Hopquest

Hopquest
Date 2085-08-07 GM LHOG Location Seattle (Various) Status Threat Level: Extreme
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven	Yellow Lotus Triad	Lone Star
Bunny Hop Caliban Oberon Red Ribbon	Hana Hot Hands Triad Mage Triad Traffickers	LS Warden LS Prison Guards
Casualties and losses
BHop may or may not visit the beach that makes you miss your mom. She definitely visited the beach that makes you owe two chips to the Knights Hospitaller.	Most of 'em, yeah. Hana Hot Hands also got dissonance'd, so that's cool.	They are now minus one Manny Fruasto, with no idea how he got away.

Summary

CW: Depictions of intense violence

"The tail lights burn red They were hotter than Hell And I've been long gone, couldn't you tell? "That Moon Song" - Gregory Alan Isakov

Background

On March 16th, 2071, Alexandra Robins dies.

She is a street level decker, and a wife by whatever bonds SINless tie themselves with, and a mother to Akiha Kurosawa, who holds her dearly as they cruise through Downtown streets, Dodge Scoot style. Akiha feels warmly that she is the only thing above the stars and the moon and the kami themselves. On their way back from a a planetarium, they are ambushed by Halloweeners, who draw a rope taut across the street to clothesline their Scoot. In the chaos, a half-dozen gangers stake claim to as many bodies as can be found before Knight Errant arrive, and drag them into the deep and hidden tunnels beneath Downtown. She becomes fodder for gore-soaked BTLs and simsense of the worst kind. She is burned alive, and with her dying thoughts, she wishes only she could see the rest of her sweet Akiha's life, her birthdays, her first dates, her graduations and wedding. She wishes bitterly she could have told her how much she wanted a daughter, and that she could protect that fragile girl from the nightmare her father would bring.

She wishes she could kiss her goodbye a final time.

In the moment, she can only scream.

Akiha falls bitterly into herself, projects into the Matrix, and dies alongside her, though her body yet lives on.

Fourteen years later, she is a competent and confident young woman, a world-class hacker, and deeply suspicious of one man's potential role in her death. She is ready to find out the truth.

Her research has led her to four names, no faces, and a complete lack of any further leads to chase. God help her, but if she wants to keep looking, she may have no other choice but to go outside.

起 - Ki

Akiha calls Holly, her girlfriend and confidante, for help driving down to Puyallup. Of her potential leads, the simplest to chase seems to be a Chulo garage down in Puyallup, where a former 'Weener, Manny Frausto, is rumored to have ended up. Red Ribbon is naturally interested in bhop's sudden secret project, but the young rabbit is more somber and tight lipped than usual. Even to the woman she trusts more than anyone else, she can't bring herself to tell the truth - that the self-styled World's Cutest Hacker is out for self-satisfying blood.

The hang up? Neither of them speak Aztlanner Spanish. Oops. Though Red Ribbon opens with some warming car-talk, the language barrier makes these gangers naturally suspicious of ulterior motives when the more elicit topic of their boss's dear brother comes up.

Though Oberon owes bhop a favor, she was hoping not to call on it so soon, and not for something so minor as this - but, he happens to speak the Spanish they need. A quick call, and Oberon is on site, ready to translate. Unfortunately, speaking the correct language helps only a little bit for two socially inept nerds. Though Red Ribbon is able to talk shop, it's ultimately Bunny Hop prostrating herself before their leader with the utmost honesty. The man they're looking for has done something awful during his time as a Halloweener, and may know information that would help them bring closure to the past. Her rage burns bright on her sleeve, but her blunt sincerity and bowed head win the man over. Family's important, after all. He gets it.

Manny Frausto, unfortunately, is not available at the moment. Or any moment. He is, in fact, locked away in a maximum security prison north in Bellevue, unholy hotbed for Knight Errant Seattle. Oberon's ears perk - that sounds interesting to the superhuman infiltrator.

Unfortunately, it doesn't ring quite as well to Bunny Hop and Red Ribbon, who both express doubt at the prospect of breaking into a prison. They may need help for a job that big - and though Akiha has someone in mind, they table the thought for now. Holly tunes up her car, and they thank the man for the information. He stops them before they go - if they do break in and end up speaking with Manny, tell him his brother loves him, 'kay?

