| From: | "Andrew W. Ragland" <RAGLAN54@***.BITNET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Boston |
| Date: | Fri, 18 Jun 1993 05:59:34 -0600 |
?
THE BOSTON SPRAWL
by Stephen Kenson, copyright FASA Corporation 1992
The metroplex of Boston, Hub of the Northeast and the "Silicon Valley" of
the UCAS, is a hotbed of activity for an up and coming shadowrunner. The
city offers a dazzling array of opportunities and a chance to be in on the
cutting edge advances in tech and magic. The city is also the cultural heart of
the UCAS and the cradle of the old United States, with a great number of
locations of interest.
The turning point that really made Boston into the city that it is today
is
the Manhattan earthquake of 2005. After the quake devastated New York
City it became necessary to relocate the East Coast Stock Exchange. New
York's misfortune became Boston's good luck. Moving the ECSE to Boston
transformed the city's faltering economy and industry and transformed it
into an economic center of no small influence. Boston is at the heart of
corporate power in the UCAS, and the corporations virtually own the city
outright.
BOSTON AT A GLANCE
Population: 7,000,000+
Human: 64%
Elf: 10%
Dwarf: 4%
Ork: 19%
Troll: 3%
Other: < 1%
Density in Populated Districts: 500+ per square mile
Per Capita Income: 27,0004
Below Poverty Level: 25%
On Fortune's Active Traders List: 2%
Corporate Affiliation: 59%
Persons of Government Employ: 6%
Means of Commuting to Work:
Air Commuters: 1%
Electric Vehicle: 26%
Internal Combustion Vehicle: 6%
Public Transportation: 48%
On-Site Workers: 18%
Other: 1%
Education:
High School Equivalency: 52%
College Equivalency: 30%
Advanced Studies Certificates: 12%
Felonious Crime Rate (city police statistics): 10 per 1,000 per annum
GEOGRAPHY/CLIMATE
Situated in central New England, Boston has highly variable weather. The
summers are generally very humid and winters are cold and characterized
by heavy, wet snowfalls. Spring and autumn are typically brief, but pleasant.
Most people in the metroplex either ignore the bad weather or make a
hobby of complaining about it.
The city is situated along the coast and the area features rocky,
glacial-
sculpted terrain. The inner areas of the metroplex show some of the heaviest
urban development and renewal of any area in North America. Some parts of
the city are over three hundred years old.
>>>>>[Yeah, and the acid rain is eating away those 300 year old buildings
like
candy. Pretty soon the corps won't have to worry about city ordinances
against tearing down the historical sites, their abuse of nature will do it for
them.]<<<<< - Weatherman <16:55:18/11-8-52>
GOVERNMENT
Boston's government was once known as one of the most liberal in the old
United States. Now it works hand in hand with the corporations. In fact,
some say that the corps own the government, and that's not far from the
truth.
After the New York earthquake of 2005, the East Coast Stock Exchange
had to be moved. Several cities vied for the opportunity and the economic
growth that would come with it. Boston made a number of very attractive
offers of tax breaks and government contracts to the corporations and won
out, but once the corps moved in, the city government found it much harder
to control them than they thought.
Many segments of the Boston government still hold to strong support for
social programs, but the corps have such a stranglehold on the whole
metroplex's economy, as well as paid lackeys in public office, that such
programs generally never get off the ground.
The corporations do their best to maintain the pleasant, liberal and
intellectual facade of the Boston government, but they do so on their own
terms. Boston is a nice, clean, secure place to live; if you're a corporate
employee or dependant. For the SINless, life is pretty much like it is
elsewhere, ignored by the official establishment, they survive in the
shadows as best they can.
ECONOMY
It is rather ironic that the capital of the state once known as
"Taxachusetts" is now one of the most thriving economies in the UCAS.
Boston's growth is due almost entirely to tiertiary industry (information
processing). The New England area has always been resource poor and it's
manufacturing industries moved south well over a century ago.
With the succession of California from the UCAS, Boston became the
nation's center for high-tech development. Numerous companies, based
around centers of learning such as MIT&M, Harvard and Boston University,
moved into the area, making Boston the number one UCAS producer of
computer software.
All of the jobs in Boston are in the information industry or in the
multitude of service industries which support the employees of the
information industry. Several major corporate research projects are nearly
always underway and in need of highly skilled specialists.
CRIME
The foremost criminal activity in Boston is, not suprisingly, industrial
espionage. Competition between corporations is fierce and datasteals,
extractions and sabotage are the order of the day. Boston's shadow life turns
out some very skilled shadowrunners. Given the quality of the corporate
competition, the ones who are around for any length of time have to be good.
