Withmore Globe

We'll examine De Leon's grisly murders in order to answer three questions: What happened? Why did it happen? And who really was Rafael De Leon?

THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED

Channel 420 is the home of Korova Milk Madness, the 24/7 live feed of Korova Milk Bar. All eyes flocked to that channel to see a surprise appearance by Rex Gold and Jonus Alexander. But without warning, the predator De Leon interjected on center stage, shouting over pubSIC, "And now, for a very special viewing! How long is a movie, Rex?"

Rex Gold didn't even have a chance to respond. De Leon, with a deranged look in his eyes, proved he was beyond rational thought, and performed unspeakable acts of violence to the revered pair. As Rex Gold shouted for security, Assistant Executive Producer Lisette Dupuis burst into action to defend the innocent lives, slicing the savage De Leon open for the good of us all. The monster's capoeira was no match for Miss Dupuis's blade, sending him collapsing to the floor, dead.

After De Leon returned to his woven mortal coil, he was retrieved, interrogated, and Judged guilty of two counts of First Degree Murder by Judge Grimaldi, thus sentenced to clone death. His next sleeve behaved erratically, ranting delusionally and raving his way to the skywalk. And then he jumped.

But that wasn't the end of his life.

De Leon still had a movie deal to make good on, after all.

DARK CARNIVAL

"This ungrateful pissant is very much alive, but he's going to wish he's dead, very shortly. All you miserable motherfuckers better get in front of a TV," declared Rex Gold, marcy stockpile at hand while two gorgeous lap pets accompanied his personal viewing-party, perfect-blend coffee being rushed to him the instant his chalice of caffeine ran low. "I am about to rain down an ungodly FUCKING FIRESTORM on this ungrateful fuck RDL. They're going to have to call the fucking United Nations to get a fucking binding resolution to keep me from killing you over and over and over."

It was less than 24 hours after said ungrateful fuck went off the rails. Every screen in the dome presented a direct-feed broadcast of the expansive and illustrious lobby of New Light Media. Assistant Executive Producer Lisette Dupuis stood before an audience of millions with Rafael De Leon in tow, restrained by Lieutenant Dethrow. "Tonight, Rex Gold is getting his payback," Miss Dupuis asserted, "Enjoy, Withmore, and watch along as his punishment is given."

Viewers were treated to a close-up of the traitorous man who scorned not only Rex Gold, but all of NLM and every fan of his catalogue. The lawless picaro spat fire over pubSIC, as any criminal mixer is wont to do, his bloodied Genetek 'canary yellows' exemplifying his value to the dome without NLM backing him.

As De Leon struggled, Lieutenant Dethrow explained how his transgressions were beyond restitution: "Mr. Gold made you everything you ever were," the Lieutenant sneered, "Without him, you would've never had a chance. You came to us as nothing but an unwarranted self-important nobody, and you'll leave the same way."

The feed cut to black.

As Rex Gold stated over pubSIC, "The whole world is about to see what happens when you fuck with Rex Gold."

A moment later, the scene of a derelict, tombstone-laden courtyard was cast onto viewer's screens, with Rafael in the iron grip of a man named Cosmo 'Harb' Thorsday, the Harbinger of the Darks.

What happened next is Rafael De Leon's final film, which now replays daily on Channel 4. For up-to-date showtimes, check the NLM Channel Guide, accessible from the 'Home' node on the Grid.

THE RIDDLE OF RDL

With his legacy tarnished, one question remained on everyone's mind: What could cause a man who had just released two successful NLM shows to spiral out of control so suddenly?

One coworker told the Globe, "He seemed frustrated with relatively minor issues that morning. For example, he grew irate at a fan who came out of the vats and asked him why she died. Plus, he had trouble deciding on the running time for his movie." Hardly a tantrum worth throwing away one's prized career for.

Something far more troubling was brewing behind the scenes.

Sources close to De Leon all confirmed that he had fallen for Miss Dupuis, hard. His adoration festered into obsession, and with his privileged position, he attempted to leverage a poorly-planned coup for her -- one that the Assistant Executive Producer had no foreknowledge of, and vehemently denounces.

This wasn't the first time Miss Dupuis had to defend her livelihood against a predator. In November of 2104, the Globe covered the horrific attack by a former exec on the EGO creative genius, where the attacker succumbed to her self-defense lessons. So when De Leon snapped, Miss Dupuis was prepared to act immediately, and saved innocent lives in the process.

LIES, TRIDS, AND A SEXLESS LIFE

As more sources came pouring in to reveal disconcerting events in De Leon's presence, a pattern started to emerge: De Leon was insecure to the core, wrapping himself in a comforting blanket of lies.

The sex icon, it turns out, spent most of his time in bed alone. Often, De Leon grew irate at the lack of lovers lining his hallway. He reportedly made whiny calls to NSEC, which resulted in Corpsec Agents wasting their valuable time explaining to De Leon that they were not a hotline to order sexual escort services.

One Agent explained that the starved star once wore only a towel in her presence, and attempted to pose lewdly, as if expecting the Agent would just magically grow heart-shaped pupils and shirk corpsec duties in favor of catering to the clueless.

In another instance, De Leon and a coworker were having a casual chat, when suddenly De Leon started posing lewdly again. He then spent over 7,500c to have a service mixer deliver them a pair of margaritas in an attempt to romance the coworker. The coworker was unimpressed and departed.

De Leon's abnormal propositions extended beyond sexual escapades and into desires to kick people. In the Globe article, "RDL Subdues Bank Robber, Defends Honor," Nov. 9, 2104, a compromising photo of De Leon was presented to KMB by career criminal Jason Stettam. De Leon challenged the charismatic Stettam to a duel, in which Stettam gracefully took a dive after facing some of the most clumsy capoeira of his life. Soon after the event, calls came in to NSEC, with a gleeful De Leon asking if they could find him additional Stettams to kick. The request was denied.

His desire to be loved for doing nothing remotely special traces back to his time spent in the mix, where he thrived off attention to anyone who would give it to him, often visiting the apartment of banished and permed menace Naviel MacDonald. It was only fitting that he return to the land of do-nothings.

When De Leon's final clone exited the vats, the madman spoke of angel cats and delusions of being a secret agent, suggesting he and a partner went around attacking Red Sector with Ebola in May 2104. Firsthand accounts from The Black Drome in May 2104 pinpoint the outbreak as starting in the club's bathroom, not at the hands of rogue corporate agents as De Leon fantasized about.

