History Repeats Itself

History Repeats Itself
Date 2081-05-28 GM Kryosite Location Puyallup
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven TerraFirst Troika Athena Hydro Trash Panda Eisenjägerin	Evo

Summary

The runners find themselves tasked by an eco-terrorist group to bring down an EVOTech black site, filled with various paracritters waiting to be weaponized as biodrones.

Background

"Hey, I've got an offer on a smash and grab. Johnson says he's got a lead on a lab that needs blowing up. Pay is mostly in whatever gear you can steal before completing the demo, but they've got a pretty solid selection of tech and some pretty high-end weapons. The target is Evo, if that makes a difference."

The Meet

Underneath an abandoned Jeweler's shop in Touristville, a punk club rave is in full swing. Seated at a corner booth is the Johnson who fits right in, between the massive green mohawk and the seven or so facial piercings. The quintet approach the table to hear out the the job from their client, listening intently. Simply put, the building needs to come down, lest EVO continue to turn paracritters into bio-drones for whatever uses they may have to weaponise said animals, and that many, if not all creatures, are to be considered lost to cyberpsychosis. The team receives, after some impressive negotiations, floor plans (inadequate for demolitions), ten kilograms of rating 25 plastic explosives, an opportunity to collect their payment in whatever cyber they can find on site (and/or sell), and a warning to beware some sort of hound capable of tracking down anyone anywhere.

The Plan

The team's legwork begins with a cursory matrix search, locating two major points of interest: a set of blueprints suitable for demolition use and a look into the comings and goings of whatever subcontracted cleaning crew required to tend to the facility and the massive amount of animal droppings each day or two. A few matrix searches later bear fruit, providing both the requisite blueprints and access to the subcontractor host. Troika determines the necessary amount of explosives and gets to work building them with the aid of both Trash Panda's task spirit, and Jae's demolitions expertise. Athena's work reveals both the standard maintenance schedule and the procedures for J&S cleaners, as well as the fact that the site locks and elevator are keycard based, granting access only to where it's needed. She edits the schedule, giving the team to gain a cover for their infiltration.

The Run

With edited schedules in hand, the team seeks out one of the night-shift cleaning groups. Troika and Trash Panda manage to con the cleaning crew into a wild and amnesiac drug bender (courtesy of Trash Panda's supply), making off with the company van, uniforms, and keycards, and leaving the employees unconscious in some sort of seedy hotel room. The crew, with their disguises complete, approach the EVO lab right on schedule. The team is waved through by a distracted security guard and directed to the side door. With four of the team members set, and the decker concealed in a large trash can atop several kilograms of guns, explosives, and ammunition, they make their way to the basement of the building.

Using the floor plans and blueprints given, the team takes refuge in the janitorial closet, which also contains one of the several structural points needed to be destroyed to bring down the building. Looking for the next of the structural points for the floor, between 'Security Kennels', 'Project Zeta', and 'New Arrivals', the team moves to the latter, hoping that any such creatures would be tranquil enough to allow them to work. No such luck. Though while caged, the massive piasma seems very disinclined to play nicely with the team. Trash Panda's spirit of beasts and some well-placed sedative allow the team to pacify the creature, long enough to plant explosives on the structure point behind its cage.

The team convenes to replenish their explosive stock on hand and move to the second floor, waiting on their decker's go. Athena penetrates the EVO host with a single mark, and manages to subvert infrastructure of the keycard locks, rendering them responsive to all key swipes. The elevator rumbles, the four intrepid runners riding the lift down to the subbasement floor, which by all accounts housed all the ware and experimental facilities. The doors open with a ding to a room of surgical suites, 'ware, and a half-dozen vexed high-threat response crew. "We pressed the top floor and it took us down here for some reason," came the surprisingly passable lie. A single guard approached, waving his keycard by the scanner and directed the car to the top floor, advising the team that if they were seen on that floor again, they would be immediately shot. The elevator begins traveling upwards, and Hydro keys the first basement floor along the way, where the team disembarks along with a palmed commlink, donated generously (if unknowingly) by their subbasement interdictor. They return to the closet and leave the comm behind, providing their hacker (who hitherto had been having a hell of a time trying to penetrate the host beyond any surface level capability) a backdoor to exploit. Switching plans, and capitalizing on the spare explosives brought, the team places one of Troika's bombs in the elevator, and directs it to the bottom floor. With Hydro's hand on the timer and a Math SPU running perfect calculations, the team crashes the stairwell beside, waiting for their moment to strike while everyone is surprised and disorientated. The elevator dings, and the explosive detonates, channeling the force of the blast into the doors, reducing them to nothing more than deadly shrapnel which shreds all but one of the waiting response team, as well as the biosurgical suite.

Capitalizing on the chaos, Jae lobs in a frag grenade, granting relief to the horribly mangled caster wishing for death. With the threat of armed response cleared, Hydro and Trash Panda move to secure as much of the cyber as they can manage, as Troika and Eisenjägerin continue to plant and shore up the explosives. In that moment, alarms blare and vents begin to hiss, though readily apparent, this isn't to bring in any sort of gas, but to circulate the smell of the team to whatever monstrosities abounded. The two buddy groups meet up in the repository of 'ware, placing the last of the charges and grabbing all the armfuls they can (and a single cybered-up kitty in a cat carrier), and wary of whatever hunting cerberus is afoot to chase them down and clear out, Hydro leaving a bomb to collapse the staircase after the team ascends. In the ensuing chaos, the quartet takes their leave via side door, meeting up with Athena in the van, who escaped unnoticed in the chaos.

The team peels out of EVO territory as the building is utterly destroyed, and takes off towards Glow City to await the the triple-header of a bloodhound on their trail. The van slowly comes to a stop along the way, as someone appeared to have called it in stolen. A few hacks and a GridLink override later, the team is on its feet again and rolling out, as a very large, very fast, very cybered cerberus appears behind them. The team opens fire, and is able to knock the dog unconscious, while Trash Panda wrecks the creature's aura until it very visibly dead. The team speeds off with their loot into the afternoon sun.

Aftermath

One EVO blacksite down, dozens of panicked wageslaves, and one happy eco-terrorist are all that's left in the wake of the run, yet another of the corporation's dark projects being dealt a serious blow. It's a wonder they still think it profitable to operate within Seattle.

Rewards

23 RVP, includes: Y72,000 in cyberware/bioware; 5 karma

Game Quotes

"The host looks like as if a Sci-Fi movie had a baby with an Apple Store." -GM describing the appearance of the EVO Host

"If you want to be the antagonist of an afterschool special, you can just show up and peer pressure them into doing all the drugs." -GM's commentary to Trash Panda's plan.

"So long as the bear holds, this floor should be good." -Troika about using the unconscious piasma to direct the explosion into the structure point.

"The bear is more than sturdy enough to count as a tamping agent." -GM's commentary on the above.

"Time to roll my wonderful SmUT." -Doc McGuffins as Jae; "Ok so, your SmUTty bang and clear..." -GM; "You can't just ask a girl how SmUTty she is." -Teksura as Trash Panda; Commentary above on the team using Small Unit Tactics.

"I like glow city." -Hydro; "... A statement nobody has said before." -Trash Panda; On where to drive to flee from the Cerberus.

"Because there's no words." -LorenLuke

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Hydro

You said the building would collapse inward! You promised everyone would be ok! Gods, I feel horrible for being a part of this.