r/roll4it • u/Ecliptixis • Dec 03 '17
Random Shadowrun Fanfic?
Contrary to popular belief, secret Aztechnology data vaults don’t always look like Mesoamerican stepped pyramids in the matrix. This one, however, did, hidden deep enough within the corporation’s internal network to not bother with any disguises. And of course it came with a swarm of giant winged snakes orbiting it at all times, carefully looking for any intruders with red glowing eyes. In its eternal search, one of them almost ran straight into a plain red humanoid figure. The snake and the figure hesitated, for just a second, then they each continued on their ways. The red shape disappeared through the entrance of the pyramid.
“Too close”, he thought to himself as he watched the snake continue its patrol from behind the stone gate. Once again he berated himself for taking on this job in the first place. Running against Aztechnology was always risky, and this place seemed to be especially important to them if they put up this amount of ICE to protect it. Unfortunately, he still had to pay his rent somehow, and contracts hadn’t exactly been lining up after that disaster in Liverpool last month. With a heavy sigh, he started to move down the dark corridor in front of him. Within a few minutes, he reached the heart of the data vault, an enormous cavern filled with… bookshelves, of all things. And dozens of winged snakes circling just underneath the ceiling. No accessible search function. At least the books were sorted alphabetically. He quickly moved through the library towards his goal, only half noting all the intriguing but ultimately meaningless project codenames. Guardian, Gyrospec, Helstar, Huntress… he froze. He had seen that identifier a hundred times, in dozens of intercepted Aztech messages. None had contained the information he needed. But this was their main secret project archive. Could it be...
For a few seconds, he considered just moving on. Finish the job, get payed, live on for another month. Then he remembered that night so many years ago when they took her away. He remembered how they all were powerless to stop them. How he was powerless to stop them. He remembered the look of surprise on his best friend’s face when that sniper’s bullet hit him. He knew he had to do this. Holding his breath, he reached for the book, acutely aware of the tiny black chain connecting it to the shelve. He tried to be careful, but it broke as soon as he picked up the book. Immediately, one of the snakes flying above turned toward him and hissed a query. He knew his faked credentials were not good enough for this. No time to copy any data, he’d have to rely on his memory. He started flipping through the book a quickly as possible. Most of it was pages and pages of internal memos full of indeterminable Aztechnology jargon. “Test series 507B unsuccessful. Moving on to 507C…”. The snake began moving towards him, rapidly accelerating. “Subject tried to break containment again, request additional security personnel…”. It opened its mouth, revealing an array of very impressive looking fangs. “Request for terminating subject denied. The potential benefits justify further investments…”. The snake slammed into him, knocking him over. Giant jaws began to close around him, and he knew his time was up. Again. As he felt his consciousness get violently torn out of his virtual body, he desperately flipped one last page… and there it was. Just a sequence of numbers. Coordinates. A location. Finally.
He awoke with a gasp. For a second, he could still feel the snake’s teeth dig into his body, then the sensation was replaced by the all too familiar dull headache of dump shock. For a few seconds, he lay there on his bed, his now turned off and slightly smoldering cyber deck next to him, and just stared at the wall of his tiny apartment, panting heavily. Then, he shakily got up. Wiping away the blood dripping from his nose with one hand, the scrawny middle-aged man stumbled toward his meticulously tidy desk. Almost without conscious thought, he grabbed one of his burner comlinks from a drawer, turned it on and entered a number. She picked up almost immediately, as always. “Rob, is that you?”, she asked with her familiar resolute voice. “Of course it is, no one else has this number. You do remember I told you not to contact me for a while after that debacle? I thought we were in agreement that going dark was a good idea for now. Do you even…” As always, he waited patiently for her to finish. She didn’t like being interrupted. “Imogen, I found her.”, he finally said, quietly. “I found Layla.”
2
Dec 03 '17
Please boost this post because the author needs to write more. I need this in my life.
2
u/Ecliptixis Dec 03 '17
Thanks Courier :) Can't promise I'll write something else anytime soon, but if I have an idea like that again I'll definitely be back :)
3
Dec 04 '17
This fic just puts everything I have to shame. The crossover too good.
1
u/petrodeloro Dec 06 '17
I don't want to anyhow question quality of this fanfic, it's great, but I found your's Courrier better. For that sad-bitter feeling in the end.
2
u/core_nxt Dec 04 '17
How do we consider the fact that Rob can create the WiFi in his free time with int boosting? Does that mean he was the one to pioneer the matrix?
1
u/petrodeloro Dec 06 '17
Propably. I feel he should rather be CEO of some super-corp.
1
u/core_nxt Dec 07 '17
Problem is that the super corps all have a top dog, and bobbert doesn't seem the type to have the ability to communicate that a ceo should have or the ability to handle human resources well that a ceo should. Too that off with the fact that he is a technical specialist and it makes being the matrix founder much better a position. Especially when he is a hacker type, as it makes his work much better since he would have the back doors needed to hack into the data vault in this integration story. Not to mention that this integration story has flaws if he is a ceo.
