THREADS OF THE PAST:

An Adventure For CYBERPUNK RED

> Player Information <

The characters are contacted by a Fixer they are former associates have been killed over the last
familiar with who is putting together a team for an six weeks, all of them flatlined by Black ICE and, of
executive protection op. The client is offering course, the characters were hired because he
500eb per person, per week, plus room and board, would like to escape the same fate. While getting
in exchange for around-the-clock physical and brain-burned is not exactly a rare occurrence in
network protection. The client is Corporate, and Night City, the method is rather odd. Jace reveals
will require the team to "look the part" (what this that all of his former associates had their
means is ultimately up to the Ref, but forebrains erased, the telltale sign of a Zombie
Businesswear tops and bottoms with Kevlar is attack; a particularly nasty bit of Black ICE used in
recommended). Once properly outfitted, the the Old Net. Zombie itself can not function in the
characters will be given the location of Jace Net Architecture of the Time of the Red, which
Kardin, who lives in a conapt in the Glen with his begs the question as to how all these middle-aged
wife Leticia and two children. Jace is a Netrunner 'runners have fallen victim to it. Jace Kardin's
in his late 40s, who develops training simulators conapt isn't exactly in the combat zone. Security is
and instrument interfaces for Trauma Team decent, even the residential subnet has solid
International (or the Ref's medical company of protection. Assuming his old partners were in
choice). After his wife and children leave to go similar positions, anyone who could slip in a copy
stay with her sister in Reno (he doesn't want to put of Black ICE from the Old Net would practically
them in danger), he explains that nearly all of his need to be in the same room as the victims.

> Gamemaster Notes <

It is likely one or more of the characters might therapy and earn degrees in Virtuality Simulation
suspect Jace isn't being entirely forthcoming. A and Human-interface Design. He did all of this to
DV 13 Human Perception check will reveal that he "help people and hopefully to save more lives than
is legitimately scared for his life and absolutely he destroyed". All of his dead "associates'' were
does not want to put his family at risk. He doesn't with him on that op, and he knows it's only a
even want to risk his family having to watch him matter of time before they come for him.
die. If pressed, he will keep his cards close to his
chest, deflecting any questions unless they can The attack will happen on the 4th day. Kardin will
pass a DV 15 Persuasion check. Passing the check be working in his office when he begins having a
will have Kardin admit that he was part of a gang seizure. Quick thinking on the character's parts will
before the Night City holocaust, and that the last be the only chance of keeping Jace alive. If a
op he went on went bad. Real bad. The kind of bad Netrunner is monitoring the residential subnet,
where the wrong Intel ends up getting a lot of they can use a NET action to access Jace's
people dead that didn't have to be. After that, he terminal. Doing so will cause the Zombie to
quit the gang and went legit, using the wealth he disengage and vanish, and Jace will suffer the
accumulated from his life of crime to get cyber effects of a Liche attack (RED, p.207). Otherwise, a
character will need to be in the room with Jace, or At this point, the characters should be looking at
within 2m of the door to his office to act. Cutting options. Kardin really should not be the worse for
the power to his computer will do the trick, as will wear assuming he survived the attack (if he didn't,
yanking his interface cables. Cutting the power will the Fixer will pay each character 500eb for their
inflict the effects of a Liche attack on Jace, while trouble. If the characters loot the place, then
yanking the cables will inflict the effects of Kazdan's wife will let the Corporation know what
Hellhound, fire and everything (RED, p.206). happened, and the Corp will place a bounty on the

