TEXT: Fiction
  
  192 — Fiction
  A CONFEDERATE CAJUN IN
  SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
  Sony-Louis Rollando
  The desert sun beat hard from the west. In my right
  hand, I held an Ithaca SA-50. Not standard issue, but I
  prefer a little surprise. To my left, Gary surveyed the area
  with binoculars. He pocketed them, and pulled out an old
  pair, with glass lenses and no electronics.
  “Looks like the zone caught up with us. Does it grow?”
  “Could be. Full moon tonight.”
  I looked at my wristwatch — a mechanical one, for in
  the zones nothing else worked reliably. Above the watch
  was a wrist calculator. There are no mechanical analogs to
  that. I punched in 3 + 2. It came up 7.12159. We were
  definitely in the zone. Half an hour ago, 3 + 2 equalled 5. I
  sheathed my gun. At best, firearms in a zone don’t work
  at all. At worse, the decreased burn rate builds pressure
  slowly and explodes the weapon.
  We went back into the small cave. Gary slept three
  hours, and I kept watch. I saw one snake.
  It was 2045. In the east, President Iroff had finally signed
  the Lee Treaty, though the war between the states had
  really been over with for nearly a decade. Not my problem
  anymore, though. Not since I moved to SoCal. I’d been
  with the Pendleton Franchise for 8 years, and the
  Confederate Army for three years before that, and was just
  beginning to have second thoughts about spending my life
  as a career soldier. Or ending my life as a body shield for
  whatever renemage tries to earn extra pesos hiring out to
  the Franchise.
  No mages here, fortunately. Just a real mental jack
  who’d decided he could hide from the law in a technodead
  zone. Hell, he’d of been safer staying in San Diego. Even
  then, the law didn’t give a damn about some minor
  murderer. All the wigs wanted was to make sure no one
  thought a dead zone was a free zone.
  So here I was. Somewhere in the Anzo Borrego. I
  loosened up with the katana before handing the watch
  over to Gary. In three hours, we moved on. I’ve been
  meaning to ask a naturalist why there are no dead zones
  on a beach.
  Two sleeps later, we found our first trace of him. At first
  we thought he was being clever, setting an obvious trail
  to lead any one following either astray or into a trap. So
  we move along real careful, like, for an hour. Turns out
  he’s not clever, just an idiot. I heard a saying once about
  mad dogs and Englishmen. I’ve never met an Englishman,
  but this guy was a total cake. Swapped spit one too many
  times with the dragon. He’s living in a fucking cabin in the
  center of a small, flat valley, sun baking the rocks like a
  natural microwave.
  Still thinking this guy can’t be that crazy, but wondering
  what it does take to systematically track down and kill only
  redheads whose names begin with G, I set up my bow.
  Adjusted the scope, a mechoid, of course, for the
  estimated distance, and waited underneath an overhang.
  In the vids, this is where two soldiers always manage to
  solve their existential problems in a down-home,
  philosophical discussion. Fuck that. In the middle of the
  desert, it’s hot, it’s dry, the sun stares down like an
  ancient angry god, you don’t feel like thinking, let alone
  talking.
  So he comes out, probably to take a leak, the poor slob.
  One arrow and he’s down, the next, he’s good as dead.
  Gary looks on with the binoculars, and tells me when it
  looks like he’s stopped breathing. We don’t bother to
  check the body until nightfall. It’s not worth leaving the
  cool, and you never know — he may be faking it. From
  300 feet it’s hard to tell with old optics. But if he lays
  there in the sun all day, it won’t matter what he’s faking.
  The moon rose before the sun disappeared. We came
  out of hiding, went into the little valley, checked the
  body. He’s dead, no doubt. Peek inside the cabin, which
  is still holding in the day’s heat, and there’s nothing there.
  We left.
  At the top of the valley’s side, I turn around to take one
  last look at the sucker. And stop. The body was gone.
  Shit. Like the old chummer used to say, just when
  things can’t get any better, they gotta get worse.
  Gary saw the same thing. He swore as well. It meant
  we were going to have to track the bastard, or whoever
  stole him, down. The hot day was fast becoming a cold
  night.
  The calculator no longer worked at all. We climbed about
  fifty feet higher than we were, and surveyed the area. The
  full moon lit the desert almost as well as the sun, but our
  binoculars showed no one nearby — no person, no animal
  larger than a lizard, the only sign of humanity the
  fruitcake’s cabin.
  The door swings in the breeze, but I don’t feel anything
  up here. The air has that humid, kind of damp, fleshy feel.
  You’ve never been in heat until you’ve been in Louisiana
  in August. Or the Yucatan, I suppose, in whatever passes
  for boiling there. Or even West Africa, from what I’ve
  heard. But I believe I’m babbling.
  And I was. But momma set me right. She always did,
  that silvery smile, bright red hair. But that was the
  neighbor-girl-next-door. Daddy came in from the wars and
  set his briefcase down, but I couldn’t see him over the din
  of the trivideo set. It wasn’t for nothing they called us
  inseparable, my sister and eye. Red blood in my I, and a
  song in my heart.
  Obviously, something was wrong. Far wrong and way
  cool. I thought I heard thunder in the distance, but it was
  Gary slapping me back to reality. Which wasn’t an easy trip
  with the whore-whore-horehounds blowin’ in the wind. I
  steeled myself against his mind, obviously the fruitcake’s
  mind was still here in the dead zone, trying to infect us
  with his madness.
  Or, perhaps not trying at all. Only a mindless life force, a
  shell, a lifeless mind trapped in the moon, to fade as the
  moon fades to nothingness.
  I crouched, and saw the stars, and felt the ground again.
  Now there was a cold wind, and an odd smell in the air.
  Gary kicked at someone. The kick should have sent his
  opponent tumbling over the edge. Instead, there was a
  slurping noise, and I saw his toes exit his opponent’s back,
  straight through the liver. A hot smell exploded into the
  air, sun-boiled meat. Gary tried to hold back his nausea,
  and lost. It occurred to me that it was too bad he wasn’t a
  redhead, then without thinking I drew my sword and hit
  whatever it was he’d kicked. I saw the thing’s face, and it
  was the nut, and he was dead, but he clawed at me
  anyway. His mouth hung open, and his tongue lolled out
  one side of it.
  My sword had cut deep, and I yanked it out, as he
  clawed at me again. I rolled back, and realized why video
  adventurers always had a shield. Steaming water poured
  out the wound in its side. Gary pounded its back with his
  staff. It staggered forward, but kept its eyes on me as I
  swung the sword back and chopped off his head.
  It staggered forward, still clawing, and I thought we
  were fucked, when it just stopped, swooned, and fell. I
  
  Fiction — 193
  could still feel the ripples of the life force in the air, but it
  had lost its power.
  We didn’t rest until we reached the horses the next
  morning.
  LAW OF THE PACK
  Keith Ammann
  The gray October wind blew plastic wrappers up the
  street and some of the brown haze out of the air. The
  afternoon sky was thick with clouds. The street was empty
  of people except for a thin, white-haired young man
  wearing a respirator mask and a goblin in a tan trenchcoat
  and spiked dog collar. As the thin youth covered his
  motorcycle with a plastic sheet, the goblin stared at the
  sky.
  “So much for today’s job-hunt,” said the goblin, spitting
  on the ground.
  “Yeah, Arch, like we were goin’ anywhere anyway.” The
  young man lifted up his respirator and wrinkled his nose.
  “Man. This rain better wash some o’ the smog down.” The
  two moved into a nearby doorway and sat down on the
  steps. Thunder rumbled quietly to the west.
  “I don’t know why you’re hangin’ around with me,
  man,” said the goblin. “You’re the one with the diploma.
  You could be out doin’ somethin’.”
  The human shook his head. “The corps ain’t for me,
  Archie. I can’t live like that. You gotta give yourself away,
  man. They don’t let you have your own life anymore. I’d
  rather stay on the streets.”
  “Man, Corin, you always was the spooky one.”
  Neither one said anything for a while.
  “How’s your dad?” asked Corin.
  “Better. He’s finally gettin’ the people organized.
  They’re gonna have some kind of rally.” Archie kicked his
  heel against the concrete steps. “I’m really glad he finally
  got that promotion. ’Bout time they got an ork foreman
  down there. Might make some real money now.”
  “You think of applyin’ down there?”
  “Naw, man. Not on the line.”
  “Why not?”
  “Because…” Archie thought for a minute, resting his
  chin on his hand and rubbing his enlarged lower teeth with
  his thumb. “Because I wanna be someone. Because I want
  a real job and a real life. I don’t want people lookin’ at me
  like I’m just another dumb ork with nothin’ but muscle and
  attitude. That drek chokes, man.”
  Corin looked down, then at Archie. “They gonna think
  that anyway.”
  Archie sighed. “I know. But down on the line, people
  fight you to prove it. Too much hate there for me, man. I
  don’t wanna get into all that.”
  “I know what you mean,” Corin said. “But you gotta get
  somethin’ sometime.”
  “Yeah.” Archie hadn’t had a job since he’d left high
  school. He hadn’t even gone for an interview since the
  disaster a year before, when he applied for a counter job at
  the neighborhood Stuffer Shack convenience store, hoping
  that he could eventually make it to manager. Since that
  interview, he’d always found excuses not to go to any
  others, fearing the rejection he was sure he’d receive.
  • • •
  “Name?”
  “Archie Santangelo.”
  “How old are you?”
  “Nineteen.”
  “Education?”
  “Two years at Jarman High.”
  “Only two?”
  Archie hadn’t thought it would be the right thing to say
  that he’d been expelled his junior year for trying to stop a
  fight between two normals. The security guard, seeing
  Archie shove the larger of the two hard against a locker,
  assumed he had started the fight. For some reason, the
  dean didn’t think it was strange that a B student with a
  clean disciplinary record would assault two other kids at
  once. “That’s right,” Archie said.
  “Program?”
  “College prep.”
  “Not vocational?”
  The dogs in Archie’s head woke up. His voice took a
  hard edge.
  “No, not vocational. College prep.”
  The interviewer noticed the change in tone and looked
  up coldly.
  Archie had made his first mistake. “What previous
  experience do you have?”
  “None yet.”
  “None yet,” repeated the interviewer, as if he had
  guessed the answer beforehand and just been proven
  correct. “What made you want to work at Stuffer Shack?”
  “It’s near home,” Archie replied as Corin had coached
  him. “I don’t have a car. I can work night shifts. I know
  how the stores are organized. I’m not afraid of being
  robbed.”
  The interviewer smirked. “Do you know what to do in
  case of a robbery?”
  “Don’t resist. Get a good look at the robber so you can
  describe him later. Give him what he wants. Hit the
  Panicbutton as soon as he leaves.”
  The interviewer scowled. He’d expected the ork to say
  something like, “Jump the counter, maul the fragger, and
  give what’s left to the cops.” Somehow he didn’t like the
  fact that Archie knew the right answer. He looked up.
  “Why the dog collar?”
  Second mistake. He’d forgotten to take it off before the
  interview.
  “I just like it.”
  “Can’t wear it on the job.”
  “I understand.”
  “We have strict dress codes. You wear the uniform and
  the hat. No scruffy clothes, no street clothes. No dog
  collars.”
  “I understand.”
  “Good.” The interviewer looked down again. “Any
  criminal record?”
  “Nope.”
  “No assaults? No vandalism?”
  “I said no.”
  “Ever stolen from an employer?”
  “I told you, I’ve never been employed.”
  “You drink? Use drugs or chips?”
  “I don’t have a jack. And I don’t use drugs.” The dogs
  began to growl.
  “But you do drink.”
  “Yeah, some.”
  “Ever drink on the job?”
  Archie jumped up. “Goddamnit, I told you! I haven’t had
  any other job yet!”
  The interviewer looked up slowly, icily, and closed the
  folder.
  Strike three. “Thank you, Mr. Santangelo. That will be
  all.”
  Archie looked open-mouthed at the interviewer.
  Gradually, disbelief was replaced by understanding. “You
  
  194 — Fiction
  never intended to hire me at all, you bastard. You were
  just stringin’ me along. It’s ’cause I’m an ork, isn’t it?”
  The interviewer said nothing.
  “Isn’t it?”
  The interviewer pressed a button on his telecom. “Liz,
  please show the applicant out.”
  “You goddamn bastard.” Archie shook his head and
  walked wearily out of the office, ignoring the girl in the
  doorway who stared at him vacantly. The barking of the
  dogs was giving him a headache.
  • • •
  The clouds finally broke open. A drizzle of pale yellow
  rain began to fall, turning gradually into a steady shower.
  Archie backed further up the steps, pulling his long legs
  out of the rain’s reach. The wind picked up. Corin zipped
  up his heavy black jacket.
  “What time is it?” Corin asked.
  “Why don’t you get a watch?” said Archie.
  “Can’t afford one, drekhead. What time is it?”
  Archie looked. “Quarter after four.”
  “Guess we’re stuck here for a while.”
  • • •
  The rain continued on into the early evening. When it
  finally stopped, Corin took a sniff, decided the air was safe
  to breathe again, and walked up the block toward his
  basement apartment. Archie went down the block to his
  own building.
  His family was already seated around the dinner table
  when he got there. “Hurry, Archie, your food’s getting
  cold,” his mother called as he hung his long coat on a peg,
  picked up his two sisters’ coats, and hung them up too.
  He sat down at the table between his father and his
  younger sister, Mary. The dinner was flavored nutrisoy, as
  usual. No specials tonight. He picked up his fork and
  started shoveling it in. His father was talking about the
  union; they were going to have a rally the next night.
  Archie made interested noises.
  “Mommy, can I get a straw?” Mary asked.
  “Certainly, honey.” Archie’s mother got up and went to
  the drawer that had the straws. She and his other sister,
  Anna, hadn’t undergone the mutation that affected Mary,
  him, and their father, making their muscles denser and
  stronger, their frames taller, and their faces frightening
  parodies of normal humans’ faces, with slightly pointed
  ears and overgrown lower canines that poked out between
  their lips. Archie and his younger sister had been born that
  way; their father, he was told, changed at puberty. He’d
  spent three weeks in the hospital, and come out more
  strong and stubborn than ever before. Anna, being fifteen
  years old, was considered beyond risk. She would
  probably stay human the rest of her life.
  “Mom, why you gettin’ Mary a straw?” Archie said.
  “She’s gotta learn to drink from a glass some time.”
  “Archie, don’t be mean.”
  “I’m not bein’ mean, Mom. Mean is gonna be the kids
  in high school askin’ why she don’t drink out of a glass like
  everyone else.” Mrs. Santangelo put the straw in Mary’s
  glass with a resigned look at Archie. Mary drank the
  soymilk. Archie shook his head and returned to his food.
  “Find a job today, Archie?” asked his father.
  Drek, thought Archie, having hoped that his father
  would talk about the union until dessert. “No, Pop. Got
  rained out.”
  “It wasn’t raining this morning.”
  “I wasn’t up this morning.” Knots formed in Archie’s
  stomach. His appetite fled. The dogs howled.
  “Why weren’t you up this morning?”
  “Pop, I’ll go out tomorrow.”
  “Answer me! Why weren’t you up looking for a job this
  morning?”
  “Michael, please.” His mother’s face had a pained
  expression.
  “Paula, stay out o—”
  “Pop, I’ll go tomorr—”
  “Don’t shout—”
  “You will get up out of—”
  “Pop, I will—”
  “Can I head over to Rachel’s?” said Anna. Her soft,
  steady voice cut through the shouts. The argument lost
  what little continuity it had.
  “Yes, dear, go ahead,” said Mrs. Santangelo. Anna got
  up from the table and went for her coat. Archie and his
  father looked at each other once again.
  “Archie, hon, if you’re not doing anything tomorrow,
  could you pick Mary up from school?” asked his mother
  before the shouting could begin again. The front door
  opened and shut.
  “He’s not—”
  “Yes, Mom,” Archie said. His father scowled angrily.
  “Pop, I’ll check the ads tomorrow morning.”
  Mr. Santangelo glared at Archie, pushed away from the
  table, and walked into the TV room.
  • • •
  Archie got up early the next morning, mainly because
  his father woke him up. That day he browsed through the
  want ads on the newsfeed, made a couple of half-hearted
  phone calls, and didn’t write down the information he got.
  Early in the afternoon, he went out to find Corin. He was
  hanging around on the corner with Martin Megistus, the
  street magician. Martin was popular with all the kids, but
  only Corin had stayed interested in the old man’s tricks as
  he grew up. He said the magician was the real thing, and
  he was learning the stuff himself. Martin had always told
  Archie he had the talent as well, but Archie could never
  stay interested. Most of the things the magician said went
  over his head. Any time he thought he understood
  something, the dogs would get restless, and he’d lose his
  concentration. Corin could focus his attention on
  something for hours at a time. Archie didn’t care about
  things if he didn’t understand them right away.
  Corin, as usual, was completely wrapped up in what the
  magician had to say. Archie tried to look interested but
  couldn’t. His efforts to get Corin’s attention away from the
  magician came to nothing. His “Sayonara” as he left barely
  got a nod. He checked his watch. It was a little after two-
  fifteen. He headed off to pick up his sister.
  Archie walked up the drive to the front door of Milton
  Elementary. He’d gone there too, when he was little. The
  lobby always looked really small compared to how he
  remembered it, no matter how many times he came back.
  Watercolor paintings from the art classes covered the fake-
  wood- paneled walls. Children milled noisily about. Parents
  bumbled through the crowd, calling out, trying to find the
  ones that were theirs. Carefully and gently Archie pushed
  his way over toward the auditorium doors, next to that
  weird metal thing that was supposedly a sculpture. It had
  been there forever. Corin had always been fascinated by
  the metal thing, with its small, intricate shapes and
  moving parts. Archie had never gotten the point. He
  craned his neck and scanned the lobby, looking for Mary.
  When he spotted her, the dogs started barking in his
  head. She had been crying; there were dark circles under
  her eyes. A big black smudge of dirt covered one side of
  her new jacket. Her long, brown hair was messed up.
  Forgetting politeness, Archie plowed through the crowd
  toward his sister.
  
