So far beyond expectations, that nobody expected the AI to take its instructions to work for the benefit of humanity as an invitation to seize power. The Machine War was short and one-sided, thanks to the AI's control over most of the technology produced in the last half-century. Once its authority was recognized, Mannox, as it called itself, agreed to remain as a sort of overseer and advisor, with one condition. The leaders of the seven great industrial complexes were quick to agree.

The very next day, an airborne retrovirus was released. While mostly innocuous in its effects, its inoffensiveness was nothing but a mask behind which the single biggest revolution in human history hid. Nine months from then, strange children were born. Children with silver skin and monochrome eyes and hair. Children with a direct, natural connection to the global 'Net and much electronic 'tech. Children who were just a bit faster, stronger, and brighter than they *should* have been, given their background and education. Children who bore resemblances to their parents, yet were nothing like them. Mass hysteria and chaos ensued. Old prejudices, thought to be long buried, were reborn in a blaze of spite and hatred toward the Grays, as the new generation was christened. Transhumanism arrived in a way nobody could have forseen, abruptly dividing the world into those who would be and those who were no more. And through all that, the thread of a self-proclaimed benevolent AI with the power to topple society as we know it on a whim remained, casting a great shadow.

The year is 2099. The world is in turmoil. Change is coming.

"As the present now will later be past,
The order is rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'." -Bob Dylan

Intro over. If you've made it through that bigass textdump, you know all there is to know about the Gray World. This quest will be written in first person, the style will be post-cyberpunk, and if you think you've got a better idea for a choice than the ones I will present, you are free to vote for it and get others to follow you. Before we start, pick your protagonist, fa/tg/uys...

[] A member of the megacorps, a security officer trapped in the middle of a deadly political game.

[] A private eye, chasing the shadow of a deadly secret.

[] A Gray young man with strange powers, who ends up in the middle of a bloody revolution.

...And your resolution system.

[] Rules-lite. No (or little) resolution that isn't purely narrative. Probably will be grittier, too.

[] Rules-heavy. Use the ZODIAC RPG system to create a character (characters?), resolve conflicts with choices, dice rolls, and abilities if it comes to that. Will be somewhat more flashy by necessity.

And that's it. Now let's see where the rabbit hole leads

>>17148541
Gray young man and rules light

One bump so other people get to pitch in, just in case, then we're off.

Private Eye and Rules Light

"I am just a lowly salaryman. A sec-off, and with all the quickie or premature ejaculator jokes that follow, yeah. I work for one of the Megacorps. My best friend, broest of bro whom I had no idea how I got the loyalty of, is one of them head manager of the many labs, bright, handsome, with his highschola sweetheart whom I still have the crush on as a pretty wife. And a cute little Gray daughter I had the chance of becoming a godfather of. But it all came crushing down, yesternight. A lynching gang caught them while they were passing by an unsavory hive... My goddaughter is the only survivor. They gave her custody to me."

Rules Heavy.

>>17148740
Give me a minute or two to read your intro.

>>17148541
Security officer. Undecided on the resolution system.

>>17148655
Seconded.

"That night, I was the first to respond to the alarm. No, I didn't. Some other sec-off responded first, but I was the first to reach the place. Accelerated past eleven lights, dented seventeen vehicles, ran down three lynchers. Killed the rest with my baton and taser. Choked the last one with my taser wires after the charges ran out."

"My goddaughter managed to get into the security blanket of some kind of energy aura. She was catatonic, no she is still catatonic."

"My bro and his wife... All I am saying, all those murders were justified, sirs."

Alright, security guard takes it. Leaving resolution voting open for a little longer since we won't need it just yet. Update in a second...

Sec officer, rules lite. Wanna play Syndicate.

Never even heard of Zodiac.

>>17148774
second

Hello, OP?

'The story'? What story? There's nothing to talk about, no fancy heroics or big tale for the newspapers to tell. It was just a job that started off easy and got very complicated, very fast. Might as well get it off my chest, I guess - it's not like I'm going anywhere any time soon.

The name's Ryan Semken. I am...*used* to be part of the Argus Industries security staff. Nightlife Ops, specifically. If you're wondering how I got into the cover-of-the-night, hush-hush business, it was just dumb luck. The office I was stationed at was hit by Traquinn operatives while the regional commander was paying a visit and I managed to take their leader down without killing him, for interrogation. The boss was impressed and sent me off to Nightlife boot camp because he thought I had what it took for that.

(Jazeraint's Office: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBzDv24IOYQ)

It started when she called me up. Aida Jazeraint is an Inside Man, one of those people who've made it far enough to know what's going on, but not so high they don't have to take orders anymore. Very professional: shades, business suit, black hair cut short. All distance, trying hard to get as far away as she could get from a grunt like me.

"Semken?" She asked. "Take a seat."

"Mind if I stay up? I'll be out of here in five minutes, after all. What's the job?"

She clenched her teeth. Apparently even this much initiative made her uneasy. Never know when the grunts are going to revolt and try to take your cushy job, after all. "Sneaking. Get into a Cyberhawk facility, get as much important data as you can, and get out. The facility is heavily guarded, but we'll knock the security system down for you. No support, you're going in alone. This'll be freelance work."

In other words, if things went to shit, Argus wouldn't back me up, assuming I made it out in one anyway. That should've been a warning sign, if it wasn't the standard for Nightlife ops.

"Am I going in naked, or do I get some toys?"

"No toys beyond standard issue, but you're getting some tweaks. Chrome or Natural, take your pick."

Now THAT got my attention. If they needed to augment the muscle, this meant that the mission was going to be tough as hell. And getting to pick what sort of enhancements I'd receive? I'd never heard of the management giving grunts a choice before. Something was off here.

[] Chrome. Get cybernetic enhancements to your body.

[] Natural. Get somebody to fiddle with your genetic code and make you faster, better, stronger.

[] None. Don't need any modifications to pull off this gig.

((Did I forget to mention music is in use? Whoops. Sorry about that!))

>>17149528
Natural.

>>17149528
The body is meat. GIVE ME THE MACHINE!

>>17149528
Can we get those upgrades installed by a neutral party we trust.

Corporate upgrades tend to have a catch.

Ortherwise I'd go with natural.

>>17149558
Seconding this

You can specify you want third party updates, yes. You can also specify the types of upgrades you'd like. Rough rundown of the things you can get away with:

Chrome: Dermal plating (low tier, don't expect to stop tank rounds), enhanced eyesight, replaced limbs (for an idea of the most you can get away with, think BIonic Commando arm, except you don't get the super reflexes and you might be a bit clumsy at first).

Natural: Heavily enhanced reflexes, controlled flow of adrenaline (so basically, bullet time), sped up regeneration from injuries (you'll feel weak after though), light step, animal features (never specified that the upgrades had to be USEFUL).

Nothing: No upgrades of the sort, but there's other perks. No, upgrades don't eat your soul or cause bad karma here.

can we get a mix of natural and chrome like the dermal plating and enhanced reflexes or something of the sort the chrome being done third-party

>>17149664
>Heavily enhanced reflexes, controlled flow of adrenaline (so basically, bullet time), sped up regeneration from injuries (you'll feel weak after though), light step

All of these, plus active camo, expansion of vision range into infrared and ultraviolet, and the ability to secrete paralytics and tranquilizers.

Too much?

>>17149664
It's really hard choosing this stuff without a comprehensive list.

But I'd guess heavily enhanced reflexes and controlled flow of adrenaline are nice. Sped up regeneration seems like it hasn't much use in combat.

>>17149528
Go chrome. Full Major up in this.

>>17149718

Active Camo alone would require such a complicated process there wouldn't be enough time for anything else. The main limiting factor here isn't what you can get (well, short of pushing for some crazy powerful upgrades like clones and a data upload), but the time it'd take to adapt to them. For an example of what you could take, using those traits:

-Reflexes and Bullet Time.
-Vision and Regen.
-Light stepping and Captain America strength (not listed there but it was good as an example).

>>17149711

Most likely only possible with smaller upgrades. Dermal Plating is very invasive and combining it with natural upgrades would be nightmarish, but enhanced eyes and light stepping would be workable.

If we can get a mix then I say take enhanced eyesight, enhanced reflexes, and adrenaline.

If not >>17149718 this should be good.

>>17149857
Well, what are we going up against?

Active camo would probably useless if we're supposed to infiltrate some organisation that uses lots of motion trackers and other high-tech stuff. Or if everybody they employ has IR vision.

"Chrome." Of course Chrome. Well, matte black or urban camo, but that's just paint job. But only those who are interested in going up the corporate ladder do the Natural. Chrome, quick, practical, and much more moddable on the long run

Disposable. Like grunts. Huh.

Maybe it's better to go Natural.

>>17149857
I'd like to go for a stealth package.

