Salted Wounds [IC], a Deep Black Sea game Options

[Jack_Spade]

"Alright, I'll make sure he gets your message."
Schorsch looked unfocused for a moment before turning back to his duties as a barkeeper.
His face showed surprise when only a few seconds later he turned to Nova again and said: "He replied. Go to cabin 12 with your team, he'll meet you there. I also am to tell you: "Bring the sister too"."

[Thanee]

Nova certainly was surprised for a moment.

"Well, well. Looks like he is well-informed."

Assuming that comlinks work on the inside, Nova forwarded a message to the rest, informing all of them about the meeting and everything that has been said.


Turning back to the barkeeper, she had one more question.

"Okay, laugh, if you have to. But I don't know a whole lot about that stuff and ... I heard stories. Like everyone, I guess. It's just ... is it ... safe? To be that close to him, I mean?"

A sheepish smile appeared on Nova's face, as she asked about the ghoul. She wasn't exactly expecting to meet with him in person.

[SquirrelDude]

Sharkboy sipped at his drink through the tiny cocktail straw, trying to get at it under his mask.

Every day he regretted not getting something a little less conspicuous for his gimmick, but ballistic masks were in at the time, and were still the most popular for the heels. Fragging Danielson keeping him from being babyface all because he ripped up a dude's shoulder.

[Jack_Spade]

The barkeeper smiled mischieveous: "Don't worry at those meetings everyone will be completely safe."
Without seeming to look he handed Sharkboy a looping fun straw so he could enjoy his drink more easily.

[Thanee]

"I will take your word for it," Nova replied with a wink.

She finished her drink, grabbed her stuff, and headed over towards the meeting room, motioning the rest to follow suit, if necessary.

[Volker]

bnc swallows. He knows.
There's no rational reason to assume the Abdecker would want them any harm. It's not even him being a ghoul that bothers her so much.
It's not knowing how much he knows. Knowledge is power, and it terrifies her to be so powerless against a superior.

<@team<cumin>>, she replies quickly, relying on typing rather than her feeble voice.
She returns to the bar while the rest of the team is already on the move to the door.

"vodka", she orders briskly and downs the shot in one motion, leaving her daiqiri still untouched.

Then she follows suite.

[Luckace]

Wraith was seemingly not too delighted about having a personal chat with an undead cannibal. He had, after all, seen how inflected get by.
Nonetheless, he tagged along and kept his concerns to himself.

[Gilga]

Anna is intrigued and smiles at the barman tip him and then accompanies the rest to the booth. "This is going to be interesting," she thinks.
She has never met a ghoul but apparently has no preconceptions about them. She is more intrigued on how the man is related to bean si at this moment.

[Jack_Spade]

Cabin 12 was unlocked when the team got there. Inside was a small conference table with comfortable chairs and a small snackbar with softdrinks and snacks.
Once everyone was inside, the door closed on it's own and a very realistic holographic projection suddenly appeared at the head of the table.
The projection was that of a beautiful Elf, with long, slender limbs, high cheekbones, long, black, straight hair and amber cat eyes. He was clothed in a tailored three piece suit, while also wearing black leather gloves.

"Good evening. I understand that you are looking for Bean Si, aren't you?" his slightly synsthetic sounding voice said. He looked at bnc and said: "Are you in fact her sister, or has MCT just made you to resemble her for psychological warfare reasons?"
He smiled, showing a row of very white, regular teeth: "And before you answer, be aware that this room is equipped with a very sophisticated sensor suite that monitors all your body data for signs of deception."

[Thanee]

Nova laughed lightly. When the barkeeper grinned at her after asking her last question, she had figured it would be something like that.

"Good evening, Herr Abdecker. You do not need to worry, we are not here to cause trouble and neither are we here to deceive you or anyone else. Plain and simple, we need your help. It is correct, that we are looking for Bean Si, and as you already know, her own trail has led us here. In the spirit of a mutual exchange, I would be rather curious to know, how you learned about her sister and that she is, in fact, with us. It is not exactly a piece of information we are broadcasting. It should, however, tell you pretty clearly on which side we are."

