplace. Low Earth Orbit reaches a population
of 10,000

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2028 The Children of Purity bomb a Bangkok Cyber
Clinic.
The first AI like mainframe goes online, using a
combination of solid state memory and bio neural
circuitry. It works for nine days and then “dies” as the
workload burns out the synapses.
2029 Massive drought and world wide global warming
disrupt world food supplies.
2030 The first Full Cyberized human is created. A
young boy, known only as Newman, is given a new body,
in the form of a basic vehicle after a bullet severs his spine
in his neck after a school yard gunfight.
The first cases of what becomes known as
Cyberpsychosis start to appear. The Children of Purity
hail this as the beginning of the end of mankind.
New police teams are developed to deal with the
new age cyber criminals. In the US, C-Swat, UK CI-C,
Japan Section 9, Australia C-Star.
Mars Colony 02 arrives, there are now people
living on Mars.
2031 The first EBM Cybermodem is
created. Soon after the Vehicle link, Tech
link and Smartgun are also created. The
US massdriver for Low Earth Orbit goes
online. LEO population reaches 100,000.
2032 The Children of Purity bomb
Raven Microcybernetics facility in Perth
Australia. The corporation hires Arasaka
and the terrorist cell is eliminated within
three weeks, the leader of that group of
cells within six, and all cells within
Australia within eight weeks.
2033 The World Stock Market
Crashes. Cyberware corporations upset
the market and the economies of smaller
countries are swelled, while the Middle
East drowns as oil runs out. Countries
grapple to maintain their technology
stocks and keep industry going. The
United States breaks up as California and
Silicon Valley stop listening to the US
government and start trading on the
world stage under their own power.
They Pass the Ross Bill, a bill allowing
them to ignore or accept US government law as they see
fit. The California Free State is created. Texas also
resentful of the high taxation of oil that has taken place as
the Texan oil fields become vital to US supplies and the
passing of gun laws follows California’s lead and passes
an independence law. The US begins to respond with
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military force, there are a couple of skirmishes, no major
battle, but the government are unable to go to war without
oil, technology or food supplied by these countries.
In an attempt to find work, people travel to LEO
and Mars. LEO reaches 200,000
2034 Nanotechnology is created to help rebuild
farmlands after drought and ecological change. The
technology for desalinization, green power generation,
biofuels, and waste management in grey water and the
like help rebuild the dying arable lands of the world.
Mars Colony 03 Arrives on the surface, this brings
the same technology and begins to terraform sections of
Mars. The second Biodome is started.
2035 The US invades South America, to secure the
Panama Canal for US trade. They cite “local government
instability” and a need for security for world trade as the
reasons then start a massive taxation for the use of the
canal for non US ships. This they explain is to cover the
expense of world trade in a time when the world is broke.
2036 The leader of the Children of
Purity is assassinated by an unknown
force in Tai Wan. There are a series of
bombings of governments and cyber
clinics around the world.
2037 Corporations either directly or
through pressuring governments force an
attack on the home countries of the
Children of Purity, in Malaysia and
Indonesia.
The Children respond by
launching a series of Nano Bombs around
the world. These bombs attack and destroy
the nervous system of any person using
cyberware. These bombs are dropped in
Los Angeles, Tokyo, Sydney, London and
Berlin. Over the next month over 112,000
deaths are attributed to the bombings.
The world responds and in a fit of
vengeance and rage the Indonesian
government is overthrown. Any country
harboring Children of Purity or any
similar organizations is sanctioned and
embargoed then effectively invaded and
all members or suspected members are
arrested and many are executed.
The Children are not done yet,
they release bioweapons to wipe out food supplies in
Europe, the US and Canada. Massive food shortages arise
and the west starts to spend millions feeding its
population.
2038 In the wake of the US led assaults on Panama and
Asia, the UN is politically attacked, and effectively
disbanded after most member countries leave when the
leaders refuse to hold a vote to remove the membership of
the US. In response, and using their power as a food
supplier Kansas and Nebraska become the next states to
declare independence and become free states.
Rolls Royce develops the HydroFire Jet engine.
LEO reaches 500,000
2039 The US economy is in disarray. The US never fully
recovered from the crash of 2033, and then tried and failed
to create a boom with the various military actions, instead
threw precious millions away on other countries, and after
the biological attacks on their food, national debt scales
out control. China, having now used technology built for
Mars has become mostly arable land and is supplying
food to the world.
2041 On July 4th three nuclear devices are detonated in
the US, and a fourth is discovered. New York, Los Angeles
and Chicago are vaporized, millions die. The fourth bomb
is found in Washington DC, between the White house and
the Pentagon. The bombings are claimed by the Soldiers of
Purity, a splinter faction of the Children. However the
three operatives captured in Washington are found to be
Ex-Chinese military. The US blames the attacks on China,
and prepares for an invasion “to bring stability to the
region”. China threatens true nuclear reprisal. The US
launches one multi warhead ICBM, Beijing is erased from
the earth in a 70km multi detonation blast. The US states
that any reprisal will result in the annihilation of
population centers and the enslavement of rural sectors.
Russia and the Middle East side with China, the ECU and
Austral-Asia side with the US. December 19th with many
US citizens going hungry, the Great Rice War is declared.
2042 The first Vectored Thrust vehicle is created for the
war in China. The Technology is quickly adapted by the
corporations for the civilian market.
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2044 Bowing to EU pressure and economic sanctions
Russia removes support from China, and adds to the EU
Forces.
LEO reaches One Million.
2045 After almost four years of fighting, the US led
forces have control over most of the food supplies in
China. The Chinese Independence National Association,
assassinate the military leaders, and the leaders of
government, and surrender the war. The world sees this
as an admission of guilt for the bombings by the dead
leaders, and the truth is never really discovered.
Mexico launches into a bloody coup that sparks a
civil war. Military commanders seek to create a power
state and take over. By the end of the year, they are in
power.
2047 Africa Erupts in massive conflicts over the arable
land, most of the fighting is within the population,
supported by the rest of the world. Agricorps start to buy
up and rebuild the US food belts using nanites and
counter bioweapon programs.
2050 The occupying US forces and installed
“Legitimate Government” fight a civil war in Panama.
Drug money funds the freedom fighters.
This sparks the Second Mexican Civil War, as
drug lords supply Mexican mercenaries to fight with
them, who in turn take the equipment to restore
democratic government. The US, a long time proponent of
democracy also supplies the Mexican Liberation Army.
LEO reaches two million.
Mars Reaches two million.
2055 Mars Colony, now five million people, forms the
Mars Republics. The resources on Mars are too valuable
and needed on Earth to go without, and Mars is too far
away to attack successfully, so this is allowed and trade
negotiations open.
2057 Second Corporate War erupts between Sovoil and
Petrochem over the oil deposits in the South China Sea.
2058 As all resources vanish form the Middle East, the
governments turn on each other to fight over what is left.
Religious tension there erupts in a new wave of violence.
2060 The United States collapses under its own weight.
It divides into four areas that while considered part of the
US rule themselves, and set up their own laws. Travel
between these “areas” becomes restricted and smuggling
and contraband become prolific. The great nomad clans
created by the loss of farmland and takeover by the
Agricorps wage border wars as they travel.
2062 The Middle East destroys itself in a mutually
assured destruction with bio weapons, nuclear strikes and
nano bombs. The area has become uninhabitable.
The Third Mexican Civil war begins. The MLA
tries once again to restore the government. They go
against the drug fueled military dictatorship. The US
government is unable to supply any help, and now the
Panamanian government is supplying money to the
Mexican Government.

2065 The Third Corporate War Erupts. Militech and

Arasaka get involved in a Hotwar over defending two
other corporations involved in a hostile takeover. Outright
war erupts and eventually the Japanese and American
Governments step in. It is later revealed that the EU
precipitated the war, and all three governments start
arguing. The Panama Uprising occurs as the local rebels
retaliate against US occupying forces. The second Central
American war breaks out. The Mexican Civil War is
swallowed in this larger conflict.

2066 The EU and Japanese governments responding to

threats made by the US invade both coasts
simultaneously. New York and San Francisco are used as
staging points. The conflict lasts seven months and when
the invaders retreat after Osaka and Vienna are wiped out
as Beijing was. Chinese rebels attack US occupying forces
in the cities. The Chinese Independence War starts.

2069 The Baltic war erupts as eastern European

countries fight over land and resources. Old religious
conflicts erupt.

