Murders on The Orient Express
| Murders on The Orient Express | ||||||||||||
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| Part of All Aboard! | ||||||||||||
 The Orient Express Ghost Train | ||||||||||||
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| Factions Involved | ||||||||||||
| ShadowHaven | Horizon | StarKaf | Wuxing | Wolverine | ||||||||
| Catholic Church | ||||||||||||
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Alkali Delphi Lady Argentum Thunder |
Tl 8 Black Magician TL 6 Adept TL 8 Illusionist | TL 8 FLR | TL 8 Hermetic Initiate | TL 8 Shark Adept | ||||||||
| TL 8 Adept | ||||||||||||
Summary
At the end of the year 2084, Carleton Moreau hires four skilled runners—Alkali, Lady Argentum, Delphi, and Thunder to protect his sociopathic billionaire brother-in-law, Thurson Bernard Howell VII, during a trip on the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul. Their hidden mission is to awaken the Free Spirit of the old Orient Express by performing a ritual involving six stolen artifacts.
Disguised as bodyguards and servants, the runners solve a murder mystery, thwart an assassination attempt, and swap the artifacts for fakes. As the train reaches Sinaia, they perform the ritual and successfully awaken the spirit, which promises swift and stealthy travel between Paris and Istanbul.
In the aftermath, the runners reflect on their seamless teamwork, they anticipate future adventures, now with the unique opportunity of traveling on a free-spirit train.
Background
Carleton Moreau has been awakening spirits which enable quick and stealth transportation along song-lines. The old Orient Express is next in turn to enable that kind transportation between Paris and Istanbul with a few possible stops along the line.
The Meet
Carleton has hired Alkali, Lady Argentum, Delphi, and Thunder through their respective fixers and invited them to his office in the Zephyr-South building. Armed with a huge platter full with delicious Sandwiches from Redmond Delicatessen up for grabs, he explains that the runners are expected to desguise as body guards and staff of his sociopathic Billionaire brother in-law Thurson Bernard Howell VII, during his trip on the Orient express between Paris and Istanbul. While it is utterly important to body-guard Thurson and keep him safe, Carleton explains that the hidden agenda is to awaken a Free Spirit of Man which is the old Orient Express, once the current Orient Express reaches Sinaia (Romania). In order to awaken the spirit, the runners will have to perform a ritual which requires six artiffacts that are transported from France to Romania on the same train they will travel with Thruson. So, the runners are tasked with stealing the artiffacts before they can perform the ritual. As an extra perk, the runners are offerd 5 000 Nuyen bonus from Carleton's wife Virginia who has a bet going against her brother, above mentioned Thurson, about who will figure out the murder history which will take place on the regular orient express during the trip. (note: Virginia will not even be travelling on the train-trip). The runners accept the jobs.
The Plan
The runners plan to produce fake artifacts which will be switched with the originals. They plan to take turns guarding Thurson while figuring where the artifacts are kept and hopefully find or create a window of opportunity to break-in to wherever or whataver they need to in order to obtain the artiffacts. With the artifacts in their posessions, Alkali should be able to perform the ritual, as close as possible to Peles Castel, where anoter ceremony will be held. The ideal time for awakening the spirit is supposed to be as soon as the mundane ceremony finishes.
The Run
In Paris, a lucky incident makes the runners "solve" the murder mystery. The runners travel with Carleton and Virgina in Caletons plane, where they are put up in a luxury hotel the day before the adventure on the Orient Express is supposed to begin. They decide to go to the Moulain Rouge and enjoy a good time. Thuder wants to make sure the expreience will be exceptional and contacts Victor Chekov, whom Thunder helped when he put up his successful play called Spectacular Spectacular, in the hopes that he can get them him and his friends on the guest list or put in a word for the group to get a great table. Victor is very helpful and does not only agree to put in a good word for a great table at the Moulain Rouge, but also reveils that he has written the murder mystery that will be played on the Orient Express, and that Colonel Moutrarde was the murder (in the club car with the iocane powder). That was a lucky strike. So much work saved just because the runners decided to party in Paris.
