Futuristic (Open) Shadowrun: Lost City Times

[Jodyguru]

It was an average evening in the rain soaked streets of Nova City, Illinois. A tech store window showcased a wall of holoscreens displaying their newly updated graphics. Next to that was a stack of SIM Modules, used by fans of Matrix programs and VR.

“In tonight’s news” the holoscreen played, “Two men were arrested on suspicion of data sharing from their company computers. The press secretary of GeneLabs stated today that their Grid Overwatch Detection captured the leak before it made it online. The two men were Dillon Pasternak and Murphy Howes. They have been charged for Conspiracy to commit data theft. In sports, the Nova Wheelers beat the Seattle Thunderbirds in overtime...”

It seemed more and more like the world was trying to lull itself into a slumber of radio burger ads and remote controlled sex dolls. The slumber was constantly irritated by the poking of those who worked tirelessly in the city underground. Shadow Runners, those who the corporations called “deniable assets”, were their useful tools for meeting out revenge against their rivals.

The Runners operated out of a loose knit kinship of assured mutual destruction. The rats among them were quickly bullied out of their circles. The best way to get a leg up was to know the right people, and the right info. Mob bosses paid a lot to hear good rumors.

Then there was you, an unknown Runner with hardly any backup. The sprawling city had much to offer someone with a fat credstick account, but you don’t even have enough nuyen to pay rent. Luckily, there’s work to be found, and if work is dried up, there’s always burglary.

It’s 9 pm in Kabuki Town, and a fleet of Go-Gangers speed by in their suped up sports cars. Their buzzing engines fade into the distance. There’s the big red gate with the district’s name lit up in neon. Colorful shop windows and holographic signs fill the streets. Cybernetics Workshop, Tattoo Shop, Commlink & Accessories, Arcade, Matrix Cafe, and a Movie Theatre were the closest businesses to the gate, with more lurking within.

 

[Jodyguru]

In the tattoo shop was a man called Haze. He had a tattoo gun in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He had a stone shovel face and dirty blonde hair. Among his worn pieces of art were: a gnarly looking tree with a monster’s face on his right calve and a pair of revolvers behind a skull on his left bicep.
“Hey Jerry, does your wife want another one, maybe on the other tit?” He asked in mandarin. His guy in the chair replied in English that it was already past seven.
“Oh, sorry bud. I asked if you saw the game tonight.”
“Oh Seattle rolled over. Embarrassing.”
Haze cackled and drew another line on Jerry.
“Wide receiver ate it hard. CyberBrady needs a tune up.”
“Nah man just coaching and field running will keep the wheels turning.”

They talked, and the night dragged on. He wished inside that he would get new business outside of tattooing strangers. He was a little past his prime running years but he still felt the hunger for big money.

 

[Jodyguru]

Bump

 

[A Play On Words]

Juno pulled her jacket closer to the chest, the cold air sent a shiver down her spine. She looked up at the dark sky, not a star in sight. Pollution had riddled stargazing almost impossible. She muttered some curses before continuing down the dark road, her pathway only illuminated by a few neon signs. She needed work and she needed it fast. Money had already been quite tight these past few days, and she needed that apartment. It was all she and her little sister had. Juno had been in care of her little sister Lux for about as long as she could remember. When they lost their parents to a deal gone wrong, it was her job to watch out for her. Juno did what she could, but busy streets full of crime is never a good life for a child.

 

[Jodyguru]

If she wanted work, there were plenty of businesses in Kabuki Town that she could try. The hard part was finding a job when you were too young to drink. Even morally gray people like Runners had a code of conduct. Most didn’t like wet work, and almost all didn’t take jobs involving children. The good thing though, is that pawn brokers will buy from anyone. If she wanted to make money fast, she could find someone to rob.

 

[A Play On Words]

She continued to walk down the long street, stopping at a group of men. "Do any of you know where I can find some quick cash?" She asked quietly. She was barely 19 and already fending for herself. Juno had to keep telling herself, this is for Lux, this is for Lux.

 

[Jodyguru]

The men on a stoop looked at her and started laughing. One of them, a greasy little man who was pale and skinny, smiled at her.
“Yeah girl. I got money. Why don’t you follow me upstairs?” He pointed up at the tenement building.

 

[A Play On Words]

She scowled, glancing down. "I'd rather be pleasured than disappointed, and seeing what you've offered me so far, I would be more than disappointed." She raised an eyebrow, resting her hands against her hips with a sneer.