ViriiSoma Pharmaceuticals has released the following official statement regarding Rafael De Leon's outlandish claims:

"ViriiSoma Pharmaceuticals unequivocally condemns the crazed actions of Rafael Gallardo, also known as Rafael de Leon, on the 17th of June 2105. Though Mr. Gallardo was once an employee of ours, those ties are long severed, and even if they were not we have no hesitation in thanking the Withmore Justice Force for their swift judgement in stopping this madman. Rest assured that any claims of, alongside other former employees, being involved in an epidemic are patently false- ViriiSoma Pharmaceuticals does not conduct operations to endanger public health. Nobody should heed the words of an unhinged man whose ego far outstretched his ability, desperate for any last shred of attention he could garner."

DEATH OF THE AUTHOR

For fans who are new to coping with the separation of the creator from the content, worry not, for NLM's contracts make it very easy:

RDL--the brand of content--is owned by NLM in perpetuity.

Rafael De Leon--the murderer, liar, and fake philanderer--is extinct.

Don't forget to tune in to Channel 4 to view Rex Gold's triumph!

Your friend 'Cruisov' is exhibit A." Witnesses at Red's Finest, the central Red nightclub that Maksim Morozov managed, reported that he was drinking and unusually quiet, likely because his tongue had been removed in an earlier incident. Shortly after Frasier's taunt, Morozov broke his bottle and began to stab himself in the face, screaming for Frasier to get out of his head. Although the mechanics of this mental takeover are still unclear, the results were obvious. Nicadameus Frasier now controlled Maksim Morozov, who accordingly changed his SIC ID to "NicdMAKS."

A group of unidentified mercenaries reportedly arrived at the strip club in an alleged attempt to knock Morozov out. Morozov was then taken to CGH to be revived and restrained but didn't survive the ordeal. Frasier taunted the group on pubSIC, claiming that the new clone would also be under his control.

"NicdMAKS" did indeed survive the vatting. He spent the next few hours wreaking havoc in central Red, telling Withmore that he no longer had "any strings," before murdering all the dogs in Bansupuro Park, along with the clerk of the Dark Shop. He bragged about it afterward, announcing that he "beat up [the] pups and broke the clerk too." An hour later, Morozov was spotted heading into Du-Wear Outlet Store where he engaged in a final stand-off. A violent duel could be heard on the rooftop as they clashed in the rain. An unknown helmeted woman with a katana emerged afterward, dragging Morozov's deceased body.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that Morozov was thought to have reached a permanent end. Earlier this year, he allegedly died in an explosion that leveled 100 Rads, a bar in Central Red. Morozov then resurfaced as a Viriisoma Security guard named John Churchill to live a brief and tempestuous life as a corporate citizen. It was only in the past few months that he returned to Central Red to manage the nightclub Red's Finest. It remains unclear if or how Nicadaemus Frasier was involved in Morozov's first identity switch.

After Morozov's death, the Black Tide continued to flood central Red. This time, Frasier's wrath was directed at the Sinners and now former member Alex 'WhtRabbit' Sara-Rose Cain. During 'NicdMAKS' attack, Cain made a point to talk back to Frasier. Frasier retorted quickly, telling Withmore that "The little sinner girl just invited me to kill everyone on her block." Cain, not one to mince words, invited Frasier on pubSIC to "try it." This immediately led to the leader of her gang, King Sinn, to publicly denounce the ganger, eventually removing her from the Sinners all together. Putting it succinctly, he told Cain "Stupid bitch, we don't play with the Devil."

But that die had already been cast.

That day, at Carnal Desires, a Red Sector club on Central Sinn Street, Cain was sitting at the bar when she blurted her taunt. Assassins surrounded the ganger. She rose from her barstool and sighed, "Well then," before readying her weapon, knowing what they were here for. Sinners flocked into the fight, assisting their fellow hooligan and getting killed one after another, despite the fact that they vastly outnumbered the assailants. Even the leader of their gang, King Sinn, was mortally wounded in this massacre. Cain died, and then was murdered again at Genetek Revival. Frasier warned that if Cain were to be corpse cloned, those that helped her out would reach a similar end. Needless to say, nobody took that risk. Sometime later, Frasier announced on pubSIC that he had found a new toy. Rumors are that he obtained a sample of a new WJF suppression drug from Cain's corpse.

Some citizens may argue that this violence is a favorable development for corporate life. The Withmore Globe decidedly disagrees. The Black Tide has already proved themselves willing to lead topside attacks. They seemingly recruited a lunatic serial killer to join them through a daring jailbreak. And now they have spent the last week demonstrating their capabilities on the mixer population. To reverse the idiom, this rising tide sinks all ships.

- Aaron Allen

While most of the SCF agents tried to regain control of the facility and shove the Mix trash back into their proverbial garbage cans, a few tried to search for the missing maniac.

Then, an explosion.

A terrorist had driven a truck full of explosives through the front gate, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the facility. At that same time, one Warden apprehended Angus Killian and subdued him. Only a mere minutes later, that same Warden reported that someone with a firearm was shooting at him. While footage of the incident was hard to find, given the technological incapacitation of the facility, a few guards reported seeing a shrouded woman carry away Angus Killian.

Around that time, known terrorist Nicadeamus Frasier was heard and spotted in central Red. While The Globe cannot confirm Frasier's involvement, it should be noted that the two have worked together in the past. In a December 2102 Globe Article entitled "Dark Days," Frasier was reported to deliver an NLM journalist to Killian. According to that report, Killian "slashed [her] skin apart" and slid a "sharp, cold blade into [her] eye socket until [she] was left with nothing but a gaping hole." Moreover, eyewitnesses also pointed to "black swords," the type of weapon that Frasier's organization, the Black Tide, is rumored to wield.

Lastly, a word of warning for all who read the Globe: Angus Killian is a serial killer who was known for not only torturing corporate citizens but igniting "the criminal mixer population" and encouraging them to "rise up." He must be found, captured, and permanently dealt with.

- Aaron Allen

In this case, the mixers initiated false reports of explosives in Green Sector shopping centers. Not to be outdone by parlor tricks, vigilant corporate eyes in the area immediately reported no such events, prompting security teams to be on alert and ready for an incursion attempt.

