Hub City Newsclippings

[HoM]

Extract taken from Hub City Inquisitor, dated 12/2/08

HUB REACHING ANGELSPIT EPIDEMIC
by Louise Smith

Hub City is under siege. Not only by crime, but by a new drug trade that’s working its way into the lives of our children, our family, and our friends. On the street, it’s called ‘Angelspit’, but Metacortzine Red, the sister of the far less dangerous pharmaceutical Metacortzine Blue. But what makes ‘Angelspit’ so dangerous? We asked Doctor Marcus Baldwin, resident expert on drug use at Hub City Mercy Hospital, a few questions:

Inquisitor: What is ‘Angelspit’?

Doctor Baldwin: "Angelspit is deadly.

When people inject this stuff into themselves, is that they’re blunting nerve endings, cutting off electrical currents from the brain to the nervous system that are needed to keep you working, and generally slowly shutting you down from the inside out.

Metacortzine Blue is used to treat cancer patients, and it has shown remarkable progress in destroying metastasized cells. Red, on the other hand, has no focus for its extremely destructive powers. It destroys the nervous systems. Yet children are being given this on our streets. Why? Because it makes money. Because of the buzz you get off your first hit, and the fact that it builds up every time? It’s highly addictive. Withdrawl is painful to the extreme. Your every cell burns for it. That’s the sad part. Even one dose can make you an addict."

I: Why ‘Angelspit’?

DB: "Because of the hallucinations. Users see bright lights, and they also feel a sense of weightlessness under the drug’s influence. People claim they see ‘Angels’, but what they’re really feeling is their nerves firing off too many impulses to be processed. Blue users undergo the same experiences but they’re controlled. People can work past the experience under controlled use. Red though, is full sensory overload. Users either burn out completely, or get locked in."

I: Locked in?

DB: "Full body paralysis. Sufferers are completely aware of what’s going on, but completely unable to move. And still, they’re addicted to the substance. We can only assume what they’re going through. We have a ward at Hub Mercy where we treat these unfortunate people.

All I am saying is this: Angelspit is dangerous. It was never intended for use. Red is a corruption of the original Blue formula, and yet people are being provided it. The distributors, the pharmaceutical division of Fero Corp, are investigating how it got out, and we have the help of Wayne Enterprises and other companies working on ways to counter the effects, but right now, if you take this stuff, you are going to become addicted. You will need Angelspit. Your best bet for survival is to book yourself into Hub Mercy. I’m not making this up, Red is dangerous. For some, it may be too late, but if you’re reading this, and you’re a user, we need to get you help."

[HoM]

Extract taken from the Hub Daily News , dated 13/4/08

MAYOR’S HUSBAND STILL MISSING!
By Randy ‘the Don’ Mazzeculio

Have you heard the news? Our beloved Mayor’s husband, former lawyer Wesley Fermin, has been missing now for over a month! And with the entire police force at her beck and call, there’s no sign of him! When approached, our dear Mayor informed this reporter that: “The investigation into his disappearance was ongoing” and that “all was being done to locate him.” Mayor Myra doesn’t seem too bothered though, does she? Word on the street is that she had enough of his adulterous nature and set up an Intergang hit! Sources close to the Mayor cast doubt on this allegation, but with all the evidence that this reporter has gathered pointing to the Mayor, what other answer is there?

[HoM]

Extract taken from Hub City Inquisitor, dated 14/4/08

FILLING THE NEST?
by Lance Hesseltine.

Have you ever been to prison? Don't answer out loud, there won't be any need for that, but if you have, then you know about the conditions. The corruption. No institution can claim to be 100% clean. Drug use is rampant, and did you know that users are given free drugs before they leave to ensure they don't overdose out on the streets? Yes. Our government is insisting on giving party favours to our convicted killers, rapists and paedophiles.

Up at Nestleworth Penitentiary, affectionately referred to as "The Nest", Warden Clarke does his best to maintain the peace, but in an institution that is understaffed and filled past capacity, what hope does he have of maintaining order?

Deaths are on the increase on the inside, which is surprising considering Hub City abolished the death penalty in 1986. Violence continues from the outside in, and now, with prisoners being released early to ease tensions on the inside, the line between convict and non-convict is beginning to blur. This reporter certainly isn't sure what's going on in the world today.

Rapists walk the street after serving a quarter of their sentence for either 1) good behaviour or 2) because the cell was needed for another, worse, rapist. This is the world we live in! Where those who are punished are let out because the evil acts they perpetrated weren't as evil as the other guys! Do you feel safe? I don't see why you should.

[HoM]

Extract taken from Hub Television Guide, dated 10/4/08

Letters to TV Snippet

Jean Luc Marseilles recent documentary on the architecture of Hub City ['The Spires'. WBC 6/4] was a wonder to behold. I never knew that the Steppes and Dajjali buildings were designed in tandem! It was interesting to see the original designs, and Marseilles’ commentary on the development of the buildings was inspired. The retro approach to the Steppes is a joy to behold whenever I pass by, and the neo-gothic Dajjali building is such a foreboding presence in the city (and I think that’s a good thing!). I hope to see more of Jean Luc Marseilles’ productions on television, as his point of view is so fascinating.

Thanks,
Mary T (address withheld by request)

If you hadn’t heard the news, Jean Luc Marseilles was found dead in his hotel room two nights ago, and coroners had announced the cause of death as an accidental drug overdose. It’s a shame to lose such a talent, but the World Broadcasting Company will be running a series of spotlights on Marseilles, to ensure that his passing does not go without recognition

--Ed..