Bigtop Burger

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

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 and 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. They captured lots of video of Bill to help Dutch study his mannerisms and speech.

Dutch planned to do the infiltration as Bill the next day. That would give them this evening to make a Bill disguise. Moth helped make sure it was a very good disguise.

That night, Dutch and Tilt revealed that there was another complication. Dutch didn't know how to get the data out of the off-line host. He really needed Tilt for that part. After considering some options, Sea Breeze offered to make Tilt invisible. She could follow after Dutch and he could open the doors for her, in the Bill Cooper disguise.

They'd wait until Bill came to the food truck for lunch, and then pull off the caper.

Bill arrived for lunch. Dutch and the invisible Tilt headed in. The others continued to run the food truck, keeping an eye on Bill. But then Tilt and Dutch hit a snag! There was a security guard standing near the entrance to the secure room with the off-site host. Dutch's disguise was great. He impersonated Bill just fine. But as Tilt crossed into the secure room, she stepped over a ward and became visible. The security guard realized something was wrong. Dutch and Tilt barricaded themselves in the secure room, while the guard banged on the door. He triggered the alarm, calling for Knight Errant.

Sea Breeze tagged Scurvy with invisibility so he could get in the building and save the two junior runners without being seen. Moth and Sea Breeze stayed at the food truck, keeping an eye on Bill Cooper, and keeping up their cover.

Scurvy hurried inside. He had no trouble getting past the guard at the front door, invisible, and came up on the security guard banging against the secure room door. He held his sword to the man, making his threat extremely clear. He convinced the security guard to turn off the alarm and step back from the door. Dutch and Tilt came running out, data in hand, and bolted for the front door. They pushed their way past the one security guard at the entrance and ran for a waiting Ink, who had brought up a motorcycle to spirit them away. Scurvy followed, invisible, and returned to the others. They continued to sell their delicious food. Bill Cooper finished his meal and headed back inside, to what was likely a very uncomfortable conversation.

A good twenty minutes later KE arrived. Eventually, they made their way over to the food truck and verified Bill's alibi that he had been there at the food truck during the crime. Moth confirmed that Bill had been there. The KE officers loved the food.

No one was at all suspicious that the food truck team had anything to do with the theft.

Aftermath

The junior and senior runners met back up, to celebrate a job done. The senior runners collected their rewards.

Rewards

GMC Armadillo with the Food Truck Module OR 11,000 NuYen
3,000 NuYen
2 karma
2 CDP
+1 Street Cred for mentoring and rescuing the junior team
Pirate Outfits
1,000 NuYen worth of Cinema Grade Pirate Props

Game Quotes

"You could be a pirate hype man and we could do sea food!" - Moth.

"We need two female costumes and one male pirate costume." - Sea Breeze "Actually I don't need the costume." - Scurvy

"A bad performance is every bit as distracting as a good performance, perhaps more." - Moth, when Scurvy was nervous about performing

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Moth

Moth here! My 38th run. This was so fun! We really hit on a great theme for the food truck. Sea Breeze and Scurvy are great to work with. The cons that Sea Breeze and I can do together, taking advantage of her control thoughts and invisibilty... And Scurvy absolutely saved the day. And now I have a food truck of my very own! And pirate decorations for my next party! Now, I can focus on thinking about a menu and name and theme for it! What do I most want to bake? Ah, it's hard to decide.

Sea Breeze

Well we showed those kids how its done! the great teamwork from everyone involved saved our collective bacon quite a few times too!