Episodes 44 thru 47 - Cyberpunk Adventures

Episode 44: Current Troubles Dealt With As Ghosts for the Past Resurface

Kyle gets Victor out of hot water with Cruz, and then has fun with some new biogens during Doc Freeman’s tour of the FuGen facility. Dead cops are showing up in the city killed with banned ammunition. The bugs in Pedro de Costa’s gang headquarters discover an Islamic terrorist connection and a randy reporter.

Evidence of other plots afoot and dangerous people active in the area come to light. Ghosts from Doc Freeman’s, Kyle’s and Cat’s past in Romania reappear. The Team decides to look into it all and come up with a plan to deal with it.

Background

The Team has arrived in Rio de Janeiro aboard their (pilfered) 194 foot mega yacht, the Windfall. They have been brought here by the Disney Corporation, who runs the giant theme park, Fantasia. The Brazilian Supreme Court is expected to overturn the 1975 Presidential Decree (The Fusion) effectively re-establishing the city of Rio as an independent city-state within Brazil. Factions have begun to align, in anticipation of this decision, to vie for control of the city. The notorious favelas of Rio de Janeiro present a powerful voting block; one that several of the players in the political struggle seek to eliminate. By taking away the voting rights of the poor, the conspirators hope to move closer to their ultimate goal of eliminating the favelas; reclaiming the valuable real estate for redevelopment. The Disney Corporation opposes this agenda and has contracted the Team as ‘consultants’ to counter the maneuvers of rival factions.

Dramatis Personae

The Team

Allison Cole: 17 yo kleptomaniac sexpot and one of Cat Ortiz’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. When she became a suspect in a heist in Atlantic City, she followed her friend to Jamaica and has now joined the Team. Her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

Cat (Fisher) Ortiz: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 19 yo daughter. Now back in South America, she is using her “mother’s” last name again. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogenetic assassin construct built by the now defunct Bio Works Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva.

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are still deliberating the ramifications of his work, the Disney Corporation has honored their agreements making Dr. Freeman rich beyond his wildest dreams.

Kyle Vaduva: Former C.I.A. agent, burned by the agency for crimes he did not commit. His efforts to expose and eliminate the Section, a freelance spy ring that had infiltrated the C.I.A., led to a review of his record and exoneration. He was allowed to retire with full benefits. Kyle has reunited with his lover from the Romanian Operation, Caitlin Jones (see Cat (Fisher) Ortiz above)

Nip Lacey: 16 yo amnesiac girl with neon green hair. She is a NET savant. Nip is a former classmate of Allison Cole and Cat Ortiz, whom she considers her best friends.

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip.

Ricco Torres: A former member of the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police who became a private investigator when his friendship with certain ‘unsavory’ characters came to light. Although he was not corrupt, he left the force before a case could be ‘made’ (manufactured) against him. Recently he has been hired by the Disney Corporation and been given a corporate ‘badge’. He serves as liaison between the Team and Disney.

Victor Kane: He is a 28 year old street racer (Runner). After being cashiered by Petrochem’s security arm, Kane, as he prefers to be called, earned extra money dabbling in smuggling.

Nicholas (Nicky) Vaduva: Zar’s (Kyle’s) 18-year-old son from our Romanian adventure. Nicholas is unaware of this, believing Kyle to be his father’s cousin. He serves as third officer on the Team’s yacht, SS Windfall.

The NPCs

Colin Hughes: He is a (senior) executive from Petrochem on assignment in Rio de Janeiro. The man is from Victor Kane’s life path. Kane and Colin vied for the affections of Marybeth Bascom, daughter of Texas US Senator Howard Bascom. All three young people were “gear heads”. Kane beat out Colin, who arranged Kane’s separation from his job at Petrochem.

Dr. Chen: A chief researcher and executive for the FuGen Corporation, a Chinese Biotech firm. He is known to Kyle, Cat and Doc Freeman.

Dr. Luis Serrano: A deputy coroner with the Rio de Janeiro’s Coroner’s Office, whom Ricco knows.

Duela Bardon: She works for the British giant, IMA (Imperial Metropolitan Agriculture) here in Rio and is an old friend of Marcellana Barbieri.

Ernesto Cruz: Nico’s direct superior in the Red Command. He is a killer and a stone cold psycho.

Felipe Torres: The older brother of Rico Torres. Felipe is a high ranking member of the Red Command.

George Brazzo: A high level fixer and criminal in Rio. He is a facilitator that rarely gets his hands dirty himself. He has a large bribery slush fund and two lawyers that keep him out of trouble. When he was a Rio civil policeman, Rico Torres tried unsuccessfully to put him away several times.

Hector Benetiz: the head of Disney security in Rio.

Henrique: A former Favela drug lord who has taken a government amnesty offer and gotten out of the drug business. The man now runs a media company which works with Disney and a mini-venture capitalist firm that gives micro-loans to favela residents so they can rise from poverty. It is suspected he is positioning himself to enter politics. He and Rico Torres grew up together with Ricco being the younger ‘brother’. Henrique used to belong to a Brazilian pop group manufactured by a record company. When his voice changed he was fired and thrown back into the favela where he rose to the top of the local gang.

James Marsden: A world class sniper and contract killer. He works for the highest bidder and has connections with the C.I.A. who alternatively hires him and puts kill orders out on him. He is known to Kyle, Cat and Doc Freeman.

Juniho: A high ranking member of the Red Command and Ernesto Cruz’s direct superior.

Major Victor Katanga: Formerly a colonel in the Army of Mali, who was cashiered for the massacre of Islamist rebels in the north of that country a year or two back. He now works for the Orochi Resource Group.

Marcellana Barbieri: She is a minor media who works for the Sky News Network. She is a dual national of Great Britain and Morocco. Her mother is Moroccan and her father Italian. Her half-brother is Gustavo Benaziz, a known and wanted Islamic terrorist.

Nico: He is a member of the Red Command from Favela Caminho do Lucio who is a major importer of marijuana into Rio de Janeiro. Victor races for him.

Pedro de Costa: An up and coming gang leader in the Third Command.

R. Maximillian (II): President and CEO of I-Corp.

Suresh Madras Patel: A very high ranking member of the Red Command. Juniho, Ernesto Cruz’s boss, is under directly under Madras.

Vena (Vera Lena de Costa): An old girlfriend of Rico Torres and petty criminal in Rio with good NET connections.

Wilfredo Ernesto Saber (“Willy the Roach” or just Barata (Roach), but not to his face): He is a friend of Henrique from the bad old days. His diminutive size and pleasant nature are at odds with his fearful reputation. His nickname comes from the fact that he is so tough to kill. He’s been shot (nine time), stabbed (more than a dozen times), electrocuted (at least twice), thrown from a moving car, partially set on fire, fallen from a building, to escape said fire and had a host of other misadventures.

The Action

Wednesday, September 26, 2045:

In order to be unreachable, Victor removed the battery from his phone. At Kyle’s insistence he powers up the phone, long enough to call Nico and quit as his driver. Cruz presents a quandary. Kyle and Cat discuss solving the problem with a bullet, yet such an act could possibly ignite the war they are trying to avoid.

Kyle seeks Henrique’s input. As the former head of the Red Command, his views still carry weight even though he is no longer officially part of the gang. Ernesto Cruz was at one time his subordinate. Henrique will do what he can meanwhile he explains a little of that part of the Red Command’s hierarchy. Nico wholesales the drugs while Cruz protects the fields. Ernesto works for a Juniho, whose protection responsibilities cover much of the city. Juniho reports to Suresh Madras Patel (who is on the same level in the Red Command as Felipe Torres, Ricco’s brother). Madras’ brother is Amit, who runs his security force, and is made up of a group of mulattos led by a man named, Olivo. In addition to overseeing the organization below him, Madras owns hotel and oversees girls who ‘rent’ the rooms. Madras has a girlfriend named Soraya, who manages the girls (and a few young men).

The talk with Henrique bears almost immediate fruit as Felipe soon calls his brother Ricco and requests a meeting with him tomorrow morning. Felipe sounds very tense.

Nip and Cat begin rebuilding the engine of the used Obvio Abrigedo van, purchased by the Team.

***

Thursday, September 28, 2045:

At the morning meeting of the two Torres brothers Felipe is obviously under a lot of stress. He requests an immediate meeting with Kyle. A phone call by Ricco brings a dinner invitation for Felipe aboard the Windfall for tonight.

Kyle and Cat return to I-Corp. The revelation of (Operation) Red Rook and Fabrini Air give R. Maximillian (II) pause. It’s hard to find an upside. Locking horns with an organization that has successfully hidden its existence for almost half century is difficult enough. Contending with a cabal of former spooks, with global reach and influence is tantamount to suicide. The news is not welcome, but R. Maximillian (II) honors his promises. The CEO agrees, in principle, to support Disney politically. The pair leaves it to Roger Kincaid to hammer out the details.

Nip and Cat finish rebuilding the van’s engine, only to have it fail to start. (The roll was a ‘1’, but the botch result was just a failure.) They spend hours trying to track down the fault.

Doc Freeman finalizes plans to tour FuGen’s Rio facility. The Chinese biotech firm hopes to use the visit to entice the neurosurgeon into a collaborative project.

