Laguna Bend

Laguna Bend is a reservoir located to the southeast of Night City, in the Badlands. It was originally a small suburb in the rural outskirts of NC, whose ruins can still be found to this day under the toxic waters of the reservoir.

2062
Around mid 2062, the rent prices in Laguna Bend rose drastically to the surprise of its residents. Soon after, they were informed that the land their houses stood on had been bought out by NC Dam Ltd. - a corporation who planed to turn the region into a reservoir.

During the following months, some of its residents relocated to temporary housing the company had built as compensation. However, those who ignored the municipal directives and stayed became victims of a corporate smear campaign which identified them as "agents of public unrest" - people who were preventing necessary construction in order to secure access to clean water for all of Night City. As a result, public opinion quickly turned against the residents of Laguna Bend and few, if any, paid attention to the change in police tactics and open violence against them.

The townsfolk of Laguna Bend kept protesting, usually in front of the town's church building, but to no avail. In the meantime, the company had already declared all of their houses as construction areas and ordered their workers to begin work immediately to prevent further financial loses due to delays; all this while the residents were still living in their homes. Things begun to escalate, which eventually led into a fatal accident.

On July, Friday the 14th, one resident climbed a crane in order to stall construction. Its operator responded by throwing at him objects found in crane's control room. The operator subsequently lost control of the suspended load, which collided into a home and killed a family who were still inside.

That incident marked the turning point which the townsfolk had already lost. In the end, the residents left the town, and the few who still wanted to stay were forced out by the police. They even had to drag out a neighbor - who was hell-bent in staying - moments before the water reached his house. By the time the newly constructed dam was operational, the whole town was already submerged.

Unfortunately, the project didn't work out as they planned because the water of the lake had turned toxic for reasons not known. As a matter of fact, the neighbor who was hell-bent in staying in his home decided to build a small cottage on the lake's shore, as close as his former home as possible. And due to his proximity to the highly toxic water, he got sick and was forced to leave.

2077
By 2077, the ruined town still remained underwater, almost completely undisturbed. Fortunately, the water was not as toxic as it was fifteen years prior, and with a good diving equipment it was possible to safely dive in its waters.

Utilized

 * Laguna Bend's evolution has taken it from a quaint, sleepy town, to a suburb of Night City, to a reservoir. Why? Because NC Dam Ltd. decided it wanted to build (surprise!) a dam and flooded Laguna Bend and its surroundings before the town's residents could mount any meaningful opposition to it. Water rushed into homes that some people only managed to evacuate on the day of.


 * Given what the rest of the Badlands looks like, Laguna Bend is a welcome sight from the outside. Still, it's worth bearing in mind that the water is highly toxic and will most likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

Alternate
There is an almost identical entry for Laguna Bend in the game files which is more accurate to what it's explained in the lore.


 * ''Laguna Bend's evolution has taken it from a quaint, sleepy town, to a suburb of Night City, to a reservoir. Why? Because NC Dam Ltd believed it was the ideal spot to build (surprise!) a dam. They flooded Laguna Bend and its surrounding environs while the town residents' protests served only to add color to local news stories. In many cases, homes were flooded the very day they had been evacuated.


 * Given what the rest of the Badlands looks like, Laguna Bend is a welcome sight from the outside. Still, it's worth bearing in mind that the water is highly toxic and will most likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

Surface

 * Laguna Bend dam
 * Abandoned lake dwelling
 * Poppy Farm

Underwater

 * Flo's Diner
 * Judy's grandparents' house
 * Gas station
 * Church
 * Public school

Former town residents

 * Anthony Harris
 * Jenni Chapman
 * Judy Alvarez and her grandparents
 * Numerous Laguna Bend residents

Associated quests

 * Pyramid Song
 * The Beast in Me: Badlands
 * The Hunt (braindance)