Tokyo in the Shadows, The story of Kambei Options

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0100

Frag me! They sold her to the god-damned Yakuza… Drek! At least I know where the commlink is. But I need a new plan to find out who exactly they sold the girl to.

Having determined that the commlink is in there with them, Kambei waits in his secure position for their discussion to be over. He needs to get in there with one of them alone or preferably find the commlink left by itself after their hacking was done. But what are the chances of that… either way I’m going to have to “talk� to Kouki to figure out where Ahiko is and if they’ve done anything permanently damaging to her he’d have to make sure Kouki paid the full price. At least I still have the stealth tag on his bike.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0100

Their discussion continues. Apparently, Kouki plans to continue with the "seduce a girl, sell her after she left her family" plan to make money. One of the other two leaders - Ryu, if that's his real name - tells Kouki that it was a one time deal for Ahiko, not for any girl, but Kouki seems to be sure he can sell the next girl as well.

Rattler sends him life feeds from the three's cybereyes as well, so Kambei spots the commlink he's looking for. It's on a table in the room the three are in, switched off. It doesn't look expensive. Still, something does look right - or sound right...

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0100

None of this really made any sense to Kambei. He could have believed it if they had said they were approached by an unidentified agent or a Mr. Tamake to kidnap Ahiko for pay but not the Yakuza. Why would they even go to a bunch of two bit gaijin-wannabe losers? And pay them enough for new drones, new clothes, work on their bikes and brand new cyber? Kambei carefully screws on his silencer on to his Predator while thinking over the situation, they could have gotten extra money from somewhere else but their conversation sure as frag makes it sound like this job was how they came onto this kind of money.

Either way, half his job was going to have to be finished tonight, or at least Kambei was sure that the commlink was worth as much to Ahiko's family as herself. It's the sad truth of situations like this. Loss of a family member could be explained away in a manner to save face, losing access to a black account commlink and then losing the money in that account would not be so easy to fix.

This would probably be his best chance to get the commlink. After that he would have to find information on their contact with the "Yakuza" and the only ones likely to know would be one of the three clowns in that room together. He isn't going to take a stupid risk but Kambei would have to take a chance to get the commlink tonight before their hacker had an opportunity to compromise the account. He still had the tracker on Kouki's bike to fall back on if he needs to catch up with one of these three after that.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0110

Another message from Rattler interrupts Kambei's thoughts.

"I got some bad news I think, Kambei... free of charge: There's something wrong with this cyberware the zoku are sporting. There's some program hidden in the software, something pretty sophisticated, nothing that you'd find in run of the mill cyber like that. I don't know yet what it does, but it's not a diagnostic tool."

Rattler sounds a bit puzzled, concerned even - and Kambei has now a feeling in his gut that usually means something is going seriously wrong.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0110

"Thanks, this keeps getting better and better," Kambei replies while digesting the news, "they probably took cyber as payment without getting the drek checked out before getting cut. Did you see what they have in them by any chance? I wouldn't mind knowing what I might have to go up against."

It would have been nice if this had been a simple runaway... but its rarely turned out like that. Kambei makes sure he is far enough that the zoku would have no chance to notice him when they exit the room. At least he knew where the commlink was as he still had the feed from their eyes and hopefully they would leave it behind. At least that could be one part of the job done. [/i]

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0111

"Commlink, cyber eyes, cyber ears, skillwires. Some headware."

Rattler quickly lists the cyberware he detects in the leaders whose ware he hacked.

"I don't know what the rest has, but I doubt they got better 'ware than the leaders."

After 20 more minutes of arguing, Kouki gets angry and heads out, saying he'll show them how to make money. The two others follow him, still trying to talk him out of his plans. With those three outside, and providing a distraction... and Kouki about to leave... maybe this is the opportunity Kambei was waiting for?

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0111

Seeing that the zoku left the commlink lying on the table, Kambei reacts quickly and quietly. As soon as the area is clear he ducks into the room and picks up the commlink, slipping it into his inner jacket pocket. He scans the room quickly - just incase anything stands out - and quickly heads outside - silenced pistol drawn - and ducks back outside and back into hiding.

He continues to monitor through the cybereye feeds for a moment to determine if Kouki is heading outside. If he is heading outside as he anticipates, Kambei carefully heads back the way he came and heads for his bike.

