A collection of Mac’s casefiles, as jotted down in his personal notebooks.

Casefile #1
Client Duty: Providential Core

I’ve been hired by Providential Core to work a insurance claim of diminuative importance while their in-house investigators are working on the claim for the W. Hartnell Community General Hospital.

I’ve been charged with investigating the death of Lyle Ganderson, a political lobbyist for patients rights and ‘informed consent’ legislation.

He was one of the two people infected with the Plague at the hospital, and he died from the BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion) that destroyed a significant portion of the hospital.

Objectives: Find out whether
A. He was a target;
B. Was his death accidental or was it directly intended;
C. Whether his position as a Person of Note was the reason for him being a target (if he was one) or whether it was some other reason (such as him cheating on his wife, for example).

One interesting lead – within the past month or so, he’s been communicating with a group calling themselves the ‘Patient Liberation Front’ or ‘PLF’. Known PLF area of operations is centered in Cargotown.

They’re marked as potentially a terrorist organization, but they’re new enough that little is known about them.

Ran into a group of Edgerunners whom seem to be willing to help me get into Cargotown, as it seems we are working towards similar ends. I like their attitude – they seem wise to the city, and it seems like I can trust them, for now at any rate. My thoughts on the bunch are below:

The Candyman – A bit cagey and guarded, but amicable enough. He seems to be in charge, and treats his people well enough. It’s a bit too early to get a proper read on him, but he seems like a right gee.

April? Mei? – Not sure what to make of this broad. Knowledgeable, skilled, and capable of changing her appearance seemingly at will. Fairly sure April isn’t her real name. The only feeling I get from her is that she’s dangerous.

Hank – He’s short, and I suspect he’s hiding a temper. Dangerous, but not like April – his is a more direct danger. Not much humor there.

Pitbull – A big guy, fairly quiet. I’m pretty sure he was sizing me up when I was talking to Candy, and not in a good way. This Bruno seems like he’s got his head on straight, and was chummy enough once he keened to me, but there’s something in his past that he seems concerned about.

Pacoy – Pacoy is.. different. Seems like a decent enough hombre, and fairly capable with tech as well. I think he has a wry sense of humor, when you can get it out of him.

Wormwood – I can’t get a good read on Wormwood. He has the mannerisms of a buttonman, but he doesn’t show the tendencies of going off the track that I’d expect.

Edgerunner Group – I think these guys have gotten a bum rap. They seem to have been accidentally connected to the blast rather than the cause of it. They seem to be patsies in a much larger scheme, and I plan on finding out what is really going on…

Casefile #1a

So that’s why the target I am investigating was killed. He had a Gen-Nu Virus. That’s up there in war-crime territory, unleashing one of those. Umbra will kill anyone they know knows, if they can, before they blab.

We finally got into Cargotown, and there are piles of bodies stacked up like cord-wood within the buildings. The population on the streets has drastically thinned out, and what is there is angry. It’s a proper riot, with Molotov cocktails, automatic weapons – and even what look to be a few bodies that were cut up by someone wielding a sword.

We stumbled across the headquarters for the Wo Shing Wo Triad, and they seem to be pretty isolated from this whole mess. Saw them mow down a poor chap who looked like he had an authentic mace – no accounting for taste in a Combat Zone. No sign of the PLF yet, but there are sick people everywhere.

Pitbull – I knew I liked this guy for having a past – he’s a consummate professional with that rifle of his. Been a while since I’ve seen a man fog another without hesitation like that before. And that was after he spent a few years crawling into the bottle after serving as a soldier.

Wormwood – I had him pegged as a buttonman, and I think I’m right. Maybe ex-Corp? He’s good with those pistols of his, although a little showy.

Candyman – He’s smoother than I first thought – he talked a hostile cop down, but it seemed like he was nowhere to be found when the brass hit the floor. I wonder why that is.

April? Mei? Alice? – Definitely a quiet one, but she seems to take care of Candyman, protecting him with a quiet resolve.

