String of Assaults on Hybrids Hits Downtown!

GLITCH CITY, Downtown District:

Suspects assaulted university students and children last week, with victims claiming that the attacks "were because of our ears," sources say.

The string of attacks were reported to the GCPD as hate crimes, mirroring the wave of city wide discrimination that once affected catboomers.

However, because these augmentations are largely cosmetic in nature, the attacks may not be prosecuted as hate crimes, if at all, a source with the GCPD says.

"[The GCPD] will not be involved in arbitrating disputes between parties based on augmentation preference, but will investigate claims of assault and physical violence," Lieutenant Pritchard, of the GCPD Downtown District's 13th ward, said. He said that while species discrimination is a serious matter, "hybrids," or citizens with bioware augmentations that are purely cosmetic are not covered under any current statutes, the majority of which were written to protect lilims from workplace discrimination and domestic violence.

The victims claim that their attackers "were like [expletive] from the month of tears," referring to the chaotic December Riots last year, and that they used language and tactics similar to those deployed by rioters against augmented humans and lilims, a source that did not wish to be named said.

"At first they were just walking behind us as we were going home... then they jumped us, started pulling [a victim]'s hair and her wolf ears, and- and tried to strangle me with my [tail]," the victim said.

Originally thought to be isolated cases, the sudden frequency and specificity of the victims drew enough support from some pro-augmentation groups to send a formal inquiry request to the GCPD, a representative at the Sentient Engine Liberation Front (S.E.L.F) said. However, because of substantial grey area that bioware represents, other pro-augmentation groups have declined to support the motion.

"Sorry, but unless you were born with them, having furry ears installed on your head don't make you a catboomer," Sally Mae, head of the National Association for the Advancement of Cat People (NAACP) said in a telephone statement, "You don't know our struggle, so don't think you can take [our issues] and use them for your own gain, chummers," she said.

Cosmetic bioware is being popularized this year by the healthcare giant VERIATECH SOLUTIONS CORPORATION as part of a greater scheme to recuperate losses the company sustained last year, during a corporate war with the augmentation and weapon's firm, CyberDyne Corporation. The two corporations have since agreed to a settlement out of court.

Glory B reporting, more to follow in the coming month.