Sophia Meets Fiona where Fiona works as a Ripperdoc for the people...
Sophia walked into the secondary station that Fiona runs. It wasn't a full on surgical theater - not at least, until some of the equipment purchased at the recent vehicle auction gets off loaded in here and makes it better than a makeshift theater for operations. An old Dentist Light served in lieu of actual surgical lights. A makeshift series of sterilizers were nearby to get the equipment as clean as it could be and still get the job done. Sophia watched as Fiona worked frantically to remove a bullet from the wound of a young child caught in the pitched battle two gangs unleashed on the locals by accident. Fiona worked with a nearby droid, handing her the surgical instruments as needed, muttering "Those negligent bastards, I wish I could put THEM between two armies at war, unable to move, tied to stakes and see how they like it". The biomon started to warn of a dying heart.
"Grab the paddles Sof" yelled Fiona. working furiously to try and close up the wound with almost hazardously fast stitching. "MOVE!" and Sophia realized she was the one being told to get the defib metal spoons. She knew sort of what they were, and found them on the nearby table, she grabbed the two paddles and got next to Fiona. Exasperated Fiona tried to keep control of her voice "Turn the machine power on, set it to Rapid charge, let me know when it hits the redline."
Sophia watched as the needle started to climb after she followed instructions. She lost herself in what was going on, ready to do as directed, and when Fiona heard both the telltale sound of a heart monitor flatlining AND the whine of a fully charged defib spoon set, she yelled "CLEAR" and pressed the spoons in the still open chest - praying aloud "Please don't let me loose this kid!". The flatline sound continued as if to mock her. "Higher Setting Sof" and Sophia set it to the next highest setting, although she had to fumble to find it. The whine began to warn the world that the charge was building. "CLEAR!" and a second jolt hit the kid's chest, and Fiona began to cry "no no no no" as if that could change the outcome. Sophia changed the setting to a higher value and saw this was the last setting, before she spotted a pre-pack syringe labled "Adrenaline" - grabbing it instinctively, she handed it to Fiona after the third whine begin to build...
The third jolt hit, the boy’s torso arching slightly as the direct voltage surged through the internal spoons, but as he settled back into the blood-slicked drapes, the flatline tone didn't break. The steady, piercing hum filled the makeshift theater, loud enough to ring in Sophia's ears.
Fiona didn't let go. Her face twisted into a mask of pure, defiant fury. She tossed the internal paddles aside, their metal clicking loudly against the tray, and immediately dove back into the chest cavity. Her gloved hands cupped the limp, unmoving heart, beginning a rhythmic, desperate manual squeeze. *One, two, three.* She was physically forcing life through the child's body, refusing to give him up.
Then, her eyes flicked up and caught the pre-pack syringe clutched in Sophia’s trembling hand.
Fiona froze her compressions for a fraction of a second, her voice dropping into a harsh, breathless rasp. "Dammit, I forgot I had that. Quickly Sophia, inject the needle here."
She pulled one hand back slightly, using a bloody index finger to pinpoint a precise spot on the right ventricle, clearing a path through the exposed tissue. Sophia hesitated, the heavy needle shaking above the open chest.
"Don't look at the blood, Sof, look at my finger," Fiona commanded, her voice cracking but steadying with absolute authority. "Right here. No—tilt the barrel up. Correct the angle. You need to clear the wall, forty-five degrees. Do it now!"
Sophia closed her eyes for a heartbeat, took a breath, and plunged the needle home at the corrected angle, emptying the pre-packed adrenaline straight into the muscle. The moment the syringe was empty, Sophia pulled it back, and Fiona was already moving.
"Come on, you little bastard, breathe," Fiona muttered, a tear cutting a clean track through the grime on her cheek as she went straight back to the manual massage, squeezing the heart with calculated desperation to force the adrenaline out into the coronary arteries. *One, two, three.*
For five agonizing seconds, the flatline continued its monotonous wail. Fiona’s head bowed, her shoulders shaking, the looming shadow of the *Bean-Sídhe* settling over the room.
And then, beneath her fingertips, the cold, still muscle gave a sudden, violent twitch.
The monitor skipped. The flatline broke with a sharp, erratic *blip*.
