What's on the Ghost Train

What's on the Ghost Train
Date 2082-5-9 GM PatGriffin Location Downtown Seattle Status Threat Level: Medium
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven	Bug Spirit	Pawn's Gambit
Ace Orchid Frank Davis Rhicter	Roach Spirit	Pawn Mages
Casualties and losses
0	1	0

Summary

The runners are hired to retrieve a lost camera on a mysterious train.

Background

A news team decided to investigate the sightings of a ghost train that had been seen on the monorail. The team had accidently stumbled upon a the gang Pawn's Gambit smuggling a Roach spirit with the help of the train spirit The Zephyr. The news team was killed by the roach spirit and The Zephyr fled.

The Runners

Orchid was sleeping when a call from Molly Landry came through. After a short chat, Orchid left their bed and decided to take the run a short distance away.

Rhicter awoke to Overwatch calling about job across town in half an hour. After a quick back and forth with Overwatch, Rhicter toke off across town.

Ace awoke to a call from Rick Rampant. Over the sound of loud music Rick told Ace that there was a job downtown for him if he wanted it. Ace decided to take the job.

Frank Davis was drinking and watching a trid at 2 am when Sarah Snow gave him a call high on Novacoke in some bathroom. Sarah told Frank that there was job downtown if he wanted. Frank toke the job and toke off to the job in a cab.

The Meet

The meet was at Ken's Coffee. Orchid was the first to arrive to the meet and told the Ms. J that it would be awhile before the rest of the runners arrive. With the rest of the runners arriving in the order of Ace then Frank then Rhicter. Ms. J explains that their corporation had sent in a small camera team and a security guard to investigate a train that had been seen in the local area. After several inquiries the runners learned that the team had died and that it happened on the train. The last known location of the team being the Seattle University Monorail Station.

The Plan

After prepping drugs and alchemy the runners decided that their best bet was to investigate the train and the area around it. After speaking to their contacts and doing a little bit of research they learned that the gang Pawn's Gambit had been smuggling in the area with the aid of a certain spirit. The runners also learn that Pawn's Gambit is former Knight's Errant mages that stole a large quantity of reagents before leaving. The runners also learned that the ghost train had been in the area and was seen as a harmless free spirit. The runners decide to send in Frank and Orchid first before Ace and Rhicter.

The Run

When the runners arrive at the Seattle University Monorail Station. Frank notices that the security guards at the entrance were in fact members of Pawn's Gambit. Frank then persuades a group of "homeless men" that he was there from their higher ups and that the runners were the team sent to help deal with their "problem". During this Orchid called a cab for a drunk in the station. Ace and Rhicter entered the station as Frank convinced the PG mages to wait at the entrance for them. Then The Zephyr arrived, a green tinted locomotive with three cars. The runners toke diamond formation and entered the first car meeting The Conductor. The Conductor explained that there was a bug spirit in the last car and that it did in fact consume the news team. The Conductor agreed to not move The Zephyr till the runners had left the train.

The runners then entered the next car meeting several individuals within the cars. The runners first spoke to Trashcan. Trashcan explained that the bug spirit was a roach spirit and that he had been trapped on The Zephyr for over a year as a gag. Trashcan could not leave the train due to the fact that Trashcan lacks legs. The runners then spoke with Purple Ghost, a 12 foot tall purple man spirit. Lastly they spoke with the masked man Alcatraz. Alcatraz explained that he was merely carrying a package from LA to Seattle and was meant not to be seen. The runners were suspicious of Alcatraz, before eventually deciding that he was merely as suspicious as them.

Before entering the third car, Ace fires a flashbang into the room. Slightly stunning the roach spirit before the runners opened fire. With Ace firing an initial burst and Rhicter firing the killing blow.

Aftermath

After killing the roach spirit the runners collected the camera gear in Trashcan. After another short chat with Alcatraz, the runners went up the stairs and explained to the Pawn's Gambit gangers that they had spoken to the buyer of the bug spirit and that there would be a new shipment next week. The runners leave and return the personal effects of the dead camera crew to Ms. J. Frank sent information to David Squire on the Pawn's Gambit activity. Frank takes Trashcan home with him.

Rewards

2 CDP

7 Karma

12,000 Nuyen

Frank got Trashcan as a dependent.

Game Quotes

Yup it's bug spirits.

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Rhicter

"So... bug spirit. Ace called it right from the start, but the rest of were like, "What? Bug Spirit? No way..." Should have seen the smug look on his face when the bug spirit was confirmed... Ah well, he earned that one I guess. But anyhow, our two faces made short work of the Pawn's, spinning up so many lies that their heads were spinning independently on their necks. Both Orchid and Frank were top notch in that regard. We all head in and have a brief discussion with a train spirit, a trash can, an Oni, and a runner, all to learn that there's a bug in the caboose. Itching to get out at that. We make our move and quickly drop it; it wasn't expecting runners of our caliber. Frank adopts the trash can, and we head out, the camera gear cleverly concealed in the can. We get paid, and all is well. Just another step closer to getting Lump her legs back..."

Frank Davis

Here's the thing: I've heard o' bug spirits. There were always--ALWAYS rumors at KE about what happens to people who don't do their job or slack off. I didn't really believe that drek, but this was a big. Ass. Cockroach.

I don't know how smart it was because I opened the door and Ace and Rhicter just blasted the mother before Orchid unloaded a bolt into its forehead for good measure. But I spent some time talking to a trashcan named Trashcan, and now I'm worried that the bug woulda beaten me in a spelling bee or some shit because spirits are like--smart in their own right. I'm learnin' a lot. But, like, Holy Moly. This was a trip.

I called David Squire about the old KE agents and gave him what I had. And I'm releasing the video footage collected by the camera crew before they got eaten alive. People need to know the drek goin' on under their city.

And I couldn't just leave Trashcan stuck on a ghost train or whatever. So--yeah, I'm takin' him with me.

Ace

So Rick be real with me. Is Seattle the center for bugs on the west coast or something? That's the second bug stomping run I've been on, and the others didn't believe me when I heard there was a flesh form spirit in a non-toxic environment. Smuggler's Routes are key and I have yet to meet another smuggler, I immediate figured out where we needed to go and the moron gangers running around down there. This was another 'Tactician run' I can't talk for anything , but Frank and Orchid sure can and after I pointed out the persons of interest they played them like the silly gangers they were and we walked in like we owned the place. I've never heard a train talk to me, the books don't lie train spirits are a thing. I wanted to put a frag in there with that oversized cockroach, but he'd already eaten and left behind the camera gear that we needed to recover was in there. One flashbang and two bursts later one dead bug.

Orchid

Another one of my professional nature showing through the end with a few clever lies we were able to get past the ex Knight errant officers pretty affectively. I do have to say for the rest of my team who performed way above the buildings that I thought originally they had and was adequate to make sure we completed the job without any hindrances…Ace and Rhicter were dead on with their guns, with putting down that bug, we had to kill for we are not allowing that monster be sold off to someone who could be trying to build a god damn nest.