There is a joke that says that the corps and the government are the only
organized crime in Boston, and for the most part, it is true. The Mafia is the
strongest presence in the city, but even it's influence is rapidly waning. The
corps refuse to stand for any disruption of their ordered little world and
ruthlessly stamp out any signs of large-scale organized crime.
On the other hand, small scale criminal activity is a booming business in
the city. Street gangs appear by the dozens in the squalor of South Boston
areas and the Seoulpa Rings have made progress where the Yakuza and
Mafia have not in organizing an efficient criminal network which has eluded
the city's efforts to eliminate it. The cellular structure of these
organizations
makes it much more difficult for the police to deal with them effectively.
The street gangs are effectively in control of the Barrens areas such as
South Boston. Dozens of gangs war with each other in the area and the police
stay out of it for the most part. Some gangs are very well organized and try
to maintain order in their neighborhoods, acting as a sort of community
watch. Such gangs are rare, but many are effective.
Policlubs are also becoming a common sight in the metroplex and many of
the them are rumored to the connected to terrorist groups such as Alamos
20,000, Anarchy Inc., and the Knights of the Red Branch.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Boston's law enforcement is entirely in the hands of private contractors
and corporations. Knight Errant Security takes care of the general police
needs of the city, while corporate security forces protect the individual
corporate enclaves and company owned suburbs.
For the most part, security around the corporate and government areas is
high quality, while in other areas of the city it is just enough to keep the
peace. In the South Boston neighborhoods there is barely any effort at all to
keep the gangs under control and they run things as they please.
>>>>>[Sentences for violating corporate law in Boston are harsh, about 150%
of
what might be received in Seattle. Other crimes are generally receive
sentences comparable to those handed down elsewhere.]<<<<< - Legal Eagle
<14:23:20/11-10-52>
TRANSPORTATION
Boston is well connected to the UCAS highway system, allowing access
from the north through New Hampshire, eastern Massachusetts through New
York and south from Rhode Island.
Logan International Airport handles all of the air traffic into and out of
the metroplex. Logan has flights going to and coming from all over the world,
including sub-orbital shuttles and rapid transit spaceplane flights. Security
at the airport is ultra-tight due to terrorist incidents over corporate
executives, European officials, and other figures who tend to attract violent
protests.
Boston Harbor has facilities for the moderate amount of shipping that the
city receives. Boston is not a major shipping port, so the existing facilities
are
more than adequate for the water traffic that does come through, including
ferries to the islands and Cape Cod.
In the city, public transportation is mostly by subway. The "T" system is
about as efficient as most city subway systems (which is to say, not very),
but the corporations try to keep it maintained because so many of their
employees rely on it to get to work.
Boston also has several busing companies providing above-ground public
transport and several air commuter taxis operating out of Logan Airport.
>>>>>[There is an old legend that says there are "lost stations"
for the T,
ones
that were built but the tunnels to them were closed over or
collapsed.]<<<<< -
Cliff <20:34:54/11-14-92>
>>>>>[That's true. A more recent rumor says that not only are the lost
stations
real, but there is something Awakened and unpleasant living down there,
and the city knows about it.]<<<<< - Talon <14:03:34/11-15-52>
>>>>>[More alligators-in-the-sewers stories.]<<<<< - Masque
<23:45:21/11-15-
52>
>>>>>[Oh yeah? Explain the "T slasher" stuff that's been going on
lately,
chummer.]<<<<< - Talon <09:20:27/11-16-52>
ENTERTAINMENT
In addition to its economic importance, Boston is also the cultural heart
of
the UCAS, offering a dazzling array of entertainment options.
In sports, there is the Boston Red Sox (baseball), the Patriots
(football),
the Bruins (ice hockey), the Celtics (basketball), the Rebels (urbanbrawl), and
the Blades (combat biker).
The theater district offers a variety of plays and productions, as well as
the latest trid and simsense theaters. Some very avant garde works are
done.
Back Bay, the theater district and South Boston have a number of bars,
nightclubs and hangouts with live bands, and sometimes other, less savory,
entertainments.
Boston Common and the Esplanade are home to annual outdoor concerts,
plays and other events, including the famous Boston Pops Fourth of July
concert. With fireworks and a fantastic magical illusion show.
MAJOR CORPORATIONS
EUROPEAN BUSINESS MACHINES AND MAGIC
Home Office Location: Geneva, Switzerland
President/CEO: Helena Swinburne
Chief Products/Services: Computer software/hardware, hermetic studies,
Matrix systems.
Subdivision Name: EMB[2], NA Branch
Office Location: Boston, Massachusetts, UCAS
Manager: Vice President Chistopher Johnson
Chief Products/Services: Software, Matrix programming for the City of
Boston, spell formulae.
