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>>>>>Welcome to 'Beat; a mostly realtime news-culture-social screamsheet for the public at large. Corporate sponsors need not apply.  I’m DeiterX!  If you already know all of the above, thanks for sticking around.  If you’re new to the Bay Area or new to the 'Beat welcome!<<<<<
- posted by DeiterX

>>>>>Ever since downtown went lockdown, the Imperials and their corp cop lackeys have been trying to flatline the BayPlexBeat crew.  Heat got so bad they took their nodes offshore to avoid having any legal complications that might follow from running on a CFS RTG.  Must be some nugget of truth in the stuff they're saying on here.<<<<<
- posted by StreetKnowledge

>>>>>No comment.<<<<<
- posted by DeiterX

Welcome to BayPlexBeat... hosted on Shadowland's CalFree Node the 'Beat is the San Diego-Oakland-San Francisco metroplex's underground social media rumour mill, source of grade A misinformation, vitriolic comments and mocking memes.  Feel free to post your character's comments, reactions or opinions (IC) in this thread.

For those who like keeping track of a timeline, it is currently prior to the Renraku lockdown in early December 2059...

>>>>>See that drek they're playing on brainwash 104?  What a crock.  The entire downtown core remains a cordoned zone where there is zero tolerance for any sort of dissent.  Military patrols control access to the business districts where Japanese interests are protected and heavily favoured by the state government.  At least elsewhere in the city things loosen up a bit with the Bratva based in Russian Hill, the tongs and triads of Chinatown and biker gangs across the Bay in Orkland are all openly opposed to the current regime.<<<<<
- posted by DeiterX

>>>>>"containing undesirable activity to outlying communities" If KE doesn't have that as a tagline on their next recruitment popup, I'm gonna be sorely disappointed. It would be sure to attract the, ah, right sort of recruits, if ya know what I'm sayin. *wink wink, nudge nudge* <<<<<
- posted by Mr. Trollololo
This message was last edited by the player at 03:22, Wed 05 Feb 2020.

>>>>>Haha! The sad thing is that only Corp suits watch 104. No worries, even with sound bites that bad Ms. Spokeswoman will still be getting her Christmas bonus this year.<<<<<
- posted by MuchaLucha

>>>>>Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for KE's PR Department.  Someone is getting fired<<<<<
- posted by MuchaLucha

---

:: internal memo ::
:: not for public release ::

Knight Errant Commitments:

The field policing division is structured for permanent contractual tasks but is not scaled to deliver surplus capacity for limited duration special events or during crisis situations. At times, the concurrency of these commitments places strain across the division but profit models have illustrated that changes to force scaling or staff levels would not be as cost effective as special duty wage incentives and benefit packages.  In particular front line service delivery (field security and policing) remains the highest product in demand yet the least profitable due to significant training, equipment and salary overhead.

To prevent disruption of service in AAA rated areas within the central business district and human cultural zones, personnel scaling in outlying areas will be reduced.  Reductions will be carefully managed to avoid dropping below contractually obligated service levels.  Where necessary mobile patrols will be curtailed in favour of centrally dispatched response.  This will help ensure we are able to meet the minimum response times required to maintain the security ratings of the contract.

From a legal department perspective, there is minimal risk of litigation.  Pursuant to the terms of the service agreement, policing service obligations are articulated in terms of response times and security ratings, not in terms of force scale.

