| Line 166: | Line 166: | ||
| where2 = Provo, Ute Nation | | where2 = Provo, Ute Nation | ||
}} | }} | ||
Driving Northbound on I-15 after the encounter with the FBI, Zosimos notices an ultralight aircraft trailing the group while the others more easily identify a group of bikers riding two-up heading towards them — another go-gang, the Beasts. | Driving Northbound on I-15 after the encounter with the FBI, Zosimos notices an ultralight aircraft trailing the group while the others more easily identify a group of bikers riding two-up heading towards them — another go-gang, the Beasts. They appear to have some understanding of what they're up against, at least the vehicles, focusing on Rook's Comet instead of the tougher Hotspur. Still, the rudimentary tactics of a dozen gangers aren't able to stand up to the hacking, weapons fire, and magic of a quartet of shadowrunners. | ||
{{Scene | {{Scene | ||
| who = {{PC|out}} | | who = {{PC|out}} | ||
Revision as of 11:51, 15 December 2023
Peacekeeper
| Staring | Rook, Shiranui, Tak, Zosimos |
| With | Della Cooper, Clive Drummond, MOCHIBOSHI Rio |
| And | Bob, Sammy, Liz |
| Introducing | Bobsie Twins |
| Previous Episode | S01E05 – Medical Coverage Exceeded |
| Next Episode | S01E07 – Incompatible Atmospheric Conditions |
Outside the SCIRE and months before the Shutdown begins, another group of shadowrunners embarks on a mission to prevent a political firestorm from raging across North America.
Session 1 - 2023/08/24
Two For The Show
| Who | Rook, Shiranui, Tak, Zosimos, Bobsie Twins |
| When | Wednesday, October 22, 2059 (Day -57) |
| Where | Blue Flame Tavern, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex |
A group of shadowrunners meets up at the Blue Flame Tavern, an entry-level Shadowrunner bar off Rt. 67 where Tacoma, Puyallup, and Auburn meet. The team has had enough recent success to make them bubble up to the top of this particular cesspool, but they still come here out of tradition.
Shiranui, the only one among them known to bear a real SIN and hold down a real job, is late arriving. Once she arrives, the proprietor, the The Chinaman offers them free drinks as congraulations for thier last success. They're probably watered down, unless there's something he wants from the group or he's trying to keep them around. He soon tells them that the Bobsie Twins are looking for them. Rook and Tak both have heard of them as low-tier bruisers, but don't really know much about them — at least, not beyond the fact that they're not twins at all.
The Twins appear soon after, with a job offer. Shiranui and Zosimos pick up on some discomfort with Shiranui's presence at the table, though they're not sure if it's because she's the groups token metahuman, token female, or both. The team and the Twins banter back and forth a bit, evetually reaching a point where they can't or won't give any details, and get surly when the team presses them.
Figuring there's no harm in listening to the pich, they all mount up and head downtown. Zosimos rides with Tak, Rook and Shiranui have a car and bike respectively, while the twins are also motorcyclists.
Puttin' On The Ritz
The Bobsie Twins escort the team into the lobby restaurant at the New Ritz, where they take up positions behind the Johnson. The table is set for four, so Rook elects to stand in a similar position behind Tak. The Johnson is slightly perturbed when Shiranui takes a seat — perhaps it was a deliberate slight — but gives Rook a respectful nod at his professionalism.
They quickly get down to the meet. Mr. Johnson wants them to find and capture an operative named Jessie John — shaman, assassin, agent provacatuer, and batshit insane. He offers the team 115,000¥ to stop his attempt to destablize the region (which would be bad for Mr. Johnson's sponsor), with an extra 15,000¥ if they can take him alive. The Johnson explains they can't use internal resources, for fear of a potential mole. His suit and watch make Tak think he might be working for Aztechnology. Once the team agrees, he provides them with a dossier on Jessie, including his travel arangements (under the name Ben Johnson).
Session 2 - 2023/09/07
Legwork
While Rook makes arrangements for fake travel documentation (transit passes and whatnot), Zosimos tries to get his hands on some mage cuffs and a mage mask. Only the cuffs are available on short notice, so he uses the time to put together some additional alchemical preparations.
