OPERATION CAULIFLOWER E.A.R.
(EMERGENCY ARMAMENT REQUISITION)
What’s Known
A-Cell has provided information for the agents to complete a simple emergency transaction: money for guns. The premise is simple, starting at Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine, collect payment from a locker in the jetport ($40,000.00 in US Treasury Bonds), rendezvous with someone who knows the contact- H-Cell liaison, Agent Hunk- travel via train to Millinocket, meet with the contact, complete the exchange, leave the weaponry in a greenbox (a nearby Elks Lodge) and everyone’s happy… barring any unforeseen situation the weapons are expected to be delivered by the agents within 48 hours.
Unforeseen Situation
The contact, unnamed in the briefing, is actually a distanced and disgraced member of DG- Agent Harry- unofficially cut off from the program after a suspicious number of dead cell members and a laundry list of killed witnesses. His methods were believed to be too hard and too fast. Agent Hunk carries a grudge against this contact which he keeps private from the agents.
Jab
They collect the cash, meet Hunk (who seems normal, albeit jaded and distanced) and travel to Millinocket via a 4 hour train ride to meet their contact. Upon leaving the train station at their destination, they are greeted by an older man, covered in tattoos, driving a beat up pick-up truck. Hunk and the contact stare at each other and then laugh, embracing in a hug. The contact reaches for the bag of bonds, to which Hunk replies, with a tone of familiarity: “Slow down Harry, where’s the guns?”
Cross
The contact, claiming to be too drunk to drive, lets one of the agents drive and says: “They’re back at my place, an hour and a half away.” They drive through Millinocket, passing the Elks Lodge, eventually reaching the contact’s run down double-wide trailer in the middle of nowhere. Before arriving, heavy snowfall hits, affecting vision while driving. Upon arrival, the contact explains that their supplier is coming tomorrow and that they “are better with armaments than schedules.” Hunk laughs it off and is comfortable waiting. This situation is meant to feel ‘off’ to the agents, but they have no other choice but to stay and wait, following Hunk’s lead.
Left Hook
Cell phone service is non-existent and the storm picks up to a blizzard, making simply walking away a very difficult endeavor. The night that ensues is one of debauchery, reminiscing and heavy drinking between the two old “friends”- crescendoed by an awkward, possibly forced game of five-finger-fillet between Hunk and the contact, which ends with Hunk attempting to kill him.
The agents will either turn on Hunk, or accept his explanation that the contact was a prior member of DG, Agent Harry, who caused the death of their entire cell. Either way, the shipment comes tomorrow, and the suppliers will take the bonds.
Shades of Gray
The guts of this scenario comes in the form of its flexibility. It serves as a litmus test for your agents, and shows two possible paths that life in the program can diverge to- Agent Harry, a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ phenotype who puts an opera’s directives over all human lives (including his own cell-mates), someone who is, for all intents and purposes, an upstanding member of the program’s mission- or Agent Hunk, the physical embodiment of grudges and revenge- whose personal connections supersede any A-Cell instructions. Perhaps the side they choose during the final struggle will solidify their path. This scenario features several plug-and-play nuances that can shift the narrative to either reinforce the agents’ preexisting beliefs, or expose them to new internalizations. Regardless, unless your agents subscribe to a ‘scorched earth’ philosophy- either Agent Harry or Hunk will be alive in the end.
Non Negotiables
Agent Hunk wants to kill Agent Harry, he’s been waiting for a moment like this to reunite with his old cell-mate, and will stop at nothing to complete his personal vendetta. This grudge itself is fluid for a handler to decide, whether Harry made a ‘difficult choice’ to sacrifice the cell to complete an opera, or selfishly caused their deaths to guarantee his own safety. Perhaps Hunk had personal relations with a particular H-Cell member, perhaps that member was pregnant with his child. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding, and Harry did no wrong. The details are up to the handler’s discretion. Regardless- at least one of them ends up dead- no matter how hard the agents try.
Non-Non Negotiables
Below are a few possible optional narrative shifts that could sway your agents to a particular decision during the final struggle.
- During their time spent drinking, Harry makes frequent references to prior operations with Hunk, and how the two never saw eye-to-eye on ‘taking lives when necessary’.
