WEDNESDAY 13MAY2026 CONTRACT: Hostile Witness
From your pal, NEON NOMAD:
Events have advanced quickly in a matter that is personally of interest to me. I will be straight with you: This is not an InterConEx contract - This is off the books, off the grid, and personal.
Following your last contract, Symbiant has sued McConnell-Mayer Research and is also pressing Argus to press criminal charges against McConnell-Mayer for negligence, espionage, and manslaughter. Let me provide to you some context. You have likely deduced that McConnell-Mayer had lost some crucial data to a hacker - Data that was then found by your script-kiddie that you recovered in an initial contract. This data belonged to Symbiant - but was partially revealed to McConnell-Mayer in a joint research project. Symbiant now suspects that McConnell-Mayer attempted to steal - or sabotage - the project fully, having essentially 'engineered' the digital intrusion to make it appear to be a third party. Symbiant has been on the warpath, using corporate security forces and InterConEx mercs to investigate any lead and purge any they judge involved with the data heist.
Symbiant's actions seem to indicate that crucial parts of their project have been compromised and they are scrambling to both recover these elements as well as prevent any leaks to competing companies. (You can likely deduce that your theft of the prototype drug-printheads has inflamed this situation.) In an attempt to force McConnell-Mayer's hand, Symbiant has initiated the lawsuit with the goal of forcing the handover of the details of McConnell-Mayer's internal investigation into the data breach.
I'm assuming you might be confused - let me, again, fill in the blank. You should realize that McConnell-Mayer has not stolen or sabotaged the product. If this were the case, you'd have never been involved in the first place - There would have been no Hummingbird Networks deal, there would have been no script kiddie sale. McConnell-Mayer is playing this close to chest - as any corp would - but we expect that they'll comply with the initial demands of the lawsuit in an attempt to sidestep it entirely. We suspect that Symbiant will not press this to a full case so they do not have to enter into evidence their own confidential information.
Instead, they are having several hearings at a small Argus Municipal building in Valcoast - low key, behind closed doors. While it is expected to take a few days to settle the motions before the judge, as mentioned, we expect MCMR to fold. Our source within MCMR says that they will provide a few crucial things:
All of this data and the witness needs to be destroyed, but I do not advise you take down the entire building - I need you to make sure you have the right information - and all of it - and that is specifically and totally eliminated. That said, if you need to blow a hole in the wall to do it... That's your prerogative.
The court case will have its first hearing on Friday, the 15th. They will adjourn for the weekend when the building is mostly closed, and then expect to continue for two to three more days. It is unclear when the witness will take the stand, but we expect it will be either Monday afternoon or Tuesday, if it continues into Tuesday. The physical evidence will not be in the hands of Symbiant until the end of the hearing, whether that be Monday or Tuesday. Everything will be delivered to the courthouse sometime during the hearing, but we don't know where, or how, it will be stored.
Expect heavy security and quick Argus response if anything goes wrong. This is a secure location and they've been informed of potential danger surrounding this hearing. They're damn near expecting you.
Find attached payment for your previous contracts. I have taken care of all outstanding bills, warrants, and related expenses.
NEON NOMAD
Events have advanced quickly in a matter that is personally of interest to me. I will be straight with you: This is not an InterConEx contract - This is off the books, off the grid, and personal.
Following your last contract, Symbiant has sued McConnell-Mayer Research and is also pressing Argus to press criminal charges against McConnell-Mayer for negligence, espionage, and manslaughter. Let me provide to you some context. You have likely deduced that McConnell-Mayer had lost some crucial data to a hacker - Data that was then found by your script-kiddie that you recovered in an initial contract. This data belonged to Symbiant - but was partially revealed to McConnell-Mayer in a joint research project. Symbiant now suspects that McConnell-Mayer attempted to steal - or sabotage - the project fully, having essentially 'engineered' the digital intrusion to make it appear to be a third party. Symbiant has been on the warpath, using corporate security forces and InterConEx mercs to investigate any lead and purge any they judge involved with the data heist.
Symbiant's actions seem to indicate that crucial parts of their project have been compromised and they are scrambling to both recover these elements as well as prevent any leaks to competing companies. (You can likely deduce that your theft of the prototype drug-printheads has inflamed this situation.) In an attempt to force McConnell-Mayer's hand, Symbiant has initiated the lawsuit with the goal of forcing the handover of the details of McConnell-Mayer's internal investigation into the data breach.
I'm assuming you might be confused - let me, again, fill in the blank. You should realize that McConnell-Mayer has not stolen or sabotaged the product. If this were the case, you'd have never been involved in the first place - There would have been no Hummingbird Networks deal, there would have been no script kiddie sale. McConnell-Mayer is playing this close to chest - as any corp would - but we expect that they'll comply with the initial demands of the lawsuit in an attempt to sidestep it entirely. We suspect that Symbiant will not press this to a full case so they do not have to enter into evidence their own confidential information.
Instead, they are having several hearings at a small Argus Municipal building in Valcoast - low key, behind closed doors. While it is expected to take a few days to settle the motions before the judge, as mentioned, we expect MCMR to fold. Our source within MCMR says that they will provide a few crucial things:
- MCMR will provide several server blades of data to Symbiant. These are their only copies of the data related to their research partnership. We expect Symbiant has most of this data already, but this will keep them in the dark to that fact. As well, it includes MCMR internal email communications related to the project.
- MCMR will provide as much surveillance and operational data related to your run-in with them. I am not sure the full extent of the information they've gathered on your crew, but being outed in this way jeopardizes your independence on InterConEx. At great expense to myself, I will make sure that, should you destroy the physical copy for the court case, their digital backups are handled.
- MCMR has a single 'witness' of sorts - someone who alleges to have had close contact and may have even inadvertently helped the third party breach MCMR's servers. This witness is being held in corporate protection somewhere in Center Island and will be helicoptered to Valcoast when he is called. I don't care how you chose to deal with him - at the court house, or elsewhere - but he needs to be taken out.
All of this data and the witness needs to be destroyed, but I do not advise you take down the entire building - I need you to make sure you have the right information - and all of it - and that is specifically and totally eliminated. That said, if you need to blow a hole in the wall to do it... That's your prerogative.
The court case will have its first hearing on Friday, the 15th. They will adjourn for the weekend when the building is mostly closed, and then expect to continue for two to three more days. It is unclear when the witness will take the stand, but we expect it will be either Monday afternoon or Tuesday, if it continues into Tuesday. The physical evidence will not be in the hands of Symbiant until the end of the hearing, whether that be Monday or Tuesday. Everything will be delivered to the courthouse sometime during the hearing, but we don't know where, or how, it will be stored.
Expect heavy security and quick Argus response if anything goes wrong. This is a secure location and they've been informed of potential danger surrounding this hearing. They're damn near expecting you.
Find attached payment for your previous contracts. I have taken care of all outstanding bills, warrants, and related expenses.
NEON NOMAD