2070 The PRESENT

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NORTH AMERICA 2070
The continent of North America, is now considered to be
six countries. Although the United States are still a single
country, their economy has vanished and the Eurodollar is
the currency, the laws are now regulated at a level below
national government, taxes rarely go up from the free
states, and the military has no jurisdiction in some parts of
the country.
So now you have Canada, Mexico, and the Free
West, The Central States, The South and the US.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
What remains of the US is made up of the few
states that have allied themselves with the old empire.
Luckily this is a large area of arable land, and the major
industrial centers of Detroit and Cleveland. It also
contains the wrecked cities of Chicago and New York.
The Borders to the US are as tight as ever, and
now the borders to the old US states are guarded as well.
The current US has massive sanctions on the rest of the
world, the importation of weapons and drugs are strictly
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controlled or prohibited. Illegal immigration is also a
major concern for the government.
The police and military still have a massive
amount of authority in the US. The government has been
defiant of the assertion of their control since the Arasaka-
Militech hot war. To this end, crimes and criminals are
pursued with greater efficiency and efficacy here.
Edgerunners stay away from the US because of this, but
that means those that do come, get better pay.
There are many wastelands in the US. Bio
weapons, nuclear war and the battles of recent times have
made empty wastelands of many small towns in the US.
New York is a haunted lawless place, where gangs rule
and there is no government. Scavengers and treasure
hunters will often brave the radiation, toxins and
inhabitants in search of something valuable. Manhattan
Island is flattened and a radioactive slag. Nothing can go
there.
Chicago is similar, except that around the blast
site there are shanty towns and settlements. These have
trade areas and a form of local police. Recently the
military moved in and used this area as a launch against
the corporations in the Hot war. Now they too police the
area.
THE FREE STATES
During the financial collapse of the US during the Rice
war and since, the states looked to find a way out.
In order to maintain an independence the states passed
laws that separated themselves from the US. This process
started in California and then spread to Texas, then to an
alliance formed by Kansas and Nebraska. Eventually,
unhappy with the leadership and policies of the US
government, these three starter states built small allied
empires of independence.
While not truly independent countries, a great deal about
them is.
As with all things political, it starts with money.
Immediately after the Crash of 33 the US government tries
to counter the losses by taxing the new cybertech industry,
this begins a series of moves from an income tax system to
a goods tax system. The Government implemented a
series of taxes while advertising the benefits of the
reduction of income tax.
This taxation hit the industries in
and around Silicon Valley and the
many bridging industries of cyber
tech in LA and California. The
corporations involved saw a
downturn in sales, and a pinch
in the profits. So they acted
through their duly elected
officials, and if that official
would not help, then they
would meet a nasty
accident and the
corporations would ensure
that an appropriately
sympathetic official was duly
elected.
This process eventually
resulted in the creation of the
Ross bill. Arthur Ross, state
governor at the time,
and friend to industry
and corporations
everywhere,
championed the
creation of a bill that
would allow the State of
California to adjudicate each
federal law and statute and implement
it of its own free will. The federal government
responded by threatening police actions, California
responded by withholding access to the various Net hubs
within California to any company operating out of the
east, and charging extra to lift the process. The
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Corporations that needed the trade and access responded
by pressuring their local senators.
Texas equally suffered on the prices of oil and
petrol, with alternative fuels cutting into the market, this
was unacceptable. SO they to passed a version of the Ross
bill, and then the food belt passed their own, Nebraska
leading the way. The Federal Government was unable to
resist three fronts, and was forced to acquiesce.
Soon various states allied themselves with the leader
rogue states. This created the western technological states,
the southern oil states, the central food states and the
eastern original states. Later these areas became the Free
West, Central, Southern and Original states.
FREE WEST
The Free West, so called because it led the charge
of separation of the economies from the Federal
Government, is made up of Washington, Oregon, Idaho,
California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Most of those
states avoided the major damage from the biobombs that
attacked the food supplies of the US. The attacks in stead
drove a great many of the people into Nomad Packs that
travelled west to find work in the cities and in the
growing cybertech industry. Unfortunately with the
cybertech industry, automation was already quite
advanced for its implementation, so there were no jobs for
labour, and not enough for the few that were educated.
This meant that the first great slums were created in the
west. LA and San Diego are basically one massive urban
sprawl, and with them are a number of rough areas. South
Central LA is currently considered the first Combat Zone.
Capitol
Los Angeles, even though this is not traditionally the
capitol of California, the fact that it is so big and has
merged with San Diego, makes it the cultural and effective
hub, so much so, that the governor has moved his offices
and residence to Beverly Hills.
Borders
The borders of California are better patrolled by
the Central States and Mexico. Apparently more people
are trying to get out of the west, and transport illegal
goods out that in.
Outlying Areas
Travel around the wasteland of the West is done
by three ways, flying, driving and rail. There are massive
tracts of open space in the west, and these are covered in
nomad packs that act as pirates for the convoys that feed
the local towns and outlying cities. Flying is the best, but
more expensive, and generally the safest, very few of the
wasteland gangs have anti aircraft weaponry.
These gangs are the great danger of the
wilderness of the west. Mobile Nomad packs turned road
pirates. These gangs can be fairly benevolent, but are more
likely to be a group of raiders who attack violently to grab
whatever they can, and whoever they can and take it for
themselves. Isolated towns of the west are usually minor
forts, who protect themselves with armed response.
Trade in these areas is a vital resource, and the
towns must risk opening their gates to the gangs, and
traders and the corporate convoys. Depending on who
attends, these moots can be dangerous and even if those
trading are on a peace footing, raiders will take this
opportunity to launch a major offensive.
CENTRAL STATES
The Central States have asserted their
independence against the federal government, however of
the three free state areas, the Central States are the most
compliant with the Original States, and there is
negotiations underway to reaffirm their membership to
the union. This is both helped and countered by the
Centrals culture of holding onto old values and feeling
they are the victims of world politics. The Central States
have a control over the biggest food production areas in
the US, however as Mars Terraforming technology
restores the bio weapon damaged areas, this hold
weakens, and without the technological advantages of the
West and Original States, they will quickly find
themselves with closed borders and no customers.
Capitol
The capitol of the Central States is considered to
be Lincoln Nebraska. This is where the Free State
movement started
for the Central
States,
and
since then the Central State Council has resided there. Fort
Jameson is the home of the Central State Guard, a
paramilitary interstate police force.
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Borders
The borders of the Central States are well
defended. The Centrals see themselves as the great food
belt, and are the ones being victimized by the world and
the troubles that are abound. The Centrals are becoming
quite isolationist.
Outlying Areas
Many of the other areas of the US believe the
Central States are one big outlying area. Their lack of
technological advancement and the adherence to old
traditional religious doctrine, (something some associate
with the children of Purity) has caused many to view the
Centrals as simple and backward.
The urban centers of the Central States are as state
of the art as any. They buy all their technology, with the
food they produce. But their cities are not the great
sprawls of the other states, and their pace is a little less
intense. However they have all the crime and grit of those
other cities, and the wilderness is the origin of the great
Nomad Packs. It was the Agricorps that bought up and
ousted small town America and they did it in the Central
States. There are less wild gangs in the Centrals, but the
Nomads are there, and they can be dangerous.
SOUTHERN STATES
The South, led by the great state of Texas did
indeed rise again, at least in opposition. Following the
path of the other Free States, The South banded with
Texas, Texan oil and beef, and Texan industry. They
followed with food and other much needed agricultural
resources, which the corporations bought, leveraged
government and took over with. The result is the Texan
Billionaire was replaced by the mega conglomerate
corporation, and now the Southern States have the
weakest government, the greatest unemployment, and the
a great deal of wealth for the top 2% of the population.
The South still has a great deal of history, and as
part of it sees this economic and slight legal separation
from the old US as a vindication of the Civil war
movement, a strange breed of national pride has
overcome the people, though it is waning as the
local economy becomes more and more top
heavy.
The draining of the Oil in Texas, and the drop
in the worlds dependence on oil forces
Petrochem to turn to the production of
artificial fuels. This has creates whole new
tracts of polluted land. Petrochem bought up
large areas of the Everglades and uses them to
farm algae and other biological components
for the carbon fuels and CHOO2 that they produce.
In the South, everyone walks around armed. It is
like the old west, and the law is similar. The local
government cannot afford a full and proper police force,
so most of the law is kept by the Rangers, then there is a
metro force, grossly underfunded, under manned and
over compensating with weaponry. With the entire
population exercising their right to bare arms, the police
are carrying bigger and more dangerous firepower.
Capitol
The Capitol of The Southern States is Dallas Texas
the Home of Petrochem, the home of US oil and home to
one of the biggest production facilities for Militech.
Borders
The borders of the south are not overly protected,
it is dangerous enough once you enter, and if you are not
a citizen, and cannot prove legitimacy within the borders,
then the authorities will make sure you have an
unpleasant if not brief stay. The Mexican border is still
tight, but in the other direction. Mexico does not want any
third world criminals or itinerants sneaking in from the
US.
Outlying Areas
The outlying areas of the South are not travelled
lightly. All the ancient legends from Texan Indians and
their reservations to the characters from Deliverance are to
be feared. Road Pirates, Indians fighting for lands, and
locals so disconnected from the modern world they seem
from the dark ages.
ORIGINAL STATES
The Original States, or The Old States, are the
bastion of the founding fathers. Here at least in
appearance if not occasionally in truth, the government
maintains some control over the corporations. Here the
great government of the US, including representatives
from the Free states gathers and fights the mass entropy
that has befallen the great American empire.
Here those that can fight to restore the pride of the
Union, but many fall to the sways of money and power,
particularly when that money comes from those who want
to buy power.
The pop culture of the US is
based in the west as it always has, but
the Old States have held onto the
American style. In the west Japanese
and Eurostyle are top of the line, in
the East, the Levi and stars and
stripes are the fashions. It is a retro
approach to the new chrome and
machine. In the West, the street bike,
in the East, the chopper, in the West
the Japanese Turbo Car, in the East
the American Muscle Car. In each
culture you will find both, but on
opposite sides of the country,
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different tastes are the height of fashion.
Capitol
Of course the capitol is Washington D.C. Here the
government is located, the President of the not so United
States and all of the US cultural history. (see below for
more detail on DC.)
Borders
The Old states have tried to deny there are any
borders. It continues to fight against any kind of fracturing
of the US. It is not oblivious that they exist; it merely
continues to try and negate them.
Outlying Areas
The outlying areas of the Old States are some of
the most heavily populated. However these populations
are gathered into tight communities. The wilderness
around these communities have all the dangers of gangs
and nomads as the rest of the country.
One way to deal with this is the high speed monorail
tunnels that were built. In an attempt to find work and
unify the country, the US decided to upgrade a lot of the
rail system with high speed monorail tunnels. Hoping the
unity of the ancient railway founding could be recaptured
and give the citizens some purpose. The whole thing blew
massively out of budget, and because it was started in DC
and not in the other states where it should have, it had an
opposite effect. These 400kph monorails do link some of
the cities of the Old States, they are a fast way to travel.
Though of late, the wild gangs have been attacking them.
There have been 2 bombings in the last year, hundreds
dead, and all the train looted and pillaged before the
authorities could get there.
CANADA
Canada has suffered along with the US. The
cultural and social boundaries took a long time, but
eventually they vanished. The areas of French Canada are
still rigid traditionalists, but fifty years in a global society
and economy have brought two generations of global MEXICO
children who have sought the future, and expended the Mexico is a war torn environmental disaster, filled
past. with dust and desert.
Global warming did a great deal to aid the There have been no less than three civil wars. The
economy of Canada, more farming, better agriculture and first was a long and bloody Military Coup by Carlos
a slight change in the diversity of tourism. Then the Diego Rodriguez, the Mexican military high commander.
Children of Purity burned them all with a vicious The next two were by a group of loyalist soldiers and
bioplague that was, while less effective in the cooler freedom fighters from the people who wanted a return to
climate, able to lay dormant during winter, under snow, democracy. These freedom fighters were led by Benicio
and continued to have out breaks for many years, Dela Venta (AKA Benicio Diablo, the Benevolent Devil),
destroying subsequent crops for almost a decade. they called themselves the Mexican Liberation Army, the
A great deal of the native life was killed off during MLA.
this process, and with it entire ecosystems failed. Slowly For years these factions were caught in a constant
this vast damage has been countered, but without the struggle. They would occasionally resort to small raids but
animal life, it is unlikely to return to original. on two occasions, the MLA launched full blown attacks.
Canadians have always been clear about their Finally in the middle of the second conflict the third
separation from the US, and as the US became more and Corporate War broke out. Mexico had many facilities for
more belligerent towards the world, Canada became more all the concerned parties, and so became a battle ground
and more conservative. Unfortunately with the world in for the Hotwar. Because of this war, unknown parties
crisis, Canada was forced to ally with the US in order to were able to blow up the Mexican Capitol Building, and
secure food for the nation. This created a concept of kill the bulk of the cabinet, including Presidente
sameness and servitude. Canada continued to suffer Rodriquez and his closest advisors. In the Aftermath, the
under the terrorism that was directed at the US. MLA shut down the military in the capitol, and reinstated
Now Canada has regained a great deal of its a democracy, the rest of the military was without
independence, and with that has closed its borders with leadership and soon capitulated.
the US. The Canadian Guard consider immigration from
the US to sovereign soil a capitol crime, and illegal
immigrants are held in detention centers and eventually
shipped home. If they are unable to afford the journey
home, then they are set to work in criminal work camps
for a period of 2 years per family member
unable to work, plus themselves, then sent
home.
Canadian Work Camps are hailed
as concentration camps. They are bleak
work prisons that tend crops, do light
manufacturing and utilize the skills of the
inhabitants to increase the economy of
Canada. It is slave labour, called
Incarcerated Service. The conditions are
equal to medium security prison, which in
Canada is better than low security in the
hellish prisons of the US.
Canada has national service. Every citizen
serves in the military for a period of 3
years between the ages of 18 to 21, starting
Feb 1st after their 18th birthday. A person
may attain a degree or a trade in the
service, for this they serve the duration of the education,
plus that time again, plus a year. (A three year education
will have you in service seven years total). It is this
national guard that defends the US border. Full military
service can then be obtained after, or if you only served
your 3 years, you can go to college, where your
performance in the Guard will affect your admittance.