Ricco calls Hector Benetiz and tells him that the recent string of violent deaths of netrunners in Rio has nothing to do with Disney or its operations in Rio. Hector informs the ex-cop that two of Ernesto Cruz’s men were caught hanging around the dock in Fantasia that the Windfall’s launch uses to ferry people back and forth from the moored vessel. This pair has been ‘escorted’ off the grounds. The security chief is curious why they were watching the Team’s ship, but Ricco feigns ignorance. Soon, two of Hector’s men begin watching that dock.

Later in the afternoon, Henrique comes aboard the Windfall for ‘drinks’. Willie, the Roach, is with him. He, Kyle and Cat discuss the situation with Victor Kane, Nico and Ernesto Cruz. The subject of the kidnapping of the banker’s family (and the brutal death of his brother) is brought up and Henrique assures them that the wives of children of the banker and the dead brother are safe and have been removed from Cruz’s ‘custody. When asked if he would like to stay for dinner, Henrique demurs. It would not help his image to be seen with too many of the current leaders of his former gang. As Henrique and Willie reach the dock, they are met by Hector. The ship’s lookouts report that Willie then left by himself and Henrique went with Hector.

Ricco and Felipe arrive for dinner with a third man, Suresh Madras Patel. Suresh’s family emigrated from India years ago. One look at this gang lord’s dress and the Team realizes why he is often just called ‘Madras’. The prints and colors of his clothing are bordering on gauche. After introductions and initial pleasantries, Kyle begins to explain the situation between Cruz and Victor. The runner can’t seem to keep his mouth shut and continues to interrupt, adding what he thinks are important pieces of information. Most of this additional ‘information’ merely serves to put him in a better light.

Finally, Madras looks at Victor then back at Kyle and says, “I too have problems with subordinates talking out of turn.”

In a flash, Kyle leaps up and knocks the surprised Kane down. Out comes a knife and the ex-C.I.A. agent cuts out the runner’s tongue! Doc Freeman rushes over and takes Victor below to attempt to reattach it.

A shocked Cat observes, “Now he won’t be able to talk.”

“Perfect!” replies Kyle.

Madras allows himself a faint smile. This gang lord also agrees to rein in Cruz and assures the Team that Ernesto will no longer trouble them over Victor. He also gives them a bit of news that a man named, Francarlo, may be behind Pedro’s recent influx of cash.

Felipe, Madras and Ricco leave after dinner. As they walk off the dock, Hector is watching through Disney’s cameras there. The security chief is pulling out his hair wondering what is being discussed by this group of high level gang leaders and the Team.

Late that night the team returns to Pedro’s headquarters, to clone his cell phone. Kyle, Cat, and Allison make entry while Nip surveys the surroundings through her remote. Victor is relegated to (Team) taxi duty. While on site, the bugs installed during the last incursion are swapped out for more robust equipment, spliced directly into the building’s electrical system.

There are a few unexpected wrinkles to the otherwise successful mission. Their target is asleep upstairs, but isn’t alone. In the bed with Pedro is a young woman. Both are deep in post-coital slumber, making a search of the room simple enough. The gang leader’s jacket turns up two phones. One is a cheap, piece of crap cell. The other is a top of the line encrypted satellite phone. Cat finds its match in the girl’s purse, along with media credentials for a Marcellana Barbieri. With skill and a lot of Luck (player used most of her luck) Cat cracks the security on the satellite phones, while Kyle snaps a few ‘tasteful’ photos of Pedro and his lady-friend. Replacing the phones and credentials, the Team withdraws.

***

Friday, September 29, 2045:

Cat keeps her ‘race date’ with Colin Hughes at Autodromo Internacional Nelson Piquet. The two chase each other around the track, engaging in one of their mutual passions (car racing).

Nip finds the fault and begins to rebuild the (van’s) engine.

High noon finds Doc Freeman, Allison and Kyle at the FuGen facility. The building welcomes them and directs the trio to a comfortable waiting area. Kyle is already on edge. A potential extraction attempt of Doc Freeman is not out of the question. That the biotech firm would entrust control of its facility to an AI only increases his unease.

(GM Note: During our Romanian campaign, Doc Freeman was working on a joint project with the Disney Corporation. Disney provided the facilities and security personnel. The corporate offices in Bucharest were overseen by Bella, the AI that is currently Disney Fantasia’s goodwill ambassador in Rio.)

Dr. Chen promptly arrives to personally show them around the facility. Kyle recognizes the good doctor and his overly tall ‘assistant’. Lean and sinuous with vaguely flat reptilian features, many would dismiss his looks as an expensive exotic package, but Kyle knows better. The ex-agent ran across Dr. Chen and his bodyguard in Romania. The ‘man’ is a Kimura biogen.

Kyle is intimately familiar with these animal/human hybrids. His lover (Cat) is one. Having helped her learn to mask certain character traits inherent to her kind, the ex-agent is easily able to reproduce the telltale cues of a feline Kimura biogen. The subtle pantomime draws the biogen’s attention, but it is a look of confusion, rather than anger or wariness, that crosses his alien features.

The movements are correct, but the smell is wrong. Without the genetically modified glands Kyle can’t produce a feline’s characteristic scent. Still, if blood were drawn, he is fairly certain the sample would identify him as a biogen.

(GM Note: The cure/vaccination for the Carbon Plague incorporated the Kimura protein as a delivery vector. Many of those vaccinated show as a false positive on the standard test for biogens. Certain biogen’s with enhanced olfactory senses can even ‘smell’ the protein.)

This subtle charade provided a means to amuse him from an otherwise boring tour. Without realizing it, the ex-agent had fallen back on his training: unbalancing an (perceived) opponent, to gain a tactical advantage.

As the tour drags on, two faces continually pop up among the personnel they encounter: a lab tech carrying a tray of specimens, maintenance workers replacing a light, researchers conferring in the corridor. To his knowledge, FuGen has yet to crack human cloning. Odds are they are being shadowed. The building AI could easily monitor their location, so why the need for such chaperones? Watching with a critical eye, Kyle picks up subtle irregularities of movement. A whiff of musk confirms his suspicions: more Kimura biogens. His clandestine observations also reveal that HE, not Doc Freeman, is the subject of their surveillance. The added ‘playmates’ enhance his private game of ‘beard the biogen’.

FuGen’s work on bio-synthetic analogs intrigues Doc Freeman. Collaboration could benefit his own research, but his current arrangement with Disney makes the situation complicated. The two scientists part with a handshake agreement to investigate the possibilities of entering into a joint venture. Doc Freeman returns to his lab, leaving the matter to Disney’s legal department to figure out.

***

Saturday, September 30, 2045:

Cat, Nip and Victor prep ‘Death Kitty’, for the day’s race. Cat’s Lamborghini is the hottest thing on the track at the Favela Auto Club, easily blowing the doors off the competition.

Henrique informs Kyle that Cruz has been talked to. Victor is in the clear; Nico, not so much. Busted arm, broken jaw, bruises and contusions; with the runner out of reach, Cruz found another focus for his wrath. Henrique is (anonymously) covering Nico’s medical expenses.

Marcellana calls one of the satellite phones and is surprised that Pedro answers. “Why haven’t you passed the phone along?” she asks.

“I’ve been busy,” he replies. “I’ll get to it soon.”

This is not the answer Marcellana is looking for. “I need to get in touch with him.”

“You sound upset,” observes Pedro. “Come here; I can comfort you.”

“No, that was a mistake,” the woman says quickly.

“Well, that’s three mistakes then,” Pedro points out.

Kyle and Cat look at video feed from their surveillance cameras at the gang’s place. Pedro’s men are there listening to the conversation. When he hangs up, they all burst out laughing.

One of the gang tells Pedro, “You are playing a dangerous game. If her brother finds out you’re tagging her, he’ll kill you.”

The gang leader seems unconcerned. “Well then, we might have to get rid of him sooner than expected.”

***

Sunday, October 1, 2045:

The team has been recording coded transmissions from Pedro’s headquarters for more than a week. Cat is able to crack the simple codes (roll of 32) and decipher the data. Sorting through the multitude of mundane messages, useful pieces of intel emerge. Pedro is planning to contact Victor about ‘throwing’ another race, and the gang leader has dealings with a group called ‘Cuca’s Girls’.

A NET search turns up multiple hits for a ghostly caiman witch from Brazilian folklore, but little direct information on the group. Ricco proves a more useful resource. The Cuca’s Girls practice an obscure branch of Candomblé, mixing in aspects of Voodoo and Santeria. Either through makeup or bio-sculpting, they have made themselves over into avatars of the mythological caiman headed hag.

Locals are terrified of these cuca witches. It is said that little can be hidden from them. With several accomplished netrunners among their ranks, not even the NET is beyond their charms and curses. Those who cross the cuca end up dead or worse. There are stories of the caiman witches turning their enemies into mindless zombies.

Kyle and Cat continue to carefully look for information about Fabrini Air. They have been making a lot of trips to the Cape Verde Islands in recent years. A project there called Operation Tap Root is building a huge geothermal power complex. The airline was also flying a lot to Mauretania during the Cold War.