The Horizon producer is hungry for PR. The next day, the runners are picked up by a Rolls-Royce Phaeton, in which Thurston is already a passenger. This is the official start of the personal protection job. A short trip later, they find themselves in front of Gare de l'Est, where they are expected to board the Orient Express. As soon a Thruston gets out of the car, automatic fire blasts into the wall just behind him. The runners immediately recognize an assasination attempt. Lady Argentum chaises towards the source of the bullets in a building across the street, while Thunder shields Thurston with his massive body. Alkali summons a spirit to support the counter attack, and Delphi searches icons of potantial assassins and their weapons on the matrix. The counter-attack and protection is a success. Nobody gets hurt. In the immediate after-math, Lady Argentum finds the physical evidence of a remote controlled rifle. Delphi is able to trace the operator to a local shadow-runner and the team gets suspicious that the producer of the Horizon reality show which is suposed to be filmed on the Orient Express staged a fake assassination attampt in order to generate more interest in the production. This is confirmed by Delphis interrogation of James Thaseus Carnburrow, who does not admit to his wrong-doings, but looses composure in a way that betrays him, during her interogations.
Getting their hands on the artiffacts Rather sooner than later, after the train takes off from Paris, the runners hear a loud scream from the club car, when the theatrical murder for the murder mystery played on the train begins. Since every person on the train, including the driver, is now in the club car, the runners realizes that this is a perfect time to try to steal the artiffacts and switch them for their counterfeits. With the help of spells and spirit searches, Alkali and Thunder locate the artiffacts in the front transportation car. While Lady Argentum guards the pricipal and buys additional time for the rest of the team through spotless acting of grief and blame, Delphi takes control of the drones in the transportation cars, so that Alkali's task-spirit gets inside to swap the artiffacts. The operation goes well. With the artiffacts in their posessions, the runners have a relaxes journey until they reach Sinaia, where they perform the ritual.
Awakening the free Spirit of Man of the Orient Express In Sinaia, Lady Argentum protects the principal who goes to Peles Castle for the opening ceremony of the exhibition at the castle. Alkali and Delphi go to the bend of the train tracks which is closest to the castle, because this is where the magic will be the strongest when the mundane opening ceremony at the castle finishes. Thunder guards that no trains, people or other potential threats to the summoning ritual get within 30 meters of the place where the free spirit is supposed to awaken. As Lady Argentum signals that the mundane ceremony is finished, Alkali performs the ritual with the assistance of Delphi, and Thunder whitnesses as the free spirit awakens and materializes. The scene can be seen from the castle, and the amazement from the bystanders can be heard for miles.
The runners bribe the spirit with coal and a signed hardcopy of a mystery book and negotiate their bargains. Alkali celebrates the spirits awakening with the spirit who can't wait to go full speed to Paris and finally move after slumbering for so long.
Anyone who whitnessed Alkali projecting and travelling on a free-spirit train sure had the sight of their life.
Aftermath
The runners team-worked as if they had worked together for many runs, even though this team was a first-time-constellation. Aside from a few train rides on a Free Spirt Train, who knows what adventurs lay ahead of this team?
Rewards
Deadly TL - 20 RVP X 1.2 time multiplier 24 RVP
20,000¥ and/or up to 40,000¥ SINs, skillsofts, pilot programs, weapon personalities,
foci up to availability 18 (10 RVP)
10 Karma (10 RVP)
8 CDP (4 RVP)
2 CDP (Base)
5,000¥ StarKaf-Horizon paydata side quest.
Optional contacts: Carleton Moreau C5L1 (5 RVP), Genevieve LaCroix C4L1 (4 RVP), The Orient Express Ghost Train C6L1 (6 RVP)
Optional qualities: