The World of Cyberpunk 2077

 

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CD PROJEKT RED TH E WORL D OF CYBERPUNK 2077 ®

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Summary:  An insightful, captivatingly designed, full-color hardc hardcover over

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everything you need to know about the history, characters, and world of video eo gam game e the long-awaited RPG from the creators of Th e Witcher vid

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CONNECTING

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/ 00 006 6 INTRODUCTION

/ 00 008 8

RL LD T H E M O DE RN W O R T h e Collapse

-> T h e F o u r t h -> Postwar

Co rp o ra te Wa r

Re u n i fi ca ti o n

->

Un i fi ca ti o n Wa r / M e ett al al W ar ar s

->

Modern T h r e a t s

/ 02 026 6 TECHNOLOGY OF TOMORROW -> Cyb e rwa re ->

Weapons

-> V e h i c l e s

-> Braindance

/ 08 084 4 NIGHT CITY Watson

-> Westbrook

->

City Ce n te r

Heywood ->

Santo Domingo Pacifica

/126 A VERTICAL SLICE OF I T Y S O CI CI E ET T Y IN 2077 N I G H T C IT -> TREET

T h e Rich an d Powerful

T h e Endangered M i d d l e Tier

-> T h e Down - an d - O u t

/150 LAW AND DISORDER L a w En fo rce me n t ->

G a n g s : T h e Ba d an d th e U g l y

N o m a d s : T h e R o v i n g Refugees

/184

CYBERPUNKS: EDGERUNNERS AND MERCS A n Interview with R o g u e

 

*

INTRODUCTION  

WE LIVE IN A DYSTOPIA DYSTOPIAN N WORLD MY FRIENDS, FILLEDWITH

our advertise advertisements ments on the displays downtown- but we 're here,

t r ia ia l s a t the Supreme Court in Spain? That NetWatchwas

CRIME CORRUPTION

maintaining our ever - movin moving g website on theNet 

nearly kicked outof Austral Australia ia, and Militech -backed merce-

watchthe news. We strongly believe thatthe excessofmoder essofmodern n

naries were forced to withdra withdraw w from Iceland after the joint

technolog technologies ies harms our interpersonal communication,

.

. AND

 

-

POVERTY RULED BY MIGHTY

POWER -HUNGRYCORPORATIONS A N D H E A R TL E S S, BRUTAL

.

GOVERNMENTS Each year we 're facing another global crisis,

We're not some clueless rebels, strain ningfor ingfor influence against

militaryintervention by the Scandinavian countries ? These

andeach d ay ay w e re forced to face the consequences o f t h e

major corporations  We just presen presentt younews, essays, and

arethe facts, but youwon t hear it inthe news  

stories e s from the realworld, showing things as theyare without

notfrom the corporate- controlled media in Night City

previous ones. The corporate- backed mass media-like N 54 or

At least

.

homeschoolingsystem forces them to actually read, not simply

affecting our relationships and communities. Plugging yourself in to thefeeder makes you vulnerable tointrusive commercials

and pushy propaganda. Reading longform text is a dying ability

WNS - are feeding n g society with bland, easy -to -digest pap of

the corporate bia bias s and icing on the top. We 're collaborating

processed news, brainwashing programs, andcommercials-

withcourageous independent writers, correspondents , inves-

The fact that we 're not at warwith the corporations doesn't

enforcingthe everever -popular trendto   buy more and think less  

tigative journalists , and experts in various various fields fields to provide

mean that we  re not writingstories big e n o u g h to make their

( ok, we know that not everyon everyone e has time to read nowadays,

T h e y d o this because it 's easier to control andmanipulate the

you withreal informa information tion, giv givingyouan ingyouan opportunity to think

protectiveof ctiveof our CEOs shudder. That's why we're careful and prote

sowe also also have voice - over versions of our articles available

.

i n o u r m o d e rn rn world, so to prevent the extinction of the written word we 've elected to support the format our website

to download) download).

ignorant, uneducated sheeple thanthose that are educated,

for yourself and to motivate you to search for further genuine

associates and collaborators . Some of the them m are top-notch

wellwell- informed, and awa aware re of theworld arou aroundthem ndthem 

edge dge and the ability to info Because in today today s world, knowle

news reporters who write write for us under fake n a me s, hiding

distinguish truth from fakenews arethereal superpowers.

their ident identities ities s o a s notto lose their jobs- or lives. We value

Thanks for reading this far. Feel free to visit our archives and

theprivacy of ourcontacts too . You canprovide us with some

bro browsethe wsethe late latest st mate material rials and essays that wil willl give you a

authentic, interes interestingmaterialwithoutfear tingmaterialwithoutfear that your identity

glimpse glimpse of theworld as it is

.

because you don't wan And yet you re here because wantt to be another

ut u s d ow ow n? Occasionally Do the big companies try to s h ut .

mindless sheep, aren t you ? In our reality, there is a huge need for fre free e media There are

But in most cases, they don t pay much atten attentionto tionto us. We

.

mostly fighting each other Most of ourinfoisn t restricted

first step to independent thou thoughtis ghtis to seek themout 

anyway- it  s justthat this kind kind ofinfo is omitted, hushed, or

.

.

don t affecttheir ratings, and they have bigger bigger fishto fry -

-and the dozensof dozensof ind indienews ienews stations and informationsites informationsites-

e, the NightCity Inquirer , are onesuch site You won't see

g ed tothe public. will be divulged

So why thisform ? Why text ?

unpopular becaus because e it isn  t in l in in e w i th th t h e corporations  

Have you everwondered why Nomads speak insuch a strange,

Petrochemrecently lost two interests Have you heard that Petrochemrecently

often overly - sophisticated way?That s because their mobile

.

- THE

EDITOR

 

TH E H A R D L E S SS S O N S O F O U R RECENT HISTORY

© DISCLAIMER: Due to the widespread corruptionof o nof the Net and the major loss of stored data duringthe four Corporate Wars, most of theinformaton theinformatonin in this article shouldbe ta k e n with a grain of salt. The Fourth Corporate War ended the wo r ld a s we knew it, leading to civil upheaval upheaval,, the collapse of nations, megacorporations, and the globaleconomy . Be aware

that data retrievedfrom the Old Net might be significantlycorrupted and some facts cannot be

consistently corroborated from multiple We present thisinformaton in the hope of shedding light on thoseevents thoseevents.. Havea good time and hail to the Free Net friends 

.

THE COLLAPSE  As the companies gained unfettered ac c es s to the world' s natural r e so u r ce s , environmental collapse and climate change were inevitable. 

was one of the major world events of the twenty -first century. E ve ni f themodern United States

THE C O L LAPSEO LAPSEO F T H E OLDUSA

—

— were to

ort he New United States, as they are called today

reunite reunite with with the FreeStates , it ’d still be a totally different country than it wa s fifty years ago.

We could see signs of the collapseyears before it occurred 

The first three Corporate Wars, fought between the years 1990 and 2016 , strengthened the position of the megacorporations,

—

giving them more authority than mostworldgovernment mostworldgovernmentss and the USA was no exception Affiliations between politicians

and corporations ceased to be regarded as conflicts of interest  Rather, they were treated as advantageous in the worlds of bigbusiness and politics 

As the companies gained unfetter unfettered ed acces accesss to the world’s

natural resources, environmentalcollapseand climatechange

were inevitable Acid rain anddust stormscause stormscaused d by extreme deforestatio deforestation n soonbecame the Americas’ biggest problems. Those natural disasters were accompanied by political

ones Thermo Thermonuclearwar nuclearwar in the Middle East turned that part

of the world into a radioactivewasteland radioactivewasteland,, causing a global oil

crisis The US government tried to save save itself by covertly

manipulating European and American stock markets, butthis shortsighted strategy backfired whenthat new sw as leaked to

financialmeltdownshook the econothe public Worldwide financialmeltdownshook

mies of almost every country on the globe , allowing corporationsto gain e v e n m o r e power. Meanwhile in the USA ,

— a coalition of govern — effectively ended federal democracy Many

a coup launched by the Gang of Four

ment agencies

statesseceded, declaring themselves “free states.” That time statesseceded, also marked the emergence of Noma Nomads ds

ew American — a n ew

social class of migr migrantsin antsin search of water, jobs, and safety from political turmoil. Many citi citiesand esand town townswere swere deserted. Most sociologists agreed t ha hatt t he Collapse wasthe worst catastrophe of the twenty -firs firstt century 

And thencamethe FourthCorp FourthCorpora orate te War.

Sandstorms decimated rural settlements across the continent, turning many of them into abandoned ghost towns.

01: 01 :

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THE W O R L D OF C Y B E R P U N K 2 0 7 7

 

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An Arasaka executivemonitors a coordinated strike against the corpo ration s enemies. 02 :

THE FOURTH CORPORATE WAR

As is always the case in early stages of corporate conflict, conflict,

firstt attacks attacks werecarried out discreetly the firs

midlevel — some midlevel

corporate officials were assassinated assassinated, andsome dirty infor-

 B y J u n e of 2022, Militech and Arasaka decided that niceties nd subtlety were altogether no longer nec es s ary, ary , and the conflict reached the third stage, called the Hot War . 

mation was stolenand revealed revealed. Mercenary netrunner netrunnerss were hired by bothsides bothsides,, and they made dozens of attackson attackson data data

£S

caches and stock holdings, whichwrought chaos onthe global

3

conomy Thoseevents force forcedd N etWat etWatch ch to place a temporary

ommunication embargo on Arasaka and Militech , but the THE FOURTH CORPORATE WAR BEGAN AS A RACE between two rival

aquatech agencies In late 2021 2021,, twooceanic exploitation corpo-

rations, CINO ( Corporation Internationale Nauticale et

security firm firmss were just getting warmed up. By the time Eurob Eurobank ank had successfully mediated a truce between CINO

Arasaka By early 2022 a new struggle between the security

vied for remains ns of a third corpo, IHA for con contt ro roll ove overr the remai

giants had begun, known today a s t h e Shadow War. This

(Internationale Handelsmarine Aktiengesellschaft ). The rivalry was bitter, and hostilitiesescalated rapidly after a brutal fiscal struggle. OTEC gained the upper hand by hiring Militec Militech h to

marked the second stage of the fourth globalCorporate War.

protect theirsecurityinterests CINO responded in kind and

contracted with Arasaka Thusthe Fourth Corporate War began, therwise known as the Ocean War 

THE W O R L D O F C Y B E R RP PUNK 2077

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OTEC, the real conflict had transitio and OTEC, transitioned ned to Militechand

Oceanique ) and OTEC ( Ocean Technology and Energy Corp)

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A makeshiftbarricadeerected at the Night City limits duringone of the manyriots in 2021

03 :

.

THE MODERN WORLD

 

Conflict during the Shadow War phase was more over overtt and

brutal Mercs and edgerunners flocked tothe ban banner nerss of both

security corporations, corporations, executing covert ops andraid andraidson son militaryand research facilities. Despite the visce visceralnature ralnature of the

conflict , the deadliest battle actually occurred on the Net when corporate and mercenary netrunnersrelease netrunnersreleased d a new generaprogramsupon amsupon each other. Some of tion of devastating viral progr t his his cod code e con contt inue inued d t o operat operate e long after the death of its creators , leaving vast areas of the Net irreparably dar dark k and dangerous. By June

of 2022, Militech and Arasaka decidedthat niceties

necessary,, andt he and subtlety were altogether no longer necessary conf conflict lict reach reached ed thethird stage, called the Hot War. Fighting

between the two military corporations escal escalatedto atedto full-scale

war. war . Cities like Rio de Janeiro were literally redu reducedto cedto rubb rubble le, their populations killed or mad made e refugees .

Global trade was paralyzed by military action and market collapse Intern Internationaltrade ationaltrade routeswere hit hard , andpiracy

raged free and unche flames es of physical conflict unchecked cked. As the flam

burned bright, NetWatch struggled to protect the Net .

Weakened by thedestruction of global serve serversand rsand data databanks banks and rava ravaged ged by thousands of malicio malicious us viruse virusess and demonclass programs, the Net as we knewit slowly died. Finally, thecountries of the world became weary of corporate conflict. Somegovern Somegovernmentsopenl mentsopenly y blamed blamed Militechand Militechand

Arasakafor thesituatio thesituationand nand withd withdrew rew their support for corporations, nationalizing their weakened holdings in those countries. The Free State of SouthernCaliforniaseized the Los Angeles headquarters of both companies. Texas and some European countriessoon followed suit.

Night City were the last of Arasaka’s Arasaka Towers in Night

American headquarters to fall, wiped out by a tactical nuclear weapon detonated by a group of unidentified mercenaries . Some sources implicated t heso-called “Atlantis Group ”

—

including suchmodern legends as Rogue, Morgan Blackhand,

—

and Johnny Silverhand but there wasn’t enough evide evidenceto nceto

conf confirm irm the group’s involvement. Morgan and Johnny were

never seen again after the Arasaka Towers incident, and Rogue has repeatedly deniedher participationin participationin the operation. Under pressure fro from m the Japanese government, Arasaka

finally conce conceded ded defe defeat at at the end of 2023. Militech emerged

victorious,, but was nearly as crippled astheir rival. victorious

04 : Armored Militech units deploy tothe batt battlefiel lefieldfrom an aircarrier South America, July 2022

.

.

017

 

T HE H A R D L E S SS S O N S O F O U R RECENT HISTORY

POSTWAR

( 2024-2035 )  T his period marked the stagnation of technological development. 

THE WORLD TOOK MORE THAN A DECADE to recover recover from global

war, and the first few years were far from peaceful. Riot and

rebellion burned in every corner of the globe South America

was still in political turmoil, and countries in Europe and Asia attempted to revive global trade by regulating the surviving corporations in orde orderr to reestablish government control after

years of corpora corporate te hegemony hegemony 

In the UnitedStates, UnitedStates, President Elizabeth Kress declared

martial law in the part partss of the country that rem remain ained ed under under

executive control Arasaka was consequently held responsible

for the detonation of the nuke that had destroyed the center

of Night Night City but rumors persisted that the Militech corpo rati ration on had funded the mysterious strike team and supplied themwith the portable nuclea nuclearr devic device e. Society demanded an explanation, and Presid President ent Kressexploited that sentiment to

keep Militech on a short leash. Although there was no hard hard evidence eviden ce to implicate Militech, Militech, the corporation’s assetswere nationalized by the US government a n nd d u se se d to strengthen

federalrule Some prominent and exonerated exonerated Militech officials 05 : Southern

California border patrolagents harass civilians attempting to enter Night City

.

were offered lucrative positions in the re-formed Department

of Defense.

This period mark marked ed the stagnation of technological devel-

opment Corporations were struggling to survive survive, andt he governments

06 : The

flag of Northern California, first adopted in 2012

bothfederall andlocal— focused on internal —bothfedera

affairs, suppressing civil unrest and rebuilding theircountrie theircountriess  Nomads became the lifeblood of the tech trade, scrounging

.

through battlefieldsand battlefieldsand abandoned abandoned facilities , and smuggling

71 SERIAL/

restricted goods in the their ir heavily armed convoys 

 

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Despite her assurances , President Kress showed littl littlee interest

in hel helping ping the devastated Night City recover In fact, allowing

the crippled city to struggle was the perfect way to bring the Free State of Northern Californiato Californiato heel. Nevertheless, the

stubborn residents of NC refused toconcede, andthe arduous arduous process of rebuildi rebuilding ng began.

Meanwhile, after years of futileattempts to reclaim the Old Net from a rogueintelligent system andself-awarecombat

programs, NetWatch establishedthe establishedthe so-called “ Blackwall,” a

virtual barrier betweenhuman and IS -controlled regions of the

Old Net Given the magnitude of the operation, there may be some truth to the conspiracy theories that NetWatch was forced tostrike a dealw ith the IS in order order to build Blackwall  

WATER ONLY 99 E 

/ GALLON

CONTACT CONT ACT VOUR VOUR LOCAL DEALER 18

HE W O R L D OF C Y B E R P U N K 2 0 7 7

T HE M O D E R N W O R L D

 

TH E H A R D L E S S O N S OF OU R R E C E N T H I S T O R Y

REUNIFICATION ( 2035- 2069 )  Night City was rebuilt by its citizens with theaid of Nomads and smaller corporations . 

-

THEHEXT THIRTY FIVE YEARS were a slow retu returnto rnto normality for

the nation nationss and corporations of the world Cities slowly began

to rebuild astrade routes were reestablished. Damaged infra-

structure wa wass repai repai rred ed and t ec echno hnoll og ogy y began to regain ubiquity 

In the US A , many cities that were abandoned during the

Collapse of 1990-2016 we rre e r e bu bu ilt ilt a n d repopulated with

government and corpora corporate te aid Corpora Corporations tions saw this as an opportunity opportun ity to fix the negative publicopinion they’d earned earned

reestablish influence over the culture  after the war , and alsoto reestablish

Abandoned by President Kress and t heUni t ed ed States Night City was rebuilt by its citizens with government,, Night government with the

aid of Nomads and smaller corporations  At the time time,, there wasrampantspeculation wasrampantspeculat ion that that the government had made a scapegoat of Arasaka for the nuclear detonation, and this galvanized corporations’ tendencies toward sovereignty. It

was the common opinion that citize citizenswouldpreferto nswouldpreferto see the return of the Asian security giant thansubmit themse themselves lves to

federal federal rule 

Conversely the situat situation ion in Europedid not go as well for

the old megacorporations. The established players, weakened

by war, werecontested by new upstarts that were backed and

controlled by European national governments  I n Asia Asia, the humiliated Arasa Arasaka ka face faced d defeat with with thei theirr

head held high The corpora corporation tion spent a significa significant nt portion

of their assets on war reparations reparations,, but a few profitable contracts allowe allowed d themto quickly regain their position as a leader in

the weapon manufacturing and security industries The

Arasaka ka setback still had lasting consequences, as Saburo Arasa reportedly faced internal opposition and a secret civil civil war

Introductory o e good for new customers only Does not apply to di e m sbase d in Pat flea i Night City The offer lasts only t day of first d elivery after which you 2months starting from the wHI be charged thethen current st andar d lee .

beganto brew brew with within in the company’s ranks 

—

New individual , isolated Net networks began to emerge

mostlyregional intranets. The few conne connectionsbetwee ctionsbetween n them werecarefullycontrolledand closelysupervised closelysupervised by NetWatch,

but their authority was significantly limit limited ed in Europe Europe and Oceania The new Net was less available to public users and

netrunnersto penetrate penetrate, asthe most important data harder for netrunnersto

was sequestered 

THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

020

city employee sterilizes a h a z a r d o u s s p i llll i n A r o y o 07: A

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TH E H A R D L E S SS S O N S O F O U R RECENT HISTORY

UNIFICATION WAR / METAL WARS ( 2069- 2070 )  The federal g overnm ent of the New United States — backed by nationalized Militech forces — declared war on the loosely allied separatist states . 

AT THE END OF 2069, the recently elected president

Rosalind

Myers presented a unification program to extendfederal extendfederal rule

treaty

— though unsatisfactory to all

— was preferable to continuing

parties

over the rogue FreeStatesunder the pretense of strengthening

the warand risking another global crisis.

Conflict lict was inevitable. The fede opposed unificat unification ion. Conf federal ral government of the New UnitedStates backed by nationalized

City was rededicated as an international free city independent from the lawsand

Militech forces declared war onthe loosely allied separatist

governance of the Free State of Northern

states: Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona ,

California and the New United States.

Idahomanagedto remain neutral in the conflict conflict at the price

further increase of megacorporate influ -

of some concessions to the federal government . Although

ence ence,, as the corpos pumped money into

the Free States States were secret secretly ly supported supported by the Arasaka Corporation withweaponsand “security advisers,” theywere

the revitalization of the city to establish

the nation. Most of the inde independen pendentt American territories

—

—

Nevada, and Northern California. Washington, Oregon, and

aftermath rmath of the war, Night In the afte

Nig NightCity htCity paid for this liberty with the

pressed hard by NUSA forces, who were assisted by states

a foo foott hol hol d on t he Wes Westt Coast of the NUSA. The symbolic capstone of these

became knownas the most cutting-edge military technology became

City allowed Arasaka to build their new

thatsupportedfederall interv thatsupportedfedera intervention ention This conflict, fought with

the Metal Wars.

NightCity avoi barely Northern avoidedthe dedthe fighting, butonly barely

and Southern Califo Californiawound rniawound up on opposite sides of the war, with allying g with with the South allyin with the United States government , the North attempting to r e m ma a in independent from

eventstook place in 2070, when Night

American headquarters downtown on the sitewhere theirprevious theirprevious building

was destr destroyedin oyedin 2023. Night City prospered again, though that prosperity was not enjoyed by all.

federal rule, and the peop people le of Night City holding their breath

as they awaite awaited d invas invasion ion by federal troops. In early 2070, an NUS Army division advanced to the outskirts of the city, but

prevented ed thanksto the quick actions of couninvasion wa s prevent cilman Lucius Rhyne. Capitalizing oncontact oncontactss made made during

a decade of service on the city council, Rhyne beseeched the long-shunned Arasaka Corporati Corporation on for prote protection ction. Within days, an Arasaka supercarrier arrived in Coronado Bay. Bay . Mere

hours later, the NUS Army had withdrawn 

Following Arasaka’s open interventio intervention n, the Treaty of by Unification was finally signed the New United States and the FreeStates coalition , ending the Unification War The Free

Statesretained their autonomy but agreed to particip participate ate in newfederal al govern governmen mentt and to cease hostilities among the newfeder themselves President Myers agreed to thissolution thissolution, fearing

that Arasaka ’s increasing involvement couldresult in escalating

.

a confl confl i c ctt that the NUSA coul could d not aff afford ord The peace

02 2

THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

TH E M O D E RN RN W O R L D

 

THE HARD LESSONS OF OUR RECENT HISTORY

MODERN

THREATS dangerous

 

We have a

degree of socia sociall

THE STABILIZATION OF EUROPE AND ASIA at theend of the Four Fourth th

Corporate War and the Unification War didn’t suddenly turn

happy place place full of unicorns and glitter  the world into a happy

stratification , an

Although the techn technologic ological al reces recessionbetween sionbetween the 2020s and

enormous crime rate 

the 2040s lowered global pollution levels, humanity still faces

and migratory unrest in almost every part of the world . 

someserious threats By now climate change is th e greatest and the most unpredictable 

Hurricanesand tornadoes of enormous scal scaleand eand intensity have decimated populations aroun around d the world. Haiti was offi-

cially abandoned in 2062 after a series of vicious storms ravaged the islan island d nation. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians

died during the event event and the exodusit exodusit caused caused, and the devas-

tation of the CaribbeanIslands was later deemed to be one of

the worstnatural disasters disasters of the late twenty-first century.

Desertification and drought are even more dangerous, threat -

ening the entirepopulation of South America as well as regions

in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Clear wateris becomingscarce, and thesituation hasn’t improve improved d in

hand , flooding is also frequent   the last few years On the other hand, In the last ten years floodshave destroyed parts of LA and Night

City. The Netherlands lost one -third of theirterritory butthanks

buildingg technology, they avoided completely tothe newest dam -buildin

submerging into the North Sea. The Maldives were not so fortu entirely y about twenty years ago   nate: the archipelago sank entirel

These grim circumstances led to significant soil depletion, causing famine that took hundreds of thousands oflives in Asia

and Africa It was onlyby introducinghydroponic cultivation cultivation

andvertical city farm farmss that someurban regions avoided total extinction 

Development of cybertechnologies introduced the problem

of cyberpsychosis Sufferers emotionally isolat isolate e themse themselves lves interaction on eventu eventually ally becomes from other people until human interacti emotionally aggravating  That aggravation grows into

Night City  s Corpo Plaza was rebuilt after its destructionduringthe Fourth Corporate War Nowits skyscrapersstand as some of the most recognizable fixtures on the City Center skyline

08 :

.

.

023

contempt, and eventually violence  Although thismental

illness hasbeen recognized for half a century and many studies suggest that it’s connected to the quantity of an individual’s

cyberaugmentations , we still aren aren’’t sure what causessome individualsto individualsto be more susceptible to the illness thanothers. Nevertheless , cyberpsyc cyberpsychosisremains hosisremains a major health concern

in our technologically dependent world 

To cap this list of woes, woes, we have have a dangero dangerous us degree of migratory social social stratif stratification ication, an enormo enormous us crime rate, and migratory Weapon manufacturers often usemodern society s ubiquitous sense of insecurity as leverageto increase their sales 09 :

 

024

unrest in almos almostt ever every y part of the world

— but most of you are

probably already aware of that. You face it every day. Things

are far from being okay, and if we wantto survive as a species,

we needto seriously reevaluate our value system. The question is: is it too latefor that ?

THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

THE MODERN WORLD

 

CHAPTER 2

TECHNOLOGY O F TOMORROW

[ 03 0 ]

CYBERWARE

Th e Market an d Availability Th e History of Cyberware

[ 04 0 ]

WEAPONS Gu n Culture an d Gu n L a w s in N i gh gh t C i ty ty Weapon Sales W e a p o n Manufacturers Consumer 's G u id e : A T y p o l o g y of W e a p o n s in 2 0 7 7

[0 5 2]

VEHICLES rt h Corporate W ar A History of V e h i c l e s a f t e r t h e F o u rt

SI D a n d Car Theft Vehicle M a n u f a c t u r e r s

 

HELLO, AN THE E AND D HAIL TO TH

FREE N E T  TODAY W E’RE GONNA TALK ABOUT MODERN TECHNOLOGY

  DAY Y, CORPORAEVERY SINGLE DA TIONS FLOOD O U R SENSES WITH ADS FOR MUST- HAVE BLEEDINGEDGE MERCHANDISE, WHILE

SIMULTANEOUSLY STEALING EACH OTHER’S IDEAS A N D BLUEPRINTS,

KIDNAPPING OPPOSING TOP

 

RESEARCHERS, ASSASSINATING

RIVAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS,

AND AN D SLOWING UP COMPETING

LAOS  JUST TO DE TH THE E FIRST TO

MARKET WITH THEIR O W N TECHNOLOGICAL MARVELS  THE

STREET H A S IT ITS S O W N BLACK

MARKET OF CREATIVELY MODIFIED EQUIPMENT- FROM

CYBERWARE, TO GUNS, TO NETRUNNING DEVICES, TO CARS

AND AN D AERODYNES ” THE E EDITOR -TH  

E D I T O R  S N O T E Technology has ma made de great

leaps forward during the last half century, an and d eve even n

if you haven t been spending time in a cryofridge, it can be hard to stay up to date

with the latest latest trends trends and innovations . We thought it good id idea ea to do would be a good something about that , so

.

our our best best stringer Josh, has do on ne so om m e research and legwork . He  s greased a few palms and spoken with some

real experts in their fields , all to bri bring ng yo u a quick recap

o f m od od e err n technology and the history of its develop -

ment . We   ll s t a r t with something that has become

literallyJ lyJ inseparable ( often literal from our daily liv lives es over the last fifty years : cyberware.

