Internecine Contingencies

# Summary

Khen, Whisper, Chernobyl, and Chi Chi head to space to covertly enter a Thor Shot battery to install specialized listening equipment, upgrade the onboard host, and gather data on magical background count for Azad and Laika.

# Background

Originally Azad had slated Yubbe for transport to space to carry out dangerous assensing work in order to gather data on magical background counts on a space station, the idea being that she had little to no useful skills and would be more likely to recover from any spiritual or brain damage. However, Khen volunteered to go in her place after learning techniques to measure BGC without needing to assense.

# Meet

The group is summoned to Khen's house, where she has constructed a matrix-free, faraday-caged bunker underground for them to meet in. Laika arrives via one of the human-biodrone volunteers to explain that they will be heading to Echo Station - a free anarchist space station - to be briefed by a person named Clearsight/Wolfhound on the actual job, which would take a couple days. She offers 50,000 nuyen in advance, to be disbursed upon launch.

The team takes a suborbital to somewhere in Russia, where they're launched up to Echo Station. Clearsight/Wolfhound, a well regarded monad, explains that they need to install a special sensor package at a Thor Shot battery in a polar graveyard orbit, specifically chosen for its ability to monitor two suspected Null Sect strongholds: L-2 Darkside Junction and L-3 Nerva, both formerly owned by NeoNet and currently abandoned. A host upgrade package must be installed as well. Khen is put in charge of measuring all background counts and investigating any magical phenomena present, if any.

With the shuttle refueled and outfitted with their equipment package, the team launches for Thor Shot Battery P5.

# Run

## Part 1: Krime Space Program

### Summary

The team arrives at Thor Shot Battery P5 to find a damaged weapon, a derelict shuttle, a broad range of background counts, and two resident spirits. They avoid stirring up any trouble and start on their shift work space walks to install Laika's special sensor mast, but only after heavily reinforcing the upper hab area.

## Part 2-1: Shoot the Bullet

### Summary

Echo Station spots a Corporate Court investigative team en route to P5 from Zurich Orbital and warn the team. In a desperation move, Tycho spins off a new gamma fork for the shuttle and sends Whisper by herself to prevent them from being able to reach P5 and discover the rest of the team. Whisper succeeds - nearly dying in the process - but manages to collapse inside the shuttle where Tycho's fork is able to stabilize her. The shuttle ditches in the Pacific Ocean outside Seattle, where Saffa and his crew pick them up.

## Part 2-2: Ne Cede Malis

### Summary

With Whisper gone and the sensor mast install finished, Chi Chi, Chernobyl, and Khen rush to break into Weapon #13 to install the host upgrade. They're caught by a self-destruct trap, and Chi Chi is nearly killed by the host's resident AIs, but they manage to fend off The Ghost and install the upgrade successfully. A rescue shuttle arrives from Echo Station to extract them, but not before Chernobyl suffers a nearly lethal dose of radiation poisoning.

# Aftermath

Tycho/Sarasti's Gamma Fork managed to successfully stabilize Whisper and then crash land in the Pacific Ocean near Seattle using the shuttle's last functioning engine. After ditching into the water, it pinged Saffa, who arrived to rescue the shuttle and treat the still unconscious Whisper.

Chi Chi decided to remain on Echo Station instead of returning to Earth.

Khen and Chernobyl hitched a ride on the next shuttle down and landed at the Seattle-Tacoma Spaceport without incident.

# Rewards

* 50,000 NuYen (subtract half the cost of equipment bought on Echo Station)
* 40 karma
* Spacer quality for free
* Everyone keeps their R3 Handheld Sensor Housings, Custom Armadillo Spacesuits, and Magnetic Boots
* CLEARSIGHT/WOLFHOUND at 7/2
* The (currently wrecked) shuttle has Signature Masking 6 now
* Whisper gains the Tycho/Sarasti Gamma Fork (Treat as R6 agent but is good luck! also comes with R6 Maneuver, Evasion, and Stealth Autosoft for Space Shuttles (lol))
* Whisper gains Saffa and the Little Blues at 3/1
* Counts as an Ordeal for Khen
* Chi Chi is now housed on Echo Station
* A very powerful listening station is installed at P5
* [REDACTED] on the derelict died
* lol space debris