Talk:Session 10: Calling Vincent White

From The Whereabouts

I'm just throwing out some initial thoughts and ideas to get the discussion started. There are lots of options and feel free to take this conversation in any direction.

What can Eric expect? I don't date, so correct me if I'm wrong, but dinner, drinks, and heading back to an apartment seems pretty standard. I'd like to see Eric's response to Manami's message. Her response could be valuable for planning.

Potential settings:

  • Restaurant
  • Night Club
  • Manami's penthouse suite at the Shiawase Arcology
  • Vincent White's apartment (probably not Eric's real apartment, I'm guessing?)
  • any others?

Objectives

  • Obtain anything we can on the Drakes Bay project

While the team is brainstorming, Dmitri is asked what he would need to dive into Shiawase's Matrix and access top secret data. He says that there are two major roadblocks.

  • Login credentials - if he had Coltrane's RFID keycard, he could probably browse Shiawase nodes with her privilege levels.
  • Firewalls - if he did it from within the arcology, instead of connecting remotely, he could bypass several layers of very high security.

Exploring the Shiawase Arcology idea

  • We would need to smuggle Dmitri into the arcology.
  • Eric would need to obtain Coltrane's keycard and pass it off to the team.
  • It's possible she would notice, as the card is likely RFID.
  • Once she realizes the card is missing, she will most likely report it lost/stolen and have it deactivated. There will only be a small window to use it.
  • The Shiawase Arcology is a massive complex. Although security is tight, the CIA has some methods of entry that can be explored if the team decides to go that route.

Things to consider

  • Manami's intentions are unknown. The team should have a plan to extract Eric if he gets into trouble.
  • In public, Manami typically travels with at least four heavily armed bodyguards and a mage. The possibility of the mage being Yukawa Sato is unlikely but not impossible.
  • You can bet that her health is monitored by Shiawase at all times.


I dont think Tony and I have any helpful experience. The last time we started a relationship was in high school, these characters are in their late twenties/early thirties. Additionally, dating 60 years ago was nothing like what it is now, I assume dating 60 years from now will also be very different. That being said, dinner, drinks, and (if things go well) sex is probably still pretty standard, considering their age. Considering her lifestyle, I imagine dinner would be someplace super trendy/expensive. Drinks would probably be at a club full of celebrities and VIPs. I would assume there would be as many drugs as drinks considering the scene/her habit. I cant think of any other potential settings to add...but things never seem to go as planned.

Key Card: I think the best option would be to get it while in the club, pass it off to a teammate, they copy it while still in the club, and then Eric plants it back on her. Drinking, drugs and dancing will make pickpocketing much easier.

Hacking: I am thinking backdoor here. How good are sprites? If Eric can get into the arcology and let the sprite in behind the majority of the defenses, could it then make a backdoor for Dmitri? It is my understanding that as long as the sprite is compiled (bound) Dmitri should be able to send it on my commlink and use its services remotely. Also, as long as Dmitri is on the Matrix, I think he has a mental link with the Sprite.

Kidnapping: If she does plan to do something neferious with Eric, she will probably take him back to the arcology. There is no point in her doing it off her home turf. My major concern would be that if they are very suspicious of him, they might take him back to the arcology and use mind probe. We could be in for a shit storm then.

This mission seems to have the potential of leaving a lot of members out. Thoughts?

--Macabreengel 12:52, 31 January 2011 (EST)

You might be right Dan, our experience is a bit dated and I'm sure the scene will change a bit in the next 60 years. But I think certain things have been around long enough to assume they'll be doing at least some of the same in the future, and I like to think I'm not totally outdated when it comes to my social life. :-P

I would certainly say that trendy dinner + drug filled club the most likely and plausible places for her to suggest. Though something along the lines of a slightly more formal, but not necessarily business related, cocktail party might not be out of the question either.

As far as leaving characters out, I don't think it will be too bad. Though centering a mission around a single PC does leave some room for that. Here's how I was sort of thinking the mission assignments would break down.