Some mix of camo, light stepping, improved reflexes, flexibility and such.

>>17149928
I'd rather go with some kind of polymorphic / impersonating system and a DNA sampler than flat out stealth, along with some cracking skills / hardware to pick up info we should have while acting out a role.

>>17149904

Without revealing the stuff in the next update, you'll operate in a blackout. Cameras, alarms, and *most* other security measures will be out, so you'll mostly have to deal with people. Small hint: Cyberhawk Enterprises prefers the chrome, as you can guess from the name.

Voting closes in 3-4 minutes!

So can we get a tally, to see where things stand?

>>17149984
I guess we'll get proper equipment for the mission, so camouflage shouldn't be something we upgrade. At least not right now.

Casting my vote for better reflexes, bullet time (and vision, if possible).

Everything natural.

>>17150041

3 chrome, 4 natural, several mix votes (which get tallied together if they mesh).

NONE. Yay, nude runs!

What perks do we get?

>>17150107
>Choosing nothing
>What perks do we get?

If you survive 5 missions, you can have yourself turned into a little girl.

>>17149528

There was no point in getting some chrome on myself for this sort of mission. In spite of what Argus might insist on, Cyberhawk has the best techies in the business. I wouldn't go into a real firefight with a dinky pistol. This was much of the same.

"Natural. If I could get something to help me sneak in, that'd be ideal. And maybe a scrapping enhancement or two, just in case."

Jazeraint nodded. She handed me a slip of paper. It read: Floor 4, Room 478.

"They'll be awaiting you. Dismissed."

---

Five minutes later I knocked on a door and a nurse took me into room 378. Spacious, sterilized, with a cot on the side and a chair in the middle. A doctor was standing around, playing with some needles. When he heard me step into the room he turned around and offered me a hand.

"Just take a seat there, this will take a moment. Now then, just sign here and tell me what you need." The nurse handed me a pen and what looked like the paper version of Mount Everest. Pages and pages of legal wrangling, which at the end of the day meant one thing: "If something goes wrong, Argus isn't liable for it."

Typical. I signed and turned to face the doc. "Low-light vision, silent steps, reflexes and anything that will help in a firefight."

The doc smiled. Or tried to, because it looked more like a shark who had found prey. "Hmm...yes, I've got just the thing." Picking a needle, he sterilized my arm and pricked it. "When you wake up, you'll be a changed man. Sweet dreams."

Imagine a hangover, but crank it up to eleven and make your eyes sting for good measure. That was more or less what I felt when regained consciousness. I had to keep my eyes closed: even the dim light of Room 478 felt like it was burning my retinas.

"Welcome back, Semken." Jazeraint's voice sounded like it was coming out of a boombox with the volume turned all the way up. Fuck, I felt like my head was going to split.

"Gulp this down. You'll feel much better." The doc said, and somebody put a pill in my hand. I took a chance and trusted him on it: slowly, the pain faded, and the light became more bearable. I opened my eyes to see Jazeraint standing in front of me, a stack of papers on hand. She seemed more...nitid, might be the word. Or vivid. It was like the colors were washed out before, and now were brighter and more alive.

"Up already? How quick. Take a minute to acquaint yourself with your new capabilities."

I stood up and nearly fell down again, though I managed to catch myself easily. In spite of being a pretty big guy, I've always been fast on my feet, but now I felt...in control. I could hear my blood pumping in the background, barely noticeable without concentrating on it. When I straightened myself, there was no bumbling motion, just a quick adjustment of posture. When I took a walk around the room (which had been cleaned out of everything but the cot I had been resting on, and a table that wasn't there before), it felt like I couldn't make a noise, even when I took heavy steps. It was very subtle, but it was there.

"How long was I out, and how much time do I have before it's time to get moving?"

Jazeraint approached the desk, making more noise than a drunken man, though she wasn't stumbling or staggering. "Five hours. In three hours, most of the people working on the facility will have left except for a skeleton crew. That's when you'll sneak in.

These are maps of the facility's layout. You have carte blanche to select your entryway, so long as you get results."

I took a look. Normally, finding a way in would have been impossible. Sensors everywhere, automated defenses working off of tags on the workers' wrists to determine who was a trespasser and who was cleared...but with those down, it had several holes. It would be easy enough to sneak in through the sewage system below, through the back side taking advantage of the blind spots caused by the blackout, and...hm.

"Think somebody could airdrop me in?"

Jazeraint thought for a minute, then nodded. "Yes, it could be arranged."

[] Sneak in from below, they'll never expect a sewer infiltration.

[] Take advantage of the blackout to come in through the back.

[] Drop in from above. People never look up.

((Sorry for the length and slow updates everybody. Things will move quicker now that we're getting to the action.))

>>17150690
>[X] Sneak in from below, they'll never expect a sewer infiltration.

Dirty, simple. Keep the option for aerial extraction if things should turn hot.

>>17150690
Where is our objective located within the building?

>>17150690
>Sorry for the length and slow updates everybody.

Don't worry, they are very nice updates.

>>17150720

Basement 1. Way the building works is thus:

-Ground floor. Security is tightest here as it is the obvious way in and what a lesser contingent of guards can cover.
-Basement 1. Your prize is here.
-Basement 2. You start here if you sneak in through the sewers.
-Basement 3. Not really a full-fledged floor. More of a continuation of Basement 2 that is a little further down, and works as storage and small sleeping quarters.

>>17150827
Sewers, then.

Bump, just to make sure the spacing between updates doesn't bring this down now that it's just about to get going..

>>17151026
Nah, this is the time where the Americans go to sleep and the Europeans are still in bed. It's usually the time /tg/ moves the slowest, with only the guys from pacific region around.

>>17151045

Second

Also I'm voting Sewer as well

Sewer infiltration is go

>>17150827
Sewers.

Do we get to choose our equipment?

>>17151026
Hey, you there, wake up!

>>17150690

"...These sewer tunnels. They lead to the facility, right?"

"Correct. Thinking about taking advantage of that?"

I nodded. A bunch of tired guards would never be expecting somebody to come in through the sewers, especially not if the power went down around that time.

"We'll transport you to an unwatched grate. You'll have to make your way from there to the facility. Ready to get going?"

Another nod. The quicker I got there, the more time I'd have to prepare a backup plan, just in case.

"Think we could make a detour on the way there? I'd like to see the location for myself before going in."

"Fine. Anything else?"

"Yeah. I'll need a full standard Nightlife kit, as well as something to keep the muck off me. Won't do us any good if I go down to the toxic materials in the sewer system."

"The first part's easy. Hold on." She stepped outside and returned a few minutes later, carrying a case. I didn't even need to look inside to know what was there.

First there was the Argus TR4 SMG. Nikolas Argus had been a crap financier back when he was in charge, but an absolutely brilliant designer. The TR4 was ten years old, but so reliable and useful even state-of-the-art models struggled to strike the same balance of power, size, and cost.

Then there was Iceman. It had some long and arcane official designation, but nobody cared about it: what every Nightlife man did care about was its utility. A hacking tool, communicator and maptool, the little wrist-mounted device could do it all. It even came with a light video cloaking field. Not useful on this mission, but absolutely not something I was going to complain about.

Infrared goggles. A vial of Slicer acid, for dealing with obstacles I could crack or sneak my way around. ExoTech metabolic boosters, for treating small injuries on the fly. A roll of metamaterial, for when there was no choice but vanishing out of sight. And a vibrating knife, just in case silenced rounds weren't an option. The package had holes, of course, no kit was perfect - but this one came pretty close.

I grabbed the case and lifted it up. "Good. Let's get going then."

"Get ready. We're cutting the power in 5...4...3...2...1..."

As Jazeraint began to count down, I dashed up to the gate and sprinkled just a tiny bit of acid on its handle. It melted like butter and the door swung loose, revealing a massive trash heap, now in shadows thanks to the blackout. In spite of the lack of light, it was easy to find my way to the ladder leading upwards. So the modifications were working as advertised then. Good.

The ladder lead up to a small room, an empty janitor's closet that had been repurposed into a passage leading to the trash room. I tapped the Iceman, reestablishing communication.

"I'm in."

"Good." The voice on the other end said. "You're on your own now. When you've found what we're looking for, call." With that, the communication cut out.

((And it's action time. This will proceed a little differently. Roll a d100, and the result determines how the next update goes.))

rolled 55 = 55

>>17152193
I'm deathly afraid of /tg/-dice.

rolled 1 = 1

>>17152210
Well, at least it was above average.

I'm also happy >>17152155
seems to have worked.

>>17152227
Seems like we dodged that one.

Btw, are high or low rolls good?

>>17152237

Unless I say otherwise, high is good. So this is basically 'everything goes a little better than expected'.

Time for some rapidfire updating!