>>>>>Har-har!  A tusker shows up on the mainstream suit trid circus and they damn near dump in they shorts!  She tellin it like it is and fine lookin too!<<<<<
- posted by Dan.in.Orkland

>>>>>Looks like Kathy-Lee did not get the memo! Marissa's pretty bomber! Doubt she's got a job anymore, but at least she can sleep well knowing she's got more integrity than that whole cast combined. Hopefully one of the little independent Oakland outfits picks her up.<<<<<
- posted by Mr.Trollolo

>>>>Surprized Sato's peeps didn't shut the whole studio down.  We may be seein' if Tak and K-Lee find themselves on a 'vacation' while they sort who's fault that gaffe of a dose of reality was.<<<<
-posted by Candlestick

Getting Around:

GridLink: Almost all of the San Francisco inner 'plex uses self-driving cars, which communicate with and locate each other in peer-to-peer networks. There are several datacenters that perform overall traffic control to optimize travel times and avoid congestion.  All cars must be equipped with autopilots. Cars without autopilots operating in mandatory gridlink zones are illegal. Registration and presence of an autopilot is checked by automated sensors when a vehicle first enters the controlled zone.

>>>>>Of course your ride can be modded to circumvent the autopilot restriction. Most cars with a vehicle rig have some form of spoof.  Just broadcast the correct signal when the autopilot is disabled or broadcast no ID signal at all or transmit an ambulance or security vehicle code.<<<<<
- posted by StreetKnowledge

Oakland-Berkeley has a less developed gridlink network and auto-drive is less rigidly enforced.  Traffic control in the heart of the 'plex has come together more organically.  Many urban communities have closed roads to traffic and are only open to trains, hired cars and pedestrians.

>>>>>Organically being a polite way of saying degraded and dilapidated.  Even in the thriving communities the sprawl has gobbled up the inner city streets.  From South Berkeley – Emeryville – West Oakland – Uptown – Fruitvale the Gridlink is non-existant and it's an urban warren.  Don't even get me started on Orkland/Alameda.<<<<<
- posted by StreetKnowledge

Public transportation: The two primary options are commuter trains and Zipcars.  Local Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains are all operational again but the CalFreeState Rapid Transit Commission and Nobanaga Security have imposed major service restrictions in San Fran from Embarcadero to Millbrae.  The Antioch to Embarcadero line is a heavily secured zone that services outlying corporate suburbs.  Through Berkeley, Oakland and Silicon Valley/San Diego, BART is far less restricted and reaches most parts of the inner ‘plex.

Zipcars are driverless electric vehicles summoned by phone or matrix and run by smartframes on the GridLink. Routes are optimized by datacenters on the NOCAL RTG and real time traffic updates mean it usually only takes a few minutes’ wait until a Zipcar arrives.  In the downtown core, with its parking restrictions and traffic congestion, most road traffic consists of these cars.

State Highways: Outside the 'plex, the CalTrans Toll Roads (CTTR) are state controlled highways and vehicles are not subject to mandatory grid link.  These highways are considered a separate sovereign entity within CalFree and are policed by a highway patrol force called the California Rangers.

>>>>>Chiptruth, guys like me don't normally have a lot of time for law men, but the Rangers are about as stand up a bunch as you can expect.  Sure, they collect some extra 'taxes' to help make up operating expenses, but all things considered, I'd rather a run in with these guys then cop-corps, corp-cops or imperial jarheads.<<<<<
- posted by Burnout

Downtown Culture:

>>>>> Begin Forwarded Message <<<<<
>>>>>I GOT THE JOB! I just received the official offer from Renraku and I don't think I have ever been more excited! My family and I should be moving to the Bayplex in the Spring, and I am in the middle of researching everything about the place. It sounds like we might have the option of a studio in the Renraku Arcology, but I am not a Mandatory Occupant. Any advice from the locals here?<<<<<
- posted by GoWestYoungMan
>>>>> End Forwarded Message <<<<<


>>>>>I guess this poor slot skipped the page on internal security, I've got his profile mocked up if anybody is lookin to pick up his trail. Easy dive, I'd let him go cheap. SIN Included. <<<<<
- posted by ShrimpBoyChow


>>>>>That threads got me rollin Omae. I don't know many wage slaves obviously, but it's like another planet over there. Check this drek out "You'll love it GoWest! The schools are some of the best in the country. Very competitive. If the family has not started learning Japanese yet get them started ASAP. Our local charter has after school options like Kendo, Kanji, Kids Karate and a very cute Home Economics program. My little girl can already make a mean bento box!<<<<<
- posted by O-TownBeatDown

