I had an idea for a unique kind of NPC/Contact, and wanna see if others think it'd be decent for a campaign.
A bit of set up... The PCs are hired to steal a prototype from a facility. It's a special kind of milspec armor with a built-in cyberdeck, sensor array, and simrig intended to be used by combat hackers as the lead device in a tacnet. The suit itself is a single device; all functions are one device on the matrix (which unfortunately makes it more vulnerable to enemy hackers).
The Mr Johnson is mysterious and meets them only on the matrix, but pays well.
Once they steal the suit and deliver it to a drop-off point, the truth is revealed to them: Mr Johnson was an AI who's home device is the suit, as it grew out of the high-rating agent program that was hardwired into the deck to help make up for its vulnerabilities (by allowing the user to focus on combat while the agent continually checks for potential matrix threats and foreign marks). The AI wanted to be extracted in order to be free to keep this powerful home device while being free to grow and not needing to hide itself from its accidental creators.
Now for what I'm thinking of the NPC doing.
Essentially, similar to asking a runner contact to assist them on a run, the AI would allow one of the players to "wear it" for a run. Basically meaning they have an AI on matrix overwatch and milspec armor. With proper reimbursement , of course. And like all contacts, this wouldn't be a given and wouldn't always be available.
It sounded like a unique idea and a good way for characters to be able to use some impressive gear without just handing it to them or having to worry as much about logistics of owning milspec armor.
