21st November 2075
Context and Longtime are contacted by Cheese, Longtime's fixer. The Red Dragon Association have some more work for them.
Mr Wu picks up the runners in a Mitsubishi Nightsky limousine. A new face, a tall Chinese human with tribal tattoos on his face, Mr Tong, ushers the runners inside. The job is clearing some hidden danger (dangerous to local property prices at least) from the hardly-used sewers under the squatter city of Kowloon. Context groans hearing this - he's realised his addiction to his magical foci is getting out of control and he's trying to wean himself off them. In short, he's strung out.
On hearing this, the runners bring in Lomax, figuring they need some additional muscle. They go through the plan: Mr Wu will bring them to what he believes is the lair of whatever is grabbing the occasional homeless, and the runners need to go clear it out.
The runners decide to go ahead immediately. No time like the present, omae. Lomax drives back and gets his drones, and Context and Longtime get driven to their homes to pick up some extra kit. A word of warning, chummers - next time don't let your employees see where you're crashing.
Anyway, Wu eventually pulls up at a disused storm drain near central Kowloon. There is a damaged entrance to the sewers nearby. Wu and Tong lead them into the entrance. They point out the dark earthern tunnel entrance leading off from a large crack in the sewer wall, and leave the runners to it.
The runners, understandably unsure about venturing into the pitch black tunnel, turn on their thermographics (goggles for Longtime, glasses for Context and natural for the troll Lomax) and make some noise, seeing what they attract. There is a rasping cry from further down the corridor. A feral ghoul comes charging out of the darkness! Weapons chatter away in the darkness, but the speed of the ghoul and the pitch darkness (with the runners only able to see the ghoul's heat signature through their vision enhancements) mean that he crashes into Lomax, scrabbling away at him. Lomax holds him off using the reach of his two handed combat axe, until Longtime gets a lucky shot in and neutralises the ghoul.
They make their way further inside, and find the mangled remains of a Knight Errant beat cop. Being gnawed on by devil rats. Longtime, investigating the corpse, is surprised by them but leaps away from them in a display of gymnastics. The rats are scattered by bursts of automatic weapons fire lighting up the pitch darkness.
Continuing to search the tunnels, the runners find a set of doors. They are poorly made from metal plates and scraps of scavenged materials, and do not hold up to the Steel Lynx combat drone that Lomax sends crashing through. On the other side there's a group of ghouls, and some basic amenities and a ladder leading up to a trapdoor. These are not feral like the creature the runners encountered earlier, and cower in the corners of the clearing from the assault drone. One of them raises a vintage shotgun and demands that the runners leave, citing a deal they have with the doctor upstairs which means they can stay here. Context tries to intimidate the ghouls into leaving, but thanks to his intense magical withdrawal he's not his usual quick talking self and the two groups end up in a standoff.
The runners, fully aware they have the upper hand, decide they are being paid to clear the tunnels, so they best get on with it. They slaughter the cowering ghouls and the shotgun-toting leader, and raid the bodies.
They make their way up the ladder, out of the inky darkness and into blinding whiteness. When their eyes adjust, they realise that while it IS white, it's really quite grimey. They are clearly in a street doc surgery. The runners start casing the joint, stealing whatever they can find. They are interrupted by 'Sawbones' MacCarthy, the local Kowloon street doc. Lomax rugby tackles him to the ground and the team demand answers.
MacCarthy explains that he took the ghouls in, using them as assistants in his surgery, and paying them in 'spares' from amputations or cyber upgrades. He is appalled that the runners have murdered them all. The runners explain that he had better leave town or the same will happen to him. He flees, with Context firing a final shot at his retreating back, but missing. Well, brutal, but job done.
The runners call Mr Wu and they meet him in the limousine. Mr Wu explains that Mr Tong is there to ensure that his money has been well spent. The runners are overcome with a strong Analyze Truth spell from the tall Chinese man, while explaining the night's events. Mr Wu is satisfied and pays the runners.
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