Part 1

• At the top of the Arcology is a botanical garden. From a cramped and dimly lit tunnel chase, the kids are suddenly thrust into a sunny dome with a waterfall, trees, a climbable rock wall (with a safety cushion beneath, of course), playground equipment to duck behind, swings to entangle pursuers with, and ethical challenges for gun happy EcoRaiders.
• The air circulation tunnels branch off of twenty central circulation pipes. At the bottom of each pipe is what the Arcorunners have colorful, ly termed "death fans." A strong jump might take you across the center pipe, especially if you're light enough or have a parachute or something... or you might slowly, oh so slowly, fall to a red mist demise...
• Of course, the URBAN LEGEND is that the masked, deformed, hideously dangerous Phantom of the Arco lurks somewhere in the bowels of the structure - but that's just a story for kids, right?

Mad Max Turf

There are few places that the cops won't go, but there are any number they'd prefer not to. Haring off to one of these demilitarized zones probably won't help the kids much - but the people there are much likelier to kill and cat representatives of the ISA than in any other neighborhood. A little spice can be added with any of the following:

A pack of feral dogs. If they see meat on the hoof go by, they'll try for an easy kill. Watch out; these puppies have got enough germs and virii in their bloodstream to create their own ward, and the last guy they ate had been loaded up on heavy, .duty antibiotics. That. means that the virii that survived the antibiotics could be eaten by later virii, which would then gain their immunities. (Yes, this really happens; ask your doctor about it the next time she wants to put you on a course of tetracycline for a minor illness.)

A pack of feral Megas. If they spot fleeing kids, they'll set, up an ambush. However, once CorpSec shows up they'll attack them, obeying your basic MegaViolent code of "follow the path of most resistance."

An illicit drug factory. This isn't just a little pharmofac spitting out ten doses of Blue Lace a day; this is a major production site. It's well guarded by goons who shoot to kill; this is good, in that they can easily scare off a CorpSec kidnap squad; however, CorpSec will be back, and the pushers know it. They'll be very, very angry at the little punks who led them there - unless said punks can somehow prevent the CorpSec squad from revealing the factory (calling all Wizards ... ). The chase can then reverse, with the pushers chasing the cops. Such a reversal might earn the kids a nod from the pushers; however, friends like these may be worse than enemies...

A Clarker temple. Like the drug factory, this group will be more than willing to tangle with CorpSec, and won't want them to leave the war zone alive. New CyberEvolved wil be welcomed. Eagerly welcomed. S eagerly welcomed that the Clarker won't want to let them go. There at some CyberEvolved kids already liv ing at the temple, some of whon would love to escape: other are jeal ous of their "godly" status and wi attempt to eliminate all rivals.

A group of nomads has snuck in looking for a buried treasure: specifi cally, a hidden cache of heavy explo sives. They were buried by some cor porate greedhead for a rainy day, an the Nomads have gotten his mal The last thing they want to see is firefight in their dig. (Hey kids! Can you spell "BOOM"? I knew you could!)

Bloodhead. Around the war zone, there are rumors about a totally borged out, cyberpsycho solo called "Bloodhead" who roams the area, robbing and killing and generally getting his ya-yas out, If the chase crosses his path, the kids and the CorpSec squad together might have a chance against this uber-creep...

Mall, Sweet Mall

This last, sweetest haven for children in 2027 may pull them with an instinctive attraction. It will certainly provide them with crowds to hide in (depending on time of day, natch) and the public nature of the area will prevent CorpSec from getting fed up and using lethal force. Other tricks and treats include:

Racing BoardPunks on a cut decide to flaunt their suicidal tendencies by detouring through the mall. The last thing they're expecting is cops or a rival chase scene.

An immense display for the hot new band, du-jour, "Skin Integrity." The display includes three story high inflatable statues of the band members, a veritable maze of merchandise, and music pumping out loud enough to deafen a thundercloud. While near the display, the kids should not be allowed to communicate verbally, except with Scanners who make a roll high enough to read their minds of what they're trying to say. Of course, if they have some kind of sound dampening tech that will help - somewhat. Incidentally, the balloon statues are heavy plastic; if punctured, they will slowly collapse and create a barrier to vision and movement to any unfortunates beneath.