Any character that runs a Scan utility from a characters). If the characters do nothing, then
cyberdeck or some other frequency scan during or another attempt will be made in a couple of days
shortly after the attack will discover an anomalous under similar circumstances (even if isolated from
transmission coming from above the conapt. A DV his computer, a drone will attempt to connect to
15 Perception check outside the conapt will reveal Kardin directly through his interface plugs). The
the presence of a 25 year old Arasaka attacks will continue until the characters track
manufactured RDAK remote (use stats for a Mini down the assailant. Any method of Credibility /
Air Drone with a MOVE of 3, but it is a soda-can Library Search / Conversation will eventually reveal
sized spider drone [RED, p.213]). the Brainiacs turf back in the 2020s to be north of
the Corporate Plaza. Have the characters
● If the characters follow the drone they will see investigate around Little Europa with Everyday DV
another and then another, all moving over the checks to learn rumors about the Braniacs
wall that separates the conapts from the rest boostergang returning. This will eventually lead to
of the city. The gate is not really near this an abandoned tech shop.
location, so to continue the pursuit they will
need to get over the wall (DV 15 Athletics, Once the characters gain access to the abandoned
alarm will sound). The spider drones are shop, they find the place pretty well looted, save
loading themselves into a classic RefI Sierra for the RefI Sierra Hatch parked right on the sales
Hatch, which will speed off at the first sign of floor (access through the boarded up double doors
the PCs, leaving one RDAK behind. A DV 15 at the entrance). Once inside, the characters will
Education check will reveal the markings on have to contend with (# of players -1)
the car to belong to the Brainiacs, a Demon-operated Ground Drones (RED, p.213).
Net/Tech-based booster gang that was wiped
out by the Datakrash. After the battle, a voice calls out from one of the
● If the characters disable the drone from the busted drones, inviting the characters into the
conapt, the DV to spot the others increases to basement/storage room to parlay. The lone
18. Whether they examine the first drone or booster, late-twenties, introduces himself as
the one left behind, it's the same. Electronics Einstein. Einstein does not speak to the characters
or Cybertech DV 12 reveals the remotes have directly, instead projecting his voice through the (#
had their weapon systems replaced with of players -1 Ground Drones, +2 Spider Walking
cyberdeck signal repeaters, allowing them to Drones), giving him an unsettling "Loquacious of
daisy-chain a cybermodem signal. If the check Bork" vibe. If the players let Einstein have his say,
beats a 15, they can also learn that the drone's he will explain how his parents, who were
ceretronic systems were removed (because no Corporate R&D Techs, were Zombied by an attack
one would expect 25 year old cloned neural by the Braniacs in '21, which ultimately left him on
tissue to still work) and have been replaced the streets to fend for himself. He says he would
with modern control hardware. The Braniacs' have at least understood if the Braniacs raided the
tag is visible on the drone's casing. lab afterwards, but they didn't, and his parents and
all the other researchers were mind wiped over
nothing. Einstein will activate a video wall to ● If the players side with Einstein, they can take
display footage of the attack on his parents lab, the money and leave, or take the money and
the techs falling over, and the Brainiacs entering. help Einstein get his revenge. Since the client
The characters will recognize Jace Kardin among is dead, the Fixer will pay each character
the Braniacs, as well as his "old associates'' if they 500eb for their trouble. The Fixer understands
researched them. Einstein will offer the group that not every gig can be successful and that's
5000eb each to walk away and let him take his just the nature of the biz. However, if the Fixer
revenge. finds out they betrayed the client….
● If the players attempt to convince Einstein to
● If the players attack Einstein, the door to the abandon his revenge, they will need to pass
storeroom will magnetically lock and they will two out three Persuasion checks, the first at a
have to face Einstein (use Netrunner template, DV15, and the second at DV18. Refs may be
RED, p.414) and his Demon-controlled drones. inclined to throw a +1 or +2 for good
Once defeated, Kardin will be safe and they roleplaying. Failing two checks will result in
can turn in the gig with the Fixer, earning a Einstein attacking the characters as above.
500eb bonus on top of their pay.
 Einstein's Datafort
Floor:
2 3a 4a 5a 6 7
1

Imp, Imp,
Imp,
Control Node Control Node
Control Node
DV12 DV12
DV12 (Spider
(Ground (Ground
Remote)
Remote) Remote)
Control Node File
Password
Wisp DV10 DV10
DV 8 3b 4b 5b
(MagLock) (100eb value)
Control Node Control Node
Control Node
DV12 DV12
DV12 (Spider
(Ground (Ground
Remote)
Remote) Remote)
Einstein's fort has a branching architecture at level 3. Einstein personally built this architecture as a drone control
network. Each Imp controls the Control Node on the a and b branch of their floor with their 2 actions. These Imps will
not chase a runner through the system unless the runner enters their floor. At that point, the Imp on that floor will split
their actions between operating one of their Control Nodes and attacking the Netrunner. If a drone is destroyed, the
Imp that was controlling it will take over any uncontrolled Control Nodes.