Tokyo in the Shadows, The story of Kambei Options

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1130

After noticing the camera, Kambei finally "finds" the bathroom, takes a moment to relieve himself and heads out of the clinic after apologizing to the receptionist for getting lost.

On his way out he makes sure to catalogue any security devices he can spot for his visit later tonight.

He then heads out to the parking lot and heads home for a quick shower, a change of clothes and a proper lunch. After that he plans to talk to Rattler about his plans later tonight.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1140

There are a few more cameras, but not as new, and not hidden, at the entrances to the building. One is currently being repaired - but the sign stating that is dusty. Other than that, security seems to rely on locks, a few guards, and sturdy walls.

After all the rubbing elbows with zoku, gaijin and changed ones, and passing for some of them, a shower and new clothes do wonders for Kambei - as does some trid-message from AA, who want to know when he'll be around this evening.

Rattler's manner and jokes revert some of that though - he's friendly, but can't help rubbing Kambei's face into the fact that he is not a good hacker yet.

"But, enough about me, dogs, and politics... what do you plan?"

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1140

Kambei sends a trid message back to Aoi and Ayaka saying he is available most of the evening today till about eleven o'clock, but then he's gotta go back to work for two to three hours. "I know it's a bit wierd about when I have to go to work, but it couldn't be helped."

I hope the whole mysterious job thing helps them forgive my wierd schedule...

After Rattler contacts him, he spends a little bit just chit chatting about common interests and, "I swear I'm going to be hitting you up for a few programs and lessons. I just haven't had the time yet."

Then onto the business at hand, "I've got a cyber clinic I need to get into tonight. Soon as they empty the place out. They got some basic security. The maglock and pass codes I can get through with my electronics kit but I need the cameras spoofed too.

"I also need their records checked for Ahiko or anyone matching her general profile before I go in there. I've been told their security sucks too."

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1155

"Most of the security in that region sucks. At least compared to me."

Rattler's icon sneers. His services are not free though, his view of the clinic's matrix security not withstanding. After a bit of bargaining Kambei and the hacker settle on 750 nuyen and Rattler sets out to raid the clinic's records.

After an hour - longer than expected - Rattler calls again, and as soon as Kambei receives the call, his icon pops up in Kambei's living room, floating around like in a cartoon show.

"I got good news, and bad news, Kambei-kun. The bad news are that the security of the clinic sucks - but the security of the clinic's basement is good - that node is leagues better protected than the official system. The good news are that I got in - their matrix security is still not as good as I am!"

The snake icon twirls around, almost preening.

"Now more bad news: Their records do not show any patient data that matches Ahiko in the last week. No operation that wasn't documentated either - at least in their secret system.
However, the day after the girl was handed to the yakuza, Dr. Masato Nakano, one of the clinic's surgeons involved in the side business in the basement cancelled an operation, and unexpectedly checked out for a "house visit" - and he took a cyberware implant with him, a sim module with skinlink."

Enough to install a personafix, but not enough to run skillsofts.

"So... since I gather you'll not be visiting the clinic, and I already planned how to spend your money, I took the liberty to dig up some data on the good doctor Nakano, so let's say we're even?"

Rattler grins. The data on the doctor covers his vehicle - a Nissan "Pocketrocket" sportscar - as well as his adress in a middle class area of Neo-Tokyo, his schedule and his spending habits. Nakano is fond of visiting the Soyokaze Nightclub after work, and spends more money there than his salary at the clinic would allow. He has the afternoon/early evening shift today at the clinic, ending at 2300.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1245

“That’s fantastic. Thanks for the info. You catch any details on the security in his car? Standard shit I assume.�

After getting all the information Rattler has to give he thanks him and gets to work preparing.

Now which one’s a better thought… pick him up right after work by surprising him in his car on his way out of work… or catch him – presumably drunk – outside of Soyokaze. He might not go there though… and I can’t take that chance. I’ve only got tonight or tomorrow if I want to get my bonus.

Having decided on surprising him outside of his car – mostly because he knows exactly where and when he’ll be leaving his work so it won’t be left to chance – Kambei begins preparing what he’ll need for tonight and this time he doesn’t plan on being caught without his shit together.

He lays out his trusty FFBA, chameleon suit, his complete B&E kit, a Predator and two clips of ammo, the HK-227X and an extra clip of APDS and EX, shock gloves, tranq patches, and other pieces of miscellaneous gear.

Hopefully this will be the end of it. He leaves the gear neatly organized on the bed and closes the bedroom door behind him. As he sits around idly waiting for time to pass while attending to his usual – and missed - morning routine, his mind explores various worse case scenarios as he has a tendency to do. I hope she wasn’t sold to Soyokaze. I’ve heard that they have their girls pfixed and cut to look like school girls, and she wouldn’t even need the cosmetic work until a couple more years…

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1845

After an afternoon filled with routines, and finding new ways to pass time while strung out on Long Haul, Kambei gets a call from AA. The two girl send another trid message, showing them in front of a mall, posing, and asking where Kambei would like to meet this night.

