Tokyo in the Shadows, The story of Kambei Options

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Ayaka and Aoi answer, although they sound and look a bit tired - apparently, it got later than usual. From the way they look, they didn't sleep much during the night, and are now busy helping with cleaning up the campus - something about a feud between the computer and the chemistry students, edible foam, and drones getting out of control. It also explains Ayaka's new hair color. It looks like pranks are still as popular at the university as they were when Kambei attended.

The two girls chat for some time - both out of interest, they want to know how Kambei is doing on his case, and likely also out of an interest in taking a "commlink call break" from scrubbing green foam from walls.

Then, about an hour later, the Korean - called Jun by the bartender - leaves the "Red Flower", not without slapping the waitress on her butt in passing. Her surprised squeal is followed by a pouting smile. Kambei might have thought she liked Jun, or such treatment, if he had not seen the program in her head.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Kambei finishes the rest of his drink, pays his tab, and heads out after Jun twenty seconds or so after he leaves. He looks around hoping he hadn't made a quick turn so he can continue to shadow him.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Jun starts to head back towards Dr. Wu's house. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to take a short cut through a side alley, or otherwise get away from the main street.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Kambei curses as he follows the Fat Bastard – the name he gave Jun in his head – back to Wu’s house. Once back to staking out the house he checks to see if he can still log in with the admin password in the cameras he hacked inside the house to see if he can find the other guy in there or whether Jun is alone.

Shit... there's no way I'm going to be done by this by tonight... and then just a little bit longer before I crash.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Kambei's password still works - for how long he doesn't know though. Checking the camera's feeds revelas that Jun is just leaving the appartement of the other korean, and going up to his own. The other seems a bit spaced out - probably chipping.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Kambei glances at his time display anxiously, way too early for the doctor to be coming in right now... the only question is do I go in there and risk having to deal with one of the guards while the other one is in the same house... or do I wait till I find a good opportunity to find one of them alone...

Sometimes Kambei recalls his time of getting orders telling him exactly what to do as simpler times, and this was one of those times. Frustrated from being awake for so long and the distruption of his normal routine, Kambei decides it's worth the risk to go in now and try to get this job done with.

A five grand bonus is totally worth this risk, Kambei justifies to himself.

He'd have to be a lot quicker this time because he didn't have his chameleon suit on. Thankfully he already had backdoors and codes through all their systems as long as nothing was changed by surprise. Kambei moves into the drone's node and attempts to spoof the feed so he can break in through the window he used last time heading into the chipper's apartment, with his jacket loose and his gun readily accessable.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

The drone too seems still under Kambei's control, so sneaking into the building again is no problem.

[ Spoiler ]

Infiltration Check (13d6.hits(5)=4)
Perception (13d6.hits(5)=4)

Once inside, Kambei has not much more trouble evading the chipped korean - he seems lost in his collection, but Kambei doesn't cross his line of sight anyway. Only the man's heavy breathing cuts through the silence. The door to the stairs can be reached without coming close to the korean.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Kambei logs into the stairwell camera's node and spoofs the video feed so he can sneak out of the apartment and head up to Jun's door.

He waits at the door and quickly tries to locate any wireless surveillance inside the apartment.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

There doesn't seem to be any wireless security in the apartment, or not anything Kambei can pick up. That means wired, or nothing. But if the doctor's apartment is not yet upgraded...

[ Spoiler ]

Listen Check (13d6.hits(5)=6)

From inside, Kambei hears the ding of a microwave. It looks like Jun will go out to drink, but eats cheap food at home.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Ksmbei quickly replays a portion of the recording of his previous encoursion into this apartment to memorize the lay out. He waits and listens till he thinks he is either in a bathroom or a room without a direct view of the entrance before using his previous knowledge of the lock to slip in the door, silenced Predator in hand.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

[ Spoiler ]

Listen Check (13d6.hits(5)=5)
Log+Int Check (6d6.hits(5)=2)

Judging from what Kambei can hear about a minute later, Jun is heading back to the kitchen, getting himself a cold beer. If he's fast enough, that's an opportunity to enter.

[ Spoiler ]

Electronics (7d6.hits(5)=1)

Even with his prior knowledge, Kambei's wired skills are not that faster, so he loses valuable time entering. Once inside, he has barely time to close the door, and quickly look for some hiding spot.

[ Spoiler ]

Infiltration (13d6.hits(5)=4)

There's not much of a choice - either jump in the next room, or - how clichee - hide behind the couch.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Kambei curses himself. He was never at good at the mental stuff as he was at the physical stuff and sometimes it got him into trouble. He quickly ducks behind the couch and waits for an opportunity to come up with his gun close enough that Jun would know it would be foolish to resist.

Hopefully he isn't wasn't wired to shit, not that that's likely for a guy in his position, but still...

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Jun returns to what passes for his living room, burping loudly - he must have drank half the bottle already. He walks toward the couch, but must be missing Kambei since he flops down on it, sending small clouds of crumbs and dust up.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception (5d6.hits(5) =1)

The korean leans back with a satisfied sigh, and raises the bottle to his mouth again. From the way his slightly greasy hair is visible to Kambei, he is close enough. Kambei raises, and holds his predator to Jun's head, the silencer touching his ear.

