>>Fastjack here, sysop of the Alamo web, seems our planet side boys and girls are having a little issue figuring out who the bad guys are. So I figured I’d put together a series of documents detailing a few of Sirius finest megacorporations. I’m going to start with Cryer as they are probably the fuzziest corporation to figure out. Most of the document was written by an old girlfriend of mine, she’s Bretonian but don’t let that put you off, she knows her stuff.
>>Fastjack
Cryer Corporation
By Whisper.
Fastjack asked me to sort this out, not just for the Xeno cause but for any freelancer that finds him or herself in the business of corporate espionage for the big boys. Cryer Corporation is a Liberty based corporation, which much most of us know, but it’s not only the pharmaceutical business that Cryer has its fingers in. Cryer Pharmaceuticals is only the space based subsidiary of Cryer Corp. and it’s not the most interesting either. Cryer operates two space facilities, the Cambridge Research Institute and the Atka Research Centre. Neither of them in Liberty. However its Liberty based operations are extensive, almost all of it planet side. The Cryer Corporation itself is mostly the administration arm of the whole umbrella, bring all the subsidiary companies and divisions together and enabling them to work in an efficient manner.
Saint Del is considered a holy healer of diseases of children, but also as a protector of cattle.
I’m going to detail the members of Cryers board; whilst you may not interact with them personally you might find yourself running jobs for them against their own colleagues. It’s good to know what the megalomaniac in power might be thinking when they employ you.
>>Frankly the Xenos can ignore this bit unless you happen to come face to face with one, then feel free to terminate with extreme prejudice, there’s not a one of these people that is moral.
>>Fastjack
Rodger Powell
CEO
Powell is the second cousin of President Powell, although that doesn’t cut him any breaks politically speaking, he’s a middle-aged man in his sixties and has been CEO of Cryer for nearly twenty years. As such he’s experienced and effective at managing his board of directors. Most of who would be at each other’s throats if it wasn’t for his diplomatic skills. Publicly Powell is discreet, preferring to keep quiet and less visible than most corporate CEOs.
Vanessa Hong
VP in charge of Media
Vanessa is of Kusari origin, although that hasn’t stopped her rising to the second most coveted seat on the board. Under her auspices the Media arm of Cryer has gone from strength to strength, although her efforts have made her some enemies along the way. She covets the top spot, but knows she’s never going to get it; old man Powell is too shrewd to even contemplate nominating her as his successor. So she reserves all her venom for the most coveted seat on the board, Pharmaceuticals. She has put a lot of effort into making Gardner look bad, and it’s only a matter of time before she gets her way.
Alfred Gardner
VP in Charge of Pharmaceuticals
The top spot beneath the CEO position is currently held by the oldest member of the board, Gardner is getting on a bit and it shows, he’s recently lost some interesting contracts to Samura’s Pharmacy division and Powell isn’t too happy about it. Of course Gardner suspects that Hong was involved but he hasn’t got the proof he needs and Hong covered her tracks well enough to ensure he never will. The only jewel remaining in Gardner’s crown is the Atka centre. Still one of the best research centres in Sirius, it maintains it’s position by publishing quality research.
Frederick Bantham
VP in charge of Marketing
The one man none of the other board members can afford to get on the wrong side of. Whatever the other divisions put out, its Bantham’s division that puts the spin on it. Not the best in Sirius, that honour goes to Interspace Commerce who can sell a Bretonian his own cup of tea, its still one of the best. Bantham maintains a strict neutrality with the other board members never playing favours, however if any of them get on the wrong side of him, he can make their products fail with a few choice words. He does, however, harbour a long term grudge toward Hong, who slighted him in the past; he’s s not so stupid as to do anything with it, as he knows she’ll tear him apart.
Helen Carter
VP in charge of Research and Development
Helens division covers anything not related to pharmaceuticals, although she’s been pushing to have the two divisions merged for some time. The old man doesn’t think the same way. Carter deals with most of the corporations’ extensive cyber and bio mod research, always managing to come out ahead of the curve. Her success has not gone unnoticed by Powell either, whilst he won’t merge the two divisions it’s widely believed he’ll pick Carter as his successor when the time comes for him to step down. Whether or not she gets a sense of tradition in the mean time will decide the fate of the two divisions as separate entities.
Patrick Thornley
VP in charge of Military Technologies
The second smallest division of Cryer, Thornley has his work cut out for him. With Cryer trying to play in much bigger boys playing fields Thornley walks a tightrope between failure and success that he can never truly balance. A quiet man, he simply trudges on with his workload and tries not to attract the attentions of any of the other board members. It seems to be working for him so far and despite an endless stream of mediocre performances he looks set to retain his position for another year.
