Tag name：cyberpunk

Cyberpunk Session 3a and 3b

First published 2nd November 2023 (Last Modified 8th April 2025)

(Played on 24th September and 30th October 2023)

Tremen's log

A single storey warehouse surrounded by a fence and showing a driveway into parking adjacent to the warehouse

A view of a similar warehouse (admittedly located in the UK) taken by Thomas Nugent

Team Members: Spooky Witch (tech), Tharbinsan (medtech), Wakiya Kiku (Sniper/Paranoid), Ricky (Lawman), Tremen (Lawman)

Following on from the leads generated from the investigation of the victim's apartment we decided to pay a visit to Sato Imports. This is based on its own small island (not that unusual). The island has a number of connections but the main point of interest is a warehouse operated by Sato Imports. This has fairly standard looking security with no signs of additional security. There is a security camera with a view of the entrance to the warehouse's compound1:

Map of the warehouse surroundings

Map of the warehouse surroundings

A map of the warehouse showing a road on the right hand side of map (going up and down the map). Adjacent to the road is a parking lot with three cars at the bottom of the lot and a truck in the centre. The main entrance to the warehouse is to the left of the truck and there are several rooms off of a central loading dock.

Actual map of the warehouse as used in our fantasy grounds session

We (myself, Ricky and Tharbinsan) approach the building (Spooky staying with our van and Wakiya covering us from nearby). However as we annouce ourselves the night security basically respond with "oh shit" and a fight ensues. Spooky screeches into the compound (happily ignoring the tire spikes) and she joins the fight as does Wakiya.

The fight itself goes surprisingly smoothly if you ignore our minor injuries (several on Tharbinsan as it happens) and the poor quality of gun work (several gun jams) and the discovery that Ricky may not be the most persuasive one of us. However we do overcome the security team (two relatively junior night watchmen overseen by more highly skilled solo) and arrest all three of them and get them shipped off to the local police via their paddy wagon.

There is, however, the question of why there's been no interference from the management and/or legal department of Sato Imports - at the least you would have expected someone to turn up!

We then proceeded to search the building. In the main it is what it appears to be: a warehouse for the import of alcoholic spirits albeit with the occasional (illegal) additives including High Noon2. There's a weapons rack holding 4 assault rifles in one of the lockers (which was locked).

Finally there is, hidden in the floor of the warehouse's only shower cubicle, a secret entrance to a spiral staircase leading down....

Screenshot of my Fantasy Grounds Unity screen at the end of the third (fourth?) session of Neil's cyberpunk game

Footnotes

  1. The left hand image is from my notes, the right hand version is the actual map ↩
  2. One dose gives a high, multiple doses do increase the duration of the high, but also increase the user's paranoia. ↩

Cyberpunk Session 2

First published 28th August 2023 (Last Modified 8th April 2025)

(Played on 27th August 2023)

Tremen's log

Crime Scene Tape and a camera

Something we did in the background of our crime scene investiagation

Team Members: Spooky Witch (tech), Tharbinsan (medtech), Wakiya Kiku (Sniper/Paranoid), Ricky (Lawman), Tremen (Lawman)

As our investigations continued I was distracted by a faint buzzing sound comming from next to where I was standing - this turned out to be a burnt out listening bug planted between the (very) large screen TV and the light bar above it. The bug had burned out before we arrived in the apartment and had probably burnt out shortly after it had been placed.

Closer examination of the body by both Spooky and Ricky showed (after some initial contamination of the scene by Ricky) that the body had been shot from some range, most likely from about the bathroom door. Ricky also confirmed that the body was that of Hayato Kita. Kita was employed by Sato Imports, a import/export business dealing in alcoholic drinks1. Kita was wearing ordinary street clothes with no sign of any robbery (other than that of his brain) as his rings and other items were still present.

Current theory is that the Victim let the perpetrator into the apartment who then shot Kita as he returned to the lounge. The perpetrator then removed Kita's brain without finesse and left.

Tharbinson reported that in addition to the cash2 and cards, there was a little black book of contacts and dates. While almost all the dates are in the past there is an entry for tomorrow: Maria, 12:30 tomorrow, Shinchuko station, pink carnation

Spooky examined the brain case found earlier by Wakiya in the bedroom3. This was battery powered whose battery was capable of running the brain case for seven days (and had about four days of juice remaining). She reports that this brain case was made in america (as opposed to the cybertech of the victim which was manufactured in Japan).

