Runners

[Corinthian]

The Runner took a long drag off his cigarette, idly considering the preposition.

 

"Make it thirty-five and we've got a deal."

 

"Thirty thousand, Mr. Gir, or, well, local Enforcement might find this folder dropped on it's front desk."

 

Gir wasn't accustomed to recieving threats, but in this case, he wasn't in any position to argue or take offense. You did not defy Cybercorp. He gritted his teeth and nodded. "Thirty thousand. Plus the dispensation for my expenses."

 

The man in the suit nodded. "Very well, Mr. Gir. We'll be watching you, so don't attempt to cheat us. Target's name is unknown, goes under the alias of Alex Gates." The Suit punched a switch on the holographic projector, showing an image of 'Gates'. "Kill him and dispose of him however you see fit."

 

"What do you want him for?"

 

"Payment will be delivered directly to your account. You've worked with Cybercorp before, Mr. Gir, so I'm sure you understand the rules. If you speak to the press, not only will no one believe you or print the story, but you'll be dead within an hour. I believe I've made myself perfectly clear. Good night, Mr. Gir." The Suit gestured towards the office exit.

 

* * * * * * * * * * *

 

2021 was a bad year for everyone. The national economy took one last swan dive and shattered it's neck on the rocks below. Black Tuesday didn't have anything on what this did to the nation. The rest of the world wasn't much happier. Massive petroleum shortages resulted in global shipping slowly grinding to a halt. Seemingly overnight, poverty became the norm, with only a bare handful at the top escaping the chaos. Riots broke out over half the world as everything from food and water and other basic necessities to simple luxuries stopped arriving.

 

The wealthy had alternatives, of course. Over the decade leading up to the crisis, everyone who didn't bury their head in the sand or have nothing they could do was working on an alternative, leading to a slew of different products that didn't rely on Petroleum. The price was prohibitively high, however, well beyond the common man's reach.

 

It took nearly thirty years to re-establish a proper global economy. In that time, the gap between the rich and the poor went from a crack in the road to a gaping chasm, thirty feet across. Things didn't change much over the next seventy years, the proportions remained roughly the same - a priveleged one percent forming the Upper Class, skilled laborers, technicians, researchers, and managers, forming roughly ten percent of the population as the middle class, and the rest of the world was eating what scraps they were thrown and doing whatever manual labor the new Supercorporations said they did today.

 

It wasn't long before a new choice emerged. In the new world order, now, more than ever ruled by the Almighty Dollar, something was missing. The Corporations could field an army of peasants a million strong with ease. What they lacked, was agents, capable and effective while still willing to get their hands dirty. The pampered Middle and Upper Classes couldn't create it, so the Lower Class obligated them. Young, rebellious teenagers of the lower class, refusing to accept that they were little more than dirt to be crushed under the wheels of the Corporate World, would inevitably struggle to find another path, typically by running from their home into the world at large and trying to learn something valuable.

 

The harsh world became the breeding ground for the Corporation's agents, the Runners. Ten, fifteen years down the road after establishing themselves as more than just the average street thug, the Corporations would get their hooks into them.

 

In 2137, someone finally took a shot at the Corporations that did more than chip their paint. An unknown runner, going under the alias of Alex Gates, stole the first example of true Artificial Intelligence from one of the dominant Corporations, Cybercorp, and fled the United States with a handful of his allies. This rebellion would shape the future of Earth.

 

Character Sheets:

 

Name:

 

Age:

 

Appearance:

 

Occupation: (Unless you have a good reason, you're a Runner.)

 

Skill Specialization: (As Runners are typically Self-Taught or taught by another Runner, each Runner should have very different skillset. One might specialize in hacking Cyberspace, another might specialize in breaking and entering. Most of you should be at least competent with a gun.)

 

Equipment: (Near-Future stuff. The economic collapse caused technological advancement to stall a pretty good bit.)

 

Personality:

 

History:

 

I need one person to play 'Alex Gates', as well. I'd prefer someone who's both experienced as an RPer and will be able to get on at least once every few days.

[The Doctor]

This looks highly interesting. If you don't mind, I'd like to apply for the part of Gates.

[Corinthian]

Sure, no problem, Doc.

[ForeverNight]

I was checking out the DTC during my first-period Tech. Ed. Class, this looks interesting.

 

However, I would like to know a little bit more if you'd be willing to tell, basically, what in Dante's Nine Levels is a Runner? You first refer to them as Agents of the Conglomerates, and then as wayward youth running from home. Are they both or what?

 

Once I find this out, I just might join in.

