The Librarian

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CONNECTION: Direct Neural Interface + Retinal AR

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DIGITAL APPEARANCE: Ageless and genderless Holotar, masked by a dark cowl

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The mysterious infobroker known as *The Librarian* lives in an aging high-rise in Cerillis, not far from the *Three Blind Mice*. She's a genetic hacker, a prodigious autodidact and a network legend. The Librarian knows everyone, and everyone knows of her. Rumors abound regarding her connections and powers, which many believe to be of magical origin. It is true that The Librarian has a way of always coming out on top.

It is said that her appearance – typically disguised by veils and holographic projections – is both uncannily smooth and strangely ageless.

Only a few trusted people know her real name: *Isobel Kuznetsov*. Even fewer know that she was the genetic scientist who created The Pan Sibs. A child prodigy and biogenetic wiz-kid who worked for *Wolfram Medical* in the days of the Oil Wars, she was part of a renegade gene hacking group in the 2020s, working on cracking the secrets of immortality.

Isobel and her partner hacked Wolfram's genetic programming from within, simultaneously framing a rival company for their own illicit pursuits. Their original intent was to prime children for foreign language learning. Unfortunately most of the test subjects died from the genetic "improvements." Out of a thousand subjects, only eight survived to "birth". These eight would become The Pan Sibs.

Isobel spent decades in seclusion, taking on a new role as a corporate information broker. She now works irregularly as a genome consultant for Nutrex. The pay is good, and her time is her own.

Despite rumors to the contrary, she is *not* the creator of the MolRats. But she is in contact with these little critters, and uses them to carry messages for her. She doesn't know who controls them. She could probably find out if it was important, but feels that would be a breach of professional ethics at this time.

The Darknet also stirs with rumors about a connection between The Librarian and The Fate Broker, since their tactics and interests seem to line up at times, but whether that relationship is based on trust, coincidence or blackmail remains unknown.

##### Contacting The Librarian

The Librarian is tightly connected to word on the street as well as the net, and if anyone puts out the word that they're looking for her, there's a good chance she'll find out about it. Generally speaking you don't call The Librarian, she calls you. That said, there are a few things you might try...

*1. Leave word at the Three Blind Mice.* If you seem harmless enough or present some trustworthy sign, she may simply decide to show up within the next 1-3 days. Of course, she may first decide to crack into your systems and find out whether or not you're someone she wants to get involved with.

*2. Pass a message to one of the Molrats and hope for the best.* If the little beast isn't hacked somewhere along the way, you'll probably get word back from her in 1-6 days, and best of all, nobody will know you're asking about her.

*3. Cyber-Summons her.* If you're willing to risk pissing her off, stand in front of any smart mirror that's connected to the fog and say "Bloody Mary" three times. You'd better have a good reason, or the whole world's gonna go against you for a while. There's a story told at the Three Blind Mice about an idiot that tried this as a party trick, and insulted the Librarian when she contacted him by projecting into the mirror. He now hears the *brown note* at random intervals not less than once a fortnight... and always during the full moon... and while having sex. This rumor may or may not be true, but the one about the corporate exec who had to endure a million penis extension ads per day probably is.

*Book 1: “To Summon Mountains” (Deanna Knippling)*

*Book 2: “I, Witness” (Irene Bassett)*