Episode 8 – Williams, Nevada

Tuesday, June 8, 2027

Caitlin is in a panic. She can’t hand over ‘Uncle’ to Chen. Could this be him? Wait. The bear problem has been growing for the past five years. The Yeti skull was stolen a good number of years ago. Uncle was working at BioWorks when the bears and the Yeti were made. This couldn’t be Uncle.

The Cat carefully extricates this Doctor from his smoldering vehicle. Jose threads his way through the curious bears and reaches the crash site. He pulls a lock box from the vehicle, and then starts to put the fire out with an extinguisher. Doyle is quickly incoming and his AV scatters the bears without further incident. Caitlin stabilizes the doctor. She, with Cid, who has just arrived, loads him into Doyle’s craft. The inside group is divided with Frankie and Dr. Shamal remaining in the main laboratory and computer center of that level. The others led by Mr. Smith checks the small remainder of this level and quickly finds the launch tunnel to the ‘rabbit hole’. Communications are quickly restored throughout the Team.

After a little discussion it is clear that Caitlin wants to bring Adam Grizzly back to the hospital in Carson, BC personally as some sort of bio-genetic gesture to humanity. Doyle flies her, Adam and wounded Wylie to Carson. Caitlin calls Samantha Grizzly as they are incoming informing her that she is calling for Ms. Gwendolyn Ford, who spoke to her a few days ago about her husband. The Cat makes sure she is seen and recorded delivering Adam to the hospital. She turns on her cell phone and calls the Nomads at her house. Doyle has already asked them to check and prep her spinner. They rendezvous and then Caitlin flies southwest with Wylie towards Night City. She then shuts of her phone but uses her registered cred chips to let her fuel charges appear to anyone trying to track her.

Doyle returns to the others with his craft in ‘stealth’ mode. Chen remains upstairs shredding documents with Dr. Shamal while Frankie is working to disassemble the aging computer. The rest go down to the lower levels, which are some miles down. At the bottom levels are the old Vice Presidential quarters. This Doctor Kimora kept his bedroom down here, where a safe with a few documents are found and turned over to Chen. There is also an empty cyborg bear suit fitting for a bipod. Despite some drooling by Jose the suit also goes to Chen and the Collective. The very bottom layer is a natural cavern with a river running through it. No one would go in the water but it appears to be the base fresh water supply. It would take a few years for radiation to seep down her at even worst case. They all then return to the upper levels.

Meanwhile, Frankie finally jacks in to fully examine the base computer and meets the resident AI. The AI is friendly but warns the girl not to access any functions or information without a ‘proper access code’. Frankie tells the AI she will be right back with the proper codes. Then she jacks out, and follows the power to where the system is physically powered. Frankie takes off the panel cover and the voice of the AI comes over the loudspeaker asking for her ‘access code’. Frankie pulls out her 12mm ‘code’ gun and shoots the panel to death. The AI’s voice fades out as the power drains from the system. Frankie remains oblivious, but both Dr. Shamal and Chen hear something….up. Out of a whole in the ceiling pours a swarm of death drone remotes! They both cry out and starting firing on the attacking electronic defenders. The Team returning from the basement hears the firing as they return and rush to the scene. By the time they get there it is almost over. The three have destroyed most of the metal attackers. Frankie then collects the hard drives of the computer. Demolition charges are set on all of the Doctor’s equipment. The Team takes the spinner from the roof hiding place and they all evacuate the complex and head to Night City. The word is given and the rest of Doyle’s nomad race team in Danville make the trip home to Night City.

As the Team heads back to Night City in their various flying craft, they finally get to catch up on the news for the past two days. For the bio-gens on the Team, the news is grim.

On Monday, June 7, 2027: In the United States, President Elizabeth Kress calls Congress into emergency session to make laws investigate and make laws regarding bio-genetically created human/animal hybrids. She also bans all entrance of people holding Vatican City passports and a review of all holding recognized diplomatic passports.

Japan breaks diplomatic relations with the Vatican City and orders all their diplomats and citizens out of the country. The make no mention of the status and rights of bio-gens.

The UN calls an emergency meeting to discuss the Bio-genetic Crisis as the EU makes it a Priority Two crime to possess a bio-gen.

Only the Galileo Cylinder announces that they will accept bio-gens as citizens with full civil rights.

On Tuesday, June 8, 2027: In a rare show of ecumenical solidarity, the Catholic Church, a number of main line conservative Protestant denominations along with representatives of both Sunni, Shia and other smaller sects of Islam make a joint declaration denouncing bio-genetically created creatures as ‘abominations in the sight of God’ and authorizes a Kill on Sight policy for the Faithful.

Both Russia and China are silent in this debate that has captured world attention.

***

Wednesday, June 9, 2027

World News Service feed

President Elizabeth Kress and Leader of the EU Declare Travel Ban to Orbitals

In what is seen as an effort to prevent biogenetic constructs from reaching the political safety of the Galileo Cylinder, the two leaders today issued a temporary ban on travel to assess what they called, ‘the biogenetic threat to the planet’.

Caitlin and Wylie watch the news with mounting fear from the supposed safety of Opium’s factory/home complex in the suburbs of Night City. Opium appears supremely confident that this will all blow over soon and everything will be fine. As the Team rests and heals in and around Night City, the afternoon news isn’t any better.
World News Service feed

LawDiv and Interpol pull Coordinated Raids on BioWorks and Biotechnica

In a rare move of international cooperation both American LawDiv and Interpol pulled simultaneous raids against these two corporations because of their participation in illegal genetic engineering. The CEOs and Presidents of both corporations along with many top executives are answering police questions. The main computer cores of both companies have been secured by law enforcement and the courts have OK’ed the examination of their contents.
Caitlin checks her copy of ‘her owner’s manual’. Oh, nice, they list her as a corporate assassin model! By this point, Dr. Nis thinks it would be a nice time to get a private storage stash for some of his gear. Things are starting to look a little dicey.

***

Thursday, June 10, 2027
World News Service feed

Biogenetic Constructs are ‘Shoot on Sight’ in Alaska and Utah

The state legislatures of Alaska and Utah have quickly promulgated their answer to the ‘Biogenetic Crisis’. Such creatures will be shot on sight in these two states. This may set up a constitutional question of who has legal preeminence here.
The Collective decides to bring both Caitlin and Wylie in on the truth of what is going on. They are informed that the ‘Collective’ exists, which is major for an outsider. Also, that Doctor Kimora is one of the humans who helped development them and (apparently) most western biogenetic constructs. It was the Doctor who had used his knowledge of their protocols to authorize a few private missions to collect important and otherwise unobtainable items from around the world. The fact that the Doctor had cloned himself is acknowledged, but the two has already figured that out.

Cid arranges for his shop equipment in Danville to be packed up and moved to storage to wait for the next target.

***

Friday, June 11, 2027

Opium has been preparing a present for Caitlin for a while now. He had told her lawyer to draw up the necessary legal documents to give Caitlin her release. She calls her attorney, who just happens to be on his way over. In fact, he is holding his phone when Opium rings him up. It seems he has just learned that the Police are on their way to the factory with a warrant for Caitlin.

The lawyer arrives first followed quickly by two police detectives. They just want to talk to Caitlin and assure Opium that they are not there to arrest her ‘cat’. Opium tells them Caitlin isn’t anywhere on the grounds. In fact she is in the gunsmithing laboratory doing ‘busy work’. Opium explains that Caitlin is one of her sales reps and in that role has a lot of freedom and initiative to be on her own. After all she is the leading sales associate of the company. At this the truth comes out. The police produce an order to force compliance with the new state law passed last night, which orders all legally licensed biogens to wear a monitoring ankle bracelet. All unlicensed ones (i.e. Wylie) are to be put in detention areas. There are penalties for non-compliance.

Opium and her attorney assures the Police that Caitlin is nowhere in the state but should be reporting in sometime in the near future. They will tell her to come in and comply with the new law. The police are not very happy with this response but there is little they could do. The two could never sweep the factory and residences without considerable back up which they don’t have. The just politely remind both the rock star and her lawyer that this type of warrant will be easy for them to get, and next time they may come with a lot more officers. Everyone understands what that means and the officers leave.

Opium and her attorney decide not to tell Caitlin about her impending liberation and it might be best for her to just wear a bracelet rather than be put in a detention camp. It is decided that Caitlin and Wylie should leave as quickly as possible. A new ID is requested from Mr. Smith, the former Mr. Chen, by Wylie. Doyle is contacted and money sent for his family to obtain an Armadillo Motor Home for the three who are about to flee.

***

Saturday, June 12, 2027

Catholic Bishop Reynolds comes to visit Opium. At first everyone is very nervous about this visit. Does the Bishop know about Caitlin? As it turns out this is a business call. Here is where the irony of having one of your largest customers trying to kill your ‘housecat’ comes to the fore. The eminence has a fifty-caliber bullet that could carry a biological or chemical agent that the church had ‘obtained’ from the Mossad. He wants Opium to reverse engineer it for use by the church. They intend to load it with an agent that is lethal to biogenetic creatures, but harmless to humans. Opium says she will think about it. It was proprietary Mossad technology and did use a bio agent, which makes her uncomfortable.

