IC: Extradition Options

[Rokur]

11.7.70 1900 Dock 3

Once on the boat, Avenger gets himself situated and puts his bag away. He'll sit back relaxing for a bit, and seeing if anyone wants to do the planning. When people do go to sleep, the human utilizes the special sleep regulator he has in himself and stays up going online to do lots and lots of research. He and his Agent will be studying construction layouts of the terrain, recent battles, leading generals, history of the mark. Then he'll take his 3 hour power nap. When he wakes up he will get to work on memorizing maps and terrain. Getting it memorized and planning some escape routes that would be easy to lose all people not on foot.

[Kiedo]

Al

Raven scratches his stubble, "Aye, but if yer on tha deck, ye might key yer eyes peeled for strangeness. Ever since the Tir and the CFS started fightin' theres been an awful lot of strange traffic on tha water down that way, you'd do well ta keep an eye out fer any such strangeness."

And beyond that, the captain looks like he has little more to say.

[adamu]

"Much obliged, skipper, I"ll try'n sleep light."
With that, Al goes and finds a spot he knows will be low traffic for the crew, probably immediately to the stern of the deck house, and stows his pack. Then he returns to the hold, all trace of his previous discomfort gone, and begins to look through the crate of supplies.
Lotsa armor in here. Shore wouldn't mind havin' somethin' more'n my camo suit between me an' any incomin' nastiness. Let's see here - this here camo suit would fit the bill jist fine - not too heavy, but a lot sturdier'n my own. Ain't insulated, though - like ta freeze ta death. Too bulky ta wear over my own suit. Hmmm. Maybe the armored suit with these here fine insulated longjohns....

With those thoughts, Al hauls out the camo suit and the smallest set of underwear and, without a shred of self-consciousness, begins to strip. Off comes the oversized brown leather jacket and the similarly baggy, sweat-stained T-shirt, revealing a horribly scarred upper body. The burn scars on both hands extend well up his forearms, and there are numerous bullet scars as well as a long, jagged cut across his stomach. But most conspicuous is his back. His chest is covered in copious hair, and while it appears that his back would be similarly furry, the hair now grows only in erratic patches, a few places here and there not crosshatched with lash marks. It is as though all the flesh on his back was torn completely away by a whip or a cane. But the way some scars overlay others suggest, rather, that he was lashed periodically over a long period of time. Once he finishes stripping, it is apparent that his buttocks and the backs of his thighs are likewise completely covered in cane marks.

Around his neck is a leather thong, strung with numerous small - somethings - they are of indeterminate shape, and a variety of colors. A similar trinket is attached to a leather thong tied tightly around his upper left arm, very near the shoulder.

Besides the scars, there are numerous tattoos.

For any who care to look at his upper body -

[ Spoiler ]

Inside right forearm - a full-color, high-quality image of a gnarly sea serpent crushing and cracking a 3-D representation of the Proteus AG logo, the fanged visage seeming to strike forward at the viewer. The image is encircled by a banner with something written around the circumference.
From the top of his left shoulder, extending downward to his elbow, is a neat list of what appear to be women's names - at least all those written in roman lettering are, though there are a couple in what appear to be Arabic, and one in Chinese pictographs. Each of the names has a neat X tattooed through it.
Right upper arm - a nude woman who sways erotically whenever his bicep flexes.
Right shoulder - Confederate Stars and Bars.

For those who look at the tats on his lower body -

[ Spoiler ]

Snake coiling up from his ankle, around his calf, and up to his knee.
Across his pelvis and thereabouts is the face/head of an African elephant. It is a strikingly high quality piece of work. The crown extends above his navel, marred by the jagged scar across his lower abdomen. The eyes are wide-set above the line of his pubis. The ears flare out across and around his hips. The tusks extend down his inner thighs. His manhood, also appropriately tattooed, is the trunk.

Al pulls on the underwear, and then, with a great effort, hauls on the armored camo suit. Once it is all on, he takes a few ginger steps, but the first gentle swell that hits the boat throws him to the floor. Nuts ta this. Looks like a choice between this here kevlar an' the insulation I brought with me. Well, probably git shot at, but definitely be cold, so there ya are. He changes back into his own clothes and replaces the other stuff in the crate.

"Well, gennulmen, I'm gon' be bunkin' topside - headin' up there now fer some air. Ya need me fer anythin', jist give a holler." Turning to Gore, "Found me a mess a stuff out about some cave at the co-ordi-naytes we got fer the missy. Seb knows most of it, but I done found out a mite more 'at I ain't had time to pass along yet - yew know, mystical crap - so lemme know if'n yer int'rested in knowin' more 'bout that. An' ever'one might be innerested in a swell map Seb made up, too."

With that, Al grabs a six-pack of Grolsch from the case and, remembering Raven's warning, loads his shotgun with EX rounds to take it topside with him as well. But just as he is heading out the hatch...

[Divine Virus]

Sebastian takes a moment to load his clips with bullits.

[ Spoiler ]

Two filled with explsoive rounds, 1 filled with flechette, one normal, one gel

Then he puts on his own insulated underarmour and steps up onto the deck with Al, pulling on a lifejacket aand slamming the clip into his Ingram X smartgun. He leans ageinst the rainling, watching the coast roll by.

[Cogar]

11.7.70 1900 Dock 3


Gore arrives at dock 3 as requested, he finds his collegues and begins preperations for departure.

"Well gentlemen our mark will have a nice surprise if she decides to engage us in combat"

GoreSmiles Widely

Al it would be nice to have that information before you go topside.... did you get my shield?


Gore at the moment looks like a walking hardcase, he is now wearing black trousers and a black T shirt underneath his coat, strapped to his back is a troll sized standard riot shield, if you examine the shield closer there is somthing written on it "If your reading this, you should REALLY be on the other side"

there is a sword in a scabbard at this hip and he holds his trusty staff. "Well gentle men im tired.... im going to catch 40 winks, scream if you need me."

Gore settles down with the information al gives him and reads it ... after reading it he falls into a deep sleep.

[adamu]

"Shore, big guy, jist lemme send it over to ya," Al replies, fiddling with his commlink. "May be nothin' at all - no idear if'n it relates ta the artifaks or anythin' else, but like I told Sebastian, the cave near 'er last known 20 has been in use by one crazy cult or 'nother stretchin' back ta tha 19th century, an' alla that nonsense only stops - far as I been able ta tell, anyways - when ol' Hestaby took control o' the area 'round 2053. Who knows what sorta crap been goin' on since - but seein' as how its basically her back yard we's lookin' at operatin' in, I recommend we, uh, make sure ta do ever'thin' as eco-friendly as possible while we's there.
"Anyways....there....I sent ya the same links I been lookin' at - the place is called Pythian Cave, an' I been readin' up on tha significance o' the name."

[ Spoiler ]

Cogar- for the shield, the most recent reference is my post of June 4 5:53 pm
The links Al sends Gore are to a number of public sites that basically say that the Pythian Cave, in Greek mythology, is the home of the Oracle - you know, the same oracle that was always making prophecies that were important to the myths' plotlines. The Oracle herself lived in the cave and was a priestess of Pythos, from python, as in snake. Her god, Pythos, was a big-ass snake that was the son of one of the big goddesses - can't remember which, but easy to find - and it basically fed her the prophecies. Eventually, Apollo kills Pythos by smoking him out of the cave and then shooting him full of arrows.
It may be just a coincidence, but if any snake or prophecy stuff comes up in your searches....

With that, Al heads topside, plops down, and cracks a beer. As the cold wind blows off of Puget Sound through the rips in his jeans, he thinks, Guthrie, you's a plain fool. Nine months back in civilization done made you soft and lazy. Pa din't raise ya ta quit on nothin' so easy as that.
Sebastian comes up and goes to the railing. "Glad fer the comp'ny, kid." He throws him a beer. "Be right back." He goes back down to hold, changes into the thermal undersuit, puts his usual clothes back on over it, and then takes the camo suit and his tool kit up top with him.

[GingerKid]

Patch takes a look in the box. "Ah here we go." He pulls out the medkit and moves off to the side. He unpacks the entire thing taking stock of what is in there and repacks it the way he likes his medkits to be packed. After that he puts it in his bag with the other.

Walking back over to the box he says, "Al or Sebastion, could I get a copy of that map Al was going on about? And looky here.... This will fit just nicely." Patch pulls out the duster and tries it on. He also pulls out a pair of the under armor that looks like will fit and puts it in one of his bags to put on later.

After he receives the map, he goes to a corner to study it in detail for a few hours before going to sleep.

[Rokur]

As everyone begins to change, so does Avenger He'll throw on the Armored Long Johns on underneath all his current armor. He does not hide any of the gear he's wearing. He also sends a mental command to his flyspy to see if it can climb out of the skin pocket and through the underarmor. If it can't he'll merely move the drone into a pocket of his.

Then he'll turn to the group sitting in the hold and ask, "So, anyone come up with a plan yet?"

[adamu]

While down in the hold changing for the second time, Al gives Ginger the link he is using to access the map off of Sebastian's sim module/PAN. "It's a 3D mock-up of the cave an' surroundin' area. I've only accessed it in full-VR so far - don't rightly know how it'll come through in AR. Here, fer a bigger picture, lemme also send ya the links to the navigatshun sites I been spendin' time on." Al sends the links to sites that show a complex route of back roads and old logging tracks that lead to within less than a mile of the coordinates, using the route he described to Sebastian earlier.

