Solace
Q
lives up in Cleveland (well, he has a safe house there), so I'll take this
to be gospel. He calls 'em like he sees 'em, and I haven't known him to
be wrong yet.
Solace
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Population: 3,540,000
Population Below Poverty Level: 20%
On Fortune's Active Traders List: < 1%
Megacorporate Affiliation: 10%
Education:
Here's the basic touristy
drek. I don't know why anyone would want to go there. Feel free to make
comments (I know you will anyway).
ModRater
The numbers and percentages
don't include the parts of old Cleveland behind the great wall of Cleveland.
The numbers change drastically when these parts are included, especially
the income number. It goes way down.
The Chrome Accountant
Ooooh, I wouldn't say
that.
Diamond Dave
Climate
Set in the northern midwest of North America on the shores of Lake Erie, temperatures vary with the seasons. Spring lasts from March through May with temperatures ranging from 10 C to 25 C. Summer lasts from June through August with temperatures ranging from 20 C to 40 C. Autumn lasts from September through October with temperatures ranging from 5 C to 20 C. Winter lasts from November through February with temperatures ranging from -20 C to 5 C. Annual precipitation averages 1500mm. Humidity levels are low during winter and fall, but can be high during spring and summer.
You really get the extremes
in that city. Winters are unbearable, with ridiculously low temps and LOTS
of snow. Winter can last from October through April, too. Summers can get
nasty too, especially in August.
Temp Boy
I like the way they forget
to tell you about the acid-like rain you can get from Lake Erie. I believe
they call it "hard rain." Stay indoors on those days.
The Whooley Bear
Getting to Cleveland
By Plane
One international airport serves Cleveland, Cleveland Hopkins Airport, which is located toward the southwest side of the metroplex. Nearly all of the major carriers have hubs located in Cleveland.
I don't suggest bringing
in hardware unless you've got some air-tight connections. I was forced
to transfer flights due to some mechanical difficulties once. Even though
I had great bogus corp credentials, security held me up for about an hour.
You've been warned.
Solace
Hopkins isn't the only
airport. Burke Lakefront Airport is still operational, and it's being run
even though it's behind the wall. Supposedly you can get clearance if you've
got connections and nuyen, in that order. If you don't have clearance and
try to land, it won't be in one piece. Who do you get clearance from? I've
got no clue.
Ballbuster
If it's behind the wall,
rest assured Diamond Dave gives clearance. And rest assured the cost of
clearance is beyond the means of wage slaves.
The Kardiac Kid
By Road
Access to Cleveland by major land routes from the east or west is via I-90, and from the south by either I71 or I77.
There's troopers at every
tollgate who run "random" checks. Random meaning if you look shady, you
get checked.
Road Warrior
By Lake
No transport over Lake Erie into Cleveland has occured since 2042. The acid levels of the water near the shores was too damaging to ship hulls, so most of the shipping firms cancelled all routes to Cleveland. With the deteriation of old Cleveland, the remaining routes were cancelled.
Acidic water? Bulldrek.
The water is nasty thanks to years of pollution; I'm not gonna argue that.
But the reason all routes were cancelled are due to the six missing freightors
and tugboats over the period of '37-'42. Those boats were never found;
they disappeared, crew and all. No one knows how or where.
Sailor Joe
Bulldrek. Everyone knows
how. There's enough pollutants in that water to mutate normal fish. Compound
this with paranormal fish, and you can guess the effects.
Steve O.
Don't even start with
that "Drake on the Lake" drek. There's never been one substantiated sighting.
It's just an old wives tale make to scare little kids.
Lady Luck
No! I've seen it! It's
huge!
Tasslehoff
Drake on the Lake? Hey,
it rhymes! Ha! I get it!
Onyx
Getting Around
Cleveland has a GridGuide System to assist those unfamiliar with the area. Outside of the city, driving and navigation is left to vehicle operators. Cleveland also improved and expanded its old Rapid Transit System (RTS). This system connects the eastern and western suburbs with the city. It has at least two stops per city that it runs through. The tracks run through the heart of the city.
Not a bad way to get around
during daylight, when the cops are patrolling it. Nightime you're still
safe in most 'burbs, but it gets rougher in the city. It costs $3 per ride
regardless of distance.
The Road Warrior
Laws and Law Enforcement Law enforcement is provided by LoneStar in the city and the surrounding suburbs. Local laws are similar and in accordance with the UCAS.
I wouldn't cross the Star
here kids. Apparently they're the second most powerful presence in the
area, after Forest City Inc. who you can read about later in the file.
ModRater
I got picked up for "Loitering
in a known drug sales area" once in Cleveland. I was taken to one of the
local jails. On the wall of the cell there was a sign that read, "You have
no rights." It was bordered by happy faces with a bullet hole in the middle
of the forehead. Get the picture?