***

Sunday, June 13, 2027

Most everyone spends the day preparing to head out to Williams, Nevada on the next leg of the assignment. Most will leave Monday in Doyle’s AV. The three from the factory are going to leave but they realize that Jose doesn’t have an alternate identity if he is questioned. One is ordered immediately but he can’t go with Caitlin until he gets it. Wylie isn’t helpful as he comes up to Jose after the borg just has a sad good-bye with Caitlin and tells him, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her,” with a sly tone in his voice.”

 

The borg starts to steam. Caitlin, now using her alternate ID and disguise as ‘Katey Smith’, and the new ‘Wylie’ leave and arrive in Stateline that night.

***

Monday, June 14, 2027

Caitlin and Wylie leave Stateline with a convoy for Las Vegas. They will get there that afternoon and check the NET drop box that they have. Everyone else departs that morning for Williams, NV in Doyle’s AV. In early afternoon they land off the main road about two miles from town. Caitlin and Wylie get into Vegas and check their messages. They push on from Vegas and get to the camp by late afternoon. Caitlin is not happy that no remote operations had been done in the direction of the town. She runs one of her remotes (a mini-bee) and gets a glimpse of the 50’s era ‘nuclear test town’ that is about a quarter occupied. Interestingly, the lawns are mowed on many of the abandoned houses. She volunteers to go into town and look around. Jose and Wylie fall into immediate disagreement. Jose comes right out and accuses Wylie of implying that he had (and might be continuing to) ‘sleep’ with his own sister……Jose’s girlfriend. The two bio-gens are horrified (OK, maybe Wylie not so much). Wylie doesn’t help matters by impugning about how Jose’s family ‘did things’. Wylie has unknowingly said the magic word and out comes the giant handgun. Caitlin sees her boyfriend about to blow away her brother and steps between the two of them. Jose won’t try to fire around her. At this, Dr. Nis and other members of the Team point out where the miscommunication has come from. Again, Wylie’s nature doesn’t help here, but it sure made it more interesting!

It is decided that Caitlin (now Katey) and Jose will go into town with the armadillo posing as a couple looking for a place to settle down for a bit. The lady at the motel is surprised they want to stay, but helps them right out. (OK, they are getting really creeped out at this point.) They go to the only restaurant and bar in town, which is in someone’s (expanded first floor) home. It is called Ma’s. Ma herself is a very nice person. She serves up beer or soda pop (for Caitlin and Jose), and has a decent menu to order from. She also provides meals for the workers at the local mining company’s expense. And, yes, this company is always looking for the right kind of people to settle down here. Just apply at the town hall. The couple says thank you and goes to bed after reporting in.

***

Tuesday, June 15, 2027

Caitlin and Jose spend the whole day getting familiar with the town. Cid and Frankie run remote operations over the town. In the afternoon they see a Raffen Shiv tandem truck with outriders heading into town. The remotes pick up a deal being brokered between ‘town officials’ and the Raffen Shiv. The outlaws leave with more trucks. This is noted but not pursued.

***

Wednesday, June 16, 2027

Caitlin and Jose continue to walk around town. By midafternoon, they run into James, a town cop, who is very friendly and asks how they like the town. The two say they do and the cop offers to show them the houses the company is trying to fill on a new block. They take a ride with the officer and get to know him. The houses to choose from are actually quite nice as they have been rehabilitated a bit. James leaves and Caitlin and Jose decide this is a good opportunity. They notify Doyle that they are going undercover here, so O’Leary pulls the rest of the Team back to Las Vegas, fifty miles away to the southwest. That night while eating at Ma’s, Caitlin sees the shift of the mineworkers eating. A couple of them have minor injuries. She can smell the blood and it carries a faint biogenetic taint.

***

Thursday, June 17, 2027

Caitlin and Jose go down to the town hall and apply for jobs with the company. Jose is immediately offered a job as an apprentice miner at 10 eb an hour, which he proudly announces to Caitlin as he walks by. He is sent to the clinic for a checkup as Caitlin is interviewed. She is offered a forklift operators job at 12 eb an hour. When she joins back up with Jose she smiles sweetly and says, “I’m getting 12 eb an hour”.

Jose is then called into see the doctor, who examines him and quickly notices his ‘condition’.

“You’re a cyborg,” observes the doctor.

“Yes,” replies Jose, “Is that bad?”

“No, in fact, you could get a job on the security force if you liked. Go back and tell the office. Security makes 15 eb per hour, I believe.”

Jose goes back to the clinic front desk to get his paperwork straight, and Caitlin walks in for her check-up. It is a non-invasive check, which she passes. The doctor then says he has to give her a radiation resistance booster, which the company insists on due to the higher than normal background radiation in the area. The shot immediately puts Caitlin into anaphylactic shock. The clinic sounds a code blue and everyone starts to run. Jose knows that Caitlin is the only patient and this is about her. Then a door bursts open and a Dr. Kimura comes running in response to the call. There he is his target, and is running right into Jose’s arms. As tempted as he is to kill him right then and there, he lets the doctor run by because the man is answering the code blue. Jose follows the doctor over the nurse’s objections. Doctor Kimura looks at Caitlin seizing and knows exactly what the problem is. He gives her another shot and she comes out of shock.

Caitlin looks up from the clinic bed and there above her stands ‘Uncle’ or one of his other clones more likely. The doctor looks down at her and smiles as he said, “Well, it looks like one of our wayward daughters has found us.”

Caitlin looks at him warily.

“Let me see. I bet you are a Caitlin, but what are you doing here?” the doctor queries.

New story time, or was it? Maybe just make the old one more believable. “Haven’t you been watching TV? The world has gotten to be a more dangerous place for me recently. I need a place to hide,” is her response.

“Very true, well, look, we are doing a lot of work on coma patients here.” The doctor then goes on a long monologue of how they have collected people from all over the country who are in comas (and wouldn’t be missed). They experiment on them to try to bring them out of their condition.

Caitlin listens enthusiastically as the doctor watches her for any hints of revulsion about his work. There is none to be seen as Caitlin has no problem with his work. This makes Dr. Kimura feel more confident. “I can get you on the security team if you would like. Also, I have certain jobs that need to be done from time to time that could use your special touch. Would you be interested?”

Caitlin immediately says yes, and the two are hired on the spot. They will start tomorrow with orientation. Dr. Kimura says Caitlin will need one to two treatments to counteract the ‘radiation’ booster, which is no such thing. It is a DNA treatment that alters human DNA to make them stronger, quicker etc. It uses the same protein strand that was used to make her and the Super Solos. That is what she smelled at Ma’s the night before.

Caitlin and Jose get their housing request (the house they had looked at), the company car and buy some furniture and stuff for the new place. The two contact Doyle and ask if they should wait on the hit, since they now are getting in with a high security clearance, which will allow a complete deep cover penetration of the project here. Doyle passes the request along.

Wylie and Frankie find the town’s company website and see that they are accepting workers. He asks Doyle if he should volunteer to get another person in town. Doyle says yeah, whatever, in the midst of partying in Las Vegas.

***

Friday, June 18, 2027

After a stop for another treatment by Dr. Kimura, Caitlin and Jose go to work. The silver mine there is functioning, but it is also a cover for a large medical facility that deals with coma patients among other things. The defenders are in several layers and the electronic defenses are large and formidable. There are also 6 Militech Commando ACPAs in the defense force. It is an eye-opening day.

That night Doyle gets an answer from the Collective. They can investigate all they want just as long as the target doesn’t escape. Perhaps it is the booze or the partying, but he passes on the message to Caitlin as ‘proceed as planned’. OK, Dr. Kimura (this one anyway) will have to die.

***

Saturday, June 19, 2027

Wylie is signed up and ready to leave for Williams, NV. He says good-bye to Doyle, who now realizes he means to go himself, and cancels Wylie’s plan. The Nomad feels she doesn’t need help. Wylie is not happy.

Caitlin and Jose work their first shift. They get back to town, pack up any identifying evidence up and ‘clean’ the house. Jose then drives Caitlin for her (hopefully) last appointment with the doctor. The doctor gives her a new blood test and she waits for the results, which give her a clean bill of health. Then Dr. Kimura starts to discuss the true purpose of his work here. He has almost conquered death. That stops Caitlin cold. The scientist begins to wax poetic about his vision of a world without old age and death. Little does he know he is talking his way out of a death sentence. This Dr. Kimura tells Caitlin about the Super Solos and the fact that they were very long lived. Caitlin confides in the Doctor that she is looking to be able to live a bit longer. This Dr. Kimura says that the one she calls ‘Uncle’ might be able to help. After all she and her brothers and sisters were made short lived so if they ever gave their owners any trouble, they wouldn’t live long enough to be much of a problem.