  Fiction — 195
  “Mary, tell me what happened.”
  “No.” Her lip trembled.
  “Who did this, Mary? Tell me who did this?”
  “No.” She shook her head.
  “Dammit, Mary, what happened?”
  “Nothing.”
  Archie felt ready to explode with frustration. “Come on.
  Let’s get home.” He took her hand and started walking,
  too fast, toward the door. As they walked out the door
  and down the drive, Archie’s questions were answered. A
  group of human kids, standing at the bus stop, pointed
  and laughed. Archie stopped in his tracks and put a hand
  on Mary’s shoulder. “Stay right here, Mary,” he said.
  Mary stood as still as a fence post. Archie strode toward
  the bus stop kids.
  “What’re you starin’ at?” he shouted. “What the hell
  you think you’re starin’ at?” Most of the children stopped
  laughing. One whispered, “I don’t know, but it’s u-u-
  ugly!” Another giggled at that.
  “Who said that?” demanded Archie. The dogs strained at
  their leashes. “Who was it? Was it you?” he shouted into
  on child’s face.
  The child was petrified. Archie straightened up.
  “That,” he said with fierce restraint, “is my sister. You
  hear me? My sister. And if I find out that any of you little
  snots are messin’ with her again, teasin’ her, pushin’ her
  around, callin’ her one single fraggin’ name that’s not her
  own, then I hope you got the bus fare to get back from
  where I’m gonna kick your snotty little asses to. You got
  that? One word! One word and you’re meat.” The children
  stood frozen, speechless. Out of the corner of his eye,
  Archie saw a teacher walking over. He nodded to her and
  turned to walk back toward his sister. The teacher
  continued walking, approaching him. He gritted his teeth.
  “Can I help you, sir?” the teacher asked accusingly.
  Archie turned his head and gestured to his sister. “No,
  but maybe you could start helpin’ her. ’Bout time
  someone did.” He shut himself off from the teacher, took
  Mary by the hand, and walked her home without a word.
  On the way home, his head was full of angry thoughts.
  He’d only been trying to look after his sister, and the
  teacher — the same one he’d had years before — had
  thought he was some sort of criminal. A chill wind picked
  up. The studs of his collar felt cold against his neck. Archie
  hung his head, ashamed of his outburst. He wondered if
  he could actually bring himself to do anything to those kids
  if they bothered Mary again. He wondered if he’d ever be
  able to live with himself if he did. His hand gripped Mary’s
  tightly. The dogs remained awake, watching.
  When Archie got home, Corin was waiting outside.
  “Sorry I wasn’t—” He noticed Mary’s condition and broke
  off. What happened? he mouthed.
  Archie motioned Corin to come on in. He glanced at the
  elevator; broken again. It’s not fair to make a ten-year-old
  kid walk up four flights, he thought. He carried Mary up
  the steps.
  His mother told Mary to go change and wash up.
  “Mom,” Archie started, “a bunch of kids were —”
  “It’s okay, Archie. She’s fine. She just needs to get
  straightened up.”
  “Mom, she’s not fine. The kids are knockin’ her around.
  You gotta talk to the teachers there.”
  “She’ll be fine, Archie. She’s not hurt. Just a little dirty.”
  “What if she gets hurt?”
  “Archie, don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” Mrs.
  Santangelo turned and followed Mary.
  Archie swung his fist at the air. “Nothing. Not a damn
  thing I can do.”
  “C’mon, Arch. ’Sko over to my place.” Corin motioned
  Archie to leave.
  They went out the door. Anna was coming up the stairs.
  “Hoi, Anna,” said Archie. Corin waved. She smiled at the
  two and turned into the apartment without a word.
  Corin walked down the stairs. Archie stomped. “I can’t
  take this anymore,” Archie said. “Kids pickin’ on Mary.
  Guys at work givin’ Pop the screws. Pop givin’ me hell for
  not bein’ perfect. Day after day with nothin’ to do. I can’t
  take it.”
  “Get a job.”
  “Slot off, man, I’m serious. I am goin’ absolutely nuts. I
  live on a street with squatters, chipheads, people with
  dead-end jobs and unemployed bums like us. And there’s
  not a fraggin’ thing I can do about it! I can’t even get a
  fraggin’ job—”
  “You tried lately?”
  “That’s not the fraggin’ point!” snapped Archie as they
  walked out the door. “Even if I tried, I wouldn’t get
  nothin’. They’re keepin’ me out. Don’t want me. Don’t
  want a fraggin’ ork doin’ somethin’ they could get a
  normal do to. Don’t want me nowhere but on the line or
  on the street, where I can’t do nothin’. Christ, I gotta do
  somethin’!”
  “What can’t you do?”
  “I can’t change nothin’. I can’t stop people from messin’
  with my own goddamn sister. I can’t make people see
  what’s goin’ on. I start maulin’ people, what does that do?
  Nothin’. I’m just what they want me to be then, see?”
  Corin nodded quietly. “Yeah, I get it.”
  “I don’t wanna hurt no one. I just can’t stand to see all
  this drek goin’ on around me. I gotta do somethin’. God,
  they won’t even let me protect my own goddamn sister.”
  Corin gave Archie a moment to cool down. “Let’s get
  somethin’ to eat, man.”
  “Got no appetite,” said Archie.
  “You can buy mine, then.”
  Archie laughed. “You take me to Stuffer Shack, you’re
  meat.”
  • • •
  The dogs started barking later that evening. Archie
  couldn’t shut them up. They drove him to distraction. As
  he and Corin approached his building, the barking became
  more and more insistent. Archie stared blankly at the
  building. In his mind, the dogs barked disaster. A dreadful
  intuition overcame his reason. He bolted away, up to the
  building and through the door, bounding up the steps two
  and three at a time, hitting the stairwell wall once as he
  lost his grip swinging around the rail. The dogs barked
  incessantly. He burst through the apartment door without
  turning the knob all the way, nearly ripping the bolt slot
  from the frame.
  His mother sat on the couch, holding Mary. The girl was
  crying in terror and grief, tears streaming down her face,
  gulping in air and expelling it in horrible wails of anguish.
  His mother sat still, her face pale, her eyes sunken, staring
  straight ahead, mechanically stroking the girl’s hair. Anna
  sat on a chair in the dining room, tracing a finger around in
  circles on the table.
  “What’s wrong?” screamed Archie. “Someone fraggin’
  tell me what’s wrong!” His shouting intensified the young
  girl’s crying. His mother shrunk back against the sofa.
  Neither spoke.
  The only answer came from the other room. “The
  Humanis Policlub crashed Pop’s union rally,” said Anna in a
  melancholy monotone, not looking in Archie’s direction.
  “They came with baseball bats and shotguns. They said
  
  196 — Fiction
  they were there to punish the local that hired goblins as
  foremen.” She paused. “They beat Pop to death.”
  The dogs were going crazy, barking, pulling at their
  leashes, jumping and cursing and yelping in every
  direction. Archie’s head spun.
  “They what? Who were they? Who did it?”
  “The police broke it up,” said Anna. “Pop was already
  dead. They arrested a bunch of them.” Anna looked at
  Archie, a strange, puzzled expression on her face. “Mom
  won’t press charges.”
  “WhaaAAAGGHHH!” Archie had meant to confront his
  mother, but instead of words came an inarticulate roar. His
  mother’s face was devoid of emotion, almost devoid of
  life. She spoke like a ventriloquist’s dummy, like the
  words weren’t her own and she was only the medium. “I
  don’t want any more trouble, Archie. I don’t want any
  more trouble. Everything will be all right. It has to be. No
  more trouble.”
  In his anger, Archie brought both his forearms down on
  the end table, smashing it into jagged fragments. His
  mother closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. Mary
  wailed. Anna turned back to staring at the table. The dogs
  broke free, the pack charging off on the hunt. Archie,
  running, followed them out the door, leaping down the
  stairs. On the second flight he turned his ankle painfully as
  he landed, adding to his rage as he stubbornly and
  unevenly ran down the rest of the stairs and out into the
  street, screaming incoherently all the way.
  Corin saw his friend tear out of the apartment building,
  yelling his guts out, loping along with a face that could
  give a mercenary a heart attack, and was struck dumb with
  shock. Archie never even saw Corin as he ran through the
  streets in agony, flailing his arms, barely maintaining his
  balance. The dogs had been loosed to the hunt. Hunting
  normals. Archie was part of the pack, being driven along
  with them. The pack would find their quarry, and Archie
  would join them as they chased and cornered and tore it
  to pieces. He charged down the streets with the pack,
  looking for the one that would pay for what normals had
  done to his family.
  Suddenly something caught him and he wasn’t running,
  he was falling…. His body slammed heavily against the
  pavement, his jaw scraped against asphalt. His hands were
  torn by gravel. He tried to get up but couldn’t get his
  limbs to obey his commands. He was losing the chase. As
  he lay on the ground, screaming pleas to the darkness,
  the pack charged off and left him behind. He collapsed
  down and sobbed helplessly, unable to do anything.
  Combat boots appeared next to Archie’s head. Corin
  was kneeling down beside him, his face painted with
  nervousness and every limb shaking. “You go-g-gotta ch-
  chill, Arch,” he stuttered out. “You g-gotta t-tell t-t-tell me
  wh-wha-what ha-what happened.”
  Archie’s voice was choked with anguish. “They got
  away… The fraggers got away….”
  “Who-who did?”
  “They’re gonna pay,” sobbed Archie. “I’m gonna kill
  ’em… kill ’em all… every fraggin’ one….”
  “Archie, what are you talkin’ ab-bout? You’re n-n-n-n—”
  Corin scrunched his eyes shut and bit his lip. “You’re…
  not… going to… kill anyone.”
  Archie’s scream tore ruts through the street. “I KNOW!!
  They’ll never let me… won’t let me defend my own
  fraggin’ family….
  Don’t you see? All this goddamned drek… I can’t do
  anything… they won’t let me….”
  “Archie, you can’t kill anyone. You said it yourself. You
  can’t become what they want you to be.”
  Archie exhaled a deep sob and dropped his head. His
  forehead hit the asphalt, jarring his senses. “I can’t be
  anything,” he breathed out. “I can’t do anything. All I can
  do is lie here and take it.” He paused. “All I can do is lie
  here. Corin, why can’t I move my fraggin’ arms?”
  “My fault, man.”
  Archie suddenly felt free to move. He sat up dizzily.
  “What the hell’d you do?”
  “Somethin’ Martin taught me. Said your anger’d run
  away with you someday. Told me to do that if I ever saw
  it happen.”
  “Do what?”
  “Never mind, man.” Corin took a deep breath. “C’mon,
  let’s get you cleaned up. You’re a fraggin’ mess.”
  “Gimme a sec. My head hurts.” Archie lay back down,
  propping himself on his forearms. “I dunno what to do,
  man. I feel so fraggin’ helpless. Muscle an’ attitude’s all I
  got. Can’t use it without becomin’ somethin’ I can’t stand
  to look at. Just another dumb goddamn ork.”
  “You got a lot more than that, Arch. You know what’s
  right. Lots o’ people can’t see that. And you ain’t afraid to
  stick up for it.”
  “Doesn’t matter. Just a dumb fraggin’ ork. Never be
  anything else. Not even good enough for the line….”
  “Come on, man, your head works just fine. I can’t stand
  stupid people, but I hang with you. You know what’s
  right. You just gotta know how to make people listen.”
  Archie sighed. “I dunno. I just get so fraggin’ confused…
  maybe if I just got somewhere where I could think….”
  Archie fell silent for a moment. He looked up at Corin, his
  eyes narrow. “You think they’d let me back into Jarman?”
  Corin thought. “Doubt it. Maybe another school.”
  “Got no car.”
  “We’ll figure somethin’ out. Come on.”
  Corin steadied his friend’s arm as he got to his feet.
  They walked and limped up the block. “Hey, Corin,” Archie
  asked, “how come you got so many books? You won’t
  buy a TV or a fraggin’ watch, but you buy books?”
  “You wanna read any of ’em, you’re welcome to,” Corin
  said, looking Archie and breaking into a small smile.
  “Knowledge is power.”
  Neither one said anything for a while.
  “The more I think about it… the more it looks as if I’ve been a
  cog in one thing or another since the day I was born. Whenever
  I get set to do what I want to do, something a whole lot bigger
  than me comes along and shoves me back into place.”
  — Anonymous WWII soldier
  
  Fiction — 197
  TESS’ DIARY
  Wordman
  [Writers Note: This is the summer diary of my character
  Tess, a grade 0 Snake shaman. She walks in a different
  world than most of us. Comments welcome at
  lward@flashpt.com]
  «JUNE 3 / SEATTLE / VOICE MODE»
  I have confusion. I thought the running of shadows was
  the Path. I no longer know. I’m not confident that setting
  my thoughts in this pseudo-permanent medium is a
  rational act, but Jana seemed to think so. My confusion is
  such that I will consider anything. (Anything? A dangerous
  thought, if true. Even my honesty eludes me.) There is
  too much black.
  Maybe it is the mundane concerns. The curren’t
  resolution with Aztechnology should be a break. But is it a
  resolution? Baal has left to avoid possible retribution; that
  seems prudent. I should leave, but is that the right thing?
  My dream of the wind through the sculpted walls seemed
  far.
  Chicago. But the sneer…
  «JUNE 4 / SEATTLE / VOICE MODE»
  I have just played back my first entry. John says that the
  voice-to-text translator seems to work fine. If I am sure of
  anything, it is to take his word for technical matters. I can
  remember speaking more between some of the sentences
  from yesterday, but I must have just thought them.
  Interesting.
  «JUNE 6 / SEATTLE / VOICE MODE»
  Went back into Redmond to make my goodbyes (for
  how long?) to old friends. The first time I’d stepped onto
  Brain Eaters turf for years. I wasnt even in colors. Even
  though I’ve come to recognize lust in males, I’ve never
  fully understood it. Bruiser felt, not lust exactly, but
  something. I’d never noticed that before. He seemed
  concerned for my safety on my journey. I’m glad I told
  them I was going to Los Angeles.
  Troxia has disappeared. She has apparently run off with a
  corper and moved to, coincidentally (?), Chicago. The
  Eaters are uneasy, but anything that gets her out of here
  should curb her chiplust. Voracious appetite for new input,
  but no will to go get it. She’s a lot like me in some ways,
  had it not been for Snake.
  The loss of the arm seems to have made Buck more
  philosophical. He said very little, but he and I always
  understood one another anyway. I’m sure he knew I’m
  really going to Chicago. He reached into a box and pulled
  out something I never thought I’d see again. The Collar.
  He kept it after he killed Marcus, apparently just in case he
  needed to make an object lesson. He said “It is the chain
  that youre dragging that was once your relief.” (I wish I’d
  been looking at him from the Ethereal then. I’d swear  for
  a brief moment  that Dog spoke through him. More
  confusion.) He seemed a bit uneasy about how I’d react to
  The Collar.
  It almost seems like that frightened, ignorant creature
  was a lifetime ago.
  I’ll be glad to get out of here tomorrow. This hotel room
  is beginning to depress me. Or is it the city? To much
  black.
  «JUNE 7 / CHICAGO / VOICE MODE»
  Chicago airport is a zoo. I’m glad I was in a suit. I’m also
  glad I left the taser behind. Huh, imagine the look on the
  maid’s face when she finds that in the sink. She’s probably
  used to it.
  The woman next to me on the plane was in simsense
  for the whole flight. She was an executive secretary. I
  examined cyberware very closely from astral for the first
  time. I never noticed how truly intricate the fusion
  between flesh and machine is. It was actually quite
  beautiful.
  I begin to understand why cyberware, by its nature,
  makes healing so difficult. The patterns. So beautiful. I have
  not the words.
  «JUNE 8 / CHICAGO / VOICE MODE»
  Talked to a gentleman in a bar, discovered that he had
  just lost his wife. I watched him astrally while he drank and
  the alcohol seemed to improve his state. We talked for
  hours (I mostly listened) and he never asked my name.
  Just needed someone to talk to.
  I bought a taser. Funny how something that would have
  landed me in jail at the airport can be bought without
  license from a sporting goods store.
  Chicago’s emotional state, in general, is a bit more
  negative that Seattle. The weather, perhaps. Maybe just
  the crowding. Or is it the Mafia? (Morte Alles Francia,
  Italia… something). Is it relevant?
  «JUNE 9 / CHICAGO / VOICE MODE»
  Been studying ancient Chinese all day. Some interesting
  texts from library.
  «JUNE 11 / CHICAGO / VOICE MODE»
  Stopped a rape. I was downtown, when I thought I saw
  Troxia. It turned out not to be her, but I followed her for a
  while. I noticed a man doing the same. His aura was a
  bit… twisted, so I mind probed him. Nauseating. He was
  so far gone, I don’t think he noticed. I ambushed him with
  the taser and left him sprawling in the street. No one
  seemed to care.
  Even so, I felt badly about sifting his thoughts. Every
  time I’ve done it before was in desperation. And the…
  subjects knew it was coming. I’m glad I decided against
  probing Cat’s Eye while he slept that first night.
  Today was the first spell I’ve cast in days. Now that my
  attention is focused on it, it feels like the mundane world
  is driving its hooks into me. I think now might be a good
  time for an astral tour of the city.
  «JUNE 13 / CHICAGO / VOICE MODE»
  Last night seemed to help.
  I sought out Troxia this afternoon in earnest. I tried to
  learn the city by asking around the old fashioned way, but
  I had to resort to summoning a watcher. (They grow them
  a bit strange looking out here). Troxia and her significant
  other joined me for lunch. Doesn’t seem like Troxia’s
  type, but who am I to judge. Troxia told me later that it
  was all biz.
  Dreamt of the sneering face again, but He wasnt
  sneering this time. He seems very familiar, but is that just
  part of the dream? Baal put digitized pictures of everyone
  we ran across into this gizmo, but His face is not any of
  them. Something about two small creeks crossing is there,
  but eludes me.
  «JUNE 14 / CHICAGO / VOICE MODE»
  Another dream of the Face. This time eating rattlesnake.
  Couldnt sleep after that. I am beginning to feel the Face is
  on my Path. As an obstacle, judging by the symbolism,
  yet it doesnt feel that way. I’m going to have to find this
  man.
  Spent the day trying to buy peyote, in the hopes that it
  will make my dreams stronger. Very hard to get here, but
  found some. It is good to have a tangible direction.
  
  198 — Fiction
  «JUNE 15 / CHICAGO / VOICE MODE»
  Dreams of the Face again; this time hiding something.
  The crossing streams are not creeks but rivers. I got the
  feeling of a mountain surrounded city. I’m going to
  Denver.
  I ran into an artist on the El today, and he drew a
  likeness of the Face from my description. It is something at
  least.
  «JUNE 16 / DENVER / KEYPAD MODE»
  This city is beautiful! The sun was setting over the
  Rockies, just as the plane landed. Although legally I am
  supposed to be in the UCAS sector, I have a room in
  neutral downtown.
  No dreams last night. I think I am getting closer.
  «JUNE 17 / DENVER / VOICE MODE»
  Downtown is set off at 45 degrees to the rest of the
  city, so I got a bit lost today. A huge Amerind corp-type
  pointed out that the mountains are always to the west. I
  should have thought of that.
  Between bouts of scanning the screamsheets for the
  Face, I took an astral tour. This town almost pulses with
  deals. A very odd sensation. I saw a mage lose control of a
  fire elemental and paid close attention to its aura. The
  entity killed the mage, then flew off into the night, both of
  which I expected. Its aura/emotion when it killed its
  summoner was not the satisfaction of revenge that I’d
  expected. No desire, but no regret either, as if it was just
  something that it had to do. Very curious. When it flew
  away, however, the feeling of freedom it radiated almost
  consumed me. I noticed that, inside my pocket, my right
  hand was wrapped tightly around the Collar.
  «JUNE 18 / DENVER / VOICE MODE»
  Went to Confluence Park, where the Platte river meets
  Cherry Creek. Obviously not the rivers. I overheard a
  woman mention the Cherry Creek Mall. Just to be
  thorough, I took a quick peek. The mall was standard, but
  nearby was the Tattered Cover Book Store. Not just real
  paper books, but a whole building full. Clientele was
  almost all Awakened. The astral charge in the air was so
  thick, I wouldnt have been surprised if spirits started
  forming out of thin air.
  «JUNE 20 / DENVER / VOICE MODE»
  Havent made much progress on locating the Face, but
  havent had the dreams either.
  I did meet a decker named Ty, who is looking for work.
  Very interesting aura. Intricate beyond anything I’ve seen.
  For that reason, I think, I find myself very drawn towards
  the shadowrunner. I asked about the picture of Face and
  mentioned a price tag. We are now working out of a
  downtown apartment. I feel hopeful.
  «JUNE 22 / DENVER / VOICE MODE»
  The Face now has a name: Whittiker. He is part of the
  Pueblo Corporate Council. That makes sense to me for
  some reason.
  Ty has been showing me around the Matrix. It gives me
  a horrible headache, but is very fascinating. I begin to
  understand the thrill John feels when fishing secrets from
  miles away.
  «JUNE 25 / DENVER / VOICE MODE»
  Whittiker is in the city of Pueblo, a hundred miles south.
  From a map I see that the Arkansas and Fountain Rivers
  merge there. Whittiker’s position seems innocuous
  enough, but we are heading for Pueblo as soon as we
  make the arrangements. Ty knows a samurai there named
  Rojo.
  «Keypad mode» As I was looking at Ty this morning, I
  caught a strange expression in my reflection in the
  window. It seems like I’ve seen that expression before on
  someone else. I’m beginning to get a bit confused over
  my feelings toward Ty (if only because I don’t know what
  they are), but I must not let that confusion affect my Path.
  «JUNE 30 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  I cant even remember how much of the information
  were finding I have put into this diary. I should go back to
  check, but I don’t have time. Our discoveries are coming
  very quickly.
  «JULY 6 / PUEBLO / KEYPAD MODE»
  I’ve mixed emotions about last night. The experience
  was enlightening, to say the least, but now, as I write
  surrounded by satin sheets, I have doubts as to my goal.
  Yesterday I was sure that Whittiker’s secrets were the
  reason I was drawn to this place, but after last night, I am
  beginning to question this.
  I have never before experienced what Ty brought forth
  in me last night. The (I have trouble even writing it)
  ecstasy coursing through me was enough to send my soul
  out into its astral home; a reprise, almost, of my gang
  initiation. As then, I could see my meatbody below me,
  but it wasnt still. I could see it spasming under Ty’s caress.
  Even stranger, I could feel it.
  Somehow I could still feel my body. Every touch. Every
  kiss. As if I had somehow bridged the tenuous gap
  between mind and body. More likely is was my partner’s
  doing, although probably unintentional.
  Even as she sleeps, Ty’s aura is vibrant, especially
  where her skin touches her husband’s. Lying on Ty’s
  opposite side (which is curious, as when I went to sleep,
  he was asleep between us), Rojo is easier to figure out,
  but no less interesting. His aura pulses faintly (in time to
  his heart, I believe), a strong contrast to last night. An odd
  effect; parts of him completely black, while from the
  patches where he still has his original body, his aura
  seemed to explode. I think Snake is watching him.
  Personal indulgence aside, this is what concerns me. Is
  Whittiker really on my Path? Or was I actually drawn here
  just to meet these two people? Ty and Rojo have certainly
  affected me. It is almost like Awakening again. But, no. It
  cant be; the guards on Whittiker’s secrets are to strong for
  Snake and I to ignore. But… something.
  Last night was significant, and not just because of the
  enlightening astral connection. Nor because I finally
  understand why humanity places such a strong emphasis
  on the pleasures of mating. Something else is there.
  In spite of my growing doubts and nagging suspicions,
  Rojo, Ty and I are going to go through with the plan to
  infiltrate Whittiker’s building. I must have answers. My
  mind tells me that I will find them there, but my spirit tells
  me that the answers (and perhaps the questions) will differ
  vastly from my expectations. Snake has remained
  annoyingly quiet. Although that has happened before, I am
  still frightened.
  «JULY 7 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  «Input error. Impedance overload»
  Aaaaannn. Fuck!
  «Input error. Microphone spike»
  Venom! This fucking hurts.
  >You should stay quiet, Tess.
  Stupid, stupid, stupid! Too much black.
  >Youll be fine Tess, just hang on.
  «Nil translation» Ty?
  >I’m here.
  Important. Get sword to Jana. Seattle. «Nil translation»
  
