An AI-Generated Shadowrun

An AI-Generated Shadowrun
Part of The Arrival
Date 2084-01-31 GM Asmodeus Location Mostly Seattle Status Threat Level: Deadly
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Von Neumann the komun'go ring	PACRIM	Evil Technomancer?
Nu11st@ck
Casualties and losses
None

Summary

Von Neumann Needs some help tracking down the source of a dangerous spam mail sent all over the Seattle public grid. He taps Nu11st@ck to do this as a "trusted" meat bag who is largely immune to the dissonance.

Background

A mysterious image has been mailed to hundreds of thousands of people using the Seattle public grid. This mail is smoking any electronic devices exposed to it and is beginning to affect even Von Neumann's "progeny?"

The Meet

Nu11St@ck awakens inside a mysterious chamber deep within the Ork underground, a holo image of Von Neumann center in the room and a "nicely" cooked meal sitting on a table nearby. Nu11St@ck, being familiar with Von Neumann's ways some by now, sits and begins to eat, asking questions to determine Von Neumann's need of him. A mysterious email was provided to him via data chip along with a burner comlink. The image features oddly mangled hands in various forms of sign language with odd seemingly garbled text. When the meta date or raw code is examined a vicious virus is released on the operating device subsequently frying it. Von Neumann wishes for assistance in tracking the source of this message so that measures can be taken to deal with it. Nu11St@ck agreed, knowing that Von Neumann would make good on his efforts and hoping to curry favor enough with him to remove the cortex bomb placed in his skull.

The Plan

Analyze the message to the best of his abilities and follow leads resulting in that analysis. Also don't get killed.

The Run

Several of the images seem to be components of Renraku facilities recently "acquired" by Von Neumann. The language seeming impossible to decifer, even going as far as causing Nu11St@ck great distraction. It reeked of dissonance. The images themselves seem to have been randomly generated using some form of AI by means of an old algorithm developed by the Pacific Rim Communications Unlimited (PACRIM) who currently own the Seattle public grid. The CEO Se Jong Lee and the head of the Seattle branch Yong Jo Moon are a reported beef against MCT/Renraku corp. Nu11 discovered that Moon has been paying off locals to keep quite about the state of the public grid, as well as heavily contributing to a Horizon Sinner to run for local government on a platform of pro PACRIM/government relations.

Nu11St@ck decided it was time to get access to the local PACRIM office host and snoop around for some information. He quickly discovered a massive nested host running silently within the public facing destination host and quietly sliced his way in. The interior of the nested host appeared as a strangely infinite office space. Within this host he discovered the home address of Moon, in Seoul Korea, and located some juicy payday data protected by a massive databomb. He felt the risk to acquire the data was too high in the moment and promptly left the host. With no new leads from this host, Nu11St@ck moved on to Moons private commlink. He shifted to the global grid and located the commlink, deftly slipping a mark on it. Within the messages he found out that Moon had recently hosted a conference related to the recent grid disturbances. His bosses were not happy with the progress made on the issue and MCT had submitted an offer to bring its considerable technomancy expertise to bear against the issue. Moon was hesitant to accept this offer. Hoping to engage in a more personal conversation with Moon, Nu11 left a burner commlink # along with a note saying to contact him for assistance with his "problem".

While waiting for a response a Seattle local hit squad was dispatched against Nu11. Tracking his commlink, the Rigger dispatched drone swarms against him while a spider provided matrix over watch. Nu11 manged to format and reboot the Riggers RCC, in response the hostile decker decided to go big, brute forcing 3 marks on him and then causing him to jack out. The encounter a draw and Nu11 salty about Moons response he decided it was time to hack Se Jong Lee's personal commblink. He found the number in Moons message logs and went on the attack. Lee's firewall buffeted by a company Technomancer resulted in formidable hack but a successful one. On this commlink Nu11 located information related to hiring of many local Korean technomancers all of which have not reported in and are presumed dead. There was indication that the CEO might know more than is letting on, referring to the opfor as "just one guy". Not willing to perform all the hard work of cracking this commlink for nothing, Nu11 sifted through for some more juicy pay data. This time locating information related to joint meetings with aims to enhance matrix equipment with magic. This sort of advancement is bound to provide some currency for someone looking to play the market, perhaps even Von Neumann itself.

With his leads dwindling, Nu11 reached out to a local Seoulpa ring, the komun'go ring, for some assistance. They were furious with PACRIM for not properly dealing with the issue and might have further information discovered on their own. Nu11St@ck arranged a meeting with their leadership and offered an exchange of information. Providing what he had learned from the PACRIM hacks as collateral. They grudgingly accepted and provided some information, but seemed to hold back parts of it. The attack did not origonate from the local public grid but was sent there from another location. The group managed to track this origin to someplace in Eastern Europe. The local runners and hackers in that area have been experiencing similar issues. There have been a number of radiation storms in the area as well as heavy pollution which has been causing havoc with local electronics and is a breeding space for dissonance. With this data Nu11St@ck reported back to Von Neumann, who is grateful for narrowing down suspects to a technomancer into a specific region. It seemed satisfied with the information and made good on its payout.

Aftermath

Nu11St@ck returned to Von Neumann's inner sanctum to have his cortex bomb removed.

Rewards

--- Run Rewards (Deadly, 17 RVP)

48,000 Nuyen to spend on various Software; agents, linguasofts, boosters, vehicle & drone modifications (12 RVP) -- Keep 50% of remainder as Nuyen

3 Karma (3 RVP)

6 CDP (2 RVP)

optional

May increase Von Neumann's Loyalty to 5 (Cost: 5 RVP)

May remove Von Neumann's Kink Bomb

Initiation Ordeal Discount

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Nu11st@ck "Well, this seems to be shaping up to be a serious problem to the grid, going to need to keep an eye of this and make sure I cover myself.. "It" seems especially interested in helping me to gear up, presumably it has future use for me. Not complaining about more work but its troubling that an entity like that needs the help of someone like me. Troubling, but somehow reassuring all at once?"