To every ruler, there must be a loyal opposition. Facing off against the Emperor and the Imperial Block stands Mitsuhama, as dependable and unchanging as Mt. Fuji. Toshiro Mitsuhama continues to lead as CEO, backed by most of the board of directors. “Most” is the important word here, as Uehara Akae is more tentative in this as the Imperial dictates have begun to rattle his confidence somewhat. In a nod to the old days of feudal marriage, Toshiro’s second son, Akinori, is dating Uehara’s grandaughter, Haruko, in a relationship that would bind the two families closer and head off any attempt to cause friction in the board. While it remains political suicide to directly oppose the Emperor, Mitsuhama continues to do everything they can to resist his agenda. Imperial suggestions are accepted and taken under advisement but not acted on. Money happens to flow to candidates who support MCT-friendly policies and oppose the Emperor’s views. Loyalty is pledged in the daylight, but in the shadows, the knives come out.
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Quite literally. The ongoing shadow battle between MCT and Shiawase is racking up a body count. I’m not certain how long they can keep the conflict from spilling out into the light. Go back to the Spy Games download for more on this.>
ThornThe coalition that formed around Mitsuhama has also taken some damage. Sony, always moving between ally and rival, has stepped away and now looks to be in Renraku’s orbit, while Yakashima has fully embraced the Emperor. Renraku has stepped back somewhat and is now playing both sides against one another. Some good news has come from the Emperor loosening ties with Evo over recent months. Of far more worry has been the gradual freezing-out of contracts inside of Japan. Mitsuhama has always been a proud son, but as more and more support is given to Shinto-aligned, environmentally friendly business, MCT is finding that it has trouble making progress in the land of its birth. This has resulted in a more aggressive overseas push, with a particular focus on North America.
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Well, Kiyomoto and Reiko have long been rumored to be an item. With her in the catbird seat, Coltrane’s ouster was a given. With Kiyimoto having so much knowledge, Reiko’s grip over the board increases. I guess we know which Orchid won, huh?>
PistonsWhile Shiawase and Mitsuhama remain locked in a brutal war in Japan, once you step off the island, they’re standing together. Ish. At least they’re not stabbing one another. From what I can find out, there was initially a bold plan by Korin Yamana to take advantage of the dragon situation and to move, heavily, against Saeder-Krupp in Europe. Shiawase absorbed all of Fuchi’s European parts a decade ago, and S-K is the only corp standing that can threaten Shiawase’s agricultural strength. Their environmental strength is tailor-made to battle the infamously eco-destructive Germans, and the iron looked hot.
Tadeshi held the blow.
As conservative as a proper Shiawase, Tadeshi scaled back, allowing for some token operations while attempting to suss out Lofwyr’s mindset. Personally, I think this is why Yamana got ousted, but rumors are hot and heavy on that front. Regardless, while Tadeshi is pulling his punches in Europe, he’s turning a baleful eye to the Americas in general and, in particular, to Horizon. The smallest of the megas, Horizon’s operating style flies in the face of traditional (read: Japanese) business practices and, with their purchase of Wind River Corporation, they dared to set foot into Shiawase’s turf. The fact that Kiyomoto’s Neo-Genyosha was set up by Horizon’s Dawkins Group was a slap in the face as well, and honor demands retribution.
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That … could get awkward. Shiawase is an old powerhouse to Horizon’s young pup. Horizon’s quicker by far, but Shiawase’s MFID agents have been doing some of the stuff Horizon does for decades. They don’t rely on PR like Aztechnology, and they’re far more willing to hire our kind to handle things than the Azzies, which has always preferred to do things in house. If this gets going, every Johnson and fixer I know is going to be busy. It seems like an over-reaction for a fairly average corporate maneuver. Is there more to this story?>
Bull>
Well, I know that Horizon’s treatment of Virtuakinetics and Digital Sentiences has a lot of people up in arms against them. Shiawase started quietly hiring people like me right after all that came out. Not as experiments, but as programmers, bug-checkers, and so on. Legit jobs. Shiawase’s never been the most progressive corporation, but somebody upstairs must have our back.>
Netcat>
Technomancers are quite popular in Tokyo, and in most parts of Japan, but they weren’t invited in from the cold until recently. Shiawase’s now decided that they can let them indoors and the world won’t end. I’d lay good odds that Hitomi pulled some strings. I hear she used to hack.Escaping
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pushing for contracts. It’s entirely possible that Knight will get shut out of most of the deals. MCT prefers labor drones over metahuman workers, so the unemployment rate wouldn’t move very much, but their magical skills would allow them to deal with leftover bug issues with relative ease. That carries weight.
Aztechnology is the lone obstacle to Mitsuhama taking the magical crown, so with the recent troubles they’ve faced and the economic turmoil the famine has caused, MCT is well served to keep them down. I’d lay good odds that you’ll see job offers that take you down into conquered Colombia to disrupt whatever magical or botanical research Aztechnology is planning.