Well, that knocked Caitlin out of her reverie and she snaps the doctor’s neck on the spot. She can see the last question in his eye, which was “why?”
She just mouths the word ‘sorry” as his light fades out. Caitlin takes out a large scalpel, cuts the doctor’s head off and puts it in a bag. She then fits her silencers on her 12mm handguns, and takes a breath. She calmly walks the length of the clinic killing everyone there. Outside, she gets in the truck with Jose and the two drive to Las Vegas. They will be pulling into that city as the murders are being discovered.

Caitlin delivers the doctor’s head to Mr. Smith. She tells her boss that things need to change on the Team. Smith is obviously personally very brave, but not suited to work with humans. Doyle is a wonderful human being, but he isn’t a world-class covert team leader. She, on the other hand, is a 13 million euro operative trained since birth to this type of work. She wants to lead the Team. With the enormous pressure building on the Super Solos, Mr. Smith calls the Collective for a decision.

 

Episode 9 – The Biogenetic Crisis Worsens

Sunday, June 20, 2027

Opium informs Caitlin that her lawyer have arranged and written up her release to make her a free biogen, but warns her that now the government can just put her in a detention camp rather than just live in Night City with an ankle bracelet. Caitlin believes that she will eventually just be terminated by government order anyway. Well, that is if the Catholic Church doesn’t locate her transmission frequency on the bracelet and send assassins to kill her. Caitlin has the money for citizenship on the Galileo Cylinder for both herself and her brother Wylie. She would rather die a free citizen of the cylinder that a slave owned by Opium no matter how pleasant and comfortable her life has been. As the Yeti had told her: “….when you wake up in the morning, you’re still a slave.”

Mr. Smith listens to this and said there is perhaps something the Collective could do to help. He wants to know what Caitlin and Wylie’s plan is. They want to get citizenship as quickly as possible, but before that they will record a series of pro biogenetic speeches to release over the next few months. Opium has some suggestions on what they might say. Then, as soon as the public announcement is made about their citizenship, which will make their murders a crime in all jurisdictions that have treaty recognition with the Galileo Cylinder, the two will get plastic surgery and assume new identities to continue to hunt down Dr. Kimura and his Baal Project clones.

Mr. Smith says he would look into how the Collective can help and tells them to start recording their speeches.

***

Monday, June 21, 2027

The Nietzscheans have several hundred citizens already on the Galileo Cylinder who live there with their presence unannounced. They make up a good portion of the military and hold a lot of important scientific positions. Antonia, a second generation Nietzschean, is Deputy Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs (the Pac Rim). Through her Mr. Smith is able to arrange a citizenship ceremony at the Galilean Embassy in Washington, DC. Since Caitlin already has a permanent residency in New York City, and which is good for foreign nationals and out of state residents (this was a holdover from New York City’s anger at being cut adrift), she can go to Washington and NOT need a Visa after the ceremony. They might change the law immediately after this becomes public, but then her entry into the United States will still have been legal. This will force the United States to take a position that might violate their international treaty obligations. Of course the downside is that by becoming a symbol of biogenetic liberation, the both of them will become priority targets for a lot of agencies. (So this wouldn’t be the smartest move, but it was certainly very ‘cyberpunk’.)

In addition to this the Collective will give Caitlin command of the Team under Mr. Smith for the San Diego operation. That is if she survives this next move.

***

Tuesday, June 22, 2027

Caitlin and Wylie are smuggled into the Galilean Embassy in Washington for a secret citizenship ceremony. The announcement will be made after the two have been spirited out of Washington and sent to a Collective base to have their faces altered and pick up their new identities. Opium’s lawyer will inform the two Night City police officers who have the bracelet for Caitlin of the change in the cat’s status just a half hour before the public announcement so they wouldn’t feel too blindsided by the whole thing. The Night City Police are furious.

***

Wednesday, June 23 thru Monday, June 28, 2027

In this time period the Bio-gens, Caitlin and Wylie receive their face and ID changes, and others attend to personal business. Wylie uses some of this time to write up a VR program of a beach cottage on a tropical island to serve as a virtual meeting place for the Team.

***

Tuesday, June 29, 2027

Doyle and his entourage move into their mansion in the hills overlooking downtown San Diego. This group now consists of Doyle, Thor (Opium), his new bodyguard, Cid, Dr. Nis, Dr. Shamal and Frankie.

Caitlin, Wylie and Jose, with their new identifications, move to the La Presa neighborhood of San Diego to start a ‘business’ and form the second Team. The three buy a closed garage with three repair bays and office with a living space above attached to the work area. Caitlin’s new name is Fiona Ryan Hernandez. Jose is now Carlos Hernandez, her husband. Wylie takes the name Sean Ryan, Fiona’s brother. The three go out and buy furniture for their new home.

***

Wednesday, June 30, 2027

The United States and the European Union impose a trade embargo on the Galileo Cylinder. This is in direct reaction to the Galileo Cylinder granting both Caitlin and Wylie citizenship. It is also discovered that the Raffen Shiv have sent a racing team to San Diego to complete in the races scheduled there.

As the three work on getting their place set up in La Presa, Leslie, a member of the local gang, the Bulldogs, visits them. The Bulldogs are a national gang and this is one of their chapters. The gang is known as a violent street gang that protects its turf with vicious abandon. The three are offered provisional membership in the gang. No business is allowed to operate in the area that is not controlled by the gang. The three accept this offer. They are referred to ‘Joe’s Shop’ a couple of blocks away, where they can acquire gang paraphernalia.

***

Thursday, July 1, 2027

Doyle and his team go to the track and prepare for the race. Caitlin gets Wylie a handgun chip for the Atari teacher system. The La Presa Three also buy themselves some Bulldog gang gear and get to know the neighbors.

***

Friday, July 2 & Saturday, July 3, 2027

The LaPresa Three work on getting the garage in order and Caitlin works on some of her programs. Doyle and his crew get ready for a Charity Race on Sunday.

***

Sunday, July 4, 2027

There is a public vehicle action on Thursday, July 8 and a government vehicle action on Friday, July 9.

Charity Race Day: Doyle wins the charity race and his perennial rival, Slice, doesn’t do very well. There is a young female driver, Ava Greene, who is new to the pro circuit and does very well driving for the German Edelbrock Team. The chief engineer of the Edelbrock Team takes a greater than normal interest in Doyle’s bike. This older gentleman is approached by Frankie who tries to engage him in conversation, but is brusquely rebuffed.

At the party following the race, Ava Greene approaches Cid and inquires about getting a custom made dress for the party next week following the big race. Cid isn’t sure if this is an actual offer or just an excuse to seduce him. He decides to play it straight, and arranges to meet her for a fitting.

***

Monday, July 5, 2027

The Team has a NET meeting in the new virtual meeting place. It is decided that Dr. Shamal will collate the chemical invoices from the previous raids against the chemicals and materials needed for biogenetic research against shipping manifests to the San Diego area to look for possible locations for the San Diego, Dr. Kimura. Dr. Nis will check faculty of the local colleges for anyone involved in biogenetic research. Frankie and Wylie will research all ex-government/military facilities that have been sold recently in the area. It is also decided to look into Ava Greene’s background.

It is discovered that Adolph Schmidt funded the research going on at the facility in Williams, Nevada. This man has also put a bounty on Caitlin and Jose for 5,000,000 eb. Also there is a bounty of 1,000,000 eb on Wylie. Whether this is dead or alive is unknown at this point.

***

Tuesday, July 6, 2027

Dr. Nis reports that Adolph Schmidt donated the neurology wing of San Diego General Hospital. Also, Dr. Nis buys the best detection equipment available and finds that the shielding protecting his compartments in his cyberlegs, where he hides some explosives, are no longer effective. He begins to rebuild the shielding to avoid detection.

Cid goes to the hotel of Ava Greene and still isn’t sure whether she is hitting on him. In the end he decides she is not and just does the measurements. They do, however, have a pleasant time together.

***

Wednesday, July 7, 2027

An orbital shuttle from the Galileo Cylinder crashes off the coast of Virginia and destroys a multi-million euro wind (electrical) generating facility plunging the mid-Atlantic states into a blackout. The trajectory of the craft sends it flying over Washington, DC on its way down. Some feel that perhaps the Galileo Cylinder is sending the United States a message about settling the trade embargo.

***

Thursday, July 8, 2027

World News Service feed

Russia Offers Bio-gens Citizenship

In a surprise move Russia today offered a safe haven for Bio-gens and a promise of citizenship after ten years of state service. Both, the EU, the United States and many of the world’s religious leaders have condemned this action.
Well, this was sort of good news. It was apparent that Russia, who is years behind in the bio-genetic field, thought it would be much easier to attract some completed research than spend the rubles to catch up. Also, a biogenetic assassin would always prove useful in your employ! Caitlin and Wylie talk it over but the time is not right for a move like that.

Jose, Wylie and Caitlin finish outfitting outbuilding with metal (gunsmithing) shop and a hidden cache in main building basement.

It is discovered that Adolph Schmidt has recently bought two former government properties in the San Diego area. The first is a former National Guard airbase. The second is an office building that is located in the fifteen-block target area of downtown. That building is now rented to BioWorks.

