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Message no. 1
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Life is cheap, bullets are cheaper
Date: Mon, 1 Jun 1998 19:11:23 -0400
*****PRIVATE: Mitchell
>>>>>[As you said yourself, fascinating.

Once a soldier, always a soldier, never anything but a soldier...really
more of a comment about society than about you, if you pause and wax
philosophical for a moment. I think you'll find that attitude too often in
others in the shadows.

But I can't really claim to be able to argue with you on the majority of
your points.

Who do I answer to? Suffice it to say that in so many ways I'm even more
of a puppet than you are. But if I didn't have that, I'd still have to
answer to myself. Life is cheap, bullets are even cheaper. But I still
have regrets. It still tears me up inside to know the consequences of some
of my actions. A different set of circumstances, one single action here or
there and I might be dead, or a wage slave with a wife and kids and a cat,
or a government agent. But I'm who I am, I'm where I am. I can't change
the past, nor will I waste my time weeping over it. Regrets are bad for
business.

As it's been said before, there are no innocents. CorpSec guards know the
risks they take. I've never killed a cop, which is one reason I'm still
alive today. But they, like shadowrunners and soldiers, also know the
risks involved. You and I both know our lives could end any moment. They
know the same.

"A shadowrunner says whoops and moves on." Maybe. Maybe not. The wrong
death can reap awful consequences, even if viewed from strictly monetary
purposes. And while we may not pause to reflect upon our actions in the
middle of a contract, in the still of the night, fueled by alchohol, many a
shadowrunner plumbs the depths of despair contemplating their lives and the
lives they've taken. I've even know a few that fell so deep they committed
suicide. Too many others are alchoholics (ever wonder why so many
shadowrunners hang out at bars?) and others simply replace their soul with
chrome and take unneccessary risks in an unconcious drive for their own
death; far too many of these sorts out there.

Truthfully, I didn't really know Lynch by more than reputation myself,
enough to respect the man. All I know is that he got results, one way or
another. That's something I can respect. And in that light, it would seem
that you are setting out to be Lynch's clone; you'll get results one way or
another.

So tonight I'll raise a glass and hope that you and I are never at cross
purposes. I don't think the results would be amenable to either of us, but
should it happen, at least I know where you stand.]<<<<<
-- the Dark Stranger <10:51:34 GMT/06-02-59>
Message no. 2
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Life is cheap, bullets are cheaper
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 00:27:19 +0100
*****PRIVATE: the Dark Stranger
>>>>>[Indulge me in speculation. You're sponsored by "someone
bigger".

I'd be quite sure it's literally more than your life is worth to admit
so, let alone actually say who, but that's my conclusion from what you
say.

Skull and Fat Chance, ditto. Professional, disciplined. Not typical
street muscle.

"Jen and Gabe", for all their posturing, linked to a short list of
corporations.

Lynch and Lilith, and now me, to the UCAS.

Quinn, to Britain and to a lesser extent the UCAS.


Talent works for someone. How many so-called shadowrunners are actually
on someone's paycheck? Yet I get sneered at for "working for the man".
Those that don't... is that really because they're independent? Or is it
because they're not good enough to acquire a fairy godmother?

I don't know, here I don't pretend to. You know the shadows better than
I, what do _you_ think? I'm genuinely curious.



As for judgement... well, I'll choose a boozy guilty twinge over twenty-
five to life in Leavenworth any time, I know which is worse. Every
person I ever knowingly killed, was raising a weapon to kill me or my
comrades. It's a good situation to be in. I'm lucky to sit there, I
know, and I try not to look down on others not as fortunate: one day the
odds will catch up with me and I'll pull the trigger on a kid with a
water pistol, and have to live with that mistake. But if I make that
mistake, I'll answer to a damn sight more than my own conscience.


