Neo-Luddites: A Cyberpunk Apocalypse
In a gritty cyberpunk dystopia, a biocorporation’s sinister plot to control the future of tech leads to a devastating apocalypse.
Summary
XinSheng Biotechnologies, a Chinese Biotech megacorporation that grows organs for transplants, hires The Veridian Veil, an anti-tech terrorist group, to scare people away from cybernetic implants. These luddites are anti-tech fanatics that start ripping out cybernetic enhancements from people’s bodies (killing them) while hypocritically reselling those parts on the black market to inevitably be reused. Ironically, their goal is anti-tech which aligns with the biotech megacorp goals to discourage cybertech in favor of biotech.
Overview
- Our adventure kicked off with a trip to the ripperdoc, where Alex gets some fresh chrome.
- A slightly less invasive stop at the shooting range allowed our gunner and blademaster to show off their (sometimes slightly off-target) skills.
- The discovery of a gruesomely cyber-ripped corpse in a rain-soaked alley immediately hinted that this wasn’t your average Tuesday night.
- An invitation to Neurodine’s sterile corporate HQ for a robotic security demonstration turned into a bloodbath when the ED-209 malfunctioned spectacularly, leaving one unfortunate board member as “a spray and fine mist of blood and meat”.
- Hacker Takedown: A frantic rooftop chase ensued as a mysterious figure made a hasty exit, showcasing some impressive (and less graceful) repelling techniques.
- *Headless Hacker**: The recovery of the now headless body (don’t ask!) led to some… creative ideas about data extraction, involving backpacks and repurposed pizza bags.
- Pizza Plotting: A clandestine strategy session at a dingy pizzeria, complete with the promise of sweet cinnamon rolls, became the unlikely hub for plotting and dealing with double-crossing corporations.
- Netrunning: Our slicer dove headfirst into the treacherous digital fortress of XinSheng Biotechnologies, battling sentient code and facing “ice that thinks like an immune system”.
- Explosive Finale: The night culminated in a chaotic and explosive showdown in Neurodine’s lobby against a radical anti-tech cult, proving once again that sometimes, even with all the chrome in the world, “the system wins”.
Characters
- Leo the Fixer: Self-employed chief product officer of Angry Ferret, someone to talk to and figure things out for a nominal fee; social and charismatic. Fixers are charismatic dealmakers, con artists, and underworld brokers who trade in information, goods, and connections.
- Wei Zhen the Enforcer (Private Security): The hired muscle who will take you down and cuff you. Enforcers are brutal, street-hardened operatives who work for the law, corporations, gangs, or themselves, using force and persuasion to get the job done.
- Jet Li the Gunner: Proficient in “ending things”. Gunners are ranged-combat specialists skilled in heavy firepower, shooting, and tactical battlefield control.
- Alex (Al3x) the Slicer (Hacker): Elite group that can tap into computers and nets and netrun to break into networks. Hackers are cyberwarrior whos infiltrate networks, crack security systems, and manipulate digital environments.
- Oni the Blademaster: Believes honor is found in the steel, a samurai who uses his blade to communicate. Blademasters are high-tech swordsmen trained in melee combat, wielding monoblades, plasma katanas, or cyber-enhanced weapons.
Ripperdoc Upgrade
Our story began in the dimly lit back room of a garage, the air thick with the smell of ozone and antiseptic – a ripperdoc’s clinic. Alex, our resident slicer, is there to get some cyberware enhancements. She brought Wei Zhen, the imposing enforcer, to accompany her. Alex’s existing tech got a significant boost, doubling its potency. “Nice,” was the understated reaction, a true cyberpunk appreciation for upgraded hardware.
Target Practice
Next, Jet Lee, our gunner, and Leo, the fixer, headed to the firing range. While Jet Lee seemed confident, there was a slight hiccup with an initial shot, requiring a reroll to hit the target. However, subsequent shots hit the mark so well, he shot the target completely off which caused some stir with the ex-Merc who ran the range. Leo had to calm down the situation as any good fixer can.