(Found some character inspiration)

 

[Jodyguru]

The guy spat at her. “The fuck you askin for money for then, ye dumb bimbo. Fuckin choosing beggars. Fuckin said quick cash, shit.”

 

[A Play On Words]

She sneered and turned away, continuing down the street with a mutter and a glare.

 

[Jodyguru]

As she stormed off, she passed an open alley with lights and sparks coming from a garage. An elf with dark brown skin lifted his head at her as she went by.
“You’re looking for work?” He asked. The man had sensitive hearing and overheard the conversation she had with those greaser punks.
The elf had a cybernetic right arm clutching a cigarette, and a revolver hanging from his holster belt.

 

[A Play On Words]

She turned back, facing the man with a nod. "Yes... I am. Well work that doesn't include selling my body and humanity."

 

[Jodyguru]

The elf shrugged. “Essence is a rare thing to find. I assume you don’t have any cyber?” He pointed at his arm, and took a drag of his cigarette. “I need someone who can flip some merchandise for me. It’s not glamorous work, but I’ll give you a thousand nuyen if you can get it done tonight.”

 

[A Play On Words]

Her eyes widened at the money. "Y-Yes of course. I-I can do that." She said quickly. A thousand nuyen could keep her and her sister stable for a month or so.

 

[Jodyguru]

The man gave her a quick glare and flicked his cigarette butt into the gutter. He started walking slowly back to the garage.
“You’re new at this, aren't you?” He asked. “Newbies always jump at the reward before asking the important questions. You don’t even know what I’m asking you to sell. Could be guns, drugs, modded cybertech, whatever. Desperation looks ugly on a shadow runner.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"I just need the cash. Rent's due tomorrow and I've got nothin'. If I don't make this payment, an eviction notice will be plastered onto my door in the morning." She sighed.

 

[Jodyguru]

“Everyone’s got problems, kid. No excuse for shoddy dealing. You caught me in a good mood so Ill break it down simply. I give you a box, you sell everything in the box five-hundred nuyen a pop, you transfer the money to me, and keep a thousand for yourself. You never saw me, you never heard of me. Understand?” He turned and looked at her with hands on his hips.

 

[A Play On Words]

She gave a quick nod. "What am I sellin?"

 

[Jodyguru]

He walked past the garage where an orc wearing a welding mask was under a hot rod doing some work on it. He grabbed a box off a table and opened it. Inside were a bunch of flash drives. They each had CS carved on them. They were credsticks, basically digital wallets for people’s nuyen, since nuyen was a digital cryptocurrency widely accepted in Nova. They normally had expiration dates, and retail units had tracking devices on them. Illegal credsticks had no way to track transactions. They were also on the low end of the criminal enterprise, getting maybe a month of jail time if caught. This volume, however, could get her a few years if the court was especially cruel.

“Runners gotta make a living, so they’ll be your top customers.A good run through the red light district should take care of this. We cool?”

 

[A Play On Words]

She gave a slow nod, taking the box. "Right then."

 

[Jodyguru]

Before she left, he pointed at her. “And hey, don’t fuck me over. Runners have a code around here. You fuck one of us, you fuck all of us. Watch your back.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"I'll keep that in mind." She called with a wave before leaving the establishment. She hurried down towards the redlight district, scoping out potential customers.

 

[Jodyguru]

The red light district was designed like a mock dojo. The people who built this place clearly learned everything they knew about japan from old movies and pop culture. Still, it made the place an interesting tourist attraction. She saw a few loosely dressed women hanging out on the street corner. There was the tattoo shop, an arcade, a movie theatre, and deeper down the street were the shops and taverns.
Hanging near the prostitutes was a tall orc wearing a ball cap and sunglasses. He had a metal torso and arm. The arm had gang tattoos carved into it.

 

[A Play On Words]

She gulped and took a heavy breath. She found a small spot on the side of one of the buildings. She sat down and placed the box in front of her. She carefully opened it and waited for potential customers. She had never sold anything like this before, so this was pretty new.

 

[Jodyguru]

A car sped by down the street, followed by a cop car in pursuit wailing its siren. After sitting on the stairs for about twenty minutes she barely had anyone glance in her direction. It wasn’t like she had a sign that said “Cheap Illegal Goods, get it while its hot!” Or an RFID tag that would advertise her on the e-Hub. Nothing but the cold wind passing over her.