A Simple Repossession

A Simple Repossession
Date 2082-06-19 GM Archtmag Location Downtown, Seattle Status Threat Level: High
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Agustin Diaz	Knight Errant
Ace Milliam Strobe Spider

Summary

The runners steal art from a gallery, so the J can get an upper hand in a matrix feud.

Background

Agustin Diaz, artist and corp kid, has been following his passions. Working on transcending the limitations of his skill, becoming a greater artist, he has been trying to increase exposure for his work, applying to galleries, networking, and posting on the matrix. Over time, he and another artist, Karl Becker, developed a bit of a rivalry. While both are admittedly talented, animosity grew as they trade barbs back and forth. The final straw for Agustin came when Karl narrowly beat him out for an amateur exhibition spot, in a local art gallery. Furious, both at being passed over and his rival's mocking, he swore to get revenge.

The Meet

The runners gathered in a dusty parking lot in Tacoma, waiting for the J to arrive. As the arranged time, came and past, they became slightly confused. Were they in the wrong spot? Or had something happened to the J? Milliam, instead of thinking about that though, played with a squirrel. Eventually, about 15 minutes after, a limo pulled into the parking lot, a figure casually emerging.

Agustin, stepping out of his vehicle, surveyed his team, offering cursory greetings, not even mentioning his lateness. As his familiar level of disinterest and condescension began to approach the runners, Strobe vaguely remembered this J. She had worked for him on her first haven run ever. His behavior hadn't seemed to have improved since then.

Telling the team that he needed certain art stolen from a gallery in Downtown, he gave a brief explanation, lacking his personal connection to the issue. Mentioning offhand that there would be security, he assumed at this point that everything important had been shared. The team obviously having more questions, began to interrogate him in more detail. Asking about the security, repeatedly, his embarrassment beaten down by Strobe, a story began to unfold.

Angered by being passed over by the gallery, Agustin had gone on a rant on the matrix, including threatening the gallery. Not settled with that, he hired a shadowrunner team to steal the artwork. A different one. A cheaper one. They infiltrated the museum, only to be repelled, the run a failure. The museum thankfully thought they were targeting the most valuable exhibit on display, not the one they were hired to steal, but several security officers died defending the gallery. While he couldn't say for sure, he felt it would be likely that they would remain on heightened security for as long as they valuable exhibit remained.

The teams respect, if any, dropped after learning all of this. Still, Agustin promised quite a bit of money if they could get him his rival's pieces, so that he could move on to a mysterious "stage two". The team ultimately agreed, deciding to do the J's dirty work.

The Plan

To start with Spider search the matrix for information, using her mastery to dig up information that they really really didn't want to be found. In her searches, she found out multiple tidbits of information that seemed promising. First, she managed to find a floor plan of the gallery. An older building, public as well, finding the documents wasn't too difficult, but it would be a helpful aid in an infiltration. It also hinted that there could be a potential link to the Underground. Many buildings from its era were contiguous with it in some form or another. Verifying this, and finding the connection, would take some physical work though, or a connection with someone more knowledgeable about the tunnel systems. In a more worrying discovery, she learned that the gallery had contracted a special response force from Knight Errant. Though the details available online were sparse, they apparently cut some sort of deal for extra protection in response to the failed attack. The team, still needing to look into things further, split into two tasks, casing the gallery and finding the Underground entrance.

Milliam, often roaming around the tunnels, and with many connections in the Skraacha, felt confident that she could find a way, if she looked hard enough. To provide a bit of additional protection, Ace decided to accompany her, so together, they entered the Underground, looking for an entrance to the art gallery. Wandering around for quite a while, vaguely trying to follow the direction of the target in the twisting maze, the duo noticed a large figure in the dark distance. Cautiously approaching, wary of a fight, they realized that they had come across a large earth spirit, passively watching them.

After a moment, the duo asked the spirit if it could help them find the way. It communicated agreement, and started walking away. Hesitantly, the team followed, as the spirit lead them through a winding path. Eventually, the spirit stopped gesturing at the wall ahead of them. Closer examination revealed an old rusted grate, drywall on the other side. It seems that the gallery at some point in the past built a wall over a connection to the Underground. It's uncertain if the people in charge even remembered that it was here. Thankful to the spirit, when asked if they wanted anything in return, they asked for steel. Not exactly what the pair were expecting, they promised to find them some metal from a junkyard regardless.

Rewards

32k Nuyen (16 RVP)

2 CDP

Optional Contact: The Dweller of the Tunnels as a 2/3 (4 RVP)

For non-Strobe Players, Optional Contact: Agustin Diaz as a 2/3 (4 RVP)

For Strobe, Optional Contact: Agustin Diaz as a 2/1 (2 RVP)

Agustin comes with 1 chip if taken.

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.