***

Monday, October 2, 2045:

Nip passes her AV pilot test and gets her license. Cat signs over her Avanti Sport Spinner as a gift to her friend.

In the afternoon, Cat retires to her workshops and makes two silencers for her pair of ‘throw away’ 9mm Gonz-Taurus MPs. She also cooks up 12 kilos of homemade TNT.

Ricco receives a desperate call for help from one of his informants, a bodega owner. His information is usually good, so the ex-cop swings by. Met at the door, the store owner quickly hurries Ricco towards the back room, pausing only to lock the door and flip the sign to ‘closed’. Cooling on the floor is the corpse of a crooked cop. The two crossed paths while Ricco was still on the force. This is also the cop that usually shakes down this bodega owner. He hands Ricco the dead policeman’s gun, which the ex-cop takes while being careful not to get his fingerprints on it.

Crooked cops rarely work alone, and this one is no exception. The shop owner fears reprisals from his partners. Gunshots and squealing tires preceded the dead cop crashing through the door. Oddly, there is no collateral damage. Policemen get killed all the time by local gangs, but the scene is usually a bullet riddled mess. The mystery will hold till they clean up the scene.
There is no murder if there is no body.

Biting the bullet, Ricco contacts his ex. Vera is pleasantly surprised by his call. His request is even more surprising. She lets him twist for a while before asking for the address.

“Be ready for pickup in 20 minutes,” she tells him.

A truck from a local pig farm promptly arrives to cart off the corpse. Ricco rolls off B$ 1000 and now owes Vera a favor.

Ricco calls his contact at the morgue, Dr. Serrano (from Episode 41) to inquire about deaths of police officers. There are actually two in his freezer, with wound patterns like nothing he has ever seen. The bullets had fragmented into shrapnel, shredding their internal organs. Checking ballistics would be next to impossible. The coroner has sent samples of the shrapnel out for analysis. Ricco asks for a sample of the shrapnel.

The ex-cop gives Cat the bullet fragments for analysis. He informs the team about the bodies in the morgue, but leaves out the third cop sent to the pig farm. Kyle asks the ex-cop to look into the backgrounds of the dead officers and any leads the authorities may have. Ricco suggests that cash may be needed to access the information. Kyle rolls off R$ 5000 and tells him to come back when that’s gone.

That evening Marcellana Barbieri‘s satellite phone is activated. The Team listens in, but realizes both people are using matching crypto chips. Without the key, it is next to impossible to understand what is being said. The call is too brief to even get a baseline for decryption.

***

Tuesday, October 3, 2045:

Kyle looks into Marcellana Barbieri. For the past four years, she has worked for Sky News as a correspondent in the network’s Gibraltar office. A child of mixed descent, Marcellana holds both British and Moroccan citizenship. Born to a Moroccan and Italian émigré, she has several siblings. Of special note is a half-brother, Gustavo Benaziz. Reputed to be in close contact with the Voice of the Wastes, he is a known terrorist and high value target for both the CIA and Interpol.

Cat easily identifies the bullet fragment sample from the morgue. They are from a British SAS 12mm anti-personnel round. The biogen is somewhat of an expert on this exotic ammunition, having extensively studied unspent examples to produce her own knockoffs. Metallurgical tests and analysis of propellant residue date the manufacture to the time of the Fourth Corporate War. With the help of Nip and Kyle, the rounds are traced back to a lot used in Guyana. A search of SAS members active in Guyana at that time, with current ties to Brazil, leads them to Crown Security. This private military firm is working in northern Brazil, near the border with French Guyana.

***

Wednesday, October 4, 2045:

Ricco tries to substantiate rumors that the dead cops worked for the Chinese. Leads are few and offers of cash don’t seem to be opening the doors that they should. He does come across a name that freezes Cat and Kyle’s blood.

Eight years and a world away since either has heard or thought of James Marsden. A consummate professional, he is a versatile assassin. Whether working alone or fronting his team of professional killers, the man is a dangerous opponent. Cat and Kyle came close to punching his ticket in Romania, before the C.I.A. rescinded the contract.

Marsden is thought to be working with Major Victor Katanga. Formally a Colonel in the army of Mali, Katanga retired and left the country ahead of charges of war crimes. He traded equipment seized from the rebels’ weapons depot to secure his current position in the Special Reaction Forces (SRF) of the Orochi Resource Group (ORG). Word is the major is overseeing SRF teams operating in Rio.

Kyle unearths more details about Marcellana Barbieri. Her current residence is a high security executive apartment. Not really in keeping with a correspondent’s salary. She has also made several visits to an old schoolmate, living locally. Marcellana’s friend, Duela Bardon, works for the British giant, IMA (Imperial Metropolitan Agriculture. That corporation has extensive fields north of the city, approximately 10 miles north of Cruz’s hacienda. Aerial photos and pictures of the area have been blocked or censored by the Brazilian government. A nighttime (drone) flyover of the fields reveals extensive cannabis cultivation. Nip lands one of the remotes to take a sample for study.

***

Thursday, October 5, 2045:

Analysis of the cannabis returns interesting results. It has been genetically modified for increased oil output. The plant does not appear to be cross fertile with normal cannabis. Use as a drug would be marginal, if not hazardous. With a faster growth rate than sugarcane and less impact on the soil, the crop could prove a boon to biofuel production. Apparently the government doesn’t want it known that they are experimenting with a plant that is VERY illegal in Brazil. The Team decides not to expose this project as its success may prove helpful in addressing the energy shortages in Brazil and around the world.

Kyle decides to suspend any further operations other than surveillance and concentrate on fully researching all the current information that has been uncovered.

***

Friday, October 6 to Wednesday, November 1, 2045:

Cue the Streetwise and Library Search Montage!

Over the next four weeks, the Team sets to work on research, preparing for the next phase of their mission. Allison continues to deepen her relationship with Colin Hughes. The Team arranges with Henrique to secure a good acting coach and access to the make-up department (work on her Disguise skill). The 17 year-old needs to improve her skills to be useful as an undercover agent at this level.

Victor (with help from Nip) works on turning the Team van into a surveillance vehicle. He also picks up some basic computer and research skills. Putting these skills to work, the runner finds a gym and boxing instructor. Kyle works on his Serbo-Croatian and tutors the socially inept members of the team in the basics of Social interaction (Social level 1). This will hopefully stop them from making fools of themselves and embarrassing the team. Nip puts the finishing touches on her floating paintball target remote.

Doc Freeman, Disney, the FuGen Corporation and the Terrier Corporation (a Martian firm) hammer out the details of their joint venture to develop biomechanical cyberware. As part of the deal, FuGen will support Disney’s political position on the favelas. The Terrier Corporation has strong connections with the Collective and is already on board.

Surveillance of Pedro de Costa’s gang brings the core group into focus.

Third Command in the Favela Barrio Nova Alianca:

1 – Pedro de Costa (25): The leader who runs a clinic that serves as a front for his drug operations. He is passionate and sometimes reckless.

2 – DeVagar (28): Pedro’s second in command. He is called ‘Slow’, but not because he is stupid. The man is slow and deliberate; the perfect counterbalance to Pedro.

3 – Peludo (Shaggy) (19): He has long stringy hair and runs the gang’s drug operations.

4 – Rosado (Pinky) (20): A gang enforcer who knows Capoeira although more of a dancer than a fighter with it. He is one of the three known as the “Capoeira Boys”.

5 – Pe’De Astuto (Slyfoot) (22): Another one of the “Capoeira Boys”.

6 – Catraca (Rachet) (20): He is the gang’s tech and car guy. He runs a small machine shop in the favela where his 16 year old brother works with him.

7 – Quinho (Little Joachim) (25-30?): He is an enforcer for the gang and an information monger.

8 – Curto (Short Legs) (17): Another of the gang’s enforcers and the last of the “Capoeira Boys”.

9 – Barabbas (32): A sociopathic thief and murderer attached to this set of the Third Command.

10 – Jocare (Gator) (?): An enforcer who runs the smuggling operations of the gang.

The Hangers-on of the Gang:

A – Canella (Cinnamon): This is Gator’s girlfriend.

B – Tow: She is a half Chinese Samba dancer and Shaggy’s girlfriend. They fight a lot.

C – Ginjinham (Little Sour Cherry): She is Rosado’s girlfriend and quite the bitch. Ginjinham runs a nail salon in the favela.

Where They Like to Hang (Besides their HQ):

Club Ninho: A nasty den of iniquity and drinking establishment in the same building as their headquarters.

Lush: A dance club on the south edge of the Favela Barrio Nova Alianca.

Ricco discovers the identity of a major Rio fixer who is working with the corporate alliance trying to take away the vote from the favelas and push the poor out of the city by extending the Favela Exclusion Zone. The man’s name is George Brazzo. When Ricco was with the Rio Civil Police, he tried to bring George down. Unfortunately, this man was too well entrenched with multiple lawyers and bribed officials. Every case he built against this crime lord fizzled.

Finally, George moved against Ricco and blew enough smoke at the cop to make him look crooked, which forced him to resign. Ricco is motivated to take this fixer down. Kyle and Cat decide that an operation to bring down George and his corporate patrons is the way to go. George is arming various factions in the favelas and then getting them to fight, thus inflaming the violence there. These incidents are being used by corporate interests as ‘proof’ that the favela poor must go and are not capable or deserving of the vote.