Meanwhile, Shiranui does some matrix research:
- She finds six different entries for a "Ben Johnson" staying in Las Vegas; five hotels (one on the Strip, four off) and a private home rental.
- There are three tradeshows and conferences with Aztechnology ties taking place over the next few days:
- An aviation industry tradeshow with Aztechnology subsidiaries Dassault & Hawker-Siddley both in attendance, among others.
- A film festival, sponsored and catered by Natural Vat Technologies, an Aztechnology subsidiary.
- A law enforcement convention. Aztechnology has an interesting in buying Atlantic Security.
- Jesse John doesn't have a public manifesto, but she finds indications that he split from the mainline Humanis Policlub over "policy differences."
On The Border
With valid paperwork, fake or otherise, crossing the border is generally an automated process. However, the lights remain red and the barriers stay down. An officer comes outside to appologizes to Rook for the inconvenience and instruct Tak to park nearby and come inside. They're escorted to an interview room and left there.
Rook and Shiranui stop just on the edge of comfortable matrix range, about 100 m (330 ft). Shiranui hacks into the border post's host, quickly realizing that there are two — one for each side of the border. On the Salish host, she finds the cameras for the detention room and gets a count of the Salish forces on site: two border patrol officers, a team of four Rangers, and a their Dodge Goliath armored transport. In the UCAS host, she finds a memo from the UCAS FBI to all Seattle border stations to keep an eye out for a hispanic male driving a Tata Hotspur. It includes instructions to detain the driver if possible and contact the Seattle Field Office for further instructions.
Session 3 - 2023/09/21
On The Border (Cont...)
Realizing things will go very bad if the UCAS FBI shows up, Rook sneaks back to the border, long rifle in hand. He post up where he has a clear line of sight to the building but still plenty of foliage to hide in. Shiranui remains in the car, on the edge of comfortable matrix range and proceeds to hack the SSC Ranger's ride. She uses it as a battering ram to smash a hole in the detention room's exterior wall while Rook starts popping tires on the other vehicles in the lot.
Zosimos needs some assistance from the much larger and stronger Tak to climb over the rubble, but they effect an escape. The SSC border officers retreat to safety, while one of the Rangers attempts to climb the rubble behind the runners, almost catching Tak before getting kicked away and then dropped by Rook with gel rounds.
As they run to Tak's remotely started vehicle, the UCAS border patrol troopers open fire on them. They fail to land any hits before Tak and Zosimos are inside — the Hotspur is effectively immune to small arms fire. Meanwhile, Rook's gunplay drops a second Ranger and keeps the other two pinned inside the building. Shiranui data spikes the Ranger's ride into cybernetic oblivion, and the group escapes.
Session 4 - 2023/10/05
Thunder Road
Deciding that a speed run is the best plan, considering how far they are behind Jessie and the possibility of UCAS FBI pursuit, they elect to drive straight through the night. Modern matrix convenience allows one driver to monitor both vehicles while the others sleep.
A few hours outside of Las Vegas, the group is attacked by a go-gang consisting of a handful of motorcyclists and a stripped-down Hyundai Shin-Hyung. Tak and Rook manage to keep thier vehicles intact, while Shiranui and Zosimos beat them back with dataspikes and napalm walls.
Session 5 - 2023/10/12
Strangers In A Strange Land
The team splits into two groups to investigate the possible locations of "Ben Johnson". Rook and Zosimos, attired in fresh Las Vegas threads, take about five hours to run down the private home and the on-strip location, but come up dry. Tak and Shiranui take nearly six to research one of the off-strip hotels, but there's evidence to believe Jesse is staying at a shithole called The Kokomo.
While they're heading back to regroup where they left the vehicles, they're beckoned into the alley by somebody claiming that Jesse has moved on, but they have a message for his friends.
Of course, it's too good to be true. They head into the alley only to be ambushed by a hit squad. Based on their gear (mostly Izom Armaments products), Rook believes they're working for Renraku. The team manages to keep them at bay long enough for Tak to summon the Hotspur and get them away, though Zosimos did go down and had to be bodily loaded into the back by Shiranui.