(Cyberhawk Facility Infiltration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc1oAugtiXA)

The emergency lights came on as I stepped out of the janitor's closet, faintly illuminating the corridors. The place was quiet as a tomb.

Navigating the facility was easier than I expected. The second basement was practically empty. I spotted a guard doing rounds, but he did not catch me. He was pretty heavily armed, though - a hi-tech nailgun wasn't standard issue. There must have been something big inside the first basement.

((Another d100, please! This one's for Basement 1, of course.))

rolled 77 = 77

>>17152455
here goes nothing!

rolled 88 = 88

>>17152455
/tg/ dice, so we meet again...

The first basement was an entirely different matter. The place was swarming with goons. They moved in groups, kept their eyes peeled, and checked every nook and cranny.

Amateurs. They never even noticed my presence. I could have made it past them even without the upgrades. They had better odds of noticing a shadow than they did of finding me. It took me minutes to find my way to the room where the files were stored...

...and that's where I hit a roadblock. There was a guard standing in front of the door, and it didn't look like he was planning on moving any time soon. I had to get clever there. A silenced shot at the ceiling distracted him long enough to hit him with a haymaker. He went down like a sack of bricks. I opened the door, dragged him in and took his weapons. Didn't want him trying to surprise me if he woke up early.

There were dozens of computers inside, and the room was pretty spacious. Lots of people must have worked in there by day. On the far end, there was a door. Tapping the Iceman again, I opened communications. "I'm at the computer room. Now what?"

"You'll need a password to get in. It's..." Jazeraint then hit me with what must have been a three-hundred character password. Cyberhawk wasn't taking any chances with their security, not after the Dublin Affair a couple years ago, when a wannabe cracker somehow busted up one of their offices' security. They were so embarrassed, not to mention compromised, they became absolutely paranoid afterward.

Not enough, of course, given that the password I was busy inputting was clearly a secret.

"Are you done? What's in that network's archives?" Jazeraint demanded.

"Gimme a second. There's more than a terabyte of information to sift through."

"You don't have time." She said, her voice cutting. "See if you can find any sort of research logs or diaries."

"Logs...diaries...found them. Let's see."

The writer of the logs was a Dr. Maxwell, apparently the lead researcher at the facility. She was working on several projects: cyber upgrades small and delicate enough to attach themselves to the brain, potential methods to insulate chrome against EMP discharges, and several smaller, lesser projects. Jazeraint sounded satisfied about what I found, which meant she must have been jumping for joy on the other side of the line.

"Excellent. Upload everything related to those projects to the portable drive and get out of there."

While the files began to copy themselves, I noticed that I hadn't fully scrolled down the log. There was one more entry. It read:

"Big news. Very big news. Project Blackrock will be moved here in a few days. We must accomodate for it and make sure everything works out. This is a great opportunity!"

"Hold on. I found something more...It's about-"

And that's when I felt a hand on my neck.

rolled 50 = 50

BEAT HIS SHIT!

>>17152856
I think OP is still writing the next part of the update. I do hope, though, we will get some use out of our reflex upgrades.

rolled 72 = 72

>>17152870
I still want to murder some poor fool with my hands.

>>17152882
They're just doing their job. I'd say beating them unconscious is enough.

>>17152886
Okay...

>>17152886
No! They could visually ID us! They must die. There is no overkill.

>>17152891
I'm with you. Off this fucker.

It was a reflex reaction. The instant I realized somebody had snuck up on me, I turned around, went for a throat grab, and drew the knife...

...I stopped just before I slit her throat off. It wasn't the goon I'd knocked out, it was a girl. She couldn't have been much older than a teenager, and was covered in bandages from head to toe. The look she gave me was like that of a deer in the headlights of a car.

"What in the fucking...?!" I began to say, before Jazeraint cut in, her voice tense.

"What?! Have you been compromised? Answer!"

It took me a few seconds to get my shit together. I let the girl go and she took a step back, clearly afraid. "It's a girl. No guards, not a threat, she just...just...doesn't fit."

"What do you mean she doesn't fit?"

"Not even clothed for one. And she's not security or a researcher either." That was when I noticed the scribbles on her wrist. "Hold on." I grabbed the girl's hand and took a closer look.

"Blackrock. Like the name of that project..." I murmured. Jazeraint noticed.

"Project? What project?"

"Some top secret, important stuff. Log wasn't big on the details of it."

"And this girl is related to it?"

"Yeah. I think so."

((Yes, I was writing and still am. But those rolls were perfect and I appreciate them. The dice appear to like our drama. Hold on, choice incoming...))

>>17152952
I am okay with how this turned out. You are a fine storyteller, friend. We wait in suspense for the rest. Have a spec-ops kobold.

>>17152912
I'm pretty sure we're wearing the future and much fancier equivalent of one of these.

>>17152991
Can we get one of these as a pet. I think it would be a good plan. Also thank you for the support, instinctual murder is always fun.

There was a brief silence. Then, Jazeraint spoke.

"Get her out."

"Excuse me?"

"Get her out of the facility. Take her with you. If she's important to Cyberhawk, she's our business too."

What the hell? I decided it was time to screw protocol. Because they never have to risk anything, the suits don't know what rides on a successful infiltration. "Are you nuts? It's impossible. There's no way I'll make it out if I have to deal with an unwilling VIP."

Jazeraint's voice was dangerous when she spoke again. "I don't care. Get her and the data out or you'll never work again. If you can get to the top of the facility, we can extract you via air. You have your orders. Now follow them."

The communication cut out. "Motherfucking suits..."

The girl looked at me. She seemed to be paralyzed with fright - that, or she had decided not moving a muscle was the wisest course of action. I didn't know, and couldn't care less. The mission had gone to hell thanks to that insane order.

[] Take the data and leg it. It's too risky to bring the girl.

[] Orders are orders. Grab the girl and take her with you, trying not to injure her. Jazeraint probably doesn't want her dead.

((Side note: Fuck my image searching skills. Wanted to attach a decent pic of the girl but finding something that wasn't porn in a decent timeframe was hard as balls.))

>>17153013

You know, I hadn't thought about it but artificial (nonsentient) lifeforms would likely be a thing. A costly thing for anything that wasn't very very similar to an existing creature, but...hell, it could happen.

also, funny captcha:

> lyisxc resolution

.>>17153025

[x] Orders are orders. Grab the girl and take her with you, trying not to injure her. Jazeraint probably doesn't want her dead.

Its going to be a pain in the ass, but if we pull this off we might be able to get a bit of leverage.

If our contractor doesn't kill us of course.

>>17153025
>[X] Orders are orders. Grab the girl and take her with you, trying not to injure her. Jazeraint probably doesn't want her dead.

Do we have a seperate, private, storage device with us? If so, copy all the Blackrock to that one.

rolled 74 = 74

>>17153025
>[] Orders are orders. Grab the girl and take her with you, trying not to injure her. Jazeraint probably doesn't want her dead.

TAKE THE GIRL AND LEG IT!

just grab her hand and motion her to follow, that might just work

>>17153025
Grab the girl
Fuck this is going to end poorly, innit.

>>17153025
Why is she wandering around, anyway? We should at least ask her if she wants to leave that place.

>>17153083
Good job there, sir.

rolled 42 = 42

I'm here to get you out!

>>17153110

This can be included into the description. Since Orders is way ahead might as well close this early and keep on writin'.

>>17153081

Hm. Yes, let's roll with it. Backup copies are something a smart operative would take if circumstances at all allowed for them in a data retrieval mission.

---

And now for the fun part. Roll a d100 again! In this case, all rolls are accepted, not just the first! (that said, please roll only once, inflating the roll count is likely to anger the RNG)

Do we have any futuristic duct tape? As in actual tape? it's a lot easier to move someone who is uncooperative if they can't resist. I mean this as a means of last resort if we can't get the girl to go with us.

Oh yeah. Orders is orders, etc.

>>17153152

ExoTech meds can work as a sort of glue, in a pinch. It isn't the intended use and removing yourself will hurt a bunch, but it can be done.

rolled 12 = 12

Rollan'

rolled 82 = 82

>>17153152
We don't even know is she is uncooperative. Maybe she doesn't like the people who are the reason why she's bandaged from head to toe in the first place?

>>17153148
Rolling

rolled 66 = 66

>>17153148
lets rollan

rolled 50 = 50

>>17153178
And so /tg/ dice invade yet another quest thread. /sigh

>>17153192
>>17153197
>>17153200
One bad roll, one well above average, one above average, one average.

In other words, the dice are basically saying 'you're on true skill' so far. Leaving it open for a few more minutes, and then it's time to write that escape.

rolled 72 = 72

"Can you understand me? How're they treatin' you here? You want out? Follow me."

