Every now and then I get motivated to dive into some off-hand aspect of the Traveller setting, doing a deep read on something that sounds interesting to me. “The Bags They Carried” is a series of posts inspired by the amazing short story “The things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.
The Agent’s Briefcase
( narrated in the 40’s radiodrama voice of J. Peterman from Seinfeld )
Smart and with just enough attitude, this briefcase is understated but backed by much more than meets the eye, just like you, as you carry it on the leisurely stroll through Startown. The Agent’s Brief is mission critical, yet another piece on the board of your personal fief of the great game. It’s conversation starter, and ender. It is supremely crafted tool, and it’s your last line of backup when no one else is coming.
You didn’t get into this life because it was easy, or because you wanted to be coddled; you believe in the mission. That faith keeps you breathing in tainted air, and even if you’re disavowed at some Class D and no one’s thee for you – the Agent’s Brief is still in your corner, ready to do the hard thing.
Composition
The outside is an active composite presenting as highest quality vegetable-tanned leather. Each bag is uniquely patterned from a particular hide that is selected, processed, and then engineered down to the molecular level to reproduce a true masterwork leather bag. The feel and scent is of superlative quality inspired by the original hide, perhaps some local predator, though the actual composite of construction is far stronger and more purposefully designed than any leather.
There are polished brass claptures, but the bag is locked and unlocked by contact recognition of the owner’s personal biome, with additional optional two-step recognition of an external token such as an Imperial ID. Like the Scout Expedition Bag, the Agent’s Brief can be directed to leave a unique molecular breadcrumb to be followed later.
Of course the bag is profoundly resistant to all but the most insistent high-level scans, and easily meets the most strenuous specifications for Imperial diplomatic pouches. If the Brief is currently being used as such, a small golden Sunburst and confirmation character string denoting this can be visually presented with but a touch.
Apparatus
The Brief is first and foremost a masterwork bag, with sturdy dividers for materials. Airtight when closed, built within the case are several nooks for concealment of documentation, tiny electronic devices or other items. The bag is extremely well-shielded, and presents serious disadvantage to even a skillful searcher looking to divest the briefcase of its concealed secrets. There are an unknown number of briefcase models, each with a unique collection of concealed spaces and methods for accessing them. The most enduring legend surrounding the Agent’s Brief is that one such space remains undisclosed even upon the sale of the bag, and if a new owner can discover this space, they are entitled to claim a TAS Platinum Membership as prize upon confirmation of this feat.
In a pinch, the bag may be used as a piece of body armor, extremely resistant to kinetic impact despite its soft feel. The Agent’s Brief is rather light and of course extremely durable.
Mechanism
While this bag has no on-board brain – an intentional omission and further edge against compromise – it does offer the owner a number of sophisticated edges.
The bag can act as a premier anchor device, filling the role or extending all the functionality of a top-line comms-plus device with full encryption capability.
Further, the Brief maintains an awareness of the space around it and can deliver by digital, haptic, or audio signal relevant warnings based on the physical/emotional/movement/audio movements or interactions of any sophont within its scan range. This function is designed to work in crowded spaces and can handle quite an information load; the purpose is to unobtrusively keep an owner informed about all threats in the immediate vicinity.
On activation the bag can deliver a “hush” field which dampens all but the most intense sound in a personal-sized area around the owner. The field can include an effect which scrambles EM transmission, or this feature can be activated separately.
The Brief has a dual-mode “final option” feature. The first aspect of this features allows the owner, with either a touch, verbal, or signal command to vaporize the whole of the contents of the bag. The vaporization is completely contained within the closed Brief and makes no sound, but upon opening the bag a “dust” of vaporized material will spill out. This action destroys all but the physical systems of the Brief, although it remains entirely serviceable and stylish as a high-end case. There is no charge or detonation mechanism to be found in the Brief; the entire substrata of the case’s materials are designed with this mechanism embedded.
The Brief’s definitive final option ( affectionately and morbidly referred to as “the last good night” ) is activated solely by a unique keyed contact pattern of the owner. Woven into the physical structure of the Brief at the molecular level ( as above ) is a trinary explosive mechanism that when set off instantly delivers enough force to destroy ( and open ) a standard airlock. This explosion of course destroys the bag and all materials within, and almost certainly kills the individual holding it and anyone close by without battledress-level protection.
Extensibility
The Agent’s Brief is not designed to accept modular components; it is a solitary implement, very often like its owner.
Additional notes
- The AB is a TL 14+ device.
- It is traditionally used by field Agents, and in some spheres of operation is seen as a badge of honor or rank.
- The Agent’s Brief may be conveyed as a mustering out benefit.
- Most of the ABs in circulation within a given agency appear similarly; agents of naval intelligence seem to prefer this particular “look” or hide, while SolSec or Scout Intelligence agents prefer another. Some individual variations exist.
- The “final option” is never widely discussed, never demonstrated openly, and is rarely something an individual not associated with intelligence services would be aware of.
- Agents don’t seem to attach a profound sentimentality to this piece of kit. While it’s easy to respect the utility of the Brief or the sentiment behind which it was presented or gifted, like all other assets at the Agent’s disposal, the bag can be “released” at the appropriate time.