The Stoned Ranger
The city is divided into six districts. Each district has a stationhouse with a Captain in charge. LoneStar headquarters is located downtown. It is run by the Chief, eight Deputy Chiefs, and fifeteen Commanders.
The ordinary cops are
nothing special. It's the S.W.A.T. team that you have to look out for.
But they only show up in REALLY nasty situations.
Red Eye
Unless your name's Josh
Miller, then you can call for the S.W.A.T. team to get your cat out of
the tree. But you'll read about him later.
ModRater
Be careful if you're gonna
make a run on property owned by Forest City because LoneStar has jurisdiction
there. You'll get corp security along with the S.W.A.T. team. Seems Miller
and the 'Star have an understanding.
Lynx
Aaww, the 'Star ain't
that bad.
Diamond Dave
Emergencies
In case of emergencies, simply enter 911 on any phone, and an operator will link you to the appropriate emergency service.
Medical Service
DocWagon holds the health care contract with Cleveland. DocWagon provides the majority of all health care services for Cleveland and its surrounding suburbs. For emergency ambulance service, simply enter 911 and ask for DocWagon's ambulance service. There are several privately funded free clinics scattered across the Greater Cleveland Metroplex, and each has ambulance service. Simply enter 911 and ask for the free clinic's ambulance service.
Response time for the
free clinic's ambulances ranges between one and two hours. You get what
you pay for.
Arrested Development
There's an assortment
of street doc's in the city, especially in the sixth district. But they're
expensive.
Hollywood John
Suburbs <<Block delete:1.1 kp>>
There's really nothing
special about the 'burbs, so I deleted all of the tourity drek. If you
want it, look it up yourself.
ModRater
Entertainment <<Block delete:2.2 kp>>
Again, if you're interested
find out yourself.
ModRater
Corporate Presence
Outside of Forest City Inc., DocWagon, and LoneStar, there is not much corporate presence in Cleveland. The following is a brief outline of what each corporation does, who is in charge, and where it is located.
Josh Miller makes sure
none of the major corps can get a foothold in Cleveland. He does it through
the puppet's, I mean the Mayor's office. Zoning laws, land prices, you
name it. Rest assured that the favor is returned in other cities that have
heavy corp presences.
The Keynesian Kid
The fact that Forest City
owns approximately 50% of all the land in the Cleveland area doesn't hurt
Miller's cause, either.
Barro Child
The only corp that doesn't
have too much trouble getting into Cleveland is Truman Technologies. Apparently,
Miller and Truman are old college buddies.
People Watcher
Miller has other ways
of keeping corps out of Cleveland.
Diamond Dave
Who is this guy?
Cleo
Forest City Inc.
Whatever shares Miller doesn't
hold, he controls. He's a smart fella. Back when Cleveland fell into decay
and trouble, he moved the downtown area south and was the prime-mover behind
the "Great Wall of Cleveland" (which Forest City constructed and the city
paid for. It bankrupted the city, but the mayor at the time caught all
the heat.) He controls about 50% of all the land in the 'plex. He also
employs about 60% of all the population, which explains the high reputation
in the city. His opponents call him "Teflon Man" since nothing bad ever
sticks to him. To put it short, Josh Miller IS Cleveland
The Keynesian Kid
The security varies drastically
from division to division. Their banks have hellish matrices, but light
physical security, for example. Overall the magical security is light.
Dawg Breath
Truman Technologies
Outside of Forest City Inc., Truman Technologies represents the largest corporate presence in the Cleveland Metroplex. The corporate headquarters is situated in the downtown area, dealing mostly with distribution of merchandise. Truman also controls the most popular television station, News Channel 5, along with the city magazine, The Cleveland Magazine, and the city newspaper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
They do more than just
distribute merchandise. Truman thinks Cleveland's a safer place to develop
new tech considering the smaller Shadowrun community, and the lack of corporate
competition.
Tech Boy
Ares Macrotechnology
Ares has two offices; one located in the downtown area dealing with financial and managerial affairs, and one located near Hopkins Airport dealing with aerospace engineering.
Ares sucked up the old
NASA facilities of the U.S.A. Got 'em for a song and a dance I'm told.
The Keynesian Kid
Renraku Computer
Systems Renraku has one office located in the downtowm area dealing exclusively with R&D of computer software.
I hear they've got some
goodies in that building.
Lynx
Indeed.
The Artful Dodger
Major Personalities
The following is a short list of some of the prime movers in the city of Cleveland.
Josh Miller
The fourth consecutive and most successful Miller to take the reins of Forest City Inc., Josh Miller has proven to be a valuable asset not only to his corporation, but also to the city itself. Constantly in pursuit of creating more jobs, housing, and services for the people of Cleveland, Josh Miller has bypassed many lucrative business opportunities simply because he did not believe that they were in the best interests of the city and its people. His charity donations are well publicized and unparallelled: ParmaDale's home for troubled children, the Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, the University Foundation for the Arts; the list seems endless. Along with performing all of these acts of kindness, Josh Miller is able to steer his corporation through the troubles waters of the 21st century. The corporate slogan of Forest City Inc. obviously stems from its leader: "Building a better future for Cleveland."
