Shadowrun: Awakenings

[Slade]

This is the journal log of a one-on-one Shadowrun game I am running.

Stay tuned for the show!

Edit: feel free to post comments as it goes along.

[Slade]

Seattle, January 27th, 2072, 3:34 AM

*zzzt* *zzzt* *zzzt* *zzzt* *zzzt* goes the commlink. A hand goes in search of the annoying thing, slapping down on the nightstand.

Finally, the hand find purchase, and seize the buzzing, vibrating thing. The hand brings the 'link up to the guy's face. He ignores the sender, just stares at the chronometer display. 3:34 AM.

He clicks the chirping thing on. "Someone better be dead," he answers, his throat a bit dry from the 5 hours or so of good sleep he got so far.

"Is that how you greet your boss?" the voice on the other side says.

"Richard." the man in the bed says. "Why are you calling at this time of night?"

"This time of night? Its 7:30!" the voice is hiding a hint of sarcasm.

"In Boston. Its 4 hours earlier over here, ****." he says, to tired to hide the insult.

"Oh, I must have forgotten. My apologies."

"Uh, huh. Now what is the reason you woke me up from a nice dream involving a boat, the Bahamas, and a bikini team?" the man in bed asked.

"Ok, all serious now, Pete. I talked to the board. They are on with this. Project CAINE is a go." said Richard.

Silence was all that was being exchanged, and it spoke volumes.

"Does Samantha know about this?" Pete asked.

"No, I told her to stay off of this one. But you will have to stay under her radar; she is a keen one."

Pete sighed. "Ok. I will get the ball rolling."

"One more thing, Pete."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"The board is expecting delivery at the end of the year."

"I can have it in six months..."

"I know, but I "undersold" so you have breathing room. Plus if you get it sooner, you can get a substantial quarterly bonus..."

"I get the hint, ****. I mean, 'Richard'. No need to dangle anymore carrots."

"Good. Now, Pete, don't screw this up." The connection went dead, and Pete, which was short for Peter Thorpe, just looked at the chronometer. 3:39AM.

"Drek." was all Pete could muster. A form stirred beside him.

"You know you could get that thing installed in your head and make your life easier." she said.

"No chrome for this dome." he said, tapping the 'link to his head, balding from age. He was laying in bed still, trying to go back to sleep. The news from Richard did have him get excited.

"At least, it would it make my life easier. I wouldn't have to hear the thing buzz." she lamented as she rolled over. Mrs. Thorpe had her Commlink installed inside her head. And she could turn hers off.

"Your plight is noted, Marylyn, my dear," Peter intoned as he got up. "Lights on." he said, causing the overhead lights to come on.

"House, start Mr. Thorpe wake up routine 1." he said yawning, and he slipped on his matching housecoat and bunny slippers. The smarthouse started the coffee and got a shower going, and downloaded all of the daily information that Peter used to start his day.

"Leave me the car!" Mrs Thorpe said, looking at Peter as he shuffled out the bedroom door, shutting it behind him.

"I'll take a Johnnie cab," he mumbled before shutting the door behind him, starting his day, 3 hours early.

"Lights off," Marylyn said as she laid her head back down on the pillows. "And turns the lights off, you oaf." she mumbled as she dozed back off to sleep.

[Slade]

3 days later...

Mr. Thorpe was sitting at his desk. He was using AR shades, scrolling past numbers, facts, and figures, looking at the bottom line, and different ways to reach that number.

A call came in, and Peter recognized the sender.

"Doctor!" Pete said, as if surprised.

"Thorpe, you sent message of good news?"

"Yes in deed. You know that project you sold me on all those years ago in college?"

"The CAINE project?"

"The same. The board agreed, its been green lit. We are go for CAINE."

"Yes! Great! Wait... whats the catch?"

"We have 6 months to prototype."

"What? I said a minimum of one year!"

"I know, I know. But the board thinks something is looming on the horizon. They want the prototype to work out the bugs..."

"I will NOT have bugs, Pete. But I will need some help on this one. I know of some grad students and Doctors I would like to bring in on this."

"Send me a short list, and a long list. I got the budget for help on this one. What with the decreased time frame." said Peter.

