opnet [OpNet] Help a brother out...

[Sam Grey]

My name is Sam and I normally don't use the OpNet like this, but I'm in need of a little help.

I'm a private citizen who's been hired to investigate a new nova derived narcotic. There's no word yet if its production requires the death of a nova but I'm sure the process isn't exactly pleasant for the donor. I know some of the posters here have little love for soma dealers and others are interested in preventing the exploitation of novas.

Information about a new super drug you might have heard of or information about a missing nova fried would be most helpful and I'm more than willing to trade information or favors in return.

[Edward]

I am afraid that I won't be of much help Mr. Grey. I don't interact much with people outside of here anymore. But I will endeavor to be of assistance if anyone has anything to say about drugs before I eat them.

[Sam Grey]

Thanks for the thought, Cull. I really don't like you eating people but none of us deserve to be turned into the new cocaine.

[Lee Jones]

I'll see what I can find Sam. I've had the pleasure of being to most of the massive bazaars in the world. I'll see if anyone I know might have a contact.

[Amped]

I bid you good luck on your ventures Mr. Grey, the last thing we need is to get something else hunting us down. The CoMA freaks are enough in my opinion.

[Tarot]

So who uses the stuff?

If its novas then it'll turn up in my 'hood soon enough. If its the rest of the population then you might try keeping an eye on Manhatten, Los Angeles, Mumbai or Havana. Especially Havana. Something like that can't be cheap and that's where all the high rollers turn up sooner or later.

Fucking drugs. I hate fucking drugs.

[Sam Grey]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tarot:
So who uses the stuff?

Baseline humans so far, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear about a more potent version popping up in your circle soon. Vice is just one of those things that isn't going away. I remember the 60s and 70s, sex and drugs everywhere. But at least back then you didn't need to kill someone to produce magic mushrooms, just run around in cowshit.

[Preston]

The way these things work, it will seep around some gutter until it hits a pipeline, then it will explode.

It won't matter to most people until someone someone knows, or likes, or needs goes missing.

If any indicator's point you toward Boston, Mr. Grey, come talk to me.

[Lemmy Chillmeister]

Damn man. That's the fucked plain and simple. Now, I used to be all about the drugs. Snort em, shoot em, smoke em and pop em. Loved the motherfuckers. But I never did shit made OUT of some dude.

And made out of novas? That's just fucking wrong. Someone try and drop some shit like that on me when I'm at a party and I'm adding an ice sculpture to the fucking ambience.

[Edward]

Drugs. Ugh. Damaging to the physical body and the social body. Do you know how many horrible chemicals something like a meth lab spews into the environment. I've hit two of them in the last year. 6 dead and not a single meal I could stomach. Wasted lives and wasted meat.

[Damanor]

This sounds like the sort of problem I'm concerned about. I'll discuss it with a few of my connections and see what comes up.

What do you know about the effects of these drugs? Is there a name for it, either scientific or on the streets? Also, are there any organized cartels involved in dealing it (C-Z, Heaven's Thunder, Nakato, or Medellin), or is it just small-scale local distributors? That might tell you something about where production takes place - locals could be comparable to meth labs, where you can set them up almost anywhere for relatively little cost.

I'll listen for the word on the street and PM you if anything comes up.

[kestrel404]

If you can get me a sample (some residue from the side of a used vial should be enough), I can tell you how it's made, and whether it's been around before and just gotten into street circulation.

[billy Horrorshow]

Quote:

Originally posted by Lemmy Chillmeister:
And made out of novas? That's just fucking wrong. Someone try and drop some shit like that on me when I'm at a party and I'm adding an ice sculpture to the fucking ambience.

I don't know. I can name a couple of Novas that I wouldn't mind snorting up my nose sometime.

On a more serious note...does this stuff have a street name or something? Not. that. I. travel. in. those. circles. or anything....

On a closing note, rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated. Though I cannot confirm or deny the story that Rodney had me processed and injected into his left artery for recreational use.

[Walker]

Sam This sounds a little similar to something I came across a couple of years back, as far as I know that operation got shut down. Permanently. But if you want I'll send you the details in case there's any connection.

Hopefully there isn't.

[billy Horrorshow]

You know I tried to forget about this thread but somehow it came up again.

Does this wretched stuff have a NAME or not?

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Soma?

[Timeslip]

Mr. Grey,

I will keep my "ear to the ground" with regards to this matter; I still have a fair number of "street" contacts for similar things (ah, the dubious joys of an illegal nutritional need), and might very well manage to dig up some source information.

That said, if you have one or more street names for this drug, it would be very useful.

[Proteus]

In some Nova circles it's called Weak. I've also heard it charmingly referred to as Slider. I've no idea what it gets called amongst Baselines. I would imagine it would be called the same if not something similar, despite the difference in dosage.

[billy Horrorshow]

Spooky....on several levels.

So anyone out there tried this stuff? There's got to be a reason people are doing it. Morality aside for the moment, what the hell does "Soma" do?

[Edward]

Soma?

Is that what it is called?

A record producer I hunted three months ago said something about soma before the bees got him.

I am sorry I did not stop to listen more.

[Preston]

Yes. Listening might have been useful.

[Edward]

Mister Preston, do you have any questions I should ask someone before culling them? Anything that you would like to know?

[billy Horrorshow]

Yeah Preston...What do you want Cull to ask people for You before he murders them?

Personally I'd say "fangoriously devours them" but the word murder is pretty apt too, right?