 

T H E MARKET A N D AVAILABILITY MOST COMPANIES OFFE R A W I D E

selection of off - the - shelf implants, pejoratively pejorativel y known known as  shelfware.  Though often scorned by profes -

[ 031]

sionals who prefer to tune and modify their own stuff, those implants are reliable , widely available, and generally affordable . They function in modern culture like tattoos and cellpho cellphones nes did at

beginni nning ng of the twenty - first the begi

century : as a method of expres sion, a trendy addition to one ' s

image , an d a useful gadget- usually

all in on e . Basic cyberware is easy to obtain nowadays . Shops and cosmetic clinics install   lite  implants on the

spot . Yo u walk in off the street ,

A

make an appointment, sit through

RIPPERDOC E X A M I N E S

0 1: A K A B U K I

a quick procedure and some calibrations, and

black black cli clinics nics, depending on your preference,

TH E F U N C T I O N A L I T Y O F

voila : no w you' ve got your very ow n cyberaudio

the state of your wallet , an d your risk assess-

H IS C L I E N T   S R E C E N T L Y

an n be bought a t t h implant . Other add - ons c a he e

feelin ing g luck lucky y and and you you want to ment  If you re feel

ADDED I MP LANT

store and installed at home.

have some ripperdoc from Kyrgyzstan remove

.

your heart an d replace it with cheap second -

More complicated cyberware needs to be

hand junk , go for it  

installed in specialist clinics , but the whole

CO MPATIBILITY

procedure isn t more complicated than a visit

Also , having your arm cut off to get yourself a

M o d e rn i m p l a n t s a l l h a v e

to the dentist ' s office  Ye s , they have to check

cyber cyb er replac replaceme ement nt isn' t something that most

similar technological

medicall conditio condition n won 't cause any that your medica complications duri during ng the procedure, but they

people do on a daily basis. You have to be pretty fucked up or have a serio serious us reason reason- like a loan

foundations , because they

know that you can can al alway ways s install the same

ha a t decision. Things are to pay - to come t o t h

w i t h e a c h u se r   s n e r v o u s

im impl plan antt at a ripperdoc ' s place for about BO

different when you're rich though . Rich people

system

do much weirder stuff just to show off .

a l l i n d u s t r y s t a n d a r d s,

percent of the price , so they usually

aren' t

too strict .

need to be c o m p a t i b l e

 Th e

i n t e rf rf a c e ess a r e

so

there i s no problem with

Removing or replacing an implant is almo almost st always

compatibility between

Th e most complex cybernetic and biological

an option, but there are no refunds. Think twice

c o m p e t i n g p l a t f o r m s fro m

enhancements - like full - body conv conversi ersions ons or

before yo u make the decision to m od , especially

dif f e r e nt m a n u f a c t u r e r s

organ and limb replacements - ar e only

with complex cyberware. If you ca n 't afford to

Y o u h a v e an A r a s a k a- m a d e

performed by specialists in branded clinics .

buy a new model, or you

kept your ol d

l e a r n i n g processor but

Most people pick something from the Docs R

lungs in the fridge, you m ay have serious prob -

a c h i p w a r e so c k e t from

Us catalog, but you you can can also choose one of the

lems - you know, with breathing and stuff.

Biodyne? N o problem

haven't

.

.

 

T H E HISTORY OF

2

CYBERWARE  

PROSTHESES A ND G E N ER E R A T IO IO N Z E R RO O CYBERWARE

 

S

s 2

T H E INDUSTRIAL CYBERWARE REVOLUTION ER A T I IO ON ONE A N D G E N ER

Cyberware Cyberw are was created a s a n evolution evolution of

Postwar medical cyberware prosthesis develop -

medical prostheses. At the beginning of the

ment helped to speed speed up the miniaturization

twenty - first century century,, implants were mainly

process The first nonmedical implants to be

used to replace missing or damaged limbs and

designedand designedand successfully tested werereinforced

[ 033 ]

organs. Artificia Artificiall heart valves, extremities,

spines and joints for heavy labor workers and air

vertebrae - they were all designed designed to save

filters grafted in upper respiratory tracts for

A

huma humanlives nlives or to allow the patient to function

those working inpolluted environments Still, the

FROM ALL W A LK S O F

more normally after severe body trauma.

high rate of implant rejection remained the main

The development of cyberware spe sped d up after

gn n and of thos those e conflicts soon started started to desig

of society.

employ combat cyberware Those wars started

the First CentralAmerican War, whenthousands of veterans c a m e h o m e injured. Technological

progress and miniaturization allowed for

 

obstacle for the further cybernetic enhancement

an armsrace between the private armies of the Cyberware found its way to the battlefields in the

second decade ofthe twenty -first century The

GENERATION TWO A N D THE ANTIREJECTION S O L U T I O N  I M P L A N T S H I T THE STREETS

megacorporations that continues to this day  Ashas often been the cas case e in human history,

02 : INDIVIDUALS

LIFE ENJOY CYBERWARE, T HO UG H SO ME MAK MAKE E IT MORE APPARENT THAN

.

OTHERS

BOOTLEGS AND BLACK ]

cyberware to become more sophisti-

Second Central American War and the Second

That early combat and industria industriall cyberware

develop-war would play a pivotalrole in the develop

catedand widesprea widespread d, but it was still quite

and ThirdCorporate Wars werethe cruc crucible ibles s

is now referred to as  Generation One   or  Gen

W h e n you cannot afford

expensiveand not very intuitive to use . The first

that forged the first combat implants Militech

1  Made of metal and plastic , they exceed the

ment of a new technology. The battlefielddust

had not yet settled before before the cybermedical

original gear, you can

 medical 

prosthetic prosthetic arm was a heavy mechanical

was first to seize theopportunity Their enhanced

contraptionwith a crud crude e grip gripper per inst instead ead of a

cybersoldiers- with increased carrying capacity

h a n d a n d fingers Today we refer to suchcyber-

and direct connections to personal motion

MARKET CYBERWARE

always buy a cheaper

old - fashioned Generation Two  Nowadays Gen

market started booming. Th e s a me corporations that participated in the Corporate Wars

version made by a lesser

an n on nll y b e s e ee e n o n the black market , sold 1 ca

no ow w sa aw w a n oppor opportuni tunity ty for profit, and

company. These counter

Gener GenerationZero ationZero, butare inferior inferior even to th e

. ware as   Generation Zero .  It is completely obsolete compared to modern technology.

71 S E R I A L / ED D - 74 HG - 3 DbJ - G L l R

 

trackers and range finders-proved to be superior

cheap to the poorest of people who can  t afford

expanded their lines to produce medical

feits usually h a v e f e w e r

totheir opponentsin almost every way  Eachside

better cyberware.

implants for veterans . Right after that they

options, worse software,

introduced cheap models for the industrial

and are more prone to

market , and the first models for the masses

failure. That s what you

were designed simultaneously. The first

/

\

— Ee 1

>

V

A 

E

• * 

still federally unregulated status.

.= B  DY

III T

cyberweapons appearedtoo , thanks to their their

C

WITHOUT '

LIMITS

get with

  Militiatech  or

 Ara Sake 

brand quality.

You can also try to buy cyberware on the black

These events all coincided withthe invention of

market , b u t t h e prices

antirejection treatment, the development of

can be pretty high.

the new cultural style called  kitsch, kitsch,  and the

You ll surely pay less

boom of braindancetechnology. Society, weary

for the cyberarm with

fromrecentt wars, wanted to party again, and fromrecen

some leftover chunks

to look like theheroes in thenewest braindance

of the previous owner

productions . Th e a g e of cyberware had begun.

attached t o i t, but for the

Generation Two cyberimplan cyberimplants ts are the most

brand  new Gen 4 Temporal

hot merchandise, like a

common type of augmentationyou will encounter

Cortex Enhancement proto 

on the street. They are functional and relatively

type, you ll have to sell

cheap. Gen 1 pistons and hydraulics were

both of your kidneys or at

replaced by artificial cybermuscles that allowed

least someone s kidneys,

for greater actuation and strength. Then

prov provided ided they  re healthy.

—

RealSkinn technology ente enteredthe redthe market market and immediately became a high - end status symbol.

 

A GENERATION FOUR STRING ARM COVERED

 

RealSkinn is a technol 

IN INFANT QUALITY

R E A L S K I N N.

ogy used for producing synthetic skin   virtually skin 

indistinguishable from natural skin. Invented for the medical market to help war veterans accept their cyberprostheses, it

became more popular and affordable in the follow 

ing thirty years a n d i s

now the standard covering for most implants. Fans of retro style a n d o w n e rs rs of expensive custom   made

cyberlimbs still pre  fer to

 go

naked   and

wear implants without a RealSkinn overlay.

 

BIOWARE B i o t e c h n o l o g y a n d nanot e c h n o l o g y ar e s t i l l f a i r l y

n o v e l by m a r k e t sta n

dards

-

. They we re created

>

R I S E OF TH E MEGACORPORATIONS AND

GENERATION THREE CYBERWARE

enhancements i n ste a d o f c y b e r n e t i c s . Skinweave a r m o r, n a n o s u r g e o n s , t ox ic

b i n d e r s , a n d s y n a p t i c u p g r a d e s b e ca ca m e e v e r

as b y p r o d u c t s of i m p l a n t

treatment,

T h e rise o f th e m e g a c o r p o r a t i o n s also p l a y e d

more p o p u l a r. Th o u g h b i o m o d i f i e d muscles

use

a role in cyberware 's c o n t i n u e d t e c h n o l o g i c a l

g an a n s a rre e no t as pow erful a s t he h e ir ir an d o rrg

w as to integrate i mpl ant s

d e v e l o p m e n t. T h e i n v e n t i o n of G e n 3 cyber -

cyb e r w a r e c ount erpart s, they ar e i m m u n e

i n t o a human body

ware w a s i n s t i g a t e d b y t h e c o r p o r a t e   c o l d

to E M P a t t a c k s , ar e no t detectable by

on a r t i f i c i a l l y grown ,

w a rs   arms ra ce . E v e r y corporation w a n t e d

r e g u l a r s c a n n e r s, an d ar e l e ss like ly t o

enhanced organs an d

to have b e t t e r e q u i p p e d s o l d i e r s an d

iv i d u al al s c o m b i n in in g c a u s e c y b e r p s y c h o s i s . I n d iv

enf orc ers t o k e e p their competitors a t b a y

cyberware a n d b i o w a r e b e c a m e s o m e o f th e

antirejection

where their primary

-

. Based

lo w i m p a c t n a n o t e c h ,

i n a fe w y e a r s b i o w a r e

a n d their o w n b u s i n e s s secure. L i g h t e r a n d

m o s t d a n g e r o u s c o r p o r a t e agent s an d

c o u l d become t h e l e a d i n g

m o r e d u r a b l e c a r b o n f i b e r a n d c e r a m i c poly -

special o p e r a ti ve s . I w o u l d n ' t recommend

me rs replaced heavy metal . Concealed

buying a n y biow are f r o m an unchecked

subdermal arm or a n d ret rac t able w e a p o n s

s o u r c e - u n l e s s yo u w a n t an i n f e c t i o n

Bioware i s developing

were d e s i g n e d fo r b l a c k o p s a n d a s s a s s i n s .

f rom s o m e cra zy , c o n v i c t- tested n a n o b o t s

rapidly , especially in

B u l l e t, b l a d e, a n d fireproof a r m o r e d v a r i a n t s

Europe , which i s a cr adl e

o f R e a l S k i n n were d e v e l o p e d a n d ar e w i d e l y

t e c h n o l o g y i n th e b o d y

m o d i f i c a t i o n b u si n e ss

-

of h i g h q u a l i t y b i o e n

-

.

-

g in e e re d modifications

u s e d t o d a y a m o n g corporate forces .

.

to

r e l a t i v e l y s m a l l , govern

as s t t h i r t y y e a r s , c y b e r w a r e ha s I n th e l a

b e c o m e w i d e l y u s e d in every a s p e c t of l i f e

S c a n d i n a v i a n la bor a tor ie s nd c l i n i c s belonging

that e v e n t u a l l y attack y o u r n e r v o u s s y s t e m  

-

This p e r i o d als o sa w th e i n nv ve en n ttii o on n of

ac ros s a l l s o c i a l strata - f r o m th e military,

bioware - technology th a t uses biological

medicine , a n d m a n u f a c t u r i n g t o f a m i l y life , s ex , a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t  It s d e v e l o p me n t c r e a t e d

m e n t - backed c o r p o r a t i o n s

l eg e g a l a n d i llll e eg g a l b u s i n e s s , from b r a i n d a n c e

i k e F r e y a a nd Y g g d r a s i l l ar e c o n s i d e r e d t o p r o d u c e

a n d cyb e r fa sh i o n t o t h e b l a c k market of

cyberlimbs an d bioengineered o r g a n s .

H u m a n i t y h a s b e e n forever changed.

h e b e s t b i o w a r e o n th e m a r k e t , o u t c l a s s i n g an y of

t h e i r American - o r A s i a n made counterparts

.

-

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03: A FULL FOREARM REPLACEMENT HOUSES AN

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INTEGRATED PROJECTILE

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FOR T H E R I C H

D E S IG IG N E R I M P LA LA N T S

AND POWERFUL 

T o ge t a c u s t o m - made

GENERATION FOUR

v e r si o n of a c o m m e r c i a l i m p l a n t , yo u   l l n e e d to

The newest an d best kind of cyberware comes

know the r i g gh h t f iix x e r an d

in two types. The first is used by top - tier

have so m e m o n e y

corpo -

to

spend

.

rate officials an d agents . Implants like upgraded

o n t h e m e r cch h a n d iiss e S u c h

neural processors , netrunning hackware ,

cyberware i s extremely

grade IV cybereyes, an d stress analyzers give

rare an d e x p e n s i v e , bu t

them a competitive edge over their rivals and

h a l f of t h e e x o r b i t a n t

peers. Covered with the fines finestt quality RealSkinn,

p r i c e i s th e   u n i q u e

these Ge n 4 augmentations define a corpo' s lifestyle and are a s ign ign of their status within

o b t a i n i n g a p i e c e of

the corporation.

b e s p o k e gear earn s a lo t of

n e s s 

fe e

.

-

N e v e r t h e l e s s,

respect a nd c a n be a m a j o r

Though no less advanced, the second type of

s h o t i n t h e ar m fo r y o u r

peak modern cyberware is designed to be

s treet r e p u t a t i o n

 

overtly visible . This style is becoming ever more popular among the social elite elite - corporate

heirs, braindance stars, singers, and other gold and and platinum lines celebrities.. Flowing gold celebrities woven into the most advan advanced ced RealSk RealSkinn inn 

Anatomical cyberlimbs made of pure crystal,

artificially cultivated on orbital stations, or plated with natural wooden tiles worth tens of cyber-thousands of Eurodollars  This style of cyber

almost st purely decor ware is almo decorati ative ve to signify status and wealth .

04 : A MEDIA

INFLUENCER STREAMS THE INSTALLATION

OF HER MAXILLA -

 

MANDIBULAR IMPLANT

 

E D I T O R  S N O T E To examine this controver sial topic more closely closely, we ve decided to consult an expert.

Though a little eccentric

.

W iill so so n i s an ardent sup porter o f t he he original Second

pant, gangs are everywhere, and everyone has to find their own way of dealing with that situation. Thankfully,

-

corporations and our corporate - backed government have found the perfect way to keep every law - abiding citizen

Amendm Ame ndment ent and and is a pur

veyor of weapons in every

safe. Just sel selll th them em each a gun. Or a few guns. Th e more the better .

shape, size, and style . His nowledge on thi this s sub subjec jectt is

Owning a firearm -legally or illegally - means safety and independence. For those who live by the sword (mostly gang -

as broad as the select selection ion in

ers and cyberpunks) , guns mean power and prestige, their signature, and the their ir sta status tus on the street Yo u know that

h iis s sh ho o p, so make s ur ur e t o

old Militech commercial slogan ?   Do n ' t be a sheep, take matters into your own weapon weaponized ized cyberhands .  Yes , everyone

read carefully. It coul could d sav save e

knows it That , my friend , is why my business is booming.

yo u money - and your life .

 

.

  WILSON  2077

 

GUN CULTURE A N D GUN LAWS I N NIGHT CITY

-

05 : A WELL PREPARED

SHOP OWNER DEFENDS

HERSELF AGAINST A PAIR OF WOULD

- BE

 

ROBBERS

[ 041]

WH O OWNS A GU N IN Night City ? Anyone who can afford one.

Wh o carries it openly ? Generally only folks

who ' d use it on a

da y - to - day basis : law enforcement officers ,

corporate security officials, mercenaries, and gangers . People

wh o run busines businesses ses in public places- vendors ve rrs s fo orr or taxi d rrii ve example - will also often carry a gu n openly for their own safety

for weapons and treats them as a necessary

an d to protect their livelihood. No on e wa want nts s to

unpleasantness 

be an easy mark , especially if you live in a poor

FIREARM LAWS Gu n l a aw w s i n 2077 America haven t changed much

neighborhood. Sure, th the e re a re re some  crime

ome places - like courthouses , police

threat   apps that can warn users users abou aboutt shoo shoott-

stations , and other municipal buildings - are

century. The Second

outs and elevated threat levels in certain city

more strict about carrying weapons and

Amendment to the US

districts, but owning and carrying a gun is far

possessing offensive implants. The These se places

Constitutio Const itution n is as sacred

more trusted as a safety solution.

are guarded by either the police or private

as ever ever, especially no w

enforcement agents and security systems .

that violence on the streets is so rampant.

Still, des despit pite e the fa fact ct th tha a t we live in an urban

  Corporate

jungle an d that the Night Night City City charter is pretty

Spaces ,  as they a re re o fte ften n referred to ) are

Reunited states  gu n laws

lax about citizens carrying guns, most people

entirely excluded from the same wa y , an d are entirely

regul gulate ated d by the ar e still re

don't carry them openly to work or the grocery

the Night City charter . To detect hidden

federal government   while

trigger - happy

weapons and cyberware ma made de of co comm mmon on

the specifics vary by state

cowboys yearning for an opportunity to resort

composite materials, security forces use full -

and locality. Concealed

a surprisingly

body scanners at the entrance to such zones

carry became the norm

significant part of the population ha s a distaste

and buildings. Access to t h he es e a re re as as is only

everywhere   and open carry

granted to those who first deposit their

is allowed outside city

weapons in safety lockers and deactivate and

limits and tolerated in

block their offensive implants .

most suburban areas.

store . Sure , there are some to

 preemptive self - defense,  but

Zones   ( or   Privately Owned Public

since the turn of the

 

  PREEMPTIVE

E L F- D E F E N S E

a

WEAPON SALES

As everyone n o w a d a y s i s o te n tia lly equipped w ith

IN N IG I G H T C IIT T Y , A S IN M O S T A M E R I C A N

f f e n si v e , l e t h a l c y b e r-

cities , you can legally purchase pretty much

a r e , m o s t s tates h a v e

an y weapon you could wish for. If you want to

idely extended t he i r

buy cheap , shitty guns , go to one of the

n t e r p r e t a t i o n of th e i g h t to d e ffe e n d o n e se se l f hu s , t h e

term  

vending machines ; for a few eurobucks you

.

can get one of those   one - shot polymers  

from BudgetShitarms . Supermarkets or

p re e mp -

i v e s e l f - d e f e n s e   wa s oined

. A c c o r d i n g to

basic ic se sele lec cconvenience stores also offer a bas

tion of weapons that might suit the needs of

this

r i n c i p l e , if a n i nd n d i-

less discerning customers, while specialized

i d u a l i s   p r o v o k e d , 

weapon boutiques offer merchandise fo r

h e y ar e a l w a y s a u t h o

-

more mor e informe informed d cli client ents s.

r i z e d t o us e d e a d l y f o r c e

t o prevent

th e inflic

-

Heavy weapons are a different story . The

i o n of s i g n i f i c a n t b o d i l y

possession and sale of so - called   weapons of

arm or death

Courts

war   are strictly prohibited inside Night City

n d i f f e r e n t s tates ma y

limits, but major corporations enjoy an exception

ar y i n t h e i r d e f i n i t i o n

securit rity y forc forces es may to this law. Corpo' s elite secu

f provocation, b u t they

us e them if   public safety is endangered,  which

s u a l l y a r e n  t v e r y s t r i c t

also extends to   Privately Owned Publ Public ic Safety, 

b o u t i t if th e p r o v o k e r

so yes , corpo soldierboys can can le lega gall lly y use use a

a d an y v i s i b l e i m p l a n t s

minigun if corpor corporate ate property or personnel is in an y perceived danger. Of course elite police

. 

h a t ma y h a v e s e e m e d uspicious or threatening nfortunately ,

.

  s u s p i-

A militarized police force is an effective police

force, right ?

i o u s   a nd   t h r e a t e n i n g  

c a n d e sc r i b e a w i d e a r i e t y of a u g m e n t a t i o n s

units like Ma x -Tac ca can n use use heavy weapons weapons too 

.

Th That at does doesn n' t mean that you can ' t buy heavy weapons from specialized independent vendors.

06 : TH E MILITECH

find the them m, fixers can get If you know where to find

— 17 9 ACHILLES IS

you literally anything- including the latest

OPULAR AMONG SOLDIERS

ND MERCENARIES FOR

cutting- edge corporate prototype weapons. Just bring your wallet .

IT S PRECISION AND

.

RELIABILITY

 

BUDGET A?n\ s

Dii

DVERTISEMENT LINK

71 S E R I A L / LK P - DF b 7 - f17 17 N ti - HS 5 S /  

0 7 : MALORIAN

ARMS IS

A NOTABLE

MANUFACTURER OF SMALL

ARMS FOR COMPETITION AND PERSONAL DEFENSE

.

jiitjjj

i[ iiKiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiHiMiiiiiiiiiEiiiiii

WEAPON MANUFACTURERS

TH E T O P T I E R O F W E A P O N - P R O D U C I N G

BO RG W E A P O N S

companies is dominated b y Asian c o r p o r a t i o n s 

product range to i n c l u d e m ilit ary ro b o ts,

term fo r t h e s u b c a t e g o r y

J a p a n's A r a s a k a a n d T s un un a m i D e f e n s e S y s t e ms

w h i c h e a rn rn e d t h e m th e n i c k n a m e of   Ru s s i a n

t h a t i n c l u d e s power a n d

b o t h p r o v i d e to p - quality, high - t e c h firearms ,

M i l i t e c h   If y o u aren' t a h u g e fa n o f m o d e r n

t e c h we a p o n s t h a t ar e

b u t t h e y h a v e t o s h a re re t h e i r n i c h e w i t h a n e w

t e c h n o l o g y a n d w a n t s o m e t h i n g s i m p l e bu t

d e s i g n e d to he w i e l d e d

c o n t e n d e r - C h i n e s e c o r p o r a t i o n K a n g Ta o, th e

rugged from th e m i d t i e r, then Co n s t i t u t i o n a l

 

Bor g  

i s th e c o l l o q u i a l

an nd d u sse e d o n l y by h e a v i l y a u g m e n t e d users

. They

 

 

e m e r g in in g l e a de de r in s m a r t technology

weapons

.

A rm rm s s ti ti llll m a k e s e x c el e l le l e n t shotguns a n d m a c hi hi ne ne g u n nss.

usua lly require a special

Mi d t i e r manufacturers ar e m o r e d i v e r s e, a nd

c y b e r l i m b, f u l l- body

A m e r i c a n corporations l e a d in that c a t e g o r y .

If p r i c e is a n i s s u e, y o u c a n l o w e r your e x p e c -

conversion , or Assisted

M i l i t e c h , th e famous military contractor, i s

t a t i o n s a n d tr y to f iin n d s o m e tth h i ng ng a m o n g t h e

Combat P e r s o n n e l A r m o r

f o c u s e d o n m a s s - p r o d u c e d , m i d q u a l i t y, m i l i-

of f erings of lower - tier c o m p a n i e s . N o k o t a

T h e s e w e a p o n s ar e e s p e -

tary - s p e c firearms . M i d n i g h t A r m s e x c e l s a t

e a r n e d it s reputation a s a producer of inex -

c i a l l y p o p u l a r a mo n g

heavy w eaponry , mainly b o rg weapons .

pensive a r m s th a t a re re s ttii llll reliable an d

th e heavily cybermodded

M a l o r i a n Arms is struggling to k ee e e p u p; this

powerful. I f y o u v a l u e s t y l e o v e r q u a l i t y, t h e

mercenaries and members

o n c e famous company hasn' t released a n y

India - b a s e d Darra P o l y t e c h n i c w o ul ul d b e your

of i n f a m o u s p o l i c e

ne w m o d el e l s s iin n c e 2043 , bu t they ar e still

b e st s t b e t. S e r b i a n Rostovic w e a p o n s a r e c h e a p,

psychosquads

c o n s i d e r e d to b e th e iconic producer o f reli -

simple , an d highly c u s t o m i z a b l e. If yo u 're b r a v e

able h a n d g u n s .

e n o u g h , yo u ca n always t r y s o m e of th e

 

.