Both girls are wearing dresses fit for clubbing already, and Kambei glimpses some bags from a fashion store in the background. Before he can call them, or send back a message, another call comes in, this time from Kouki. The Zoku doesn't sound that well, probably suffering from some hangover, but tries to cover it up.

"Hey, bro! What's up for tonight? I got another club in mind where they might know about Ahiko. It's called "Celerity". I heard there's all sorts of Shadowy types there. What do you say, should we hit it?"

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1845

Those girls sure know how to shop...

Before he could think any further he is interrupted by Kouki's call. He sighs when he realizes who he is but takes the call anyway, "Yeah, I know all about Celertiy.

"But tell me, what do you mean, they might know about Ahiko? Do you have something solid or you just figure you'd see what all the girls know starting from the cutest and then moving down?"

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1845

Kouki seems a bit taken aback.

"Ah... well... Ahiko was, I mean, is cute as well, so it makes sense that the cutest girls would know about her. Birds of a feather, and all, right? At least it can't hurt, right?"

The zoku sounds about as honest as a used car salesman, but at least he doesn't sound as if he's trying to betray Kambei - just trying to milk Kambei's money and looks to score girls.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1845

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to pass," he says, sounding a bit impatient but not angry, "I've got a lot on my plate tonight. Maybe some other time."

After hanging up, he quickly dials both Aoi and Ayaka in a conference call, to ask them what kind of place they want to go and to tell them that he actually has to go to work for a few hours at around 10:30 p.m. tonight.

I hope they won't mind... or else this whole living a real life thing isn't going to work out too well...

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1845

Both Ayaka and Aoi act coy, and ask if Kambei has a good club in mind - they claim not to know any good ones, but their grins and giggling says otherwise. The "night job" seems to intrigue them as well, but they do not mention it, waving it away.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1845

"I think I know a place you two would like," Kambei says. "It's a place called Code Red.

"It's a nice lounge with really good appetizers and it's got a dance floor suspended over the main area if you want to dance. Want to meet there at seven thirty or you want me to pick you up?"

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1845

Ayaka and Aoi agree, smiling, and ask you to pick them up at 1930 - they'll be busy "preparing" until then. Kambei doesn't exactly know what they mean - they seem ready for clubbing already. Maybe they need to read up on Code Red to pick new clothes if needed?

Not that Code Red is that hard to dress for - it's a lounge, not a scene club. Even though the cook has his own fan club, or so it seems on tuesdays, when he often brings out a new recipe.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1929

Kambei lays out one of his newer outfits and recently polished shoes. He cleans himself up and makes sure he looks just right in the mirror before heading into the bedroom and taking a second look through the gear he laid out on his bed for tonight's job.

Noticing he was missing a few items, he throws his pair of gecko gloves and a Leatherman on top of the chameleon suit and then he carefully packs the gear into a backpack and lays it on top of the bed.

Satisfied that he was prepared, he grabs his two commlinks and heads out for the garage.

Fourteen minutes later he pulls up in front of Aoi and Ayaka's dorm.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 1935

The two girls let him wait a few minutes to get ready - maybe just to tease him, maybe to make sure some of the other students get a look at him. In any case, there are a number of students passing through the entrance and checking Kambei - and his clothes, vehicle, and accessoires - out. No whispering though - but they all walk like talking on their commlinks anyway.

Then Ayaka and Aoi come down, smiling at Kambei and striking a pose at the door - half-seriously, half-jokingly imitating a movie promotion picture for the love comedy "Okinawa Troubles". Both wear short skirts, discrete make up, and a matching purse.

On the way to Code Red, the two make small talk, but sprinkled with oblique questions at Kambei's "late night job". They problably just want some mystery touch to spice up the evening.

Code Red itself is rather packed at this time of the day, and Kambei notices that Ayaka and Aoi are just a bit overdressed - or underdresed, from the amount of skin shown - for the lounge. Not enough to look out of place, but just enough to stand out in a good way. Which also makes Kambei stand out, since he's flanked by them. The hits on his dummy profile rise in a short time, then ebb afterwards. No hacking attempts.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2225

Kambei loves seeing Aoi and Ayaka strut their stuff. He puts his arms around them as they go into the club, chatting casually with them and enjoying himself.

When they ask him about his job he plays coy but gives them enough to keep them guessing. "I'll probably be done by 2 if everything goes smoothly and I wont be going to sleep any time within the next couple days so it'd be nice if I could see you two after."

Eventually, as eleven o'clock sneaks closer he says it's about time for him to go and h asks whether thy wanted to stay out, catch a ride home with him, or crash at his apartment for the night.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2245

The two girls discuss it silently through her commlinks, and then decide to crash at Kambei's appartement for the night. They also seem intrigued by his night jobs, and make a few double-meaning jokes about his inability to sleep - as well as suggesting to him he should make sure to finish his work early this night.

In Kambei's appartement, the two girls settle in for some matrix-surfing "to pass the time", taking advanatge of Kambei's high-tech entertainment system, after making a few comments about the backpack and giving him a kiss for "good luck" before he ventures out - and repeating their suggestion not to tarry.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2255

Kambei comes out of the bedroom - a disposable black jumpsuit over his chameleon suit - and backpack over his shoulders and promises the girls he'll try to finish up early.

