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Message no. 1
From: matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Policlub idea
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 05:44:53 -0800
I've read Burning Bright, but not Bug City, so if this idea has already
been passed around, please tell.

It's the Cermak Memorial Society, a policlub based on protesting the
treatment the city of Chicago and environs have received by the UCAS.

Currently, its made up entirely of mundanes, to whom the idea of "insect
spirits" seems completely inane (and reeks of conspiracy: what *really*
happened in Chi-Town? The thought that the UCAS is behind some
mutagenic virus 'accidentally' released into Chicago is likely to crop
up, sooner or later.) Presently it seeks to deliver relief goods into
Chicago and
remove "hostages" out; again, it, like most of the public, is blissfully
unaware of the incredible dangers that might involve.

The policlub is founded and funded by John DiGreene, a political hack
from back in Governor Schultz' day. It's a chance for him to gain some
ground in the Seattle political arena; he's also got family in Chicago.

There are only a few other players in the policlub right now; DiGreene's
trying to flesh it out to cover all the demographic bases (he needs
serious help with the NAN and Elves...) The policlub should also help
to
reflect how various other nations feel toward the Chicago incident; I'd
imagine the CAS is chuckling to itself, while formally protesting the
release of a nuclear weapon.

If this has already been touched on, I'll relent and buy the Bug City
sourcebook (if/when I find it....) Otherwise, I'd appreciate a little
boosterism; I'm working on my own plotline touching on it. Comments,
critique and questions certainly welcome.

-Matt
Message no. 2
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Policlub idea
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 22:01:13 +0100
In message <334262D5.2F77@**.netcom.com>, matb <mbreton@**.netcom.com>
writes
>I've read Burning Bright, but not Bug City, so if this idea has already
>been passed around, please tell.
>
>It's the Cermak Memorial Society, a policlub based on protesting the
>treatment the city of Chicago and environs have received by the UCAS.

Hehehehe... as someone running a small, understaffed UCAS intelligence
agency I'd like more enemies :)

>Currently, its made up entirely of mundanes, to whom the idea of "insect
>spirits" seems completely inane (and reeks of conspiracy: what *really*
>happened in Chi-Town? The thought that the UCAS is behind some
>mutagenic virus 'accidentally' released into Chicago is likely to crop
>up, sooner or later.) Presently it seeks to deliver relief goods into
>Chicago and
>remove "hostages" out; again, it, like most of the public, is blissfully
>unaware of the incredible dangers that might involve.

Whoo boy, not to mention one or two of the members' _real_ agenda. A
society of mundanes helping people out of Chicago? YES PLEASE! No pesky
astral checks! Get those good merges out into human society!

Got to bear that angle in mind.

>The policlub should also help
>to
>reflect how various other nations feel toward the Chicago incident; I'd
>imagine the CAS is chuckling to itself, while formally protesting the
>release of a nuclear weapon.

Not hardly. Maybe they're chuckling, but I'd figure CAS would scream
north for help if Aztlan decided it wanted the rest of Austin, say (who
else would help them?). The CZ has tied up a big chunk of the UCAS Army,
and is bleeding some units - SOCOM, for instance - white.

And nuclear weapon? What nuclear weapon? All UCAS warheads are accounted
for. Take it up with Z-O. I assume you have proof...

Unless you want to go in and take readings, how is anyone going to
_prove_ a nuke went off? It was a small one, subkiloton by all reports,
and further weakened by whatever magic was going on in there (got to get
a copy of _Burning Bright_ sometime) so the effects are weird, to say
the least.

>If this has already been touched on, I'll relent and buy the Bug City
>sourcebook (if/when I find it....) Otherwise, I'd appreciate a little
>boosterism; I'm working on my own plotline touching on it. Comments,
>critique and questions certainly welcome.

I'd recommend getting the Bug City book before doing anything that
actually touched Chicago here on S-TK: but I like the concept.


--
There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable and
praiseworthy...

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
Message no. 3
From: matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Policlub idea
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 22:44:24 -0800
> >Currently, its made up entirely of mundanes, to whom the idea of >
>"insect spirits" seems completely inane (and reeks of conspiracy: what >
>*really* happened in Chi-Town? The thought that the UCAS is behind > >some
mutagenic virus 'accidentally' released into Chicago is likely to > >crop up, sooner
or later.) Presently it seeks to deliver relief goods > >into Chicago and remove
"hostages" out; again, it, like most of the > >public, is blissfully
unaware of the incredible dangers that might > >involve.

> Whoo boy, not to mention one or two of the members' _real_ agenda. A
> society of mundanes helping people out of Chicago? YES PLEASE! No pesky
> astral checks! Get those good merges out into human society!
>
> Got to bear that angle in mind.