Kyle decides to become a new gun smuggler in the city with the ability to provide George with the tools he needs. They contact the Collective and have them put together some new identities for him and Cat. Cat hires one of her ‘sisters’ to come and impersonate her. Cat also hires a Nietzschean to act as Kyle’s double. A Nietzschean netrunner is also hired to monitor the new identities to make sure they are not penetrated or to find out if they are. Through Cat’s connections in the Balkans (she used to be the spymaster/station chief there for the Mars Ministry of Communications, one of their intelligence services), the new identities order 500 AK-74s chambered for the Arasaka 5.56 caseless round (the most common rifle round in Brazil). They also acquire 200 CCMMC Tuzi-7 Chinese made submachine guns. To round out their opening stock, Kyle and Cat make 8 RPG-As with Croatian Army markings (forged by Kyle).

Croatian AK-74 (chambered for the Arasaka 5.56mm caseless cartridge)

The two will try to infiltrate or make a connection with Pedro’s gang and rise in George’s organization and identify (and meet) his backers. If they succeed in this, they will try to meet Gustavo Benaziz, the Islamic terrorist, whom Pedro is working with. They will attempt to tie Pedro and Gustavo’s business in with George (and his corporate backers). All the while the two will collect enough evidence of a huge plot involving all these parties. The finale will be the unmasking by the authorities of Kyle and Cat’s new personas as actually the terrorists Goren Kovic and Ivanka Balakov, their cover identities from Mali (Episodes 28 & 29). This will attract almost every major intelligence service to Rio and bring woe to all who are connected with Goren and [/b][/i]Ivanka[/b][/i].

While this is going on, Cat’s sister (posing as her) and Kyle’s Nietzschean double will be sailing around the South Atlantic on the Windfall sniffing around the Cape Verde islands giving the two an alibi. Of course, Kyle and Cat will have to run like hell to get back to the ship. It is a bold plan, but should turn the Brazilian authorities against the corporations trying to rescind the poor’s voting rights!

Episode 45: A New Player in Town

Kyle and Cat begin their undercover job as Luka Graso and Bianca Reis/Lena Petkov. Their mission is to get close to George, the front man for a corporate conspiracy to disenfranchise the Favela residents. George Brazzo already works with two other gun runners. A need for a new gun distributor must be made.

Nip pitches her idea to run cyborg bodies by remote Net operation (proto-Densai) to the Disney Corporation. Although only 16 years old, Disney has been grooming the young NET runner so it gives her some minor resources and tells her to see what she can do.

[GM note: Disney is already working on a variation of this technology. Bella (a Disney AI) controls specially modified Gemini bodies through remote emitters installed around the Fantasia theme park.]

Disaster strikes!

Dramatis Personae

The Team

Nip Lacey: 16 yo amnesiac girl with neon green hair. She is a NET savant. Nip is a former classmate of Allison Cole and Cat Ortiz, whom she considers her best friends.

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip.

Victor Kane: He is a 28 year old street racer (Runner). After being cashiered by Petrochem’s security arm, Kane, as he prefers to be called, earned extra money dabbling in smuggling.

Caitlin Diaz: One of Cat’s Biotechnica created clones, who is working with the Team masquerading as Catherine Ortiz (Cat 2.0).

4.06531: A 4th generation Nietzschean operative, who is masquerading as Kyle on the Windfall. He is also known as Janko Mesic during this mission.

Mario Schamal: Now a high level Disney executive, who formerly worked with members of the Team (Super Solo 2 Campaign & Romanian Campaign). This is a former PC who is currently on active duty in the military making a ‘cameo’ appearance.

The NPCs

Aiello Martinez: A commodities broker and friend of Alistair.

Alistair Granby: An executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland and race horsing aficionado.

Cedrik: A Serbian ex-pat gangster in need of heavy weapons.

David Lau: A Chinese gun runner in Rio who is working with George.

George Brazzo: A high level fixer and criminal in Rio. He is a facilitator who rarely gets his hands dirty himself. He has a large bribery slush fund and two lawyers who keep him out of trouble. When Ricco Torres was a Rio civil policeman, he tried unsuccessfully to put George away several times.

Ginjinham [Little Sour Cherry]: She is Rosado’s girlfriend and quite the bitch. Ginjinham runs a nail salon in the favela.

Kiril Vadjek: A Russian gun runner working with George.

Manuel Bagwell: A half-English, half-Brazilian investment banker and friend of Alistair.

Ned: A friend of Alistair and another horse racing fan.

Pedro de Costa: Leader of the set of the Rio gang, the Third Command, in charge of the Favela Barrio Nova Alianca. He is working with Gustavo Benaziz, a known Islamic terrorist and half-brother of Marcellana Barbieri, a Commonwealth media. Pedro is having an affair with Marcellana.

Vernon: Alistair’s bodyguard.

The Action

Thursday, November 2, 2045:

Bianca Reis (Cat) and Lena Petkov (Caitlin Diaz, who is another Caitlin model biogen learning to be Cat’s double) arrive in Rio with Luka Graso (Kyle), a Croatian businessman (gunrunner), and Janko Mesic, Luka’s bodyguard, (4.06531: a Nietzschean learning to be Kyle’s double) to set up import/export business. They go to Avenue de Santa Rosa office building (9th story, top) and set up an office. Barry (money-launderer from Atlantic City) helps to establish a convincing financial paper trail.

Nip calls her robotics mentor at Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Theme Park in Port Royal, Jamaica with her idea of running a cyborg body through the NET. He tells her this has never been done, but will pass her idea up the chain of command.

[GM Note: When the player made this request, all of our GMs talked about this and decided that NET runners should NOT be able to do this as it would have huge ramifications on game play. None of us want to deal with Surrogate-like cyborgs trashing the game environment.

A NET runner can control remotes so it isn’t a huge jump to get there. As with waldos, a modified cyborg’s body can be controlled, but can’t use high levels of reflexes or operator’s skills (except specialized Control Remote skills). Due to Nip’s unique brain structure, she might be able to do it with the help of a world class neurologist, like Doc Freeman. It was decided to let the character proceed with this experiment and see how it goes. After all, cyberpunk is about living on the Edge!

Ricco puts the word out on the street that there’s a new gun runner in town. He gets a phone call from Cedrik, a Serbian looking to buy arms who wants to set up a meet. This Serbian mob operating in Rio is involved in prostitution, human slavery, and muscle for hire. Ricco takes his name and number to give to Luka.

***

Friday, November 3, 2045:

George and his crew hang out at the Hipodromo de Gavea, Rio’s premier horse racing track. Luka Graso and his ‘posse’ pull up to the entrance in a sleek armored limousine (rented). To fit the part, they are decked out in high class threads costing a small fortune (B$30,000). Luka has arranged for entry into the private members’ section of the Jockey Club.

Bianca attracts the attention of an Alistair Granby, a club member and executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The banker introduces his lunch guest, Ned and their mutual friends Manuel Bagwell (a half-English, half-Brazilian investment banker) and Aiello Martinez, a commodities broker. They are greeted warmly and asked to join them. Vernon, Alistair’s bodyguard, keeps a suspicious eye on the two. Luka inquires about membership. Alistair, still flirting with Bianca, invites them to be his guests at the club tomorrow.

Luka and Bianca are noticed by George and his party. The fixer scrupulously ignores their presence. Bianca clandestinely photographs the people in George’s box with the camera in her ‘spyware’ sunglasses. With a few inquiries and lip reading they begin to put names to the faces. The pictures are later shared with Ricco to see if he can identify them.

The investigator has been putting Luka’s name out on the street. The new gun runner is contacted by Cedrik. The Serbian gangster is looking to get his hands on some heavy firepower. Luka arranges a meet at the Jockey Club tomorrow.

Allison continues to develop her relationship with Colin Hughes.

Doc Freeman and Disney work out the details of their new relationship with the FuGen Corporation. The fledgling enterprise enters into negotiations with the Terrier Corporation, a Martian Biotech and computer firm. The corporation is headed by Dr. Roca Terrier (Pershing), an A.I. and ex-wife of General Pershing, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States of America).

***

Saturday, November 4, 2045:

Luka and his crew meet Cedrik, the Serb, at the Hipodromo de Gavea. A deal is struck for 20 AK-74s (chambered for Arasaka’s 5.56 caseless cartridge) and eight RPG-As, to be delivered Monday. After the Serbians and his bodyguards depart, a man with a Russian accent comes down from George’s box to offer a cryptic warning to Luka, about selling weapons to the Serbs. This ‘advice’ could either be a friendly suggestion or a veiled threat.

Ricco keeps his ear to the street, and learns that one of the cop militias is asking around about the Serbs. Rumors are the Serbs are making a gun-purchase score, since they were asking around about making a buy, and they have now stopped asking.

***

Sunday, November 5, 2045:

Kyle, Cat and Nip scour the NET for intel on George’s crew. Ricco shares what he knows, turning over his former case files. Though dated, the files provide a comprehensive overview of the fixer’s operations, as well as his known and suspected associates.

