Test Entry

• December
• 24

Mobile test from iPod touch

Posted with LifeCast

We Can Remember It For You….

• October
• 31

Crime evolves to use the technology available to it, nowhere else is this more readily apparent than in the streets and skyline of our planet.  A new type of invasive assault is taking place, with dozens of new occurrences being reported each day and the numbers are increasing.  Dubbed IME, Intrusive Memory Extraction, this ‘digital raping’ of human memories is a cause for real concern amongst the highs and lows of our society.

Since ebrain cyberisation was introduced, the enigma of the human brain has been unlocked and memories can now be stored, organised and sorted as easily as files on a computer directory to those with the appropriate cybernetic implants.  With this ease of access also comes ease of removal.

Technology for memory implantation and manipulation has been available since the first cybernetic brain implants and many organisations have used this technology for the protection of information or for the protection of individuals, even going so far as to plant false memories or personalities to carry out various activities.  Corporate espionage and intelligence organisations are just two obvious uses.  Technology with such attractive uses rarely stays secret for long and now various criminal elements are getting hold of the technology and now the public are being targeted for perhaps the most valuable assets they have, their memories.  For some the need to remain anonymous or hidden is necessary, other people wants their enemies to forget what they’ve seen.

While the technology to transfer and overwrite memories is now freely available on the black market the software to generate false memories is affordable and available only to a few, the blackmarket software developers have found other ways to provide the data needed for the criminal syndicates to sell, they’re taking yours.

By using a portable terminal and jacking into data ports on ebrain’s, the IME software pulls out memory files like pages from a book.  Those attacked can end up with total memory loss, corruption or just small gaps depending on how effective the memory raid is.  The memories stolen are then reconstituted and edited to form new memories for clients, there’s even an emerging market for second hand memories, to allow people to have experiences they could never have.

For now, IME is being comitted for criminal purposes, with the very crime itself removing the evidence of the crime, police are finding it hard to investigate, and victim are left traumatised and sometimes incapable of living their lives.

As a once famous author wrote, so long and thanks for the memory.

Sniper 252 - MetroCon 0

• October
• 28

With MetroCon seemingly unable to track down the Civic Sniper who is targeting the Central Administration Buildings, seemingly at random, a special order has been issued decreeing that the DPD has jurisdiction now over all civic buildings.  Despite widespread public support for this action, it has been noted by MetroCon, members of the public and even some politicians that the transfer of jurisdiction to DPD is in direct contravention to the original contracts tendored and won by both MetroCon and DPD during the reforms some six years ago.

There has been reports of minor skirmishes between the DPD and MetroCon, something which is not entirely unheard of, but with no official statement from either regarding the transfer of power, the planet waits to see if DPD can do something that MetroCon have been unable to do, catch a killer.

Dysclopedia Update

• October
• 27

A summary of a selection of Dystopia corporations is now available in the Dysclopedia. Click here

Just Don’t Call Them ‘Flesh Doctors’

• October
• 26

Cafe Franco is bustling this afternoon with shoppers and business people alike. It’s glass and steel partitioning separates the booths from each other, while allowing the social atmosphere to be maintained. The sophisticated lounge bar is situated in on the seven-third floor of the monolithic commercial building known as The Plaza in Sector Sixteen. It’s lower floors are filled with shops selling grey market goods and quick and easy entertainment, while it’s upper levels host private clubs for the elite and custom tailored boutiques containing the luxurious fantastics. Here, somewhere in the middle, is an almost peaceful mixture of the two distinct classes in Dystopia. Where the ‘workers’ and the ‘players’ can interact. As I put my frothing DysCaff Latte onto the table in front of me, my guest offers me a cube of chocolate flavoured sponge cake, a reconstituted protein concoction of something they sell for real twenty or so storeys above us. My guest assures me, it’s a pretty good facsimile.
“This is one of the few places on this planet where these people can mix freely and without any uncomfortable moments.” Ex-doctor Angelus Keaver smiles. “Of course, I know only too well the pleasures the upper class and corporate high-flyers take on ground level, but here, the divide seems to be blurred. It’s a strange place and there’s not many like it. I’m not implying that the so called ’sixtieth’ line doesn’t exist, it’s just more blurred than many people portray it. There’s the extremes at both end, the CEO who only sees the low income consumers as a demographic to be exploited, then the chip on the shoulder working class hero who sees the corporate workers as soulless minions to a flawed system. I get caught in between because of what I do. I see both sides.”
Keaver is what the mainstream media call a ‘flesh doctor’. It’s a term Keaver does not like applied.
“It just sounds so seedy, ‘flesh doctor’ and ‘fleshclinic’ just sounds like I operate in a dirty, low lit backroom or basement with a broken ceiling fan and a flickering light neon strip light. I don’t doubt these places exist, but there’s a lot of us Independent Medical Practitioners out there who operate facilities in places like this.”
He goes on the explain the media’s misrepresentation of his line of work.
“The media love to portray us as dangerous or unprofessional. But it’s all because the medical companies or the franchises like MediCare don’t like us, because we offer value for money. I’m not trying to say that the hospitals or MediCare are worse than us, far from it, there’s no way my little business can deal with full scale medical emergencies. But I can offer cyberisation, fashion and cosmetic surgery and minor medical procedures at a much smaller cost to all. Plus, because we aren’t constrained by the full rules and regulations, we can offer services not normally available through the ‘official’ medical business.”
I enquire if that includes experimental or illegal technology.
“I’m certain some will offer the service if you ask. But not in places like this.” he notions to The Plaza. “It’s a little too obvious to graft a cybernetic arm with a plasma charger bolted to it in this place. That is exactly the sort of thing the media always goes on about. When some citizen goes and gets a case of post cyberisation trauma and freaks out, starts smashing up regular people, it’s always ‘the irresponsible flesh clinic’ that caused it. Never mind the fact that a corporation was churning out an ‘even stronger’ model or plastering the electronic billboards. Do you have any idea the kind of things that are in some cosmetic products? Some of it is more dangerous than the acid rain, does the media say anything about that, no, because it’s big business. We’re the little guys, and as such, we’re a target.”
My questions then turn to the notion of illegal biological medical supplies, Keaver’s face changes, he seems uncomfortable.
“Well sure, sometimes you have to go grey or black market to get hold of items. I don’t have too much of a problem in a place like this, I’ve got accounts with the right hospitals and medical companies. But when I started out down on the ground floor, it was necessary to get supplies wherever you could to keep going. I don’t deny it and I don’t blame anybody for doing it to stay in business, but it’s not something any of us independents like to think too hard about. Sure you buy an organ from a non-verified source, it could be from anywhere, or anyone. But if it gets you a paycheck, fair enough. It’s not like you put an order in advance for a kidney or whatever and some guy goes off and finds you one, no questions ask.” he clears his throat. “Well, it’s not like I ever put in an advanced order. Let’s put it like that.”
He offers me another brownie.
“I mean, you don’t ask where the ingredients for this comes from do you? You just like the taste.”

