Vestigial Memories, Session 7: Down Time
Session 7 of the scenario "Vestigial Memories" for the Blade Runner RPG, where Locke enjoys some well deserved down time before interrogating Zhao again. But it does not go as planned.
Scene setup
Downtime Event Table check:
[D12]: [6] => You catch sight of a device or person surveilling your home.
Stats change: +1 resolve for resting
Scene 7: The Ghost at the Gate
Back at my apartment on Retirement Row, I pour a glass of Blackout Reserve. The amber liquid burns in the best way. Greta, my pet animoid cat, is napping on the sofa next to me. I let the low hum of synthwave wash over the room, feeling the knots in my shoulders begin to loosen.
I stand by the window, staring out at the familiar decay of the abandoned subway station. I know every shadow out there, every low-life and gang-member who calls this stretch of the Row home. But there’s a new shape in the fog.
A man is standing near the station entrance, his eyes fixed on my building.
Q: Does he look dangerous/menacing?
Question check roll:
[D10]: [3] => No
He isn't reaching for a piece, and his posture is relaxed. He’s not here to hit me; he’s here to be seen.
I set my glass down, grab my coat, and head out into the rain.
The Encounter: Kael
As I approach, the neon from a nearby hoarding catches his face.
Q: Who is it?
Cipher table check:
[D6 + D12]: [1 + 11] => Conspire + Guilt
My heart skips a beat. It’s him. The Kasper duplicate. The ghost from the Fish Ladies. He doesn't bolt; he just watches me come.
Locke: "Hello there."
Kael: [Silent nod]
Locke: "I’ve seen your face somewhere, haven't I?"
Kael: "You have."
Locke: "What’s your name?"
Kael: "Kael."
Locke: "Kael with a 'K'? Do they name you all with the same letter, like pedigree cats?"
Kael: "They do, actually."
Locke: "Well... fuck them."
A faint, sad smile touches his lips.
Locke: "Whoever 'they' are."
Kael: "Vestige. But you already know that."
He’s talking. More than that, he’s confessing.
Locke: "Any particular reason you’re standing in front of a Blade Runner's home? Not afraid of being retired?"
Kael: "Why? I haven't broken any laws."
Locke: "Technically true. So, why are you here?"
Kael: "The woman... Zhao. She doesn't deserve a cell. She’s the only good one among them."
Locke: "Them? You mean Vestige?"
Kael: "Can you imagine it, Locke? Finding out you aren't human? That you're just a copy of a copy? No real memories. No family. Maybe not even a soul. Even my name is just a derivative of a dead man's serial number."
Locke: "Can't say that I do."
Kael: "Well, she did. She helped us when no one else would. For that, she shouldn't be punished."
Locke: "You risked a lot to come here just to tell me she's a saint."
Kael: "She’s worth it. Just know that if you keep her in that cage, a lot of people like me are going to be... displeased."
Locke: "Is that a threat?"
Kael: "It's a statement. That's all I have for you."
Before I can reach for my cuffs, he turns. With the unnatural grace of a Nexus-6, he vaults onto the roof of a low building and vanishes into the darkness. I’m too tired, and he’s too fast.