Also, it seems that Ava was a talented amateur driver that was almost killed in an accident a few years back. She was left crippled, but made a ‘miraculous’ recovery at some ‘Scandinavian’ clinic. She is now completely recovered and perhaps more dexterous than before.

***

Friday, July 9, 2027

Jose, Wylie and Caitlin go to government vehicle auction and buy a pickup truck, a City Car and a Toyo-Chevy sedan. Caitlin works on her programs.

Cid goes to do final fitting with Ava.

***

Saturday, July 10, 2027

Race Day!!! Ava and Doyle continue to flirt about who will see whose backside at the finish line. It is all friendly and playful talk. Everyone attends the race, which is close and exciting. Slice continues to have an off day but still does OK, but it is obvious that he is off his game. Ava, Doyle and the Raffen Shiv driver are among the leaders. Towards the end of the race, the Raffen Shiv driver tries to ‘dirt bag’ Ava and send her into the wall. She pulls an amazing counter move and it is the Raffen Shiv driver who ends up dying in a fireball as his bike hits the wall. This gives Doyle the opportunity he needs and Ava is never able to make up the time. She does come in second only
a few feet behind Doyle.

The Edelbrock bike causes quite a stir. The officials examine the engine and it is unlike any engine in existence. It is at least a generation ahead of the most advanced experimental engine to date. Much to the chief mechanics annoyance (who is also Ava’s father) the bike is opened and the new engine thoroughly examined. At the party following the race, Doyle and Ava hook up. Both are two achingly beautiful and appear made for each other.

***

Sunday, July 11, 2027

Frankie’s research comes up with a company named Schmidt Genetics, which has offices in San Diego, Anchorage and Salt Lake City. It is not lost on the bio-gens that the Free States which two of those cities are have ordered the shooting of all bio-gens on sight. Caitlin feels those laws were aimed specifically at her.

Frankie also finds a link in her research that said basically: If you want to know about Adolph Schmidt, follow this link. Frankie feels this might be a trap so she gets Caitlin to go with her in the NET. The link turns out to be an anti-Schmidt website filled with unsubstantiated claims and innuendos about the man’s misdeeds. There is also a claim that he was involved in illegal cloning experiments. The proof of that is a grainy photograph of Adolph Schmidt talking with three ‘Dr. Kimuras’. While the two are examining the site another runner appears. Frankie panics and attacks him. The other runner runs a program and Frankie is tossed from the NET.

Caitlin did not attack so she isn’t attacked in return. This new runner is some kind of site administrator, and is adding something to the site. Caitlin asks him how he got rid of Frankie and he just smiles and says, “Sometimes they build a city on top of another one.” Then he disappears.

 

Caitlin doesn’t understand what he means, but she always has found humans confusing. She does look at the new posting. It is about her, and is kind of positive about her situation. This is the first kind thing a human has said about her since the crisis began. She locates the site at the University of Phoenix mainframe.

***

Monday, July 12, 2027
World News Service feed

Space Embargo Ended

The United States of America, the EU and the Galileo Cylinder signed an accord today ending the embargo. The Galileans agreed to stamp all passports of Bio-gens identifying them as such. The United States and the EU then banned all Galilean bio-gens from entering their territories. The United States also filed a writ in the Galilean courts demanding the extradition of Caitlin and Jose for the various murder charges filed on them in Nevada if they should flee to the cylinder.
Well, sort of good news. Caitlin smiles when she reads the news. On the upside at least now bio-gens are recognized as having some rights above a common animal. The downside is, of course, that she and Jose can no longer flee to the Galileo Cylinder without igniting another political crisis. There would probably be no crisis though. Both of them would be just extradited back to the United States, and Caitlin would most likely be ‘spaced’ on the trip back.

After that pronouncement, the Galileo Cylinder announces they have granted six bio-gens citizenship. These are Caitlin’s clones that had been manufactured by Biotechnica. The company smuggled them into space. It seems that mega corp took exception to the new EU regulations that had now put their latest corporate plans on the trash heap. Well, the EU then arrests the president and CEO of the corporation. The Union didn’t take well to him thumbing his nose at them. They intend to imprison him as an example.

 

Wylie and Caitlin find the public security cameras that watch all the entrances and exits of the BioWorks building in San Diego. They decide to tap the feed (but not interfere with it) and record the comings and goings of the people there. They will then run facial recognition software and see if a Dr. Kimura is there.

At 11 pm that night they hold another NET meeting where the results of more information searches are revealed. It seems there is a Schmidt Chemical Company with facilities in Berlin and Dallas, TX. There is also a Schmidt Corporation, which has a worldwide transportation company based out of Melbourne, Australia. The Team recognizes the logo. It was the one that the helicopters, which was pulling the equipment out of the Outback laboratory (in Episode 2). The Team had shot down two of those helicopters. There are a few more things to research, but slowly a (very ugly) picture is forming.

***

Tuesday, July 13, 2027

Doyle’s Team prepares to move on to San Francisco and the race there. Many of the primary professional drivers have already headed there for the next big race on the circuit. Frankie gets a facial recognition program that has three programmable targets. A problem arises when she tries to load the images. She can get Dr. Kimura’s image to load, but when she tries to input Adolph Schmidt’s picture, the program wouldn’t run. After purchasing a backup program, Frankie delves into the coding to discover the problem. It seems you can’t load two of the same images. Adolph Schmidt and Dr. Kimura are one in the same person! This is a major discovery.

Wylie and Jose start working on rebuilding the City Car. Caitlin finds and surreptitiously deposits some gear in an anonymous storage space for an emergency. She then works on her programs.

 

Episode 10 – Bye, Bye BioWorks

Wednesday, July 14, 2027

The Team has another NET meeting that Doyle doesn’t attend. He tells Frankie to take notes for him. This is unfortunate since the timing of the racing team’s move to San Francisco is important to future planning. Caitlin announces to the group she wants Doyle’s Team to go to Williams, NV and get a blood sample from one of the workers of the mine there. Frankie will bring that proposed operation to Doyle. It is also decided to set up a similar surveillance that they are doing on the BioWorks building on the Schmidt Genetics building. This Frankie will accomplish. Frankie and Caitlin change the security communications codes.

Doyle goes around to all the neighbors and informs them that he is having a party this Sunday, and they are all invited. Also, if it got to noisy he asks that they call him instead of the police, and he will deal with it.

Back in La Presa, the other three continue their cover lives. Orders for new Gemini, Aquarius, and Alpha bodies are put in through the Collective for Jose under different names.

***

Thursday, July 15, 2027

This day pasts uneventfully as the public cameras that have been hacked are monitored (but not disturbed) at the two buildings they are watching. The La Presa Three continue to build their undercover lives. Doyle rejects the plan to attain a blood sample from a worker in Williams, NV.

Today, the Collective releases the first of Caitlin’s pre-recorded statements on the NET to try to spark a public dialog about the justice of the biogenetic persecution. Their netrunners keep the piece posted around the world, but it takes on a life of its own. This piece is a simple one-camera set up with Caitlin just speaking her mind. She is nervous and a little frightened but tries to hide that fact the best she can. Here is the transcript of what she said.

 

Caitlin’s First Video Blog
“Hello. I think most of you might recognize me. I am Caitlin Jones, the so-called ‘Killer Biogen’. A lot has been said about me and all the things I am supposed to have done. I would like to set the record straight about some of this anyway. You humans will probably not believe me, but I don’t really care. Most of you just believe what the people, who run the world, tell you to believe anyway. I guess it’s more comfortable that way for you than having to actually think for yourselves. I know it is a hard thing to do though: Think for yourself, that is. Take it from someone who was, and maybe still is, actually programmed.

First, right up front. Yes, I was bred, raised and trained to be an assassin. Sounds horrible doesn’t it? I must be a monster, and you must destroy me. Right, what about the Ninja? Oh, yeah, they don’t exist. They are just a legend. Kind of like I was a few weeks back. So let’s put that bullshit aside.

I was made to be an assassin. Ever since I can remember, I have been trained, encouraged and told that what I do is right. It was my function. I was rewarded for my work, praised and made to feel that this was right and good. Now, everyone wants me dead. Funny though, the people that made me are living at home with their wives and families. All the head of BioWorks had to do was appear on video and say, “Hey, we make puppies now! I am a good guy!”

This man approved the project, the training methods and is totally responsible for my creation. That expensive suit he wears was bought with the money he earned making people to kill you. It is soaked in the blood of the people, who have died, and yes, those same people that I have killed. Maybe, I just should have said, “No, I won’t kill anyone.”

 

Well, we wouldn’t be having this conversation today, if that were the case, because Mr. ‘We Make Puppies Now’ would have had me killed. But that is OK I guess, because, according to just about every so-called religious leader in the world, I am just “An abomination in the sight of the Lord.” If that is so, what about the people who are responsible for making me? Oh, wait, I’m sorry, I am asking you to actually think. Silly me!

