IC: Evolution, In Character - Epoch, Survival, Revolution Campaigns Options

[Bastard]

05:09:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – IUST Campus, inside of the stadium - Tehran

What kind of Johnson can make a great dragon fly off?

Miss "Abby" Johnson walks toward Kliko, who remains stationary. She stops a few paces in front of him.

"Come on, Kliko. Get your crew on board. Mission accomplished."
"What the frag is going on?"
"I will explain it on the helicopter. Let's get out of here before Aden comes back."

Kliko reluctantly heads for the helicopter, and Bubba follows.

On board, they find Felix passed out, his gear laying on the floor. There is no sign of Ludi.

[Bastard]

05:10:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Tehran

The helicopter lifts off, as Kliko and Bubba find themselves seated across from Miss Johnson, waiting for an explanation. She says nothing, until Kliko asks about their money. Miss Johnson explains that the money is on the plane, and they will be paid as soon as they board.

05:35:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Dubai

Kliko would rather find his own way home, but at this point, he is too exhausted to argue. He awakens when the helicopter touches down in Dubai. The three remaining runners gather their gear, and exit the helicopter, then board Miss Johnson's private jet.

Bubba drops his gear immediately, and runs to a buffet table loaded with food. There is a man dressed in a nice suit standing on the other side who says, "How may I help you sir!"

"Donuts!!!" Bubba exclaims in glorious victory as he grabs a platter that is stacked with assorted donuts. He already has several in his smiling mouth when he flops down on one of the large swivel recliners. "Oh me miss yous donuts!"

Kliko and Felix sit by the conference table, and both of them ask at the same time, "Ludi?"

[Bastard]

05:55:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's private jet, Dubai

The next 20 minutes pass slowly for Felix and Kliko as they are left to discuss the events of the night, while Miss Johnson has yet to report. The loss of V, Starling and Duster one by one was now beginning to sink in. Neither of them were close with V or Starling, but it was still a stark reminder of the dangers of shadowrunning. Duster was another story. While still not close, he had been an on again, off again team member, more so than V.

Then there was Ludi. Kliko knew she was a loner, and that she liked to go alone, but for her to bolt, what happened? Something had changed her through the night. Kliko knew that she feared magic and users, and there sure was a lot of paranormal drek last night. Did she break? Where was she?

...

He snapped back into focus to find Felix staring at him.

"What?" he asked.
"You stopped mid-sentence and zoned out."
"Oh..." Kliko wondered. "What was I saying?"
"We were talking about where we go when we land and get off this cursed plane."

...

Bubba had not noticed the somber mood on the plane, but time had seemed to pass quickly for him, as he engorged himself on the mountainous piles of donuts. He was going back for another plateful, when he finally noticed Felix and Kliko not eating.

"Guys!? Dere is TONS a foods heres!" That is when it sunk in. Ludi wasn't there. Starling was dead. V was dead. Knuckle Duster was dead. He put his food down and flopped down on his seat.


06:03:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's private jet, Dubai

The private jet finally began to taxi down the runway. It wasn't much longer that they were in the air, and soon after, asleep.

[Bastard]

10:15:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, Local Time (Fin/UTC+2/Bravo) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's private jet, Helsinki, Finland
12:15:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta)
01:15:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo)

Kliko awakens with the plane touching down on a snowy runway. He checks the time on his BattleTach, seeing that he got four hours of sleep. It takes him a minute, then realizes his BT was on auto-update, and that he was now in a new timezone. Finland. He had gotten six hours of sleep, which was needed.

Next to him, Felix also looked to be stirring. From the rear of the cabin they could hear an awful sound, like one of the engines was failing. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Bubba snoring, which was a much worse condition for the airplane.

"So, Kliko, are we getting paid or what?"
"That is what I want to know. I am not sure if we were successful or not. Miss Johnson is the one who told that great dragon to take the damned Veil... uh... not that our chances were looking good at keeping it."
"She seemed awfully chummy with that wyrm, didn't she?"
"They definitely knew each other."
"And it looked like she had him by his scaly balls, even if he flew off with the artifact."
"Doesn't seem normal for a johnson to pay us all this money to get something, then sacrifice it for some 'expendable' runners," Kliko pointed out.
"It seemed like Miss Johnson wanted the dragon to take the Veil."
"Or at least, didn't care."
"Miss Johnson has to have something on Aden, which probably means we got ourselves in some deep drek here."
"We are dealing with dragons, aren't we?" Kliko asked, hoping Felix would dash his fears.
"Some sort of magic asshole, I know that. Great dragon, immortal elf, ex-wife..." Felix shrugged.
"Son of a bitch."
"Son of a bitch," Felix agreed.
"Think Ludi knew something we didn't?"
"Maybe, but you know her better than I do."