Pizza Delivery
Oni, the silent and deadly blademaster, is travelling across the neon-slicked streets of Hong Kong provided to deliver pizza. Delivering pizza for Uncle Enzo is dangerous and high stakes. He finds a body in a building. The description was vivid: “her body tells a brutal story scars jagged and raw where cybernetics were torn out without precision or mercy her optical implants were ripped from their sockets”. Oni delivered the pizza to the girl, gives himself a generous tip, and promptly leaves.
Neurodine’s Board Meeting
An invitation to Neurodine’s pristine headquarters followed. The promise? A demonstration of their state-of-the-art ED-209 enforcement droid. Our crew took their positions, Leo schmoozing with the corporate brass, while Alex surreptitiously tried to “hack the camera and start pulling the feed”. The demonstration took a decidedly unscripted turn when the ED-209, upon activation, turned on one of the board members with extreme prejudice. The sound of “rapid gunfire” filled the air, followed by the unforgettable execution of a corporate executive. Alex, amidst the chaos, continued to “dump all the data I can get,” proving that even during a massacre, priorities remain.
Rooftop Rendezvous
In the aftermath of the robotic rampage, a shadowy figure outside fo the windows made a break for it. After Jet shot out the windows, Wei Zhen, the enforcer, took charge and chased the figure down the building repelling down the side of the building with a successful mobility roll. Jet, moved to the edge to provide cover and made a successful long shot hitting the perpetrator below, but not stopping them. Leo used the moment to cut another deal with suits while Oni just took the elevator down”. Meanwhile, Alex ensured that the incriminating footage was secured from security cameras and quipped, “I’ll take all the files of the camera especially the part where he opened fire and killed one of these you got it that That puppy is going up on the net yeah”.
Headless Hacker
Back on the ground, Wei opened fired on the target, taking them out. When Oni finally arrived, he took the thermal optical cloak and then took off the head of the hacker. Alex learned that she could jack into the hacker and used a “brain dance” to interact with the AI and replay some of the deceased’s memories. While Oni distracted the AI, Alex was able to replay some memories from earlier that day where a cladestine meeting took place between Korin, an anti-tech cult leader, and an executive from XinSheng Biotechnolgies. Leo was sure to cash in on the hacker body.
Pizza and Plotting
The team reconvened at Uncle Enzo’s in the backgroom of the “dingy pizzeria”. Over “sweet cinnamon rolls,” they discussed their findings and the delicate art of playing both sides of a corporate war. Leo, ever the dealmaker, orchestrated conversations, trying to leverage the incriminating video footage, and play both sides. Alex, meanwhile, was busy piecing together the digital breadcrumbs from the Neurodine hack, discovering that the ED-209 malfunction was likely the work of the hacker with ties to XinSheng Biotechnologies. After some deliberation, they decide to confront XinSheng Biotechnologies corporate tower.
Netrunning Nightmare
Afer arriving at the scene, the group headed in throught the lobby. Oni was able to sneak past security guards and infilitrate on his own. The group expertly avoided a fight with security and snuck up the building through the elevators. Alex found an entrypoint and jacked into the systems of XinSheng Biotechnologies. The digital landscape was far from welcoming, described as a “bio-computer”. Navigating this alien network proved challenging, with “encrypted antibodies flooding the the stream” and “ice that acts like an immune system”. A malevolent digital guardian, a “mirror black guardian,” stood between Alex and the data they sought. Despite the intense resistance, Alex’s skills allowed her to bypass the guardian and uncover crucial information about XinSheng’s conspiracy with the Veridian Veil anti-tech cult.
Cultists and Kabooms
While Alex was netruning, the rest of the team assaulted the topfloor penthouse at XinSheng Biotechnolgies. Chaos reigned as gunfire and explosions filled the air. Wei Zhen, the enforcer, attempted to restrain Korin, the cult leader. In an ironic twist, Wei discovred that Korin had cybernetic enhancements and promptly smashed his head into pieces. Oni, the blademaster, lived up to his name, dealing swift katana strikes. Jet entered into a side door and put his shooting skills to good use. Korin’s last words, “Can you dig it?” At this point, Alex finally uncovered the Veridian Veil’s last secret: they planted a nuclear bomb. Despite their efforts, the cult’s fanatical dedication proved deadly. The hidden nuclear device was triggered, engulfing the downtown in a devastating explosion.
“The system always wins.”