Operation icehouse

Operation icehouse
Part of Nightmare Mode
Date 2081-04-08 GM Doom Location Mystery Island
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Purkinje Moth Kani Chop Shop Eisenjägerin	Ares Macrotechnology

Summary

The runners received an unorthodox request to meet at the Everett Naval Base. It didn't appear to be from their fixers.

There, they eventually met Lt.Cmdr Yennefer Kerrigan and an AI that she was working with named Cerebus. The AI reassured Purkinje that the job was on the level.

The mission was clear. Infiltrate an island where Ares was having a two day demonstration of its new weapon assets to potential buyers. There were two roles for social infiltrators to get close to the buyers and data server. And three roles for physical infiltrators to scout the perimeter and get footage from the warehouses that might not be part of the official tour.

The island had considerable physical and data security. There were watchtowers, VTOLs, planes, tanks. And bioengineered monster dogs.

On the first night, a member of the physical team was spotted, triggering a massive fire fight with island security. Purkinje and Moth used the distraction to raid the data servers.

The team managed to escape in a submersible tank, and meet up with the Johnson. Mission accomplished - though perhaps less subtly than intended. But the data acquired was worth it.

Background

Several of the runners involved had been part of prior missions related to uncovering Ares' projects.

XX was the run addressing Project Fusion.

A Storm is Coming was a run that unlocked the following information about the other projects.

• Project Icefang (Valiwostok Sea)
• Project Kali (Indian Ocean)
• Project Jorogumo (South China Sea)
• Project Reaver (Atlantic Ocean)
• Project Jorumgandr (North Sea)
• Project Scylla/Charbydis (Mediterranean Sea)

And, discovered that Project Icefang involved the transport of enormous creatures with fangs and claws.

Ares was definitely up to something troubling.

Kani had been to the island before. Tossed their by chance after another encounter. She knew there was an interesting military plane on the island, that had caught her interest. And that security was likely increased since her visit.

The Meet

The team was quite concerned by the unorthodox contact. Purkinje suspected an AI, and that she was being hunted, and it was some kind of trap. Moth and Eisenjägerin approached the woman who appeared to be the Johnson. Kani and Chop Shop set up sniper positions.

The woman revealed that she was Lt.Cmdr Yennefer Kerrigan, and needed the runner's help to investigate the island. She had a plan ready. They just needed to agree.

The AI Cerebus seemed to have played a key role in identifying them, and had no trouble locating the others, in their sniper positions. But it made friendly contact with Purkinje to smooth things over.

Moth negotiated for more nuyen, and they received all the information needed for the job.

The Plan

The goal was to obtain camera footage and data files about Ares' projects. As much as feasible.

To that end, UCAS had arranged cover identities for two runners to infiltrate the group of buyers touring the island facility at an event to begin in two days' time. UCAS had arranged transport near the island and related supplies for the three runners to infiltrate physically.

Once on the island, the runners were to learn as much as they could. If they were subtle, they could avoid alerting Ares to the scrutiny.

The Run

Moth and Purkinje pulled off their roles, and were able to join the tour of buyers without incident. The hardest part was smuggling in Purkinje's sim rig to take the camera footage. Ares were inspecting closely and watching for any on-line cameras. Moth was able to successfully palm the sim rig, and get it positioned under Purkinje's hair, under a smart wig. They begin the tour. They soon had footage of a massive icefang beast - the size of a football field. They also observed the location of the data server room.

Kani, Chop Shop, and Eisenjägerin made it to the island and began to explore. They found a warehouse with several planes, a warehouse with the football field sized beast, a warehouse of puppy sized beasts, and a warehouse with an unusual prototype submersible tank.

Unfortunately, Eisenjägerin was spotted by security. The island went into full alert. Alarms blared. Tanks rolled out. Watchtower guards began to fire.

A major battle began.

Kani was able to steal one of the planes and attack the Ares forces, though she was eventually shot down.

Chop Shop and Eisenjägerin managed to steal the submersible tank.

Purkinje and Moth used the distraction to infiltrate the data server room, and start collecting the detailed files on each known Ares Project. Purkinje was able to get the details on every known project. (See Aftermath below.)

The battle raged on, buying more time to steal the data.