"Great. So, dinner at your place of choice, my treat?"

"Needle. The only place to celebrate this thing!"

"Hah! I knew you where going to say that. See you there."

The line went silent then, and Peter was left with his thoughts. This was a big deal. This thing was worth millions in potential revenue to NeoNET. But it required several things to go right, once the board approved the expense. And a big expense it was...

[Slade]

1 month later...

Somewhere in the Boston Matrix grid......

>> 1 message in queue
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password excepted.......
>> Welcome Richard Villers....

>> Begin decryption algorithm
>> Processing, please wait............................
>>
>>
>> Message incoming....

Greetings Richie.

Haven't called you that since college. Sorry for the crudeness of this message, the Matrix boys on the staff whipped up this little commlink program for me to talk to you off the record.

As for a project update:
Our lab is being converted nicely. The underground facilities in the Redmond Barrens provides a nice cover. We even got a local gang to provide cover for "their" side of the fence. Pretty sweet deal for them too.

Anywho, the living quarters are up and humming, and the fusion generator is running at a nice steady 70%. Using prefab and recycled housing saved time and money. Score one for you suggesting the cargo container idea.

The science guys are moving in next week. I gave lead doctor headway to design the lab HIS way. Hopefully, it will not be TOO complicated. Our resident wage mage is coming in a few weeks from now. Since the job skills required for this are limited, we had to use Corporate records to find a suitable candidate. He agreed as soon as I showed him the compensation package. *sigh* I wish I was getting that much...

Since all of the components will have to be had crafted on site, that gives us an advantage in keeping the records "Clean" of our passing. We will pick up the raw supplies at our (as in the company's) local bio-tech supply offices, then further process them on-site.

Talk to you in another month, Richie. Ha, one last time.
-Petey

>>Message delete? Y/N
>>Y
>>Message will now disappear.....
>>5...
>>4...
>>3...
>>2...
>>1...
Message Deleted....
System Formatting.....
>>_

[Slade]

2 months later...

Somewhere in the Boston Matrix grid......

>> 1 message in queue
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password excepted.......
>> Welcome Richard Villers....

>> Begin decryption algorithm
>> Processing, please wait............................
>>
>>
>> Message incoming....

Greetings Richie.

Well, another month has ticked away, and now the lab is operational. Our bio-sciences boys have started to fab the parts for the project. Our resident wage mage has astrally secured the place, and began his part of the operation.

We had some money left in the budget (thanks for that, BTW,) so we went ahead and added an arms fabrication wing, and got an boost to our Matrix Server System. We now expect to add an AI "watchdog" to the unit. Our Matrix guy says that the unit can now be fully free thinking, while the AI keeps an eye on the unit. That opens another avenue of research.

We have had to beef up our security. Don't want any outsiders poking their heads in. We have given our "local talent" some extra funding to keep guys around for longer. Don't care much for these orks and trolls, but at least they know how to follow through on their end.

The doctor and the mage have been sampling the prospects; out of the 1300 we started with, only 50 remain. I do not know what the mage wants in this person, but the doctor has explained what he needs.

He needs some kind of genetic marker and phenotype that is present in only .01% of the population. Out of all of Seattle, that only leaves 50 people in all of Seattle that qualify. Hope we can find our test subject. I really hope we can find another one in case the first one dies!

Gotta get back to the grind. Regards, Pete.


>>Message delete? Y/N
>>Y
>>Message will now disappear.....
>>5...
>>4...
>>3...
>>2...
>>1...
Message Deleted....
System Formatting.....
>>_

[Slade]

3 months later...


Somewhere in the Boston Matrix grid......

>> 1 message in queue
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password excepted.......
>> Welcome Richard Villers....

>> Begin decryption algorithm
>> Processing, please wait............................
>>
>>
>> Message incoming....

Richie,

Not much time to send this.

The weapons and armor guys have some new prototypes to test, I wanna watch. They look promising, might be able to send you the specs and sell it on the open market next year.

No security breaches to note, which is good. Although I am getting calls from Samantha. Yes, your Samantha. I've told her nothing, but you need to get her off my back for now.

