(This is actually the writeup for several sessions — essentially a full scenario — condensed)
Setup
Sabrina is called to the office of Johan Jacob Jameson IV, her handler at Amazon-Martin. He wants her to retrieve a stolen satellite access code. Rumor has it that someone on the street is trying to sell, but everyone clams up when the corporation attempts to chase it down.
After a couple of rounds of “why should I help you” haggling, Jameson agrees to allow Sabrina access to the Amazon black-site. He’s not happy about it.
It’s about who you know
Sabrina heads into town to find Darius, who is networking at the Bit Buzz. Between the two of them, they determine that someone calling himself Archangel had been looking for the same satellite codes with a particularly intense interest … until suddenly falling quiet a few days ago. They arrange a meeting with Archangel.
When they talk to him, he seems alternately nervous and desperate. He has not acquired the codes, but has found someone who has it: A mid-level street smuggler named Weasel. He had talked to Weasel, but was unable to meet his price; as an alternative, Weasel demanded the head of Darius.
Tracking it down
Confused, Darius contacts a hacker, Long Wangluo. Meeting up at the BitBuzz, they work to try to figure out why Weasel wants vengeance. As near as Darius has been able to determine, Weasel is angry because he believes that Darius leaked data entrusted to the data smuggler. Details about a thrown cricket championship game, intended to go to some Triad bookies, instead made it into the public sphere, throwing the sport into scandal. Weasel blames Darius. Offended, Darius begins trying to gather evidence to prove his innocence, and defend his reputation.
Some clandestine digging around the life-logs of the sports reporter reveals that she and Darius had no contact, and would not have been present in the same locations while Darius had the information in question.
Vindication?
Armed with evidence he feels exonerates him, Darius leads his companions to Weasel’s hangout. While Darius and Sabrina attempt to entreat with Weasel, Long attempts to hack into the bulding’s internal network. Eventually he finds the satelite codes they are after, but the download triggers an alarm.
During the ensuing gunfight, Darius takes a bullet, shattering his upper arm. Long, meanwhile, manages to hijack a number of the automated defense drones, ultimately gunning down most of Weasel’s companions. Sabrina drags Long’s access terminal through a rooftop escape, and gets the drop on a guard covering the front door. Weasel escapes from a rear entrance, while Darius struggles out the front door.
Long programs an autocab to drop Darius off at a hospital, then he and Sabrina return to safe ground to regroup.
What did we steal, anyway?
Curious about what they’ve gotten their hands on, Long helps Sabrina engage the services of Huang Xiaojin. They meet at Huang’s lab in the steel mill, and after some study, and several false starts, they eventually determine that the code is a decryption key … a very, very long decryption key. Unfortunately, they are unable to determine exactly what satellite signal it decrypts, as everything comes out like garbled noise.
Before turning it over, the group decides to see what Archangel can tell them about the key they’ve aquired. They set up a meeting with him in a public place, a Chuck-e-Cheese in a downtown mall.
Archangel reveals that he knows very little about the code; he was blackmailed into pursuing it. A group has taken his sister hostage, and he felt that he had no choice but to follow up on their demands. As evidence, he produces a data chip, containing the ransom video. Before anyone can stop him, the Long’s drone jams the data chip into an access port. He reveals that the chip does contain a video of a woman being held hostage, but claims that her behavior is … off. Moments later, the virus contained in the datachip breaks through his firewalls, and the drone begins speaking erratically.
Moments later, a detonation triggers in front of Archangel, and the group is blasted clear of the table. A number of goons move in to grab the group, but they recover quickly. Sabrina takes cover, then fires at a child foolish enough to point an arcade gun in the middle of an actual firefight. Huang, monitoring via drone from outside the room, swoops down and pulls the data chip from the remains of Long’s ’droid. All other exits blocked, Sabrina shoots out a window, scoops up the wounded child, and leaps down to the floor below.
Aftermath
Huang sets about moving his formerly hidden facility. He sells a copy of the codes to the Triad. Sabrina turns in her copy of the codes to Amazon, fulfilling her contract. After a single visit to a delirious Darius in the hospital, she drops off the grid. Neither Long nor Archangel have been heard from since the incident.