"Other than that, we are mostly interested in whether Bean Si has been contacting you lately. After the incident, that is. As I mentioned, the last thing we found out was, that she considered you as someone who could help her. Did you? And do you have any idea, where she might be now?"

"Now, this isn't something you will simply tell us, obviously. So, how do we proceed from here?"

[Jack_Spade]

Abdecker looked pensive for a moment:
"Now see, Bean Si has helped me before and I was all to glad to repay the favor. I know about her sister, because I am very good at my job - and Bean Si had asked me before to locate bnc, so I already had a profile. Which is nice, because now - if Bean Si survives - I can claim the other half of the payment.
I was also very interested in Dr. Rosenberg's research data on curing or at least controlling HMHVV, so there was a another good reason for me to help her.

Now comes the difficult part: Although I have no doubt that you are out to help Bean Si, I can't break confidentiality with my client. And I don't have a number to contact her. She does have a rather daring plan going on, that would not do well to be disturbed.

But there is something you could do for me - and in exchange I could give you a job offer that - by total coincidence - could bring you close to her.

You see, since Bean Si was here in Linz, there has been a big surge in Crusader activities. Since you are already aware of them, according to Schorsch, I don't have to explain why I'm not particularly fond of them. They aren't just randomly attacking young girls that look a bit like the two sisters, they are also in general coordinated to work against HMHVV victims.
I know for a fact that someone is planning to use them to destroy the Ghoul Ghetto - which could lead to very serious ramifications for me and some of my customers.

You are also aware, I assume, how the Crusaders work? The big forum, the BTL chips that grant them endurance and in a very limited form certain skills.
There has been a recent update to the chips. The users connect to each other like a second matrix. The more there are within 100m the stronger the network becomes and the more coordinated they get.

I want you to raid a certain warehouse were the local chip production is and secure for me both the schematics as well as whoever is behind that operation.
Do that for me and I'll help you get close to Bean Si - and if it works out it will take care of the Crusaders too as soon as I have the keys to infiltrate that P2P network of theirs."

[Thanee]

Nova looked around. This surely was the closest they had gotten to bnc's sister so far. There was no real reason to mistrust this guy. Bean Si herself had led them here. Plus, the offer he made was targeting the Crusaders, who clearly were their enemy in this whole mess.

"Kicking some Crusaders ass? Now that sounds good to me... You can count me in."

[Gilga]

Anna was more hesitant "The way I understand the situation, it is within your best interest to help us as Bean Si would need our help, and she hired you to find bnc anyhow. You actually get paid to find bnc, if Bean Si survives which is in our best interest as well.

Now, I understand that you are in a bind with the Crusaders, and agree that it is a worthy cause and I have no problem in pulling this shtick off to kick start a future relationship. However, you are asking for a lot, and can perhaps sweeten this deal a bit? There is a real risk, from being personally added to the Crusader shit list, to expenses such as burnt SINs, or lost equipment, injury or death, and the benefits to you, your well being and your business needs are numerous. "

[Jack_Spade]

Abdecker smiled again: "I'd expect you to be a whole lot better than to burn SINs on a job like that, not to mention injury and death. Consider this job a trust building exercise.
But ok, no-one likes working for free - I get it. Well, I can offer you my services. Hard to get items are a specialty of mine - as are shadow services. So if you actually need a new SIN, I can hook you up, maybe even at a discount if I happen to have an identity that fits your particular type."

[Gilga]

Anna texts the team >> How about we drop some/all of the loot at this Abdecker and negotiate some nice price? Perhaps 40% market value as a sign of good will? Would give us some extra cash for expenses, and its best not to keep souvenirs. To the very least let's get rid of the cheap deck. Shall we offer that, or do you have better contacts for such an exchange?

