Session 42 - A Number In The System (Part 1)

Key Points:

• The party took a short rest to recover...
• Kembu claimed Ares' sword.
• Managirl ensured that Ares was tied up and would remain unconscious.
• Aria, in a dazed, executed one of the surviving geisha in a chokehold. The combat experience had triggered an unwanted episode; a flashback to something that Aria's mind tried to suppress.
• The group took a short rest, and then proceeded out of the basement of the facility.

• Upon advancing further in the facility, the group found a floating monitor with Athena's picture and voice.
• Athena offered to lead the group straight to her, in exchange for sharing her thoughts; her side of the events that have taken place.
• Otter scanned the monitor; ensuring that it was not trapped or armed.
• Various Runners acted differently to the situation. Otter believed it was a trap, Managirl seemed willing to listen, Angel thought she saw what Athena was going to share, Kembu seemed unwilling to accept any excuse for what Athena did, Setter saw business as business, Aria was quiet on the matter, and Roan had no interest in Athena's words given the deal he had made with Gwen.

• And so, Athena shared some information with the party...
• Athena picked 'Roan' to carry out the assassination on the First Lady for several reasons. Roan could disappear from his human identity to his hengeyokai identity. Additionally, a former security Genesis employee with medals of honor would result in terrible publicity for Genesis and bring direct heat down upon Gwen Morrisson. Lastly, it would involve the Runners in her plot.
• President Campbell is just a puppet; he has no ideas of his own, rather, others use him for their own agendas.
• The First Lady was part of a cabal that made the decisions for Genesis. Athena claims that someone else pulls the strings of the cabal, however.
• Athena needed the First Lady eliminated specifically because she was the biggest supporter of PROJECT GENASI. Zeus and Hera, the father and mother of Athena, Ares, and Aphrodite, were the DNA donors for all of the manaborn created under PROJECT GENASI. By eliminating the First Lady, it would hinder PROJECT GENASI, and allow for Athena to make the moves she needed to free the Olympians (specifically Zeus and Hera) from Genesis' control.
• Athena revealed that Pandora's Box was created by two people unaware of the other; Athena being one of them. While Pandora's Box contained many things, the main thing that she was always after, the one thing she felt was hers by right... was something she called The Process. She did not elaborate on WHAT the Process is nor did anyone inquire further about it. She did, however, call it "The Key To The City".
• PROJECT GENASI'S ultimate goal was to create an army for GENESIS to use. An army that wouldn't question them. An army that couldn't be defeated easily. That could defeat internal and foreign threat alike.
• After taking the DNA samples (Zeus and Hera) away from Genesis, Athena wanted to focus on taking down the cabal behind GENESIS. The First Lady was just the first step.
• The rest of her plan is left a mystery, but it likely required Pandora's Box.
• Athena tried to warn the party, that, if they continued to back her into a corner, that she would ultimately set fire to everything and everyone. She would rather the status quo descend into complete chaos in hopes of something better rising from its ashes.
• Athena's end game was to destroy GENESIS. She wanted everyone to be on equal footing, have equal resources, and the free will and means to do what they wanted with their lives without being wage slaves. She knew that this would not happen over night, and was willing to see decades of suffering until, at long last, improvement.
• Athena believes that under GENESIS leadership, that the world is more or less doomed to eventually die. That is why she is so focused on eliminating the cabal, then all of Genesis.
• Athena seemed aware of the groups deal with Gwen Morrisson, but also their deal with the Middleman and Watchdog.

• Athena's monitor lead the group through a factory that was building firearms, tanks, machines, robots, automatons, etc. More or less, what GENESIS produces, sells, and uses. She would lead the group to a door on a catwalk...
• The door lead to the inner sanctum of the Olympians. There, an army of robots was waiting along with five different copies of Athena.
• Though there were multiple Athena's, only one could be the 'host' at what time. The bodies were all (brain dead) people that had undergone plastic surgery and modification to all look like Athena. Meat Puppets.
• Two robots that stood out were the JERK and the YOUNG LADY. The JERK was a chassis for Zeus while the YOUNG LADY was piloted by Hera.