Pacoy – This kid’s got the wit about him all-right. Wouldn’t have expected it to look at him, but he seems like a halfway decent croaker, if the going gets tough.

Hank – He was pretty quiet, but seemed to get on alright with Candy’s assassin.

Casefile #1b

This was supposed to be an insurance investigation – track down some leads, check to see if someone put a hit out on a client. Now I find myself under assault by infected plague survivors, looking like they just stepped off the set of an old horror reel. Freakishly strong – one of them hit me with an old tire iron and I thought someone was taking me to the cleaners for good – I could swear I could hear my ribs cracking like two Cadillacs ramming into each other at speed. And to top it off, these psychos came at me with knives – ain’t no way this could get worse, unless a nun shows up holding a whole choir hostage.

Pitbull – Not just a marksman, but the man looks to pack a mean kick as well. Maybe he used to be varsity?

Wormwood – A cold operator – almost took the freak out of the fight by firing real close to Pitbull’s head, real clean like. Wasn’t expecting it, but when those no-goodnicks came after me with knives and I started panicking, Wormwood came over like a charmer and smoked the two thugs mid stride, like he was breathing.

Candyman – I think I kinned to why the man doesn’t truck with fighting. When the piss hit the fan, the man started vomiting into his breather, making a mess like a toddler in a kitchen. Shame, because his suit looked expensive. Push comes to shove, though, he works an iron just like his buttonman

April? Mei? Alice? Jingfei? – Looks like this doll is more than just a pretty face. She’s pretty handy with a piece too.

Pacoy – The man’s brutal and efficient, like one of his machines. He had his weapon out before I could blink, and had downed his target before I could begin to be amazed.

Hank – I have to give it to him – he’s short, but he’s plenty capable of making sure people end up down at his level.

Casefile #1c

Cargotown has taken it’s toll on all of us – it seems to have affected us all in different ways. Pitbull is having flashbacks to Tijuana, Candy’s dealing with some pride issues, and me? Well I got worked over by a plagued rioter, treating me like we were in a professional boxing match. I think I put in a good showing, stopping his hammerblows valiantly with parts of my body. It’s a shame there weren’t a proper set of legs there to console me when I woke up from my dirt nap.

So we followed Wormwoods lead and responded to the broadcast he solicited… it lead us into an unexpected meeting with the not-Triads, not exactly aligning with our intentions. He managed to get us a meeting with Raymond Hynes of the PLF, though, so it’s not entirely a wash.

This guy, Hynes, he had a slight reaction to the name of Eleanor, but it’s overshadowed by the reaction to Lyle; a deep frown shows on his face. “Yeah, I know Lyle. Good guy. He did some good stuff for us.”

I didn’t think that the PLF targetted Lyle – something about the way Hynes was talking gives me a hunch. Yeah, they cut down a lot of people trying to leave Cargotown, but if they were carrying the virus and they got out…

Then it all clicked. The PLF targetted Lyle, because he knew something he shouldn’t have. He know that the PLF created the plague when they were trying to cure one of their own, and unleashed this devestation on us all.

The evidence we have shows that there’s a distinct connection to Umbra – they’re interested in the Plague, and they did Bad Deeds. They also were the ones responsible for Eleanor and the other fighters. But those fighters were not infected with the Red Plague, and nobody they encountered in their daily life got infected with the Red Plague.

The evidence instead suggests the Red Plague originated in Cargotown, but is related in some fashion to Eleanor’s group.

Their involvement makes this whole thing hotter than a summer full of Sundays – you run this stuff to the media and their world will burn.

The primary connection between Eleanor’s group and Cargotown? The PLF. Further, the Red Plague was mentioned to have been a modified version of a Gen Nu virus – but that the modification was sloppy. Not the work of a decent Umbra lab. But, just maybe, the work of an underground semi-terrorist group.

The PLF released the Red Plague – probably as a result of an attempt to modify Eleanor and co’s variant, or maybe they were just trying to boost their own guy’s strength, or maybe they were trying to cure it.