- 11 -
 Mexico has escaped one great disaster. Because
Mexico has small areas of arable land, and the main
industries of the country are not cyber but heavy industry,
the Children of Purity never made any major attacks on
them. This and the corporate backing of the industrial
sector, which used the Military Dictatorship to get
government contracts and supply both sides with
hardware, meant that Mexico built a solid industrial base.
Plus, after the Hotwar, Mexico had access and control over
some of the best algae and kelp farming in North America.
SANFRANCISCO
Cyberpunk 2070 is set in the sprawling metropolis of the
greater San Francisco area.
Ever since the crash of 33, the US has been on a
steady spiral to economic ruin. Only recently after decades
at the bottom has it begun to claw its way back up the
chain. The economy is still in ruins, but at least it is no
longer hemorrhaging money. The currency is the
Eurodollar, and among the public, pure English is a rarity,
but it is still the US, and national pride has not waned.
- 12 -
DC still rules. The government maintains an
appearance of control and independence from the
corporations, though many disbelieve the illusion. The
government took back a great deal of its power when it
shut down the corporate hotwar between Arasaka and
Militech, and with that took a great deal of technology. In
effect the police of DC are true government law enforcers,
and have one of the biggest budgets per capita. The
military has a powerful presence in the capitol, as they
guard against any and all threats from without and
within. To aid in this, and counter the growing crime rate
of the last decades, the San Francisco police, the SFPD,
have some of the most liberal of codes of conduct. The
mission statements include terms like “with any means
necessary” and “appropriate response as determined by
the officer at hand” which is more often than not a
terminal response. SF cops have the highest rate of
perpetrator fatalities in the country. Guilty or innocent, if
you threaten a SF cop, you are more likely than not to be
shot on the spot.
 The SF police fights with one of the best budgets than the runners, the police have a zero tolerance policy
in the US, but is still well underfunded. This breeds on their activities. Anyone engaged in illegal activities and
corruption, and the force has to deal with conflicts within is considered to be edgerunning is more likely to be shot
as well as without. However the police are unified in their on sight. The police have learned that most runners don’t
purpose, and the thin blue line, can become the silent blue know enough about their employer to be useful, and
wall very quickly. More than one media who dug too letting them go only means they will do it again next
deep has been the victim of “random street violence”. All week. Most Edgerunners trade in lethal force so the police
in all the police are a force, they maintain their own breed are more than happy to oblige.
of order and take a cut of what is fair. Even Opposite to this are the shadow cops.
the corrupt ones may have standards, and WE ARE A GRAY NATION Small bands of loyal police that work in
the straight ones might not. Bribery has its and with the Edgerunner community.
risks and benefits. Though if they are in a We are a Gray Nation people These cops feed information and
group of more than two, don’t risk it. occasionally supplies to Edgerunners in
Over the past five decades, Long dead are the barriers order to get the bigger job done. Vigilante
through wars, famines and the agricultural that define our race cops who are sick of being tied up with
collapse of the US, the populations have Gone are the notions of the red tape and hamstrung by due process,
moved to the cities in search of work. The blacks, the whites, the reds, these officers are dirty in the best way.
quiet skyline of SF has exploded upwards browns and yellows Their biggest problem are the officers that
to deal with this mass centralization of the He married her, and their are truly dirty, or the dry cleaned cops.
population. Central SF never really crossed child married the blend of two Dry clean cops are the ones that are
the million level population until thirty others, absolutely by the book, provided that book
years ago, now it has a population of over We are the gray children, the is written by the corporation sponsoring
three million, and the greater area holds colours have all run together. them.
over twenty three million. There are so many factions on the
This has created a boost in services, We are a Gray Nation street. Most of them don’t care about the
and to some degree an increase in job others, and most factions aren’t allied at
opportunities as corporations and Vanished has the line between all, they are simply people of the same
franchises seek to gain the custom of this right and wrong mind set. There are some basic rivalries,
population. However the population will Lost are the notions of good cops vs. criminals, but so many criminals
never be able to employ itself for itself and evil are trying to help society, and so many
sake. San Francisco has a staggering 40% He killed him, but was cops are more bent than the Golden Gate
unemployment. Social Services have righteous, she was not, but is that it is impossible to discern who are the
collapsed, the prisons are overcrowded as redeemed good guys and the bad guys.
drugs and crime become major trades in We are the gray children, our Government, police, corporations, thugs,
some parts of the sprawl and gang violence sins forgiven or excused, gangers, mafia, yakuza, edgerunner,
is the norm. Gangs and organized crime while the truly sinful buy civilian, nomads, freedom fighters,
are prolific, and the social order is on the light. terrorists, and somewhere you have to
edge of self annihilation. pick a side, and hope that you mix with
In the middle of this is the We are a Gray Nation the right part of that side, and not the
Edgerunner community. These criminals Long dead is the natural version you are opposed to.
and mercenaries live and work in the gaps world There are many who live the elite
between the government, corporations, The forests are cultivated, the lifestyle, four percent of millions is still a
criminals and the innocent. Edgerunners gardens have run wild. big number. This economic and political
will do what they do for many reasons. Gray buildings, gray factories elite are housed in glass castles that rise
Mostly for the money, some because these puking gray vomit into a gray high above the commoner, and like the
are the only skills they have, the only trade sky making gray rain. aristocracy of old, live unaware of the day
they can ply. Others will be activists, We are the gray children who to day degradation of the society on which
pushing to find a way to make the world base our clothes on their their wealth and power in founded.
better. Some of these activists go as far as hazmat value. Corporate CEOs, Senators, the educated
industrial espionage, and even terrorism. and cultural aficionados, all rule and have
Idealists or anarchists, they are working We are a Gray Nation. no idea of the storm brewing beneath
the spaces in between, the forgotten realm them.
and they are for hire. Unknown Author Still the wealthy live a great life.
Edgerunning in San Francisco is a There are museums, galleries, performing
dangerous business. Not only are the arts. They hold parties and glamorous
opposition better armed, funded and often better trained
- 13 -
events with people they would otherwise disdain, if only
they weren’t so famous.
But not all are so famous. There are many places
in San Francisco where groups as old as the founding
fathers gather. From oak paneled rooms these figures
gather and quietly navigate the future of America, and the
world. Quietly they manipulate the ostentatious figures,
and change both political and corporate policy. They are
taking control of the country, and the power they seek will
rule for a very long time. For while an elected official may
come and go, these organizations choose who comes next.
They have taken away free will, and given the illusion of
choice. They wish for a great empire to rule, and America
will once again be that empire.
San Francisco has long had a reputation as the
homicide capitol of the US. This is true even today. While
other cities may actually have the statistics to claim this
title, the high level of violence in DC is an everyday
hazard. Gross poverty, drug related crime, cut throat
politics and corporate business, social apathy opposed by
social unrest and an overwhelming sense of
disempowerment and oppression of the general
population have led to a degree of tension that is just
about ready to collapse in on itself. The Government is
unable to inspire, the corporations have unlimited
advertising power and passive acceptance is the easiest
route to take, conflict is too much risk for an unknown
reward.
People live day to day at varying levels of
survival. For some it is open combat, for others it is
keeping a low profile so as to avoid attention. In a city
where doing nothing can get you killed as easily as doing
something, you find your niche, and hope that your life is
worth more to someone than the entertainment value of
your death.