An NLM security squad formed in the lobby, led by Lieutenant Dethrow and accompanied by Agent Brodston and starry-eyed Agent Coltish. Preemptively staging for retaliatory actions, the team efficiently evacuated and rerouted innocents in the area.

Thanks to a joint agreement between NLM and NeoTrans, a NeoTrans squad assembled nearby, led by Junior Transit Guard Darkstone alongside Transit Guard LeBlanc and Liaison Pilot Hope.

At the WJF, Judges Grimdaldi and Vangelos, Medic Merrick and Lead Medic Yocum stood alert on standby.

With everyone in place, an unmarked van pulled up to NLM Media Gardens.


THREE BLOODY MINUTES

Out of the van burst a horde of Snakes--members of a violent gang in Red Sector--equipped with a collection of makeshift weapons. As they rushed to engage the NLM squad indoors, the NeoTrans squad moved in to assail them from behind, trapping them in a pincer maneuver. Ganger blood spilled profusely as a handful of shrouded individuals entered the fray to fight alongside the dying criminals.

Sixty seconds.

These mystery individuals came supplied with katanas, firearms, and explosives. The baddies bearing bombs ignited them immediately, sending shrapnel everywhere. A firefight raged in the NLM lobby, the sound of steel clashing against armor muted by the overwhelming display of gunfire, the two squads running a deadly dance around the caught terrorists.

One hundred twenty.

At NLM's signal, the WJF team immediately engaged, demonstrating unshakable resolve in cleaning out the terrorist force. Talon Contracting Services arrived moments later, filling the remaining terrorists with lead. The revolting bodies fell, and one shrouded individual fled. In a pursuit built for an action-trid, a bystander gave chase as the shroud darted for the skywalk and jumped, resulting in a positive identification of the terrorist: Metello 'Ruskie' Romano, also known as Mia, Amur, WildCard, Venice, and many more.

Back at NLM, the three teams stood triumphant over a near-wipe of the hostile forces: ten dead terrorists, zero corporate casualties. As the Hall Medics dutifully tended to sustained injuries, one surviving mixer terrorist was captured alive and taken in by NSEC for questioning.

One hundred eighty.


CLEANUP

In the wake of the attack, the last terrorist, identified under the moniker 'Esplorer,' was able to pull back the curtain on the entire attack. He explained how a man named Boris assembled their ragtag group of thugs together, including Lorelai 'purri' Jovanovska, Amir 'Copper' Azim, and Metello 'Ruskie' Romano.

Boris the Blade, also known as the Lev Killer, is a pale Russian man with a tiny freckled nose and thin dimpled lips. This would-be terrorist entered Withmore City in spring of 2104, where he trained under the tutelage of the Snake gang. Infighting erupted, and Boris broke off to form his own gang, the Vultures, which failed spectacularly as each member died off in their own unique and gruesome way. Ever since then, he's been using his skills with a katana to target unsuspecting citizens on the Mag-Lev heading between Red Sector and Gold Sector, branding him the name 'Lev Killer.'

This latest smattering of clueless mix criminals to fall in line with Boris shows that the Blade is aiming higher, with a dangerous goal in mind: as the ringleader, he was attempting to gather together as many people as he could in a bid for favor with Nicadeamus Frasier and the Black Tide.

At time of publishing, Boris currently has a 60,000c legal capture bounty with the WJF. Capture him alive, and you could be 60,000c richer.

-Rose Ringo

The following content may be graphic in nature.

The RED Dispatch Issue I, Mar 5, 2091
__________________________________________

As I began my research, I found my way to the first issue of The Red Dispatch, published on March 5, 2091. The Dispatch was one of the numerous failed attempts made to emulate the Globe. It is unclear if the reports inside can be trusted, but they do begin to paint a picture of what the cult looked like and how they operated nearly fifteen years ago. The story in question is entitled "What Feeds in the Darkness," by Alex Bold.

"The Darks" name comes from their leader, known originally as "the Dark," or "The Dark One," allegedly a man or who underwent a botched genetic experiment. By 2091, he had established his hedonistic headquarters at a church on South Tamiya. The writer claims that he saw the Dark, describing him as having teeth "all filed to sharp points to help rip through the flesh" as well as the cybernetic enhancement Nailz. The Dark One relied on his followers to bring him his victims, mostly attractive women. It should be noted that this pattern continues to this day. These followers often dined on other flesh with the hopes that they, too, would eventually transform into a creature like their leader.

Alex Bold describes a story in which two prominent Red citizens fought -- and seemingly killed - the Dark. But the leader resisted death, his body healing within minutes after he "pulled himself back together." The story ends with a disappointing plea to gangers, who "only care about themselves and their turf" and thus may not be able to resist this cult. It appears that this plea fell to deaf ears, as the cult continues to grow to this day.

In later issues of the short-run newspaper, the Red Dispatch offered a reward between 5,000 and 10,000 chyen for a photograph of "The Lord of the Darks." It appears that this bounty was never claimed.

Inquiring Minds, April 16, 2100
__________________________________________

The next mention of the Darks comes nearly nine years later in Inquiring Minds, another Red rag that appeared on the Grid. Unlike the Dispatch, Inquiring Minds appeared to eschew any semblance of a newspaper tradition, instead consisting of warnings and the occasional rumor.

The unnamed writer admits that they are "not so good with words." This promise is indeed delivered. By 2100, it appears that the Darks had traveled both to Red and Gold district, gaining a following of people known as "the Bringers." As the name suggests, these citizens bring people to "the Dark," now identified as Father, or sometimes Brother Lux. It seems that the Darks had been operating underground for at least seven months. Indeed, as further research will confirm, there is some sort of cyclical activity pattern. It is not clear what triggers their attacks.

Freemind, December 6, 2101
__________________________________________

The next mention of the cult comes from another Red newspaper entitled "Freemind." As far as this author knows, it shares no history with the similarly-titled "Inquiring Minds," aside from their short-lived nature.

The article describes the events of December 4, 2101, in which a "young female under the manipulation of an unusual father-like figure" led another Red citizen to their death that ended in, for lack of a better word, consumption. The Darks had struck again with the help of an unnamed female follower.

On that same day, a confrontation occurred between a man known as "Preacher" and Father Lux. Witnesses confirmed that Preacher had killed the Dark One through a series of well-aimed gunshots. Shortly after, the horrified witnesses confirmed that "the Father, riddled and plugged with .45 calibre ammunition rose to his feet." This report seems to confirm earlier accounts of cult leader's extraordinary abilities.  

