Juicer Sports
Blood sports involving juicers have started becoming popular
in some parts of the world. Although forbidden in most "civi
lized" city-states in North America, some kingdoms openly pro
mote them, attracting j aded spectators from other nations.
Criminal organizations also conduct such events in secret, often
catering to the rich and powerful.
Sports-related gambling is a problem in all the kingdoms
where any Juicer sport is played. Bets on who will win, the point
spread, injuries and almost any possible event in a game are rou
tinely placed by jaded spectators. Since gambling is legal in a
number of kingdoms, there is no law-enforcement threat to the
betting. In fact, in some places the kingdom' s government con
trols the gambling, and uses its guards and soldiers to collect any
overdue debts.
The typical post-Rifts "bookie" is a gambler himself (see the
Gambler
O.c.c.), or a criminal type like a City Rat, Smuggler
or Forger (see Rifts RPG and Rifts Mercenaries). Bets are made
on every aspect of the game, with the odds determining the pay
off ratio. Attempts at fixing events are common, especially in the
more lawless areas. Sometimes, players are bribed, threatened,
blackmailed, drugged, injured or killed to ensure the outcome of
a game. Likewise, Juicers and super-humans who aren't sports
figures nor want to participate in blood sports, are sometimes
forced (threats and blackmail) or tricked into fighting or playing.
Among the people of the outlaw kingdoms and the 'Burbs
surrounding the Coalition cities, the exploits of these Juicer
24
sports figures often become legendary. The fame of these "stars"
is even more short-lived than the Juicers themselves, often com
ing and going in a matter of months, or even weeks. New win
ners get a following of thousands of fans, while the losers are
soon forgotten.
While some people decry the sport as brutal, very few places
(except the Coalition, where Juicers themselves are outlawed)
institute any outright bans on them. For one, people in Rifts
Earth are a lot less sensitive to violence than 20th Century hu
mans: the constant dangers and threats faced by the population
has made many people relatively callous. Secondly, Deadball
(and all other Juicer sports) is played by volunteers, so people
have the attitude that "it ' s their lives, and they can do whatever
they want." Still, there are some people who will protest the
games and even try to have them shut down.
A number of kingdoms and city-states are havens for these
sports; in some cases, the sports are not publicly condoned, or
are actually illegal, but they thrive in the underworld controlled
by rogues and criminals.
Los Alamo, Kingsdale and Fort EI Dorado:
These king
doms ' openness to Juicers and overall lax laws have allowed
many Juicer sports to develop there. Deadball in its current
form, as well as Murderthon, both made their appearance in Los
Alamo and were "exported" following the Open Door Policy of
1 02 P.A. (see the
Los Alamo section
for more information).
Kingsdale and Fort El Dorado soon followed suit, and all three
kingdoms have extensive facilities for most Juicer sports. These
cities are fully described in this book (see individual entries else
where).
The Coalition States:
Both Juicer Conversions and Juicer
sports are outlawed in the CS. However, the 'Burbs and other
slums around the sprawling cities for the Coalition are secret ha
vens of these sports. Small underground arenas host games of
Deadball, and there is a lively trade of video chips of recent
games of Murderthon, Combat Racing and Juicer Football
played in cities outside the Coalition. Possession of those chips
is a criminal offense, punishable with fines, arrest and hard la
bor, but many fans, including a significant percentage of the CS
army, still love to watch the exploits of these athletes.
Sports-related gambling is also a problem in the big cities.
The Black Market has recently taken control of this activity, al
though other criminal gangs and organizations sometimes try to
"muscle in," resulting in massive gang warfare. A study made in
Chi-Town suggested that almost 1 5 % of all the money paid to
CS soldiers was spent on gambling. Needless to say, the study
was suppressed and the researchers arrested on the charge of
spreading "defeatist propaganda."
There are rumors that some CS cities have secret arenas
where prominent Coalition officers spend their money betting on
the lives and deaths of these sports figures. Another rumor
claims that none other than Colonel Thaddius Lyboc is a fan of
Deadball, and he has pulled strings to protect his favorite under
ground arena,
The Red Sands.
Whether this is true or just a ma
licious rumor remains unknown.
Old Bones:
This "free city" has some Juicer sports facilities,
including a large arena for Free-Far-Ails, the savage melee com
bats where as many as one hundred Juicers wade in, armed only
with knives (see the
Free-For-All section).
