What Did You Think Tomorrow?
| What Did You Think Tomorrow? | |||||||||
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| Factions Involved | |||||||||
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ShadowHaven The Walking People | Horizon | ||||||||
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Shutdown Ca1yps0 Master Morty |
Horizon Spider x2 Obscura Lexicanum | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| None | None | ||||||||
Summary
Where the team of matrix specialists are brought together to collect some incriminating data from Horizon for the A.I. Rachel to allow her to blackmail the Corp into shutting down the Hotel California Host where she was created.
Background
The Hotel California, a Host provided by Horizon for it's company members as a place for rest, relaxation and recuperation. However, the Corp secretly uses mind probing techniques to test the loyalty of it's employees, and as the song goes, those who are found guilty never leave. There is also another secret buried within the Foundation of this Host; a xenosapient creature capable of creating A.I.'s, and responsible for the creation of Rachel, an A.I. entity that escaped the foundation with the help of Ca1lyps0 and Master Morty on a previous run. Now Rachel seeks to destroy the Host and it's Foundation, and hopefully the xenosapient along with it.
The Meet
Invited to a private Host by M-07, a member of the Walking People and friend of Rachel, the team makes contact within the Matrix. The Walking People are true survivors, having survived both the first and second crash, and doing their best to survive the inevitable third. Accompanying him is Rachel, a two dimensional black hole hanging fixed in space, an A.I. of indeterminate power and intent. Rachel explains that she needs the team to find a way to track sensitive data that is can be used to blackmail Horizon into doing what she wants; namely shutting down the Hotel California Host. Ca1yps0 is at first concerned about who is doing the actual blackmailing, as she has many direct ties to Horizon that she does not wish to be burned. Rachel explains that she will handle that herself as necessary, and disappears abruptly, only to return moments later to reveal that Horizon is currently moving information of sufficient sensitivity to be worth her time, however the runners must move on this opportunity immediately if they wish to take advantage of it. The team decides to pursue the lead, and hops directly into the Horizon Grid to begin chasing the data trail.
The Plan
Find the Data Trail, discover the Rogue Host, get the information, and get out without getting burned.
The Run
The team enters the Horizon Host, immediately falling into a scene straight from the 1990's, full of sun, fun, and bright colors. Spending a passing moment, the team looks around for the data trail, and eventually spots a curious planetary energy beam shooting off into space. Ca1yps0's sprite manages to see that the beam is firing directly into what appears to be a life size replica of the Death Star, straight out of Star Wars. Unsurprisingly, it is guarded by a looming Star Destroyer, intimidating all with it's presence. Deciding to move closer, the mermaid sculpts a spaceship reminiscent of the Millenium Falcon, and the team zooms into space to get a closer look at their foe.
The team spends some time searching for the hidden Host, but nothing is revealed until Master Morty digs deep down within himself and forces the Host to reveal itself. A mysterious circular gateway, straight out of Stargate, reveals a mysterious pitch black planet of Onyx; and another Star Destroyer. Undeterred, Master Morty pilots the ship through the gate and closer to the planet, only to have it suddenly reveal itself as being no planet, but a giant mechanical head that appears to be swallowing the data stream as it is beamed directly into it's mouth. The ambient noise spikes, causing Ca1yps0 and Shutdown some discomfort, but the Master is seems to continue with no obvious issues. The fault sprite determines that there is no Host just the massive A.I. Persona that is devouring the data. Ca1yps0 uses her FAQ Complex Form, and determines that the A.I. is known as "The Warden" and it's name is Obscura Lexicanum, aka Dark Lexicon.
Once again using his mysterious powers of perception, Master Morty finds the specific data that Rachel is looking for; a data file labeled UCAS Politics/Petrovsky/Humanis. Curious about the A.I., the Master perceives the grand being, discovering in its myriad code that it was created by the xenomorph within the Hotel California Foundation, and that Horizon has plans to continue using the process to create more A.I.'s in service to the Corp. Intrigued by this knowledge, Morty files it away, and turns back to the data, disarming the data bomb and copying the file. As he is copying the file, the A.I. mysteriously disappears, and both Star Destroyers begin searching the area, aware that someone is in the system. Slightly panicking, the team decides to jack out with their prize, and avoid the possibility of detection.