To add insult to injury, Rook's car was trapped inside a police cordon before he was able to get back to it. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police identified it under his real identity, but he was able to talk his way out of any issues... but wouldn't be able to pick it up until the next morning.
Session 6 - 2023/10/19
Off The Florida Keys
The team makes a late night stop at Kong-Walmart to find temporary replacements for the gear locked up in Rook's trunk. They obviously can't replace a supressed sniper rifle and a combat shotgun, but they're able to acquire suitable hunting weapons for Rook and Zosimos.
Shiranui accesses the Kokomo's host, discovering that Ben Johnson (Jesse's alias) has two rooms registered, #12 and #13. Door access logs lead her to believe that Room 12 is currently occupied but Room 13 is empty.
All are healthy, mundane, and relaxed but anticipatory. They have the vibe of people cooling their heels, waiting for something.
- Bowlcut Bob — Essence 1.92, most of it muscles with some glandular work.
- Sammy the Sammy — Essence 1.5, all muscles and a full cyberarm.
- Leader Liz — Essence 4, all in the head and upper torso.
Zosimos sends a mid-force spirit in to check out the rooms and confirm the sitation. It finds three people in Room 12, but Room 13 to be empty. It also identifies something very distasteful in Room 13 and refuses to elaborate when asked more.
The spirit relayed a conversation the three occupants were having. Sammy talked about "him" hetting flaky and changing his mind for no reason. Bob's response was something about all tribal spell worms being crazy. He elaborated, saying that he was on guard duty last night when he heard Jesse having an argument and busted in, only to find Jesse alone. Sammy goes on to say something about soembody named Aurora, but Liz shuts him up quick, defending her rightousness.
The team sneaks up on the door, but one of them is spotted. Tak and Shiranui start with guns, while Zosimos ignites a bed and tries to smother one of them with it. When Liz tries to make a break for it, Rook puts a few gel rounds in to her, trying to slow her down. She responds by jumping the balcony to get her closer to her car faster. Shiranui follows her over the edge, superhero punching her into unconciousness.
They find some sort of technological device in Liz' backpack. It is smashed into uselessness, but appears to be a sound generater of some sort, with a modulator circuit that genreates very specific harmonics. Many of the circuit boards bear Renraku markings.
Jesse Provo-Under 10127 N. 11th Street Provo, Ute 2059/10/26
In the room, they find an envelope with a note wrapped around a datachip.
- The chip includes a compiled matrix utility, and an encrypted datafile, and a commcode. The encryption is so weak, Shiranui nearly breaks it on accident.
- The commcode is labelled
PCC Financial Subnet Watchdog Monitor Alpha. - The encrypted file is the sourcecode for the compiled utility. Shiranui claims it is very elegant, but very specific — it will probably only work on one access node, probably the commcode on the chip. More interesting is a bit of code that embeds a message into the compiled utility:
Wildcat MILCOMP SSF1284 Military Authorized Use Only.
- The commcode is labelled
Into The Fire
| Who | Shiranuyi, Ram |
| When | Friday, October 24, 2059 (Day -55) |
| Where | PCC Financial Subnet Watchdog Monitor Alpha |
Shiranui heads to PuebloNet, the Pueblo Corporate Council's national grid to access the host identified on the datachip they got from Jesse's lackeys. It's a subtly different experience than she's used to. Everything is cripser, more elegant with dataflows processing timeslices at a much higher rate than Seattle's grid does.
The host itself is a massive black edifice, looking like a high tech castle with high towers, crenelated battlements, humming with power. As soon as she activates the utility from the datachip, everything changes. It appears as a black-and-red pennant — some sort of special mark — flying from her samurai icon's banner pole. The same pennants drop from the walls of the castle and it turns a pristene glowing white, with trumpets blaring a fanfare and a drawbridge descending towards her.
As soon as she enters the host, she encounters another icon — a troll-sized black-furred humanoid with glowing red eyes, carrying a katana with a matching red laser edge. He's also bearing the same special matrix authorization recognition key she is, his taking the form of a tag on a dog collar. Calling himself Ram, he taunts Shiranui, inviting her to come "play" with him.
