September 2072
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+++ Sat September 1
Traffic in the UCAS sector today will be significantly delayed. Stories of elementals going wild in places like public parks or even destroying cars in the middle of the street have been spreading like wildfire and police response has their magical divisions working overtime. All traffic around the Wells Fargo building has been diverted temporarily due to a bomb threat. The KE bomb squad is combing every inch of the building but so far has found nothing.
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Sat September 1 2072
Falloon and his entourage go over the week's agenda. The Deputy Secretary of Parks and Recreation interrupts the meeting: "Uh, sir, your 6PM with Mr. White has been moved so that we can - briefly - show our support regarding the California Free State…situation."
"I thought this was taken care of, Yanitz."
Yanitz clears his throat. "Ah, yes, sir, but polling suggests you should spend some time supporting minorities. One group in particular has secured a permit."
Falloon sighs and waves the man away.
Flyers litter Denver in a grassroots campaign:
The Tusk Liberation Front and the Affirmative Committee of Cal-Free Refugees will be heard this (( TBD: Flashpoint )) at 6:00PM at the Denver Fairgrounds!
Racial Justice! Refugee Justice! Corporate Malfeasance Against Humanity!
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
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Mon Sep 3 2072
Washington DC is abuzz. For the last 16 years, the UCAS government has been a model of stability and clarity. Kyle Haeffner's administration has for a generation, steered the ship of state away from the chaos of the 2050s, with Bug City, the death of the president, the Universal Brotherhood, the Corp wars and the Archology shut down, then the fear of the comet and the orichalcum rush. He has become an elder statesman, an unmarried paragon of UCAS virtue. But word is.. he's not interested in 20 years as the top man. People look to Daviar, the unknown still mysterious elf, former voice of Dunkelzahn and long serving Veep and Chairwoman of the Draco Foundation as the heir apparent.
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Mon Sep 3 2072
But just who -is- Nadja Daviar? She's a woman with no past. No records. A slavic accent and a great dragons trust, but no birth certificate. A SIN but no school transcripts. A face but no history. Many parties have ignored her, focusing on the stability that Kyle Haeffner offered. But they cannot ignore her now. And despite 16 years of solid Veep work, she's as unknown as the day she took the job. The shadows start receiving work orders - serious work orders. The powers-that-be want to know who she is. Runs against the Draco Foundation, Tir Tairngire, the Ukraine and even Ares Macrotechnology come down the pipe as people scramble for information.
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Mon Sep 32072
"NewsNet reporting live from WarpDrive Plaza, where actions speak louder than words." Indeed, behind the professionally poker-faced reporter two massive earth elementals are wreaking havoc. The pair has already left a wide wake of destruction as the camera drones flit by: smashed cars embedded in second-story windows. Streetlights snapped off, their jagged ends pointed at the sky. Crumpled bodies in bloody piles. As one massive stone fist smashes into the ground, asphalt shatters and sprays like shrapnel, and even the reporter flinches. Two small knots of armored men and women at the edge of the plaza face the elementals.
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Mon Sep 3 2072
"Knight Errant and Lone Star have both deployed to stop the carnage, and police sergeant Jeffrey Holtzman promises a quick end to the rampage." As if to put a lie to his words, two of the mages concentrating on the elemental collapse quietly, apparently overcome by their own spellcasting. The others scatter as an Americar is hurled towards them. "Even if they are stopped quickly, the damage could run into the millions. This is the deadliest elemental attack since--"
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Mon Sep 3 2072
And there's a sudden transition to the network anchor. "We break from our coverage from downtown Denver with another story." Trid feed: a man wrapped in a bulky vest and surrounded by the blaze of sorcerous armor of explosives darts towards the entrance to the Wells Fargo building. The wide angle shows cops charging after him, the familiar sharp crackling of Ruger Thunderbolts filling the air, but the bullets seem to have no effect on him as he barrels through the front doors of the building. A close zoom shows little detail through the bright, magical glare. Wide eyes, wide open mouth. Two cops have given up on firearms and leap to grab him. One catches a leg, stumbles, falls behind. The other tussles for a moment, and the two go down. What happens next is hard to make out, but the man is up and running again and the cop stays down. Somewhere, someone is shouting, "Drek! Get mages, get the fragging mages so—"
Then the shouter is cut off as the feed lights up with the massive fireball exploding outward from the lobby. The two Star officers are engulged, and the others who were pursuing collapse as the shockwave hits them. Then expanding cloud of debris smashes into the camera and the view skews wildly upwards before flickering out. There's a moment of cursing in the sudden darkness before the view cuts back to the anchor The conservatively dressed, impeccably coifed anchor at the desk simply stares at the images behind him: a still frame of the expanding blast and an ongoing feed of the one remaining elemental staggering under a barrage of spells from the mages. The anchor starts to speak, clears his throat, starts again. "In addition to the elementals rampaging downtown, we have a magically-enabled terrorist who has bombed the Wells Fargo building. We will continue to report as these events unfold."
