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[PILOT] Seattle
Well that went to hell quickly, didn't it?
A million little cubes of safety glass are dancing across the dashboard as the hot lead slugs pound into the rear of your rented SUV. You hear a car horn's pitch switch from sharp to flat as you careen in front of an oncoming civilian trying to get on the Free American™ Seattle Washington private highways leaving the city. Josine is bleeding out from a gunshot wound to the chest in the back seat of your car... By all accounts, he should be dead by now — he won't make it out of the city, and there's really nothing you can do to change that at this point.
Let's back up a minute... You hooked up with Kore in Seattle a few hours ago. He was locked in a janitor's closet in an old apartment building a few miles south of downtown core. He put a few tracers out on the IPs Alex had, and located your target within a few minutes... It's almost like he wanted to be found... Em, you introduced Utseo to Kore, didn't you? Where did you know this guy from?
So back into the moment — Kore is with you. He's got his head down, and he's scrambling to think of a way to get everyone out of the city. Why don't you like Kore, Alex? You're gunning it uphill, leaving the canyon of skyscrapers in the rear-view mirror, with a convoy of black corporate SUVs closing on you quick. They're just peppering bullets on you right now. Utseo, who's driving — and why are you suddenly really worried about that choice?
A million little cubes of safety glass are dancing across the dashboard as the hot lead slugs pound into the rear of your rented SUV. You hear a car horn's pitch switch from sharp to flat as you careen in front of an oncoming civilian trying to get on the Free American™ Seattle Washington private highways leaving the city. Josine is bleeding out from a gunshot wound to the chest in the back seat of your car... By all accounts, he should be dead by now — he won't make it out of the city, and there's really nothing you can do to change that at this point.
Let's back up a minute... You hooked up with Kore in Seattle a few hours ago. He was locked in a janitor's closet in an old apartment building a few miles south of downtown core. He put a few tracers out on the IPs Alex had, and located your target within a few minutes... It's almost like he wanted to be found... Em, you introduced Utseo to Kore, didn't you? Where did you know this guy from?
So back into the moment — Kore is with you. He's got his head down, and he's scrambling to think of a way to get everyone out of the city. Why don't you like Kore, Alex? You're gunning it uphill, leaving the canyon of skyscrapers in the rear-view mirror, with a convoy of black corporate SUVs closing on you quick. They're just peppering bullets on you right now. Utseo, who's driving — and why are you suddenly really worried about that choice?
Comments
Alex is driving, and I'm worried because we could use him running interference, flicking traffic lights, diverting authorities, anything other than driving this drek rental. Glad I used a pseudonym for this one, the insurance won't pay for this "act of god".
"Stay down, Em!" I say loudly, not screaming. I get an idea. "I'll be back in a minute, Alex, keep moving!"
I've already lowered my window, I fired an entire clip at them just seconds ago. I reload with a flick of motion, then I'm climbing up on top of our roof. Once I get my feet, I'm going to take a two step jump and do a diving kick off the top of this damned SUV into the passenger seat of the black corp vehicle right on our tail.
The plan after that is mostly fluid, too many variables. But the gist is, I take out the driver and any other passengers, hop into the driver's seat and start running interference.
Why don't I flying kick the driver, you ask? Steering wheel, for one. Plus, the corp driver most likely won't crash right away, so the SUV will still be on the road when I kick him through the door. Hey, cyberlegs, I've got a hell of a kick, or I shoot him. I'd rather kick him, it's fun. And rolling bodies are damn hard to evade, which might tie up the SUVs behind us.
See? I've got this all planned out.
Cannot BELIEVE Emily said I go off "half cocked". Damnit woman.
I flash on the optic display of my computer rig. There are six SUVs following us. Only one of them is in shooting range at the moment. As soon as we slow down, which is likely to happen, they'll swarm us and it will be over.
One of the cables of my harness snakes out from behind me and connects to the metal frame of the car. I need a bigger broadcast antenna if this is going to work. Even these rudimentary vehicles have onboard computer systems. With the extra broadcast strength, I can reach out and touch them with a power surge. I set the armlet to go into a feedback loop and broadcast the surge to the 6 corporate vehicles behind.
With any luck, the onboard electronics will short out and they'll be forced to stop.
Alex, that shouldn't be too much of a problem — but the inverse square law is working against you here. Why don't you give me a roll difficulty 2 for each corporate vehicle you'd like to knock out?
Emily, you swear you just heard Josine beep — like full on, analog electronics, square wave beep.
What do you do?
I use the shadow of the +Overpass to mask my climb. Once I'm up, I'll use my skills as a Free Runner + to instantly gauge my balance, then pushing forward with my Transforming Cyberlegs, I move So Fast that there's no way they can react in time to my Clever and Unpredictable flying kick.
