[#27] Who You Gonna Call? Strike Busters!
Who would have thought unfair working conditions still exist under late stage capitalism?
Workers lay down their tools as they campaign for improved factory conditions! As good as this may be for them, it has also had the unfortunate side effect of impacting factory productivity. Get in there and sort this out, won’t you?
In this session the cybermercs (the players) have been hired as a third party to enter the factory, retrieve valuable company information, and bargain with the strike leaders. However partway through negotiations a shot is fired and everything breaks down into pandemonium.
Setting:
This narrative takes place in Night City, a neon metropolis of towering skyscrapers, high-tech advancements, and urban decay. The city breathes with glitzy life 24/7, and there's nothing you can't find here for the right price provided you also know the right guy. Even if you don’t, this city’s a melting pot of neocorporations, street gangs, and the increasingly rare ordinary person; use your wits and I’m sure you’ll do just fine.
Specifically it takes place in and around a Kingston food processing plant, responsible for the production and packaging of a popular brand of synth-sushi.
Entering the factory:
The Kingston processing plant sits in the heart of a busy industrial district. The strike started this morning as workers turned up to another day in hazardous conditions and has now garnered quite a bit of media attention as crowds swarm to the scene. A lawman perimeter has been established around the area, and is currently slowing down traffic on a busy thoroughfare, which only really serves to irritate truck drivers trying to keep to strict schedules. The plant itself has clearly seen better days, with a recent fresh coat of paint not doing much to disguise the damage done by constant chemical fumes.
The cybermercs have ostentatiously been hired by the factory manager, Renee Maikawa, as “impartial” negotiation consultants specialising in resolving industrial disputes1. She has also been tasks the cybermercs with locating and securing the factory’s sensitive information storage server, which the strikers are currently holding hostage to guarantee their safety. The securing of which will safely allow the storming of the factory and putting down the workers.
For characters who don’t already know each other prior to this session, a potential hook is everyone knowing the same local job co-ord2, who’s talked them up to the level of professional consultants (irrespective of if they’ve actually done this type of work before)
Moving through the lawman barricades the cybermercs pass by a sergeant attempting to communicate with the strikers using a loudspeaker, with the strikers yelling their demands back through broken windows. From this distance though, it’s hard to see or hear them.
As the cybermercs wait they can see a security camera mounted above the plant’s loading dock door swivel to focus on them. The door raises up just enough to let an automated cargo dolly, large enough for a full shipping container, to roll out toward the crowd. As it draws in close, a young voice broadcasting through a tiny speaker on board requests that the negotiators step onboard so they can be brought into the plant. If no one boards, the striker on the other end becomes agitated and threatens to start killing hostages. Then Renee and the lawmen become concerned at this as hostages haven’t been mentioned up until now3, so they had better comply.
Negotiations:
Stepping onto the cargo dolly it automatically trundles back into the plant, roller doors shutting firmly behind them. It takes a moment for the cybermercs eyes to adjust, as any organic eyes initially sting from the chemicals present in the air. The air stinks with something resembling, but not exactly like fish.
The platform continues to move through the plant without stopping. Initially moving through the loading dock the cybermercs witness various strikers watching from up high, who are holding factory equipment and a few personal sidearms. On ground level, a few loader mechs stand guard ready to throw cargo containers at anyone that disturbs the peace.
Note, if the cybermercs are going to divert off of the automated dolly to retrieve the information server they will need to do so sometime in this section before meeting with Carlos Razon, the strike leader. Unless they come up with a distraction during the meeting itself
Into the factory proper the cybermercs pass by conveyor belts shifting supplies and product between industrial machinery, which leaks caustic gasses into the air. Many of the workers wear poor quality respirators, with anyone not equipped likely struggling to breath if they stand too close to the machines. The dolly pauses for a minute to allow the air to clear after one of the machines exhausts noxious gasses in its path obscuring the view ahead.
Arriving to the middle of the factory floor, cargo containers have been neatly arranged into a functional perimeter. Within sits a small table with documents scattered about, and a slight figure with an older model mechanical arm walking with a hobble who introduces themself as Carlos Razon. They’re fiercely protective of the other workers, and have convinced the others that it’s worth bringing back labour unions to protect the people. They’re willing to negotiate with the cybermercs, but also may attempt to buy them over to let some of the younger strikers leave unharmed as he’s aware that personally he’s not going to make it out of this alive.
If any cybermerc has snuck off in the meantime to locate/retrieve the information server they must sneak through the factory floor to the management offices that overlook the area. In doing so, they’ll need to navigate between the machinery, and past resting strikers who’ve erected small makeshift dwellings for when they’ve been forced to work regular overtime. Within the office itself there are two strikers who’ve been posted that will, when given the signal by Carlos below, connect the server to the Net releasing all confidential information.
Gunboat diplomacy:
A single gunshot cleanly echoes across the factory above the din of the machinery. Carlos instantly draws a pistol on the cybermercs accusing them of being a distraction, and if not already taken care of then a 1 minute countdown starts until the information on the server is released to the wider media.
Swarms of strikers rush to either the loading dock to keep law enforcement out, or to the command post to protect Carlos from the cybermercs. With the situation escalated, the cybermercs now need to defeat Carlos and escape Kingston plant before a careless shot ignites the gasses and sends the entire place up in flames.
Carlos himself isn’t too much of a threat, and the real danger comes from the strikers who’ve been roused and now come at the cybermercs from all angles. If the fight goes on long enough then a loader mech breaks through the cargo containers to get at the cybermercs.
From here, no matter if they’ve chosen to take Carlos alive or dead, the cybermercs must escape before the competing forces of lawmen and strikers blow the plant up. The most direct way is back through the loading dock they entered by, although this will be straight through the majority of the fighting. Alternatively, they may seek an alternative way out through a blocked off entrance/exit, using the explosive nature of the gasses to their advantage.
Emerging back out into the daylight, Renee will either be pleased or angry with the cybermercs, depending on how they handled the situation. If they managed to prevent the information being released onto the Net, then they’re more than happy to pay for the services provided, since preventing things getting out was her main concern (The safety of the workers is secondary to her). If the information was released though, they’ll be furious and refuse to pay a single cent. Although this fury can be placated if the cybermercs brought in Carlos alive to face justice.
In fact, if they’ve brought both Carlos in alive, and the information server was recovered, there may just be a bonus in store for them along with a reputational boost. The cybermercs have at least proven themselves a valuable distraction for when others are getting to work.
What did you think? Any ideas, feedback, want anything expanded on, or do you intend to use this in a session? Let me know!
This session was originally written with Cyberpunk Red in mind, and the original prompt was placing the players in a morally compromised position.
Cowritten/Edited with the assistance of Alsanna.
HowTTaS is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games (Creators of Cyberpunk Red) and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.”
Historical reference point: Pinkerton Detective Agency
A Fixer in Cyberpunk Red terms
This is a bluff from an overenthusiastic striker. There are no hostages, and they just wanted to sound tough like in the movies.