- During Hunk’s turn in their five-finger-fillet game, Harry remarks that Hunk is ‘shaking… like you were in Atlanta’.
- If Hunk kills Harry, the armaments are found, already delivered, under a tarp in a locked shed behind the trailer.
- Hunk realized this prior to the struggle, and exclaims it during their tussle.
- Hunk claims this during the struggle, and it’s discovered he made it up.
- Harry is calmly apologetic during the final struggle, expressing a profound remorse.
- The genders of Harry (Harriett) and/or Hunk are swapped.
- Eerie clues can be found within Harry’s doublewide, making it feel generally unsettling.
- Disturbing mementos, collected by Harry from past missions can be found on shelves or bookcases.
- Bullet casings, marked with initials are displayed in a shadow box.
- The trailer is riddled with damage that seems out of place- such as scorch marks or claw marks.
- Harry remarks on several instances of Hunk being admitted to mandatory psych-eval for possible paranoid schizophrenia- or vice versa.
- Harry, or Hunk, remarks on Agent Harry’s nickname of ‘Agent Hairtrigger’.
- A player agent, or agents, are sent to retrieve firewood from a nearby woodshed, returning to a different, heavier mood- a revelation that they’ve missed.
- Invoking subtle hints of paranormal elements that may just be a coincidence.
- Strange symbols cover Harry’s doublewide, perhaps faded graffiti that imply occult influences.
- The blizzard could start, stop or intensify at random intervals- creating an implication that something unnatural is at play.
When The Dust Settles
Once either Harry or Hunk are left standing, they’ll employ the agents to help dispose of the other’s body- a task made difficult due to the heavy snowstorm. Bodies are burnt, dumped in a lake on the property, or left to rot within the trailer until sunrise, when the snowstorm subsides (Hunk will request that Harry’s hands are removed, and he is buried face-down). The following morning, the weapons are either delivered (by shady individuals, U.S. troops, or suited individuals) or found already delivered somewhere on the property. The only way back to Millinocket is by Harry’s truck. The handoff, quick and smooth, occurs at the town’s Elks Lodge, and the H-Cell survivor bids their goodbyes- leaving the agents with new thoughts, doubts and hesitations about their career trajectories.
Final Thoughts
This scenario is best suited for 1-2 agents. The agents themselves should never feel in control until the final struggle and beyond. The agents don’t particularly owe A-Cell any explanation, but A-Cell was obviously aware of the pair’s history, perhaps using this as an opportunity to test Hunk’s conviction. Additionally, this scenario features no unnatural elements, but a handler should change that if they see it fit.
Additionally, the agents should be instructed to arrive at Portland International Jetport at 3:30PM, to time the scenario to occur at night, making their arrival at Harry’s doublewide at roughly 9:00PM. If it’s unclear, Millinocket is a low population town, with around 4,000 people.
The overall vibe within the double-wide should be uncomfortable. The agents should feel confused and on guard while the pair of NPCs converse and drink. Making them feel invited, to be given a seat at the NPCs’ small table, and allowed to pick the brains of two seasoned members of the program, is up to the handler.
NPCs
Agent Hunk
STR 13 CON 12 DEX 10 INT 11 POW 10 CHA 10
HP 12 WP 10 SAN 31 BREAKING POINT 30
SKILLS: Alertness 60%, Drive 50%, Firearms 50%, Forensics 50%, HUMINT 60%, Law 50%, Search 50%, Unarmed Combat 60%
DISORDER(S): Obsession
Agent Harry
STR 13 CON 12 DEX 10 INT 11 POW 10 CHA 10
HP 12 WP 10 SAN 24 BREAKING POINT 20
SKILLS: Alertness 60%, Athletics 60%, Demolitions 60%, Firearms 60%, Heavy Weapons 50%, Stealth 60%, Unarmed Combat 60%
DISORDER(S): Addiction (Alcohol), Depersonalization Disorder
Credits
OPERATION CAULIFLOWER E.A.R. was written by Joe Campo for the 2024 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ROpFD9bUHN9HsJ0WMLwLWueb-iSEo931DN99DhFnlw/edit