Business Profile:
EBM[2] is one of the giants of the computer industry. For decades they set
the standards for computers systems and software. During the Year of Chaos,
they were one of the first corporations to recognize the value of magic and
incorporate wagemages into their corporate structure. Their Boston
headquarters recruits the cream of MIT&M graduates for research and
development projects.
Security/Military Forces:
EMB[2] has standard security forces. Their matrix and magical security is
top rate.
TEMPCO INC.
Home Office Location: Boston, Massachusetts
President/CEO: Roger Milstein
Chief Products/Services: Temporary personnel of all types.
Subdivisions: Tempco Security, Tempco Clerical, Tempco Sales, Tempco
Mages, etc.
Business Profile: Tempco Incorporated is the home of the "disposable
employee." The corporation hires out temporary employees of all kinds to
other businesses and corporations. The company's huge employee database
can find just the right person for the job quickly and efficiently.
Tempco provides security guards, secretaries, wagemages, salesmen,
accountants, repair crews, laborers, programmers, assembly workers, the list
goes on and on. If a corporation needs someone to fill a job, Tempco can find
him.
The company also serves as a clearinghouse for jobs, many Tempco
employees have found permanent positions with other companies.
Security/Military Forces:
Tempco has substantial security forces that are very well trained. Many
are corporate wars veterans and are hired out to other corporations.
>>>>>[It is also rumored that Tempco is a clearinghouse for shadowrunners,
and that corporations often hire for black projects through the
company.]<<<<<
- Geist <19:18:14/11-9-52>
Virtually every other top 500 corporation maintains a branch office in
the city because of the Exchange, although in some cases they consist only of
a suite of offices in a larger building. Firms also maintain research centers
in
the city to take advantage of the pool of skilled technicians produced by the
universities in the metroplex. Some of the major corporate holdings include:
Aztechnology has a building at the north end of the corp sector, on the
waterfront. Part of the pyramid extends into the bay and has docking
facilities and a rooftop helipad.
Geneomics of Quebec has a genetics research lab on the outskirts of the
city, near New Hampshire. >>>>>[They are believed to be engaging in
experiments in cloning.]<<<<< - Genejoke <22:31:28/11-13-52>
Mitsuhama Computer Technologies has a large office tower in the
corporate sector and a research park in Back Bay. MCT has a fierce
competition with EMB[2].
Renraku maintains offices near the Stock Exchange, but has little presence
otherwise.
>>>>>[Renraku does have some top-secret project running at a lab in
Cambridge, something connected to their AI project, I think.]<<<<< - Ms.DOS
<12:23:43/11-12-52>
Saeder-Krupp has a branch in the city based out of the underground
arcology nicknamed "the Dragon's Lair" after the corporation's owner,
Lofwyr.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Boston Common
The Common has been preserved by the government and the
corporations as a place to continue to hold concerts, outdoor plays and
maintain as an example of how environmentally concious the city is. The
Common is also a popular spot for outdoor sports and has become a haven to
a few local shamans who don't care for the city life.
The Dragon's Lair
North End/LTG# 617-1294
The Dragon's Lair is the nickname of the Saeder-Krupp Boston
Headquarters, an arcology complex built mostly below ground on the
northern edge of the corporate sector.
The sprawling complex contains a mall, living quarters, offices and
laboratories. The Lair is also in contact with a research complex on the north
edge of the city, owned by Geneomics (a subsidiary of of S-K.)
Security on the upper levels of the complex is maintained by polite and
well-armed guards.
>>>>>[The lower levels have numerous security safeguards, including some
kind of Awakened guard animals.]<<<<< - Geist <15:08:40/11-10-52>
>>>>>[It is rumored that there is a large cave-like chamber at the lowest
level
that Lofwyr uses when he chooses to visit the facility.]<<<<< - Talon
<21:34:21/11-12-52>
The East Coast Stock Exchange
Casino Archetype (which it is, sort of)/350 State Street/Bias against non-
corporates/LTG# 617-1527
Back in the twentieth century, the stock exchange was a big pit full of
phones and computers, with wall-to-wall brokers yelling orders to each
other across the room while monitors and VDTs displayed the rise and fall of
each stock.
These days, things are a lot calmer. There is still a big gallery with
telecoms and display screens, but all of the shouting and dealing gets done in
the Matrix. Each broker sits jacked into the Matrix at his terminal. On the
virtual market floor in cyberspace, the nuyen flows like a mighty river.
The Matrix security at the ECSE is some of the tightest in the UCAS.