30 - printed

do - i t - y o u r s e l f

k its

from

T ec ht ronic a - k now n fo r t h e i r high - tech

BudgetArmsBudgetArms - n o w a v a i l a b l e in a c l a s s i c r e t r o

c o n s u m e r w e a p o n s - recently e x p a n d e d t h e i r

pink co lo r s t r a i g h t o ut o f 2 0 2 0.

 

mTSUN E F E N S E

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CONSUMER’S GUIDE A TYPOLOGY OF

WEAPONS IN 2077 LE T S S AY AY Y OU OU NEED A G UN . YE S, YO U RE definitely gonna need on e . Let m e take you on

a quick tourthrough the most populartypes of modern weapons. Trust m e , I'm a dealer.

> POWER WEAPONS

> TECH W E A P O N S

( or  power guns   as they 're

Tech weapons  ( or  tech guns  ) are firearms

called in street slang ] are classic firearms

incorpora rporate te rail gu n technology, firing solid that inco

that use conven conventio tional nal cartridges of various

high - velocity projectiles that are propelled with

types and calibers . Tried an d trusty, they are

electromagnetic magnetic charge Although they have an electro

08 : THE

characterized by their high rate of fire and

a slower rate of fire than other firearms , they

CONSTITUTIONAL

significant recoil. They are very popular among

more than make up for it with their awesome

DEFENDER BY

civilians, law enforcement officers, an d military

range and penetrating power.

CONSTITUTIONAL ARMS

personnel. Th e power category includes all

IS ONLY INTENDED FOR

kinds of firearms , from ch chea eap p and and unreliable

Tech weapons utilize utilize caseless caseless ammunition

USE BY CORPORATE LAW

polymer one - shots and primitive but effect effective ive

( generally a jacketed steel flechette] , which

THOUGH

revolvers and shotguns to brand - new ,

penetrate te most personal armor, is able to penetra

IT   S UNDENIABLY

precisely engineered automatic pistols , subma -

and and ev even en vehicle armor when subjected to a

chine guns, assault rifles, and machine guns 

prolonged charge 

  Power weapons  

,

ENFORCEMENT

POPU POPUL LA AR R AMO AMO N NG G CIV ILIA NS AS WELL

.

0

1

 

II U  NJ

Si *

^

0

[ 046 ]

08

 

> SMART WEAPONS  Smart

weapons   (or  smart guns  ) are weapons

grip - and they use a laser or sonic targeting

T

that employ gyrojet technology to fire caseless

system to scan their target and predict its

HEAVY MACHINEGUN

guided ammunition . No t many peopl people e know that

projectiles movement . Once fired, the gyrojet projectiles

AR E TOO LARGE AN D

WEAPONS LIKE THIS

 

the techn technolog ology y was actually pioneered over a

can adjust their tr traje ajecto ctory ry to anticipate the

century ag o in the 1960 s in anticipation of orbital

target 's

movements.

IMPRACTICAL TO BE CARRIED WITHOUT VERY

space battles, but was quickly abandoned du e

SPECIFIC CYBERWARE

to its unreliability. We ' ve come a long way since

AUGMENTATIONS.

then , an d smart guns no w are true cutting - edge

THEY RE INSTEAD MORE

death h - precise and efficient . instruments of deat

USEFUL AS STATIONARY

Smart guns connect with their operators

EMPLACEMENTS OR WHEN

through cyberware implants-usually a smart

ATTACHED TO VEHICLES.

THE MILITECH MT0D12 FLATHEAD IS A SOPHISTICATED

AND POWERFUL PIECE OF HARDWARE AT TING CAPABLE O F O P E R A AUTONOMOUSLY OR

VIA REMOTE , AND FEATURES DYNAMIC CAMOUFLA UFLAGE GE ARMOR

AND ULTRA-SENSITIVE

.

MOTOR IMPULSES ITS SPIDER

 LIKE

ANATOMY ENABLES IT

TO CRAWL UP WALLS

AND ALONG CEILINGS.

 

A

09 :THIS

NEUROT NEU ROTOXI OXIN N COMB COMBAT AT

KNIFE WAS DEVELOPED FOR PROTECTION AGAINST DEEP SE A

WILDLIFE, BU T

IT S SINCE GAINED POPULARITY AMONG

. TH E

ASSASSINS

KATANAS SEEN HERE S ER ER VE VE A S MUCH AS A

FASHION ACCESSORY

AS THEY DO A MARTIAL WEAPON.

> MELEE W E A P O N S You could say that melee weapons are obsolete

weapons - mainly s te te e l p ip ip es es , wrenches ,

an ag e when a single pull of the trigger can

screwdrivers , or ha hamme mmers rs- are a crud crude e but but

unleash a hail of IS - guided rocket - propelled

effective way to kill . Still, they a re re n ex ex t to

bullets , but ammo is a finite resource and

useless against a more prepared cyber -

weapons like knives or cudgels do n 't run ou t or

augmented or armored foe .

in

jam . Knives are also peerless when it comes to you valu value e style as well as substance, you' ll If you

dispatching enemies stealthily.

probably be interested in something more Punks on the streets almost always cart a

elegant- like a katana katana or monoknife in an exotic

melee we weap apon on of some sort- after all, even a

tanto style. Then you can upgr upgrade ade it with some

cheapo che apo polym polymer er one - shot has its price. These

exotic attachments, like a neurotoxin coating

 

or an EM P discharger, if you wish. Th e most

installed on different firearms in modular slots 

expensive melee weapons are cyberware

Almost every gun has a few of them 

modifications that range from simple re inforced knuckles to sophisticated and dead deadly ly

Ammunition choice is a whole different thing 

nanowire and mantis blades .

As is often often th the e case with the weapon itself, the secret is to choose the right tool for the job  Yo u feeling threatened bec because ause some some crazy

>

ATTACHMENTS AND AMMUNITION

cyberfreak from your neighbo neighborhoo rhood d is walking your way with his mantis blades ready ? Punch him with a few well - placed EM P rounds and

picked your weapon of choice Once you' ve picked choice, you

watch hi s cybernetics fail Those gangers wo n 't

[ 050 ]

can personalize it with modifications, add the

be so eager to rob you when you set one of

most advanced attachments, and and lo load ad it with

them on fire with incendiary rounds or cover

the ammo bes bestt sui suited ted for th the e ta task sk .

another with ballistic acid 

Attachments - like optics, sights, suppressors ,

So , are yo u interested in anything in particular ?

front grips, or even grenade launchers - can be

ADVERTISEMENT LINK

71 S E R I A L /

Travel from Chicago to Night City unde derr t hr hree ee hours  in un

Worry-free

Nighlcorp is the leader in providing lop-tier inves investment tment opportunities. Current conceptual engineering efforts have been completed ond the construction is expected to be finalized at the e nd nd o f April 2078, withi first connections are planned operationala to be fuBy operational a t t h e beginning of 04 2078

 

 

E D I T O R ’S N O T E We acknowledge tha thatt trans trans -

-

L I D -SHfl J 5 b L K-

LK

/

portation is a vast field of technology in its ow n right, so purposes s of this for the purpose this rec recap ap we  ve limited the discussion to

ground vehicles , aerodynes , and drones. We hope to pres -

ent yo u with other articles on

water vehicles, airplanes, and Assisted Combat Personnel Armor in the months to follow.

Th e automotive and aviation industry of 2077 is booming   From all kinds of cars and trucks, to aerial vehicles like

Stay tuned 

planes and helicopters, to spee speedboa dboats ts, to drones, th the e ra range nge of vehicles is so broad that ever everyon yone e can find something

e would like to thank our

suitt thei theirr tastes, assuming that they can afford (or steal ) it . to sui

consuitant   Mitch from the Aldecaldos family   for his

Th e industry was temporarily stalled by global recession and fuel shortages , but is gaining momentum again as new

invaluable invalu able aid in the creation

technologies are developed an d implemented by automotive companies. Aerodynes are becoming more an d more popular,

of this this mat materi erial al. He

means ns of transport. Nevertheless, their growing but are still expensive to produce and operate when compared to other mea

didn   t

agree to an interview, but he

numbers have had an impact on city planni planning ng and layout, which is constantly adapting to ever - increasing air traffic .

was a real ga s - powered foun -

tain of information , and his

America,, cars have beco Outside of urban areas, on the wide open roads of America become me a vital part o f t he he Nomad culture. Not

comments proved to be a n

only are automobiles a means of transpor transportati tation on for entire families and tribes o f t he he Seven Nations, but a symbol of

invaluable source of informa informa-

their independence.

  MITCH 

tion on the topic .

2077

 

A HISTORY OF VEHICLES C H0 0H 2

AFTER TH THE E FOURTH CORPORATE W A R

Th e f o ss s s i l f u el e l c r i s i s of th e l a t e 1 9 8 0 s n e c e s s i t a t e d

te r n a the sea arr c h f o r a l te

tive combustible f uel

 

s o u r c e s A m a j o r b r e a kt h r o u g h o c c u r r e d i n 1 9 9 3,

-

when Biotechnica d e v e l

oped CH 00 H 2 , a s y n t h e t i c

a l c o h o l t h a t became t h e

[ 05 3 ]

-

THE F IR S T DECADES AFTER THE FOURTH

he e ch ha a rg rg iin n g rate of electric amplified t h

w o r l d   s s t a n d a r d combus

Corporate War weren't very kind to the vehicle

engines , making them almost completely

t i b l e f u e l fo r t h e n e x t

industry. In the the la late te ' 20 s an d ' 30 s, fuel short -

self - powering . Now, most cars operating

t h i r t y y e a r s CH 0 0 H 2 i s

ages caused by global crises, the destruction

within the limits of larger European cities use

a s y n t h e t i c , modified

of refinery infrastructure, and crop blight

induction - wheel technology.

g r a i n - b a s e d a l c o h o l, m a d e

caused by bioengineered combat viruses

 

of a g e n e t i c a l l y c r e a t e d

grounded a significant percentage of more

In America , after years of research, Biotechnica

h i g h - su g a r w h e a t c a l l e d

advanced vehicles . This mainly affected publicly

scientists developed a new strain of Triticum

Triticum v u lg a ris m e g a-

an d privately used aerodynes, which are fueled

vulgaris megasuavis that wa s immune to a crop -

s u a v i s I n t h e 1 9 9 0s,

by an intermediate (an d more complex to manu -

eating biovirus This achievement boo boosted sted the

Biotechnica w a s a re la

facture ) version of CH 00 H 2.

The same fuel wa s

country ' s

economy and allowed vehic vehicle le produc -

.

-

tiv e ly s m a l l corporation

simultaneously in demand for civilian and mili -

tion to resume without costly reconfiguration

th a t couldn  t farm i t s

tary tary aircraf aircraftt, so in some parts of the world AVs

to oth other er tec techni hnical cal solutions  Th e automotive

wheat in quantities l a r g e

completely absent from the skies were almost completely

stagindustry began to recover after years of stag

enough

for almost twenty years.

nation, an d was soon moving rapidly forward 

f u e l p r o f i t a b l e , so i t

A new era ha d begun .

l i c e n se d th e r i g h t s to i t s

numerous unique hybrid systems

. Various biofueled , hydrogen - operated, and electric

m a k e t he

new

f o r m u l a t o s e v e r a l petro-

Th e petroleum industry 's lack of stability over inventi ention on of the following years resulted in the inv

to

Auto manufacturers began to develop new

models

of aerodynes

in

response to decreasing

CF I 00 F12 prices and worsening street traffic  

chemical companies

—

th e

l a r g e s t tw o b e i n g Petrochem

B e t t e r l i f e an d S o v O i l

.

motors were researched in this period, but

Today AV technology is quite popular, although

CH 00 H 2 b u r n s m u c h c l e a n e r

none proved to be an ultimate substitution  

luxury ry reserved reserved in private hands it ' s a sign of luxu

t h a n g a s o l i n e a nd d i e se l ,

Fossil - based fuels al also so ma made de a comeback in

mostly for corporates and upper - class citizens.

hu utt t h he e fue l itself i s toxic

some parts of the world as the extraction of

AVs are used on a larger scale by police, mili -

Lik e some o t h e r a l c o h o l s ,

o ilil a n d methane became profitable once again .

tary, and corporate forces and by transport

m e t a b o l i t e s i n CH 0 0 H 2 c a n

companies Transportation of goods within the

c a u s e p o i s o n i n g , b l i n d n e ss ,

city ha s shif shifted ted into into aviation routes, which helps

and dea att h at h i g h e r d o s e s

major breakthrough in electrically powered

ground vehicles occurred in Europe in the

 

street eet traffic traffic . to decongest overcrowded str

year 204 ) with the development of so - called

Th e s h i f t f r o m petro

  induction wheels   This groundbreaking tech

f uels to

-

CH 00 H 2 p r i m a r i l y

o c c u r r e d b e ttw w e en en 2 01 01 0

. During

a nd nd 2 0 02 20

the

F o u r t h C o r p o r a t e Wa r ,

b e t w e e n 2 0 2 3 an d 2 0 2 5, h u g e s w a t h s of T r itic um

vulga ris megasuavis crops w e r e a t t a c k e d an d

-

d e s t r o y e d by a b i o e n g i

neered vi r us, r e s u l t i n g

i n th e w o r s t f u e l c r i s i s of t h i s century

.

 

T

10: DESPITE A

S ID A N D

MYRIAD OF MODERN SECURITY FEATURES, MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED STOL OLEN EN EA EACH CH CARS AR E ST

HOUR IN NIGHT CITY.

CAR THEFT MOST ELE EC CTR RO ONI IC C D E V I C E S W I T H L O W  level security systems, including phones, smart

guns, laptops , cars, doors, or ho hote tell rooms rooms, are

accessed via chip technology called SID ( subcu taneous identification device), often referred

to as   Seed.   Introduced by Arasaka as an identification chip for corporate workers , it qui quickly ckly became became the global security standard .

A SID itself is a small circuit board mounted on the first ( thumb) metacarpal bone of the dominant hand. Despite the continued development of security

software, auto theft is still a common problem

city.. Hacking a ca r is in certain parts of the city relatively easy for those with access to a specia cializ lized ed ill illega egall hackin hacking g personal link and spe

programs  Every modern vehicle is equipped the fuel fuel in inta take ke, and with an access port n xt to the even older car models hav have e been converted to

this standard standard so that they can funct function ion within within vehicle

and

.

the compute computeri rized zed recognition traffic coor coordina dinatio tion n sys system tems s of mod modern ern cities.

Accessing that port an d connecting to it through a personal link ca n allow a thief to open , break, or install malware on the vehicle 's computers.

Please remember to update your vehicle security program with its latest version.

11: TH E PASSENGER

0

COMPARTMENTS OF MOST

I

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RE DESIGNED FO R

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EVERY ELEMENT OF TH E

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DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

0

 

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12: FANS OF

  KITSCH  FASHION S EE EE M T O BE DRAWN TO ARCHER S S TY TY LE LE O F

AUTOMOTI AUTO MOTIVE VE DESIGN DESIGN,

WHICH FEATURES

GEOMETRIC LINES AN D

.

BOXY BOX Y PROPOR PROPORTIO TIONS NS

X

13: IN ADDITION TO

 

PASSEN PAS SENGER GER VEHI VEHICLE CLES S,

o

THORNTON IS RECOGNIZED

n

u

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FOR THEIR WIDE RANGE

o

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ru

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INCLUDING PICKUP

an

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TRUCKS AN D WAGONS.

an

CL

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l

s

 

VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS

committed atrocities. That controversy only resulted in increased salesof theirproducts.

designed with with bothcomfor bothcomfortt and s p e ed ed in min d.

Chevillon is known for their neomilitarist neomilitaristic ic

Most modelsalso utilize bleeding- edge tech -

style and their modelnames inspired by the

nologies such as CrystalDome, which projects

R o ma n empire Theirvehicles are widely used

an external view inside a fully enclosed

corporate rate secur security ity forces   by police and corpo

windowless body, providingabsolute protec -

Another company, Quadra , excels at designing

tion and privacy for the passengers. Rayfield

The Quadr a T ur bo R was

andbuilding muscle cars, like the Type - 66 or

recently diversified their offerings offerings with the

introduced as America   s

Turbo - R . their mosticonic design, the Turbo-

[iTTjTfBJ

-

.

car manufacturers It designed

and manu was factured in Detroit the

—

WH E N IT C O M ME ES TO GRO OU U N D V E H I C L E S, A

words like Eraz, Iridon, Futrix, or Supron, their

Top - tier luxury cars a re re t he he d om om a in o f

potentialowner definitely has a lot to choose from in terms of brand, class, and model.

cars proved to be surprisingly popular among the lower class of citizens 

European manufacturers Comp Companie anies s like Spain's Herrera and Great Britain's Rayfield

For those with a more modest budget who still

are known fo r th e ir ir s u pe pe rb- quality sports

stuck in street traffic , a mo tto o rbi rbi k e i s th e

c ra dl e of the American

. With

The oldest oldest functioningvehicles o ningvehicles in Night City

American manufacturer Thorton and Chinese

powerful 740 hp t urbo-

were produced produced b e tw tw e en en 2 0 2 20 0 a nd nd 2 0 5 50 0.

ma n u ufa fa c ctu tu rre e r A rc rch h e r a re known for their

c h a r g e d V8 e ngi ne ,

They're often spotted on the streets of poorer

midclass midclas s passen passenger ger cars, mostof which were

districts and among Nomad clans 

first releasedbetween2020 and 2050 Those

Newer economy cars are primarily produced

in some astoundingly well- designed and robust

id   50 s , de spi t e its

by Asia - based companies . The two most

models that are still sought after by Nomads

univer s ally cr iticized

common brands on the America American n marke markett are

for their durability durability . The Japanese company

a n Mahir Motors and the Japanese the Indian

Mi zu t a an n i st aye aye d o u t o f this rivalry, focusing

otor industry

ins tantly became

its

it

a star

two companies competed for years, resulting

in the tuner scene when

t was released in the

-

. The

suspe nsi on

next

Makigai. These two manufa manufacture cturers rs have

version , introduced in 2058

- named

-

the Turbo R

- tech — f e a ttuu r e d a n

their production on sport models.

worked worke d hard over th e l a st st fifty years to become synony synonymous mous with reasonable prices

It  s notsurprising that the medium tier on the

mproved e xha ust system

and efficient mass production , but they are

Americ can an market is dominated by domestic

and suspe nsi on, qui c kl y

better known for their vehicles  lack of dura-

manufacturers Villefort builds good - quality,

status of

ear ning it the

cult muscle car

. The

bility and quality.

full - size cars t ha ha t a re re popular among

wealthier wealthi er citizens citizens and lower - rankedcorpo -

most

recent version , introduced

cheap,, compact While Makigai fills the niche for cheap

rate officials . Villefort 's model model names are

in 2069 , never managed

passenger cars , Mahir Motors Motors is known for

derived from famous explorers and

to surpass the l e ge nda ry

their vans. The Indian company entered the

conquerors like Cortes, Narvaez, or Alvarado,

markett during marke n g thecrises of the ' 20s 20s and ' 30 s

and were subject subject to criti criticism cism after compet -

with a marketing campaign promising  afford -

itors drew atten attentionto tionto the fa c ctt th a att almost

class veh vehicl icles es  able, high - tech, economy- class

every one of those historical figures had

-

Quad drr a T u r bo bo R

.

eyes of dr iver s

  58

in the

debut of their first luxury - model AV, the Excalibur, in 2076 .

response to Japanese sports

Despite their strange, pretentious naming conve conventionbased ntionbased on  sophisticated   made - up

 

cars and custom - made luxury limousines,

feel the need for speed but prefer not to get

A

14: HERRERA

0

DESIGNS AN D

=j

70

RODUCES RODU CES GLAMOROU GLAMOROUS S

l\

UTOS FO R CUSTOMERS

WITH A FLAIR FO R

U

TH E EXOTIC. IN

ADDITION TO RECORD

“ I

a

 

ETTING PERFORMANCE,

Z LU

THEY ALSO OFFER UNPARALLELED COMFORT.

UJ

cr

0

perfect solution. Yaiba spec special ializes izes in sport

security systems and found their way int into o the the

models that ar e named after legendary

hand hands s of Nomad clans 

weapons from Japanese mythology, and are

 

especially popular among street - racing biker

Military AVs an d drones fall fall und under er a separate

gangs  Brennan Cycles offers a more traditional

category. Despi Despite te Mili Militec tech h's recent efforts to

approach , and are known for th thei eirr cruisers

enter this market with their ow n security drone

an d choppers . Those types of bikes are more

models, the Zeta Zetatech tech corporation remains the

practica prac ticall for longer trips between cities, since

indisputable leader in AV and UAV production,

they perform better on the often often poorly main-

and is the chief pioneer in advanced avionic

tained county highways an d interstate roads .

technologies .

Military ground vehicles are dominated by two

This article is by n o m e a an n s meant to exhaust this

rival megacorporations: Militech an d Arasaka .

broad subject, but is intended to give unfamiliar

Both companies are leading manufacturers an d

readers and aspiring motorheads an overview

exporters of tanks, APCs, an d LTVs for govern ment and corporate forces . D u urrin g th e

of the vehicle classes, leading manufacturers , automotiv otive e and aviation an d latest trends in the autom

American turmoil over the past half century,

industries. For further information please visit

some of those vehicles were stripped of their

each manufacturer s respective ne t address a

[ 058 ]

 

HERRERn

[ 059 ]

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PO PONS  FTE R

N MED 

Braindanceis Brai ndanceis undeniably the

most popular entertainment

of o u urr t im im e. Digital record ings of a person s experience

streamed directly into the neural system of a viewer via special augmentation are the

television and computer games o f th e second second half of

the twenty - first century .

Insidiously, the secret of

BD   s popularity is not in its visual or audio components .

Braindanc Brai ndance e all allows ows viewers

to experience everything that the recorder felt or perceived - emotions, sensa -

tions , thoughts , memories , the tension of th thei eirr muscles.

You know the history of bra braind indanc ance e, don  t you ? Invented in the first decade o f ou r century by some genius student

Not a single sensation is

aversion sion progr programming amming from the University of Calif Californi ornia a at Santa Cruz , BD was quickly applied as a cutting - edge aver

lost . During the BD session

technique for convicted criminals . A short time later it found use as a military simulator, and then as a tool in psycho -

you are someone else . The

logical therapy. Of course it still h as as u se se in the capacities for which it was originally developed, but none of th thos ose e

experience experi ence is unforgettable .

applications is as widespread or profitable as entertainment . Since the development o f th e newest generation of

Our expert, Judy, agreed to

recording and editi editing ng techn technologi ologies es, Braindance is now everywhere. From the pinn pinnacle acles s of society to the low lowlie liest st street

give us an in - depth look at

hoodlums- everyone wants to enjoy the vivid vivid,, colorful dreams that BD offers its users.

  J UDY , 2 0 7 7

the subject.

 

CONSUMING BRAINDANCE

RAINDANCE T Y P E 1

RELIGIOUS Re lig io u s braindance i s

th e p e r f e c t w a y to e x p e -

r i e n c e r e l i g i o u s e c s t a s y, r e g a r d l e s s of th e d o g ma of

your s p e c i f i c f a i t h

. Using

b r a i n d a n c e i n a sso c i a t i o n

SESSIONS AND FEEDERS

> HOME

with religious worship i s

a n increasingly

becoming

popular practice

[ 063 ]

. Christian

-

ou ' ll need a few pieces of equipment before you

but some street junkies still prefer to   play it

sects

ca n exper experience ience brainda braindance nce an d replay BD data.

rough  I have have also also heard about some illegal

torture a nd c r u c i f i x i o n

First you need a wreath-that 's the street - slang

government or corporate penitentiary

of C h r i st so t h a t t h e i r

term for a BD headset. They come in wire wired d or

programs where BD is forced on subjects

members

all ne need ed a base wireless varieties , and they all

without putting them into a trance.

e n c e J e s u s  s s u f f e r i n g

h a v e re c r e a t e d th e

can

experi

-

. Conversely,

station to operate - like a   feeder,  or home enter -

firsthand

tainment device . In addition to processing

B u d d h i s t s ar e h a r d at wor k

braindance data and streaming it to the wreath,

attempting to

a feeder has the advantage of also monitoring

st a t e of n i r v a n a

r e c r e a t e th e

.

your vital functions and sustaining your organism

during days - long sessions so yo u wo n't die from

B r a i n d a n c e v a n g e l i s t s have

dehydration or starvation, it wo woul uld d ta take ke mu much ch

been k n o w n

longer anyway, and neighb ghbor or might might be and some some nei

g i o u s BD to pu t th e n a i v e

alerted by the feeder signal if

you re

lucky. All

you need to do is put the headset on your head

to e x p l o i t r e l i -

faithful in direct contact w i t h th e

 Lord  

( an d t h e i r

an d plug a BD data disk into your personal port, an d

yo u 're

c h u r c h s b a n k

ready to go .

account )

These types of c o n f i

-

.

d e n c e t r ic ic k s a re re i l l e g a l

When you activate the wreath, strong strobo scopic flashes force your mind into a catatonic ,

a l m o s t e v e r y w h e r e , b ut t h e y  r e u n f o r t u n a t e l y n o t

trance - like state - almost like a shallow sleep .

uncommon .

In most cases th thii s i s a voluntary act . No on e can force braindance on a conscious person;

cooperation of a willing subject is required to properly experience a BD session. Penal brain -

dance is an exception , since it is mostly - an convictsadministe admin istered red to drugged convicts and d du due e to

the procedure  s less subtle execution, the sessio ses sion n is fully perceived by even unwilling users . Th e emo emotio tions ns depicted depicted are brutal and

horrifying, but I know some people that are willing to pay a lot o f money to obtain a experiences - some of whom recording of such experiencesmight still be left wanting more  

You can try to experience BD without entering the trance, but streaming will quickly overload

the frontal cortex if your brain is not forced

into a receptive state . That would cause disorientation, confusion, an d a rather harsh Prolon onge ged d use use of braindance in such session  Prol

a way can even result in minor brain damage ,

 

A

1 5 : BRAINDANCE

ARCADES CATER TO CUSTOMERS OF

You can experience braindance alone or in a

fidelity or multiuser setups , or you just want

— WITH

group with sessions designed for interaction

to hang with like - minded geeks , yo u can always

LOCATIO LOCA TIONS NS RANGING RANGING

with multiple participants. Some high - budget

visit a braindance arcade . These places have

productions ca n afford to produce scenes with

tons of BD tapes that you can rent as long as

TO

multiple actors interacting at th e same time,

you have a bit of money.