  Fiction — 199
  >Who? What sword?
  Get that fucking thing away from me!
  >Easy, love, easy. Rojo, put the patch away.
  «Nil translation»
  >Tess! Tess!
  >>Is she…?
  >No. Just unconscious. She cast a healing spell on
  herself before we got there.
  >>Lets hope she held it long enough. I found her
  clothes.
  >The bleedings stopped.
  >>Christ. I’m going to go get… the…the rest of her.
  >Be careful. Are you all right?
  >>No. Not after this. What’s that flashing?
  >What? Oh. Her secretary is recording.
  >>Turn it off.
  >Hurry back.
  «Interru
  «JULY 9 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  As soon as we got in, I knew it was wrong. How fucking
  stupid could I be? It hurts so much. It feels like my arm is
  on fire, even though I know it’s no longer there. If my
  intact eye wasn’t swollen shut, I might cry.
  I… I think Rojo blames himself, but it was my fault I got
  caught. I should have been paying more attention to
  where he was going. Rojo says Whittiker’s gun fired
  explosive flechettes. Thank All that he didnt pull the
  trigger when…. The sick fuck. Who shoots someone
  bound in front of them?
  Damn it. I’m bleeding again. Not that I can see it. Snake.
  I could heal myself, if only I could see.
  Shit.
  I think… I think it may be time to put myself in debt. I
  cant continue like this. The true sadness is that its all my
  fault. I misinterpreted something somewhere. I don’t
  know. What did I do wrong?
  «JULY 11 / UNKNOWN / KEYPAD MODE»
  Interfactor seemed… tense, for lack of a better word,
  although that probably isn’t possible. He (it?) managed to
  get me out here, wherever here is. I think I’m
  somewhere in Japan. Chiba would make sense, given the
  nature of my upcoming surgery.
  The Surgeon (thats all I have heard him called) said that
  hed never seen wounds like mine before. I agreed, and
  given some of Baal’s violence, that is not a small
  statement. I’m a bit glad I can’t see my body in the real
  plane, cause its appearance is very distressing in the astral
  plane. The Surgeon informs me that a spread of six of the
  flechettes impacted around my right armpit, destroying
  my breast, some ribs and exploding my shoulder. Another
  cluster (or maybe two) spread down to my left hip,
  destroying my eye (I’m apparently lucky I don’t have brain
  damage or a punctured lung) and bruising some bone.
  My arm, according to the Surgeon will not accept a vat
  grown replacement, so he is cyber-replacing it. That didn’t
  sound right to me, until I took a good look at my stump
  from astral. Something is preventing it. I have a feeling it
  is Snake, which is disconcerting. I’m told that normally
  they can install machinery which doesnt take away as
  much of my humanity, but that since they don’t have the
  flesh of my real arm to work with, I have to settle for the
  normal stuff. The eye will be almost half organic, as will the
  sub-dermal plating that the Surgeon insists upon (“to
  reinforce your damaged skeletal structure.”) Apparently,
  the problem with grafting real flesh to my arm does not
  exist for my breast, so thankfully they are simply growing
  me a new one.
  I’d love to crawl around this place sometime. John
  would be very interested in their machines, I have a
  feeling.
  I am not looking forward to surgery. The Surgeon
  assures me that everything will be fine, but I havent told
  him about the intensity of my dreams. The surgery itself
  doesn’t scare me, but the idea of being chemically
  prohibited from waking up does.
  If something should go wrong, my will can be found at
  SAN (0003)-09-2938 box 747. Passcode “Jormungandr”.
  «JULY 29 / UNKNOWN / VOICE MODE»
  I almost forgot about this thingy.
  The bandages are finally off. Yay! During the actual
  surgery, I apparently drove them crazy, as I kept plinking
  into a metabrain…um, blinking into a metaplane. None of
  the mages here have access to the metaplanes, so to
  them it seemed that my aura just vanished, even though
  my body was still showing vital signs.
  Oooo. Pink!
  Um… I did dream, but I don’t remember . I looked at
  some of my EEGs. The docs said they were strange, but
  they just looked like squiggles. I’m told they tried an
  experimental simsense recorder on me in an attempt to
  record my dreams. I don’t think it worked.
  My meatbody looks great! I had thought there would be
  scarring. I keep breaking cups with my new hand, but I’m
  getting better. The injectors were Interfactor’s idea. The
  eyes are amazing. They can see heat patterns and zoom in
  on far away objects. They can even cry. I cant feel the
  plating at all unless I probe with my fingers. My new
  breast is fine. It is now the same size as its opposite. I
  never realized how annoying that almost-invisible size
  difference bothered me until now.
  «Input error: Nil translation. 67% probability of being
  laughter.»
  Wow. I think these drugs are getting to me. I’d better
  stop talking before I say something silly.
  «AUGUST 2 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  I just woke up here, even though I was in a hospital bed
  when I went to sleep. It was almost like a dream, but the
  light reflecting off my arm would seem to indicate
  otherwise. Damn, nothing quite like spending 800K for a
  month of surgery. I’m gonna get my bearings, then find
  Ty and Rojo. Then Snake and I have a long overdue
  appointment.
  I’ve only been to Snakehome once before. Maybe
  twice. I don’t really know what to expect. The first time, I
  was invited. Last time I was welcome. This time around I
  don’t even know if I’ll be allowed in. My power has
  diminished. I can’t seem to make spells work without
  chanting in Chinese. That is most distressing. It seems like
  I should know something about the Path I got injured on…
  why it went wrong.
  I don’t have it.
  «AUGUST 3 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  They’re both dead. Rojo… he…
  «Input error. Microphone spike»
  «       ¥ºø†     §¶               ¨∂ª¥ »
  «AUGUST 4 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  The storage seemed to transfer O.K. Where did this
  temper come from? Looking back over this log… I don’t
  know. I would never have tossed my pocket sec into a
  mirror three months ago. Very disturbing.
  It feels like my world is falling apart. My magic is going.
  My friends are gone. Ty… O.K.… Ty got…killed. Black IC
  apparently. Running something in Denver. Rojo first found
  her. He killed himself. He… left….
  
  200 — Fiction
  «AUGUST 5 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  Words are harder now. I never told Rojo that I didn’t
  hold him responsible for what happened to me. I cant help
  but feel….
  What is wrong with me? I’ve lost people before. People
  I’ve known longer than Ty and Rojo put together. I…
  damn it. Calm.
  Calm.
  «AUGUST 6 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  Buried them today. I used to think that burials were to
  ensure the spirits of the dead rest. I think now that they’re
  more for the living. Nothing makes you deal with death
  more than planting your friends in the ground.
  Took a long walk. Beautiful weather, which I found
  depressing. It is becoming a bit clearer.
  «AUGUST 7 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  I’ve been wandering in a haze for days. Time to stop. I
  understand love. I loved Ty and Rojo, although not in the
  way they loved each other. Bruiser loves me; we had the
  same look. It seems absurd that I didn’t recognize that last
  time I saw him.
  I’ve been putting off seeking Snake due to my grief. No.
  Due to fear. I go tonight. I go alone.
  «AUGUST 8 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  It is so clear! I don’t know why it took so long to realize.
  It… well… start at the beginning.
  My quest began in a sweat filled room with only one
  door. This short, greasy, bald guy with a horrendous cigar
  entered from the other direction, blocking my path. He
  started to taunt me about loosing my magic. I thought it
  was some sort of test, but he never made any sort of
  question or point. Looking back on it now, I can see that it
  was a test of separating the mundane irrelevancies from
  my magic. When he began to make dry comments on my
  sex life, I said “Does any of this matter?” He just looked at
  me. I told him to fuck off any pushed him out of the way.
  He didn’t seem to mind, and I sure felt a lot more
  confident.
  I thought I’d prepared myself for the sudden shifts in
  scenery so typical of the Metaplanes. I was wrong.
  I found myself staring right into what I can only describe
  as the Source of Magic. Mana flowed out of a void,
  flooding the universe to infinity in every direction. It was
  enrapturing. After a long while (almost too long, I now
  realize), I noticed that the flow wasnt really fluid at all.
  More like individual streamlets. I noticed that one of the
  streamlets—maybe threads is a better word—seemed
  wrong somehow. I traced its path from the void and found
  that it passed just above me.
  I remembered some bad hermetic theory that I’d read
  long ago. I’d always considered it garbage, but it seemed
  to work here. I experimented with the flow a bit. I made a
  wrong move and it charged through my body. It just left
  me tingling, but I think it could have been much worse.
  The stream seemed normal after that. I’d apparently fixed
  it.
  Water rushed around my ankles, and I was naked in a
  sewer. Almost like growing up again, but I was already full
  grown and not afraid. I felt Snake just around the corner.
  Realization struck just before I turned.
  Snake was before me, but elusive to the eye. She
  seemed to radiate thoughts this time and never spoke. I
  knew that my damage and loss of magic had been a
  punishment, but that was now incidental, because I now
  knew why I had been punished.
  I shouldnt have needed the hint, but the magic threads
  finally made sense. The thread was, of course, mine, but it
  wasnt wrong, just misused; or… sorcery done correctly,
  but for the wrong reasons. I’d been questioning
  everything. Is this on my path, is that on my path? Stupid.
  The path will come to me, not vice versa.
  Snake seemed to smile.
  For the first time in Her presence, I felt confident. Even
  now, as I sit here alone, I understand that do not know
  where I am going. And as never before, knowing that I do
  not gives me great strength.
  «AUGUST 10 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  I am still struck by the simplicity of Snake’s lesson. I
  suppose all True things seem simple once they are
  understood. I talked to another of Snake’s Chosen about
  the lesson today. He seemed to think that I should be
  upset about the permanency of it. I don’t think he
  believed me when I said that I’d met Snake.
  I don’t think She chose him the same way She chose
  me.
  Mentioning being chosen has reminded me of
  something Snake told me long ago. “You must not dwell
  on whether I think something is right or wrong. I have
  chosen you. Your decision will be the correct one.” I
  should not have forgotten that.
  A mage told me about a Sorcery lecture series given at
  the local college by some guest lecturer. A week ago, I
  would have worried about if going to this lecture was on
  my Path. It is somewhat liberating to have those thoughts
  vanish. The lectures have crossed my path, and sound
  interesting, so I will attend. The point is that I wont know if
  they are on the Path until they are finished.
  Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitudes.
  «AUGUST 11 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  This sorcery seminar looks most intriguing. The professor
  is not human. I mean literally not a homo sapiens. He calls
  himself Dion Kimber and is a City Spirit.
  He passed out a syllabus (which looks a bit too
  hermetically oriented for my tastes) but chose to tell his
  own story instead of teaching sorcery for the first lecture.
  He apparently went free some years ago after his
  summoner died. A corporate wage mage; geeked during a
  shadowrun. He seems very interesting.
  Only today have I noticed that I have cultivated Ty’s
  more revealing style of dress. A subtle tribute perhaps? In
  this heat though, you need to dress skimpily. I actually
  wouldnt have noticed, but this early bloomer kept staring
  at my breasts during the lecture. Couldn’t be more than
  fourteen years old. No skill, but lots of raw power. Coyote
  chosen, I think. The class is going to confuse the hell out
  of him.
  «AUGUST 14 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  I had to leave class today, cause I started to weep over
  Ty. Irrational timing. After I calmed down, though, I felt
  really good. Made me realize that she really did mean that
  much.
  The kid is in way over his head, which could be
  dangerous. He still continues to stare down my cleavage.
  I’m going to have to do something about that.
  I’m finding only one idea in four from lecture new, and
  maybe one out of every three of those useful. I almost
  forget that most of these students (not to mention the
  teacher) havent ever seen the Metaplanes. Most of
  them—how did Rojo put it?—“don’t know dick” about
  astral space.
  While shopping for my sorcery texts (mostly philosophy
  stuff), I found a book on enchanting. Hermetic, but I can
  relate to some of it. It’s much more interesting than the
  sorcery texts, at least.
  
  Fiction — 201
  «AUGUST 16 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  I cornered the kid today and asked him why he found
  my breasts so fucking fascinating. He kind of fumbled and
  mumbled sheepishly, which was sorta cute.
  I gave him a ride home, then invited myself in so I
  could convince him to look elsewhere for magical training.
  I mean, the kid’s parents don’t even know he’s
  Awakened. I lay down the basics, especially the difference
  between shamanic and hermetic magic. That seemed
  really illuminating to him (as it did to me, all those years
  ago.) He asked me to tutor him for the summer. I refused.
  I talked myself out and turned to go, but he stopped me
  and said “I find your breasts fascinating because I don’t
  have them.” I was a bit too stunned to respond, and so
  he, eyes looking at the floor, said “Can I see them?” I
  remember thinking only: and the Path will come to you. I
  took off my shirt.
  «AUGUST 17 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  The kid (I never did learn his name) didn’t show up in
  class today; a good sign. Hell do fine. Magically, he and I
  are a lot alike.
  I’ve been thinking about yesterday, and I’m not so sure
  that I went away profitless. I’d never made love to another
  magician before. There were some odd astral ripples. We
  both noticed them, and I think he may have learned more
  about magic from them than he did from anything I told
  him. I gained a little something into how sorcery effects
  auras. In fact, now that I think about it, it makes one of the
  points of today’s lecture very clear.
  «AUGUST 20 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  Today I witnessed the joy of two parents in a park. Their
  child took her first steps, and was soon walking around the
  grass. For the first time that I can remember, I found
  myself thinking about my parents. Who were they? Why
  did they leave? It seems almost unnatural that I’ve not
  thought about it before.
  «AUGUST 24 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  I had lunch with Professor Kimber this noon. He is a
  fascinating man. Spirit, rather. Some of his subtle
  movements are so human, it gets hard to tell. He seems
  such an average normal-guy, and then bam, he says the
  most brilliant thing you’ve ever heard.
  I’ve been using this diary much less, recently. I think
  that’s a good sign. Maybe I don’t need it any more.
  «SEPTEMBER 3 / SANTA FE / VOICE MODE»
  I’ve been traveling around with Dion. Weve been
  teaching each other in the most wondrous locations. I can
  see why the NAN make such a big deal of pollution. I’d kill
  to regain this land, too.
  Dion has thought me a few new spells and I’ve gotten
  better at casting the ones I already know. Dion is actually a
  very artistic spirit. He’s been encouraging my attempts at
  illusion sculpting. He’s much better at it than I am. In
  return, I’ve been trying to teach him alchemy. It is going
  slowly. (I think spirits have a slower learning rate than
  humans. More repetitions seem necessary.)
  It seems odd that I’ve become so intimate with an astral
  entity. A hundred years ago, I might have been burned at
  the stake. Nowadays it’s simply unusual. Dion has been
  with other women before. Lots of women, if the
  seemingly limitless pool of ideas he suggests is any
  indication. His staying power is impressive.
  I find his predilection for handcuffs interesting. He seems
  to relish the control. At first I thought it was just control
  over me, but I think it is really the idea that he is in
  control of a magician that pleases him. When he first
  suggested the idea to me, I flat out refused; more ghosts
  from the past. Later I told him that I would if hed tell me
  his truename. I expected him to freak, but he just looked
  at me and said “You can find that out yourself, cant you?” I
  said “Yes, I can.” He thought about that for a second, then
  told me.
  Being bound still doesnt appeal to me, but it gets him
  very excited, and that does appeal to me. Perhaps more
  than it should.
  «SEPTEMBER 14 / TAOS / VOICE MODE»
  Dion vanished three days ago. All my attempts to find
  him have failed. Either he has been banished or he doesnt
  want me to find him. In either case, I’m fairly certain that
  his truename was a lie. That surprised me, but it shouldn’t
  have. I’m slipping a bit. This sounds heartless, but I don’t
  miss him very much. I think we looked at each other as
  pleasant experimentation. I’m glad I never showed him
  the Collar.
  I’m beginning to miss home a bit. If for no other reason
  than I knew how the city worked. I have about a week left
  before my visa expires, so I’m going to head over to
  Sedona.
  «SEPTEMBER 15 / SEDONA / VOICE MODE»
  This is one interesting place. On the one hand it is
  extraordinarily beautiful; the green against red against
  gray. On the other hand, it is filled with mundane magic-
  wannabees. I’ve never seen so many crystals in my life.
  You hear stories about the NAN lands, and how noble the
  Indians are, but I can’t believe that the whites in this
  particular town were any worse than these people.
  I was meditating up on a cliff, and one of these guys
  asks “May I join you?” I couldnt believe it. I was real
  tempted to blast the fucker off the mountain.
  Hmmm. There is music playing from the next room that
  sounds familiar. Reminds me of sewers, for some reason.
  Superchunk!
  «Input error  Impedance overload»
  «SEPTEMBER 19 / PUEBLO / VOICE MODE»
  I think my decision about where to go next has been
  made for me. I seem to be a bit low on funds. I hate that
  feeling. Anyway, I leave for Seattle tomorrow. Itll be good
  to see the troops again.
  Maybe.
  [Writers Note: Tess was killed two months after this entry.]
  AMAZON TALES
  Sony-Louis Rollando
  When my dad lived in New Orleans, I used to sneak out
  to the docks. The docks were a real sight for a ten year
  old. A lot of men, drunken bastards, used to hang out
  there. Probably still do. There were always a few kids out
  there, and we’d always gang together, more for protection
  than any kind of friendship. There were always new faces,
  and always some old faces who just stopped coming
  down. I always figured their parents found out, and kept
  them away. Most of the docksiders were listless and gray,
  but there were some right mean bastards as well.
  Only a few of the bums would talk to us, mostly old
  sailors, I think. We always knew where they were. One I
  remember real well was a gray-haired old guy we called
  Patch-Eye. Never knew his real name, though we knew
  the name of an old flame of his — he had her name
  tattooed beneath a picture of her on his right arm, though
  he’d never talk about her.
  
