Second Thoughts

See also the List of cards in Second Thoughts and Second Thoughts category

CONTAINS CARDS 21-40 of the "SPIN CYCLE."

Second Thoughts is the second Data Pack in the Spin Cycle for Android: Netrunner The Card Game. The time has come for both corps and runners to take a second look at how they want to wage their burgeoning cyberwars. Are the flash and the sparkle of the newest encryption and decryption technologies luring corps and runners away from basic efficiencies? Are basic efficiencies too blunt to counter their opponents’ increasingly nuanced strategies?

The time has come to explore new angles, inventive new uses for programs, and the importance of public perception. It’s time for runners to become more creative and less obvious with their program design. It’s time for the corps to run a two-pronged assault on the whole runner culture, employing lethal new ice and Black Ops teams, even as they bolster their public images with new PR campaigns. Control the message. Control the game. If you can’t shatter your opponent’s economy, perhaps you can change the nature of the contest. It’s time for Second Thoughts.

Flavor Insert

PROJECT NISEI Eyes only — This communication is confidential If you are not the intended recipient, destroy this communication without reading. PSYCH EVAL #14-032688 SUBJECT: C SUMMARY: Subject C continues to develop strong interpersonal skills. The subject's emotional health is generally good. Recommend temporary suspension of external duties and liberty due to recent traumatic event, detailed in paragraph six. ANALYSIS: Subject C reported as scheduled for routine evaluation. Session consisted of analysis, card reading, the Fukushima procedure, and covert observation over a meal. During analysis, discussion focused on Subject C's work with NAPD. Subject continues to find work challenging and rewarding. Numerous anecdotes reveal increased confidence and competence in interactions with human coworkers, suspects, and civilians. This continues an ongoing trend, as noted in prior reports. For this card reading session interviewer employed techniques detailed in memo CASE NISEI #11-022788. A fresh set of cards was introduced; the cards were generated by a random algorithm and had never been seen by interviewer or Subject C. Subject C's success rate was 88%, down slightly from last session but well within the margin of error. Card reading success rate has been effectively unchanged over the last three sessions. Recommend referral to PROJECT NISEI psi-division for analysis. This may represent a natural upper limit to Subject C's abilities, or a failure on the part of the interview team to sufficiently challenge the subject. Fukushima procedure results are attached in Appendix B. As is the habit of these sessions, a meal was provided and Subject C was encouraged to eat and relax. The stimulus during this meal was provided by this writer's daughter, a girl of seven, who we predicted would induce strong emotions in the subject. (Note: despite the events described below, it is still this writer's belief that the girl was in no danger.) Subject C trailed off mid-sentence during the meal, ignoring several attempts by the girl to resume the conversation. Subject then dropped to the ground in a kneeling position and screamed1. Subject proceeded to speak rapidly and incoherently, and seemed to be in great distress. Finally subject collapsed into a fetal position and became catatonic for fifty-seven minutes. When awoken, Subject C complained of a headache, but claimed to be otherwise fit to resume duties with NAPD. The complete AV record of the incident is attached in Appendix A; the preliminary medical report is attached in Appendix C. Recommend Subject C be remanded to PROJECT NISEI creche-division for thorough medical workup and recuperation, and that Subject C be confined to quarters until cleared by creche-division. Pending approval by PROJECT NISEI, there are no objections to Subject C resuming duties with NAPD. ADDENDUM: 1On review of records, the timestamp of this event coincides with the impact of the recent tsunami on lower Guayaquil, putting Subject C within relative proximity to a great loss of life. Hitomi Knox, Psy.D. PROJECT NISEI Chief Psychologist