Chapter One: Results Oriented Magic

[Muppet Man]

//Location: Downtown Puyallup/Seattle Metroplex/UCAS
//Time: <1146:30/2075-01-18> Combat round OVER
//Weather: <Heavy Overcast, Light Snow, 1C, Wind N 8kph, feels like -6C>
//Air Quality: <Monthly Average: Moderate (Yellow), Precipitation pH 2.6>

IN THE DARK
Life in the shadows is dangerous. It's a common phrase: used in media, by corporate zombies, in advertising, but only by actual criminals in their most cynical moments. Waking up, feeling groggy and drugged, maybe even ensorcelled, and most certainly cut off from the world, Death Otter is pretty sure she is actually alive. The room, chamber, jail, catacomb, cave or whatever dark dark dark location is completely cut off from the outside world. There is no sound. The air feels warm, but not hot or cool, and it is dead still. Cut off. She realizes she is cut off from everything. Everything.

Oddly though, Death Otter can feel all her gear in place. She is also physically unharmed.

But she is cut off. Nothing can connect. No signals. Deader than dead. No Matrix.

Using one of her devices with a screen and the low-light enhancements, Death Otter can get a sense of the room: four walls, a floor, a ceiling, no windows, and maybe a door. The walls are covered in a soft flexible and very sound absorbent material. The ceiling is probably the same. The floor is less squishy, but still cushioned. There is no handle or window or hinges, but a roughly 800cm x 1800cm rectangle is described by the seam, probably the door.

Suddenly, there is loud bass heavy KRRRCHUNK followed by a sharper click coming from the "door".


INSIDE OF A SUSPICIOUS SCONE FACTORY WITH DANGER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT
Both Wraith and Bushwack feel a boom and hear a bass heavy KRRRCHUNK echo up the elevator shaft. The lights flicker for a moment in the office. Emergency lights go on. No alarms sound though, despite the flashing strobes.


OUTSIDE OF A SUSPICIOUS SCONE FACTORY WITH DANGER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT
Stygge and Shrike hear a distant, perhaps underground, explosion. The lights visible inside the office building flicker and are replaced by emergency strobes.

The chip-head/truckers/drones/riggers/whatevers pause for a moment with a look of utter confusion. But about the time the lights come back up, their previous non-expression returns and they keep moving with purpose.

---

INFO:

Truck Routes

Watching the major roads, Stygge notices a pilot car followed by a

, it appears to be following the same route to the factory.

Weather Game Effects

• Triple travel time anywhere in the Sprawl, with minimum of 1 hour.
• Getting anywhere requires a piloting/driving check Difficulty 2, if you're from Seattle or Portland, increase difficulty to 3
• Motorcycles are worse: difficulty 5
• Visibility: -1 (exterior); Dim Light (-3 visual)

Scone Factory Aerial View

Run Details

Phase 1:

• Overview: Human Resources Acquisition: Willing Subject:
  • Legal Name: Charla Ann Dalrymple Media Handle: @CharlDarlBaby Occupation: Media Personality/Influencer
  • Description: Age: 19 Metavariant: Human Skin: Brown Hair: Bald Known Affiliations: Humanis Policlub
• When: by 1/18/2075, delivery no later than 21:30.
• Where: Fairground Scone Factory, Puyallup, extract and deliver to Paine Field, Hangar 17, Everett
• Security: Site secured by mercenary guards, exact provider unknown. Thought to be a very veiled Ares team. Surveillance indicates between 12 and 16 mobile guards. One active Matrix cyberdeck has been noted emanating from the compound, our decker was brainfried in the exchange. Two magical active persons are on site periodically, never both at the same time. No indication of paranormal animals or warding.
• Pay: 32,000¥ +6,000¥ total, with 6,000¥ upfront
• Target: Information withheld until finalized contract agreement

Phase 2:

• Overview: Resource Management/Logistics
• When: 1/18/2075, 21:30
• Where: Paine Field, Hangar 17, Everett to 3000 NE 4th St, Renton, WA 98056
• Security: Unknown. If Phase 1 was executed quietly, opposition should be limited. Threat level will increase in relation to the amount of disruption caused during phase 1.
• Pay: 18,000¥ + 4,000¥ total, with 4,000¥ upfront (paid at delivery of phase 1)
• Target: (1) 1m x 1m x 2m container
• Note: Delivery vehicle will be provided for Phase 2

