Posted by: Clockwork
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I found these among the files on FastJack’s hidden system as well. I’ll put up the most interesting to us here and file the others off in an archive. He had over one hundred suspected victims of this in his files. The majority were shadowrunners, most based in Denver, Boston, and, of course, Seattle. He had a few files on folks outside NorthAm but they’re pretty thin. Looks like he kept his eyes closer to home.>
ClockworkriSer
On 12-03-2072, I hired a small team of runners to assist me with a datasteal from a facility outside Albuquerque, Pueblo Corporate Council. I contracted Riser to be the team leader and to oversee the establishment of a satellite connection to get me access to the facility. This facility was located in a dead zone and therefore was inaccessible through the standard Matrix.
NOTE: Since then I have discovered that the facility was not only a NeoNET research facility, as I originally suspected, but was specifically a facility controlled by Celedyr.
The initial purpose of the datasteal was to discover the purpose of the facility. I managed to pick up a little paydata, but it seems I also picked up something else, and so did Riser.
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exert itself enough on my mind to act while I tried to sleep. Idreamt Search’s actions, and my brain did not rest.
Biological symptoms of sleep deprivation followed with hallucinations, waking fogs, short attention span, the usual. I drugged myself for a few nights. No dreams, and the symptoms cleared.
After this came the blackouts, times during the day where I would lose time. These came with strange messages in my journals, on JackPoint, and scrawled onto forums all over the Matrix. Some were short, some were long, some I noticed, most I didn’t. It was at this point that I truly questioned whether I was losing my mind. My actions made me doubt myself and those around me. Not doubting their abilities, but doubting their faith in me. I know, without a bit of hubris in my thoughts, that I am idolized by some. I won’t say whether it’s deserved or not, but it factored into my inability to reach out for help. I do not want to shatter the legend of FastJack.
The final phase is the battle for my own mind, and it’s the hardest part by far. I question my mind and my memories at every turn. Did I live in America as a child or is that false? Was I born FastJack or do I really remember being called another name? Do I have a daughter? Did I take that trip into the mountains last week or was that a nightmare of my tormentor? Or both? This last phase will be the hardest. I’ll make tough choices and in truth I’ll never really know if I won or not. Will I ever be me again or will someone else always be hiding in my mind?
I’m making plans for the new year. I will slip from the shadows into the darkness and leave behind questions. But if everything goes as planned the questions will be left in the right hands to find answers.
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Just so all of you know, Riser has been dipping into fixing in the past year or so. He’s put together some serious teams who all idolize him for his JackPoint access and reputation. Not sure it’s valuable intel for anyone but it’s something to know if you aren’t happy with him and desire to take action of some kind.>
PuckFAStJACk
I feel bad making files on Riser and Plan 9 without making a file on myself. I know it seems odd to have a file on myself, but maybe that’s the best way to keep tabs.
Whatever is happening to me started December 2072 during the run I mentioned in Riser’s file. The problem did not seem to progress in me as quickly as it did in others, for whatever reason.
It started with headaches. Serious headaches that would pull me from the Matrix they hurt so bad. I got some meds and seemed to take care of this symptom. In retrospect, I’m guessing I just masked the pain instead of actually changing whatever was happening.
Shortly after the headaches started to ease up, the dreams started. Strange mixed up dreams, like flashes in a bad movie.
The third symptom was a loss of focusing ability. My attention span dropped to that of a five-year-old. I had to get some work done upgrading some of my headware to overcome that one.
Next came the hyperreal dreams of the matrix. Dreams of nodes and places I had not gone but I dreamed of like I had. With the dreams came a waking exhaustion. Almost like I had not slept. I don’t think I was actually. I think this was the time Search could
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I’m right here everyone. You know you want to ask.>
Plan 9>
Oh, come on! I’ll bite. Hey 9, are you still you?>
Slamm-0!>
As much as I ever was.>
Plan 9Run BanHammer (Plan 9): Access Terminated: Bull
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No more games. Shit just got real!>
Slamm-0!>
Is that really you Slamm-0!? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk like that? Quick, Bull, get him!!!>
Clockwork>
Drop it. This ain’t the time for fraggin’ jokes.>
Bull>
At least we know Bull is Bull, unless he got taken over by a thirty- year-old jargon program.>
The Smiling Bandit>
Ha ha. But I’ll grant that a little levity might be needed right now.>
Bull//existing bans rescinded