Plenty
of deadly ice from EMB[2], Fuchi and Renraku, as well as cutting edge
experimental stuff from MIT&M. The Exchange has three deckers (Heavy
Hitters, SR p.116) on duty at all times. Several other corporations have their
own deckers on-hand to "protect the company's interests."
A Force 8 Astral Ward protects the entire building and small wards
protect other sensitive areas. Astral evesdropping is almost pointless
anyway, as most of the real action goes on in the Matrix.
Knight Errant handles the physical security of the building and only
authorized corporate security personnel are allowed to carry even light
weapons into the place.
The EBM Tower
Corporate Office Archetype/3552 Tremont Street/LTG# 617-1201
This 250 story skyraker is the North American Headquarters of European
Business Machines and Magic. The top twenty levels are given over to
executive offices and living space. Thirty stories make up residential areas
for workers. The remainder is given over to offices and laboratories, some of
which is rented out to other corporations. The building has a helipad on the
roof for commuter traffic.
The Tower has top-line magical and Matrix security measures, especially
on the sensitive offices and labs. It's icon dominates the electron skyline of
the Boston Matrix, which is not too surprising, considering that the company
is responsible for maintaining the public databases.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Magic
Cambridge/No bias/LTG# 609-1376
MIT&M is considered one of the top ten universities in North America.
The "'tute," as it is known by it's students, is the jewel of Boston's
educational
and economic system. With the demand that the corporations have for
skilled technical personnel, the Institute's prestige and importance to the
area has grown. The corporations and the government do all they can to
support the school's needs and keep a steady stream of skilled workers
coming.
The Institute leads the field in computer science, robotics, cybernetics,
artificial intelligence, biotechnology, Hermetic studies, and a celebrated
Shamanic studies program. Several faculty members are Nobel prize winners
and the screening process for students is rigorous.
Security at the Institute is very high in general and extraordinary in
some places. Numerous Matrix and magical security measures were created
here, and new ones are always being tested. It has been suggested that if
you could get into MIT&M last month, you should be able to get into most
corporate offices today, because those are the security measures they will be
using.
>>>>>[The 'tute gets into the absolute cutting edge of magic and tech. Some
of
their stuff gets pretty weird. If you're hired to do something there, whatever
you do, don't go anywhere else. You never know what's lurking in that lab
around the corner...]<<<<< - Talon <15:40:27/11-09-52>
The New England Aquarium
Waterfront/No bias/LTG# 615-1247
The New England Aquarium is one of the most famous of its kind in North
America. All variety of sea-life is keep in the numerous huge display tanks.
The Aquarium has distinguished itself with displays on new metaspecies
from all around the world, including devilfish, mermaids, leatherbacks,
torpedo sharks, unicorn fish, and a family tribe of merrows.
The Aquarium is also a center for biological and oceanographic research
frequented by many of the universities and corporations.
Recently, metahuman and animal rights groups have attacked the
Aquarium because of their alleged cruelty to some specimens, including
keeping the possibly sentient merrows captive.
BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS
Boston is well known for its numerous night spots and hangouts. The
theater district and Back Bay have dozens of bars, clubs and hangouts, most
of which are frequented by shadowrunners. Suprisingly, the corporations
and the city government know about the major shadowrunner hangouts, but
choose to ignore them, perhaps because the corporations rely on having a
quick source of 'runners when they are needed for the inevitable black
projects that crop up as annual report time rolls around.
The Coven
Bar Archetype/64 Vassar Street/Reginald King, manager/Bias against
mundanes/LTG# 609-1669
The Coven, located near MIT&M in Cambridge, is a favorite hangout for
students and faculty of the Thaumaturgy Department. The bar's interior is
dim and cavernous, lit by fluorescent lighting panels. The manager, Reginald
King, is a skilled Hermetic magician himself. The bar has a rating 6 Astral
Ward to keep childish pranks to a minimum. Unrestrained use of magic is
frowned upon.
The Dungeon
Bar Archetype/S-K Mall, Dragon's Lair/Solly MacIntyre, owner/Bias against
non-corporates/LTG# 617-1238
The Dungeon is a cave-like tavern on the mall level of the Dragon's Lair.
It is owned and managed by Solly MacIntyre, a dwarf and former company
man for Saeder-Krupp. A favorite of the corporate types, it is a source of
rumors concerning all manner of information in the corporate sector.
>>>>>[Solly is also rumored to be a supporter of the the Knights of the Red
Branch, providing them with contacts and places to hide out.]<<<<< - Kid
<19:20:31/11-11-52>
The Eclipse
Nightclub Archetype/277 Dorchester Ave./Martin Calaebria, manager/Bias
against corporates/LTG# 604-1422
Located in the South Boston Barrens, the Eclipse is a popular club with
shadowrunners. There is a live band playing every night and major groups
like the Nuclear Elves have been known to drop by and jam all night long.
