Program File # 6: The 88s

Program Files # 6: The 88s

FrozenFyre reporting in

Though not quite as rapid as I would have hoped I am still quite pleased with the progress I have made with this article in getting it out not too long after the previous one. Considering the state of things at the moment, with the Machines pressing the attack constantly (as I write reports are coming in that Zion has fallen to the Machines) and jacking in subject to relentless Agent strikes it is a wonder I managed to complete this at all. I would like to praise myself for this, but actually the cause lies with how little there is to know about the gang.

Henceforth, quotations shall be italicised and supposition shall be in bold.

The gang

A long established gang, many of the Eighty-Eights have graduated from street crime to real crime, making them a considerably tougher bunch.

The gang is an interesting one as it is a pure criminal venture as opposed to other gangs who band together for protection and then go raiding and thieving to get what they need. This gang, while on a small scale, are a structured crime organization who also hold sway of the streets of Mannsdale, their adopted home. Their crimes are no doubt widespread and numerous, but evidence seems to suggest that their main focus is drug dealing, though whether this is run of the mill stuff dealt to bluepills or unique coded narcotics dealt to exiles like Raini is unclear, though in likelihood it is both. In appearance and power the 88s aren’t particularly striking, but their specific focus makes them interesting.

The Token

I do not comprehend why, but the 88s carry small toy rockets with them as gang emblems…or perhaps to smuggle their wares in.

The Turf

Mannsdale was an experiment in public housing, creating smaller buildings, mostly 2-3 story structures which would lower the density of the residents from that of high-rise apartment building like those found in the Moriah Projects. . There’s no commercial activity to speak of in Mannsdale though, so the neighbourhood has remained impoverished and has degenerated badly. In spite of this, there’s a relatively low level of gang activity.

There’s not a lot going on in Mannsdale, the neighbourhood consisting of nothing but houses. There are no shops, dens or secrets to be found in Mannsdale. The neighbourhood is made to accommodate those who want to live in a house and not a tower block and it does the job well, though not well enough to bring wealth to the area, despite the close proximity to Kedemoth and the Kalt Chemical plant there. The neighbourhood is nicely tucked away and is not in the firing line of any conflicts, both the neighbourhood and it’s resident gang have managed to steer clear of this. The crime element of the 88s has, ironically, benefited the neighbourhood in some ways. The focus on pursuing active crime has made the gang less focused on controlling the streets and hassling others. However their drug dealing activities can’t be a benefit to a poor neighbourhood.
Mansdale doesn’t have much to say for itself, but it is still a rather pleasant place to walk through, it seems every time I visit it is a nice sunny day, and the houses do have their own charm hard to find elsewhere in the Slums or the steel towers of Downtown.

Rank and File

The gang name themselves after traditional crime roles and slang, particularly those to do with narcotics.

Cornermen benefit from further mentoring in the craft of crime.

Dealers make up most of the rank and filecriminals in inner Mannsdale.

Eightballs are tough combatants and use some of that power to keep the other ranks toeing the line.

Leadership

Buck has even higher aspirations than crime. He has designs on several of the surrounding neighbourhoods and is just waiting for his chance to act on those designs.

I don’t know much of Buck or his designs, but I do know that he keeps control of a gang of professional criminals and for that he gets my respect. Evidently he has his ambitions, as do most leaders, but he seems to have restrained himself from a foolish takeover so far so he does seem to recognize his limits as well as his goals. His territory is bordered by the three most powerful gangs, the Blackwoods to the north, the Furies to the east and the Bullets to the south so he has his work cut out if he wants to expand. My guess is that his most likely target would be Zia, freeing it from the Furies, which would also gain him the support of the Bullets – but I can only speculate on this and no doubt he has means and methods beyond my knowledge. Whether his plans ever see fruition is something time will tell, but a criminal with ambition is always a dangerous thing.

Anti-M’s expensive, professional attire and precisely measured words reveal her commitment to raising herself to a level of business above the petty squabbles of her fellow Elements. Still, even in the quiet streets of Mannsdale, she cannot avoid the occasional family entanglement.

The gang operate on behalf of Anti-M, a powerful exile from the Elements group. The gang seems to function as a street level arm of her business. Anti-M herself is a dealer in $Information the adopted currency among redpills and self aware programs, and has done well for herself, wearing expensive Italian suits and rivalling the most powerful entities of the Elements, though she would like more. Though she does business Downtown she is often found on the streets of Mannsdale where she offers employment to those who are willing to aid her. She dislikes Argon’s self appointed leadership of the group and acts where possible to disrupt his activities. One action she took was to take up a secret affair with Argon’s girlfriend Beryl, initially to aggravate Argon, but now she genuinely values the relationship and will do anything to keep it secret – however Argon is already suspicious of something going on and if he acts on those suspicions Anti-M will find out whether she really is strong enough to rival him.

Allies, enemies and neighbours

Being a crime squad is always going to get you enemies, no doubt the 88s are under constant pressure from the authorities, both human and machine, but they seem to be coping pretty well so far. But engaging in crime is always going to mean hurting others, some run away in fear, but others are pushed into vengeance. One such man is Caspian who seeks to inflict pain on the 88s and rewards those who help him in this task. Initially he seems to just want to clean up the neighbourhood, but further enquiries revealed that the 88s gang killed his family and now he seeks vengeance.

The gang have avoided conflict with others in the vicinity, though they may well do so if Buck goes ahead with his plans to rule other neighbourhoods. They largely kept off the world stage until recently when their employer Anti-M lead them into an alliance with a very dangerous leader – the General. The General contacted Anti-M to cause disruption in Richland to distract both the Merovingian and the Machines so he could eventually capture Sati as part of his plans. He sent instructions and money to Anti-M from his base Stalingrad and she in turn hired Thallia who paid the Blackwoods to cause disruption in Richland. This was eventually uncovered, and Anti-M had to make reparations to the Merovingian, but she and the gang managed to come out relatively unscathed and then the focus turned to the main player – the General and no one followed up on her actions. These events did serve to show the gang’s loyalty to her as they often tried to prevent agents of the Merovingian and the Machines from interrogating her.

Conclusion

The 88s are what they are, criminals living on the streets of Mannsdale and doing pretty well for themselves. Their leadership aspires for more but also know their place and what they are able to achieve. They have been established for some time and look set to continue for a long time to come.