EPISODE 1: 蜂の巣の繭の蒸気殺人
It has been a week since this group of cyberpunks had all reconvened. The low-level street zeitgeist mourns the loss of one of their most talented tattoo artists, Chouji. The news media didn't give him or the other victims a name - labeling them as misguided youth and Synthetic Rebel Activists attempting to reignite the fires of the civil war of the previous world. Using the anti-synth sentiments of Suginami-ku to broadly paint this as just a nonsensical act of violence. There was no mention of the gunmen, just the seemingly innocent young people gunned down in the walkway. Not to mention they got Chouji’s name especially incorrect. Chojiro and not Chouji.
Business as usual in Tokyo Mega, the rhythm of the city was unaffected by the murders in Suginami-Ku. The police would investigate, the media would show only a sliver of the story to the public and the faces of those lost will be largely forgotten by all who didn’t know them personally. Eventually. Until then, the Izumi-Kai were invited to a memorial street race.The winnings were 5,000,000 won divided evenly among the top four competitors, Sef didn’t come in first but he stole a fast second in style. Even donating a portion of his winnings to the family of “Chojiro”, the fourth place winner also donated the entirety of their winnings to the affected family. The youth of the gangs saw this as a most respectful thing for the two racers to do, and the Feed noted that it was only Sef and the other competitor to part with some of their prize money as tribute.
Haru's patron has been called into the office moreover the week. Spending longer days than normal doing important company work. He doesn't talk much about it, just that it could save lives someday. Long nights in the very private corporate building and an armed escort to and from his home have spared him really noticing Haru’s new sword and choice of apparel - the previous jumpsuit having been shredded in the very gun battle that had the news all twisted up about pro-synth demonstrations.
The Hotel that Ard has rented upgraded his vacation suite from a standard 1 bed and bath capsule to a full Samurai class suite on the 300th floor. About the size of a small one bedroom home. The violence in one of the most peaceful sections of the city has prompted a sweeping upgrade package among the visitors to the city. For some reason or another, Lumos' has received multiple freelance consulting jobs through The Early Bird . The small Synthshop and Augment installer has a pretty regular clientele and freelance engineers and docs who rotate the hours along with the main proprietor, HNY-4456K. A synth representing a female who only really converses in snark and sass but will answer to Six or Six-K, she does wear a name tag that says Honey however, though no one calls her that out loud.
After enjoying tea at the Nakahara Peace Garden the group give up on waiting on Ard. The Wormer PTST (Philanthropist Thrill Seeking Tourist) opted to stay-in that night. Probably to enjoy his swanky new hotel suite upgrade. Whatever his reasons, the three members of the so far unnamed crew decided to follow up on Sef’s hand issues. Fondly referring to the situation as the ‘hand-job’. All jokes aside, they thought it was in everyone’s best interest to go to the address they received from the scan last week. Heat’s died down by now and whatever trap or trick that Choji might have tried to spring has sprung by everyone’s death on that street last week. In theory, it should be totally safe and fine to just check the address out.
The group arrive via taxi and motorbike and already the building itself is tall and wide, with a rotating door at its entrance with windows that hint at perhaps some type of luxury hotel experience or something similar. The lobby was tile, glass, and metal. A grand staircase curved around what looked to be obviously a long receptionist’s desk reminiscent of a check-in counter. In between the entrance and the desk were four minimalist lounge areas. Stylish cubist couches enclosed glass coffee tables that were ornamented with real paper magazines. Relics of the past or, a flaunt of the super wealthy? None of the group could really know for sure - but what they did immediately realize is that they were sorely out of place. Sef removed his leather jacket and put up his hair, his minimal augmentation lifestyle lent very well to the appearance of a wealthy individual with some western ideology on purism. The guards in black suits watched the trio as the group looked about trying to find a hint of their reason for being here. Sef spotted a staircase leading downwards; it was marked with the trigram for heaven.