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There are also contracts to take swipes at Aztlan border defenses. My cuadrilla needs recovery time and I’m not able to do them myself. If anybody needs work, drop me a private line.>
PicadorThe battle against NeoNET should be the one to watch for most of us. Toshiro smells blood and will go after Villiers like a hungry tiger. The emergence of the Wireless Matrix rocked Mitsuhama’s core business and allowed NeoNET to vault into the lead, but the playing field just got leveled. Villiers has internal weaknesses and, in this, Renraku is standing shoulder-to- shoulder with Mitsuhama, trying to put a knife in the heart of NeoNET. Datasteals will be running rampant, along with forcible extractions, as they try to get a leg up. Wetwork should also be available for those of you who are more bloody-minded. Needless to say, this is a two-way street, and NeoNET will be having to hire their own shadowrunners to fend off the attacks.
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MCT has been losing serious market share in Japan, but the media, which is largely MCT controlled, hasn’t been reporting on it. I hear that they’ve just slipped behind Renraku in corporate ratings and that can’t be easy to take. More work for us!>
Slamm-0!>
Wait, if they’re so cash-strapped, how did they pick up 130 billion nuyen worth of Matrix infrastructure manufacturers?>
Glitch>
Sold off some subsidiaries and technology. The biggest name was selling most of the rights for GridGuide to Renraku. They still have the right to produce the hardware and install it in vehicles, but Renraku will be taking over operations, technical support, installation, and so on of the network itself. MCT makes it, Renraku services it. Quick cash versus ongoing revenue streams.>
ClockworkMCT remains poised to have some explosive expansion in North America, so keep an ear out as runners will be in high demand. The three areas in particular to watch are, first and foremost, a push against NeoNET, then activities targeting Aztechnology, and lastly action against Ares Macrotechnology. Keep your fixers on speed-calling.
Ares is the primary heavy-industry force in North America, but whatever internal issues they have are paralyzing the corporation’s ability to compete. Chicago’s rebuilding effort should be a slam- dunk for Ares, but Saeder-Krupp, MCT, and Renraku are all
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they’d never recover from. The second Crash was, in many ways, a blessing for them, kneecapping the other corps as badly as Renraku had suffered, giving Renraku time to catch their breath and begin the slow path of recovery. That plan started five years ago, but I expect few of you saw it, as the largest push happened in the Southern Hemisphere. Renraku moved into South America, Africa, and Australia, building a loyal customer base that was often overlooked by the other megacorps on the grounds that they didn’t have enough money to really matter. Renraku couldn’t offer the highest quality of product but neither could they undercut the mass-produced slop of Aztechnology or Wuxing. They offered an average product with an average price, and the middle was squeezed. A new direction was needed.
how may we serve You?
Renraku slowly changed its focus to the service industry, networking their products between different levels of life. When you went to the hair salon, the digimags available for download were all Renraku brands, featuring stars from Renraku studios that were wearing Renraku designer labels and driving Renraku cars. The stylist who was chatting to you, a human gesture that mere drones can’t manage, would happen to suggest somewhere to eat that coincidentally was a Renraku subsidiary, and she might also mention that she’d moved their child to a Renraku-branded Matrix school, rather than a public school. Every aspect of your life could be filled by Renraku in one way or another … in and of itself, nothing that far removed from any other megacorp’s networking (Shiawase long ago mastered the art, but Renraku is an able student). Where it gains a true edge is in the delivery. Shiawase expects you to be awed by their products, Evo celebrates Evoculture and wants you to join, but Renraku? Renraku treats you like royalty and waits on you hand and foot.
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You have no idea. I wanted to treat myself after a big payday and Marionette talked me into giving this new spa, Ohahu out in Puyallup, a try. They took some cheap land in the middle of the old lava spill area, added some gene-tweaked palm trees that can survive Seattle’s winter, and set up this whole tiki-themed spa. I know it sounds corny, but as soon as you get there, it’s just so … warm. Everyone is smiling, everyone wants to help you, and they’re there before you know you need them. My glass never ran dry and I never had to tell them what I wanted, because it was already being poured. I had a facial, a mani-pedi, a massage, mud bath, sauna, the works. I’ve been on retreats for corporate execs before and never got treated half this well, but this was being done at a price a middle-class family could afford. They were opening a tiki bar on the same land, and I got a chance to try it out before it officially opened. Fire dancers, a luau, a soy pig that could pass for the real thing (it even had pineapple flavoring!), drinks in cocoanuts. Honestly, I know I sound like a shill, but I can’t wait to go back.>
Turbo Bunny>
So, did you enjoy the gift basket? The Pearl Diver hand lotion had to catch your eye.>
Icarus>
Yes! I bought two bottles! Have you tried it?>
Turbo Bunny>
MCT’s latest Nadeshiko android is getting closer to release. The last one was the most lifelike yet, but it suffered from being released right after the second Crash. No one was in the mood to trust a drone’s pilot program, advanced or not, and sales tanked. The secondary market has led to them being fantastically popular with the AI community.>
Rigger X>
The model currently in development is supposed to have safeguards against AI inhabitation due to that.>
Clockwork>
Why am I not surprised that you’re familiar with sexbots?>
Netcat>