Hopefully they don't poke around too much. Gun cabinet's locked and the illegal stuff is in the floor anyway... shouldn't be any problem.

He rides quickly to a spot near the clinic and parks his bike out of sight. He quickly strips off the jumpsuit, rolls it up and stuffs it into the compartment under the back seat and he straps himself and activates the chameleon system on his suit and SMG.

He scales the fence around the employee parking lot and makes a beeline for the doctor's car. A second later he activates his Hardware activesoft and begins to break into the vehicle's passenger side door while using his enhanced senses to watch for any movement nearby.

[ Spoiler ]

Skillsoft is level 4, have Logic 3, I have an electronics kit and passkeys and sequencers and auto lock picker. Not sure if any of those give extra dice or whatever so please roll for me.
[/i]

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2315

The Nissan sportscar looks hot, and drives fast, but the company skimped on electronic security to keep the price low - the door locks are no match for Kambei's skill and tools, and no one seems to notice his almost invisible form either while he works on the car door. In no time, his still concealed form is inside the car, and hidden from view and sensors.

[ Spoiler ]

Sneaking (13d6.hits(5)=5)
Perception check (13d6.hits(5)=4)
Maglock access test (7d6.hits(5)=3)
Maglock rewiring test (7d6.hits(5)=3)

Then the waiting begins. Fortunately, the good doctor is not doing overtime - unless he's counting his flirting with a nurse at the exit as overtime. Finally, after about 5 minutes, the nurse leaves, and Nakano walks over to his car, with the sligthly-absent look on his face of a man accessing his internal commlink. He doesn't notice how the nurse sends him an evil glare behind his back, and quickly walks away.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2315

Kambei waits for the car to pull out of the parking lot and turn onto the road but before the car picks up any speed to make his move. He activates his jammer - hopefully powerful enough to block out his commlink - and presses the silenced barrel of his Predator against the doctors stomach and whispers, "if I see a single commlink signal out of your internal we're going to see how you handle a couple of shots into your guts. Now drive."

Hopefully this guy really cares about his own life and doesn't mind selling out to save his own skin...

[ Spoiler ]

Jammer is rating 5 area type.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2320

Dr. Nagano jerks, and if not for the fact that the car was on autopilot, would have crashed. He doesn't scream, but starts to sweat. He seems to be very intimidated, especially by the high-tech suit he now starts to notice, and the firearm clearly visible.

"But... what do you want? Who are you?"

And a second later:

"Drive where?"

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2320

"Drive to this address," Kambei gives him the address for the building he met Keru at. Hopefully it's still cleared out from last night.

"Now remember, you do nothing funny, or you die," he pushes in the gun a bit more into his guys for emphasis. "All I want is the answer to a few questions and if you answer me truthfully I'll let you live. Understood?"

After his presumed acknowledgment of the conditions of his continued existence, Kambei asks, "Okay, this is the most important question for you to get right. Have you recently seen, operated on or otherwise interacted with a seventeen year old girl named Ahiko Mori or otherwise recently?"

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2350

The doctor pales considerably after hearing this question, and almost can't enter the adress of the destination into the auto pilot. After a glance at Kambei, he sweats even more.

"I had no choice! They forced me to!"

He doesn't even try lieing, he goes straight to excuses and justification. It takes not much for Kambei to get the gist of the story. The doctor was called shortly after Ahiko was given over to the Yakuza, and was ordered to implant a few pieces of headware in the girl - a data filter, and a commlink with a simsense modul. Both got their wireles disabled as well, but are skinlink equipped. Standard headware for a bunraku doll, which the doctor seems familiar with - but from what he says, it was unusual for him to be called to do the operation somehwere else, and not having the patient delivered to the Henshin Clinic.

By the time the car arrives at the abandonned building Kambei met Keru, the doctor has finished his story, and is now just saying how he has not choice, being under pressure from the yakuza.

The building looks deserted still, but some squatters might have gone back in - one scampers out when he hears the car coming.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2350

"Where did you do the operation and why did they have you do it?" Kambei brings down the chameleon effect just to make sure the bums know its not just one guy in the car.

"I need to know everything you know, now," he says,"hippocratic oath my ass."

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2355

The doctor licks his lips, sweat drops now even better visible on his forehead. One can almost smell his fear.

"You understand - I had no choice... really, it's not my fault..."

A slight push with the silenced Predator shuts his excuses up, and makes him get to the point, at last.

"It was the basement of the "Purple Lotus", they got a decent medical set up there, you know, when a girl there gets hurt... and I don't know why they called me, I mean, Dr. Wu probably does more work for the yakuza than I do!"

The Purple Lotus is a bunraku parlor in Shinjuku. Yakuza-owned and ran.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 2355

Kambei nods, "tell me everything about the Purple Lotus. I want to know every bit of their security you have to go through, how many men they've got in there, and how the place is laid out.

"And then I need you to tell me how I can disable the p-fix without hacking her head. And who the fuck is Dr. Wu?"