Burn While Reading: A Simple Handshake (Zinc 1.1)

This is the first scene in an experimental text-based actual play series formatted and run specifically for publication on the Gauntlet Blog. We are using The Veil by ​Fraser Simons (@frasersimons), available here. River (@pixelatedcoyote) takes on the role of the MC, while Will P and Yoshi (@yoshicreelman) play as Zinc and Cio, respectively. We have included the text of the moves as they come up and a bit of our out of character banter to lift the veil a bit on our process. We hope you enjoy! And now ...

​ A Simple Handshake (Zinc 1.1)

“Offer with one hand, but arm the other” ~ Grunt, Mass Effect
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It was an older bank. It had security cameras mounted everywhere, as useless as barnacles. Recorded audio and video couldn’t be trusted to oversee the transfer of cash into the bank. You needed something messy to watch, and verify, and put their ass on the line. That meant a human. Tonight, that was Zinc.

The armored car’s guard approached Zinc cautiously. “That’s the last of them. Can you accept the delivery now?” he asked.

The guard hadn’t been nervous when the transfer started, but perhaps responsibility over all that money had been wearing on him. Or maybe it was the rumor that couriers like Zinc carried dangerous AI that could jump through your gear and rewrite your brain.

• Start of session move for Zinc: THY WILL BE DONE: At the beginning of the session give your object +1 hunger, then roll and add your object’s hunger. On a 10+, the MC holds 3. On a 7–9, the MC holds 1. Throughout the session, the MC can spend their hold 1 for 1 to:
  • Name something; your object must have it. When you give in to your object, mark experience and -1 hunger from your object.
    
  • Have it object to a course of action or propose one of its own; Should you obey, mark experience and -1 hunger from your object.
    
• Hunger: `2d6+2`  = (6+6)+2 = 14

Roy “Zinc” Newton scratched at the base of skull absent mindedly. “Is it all there?”, he muttered under his breath. The response in his mind was instant and inaudible. Zinc breathed deep, failing to calm himself. Louder this time, “Gotta say, you are making me a bit nervous.”

• PROBE: When you pay attention, study, or examine someone’s reactions during an interaction in an attempt to learn more about them, roll. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9, hold 1. Spend hold 1 for 1 to ask the following questions. When the interaction ends the hold expires.
  • Are you telling the truth?
    
  • What are you really feeling?
    
  • What do you intend to do?
    
  • What do you wish I’d do?
    
  • How could I get you to_____?
    
• Scared: `2d6+1`  = (4+1)+1 = 6

 

• MC: Zinc may still choose to press the guard for one answer, in character. Or choose to drop it. Regardless, I'm saving one hard move from this.

Zinc rolled his shoulders and gave their surroundings another scan. “Seems safe enough to me, so tell me, what are you really feeling, man?”

“Sorry! You’re the first, uhhh, augmented courier I’ve worked with” said the guard, setting his feet and returning to his full height. “I think I’m just jumping at shadows.” He holds out his comm connector.

Zinc’s AI sends him a canned line about checking the safety of your surroundings since the cert process takes the user’s full attention. It’s the exact same message it’s sent before every direct connection. Yet another piece of background noise in this world. Even the AI seemed bored of the message at this point.

After this, tell me what it’s like to have quiet, the AI commanded.

• MC: I’m spending a hold here. To be clear, it’s asking you to do this after or at the end of the current scene.

“Yeah, yeah, ok,” Zinc responded, pleased at the implied compliment. Through his HUD, Zinc powered up his enhanced audio sensors and switched his vision to scan quickly through the multi-spectrum. The guard would certainly notice Zinc’s ears start spinning and his eyes begin to cycle through various colors, but that would be worth a laugh. He made a bit of a show of it, smiling as he visually scanned the area.

• ANALYZE: When you use what you have at your disposal to assess a place or situation, roll. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask two. When you act on the answers given to you by the MC, take +1 forward.
  • Where’s my best way out/way in/way past?
    
  • How is ____ vulnerable to me?
    
  • Which enemy is the biggest threat?
    
  • What, if anything appears out of place
    
  • What’s my enemy’s true position?
    
  • Is this going to get worse before it gets better?
    
• Powerful: `2d6+2`  = (3+2)+2 = 7

 

• MC: Sorry to interrupt. I'm going to drop my hard move in now. You can bank your two questions as I imagine they'll be relevant shortly.

The guard relaxed his shoulders and began to crack a genuine smile. His lips had just parted in appreciation when he cried out and thrust his chest forward. He landed with a heavy thump and curled into the fetal position when the second burst of the tazer drone forced his back and legs straight again.

We didn't hear that. No hostiles in scanned area the AI accused.

But there had to be SOMEBODY here. Drones like that are operated by remote, or at most have a rudimentary autopilot.

• MC: The guard had some basic ballistic armor on, not that it helped, and was carrying a revolver and a collapsible baton.

“Engage active camo. And scan again!” Zinc ducked down and grabbed the guard’s revolver. The cutter had emphasized the word experimental, so Zinc winced as the camo flipped to active status in his HUD for the very first time.

“Find him!” He roared at the AI as he rolled and sprinted for cover from the drone. “And jam that damn drone!”

• Will: I’d like to use one of my banked questions: What’s my enemy’s true position?