[ Spoiler ]

Kambei makes an Infiltration test to get into the room: (13d6.hits(5)=6)
Kambei makes a Perception test to scan the room: (13d6.hits(5)=5)
Kambei makes an infiltration test to get back out of the room and into hiding: (13d6.hits(5)=5)

Just to clarify, I was assuming by what you wrote that the commlink wasn't taken with them when they left. If they leave with it then I'm going to carefully follow them, trying to use their cybereye vision to help me follow them without visual contact.

In case I was wrong here is the die roll for the second option:
Kambei makes a shadowing test to follow Kouki and the other two: (7d6.hits(5)=4)

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0111

Almost like in the textbook, Kambei is in and out of the room, his prize secured, before the three gang leaders are past their third three-way shouting match, which provides entertainment for the rest of the zoku, and a distraction for Kambei. They are so loud that Kambei, even back in his hiding spot, wouldn't need cybernetic ears to hear them - it sounds like they are high on something. Not surprisingly for this kind of zoku - drugs and chips are high on their shopping list.

Kouki still seems determinded to go out and "make more money", no matter how much the rest shouts. Then Rattler's icon pops up again.

"Update, Kambei-kun: The software just went active for an instant, and sent a data pulse through the net. I sniffed it just in time, and it's GPS data. And from the increase in traffic at the same time in the local node, most or all of the rest of the trash in here also have had such data sent by their 'ware. The program went dormant again, but not as deeply hidden as before. It's monitoring now"

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0115

“Alright, thanks for the info,� he says as he executes a fund transfer to Rattler, “here’s payment for tonight’s work incase the drek hits the fan.�

GPS info… could the “Yakuza� be trying to erase evidence of their deal?

Kambei holds his position for a minute waiting to see if Kouki heads outside or into a secluded area he would be able to follow him into. I can’t leave without a lead on Ahiko’s location.

He can’t help but worry as he waits, [i]and if these fraggers have been tagged and marked for dead… this might be the last chance I get.

He “speaks� to Rattler while he waits, “you know, I used to recall a time when I would be the one responding to the GPS kill-signal out of the dark.�

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0116

Rattler laughs, but he sounds as if his attention is on other things than the past - probably probing the hidden program in the zoku's cyber.

Kouki finally leaves the warehouse, storming out like a movie diva past her prime. Kambei hears the Scorpion's engine start up, and both the feed from his eyes and the stealth tag Kambei placed on the Scorpion earlier confirm that the zoku is moving away from the warehouse. As Kambei starts to make his way out of the warehouse, Rattler speaks up again, sounding urgent.

"Another GPS burst... and answering messages... damn..."

The zoku in the warehouse suddenly start collapsing, some frothing at the mouth. No trashing though - like chip junkies with RAS override enabled. Judging from the cybereye feed, Kouki is crashing outside, a bit away, with the same symptoms.

Rattler again:

"It's a black beetle, hidden in the ware, and going active... and their sim modules are hot - someone's icing the zoku! I try to keep Kouki alive."

A nasty trap - the zoku will be found "overdosed" on BTL, and the case closed. But from Kambei's experiences, there should be a "handler" or a team nearby, to make sure there are no loose ends left, and place some chip cases to be found. Wait for them, and take them, hide, or retreat? Or did they jump the gun because Kouki was leaving, wanting them all in one spot, and the operatives are not yet on the scene? If so, Kambei might get Kouki alive still.

Whatever he does, it's going to be risky though. And if Rattler can't keep Kouki alive...

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0117

“Drek! It’s always worse than I hope for,� Kambei says to Rattler as he proceeds out of his hiding place, quickly heading outside to get to Kouki.

Kambei is much less careful on the way out with the zoku going into seizures around him, serves them right for selling girls for cash. Once he reaches the perimeter security he follows the routing he picked up on the way in to avoid detection by the drones.

No use taking a stupid risk and getting gunned down by that thing if it has a pilot.

Once he spots Kouki he quickly ducks under cover to scan the area while scanning the area for any signs of intruders, here goes nothing… I hope they triggered it early before they could get here in time.

Seeing that it’s all clear, Kambei pulls a stim-patch out his jacket pocket, and heads to Kouki to check on his condition, with gun drawn and alert for trouble.

