Tokyo in the Shadows, The story of Kambei Options

[Fuchs]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2130

[ Spoiler ]

Perception to spot security and bouncers in Fortune (13d6.hits(5)=4)

Kambei spots several cameras, but from his impression, the club relies more on its staff to alert bouncers to trouble, not on cameras - the cameras are mostly aimed at the stage, and probably serve to make clips of the bands' performances. That of course means they'll have recordings of the club somewhere.

The half a dozen bouncers are easily visible - all wear a "Fortune" T-Shirt, and various leather and jeans style clothes, probably reinforced. In another spot they could be mistaken for a zoku, if not for their age - they're generally in their twenties, and seem also lightly enhanced. No visible weapons, but they could have some tasers or worse ready at the bar. Judging their skill is harder, but most of the "though teens" give them their space.

During his time there, Kambei gets several offers for various drugs and chips, and probably stolen goods, but neither Ahiko nor her or her father's commlink show up. Several zoku are present, among them the Falcons, Tokyo Motor Club, and the Speed Freaks - the techno punk band on stage seems to appeal to the bosozoku, and the conversations in the club center around technical details and engines, mostly.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception (audio) check in Fortune (13d6.hits(5)=4)

The evening seems like a bust when Kambei overhears the name "Kouki", coming from a bunch of Zoku looking like Falcons. Might be coincidence, it's a rather popular name, but Ahiko made those strip clips for a "Kouki"...

[Tabula Rasa]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2130

Kambei resorts to his various mental exercises taught to him in his training program to avoid boredom and distraction during a mostly uneventful night. An hour into the routine he spots a couple of girls together and one of the girl’s hairdos reminds him of Aoi. Drek! I’d meant to give them a ring when their school was out. Hopefully they don’t mind too much. Besides I remember back in high school when I wouldn’t even call a girl back for two days after a first date…

Kambei terminates that line of thought quickly before his memories come flooding back. A few seconds later and he sends a message to Ayaka and Aoi saying hello and explaining that he’s been caught up at work all day and he’ll try to get in touch with them a bit later if they don’t manage to do the same first.

With that business taken care of he returns to his present task. Some more time passes uneventfully before he gets his first break, or what he hopes will be his first break. The name Kouki is pretty damn common but it’s not like I’ve got anything else to work with.

Kambei positions himself closer in a more advantageous position where he can see the group of Falcons while pretending he is appreciating the group of girls on the dance floor. He shifts a portion of his hearing to the conversation of the Falcons and sets his comlink to record the conversation.

In his pocket he carefully opens the packet of stealth tags and pulls one loose just incase he needs to deposit it in fast time.

[Fuchs]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2150

[ Spoiler ]

Checking if Kambei gets lucky (2d6.hits(5)=1)

At first, the Falcons just talk about their bikes, and mocking the Tokyo Motor Club ones for being "jury-rigged trash". This goes on long enough that the girls Kambei is pretending to watch notice him, and start to talk among themselves, after checking his profile. Their talking and subtly changed dancing seems to catch the attention of one of the Falcons, and he points one of them out to a man they call Kouki "Hey, Ko-Kun - look at that one, doesn't she remind you of Ahiko?"

For some reason, this makes the group laugh. Strangely enough, the girl they point out - the one looking at Kambei - doesn't look like Ahiko.

[Tabula Rasa]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2150

Hmm… that wasn’t exactly my intention…

Kambei smiles when he is noticed but doesn’t linger and quickly away from the group – hoping they think of him just as another guy looking at a group of girls in a club = towards other people in the club while sipping his drink casually.

His attention is immediately snapped back to the group – though he attempts not to show it – the moment he hears Ahiko’s name. He adjusts his cybereyes to snap a good picture of the woman they pointed out as looking similar to Ahiko and he brings the image up in the corner of his vision next to Ahiko’s face.

