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clean off his shoulders. The other punks try to run . You can
catch them --they ' d need a car to get away from you - or you
can let them go, enjoying the high while it lasts.
Finally, the danger is over, and you come down. Things stop
being so clear and beautiful anymore . You may even get the nag
ging suspicion you are back to being a human. Sometimes, I
need to remind myself J' m not, and I have to leap off a building
just to get the rush going again.
You never feel so alive until you spit into the face of Death .
-From
A Juicer's
Diary,
by Crazy Lou, Juicer. Printed by Kingsdale Books.
Since they have already sacrificed any reasonable chance of
living a long life, Juicers have created an entire mythos around
flirting with death. To them, the best way to truly feel alive is to
put everything on the line, time and time again, to risk death.
The typical Juicer is the ultimate "adrenaline junkie"; living
for the high they get when their are fighting for their lives. Their
bio-comps, which increase adrenaline and pheromones (natural
body chemicals that heighten pleasure or strong sensations),
make this addiction worse: Juicers feel pleasure whenever they
are exposed to danger: risking life is their ultimate "high." And
like all drug addicts, they will do stupid things to feel that high
again and again. This state of being in danger, and the fear and
excitement (natural and chemically-induced) it induces is craved
by Juicers, so many of them make a point of living on the edge
their entire lives. The stereotypical Juicer will do almost any
thing on a dare, from picking a fight against hopeless odds to at
tempting suicidal vehicular stunts, acrobatic maneuvers, and
other dangerous challenges.
Juicer Philosophies:
Over the years, a romantic image of the
Juicer has become commonplace even among the Juicers them
selves. In the eyes of some, a Juicer is somebody who has sacri
ficed his life in order to live life to the fullest, even if it' s for a
brief time. A common myth among Juicers is that they are the
only ones who appreciate life, because they know how short
their time really is. Many young and impressionable people actu
ally seek Juicers for their "wisdom" about life. If the Juicer in
question is feeling charitable (many questioners walk away with
bruises and broken bones, and precious little wisdom), he may
share his philosophy with the "squishy" (a Juicer term for non
augmented humans). Most of the time, this philosophy boils
down to a disregard for consequences ("We all die sometime, so
why give a crap about anything?"), and the search for immediate
gratification ("Anything you wanna do, do it now, before it' s too
late."). These beliefs are one more reason why many Juicers are
often hated and feared, even outside the Coalition. More than
one teenager has been seduced by the "Juicer philosophy" and
become a criminal or worse. Many concerned parents will never
allow their children to come near a Juicer.
Of course, not all Juicers buy into the nihilist philosophy.
Some actually espouse the opposite viewpoint: To them, their
short lives means they only have so much time before they can
make a difference in the world. "Life is meaningless without a
goal," these Juicers will often say. Many of them actually envy
"normals," because they have, in the words of a heroic Juicer,
"the time to learn from their mistakes, unlike us, who will rarely
get a second chance." Their belief is that friendships, kindness
and good deeds are the only lasting legacy they can leave be-
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hind, and they seek to live on in the memories of others. These
characters have a high regard for life and never try to recklessly
endanger others, or take life away without a thought.
Finally, a third group of Juicers makes no pretense in believ
ing in any philosophy or meaning in life. They may be bitter
about their inevitable doom, or they simply don 't care about
such things. Some may be good, others evil, but they completely
reject any belief that their Juicer status gives them any insight
into the deeper questions of life. They do what they have to do to
live their life as they see fit before it' s gone.
Juicer Bars & Clubs
The wannabe tries to smile grimly and look tough, but all he
manages to do is look young and scared. Then he tries to come
in. Lara, our bouncer, tries to be nice; she ' s got a soft spot for
the young and stupid. "Juicers only, squishy . "
''I' m a Juicer, and I can prove it, " h e says, and that' s when I
know there ' s gonna be trouble. I should have noticed the symp
toms: the kid had dropped a tab of Crash. "Lara, he' s .. . " I start
to say.
''I' m gonna kick your ass!" the kid screams, and he tries to
punch Lara in the face. Crash makes you stronger and faster
than human; it also makes you dumb enough to think it' s enough
to take on a Juicer. The sad thing was, the kid moved fast
enough to make Lara react as if he posed a real danger. Her re
flexes take over her, and before I can get to the door the kid' s
gotten his neck broken.