• Details:
  • Design:
  • Bakery: 4 stories tall, concrete first floor, metal siding upper floors, metal butterfly roof, significant HVAC and other roof penetrations
  • Warehouse: 3 stories stall, concrete walls, flat membrane roof with 2/3rd green roof (as in it's a garden), 2m parapet around roof
  • Office: 3 stories, flat membrane roof w/ 3/4 green roof, 1.5m parapet around roof
  • Parking lot: Asphalt paving, no planters, wheels stops at stalls adjacent to buildings only, 16 streetlights, each with a electric vehicle charging station
  • Landscaping: dirt or lava rock, xeriscape friendly plants around entrance to office. A large above ground concrete utility vault is connected to the office portion. A 1m deep, .5m wide trench follows the north side of the bakery. Covered walkways (metal roofing) connect the buildings
  • Ingress/Egress:
  • Bakery: 4 man doors at street level, 2 upper level door accessed by fire escapes/catwalks, catwalk connects to center portion of roof
  • Warehouse: 2 man doors at street level, 3 lading docks, 1 loading door at ground level, access to roof from interior stairway
  • Office: double entry door on ground floor, two emergency exits, access to roof from interior stairway
  • Fenestration:
  • Bakery: three small windows next to main entry door, clerestory windows on long side at about 30m above the finished grade of the parking lot
  • Warehouse: Main entry door has two sidelites and a transom window, remaining doors have transoms, three square windows at 1.5m above finish grade of the parking lot evenly spaced on each side of the building, six 1.5m x 3m skylights evenly spaced on roof
  • Office: Each floor has floor to ceiling glazing on all sides, glazing is "opaque", several portions of the windows system are operable egress windows

What the frag are you going to do now?

[Death Otter]

Awakening was a series of rapid-fire nightmares for Death Otter. First, that panicked clutching sensation that came from waking up with no memory of having gone to sleep. Not in her bed. Not in a bed at all. Dark. How long?

Then the next nightmare. She automatically reached for the Matrix to fill in the gaps. GPS data. Time. Ignorance was dead for those with the eyes to see. But the darkness remained. Not simply literal but metaphorical. Of the Matrix there was not a peep, not a whiff. The everpresent buzz in her skull, the one that had long ago denied her sleep and nearly driven her mad, was gone. But she was a deep-sea fish. Acclimated to the pressure of hosting the sum total of human knowledge in her skull, Otter felt as if she were going to explode without it.

She clenched her fists against panic. What if this was permanent? What if the Matrix had taken its gift back? Would she drill a hole in her head and slap a machine in there to listen for her? Could she?

Focus. Focus. Focus.

The Matrix might be gone, but she could still hear the plaintive pings of her own gear. That alone helped ease her wildly beating heart. The gift remained. The lack of signal must be from where she was. Of course, that was a fresh terror of it's own, but more manageable. To know how bad that news was, she'd need to know where she was.

A flick of will and her optics came to life. A slightly grainy greenscale overlay in her field of view. Still needed some light, so she dug out one of her commlinks and brought up the note app...black text on white backdrop. Even with the adaptive illumination feature, her augmented vision seemed to flood with light. The news wasn't good.

Three cubic meters volume...padded surfaces so occupants can't injure themselves...but? No? No furniture, no plumbing. Not meant for long term occupation. Padded surfaces so occupants are cushioned from vibrations? Turbulence?

Her brain prowled restlessly over the limited facts, gnawing and chewing in an attempt to fill the silence. Otter got to her feet and did an inventory.

She had her gear. Gun was still loaded. Not normal for a prisoner. And though the cell seemed like it was probably designed for short term transportation of someone, it didn't seem to be moving. No noise, no vibrations. What in Deus' digital dong was going on?

Years later, when she was an old grandma, Death Otter would think back on the jumpscare she got when the door suddenly klanked and shrieked the unearthly shriek of metal scraping metal, and laugh. Across all intervening years though, she would deny and punch her way through any such accusations. She yelped in surprise and bumped her back against the facing wall as she scrabbled for her gun to cover the door, breathing as hard and fast as a rabbit that had just beat a fox's jaws down its burrow by a cottontail.

Nothing else happened though. Klank and click. Lock?

Gun still held at the ready, Death Otter moved up to the door and pressed her free hand against it, pushing ever so slightly. When she felt a little give, she pressed harder...trying to finesse the door open quietly, in case there was anyone else in the room beyond.