>>>>>Yeah, weird to think it's already been 23 years since the Japs rolled in. Got kids down there goin ta work aint known nothin but the Jap Corps. I used to clean streets downtown, and O-Town's right, it's like another fraggin planet. Kids wearin uniforms, Imp Marines on the walls, got the salrymen bowin and scrapin to head suits all the time. It all must seem pretty slick if yall never leave the Arc...<<<<<
- posted by A1amedaHe1ghts

>>>>>It's the American dream chummer, Nippon style. Downtown is locked up tight, very tight. CorpCops get so bored they just run some people for kicks, even little grandmas to jack up their stats. It would be wise to have all of your "papers" in order if you even go near the place. I'm going to catch hell, but the place is really nice, and clean, and if you are legit, pretty safe overall. It does all feel pretty fragile though, I'll admit, just like an island...which is probably just how the Japano-Corps are used to doing business come to think of it.  <<<<<
- posted by OniO-yoroi

Check Points: The tried and true method of restricting access to sensitive areas, check points in the guise of customs, tolls, weigh compliance and just plain old "randomized" security inspections are a common sight when entering the Downtown region. Most of these check points are permanent facilities, although some are mobile, pulling designated cars off the Gridlink into out of the way pulloffs. The vast majority of the Bayplex checkpoints exist at natural "choke points" like bridges.

One you are "inside" however, they become far more rare.

Aerial Patrols: First deployed on a regular basis to protect commuter trains running "The Gauntlet", Aerial Patrols are a relatively common sight for Downtown locals. That's not to say they are a constant presence, it costs a lot of Cred to launch a VTOL once you factor in the rates for the crew, fuel, mandatory maintenance and training hours.

But, when compared to many cities, close air support is a far more likely obstacle for Runners. Ironically this means that some Runners have come to take advantage of all the air traffic to do their own aerial insertions and exfiltrations. Private luxury VTOL's, DocWagon/CrashCart med flights, secure Corp delivery services all jostle with the gunships and troop shuttles for airspace. They are all expected to be logged in with Flight Following software to prevent collisions, but few have the patience to reference every craft, or the diligence to track down a tail number if things seem hinky.

Panicky Bystanders: It's a sad fact. If your average Orkland resident hears gunshots they are not likely to even blink an eye unless it sounds like it's right down the block. Even then they are likely to just get on with their day, unless they are on the ground floor, in which case they might literally lay low until it's over. They are probably not going to call anybody expect close family or a neighbor, and they are almost definitely not going to get involved.

But Downtown, with some residents having spent their entire lives in air conditioned Arcologies, behind layers of security, filtered air and abundant creature comforts, they are likely to have a much more dramatic reaction to something like gunfire.

Mass panic, curious bystanders with PocSec's out and set to record, or the rare wannabe heroes who have internalized the Corporate Neo-Bushido may charge an armed gunman bare handed because, well, that's what they do in the Trids right?

The point is, down expect the "average" public reaction should things get loud. It's likely a once in a lifetime event for these folks.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:37, Tue 18 Feb 2020.

7 Dec '59

As part of the upcoming Christmas street carnival festivities upstart music-simsense recording studio Apogee is planning a series of concerts featuring their stable of artists.  In Apogee studios, trog rap and elf metal feature heavily so the we can expect that the concerts will have to be hosted by venues outside the human cultural zone.  The studio is marketing this as an event to encourage a spirit of inclusion across the various subcultures of the 'plex.  The buzz surrounding the concerts is growing, with rumours of Apogee's most high profile act, techno-rebellion sensation Freya, taking part.

A video clip embedded in the story shows newly minted media darling Marissa Gregory providing a statement on behalf of the October 25 Alliance “This series of events is exactly the kind of corporate-community cooperation we've been striving for.” the orc says with sincerity, “Apogee is setting the example and working with local artists and businesses to put this together.  We're all very excited about it.”