- 14 -
LOCATIONS
Forever Night
CLUBS AND PUBS Originally named and set up as a techno club, the
Where ever the tribes of man gather, they Forever Night became a haven for the goth and emo
congregate to make music and to forget the world exists. crowd, and now is a mecca for SF’s considerable gothic
In 2070 this is no different. The nighclub is a generic term and vamp crowd.
for a myriad of locations. Fundamentally, you go to a Bar Goth rock and psycho trance are the order of the
for the booze, a Club for the music. Bars tend to be night here. The motif is half Escher half Geiger, all shades
basically the same, maybe a tacky thematic variance, but it of gray black. Dark shades of neon backlight the areas.
is a place with quiet music and booze. Clubs are defined The booth areas have sound cancelling tech, and
by their style, and the music they play. This in turn individual juke boxes, that can be switched to the DJ or
defines the locals found inside. band.
The club is towards the high end for entry, but
drinks are cheap, and can be ordered with or without
The Rock ‘N Hard Place hallucinogens. Forever Night opens from sundown to
The Rock ‘N Hard Place is a flat chat full metal
sunup, and is open seven nights. Early week is quiet, and
punk club. Sitting in one of the roughest neighbourhoods
more like an opium den, Friday night is DJ, Saturday
in SF, the Hard Place, is not for the feint hearted, nor for
usually has a band or two.
the mundane. It is the home of chromers, dorphs,
shredders, rippers and boosters. Some of the most cutting
edge (mostly literally) internal technology is either Decade Dance
inspired by the artists who create for this clientele or is Club Decade is all about the latest dance beats. A
found in the clientele. mix of the dance Hot 50 and the cutting edge DJs and
The music is 100% hard core metal. High Beat, alternative dance. This is the club for the high fashion
thunder base or industrial chaos, whatever the crowd Chromers and boosters, Zoomers and the Arco Gangs.
want, they get. Inside is a flood of colour, usually ultra violet and
Entry is cheap, the booze is average price and the fluro neon. The bar is clear Perspex filled with hologram
extras for partying are available, at street prices. The club projections, the walls are covered in projections. Club
opens about 7pm but rarely kicks off before 9, the close fashion and neo culture to burn your retinas out.
about 8am, usually by tasering the last of the speedsters Entry is pricy, so are the drinks, but not so much
and tossing their twitching carcasses out into the alley. as to break you. Club opens about 9 and stays open till 9.
The place is open Wednesday through Sunday. Open Wednesday through Saturday. Every night is
Inside everything is welded grid plate and flooded by DJs, with the hot imports getting the key sets
corrugated iron. For effect there are gutters in the floor, for Friday and Saturday nights. Midnight Saturday is the
the blood to be hosed into, they get some practical use. equivalent of top billing.
The bar is elevated, and a short person can barely see over
it, it is also behind bars, the staff will tell you the bars Cybernights
were recycled from a max
security prison that used Cybernights is a
to be in the city, they club that runs a little
certainly look the part, more mainstream. For the
and no one has ever techno crowd, and the
proved otherwise. fashionable. An air of
There are tables, imminent violence is the
but most seating is draw card here. In the
around the edge, on upper level is the hangout
rubber covered steel for the Edgerunner
frames. The back area is crowd. Those who work
in three levels above the street, and only them
ground, creating an are found in this dark
amphitheatre effect with area. The bar manager
soft lounges and laminate works this bar, and only
tables. These look down the good staff.
over the floor and across Downstairs is all
at the fenced-off stage, set wanabees and public
a little higher than usual. access. To get upstairs
you simply walk, to stay
- 15 -
up there you had better be worth it. NAME:
The club is in violet and red neon, black décor and ROY HAMSTEIN
full colour psychologically tuned lights on the dance floor. HANDLE:
The walls are the speakers, and the music thumps hard. HAMMERSTEIN
The crowd is friendly, but many are there to prove
something.
ROLE:
Solo/Bouncer
The key element to Cybernights, is the
Equilibrium System. Cybernights is the home of AFFILIATION:
Equilibrium and Dead Right There. These full immersion Cybernights
VR systems pit warriors and wannabees against each SPECIALTIES:
other in a non lethal arena. There your skills are matched, Hand to Hand
scored and listed. The Fixers are watching. LOCATION:
Entry is high priced, the drinks aren’t, but getting Washington DC
in is all about being seen, so the admission is worth it, and STREET CRED:
if you’re not someone, be prepared to grease the bouncers +4
a little. FAME:
+2
WHO’S WHO OF THE NIGHT PROFILE:
The streets at night are not some distant fear that lurks far Hammerstein was a construction worker who was well
away. The Streets are there, and they are populated by all connected in the old unions. After an industrial
manner of person. Below are but some of the more known accident was proved to be negligence on the part of the
and enduring. contractor, Hammerstein won a full borg rebuild in
compensation. Then the unions were shut down and
Hammerstein found himself without a job. Now he
NAME: plies his trade as a bouncer at Cybernights. He is loyal
RICHARD WOLF to Richard Wolf, but only ever considers himself and
HANDLE: employee.
THE WOLF
ROLE: NAME:
FIXER Unknown
AFFILIATION: HANDLE:
Himself The Mechanic
SPECIALTIES: ROLE:
Crew and Gunsmith Techie
Equipment AFFILIATION:
LOCATION: Freelance
Washington DC SPECIALTIES:
STREET CRED: Custom weapons
+10 LOCATION:
FAME: Washington DC
+5 STREET CRED:
PROFILE: +6
Richard Wolf came out of nowhere. After leaving the FAME:
UK after burning some bridges, Wolf came to the US to +1
start over. From scratch he has built a vast network of
contacts from the street, corporate and government. He
is a man of his word and whos word can mean death. It
is known that he was strongly involved with the
destruction of Arasaka in the hot war. He runs a club
called Cybernights and works from the upstairs area.

- 16 -
 PROFILE: NAME:
The Mechanic is a man to whom many owe their lives. Ryuchi Nagahiri
He is one of the best underground gunsmiths in the US, HANDLE:
if not the world. He is expensive and very hard to find. Road Naga
For the right price he will custom design a personal ROLE:
weapon for you. The Mechanic also does modifications Ganger
to standard weapons and is able to rebuild most
AFFILIATION:
weapons so they increase their reliability by one level.
Yakuza
(any weapon that loses reliability by modifications,
cannot be repaired this way, and any enhancement SPECIALTIES:
gained is lost as well as dropping one level.) The Street Enforcer
Mechanic will work on any firearm from the smallest LOCATION:
purse pistol to the heaviest man portable .50 caliber Washington DC
SMG. STREET CRED:
+6
NAME: FAME:
Gabriel St Claire +2
HANDLE: PROFILE:
Archangel Road Naga was born and bred on the streets of Osaka.
ROLE: He was Yakuza all the way. Until his father committed
Ripperdoc a great dishonor and Road Naga was forced to flee to
AFFILIATION: the US. Here he placed himself at the disposal of his
Freelance uncle, who found a place for him running the enforcer
SPECIALTIES: gang for his uncle’s clan.
Custom Full body
conversions.
LOCATION: NAME:
Washington DC Claire Stewart
STREET CRED: HANDLE:
+5 Deepwater
FAME: ROLE:
+6 Netrunner
PROFILE: AFFILIATION:
Rumor has it that Archangel was once a very talented Independent/Wolf
combat medic. It is believed that as part of some twisted SPECIALTIES:
corporate contract, into which he was duped, he was Overwatch.
given a full body conversion, as well as more training in LOCATION:
dealing with cybernetics. The end result was a complete Washington DC
psycho who has fallen into his own rhetoric and now STREET CRED:
sees technology as the new religion. He believes that +8
man hath forsaken god, and now doth pray to the
FAME:
power of silicone. And if this be true, then he shall
+2
bring all who come to pray at his altar, closer to their
god. PROFILE:
Archangel is a very talented ripperdoc and cyber-
technician. However he is expensive, and there is
another small risk. Archangel has been known to take
liberties with your flesh. If you go in for a hand, you
may get an arm, customized and unique, but more than
you bargained for. Be very specific to Archangel when
you choose your upgrades.

