[Keita]

>>>>>[ I carry a Browning Ultra Power as a back-up. The recoil's a hijo de slicho, but is just about manageable. And it's not too complicated. For situations where a hold-out might be needed...I carry the trusty old Cavalier Scout. That said...I prefer my knives. With them, I feel much more confident. ]<<<<<
     -- Madrecita (16:24:09/12-20-73)

[CanRay]

>>>>>[Moving away from firearms, the newest lines of vehicles are out late this year (The Shadowruns in Detroit this year were killer!  Literally, triple digits!)  I'm not trading in my Chrysler-Nissan Jackrabbit knockoff from Pueblo Motors anytime soon (Especially as I just got a new transmission for it), but there's some fine looking advances being made in body molding that actually gives some damned shapes back to cars!  After the electric razors of the '60s and so far in the '70s, I'm happy to see a return to some way to tell a Ford AmeriCar from a Chevy Neopala from a Chrysler 3000SUX other than the chrome insignia on the front or back.  Seems to just be hitting the sedan and derivatives market (station wagons and muscle cars, for example) so far, so it's probably a public test to see if they can actually get some brand loyalty out of style once more.  Or maybe the Megas that own those companies want people to know who they work for.  Also, Ford bought back the Mustang name from Nissan, which has a lot of Ford fans cheering a great degree, especially as they have also just purchased the Shelby American Inc. so they'll have Ford-Shelby Mustang-Cobras out as early as March or April next year according to the hubbub.

For non-sedans, the GMC Bulldog is getting a facelift and some standard items that used to be optional, but were so popular that they're including them in every vehicle now (Semi-Powered back ramp, folding stairs for the side door(s), higher torque transmission package, heated cup holders).  It'll be awhile until they're changed out in fleets, however, so Riggers have some time before they have to upgrade to a new model or their old Bulldogs will look outdated on the streets.]<<<<<
-- Money Johnson (22:32:57/12-20-73)

[Keita]

>>>>>[ I can’t say I like any of those, Money. They may no longer be clones on the surface, but under the skin, it’s all the same-old. North American manufacturers haven’t had a really new idea in decades. That’s what you get when you design something for the global market. It lacks all identity. Luckily, there are still a few manufacturers that stuck to their guns...mostly in Europe. They’re smaller than the megas by far, but independence from them have allowed for some truly worthwhile vehicles instead of the usual McTransport junk you find in most showrooms. One of the smallest is Hispano-Suiza, from my native Spain. They don’t offer a massive range that covers every niche, but each individual car can be infinitely customised. I drive a Hispano-Suiza large SUV. I forget the exact model name, but when I placed my order for it, I specified a more robust chassis without all the electronic trickery. I also specified the Daimler-Benz internal combustion hydrogen engine with on-board electrolyser. With this thing, I can fill up with water, go anywhere, and once I get there, disengage the engine from the transmission and connect it to a generator to run my alchemy lab and other essential equipment. All the mods are done in-house at the Hispano-Suiza factory and comes with a manufacturer’s warranty. I don’t think larger, mass production manufacturers can offer that level of specialised customisation in-house, and certainly not at the same level of excellence. ]<<<<<
     -- Madrecita (01:56:34/12-21-73)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Speaking of guns, a shipment of that new Ares PLD 'fell off the back of a truck' recently, and guess who was lucky enough to pick it up? Gun's not bad, all told. With some customization, you could potentially reduce the recoil substantially, even when going full auto. The thing comes with a 200 round box, or can go belt fed. The internal safety systems means you can have a relatively inexperienced gunner, and still avoid friendly fire. The price is double that of the MP-LMG, and still doesn't come with a smartgun system standard. All told, it is something to look at if you're in the market for a new gun, but I wouldn't throw out your old one to get it.

And before you ask, no, I already passed the shipment on to Mr. J, after doing some 'quality control' at the range. Just because I prefer blades doesn't mean I can't have a bit of fun with guns.

Going back to cars, I like the lines on the Oort and the Preza. Even if you don't, though, having something that blends with the locals is a good way to be effectively invisible when doing jobs outside a city center. Throw some smuggling compartments in this thing, and your jaunt across national borders (say, going from Seattle to the Tir across the Sidhe-Salish lands) can become a vacation with a couple of your buddies. If you have someone who knows a guy that can get you a visitor's visa, and hide the illegal stuff, then getting across a border at a checkpoint can be a lot easier than trying to get through in the middle of nowhere, where border patrols will assume you're spies or smugglers, and act accordingly. Governments may have changed in the Tir, but don't think it is any easier to get across the border than it used to be.