The PLF was primarily interested in your information because they do NOT want to be connected to this disaster in any way.

In short? Lyle Ganderson was not deliberately infected with the Red Plague. It is possible he contracted it during his dealings with the PLF, but he was killed by the BLEVE as an indirect casualty – it was no assassination.

Pitbull – I’d say this one’s a proper friend. Managed to scrounge up a cane when I was properly busted, and made sure I was doing alright.

Wormwood – Clever – properly clever. It seems he’s managed to get us a meeting with the Triad, or someone posing to be them. This could be beneficial, or something quite dangerous. Something about him, though – there’s something in his darkness that is making my detective’s instincts tingle like a foot waking up during a dead run.

Candyman – Got to say, I’m impressed with the pipes on this one, but he seems a bit hard on himself if I’m honest. He’s got a bit of a temper though – I think this episode has taken it’s toll on him.

April? Mei? Alice? Jingfei? – She speaks some fluent Chinese, it seems. An international broad of mystery.

Pacoy – I have to say that he seems to know his way around all mannger of things used to fill a man with daylight. Seems to be able to keep his head on straight when the cards are down and he gets backed into a corner. I’m pretty sure he’s the reason we’re all alive right now.

Hank – A fair tactical mind – I’m pretty sure that it was due to him we weren’t copped by the Chinese today. He kept a quiet lookout.

Casefile #1d

It looks like this case is closed – I’ve resolved that Lyle was just an innocent bystander, and it looks like this supersolider business has been tied up with a bow as well, netting me a handsome profit. It seems like this Desiderium might be a gig worth sticking around for. As long as they don’t get into the habit of cracking my ribs, sticking me in an underwater coffin that is.

Pitbull – For a brave man, he seems awful nervous about being cooped up in tight spaces. Although with the way the captain was driving, I don’t blame him at all. I was plenty nervous too. Still am, when I think about how that could have gone awful wrong.

Wormwood – He’s wise for a killer. Seems like there’s a bit more to his philosophy than I previously had an inkling. I have to say, he’s a character that merits some more investigation.

Candyman – Definitely a smart man who thinks himself into a corner from time to time. He’s focused on making his group appear strong, and there’s definitely something admirable about his resolve in doing so.

April? Mei? Alice? Jingfei? – In every detective’s life, there are some cases that go unsolved – I don’t think that this is one I’d be able to crack in long time.

Pacoy – Gotta say, he’s a silent thinker sometimes, but at least he’s thoughtful too.

Able – He appears to be some sort of paranoid, at least when we first ran into him. Sticking to the shadows, wearing what looked to be some sort of tinfoil cap. Still, he was pleasant, if curt.

Casefile #2

I’ve been summoned to the The Emir’s Ottoman Casino Hotel to help the Edgerunners run some security for Freidlander Bey’s Grey Auctions, and I’ll be damned if someone didn’t cut out a slice of heaven and drop it in the middle of this cesspool. If I ever have the spare dosh, I’d love to take Anita to a place like this – I think it’d really suit her. The rest of the city’s dinge doesn’t have half the beauty that this place does. The Emir’s got impeccable taste in Java, I’ll give him that. Art too.

Pitbull – The man may not be a patron of the arts, and he seems awful twitchy today. A bit sore, too. Can’t blame him – chap’s had a rough run of it. I’ll have to see if I can get Anita to scare up a jane to take his mind off things.

Candyman – Still as sure as ever. Interesting how a man who makes a living with words can choose just the right few to get his point across. Something’s changed him over the past few months – he’s now packing more heat. Wonder if that time in Cargotown changed him? Hopefully it’s for the better. Never pegged him for someone that had a boss, but there’s more to this than I’m seeing now.

Pacoy – Half a tick into the hotel and he gets pinged off by security. Not sure what he’s done, but if I have half a mind, I’ll be racing down the corridors the moment something sounds off. It’s rough though, for him. Gotta be to be dependant on all the ‘ware he’s got jacked into himself. Tiniest bit of an EM field and he drops to the floor. That’s why I stay away from the stuff. Least he still has his head screwed on tight enough to know about going undercover. What did he do before he met Candy?