MORE MODEST PARLORS

but BD is more more commonly for just on e o r tw o

EVERY BUDGET

-

FROM ULTRA EXCLUSIVE

HIGH - END CLUBS

,

LIKE THE ONE SEEN HERE

.

viewers because each additional participant

Some arcades specialize in specific braindance

greatly red reduce uces s the the overa overall ll le leve vell of detail in an

genres-the perfect place to go an d meet other

interaction. The technology is constantly devel-

newest st productions productions. BD fans and discuss the newe

oping, and major studios and producers are working on ever larger productions with even

An d before you ask , yes, there are also arcades th that at offe offerr the hardcore illegal BD stuff , but I

greater performance and profundity than

don't want to have anything to do with them. If

those already available.

you re interested in snuff braindance, just get

the fuck ou t of my shop  

 

ARCADES  

PORTABLE BD STATIONS

If your feeder subscription has expired, or you

ca n ' t afford your o w n p la la y b ba a c k d e vvii cce e with high

Yes , you can also us e a portable BD rig, but they

have their drawbacks- especiaily the older or cheaper versions. Their processors are usually

not as efficient as those in stationary devices; therefore sessions ma y no t feel as smooth, nor emotions emot ions and sensations as sharp and vivid .

Using BD outside of a   safe zone   such as your house or the the arca arcade de ro room om is always risky. You surroundings when tend not to be aware of your surroundings

[ 064 ]

you're in the trance, so enjoying BD in the open

is asking for trouble. As for  playing it rough  without passing out . . . I ' m sure that I ' ve mentioned the consequences . Most BD junkies

w ho use cheap portable braindance un unit its s are are slowly turning themselves into turnips . B

 

RECORDING BRAINDANCE BRAINDANCE TYPE: Some clubs use brain dance records to broa broadcast dcast

emotions among clubbers during concerts and live

. Users' moods are

DJ show shows s

BRAINDANCE RECORDING TECHNOLOGY IS

rapi dl y and a r t i f i ci a l l y

based on electromagnetic sensors that read

altered to synchronize

the brain activity of a user. Th e signal is th then en

with the music ' s tempo

converted from analog to digital an d stored in

o r to m a att c h t h e tone of a

the Ne t or on a data - carrying device like a chip

certain song

or disk before editing . It 's worth mentioning th that at to obtain qual quality ity data,

recording dev device ices s sho should uld be calibrated to the person being recorded Cali Calibra bratio tion n can take take up

.

to several wee weeks ks and requires the full cooper atio ation n of the individual   Lack Lack of basic training

an d cooperation will mostly result in junk data , unusable in the the ed edit itin ing g process . That 's the

Y

reason why it ' s almost impossible to use BB

BRAINDANCE RI G CAN

technology as a lie detector or to solve criminal

SE R RV V E AS THE FOCAL

cases by using it to record a suspect ' s

POINT FOR AN ENTIRE

thoughts. Braindance reco recordin rdings gs are inadmis-

LIVING SPACE

sible as evidence in most courts of law  

HIGH - END LOFTS

16 : A HOME

 IN ,

MANY

IT

 S

TREATED AS A MODERN HEARTH

 

 

R A I N D A N C E T YPE:

E5E1

EDITING

Sex braindance is a broad

category that ranges from

 marital aids   for tradi tional couples to kinky sex BD offered in cathouses

RAW RE CORDI NGS SHOULD N E V E R BE used

f i r s t g o a l is to rem ov e a n y subconscious

and massage parlors . These

in b r a i n d a n c e . T h e y h a v e to o m a n y s c r a p s o f

thoughts a n d f e e l i n g s from th e s c e n e , l e a v i n g

productions allow for sexual

m em ories, stranded thoughts, an d faint

o n l y c l e a r e m o t io io n s a n d t h e pure e ss ss e n ncc e o f

partners to experience each

e m o t i o n s to b e c o m p r e h e n s i b l e or p l e a s a n t

t h e recording T h o u g h t s ar e g e n e r a l l y very

other ' s sensations in real

os t u s e err s. D u e to th e dif f erenc es i n f or m os

d i stu r b i n g fo r a ve ra g e c o mm mm e rc rc i al al u s e r s,

time . Specialized software

p h y s i o l o g y b e tw tw e ee e n t he he re co rd e r a n d th e

a n d w e 're a l w a y s s t r i v i n g t o e r a s e t h e m from

ofte ten n us used ed to prevent the is of

v i e w e r, material i s p e r ce c e i vve e d a s m u dd dd y a n d

e n d - user c o n t e n t .

transmission of unwanted

u n c l e a r at best, a n d replaying it c o u l d result

thoughts , but some users

ne s s a n d n a u uss e a . R e f i n i n g th e d a t a in d iizz zzii ne

D u r i n g th e n e x t s t e p o f th e editing process th e

on   unprotected  braindance intercourse .

requires e x t e n s i v e e d i t i n g o n professional braindance studio equipment . A computer

e d with o t h e r f e e l i n g s or m a t e r i a l c a n b e m i xxe s e n s a t i o n s to a d j u s t th e e mo t i o n a l t o n e o f th e

w ith significant processing p o w e r, a c a l i -

s c e n e . Remixing requires a lo t o f e x p e r i e n c e

brated d ev h e a d s e t , a n a v i g a t i o n g l o v e, a n d

a nd n d s ki k i llll to m a k e it feel natural, b u t t h he e

a dedicated In te llll i g e n ntt Syste m s s h o u l d be

t r e m e n d o u s l y c o m p l i c a t e d process is m a d e

Y AN EDITING GLOVE

e n o u g h f o r t ha ha t, b u t it could s t i l l t a k e a while .

m a n a g e a b l e t h r o u g h th e u s e o f IS t o d o m o s t

LIKE TH THIS IS ON ONE E CA N

A single s c e n e l a s t i n g j u s t a fe w m i n u t e s m i g h t

o f th e menial wo r k f o r us  Without IS , completing

OFFER FULL CONTROL

be performed , recorded , an d replay ed a

edits in a reasonable t im im e f rra a m e would b e

d o z e n t i m e s or more.

a l mo s t impossible . Using a  s p e c t a t o r ' - a n o t h e r

insist

WITH P R EC EC I S SE E H A PT PT I C

FEEDBACK, A N D I T S AN

person to e x p er e r ie i e n c e e d it i t e d b r a iin n d a n cce e to

E S SE SE N TI TI A L T O O L IN TH E

A n e d i t o r is responsible fo r th e w h o l e

bet t er m on on it it or or t h e emotional c o n t e n t- c a n

EDITORIAL PROCESS.

process , u s u a l l y with th e h e l p of a n IS   T he

n d m ak a k e t he expedite th e proc es s a nd he f in in al al p r od o d u c t m o r e i m m e r s i v e a n d r e a l i s t i c. E d i t i n g i s a n e x ha h a u st s t in i n g process fo r th e editor.

M o st st o f u s stay in th e b u s i n e s s fo r te n to fifteen

y e a r s at m o s t  Th e burnout rate is v e r y high, h y m o s t o f th e b ig c o mp a n i e s h a v e wh i c h i s w hy been replacing human editors with expensive Intelligent S y s t e m s in th e last f e w y e a arr s.

 

S

X P lO

T

V

 

BRAINDANCE T Y P E: BLACK B l a c k b r a i n d an an c e r e f e r s

to

BD r e c o r d i n g s of c r i m i n a l

activity

—

often e x t r e me l y

violent , psychotically s e x u a l , or b o t h

. T heir

e d i t o r i a l q u a l i t y is v e r y lo w , so t h e y c o n t a i n th e

b r u t a l e m o t i o n s an d ra w t h o u g h t s of a c r i m i n a l

or v i c t i m

. Experiencing

c o n t e n t l i k e t h i s ca n verydangerous

ar e v e r y

.

be

There

fe w b a r r i e r s

i n s t a l l e d b e t w e e n th e m i n d s of th e o r i g i n a l r e c o r d e r an d th e en d

u s e r , an d u s e r s ca n s u f f e r s i g n i f i c a n t psychologi c a l d a m a g e as a r e s u l t

.

Nevertheless , b l a c k

braindance r e ma i n s very popula r a m o n g certain

c u r i o u s c o n s u m e r s an d is a r e l i a b l e s t r e a m of r e v e n u e for v a r i o u s c r i m i n a l organizations

.

 

17 : A BRAINDANCE STAR STEPS OUT ON ED C AR AR PE PE T AT THE THE R ED

WORLD PREMIERE OF HER

CELEBRITIES A N D BRAINDANCERS

ve e r t he he world  Their images all o v are rarely altered in postproduc -

tion , and they share the same

status and attention enjoyed by

movie stars an d celebrities of old . BRAINDANCE TYPE :

OU K NO NO W T H A T I N T H E F I R S T B R A I N D ID Y OU

Experiencing a BD session from the performer 's

PENITENTIARY

dances it was almost impossible to encounter

point of view puts the spectator at the very

a situation where you could see yourself in a

center of th the e act actio ion n , creating close - even

mirror ? This was partly because old BD

intimate - connections with the main character

b a c k i n t h e e a r l y 2000 s

recorders were bulky head

contraptions,

and the actor who plays them . Braindance

i s s t i l l effective today i n

so actors avoided reflect reflective ive surfaces surfaces  It was

users can literally feel what it  s like to be their

2077

als also o because because- at this level of imme immersi rsion on- seeing

favorite protagonist. Th e dedicated BD audience

other than than yourself in a mirror would someone other

started to grow to incre incredibl dible e number numbers s , and

cause extreme emotional distress, even anxiety

many celebrity braindancers started to release

Users rs we were re simply not accustomed to attacks . Use

personal records of their daily lives in response

ical conditioning that

that . It ' s like in the the ea early rly days of cinema , when

these e wer were e to the their ir growing popularity  At first thes

b r e a k s down t h e i r w i l l a nd

watching ing those old black people pani panicked cked whil while e watch

quasi documentaries from wh whic ich h fa fans ns coul could d

and - whi white te mo movi vies es of a steam train rolling

lea learn rn more more about their beloved heroes and

toward them . No , I am not shitting you.

heroines , but this conten contentt quickly shifted into artificial, staged productions in which on e is

n i g h t m a r e - l i k e r e p r e se n t a -

Nevertheless, with improvements in th the e fiel field d

able to live the actual actual life of a braindance star.

m e f o r which t i o n of t h e c r iim

of BD technology an d increased acceptance of

Th e o r i g i n a l dance that

u s e of b r a i n -

w as instituted

. Convicts wh o q u a l i f y

fo r r e h a b i l i t a t i o n a re o f t e n sentenced

to penitentiary

b r a i n d a n c e: p s y c h o l o g

instills a

-

s e n s e of c o o p -

 

eration and compliance Th e

n e x t s te p i s to c r e a t e a

w e r e found g u i l t y ,

- worn

the medium , people gre grew w more more accustomed to

Still, everything comes with a price. Previously

ea t e ed dly plac ce e th e t h e n r e p ea

the idea of seeing a different face when they

unknown psychological conditions have now

c o n v i c t i n t h e r o l e of t h e

looked in the mirror. In 2077 recording devices

become prevalent , like braindance - related

v i c t i m d u r i n g b a c k t o back

are the size of a pair of glasses, or even

dissociative identity disorder. Patients

b r a i n d an an c e s e s s i o n s

implanted using cortex neu neuralw ralware are to record

suffering from BDDID are so focused on a

and store data  It 's like recording with your

specific braindancer that they start to believe

cybereyes alone, and so the first generation

that they are the individual portrayed in the BD ,

celebri brity ty bra braind indance ancers rs were were born. of cele

watching themselves living in luxury villas and

they

- -

. Given

some time and additional t h e r a p y , th e p r i s o n e r t u a l l y develops

even-

a st r o n g

attending galas, often arriving at the conclusion

a v e r si o n to v i o l e n c e a n d

a n t i s o c i a l behavior , b ut

Nowadays , thanks to the universality and

that they have been replaced by an impostor

i n m o s t cases t h i s c o n d i -

popularity of brai braind ndan ance ce as a medium, the top

stolen len their life . In some cases, this who has sto

t i o n i n g a l s o r e s u l t s i n th e

first - person personalities are recognizable

has culminated in a patient ' s cacoethes -an

m a nif e s ta tion of a n x i e t y

irresistible des desir ire e to murder the subje subject ct of

disorders

their obsession: the braindance celebrity they

 

[ 070 ]

once loved an d admired.

 

MANY BRAINDANCE INFLUENCERS EXPERIMENT WITH

BOLD AN D FASHION

 

FORWARD FORW ARD CYBERWAR CYBERWARE E,

INCLUDING TH E TOTAL DERMAL REPLACEMENT SEEN HERE.

 

BRMnOMlCE CAR 7 RJOG[

CAUTION DIRE Ti LUKE HIS B R A I N D A NC NC E C O N T AI AI N S S C E N ES ES

POLLERflNDVERA F0XRE “JAMES FORTUNE

CONSIDERED TRAUMATISING TO

.

SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC V I E W ER ER D I S C RE RE T I O N IS A D V I S E D 

DVERTISEMENT LINK

71 S E R I A L /

-

-

J C K 1D 0 C - H N T 2 H 2 2 P /

^ IIIIILilllllBIIBII 11 1  IIIIIIBIIIIIIIBI llllllllHill

 

OTHER PROBLEMS WITH BRAINDANCE B R AI AI ND ND A NC NC E T Y PE PE THERAPEUTIC 35kk

=^ * |E AUDIO r

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/ I T O f l *M

T h erap eu tic b r a i n d a n c e i s

a n increasingly common t r e a t m e n t offered by m a n y p r i v a t e c l i n i c s , often u sed

B R AI A I ND N D A NC N C E O VE V E RU RU S SE E HAS OT TH H ER E R NOTAB LE

with more traditional

side effects - most notably addiction that can

psychological therapy

result in health problems due to inactivity, poor

t o t r e a t mental i l l n e s s .

nutrition, and mental isolation isolation. No less dangerous

S e ssss i o ns ns a l l o w p a t i e n t s

emotional al depende dependency ncy. is the potential for emotion

t o f a c e t h e i r fears i n safe

Braindance makes yo u experience the emotions of others, usually in a very deliberately powerful

simulated envi ronments .

T h e t r e a t m e n t i s very

wa y . As various studios race to produce more

effective , h u t a l s o e x p e n -

overwhelming emo emotio tion n packs packs in their newest

s i v e d u e to l o n g s e s s i o n s

productions , people who overuse BD are

an d th e c o m p l e x l y c a l i -

reported as appearing n um um b a nd nd emotionless 

brated BD hardw are t h a t

Real life s e em em s d u llll a n d boring to them, an d they

ss a r y d u r i ng ng th e i s n e c e ss

find themselves una unable ble and unwilling to forgo

t h e r a p y ' s f i r s t stage .

braindance, which to them has become the only

source of emot emotional ional stimulati stimulation on 

 

E D I T O R  S N O T E During his research for this

section, Josh made contacts

with individuals who would prefer to remain anony -

mous . Those contact also provided some fascinating material that chronic chronicles les the

history of the Net . Our spe -

cial thanks go ou t to the netrunner who contacted Josh by hacking into his account and leavin leaving g behind behind some unique data - some of

Before Befor e the Fourth Corporate War, the Ne capab pable le of transmitting and storing all kin Nett wa was s a vast global network ca kinds ds of

which was thought to be lost

data , from unprote unprotected cted public f ile iles s t o t he he most heavily encrypted corpo corporate rate secre secrets ts. To interact with that data , you

during duri ng the fall o f t he he Old Net.

terminal nal or computer, or the quicker and had to access the Net Yo u could hav have e done this the old - fashioned way with a termi

Thanks, choomba , whoever

more effective way by using a cybermodem and its interface . A cybermodem was the way to experience the Net in all

yo u are  

three dimensions- som some e eve even n claim four dimensions , because time wa was s al also so a factor sin since ce the user could interact with

data dat a muc much h faster than with a traditional connection.

We wou would ld als also o like to thank

Nix from Afterlife for shed ing some some light on the matter

- at least not as a global communications platform . It was destroyed by corporate In 2077 the glo global bal Net is no more more-

attacks, rogue ISs, and the parting gift of on e dead man .

of netrunning gear.

  NI X  2077

 

BARTMD 5 S AND THE DEATH DF

RABIDS Roving Autonomous

Bartmoss I n t e r f a c e D r o n e s ( or R A B I D S )

were a unique

Bartmoss c r e a t i o n programs designed to

i n f i l t r a t e systems, s l i c e t h e i r d a t a , an d distribute it randomly

OLD N E T THE OLD

.

throughout cyberspace A t f i r s t p e r c e i v e d as a m e r e

n u i sa n c e , t h e y showed

t h e i r f u l l d r e a d e d poten t i a l i n th e fe w h o u r s

came, he wanted to be sure that his enemies

f o l l o w i n g Bartmoss   s

would all go down with him . and his beloved Net would

death

[ 075 ]

. Planted patiently

fo r y e a r s as   s l e e p e r s 

in

R A CH CH E B A R RT T MO MO S S W A S TH E MOST B R I L L I A N T

A complex system similar to the Cold W ar - era

cyberspace , they started

and talented netrunner of our age. He wa s also

Dead Dead Hand Hand released Bartmoss 's most deadly

to s w a p f i l e s a n d c o l l a p s e

the most paranoid. Rumors cl claim aim that he wa s an

creati creations ons in into to the the Ne t . In the very moment that

w h o l e d a t a f o r t r e sse s

author of the infamous Demon and Hound series

Rache 's body was obliterated and his life -

I t n ot o n ly hastened the

of programs, designed to locate and kill enemy

support system stopped sending the delay codes,

c r i p p l i n g of t h e Ne t , bu t

an y varying accounts netrunners. There are s o m an

all hell broke loose . His most advanced Demons,

a l s o r e l e a s e d a l l so r t s of

of wh o he w as and ho w an d when h e d ie ie d that

Hellhounds, and RABIDS went off, crashing

confidential information

no on ne e ca n be sure o f the the real story. Some sa y

systems, liberating and corrupting ISs , and frying

to t h e p u b l i c , c a u s i n g

that hi s body died in 2 0 02 2 1 w h e n he was naile nailed d by

the synapses of most of the netrunners who were

c h a o s as i t i n c r i m i n a t e d

some bla black ck ICE , or simply from dehydration an d

jacked in into to th the e Net at the time  Melting data

p o l i t i c i a n s an d g l o b a l

malnutrition during one of his prolonged Ne t op s.

fortresses were torn apart by self - aware viruses,

corporations a l i ke

In this this ver versio sion n of the story, his his mi mind nd survived

their content permanently lost, altered, randomly

thanks to th the e to top p - tier life support h e h ad ad in his

swapped, or corrupted  By the time governments

apartment. No one knew where he lived, so no

and major corporations were able to implement

NETRUN NET RUNNER NER CAT CATCHE CHES S

one could take care of him . Hi s essence slowly

their emergency protocols, the damage wa s done

THEIR BREATH AS THEY

faded, though he still remains on e of th the e be best st

forever er. an d the Old Ne t w as lost forev

PREPARE THEMSELF FOR

hackers in the Net.

.

18 : A VOODOO BOYS

ANOTHE ANO THER R MARATHON MARATHON

.

RUNNING SESSION

Rach che e all alleged egedly ly Another rumor concerned Ra fighting for one o f the the sides in the Shadow W ar period of the Fourth Corp Wa r, when mercenary

netrunners attacked corporate data fortresses, unleashing legions of deadly programs. He was

so good that one of the corporations decided to take him out by any means at their disposal.

When they ha d traced his last approximate posi tion after months of hunting, it 's said that they

evaporated the whole area with a direct hit from some sort of orbital satellite - mounted device   Di d I mention that Bartmoss was paranoid? No

on e knows if that was because he was always nuts or if he lost his mind during hi s years spent

in the cryogenic freezer, but he was prepared

.

for his death He knew that when the day finally

 

MAYHEM IN THE N ET FO R TH THE E NEXT NEXT FE W YEARS, THE NETWATCH

corporat corp oration ion att attemp empted ted to rebuild th the e world world's

networks with the aid o f t h e European

b ui ui lld d in in g th e Bl Bla a ckwa ckwall l w a s o n ly possible

Commission . Many parts of the Net were so

because the ISs were also interested in its

infected that logging into the them m would would instantly

construction , leaving them in control of vast

aggressive ssive rogue crash entire systems . Th e aggre

regio ions ns of the Net No hum abandoned reg humans ans and

intelligent systems- some of which were former

no artificial constructs are allowed to cross

combat ISs- hunted the reckless netrunners

the Blackwall from either side, but that doesn ' t

who explored the ruins of cyberspace to

stop overcurious netrunners and dangerous

retrieve lost data . It was then that NetWatch

ISs from trying .

decided to b a acc k d o w n, an d the Blackwall project wa s born - a nigh - impenetrable wall of black ICE

Black ckwal walll is It 's worth remembering that the Bla

th a att to th is day separates human - usable

totally invisible an d does not necessarily form

Network from realms under the ISs   control 

a continuous barrier. It ofte often n splits splits old Network

how w v ery ery little is known about It 's disturbing ho

systems in half, leavi leaving ng them them simultaneously

its foundation , and some people claim that

available to both h u um ma an n s an d IS s. Usually

19 : A VISUAL

neither side is aware aware of the other, which often

REPRESENTATION OF

leads to tales of   haunted  data fortresses or

DATASTREAMS COURSING

.

THROUGHOUT THE NET

  possessed 

cybersystems .

 

THE N E T TODAY

A

IN 2077 THE HUMAN   CONTROLLED NET ( some sometime times s called called the shallow Ne t ) is a frac -

NETRUNNERS MAKE USE

renetworking North America a t th e request of

OF DIGITAL AV AVAT ATAR ARS S TO

the NU S president, Rosalind Meyers .

COMMUNICATE WITH EACH

tured space , consisting predominantly of

OTHER AN D TO MORE

primarily separated local local hubs These hubs are primarily

Th e Old Net, also known as the deep N et , is a

INTUITIVELY INTERFACE

national, state, or city Nets that are amalgams

ruined , dangerous place where few dare to

WITH THE NE T

of public access forums and private company

venture. Large por portio tions ns are separated by the

domains, and are used for internal communi -

Blackwall, but there are ent entire ire regions that are

cation , work , recreation , and advertising  

abandoned ( with the exception of some of

.

NetWatch rebuilt most of the European network,

creati ations ons that have lurked there Bartmoss s cre

recently ly lost some credibility in Eur but has recent Europe ope

since the war ) . Nevertheless , the Old Net holds

after allegations that they bargained with the

unique temptations, as it hides old databanks

ISs during the Blackwall construction . Th e

and allows for true long - distance communication

company is currently in the process of

for those who can navigate navigate it.

 

SOME OF THE MOST SKILLED NETRUNNERS

IN N I G H T C I T Y CAN BE FOUND I N T HE HE R A NK NK S OF THE VOODOO BOYS

GANG. VB RUNNERS MAKE

EFFICIENT USE OF THEIR TOP-TIER EQUIPMENT TO SECURE VALUABLE

DATA FOR VARIOUS

.

ANONYMOUS CLIENTS

 

NETRUNNING TODAY GEAR TIERS  

TIER 1

The simplest modern hacking is achieved

through a personal link - an advanced cyber -

ware gadget that allows netrunners to issue

commands to computer systems without using an external input device . A personal link is

perform formed ed used for simple operations that are per

by physica physically lly plug plugging ging into the cho chosen sen port an d connecting with the device . Installing illegal malware allows the user to gain control over

simple dev devic ices es li like ke doors, elevators , car

computers , and utility robots . Th e personal easy data data upload link was invented to allow for easy

and download, so you can effortlessly hack

orr o r copy your ex 's diary, but entering a do o

possible ble due to low deep cyberspace is not possi A

transfer capacity   The main advantages of

20 : A PERSONAL LINK

IS A USEFUL PIECE OF

TH E NE T IS STILL ACCESSIBLE TODAY  BU T

this connection method are unhin unhinde dere red d

NETRUNNING CYBERWARE

generally only at the local city N e t l ev ev e l Because

mobility and inconspicuousness , since the

THAT ALLOWS A USER TO

such networks are usually air gapped , you ca n

personal link is a common cyber upgrade and

CONNECT DIRECTLY TO A

only acc access ess them them directly by logging in within

m al alw ar ar e p ro ro gr gr am am s a re re difficult to detect

VARIETY OF DIFFERENT

proximity. To access and interact with the Net

without complex scanning 

NETWORK INTERFACES

even on a basic level, you ' ll need specialized

WHILE STILL REMAINING

hardware . There are currently six known

OBILE

.

grades of netrunning equipment, ranked in tiers

 

TIER 2

from zero to five . efficient, netrunning More dangerous, but more efficient

is performe performed d with th e use of a personal port  

TIER 0

accompanied by some type of cybergoggles ( often simply a hacked braindance helmet ) to

Di d portable cyberdecks that were popular in

perceive and interact with the N et in 3 D . This

the the 2020 2020s are presently classified as Tier 0 ,

method allows the the use userr to en ente terr deeper regions

and are considered obsolete among most

of the Ne t and achieve a better data transfer,

netrunners They still h av av e s om om e advantages .

but at deeper levels the physical stress on the

They can be upgraded to improve their perfor -

body becomes an exponentially mor more e ser seriou ious s

mance and achieve a moderate data transfer

problem . Overloaded nervous systems will

rate , and their handheld nature al allo low w s the the

begin to heat up , raising the body 's temperature

netrunne netr unnerr to reta retain in some mobility while putting

to dangerous, often deadly levels. A method of

the unit unit to us e, but their their manual operation slows

reaction time and sever theirr utility utility. severely ely limits thei

 

[ 080 ]

A

2 1 : MORE

DEDICATED NETRUNNERS INCORPORATE PERSONAL PORTS THAT CONNECT

DIRECTLY TO THEIR CE ER R EB EB R RA AL CO OR R TE TE X F OR OR

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE A ND ND D A AT T A TRANSFER

 

YOU CRN

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REN / E RE C O U R I E R S E R V I C E S

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ISI 11BUIIHI Bin nt ntiiimiin a inunimin

external cooling is requ circumvent vent these required ired to circum

effects.. Th e simplest means commonly used effects

by amateur netrunners are bathtubs bathtubs filled with

faster data transfer, and cooling is provide provided d

ice , modified air condi conditione tioners rs, or even converted

by a full - body suit - transfer rates are so

refrigerators . These methods are considered

extreme that withou withoutt cooling a netrunners

crude , and are mostly utilized by low - level

blood would boil within minutes .

gangers an d reckless youngsters.

netrunner ner station station is a must must-- have . On this tier, a netrun Th e station's central component is a specialized  

TIER 3

chair ( in some cases a converted dental or massage chair ) that allows the netrunner to

Tier 3 equipment is primarily used by profes -

rest in a comfortable position for an extended

sional street netrunners .

functionally

period of time time withou withoutt impeding circulation .

similar to Tier 2 , but is a direct upgrade in every

monitoring ing Basic surveillance, medical, an d vital monitor

way. A typical set includes a

equipment is also included in any serious

It ' s

high - capacity

user user ' s

netrunner station . With a setup like this , a

occipital lobe for improved performance and

skilled user can procure data fr fro o m th the e deep

neural port connected directly to th the e

Net, operate systems for a whole building, or

even sta stand nd toe toe to toe with hard - hitting corpo rate netrunners .

