IC: Working Nights, Earning a living the only way we can Options

[BishopMcQ]

Axe
"Are you touched, son? I asked what I can I get for you."

The barman looks perplexed at your continued silence as you absorb the atmosphere of the tavern and various taps. Several patrons shift in their seats and on their barstools to get a better look at the newcomer.

Renton
"The pay is going to be 5K up front with 30 at the back end, presuming that you are able to sufficiently complete this task. Up to an additional 5k of product can be advanced, but that would reduce your back end payment accordingly. Note that these figures are non-negotiable and represent the total payout for your team to be divided as you see fit.

"Your task is to ascertain the identity of the individual or individuals bankrolling the distribution of specific substances, locate and destroy the manufacturing facilities, and remove any support personnel necessary to accomplish the primary and secondary tasks."

There is a knock at the door.

Mitch
The door shuts and it is a fairly quiet drive. As you begin to pass warehouses, you can feel a deep bass that rattles the windows. Stopping, the bodyguards get out and open the door flanking you.

"C'mon, time to meet those people we mentioned. And to do your bit..."

They lead you into the heart of the noise, past gyrating bodies and tangled masses of sweat, sinew and sex. Knocking on the door, the bodyguards wait a second and then enter.

Stepping out of the darkness of the rave into the lit office, you see five disreputable individuals in negotiation with a man in black with a military bearing.

Renton Team
The newcomer reeks of stale alcohol, sweat and has half a dozen telltale signs of withdrawal. Two obvious bodyguards push him into the room, nod at your employer and depart, closing the door behind them.

"Excellent timing. This gentleman will be able to assist you with tracking down the dealers."

His eyes break focus as he references an internal data field.

"This gentleman has been promised a minimum of $400 UCAS dollars from the funds you will be paid in conjunction for his experimentation on certain substances.

"Does everything I have laid out thus far seem acceptable?"

[Ophis]

Renton

Sun listens to the offer and seems about to speak when the knock on the door happens. She pauses taking a sip from her drink while she waits.

Hmm this could be interesting.

She glances around trying to assess the skills of the others she's to be working with. As her gaze passes over Pesto she gives him a sly smile and a wink as if to say hello.

[amra28]

Pesto is paying more attention to the prospective employer than he is to those he would be working with when he catches a smile out the corner of his eye. He turns slightly and then catches a wink from one of the other runners. It takes him a couple of seconds but he finally places her art symbol. Pesto gives her a tusky smile and then his attention is dragged back to the meeting by the arrival of another potential team member.

[DireRadiant]

::Renton::

*** POP ***

First indicating herself with her thumb, she then holds it out and up in affirmation along with a slight nod of her head. She glances around quickly to gauge others reactions, then turns back quickly to face the man making the offer and looks him over, lingering breifly on his combat harness.

*** POP ***

"Remove?"

[BishopMcQ]

Renton

"In short, collateral damage is a desirable side effect but not necessary."

[Fortune]

As he listens to the client's spiel, Ryan takes the opportunity to check out his new 'associates'. Not exactly the bunch he would have chosen personally, especially the troll, but looks can, and usually are deceiving in this line of work.

The client's response to the gum-chewing troll's question elicits a small, satisfied smile from the elven gunslinger.

[Ophis]

Sun smiles, "Okay then Mr Johnson, your terms seem reasonable apart from renumeration. This is complicated and potentially dirty work, with a lot of the legwork left to us. I'm fine with that but not for a share of your stated price. Double your offer and we're in." Her tone is confident, her mannerisms focused. She looks Johnson in the eye, daring him to make a counter offer.

[adamu]

When he heard how much the Cap'n was offering Al nearly swallowed his cigarette. Barely managing to keep his poker face, he congratulated himself for once again getting himself into this sort of work - it might all seem a mite far-fetched, like something out of a bad trid - but it paid a hell of a lot more than bulldozing scrap down at the docks.

And now the elf minx was asking for DOUBLE...Hell on wheels, sweet-cheeks, you go for it! he thought.

[BishopMcQ]

Renton
"As you seem to have an excellent grasp of the English language, I can only presume you did not hear me. The figures are non-negotiable and determined by an operational budget. If you wish to double your portion, either eliminate a team member on your own time or negotiate amongst yourselves payment for services rendered.

"Now, are there any other questions beyond the ones I have already answered?"

[adamu]

"Whoa there, Cap'n, hold yer horses. If'n yer answer's no, it's no, but there ain't hardly no call ta be disreputin' the lady with that sorta tone." Al flashed a wolfish grin, tobacco-yellowed teeth clamped down on his filterless Lucky Strike.

"Now I'm willin' to take ya at yer word that ya ain't got no more money but whatcha done put up, an' by the same token you oughtta have the common courtesy ta give some credence to the lady's assessment that the job don't match the fee."

Al's hands - both covered in hideous burn scars - came out of his pockets in an expansive gesture of utmost generousity. "Now, that there is a pickle, but afore ya start castin' aspirations whyn't we see if there ain't more'n a few ways to tree a 'coon? You got a job ya need doin', and I for one want the work. Seems ta ol' Al here that folks 'at have operational budgets tend also ta have a whole passle of other ways to please them as wants pleasin' - tasty morsels like armor-piercin' slugs an' get-outta-jail-free cards." Al paused to stub out his cigarette on the wall, and in his other hand there was suddenly a big stainless steel zippo, which he used to light the fresh Lucky that had somehow replaced the spent one. After a hurried puff his trainwreck of a voice picked up again.