I'd like to think of the CMS as well-intentioned idiots (grin). Whether
they attract angels from the Universal Brotherhood is to be seen, but
they themselves are completely unaware of the Insect spirit angle.
(Damn mundanes.)

his has the unfortunate effect of tying into that pesky
rec.games.frp.cyber thread, 'How much yen do I get to drown in for
contemplating a Bug City run' (looooosely paraphrased...) The CMS might
*have* to go begging to the Brotherhood, having shallow pockets itself.

> >The policlub should also help
> >to reflect how various other nations feel toward the Chicago incident; >
>I'd imagine the CAS is chuckling to itself, while formally protesting > >the
release of a nuclear weapon.
>
> Not hardly. Maybe they're chuckling, but I'd figure CAS would scream
> north for help if Aztlan decided it wanted the rest of Austin, say (who
> else would help them?). The CZ has tied up a big chunk of the UCAS > Army, and is
bleeding some units - SOCOM, for instance - white.

SOCOM? Could you translate for us civilians?

> And nuclear weapon? What nuclear weapon? All UCAS warheads are > accounted for.
Take it up with Z-O. I assume you have proof...

> Unless you want to go in and take readings, how is anyone going to
> _prove_ a nuke went off? It was a small one, subkiloton by all reports,
> and further weakened by whatever magic was going on in there (got to > get a copy
of _Burning Bright_ sometime) so the effects are weird, to
> say the least.

I thought the 'magical nuke barrier' was just a bar beneath bogus
myself, but (sigh) it's canon. The low level of blast could easily be
explained off (given that there are other sources of radiation behind
nukes -- and, iirc, the blast was at a factory of one sort or another.)

> >If this has already been touched on, I'll relent and buy the Bug City
> >sourcebook (if/when I find it....) Otherwise, I'd appreciate a little
> >boosterism; I'm working on my own plotline touching on it. Comments,
> >critique and questions certainly welcome.
>
> I'd recommend getting the Bug City book before doing anything that
> actually touched Chicago here on S-TK: but I like the concept.

Did manage to find it, at a local Compleat Strategist. Studying up for
a run, will probably have something to air in two weeks.. life is busy.

> --
> There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable and
> praiseworthy...
>
> Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
Message no. 4
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Policlub idea
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 12:40:27 +0100
In message <33474647.7976@**.netcom.com>, matb <mbreton@**.netcom.com>
writes
<I said>
>> Whoo boy, not to mention one or two of the members' _real_ agenda. A
>> society of mundanes helping people out of Chicago? YES PLEASE! No pesky
>> astral checks! Get those good merges out into human society!
>>
>> Got to bear that angle in mind.
>
>I'd like to think of the CMS as well-intentioned idiots (grin). Whether
>they attract angels from the Universal Brotherhood is to be seen, but
>they themselves are completely unaware of the Insect spirit angle.
>(Damn mundanes.)

THe majority would, as you say, be well-intentioned but ill-informed.
Just one or two members who had their own plan and their own agenda.

>his has the unfortunate effect of tying into that pesky
>rec.games.frp.cyber thread, 'How much yen do I get to drown in for
>contemplating a Bug City run' (looooosely paraphrased...) The CMS might
>*have* to go begging to the Brotherhood, having shallow pockets itself.

Not necessarily: much more likely, they have a wealthy benefactor or
two. They might attract some funding from genuine charity and those who
like messing around with the Government, but someone providing funds
gets quite a say in what the operations should be.

>> Not hardly. Maybe they're chuckling, but I'd figure CAS would scream
>> north for help if Aztlan decided it wanted the rest of Austin, say (who
>> else would help them?). The CZ has tied up a big chunk of the UCAS > Army, and
>is bleeding some units - SOCOM, for instance - white.
>
>SOCOM? Could you translate for us civilians?

Special Operations Command. Since there's reference to a fair degree of
SpecFor-type work going on inside the Zone, and they've been doing it
for some time, their casualty rate will be causing problems: losing
experienced and trained operators is bad, bad news.

>> Unless you want to go in and take readings, how is anyone going to
>> _prove_ a nuke went off? It was a small one, subkiloton by all reports,
>> and further weakened by whatever magic was going on in there (got to > get a
>copy of _Burning Bright_ sometime) so the effects are weird, to
>> say the least.
>
>I thought the 'magical nuke barrier' was just a bar beneath bogus
>myself, but (sigh) it's canon. The low level of blast could easily be
>explained off (given that there are other sources of radiation behind
>nukes -- and, iirc, the blast was at a factory of one sort or another.)

Power plant, I thought.

>> I'd recommend getting the Bug City book before doing anything that
>> actually touched Chicago here on S-TK: but I like the concept.
>
>Did manage to find it, at a local Compleat Strategist. Studying up for
>a run, will probably have something to air in two weeks.. life is busy.

Good stuff. I like this idea (but then I would).
--
There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable and
praiseworthy...

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk

Further Reading

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