At the Library (Open)

[DaevaDude]

Mark is able to discover lots of articles mentioning Horizon Pharmatech. Not all of them refer to the local operations, though many do. Most of these articles consist of product announcements or stock values. Some publicize Horizon's entering into research or other partnerships with the Veteran's Administration, Department of Defense and so on. A few deal with lawsuits in which Horizon was the defendant.

One Sacramento-area message board includes a page for Rio Linda, and on it, several respondents rail against the company for setting up shop there but hiring almost no residents. One long, rambling message accuses Horizon of poisoning the local water supply in order to transform the residents into mutants for study.

[DaevaDude]

Roll Int + Investigation at +1 for the lawsuits stuff, and add an additional +1 if Mark has Academics of 2 or more, or a Law specialization.

Looking into subsidiaries = two rolls, one at full, the other at -5. Having a specialization in Economics, Finances or Accounting adds +2.

[DaevaDude]

Markos is able to identify several subsidiary corporations owned by Horizon Pharmatech. Some bear the Horizon name - Horizon Medical Imaging, for example, produces MRI and PET scan systems - but most were once smaller, independent companies, subsequently purchased by Horizon but still maintaining their own brand name. Most of these produce high-tech equipment of some sort or another, and glancing through the list, it's easy for Markos to see that some of them probably produce tech used in Horizon's products. His best guess is that some of them may also hold patents for processes and technologies of use to Horizon.

On the lawsuit front, Markos finds that Horizon hasn't been taken to court very often, and has no judgments against them. There was one major case that was settled out of court several years ago, a class-action suit brought on the part of a group of plaintiffs injured by a production flaw in a piece of equipment produced and sold by Horizon. Horizon apparently paid out a very substantial sum to the plaintiffs; the specifics of that settlement are not available, but one of the plaintiffs' attorneys referred the terms of the settlement as "generous" and said Horizon had handled the matter in a manner he felt demonstrated honest regret for the damage caused by their device and a willingness to take responsibility and make things right.

Other than that, there have been several suits brought against Horizon Pharmatech by individuals claiming that they suffered injury or severe and lasting side effects from devices or drugs produced by Horizon. In each case, Horizon has won these suits, demonstrating to the court/juries that the injuries or side effects were the fault of either medical practitioners who did not use the devices/drugs per instruction, or the fault of the plaintiffs, who likewise did not use/take the devices/drugs as directed. Markos finds an article available from the online version of a pharmaceutical trade journal that summarizes these cases and uses Horizon as an example of how very including very clear directions and prescription guidelines along with one's products can help protect a company from costly lawsuits.

[Jayant Nagaraj]

Jayant had found that since researching about various Goddess figures for the memoriam, his childhood love for books and learning had resurfaced, and had spent the few hours he could spare here at the library. The Shadow had discovered the place to be a quiet place for reflection, and the many concerns and problems of his requiem meaningless when surrounded by such information and history.

I have been a grunt for too long, he muses, wistfully.

Jayant entered and smiled. Such calm. One product of such late night musings was that there were only a few individuals who would frequent such a place at this ungodly hour.

Ungodly? What a thought. Jayant tried not to laugh. He moved through the various sections, a light grin on his face, politely nodding to any who took notice of him before moving on.

Paranormal activity? Architecture? Economic Studies? Oh, what to savour?

Jayant chose something light for the hour he had set aside, a touch local history and heads for the old newspaper search engine, nodding to the young man already using it, content to stand and wait.

[DaevaDude]

Tinfoil-hat-land shows more postings from the same guy that posted the stuff about Horizon Pharmatech poisoning the water to turn people into mutant guinea pigs - a guy that goes by the name LaterThanUThink. Some of these mention missing persons, and suggest they were taken by Horizon as human lab rats.

Rio Linda has an above-average missing persons rate compared to other California communities of similar socioeconomic profile. Markos is able to find alerts posted by the local PD. Some of the missing adults, the odds are better than even they have either run off to escape the law, or are buried in a junkyard somewhere. A few others, their pics practically scream "methed-out hooker." Cheap tats. Missing teeth. Big hair and mullets, looks most of America abandoned before the 1980s were over.

There are some missing kids and adolescents, too. But, once again, a fair number of them look to be junior drug runners and crack-whores-in-training.

Markos watches some video from a local news station, covering two girls having gone missing on the same weekend. From the neighborhood shots and the looks of the locals talked to for the story, one would think someone took a big hunk of wrong-side-of-the-tracks Arkansas and transplanted it north of Sacramento. Crappy chain-link fence, big, mangey dogs and cars on blocks in front yards seem to be design components in Rio Linda. Markos notes the percentage of Rio Linda residents with a high school diploma is low enough that you have to compare it with someplace like Sudan for it to look good in comparison.

These are the people white trash call white trash. Well, except for a lot of them that are probably called whatever lower-class Latinos use as an insult.

Unfortunately, he has no luck finding any information on Horizon Pharmatech's suppliers.

[DaevaDude]

Digging deeper into the research, and looking for more specialized resources, Markos is able to identify a few large corporations that supply electronics and other components used in some of Horizon's processes and products. None of these has local production or distribution facilities, though one - a firm that produces computer chips for precision equipment - is headquartered just outside LA.