Able – He’s a mutable man – stiff one minute, relaxed the next. There’s some story here I’m not keen on, but mark my words, I’ll suss it out. Looks like he has some talents if his boss is explicitly offering him up on errands like this. Wonder what they are? He’s a lot of business – I wonder if there’s someone a bit looser inside when he’s not working? There’s something off about him – he’s a bit despondant, and given to complete shifts in personality. Dramatic shifts – I thought it to be some sort of psychological dysfunction, which would explain the tinfoil hat, but his hair, skin and eyes changed with his mannerism. I get the feeling that he’s modded, and extensively too. Where April shifted, it was a subtle change, but I always got the feeling that she was… still Mei. Or Jingfei. Or whomever she actually was. This, though… it’s like he’s two separate people sharing the same body.

Casefile #2a

The security briefing was thorough – beats casing the place in the limited time we have available. Have to say, the art collection they have here is superb. Almost as good as the food the kitchen can come up with. The auction started off innocently enough, until Candy was ambushed by Veracity Blaize, and I spotted a pickpocket casing the floor. With that situation dealt with an a Russian gangster in custody, we thought we had the situation under control, until there was some sort of explosion caused by an electrolaser outside, and we discovered a new threat – a potential bomb in the 5th floor restrooms.

Casino Patron notes:

Veracity Blaize – My but this broad is nosy. A good quality for a newsie, but still, it seems like she was pushing things a bit too far. Not that it helped her much when she ran up against Candy’s silver tounged deflections. Although she seems to have keened onto me and Able being on the books.

Michelle Stawiarski – Our erstwhile pickpocket was a walk in – a pretty, petty thief, unfairly shamed in front of all of these people by being stripped to her underthings. That’s not right, even to do to a criminal.

Sturmevik – A small time russian gangster, here to cause trouble. He hired the thief and an actor to cause a scene. Seems like he’s just part of an offensive screen on behalf of the Pakhan’s bid for power against the Bey.

Edgerunner Notes:

Pitbull – Itching for action, even amongst all these civilians. Definiately out of his element during surveillance activities. A bit overeager to participate in the interrogation, if I’m honest.

Candyman – He’s got a gift with words, that’s for certain – sparring with a reported on recorded viewing? He’s got the gift of guts too, it would seem. Although I find it suprising that he’s a member of Amon Zero. Ghost rights? An odd thing to be for. Although I guess he does have his share of cyberware. Still, clever how he twisted her purpose around completely.

Pacoy – The kid’s prepared, I’ll give him that. His toys more than doubled the amount of eyes we had in the joint, and that’s just for starters. Jonsing for a drink and some gambling. Not that I can blame him about the drinking – they probably have top shelf here, no doubt. Maybe after this job I’ll treat him.

Able – I don’t think I’ll be getting used to his shifting anytime soon. It was one thing when April was doing it. Or Jingfei? But this is different. At least she was the same person, I think. Truly clever how he baited the pickpocket, though.

Casefile #2b

Exploding people was not one of the things I was expecting when I heard we were pulling security at a casino. Card sharks and bookies are one things, but that’s out and out insanity. We get to where the casino bomb might be and Pitbull gets called off by some street urchin – must have been important, because he took off like a cat on fire. We discovered what might be a long-reaching terrorist plot set to go off on New Years when a gunfight started on the theatre level. Looks like Lady Yan and Kawaii Kali! were having a bit of a standoff when it came to sound checks in the theatre, and there was a bit of an altercation involving an exchange of heated words and bullets. Able was able to put down the majority of the threat before Trudi Barnett stepped in to disarm a wayward starlet.

Casino Patron notes:

Lady Yan – She was involved in the gunshots on the Theatre level. Looks like she got into a squabble with Kawaii Kali!

Veracity Blaize – She travels with a cameraman who’s quite brash, and made the mistake of firing at Able, so I put him down with a shot from the Electrolaser I picked up a few months back. Looks like it has quite the kick.

