Dramatis Personae
Amar Gupta aka The Iron Sikh (played by Christian): Brick. Taxi Driver. Ass-Kicker. Sikh. Tagline: “Being a man of faith means to live it.”- Amie-Belle T. W. Lee aka Whisper (Played by Curtis): Cold War era super-soldier/spy that got put in the Freezer, because she got poisoned. After getting thawed out and cured she tried to back to work, and was given an “adjustment period”. Uncle Sam called 2 years later, with work… because once you’re in, you’re in for life. Tagline: “In and out without a whisper.”
- Beauregard K. “Bo” Ratnam aka Wirerat (Played by Brice): Technopath, inventor, and hacker. He specializes in co-opting enemy systems and tech assets. Tagline: “Nice tech – I’ll borrow that.”
- Rafe Hanlon aka Nyx (played by Chris D.): An umbrakinetic petty thief still on work release several years later, on his way to becoming a true agent and hero. Tagline: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
- Vincenzo L. dePrezzo aka Threshold (Played by Rory): Doctor, Mathematician, and Scientist (yes, capitals) and Spatial Manipulator. Threshold can bend space like a pretzel, teleport, obliterate things, and has extraordinary senses. He’d rather be in a research lab than fight. Better known for his work with Doctors Without Borders, the United Nations, and disaster relief than famous battles. Tagline: “I can be there in a snap!”
- Derrick K. Ratnam aka Ledgerdemain (NPC Ally): Spin doctor and media liaison for Project VANGUARD. Twin to Bo. Tagline: “Well, actually that’s not how it happened…”
- Jodie R. Swann aka Surferboy (NPC): Dude. Aero- and Hydrokinetic. Really laid back, but wants to make a difference. Has a advanced glider/drone he rides on. Tagline: “Like. Let’s just chill, dude.”
- Layla A. de Blackburn aka Nox (NPC): CIA-trained child assassin all grown up to be Daddy’s Little Monster. Maybe a little mad. Argues with her shadow often. Tagline: “No, we shouldn’t do that…should we?”
- Stainless Steel Rat aka “Sir” (NPC Ally): Bo’s best friend and assistant. A sentient drone in the shape of a stylized shiny metal rat mindlinked to Bo. Specialties are rapid repair construction and modifications. Imagine if K-9 and R2D2 made a baby and it looks a bit like a rodent. Tagline: “Repairs and upgrades in progress”
- Tierney M. Ward aka Rush (NPC): Speedster and former member of the Bullet Hell Brigade. Tagline: “Was that fast? I thought that was fast.”
- Zubayr Sajjad Marou aka Five Stars (NPC): Driver. Pilot. Klubbe gig worker.. From N’Djamena, Chad. Used to go by Darryl Bell to sound more American. Tagline: “I can get you there in time.”
Previously . . .
The group is in a hotel room after speaking with the Senate Committee for Metahuman Affairs and have just watched Lynch be escorted away by two men, with a nigh undetectable bug in his pocket and The SSR hot behind him after integrating with several eyedrones right outside their hotel. Whisper is interested in going out to get some drinks and dancing while Wirerat gets into the hotel wifi and starts some internet searches involving Senator Whitaker and the entire dictionary. Threshold goes into his room and starts writing maddening conspiracy theories and other bits of craziness, possibly also to screw with whatever FBI agent is observing their network. Nyx stays in his room, as he was told, and watch some films with Nox (somewhat unwillingly) on Pay-Per-View as the government is covering it, enjoying some nice comedy films and Disney films that he missed while growing up. Whisper has a good time out on the dance floor.
Nobody Speak
Nyx, Threshold, Whisper, and Wirerat
Waldorf Astoria Washington DC
Wednesday, June 19th, 2019, 0900 hours (EST)
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
The next day, The SSR is back with information. It was quite difficult to find the person through several layers of security and faraday cages but he managed to find him in some kind of black site. He couldn’t get in, but he was able to tell Wirerat that it was underneath a post office that’s built to block the transmission of Wirerat’s bug. Wirerat turns to Threshold and suggests that maybe they should go visit Lynch with some breakfast considering that he’s still there in public property. Threshold isn’t too thrilled with the idea of just showing up there as it may cause more trouble for people and for Lynch and it may force them to move him somewhere even more remote and file a complaint against them, possibly in the form of several very high-speed complaints with high lead content.
Wirerat is rather dejected about it all, even when his brother hands him an envelope that Lynch had given him orders to pass on if he’s gone for more than 24 hours. Wirerat is a bit more distrusting and wants to check if there’s something horrible and possible contagious inside it. Whisper gets enough of the paranoia and takes it and opens it up to reveal a presidential seal and a full pardon for Wirerat which disappoints him as it’s only for past crimes only for Nyx to say something about that only depends on how good he can do forgeries. Whisper advises him to get several copies of it, including electronically. Though Wirerat does scoff at the idea that he hasn’t already uploaded an electronic copy somewhere but says that they probably won’t want another paper copy floating around somewhere they could compare the “original” to.
Nobody Get Choked
Nyx, Threshold, Whisper, and Wirerat
United States Capitol
Wednesday, June 19th, 2019, 1000 hours (EST)
First St SE, Washington, DC 20004
Everyone gets called in for another session with the committee in case they need to testify about something that someone else has mentioned. They get to see Lynch there, in a suit but with his hands cuffed and answering questions about Operation Pinhole where he is answering some but not all questions and deflecting many with telling them they don’t have that level of clearance. He barely affords the group a glance before returning to the questions about how they’re supposed to be funding the operation through criminal activity to which he says that it only counts as criminal if it’s on the US soil. Threshold starts questioning the Senators about what Pinhole is only to be told that he doesn’t have the required clearance to even ask about it whereupon Threshold tells Wirerat to get him information on it right in front of the committee while Whisper just sketches things on a piece of paper.
The committee asks the group if Project Vanguard was funded by criminal activity such as theft, murder for hire, or similar. Threshold deflects things around about whether or not Vanguard is funded by it depending on how one would define things while Wirerat says that the list sounds like a number of things the Government does. Things seem to be going smooth and says that on the criminality front, it seems that the recent activities are via a highly organized crime front. Threshold keeps interrupting and chastising the Senators and says that they need to search for the kyberic energy source itself rather than the super soldier serums. There’s only three entities out there that they know of that can process orichalcum ore and there’s only one company that deals with it on any scale. Threshold keeps pushing back only for the Committee and says that they’ll keep his opinion in mind.
Lynch leans in close to Nyx and whispers a series of numbers and words (40.568673, -73.86474, Simplicity. Ghost. Counsel. Genuine. Pace). Everyone else overhears while Nyx is confused, Wirerat and Whisper overhears it perfectly. Lynch then tries to tell Nyx he’s a good man and not to forget that. He also tells him that he trusts him implicitly, but then something else he said got drowned out in the general hubbub. The group is allowed out, leaving Lynch there in handcuffs but not before Whisper asks for the SAIC of Lynch’s custody. She gets a card with a number on it and then steps out and calls to ask why Lynch hasn’t been released yet. She’s told that he’s still in custody because he’s still in custody and that she doesn’t have the clearance or authority to know anything more than that. Thoroughly blocked in her attempts to get information, she has to just accept it.
They get to the stairs at the senate, where they have a loud discussion about Vanguard’s accounting books and the fact that they’re partly funded by black ops and more discussion about how the government works, or doesn’t.
Aftermath
Back at the hotel, they search for newly planted bugs and any other nasty surprises while The SSR gives Wirerat a download from the bug. It’s mostly just them asking Lynch one question and him giving the question the same answer. They’re asking simply where is Project Pinhole where Wirerat considers if the numbers he spoke to Nyx has anything to do with it before deciding probably not. Threshold attempts to figure out who made the formula from the castle through the signature techniques that were used by viewing it through his powers, but he doesn’t see anything particular that stands out to him. With nothing more to do, they head back to their headquarters.
Whisper invites Threshold to go out to get some real pizzas and her and Whisper argue about how whether or not Chicago style is a real pizza in much the same way that Wirerat and Threshold argues about the government. Wirerat takes the stance that if you can close the pizza box, there’s not enough toppings on it. Whisper grabs some normal pizzas for the crew and some Chicago style for Wirerat as a sort of peace offering, telling him to enjoy the preservatives.
After Action Report (GM)
This was a short session due to one of the players needing to leave early and one of the players being late. We got our heroes out of the DC, got some metaplot moving, and then got them back home. Did some groundwork between Lynch and Nyx (whom he views as a younger, more moral version of himself). Laid some more groundwork for season seven. Overall, foundational, nothing to write home about. Not all sessions can be perfect amazing tales you recite the rest of your gaming career.
There was also some issues with crosstalk and that annoyed me even though it wasn’t people being jerks just people being enthused. Can’t get but so grumpy about that.
Other Notes
Bonus Report from Rory.
Soundtrack
“Nobody Speak” by DJ Shadow and Run the Jewels
“The Government Totally Sucks “ by Tenacious D
“Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd