Straight from The Source: Interviews with key players, about C&C

The Source: “Hello! This is The Source, bringing you all the latest developments on the Net. We have managed to secure interviews with key players on both sides, to ask them about their latest efforts during this development cycle, codenamed ‘Creation and Control’.”

“As you know, Creation and Control is a major expansion to the Net, and many have high hopes for it to improve competitive balance, as it gives many tools to the weakest factions in our conflict, such as the Shapers and the Jinteki Corporation.”

“First off, to discuss with us how these new developments aid the Jinteki Corp, we have Director Haas, head of Haas-Bioroid, who has just completed a hostile takeover of the Jinteki corporation! ”

The Source: “Director Haas, can you tell me how the release of Creation and Control is helping your new plaything, the Jinteki Corp?”

Director Haas: “Certainly dear. By the way, your voice sounds very familiar to me, do I know you?”

The Source: “Now now, Director, you know that I must keep my identity a secret”.

Director Haas: “Indeed. Well, for long we have struggled against our competitors, the Jinteki Corporation. While recently we have been pretty dominant in the market, we now have obtained complete control of the Jinteki Corporation, and can now do everything that they ever could, but even better, and far more profitably as well”.

The Source: “I see. So how does this help Jinteki?”

Director Haas: “Well, basically most of their supporters have capitulated and have realized that the best way to achieve their dreams of killing runners lies with us. Our Brain damage strategy produces lasting results and yields much easier kills in the future, while their former strategy of pure Net Damage tended to be inefficient if it wasn’t fatal. Also, we think that now that they are experiencing the joys of actually having money, they’ll never go back”.

The Source: “How about all your new traps? People used to say that Jinteki was the best at ambushing runners, what do you have to say about that?”

Director Haas: “With our new Cerebral Overwriter, among others, we pretty much dominate in the ambush arena. That should also help us attract any remaining Jinteki loyalists to our cause. I even have put my son in charge of tricking runners and hiding our corporation’s funds from Criminals attempting to Siphon them away”.

The Source: “Indeed. Yes, he is hiding your funds in a safe location”.

Director Haas: “And he will most certainly return them the instant they are needed”.

The Source: “Uh, yes. For sure. So, basically you can now do everything Jinteki can, but better?”

Director Haas: “Yep. Most of them are working for us now, and are experiencing the joys of actually having the budget necessary for their projects. After all, is there anything more disappointing than luring a runner into your trap, only to be unable to spring it because you’re broke?”

The Source: “And I hear that your market capitalization now exceeds that of the Weyland Corporation, is that true?”

Director Haas: “Yes. With our new ability to broadcast our ICE in action, with the advertising money from that, we are more profitable than Weyland now. Though we are loaning them that technology. They practically begged us for it, they think they can do it more efficiently than us, squeeze out an extra $1 somehow. We told them that we collect extra $1s all the time, because we are just that good at Engineering. Then we agreed to loan them the technology in return for their Hired Goons”.

The Source: “It’s good to have goons isn’t it”.

Director Haas: “Indeed. In fact, we even created a new division dedicated to hired Goons. We codenamed it “Custom Biotics”, to trick runners. But it’s really just Goons.

The Source: “And you think that runners won’t suspect your Goon Squads from this “Custom Biotics” division?”

Director Haas: “Nope! They’ll never see it coming! I mean, with a name like “Custom Biotics”, who would ever think that it was actually a division devoted to blowing up buildings and send out Goon Squads! No one will EVER suspect it. It’s the most iron-clad secret of all time.

The Source: “What about this article that was just posted on the Top Runners Conference message boards, entitled: ‘HB’s new Custom Biotics division: An obvious front for Hired Goon Squads?’

Director Haas: “I’m telling you, no one will EVER, EVER suspect that we are going to Scorch them out of existence when they run our Biotics division. I promise you that they will be in complete shock when our ocean satellites that we contracted from NBN locate them on their GPS, and they hear the explosions of the bombs we bought from Weyland, echoing around them. This is definitely going to work. Every time, on everyone.

The Source: “…”

The Source: “Maybe you should leave tricking runners to your new Jinteki underlings, and stick to being really efficient, making lots of money, and developing strong ICE.”

The Source: “Alright moving on: How about NBN? How do you compare to them in terms of quickly advancing your plans? They have always been a very nimble corporation.”

Director Haas: “We are addressing this issue with our new Arcology AI, which also doubles as another trick to lure unsuspecting runners into a defended server”.

The Source: “And how does this compare to NBN’s SanSan grid?”

Director Haas: “Unfortunately it’s riskier and less efficient. As an asset, we must dedicate an entire server to the Arcology, while the SanSan grid is so seamlessly integrated into NBN’s systems that it can exist in the same location as anything else. Additionally, it is possible for us to spend effort training the Arcology AI, and then see it destroyed by a runner before having a chance to use it. NBN doesn’t have that problem, their cost to activate the City Grid occurs only when it is used, and because it is so extensive, it is far harder for a runner to destroy.

The Source: “So, there is something that another company can do better than you?”

Director Haas: “Indeed, though as long as we are able to negotiate with them for use of the Grid, and we have superiority financially and in other areas as well, we can tolerate this situation”.

