Mission 3:
Costa Rica
Having been briefed by Janus to search out a "Dr. Alvarez Araujo" for the neuropozyne Anna needs, Saxon takes a train into Costa Rica.
Upon arriving, he begins to explore the surrounding area for any leads. He doesn't get far before his augmentations begin to glitch out due to his own Neuropozyne withdrawal, causing him to reel in shock. Anna radios to ask if he's fine, and he responds that he just had a dizzy spell. Saxon eventually reaches the city core, where he finds anti-augmentation gang members who tell him he's not welcome.
Saxon eventually finds the entrance to an underground medical clinic — and Dr. Alvarez, who asks what he wants. Saxon replies honestly and tells him he needs Neuropozyne for his withdrawal symptoms, but Alvarez responds that he doesn't deal in the drug anymore. He tells Saxon that there's an alternative drug being developed, called "Riezene", but he doesn't have the resources to sell it in bulk. Saxon takes a shot of Riezene before he leaves to mitigate the withdrawal before he leaves, and Alvarez offers to put him in contact with a contact at the nearby LIMB clinic. Alvarez hands Saxon a preferred client card to get into the clinic anonymously before he leaves.
As Saxon heads towards the clinic, he runs into gangbangers who attempt to kill him, as well as a young augmented woman who asks him to help her look for her missing boyfriend, Luis.
He eventually finds the LIMB clinic and meets with Dr. Camila Cardoso, who explains the current issues with the neuropozyne shortage and how it has been restricted to rich individuals who have the money to spare. When Saxon asks about securing a supply of Riezene, she tells him that the gangs have been circulating it through the black market, even though it's only in the stages of clinical testing. She offers to give Saxon a steady supply of neuropozyne in exchange for infiltrating the gang territory and finding information on who is distributing Riesene to them, and for what purpose. Saxon agrees to do it before he leaves.
Outside, he runs into a local officer who asks him to help get information on Alvarez so he can make a bust. Saxon agrees, but secretly warns Alvarez to get out of town afterwards. Saxon continues on to the train station and meets with Cardoso's contact, "Cobra", who offers to get him information on the gang territory, but their conversation is cut short when said gang, the Skulls, arrive and attempt to kill Cobra. Saxon defends him and successfully drives off the Skulls. After, Cobra tells him to search out the Skulls' leader, Diego, and get him to expose the source of their Riezene deliveries.
Saxon sneaks into the Skulls' base, past multiple gang members, on his way to Diego's office. As he gets inside, he orders Anna to start recording their conversation. Despite Diego's confusion and threats to have him killed, Saxon plays dumb and baits Diego into revealing his source by claiming that Riezene isn't pure. Diego tells him that they source the drug from Belltower before he leaves. Saxon radios Anna and tells her that Belltower is the one supplying the drug to the slums, and that he's going to get to the bottom of it. Before he leaves, he discovers Luis' body in the base, and goes back to his girlfriend to break the news to her.
Afterwards, he heads back to the LIMB and tells Dr. Cardoso about what he's found. Cardoso realizes that the company that makes Riezene, Zaaphire Medical, has been using Belltower to field-test the drug on addicts in Costa Rica. She asks Saxon to deliver the information he has to a pilot, Alex Vega, who will help him take it to a whistleblower who can shut down the operation. She also holds up her end of the bargain and agrees to send shipments of Neuropozyne to the safehouse.
Saxon heads back out and tells Anna about what he's planning to do, then asks her to go down to a P.O. box down the road from the safehouse and check if any mail has arrived. He continues on to the nearby club Nightshades, where he finds Alex Vega at the bar. After an awkward attempt at flirting, Saxon asks her about what she knows about Riezene and Belltower's involvement. Alex tells him that the best chance they have of breaking the stranglehold on the market is to get his information to a local inspector who works for the World Health Organization.
She directs him to a nearby hotel, and Saxon sets out in search of the inspector...
Tropes:
- Ace Pilot: Alex Vega, who is a counterpart to Faridah Malik from the main game.
- Continuity Nod: One of the datapads in the LIMB Clinic makes reference to a "Darrow Deficiency Syndrome", named after Hugh Darrow from Human Revolution.
- Dull Surprise: The animations for Dr. Cardoso frequently run this, as she expresses no emotional reaction that Belltower is funding the gangs with an untested substitute for Neuropozyne, despite her body movements making grand gestures.
- Hypocrite: After Dr. Cardoso points out that ordinary people are being forced to take desperate measures to get Neuropozyne due to the trade sanctions, the player can point out that LIMB are responsible for that at the end of the day. She reacts in shock, but concedes the point.
- Past Experience Nightmare: According to an audio log found on Saxon's desk just before the mission begins, he has been suffering from these due to the death of his men (a Continuity Nod to Icarus Effect).
- Precision F-Strike: The police officer who asks Saxon to get information on Dr. Alvarez (so he can make a bust) calls him a "fucking aug" if the latter tips off Alvarez to the officer's investigation instead.
- Ship Tease: Seen just before Saxon leaves for Costa Rica, as Anna tells him to stay safe because "we only have each other now"...
- Take a Third Option: In the event that the player can't solve Alvarez's riddle or doesn't have the credits to pay him for the LIMB Preferred Client Card, they can take on a job to help him secure a shipment of the active ingredient in Riesene in exchange.
- With This Herring: Averted. Anna offers Saxon the choice between a non-lethal (stun gun) and lethal (pistol) weapon before he leaves for Costa Rica.
- Wretched Hive: Costa Rica itself, which (if the downtown core is anything to go by) is filled with junkies and gang warfare. Hilariously lampshaded in an e-book you can find in the Saxon's safehouse.''We're so happy that you've decided to spend your vacation in beautiful Costa Rica, the ideal paradise for any vacation! Life is good here!