[Stygge]

Stygge is about to unload a clip full of gel rounds into these truckers when she hears the kaboom and sees the lights go out. The truckers become dazed and confused when this happens and then go back to their previous behaviour once the building goes back to normal? It doesn't take much for this elf to connect the dots. She sends Wraith and Bushwack a quick message on her commlink before focusing her attention on the truckers.

Whatever button you just pressed in there, press it again.

[Wraith]

Location: Puyallup, Seattle Metroplex
Condition: Ok
Broadcasted SIN: <hidden mode, teammates have authorization to see her>

INSIDE OF A SUSPICIOUS SCONE FACTORY WITH DANGER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT
Both Wraith and Bushwack feel a boom and hear a bass heavy KRRRCHUNK echo up the elevator shaft. The lights flicker for a moment in the office. Emergency lights go on. No alarms sound though, despite the flashing strobes.

The boom and subsequent sound echoing up the elevator shaft has Wraith puzzled, and Bushwack disappearing *down* that same elevator draws a low grumble from the foxelf. After taking a moment to adjust her mask and kit-bag she moves over to the shaft, crouching down low once at the doors then going prone so that she can peek over the edge more safely. Not too far down, relatively speaking, the troll seems to be standing on the top of the elevator.

"What do you see down there?" she asks via their voice channel, then starts to scan the walls of the shaft, looking for some way to get down there without seriously injuring herself.

>>Whatever button you just pressed in there, press it again.<<

As that pops up across her image link, Wraith has to bite back a chuckle. >>Cannot take credit. Seemed to come from below.<< she sends back quickly. >>We are descending from the upper floor via the elevator shaft, will update when we know more.<<

OOC Comments

OOC: How far down is it to the top of the elevator? Wraith has 3 ranks/6 dice in freefall, if that seems insufficient based on the distance she'll look for a maintenance ladder or something.

[Bushwack]

"Wraith whatever the fuck you do, don't, I repeat DO NOT touch the rails that guide the elevator. Those things have heat or electricity enough to fry your cute foxears off. Gimme a sec to find my bearings here and I will lett you know when its safe to jump"

[Shrike]

Location: Puyallup, Seattle Metroplex
Condition: Ok
Broadcasted SIN: <hidden mode, teammates have authorization to see him>


Shrike looks at the rig and shrugs.

"I can drive it and it will be a lot more stable than my bike. Just don't expect any crazy manoeuvres from me." He toggles his comlink to private and indicates Stygge should do the same. "Make it as difficult as possible for Ares or whomever to identify us. Keep an eye out for our target."

The chip-head/truckers/drones/riggers/whatevers pause for a moment with a look of utter confusion. But about the time the lights come back up, their previous non-expression returns and they keep moving with purpose.

Shrike checks that the silencer on his rifle is active using his smartlink and double checks the clip in his rifle.

"Let's take them out quickly, stop these two first, then hit the ones in the yard before they realise what has happened. You take the ones in the rig first, whilst I hit the others."

When Stygge signals he is ready, Shrike opens up with his silenced assault rifle into the back of the nearest 'rigger'.

Time to rock and roll. These guys give me the heebies anyway.


Pass 19

8S (Gel rounds) plus additional hits, -2 to defense if struck, physical limit -2 to resist knockdown,
Shoots nearest rigger

Pass 9

8S (Gel rounds) plus additional hits, -2 to defense if struck, physical limit -2 to resist knockdown,

if the 'rigger' is still up, continuing shooting unless it is obvious gel rounds are having no effect, in which case, switch to standard rounds. If it goes down on the first burst and Stygge's shot does take his down, switch target.
If both are down, move quickly past them to the corner of the entrance.

Defence rolls

[Stygge]

So those shenanigans from inside weren't the work of her teammates? Stygge wants to know who the new player in this game is and exactly whose side they're on, but that'll have to wait. With a quick flick, she sets her commlink to private as well. And then it's time to take out the trash.

