Has Karl Kombatmage Met His Match in Carter Hollis' "Trencher?"

New PolyPOV Shadowrunner Sim from MegaMedia Set to Challenge Cliber's Sim Epic

April 4th, 2057

Los Angeles, CFS: A few years ago, Hans Cliber took the sim world by storm with his ground-breaking shadowrunner sim "Karl Kombatmage." This sim, which showed the mundane world how it felt to access the astral plane, cast magic spells, as well as drive a motorcycle up a man's face, took the entertainment industry by storm, and taught media execs the world over three important lessons: 

Karl Kombatmage along with Franz and Uli

1: Magic can be chipped!

2: Karl Kombatmage made millions!

3: The "Shadowrun" genre, once thought tacky and outdated, is back with a vengeance and here to stay!

Cliber and his team are already hard at work on the much anticipated Karl Kombatmage 2, and the matrix is buzzing with excitement after leaked footage of the western dragon Nebelherr put to rest all rumors that the long awaited dragon scene was done with special effects.  KK2 is expected to soar above the box office records set by its predecessor, and Cliber continues to be one of the hottest names in the sim industry.

Hollis as Trencher in Hit Squad: The True Story

That said, Cliber and his creation may be in for a tough fight this summer;  up and coming simstar Carter Hollis is set to star in Hit Squad: The True Story, a major shadowrun sim due out a month before Karl Kombatmage 2 hits the streets. 

Hollis is already a rising star in the industry, having starred in dramas like Eventide, A Wish Before Dying, and That Ork is My Son, and the comedies Carlos?!, With Friends Like These, and Be the Cheese, Douglas.  This new sim, however will see Hollis stepping into a whole new realm as an artist.  That's because his character, the hard-bitten "street samurai" named Trencher, is based on a real shadowrunner, and the Hit Squad sim itself is entirely based on real events!

To research the role, Hollis had facial reconstruction to "become" Trencher, and then went underground among real shadowrunner groups.  When asked why such dangerous research was necessary, Hollis told NEWSFAX:

"Authenticity is everything in sim, do you follow me?  I'm always saying, you don't act sim, you live sim.  To make it real, it had to be real, to me.  Now, I've been on the inside, and I know what it's like to persp it out during a run, when you're locked in a box and your air is running out.  Will you make it out in time?  Can you keep it null persp when security's looming over you, larger than life?  Will you crack under that pressure, or snap your claws and get the job done?  It's a tough thing, you understand?  But see, I've been there.  And now when I look at the other shadowrun sims, I see how Hollywood they are, do you feel me?    Driving a motorcycle up a man's face while shooting people and casting spells?  That's Hollywood.  That's not real.  It's not true. A backflip?  Sure, that's real, but motorcycles on the face?  No, chummer.  Real shadowrunners don't do that.  They don't meet dragons, they don't go clubbing, and their girlfriends don't get kidnapped evil gangers.  They don't even have girlfriends.  They're not cool, do you feel me?  They're hard.  They don't even have social lives.  All they do is prep the next wiz takedown."

Hollis purportedly insisted on numerous changes to the script to make Hit Squad "less Hollywood" and "more real."  While some critics say that the changes he made cause the sim to deviate from the actual events on which it is based, Carter believes the changes add authenticity to the sim.  He gave a few hints to NEWSFAX:

"Do you know anything about crabs?  Shadowrunners are basically crabs.  In their souls, at least, do you feel me?  Think about it:  Crabs are armored, like runners.  They've got claws, and runners are always armed to the teeth.  In fact, when they say "tooth and claw," that's what they mean.  Crabs can breath air and water, and runners can too with the right gear.  Most importantly though: while the rest of the world walks forward, crabs go sideways.  They say "frak you world! I'm goin' sideways!"  And that's just what shadowrunners do, but with, like, their lives, do you feel me?"

Hollis as Trencher, along with the rest of Hit Squad will be coming to sim in early July.

Seattle Gears Up for Dunkelzahn Rally

Great Dragon's Presidential Aspirations Give Hope to Some, Fear to Others

March 25th, 2057

 

Seattle, UCAS: Swarms of Dunkelzahn campaign workers and volunteers descended on the Seattle Metroplex Convention Center today to begin preparations for next Saturday's election rally.  Banners with the Stars and Leaves are being strung across the open areas, and massive banquet tables are being rolled out for what promises to be the most unique political rally in Seattle history.  Unique, not just because the candidate is a massive paranormal animal straight out of legend, but also because candidate Dunkelzahn is not fundraising, as his many opponents are;  in fact, he's doing just the opposite.  Where other candidates charge high prices for admission and meals in order to raise campaign funds, the dragon's fully caterered rally is free and open to the public.

Tanya Friedman, Chairperson for the Seattle chapter of the Committee to Elect Dunkelzahn, tells NEWSFAX that what looks like a cheap populist stunt or political bribery is actually anything but. 

"Well, for one thing, there's no fundraiser because I don't think he really needs to raise funds.  I mean, he's a great dragon; he's got money, why should he make his supporters pay for him?  At the same time, he knows that his nature, being a dragon I mean, is disconcerting to some voters who aren't familiar with his kind.  The rally is open and free because Dunkelzahn wants to meet the people, the average UCAS citizen, and he wants them to meet him.  As for the food, you can't expect to hold a five-day rally for however many thousands of people and not feed them!"

