The Corporate Review
by By SwifOne (swiftone@bigfoot.com)

» I was skimming through some files the other day, - never you mind where - when I came upon a corp name that wasn’t familiar. So I did some digging and found some interesting data. Scan it and form your own opinions.
» SwiftOne
    "Need to Know"

Joozu Research

History

Joozu Research was founded in 2030 by best friends Robert Hintz and Steven Gerrod. Gerrod was a skilled hermetic mage with a degree in genetics, and Hintz was a modestly successful genetic researcher. They thought that they could mix science and magic in genetic research, and the thrashing the industry had gotten from the Crash was an opportunity not to be missed. The pair opened a small lab in Fort Lewis and hired a few graduate students to assist them.

After two fruitless years, they chanced upon a means of genetically affecting likely complexion (IE: fewer zits) of offspring. The research was in immediate demand, but the small Joozu didn’t have the means to administer the treatment to any but a handful of patients. Hintz and Gerrod put their heads together, and set the future course of the company. Rather than marketing their goods directly, or being acquired by a larger company with more assets, they would focus on early research and sell their results to clients.

During the mid-30’s (most of) today’s megacorporations began to solidify. Joozu was briefly entertained by a few megacorps for acquisition, but was eventually left alone.

» Hey wait just one minute. "eventually left alone"? That doesn’t sound like the mega-corps we all know and hate. What gives?
» Gabriel

» Two reasons. First, Joozu is involved in controversial research (namely, human germline modification) that mega-corps would just as soon not have drawing protesters. Second, genetic modification is a risky industry. You can spend millions of nuyen with nothing to show for it much too easily. The early mega-corps loved risky ventures, but they always stacked the decks in their favor.
» DarkHorse

» Human germline modifications? Like diddling with baby genes? I thought that was illegal in the UCAS. (Don’t start spouting that extra-territorial line at me, because I know Joozu is too small to be extra-territorial).
» Maine Mom

» Nope. Current UCAS law forbids modification of a baby’s germs while in the uterus, which doesn’t count any cells in a petri dish (otherwise you wouldn’t have all of this neat bioware). Besides which, germline modification means altering an egg or sperm cell, which isn’t a fully functional cell yet, and has no protection under law.
» DarkHorse

» If they can modify a "real" cell in a petri dish, why worry about germline cells at all?
» Faust

» Joozu isn’t focused on localized "big" effects such as bioware. They focus more on subtle (and difficult) effects to pass on to children. This includes reduced risk of cancer, elimination of allergies, removal of many genetic diseases, etc.
» Testtube Baby

» Not to say that Joozu doesn’t tinker elsewhere, just that they don’t admit it. Joozu runs a lot of inexpensive healthcare shelters in the Barrens. Ask around and you’ll find a lot of women that visit there are suddenly pregnant and carrying a bit of extra cash. Come back in 9 months and there isn’t any sign of a baby, and the woman is poor again, so a few months later she’s back at the clinic. It’s sickening what these bastards can get away with.
» Lonely Father

Joozu has prospered since then, and has opened two new labs, one in Boston (2041), and the other in Chicago (2048). (Fortunately for Joozu, it was outside the area sealed off into Bug City in 2055.)

Joozu does no marketing, and relies on reputation among its clients (primarily mega-corps and their subsidiaries) to bring it continuing work. Mega-corps, particularly Shiawase and Yamatetsu, have begun to hint an interest in acquisition, but Hintz and Gerrod have negative interest.

Notable Personalities

Robert Hintz

Robert Hintz, a human, is one of the founding partners of Joozu, and remains in an administrative role. Before founding Joozu, he was a researcher at Berkeley University in California. Although successful, he felt the university prevented him from engaging in "important" research. When the Crash of ’29 rocked his field, he saw opportunity, and founded Joozu with his longtime friend and fellow researcher Steven Gerrod.

Hintz is a loud, boisterous man, flushed with success. Joozu has accomplished what he set out to do, and he’ll argue for it with anyone who cares to listen. Sitting on his laurels and admiring his own success, he will fiercely resist any takeover pressures.