After sharing their misgivings about the irony, they descend and are met with another receptionist desk at the bottom of the landing who interacts with them directly, asking how they could be helped - more specifically asking Sef. After they present Sef’s palm as their business, a secret door is opened and they are allowed entry to an entirely different area, in both style and aesthetic. Lacquered wood floor and soft fresh soil filled with greenery. Real greenery. Plants that gave off oxygen and ate carbon dioxide. Plants that Sef - along with the majority of the entire city - had never even encountered before. At least not their biological counterparts. The party traverses a long hallway and are met with a luxurious banquet hall, hardwoods and greenery abound with patrons garbed in wealth beyond measure being served by a very poised waitstaff - most likely all synths.
They are approached by a staff member wearing the same uniform as the receptionists at the desks they had already encountered. He greeted them to the soiree and judged by their demeanor and clothing surmised accurately that they were not where they were supposed to be. Sef showed his palm again and the staff member quickly told them where to go with a cheerful demeanor. They were directed down another long hardwood hallway to a waiting area just outside of a solid metal doorway. “Mr.Hong is taking his annual bath - he will be with you shortly.” The man would relay before walking off to attend to the other guests. The group moved down the hallway and took in their new and odd surroundings. Lumos’ the most technologically savvy of the group surmised that the panels nearest the door and the seating area were an inactive suite of some type of comprehensive security system
The door hisses open after about five minutes. Revealing a spartan office in decor. Minimalist, devoid of windows. There was a desk of metal and glass with a stone slab positioned behind it. There was a single bed in one of the corners and a metal locker that had been carefully decorated to look as if it was real wood. After a quick look around the office, a voice spoke to the group as the door closed behind them. The voice was that of Mister Hong, the owner of this office apparently. Moments later he would exit the private bathroom stark naked, dripping with water still and eyes as wide as dinner plates before he collapsed onto the floor and convulsed. Lumos, being the medical professional in the room immediately deduced the man was choking and he ran over to help, going so far as to inject the man with a dosage of nanites to alleviate the asphyxiation. They helped momentarily, allowing him to pass along the message of “Save Keiko Swan.” Keiko Swan is a well known ballet dancer in Tokyo Mega. A quick search on the Feed yielded that information. Scrambling for more clues, and more importantly a method of unlocking the sealed door to the room, the group found a key to the locker disguised as a wooden cabinet and accessed the computer of the now dead Mister Hong that was projecting onto the stone slab. They scoured his emails and found rather quickly that his name wasn’t Hong at all, but he was Shin Kosanji of Kosanji Talent, a tour promoter and small-time talent scout who was local to Tokyo Mega. Along with this information there was an unopened email from an unknown sender that showed a very graphic photograph of a cute asian girl with blonde hair carrying a chainsaw and a severed head. At first glance it seemed like a very guro-esque cosplay photo but upon closer inspection the group deduced that the photograph was very much real and the single line caption was some type of message: I do birds too. Among the possessions in the office the group found a smart suit, the latest in pocket computer devices, a cred card with 5000 won on it and a gold origami crane. As Sef discovered, the crane was made out of gold smart-paper. Paper that was inlaid with technology that acted as simple one or two way communication. Not a typical single use item but it was flashy and most likely saved. Unfolding the crane revealed that it was an invitation to an event happening that very night, with Keiko Swan as the star of the entire evening. If they were to save Keiko they needed to get to that event. Based on the invitation it would be taking place in New Shinjuku. In a Skytree. A tough journey for any of the three.
