Episode 22: Out of Oz / Session (Three episodes remain)

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Slipstream
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Episode 22: Out of Oz / Session (Three episodes remain)

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EPISODE 22

Inside of BAAL, there is an encryption command key. No idea whose. But tracking shows it from a Corporation…Hanimed. Shoun is the mole. It also shows the command override was requested from the Sasabi base. Shoun probably doesn’t even know it. Pushing into Shouns Cyberbrain is risky but Greg pulls it off. Inside, he finds the implanted virus and command key. But the group has their evidence.
Section 10 contacts Admiral Campbell from the Aircraft Carrier. He is allowed to bring his men onto Japan and Section 10 meets him outside the Sasabi base.

OUT OF OZ / SESSION

Campbell approaches the entrance. American soldiers are there, armed, blocking the way. Kobotai looks at Campbell.
“You serious believe he ordered his men to fire on anyone?” Kobotai asks.
“I don’t know…”
“And we are about to put our men into a situation to test that?”
Campbell stands a bit taller. Determined. Decided.
“No…we’re not.”
Campbell steps off the Hummer. Campbell starts walking down the street.
At Holden’s end, one of the Hummers becomes the center of attention. The driver, sitting on the back of the seat looks down to the General. The gunner follows. The nametag of the Gunner reads WEST. The Driver reads WASHINGTON.
“What the hell is this?” Asks Washington. WEST crouches behind the M-60. He brings the gun about.
“What are you doing?” Asks Washington.
“Orders!” Washington is not as far right as West appears.
“No…he didn’t mean—“
“Orders are orders.”
Campbell approaches. He raises his arms out to the side.
“That’s the fucking Admiral!” West commits himself to a single purpose. He aims, not even batting an eye from the reticle.
“He’s nothing.”
WASHINGTON unclips his pistol. He doesn’t pull it. Campbell passes the halfway point, closing in.
“Hold it man.” Washington says.
“Back off…”
West clicks off the safety. His finger passes in front of the trigger. BANG. A shot echoes. CAMPBELL, frozen, head pointing down. He looks up. Eyes closed. They open. He’s okay.

He walks, quicker now, to the other side. WASHINGTON keeps his gun still. Aimed at the dead WEST. WEST falls off the gun to the ground. The other Gunners look back at Washington. They remain still.

CAMPBELL reaches the Hummer. WASHINGTON steps off the vehicle. He tosses the gun to the ground. He salutes.
“Sir! Sorry for the lack of communication.”
“Thank you…Corporal?”
“Washington, sir.”
“Corporal Washington. “Do you believe anybody else in your unit will object?” Both of them look back to the other two Hummers.
“Not anymore sir…”
“Good…then step aside please corporal. I’m going in.”

Holden removes his pistol. He cocks the hammer. There is a bang on the door. Holden points pistol to his temple. The door unlocks. It swings open. Holden pulls back the trigger slowly--
--swoosh. A garrote whips around his arm and pulls it up. Another whips around his through and goes tight. Not enough to kill, just to annoy and incapacitate.
Campbell enters.
“I thought you would be coward. Colonel Holden you are under arrest for high treason and for conspiracy. You can let him down Mr. Sharron.”
The thermoptic drops and Sharron is supporting Holden from his perch on the ceiling.

The group return. The American Sasabi base has been put under occupation of the JGSDF until its fate can be decided. Admiral Campbell has moved the naval fleet from between Japan and China to the North China Sea under request of the Prime Minister. Def Con has moved up back to three from two. However, everything is not perfect. Legion still is in possession of at least one nuclear weapon. They must be located and removed. Shoun has been removed and taken to Section 9 to verify her clean status. She will probably be moved to another location afterward. Kobotai must leave for a day to answer to budget overruns within Public Security. Section 10’s existence will be denied but this will only hold them off for a time. Inspectors will surely check the facility. Most of the lower areas are already being cleaned out. Section 10’s existence was only meant to increase funding for Section 9. Section 10 can never be proven publicly or they this will all be for nothing. When that occurs, everyone will have to disappear. Sharron, Greg, and Ben understand and agree. Sharron knows this all to well.

The only lead the group has is the Manji angle from Dr Rav. Rav has been moved to Spring 8 where he will be debriefed and Elina will most likely be confiscated. She could face dismantling. She remains at Section 10 until this happens. The group understands the only route is investigating the Chieokure Facility and sees for leads about this Doctor Corina Zheng Ti. Sharron checks all of Zheng Ti’s coworkers while Ben checks out the possible cyber doctors capable of high end Class bodywork. Bens lead ends with little information but Sharron discovers that the Doctor was popular with almost everyone. Talking to a Nurse, Jaime Huang, Sharron discovers that the Doctor was extremely depressed after the war and it took its toll. She had may patients, one especially was loyal. The Doctor did have an estate and one of her patients was mentioned in the will. Meenwhile, Greg checks out the Psychiatric building.