- 17 -
GANGS & ORGANISED CRIME modification chips so they walk talk and act like their
The America of 2070 has descended into a diverse heroes. These gangs can be harmless or rate very highly
society of the haves and have nots. Once a culture is lost on the violence index.
and disempowered by the upper class the lower class Examples
forms groups and gangs. There are many types of gangs The Silverhands
in the urban jungles of the dark future, from a basic group The Boba Fetts
of punks in colours hanging out on street corners, The Marvels. (X-Men)
peddling whatever illegal goods they might have, to full
blown corporate and organized crime sponsored gangs Shredder Gangs
with top of the line equipment and violent objectives. Shredder gangs are Chromers gone wrong. Hard
core metal punks, the true Cyberpunks. Shredder gangs
Street Gangs are the violent outcastes or the poor and lost. Shredder
With all that has changed in the world, one thing gangs are the pirate packs of the inner city. They go in for
stays the same. Street gangs. The basic street gang is the all the combat cyberware, blades, nerve boosts, skeletal
entry level gang. Usually these gangs evolve into one of enhancements and the more spikes and leather the better.
the more modern counterparts. Occasionally to stay These gangs battle for turf, the rights to sell whatever they
unique, they don’t. Street gangers usually have chrome or want in areas agound the city. Shredder gangs are the
boost, but this is not the focus of the gang. reason for the creation of the Gang Violence Index.
Examples: Examples:
The Golden Lions. Led by Danny Yankee, Razorhands
Hispanic hip hop gang. Gold lions embroidered on left Volcanoes
thigh. Iron Sights
Steel Invasion
Booster Gangs
Booster Gangs, or Chromer Gangs are gangs that Zoomer Gangs
identify themselves through cyber style. They have all the Zoomer Gangs are the modern motor society.
chrome and gear that they can get, mostly fashion gear, They are the street racers, black market car and bike
built in tech, phones and chip players and the like. They gangs. Not to be confused with the classic biker gangs,
have tech hair and eyes of the most bizarre designs. who are more like nomad packs, the Zoomer is an urban
Usually boosters are not about anything but style, racer. It is about speed and recognition for being the
so tend to come out of the richer areas. They exist where fastest and who has the most courage at 200kph. These
there is tech and modern society. They are the mallrats, people drink ethanol, breath nitrous oxide and eat rubber.
the night club set and the skater/X-sport gangs. These The groups can be based around racing, or using those
gangs tend to rate lower on the violence index. skills for more nefarious purposes. They are hoons or
Examples: smugglers, and depending on that depends on where they
Neon Mirrors fall on the violence index.
Cybervision Clowns (Poser Booster Zoomers)
End Zone Team Akira
Fatality (poser Zoomer)
Mercury
Knights (vigilante)
19th St Kings
Poser Gangs Knife Riders
Considered a
Steel Silence
variant of the Booster
gang, but of a distinctly
different conceptual LowTeks
premise, the Poser gang, LowTeks are
are posers, or imposters. the gangs of the poor,
They make themselves who won’t sell
into one kind of idol or another, themselves out for the
vampires, rock stars, movie stars, cult characters. These cyberware. LowTeks
gangers live and love their idols, some get minor changes, take pride in the fact
some go for full identical rebuilds and get behavioural that they do everything with
basic tech and cobbled together gear. Originally born out
of Nomad packs, or inspired by them, the lowtek prides
themselves on not having all the chrome and gear of their
- 18 -
rivals. In stead they fight against the corporations and
industries that attack and undermine society. The LowTek
is the ultimate in counter culture. Many see them as
terrorists of the same ilk as the Children of Purity,
however they do not use fear to make their point, all their
raids are done through the net, using the weapons of the
enemy, and the occasional direct attack against a
corporate criminal. LowTeks will murder and steal to
reach their goals, and have in the past blown up facilities.
Their enemies are the Corporations, so the Corporations
have made sure that the LowTeks are high on the violence
index, but to the average person, they are not a threat.
The Lowteks (Founder Gang)
Urban Shadow
Street Art
Orphans (Children of Purity)
The Orphans are the remnant of the Children of
Purity. These small cult gangs are not the original major
organization of the Children, but small groups who share
the methods and ideology of the Terrorist cult. These
gangs are often confused as LowTeks, and vice versa,
however they will attack anyone, and use any means
necessary, including fear tactics to stop cyberisation and
people who have cyberware. They enjoy attacking Poser
and Shredder gangs, and anywhere that cyberware is the
source of industry or commercial profit. Not all the gangs
call or consider themselves orphans of the Children, and
some will deny affiliation but they concept is
fundamentally the same. The Orphans rate very high on
the violence index.
Arco Gang
Arco Gangs are rich kids gone wrong. Through
boredom, arrogance and blatant superiority, youths of
upper class corporate living, gear up and roam the streets
looking for trouble. Protected by high level corporate
families, and their government contacts, these gangs leave
their high glass fortresses and play gangster on Friday
nights. They can be chromer, zoomer, or poser gangs, but
they lack the true street cred, and those of the street know
it. They are often too well dressed, their chrome is more
pretty than street edge, and their wardrobe is often worth
more than a poor gangers annual income. So they are
separate to the other gangs. This is not to say they are
weak or pointless. They are well equipped, and well
financed. This means their guns are all amped, as are they,
their armour the thickest and best quality. Mostly they
walk around picking fights to be superior, and prove they
are dangerous. They can rate low or high on the violence
index, though their contacts can keep them off it all
together.
Next Presidents
Diners Club
Team Lamborghini
- 19 -
ORGANISED CRIME
In the dark future of 2070 the oldest organisations
still thrive. Sooner or later, someone wants something
they can’t have, this creates a market, a market attracts
sellers. For things you can’t have, this is a black market.
These markets eventually attract major suppliers and
distributors. Enter organised crime. In Washington DC
there are five major organised crime syndicates. Their
activities may be similar or distinctly different. They have
over time carved up the city and operated in different
areas or at different levels in the same area. These groups
are:
The American Syndicate
The Japanese Yakuza
The Italian Mafia
The Russian Mafia
The Asian Syndicate
American Syndicate
The American Syndicate was founded by
primarily members of the African American population
and their affiliates. Over time, the Hispanic gangs and
then other groups who did not meet the cultural or racial
ties for the other groups came together to oppose the
Italians and the Asians and created a unified group of
Americans, for America. Hiding behind the banner of
national pride, they see themselves as the betters of the
others, because they consider themselves keystones to the
American way. At higher levels they are connected to all
manner of Corporate America, at the street level they are
nomads and street gangers.
Major Organisations
Name:
The Black Panthers
History:
Born in the turmoil of the 1960s the Black Panthers have
strengthened and waned, and risen again.
Current Leader:
Samuel X
Major Activities:
Racketeering, Drugs, Prostitution, Gambling.
Areas of Influence:
YAKUZA
Very few words strike fear into the average street
dweller. One of them is Yakuza. Like all organised crime
groups, the yakuza was born out of freedom fighters and
warriors defending the unfortunate. Eventually it became
powerful, and then it became corrupt. Now its corruption
has spread, the yakuza rule the streets, and they are
involved with corporations, or own them. In Washington
there are three families operating. They are currently at
peace, but tensions are high, and conflict is always the
result. The yakuza are fond of allying themselves with American market. The Black Turtle Society, who takes
their Japanese bushido heritage. their name from one of the more powerful ancient gods,
are all that is left after a brutal battle for territory in
Name: Washington DC over the last hundred years.
Yoshida Clan Current Leader:
History: Chin Yun Chou.
The Yoshida Clan is the oldest surviving clan in DC. There Major Activities:
were other clans who came before them, but Yoshida is Opium Dens, People Smuggling and Sweat Shops, New
the oldest remaining. Heroin Derivatives, Gambling, Prostitution.
Current Leader: Areas of Influence:
Chinatown, Corner of 7th & H St NW.
Major Activities: Affiliated Gang:
The Yoshida Clan controls a little piece of every type of The Triple8s, Chinese Zoomer/Poser Gang, they all dress
vice and illegal activity available. They are also connected like they are from the boxer rebellion era, or pose as
with Yoshida Production Industries which has ties with famous Chinese Hong Kong Cinema Characters.
Renraku, Raven Micro and Ebisu.
Areas of Influence:
Italian Mafia

The Mob.
Name:
Okumoto Clan
History:

Current Leader:
Okumoto Yuji
Major Activities:

Areas of Influence:

Name:
Matsuda Clan
History:

Current Leader:
Matsuda Torudai
Major Activities:

Areas of Influence:

CHINATOWN
The Chinese drug smuggling industry began with
the first immigrants to the Americas. Now they are
smuggling people, drugs, guns, money, and sources for
every kind of vice available. In DC they have lost the turf
war with the Hispanics and the Yakuza. But Chinatown is
their own. In Chinatown there is only one boss, and he has
enemies who desire his throne, but the Triads have no real
power outside of Chinatown.

Name:
SF Triads, or Black Turtle Society
History:
Dating back as far as the early 1800s the Chinese triads
have had an interest in the trade and vice available in the