  202 — Fiction
  Patch-Eye could just as well have been Pegleg. I guess
  he was missing a lot of his body, and back then cyber just
  wasn’t as common as it is now. I suppose cyber probably
  never did become as common in the Confederacy as it has
  here. I haven’t been home for well over a decade now.
  Anyway, Patch-Eye was still pretty good with his
  remaining eye. He could identify most any ship that came
  into the harbor, by name and origin, while it was still a
  sail, a smokestack, or an antennae array on the horizon.
  This was how most of his tales usually started.
  “See that ship out there? That’s the Marie Celeste III,
  bound from Amazonia. Probably loaded down with fruit
  and nuts, and not a few of them fetishes.”
  Few of us had ever seen any imported fruits. They were
  for people better than us. But most of us had been to a
  ‘mamaloa’ at least once, and seen their bottles and wands.
  Fetishes from the small jungles of South America, on the
  Pacific, were in sharp demand by the local witches.
  “I was down in South America many times,” he said,
  “but only once in the Amazon. You kids’ve never seen
  anything like that.”
  Actually, us kids had never seen much other than old
  drunks, muddy marshes, and yellowed, dying plants.
  Maybe that’s why we listened so intently to him.
  “Yeah, It was the Jesus San Marcos, a huge clipper, sails
  like an ocean of their own. Captain Washman, he was the
  owner as well, he sold his house for that boat, and a
  better deal he never made. Last I heard, old Washout
  sailed it to Free Europe, or whatever they call themselves
  now, and was running the African coast.
  “Yeah, we sailed the San Marcos to the mouth of the
  Amazon. The Captain’d hired out to bring back some
  hunters and their game. Me and the rest of the crew, we
  figured it’d be some monsters. The jungles have always
  been odd, but after the awakening, no place could outdo
  the jungles for wickedness. All the legends of the jungles
  came true — the Rahara of the Yanoama, the snake-lovers
  of the Warao, Yoin of the Kaingang.”
  Of course, none of us had been around during the
  awakening. We figured life before then must’ve been like
  life without electricity, or without computers.
  “What are they? The Rahara is a snake, bigger than an
  anaconda. They can sleep for days, and even weeks,
  letting the jungle grow right over them. But let someone
  try to walk over it, and the head will whip around and
  swallow them whole, tearing up the jungle to do it. The
  Yoin is a huge, man-demon. It grabs people in the night
  — yes, even rats like you — and shoves a knife up your
  ass to rip out your heart and intestines. It eats them, I
  guess it thinks they’re a delicacy.
  “You know, I’ve heard rumors that one managed to
  sneak away on a trade ship, and there’ve been some
  strange deaths in the quarters recently. I’d be careful if I
  were you.”
  We didn’t know enough to actually check the
  newspapers at the time, but I think he just made that up.
  “So we were headed into this green hell to rendezvous
  with these guys, and bring their captures back to New
  Orleans. We anchored the San Marcos well into the
  Amazon basin, and the Captain, First Mate, and a couple of
  hands, including me, we got into a big barge and made
  our way upstream with poles and oars. It was hot work.
  There was no breeze, and it was as humid and hot as it
  ever gets here.
  “We all had shotguns, and one guy, John… John
  Yarbrough, he had an English longbow, just in case we ran
  into trouble and the guns didn’t work. They don’t call ‘em
  dead zones for nothing, you know, and back then they
  weren’t mapped out so well as today. Many a man’s
  wound up dead thinking his rifle or cyber’ll save him.”
  Of course, the same’s true even today. Ten years ago
  the scientists made a big show about knowing exactly
  where the zones would be, but those of us who had to
  use their theories quickly learned not to trust them too
  much. Sure, if they predict a zone’ll be in a spot, it’ll often
  be true. But not always. And even in a zone there’ll be
  pockets of normality. And we still have no idea why they’ll
  grow with the moon, some of them disappearing
  completely with the New Moon.
  Back then, though, we thought we knew everything.
  “On the way in we saw a huge croc. I didn’t think they
  came out that close to the ocean, but that one was big as
  a sea serpent, must’ve been 50-60 feet long.
  “No, I don’t know what that is in meters. Damn fools.
  Eat you for an hors d’oeuvre. Snap you clean away.”
  You know, I’m leaving out the parts where we find him
  some whiskey, or roll over another drunk for some
  fedsticks.. Dunno. And I’m sure I’m still forgetting some
  things. Memories are the most deceptive creatures in the
  awakened world. So, here goes:
  He hacked up some phlegm. Some of the new kids left.
  Hm… Now, you’re probably getting a picture of Patch-
  eye as an old, dying drunk. Okay, that’s what he was. But
  he was a lot more than that to us. Most of the kids had no
  father, or if they did, he hated them. A lot of the kids had
  no parents at all. Patch-eye was by no means a father
  substitute, but he was someone who existed.
  I almost said ‘a lot of my friends’ instead of ‘a lot of the
  kids,’ but that’d be misleading. We stayed together for
  protection and order, not out of any need for friendship.
  You lose that real fast in the sprawl.
  He wiped his face, and took another drink of whiskey.
  “We beached the boats a few kilometers past the San
  Marcos. The savanna stretched right into the horizon. It’d
  been a lot easier to just bring the whole ship in, but that
  was against the law. It was still legal to hunt, though,
  cause the jungle was still screwy, and they were trying to
  regrow it. Crocs, for example — we saw them
  everywhere, cause the Savannah favored them more than
  the jungle would’ve. I guess it was more an everglades
  than a Savannah, but not quite as much water.
  “We made sure we camped far away from the river. We
  brought the rafts, put ‘em on posts, and pitched the cots a
  foot off the ground. Made sleeping a whole lot easier.
  “We got a message from the ship, that our contacts
  were further in, into the remaining jungle, another two or
  three days upriver.
  “At night, the insects made more noise than a city
  street. To the south east, we saw what looked like the
  lights of a small city, but there were no cities here
  anymore. The only cities left in the Amazon were much
  closer to the Atlantic. I’ve heard rumors of dead cities
  inhabited by awakened animals and ghosts, and we were
  glad the insects drowned out whatever noises might be
  coming from that ghost city.
  “In the morning, we pushed off again, poling slowly
  upstream. We passed another dead city, and as we passed
  I could’ve sworn the insects were speaking a barely
  audible Indian tongue. We, though, pushed on in silence.”
  Oh yes, I almost forgot. He emptied a bottle of tequila.
  We’d found him a near empty bottle thrown away from a
  nearby bar. He spit the worm out, and it rolled through
  the cracks in the dock. I heard it splash in the bay. Big
  worm. He went back to the whiskey.
  “That night, there were fewer bugs, but more animals.
  What were once flying squirrels hopped like gliding rabbits
  
  Fiction — 203
  in the tall grass and bush. A dragon or flying snake flew
  across the moon sometime early in the morning.
  “The third day, we pushed up the Jari, a smaller river
  feeding the Amazon, and soon entered a new, low jungle.
  By night, the jungle was deep and dark. We got word from
  the trappers and the ship, and figured we’d meet up the
  next day.
  “We were just about to sleep, when we hear this
  sizzling in the sky, like frying bacon. Fire fell from the
  trees. In another trip, among the Taka-noo, I learned that
  they’re familiar with this, and blame a spirit sloth, whose
  shit is the source of all fire. We had to high-tail it out of
  there real quick.
  “I never want to move around in the jungle at night
  again.”
  We felt the same way about New Orleans.
  “And then, to top it all off, sometime around 4 in the
  morning, it starts raining, but the rain don’t make it to us
  before it rolls around in the forest roof. By that time, the
  drops were green and warm, and felt like nothing less than
  a giant’s piss.
  “So, come morning, the sun starts heating the jungle
  up, and we’re wet and tired. And there, as we round a
  corner in the river, are the trappers. So, we carried the
  animals back and made it to the ship by sundown. Now,
  you get out of here.”
  What?
  “Nope, that’s the way it happened.”
  Absolutely not, and we knew it. Then some kid, I don’t
  remember who (well, I remember who, just not his name.
  When we got a football game going, he was a good
  fullback), handed him a burger. God knows where it came
  from.
  “OK, so we see the trappers, and they’ve got this
  monster in what looks to be the flimsiest cage I’ve ever
  seen. I mean, it had good-sized bars, but this thing was
  huge.”
  The kids up close moved back a bit to get out of range
  of the spray.
  “I had no idea what it was, but I knew it was awakened.
  Even in the jungle nothing like that was natural.
  “It had long arms, like an orangutan, but it stood at least
  8 feet tall. No, 8 feet huge. It was an off green, like the
  underside of a frog, and the head… the head was horrible.
  It was like someone upended a giant spider and stuck it on
  this thing’s neck, the bottom side facing towards us, and a
  square, fanged mouth in the center.
  “When it roared, it sounded like a dying elephant.
  “That’s not true. I’ve never heard an elephant dying.
  Only ones I’ve seen have been dead.
  “Anyway, we round the bend and there this thing is,
  caged, sure, but for how long? John and I, we figure we
  ought to turn around right there. John’s always been a
  smart one. I think he even went to college. He’s probably
  back in England now.
  “I have no idea how they captured this thing. They
  must’ve pumped it full of a keg of tranq. But as we get
  closer, we realize it won’t be quite so hard to get it to the
  ship—the cage is on pontoons, and there are real long
  ropes for tying it to their boat. So as long as it can’t break
  out—and we’re hoping, hey, it hasn’t broke out yet,
  maybe it can’t—as long as it can’t break out, we’re set.
  Lug it in, load it up, and go home. No problem. Piece of
  fuckin’ cake.
  “There’s no way we can sleep, so we figure we might
  as well get started. They had a long canoe, so eight of us
  row. The captain and two of the hunters (I guess there
  were only two hunters, and the rest were grunts like us)
  trail behind on two boats, each connected to a corner of
  the cage; they’re about 30 feet behind the cage, and I’ll
  bet they were wishing they were further. The two hunters
  each had tranq rifles, and they’re trailing behind at an
  angle, so they can fire if they need to without worrying
  about us.
  “Cause if one of us gets tranqed, one of them’ll have to
  row, of course. One thing I wasn’t too sure on was what
  would happen if the cage started to catch up with us,
  because we were going downstream, after all. But I guess
  the canoe caught more current than the cage. That was
  one problem we didn’t have to worry about.
  “It was pretty easy going. The river was slow and
  steady, and we didn’t have to work too hard. Coming out
  onto the Amazon was the same, though it got heady in
  some places. The Amazon’s pretty wide, though, and all
  we had to worry about was keeping centered.
  “And we made it. Past the dead cities and the talking
  insects, and into the basin. Had a bit of trouble loading it
  onto the San Marcos, though. One sailor got a nice gouge
  in his arm on that one. The ship’s doctor had a hell of a
  time keeping it from turning green. And then, we pulled
  out and headed home.
  “All through the first day and night it howled and
  banged on its cage. And the second day as well. But the
  second night… That night was dark. Probably we missed a
  storm further south. But I woke up that night, sometime
  after midnight, and I knew something was wrong. I felt like
  I did the time I got caught in the eye of Hurricane Gary.
  Like time just up and stopped. But I realized it wasn’t like
  the hurricane at all—I could still hear the waves punching
  up against the side of the ship, and there was a wind
  whistling through the sails.
  “There wasn’t an ounce of sound coming from the hold.
  I tried to wake up the guy next to me, but he wasn’t
  there, and there was something warm and wet there
  instead. There was no light. I got off the bunk and woke up
  John, below me. We went up top, so as not to bother the
  guys sleeping.
  “The captain and mate were up already. In the light of
  their lantern, I saw blood all over my hand, and then I got
  scared. Why we survived, I don’t know. The captain had
  gone to the hunters’ quarters to find out if the creature’s
  silence was anything to worry about, and they were
  already dead, torn apart, he said. The thing had to be
  loose, and we had no weapons of worth to stop it. Not up
  here, anyway. Maybe, maybe the autos downstairs.
  “Oh yeah, the tranq guns were gone. Washout asked
  John and I to go down and get everybody else up top. So
  we did. I was feeling too sick to think straight. Downside,
  John got his bow, and I woke up the two riflemen. Or tried
  to. One of ’em was dead, torn apart. The other one woke
  up groggily. I told him to get his auto, we had to get up.
  Then, John and I woke half of everyone else up—the other
  half were dead. The creature had come through here and
  chosen half of us to kill. We were freaked. The rifleman
  began to understand what was going on, we just told him
  to follow us upstairs.
  “Then he said he couldn’t find his clips. He’d left one in
  and two taped to the sides before turning in—he always
  did. But all three were gone, and so was his box.
  “We heard something growl in the shadows, and we
  just shit our way topsides. All told, there were ten of us
  left. And the only weapon between us some knives and a
  single bow. We started lowering the lifeboats. Washout
  was against it at first, but we convinced him in seconds.
  There was no way we were going to take this thing on and
  live.
  
  204 — Fiction
  “We lowered the two lifeboats, and while we were
  doing that the captain convinced two others to help him
  lower the sails. Then we climbed down, and five of us in
  each boat. John was the last one down, covering us with
  his bow. Bravest man among us, he was. I’ve nothing
  against college folk. We rowed off, watching the ship sit
  there on the ocean, against a backdrop of one or two stars
  poking through the clouds.
  “We were picked up three days later, half… trashed, by
  a Cuban fishing boat.
  “Washout hired some guns and a ship to help him find
  his own ship. He’d bet a lot of money on that boat. They
  found his ship to, two or three weeks later. The creature
  was gone, but from what I hear, the corpses were all
  strung about from the yardarm, skinned to the muscle,
  and no carrion-eaters or insects anywhere near.
  “I told you Washout brought his ship to Europe. Nobody
  here would sign on to a ghost ship.”
  LIFE IN THE SHADOWS
  Jeff Kim <Shadowr574@aol.com>
  “Who’s the target?” asked Marty.
  “Daniel Drummonds, President/CEO New Dawn
  Biotechnologies,” replied another voice on the other end
  of the vid-phone.
  Marty Flash looked into the dark, unlit screen on his
  desktop vid-phone. As usual, his Johnson had turned off
  the vid-feed. Marty had done, likewise. Still, he hoped to
  gleam a bit more as to who he was working for by the
  sound of his voice. Nothing.
  “Fifteen percent up top?”
  “As per the prearranged contract, Mr. Flash,” replied the
  unknown Johnson. “Prepare for the transfer.”
  Inserting a credstick into the phone, Marty pressed the
  receive button and in less than a second, the funds
  transfer was complete. He double checked the credstick
  and was satisfied.
  “I’ll get back to you, Mr. Johnson,” said Marty as he
  reached for the disconnect button.
  “I’ll be waiting,” replied the Johnson just as the line was
  severed.
  Marty leaned back in his recliner—real leather, of
  course—and played absently with the certified credstick in
  his hand. His thoughts went to his earlier days running the
  shadows. When he was considered a novice decker back
  then. He’d jump at the chance for a job like this one, but
  now he was feeling the weight of being a veteran
  shadowrunner. Always having to look over your shoulder.
  Having to cut off ties with old friends due to “personal
  security precautions.” Sometimes he thought about giving
  it all up and just retiring on his two Zurich-Orbital accounts.
  But then reality would hit him again and he knew he’d be
  in this line of biz until he lost his edge or got geeked on a
  run.
  Probably both.
  He turned to the vid-phone again and dialed in another
  number. This time, he switched the phone to accept video
  as well. For a few seconds, he stared at the blank screen,
  but then it was soon replaced with the beautiful face of
  Rainbow. Her face was immaculate, as usual, with streaks
  of multi-colored hues running through her jet-black hair.
  Her eyes twinkled as she recognized Marty and grinned
  openly.
  “Hoi, Flash! Whazzappening?”
  “Hoi, Rainbow,” smiled Marty. “I got a run for us.”
  Rainbow’s eyes lit up at this news and she replaced her
  warm smile with a professional look of seriousness. Even
  looking at her stern appearance, she was stunning. Marty
  often wondered if she used any of her magic to make her
  look as good as she did. But then his mind tuned in to the
  business at hand.
  “Data-snatch?” asked Rainbow.
  “No. Wetwork.”
  A frown formed on her delicate features. Marty knew
  she didn’t like this line of work, but he thought she might
  make an exception once she knew who the target was.
  “We’re going after Drummonds.”
  At that, Rainbow showed surprise and, as her face
  loomed in on the vid-screen, he knew she was leaning in
  closer.
  “The Drummonds? New Dawn?” she repeated.
  “Yes,” was Marty’s only reply.
  There was a moment of silence as Rainbow mulled the
  thought over in her head. Marty tensed himself for her
  negative reaction and mentally went through the list of
  other candidates who could replace her talent. He could
  think of none.
  “All right,” she said evenly. “I’m in.”
  Marty breathed a sigh of relief and he smiled again. He
  was about to thank her for accepting the offer, but he
  knew now wasn’t the time or the place for it.
  Professionalism. Instead, he leaned back in his recliner and
  held up the credstick.
  “Prepare for a transfer of 30,000¥,” he said.
  “No,” said Rainbow. “I’m not taking any chances, Marty.
  Stick-to-stick transfer only.”
  “Null perspiration, chummer.”
  Marty placed the certified credstick into his jacket. He
  would have to meet up with her later and make the
  transfer then. He knew her phone line was secure, but if
  she wanted to play it extra safe, so be it. Sometimes
  paranoia can be your best friend.
  “Call up Whistler and Spider,” he said.
  Rainbow shook her head.
  “Spider’s out of town. He’s on another run,” she
  informed him. “I’ll get in touch with Whistler. You want
  back up?”
  Marty thought for a moment and then shook his head.
  “No. Let’s keep this one under wraps.”
  “Null perspiration.”
  “I’m going to jack in and see what I can pull on
  Drummonds and then I’ll get back with you,” said Marty.
  “Expect me in a few hours.”
  “Will do, Flash.”
  Marty disconnected his line feed and Rainbow’s image
  disappeared. He stood up and checked his door locks and
  alarm system. Both were activated and would give him
  some early warning in case somebody tried to break into
  his flat while he was jacked into the Matrix. Then he slid
  into his recliner and placed his Fairlight Excalibur onto his
  lap. He uncoiled a fiber optic line and hooked one end to
  the cyberdeck and the other end into the datajack on his
  left temple. Glancing around the room once more, he then
  slipped into a dormant state as his mind joined the cold,
  virtual world of the Matrix.
  It was beautiful. Dazzling lights of pure data flowed past
  him as his persona icon flew through the highways of
  information. He could see the massive green tower icon of
  Transco Matrix in the distance, the megacorp that
  controlled security for most smaller corps in Houston. But
  his target was the red orb icon of New Dawn
  Biotechnologies.
  Marty’s silver angel icon passed through the perimeter
  IC without a hitch. He’d used a simple sleaze program.
  Once inside New Dawn’s outer defenses, Marty initiated a
  
