Prologue 4.1 - Social Workout
JayTar
Idea briefcase
Prologue 4.1
[X] Plan: Preparing the Foundation
-[X] Skill training (Jörmungandr) (Social knowledge (Clandestine Proceedings)) (2 TAP)
-[X] Skill training (Jörmungandr) (Organizational knowledge (AI administrator protocols)) (2 TAP)
-[X] Work: Things seem to be back to "Business as usual". For however usual this business is. Expected pay: 1-3 Decent dots. (2 AP)
-[X] Food: Perhaps you would like to change your diet? Presents diet options. May be modified by your current wealth level. (1 AP)
-[X] Get to know your new employers. How did they come to be mercenaries? How does the mercenary business work? (3 AP)
-[X] Steve - The Builder. Dispute the unfortunate association with (ugh) manual labor, you can see the merit in a god of building grand works. (4 AP)
-[X] Skill training (Jörmungandr) (Social knowledge (Clandestine Proceedings)) (2 TAP)
-[X] Skill training (Jörmungandr) (Organizational knowledge (AI administrator protocols)) (2 TAP)
-[X] Work: Things seem to be back to "Business as usual". For however usual this business is. Expected pay: 1-3 Decent dots. (2 AP)
-[X] Food: Perhaps you would like to change your diet? Presents diet options. May be modified by your current wealth level. (1 AP)
-[X] Get to know your new employers. How did they come to be mercenaries? How does the mercenary business work? (3 AP)
-[X] Steve - The Builder. Dispute the unfortunate association with (ugh) manual labor, you can see the merit in a god of building grand works. (4 AP)
This is a waste of time. You are sitting in front of a trash disposal chute, waiting for a hauler-bot to come by to unload its self and give you a brief window of opportunity to snatch something.
But you have money now. You could be buying food. Your time is worth more then this drudgery.
Naturalism: 2 + Foraging 2 = 4 dice
4d6=[6, 3, 6, 1]=16
DC: 10 + 15 (Did not assign action) – 10 (Only for part of the turn) = 15
4d6=[6, 3, 6, 1]=16
DC: 10 + 15 (Did not assign action) – 10 (Only for part of the turn) = 15
Idea. You turn and stride purposefully after the closest hauler-bot as it slowly trundles away on its treads.
The location is much as you had expected. A nearby almost-automated warehouse. Circling around you find the building's employee entrance and walk in like you own the place.
You quickly come to the building's single human operator. A dour man surrounded by screens displaying diagnostic and logistical information.
"One of your customers just canceled their order while it was in mid transit" you confidently allege. In truth you had no such knowledge, but simply made an educated guess based on previous trends.
The drone manger scratches their nose and looks at you dully. "What of it?"
"You will give me the returned packages instead of sending them for re-processing. I am doing a gastronomical study and require the material."
His body language expresses a distinct dissatisfaction with his wage vis-a-vis the current circumstances. "Sure whatever".
He presses a few buttons and you walk out of the warehouse with an armful of T-N meals. Enough calories to last you a few days, even if you won't be getting any of the special benefits.
Well not unless you start ordering them yourself.
No not again.
[] Nutrient paste with vitamin supplements and flavoring agents.
Costs 3 poor dots per turn. Every other turn will inflict a -1 penalty to all mental rolls until a proper diet is resumed.
[] Scavenging and Foraging - The current state of affairs.
Costs 1 AP per turn. Exact results dependent on Survival (Foraging) roll, but should have no negative effects so long as you roll decently.
In theory you may forgo this AP cost, in exchange for a large difficulty increase to the roll.
[] Simple Packaged meals - Cheap and produced for mass consumption. Technically a full meal in every box. Tasty but in a very standardized sort of way.
Costs 2 low dots per turn. No negative effects.
[] Nutrient dense - Nutrient enriched synthmeat and top geneline hydroponics. More expensive then normal meals, but give benefits to physical development. The protein shakes remind you uncomfortably of the nutrient paste, but at least they have some flavor.
Costs 6 low dots per turn.
A random physical skill gains +0.05x training multiplier every turn for the duration of the turn.
[] Custom Nutrition Tailored - Custom synthesized meals for an individuals needs and pallet. T-N meals are the premium option, at least, for an unrefined consumer.
Normally costs 1 high dot upfront for the necessary tests and lab work. You can substitute this for a DC 15 Science (Biology) roll. If the roll fails, it repeats every turn until it succeeds.
Costs 1.2 decent dots per turn.
Pick a skill. Gain +0.05x training multiplier to that skill so long as you are on this meal plan.
Location: Habitation Block 17-C:
With that done, it is time for the book your brother gave you. You read it of course.
It takes a very conversational tone. At times directly addressing the reader. The lack of body language to analyze throws you but you push through. What a strange writing style.
Then you drop by your brother's so called office hours afterwards. That is, you invite yourself into his Cube when you know he will be there and start demanding answers.
Training With Jörmungandr: (3+3)d3=6d3 per TAP
2 TAP spent.
12d3 = [1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3] = 24*1.3 = 31 exp
Social knowledge (Clandestine Proceedings) now at 1 (21/30)
2 TAP spent.
12d3 = [1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3] = 24*1.3 = 31 exp
Social knowledge (Clandestine Proceedings) now at 1 (21/30)
Training With Jörmungandr: (3+3)d3=6d3 per TAP
2 TAP spent.
12d3 =[3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2] = 31 exp
Organizational knowledge (AI administrator protocols) now at 31/90
2 TAP spent.
12d3 =[3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2] = 31 exp
Organizational knowledge (AI administrator protocols) now at 31/90
What started as some simple clarifications on the nature of sign-countersign verification quickly devolves into one of your old sibling games. "Spot the loophole."