- 20 -
 groups they can operate all over the city. These groups
SFMP are:
Organized Crime Task Force
THE SAN FRANCISCO METROPOLITAN POLICE.
Gang Task Force, which is sub divided according
In
to race or cultural group of the
San Francisco the head
gangs.
offices of the California
Narcotics and Vice
Government, and all its
Special Victims
agencies reside. The Dept of
Major Crime
Sheriffs, FBI, NSA, HSA, CIA, National
S.W.A.T. incorporating C.S.W.A.T.
Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force and the Marines all have
Auto Theft
administration here. The protection of these facilities
Internal Affairs.
usually defaults to the marines or the relevant agencies.
However the law of these agencies stops at the front door
The modern metro officer is a marvel of
of these buildings. Beyond that, there is the Metropolitan
technology. All police officers are equipped with neural
Police Dept.
interfaces, smart gun and vehicle link. Added to this most
This group of officers are among the best
have at least one cybereye and skinweave. In patrol
equipped and trained police in the nation. That is not to
uniform, which is a full body polymer ceramic armored
say they are sufficiently equipped, but they are less under
suit, an officer carries a direct link Blackbook micro comp,
equipped than most. To combat this lack of funding, those
with built in vidphone and data uplink, high tech
with their hands on the strings have written certain
weaponry, full combat HUD helmet, with video
phrases into the mandate of the modern Metro. Terms
streaming, stun baton, and a hypospray with chemical
like, “Secure the safety of the people by any means
restraints. At full tech level, an officer can be an Enforcer
necessary,” and “Minimum violence required, as
Class full cyborg conversion, series one or two.
determined by the officer at the
Corruption is a major
time.” This added to the rather
problem in the MPDC. Not since
broad scope of abilities of law
the 1980s has it been this bad.
enforcement that came out of
The cops are organised into three
terrorist activity since the start of
hidden groups, the honest, the
the century have allowed police to
dirty and the dry cleaned.
operate with less and less red tape
Honest cops are still in strong
to slow them down. The SFMP has
enough numbers that good gets
one of the highest rates of
done. The dirty cops hide
perpetrator fatalities in the world,
themselves by doing their jobs
and almost no officer is formally
well, but either inform, work or
charged over the use of force.
allow activities of specific
San Francisco is not a place
individuals or organisations.
for a feint hearted law keeper. The
They help granny cross the road,
inherent corruption, lawlessness
or will catch murderers as long
and sheer magnitude of firepower
as it does not interfere with the
aligned against them makes any
activities of their sponsors. Some
person willing to stand in its way a brave
cops are unlucky enough that
soul. In response to the liberal allowances
they are only dirty out of self
given to the MPDC, the violent criminal
preservation. Somewhere somehow someone
now thinks twice about shooting at a
has gotten their hooks into an officer, and now
cop, but if they do, they tend to do it with
they are bought. The dry cleaned cops are the
a bazooka. The end result of which is one of
least predictable. These are cops that take their
the highest levels of officer deaths in the
mandate of “any means necessary” to the
country. A follow on from that, is one of the
extreme. Essentially they are good cops, who
highest rates of officer cyberisation in the
will not let policy, or even the law, get in the
world.
way of the greater good. If a gang is causing too
The city is divided into 7 districts, and each of
much trouble, and won’t negotiate a peace with the cops,
those is sub divided according to needs and population.
then dry cleaned cops will supply and finance another
Each district has the resources to operate as a complete
group who will negotiate, and send them to wipe out the
police force. However certain departments have been
greater of two, and then be unable to solve the crime of
created in the idea that while they are divided into seven
the massacre.
- 21 -
 On board memory is storage. Most PCs hold one
In 2070, just pray that the cop in front of you to 200 MU.
considers you worth more alive than dead.
MODERN TECHNOLOGY Newtech
First and foremost is the Cybermodem. This
COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET device comes in all shapes and sizes, retro ones look like
By the year 2070 all telecommunications are done old keyboards, new ones look like anything the designers
via the Internet. Cellular and satellite phones, television, want, but the general parameters are a square about
radio, local telnets and in house communications are all fifteen centimeters to a side, about three centimeters thick.
via network communications. More often than not, these Shape, colour, finish and functionality are as diverse as
are video communications. The US mail service has the user.
become almost extinct, and exists as a competitor to other The cybermodem has four major components, the
parcel delivery services. Very few documents are mailed box, the chipsocket, the Bio Interface and the Net
around. Connection.
The modern computer is an intrinsic part of The Box is essentially the case, as described above.
modern life. There is not a single function of a house that Usually it is about a hand span across, in any shape colour
is not wired into the house central computer, and all of or design. The main features that people look at here are
this is connected to the Net. A personal computer can be style and durability. In the modern world style rules all.
as small as a mobile phone, but ergonomics has them still Your style could be retro, chrome, military, industrial,
at desk top scale. neon, or whatever you want, as long as you make it count.
The greatest Durability is another issue. High
innovation is in the form of fashion super slim neon and
the cybermodem. The chrome units can slip into your
Cybermodem renders down pocket, just don’t go dropping
the Net in the 3D form and them, where as military grade
projects it as a real time units are heavier and chunkier,
simulation directly into a with armoured cases and shock
tech interface in a cerebral absorbent corners.
neural interface. With Some boxes come in
thought and will a person carry bags, holsters or with
can cruise the boards, sites loops, belts or catches to hang off
and constructs of the net and your belt. They can have pistol
gather the data they need. grips, armbands, be sewn into
This 3D interface is available clothes. In any case, the outside
on the external unit, but is is not as important as the inside.
slower and clumsier via Inside the box are your
standard IO dataglove or three main components,
mouse and keyboard. processor, working memory and
The old concepts of memory and processor have storage memory. These are the performance pieces of your
been eliminated, solid state hard drive memory has netrunning technology. It is the speed of these that allows
compacted and compacted by several orders of magnitude you to surf hard and fast.
and what was once inconceivable is now old hat. Program The Chipsocket is the part of the modem where all
complexity has stacked upon itself, but essentially external program chips are run. Most programs are
plateaued. installed directly to the internal memory, but a lot of the
There are still three main parts to a PC, Processor swap out programs are loaded from chipsockets. This
Speed, Onboard Memory, Storage Space. A computer allows a program to be installed to a chip, this chip is an
measures all of these in MU, Memory Units. A program external memory source dedicated to one program. This
size is measured in MU. allows infrequent or regularly upgraded programs to be
Processors are represented in how many MU per installed and removed at the touch of a button. Almost
nanosecond they can process. The industry standard is every computer has a Firewall chip. This chip is built into
about 12hz. This could be one MU twelve times, or 12 MU the Fortress circuit at the beginning of the network
once. connection. The firewall chip is upgraded every couple of
On board Memory, (old Ram) is how many MU days, depending on your needs.
the machine can process at once. A standard is 10. A
computer gets a bonus of MU used divided by the CPU.

- 22 -
MEDICAL SCIENCE
Modern Science has entered the nano age, and with it has
come a whole new breed of medicine and fear.
Nanotechnology has revolutionized the modern
world. It has created the possibility for cyberware, cured
most cancers, developed weapons, new materials and
made the smallest of technology even
smaller.
Medicine was the primary
destination for nanotech. The ability
to cure most surgical procedures with
an injection was a dream long held by
doctors. The first real successful nano
operation was the successful binding
of severed nerves in a damaged arm.
Soon came a nanite that was able to
seek out, detect and destroy cancer
growth cells. The malignant tumor
was doomed. Next came a treatment
for Alzheimer’s disease, and with
that, the ability for the neural
interface.
Now the human brain could
interface directly with technology.
Blindness, deafness, learning
problems and acquired brain injuries
were treated instantly with the
instillation of artificial eyes ears and
mental cognitive processor modules.
The splinter technologies
were immediate, no sooner did
medicine develop the cyber limb
replacement, that cyber fashion was
born, high chrome, intricate designs
and eventually elective cyber surgery.
Modern Genetics was also a
boon. Early in the 21st Century
doctors were investigating the possibilities of stem cell
research. This was opposed by a great deal of religious
opposition because of the moral implications. Cloning
technology was equally opposed. However the Use of
Adult Stem Cells was allowed, and finally in 2027 when
the Pope received a Stem Cell heart, all opposition
virtually vanished. Now stem cells can be created and
cloned from a blank template. These cells can then be
converted into an exact copy of a donor genetic code, and
from that fully functioning limbs can be grown in about
six to twelve months. A human organ can be reproduced
in as little as six weeks. The most successful use of this
technology was a man injured in a car accident was so
severely crushed he has one operational lung, and one
kidney, a damaged liver, and only half his lower intestine.
Life support kept him alive for a year until piece by piece
the doctors replaced every organ, his torso, left arm, both
legs and finally rebuilt his spine. Thirteen months and
thirteen days after the accident the patient walked out of
- 23 -
the hospital in perfect health. This patient is kept
confidential for his security and is referred to as Sean
13:13.
Parallel to this technology is the artificial organ
industry. Cyberlimbs, artificial hearts, eyes, and other
parts and pieces can all be replaced. The benefits of this
tech are the lack of down time, the price
and the enhanceability. A replacement
organ takes time, an cyber variant can
be taken off the shelf, this and the lack
of hospital time makes them cheaper.
But the single greatest reason for
people going for cyber replacement is
the fact that a cyber version can be
much better than the original.
Revolution Genetics supplies a liver
that is six times as efficient at
processing alcohol and other
“recreational” toxins, with an on off
mode if you have a neural processor
control module. This means you can
drink all night long, then an hour
before you want to go home, activate
your organs and be perfectly sober by
the time you get in your car.
Cyberlimbs can be fitted as
standard, but even these are inherently
more effective, they don’t get tired, and
have enough built in strength to equate
to about 100 kilo lift weight. This
doesn’t make you that strong, because
if the rest of you can’t lift the weight,
then the limb will tear itself from the
socket. A full strength cyber body, fully
reinforced and boosted will allow a
person to lift over 1500 kilograms.
The third option is the
transplant option. Second hand parts recycled from
people who may or may not have volunteered them.
Modern drugs and surgical techniques minimize organ
rejection, so donor compatibility is no longer an issue.
Transplants are as quick as cyber, and cheaper than any
other option. However you don’t get a guarantee with the
parts, and more than one recipient has received an organ
addicted to drugs. There is a significant black market in
body parts, a complete body is worth about eight
thousand euro on the street.
For the Year 2070 if you live long enough to get to
hospital, and if your finances check out, you have a 95%
chance of survival. However the bills are likely to
bankrupt you, so make sure your insurance is up to date
and that you are ready for that burden.
Or there is the alternative. You could end up on a
Ripperdoc’s operation chair. These black market surgeons
of dubious qualification and mental state, are around, if
you can find them. They have second rate, and often
second hand gear, parts, and may be sober. But they do
not ask questions, and have interesting payment plans, so
if you want discretion, you go there.
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
Internal Combustion
There are two main
types of the modern car,
Internal Combustion and
Electric. Since the collapse of
the oil industry, as the worlds
supplies have dwindled
beyond supply, the great petrol
companies have finally sought alternative
fuels. The result is EcoGas.
EcoGas is a biofuel made from a
hydrogen enriched methanol that is far more
environmentally friendly than normal petrol and
provides 93% the performance of regular petrol. This
combined with state of the art engines has modern cars
faster, more efficient and more economical than ever.
Approximately 40% of all cars, 70% of commercial
vehicles and 60% of motorcycles are run off EcoGas.
All other non heavy ground vehicles run off
electricity. Huge collections of multicell batteries collect
power from outlets all over the city, and run vehicles at
96% power of EcoGas. Electricity is better suited to smaller
vehicles, so tends to be in city cars, hatches and
motorbikes and scooters. Larger cars, vans and the like are
better off with a hybrid or full EcoGas system.
Heavy Vehicles, such as trucks, bulldozers and
the like use gas turbine hybrid systems. Jet engines that
turn generators, that supply electric engines on each
wheel give massive power to fuel ratios. These engines
were originally developed for tanks, and with
the development of the Vectored
Thrust Car have become a more
viable engine as the high yield
AvGas has become more
available.
HydroFire Turbine Engines use ceramic parts
reinforced by tungsten and titanium to operate at much
higher pressures and temperatures. This creates a massive
fuel to power ratio, allowing a normal sedan a flight time
of five hours with an operational range of about 600
kilometers.
This technology was then applied to all aircraft.
The Airbus D270 has a seating capacity of 800 and can
circumnavigate the globe at over 800kph, two thirds the
speed of sound. High altitude high speed planes can
travel further and faster than ever.
Most fixed wing aircraft use the
HydroFire engine, even the small
single engine aircraft, which
have been made obsolete and
almost extinct by the Vectored
Thrust car, use them as turbo
prop engines. The light aircraft is
only really used for regular small load
flights for long distance return trips to
remote areas where they have superior flight times.
Helicopters, or Rotorcraft, of which there are some
different modern variations, now use the HydroFire
engine to turn the props. Twin rotor, contra rotor or plain
single rotor helicopters have become faster and more
efficient with the new jet design.
The hybrid craft, the Tilt Rotor, or Osprey class
aircraft have had a resurgence in recent years. Their
superior load capacity and longer distance mixed with
VTOL capability have made them a bit of a corporate
showpiece. They are bigger and more impressive than
standard helicopters and vectored thrust cars.
Vectored Thrust vehicles are the realization of a
century of dreams. The HydroFire jet finally made the
possibility of the Flying Car. Based on tech developed by
the Harrier Jump jet, 60 years earlier, the Vectored Thrust
Air Vehicle, or AV for short, is a twin jet, car that
uses adjustable jet nozzles to lift a
car off the ground and propel
it at high speeds.