The author, identifying themselves as Bytes, ended the article with a telling statement, "I, for one, am a stern believer in the sciences of life but this one does leave me questioning the very reality we stand in. "

Withmore Globe, "Into the Dark With Guts Smith," January 8, 2102
__________________________________________

This article is, as far as this researcher can tell, the first time the Darks were mentioned in the Withmore Globe. From esteemed reporter Guts Smith, it is a captivating tale that is worth reading on its own. For now, I will attempt to summarize. It appears to recount the events of the article from the Freemind in detail.

The story told involves a nurse, Margarete Spears, who worked as a Bringer for the cult. She first began bringing bodies from the morgue to the Temple on South Tamiya, but it soon escalated to the point where she led her own parents to their doom. Unlike previous articles, Smith actually talked to a witness - Margarete, who appeared to be remorseful for her actions. It is through this interview that I began to piece together more about the Darks and their operations.

During a psychotic episode, Margarete Spears began to hear voices that called for her to pray at the church. It was there that she encountered Lux and twelve different followers. Father Lux, she recalled, had yellow eyes was "more machine than man," and would grow "huge [gray] goosebumps" when he fought. She confirmed the rumors that Lux could seemingly rise from the dead when brought down, telling Smith that he was "sort of a failed experiment, that he crawled out of the furnace, that he just doesn't stay dead." Sand described his personality as "fire and brimstone," also noting that he "doesn't feel like a person anymore.. He's he's an animal."

Smith also managed to shed light on a prolific member of the cult, Cosmo Thorsday, now known through SIC as Harb ("Harbinger". Skilled with a pistol, Thorsday was described as a huge man with a fake, chromed-out eye. Harb still is an active member to this day. It appears that Lux offers his followers "one material wish," whenever they bring a person to him. Wondering why people would do this, Smith posited that Lux and his followers "manipulate people in very vulnerable mindspaces with diabolical meticulousness such that later they might not even know how they were capable of doing what they did for Lux."

On wondering what the Darks mean for corporate citizens, this researcher, at the time, agreed with Guts Smith's assertion that "As long as we don't let ourselves be lured into the Red Sector for any reason at all, [we] believe that most corporate citizens are perfectly safe from this threat."

Urban Legend, or Reality? March 19, 2103
__________________________________________

The next reported sighting of the cult occurred in early March of 2103, when an eyewitness published their story on the Grid forum "Metro chat."

The writer, who used the pseudonym "Rumors," worked as a courier in central Red, delivering crates to Tsar House & Home. He described "looking over his shoulder" to see a "poor baka" getting dragged by his hair to the temple. Sneaking into the courtyard, he was able to presumingly witness Father Lux feasting. Below is the account in full:

"I poke my head into the courtyard over there, and I'm seeing from afar. Baka's getting ripped to shreds by some sorta fuckin' monster! Blood gushing everywhere, -and then the monster starts feeding-. I tell you I've never heard some shit like that in my life, and I hope I never do again."

The account provides no further details, except for a few replies that confirm earlier stories regarding Lux's history as a failed experiment, as well as his extraordinary healing powers.

Withmore Globe, "Attack on NeoTrans by Mixer Cannibal" May 1, 2104
__________________________________________

The last article I discovered, published in the summer of 2104, mentioned another notable  follower of the Darks. Journalist B.B. Planche described him as Arturo "The Arteest," a man who, using the remains of his victims, creates "macabre 'art' arrangements at the scenes of his various murders." I could not find much about Arturo's previous life, sans for a few mentions of the name as various UMC tournaments.

The article is unique in that it is the first mentioned incident of the Darks operation in the Gold sector. On April 22, 2104, Arturo attacked NeoTrans Spaceport, murdering civilians and temporarily kidnapping Alivia Hargrove-Phillips, commonly known as "Juju." After a tense stand-off, Hargrove was released and saved, and Arturo escaped into the sewers. The article includes a statement from NLM's PR department, which notes that Arturo had previously attacked random members of ViiriSoma.

By 2104, Arturo bragged that the cult had membership in the hundreds. While he is obviously not a reliable source, the fact that members struck Gold sector illustrates that the Darks pose a growing threat not just to Red, but to corporate life altogether.

Current Events
__________________________________________

This trip down the archives was not sparked by just morbid curiosity. On April 25, 2105, a year after the last story appeared in the Withmore Globe, the Darks launched an attack on Red Sector. That night, the Darks decided that their latest victim would be a stripper from the Orifice, nicknamed "Muffin." In order to protect the newcomer, members of the Sinners, a gang operating out of Sinn Street on Red District, decided to hole up at Carnal Desires Nightclub. They publicly taunted the Darks, hoping to lure them into some sort of trap.

It was not a good plan.

Instead of attacking Carnal Desires, the Darks used the empty streets as an opportunity to search for other victims, including immigration aide Gianna Vitale [SIC: GIA]. A pitched battle occurred between the Darks and various Red citizens, ending in the defeat of the Darks, including Arturo, Harb, and their leader, Lux. But their victory proved to be pyrrhic, as all three emerged from the temple, demanding their possessions from the mixers that defeated them. Sinner ganger Mark "Street" Vandal, meaning to send a private message to another Sinner, accidently broadcast the following to the Dome:

|C|Street  >> cep Trey, return that fucking shit. I ain't tryna be in no fucking war with them.

What followed was a massacre: the Darks routed the motley gangers, kidnapping and killing their opponents. Rumors abound that Vandal's feet, along with his genitalia, were removed by the cult.

So, what to make of the Darks?

The events of the past month seem to confirm the notion that the group is growing, well past the twelve formerly described by Margarete Spears. It also appears that the incredible healing abilities of Father Lux are now not his alone. Whether this healing is supernatural or scientific, the Darks seem to have a remarkable ability to regenerate in clearly unlicensed ways.

The Darks have distinct technological supremacy compared to most Mixers. As previously noted, Father Lux grants bringers "one material wish," whenever they bring forth a victim. Given the amount of people the Darks have consumed, they must possess bountiful resources. A source described the inside of their headquarters as possessing video feeds of hundreds of security cameras in Red. It is not known where or how they acquire the income to purchase these materials. At the same time, many mixers who accidentally venture into the temple find it empty. This leads me to believe that the Darks likely hold operate out of at least two, if not more, bases of operation.  