Eclipse is a meeting place for many shadowrunners, but not a recruiting
center. Shadowrunners come here to party and conduct a some business
among themselves. Mr.Johnsons are not very welcome.
Erebus
Nightclub Archetype/644 E.Berkley Street/Felicia Kole, manager/No
bias/LTG# 607-1422
Located near the Theater District, Erebus "the Land of Shades," is a
popular shadowrunner hangout. The club caters to the needs of those who
live in the shadows and those who like to think that they do. Shadowrunners
often arrange meetings here and Mr.Johnsons often come here looking for
talent. There also also plenty of corporate types sprawling and pretending to
be fierce shadowrunner types.
>>>>>[The manager, Felicia Kole, is a Cat Shaman who will not allow
unprofessionalism in her club. Patrons are allowed to retain their sidearms,
but violence will not be tolerated.]<<<<< - Ranger
<18:03:24/11-13-52>
Jack-In-the-Green
Mid-size Restaurant Archetype/231 Charles St./Arlen Porfiro, owner-
manager/Slight bias against non-Elves/LTG# 616-1292
A restaurant on the Common, Jack's (as it is commonly known) is like a
slice of Tir Tairgire transplanted to Boston. The restaurant is furnished in
natural wood and features and wide array of hanging and potted plants.
The menu is vegetarian, but still offers a dazzling range of choices, all
expertly prepared. The restaurant is popular with Boston's Elves as well as
shamans and other back-to-nature types.
>>>>>[Groups like the Red Knights and Alamos 20K also seem to think that
Jack's is a front for some kind of evil Elf conspiracy, seeing as they've
firebombed the place three times in the last year.]<<<<< - Hardwire
<22:11:29/11-08-52>
>>>>>[Laugh if you want, but we know what's really going on and we intent
to
keep what's ours. Free Eire!]<<<<< - Red Knight <23:43:10/11-08-52>
ORGANIZATIONS
Boston is a very political city. A diverse mix of peoples live in the
metroplex and many remember the city's long tradition of being on the
leading edge of political change. A number of policlubs and more radical
groups have sprung up in the area, looking to make change in the cultural
and economic center of the UCAS.
Anarchy Incorporated
The most feared terrorist group in the UCAS Northeast. Anarchy Inc. is an
ironically named organization of neo-anarchists who seek the destruction of
the corporations and the creation of a "non-coersive" economic system that is
fair to both producer and consumer.
The organization makes attacks on powerful corporations and executives.
They believe that death is the "great equalizer." All men, wealthy or poor,
are the same in that they all die.
AI gets most of it's recruits from the squalor and desperation of the
slums and barrens. Most of the people in the organization are not overly
concerned about "the Cause," only in getting a meal and a place to sleep. In
exchange for which, most are more than willing to risk their lives to kill
some fat-cat executive.
Corporate security teams worry about Anarchy Inc. because the members
have shown such a total disregard for their own lives as to sometimes
engage in suicide missions, so long as they take some corporates with them.
The Knights of the Red Branch
When the Shidhe "reclaimed" Ireland as their ancestral homeland in
2034, numerous Irish were displaced or fled from Ireland to escape Elvish
rule. A number of them migrated to Boston, which already had a large Irish
community.
The Knights of the Red Branch is a terrorist group that desires the
reclamation of Ireland from the Shidhe, or at least the creation of a separate
human nation in North Ireland, to be called New Ulster. They ship supplies
and information back to Irish resistance forces in Tir Nan Og, as well as
making attacks on anything remotely connected with the Shidhe in the UCAS,
including, unfortunately, innocent Elves who have nothing to do with Tir Nan
Og.
Most recently, the Knights have attacked parties and corporations who
have dealings with the Shidhe for magical focuses and orichalcum, hoping to
cut off trade with Tir Nan Og and force concessions.
>>>>>[The Knights are named after a legendary order of Irish warriors who
protected Ulster, led by the hero Chuculain. Quite a few of the higher-ups in
the organization are fond of the ancient trappings and weapons of the Irish
knights, including nasty barbed spears.]<<<<< - Celtic
<16:43:26/11-10-52>
>>>>>[Don't think that means that the Knights are some gang of yokels.
They've got weapons and tactics from several generations of IRA experience
backing them up. Several of the guys who go for the full Chuculain get up are
physical adepts and some of those spears are enchanted...]<<<<< - Geistmann
<22:12:17/11-10-52>
Download complete. Turn off Capture File.