 

Thanks in advance for the info, this looks pretty neat!

[Corinthian]

Runners are fairly nebulous. They do act as agents of the Megacorporations, but all Runners are independent operators. Basically, they do dirty work the Corporations wouldn't want on the nightly news - Murder, Industrial Espionage, Theft, Hacking...basically, anything that requires a skilled operator instead of raw muscle or money. They aren't all wayward youths, but that was essentially how Runners came into existence - Lower Classmen rebelling against the Government, the ones who aren't smart die, the ones who do learn a valuable skill and eventually are forced to become part of the machine.

[ForeverNight]

Hmmm.... I'm in!

 

 

Name: Michael Walker

 

Age: 29

 

Gender: Male

 

Appearance: Light-brown hair, green eyes, basic thin face structure, and a less muscled figure.

 

Occupation: Runner.

 

Skill Specialization:

 

Hacking Get Walker near any computer, and he'll be able to get on to it within an hour, usually less if the pass-word isn't that long. Once inside, he knows the ins and outs of the Internet (Which hasn't changed much in the past century and a half) and how to find out if the computer in use has ever accessed the bank or other useful skills. His proficiency with passwords aren't limited to just logging on computers, but also on websites that require a password, he's usually able to break those with ease.

 

Building Given a collection of spare parts and junk, Walker is going to be able to build something of some use out of it, whether it's a robot that's unable to do much, or a security system that he's created the circuit board by scratch for. If you have the parts for it, Walker's able to build it.

 

Equipment: .45 caliber pistol (Model based on the Colt 1911); .30 caliber assault rifle (Model based off of the AK-47); laptop computer; 2 notebooks; mechanical pencils; lock picks (Found those on the ground); Allen wrenches; magnetic screwdriver with switchable heads; Music Device with ear buds; tube of pure oxygen with re breather.

 

Personality: Walker's personality isn't what you'd expect from a runner, instead of being fed-up with the giant conglomerates, he's in awe of them for doing as well as they did in the collapse of the economy. The point of contention he raises with them is that they haven't done anything to really help anybody, especially his parents and family.

 

Also, where other Runner's are passionate and fired up, Walker is cold and detached, remaining in his own world where others' problems don't exist, just the job...

 

History:Walker's great-great grandfather was a member in the old-English SAS and, after the collapse in 2021, he married and, after his son was born, taught him everything he knew about soldiering and being in the SAS. Since then, the tradition has held in the Walker family, the eldest son is always taught by his father what his father taught him and so on, so that the skills never died out.

 

It hasn't been until recently, that the Walker Family has been able to exploit these skills on a level of income above that of a hired thug. But, with Michael's decision to run and see the world, he has since found that the skills have come in use.

 

When Michael was a child, he was fascinated by computers, especially the family computer where he quickly learned to break passwords, especially his parents'. After that, he committed a variety of identity fraud-based crimes in order to get the toys his parents wouldn't get him or couldn't get him.

 

As he became older, the stolen credit-card numbers that he'd obtained online from unsuspecting upper crustians (Made up a new word!) to buy weaponry and his own computer. After his parents called him on it, Walker became a runner at age 17.

 

His skill for building things first manifested itself in this period, where he figured out how to build things he couldn't buy or steal.

 

One night, recently, he was in a bar in New London (Built on the ruins of London) where he ran into a strange man named Alex Gates who claimed to have something interesting...

[Writer]

Planning to join. Expect a char sheet by Monday.

[Corinthian]

Alright, cool. Welcome aboard. These are my two characters.

 

CyberCorp Independent Contractor Files: Authorized Personnel's eyes only.

 

Name: 'John Gir' (Probable Alias.)

 

Age: Early to mid thirties.

 

Appearance: Hologram Image.

 

Occupation: Independent Contractor on retainer for Cybercorp. Known coloquially as a Runner.

 

Skill Specialization: Specializes in application of deadly force, particularly useful for intimidation and assassination.

 

Equipment: Subject is well known for his vast arsenal. Signature weapons include a Dalman 0900 long range sniper rifle, outfitted with telesopic sights with multiple settings, a Steyr Aug with a mounted tactical flashlight, modified to fire caseless rounds, effectively doubling it's ammunition capacity, and a Germona-12 sidearm, also with a tactical flashlight.

 

Personality: Gir dislikes the corporate system. However, Cybercorp was able to negotiate a settlement with him, paying his massive debts owed for his cybernetic operations in exchange for him being exclusively hireable to Cybercorp. Thus far, Gir has performed admirably and loyally, despite his apparent misgivings. He does not appear to enjoy killing, but he does not shy away from it either. However, he is not reliable, his most significant trait being his pragmatism. If he sees that another group could offer him something beyond Cybercorp, he would most likely take it. Loyalty Rating: 3. Betrayal is only a matter of time.

