S01E01

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It was last edited Sunday, April 30, 2023 by Arcology Expert Program.

Season 1, Episode 1
Ice Cream Run

Staring	Template:PCs
With	Loki, Mae
And
Introducing	KANZAKI Kazuki, Jordan Muraro
Next Episode	S01E02 – Observe Safety Precautions

Fräulein Ärtzin, Liam, Loki, and Mae were hired to extract a child from the SCIRE. The Johnson displayed signs of Ares ties, but pre-run research indicated it was more likely they were on the payroll of MCT, who had recently extracted the target's mother from a Renraku facility in Japan.

With other previous teammates like El Caballero and Lachenzo unavailable, they brought in some extra talent for this high-risk/high-reward job. Garbo's reputation in the shadow community indicated he was a smooth talker with expertise in disguise. Shirayuri is another resident of the SCIRE and somebody Mae knew from her legitimate life and the shadows alike.

Session 1 - 2023/01/12

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Scene 1
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Who	Template:PCs, Loki, Mae
When	Friday, December 19, 2059 (Day 1)
Where	SCIRE, Level 3‌, Mall

The team has been in place for a few days, under cover as a contracted holiday photography crew. They arranged placement on the third floor of the Renraku Mall, one level above the cherry blossom garden and one superlift in from the eastern edge.

Garbo is playing the role of Santa Claus with Mae as the photographer. Liam as Hermey the Christmas Elf and Loki as a Rudolph-expy from the Spitfire Resurrection Holiday Special, are working as queue attendants and processing payments. Fraulein's stature and a series of disguises prepared by Garbo allow her to mix in among the children waiting to be photographed. Shirayuri is monitoring the surrounding crowd in the guise of musical entertainment, playing her violin.

Security procedures within the arcology limited the equipment the team was able to bring in. Limited weapons were able to be smuggled inside, concealed among electronic gear that could reasonably be explained as their photography gear. One of their crates is actually a box to conceal the child in — padded, armored, and equipped with an internal air supply to protect the kid should the escape go sideways.

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Scene 2
Run Run Rudolph

Who	Template:PCs, Loki, Mae, KANZAKI Kazuki
When	Friday, December 19, 2059 (Day 1)
Where	SCIRE, Level 3‌, Mall

The target shows up nearly 15 minutes after he was expected, and without his nanny's escort. They team immediately realizes that he's carrying a backpack and not wearing appropriate clothes for a holiday picture session.

Loki and Fraulein assense him, with the expected results — he's an unmodified, mundane human in good health. He's clearly in fear, but it's multilayered. The immediate surface fear feels time related, like he's afraid of being late for something, but it's over some kind of existential dread. Shirayuri moves to follow him through the crowd, able to visibly identify his fear and anxiety. She think's he noticed her, but his lack of reaction makes her uncertain. Once he's close to Loki, he seems to recognize him and looks relieved at the sight.

Just then, things go sideways. Garbo and Mae are showered in concrete bits as a Renraku Work Spider drops from a hole cut the ceiling (breaking one of it's legs on impact). Other Spiders arrive from multiple directions, along with a cacophony of screaming, shouting, and breaking glass.

Liam immediately springs into action, destroying the one closest to the team with his bare hands. Garbo, still in the guise of Santa Claus, begins gathering the children around him in an effort to escort them to safety. Shirayuri, who is far from the team and her weapons, engages one with her cybernetic fists. Meanwhile, Mae reports that all the systems she was monitoring just rebooted and kicked her out.

While the group engages spiders with guns and spells (including Shirayuri taking out two with a Jean-Claude Van Dam-style cheerleader split kick), more Work Spiders enter the area. While they are big and strong and armed with fearsome looking cutting implements, they appear to be herding people towards the exits. They're certainly defending themselves from the team's attacks, but they're not showing much skill in fighting back.

Session 2 - 2023/01/19

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Scene 3
Christmas at Ground Zero

Who	Template:PCs, Loki, Mae, KANZAKI Kazuki
When	Friday, December 19, 2059 (Day 1)
Where	SCIRE, Level 3‌, Mall

Realizing she'd be even more effective with her weapons, Shirayuri shucks her holiday boots and uses her skates and jacks to make it to the team's gear stash (inside the photography equipment crates). Liam tosses her swords to her, then grabs the rest of the gear and makes for the exit. Loki takes primary custody of the kid, while Garbo continues guiding civilians.

Roughly 50 meters from the exit, in the next superlift block, the team discovers the Work Spiders were herding the mall shoppers towards the hunters — a drone they'd later call the Dervish. Over a dozen deploy in trios from storage crates staged around the area behind pipe-and-drape curtain. They initially appear in their standing configuration, a gyroscopic system providing propulsion and serving to keep them upright on casters on the end of each leg. They immediately begin moving through the gathered crowds, rapidly firing a flechette cannon.

The team attempts to push the crowd towards the exit, fending off the drones. Fraulein casts ice sheet in an effort to slow the approach; it helps, but they realize it won't be enough. Shirayuri picks up the short-legged, slow moving gnome and heads for the exit. Mae takes Liam's hand and tells him to "steer" so she can drop into VR, her SK Subsume implant capable of keeping her body mobile at the same time.

