IC: Insurrection, Got darkness, will travel Options

[Kiedo]

Prologue: Smash, Grab, run like hell

Houston, Tx CAS 7.7.70 03:00

"Is that the shipment?"
"Yeah."
"Woo, they sure are bookin' it."
"It is a bit strange, isn't it."
"No time to wonder though, we've got work to do."

Cloaked in shadows, the team lies in wait, holding until the absolute last minute. Ambush. A small shoulder fired rocket takes out the lead car of the Muchado transport convoy, sending shrapnel flying into the morning sky. The following vehicles slam into the back of the smoldering wreckage, sending the driver hurtling out the front window, skidding to a stop, motionless. Another rocket takes out the rear vehicle trapping the remaining two in the middle, four armed guards step out guns blazing. The shots of the fire fight can be heard for miles across the Texas flat land, but being that they are currently 35 miles north of the cold neon glow of houston, no body is any the wiser.

After the last shots are fired the ambushing team down three members moves fast and quietly down removes thier target from the only undamaged transport and is off, as quickly as they had set upon the unsuspecting group.

Chapter 1: Lance Neon

Houston, Tx CAS 7.7.70 13:00

Your commlink alerts you to an incoming message.

I've got a job for you, if your interested meet me at Indigo's at 9:10 pm.

-neon

PS dress for success boys.

[Divine Virus]

Howard's Boarding House, Houston, Tx CAS 7.7.70 13:00
Miralda is in the boarding house common room when the call comes in, listening quietly and attentively to the woes on a young ork. He offers no advice, that isn't his place, but has a nigh tangable aura of silent compassion about him. Eventually the ork runs out of words, and thanks Miralda wholeheartedly for listening, then makes his way off. Miralda didn't live here, but it was one of his favoite places. Howard, a venerable ork in his 60s, owned the boarding house and was with Miralda during the Night Of Rage, when Miralda lost his arm. So Miralda came down to visit often, and reflect on with him on their lives, or talk to the younger folks now living there. He checks the message.

"I've got a job for you, if your interested meet me at Indigo's at 9:10 pm.

-neon

PS dress for success boys."

Miralda chuckles softly, thinking back to the contents of his wardrobe. For him dressing for success always consisted of the uniform, still kept in immaculate condition, stoyed in a box under his bed. But he hardly thought that was what neon had in mind.

At 9:00 Miralda shows up at the Indigo, dressed in a chic suit borrowed from a friend of his. Its a obvioius that its not tailored, and doesn't quite obscure Miralda's cyberarm in a satisfactory manner. he wears a black glove on his right hand. He sits down at the bar and with the aid of a generous tip, convinces the bartender that water is a perfectly legitamet thing to serve, that is if its presented in the same manner of vodka, and priced in the same manner of vodka of course....

[Konsaki]

Roadrunner Saloon - Houston, TX CAS 7.7.70 13:00
The day hasn't started to pick up in the Roadrunner Saloon. While a few people are scattered throughout the saloon, Roland sits alone at the bar nursing a longneck watching the trid. As he watches the old thing, he sees people running about on a field but it makes no difference to him as he takes another swig of his beer.
...Jack Heraldson, lead player... ...good chance to make... ...Goal!...
At that moment Roland's commlink throws up a window into his AR vision...

"I've got a job for you, if your interested meet me at Indigo's at 9:10 pm.
-neon
PS dress for success boys."

Looks like its time to get ready for work...., Roland sighs. He then downs what's left of his beer and nods to the barkeep as he stands up and walks out the door. Standing in the hot afternoon sun, he puts on his sunglasses as he looks for his bike. It isnt hard to find as it is one of the only crotchrockets among the cruisers parked out front. I have got to get myself another Harley or something. This toy is embarassing sometimes... he thinks to himself as he starts up the Mirage.

Roland's house - Houston, TX CAS 7.7.70 13:54
Roland walks into the kitchen from the garage entrance and smells the AutoCook™ almost done with his SoySteak. This should be a good lunch, Roland thinks to himself as he starts to take off his boots and riding gear. As he gets unequiped he thinks about the message, Dress for success, huh? Guess I better clean up then.
After throwing his jacket and cloths into the cleaner, he takes a shower and eats his SoySteak. After eating, Roland looks at his cloths for the evening. Jacket, cleaned. Shirt, clean. Jeans, clean. Boots..., as he looks over his stuff. As he gets to the boots, they look like a walk through a cowfield might clean them up. Grumbling, Roland gets to work cleaning his boots untill they have a dim shine.
He then lays out his Polsar and Pred IV on the table with 2 spare clips of normal ammo. After checking over his gear again, sets the alarm for 19:30 and falls asleep for the day.

