Monday, April 7, 2014

Operation Zero : memRE

This is a one-shot playtest of memRE.
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Thank you for your cooperation.



Three memRe agents are commission for an operation.

Target:  Claire
Goal: Investigation
Secondary Clause: Terminate if Enemy.  Apprehend to Juno Station if not.
Kill Clause:  Once the Enemy numbers in 10 units.

Agents are as follows:

Mister Michaleson (Off-the-record file: Dario)
Small build, taller than average height.  Trained with martial arts.

Mister 6 (Off-the-record file: Karlo)
Expert marksman.  Blends with his surroundings.
Trusts Mister E.
Mister E (Off-the-record file: Ryan)
Average looking person in all aspects.
People tend to ignore his presence.

The agents enter location in an inconspicuous gray sedan.  They arrive at Juno Station which is a train station situated between two shopping malls.    The three immediately spread out to search for her.  Mister 6 takes point.  Mister E goes Ghost and quickly works on a disguise to fit in the crowd.  Mister Michaelson is on standby as muscle, watching from afar.  Mister 6 tries to procure binoculars, and hopefully a sniper rifle, as he realizes one can stay on lookout from the parking lot's upper floors.

Mister E grabs a pair of sunglasses, a straw hat, shorts and a polo shirt.  He leaves the suit in the comfort room.  Mister Michaleson switches clothes too, and wears board shorts and a loose shirt.

-----{ 2:27:30 }-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------?

The group searches for their target but seem to have trouble locating Claire.  Mister E starts to get confused on where to go.  Mister 6 realizes he cannot find Michealson.  The group only realizes belatedly that they were not coordinating properly,nor did they establish a means of long-range communication.

Mister Michaelson decides to go Ghost and finds a computer terminal among the train station offices that was left logged in.  He quietly slides to the seat and begins checking the computer for any employee records of a person named Claire.

Mister 6 on the other hand decides to risk the experimental memRE device.  Depressing it, Mister 6 now fully remembers her name.  He casually heads down from the upper area of the mall to meet with the others.

Mister E also opts to use memRE and in a flash, he recalls her job. The target was working as one of the ticket teller people.    He meets up with Mister Michaelson, who confirms the identity of the target.  They search and soon find Mister 6 by a lamp post.  When Mister E whistles to catch his attention, however, they all notice two security officers turn in their direction as well.

Counter-Intelligence agents?

The two quickly move past the massive billboard of a woman in a bikini, hoping to lose the men before the Enemy realizes they are present.

-------------------------{ 2:13:40 }-----------------------------------------------------------------?

The group close in on the train area, hoping to find their target.  Mister E hesitates, however, sensing something is wrong.  His Marksmanship catches that one of the people in the station is packed, carrying a gun under his clothes.  The man is confronting one of the agents, asking for his papers, so Mister E walks up to him to bump him and try to steal his gun.  But the attempt fails and the man confronts him.  In the ensuring scuffle, the gun gets shot and hits Mister Michaelson in the left arm.

A woman behind the counter calls out in worry.
Her name tag reads:  Claire.

As Mister 6 scans the vicinity for anyone who might be acting too "calm and composed" after the shot rang out, he fails to notice someone closing in.  The assailant throws a punch at his face.  Mister 6 risks a second mem:RE and shifts his configuration to work better in the fight.  He feels his muscles tighten and his body readjust to the new configuration.  The enemy reaches one hand against Mister 6's chest, while the other hand attempts to elbow him.  The hand lands on his chest, but Mister 6 grits his teeth and ignores the pain.  He grabs the arm, turns the guy around, then smashes a chop into the man's nape.    The man drops to the ground, stunned.

Mall guards rush out of the doors towards them.

"The guy just shot that man!  I have to call.."   the woman behind the counter mutters.  Mister E pulls away from near Claire and notices the mall guards rushing closer.  He slides close and uses Ghost to snatch the keys from one of them, as well as a pair of handcuffs.   However, he fails to realize another person staring straight at him.  As he turns to head back to the door, he finds Claire staring straight at his hands... then at him.  She saw him!  While the other people in the ticket booth have not noticed his actions, he is certain she did.  He rushes to the door of the ticket booth, and Claire ducks out of view.

Shoving against the side walls, Mister Michaelson and Mister 6 see the security gathering at the location they just were seconds ago.  No one has been able to give them clear answers.   Mister 6 tries to stop the bleeding with his handkerchief.    Mister Michaleson is still reeling, trying to recover from the shock.  The guards search for the two.  Once they recover, they decide to risk walking past them to head to the teller booth.