 

History: Gir has not seen fit to divulge any of his past, and tracework only pulls back the last twelve years since he became a recognized Runner, already outfitted with a number of cybernetic implants and a large arsenal, as well as apparently an impressive kill count. The Cybernetic Technician who performed the operations has not been located, but examinations of Gir during interviews suggest that they are of Cybercorp make, possibly experimental models.

 

Five years ago, after establishing himself as one of the deadliest and most effective Runners, Gir was contracted by Technical Insights, Ltd. to assassinate CyberCorp President Joseph Waidell. Gir came very close to accomplishing his mission, and was only halted after President Waidell offered him one hundred thousand dollars to destroy the Technical Insights headquarters. The perpetually strapped for cash Runner took the job.

 

After successful completion of the mission, Gir returned to Corporate Headquarters with a problem - during the mission he had briefly been exposed to a fluctuating magnetic field emitting electromagnetic pulses, and several of his less-advanced Cybernetic implants had gone dead. On credit, Cybercorp extracted and replaced these dead implants, placing Gir deep into debt. Since then, he was worked exclusively for Cybercorp in exchange for gradual pay. In spite of this, Gir is unlikely to ever fully pay off his debt, owing to the large interest rate.

 

Exit CyberCorp personnel files.

 

 

 

Name: William Dernheim

 

Age: 28

 

Appearance: Dernheim was never going to be a handsome fellow. The fact that eleven percent of his bodily makeup is now metal and circuits hasn't improved this any. His eyes are mismatched, one a quiet, pleasant brown, the other a blue light shining deep within the recesses of his skull. The entire right side of his head is covered in a prosthesis, with a number of cables trailing down from the base of his skull across his back, not entirely concealed by normal clothes, causing him to typically wear a trenchcoat with an upturned collar. This makes him rather obviously a Runner, but the prosthesises make it obvious exactly which Runner he is. His left arm from the elbow down has been replaced with a slightly more subtle prosthesis, being at least roughly the same size, shape, and color of a normal person's arm and fingers, until you realize that his flesh feels like rubber and is room temperature.

 

Occupation: Runner, occasional thief.

 

Skill Specialization: General Cybernetics Specialist, sometimes known as a Decker. Particularly skilled in unauthorized electronic fund transfers, but is in general an extremely talented hacker.

 

Equipment: Cybernetic implants, cables, his 'Deck' (Personal Computer), a Trace-19 Machine Pistol, a number of tools for removing and repairing cybernetic tools,

 

Personality: In contrast to his rather frightening appearance, Dernheim is actually a very pleasant individual, often telling jokes or at least dry, sarcastic banter. He dislikes working alone, despite it being rather customary for Runners, and is particularly uncomfortable killing people, although after a few times doing it, the violent nausea and shakes have faded. His massive amount of cybernetic implants don't seem to have changed his personality any, certainly not making him any less emotional - he defies the standard Runner protocol of 'Don't get involved, don't care, just do the job.' This has put him in some hard spots in the past, but he doesn't seem to learn the lesson.

 

History: Dernheim's apparently fairly open about his past. He grew up in Seattle, to a pair of industrious if downtrodden factory workers. Life was tough. The Corporations paid them a pittance, barely enough to get by, and the street gangs didn't make life any easier.

 

An all too common scene played out as William entered his teenage years. He was discontented with living in a rathole apartment. The thrill and excitement of being a Runner called to William. His father advised him against it, saying it would lead to an early death. William took his father's advice and firmly ignored it, leaving the family home at eighteen with an illegal hacking manual under one arm. For four years, he worked what's known as 'The Best and Worst Years', as a wannabe runner, doing minor hacking jobs for small-time criminals in exchange for a few bucks or some pointers.

 

When he was 23, William was approached by Damion Enterprises, a major corporation in the Seattle area, to infiltrate and steal a new cybernetic jack from Cybercorp. It was a job that would have been turned down by any Runner who had any significant experience, unless he was supremely confident in his abilities.

 

William was supremely confident in his abilities and had a pathetic amount of experience. He leapt at the job and the phenomenal amount offered - nearly twenty thousand.