Indigo - Houston, Tx CAS 7.7.70 20:40
Dressed for success, for a bountyhunter anyways, Roland walks up to the front doors to Indigo. Nodding to the bouncer, he hands over his Pred IV but not his tazer and sees the check number in his AR. Inside he heads over to the bar and orders a shot of Jack to start the night. Downing it without a flinch, he then orders a Crown n' Coke, tipping the bartender for his time. As he is drinking that, he hears nature's call and has to respond.
At 2102, Roland walks out of the bathroom to see Miralda at the bar. Walking over, Roland orders another Crown n' Coke through AR.
"Well, well. I thought the retirement homes usually kept better track of thier wards.", Roland says with a smile as he walks up behind Miralda.

[Divine Virus]

Indigo - Houston, Tx CAS 7.7.70 20:40
"Oh you know me and my violent escapes," Miralda says with a grin, "racking up quite a body count at that place, might be time for me to find another. Now, since it appears you know all about my nursing home dareing-dos, why don't you bring e up to speed with how you've been keeping while we wait for Triplicate. I'm sure that he got the invite as well."

[Konsaki]

Indigo - Houston, Tx CAS 7.7.70 21:04
Taking a sip of his drink, Roland thinks for a second. "Well, I've been up to my usuall", he says as he gives a slight chuckle under his breath. "Had some guy over in Abilene who gave me a run for my money, and that run lasted at least four blocks. The guy gave up after he ran down an alley with no way out and after 4 gels."
"Speaking of Triplicate, I wonder what he has been up too. Probably more of that Matrix voodoo he does, no doubt.", Roland says while shaking his head. "I still dont get most of the stuff he does." He then takes another sip from his drink.

[Divine Virus]

"Oh, I could make a statement about all that technobabble that would certainly put an age to me," Miralda says with a twinkle in his eye, "but since no one likes a blabbering old git, lets just leave it be that I am at least equally mistified."

[Konsaki]

Roland laughs a bit at Miralda's last statement. "Just remember that if I were human, I wouldn't be that far off from you. Also, in our line of work, young or old, it could be snuffed out in a twitch.", Roland ends on a somber note. Putting his left hand to his chin, Roland stares off into space for a second. "I'm going to take a wild guess and you recived this note too.", talking as he sends the message to Miralda. "Any idea what might come of this, Nick?"

[Divine Virus]

"What might come of it, eh?" Miralda says, scratching his chim, "vast sums of Nuyen if we are fortuneate I would say... and if we aren't a few more scars and a rather terrific story that will rarely get told. Same with every other run, in other wordsy. You knowRoland, you are indeed not much younger then I, but I can;t help thinking that these winkles are grey hair temper the mind some as well. Relax my friend, we will know soon enough."

[Konsaki]

Roland looks at Miralda while listening and then looks around the bar. "I guess you might have some truth to that statement. At least on my hunts I know somewhat what I have to look forward to, though." Roland replies as he continues looking out for something, but not knowing what.

[Divine Virus]

"Ah, thats the rub. What do I have to look forwards to. We learn, grow old, assimalate our knowedge and then find ourselves living in a charicature of our own bodies. By all rights I shouldn't even be alive right now, let alone runing..." Miralda's gaze drops to his right hand. "But you still got your future, and I'm just helping to make it a great one." Miralda finishes with a smile.

[Konsaki]

"Yeah, the future...", Roland replies with a weak smile. He gives a small sigh as he starts to stare into his drink. "What I wouldn't give to have Fiona apart of it...", Roland says to himself in an almost inaudible whisper. As soon as he says it, finishes off his drink and then shakes his head.
"You know, meta-humanity as a whole has a strong will for survival. No matter what gets thrown your way, most people will do thier best to keep on living. Just look at the two of us, Nick.", Roland says with a wry grin.

[Digital Heroin]

S-X 2 X-S Public Node 7.7.70 12:59

Gliding effortortlessly through the sea of icons, all engaged in various stages of the dance of sexual conquest, or, in a few cases, in the throws of virtual coitus. S-X 2 X-S was not the type of virtual venue which would normally attract Triplicate's attention or patronage , but he was not here to indulge any hedonistic tendancies, no, he was here for information. Over the course of the past few weeks he had been following an indulgent trailing the ebb and flow of the Matrix, searching for information which may lead him to find his former mentor, a man some might consider a traitor. He was still not sure what he felt of Huang-san.