Odd… they don’t look a like... maybe her physical dimensions are similar…

Kambei shits another portion of his hearing to the group of girls for good measure just incase there is something to it and he attempts to discreetly grab good shots of the Falcons – starting with Kouki – for his file and future reference.

[Fuchs]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2155

The girl does not have a similar build as Ahiko either, as far as Kambei can tell. He does notice that the group the girl is in backs away a bit once the girls realise that the Falcons are talking about them.

Kouki is a handsome young man, late teens or early twenties, and shows signs of past fights - several scars on his lower arms, typical reminders of knife fights. He's tall and slender, and looks like a leader among the rest of the gang - most seem to defer to him. Kambei notices no guns, but he's carrying quite openly two knives - western bowie knife style.

[Tabula Rasa]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2155

Well, it would appear that Kouki is my hottest lead to Ahiko as of right now. Now to find a way to get a stealth tag on him…

Kambei continues to monitor the Falcons’ conversation and the girls’ conversation – just incase it continues to be relevant – while he continues to mingle in the crowd and changes his position to decrease the likelihood of him being noticed.

He specifically listens in on the bits of their conversation on their bikes, trying to determine which one will be Kouki’s so he can tag it to follow them after they leave the club.

[Fuchs]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2215

[ Spoiler ]

Int check to find Kouki's bike (3d6.hits(5)=2)

Kambei gets lucky again, and catches a reference to Kouki's "black scorpion" during an exchange of the Falcons and some members of the Toyko Motor Club - the Motor Club members stating how they left it and it's neon-green falcon crest in the dust at the last pan-Toyko race.

Outside - "getting some fresh air" - there is a big American-made Harley Davidson Scorpion with a green animated Falcon on the tank - an expensive decoration. No other Scorpion is black among the parked bike - and only the Falcons seem to ride them anyway, so this must be Kouki's. But placing a stealth tag on it will be tricky, with the drone surveillance.

[ Spoiler ]

palming check to place a stealth tag on Kouki's bike (13d6.hits(5)=6)

Tricky, but not impossible. Using his training, Kambei exploits a distraction when two zoku members start a shouting match over a parking space, and places a tag on the big Harley.

[Tabula Rasa]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2215

After the tags are placed Kambei runs a simple tracking test from his comlink to assure the job was done right. After he detects a clear signal he puts the tag back in stealth mode and heads back into the club to continue to spy on the Falcons.

Hopefully I didn’t miss any juicy details…

Kambei worries a bit while continuing to spy on the Falcons about what could have happened to Ahiko. The files on her music player indicated that she went willingly, but other evidence indicated that she left hastily or was perhaps even possibly kidnapped. Maybe she wanted to run away but changed her mind. Or maybe they just convinced her to run away to get something from her parents and have now secured her incase she changed her mind.

So many possibilities and so much time to wonder about them all… there were few things Kambei disliked more than a stakeout…

[Fuchs]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 - 2235

It seems as if the conversation shifted to technical details again. Kambei notices that the group of girls has put more distance between them and the Falcons, and some tension grew worse between the Flacons and some men he pegs as Tokyo Motor Club members. Two bouncers are standing nearby keeping an eye on the two groups.

Kambei also noticed that the bikes of the Falcons looked very well maintained - and their clothes look new, expensive imported stuff. But it looks to be a long night full of boring teenage talk about bikes.

[Tabula Rasa]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 – 2235

Kambei watches things while continuing with his mental exercises meant to keep him alert and prevent his mind from wondering off its task. This better end up being worth it. How long till it’s these kids’ damned bedtime…

While waiting for them to leave or something to happen he wondered on how they could have managed to afford to keep those bikes in tiptop shame and afford to buy brand new clothes. Must make a decent amount running with the zoku these days… or perhaps they’ve recently come into some good money. What a shame that they'd blow that money on UCAS bikes... nothing but shoddy craftsmanship off that continent. Only three places worth getting a bike from in my book: Japan, Germany and Italy.