They go back and forth for a bit, exchanging tricks and ploys, but failing to deal any substantial damage to each other's icons. He breaks away from her, clearing her marks on him and moving to a different host. Without any effort on her part, she's able to identify where he went and reacqure a mark on him. She gives chase.
Once she finds him, he deliberate sets the new host on alert. Two PCC spiders log into the host and engage the two hackers. Apparently having done what he was here for, Ram soon logs out. Unwilling to tangle with two spiders, Shiranuri escapes as well.
Session 7 - 2023/10/26
Rearview Mirror
| Who | Rook, Shiranui, Tak, Zosimos, Della Cooper, Clive Drummond |
| When | Friday, October 24, 2059 (Day -55) |
| Where | Las Vegas, Ute Nation |
While they're fueling vehicles and bodies for the five-hour drive to Provo, the UCAS FBI rolls up on the team with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police in support. Realizing they must still be following the Hotspur and hoping the others haven't been made, Tak attempts to escape. From the gas station bathroom and the back of Rook's car, Shiranui and Zosimos create distractions. His escape is greatly eased by the arrival of a Renraku corporate strike team. Looking for the team, they are instead forced to engage with the FBI.
Once the smoke clears (and Zosimos disguises himself as a golden retriever, figuring he was on the border crossing video), Rook talks to the FBI supervisor, Special Agent Clive Drummond, while flying his legitimate SIN. He initially tries to pass his presence at a second armed incident in as many days as bad luck, but the agent doesn't buy it. He's forced to reveal that he's a shadowrunner running down a Humanis Policlub sponsored madman. In turn, he learns that the Johnson the team believed was in the employ of Aztechnology is actually a highly placed shotcaller in the Humanis — they've been in the dark since the beginning.
In exchange for letting Rook and the rest of the team go free, and the FBI off thier backs, he demands that Rook keep him in the loop going forward.
Session 8 - 2023/11/02
Sign of the Beast
Driving Northbound on I-15 after the encounter with the FBI, Zosimos notices an ultralight aircraft trailing the group while the others more easily identify a group of bikers riding two-up heading towards them — another go-gang, the Beasts. They appear to have some understanding of what they're up against, at least the vehicles, focusing on Rook's Comet instead of the tougher Hotspur. Still, the rudimentary tactics of a dozen gangers aren't able to stand up to the hacking, weapons fire, and magic of a quartet of shadowrunners.
Desolation Row
On reaching Provo, the team immedaitely picks up on the differences between a true NAN city and the more cosmopoliatan, tourist-focused Las Vegas — starting with the fact that they're the only non-Amerinds in sight. Zos swiftly uses Makeover to look more like a local for himself and Rook. They decide Tak is good enough to pass without too much notice, but realize there's nothing they can do for an Oni like Shiranui.
Zos and Rook go out to look into the address and ask around, Shiranui and Tak go get parts for Rook's car.
For Rook and Zos the search takes an hour and a half, Provo-Under is a network of tunnels. They were storm drains and other things, but better civil engineering in modern times and they were closed off and replaced. Original tunnels still have tribe of Orc and Trolls living down there.
Currently Friday October 24th.
Rook contacts his FBI. Shiranui doing a search in Matrix notes only significant thing is a speech by a woman named Morine Westlake. She is a anti-government/corruption activist. Latest thing is BTLs.
The Address of 10127 N. 11th Street is in warehouse district. "Jones Chain & Wire" is name on building, though looks old and dilapidated.
Session 9 - 2023/11/09
The spirit is sent in to check out the warehouse. He gets a whiff of the taint here, but the person has not been here for a while.
Rook checks the door, but it appears to have a conventional lock on it. The spirit detects someone in the room. Meanwhile Rook literally hacks the door with a blade.
Rook spots an Ork Squatter and tells him we are here for Jesse. He explains that Jesse is not here. Rook convinces the squatter with nuyen to allow him to talk to Mary. He leads to a secret entrance into the sewers. We are our brought to small community of Orks and Trolls. It appears they grow their own plants. They have fiber optic light pipes to bring in light. Mary asks why we are here, and we explain the situation. At the mention of Jesse, one of the Orks begins to wander off. Only Zos notices, but he is unable to do anything about it. He has the spirit follow him.
