Duerme y Pasa a Mejor Vida
| Duerme y Pasa a Mejor Vida | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Factions Involved | |||||||||||
| ShadowHaven | Cutters | Ancients | Tacoma BTL Parlor | ||||||||
| N/A |
Lichtenberg Goons |
Insonia Goons | One Extremely Frightened Security Guard | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||||
| N/A | Insonia, Goons | N/A | |||||||||
Summary
Background
The Cutters and the Ancients really don't like each other, so when the Ancients catch a new squeeze at some simchip factories down in Tir, they're excited to pass the savings onto the customer - those customers, of course, being the simsense parlors the Cutters have painstakingly courted over the last few years, in an effort to squeeze them out of whatever grip they might have on Northern Puyallup and Tacoma.
The Cutters, however, aren't slouches, and suspect foul play when their clients all decide to look toward greener pastures all at once. A stakeout on a former client of theirs reveals the truth: Ancients are going in with duffelbags and coming out with different duffelbags - a deal if they've ever seen one.
Furious, Pappy phones up Lichtenberg late at night, the moment he's gotten confirmation from a watcher that more elves have entered the parlor. The literal cutter is happy to live up to his calling, and will do the dirty work Pappy wants done.
Insonia, loyal Ancient and their techie ace in the hole, has come along tonight to confirm the chips are good in the event of complaints, and to be muscle in the event things go south. The Ancients anticipate some push back, and trust their muscle to make sure the Cutters get the picture.
They do not expect Lichtenberg.
The Meet
Insonia discusses payment with the owner of the simsense parlor they're currently doing business inside, closed up early for the night just for the occasion. The man's bodyguard stands next to him, Ares Predator in hand. These are illicit chips with illegal experiences, hotchips pushed beyond the limits of sim, deplorable acts of sex and violence for discerning clientele to enjoy - they'd be a fool not to take precautions. Even still, the five Ancients, including one standing outside the door to deter any late-night chipheads, are confident nothing will go wrong.
Three unnerved Cutters with the misfortune of riding in the same car as Lichtenberg roll up on a nearby street, shut the door, and retrieve their guns from the trunk. They roll up into the side-alley where the entrance to this parlor is, and the elf on duty instantly pings his squad - three Cutters rolling up with weapons. Insonia's Fly-Spy outside also confirms as much, and she quickly tells her crew to be ready for a firefight. The owner, disturbed, asks her what she means, though receives no answer.
The Plan
The Run
Lichtenberg, crafty, lurks north however, and finds a rear entrance to the building. He slips a humming vibroblade between the cracks and saws the bolt in half, inviting himself inside. While his crew outside huff Jazz in preparation, and the elf outside ducks inside to funnel the Cutters through the front entrance, Lichtenberg takes a few swift steps and pierces the heart of the Ancient who'd been unfortunate enough to choose that hallway as cover.
New threat identified, another elf immediately shoots off suppressive fire to pin him down - though, of course, the man made of metal doesn't care. He sprints through and puts a blade through his chest as well, grinning. Insonia, around this time, begins taking active measures to protect her team with diagnostic information in AR, and an automatic turret on the wall that she hacks online. Another swift slash - even with gunfire raining and stray hits on the tin man's shoulder and torso, he's up and moving, worse for his wear, better for his 'ware.
He and Insonia trade blows - though with her back to a wall, there is little she can do beside lean on her potent aim. Lichtenberg, with every other Ancient now on the ground, finally watches her kneel, and fall, and bends down onto his haunches to prod at her. He asks if she's got any last words, and as it turns out, she does.
People like them, she says, are always running, 'cause the truth is they died a long time ago. This right now, her blood on the floor, the light leaving her eyes - that's all just the world catching up. It'll come for him too, eventually. And she'll be waiting in Hell when it does.
Lichtenberg, irreverent for the dead, slits her throat. Insonia leaves the world behind.
Aftermath
His goons stare slack-jawed at the scene before them, unfired guns limp at their side. Lichtenberg rises on dented limbs and chassis to turn his bloody visage to the club's owner, grin, and wonder aloud what all these rumors about certified clubs under contract with the Cutters doing business with the Ancients instead is all about. Definitely just rumors, right? 'Cause if they were more than just rumors, well, a little accident like this might just happen again.
Frantically, the man and his bodygaurd nod, and Lichtenberg, satisfied, leaves them to clean up the mess.
Rewards
Rewards for Duerme y Pasa a Mejor Vida (High, 15 RVP)
- For Lichtenberg:
- 16 CDP (7 RVP)
- 8 Karma (8 RVP)
- Strive for Perfection, for a Great Many CSVs (Optional) (12 RVP)
- Wanted (Ancients, 50,000 Nuyen)
- -12 Ancients Rep
- -1 People of Tacoma Rep
- +5 Cutters Rep
- For LHOG:
GMP Equivalent to Run Reward RVP (15 RVP)
- Consequences:
- The Cutters have protected their independent storefront assets in the illicit BTL trade and simsense industry around Tacoma.
- Lichtenberg has killed Insonia. The Ancients are extremely upset with that and want Lichtenberg's head. This is likely to spark war as they pursue the Cutters' silliest little guy.