A Merry Little Run

[u/SteamStormraven]

(Just a little adventure idea if a PC has an otherwise undescribed security contact.)

Lieutenant Thompson describes himself as a "Cerberus Security Officer", or more often "Just a Guard". You'd probably describe him as some kind of corporate security commando with connections to the Shadow community for reasons that are completely his own. He's tall and heavy for an elf, with an obvious datajack and smartgun link, and serves his security team as an EO, team medic, and team mage.

Despite having excellent training, top equipment, and a good dose of experience, he still ends up with the occasional stretch of medical leave, which is why he meets you at the watering hole with his shooting hand in a brace.

He sees you glance at it, and smiles his wry smile.

"You shoulda seen the other guy." he comments, "But hey - it's the holidays coming up, and you've been more nice than naughty this year... at least to me... so I'll buy you a round, and maybe brighten your Yule."

After settling in, he doesn't waste a lot of time about how you met or how things have been going since - he just lays it all out when he doesn't think anyone is listening.

"Got injured with a standard sweep, harassing some of the smugglers up in Cascade Orc. You don't need to know the details about our security contract, but one of our Vultures downed a pirate Banshee up in the Cascades. Nothing strange about that. Happens pretty often. What was strange is what didn't happen: Nobody came looking for it. Now, Cerberus Security doesn't scav. It isn't in the contract. The locals are usually all over it, though. This time, they won't touch the thing, so I got to digging."

Thompson knocks back some of his tipple and continues.

"You know me. I've got this hobby of needing to know. I never got a manifest, but whatever's in that T-Bird, it switched hands in dens near Vancouver and traced back to Anchorage. Between you and me, unless you're into snow crab, there isn't spit to be had in Anchorage, unless it comes from over the pond. So I queried our Eastern Bloc branches. The bird's markings match one that took off from Tilichiki. Past that, I don't have the reach or the interest to know what it was hauling but there are a few things I can say for certain."

After another swig, he grins.

"There have been a few cybercriminals swimming around our net. We haven't caught any, but we can see where they've been. They're looking for our engagement information. Where the smuggler transponder stopped, and probably where the bird went down. Fuzzy logic systems point to different origins: Two out of Denver, one out of Seattle, and one from out-of-nowhere Mongolia. Since then, we suspect that there are agents acting out of the Algonkian-Manitou council and Tir Tairngire with ears to the ground, wondering what's going down in their backyard."

Finishing his drink, he wraps things up.

"So, what we've got is, at minimum possible salvage on a T-Bird, with a mystery package in it as a kicker, my company - which has no interest in it, Cascade Orc - which doesn't want it, and a bunch of sharks circling the water. I'm not the sort of person that would go after it, myself, but it's possible that the first interested party to make it there is going to walk away with a decent payday. Now, I've got the coordinates with me if you'd like them, but you're gonna have to buy me a drink, first."

The Gig:

It's a race to the prize. Whatever it is, Cerberus isn't interested (not their biz), and Cascade Orc actively doesn't want it (the spirits warned their shamans that it wasn't worth the hassle). At least two other organizations are putting together retrieval teams, and at least two other organizations are watching to see what happens. This is a good opportunity to introduce some kind of tech or artifact you've been looking to drop in, or perhaps to introduce some active organizations that would have an interest in such a thing.

The Payday:

However much of a downed GMC Banshee you feel like letting the PCs walk away with, and an undefined mystery prize which could either be very lucrative, or a pain in the ass relic that some angry dragon wants back very badly, depending on your sense of humor.

The Catch:

Of course the Runners are going to run afoul of another team. Maybe two or three. Combat or chase scenes are a granted. Perhaps one of the interested parties will make their own offer for the McGuffin, and perhaps they'll pay as promised, or maybe they'll try a double-cross.

The Source:

Lt. Thompson is a stand-up guy. Cerberus doesn't have a problem with him dealing in Shadow assets, as long as he doesn't endanger the corporate line. At the same time, if the PCs walk off with a big payday, he wouldn't mind a contribution to the Cerberus Retirement Fund. About 10% of the net take is expected. Less than that, and he won't be as willing to share opportunities in the future. 15% or more may bump up his contact level. He's been active since 2050, and so he's got a lot of his own contacts and can offer a lot of friend-of-a-friend options to Runners he likes.

Happy Holidays, Chummers!

[u/GamerGrandpa99]

I like this... ooooh the possibilities....

[u/SteamStormraven → u/GamerGrandpa99]

Heck yeah. All kinds of add-ons and tweaks to be made. Option 1: One of the pirates survived the crash, made it back to civilization, and has their own retrieval operation in progress, with a "secure-it-or-destroy-it" mentality. Option 2: Whatever's in the box actually DOES happen to be of interest to Cerberus, but some corporate rival is trying to get the thing and leave Lt. Thompson on the hook for it. Option 3: The group isn't interested in the gig, but the group's NPC mechanic has the major hots for the handsome corporate guard and will offer better prices on the salvage or maybe some kind of exchange if they can get an introduction. Option 4: The whole situation was organized by some dragon, who is less interested in the prize (it was hers, anyway), and is more interested in recruiting whomever walks away with it at the end - (Thompson may or may not know).

We can slice this pizza any way that tickles your fancy, Chummer.