Tak talks to the group very well. They eventually tell about another not quite fringe group of the tribe who are young. They are "Crunch and the barrel house boys"
Joey offers to lead us to them so we can ask some questions. He mentions that they are not the nicest and we preapare in case things get ugly.
Suddenly Zos notices a laser tripwire…as Joey crosses it. Boom.
It goes off on Joey and Rook
Joey is badly hurt, but Zos is able to save him. We move up and after a brief shootout with some sentry guns we convince the Barrel House Boys to surrender but one them run off. They tell us that Crunch, the leader, is staying at the Carlisle, Room 12. He would not tell them what he was up to.
We go to the room and find the room covers with stuff from the Sniper from the trideo video the Sniper. The closet is full with Troll sized stuff. He maybe be a patsy for any assassinations that could happen.
We toss the room and find a comlink without any security and the room had been rearranged. We find a large blood stain under where the bed is now. Zos gets the impression that he was surprised when he killed.
The comlink does have a diary. It is full of crazy rantings of Crunch.
Session 10 - 2023/11/16
Rook and Tak looks around for the Dead Troll Crunch, not found.
We plan to use drones to recon two of the three sites, 30 minutes before hand.
We spot Aurora before she can take her shot, she has Crunch with her.
We capture Aurora, she has a flight from Salt Lake to SeaTac, today.
FBI contact informs Rook that a man named Denny Sam, matching Jessie Johns description, took a trip into Seattle.
He has a 3 day Reservation at (Mercer Island), Council Island Inn.
We leave Aurora at a police station with some evidence.
Session 11 - 2023/11/30
Plan is to sneak onto island as Eagles to find Jesse.
Shiranui does some Matrix work, finds Denny Sam's reservation in the Hotel, confirmed and paid for with Cancellation Protection but he has not checked in.
Chance he made reservation at Hotel was an excuse to get onto the island.
Salish-Sidhe council holds meetings in Bellingham, their capital. They talked about doing meetings at other places in Council, meeting is on Council Island. Metroplex Guard and Salish rangers are also involved. It is not a closed session, visitor passes available. Various tribes have all sorts of issues being brought up, UCAS even has someone there about cargo through port of Seattle.
Grand Council Lodge is the location, Mix government building/Museum.
Get into Lodge with only minor hiccup with Rook getting pulled aside. Inside it is layout is like any government lobby. Council Island Police and Rangers all around. Quite a few people here for even this time of day. A fieldtrip of 15-20 kids in Japanese school kid uniforms is here.
We follow a tour guide, Zos ends up finding traces of the Toxic Mage. Conference rooms where real business gets done. Pass frosted glass door, there is people moving around inside but can not make out details, Shiranui and Zos both can tell they are big bulky.
Black haired woman in our crowd, we recognize her. She is Agent Cooper, wearing wig, contacts in and was a well done kit.
Renraku tour guide is a Mage masked as Mundane Assensing: They are annoyed, have some Headware, Alphaware, Essence lower, Magic is Same, they are also using a physical Mask, as another Chaperone comes in the Mage one leaves.
Zos is out and about, took control of a Tourguide to try and use to walk around.
Shiranui notices the Renraku children acting up and then she starts stomping on the child on the floor.
Agent Cooper says to Shiranui "I don't know what the Humanis fucks did, if you (Shiranui) just walk away, I will get you help."
Shiranui: "I need to stop Jesse"
Cooper: "What do you mean stop Jesse?"
Rook convinces Cooper that we are here to stop him from setting shit off.
Session 12 - 2023/12/07
Agent Cooper flashes badges at Council Island Security saying issue and to hand gun over to Rook.
Zos and Renraku Mage Banish Sludge Spirit.
Jesse Banishes Zos' Ifrit, then twists it into a disgusting twist of itself.
Rook removes the device and gives it to the Renraku Mage and she vanishes.
We take Jessie down, Cooper puts a bullet in him after Shiranui decides to not stop her from doing it.
Zos is brought into Radiation Treatment ward at Renraku Arcology.
Shiranui (As Yukira) Was going to get Deported to Japan but Copper pulls her aside and lets her go. Yukira is not welcome in UCAS.