>>>>>With the Imperial Peace Keeping Force patrolling the downtown core, the 'official' carnival will likely be a snooze-fest anyway.  This sounds like a much better party!<<<<<
- posted by Max

>>>>>Rumour is that the big security outfits won't touch these events.  Some say it's concern that security outside the HCZ is too unreliable to begin with and a botched contract with Apogee would become a PR nightmare.  Others are being a bit more cagey suggesting that this kind of work might make a bad impression with the imperial forces backing the shaky republic.  No one wants to risk being black-balled from big contracts.<<<<<
- posted by Insider Trading

>>>>>Unsurprisingly, KE is not interested in providing event security.  They're already spread to thin out in Oakland.<<<<<
- posted by Unity

>>>>>That sounds like opportunity knocking.<<<<
- posted by Pearlman

Sports In The Bay

One thing to keep in mind while getting around the BayPlex is that we certainly are passionate about our sports teams.  They may have shifted and moved around over the last few decades, but the Bay Area still holds quite a lot for sports fans... and the traffic that comes with it.


Football

The main team in town during the fall and winter is the San Francisco 49ers, who currently are locked in a heated drive to the playoffs with the Seahawks.  The stadium is in Santa Clara on the south end of the Bay, though some of the JapaCorps are in a buzz to try and raze the old Candlestick area to bring the team downtown again.

>>[The traffic is a nightmare on Sundays because of Niners fans trying to find every way they can to avoid the checkpoints so they can make it to tailgate, and just as back on the way back so they can avoid the drunk traps.]<<
-posted by Candlestick

The other NFL team in the region is the Sacramento Chargers.   Having lifted up from San Diego when the Azzies took over, the Chargers settled in Sacramento to avoid splitting revenue with the Juggernauts in LA.  The traffic on I-80 can be a hassle, though they draw more from the other parts of CalFree rather than the core Bay Area residents.

>>[Rumor has it that the Davis family might move the Raiders back from Richmond sometime soon.]<<
-posted by Silver'nBlack

>>[Fat chance.  That rumor's been in the fragging wind every year since they moved to Virginia to begin with.  You'll have to put up with drekhead Niners fans or make the trek to Sacramento like the rest of us.]<<
-posted by Orklander

Baseball

Though football has had a strong presence in the bay area, baseball has always been a true passion for most, especially with the high Japanese presence that has always favored baseball above all other sports.

The main team that makes the heart of the city beat is the San Francisco Giants.  Though they haven't had the best run of luck the last decade or two, Giants fans still pack venerable Renraku Park to cheer for the Orange and Black.  The Giants celebrated their 100th season in San Francisco two years ago, and have maintained one of the best rivalries over the last 175 years with the hated Los Angeles Dodgers.

>>[Trust me, when they talk about rivalry, they mean it.  Even wearing a Dodgers cap will get you a few missing teeth among many die hards.]<<
-posted by Candlestick

One of the few draws in Orkland has been the Oakland Whales.  An expansion team back in the '40s to replace when the Athletics moved up to Portland twenty years before, the Whales have had a tenuous embrace at best, since they haven't left the Coastal cellar for all but two seasons of their entire existence.  The stadium is at least a decent draw, with good drinks and ork food, though the residents of the main city try to ignore the team's existence.

Urban Brawl/Combat Biker

These two sports are often lumped together as they've supplanted the NHL and MLS at tied for #3 in the region.  There's a chance with recent moves that Combat Biker is about to fall t #4 and lower though.

The bigger draw lately though has been the Oakland Terminators, the Urban Brawl team that pulls in fans from just about everyone in Cal Free save for the southern third who have the Bolts to ignore.