 

>

TIER 4

Tier 4 ge gear ar is usually res reserv erved ed for the most

and data transfer as good as or superior to

distinguished professionals, wh o are hired by

Tier 4 . Most importantly Tier 5 users remain

he massive corporations. Each component is t he

completely mo b ilil e a n d awa their surr surround oundaware re of their

version available. Th e

ings , allowing them to remotely connect to

netrunners w ho ho u sse e this equipment are backed

cyberspace from within the field , directly

by entire server banks and their stations have

attack enemy netrunners in real space or

th the e most most sophisticated upgrades- including life

cyberspace , and counter any unauthorized

support, cryostasis, blood- cooling systems,

network interference .

newest , most

high - end

and other improvements - to aid them in their

work . They often operate in groups, both in offensive actions against rival companies and employers'' systems an d data . in defending their employers

.

[ 082 ]

[ 08 3 ] THIS RARE IMAGE OF

>

TIER 5

-

TOP TIER NETRUNNING GEAR SHOWS THE

At first glance, Tier 5 netrunning equipment is

MOST SOPHISTICATED

not nearly as impressive as Ti Tier er 4' s exotically

CYBERWARE WITH BUILT -

appointed netrunning stations and luxurious

IN COOLING SOLUTIONS

support devices. In some cases it can e v ve en be userr oft often en looks mistaken for Tier 1, because its use

like an only marginally more augmented civilian, or   brainiac,  with some neural boosters implanted at the back of t he he hea head d and wearing

a stylish wired jacket That first glance couldn  t

be more misleading., bec becaus ause e Tier Tier 5 is used almost exclusively by field agents of th e infa -

mous NetWatch, whose job is to fight renegade hackers an d rogue IS incursions. Hardware of

such quality does not require a netrunning statio station n at all to achieve a level of performance

 

CHAPTER 3

[0 8 8]

2074 : A N I G H T ' S LEGACY r

[0 9 0 ]

WATSON Little C h in a

  [0 9 8]

Kabuki Northside Industrial District ( Nl

A r a s a k a Waterfront

WESTBROOK

 

Japantown Charter H ill a nd North Oa k

[1 0 4 ]

C IT I T Y C E NT NT E R C o r p o P la z a Downtown

[ 11 0 ]

HEYWOOD Wellsprings

T he h e G l en en

V i s t a del R ev

 

THIS WEEK MARKS THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY DF THE DEATH DF LIAM ALLEN- A N INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST AND

D U R EDITORIAL COLLEAGUE. LIAM W A S KILLED DN AUGUST 2 8, 2 D 7 H, IN H IS APARTMENT BY

UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS WHILE INVESTIGATING CDRPDRATE- BACKED DEVELOPERS’ INTERESTS IN TH THE E VISTA DEL RE REY Y DISTRICT.

T W O MONTHS A G O , AFTER ALMOST THREE YEARS OF INVESTIGATION, TH THE E NCPD DROPPED MURDER ERER ERS S WERE THE CASE AND LIAM’S MURD BRO OUGHT TO JUSTICE. NEVER BR

HE W A S O U R CLOSE FRIEND AN AND D LONGTIME YOU U KNEW COLLABORATOR, AN AND D MANY OF YO

 

INCRE CREDI DIBLE BLE CONT CONTRI RIBUT BUTIO IONS NS TO H IM BY H IS IN

JOURNALISM AN AND D FOR H IS WORK WITH VARIOUS INDEPENDENT NEWS STATIONS AN AND D INFORMATION PORTALS. H IS PROFESSION-

ALISM A N D DEVOTION TO H IS SEARCH OF TRUTH STILL INSPIRE US IN O U R O W N WORK.

W E WOULD LIKE TO COMMEMORATE THIS TRAGIC EVENT AN AND D PA PAY Y TRIBUTE TO LIAM ’S

JOURNALISTIC CONTRIBUTIONS BY RECALLING H IS LAST STORY FROM 2 D 7H,

THE E EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY WRITTEN FOR TH

OF NIGHT CITY ’S FOUNDING, A STORY THAT

W E BELIEVE S ET H IM FORTH ON H IS FINAL INVESTIGATION.”   TH THE E EDITOR  

2074 MOTS

LEGACY

THE CITY CENTER SKYLINE . MONDAY, APRIL 2ND , 2074.

T

depop depopulatedland ulatedland wasnow the perfect spot to build something

commonplace

new new:: a safe , clean, corporat corporate e city freefrom crime, poverty,

memory y of Richard Night. City in memor

in the N U S A or elsewhere around the world ,

and chaos

but for

such a young metropolis, we already have some mighty achievements. Over the course of thoseeighty years

— Coronado City

After a decade of ever-increasing crime and death rates, the

Night found investors among the big corporate players by enticing them with lucrative tax benefits that boosted the

days, the heads of almost every major criminal organization

by turning it into a playground for gangs and corporations ,

economy and create created d a stable basef or future citizens

died at the hands of unidentified mercenaries mercenaries,, and a newCity

blow up City Center with a genuine nuke, almost almost kick out

corporate employees.

war withthe NUSA and, finally finally,, turn the city back into a

playground for gangs and corpos— not badf or les lesss than a century NightCity’s story maynot be verylong, but it ’s intense that ’s for sure 

—

The history of ourcity began in 1994 with a rich and enterprising guy namedRichard Night andhis idea to build

ier Night Night had split off from his a perfect city A fewyears ear llier

— the

Council was established . The Council’s first decision was to

enlist the aid of corporate forces, empowering them to act “ in

The projec projectt wasa resounding success , and the fledgling

Coronado City was indeed a wonder to behold . Thanks to friendly,, and safe  in careful planning the city was well-built, friendly post- Collapse terms, anyway anyway  

Then, four years after initial construction had begun, tragedy struck when Richard Night was murdered by unknown

the best interest of the city, and to establish peace andorder

within its limits.” Most of the downtownand central districts were cleaned up withinthe next few months , and over the next few years the most devastated parts of the citywere

pacified , razed, and r ebu ebuilt ilt. Thus , corpor corporate ate reig reign n had begun.

These were the beginnings of Night City. From that time

— the “golden age” of 2020, the Fourth

and development company aptly called Halsey, Ferris Ferris,, and

assailants Popular conjecture is tha thatt the attack was arranged by organized crime bosses with connections to the unions and construction firms that had been excluded from Night’s project.

Night initiated an ambitious new project. He bought the

assassination Despite public outcry in response to Night ’s assassination

independentfrom the NUSA after the Unification War  That

enti entire re town of Morro Bay , a small, neglected settlement near

and initial opposition to the opportunistic crime

the border that divides Northernand Southern California

syndicates, the mo b successfully filled the vacuum of

that had nearly been razed by a roving boostergang just

leadership over the next few years turningCoronado o years,, turningCoronad

two years earlier. The army’s timely intervention had saved

City into a havenfor criminal activity. Prostitution,

the settlementfrom total destruction, and the ravaged and

assault, drug trafficking, and cyberterrorism became

r ichand col color or fful ul history inspired me to write this story a journey through the districts of the modern Night City, to show its countless faces and moods: intense, inspiring, thrilling, dangerous, and depressing — but each of them is an inherent part of Night City’s spirit. So, are you ready for a trip?

partners, Halsey and Ferris partners,

— co-owners of a construction

Night— to set up his own company company, Night International 

F C Y B E R P U N K 2077

corporations decided to push back. Over a period of a few short

we’ve managed to build the city fromscratch, screwit screwit up

the corpos, rebuild the city without government aid , avoid

 

— all as the citywas ironicallyrenamed Night

his year year we celebrate the eightieth anniversary of our founding ng. That’s not long compared to other cities city’s foundi

it’s come a long way

Corporate War andthe Nuke Incident of 2023, the Survival and the Recovery periods between 2023-2040, and the great

Rebuilding between 2040-2060. Hey , weeven managed to stay

—

MW

RL D O F C Y B E TH E W O RL

 

089

ffllSM T

o explore explore Watson , I’ ll need the help of a local I have a meeting in Afterlife

— a club with a certainreputation

here in thedistrict I had to call in some favors to getin here to talkwith my would-be guide My contact turns o ut ut t o be in herlate -twenties  or she has an excellent

surgeon   Her Kiroshi eyes change colors while we talk She surgeon

seems well informed; informed; she already knows that I writestories writestories

about various Night City districts, andshe’s willing to share

some information aboutWatson with me She alsoagreesto course   We sitover Bloody give me a tour here  for a price, of course

Marys, and she begi begins ns her story 

Watson used to be a place to live andthrive During the time

of Rebuilding , some wealthy Japanese corps had big plans for

the district and poured millions of dollars intoit The Watson

or if it wasjust business, but Saburo’s lawyers andbankers

finished off his competitors here — one and all .

That’s when when Watson changed The industrial subdistrict stopped providing jobs , a l o t of people became unemployed , and

Arasaka took over the Watson Waterfront Access to the sea ha d be e n their goal allalong Now Watson is the crap crappypart pypart of Night City— the living area for low -income factory employees who still work in the NID’s few operational factories  Myinterviewee orders a second Bloody Mary She seemsa bit more relaxed relaxed and talkati talkative ve She asks me if I’ve seen the roadblocks on all the bridges that lead from Wats Watson on to the rest of the city Yes,

their purpose 

them, but I don ’t know I have seen them,

district had it all : tall skyscrapers, bustling nightclubs, a med center, and even its own industrial sectorin the northern

part of thedistrict called the NID It allended when Saburo

Arasaka Arasaka and his corporation came back to Night City after the

Unification War. Arasaka had their own plans, and to achieve them, Arasaka’s riv rival al corporations would have to die  Nobody knows if it was because of an old feud from their homeland

090 ? JM TDV OF OF

“ That’s

because it’s easier to contain the people fromWatson

within the district district than it is to take responsibility for them,” she says “ The rest of the city hasabandoned us. The rich

and mighty don’t like the idea thatthe poor might walk to CityCenter It would spoiltheir view fro from m thei theirr shin shiny y glass towers, you know.”

CYBERPUNK 2 0 7 7

 

LITTLE CHINA We exit Afterlife into LittleChina. My guide seemsto know the area well. This part of the Watson district used to be an extension of Downtown , and during the Rebuilding in the 2040s there were

plans to make it a second CityCenter.

The corporations built some skyscrapers and top-notch medical clinics known as

Med Center. It used to be the best place in Night City to spend moneyon body augmentations if you wanted to do so legally In the late 2040s the subdistrict

flooded with Asianimmigrants— mainly from Chinese diaspora, hence its name  During the following decades, Little China become overpopulated and its exclusive tone changed to the current more ethnic feel  Now Central Little China resembles the poorerareas elsewhere in Night

—

City but the food , shops, neon lights , lingo, and flavor are all distinctly Chinese The castes are all mixed up now with living blocksbeside affluent affluent condobuildingss, and illegal gambling condobuilding dens next to the offices of legitimate businesses. Low - and mid -tier corpos come here to have some cheap fun in casinos andstrip clubs , and t o mi x

withthe poor and homeless on the streets My guide says that Little China i s n o t claimed by any particular gang, but the Tyger Claws often come here to have some fun “ You ’d better

them,” she says with a wide not cross them,

smile “ They’re eage eagerr to make use of

their katanas andtantos, especially

” My whenthey can get away with it 

nervousness must be obvious , because

she laughs whenshe seesmy reactio reaction n 

092 MnOT F C Y B E R P U N K  

2077

A SUNNY DAY IN LITTLE CHINA .

  PTK

RL D O F C Y B E TH E W O RL

^

093

VI EW EW FR O OM M A FLA AT T ABO OV V E THE KABUKI STREET MARKET.

Kabuki was once the pride of the Japanese medical

corporations in this part of Night City. It was situated adjacent to the famous Med Center, and as a result the whole area flourished and prospered. Nowadays , with all the other

corpos either di ssol ssol ve dby Arasaka or transferred to the other

bank of the gulf , Kabuki is possibly the poorest subdistrict

—

of the city   not including Pacifica we’re talking about remaining functioning districts).

repopulated with Chinese diaspora before turning into the

shadiest bazaar imaginable  I visited once during the daytime,

you’ll find here are

I

|

/

* bT 2

T24

detectives lurking around , competing with

stolen corporate tech or missing persons.”

creepygangers are the lowliest scum around , and have an eye forclueless visitors who they’ll drag tosome basement

T he whol e area is densely populated, except for the northern edge where warehouses and abandonedfactories are occupied

before cuttingout their implants and organsto resell to unscrupulous Kabuki ripperdocs.

a pres presence encein in the area, as do some Maelstrom members from

merchants in the hood are supplied by Scavengers  Those

transactions  Implants , organs, combat drugs, prototype cyber

—

recordings you name it , it’s all there to buy if you know right

fixers fixers and corporate- hired investigators, looking for some

by various gangs, transients, and junkies. Tyger Claws maintain the NID, but neither of them claim the Kabuki for their

places and people There are allegedly several black clinics

“ Well,

it’s the circle of life of the urban jungle, itseems,”

mycontact says lightly “ The Scavengers run their business

operating operati ng in hiddenbasement hiddenbasementss or backrooms that install

undisturbed T he pol i c e don ’t raid the distr district ict The only cops

illicit military and prototype cyberwear, right from the labs

own That vacuum has created a toehold for one of the local

— one of Kabuki’s most popular theirjurisdiction ion. braindanceclubs and brothels is under theirjurisdict

gangs, the Mox. Lizzie’s Bar

2077

—

T H E W O R L D OF C Y B E

called by the locals   was prospe prosperou rouss factory subdistrict. Now abandoned it ’s

and neglected, its factories are mostly non-functional abandoned doned due to old earthquake damage and failed and aban investments. No one likes the look or smell of the NID,” my guide says 

“ Wealthy assholes

52 4 27 * /

when buying stufffrom an unknown source. Some of the

Industrial District  Th e NID  as

 

DT 4

shops, all decorated with Chinese lampions and flickering neon lights But this timewe’revisit revisitingit ingit at night night,, and I cansee the district after dark is the district s second face. Kabuki after heart of Night City’s black market for all manner of illegal

We decided to wait fo r daylight to go to the Northside once

i275

so the ripperdocsall ripperdocsall claim My guidewarns me t o be cautious

 

Watson’s

fl 32

vmimmxm

of chop sueyjoints, seedy cosmetic boutiques boutiques,, andchea andcheap p jun junk k

augmentations , steroids, synth-viruses, snuff braindance

But Night City hates a vacuum The areawas quickly

  F CYBERPUNK 094 TiKMV

—

of Chiba City or the top -notch Scandinavian bio -clinics or

and at first sight Kabuki ’s narrow narrow,, tangledalleyways were full

— 0

from Downtown even built some shiny

new apartment blocks at the edge of the dis distri trict ct to screen it

from ‘their’ part of the city No w those buildings are home to m id -level employees w ho manage the few operational

work in the factory, and now they are stuck in limbo: waking up, going to a shitty jo jobb for wh who o know knowss how many hours, and

coming home to sleep There are no prospec movin ing g up  prospects ts of mov “ If

you’re born in the NID, you die in the NID,” as they say 

Bu t those are just regular people Some other residents of the much ch, much worse My guide asks me If I’ve heard NID are mu

about the Maelstrom gang. In fact I have It ’s why I packed

a gun when we came came d o wn wn h eere re, bu t the stories I’ve heard would d be of any use if we met make me doubt that a gun woul calls them “ freaking cyborgs,” and tells me that them. She calls

the NID is their turf They use its abandoned buildings as

factories in the N ID  I guess having corpo -apartments is

hideouts, illegal brai braindan ndance ce studio studioss, and war warehou ehouses ses fo forr the

really nice, but fo r those guys it must like exile to a foulmust be like

loot they steal steal from from the corporate transports.

smelling, ugly purgatory ”

till, people need to live here They’ve come here looking fo r

opportunity and a new life They got their big chance with

“ Yo u walk into one of those

places , you’re as good as dead ”

Th This is time she’s no t smiling.

STEINBECK STREET IN TH THE E N ID ID .

095

0

 

mi

i IM P

ARASAKA’S ADVANCED CYBERWARE

PRODUCTI PRODU CTION ON COMPLEX COMPLEX . Th e Waterfront is the bulwarked island of corporate authority

Yo u can’t see much of it though. Th e first act of the Japanese

in the lawless sea of Watson. I f y ou ou’re not from Arasaka ,

zaibatsu was was to build a wall around the Waterfront to keep Watson inhabitants at ba y gangers, scavengers , and

there’s nothing fo r you you out there  

“ Unless

you’re looking to

steal something, of course,” my guide tells me. “ In that case,

—

meddlesome reporters like me Reinforced with motion

” Sh e doesn ’t like Arasa utt me in  be sure to c u Arasaka ka, that’s fo r sure 

razor wire, and autonomic armored gun detectors, electrified razor

Th e Ara Arasak saka a Waterf Waterfront ront is an important link in the

refusess to lead me closer guests an d trespassers. My guide refuse

hundreds of shipments come through the Waterfront every

authorization , yo u might as well be walking into a Maelstrom

corporation’s local supply chain Official data states that

month, packed and sorte sorted d by automated robots to be sent to

other corporate-owned wareho warehouses uses and outposts 

turrets, the wall protects Arasaka property from unw unwante anted d to the main gate “ If you you wan wantt to go there witho without ut proper

hideout There’s no difference Your body won’t ever be found

either way 

71

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/

WATSON NEW NE W EPISODES

WED WE D 10PM

 

WESTBROOK f all the places in Night City, Westbrook is considered by many to be the best place to live These are the residences of the richand powerful powerful,, idyllically situated on the hillside of North Oak , the most beautiful subdistrict of the whole city The second best is Charter Hill, the prom promisedland isedland for all ambitious mid -level orporate employees  Lastly, Japantown , the entertainment

0

—

center of Night City, hosts touristsand corpos alike but thingshere looked completely differentfifty differentfifty years ago 

WESTBROOK i

CITY CENTER

Then came the Rebuilding in 2040 , and step by step Night City began to recover the Westb Westbrook rook most of all Old constr constructio uction n was razed razed and used to fill the crater in

—

City Center Asian corporations began to erect erect the new

megabuildingsand megabuil dingsand skyscrapers, restoring Japantownto Japantownto its

former glory over the next thirty years The shanty town in Charter Hill was eventually liquidated, its inhabitants

relocated to other parts of the city The whole whole areawas rebuilt to serve serve as mass housing for corporate employees.

The temporary refugee camps in North Oak held out much Parts of Westbrook adjacent to City Center suffered

significant signifi cant damageduring the NukeIncident in 2023  The tall buildings of Japantown took the brunt of the explosion’s

competing withthe Combat Zone for the inauspicious

awards for “ highest crimerate” and “ most violent,” until it

crumbling,, naked shockwave, and for the next twenty years crumbling

was pacified and cleared by corporate mercenaries to finally

skeletons of skyscrape skyscrapers rs haunted the landscape of the once-

became Night City’s most exclusive residential district .

bustling Night City district . Charter Hill was flooded with refugees, their tentsand shanty houses houses spreading far city refugees, andwide over the hills of North Oak.

098  

longer, becoming a stain on the Night City landscape and

OF C Y B E R P U N K 2 0 7 7

CHARTER H LL

Primarily Primaril y inhabited inhabited by pe opl oplee of

friend named Marc. As a mid -tier

blackout Both groups als also o have have to be

Japanese descent , Japantown during

corporate employee, Marcknows

careful to not cross the Tyger Claws

daytime is usually crowded with

Japantown well

the gangers that rule this district

tourists for whom the many bars, fancy

Together, were goin going g to hit Jap a an ntown on Friday night Marc is treating 

restaurants , gaming parlors, the Cherry

— maybe too well.

Blossom Market , and the Shintotemple are mandatory Night City destinations .

lean and safe by day, thisdistrict is a

fter dark, Japantown becomes the party district for the rich

— corpos and

perfect spot for sightseeing, and it’s just

to ur ur is is ttss alike. The corposare looking

one bridge away from the famous Corpo

to blow off some steam after another

Plaza, anyone of whose many hotels are a perfect place to stay 

day of the exhausting ratrace The

tourists are interested in more sublime

entertainmentand a wild night in

But Japantown also has a second face ,

Night City Both groupsvisit the same

which I’m here tosee for myself  This

fancy brothels , lose their money in

t iime me I ’m meeting with an old college

casinos, and get drunk to the point of

 OF 100 MIMVOF

—

du urrin g the night hours 

“ If you’rea payi payingcustomer ngcustomer,” Marc says, “you’ll beserved properly in one

of their semi-legitimate businesses 

For example Cloudsclub hosts the best

erotic doll experiences in NC  If you do

anything brash or stupid, you’d better

A V A N T E

have some friends in high places, or thingswill end up going poorly for you  And by ‘poorly,’ I mean ‘chopped off body parts,’ so tread lightly after dark.”

NE W LO O K / J A D E TOKYO ^0

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I n t r o d u c i n g t he n e w

SUBSTANCE AND STYLE 1

 

 

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RAYFIELD

Mi si ia mu mi i ii fill   11 HIE iii IIIIB i miii

the area by force. Proclaimed as a “war agains againstt crime” by the corporate -owned media, this action became a synonym of corporate brutalityand prejudice. The

Outsiders are not welcomehere , and private security is tight. I had to rent

an aeria aeriall vehicle just just to catch a glimpse

of the famous district. We flew along

North Oak favelas were pacified and

the border of North Oak, since the

razed by corporate developers, and in

flight zoneover thedistrict is also monitored by security agencies and my

became the most prized part of Night City. Ye a rrss of the ongoing corporate-media campaign eventually watered down and finally hushed the whole incident not only to avoid negative PR , but to raise land value Many rich people were initially reluctant relucta nt to buy landwhere some dirty homeless had once lived. a fewyears the area

—

pilot did notwant to risk risk his license

his life

— by breaking the law for his

— or

standard fee . Nevertheless , the view was magnificent. The whole areaconsists

of vastestates, some of them with their own micro-biome and artificially

created landscape. Both the Arasaka Mansion and Kerry

Eurodyne’s villa lie

in NorthOak , because here it doesn’t

Thesedays that story is all but forgotten, and North Oak is home to the

untouchable elite— corporate CEOs, hedge fund managers , and investment bankers, but a l so to the various showbiz figures: BD producers and stars, and musicians.

matter if you’re a corpora corporateowneror teowneror a

renegaderockerboy — all that matters is

how wealthy andfamous you are. This is the place that every

dreams of living.

AN EAST- FACING VIEW OF THE NORTH OAK HILLS.

 

Night City citizen

CITY CENTER A

s I stand in the middle of the Corpo Plaza looking at

—

today’s City Center with its megabuildings, offices,

bars , pubs , strip clubs, and neon lights — it’s hard to believe that about fifty years ago this place was a ruined battlefield , still smoldering after the climax of the Fourth Corporate War, when a nuke was detonated by an unknown party on floor 120 of one of the Arasaka Towers  After years of rebuilding and reconstruction , CityCent CityCenterwas erwas restored to its formergloryand is once again the seat of Night

City’s financialand financialand economic power 

104

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CORPO PLAZA Rebuilt after the war, Corpo Plaza is nowone of the most

recognizable

fixtures of NightCity It’s also a sign of power after the corporations’ return to power

long years of humilia humiliationand tionand disgrace disgrace 

The Plaza’s giant skyscrapers and towering megabuildings are once again

host to the office complexes of Arasaka

—

and Milite Militech ch the very corporations

whose rivalry destroyed the city half a century ago. Ironic, isn’t it? it?

The Plaza’s ma iin n feature is the Memorial

Park , a hugeroundabout between the corporations’ headquarters that commemorates the victims of the

Fourth Corporate War The plaza is

alwayscrowded with all types of low and mid -level corpos, always hurriedly

shuffling from one meeting to the next  The armored AVs carrying high -ranking executives circle over my head, docking

andtaking off again fromlanding pads 

The whole place gives one the impression of a giant beehive 

It seems peaceful , but NCPD officers and armored armored corporate guards are on constant patrol, reminding everyone

who’s really in chargehere Everyone has to pas passs throughmultiple security checkpoints toenter any plaza building. I briefly wonder if any of my open criticism of corporate acti activityor vityor my

unpaid parking ticketfrom last week could result in denial of access , but I finally decide it’s not worththe risk to find out. I have an appointment Downtown.