I'll save my lone Stunt Die for the driver, so that gives me 7 dice.
(Rolled: 7d6. Rolls: 2, 4, 2, 5, 4, 5, 4. Total: 26)
That's five successes.
I hope someone filmed that. It needs to go viral.
"Know" is a strong word. Kore came recommended from one of my Freesage contacts. Seattle was one of the last pockets in North America to cave to corporate branding. Seattle actually passed legislation that bought their freeways from the state, and turned those roads into urban farms.
I was there the day they gassed 5k+ protesters to begin building what would become the FASW highway on the shores of Lake Washington. I helped clean out his and some other Freesagers lungs with non-organic-but-damned-useful hypo.
I'm hunched over with Kore, murmuring rapidly with him in the part tech, part hippie, part revolutionary lingo he uses when I hear the beep. I glance up, assuming it's a piece of tech, but the only thing near Josine is a burnt out key card dupe. I frown, and move low across the SUV to him. It feels rude, but if something's been planted...I begin to pat him down.
Take a stunt die for that awesome description, Em!
Emily, patting Josine down reveals nothing of consequence at first — but you do find a rather recent surgical scar that isn't healing at all. You would expect it to be showing signs of healing, based on how its been sewn up — but it occurs to you that this can't be human. As masterful a duplicate as it is — this is a biodroid, not Josine. And behind that surgical scar, you can hear a subdermal device beeping away.
The biodroid looks at you in a way that screams Josine, from mannerisms to facial expression, and says, "It's not your fault, Em. I'm dying, but it's not your fault..." What does the biodroid tell you that almost convinces you Josine is in there?
I feel strangely calm, as I watch this amazingly accurate facsimile of my old mentor and friend die. I feel the muscles grind in my jaw as I slip a knife from my boot, prepared to cut whatever this thing is, out. I'm taking slow, deep breaths and analyzing the wound for best angle of entry, when he murmurs something that shakes my steady.
"Elster....chatter for me....I always enjoyed your wock-a-wock."
Elster. I had forgotten. Funny, considering I named my label Magpie Entertainment. A thousand reprimands flash through my mind, of how my characters shined just a little too brightly, were a little too memorable. Seeded among those, though, are the half dozen times when Josine was soft with me. Where he called me Elster and I was glad for it, instead of ashamed.
My hand trembles slightly as I reopen his wound.
Keeping the car steady was more difficult than I anticipated. Considering I was building up a counterwave sync distortion while trying to keep a level landing site for Utseo while he ran off to play hero, it's a miracle that the car stayed straight at all.
This is going to take my Burglar skills. I Hotwire the car to connect my Cable Harness while trying to be Quick and letting the cables do the Climbing up the side. I keep my Perceptive nature forward to make sure that the car doesn't roll while I attempt this.
I'm a Plugged In +CultureJammer, which means that before we started this mission I upgraded this vehicle's software with a friend's homebrew. It does a lot of small things, the least of which is elimination the speed cap, but it also uses the onboard GPS, internal compass and dashcam to make a rudimentary autopilot.
Alex, the car is basically on autopilot, but there's a bit of traffic coming up — if you played your cards right, you could get away from your pursuers here. Josine probably won't last that long though, if you wanted to talk to him first... Please give me an untargeted roll to avoid the incoming gunfire (difficulty 2), and (if you like) escape your pursuers (difficulty 4). Be sure to tell us how you do it!
Emily, you haul out your knife and carefully cut away at the extremely realistic flesh, revealing a mess of wires, and carbon composite skeleton — this is absolutely not human, and it definitely isn't Josine. Your best guess, this flesh looks a few weeks old at the most, and it was probably made by Nanotech's facilities in Hokkaido, Japan. The biodroid doesn't even flinch as you dig the tracking device out of his back — it is also of Nanotech origin.
The biodroid looks up at you, and in an urgent, but quickly hollowing voice says, "Public announcements of a museum gala in Buenos Aires say Nanotech execs and Technocrat emissaries will both be in attendance. That’s a rare chance to pump some people for information in a place where they’ll want to keep things civil. May not be many more of these events in the future."
Utseo, you hear Alex's warning go off before the EMP goes out, and you manage to shut the car down fast enough to recover before the other cars. You see 3 of the SUVs beside you suddenly spin out and crash into the walls, their horns blaring. You don't really have time to rejoice though, because the two remaining SUVs blast on past you towards your car.
What do you do?
Oh, the passengers in the back, that was surprisingly easy. After I slammed into the guy up front and crushed his neck, I kicked past him through the small space between the headrest of the front row to snap kick the bald one hard enough to send his head into and partially through the high impact glass of his window. The curly-haired one on the left, I didn't get fancy, I just drew the Predator sidearm out of the pocket of the guy in front with me and fired a couple rounds, head - heart.