  • Group A: Eric - His mission is fairly obvious here, entertain and get to know Coltrane without rising any suspicions. And of course don't get caught. Additional objectives such as stealing keycards and/or hacking may be included.
  • Group B: Doc (And probably another member of FATE. Ana or Wex probably makes the most sense.) Group B will gain access to the club/dinner/party Eric and Coltrane will be attending. They will watch Eric's back as well as assist him when they can, may be the recipients of items such as stolen keycards or may need to steal things while Eric has her distracted.
  • Group C: Hector, Oni, Dimitri (Along with anyone left over, such as Ana or Wex) - Will be riding along/patrolling the area in classic Shadowrun Van. Dimitri should be able to hack just as well (or almost) from here while still be secure, plus if we do get an opportunity to smuggle him into the arcology he'll be close by. Hector will be driving the Shadowrun Vehicle as well as help with security duty if called upon. Oni is obviously the backup for any group that requires it. Wex or Ana are added security, they can also branch off from the vehicle if need to to roam around or possibly try to stealthy infiltrate a location. (Such as the arcology)

Other things that may be worth some consideration... If they need to go to Vincent's apartment, where are they going? Do we have a suitable vehicle for Eric to drive? (I assume Vincent would have a nicer car than any of us probably do.) If Eric is driving for the evening does it make sense to attempt to stash someone inside the vehicle with him? Perhaps a stowaway in the trunk would provide access to the arcology? This could have a high risk of being discovered, and Coltrane may prefer to travel by limo service anyway. (If limo service does she use Shiwase's? Anyway we could plant someone as the driver?)

--FyreFly 14:21, 31 January 2011 (EST)


I specified beginning a relationship for a reason. Also, I was considering that a thirty year old woman dating a younger man will have different things on her mind that a guy in his twenties. If she DOES have any romantic interest in Vincent, she will be considering factors like youth being a positive quality in woman in general society and the downward swing of her reproductive cycle. Sure, with technology reproductive age is probably expanded, but dating plus marriage plus having a couple of kids takes time. Look at Kim and Angie, they are in a serious relationship and younger than her and they are already starting to get neurotic about it. Of course if she doesnt want a family, the whole consideration is irrelevent. Although she seems important in her family. They may pressure her to have children to pass on their estate/power to. Or they may just want grandkids...ask Hilary about that lol.

More later. Time to go home.

--Macabreengel 16:22, 31 January 2011 (EST)

Though Eric hasn't yet arranged transportation details, you can be reasonably certain she would have that covered. She travels with a security detail, and they probably wouldn't allow Vincent to drive her around anyway, it's just too dangerous. She's plenty rich enough to be chauffeured in a limousine and not have to worry about travel details so she can enjoy her evening. It would almost certainly be Shiawase-owned transportation.

As for leaving characters out, that's fine as long as either Doc or Wex can find a role (and I'm sure one or both of them can).

F.A.T.E.'s staff can help prepare a "fake" apartment for Vincent. I'd suggest Berkeley as a good location since Vincent is a student there. Let's give it more detail if the plan is for Eric to push the evening in that direction. (It would be safer than the arcology for sure)

It's worth noting that Shiawase's culture has a strong focus on family. The idea that she is genuinely interested in Vincent is perfectly reasonable, even if somewhat unusual. Someone at her level (and looks) could get anyone, but she could be looking for something specific (being awakened comes to mind). Or maybe she has a sinister plot to destroy you. Or both.

I like the idea of getting Ana and/or Wex and/or Doc into the club.

Let me do some reading and get back to you on the sprites. I've been reading the Unwired book and it has some good information relevant to this. I also thought that Dmitri might be able to hack Coltrane's commlink if she was in range, and then use her commlink with her credentials. But again let me read up.

they might take him back to the arcology and use mind probe

Firstly, don't give me ideas. Secondly, just putting all the options on the table here... what if Eric could mind probe her?

Again, I'll post more on the hacking/Dmitri side of this mission shortly, so we can start to solidify a plan.

Kirkland 19:11, 31 January 2011 (EST)

Here is an excerpt from p.96 of Unwired regarding passkeys. 

A passkey (see Passkeys, p. 64) contains an encrypted code
that, combined with a valid passcode, allows a user access to a
system. The encrypted code is incremented or scrambled every
time it accesses the system, which means the code changes with
every use. A dedicated character could forge a copy of a passkey,
but it would require at least a schematic of the passkey and a copy
of its firmware. The forged passkey (if made correctly) would be
good for one use only—and it would have to be used before the
actual passkey is used, or the code won’t work. If someone uses
a forged passkey to access an account, the original passkey no
longer functions correctly, and spiders or admin users will know
that the last time the account was activated, it was done with a
forged passkey.
Given these limitations, most shadowrunners choose to steal
or “borrow” passkeys; especially more advanced nanotech and alchemical
passkeys, which require special facilities and equipment
to manufacture.

