Laguna Bend is a reservoir located on the hills southeast of Night City, in the Badlands. It was originally a small suburb whose ruins can still be found under the toxic waters of the lake.
History[]
Early history - 2040s[]
Laguna Bend was originally a small suburb in the rural outskirts of Night City, and despite its relative size, it housed a its own church and public school. One of its notorious locations, though, was Flo's Diner, the most famous and only eatery in the town.[1]
In 2044, there was a school shooting in Laguna Bend's public school, a study case that became commonly taught in NCPD academies.[2]
2062[]
Around mid 2062, the rent prices in the township of 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 — 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 paid attention to the change in police tactics and open violence against them.[3]
The townsfolk of Laguna Bend kept protesting, usually in front of the town's church building, but to no avail.[1] In the meantime, the company had already declared all of their houses as construction areas and ordered their workers to begin construction 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 of 2062, Friday the 14th, one resident climbed a crane in order to stall construction. Its operator responded by throwing at him objects found in the crane's control room, however, the operator subsequently lost control of the suspended load, which collided into a home and killed a family who was still inside.[3] This incident marked the turning point which the townsfolk had already lost. Eventually, 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.[1]
Aftermath[]
The multimillion-eurodollar structure turned Laguna Bend into a reservoir of two million hectoliters, and any memory of the struggle of its former residents was quickly forgotten.[4] Unfortunately, the project didn't work out as planned because the water of the lake turned toxic for undisclosed reasons. The neighbor who was hell-bent in staying in his home decided to build a small cottage on the lake's shore, as close to his former house as possible. Due to his proximity to the highly toxic water, he got sick and was forced to leave.[1]
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 depths.[1]
Database Entry[]
LAGUNA BEND
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.[5]
Locations[]
Surface[]
Underwater[]
- Church
- Flo's Diner
- Public School
- Gas station
- Judy's grandparents' house
Known Former Residents[]
- Anthony Harris[2]
- Jenni Chapman[1]
- Judy Álvarez[1]
- Ainara Álvarez and her husband[1]
- Unnamed resident
Notes[]
- In Cyberpunk 2077, the Heart of Laguna Bend is a small trinket optionally found by V and Judy during Pyramid Song.
- River Ward mistakenly states the town was flooded in the 2050s.[2]
- This location will be present in Cyberpunk RED's Night City 2045 sourcebook.[6]
Gallery[]
Concept Art[]
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Pyramid Song
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Hunt
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 News report 07/17/2062
- ↑ Cyberpunk 2077 (The Badlands Dam Database Entry)
- ↑ CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk 2077. Video Game, Multi-Platform. Poland, CD Projekt S.A., 2020.
- ↑ J Gray on Discord: "We will cover what's in the Badlands. Including Laguna Bend and the regional airport."