Trudi Barnett – I never thought I’d meet someone who’s been augmented as extensively as she has been. She’s more impressive than the stories make her out to be, that’s for sure. Wonder if she’s serious about that drink.

Edgerunner Notes:

Pitbull – I can’t get this man’s priorities straight in my head – we’ve got a bomb threat in the casino, and he runs off at the word of an urchin? There’s got to be a reason…

Candyman – He’s a man who knows his limitations it seems: he was happy enough to control the crowd while letting Pacoy and Able take a shot at dealing with the bomb. He’s just as fast at reacting to violent situations as anyone now.

Pacoy – Even during a rediculous situation such as this, he’s kept his sarcasm about him, which is good, because the situation is slightly rediculous. Looks like he’s really got a thing for gambling, though. The ban on the job is starting to affect his attitude.

Able – I’ll never get used to the way he shifts – how many persona does he have? And why? Which one is the real him? Gotta say, he always seems to have the skills he needs for any job. But so many questions… He’s not just capable of shifting his appearance, but near dissapearing as well. Good thing, as he was able to put down a number of threats just by bursting through a door. He’s quick, that’s for sure. Something that Trudi said strikes me as odd – Able doesn’t have any of his own memories?

Casefile #2c

Started off getting chewed on by one of the Emir’s dogs for operating without all available intelligence… this job is starting to be a proper nightmare. At least there’s a break for food in it – not that it’s going to help much with our intestinal investigation, as it were. If only that had turned out simple… a growing bio bomb in the septic tank of the hotel is going to spell for a messy PR disaster, no way about it.

The man who blew up is Ken Land, a minor recycling scientist for Feng Industrial. Of more pressing concern is the hacker that Able ID’d – Raymond Skyberg, a known freelance hacker who lives in Night City. He has an address in the Pacheco district. Looks like I’m going to get to do some investigating for this group after all.

Casino Patron notes:

Haroun – He couldn’t be more uptight if you spit on him and twisted him up like a towel. We were responding to a threat, and given the OK to do it as we please, but now there’re more rules than types of meat at a Chinese butchers.

Marid – He’s a right sort, for an AI. Plenty useful, now, at least.

Edgerunner Notes:

Pitbull – I’ve seen derelict vehicles that have looked better, and they didn’t even run. Pit? Looks like he took a tumble dry with a cheese grater and came up looking for more. He’s got a dark past, darker than most, but at least he has his moral compass screwed on tight. He might have been trained by a monster, but that doesn’t mean he is one.

Candyman – Hard to be upset with the brains, and he’s got plenty of ‘em. He seems plenty tapped into the business world – Dinamika? I’d never figured they were creating ANFO producing bacteria. I just thought they kitted out Russian mobsters.

Pacoy – This man seems bent on keeping the media off of him and his honest business. That smacks of someone with something to hide. I wonder what I could find out with some digging. He’s definately got a good heart, though – willing to throw down with Pitbull to take down his former sergeant. I just hope we all make it out of that.

Able – Sound screws turning in this one’s head, or whatever’s been done to him. Not sure I’m keen on him downloading diseases though… if one of those viruses turns out to be contagious… Seems that he’s well connected, for what it’s worth.

Casefile #2d

We’ve got downtime, now, and that means following up on the lead I was chasing like a dog without a leash – Skyberg. We’ve got a plan, and now we’re going to take him down and hopefully use his pet lab-rat to fix the bio-bomb we’re dealing with. Those boosters we were dealing with were a great deal of help – always got to remember to keep the beggar’s dozen play in my pocket. The assault on Precinct 12c went less than smoothly. We forgot to check for cameras on the way up, and they saw us coming. Coming up the front, we were able to dispatch their dog-goons without incident, but Pitbull and Able both took rounds coming in through the window. Our carefully thought out plan fell apart when we got hit with a Warborg, but between Pitbull’s Reaper and Able’s nimble shooting, it dropped like a stone. Unfortunately, Skyberg decided he’d rather not be captured, leaving us with four unconscious prisoners and an extremely shaken Bianca Klieber.

