News of the Night, Assorted news flashes from 1997:
From Miguel Duran, DST, 4/28/97: Night Watch Building terrorist attacks
Mayhem broke loose in West Austin tonight as an apparent terrorist activity led to several deaths and huge property damage. Eyewitnesses state that around 7:35 PM, an explosion rocked the area and levelled the bottommost part of the Knightwatch Building, located at 1100 Barton Springs Road. According to the accounts of nearby bystanders, a red luxury sedan then barged through one of the building's glass walls. Three to four men were reportedly in the vehicle at the time. Gunshots were heard soon afterwards from within. At approximately 7:43 PM, a second explosion, this one several times larger than the first, decimated the entire building, leaving nothing but a flaming heap of rubble where it had once stood and injuring several witnesses with debris. Police have refused to speculate on the possible culprits of this activity or their motivations. We have, however, confirmed that at least four individuals were in fact killed in the explosion. Knightwatch Investigative Services reportedly catered to those individuals who wanted supernatural phenomena among other things looked into. No spokesperson for that company has been located to discuss the explosion since the occurence. We'll have more details of this tragedy as they're made available to us. Stay tuned!
Miguel Duran
Austin DST
9510-065
>From d-austin-owner@dppw.tamu.edu Wed May 7 23:44:12 1997
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Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 23:51:19 -0500 (CDT)
From: Miguel Duran <jayde@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
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To: d-austin@dppw.tamu.edu
Subject: [d-austin] IC: San Marcos Newsflash!
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From Miguel Duran, DST, 5/7/97: San Marcos Masque Breach at Eleven...
The seemingly typical gang related violence that erupted in the streets of San Marcos last Saturday night has taken on a disturbing twist. The local rumors of a hideously deformed gang member fleeing the scene of the crime have have manifested on the cover of a statewide tabloid. Though somewhat blurry, the inhuman face of the suspect still at large displays the toothy, frenzied expression many Kindred have grown to fear and recognize. While many sources have contributed this to gangs tendency to wear scary masks during robberies and such, other eye witnesses claim otherwise. One Tracy Green says,"Those gangsters went into that building with just sunglasses and caps on and after they started shooting up the place the tall one ran out screaming and spitting,looking like something off the X-files! I thought he was going to bite me, but when grandma took his picture he just yelled something in Spanish and ran off like lightning." The remaining three gangsters were found dead at the scene as well as the owner of the taxidermy shop where the fight occured. A black Cadillac was seen leaving the scene of the crime through the back alley. Investigations are continuing.
By: C.Sanders
#9602-105
CST San Marcos:Rio del Noche
Miguel Duran
#9510-065
DST Austin/ICC '97 Crimson Storytelling Team
May 22, 1997: Rumors for Canyon Lake campout game...
From: Paul Mersiousky
1) The San Marcos and Austin papers are running articles about a new disease that has not yet been diagnosed. Hospitals are overcrowded and no medication has yet been found to ease the effects of this illness. No one has even been able to find the cause of this illness. It seems to be a total mystery.
2) Explosions happened South of Austin in the Oak Hills area destroying buildings there.
3) A large group fortuune seekers has decended upon Canyon lake and people are panning for gold. You hear them talking about a hidden horde of gold and a map.
4) Rabid wolves have been sited in the Canyon Lake area. Several people have been attacked. There may be forces at work to capture the beast in this area.
5) A hospital in S. Austin was recently robbed of medical supplies.
7) The tabloids have been running a wolf-monster story for the past several days. The articles mostly have the same story about a woman who was attacked by a "Huge Deformed Wolf" The woman has since become ill. The story is rather sensational. It mentions the current problem of rabid wolves as well as claiming that there is some kind of wolf monster behind it all and that it is intellegent and hunts people down. The woman' s account talks about the creature actually breaking into her house.
8) There is a bill on the floor right now that is being pushed
in congress about the possibility of bringing a nuclear power plant to
austin.
June 23, 1997 from Alex Scouras: Vandalism, mixed narration/news...
One of the nameless pack of lost souls on the streets of Austin finds $7.34 and a half-used can of lime-green spray paint in an oily paper sack marked with some fast food company logo. It is a good night. After feasting on three Burrito Supremas, his face takes on a smile for the first time in weeks.