Then I grabbed the "oh shit" handle on my side to turn and mule kicked the driver through the door. He never saw it coming. I assume the black SUV was quite a macabre sight afterwards, but it was functional.
Fast forward past the EMP blast and two of them are driving past me. Past me? Not gonna happen. With the driver door gone, I decide to try for a seven - ten split. I wait until their passenger doors are level with the edge of my hood. I grab the wheel and slam it to the right, hoping to ram it into the rear driver's side wheel, then I leap out of the driver's side opening onto the SUV on the left.
Stunt die. All of them. The entire pool. Jeebus, dude. Just....jeebus.
I calmly repeat what the droid has said several times in my head to glue the info as I stare it's frame. I meet its eyes - so fucking close to the real thing. I can almost see the steel that always lurked in the back of Josine's mossy greens. I hear the chaos that Utseo is causing behind me, the crunch of aluminum and plastic, gunfire, death screams. I let it coax out a vicious little part of me, the part that is festering in resentment at my decision, in my loyalty being used against me, and deep, deep down, the dark hatred of this part of my life for making me have to choose between feeling complete and keeping her safe.
I drive the knife back into the droid, prying out its hard drive, my eyes locked with its eyes as they turn into opaque glass.
It may seem a stretch, but my years as a Free Runner + best suit me now. I turn the wheel of the SUV in an Unpredictable and Clever maneuver. Once I feel the crunch, I have to spring with my Transforming Cyberlegs So Fast that the SUV on the left doesn't have time to react. I was lucky enough to time with when a flashing +Digital Street Sign was overhead.
I'll spend a Stunt Die to bring the pool to eight dice.
(Rolled: 8d6. Rolls: 6, 3, 5, 3, 2, 2, 6, 4. Total: 31)
Squeak! That's four, sir.
"No," I murmur to myself as I see the carnage behind me. I hear the grit in Utseo's voice as he braces against the pain of the collision. Another hit like that and it will be over.
Utseo would never know the truth. Unacceptable. I couldn't let that stand, no matter what the cost.
The autopilot on the vehicle was stabilized. I thread a remote control through the vehicle to level it out. I wasn't nearly as balanced as Utseo, but I did have my harness to keep me in the clear.
I looked over at Em with eyes that were sad but determined. I handed her a small memory chip. "She's there, Em. Bring her home, both of you."
I can't look at her face once I hand the device over, or I'll lose my nerve. I'm not heroic like our warrior, but I did make a promise.
I climb out onto the room of the vehicle. I see Utseo's SUV behind. I set the remote to slam on the gas which launches me off the car. My plan is to land on Utseo's SUV and command my Cable Harness to snake off of me and onto him. The antigrav unit is strong enough to bring him to safety, once I slam on the breaks to propel him forward.
I know I'll be left behind, but that's the price of family reunions.
I'll use them both:
This is all Burglar. I do the Climbing up to the car and Tumble off the roof when the gas is hit. I have to remain Stealthy in order to avoid the incoming fire. I had to Hotwire my Cable Harness as it was never intended to actually come off me during a jump. I move Quick and time my jump with my Perceptive eyes.
(Rolled: 10d6. Rolls: 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 1, 6, 4, 2. Total: 25)
7 successes. As I land on the SUV my harness snakes Utseo out of the vehicle and I climb into the driver's seat. "You need to be there for her, Utseo," I say quietly. "You need to be there for them both." I slam on the breaks and watch him sail to safety.
The spinning truck swerves into the path of the second truck, and they collide. The second truck flips end for end — it's rear bumper leaving a small crater in the otherwise flawless construction of the private highways — and both trucks come to a complete stop, right in front of you.
You brace yourself for impact, because it's really all you can do. It still hurts like a bitch, but Em and Alex are safe.
OOC: Utseo takes Condition: Injured.
Or, at least Em is safe...
Em, Alex does some quick adjusting while your digging into the droid, and just when you're getting your bearings, the car slams into high gear — you spot a shadow fly across the pavement behind you, and you're pretty sure it's Alex. The truck is speeding off on Autopilot for the rendezvous with the rest of the group.
Alex, In an amazing feat of aerial acrobatics, you come crashing down onto the undercarriage of Utseo's SUV, and climb down to help him. He's smashed his head on the steering wheel, and he's pretty messed up — but he's alive, and conscious, if a bit slow. There are more trucks coming for you. Dozens.
What do you do?
I command my harness to wrap around Utseo. "You are seriously deranged. Do you know that?" The trucks keep coming. There's no time for both of us to escape. One has to keep the vehicle balanced so the other can make the leap to Em's car. "My harness will get you to safety. Just climb to the roof of the car and jump. The cables will do the rest. I'll keep the car straight."