NEOMILITARISTIC STIC ARCHITECTU ARCHITECTURE RE OF CORPO PLAZA. AIR QUALITY INDEX: 286. THE NEOMILITARI

106  

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TH E W O R L D O F G Y B E

Downtown is another one of Night City’s newer districts,

built from scra scratch tch after the Nuke Incident Th e history of

paying fo r myself We’re having some drinks while Marc

explains the differences between Downtown, Japantown, and

the old Downtown vanished wi with th the the blast wave. Now the

Watson’s entertainment district I notice the first difference

massive new office and apartment buildings, corporate hotels,

when I pay the check in the first nightclub we visit

and restaurants emanate a unique unique posh vibe 

come I’ve come

here

Downtown is far more expensive , that’s fo r sure 

—

at night, and the wide well-lit streets are buzzing , filled with

people and traffic Neon signs are everywhere, advertising all al l kinds of pubs, bars bars,, strip clubs, fast food joints and “one

Like the rest of Night City, Downtown has a second face that’s hidden during the day and seen only by night It has dark

the social heart of Night City 

alleys, shadowy spots, an d sleazy hotels where drug deals go down and black braindance is produced These are the places where gangers from other districts come to have their own

night ” hotels Being an upper-tier district, Downtown is also

M y friend Marc waits fo r me in one of the local bars This time he ’s go gonn nna a show me Downtown after after dar dark k , but I’ll be

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kind of fun , an d some of them even work as bouncers an d bodyguards 

LINK

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NEW E M P I R E

FOCUS O N

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HEYWOOD H

eywood is a neighborhood of contrasts The northern part that borders City Center is m oder odernn and well

ethnic groupin Heywood Heywood, but otherethnicities live there too.

maintained, with skyscrapers, nice parks, and public

To be able to move in the less safe neighborhoods without

service

any problems , I’ve decided to hire a localguide to show me

buildings Further to the south and east, things startto look worse andthe district is visibly poorer and more dangerous The architecture becomes more suburban, with low -rise row houses. This is where gangs like the Valentinos and 6 th Street run their businesses legal and illegal alike 

—

Heywood is often called “ the biggest bedroom in Night City.”

If you’re not a corporate employee and you have an apartment in the wealthier part of Heywood, then you’ve won the

housing ladder lottery If you slip down a few rungs, you’ll

end up far fromcomfort in low-life quartersin Watson or in

the Pacifica slums 

11 0

 ®

SANTO

Latinos   predominantly of Mexica Mexican n descent descent  are the main

around After a few phone calls I got into contact with a local

COAST VIEW

alentino gang member nicknamed   Cuchillo ” who owed a small favor to a mutual acquaintance  Cuchillo is a big Mexican fellow in his sixties, with a plain, rugged cyberarm and prison tattoos— from San Quentin Quentin,, La Mesa , and Topo Chico, as he tol toldd me later Wearrang Wearrange e to meet in a few daysto visit the Wellsprings, the Glen , and Vista oved to be a del Rey Rey.. Aft Afteran eran initial mutual distrust, he pr oved greatguy and an invaluable repository of knowledge about Heywood and its inhabitants.

WEST WIND ESTATE ESTATE

PACIFICA

V

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fSSW 

111

 

WELLSPRINGS We begin our journey through Heywood in Wellsprings, a relatively

safe subdistrict , at least onits west side that borders City Center Buildings here are newer and modern, erected late in

the rebuilding of Night City. Aswe

gradually travel to the southwest , we see the buildings getting smaller and

older Apartments range from mid -tier to cheap, butWellsprings manage managess to

ass. Most of keep an overall aura of c l ass

the buildings were built in the second phase of reconstruction  It’s p a rt rt of the city where average people live. On the east side you’ll comeacross

shanty houses, evoking memories from

the Rebuilding over thirty five years ago. I spot more and more

Valentinos ’ graffiti and gang members on the street, but I don ’t feel threatened — they’re minding their own business I’ve heard they y run smuggling operations that the there, but during the day you’d never know it.

We decide to visit the Glen the next day.

WELLSPRINGS WELLSP RINGS OPEN- AIR MARKET.

uring the Rebuilding period,

hen Night City struck a deal with corporationsto corpora tionsto aid in the city’s reconstruction , the Glen was planned as the new seat of power for the NC

government As we first enter from

he Corpo Plaza , the Glen seems like a

ice place  The state-owned s ub dis tri ct

is rich, clean, and mostly crime

free Reconciliation Park is tidy and

DBSTERBURGER

background, we decide to stay away. We wouldn’t be welcome 

omnipresent here. “Chicos usually keep

far from City Hall, things start to look worse Buildings are uglier and Not so

poorer, and we enter the zone where gangs reign: the turf of the Valentinos

and the 6 th Street gang I’ll bet they

clearly feels at home here. A few of the Valentinos greet him with a nod . We eat lunch in a restaurant named El Pinche

Polio. We re enjoying quesadillas while

tour guide. The fact tha thatt this poorer area

surrounded by Valentinos and a couple

exists only a f ewblocks away from City

architecture , behind which stands

unflatteringlight ringlight on the Hall shines an unflatte

mayor Lucius Rhyne Considering

to their own business , but sometimes

shit just happens,” Cuchillo tells me. He

skip this part in the official NightCity

pleasant, surrounded by some elegant he new City Hall, the seat of current

between their quality and societal

wealthand class. The Valentinos are

municipal government 

my past articles articles about the corruption

As the buildings get more dilapidated, it’s

in City Hall and my guide’s criminal

impossible to ignore the clearcorrelation

—

of Europeantourists Europeantourists German, I think. They seem a little bi t l ost here, and they’re asking for directions in thickly

accented English . Cuchillo explains to them how to get back to City Center, and weresoonon ourway ourselves.

NR P UHNT<  2077

HE WORLD OF CYBE;

 

113

71 S E R I A L / 3 GL

says Cuchillo , and I canclearlysee

why. Gangs have overrun this place 

The streets are definitely less crowded  Graffiti on the walls of crumbling

but they are clearly more relaxed when

they notice Cuchillo  “They wonder if

probably try to take this area by force if they weren’t afraid of the bad PR that

distrito, comprende? Those pendejos

are the true power here, but my guide

soonerr or later. And we’ll be will be here soone

warns me that there are still a few

ready for them 

Megabuildings and apartment blocks

11 4

M IM V OOFF

the pacification of an entire district

would cost them . Poor as itmay be , Vista del Rey is not a combat zone, but it’s dangerous none the less .

pl a ccee she l d by guys from the 6 th Street

gang. We’regonna try to avoid them 

be really irritating for the corporate

tells

buildings indicates that the Valentinos

/

douchebags next door They would

gathering ng info for corpos,” he you’re gatheri

me “ The corposare hungry for this

- 0 SG L - SD S 7 - 1 BHM

Cuchillo smiles smiles and stretches his cyberarm I understa understand nd what he ’s

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SB NTO  OMINGO ordering Westbrook to thenorth, Heywood and Pacifica

Santo Domingo is subject to constant change Various

Its unique location saved it from d es estruction d u urring

land for new investments , and demolishing old factoriesand factoriesand

Santo Domin Domingois gois one of Night City’s oldest districts 

the Fourth Corporate War, and for the next dozen

years after the conflict this area become a shelter for tens

of thousands of refugees . They’re gone now, relocated to the

rebuilt districts, and Santo Domingo hasreturned toits former

function as the city’s industr industrialpark ialpark and power plant 

116

Divided into two subdistricts , Arroyo and Rancho Coronado,

to the west , and inhospitable badlands to the east,

continuallybuying allybuying and selling parcels of corporations are continu

Constructionsites ionsites warehouses to make room for newprojects Construct are guarded by corporate security forces who’re supported by drones. Competition between rival corporations is fierce here, and workers from Rancho Coronado can cause cause trouble too

when a company occasionallyannounce s insolvency.

WIMV 

OF C Y B E R P U N K 2 0 7 7

 

The Arroyo district

is

under constant

construction, but at the moment it

presence, soI decide decide to leave beforeI beforeI get into any trouble.

consists of an old -fashio fashioned ned nuclear power plant, robot factori factories es,, a logistics center, and a gigantic junkyard. Not all corporateinvestments have

turned o ut ut t o be profitable, and a significant signifi cant number of the buildings in this arearemain unfinished, either

My interest in the Arroyo district

doesn’t go unnoticed . Later that day, two big guys— blue collar workers judging by their looks

me u p t o — c oome

me to let me know that someone

wishesto wishesto see me. It ’s not the kind

partially constructed or simplylaying

of invitation I feel I c aan n refuse. They

around , but there isn’t much to s ee

my host

in ruin I paid a worker to show me

operationall high-tech here All the operationa

sites or

— including the Arasaka factory

Petrochem -Betterlife ’s power

plants

— are restricted areas withtheir

ownsecurity forces, and those guys

end to shoot first and ask questions ater. That ’s probably probably becau because se this turf belongs to the 6th Street gang.

— a sly -looking, darkhaired

man in his early forties, smoking a

cigarette. He introduces himself as “El Capit an” andasks me what I’m looking for in the Arroyo. I tell him that I ’m

working on a story about Night City

districts , for the Night City Inquirer  He

doesn’t believe

me at first, first ,

but he

seems almostamused when he verifi verifies es

My guide tells me that they control

my credentials . “ It’s your your luckyday,

the abandon abandoned ed factories factories and heavy

amigo,” he said smiling. “ Now get the

quipment storage areas in the Arroyo.

It isn’t long before the gang noticesmy

 

ett take me to a work site where I me e

fuck out of here. I don’t have time for

this. I have a business to run .”

DECKER TANAKA & ROGERS

.

W e move things s o your business c an grow.

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RANCHO CORONADO , NORTH- WEST FACING VIEW.

AIR QUALITY IND INDEX: EX: 174 

maintain overwatch on the suburbs. Residents of Rancho

Rancho Coron Coronado ado lookslike a self-sufficient town within Night City’s borders. Th e corporations who own the Arroyo factories

Coronado are primarily mi d - and high-rankin ranking g factory factory

planned and advertised it as a place fo planned forr their workers to live out the real American dream Rancho Coronado consists almost

workers and some corpos who re tired of Night City s lights and noise Most of them work in Arroyo an d do n ’t need to

solely of identical cookie -cutter houses, reminiscent of the ones

,

’

’

leave Santo Domingo fo r their entire lives Despite its utopian

seen in m id twentieth century Ameri American can suburbs I’ve seen the

advertisements, but I ha d never been there myself.

evidence of neglect and disrepair Ranch Ranchoo Coron Coronado ado is far from paradise I can’t shake the feeling tha thatt thi thiss place was designed as one giant hamster

Th e district has it itss ow own n bars bars,, shopping, school, park,

habitat to keep high- profile workers well-fed and happy. Still,

by the 6 th Stre Street et gang gang, as the NCPD is spread too thin to

people peop le living living here are among those lucky few fe w w h o d oonn’t have to wor worry ry abou aboutt jobs, shelter, or food  

station Security is over oversee seen n restaurants, and even a metro station

1

 

 

SERIAL / flKb TKDM EDbH

  lII

concept, you can clearly see the

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PUCKA d hea heardabout rdabout the Pacifica Projects disaster long before

—

Night City about the billions of dollars lost on this investment  The idea was the result of the economic recovery of the mid -206 os , when investors sought opportunities to make moneyon tourism. They poured my arrival in

massive sums into the project in anattempt to turn the poor

southernsuburbs of NightCityinto NightCityinto a booming touristresort .

They hired Nomads and locals

— mainly from Haitian diaspora

who had settled hereafter the destruction of their island — to provide a cheap laborforce 

WEST WIND ESTATE

supporting the NUSA and its president, Rosalind Myers In

the face of a new conflictand invasion from thesouth, most

investors withdrawtheir funding and abandoned Pacifica 

Some fled in fear of being caught in the middle of the fight, and

some of them sniffed out a more lucrati lucrative ve deal by inves investingin tingin the war This leftthousands of people without a place to go  Then, in an unprecedented act of civil initiative, a local gang

called the Voodoo Boys unified the clueles cluelesss locals tocreate a new Creole communityin Pacifica.

Then came 2069 and the Unification War South California ended on the federal government’s side of the conflict ,

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TH E W O R L D OF C Y B E i

WEST WIND ESTATE ANDCOAST VIEW By 2070, when the Unification War ended , some of the

.

previous investors attempted to restart the Pacifica project

This prospect was not welcomed by the local community, whichalreadyadaptedboth districts into favelas Corporate

routine here,

but the localshave gotten used to it Outsiders

should first gain are not welcome here. To go to Pacifica , one should

the favor of the Voodoo Boys orone of theother local gangs 

attempts made by the NCPD escalated to full scale riots that

As for now, situation on seemsto suit both the Night City now, this situati

lasted for weeks. Fearing that clearing the neighborhood

government

would result in a bloodbath, the chief of the NCPD ordered the withdrawal of police units from the area City Council

easier to contain the distric districtt than to solve its

shut down all city services in Pacifica to force the Voodoo

their own devices.

Boys and the locals to leave, but to no avail  From that time

both the West Wind Estate and Coast View districts slowly

turned into a new combat zone within Night City 

124 MIMV OOFF

 

Neither the NCPD nor corporate forceshave anypowe anypowerr in Pacifica Gang fights and drug trafficking arepart of the daily

workers tried to clear the construction area of squatters , but wer were e met with resistance from the Voodoo Boys. Further

CYBERPUNK 2 0 7 7

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1

and the denizens of Pacifica. For the city it’s problems , and

the inhabitants of the combat zone are happy happy to beleft to

-

-

-

S E R I A L / Hb 4 3 » bJ Gb 7 a T ] S 3 /

TODAY TH THE E NIGHT CITY INQUIRER PROUDLY PRES-

ENTS A N ESSAY ON A VERY TOPICAL SUBJECT: TH THE E CONDITION

AND AN D STATE OF NIGHT CITY SOCIETY, WRITTEN DY A LEGEND OF INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM, A M A N W H O WORKS UNDER THE NAME OF ‘THOMPSON ’ WHEN W E GOT TH THE E

THE E MAJOR NEWS THAT NONE OF TH NIGHT CITY NEWSPAPERS DECIDED TO PUBLISH THIS MATERIAL DU DUE E TO

ITS IT S RATHER BITTER AN AND D CRITICAL

 

NATURE, W E CONTACTED M R  THOMPSON AN AND D BOUGHT TH THE E RIGHTS TO PUBLISH H IS ESSAY ON TH E INQUIRER. W E’VE SUPPLE-

MENTED TH THE E ARTICLE WITH BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT MAJOR CORPORATIONS, TO GIVE IT MORE

CONTEXT AN AND D MAKE IT MORE

INTELLIGIBLE TO O U R READERS  W E HOPE THAT YO YOU U FIND THIS MATERIAL AS INTERESTING A S W E DID.

HAVE A GOOD READ AND HAIL TO

THE TH E FREE NE T, FRIENDS ”

-THE EDITOR  

Modern society is a rigid class

 

system Forget about the common

three -stratum model from the good o F turn o f the century: upper,

.

middle, and lower class Now there are ar e only tw two o classes — upper and lower, each o f them consisting

o f three subgroups — dominating, intermediate, and dominated Bourdieu pr pre edicted it pretty well.

Y o u have no fucking idea whom or what I am

talking about ? Go downlo dow nload ad some some books, kiddo  ”

 THOMPSON, 2077

130

| THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

 

Current Social Situation

T H E RICH

O

AND

POWERFUL

kay, I might be exaggerating a little bit bi t . The middle class exists an d it consists mostly of lo low w -level corporate and stat state e sector sector workers an d

private priv ate entrepreneurs w ho run th thei eirr situation is also slightly own businesses The situation

different in Asia, Europe, and Sout Southh America  Nevertheless, here and now in the N ot -So - United States, social strati stratificat fication ion is at its peak At the pinnacle of the society yo u have megacorpora tions These global companies ar e the real power of the modern modern world  They have more money and influence than most governments. They create culture, laws, and social systems There their own culture could be cultural differences — for fo r example Arasaka’s poli policies cies are influenced by Japanese traditions, while Militech’s approach to gu n commerce is middle American to the bone Still , all of them value the same things , like conformity, hierarchy, loyalty, and — above all — power  Nowadays yo u ’re either working for a ar e on your ow n — meaning corporation or you yo u are business,, yo u’re struggling to run your ow n small business yo u’re a freelancer, or yo u’re unemployed  Low an d m id - level corporate employees ar e expend able and can be replaced almost immediately The unemployed are the dugout — the reserve army of the corporations— an d are a constant threat to the employed If yo u’re ineffective, yo u get fired  disloyal,, yo u get fired . If yo u’re a threat If yo u’re disloyal to your corporation, you yo u’re dead This is wh y work in the corporate world is so stressful  People don’t just throw themselves from build ings out of the blue , yo u know?

Structure of a Megacorporation

hierarchy are the “ dominated ” — cleaners, drivers, security guards, and low-level workers For their work, they receive basic medical care and staff housing in one of the megabuildings in some cheap corpo rate-funded neighborhood  Some of them are content with their mediocre jobs, and da dayy by da y the they y car carry ry on their dull, drab existence .

At the bottom of the corpo

Most of them though are dreaming about

promotion and advancing into the ranks of the “ intermediate” the middle cl clas asss of corporate

—

workers. To achieve this, they eagerly work

sixteen hours per da y, stuffing themselves with

stim pills for break breakfas fastt , lunch, and dinner

— and

relaxing drugs and sleeping pills for dessert  They ’re stuck in limbo, waking up every morning to start start the cycle again and again , waiting fo r their “ big chance chance””   Because if they’re persistent , clever, an d ruthless enough , their day da y will eventually come an d they shall have a chance to step up the corporate ladder. They’ll probably get some nice apartment or small condo in one of the corporate buildings, an d the corporation will also provide them with a car. Their salary will go up, and they will even be able to afford to go out to eat from

[01] To achieve success as a

mid - level level corp corpo o , yo u always have to be one step ahead o f y o ur ur coworkers .

A VERTICAL SLICE OF NIGHT CITY SOCI SOCIETY ETY IN 2077  

| 13 1

in e o f p r o d u c t s a n d s e r v i c e s o f f e r e d b y To l e a r n m o re re a b o u t t h e l in

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Current Social Situation

connections , years of education, or honest

experience, here is where shit gets serious and

the real fight fo forr survival begins begins.. To b e h ere ere is to be on one e young shark in a crowded tank, and the

fierce,, ruthless, and only wa y up is to be more fierce calculating than your coworkers. Every one of your colleagues is waiting to step over your corpse and sit in your still - warm chair A nd this is the moment when the biggest fear of the average

corpo is revealed : “ They want what I have ” That fear will hau haunt nt them them for the rest of their life  To be on the top is to be one step ahead , so midlevel corpos have to play dirty and exploit every opportunity to achieve their goals That’s lo w - level corporate workers wh y, while most low isolatee themselves from the world , the isolat the mo more re ambitious among them take advantage of their environment  They wor work k with with the street — buying info from fi fixer xerss, hiring solos and netrunners for dirty jobs, bribing unscrupulous cops, and setting journalists on their workplace rivals. Fo r the efficient corpo, everything and everyone is a tool or

to

to

their

a weapon b earuessee d achieve goals Midlevel corpos are living a high - risk , high - . reward lifestyle Most of them drop out of the race sooner or lat later er though though , devas devastat tated ed by boosting drugs, or eaten by stress or some bigger, hungrier

[02] Management positions are occupied by t he he m os os t

cunning cunni ng and ruthless individuals, ready to

sacrifice everyone an d everything to stay on to p .

time to time, an d enjoy fresh

modified — food . More importantly, now they’ll be eligible fo r promotion to the prime league  They’ll win the lottery, right ? N o Because, kiddo, no matter whether you yo u’ve crawled all the wa y up here on your hands an andd k n ees ees, or if you got here through

-

-

1 SERIAL / SAL mE DlSN - TlflA

 

— though still

/

fish  That’s the essence of the corpo life, kiddo  At the top of the corporate pyramid resides the “ dominating” — a group of real motherfuck ers: board members, CEOs, corporate owners, and their relatives — bluebloods. The ruling families of the modern world Most of them inherit inh erited ed thei theirr position , but some worked it out over decades of effort, scheming, backstabbing, power,, and building alliances  consolidating power

Their position is more stable, but far fa r from secure  ambitious ous ascenda ascendants nts are waiting fo forr Young and ambiti

their slightest slip 

StIIIIIIIIIIIIIBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllBIIIIIIIIIEIIIII

Thompson’s Bi tter Statements

Current Social Situation

0

[03] M o s t m i d-level corpos adopt a   work

?

hard , play hard   mentality, consuming stim

 

drugs w h i le o n the clock to achieve achieve maximum productivity and indulging in mood elevators

S

during their brief periodsof downtime.

5

iS i

5

Still, Still, coups at the top of such empires are relatively rare. Stakes in play onthat pow erlevel are enormousl enormouslyy high, so most of thosedouchebags won ’t risk internal war . A badly timed overthrow attempt couldw eaken the strength of their own company, andthat’s a speedyw ay to a corporation’sdow nfall. nfall. I tell you , that’s the one thing that the high and mighty fear most. Their corporations are theirwhole life , more important to themthan blood . Almost every CEO would sacrifice everything and everyone in their personal life to ensure their company’s prosperity. The primary threat to any megacorporation is other megacorporations. On their way to the

551

0

top of the foodchain, the corporations feverishly worked hand in hand to overcome domesticand international government

opposition . Sure, the megacorps took a serious blow during the Fourt Fourth h Corp War, butthey quickly recovered in many parts of the world . In places without stronggovernments, like Night City, corporations have established bitter other’’s most deadly rivalries and are each other enemies. Every sector — including the weapons, pharmaceuticals, cybernetics, bioengineering, motorization , construction , andfoodindustries

— is a constant war zone where only the

strongest will survive.

On this battlefield, there are no rules of

engagement. Corporate external politics are as

brutal and unforgiving as internal. To secure

their positions and bring competing corpora corpora-tions down to theirknees, the corpos will use blackmail,, and every dirty trick , from bribery, blackmail kidnapping to manipulating global markets or sparking revolutions. To deal with their rivals on a more personal scale, scale, corpos employ outside mercenarie mercenariess to take care of business. These highly trained but often expendable hiredguns coverall types of black ops : assassination, industrial sabotage and espionage ,

of corporate officials and specialists .abduction . . you name it . It’s no wonde wonderr that foolish,, brave, or desperate would only the most foolish choose to cross the corpos. [ Cont  on page 142] 34 | THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

A VERTICAL SLICE OF NIGHT CITYSOCIETY IN 2077

 

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[ C O R PO R ATI O N ] : [ BR AN C H ES ] :

AR ASAKA C O R P O R A T E S E C U R I T Y; B A N K I N G ;

M AN U FAC TU R I N G F OU N D E D ]:

[ YEAR

[ F OU N D E R ] :

[ H E A D QU A R T E R S ] : [

L A T E I f l U O ' S - E AR AR LY LY I HU HU O ' S

S A S A I ARASAKA TO KYO

AM ERICAN DI VI SI O N H E A D QU A R T E R S ] : N I G H T C I T Y [ KE Y

PEOPLE ] :

MICHIKO [E M P L O Y E E S]: [ VAL UE ] :

CORPORATE P L A Z A

SABURO ARASAKA

AN AK AK O A RA RA S AK AK A  , -, H AN

ARASAKA

-, Y O R I N O B U A R A S A K A

E S T I M A T E D O V ER ER S M S -, UU O BMO

BI LLI O N EU R O D O LLAR S

INFO NO . 07231336

[ COMPANY OVERVIEW ]:

| 135

Arasaka Corporation is one of the mos mostt infl influenti uential al mega megacorp corporat oration ions s o f o ur ur time, offering services in corporate security and top quality banking. Th e company is also the biggest importer of Japanese- made merchandise to the American and European markets,

most st sought after by police and security forces . and Arasaka -branded weapons and military vehicles are among the mo

[ HISTORY ]: Founded in Tokyo at the dawn of the twentieth century as a manufacturing company, Arasaka took advantage of the economic

situation in prewar and wartime Japan. Thanks to the foresight and business skills of its founder, Sasai Arasaka, the company postwa twarr crisis and emerged even stronger as a dynamic venture with tangible assets all arou around nd the globe. After his survived the pos deat ath h in 1960, Sabur Saburo o Aras Arasaka aka took control of the firm and initiated a series of far - reaching reforms. father s de Expanding the range of services provide provided d by the company into high - quality security services and banking, Saburo started a new

 

chapter in Arasaka  s history, turning the prosp prosperous erous fam famil ily y bus busine iness ss into one o f t he he top global corporations

During the Fourth Corporate War, the corporation suffered a major defeat at the hands of their rival, the Militech corporation . That

event resulted in the loss of many corporate assets, both Japanese and foreign alike. For the next decade Arasaka operated only in years rs the corporation fractured into three warring organizations: Kiji Japan. In the following yea Kiji,, headed by Han Hanako ako Arasaka; Hato, headed by Mic Michik hiko o Aras Arasaka aka and allied with the US government; and rebel faction Taka , led by Sabur Saburo o Aras Arasaka aka s son, Yorinobu. After decade dec ades s of internal struggle, the conflict was eventually resolved and the corporation slowly restored to its former power. During the Unification War between the NUSA and the Free States Arasaka supported Night City, regaining its favor and eventually

.

returning to the cit city y in 2070  [ CONTROVERSIES ]:

Like most megacorporations , Arasaka is frequently accused of unet unethic hical al practices such as blackmail, bribery, extortion , and

hiring mercenaries for covert, illegal operations. These mercenary operations coul could d incl include ude suppressing legal demonstrations , corporate e experts and officials. Th assassinations, and abduct abductions ions of high - level corporat The e Ara Arasaka saka Corporation was officially found guilty by the verdict of Gen Gener eral al Lu Lund ndee ee s comm commiss ission ion of the deto detonati nation on of a thermonuclear device in the Night City Corporate Plaza in 2023.