I have been doing a lot of reading lately. It’s really strange to sit and listen to person after person get up and say what an evil, monstrous thing you are, when all of your life you have been praised for using your skills. But those people don’t say that anymore. They are too busy saving their own asses, and, oh, making puppies for your children.

I am not saying you shouldn’t buy such a present. A gift for your child is a beautiful thing. The good people at BioWorks gave me my first gift. It was a knife. The person in the cage next to me got one too. We were brought into a room together and told: Only one of you can leave alive. Then they closed the door. I would have preferred a puppy.

To say my upbringing was a nightmare doesn’t even come close to reality. In a nightmare, at least you can wake up. Not so for us. So, how do you avoid this ‘nightmare’? You do what you are told. You excel at what you are taught. As with any child, the praise and affection of your ‘parent’, or in this case trainers, for that is as close to a parent as I was allowed, becomes what you live for.

I was sold a couple of months before my second birthday. Going to meet my new master was totally frightening. I didn’t know what to expect. It turned out he was good to me. Well, as long as I did what I was told and killed who I was sent to kill. Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Me just talking like this about killing people. Kind of makes you think I totally deserve to die. So, in a sense, I can understand what all this furor is about. Well, not really. You see, I don’t hear one cry of outrage about the supposed men and women who sat there, planned my creation, my training, and sent me out into the world to kill their own people just to line their pockets with cash. But I am sorry, all is forgiven for them. Hey, they ‘make puppies’ now! I wonder kind of deal they made to avoid execution or prison? What does it matter though? They served up me for you to hate!

I have lived in your world for almost two years now. Well, I did spend some of that time being upgraded and fine-tuned by the good people of BioWorks. I have learned a bit about your world and your cultures in that time. It is not at all what I expected, but I started to feel a real part of it. Some of it was scary and frightening, but a lot of it was very good. I really have trouble understanding a lot that you all take for granted. Like, most of you say you love your fellow humans, but you allow companies to make all these tools whose sole purpose is to kill yourselves. What is even worse is that you make people like me and train us to kill you. All the while you do this you tell me I am doing the right thing. Then when finally someone wakes up from the nightmare you are plunging yourselves into, you say it’s all our fault. Now we have to die, and the real villains, if that is even a term that differentiates you humans from each other goes free; to make puppies!

I am sorry if I beat that point to death, but I am a cat after all. I used to think of myself as kind of human. Now with what I have seen in the past few weeks, I am a little ashamed that I ever considered myself so.

Do I scare you people out there? I will let you in on a little secret. You all scare me more than anything in the whole world. Does that surprise you? That you all frighten me? I have a surprise for you. I think, I feel, I have regrets, and boy, I have had a lot of those lately. But I have also learned love. Jose Thomas has taught me that. I know he doesn’t have the best reputation in the world, but reputations aren’t fact. He has accepted me for what I am. He cares for me when doing so gives him no advantage. In fact, it has probably destroyed his life also. Yet, he has done this for me. He has taught me about caring for someone and for that I am eternally grateful.

Now, for you cynics out there, I am talking about love not sex. I first learned about sex from being drugged, tied down and gang raped in a laboratory at BioWorks. Well, actually since most of you don’t consider me a person, I guess maybe rape is not the right word. At least they should be held accountable for committing bestiality.

This is all bullshit anyway; you humans hardly care for each other as a species anyway. Why should you care about me or those like me? After all, I am some kind of demonic abomination according to your holy rollers. Well, at least I have brought a number of divergent religions together on an issue. I have thought a lot about that of late. I thought your God is all-powerful and loving. You say he is the source of all life and everything. In your Bible, only he has the power to create life. You humans are the Children of God. So what does that make me and those like me? I guess we are the Children of Man. We shouldn’t expect that you would treat us any better than your father treated you. He did throw you out of the Garden of Eden. Be happy, he didn’t turn around and just kill you like you are doing to your children. Hum… Does this make us the Grandchildren of your God? Like it or not we are living beings. The divine spark glows in us too. I do not think an all-powerful God would let that spark be passed unless it was his will. {LOL} I wonder how long it will take those religious leaders of yours to denounce this idea. Anyway, do you really think that the question here is that simple? Do you people out there think you actually know what is really going on here? This is all part of a great piece of stage magic. I, and people like me, are just part of the illusion. Like any great magician you do your trick by misdirecting the audience, you, into watching what the magician wants you to look at, me and the rest of the biogas, while you are fooled, amused and entertained. Oh, yes, and you pay for this entertainment one way or another. Who is this magician you ask? And remember, despite how I appear to you, you are asking a three year old. The answer is simple, I don’t know. I am getting close though. When I figure it out, I’ll tell you. You don’t have to believe me, in fact, you probably won’t, but at least when you face your God for your sins, ‘I didn’t know’ will just be a lie and send you straight to hell!

If I sound angry and bitter, it is because I am. Try living up to everyone’s expectations (and failure here means death), succeeding, then be told that, no, sorry, you are some kind of monster, who must be destroyed. Funny, how recently certain people are trying to make that happen as quickly as possible. A Priority One Death Warrant on me pretty much guarantees that anything I know won’t be coming up at a messy trial. Wonderful film of me supposedly killing those people in Williams, Nevada. Have any of you given that any thought? If I am supposed to be some kind of super assassin, why would I leave the cameras running to record my crimes? Why would I leave my face exposed to be seen? Why didn’t the people watching the camera report it? If they had, I would never have gotten away. Oh, and I don’t make mistakes like that. If I did, I wouldn’t be the super assassin they say I am. So, guess what? The film is a fake.

Now, if that is so, someone fooled four AIs and a human judge, reprogrammed/bought them off, or maybe just controlled someone who could get that tainted evidence accepted. If they can do that to me, then they can do it to you, and probably will.

This I think also answers a question that many of you might have: Caitlin, why don’t you turn yourself in and get this all straightened out? Get real; I would be dead before the officer filing out the report on my surrender finished that document. So, no, I don’t trust most of you humans about now.

So here we are. I am running for my life for the crime of ‘being born’. The leaders of the world’s great monotheistic religions that claim to represent an all-loving and forgiving God are screaming for my death. Certain governments have made it legal to just gun anyone like me down like a Jew in old Nazi Germany. Think about that when you feel that your life is hard.

I do have a plan however. I can’t tell you what it is, except that it doesn’t include any kind of worldwide Armageddon. You can all sleep well on that issue. Jeez, I am only three and a half years old. It’s not like I am a real danger to you all. Booster gangs kill more people in one night than I’ve killed in my entire life. But there is one person, who does need to worry. And he knows who he is.”

***

Friday, July 16, 2027

The City Car is finished being repaired and is put on sale. The La Presa Three start working on the pickup truck. Caitlin buys two Armalite 44s at local gun shop and gets some extra clips and a double shoulder speed holster. That night 7 Crips kill 5 Bulldogs in a firefight at the edge of Bulldogs’ territory.

Frankie notices that the public cameras that the Team is monitoring that watches the BioWorks Building are looped from about 7 pm till about 11 pm that night.

***

Saturday, July 17, 2027

Caitlin receives a message from Frankie that just reads “Fuck!” Doyle and Dr. Nis go out and recruit local band to play at party tomorrow. The La Presa Three go to the Salsa dance hall for evening, but notice that most male Bulldog gang members aren’t there. They are out battling the Crips.

Frankie notices that all the cars are still in the BioWorks corporate parking lot in San Diego. No one has left since Friday.

***

Sunday, July 18, 2027

Doyle’s party is a huge success. There is one incident though. They notice three people, who appear ‘out of place’. They confront the three (two girls and a guy) and it turns out that they are just race fans that drove by, saw the party and risked crashing it. They offer to leave, but Doyle says they can stay, if they behave themselves. As he walks away, Dr. Nis walks up and puts his arms around the two women and asks, “Would you like to see Doyle’s house?”

Now Dr. Nis is an older ‘gentleman’ with all the charm and warmth of a rusty, blood-spattered chainsaw. The girls agree, mostly in fear of their lives, and the guy is told to wait outside. Well, nothing happens as Dr. Nis just enjoys scaring the crap out of them. His words are polite, but his attitude (and total lack of Empathy, which is 1) makes the girls think the worst. The three party crashers leave immediately after the ‘tour’.

***

Monday, July 19, 2027

Frankie is watching the public security cameras at the BioWorks Building and still none of the cars have left. She watches a police car arrive. The officer gets out and checks the door. Then the officer goes around to the parking lot, and comes back and checks the door again. The officer then goes and checks out the parking lot. When the officer does the same thing again, she realizes that the camera has been looped, so she enters the NET to unloop it. While in the NET she sees three more police cars appear and the officers check out the abandoned police unit and the outside of the building. Frankie then starts to move the camera, which she is sure the police are now monitoring and writes ‘You suck!’ in the video field. This is to alert the police that something is amiss.

Well, a Netwatch weasel drops his invisibility and freezes her with a Glue programs. All hell breaks loose as an A.I. appears and starts engaging in NET combat with the Netwatch goon and his back up. While the battle is taking place, Netwatch is able to run a successful trace program on her. They get her cell number and physical location before she breaks free. All the while the A.I. and Netwatch continue their battle with the A.I., who kills one of the weasels.

