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At Floor 71, the group pushes open doors into the hallway and discover the lights are on and there are clear sounds of occupation — it almost sounds like people going about their normal lives. They | At Floor 71, the group pushes open doors into the hallway and discover the lights are on and there are clear sounds of occupation — it almost sounds like people going about their normal lives. They spot regular security patrols, all with blue eyes. | ||
Surmising that a normally operating floor is unlikely to have anybody working elevator maintenance at this time of day, and probably not at all the following day (New Years Eve), they skirt around the residents and the security forces and make their way to the floor's elevator shop. | Surmising that a normally operating floor is unlikely to have anybody working elevator maintenance at this time of day, and probably not at all the following day (New Years Eve), they skirt around the residents and the security forces and make their way to the floor's elevator shop. | ||
Revision as of 14:30, 17 April 2024
Incompatible Atmospheric Conditions
| Staring | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri |
| With | Saffron Cade, Saoriko Süß |
| And | Eloise Brady, Langdon Brady |
| Introducing | Emily Bunker |
| Previous Episode | S01E06 – Peacekeeper |
| Next Episode | S01E08 – Valid Identification Required |
The team continues their mission to ascend the SCIRE. They reach Level 71 and encounter a work party including former companions and an unexpected face, Garbo's ex-wife Emily. They free the prisoners, then work to safely relocate them. While scouting new sites, they discover more strange technology, unlike anything that should be possible.
Session 1 - 2023/12/21
New Years Eve Eve
| Who | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri, Saffron Cade, Saoriko Süß |
| When | Tuesday, December 30, 2059 (Day 12) |
| Where | Residential Sector, SCIRE, Level 71 |
At Floor 71, the group pushes open doors into the hallway and discover the lights are on and there are clear sounds of occupation — it almost sounds like people going about their normal lives. They spot regular security patrols, all with blue eyes.
Surmising that a normally operating floor is unlikely to have anybody working elevator maintenance at this time of day, and probably not at all the following day (New Years Eve), they skirt around the residents and the security forces and make their way to the floor's elevator shop.
Inside, they use the equipment to rearrange some of the elevator cars to make a more defensible position in the event they're discovered. While resting, they decide that heading to the hydroponics area may not be the best idea. If there are people living and working on this floor, there must be food already processed and in storage.
Food for Thought
| Who | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri, Saffron Cade, Saoriko Süß, Langdon Brady, Eloise Brady |
| When | Wednesday, December 31, 2059 (Day 13) |
| Where | Warehouse Sector, SCIRE, Level 71 |
Late in the evening, they sneak into the food storage area. They encounter a group of four guards. Realizing they're too far away for anything else before the guards raise an alarm, Fräulein drops all four with a massive Stunball. She takes some physical drain, but it does the job. They stash the bodies in a warehouse unit, planning to be long gone before they wake up.
They're happy to find the warehouses fully stocked. They collect portable and non-perishable foods — protein bars, sports drinks, etc. Liam, being the alcoholic that he is, swipes a few bottles of booze, too.
Chain Gang
| Who | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri, Saffron Cade, Saoriko Süß, Langdon Brady, Eloise Brady, Emily Bunker, Girl in White |
| When | Wednesday, December 31, 2059 (Day 13) |
| Where | Warehouse Sector, SCIRE, Level 71 |
Just before dawn, on the way back to their hidey-hole in elevator maintenance, they cross paths with a large group of civilians dressed in prison-like jumpsuits. They're able to duck behind cover and watch them pass into one of the hydroponics facilities.
There are over sixty people in the group, escorted by all of four blue-eyed guards in front and two in the back. Trailing the group is the same Girl in White they saw in the Electronics Boutique a week and a half ago. Among the captives, they spot two of the people they lost in the trap room a few days ago — Eloise Brady and her son Langdon. Unknown to the others, Garbo spots his ex-wife, Emily in the work party.
Figuring a work detail will be in place for a while, they quickly slip away before they can be spotted. Fräulein only has time to get a good astral look at two of them. One of the guards with the girl is awakened, with Essence lower than Fräulein's 4.2 and Magic lower than her 6. She has trouble localizing the woman's implants, which means they're likely Beta-grade or better.