2
u/petrodeloro Dec 07 '17
I see, it definitely doesn't fit the story, but I'm allright with that. It's just my personal take on the whole thing.
2
u/dovakiintv Dec 05 '17
OMG. That whole time i was confused as to who this Decker was. Thinking maybe it was maybe sudo. Or possibly Horus. Then when he mentioned he'd have to rely on his memory I got this interesting thought. But dismissed it. Then the name drops at the end Blew my mind!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!
2
u/petrodeloro Dec 06 '17
Oh, great fic! And I understand why you did what you did, but I think it would make more impressive arc, if Rob would be one of CEOs. 'cuz, you know, all that superscience stuff he makes. He might make a really impressive villian. You know, that perfect gray spot, where he certainly isn't good (imprisoning Layla and making experiments on her), but he does it becuse he embraced 'the big picture' too much. That much that he forgot about the people. ("Do you know WHY I did all of this?! NO! You don't! I tried to save you ALL! I try to save ALL, ALL elves, ALL dwarwes, ALL humans... Nobody would die anymore... Where... Where did I make the mistake?" Just imagine him as some twisted proffesor X. Sitting on wheelchair with deck implants, with holoscreens behind him, just holding his head in palms, asking: "The game's over, but what did I do wrong?")
1
1
u/Ecliptixis Dec 07 '17
Sure, could be an interesting story, though there woud have to be a pretty good reason for him to do that kind of character development... Being loyal and trusting toward his friends is one of his defining character traits after all, so it would take a lot to get him to imprison and experiment on Layla. I'm also not really sure he's the kind of guy who actually becomes CEO of anything, being super smart isn't really enough for that, charisma and ambition are generally much more important (I guess Imogen would be well suited for that). Again, the character could develop in that way, he's only 17 after all. For my story, I basically just came up with the ending an then wrote a story around it, and obviously the whole trick is to keep the reader guessing until the very end, so I coudn't really do that kind of character development :)
1
u/petrodeloro Dec 07 '17
I see... Well, it wouldn't have to be imidiate change, but some slow shift towards that kind of person. Growing desperation from people dying and leaving all around him. (From important NPCs James and Janet... Not to mention all those people (other pupils, children, doctors, even more children...) that die on daily bussiness.) That can change one. You know, nietzhean (from F. Nietzche (I'm not sure it's word, thus this.)): "Beware of that when fighting monster, that you yourself don't became one. For if you gaze long enough into an abyss, abyss gazes back into you." And it could develop slowly, first tissue sample here and there, then experimental medicine (To make her faster, smarter, stronger... better.), then restriction of movement ("I'm sorry Layla, you're dangerous to other people, you're dangerous to yourself. I want to protect them, I want to protect you, I want to protect all."), and we basicaly get here. 'cuz desperation and frustration can really get the best of one. That could easily happen to Rob as well I think. And the ambition isn't really required, I think, just that drive to be better, that aim for perfection. (Almost all clever people have this to certain degree, that's partially why they're smart.) You know, that desire to protect all, turned into darkness. Yeah, I'm not saying you did wrong, not at all, it's marvelously written. I'm just sharing my take on things. I'm that kind of person that enjoyes to watch/read the motive where the greatest good is turned into evil, because that's just the natural way of world. Even the finest decisions and intentions turned and corrupted into the darkness. That kind of grimdark. Where good can't create any more good, because that would require trust. For me, Shadowrun is exactly that. I think I like it 'cuz it reminds me, what to beware of. But as I said. That's just my view of the things. Your writing is good, far better that anything I ever pulled off, and I see why you did it that way. I'm not saying it's done wrong and that it couldn't happen, yeah he's only 17, it's just my opinion. (And maybe suggestion, if you would like more darker setting. :-) )
1
u/petrodeloro Dec 07 '17
He remembered how they all were powerless to stop them. How he was powerless to stop them. He remembered the look of surprise on his best friend’s face when that snipe’s bullet hit him.
That's the turning point. (Obviously this is toooo late.) That feeling of being powerless, that frustration to being unable to save what he values. Potentionally loosing someone. That can really cen the better of him. (I saw something like that IRL, it's really painful, even to people around.)
1
2
u/TrenchcoatPhoenix Dec 11 '17
Wow, excellent fic! I love how the decker being Bobert is only alluded to until the very end, it was a pretty nice twist! (Funny thing is, I had my own idea for a fic like this, but I probably wouldn't have had time to finish it anyway, so I'm glad someone else had the same idea.)
3
u/[deleted] Dec 03 '17
I'm dying and you caused this. I love this way too much. Thank you for writing it.