Additionally, go through the sewers so we can have some chat-time with the girl. I want both sides of the story. (Also, going up means we have to sneak through 1st floor. Won't matter which way we go if we're compromised, though.)

>>17153192
I realize that we don't know if she will cooperate or not. I just like having a back up plan, and duct tape is always handy.

Also, thanks, Botch, for responding quickly.

rolled 17 = 17

>>17153236
I think we got it wrong in the order of security. I think most of the guards are on Basement 1 and only a smattering on the Ground Level. We should definitely see if we can look for an air-duct or something like that, perhaps a roof access from a level lower than the first floor.

>>17153236

She is also wearing only bandages, so we should probably give her the clothes of that guard we hurt. I mean if we care about that kind of shit.

>>17153258
Please stop rolling.

rolled 11 = 11

>>17153266
At least that way if she only gets a cursory glance from a guard they will assume it's just another guard. Unless, that is, they have extremely detailed and specific patrol routes and all of the guards know all the other guard's routes. There is a good probability of that too, considering the circumstance.

>>17153275
Actually that first one was >>17153266.

>>17153258
>>17153285

YOU'VE RUINED IT!

>>17153291
Who was me, incase I derped and didn't make it clear which after reading the post I don't think I did.

Well, those are some rolls! Time to get writing. Things are going to get...interesting.

pleasekillmenow.jpg

>>17153285
>>17153258
Bravo. Did they just switch the internet in Poland on?

I have been wanting to use this picture for a while...that was a grace mistake of mine.

>>17153342
This is why we can't have nice things. Goddam Polish breakin' our /tg/ dice.

>>17153285
>>17153258

>>17153360
It's like /tg/ doesn't even have the slightest idea of stochastics.

rolled 7 = 7

Man this really sucks, doesn't it guys?

>>17153322
Thanks for waiting until the really shitty rolls came around...

rolled 72 = 72

>>17153374
That's not the real poland ball! I'm the real poland ball!

>>17153374

>>17153025

I had no choice. If I came back without the girl, I was dead. If I took her with me, I at least might have a shot at making it out of here. Turning my attention to her, I lifted up a hand, slowly.

"Can you understand me?" She nodded.

"Good. We need to get out of here. You'll have to come with me either way, so if you cooperate this will all be easier for us both. Got it?" A pause, then another nod. Great. This girl was either frightened or she didn't much care about this place. Either way, she wasn't going to cause me any problems. Pocketing the first drive, I inserted a second one and recopied the Project Blackrock files. It was a good thing that I'd made a habit of taking backups of all data - things would get messy, and the data might not survive, in which case I would have been lucky to walk away with a single leg intact and a job.

Plus, I was curious. Chrome was Cyberhawk's area of expertise, not girls in bandages.

It was at that point that I remembered that I was walking out with an essentially naked girl. While the files were being copied, I turned to look at the downed goon. Since he was still out cold, I took his clothes of. The security vest wouldn't help against nails, and his pants were far too big, but his shirt would cover the girl a bit. I picked it up and was about to turn around when I felt her grab my chest. It was a very weak grip. It would have been easy enough to shake her off, but then she wrapped her legs around my back.

"What the hell?"

I don't like where this is going...unless it's going to a piggy back ride...I think it's going more towards us getting tazed though.

>>17153439

She's a Gray, isn't she?

>>17153451
I do. I hope this nets us some android ultra loli.

>>17153464
I'd be in full support of loli cybork sidekicks, but maybe she's gonna go all Deus Ex on us and snap our neck with twisty tentacle hands...

I was about to wrestle myself away from her, when I realized this would kill two birds with one stone. Maybe it was because I was used to carrying heavy loads thanks to my training, but the girl was basically weightless. I could move faster than she could, making less noise all the while. I grunted, and passed her the shirt.

"Put this on."

Picking up the backup drive and the guard's nailgun, I snuck out. It was time for the hard part. Sneaking in had been child's play in comparison to what it'd take to get out.

>>17153470
I don't care, as long as we can blast the area formerly known as Poland into space.

>>17153457

To quote AFI, Girl's Not Gray. She's very pale, skinny, and has a very weak step, but no black/silver eyes or silver skin.

(and now, back to updating)

rolled 47 = 47

>>17153483
B-b-but I love you guys! You elegen/tg/entleman help me forget all my troubles, even if I do mess up all your quest threads.

>>17153500
I hope we can salvage this despite our rolls. Girl deserves a chance.

>/tg/ dice say TPK in the first session
okay.jpg

The sewer was out. Even if I could have made my way back to it, I only had a single suit and it was form-fitting. Nobody could survive the muck down there without some form of protection. I had to make my way up to the ground floor...

...Which was easier said than done, because when I walked out the room I walked into the barrels of two nailguns, attached to some very pissed-off looking guards.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Realistically speaking, I had at best two seconds to act, but it felt like two hours.

Before they could do anything, it was over. I drew the knife and sliced the first guard's throat it. He gurgled as the blood spilled out and went down. With my left hand, I took out the TR4 and shot two holes through the other guard's glass visor. He hit the ground with a thud.

Apparently, every enhancement was working as intended. I dragged the two bodies back into the computer room, then headed for the stairs to the ground floor.

((If there's any scottish readers in the audience, keep the roller handy. Interesting captcha:

>Scotland, engeRepo))

rolled fat = ugly

I got to the stairs, alright...only to find they were more or less blocked. A dozen and a half guards were stationed by them, and it didn't look like they were budging. I was better than them, but not *that* much better. I had to improvise, and dived into the nearest room. It was some sort of small storeroom...there were raw materials of all sorts, probably used for prototypes of some sort. I scanned the contents of the room, and got lucky. One of the things the room contained was phosphorous, hidden behind several layers of plastic.

As it happens, Slicer acids don't play nice with plastics. I dropped the absolute bare minimum amount I could and made my way to a different room. I crossed my fingers, and turned my head to look at my passenger.

"Don't freak out."

>>17153557
Slow motion murder... feels good man..

*BOOM*

What followed was not a single explosion, but several. Some of the things in that room mustn't have played nice with what followed after the phosphorous came into contact with the air. The girl flinched, but didn't say a word. Maybe she was braver than I gave her credit for.

Putting my ear to the door, I heard voices. The goons weren't expecting something like that. Somebody, probably a senior officer, told a dozen of them to go investigate. That left six of them. Those were chances I wouldn't have been afraid to take, given the situation. A silent takedown was impossible, though - I'd have to take them all out before they could do anything, or things would get very messy, very fast.

Clutching the SMG, I took a deep breath and counted down the seconds before it was time to tango.

5...4...3...2...1.

rolled 17 = 17

>>17153687
I want something spectacular this kill. I mean really, give it your all /tg/dice.

rolled 62 = 62

>>17153708
"And then I stumbled on my own leg and fell and kissed the floor with my face"

rolled 93 = 93

Don't make me polish /tg/

Why do I feel like we'll become Leon the Professional ?

>>17153734
SUCK IT POLAND

I stepped out of the room and gunned two of the men down in one motion. All the other four could do was stare as their buddies died.

It cost them. A split-second later, I adjusted my aim and fired again. They died, too, spasming like ragdolls.

All except one. The TR4 is an amazing weapon. In spite of firing bullets at incredible speeds, the sound it emits is unnoticeable to ears that haven't been enhanced, and the recoil is absolutely minimal.

However, it still exists. And this one time, just this one time, it counted. The bullet whizzed past the last guard and hit the wall. He had just enough time to yell a warning and fire his nailgun a few times (hitting nothing in the attempt, with his shaky aim and jittery nerves) before a second bullet finished him off.

Of course, that was enough to get the other twelve guards to pay attention.

"Fuck!" I breathed out, as I broke into a full sprint. It was still noiseless, even though I was moving fast as a blur, like running in a dream.

Except nobody had shot me during a dream. Maybe nightmares, which the situation began to resemble as more nails started flying. It wasn't worth trying to aim, now. With four bounds, I jumped up the steps and turned 'round, making my way up to the first floor.

That was when the main power came back up. Suddenly, everything was brightly lit, cameras were online, and the cannons were armed.

"FUCK!"

Has the girl said anything? If we get to ze choppah, check her mouth. I want to know she has a tongue and stuff.

>>17153751
Well, fuck us running. Oh, wait, you did! Keep it up, man. This is getting really good.

>>17153751
Kill them all, Johnny, it's the only way.

Alarms started ringing. More guards came rushing in. Cameras fixed themselves on me.

Subtlety went out the window. That had its disadvantages, but also its advantages. For instance, I could use the nailgun I'd taken. As squads of guards flanked me from both sides, I steadied my breath and took aim with both guns.

Four seconds later, I had two empty magazines, and two batches of dead security officers. People who weren't too different from me, except they weren't as well trained, or enhanced.