The young girl herself has fewer mods than Fräulein (Essence higher than 4.2), and reads as calm and serene. The whole group finds it an odd reading from somebody in the company of prisoners and guards. As far as Fräulein can tell, she's mundane.[1]
Session 2 - 2023/12/28
New Years' Bash
| Who | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri, Saffron Cade, Saoriko Süß, Eloise Brady, Langdon Brady, Emily Bunker |
| When | Wednesday, December 31, 2059 (Day 13) |
| Where | Hydroponic Garden, SCIRE, Level 71 |
Early in the evening, with rested bodies and a plan in mind, the group heads back to the hydroponics facility. As they sneak towards the airlock, they spot Eloise and Emily inside — both are wearing gas masks. Liam, with his agricultural background, realizes that some hydroponic techniques result in a higher than normal oxygen level in the surrounding environment. The decide HE grenades and Ex-Ex rounds are probably a bad idea, and they'll all have to mask up, too. They hope Saoriko and Fräulein will be able to make due with respirators; they don't have gas masks for their child(-like) physiques.
While the others keep a watch on the facility at large, Fräulein sneaks inside the greenhouse to lay her astral senses on Mrs. Brady. She doesn't notice anything out of place, or at least no different than she remembers, other than nervous anxiety.
The group hears Work Spiders as they approach one of the utility sheds, the place they hoped to stash Saoriko in. They quickly realize the drones are tending to the orchard that rings the central domes. Relieved, they all duck inside the shed, except for Shirayuri. She uses her magnetic system to climb the central pillar, rightly believing that almost nobody ever bothers to look up. She finds the Girl in White and her two guard dogs, and identifies the pattern they're walking.
Unbeknownst to them, their movements have just barely skirted the field of the hostile magician's Detect Enemy spell.
Session 3 - 2024/01/11
New Years' Bash, Continued
| Who | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri, Saffron Cade, Saoriko Süß, Python, Delphyne, Oracle |
| When | Wednesday, December 31, 2059 (Day 13) |
| Where | Hydroponic Garden, SCIRE, Level 71 |
With Saoriko hidden in one utility shed, the team sneaks to one closer to their target's path. When they spring their ambush, they discover they weren't as sneaky as they thought. Saffron does a bang up job with the Jammer[2] preventing immediate reinforcements, but one of the guards is waiting for them right outside the door, Red Samurai katana in hand.
Liam steps out to engage her, while Shirayuri uses her speed to slip around them both and immediately eviscerate the mage. The Girl in White reaches out and touches her non-aggressively; nothing happens immediately. Garbo uses his Voice to get the girl away from the combat, it fails, but she plays along and does what he suggests anyway.
Shirayuri circles back around to engage the Red Samurai, who says (in Japanese), "Musume-san, give up this fight and you may become one of us," demonstrating that she knows exactly who Shirayuri is. She declines the offer by taking a swipe instead. The attack is blocked, and one of Shirayuri's katanas breaks in the clinch.
Even with the regular guards showing up, things quickly swing back in the group's favor (though not without injury). Fräulein drops Delphyne, the Red Samurai, with magic allowing Shirayuri to take her sword and aid Liam in dispatching the rest.
New Years' Hangover
| Who | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri, Saffron Cade, Saoriko Süß, Oracle |
| When | Tuesday, December 30, 2059 (Day 12) |
| Where | Hydroponic Garden, SCIRE, Level 71 |
While Saffron is trying to evaluate and triage the injured parties — friend and foe alike — Liam executes Delphyne.
Shirayuri tries to get Saoriko from her hiding place, but she screams and runs when she sees the Red Samurai katana and all the blood. Shirayuri gives chase and easily catches her, but is forced to use a tranq patch to subdue her.
Garbo sees through fact the Girl in White is playing possum, pretending to be unconscious. While the others take care of the newly freed slaves, he and Fräulein take her aside to ask her some questions. They're not sure if or how she's communicating with anybody, but Fräulein will work the jammer while he talks.
Liam tries talking to the workers, but has little luck in gathering them together; they're reluctant to comply, because "She" would be very angry. Realizing it might be some sort of simsense based personality effect, like what happed with his girlfriend, he grabs one of them and yanks the chip they noticed earlier. The woman's personality immediately changes, clearly confused about why she was working here, but not about who she was or what happened.
Garbo's Questions
- Why is a child leading a chain gang of people around with a Mage and Red Samurai bodyguard? — It is what He wishes; the meek shall command the Earth.
- Why do you walk around with your eyes closed? — They were a gift from Him, but I can also see in other ways.