George’s Crew:

1 – Charles Fortier: George’s criminal defense attorney and good friend.

2 – Israel Ansari (nickname Moolch – ‘likes money’): A divorce and contract attorney.

3 – Ezekiel Moura: A scrounger.

4 – Zane: A contract killer that George uses. There is no picture of the man.

5 – Diesel: George’s driver and bodyguard.

6 – Rosaria Donard: She is a French national (half-Brazilian), a socialite and George’s occasional girlfriend.

7 – Isadore Abuelo: An Argentine ‘bad guy’ and former member of FARC. It is rumored that FARC has ordered his execution.

8 – Brita Seguera: She is another former member of FARC and friend of Isadore. There is a rumored execution order out on her too.

9 – Maiel Munao: He is a Brazilian Indian with some reported military training, possibly FARC.

10 – Caio Gonsalvez: A minor corporate who deals in real estate.

11 – Limao (Lemon: Just a guy who serves as a gofer, and possibly occasional bagman.

12 – Zago: A hired gun and reportedly former French Foreign Legionnaire.

13 – Ursala Childers: A model, who was set up in business by George.

14 – Zvi Kager: An Israeli who works as muscle. He has military training.

15 – Jordan Abrilla: A former police officer turned private investigator. He may have had ties to a militia that no longer exits.

16 – Kiril Vadjek: An ex-military Russian gun dealer working with George.

17 – David Lau: A Chinese gun runner in Rio who is working with George.

Two arms dealers leaves little need for a third. After examining the data, Kyle suggests they create a need by eliminating Kiril. The plan is tactically sound, but Kyle’s reason for targeting the gun runner is personal. Whether the warning was advice or threat matters little. The Russian’s attitude rubbed him the wrong way.

Cat reluctantly agrees. To hunt Kiril will dredge up a part of herself that she hoped to leave buried with her past incarnation. She switches places with her ‘sister’, assuming the identity of Lena Petkov (her sister takes her place as Catherine Ortiz and Bianca Reis). The two contact Ricco Torres requesting he assemble a detailed dossier on Kiril Vadjek.

***

Monday, November 6, 2045:

Mario Schamal, now a high level Disney executive, contacts Nip and tells her he will be in town tomorrow to discuss her plan to remotely control cyborg bodies. The young netrunner prepares her pitch.

Ricco investigates Kiril and finds he is friendly with powerful people in government and a local gun manufacturer. The Russian is a member of a couple of private clubs. Kiril also has a personal code of who he will or will not do business with.

In the news: A shooting incident at a school gets some cops killed. Media reports call favelas “breeding grounds for killing Brazilians”. The cops go into the neighborhood and ferret out the culprits, but not before an “armed occupation” descends on the neighborhood.

***

Tuesday, November 7, 2045:

Mario is skeptical, but approves her research. With Bella’s consent, he releases one of the AI’s earlier model animatronic bodies for Nip’s use. Doc Freeman will monitor her progress and Mario will be back at the end of the month to see if she can produce more useful results.

Kyle, Cat and Doc Freeman decide that Victor’s street racing is a valuable entre into the favelas in Rio. They buy him a Ford Powerline automobile and set him to get it ready to race.

***

Wednesday, November 8, 2045:

Ricco delivers his report on Kiril Vadjek to Kyle and Cat. Cat takes the report and begins her stalking of Kiril.

***

Thursday, November 9 to Thursday, November 23, 2045:

Kiril has several bodyguards and is exceptionally careful with his personal safety, always taking different routes to his destinations. After nearly two weeks of stalking her prey, the biogen locates a building 280 meters from one of his favorite clubs with a suitable sniper perch on the 5th floor. There is only a 2 to 6 second window to fire as Kiril exits his vehicle.

Both Cat and her ‘sister’ (as Bianca) go to the Nail Salon owned by Ginjinham and get to know the people of the Favela Barrio Nova Alianca in preparation for infiltrating Pedro de Costa’s set of the Third Command.

Violence breaks out in an outlying favela as a group of Serbian ex-pat gangsters mix it up with the Rio police. Raids by the police are initially repulsed by RPG-As and automatic weapons fire. The fighting spreads and the BOPEs are called in. The Serbs are shattered and Cedrik is killed.

***

Friday, November 24, 2045:

Preparation creates opportunity. Kiril arrives at the club. Cat slows her breathing and takes aim with her Arasaka WSSA. The more augmented of the gun runner’s two body guards exits the vehicle, quickly scanning for potential threats. In her scope, Cat can easily see the solo’s curt nod, to his employer. The biogen caresses the trigger, sending a 3.5mm frag flechette round down range, just as Kiril’s head clears the roof of the car. The bullet takes him in the temple.

Cat is already up and breaking down her weapon on the way to the back of the floor (which has no security cameras). Her genetically modified body easily absorbs the five story drop into the alley below. She is on her mini-bike and out in traffic before anyone can figure out where the shot came from. The biogen had studied her escape route and avoids any camera that could see her. Kiril’s assassination makes quite a stir in the local press.

***

Saturday, November 25, 2045:

Ricco sees the morning news story about the shooting of Kiril Vadjek. He realizes this is no coincidence.

The police come to see Ricco about two dead cops, who were shot with 12mm Anti-personnel. Ricco agrees to look into it and see what he can learn on the street. He discovers that the two dead cops were in the employ of a Chinese gun runner. Rumor is they were paid to ‘look the other way’. He passes this information on to Kyle and Cat.

Luka, Bianca, Lena and Janko Mesic go the Jockey Club to watch the races. Luka asks if any private booths have become available. There is quite a bit commotion in George’s box today. Bianca reads David Lau’s lips as he tells George, “I’ll take care of it.”

The Asian gun runner then sends a round of drinks over to Luka’s party.

Nip is ready to do the first test run of her improved interface of the ‘borg’ body. Unfortunately she ‘toked-up’ the day before and then botched her ‘connection’ roll. She falls unconscious. As Doc Freeman examines her, Nip wakes up and goes nutzoid. The Doc tries to shoot her with his tranq gun—and succeeds. The young netrunner is rushed to the hospital where she remains in a coma for a day and a half.

***

Sunday, November 26 to Friday, December 1, 2045:

Kyle and Cat realize that the safety of their aliases Luka, Lena and Bianca are in jeopardy. With Ricco’s advice they hire two local licensed, live-in bodyguards, Junilla (a woman) and Karl, full time and rent a large executive style apartment in the Southwest Zone of Rio, near the beach. The two also buy a BMW 9045s sports car (stats as BMW 9018s).

Nip recovers slowly in the hospital.

Episode 46: A Riot and Two Races

Victor wins his first race in his Ford Powerline, but a riot breaks out and turns into a three day battle for the Favela do Vidigal. Thousands die in the inferno and the Team gets a taste of George’s plan to disenfranchise the favela residents. Victor enters another race and crashes. This has some unintended positive results. Pedro and his gang tangle with Major Katanga and the Orochi Resource Group. Cat (as Bianca) steps out from gang’s hangers on and gets noticed.

Dramatis Personae

The Team

Cat (Fisher) Ortiz: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 19 yo daughter. Now back in South America, she is using her ‘mother’s’ last name again. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogenetic assassin construct built by the now defunct Bio Works Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva.

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the ‘cyberbrain’ with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are still deliberating the ramifications of his work, the Disney Corporation has honored their agreements making Dr. Freeman rich beyond his wildest dreams.

Nip Lacey: 16 yo amnesiac girl with neon green hair. She is a NET savant. Nip is a former classmate of Allison Cole and Cat Ortiz, whom she considers her best friends.

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip.

Victor Kane: He is a 28 year old street racer (Runner). After being cashiered by Petrochem’s security arm, Kane, as he prefers to be called, earned extra money dabbling in smuggling.

Caitlin Diaz: One of Cat’s Biotechnica created clones, who is working with the Team masquerading as Catherine Ortiz (Cat 2.0).

4.06531: A 4th generation Nietzschean operative, who is masquerading as Kyle on the Windfall. He is also known as Janko Mesic during this mission.

The NPCs

Colin Hughes: He is a (senior) executive from Petrochem on assignment in Rio de Janeiro. The man is from Victor Kane’s life path. Kane and Colin vied for the affections of Marybeth Bascom, daughter of Texas US Senator Howard Bascom. All three young people were ‘gear heads’. Kane beat out Colin, who arranged Kane’s separation from his job at Petrochem.

Cruz: Nico’s direct superior in the Red Command. He is a killer and a stone cold psycho.

Gustavo Benaziz: A follower of the Voice of the Wastes and a known Islamic terrorist and half-brother of Marcellana Barbieri, a Commonwealth media. He is working with Pedro de Costa of the Third Command.

Major Victor Katanga: Formally a colonel in the Army of Mali, who was cashiered for the massacre of Islamist rebels in the north of that country a year or two back. He now works for the Orochi Resource Group.

Nico: He is a member of the Red Command from Favela Caminho do Lucio who is a major importer of marijuana into Rio de Janeiro. Victor used to race for him.

Rosado: A member of the Third Command’s Favela Barrio Nova Alianca’s gang. He acquires a .50caliber Desert Eagle in a raid on a shipment to Major Victor Katanga of the Orochi Resource Group.

