Business Is War - cyberpunk RP [M](S)

[Azazeal849]

Rated M for distressing situations, violence, gore and drug references.

BUSINESS IS WAR

Klaxons wailed. Amber lights swept angry circles across the ceiling. Guards were sprinting from all over the building to respond to the alert, but by the time they got there it would be far too late for rogue scientist Lisa Asari.

Through her fear, a small voice at the back of Lisa’s mind said, almost mockingly, So much for a safe house. There were two men with her; Sonbushi bodyguards who had not left her side since her arrival, but they gripped their submachine guns with whitening fingers - like her, they knew what was coming.

There was a trio of short, sharp gunshots, followed by a guard being flung bodily round the elbow of the corridor ahead. He rebounded off the opposite wall, leaving a red streak against the mirrored steel before flopping raggedly to the floor, his assault rifle clattering across the tiles beside him. Stepping over the body, one after the other, came the Agents.

There were four of them; three men and a woman, all dressed in long, hooded overcoats. Their coats rippled as they walked, every line and fold accentuated by the reflective walls to either side. Their hoods were thrown back, revealing stern faces without a hint of fear or empathy.

Lisa’s two guards fired, uselessly. The short snarls of their machine guns were deafening in the confined space. The lead Agent was hit, but he barely even staggered. There were no bright puffs of blood from exit wounds; in fact, there was barely any blood at all. Beneath the Agent’s open overcoat, through the small red holes in his shirt, Lisa could see the tell-tale glint of silver metal.

In response to the ineffectual fusillade, two of the other Agents raised heavy black pistols. Lisa’s bodyguards snapped backwards without a sound, the backs of their skulls coming apart as the bullets punched neat holes in their foreheads. The four Agents strode forward without pause, their blank eyes now fixed on Lisa. Lisa stumbled backwards into the dead-end store room, her hands clawing at the pockets of her EuroCorp lab coat. If she had been anyone else she would be dead already, but she knew that these Agents would be under orders from her former employers to capture, not to kill.

Fuck that! she thought savagely as her hand closed around the object she had been looking for. She pulled out the small chrome disc, holding it towards the advancing Agents like some sort of futile weapon as she stabbed at the button on its side.

The effect was immediate. All four Agents stumbled, falling sideways against the walls. Their weapons clattered to the floor as hands flew instead to the backs of their necks, gripping them in sudden pain. Lisa saw the lead Agent blinking furiously, disorientated, as if he had been suddenly awakened from a dream. Another stood frozen on the spot, his eyes fixed on the mirrored wall. He was still staring numbly at his own reflection when the belated reinforcements arrived. Lisa ducked for cover as a hail of bullets tore into the Agents, battering them backwards with the impacts until all four finally sank down in smoking, unrecognisable heaps.

Several miles away, in a dimly-lit control room where the EuroCorp logo glittered from every surface, executive Roberto De Luca swore as the command link to all four of his cyborg Agents was suddenly cut off and refused to re-engage. This was followed mere seconds later by the abrupt flattening of the Agents’ bio-signs.

De Luca shouted at the two compu-techs seated in front of him, who protested back wildly. The only calm figure in the room was De Luca’s bodyguard, another black-clad Agent with a combat shotgun cradled in his hands and several more weapons concealed inside his long overcoat. Eventually De Luca realised that swearing would do nothing to change the situation, and that he was only delaying the inevitable. He swallowed hard, and tapped a key on his terminal. A light flickered green as the connection was established.

“Marco Xenakis.” came the familiar commanding baritone.

“Sir, it’s Roberto De Luca over in Warsaw ops. We’ve got a problem.”

There was a pause. “What kind of problem?”

“My control signal cut out. Agents Rautio, Jones, Farren and Zerjowi are all down. Negative on target acquisition.”

Another pause. “I see.”

Behind De Luca, his Agent twitched as a new command link overrode the one currently running through his CHIP. De Luca was too busy trying to explain himself to notice.

“We’ll find her!” he said, “We’ll send another team and get her back!”