As they near the exit, the security shutters slam closed, sealing them inside. At the same time, Mae collapses and the team loses their communications link. Garbo picks her up, freeing Liam to use both hands to fight.

Shirayuri points out another group of Dervishes, closer to the exit and a children's orchestra appear to be firing less discriminately — she realizes that the darts they're firing must be laced with toxins, and they're trying to avoid overdosing the kids. Liam pops off a grenade at the group of Dervishes ahead of them. It mostly ends up attracting attention instead of severely damaging them. Loki, who had been invisible most of this time, drops that illusion and switches over to Chaotic World. Fraulein pops off a lightning ball, then switches over to improving Shirayuri's reflexes.

The group performs a fighting retreat towards one of the elevator shafts. Shirayuri pulls the door open, then tosses their crate inside. Her magnetic system allows her to catch the crate with a foot, hold Fraulein under one arm, and climb with her other two limbs — all at the same time. They others quickly fall in behind her.

As the team and their package escape upward, the spider drones behind them stow their weapons, and begin neatly organizing the unconscious.

Session 3 - 2023/01/26

Japanese Names

Full names in Japanese are always said with the family name (surname) first, personal/given name second. In most cases, one would address someone by their family name, even if they would call them by their personal name under the same circumstances in English. Personal names are generally only used among family and very close friends. In any case, attaching the correct suffix is important, too.

Suffix	Usage
san	General purpose, gender neutral, equivalent to Mr./Mrs./Ms.
kun	Often with male students, and with male friends (children and young adults). Occasionally used with both males and females of lower rank.
chan	A diminuative or informal/friendly suffix, used with/by young children and with/by close female friends. Also sometimes used with pets and other cute animals.
sama	Very similar to "san", but more polite. Used for those with a much higher rank.
sensei	Literally "one who has gone before", used with teachers, professors, doctors, and masters of any trade. Often simply used in place of the person's name when addressing them directly, or when it's obvious which teacher you're referring to.

Mr. Muraro, who is deeply familiar with Japanese/Renraku culture via his wife would refer to Shirayuri as Yoi-san if he knew her real name and would address KANZAKI Kazuki as Kanzaki-kun.

By contrast, Kazuki (if and when he decides to speak) is likely to call her Yoi-chan, but will almost certainly address Mr. Muraro as Muraro-sama.

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Scene 4
What's This?

Who	Template:PCs, Loki, KANZAKI Kazuki, Jordan Muraro
When	Friday, December 19, 2059 (Day 1)
Where	SCIRE, Level 10‌, Elevator Maintenance

The team exits the elevator system on the 10th floor, through an elevator maintenance shop. The room is 16 m (52 ft) on a side, with a crane to lift cars out of the tubes. There are a dozen cars in storage or various states of repairs, arranged around a conveyor belt.

Garbo drags Liam up at the last moment, just before he crashes from attribute boost drain. Loki and Shirayuri hears what sounds like a boot dragging across the floor. Loki casts Invisibility on himself. Shirayuri sneaks up on the sound. The elevator nearby slams shut. Shirayuri attempts to open it. Shirayuri jumps back as a blast of plasma comes out the elevator door. The door is now sealed.

Loki calls out to whatever is in the elevator, asks if its meat? Santa takes position to cover the Kid and the Liam. Shirayuri takes cover with weapons on. Shirayuri does not cut down the old Ork Elevator Tech.

Fraulein puts up a Physical Barrier to keep the Elevator Tech from jump down a shaft. Liam attempts to calm down the Elevator Tech.

We WERE hired to be Santa et al. It's not just a contract. Loki is the Ghost of Christmas Present.

We were try to explain the situation. The Elevator Tech seems to understand and moves two of the elevator cars to the elevator shaft via crane. The lower shafts are blocked by the cranes.

Shirayuri stimpatches Liam. The group explains the situation. Liam smashs a dumpster after learning about Mei's death.

We are on the 10th floor. We can to seal up the place.

Mr. Muraro is the Elevator Tech.

The group divi up Mei's stuff. Gun is not claimed.

The Kid did know we coming. The kid does not talk, just shakes his head to react.

We decide to go check out VTOL pads on level six to see if they are viable, before any other plans such as rescued people.

It took us two hours to rest up, discuss plans, and organize.

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Scene 5
Baby Please Come Home

Who	Template:PCs, KANZAKI Kazuki, Jordan Muraro
When	Friday, December 19, 2059 (Day 1)
Where	SCIRE, Level 10‌, Residential Sector

Shirayuri picks the lock to the door. Once the door is opened, Loki checks the hallway. Loki trips and falls.

Shirayuri realizes the carpet is the wrong color for the floor. This floor looks prefab for some reason. Mr. Muraro says it did not look this way when he went to work.

Mr. Muraro requests Mei's gun and seems to know how to use it. He seems to be a Rigger based by the placement of the datajack.

The security gates are down. The nameplates for the rooms are down. Shariyuri picks the lock. Shariyuri sneaks in. Carpet in the room is factory standard. No one is here. Clothes have standard clothes as if they had just been made. All food is neatly arranged in the refrigerator, as if this was all and add.

Liam tries the food.

We break into the room, and the room is the same. These rooms were occupied before.

We load up on provisions and Santa takes a generic suit. The gate has no electronics in it despite the faceplate and screen is there.