I am Bob Carter and I have two difficult jobs. The first is to take up the Editor's chair, here at BattleTechnology. The second is to try to stay alive. It is with the deepest sense of loss that I have to report the apparent decimation of the Editorial Staff of BattleTechnology. W. H. Keith, Jr., Nina Barton, and several other Staff members were supposed to be in a meeting at the newly re-established BattIeTechnology offices at Highport on Exeter. During the scheduled time of that meeting, the block in which our offices were located was destroyed by an explosion. There were neither survivors nor traces found from our many good friends who had gone to continue the high traditions of journalism which BattIeTechnology has vowed to uphold. Local authorities have been unable to explain the cause of the explosion. The following letter was found among Editor Keith's affects. The name of the writer has been omitted for her or his protection: As a new, but enthusiastic, reader of your fine magazine, I have viewed with some amusement the unfolding references to the Nekekami and what would seem to be a covert campaign of destruction being waged against BattleTechnology, its Staff, and - seemingly - anyone with knowledge or connections to knowledge about this mysterious group. As I did not get the issue with the original article when it was published, I assumed that the postal system had somehow done something untoward with it. However, I have been utterly unable to locate that issue in any merchant location or library at all. Unable, that is, until last week. I located this issue on microfilm at a library and I assumed that I - and the rest of BattleTechnology's readership - was the target of a colossal prank: there was no article on any 'Nekekami' - the contents included Black Luthien, Improved Lubricant Mixtures for Mech Maintenance, and 'A Dagger's Death', plus the Regular Departments. Assumed, that is, until this morning. I have located, in a local merchant's, a copy of BattleTechnology Issue 0102 with pages 18 through 25 removed - albeit very neatly and almost undetectably. I found this startlingly strange, especially in light of the crumpled piece of black paper which I found as a placemark in that magazine. I have enclosed it, and it may have more meaning for you than me. When I returned this afternoon, the magazine was no longer there. We, here at BattleTechnology, are determined to carry on the work of bringing the vital news events of the Inner Sphere to you, our readers. Neither the disruption of the War which has recently broken out nor the threat of reprisal for reporting actual facts nor the paper mill strike which has just begun on New Avalon - none of these will stop us. Thank you for your support.  Back to BattleTechnology 7 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1988 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com