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Matrix Overwatch: A running example

by Marc A Renouf

Okay…here goes. First, an overview. Matrix Overwatch (or matrix cover) is the presence of a decker in a site’s network concurrent to a physical attack/insertion/robbery/whatever. It is both tremendously useful and potentially dangerous. So consider the following as an example.

The party is hired to conduct an extraction of a low-level corporate exec who happens to know some crucial bit of intel that interests another corporate competitor. The target lives in a residential highrise in a well-to-do neighborhood.

The decker hits the system shortly before the rest of the party gets on site. While there, he hits the security nodes, looking especially for the cameras that look out over the building’s loading dock. Once he finds this particular I/O port, he can alter what the guard in the booth sees on his monitor. He can fool the guard by looping a video track of nothing out of the ordinary happening in the loading dock. Care must be taken to not loop a section where the same thing will happen over and over (the guard would get suspicious if the same car drove by every twelve seconds). Once in the vicinity of the security nodes, the decker could also try to find the I/O port that controls external security calls or alarms to the police, though these things are often not matrix accessible.

From there, the decker bounces over to the slave nodes controlling the timed maglocks on the loading dock’s doors. He unlocks said door. Suspending the deck’s ASIST input momentarily, he radios the “all clear” signal to the rest of the party, who rush to the loading dock secure in the fact that the door is open and they will not be seen by the police. The team is now inside the building with no one the wiser. From here they move to the freight elevator, surprising and narcojecting the single guard on patrol in the vicinity. The party was hoping not to have to do this as the guard will be missed soon. Oh well.

The decker races to the service portion of the system and enters the slave node controlling the freight elevator. If he was smart, the decker could move the elevator without it telling security that it had moved. If not, he could change to elevator icon on the guard’s security panel (I/O port) to “at rest” and make it stay that way. So now the team takes a pleasant ride up to the twenty fourth floor. A party member picks the the door lock and the sams and mage burst into the exec’s room, narcojecting both him and his nubile plaything in bed.

Meanwhile, the decker, secure in the knowledge that the party is in, goes back to the security nodes, chacking to make sure the downed guard has not been missed. Just as the decker settles in to watch, a call comes in reporting a downed guard near the freight elevator. A call immediately goes out to the buildings security provider and the police, but that port has been previously flubbed by the decker, so the security pukes can’t get through. If they have a security decker on site, he’ll jack in to go and try to clear the I/O port. If not, oh well.

Back at the ranch, the party has subdued and trussed their quarry, but the decker has tipped them off that security is on alert. Rather than trying to fight their way past the goons downstairs, they opt for “Plan B”. At this point, some enterprising guard calls 911 from the payphone in the lobby (unbeknownst to both the party and the decker), so thing may get hairy soon. The decker, blissfully unaware of the fact that the cops are en route, jumps around to random system, causing as much chaos as possible in as little time. Fire alarms, smoke alarms, burglar alarms, sprinklers, door locks,etc. go crazy as the decker frags with every slave node he can get into. Finally he takes the freight elevator (sans party) back down to the lobby and makes sure security knows about it. Security thinks, “They’re makin’ a break for it in the freight elevator. Get ‘em!” Many goons are amassed at the loading dock level, waiting to ambush the party as they come out of said elevator.

But lo, the party has employed a glass cutter, and is currently rappelling down the side of the building with their unconscious quarry strapped onto the sam like luggage. By the time the freight elevator doors open and the guards discover that the elevator is empty, the party is already beating feet across the street, heading for the safety of their ultra-rigged van. Once the party is safely away, the decker hops back into the security I/O and prints “seeeya, chumps!” on the screen, (much to the chagrin of the fuming security chief) and jacks out. Mission accomplished.

Debriefing

As far as what skills are necessary for such a run, it’s just basic decking. The difference between the standard “matrix run” and matrix overwatch is that the former is concerned primarily with the acquisition of data. Matrix overwatch, on the other hand, is concerned primarily with executing node functions to help the party. Chief among these are controlling I/O and slave nodes to give the party as much time and cover as possible. To execute a node function, all it takes is a Computer skill test at the node’s security rating. Keep in mind that the security threshold must still be exceeded. It’s a hell of a lot harder to control an orange slave node than a blue one.

Some other things bear thinking about as well. For instance, how does the decker know where everything is? The best way to do this is to execute a “view system map” function in the CPU to see where all the relevant nodes are. This is often dangerous, however. Otherwise, the decker can either a) bumble around the building’s net figuring out where stuff is, or b) purchase a black market system map from some enterprising decker who has been in the system’s CPU and downloaded a map.

Also, many of the most critical nodes will have security, usually in the form of Access IC to keep the decker out. In many cases, especially where the decker has to move back and forth frequently, he or she may want to attack and suppress that IC. Keep in mind that it’s only a matter of time before suppressed IC is discovered by the CPU, though. Also, If one has access to the CPU, “teleportation” is a great node function to use if you need to get somewhere in a hurry. The problem is that you can’t get back to the CPU the same way. Teleportation is also a way to avoid a node’s security. Since you are coming directly into the node via the CPU, you don’t need to pass through the IC. This may be just a house rule, but the decker has basically turned himself into a priority signal direct from the CPU and not subject to IC intervention.

The big thing to consider in Matrix Overwatch runs is timing. There will be certai time constraints put on the party by the decker and vice versa. If the decker can’t get into a crucial node quickly enough, he may force the party to wait while he dorks around. That waiting may take place in a fire fight, where nobody likes to just hang around waiting for the decker.

Also, matrix overwatch is dangerous because carelessness or bad luck on the part of the decker can send up active alerts before the party ever gets on site. If the decker goes in too far in advance of the party, the chances of his changes being detected increase drastically. If the decker doesn’t go in far enough in advance, he or she won’t be able to get to the critical nodes in time. It’s a balance thing. Also keep in mind that the decker can be traced, giving his location away and forcing him to jack out and get away before the cops show up. Any number of circumstances can occur (cybercombat, tracing, tar babies) which will make a decker’s position untenable, and force him or her to jack out, thus depriving the party of an edge that they may have planned on.

It’s like anything else. A million things can go wrong, but if it works, it’s absolutely stylin’

I hope this example helped. If you want further clarification on anything, contact me via private e-mail and I’ll be happy to oblige.

Marc