Ecologists hoped the transition to the sixth world would bring about a new global consciousness about the importance of treating the Earth with respect—with the revelation that spirits and magic are real, they figured, more people would take notice and concern themselves with their role in environmental health.

As the decades rolled on, their hopes proved to be unfounded. People were just as short-sighted and greedy as they had ever been, and the rise of megacorporations had just accelerated the pace at which humanity was changing the world, be it from diverting rivers or dumping toxic industrial waste into shared watersheds.

Halls, having been raised in a small commune an hour away from the nearest big city, had a real connection with the Earth. Not necessarily in the same way shamans or other Awakened beings did, but one can’t spend their formative years working the land and not grow a bit closer to it. Halls knew something had to be done to wake up—shake up—the consumerist, capitalist culture which had for too long exploited the planet’s tender resources.

Setting the explosive was the most exciting moment in an evening of exciting moments. The flash, the shockwave, and the debris from the destroyed spillway were experiences Hall would always remember, but the excitement of actually placing the charge, of knowing they were doing something, that was the catalyst for the rest of Hall’s life.

With dozens of successful “missions” under their belt, Hall’s first taste of real shadowrunning was working as special help for an operation against a gene therapy development firm. Brought in for their knowledge of the area—and their previous surveillance against the medical conglomerate—they proved themselves useful when things went pear-shaped and the team needed a quick exit.

Taking jobs that focused on “paying back” corporations for their unfettered abuse of the planet, Hall’s day job was working a small community farm, trying to share the love of locally-grown produce with an increasingly indifferent population.

Someday, Hall would make them see. They’d make them all see.

Header image from the 2013 movie Night Moves—a quiet drama about a trio of would-be eco-terrorists and the fallout of a foray into environmental activism. The idea for this character concept came from a recent watch of the film.