Examining the lobby CCTV and the apartment building's records shows that Kita had lived there for about six years. He returned to the apartment at around noon and was murdered at about 1pm. Her returned wearing a business suit. Close exmination of the CCTV showed that the front door closed a fraction of a second later that it does normally after an inhabitant of an apartment on the fourth floor returned from getting some supplies from the local store4. With the help of Wakiya cameras watching the street were identified and their footage checked - these do not show anybody unexpected arriving (and in particular then disappearing behind any form of stealth technology). This suggests that the individual who presumably entered the apartment block was both stealthed and competant.

After some discussion a through search of the apartment for more survelliance devices leads to a well hidden and still operating bug. Spooky tracks the signal it is sending to the Jonanjima Port District which, as it happens, Sato Imports has a building. She believes her tracking was not detected.

Tremen's current theory5

Hayato Kita was involved in Sato Imports illicit business but had betrayed Sato Import (either by defecting to another gang or selling some of the illicit goods on the side). He had betrayed Sato Imports because he was being blackmailed by someone relatively imcompetant who got their blackmail from the first, now burnt out, bug. However Sato Imports are much more competant and had placed the second functional bug, possibly when they recruited Kita, They discovered Kita's betrayal and took him out in a way that demostrated to others working for Sato Imports that you don't betray them. They took the brain to find Kita's other contacts. However by making a noisy demonstration they did not leave themselves enough time for a search of the apartment.

Items taken by us from the crime scene

A set of investigative tools on a workbench

Getting ready to investigate our finds back at the lab

  • Fake ids
  • Money found at the scene
  • Bugs (both the broken one and the second one6
  • Brain case found in the bedroom
  • Black Book found in the bathroom
  • Blood samples
  • Brain Dances
  • Copy of the lobby security footage
  • The body
  • Photographs of the apartment

Follow up actions

  • Meet and/or follow and/or surveil Maria at the train station
  • Keep ear to the ground/street for any rumours swirling about Kita and/or Sato Imports

Footnotes

  1. after bypassing some additional security on the departmental files, rumoured to be dealing with adultertated drinks laced with narcotics amongst other things - however, even with a raid on their premises, there's no solid evidence of this. ↩
  2. Which are currency notes in general circulation ↩
  3. i.e., not on the body, which had its own brain case from which Kita's brain had been ripped ↩
  4. This individual was interviewed later and didn't report anything unusual. ↩
  5. Note: there are holes in this theory, just like any other theory, but it's the best theory I have at the moment ↩
  6. Disabled by Section 9's security as we return. ↩

Cyberpunk Session 1

First published 31st July 2023 (Last Modified 8th April 2025)

(Played on 30th July 2023)

Tremen's log

Hooded Man standing with his back to us in a graffitied and neon lit alley way

Could this be our victim?

Team Members: Spooky Witch (tech), Tharbinsan (medtech), Wakiya Kiku (Sniper/Paranoid), Ricky (Lawman), Tremen (Lawman)

My team called to assist in the investigation of a murder at apartment block. Traffic to get to the scene of the crime terrible (so terrible that Spooky Witch (who lives nearby) was able to easily beat the rest of the team to the scene. Local attending police numbers six (and three squad cars and Crime Scene Investigation Van).

Inhabitants called in the Police after an altercation on the tenth floor. When the Police attended there was no reply from the relevant apartment but there was a blood and cyberfluid trail (of droplets) leading to (or from) the apartment to the lifts. Given the lack of response a drone was deployed through the mail slot to scan the inside of the apartment. My team called when the drone spotted the body of a male with both a gun shot wound and a head split open to reveal an empty brain case

Entered the apartment building and checked out the entryway and the lifts to assess risks and whether the perpetrator was still present at that level. No sign of either the perpetrator or of any additional blood/cyberfluid.

Proceeded up the stairs to the tenth floor, checking as we went for more signs (none found)

Entered the victim's apartment and conducted a search. Victim was Hayato Kita. Outward signs of just being a low level corporate drone but Tharbinsan discovered (hidden in the bathroom) a considerable quantity of cash and credit cards which suggests that the victim's could be something much more important. Investigations continued in the next session.

Screen shot of FGU as at the end of the session

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