Rachel Jones
VP in charge of Heavy Industries
Rachel has the distinction of running the corporations’ smallest division, despite this she attacks the job with a ferocity that scares a lot of the board, they worry she might be after their jobs, and they’re right. Rachel has no intentions of staying in charge of this division she wants Hong’s and she’ll do anything to get it, including sabotage. However she isn’t stupid, as yet she hasn’t done anything overt against the Media division and is keeping her cards close to her chest.
Saint Del is considered a holy healer of diseases of children, but also as a protector of cattle.
This one’s mainly for the Xeno guys and gals, a little guide to the subsidiary corps that Cryer owns, and there’s quite a few, even for a tier 2 corp. They certainly run higher than Universal. I’ll start out with the obvious ones, then onto some of the much less public companies.
Well this is the one all you space aces will know, this is Cryers spacebourne division. At the moment its Cryers biggest money spinner, bringing in trillions of credits a year. Pushing out various types of pharmaceuticals from simple nutrients to the highly illegal and never admitted, Kamikaze. Of course Cryer Pharm is best know for its current attempts at producing a synthetic version of the Outcasts favourite sniffle, but as yet they’ve been unsuccessful. Recently Cryer has lost out on some very lucrative contracts; most notably the contract for producing combat drugs for Rheinland land based army, losing out to Daumanns up and coming pharmacom. Although this could have as much to do with the rising tensions between Rheinland and Liberty as to do with Daumann actually being better at producing combat drugs. Whatever the reasons Cryer Pharmaceuticals needs to get itself back in gear before the Media division takes its place.
Known Subsidiaries: None
Cryer Pharmaceuticals doesn’t actually have any subsidiaries; everything it does is produced under its name.
>>Well, I'm a right reputable shipper for the eggheads at Cryer, and they've been comin' up with some awesome 'alternative medication', which they were based off of when Max Cryer, a Rheinland-flavoured gringo, founded the business, if you catch my drift, right?
Asides from that, amigo, they're quite the reputable research institute too, trying to cure the poor buggers that have hard drug habits, particularly those hooked on 'C', si?
Anyways, synthetic alternative meds as well as safe recreational depressants and stimulants whilst hammerin' down on the causes of crime... asides from hunger... but I'm a-plannin' on sortin' that out with profits from good ole munchy-inducin' Synth Mary J-...
>>’Doctor’ Afonso Enrique
Cryer Media is the next largest division of Cryer Corp and operates multiple subsidiary companies throughout Sirius, whilst it’s not as big a player in the media business as Ageira or Samura, it’s still well known enough. Cryer Media also runs a number of propaganda features especially since losing out to Daumann in Rheinland.
Known Subsidiaries:
Konetsu Media Productions
Cryer recently procured this Kusari outfit and has since been using it to produce well made programs that attempt to highlight some of the social irregularities in Kusari. Making programmes with strong female leads bucking the system. It’s not a popular brand amongst the conservatives but the youth population of Kusari is lapping it up. However this has made it a target of Hogosha shadow operations, so it always pays to see what the local yaks are offering as a prize for this week’s efforts against this upstart.
Aricent Productions
Cryers Bretonian media wing, Aricent holds a special place in Bretonias heart if only because of its most popular show. Whilst trid critics rubbish Aricent’s shows, the public love them, which just goes to show how much the critics know. Although having watched some of the shows, I reckon Bretonias policy on marijuana use may be having more of an impact than claimed.
>>Unknown Subsidiaries
Whilst this might seem like an oxymoron, Cryer Media does have one unknown subsidiary in Rheinland, it’s a pirate affair operating, some believe, off the Augsburg Orbital Colony, it produces inflammatory cartoons and satirical programmes designed to target the Gottkanzler and his various minions, displaying them as corrupt and inept.
So far attempts at shutting them down have proven to be less than effective as they just seem to rise elsewhere when found.
>>Theremin
Cryer Public Relations
This is the actual corporate arm of Cryer’s marketing division; it’s a stand alone affair much like Cryer Pharm. Cryer P.R. handles the rest of Cryers marketing, putting the spin on anything the mega puts out. It has to work very hard to keep Cryers image from falling in light of recent bad news.
Known Subsidiaries: None
Cryer Research and Development
Cryer R&D is Cryers fastest growing division; its recent years have been studded with exceptional breakthroughs in Neural Net technologies and some truly epic cyber and bio mods. Headquartered in the research facility on Denver, Cryer R&D is probably the one division keeping Cryers flagging rep up.