This facility is quite old. It is shaped like a bat, with two wings moving out of a central facility, one for females, one for males. It’s an old facility, closed down fifteen years ago because of poor workmanship. Apparently, it had a problem with asbestos.

They find a graveyard in the back. No names are listed. Just numbers. A registry shows Wards A through F on the male side, G through M on the other side. A has been nicknamed, “the Snake Pit”. It is assumed because it held the most extreme patients. Each of those rooms are calls Seclusions.

The group investigates the facility. Greg checks through the paper records. He finds Zheng Ti’s patient records. There are many over many years. Zheng Ti specialized in cases relating to cybernetics and their effects. She was one of the first Doctors diagnose Closed Shell Cyberbrain Syndrome. They find the first diagnosed patients in her records. Zheng Ti was ahead of her time. Her tests (all safe and humane) are partly responsible for the lack of any modern cases of Cyber-Psychosis.

Greg scans through files and finds no titles with the words Manji. He finds a picture of Zheng Ti with the necklace of the symbol. It was confirmed. She is dead. Greg stumbles across something when he pushes down some boxes. Paintings. One is full of Manji drawings. There is no reference and it came out of a bunch of files. The only option is to read them all…

Greg checks a file. The large file is full of just session transcripts.
The first dated session is 2009, in the dense time during World War III:

“Takumi, how are you today?”
“I am okay. Have you been watching TV doc?”
“Yes, I have. Bad news. You really shouldn’t be watching.”
“You try to limit my exposure.”
“Yes and still you work around the firewalls. You are clever, Mr Taigo.”
“I can’t talk anymore…I’m too tired.”
“Busy night?”
“I was talking with Leonard all last night. You know…he’s a good hacker.”
“Yes, Leonard is a good hacker. In fact, he’s a little too good. Now, don’t pick up those bad habits.”
“Then you should remove him.”
“I wish we could, Mr Taigo.”
“Leonard was keeping me up all night. You know he never shuts up.”
“You could ask him to be quiet.”
“I do…and he does…”
<A pause>
“You seem to be doing better. Jamie was commenting you were well behaved. No more outbursts. I know Katana was getting you angry”
“She’s just a show off. Glad I don’t hang with her that much.”
“I thought she was your friend.”
“Yeah…well…yeah…”
“So you don’t talk. Has she tried?”
“I am sure she will…She sneaks over to talk to me. I think she has a crush on me. I don’t blame her…but it’s a little creepy. She needs help.”
“We’re not here for her…I am talking about you. Now lets discuss the accident. The surgery.”
“When I got the plugs.”
“Yes…Lets talk about—“
“Something bad has happened.”
“What is—you got through your firewalls again. You couldn’t have.”
“Check the news, Doctor…”
END SESSION…

“Doctor…?”
“I should turn this off.”
“You are bothered.”
“I know you can’t past my blocker.”
“I don’t need to hack you to know you are upset.”
“Well, you are right.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t worry.”
“I worry about you, Corina…come on…I’m not like the other patients. You’re my friend…”
“Yes but I am also your Doctor and—“
“You’ve been so good to me…to all of us Doctor. Let me listen for once.”
“I take certain issues personally.”
“You like nature…someone do something bad to nature, Doc?”
“How are the headaches?”
“You’re avoiding the topic, Doctor. But they are ok. The infection around the plugs flared up. I find talking with the other clears my mind. So many people like to talk to me Doctor…why should you be different?”
“Takumi…its very nice of you…What you need to do is focus energy inward…deal with yourself. Your many friends will still be there when you feel better.”
“I just find it hard to concentrate on myself…that’s all.
“Let me give you something…something to focus on.”
“Wow…um…thanks…I guess.”
“You know what it is…”
“It’s a Nazi symbol.”
“No...It predates that insanity by a thousand years. It means peace…inner peace and tranquility. It also means balance.”
“What’s it called”
“Its called the Manji”
“Thank you…no you want to tell me. I can’t hack out of here anymore.”
“Its bad, Takumi. It’s real bad. Someone did something really bad.”
“What happened…who are they? I’ll find out from Katana eventually…she finds out everything.”
“Ok…but I’m going to turn this off…”
END SESSION…
<The date matches the nuclear exchange>