“Yes.” agreed the voice, “We will.”

Executive Roberto De Luca barely had time to register the cold muzzle of his bodyguard’s shotgun pressing itself against the back of his head before it blew his brains out against the far wall.

At the head of a long oval table in a boardroom surrounded on all sides by bomb-proof glass windows, chief executive Marco Xenakis slumped back in his chair and cut the power to his holographic terminal in disgust. A few seconds later he leaned forward again, and when he addressed the twin rows of executives seated in front of him his voice was apparently free of stress.

“Okay.” he said, looking at his subordinates through steepled fingers, “I trust you’re all aware just how big of a problem this is for us all. So let’s correct it. Engel?”

“Sir?” said a smartly-dressed woman seated third from Xenakis’ left.

“First thing’s first. We’re going to need some replacement Agents.”

******

Hi everybody, and welcome to this collaborative effort between myself and X. With the reimagined version of the classic cyberpunk strategy game Syndicate coming out soon, we felt like setting a RP in the dark near-future of the original game. The year is 2080, and business is war.

Spoiler: THE SETTING 

The painful transition of energy sources as the world’s oil reserves dwindled came to a head in 2056, where international markets crashed and world governments were forced to privatise hundreds of traditionally public services in order to counter spiralling debt. Before the crash the profits of the largest corporations such as EuroCorp and Sonbushi had rivalled the GDP of small countries. Now they owned small countries, and corporate influence was felt at the highest levels of world government.

The damage of the oil age has already been done. Rising sea levels cause catastrophic flooding; hurricanes generated by an increasingly violent atmosphere batter the world’s coastlines; carbon dioxide built up in the air pelts down on overcrowded cities as acid rain. But through it all business continues, and while there is business, the corporations continue to thrive. In a climate of general misery and depression, EuroCorp perfected the CHIP. Inserted into the neck, the CHIP stimulated the brain stem to alter the user’s every perception of the outside world, offering hope to millions by numbing their senses to the decay and turmoil around them. Incidentally, it also rendered the user more open to suggestion, and gave EuroCorp the perfect tool with which its marketing boards could manipulate the populace.

The CHIP straddled an uneasy line between a gadget and a drug, and like any new and potent drug, control of the CHIP meant control of the people. The corporations warred among themselves, desperate to monopolise CHIP production, but their thirst for power left them open to infiltration. With fortunes earned through pirating CHIP technology, international crime syndicates such as the Mexican cartels, the Bratva, the Triads and the Yakuza began bribing and murdering their way into corporate boardrooms. Within a decade, it was not the corporations but the syndicates that were in control of every transaction across the globe - criminal or otherwise.

Under the syndicates, inter-corporate warfare became physical as well as economic. World governments continually promised crackdowns on this so-called “gang violence”, but the syndicate corporations held all the economic cards; controlling vital utilities such as domestic power, and commanding enough money to bribe almost any police force. Thus the promises to bring order to the streets were seldom more than empty words, and the true culprits remained hidden behind the corporations’ veneer of respectability. Beyond the view of the desensitised population, the secret war between the crime syndicates continues, spearheaded by the next generation of soldier: custom-built cyborg Agents.

Our story begins in just one small area of this global cold war. The eastern European zone is one of the hotbeds of conflict between EuroCorp and Sonbushi as they try to expand their influence east and west respectively, and something has occurred that may tip the balance. After decades of research and testing, a company called Fusiontech is about to commission the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant. EuroCorp’s energy division, which already owns most of the power plants in Europe, is very interested in securing this new technology, as its commercialisation has the potential to solve the ongoing world energy crisis, not to mention generate massive publicity and profits for the owning company. However, Julian Auffret - the chairman of Fusiontech - knows exactly what a goldmine he is sitting on and has stubbornly resisted all negotiations of a buy-out from both EuroCorp and its rivals. The executives of EuroCorp Energy are losing patience, and the time has come for more direct action.