Initiative

Will post actions tomorrow

[Muppet Man]

//Location: Downtown Puyallup/Seattle Metroplex/UCAS
//Time: <1147:30/2075-01-18> Combat round OVER
//Weather: <Heavy Overcast, Light Snow, 1C, Wind N 8kph, feels like -6C>
//Air Quality: <Monthly Average: Moderate (Yellow), Precipitation pH 2.6>

• Exterior:
  • Factory parking lot: two pairs of "chipheads" approaching trailers, the intention appears to be unhooking the trailers, Shrike and Stygge are in position here
  • City streets: large tractors (as in the tractor in a tractor-trailer rig) are approaching the trailers, but are currently in the street
• Interior
  • Office Elevator shaft: Bushwack and Wraith are currently breaching the elevator.
  • Hidden basement: presumably five Tir operatives are in the basement, more than that is unknown, but likely where the "employees" from the office escaped to with Mulpa prisoner.
  • Cell: in the hidden basement are a series of cells, the bomb knocked out the locks, some of them have been pushed open. Approximately 150m from elevator to cell area.
  • Trailers: Two trailers, on riddled with bullet holes and other damage, full of yelling and other signs of conflict. The other is not active.
  • Factory: suspect five Tir operatives in this building as well.

IN THE DARK
Death Otter barely has the door open at all when the lights flicker on outside the cell and she hears an electric click as a series of magnets and solenoids try to lock the door in place. She is free, ish, to wander a completely unknown dimly lit (powersaver mode?) corridor. Looking around, she sees a series of doors similar to the one she just escaped from. There is a dwarf body half-in one of the doors, the only other windowless and numberless door she can see that is open.

There is smoke lazily rolling in from the hallway end of the room she's in -- the other end appears to be solid. The hallway direction also appears to be the only place to go.

Interesting: except for the dwarf there are no other signs of life or anything in this room.


INSIDE OF A SUSPICIOUS SCONE FACTORY WITH DANGER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT
Bushwack jumps down the elevator shaft, summersaulting for the sheer hell of while puffing on his cigar, landing on the elevator, no doubt bending some metal and making some noise and then tries to force open the fire escape hatch through brute force, throwing it away unceremoniously if succesful.

Wraith is plenty agile to follow Bushwack down without electrocuting herself and frying her fox-ears off.

The top of the elevator does groan a little at their combined weight. It takes almost no time for Bushwack and Wraith to get through the hatch (which stood no chance against the troll's brute strentght) and into the elevator car.

The elevator doors are ajar about halfway. From inside the elevator they can see a narrow view into the basement level beyond. It is clinical and sparse. The floor is polished white epoxy surface. The walls are concrete. The ceiling is exposed, about 5m high, with cable trays and other infrastructure running along the corners. The panel lights are dimmed currently, power saving mode or maybe emergency mode.

They can also see at least two of the Tir operatives down on the ground and bleeding. One is wiggling subconsciously, that's the only movement they can detect. There is faint smoke coming from the far end of the hallway, but they can't see the source from inside the elevator.


OUTSIDE OF A SUSPICIOUS SCONE FACTORY WITH DANGER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT
Combat for Stygge and Shrike: Surprise round considered over: Round 1 Begins!
As expected Shrike's hail of bullets takes the nearest pair of chiphead-riggers down, dropping them to the ground with cries of pain. The second pair react to the cries, have been oblivious to the gunfire itself. They turn and look at Shrike with his gun out and ready and "danger" seems to pass over their face like a revelation.

[Shrike and Stygge: initiative (Stygge can keep the 17 or roll again)! Actions! Fun!]

---

INFO:

Truck Routes

Watching the major roads, Stygge notices a pilot car followed by a

, it appears to be following the same route to the factory.

Weather Game Effects

• Triple travel time anywhere in the Sprawl, with minimum of 1 hour.
• Getting anywhere requires a piloting/driving check Difficulty 2, if you're from Seattle or Portland, increase difficulty to 3
• Motorcycles are worse: difficulty 5
• Visibility: -1 (exterior); Dim Light (-3 visual)

Scone Factory Aerial View

Run Details

Phase 1:

• Overview: Human Resources Acquisition: Willing Subject:
  • Legal Name: Charla Ann Dalrymple Media Handle: @CharlDarlBaby Occupation: Media Personality/Influencer
  • Description: Age: 19 Metavariant: Human Skin: Brown Hair: Bald Known Affiliations: Humanis Policlub
• When: by 1/18/2075, delivery no later than 21:30.
• Where: Fairground Scone Factory, Puyallup, extract and deliver to Paine Field, Hangar 17, Everett
• Security: Site secured by mercenary guards, exact provider unknown. Thought to be a very veiled Ares team. Surveillance indicates between 12 and 16 mobile guards. One active Matrix cyberdeck has been noted emanating from the compound, our decker was brainfried in the exchange. Two magical active persons are on site periodically, never both at the same time. No indication of paranormal animals or warding.
• Pay: 32,000¥ +6,000¥ total, with 6,000¥ upfront
• Target: Information withheld until finalized contract agreement