Unofficial DPD Statement Fuels MetroCon Tension

• October
• 25

As the death toll from what’s been dubbed the ‘Civic Shooter’ continues to rise, many citizens are concerned regarding the handling of the investigation. MetroCon have insisted they are doing all in their power. However, an unofficial source from the Dystopia Police Department (DPD), begged to differ.
“MetroCon haven’t the technical expertise or resources to conduct a manhunt of this scale. Ever since our organisation won the contracts for the major crime investigations MetroCon have been losing their top personnel to DPD and also several major sponsorship deals have been switched over, reducing MetroCon’s available funds. If it wasn’t for their civic building exclusive clause in their jurisdiction, DPD would already have this case.”

Feng’s

• October
• 24

Down on ground level in the noche district, of Sector 12 is a small, rather unremarkable looking noodle bar.  Feng’s, is part of a franchise that’s started to pop up all over the planet, most notably around night spots or high travel areas like transit hubs and the suchlike, but from what I can gather, this one was the first.  Here patrons can relax catchup on the streaming newsfeeds while waiting to sample the cuisine or you can just grab a take out on the way home from a hard eighteen hours work.
All Feng’s are based around the same design, featuring a row of seats, counter with payment terminals and reinforced service door and shutters.  Cuisine is a selection of soya based flavourings, it may seem basic, but the spices and flavourings, plus large portions for only a handful of DysCreds (ChinYen accepted too) ensures Feng’s is acceptable.  On most days Feng’s has a selection of clone meat dishes available for a higher price which can be cooked to order.
Service was quick, Feng’s turns over a lot of people, very quickly, so don’t expect to be sitting for a long time and you’ll get hustled if you do to finish up.  A fine selection of light beers and soft drinks round off the experience.
Feng’s isn’t going to win any cullenary awards, but then I didn’t see many food critics standing around in the queue.  I’d like to see a food critic from above the sixtieth floor come down to Feng’s, I’d like to see how long they last.

***/*****

Simple food, but good value and generous portions.  Well worth ordering the cloned meat dishes on paydays.

A Dark Day

• October
• 23

It’s been a dark day in the city today, there have been reports of sniper shootings at five Central Administration Buildings, you can fastlink ‘CAB SHOOTING’ for updated casualty lists and also to provide any information to MetroCon. DysToday has spoken to representatives of MetroCon and Central Administration regarding the attacks but at present there are no firm leads. In the meantime, MetroCon are urging citizens to go about their business, but, at least around civic buildings like the CABs, citizens are keeping their distance.

Here are some DysBites from our readers.

“I don’t get it, they’ve got surveillance everywhere, don’t they watch everything?”
“Did you see any of the Sector 29 footage? There was a kid with a hole in his head, this guy’s a frakkin’ lunatic.”
“DPD should be running the show, better weapons, better tools, MetroCon are old news, mallgate security and drunk detectives.”

I can’t comment on the quality of surveillance cameras all over the planet, but I know that the DysCam network in my zone is flaky at best, much like most of the amenities. One thing is clear though, the police haven’t had any breaks so far and the public are already demanding more positive action. But with no pattern, other than the targeting of the civic buildings, how can MetroCon do anymore? How do you lock down an area as big as the CAB building?

We’ll try and get some more information on this unfolding story, but at the moment we know very little.

Keep your heads down citizens, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

MetroCon Confirm Sniper

• October
• 22

As has no doubt already been surmised MetroCon have confirmed they are hunting a sniper who has caused the deaths of at least twenty-seven citizens outside the Central Administration building in 13-4-3.  The full MetroCon release is below:

“At 28:33 today outside the Sector 13 Central Administration Building an unknown assilant embarked on a series of random shootings over a twenty-six minute period.  MetroCon officers attempted to clear the streets, during this time, at least twenty-seven people members of the public were killed, with many more injured.  Since then, no further shootings have taken place  We are continuing to investigate this series of events.”

According to reports from inside MetroCon, the ammunition used was a hypersonic flechette and has an effective range of over two miles.  Also, DPD has refused to launch it’s own investigation stating that the CABs planetwide are sitll under ‘MetroCon jurisdiction’.

More updates as we get them.

Kung Yuan-Kit, 13-4-3

• October
• 22

“Chaos, pure chaos, the police are everywhere, trying to clear the CAB, but it’s just bedlam, the pavement’s wall to wall with people….wait, I see…by the citadel, another person’s down, and another, somebody’s unloading on the crowd…somebody help….[TRANSMISSION TERMINATED AT SOURCE]