Once back up top with Seb, he turns his attention to the camo suit. It turns out to be a much easier job than he had thought, as some of the heavier shock plates are designed to be removable. Damn - this combo'll be much better'n the struff I bought, an' the long johns'll be usable even before I go full-commando with this camo gear....Well, looks like over a thousand new-yen down the tube on the stuff I bought, but it never hurts ta have spare, nosiree.

"Well kid, since yer up here an' all, best let'cha know 'at the skipper thinks we may run into some strange an' dang'rous goins on as we head further south. Reckon I'm gon' bed down now, afore we's even out the Sound, git a good night's sleep so I kin stay alert tomorrow night." Al rolls out his sleeping gear and lies down, his right hand resting on the grip of his shotgun where it lies on the deck. After several periodic and violent coughing fits, he is snoring loudly.

[Divine Virus]

"I shan't need to sleep for a long while yet" Sebastian says as he starts pacing the boat, keeping his eyes pealed for anything peculiar.

[Kiedo]

A slightly metallic voice comes over the intercom of the ship, "Boys we be settin' sail now, so sit tight and enjoy the ride."

A deep thrumming sound springs to life from the stern side of the cargo bay. The powerful diesel engine throttles up with a rich and subtle roar. And like that the first step in thier journey was taken.

[GingerKid]

I'll have to talk to this captain tomorrow. From the look of this ship, I bet he has done some smuggling. Couldn't hurt to see If he knows a good way in and out of the war zone. But that can wait until tomorrow.

[GingerKid]

Patch comes out of his silent study and musings when he hears Avenger's question. "Nothing more than my original thoughts. I'm studying the maps now, but tomorrow I think we should maybe have a discussion with the captain. Somehting about this boat makes me think he's done some smuggling. Might turn to be a further asset to our insertion."

[adamu]

Somewhere off Salish-Sidhe coast 0314 11/8/70

Al has been snoring steadily for almost eight hours - long enough that, like a refrigerator's hum (or better yet the background cacophony of the virtual world), Sebastian has long since stopped registering it as he gazes over the starlit Pacific waters.
He is startled from his reverie by violent but by now familiar coughing - a horrid wet hack punctuated by dry rasping struggles for breath. He looks over to see Al bundled in his ubiquitous brown leather jacket, holding a Lucky Strike in shivering fingers, desperately pulling on it whenever he manages to catch a breath. After about ten minutes of this, the coughing ceases and Al looks up with a feral grin and greets his young friend as if nothing at all was amiss. "Top o' tha mornin', kid," he barks, thinking, Don't this kid never sleep?
He takes a beer from his unfinished six-pack and goes to the rail, where he manages to somehow drink, smoke, urinate, and scratch his ass simultaneously - in fact, he makes it look like the most natural thing in the world. Then, tossing the empty into the ocean, he growls, "Well, pal, what say we make our own, unaccompanied, in-speck-shun o' this here crate?" and sets off to find what or who he can find.

[adamu]

Ten minutes later, Al feels like he has a pretty good lay of the land. He goes back and polices his bedroll, again stowing his gear behind the deckhouse. He picks up his shotgun, still where he left it lying on the deck, and goes up to the prow to smoke a pack or two of cigarettes as he waits for everyone else to wake up.

[Kiedo]

Cleft Segment (submarine volcano)44 50'50.32" N 133 27' 50.86" W 0421 11.8.70

Al sits feeling slightly sleepy, on the deck watching the horizon's gentle lobing motion, when out of the corner of his eye, he sees a vessel, perhaps 500 meters off the stern moving rapidly towards the fishing boat. Raven and Vivi come on deck quickly.

"Put that holepunch below deck, we're in International water but these folks have taken it upon themselves to police the waters anyway, there should be nothing to worry about unless they want to go below deck."

[adamu]

Al can't decide which is most worthy of his attention - the approach of the other vessel, or the sudden and altogether unexpected appearance of the lovely Ms. McLoy, singer from the Lonely Hearts. Don' look like no sailor I ever saw. Wimmern onna ship - what's next? An' din't even play my Skynyrd request. But he wastes no time pondering the situation, moving quickly toward the hatch. As he goes, he fishes in his pocket for his new ear bud and puts it in place, simultaneously calling out his commcode to Raven. "I'll open our team PAN up to ya so's ya kin let us know what's goin' on up here." With that, he retrieves his pack and descends below, heading straight for the hold where the others are. Heaving open the sturdy door, he sees the sleeping forms of Gore, Avenger, and Patch.
"Look lively lads! Some sorta cops inbound. Skipper wants us ta stay outta sight, 'specially with weapons. I done opened our PAN up to 'im so's we'll know what's up." Al takes a step into the hold, but as he does so the lack of other exits rings home. Hell an' fer sure there's no good ta be had in alla us bein' cooped up in one room like fish inna barrel. "I'll be inna head," he announces, tossing his pack into the room. Keeping his Remington, he crosses under the hatch that leads up top, and moves on down the corridor to the toilet, where he stubs out his cigarette and locks himself inside.