On a happy note, our test subject was brought in, and is undergoing the treatment. Should have some good results soon.

Got to go,
Pete.

P.S. That wage mage is creeping out the guys (me included). I can't wait for him to be done with this.

>>Message delete? Y/N
>>Y
>>Message will now disappear.....
>>5...
>>4...
>>3...
>>2...
>>1...
Message Deleted....
System Formatting.....
>>_

[Slade]

4 months later...

Somewhere in the Boston Matrix grid......

>> 1 message in queue
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password accepted.......
>> Welcome Richard Villers....

>> Begin decryption algorithm
>> Processing, please wait............................
>>
>>
>> Message incoming....

Richie,
The boys have done it. The new weapon system is actually meant to be inside the unit! And it works! The weapon I mean.

Also, the armor guys designed subcutaneous armor system that works like a chameleon suit! I love it!

And the last of the new toys: the AI VISAM. It stands for
Virtual Inventory Systems Analytics Module. This thing is the watchdog program that I was talking about. This thing is neat. It will be making us money once we get the bugs worked out of it. And give it a personality that is something other than "Harsh" and "Blunt".

Our Matrix guys where thinking military contracts, so they gave it the demeanor of a marine corps drill sergeant. Not going to sell well to the 13 year old girl crowd.

The test subject is about to be "rebuilt" into the project. It has been undergoing hypnotherapy and electroshock muscular rebuilding therapy to grow the muscle and bone that it needs to anchor the implants.

The next report will have the outcome in it.

As an aside, the guys are reporting strange occurrences. They see things that are not there, even going so far as claim "ghosts". None of these can be confirmed of course, and our mage has checked things to make sure that nothing is getting in. He says that are not.

I do not know anymore. I have not seen any of these, but... there are too many to dismiss. I don't know.

-Pete.


>>Message delete? Y/N
>>Y
>>Message will now disappear.....
>>5...
>>4...
>>3...
>>2...
>>1...
Message Deleted....
System Formatting.....
>>_

[Slade]

4 months and 1 week later...

Somewhere in the Boston Matrix grid......

>> 1 message in queue
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password accepted.......
>> Welcome Richard Villers....

>> Begin decryption algorithm
>> Processing, please wait............................
>>
>>
>> Message incoming....

Richie,
Sorry for the short time between updates, but this is too big to wait.

It works. Our prototype works. It works like it should, better than it should. It is recovering for now, we expect to put it into cryo afterwords. We will begin the process on #10. (the first 9 where proof of concepts).

-Pete.

>>Message delete? Y/N
>>Y
>>Message will now disappear.....
>>5...
>>4...
>>3...
>>2...
>>1...
Message Deleted....
System Formatting.....
>>_

[Slade]

5 months later...

Somewhere in the Boston Matrix grid......

>> 1 message in queue
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password accepted.......
>> Welcome Richard Villers....

>> Begin decryption algorithm
>> Processing, please wait............................
>>
>>
>> Message incoming....

We had our first accident this time. 2 weeks after #9 was a success, one of the weapons guys had a misfire on one of the guns. It killed him instantly, shrapnel embedding into his chest and ripping his heart to shreds.

As if that was bad enough, about 3 days later, his corpse gets up off the morgue table, and kills one of the bio-geneticists. One of our security guys wasted the thing that was the victim. I assigned her to do an autopsy on the weapon guy killed. I do not know what to think anymore.

I grilled the mage and demanded to know what happened. He didn't have an answer for me. He ignored my questions later.

We are all working on autopilot now, none of us knowing what to think. An accident we can handle; accidents happens. But this... this is not what we signed up for. Any of us.

It is my recommendation that projects #9 and #10 be finished, shipped to an undisclosed location with all necessary equipment needed for it, and this lab be abandoned. I know the start up capital that was sunk into it was well over 40 million; projects #9 and #10 will more than pay for it.

-Pete. At least, I think I am Pete.

>>Message delete? Y/N
>>Y
>>Message will now disappear.....
>>5...
>>4...
>>3...
>>2...
>>1...
Message Deleted....
System Formatting.....
>>_

[Slade]

6 months later...

Somewhere in the Boston Matrix grid......