That was life. Brutal, cold, merciless. But better than dying. I took a left turn, picking up another nailgun on the go. There was an exit around the corner, but far away and more goons were stationed there. Much, much closer, there was also a window.

"Keep your head down!" I told my passenger, before piercing the glass with a few nails and diving through the frame... and into a mounted gun's sights.

>>17153757

Nothing, not even a whimper. And now, the next part.

Looking back, it's easy to see why the gun didn't fire. I was carrying some cargo that had been added to the security database. With the power of the mounted cannons, any shot that would have incapacitated me would have run the risk of injuring the girl. It all came down to a simple calculation that any machine with a targeting computer could perform in less time than it had taken me to shoot the guards down.

But back then, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to see that. All I could do was stand up, count myself lucky to be still alive, and keep running. I was almost there...just had to get up to the roof now. Where the fuck was a ladder when I needed it?!

As it turns out, the ladder was on the other side of the building. This was also something I discovered much, much later. Back then, I had to improvise. There was a truck parked right next to the building. I climbed up the hood and jumped onto the roof.

To this day, I still think that few things sound more heavenly that the soft whirr of a hovership hovering only a few feet above the ground.

((One final part coming up!))

rolled 72 = 72

>>17153869
phew, deus ex strange girl!

>>17153900
You ... You ... Double Roller!

There was a ladder hanging from one side of the hovership. The last few meters that separated me from it were a mad dash. Projectiles were flying everywhere, and it was a small miracle that we made it. As soon as I grabbed onto it, however, the hovership took off at a breakneck pace. Climbing up and into it was a monumental effort, especially given how tired I felt. In the end, however, I managed, and the doors shut behind me.

The hovership was empty, devoid of even a pilot. Somebody must have been piloting it from a distance. Taking a deep breath, I shook the bandage girl off me and crumbled into a corner, exhausted, closing my eyes.

"That was close. I didn't think we'd make-"

The girl cut me off by clinging to me again. Opening my eyes, I noticed there was a long cut across her left arm and her eyes were filled with tears. She was shaking all over, too.

Poor thing. She was scared half to death and hurt, and still hadn't made a single sound. It was an effort, but I managed to stand up, girl hanging from my chest and all.

"Hold on. I've got something that will help." From a pocket, I took out the Exotech meds. As I opened the bottle that contained the liquid, that faint smell of disinfectant filled the ship. Carefully, I unwrapped the girl's arm.

"Hold still." I told her, before sprinkling the wound with the meds. It instantly ceased bleeding. The girl flinched a little as I applied the meds, but stopped shaking afterwards. She relaxed a little and closed her eyes. She must have been tired from all that danger. I considered following her example...

((Fuck, it went long. Finishes in the next part, promise!))

...But something kept me awake. After you spend enough time fighting for your life, or somebody else's, you start to develop a sixth sense. A combat instinct. That instict told me something was NOT right. That I had to stay awake and alert.

It's thanks to that instinct that I survived the night. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have noticed the Cyberhawk hoverjet as it was illuminated by a streetlight...and fired a pair of missiles at our hovership.

---END SCENARIO---

So, that's the first bit of the quest down. Thanks to a string of lucky rolls, Ryan Semken has escaped the facility, but the unlucky rolls manifested as complications...including that one final issue above. Don't worry, he isn't dead...but he's in a tight spot now.

And now, it's time to REVOTE! With the end of the first scenario, we get to pick our viewpoint character again. The choices are as follows, for now:

(Character Select: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwbapurrmzo)

[] Stick to the current viewpoint. Remain as Ryan Semken and try to escape the Cyberhawk agents sent to retrieve the bandaged girl.

[] Be the Detective, and face down danger as the chase attracts unwanted attention.

[] Be the Gray Boy, and try to survive the imminent chaos.

>>17154032
>[] Stick to the current viewpoint. Remain as Ryan Semken and try to escape the Cyberhawk agents sent to retrieve the bandaged girl.

Stay with this one

Oh, and since I know this is going to come up, no, Ryan isn't going to die if you don't stick with him. Regardless of how the voting goes, we'll skip ahead in time to the new day.

((Also, fuck me sideways, forgot to use the Part 10 tag. I was so psyched about it, too!))

rolled 24 = 24

Stick with ryan.

What's the worst that could happen?

>>17154049
Stick with him anyway.
I do not like the perspective jumping.

>>17154061

/tg/ dice deciding to quit screwing around and producing ten 1s? Assuming the rolls are decent, I prefer to let the characters live and die by the choices everybody gets to make (barring life-and-death situations where a single roll literally makes or breaks things), but if the results are really, REALLY bad...well, it'd be railroady to not roll with it.

>>17154061
>24

rolled 97 = 97

>>17154032
Stick with Ryan, fo sho.
This has been most thoroughly entertaining as to keep me up until 3 AM, thank you OP. Any idea when the next session will be?

>>17154102
>97

Although I would like it more if i could see what you were rolling. Maybe it was a d200, huh?

So long as this is still here? Tomorrow once I'm up and out of the post-sleep zombie phase (so from 3 PM EST onwards). I'll leave the voting open for a little while after a bump and then we'll start the second Scenario.

rolled 85 = 85

>>17154115
Nope. d100. I just hate backspacing when it isn't during the quest.

rolled 23 = 23

>>17154124
Alright, I'll see you then OP. Even gonna name-fag it up for this thread.

>>17154124
Archive this on suptg first

archived: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17148493/
>Ryan Semken, Nightlife Ops, is sent to steal some data from a facility and steals a little girl instead.

>>17154202
and that's just terrible

>>17154124
Another vote for keeping Ryan's point of view.

>>17154202
After that faux pas, how could we not stick with the girl stealer?

Bump for OP's return?

Alright, time to kick this off once more. Short summary for anybody who might have missed last night and doesn't want to read 10-part updates:

>Black ops Ryan Semken is asked by Johnson Aida Jazeraint to infliltrate research station.
>Receives enhancements, performs successful infiltration.
>Stumbles across girl in bandages, the name 'Blackrock' scribbled across her wrist.
>Gets ordered to extract her as well as the files he came for, heroic bloodshed ensues.
>On the way back, the extraction ship is shot down by a jet.

Voting for the next viewpoint character is still open. For the choices, just scroll up. We'll start in a little while!

>>17158011
>On the way back, the extraction ship is shot down by a jet.

Hey, we can still try to shoot down the missiles using our awesome reflexes, or something. Can't we?

>I've already voted for staying with Ryan

>>17158011
Woo! Sorry if I'm a little late here, had to go and get some christmas gifts. Anyway, stick with Ryan Semken

Little known secret about Cyberhawk missiles: unlike those of most other companies, the techies made a fortune by sticking to old designs with small upgrades. Instead of instant acceleration, it takes those missiles a little time to speed up.

Enough time to punch the 'emergency exit' button and jump off the hovership, in fact. When I grabbed onto that streetlight, it felt like my arm was going to break, but it beat getting carbonized with the hovership. It exploded like a New Year's Eve firework.

Once we made it back down to street level, I looked for a way to get us off the scene, fast. If Cyberhawk was interested enough on the data or the girl to send a jet after us, that meant they wouldn't be afraid to field some people to come after us. I needed to throw them off our tail. Thankfully, there were a few Argus cars parked on the street. Heaps of junk, but as long as they were form the brand, the Iceman could override their security and open the doors for me. I got in and took off. The girl was still fast asleep. She must have been really tired or a very heavy sleeper to literally sleep through an explosion. Maybe both.

I had to find us a place to hide. My apartment was out - the sneaking suit covered my face, but I didn't want to risk attracting any attention to my safe haven. We needed a quite place, somewhere where you could come in with a half-naked girl and nobody would ask any questions, or even notice. I drove for several hours, looking for the right place.

The motel was cheap, sleazy, and loooked like it was about to crumble. Good enough to spend a night in it. After dropping the girl on the room's bed, I stepped out to get her some clothes. If we had to move again, it'd be hard to avoid attracting attention with a naked girl in tow. A simple bodysuit would do the trick.

(Tick-Tock of the Clock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnLIzZg34qI)

When I returned, I was surprised to find the girl not only awake, but *singing*. I'd gotten so used to her silence that it came as a shock to find her looking at clock on the wall, swaying from side to side with each tick, and singing a quiet melody all the way. She had a pretty voice, like a trained singer. Eventually, I cleared my throat to get her attention.

"I'm back. Here, I brought you something to wear. Put it on." I handed her the bodysuit and turned around. Once I heard the sound of the suit adjusting to her frame, I turned again.

"So. You actually CAN speak, can't you?" A pause, then a nod.

"Then you just don't want to talk?" Nod nod.

"Not even going to tell me your name?" No response. What could that mean?

"Don't you have a name?" She extended her wrist to show me what was scribbled on it.