Th e results of the investi investigation gation have been openly and repeatedly questioned.

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[ COMPANY OVERVIEW ]: Militech is on e of the world s largest manufacturers of weapons and military vehicles, with facili facilities ties on every continent. The company provides equipment for hundreds of nations and private and government

 

organizations, especially US military and police forces This equipment includes bu butt is not limited to personal firearms, drones, tanks, aircraft, ships, and Assisted Combat Personnel Armor.

Its second branch provides private military forces for defense, peacekeeping, and nation- building missions  [ HISTORY ]:

Founded in 1996 by Italian weapon designer Antonio Lucessi as Armatech -Luces Lucessi si International, the company emerged as one of the competitors for the new US Army Infantry Assault Weapon system contract . Under the

leadership of retired US Army General Donald Lundee, the young corporation earned its stripes in 2004 after winning the US Army s contracts for both primary weapons and sidearms with its famous Ronin Light Assault Rifle. Since then, Militech has expanded its catalog, selling modern and affordable equipment all arou around nd the

world, regardless of poli politic tical al affiliations and conventions. Militech was one of the major participants in the Four Fourth th Corporate Wa r, during which it clashed violently with its  

.

nuclea learr det detona onatio tion n of Arasaka s Night City headquarters President Elizabeth rival company, Arasaka. After the nuc Kress nationalized Militech, using its assets to strengthen the collapsing po powe werr of th the e US military. Th e

corporation has since regained some of its independence, and sev severa erall of its board member members s still hold high ranking offices in the Ministry of Defense.

[ CONTROVERSIES ]:

.

Militech is oft often en accused of taking part in ethi ethicall cally y shady or blatantly illegal black ops such as hiring out their

private military to support revolutions, military coups, assassinations , terrorist attacks, and ethnic cleansings. Th e com company pany was also suspected of planting and detonating the nuclear bomb in Ara Arasak saka a s Night

headquart uarters ers in 202 2023 3, though no ev evid iden ence ce ha has s ever validated those claims. City headq

• 48.060183 .   01.367752

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:: 01001010111

[ COMPANY OVERVIEW ]: Kang- Ta o is one of the newer corporations operating today. Despite its relative youth, this Chinese - based company is making its way to the top tier at a tremendous pace thanks to

bold choices, courageous strategy, and government backing Th e corporation is mainly known f o r t he he ir ir firearms, especially their newest generation of so - called   smart guns  weapons that employ gyrojet technology to fire caseless guided ammunition-but they re

also becoming players in the mercenary and security markets 

[ HISTORY ]:

Th e past fifty years of war and unr unrest est left many Asian countries crippled and deeply

.

year ars s of scarred China was no exception as it recovered from int interna ernall turmo turmoil il, but its ye

 

recovery y were also a t im im e o f great opportunity On e such opportunity laid rebuilding and recover

the foundation for the Kang Ta o corporation, when in the late  40 s a retired Chinese army colonel named Shiming Xu was appointed to manage an obsolete and collapsing defense company that was being kept afloat by government subsidies. After four years under

Colonel Xu  s direction, the moder modernized nized and debt - free firm ( renamed Kang Ta o ) officially debuted on the mark market et in 2050 with their A - 22B C ha ha o   smart  pistol. Thanks to the company's alleged government connections, the corporat corporation ion inv invest ested ed heavily in modern     the , research facili facilities ties rapidly expanding smart weapons market. Over the following two

decades, Kang Ta o left old rivals like Nokota and Techtronica far behind, now competing player yers s li like ke Arasaka and Tsunami Defense Systems . In the last successfully with major pla five years, the company has tripled its stock val value ue and is n ow ow o ne ne of the biggest arms

manufacturers and emerging leaders of weapon exports in the Far East.

[ CONTROVERSIES ]:

Th e recent expl explosi osion on of a Kang Ta o refinery in Hangzhou resulted in a chemical leak that

 

killed over fifty thousand people Official accounts have cleared the company of any negligence, but many individuals still blame them for the incident.

.   86.429039

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COMPANY OVERVIEW ]: Night Corp is a unique corporation that is solely focused on Night City and its affairs . Th e company is the largest contractor of public procurements wit within hin the bou bounda ndari ries es of the city,

E R R 0 R

 

0 0:

A C C E S S D E N I E D 

building and renovating facilities like roads, bridges, tunnels, metro lines, power plants, net

waterworks,, and sewerage . The corporation is also known f o r t he transmitters, waterworks he ir charities designed to aid the city s poorest children, and scholarship programs to benefit gifted

.

young people Night Corp is also heavily invested in research for ecology and alternate

power sources .

[ HISTORY ]: Created as Night's Foundation by Miriam Night, wife of murdered multibillionaire and visionary developer Richard Night, the corporation’s official primary goal was to protect and promote

.

Richard s vision of a perfect city During the infamous Mo b Wars in the first years after Richard Night's death, death, the foundation attempted to gain megacorporate support to end the reign of crime in Night City, but to no avail. After the Mo b Wars, Night s Foun Foundati dation on was

restructured and renamed Night Corp. Allegedly, Miriam Night realized that to have any power in a city, you have to play by the rules of big business. has s be been en a constant presence in NC , expanding their field of From that time the corporation ha

activity but avoiding power struggles wit with h oth other er major corporations . Although Miriam Night

.

stepped down from the role of CEO long ago her legacy and ideals are outwardly upheld by

 

her successors

[ CONTROVERSIES ]:

.

TE : O AUTHOR S N O TE

Night Corp's sec seclus lusive ive and often downright secretive

policies have become the subj subject ect of tremendous speculation over the years. This topic

oa x, or is comes up from time to time, until it loses public interest, is proven to be a h oa

Unknown

down n by corporate authorities Night Corp supposedly owns their own satellites shut dow satellites,, and rumors also tell of their under underwater water work works s in the Coronado Bay , secretive engagement in mayoral elections, and their shares in the orbital stati station on projects. Any potential attempts by the press or by other corpo corporati rations ons to uncover the truth have

.

failed so far As a public contracting company Night Corp has very tight security, and it

seems that none of the other corporations want to mess with them on their own turf. 30.721407 ,   95.961843

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Thompson’s B i tt tte er Statements relatives The price for thi thiss sheltered existence is

-> [ Cont  from page 135 ] “.

. . THEY WILL SHINE BRIGHTLY

FO R A PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL SOME NE W STAR O UT SHINES THEM , O R ST THEY ’ R E C A ST ASIDE BY THEIR FANS ’ EVER CHANGING TASTES . ”

overnment Officials The businesses of governments an d corporations have always been interlinked interlinked, and nowadays

obedienc ience e and always the same: unquestioning obed loyalty to the regime.

Celebrities

they don don’’t even try to hide it. Though its ow n power is only a fraction of that possessed by the corporations, the government of the Not -So United States and the national sector are still powerful players in the game Yo u’ve surely heard

In a world so influenced by media, with a populace addicted to cheap entertainment an d omnipresent pop culture, celebrities have their own place of prominence at the apex of society. Every branch of showbiz music, television ,

about ho how w our previous president nationalized

cinema, and even braindance

— — ha s its own stars

Militech, an andd w it ithh its backing w on the Unification W ar It w as more like Militech’s board members scored lofty posts in the administration,

whose works shape trends, opinions, an d tastes  Their live concerts and releases of ne w content ar e worldwide events, obser observed ved and celebrate celebrated d by

“

” it Now it’ corporationizing s from within difficult to say if America is ruled .by corpos in

tens

government guise, or if the government is

products of the entertainment industry 

running the country using the corporate model of management and control. It’s probably a bit of both, an d w e are witnessing the birth of a

completely new system. Those benefiting from this new

have

.

38.022840 - 89.500876

the

of millions of fa fans ns all around globe Most of them , like the U s Cracks, are.

devised and created to feed current fashions . Some of them are are natura naturall - born talents, discovered ere d and and promoted by some manager who recognized their potential an and d he help lped ed the them m to unpack it  Regardless of their origins, they will

system

similar privileges to high -level corporate

member mem berss and wor worker kerss. Officials atop this

Regardless

origins they

shine brigh brightly tly for a period of time until some new star outs outshine hiness the them m , or they ’re cast aside by their fans’ ever-changing tastes Until then, admired red and worshiped , living they will be admi

pyramid of power are nearly as omnipotent and rich as the CEOs of the major corporation players, their assets counted in hundreds of Politician icianss and bureau billions of eurodollars. Polit

filthy- rich lives in fabulous estates and villas , whimsically coasting about in limos, private

concerts gather hundreds

crats are the masters of this world , and even ordinary government workers receive relative

jets , and luxury boats the embodiment of the — public’’s dre public dream amss and desire desiress Demig Demigods ods among

ou u sand sand s o f people . of th o

comfort and security fo r their families and

[04 ] Despite the fact that

ba an nd ds s l iik k e U s Cracks are products of cheap an d

obvious corporate marketing, e a c ch h o f their

142

unpack

| THE WORLD

OF

mere mortals.

CYBERPUNK 2077

 

Current Social Situation

THE STRUGGLING MIDDLE TIER part from the low-level corporate

A

workers, the middle tier of the American society consists of those who have failed to find their place

in the megacorporations of the twenty -first century. These people ar e often

trying to run their own businesses: restaurants,

clubs , garages, coffee bars, workshops , pawn braindance nce studios studios, or even small shops , brainda cyberclinics. Owners of those enterprises are ordinary law -abiding citizens w ho are trying to

earn earn their their money without selling their body and

soul to the almighty corporations. Some of them even succeed , if only fo r a time. Despite the efforts of the ever -expanding corporations, private businesses are still a job source fo r a fair number of people After upsets caused by ongoing corporate wars, the corpos’ grip on society ha s loosened and small businesse businessess are flourishing again . A small business owner’s social situation is often challenging , as they are generally forced to rent homes in poorer distr district ictss with with lowe lowerr and ar are e mo more re exposed to security standards, and criminal activity. They also have to co cove verr the costs of social an d medical insurances all by

sometimes required to pay “ protection fees ” to

the local criminal groups People living in the

suburbs ar aree sometimes even harassed by nomadic groups from outside the city. The lowest layers of this tier, the “ new middle class ” of our century, are people on the verge of poverty Poorly educ educate atedd and mostly unemployed , they are struggling to make ends meet by running shady or outrigh outrightt illegal busi nesses, and trying to steer clear of the police and the mob Ironically, in the cold reality of 2077, the sole fact that they have a job at all counts them among the lucky ones.

themselves Without corpor corporate ate secur security ity serv serving ing

[05] Representatives of

society 's middle tier take their fun where t he he y c a n

ge t it   Good company an d strong booze are enough

to ge t most folks through

a tough day  

. . TRYING TO EARN THEIR MONEY WITHOUT SELLING THEIR BODY AND SOUL THE E ALMIGHTY TO TH CORPORATIONS . ”

as backup, private business owner ownerss are

71

3

S E R I A L / S L S - BC E 4 - 1 3 F F - H S D E /

f.

i KHALIL

RpUSSEAU

pour homme

 

Thompson’’s Bitter Statements Thompson

[06 ] Entertainment comes

in many forms in 2077including braindance braindance,,

virtualreality, and old- fashioned video. The

Current Social Situation

ubiquity of technology has made this content available

to people fro ma llwa lkso f lifelife-though the middleand e and lower castes seem to

.

consume it mostreadily

14 4 | TH E W O R L D OF CYBE RPUNK 2077

A V E R T I C A L S L I C E OF N I G H T C I T Y S O C I E T Y IN 2077

 

Thompson’s B i tt tte er Statements

m  

l

m

[07] A homeless , street performer relaxes on

H E DOWN - A N D - O U T “. . . THOSE

W H O’VE LOST THEIR ENTIRE FAMILIES IN M OB HITS AND CORPO RATE PURGES , OR T HOSE HOSE W HO SIMPLY GAVE U P AND STOPPED CARING . . . ”

T

here is always a way wa y down from rock bottom Brutal changes in the

structure of society during the last

fifty years have dramatically increased the proportion of the poorest part of the human populace Economic downturn, global financial crashes, a growing addiction n to drugs and poverty rate, and addictio braindance have created an army of social outcasts in the cities: unemployed, homeless people who live on the streets of modern metropolises In every major urban area there are entire districts of shantytowns , tent cities, and favelas where tens of thousands of people

ay b y live in outrageous conditions, surviving d ay

his prized possession- a discarded p ie ie c e o f living ing applies to furniture. This standard of liv

op le le a ll ll over the globe   hundreds of millions o f p e op

and savings due to corporate wars, those who’ve

lost their entire families in mo mob b hi hits ts an and d corpo rate purges , and those who simply gave up and stopped caring — a ll ll o f them are joining the outcasts’ ranks   Braindance addiction also takes a toll Its victims are everywhere sitting in hovels an d dark alleys in a pool of their ow n urine, watching lo w - quality records of some celebrity ’s daily life over an d over again. Some literally kill each other few w minutes of someone else’s fake for the fe fantasies an d memories they possess  Th e poor shun more affluent districts where

—

police patrol and corporate security is tight, but in impoverished neighbo neighborhoods rhoods they come out at

| 145

da dayy. In spite of an alarmingly high mortality rate brutal ps due to disease, drug overuse, and brutal psyy chogang activity, this army of outcasts grows bigger every da dayy. People w ho ’ve lost their jobs 146

| THE WORLD

OF

night to scrounge, steal, an d occasionally ro rob b or kill the unwary  Once every few fe w years the city governments corporat orations ions try to solve the problems of or the corp

CYBERPUNK 2077

 

Current Social Situation

the slum districts and their inhabitants. They

might forcefully relocate the populace to other districts, place them in transient camps, or even execute lethal purges. Either wa y, these actions are always accompanied by mass riots and firefights with enormous casualties as the local sheer fun fu n of it  gangs join the fray, usually for the sheer That ’s wh y the poor are usually left to them selves — it’s simply cheaper to ignore them them than than to find the solutions to their problems.

[08 ] A foolish young punk runs afoul of a small group of

giv e him a quick lesson in respect . In poorer Moxes w ho giv urban jungle are even districts, the brutal brutal laws of the urban

more unforgiving.

DVERTISEMENT L I N K

71 SERIAL / 01 P   2 E 37  UIL 1   DS21 DS 21 /

    lllllll II Bill HIHf 1119 IIIIIIIIHIIIIIII Sill   Jl III II I I

^

 

Thompson’’s Bitter Statements Thompson

Current Social Situation

[ 09] Streetlife inthe poorer sectionsof Night City can be

pretty colorful. It can also

be pretty dangerous for those in the wrong place at thewrongtime. Folks at the bottom of the societal ladder may not have much, b u tth e y ll kill for what  s theirs .

14 8 | TH E W O R L D OF CYBE RPUNK 2077  

CHAPTER 5

L A W AND DISORDER NCPD

NetWatch

[1 5 9]

GANGS : THE BAD AND Maelstrom

Animals

Voodoo B o y s

6 th S t r e e t T he he M o x

Tyger Claws

A V E R T I C A L S L I C EOF N I G H T C I T Y S O C I E T Y IN 2 0 7 7

| 14 9

Valentinos Scavengers

[1 7 6 ]

N O M A D S : T H E R O VI V I NG N G R E FU F U G E ES ES . /

Aldecaldos Wraiths

 

THE TH E NEXT T W O ARTICLES YOU U BY ARE BROUGHT TO YO ARE O U R CONTRIBUTING WRITER , OLIVIA

HERNANDEZ. O U R REGULAR FOLLOWERS SURELY KNOW H E R FOR HER PIECES EXPLORING NIGHT CITY

MUNICIPAL SERVICES, TH THE E CORPO-

RATE BUSINESS IN TH THE E ARASAKA WATERFRONT DISTRICT, AN AND D HER

AMAZING STORY ‘TO TH THE E CRIME CITIES AN AND D BACK AGAIN,’ WHICH

DETAILS HER TRAVELS WITH

 

NOMADS TO TH THE E INFAMOUS FREE CITIES OF CHICAGO AN AND D PHOENIX. THIS TIME SH SHE E’S SUMMARIZED TH THE E VARIOUS L A W ENFORCEMENT

AGENCIES AND THE CITY’S MOST PROMINENT GANGS, AN AND D SH E ALSO

TAKES TH THE E OPPORTUNITY TO TELL U S MORE ABOUT NOMADS  TH THE E

AND D SOMEWHAT INDEPENDENT AN SECRETIVE INHABITANTS OF O U R COUNTRY’S ROADS AN AND D

WILDLANDS ”

-THE EDITOR  

FROM THE FILES OF OLIVIA HERNANDEZ

TH E FALL OF SOCIETY, THE TH THE E AMERICAN CITIES THAT SURVIVED THE TH E CORPO COR PORAT RATE E WAR WARS S, AN D ALL TH THE E OTHER TURBULENCE OF THE TH E LAST ARE E NO W LONELY ISLANDS OF REL RELATI ATIVE VE LA LAW W AN D FIFTY YEARS AR ORDER ON TH THE E OCEAN OF LAWLESSNESS AN D CHAOS. STILL, WITHIN EACH OF THOSE

CITIES THERE IS AN ONGOING WA WAR R FOR DOMINANCE BET BETWEE WEEN N THE THE AGENCIES OF LA LAW W AND D VARIOUS CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS. ENFORCEMENT AN

NIGHT CITY IS NO EXCEPTION. CIVILIAN AN D POLICE CASUALTIES CONTINUE TO RISE AS A RE RESU SULT LT OF THIS CONFLICT. OV OVE ER TWO TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE D IE IN CONFRONTATIONS WITH

THE TH E POLICE EVERY MONTH, AN D AN UN UNKN KNOWN OWN NUM NUMBER BER D IE EVERY DAY IN GANG SKIR -

MISHES AND AN D UNR UNRECO ECORDE RDED D COM COMBAT BAT SWE SWEEPS EPS PER PERFOR FORMED MED BY PR PRIV IVAT ATE E CORPORATE TEN N CRIMINALS KILLED, ON FORCES. FO FOR R EV EVER ERY Y TE ONE E NCPD OFFICER LOSES H IS LIFE IN THE TH E

LINE OF DUTY, BUT THE E SITUATION IS NO NOTT IMPROVING DESPITE THO BU T TH THOSE SE OFFI OFFICERS CERS’ SACRI-

FICE AND AN D DEDICATION   HOMICIDES, ARMED ASSAULTS, ROBBERIES, DRUG DEALING , ARE E AN EV EVER ERYD YDAY AY REALITY, AS RESIDENTIAL IAL BURGLARI BURGLARIES ES AR HUMAN TRAFFICKING , AN D RESIDENT AR ARE E VIOLENT FEUDS AMONG MOBILE, WELL- ARMED , AN D CYBERAUGMENTED GANGS.

AD D TO THAT A COUNTLESS NUMBER OF PETTY CRIMES , AN D YOU ’LL HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF TH THE E CITY ’S STR STREET EET LIF LIFE E. TO SAY THAT TH THE E CRIME RATE IS TREMENDOUSLY HIGH IS AN

OVERSIMPLIFICATION— A ND ND T HE HE DEPRESSING LEVEL OF POVERTY IS NOT NO T MAKING THINGS NIGHT GHT CI CITY TY FI BETTER. NOW NO W, IN 2077, NI FIRML RMLY Y HO HOLD LDS S TH THE E TI TITL TLE E OF ‘ THE THE WO WORS RSTT PLACE TO

LIVE IN AMERICA ,’ AN D IT ’S NOT NO T GOING TO GIVE IT U P WITHOUT A SER SERIO IOUS US FIGHT FIGHT.”

  OLIVIA

15 4

HERNANDEZ , 2077

THE WORLD OF CYBERPUNK 2077

 

“ RULES 

OF NIGHT CITY

L A W ENFORCEMENT CORPORATE AGENTS

— including

Properties under corporate authority

and dist distri rict ctss buildings, blocks , and

— are completely

DESPITE BEING HIGHLY OUTNUMBERED AND

within their corporations’ respective jurisdictions.

HAVING SOMEWHAT LIMITED AUTHORITY

Most of the smaller companies hire services provided by leading specialized agencies such as

WITH RESPECT T O CORPORATE SOVEREIGNTY , THE MODERN FORCES OF LAW AN AND D ORDER SHOULD NOT BE CROSSED.

Militech , Arasaka, or Lazarus for external security needs Fo r internal security, most smaller corpora-

tions prefer to rely on th thei eirr own enforcers, who are

numerous rous but unquestionably loyal. less nume Those internal forces deal with every crime

comm commit itte ted d on corporate turf, regardless of the

perpetrator. Th e corp cops justice is harsh and

quick They don’t have a problem shooting first and

asking questions later

— if they ask at all  

START

->

In addition to being overworked, brutal , and often

corrupt to their very bones bones,, local lawenforcers no w share their duties with privately funded paramilitary

— corporate agents, or “corp cops” as

organizations

NCPD The good ol’ police are still protecting and serving

streets ts outside outside of corporate- controlled they are also known . Naturally, those guys w on’t bite on the city stree

the hand that feeds them 

areas. These guys are overworked, underpaid ,

L AW A N D D I S O R D E R

 

FROM THE FILES OF OLIVIA HERNANDEZ

LVJ 1

1: H i i i i  ICH d » 1* 1 -

— with some exceptions — not nearly as well

situation that requires the us usee of superior firepower

so their mortality rate is rela relativ tively ely high. Frustration

guys’ standards, so stay out of their wa y if you can.

and

equippe as their corporate counterparts. They also and brute force within the loose boundaries of the have to play by the rules  at least most of the time , law Collateral damage is perfectly fine by those born born out of powerlessness and overextension leads to brutality and corruption in their ranks, and that in turn results in a negative public opinion .

NETWATCH

Th e chief of the Night City Police Department osten-

NetWatch was formed in response to the the develop-

sibly answers directly to the mayor and the city ment of the N et and the corresponding increase in council, but since most of the seats on the council

the number of computer crimes Th e organization

belong to corporate- backed councilmen , its obvious started as a private company in the European

where the chief ’s loyalty really lies An y crimes

Union, and slowly increased its influence to be

related to the corpos and their shady business are

counted among the most powerful

remov removed ed from from police jurisdiction soo sooner ner or later,

offi fici cial al mis missio sion n is to organizations  NetWatch’s of

— and secretive —

protec ectt th the e Net against cybercriminal activity, leaving cops to deal with petty crimes, gruesome prot murders, riot control, and gang activity Dream jo jobb, right? Just don’t tell your mom what yo u’re doing 

keeping it safe for fo r business and communication , They are in charge of locating and eliminating unlicensed cen sed or rogue intelligent systems, and arresting

Not to say that the police are a bunch of harmless

law-breaking netrunners  Local divisions of law-

and d ar arme med d to th he e t ee ee tth h , they are are the the Augmented an

hasit that their operatives are well versed in conven -

meanest sons of bit bitche chess ever ever to shine a badge,

tio tional nal comb combat at and cyberwarfare , and they have

M ax -Tac Ta c’s main duty is to deal with the cyberpsycho

access to restricted anti- personnel and tracking

guys with tie d hands armed with popguns — NetWatch are heavily financed by governments and nott th the e Max-Ta c. Their official name in other corporations , benefiting from a high especially no high deg degree ree Night City used to be the Cyborg Suppression Unit, of independence and top-notch equipment. Rumor

threat, but they ar are e sent sent to respond to

an y critical software — including the infamous Black Ice 

155

Although NetWatch’s authority is vast, it varies

depending on the world region . In the United States MOST NIGHT CITY POLICE OFFICERS AR E NO T

PROVIDED WITH ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT TO FACE

they are free to roam, feared by cyberpunks and corporations alike as dreaded boogeymen and N et

TH E DANGERS THEY MIGHT ENCOUNTER DURING

hellhounds. In the Pacifica region , especially in

TYPICAL SHIFT  THEIR CORPO CORPORATE RATE COUNTER)

Australia and N ew Zealand, their actions are more

PARTS ARE GENE GENERALL RALLY Y ENDOWED WITH FA R ciii J 3 : i [

i rJ , , • j ; V 

L

due to local regulations. restricted due

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“ RULES 

OF NIGHT CITY

A N D T H E UGLY the country Thou Thousand sandss lost their jobs. It was a death sentence for smaller towns and cities where those facil faciliti ities es were the only source of employ-

GANG GA NGS S AR ARE E SO UBIQUITOUS IN MODERN CITIES THAT WE’ V E GROWN ACCUSTOMED T O THEIR

PRESENCE  ESPECIALLY IN POORER DISTRICTS.

ment. People started fleeing to the bigger urban

centers, which offered new jo jobb prospects  . . or so they thought 

It quickly became obvious that the labor labor market market

bs or or b so many unemployed wasn’t able t o a bs

people No w destitute and toiling in poor suburbs

and chea cheap p hous housing ing, these communities became

the soil in which the gangs grew. Amid the down -

fall of government infrastructure and the

disintegration of soci societal etal insti instituti tutions ons, gangs START

->

Ho w did we end up with so many people joining rapidly swelled in numbers by absorbing new the organized criminal groups that now claim

neighborhoods In many cities across the United

control over various city districts?

States today, there are are wh whol ole e zones zones where gangs are the only true power, tenaciously resisting the

It all began during the recession in the early ’20s when companies were shutting down plants across

attempts of the government and corporations to reclaim their districts districts.

159

L AW A N D D I S O R D E R

 

...

SEARCHING

N ETWOR ETWOR K STAT

1101100

G _ 16 0 ... .... NIGHT _ CITY _ GANGS.exe

01111100011

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.