Fiona stopped squeezing, her hands hovering millimeters above the chest as the boy's heart gave another independent, shuddering contraction. The monitor caught it, then another, slowly organizing itself into a weak, rapid, but unmistakable sinus rhythm.
Fiona let out a ragged, trembling breath, leaning her forehead against the edge of the dental light frame for just a second before looking up at Sophia, her eyes ablaze with a terrifyingly fierce resolve.
"He's back," Fiona whispered, her voice laced with a lethal quiet.
After the incident and the two women set in relief outside, Fiona smoking a StimStick while she spoke she began to play a song from her playlist off her agent (AI enhanced cell phone). The song that played was "The contract and the Collar".
"Sof" said a tired Fiona after the adrenaline high had ended. "Listen to those words. That contract you want to sign with Trauma Team? The fine print will kill you."
The last days of the War...
The last days of the war (Fourth Corporate war).
Katsuro Tokugawa-Matsudaira: "Corporate projections indicate the war has entered a sustained stalemate.. New strategy has been implemented. Miki Sata?
"Hai" responded the young specialist.
An executive only two levels removed from Saburo Arasaka himself, entrusted with highly sensitive operations smiled. His years on this earth were approaching nearly 70, and he looked ever year of his age. Crinkly skin, Eyes that peered out with sharp intelligence, watched the 23 year old agent. The date was August 10th, 2023, and little did the two know what laid in store for them both. One an irradiated tomb, the other, well, his fate has yet to be written.
"I'm entrusting you with a Skill chip for Corporate management lowest tier. Be aware that in addition to skills required to act as a low level manager, this chip" and Katsuro produced an ordinary looking skill chip between his fingers, its skin mottled with liver spots - "contains various hidden bank accounts along with their passkey authentication codes allowing you to access black funds for your actions - but also gives you information on whom you can call upon as you go deep under cover. Your goal? The funds are to support operations where conventional methods are unavailable. You will have discretion. Use it wisely.. With luck, your activities will help secure an Arasaka win on American shores within the next few years. Guard this with your life, our way is Samurai. Do not let your ancestors down!
Miki Sato hid his triumphant smile as he bowed to his superior saying "It shall be done." He held is forehead to the floor waiting until his superior gave him leave to get up. As it turns out, Katsuro Tokugawa-Matsudaira was a very vain man who left before he gave Miki leave to return to his normal seated position. Once the door closed audibly , Miki smiled. All he had to do now was take the chip to a secure safehouse on the outskirts nearby and he'd be ready to show what he was capable of, and how worthy he was of Saburo-sama's trust.
To Miki Sato, Saburo Arasaka was not merely an executive. He was the head of the House. The daimyō. The one whose blade Miki Sato hoped to become.
Addenda: For what this is worth, this is the origin story of a man named Liam "Starburst" Donnovan. As a young child, it was his Reclaimer family that stumbled over the ruins of the safehouse and the box that held the Skill chip. Liam already had it out of the box as a young child, only to be shot from behind by Miki. Miki was unaware that the boy he shot from behind suffers (if you can call it that) from dextrocardia (his heart being on the right side rather than the left). The shot almost killed Liam, but his family was not so fortunate. Sadhbh Mallory (Pronounced as Sive) is the woman who as a "techie" fought to keep the boy alive - and in her frustration over how little she knew of medicine, could do little but the basics in first aid and pray. That is what caused Sadhbh's daughter Fiona Mallory, to become a doctor.
Oddly enough, this is the very same Dr Fiona Mallory who would go on to publish an article in the Night City Medical Journal - detailing how what used to be an ordinary dead flesh eating fungus that due to changes to its biofilm, found it capable of handling living flesh as well. The body's immune system attacks the spoors of the fungus, which in turn, causes it to manufacture more biofilm. The more it gets attacked, the faster it makes the flesh it comes into contact, die. You could think of the biofilm as a pre-digestive enzyme that attacks the flesh much like flesh eating bacteria does. Just differently.
Fiona Mallory's street name is Bean-Si, not because her wails foretell death, but because she wails when Death wins.