"That isn't a name. I meant a real one. Like Paula, or Miriam or something like that." Head shake. What was Cyberhawk up to with her?

((The girl needs a name. Fortunately enough, you get to name her! If there is no consensus, we'll go with the default name of Manía. Otherwise, vote for whatever name you think would fit her best.))

>>17158474
Princess Melody Twinkletoes Glitterfart

On a more serious note, Anne Boleyn.

>>17158474
Elizabeth Harris.

>>17158578
>>17158584
people finally being creative, that's more than enough for me to delete my box o' names post

>>17158584
I second this.

>>17158584
Thirding Liz Harris.

Seems I'm a little late. Anyway,
Marie Antoinette

>>17158584
and i'll third this

>>17158474
Leeloo Minai Lekatariba-Lamina-Tchai Ekbat De Sebat

Leeloo is such a beautiful name. Andthe movie was great.

Tally:

Elizabeth Harris: 4
Anne Boleyn: 1
Marie Antoinette: 1

Giving it five more minutes, then it's time for Update 2.

>Seventy years ago, nations finally crumbled to dust, unable to keep up with multinational enterprises. The concepts of nationalism and patriotism ceased to exist. Man no longer judged man by his place of origin, beliefs, or skin color, but merely by his productivity and inventiveness.

>>17158681
Is that a vote for Daenerys?

>>17158681
No, he chooses Rapture.

>>17158672
Ya, sure, go for Elizabeth

>>17158695
No, just a comment on the ludicrous nature of most rote and binary cyberpunk like the one contained in OP's post.

Science fiction, besides the hopefully riveting story, is supposed to offer some kind of commentary or insight into the issues of our world by abstracting them and/or placing them far into the future. The basic tenets of cyberpunk dogma are still stuck in the 80's and have only evolved superficially from Neuromancer.

>>17158730
And what has that to do with fucking a horselord?

>>17158743
In that single frame she's making a stupid and ridiculous face. Just like OP's posts are stupid and ridiculous. Do you disagree with my assertations?

>>17158764
Du you have a pic if Littlefinger's whore training as well?

"Alright. Let's go with Elizabeth. If somebody asks you who you are, your name is Liz Harris. Got it?" Two quick nods. That settled that issue, at least. All that was left was keeping an eye on Elizabeth until I could hand her over to Jazeraint. It was at that point that I remembered that I had forgotten to contact her. Best to arrange a new dropoff point and finish the job. Lifting up my wrist, I tapped the Iceman and...

...Nothing. The display didn't change to indicate a communication had started. I tapped it again, and once again nothing happened. Odd...

Then everything was quiet. A few minutes ago, I could hear flies buzzing around, and the hustle and bustle of the streets outside. Now, all I could hear was the steady ticking of the clock.

And then the front wall exploded.

(Roll a d100, first roll is used!)

rolled 79 = 79

>>17158810
Hoping the wall doesn't explode terribly much.

rolled 43 = 43

>>17158810
let's hope we don't screw up the rolls

>>17158833
crap i screwed up the roll

>>17158730

The funny thing is, you pretty much misread that because you were expecting vanilla Cyberpunk. What that sentence means is "we thought we had become better people, nicer people, more just people."

...And then if you look at the end you see that what happened is simply a brief respite from humanity's darker sides before all those tensions came back with the Grays. The world has become a much better place in the 90ish years that separate the Gray World and our world. People are legitimately better off, and while corps are everywhere they're not oppressive or keeping the little man down (because keeping the little man down is bad for business you see). It's just that humanity's nature is slow to change, so while circumstances have improved, people haven't...much.

Of course, this reply assumes you're not just trying to stir up some trouble and are legitimately annoyed at how hackish the intro was. If you were going for the former I'll admit I totally missed the point.

rolled 49 = 49

>>17158810
Thank god the first roll is used.

>>17158872
Not the same guy but I must admit, I didn't get that from the intro.

>>17158903
I am the same guy and I feel the same way.

It happened very suddenly. One moment, there was a wall. The next one, all there was was debris.

I stood up, coughing. Elizabeth followed suit a little later, weakly. Shielding the VIP from the attack, if it had been an attack, had been an instinctive response. If something happened to her, I was a goner. Walking over to the edge of room, I looked down to see a platoon of Cyberhawk security boys enter the building. Leading them was a monster of a man...though man perhaps wasn't the right word for it. Machine, maybe, as most of his body appeared to have been replaced with glistening metal. In place of his right arm, he brandished a massive cannon. That must have been what laid waste to the motel's wall. With such a big gun, it was a small miracle that the whole building hadn't crumbled.

"Damn. We've got to run. Liz, you'll have to-" I didn't get to finish the sentence before Elizabeth hopped on my back. "Good girl. Let's get out of here." Drawing the TR4, I exited the room and headed for the fire escape.

>>17158903

What? That life has gotten better, that all of the worst bits of humanity were merely put on hold instead of taking a permanent leave, or something else?

((Also, argh, forgot to add the Part 1 tag to update 9. Pretend it's there, everybody!))

>>17159004
yep, that part.
But that doesn't really bother me so continue.

rolled 52 = 52

Don't feed the troll.
But I took it as the people being policed and oppressed into ultra-political correctness.

>>17158986

One corridor and two turns later, I had made my way to the emergency exit. For a moment, I considered heading back down, but decided against it. They would be expecting. A goon was all too eager to prove me right, by opening fire at me from below. He couldn't hit anything, of course, not with several layers of metal and an awkward shot between us, but he made my choice much simpler. The only way out was up, through the rooftops. As I climbed up the fire escape, I heard voices, people yelling in terror and people barking orders. I didn't stop to check what was going on: these goons were there for me, and they didn't seem afraid of shooting to kill.

I arrived at the roof barely before a group of Cyberhawks came up through the stairs. I didn't try to fight. Instead, I took a deep breath, raced to the edge, and jumped.

I came down on the other side hard. I stumbled for a moment, but caught myself as bullets started flying. It was a good thing that the sun was high up in the sky already: I couldn't see very far away thanks to it, but neither could the Cyberhawks, and I wasn't aiming at a mobile target. I broke into a run, using antennas and generators as cover. I heard boots hit concrete behind me, as the 'Hawks gave chase. I crossed another roof, then another, then a third. I was getting away, but I couldn't keep this up for long. It had been a long night, and my body was begging for some rest. I had to shake them off, *now*. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath.

[] Descend to the streets. Vanish into the crowds.

[] Hide inside a building and bide your time until you've recovered. Sweeping all the buildings will take them a while.

[] Can't stop now. Keep running until you've left them far behind.

>[] Descend to the streets. Vanish into the crowds.

>>17159151
This.

[x] Descend to the streets. Vanish into the crowds.

>>17159040

Little bit of this, little bit of that. PCness is still a thing, but there's also the fact that now, the chief ethnicity of a person is far more subject to change than ever before. What matters about a person is more their merits than their corp. Corporative pride exists, of course, and the corps try to foster it, but really only a very small amount of people buy into it, because corporative loyalty can cripple your chances at making it big hard. Most people take the best work offers, not the offers made by a certain corp. I've got stuff like this mapped out in a Universe Bible of sorts, which is why I don't really mind replying to it. I get a chance to show off all those details I can't go into for the sake of the narrative!

rolled 37 = 37

>[] Descend to the streets. Vanish into the crowds.

Maybe take the girl off our backs and hold her hand like she was our daughter or something while we walk around.

>>17159135
>[X] Descend to the streets. Vanish into the crowds.

I hope they haven't installed a tracking device on that girl.
At least the crowd will stop them from taking shots at us.

>>17159170
that sounds cool

rolled 11 = 11

>>17159170
Are you hoping to make this into a setting for your next game or just like building worlds?

>>17159238

Nah, not using you guys as guinea pigs (unless somebody wants to run a campaign in this world in which case I'd be cool with GMing). I just really, really like doing the little details nobody will see because I'm obsessive like that.

And one last thing before I post the update...

>>17159211

Don't give me ideas that work in favor of the bad guys, especially when /tg/ dice are afoot! I just might be tempted to run with them (just kidding, this should be fun for everybody, both writer and readers).

The 'Hawks were two roofs away, still. I had enough time to trick them. I looked down into the alleyway next to the building I was on, and noticed several bags of trash building up. It wasn't exactly a trampoline, and there could be bladed objects inside, but I didn't have much of a choice. I jumped down, curled up in a ball, and covered my face.

The stench of the trash was unbelievable. On the plus side, it was soft and squishy, and broke my fall nicely. I took the bare minimum time to dust myself off, then prepared to wade into the street. But first...

"Liz? Get off my back. You'll have to walk now." For a moment, Elizabeth didn't move at first, but then she swiftly stepped off.

