How do you deal with a ghost of someone you love? Britter’s been haunted most of his adult life by the specter of his sister, Janisa. First as a chronically-ill presence for her last years, then as a set of demands from beyond the grave. After a terrorist attack damaged her beyond repair, Janisa spent the rest of her life in Transverse Noir, and insisted her brother not only spend time with her there as well, but keep her favorite character, Heller Tin, alive after she died.
A street scrounger and repairman, Britter did the best he could—at the sacrifice of his own mental health. When he suddenly finds himself transported into his sister’s beloved game, he finds her in the form of the character she loved to play. But is it really Janisa? And why is the game falling apart around them?
Forced to confront his own fear and guilt, Britter doesn’t know who he’s trying to save: himself, his deceased sister, the Transverse Noir universe itself, or everything…
Staffing Issues is the third in a four-novella story arc that takes Shadowrun into the LitRPG genre. Written by acclaimed fiction and comic book authors Cat Rambo and Lowell Francis, this story of a game within a game is sure to delight and surprise Shadowrun fans.
Cat Rambo is the author of seven novels and over 300 short stories. In 2020, they won the Nebula Award for their novelette, Carpe Glitter. They run the online writing community the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, and also work with the podcast If This Goes On (Don’t Panic), a production devoted to science fiction and hope. Find out more about them at their website catrambo.com
Lowell Francis is an ENnie-winning comic book and game writer and game historian. His comic credits include Mouse Guard, The Rocketeer, and Flashpoint: Project Superman. He is the creator of Hearts of Wulin and the mind behind the Age of Ravens blog, which won a Silver ENnie in 2017 for its work in the tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) community. He also manages the Open Hearth Gaming Community, an online gaming community focused on indie RPGs, storygames, and other TTRPGs—with a commitment to safety and inclusivity. Lowell co-hosts The Open Hearth’s podcast, as well as the Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, and Roll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History podcasts.