Dancing to the left, Triplicate nimbly avoids a three breasted ork icon, which despite the augmentation, is of indeterminate gender. The female - for his upbringing prevents him from accepting any other possibility - takes a moment to look over his icon. Possessed of a strong sense of self, Yoshiro's icon is a self portrait, albeit bearing some small difference, irises replaces with silver circuitry, fibre-optic hair, a well cut suit that seems to subtly change color from time to time. Possibly seeing him as distasteful, or more than likely a waste of its time, the ork grunts and heads off into the icon throng. Triplicate closes the distance between himself a small 'door' set into the back wall of the node. Before he can enter the node, however, with a password only recently lifted, a small, unobtrusive, shimmering appears in the corner of his eye. He hesitates a moment, and turns from the door. The data trail isn't going to grow cold overnight.

I've got a job for you, if your interested meet me at Indigo's at 9:10 pm.

-neon

PS dress for success boys.

Triplicate considers a moment, looking back to the door, and after some small consideration, he pulls out of the S-X 2 X-S node.

Wings of Fire - Houston, TX CAS 7.7.70 - 14:30

As Triplicate passes into the reception area of the bike/blade courier shop, the souds of Downtown Seattle are washed away by waves of Regae and conversation. Scattered throughout the shop, lounging on sofas or standing in packs, are the various couriers who keep the business viable. Triplicate knows that the primary purpose of the business isn't to make a profit, but to cover other activities. At the moment, however, he does not need those other services.

Layers of fat over ugly muscle, a three day old wifebeater, and a stogie paint the framework for Hermes' lovely self. Usually Triplicate would not deal with a man bent on making others feel uncomfortable around him, but the Fixer did have his connecions.

`Well if it ain't the slant eyed cyber samurai.` The ork's voice is deep, and, despite his tusks, his speach is well annunciated. `What brings you out to my humble shop? Desperate enough for cash to ride for a while?`

`No,` simple, yet decisivly spoken. `I have a package to be delivered.` He lifts a case up onto the counter. Just a briefcase, nothing special. `Your courier will wait outside of Indigo's from nine until ten this evening. If I do not pick the package up, the courier will bring it back here and I will return for it.`He knows fullwell Hermes' grunt isn't because he took offence, but because he never quite expected that command of voice from Triplicate.

`That simple, eh? Alright, it'll cost you, though.`

`Charge it against our next transaction. I need to keep my funds available at the moment.`

Hermes just grunts, and waves the slender Japanese man off. Triplicate bows, and makes his departure.

Indigo - Houston, TX CAS 7.7.70 - 21:05

He cannot blame the driver entirely, but he had offered three alternative routes on the way, based on information he had filtered through several media outlets, as well as the traffic camera network. But still, the cab had hit traffic, and he was conversly late. Fashionably, so, as it were. Here in the meat world he is wearing a suit of the same cut as his icon, though black silk rather than color shift fabric. Sometimes basic black is the best way to go. He has a commlink at his hip, a thin wiring running from it to his shades. This to create the illusion he is merely a hacker, and for storage as well. Roland and Miralda would know otherwise, however.

He approaches the club, drawing the attention of one of the bouncers with a fifty nuyen tip, and a message humbly requesting a head in the line. The bouncer waves him forward, and he submits to the requisit search. Triplicate has come, as he always does, to the meet unarmed. He does not worry that it might be an ambush, for to do so would invite the inevitability.

Entering the club, he is quick to seek out the familiar commlinks of his comrades within the sea of souls, and he joins them, simultaneously pulling up the bar menu, to see if they have an appropriate drink for a meeting, something non-alcoholic.

`We, by design, were meant to overcome, to adapt. An admirable trait, if one posesses the will to embrace it.` Some might dismiss his comment as pointless philosophy, as bravado of a strange sort. But he is not the type to boast. Far from it.

Any sign of our employer? Or perhaps he is being elusive...

[Kiedo]

Indigo's 7.7.70 2110 on the dot

Lance Neon, as close to the name he was born with as a man who wanted to forget his past could come, walked past the bouncer with a wave and nod. He had gone to great lengths to familiarize himself with all of The Indigo's various staff, from club owner Walter O'Dimm to the lowly cleaning staff who slunk into the club about fifteen minutes before last call.