[Divine Virus]

Sebastian had been up all night, of course, and in the wee hours of the morning he had slips his Katana from its seath and started going through motions and katas with but one hand. ambidextrous, he passed the blade back and forth, perfecting his grace with the sword being used with one one hand.

In the Morning he enjoys his tour with Al, and grabs a life jacket that could accomidate his dense bones and fastens it own before continueing.

Sebastian slides bellow deck when the alert goes up, but not before taking several snapshots of the vessel with his cybereyes, at various magnifications and spectrums. He makes sure his Styer is up his sleve, clipp of normal rounds loaded, his Igram is around his neck, more regular rounds, and his katana can be freely drawn despite the extra layer of teh lifejacket.

[GingerKid]

Patch wakes up and rubs the sleep from his eyes. "Cops ya say. In international waters." Odd.

Patch shakes his head to help him become more alert. He then goes about putting on the newly acquired under armor under his regular clothes and finishes off by putting on the newly acquired duster. He then pulls out the AK-97 and roots around his bag for the 3 clips of regular ammo, loading one and putting the other two in chest pockets. He finishes up by concealing the loaded gun under the duster.

By this time Al has already left. Patch looks around at the others. "Just a precaution. It might be better to try and let the captain talk a way out of this. If that fails then we can talk our way out of this. If that fails..... Sebastian did you get a good look at the vessel these 'Cops' were on, and how many of them there are?"

[Kiedo]

The Storm Crow 0430 11.8.70

The vigilanty vessel pulls up on the port side of The Storm Crow, and three men are standing, with assault rifles agains the starboard side railing of thier vessel. Raven walks up to them and flashes some papers.

"You smuggling this morning captain," one of the men asks.

"Nar, why would ye think it," Raven says making a pretty good show of being offended.

"Well, your boat is registered to Seattle and your out here in international waters, not dragging your net. Would you mind if we boarded and took a look in your cargo hold."

Vivi spoke up, "We have a full cargo hold of shrimp and very little ice, if you boys can stand the smell," she trails off.

The men on the boat exchange glances, and decide they'd had a bad enough morning.

"No, that won't be nessisary, we'll take your word for it, were are you going into port?"

"Ah, we be sailing to the CFS, I hear they've got very good prices on the little flippies," Raven said.

"Alright, carry on," and with that, the boat pulls away, heading off in the direction they came.

[adamu]

Sitting there on the toilet with his shotgun, Al picks up a muffled version of events topside on his earpiece. Lousy cops - no matter where ya go, dumb as bricks. Anyway, reckon we'd all best lay good an' low till Raven signals they's well outta sight. Well, long as I'm sittin' here in this here privy...

[Kiedo]

"They be gone, but I suggest ye stay were ya are for a few minutes anyhow, just so's they clear the horizon," a quiet metallic voice says. After a few minutes Raven comes down into the cargo hold.

"Vivi just got off the horn with Jack he explained to her your cause and asked that we be helpful in anyway we can," he says sounding slightly embarrassed.

"Now don't go takin' it that Jack an' I ain't still feudin' cause that'd not be the case but considerin' what's at stake, yer gonna need all the help ye can get. Guess'n the first place to start would be were you boys want me ta drop ye's off."

[adamu]

"Nah, the first place ta start," says Al from behind Raven, entering the hold, shotgun slung on its shoulder strap and both hands buckling his belt, "is that other line - the one 'bout considerin' what's at stake. We know the li'l missy's got some mysterious artifacks, but sounds ta ol' Al like maybe you knows more'n we been told...."

[GingerKid]

Patch open's his mouth to start a question, but Al speaks up first. Patch suddenly get's very interested in hearing Raven's response to Al's question. Good catch Al. My questions on insertion can wait 'til after this one.

[Rokur]

The Storm Crow 0430 11.8.70

Besides playing the dressup game and the fun of picking out some gear, Avenger will sit back and close his eyes and jump into the VR... he'll spend as much time as possible, until about midnight when he takes his power nap. Luckily he only has to sleep for 3 hours, and is fully awake when he recieves Al's message.

Avenger is happy to sit back and relax in the cargo hold. Trusting in Raven and this ship to carry them safely. When the man pops down into the hold followed by Al with a shotgun, Avenger begins to chuckle at the situation letting Al take the lead for now.