He sympathized with the group of girls distancing themselves from the Falcons, but he couldn’t really understand what they were thinking coming to a place like this. I don’t know what you’d really expect coming to a place like this. I understand getting into trouble at a hot club when you are new in town and looking for a thrill… but coming to a place like this is a bit different.

And through all this – despite his best effort – he couldn’t help but keep glancing at the time and hoping he would get a message from Ayake and Aoi.

[Fuchs]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 – 2235

The crowd - mostly punks - gets warmed up by the band's anti-corp song, and starts to sing along. The group of girls Kambei watched does so as well. A she watches them and the Falcons, a message arrives in his commlink: Ayaka and Aoi ask how he is doing, and if he's free tomorrow - with a picture greeting of them in short dresses, waving and smiling.

Seeing their picture, the differences between them and the girls here - the girls he was watching don't look so much like thrill-seekers, but almost like a zoku themselves. Harder, less innocent, and less educated. Not zoku, but low-class.

[Tabula Rasa]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 – 2235

Upon further reflection, Kambei feels a little bad about his presumptions. Having come from the comforting embrace of the corps in a rich family it was difficult for Kambei to understand people from other more unfortunate walks of life. Even since he had been cast into the shadows it was difficult to think of the lower class and criminals as people who were simply handed a raw deal rather than people who chose their path in life or people who weren't motivated enough to dig themselves out of the lower class.

Even the music's lyrics - despite the fact that it was so far from his preferred style - appealed to him a bit, though it seemed naive of them to believe we could really be in a world without the corps. Kambei glances back at the girls, they clearly like the message enough to risk attention from the zoku to come get their fill. Maybe they didn't so much deserve his sympathy, but rather his respect.

Kambei is ripped away from his faux-philosophical contemplations he was prone to when he was bored by his message indicator. He quickly responds, "I'm doing fine, just busy at work. I'm not sure exactly when I am free tomorrow but if you tell me when you are free I can be sure to make time." Kambei hesitates before he sends the message. I could still be on this job tomorrow and by the looks of it I will... but I'm sure I can put aside a couple hours to spend some time with the girls. He quickly sends the message before he could reconsider and come to a wiser decision.

[Fuchs]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 – 2400

Ayaka and Aoi answer Kambei with a trid phone call, makeing him squirm a bit before stating that they'll call him. They seem to enjoy the banter.

After more of the songs and technotalk, and a few unsuccessful attempts to hit on a few girls, and more posturing with the Motor Club members, the Falcons finally leave the club and mount their bikes. They do not seem to notice the stealth tag.

[Tabula Rasa]

"Fortune", Neo-Tokyo - 04/21/2008 – 2400

Kambei, now relieved that AA called him back, gets on with business without anymore distractions.

A while later he is finally awarded with some movement. After confirming again that his tag is working, he allows the Falcons to leave before heading outside and following them at a safe distance with the assitances of the tag.

I hope this gets me somewhere other than a damn street race.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0030

The Falcons drive over several highways, buzzing the turfs of other zoku, and finally reach the outskirts of Tokyo, where they park their bikes in an old warehouse. The area looks abandonned, probably used as a tax write off, or hoarded for future development, depending on some corp spreadsheet somewhere. Lots of the buildings seem to be used by squatters, or by more dangerous people.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception check at the warehouse (13d6.hits(5)=5)

Kambei looks the warehouse over, checking entrances and possible escape routes, and spots a guard on the roof as well as a few hover drones - pretty expensive tech for a zoku. Most of the other gangers seem to be inside, one is outside, smoking. Not quite a guard, but he's blocking the entrance.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0035

Kambei looks the warehouse over, checking entrances and possible escape routes, and spots a guard on the roof as well as a few hover drones - pretty expensive tech for a zoku. Most of the other gangers seem to be inside, one is outside, smoking. Not quite a guard, but he's blocking the entrance.