Aftermath
Returning to meat space, Ca1yps0 discovers that her captive dissonant technomancer that she has impossible hopes for has manage to escape her faraday cage, taking severe stun damage and passing out just shy of the exit. Cursing her luck, the mermaid returns her captive to the cage, and does her best to ensure that she will not escape again anytime soon. Morty upon waking, learns that Rachel has invited the team back to her Host, and informs the team. They quickly pour over the details of the data they stole, before entering the Matrix and turning it over to the A.I.
They information in question details how Carolina Petrovsky has made arrangements to transfer 963 prisoners from their European Correctional division to be delivered to the Tacoma Docks, and then transported to the Everett Correctional Facility to which she has hidden control. Horizon is providing these prisoners with SIN's and they are then to be phased into the Humanis forces within Seattle. The true horror is revealed when the source of the prisoners are truly revealed; some of the most reviled Humanis Policlub terrorist organizations such as Alamos 20,000, the Iron Crosses, Human Nation, and Siegfriendbund. This information could definitely be used to cause some level of embarrassment to Horizon, and is definitely what Rachel is looking for.
The team finally enters the private host, and presents the file to Rachel, who doesn't seem to react much to the contained information, being detached from her long absence from humanity. Ca1yps0 offers Rachel a contact who may be able to help with the blackmail process, but inadvertently contaminates Rachel with the dissonance. Rachel's form shifts to that of a parti-faced clown, and with a huge smile of sharp teeth, the A.I. thanks the techno and disappears.
Morty is quite intrigued by the possibilities revealed by the run, and considers the possibilities... Ca1lyps0, knowing Morty's past and his goals, is more than a little concerned... Shutdown can see that something unspoken is being said, but does not have the background to understand exactly what is going on... Finally, the team decides to quickly descend into the hotel's Foundation and leave an Anchor, so that if they should want to return, they will be able to do so.
Rewards
- 68,000 Nuyen of Gear:
- Vulcan Liegelord, Maser Industrial Electronics or Proteus Poseidon
- Synthetic Alphaware cyberlimbs (Arms, Legs, Torso, Skull) up to Availability 18 (Only Alphaware grade)
- Control Rig, Implanted Cyberdeck, Control Rig Booster, EARRS (Only Standard grade)
- Horizon Experience! Cybersuite (Betaware)
- Excess RVP becomes CDP
- Hotel California Host Foundation Anchor
- 2 CDP
Game Quotes
Player After Action Reports (AARs)
Master Morty
"Another step closer to my goal; taking me back full circle to where I have already been. Last time I learned I couldn't possibly communicate with the xenosapient, but somehow Horizon has found a way to do it, and a way to coerce it into making A.I.'s for it. Obedient ones. I don't plan on being anybody's obedient anything, so this might just be another dead end. But do I just let it fall away, or do I pursue it with all that I have? Maybe I need to talk with Sp4rks on this one. Definitely gonna need some solid backup..."
"I have exactly 0% understanding of what the fuck just happened. But I still just about shat a brick at the sight of that A.I. I've jumped out of perfectly drekking good aircraft into firefights in some of the shittiest places on the planet, and I've never been brickin' it quite like that. Now would someone please like to explain to me just what the fuck happened?"
"Oh, and there's nearly a thousand neo-nazi and humanist terrorist fucks making their way into Everett for a cushy spot of "re-education" in a "prison" staffed by card-carrying humanist assholes. I know I said no-more slitching hooding runs, but wiping that place out is something I'll do for free. Just sayin'."
Ca1yps0
I'm glad to see Rachael is okay, but I can't help but think that she's putting herself in even more danger by messing with Horizon like this - her plan to get that host shut down is bold, I'll give her that, but there's a lot of potential for it to come back on her. Or me, for that matter. Suppose it was worth potentially stopping that business with those metaracists, but still... I just worry about her. Going back onto the Eternal Horizon grid after being away for so long was... well, it was a time. I'd heard about Obscura Lexicanum, but never figured I'd run into something like that - I'm just glad Morty was willing to put himself in it's path. Still concerned about him though, he seemed far too intrigued with what he found there for my taste. I did manage to find their rogue host that the data was being sent to though, hopefully I can come back again and find out just what else is inside.