One looks straight at Mister 6, but does not recognize him.  He recognizes one of the tellers is missing, and this raises his suspicions.    He thinks it may mean the third agent has found her.   Mister Michaelson is halted by a guard, who asks him if he saw anything.  He claims to have just arrived.  "Be careful sir.  Let us know if you hear about anything strange."

Mister E tries to unlock the door by the teller booth and finds it slamming into him.  As he falls backwards, he sees Claire pushing out.  She breaks into a run.  The people left inside call out to her, "What the hell, Hedd?"  Mister E uses his Charm and suggests to the people in the booth that there might be a "bomb in the station." Mister E can see Claire running for the trains.

"She went down!" Mister E starts signaling to the others.

-------------------------{ 1:53:20 }-----------------------------------------------------?

Attention all.
Train 15320 is now arriving in 2 minutes.

The two break into a run to chase after her.
Mister 6 however worries about the secondary concern and tries to recall the details.  "Can she be hurt if necessary in apprehending her?"    He recalls yes, she can be but only if necessary.

The security guards reach the teller booth and learn about the "bomb threat".  One of the tellers point at Mister E.  The guards chase after them.

*

The stairs split to two paths.  The North and South bound trains.  Mister 6 opts to head for the North Bound path.  He tells Mister Michaelson to head for the Southbound path instead.    Both can feel the wind rising as a train closes in.  Security yells at Mister E to stop as he runs down the stairs!  Mister E ducks down the South bound route as well.

Down below, Michaleson is ahead, darting behind the machines, and looking at the bathroom doors.
The lights can be seen as the train approaches the station.

Claire is standing, waiting for the train, and she seems to have spotted Mister E at the opposite side of the track.

"Are we allowed to harm civilians," Mister 6 tries to recall in terms of the secondary concerns and his memory locks into place.  "Do not be concerned about collateral damage.  They are not real people."  He looks for something he can push onto the platform like bags or boxes to force the train to delay.

He sees a couple with a baby carriage, waiting for the train.

Mister 6 hesitates.

*

At the other side, the two other agents notice Claire at the opposite track.  Agent Michaelson sees the nearby bathroom door open and a woman steps out dressed exactly like the man upstairs whom he flinched a gun from.

"Agent," she tells him coldly, and raises her left hand and pressing her left wrist.  "We have Agents."

Michaelson grabs her wrists and separates her hands.  Mister E looks back and sees the train arrive, now blocking any view of Claire.  Mister E runs back to the staircase to quickly go to the other side.  

*

Mister 6 hears the train stopping, and realizes his hesitation cost him the chance to stop it.  Wanting to delay it, Mister 6 fires shots into the sky and shatters glass.  People scream.  Claire drops to the ground in panic.  The couple pull the carrier close in fear.  But some people merely turn to face them, unfazed.  Mister 6 fires at them, realizing they're probably the enemy.

One drops.
The second has a pistol and fires back.  The bullet whizzes past Mister 6's face, and causes the nearby window to shatter.

At the staircase, another man emerges, with his hand cupped over his left wrist.  Mister 6 fires another shot and the woman is thrown backwards.  But an explosion rocks the place and the pressure slams into them from one side!    Mister 6 crashes against a pillar and feels the pain surge around him.  He activates mem:RE a third time, and reallocates Physique to handle the pain.  

*

Michaelson and E hear the gun shots being fired in the other side.  Michaelson holds her wrist, and keeps the woman from using her mem:RE system.  She smashes her knee against his chin, and he stumbles backwards.  E tries to move between them and tries to convince them to stop fighting as he reminds them they're both agents.

The woman looks at him, eyes narrow, then she mutters, "Fuck, Company agents. I should have known. This is beyond your jurisdiction.  Leave now and I won't report to the Company that this is what happened."

"Mister E!  Michaelson!  Have you seen the target?" Mister 6 calls out from across the tracks.   A bullet flies.  Mister 6 screams as his thigh explodes open.  The enemy have opened fire upon them again.   Mister 6 sees Claire down on the ground and he darts to the rear of the train.

"Oh my god, this is your first time isn't it?" the woman asks the two.

"I don't recall who you are," Mister Michaelson admits, and the woman looks confused.  "You don't remember?  Are you serious?  We were just all in the debriefing."  Mister E and Mister Michaelson admit they only recall each other.  She insists that Mister E was supposed to still be on probation.  Gun shots ring out in the distance.