I still have remote access to Em's car. This will be done with two maneuvers. I'll lower the speed of Em's car just enough so that the SUV can get into position beside it. Then once the harness gets Utseo to the roof of the car, the cables in my harness with latch onto Em's car. Once that's done, I'll remote activate Em's car to speed off at full velocity by disabling the limiter. The harness will disengage from this SUV, and carry Utseo back to Em.
I stare out the hole where the window once was in shock. I'm holding the hard drive, still wrapped in its protective skin like an amniotic sack, the pinkish-pearl liquid of the droid dripping from my hand onto my knee.
What the hell do they think they're doing? They're not seriously going to leave me alone? What the fuck is the point of being here, if they're not part of it? I jam a sticky finger into my ear, jiggling my communicator.
"What the fuck?" That's not what I meant to say, but my heart is in my throat and it's taken over my tongue.
Alex and Utseo, you hear Em's frantic voice come over the comm — the car is a good quarter-mile away at this point. The dozen cars coming your way would be on you, and Em, before it could get back here. If you want to catch up to that car, you're going to have to commandeer someone else's — the alternatives being capture, fighting, or running.
What do you do?
"That was pretty zeng, Alex. Sorry I wrecked the vehicle before your super harness yoinked me to safety." I grin, I'm in my element, this is amazing. I tap my commuicator, "What? We needed a smoke break, Em. Keep it steady, we'll be there shortly. I swear, have you forgotten all the wonderful things we boys can do? Especially when it might impress the likes of Emily Syndrome."
"Alex, here's my plan. I'm going to transform my legs to pull off that door, and then you're going to hold on to this snazzy harness, which really is sleek, my compliments. When one of the SUVs comes by, I'll hitch a ride, and and you keep hold of the harness so you can car surf until I kill the driver and passengers and, you know, clear the vehicle, then I'll reel you in. Sound good?" I'm already moving to the car door, because this is a pretty fantastic plan.
"Do you have, like, a webcam on this gear? This is some really extreme stuff we're doing. I know, I know, super-spies. But still... we could be Em-level famous. Oh, Em, did you get that? I'm still broadcasting, aren't I?"
"Go for it," I replied.
People are going to be shooting at you as you ride this car to safety, so that's going to be difficult... Surfing a car door down a highway, and riding a high-speed vehicle on the roof is going to be even more difficult, though, so I'm thinking you guys need to each make a difficulty roll 5 — Utseo, you're injured... So making this is kind of important for you...
Hit the dice for me!
I give Alex a confidant grin and look back at the SUVs charging forward. This is going to be legendary.
Seconds before the lead SUV zips past, I begin moving. My plan is to board the last SUV, that way my harness can yank Alex along and not throw him into another vehicle in the little caravan. That would be horrific.
I'm going to plug into my ± Edge: Versatility for this one. It's important!
As a deadly Street Samurai +, urban brawls are a way of life. I get the scene in my head. In order to pull this off, I'm using my Metal Legs to run up a +Median Barrier, and with my Martial Arts training, I hit my moving target, the vehicle. Of course, I'm moving Quick and hitting that sucker means I need to Tumble onto the hood. Once that line starts to pull, I must be i>Resilient, because this is going to hurt.
Once I'm in motion, I'm keying into my ever-effective mastery of being a Free Runner +, moving So Fast that they won't catch on to this Unpredictable attack. Damn, I'm so Clever that I realize once I hit, I can use my Transforming Cyberlegs to pincer into the hood and area above the wheels for extra support. That way I won't have the harness yanking me off the hood before I can attach it to the tow hitch on this vehicle so Alex and wind himself in.
Here goes something.
(Rolled: 13d6. Rolls: 6, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 5. Total: 40)
Damnit, I just barely made it! These guys are looking right at me. I've only got seconds to pull off something special!
I'm going to use my ± Edge: Transformation to transform my cyberlegs into a kind of hydra configuration, latching onto the hood while also snapping forward, through the bulletproof glass to take out everyone but the driver.
I'm throwing in a stunt die, too. Re-rolling failed dice from above.
(Rolled: 9d6. Rolls: 3, 3, 4, 1, 6, 4, 3, 2, 3. Total: 29)
Alex, when you're ready, roll them bones to get to the SUV safely. Remember that for an untargeted difficulty 2 roll, you can take out the driver before he can react.
I'm sticking with Burglar. I do the Climbing up to the roof and Tumble as I lunge for the SUV. I do it Quick while keeping my Perceptive eyes trained on the prize. The Cable Harness painted a strong line to my objective.
(Rolled: 5d6. Rolls: 6, 5, 5, 1, 4. Total: 21)