Now, to the most important question: Do the Darks pose a risk to corporate citizens? It is of this writer's opinion that the answer is an unequivocal yes.The cult has demonstrated the capabilities to attack topside before. They appear to be growing and are increasingly more ambitious in their actions. Mixers do not have the mettle, nor the skill, to fight back, and have admitted that they "ain't tryna be in no fuckin' war with them."

Over a decade of burying our head in the sand has led us to this point. Corporations need to move and strike swiftly. It is only a matter of time before their terror engulfs topside.

-- Aaron Allen

Each security team sprang into action, using their trained knowledge of their headquarters to snuff out the threats. And that's when Nora Welles blasted pubSIC with, "THERE'S A FUCKING BOMB IN MY OFFICE!"

Meanwhile, NLM had already located and neutralized the threat. Agent Graves and starry-eyed Junior Agent Coltish took charge, assisting in the sweep, while Agent Kalil performed the diagnostics and disposal. Corpsec at ViriiSoma look longer, but they eventually disposed of their planted device as well.

Over at NeoTrans, NEO-RFY (Red/Rouge Fuki-yama) reported over pubSIC: "Miss Wells alerted the security team who handled the crisis swiftly and effectively with minimal disruption to the operations of the corporation or the activities of the public. NeoTrans remains committed as always to the security of our premises, and to Withmore as a whole."

While the message did help to calm the incredibly-concerned public, there was one detail missing:

The devices were harmless cameras.

WHAT ARE WE PANICKING FOR?

Frasier had not planted any bombs. The objects were merely non-functional creations, designed to draw out public panic amidst unprofessional conduct. As NSEC Lieutenant Dethrow explained, "All the devices were inert but had cameras on them. Thus Frasier's quips [about my armor]."

This realization amidst Welles' pubSIC outburst invited laughter at the foolishness. It degraded public trust like a caustic alkaline. It spread distrust like a sickening sensation in the stomach.

Welles had sent the dome into a panic over a simple camera in her office.

Amidst the fallout, Welles was mocked. Any professional corporate citizen would take their mistake in stride, remain modest, and move on. Instead, Welles acted on impulse, thoughtlessly lobbing another bomb in a response to a SICAD that was run:

SICAD>> THERE'S A BOMB IN MY OFFICE!
SICAD>> - Nora Welles, Employee of the Month.
NEO-WELL>> Oh fuck off.

"Was that an official statement?" asked one among the pubSIC crowd.

With public concern over Welles' professionalism and mental health, studious minds began research into Welles' past.

OFF TO THE WRONG START

Nora Welles was hired to NeoTrans on or shortly before January 19th. Since then, Welles has never managed to "fit in" during social events topside, often expressing that she feels she has "nothing to do," We have received multiple reports of Welles overreacting to minor inconveniences while guilting her Transit Guard boyfriend in public.

Even worse, her past is mired in frustration and hatred.

Welles is suspected to be the user of the Grid account "Isaiah." Grid logs show that the Isaiah node was modified by NEOWelles in January.

Isaiah started thread #219 in the Personals forum on  January 21st, 2105, mere days after being hired. The post is titled, "How do corpies live?" with the subtitle, "How do they fucking entertain themselves?"

The text of the post is shocking to imagine coming from a corporate citizen, but there's little denying it came directly from Welles herself. For the sake of understanding Welles' point-of-view, this post has been reproduced in its entirety:

"What I've noticed about Gold and Green is that it's a very crowded ghosttown--no people of interest other than the cashiers and bartenders in the foodcourt or the many bars. And another thing I've noticed is that standard Junior pay is around the 12-14k range. A weekly standard Guard salary at CGH is 8k, so with enough hustle a Mixer guard could make more than a fucking corpie, since all sorts of hustle are closed off to corpies (what they gonna do, run crates and deliver drugs to gangers?). So how the fuck do they live? Manos and monas be jacking off about being better and richer and cooler than Mixers but a Mixer could overtake a corpie in income if they just do standard biz. How the fuck do corpies meet people? It's fucking astounding and I do not understand."

After you recover from reading that shortsighted drivel, notice how Welles refers to corporate citizens as "corpies," a common mix slang. The only frame of reference used is CGH, which Welles' history places her at. Her only mindset is making chyen and hustling, not supporting her corporation and being thankful for the amenities we are graciously provided.

The Grid user Evolve wrote a cutting reply to Welles that any aspiring corporate citizen should read for guidance. At the end, they say: "Corporate Citizens meet people through making an effort. And it's not just socializing. It's -networking-. So keep on with your little hustle. We're actually promoting progress Topside."

This exchange on the Grid was back in January. It's now April, and Welles has shown no signs of improvement. She's a ticking time bomb, ready to go off any moment.

ONCE A MIXER, ALWAYS A MIXER

Digging into Welles' history, we find that she, in her own words, was charged with, "Mass homicide and assault on law officials." The details involve her killing TERRA agents while she herself was a TERRA agent, stealing their service weapons, and selling them to unscrupulous fixers who would then, in turn, sell them back to TERRA at an inflated cost. This scheme put chyen in the hands of criminals and put topside at greater risk of attack.

The Corporate Pride Initiative is about corporations standing strong on a unified front. To say that Welles has been contributing to CPI is a lie. In fact, when she was approached to run a CPI event, Welles reportedly declined. Even when warned about a disloyal employee, Welles ignored the warning, allegedly stating that she has no interest in these things.

It's clear that Nora Welles hasn't changed since becoming a corporate citizen. She is still a mixer at heart: unable to keep her thoughts to the keys they belong on, unable to comprehend corporate life, and actively insulting those around her, trying to bring them down to her level.

Corporate life has no need for those who cannot embrace it. There's a bold line on acceptable behavior, and Nora Welles crossed it, spat on it, and swore at those who asked her to clean up the mess she made. The Globe thanks every corporate citizen who came forward to give testimony about this mixer in our midst.

- Rose Ringo

I'm not...Rise."

A strong opener. The way Laine emphasized "Rise," her voice coated with venom, I could tell we were in for a ride. The other names Laine dropped referred to Nefret Miller [SIC: Cinnabar] and Jo Zhou [SIC: Tigress], two mixers. The former is at large, actively seeking new allies after repeatedly chasing off her followers. The latter fled Withmore.

