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Viggies Children of Law and Bureaucracy "Officer Northway, how nice to see you. How’s the family?"
Despite claims to the contrary, lawyers and bureaucrats do not burst fully formed from the bowels of Hades. They're reared and trained right beside the people that they help and hinder. They're merely the ones that realized the power that comes from manipulating the system. They learn the codes, the norms, the habits, and the trends of the government. They soar through the mire that traps and drowns normal individuals. When they were young, they were in student government; today they'd be Viggies, just like you. The ISA wanted highly trained workers, but didn't want to pay for the training; the result was the Volunteers in Government program. The kids would become clerks, aides, and gofers, but would receive experience instead of pay. The huge number of applicants amazed them. Soon, they had exactly what they thought they wanted. They had kids who knew the penal code and form numbers better than the latest dance steps. It was dream come true. They were knowledgeable, efficient, and most of all, cheap. The ISA has no idea of what is really happening. What you look like You work in the government, so you had better dress up to standard. This means that ties and dresses are almost universal, and you avoid loud patterns. Your hair is clean and only in natural colors and styles, and tattoos are absolutely out of the question. In short, you look like the typical, boring clerk from the licensing bureau. The forgettable veneer acts as camouflage. The ISA would never suspect that such respectable, boring, supportive kids could be responsible for so much chaos within their ranks. The one characteristic that sets you apart from the cutouts is your VIG badge. It's bright yellow, so it definitely sticks out, but it’s also your secret weapon. Every Viggie knows the secret button code that can pass simple messages at a glance. Naturally, the messages are very general such as: I have information, , danger, or I'm being watched. In addition, by claiming to be on an errand or on your way to work, you can use your badge to explain excursions into restricted areas. So let the other yogangs mock the badges; you know their worth. Subculture Your yogang is dedicated to learning the system, so you can use it for your own purposes. Knowledge is power, and your goboys know more about the ISA than anyone else. While appearing to be nice, dutiful kids dedicated to the corporate state, you are cooking forms, blackmailing officials, collecting information for dissimulation, and concocting grand scams. The wonderful thing is that you receive corporate acclaim the entire time you are stabbing it from inside. Your positions give you more opportunities for mayhem that no other juve could hope for. Everyday, you cultivate contacts even if you have no idea if they will ever be useful. Nevertheless, you make sure that you know the names of all the nameless clerks. In the modern age, numbers and forms define everything. With a little effort, a few well placed forms and minor errors can cause tremendous havoc and chaos. You're the ones responsible for well-timed blackouts, accidental death announcements and long, drawn-out court battles between corps over trivial points. You can cook the forms so well that even an edgerunner will use you, and it's from those jobs you receive bribes and favors. Since you’ve worked in the bureaucracy, you see the faults of the system. Therefore, your yogang is much more flexible. You trade favors and information freely, and the closest thing to a leader you have is when someone is organizing a sting against the ISA. To earn respect, you must have an influential post, knowledge, or creativity. Creativity is the most precious of the three. Which means, while you respect the Mayor's assistant and the girl who memorized the entire penal code, you award the most respect to the Viggie that managed to give PetroChem drilling rights inside the Arasaka compound. Belonging Joining the VIG was easy. There are kiosks in every school, mall, and arcade; all you needed to do was sign a few forms. Becoming a Viggie took more effort. They watched you for months. You showed skill and contempt, so they considered you a definite possibility. But it was only after you created your first phantom that they came forward, usually in the form of a memo or letter. It was a few more months till you actually saw one in the flesh. The extra months were to ensure that you were not a mole. If you had turned in the memo, you would have labeled yourself an enemy. Since you didn’t turn it in, they accepted you. They were still wary for a few months after your 'acceptance', but you understood, you know the risk they are running. Leaving the Viggies is a very dangerous proposition. If you turncoat to the ISA, you have signed a death warrant. Viggies throughout the bureaucracy will change your record, erase information, have you charged with crimes you didn’t even know existed, and make you a target for every yogang, agency, and organization they can. No turncoat has ever been re-accepted, usually because they are in no condition to work. This is a very scary yogang to go against. Allies and Enemies Your closest allies are the Rads and Guardians, since both are involved in the system, but almost everyone needs your skills at one time or another. Unfortunately, until they need you, almost every yogang sees you as little more than sellouts. Because of this perception, the more militant groups (Tribals, EcoWarriors, Trogs, and such) constantly harass you. Eventually, they will need you, but until then, they try to make your life as difficult as possible. Slang VigPigs: disavowed Viggies Yogang Skill: TAPECUTTER (Int) The other yogangs think they need to learn how to maneuver on the streets in order to survive. You know that, as long as the ISA is in control, the ability to maneuver through the bureaucracy is far more vital. It took years of study to reach your current level, but now, you can cut through the red tape like an ocean going BoardPunk through the slimy waves. Where the wads of bureaucracy ensnare everyone else, you use them to buoy you up. After all, the ISA isn’t going to help you on purpose, are they? Using TAPECUTTER (Int) skill:
If you’re a Viggie, 1) Tell me your name, age, and sex.
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