Huge holo projectors showing previews for movies. A Wizard who can take over one of these puppies can put images in front of just about anyone, V-trodes or not. Making the picture convinc. ing is another story.

One large area is GymDandy, a daycare facility where parents can dump their toddlers and take off for serious consumerism. The area is full of jungle gyms, big holograph cartoon characters, puffy pillows, harried adults and... toddlers! Show your characters why these are called "the terrible twos." Don't be afraid to make your players squirm by putting little kids in danger, either; characters who stay in GymDandy get some measure of protection from the presence of children, but they also make it more dangerous for those children...

One large store has invested in an expensive holo display with a jungle motif. Visibility is low, there actually are vines you can swing on (though of course you're not supposed to) and you never can tell if the person around the corner is a cop or just another panicky consumer...

The media are present, either to cover some big event or to get a "person on the street" opinion puff piece. Instead they get real news. The behavior of the PCs determines whether they become recognized as evil, destructive terrorists, or whether their pursuers are revealed as evil, oppressive thugs.

A famous Glitterkid, Tancy Peregrine, has deigned to grace the mall with her presence (possibly explaining the media attention mentioned above). She's surrounded by her entourage and by her adoring fans. However, a group of Face Dancers who specialize in impersonating her have shown up as well. There are at least ten Tancies around - and six of the impostors are good enough to fool her security for a short time at least. The mayhem associated with your PCs will make a confusing scene far, far worse.

"For centuries, cutpurse or pickpocket children have known that the way to get away with the goodies is to split up, so your pursuers don't know which child is. carrying the wallet, purse or datacard of Potentially earthshaking info.

Part Two: Rescued?

When (that is, if) things get particularly cataclysmic, you can bring in Ma and her pals (see sidebars) to help out. Or they might show up as things seem to be settling down and the kids are calm and off guard. Or they might spy out the kids, send in a CorpSec goon squad, and then "providentially" show up to as saviors.

If she can win their trust (or at least their ears) Ma will start a subtle pitch for Arasaka.

She'll start by describing the cruelties and injustices the CyberEvolved face. (She probably won't have a hard audience in your characters.) Next she'll say she works with a "loose group" who believe that the CyberEvolved have a right to live. She'll present all this with her "Cerebral Clicker" (see sidebar) turned off; she'll be sincere about what she's saying. If they seem receptive, Denny will subtly turn her clicker on, and she'll present Arasaka's spiel. The spiel will have several different spins, depending on how she judges her audience.

TO MEGAVIOLENTS, STREETFIGHTERS, GOGANGERS AND BOARDPUNKS she'll stress the excitement, adventure, and opportunity Arasaka offers. Megas and Streetfighters will have a chance to face tough opponents on fair terms. Instead of being constantly hunted, they'll have a powerful backer who can negate the advantages of numbers and tech that CorpSec and the CDC have. For the speed addicted, Arasaka offers spec tacular velocity toys; possibly even prototypes that won't be available to the public for months, and which the kids could never afford under normal circumstances.

TO BEAVERBRATS, FACEDANCERS, GLITTERKIDS AND GOLDENKIDS she'll emphasize the safety Arasaka offers; if it's revealed that they're plague carriers, they'll go from being a favored elite to being the coolest kids in the resettlement camp. Arasaka can keep them safe, and many children have a strong desire to keep things from changing.

TO TINKERTOTS, SQUATS, VIDIOTS AND MALLBRATS, she'll stress that a major corp has everything they want - in spades. Tech, access, knowledge and wealth are available to those who simply get with the program.