As for the boy? Liam? He grew up to become Starburst the Fixer, aka The Quartermaster (as the 6th Street Gang knows him) and as Nuada - leader of a group of solos who wear the hound pin - loyal to the premise after Fiona saved them from certain death, they have a duty to help the people as protectors, not as predators. These are the Fianna, whose vow is to never flee a fight at less than 3:1 odds, never steal, never harm, nor betray the trust of the people.
Liam served as a officer in the Military, in Logistics at one time - and has used his skills to try and rebuild the logistical network that brings in ordinary goods Night City needs. He's also helping Rogue Amendaires give up her former life as a Solo to become a fixer. Per Cyberpunk 2077, Rogue is also a mother...
The one scene I will recount here is when Rogue was going to kill Liam due to her reasons to distrust him. He offers to show up at her mercy at a place of her choosing at a time of her choosing. She chose nighttime, at an abandoned ruined Building. Before he could arrive, Fiona begged him to not show up and told him "I love you, I always have" to which Liam responds saying words to the effect "I didn't know or at least didn't trust that you would want me." He promised her if he lived, and in one year, if she still wanted him as a husband, he would marry her. As of the campaign starts, he has nearly 9 months to go. His first words to Rogue when she showed up naked of all clothing so she could see he was unarmed, unarmored, and not wearing a wire were..."I kept my promise, but couldn't you have picked a better spot for my bare feet?"
Rogue let him live for some odd reason...
New Product: Snappy Stims
In the year 2045, some companies produce a 6 pack product called on the street "Snappy Stims". Much as Kleenex is a generic term for disposable tissues, Snappy Stims are a generic term for Stimulants that are over the counter legal stimulants.
when used repeatedly for a CP Red campaign, it allows the user to stay awake for 12 hour shifts at a time with a take down or cool off period shortly thereafter that lasts for Body hours. Its use comes at a price however. For any duration past Body hours, the user suffers a penalty to their EMP based skills equal to the number of doses used, to a maximum of -3 if three or more doses are used. A Cool saving roll is needed (GM's are advised to set the difficulty value as you see fit) or gain the bad temper disadvantage.
In GURPS, the mechanics are a little different. Every 12 hour period of time this stimulant is used, the user suffers a 2d6/2+1 fatigue. After 12 hours, the user has 3xHT minutes to drop down in 1/2 of the fatigue lost and and the latter phase of the letdown, suffer the remaining fatigue lost. Without sleep, characters are not permitted to regain lost fatigue due to lack of sleep. This means that 3 consecutive uses of this drug can result in losing on average 3 x 4.5 or 14 fatigue. That's enough to make most characters roll for unconsciousness. Also note that a instead of a Cool saving roll, in GURPS, this roll is made after 8 hours have passed once the Snappy Stim is used. After two consecutive doses the odds of contracting Bad Temper is much much higher.
The people who usually buy these Snappy Stims are students studying, lawyer assistants helping a lawyer prepare a case, truckers on long hauls, or Nurses on 12 hour shifts.
Cost is 20 UB or $36 GURPS.
Note: One can buy street versions of this drug, but you won't know what is lacking or what side effects may occur with the use of the street version. Be creative. Punish those choombas for their cheeky need to save money.
For whom the Biomon beeps
In this scenario, the medial paper submitted by Dr Fiona Mallory, draws the ire of a man whom originally trained in China's bioweapon industry before he emigrated to Night City.
Dr. Chen Minghao had just cracked how that particular Fungus does what it does, it isn't the fungus per say, it is the defensive mechanism of the Biofilm that does all the hard work. The more the human body attacks the site of the infection, the more the fungal spores generate film to protect themselves. Since the biofilm attacks living flesh as equally well as decaying flesh, it has a unique method of attack that makes it a useful bio weapon.
Dr Chen Minghao will hire an assassin and have it go through the usual night city channels to kill her. The assassin's problem? Finding her.
Unbeknownst to either of Dr Chen Minghao or the hired assassin:
Dr. Mallory has a net runner's personal defense system in place.
Ask for her Financial records, and a flag is raised plus the id of the querent.
Ask for her Educational credentials - a flag is raised plus the ID of the querent.
Ask for her criminal records - you guessed it, flag and ID.