Many of those "disconcerted" with the dragon's nature are planning massive protests of the rally.  Several local policlubs and citizen's groups, as well as supporters of various political opponents have announced their intention to surround the entrances to the convention center in protest to what one Brackhaven supporter called "the beast tempting fools into his maw."  In a strange twist, however, Dunkelzahn has apparently insisted that protestors are also welcome to attend his rally and partake of the free food, provided they are nonviolent and nondisruptive while inside.  Friedman explains the unusual policy thus: 

"Candidate Dunkelzahn believes in democracy and freedom of speech, and more to the point, believes in a diversity of dialog.  His detractors have every right to hold their opinions, and to argue them.  In fact, we'd love to have them come to the rally and add calm, rational voices to the many discussions and and townhall meetings.  A Dunkelzahn presidency is not one in which the opposition is silenced; we, all of us in the Dunkelzahn Independent Party, believe that all voices should be heard.  That said, the Big D is paying for this particular rally, so if any of the oppositional voices start screaming over everyone else, they will be asked to leave the premises and return to the outside protest."

With the free admission, free food, and chance to personally meet the great dragon himself, rally organizers estimate that upwards of a million people from the Metroplex will attend the rally.  In order to keep within fire code, campaign security will only be allowing the recommended maximum number of people in the building at any one time, so many will be turned away each day.  Organizers are now saying that attendees other than staff and special guests will only be allowed on one of the five days of the rally in order to let as many people meet the dragon as possible.  This will likely be a large number of people, because the Convention Center will be open around the clock, with Dunkelzahn apparently planning to be awake and available to the public throughout the rally, with the exception of several pre-planned absences to attend various meetings and deal with what the campaign calls "personal issues."

Dunkelzahn will begin the rally next Saturday with an opening speech and townhall meeting, and will be in attendance until seven o'clock.  He is scheduled to return to the Center at nine, and continue talking with the public until six o'clock on the following Tuesday.  A full schedule of the rally activities and Dunkelzahn's planned absences can be found at the Dunkelzahn for President campaign host at LTG: SEA10982.

Could War Be on the Horizon?

Foreign Dignitaries Express Outrage Over Political Rhetoric

March 20, 2057

 Washington FDC, UCAS:  Ambassadors from several of the UCAS' North American neighbors are raising a ruckus in FDC over the platforms of two this election's candidates.  Today, representatives from the NAN, Confederated States, and California Free State met with president pro-tem Betty Jo Pritchard to discuss the ramifications of the rhetoric being slung about in this years special presidential election. Of special concern are the Speeches and official platforms from both the Republican nominee, retired general Franklin Yeats, and his Archconservative rival, Seattle businessman Kenneth Brackhaven.  The words of these two men have been, in the words of Sioux Nation ambassador David Morning-Rain, "less akin to sabre-rattling than to sabre-drawing."

Pointing to Yeats' call to return to "the glory of America, one nation under God, from sea to shining sea," as well as his insistence that immediate military build-up is the answer to the nation's unemployment and SINless problems, Morning-Rain says that a vote for Yeats would appear to be a vote for a second Ghost Dance War.  The Sioux representative also pointed out that in his March 25th speech in New Haven Connecticut, Yeats explicitly said that:

 "The nations of the world respect strength, and it's hard to respect the strength of a nation that is but a fraction of its former self.  But we have strength!  We have duty and honor.  We have the greatest army, navy, air force, and marine corps in the world, and when I am president, we won't be afraid to use them.  The UCAS is the inheritor of the old USA, all of the USA.  Our grandfathers controlled every acre of this once great land, and it's high time that this generation stood up and claimed what is rightfully ours."

Citing this same speech, CAS ambassador Emilie Carruthers told President pro-tem Pritchard that if the UCAS wanted a war, the CAS was armed and ready to give it one.  Similar sentiments were expressed by Morning-Rain, who cautioned that "many of my people want this war.  We've been preparing for anglo aggression since the Sioux Nation's inception.  For those of us who want peaceful and prosperous coexistance in North America, Yeats' words are very dangerous.  Political rhetoric or no, a Yeats victory could well lead to war."

In a similar vein, but less explicit is the rhetoric of Seattle businessman and Archconservative candidate Karl Brackhaven, whose platform also calls for a return to the glory-days of the USA.  When asked by NBS' Holly Brighton if his vision of the future included reintegrating the North American Nations into the old USA, Brackhaven had this to say:

"Compromise.  That's what the history of America has taught us;  When you compromise, you die.  Not right away, of course, but a slow lingering death.  Old America compromised its values in the end.  Attempts at placating indians, so called "meta" humans, and unchecked magic users led, not at all coincidentally to the breakup of the greatest nation on Earth.  While I do think that we have enemies enough at home for the moment, when I am president, the liberal compromising in foreign policy as well as domestic policy will stop.  What is right is right, and we can no longer allow what is wrong to stand in the way.  The other "countries" in North America had best remember that."

Polls of registered UCAS voters show that well over 40% believe that the UCAS should reclaim the territory formerly belonging to the old USA, and that 27% believe that a war of reclamation is justified. Opinion polls spike sharply downward when mention is made of a military draft to pursue such a war.