Please, somebody get me
a barf bag. Quick.
ModRater
Actually, a lot of this
is true. He does donate a ton of cash to charity, along with supplying
some decent low-rent housing and stuff like that. I'm not saying this guy's
a saint, but I've seen worse.
RazzMaTazz
There's a lot of rumors
floating around about this guy and the company that he keeps and the deals
that he makes. The deal with LoneStar is pretty much common knowledge.
But some rumors have him dealing with Diamond Dave and his crew, and setting
up deals between himself, Diamond Dave, the 'Star, and Truman.
Dawg Breath
I vehemently deny having
any association with any of the above mentioned individuals either in the
past or in the present. Dealings with such individuals is below me.
Diamond Dave
Wilma Smith
The undisputed sweetheart of Cleveland, Wilma Smith shows exactly what you can do if you set your mind to it. Not only is she the anchorwoman for News Channnel 5 nightly news, she is also the V.P. of Operations for Truman Technologies, Cleveland. She brings that local work ethic to her job and to her many charity involvements.
What a fraggin' slitch.
She'd rather spit at a workin' Joe than talk to him. Unless that almighty
camera's on. Then it's all sugar and spice.
Leonard
I hear her and Miller
got somethin' on the side. Any truth to that?
Inquiring Mind
Leroy Hoard
The heart and soul of the NFL's Cleveland Browns, this rookie halfback stole the heart of the city when he led the Browns to the Central Division title and a playoff berth behind his 1,338 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. A sure bet to make the Pro Bowl next season, Leroy remains humble about his accomplishments, and credits his coaches and teammates for his instant success.
This punk likes life on
the wild side, and that's got the Browns worried. They've already put enough
hardware into him to feed a small country for years, so they frown on his
wilder moments (like the brawl outside of Headliners that put eight people
in the hospital). He is a badass halfback, though.
Rabid Dawg
Well, that's about all
there is. Hope you enjoyed it.
ModRater
Hey, what's the Shadowrun
community like?
Erik the Dread
Not that good. There's
plenty of opportunity for biz, just not much that's high paying. Data heists,
data plants, equipment heists, the usual stuff. I hear that if you get
hired by Forest City Inc., you're pretty much guaranteed not to experience
any outside trouble unless you bring it on yourself.
Local Boy
That's not true. I've
been hired by one part of Forest City to make a run on another part of
Forest City. That kind of drek goes on all the time. I guess that Miller
evaluates department performance rated against the performance of his other
departments. This creates a very unhealthy inter-department environment.
So even if you're being hired by a Forest City office, you could be hitting
another Forest City office.
Anonymous
Good luck finding equipment
in the area. There's only a couple of fixers in the city, and only one
of them can get his hands on major toys. His name's Jimmy Kuzma, but most
people call him The Kuz. He runs a bar called Tommy's Tavern in the sixth
district. You can make contact there.
Anonymous
(What, did everyone suddenly
lose their testicles or something?) Some of you may be happy to know that
both the Yaks and the Mafia have yet to get their claws into Cleveland.
It could be that neither wants to, but the fact remains.
Steeley Dan
Word is that if you get
a decent rep in the area, Miller himself will hire you. And he pays real
good.
Traps
Who is this Diamond Dave
guy? He seems like a real arrogant slag.
Jak Deth
Diamond Dave is the driving
force behind all Cleveland crime. He is a viscious adversary and a cunning
foe, but he is a gracious master to all of his children. It has been said
that his appearance is so awe inspiring that he must be the descendent
of princes. That my dear friend is who Diamond Dave is.
Diamond Dave
I rest my case. Anyone
else?
Jak Deth
Supposedly Diamond Dave
runs all of what remains of old Cleveland behind the wall. Most people
would consider this unimportant, considering that all of old Cleveland
was decaying, and the city leveled all of the skyscrapers that remained
behind the wall. The one thing that people didn't consider was Burke Lakefront
Airport. He got that running, and now it serves as a refueling spot for
all kinds of illegal traffickers. I hear they get magical shipments from
across the border in Quebec, and from the Indian nations, chips coming
in from Chicago, drugs coming from New York, you name it. It's a great
location to be in, and it's perfectly safe from any governmental interference,
especially if the rumors that Miller and Diamond Dave are working together.
All in all, he's got himself a nice set-up. But I wouldn't advise going
to see him if you're not invited. A reporter wanted to verify the existence
of Diamond Dave, so she and her camera man snuck into old Cleveland, probably
through the old sewage systems. They were never heard from again.
Anonymous