[ Spoiler ]

Jun:
Initiative test (10d6.hits(5) =2)
Kambei:
Initiative test (from ambush, +6) (17d6.hits(5) =6)

Jun is completely surprised, and freezes, the bottle still at his mouth and his eyes and mouth wide open. Beer starts to run out of his mouth and down to his chest while his lips tremble.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Kambei leans out from the couch slightly to its side so he isn't holding his gun at an angle, which he hates. He speaks slowly so he only has to say this bit once, "listen carefully."

"I do not intend to kill you or harm you," he says softly using his Korean lingchip, "I have some information that should convince you that cooperating with me is your best option, career-wise, and obviously health-wise."

"I expect that you will cooperate, is my assumption correct?"

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Jun tries to speak, but his mouth is still full of beer, so only a gurgling noise comes out. Then he nods, and more beer flows down his chin. His shirt is soaked, and the smell of beer covers the smell of the nuke-it burger on a tray next to him.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

"Good," Kambei stands up, his gun still level with Jun's head, "now sit up slowly, and show me that you have no weapons on you."

"Lift up your shirt and show me the back of your pants too. No surprises or our little talk is over real quick."

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Jun stands up, and drops ofbeer spill on the couch. His pants are soaked too, and if not for the smell it would look like he soiled himself. He puts the bottle down very slowly, and then lifts the shirt up, which clings to him since it's wet with beer. He is unarmed.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

"Alright, now, one last warnings," Kambei says, "if I hear a noise, see or feel anything odd, I'm going to fire first and ask questions later. So it's in your best interest to not call you buddy up from downstairs or try to pull any shit, understand?"

Without waiting for an acknowledgement he continues, "alright, now that we got the foreplay out of the way, let's get down to the basic facts.

"You've been taking chips without permission from your bosses, the Yakuza, stealing actually and then using them for yourself or selling them on the side. Do I have that part right? And no use lying to me, I've seen you at the Red Flower, I just want to hear from your own voice that it's true."

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Jun starts to deny the accusation, then swallows his words when he takes a better look at the heavy pistol - the firearm, and especially the silencer must be making a big impression on a bruiser used to people carrying blades and other melee weapons. He switches to stammering some excuse, which is as good as a confession.

"It's not stealing, they still have it, I just made copies... and I didn't take them from the yakuza, I took them from the doctor... who are you anyway? Who are you working for? I got money, if you want money."

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Kambei nods and respond ignoring the questions regarding his employer, “good, at least we are on the same page now. But I don’t want your money, I need information, and you are close enough to get it for me or know who can get it for me.�

“Now, understand, if I ever find out any of the information I’m giving you right now or if you ever tell anyone what I am interested in, Dr. Wu and his bosses will have proof of everything you have done. And I seriously doubt they give a shit about the difference between stealing and copying their goods for your own profit and personal use.�

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

Jun pales, and starts to sweat at this threat. Obviously, he thinks his life won't be worth any nuyen once the Yakuza get wind of his activities - they are not known to be overly fond of koreans, even the more open Yakuza.

The bruiser nods, his mouth not fully closed, and his lips tremble slightly as he swallows some remark.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1415

"Ok, good," Kambei says, "now, your bosses had a certain girl p-chipped recently, and then she had things done to her, very bad things and it was all recorded like she was herself, just willing to do all those horrible things the chip made her do."

He pauses for a moment before continuing, "that sound like something one of your chips could do?"

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1416

Jun opens his mouth to answer, but no sound comes out for two seconds. He licks his lips - still wet with beer, and his eyes shift.

"Well... those are not my chips, those are Yakuza chips. I just copied one or two... and it's actually a good thing, you know? That sort of stuff would happen to them anyway, and that way, they are happy, you know?"

Jun's eyes are trying to watch the muzzle of the predator at his head, and his breathing gets slightly louder.

"It's not my fault, I am just trying to make a few nuyen on the side."

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1417

“I wouldn’t try to justify using those chips on a woman,� Kambei says with a harsh voice, “it’s not going to help win me over.

“As far as making a few bucks,� he looks at his gun and smiles, “I clearly understand, but so am I. Now I have no doubt that you don’t know the particulars of this situation, nor do I care. What I do know is you know how to get a copy of a chip here or there and you aren’t averse to taking risks when it’s to your benefit.

“So, what I need is a copy of the type of chip I described. One that would leave your baseline personality intact, making a sim feed seem like the feed of someone not riding on a p-fix, but that would make her compliant to all the things that were done and make her like it.

“You can get that for me,� Kambei’s voice makes it clear that he isn’t asking a question.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/24/2008 – 1417

Jun swallows whatever he was planning to say next. He licks his lips again, and nods.

"I have some here. Which one do you want? The 'Bimbo', 'Slut' or 'Slave'?"

Jun, as sleazy as he is it was expected, must have kept copies of the chips he sold, and is now talking about the personality types the chip alters the victim into. So, there are different types. The one used on the waitress in the "Red Flower" is probably the "Bimbo", as Jun calls it.