• And so, combat broke out... ROUND 1!
• Setter attacked Zeus; weaving a magical attack that would later let him rewrite the future.
• The YOUNG LADY began rotting some of the flesh off Kembu before phasing and disappearing into the floor.
• Otter issued an ITCH command on several of the robots; wounding them.
• Roan scored a dazing shot against Athena.
• The Five Athenas began attacking; one weakened Kembu with a diving attack while the others used their assault rifles. Her Cybermancy Aura allowed her to bring back dead and defeated robots temporarily.
• Managirl threw her mana-napalm at several of the machines; wounding and destroying some.
• Kembu took a second to recover from his wounds, then killed a minion in a daze.
• The Drum Drones fired on numerous targets; but primarily kept Aria from advancing by pinning her down.
• Angel administered morphine to Aria, then tried to shoot the JERK.
• Aria, having tapped into a skill set she was only just rediscovering, threw some shurikens at her foes.
• The BADs fired their turrets at various party members.
• The JERK got involved in the melee scene; primarily focusing on Managirl.

• ROUND TWO!...
• Setter healed Managirl, then managed to wound and bring down a lot of targets with his shiver-strike ammo.
• The Young Lady returned at the heart of the battle field. She blinded Roan and Aria with horrible visions of their past/future. She also weakened Angel, Kembu, and Setter.
• Otter tossed a white phosphorous grenade amidst the battlefield of robots.
• Roan fired on the Young Lady for making him experience that trauma.
• Athena tried diving into Otter unsuccessfully, then forced Roan to shoot himself. The rest of her bodies fired their assault rifles. All the dead robots then returned to life...
• Kembu, still weakened, kills another minion.
• Managirl's impressive magic bloodies one of the Athenas and wounds the JERK.
• The Drum Drones continue firing upon the group.
• Angel threw some healing mojo around, but missed with her attack.
• Aria, channeling all of her unlocked training, brought the JERK down and killed it. Once down, the JERK's pilot fell out; a human that looked dessicated, ancient, and hundreds of years old. Zeus. Cut off from his life support, he died immediately.
• The BADS fired on Aria, but the morphine protected her from many of their shots.

• ROUND THREE!...
• Setter decided to eliminate the majority of the raised BADs by utilizing his thunder-ammo. It proved effective. He also healed Angel.
• The Young Lady focused on keeping Setter and Kembu hurt; decaying their flesh.
• Otter threw another grenade; eliminating some of the minions Setter missed and wounding several other drones.
• Roan fired on the Young Lady; Angel helping the wound do some ongoing damage.
• Athena decided to step her game up. After missing horribly with several dive attempts, she spent an action point, and made Kembu wound Managirl. She then wounded them both with her assault rifle. The JERK also came back to life...
• No longer weakened, Kembu sprinted across the room and killed one of the Athenas; severing her legs from her torso.
• Managirl largely missed with her magic, but managed to wound one machine.
• The drum drones, who have been wounded but none killed, continued firing on the group.
• Angel healed Managirl, and she managed to get a shot off on JERK.
• Aria finished off another Athena; running her sword through her neck. Two down, three left.
• Finally, the JERK severely wounded Setter and Roan with its rampage.

• Next time, the conflict with the Olympians is resolved...

Loot:

• TBD...

Current Objectives:

• Complete Gwen Morrison's Deal: The group's innocence in the parade's assassination in exchange for defeating the Olympians (9/12).
• Complete the Middleman's Third Job: Recover Pandora's Box for Rickenato.
• Receive the Middleman's Answers.
• Pursue Personal Goals.
• Roan: Defeat Nacht.
• Setter: Revenge.
• Kembu: Save the girl.
• Managirl: Find yourself.
• Aria: Reunite your family.
• Del: Save the world.
• Angel: Start a family.
• Death Otter: Defeat Athena.