[ Spoiler ]

Kambei makes an infiltration roll to get through the drones: (13d6.hits(5)=3)
Kambei makes a perception roll once outside: (13d6.hits(5)=4)
Kambei makes a biotech roll: (4d6.hits(5)=1)

If it is not all clear, Kambei holds to assess the threat level before leaving cover.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0118

Kambei seems lucky - no threat is visible, and the drones still keep to their pattern. He sprints over to Kouki, which is on the ground on the street, sprawled out next to his damaged Scorpion. The zoku is still out, and hurt from the crash, bleeding from a wound on his scalp, but alive - Rattler must have been successful so far. But even if he purged the program, some damage was done, in addition to the damage from the crash, and if Kouki doesn't get medical attention soon...

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0118

[ Spoiler ]

Kambei rolls edge: (2d6.hitsopen(5,6)=0)

Kambei bends down over Kouki’s body checking him for signs of life, slapping him lightly and opening his eyes to try to get him to respond. Drek, he’s out cold, and probably dying, and how long till the cleanup squad comes?

“Rattler, hope you are still around. Can you kill Kouki’s GPS feeds, I think I need to get him out of here to have any chance at getting what I need out of him.�

Kambei frisks the unconscious zoku looking for any electronics or weapons discarding everything he finds on him other than the commlink. He quickly rips the battery out of the commlink so it cannot transmit its location and stuffs it in his other inner jacket pocket. With that done he ties Kouki’s wrists in front of him with plasteel restraints.

As soon as he gets a message from Rattler that he can kill the GPS feed he throws Kouki over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry and runs as fast as he can for where he hid his bike.

[ Spoiler ]

Kambei makes a perception test to frisk Kouki: (13d6.hits(5)=6)

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0118

Rattler gives Kambei the go ahead, Kouki should have clean cyberware now. He seems preoccupied still though.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception check to spot drone (13d6.hits(5)=6)

Kambei starts to sprint to his bike when he catches some movement in the corner of his eyes. Twisting his head he spots a drone heading his way. Of course - whoever gave them the cyber gave them the drones too, and must have hidden some surprises in them as well. Fortunately, it's an unarmored hover drone - armor's not that needed for flying drones, with guns being rare in Neo-Tokyo. Unfortunately the thing is armed with what looks like a taser - and headed straight for Kambei!

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0118

Kambei keeps moving when he spots the drone heading towards him and shifts Kouki so he is being carried on one shoulder, tries to steady his aim and fires two whisper-quiet shots at the drone.

[ Spoiler ]

First initiative phase:
Kambei makes a pistol roll: (15d6.hits(5)=(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)
Kambei makes a second pistol roll: (15d6.hits(5)=6)

I’m not sure what the exact distance penalty and penalty for shooting while carrying a guy is so just subtract dice as appropriate.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0118

The drone tries to evade, but fails, and the two bullets punch through the thin hull, and the servos and engine behind. The drone veers off to the right, corkscrewing down and crashing hard on the ground. No explosion - it was electrically powered.

Kambei keeps running, sweating with the added weight of Kouki, but reaches his bike just as the remaining two drones start towards him from the warehouse. They won't reach him before he can get moving though, and they won't catch his bike.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0118

Kambei puts Kouki's limp body on the ground -making sure not to hurt him any further - and smacks him lightly on the cheek to check him for any new signs of vitality. Frag, I can't risk him waking up on the bike. Hopefully this won't stop his heart.

He digs through his small medkit and grabs a tranq patch - doubling checking to make sure it's not a trauma or stim patch - and slaps it on his inner forearm.

Kambei looks up as he hears the drones approaching and lifts Kouki up and onto the backseat of the bike. Holding him precariously in place he puts his arm through his bound arms - followed by his head, other arm and torso - and sits down on the bike and triggers the engine. He kicks down the passenger foot rests and reaches back and lifts his limp legs onto them. One last pat of Kouki's bound wrists to make sure he is secure and Kambei guns the engine, nearly fish tailing because of the ill-balanced weight on the back of the bike.

Right now it didn't matter where he was going, as long as it was away from here and not towards any high security zone.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0135

Sometime later, Kambei is back in the heart of Neo-Tokyo, although driving through side streets avai from the neon-lights of Neo-Tokyo, avoiding traffic as best as he can. Rattler covers his escape by hacking into a few sensors and the gridlink system, sending pursuers, physical or electronical ones, on a false track.

But the longer Kambei keeps driving, the more likely he is to run into trouble - carrying a bound unconscious man on a bike is not something that's generally overlooked by the authorities. Fortunately, Kouki has been still and did not move or make a sound so far, just his slightly labored breathing signalling that he's alive. Unfortunately, that's also a bad sign - Kouki is probably slipping closer to death each minute.

