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

[adamu]

As Bubbles worked rapidly in AR to support the team's rigger, Al had been watching Pesto like a hawk, hand gripping the cords of the 'trode set on Tara's head, eyes peeled for the first sign that the ork was getting hurt.

But it was over almost before it started - first the ork had said he was under attack by spiders, then moments later he was slumping off of his seat.

Cursing under his breath, the human snatched up his medkit for the third time that morning. At least this time he'd be working on someone on his own side.

[BishopMcQ]

In the van

Bringing Pesto out of VR, there are signs of minor cerebral swelling. A few painkillers and an anti-inflammatory later, the ork has a light ringing in his ears but is otherwise fine.

[DireRadiant]

<<Ready to go again big boy? Maybe better with spotter when doing heavy lifting.>>

[amra28]

Pesto's eyes open and his hand holds the side of his head. The orc lets out a groan and says, "Damn, it is nasty in there. I have to reboot, frag!"

Pesto then has his comm reboot.

[adamu]

Al gave the ork his most encouraging grin. "Well, like Pa always told me, no matter how many times ya git knocked down, all ya gotta do is kick the other feller inna nuts once. So you go give 'em hell...an' I'll leave this open, jist in case," he shrugged, patting his medkit.

[DireRadiant]

*** POP ***

Bubbles shakes her head mildly to herself.

[DireRadiant]

Contorted in the van, the troll pushes herself up and out of the way as Al performed his medkit magic. Briefly she wondered how many times he could restart the tusker. After he was done, and the skinny tusker was aware, she re organized herself to be slightly more comfortable.

[amra28]

Pesto gives Al a tusky grin and then turns his attention back to the commlink when it notifies him that it is back up a ready to go. He then quickly sends a message to Bubbles:

"Ok I am ready to go back in. I don't think we have the luxury of another slow probing attack I think we have to go in hard and fast. Would you like to lead the way with my assistance or would you like me to go ahead with your assistance?"

[DireRadiant]

<<You crack the account set me up one, then I'll lead in and draw attention, you kill the IC or grab the data while the chew up my persona. Can do a few cycles maybe? You got an Agent?>>

[amra28]

Pesto skakes his head as he replies to Bubbles:

"I have no agents to use. It will just be us two. I am going to hack in now as an admin. Just give me some assistance with the hack and once I am in I will create a security account for you."

[BishopMcQ]

Hackers

The slow grace of probing the target is gone this time as the two of you work together and pinpoint weak spots in the web to tear through. Tearing through fibers of security like a machete in the jungle, you realize the system should still be on alert from the previous attack. An eerie silence crawls over your senses as you plow back in without any resistance.

The node around you wavers.

Al
Watching the biomonitors on Tara and the hackers, you see Tara flatline for half a second. Her vitals are becoming tachy--something is eating her from the inside out. She can't stand much more of whatever is happening to her.

Hackers
As the webs snap back into focus, the spiders are surrounding the limp figure of a woman in the center of the web. They appear to be tightening webs around her, similar to the attack they used on Pesto.

[adamu]

Mentally, Al threw up his hands in exasperation, but physically he used them to thumb his commlink to SPEAKER and went to work on the girl. The trode rig ruled out shocking her, so he opted for a shot of adrenaline, just as an aperitif.

He talked while he worked: <<Dunno what y'all are at in there, but this girl's vitals just got slipperier'n a barrel full o' KY-covered eels.>>

[Ophis]

Sun smiles.

"Make the call sweetheart. I'll do a check the place out without you to distract me."

She winks suggestively and continues, "I can barely here anything over the sound those boots make."

With that she moves off checking the palce for ways in and out. Marking each on a makeshift map inside her comm. She methodically checks each room for anything unusual, then moves on. What little Ryan sees of her circuit shows a more clinical,meticulous side to this protean young lady.

[amra28]

Now that he is inside Pesto quickly unloads and loads a new program mix. Then the hacker goes about creating an account with admin rights for Bubbles to log in under.

[BishopMcQ]

Sun

Beyond the main worship area, you identify a storage cabinet and a semi-functional kitchen. The other rooms you think may have once been offices, a nursery, choir room and classrooms. The most unusual thing is the lack of squatters, but you quickly identify why they aren't here anymore. There are four exits from the building, a number of boarded up windows where the glass has been smashed. Overall, the building has a feeling of desolation. The faithful have been killed and the squatters came in. Now the squatters are out to make room for you.

[Ophis]

Sun wanders back to Flint.

"Hey honey, checked the place out, no real surprises. It's going to do to lie low but if we're attacked its got way to many doors to watch. But at least it gives us exit options."

She sends him her rough maps.

[Fortune]

While Sun makes her circuit of the old church, Ryan busies himself calling Al to fill the rest of the group in on their progress, and of course let them know the safe house's location.

He merely shrugs his shoulders at the other elf's assessment of the squat. Not that he didn't agree, but he knows that there isn't a whole lot of other choices, so he has already resigned himself to make do. Ryan is much more concerned with their proximity to the Princes territory than anything else at the moment.

[adamu]

Already on SPEAKER, Al's comm reproduced the elven gunslinger's voice loud and clear, though it was anyone's guess which reality the two hackers' pointed ears were in.

Hands busy with chest compressions, he leaned forward further to look out the windshield to get an idea where they were, comparing it in his mind with the location Ryan had offered. <<Reckon we ain't too far out, but can't chat right now. Nothin' ta git yerself exercised about, though. But ya might be so kind as to get a place ready fer our two lovely guests - they ain't neither one in too good o' shape.>>

[amra28]

Pesto smiles to himself as he completes the next part of the plan. He then sends the login information to Bubbles along with the following message:

"Ok here is the info you need. Come on in and lets see if two hackers are indeed better than one."

[DireRadiant]

*** pop ***

With a large wrinkled brow, as much from the trollish epidermal armor as her conctration, Bubbles concentrated on her AR view and started sending her persona to work.

[BishopMcQ]

Hackers

As both of you log in to the server, Bubbles begins to make a large ruckus. Attracting the attention of the spiders, they launch into action. Quickly webs begin to bind and tighten around the troll's persona. Pesto launches a quick series of attacks against the spiders. In the middle of the attack, the spiders dematerialize. Not destroyed, just gone.

In the Van
The vitals that Al is monitoring suddenly level out. With the hacker onslaught of her mind, whatever was attacking her nervous system seems to stop.

[adamu]

The unshaven little human, smaller even than the girls, not to mention his tusked and horned companions, breathed a sigh of relief. "Whatever yer doin', it's workin'," he said loud enough for his commlink's mic to pick up his words.

[amra28]

Pesto look saround after the spiders fade out and then says to Bubbles, "That was too easy. Keep a look out. I will see what is up with our 'host'."

Assuming Tara is still lying where she was the last time Pesto visited he will scan her. If not then he will scan the node in general.

[BishopMcQ]

The Van

The road beneath you starts getting bumpy as maintenance problems begin to show. Approaching Tarislar, it is obvious from the potholes and trash in the street that City Services aren't coming out here with any frequency. Soon the Grid Guide fails and the van is driving under its pilot systems alone.

Pesto
Scanning Tara, the system comes back with garbled noise. You can tell that the signal is jammed open from black IC. Otherwise your best guess would be that there is a failed subroutine in the shutdown process--the node is attempting a reset but viral coding has corrupted it.

[DireRadiant]

"Spiders not like eating troll."

A quick glance out the door and review of the ARO map overlay re oriented her. "Pretty doll boy land!"

Tapping the subject of their investigation with a toe, Bubbles asks, "Flatline? Reboot? That mean system tied to life? Reboots must be rough."