Edgerunner Notes:

Pitbull – Confident as all get out, even when he’s been roughed over to the edge of Hell and back, and that’s hardly a bad thing. He and Able are both brave, taking the high road when nobody else had the skill or inclination.

Candyman – He seemed a bit eager to get his feet wet – this is not the same man I went into Cargotown with. No complaints here – he close as cut one of those cyberhounds in half, and then he charged right up to the door into a hail of gunfire. I’m not sure he was thinking clearly there.

Pacoy – This ban on gaming and drinking is taking a bit of a toll on Pacoy. Guy’s got a bit of an issue if he’s excited about taking home a busted up combat droid. Definiately an ace with that pistol of his agains those mutts, it must be said.

Able – Doesn’t matter how much they’ve jacked around with his brain – it can still come up with solid ideas, and no foolin’. He and Pitbull are both brave, taking the high road when nobody else had the skill or inclination.

Casefile #2e

As the dust settled, we began to survey the damage of our assault. There were plenty of prisoners – it was bloodless as it could have been, aside from that poor hacker opting out of our plan. We found some sort of chem in the place while Able was handling the bomb attached to the computer system. Then, after jacking into the system, Able proceeded to set the same bomb up on himself. We were able to strip the apartment bare around him, though, with help of Candy’s pockets and our handy gangers. Professor Gregori had some curious insights as to the histories of my team, if they can be believed.

Edgerunner Notes:

Pitbull – Never met a man who could react to being shot at by a psychobeast the way Pitbull can. Good quality in a soldier, but a better quality in a friend, to be sure. I wonder what Operation Rollback in Mexico City is all about?

Candyman – I’ve never seen him manage quite the way he’s done after this. Maybe it’s his knack for crisis control, but I wonder where he’s learned it. If Goggles is speaking the truth, he was hung out to dry by his corp in New Bangkok – this merits more investigation.

Pacoy – He’s a got an analytical eye, but he seems jazzed to take apart that new toy of his. I wonder what he got up to before he did all of this. He seemed just as uncomfortable as I did when Gregori started shrinking everyone – I wonder what it is he has to hide?

Able – Looks like he came prepared for bomb disposal. I wonder how many of those personalities he has in that head of his? How many before he can’t control them anymore? Got to say, one of those personalities rubs my fur in all the wrong ways. Definitely unstable.

Casefile #2f

The flight back to the Ottoman was a bit unsettling. I felt worlds better when I got my feet back on the ground, only to find out Marid had been handing out cash like candy on Samhain. We were saddled with some new blood, this so called ‘White Lion’, who was brought in as a net-security consultant. He seemed up to snuff, handling the issues that were tackling Marid. When we got to the auction, some tough got it in his head to try and interfere with Able’s bidding. Looks like Rossum wanted that weapon tech badly if they were willing to shell out $1.1 million for it. What I wouldn’t do to get my hands on that kind of scratch.

Edgerunner Notes:

Pitbull – He’s got a bit of insight into the hacker world, and it blew the eyebrows right off my pan when I heard him rattle off their M.O. like he was reciting a grocery list. Been working himself a bit hard this case – he dozed off during the auction, snoring like the Texas hemi that was up for sale.

Candyman – Candy didn’t seem to care much for being saddled with new blood in the middle of a job. Seems that he’s still making good with the Bey, but I’m still worried about what his take on Grigori is – I think that guy was cutting it a bit too close into him for true comfort.

Pacoy – Have to say, I lost my mind when he introduced himself as the resident ‘Asian Guy’. Certainly, he doesn’t think of himself like that, does he? I get the feeling he’d like to get his hands on all of the tech that was up for bid, though.

Able – He seems pretty impressed with the new guy, and that’s good enough for me. Seems like a good enough judge of that realm of ability. While I expected Candy to start bidding on things, I didn’t expect it from Able, until I realized he was just a proxy bidder for Rossum.