GUARDIANS, TRIBALS, ECORAIDERS AND RADS are a tough sell; to them, she'll point out that the power to make real changes is much likelier to belong to an Arasaka operative than to a grungy street urchin who carries a dread disease. She'll tell them that Arasaka realizes that the CyberEvolved are the future, and that the old style of management isn't going to work in a new paradigm. "In the old days, people cut ice out of lakes and delivered it door to door; you don't see any of those old ice miners building refrigerators these days, do you?"

If Denny finds out what's on the card, all bets are off. He'll reason (rightly) that T112 is worth more than the lives of some cyber brats. He'll try to steal it and get away; if that means killing them all in their sleep, he'll do it. Ma won't support him in this (well, stealing yes; killing the kids, no). Jack might go either way.

Now the ball is in the kids' hands. They can belly up to the tempting teat of Atasaka, there to suckle the sweet milk of safety and servitude for the test of their lives. Or they can take the high road, make a powerful enemy and try to get away with the goodies.

It may help to think of this choice as a referendum: if your characters choose to join up with Team Arasaka, they're telling you (whether they realize or not) that they want a game of intrigue, betrayal and wrecking the system from inside. (Think of Fox Mulder on "The X-Files.") If they defy Arasaka, they want a game of pursuit, constant danger and life on the edge. (More like Thomas Veit on "Nowhere Man.") You may favor one style over the other, but this is your players chance to tell you, in character, what they're after. You'll be doing yourself a big favor by respecting that. NPCs

The YYY Computer System

... is not very well defended because their sensitive material is all located on the system that is inaccessible from the net, and they are still a struggling, young company. The system is INT 11, DEF 5.

Use the basic layout and security of the sample Datafort (pg 163) with the following exceptions: 1: The FCT of all programs listed are reduced by two. 2: Any reference to a human sysop is instead a FCT 4 Spy with a FCT 5 Fenris. 3:

The "physical" description of the Datafort is as follows: The Datafort appears as a gothic cathedral (e.g. Notre Dame) with high, arched ceilings. Alcoves and twisty staircases lead users off to the various subdirectories of the System. There is a giant stained-glass window of the YYY company logo on the north end of the main hall.

The various rooms are all as bare of adornments as the main hall, but offer more comfort than the wooden pews. Conference rooms have large oak tables surrounded with padded chairs. icons use the medieval motif as well (Fenris is a large mastiff, Blaster is a crossbow wielded by a squire, etc.).

Editor's Note: Irritatingly enough, this sidebar was inadvertantly omitted from Part One of "Jack." Sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused.

Jack

When Jack swings into action, most yogangers shouldn't just want to be like him; they should want to BE him. Tall, good looking, cool, fearless and tough, he usually shows up just in time to save the bacon.

Outside of combat, he's even better. Self- effacing, even a little shy, but with an engaging friendliness and enthusiasm. He's just your basic good guy - or so it seems.

Actually, there's nothing basic about Jack; he's a complicated, confused pack of conflicts. Arasaka's top mind meddlers made Jack a special project for over a year; he's the best Tinman they've been able to "acquire." A lot of other yogangers broke before they bent, but Jack had a chink in his mental armor; he'd been found by Ma (see sidebar) and her kindness towards him opened the door to doubt just a crack. Once they got him over to Japan, that crack was wedged wide open and a deluge of poisonous Arasaka propaganda was pumped in. When they were convinced that he was "safe" they sent him back to the ISA, where more brainwashers were waiting with a team of sociologists to make him into more of a perfect yogang recruiting tool. Of course, to do this, they had to make him less and less himself.

Now Jack is mostly a hollow shell - all care, fully programmed reactions and responses, but there isn't really much there any more. Scanners will get surface thoughts that largely match what he's saying and/or doing - just as they would from any honest, straightforward guy. However, a skilled Scanner (or one with a good roll) will notice a strange lack of force to Jack's emotions. Underneath the reactions, he's hollow.

In keeping with this, Jack usually follows orders from Ma.