O DISCLAIMER : The

SY S VER 8.2 5 :: 0620

data and numbers presented on the following charts come

 

from a leaked report produced for NC City Hall outside of official channels Fromwhat we

can tell tell,, it contains some inaccuracies an d inconsistencies , an d presents a rather

.

superficial view on the subject Some of the prominent members and locati locations ons might be

outdated, estimated gang sizes are clearly understated an d other it item em s such as  cyberware   and  turf   shou should ld be taken with a grain of salt .  Threat level   probably refers to the gang ’s ideology and its tendencies to commit   random acts of violence,  not to the individual threat level of each pissed- off, cyberaugmented, combat- drug - filled memb member er,

so think twice before you decide that crossing the  low -threat  Mox is a good idea  

 

INFO NO 07231836

[ FACTION OVERVIEW ]:

A dangerous, violent gang from Night City s industrial zone Members are fascinated by the Net an d cybertechnologies, an d frequently undergo

 

extensive illegal body modifications Many of the gang s mem member bers s are on the CGANGl : MAELSTROM

E P R O M I N E N T M EM BER S ] : D E C L A N

SIMON

EFACTION LOCATIONS] :

“DUM

  T HE

B R I C K   G R I F F I N,

“ R O YC E  

DU M,

ABAN D O N ED

 

verge of developing cyberpsychosis, or already suf suffer fer fr from om the condit condition ion

I E S T I M A T E D GANG SI Z E ] : 1,3 0 0

 

R A N D A L L,

B R A N D ON F R O S T

  A L L FOOD   P L A N T ,

T OT O T EN EN TA T A NZ N Z C LU L U B, F A C T O R Y H A L L , HEAVENM ED C L I N I C

ETURF 3 : UATSON D I S T R I C T

(

NORTHSIDE

INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT NORTHERN K A B U K I

)

,

E T A G A N D C O LO R S ] :

Maelstrom s physical appearance is distinguished by the gang s dehumanizing dehumaniz ing heavy augmentation and occult- inspired black metal

tattoos Cyberoptical implants , cyberlimbs wit with h bui built lt - in combat modifications, and subdermal body plating are especially common.

[ PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE ]: Maelstrom philosophy is dictated by an obsession with cybertechnologies,

the urge to improve the   weak flesh,  a fascination wi with th th the e occult, and connecte ected d, as many pursuit of otherworldly sensations . These ideals are conn believe that over - augmenting with cyberimplants may lead to

 

cyberpsychosis and other mental disorders Nevertheless , Maelstromers don t seem

to be bothered by that, as they clearly enjoy sliding on the

edge of madness 

On their home turf of the industrial part of the Watson District, the gang I T H R E A T L EVEL l : EXTREM E

I C Y B E R U A R E D : P A IN E D I T O R S , C Y B E R O P T I C S ,

REFLEX BOOSTERS

splitt into smaller groups that are each responsible for a different part is spli of their criminal enterprise Depending on th the e ta task sk, those groups can be as large as thirty members- for raids, hit jobs, or protecting valuable

cargo- or as few as four or five bodies if simply patrolling their turf . PORT: CONNECTED.

 

[ CRIMI CRIMINAL NAL ACTIVI ACTIVITY TY AND SOURCES OF INCOME ]: Maelstrom s main revenue stream comes from smuggling illegal meds and drugs, such as tr i- phet They are als also o kno known wn for taking hit jobs, which they execute in brutal and bizarre fashions . Many of their victims are

 

found dismembered, skin concret rete e They also skinned ned aliv alive e, or drowned in wet conc

have a history of wel welll planned and executed heists performed on heavily-

 

guarded corporate transports

Another significant source of Maelstrom income is the Totentanz Club -the most popular gangsters  club and   drink   riot  venue in Night City. Located in an abandoned factory, Totentantz is a place where the members of

other gangs come to party hard and listen to neo - death metal music - as long as they respect Maelstrom s authority and customs . An y night at TTC

with a body count of le less ss than a dozen is considered crappy crappy an and d boring. unconf onfir irmed med rumor rumors s that gang is somehow involved in There are also unc black ack market braindance records- especially bizarre, the production of bl

disturbing, and extremely violent BD s . Other purportedly popular

products are records of so called   Numbness   - an emot emotiona ionall void that places users in a strange state of mi mind nd- which are qui quite te pop popul ular ar among

overstimulated BD users . Despite th those ose rumor rumors s, NCPD has found no producti ction on and evidence connecting the Maelstrom gang to the produ black ck market braindance. distribution of bla

CONNECTING NCPO ( »  

 

#

* « .. . J

NETWORK STAT :: 10000010100

CO NNE CTING CTING NCP O

 

...

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N ETWOR ETWOR K STAT

PORT : CONNECTED

  .

OOOIOOl

00101100000

[# # # # # #]

N ET WORK WORK ST AT :: 11111010111

51.482793, - 3.180544

CONNECTING NCPD C #

# # #

  .J

N ET WORK WORK ST AT :: 10111110001

 

IIIIWIEMWIW HMBKSffilllll

I

SEARCHING .  .. SY S / NCPD / DATA / GANGS   LOADING DATA  

.

SYS VER 8.2 5 :: 0620

READING

PG 16 3

... 1

CUM fmCHT imimnis

m ^

/

3 .

INFO NO 07240932

[ FACTION OVERVIEW ]:

 

withoutt perma permanent nent turf Animals are an aggressive street- fighting gang withou Their The ir mem member bers s are kn know own n for eschewing the mo most st common electronic LOADING DATA .

implants in fa favo vorr of custom- brewed body enhancements and

..

modifications. They use ultratestosterone and anim animal al supplementsincluding equine growth hormone -to make themselves bigger and

^

\

Ms

stronger. Experienced brawlers and trai trained ned in various forms of martial

.

arts Animals are keen on cage fights, duels, and other displays of brute physical force. Their ferocity and toughness makes them sought- after y

a

bouncers and bodyguards  

r *

They typically sport tattoos an d hooligan hoods as well as som some e artificial animalistic features ranging from purely cosmetic changes like spotted or

striped skin an d subdermal implants to extre extreme me plast plastic ic surgery an d '

r  

is

M

cybernetic modifications like bestial jaws, an d va t - grown impl implante anted d mus muscles cles.

[ PHILOSOPHY AN D STRUCTURE]:

 

fascin cinate ated d with the feral, primal si Animals are fas side de of human nature They perceive this aspect of humanity as the border between man and animal,

PORT : CONNECTED

and are each on a person personal al quest to cross that border to establish

. ..

 

themselves as a new dominant human subspecies To achieve these ends, they constantly subject themselves to various brutal and violent tests of

w it

my ?

hsr

M

.

skill They  ll often take on dangerous cyberimplanted opponents, be they

 

member mem bers s of other gangs, the police, or cor corpora porate te forces They train in

fighting sports not for philosophical reasons, but to sharpen their effectiveness in combat. Internal gang relations are obvi obviousl ously y equa equally lly

.

animalistic . On their own impermanent turf Animals are divided into small   packs,  led by the biggest and strongest gang member, the alpha

I I

\

resolv olved ed through trial by combat, which is male or female. Disputes are res

f Qnimnis

D

m

H

 

fought until one side completely submits.

[ CRIMI CRIMINAL NAL ACTIVI ACTIVITY TY AN D SOURCES OF INCOME]: Animals are mostly known for the their ir ultra ultraviolen violentt raids on residential

)

organize ize ill illegal egal districts and other gangs' home turf. They also organ underground fights, and manufacture and sell drugs- mostly custombrew anabolic steroids. A few packs special specialize ize in robbing drugstores,

i

chemical transport, pharmaceutical companies, and other drug dealers.

SATURDAY MAY 8 , 9 6

Some Animals hire themselves out as bouncers at brothels and strip

clubs, or as racketeers who specialize in extortion and assault.

ATTHEZOO ATTHE ZOO AREN ARENA A

*

A

’

. - 2.363009

51.384032

ONNECTING NCPD C #  

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10110000001

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. 

SYS / NCPD / DATA / GANGS

 .. PG 165

SY S VER 8.2 .5 :: 0520

I N FO FO N O.07240932

[ FACTION OVERVIEW ]:

An enigmatic gang from Pacifica with a dark reputation for the their ir netrunning skills and mystical voodoo flavor. Presumed to consist entirely of those with Hait Haitian ian bloo blood d, the Voodoo Boys are an exclusive,

secretive gang, and are distrustful of outsiders Th e gang was originally made up entirely of voodoo priests and priestesses- the prominen prom inentt cas caste te in the Creole culture of the Haitian diaspora. In 2062, the annihilating forces of climate change wiped Haiti off t he he f ac ac e o f

the earth, and initiated a new chapter in the Voodoo Boys  history Th e gang became the newly self - appoi appointed nted guard guardians ians of Haitian refugees 

interests and safety in the Pacifica combat zone. Most Voodoo Boys are netrunners, so cooling suits and neural implants are common elements of each member s outfit, complemented by more culturally

specific,   voodoo - flavored   eleme elements nts like dreadlocks, tattoos, and the bones and skulls of sma small ll birds and rode rodents nts wor worn n as charms.

[ PHILOSOPHY AN D STRUCTURE]:

Du e to the homogeneous nature of the Creole diaspora in Pacifica coupled with the lack of any police forces in the district - it is diff difficul icultt

to obtai obtain n precise information about the Voodoo Boys  numbers,

structure, or even their goals. It s widely known the gang is devoted to uncovering the secrets of the Old Net, and it  s commonly believed that they continuously probe the Blackwall in the hope of making contact

with rogue intelligent systems that live beyond the barrier These activities have earned the Voodoo Boys the attention and enmity of the agents nts are especially interested in NetWatch organization, whose age tracking and dispatching rogue netrunners and independent self -

 

aware ISs

It is unknown to what extent (if any) the Voodoo Boys are con connec nected ted with actual voodoo religious practices in the Haitian diaspora of the

Pacifica district

 

[ SOURCE OF INCOME ]:

Th e gang s primary criminal activities involve the hacking of databank data banks s and accounts within various corporations in search of violate ate NetW NetWatc atch h restricted and top - secret data. They persistently viol laws la ws an and d regulations, especially with regard to cont contact act wit with h ISs. The Voodoo Boys also hire themselves out as mercenary netrunners for private contractors who are interested in hit - and - run netrunning

operations or exploring the forgotten and ruined parts o f t he he Old Net. Other sources of in inco come me are hard to verify, but theft of virtual currency and information brokering are probably among them.

.

28.597811 81.604835

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PGJ 66

OIOIOOO

NIGHT _ CITY _ GANGS. exe

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SY S VER 8.2 5 :: 0620

 

INFO NO 07241028

[ FACTION OVERVIEW ]: fashioned oned Ameri American can patriots Th e Bth Street Gang were founded as old- fashi who came together as an a d h oc oc civil police force. They ve since

STREET

foregone their original goal of serv serving ing the public trust, and toda today y they re no better than other gangs who abuse their power and position in local

 

communities They regularly force smaller neighborhood businesses to EG AN G1: L T H S T R E E T

pay tribute and   protection money,  and they 're known to engage in

E E S T I M A T E D GANG SI Z E : 2 , 3 0 0 EP R 0 M I N E N T

various shady and outright criminal activities.

M EM BER S : HI L L GUNNER , R I C K MORTON ,

The 6th Street look is heavily influenced by military uniforms with

H YA Y A TT T T A LK L K EN E N , L U C I U S TH 0 RA N,

MATT DODGES , P A T R I C I A G E R V I L L E

E F A C T I 0 N L O C A T I O N S : H I C K E D T I R E S A UT UT O S H OP OP ,

P IG BO Y ' S D E L I G H T I R I S H PU B, OL D C

E T U R F :

- TEAM

pants, base basebal balll cap caps s with old US flags, stars, stripes, and eagles.

H (3

T H E I R M A I N A R E A OF I N F L U E N C E C O VER S S A N T O D O M I N G O ARROYO

patriotic accents: military boots, tactical vest vests s and kne kneepa epads ds, cargo

(

BOTH

AN D RANCHO CORONADO

)

.

LS O H A S SOME TH E G A N G A LS

IN FLU E N C E I N CHARTER HILL A N D TH E G L E N, BU T THEY TR Y TO

R E S P E C T O TH T H ER ER G AN AN GS GS '

T ER R IT O R IES I N THOSE CASES E T A G AN D C O LO R S :

 

[ PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE STRUCTURE]]:

Bt h Street was formed approximately fifty years ago by veterans of the Fourth Corporate Wa r who were tired of loc local al gang activity and the helplessness of the NCPD, and decided to take matters into their own hands They gathered some equipment, refreshed their combat training,

 

and took to the streets Th e gang was created to keep thugs and hoodlums at bay, and its charismatic founders gave the people a way to

protect themselves an and d se seek ek retribution for the damage caused by the other gangs. Today the majority of 6th Street memb members ers are veterans of conflict icts s, retired military and discharged corporate security more recent confl

officers who were unable to fin find d othe otherr employment Th e rest of the members are civilians who were provided military training after joining

 

the gang Their main motivation is still ostensibly to   bring justice to the T T H R E A T L E V E L  L : M E D I U M E C Y B E R U A R E : C Y B E R O P T I C S , P A IN E D I T O R S , H EALTH MONITORS

city,  but their interpret interpretation ation of the law is questionable and self - serving. 6th Street s main headq headquart uarters ers are in Arroyo, but their other districts

of operation each have their own local HQs that are responsible for patrolli patro lling ng the neighborhood and monitoring the gang s facilities

 

[ SOURCE OF INCOME ]: 6th Street s activities include robbery, extortion , and gun smuggling.

 

PORT: CONNECTED

Th e group has extensive connections with Nomad groups outside of Night City. The gang also steals and modifies cars- 6th Street has

talented techies, and runs many garages and wor worksh kshops ops arou around nd the

city. They offer their services as a combat taxi for hire, which has made them especially popular among edgerunners and mercenaries . Despite their criminal nature, the gang is mostly tolerated by

corporations and police forces, unless gang members cause trouble

.

outside of their established turf Military- oriented corporations have

another customer for their high- end products, and the NCPD s job is made easier by the ersatz law that Bth Street maintain in their neighborhoods.

.

45.328733 14.441469

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SYS VER 8.2 5 :: 0620

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NETWORK STAT :: 10100010001

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48.803364 2.128215

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..

[ FACTION OVERVIEW ]: The Mo x are a small, nonterritorial gang gang,, consisting mostly of sex workers,

.

anarchists, punks, and sexual minorities For Formed med in the interest of mutual self defense, their name comes fr from om th the e old slang word   moxie,  denoting their

.

determination to stand up t o t he he M ox ox like to wear outfits that he ir ir oppressors T he aestheti hetic c with inexpen inexpensive sive fashions typically worn by prostitutes, but mix the punk aest

.

they tend not to wea wearr clo clothes thes that would restrai restrain n thei theirr movements in any way leaving them looking more like gangers than sex workers. Some members especially those who specialize in combat - have heavily modified bodies that

.

sometimes evoke a   plastic doll  style, but may also be disguised with RealSkinn

On e of their gang symbols is a labrys- a double - headed axe - displayed on their walls, clothes , tattoos, or jewelry.

[ PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE ]: The Mox were formed during the riots that occurred after the death of Elizabeth   Lizzie  Borden, a strip club owner and former prostitute who was known for

treating her work workers ers fairly and defending them from violent clients In 2067, one of

 

Lizzie s girls was brutally raped and murdered by Tyger Claw gangers Lizzie avenged her by killing three of the assail assailants ants with an ax axe e and displaying their bodies

in front of her club, proclaiming that the same would happen to anyone else who er b ar ar before hurt a prostitute. That night, night, Tyger Claws raided and demolished h er

killing Elizabeth . These actions actions creat created ed an uproar that the Tygers could not have

.

foreseen Lizzie s death set off a wave of protracted riots all over Night City, and

 

Tyger Claws members and businesses became the main targets of the violence

against st ganger gangers s  cemented nted Eliz Elizabet abeth h Borden as a symbol of defiance again Those events ceme

/

m

lawlessne lawl essness ss and brutality. Her ideo ideologi logical cal successors commem commemorate orated d her by

rebuilding her place, naming it   Lizzie s Bar,  and forming a gang that brought together those who felt threatened and oppressed, especially among sex workers

.

and sexual minorities

Th e Mo x do not have any strict hierarchy Nevertheless they are a gang, and regardless of the fact that its members refer to themselves as   those who protect working girls and guys  from violence and abu abuse se, they demand a substantial fee

.

several ral smal smaller ler brothels wher where e the they y profit from from their charges They also run seve

prostitution, so they are far from being saints.

[ SOURCE OF INCOME ]: Most Mo st of the Mo x  s income is generated by Lizzie s Bar, which is n ow ow a n exclusive

E R R O R

#

0 2:

C O R R U P T E D F I L E S 

 

braindance club They do not control any contiguous portion of Nig Night ht Ci City ty, focusing instead on protecting their facilities, members, an and d se sex x workers who operate in

 

the vicinity of Lizzie s Bar As long as they are left to their business, they do not actively seek confr confrontati ontation on with other gangs, although they have a tense relationship

.

with the Tyger Claws, who continue to test their patience and combat capabilities.

19.979392 , 72.719535

CONNECTING NCPD C #  

...

SEARCHING

NETWORK STAT

1111101

oooomoooi

# #

N ET WORK WORK ST AT :: 10100110000

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(# # # #

...)

N ET WOR K ST AT :: 00000010001

 

MMS S wBHSfUHiHi i n MM SY S VER 8.2 .5 :: 0520

INFO NO . 07241200

[ FACTION OVERVIEW ]: Night ht Ci City ty criminal groups, the Tyger Claws are a On e of the largest Nig methods ds similar to ruthless territorial gang from Japantown who use metho

 

those of As Asia ian n organized crime syndicates like the triads and yakuza Gang members are predominantly Asian, and the organization s

primary objective i s to maintain power over their turf while

 

occasionally forcibly annexing other gangs' businesses Tyger Claw luminou inous s Asi Asian an tattoos, fast foot soldiers are recognizable by their lum

street bikes, katanas, and tantos.

E E S T I M A T E B G A N G S IZ E  [[ P R O M I N E N T

M E MB E R S } :

HI RO M I S A T O

,

ISHIN OBATA

-

HIYAME MIYAGAIdA M:M

E F A C T I0 N

[ PHILOSOPHY AN D STRUCTURE ]:

L O C A TI O N S} :

C LO U BS , BO JO

TEAH O U SE AN B S H I N T O

E T U R F I : WESTBROOK

(

J A P A N T O W N AN B

CHARTER HILL ) ,

can cau cause se an immediate and violent reaction from the entire

.

L I T T L E M A C A O , BEREVAJ A

S H R I N E , T A N K G I R L S CL UB

Th e Tyger Claws  approach to business resembles that of the Japanese yakuza. Disrespecting or crossing even a lo w - level soldier organization, but as long as they get what they want, everything should

n

X I U L I A N, WU BONG

(

L I TTL E C H I N A

fl[]

)

E T A G AN B C O LO R S }

be fine The Cla Claws ws  top brass know that business is preferable to war

in the long run, and that you can go further with a machine gun and the

'

 

semblance of principles and hon honor or than with a machine gun alone

he r an an k- an d - file TC gangers are sadistic On the other hand, many o f t he

brutes wh o are prone to violence. Abduction, torture, sexual assault,

y

cruel el or unusu unusual al killings are just a few examples of their depravity. and cru young,, brash, or simply drunk gangers to It  s not uncommon for young

TVL E K

undermine their organization  s ideologies by abusing thei theirr sta status tus on

 

gang turf, hassling outsiders, and provoking fights on the streets This

behavior is considered dishonorable by most high- ranking Tyger Claw

crime bosses, but an outsider responding to a gang member s disrespectful behavior in kind will rarely go unpunished. Mos Mostt prov provoked oked individuals outside of the Tyger Claws  ranks will wisely chose to avoid a

I TH T H R EA EA T

L EV E V EL EL } :

EC YBER WAR E } :

iV

CLAWS

M E B I U M TO H I G H R E F L E X B O O S T E R S , A U G ME N T E B

unless ess they happen to have connections within the direct confrontation - unl higher ranks of the organization.

[ SOURCE OF INCOME ]: Japantown is Night City s premier nightlife district, and the Tygers

.

control a significant portion of it They own more businesses than any other gang in Night City- bars, restaurants , braindance clubs,

brothels, and casinos. Most of the these se est establi ablishme shments nts are registered as le legal gal businesses, but many act as fronts for illegal operations and

 

money laundering Th e gang makes most of its money on prostitution

and hum human an trafficking, but they also manufacture and distribute drugs ( notably the infamous   glitter   ), and some members eagerly

hire themselves out for hit jobs 

Th e Tyger Claws also have connections with various corporate officials plac aces es of bus busin iness ess to have fun and blo blow w off steam. The who visit their pl Claws have especially close ties with Arasaka s upper management, who hav have e bee been n kno known wn to outsource side jobs to the gang, and pay them

with cybertechnology and military - grade automatic weapons.

54.143306

. - 21.931248

NETWORK STAT :: 10100000001  

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GJ 72 .... NIGHT CITY GANGS.exe

10000000001

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SY S VER 0.2 . 5 :: 0620

INFO NO . 07241312

[ FACTION OVERVIEW ]:

Th e Valentinos are one of the largest gangs in Night City. Strictly vast st impoverished segments of the territorial, they operate in the va Latino barrios in Heywood, the Glen, and Vi Vista sta de dell Re y, where they are

 

strongly rooted in the loca locall commun communitie ities s They are representatives of the Chicano culture in Night City, and have cultivated those traditions more re th than an a century  for mo Valenti Vale ntinos nos member members s openl openly y displ display ay their gang tattoos and gold Sant nta a Mue Muert rte e and Jesus jewelry with religious motifs, with the Sa Malverde being the mo most st popular and recognizable. They also display a

tast ta ste e for colorful clothes, pimped out lowriders, and custom decorative silver - and gold- plated guns.

[ PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE ]: Valenti entinos nos gang members are of Mexican heritage Th e majority of Val heritage,, but

.

other races and ethnic groups are welcome to join Members tend to

integrate quickly, adopting the Chicano culture by celebrating various Mexican holidays and customs like Di a d e los Muertos,

.

Quinceafieras

Semana Sem ana Santa, or Dia de Nuestra Sefiora de Guadalupe .

This sense of common heritage- or at leas leastt shar shared ed cus custom toms s- binds

 

the gang together with the local peo people ple to form one big family Th e community s

loyalty protects the gang members, making any police or

corporate attempts to infilt infiltrate rate the Valentinos almost impossible In

return, the gangers protect the whole neighborhood It  s for these

reasons that betraying one s gang is among the mo most st heinous crimes

a Valentino can commit , and is usually punishable by a particularly

gruesome death. gangs,, police, fighting ing other gangs On the ot other her hand, Valentinos who died fight

or corporate enforcers are often remembered as saints and martyrs, commemorated in song, and depicted on giant murals . This memorial

street art functions as religious iconography, complete with written ACK

r

[ SOURCE OF INCOME ]:

mock

Th e Valentinos ow own n ma many ny legitimate businesses such as restaurants, auto shops, and nightclubs, but they also operate braindance recording studios , sports - bett betting ing parlo parlors rs, and local construction

(P R

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as meeting places, money- laundering operations , or illegal chop shops

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descriptions of the saint s glorious deeds

HO j

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for stolen vehicles . Their main sources of income are gun smuggling, car theft, drug

trafficking, robbery, burglary, hit jobs (including assault or murder ), prostitution, and illegal modification of weapons and vehi vehicles cles.

T - 77.955778 , 18.351865

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H E A L T H M O N I T O R S, K E R E Z N I K O V , K•E•R •S•

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ROVING REFUGEES through the country, often brutally pacified by the

and the the ascending corporations  government and

NOMADS EM EMER ERGE GED D AS A SEPARATE CASTE OFSOCIETY DURING THE COLLAPSE A T THE

It was then that groups of refugees began to move from one city to another in search of work, safety,

and prospects for a better life Most of them them trav trav-

eled by automobile , often with their entire families

END OFTHE PREVIOUS CENTURY.

and all of their possessions in tow. It was the modern ern hum human an history, but the greatest crisis in mod

next eight eighty y years of mass migration created a new social group bound by a common history, wa y of

life, and family ties These people eventually came START

->

to be kno known wn as Nomads 

Th e global crises caused by worldwide financial meltdown ha had d re resu sult lted ed in an enormously high

unemployment rate  Hundreds of thousands of

around nd the globe lost their jobs and homes. people arou Its

in

,

estimated that the old ol d US one quarter of the population become homeless homeless Wave Wavess of riots swept

176

the move , travelling across Nomads are always on the

the country with their cars cars and and families as their predecessors did . Driven by economic concerns, , travel they from job to jo jobb settle briefly to do their work, and pack up once they’re done. They live in

T H E W O RL D O F C Y B E R P U N K 2 0 7 7

 

“ R U LES 

O F N IG H T C IT Y

MOST NOMADS PREFER FASHION

u HA T

PRIORITIZE FUNC FUNCTION TION OVER

FORM , AN D THEY C A RR RR Y B A GS GS AN D

EiATCHELS

SO THAT THEIR ESSENTIAL

sUPPLIES AR E

ALWAYS WITHIN

REACH  MANY ALSO DECORATE THEIR

E KIN WITH TRIBAL IDENTIFIERS .

camps that usually consist of multiple vehicles parked parked arou around nd aba abandon ndoned ed buildings. During their serv rve e as a meeting place, stay, these building can se

living quarters, a hospital , a school, or any other where e shelter shelter might be required . facility wher

Th e Nomads are div divide ided d into famili families es, clans, tribes, few w as two people to and nations. Families can be as fe as many as one hundred . A clan is made up of from om a fe w hundred multiple families, and can range fr

to over a thousand members. Tribes are much larger,

classifications classifica tions themselves are not interchangeable ,

consisting of several tens of thousands of people.

While Nomad families, clans, tribes, and nations do

Nations are the largest groups , and

numbering in the

have their conflicts and disagreements, those rarely

hundreds of thousands; the biggest Nomad Nation

escalateinto anything more serious than than a superficial

has roughly one million members. These population

feud

numbers are

somewhat fluid ,

7

though

the

SERIAL / DE 3   3 DFE UEEC   11 IL

 

F R O M T H E F IL ES O F O L I V I A H E R N A N D E Z

-

have their own territories, and they mind their own

DVERTISEMENT LINK

 

— and never into alalll out battle Nomad nations

/

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