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Mon Sep 3 2072
The one standing earth elemental swats ponderously at nothing. Parts of its tremendous mass seem to liquify and then solidy as it comes under assault from all sides. The blurry outlines of air elementals converge on it, and the flames of fire elementals begin to lick up its legs. Even as powerful a spirit as this can only maintain itself for a few seconds under the unrelenting barrage before it wavers and then vanishes. What's left is wreckage: broken cars, shredded street, fallen bystanders. But as the camera pans, it's also clear that for all the chaos the disaster was contained. The buildings on either side stand with nothing more than cracked facades. The street can be repaved overnight. The rubble and corpses will be efficienctly cleared in under an hour.
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Mon Sep 3 2072
On the UCAS-ONLINE Trixcast 'The Vista', Barbara Godot interviews Mr. Mark Ryan of The Normalcy Party…
"So, Mr. Ryan… you say that you would favor mandatory registration for all magic users. Some would say that this is a form of 'first step' to internment."
"Don't be silly, Barbara. I don't think anyone has rounded up doctors, and they are stringently licensed. Or hairstylists, and they are regulated for public health and safety. Or perhaps even automobile drivers, and they can get a licence very easily."
"Yes, but your detractors would say that this is something those people -do-, which is regulated, while you are trying to regulate what people -are-. What do you say to that?"
"Well, that's a very good question, Barbara. And to answer, I have to trust that the American People, long after the explosive and dangerous appearence of magic, are not interested in unregulated magic, a genetic quirk that sets some people above the rest. I must trust that the American People trust in the spirit of the constitution of the United States of America, where All Men are created equal.. and if thats not the case anymore, then we do our best to -make- it so. Thank you."
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Mon Sep 3 2072
"Ahh, General Colloton, Julio Rameriz, Aztlan News Network. Other nations, specifically the Aztlan Republic and Tir Tairngire have spoken loudly about their unease with the possibility of a Colloton Administration. The Aztlan Republic in specific called you 'a colonial saber rattling European oppressor and enemy of the people. What do you have to say to that?"
Angela stares down the reporter for a long moment. "I say that the United Canadian and American States do not give heed to nor do we care about the words of a nation founded on virtual slavery of its own people. Aztlan is an aggressive military power and infectious economic disease."
There's a bit of a stunned silence from the press corps.
"Ah… General Colloton! Julia Redman, Independent News Network. How would your administration handle the rogue General, Kenji Saito?"
"Swiftly."
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Tue Sep 4 2072
"When my daughter's school experienced an influx of Homo Sapiens Robustus from the inner city, many parents reacted with fear. But not me. Not my family. As a member of the Tradition and Purity Party, I reacted with civic responsibility and pride. I helped my school district set up separate but equal class rooms catering to the 'orks' special needs and abilities. We are a rational people, and we respond with traditional values and purity of heart. I'm voting Harold Ramis in November." - Trid Ad on Prime Time.
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Wed Sep 5 2072
Derek and Connor meet one last time at a Storage Locker Facility. Ceramic Weapons, grenades, remote triggers, gas masks, are exchanged for large sums of money. The Gun Fund complete. A tenuous truce solidified, separate, but equal.
Derek's contacts manage to convince Fallon's entourage that a photo op and 'soybeer summit' with TLF's upcoming event is "more than possible". Connor gushes praise, Derek slaps him. One final parting update: More meta-refugees have been "liberated" from Folsom in a shadowrun op and are en route to TLF HQ. ETA: Tomorrow.
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Wed Sep 5 2072
"California. The land of dreams. The Golden Gate runs red with blood, while metahumans die by the thousands. What did the current administration do about it? What did anyone do about it? Nothing. A failure of epic proportions by the old guard. Too much profit for Ares Macrotechnologies and their bought-and-paid-for President. Remember California. Remember Bakersfield. Vote Colloton in 72." - Paid for by Mothers of Metahumans-CalFree.