But EuroCorp has another problem. British-Indian researcher Lisa Asari, one of EuroCorp’s scientists specialising in CHIP technology, has gone missing. She was an outspoken critic of the more subversive properties of the CHIP, and after working in secret on some unknown project she has abandoned the company and fled, vowing to end “the evil of CHIP control”. The EuroCorp executives don’t know what ridiculous stunt she is planning, but they want her back, if only to prevent her from selling secrets to EuroCorp’s rivals.

That’s where you come in.

Spoiler: PLAYER CHARACTERS 

Each PC will be a civilian who has just been recruited as an Agent. Agents are the ultimate weapon that the syndicates turn to when economic and political pressure isn’t enough. They are cybernetically-enhanced assassins who have had their memories wiped and been fitted with a modified CHIP known as an IPA which allows EuroCorp executives to monitor and direct their every action.

Though they retain a degree of self-awareness and autonomy, the IPA chip renders Agents physically unable to disobey orders from their designated operator. The IPA is also capable of stimulating the brain stem to flood the Agent’s system with adrenaline or other hormones, meaning that even an unmodified Agent can perform extreme feats of strength and speed.

As for how the PCs wind up as Agents I’ll leave up to you, but the usual modus operandi of EuroCorp is to either sucker new employees without living relatives into signing something they shouldn’t, or simply kidnapping individuals off the streets - preferably individuals who no-one is going to miss.

Spoiler: SAMPLE CHARACTER SHEET 

Note that this is a suggested guideline rather than something we expect you to rigidly adhere to.

Original Name: The character's name before they were kidnapped and turned into an Agent.

Age: Self explanatory

Nationality: There's been a lot of emigration and cultural exchange over the last 100 years, so although the setting is eastern Europe, feel free to create characters hailing from anywhere in the world.

Appearance: Description, picture or both, whichever you prefer. You'll be pleased to know that cool trenchcoats are mandatory, due to acid rain.

Personality: EuroCorp’s mind-wiping process isn’t perfect, and most Agents retain a little of their former personality, as well as some of their stronger memories.

History: A brief overview of the character’s life prior to being abducted by Eurocorp. What was their job? Did they have family, friends, a partner? Did they own a CHIP?

New Name: The designation given to the new Agent by EuroCorp. This will take the form of "Special Agent X" where X is a common surname.

Assigned Weapons: This may change throughout the RP, as the operators will often give Agents new weapons for specific missions, and upload the relevant training programs into their brains.

Assigned Upgrades: Pick a few from X's list. We encourage you to think about what role you want your Agent to perform, and choose their bionics accordingly.

I believe my co-GM will be along shortly with your a la carte menu of weapons and cybernetics, as well as our first character…

[SandQueen]

Is this based on Syndicate? IF IT IS THEN IM TOTALLY FUCKING IN

[Azazeal849]

Yes. Yes it is.

[Evil Troy]

Looks pretty cool, why not submit it for Roleplay of the Week or put it in the Roleplaying Games Directory or click here to help attract players?

[GraftRaven]

I would be delighted to bring along the arsenal.

Spoiler: Weapons and Modifications 

Modifications:

Bionic legs - Replacement legs that use advanced hydraulics to raise movement speed and strength above that of an average human. These generally come in a pair.

Chest cage - The ribcage is either reinforced or replaced with stainless steel and a mesh is placed under the muscles to enclose the internal organs completely. It is common to also replace or reinforce the pelvis as well, especially if the subject also has bionic legs.

Heart regulator/defibrillator - This device is rather like a pacemaker, but it helps to regulate the agent's heartbeat to either give their muscles and brain more oxygen, or keep them level headed should their heart rate rise too high. The device can also act as a defibrillator if the agent's heart stops and they can in fact be revived, this action will cause the device to go through a recharge period, or with repeated use cause it to burn out entirely.

Bionic arms - Replacement arms that use advanced hydraulics to increase movement speed and strength above that of an average human. These can come in variants, from lighter models to more heavily armored models. They can also be installed incrementally (i.e. hand, then later lower arm, then upper arm)

Ocular enhancement - One or both eyes are replaced with enhanced robotic versions. Usually these enhancements allow vision in different spectra, such as night vision or thermal vision, or offer scope-like optics.