And for those of you looking to blend in while in the cities, everyone knows that nothing blends in more than a taxi. That new one by Leyland-Rover is troll-sized, meaning that even normal sized metahumans wearing some of the bulkier armor can get in and out, no problem. Throw on some addons to disguise what is actually going on inside the cab, and you can drive up in full battle armor, ready to roll, and no one would be the wiser. Plus, if you need to go to ground, working as a gypsy cabbie is a good way to make enough cred to live on while the heat dies down. And the added features in the back means that if any 'fares' try to get out of line ZAP!]<<<<<

--Iceblade (03:33:24/12-21-73)

[CanRay]

>>>>>[That's why we have Shadow-Garages, Madrecita, dear.  My Jackalope is far from stock.  Let the Sheeple drive their Mass Produced items, people who really need custom items are better off going to someone they trust.  Also, you might not know this, but H-S is owned by Saeder-Krupp through a few fronts, thus the option for the D-B parts.  You might also want to check your Warranty, you'll find out that BMW does their warranty work.

Damn Iceblade, I could really go for one of those PLDs to check out.  You got the contact info for that J still, or has it gone Disconnected already?

I hate the new taxis myself.  Yeah, you blend in, yeah, it's comfortable.  But dear All-Father are the Dogbrain Pilot Programs that they use in Seattle STUPID!  Any trace of an accent that isn't Asian or English and it won't understand a word you're saying.  I was using a German accent (Don't ask), and rather than the middle of downtown, I find myself headed towards the Docks in Tacoma, with the fare riding up and up!]<<<<<
-- Money Johnson (11:47:02/12-21-73)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[The contact info for the Mr. J went dark after I got payment. I do know where the shipment ended up, though. Don't know how much good the dealer's info would do ya unless you are on friendly terms with the Ancients. However, I'd be willing to act as a go between, for a price.

I agree about the dog brain on the taxi. First thing you need to do if you are going to use it for any real work is upgrade it. But as a getaway vehicle, your rigger could do a lot worse than having one of these. Don't have to be blindingly fast if you can just blend in with the crowd and disappear.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (13:13:13/12-21-73)

[CanRay]

>>>>>[Oh, the base one is a total retard even for a Dogbrain, although that might just be because I use only custom-coded Pilot Programs.  No, I'm talking about the "Upgraded" ones being used by some companies.  There's a reason I prefer Metahuman Drivers over Automated Cabs, despite the extra trail that's harder to erase.  Hell, I'd rather Ghoul Cab than deal with that damned Auto-Cab again.

And, yeah, said person just contacted me right after you posted, knowing my interest in the new and wonderful.  We had a good time demoing it to a person that trusts me more than the Ancients.  I just wanted to check it out, so I tested it and played middle-man, the contact sold it, and they're mostly out of the 'plex already.  Some might still be in Ancient hands, however, so be careful if you slot them off.  Firearms tend to travel a lot before they ever see use.]<<<<<
-- Money Johnson (15:58:19/12-21-73)

[Smiley]

>>>>>[Alright, back from Europe. I was on protection detail for someone participating in, what I think is, an intel sharing summit. Really I have no idea what had been discussed there behind closed doors, or even who were most of these people attending. The only thing I know is that I was sharing the waiting room with some pretty scary super spooks and these guys I know them pretty well, or at least by reputation. You would believe these guys are all business and serious but really, they're not. We drank and smoked cigars while we waited, a lot. Oh and of course, these guys likes to subtly and politely argue and brag about who's agency got the biggest dick and who's better at using it. Haha! It felt a little weird to share drinks with these guys for 2 days straight and knowing that we would all get back at trying to kill each other when this thing was over.

I went to Frankfurt after the job and, getting back on topic, I went to a pretty nice car exhibition there. I mostly dig European sports car so I was in fraggin heaven! I already own three of them and I'm happy with those for now but it's always nice to see what's new and what's coming up. I'm no connoisseur in cars though. I usually aim for the prettiest ones amongst the most expensive ones. I don't even aim for the fastest ones or the best handling. I also own one luxury sedan and I used to own two armored minivans. Oh and as an ex-go-go-go, I like bikes a lot too, but there weren't any at this exhibit.]<<<<<
     -- Smiley (10:24:33/12-22-73)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Yeah, Auto-Cab dogbrains are pretty stupid. But if your rigger owns one (and upgrades it), then you have the absolute best camo in the sprawl. Plus, it gives you a way in if you want to develop contacts in the cabby community. Useful sorts to know. You wouldn't believe how many people think that just because the privacy screen is up, the cabby doesn't have a camera and mike on the person at all times. They're much like bartenders and barbers in that way. Lots of low level gossip, and some occasional paydata. Good for doing legwork on a target.