[Preston]

Mr. Horrorshow, it was more a sarcastic comment about the nature of vigilantism to do more harm than good in the pursuit of justice.

Killing a SOMA-dealer may make the murderer feel good about themselves, but the whole world would rest easier if we were able to actually stop the production and distribution of SOMA.

[billy Horrorshow]

Sarcasm all around then.

For a moment I was afraid you'd actually answer his question.

[Tarot]

Quote:

Originally posted by Preston:
Killing a SOMA-dealer may make the murderer feel good about themselves, but the whole world would rest easier if we were able to actually stop the production and distribution of SOMA.

There it is in a nutshell, folks.

But don't mind me. Just keeping chatting away with Nutterbutter Man and hoping the next condo owner he eats is someone you don't know, don't like and not a nova. Kind of strange the way people assume that he eats baselines and not novas.

[Preston]

I do not talk to him, but I will talk about him. My sarcastic remark was aimed at the audience. I have no desire banter with an avowed serial murderer.

[Tarot]

Exactly and a pretty intelligent way to approach the situation.

A pity the audience doesn't seem to get your point or take your example to heart.

[Proteus]

You guys are aware that Soma or Slider or whatever you call it is supposed to repress Taint, right?

[DigiGeist]

Quote:

Originally posted by Proteus:
You guys are aware that Soma or Slider or whatever you call it is supposed to repress Taint, right?

If anyone buys that, I'm selling a certain tower in Chicago.

Seriously folks, Soma is bad news. REALLY bad news. I don't like the idea of Novas consuming Novas for a drug that gives then an ever decreasing high for an ever increasing dosage.

That, and this thread has it's share of complete nutcases.

[Proteus]

Whether you buy it or not, that's the reputation. Reality is sad that way. I keep waiting for one of the Scientist/Doctor types to get on here and start talking about the damn stuff. So far I've heard those types go both ways on the matter.

[kestrel404]

Proteus: You do realize that there is only one way to make SOMA right? To grind up an errupted nova's node, and filter out the appropriate chemical. It cannot be synthesized. It cannot be extracted without killing the donor. Taking soma is roughly equivalent of eating a nova's brain. Just thought you should know.

[billy Horrorshow]

Oh God. I just realized I still have my organ donor card. I need to change that before someone gets wise.

"Yeah we just sort of found him like this. Yeah I'm a doctor. Don't mind me we're just from the Organ retrieval unit. Wha? Oh yeah we're taking his brain. Some small child in Maine needs a brain transplant something terrible."

:shady looking man runs into the night with Billy's intellectual sweet meat:

[Jager]

Don't bother Billy. If you do, they will just alter your records once your gone.

Let's hope they wait and make sure you are really gone first.

[Neil Preston]

Quote:

Originally posted by Proteus:
You guys are aware that Soma or Slider or whatever you call it is supposed to repress Taint, right?

I have seen absolutely no evidence to support that assertion. Nothing you yank out of someone's dead node is going to help you with your own brand of taint.

[Proteus]

Quote:

Originally posted by Neil Preston:
Nothing you yank out of someone's dead node is going to help you with your own brand of taint.

Isn't that like saying that nothing you yank out of a plant is going to help you with your own brand of depression? Doesn't medicine have a history of finding cures and treatments in weird places? Moralizing doesn't change anything. Neil, post the scientific study or research that you've done. We'd all be interested to see. I thought the Taint thread proved that no one REALLY knew what taint was. As such what can or can affect it seems open to discussion.
I didn't say my claims are conclusive or anything. I'm just stating what's "common knowledge" in some circles, that's all. Experience and word-of-mouth do have their values somewhere.

And I'm not supporting Soma, I was just explaining why I think it'll be a hard drug to shut down.
-Alex

[Neil Preston]

Quote:

Originally posted by Proteus:
Isn't that like saying that nothing you yank out of a plant is going to help you with your own brand of depression?

No way, dude. It is like saying you aren't going to cure cancer by sucking on Poison Ivy.

Quote:

Originally posted by Proteus:
Doesn't medicine have a history of finding cures and treatments in weird places? Moralizing doesn't change anything.

Yes and yes. I don't think fighting cannabilism is really moralization, though.

Quote:

Originally posted by Proteus:
Neil, post the scientific study or research that you've done. We'd all be interested to see. I thought the Taint thread proved that no one REALLY knew what taint was. As such what can or can affect it seems open to discussion.

The research I'm using about what's in the node is published by PU and used at Rashoud Clinics world wide.
I don't know what taint is, but I know what it isn't. It is not something you treat with the enzymes from the node. They (PU) has looked at playing with node enzyme levels as a possible cure and come up empty. I've personally experimented with pumping pure Q through the node, but I don't recommend it. It isn't a cure for taint either.

Quote:

Originally posted by Proteus:
I didn't say my claims are conclusive or anything. I'm just stating what's "common knowledge" in some circles, that's all. Experience and word-of-mouth do have their values somewhere.

And how. Word of mouth and personal experiences by novas is a great research tool, but don't base your whole religion on it.
I see "common knowledge" as something that needs to be explored. This SOMA cures taint isn't the same thing. Somebody has inserted a sick marketing ploy into the pool and it needs to stop.
Proteus, if I thought that this was not the case, and that there was something in SOMA that would help novas deal with taint, I hope I would have the courage to stand up and say it. I've looked and I just don't see it. All that is going on here is someone preying upon our fears to get us hooked on their product ... which happens to be us.