Known Subsidiaries:
InfiniTech
InfiniTech is Cryers cyber and bio studios catering to all manner of the style conscious and those just in need of repair. They produce good quality cutting edge stuff, but it’s not a patch on what the big players put out, Ageira and Kishiro really take them to town. But the stuff that InfiniTech does put out is good quality and cheap to boot. Of course there are rumours that InfiniTech ahs some secret contracts with the Liberty government but nothing substantiated.
>>I can substantiate this claim; I know that InfiniTech has small holdings on both Willard and the Fairbanks Prison Station. Where’s Fairbanks, you ask? I like my brain so figure it out for yourselves…
>>Hastur
>>A wise choice.
>> Lu-Si Fire
ChopperDoc
ChopperDoc is Cryer Research’s pride and joy, and as such a big target for any other medicorp worth a damn. It’s the frequent target of extractions and extortion, ranging from the recent theft of serious medical data to losing its chief neurosurgeon three weeks before. ChopperDoc is however partially overseen by Gardner’s Pharm division and rumours abound as to Hong’s involvement in the recent issues.
>>This is a watch folks; normally ChopperDoc ferries the folks who can afford it, but not the folks that can’t, so that makes them a valid a target. Right? Wrong, unfortunately some bright spark has been handing ChopperDoc bracelets out to the very folks we’re trying to protect, so they are well out, you just don’t know who they are going to be carrying. Got no objections with folks helping out the needy, but it does muddy the waters some.
>>Fastjack
Cryer Military Technologies
Whilst this division is not the smallest, it’s certainly the least prestigious at the moment, being outperformed by nearly every single tier 2 and 3 mega going. About the only thing it produces of any particular note are simple assault skiffs, although its unkindly joked that the LSF only uses them out of a sense of obligation. However the Military arm of Cryer isn’t as silent as it might seem, rumours circulate that most of Cryers mil tech is sold on the black market, making reliable figures for comparison hard to get hold of.
Known Subsidiaries:
Fireline Electronics
Fireline was started up as an attempt to grab the contract for the Guardian electronics suite; however Cryer lost that contract to Ageira and eventually sold their guidance and fire controls system to Star Industries, the folks who make the Star line of ships. It still makes the systems but frankly they suck. The only reason that Fireline still makes a profit is because of the used starflier market, most of which need a new system before they are even space worthy.
>>Yeah, be sure to check that those systems function if you do buy a used starflea. It’s awfully annoying when you get into space and find you’re going to have to buy an electronics system that costs as much as the ship you just bought, because the current one is buggered.
>> Star Flyer
>>Okay I’m going to try and give something of an accurate report on Cryer Mil’s black operations, but it’s very hard to get reliable data as they do keep it well hidden.
The first thing to mention is Cryer Mil’s habit of selling stuff to anyone that asks for it. I know this for a fact as our very own insurgency team is extensively modded and equipped by Cryer, we paid an awful lot and they didn’t seem to expect anything in return so they are still fair game. They are also known to sell kit to the Corsairs, but they do expect a return on this investment, I have no idea what the Corsairs have offered in exchange but it seems likely that the cost wasn’t cheap.
Cryer Mil is also reputed to be playing both sides against the middle when it comes to the war in the Tau’s hedging their bets you might say, there’s no concrete proof of this or you can bet your sweet ass that the Queen would’ve hoofed Cryer well out by now. It still hearsay and conjecture. But if anybody wants to cause Cryer a blow it might not recover from, you could do worse than digging at this rumour.
>>Fastjack
Cryer Heavy Industries
Cryer’s smallest division is currently its most ferocious, although its operations are pretty much limited to Pittsburgh and Houston. They are savage enemies of DSE and work very hard to try and snag as many contracts from the engineering mega as possible. It’s not always successful, as DSE has some of the most experienced hands at this game, but CHI has worked some magic these last few years and won a few of the coveted pots of cash.
>>Oh yes freelancing opportunities are high on Pittsburgh, there may not be much mining going on there anymore but the local corp. scene is seriously heated. CHI puts out some heavy cred trying to make DSE look bad. Although the DSE boys a re weathering the storm quite well.
>>Pittsburgh Pony
Known Subsidiaries:
Houston Heavy Technology
If you’ve ever spent time in any of Houston’s fine penal establishments, or on either of the prison stations in orbit, there’s no doubt you’ll recognise these guys. They have the contract for building new skylines for the LPI’s burgeoning slave force, adding new wings and all manner of exciting ways to spend the next twenty years building waterproof radios. Unsurprisingly HHT is a huge target for the Xenos, who see it as a monument to the ideals they are trying to sunder.
>>Lady knows her stuff, HHT is the enemy folks, and it represents the slave based economy in Liberty. No remorse for any employee of HHT, burn them all down.