>>[The Terminators are awful but fun, often beating the hell out of their opponents more than worrying about scoring.  It's about the only reason they avoid delegation every year though they haven't reached either the World Cup or the Super Brawl in nearly 15 years.  Remind me of the Raiders...]<<
-posted by Silver'nBlack

The Combat Biker team the San Fransisco Knights have been a strong draw as well, though it was an expansion team this year, but with the Oakland Hogs moving to Seattle to replace the Timber Wolves' move to Tacoma last year, but the California Rangers out of Sacramento has been a strong draw for years due to its connection to the police unit of the same name.

>>[Why the hell does Seattle need TWO fragging Combat Biker teams anyway?!]<<
-posted by Silver'nBlack


There are a few other teams like the Golden State Warriors (Moving into downtown to be the San Francisco Cavaliers next year) in the NABA and the San Jose Sharks in the NHL, but those overall have niche attendance compared to the big draws.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:56, Wed 26 Feb 2020.

>>>>>Hey there shadow chummers, here are some quick notes on what to expect run pay outs in the BayPlex shadows.  There are no hard and fast rules in the shadows, but this should help you be able to tell if you are being low-balled (and should ask for more) or if you are being offered top dollar (and should wonder what's the catch).

Noobs and street level toughs should expect base payout between 1000-2500¥
Once you build up some street cred payout will range between 5000-10,000¥
Established runners are pulling in no less than 20,000¥ with significant threat bonus structures.
Top-flight runners start negotiations at around 50,000¥

As a general rule running teams settle for a bulk payout and divide the spoils according to whatever terms they all agree to.

A few things to keep in mind during individual negotiations:
Muscle is cheap, razorboys tend to get lower payouts but expect healthy bonuses if things turn violent.
Specialists like deckers might ask for a bit more.
Riggers might get offered a bit less, especially when they aren't exposed to as many risks.
Adepts might start negotiations at one and a half times more than base listed above.
Full magicians should expect nothing less than double what mundanes would charge.

Lastly, negotiation for payouts might include bonus structures or penalties. Things like quick resolution of the problem and keeping things on the down-low might be discussed to increase the pay-out. Running against the Imperial Army, a AAA megacorp's private army or a cabal of powerful magicians should also include a pretty healthy bonus. Penalties might be imposed after the mission if the runners make the news or bring the heat in and put Mr J or his corporate interests at risk of exposure.<<<<<
     - posted by Blanky

A Difference of Opinion

>>>>>So mah chummers sayin tha KE/Imp things all over a book. I think he's full of drek. We got creds ridin on it now. Who can confirm? I know yer out there<<<<< - posted by 2L3G1T

>>>>>Your both high, it's plain old little man syndrome from the Japs, all these crazy theories are getting ridiculous.<<<<< - posted by TheMollyTrolly

>>>>>Maybe not Molly, this might actually have some truth to it. I've heard this one a few times now. The way it was told to me, they were at some big meeting together and one of the younger Imperial Officers had a hardback copy of Hagakure with him. It's required reading for them, has been since WWII.

Well I guess one of the KE guys, some skullcrusher by the name of Kohler, points out that it was written by some office worker a hundred years after all the "real" Samurai were dead and gone. Basically says it's all made up. Bushido vs Neo-Bushido vs Wartime Propaganda, even the history stuff all came out (Manchuria, Nanking, stuff the Imperial Japanese censor over there).

Well that got ugly, the Imperials were demanding an apology, then a resignation, and then Kohler told them to frag off. It was a huge mess. I guess that was the start. Both sides are doing damage control, but let's just say that the boots on the ground have been driving a little slower to back each other up these days. <<<<< - posted by ItsIt

>>>>>Can confirm your KE guy, K-----, he's a thing. Don't know about any of the other stuff. He's head doorkicker down at the KE Academy. Show's up to teach all the CQB stuff. I'd be careful using the name, just some friendly advice Omae.<<<<< - posted by OniO-yoroi
This message was last edited by the player at 14:56, Thu 12 Mar 2020.