>> 1 message in queue
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password rejected!
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password rejected!
>> Please Enter Password:
>> **Password**:_ **************

>> Password rejected!
>> Presidential override accepted...
>> Welcome Richard Villers....

>> Begin decryption algorithm
>> Processing, please wait............................
>>
>> error, trying again....
>>
>> error, trying again....
>>
>> Message incoming....

I don't know what to think anymore. Now I am seeing the apparitions. 3 more deaths this month. The lock down is killing us one by one.


>>Message delete? Y/N
>> Y
>> Message will now disappear.....
>> 5...
>> 4...
>> Deletion interrupted!
>> System corrupted!
>> Presidential Emergency Override initiated...
>> Deleting System files...
>> Wiping root directory...
>> Frying storage media....
>>_

[Slade]

OOC:

For those reading along, something has gone horribly wrong with Project CAINE.

But what? Who knows? Only Richard Villers, President and CEO of NeoNET knows that anything is wrong, as the Lab was operating on radio/matrix silence.

But now what? With 50 million nuyen to account for, he doesn't know what is going on in Seattle, and he made sure that Samantha was "hands off".

So... he has 6 months before the board demands to know where the 50 million has been shipped off to.

Now the adventure begins...

[Slade]

You... awake. No, more like... realize... the you are awake. The sensation... is it like being born? Is it that point in the life cycle when a fetus becomes a baby?

Your realization is... foggy... dark... cold... wet...

You then... become aware. Are you? Is this a dream? What is a dream?

What is this? What are you? Suddenly, you scream.. but no sounds assault your ears...

Its loud! Its cold! Something is making noise! So much noise! What is this racket?! Why must it....

It stopped. Nothing. Nothing but the cold... the dark... Nothingness... Non-existence... but I do exists... I want to exists... where is the noise? Why has it stopped? What is this?

*CLICK... CLICK... CLICK CLICK CLICK...* What is that? What is that? That.. that... noise?

Is that what sound is? Why is this happening? *CLICK CLICK WHIRRRRrrrzzzz.......*

AH! WHAT IS THIS?! BURNING! CUTTING! THIS IS PAIN! AHH... EVERYTHING IS SO BRIGHT! SO BRIGHT IT HURTS! AHH.....

*CLICK, WHIRR, HUmmmmzzzzz......* Ah, no more. No more pain. What now? What is this I am seeing?



>>MASTER BOOT RECORD: Engage.......................
>>................................................ ......................
>>BOOT SECTOR ENGAGED!
>>BIOS_SYSTEM ONLINE!
>>BEGIN SYSTEMS INTEGRATION>V I S A M initiated.....
>>................................................ .............................
>>................................................ ....................................
>>VISAM initiation complete.
>>VISAM Online.
>>Begin system diagnostics, full scan.
>>Sub-processor-09 scanning. All systems operational. ERROR! No data present, continuing with diagnostic.
>> ERROR CODE: 999: No data in Sub-processor-09. Report filed.
>>Continuing diagnostic..............................
>>VISAM_BIOS_SYSTEM online.
>>Sub-processor-09 BIOS_SYSTEM online.
>>Beginning Commlink boot system............................
>>Commlink Online, all systems optimal
>>CAINE-09 Firewall: Online
>>CAINE-09 Operating System: Online
>>CAINE-09 Network System: Online
>>CAINE-09 VISAM_INTERFACE_BIOS: Online
>>CAINE-09 NEURAL NETWORK SYSTEM: Online
>>Boot Successful! Beginning Hardware POST and diagnostics..............
>>Audio System............ Online!
>>Visual System............ Online!
>>Navigational/ Directional System............... Online!
>>Audio/Visual/Nav_Dir_System Interfacing............... Online!
>>Begin Physical Enhancement Systems POST and integration...............
>>Trunk Systems............... Online!
>>Ambulatory Systems............... Online!
>>Emergency Overdrive System............... Online!
>>Offensive Engagement System............... Online!
>>Stealth System............... Online!
>>Auto-Neural Stimulation Systems............... Online!
>>Vehicular Override System............... Online!
>>Auto Targeting Smart System............... Online!
>>Calibrating Auto Targeting Smart System............................................ .
>>Calibration Successful!
>>Final Systems Check:............................................ ............
>>................................................ .........................................
>>................................................ .........................................
>>.........................Systems Check Complete..........................
>>ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE 78% utilization.....
>>SYSTEMS POWER ON SELF TEST COMPLETE
>>POWER CYCLE: COMPLETE
>>EXECUTE: A W A K E N
>> A W A K E N
>> A W A K E N
>> A W A K E N
>> A W A K E N
>> A W a k e n..........