Basically, if you make a copy of the passkey, they will know a copy was used.

Kirkland 21:11, 31 January 2011 (EST)

Regarding sprites - yes, Dmitri can loan a sprite to Eric, who could then deploy it to create a backdoor to Shiawase's arcology. There's a chance the sprite could fail, so I would have a backup plan.

One thing to keep in mind is that the arcology is effectively isolated from the greater matrix (you have to pass through a security layer to get through). If Eric does go to the arcology, his communications (though encrypted) will be passing through this proxy and could be monitored or recorded (and possibly decrypted). Though they would have to have a reason to be logging it. Just something to keep in mind.

There's a lot going on here, let me try to make sense of it.

Obtaining passkeys:

  • If passkey is copied, it can only be used until the next time Manami uses the real one. Then its no good.
  • If passkey is kept, it can only be used until she notices and reports it missing.

Either way, she will need to be distracted enough to not be using her passkey long enough for Dmitri to do his work. Anywhere except the arcology seems best for this, since she won't be swiping the card for access and shouldn't be using VPN if she's out having a good time. But even CEOs "check their blackberries" every now and then, so... don't let her do that.

To summarize our Matrix options:

  • Smuggle Dmitri into the arcology
    • Remember the arcology is like its own city. It's not like Dmitri needs clearance to top secret areas. He can do his hacking from the arcology's food court; as long as he has that RFID card, it would be cake. Team B would be responsible for getting Dmitri inside and getting the passkey to him. Eric would have to obtain it after going to the penthouse (as she would need it to get there, of course).
  • Sprite Backdoor
    • Worth a try, but it's possible the sprite could fail, so I would recommend a backup plan as well. This would give Dmitri access without having to physically be inside. However Eric would have to be inside, so there is still some level of danger there. There's still the passkey part, I'm not sure how Eric would get it to Dmitri in this plan. We can build on this though.
  • Hack Coltrane's Commlink
    • Even armed with Coltrane's keycard and commlink, Dmitri would still have to hack his way through Shiawase's front lines. Security is much tighter on external connections than connections originating from inside corporate grounds. Safest option for Eric, since it doesn't involve the arcology, but more challenging for Dmitri.

Regarding the planting-a-limo-driver suggestion. A great time to do that would be while they are at dinner or a club. The driver should just sit and wait for them...

I've rambled on long enough... time for sleep. Kirkland 02:35, 1 February 2011 (EST)

Ok, suggested optimal mission outline: Eric gets picked up from his apartment by Coltrane. Chances are that it will by a corp limo with two of her security guys up front. They will probably be tailed by another car with any other security people. I cant imagine I will get the chance to rummage through her stuff at dinner. Eric should probably just focus on getting her drunk/high. At the club Eric would continue to try to get her drunk/high, actually drugging her might be a good idea. When she is out of it, he could then get the passkey and pass it on to one of the team members. Do we know how she interfaces with her commlink? Depending on the answer, it may or may not be possible for Eric to stop her from checking it. If we can get her blazed enough and get her to stay at Eric's she may not miss the passkey until morning and there would be plenty of places she could have lost it.

Before the mission starts, we could fake Shiawase IDs for Dmitri and another team member. After the team gets the key, Dmitri and said member could make their way inside of the arcology. If we can get her to stay at Eric's, Dmitri should have plenty of time to work.

Mind Probe: A person knows if they are being Mind Probed, but they dont know by who. If she has any astral security, the spell signature would give it away. Also, I think she would be able to figure it out without that. Storytells call on if she call tell she is being Mind Probed while unconcious.

Initial problem areas: Eric gets caught taking the keycard, She tries to log in using the passkey at any point, she refuses or security doesnt let her go to Eric's, Dmitri doesnt get allowed access, Dmitri gets traced while inside the arcology. I imagine we want some kind of contingency plans for all of those areas if we go with this plan.

Thoughts on this plan or ideas for other plans?

--Macabreengel 12:45, 1 February 2011 (EST)

You would have to get 3+ net hits to get anything useful from a mind probe while unconscious, otherwise you would just get the surface thoughts, which would be dreams. She would still know when she woke up that she was mind probed, but she might just think it was a bad dream.

You should look at the awakened drugs in Arsenal p. 76, specifically Laés and Pixie Dust. They have memory loss properties; if you're serious about using mind probe this would be one way to make her forget.

With regards to her commlink, you know it's a deltaware implant and most likely a direct neural interface.

Kirkland 23:46, 1 February 2011 (EST)

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