You end up getting really into it, and by the time you leave you feel like you have made great progress. Not nearly enough to beat your annoying brother, but perhaps soon at this rate.
Location: District 12 Commercial Hub. Sub-Level 23:
"Finally!" Leader gets up to stretch and you don't stop her. "No offense. Work needs work."
"I admit, you have me curious. How exactly does your work work?"
She considers you for a few moments before shrugging. "Sure. Follow." She sets off walking, and this time you follow.
Senior meets you at the door and leads you to a simple hover car. A short ride later he drops you off next to a minor cargo elevator making some small comment about watching the kids. You follow Leader in and it starts a long slow acceleration down.
You finally get tired of the silence. "So where exactly are we going?"
"Under market"
"For what purpose."
"Get contracts. Get equipment."
"Do a lot of assassinations?"
"No."
You give her a look. "What then?"
She regards you in return. You get the impression she isn't trying to be rude. Just that she is laconic out of habit.
"Espionage. Theft. Steal data. Destroy data."
"Who hires you?"
"Laboratories. Workshops."
"Who do you target?"
"Laboratories. Workshops." she repeats with exactly the same intonation.
You sigh. Or course. Petty academic sabotage. Or perhaps not so petty. You can never escape it. "What about you and the team? How did you get into this business?"
No answer. You turn and look. For the first time in the conversation Leader seems tense. Now you could back off, but nah. You are a scientist and science never fears a question. "I noticed certain biological irregularities. Augmentations".
The tension ratchets. Like something invisible is pressing down on you. You don't allow yourself to sweat. "Sometimes the data is someone" Leader says.
You nod, like that is the most natural thing in the world. Why wouldn't it be? Slowly the tension drains away into the silence.
Further conversation is interrupted by light coming through the elevator's mesh grating. Three of the four walls around the elevator fall away into a vast open space.
You see a fissure. No you realize. Vast stalactites. Each the size of buildings and made of faintly glowing purple crystal. They hang out over- over- over-
Mental fortitude: 2 + Noticing Manipulation 2 = 4 dice
4d6 = [6, 2, 6, 3] = 17
DC = 15/??
DC reduced by 1
4d6 = [6, 2, 6, 3] = 17
DC = 15/??
DC reduced by 1
You shut your eyes and reestablish your mental equilibrium. Feeling the way your eyes and thoughts skate off of it. It is all you can do to notice it is even happening.
"That is the void."
"Yup."
The elevator never stopped accelerating until it switched to decelerating. You should have noticed that. Idly you run the physics calculations in your head. You could have traveled kilometers.
"That is- shouldn't the void be deeper?" The void was one of those things everybody learns about in school but never really thinks about. Below a certain elevation all matter starts to disintegrate. The only thing that kept all the continents supported was the natural repulsion the denser elements experienced when they approached it.
"It is. "
"But-" No you consider, this truly is a fissure except upside down. The top of a trench carved into the substratum. You aren't deep enough to truly reach the void. Not unless you took a really long fall. "How many places are there like this in the city?"
"Dunno. At least a couple."
You stop asking questions and take the time to pull yourself together. The Leviathan who steps out of the elevator is cool, calm and collected.
Leader leads you down one of a dozen metal catwalks spanning over the abyss to a disturbingly normal office, except for the glass floor.
An equally nondescript man greets you, except for the glass eye. "Your late. I expected you last week." he accuses Leader.
"Trash information. Trash job." Leader returns.
"Any due diligence is your responsibly."
The two get into a tense argument. You do your best to follow along.
Social knowledge 2 + Clandestine Proceedings 1 = 3 dice
3d6 = [3, 6, 2] = 11
DC = 10
3d6 = [3, 6, 2] = 11
DC = 10
It's posturing. Posturing and leverage. Leader can't outright admit how the mission went bad. It explains why she waited to report back. Showing up with an injury would have been a sign of weakness.
The man, who's name you learn is Silicate, knows this and pressing her on it to keep her on the back foot. You catch what you are pretty sure are veiled references to prior "screw ups" too.
Perception 3 + Body Language 3 = 6 dice
6d6 = [5, 5, 3, 2, 5, 6] = 26
DC = 15/25
6d6 = [5, 5, 3, 2, 5, 6] = 26
DC = 15/25
Leader is bluntly, not very good at this. She keeps her cool well enough, but her rhetorical style is akin to planting her feet and trading blows leaving her vulnerable to Silicate's verbal undermining. By her the stiffness in her stance she isn't happy, but is trying to just push through. Grin and bear it, metaphorically.
Silicate is harder to read. But you are too good to let his icy demeanor fool you. In part he sees this as just business. Cruelly twisting the knife to squeeze out as many credits as he can. Underneath however is fragility. Something has shaken him up recently, and he isn't nearly as secure as he is trying to project.
The only question is what you plan to do with this knowledge.
[] Stay quiet.
This is a dangerous situation with dangerous people. No reason to sick your neck out.
[] Intervene
You can talk the talk, and act the act. Who's to say you aren't some up and coming scientist here to make a deal? Well if you were you aren't impressed with what you see. Apply some pressure and see if you can get Silicate to crack.
AN: Your luck for this turn was kinda crazy. You see that Organizational knowledge training roll? Less then 1% chance. If you had rolled that for Clandestine Proceedings instead you would have gone from level 0 to 2 in just 2 TAP.
Your social skills got a real workout. The focus they were given in character creation was interesting. Leviathan is no socially inept stereotype. Hope I represented that well.
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