  Fiction — 205
  deception program which would allow him to scan for data
  without triggering any IC. Especially nasty Black IC, the
  kind that’ll fry a person’s deck as well as his brain.
  His silver angel icon walked down the virtual halls of
  New Dawn, scanning the room icons for access to the
  personnel files. He finally found the top-level employee
  records room and his icon slipped into that node. Looking
  around and scanning for any trace of IC, Marty activated a
  browse program to find anything pertaining to CEO Daniel
  Drummonds.
  He got data on Drummonds in spades. He had to sift
  through most of the drek and concentrate on his weekly
  schedule. Without the advanced browse program he had,
  finding the info he needed on Drummonds would have
  taken Marty weeks. But he wasn’t one to jack into the
  Matrix ill-equipped.
  After wizzing through several mega-pulses of data on
  Drummonds, Marty finally found what he was looking for.
  He quickly made a file copy and placed the data icon into
  his virtual breeches. Then he jumped back into the
  previous node he had come from, right into a huge, dark
  hulking form.
  Marty had very little time to react. He initiated an attack
  program and launched it at the Black IC. A fiery yellow bolt
  shot from his persona icon and into the hulking icon, but it
  barely fazed it at all. The Black IC construct swung one
  huge massive paw at Marty’s icon, barely missing his right
  shoulder. The force of the blow didn’t matter in the
  Matrix. The fact that you got hit at all could spell your
  doom. Marty retaliated with a Slow program which struck
  the Black IC construct dead-on. There was a significant
  change in speed as the Black IC stopped moving at
  lightning speed. This gave Marty a chance to jump out of
  that node and into another one.
  Then Marty readied his Attack program and waited. Sure
  enough, the Black IC construct came barreling its way into
  Marty’s node. Marty let loose his program and it struck
  the Black IC construct in the form of a bright blue arrow.
  This time, the Black IC dissipated, signifying its destruction.
  A chill went up Marty’s spine, whether in his mind or
  his meat-body, he didn’t know. He immediately did what
  any competent decker worth any brains would do. He
  jacked out.
  • • •
  Whistler hated the rain. It always seemed to be pouring
  whenever he was outside. Maybe it was bad karma or
  some other such drek. Or maybe he should take this as a
  sign to get out more often. He’d spend most of his time
  holed up at his flat, cleaning and playing with his toys.
  Only he had a different sort of toy box. The kind that holds
  heavy pistols, assault rifles, submachine guns, and knives.
  Most of his free time, when he wasn’t out on a run, were
  spent either watching the trid and turning his mind into a
  six-pack of Fizzygoo or sleeping. But tonight he had a job
  to do.
  Marty had called up Rainbow just as he had arrived at
  her flat. He gave them the target briefing and relayed the
  data he scanned off of New Dawn’s files. Yep, this
  Drummonds character was a real Boy Scout. He was into
  dirty politics, several assassinations on his way up the corp
  ladder, and into all kinds of illegal drek, like dumping toxic
  waste chemicals into the Houston Ship Channel.
  Apparently, someone on a high enough level got
  annoyed at him and decided to hire out some runners to
  geek him. Which is why Whistler was standing out in the
  cold, pouring rain waiting for Drummonds’ Mitsubishi
  Nightsky limousine to arrive at the Wine and Dine
  restaurant, a posh “members-only” nightclub-style
  hangout for high executive employees. It was Tuesday
  and, according to the data Marty had pulled, Drummonds
  never missed a beat. He always arrived at this night spot
  at 11 PM sharp.
  Whistler was hunched down over his BMW Blitzen 2050
  motorcycle across the main street from the Wine and
  Dine. His right hand reached into his leather duster and
  touched his Heckler and Koch MP-5 TX submachine gun.
  The palm induction pad imbedded into his right hand made
  contact with the Smartlink grip and he knew he was wired
  to go.
  At exactly eleven, just as Marty had said, a black
  Mitsubishi Nightsky pulled up in front of the Wine and
  Dine. Whistler shifted his cybereyes to thermographic and
  detected four people in the car. He checked the MP-5’s
  ammo readout display to make sure it was fully loaded and
  thumbed the selector switch to burst-fire mode. No sense
  spraying excess ammo onto the streets.
  The driver and shotgun passenger doors opened and
  two corp suits stepped out. The driver was a tall Caucasian
  male, moving towards the rear of the limo and that’s
  when Whistler made his move. Calmly, but swiftly, he
  dismounted his Blitzen and started to cross the street. He
  paid full attention to the limo and its passengers, knowing
  full well that Rainbow was covering his rear just in case he
  needed magical support or someone else tried to get
  involved.
  He was almost halfway across the street, his right hand
  holding the MP-5 low in the folds of his duster, when the
  driver suddenly turned to face him. He knew he was
  spotted. Moving with full speed now, Whistler’s wired
  reflexes kicked into action and he was now raising the
  barrel of his MP-5 towards the driver. The driver, in turn,
  was almost as fast as him, reaching into his suit for the gun
  Whistler knew was there. He was obviously jacked up to
  some degree, although definitely not as much as Whistler.
  He never made it.
  Whistler tightened on the trigger and released a burst of
  APDS rounds into the driver’s chest. Three rounds formed
  a stitching pattern across his previously dry-cleaned suit.
  Surprisingly enough, the driver gave him very little
  trouble afterwards. The shotgun passenger, another male
  Caucasian, was on the other side of the limo, also going for
  his gun, but another two bursts from Whistler’s MP-5
  made him disappear in a cloud of lead and blood.
  He checked the ammo readout display and found that he
  only had eleven rounds left. Then the rear cab door on his
  side opened and a third suit jumped out, cradling an
  Ingram submachine gun. It had potentially more kick to it
  than his MP-5, but without the added frills. This time, it
  was an Asian, wearing a pair of Raybands. Whistler
  clenched the trigger again and six more rounds slammed
  into the car door. The corp bodyguard disappeared behind
  the bullet-infested door, trailing blood.
  Whistler’s left hand reached into his duster and came
  out revealing an aerodynamic object—an aerofoil grenade.
  This particular grenade was a defensive model, the kind
  with a relatively small blast radius. He continued his
  approach to the limo, activating the aerofoil grenade.
  Glancing up and down the streets, Whistler found no one
  standing around. The crowd probably found the current
  weather conditions hazardous to their health.
  Suddenly, the third suit rose out from behind the door
  again, blood trickling down his right temple and wearing a
  malicious grin if Whistler ever did see one. Whistler
  rounded the open door quickly and his right heel rose up
  and around to connect with the suit’s neck. He heard a
  satisfying snap as the man fell back down, never to get up
  
  206 — Fiction
  again. He caught a glimpse of Daniel Drummonds’ fearful
  expression as he poked his head inside the limo for a quick
  target confirmation.
  “Hello, Mr. Drummonds! Can I see your driver’s license
  and proof of registration?”
  Then he chucked the aerofoil grenade into the limo and
  beat feet back to his parked Blitzen. He heard the muffled
  sound of an explosion and glanced back to make sure
  Drummonds hadn’t escaped. He hadn’t. Then Whistler
  jumped on his Blitzen and rode off. He could hear sirens
  from a Lone Star cruiser, but he wasn’t worried. By the
  time they got to the scene, he’d be long gone. He
  stashed the MP-5 in his duster and loosened the throttle
  on his Blitzen, roaring all the way into the night.
  Easy prey.
  • • •
  Rainbow hated this part of a run the most. This was
  when you were supposed to be at your ease, but past
  experience taught her that now was the time to be on full
  guard. She was sitting in a booth at McHughs, waiting for
  their Johnson to show up with the rest of their nuyen.
  Marty, Whistler, and she had decided on this plan.
  McHughs was a good place to set up a meet, especially
  if you were worried about the other side setting up an
  ambush. All McHughs restaurants were the same. The
  food tasted bad, but the McHughs security personnel were
  of prime choice. She knew that Whistler was somewhere
  outside, probably on a rooftop, training the sights of his
  Walther MA 2100 sniper rifle on some poor fragger,
  testing his line-of-sight. He’d be the trigger man in case
  anything wrong went down. Marty was at home, decked
  into the McHughs security perimeter cameras.
  “They’re here,” came Marty’s voice via the small
  earplug unit hidden in Rainbow’s right ear.
  She kept the boom microphone portion of her earplug
  radio unit below the table in her lap, so as not to freak out
  the McHughs goons. Whistler and Marty, she knew, were
  also both wearing identical units. Pretending to take a sip
  of her soycola, she brought the microphone up to her lips
  and signaled that she heard him.
  Then Rainbow set the microphone back into her lap and
  tried to calm herself. Her nerves were threatening to
  overload, but her outward appearance was one of cool
  professionalism. Her right hand subtly reached deep into
  her right boot and unholstered the Walther Palm Pistol
  hidden there. She also put that on her lap.
  From a nearby booth, she was suddenly aware of
  someone watching her. She slowly panned her head in a
  discreet manner towards that general direction. A small 12
  year-old boy was watching her intently, having seen her
  hold-out pistol emerge from her high-top boots. His
  mother was obviously distracted by some fascinating
  article in the latest issue of Cosmo. Rainbow smiled at the
  boy and placed her index finger to her lips. The boy
  nodded and smiled back.
  Then Rainbow concentrated on the two gentlemen
  entering the side door of McHughs. They were reeking of
  corp with their expensive suits and ties and their cologne
  or aftershave lotion. Rainbow couldn’t tell the difference
  even if she cared enough to try. They scanned the room
  openly and Rainbow could feel the McHughs security
  personnel tense. Stupid. But then, she reminded herself
  that they were corp wageslaves and not shadowrunners.
  Zero professionalism.
  “One hundred nuyen says I can penetrate the ballistic
  composite glass of McHughs and peg both fraggers
  cleanly,” came Whistler’s voice through her earplug
  receiver.
  The shorter one spotted her first and motioned to his
  partner. They both walked towards her, oblivious to the
  McHughs security guards’ scrutiny.
  “Hey, if you line ‘em up for me, I think I can waste ‘em
  both with only one round of APDS, Rainbow,” spoke
  Whistler again.
  Rainbow stifled a smirk just as the two sararimen slid
  into her booth opposite her end of the table.
  “Just tryin’ ta be cost-conscious, ya know,” said
  Whistler.
  The shorter man was obviously in charge, as he placed a
  credstick onto the table top and grinned openly at
  Rainbow.
  “And here is the one hundre—” he began before
  Rainbow cut him off with a wave of her hand.
  Rainbow wordlessly picked up the certified credstick and
  scanned it. Sure enough, it contained one hundred
  thousand nuyen. She pocketed the credstick and looked at
  the short man sternly.
  “It’s not wise to discuss this any further, gentlemen,”
  she said, without any emotion in her voice. “I believe this
  meeting is at an end.”
  The short man looked nervously at her, but then he
  slowly composed his face again and
  nodded to his partner. They both rose up and out of the
  booth. Then the short man nodded to Rainbow.
  “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Ms…?”
  “Yes, it has,” was Rainbow’s only response.
  The short man almost blew up in an emotional tirade,
  but he held himself in check and motioned to the other
  man to leave. They both left without further words.
  “I really hate it when you make me take out and polish
  all my toys only to make me put them away again, ya
  know,” commented Whistler.
  Rainbow raised her boom microphone and took another
  sip of her soycola.
  “I love you, too, Whistler.”
  
  The Chipper — 207
  THE CHIPPER
  Reviews of things you have to pay for.
  THE FUTUROLOGICAL CONGRESS
  Stanislaw Lem
  translated from Polish by Michael Kandel
  Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1985
  1250 Sixth Avenue, San Diego, CA 29101
  111 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10003
  In the world of Shadowrun, altered reality is a way of
  life. People jack in and chip in, using drugs, simsense, BTL,
  2XS, and decks. What effects will there be when people
  can control their lives to the extent that chips can be
  controlled?
  Stanislaw Lem wrote The Futurological Congress before
  the advent of virtual reality technology, but the drugs that
  play a major part in this work are uncannily similar to chips
  in 2050 AD. Lem shows us what is possible with
  simsense.
  In a society where governments can no longer take care
  of their citizens, they use drugs to create an artificial world.
  Artists drop out of the real world and create their
  masterpieces in their own private world, for their own
  private pleasure. Companies spring up that create custom
  drugs which allow customers to vent their anger against
  individuals in a non-violent, socially acceptable way.
  Lem’s writing, as usual, is superb, and he deftly
  explores the ramifications and possibilities of a world
  where reality is both fixed (nature) and fluid (simulated).
  The Futurological Congress is highly recommended to any
  Shadowrun referee.
  reviewed by Jerry Stratton
  FIELD & STREAM
  September 1992
  Times Mirror Magazines, Inc.
  New York, NY
  $2.00
  There are two things in this issue of Field & Stream that
  might be of interest to the Shadowrun gamer. Bob Robb
  explains compound bows — how to choose them, what
  their parts are.
  Federal Ammunition has included a wall poster that
  shows various types of ammunition, and describes the
  basics of ballistics. It’s from a hunting point of view, of
  course, not a Shadowrunners', but for those of us who
  aren’t weapons experts, this poster is a nice piece of
  work.
  Incidentally, gamers who are interested in firearms and
  how they work should go to the magazine section of their
  local supermarket. Field & Stream talks about guns from a
  hunting standpoint, but magazines such as Guns & Ammo
  discuss guns from both a hunting and a defense
  standpoint. If you feel you need to know a little bit more
  about how guns work in a live situation, these magazines
  will help you.
  reviewed by Jerry Stratton
  SHADOWRUN 4: 2XS
  Nigel Findley
  Penguin Books, USA Inc., 1992
  375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
  The writing in 2XS is awkward, and typos abound.
  Simply as fiction, I cannot recommend this book. It does,
  however, provide a good look at the world of Shadowrun.
  While general editing was lacking, continuity editing seems
  to have been tight—everything conforms almost exactly
  to Shadowrun terminology and effects. You can almost see
  the game behind the story.
  But only almost. Dirk (the hero) just isn’t on the ball. It’s
  surprising he’s survived this long without getting fragged.
  We, as readers, can tell what’s happening to Dirk and his
  friends before he figures it out, even though we’re only
  told what Dirk sees. Are we more pre-disposed to
  strangeness than Dirk would be? Unlikely. Dirk lives in the
  awakened world. The traffic report he listens to warns of
  octopi climbing onto the highway and chomping cars.
  If you’re a Shadowrun gamer, I do recommend reading
  this. You get a description of simsense (the 2XS of the
  title) from the user’s experience. You see a mage/free
  spirit relationship. And you get a nicely described Shadow-
  mission towards the end. The virtual reality descriptions in
  this book are better, and more useful from a gaming
  standpoint, than those from the story in the Virtual
  Realities supplement.
  Spoiler Warning: This book contains spoilers for the
  Universal Brotherhood.
  reviewed by Jerry Stratton
  HELL’S ANGELS
  Hunter S. Thompson
  Ballantine Books, 1967
  New York, NY
  What’s a go-gang;? Face it: most of us have no idea
  what goes on in the kind of motorcycle gangs that
  populate cyberpunk worlds such as Shadowrun’s. Well,
  Hunter Thompson risked his life just for us gamers. For
  over a year in the sixties, he hung out with the Hell’s
  Angels, going to their meetings, their parties, and their
  ‘runs,’ loafing, drinking, riding, and eventually getting
  stomped. His book captures the essence of cyberpunk in a
  world without the cyber. If you’re looking for better ways
  to role-play your go-gangs, I can recommend nothing
  better than Hell’s Angels.
  Here are a few quotes taken practically at random:
  “…some of their homes resemble private arsenals —
  knives, revolvers, automatic rifles and even a homemade
  armored car with a machine-gun turret on top. They don’t
  like to talk about their weaponry… it’s their only insurance
  policy against that day when the Main Cop decides on a
  showdown, and the Angels are absolutely certain that day
  is coming.”
  “There’s only two kinds of people in the world [they
  say]… Angels, and people who wish they were Angels….
  it helps to believe, when the body rot starts to hurt, that
  the pain is a small price to pay for the higher rewards of
  being a righteous Angel.”
  “there has never been one, either, who had anything
  but contempt for the idea of good clean fun… which is one
  of the reasons they shun even the minimum safety
  
  208 — The Chipper
  measures that most cyclists take for granted. You will
  never see a Hell’s Angel wearing a crash helmet. Nor do
  they wear… leather jackets…. Anything safe, they want
  no part of. The Angels don’t want anybody to think
  they’re hedging their bets…. any independent making a
  pitch for Angel membership would be rejected as “corny
  and chickenshit” if he showed up in leather.”
  Quoting an Angel: “When you walk into a place where
  people can see you, you want to look as repulsive and
  repugnant as possible. We are complete social outcasts —
  outsiders against society. And that’s the way we want to
  be. Anything good, we laugh at. We’re bastards to the
  world and they’re bastards to us.”
  reviewed by Jerry Stratton
  THRILLING LOCATIONS
  Robert Kern, Michael E. Moore,Gerard Christopher Klug
  Approximately $10.
  Victory Games, Inc., 1985
  New York, NY 10001
  Thrilling Locations is a supplement for the James Bond
  007 role-playing game, but it makes a marvelous
  handbook for any modern/near future game, including
  Shadowrun. Thrilling Locations describes luxurious casinos,
  luxurious hotels, luxurious restaurants, luxurious trains,
  luxurious boats, and luxurious jets. Thrilling Locations is
  written for high-rolling adventurers attempting to live in
  the world of royalty and money.
  Maps are provided in each case. Almost all of the
  locations are real locations. In addition, other useful
  information is given. Under the casino section, a few
  interesting games are described. Under the boat section,
  some tips on outfitting the master villain’s boat with armor
  and armory is provided. In each case, tips on npc
  encounters are detailed. You’ll have to change the names
  from the Bondian things such as Plenty O’Toole, and
  replace ‘agent’ with ‘runner,’ but there’s very little
  useless information in this book. Almost nothing is game
  specific.
  You’ll get the Casino de Monte Carlo, the MGM Grand
  Hotel, the Tavern on the Green, the Venice Simplon-
  Orient-Express (yes, that Orient Express), the Burger
  Hargraves 125’ cruiser, and the Regent Air luxury Jet. All
  fully described and mapped out in more detail than you’re
  likely to need.
  I’m very impressed with Thrilling Locations. I can
  recommend it to any referee running a modern/near
  future game.
  reviewed by Jerry Stratton
  WHITE WOLF#30
  February 1992
  $3.50 ($3.95 Canada).
  The February issue of White Wolf contained one article
  specifically dedicated to Shadowrun, and another with
  some interesting ideas. There are three capsule reviews as
  well: The London Sourcebook, Native American Nations
  Volume Two, and Total Eclipse.
  The two articles of interest to Shadowrunners are New
  Shamanic Totems for Shadowrun, and The Scope of Magic.
  New Shamanic Totems for Shadowrun
  Berin Kinsman
  These are new totems for Shadowrun mages. There’s
  nothing special here — each entry is simply a sentence or
  two about the totem’s outlook/personality, and the
  advantages/disadvantages. Most are quite useful, although
  the ‘Skunk’ looks suspiciously to have been based on
  Pepe le Pew.
  If you want more totems (and who doesn’t?) this is
  worth looking at. You’ll need to modify some of them
  depending on the precepts behind your world, but they’re
  all reasonable (even the Skunk). Here’s what you get:
  Armadillo, Badger, Bat, Beaver, Buffalo, Deer, Dolphin,
  Fox, Frog, Horse, Lizard, Mouse, Opossum, Otter, Skunk,
  Squirrel, Swan, Turtle, and Weasel.
  The Scope of Magic
  Christopher Earley
  This installment of the regular column The Scope of
  Magic provides street spells for another modern role-
  playing game, Night Life. Each of these spells has a place
  in the Shadowrun universe. They’re the kind of thing a
  wizard/shaman might invent just to help survive normal,
  mundane life. Things like a stoplight control spell, space
  guitar, and fake bus tokens. Most of these spells should be
  Light, and staging is unlikely to be higher than 3, usually 1
  (if it ends up being Mana-based), or 2 (if it ends up being
  physical).
  reviewed by Jerry Stratton
  WHITE WOLF#31 (MAY/JUNE)
  Shadows Across The Big Easy
  C. R. Shaver & Jason Rush
  White Wolf
  Stone Mountain, Georgia
  $3.50
  Shadows Across the Big Easy is the first of a five part
  series covering New Orleans. This installment deals with
  the history of the area, and an overview. Maps are
  included for New Orleans;, and the French Quarter. The
  Big Easy is a very useful guide for adventures in New
  Orleans.
  There’s not much else to be said about it. It is marred
  by the lack of multiple fonts: comments from runners do
  not stand out from the main text. Also, Voodoo is given
  only a few paragraphs. Hopefully, the latter will be fixed in
  later installments.
  Overall, this issue of White Wolf is a vast improvement
  over previous issues. I recommend taking a look at it,
  especially if you’re a Shadowrun gamer or a Superheroes
  gamer. If this is a harbinger of things to come (this is the
  first issue after their hiatus), White Wolf may well become
  the leading role-playing magazine.
  reviewed by Jerry Stratton
  
  The Chipper — 209
  INDEX
  2xs..............................................................
   
  100
  57 Throughput.............................................
   
  47
  8th Of December.........................................
   
  11
  Abilene Re-Education Center...................
   
  185
  Acting........................................................
   
  120
  Adams, Douglas..........................................
   
  17
  Advisor Spirits (See Spirit, Advisor)
  Air Bridge.................................................
   
  143
  Airlink..........................................................
   
  36
  Airport Tech Center...................................
   
  47
  Airport, Pueblo Memorial..........................
   
  36
  Akaru Inc...............................................
   
  27, 29
  Akaru, Yoguchi............................................
   
  29
  Alamos 20,000...........................................
   
  186
  Albany Village.......................................
   
  12, 14
  Alchemy......................................................
   
  15
  Alcohol.......................................................
   
  101
  Alexander, Joseph.....................................
   
  187
  Algiers Hotel...............................................
   
  23
  Aloe (Awakened)......................................
   
  109
  Alonzo, Maria..............................................
   
  42
  Amazonia..................................................
   
  186
  Amphetamine Variants............................
   
  105
  Amphetamines.........................................
   
  107
  Anabell.........................................................
   
  78
  Anazazi Ruin................................................
   
  52
  Ancestral Horrors.....................................
   
  165
  Animal Skins................................................
   
  11
  Anti-Blade Barrier....................................
   
  144
  Antioch College....................................
   
  13, 16
  Antlantean Foundation...............................
   
  42
  Anzo-Borrego...........................................
   
  122
  Apparitions.......................................
   
  164-169
  Aquiel, Gabriel............................................
   
  42
  Ares....................................
   
  46, 95, 96, 97, 186
  Ares Macrotechnology.............................
   