Ask the public databases for her address - flag
Ask the City taxes database - flag.
The app used to monitor all this is called "Flower on floor"
Some street handles are born, not made...
The proud military bearing of a long time DI coming come to make his place in Night city - took a minor detour today. Ma of Ma's Iron garage watched as the Sarge for the first time gathered together a crew under his leadership. Did they call him Sarge? No. When he got into the Night City International Hospital, did they call him "Ghost" because he was able to more or less bypass the laughably low class security at the Emergency room at 2 in the Morning? Nah. Did they call him Iron resolve when he didn't hurt anyone he could have, including Tony the Knuckles? Nope. When asked why he had to rescue a woman he barely knew, Ma asked him using words to the effect "you didn't do the horizontal mambo with her did you?"
THAT is when she called him Loverboy. Now she won't stop calling him that. The others in the crew have names like "Bean-si" and "Starburst" and even "The Quartermaster. But if our poor Sarge isn't careful, the rest of the team may start calling him Loverboy too.
Some names are thrust upon greatness, Sometimes - endearing handles enter the streets of Night City...
If Screamsheet Sally ever catches that team talking together on her boom mike equipped camera - just as Sledge became "Sewer Sledge" in one night...
Loverboy might become the latest handle to hit the streets.
Night City Battle of the Bands: Introducing Chopped Iron!
**NIGHT CITY BATTLE OF THE BANDS**
**The Grand Illusion**
---
**ANNOUNCER:**
"Night City!
You've heard the rumors.
You've heard the stories.
You've heard the names of the bands who came from nowhere...
...and left their mark forever.
Tonight, the **Battle of the Bands** crowns the next act to earn a place on this legendary stage.
Because this is more than another club.
More than another concert hall.
It...
Is...
**THE GRAND ILLUSION!**
A place where music survived the bombs.
Survived the corporations.
Survived the wars.
A place where Kerry Eurodyne and Johnny Silverhand believed one simple thing...
*"Give the music somewhere to live."*
Tonight...
One band earns that chance.
One band takes the next step toward becoming part of Night City's musical history.
And now...
Straight out of **South Night City**...
A band born where the power cuts out...
...but the music doesn't.
A band built from everything Night City throws away.
Five musicians.
One sound.
They are not polished.
They are not corporate.
They are what happens when broken pieces refuse to stay broken.
Night City...
You know the song.
You know the words.
You know the story.
From the band that brought you...
**'We're Chopped, We Stand.'**
Let's meet...
**CHOPPED IRON!**
---
First to the stage...
Our lead guitarist.
A man with an easy smile, shoulder-length locks, and a dark sheen that catches every stage light.
He walks like the crowd is already family.
He carries six strings...
...and enough talent to make you wonder whether you're looking at a guitar...
...or whether the guitar is playing him.
Night City...
Give it up for...
**WENDELL ANTUNES!**
---
Next...
The tallest man in the band.
Nothing but legs...
...and trucker's arms.
By day he keeps South Night City's trucks alive.
By night...
He keeps the band's generator humming when the power grid gives up.
If something breaks...
He fixes it.
If trouble starts...
...well...
He fixes that, too.
On guitar...
**JAVIER "JAVI" GUERRERO!**
---
Every great band has someone who finds the words the rest of us wish we'd written.
The heart behind the lyrics.
The soul behind the stories.
The woman whose pen gave us...
**"We're Chopped, We Stand."**
Please welcome...
**GRACE PATRICIA THOMLINSON!**
---
Now...
Every band needs a heartbeat.
A keeper of rhythm.
A student of the ancient art of war drumming.
His instrument doesn't just keep time...
...it declares it.
Night City...
Make some noise for...
**PEART!**
---
And finally...
The voice.
Dark-haired.
Classically trained.
A voice that could have echoed through the finest concert halls on Earth...
But she chose a different stage.
She chose these musicians.
She chose South Night City.
She chose to sing for the people who still stand.
Night City...
Please welcome...
**SHARON DELA-NOBLEZA!**
---
Together...
They are more than a band.
They are the sound of a city that refuses to stay down.
Ladies and gentlemen...
South Night City's own...
**CHOPPED IRON!**