The Source: “How about your new ICE defenses, I have heard tales of an ice that cannot be broken by normal means, and screams so loudly that it will scare any runner away!”

Director Haas: “Yes, our new Howler ICE can combine with our new and enhanced Bioroid models to scare away almost any runner, at least one time. And if they don’t flee, they are in for a world of pain. The Howler can jumpstart our most expensive Bioroids without their usual startup costs, but only temporarily, so we like to save it in wait for the most critical moments. For example, if we detect a runner trying to rob our accounts, or to leak a key plan just before its completion.

The Source: “And your new Zed prototype? I hear it’s potentially deadly!”

Director Haas: “We figured that zombies are pretty popular right now, and since we are going to be airing demonstrations of our Ice for profit, we might as well have zombies”.

The Source: “I love it! But why did you make the zombie incredibly slow? I mean, if you are designing it, couldn’t you make a fast zombie?”

Director Haas: “A fast zombie? How un-thematic. The whole point of the zombie is that if you are sitting around, chatting away with a Bioroid, trying to talk your way past it, then the zombie sneaks up behind you and eats your brain! We designed it to punish those runners who like to talk their way out of tricky situations”.

The Source: “But couldn’t you have made it a fast zombie, who can catch runners even if they aren’t distracted by another Bioroid?”

Director Haas: “I’m pretty sure that a fast zombie would’ve been more expensive. Like, about 7 more expensive”.

The Source: “And your zombie doesn’t just attack. It’s intelligent enough to understand the runner, and they can talk to it as well, and make it leave them alone? What’s the point of that? How do you expect your zombie to ever work?”

Director Haas: “A certain other person I know was ‘relating’ to me the drawbacks of my new zombie. I told him that maybe he should grow up, and try designing his own Ice! Do I need to name him on air?”

The Source: “I think that’s all the time we have for now. Thank you Director Haas!” Click.

The Source: “Alright everybody, moving on, next up we have an interview with someone on the other side of the aisle, a child prodigy runner named Chaos Theory! She is going to talk to us about the new tools that Shapers are getting, to sneak into those corporate servers!

Chaos Theory: “Thanks! Have you met Dinosaurus?”

The Source: “He looks very cute. I hear that you have developed a way to ride him during your Romps in cyberspace, is that true?”

Chaos Theory: “Yes, it’s fun!”

The Source: “Tell me more about that”.

Chaos Theory: “It’s TONS of fun!”

The Source: “I see. So is it useful? Does it help you infiltrate the corporate servers more effectively?”

Chaos Theory: “Oh no, it’s completely useless. I mean, if I wanted to find out what the corp was doing, I would just infiltrate their corporate office IRL. That’s a lot easier than breaking through a server full of ice. I mean, if I find out they have a trap, I just won’t run it in the first place. And if I find out they have an secret agenda, I’ll run it once”.

The Source: “So when you romp in with Dinosaurus, smash things up, and then run in again…”

Chaos Theory: “That’s just an excuse to ride Dinosaurus. It serves no actual purpose”.

The Source: “And these new Feedback Filters you are using. They keep you safe from corporate traps on the net?”

Chaos Theory: “My mom makes me wear those. I don’t need them but she nags so much that it’s easier to just use them”.

The Source: “I’m sure she is just a concerned parent. Your mother, this is the famous Kate McCaffrey?”

Chaos Theory: “NO! Seriously, why does anyone think that? That’s the dumbest rumor. My parents are technophobes, as I explained in my Bio. It took me forever to convince them to let me run. And by convince, I really mean that I did it behind their back over and over until they gave up trying to stop me. Now my mom simply nags me to be safe. As if I would ever need a Feedback Filter in order to stay alive”.

The Source: “So, what new Icebreakers are you using these days?”

Chaos Theory: “I like my new Cloak and Dagger programs. With one Personal Touch on the Dagger, it can break both Shadows and Rototurrets, and then with the Cloak it can beat anything, an Archer, a Flare, an Ichi, whatever.

The Source: “So you think Dagger is a strong breaker?”

Chaos Theory: “Well, it will be a lot better once I can get a better version of Cloak. And the Cloak will be more effective with some more stealth breakers in the future. This is only the beginning”.

The Source: “And how about the new Open Source breaker Inti? Everyone else I’ve talked to thinks it sucks.”

Chaos Theory: “I actually really like my Intis. When you’re facing Ice Walls all day, they cut through them so easily, and they are so cheap. Have you ever used a battering Ram to break an Ice Wall? It’s such overkill. Now sure, we all agree that a Corroder is much better, but if you don’t have a friend who can get you a Corroder, the Inti is fine. And I like to create extra copies of it and sell them to my friend Aesop. I’m not sure why he agrees to pay for them, but he does!

The Source: “But what about large barriers. Inti can’t handle them well can it?”

Chaos Theory: “I either use other tools for those, like a Femme Fatale, or I put Inti in my Dinosaurus and use Datasuckers to weaken the barriers. It’s not the worst way to break ice. It’s hard to argue with free.

The Source: “And there you have it! Straight from the Source! Interviews with top runners and corporate executives, about the newest developments on the Net. Today’s episode is part one of a four part series of Daily Casts! Stay tuned for more interviews about Creation and Control with famous runners. All yours for the small fee of just 2 credits per episode!”