Kambei parks his bike somewhere discreet nearby. He pops the back seat up and grabs some of the items he prepared earlier. His maglock passkey, sequencer, lock-picking tools and a face mask. He secures the equipment on his person to minimize any potential noise, loosens his holster slightly for an easier draw, tightens his gloves and pulls on the ski mask.

He begins to approach the building hidden in the shadows cycling through his vision modes to watch for any signs of detection as he gets closer to the warehouse. Kambei also increases the sensitivity of his hearing as he gets closer.

[ Spoiler ]

Kambei makes certain that he stops if he detects anything detects him or seems to be suspicious of an intruder.
Kambei makes an infiltration roll: (13d6.hits(5)=8 )
Kambei makes a perception roll: (13d6.hits(5)=4)

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0036

Sneaking is as much a test for patience and perception as for hiding and moving silently. Spotting the patterns of guards and patrols, waiting until the there's an opening, followed by a quick but silent dash to another, closer corner the guards and drones can't see into, Kambei works his way closer to the warehouse.

Not as difficult in this case as in other missions he did in the past - the Falcons seem not to know how to use their new tech best yet. So after 15 minutes, Kambei is hidden one floor up, and working on an old door there that most likely once led to a platform for a crane lone since gone. Picking the antique maglock is no problem - even the cheapest sequencer would have sliced through the 20 year old codes, and Kambei has much better gear. Again, a rookiee mistake on part of the Falcons, fixating on wiz high tech stuff like hover drones, and neglecting the basics - locks on doors and windows.

Inside, Kambei spots a lot of bikes parked near the main entrance, a mound of sleeping bags and discarded fast food containers, mostly burgers, and a dozen zoku playing some AR game. Kouki is not among them though. A bit away in the former office space of the warehouse he sees light and movement. Up under the roof is a veritable network of rafters and beams, and much of the floor is covered by old crates haphzardly pushed out of the way to make room for the bikes of the zoku. Both would allow Kambei to move further with less of a chance to be detected, although not without risk.

The whole set up looks temporary to Kambei, as if the zoku planned to move on in the near future, and did not care about the current location much. Or they simply don't care about having a trsh heap next inside their HQ...

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0036

Kambei grows increasingly suspicious by the second but clamps down his wondering thoughts. He didn’t like the temporary look of this warehouse, nor did he like the advanced but poorly planned security. This was clearly more than it appeared. But o point in imaging worst case scenarios at any point. Just find this girl – if she is here at all – and get home in one piece.

After waiting patiently to fully evaluate his current situation, Kambei begins to move forward using the boxes, bikes and general refuse as cover. Any reward worth having is worth taking a risk for…

Kambei continues to scan his environment carefully as he moves forward, often switching to thermographic vision to checking for people behind walls. He is specifically looking for any place that could contain a prisoner, a sleeping area or any other place that could possibly be housing Ahiko. Due to his earlier suspicions, Kambei also keeps a photo of the girl who “resembled� Ahiko next to her actual photograph incase he spotted a woman with a similar look.

I really should have brought my chameleon suit…

[ Spoiler ]

Kambei makes an infiltration roll: (13d6.hits(5)=4)
Kambei makes a perception roll: (13d6.hits(5)=6)

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0050

Slowly and methodically, Kambei moves through the warehouse. Ahiko isn't among the people playing the AR game, nor among the two dozing off on the matresses a bit behind them. A third form is hidden by the sleeping bag its in, but when a drunk AR player stumbles over it and falls down, the angry face that appears and curses the drunk is that of a male.

No girl looking like Ahiko or the other girl Kambei has a picture of is visible. No girl at all, that is. Moving towards the "office space", Kambei uses a short shouting match between the sleeper and the player as a distraction and cuts through an area with less cover. One zoku might have noticed something moving, but pays it no mind, instead trying to get ahead in the game.