Within ten minutes, two policemen are at Doyle’s door to arrest Frankie. The netrunner surrenders to police and is put into custody. Doyle gets his lawyers on this immediately. Frankie refuses to talk without her lawyer present even under threats of murder charges being filed. The police return to Doyle’s for her deck, but Doyle refuses to hand it over without a warrant, which the police acquire. The deck is then surrendered.

It seems that every resident A.I. in a BioWorks office around the world went insane at the exact same time and used its control of the building’s defenses to kill all the employees in the buildings at the time. The police officer sent to investigate this in San Diego was killed. The other officers were alerted when Frankie altered the camera movements and wrote on the screen. The lawyer tells Frankie she has little to worry about. Her movement of the camera is technically against the law, but it was that action that probably saved officers lives. In the NET battle she did not attack any Netwatch personnel. Unfortunately, he tells her that she seems to have acquired some powerful enemies, who want something from her, so they are going to keep her for the full 72 hours allowed without formally charging her. Not only that, but they are going to house her in the county jail.

The police take her too late to be processed with a Monday arrival date, so she cannot be released until Friday morning at the earliest. The put her in a cell, and soon she meets her new cellmate. She is a feisty, little black gang member, who is angry and belligerent that she has to share her cell with a white girl. When the outraged ganger threatens to kill her, Frankie connects with a knockout punch, and lays her out. Well, Frankie is sent right to solitary.

***

Tuesday, July 20, 2027

Frankie misses her next NET meeting with Caitlin. At the county jail the warden comes to visit Frankie and tells her that she is scheduled to be released on Friday so she better stop being so disruptive unless she wants to stay longer. He also informs her that a LawDiv agent is here to see her. Frankie says she doesn’t want to talk to the agent, and wants to stay in solitary confinement for the rest of her stay her. The warden smiles and says, no, he has been instructed to put her in the general population. The girl is then brought out to the yard.

As Frankie walks around the yard, the hostility of the black prison gang that her former roommate was a member of is obvious. It also seems that none of the white prisoners will have anything to do with her either. Soon, two guards appear and come up to her. They announce loudly that it is time for her meeting with LawDiv, and take her away. Ouch! Now she is not only a troublemaker, but is being labeled as a snitch.

This first meeting is brief. Frankie says she has only one word for the agent and it is on this imaginary card, which she pantomimes holding. The word on the card is ‘lawyer’. The agent says that’s OK she doesn’t have to talk. She only has to listen. It seems she never erased anything off her deck. They have a record of all her searches and her notes from all the Team’s NET meetings that Doyle asked her to keep. Fortunately, Frankie used code on all the names, but it is pretty clear whom she is talking about (Terminator, Speed Racer etc.). The mission to get a blood sample from an employee of the mines in Williams, NV, and test it for the protein strand in the genetic code was there. Frankie just holds up her ‘card’.

The agent then goes on to speculate why she is doing research on military bases and government property in the San Diego area, and her interest in the movement of shipments of restricted chemicals in and out of the area. Also, he wants to know her interest in Adolph Schmidt. If she doesn’t want to explain her interest in these things, he feels that this is then a national security matter. Due to her group’s relationship with Mr. Chen, who is now considered an agent of a foreign power, he will have to turn this over to the C.I.A. Frankie just continues to hold up her ‘card’. The agent sends her back to her cell.

When she gets there she now had a white cell mate. Frankie tries to be a little bit more social. Her new cellmate tells her that the word is she will probably not live long enough to be released on Friday. Then she off handedly comments that Frankie should probably get in a few more fights to spend the rest of her time in solitary. The netrunner thinks that is probably a good idea and punches the advice giver. Frankie beats the girl down and is thrown back in solitary. The cellmate is sent to the hospital. I say hospital because she is an undercover police officer conducting an illegal interrogation. The plan was to have Frankie get in more fights with other prisoners so they could hold her longer.

***

Wednesday, July 21, 2027

At the jail, Frankie has another LawDiv visitor. It is Agent Anderson, who is the clone of James (NotEdward) Stiles. She doesn’t realize who he is until a few days later. He advises her not to act stupidly, and tells her he has arranged for her to stay in solitary confinement for the rest of her stay in the county jail.

Wylie buys himself an Armalite 44, some extra clips and some AP ammo. The La Presa Three finish their escape tunnel except for breaking the last wall down leading to the sewer. That is rigged so only one person will be needed to break (or blow) through the wall. Caitlin gets a new ‘Shadow Deck’ and NET account to replace what she believes to be the compromised one. This is true. The authorities have the IP address but not the physical location. They are waiting in force in the NET for Caitlin to turn it on.

***

Thursday, July 22, 2027

Caitlin takes down old deck (which she strips for parts), and places new deck with new IP address in a different location. It is still turned on and off by tight beamed microwave relay.

Frankie has a visit from the C.I.A. She holds up her imaginary card again. The agent takes her imaginary card and rips it up. He hands her ‘his’ imaginary card and tells her it says ‘Patriot Act’. He threatens to have her disappeared and put away in a hole so deep that no one will ever find her. Frankie tells him to go ‘pound sand’. The conversation ends with the agent putting an imaginary ‘ticket’ to a life of permanent imprisonment in her pocket and tells her she is never getting out of jail. Frankie doesn’t break.

***

Friday, July 23, 2027

Frankie is released from the county jail that morning and no charges are filed against her. The D.A. didn’t want to try a case for illegal netrunning, which ended up saving the lives of three San Diego policemen. Also, the government’s actions during her imprisonment are not something they want to come out. Also, she is their only connection to Caitlin and they might have a better chance of finding the biogen if Frankie is free. Doyle is there to meet her. Now that they have Frankie back the whole racing team leaves for San Francisco and the next race (and Kimura target). Doyle gives Frankie her new drop box to communicate with Caitlin. Frankie completely checks her deck for bugs and tracers of which there is none. That evening Frankie and Caitlin meet in the NET. The netrunner gets the new IP address for future NET meetings. Caitlin is not happy to find out that no one continued to monitor the cameras at the BioWorks Building or Schmidt Genetics in San Francisco. When she and Frankie review the accumulated footage, it shows Adolph Schmidt himself coming to view the damage at the BioWorks Building. An opportunity to terminate him was missed because those responsible on Doyle’s part of the team decided that they no longer wanted to be bothered watching the monitors. Caitlin is furious.

Caitlin returns to the anti-Schmidt website in Phoenix and looks it over. There is not much more information on him, but it seems her video blog is provoking controversy and discussion. As she checks that and other blogs, it seems for the first time people are starting to question what is going on and some people are posting comments sympathetic to her cause. No major news outlet has picked it up yet, but despite major efforts to quash her message, it is getting out and being heard.

That night back in La Presa, the Crips make their move on the Bulldogs. The Crips have hired mercenaries with heavy weapons and armor to back their assault on the Bulldog’s headquarters. Caitlin, Jose and Wylie contemplate on joining the fray, but they can ill afford to expose their hands as more than just a bunch of auto mechanics. Also, with the firepower the mercs are using they would not come away unscathed. The three can’t afford to be wounded or go to the hospital. They let the Bulldogs fall and the Crips take over the neighborhood.

***

Saturday, July 24, 2027

Doyle and his crew continue on their way to San Francisco.

It is a quiet day in La Presa. The police are nowhere to be seen. The Crips come by and tell the three that they are now in charge and if there is any problem with that, now is the time to leave. No problemo!

***

Sunday, July 25, 2027

It is a quiet day in La Presa. Doyle and his Family reach San Francisco and start to settle in at their new (rented) mansion.

 

Episode 11 – Assassination in San Diego

Monday, July 26, 2027

Doyle orders a complete visual and electronic sweep of the new mansion in San Francisco for any bugs and detection devices. The simple security system at the new place consists of a camera system that is not on the NET. It has cameras on the front gate, the outside of the front door, the front hall and a hidden camera in the trees watching the back yard. Cid has his work equipment delivered to a new workshop in San Francisco.

In San Diego, Wylie does a sweep for remotes around the repair garage. One is found in the wall of the garage, but it is old and unattended. The three check all seams leading to the hidden parts of the garage and make sure that no place exists for grid bugs to enter. Caitlin researches and finds a long-term garage rental in Los Angeles for drifter. The AV-4 rental (through the Collective) is confirmed for Wednesday.

***

Tuesday, July 27, 2027

On Doyle’s instructions, Frankie starts repeating the search parameters that were used in San Diego. She finds four companies involved in genetic research. The first is The Man and the Machine, which uses advanced cybernetic implementation techniques from renowned clinics in Europe. There is a phone number and web address. It is by appointment only. The second is called Nu-U, which specializes in gene therapy. There is a phone number, website and street address. The third is Clear Vision, which is an ophthalmologist using genetic manipulation to fix eye issues. It is located five miles south of San Francisco. The last is the Adam and Eve Fertility Clinic, which allow you to pick the attributes of any children you wish to have.