Chop Shop and Eisenjägerin crashed the submersible tank through the wall of the compound, through the floor, crushing the bound icefang beast that was serving as a coolant for the data servers, and coating Moth and Purkinje in beast blood. These four escaped in the tank and met up with Kani at sea, who had re-joined the navy seals that had delivered those three to the island.

They made their escape successfully.

Aftermath

They gave Lt.Cmdr_Yennefer_Kerrigan the submersible tank, and all the camera footage, and data files.

They learned the following:

PROJECT ICEFANG: Development of sub zero magical beast. must be capable of damaging astral beings - does so with natural weapons and frost breath. Eventual plan to combine young adults with bug spirits, enhancing mobility and durability. Current stage is testing being bonded with handlers and obeying orders. Main Base - Vladivostok

PROJECT KALI: Development of infusion of "K-10", "Kamikaze", and "Numb" with test subjects. designed to create a terrifying force of nature who does not feel pain until death and who can deploy with some of the heaviest equipment available with no drawbacks. Current stage - first cohort succeeded in drug infusion trials, mentally unstable but alive. - Main Base: Diego Garcia.

PROJECT JOROGUMO: Development of theperfect assassin, possesses the ability to change form to perfectly mirror targets dream woman. Enhanced with Bio and Cyber ware and reinforced with magical energy to ensure sustained magical level. All agents are expertly trained in seduction, ambush, poison, firearms, martial arts, swordsmanship, and counter-observation tactics. Not suggested for possession. Main Base - Tokyo

PROJECT REAVER: Training and indoctrination of HMHVV tainted subjects, notably strain 1 and 1a. Feed their ego and make them seen as higher, but not at the top, managers of Ares. Utilize their obscene charisma to draw intelligent members of society and the massess into Ares. Use surge of constituents to rival Horizon, potentially reaching point of hostile takeover of assets. Option 2, subsume European governments with immortal puppets and control european markets (beware of Lofwyr). Main Base - Bristol, England.

PROJECT JORMUNGANDR: Development of Hunter AI designed to hunt doen Null Sect and "AI Nation", establish Jormungandr as worldwide Matrix Intelligence. Current report: AI displaying "Adolescent" like behavior - aka rebellious phase. Permission to terminate declined, told to deal with AI. AI currently contained in arctic station. Main Base - Oslo NW

PROJECT SCYLLA/CHARYBDIS: Development of networked Resonance intelligence to command full combined arms war force. Current count 37, last count 40. 3 deceased through overwork, no influx of new assets - none found as of yet. Current materiel assets include 1 Legate airborne aricraft carrier, 70 "Wasp" parasite fighters, 5 "Normandy" Class Nuclear Assault Submarines, 1 Typhon class landing assault submarine (landing force contingent on projects "SAAS" "SAV-E" "ARS-E". Main Base - Malta.

PROJECT FUSION: Project Status delayed due to "Juneau Incident" Remainder project personnel relocated to modern vessel ARes Vessel Iredeemable with capacity to hold remaining 54 asset projects - relocated to secondary base "Icepick" - Antartica.

Rewards

• ¥30,000

• 4 Karma

• 2 CDP

• Option to buy Lt.Cmdr_Yennefer_Kerrigan as a Loyalty 1 contact.

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.

Moth

Moth here. This is run #12 for me. I was pretty shaken. I've never been involved in something with so much security alerted - with tanks! And turrets! And planes! And football field sized monsters! - and an absolute war zone I was imagining trying to cross to escape. I'm sure glad they came for us in that tank. They probably all think I'm an idiot. I was just really scared.

And - I'd just been playing with Dandy's dog Brutus and talking about getting a puppy, and then there we were trying to get those files, and that little icefang puppy is there and I'm thinking I'll just reach out and pet him and soothe him so he doesn't start barking? And that's when the tank came through the ceiling and crushed the puppy and sprayed me in icefang puppy blood.

I really thought that tank was the bad guys come to do us in. And I was just going to stand there and try to shield Purkinje with my unarmed body.

Good thing it was our fellow runners!

Purkinje

This went hot way, way faster than I was prepared to deal with. I didn't have time to commune with Nmap for guidance like I was planning, and I ended up running into the second-toughest host I ever cracked. I'm still not entirely sure how I pulled all those files out, but I sure did do it. I hope they go on to help people down the line.