Phase 2:

• Overview: Resource Management/Logistics
• When: 1/18/2075, 21:30
• Where: Paine Field, Hangar 17, Everett to 3000 NE 4th St, Renton, WA 98056
• Security: Unknown. If Phase 1 was executed quietly, opposition should be limited. Threat level will increase in relation to the amount of disruption caused during phase 1.
• Pay: 18,000¥ + 4,000¥ total, with 4,000¥ upfront (paid at delivery of phase 1)
• Target: (1) 1m x 1m x 2m container
• Note: Delivery vehicle will be provided for Phase 2

• Details:
  • Design:
  • Bakery: 4 stories tall, concrete first floor, metal siding upper floors, metal butterfly roof, significant HVAC and other roof penetrations
  • Warehouse: 3 stories stall, concrete walls, flat membrane roof with 2/3rd green roof (as in it's a garden), 2m parapet around roof
  • Office: 3 stories, flat membrane roof w/ 3/4 green roof, 1.5m parapet around roof
  • Parking lot: Asphalt paving, no planters, wheels stops at stalls adjacent to buildings only, 16 streetlights, each with a electric vehicle charging station
  • Landscaping: dirt or lava rock, xeriscape friendly plants around entrance to office. A large above ground concrete utility vault is connected to the office portion. A 1m deep, .5m wide trench follows the north side of the bakery. Covered walkways (metal roofing) connect the buildings
  • Ingress/Egress:
  • Bakery: 4 man doors at street level, 2 upper level door accessed by fire escapes/catwalks, catwalk connects to center portion of roof
  • Warehouse: 2 man doors at street level, 3 lading docks, 1 loading door at ground level, access to roof from interior stairway
  • Office: double entry door on ground floor, two emergency exits, access to roof from interior stairway
  • Fenestration:
  • Bakery: three small windows next to main entry door, clerestory windows on long side at about 30m above the finished grade of the parking lot
  • Warehouse: Main entry door has two sidelites and a transom window, remaining doors have transoms, three square windows at 1.5m above finish grade of the parking lot evenly spaced on each side of the building, six 1.5m x 3m skylights evenly spaced on roof
  • Office: Each floor has floor to ceiling glazing on all sides, glazing is "opaque", several portions of the windows system are operable egress windows

What the frag are you going to do now?

[Stygge]

OOC Comments

Yeah I'm keeping the 17.

First lot of actions:

• Move up to 8 metres towards something that could be used as cover (the trailers perhaps?) but still keeping the two remaining truckers fairly close (within 10 metres if possible)
• Set smartgunned submachine gun to burst fire mode
• Fire 3 gel rounds at the nearer of the two remaining truckers
• Take cover

Second lot of actions:

• Fire a long burst of 6 gel rounds at the nearest trucker that is still standing
• If cover is compromised and Stygge hasn't moved a total of 8 metres yet, use up remaining walking movement to put some distance between her and the trucker(s)

Dice rolls tbd

[Bushwack]

Bushwack goes to the Tir operatives while activating his weapon focus. He signals Wraith to keep out of sight and earshot as back up

OOC Comments

(perception check visual 14d6<4: [ 4 6 5 1 1 5 4 5 5 4 5 2 2 6 ] = 4)

If they are conscious he approaches "Hey knife ears. I am not with security here and I don't necessarily have beef with with you and I can even help you escape this mess if our goals are more or less aligned but you make a hostile move and I will fucking puree your dandelion eating candy asses in the state you are in. Feel free to test if my bite is bigger than my bark. Now tell me what the fuck you are doing here or I will knock you out and let the security find you and you wont make it to that chopper."

If they are unconscious he proceeds to remove their weapons, communications and things like goggles, helmets and gizmos that could provide them with tactical edge and information with AR overlay like where their other team members and then wakes one up with the same line by blowing some stinky cigar smoke in one of their faces and then standing up to train his stinky shoeless troll foot on a one of their chest so he/she feels 200+ kilo of pressure on top of it.