There's a discrete street doc nearby, "Doc" Ayukawa. Kambei has been driving toward the doc's place, and it can be reached without being seen from the main streets through the backdoor. Even so, the last few hunderd meters are stressful. The side and backstreets are not completely deserted, there's always the chance someone or something could be using them himself...

Tonight however, Kambei reaches the doc's place safely and without being detected, disappearing down the underground garage of the building the doc practises in, and sending a small message ahead to announce his visit.

The Doc - short, wiry, and in his 60s, with white hair - is waiting for him when he enters, and raises one brow when he spots the zoku on Kambei's shoulder, and the plastic restraints.

"I don't do organlegging, you know." His slight accent from Okinawa shows as well as his more direct manners.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0140

“I’ve always loved how direct you are Doc,� Kambei says as he puts Kouki down on a table and stretches his arms and shoulders to work out the stiffness from carrying him so far, “that way I always know where I stand with you.�

“But it isn’t anything like that. I need him stabilized and able to talk. I’ll pay you a little extra if you have a private room for me to have a conversation with the kid,� Kambei smiles as he makes the unusual request – although maybe now that unusual in Doc’s line of work.

Kambei backs away so he can do his work, “he got fragged up on some hotsim drek and crashed his bike if you are wondering how he got hurt. And please, keep the restraints on.�

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0140

The doc shakes his head.

"Do you know the hippocratic oath, son? If you don't, I guess you can look it up."

The doctor doesn't wait for you to download the oath, and continues.

"I won't turn this practise into a torture chamber, son. This place is for healing people, not harming them."

The short man waves to you, indicating you should follow him.

"Put him on the examination table. I'll do what I can to save his life - any life - and then I'll wash my hands off it."

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0140

Kambei puts Kouki's limp body on the examination table, "that's not what I meant Doc. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me."

"What I told you was the truth. He got fried by his own cyber and he'd be dead if it weren't for me," Kambei pauses for a moment, "but I understand your concern and I do not mean to question your integrity."

He steps out of the way and lets Doc get to work.

Hopefully when he wakes up he realizes everyone he knows is dead because he was betrayed by the "Yakuza" and he won't mind giving up everything he knows.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0200

The doctor works, muttering about the foolishness of youth from time to time, patching up Kouki's head wound, then dealing with the damage the black beetle did. It is easily apparent that he must have extensive experience with cybernetics and their effects as well as neural feedback.

Looking around, Kambei sees that the practise of the doctor looks comfortable, but lacks a personal touch. There are no pictures of family, no little objects. The only exception is a chip set in a block of clear plastic, sitting on his desk.

Finally, the doctor turns to Kambei again, pulling his gloves off.

"I did what I could. The rest is up to him. He should wake up in about an hour, but how much damage his brain took is hard to predict."

The doctor's fee is reasonable, although Kambei has to spend 100 Nuyen from his own money in addition to the corp script and certified credsticks he took from Kambei to cover it.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0200

Kambei washes his face in the sink while the Doc works. No matter now many times I get into situations like this the cold sweats never went away.

Upon hearing the Doc’s news, he sits down in a chair and sends a message thanking Rattler for his help. Tempting to ask him to crack the commlink just to see what kind of shenanigans are really going on to make this kind of a double cross of the Falcons necessary, but it wouldn’t be appropriate.

He waits idly on the chair, occasionally checking on Kouki to see if he was awake while surfing the Matrix and trying to piece together this suddenly complicated puzzle.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0245

After over half an hour spent waiting and surfing the matrix, and weighing possible explanations and plots, Kambei's cyberears pick up some movement from Kouki. Turning his attention to the Falcon member, he sees that the young man is awake.

Kouki mumbles, his eyes open, but he doesn't seem to realise where is yet.

"What happened? Where am I?"

Then the ganger realises his restraints.

"What the..."

And finally, he spots Kambei, his cybernetic eyes widening.

"Who..."

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0245

Kambei stands up and walks over to the examination table and stands over Kouki. He leaves his jacket on the back of his chair to clearly display his shoulder holster – loosened for a quick draw - holding his Predator.

“This is going to come as a bit of a shock but I don’t have time to dance around. The Falcons are dead, every last one of them, as long as they stuck that new cyber you were all sporting. They rigged that shit with some nasty IC, flipped you to hot mode remotely and tried to fry your brain.�

He pauses for a moment to let that sink in, “and they almost got you too. I saved you because I need info on the people who betrayed you and killed your crew.