[Bastard]

11:00:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, Local Time (Fin/UTC+2/Bravo) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's private jet, Helsinki, Finland
13:00:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta)
02:00:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo)

The plane left Finland after a 30 minute stop for refueling and quickly leveled off above the cloud cover. Lunch was served, prime grade steak and lobster tails, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans in a garlic herb sauce, french onion soup, garlic bread and champagne, though a full array of top shelf liquors and beers was available. It was hard to enjoy the victory meal, when the team had lost over half its members, and they still were unsure of whether or not it was a victory.


14:00:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's private jet, over the Norwegian Sea
03:00:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo)

Lunch had been cleared, and Felix and Kliko continued their discussion, this time with Bubba trying to follow along. The front cabin opened, and Radek, the teams fixer entered the main cabin in front of Miss Johnson. He was wearing a fine black suit with a bright red and blue tie, while she was dressed in a dark grey business suit with a butterfly collar bright blue shirt. They looked more like celebrities than a fixer and a johnson.

The three runners conversation stopped mid-sentence while they waited for the verdict on their other half million nuyen.

[Bastard]

14:01:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's private jet, over the Norwegian Sea
03:01:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo)

Miss Johnson sits at the head of the table, opposite Kliko, leaving three chairs between herself and Felix, who is sitting to Kliko's right. Radek approaches them, pulling four credsticks from the interior pocket of his coat. Handing the first one to Kliko, he says, "This is the other half-million for the run, to be divided as you see fit."

Kliko and Felix have no response. Runners usually don't get paid when they don't supply the requested item to the johnson.

He handed out the other three credsticks, one each to Bubba, Kliko and Felix, saying, "This is another 250,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) , each, for one more meeting. No job, no strings, just a meet with my esteemed employer."

Miss Johnson broke the silence that followed the money floating around the plane, "I am sure you have questions, but they will all be answered when we reach our destination."

She stood, the runners still unable to put into words what they were thinking, but how do you say "What the drek?" after getting paid? However, when there was something dumb to say, Bubba was there to do the job.

"Wut da drek? We gets paid even dough da stupid dragon flies off wit da veal!? Fraggin' sweet!"

He slaps Kliko hard on the back and congratulates him, "And me toughts yous stupids fa trowin' da veal at him! But yous knows best! Klikos always dos!!!"

Even Miss Johnson can't keep a straight face, as the jovial giant dances around the cabin. "Klikos told dat dragon wat for!"

[Bastard]

14:00:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's private jet, over north-west North America
01:00:00 Friday, 13 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta)

The runners didn't see Radek and Miss Johnson since the meeting, and the spreading of wealth. Miss Johnson had used Bubba's celebration to exit unseen, before he could offer another ride on "Big Bubba's Love Train." Radek excused himself shortly thereafter, explaining again, that everything would be explained at the meet.


The 11 hour flight over the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, and much of the snowy part of North America had dragged on. Flying backwards across the time zones after an all night mission made the time orientation difficult. 17 hours on the plane, and the sun still had not set, as they chased the sun around the globe.

Fortunately there were movies, trid games, food and beds that helped pass the time. Felix and Kliko continued to discuss the money, and why they were getting paid. It didn't feel right. Normally johnsons frag you by not paying. Bubba was just happy they got paid. Do you know how many donuts you can buy with 250 thousand, plus his share of the half-mil?

[Bastard]

14:15:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's private jet, over north-west North America
01:15:00 Friday, 13 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta)

The plane touched down somewhere in northern California. There weren't too many sprawls spotted out the windows of the plane as it descended, instead, snowy mountain ranges that were eerily familiar.

As the plane came to a halt, Radek reentered the main cabin. He escorted the shadowrunners off of the private jet and onto the runway. They were hesitant, but where were they going to go? It was below freezing outside, and there were only three vehicles in site. The jet, and two helicopters, one of which Radek guided the runners to.

