Alert!

Well, it happens all the time- someone gets spotted. But then what happens?

First of all, should they even be spotted? Just because someone walks in front of a camera doesn't mean the get spotted. Guards goof off sometimes, they nap, the go to the bathrooms, they read magazines with one eye on the monitor. Sometimes they have 30+ moniters to watch at once, and sometimes they have only one or two monitors that flicker between 30+ cameras. What are the odds that you've been seen?

The GM can decide how cameras are monitored. If a few monitors cycle through images then the GM should roll to see if that camera was even active at the moment you were seen. If the guard is present during a monitor showing your transgressions, he should make a perception test to notice it (the difficulty having to do with what you're doing, and how long you're on camera doing it!).

But let's say that you are discovered. Shots fired, alarm tripped, guards alerted, maglock sequencer set off an alarm, however it happens. What goes next?

Step 1: Release Security
The alarm goes off (either silently or loudly) and security rushes to the area. Depending on where the security guards are, it may take them a few rounds (or even a minute or so) to get to you (with weapons ready).

If you're in some area that security can't get into (like you've locked a door behind you), they will probably crowd around the doors with readied actions to shoot you when you come out, or while they wait for someone else to force open the door.

Step 2: After the 1st wave
Perhaps you've defeated the guards that came. At this point when you haven't been arrested, police are likely called (or backup security for large extraterritorial compounds), doors are all locked and mag-keys disabled (except for top secuirty), and the gates are closed. If you have a vehicle nearby they are probably writing down the plates and telling the police about it and guarding all routes to it. At this point if you're pressing onwards, you're probably going to get yourself killed. Even trying to escape at this point might be a problem.

Police should be able to get on scene within 10-15 minutes. Sequencers should stop working in maglocks (though taking them apart still would). Every guard should be rushing to your location in full gear and ready for you. Guards will actively try to capture your face on cameras.

The hard part for the players and GMs is that this might mean the end of the mission, either by failure or TPK. While some missions might still be salvagable (RARELY!), that's probably going to be a physical theft when you're already near the target (or a hostage is already going out with you) or an assassination when you can still get to the target. Sure you can leave and try again, though security measures will be increased and this will be difficult. Also they'll be watching for you.

Computers should be harder to hack into during an alert- perhaps all shut down and impossible to access.

What Players can do
- A quick acting decker might be able to hack the system and turn off the alert, perhaps even providing a false "reason" for the alert (cat got in the ventilation system).
- A team that really works well together might allow for a "fake arrest", where they get caught, but not all of them, hoping that the security will chase some of them, or even send them to the police, so that the last guy they don't think is still there can complete the mission. A risk, but at least might help salvage the mission.
- There's always the kaboom that so many runners love. If the bombs are already set, the risk of explosion can get them out, or they can just light the place and destroy everything. Sinner points go way up- but perhaps they survive! (Perhaps not!)
- Have a contingency plan up front for what to do if alarms are triggered. They almost surely will! Perhaps you can cut the building off from outside communication to prevent extra security from coming, or re-route extra agents to the wrong place.

With stealth being such a huge part of the mission, with such terrible consequences for failure, it's a good idea to take some extra ranks in it, just to be safe. Not every mission will be easy, and sometimes you have to fail them.