Steven Gerrod

Steven Gerrod was an uninteresting genetics research at Berkeley University until he tested positive for magical potential in 2028. After a few years of study as a hermetic mage, he found that he only had the patience and interest to continue when it affected his life long pursuit of genetic knowledge.

A quiet, seething person, he dislikes authority and felt constrained at the University. It took little effort for his friend Hintz to convince him to partner up and start Joozu where they could both research free of any administrative constraints.

The interaction of their personalities and approach to genetics helped Joozu reach conclusions and discoveries easier than companies trying merely science. Surprisingly, despite their differences, the two men have retained a close personal friendship that is seemingly unaffected by any disputes at work.

Gerrod has become one of the world’s experts on melding magical techniques with scientific ones, although most magicians will complain of his research techniques and notes as unorganized and undisciplined. Despite his advanced age (67), Gerrod continues to work in the labs on whatever project he considers most interesting.

Jane Hintz

Jane Hintz, 34, is Robert Hintz’s only daughter. Her mother died in a car accident in 2027, and her father raised her himself, with the aid of "Uncle" Gerrod. Jane Hintz is an attractive and charismatic young woman who dislikes Joozu’s research and attempts to raise public awareness of the company. This attitude has caused surprisingly little strife at home. Apparently her father believes that everyone should fight for something, although he is perfectly willing to fight for his side in return.

Her enmity towards the company may be sparing her father and would-be uncle from some difficulties. As the heir-apparent for both of them, no one wanting to acquire the company wants anything untoward to happen to them. Jane Hintz would waste little time in disrupting the company and destroying it’s research if she had the chance.

Running Against Joozu

Joozu’s approach to security is that their data is the most important thing. Their Matrix security is nothing short of phenomenal. Each lab has their actual work systems inside of no fewer than three nested systems, each loaded with fake data. The labs connect via temporary lines that open for a five minute period each hour. The nested systems have increasingly rigorous security settings. Young wannabe deckers often test their skills against the lowest level of defenses without much problem. (System deckers often watch them without complaint simply to stay up to date with the new tricks of the trade.) Deeper layers of security include numerous trace routines and a few psychotropic black ice systems protecting the more sensitive data. None of the ice is cutting edge, but there certainly is a lot of it. Joozu can only maintain this level of security with a notable level of inconvenience for their researchers, but they have fostered an almost paranoid level of security consciousness in their offices to offset complaints.

» Yeah, I had a beer with one of their workers once. Didn’t know he worked there, and frankly, didn’t care, until he got the notion that I was getting him drunk to steal his secrets. Got real mean then, and left in a hurry. Bloody idiot left me with his tab too.
» Barroom Bob

Physical security is also present, though not nearly as rigorous. Joozu contracts out their security to local agencies, Lone Star in Seattle, Knight Errant in Boston, and Eagle Security in Chicago. Security usually consists of several wandering guards, an impressive array of keypad, retinal, and palmprint locks, and heavy fast response teams on call.

» Fragging labs are built like tanks too. I was nosing about their Chicago lab, just curious you know, when I must have set of some alarm, because I could hear the sirens outside. Took me no fewer than 20 minutes to get through all the doors and locks to get away. (If one of the arrivals hadn’t left the keys in the ignition it might have been curtains for me!)
» No Carrier

Magical defenses are minimal, but any research rooms are fairly well warded, and they always pay for the magical support on-call with their security contracts.

Joozu in the Shadows

Now that Yamatetsu and Shiawase are looking at Joozu, expect some shadow action to stir up. Damien Knight is unlikely to overlook any action in his backyard, so any runs affecting the Boston lab will doubtless operate under the all-seeing eye of Ares. Hintz and Gerrod have managed to retain full ownership of the company, so any runs will be targeted at them, though perhaps indirectly.

Joozu itself rarely hires runners, though it has on occasion done so. If any of the mega-corps start trouble, Joozu is not afraid to return the favor, and lacking any significant resources in that department, they will have to turn to runners.

Jane Hintz is a wild card that everyone will be watching.