It's a painful thing to understand how someone so close to you could betray your trust. Even worse is to learn how easily they'll do it. That was the picture Laine was attempting to paint: a repeated victim of betrayal. Whether she believes that or not, the matter still stands: Rapport and Laine were Judged with possession of a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to defame a corporate citizen, and were sentenced to clone death. They were also fired from their jobs at Korova Milk Bar and TSX Motorsports, respectively. Phlox was Judged with trafficking illegal weapons, incurring a fine of 25,000c.

It's April 22nd, the day after their Judgment. I'm sitting across from Laine in a small booth, typing down our words as I read her body language. The bold strip of long crimson hair sprouting like a mane rests to the right side of Laine's head, contrasting with her broken demeanor. Her fresh sleeve is less than a day out of the vat. She looks tense as she huddles in her seat, shaking.

"Months� Months ago, I tried to come up," Laine explains, starting from the beginning. "I was tired of Red. Tired of the violence. I wanted to be productive. During that time, I was attached to Rise, and I didn't want to just abandon her. I'm not good at abandoning people that didn't do me wrong." It's difficult for her to get each sentence out. She stammers every two or three words. "So I told her what I wanted, and asked her to look for a way [into topside employment] so we could do it together."

I asked her to get to the point.

"I think Rise sabotaged me to keep me to herself," Laine hissed through her teeth.

"What happened? What did she do that makes you feel that way?" I asked, fully aware of the surrounding events of the time.

It's important to hear how a story is retold. It gives an opportunity for the teller to lie, or stretch the truth, or simply embellish something seemingly unimportant. One small misstep can lead to an avalanche of questions.

"[Rapport] told my plan to certain topside individuals that she knew would let it leak to the mix," Laine answered. "Afterward, Maksim [Morozov, a mixer criminal] offhandedly said that Rise was an idiot for approaching it the way she did. I didn't have the context then that I have now."

"That's correct," I revealed, "Morozov made sure that pubSIC heard him gloat about having caught you trying to turn your life around and escape the mix." My choice of words was intentional. Grant the concession; dangle the rope: "...trying to turn your life around and escape the mix." It's to see if the interviewee clings to it. A salesperson wants to close the deal, after all. If you're buying their version of the truth, the seller is getting what they want. They're going to express it.

Instead, the mocha-skinned woman before me just moved right on. "So I continued to live in the mix, struggling to survive. Time passed, and the violence wasn't getting better. Things were going to shit. And then Rise� disappeared."

At the time, Rapport managed a club in central Red Sector called Carnal Desires. She was taking a lot of heat from external sources, and fled the district.

"I was hurt by this," Laine said, sounding more interested in getting her story out than convincing me it was true, "I felt abandoned and alone, and the only person down there to take care of me was [Tabitha] Phlox."

THE CAT AND THE BOMB

Tabitha Phlox, a feline splicer, owns the aero known as Freedom's Wing, with the license plate FREEDMWNG. She's a Chex mechanic, having fallen from corporate graces years ago.

"Since Phlox works on Gold, I had a chance," Laine continued about her attempts to reach topside employment  "I started making plans and moving things around. I got rid of all of my questionable goods, but while I was cleaning my office I remembered I had an ethicol timebomb. I had purchased it as defense during the war between Mia [Romano], Cinn, and Maksim," referring to three large influences in Red Sector at the time, "But it was still valuable, so I didn't want to just throw it away."

I stared at Laine in bewilderment. The bad logic behind possessing an illegal weapon just because it was 'valuable' was incredibly short-sighted.

"Phlox tucked it away, and we basically forgot about it," Laine added.

"Phlox encouraged you to keep the ethicol timebomb?" I asked, questioning the motivations. If someone's lying, they'll want to lie about the smallest things. Shift the blame a little bit.

"No, she didn't want to," Laine corrected me, "It was my idea to keep it. It was expensive. Like I said, I didn't want to just throw it away. I figured we could find a buyer and be done with it."

I briefly exchanged words with Laine about how nothing good can come from possessing or selling bombs. There are legal means of self-defense, and selling a bomb only puts it in the hands of people who wish to cause harm to Withmore.

LET'S RUN AWAY TOGETHER

"Fast forward a bit," Laine illustrated once the lesson was over, "I'm settling in at my new job with TSX. I'm happy and adjusting. And Rise suddenly pops back up. So she starts running crates and living in Hab-X and making it look like she's going to move topside too. She starts hanging out with the people I hang out with and puts on this big show of being sad when I won't engage with her."

Now we were getting to the meat. I fired off rapid questions.

Picot: "Do you know how long she had been back before getting in contact with you?"

Laine: "Less than a day."

Picot: "Which associates was she mingling with?"

Laine: "Before she got the job at KMB, she was hanging out with Phlox and Trey. Autumn I think. Someone named Morgana."

Picot: "And after?"

Laine: "Afterward, Rise gets hired and Cream says Phlox is untouchable, so Rise and Phlox stop interacting. But Rise starts calling me crying more and more, saying she's lonely, so I end up sitting with her, and driving her to run crates."

Picot: "Rise and Phlox spent periods of time together before Rise was hired?"

Laine: "What do you mean?"

Picot: "For it to be notable that they 'stopped interacting' indicates that you noticed significant interactions between the two prior to then."

Laine: "There was some. Tabi wouldn't let her on the ship for the most part, but they would talk. I wasn't really present for that so it's hard for me to speak on, because I didn't want to see Rise. After Rise got hired, they wouldn't even be in the same room though."

Picot: "Tell me about the interactions you and Rise had while running crates."

Laine: "I would pick her up in my car and she would load it up with crates, then I would take her to Green to deliver them. The interaction was basically just that. Afterward we would go hang out at Bizou or she would ask me to hang out with her while she fell asleep. Sometimes she would call me and ask me to just stay on the line while she passed out.

Picot: "Did she ever say anything to you that struck you as odd or unusual?"

Laine: "Odd or unusual for a normal person, or for Rise?"

Picot: "Incongruent to the topic at hand, perhaps."

Laine: "She would often try to steer the conversation in a way to emphasize that she had been sick and the victim and she had to leave and that it wasn't her fault that she abandoned me."

Picot: "She said she wanted you to come back to the mix with her?"

Laine: "Hai." [Tr: "Yes."]

Picot: "Now, two days ago--"

Suddenly, the interview was interrupted by a phone call by Rise Rapport.