The netrunner also finds three military facilities that were sold in the past 11 years. The first is a navel facility on the coast that was sold to Sea Bird, the largest mercenary naval force in the world for 120 million euro in 2016. The second is a decommissioned reserve facility that was sold to NorCal. The last is a military training facility that was bought by Schmidt Enterprises. It has been made into the Schmidt Finishing School, which is a military school for troubled boys. It is very expensive and promises to turn your child around or your money back. The students are prepared for careers in corporate security or military service.

Dr. Shamal starts looking up medical programs at the local colleges and universities that have genetic engineering programs and related clinical trials.

Caitlin and Jose rent the garage in Los Angeles for long term and put drifter mobile home there with food, medical supplies and 10K in euro. Wylie does library research and system knowledge checks on the Schmidt Genetics computer in San Diego, but cannot find anything on that. In looking into details about the building he does find that it used to be owned by San Diego General Hospital, which is the hospital that Adolph Schmidt saved and is three blocks from San Diego University. Looking through the pictures of the staff at San Diego General Hospital he finds a Dr. Vincent Yamato, an attending doctor, who looks like a Kimura. The facial recognition confirms his identity. Further research finds that ‘Dr. Yamato’ also teaches at San Diego University. Wylie gets the location of his office, office hours, and his class schedule. There is no address listed. At the hospital he is involved in a clinical trial that will make you ‘faster and stronger’. Caitlin checks the list of previous assignments that Doyle’s team was assigned to. Dr. Nis was supposed to have checked the entire faculty at area colleges back on July 5th, but seems not to have done so or missed it. Nis did learn that the San Diego General Hospital’s neurology wing was donated by Schmidt, but didn’t investigate any further.

***

Wednesday, July 28, 2027

Frankie does more NET research on the area around the Schmidt Finishing School to see if he bought any of the property around the school. She finds that he did buy four other properties. The first is a small office building. The second is a garage. The last two are apartment buildings. That night Doyle, who was wearing a mask (decorative) and his crew head to an Irish bar called Killian’s riding mostly on motorcycles. It is a rough place but does not tolerate any lethal fights. All have a good time. Dr. Nis picks up two hookers, which with his empathy is about the only way he can get a woman, and takes them across the street to a ‘no tell motel’.

The La Presa Three rent an AV-4 in Mexico and deliver supplies to proposed base camp on a mesa in Arizona. They bury supplies there.

***

Thursday, July 29, 2027

Caitlin and Jose come back from Mexico, hook up with Wylie and go to the car auction. There they meet flatbed truck there and buy two wrecked cars to repair. The three then return to the garage in La Presa. Wylie continues his research on Adolph Schmidt. It seems Schmidt’s family was killed in a train accident that many suspect wasn’t an accident. He was one of only three survivors.

Frankie does more research on the Schmidt Finishing School and the use of the buildings that have been bought around the campus. The small office building now housed various administrative offices for the Schmidt Finishing School. The garage now serves as a garage for vehicles from that school. The two apartment houses serve as quarters for teachers and staff from the school. The next new class is due to start in September, but there is to be an open house for the parents of prospective students this weekend. Doyle decides to send Cid to that open house as the grandfather of a troubled child, who is interested in possibly having the child attend. They buy him a chip to suppress his Italian accent, and also a Photo and Film (+3) skill chip.

Doyle’s Team decides to go out that night and Frankie again does some research. She picks a place called “V”. They walk in and find that it is a Vesparo poser bar.

(GM Note: OK, a little explanation is in order here. When we restarted playing Cyberpunk a number of years ago, the first character that Cid had was a solo called Vesparo. He had this incredible knack of getting identified in the press for all sorts of things, but none that he could be legally held accountable for. This led to his meteoric rise in Reputation until he became the most famous member of that Team. There were a lot of jokes while this was going on about him getting a poser gang that followed his exploits. Well, in our Malagay Campaign (Chrome Berets), he finally met his end with a fifty caliber round to the head. He was granted a posthumous Level 10 Reputation and, as a joke, a Night City poser gang. This gang also had other members who played his supposed ‘sidekick’ which was Doyle. The same player, who created Vesparo, actually played a character, which was a member of that gang, in our Grenada Campaign. This character was named Vesposer. Yes, a total loser, but boy was he a riot to watch. Why would such a loser get a job on an Edgerunner team you might ask? Well, we found out afterward that we were hired to fail! We were the “Spies Like Us” team that was sent in to get caught while the real team did the mission. Like that movie, we surprised everyone (including ourselves) and actually pulled it off. The ‘Vesposers’ have been a running joke ever since. Also, the Malagay Campaign was the campaign that Dr. Patrick Nis, who is now with this team, was introduced in.)

Fortunately, Doyle is wearing his mask so he was not recognized. Dr. Nis on the other hand is immediately, hailed, and invited in.   The Team turns around and leaves immediately. Some of the ‘Vesposers’ call out that he was probably just a ‘poser’ anyway. This turns Dr. Nis right around and back in he goes. The rest of the Team heads off and Dr. Nis basks in the adulation of the poser gang, who quickly realize he is the real deal. There is a contest that night as some of the ‘Vesposers’ tell their best (most outrageous) stories. He has a great time.

The rest of them walk around until they saw a bar called the ‘Cantina’. They go in and find out is a Star Wars themed bar. It has an audio-animatronic alien band and small shows through the night. There is even themed graffiti in the bathroom: “Greedo shot first!” Everyone has a fun night.

***

Friday, July 30, 2027

The La Presa Three get ready to run remote surveillance on their target, Dr. Vincent Yamato (a Doctor Kimura clone). They pick up a car dropping him off at his office/classroom building. A large and obviously well trained bodyguard opens the door for him and acts as a human shield for him as he walks the short distance across the sidewalk to the building. In the late afternoon, he leaves by the same exit with his human shield. They are able to follow him back to a three-story apartment building where the car enters the garage before he exits the vehicle. An examination of the house reveals that the roof and windows have been recently been upgraded. The Team can only assume that there are many more recent security improvements. They set to work immediately working on a plan. Caitlin finds a six story building 1500 meters from the door that the good doctor enters to get to his office that was not shielded by his bodyguard. There are no cameras on that roof, but some are covering the approaches to the roof. Getting up to the roof would be no problem for Caitlin but getting away would be the issue. She feels she could jump to the ground and not hurt herself (too much) due to her biogenetic modifications. The problem is that the building takes up the whole (small) block and there is no way to be sure that she might not land on someone as the hit will happen during rush hour. The idea of her landing a spinnerbike up there is dismissed since it would be hard to hide. They decide to run surveillance on the building on Monday and Tuesday to see the foot traffic patterns. The hit will occur on Wednesday. Also, they begin to quietly pull out their equipment from their garage headquarters.

Meanwhile, Doyle’s Team finds out there was going to be a special night of fun and games at the Irish bar, Killian’s, they have come to like. There is going to be an Office Chair Race, Darts and a Wet Tee Shirt contest. Both Dr. Nis and Dr. Shamal enter the Office Chair Race. Nis thinks his cyberlegs will give him and advantage, but pushing backward with a wobbly office chair, which is made wobblier by the amount of alcohol consumed negates any advantage. Surprisingly Dr. Shamal wins the race!

Both Dr. Shamal and Doyle, who is again masked, enter the darts competition. By now Dr. Shamal is totally trashed and manages to put a dart into his own foot! (A major botch) It does maybe a point of impact damage, but he loses. Doyle does very well, but does not come away with top honors. Finally, Frankie and her boyfriend, the nomad, John, show up, and she enters the wet tee shirt contest. While she put on quite the show, again, it is another drunken bimbo that struts (or rather staggers) away with the prize.

While the wet tee shirt contest is underway, the two hookers that Dr. Nis had patronized two nights previous come up to him with a third (even better looking) prostitute and asks if he interested in all three. Nis says sure and all four go back across the street to that ‘No Tell Motel’. This time they ask for the money in advance, which he pays right out. The new ‘prostitute’ then produces her badge and arrests him for solicitation. The officer adds, “Please resist.”

Well, Dr. Nis is not so foolish and she slips on the ion cuffs, which disables his two cyberarms. Outside in the hall is a MaxTac squad that was waiting for him to try to break free. As he exits the building and into the wagon, he sees a lot more MaxTac units. In fact, every on duty San Francisco MaxTac officer is there to deal with him. His reputation as one of the “Butchers of Malagay” has proceeded him. He is brought down to the city jail, where limiters are put on his cyberlimbs and he is placed in a ‘special cell’. He is informed that he will be held 72 hours in the county jail, and that time will start on Monday when the jail will be accepting new inmates. Also, both LawDiv and the C.I.A. want to talk to him. Big surprise there! He turns down a phone call for the present and settles into his cell for the night. The rest of the Team remains ignorant of this development and goes home after the festivities at Killian’s.

