Spray, Pray, and Co-Pay

Spray, Pray, and Co-Pay
Part of Compound Interest
Date 2085-02-17 GM jit Location Seattle, Redmond (Avondale) Status Threat Level: High
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven	Red Ledger
Crunch Neznayka Red Ribbon Sibyl	Repo Peter "Mephisto" Essex Red Ledger Rigger Red Ledger Goons
Casualties and losses
Neznayka has been taken captive by Red Ledger.	N/A

Summary

In which Neznayka's insurance policy does not cover her while she is out of network.

Background

"We're bettin' it all on Red, baby!"

Red Ledger has had a blistering hot streak these last few weeks. Minus the mysterious disappearance of two adepts, it seems like everything's been coming up red.

Capitalizing on the weakened Red Hot Nukes, who have suffered the wrath of the Crimson Crush after Shakedown Breakdown, Red Ledger has expanded their borders and foisted the Red Hot Nukes out of their turf in Avondale, though not without the typical gang war casualties. Fortunately, the Avondale Community Clinic is always there to provide for the downtrodden citizens of the Redmond Barrens, whensoever tragedy may strike.

Red Ledger, however, have very different ideas of community outreach compared to the Red Hot Nukes. Repo, fresh off their gang war victory, establishes a new contract with the community clinic, with a restructured price plan to boot. What was originally cheap healthcare in lieu of DocWagon becomes extortion. Repo, intending to negotiate down, asks the patients and their families collectively for 25,000 nuyen in medical expenses, both to cover their medical bills and in order to cover the casualties Red Ledger sustained by 'liberating' them.

Tensions rise over the next day or two, until conflict breaks out in the form of an angry mob attempting to storm the clinic to retrieve their loved ones. Driven back by gangers spraying full auto, they have no choice but to plead with Fate, who, perhaps hearing their cries, spreads the whispers of their pleas to the shadows.

The Meet

The runners are reached out to separately.

Red Ribbon lies low in her apartment with an even lower reputation hanging like an albatross around her neck. Alessa reaches out to her - unusual, given the dearth of available job offers lately typical of someone with regrets like hers. Nonetheless, if anyone's got her back, it's the owner of The Daze, who has seen her remorse and the consequences of her mistakes first hand.

Alessa tells Red Ribbon that redemption begins with action, and that if she wants to regain the trust of the people of Redmond, a golden opportunity has presented itself at the Avondale Community Clinic. After a riot this morning, a gang seems to be holding people hostage, though the source of the dispute is hazy. Ribbon very quickly searches her memory for the gang borders of the area, and despite identifying that Red Ledger could very well be responsible, chooses to act regardless. She sets out in a rush, leaving several drones in states of half-repair.

Sibyl performs her morning routine when she's contacted by Harry Metzger, Seattle Knight Errant Chief of the Division of Investigation. Turns out a call has been made to Knight Errant regarding the situation as well, even if officers on hand opted not to bother. If the clinic is claiming non-payment, then it seems more like a civil matter, doesn't it?

Harry is a man of some principle, however, and casually brushing a hostage situation to the side bothers him. Reaching his own tendrils into the shadows, he surreptitiously asks Sibyl to investigate the scene on his behalf, unofficially. She gladly agrees to help.

During a day out, Crunch is contacted by Trousse, who happens to himself have been contacted surreptitiously by a member of the clinic staff. He informs her that this reputable clinic, (reputable as far as the Barrens go anyway), is in the middle of a hostage crisis, with injuries on the rise and the promise of fatalities by sunset if they're not paid. Crunch is, unfortunately, Trousse's best shot at addressing the issue, and being a good natured soul, Crunch agrees to a little bit of hooding to fill her afternoon.

Neznayka, meanwhile, lurks nearby - as she watches Crunch finish her call and pack her things, she herself receives a message, not from a fixer, but from Saint. She says her own fixer has alerted her to a situation that could very likely involve Red Ledger, but that she herself is occupied with another lead. Neznayka, the only person she trusts with such things, is her only port of call to investigate, and God help her, the poor woman agrees.

The four of them arrive at the scene in progress, an unsettled crowd of two or three dozen Redmond residents, and armed guards at the door of a barbed wire clinic built from the skeleton of a fifth world school house.

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Sibyl: "I feel like I've been in a bad trideo. Four random strangers stumble into a hostage situation and save the day. It has everything. A contortionist gnome with a trained racoon and a squad of rats in the ducts. An anthrodrone in gang colors. An animal trainer mystery woman with a fake face. And of course, a clueless seer sent on a wild goose chase following red herrings down a rabbit-hole of mixed metaphors. That sonofabitch Metzger has got some 'splaining to do. The good samaritans come up with a plan worthy of a bad action trid. Damn thing works too ... right to the last minute or so. Turns out the psychopath ganger and the ganger moll rigger have a history. Turns out the mystery lady with the expensive perfume has a bounty ... from her father? Oh yeah, mystery lady and ganger moll also have a history. Tha action trid turns out to be a mystery instead. I do know one thing though, I hate fragging mysteries. I'll get to the bottom of this one way or another. I'll need some frankincense, some myrrh, and some ganja. We'll see what Oracle has to say tonight.