Cellar Door Ghost

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Encounter Conditions

• After asking the Bar drone about hackers, or asking about the SD6 Patch in Arachnid Alcohol and having the Ghosts mentioned
• Haven't tried to chat with her today

Initial Text

In the back, away from the majority of the crowd, you find a woman that would seem heavily modified anywhere else. In place of hair, she has a mane of wires complete with various electronic connectors and her body seems… strangely translucent, shimmering slightly as she shifts nervously from one foot to another.

She doesn't look directly at you, but definitely seems to be unsettled by your presence.

Summary of Choices

1. Try to chat - Gain 4 XP Will; removes this encounter
2. Talk computers - Gain 2 XP Perception and sometimes Will and Ghost Code recipe
3. Talk cybernetics - Information
4. Help in Midgard Tower (Before completing quest) - Gain Maria contact if you have completed Ghostly Aid quest; otherwise:
   1. Pay the 2500 (Before doing a favor) - Lose 2500 credits; gain Maria contact
   2. Any way I can help? (Before doing a favor) - Starts Ghostly Aid quest
   3. Pay the 1000 (After doing a favor) - Lose 1000 credits; gain Maria contact
   4. Any more ways to help? (After doing a favor) - Gain Ghost recorder
   5. Nevermind - Walk Away
5. Nevermind -Walk Away

Choice Text and Results

Try to chat

You rapidly find that she is terrible at small talk and disappears into the crowd at the first opportunity. Well… you feel a little better about your own social skills.

You've earned 4 XP in Will

(Removes this encounter for the day)

Talk computers

You talk to her a bit about computers, mostly coding. A fair amount of it is over your head, but you get the feeling that she's intentionally holding some stuff back.

You've earned 2 XP in Perception

Or, after completing the Ghostly Aid quest, and with the Handscripting skill?:

You talk to her a bit about computers, mostly coding. A fair amount of it is over your head, but you manage to pick out some of the techniques the Ghosts use to build their tools.

You've learned a new quest recipe: Ghost Code - Create Ghost Code from six Snippets of Code

You've earned 2 XP in Perception

You've earned 2 XP in Will

Talk cybernetics

She smiles faintly. "The merger between machine and humanity? It's a thing of pure beauty, like art you can live."

"I like the wire leads for plugging into whatever the hell I want, but the ghost skin is pretty much mandatory. It's sort of our trademark at this point and is damn handy for sneaking into secure facilities."

"Ten out of ten, would be flayed alive and get a new set of skin again." Her smile widens as though she's kidding about something, but you're not quite sure which part that is.

Help in Midgard Tower

"That place is locked up tight, cameras and drones and meat security. And the systems behind it all are only accessible from onsite. It's a tough hack."

"Sounds like fun." She flashes a bit of a smile. "It won't be free, though. Hell of a risk."

"Let's say 2,500 credits or a couple favors, either up front."

Or, after beating the 3 Drunken Tiger encounter in the Cellar Door:

"Well, those thugs should have learned a bit of a lesson… at least enough to stop hassling us every damn time."

"I think I said I'd knock it down to 1,000 credits. But if you're interested in some more work, I'd take that rather than the cred."

Or, after collecting sufficient data with the Ghost recorder:

"Well, shit. That takes care of everything. Just give me a call when you're ready to head into the tower."

You've gained a new contact: Maria

Pay the 2500

She looks a little surprised. "Well, that's easy enough then. Just give me a call when you're ready for things to start breaking."

You've gained a new contact: Maria

Any way I can help?

"Well…" she looks thoughtful for a moment, "there are a bunch of thugs that keep giving the staff here problems. The Ghosts… we're not exactly known for our chops in a meat fight."

"Anyway, if you could push back on them a bit, just as a show of good faith, I could shave fifteen hundred off the fee."

(Start Ghostly Aid quest)

Pay the 1000

The transaction completes with a pleasant chime. "Well, that takes care of that. Just give me a call when you're ready to crack in to the place."

You've gained a new contact: Maria

Any more ways to help?

"Well, you can definitely handle yourself in a fight. Maybe…" She pulls out a PDA.

"We're gathering data on Midgard's drone communications. The signals don't make any sense, which we thought was encryption at first."

"But it turns out Midgard doesn't know what's going on either. So we were hoping someone could go out into the field and record them."

"Just carry this around and make them cry for mama. Not that drones have mothers or anything. You know what I mean."

You found: Ghost recorder

Or, subsequent times:

"Sounds good. Just drop back by when you've got the data together."

Nevermind

She nods gratefully and returns to her drink.

(Walk Away)