its appearance apparently does not alter the node's load really scares some Transys deckers.
COMBAT! Of course, the decker cannot get out of the system without a fight. Once he reaches SPU-2 or SPU-6 on his way out, a grayrobed, hooded figure enters Contact Range and attacks the decker's persona. The figure ignores Alasdair, who runs for the SAN. Decker dogfight! Transys Decker (1) B Q S C I W E R 2 3 2 1 6 4 5.5 7 Initiative: 7 + 2D6 Threat/Professional Rating: 3/4 Skills: Computer 6 Cyberware: Datajack with 30 Mp memory Gear: Fuchi Cyber-4 cyberdeck
Armor NA
Fuchi Cyber- IV MPCP Hardening Active Memory Storage Load Speed I/O 20 6 3 100 500 20 Persona: Bod 5, Evasion 4, Masking 4, Sensors 5 Programs: Armor 4, Attack 5, Poison 4, Shield 4 Notes: Response Increase (1), Load Rating 4
simply deletes the stored information. The decker may be able to extort concessions from Alasdair by pointing out that the hostile decker must have been operating from within Transys, because the attacker fled from combat by vanishing within the system. A forcefully stated "You said it was safe, and I walked into an ambush. More suspicious people might wonder how that guy found me. I think you owe me a little hazard pay!" might carry some weight. Have the team decker make an opposed Charisma (Etiquette) (Corp)Test against Alasdair; if the decker rolls a higher number of successes, Alasdair lets the decker keep a maximum of 100 Mp of data.
MOVING ALONG Where the runners go from here depends on where they have already been. If they already paid a visit to Hamish's Bar and made some contacts, they might decide to track down Quicksilver's academic friend, Amelia Richardson. If they do, go to Halls of Academe, p. 29. If they want to go vehicle or weapon hunting, go to Getting Wheels, p. 24. or Prime Scotch Beef, p. 27. To arrange for medical insurance, drivers' licenses, weapon permits, and so on, go to Taking Care of Paperwork, p. 23. If they feel like going druid-hunting in Skye at this point, talk them out of it. Alasdair insists he needs to rethink a few things in light of what happened in the Transys system, and asks the runners to meet him the following day to discuss their next move.
DEBUGGING
When his MPCP damage reaches the Serious level, the hostile decker disengages from combat and retreats through the system CPU and SPU-9 into a second research subsystem. As the runners have no ID codes or passwords for the subsystem, the team decker cannot follow his or her assailant. The sudden attack panicked Alasdair at first, as he could think of no reason to expect hostile action. After thinking it through, he points out to the team that because the system IDs had not changed, the hostile decker could roam the system freely, but the company itself did not have the standard measures against expected intruders in place. Let the runners draw this obvious implication on their own: like Alasdair, someone within Transys is acting on his own initiative. Who attacked them, and why?
PAYDATA Predictably, the decker may try to increase his remuneration a little by skimming a datastore somewhere along the way. The relevant datastores, D5-4 through DS-7, contain research data on medical cyberware developments, specifically neurophysiological implants and monitors. The value of that information averages about 5,000 nuyen per 10 Mp of downloaded data. Though Alasdair specifically asked the decker not to skim from Transys, he will tolerate one turn of data downloading, yielding data equal to the I/O Speed Rating of the cyberdeck. If the decker gets greedy and tries for more, Alasdair either demands that the decker download the data into Alasdair's cyberdeck via the I/O link or else
22 IMAGO
If the decker succeeds in downloading massive amounts of paydata to his deck and ignores Alasdair's demand that he or she hand it over, Alasdair pulls out all the stops, even pleading with the runners not to steal the data and betray his trust. If they ignore his appeals, Alasdair informs them with great dignity that if they keep the data, he can no longer employ them. If they still refuse to give up their ill-gotten gains, the adventure ends here. Alasdair takes his first opportunity to inform the authorities of the runners' true identities and their forged papers, which include fake licenses for unlicensed cyberware, magic, and so on. When the runners try to go home, airport security intercepts them and escorts them to Edinburgh's New Tollbooth Prison, where they spend the next five years or so. They deserve it. At some point the decker may try to get past SPU-9 into the other research subsystems. The gamemaster must improvise the details of that other system, but make sure it carries plenty of gray and black IC.