- What is up with the blue and green eyes? — They are gifts from Him.
- What is up with the datajacks in children? — It is a conduit by which He speaks with us.
- What do you know about us? — You do not walk in His light. There is nothing worth knowing about you. (She is lying!)
- Why is the SCIRE on lockdown? — It is His temple. He does with it as He wishes.
- Why are they purging parts of the community? — They do not walk in His light, for they are unworthy.
- Why are they putting datajacks in everyone? — You already asked me this. They are the conduits by which He speaks with us.
- Who is He? — If you were meant to know Him, you would know Him. You are not part of His pattern.
Fräulein's Assensing
She identifies the Girl in White as happy and curious, but mildly annoyed. She was under the effects of drugs, and knows the signs well enough to identify it as Psyche.[3] She is also Essence 5, with all of her implants in the head, all of them betaware or bioware. There's something weird about the aura that Fräulein can't immediately identify, but she's reasonably certain she could pick it out in the future.[4]
Other Observations
While tranquilizing her and dumping her somewhere she could be found, they noticed five black bands tattooed on her left arm. It's not something they've noticed before. The assume it is significant, but don't understand why.
Session 4 - 2024/01/18
Down The Long Ladder
| Who | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri, Saffron Cade, Saoriko Süß, Eloise Brady, Langdon Brady, Emily Bunker |
| When | Wednesday, December 31, 2059 (Day 13) |
| Where | Supermarket, SCIRE, Level 59 |
Using a combination of elevators and scouting out the conventional stairways, the team escorts the workers down to Level 59 and the stripped bare grocery store they hid in a few days ago. They regret they won't be able to stay with them long term — they can't protect over sixty people moving through the arcology. Eloise agrees to take charge of the new group, if the team will agree to help find a more suitable and defensible location. They do, and also equip them with some weapons to get them by — a handful of Izom Artemis SMGs[5], plus the gear from the last batch of security officers they took out: more SMGs, a few tasers, and some armor vests, plus the ballistic gas masks the 'runners themselves don't need.
While in transit, John and his ex-wife, Emily talk. She wants to know what he's doing here, happy to be rescued but upset that he's wandered back into her life. He explains that he was here to rescue a child for the kid's estranged mother, but Emily doesn't exactly believe him. They talk about why she was here, some of which he already learned from Geneviève Bunker — that she was here for some shopping and meeting her new husband's family for a holiday dinner.
They discuss their children. She keeps saying "her" rather than "our", but he doesn't strongly dispute it the first few times. She explains that they were separated from her at the same time the adults were split up by citizenship — Renraku citizens in one group, UCAS sinners in another, and the children all together in a third. Based on how the Dervish drones acted during the initial assault, he's reasonably certain the children are unharmed. She also also asks about Saoriko, how they came across her, and what Garbo's plan is to find her kids. In the end, he's more firm about them being "our" kids, not "hers" and that it will become a team objective, now that he knows they're here.
Unhappy New Year
On the way down to the next level with a hydroponics and food storage Level 51, the stop to check on the experimental zone with the "rage machine".
They discover the entire zone is abandoned, likely because there's no power. They quickly sweep the area, collecting any salvage they can. There's plenty of discarded food, though without refrigeration much of it has started to go bad. They find a small number of guns, usually proximate to puddles of blood. They figure somebody came by to collect the experimental subjects, who had weapons to fight back but insufficient skill. They collect some handguns, SMGs, two rifles, and plenty of ammo.
When they move the refugee worker group, they figure they might sweep through this area again and collect more.
Children's Chemistry Set
| Who | Fräulein Ärtzin, Garbo, Liam, Shirayuri |
| When | Thursday, January 1, 2060 (Day 14) |
| Where | Hydroponic Garden, SCIRE, Level 51 |
They reach the Hydroponics suite and another powerless floor. Inside, they discover the exterior walls and most of the greenhouses inside are shattered, victims of a ceiling collapse. They realize that this massive room butts up against the bottom of of the experimental are they just left — their actions are likely responsible for the damage and the lack of power here.
Inside the chamber, they find clouds of gas that seem to maintain cohesion and move under their own power. Shirayuri gets too close to one of them, and suffers some minor caustic burns as a result. Her biomonitor doesn't identify anything beyond the damage itself, which leads them to believe it's a chemical reaction, not biological. They back away to consider their options — it seems like this stuff is all over the compartment.