Saxby Diggs – Green, overeager, and underfoot – this kid’s shaping up to be a potential liability. Not that he’s without skill, but that combination, combined with his inexperience in the real world, could get him hurt, or worse. Seems pretty desparate not to attract attention to himself, though. Until he barged up to make a fuss with Veracity.

Casefile #2g

It’s strange – the easiest way to learn about a man is to see him in the morning. This group is all different. Pacoy’s a workaholic, Pitbull hates mornings. Candy? Too infatuated with his ladies to bother. Able seemed decent enough until Pitbull gave him a seizure. He was fine, or so I though, until I got to meet this Dr. Wahlen. Seems like Able’s got a trick up his sleeve in the form of something named ‘Sarah’, that I suspect is capable of letting him subvert a subject’s reality. I’ve got to ask him about that later. It’s worked, though – seems that 23 Enigma was working to combat the Llogoir, to hurt the Bey and those like him. Seeking to bring about the Immanentizing of the Estachon, whatever that means. Gregori is claiming that there is a free-willed AI everywhere on the ‘net, originating from the HUB and replicating it’s core everywhere so it can’t be taken down. When Gregori moved to strangle Saxby, the entire world went to shit. I tackled him to get him down, then violence exploded everywhere around me. I still can’t make sense of what happened, but if I never get a lick of sleep for the rest of my life, this is likely the reason why.

Edgerunner Notes:

Pitbull – I think Pitbull woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning – he looked more than happy to put a round in Gregori’s head – moreso than talking to him, that’s for sure. I hate to imagine what this man’s gone through if he’d train a gun on me just to spare Gregori, but it must have been intense and horrible. I feel for him, I do – I understand that he’s trying to save him, but there is due process for a reason.

Pacoy – For a tech-head, he was kind enough to break down his usually indecipherable babble into something that I could get a grip on. Cyberware as cars? I’d never have thought at it, but it seems pretty apt. It’s nice to know that he has my back when it comes to avoiding spilling blood without reason.

Able – Not sure why, but he completely locked up like a robot, or he was having a seizure, whenever Pitbull mentioned Waterboarding. Seems like he was completely capable of breaking Gregori’s mind wide open, though – I’m curious as to how exactly he did it, but it seemed to be aided by something he called ‘Sarah’, convincing him of an unnatural reality. I don’t know if Gregori was speaking the truth about Able being the pilot of the Ad Asta, but it seems like it’s plausible. I don’t think that’s worth imprisoning Able’s personality over – I doubt there was a proper investigation done into the incident. Likely something rigged, if anything.

Saxby Diggs – He’s amiable, for a bird who’s got his claws in the ‘net everyday. Not to careful with other people’s things, but that’s expected with this younger generation. He’s got a heck of a temper on him, which I was not expecting. Don’t know what the kid was doing, handing this psycho a laptop, but it seems to have worked out for him.

Casefile #2h

So it looks like there’s going to be a bit of a business venture from this after all – The Lazarus group striking off as a separate enterprise – sounds like it could be profitable. It still doesn’t get the taste out of my mouth that Gregori was put to death rather than stand trial for his crimes, though. I’ve decided to make an effort at paying off Able’s debt, get him out from under Rossum’s thumb as best I can. We were greeted to an unwelcome suprise during the Bey’s next auction – an impromptu showing of the Full Monty. Looks like brain hacks are the flavor of the day. Able took care of the distraction and I had to take over running the auction, with Marid’s prompting.

Edgerunner Notes:

Candyman – He’s been quite accomodating, and he’s got quite a lot of good ideas, but I wonder how the Lazarus project is going to mesh with his own burgeoning empire.

Pitbull – For a gruff soldier, he can certainly be kind – I recognize what he did for Gregori as a kindness, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

Pacoy – Looks like this guy’s got a keen sense for starting up business. Looks like I won’t have to take a look into Aquino’s legitimacy after all.