The Action

Saturday, December 2, 2045:

With the help of Nip and Cat, Victor finishes customizing his new Ford Powerline in time for the race at the Favela do Vidigal (Two Brothers). The race course runs along the narrow roads of the favela, winding its way up the mountain, before turning back towards the coast road and the affluent community of Leblon. The powerful drug gang Amigos dos Amigos (Friends of Friends or ADA) controls Vidigal and the adjoining favela of Rocinha (other side of the twin peaks). The coastal area is controlled by a local militia. Doc Freeman, Kyle and Allison stop by to take in the spectacle, but they have another reason for being there. Associates of George have been spending a lot of time in the area.

Confident in his skill and the power of his vehicle, Victor wagers heavily on himself. Cat and Nip lay down their own bets on the runner to win. Rocketing off the line, the muscle car easily powers up the hill. The other car falls further behind. Victory seems certain as the finish line quickly approaches. Nothing stands in his way, except for the armed men leveling their assault rifles at the onrushing Ford.

Trying to evade at these speeds would be suicide. Trusting in his modifications, Victor guns it. Automatic fire plays across the front of the Ford as the car roars across the finish line. Bullets thud ineffectually into the reinforced body panels and armored windshield. A single round punches through with barely enough power to draw blood. Even though he won, Victor dare not stop to collect his winnings. The Ford speeds away down the coast road.

The Runner counts himself lucky, but friends, not luck, saved his bacon. Victor wasn’t the only one to notice the gunmen near the finish line. The Team (except Allison who is unarmed) thinned their numbers before they ever had a chance to get off a shot. Unfortunately these are not the only gunmen in the crowd. Signaled by the ambush, more militia members draw concealed weapons, firing on the ADA and into the crowd.

All hell breaks loose. Falling back towards the coast road the team encounters a hastily erected police cordon. They are directed to leave the area as the outnumbered officers try to protect the panicking crowd. Most return to Fantasia or the Windfall. Kyle and Cat head for their penthouse apartment in Ipanema, less than three kilometers from the fighting. They can easily watch the unfolding battle from their terrace.

As chaos spreads, heavily armed riot squads push into the neighborhood. The two armored cars leading the assault quickly come under coordinated heavy weapons fire. Lightly armored, they are easily torn apart by anti-tank rockets. The police are forced to pull back with their wounded and dead.

An unnamed source within the militia claims that the attack is a retaliatory strike against the ADA. The source blames the recent deaths of several militia members on the encroaching drug gang. Though unsubstantiated, the media runs with the story. As the sun sets, heavily armed ADA reinforcements pour over the Morro Dois Irmãos (Twin Brothers Hill) from Rocinha.

***

Sunday, December 3, 2045:

Like most of Rio, the Team is glued to their vid screens. Fighting escalates into major urban warfare. Reinforced from Rocinha, the ADA counterattacks. BOPE units are not immediately available to intervene. Deployed on other pacification operations, it takes all day to replace them with other police units. The media rails against the ‘animals’ that inhabit the slums.

Kyle and Cat watch from their terraces as fires erupt throughout Vidigal. Cheap building materials provide abundant fuel to stoke the flames. The blaze spreads quickly through the congested constructions, trapping many who had hidden in their homes to avoid the fighting. Thousands die as flames ravage the shanty town.

The two can’t help but feel that this is George’s handiwork.

***

Monday, December 4, 2045:

Led by the BOPEs, the Rio State Military Police and Fire Brigade roll into the Favela Vidigal. Resistance is strong at first, but helicopters and AV gunships supported by heavier armored vehicles quickly break the backs of the two warring factions. By afternoon the militia has been virtually annihilated. ADA fighters retreat over the mountain to Rocinha under the watchful eye of the Police.

Sharpshooters and hovering gunships take down anyone carrying a weapon. The gangers quickly take the hint. Those that drop their arms are allowed to enter Rocinha unmolested.

It is well into the night before the last fires are extinguished. A lingering pall of smoke hangs over the remains of the favela.

***

Tuesday, December 5, 2045:

The populace of Rio de Janeiro is stunned as the police clear the rest of the destroyed favela. Daring media brave the smoking ruins to capture images of the devastation. Before being escorted out by police, they transmit footage of a seemingly endless stream of burned and broken bodies being pulled from the wreckage. The mood in Rio is subdued.

***

Wednesday, December 6, 2045:

The bodies of the dead are still being recovered. In the early morning, workers arrive and begin to fence off the entire area. None of the surviving residents are allowed back inside.

***

Thursday, December 7, 2045:

The Windfall sails on a shakedown cruise with Cat 2.0 and its new executive officer to the port of Santos just down the coast. Pedro receives a call from Gustavo Benaziz. The terrorist wants him to hijack a shipment destined for Major Victor Katanga. Benaziz also wants Pedro to take care of the Major’s men following his half-sister. Marcellana’s recent interview with Major Katanga is the cause of the surveillance. Carried on the Sky News Network, the piece is far from fair and balanced. The Major is obviously caught off guard by the correspondent’s questions and knowledge of events surrounding his retirement from the Mali military.

***

Friday, December 8, 2045:

The Windfall drops anchor off the Port of Santos that evening.

Bianca has now insinuated herself into the hangers on and girlfriends of Pedro’s Third Command set. At the club Ninho, she overhears the gang’s plans to hijack the Major’s shipment (next Tuesday) and kill the men following Marcellana Barbieri. The Team’s surveillance intercepts a call from Gustavo to Pedro. The terrorist is sending someone named Youssef to meet them after they secure the shipment.

***

Saturday, December 9, 2045:

Today there is a street race at the Favela Caminho do Lucio course. Kyle and Doc Freeman enter Victor in the race. Part of the course runs along the road dividing the neighborhoods controlled by Pedro’s Third Command and Nico’s (Cruz’s) Red Command. With Vidigal still fresh in everyone’s mind, the rival gangs publicly call a truce, at least for the duration of the races. The event is too profitable for both groups.

The races are just part of a day long street party that has taken over Aviador Square. Live music blares from a homemade sound system. Food and drugs of all kinds are abundantly available. Cariocas party with wild abandon. Kyle, Doc Freeman, Nip and Ricco go as a group. Allison attends, bringing Colin Hughes. Victor is on his best behavior and there is no conflict between him and Colin. Cat comes as Bianca, now accepted as part of the extended entourage of Pedro’s gang.

Of course Cruz is there and none too happy that Victor is racing. Kyle and Doc Freeman’s presence prevent what might otherwise be a very unpleasant encounter. Taking note of the chill between the Red Command and the Team, Pedro publicly invites them to an after party at Club Ninho. Victor is cautious, expecting trouble from either or both crews.

In his heat, Victor is paired against Nico’s new driver. If anyone seems hostile towards him, it is the drug runner. Nico really isn’t the violent type. Winning the race will be revenge enough. Nico’s driver is quick off the line, but Victor is able to close the distance as they enter the straightaway. Out of the second turn Kane is ahead, but the lead evaporates. Neck and neck the drivers enter a series of S-curves (near Nico’s garage). As the two approach the triple turn, Nico’s driver slows. Sensing an opportunity, Victor pours on the speed. The first turn is tighter than he expected. Skewing around the turn, the Ford slides sideways, jumps the low curb and bounces off the wall of a building. The vehicle is all but totaled. Only the roll cage and crash control systems save Victor from being smashed to paste.

The race is over and Nico is pleased. Cruz is also quite amused, sharing a laugh with Kyle over the outcome. The drug lord invites the Team to an after party at Nico’s garage, which they accept. At the party Kyle sells the wreck of the Ford Powerline to Nico. Victor and Nico’s driver get along. The Red Command gang taunts Victor a little, but it is all in fun. He may have lost the race, but this result cools any lingering hostility.

***

Sunday, December 10, 2045:

The Windfall with Cat 2.0 weighs anchor off Santos and slowly begins the trip back to Rio de Janeiro.

***

Monday, December 11, 2045:

The Team returns to their daily routine. Doc Freeman, FuGen and their other partners have agreed to the parameters of their working arrangement and a building has been secured and equipped for the new research company. That afternoon the Windfall arrives back in Rio and takes her place back at her mooring off Fantasia. In the evening Luka receives a call, from Pedro of all people. Word of his gun running operation has reached this gang leader’s ears. The man wants to buy four of his AK-74s. Luka deals in volume. Such a small sale is usually beneath him, but it serves the Team’s plans. They had been planning to recruit Pedro, but now he is coming to them! Luka sells him the four weapons.

***

Tuesday, December 12, 2045:

Bianca is at Club Ninho when Pedro and his gang come back from hijacking Major Katanga’s (and the Orochi Resource Group’s) ‘shipment’. From the talk, Bianca learns that they took out the tails that had been following Marcellana Barbieri. Rosado waves around a .50cal Desert Eagle he took off one of the dead men. His fellow gang members poke fun.

“That’s more gun than you can handle.”

“The clip’s empty. What are you going to do, throw it at somebody?”

“I’ll throw it at you if you don’t shut up.”

