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Entry tags:
MASK OR MENACE - blue sky empire.
Walter White
kingpawnalias » HEISENBERG
position » KINGPIN / MANUFACTURER
earnings » $350,000 / week
"Blue Sky" is the street name for the crystal methamphetamine currently being produced by Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. It gets its name from its clear blue color, which is a signature of its chemical purity - currently 99.1%. Manufactured in a rolling lab that moves from cook site to cook site in order to avoid detection, the meth ultimately ends up distributed in various states throughout the Southeast, with no clear point of origin. Because of its quality, Blue Sky induces a high far beyond that of ordinary meth. The crystal can be smoked, snorted, or ingested, all of which achieve similar effects. The user immediately experiences a rush followed by a sense of euphoria, happiness, and a feeling of invincibility, as though one has achieved greatness. Negative emotions such as doubt or guilt become dulled, as does one's sense of empathy, resulting increased courage as well as carelessness and violence. The high can last anywhere from four to twelve hours. The user remains energized throughout this time, which can lead to insomnia for as many as three days following - similar to the effects of high caffeine intake. Exhaustion and extreme depression are common side effects of the comedown, which accounts for the drug's addiction rate, as the user will be tempted to get high again to combat these effects. Though the drug is free of additives, long-term use can have damaging effects on the body. The user's brain chemistry can become permanently altered to cause paranoia and psychosis that mimics schizophrenia, increased violent tendencies, and self-harm. Users often complain that they can feel bugs crawling under their skin, which causes them to pick at themselves. For some, personal hygiene goes neglected, which leads to tooth decay and the infamous condition nicknamed "meth mouth". The drug also causes loss of appetite, which can lead to severe weight loss. Using meth can be life-threatening for anyone with a heart condition and an addict may experience tremors and anxiety for years after they've stopped using due to the damage to their nervous system. Withdrawal from meth, unlike heroin or alcohol, is not dangerous and does not require medical supervision. The user will not become sick without the drug. However, a months-long or even years-long period of depression may follow. Long-term use of meth inhibits the brain's ability to experience happiness on its own, so the recovering addict may find life without the drug unpleasant and meaningless, devoid of joy. The drug often seems like the only chance to recapture life's warmth. Antidepressants are frequently prescribed to ease this period of adjustment. Blue Sky currently sells for $25,000 per pound. That's around $1,562 per ounce and $55 per gram. Most commonly, it would be bought at $15 for a 1/4 gram baggie (called a "quarter") which would last a regular user only a day or two. This price is considerably cheaper than competitors, while higher quality (meaning that the user can get higher with less product). As kingpin, Jesse Pinkman is the man in charge of keeping the operation running smoothly. Only a handful of people even know it. Running a drug ring is just about the only thing he's good at - and he's actually really good at it, having been trained by the best. Information is shared on a need-to-know basis, with operatives only aware of the identities of their immediate superiors and their own subordinates. This way, if a dealer on the street was picked up by police, he couldn't possibly name Jesse as the manufacturer. The only name associated with the product is an alias: Heisenberg. Beyond that, every member of the group is expected to adhere to the no-snitching rule of the streets, a code of honor that's known in mafia circles as omertà. Talking to police and making deals with the prosecutor means ostracization or even danger, which any self-respecting criminal wouldn't risk. Not to mention, everyone is paid very well to keep their mouths shut. So it's generally agreed: be a man, do your time, and don't roll on your brothers and sisters. Day-to-day, the operation runs like a well-oiled machine. Jesse or his subordinates spend their weekends cooking the meth up in various isolated locations. They then leave the finished batch in a dead drop location, where it's picked up and driven down the coast by car and delivered to other dead drop locations. (A dead drop means that the mule and whoever's picking up the product never see one another or know the other's face. Pick-ups and drop-offs occur at a secret location at separate times.) Money is distributed in the same way. Throughout the process, all communication occurs over disposable anonymous cell phones known as "burners", if not face-to-face. The product is delivered to the dealers, who sell it to customers on the street, and the money flows back to superiors. Thanks to the underworld connections they inherited from Oswald Cobblepot, there's no shortage of willing workers. Thus far, they've been able to operate without rivals to challenge their territory. Jesse cooks a batch of fifty pounds per week. This ultimately brings in $1,250,000 before payment gets distributed at varying rates to each member. Dealers on the street make little more than minimum wage, and they tend to hold the job out of desperation, as their previous records and other obstacles prevent them from seeking more legitimate work. Lieutenants and those responsible for guarding felony-quantities of the product receive far higher pay to ensure nothing goes missing and secrets remain secret. Joining the organization is a matter of luck and circumstance, but Jesse happens to have a soft spot for imPorts. His entire reason for doing this, after all, is to make them self-sufficient so they don't have to rely on the government for financial security or protection. So he's always on the lookout for new recruits. The types of people he'd consider suitable are those who strike him as smart and level-headed, anyone with a rebellious leaning who isn't too loud about it. He has good intuition when it comes to people and he can generally suss out his own kind. Anyone psychotic or overtly villainous is immediately off his list. And, of course, he wouldn't remotely consider anyone who's obviously devoted to the law. He also won't recruit anyone under the age of 18 - but he will give them money if they appear to be in need. Vigilantes and law enforcement, this is going to be a tough case to crack. This isn't meant to be a one-and-done plot. This is an ongoing business that will hopefully spawn many, many plots over time. That means you're not going to topple the entire drug ring in one fell swoop. Sorry! But here's the good news: more plot for you. This organization is full of NPCs and you can bust as many of them as you want. Most of them won't talk, but you'll have good numbers and something to do. And if you do want your character to learn some details, then comment below and I can throw you a bone now and then to help your character begin to piece the puzzle together. Have you ever seen The Wire? It'll be like that, but with superheroes. Please feel free to ask questions anytime. Jesse's primary intention in running this empire is to increase funds for the independence of imPorts and to decrease their reliance on the local government. Therefore, he's taking steps to funnel his illegal money into legal charities via anonymous donations. He's made the following contributions:
In addition to various rentals and storage units throughout the Southeast, Jesse has purchased several properties and vehicles for use in business dealings, as safehouses, labs, and transportation. Notably among these:
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