Before they could ponder more the door unlocked and the group panicked. Each attempting to look nonchalant and unsurprising by the dead man by the bathroom as the metal entrance slid apart and in walked several staff members of the building they were in. They moved directly towards the dead man without pause and the group was questioned briefly by a younger man, a little younger than Sef on the death of Mr. Hong. He apologized for the interruption and sent the group on their way with a free access pass to the member’s only club of Hachi Rebisu. Step one for infiltrating the skytree was to look the part. Sef took Haru and Lumos to get a suit, using the found card to purchase Haru his first set of personal clothes. The seven year old synth chooses style over function with a red suit with a black dress shirt and white tie. The event is a black tie event. The obvious facepalming occurs but the group lets Haru keep the clothes as Lumos decides on a healthy medium of dress suit that isn’t too matchy-matchy in his own words, via his augment that allows him to simulate any wardrobe he desires. They call a lux cab their way in order to better emulate the rich citizens who lived in the skytree. New Shinjuku is a place of power and control amidst the wealth. Of all the districts the police presence is very strong, within and without the skytree. The streets are patrolled by roving mechanized drones with heavy anti-personnel weapons mounted on their shoulders and backs,while the Tokyo Mega Police Department has its headquarters here deep underground in a secure bunker facility. The urban paradise of the skytree is manned by countless cameras and rapid response police teams and privatized military. Only Sef and Haru knew this information off hand due to their criminal familiarity and privately regard their situation as they disembark the Ultralux transport.
They are within view of Grand Station, a large theater hall that was the host of the event. There is a mass of police, unmanned drones and guests in suits and dresses for the occasion. Seeing this gives the group pause, as this event has a lot of people attending with a larger portion of them being law enforcement from the looks of it. If Keiko was in danger, the perpetrator was either embedded with the guests or the security. Ease of access to the building and the theoretical access to a weapon. Security forces were almost usually armed. Guests who had enough money, or looked like they had enough money could practically do anything or - more importantly - carry anything. Just then the invitation started making noises from Sef’s backpack, he investigated. Unfolding the paper swan, the invitation is blaring a reminder for the event and to RSVP attendance in order secure seating. Sef RSVPs in Shin’s stead for obvious reasons. Moments later an anonymous and blocked number texts Sef’s phone. Detailing that they know who the group is and what they have - the most confusing part - and that they will assist the group if the three of them are interested in saving Tokyo Mega. If they decline, they are to find a locker in the Grand Station venue and deposit the golden origami crane within it. Within the same time span another message is sent across to Sef who is rightly freaking out about his privacy being compromised so quickly and easily - in the form of a hacked product ad ticker scrolling across the front of a nearby shop. Threatening violence if the group didn’t turn over the crane. Neither message named an origin but clearly one side had Tokyo’s best interest in mind. Or so they said.
The following moments were crucial, the group decided to go for Keiko directly. Cut out the middle men as it were and protect the ballet dancer the best way they knew how. By kidnapping her until the danger passed. The group get in. They note the opulent architecture and the presence of a catering company providing the food and beverage for the event. Sef also spies children, no older than ten all sporting backpacks seem to be on the lookout for someone. They are dressed appropriately for the occasion but everyone so far in attendance is either remarkably youthful, in the prime of their lives or amazingly old. Natural grey hairs, wrinkles, the whole deal.
After incorrectly remembering the details of why children were important - postulating they were Korporate Kids. The group makes their way backstage past the first floor kitchens. Before they can arrive at the dressing room they see that the police presence is strong and are greeted by an officer barring entry to the performers. Sef attempts to use status as a way to get through the tight cordon of security using their mission of keeping Keiko safe as the sufficient clearance that they needed. Sorely, they were denied and attracted the intervention of a Hiashi Miyamoto. Someone distinctly from Haru’s past. The exchange is terse but the group is allowed to leave and soon a representative of the concert hall escorts them to their reserved section overlooking the stage. Leaving a note that gave them a hint in their search for Keiko’s assassin.
Do not trust the waitress. The words had been written on a napkin and Haru searched for a waitress among the waitstaff. Most were men, but some were objectively female based on his visual scan of. The three of them begin to panic, which waitress was it? How did they catch her? But that was when she appeared. A woman with blonde hair just delivered a tray of horderves to the next private box beside theirs. It was uncharacteristic of the staff, who all wore conservative black and brown hairstyles. Probably to match the setting of their work, real or not.
It all came together now, it unraveled before Haru as he got everyone’s attention as the waitress in question slipped out of sight again. Most likely into the kitchens which had an entrance on this level of the theater as well.
I do birds too.