Neural implants:

Coordination - This implant increases the flow rate of neural signals, allowing for increased reaction times and sensory processing ability. Many agents with extensive modifications are given this implant to increase their effectiveness.

Sensory perception - Augmented sensory lobes in the brain allow for more complex analysis of sound, smell, taste, touch, and sight without the augmentation of sensory organs. This implant does not produce the same results as an actual replacement, but it is a more balanced upgrade.

Processing - An implant in the temporal lobe allows the brain to make more calculations by increasing RAM (to use computer terms). The result is faster thought processes, leading to increased powers of deduction and problem solving abilities.

Mass storage - An implant at the base of the skull, essentially an external hard drive, provides more storage space for more detail and content and easy memorization skills.

Weapons:

CHIP-Hack - A signal transmitter/receiver most commonly mounted on the agent's hand or arm that allows them to hack into others' CHIPs and learn information or control them to a degree. Access is currently restricted to civilian-grade CHIPS.

Pistol - A standard .45 caliber pistol, each clip holds 15 rounds. It is a short range weapon that can sometimes be pushed into medium range. Can be fitted with a silencer at the cost of accuracy. This weapon is minimum armament, usually a last resort.

UZI - Standard 9mm automatic hand-gun, clips hold 50 rounds. Medium range and versatile. Can be fitted with a silencer at the cost of reduced accuracy, can also be equipped with a folding shoulder-stock for increased stability.

Assault Rifle - Fires 7.62x39mm rounds, clips hold 30 rounds. Medium to long range and extremely versatile. Can be fitted with a sight, a fore-grip or under-barrel shotgun (1 shell, can be reloaded), and a suppressor at the cost of accuracy.

Shotgun - A 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, stores 12 shells. Close range and extremely deadly. Can be loaded with buckshot or slugs.

Sniper Rifle - Sniper rifles are medium or large guns with extreme range and accuracy. They come in .50 and .308 varieties, and come standard with a long range scope. Can also be equipped with a silencer at the cost of some range and a bi-pod to increase accuracy. Clips are 10 rounds.

**RESTRICTED ACCESS**

Flamethrower - An area of effect weapon capable of clearing areas in record time. It projects a stream of incendiary jelly that coats objects in flames as the fuel cooks off. This weapon has a large tank of jelly and is very heavy, it should not be used without weight-bearing modifications.

Mini-gun - A multi-barrel machine gun with devastating rate of fire, ammunition comes in strips of 500. This weapon occasionally jams and is also extremely heavy.

Las-gun - An assault rifle sized laser with a wide beam emitter, it is battery powered and can fire five blasts on one battery before needing recharged. It is devastatingly effective as it melts through armor and bodies with the same intensity.

Launcher - An over-the-shoulder missile launcher, supplied with a three missile pack. It is extremely long range and can be loaded with either Armor-piercing or Anti-Personnel (fragmentation) missiles.

And now, your veteran agent.

Spoiler: Agent Kerberos 

Designation: Agent Kerberos

Gender: Male

Age: 32

Nationality: Russian

Function: Experimental Weapons And Devices

Appearance: This agent is of a medium build, standing at 5' 11" tall and appearing to have average muscle mass. His ribcage has been replaced with a substitute due to practicality and frequent damage. His arms have also been replaced, and due to housing built-in weapons the forearms are slightly bulkier than usual. Notably he wears a [helmet] due to near catastrophic cranial damage from a previous mission. All of his replaced parts match the helmet in coloration and material patterns, and his chest is composed of segmented plates to allow for maximum range of motion while still providing protection.

His clothes match his augments, and his coat is tailored to fit his arms while his cuffs hang nearly to the middle of his hands. It also includes a large hood that disguises his helmet.

