Aztechnology

Aztechnology

A founding member of the Corporate Court, this AAA megacorporation went through some rough times in the early 2060s. Beginning with the failed “Crimson Sky” plot and continuing through the Antikythera Incident, the exposure of several “rogue elements” within Aztechnology saw its stock price and profits plummet dramatically. The company had to invoke its founding member privileges on several occasions to avoid losing AAA status, which, having had to shut down or sell off many of its holdings outside of Aztlan, it held onto in name only for some time. The introduction of the drug Psycho, despite later controversy, the purging of several apparently seditious elements, and a campaign to show the work that they'd done has seen Aztechnology regain its footing, even if it is still apparently wracked by problems.

In late 2060 a plot to provoke a nuclear exchange between several of the world's larger nations and corporations, "Crimson Sky", was traced not only to the mysterious Uchobach group, but also to the higher echelons of Aztechnology. The corporation categorically denied involvement, but came under constant recrimination from other members of the corporate court, including Saeder-Krupp, which would have been targeted in the scheme. Later that year a roadside assassination attempt against Damien Knight was foiled by sniper fire from an unknown source. Examinations of the assassins' bodies showed them to have advanced cyberware, which was unmarked, but which later leaked documents would show that Aztechnology had submitted for patents and which had then somehow been removed from most external databases. Several boycotts were enacted against Aztechnology, and both the Corporate Court and Ares began procedures to investigate the matter.

In 2061, shortly before Halley's Comet was to arrive, several large groups of Shadowrunners, and what were later to be revealed as Aztechnology personnel descended upon the National Archeological Museum of Athens in an apparent bid to seize the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient clock-like device, built with apparently anachronistic technology, the function of which has apparently to do with charting the positions of stars and planets. The attempt was thwarted however by several bystanders and members of a tour group from Arcadia of all places. After the first wave of attackers had been repelled, a second wave arrived with a significant contingent of strange spirits. Some onlookers outside of the museum gave descriptions of the spirits which are consistent with those of blood spirits. A luminous barrier of some sort was soon seen around the museum, and the spirits were not able to pass. After the seizure attempt failed, an Aztechnology submarine which had been loitering illegally in Greek waters launched ballistic missiles towards Athens, the warheads, however, failed to detonate. The submarine was destroyed by the Greek Navy. As an interesting side note, a small number of witnesses in and around the area at the time insist that the warheads did detonate, and some, low-quality video footage from the incident is ambiguous, this has been attributed to mass hysteria caused by SURGE, hoaxers, and viral marketing for a movie on a similar subject released shortly thereafter by Arcadia.

Following its utterly inexplicable actions during the Antikythera Incident, Aztechnology was hit with waves of censures, fines, and penalties, as well as widespread corporate criticism and many popular boycotts. Aztlan spent several weeks under a blockade by the European Union and Ares Macrotechnology.

Finally, Aztechnology representatives came forward and admitted that their internal investigations had revealed that their corporation had been badly compromised and infiltrated by the terrorist organization Uchobach. Aztechnology wanted to make sure that the world knew that they were taking responsibility for their actions, and made public the treason hearings of the Uchobach Conspirators. These trials resulted in the execution and replacement of over a thousand Aztechnology personnel, including some of its most up-and-coming executives. This infusion of new blood did Aztechnology good, and their fortunes slowly stabilized over the course of the next year, during which hundreds of the corporation's most valuable personnel labored feverishly to finish work on a project which had been decades in the making: the new combat drug psylchromoxtherphanamine, or “Psycho”.

Psycho showed huge results and had huge potential for long term profits. Demand was incredible. However, both due to the need for a short-term cash infusion, and as a gesture of goodwill towards the needs of the world, Aztechnology was willing to license the production of psycho out to any organization which would buy a licensing fee and pay a small amount of royalties on the first-year's sales. Several concerns were raised, not least of all by physician's groups, peace activists, Arcadia, and by the government of Tir-Nan-Og, but the utility of the drug and its profit potential seemed incredible. Most major megacorporations bought in, as the deal was sufficiently sweet as to be cheaper than the costs associated with pirating the recipe or being slower to market. Aztechnology was even willing to make deals with smaller operations to buy licenses at reduced cost. This cash infusion finally brought Aztechnology's net worth back up to a level more in keeping with a AAA megacorporation, even if it never recovered to what it once was.

There were problems however. Shortly after Psycho saw wide distribution there were reports that it made soldiers and security personnel who used it undisciplined and uncontrollable while under its effects. Several armies had to incinerate supplies of the drug that they had bought weeks previously. Police organizations that permitted psycho use saw a year's worth of excessive force, and brutality complaints come in in the space of a few weeks. Physicians soon found long-term effects related to neural-scarring caused by Psycho, and many users quickly degenerated into deranged savages. Naturally, lawsuits followed in all directions; Aztechnology was however not responsible for profits or costs associated with the production or use of Psycho by third or fourth parties, and as it turned out, they had only sold a small percentage of the Psycho on the market. Graciously they made some settlements and conceded that Psycho could use more thorough testing of its effects on diverse groups, withdrawing it from the marketplace. Most corporations either followed suit, or added more extensive warnings and the like to the drug. The majority of governments have imposed severe restrictions or outright banned it. Those individuals who continued to use Psycho were either killed in violent incidents, or fled deep into slums and wastelands, returning only to loot and pillage, they became known as “Raiders”.

Aztechnology is currently quite profitable as the world's largest manufacturer of low-end consumer goods and military hardware. Despite their profits however Aztlan itself seems to have begun an unexplained descent into poverty and chaos. Furthermore despite Aztechnology's pulling of the drug, Psycho use is rampant, and Aztlan's slums and badlands are host to the world's largest population of Raiders. A mysterious, and cult-like religious movement known as “Silencio” has taken root in Aztec territories, however, in its commitment to the principles of religious tolerance Aztechnology has refused to censor or investigate the group. Public opinion of Aztechnolgy largely varies between negative and indifferent, but they do have low prices...