There's this former cabby in Carasir that I used to know. He was our cook's brother, I think. Decent guy. Whenever I needed a ride, I called him, and tipped well. He managed to get my parents out of the city when the riots started. Tried to get my sister, too, but the mob got her first. I've seen him a couple times since. Some ork gypsy cabs had cut into his profits pretty bad, so I helped him out. Be nice to the cabbies. You never know when you'll need a way out of a hot LZ.

And Smiley, sounds like an interesting time. Most special forces or spook types look like the always serious kind, but that is just while they are working. Think about all the runners you know. Which ones are more likely to crack under the pressure, the ones who are always business, or the ones who know how to take some R&R when they get the chance? The same holds true for spooks and spec ops. I know one or two former Ghosts. Good people, and no one I'd rather have at my back in a fight. But when the job is done, they go out for drinks and fun just like everyone else. The difference is that even when they're in the midst of a party, they can be on the job in an instant if anything goes down. Same probably goes for those agency guys you were with. Hope you passed some contact info around. Might be a good way to pick up some jobs, or get some good intel.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (15:35:09/12-23-73)

[Smiley]

>>>>>[Haha! Well these guys already knew who I was from the start, there was no way they wouldn't and they addressed me by my shadow name even before I had the chance to make acquaintance. Most of these guys are working for governments and corporate agencies and that would be stupid to think that even if you're SINless, they don't keep a small (but probably incomplete) file on you if you're at least moderately successful as a runner. The same goes both ways, half of them I didn't know their faces but their names popped up a lot. The world of Black Ops is a fairly big one but it has its "celebs". I did picked up a few ways to contact most of them though, something I wasn't necessarily able to do before. Some of them obviously hated me, a few of them were scared of me but all of them seemed to respect me. That must be a sign I'm doing my job right.]<<<<<
     -- Smiley (00:47:21/12-23-73)

[CanRay]

>>>>>[Faces are pretty cheap to change, and can even be done on a magician without worrying about affecting their magic.  Shadowrunners and BlackOps go to similar clinics for that kind of work.  The BlackOps guys just don't have to have their troll buddy looming over the doctor to make sure you're not cut up for pieces, that's all.  Surprisingly, I still have my stock face, although I go through nanopaste disguise tubes now in bulk.  Helps that I speak a few languages with some good accents.

Back in...  '58, I think, there was, I drek you not, a Johnson Convention in Las Vegas.  I attended, we discussed things, so on, so forth.  It was under the cover of some boring thing, like Clerks of America or some such.  Anyhow, learned a lot of things, but mostly we were there for the open bar and to tell "war stories".

And that's when a group took everyone hostage in the convention centre.  Ironically, it was because of the Masters of Doctorates meeting that was upstairs.  Bunch of political idiots, didn't even jam cell phones.  Within an hour they were surrounded and outnumbered by Shadowrunners of all sorts.  We "clerks" just smiled evilly as they were disarmed and thrown to the LVPD in complete and utter astonishment.  Can't do that any more, too much bad blood, damnit.]<<<<<
-- Money Johnson (00:00:00/12-23-73)

[Smiley]

>>>>>[A Johnson convention!? Oh hell, why the frak not? Haha! And I know what you mean with nanopaste disguises.

Well with that, for those of you who celebrates it... Merry Christmas! I don't, wrong religion I guess but better wish it to all my collegues anyway!]<<<<<
     -- Smiley (15:24:46/12-24-73)

[CanRay]

>>>>>[Lots of holidays around this time, lots of religions, including my Old Time Religion.  Happy Holidays works well enough, and the Christians stole enough traditions from all the pagans that, aw hell, it don't matter.  'Tis the season, folks!  Try to stay warm and be with those you love, or at least care about.]<<<<<
-- Money Johnson (18:20:44/12-24-73)

[CanRay]

>>>>>[Heh, nah Christmas fer youse, right Money?  Dat why youse cames tru da window da last few yearz ta givez da kiddies gifts?]<<<<<
-- Big Murphy (18:22:00/12-24-73)

[CanRay]

>>>>>[I'd appreciate not being shot this year.  Keep that sister of yours away from the shotgun, please.  I'll use this door this year, promise.  And, well, what's one more stop, neh?  I do try to give back to the community that's supported me for years.]<<<<<
-- Money Johnson (18:23:50/12-24-73)