The scan revealed one hostile outside and another in the hallway. Both should have been in plain view, but they must have been using active camo as well. They were using The Veil itself to cover their sound, most likely the sound dampening technology used to keep conversations from the offices from leaking out.

• MC: I’d planned for them to be using active camo. This is awkward…

Zinc’s AI indicated that it had shut down the drone, and that the hostiles were planning something with it. That was fast overridden with the AI grumbling We are likely exposed and indicating the plastic barnacle on the ceiling. Even if they hadn’t seen Zinc drop behind the desk in person, they could well have hacked the cameras and have a pretty good idea where he was before he’d cloaked.

A deep, distorted voice vibrated through the bank office, “Stay down, courier. No funny business, and nobody else has to get hurt.” The hostile drove the threat home by powering up some sort of weapon.

Active camo, compromised security. They might just be fucking with you through The Veil, but that’s a dangerous gamble to make.

• Will: Time for that second question: How is their active camo vulnerable to me? Plus a bit more information gathering …

Zinc set his optical implants to cycle rapidly through the entire multi-spectrum, hoping that their camo would appear briefly in at least a few wavelengths. He risked a quick glance over the desk, trying to locate the one in the hallway. He whispered. “Likely exposed? Figure it out.”

• LIFT THE VEIL: When you try to pierce the constant illusion of The Veil, search for information, or recall something you may already be privy to, roll. On a hit, the MC will tell you something new and interesting about the current situation. On any roll the MC will ask you a question or two; answer them. On a 10+, the MC will give you good detail. On a 7–9, the MC will give you an impression.
  
• Scared (+1 forward): `2d6+1+1`  = (6+3)+1+1 = 11

The processing required to continue cloaking operations and access nearby equipment exceeds the rated limits of this system--PROCEEDING

Distracted as he was, Zinc could barely process the internal audio message.  “What was that about limits?” That was new. “Hold on …”

The different light and radio frequency bands scrolled through Zinc’s vision. Infrared? No. Filtered optical bands? No. Ultraviolet? Weak, but possible. RF bands? The attackers’ comms had small antenna so weren’t emitting that much, but it did indicate they had at least one more member in a vehicle in the parking lot.

The ultraviolet would have to do. It’s not a wavelength that gets much play indoors anymore. Fluorescent lamps were too hot and inefficient in a warming world, but some businesses never made the move. A good Fluorescent lamp, even with all its drawbacks, could last basically forever. And this old bank was loaded with the blue-heavy, flickery dinosaurs.

They have control over the cameras. Your last uncloaked position is compromised the AI informed Zinc.

I have no particular interest in being recompiled tonight, you should surrender. It always used “we” and “us” when it talked about the outside world, or even their cramped, shared internal world. It only ever called itself “I” and Zinc “you” when it made demands.

Before Zinc could disagree, the AI began to justify itself. I--we--haven’t confirmed custody of the money. The person laying on the floor is still the carrier, contractually speaking. Our obligation has not technically begun.

• MC: Demanding is exactly what it’s doing here. I’m spending a hold and dangling an XP. Surrender and get XP. Regardless, your belief “The delivery must always go through, regardless of the cost” is challenged here.
• Will: So I’m about to try to sneak into melee range with the bogey in the hall and attempt to neutralize. I have some questions about my surroundings. As I understand it, Zinc is cowering behind a desk. He can see a vague blob (hallway target) in the UV filter, but (as far as Zinc knows) the blob can’t see him, just has an idea that Zinc went into camo over near the downed guard. How far away is this bogey? What is between us? I’m having trouble placing the second bogey. You wrote “The scan revealed one hostile outside and another in the hallway.” Outside the bank? Outside the room I’m in?
• MC: The one in the hallway has moved into your area. You have a clear path to them. The second one ... Let's say they're in the hallway now. You can see a tiny sliver of their shape. They must be checking back and forth between their bud and the back door.

“I’m sure Elysium Holdings will appreciate that technicality. We do this. Target to disable, not kill.” Switching to UV, Zinc sprinted towards the blur just entering the room. His augmented legs drove him forward at great speed while the AI placed a targeting overlay on the blur. The confidence intervals were low, way too low. He had to get into plasma torch range without being noticed or this was going to get very ugly.

• RISK: When you are aware of and act to avoid imminent danger, say how you do it and roll. On a 10+, you do as you describe and the danger doesn’t come to bear. On a 7-9, in the doing of it there will be a cost, complication, or choice introduced by the MC.
  
• Powerful (+1 forward): `2d6+2+1`  = (2+1)+2+1 = 6

 

• MC: Grins like the Grinch. You reveal your position because the manufacturer skimped on sound isolation.

Zinc’s feet slammed against the floor like cinder blocks, too loud for the camo to compensate for. He saw the individual's form turn to offset his charge. The individual--now helpfully labeled Hostile 1--spun Zinc around and slammed him into the teller’s counter. He could feel the weight of H1 bearing in on him, standing on his foot, pressing the base of his spine into the counter’s edge. He could feel the vertebra in his spine move as if worked by the world’s most sadistic chiropractor.

H1 had grabbed Zinc’s gun hand, he could feel the fingers searching down his arm towards his gun. This must mean his other hand has the gun--if there is a gun.

• MC: You will take 2 Harm, 1 harm after armor. You are pinned against the counter with your back bending into a C shape. It is excruciatingly painful.

Initiating cortex backup…

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