[Luckace]

Wraith was inclined to accept Abdecker's offer right away (depending on whatever sensors Abdecker claims to have, I guess he might notice that), yet he urged himself to keep a professional distance.
"What kind of warehouse are we talking about here? Run-down storage cells or actual con-territory? What you're suggesting is plain and simply abduction. So, naturally, we need to know against who we're running, before we agree to anything."
This wasn't about the evil, godless side of the infected - this was about social outcasts trying to preserve their livelihood against a mob of lunatics. It will be my pleasure...


@team:
<< I know a fence for magical goods, should give us a good price for the alchemical wonderbox.>>

[Jack_Spade]

"I have no exact intel on the inside. It's a bit outside Linz. Just a big, two story warehouse made form aluminium. They have high power consumption for their server farm and the accompanying cooling system. As far as I know, there are six guards. Two usually walk the perimeter with a hellhound and handguns. They receive daily deliveries from a white GMC Bulldog and send it full of product out again. The car arrives usually around midnight. The guards go in during that time. There is a kennel next to the warehouse where another two hellhounds are kept.
During operations, there are at least seven cars parked outside. Beside the guards there is your target person as well as two or three workers busy at the place.

I've counted six smartgun enabled Berettas, seven smartun AK-97, at least one person with wired reflexes and reaction enhancers, a strong sensor suite covering all entrances as well as one full time decker on duty armed with a Microtronica 300 and an R5 Agent system."
Abdecker replied.

[Thanee]

"That is great intel, but then again, that's what you do ..." Nova said with a smile. She liked this job already.

"And, yeah, I doubt this would cause us too much trouble. Do you have any backdoors in there, that you could share? Why do the same work twice, right?"


<< I wouldn't know why he would want any of that stuff, but there is no harm in asking, maybe, if he knows someone who might be interested... >>"

[Gilga]

Anna texts >> I really hate it. We are going to do some serious B&E, possibly get into a gunfight for very vouge intel on Bean Si. He uses words like might - and might not. A favor is to do some drek job, or matrix search not to raid a facility.

Anna shrugs This gig means to go sideways on our mission. Yet, you do not offer any concrete payment. How again is raiding this facility going to make us any closer to Bean Si?

[Jack_Spade]

"I'm going to neutralize the Crusader faction - who are a threat both to Bean Si, you and me with the help of this intel. If you get this done, I'll send you to the same objective that Bean Si planed to take on. As far as I know she hasn't yet hit it. In addition, I offer my services as smuggler, fixer and shadow merchant at... let's say a 20% discount."
The hologram replied to Anna.

To Nova he said: "No backdoors that I have found. Their machines don't run on the matrix, so I had no chance to scout those. There are three garage doors to the West and two service entrances - one North, one South. The kennel is to the South as well. Only the northern most garage door is used to let the transporter in. The other two seem to be locked shut.
The doors have keypad maglocks, but they aren't on the matrix either."

[Gilga]

Anna asks "When was your last contact wit Bean Si? How well do you know her?"

[Thanee]

<< @Anna: Look, I know it isn't easy to put trust into someone you do not know at all. But it is exactly what we have to do here. This guy is our best shot to find her. We know from her diary, that she was going to him for help, so if she thought he is trustworthy, given her situation and all that, we should do so as well. And this job is definitely going to help us and her also, as he said, taking out one of our problems from the equation. The payment here is information. And information is valuable. Especially this one. What do you expect? That he gives us everything he knows for free? What do you think the Harvesters would be willing to put down to know the location where Bean Si is going to be. A lot. There is enough here to trust him that far. It all fits together. It's not a huge risk we are taking here. Let us do this and move forward. We are close. >>"

[Gilga]

Without losing her cool, Anna texts back. >> Oh I trust him alright. He is a contact of Bean Si, but it does not mean that Bean Si trusted him blindly. About this run, he did extensive job and was going to hire someone to do it, so he was willing to pay hard currency - there was no way he could anticipate us here. So he seizes the opportunity not to pay for a job he planned on paying, and we drool all over this job as if the man knows where Bean Si is. Or as if the Crusaders are the only people after her, and eliminating them would make her much safer.