Finally relatively safe behind the thin walls of the office space, Kambei listens to the people talking inside.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception (Audio) inside the warehouse (13d6.hits(5) =3)

He can't make out every word from his position, but they are talking about Ahiko and money, and waiting on some "Keru" to hack a commlink. To hear more he'd need to get closer. Not impossible, but riskier - the thin walls of the office container won't block his body heat much if at all...

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0050

Kambei inches closer trying to get into a better position to listen in on the conversation. He considers his options for a moment. I really should have brought the chameleon suit… the heat dampening would be perfect for this. Oh well… They’re probably waiting to hack into the black account commlink. Maybe she didn’t give up the access codes.

After he has gotten himself as close as he thinks he can before opening himself up to detection he sends a message marked “Urgent� to Rattler to see if he is currently available to provide some assistance.

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0051

A minute later, Rattler's icon pops up in an AR window at the edge of Kambei's field of vision.

"What's burning?"

Rattler's synthetic voice doesn't sound too concerned, but the somewhat teasing tone it at times takes is absent.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0052

“I’m in a bit of a situation,� Kambei links him to his audio and visual feed into his commlink, “as you can clearly see.�

“There’s a commlink they are trying to hack into her. I think it’s one of the commlinks I had you track,� he forwards the commlink ID again just to make sure he’s got the right one. “Can you try to locate the commlink from my node and see how far along they are in hacking the ‘link without tipping them off and telling me what exactly they are trying to do?�

Kambei can’t help but chuckle internally at his current dilemma, “while you are at it. Mind picking up a couple things from my place and dropping them off here too?�

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0052

Rattler's icon shakes his head after a few seconds.

"Sorry, Kambei, that commlink is not logged on or turned on at all. They are not currently hacking it."

Rattler just laughs at the suggestion he should physically move, much less to such a dangerous spot.

"What I can do is hack their own commlinks, and through them their cybereyes - if they have any. They seem to be the people who are not covering all their angles. That won't help much with those who are not augmented, but those don't see body heat anyway. However, that'll cost some dough, to borrow an expression from our America-loving friends here."

The snake icon pauses.

"And, of course, if I get noticed, slim as the chance may be, and you get caught, then I never knew you."

Rattler is asking for another 500 nuyen for this risky operation - risky for Kambei, that is.

[Tabula Rasa]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0053

Kambei thinks it over for a second, 1,000 nuyen in expenses now and if this works I just might be able to make that 2,500 bonus. And hell, it’s not like Rattler’s any hacker off the streets…

“Yeah, why not, go for it. And while you are in their systems if you notice anything that stands out let me know.� He looks around at his precarious position, “meanwhile I think I’m going to find a better place to hide.�

[ Spoiler ]

Kambei makes an infiltration roll: (13d6.hits(5)=6)

[Fuchs]

Neo-Tokyo - 04/22/2008 – 0055

Even for a good hacker like Rattler it takes some time to hack into the three people inside the office, so Kambei has enough time to switch to a better position. When Rattler finally gives the all-ok - and noted how two of the people he hacked had their cyber with the factory setting on still, brand new - Kambei is ready to move closer, secure in the thought that the zoku won't see anything but empty space behind their walls.

That close, he can listen in to the zoku inside - the wands are thin though, so he has to be extra silent. There's Kouki there, going on about how smooth he is, or was, with the girl.

[ Spoiler ]

Audio Perception roll to listen in (15d6.hits(5)=6)

What Kambei hears is not good news though. From Kouki's boasting, he seduced Ahiko, made her trust him, then sold her to some yakuza kumi. He is mad that the "stupid bitch" didn't get the code for the commlink she stole from her father, but thinks that his hacker buddy will help with that. The other two, all three probably being the leaders of the Falcons, disagree with Kouki's assessement of being the most useful member. One claims to have brokered the whole deal about Ahiko before Kouki ven came into the picture, but the other tells him that he did not even know who he was dealing with until he told him. Kouki disagrees with both.
It seems clear however that they have the commlink of Ahiko's father in there.