FrozenFyre reporting in.
Since a lot of new Redpills are directed to the Uriah district, I decided to get as full an analysis of the Chopper gang as possible for the benefit of those unwary of street gangs. I will try to be as complete as possible.
Most of what I say is taken from observation and based on facts and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. When quoting from another source I will use italics and anything that is pure supposition on my part will be highlighted in bold.
The Gang
The Choppers take their name from their main trade: theft and disassembly of vehicles, though they’re up for violence at any time. Most are hardened criminals.
The Choppers are distinctive in their heavy looking black jackets and cargo pants. They stalk between the warehouses and storage units that comprise their home alternating between thieving and modifying motor vehicles and defending their territory against enemies. The gang are very much work based and concentrate on selling “used” Autos to gain financial wealth rather than on fighting battles or gaining influence. The gang are fairly settled in both their jobs and their turf, not seeming to feel a need to expand beyond either, but what is theirs they will defend vehemently.
The Token
The Choppers pride themselves in the vehicles they steal and modify, and therefore carry the keys as a badge of honour
The Turf
Located in the north end of Richland, Uriah is an area that has evolved into a dangerous “free fire zone” since the truce was signed. Many groups use the warehouse- filled zone as a place to settle their disputes with violence without fear of attracting too much attention. Bluepill workers are almost blasé about seeing police scenes there each morning, cleaning up after gang- related violence.
The Choppers seem to tolerate this violent activity well as long as it doesn’t affect their business. With all this going on there is little besides warehouses and construction equipment in the dockland, no one wants to live there- few want to work there. The only points of interest are Mars Industrial Storage, where an exile gang remains hidden away instead of patrolling the streets, little is known of them- I shall have to do more digging before I can tell you what lurks there. The other point of interest is Club Parallaxis- some entrepreneur converted an empty warehouse into a decent nightclub, the layout is simple, a wide open floor space with industrial fittings, but it serves good ale and with a lot of new awakened being pointed to Uriah it does quite good business.
Rank and File
The Choppers group themselves based on various aspects of the car thief/mechanic trade, the more accomplished in either or both field holding more power within the group. Runners, Jumpers and Skids are seen patrolling the streets, whereas Joy Riders, Grease Monkeys and Boosters aren’t often seen and are more likely to be doing the job.
Runners are usually taken along to help members of the gang steal the cars they disassemble. They are often found in the chop shops doing the most menial of tasks.
If you want a car stolen, you send a Jumper. The Jumpers can usually steal a car in under 30 seconds and are quite capable of dealing with anyone trying to stop them.
Skids oversee the Chop Shops in the outer neighbourhood and send Jumpers and Runners out on “chopping” sprees to bring back cars. They are highly skilled fighters as well as organisers.
Joy Riders scout out sources for cars, sometimes for days or weeks, checking on the “renewability” of their favourite resource.
While Grease Monkeys are able to boost cars faster than most, their forte is in rebuilding, modifying and restoring vehicles to a pristine state. They are just as capable of cleaning up problems faced by the gang.
Boosters manage the business throughout Uriah, and deal with problems swiftly and violently.
Leadership
Leading the Choppers is Jack the Hack, a violent criminal known throughout outer Uriah. Not particularly interested in increasing his territory, he is content with the wealth he gains from the black market sale of car parts.
Jack the Hack seems fairly settled as Chopper leader as he swaggers between storage crates, directing his men and grudgingly giving them their pay packets. With Jack, money (or $Information to be correct) is what matters most. He is not too concerned with Redpills picking off his gang members or that people like to trade for Chopper keys as this just means less pay packets to send out. He will do anything he can to keep business going as was seen when a ‘cheat code’ incident closed much of Uriah’s business district.
Though Jack is the gang’s leader, it is possible that Mercury has influence over the gang. Mercury is a member of the influential “Elements” group who have their powerbase in Richland. He runs his operations from a warehouse in the Uriah district, where he works on his inventions and acts on his rivalries and interests with the other Elements. Despite looking and acting somewhat simple, Mercury is very intelligent and a capable designer, possessing his own forces to protect his interests, so it would not seem that he had that much interest in car thieves. However the Choppers have been seen working for Mercury on a number of occasions. While powerful exiles will sometimes take control of a street gang, I’m not sure if this is the same relation going on here. I would suggest that Mercury has instead worked out an agreement with the gang that has placed them in his service, perhaps for financial rewards or use of his inventions, without taking overt leadership of the gang.
Mercury’s is involved in several power struggles and conflicting relationships. His greatest rival is Silver, an inventor who has had more outward success, controlling the Wright Research Corporation, closely followed by Thallia, who he hates passionately for an incident in the past. His is in a relationship with Pepper but is suspected to have feelings for Raini. For more information on Mercury I suggest looking at the operative Sugaree's accounts of working for him HERE
Allies and Enemies
The gang as a whole seem to want to avoid conflict, content to hold their ground, despite this they are not without enemies. An influx of redpills into the area have led to some profiting from using the Choppers as a training ground for these new operatives- but Jack the Hack and the gang don’t seem too concerned and are happy to take fights as they come.
Their greatest enemy is FastBack, an ex-member of the gang, possibly even an ex-leader. FastBack now lurks around the warehouses, seeking control of the gang he once belonged to. He hasn’t revealed whether he left the gang or was forced out, either way he isn’t happy about it. He wants to weaken the gang to be able to take it from Jack the Hack, and rewards those who will hunt present members of the gang, giving them this message.
“I used to run with the Choppers back before they turned into a group of thugs and murderers. I want control of the gang back. Take out these new bloods and bring me back their Chopper keys. A Chopper’s ride is still his pride.”
Conclusion
The Choppers are interesting folks, especially with their “business” operation running, they aren’t the toughest or most dangerous gang- but they should not be underestimated especially by those new to the nature of the Matrix.
FrozenFyre, Signing out