INT 5 REF 7 COOL 5 TECH 5 MOVE 7 LUCK 4 BODY 8 EMP 5 ATT 7

Skills: Tmman 4, H-T-H Combat 4, Melee 5, Driving 3, Education 2, Athletics 4, Genspeak 5, Streetsmarts 5

Denny

Denny looks like a chubby ten year old with no hair. Maybe a little smudged and grubby around the edges, but he's cute as the dickens. He seems a little jittery and hesitant (as would any little kid in his circumstances) but he's trying to be a good boy.

Not. Dennis Brown is actually thirty two; he has a rate genetic condition that halted his apparent age twenty two years ago (it also made his hair and eyebrows fall out). He's been an Edgerunner most of his life; the disadvantage of his small, weak frame was amply compensated for by his innocent appearance. Dennis has learned to play the waif very, very well. He'll come off as the fragile kid that everyone wants to protect - and everyone trusts a little boy (or, at least, doesn't worry that he's going to sell them out to Arasaka at the first opportunity).

Dennis also pretends to be a Scanner. He has uncanny skills at reading people, which can pass for Scanning. He backs this up with boosted reflexes, if necessary; after all, no one would believe that a ten year old body could handle Kerenzikovs, right?

He appears to take orders from Ma (of course) but he has the real authority in this operation. However, he respects Ma's skills and usually follows her lead.

The one thing that really spooks Dennis is real Scanners. A genuine Scanner will pick up fear from Denny, because every time he meets new Cyber-evolved he's terrified that a real Scanner will find him out. He is careful to stay near heavy electromag machines if at all possible until he can dope out the abilities of his targets.

INT 9 REF 5 COOL 10 TECH 7 MOVE 5 LUCK 4 BODY 4 EMP 10 ATT 6

Skills: Interaction 10, Awareness/Notice 8, Stealth 7, Ranged Weapons 6, Education 3 Athletics 2, Expert: Language ("street lingo") 6.

Cyberware: Neural Processor, 2x Cyberaudio, 2x Cyberoptics with targeting scope, Kerenzikov Reflex Boosters

Ma

Like Jack and Denny, Ma is not quite what she seems. On the surface, she's a caring, determined, gutsy gal in her mid-forties. Even a Scanner who realizes the truth about Denny will probably be footed by Ma; this is because she's the test subject for a device termed the "Cerebral Clicker." So far, the test is going very well indeed.

See, the caring persona, devoted to protecting kids from a ctuel society, is the trudi. Ma really believes that working for Arasaka is the best thing that could happen to the CyberEvolved. However, she knows that many kids are (unrea. sonably, in her opinion) frightened of the corp. Even if they knew her intentions were pure, the knowledge that she works for Arasaka would repel most Scanners.

Hence, the Cerebral Clicker. Arasaka technicians "copied" the knowledge that she was working for them out of her mind, and then "erased" it from her consciousness. However, that knowledge (along with the passwords, codes and other spy stuff she'd need to deliver the kiddies) was stored in a special, permanently installed datachip.

Denny has a control phrase that will switch her between "caring, embattled and rebellious Ma" and "tough, remorseless Arasaka op Ma." That's right; to make her "surface" personality more convincing to the cyberkids, Arasaka actually allowed her some glimpses of just how horrible and ruth~ less they are. Furthermore, they edited the per, sonality on the chip to be more obedient and ruthless.

Basically, neither of her personalities is exactly like her original. She started out naive and good natured, trusting in Arasaka. Now her public personality is still kind and gentle, but is more streetsmatt and cynical. Her chipped, "clicker . self is more cold and detached. Neither of her personalities would be able to kill a child under the age of 14, however; Ma just doesn't have it in her.

INT 8 REF 7 COOL 8 TECH 7 MOVE 7 LUCK 4 BODY 7 EMP 5 ATT7

Skills: Leadership 6, Ranged Weapons 6, Resist Interrogation 5, Athletics 5, Education 3.

Cyberware: Neural Processor, Chipware Socket, Cyberaudio, Nanosurgeons, Advanced Muscle & Bone Lace, Sandevistan Reflex Boosters, "Cerebral Clicker" (see above).