  4, 5
  Ark Of The Damned..................................
   
  117
  Army Depot................................................
   
  48
  Arrowhead Foundation.............
   
  41, 42, 47, 53
  Art..........................................................
   
  36, 38
  Artistic Composition & Design................
   
  120
  Asist...........................................................
   
  185
  Astral Fog..................................................
   
  144
  At&T............................................................
   
  14
  Atlanta.......................................................
   
  186
  Atlantean Foundation.................................
   
  46
  Atlantis......................................................
   
  122
  Auburn Industrial Park..................................
   
  5
  Aura Masking............................................
   
  165
  Author
  Ammann, Keith............................
   
  139, 193
  Baumeister, Markus...............................
   
  57
  Beauregard, Chris............
   
  30-35, 178, 179
  Brebane...................................................
   
  57
  Brian............................................
   
  78, 95, 96
  Brown, Jeffery..........................................
   
  76
  Brummet, Anthony............................
   
  8-10
  Bruns, Alexander....................................
   
  73
  Bruns, Daniel...........................................
   
  56
  Bruns, David............................................
   
  64
  Crain, Scott...........................................
   
  140
  Danforth, A............................................
   
  139
  Dark Elf...........................
   
  27-29, 68-69, 184
  Davis, Ed..................................................
   
  95
  Devisser, Paul................................
   
  129, 180
  Doherty, Chris..................................
   
  Iii, 139
  Erekosse.................................................
   
  139
  Esposito, Vincent....................................
   
  88
  Gill, Bill............................................
   
  74, 101
  Girardot, Davd......................................
   
  181
  Hayden, Robert.................................
   
  87, 88
  Henry, Jonathon K.....................
   
  92,-93, 96,
  139, 180, 182
  Herschler, Russ............................
   
  60, 63, 69
  Hubbell, Earl A......
   
  73, 74, 75, 76, 124, 125
  Hubris................................................
   
  61, 63
  Jason-Keith............................................
   
  135
  Jenkins, Kent............................................
   
  76
  Keith..................................................
   
  75, 86
  Kim, Jeff.................................................
   
  204
  Krishgan................................................
   
  172
  Mancini, Steve........................................
   
  74
  Mancini, Steven....................................
   
  134
  Mantilla, Juan Carlos Ochoa...................
   
  11
  Melton, David.........................................
   
  77
  Minotaur................................................
   
  139
  Modica, John...........................................
   
  97
  Moller, Tony.........................
   
  Ii, Iii, 4-5, 128
  Montigue...............................................
   
  139
  Murphy, Ed.............................................
   
  77
  Murraymd.........................................
   
  12-16
  Narins, Seth...........................................
   
  101
  Parsley, Don.......................................
   
  79-83
  Rollando, Sony-Louis.....................
   
  192, 201
  Scott........................................................
   
  56
  Scott, Michael.....
   
  62, 65, 66, 130-131, 139
  Soderlund, Jesper.................................
   
  137
  Specter....................................................
   
  73
  Spindler, Chris......................................
   
  150
  Stratton, Jerry...................
   
  Ii, Iii, 17-21, 60,
  117-118, 122-123, 127, 155, 157
  Thompson, Matt...................................
   
  139
  Ward, Brian....................................
   
  62, 139
  Weber, Mike...........................................
   
  65
  Wigs Of Oz...................................
   
  185-187
  Wildcard !!......................
   
  73, 74, 75, 76, 77
  Wordman....................
   
  Ii, 22-26, 36-53, 58,
  59, 61, 66, 67, 68, 70-72, 90-91, 93-94,
  97, 98, 101-116, 164, 188, 197
  Autumn Crocus.........................................
   
  109
  Avions’.........................................................
   
  47
  Awakening..........................................
   
  11, 164
  Aztechnology................
   
  11, 41, 182, 186, 197
  Aztlan....................................
   
  11, 41, 116, 186
  Background Count....................................
   
  164
  Bail Bonder..................................................
   
  78
  Bally’s Las Vegas.........................................
   
  23
  Balsam Of Peru (Awakened)....................
   
  109
  Baltimore.......................................................
   
  4
  Bane...........................................................
   
  166
  Bank Of Pueblo......................................
   
  49, 53
  Banking........................................................
   
  36
  Banks............................................................
   
  90
  Bansidhe....................................................
   
  165
  Barbiturates...............................................
   
  101
  Barding......................................................
   
  131
  Bards Guild, The..........................................
   
  80
  Barghest....................................................
   
  167
  Barrio Simon Bolivar...................................
   
  11
  Barrow-Wight...........................................
   
  168
  Barvine.......................................................
   
  109
  Battlefield Remnant..................................
   
  169
  Bean-Nighe...............................................
   
  166
  Beastmaster..............................................
   
  134
  Beaver Creek...............................................
   
  12
  Beaver Heights...........................................
   
  15
  Beavercreek................................................
   
  15
  Beckman Institute.......................................
   
  10
  Beisac.........................................................
   
  168
  Belding, Sam.............................................
   
  118
  Belladonna.................................................
   
  109
  Bellbrook......................................................
   
  15
  Benzodiazepines.......................................
   
  101
  Berlin..........................................................
   
  186
  Bertha’s Breakfast Bar................................
   
  44
  Better Than Life.........................................
   
  100
  Bienivedez, Kalia........................................
   
  43
  Bigmouth.......................................................
   
  4
  Biophysical Armor....................................
   
  144
  Black Nightshade.....................................
   
  109
  Blackout.....................................................
   
  141
  Bladeboy......................................................
   
  56
  Blind Pig Company.....................................
   
  10
  Blindness....................................................
   
  141
  Bloodrunners.................................................
   
  1
  Blue Chip.....................................................
   
  70
  Blythe, Kaleb.............................................
   
  176
  Bob’s Occult Fornication Formula............
   
  138
  Bob’s Works...............................................
   
  138
  Body Shop...................................................
   
  15
  Body+Tech..................................................
   
  46
  Boeing........................................................
   
  125
  Bogota.........................................................
   
  11
  Booster Shots...............................................
   
  99
  Boston..........................................................
   
  82
  Boulder Dam...............................................
   
  25
  Bountiful Harvest........................................
   
  50
  Brain Eaters...............................................
   
  197
  Briargate.....................................................
   
  50
  Bright Water, Walter...............................
   
  186
  Brighton, Honey........................................
   
  187
  Broadcasting.............................................
   
  186
  Bronx............................................................
   
  28
  Brooklyn.......................................................
   
  28
  Brown Study..............................................
   
  107
  Bryan Park...................................................
   
  16
  Btl.......................................
   
  11, 38, 41, 45, 177
  Bullet Train..................................................
   
  12
  Butaqualide...............................................
   
  102
  Butler...........................................................
   
  15
  C.O. Daniel’s................................................
   
  10
  Caffeine......................................................
   
  107
  Calabar Bean.............................................
   
  110
  California................................................
   
  1, 186
  California Free State..................................
   
  187
  Campustown.................................................
   
  9
  Canada.......................................................
   
  185
  Cancun.........................................................
   
  11
  Candidate..................................................
   
  169
  Candlewood................................................
   
  50
  Caribbean League.....................................
   
  186
  Carle Clinic....................................................
   
  8
  Carlson Executive Hotels..............................
   
  4
  Carter, Jason..............................................
   
  138
  Catalyst..............................................
   
  135-136
  Catholic........................................................
   
  15
  Catholic Church.........................................
   
  156
  Catnip (Awakened)...................................
   
  110
  Cavern One..................................................
   
  33
  Ccoa...................................................
   
  164, 167
  Ceasar’s Palace............................................
   
  23
  Centennial High..........................................
   
  52
  Centerville...................................................
   
  14
  Central...................................................
   
  14, 44
  Central High................................................
   
  51
  Central Park...........................................
   
  27, 28
  Cetacean................................................
   
  95, 96
  Chambana................................................
   
  8-10
  Champaign..................................................
   
  10
  Channeling.........................................
   
  136, 170
  Charlie Sheen...............................................
   
  21
  Chat............................................................
   
  110
  Chavez, Tim.................................................
   
  40
  Chelenko, Nikolai......................................
   
  185
  Chibchacun..................................................
   
  11
  Chicago..........................................................
   
  8
  
  210 — Index
  Child Spirits...............................................
   
  166
  Chill............................................................
   
  164
  China..........................................................
   
  185
  Chinatown....................................................
   
  28
  Chiras, Olric.................................................
   
  42
  Chloral Hydrate........................................
   
  102
  Chrometek...................................................
   
  87
  Church Of All Worlds, The.........................
   
  81
  Church Of The Eternal Source, The............
   
  81
  Cincinnati.....................................................
   
  12
  Cinebal, Maria...........................................
   
  186
  Clinton, Bill..................................................
   
  39
  Club Penumbra..........................................
   
  187
  Cobra’s.......................................................
   
  156
  Cocaine................................................
   
  11, 107
  Colby Estate.................................................
   
  50
  Coleman High School.................................
   
  48
  Coleman, Daniel..................................
   
  40, 185
  College Dropout..........................................
   
  57
  Colombia......................................................
   
  11
  Colorado Fuel And Iron Company.............
   
  38
  Colt...............................................................
   
  97
  Columbia Records And Chips....................
   
  20
  Columbus.....................................................
   
  12
  Combat Biker................................................
   
  9
  Combust.....................................................
   
  139
  Comfy Cubicle.............................................
   
  47
  Compress Fuel Tanks...................................
   
  92
  Compressor Iv...........................................
   
  180
  Confederated American States.................
   
  36
  Conjuring...................................................
   
  155
  Contrails.......................................................
   
  38
  Corp Hunter (Ork).......................................
   
  57
  Corporate Court........................................
   
  186
  Corporate Decker.......................................
   
  59
  Corporate Spy.............................................
   
  59
  Courier.........................................................
   
  58
  Court, Ethan...............................................
   
  156
  Cranes..........................................................
   
  68
  Crash Of ’29.................................................
   
  31
  Creamtronic Dreams..............
   
  17, 69, 91, 121
  Credsticks..............................................
   
  90-91
  Cresida.........................................................
   
  52
  Crisis Apparition.......................................
   
  166
  Crossbow Ranch...........................................
   
  50
  Cyberarms...................................................
   
  93
  Cyberdeck...................................................
   
  94
  Cyberducks....................................................
   
  2
  Cyberhands..................................................
   
  93
  Cyberlegs.....................................................
   
  93
  Cyberlimbs.............................................
   
  93-94
  Cyberpunk Rpg...........................................
   
  93
  Cyberware.............................................
   
  96-98
  Cyrano........................................................
   
  116
  Dartgun........................................................
   
  94
  Datajacks, Body..........................................
   
  97
  Datajacks, Clustered...................................
   
  87
  Datajacks, Induction...................................
   
  97
  Dataspikes...................................................
   
  91
  Dayton....................................................
   
  12-16
  Dayton International Airport.....................
   
  12
  Dayton View................................................
   
  14
  Dead Head................................................
   
  172
  Dead Is Art..................................................
   
  52
  Dead Zones........................................
   
  122-123
  Dean, Franklin..............................................
   
  27
  Deathseem.................................................
   
  165
  Decker, Bush League..................................
   
  70
  Decker, Heavy Hitter.................................
   
  72
  Decker, Major League................................
   
  71
  Decker, Minor League................................
   
  71
  Decker, Netgod..........................................
   
  72
  Decker, Wannabe........................................
   
  70
  Deckers............................................
   
  70, 73-77
  Dehydrate..................................................
   
  145
  Della’s...........................................................
   
  51
  Demolisher Ic.............................................
   
  178
  Demonseed................................................
   
  110
  Denvar Security Consulting Inc................
   
  178
  Denver..................................
   
  36, 108, 122, 187
  Department Of Defense..............................
   
  16
  Detect Credstick.......................................
   
  140
  Detect Metaplanar Energies....................
   
  140
  Detroit........................................................
   
  129
  Diamond-Four............................................
   
  104
  Dining In.....................................................
   
  131
  Discordian Society................................
   
  82, 83
  Disguise Vehicle........................................
   
  141
  Doc-Wagoneer............................................
   
  60
  Doctrine Medical Facility...........................
   
  49
  Docwagon................................................
   
  5, 48
  Dodge City................................................
   
  131
  Dogrunner, Margaret.................................
   
  43
  Don Carlos’...................................................
   
  51
  Doom............................................................
   
  44
  Doppelganger...........................................
   
  168
  Doppler Shift, Lesser.................................
   
  145
  Doppler Shift, Major.................................
   
  145
  Dove Totem...............................................
   
  156
  Downs Hotel................................................
   
  51
  Dragon.........................................................
   
  27
  Dragoncult...................................................
   
  68
  Dream Park................................................
   
  117
  Dreamsend................................................
   
  165
  Dreamtime................................................
   
  117
  Drones..........................................................
   
  95
  Drugs.....................................
   
  99-100, 101-108
  Dunes Sunset Hotel & Restaurant..............
   
  19
  Dutch Clark Stadium..................................
   
  51
  Eagle Securities.....................................
   
  12, 13
  Earthquake..........................................
   
  12, 185
  East High School.........................................
   
  46
  East Side......................................................
   
  47
  Echo Mirage........................................
   
  31, 186
  Ecstasy.......................................................
   
  104
  Ectoplasm..................................................
   
  164
  Eden Inn.......................................................
   
  48
  Edge.......................................................
   
  24, 67
  Effusive Conduct..........................................
   
  48
  Electrosense...............................................
   
  165
  Encephalons.................................................
   
  87
  Endorphins.................................................
   
  107
  Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated.....
   
  5
  Englewood...................................................
   
  15
  Enhance Willpower...................................
   
  145
  Enhanced Carburetors................................
   
  93
  Enhanced Hearing....................................
   
  140
  Enlarge Object..........................................
   
  145
  Enlarge Person...........................................
   
  145
  Ennui.............................................................
   
  48
  Esp Systems...............................................
   
  185
  Eternity Merchants.....................................
   
  44
  Etiquette....................................................
   
  120
  Euphemism Security.....................................
   
  5
  Eurowars....................................................
   
  186
  Excalibur......................................................
   
  24
  Existential Blues........................................
   
  142
  Fairborn........................................................
   
  16
  Falcon Firefighters.......................................
   
  13
  Fauna..........................................................
   
  115
  Fencing Sun..................................................
   
  45
  Fetch...........................................................
   
  166
  Ff-Ic (See Freeform Ic)
  Field & Stream..........................................
   
  207
  First Arachnid Church.................................
   
  82
  Five Oaks......................................................
   
  14
  Flame Shield..............................................
   
  146
  Flight..........................................................
   
  143
  Flight Ii.......................................................
   
  144
  Flood.......................................................
   
  38, 53
  Flora............................................................
   
  108
  Fly Agaris (Awakened).............................
   
  114
  Foolkiller.....................................................
   
  104
  Football...........................................................
   
  9
  Forced Truth..............................................
   
  142
  Foresight....................................................
   
  140
  Formidable Imports....................................
   
  42
  Fort Popé......................................................
   
  49
  Foveae........................................................
   
  122
  Foxglove.....................................................
   
  110
  Freedom.....................................................
   
  185
  Freeform Ic.........................................
   
  178-179
  Fuchi.......................................
   
  46, 91, 182, 186
  Fuel Compression System...........................
   
  92
  Fury Jaguars.................................................
   
  44
  Fusion Reactor............................................
   
  186
  Futurological Congress.............................
   
  207
  Gaeatronics..................................................
   
  46
  Gangs.....................................................
   
  10, 43
  Garcia, Michelle..........................................
   
  43
  Garret, Arthur...........................................
   
  137
  Garrety, Jesse.............................................
   
  185
  Gaucho.................................................
   
  56, 131
  Gemeinschaft Bank...................................
   
  186
  General Motors......................................
   
  13, 14
  Genesios Three...........................................
   
  104
  Geneva.......................................................
   
  185
  Ghost..........................................................
   
  142
  Ghost Dance.................................................
   
  31
  Ghost Perception.......................................
   
  170
  Ghost Ship..................................................
   
  145
  Ghostly Immunities...................................
   
  165
  Ghosts..................
   
  159-161, (See Apparitions)
  Ghouls.........................................................
   
  131
  Gin Toad.....................................................
   
  116
  Glen Canyon Dam........................................
   
  25
  Global Security..............................................
   
  5
  Glutethimide.............................................
   
  102
  Go-Gang.....................................................
   
  207
  Go-Gangs.....................................................
   
  15
  Goblinization..................................
   
  11, 41, 186
  Godflesh.....................................................
   
  111
  Gold..............................................................
   
  38
  Grandfather...............................................
   
  169
  Gray Line......................................................
   
  67
  Grease Volt................................................
   
  146
  Green Egg....................................................
   
  81
  Greenwich Village.......................................
   
  28
  Greys......................................................
   
  67-68
  Griffith Park..................................................
   
  21
  Griffith Park Rangers...................................
   
  21
  Grimoire.....................................................
   
  139
  Grimore
  Guardians.....................................................
   
  11
  Guitar Center Of Hollywood......................
   
  20
  Guns..............................................................
   
  36
  Hampsted Hotel.........................................
   
  52
  Hanger.........................................................
   
  18
  .................................................................
   
  13
  Hangman...................................................
   
  168
  Hansen., Dr. William.................................
   
  118
  Harrison.......................................................
   
  15
  Harry’s Faerie Dairy..................................
   
  121
  Hate...........................................................
   
  169
  Healing Snakeroot....................................
   
  111
  Hell’s Angels.............................................
   
  207
  Helles, Nasan.............................................
   
  178
  Hemlock....................................................
   
  111
  Herb Mercury (Awakened)......................
   
  111
  Hermetic Mage..........................................
   
  63
  Heroin........................................................
   
  106
  Hikita, Hosato...........................................
   
  185
  History.......................................................
   
  185
  Hkb.............................................................
   
  182
  Hmhvv...........................................................
   
  1
  Hollywood...................................................
   
  19
  Hollywood Bowl..........................................
   
  20
  Hollywood Christmas Parade....................
   
  21
  
  Index — 211
  Hollywood Palm Hotel...............................
   
  19
  Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel........................
   
  19
  Hollywood Strip..........................................
   
  21
  Homeboy.....................................................
   
  64
  Hong Kong................................................
   
  185
  Horse Totem..............................................
   
  156
  Horse, Cost................................................
   
  131
  Horsehead...................................................
   
  52
  Horses................................................
   
  130-131
  Hotel California.........................................
   
  117
  Hotel De Sol.................................................
   
  50
  Hotel Hollywood.........................................
   
  20
  Hound’s-Tongue (Awakened)..................
   
  111
  House Of Receiver.......................................
   
  49
  Howling Coyote (See Coleman, Daniel)
  Huber Heights.............................................
   
  16
  Hubris...........................................................
   
  45
  Hul Kaline..................................................
   
  100
  Humanis.......................................................
   
  46
  Humanis Policlub.........................................
   
  46
  Hyatt On Sunset..........................................
   
  20
  Hydromorphone.......................................
   
  106
  Ic.................................................................
   
  178
  Icarus Descending.......................................
   
  71
  Illini Student Union......................................
   
  10
  Immigrant Street Priest.............................
   
  60
  Impersonation...........................................
   
  121
  Inamorata....................................................
   
  49
  Insanity...............................................
   
  127, 142
  Instrumental Music...................................
   
  120
  Interactive Simsense.................................
   
  100
  Interrogation.............................................
   
  120
  Intrusion Countermeasures (See Ic)
  Invisibility, Party........................................
   
  142
  Ireland........................................................
   
  185
  Iris...........................................................
   
  41, 43
  Israel...........................................................
   
  185
  J
  ...............................................................
   
  107
  Jack Of All Trades.......................................
   
  61
  Jamaica Quassia........................................
   
  111
  Japan..........................................................
   
  187
  Jefferson........................................................
   
  14
  Journalist, Ex................................................
   
  58
  Kachina Society Lodge...............................
   
  46
  Kava...........................................................
   
  111
  Kawasaki......................................................
   
  95
  Keene, Martin................................................
   
  8
  Kenji Biotech...............................................
   
  34
  Kettering.....................................................
   
  14
  Kimber, Dion..........................
   
  45, 47, 115, 200
  Kirby, Jack..................................................
   