I hope you and I don't have to face off. I'm getting Quinn's reports
from Britain, and Lilith considers you to be worthy of respect. You...
share at least a few of my motives. And I don't think I'd win if we
fought.]<<<<<
-- Mitchell <00:27:42/06-03-59>
Message no. 3
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Life is cheap, bullets are cheaper
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 23:35:00 -0400
*****PRIVATE: Mitchell
>>>>>[Okay, but too much speculation and you go blind...

The top tier of shadowrunners are very often sponsored by someone. Most,
if not all of them, had to work for that sponsorship though; Ares or
Dunkelzahn didn't just pick them out of a hat, they watched and noticed
traits and attributes they liked.

Very few top grade runners aren't affiliated. And all those others, most
of whom are giving you drek, are neither top-grade nor affiliated themselves.

To be honest, most folks don't like you because you are a government storm
trooper. You have a nice shiny badge that let's you kill people, in
public, and seemingly never get in trouble for it. Nearly every other
runner has to skulk about, regardless of what we do.

Think about it. The average shadowrunner, even if he's never killed
anyone, warrants a full FRT squad if they get caught jaywalking. Yet you
do that same sorts of things, but can walk in public, head held high.

Or at least that's the impression I've gathered.

So you've been getting Quinn's reports. I wasn't really sure she was even
making any, but I guess it's the habit of you spooks. In a straight up
fight, my magic might give me an edge. But you've got access to resources
that I can only dream about. That's your edge Mitchell. There are street
monsters that could eat you for lunch and shit you out before dinner. But
you've got connections they'll never have. Think about that. And if
you've been paying attention to Quinn's reports, you'll also know that some
"shadowrunners," sponsored or not, also have connections.]<<<<<
-- the Dark Stranger <09:27:42 GMT/06-03-59>
Message no. 4
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Life is cheap, bullets are cheaper
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 22:56:06 +0100
*****PRIVATE: the Dark Stranger
>>>>>[What you say fits what I've picked out of SIGA's files. Hell,
Lynch was indie runner for a good four, five years between leaving Ares
and hooking up with the UCAS. Why did the UCAS grab him? Because he has
skills, ability, and a talent for survival.

And I'm a government storm trooper? To be honest, good. The government
_needs_ stormtroopers sometimes. Authoritarian dictatorship is bad, I'm
a hard-core democrat, but people in daily fear of their lives aren't
really free. Freedom has to be defended.

So I get to play superhero and clean up the streets. And right now the
mood is "harsh law", because we tried being nice and it didn't work.
Then we tried letting SIGA and the FBI Projects loose and they got
results. Then the politicians lost their balls and we got over a
thousand civilians killed in a month because of that. Now I'm getting
results.


You're a shadowrunner. If I win my crusade here, you'll have to be very
well-behaved in UCAS turf. That's it. What you do on corporate turf is
your problem, not mine.

And Zachary and Lilith already reminded me that some street monsters
_started_ as SEALs or Beanies or Force Recon, then got enhanced and
trained _above_ that. Why do you think I don't fuck around with taking
prisoners? Why do you think I kill people for looking at me cross-eyed?
Because I know how powerful the threat - you guys - is.

Having made the bed, you guys now have to lie on it. Nothing
personal.]<<<<<
-- Mitchell <22:55:43/06-03-59>
Message no. 5
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Life is cheap, bullets are cheaper
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 19:40:37 -0400
*****PRIVATE: Mitchell
>>>>>[Well. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Or just
alone again?

You can slag Jen & Gabe all you want. They end up on your most wanted
list, I'm liable to even help you. I think you'll find a lot of people
willing to help you on that one.

But it's not terribly smart to frag with with people like Newzjunkie. He's
got access to all sorts of information, hard data that could make your or
break you Mitchell. It's one thing to hammer posers, it's something else
to talk drek to a decker in the Matrix. I've had a few perfectly good SINs
trashed by an unhappy decker.

*sigh*

My final friendly suggestion. Ease back on the attitude. It's not healthy.

Like you said, nothing personal. For you, it's your job. For me, it's
business. Let's keep it that way.]<<<<<
-- the Dark Stranger <10:35:43 GMT/06-04-59>

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