So we are being out-negotiated by an expert negotiator that completed a paid job just by meeting bnc. The icing on the cake is that our 'reward' is yet another free run, where we 'might' encounter Bean Si. The man has no way to contact her, and while Bean Si used his services, he might as well be overplaying his hand. It is difficult to respect people that work for free based on nothing more than a story. I have no problem in doing it for bnc, but like Abdecker does not offer 'free service', neither should we. His behavior shows a man that makes sure that he is paid for everything he does, more so, Bean Si even paid 50% in advance - yet we need to work for free. Why? is he a charity case? Are the shadow-business slow - or are German shadowrunners a bunch of romantics that go risk their lives for a story and a promise without either trying to get paid - or trying to get more than a vouge promise.


Anna took a deep breath and tried to salvage the situation. "Look, Mr. Abdecker. I trust that you are a professional, and I do value your services with or without a discount. Good professionals are money well spent. I agree that messing with the Crusaders indirectly helps Bean Si, but they are not the only ones that are after her, and in my impression are not even the most likely to find her. So to go raid the Crusaders out of all of Bean Si's foes is not exactly in our best interest. I am not saying that we conflict with interests here, but it is a compromise that we need to make to establish this relationship. Now from the degree of intelligence you have on this location, I am confident that you planned on doing this job well before you met us. As a fixer, I am sure that you have the connections to do so. Though, none of them would do so for free.

Now, you meet a bunch of people with good intentions toward Bean Si, including her long-lost sister which you were paid to find. I see your suggestion as a solid negotiation stance that tries to milk this possibility as much as you can in your favor. I appreciate the negotiation lesson, and if you deck things as well as you negotiate, then I am very impressed. From my point of view, we need to deviate a bit from our mission, to do something that is somewhat sideways because of your immediate problems. Sure it is a job that would make the world a better place, and our friend would indirectly benefit from it. It is not exactly the most direct route to finding her. The Crusaders are one of many enemies for her, and even if we can eliminate their threat, Bean Si still has many enemies.

I am not saying that you can not get us to do this for free. It is difficult to negotiate when it is personal for some us. Yet, expecting a professional to work for free, or strongarming a negotiation position to the point where you get free labor is a bit excessive. The best bargaining is when both sides are happy with their share. You are a good lead to Bean Si; we know that you are one of her contacts and I believe that she did pay you to find bnc and that you might have some general idea of her whereabouts. You do not know exactly where she is and have no control over where she would be. Mutual interests go both ways, our success is also within your best interest, and while it is clear that we will agree to solve this problem for you. I think that you can, and should do better than a 20% discount on some future service we may require. Shadow dealings come with mutual respect - and you expect us to go sideways to disable the Crusaders, you should make an investment and not try to exploit our emotions and care for Bean Si to get us to work for free.

[Jack_Spade]

"You talk a lot, but what I haven't heard yet is your price. As I see it, I have a very rare and precious commodity that you need to fullfill your mission, while you - so far - haven't given me anything except unwittingly introducing me to Bean Si's sister. There are others I can send out to do this job. Hell, quite a lot of people would pay me for the scouting data I just gave you for free, so they can get their hands on loads of BTL and high tech equipment out there."
The decker replied, still friendly, but also sounding a bit hurt. Negotiations definitely were one of his specialties.

[Volker]

bnc listens silently for a number of reasons. First, she hates the fact that her feelings were being monitored whenever she says anything. It makes her feel naked ... in an uncomfortable way altogether. Second, she is frightened by this man who is not only incredible smart, but also well-equipped, well-informed and has us on is turf to conditions he set. Third, she knows she emotionally involved and prone to misjudgement - another reason to let others do the talking. Especially as they seem to know what they are doing. Fourth, despite using her agent to check the group for marks, she herself, too, checks for any digital attacks at their silent conversation, their decks or commlinks, and so on. Also, she tries to locate the system that's monitoring them in order to hack it herself.

<@team<i agree w/ anna. id like 2 know whos behind the crusaders. theyre not random gogos but wellorganized or rather wellsteered>