Neon, always a man for flash, is wearing a completely white suit with blue cold cathode tube running along each seam. He walks over to the bar, which for most would be a challenge given the relative crowding of Indigo's after 9pm, with an easy uncanny of a man that gaudy. After getting a drink that looked a little bit like radioactive waste, or antifreeze, he walks over to the table at which his potential employee have gathered.

"Good evening Gentlemen, you can call me Neon," he says making no effort to shake hands or kiss babies, "If you'll follow me."

He half dances, half walks his way to the back of the club, were the private rooms and toilets were, opening the door closest to the dance floor.

"What's the point of livin' boys if you don't look good while you do it," he says to no one in particular.

"Take a drink and have a seat... or is that take a seat and have a drink, nevermind that now," he muses.

[Konsaki]

Indigo - Houston, Tx CAS 7.7.70 21:10

Roland has been studying the drink listing for the past five minutes trying to find anything interesting after Triplicate showed up. He narrowed it down to 2 drinks when he was distracted by a man saying, "Good evening Gentlemen, you can call me Neon. If you'll follow me."

Looking at the man, he saw some of the most outlandish dress he had seen in a while. The only thing that this guy is missing is a giant beltbuckle of shiny rocks. At least he was decent enough to introduce himself., Roland though as he shrugged. As he made his way to the back room he did notice that Neon must have some skill to move through people like that.

As he caught up to Neon at the door, he heard Neon say, "What's the point of livin' boys if you don't look good while you do it?" As he heard that Roland could only think, Someone hasnt seen himself in the mirror has he... as he let out a derisive snort.

Apon walking into the room, "Take a drink and have a seat... " rings in Roland's ears and never hears the rest. "Don't mind if I do!", Roland replies as he heads to the minibar to see what is in it. Chuckling, he sits down with a beer in each hand and a big grin on his face. As he starts drinking one you can see the label, Lonestar brand beer...

[Digital Heroin]

Indigo - Houston, TX CAS 7.7..70 21:10

There were a few personal rules Yoshiro adhered to, in life, and in the shadows. One of them was never trust a man in a suit flashier than yours. A man in a suit as eye catching as Neon was wearing meant to play sleight of hand with your eyes. The old 'pay no attention to the man behind the mirror' gambit. But despite his initial impression, Triplicate stands, taking up the bottle of water he had ordered. Simple, non-alcoholic, and pure.

He follows shortly after Roland casting out his senses to seek out their potential employer's PAN. Not a probe, persay, but just to see what he is broadcasting to the world. A man who keeps his public persona so noticable may just reveal a little grain of truth with what he shows.

[Divine Virus]

Indigo - Houston, TX CAS 7.7..70 21:10
Well, its been a while since I've had to speak flashy. Miralda thinks before taking a seat, and introducing the team.

[Kiedo]

Indigo's 7.7.70 21:13

Neon Studied his potential employees carefully, noting what drinks the took, in his metal rolodex, not because it was important to gauge character, seeing what a man has to drink, but because it was important for a good host to know what his partons were drinking, in the even of an empty glass.

Beer, Lonstar, I shudder to think that anyone could drink that swill

Water, bottled, nice choice, professional, or an alkie.

As Miralda introduces himself and the team, Neon nods in all the right places as if he had no idea who he sent the text messages too. It's best to be cool at this point, not flashy not professional, but cool. That's how you get things done.

One could stop and wonder how much of Neon's appearance and behaviors were an act, but given access to his mind you'd get the understanding that he was legit, a rare breed of person who liked to be the center of attention. Most Pyshcoanalysts would tell you that his guady appearance would stem from a lack of attention during his early years, but Neon hated his early years and would never himself acknowlede that fact.

After, Miralda finishes his speech, trying to schmooze the johnson, which worked admirably, Neon sets down his radioactive waste--drink and gives a speech of his own.

"Listen boys, I represent a corporate intrest, a Muchado Industries if you must know, and my employer has charged me with the task of getting back a stolen prototype weapon, which was stolen, we think, to be used to assassinate a powerful member of another corp, one that Muchado has a healthy relationship with. Now I'm prepared to offer you a gracious 15,000 nuyen each, for the safe return of the prototype before it has a chance to be used."

[Divine Virus]

"I think we might be able to help you in this matter, luckly you have caught us during a brief gap in our work schedual." Miralda says in an offhand, "of course, if we do we will need to know some things. The nature of the prototype, what it looks like and all those details. Knowedge of when it was stolen, and how it was protected, might come in handy, as well as a ball park idea of when it plans to be used... just to know what kind of a timeframe we might be dealing with. Time is money, you know" 'dress for sucess,' 'time is money.' should be up his alley Miralda thinks.