 

The mission went downhill. He doesn't like to give details, but he got caught in a firefight with Cybercorp Security. Two unlucky shots found their mark in William, blowing most of his left arm off and blinding him in his left eye. He managed to escape the building with the cybernetic design, however, and made it to a local emergency clinic, where they patched him up, miraculously avoiding Cybercorp's dragnet.

 

After he turned it in and got his money, William was unfortunately stuck. He could never continue Running, blind in one eye and missing a hand. By coincidence or maybe luck, he stumbled across a hack cyberneticist who offered him some 'replacements'. He jumped on it, dropping the entirety of the twenty thousand for three major cybernetics - a built in datajack, a cybernetic left hand, and a new eye.

 

When he woke up, he was a different person. Instead of a plain man in dark clothing, he looked like something out of a nightmare. Unable to go back, he went forward. The implants performed admirably, the new eye being as good if not better and the hand being adequate, albeit rather numb.

 

Five years later, he's lost a bit more of his flesh, having required the replacement of two damaged vertebrae and a number of upgrades to his datajack, eye, and hand, albeit nothing major for the latter two. He's become known as something of a whiz when it comes to hacking and cyberspace in general, and is something of a sponge for apparently useless knowledge, probably courtesy of a twenty-four hour wireless connection to the internet even when he isn't directly plugged into his Deck.

[The Doctor]

I'm not sure what you're looking for in Gates, so if you could get back to me as to what you're expecting the character to be like, I'd appreciate it. Let me know and I'll try to get a sheet up over the next few days.

[Corinthian]

Really, I'm not looking for anything special. Basically, Gates forms the core of the group and is the de facto leader. That's really all.

[The Doctor]

Got it. I'll get a character sheet up ASAP.

[Writer]

Name: Sarah Davis

 

Age: 28

 

Appearance: Image: Sarah Davis

 

Occupation: Runner

 

Skill Specialization:

Infiltration/information gathering/dissipation: Give her some information on a specific group and Sarah can talk her way in, get whatever information is desired, and get out, tearing the group apart as she leaves.

 

Equipment: The only constants in Sarah's equipment are a pair of reading glasses and a small, easily concealed handgun (though not necissarily the same type every time).

 

Personality: As Sarah is a natural when it comes to acting, it's extremely difficult if not impossible to determine her real personality. By the accounts of anyone who's met her on a job, she's very outgoing, always smiling, laughing, and making fun of something. If the situation is anything serious, her good mood is only slightly dampened and the gun will often come out.

 

When meeting with a representative of the Corporations, Sarah has been observed to be quiet, almost aloof in her manner. She doesn't ask many questions, doesn't speak often, and she takes her assignment without complaint. No smiles, her gun is always visible, if not in her hand. Based on these meetings, it can be concluded that she does not trust anyone.

 

 

History: Sarah Davis became a runner at fifteen years of age in order to escape an abusive step-father. At first, her trail was fairly easy to follow. She got herself a job as a waitress in a bar due to a forged ID she bought with all her step-father's money. Due to the state of the economy, nobody really cared that she obviously wasn't even over eighteen so long as she did her job and did it well.

 

At sixteen, she quit that job and wormed her way into a gang that had been meeting at that bar since long before she ever started working there. They gave her the first gun she would ever handle and taught her to shoot it accurately. In addition, they taught her how to use many other types of guns, and how to disassemble all of them.

 

When she turned seventeen, Sarah's trail got a little harder to follow. She met up with another runner and left the gang. Upon her departure, a gang that had been together for nearly ten years splintered and was absorbed into other gangs. The runner Sarah left with, Sean Ivins had been charged with the separation of the gang Sarah had joined. He saw her potential and offered to train her to do the same job if she helped him split up the gang. She agreed and none of the former gang members could truly pin the blame for their split on either Sarah or Sean; they were too busy blaming one another.

 

Sarah lived on the move with Sean for three years, learning how to better cover her tracks. She has been on her own for eight years now and the Corporations give her new identities when she requests them. To date, she has used almost 100 seperate identities, and she keeps all of them in a box, carefully concealed in the floor of whatever apartment she happens to occupy at the time.

[ForeverNight]

Father-in-law?

 

Don't you mean Step-Father?

[Writer]

heh... yes, as a matter of fact, I do... thanks for catching that

[ForeverNight]

You're welcome, I just thought that it was kinda odd that she had a father-in-law with no mention of a marriage... nor her being above the Age of Consent...

 

...though, you can get special dispensation, but that's more for Kavar's...

[The Doctor]

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have the time anymore to take on the role of Alex Gates, Corinthian. I apologise for not replying sooner, and for bailing on you now.

[Corinthian]

Well, crap. Sorry to hear that.