***

Saturday, July 31, 2027

In La Presa, Wylie comes up with a good idea. They have two Spinnercoupes. Jose could be flying around near the building where Caitlin will be waiting. When the hit goes down he can swoop on to the roof and pick her up. There is enough building equipment on that roof to shield his brief landing from the bodyguard, who will probably be too busy to notice it anyway. The landing will not attract too much, if any, attention during rush hour. There are no cameras on the roof, so it will not be recorded. The Team moves the hit up to Monday. They continue to quietly pull out their gear from the garage and clean it of any forensic evidence. That night the three go out dancing again. It is a more subdued night. The Crips have replaced the Bulldogs so the neighborhood is still getting to know them.

At the city jail the local senior agent from LawDiv, who is operating with the cooperation of the NorCal authorities, visits Dr. Nis. The agent tells him that he isn’t really interested in him, but rather he is interested in…. (he produces a picture of Caitlin) and him…. (he shows Nis a picture of Jose). Dr. Nis says he has something important to say but he will only talk to an official higher up in the LawDiv chain of command. Nis also requests a lawyer, and an attorney named Goldberg is brought in for him.

The deputy regional director of LawDiv flies down from Seattle to talk to Dr. Nis and attorney Goldberg. Dr. Nis asks the LawDiv man for a good cup of coffee. Well, the deputy director is not amused.  Threats of imprisonment have their affect and Dr. Nis suggests that arresting the ‘La Presa Three’ in San Diego might be the solution to his search.   With this betrayal Dr. Nis buys himself a pass on the soliciting charge.  It is agreed that Dr. Nis will be held for a few more days to make it look like he hasn’t betrayed his Team.  Nis will be transferred to county jail and given a comfortable private cell.
(GM Note: This is all done with the player and the GM going into another room for this discussion.  The rest of the players have no knowledge of it.)

After that meeting, attorney Goldberg calls Doyle and tells him that Dr. Nis claimed he had no knowledge of the present location of Caitlin and Jose. He turns the case over to one of the racer’s high priced lawyers.

Cid, using the alias of Anthony Forenza, goes to the Schmidt Finishing School to participate in the ‘prospective student day’. He is there at 5 am to see the complete school day. He is assigned an instructor, Sergeant Travis, to be his guide. Cid is a little vague on his ‘grandson’s’ problems but otherwise gives a stellar performance of a concerned grandparent looking for a way to straighten out his wayward grandson. A barracks of freshman are woken up first. It is right out of every army/marine ‘boot camp’ movie you have ever seen. Trash cans are smacked together to wake up the sleepy little ‘maggots’. There is lots of screaming and beds being overturned. The upperclassmen are on top of the morning routine and respond with military precision. Cid goes through the day trying to gather as much intelligence as possible. He gets pictures of any staffers who are not pictured in the brochures, and gets a good feel for the campus and its buildings. There are a few off-limits places, but they are characterized as places that are the personal quarters of the staff and such. Cid decides to stay for the whole weekend.

Frankie and her boyfriend John go out to a biker bar that night. They enter, look around and realize that this is not a friendly place, especially for two who did not arrive on motorcycles. They leave quickly.

***

Sunday, August 1, 2027

Cid continues his tour of the Schmidt Finishing School. He talks to an upperclassman and gets to see more of the campus. He finds no sign of a Dr. Kimura clone, but still there are a few places of interest he can’t check out.

Frankie goes out and buys herself a Kundalini Roadworks Dart.

Caitlin, Jose and Wylie continue to work on their plan to kill Dr. Vincent Yamato (the Kimura clone). They block the inside entrance to the escape tunnel, board up access to the secret rooms they have built, and dismantle the explosives that were planted to destroy the building. They also move the Toyo-Chevy sedan to the large spinner garage, and have the Collective arrange the rental of a large panel truck to move the spinnercoupe into the mountains east of San Diego. They double-check the forensic clean up and make sure no evidence is left behind.

***

Monday, August 2, 2027

In the early morning, Caitlin stealthily climbs to the roof of the six-story building with Wylie looping the cameras as she goes. Wylie and Jose then take the panel truck from the spinner garage and drive to a pre-selected hidden spot in the mountains east of San Diego and unload the spinnercoupe and a Bell Minibee. Wylie positions the remote with a telescopic lens over Dr. Vincent Yamato’s home to watch for his leaving. Jose positions himself in the spinnercoupe. They wait.

Right as predicted, Dr. Yamato leaves for work. The hit goes down like clockwork. As the doctor reaches for the door handle and safety, Caitlin turns him off like a switch. Within ten seconds she is off the roof and the two lovers are flying to meet with Wylie. They return the spinnercoupe to its garage (which is not the repair garage), and drop off the panel truck, which they wipe down for forensic evidence. The three returns to the repair garage grab the last of their things and are on the road for San Francisco. The garage will be put on the market again. The reason the real estate person is given is the takeover of the neighborhood by the Crips and their “unreasonable” monetary demands.

(GM Note:  The three missed their next two encounters there. The first was the Crips coming to collect this month’s protection fee. This month the fee would have been different. It seems the leader of this set of the Crips had taken a fancy to Caitlin and was going to make her pay the rent on her back, with him, in her bed, while Jose had to wait downstairs and listen. Of course that would have ended in the deaths of the leader and his three bodyguards. The second would have been a massive raid by LawDiv!)

Dr. Nis is taken to the county jail and put in solitary confinement.

Cid goes to his new workshop in San Francisco. There are two very serious men waiting for him. Cid is well into his fifties and was not always a clothing designer and armorer. In fact, he used to be a member of coterie of assassins in Italy. This is where he attained his sniper training. He is a minor legend among his peers in that group, since he lived to such a ripe old age and successfully retired. A normal retirement in this line of work is usually followed by a funeral. The two ‘serious’ men there are younger members of this group, and they have taken the 6,000,000 eb open contract of Caitlin, Jose and Wylie. The two want his help to collect on it and are willing to cut him in for a full share if he can deliver the three to them. Cid tells the assassins that the three they are seeking have left Doyle’s Team and he has no idea where they went. Cid will keep his ears open though, in case, he hears anything. The two seem to accept his answer. They also informed Cid that another freelance team has targeted him for extraction and interrogation, but these two had found their rivals first and terminated them. Your welcome!

World News Service feed

Utah Reverses Its Laws Concerning Biogens

In a move that surprised the world at large, the Utah legislature changed its ‘shoot on sight’ law concerning biogenic creatures a full one hundred and eighty degrees. Human biogens will now be accepted as full citizens in the State of Utah. They further announced that Federal authorities would have no jurisdiction to apprehend or harass any biogen inside their boarders. It seems the current Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ and Later Day Saints (the Mormons) had been praying on this issue for weeks, and finally had a revelation. It was basically this: “People were created by God and people aspire to be like God. Therefore the creation of life is in the province of humanity.”

Other Christian denominations around the world denounced the decision, but as Mormonism is currently the third largest Christian sect in the world, this decision shook the very foundations of the Christian world.

***

Tuesday, August 3, 2027
World News Service feed

New Zeeland Offers Biogens Citizenship

New Zeeland parliament passed a law today that set up the mechanics for biogens to immigrate to New Zeeland. It ruled that its recently passed Declaration of Sentient Rights made biogens eligible for citizenship. Many nations around the world protested New Zeeland’s action.

*******

Federal Authorities Warn Utah

The Federal government issued a warning to the State of Utah that its new law overstepped its authority. Regardless of the law it warned the state that if Caitlin Jones was found inside their boarders they would take whatever action was necessary to execute the Priority One Death Warrant against her.

*******

The local San Francisco news had a report that a Gemini cyborg named Dr. Aowari, who worked for the Clear Vision in Pleasantville just south of San Francisco, had gone cyberpsycho and killed a number of people at the company before the police incapacitated him. The TV showed his picture and it looked exactly like the Team’s target, a Dr. Kimura clone. Clear Vision was one of the companies that were identified by Frankie as a possible target company.

Jose, Caitlin and Wylie arrived in the San Francisco area and got some motel rooms in Oakland. The three caught up on the news and the two biogens were very happy. Finally, the tide of hatred and bigotry towards their kind was starting to shift. Caitlin dismissed any notion of moving to Utah. Her appearance there would force a serious confrontation with the Federal government, and she did not want to ruin a possible safe haven for other biogens.

Caitlin then checked her drop box again that Agent Anderson, the ‘clone’ LawDiv agent, and she used to communicate. They quickly arranged a meeting in the NET. It seems that he has been following her exploits unofficially and figured out she is after people that looked like Dr. Kimura, who is apparently a clone also. He knows enough that if the government gets a hold of and brain dances this new clone that this could also be bad for himself. He has heard that Dr. Aowari is being held in the Pleasantville police station, but will be transferred to Law Div custody in 72 hours. The Team has until Friday to get him before he goes into the custody of LawDiv.

She thanks him for the information, and says she has one question for him. The fury with which the Feds are trying to hunt her down puzzles her. What has she done to bring such a hunt down on her? Agent Anderson replies that he doesn’t know, but obviously there is some hidden agenda at work here. He will try to find out what he can. She warns him not to endanger himself unnecessarily. Friends are becoming a rare and precious commodity for her.