[IC] Behind the Shadows, First Iteration Options

[Chrysalis]

The Third Place bookshop is surrounded by fashionable coffee shops, bistros, and expensive brown houses. The University of Maryland draws a hip crowd with their newest commlinks and most fashionable enhancements.

The Third Place does not really fit, of course there are cracked leather spines on prominent display and the occasional new age book for procurement. There was nonetheless something off about the place a type of history that does not fit the sixth world a place where even the deepest of places should be but a shallow pool.

The rain was discomforting as it whipped its way past the stunted elm trees and along winnowing roads. It gripped your fingers leaving behind its wet touch, and seemed to mock mankind's 2000 years of clothing development with its icy breath.

The bookshop was light, warm and inviting. There was the smell of soykaf in the air and of heated cookies. Already some people had shown up, the bored university student, the hippie, and of course the conspiracy theorists. They all agnled around the in their own groups. It looked like a total of twenty people had shown up.

The only two who seemed to be pleased at all was a bespectacled man in his 80s. All angular features with a salt and pepper mustache. His commlink displayed a simple SIN with the heading: Joseph Meyer - Antiquarian. The other was animated and talkative. He talked with animation his eyes darting occasionally to the sides for dramatic effect, had to come around and pump your hand at least twice and introduced you to some of the less likely compatriots. Even some of the college students started to warm-up.

***

[This would be a good time to introduce yourself.]

***

"The man of the hour is nearly here. Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you to ..." With a grandiose wave of his hand Isaac Davidson or as he insisted everyone call him - Izzie; opened up the door and a tall, lanky man walked in from the cold. He was dressed neatly, and could have been mistaken for any other passer-by anywhere in the suit and overcoat as a man of influence. His dark, but fading hair was neatly groomed and despite what could be considered a neutral expression a fire burned deep in his eyes. It was blue like his orbs and it lit them with a burning intellect.

"Conrad Tyrell."

He stopped to scan the crowd his umbrella creaking close and with a snap it was shut.

"It's a pleasure in meeting you all." He cracked a mesmerizing smile. "It's a pleasure seeing so many people come for a first-time publication." There was pride tinged wit a bitterness in his voice. Educated, east coast, and probably the kind of poker player you only can play against once.

He mingled a bit, attentive and smiling, nodding when proper and smiling further when polite. The initial discomfort smoothing back with personal magnetism and Izzy''s freneticism. Conrad Tyrell had a SIN, but it was not the numerous adverts for his book and the Publisher's link sitting in PAN it would be ominously empty.

As the mingling began to wane people drifted to the seats assigned to them until only Conrad stood.

"Thank you for coming, I wish to stop and explain a bit about the reasons why I started to write the history of the bogeyman of the American Intelligence industry. About ten years ago I worked in a company on the west coast near Sacramento. During that time I became aware of financial irregularities inside the company. While scoffed by my employers and coworkers I started putting together a labyrinth of different financial transactions. At the core was an organization and it's name was AEGIS. For the pat ten years I have been combing over documents and talk with names, each leading me further on into what is this organization."

"Ten years."

"The organization though started a little over 120 years ago. Its mandate was to study foreign intelligence agencies and directorates, infiltrate and subvert. It has been continuing that same mandate into today, but instead of agencies it has been corporations..."

The door opens and big man walks in. He takes up a seat at the back. His bald black head glistening with water. He simply sits there like an elephant trying not be paid attention to.

"..which has been doing its subversion. For example at the moment it owns a slient majority in Ares Macrotechnology."

In the next twety minutes he tantalizes the audience with promises of more. He stops and slips from salesman to a drier academic style as he stops to elaborate on a point or cite a reference.

The concept of AEGIS is that it is a pervasive organization, it works in the shadows and has numerous connections through-out the world. It does not influence directly, but often sets the stage for discoveries by others. An example he used was the upload to Shadowland in 2057 tentatively identified what are believed to be the five people who ran Alamos 20,000, known as the Central Executive. They were also the ones who caused a hit-and-run
of Dr. Dieter von Kammelburg - the man who would be later identified as the Nazi.

Financial and political sway are what it has been using recently and Conrad focuses primarily on the financial, the ebb and flow of money in a complex interplay of the web of AEGIS' wealth and influence. It is methodical and efficient and Conrad can spin out the book breath of this spider.

"We have some minutes for questions."