Wait, what? Silas told me that his was just a maid! Do you know that’s what they do for sure?>
/dev/grrl>
According to Fred’s catalogs, they come with a wide variety of programming options. And costumes.>
Netcat>
On a more serious note, if there’s a big push in to North America, it’ll start in Seattle. Tamatsu Sakura and Samantha Villiers have never gotten along, but with the corporation’s focus largely on rebuilding Japan, getting resources to deal with this issue was a low priority. If they’re moving hard in this hemisphere, it might be a good time to strike, as her defenses are stretched thin.>
Glitch>
Then again, if she’s hampering Richard Villiers, leaving her alone will keep them both busy, giving MCT a chance to sweep in. “How about you and him fight” is a time-honored strategy.>
2XL>
But what if she wins?>
Pistons>
While everyone’s thinking about Silicon Valley and how Mitsuhama suddenly has a big edge over Ares, I have to look at California being a great big target for Mitsuhama as well. They’ve got a massive investment in San Francisco, they’ve always had ties in Sacremento, and while everyone in the CFS is looking north to the Tír and south to the Pueblos, no one’s watching the West Coast.>
Kane>
I wonder if Mitsuhama can beat Saeder-Krupp to Mount Shasta?>
Axis MundireBooting renraku
Shiawase is the First Megacorp and the Chosen One. Mitsuhama is the Unchanging Icon. Renraku is … transforming. Nakatomi had seen his adopted corporation suffer like few others. With the loss of Inazo Aneki, Renraku was left without a true visionary, and their fortunes went from staggeringly high in the late ’50s to disaster in the ’60s, damage that many thought
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Having Sasaki, who is a Nakatomi yes-man, as president gives a cover for the new policies that are unfolding. Renraku’s new humble face, for instance, and the servile attitudes of the corporate members are appropriate for a family whose “father” has just died. Renraku has also finally knuckled under to pressure and allowed Shinto, and other religions, entry into corporate compounds. Sasaki has been in the UCAS long enough that it can be explained as “American influence” and grumbled about, while still being allowed to take hold because it’s the president of the corporation proclaiming it and the Emperor’s ultimate desire. Shiawase has been kind enough to temporarily transfer many shrine maidens and priests, to teach Renraku parties the rituals needed to undertake their new role.
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Damnation, but Nakatomi’s sneaky. Renraku’s always had a huge gaping hole in magical research and defenses. They’re a megacorp, so they had some resources, but compared to the others, it was just sad. Suddenly, they have another mega—and the Imperial State—pouring magicians and spell formulae into their hands as a gesture of friendship. For free! And they’re being thanked for finally allowing it! Amazing.>
WinterhawkSasaki’s the former director of Renraku America, of course, and his experience plays into Renraku’s current plan to push hard into North America, with Seattle the primary target. They’re an ally of Brackhaven, using their close ties to scoop up land all over the city. The current push for contracts in the Ork Underground looks strange on the surface (Renraku having never been fond of metahumans), but it makes sense when taken from the right angle. Renraku badly needs to get a firm foothold in Seattle once again, and they need to come out looking like the good guys at the same time. If they can tame the Underground, they get a fresh start.
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Mercuria Lawson is the face of the Underground project. She’s had lots of “ork reduction surgery” to make her passable to human eyes, but she’s still a surprisingly high-ranking ork in a Japancorp... and a woman to boot. She’s really a glorified PR agent, taking her orders directly from Renraku Seattle’s directors, but she fills out a suit quite well and can spout the corporate line with a straight face.>
Bull>
Lawson isn’t the patsy you think, Bull. She’s discounted as a token appointment, but she’s got a head on her shoulders and has climbed her way up over the broken careers of dismissive humans. They might have sanded her tusks down, but she’s still an ork inside.>
ButchWith this push into North America, you’d assume that Nakatomi would be targeting Villiers and NeoNET, but, thus far, not so much, or at least no more so than anyone else targets them. No, he’s instead riding along behind both Shiawase and Mitsuhama, a loyal servant who does what his masters want rather than follow his own agenda. This means teaming with Mitsuhama in Chicago against Ares, but also with Shiawase against Horizon in Seattle. They’ll both owe him favors when he finally goes after Villiers.
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No, but I read some shopping history of the SIN you used for that trip. Renraku isn’t a leader in computer technology, but their database depth is second to none. By cross-referencing what you like, they can deduce what other things you like, then make marketing suggestions based on this. A dating profile based on your history showed what type of men you prefer, so a staff member close to that type was chosen to flirt with you, your drink choices were analyzed and passed along to the server, and they offered you exclusive deals and early access to Gold Rewards to make you feel special. All in all, a fine piece of coordinated marketing.>
IcarusThis new concept would require some changes, so Nakatomi knew he had to start at the top. Surin Supachai, his handpicked president, performed sepukku on Novermber 3rd of this year. In a letter he wrote to the corporation, he detailed how he had failed to live up to Aneki-sama’s legacy, how the decade under his watch has not seen the corporation grow as it should, and, overall, accepted full responsibility for his failures with the ultimate sacrifice. His death poem was on every Renraku host’s login screen for a month, but his legacy will not be a good one. Already he’s being shuffled off as an honorable failure, making way for his replacement, Orito Sasaki.