"But ah'm jist atalkin' off'n the top o' muh head. Don't mind me none - just a country boy, an' not much given to the multiplyin' o' many words. 'Let all yore sayin's be yea yea or nay nay,' 'at's whut the Good Lord done said, an' that's why most men consider me the quiet type. So I'll jist set back and let you an' the lady work this out, an' whatever's agreeable ta her, Cap'n, well, that's agreeable ta Al. Carry on."

[Fortune]

As the negotiations continue, Ryan is content to watch impassively, although he just can't stop one eyebrow from rising dramatically when he hears Al proclaim himself the 'quiet type'.

[Ophis]

"Then as my friend here says," Sun gestures towards Al, "What else can you offer us? Your budget seems a little low, and a doubt you want to be employing the sort of scum who would risk the success of the operation by whacking each other. I was told this would be worth my while, what can you offer besides the cash to sweeten this deal?"

[amra28]

Having worked with Sun before and knowing that she is much more skilled at this portion of the job than he is, so Pesto sits quietly and watches everything unfold. Although he can't help but smile after Al speaks his peace.

[TheRedRightHand]

Mitch makes his way up to the others and drops silently into an empty chair, not wanting to interrupt the negotiations, but he also doesn't appear to be to interested in what's being said or any of the other members of the new "team."

He does however, give Al a slight nod and makes a silent hand motion to him, hoping to bum a cigarette.

[adamu]

Keeping one eye on the proceedings, Al tossed the strung-out newcomer a half-full hardpack and then reached over with his Zippo and gave the man a light.

[DireRadiant]

*** pop ***

At every switch of speaker and new speaker Bubbles resolutely takes two chews before blowing and popping a bubble instead of interrupting.

*** pop ***

Despite the twisting she needs to do to look at each new speaker, she manages to not knock over anyone, though a particularly large bubbles almost blows up in someone else's face.

*** pop ***

At the next pause the troll repeats her gesture, raising her bright neon orange sleeve and indicating her self with a large thumb the size of an orange creamsicle push up, and then raising it in an affirmative gesture at the offer, while commenting with a broad conspiratorial wink, "Save time, I take the 5 and 30, sub contract to own crew or these operators, I'll give up my seed share for rights to all the carry off goods and money I can carry."

*** pop ***

"I can carry a lot."

Bubbles flexes her other glowing hot magenta covered arm.

[adamu]

Al smiled as he did the math. One smart damned trog, he thought. Passes up seven K but if the opposition's got any kinda cash, she scores big. He glanced at the cigarette-bumming guinea pig and thought about the Cap'n's rough outline of the job. An' if'n we're goin' up 'gainst drug runners, cash could be damned good. Images of his Golden Triangle score danced in his head. Fer the rest of us, though, we each get less'n a two K bump, an' no shot at a hefty cash payoff. It occurred to him that he ought to say something, but then he considered the lousy Y10 left in his pocket and decided low-risk-low-return was definitely his best play here tonight. Anyways, already done spoke muh piece. Now's ta see what comes ta roost.

[BishopMcQ]

Renton
"My terms are as I expressed them, which includes the section about them being non-negotiable."

Turning away from Sun he addresses Bubbles.

"Carting away items or money from the target is perfectly acceptable, though commercial distribution of the product would be ill advised. This gentleman will accompany you and in exchange for 400 :nuyen: of the initial 5k, he will utilize the target's product and should be able to lead you to the dealers.

"As for the rest of you, it is now up to you to either sub-contract through this woman or you may leave. Will you need a few moments for negotiations before I give you all of the information?"

[Ophis]

"Fine, I'm in." says Sun, clearly not happy.

The money is bullshit i could earn more on my back. Maybe I'm over thinking the job seeing it bigger than it is

[amra28]

Pesto shrugs and says, "Ok me too." He then starts to look around at the others to see what their decisions will be.

[DireRadiant]

*** pop ***

Grinning irrepressibly, Bubbles points to the unhappy elfin woman, "She hold the 5."

"She also going to hold back end 30. I want to see rest of you try to talk her into boosting your cut! Don't like it, walk."

*** pop ***

Eyeing Mitch as he smokes in his chair, "This hound dog come with instructions?"

[Fortune]

Ryan continues to watch the interaction between his potential team mates with interest, while trying his best to keep his expression impassive. Although he is also of the opinion that the pay scale was on the small side, the elf keeps his thoughts on the matter to himself, responding to the Johnson's offer with a mere nod of his head.

[Ophis]

Sun flashes an amused smile at the troll.

[BishopMcQ]

"Anyone not taking this job may leave now."

The Johnson waits a moment to give anyone leaving a chance.

"Very well, no he doesn't come with an instruction manual. Though he does come with this."

Moving around the desk, he opens a drawer and extracts a small box.

"This contains various products from our competitor. We believe that he has modified these drugs and his dealers in such a way as to allow the addicts to find them when they are doing business. Obviously, this can be problematic to my employer's operations.

"There should be ample assortment to meet most of your tastes. Here is your payment. The commcode is enscribed on to the chip will allow you to contact me when the job is completed."

He tosses the box to Bubbles and the credstick to Sun.

"If you were nominating to collect additional product now, speak up otherwise I will see you when your work is done."

[Ophis]

Sun catches the stick out of the air, and tucks it out of sight inside her coat. "I have everything I need for this operation. Anyone need anything?"