Bigtop Burger

Bigtop Burger
Date 2081-07-28 GM Atlatl Location Snohomish Status Threat Level: Low
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Ink Dutch Tilt	Horizon subsidiary Pathfinder
Moth Sea Breeze Scurvy	Character1 Character2

Summary

A group of three junior runners were perplexed how to proceed on a run, and reached out through their fixer for help. The fixer arranged for [Moth], [Sea Breeze], and [Scurvy] to help them. The junior runners were tasked with stealing data from an off-line host in a Pathfinder office that housed administrative staff, production cinematography equipment, props, costumes, and footage. They had a plan to set up a food truck in the office park, but realized none of them could cook.

The more senior runner team took over setting up the food truck, with the goal of acquiring information about staff at the office, and getting a copy of a keycard that would open the secure room with the host.

There were several complications as the junior runners tried to do their part of the plan, but eventually the job was completed.

Background

The junior runners are:
1) Ink, an Elf Face Adept, who was the group Leader, a member of the Ancients, and a tattoo artist
2) Dutch, a Human B&E and infiltration expert. A former carjacker and apprentice HVAC technician
3) Tilt, a Dwarf Decker and corp kid

The Pathfinder office had light physical security (only two guards), but was a small close-knit staff. Anyone not part of the staff would not be permitted entrance.

The Meet

The senior runners met with Ink and Tilt at a park in Snohomish. They negotiated a better price (3,000 nuyen rather than 2,000 nuyen), in addition to one GMC Armadillo each. One would be used for the food truck con. Ink explained that they had made no progress in planning the food truck. The senior runners would need to handle name, branding, menu, cooking, and decorations.

Ink and Tilt led the runners to a garage where Dutch was waiting. He was available to help outfit the truck with the kitchen appliances. Dutch was also the infiltration specialist, skilled in disguise.

Tilt would focus on getting them a list of employees, with pictures, names, titles in order to choose a target to clone their keycard.

They had to finish within the next four days.

The Plan

Given Scurvy and Sea Breeze's nautical backgrounds, the runners quickly settled on a pirate theme, with seafood and island-themed dishes. Moth took the lead on planning the menu and decorations. The truck was named "All Hands on Seafood."

Sea Breeze and Moth also did background research on the organization. Did they ever sell their props? That might be a good excuse to establish a connection. They verified there had been a trid with the right pirate theme that likely had props in storage - Scalawags of the Sea. They confirmed that Frank Milos was in charge of prop inventory. They did sell props at monthly open houses, but none were scheduled in the timeframe of the job. Sea Breeze reached out to him and persuaded him to sell them the relevant props an costumes to help decorate the food truck, claiming that their food truck had been vandalized and they had an urgent need, but would be glad to pay extra for rush access. Frank agreed that they could pick up the props at 8 am in the morning.

Scurvy suggested they prepare coupons and distribute them to members of the company, so they were more likely to approach the food truck. The favor from Frank and 8 am pick up gave them the perfect forum and premise to do so. A thank you for the favor!

Moth calculated the prevailing food truck prices, and set the menu and ordered the supplies so they could be price competitive and break even. She planned to make salmon burgers and crabcakes, an island fruit salad, and pina colada bars for dessert.

Recognizing that they would see Frank Milos at 8 am the next morning, and that he had the right traits for Dutch to impersonate him, they planned to clone his card during the pick-up of the props. Dutch would then slip in and use they keycard to access the data, once he had they keycard.

The Run

At the 8 am pick up on morning #1, Sea Breeze used control thoughts to make Frank Milos feel like his lanyard (and keycard) was uncomfortable, and he wanted to take it off. He put it in his back pocket. Moth successfully palmed the lanyard and passed it to Dutch who had the skill with hardware to make a copy with the key copier. Sea Breeze and Scurvy asked lots of questions, keeping Frank Milos distracted until Moth could palm the card back into his pocket.

They proceeded to the food truck area. The truck was a hit! They had wonderful food - the salmon burgers were a particular hit. Great decorations, including a mermaid, a mast, a wheel, rope ladders, and prop seafood. Moth did the cooking, in a pirate wench costume designed to draw the eye. Sea Breeze ran the register, also in a pirate wench costume. Scurvy worked the crowd in a pirate costume, complete with hat, mechanical parrot, and accordion. He would play sea shanties on the accordion to bring people over to the truck. He played surprisingly well.

They had a recording device in place under the closest table to their truck, so they could eavesdrop on the office workers for more leads, if the first infiltration didn't work. They learned there was a new female intern arriving on the next day. Another possible way in.

Dutch was waiting in a car by the office building to head in as soon as Frank Milos came out, taking advantage of his absence to avoid bumping into him. The runners were hopeful Dutch would get the job done. Unfortunately, he reported that Frank Milos' badge got him in the building just fine, but did not work at the secure room that held the off-line host. He was being questioned by the security guard there as to why Frank was in that area, and would be alright, so long as Frank didn't return too quickly. Unfortunately, they could see at the food truck table that Frank had gotten a call, and was standing up to head back in! Sea Breeze hurried over and began to thank Frank for his help, making it awkward for him to return. She was just so nice, he couldn't walk away. She successfully kept him distracted long enough for Dutch to get away.

But they needed a new plan. With some more research, they confirmed that they needed a member of the IT team. They continued to watch the crowd, comparing against the names and faces Tilt had pulled for them. Luckily, a member of the IT team, Bill Cooper, came out to the food truck. Scurvy knew that they would need a distraction to cast on him, with other co-workers around. He came over and performed a sea shanty for the folks in line and at the table, effectively distracting them. Sea Breeze tried Control Thoughts to make Bill Cooper take off his lanyard and set it on the empty chair beside him. It took two tries, but she got it. Bill set it down. Moth came over to the table, delivering a platter of free pina colada bars. Between the dessert and her flirting, Bill was distracted, and she was able to successfully palm the badge without him noticing. She passed it to Dutch who made another clone, and got it back in place. Bill promised to come back the next day, and Moth hinted she might give him her name and commcode if he did.

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.