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📘 Scene 4: Presence is Known
Chaos Factor: 4
Setting: We hid out at Salvage Yard: Scrapjaw’s Roost after selling Astra Veyl’s skiff for salvage. We acquired enough funds to procure us a flight to the Brioni System in our aims to get to Ten’s contact on Zephrax-9. We are heading down to find public transport.
We changed out our clothing to adjust our appearance somewhat.
Rolled a d10 to test the scene and got an 8: Expected Scene.
Ride the bus into Obsidian Reach.
QUESTION: Has Astra Veyl gotten access to our faces via security cameras?
- Likelihood: Somewhat Likely
- Rolled: 28 ⇒ Yes
Decided to perform an extended skill task to sneak through the city.
Tasks:
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Go to the star port
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Get tickets
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Get to rocket terminal
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Get on the rocket
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Ten Jay made the first stealth check (Challenging [13]) and rolled an 11, failing. Looking for the nature of our failure: (14) Block, (78) Project.
We go to get off the bus, but someone stands in our way and doesn’t let us off.
QUESTION: Is it just 1 person? (81)
- Likelihood: Very Likely
- No, it’s 2 people
The Setup
Ten Jay and Torrell are riding in a rickety grav-bus on the outskirts of Kragos-7’s capital. The vehicle rattles through the neon-lit industrial quarter on its way into the city’s core. The other passengers are a mix of miners, factory workers, and a few merchants clutching crates of goods.
As the bus hums over a suspension bridge, two passengers suddenly fix their gaze on you.
Who They Are
- Person 1: Dren Laska – A wiry human in a tattered longcoat. He’s got the look of someone who spends too much time in back alleys. He used to work at the shipyard where you scrapped the ship and he recognizes your faces from the security feeds.
- Person 2: Irix Veen – A young woman with biotech augments around her eyes, clearly a data-rat. She recognizes your wanted profiles from the planetary newsfeed and is already tapping into her wrist-console, deciding whether to make some credits by alerting someone.
How They React
At first, it’s just subtle:
- Dren leans back in his seat, trying to avoid eye contact, but you catch him staring.
- Irix gives a little smirk as she pulls up her holo-screen, clearly comparing your faces to a bounty listing.
Within a minute, you know they know. The bus is still 15 minutes from the starport district.
Ten walks over and addresses them for staring.
You (Ten Jay/Torrell): [walking over, voice low but firm]
“You’ve been staring since we boarded. You got a problem, or are you just rude?”
Dren Laska (the wiry man): [snorts, leans forward]
“Yeah, I’ve got a problem. Two greasy thieves stinking up the transport like they own the place. You think nobody recognizes your ugly faces?”
Irix Veen (the augmented woman): [doesn’t look up from her console, smirking]
“Fragging amateurs. Strut in here like you’re ghosts, when your mugs are plastered all over the feeds. You should’ve stayed in the gutter you crawled out of.”
Dren: [spits on the floor near your boots]
“You’re not half as clever as you think. Maybe I oughta call in the marshals right now, collect the bounty, and buy myself a decent ride home.”
At this point, the grav-bus goes quiet—other passengers pretending not to hear but definitely listening. The driver’s humming up front, oblivious. You’re standing in the narrow aisle, with the two troublemakers blocking one side.
This is the perfect fork: you could try intimidation, persuasion, bribery, violence, or even turning the rest of the bus in your favor (“these two are liars, ignore them”).
Intimidation Roll: DC 10 (Routine)
Ten rolled an 11.
Scene:
The grav-bus rocks slightly as it glides through the industrial district. The air is thick with recycled oxygen and the faint tang of ozone. Passengers keep their eyes down, pretending to not listen—but they’re very much listening.
You (Torrell): [leans in close to Dren, voice a low growl]
“Careful how you spit when you’re talking about us. Last guy who ran his mouth that way doesn’t talk anymore.”
You (Ten Jay): [steps closer to Irix, looming, eyes hard]
“And you—close that console before I close it for you. Permanently.”
NPCs’ Reaction:
- Dren tries to puff himself up, but his bravado cracks. He swallows, fists clenching, then loosens them as he realizes he’s cornered.
“…Fine. No bounty’s worth getting my jaw broken.”
He leans back in his seat, glaring, but the fight’s gone out of him. - Irix hesitates, finger hovering over her wrist-console, but when Ten Jay’s shadow falls over her, she quickly flicks it off. Her smirk is gone now, replaced with a tight grimace.
“Alright, alright. Don’t get all dramatic. I was just checking the feed. No call went out.”
Tone of the Bus:
The rest of the passengers suddenly find their shoes very interesting. A miner coughs. Nobody’s going to stand up for Dren or Irix. The driver doesn’t even glance back.
Aftermath:
- Dren sits in silence, seething but cowed, staring out the window.
- Irix mutters under her breath, something about “psychos,” but doesn’t dare open her console again.
- You’ve bought yourselves time: no alert has gone out yet. But you know these two won’t forget this encounter, and if they get another chance to sell you out later… they might.