Liam's first suggestion is to fire a grenade into the cloud to see what happens, maybe it will disperse or maybe there's something inside generating the cloud that will be damaged. He lines up his shot and drops it square in the middle of the cloud, but it never detonates. Fräulein tries the magical version, casing a lighting ball into the cloud. It has the exact opposite reaction, causing the cloud to expand rather than take any damage.
Garbo offers a chemlight stick next; Shirayui tosses it inside and nothing untoward happens: it stays lit and the cloud doesn't react. Fräulein tries another magical test, this time with an Ice Spear which flies right through it and shatters somewhere beyond it. They breifly consider the idea of triggering the fire suppression system in the hope the falling water would take the clouds with them, but realize any pumps wouldn't work without power, and if it was an actively pressurized system, the water they're seeing on the floor probably came from it.
It dawns on Liam that the grenade has an electrical detonator in it, and it may very well have hit the ground, they just didn't hear it. They posit the clouds may responding to electrical energy, including that naturally in people. He moves closer to the cloud to confirm that people are enough, as Shirayuri also has a lot of electronics in her implants. It responds to him much the same way to Liam, but when Fräulein gets close to it, it pulls back.
Liam realizes whomever is in control of the Arcology has taken steps to avoid harming children, and Fräulein's stature may be causing whatever drives the clouds to see her as one. As embarrassing as it is to be picked up, the good doctor is willing to allow Shirayuri to use her as a dowsing rod to confirm their hypothesis. Once they're looking for it, it's quite clear they're correct. The clouds avoid Fräulein, but actively try to wrap around behind her to get at Shirayuri.
The decide that this entire floor will have to be a write-off, unless they can find a way to contain or eliminate the clouds. It could very easily kill somebody unaware. Furthermore, without power all of the perishable food stores have gone bad, though there were plenty of non-perishable supplies.
Session 5 - 2024/01/25
Trap Avoided
While in transit, the group encounters a single green-eyed technician apparently hard at work, guarded by two Blues. The Blues seem distracted. Realizing that they've always seen Blues operating in groups of four, and noticing that they're still maintaining appropriate angles of coverage while feigning boredom, the team realizes it's a trap. They refuse to take the bait, and change course. As they head away, Liam spots a trio of Dervishes in sentry mode, waiting in the adjacent sector to spring into position and close the ambush.
Real Estate Evaluation
The team checks out two locations for the recently freed prisoners to hole up. The first location is a bowling alley on Level 62, but they decide it doesn't have enough ingress and egress points, and it's too close to the outer perimeter of the arcology, which is more heavily patrolled than the interior spaces.
On Level 63, they find a multiplex cinema that turns out to be much more appealing. While they power is out, as expected, the bathrooms stuff have running water. Between the entrances to the multiplex itself and the service hallways behind it, there are plenty of ways in and out, reducing the likelihood of the survivors getting trapped.
They also find supplies, mostly theatre snacks and un-popped popping corn, but some things with nutritional value. The area is also home to sizable group of Awakened cats. None of the group is familiar with the species, but it's likely they escaped from a laboratory somewhere else in the Arcology.
Move-In Day
They move the survivors from the supermarket in four groups of 16. The first three runs go off without incident, but during the fourth and final trip, they're discovered by a roving patrol — one that includes a magician and a Medusa. The magician incapacitates most of the survivors with an area spell, then ducks back to avoid in jury during the gunmen's advance.
While the runners exchange fire with the Blues, the Medusa loops around behind them. Fortunately, Fraulein is able to ace it with a high-force Ice Spike, allowing Shirayuri to use the same tactic to get around behind the magician. They're able to resolve the situation with minimal casualties and no fatalities.
Once they survivors are secure in their new shelter, the 'runners depart. They leave Saoriko in the care of Emily, against her protests.
White Out Conditions
At Level 72, the group finds themselves stymied by elevator with the through-shaft containment door sealed shut. They breach the elevator door, only to find the entire area full of the same gas they ran into down on Level 51, just in much higher concentration. They back off and descend a few levels, looking for an alternate route.
References
- ↑ She's totally not.
- ↑ Spent Edge, got ten hits.
- ↑ Shadowrun Fifth Edition Core Rulebook (p. 412)
- ↑ It's the astral distortion that identifies somebody as a technomancer.
- ↑ Street Lethal (p. 37)
- Previous: S01E06 – Peacekeeper
- Next: S01E08 – Valid Identification Required