Able – I’m not sure I get it – it was almost as though Doctor Wahlen was pulling strings in Able’s head, rather than any of the other personalities we’ve seen thus far. The strange thing is, he can’t remember anything he did – it’s a wierd sort of cognative dissonance that raises some questions in my mind. He’s a good man, though. I believe so, anyway. And since all we are is what we believe, isn’t that enough?

Saxby Diggs – An idealist, no question about it, but the question remains: what’s going to break first – the kid’s worldview, or his mind?

Casefile #2i

About time that everything went pear-shaped. Candy and Pacoy ran into some crazy Umbra exec while the rest of the Hotel was being brain-hacked to the highest heaven, Marid was ripped out of the hotel interface, and Umbra sent some Gunships to take down the building. Not the best job I’ve ever been on. I did get to work with Pacoy and Able rebuilding a computer, though, which was unique. We pulled through it, and I sure did feel like a stiff drink when all was said and done, but despite the evening and the auction be]ing ruined, we managed to get paid. I’m not sure if I can keep working for this group much longer if they’re so cavalier about blowing people up – that just doesn’t sit right.

Edgerunner Notes:

Candyman – From what I heard from Pacoy, Candy’s got a bit of a violent streak – he damn near killed that Umbra exec. Wonder why he’s so anti-corps? And what has gotten into him that he seems to be okay with murdering people and taking their families under his wing? I’m starting to feel his sanity train left the station a short while ago, and he stayed to read the paper.

Pitbull – Gotta say, for a man who likes his push-ups in the morning, he didn’t seem too thrilled at the concept of taking a run up the stairs with Able and myself.

Pacoy – Bo’s snarky, and I got to say, it’s appreciated. Handy with hardware, too – probably moreso than anyone, especially myself, has realized. Saxby might be able to hack all sorts of systems, but Pacoy’s got the brains to build them. Keeps me on my toes, at least.

Able – We had a good race to the 30th floor, and he seems to be in better shape than I give him credit for. 22 floors at a dead run is not something to laugh at.

Saxby Diggs – Got to hand it to him – the kid’s a whiz when it comes to the ’netspace. Marid being down gave him a few good moments to play hero, though he could have offered Able and I a ride instead of making us hoof it all 22 flights.

Casefile #2j

Well, it’s certainly not a very home-like place to put down roots, but I could grow to like it. Get some old classic cars in the hangar and it’d look a bit sleeker than this neo-industrialist look it’s got right now.

Not sure what it’ll all be used for, if I’m honest. I’m excited to be part of this venture – everyone takes equal risks, everyone gets equal rewards.

And Wormie – he said that Chacon had something for us, and then produced a strange picture with the branding ‘Omaha’ on it. Damned if I know much about Omaha and the circumstances around it’s destruction, but the man is a spitting image of my grandfather. Funny, though – I can’t remember much about the man, but he looked an awful lot like me. That’s all I can remember from the snippits of the photographs in my memory, back when I got to see them. Before the fire, and everything burning down. I swore then to train my memory to never forget anything ever again, but some memories are too far gone to reclaim.

Edgerunner Notes:

Candyman – He’s a bit blunter than he probably needs to be – I’d have any one of these chap’s backs if the cards were down, but I guess he doesn’t see it that way. Still, good to have him on our side.

Pitbull – He’s full to the brim of confidence. If we have to set this place up to hold against an assault, there’s nobody I’d rather have handle the defensive plan.

Pacoy – Pacoy seems to have some heavy plans for the restructuring of this joint, and I’m all for helping him out where I can.

Able – I’m feeling better now that I know he’s got his own head screwed on tight again. Plenty of sense in there, unlike that other time…

Saxby Diggs – Not sure the kid’s got both heads screwed on straight. The whole point of having a secretary is someone with whom you can bicker and spend time with – no computer’s going to be worth it’s salt at that. And leaving traces of his work behind? That’s a bit sloppy, and no doubt about it. I thought this White Lion was supposed to be the real deal?

Wormwood – Why is it the more time I spend with this guy, the creepier he seems? He’s going on and on about his Art, and it’s starting to worry me.