Equipment:

• 1x Assault Rifle (foregrip, 4x optical sight)
• 1x Shotgun (mounted in left forearm, 4 round capacity, reloadable)
• 1x UZI (mounted in right forearm, cylinder magazines, 30 round capacity)
• CHIP hack (incorporated into left arm, not visible)

Modifications:

• Chest Cage
• Bionic Arms (halved effectiveness due to modifications)
• Neural Processing
• Neural Coordination
• Enhanced Legs (only for load-bearing purposes)

Demeanor: Grim at best, calculated and machine-like even more than other agents.

Operational History:

[June 17 2072] Operative activated after primary augmentation, optimal operational efficiency expected.

[November 5 2073] Operative critically injured during mission to [CLASSIFIED], reconstruction initiated on request of [CLASSIFIED], begun re-purposing for experimental prototypes.

[January 13 2074] Reconstruction and recuperation complete, prototypes installed, trials begun.

[CLASSIFIED ENTRY]

[March 23 2075] On-site testing complete, operative assigned to field duty.

[CLASSIFIED BATCH ENTRY]

[January 7 2076] Operative assigned to the personal detail of [CLASSIFIED].

** AUTHOR'S NOTE **

This character is a GM-PC (Game Master Player Character) and therefore is highly irregular. The special implants and replacements not listed in the Weapons and Enhancements section, mainly the integrated weapons, are not available to other agents and are unique.

Do not let this discourage you from proposing other implants and weapons, Azazeal and I are happy to work in player created items as long as they remain balanced.

** END NOTE **

I am so happy that this is finally up and we have interest!

[SandQueen]

Original Name: Harold O'Malley

Age: 44

Nationality: Scottish

Appearance:

Spoiler: Photo from his last military deployment 

Personality: Good natured almost to the point of immaturity most of the time. Enjoys his work and goes about it with the same attitude that a boarder Collie when herding sheep.

History: Born in Glasgow but his family moved to Manchester when he was 12. Attended school and had an early reputation for fighting and anger. He was never malicious though just... enthusiastic. If one of his friends was being bullied he would stick up for them. If that meant denting a locker door with someone's skull then so be it. This violent streak persisted all the way up into his young adult life when a friend recommended that he enlist in the army before he ended up in prison. He did so and found himself in good company. His upbeat yet violent nature made him an ideal fit as an infantryman and then as an MP. He served in the Second Falklands War and later was assigned to Peacekeeping in Algeria. His third deployment was to the New Rhodesia conflict in 2075. He was honorably discharged after being shot in the face. In 2076 he had recovered from his wounds and took a job as a security coordinator for Eurocorp.

New Name: White

Assigned Weapons:

Spoiler: Pistol 

-PKD-2019 Combination Revolver: This venerable but robust weapon is O'Malley's preferred sidearm. It's twice or even three times as heavy as most conventional handguns and sports a solid steel construction with amber grips. The weapon sports two barrels. The lower barrel feeds from a five round cylinder that loads .44 Special. The upper barrel is a bolt action mechanism that loads a single .222 Remington Magnum slug. A curious but effective weapon. The .44 Special cylinder has a high enough capacity to dispatch most human targets and is certainly loud enough to strike fear into those that might be unsure as to whether they want to engage or not. The upper barrel though can penetrate most forms of personal arm at pistol-engagement ranges as well as light cover. It's lack of capacity though is, in O'Malley's opinion at least, counter balanced by the fact that it's sturdy enough to beat a man to death with. O'Malley keeps the weapon in a basic leather cross-draw holster and keeps spare ammunition on the back of his left hip.

Spoiler: Knife 

-Combat Knife: Slashing/cutting edge, chisel point, and wire cutter. Full tang and forged from a high-density Ferro-tungsten alloy which allows it to hold an edge even in repeated use and makes it resistant to both high heat and corrosive materials.