Pedro wants Rosado to get rid of the gun. It ties them to the hijacking and he knows the Orochi Resource Group will not let this incident slide. (As a spin-off of the pre-Fourth Corporate War, Arasaka Corporation—their corporate military—retains all the viciousness of the former organization.)

Rosado is unwilling to just throw it away. If he can’t keep his prize he wants to make some money off of it. Sadly he knows next to nothing about the firearm, nor does anyone else in the gang. Bianca decides to step up and asks to see it. She describes its operation and gives it a professional once over. The gang is a bit stunned. It wasn’t an asset they were expecting. Most of the gang members had lusted after her for her other considerable ‘assets’. That she might have a brain in her head never entered into their thinking. Bianca tells Rosado that she might know someone who would be interested in buying it. The ganger tells her to look into it.

Episode 47 – Kyle and Cat Go Under Deep Cover

While the assassination of Kiril Vadjek has given Luka the ‘in’ he sought to George’s organization, it also brought a C.I.A. team into town and Yorgi Valenchenko, a Russian FSB operative, Kiril’s partner and cousin. Pedro’s contacting Luka has forced the Team to play the Bianca card earlier than desired. Both Ricco and Victor decide to play the field and pick up some ‘babes’. This works out great for Ricco, but maybe not so much for Victor. Doc Freeman’s infamy haunts him again. Nip leaves the Team to get medical treatment for her situation in New Zeeland. The Windfall with Kyle 2.0 and Cat 2.0 conspicuously on board leaves Brazilian territorial waters.

Dramatis Personae

The NPCs

Barabbas: A member of the Favela Barrio Nova Alianca set of the Third Command. He is a cold, psychotic killer.

Claire: A logistics specialist for the C.I.A. that Kyle remembers from his past. She is with a group of U.S. Army families (a C.I.A. strike team) on ‘vacation’ in Rio for the holidays.

David Lau: A Chinese gun runner in Rio who is working with George.

Graciana do Silva: A stalker who has her sights on Henrique. This woman has already attacked one of Henrique’s girlfriends du jour. Ricco has been tasked with ‘dissuading’ her passion.

Hector Benetiz: the head of Disney security in Rio.

Henrique: A former Favela drug lord who has taken a government amnesty offer and gotten out of the drug business. The man now runs a media company which works with Disney and a mini-venture capitalist firm that gives micro-loans to favela residents so they can rise from poverty. It is suspected he is positioning himself to enter politics. He and Ricco Torres grew up together with Ricco being the younger ‘brother’. Henrique used to belong to a Brazilian pop group manufactured by a record company. When his voice changed he was fired and thrown back into the favela where he rose to the top of the local gang. Ricco joined the police.

Junilla: A female Brazilian hired as a live-in bodyguard for Luka Graso.

Karl: A male Brazilian hired as a live-in bodyguard for Luka Graso.

Maria: A local girl who works as a maid for one of the hotels in Disney’s Fantasia. She gets picked up by Victor in a bar and her whole life starts getting turned upside down.

Pedro de Costa: Leader of a set of the Rio gang, the Third Command, in charge of the Favela Barrio Nova Alianca. He is working with Gustavo Benaziz, a known Islamic terrorist and half-brother of Marcellana Barbieri, a Commonwealth media. Pedro is having an affair with Marcellana.

Rosado: A member of the Third Command’s Favela Barrio Nova Alianca’s gang. He acquired a .50caliber Desert Eagle in a raid on a shipment to Major Victor Katanga of the Orochi Resource Group.

Yorgi Valenchenko: A Russian FSB operative, cousin and partner of the late Kiril Vadjek, a gun runner working with George who was recently assassinated by Cat at Kyle’s bidding.

The Action

Wednesday, December 13, 2045:

With Pedro upgrading his arsenal, Bianca (Cat) moves up the time table on her seduction of Pedro. At Ninho, she catches sight of a man with a cybereye watching the gang and taking notice of the .50cal Desert Eagle. Casually pointing the man out earns him an up close and personal ‘interview’ with the gang. A flash of a badge would normally earn him a bullet to the head, but the officer’s proposal to work with Pedro, rather than investigate the gang’s recent activities around the docks, piques the gang leader’s interest. The two sit down for a private meeting. After the cop leaves, Pedro is too preoccupied to rise to Cat’s flirtations. She backs off and leaves the gang leader to his thoughts.

***

Thursday, December 14, 2045:

Ricco is called in by the head of Disney (Fantasia) Security to report on the Team’s ‘progress’. The liaison sticks to the details approved by Kyle and Cat. Satisfied, Hector asks Ricco to pass along a potential security concern. The head of security doesn’t explain why a reservation at Fantasia’s Laurel Resort drew his attention, but it’s clear he believes the Team’s activity may have something to do with it.

(GM Note: The Laurel Resort is an AFRC (Armed Forces Recreation Center). It is inspired by the Shades of Green Resort located in the city of Bay Lake, Florida, near Walt Disney World. Unlike Shades of Green, which is a United States Department of Defense-owned resort (purchased under long term lease from Disney) managed by the Disney Corporation, the Laurel Resort is a Disney owned facility. The Department of Defense contracts with Disney (and other companies) to operate a network of support and leisure facilities as part of the military’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program.)

Six adjoining rooms are booked through the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays. An annotation requests that the rooms or similar accommodations be reserved through the end of January, should the soldiers or their families wish to extend their stay. The file contains digital copies of the quest’s military and dependent ID cards.

After leaving the security offices, Ricco contacts Kyle to make him aware of Hector’s suspicions.

Kyle and Cat see Nip off at the airport as she heads out to New Zealand to receive medical attention and have the Collective look into her past and help her adjust.

As the Windfall’s captain, Cat is notified that the Rio Harbor Master is requesting to board the vessel to make a ‘Marine Safety Inspection’. The ship is covered by (the Team’s) corporate immunity. They could refuse the request, but doing so might invite some less benign scheme to gain access to the Windfall. Cat and Kyle discuss their options. They agree to allow the inspectors on board on Wednesday, December 20^th, while making plans to be underway and out of the country by Monday, December 18^th.

Elsewhere, Allison overhears a conversation between Colin Hughes and someone named Marcus. Though unable to hear Marcus’ side of the conversation, she is able to glean that an oil rig has sunk, off the Brazilian coast. The Petrochem executive becomes aware of Allison’s presence. Hoping to deflect suspicion, she seductively sidles up to Colin.

“What’s wrong baby? Rough day? Let me take your mind off of it.”

Though tempting, he needs to concentrate on the sunken rig. Allison pouts at being turned down, eliciting an apology from the Petrochem executive. Colin offers to fund a shopping spree as a consolation (and to get her out of his hair for a few hours).

Even when spending someone else’s money, Allison quickly loses interest in shopping alone. She pops by Kyle and Cat’s apartment to see if her friend wants to hit the beach. Kyle finds himself babysitting one of Colin’s bodyguards as the two girls change into beach wear in the bedroom. Allison fills Cat in on the oil rig sinking, while they get ready. She winds down her report by recounting her shopping expedition, before presenting her friend with a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings, courtesy of Colin Hughes. The two girls spend the afternoon on the beach enjoying the sun.

At Kyle’s urging, Ricco returns to Hector’s office in the late afternoon and offers to ‘help’ keep tabs on the troops and their families. The security chief hands over a data chip that includes the soldiers’ itinerary. The party arrives Saturday. Among other booked tours, there is a harbor cruise (next Tuesday) that passes close to where the Windfall is moored.

Cat returns to the Favela Barrio Nova Alianca that evening as Bianca. She makes another pass at Pedro, who toys with her affections. Eventually the gang leader relents and gives in to her seduction.

***

Friday, December 15, 2045:

It takes all of Cat’s skill to feign interest in her sexual partner. She uses the knowledge that she has an unseen audience (thanks to the cameras and listening devices planted in Pedro’s bedroom) to find some sexual excitement to get through the task ahead. The night is long and unsatisfying. As with everything else, Pedro is a selfish lover. After a few hours of rest, Cat gives Pedro one more go, before leaving for work at Luka’s office near the Bangu Shopping Center.

Ricco has breakfast with Kyle and Cat 2.0 (the sister) on the Windfall. Instead of voicing his suspicions of the team’s involvement in the death of Kiril, he resorts to props. As the meal progresses, the liaison pulls out a newspaper, and rummages through the pages. Folding the periodical so that the story of the shooting is face up, he deliberately places his coffee cup down on the paper.

These antics are not lost on his fellow diners. Retrieving his coffee cup reveals a perfect ring highlighting the story’s headline. Ricco casually points out another story on the page. Cat 2.0 grabs up the paper and studies the page intently. With a groan of disappointment she smacks the paper with her off hand. Throwing it on the table, she complains loudly, “I missed the sale.”

Ricco never expected an admission of guilt. Still, he is satisfied. They know he knows what really happened without actually having to say it.

The liaison shows Kyle the file of information on the data chip. The ex-agent recognizes one of the ‘soldiers’ as Claire, a logistics expert for the C.I.A. It appears the agency may have sent a team to investigate who shot one of their assets!

Victor is called by one of his buddies about a (stunt) driving gig. They are shooting the scene tomorrow during the race at the Favela Pretos Forros. The runner meets the stunt coordinator and fellow drivers at the favela to walk the course and go over the stunt.