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Wed Sep 5 2072
In 2070, mana manipulation was linked to over 20,000 deaths in North America. In 2070, mana manipulation was linked to over 140,000 intellectual and property crimes. In 2070, mana manipulation was linked to every organized crime syndicate in operation in North America. Special interest groups want to convince you, the voter, that mana manipulation is harmless. They want to convince you to just lie back and accept that mana manipulation as the inevitable. To accept the rapid encroachment on your personal rights and safety by illegal mana manipulators. Reading your thoughts, rifling your memories. Compelling your actions… with no effective oversight. Vote for Normalcy. Vote for Mark Ryan." - paid for by the Mark Ryan for President 2072 Campaign.
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Wed Sep 5 2072
"For too long in the 20th century, the United States of America bled itself dry, exhausting itself on foreign wars, foreign entanglements and over extended conflict and ill-fated diplomacy. When the awakening came, it had nothing left to defend itself. The world of 2072 is far more complex in North America, but still the UCAS continues to try to maintain itself. Federal Subsidies of trillions of dollars flow into the Seattle Metroplex that could have prevented the Chicago Disaster or rebuilt New York City. Trillions of dollars of military spending could be diverted to assist the poor, focusing on True American needs and True Americans." - Paid for by the American National Party and Michelle Diego for President.
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Wed Sep 5 2072
HAKSAW NATION STRIKES! What follows is three pages of scrolling financial transaction numbers that show significant backing flows into the American National Party from… Aztechnology. It's all buried under three layers of corporate finance, but there it is. None of it however, is illegal and every dollar comes form corporations based, on paper, in the UCAS.
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Wed Sep 5 2072
'Camp Panhandle', Far East Warrens: Two dozen urban camouflaged pup tents, razor wire, paid off gang bangers, and a store front church.
In a back room lit only by the glow of a trideo Caleb laughs, the refugee-soldiers laugh. They watch presidential contenders elbow each other for ideological room on the trid. Everyone will soon know the plight of their people too. A tied up and tortured troll munches on his gag. Caleb turns him to ash.
Caleb laughs. The refugees laugh.
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Wed Sep 5 2072
FADE IN - A panorama of the White House Veranda. FOCUS - An woman of Slavic/eastern European features. Dark hair, dark eyes, a dusky skin tone that compliments here well, dressed in a business suit. "Who am I." It's not a question. It's a statement. "Everyone wants to know." PULL IN - FOCUS ON FACE. "I am Nadja Daviar, UCAS Citizen. Vice president for sixteen years. Sixteen years of uninterrupted peace. Prosperity. Economic Expansion and the return to greatness for the United Canadian and American States. Sixteen years of foreign policy that has our relationships with the world. Brought investment back to our manufacturing and funding to our education. I am a United Canadian and American States Citizen, I am an American. And I am confident that you will look at the last sixteen years and see a proven track history of excellence. That is who I am. I would be honored to be the next President of the United Canadian and American States. Lets change the question now. Who are we?" - Paid for by Nadja Daviar for President, 2072.
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Wed Sep 5 2072
Early yesterday morning, there was terror at a local UCAS office building. At around 11:30AM, the entire third floor was locked down in what some are calling an aborded cyberterrorism attack. The exact target of the attack is unknown, as several local busines and political entities rent offices and meeting rooms at the complex. When the lights were shut down and all the exits locked by what is suspected to have been a professional attack on the buildings utility mainframe, many office workers and visitors feared for their lives.
"I was so scared." footage of one young man is shown, "After what happened at the warpdrive plaza, I thought there was going to be some kind of bomb for sure. I don't know what happened. Suddenly, the emergency lights came on and we got out the fire escape. This city doesn't feel safe any-more."
Knight errant forces investigating the building after the attack found one casualty. The identity of the man has not been released, but police say that they suspect he was involved in the attack. An autopsy revealed extensive cybernetic modification- including a cranial bomb, which Knight Errant believe was the cause of death. Knight Errant are continuing their investigation into the motivation and coordinator of this attack, and are opening lines to anyone who might have more information.
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Wed Sep 7 2072
"Michelle Diego, eh?" Asks the tusker as he looks across the table. "You really want the drek on her? Yeah… I know a guy. He can get you the paydata. You just got to know where to look."
The gentleman seated across the table leans forward, his hands folded on the surface before him, a smile pressed to his lips. "Start in Haiti. Zocolo Produce Manufacturers. That.. is where the trail starts."
"Haiti? I thought she was a UCAS citizen?"
"Look in Haiti. Thats where to start."
"Aight. I'll get my boys moving."
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