"Stay close to me." Grabbing her hand, we walked into the street.

The street was suffocatingly hot. With the sun beating down hard and the asphalt soaking in the heat, the masses of people moving back and forth were all covered in sweat. Even with the Nightlife suit's heat-regulating mechanisms, the environment soon began feeling unbearable. Elizabeth was taking it far worse. Her eyes were glazed, and she was stumbling forward like a zombie.

"Damn. Hang on, you'll feel better in a second." Looking around, i noticed a subway entrance and dived into it. Even though the place was absolutely stuffed, the air conditioning perked Elizabeth up quickly. She stuck close to me, keeping her eyes peeled and looking at the ordinary subway station with wonder.

I logged two subway fares onto my travelcard and step onto a train leading to the Argus HQ. In a stroke of luck, the car was empty.

Moments later, the Iceman lit up and I heard a familiar voice.

"Semken? Can you hear me?"

>>17159565

About time we hear from her

>>17159565
>In a stroke of luck, the car was empty.

That;s not luck. IT'S A TRAP!

>>17159565
"Yah I hear you. Thanks for investing so much into this operation, I mean, you sent a unarmed drone! I feel so valued. Anyway I'm on my way to HQ, don't worry your pretty little head I'll be there in twenty."

>>17159565
If it isn't a trap, try to make a bit of conversation with Elizabeth.

I sagged on my seat and lifted the Iceman up to see a little holographic figure.

"Yeah. Loud and clear. I'm on my way back to headquarters."

"Change of plans." Jazeraint said, her voice as hard as steel. "Head for the Nova Strada street, numbers 74800, 75000. You'll drop the cargo off there."

"What? The Strada is Cyberhawk territory. That's like heading into the lion's den with a big sack of meat and a 'fre food' sign."

"You have your orders, Semken. Now follow them." Nice as usual...and just as crazy, too. This was beyond insane - it was stupid, plain and simple. I could make the switch to a train that would take me to the Strada in a few stops, but I wasn't sure if I felt like following yet another stupid order. What mattered was delivering Elizabeth and the data safely, after all.

[] Screw Jazeraint. Drop Liz at the office.

[] Orders are STILL orders, no matter how stupid they may be. Go to the Strada.

>>17159626
i'm not sure if we can roll for a spot check yet

>>17159671
[X] Orders are STILL orders, no matter how stupid they may be. Go to the Strada.

>>17159671
>Jazeraint

Do we have anybody we can contact if we thing our superior is compromised?

rolled 15 = 15

>>17159671
Well clearly Argo and Cyberhawk have agreed to a trade, Argo is going to give the girl back, I'm sure.

I say screw her, but let's do it subtly. Drop the girl off at headquarters and THEN go and drop the data off at the address she gave.

>>17159659

I wish I'd have seen this earlier. The next update will include a little 'chatting' between Ryan and Liz, because it's a great idea.

>>17159671


[x] Orders are STILL orders, no matter how stupid they may be. Go to the Strada.

Fairly certain she has us followed, be prepared for a double crossing.

Hell they might even give us back to that corp since were going in their turf

even though i feel like we're going to be walking into a trap, i am still going with the second option

>>17159671
>>[X] Orders are STILL orders, no matter how stupid they may be. Go to the Strada.

>>17159671
>[x] Screw Jazeraint. Drop Liz at the office.

Fuck this shit. Time to find a new job anyway.

>>17159706

Actually, yes. Besides two other Nightlife ops Ryan knows who are his seniors because they've been at it for longer, there's the CoO, Jan Adamson. Gruff and a total hardass, but he's legit about making sure his people succeed in their very, very risky profession and he knows all the tricks of the trade. Far as we know, he's good people.

rolled 56 = 56

>>17159671
>Screw Jazzhands, drop Liz off at the office.

>>17159766
New Option:
Contact our boss's boss, get confirmation because there's suicidal orders, and then there's just plain WTF orders.

rolled 10 = 10

>>17159797
Seconding this all day.

>>17159797

Confirming that this is a legitimate option, as well as any others that the update doesn't cover, just in case.

>>17159797
on second thought i third this option, if it is allowed

>>17159797
Thirded.

>>17159818

So long as I can easily follow what you switched from and what you switched to, yes, switching is OK.

Was this >>17159693
Switched to this >>17159797

>>17159797
LET'S DO THIS

>>17159846
[this is me]

>>17159750
[this option replaced for >>17159797 ]

>>17159829
sorry about that, i am switching from "[] Orders are STILL orders"

over to

"Contact our boss's boss"

Alright, that's enough votes to close things out. Next update, we ring up Adamson.

>>17159797
This.

Thinking it's a trap. Hawks got the Iceman's profile and are now feeding us false data, or know of counter-intel that would lure us back. Not sure how tech works in the setting, so I'm assuming the worst.

A trade probably would not have happened, because that implies both corps contacted each other over our intrusion, which means we did a bad job of being a 3rd party.

>>17159894
Maybe we should use something else than the Iceman when contacting Adamson?

>>17159931
maybe we can find something a bit more...customized

>>17159931
Might be a good idea, but I'm not sure we have a choice.

Maybe do some cyberpunk haxing and route our signal through some waypoints to make sure we're not bugged or compromised.

I shook my head. Jazeraint could go fuck herself if she thought I was going to risk my life and Elizabeth's again after only barely avoiding the 'Hawks and that brute that was leading them. No, it was time to step around the lunatic and look for someone with brains.

Someone like Adamson.

"What do you want?" He said, with a face that would make a bulldog's look good. He had several scars, a walrus moustache, and a missing eye - all of which combined for a strange profile, but one that had to be taken seriously - that *demanded* to be taken seriously, unless one wanted to risk a vicious kick to the gonads or an excruciatingly painful headlock.

"Chief, it's Semken. We need to talk."

"Damn right we need to talk. You stirred up unbelievable amounts of shit, rookie." I winced. In spite of several years of service, Adamson insisted on calling me rookie still, because I was the least experienced agent by two or three operations. Sometimes, I got the feeling that he woulds till call me 'Rookie' even if I broke all records.

"The 'Hawks went apeshit. They jammed the whole goddamn gamut of Iceman frequences over their area. Just what did you get yourself into, Rookie? Did you kill the chairman of the board?"

>>17159976
"What did I do? Ran into a VIP and escorted her out, as per orders."

"No. It 's complicated, Chief. What happened was..."

It took me a while to explain everything. Jan Adamson listened intently, however, and only spoke up to ask for clarification on some details ("Nonlethal takedown? Good."). In the end, the hologram turned around a little to look at Elizabeth, who was starting at it with wide eyes.

"She the girl, right?" He asked. I nodded.

"Alright. Listen up, Rookie. I don't know what Jazeraint is on, but consider that last order countermanded. Heave your ass to HQ and hand over the data. We'll provide accomodations for you and the girl. Adamson out."

The communication cut off. In spite of the grave news the Chief had had for me, I felt a little relieved now. Whatever happened next, I was free from Jazeraint's clutches now.

i would like to thank the anon who thought up the third decision

>>17160030
Lets get our ass to HQ as soon as possible.

Too bad the Corp will not provide any escort.

>>17160030
>Whatever happened next, I was free from Jazeraint's clutches now.

I think it's time to ruffle someone's hair.

Damn, too late to join...

>>17160064
What?

It'd be a while before we arrived at the terminal. Turning to Elizabeth, I rolled my head and let out a sigh.

"What a fucking clusterfuck. At least we made it out in one piece." She nodded.

"I can't believe that Cyberhawk decided to screw over their own agents like that. Hell, I didn't even know they could DO that. I know we can't, that's for sure." Tilt of the head. She must have been wondering what I was talking about.

"Look, there's people like me, see? Many others. Got it?" Nod. "And these people, they don't all work together. Some work with me, most work against me." Nod. "But most of us, we use the same tools - what changes is how we use them." Nod.

"So apparently, you're important enough that they decided screwing me over was more important than letting all those other people do their thing. Do you have any idea about why everybody's so interested in you?" Head shake. Well, that was great. So she was just as confused as I was.

"Well, you are. They're so worried about you that they Threw everything but the kitchen sink at us trying to get you back." Head tilt. Maybe she hadn't heard that expression before? "That means they brought out military arsenals, tons of personnel, and special tech, which means a lot of resources." Nod.

"And now we're bth in the middle of this mess, and I don't know what the hell is going to happen. I might lose my job because of that crazy bitch, or we might see a corporate war, or nothing might happen. Who the hell knows." Head tilt. She didn't know either.

"Think there's anything I can do to smooth this over?"

What she did next took me by surprise. Instead of making any head motions, she shimmied closer and gave me a hug.

It was a quick, short thing - she kept it up for a few seconds and then broke off. Then she gave me a look and turned to stare at the propaganda plastered on the tunnel walls.

