Miss J

Thumper art by Ed Davenport

Miss J is a mysterious blue-haired human who first hired the runners that became MMFEC, represents the Draco Foundation, and seems to know more about the runners than even they do.

She opens up about her past in Ep 33. After a serious car accident left her in a coma as a child, she spent two years in the Matrix until her body became suitable for occupation again. That experience shaped her future choices and led her to her present employment with the Draco Foundation.

She also confirms, in jest, that "Miss" and "J" are not her actual first and last names. Later in the run, her real name is revealed: Liara Ryder.

The events in this run evidence her limits in meatspace. They also lead her to showing off her skills as a technomancer (in her own words: "*There are some things I'm good at. The Matrix is my home.*") and revealing her Matrix persona.

## Helping Ma1nfram3 investigating her parents

On Ma1nfram3's request, Miss J gathers information about the cases of missing children related to the Amethyst Order.

## Miss J and the Hand of Dusk

Miss J mentioned a possible link between the kidnappers in the Magitek case and The Hand of Dusk when she asked MMFEC to double-cross and also work for her.

Miss J explained the Draco Foundation's interest for both Prince and HOD such: the emergence of a new, previously unknown dragon was of great interest to her "mother" and to the Dragon Council.

Cromwell had become suspicious of Miss J after she, according to him, encouraged MMFEC to take on a superior group of runners, thereby putting their lives in danger while pursuing the goals of the Draco Foundation regarding HOD. Miss J dispelled his doubts when she clarified that, although the Draco Foundation did pursue information about HOD it didn't ask that MMFEC fight them or infiltrate them. Neither was their mission to kill a dragon because, in her words:

> *Trust me, you can't.*
>
>

Besides, the dragon was not a threat in and of itself. After all, countries were happily ruled by dragons and even UCAS had been ruled by a dragon in the past. That this new dragon only known by a nickname had been summoned by an organization capable of infiltrating megacorporations for reasons still unknown *was* problematic.

The conversation about HOD then turned to the mysterious launch facility in Sekondi and the strange events witnessed by Elsie there, which led to a discussion of magic in space.

## Hiring the archivist

In the same episode, Miss J accepted to look into hiring Elsie's new friend, the archivist called William and described him such:

> *He seems talented and useful and good at cataloguing things. He also asks me a lot of questions.*
>
>

Lauren/Miss J concluded this assessment with:

> *I don't think I respond to them in a timely manner. I should probably do better doing that.*
>
>

1. ↑ See Ep 42.
2. ↑ See Ep 51.
3. ↑ Hestaby, the female Great Dragon Miss J and MMFEC met at Mount Shasta.
4. ↑ This was a reference to Ep 51, see above.
5. ↑ See Ep 53.
6. ↑ Dunkelzahn. The Draco Foundation owes its very existence to Dunkelzahn. After scolding MMFEC for their lack of knowledge about the Draco Foundation, a public organization, she gave them information about it.
7. ↑ Here, laughs.
8. ↑ Duly noted.