Akiha grits her teeth. She wasn't exactly planning on that type of kindness for the man who killed her mother. Nonetheless, she slowly nods, and tells him she will.

The car ride is awkward. This isn't their only lead, and Bunny Hop is busy chasing another the moment they're in the car, despite protests from both Oberon and Red Ribbon requesting to know why exactly they're out on the ass end of Puyallup in Chulos turf. She bites at them, and tells them, simply, that it's private. Opsec. Whatever word makes them stop asking. The "world's cutest hacker" does not want her vengeance on such obvious display.

Luckily, there are rumors as well, of one 'Weener named Harry Hot Hands, a mage who has, apparently, since moved on from humble beginnings into the folds of the Yellow Lotus Triad. This is as far as her lead goes, however. Knowing that Harry is a mage, though, and knowing the Triads' reputation for tattoo rituals, the team have a hunch on how to narrow things down. After some quick corroboration and footwork, they hear whispers on the wind of an illicit triad assembly line, meant to apply triad tattoos to captured SINless to put them under Triad control. The operation isn't around for long, just a few days to a week before they move locations to do it all again - and with mages in short supply, the odds Harry's among those tattoo artists aren't bad odds at all.

Even if he's not, this is an operation none of the runners will mind taking down.

Bunny Hop takes a moment aside to contact Caliban for support, knowing the attack hacker's reputation. She's more skilled than the rabbit at cybercombat, and since Oberon and Red Ribbon will need dedicated matrix support as the only on-meat operators, additional coverage in the host would really help their odds. Caliban, openly frustrated, asks slowly and bluntly if this will be the favor she owes her - and Bhop, with a little smile, shrugs. "If it has to be."

"Very well," the devil of the matrix responds.

承 - Shō

Rolling up to the warehouse they've tracked the Yellow Lotus to could not be more obvious to the eyes of seasoned criminals. Like a well oiled machine, unmarked vans roll up close to one of the building's two docking bays, unload some mysterious cargo, and then take their place at the second to receive even more. Though cameras slaved to the host have been spray-painted over to thwart any would-be hackers, Red Ribbon is enough infiltrator for all of them. From the perspective of a fly on the wall, courtesy of ace rigger Red Ribbon, the team slip eyes inside the facility and find a horrifying factory line of human suffering.

Dozens to hundreds of rounded up SINless file through the warehouse grounds by threat of violence, and end in one of two private rooms, warded off and unable to be safely accessed. Whatever happens in that black box, the SINless file back out with sleeves of tattoos binding them to the syndicate, before being loaded back up and transported to parts unknown.

It is a disturbing sight for all involved, and each of them mutually understands that an operation like this can't be allowed to continue - even the morally dubious Oberon thinks this much is too far gone. Akiha Kurosawa thumbs, anxious and empathetic, at her own brand tattoo'd all along her back. Though not magically enforced, she knows what it is to be claimed by force. Yakuza or Triad, the idea is the same. Caliban flinches at the sight of the source for so many of her borrowed lives and deaths.

The four are all in agreement - Harry Hot Hands or not, the operation needs to be stopped.

Bunny Hop calls in a favor from Angelica FILL THIS IN LATER LOOK UP HER LAST NAME OH GOD IT STARTS WITH A C RIGHT? and the Knights Hospitaller. It's a tall order - a haven for a hundred human chattel and a ritualist skilled enough to undo their ink besides, but she believes the Knights are up to the task. She arranges a surreptitious drop point and tells the rabbit that she will be in touch.

Red Ribbon rolls out the big guns, while Oberon prepares for a rough entry. Caliban in the host, and Bunny Hop for support. Ribbon breaks the silence with a deafening round, and Oberon, having scaled the building's side, bursts through a window into one of the hidden, black box rooms. He finds the obvious - mages, needles, beds, ink, and terrified, half-tattoo'd victims. Blows immediately fly - while ground forces try and fail to determine the source for Red Ribbon's shots (or at least the ones that aren't tied to treads on the street outside), Caliban eagerly bricks deck and brain alike for the one user online at the facility.

Despite a point blank fireball, the infiltration is ultimately a success. With groaning and dead triads on the ground, Bunny Hop calls Angelica again and arranges their drop off. They're happy to oblige, good deed done before the brutality that comes next.

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.