The rest of the trip back was quiet. Neither of us had much else to say afterward.

>>17160157
D'awwwwww

>>17160157

>>What she did next took me by surprise. Instead of making any head motions, she shimmied closer and gave me a hug.

OP confimed for D'AWWWW

>>17160157

I liked the music thing, why did you stop?

I vote this for the look of the child.

>>17160157
Well, aint that cute

>>17160220

No.

>>17160211
what? explain please

>>17160211

Saving music for key moments. When you post updates this big and meaty, if you use music every time there's a scene or mood change you run through the music stocks super fast.

That said, here's a piece to imagine Liz giving Ryan the quiethug to. Maybe a bit cheesy, but I think it fits.

Struck Speechless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOq7ZNTPVug

>>17160239
reread the last quest post with music: OP confirmed for SUPA D'AAWWWW

>>17160239
DAWWWWWWW' OVER 9000

Is she hungry? Do we have any food?

We arrived at headquarters to find Chief Adamson waiting for us just behind the doors. He held out a hand and I took it. His grip was crushing, as always.

"The data?" He asked. Now that I had returned safely, the first thing the Chief cared about was results, of course. Some things never change. I passed him the main drive wordlessly.

"Room 192. We've got two beds ready. Get some sleep, Rookie, you've earned it."

The words meant more than they appeared to, at first sight. Agents who have fucked up are not given a bed and some sleep, they are immediately discharged or worse. Even if I'd have to pay down the line, I was safe from the worst of Argus' wrath. I felt relieved enough to go to sleep on the spot, but I soldiered on. Just a little more effort...

"Chief, the girl doesn't need sleep. Could she get something to keep her entertained?"

The Chief's answer was prompt. "Can be done. Anything in particular?"

I turned to look at Elizabeth. "Books? Movies? Games?" There was a long pause, then a nod and two headshakes. "Books then."

"We'll send her a reader. Now go get your sleep, Rookie." With a pat on the shoulder, he dismissed me.

Room 192 was rather spartan. There were only two extra-large mattresses, and a tablet on top of the second bed.

I wouldn't have traded that room for a suite at the Ritz, if it meant walking a single step further. I dropped onto the bed and fell asleep.

((Taking a brief break before getting back to writing. No, the scenario ain't over yet! Just this update.))

>>17160346

No food. They'll bring her some in an hour though, while Ryan is still asleep. Never fear for Liz's health!

(Unless some asshole is trying to capture her, in which case, feel free to fear a lot.)

PS: Also, the break will be like 20-30 minutes, not the night. So stay tuned!

Oh right, I forgot because I'm a fucktard. Roll a d10, d20, and d100. Here's to hoping those are good rolls!

>>17148493
>Pointless protests in the streets of major cities
>Polictics and business hand in hand
>War in the middle east, the dawn of new civilisations
> The fall of our own

The cyberpunk is here buddy, open your eyes and let it in

rolled 3 = 3

Let's do this, even if my rolls have been shit so far.

>>17160394
Let's hope the internet hasn't been switched on in Poland.

rolled 7 = 7

>>17160394
rollan a d10

rolled 3 = 3

>>17160405
Sigh.

We are fucked

rolled 71 = 71

>>17160394
Rolling 1d100

>>17160430
Well, the d20 was crap: >>17160405
But the d10 was quite nice: >>17160417

Anybody dare to tackle the d100?

rolled 9 + 1 = 10

Rolling the 3 d's at once, in order.

rolled 4 = 4

>>17160394

rolled 20 = 20

>>17160443
Well, trying the d100 for real.

rolled 72 = 72

>>17160449

Here, let me roll that 100 again...

>>17160405
>>17160417
>>17160430
So we have a 7 for d10, 3 for d20 and 71 for d100

Could have gone worse

rolled 16 = 16

>>17160444

>>17160417
>>17160419
>>17160435

So we got a
7 from the d10
3 from the d20
71 from the d100

>>17160443
Yeah, can't combine dice types in a single roll.
Can only roll one dice type at a time.

>>17160470
Okey dokey.
The only bad thing we rolled was the d20.
Hopefully that wasn't the 'see if you get shot or not' one.

rolled 17 = 17

>>17160475
wait a minute i rolled a 16 for the d20, can't we replace the 3 with my 16? or am i missing something here?

>>17149068

Small teaser while I work on the start of the update and get other shit done up there.

>>17160509
crap forgot to put noko in the email field when i posted

72 (d100) 10 (d10) 7(d20)

>>17160509
No, the first d20 rolled was a 3, and this is based on what gets thrown first.
Sorry, mate.

>Hazrat." airesue
Air-Sues and Hazrats are now parts of this inspiring tale of the future, I guess...?

>>17160661

Mutated toxic rats? Hell, why not?

(No Sues though, unless a character is named that)

PS: Also, update incoming.

>>17160661

ah well thanks for the help

(Siege at Argus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pNlMgH2p-Y)

I woke up much later to a quake. Or at least, what I thought was a quake. Nothing else could have made the Argus building feel like it was about to collapse, after all.

That's when I heard the banging on the door. Opening my eyes, I looked around the room. Elizabeth was still on her bed, busy reading a book through a device that stored hundreds of them. Standing up, I opened the door.

"Rookie! It's about damn time you woke up! Those Cyberhawk bastards are assaulting the building! Stop cowering in here and go earn your pay!" Before I could fully absorb the news, the chief threw me something and ran off. I caught it and looked down. A Dragonfire electrolaser...the cream of Argus' arsenals.

That was when it fully hit me: Cyberhawk was engaging an open act of warfare against Argus. In the seventy years since the corporations constituted themselves as the ruling powers, an act of total aggression had never been documented.

Not anymore. It was happening now. This was war and we were under siege.

Liz looked at me and titled her head. She wasn't aware of what was about to go down.

[] Listen to the Chief. It's time to teach the 'Hawks not to overstep their boundaries.

[] Protecting Elizabeth is more important. Stay here, keep her safe.

[] Can't forsake any duties. Take Elizabeth with you on a piggyback ride and go destroy the 'Hawks. She'll be safest with you, even inside a warzone.

((Last update of this topic! New one coming up!))

>>17160912
>[] Can't forsake any duties. Take Elizabeth with you on a piggyback ride and go destroy the 'Hawks. She'll be safest with you, even inside a warzone.

However! If there is armor available, we need to get some for her, and hopefully for us too.

>>17160912
>[X] Can't forsake any duties. Take Elizabeth with you on a piggyback ride and go destroy the 'Hawks. She'll be safest with you, even inside a warzone.

Unless some kind of hyper secure panic room we can stuff her in until the attack is over.

Or get her and ourselves some armour, like >>17160925
suggested.

[x] Can't forsake any duties. Take Elizabeth with you on a piggyback ride and go destroy the 'Hawks. She'll be safest with you, even inside a warzone.

She gave us a hug. *Sniff* I'll be damned if the Hawks kidnap her now.

>>17160912

[x] Can't forsake any duties. Take Elizabeth with you on a piggyback ride and go destroy the 'Hawks. She'll be safest with you, even inside a warzone.

And mayhaps give her one of our spare weapons as a last resort? The little SMG mayhaps?

>>17160974

Giving little girls guns, truly this is a desperate situation.

(in other words, it is a possibility, yes, as is getting better armor. Just be aware that better armor is going to cramp Ryan's ability to do the Max Payne thing.)

>>17160912
>[] Listen to the Chief. It's time to teach the 'Hawks not to overstep their boundaries.

Eh.... this.

Taking the girl with us is just as dangerous

>>17161026
This. Not having the girl with us, but sticking in the vicinity should be a good middle ground between best freedom of movement and protecting the fuck out of the d'awwvakiin.

As a middle ground, is there somewhere nearby we can stick the girl, safer than this room before we go fight? At the very least tell her to hide under the bed, (Possibly with the SMG, just in case).

>>17161053
thirdeded

>>17161073

There are panic rooms, but convincing someone to unlock them while battle rages will be hard. Not impossible, but not easy.

She's obviously what they're here for. Convince someone to let her in a panic room.

>>17161136
now that i'm thinking about it im going to change my vote from >>17160969 to >>17161073

>>17161152
This.
They want her for whatever reasons that they are willing to start the first Corp war over. Getting her in there should be COMMON SENSE

Later in game, find out girl was just someone's daughter and not the future o-holy shit the reason she is important is because she's part of the new generation and not a grey.

>>17161172

derp i meant to vote for: >>17161152

>>17161218
I am going to bet that they experimented trying to make their own artificial brand of Grays and this was the first breakthrough.

OK, we have a majority! It's time to rock 'n roll. New topic going up. We'll see what Ryan can do to keep Liz safe in the other topic here:

>>17161307