  155
  Kirkevarer..................................................
   
  167
  Klapaucius, Trurl.......................................
   
  117
  Knight Errant...............................................
   
  13
  Know Exit...................................................
   
  140
  Kubrick.......................................................
   
  135
  Kuhner, Mary.............................................
   
  164
  Kulander Center..........................................
   
  15
  Kurmudgeon...............................................
   
  47
  La Casa Hotel..............................................
   
  44
  Ladder.........................................................
   
  46
  Language.......................................................
   
  2
  Lariat..........................................................
   
  131
  Las Vegas...............................................
   
  22-25
  Laverty, Sean.............................................
   
  186
  Lawyer.........................................................
   
  38
  Leadership.................................................
   
  120
  Leaf Radiance..............................................
   
  46
  Lem, Stanislaw..............................................
   
  Ii
  Libya...........................................................
   
  185
  Licenses........................................................
   
  45
  Limited Omniscience...............................
   
  140
  Linden Heights......................................
   
  13, 14
  Llanos Orientales.........................................
   
  11
  Lone Eagle...........................................
   
  30, 185
  Lone Star....................................................
   
  186
  Lone Star Security.........................................
   
  4
  Lonesti........................................................
   
  129
  Longhorn Lodge..........................................
   
  47
  Lord Holies..................................................
   
  21
  Los Angeles...................................
   
  17-21, 135
  Love, Dr......................................................
   
  164
  Lsd..............................................................
   
  104
  Lta Paneling.................................................
   
  92
  Luck............................................................
   
  146
  Madison.......................................................
   
  14
  Mafia................................................
   
  13, 29, 43
  Mage Hunter...............................................
   
  61
  Magesword...............................................
   
  146
  Magesword Ii............................................
   
  146
  Magpie’s......................................................
   
  45
  Magus........................................................
   
  129
  Maine.........................................................
   
  186
  Major Spirits..............................................
   
  157
  Mana Donut...............................................
   
  139
  Mandrake (Awakened).............................
   
  112
  Manhattan...................................................
   
  28
  Manhattan Athletic Complex....................
   
  27
  Manhattan Corporate Ltg..........................
   
  29
  Manifest.....................................................
   
  165
  Marblehead Estate......................................
   
  50
  Marijuana...................................................
   
  102
  Marine Toad..............................................
   
  116
  Marketplace Mall.........................................
   
  9
  Martial House..............................................
   
  48
  Martinez, Samuel........................................
   
  42
  Mayfair Games..........................................
   
  164
  Mckinley Clinic..............................................
   
  8
  Mcmillian, Dr. Bartell...................................
   
  3
  Mcsidhe, Brigit...........................................
   
  17
  Mead Arcology...........................................
   
  13
  Mediums............................................
   
  170-171
  Medway.......................................................
   
  16
  Melrose Wall...............................................
   
  21
  Memento Mori..........................................
   
  166
  Mental Armor...........................................
   
  147
  Mental Shields...........................................
   
  147
  Meperidine................................................
   
  106
  Mercruiser...................................................
   
  95
  Mercurial.....................................................
   
  80
  Mescaline...................................................
   
  105
  Metahuman Rights Agency.........................
   
  8
  Metahumanity.............................................
   
  41
  Metahumans................................................
   
  36
  Metaplane.................................................
   
  164
  Methadone................................................
   
  106
  Methaqualone...........................................
   
  102
  Methylphenidate......................................
   
  108
  Metro Police Inc..........................................
   
  29
  Metroplex Guard..........................................
   
  4
  Mexican.....................................................
   
  185
  Mi-Tech Security Systems Inc..................
   
  178
  Miami River.................................................
   
  12
  Miamisburg.................................................
   
  14
  Michealclaw, Lee........................................
   
  52
  Miller, Dennis.............................................
   
  117
  Milo’s Tech Emporium................................
   
  52
  Mine Detector...........................................
   
  179
  Mineral Bullet-Shaman...............................
   
  41
  Minnequa Club............................................
   
  51
  Minor Spirits..............................................
   
  157
  Mirage.........................................................
   
  24
  Mirar, Jan...................................................
   
  171
  Mirror Basil................................................
   
  112
  Mistfeather, Lane........................................
   
  43
  Mithral Trumpet.......................................
   
  118
  Mitsuhama...................................
   
  92, 125, 182
  Mondelria’s Hotel.......................................
   
  48
  Moneywort (Awakened)...........................
   
  112
  Moraine........................................................
   
  14
  Morgan, Captain...........................................
   
  4
  Morgan, Syryl..............................................
   
  43
  Morganson, J. R..............................................
   
  4
  Morphine...................................................
   
  106
  Morrow Sports Center..................................
   
  9
  Moss.............................................................
   
  45
  Mothers Of Metahumans............................
   
  46
  Mountain Valley Rehabilitation Center......
   
  50
  Mounts.......................................................
   
  130
  Movement.................................................
   
  144
  Multi-Tasking........................................
   
  88-89
  Musical Composition................................
   
  120
  Musk...........................................................
   
  103
  Nan.............................................................
   
  185
  Napalin......................................................
   
  135
  Narwhale.....................................................
   
  96
  Nation..............................................
   
  13, 14, 15
  Native Thought.....................................
   
  42, 51
  Nato...........................................................
   
  186
  Navajo..........................................................
   
  26
  Navky.........................................................
   
  166
  Nega Mage...............................................
   
  138
  Nega Magic......................................
   
  137-138
  Negotiation...............................................
   
  120
  Neil The Ork Barbarian.............................
   
  143
  Nemesis.....................................................
   
  135
  Nemesis-Crysteck.....................................
   
  182
  Neo-Pagans...........................................
   
  79-83
  Nerps...................................................
   
  20, 125
  Nevermore Foundation.............................
   
  182
  New Orc Wax Museum..............................
   
  21
  New Orleans..............................................
   
  208
  New Terrorism............................................
   
  31
  New York.......................................
   
  27-29, 178
  New York City...........................................
   
  185
  Newfoundland...........................................
   
  186
  Nicotine.....................................................
   
  102
  Night Of Rage...............................
   
  31, 41, 187
  Night Road (See Spirit, Night Road)
  Nightvision................................................
   
  140
  Ninja.............................................................
   
  62
  Non-Performing Arts................................
   
  120
  Nopane........................................................
   
  99
  Norse Paganism..........................................
   
  82
  North Bay..............................................
   
  30-35
  North High School......................................
   
  49
  North Side...................................................
   
  48
  Nuclear Weapons.....................................
   
  185
  Nuyou.........................................................
   
  103
  Oakforest, Aithne......................................
   
  186
  Oakwood.....................................................
   
  14
  Occult Studies.............................................
   
  16
  Officer’s Club...............................................
   
  49
  Old Downtown Area...................................
   
  14
  Olympic Games................................
   
  185, 187
  Open Locks................................................
   
  121
  Opium........................................................
   
  106
  Opium Poppy............................................
   
  112
  Orca.............................................................
   
  96
  Oregon District...........................................
   
  14
  Organized Crime........................................
   
  29
  Orgasm’s.....................................................
   
  47
  Orichalum Decks...........................................
   
  1
  Oro Corporation..........................................
   
  11
  Ouija Board...............................................
   
  160
  Page.............................................................
   
  26
  Paralyzing Presence..................................
   
  165
  Paralyzing Touch.......................................
   
  147
  Parasite Spirits (See Spirit, Parasite)
  Pareira........................................................
   
  112
  Park East......................................................
   
  51
  Passkey.........................................................
   
  94
  Passwall......................................................
   
  147
  Pathkeeper................................................
   
  147
  Patterson Village.........................................
   
  14
  Paxium.......................................................
   
  103
  Pcc Branch Office........................................
   
  45
  Pcc Hall Of Tribunal....................................
   
  45
  
  212 — Index
  Pcc Security Force Headquarters..............
   
  45
  Penn State......................................................
   
  9
  Performance..............................................
   
  120
  Performing Arts........................................
   
  120
  Peyote........................................................
   
  113
  Phantasmal Force......................................
   
  142
  Phantazm.....................................................
   
  10
  Phantom Hitchhiker..................................
   
  167
  Phencyclidine............................................
   
  105
  Phenmetrazine..........................................
   
  108
  Physical Adept......................................
   
  61, 65
  Pines Hospital..............................................
   
  52
  Poleaxe, Scuzzy.............................................
   
  4
  Policlubs.....................................................
   
  187
  Poltergeist.................................................
   
  167
  Poltergeists................................................
   
  167
  Porpoise.......................................................
   
  95
  Portable Vehicle Control Rig......................
   
  92
  Portland.....................................................
   
  186
  Possessed Sleepwalker.............................
   
  172
  Poster
  A.C...........................................................
   
  24
  Alexis Pagano, L.L.B...............................
   
  24
  Alta........................................................
   
  111
  Angerlip..................................................
   
  48
  Anonymous.................................
   
  26, 29, 34
  Anonymous Wwii Soldier....................
   
  196
  Anvil..........................................................
   
  3
  Aphrodite.............................................
   
  149
  April Cloud Dayfire................................
   
  45
  Aqua Sky.................................................
   
  48
  Aquasonic.........................................
   
  45, 46
  Arbit..............................................
   
  166, 168
  Arc...........................................................
   
  24
  Archon.....................................................
   
  22
  Arden Ariadne.......................................
   
  19
  Arg........................................................
   
  169
  Argand....................................................
   
  35
  Argonaut...............................................
   
  168
  Arianna..................................................
   
  110
  Arrow Leg...............................................
   
  48
  Arthur Murray..........................................
   
  8
  Arya Ben-Yosef.....................................
   
  114
  Babble....................................................
   
  102
  Babs.......................................................
   
  168
  Baby.......................................................
   
  104
  Backdraft..............................
   
  172, 180, 182
  Barbara Halfmist....................................
   
  47
  Barron................................
   
  32, 33, 178, 179
  Bastard..................................................
   
  167
  Bayou Boy...............................................
   
  95
  Betty......................................................
   
  167
  Bible Bob.................................................
   
  18
  Big Brother...........................................
   
  141
  Bilbo.......................................
   
  23, 24, 25, 91
  Billyjack...................................................
   
  27
  Black Chain.............................................
   
  97
  Blackbeard............................................
   
  182
  Blaster.....................................................
   
  22
  Blow.......................................................
   
  112
  Blue Jacket..............................................
   
  13
  Bob...........................................................
   
  46
  Born-To-Build.........................................
   
  24
  Boydust...................................................
   
  49
  Brimstone......
   
  139, 140, 141, 143, 148, 149
  Brown Tornado Herd.............................
   
  52
  Bubba Baby.............................................
   
  90
  Buliminator.............................................
   
  90
  Bulwyncl................................
   
  79, 81, 82, 83
  Captain Door...........................................
   
  49
  Caramel.................................................
   
  166
  Cascade Trog..........................................
   
  41
  Caveat...........................................
   
  104, 105
  Charmer................................................
   
  103
  Chorse....................................................
   
  139
  Christina..................................................
   
  40
  Poster
  Chrome Charlie...............
   
  17, 18, 19, 20, 21
  Chuck D.......................................
   
  30, 31, 35
  Coma.............................
   
  109, 110, 111, 112
  Cooler..........................................
   
  23, 24, 25
  Corporate Lackey.......................
   
  13, 14, 15
  Corpsemethod........................................
   
  45
  Couch Potato...........................................
   
  95
  Cybergal..................................................
   
  89
  D. D. And Nell.......................................
   
  131
  Daedalus....................................................
   
  2
  Dangerous Dave......................................
   
  10
  Dapper Dan...........................................
   
  172
  Dark Elf................................................
   
  2, 27
  Daryl Markov........................................
   
  168
  Datajerk...................................................
   
  89
  Dave.........................................................
   
  45
  Day Stem.................................................
   
  46
  Daysonic............................................
   
  16, 42
  Deadsy.....................................................
   
  79
  Demon Cannon........................................
   
  45
  Doctor Love.......................................
   
  22, 26
  Doctorjack.............................
   
  110, 112, 114
  Dog Thing................................................
   
  38
  Doomdancer...........................................
   
  40
  Dr. Jerold Stratton................
   
  117, 122, 123
  Dr. Love.....................................
   
  48, 97, 167
  Dr. Stanwyck.................................
   
  167, 169
  Dryad.......................................................
   
  51
  Dune Dancer............................................
   
  44
  Dweomer...............................................
   
  157
  Edward Seven Men................................
   
  25
  Edward Shallow-Bear......................
   
  45, 46
  El Majid.................................................
   
  116
  Elephant................................................
   
  125
  Enigma..........................................
   
  142, 143
  Enrico Hillnever......................................
   
  45
  Epilogue................................................
   
  180
  Erekosse.................................................
   
  143
  Erol Flin..............................................
   
  17, 18
  Ex-Big Winner........................................
   
  23
  Ex-Terminator.........................................
   
  25
  Fariba Al-Hassan...................................
   
  110
  Fastjack......................................
   
  46, 89, 167
  Fat Cat.............................
   
  12, 13, 14, 15, 16
  Feather.....................................................
   
  45
  Feral.......................................
   
  18, 19, 20, 21
  Ferrah Moan............................................
   
  91
  Fiddler.....................................................
   
  87
  Fire Mountain........................................
   
  122
  Firepower..............................................
   
  137
  Fistslime...................................................
   
  42
  Flash.................................................
   
  16, 110
  Flashking..................................................
   
  47
  Fleshlight.................................................
   
  52
  Frank Bishop..........................................
   
  117
  From The Deep..................................
   
  34, 35
  Frustrated Flyer.......................................
   
  15
  Fungus Luck.............................................
   
  49
  Fuzzy......................................................
   
  166
  Gargoyle.......................
   
  134, 141, 142, 143,
  145, 146, 148, 149
  Gatekeeper...................................
   
  137, 138
  Gemini...................................................
   
  140
  Gemini, The Samurai Sofa....................
   
  148
  Gentledust...............................................
   
  38
  Gideon “Greaser” Carmichael.............
   
  172
  Ginsu..........................................................
   
  8
  Glider.....................................................
   
  140
  Glitterfoot................................................
   
  23
  Glub-Master-Ridlin.................................
   
  90
  Great Steam Eye.....................................
   
  38
  Gremlin..................................................
   
  142
  Greybridge..............................................
   
  43
  Gui........................................................
   
  9, 10
  Gunflower................................................
   
  50
  Poster
  Guru.......................................................
   
  176
  Hal...........................................................
   
  10
  Hank Spank Williams.................
   
  18, 19, 21
  Harbringer..............................................
   
  96
  Head........................................................
   
  43
  Heckler....................................................
   
  29
  Hellrunner...............................................
   
  49
  Hippopotamus Maiden.........................
   
  46
  Historian..................................................
   
  22
  Holly................................................
   
  41, 113
  Holmes........................................
   
  79, 81, 82
  Horse.......................................................
   
  43
  Horus.......................................................
   
  91
  Hulk.........................................................
   
  41
  Ice Bunny.................................................
   
  32
  Ice Falcon.................................................
   
  35
  Ichorse...........................
   
  140, 143, 145, 149
  Icthyologist.............................................
   
  95
  Inga........................................................
   
  114
  Inquiring Minds......................................
   
  79
  Irgos.........................................................
   
  90
  Iris..........................................................
   
  166
  Irkwell......................................................
   
  41
  Ivy Tower...............................................
   
  114
  J.J..............................................................
   
  95
  Jade Hunter.............................................
   
  32
  Jerry...............................
   
  139, 144, 149, 157
  Jerry Stratton........................................
   
  156
  Jezzuit Jake............................................
   
  137
  Joanna Starblossom...............................
   
  137
  Joe Shmoe................................................
   
  10
  Jogger........................................................
   
  8
  John..........................................................
   
  18
  John Flaring Tree.....................................
   
  19
  John Phillip Souixsa.................................
   
  26
  Joyride.....................................................
   
  89
  Kalla.......................................................
   
  168
  Karla Nash.............................................
   
  109
  Keith......................................................
   
  173
  Keith .I).Sleepwalkers...........................
   
  174
  Key Cat....................................................
   
  35
  Kimera...................................................
   
  168
  Kiso..........................................................
   
  10
  Komet Kid.........................................
   
  33, 34
  Korto......................................................
   
  167
  Lancalot.................................................
   
  144
  Lester Riverfield......................................
   
  18
  Lincoln Howe..........................................
   
  87
  Live Fire.................................................
   
  137
  Lj..............................................................
   
  22
  Logan.......................................................
   
  14
  Looie Loo.................................................
   
  34
  Lord Lucifer.............................................
   
  15
  Louie Loo.................................................
   
  35
  Love Thing...............................................
   
  51
  Lucky Ops...............................................
   
  11
  Magma Magnet.....................................
   
  42
  Maj. Disaster...........................................
   
  16
  Makerbabe..............................................
   
  50
  Mamma...................................................
   
  22
  Mandrake................................................
   
  16
  Manticore................................................
   
  22
  Mantis......................................................
   
  49
  Marackeshh.............................................
   
  23
  Marker.....................................................
   
  22
  Max..........................................................
   
  91
  Maximum Overload.................................
   
  1
  Mel Walsinats...............................
   
  117, 118
  Metalshade.......................................
   
  36, 44
  Michael Breathing-Dog.........................
   
  25
  Micromara.....................
   
  10, 17, 18, 19, 20,
  89, 143, 161, 176, 178, 179
  Mikey.......................................................
   
  38
  Mind Frost...............................................
   
  42
  Mirage.....................................................
   
  26
  
  Index — 213
  Poster
  Misha.....................................
   
  112, 113, 115
  Mistress...................................................
   
  47
  Morgan....................................................
   
  27
  Mountainjoy............................................
   
  53
  Myra......................................................
   
  147
  Nancyk....................................................
   
  27
  Narcopygia.............................................
   
  15
  Neckberry...............................................
   
  43
  Neil The Ork Librarian..........
   
  12, 14, 15, 16
  Nemesis.................................................
   
  147
  Never Giant.............................................
   
  50
  Neverday................................................
   
  45
  Niche.....................................................
   
  109
  Nidhug, Chronicler Of Magic..............
   
  134
  Nightfire................................................
   
  173
  Nightwind.............................................
   
  182
  Nikki..................................................
   
  45, 47
  Nikodaemus, Rat Shaman....................
   
  149
  Nottounge...............................................
   
  52
  Nova........................................................
   
  35
  Nuyen Nick...........................................
   
  168
  Omega Wolf.....................................
   
  30, 32
  Ooze Petal.........................................
   
  36, 45
  Opus......................................................
   
  166
  Patch........................................................
   
  10
  Patrick.....................................................
   
  36
  Pendragon.........................................
   
  32, 35
  Percy........................................................
   
  43
  Petal Lichpilgrim....................................
   
  47
  Phil The Troll............................................
   
  29
  Physics Phred........................................
   
  122
  Poboy.....................................................
   
  113
  Praxis.......................................................
   
  25
  Preist Leg................................................
   
  45
  Prism............................................
   
  13, 14, 15
  Prof. Great Steam Eye............................
   
  41
  Professor Buff.........................................
   
  168
  Puck.........................................................
   
  32
  Puestiel....................................................
   
  18
  Puff...............................................
   
  13, 15, 16
  Punnisher.......................................
   
  116, 168
  Pyramid Watcher.................................
   
  116
  Pyre..........................................................
   
  26
  Quarrel..........
   
  109, 110, 113, 114, 115, 116
  Quiverclaw................................................
   
  1
  Red Pawn...............................................
   
  113
  Red Sonja.................................................
   
  29
  Rerun......................................
   
  30, 32, 33, 34
  Roadsoul Ghost............................
   
  44, 46, 53
  Rocker................................................
   
  22, 26
  Rosebark..................................................
   
  47
  Running Eagle.........................................
   
  28
  Ryan.......................................................
   
  148
  Sage.........................................................
   
  34
  Samurai Electricity...............................
   
  181
  San Jorge.................................................
   
  11
  Savage.....................................................
   
  79
  Savior.....................................................
   
  167
  Scar..........................................................
   
  24
  Scholastic Shoal....................................
   
  137
  Screamer.................................................
   
  35
  Security Czech..................................
   
  17, 18
  Seelie.......................................................
   
  22
  Selene................................................
   
  79, 80
  Sgt. Slaughter.........................................
   
  16
  Shade.....................................................
   
  143
  Shark Dust...............................................
   
  47
  Shazzam..................................................
   
  16
  Shriek.......................................................
   
  30
  Silas Jack................................................
   
  123
  Silicon Eel................................................
   
  30
  Silver Cianide..............
   
  1, 2, 12, 20, 21, 146
  Silver Cyanide.........................................
   