[Kiedo]

"Plans huh? Well I might not be able to have those plans for you, but I can tell you a little bit about the prototype. Simply put, it's a railgun, designed to be portable and shoulder fire. It's not new technology, but it is in the format of a man portable weapon. It was being shipped with batteries and ammunition, which were both taken. Now I've seen the test results and this weapon is extremely dangerous. It'll punch a hole through a ten centimeter thick plasteel wall at 900 meters, with very little inaccuracy. As far as the point of theft, it was in the middle of the flatlands out side of town so no cameras or much telemetry data. All we know is that the group was supposed to check in every five minutes, and there was no distress call. The guys who did this were true professionals. Our boys did manage to take out three of them, but we have no real idea how many there were."

[Digital Heroin]

Triplicate casually takes a sip of his water, face impassive as Neon details the job. The nature of the weapon doesn't suprise him, nor does the fact the ones taking it were professional. Such is the way of the game.

It would seem for all the flash of his suit, our employer has gone to the trouble of hiding his presence. He speaks without speaking, to Miralda and Roland's comm lines. Shall I dig a little deeper?

[Divine Virus]

"And you have no idea when they plan on using it to geek the suit, yet you know that it is planning on being used that way?" Miralda asks, with a raised eyebrow "I find that rather pecular." Under the tabe, he taps a quick message to Triplicate on his comlink's keypad.
deep and hard, but use caution. no alarms

[Konsaki]

As Roland listens to Neon and Miralda talk, he sets down his beers and closes his eyes as he leans back in his chair. He figured he should just stay quiet untill he could bring something usefull and as things were going, Miralda had it covered. "Good job there Nick. Heh, you sure know how to talk the talk."

Once they started talking about the weapon that was stolen though, he opened his eyes back up and looked directly at Neon. Hearing the discription of the weapon, Roland couldn't help but let out a soft whisle of amazement. Once he heard about the guards being outmatched, he thought of some questions that itched his brain.

Before Roland can say anything, he heard Triplicate's voice on his commline and Miralda start to talk again. After listening to Triplicate, Roland turned his head to the side and coughed once, covering this mouth with one of his hands. While coughing, he typed a message on his commlink using his other hand under the table, "Yes. Be carefull."

Not long after Miralda to finish talking and Roland adds in, "So they took down three attackers, huh? Did you get any identification off them? Also, do you know of anyone or corp that might benefit from this framing operation or has it out for Muchado?" As he spoke, Roland leaned forward and set his arms on the table, all the while looking directly at Neon.

[Kiedo]

Neon seems a bit staggered when confronted with his peculiar statement. "Obviously, we know that if our information is correct, they will use the weapon to assassinate the CEO of Catalyst Inc., and naturally with a hot weapon such as this, it would be in the best intrest in of thier cause to do this quickly. So as you can see time is of the essence gentlemen."

He pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts, seeming to be very distrubed about something, "As you all know, when in this line of work it is not wise to have a SIN, and encouraged to use a false one, so we have no coherent identification of the dead strike force members."

Regaining his confidence, Neon continues to answer the questions asked.

"Now as to possible entities that have it out for Muchado, that's a laundry list of sordid individuals. The reason of course, is the merger planed by Muchado Industries and Catalyst Incorporated, when the final paperwork is signed the new company, which will be called Parasol International will be the seventh richest company on the face of the planet, making the a triple A corporation. As you can see a new member of the Corporate Court would sit poorly with the other Megas. There is also some oposition within both companies, so it's anyone's guess who's behind it."

[Divine Virus]

Its Miralda's turn to let out a whistle. "Well now, this is a nice little run, isn't it. I reckon we are up for it though. I assume that you can give us coords for the ambush site, we will might want to look at it ourselves, and then its null sweat, chummer. Now, as to the issue of nuyen..."

[Konsaki]

Roland raises an eyebrow when he sees Neon sweat over Miralda's question. Now that is an interesting reaction...
As Neon starts to talk about SINs and the lack of info on the attackers, Roland nods his head in agreement. Though he stops nodding as soon as he hears about the merger between Muchado and Catalyst and his eyes widen a bit. The look of amazement is quickly wiped from Roland's face after he hears Miralda's whistle.
Once Miralda starts talking money, Roland starts to think up anything he might need for this run...