Aircraft Trains
Modern aircraft Modern trains use gas
come in three distinct turbine electric hybrid engines to
types, Fixed Wing, Rotor, roll. These electric trains are
Vectored Thrust. capable of over 500 kilometers
In 2038 Rolls per hour, though most tracks
Royce, in association with severely limit their speed. In
many of the worlds jet turbine Europe, which has had high speed
manufacturers developed the HydroFire tracks for decades, these speeds are
Jet Turbine Engine. This massive innovation in common.
jet technology was developed with the new AvGas
developed in the wake of dwindling world oil reserves. Ships
AvGas is a high octane version of EcoGas that uses a Small boats use EcoGas on
mixture of water and nitrous oxide to act as a catalyst to boards or outboards, or solar electric engines. Larger ships
burn hot enough to melt steel. use Gas turbine electric engines.
- 24 -
MEGACORPORATIONS OF 2070
The concept of the corporation is centuries old. From the
corporation grew the need for these to work together. This
is what the Japanese call a Zaibatsu. Eventually the
zaibatsu would unite and the megacorporation would
form. Once these massive financial megaliths formed,
there was no court in the world that could not be bought
to stop them. So once one megacorp was allowed to
operate, the others soon formed under precedence.
Now every facet of modern life is ruled by the
megacorporations. Information technology and the media
have absolute control over everything you see and do. The
music you listen to, the buildings you see, everything is
used to make you consume and contribute to the
corporate universe.
Below are some of the main Megacorporations in
the world of 2070.
Agricorp
Arasaka
Primary Industry: Arasaka has a long history as the
primary Japanese weapons manufacturer. Over time
Arasaka has absorbed or destroyed any other company,
and now are the biggest corporate army in the world.
Unlike Militech, Arasaka was not disassembled by its
parent country after the hot war, though many of its
regional offices were destroyed, particularly in the US.
Headquarters: Osaka Japan, this is a new HQ after the
reorganization after the hot War.
Regional Offices: Despite the horrors of the hot
war, Arasaka is still the major world contract holder for
security for many companies. To this end it still has the
resources to operate world wide. Recently it has started
construction of a new national office in Washington DC.
There are also offices in London, Perth Australia, Beijing,
New Delhi, Rio, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Jakarta,
Johannesburg and Sydney.

AOL Time Warner

Primary Industry: Agricorp is one of two major food
and agricultural corporations. They run what is left of the
food production in the central and old states, and has
control in many other countries. Agricorp also is one of
the worlds biggest producers of manned and automated
farming equipment.
Headquarters: Washington DC, USA.
Regional Offices: Dallas Texas, Montreal, Sydney,
Primary Industry: The largest entertainment group
Berlin, London.
in the western world, and arguably the biggest in the
world, it is only rivaled by Sony Entertainment. Owner
Amatil International and producer of movies, cinema, television, music, artists
and creators for all entertainment media.
Headquarters: Los Angeles
Regional Offices: Brisbane Australia, Paris, New
York.

Primary Industry: Amatil runs under many names,

but is at the heart of the modern soft drink and sports
drink industry. Coca Cola, Gatorade, Red Bull and many
other household drinks are owned and operated by
Amatil.
Headquarters: New York
Regional Offices: Amatil has a factory in nearly
every major city in the world. To run this there is a
national headquarters in nearly every country.
Continental HQs are in LA, Melbourne, Quebec, Rio,
Korea, Jakarta, Paris, Moscow London, Cape Town, Cairo

- 25 -
ARES Macrotechnology main offices are in London, Bonn, Paris, La Jolla –
California.

Daimler

Primary Industry: Automotive. Daimler are the

biggest producer of cars and automotive accessories in
Europe and therefore the world. The US equivalents are
only closely behind. Daimler own or operate almost every
car manufacturer in Europe and even if their name does
not appear in the title, they will be involved somewhere.
Headquarters: Stuttgart.
Regional Offices: London, Spain, Netherlands,
Japan, Italy, France, Belgium.

Primary Industry: Ares are the weapons Docwagon

manufacture division of the old Militech. They also
produce some armour and defense technology.
Headquarters: Washington DC.
Regional Offices: Dallas, San Francisco, Leningrad
Bohn.

Artemis Industries

Primary Industry: Emergency Services. Hospitals

Primary Industry: This is the security forces section and Healthcare.
of the old Militech. They are an army for hire. They Headquarters: Atlanta.
operated all over the Americas and are relatively common Regional Offices: DocWagon operates in every
in Africa. major population in the Americas and Australasia and has
Headquarters: New York most major cities in Europe.
Regional Offices: San Francisco, Cape Town, ,
Freetown (Sierra Leone), Hamburg. Dynalar Technologies
Biotechnica

Primary Industry: Biotechnica are a bio engineering

and biocyberware company. They invented and refined
EcoGas. They also produce a number of biogenetic and
bioengineered body replacements and upgrades.
Headquarters: Rome
Regional Offices: Biotechnica are a massive global
company with heavy political ties in almost every country.
They have offices in nearly every major city, but their

- 26 -
Primary Industry: Dynalar are a cyber limb and Raven Microcybernetics
myomar company. They make a great deal of cyberware
from prosthetics to full combat upgrades.
Headquarters: Silicon Valley
Regional Offices: World Wide.

Mitsuzuki

Primary Industry: Cyberware, Cyberlimbs and

cyberoptics. Raven produce everything from the smallest
Primary Industry: Motorcycle and Automobile dyslexia prosthesis to full body replacements. A major sub
manufacture. Mitsuzuki was one of the first great division of Raven is RavenSec, since the Hot War,
automobile conglomerates of Japan. Since the late 1900s RavenSec has become one of the biggest private corporate
many car companies were owned and operated by other armies in the world. IN the US they are equal rivals to
larger companies. Mitsuzuki was one of the first to openly Militech and Arasaka.
announce a merger and to become a single company. Headquarters: Osaka
Headquarters: Tokyo. Regional Offices: Worldwide. Raven have several
Regional Offices: Sydney, Detroit, LA, Hong Kong, small cyber clinics in every major city. They have central
Cairo. Arcologies in Washington, San Francisco, Beijing, Berlin,
London, Brisbane, Rio and Moscow.
Petrochem
Renraku Computer Systems

Primary Industry: Petrochem are the worlds largest

producer of EcoGas. Petrochem have vast farming tracts
dedicated to the creation of this methanol. They are also
leading producers of the worlds synthetics and plastics.
Headquarters: Dallas Texas, USA
Regional Offices: New York, Washington, Miami,
Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo, London, Hamburg, Hong Primary Industry:` Computer mainframes, IT and
Kong, Paris, Rome, with major agricultural areas in network systems. Pioneer of bio-circuitry. Renraku build
California, Mid West and Mongolia. many components for other companies, and are at the
leading edge of the human-cyber memory interface
technology.
Headquarters: Chiba Japan
Regional Offices: New York, Sydney, Sudan,
Munich.

- 27 -
SovOil Trauma Team

Primary Industry: Medical Rescue and Emergency

Services, Hospitals and health care.
Headquarters: Los Angeles.
Regional Offices: Like DocWagon, Trauma team
operate in every major population centre in the world.

VerdantCorp

Primary Industry: Petrochemicals, Mining, Power,

Industrial Chemistry, Plastics. SovOil represents a
conglomerate of the flagging oil companies in a war
ravaged part of the world. Over the last forty years SovOil
has built up from a loose association to a world leading Primary Industry:
megacorporation. Piece by piece it has swallowed up as Headquarters: Montana
many European and Asian suppliers of oil and chemicals Regional Offices: Verdant corp operates all over the
and become one of the great players on the world stage. world.
Headquarters: Moscow
Regional Offices: St Petersburg, Tashkent, WCNS
Vladivosktok, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Manilla, Washington,
and most cities in the EU.

Superfoods International

Primary Industry: Food supplies and shopping

Primary Industry: The World Cable News Service is
centers. Superfoods owns every part of the consumer food
a multinational interlinked world news network. They
market. They grow the food, ship the food, process it,
own the news, from the data on your home page and
package and own the store in which it sells. In a
scream sheet, to the satellites that orbit above.
Superfoods arcology, it is said you will eat the same food
Headquarters: New York
several times, as in the arcology, waste is used to regrow
Regional Offices: There are offices in Vienna,
crops in greenhouses within the same complex.
London, LA, Tokyo, Penang, Moscow and Melbourne
Headquarters: New York
Australia. However they have operatives on every corner
Regional Offices: Superfoods has offices and
of the world, correspondents both staff and freelance
locations in nearly every neighbourhood in the western
everywhere. As a source of information, they exist almost
world.
entirely online.

- 28 -
Zeus Military Vehicles

Primary Industry: Jeeps, Trucks, Tanks, Farm

Equipment, and other various heavy vehicles. Zeus was
Militech’s vehicle production company. They share their
heritage with the oldest tanks that ever served in the
American armed forces. They produce a lot of civilian
vehicles and lead the way in developing more efficient jet
turbine heavy land vehicles.
Headquarters: Detroit
Regional Offices: Melbourne, Cairo, Osaka,
Munich, Edinborough Scotland.