Lara looks at me. Even under all the face paint, I can see her
guilty expression. I shrug. "It don' t mean nothin ' . "
- From
A Juicer's
Diary,
by Crazy Lou, Juicer. Printed by Kingsdale Books.
Some of the more tolerant cities and towns in North America
have allowed the construction of a few establishments that cater
exclusively to Juicers, or more commonly, to Juicers, Crazies,
augmented humans and the occasional D-Bee. There, the super
humans can gather together to swap tales, relax among their
kind, and keep track of any new rumors or news. Humans are
only allowed if a Juicer is with them, and even then the
"squishy" may get picked on, insulted or otherwise bothered by
some customers. In some Juicer Bars, violence is a common oc
currence; usually, the bar and stage (if any) are protected by
M.D.C. mesh cages, and the furniture is either easily broken (to
prevent major injuries) or made of M.D.C. materials (to keep the
cost down).
In addition to Juicers, Crazies, and D-Bees of unusual size,
strength or speed, supernatural creatures may be welcome to
some of these bars. Few non-augmented humans manage to im
press Juicers enough to be welcomed into their ranks, those who
do have to be extraordinary individuals. Sometimes, the patrons
demand a test of the newcomer' s "worth." These tests can con
sist of a simple bout of arm-wrestling (often against a Titan
Juicer or similar powerhouse), or a hand to hand duel (usually
only a fistfight to first blood, but in some places it' s a major
brawl or a fight to the death ! ) . Juicers respect strength and
toughness.
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Many of these bars have wall-mounted plaques in honor of
famous Juicers. Only the most impressive deeds will entitle
somebody to this honor. The acts do not have to be good (or
evil) to qualify; there are plaques honoring people who saved en
tire cities from destruction, next to ones depicting notorious vil
lains. There is always room for more plaques. Some Juicers hope
to do something heroic (or foolish) enough to one day get their
own metal plaque commemorating their name, birth and death,
and a brief description of their deed(s). Some plaques are more
sophisticated, and can project a holographic picture of the Juicer,
or have a memento of the deed (weapon, horns, skull, etc.)
mounted with it.
Juicer bars are a good place to get information and find em
ployment, as long as the people asking the questions are Juicers
themselves. People who may be deadly rivals outside the bar
will often treat each other in a friendly, or at least polite manner,
and may help each other with a quick bit of news or even a
warning of some danger. These bars try to live by the ideal that
Juicers should stick together.
Juicer Wannabes
Some people, especially in the 'Burbs, free towns and other
lawless, violent areas of the world, admire and respect Juicers.
There is even an ever-growing group of young people, usually in
their teens, who pretend to be Juicers. They are the so-called
"Wannabe Juicers," or Wannabes. Wannabes ape the dress, atti
tude and lifestyle of their role models. Some use drugs to give
themselves temporary boosts, and most end up trying to become
Juicers at some point in their lives. Wannabe gangs are a prob
lem in some cities, because the would-be Juicers often terrorize
and intimidate civilians, and wreak havoc for its own sake.
Many end up getting killed in gang fights, commit suicide in
ghoulish imitation of their short-lived "mentors" or end up as
true Juicers.
Most Juicer Wannabes are City Rats or Vagabonds; the more
dedicated ones spend so much time and money in their worship
that they become, in effect, a class of their own (see the
Juicer
Wannabe O.C.C.).
They often spend most of their money on
designer drugs to enhance their physical abilities. If they have
enough money and the resources, some will also try magic po
tions, herbal concoctions and alien substances. They try to get
their hands on Juicer plate armor, or lacking that, they fashion
crude copies of this armor, sometimes using S.D.C. materials
(such a fake suit, made of ballistic plastic, Kevlar and other ma
terials, will have an A.R. of 8+ I D6 and 3D6x l O S .D.C.). Some
times they also wear fake drug harnesses and Juicer goggles. To
the inexperienced, the Wannabes can pass themselves off as real
Juicers, at least until somebody who knows what ' s what comes
along or the kid gets himself into trouble or killed.
The Coalition is particularly harsh on Wannabe gangs, many
of which frequent the 'Burbs and other slums. In some cases, the
Wannabes are killed on the spot; more frequently, they are im
prisoned and made to work in chain gangs used to maintain
roads, construct public buildings and similar hard labor.
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