The Core: Session 2

I wasn't entirely happy with the system “calls” for dice results, so I'm going back to using italicized comments in faux coding comments. It might make the game flow a little better. Borrowing from Swords Without Master, this scene is more like a Rogue's Phase with skill checks because the entry is mostly empty.

Laneira (after scene 1)

Mantle: Probability Engine

High Concept: Avatar of the Probability Engine

Trouble: Can Transplanted Consciousness Feel?

Aspect: Delenn, Manifestation of Storms

Aspect:

Aspect:

Refresh: 2 / 3

Scale: Supernatural

+0 Flair

+3 Focus

+1 Force

+2 Guile

+1 Haste

+2 Intellect

Stunts:

Part of the System: As I am Part of the System, I can attack minor NPCs with Guile and get them to power down even in physical conflict.

Stress [1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1]

In Peril [4]

Doomed [6]

Indebted [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Empowered [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Charged [ ]

Grounded [ ]

System.open(“Phantom Power Music”, “Overpowered”)

The security to the naval museum has been compromised. Someone has already backed the locks and left the door open. The clouds move across the digital sky and mask the half moon above. An alert buzzes against Laneira’s wrist.

A quick glance at her wrist reveals a message on her watch, “Been flagged by Engine Ops. Meet at the market. You'll know why.”

I frown at the display, the sender’s information modified to show a series of Xs in place of their resource ID. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I creep into the lobby.

It's dimly lit by strips of cyan embedded along the edge of the floor. Dimmed, so the lobby is bathed in a blue grey glow instead of a bright daytime light. I walk by the reception desk and make my way to the administrative offices.

The offices are a series of rectangular rooms with floor to ceiling glass windows offering shoulder width views of their interior. Vacant. Everyone has long since gone home. And night security seems oddly lacking.

I read the name plates, looking for someone important. I walk by support, accounting and clerical areas until I find one that seems promising. Archives. Seems like the best place to start.

The nameplate reads “Silana Adus, Archives,” and the lock has already been picked. Laneira slips into a small office with a desk, a couple chairs with filing cabinets and a standard terminal. The screen shows a password dialog box.

From my experience, these office types leave passwords laying around so they don't have to be bothered remembering them or use simple passwords that share a common theme. I rifle through the desk, books and notes stuck to the monitor to find something I can use.

<//--

Laneira rolls Create an Advantage using Intellect against Difficulty +0. Result, +2 and adds the Weak Password condition to the computer.

Laneira rolls Overcome using Focus with a free Invoke of Weak Password against Difficulty +0. Result, +2.

--//>

The password falls to the floor as Laneira sifts through books. She keys it into the terminal, which unlocks and shows a couple of open windows. A directory listing of a folder's contents is left on screen. The other window shows the location of the museum’s secure archives.

This is suspiciously too easy. I take note of the archive’s location and scroll through the command prompt’s history.

<//--

Laneira spends a Fate point to invoke Weak Password once more and rolls an Overcome action using Focus against Difficulty +2. Result, +4 and gains three Clues.

--//>

First thing’s first, who would hack into this system?

Looking at the scripts used and method of entry, this was not done by The System or Skip Agents. That only leaves the VIU.

I tap keys and move up directories, trying to recursively figure out what they were after.

Same as Laneira, the VIU are looking for a recovery key. A way to restore previously deleted information. And they got here first.

Crap.

I drum my fingers on the table and think quickly. They may still be in the building. But where would they take something like this?

Executing a trace from this terminal doesn't yield any results. At least, not a direct path back to where the information is going. It seems to be making a stop at the market, though.

Like my message I received. I close the windows and lock the terminal. Next stop will be the archives. If I can get there before they leave, I might end up one step ahead of the VIU.

Provided nothing gets in the way, of course...

System.close(“Colossal Trailer Music”, “Withering Bones”)