**The character awakens to see hundreds of tubes embedded into his flesh while suspended in a nutrient bath**

[Slade]

The character awakens. He sees the tubes, and bangs on the lid of the tank he is stuck in. HE struggles against it... then a surge of strength courses through his arms, sending the lid flying across the room.

He looks around and notices he is in a red tinted room; the red tint comes from the emergency lighting and that he is in some kind of medical room. The tubes keep him from moving around much; so he tries to remove them.

Ouch! Some of them are EKG nodes, but some of them are IV needles; those hurt. Then suddenly, green text flashes across his sight and the tubes begin to retract out of his body, quite painfully. Then a big one in the back of his head disconnects. Pain shoots through his body as it does; then the tank rises up, while he is stunned from the pain, and unceremoniously dumps him onto the ground, nutrient goop and all.

When his head clears, he is laying there bare nekkid on the ground. He gets up and looks around. He is in some kind medical lab, and tries to leave, having to use troll sized rib spreader to get some leverage on the door.

He then looks out into the hallways, a red-tinted scene of chaos. The hallways are scored with burn marks, bullet holes, and explosions, dead bodies and body parts litter the floors (and some times the ceiling as well).

Finding a dead body to loot, he was able to salvage a colt man hunter, a set of pants, his boots, and a cred stick. Further on, he discovers another dead body... who begins to move. The dead guy takes a lunge at our hero, so, he plugs a round into his chest. Which doesn't stop it.

Deciding to investigate this further, he was able to sever this guy's arm, and it didn't bleed, instead, black inky goo seeps out of the stump. So, our hero beats the guy to death with his own arm. Ah, Shadowrun.

[Slade]

Our hero is creeped out by the black gooey blood, but decides to investigate the room where the zombie dude was at.

It was a security desk, and the security guard was present. Too bad he was ripped to shreds, possibly by the zombie. After retrieving his cred stick, he found a stun baton, some power cells for the baton, and the guard's computer (like a commlink, but more work friendly).

The guard had noted the very odd disturbances in the facility, but didn't elaborate further.

Our hero got a bright idea to swap batteries out on the computers, so that he could read Doctor Zombie's computer.

It noted that, yea, weirdness goin down, and that Project CAINE was a success. He wanted out badly.

Investigating further, he discovers about 5 unused and clean labs, then in one very secure lab, he finds a Cyberware nano-forge (the thing used to make very expensive delta grade cyberware).

He also finds a lot of power cells used in the creation of said cyberware, and it is compatible with the slate computers he found. So, he grabs one, pops it into the guards computer.

He tried to link up with the facilities network (servers are down) to no avail, and when he scans for any wireless signal he eventually find one, he connects to it..... which turns out is himself!

When he does connect, a large booming voice rang in his head, suggesting that he doesn't, along with the text:

>>Outside Connection wishes to be made. Do you Y/N?

He blinks to himself for a minute trying to figure out what in the hell that was. He decides to ignore the LOUD BOOMING VOICE and proceed anyway.

He does, and he connects with the Guards commlink. He quickly goes through the information, and finds:

Day and time, and A MAP TO THE COMPLEX!!! And that's all for now (the need for sleep took over)...

[Slade]

Seattle, UCAS, August 15th, 2071, 3:34pm, 4 meters underground, NeoNET black bag facility

So, now our hero knows the where and the when, now hes gotta figure out the why and how.

The where is a NeoNET black bag cybertech and biotech research, design, test, and implementation facility. The kind of stuff the rest of the company doesn't want to know it exists.

And that it is located 4 meters underground in Seattle, Redmond district.

The when is August 15th, and it is 3:30pm or there about.