Double Bug Cover-up

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Date: 2081-07-27 By: News Van Dan

News Van Dan here. News so hot it's a health hazard. Dark news this week. A trusted source led me down a path to news the Corps don't want you to know! The Truth can't be stopped though, the people of Seattle must know!

Double Bug Cover-up

In the past two days, two murders have been covered up by Ares. You might say, isn't that daily corp business? And you would be right! But these crimes happened in a residential building, not 20 meters from each other, the reports were buried before the bodies were even cold. Well, body.

Ares wagemage James Reilly was found dead in his apartment two days ago, shot to death right under the noses of the guards, somehow. His apartment looted, this was clearly a targeted crime. But why? I stuck my nose in, and what you learn might surprise you. The man was utterly unsuspicious. Quite unnerving. A glorified bureaucrat selling his talent for a dull life, he spent his time checking off the work of other mages. There was no motive, on the surface at least.

This event was strange enough, until a source pointed me to a new development. Last night, Alissa Johnson, a fellow drone in Reilly's building, was kidnapped. A ransacked room and a broken window are the only signs that remain of that poor woman. Ares is hushing it up, brushing it off as a "domestic disturbance," but such a half-assed smokescreen won't stop us. A janitor on the scene told me a few words about what he saw last night, mentioning strange figures he saw on the grounds, dark and indistinct, almost like ghosts flitting in the shadows.

So many threads, but what's the needle that binds them together? I thought deeply on this, and I believe I have uncovered the Truth of the matter. What could even a bottom rate mage, barely able to even sling a spell together, manage to find that would lead to his murder? What type of being is notorious for abducting the innocent, twisting them for dark causes? Ares has a reputation in the shadows, for those new readers, an ugly secret they hide behind a bright mask. They consort with the Bugs. That's right, Ares is controlled by insect spirits from beyond! That, is where the truth lies.

Imagine James Reilly, tired after a long day slaving away for his overlords, wanting simply to head to bed, only to spy something strange as a "coworker" passed him. Maybe he'd known them, maybe he even attempted a half-assed corporate friendship, only for them to change one day, act a little off. James Reilly uncovered a bug, perhaps several, working among him. Panicking, as any rational person would do, he tried to find someone to help him, protect him. Using his astral sight, he looked through the people around him, trying to find someone untouched. Eventually, he succeeded. That woman, is Alissa Johnson.

Reaching out to set up a meeting, the bugs got wind of it, and had him killed. Using a gun to hide their involvement, they eliminated the leak. The only other unresolved clue is Alissa. She, unknowing, but likely to suspect foul play, would have a different fate. Biding their time, the bugs kidnapped the woman, taking her to some dark nest to convert her to one of their own! I can only hope that she manages to escape while she still has time.

Dark times are ahead of us. There is no telling how deep the rot lies with the megacorp. Their fingers are spreading and we must be vigilant! We all have to stay watchful and question the words sent down from above. As always, I welcome tips from readers.

I'm News Van Dan, signing out.