(With his newly acquired Seduction 1 skill) Ricco heads out for an evening of fun and entertainment. Dropping Henriques’ name scores him a real beauty, but sealing the deal may require introducing her to the ‘Kingsnake’. Ricco finally gives in and calls Henrique. It goes straight to voicemail. After two messages he gives up and the girl loses interest.

Undeterred by this setback, Ricco jumps back into the fray. He has another sweet young thing on the hook, when Henrique finally calls back, with an invitation to go partying. The latest target of his affections is quickly forgotten. Ricco ditches her at the bar to meet up with his friend. Yeah, yeah, bro’s before ho’s, but Ricco’s motivation is more basic. The girl he was talking up at the bar was cute, but hanging with Henrique opens up a class of tail he would never be able to score on his own.

Bianca goes to club Ninho after work to let Rosado know that she has a buyer for the Desert Eagle. Gustavo Benaziz shows up, while she is there, to speak with Pedro. He is not pleased that a cop is sniffing around looking for a bribe.

“We don’t need any more friends.” His meaning is clear.

“He can be useful.” Pedro responds.

Gustavo is adamant. The cop must go!

Pedro calls over his lieutenant. “Take care of it.”

Victor, Allison and Doc Freeman go out on the town. At a club, Allison has to deal with the unwanted advances of an admirer. She has the situation in hand before Victor steps in to “set the man straight”. Too bad, he’s the owner of the club. Security backs their boss. The dance floor becomes a very lonely place as the runner finds himself facing down three angry bouncers. Allison comes to his rescue, smoothing over the situation. The bouncers are waved off as the owner escorts Allison back to his private booth.

Victor picks up a local girl (ATTR 9) named Maria. Beyond being beautiful, she is sweet and funny. If it wasn’t for an incessant need to snap pictures with her camera phone and upload them to her My Face blog (along with captions) she might be perfect. She goes home with Victor, but passes out after the first “go ‘round”. Still, a good time is had by all!

***

Saturday, December 16, 2045:

Ricco wakes up with a leg draped over his head. Petit feet with an expensive pedicure is a good sign, but inconclusive. He decides to investigate further, kissing his way up a shapely thigh to a pert derriere. These gentle ministrations rouse his companion, who rolls over and groggily smiles up at him. Even rumpled by sleep, she is gorgeous. Yes, being friends with Henrique definitely has its perks.

Victor cooks breakfast for Maria and gets to know her better. After their meal, the two meet up with Allison and Doc Freeman and head to the Favela Pretos Forros for the film shoot. Maria is ecstatic. She is offered a bit part in the scene. It mostly amounts to leaning sexily against the hood of a car and vamping for the camera. Still, it will provide days of content for her My Face blog.

The main stunt calls for Victor to be forced off the course by a second car, catch air off a low berm and land “in traffic” on the adjacent thoroughfare. The runner and another stunt driver take a few runs down the course, rubbing and bumping to film the wide shots and close-ups. These shots will be cut in with the stunt during the editing process.

Friends of the film crew slow up traffic on the thoroughfare to provide a safe window to make the jump. The stunt goes flawlessly, but the disruption of traffic has drawn the notice of the police. With no film permit, the crew scrambles to break down their equipment. The police chase after Victor. With his skill he easily loses them. Doc Freeman and Allison collect Maria and head back to the Team’s new residence. After meeting up with Victor, the four head out for another evening of dancing and fun.

Luka and his two local bodyguards, Junilla and Karl go to the Jockey Club. David Lau drops by to inform Luka that Kiril’s cousin, Yorgi Valenchenko is on his way to Rio. Officially he is coming to take Kiril’s body home to Russia. David suggests that he may have other motives, such as finding his cousin’s killer and taking over his business. Although the Chinese gun runner never comes out and says it, Luka is sure that David wants him to kill Yorgi.

Later in the evening Luka shows up with Bianca to buy the .50cal Desert Eagle from Rosado. Flush with cash the ganger asks out Bianca, to which she agrees. After hours of drinking and dancing, he makes his move. It isn’t the most skilled seduction, but she lets Rosado bed her.

***

Sunday, December 17, 2045:

At the Team’s new executive house in Fantasia, Victor wakes up with Maria and tells her he is going to church. She isn’t all that interested, preferring to stay at the house. While he is away, she has breakfast, calls a few friends and updates her My Face page (a social media site) with more pictures from last night. Doc Freeman is NOT pleased that Victor left her alone with the run of the house.

The Doc calls Kyle to register his disapproval. The ex-agent is outraged. He tells Cat that this is the last straw and Victor needs to be ‘terminated’. Cat disagrees if only for the fact that his disappearance would bring unwanted attention to the Team. Besides, the runner really doesn’t know enough to hurt them.

Back at the house, Maria is on the phone with a friend who recognizes Doc Freeman in the photos she has posted over the past couple of days. The girl is oblivious to the doctor’s reputation, but at her friend’s urging, she looks up Doc Freeman on the NET. Shocked and frightened by what she finds, Maria flees the house.

Victor returns to find no Maria. He goes in search, finding her walking towards the nearest bus stop. Pulling up, he tries to coax the hysterical girl into the car. The runner almost has her calmed down, till he suggests they go back to the house and talk. Maria backs away, declaring that she doesn’t want to go anywhere near Doc Freeman.

In the midst of this, Kyle calls. The runner hangs up on him to deal with Maria. Kyle wants to kill Victor even more. Maria is inconsolable. She just wants to go home. The girl refuses Victor’s offer to drive her home and takes the bus instead.

Kyle asks Ricco to have Disney do a security check on Maria.

Concerned over the security breach, Doc Freeman requests a change of housing through his Disney contact.

***

Monday, December 18, 2045:

The Windfall puts to sea for an announced ‘one day’ shakedown cruise with Kyle 2.0 and Cat 2.0 clearly on the vessel leaving. As the ship nears the 12 mile Brazilian territorial limit, it continues on course and heads to the open sea. Later that day, Cat 2.0 sends the Rio de Janeiro Harbor Master a message that the Windfall has had to go on an extended cruise so the ‘Marine Safety Inspection’ would have to wait until they return.

The security check of Maria comes back quickly. She actually works for Disney as a maid in one of the resorts. There is no criminal record and her performance reviews are above average.

Cat’s investigation of Yorgi Valenchenko (Library Search & personal contacts) returns some interesting intel. In addition to being a source of weapons for his cousin, he is also a member of the Russian FSB.

***

Tuesday, December 19, 2045:

Henrique calls Ricco to ask for his help. A stalker attacked the media star’s ‘girl de jour’. Henrique is familiar with this particular stalker, Graciana do Silva. This is the first time that she has resorted to violence. He wants Ricco to look into the situation and dissuade her from committing more violent acts.

Today is the day that Kyle and Cat intend to make a move on Pedro. Since they have the gang’s HQ thoroughly bugged, Bianca (Cat) is only valuable if Pedro cares enough to keep her close and in his counsel.

Pedro, Rosado and Barabbas show up to buy the seven AK-74s that they ordered. Junilla and Karl get the drop on the gangers. An outraged Luka accuses Pedro of trying to subvert one of his employees. The gang leader is shown a ‘beat to shit’ Bianca tied to a chair.

“I may have accidentally pulled her up and down on my dick,” Pedro responds.

Dating clients is an absolute no-no as far as Luka is concerned. He tells Pedro that after interrogating Bianca he does believe that there was no malice here, but rules are rules. Bianca is ‘fired’. Pedro is offered Bianca if he wants her, otherwise Luka will ‘dispose’ of the problem. In the ensuing conversation it comes out that not only has she slept with Pedro but also with Rosado. Well, Pedro is a cold man. He turns down the offer and just says do what you have to do. Luka tells Pedro he will ‘take care’ of her.

Luka tells Pedro that he is looking for help with his operation. He needs more ‘boots on the ground’. Pedro is interested, but will have to get back to him. Both Kyle and Cat know that this means Pedro has to talk to Gustavo Benaziz. This is perfect as he is the man they are trying to contact. Bianca has served her purpose. She didn’t get into the gang’s inner circle, but that was becoming less and less important to the Team’s mission. Her ‘death’ allows them to gauge Pedro and to establish Luka as a hard ass son of bitch. Cat becomes Lena Petkov, Luka’s hired gun and partner, full time.

The two realize that this mission is entering a personally dangerous phase. Kyle and Cat are now ‘officially’ bobbing around the South Atlantic. Luka and Lena are in deep with the Rio criminal underworld. Contact has been made with both Pedro, his terrorist connection and George, who was working for the forces opposed to Disney’s political agenda. Unfortunately, the C.I.A. has dispatched a team to investigate the death of Kiril Vadjek, one of their assets. The dead gun runner’s cousin, an FSB agent will be doing the same. And though the two groups don’t realize it yet, the people they are looking for are Luka and Lena!

Episode 44: Current Troubles Dealt With As Ghosts for the Past Resurface

Episode 45: A New Player in Town

Episode 46: A Riot and Two Races

Episode 47 – Kyle and Cat Go Under Deep Cover

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