>>Coachwhip
>>Frakking loony
>>Honour
>>Will you get the hell off my system; don’t want your kind in here.
>>Fastjack
>>User Honour has been ejected<<
Saint Del is considered a holy healer of diseases of children, but also as a protector of cattle.
Apart from Cryers Headquarters on Manhattan, in the corporate sector surprisingly, Cryer operates a few other high profile sites of interest to any freelancer or Xeno.
The two obvious ones are Atka and Cambridge, but Cryer does operate one of the finest research centres in Sirius, and its right here in Liberty’s backyard. Denver Research Institute
Operating out of the Denver U. campus the DRI is one of Sirius’s premier research venues. Specialising in bio-modifications and bio-medical research the DRI continues to pound out first class research year after year. It’s no surprise that some of the sector’s brightest bio med students practically wage war to get a post doctorate place here. It’s currently run by one Professor James Christofis a middle-aged man in his fifties. Christofis is no idiot though and is known to produce some of the best research into breaking the Cardamine addiction.
>>He will never succeed, the Devil Wings will take him, he cannot hide from us forever.
>>Luciano Vega
>>Thanks for that, which does bring me to a very important point, if you’re trying to hit the DRI, make sure there isn’t a Devil Wings team trying the bloody same, we’ve had it happen before it just caused a mess. The Xenos have reached an accord, given we both want the same thing, we let the Devil Wings handle the DRI and they don’t rat us out to their LPI contacts, it works nicely and takes one target off our list.
>>Fastjack
Cambridge Research Station
“Cambridge Research Station is part of a joint program between the Cambridge Research Institute and Cryer Pharmaceuticals. The station pursues a broad range of research, but primarily focuses on the development of medicines and bioware that require a zero-g environment.” That’s the press blurb notice anything missing, yep they’ve seemed to forget about one of Cryers more active research projects, that of Alien Organisms. The research is highly classified. Between the Queen’s Intelligence Division and the LSF it’s almost impossible for the folks working on it to know what it is their actually working on. But if you want to make some cash and you can find a source, they pay good cred for first class specimens.
Atka Research Station
Based in lovely Sigma 17 the Atka station is known for its work on terraforming. It’s also one of Cryers only successes with Samura as it operates a research share program with the Samura institute on Kurile. Behind the scenes however things aren’t so peachy, constant corp. activity bubbles beneath the surface and if you can figure out Kusari etiquette, or you’re a Kusari freelancer, there’s epic cred to be made from the big boys at Samura, Cryer just can’t compete.
Well that’s all I got, all the stuff you really need to know on one of the smallest fish in the pond. Cryer isn’t a huge mega, it’ll be lucky to retain its tier 2 status, if it’s not snapped up by one of the bigger megas before hand, however the R&D department may be able to pull Cryer out of the fire.
>>Well that’s all folks, if you’ve got anything else to add just drop us a line. Xenos remember, Cryer’s a target but there is much bigger fish in that pond so don’t spend all your time with these folks.
>>Fastjack
Saint Del is considered a holy healer of diseases of children, but also as a protector of cattle.
//Great job ! I love it. I very much like the point of view strictly RP, introducing potential NPC that could be role played by a player.
//the DRI is an excellent idea as Pharmaceuticals are supposed to be the cheapest on Houston so Cryer should have a production facility.
//Launch Cryer Pharmaceuticals faction, i'm with you a step behind... Cryer is in my opinion an excellent RP faction, the drawback is there is no highway for a trader to become rich in a week with Pharmaceuticals, Polymers and Alien Organism... I'm not talking about the Synth Marie because the risk is too important for a limited margin profit.
I heard some rumors about Max Cryer having left behind him, a secret legacy to keep an eye on his creation.
I am working on Akta Research Station, the only station in the BorderWorld and the only place to study xenoform and human mutations. Even if Samura is far more influent in Sigma, we have the support of the Bounty Hunter Guild for protecting our interests and the precious research station. BHG support the Kusarian reject by pride.
Nobody has to know what distateful things we have to do to improve the life condition of the humain race... and certainly not a hacker.
Doctor Belinda Carson
"Perfection, honesty, devotion" "Immortality is our subconscious main concern" "To change the system, you have to be inside the system and play by the rules"
>> Why does everyone use my system as a highway for their passing needs? Although you have given me something I didn't know about the Atka centre. Gonna have to thank you for that, still I'm glad we don't keep anything important on here, seems anybody can walk in. Really must ask for a budget increase to upgrade the firewalls.
>>Fastjack
Saint Del is considered a holy healer of diseases of children, but also as a protector of cattle.