TWO FOR ONE DEAL

The call was brief. After having established that it was Rise Rapport on the other line, the conspirator-turned-ringleader dropped fragments of a bombshell in my ear. "Well, Miss Picot. It seems my plan failed pretty hard. Have you figured out what it was?"

It was a good thing I was already typing.

"I'm still trying to piece things together myself," I answered, lobbing a softball to get Rapport talking.

"I said that you told me to do it. Do you know why you were chosen?" Rapport quizzed with a tone of superiority.

Rapport has a history of talking in riddles and jumping from point A to point G. I paused to consider asking Laine what Rapport was referring to, but decided against it. We'd get to that part eventually, and I'd be able to assess any differences.

I asked for clarification from Rapport. Instead I got an earful of cursing and pseudo-religious babbling about how I was destined to be lonely forever, licking unmentionables, and so on. We were getting nowhere, so I told her off and hung up.

As I was resuming the interview with Laine, my phone rang again. Rapport's number.

I answered. Rapport hung up and immediately called me back.

I answered. Same song and dance.

I answered a few more times, seeing how long she'd play this game. For quite a while, apparently.

I let it ring. Rapport kept calling.

Laine hugged her knees to her chest, staring toward the phone with a haunted expression.

Pointing to the phone, I told Laine, "This is obsession."

Laine nodded. "Because of her I was fired, and now I� I don't know if any corporation will ever hire me."

I pulled out a burner phone, had it call my public line, and answered. Silence.

The interview proceeded uninterrupted.

TWO DAYS AGO

Two days prior to this interview, Rapport took her position as ringleader.

As Laine recalled, "Rise contacted me in a panic. She said she wanted to take a photo of an apartment, but that she needed to put some contraband in it. But she didn't have any. She said it was to stage a photo to try and make someone look bad. I asked her if an ethicol bomb would work. She said yes."

"Did she say who her target was?" I asked.

"No. She said she was very low on time, and needed me to bring it up to her right away. So I brought it up to green and parked in the parking lot under Krakeon. She got in, I handed her the bomb. She went up, and then came back a little while later and handed the bomb back, and told me to hold onto it. So I went back to the ship and gave it to Phlox to hide again."

"How does Phlox tie into this plot?" I inquired, "The three of you were spotted repeatedly at her sexboat. Surely her hands aren't clean of blood."

Laine didn't take the opportunity to shift blame. "Like I said, I stored the bomb on Phlox's ship, and she gave it to me. I don't know if she was involved beyond that."

I nodded as she moved on, "Yesterday she said she needed a bomb again. I got it to her, and she hopped on her motorcycle and drove off, telling me she's going to go into the tubes and turn around and fake a panic attack and SIC [Judge Grimaldi] and tell him that she was picking up some old papers she bought, and found the bomb. So I go and sit in Bizou, and a little while later I get a SIC from Rise telling me she is going into interrogation."

The papers in question, Laine explained, were issues of The Red Report, an old mix newspaper I ran back in the day. Laine claimed that Rapport claimed she was going to say that a corporate citizen put her up to framing someone. Her decision on who to blame changed over and over. The existence of my old works likely influenced her decision to finally implicate me. Regardless, Rapport wanted to harm the megacorporations Laine was supporting, or fail, bringing her lover back down to the mix with her. It was unclear which she desired more.

I let these realizations settle in while Laine wrapped up her story. "Hours pass and I hear nothing. Finally, I'm summoned by Judge Grimaldi, but I haven't heard from Rise yet, so I go and update. And then I woke up in the vats. Judge Grimaldi told me my charges, and that I was punished by clone death. And TSX fired me like, right after."

We were getting close to present-day. "Tell me about the aftermath. Where did you go? What happened?" I prompted.

"Well, I went to [ViriiSoma] to check for DCD. When I came out, I heard that Rise jumped off the skywalk," Laine recounted. Phlox had retrieved Rapport's corpse and corpse-cloned her. "We all met back up at Genetek, I slapped Rise and yelled for a bit, then got on the ship, went below and hid under blankets. They came down to talk, but I just went to sleep."

Then Laine woke up and headed down to confess her complicity.

HOT TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID COMMITTING CRIMES

I ran Laine through a series of questions, prompting her to express her feelings.

Picot: How do you feel right now? What's going through your head?

Laine: I feel� used. Lied to. Exploited. Preyed upon. Like with the context of everything Rise has done in the past, and me not wanting to come back with her, I can see she set me up to try and break me from topside and keep me to herself.

Picot: How do you feel about your involvement in her schemes?

Laine: Guilty, remorseful, misled. I was just trying to help�

Picot: By pocketing a bomb and handing it to someone who is mentally unstable and obsessed with you.

Laine: She was so frantic. I didn't have time to think about it. She kept rushing me.

Picot: You're aware that this interview doesn't absolve you of your complicity nor of your Judgments? Not in the eyes of the WJF, the Law, NLM, or any other body, correct?

Laine: I know. I did what I did. I'm not trying to get out of it. I just want to move forward and try again. I will prove myself a good citizen eventually.

Picot: Do you have any words for someone who may be treading down the same path as you? How can one break from this destructive cycle of blindly misplaced trust?

At this point, Laine paused, as if unsure what to say. After a few moments, she nodded to me, looked me in the eyes, and spoke clearly and seriously.

Laine: Obey the Law.

"I'm thinking, 'I fly fast, so I'm going to circle around it," he recalled, "I curve to the side and jump out, pulling my knife on it."

Macallan stabbed the creature in the chest before it had the opportunity to react to the daredevil's air maneuver. Unfortunately, it reacted a few seconds later, ravaging the pilot's body with slashes and chomps. "I'm thinking, 'Fuck! I'm dragon meat,'" he later recalled.

Luckily, two corporate citizens stepped in to delay the digestion. "But then that sexy bitch in Xo5 comes along and charges at it," Macallan continued, "While that hot as hell medic shoots it," referring to NSEC Lieutenant Carolina Dethrow and WJF Medic Elana Merrick. Unfortunately, the dragon was not as entranced by the two heroes as the pilot was, and instead chose to render Macallan unconscious.

Other witnesses continued the story, describing how the dashing duo downed the dune dragon with remarkable skill and tenacity. Macallan awoke to a dead dune dragon and an "angel hovering over me, bringing me back to life," referring undoubtedly to the works of Merrick. Once healed, the Skyfox pilot returned to his aero, making sure that it took less damage than he did.