Spoiler: Rifle 

-Lank & Linder "Feline" Carbine: This compact, bullpup rifle is similar to the large Lank & Linder "Tiger" battle rifle that O'Malley carried in the Second Falklands War as well as the New Rhodesia conflict. It's clearly intended for closer range engagements and as such is is chambered in 4.7x39mm instead of the nightmarish 8mm Weatherby loadings of the Tiger. The 4.7x39mm gives the weapon a very flat trajectory and exceptional penetration against armored targets. A complaint of the weapon compared to its larger counterpart though is a lack of tissue damage but in the hands of a trained marksman this is practically a non-issue. The weapon feeds from 60 round polymer magazines. O'Malley's rifle is equipped with 1.5x Magnification Motion Sensitive scope to aid in the leading and targeting of mobile threats at medium ranges and and underslung Neutron emitter to disable electronic systems. The Neutron Emitter fires from 3-shot power cells and can disable or permanently damage electronics in a fifteen meter line. Beyond that the weapon loses effectiveness, causing severe static or cross-chatter but rarely forcing a full system crash or catastrophic processor failure.

Assigned Upgrades:

Chest Cage: Lancaster V-21 model, British Army Issue

Internal Defibrillator: Volksmesser & Sturm Cardiomacht III

O'Malley's left arm is mechanical up to his shoulder. He lost the limb in the Second Falklands War to an Argentine Partisan Sniper.

[Azazeal849]

Always nice to see a cheerfully violent Weegie. "Square go ye fuckin' bawbag an' a'll geeye malky!" And with a Blade Runner pistol, no less.

Weapons seem okay, since Eurocorp probably makes most of the British Army's gear nowadays.

Accepted from me. *Defers to X for second vote*

[GraftRaven]

Welcome Agent White.

And the Feline, atrocious as it was in the game, is a nice touch.

[Azazeal849]

Kind of fitting when the standard joke about the British Army is that it is one of the best trained in the world and one of the worst equipped...

[dakkagor]

Original Name: Jason Miles

Age: 37 (effective 27)

Nationality: Canadian

Appearance: I'll do this later. Deviant Art just seriously damaged my brain meats. deus ex fan art. . .

Personality: Jason has retained the 'ladies man' personality that made him such a let-down to his father, and ironically such a pain in the ass for his new handlers. However he is eager to impress, if a little easily distracted, making him a dependable agent for missions requiring a fair amount of collateral damage.

History: Jason was never a particularly important person, he was just the centre of his own private universe. A five star athlete throughout college, his grades where propped up by generous donations to his university by eurocorp, on behalf of his father, renowned cyber-doctor Michael Miles. Michaels employers knew that keeping his skirt chasing, under performing, athlete son in school would help keep him focused. Unfortunately Jason got in serious trouble that could not be easily swept under the rug when someone wound up dead at one his parties and the forensic evidence pointed to him. In return for protecting Jason from the authorities, Dr Miles would sign an exclusivity contract with Eurocorp, just as he was threatening to switch employer. Jason protested his innocence, and his father secretly believed him, but had no choice. Jason was disappeared and kept safe. Dr Miles stayed at Eurocorp for another 10 years, before being killed by sabotage to his lab. At this point, Jason was thawed out from the expensive cryogenic freezer he was being kept in, and turned into an agent as an effort to recoup losses from the whole endeavour by Eurocorp Accounting division Six.

What Eurocorp doesn't know, and certainly Jason has no clue, is that his father is not dead. After negotiating with Sonbushi, he faked his own death and fled. Whether Doctor Miles knows what has happened to his son, and what he intends to do, remains to be seen.

New Name: Agent Robson

Assigned Weapons:


This heavy man portal squad support weapon does exactly what it says on the tin; its a good thing Jason was broad shouldered and strong originally, as even an augmented human would struggle to use it. Jason manages it easily.


This 10mm pistol is a more manageable weapon as a backup. He can also hit people, really god-damned hard.

Assigned Upgrades:
Chest cage , Bionic arms - Replacement arms, Bionic legs.

Jason had undergone a significant overhaul with a variety of experimental systems developed (ironically enough) by his fathers team. These include myomer muscle lacing, bone density augmentation with a variety of titanium alloys, and skin reinforcement with sub dermal armour weave and chemical resistant coating. This system, christened the 'Atlas package', is still in effective prototyping, but using it on Jason was deemed an acceptable risk for the potential returns of accurate field data.