A Bouquet to Remember

A Bouquet to Remember
Date 2082-04-07 GM Isaac Location Puyallup, Seattle Status Threat Level: Medium
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven	Indeterminate unidentified shadowy organization
Delphi Milliam Shy Swerve Grasshopper	Yumi Nagamine

Summary

A murder mystery at Deireadh An Tuartheil, that turns out more spookier than expected.

Background

The victim was an old woman, one Phillipa Wehrman, listed as a UCAS veteran. Her medical history includes being a volunteer for Move-by-Wire implantation back in the 2050s. When she was honorably discharged, she had the SOTA MBW system swapped out for a used, low rating one. In her old age, her immune system had deteriorated and started attacking the MBW. Instead of ripping out her MBW and installing a standard grade one, which she can't afford, she's taking a regiment of drugs to deal with this condition. A side effect of this drug regiment is that it causes early onset dementia. The victim also had a flashback system installed to help with the dementia. Mrs. Phillipa Wehrman was married to one Hideo Nagamine (an oni who had died of age-related complications a few years back), and had a son, one Mareo Nagamine (also an oni), who had gone missing 5 years previously.

The Meet

The team met outside of Deireadh An Tuartheil and was greeted by Dr. Isabel Wirth. They were lead into the ward, which was the scene of the crime. After a request to find out if this murder was a hate crime or wasn't going to be isolated, the team starts investigating.

The Plan

The team plans to do a pile of legwork, and maybe then confront the murderer.

The Run

Asking around the hospital, the discover that the killer was described as a bland-looking human woman. Looking at the CCTV footage, which had the murderer's features obscured by a faceless system, the team discover that the murderer had brought a bouquet of red camelias. With Delphi psychometrizing the flowers, it was discovered that the murderer worked at a nearby florist's, alongside the murderer's exact facial features. After a matrix search, a name was associated with the face: Yumi Nagamine.

At the florist's, not much was to be found, aside from confirmation of what little they knew at that point.

The team then convenes at Delphi's office, preparing to do extensive searches, both mystic and digital. Through Divination, it was discovered that Yumi had undergone extensive psychoediting, enough to create an entire personality, as well as the existence of a handler. Through hunting data trails, it was discovered that Yumi Nagamine was a fabricated legal identity, with apparent cause for extreme cyberware implantation, created 3 years ago, alongside her current address. Milliam organized a cat race for Delphi's 3 cats in the mean time.

Armed with this knowledge, the team go visit Yumi at her house. Swerve then summoned an Earth spirit as astral backup, while Milliam and Dumas provide overwatch in case Yumi bolts. The team then discovered that Yumi was astrally perceiving. After some awkwardness about the banshee and unmanifested earth spirit, the team is then invited inside for tea. At this point, Delphi assenses Yumi, discovering that she is actually a cyberzombie.

Spooked, Delphi advised the rest of the team to beat feet, and they do so after a quick excuse.

Aftermath

The team then head back to Deireadh An Tuartheil to inform Dr. Wirth that it's not a hate crime, nor is it the start of a string of murders at Deireadh An Tuartheil. Delphi discovers that Yumi Nagamine was formerly Mareo Nagamine, abducted 5 years ago and forcibly converted into a cyberzombie infiltrator, and plans to do something about the cyberzombie in Puyallup.

Rewards

• 20k nuyen in cash or 40k nuyen in cyberware, or bioware. (10 RVP)
• 3 karma (3 RVP)
• 2 CDP
• Optional Contact: Dr. Isabel Wirth at Loyalty 1 for 4 RVP
• Shy gets +1 chip from Lt.Cmdr Yennefer Kerrigan.
• Delphi gets +1 chip from Dr. Isabel Wirth.

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Shy's Report

That was a nice run until the plot twist. Delphi did most of the job and i mainly take the time of the investigation drawing but eh... I did ended up by facing some ghost of the past. Cyberzombies...Gosh it send me back into the N-51 days... At least the Commander was happy to receive this intel.

Swerve

Well, honestly I didn't do much on this run. Sure, I looked around and scouted out the increasingly nasty astral phenomenon, but honestly Delphi is amazing. She's an investigative genius! I don't even know how she made some of the leaps that she did. I'm really impressed!

Everything involving that cyberzombie though was pretty nasty. I can't imagine what it must be like for him. I can only hope that little remains of who he was, though the evidence is implying there might be quite a bit left unfortunately. I wasn't really scared in the meet with him, but being around him was disgusting. Beyond what I could see in his aura, the area around him was tainted and it was affecting me, mind and body. I was only too glad to leave when Delphi told me to. Finding out afterward the danger we were in was pretty scary though, I won't lie.

Delphi

A cyberzombie... I mean, I've heard the horror stories, but to actually see one in the flesh like that... just being in it's presence was painful, and looking at it on the astral was like staring into the void. I'd like to have put a stop to whatever was going on there, but it was way outside of our pay grade - that thing would have killed us all, I'm sure of it. Knowing it's still out there... well, that's one more thing to have nightmares about I guess...