A second dune dragon was spotted menacing vehicles and throwing parked cars. With emergency response teams already in place, it was swiftly dispatched. All in all, the prank was fooled thanks to the quick and organized response by the corporate community. These individual acts of courage ensured that no loss of life occurred in Gold. The same cannot be said for Red District.

- Aaron Allen

Bisset of VS Public Relations, aids financially disadvantaged students "who have a desire to help people and a drive to improve themselves."

Over the next two weeks, VS will release a series of testimonials from those who were aided by this prestigious fund.

The price of a raffle ticket is 5000 chyen. You may purchase as many as your wallet allows. In the end, three winners will receive nanogenic injections, installed by the kind doctors of the Cordoba Wellness Home. These injections, which usually cost more than twenty-thousand chyen, can help you help yourself to become a better person.

To purchase raffle tickets, please contact Dr. Bisset starting on June 6th through SIC: Panacea, or calling 383-5236. Dr. Bisset notes that this is only the "beginnings of a further commitment to the health and wellbeing of Withmore City from ViriiSoma."

- Aaron Allen

(Edited by NewsDesk at 6:52 pm on July 13, 2105)

The henchmen were both sentenced to clone death, but Cain--a repeat offender--required alternate remedial actions after being found guilty of Judicial Homicide.

Judge Noxin announced last week the use of a new sentence--Suppression Enforcement Nanogenics. This injection may be used in place of Time Dilation or Clone Death for deterring repeat offenders. Cain was sentenced to three weeks with the new nanogen inside their body.

We here at the Withmore Globe are hopeful that this new program will have glowing results that lead to a safer, more productive Withmore.

-Rose Ringo

DARKSTONE'S DENOUEMENT

To fully understand these events, one has to understand the mindset and recent past of Solaria Darkstone. The former New Light Media Producer recently returned to Withmore after an extended absence. For the last two months, she has tried to ingratiate herself back into the corporate lifestyle. It was a colossal failure worth retelling.

Upon returning from her absence, Darkstone assumed she would immediately regain her position as an NLM producer. This was not the case, of course, as one does not re-land a prestigious job without proving their worth. Instead, Darkstone temporarily took a position at NeoTrans, working security. At the same time, she tried to reach out to NLM employees, including Withmore Globe's own seasoned journalist, Plumeri Picot. Darkstone quickly developed an unhealthy interest with Miss Picot, one that escalated into a crazed obsession.

Their first meeting ended with an argument after Darkstone conducted a thorough search of the apartment without permission. According to Miss Picot, Darkstone was "apparently upset that I didn't invite her somewhere that had paydata laying around." Darkstone left empty-handed. In another meeting, Darkstone attempted to seduce the seasoned reporter, stripping naked and demanding that Miss Picot do the same. Miss Picot recollects that she "politely declined," ending the meeting with a conversation that broiled into another argument, where the lustful sociopath hurled crazed accusations at Miss Picot. Later, Darkstone would privately tell Picot privately that she was "a terrible writer" and a "horrible human being who is destined to be alone forever."

As all this was happening, New Light Media announced that they would be hosting a talent show. On account of her relentless abuse towards a New Light Media employee, Solaria Darkstone was banned from participating in the show. This was her mindset as the next part of our story unfolds.

BEWARE THE PARK: DARKSTONE'S LAST STAND

It all began in San Mara, a town out in the Badlands. It was here that a Saedor Krupp executive appeared to have left some piece of mysterious technological facilities, likely later confirmed to be cortex bombs. In a show of corporate cooperation, a NeoTrans security official, led by Agent Solaria Darkstone, obliged a request to retrieve them. This tech, though, now belonged to someone else.

The Kaubois.

Sometimes referred to as the Nuevos, this Japanese-Mexican mafia is known to have a tight grip on the Badlands. While data on this organization remains scarce, they certainly have close ties to air raiders and other incendiary folks who could make life difficult for NeoTrans. The Kaubois had a request: they wanted Agent Darkstone to test out this hardware. They even offered to pay for its installation.

At this point, the conversation should have ended. Why would a corporate citizen agree to get some unknown hardware installed simply because the Nuevos asked them? Did they think that the most logical way of transporting the technology was by getting it installed?

But the conversation did not end. Sources close to the Globe confirm that Agent Solaria Darkstone's vehicle, a laser purple Roadmaster, was spotted at the entrance to Bansupuro Park. Darkstone climbed the Park's walls and waltzed into the shack of Doctor Huo, who obliged a request to install the technology. Allegedly, the Kaubois even paid their bill.

They were fooled. The Kaubois had given them the technology--cortex bombs--but withheld the fact that they -still- possessed their controllers. This shadowy organization in the Badlands now had the power to puppet Solaria Darkstone. In her unbounded ignorance, Darkstone did not realize what she had done, instead proudly going to her supervisor, Franky Escat, to relish in her victory.

Details about what happened after this remain scant. Sources suggest that Solaria Darkstone may have been killed to quickly extract the technology. At least a few more employees quit because of the bungled operation, miffed by its mishandling. But for a brief moment, it appears that the Nuevos had control over at least one corporate citizen.

In the end, though, it is Withmore who had their mind blown. Why would Darkstone conduct this operation to begin with? Why would she agree to have the technologically installed and not be suspicious when the Kaubois footed the bill? How long was this technology even installed? What did they have to gain?

CRANIAL MELTDOWN

We may never know these answers because what tilted Darkstone wasn't her bungled operation, but being banned from a talent show. On the afternoon of June 28, Darkstone ranted on pubSIC using a NeoTrans work alias, crafting inane excuses for her failures and blaming New Light Media for her failures. Franky Escat of NeoTrans HR made a public statement: "Solaria Darkstone no longer works for NeoTrans in any capacity. Her use of NeoTrans' alias or any discussion of this corporation is illegal and unfounded. Thank you, and have a fine day."

The Withmore Globe and NeoTrans are in agreement: Solaria Darkstone's brief return to corporate life was a disaster, punctuated by moments of incompetence. Perhaps she should have heeded the advice that millions of mixers take: The Park is dangerous. Don't enter the Park. For now-mixer Solaria Darkstone, this advice may now be more of practical use.

Due to her status, the Withmore Globe politely declined to reach out to Darkstone.

- Aaron Allen