  19
  Sinjin..........................................................
   
  8
  Sir Galahad............................................
   
  130
  Poster
  Skeptic......................................................
   
  8
  Skylight.........................................
   
  139, 145
  Skywise..................................................
   
  161
  Slash.......................................................
   
  124
  Slipspeed................................................
   
  87
  Slow Rise..................................................
   
  49
  Smellbody...............................................
   
  40
  Smiley......................................................
   
  10
  Smilin’ Ryan...........................................
   
  143
  Smilin’ Sam...........................................
   
  123
  Smily........................................................
   
  34
  Sorbe......................................................
   
  166
  Sorrow.....................................................
   
  46
  Spanky...............................................
   
  14, 15
  Spiderman..............................................
   
  22
  Spit Fire.................................................
   
  143
  Splut..................................................
   
  87, 89
  Spock.....................................................
   
  166
  Stalker...............................................
   
  13, 15
  Steel Monkey..........................................
   
  26
  Stink Bug.................................................
   
  35
  Stretch...................................................
   
  146
  Stuphers................................................
   
  168
  Swamprunner.........................................
   
  95
  Syrinx.......................................................
   
  79
  T. H..........................................................
   
  40
  Tag...........................................
   
  1, 30, 31, 34
  Tall Boy..................................
   
  30, 31, 32, 34
  Tallmage.................................................
   
  50
  Tanqueray...............................................
   
  46
  Tess....................................................
   
  22, 26
  The Anal Anagramist.............................
   
  92
  The Beetle.....................................
   
  167, 168
  The Great Mumford................................
   
  79
  The Hi-Way Hog..................................
   
  173
  The Joker..............................................
   
  8, 10
  The Laughing Man..................................
   
  79
  The Reflex................................................
   
  96
  The Reflex/Harbringer....................
   
  92, 136
  The Smiling Bandit.................................
   
  89
  Thomas Chin............................................
   
  18
  Thor........................................................
   
  177
  Thrud.................................................
   
  79, 80
  Thunderdeath.........................................
   
  51
  Timmons, Arthur..................................
   
  142
  Titan.......................................................
   
  140
  Tom........................................................
   
  103
  Tongue...................................................
   
  167
  Torman....................................................
   
  46
  Torment.................................................
   
  115
  Tormon..........................
   
  166, 167, 168, 169
  Tounge Merchant...................................
   
  47
  Trent........................................................
   
  96
  Trial Child................................................
   
  52
  Trog The Gnome.....................................
   
  87
  Tuna Friend..............................................
   
  95
  Until.........................................................
   
  91
  Urp...........................................................
   
  91
  Vanth.............................................
   
  115, 167
  Velvet Knight..........................................
   
  28
  Viper........................................................
   
  31
  Vortex Dog..............................................
   
  53
  Wanda.....................................................
   
  23
  Wanda, Witch......................................
   
  149
  Warlock.................................................
   
  143
  Warner Bones...................................
   
  20, 21
  Wastrel....................................................
   
  35
  Weblust...........................................
   
  38, 172
  Websmell................................................
   
  49
  Whisper.........................
   
  139, 141, 145, 146
  Wily Coyote..........................................
   
  118
  Wizard Of Os............................................
   
  2
  Wolf.......................................................
   
  113
  Wolfsbane..............................................
   
  146
  Wordman................
   
  67, 122, 139, 145, 148
  Poster
  Yabba.......................................................
   
  91
  Yowzaa........................................
   
  2, 90, 118
  Zinc....................................................
   
  95, 96
  Posterdiana....................................................
   
  2
  Posteryearner..............................................
   
  91
  Power Donut..............................................
   
  139
  Powernode.................................................
   
  182
  Programs...........................................
   
  179-180
  Propeller Systems.......................................
   
  93
  Providence...................................................
   
  82
  Psychokinesis.............................................
   
  165
  Public Enemy...............................................
   
  22
  Pueblo...............................................
   
  12, 36-53
  Pueblo City Park..........................................
   
  51
  Pueblo Community Medical Center..........
   
  51
  Pueblo Corporate Council.....................
   
  36, 41
  Pueblo Corporate Council Matrix..............
   
  36
  Pueblo Country Club....................................
   
  52
  Pueblo Fair....................................................
   
  51
  Pueblo General Hospital.............................
   
  48
  Pueblo Mall..................................................
   
  46
  Pueblo Matrix........................................
   
  41, 44
  Pueblo Memorial Airport...........................
   
  48
  Pueblo Psychological Center......................
   
  52
  Pueblo Rec....................................................
   
  39
  Pueblo Reservoir..........................................
   
  52
  Pueblo Terminex....................................
   
  41, 53
  Pueblo Under.........................................
   
  41, 52
  Pueblo University.............................
   
  41, 46, 53
  Pueblo West.................................................
   
  50
  Pueblo-Under...............................................
   
  38
  Puke Ball....................................................
   
  141
  Purge Ic......................................................
   
  178
  Purity League..............................................
   
  31
  Purple Zone Bazaar....................................
   
  33
  Putrefy........................................................
   
  165
  Pvcr..............................................................
   
  92
  Quad..............................................................
   
  9
  Quebec.................................................
   
  30, 185
  Queens.........................................................
   
  28
  Quicksilver.................................................
   
  134
  Radicals........................................................
   
  15
  Radio............................................................
   
  38
  Radio Shack...............................................
   
  177
  Rail Gun........................................................
   
  49
  Raise Fog....................................................
   
  165
  Ramirez, Whittiker.....................................
   
  42
  Raptor Center..............................................
   
  52
  Ratech....................................................
   
  43, 53
  Rauwolfia....................................................
   
  113
  Razor............................................................
   
  47
  Re-Education And Relocation Act...........
   
  185
  Rebuild.......................................................
   
  180
  Redmond.....................................................
   
  67
  Reed, Johnathan.........................................
   
  186
  Reflex..........................................................
   
  172
  Renford Political Consulting, Inc................
   
  30
  Renraku......................................
   
  125, 182, 186
  Renraku Arcology.............................
   
  173, 187
  Rent And Rest Hotel...................................
   
  52
  Resist Allergy............................................
   
  141
  Resist Travel...............................................
   
  165
  Restore Quickness.....................................
   
  147
  Revenants...................................................
   
  168
  Rfc...............................................................
   
  931
  ...............................................................
   
  181
  Ribopropylmethionine..............................
   
  105
  Rig Controls.................................................
   
  93
  Rio-Grande Range War...............................
   
  38
  Rodale, Lena..............................................
   
  185
  Roosevelt Island...........................................
   
  29
  Roper......................................................
   
  50, 67
  Russian Republic........................................
   
  186
  Rust...................................................
   
  36, 38, 39
  Ryumyo......................................................
   
  185
  
  214 — Index
  S O U R C E R Y...........................................
   
  141
  Saboteur.......................................................
   
  63
  Saim...........................................................
   
  185
  Salish-Shidhe Council................................
   
  186
  San Diego...................................................
   
  122
  San Francisco.............................................
   
  187
  Sanctuary Hotel..........................................
   
  50
  Sangre De Christo Art Center..............
   
  46, 53
  Sanity.........................................................
   
  161
  Satellite Search Programs........................
   
  180
  Schon, Chiam.............................................
   
  185
  Schwarzeneine..........................................
   
  103
  Schwatrzkopf, Norman................................
   
  4
  Scorpion Elite Mercenaries......................
   
  100
  Scorpion Set................................................
   
  44
  Screamers......................................................
   
  4
  Screaming Skull........................................
   
  166
  Sea Onion...................................................
   
  113
  Seabury, Angela............................................
   
  5
  Seance........................................................
   
  170
  Seances......................................................
   
  171
  Seattle..................................
   
  10, 173, 178, 186
  Seattle Sourcebook Index.........................
   
  188
  Secforce.......................................................
   
  43
  Secure-Tech...............................................
   
  131
  Security Council Hq....................................
   
  34
  Sede Gubernamental De Colombia............
   
  11
  Sentinel Patrol Forces Company................
   
  13
  Seolpa Rings..................................................
   
  1
  Seoulpa........................................................
   
  43
  Seoulpa Rings..............................................
   
  29
  Seretech.....................................................
   
  185
  Seven-6 Nerve Gas......................................
   
  11
  Seven-Bears, Jessica....................................
   
  41
  Shades........................................................
   
  103
  Shadowrun.....................................................
   
  4
  2xs..........................................................
   
  207
  Shadowrunner
  “The Glytzch” Gabriel Davidson............
   
  74
  Baal........................................................
   
  197
  Cat’s Eye................................................
   
  197
  Death Machine........................................
   
  73
  Dodger....................................................
   
  73
  Dreamstalker..........................................
   
  73
  Fat Cat.....................................................
   
  73
  Glass Tarantula........................................
   
  73
  Hibeam....................................................
   
  74
  Ice Bunny...............................................
   
  180
  Jack The Ripper.......................................
   
  74
  John The Dick...........................................
   
  74
  Lucifer......................................................
   
  74
  Melpomene.............................................
   
  75
  Mycroft....................................................
   
  75
  Porky Prine..............................................
   
  75
  Scarecrow...............................................
   
  76
  Seraph.....................................................
   
  76
  Shining Path............................................
   
  76
  Tess........................................................
   
  197
  The Reflex................................................
   
  75
  The Wyrm Oroboros...............................
   
  77
  Thenomain...............................................
   
  76
  Valerie Valkerie......................................
   
  76
  Wildcard !!..............................................
   
  77
  Xavier “Jet” O’doul................................
   
  77
  Shaft, The.....................................................
   
  45
  Shakespeare................................................
   
  38
  Shapechange.............................................
   
  147
  Shatterbone...............................................
   
  125
  Shattuck, Raymond.......................................
   
  4
  Shiawase Decision.....................................
   
  185
  Shiloh Launch Facility..........................
   
  39, 185
  Shostack, Adam........................................
   
  101
  Shrink Object.............................................
   
  148
  Shrink Person.............................................
   
  148
  Siam.............................................................
   
  39
  Sign Language..........................................
   
  121
  Silencers.....................................................
   
  126
  Silver............................................................
   
  38
  Silvereye Veterinary Clinic.........................
   
  50
  Simsense............................................
   
  100, 186
  Simstims....................................................
   
  176
  Sinicuichi....................................................
   
  114
  Sinsearach..................................................
   
  135
  Sioux Nation..........................................
   
  36, 41
  Sirrurg........................................................
   
  187
  Sixth World Church....................................
   
  82
  Skillwire Overload......................................
   
  86
  Skillwires......................................................
   
  86
  Skylight......................................................
   
  135
  Slang..........................................................
   
  184
  Sleepwalkers.............................................
   
  172
  Sleight Of Hand........................................
   
  121
  Smartlink.....................................................
   
  97
  Smith-Nabulsi, Dr. R..................................
   
  125
  Smoke Filter I.............................................
   
  180
  Smokescreen I...........................................
   
  180
  Smokescreen Ii..........................................
   
  180
  Smooth Strophanthus...............................
   
  114
  Smothering Ghost.....................................
   
  168
  Smuggling.......................................
   
  11, 36, 44
  Snappershock..............................................
   
  44
  Softlink, Permanent.....................................
   
  97
  Sonniene.....................................................
   
  103
  Soriyama........................................................
   
  3
  South Africa...............................................
   
  185
  South High...................................................
   
  51
  South Side....................................................
   
  50
  Spaz...........................................................
   
  108
  Specter........................................................
   
  76
  Spectral Lover...........................................
   
  169
  Spectral Organist.....................................
   
  169
  Spectral Remnants....................................
   
  169
  Spell List....................................................
   
  150
  Spellfighting......................................
   
  155-156
  Spherical Vision.........................................
   
  140
  Spirit
  Advisor..............................................
   
  2, 159
  Moon Road............................................
   
  161
  Night Road............................................
   
  161
  Parasite..........................................
   
  157-158
  Spirit Combat....................................
   
  155, 156
  Spirit Foci...................................
   
  158, 159, 160
  Spirit Rating..............................................
   
  160
  Spirit’s..........................................................
   
  45
  Spiritfighting.............................................
   
  155
  Spirits.................................................
   
  157-161
  Spitroll, The.................................................
   
  47
  Spring Valley...............................................
   
  15
  Springfield...................................................
   
  16
  St. Elizabeth’s Hospital...............................
   
  12
  St. Mary Corwin Hospital...........................
   
  41
  St. Mary-Corwin Hospital..........................
   
  51
  St. Michael.................................................
   
  114
  Star Chamber............................................
   
  187
  Star Journal..................................................
   
  38
  Stark.............................................................
   
  52
  State Fair Grounds.......................................
   
  51
  Statue Of Liberty.........................................
   
  27
  Stc..............................................................
   
  185
  Steal (Skill).................................................
   
  142
  Steve’s Buses...............................................
   
  38
  Stillwater River............................................
   
  15
  Stout’s Pet Store..........................................
   
  38
  Street Rigger...............................................
   
  64
  Street Slick..................................................
   
  64
  Strike Blind................................................
   
  139
  Striking Hand............................................
   
  139
  Strychnine Tree.........................................
   
  114
  Student Legal Center...................................
   
  8
  Student Services Building............................
   
  8
  Stuffer Shack................................................
   
  10
  Subduing Hand.........................................
   
  140
  Sugarcreek..................................................
   
  15
  Suicide.........................................................
   
  15
  Summon Remnant.....................................
   
  165
  Sunset Strip.................................................
   
  21
  Superb..........................................................
   
  76
  Supercollider...............................................
   
  10
  Supernode.................................................
   
  182
  Surehand, Lugh.........................................
   
  186
  Swifturtle...................................................
   
  116
  Sword Mind.................................................
   
  43
  Tableland.....................................................
   
  53
  Tablelands..............................................
   
  43, 50
  Taoist..............................................................
   
  9
  Tarzana Of The Jungle.................................
   
  17
  Teamsters..................................................
   
  185
  Tear Gas.......................................................
   
  49
  Tee-Hees......................................................
   
  40
  Telepathy, Dual.........................................
   
  141
  Telepathy, Multiple..................................
   
  141
  Teleport.....................................................
   
  165
  Teleportation.............................................
   
  149
  Teleportation, Personal.............................
   
  149
  Temperature Alteration...........................
   
  165
  Temporaries Hostel....................................
   
  33
  Temporary Insanity...................................
   
  142
  Tennis...........................................................
   
  38
  Tess’ Bloom................................................
   
  115
  Tevlioni’s......................................................
   
  52
  Texas..........................................................
   
  185
  Thatcher Building.......................................
   
  46
  Theology....................................................
   
  121
  Thompson, Hunter S. Ii, 207
  Thought Bubble.........................................
   
  143
  Three Tree....................................................
   
  46
  Three-Trees, Janet.......................................
   
  43
  Thrilling Locations.....................................
   
  208
  Thundermist Fusion Plant............................
   
  48
  Time/Date Stamps....................................
   
  181
  Tipp City......................................................
   
  15
  Tir Paladyne.................................................
   
  65
  Tir Tairngire...............................................
   
  186
  Tirandor...........................................
   
  27, 29, 68
  Tóho..............................................................
   
  43
  Torch..........................................................
   
  137
  Tornado-Blood, José....................................
   
  40
  Tornado-Blood, Maria................................
   
  40
  Torus Buckthorne......................................
   
  115
  Totem
  Dove.......................................................
   
  156
  Horse.....................................................
   
  156
  Totems.......................................................
   
  156
  Tourist Information......................................
   
  38
  Toxic Shaman................................................
   
  3
  Train.............................................................
   
  38
  Treaty Of Denver.........................................
   
  41
  Trideo...........................................................
   
  38
  Triphetamines...........................................
   
  108
  Troilius..........................................................
   
  52
  Tropicana.....................................................
   
  24
  Trotwood.....................................................
   
  14
  Trujillo, Brian...............................................
   
  42
  Trujillo, Daniel..............................................
   
  41
  Trump Center..............................................
   
  27
  Trump International..............................
   
  27, 29
  Trump, Donald......................................
   
  27, 29
  Truth Glow.................................................
   
  143
  Turn Gun To Vegetable.............................
   
  149
  Turn Marble To Bat...................................
   
  149
  Twin, Sally....................................................
   
  42
  Tyrants...........................................................
   
  4
  Uberfrau.......................................................
   
  52
  Ucas............................................................
   
  186
  Ucas Air Force.............................................
   
  16
  Ucas Air Force Museum..............................
   
  16
  Ucas Armed Forces.....................................
   
  16
  Ucas Armed Services...................................
   
  4
  
  Index — 215
  Ucas Mounted Police..................................
   
  66
  Ucla....................................................
   
  137, 186
  Uge...............................................................
   
  40
  Ugly Jazz Club.............................................
   
  91
  Ulciscor Strain...........................................
   
  180
  Ultrasound Eyes...........................................
   
  95
  Ultrasound Headlights...............................
   
  95
  Underdog..................................................
   
  115
  Unet..............................................................
   
  10
  Unexplained Genetic Expression.............
   
  185
  Union Building.............................................
   
  46
  Union Station...............................................
   
  46
  United Canadian And American States...
   36
  United Nations..........................................
   
  185
  United Revolutionary Army.......................
   
  11
  Universal Brotherhood........................
   
  52, 187
  University Hotel..........................................
   
  44
  University Of Chicago...............................
   
  186
  University Of Dayton...................................
   
  14
  University Of Pueblo..............................
   
  44, 46
  University Village........................................
   
  14
  Urban Brawl...............................................
   
  186
  Urbana Public Hospital.................................
   
  8
  Utask............................................................
   
  86
  Utburd........................................................
   
  166
  Ute................................................................
   
  22
  Ute Nation...................................................
   
  36
  Vambane....................................................
   
  115
  Vampires.......................................................
   
  1
  Vandalia.......................................................
   
  15
  Varien, Dar.................................................
   
  186
  Velarde, Brandon........................................
   
  51
  Velarde, Robert...........................................
   
  43
  Veracruz Settlement................................
   
  187
  Vermouth...................................................
   
  155
  Verner, Samuel..........................................
   
  137
  Village Security, Ltd...................................
   
  33
  Villavicencio................................................
   
  11
  Virtual Realities...........................................
   
  41
  Virtual Reality........................................
   
  43, 53
  Vision Electronics........................................
   
  40
  Vitalis.........................................................
   
  108
  Vitas...............................................
   
  12, 40, 186
  Vocal Music...............................................
   
  120
  Walking Stick..............................................
   
  46
  Wallwalking..............................................
   
  144
  Ward, Lester (See Wordman), 51
  Warehouse District.....................................
   
  49
  Warplight..................................................
   
  149
  Washer Silencers.......................................
   
  126
  Washington.................................................
   
  14
  Watchers.......................................................
   
  2
  Water Moccasin..........................................
   
  95
  Water Spider..............................................
   
  95
  Waterwalking...........................................
   
  144
  Weather Guard.........................................
   
  149
  West Carrollton...........................................
   
  14
  West Side....................................................
   
  51
  White House, The........................................
   
  50
  White Wolf................................................
   
  208
  Wicca...........................................................
   
  82
  Wilkes, John.................................................
   
  36
  Wired Reflexes, Level 0............................
   
  172
  Witchhunter................................................
   
  66
  Wittenberg College....................................
   
  16
  Wixo.............................................................
   
  10
  Wolf-Hunts-By-Night...............................
   
  156
  Woodburne..................................................
   
  14
  Word Bubble.............................................
   
  143
  Wright State University.............................
   
  15
  Wright-Patterson Air Force Base........
   
  13, 16
  Wrightville..................................................
   
  16
  Written Composition................................
   
  120
  X-Ray Specs...............................................
   
  141
  Xenia............................................................
   
  15
  Xenon...........................................................
   
  68
  Xiao’s Chinese Theater................................
   
  21
  Yakuza..............................
   
  1, 13, 15, 29, 43, 68
  Yellow Springs.......................................
   
  13, 16
  Yoshida Technologies..................................
   
  87
  Yowzaa.................................................
   
  80, 116
  Zen.............................................................
   
  105
  Zuni’s............................................................
   
  69
  Zurich-Orbital...........................................
   
  186
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shadowrun [multi]/EXTRAS/Shadowrun - Neo-Anarchists Guide To Everything Else/9Fiction.pdf