Rested from his catnap,
Cowboy leaves his Hacker living cube and takes a short ride on his motorcycle to a small factory that he owns.
To the world, they manufacture hybrid engine systems (gas-electric, hydrogen-electric, and fuel cell) for motorcycles and small cars, but Cowboy is here for other reasons.
A small building in a corner of the larger research, testing and manufacturing complex ... labeded "Special Projects Division" ... houses Cowboy's private laboratory. Between the special lab and the general research/testing facility, Cowboy has access to the tools he needs to work on a variety of projects.
Today, Cowboy has come to work on some special ammo for a shotgun.
An investment in future chaos.
He begins with an attempt to develope a high-explosive shotgun round ...
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 26
... but the prototype fails even the early computer modeling.
Cutting his losses and egar to explore some other possibilities, Cowboy attempts to develop an electric stun round for shotguns.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 63
Computer modeling says the design should work.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 70
The 3D printer quickly turns out a prototype, which Cowboy tests and it works perfectly.
Now comes the work of refining the prototype to produce an early production version.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 31
The first production run of 10 rounds proves functional, but still has some issues to be worked out.
The 12ga Electostun (1.0) round has a range of 2 sectors and inflicts 20 points of non-lethal damage on a hit ... less damage than a standard shotgun round.
Cowboy works on improving the round ...
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 55
The second production run of 10 rounds resolves the basic inferiority issues and the 12ga Electostun (1.1) round has a range of 2 sectors, inflicts 25 points of non-lethal damage on a hit.
Excited by his progress, Cowboy works on further improving the round ...
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 23
The third production run of 10 rounds ... 12ga Electostun (1.2) is unimproved from Electostun (1.1).
Cowboy accesses the data gained from the earlier Posiedon Industries R&D hack ...
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 60
... and finds data that will help significantly.
The fourth production run of 10 rounds is substantially improved and the 12ga Electostun (2.0) round has a range of 2 sectors, inflicts 30 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
Cowboy continues to improve the round ...
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 81
The fifth production run of 10 rounds of 12ga Electostun (2.1) has a range of 2 sectors, inflicts 35 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 73
The sixth production run of 10 rounds of 12ga Electostun (2.2) has a range of 2 sectors, inflicts 40 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 9
The seventh production run of 10 rounds of 12ga Electostun (2.3) is unimproved from Electostun (2.2).
Cowboy concludes that 40 points of non-lethal electrical damage is the maximum that can be achieved in a shotgun shell without a significant breakthrough in capacitor technology.
Cowboy then returns to mining the Posiedon Industries R&D hack for research that might allow him to increase range ... as a slug, the round should not be subject to the spreading of a regular round of shot pellets ...
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 53
Cowboy determines that it is theoretically possible to increase the range to 4 sectors (like a pistol or bow) but the force necessary to achieve the 8 sector range of a rifle would destroy the electronics before they left the barrel.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 50
The eighth production run of 10 rounds of 12ga Electostun (3.0) has a range of 3 sectors, inflicts 40 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 63
The nineth production run of 10 rounds of 12ga Electostun (3.1) achieves the maximum range of 4 sectors, inflicts 40 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
Cowboy then attempts to produce a smaller version to fit in a .45 caliber pistol.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 69
The first production run of 10 rounds of .45 Electostun (4.0) achieves a range of 4 sectors, inflicts 10 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 62
The second production run of 10 rounds of .45 Electostun (4.1) achieves a range of 4 sectors, inflicts 15 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 96
The third production run of 10 rounds of .45 Electostun (4.2) achieves a range of 4 sectors, inflicts 20 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
The results are so successful that a rifle version is developed at the same time ...
The first production run of 10 rounds of .455 Electostun (4.2R) achieves a range of 6 sectors, inflicts 20 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 15
... attempts to improve the round any further begin to run into material limitations.
Cowboy next seeks to refine the design to improve manufacture-ability ...
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 10
... but it apperas that this family of rounds will remain a dificult to manufacture small production run item.
However, Cowboy still has the data obtained from the Rook Industries hack into their manufacturing computers ...
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 71
... which yields everything that he might need to manufacture specialized ammunition.
Cowboy sets up all of the files necessary to manufacture:
12ga Electrostun-S3.1 Shotgun Shells (range of 4 sectors, inflicts 40 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor)
.45 Electrostun-P4.2 Pistol Ammo (range of 4 sectors, inflicts 20 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor)
.455 Electrostun-R4.2 Rifle Ammo (range of 6 sectors, inflicts 20 points of non-lethal damage on a hit and ignores armor)
He uploads the files to 'The Eye' to grant them access to his new toy, and searches for a place to manufacture it in bulk ...
Lifestyle 109 (MS=15+, S=45+, OS=85+): [1d100] = 75
... finding someone who can do it without asking too many questions, but not locally.
Demolition Skill, INT=30 (MS=30+, S=60+, OS=90+): [1d100] = 54
... so Cowboy will manufacture
[1d100] = 48
rounds of each to distribute to Vorpal's men.
Cowboy rides home, avoiding the combat in the street and planning his next action ... a hacker vs hacker showdown.
[OOC: I have no idea whether Cowboy will run into mutants/combat or not ... you roll/pick something and tell me.
Either way is OK.
I have lots to do ...
... and it might be interesting to take a shot at combat.
Cowboy does have a Melee of 50 and a pair of knives.
]