“Doctor Tseng….<singing> Doctor Tseng…?”
“I have to cancel today Robert, go back to your Karate.”
“Hey, I like it here. It’s a nice break. Hey did you hear the one about the Marathon Runner and the chicken?”
“I do not have a clear mind, Robert, I am sorry--”
“--It’s a better joke than the cybernetic penis joke I told you last week.”
“Robert, please.”
“You’re really angry…I have never seen you so angry.”
“Which is why I cannot talk to you today. Usually I put place a nice façade…but…not today. Not over this. Its…too…unforgivable...I’m can’t talk about it.”
“But..Doc..”
“I’m turning this off.”
END SESSION…

“It seems Katana is entering a disassociative state…rubbing her eyes and…”
“Hello, sir…”
“Well Hello Katana…How have you been?
“Never better sir.”
“You are feeling better? I heard you and Takumi have been getting along.”
“Yeah. He can be kind…and mean.”
“Why do you talk to him.”
“He’s my friend.”
“He apparently has many friends. Do you think you need him.”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Its not love Doc…that’s kinda gross. Besides…I think he’s a little…<whisper> deranged.”
“Okay..”
“Why is he here…he doesn’t seem sick all the time. Was he traumatized?”
“That’s not something we should be talking about…I am here to talk about you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah…you. Now I heard you managed to get cigarettes in here.”
“Oh…you heard.”
“They caught you smoking…of course I heard.”
“I don’t smoke.”
“Then why would you do it for any other reason to see if you could?”
“Want to know how I got them?”
“Actually…I honestly would.” <They both laugh. The female voice turns to crying>
<Sniff>
“Why are you crying, Katana?”
“I miss my family…why don’t they visit?”
“Visit… Do you remember what happened?”
“I mean…did I do something wrong?”
“Katana…could you tell me again…how you got those scars on your chest?”
“How many times do I have to tell you…I fell of my bike when I was young…”
“Is that what you remember, Katana?”
“Yes…”
“Are you sure…Why won’t tell me what happed? I know you know what happened.”
“I know perfectly well what happened…”
“I am not sure you do--”
“--They cut me…I saw it…”
“It was wrong what they did to you, Katana. Now…hold this thought. Forget everything else. Hold this thought…Katana?”
“I’m tired Doctor.”
“I would like to talk some more? Can you go back to when you saw the knife. Your Dad…the surgeon.”
“No…NO!”
“ … Katana? … Katana?”
“Kat’s asleep…she’s asleep…”
“Hello Leonard…”
END SESSION…

“Whom am I speaking with?”
“I lost my necklace, Doctor. Have you seen it?”
“No…Katana, I haven’t seen…maybe Robert has seen it.”
“No…Bobby is silly…but he is not a thief.”
“Katana, why are you here now.”
“I really like the place doc. Tax has spoken highly of you. Everyone trusts and respects you…but I fear the others have gotten a little…huh…fanatical. We finally all agree on something.”
“What is that Katana?”
“Well…I think maybe they can take it a little far.”
“What do you all agree on Katana.”
“But…something…is wrong. I think Tax has gotten them all convinced on something….bad…”
“Katana…what are you talking about?”
“Why do you keep calling my Katana?”
<Long pause>
“Because I just was.”
“I never said I was Katana.”
“Who am I speaking with, then…Takumi.”
“I think Takumi is getting angry. He agrees. People should speak up for those who cannot defend themelves…but--”
“Who am I speaking with?”
“I suggest greenpeace but Takumi got angry. He gets angry a lot.”
“Leonard?”
“Leon’s a boy…do I sound like a boy?”
“Who is this?”
“I am…new.”
“When did you wake up?”
“Last night…I already found my way around your firewalls again. Leonard showed me how. I catch on fast.”
“I notice a different accent.”
“I’m Chinese.”
“Oh, you are…and do you have a name?”
“You can call me Manji, Doc…”
END SESSION…
Creator, Ghost in the Shell D20 RPG
www.serenadawn.com
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Slipstream
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Post by Slipstream »

So to the 18 or so of you actually reading these episodes, this is the big reveal. I had been planning on this one since episode one. It really hit the group hard. Tthey really enjoyd the twist as it made sense and they never saw it coming. Including this episode, there are three left to the conclusion...
Creator, Ghost in the Shell D20 RPG
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Gillsing
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Post by Gillsing »

Yeah, that was a nice twist. I didn't see it coming either, at least not before the painting coupled with the fact that the doctor had patients with psychological/psychiatrical problems. But even then I could of course not guess that Manji would be one of more personalities, though I may have forgotten clues about that in earlier episodes.
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Slipstream
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Post by Slipstream »

Yeah, my players were impressed. I had a friend with a PHD in Pyschology who wrote a paper on how those with multiple personalities could be more productive to society than those without the condition. He actually didn't give me an idea, he just added credibility to it.
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