- 29 -
A DAY IN ALMOST THE LIFE Turk stares at me.
“You owe me 20 for the aftershave”
EDGERUNNING IN SF 2070 “Add it to your cut. Assuming there is still a job?”
“Yeah. Go to the train station, on the 16:00 from
Is this the life, is it a life at all? I mean, the city
Seattle will be a man going by the name of William
spends all day trying to ruin you, with the smog, the
Detroit. Wear a suit, hold a sign, get him to the Western
gangs, the other gun toting cyber stealing crack headed
Tower Hotel, sit on him for a night, put him on a 06:00
psychopaths, traffic, crime, disease and plain old entropy.
flight. Pays 1000”
I live in a burned out husk of a dilapidated apartment
“Meat shielding is not my kind of gig. I work as a
block, the roof leaks and the windows are all broken. The
solver of problems, not a target. And does the thousand
winter here is enough to freeze the enamel off your teeth. I
include your cut?”
am sure a life is supposed to be a much better thing.
“This man has a problem with assassins, you will
My line of work, problem solver. Pays well on the
stand between him and them and solve his problem.”
rare occasion that it pays, if the overheads don’t get you.
Turk and a cheesy grin the whole time. “And no, you will
Most of the time someone drops my name, I get a
owe me my 15%.”
call, someone tells me their problem, I quote a price they
“It’s a shit job, not my gig and pay is crap. You
haggle me down to about half, I solve the problem and
drop your end to ten and lend me a vest and a piece. I will
maybe get paid. Last guy I solved for, got arrested for
do what is asked, but I will take no responsibilities.”
what he asked to me to do. Lucky for me, he couldn’t face
“Fine. You pay for ammo.”
prison, not many people can, and he hung himself in the
“Done, gimme 200 now with the gear, I will go get
cell.
cleaned up.” Turk gave me what I asked for, I could have
So this guy, we call him The Turk, calls me. He
taken half up front, but that was a waste, and it showed
says he has something on the line. I roll over and see that
Turk good faith that I bequeathed anything I did not come
it is only just gone noon.
back for to him, and not the guy who would search my
“Turk, do you have any idea what time it is. Why
pockets.
don’t you call back at a reasonable hour?”
After a meal, shit, shower and shave at the train
“First of all Taylor, my name is Abdul Zafeidi,
station I was on the platform as the clock digitally chimed
and I am not a Turk, second of all noon is more than
four. I stood there holding my stupid sign.
reasonable, even for someone who keeps your night
A tall solid man walked up to me. He was
hours.”
augmented, probably better than me, certainly did not
“What do you want?”
look like someone who needed me. I waited until he
“I have some work for you. Come to the shop, and
spoke, in case he was a nanny from the train.
I will give you the details.”
“I’m Detroit. Are you my guide?”
“Fine, if you insist, but you buy breakfast.”
“Err. Yes, that wasn’t the play I was given, but
Abdul, Turk, lives works and cheats all life out of
looking at you, the guide gig is what I would be better
a small shop in the centre of a small busy shopping district
suited as.”
in the Mission District. He sells cigarettes and all manner
“Fine, you got a car?”
of paraphernalia that accompanies that habit, and some
“No, wasn’t told to bring one.”
other that are part of similar habits, like drug pipes,
“Go get one, meet me by the stairs.” He pointed to
injection kits, chip ejectors used to bust out bliss chips
the stairs up to the street.
after a certain amount of time. He deals in that which
“If you want a legit one, you have to pay.”
surrounds addiction, but not the hard drugs themselves.
“Get a receipt.” He handed me a wad of
He has staff to do that out the back.
hundreds.
I arrive, barely assembled, sooner or later. I
I rented a car, I met him by the stairs and we
pretend to browse while Turk serves some guy whose suit
headed for the parking garage. I couldn’t have helped
is worth a month’s pay for most people. I pick up a bottle
notice, the group of cops storming across the lobby to the
of knock off aftershave, look it over, and as the guy passes
platforms. I should have taken more care. The car was a
“accidentally” drop it. I hits the cabinet and shatters over
basic sedan, nothing special, dark blue, little green tree
his groin. He looks at me in pure rage.
hanging from the sun visor.
“You Fucking Ass…..”
We found the car and headed out. Detroit took a
“Silence dickhead.” I flash my fake police ID. “I’m
back seat. Typical. As we approached the main gate, I
Sorry, here is my badge number, file a complaint with the
noticed two guys hanging around the stairs back out to
Office and they will bill me. Now fuck off before I get
the street. They looked wrong. I started to get ready for
upset at your lack of respect.”
action, when all of a sudden Detroit tells me to stop near
The suit snatches the card and storms out of the
them. All the hairs on the back of the neck stood up. I did
shop. I smile, cos I got the card from a cop now dead.

- 30 -
as instructed, untucked the gun from my belt and put it
under my leg. I watched everyone carefully.
Detroit slipped over behind me, there was no
mirror, cars have cameras, so I could not see him. One of
the new men bent down at my window. He kept his
hands in view and smiled at me. Then I blacked out.
I woke up, wet and in the rain. I was upside
down. I looked “up” at the ground. I was three stories up,
I looked “down” at my feet. I was hanging by zip ties.
Near my feet, holding a knife, was Detroit.
Though by now I figured, there was never going to be a
Detroit.
“Is this about me?” I looked at him.
“No, we just need to ask you one or two things.”
Excellent, if they don’t care about me, I may yet
live. “Shoot.”
“Who hired you and what were you hired to do,
exactly.”
“I was hired by a man who deals with people
anonymously, so he is of no use to you. I was hired to pick
up Detroit, take him to the Western Tower Hotel, sit on
him and take him to the airport first thing tomorrow.”
“What room number?”
“No idea.”
“What plane flight?”
“Six am, no idea where or what airline. I am
guessing here, but if he ran by train, he was avoiding
flights, so if he was catching a flight, I guess he was going
over seas. He went South to SF, so I am guessing south of
the border or Asia. But that is all guessing mind you.”
“Who is your contact?”
“No point in telling you. He won’t know shit, and
he will know who told you, so my life won’t be worth spit
in this rain. At least if you drop me it will be quick.” I had
one chance here. This guy was cold, deliberate and
methodical. Killing me was a waste of his time and effort,
keeping me alive was a possible future asset. If I held out
here, I might earn the right to live.
“What if I chose a slow way to extract my
information?”
“No good. My guy is a spawn of hell, I will only
endure both lots of torture and end up dead.”
“What if I offer you the choice of a quick death
and a slow one?”
“Then I tell you, you figure you won’t trust me
because I have no reason to tell you the truth, then you
torture me, eventually I will tell you a convincing lie, you
will kill me and be no better off.”
He stood there passively. Frowning.
“On the other hand, I was employed for a service
of a Mr Detroit, you came to me, identified yourself to me
as Detroit, I am more than willing to fulfill that contract
and work until 6am. You can be assured that I will apply
the same confidentiality to your work as I apply to all my
clients, and my contacts.”
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He stood there passively. Frowning harder.
Then he nodded. One handed he lifted me up off
the hook he had me baited on, and dropped me to the
rooftop.
“I noticed you carry a fake police ID. Will it hold
against civilian scrutiny?”
“Should do.”
“Fine, you will go to the airport, you will ask
around and find out which flight Detroit was booked on,
and then you will tell me.”
“Done, assuming the real Detroit will not ever be
attending?”
“Correct.”
An hour later we were at the airport. The other
two were nowhere to be seen. Detroit drove, I acted as a
guide.
I told him to park, and got out. I looked at the
guard there, and flashed my badge. “Won’t be long.”
I moved from one counter to the next. I flashed
my badge, did my best old cop impression, polite with
just a touch of frustrated and tired. Elicited service with
discipline and sympathy. God I’m good.
But good as I am, there was no Detroit booked on
any flight.
I stood in the middle of the terminal. I looked at
my new employer.
He stood there passive. Frowning.
I looked at the exits, security booth, inner
terminal. I could run, he may find me. He had all my IDs
by now. I could try something hard with the airline
people. I could try and steal the information. I could talk
to the security guy, lift his gun, go kill the hunter. Who
had enough boosterware to lift me one handed.
“Fuckit!”
I went back to each of the airline clerks. I worked
my stuff. Played the beaten cop line. Talked about
escaping rapists, no time for paperwork, help me save the
world.
I would like to thank the Academy, mum, dad,
and god.
I climbed back into the car. Detroit climbed back
into the driver’s seat. “What did you get?”
“Nothing specific, there were no bookings under
Detroit. Here is a list of all bookings on all flights between
five thirty and eight tomorrow morning. That is more than
I had authority to get, so that is it.”
He sat there passively. Frowning.
He started the car and headed out of the airport.
We drove in silence, he asked me to guide him to a suburb
where he could make a decent drug buy. At midnight we
hit a dirty street in a dirty suburb, littered with drug
induced detritus. He pulled into an abandoned driveway.
Straight through the “Police line, do not cross,” tape.
“Stay.” I did.
 He went around to the trunk and pulled out one
of the men, the smiling one from the car park. He sat him
in the driver’s seat. He was smiling, like an idiot. He
smiled at me, at the car, at the night. It was then I saw the
small smiley face in his chip socket. He was in a digitally
induced fantasy from a Bliss Chip.
“Fuck me. Is that my guy?”
“Yes.” Said my captor, as he strapped in the real
Detroit and then moved around to my side of the car. He
tapped the window. I pushed the button and it scrolled
down. He handed me my gun, there was no clip in it, I
checked the breach, one shot.
Next my captor moved his hand, and from his
wrist popped out a heavy barreled gun, from between his
fingers a laser sight. High end and high precision. Enough
to waste me all over the interior of the car.
“Kill him,” he said passively. Frowning.
I shrugged. Picked up my gun, put it to the
smiling fools temple and blew his brains out. The window
on the driver’s side blew out as the round passed clean
out the other side.
“Well done.” The cyber gun vanished, my heart
started beating again, he walked around to the dead
Detroit. Pulled the Bliss Chip and walked away. The
second goon pulled up in a duplicate rented sedan. Little
green tree hanging from the visor.
My captor turned as he opened the door. “This
concludes your contract. Here is a bonus for your efforts.
Pray I never have to come back and question your
confidentiality.” He threw a small envelope onto the
ground, along with my gun clip and my IDs. Got in his car
and drove away.
The envelope had 500 in it. There were a lot of
unanswered questions about tonight. Do I care? Not one
zak.
I visited Turk, collected the rest of my pay, less his
cut and one bottle of overpriced after shave. Went home to
a soaked flop. Went to a bar and got drunk. They kicked
me out at dawn. I collapsed on a whore’s bed and slept till
night. Got up to a ringing phone………

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Antagonists Anthology
A list of Critical Threats for 2070.

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