"Let's keep this simple.  You are both not supposed to be here.  I only have barely an hour left to finish the mission.  Go home."  She tries to move past the two, but Michaelson continues to hold her.  She struggles and asks why they are hindering her.  "I'm here to meet with Hedd. What's a matter with you all.  Why don't you recall this? Oh the problems of newbies... so focused on their stats, they forget to give importance of memories."

Mister Michaleson tries to explain that they're were trying to confirm if the target is of the enemy.  She asks if they've run the three tests.  Have they checked with the witness?  Do they have the pass-key?

"Oh my god," Michaelson realizes they have not done any of that.

Glass shatters as the enemy continue to shoot at them.  Mister 6 reaches Claire, and the two are both on the ground of the train.     Mister 6 closes in to incapacitate her.

Michaelson uses mem:RE to shift his stats around to try and help out.  But his mem:RE attempt flounders and he loses some memories in the process.   He insists the woman explain to him the witness and the pass-key, but she insists that she isn't even certain if they are still the agents.  "For all I know, you are doppelgangers. Now let me go and let me finish my mission."

"How can a doppelgangers have mem:RE?"

"Because doppelgangers can take over us when they find the chance to do so."

*

Claire struggles against Mister 6, and a hand reaches up to rake across his face.  He feels his memories glitch for a brief moment.    Slamming her to the ground, Mister 6 realizes he barely has a good grip on her.    There's just too much pain to focus.

*

"Let's face it, you aren't even certain who you are, who you are working for.  You tried to do everything individually.  Rather than focus on your allocations as a team?"

"Let us help you then," Michaelson offers, "To finish the mission."

"Damn it," she mutters, "Exit clause.  Hope to see you guys in the other side!"  She pulls back into the bathroom.  The two opt to head for Mister 6.   They see the men and women in business suits gathering and firing at the train.  Not certain where Mister 6 is, they consider their options.    Michaelson rushes up the stairs, with the plan to peek as if he were some bystander.  E on the other hand clambers up the train, to search for 6 from the ceiling of the train.

*

6 realizes they are surrounded and upon seeing there are more than ten people, he tries to move but the bullets pin them in place.  He tries to consider a different tactic.

*

A moment of uneasy silence.
The people in suits are waiting.  Searching for signs of movement.  Michaelson reallocates to Navigation via mem:RE.  While E uses Ghost to close the gap and find 6.  He stealthily makes his way unnoticed.

*

"The kill switch," 6 recalls during briefing that, "When enemies reach numbers of ten, or when the target utters pass-key.  The passkey is Sea."

Claire recognizes 6, asking if he works for the company.  He asks her for the pass-key and she replies, "Its sea.  S-E-A."  Getting the confirmation he needed, 6 decides it is time to get out of the location.  *

E slides into the train and soon, she sees the two huddled close.   6 shoots the glass on the train facing the opposite direction and tells Claire to "Go!"  As the enemies shoot at the train, the two start making to escape the opposite way.  "Let's get out of here, I've confirmed it.  Let's go!"  Claire insists.  "What station?"  With the two arguing, E joins the two  at the gravel side.

Michaelson sees a glimpse of the agents and realizing they are about to escape, he rushes back up the stairs and tries to run back to the other side.

"Lead the way," 6 tells Claire.  She nods.  "But I need to know where we are going."  6 clicks his mem:RE to try to recall the goal.    Neither of them can seem to tap into mem:RE.    But thankfully, Michaelson recalls the extraction point is Juno station.   The enemies stop firing.  They now start walking towards the train, ready to board it.

"They're coming now!  Get out of there!" Michaelson screams towards the train.  As he ducks inside, he grabs hold of 6 and Claire but both seem panicked as he shakes them awake.    The enemy comes in and one trains a weapon at Michaelson.  "Where are your papers?"

He stares in shock as neither 6 nor Claire seem to remember him.  He looks at E and the man does not recognize him either.  His eyes note a billboard nearby.  A woman blowing a kiss goodbye.  His companions don't seem to recognize him at all.

*

Elsewhere, E, 6 and Claire open their eyes.
"Hey focus," Claire asks, "Do you remember who I am?"

The two take a moment to lock their thoughts in place.  "Juno Station..."  Claire admits that they can only jump so far as there is only a waiting host.  She does not think their other friend was able to make it.  "If we're lucky, we will find him.  These bodies will only last until we reformat them again."

The old train emerges.  Metal creaking.  Slow lumbering train arrives.
Claire taps on them both to follow her.  They procure new clothes and change.  Both stare at Claire, somehow "remembering" she always had black hair. That she always was Latina.

"We will have to keep moving.  The last thing we need is for them to exterminate us."

The two nod.

"It is hard when you're nothing but memories.
And you only live for three hours."


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