However, the Coali
tion State of Free Quebec does not allow any organized sports
(see the
Old Bones section
for more information).
Lazlo and New Lazlo:
Juicer sports are outlawed in both
communities, but illegal arenas can and do operate, as long as
they are careful not to attract the notice of the authorities. Most
of these arenas are located outside the cities' borders, and are
make-shift places that move from place to place, always one step
ahead of the police.
El Paso and Ciudad Juarez:
The two southernmost human
enclaves in North America routinely engage in arena sports. In
the last four years, Juicer sports brought from Los Alamo and
Kingsdale have become all the rage. Both cities have their own
Juicer Football teams, the El Paso Maulers and the Juarez Juic
ers, who compete in the Juicer Football League. The EI Paso
Maulers won the championship in 1 04 P.A.
The NGR:
Juicer sports are controlled by the NGR authori
ties, and organized to be safe for participants. In most cases,
contestants wear mega-damage body armor, and a game can be
called off on account of an injury. Perhaps because of this, or
simply because Juicer sports do not appeal to the German peo
ple, the popularity of these games is low compared to North
America.
Atlantis:
The Splugorth have adopted some Juicer sports and
given them their own bloodthirsty twists. A version of Juicer
Football is often played with supernatural beings, or, sometimes,
with one team of supernatural beings playing against a team of
normal (S.D.C.) humans, Juicers or other creatures. The second
type of football game is designed to end up with the massacre of
the human team, to the wild delight of the audience. Murderthon
is another fan favorite, as well as Deadball, often played be-
25
tween Splugorth Conservators (see Rifts World Book Two: At
lantis for more information).
Non-Juicers in Juicer Sports
Although most of the sports described are dominated by Juic
ers, they are not always completely exclusive. The main criteria
for allowing contestants to participate is whether or not they
have a prayer to survive, or, whether or not they will make the
game interesting. In some places, non-augmented humans are al
lowed to compete in Juicer sports, either against Juicers (which
usually results in short, bloody games) or against other humans
(longer-lasting, but often just as lethal). The most common non
Juicer competitors in these games is the Crazy and Headhunter,
practitioners of magic, psi-stalkers, dragons and D-bees
are sometimes allowed.
Crazies
are usually able to hold their own against Juicers in
most physical contests. Although they are not quite as strong,
fast or vigorous as Juicers, Crazies have psionic powers and the
ability to regenerate from damage, and often that is just enough
to equalize the combatants. On the average, however, a Juicer
will beat a Crazy at most sports. In the more sophisticated
places, like Los Alamo or Kingsdale, there have been attempts to
establish a "Crazy League" but they have failed, both because of
lack of interest and because it is difficult to rely on Crazies for
any long-term activity (since they are, after all, insane).
Some D-Bee species have also managed to hold their own
against Juicers. Minotaurs, Trolls, Wolfen, Psi-Stalkers, Simvan
riding and/or commanding monsters, and giants have become
regular attractions and other D-Bee challengers are frequently
tested -they certainly stand a better chance than most humans
in a contest against a Juicer, although most lack the reflexes to
keep up with them in any game that involves speed, agility and
reaction time. The one restriction put on most D-Bee races is
that they must be S.D.C. beings (that is, they must be vulnerable
to conventional weapons and attacks; no mega-damage beings).
Also, the few Juicer variants that are actually impervious to con
ventional weapons (M.D.C. creatures) are not allowed to partici
pate. If there is a question regarding the physical nature of a
contestant, a low-caliber S.D.C. bullet (usually a .22 or .25 cali
ber bullet with a low powder charge, inflicting half damage) is
fired into the unprotected contestant! If the round does not break
the skin, the Juicer or D-Bee is disqualified. Medical facilities
are available to treat the wound, but occasionally a would-be
contestant dies from the gunshot.
Kingsdale is the only exception in North America to the
above rule; the city-state has instituted an Unlimited League
where any creature, including dragons, werebeasts, and super
natural beings are allowed to participate in the sport. Mega-Juic
ers and Dragon Juicers often find themselves competing against
hatchling dragons, gargoyles, and other supernatural beings.
Usually, if a contestant is a mega-damage creature and his oppo-
nent isn't, the "weak" participant is allowed mega-damage body
armor (not power armor) to compensate for the situation. Still,
injuries and death are much more common in the Unlimited
League than in any other (the UL games are among the most
popular, in spite of or perhaps because of that fact).
Dostları ilə paylaş: |