"Quiet and unseen, yes," he thinks, making his way through the back ways in the downtown area. *Ssst'sssss kratl kratl sssst'ssss* Color hisses from the nozzel pointed low.
Red lights flash. *Oouf* He grunts, slammed against a car
as the clicking bearings of chome handcuffs slide into a locked position.
A small crowd has gathered to watch the little scene unfold. "Punk!"
the sergent half-whispers to the kid, stuffing the teen in the back seat
of his patrol car. After slamming the door, the sergent circumnavigates
his cruiser, shaking his head as he looks at his trunk. "Damn.
And in lime green." FUR had been spray painted across the back of
his car.
---------------
AP Austin-A strange act of vandalism sparked mixed reactions in Texas'
capital city. Seven police cars had the word FURY painted on them
in lime-green. The perpetrator was a 14 year old homeless child,
still unidentified by local authorities...
---------------
Rumor Sheet 08/02/97:
From: Jason Kemp
DISCLAIMER: This sheet is considered to represent OOC sources and contacts that spread the general news or gossip of the city of Austin. This rumor sheet does not exist IC, and is therefore not subject to the Tradition of the Masquerade. Any attempts to make a big deal about this will be met with amusement and/or ridicule. (Ha, ha!) Enjoy the game, everyone!
The Rumors:
A tip from an anonymous source revealed the location of the corpse of a homeless teenage mother early Friday morning in southeast Austin, a newborn child still clinging to the teenager's chest. Medical examiners report that the homeless mother had apparently died of internal bleeding, shortly after giving birth to the infant. At this time, the authorities do not know the identity of this "Jane Doe" or her child. The infant is currently in the care of Child Protective Services until the identity of the mother can be determined and her next-of-kin notified.
Andrew Callahan, proprietor of the private adventurer's pub, Callahan's, will be holding a Grand Re-Opening Saturday night, August 2nd. Mr. Callahan has stated that his three rules are still in effect: 1) No politics, 2) No fighting, and 3) No destruction.
Construction and remodeling began Monday on the new Avalon, Inc. toy manufacturing plant between Round Rock and Leander. The new construction on the future toy factory has opened up more jobs in central Texas. The Pentex affiliate has announced plans for a grand opening ceremony when the remodeling is completed early next year. Several local school districts have already approached the toy company with field trip requests and demonstration tours.
Repair crews have done an outstanding job of restoring the lower deck of I-35 to use after the explosive crash of a fuel truck from the upper deck of I-35 onto the deck below. Official sources report that the brakes of the eighteen wheeler were in a state of disrepair, and finally gave out as the Exxon fuel truck passed over the 32nd Street exit. The vehicle plunged into the pavement below, spreading a flaming fireball across the lower deck for several blocks, resulting in 18 dead, 45 wounded, and several millions worth of property damage. Exxon, working with local companies, has contributed greatly to the reconstruction efforts.
The Austin Police Department are still befuddled by the ritual slaying of several children in south and east Austin. In the last two weeks, three more bodies have been located, and no evidence has yet to arise as to the identity of the slayer. The count for missing children has now passed twenty-five. Angry parents have filed class action suits against two daycare centers in south Austin, and city parks are practically abandoned to the warring gangs, as parents keep their children locked away in their homes.
The word on the street is that the Bitterest Wine has seemingly overcome its financial woes, with business booming over the past two weeks. House band Ecstatic Undoing continues to draw raving reviews from local critics.
The death toll mounts for feuding gang members in the streets of Austin, as war continues to rage between the various gangs of our fair city. The Austin Police Department is falling drastically behind, but have renewed their futile efforts after two officers were killed in broad daylight in a drive-by shooting last week.
From the cover of this week's Midnight Star: A local Austinite
claims to have visited Hell and returned to herald the coming Apocalypse.
Mr. Corey Walters of Westlake Hills emerged from his almost three month
coma speaking of his harrowing experience. "I was lying in my bed,
sleeping, when fire barrelled in through the windows, and I was taken to
the Infernal Pits of Hell Itself," Mr. Walters told reporter Samuel
Parker. "The Dark One revealed to me his plan to conquer the entire
world and cast it into Eternal Damnation! The time draws nigh; prepare!"
Mr. Walter's surprise recovery startled his physicians, who have been keeping
him on life support ever since he was found in the wreckage of his home
just hours after a DC-10 crashed into Westlake Hills in the early
hours of Mother's Day this year.