Before they were settled, the chopper blades slowly start spinning and they were soon in the air, following the other helicopter toward a large snowy mountain. Oh shit, Kliko thinks, I know this mountain.

[Bastard]

14:18:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's helicopter, over Mount Shasta
01:18:00 Friday, 13 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta)

The two helicopters fly upward at a steep angle, the foothills have quickly fallen away and the lone majestic snow covered mountain stands before them, gleaming bright white against the crystal clear sky.

It had been ten and half months since they last set foot on Mount Shasta, where they broke into the great dragon Hestaby's lair and stolen a data file. The Kalista file, if memory serves correctly. It was here where their careers took off, high paying jobs across the world, all through their new fixer, Radek. It was here where Kliko assumed command of a team he had just joined. But now all that remained of that team was Bubba. The Relentless disappeared before they could even collect their pay. What was in that file? Vrixa's plane disappeared shortly afterward, and the team hoped she was laying low, and not crashed somewhere in the Pacific northwest mountain ranges. V disappeared for months, before rejoining the team, only to die and be left behind in Tehran. Knuckle Duster tried to make it out of the shadows, found himself drawn back in, and along with his returning partner, he met his demise in Tehran.

Kliko looked at Bubba, then to Felix. They had some new blood, good blood. Felix had proven himself to be a talented runner and shaman, even at such a young age, and Kliko knows the team wouldn't have gotten this far without him. Without him or their last missing member, Ludi. She was an obvious loner since joining the team, and she had some major personal issues, but what shadowrunner doesn't? This last run really took its toll on her psyche though, and Kliko watched in one night how she drifted completely away from the team. He wondered where she was, and hoped that she was safe. Then he realized it was Ludi. Of course she was safe. It would be everyone else who were in danger.

There had been a few other members to join and leave the team, but few are worth mentioning, neither Kliko nor Felix remembered their names easily, and didn't give it much thought past that. Bubba was lucky to remember his own name, let alone someone else's.

"It was a great ride." Kliko said to himself, but aloud.
"What are you talking about? First a 17 hour flight, now we are in this-" Felix replied, but was cut off.
"Do you know what mountain this is?" Kliko asked him, but before Felix could reply, Bubba answered.
"Shasta Mountain!!!" he roars happily, feeling smart for knowing something a shaman did not. "Me knows cause we beens here before, we dids a-" a look of terror washed over the giants face, "Uh-ohs..."
"Goddamn right 'Uh-ohs.'"

[Bastard]

14:25:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's helicopter, over Mount Shasta
01:25:00 Friday, 13 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta)

After a few minutes of silence, Kliko looking to be deep in angry thought, and Bubba in some sort of confused fear, Felix asked, "Are you two going to fill me in?"

"We did a run about a year ago. Me, Bubba, Duster and two others. It was a data steal at the lodge on the top of Mount Shasta."
"So... wait. Lodge? Lodge like big cabin in the woods, or lodge like AI magical lodge?"
"Computers can dos magic!?" Bubba interjected.
Felix just stared at him, wondering what the big idiot was talking about. Something about Shasta had them spooked.
"He means AmerIndian, Bubba."
"Ohs... not magically exterminators, den?"
"No. Not magical terminators."
"What the frag are you two talking about!?" Felix exclaimed, frustrated by the lack of information, and being sidetracked by "bubbaspeak."
"Sorry, Felix. You said AI and he thought artificial intelligence, but you are with us now, right Bubba?"
"Yeahs. Not exterminators, amarians."
"Close enough."
"So, what kind of lodge?"
"Huh, oh... both I guess."
"Goddamn it! It is like pulling teeth getting info from you, and then getting sidetracked by a damn clown at the same time! What kind of lodge? What the frag is going on?"
"Sorry. Just, I feel overwhelmed.... The lodge belongs to Hestaby, the great dragon."
"Frag."
"Frag."
"Frags."
"And you stole a datafile from him?"
"Hers," Bubba quickly corrected.
"And we are heading back, so you think she knows it was you."
"Yes," Kliko confirmed.
"Or do you think she knew the whole time?"
"Drek. Probably. Then why...?"
"Do you think he -
"She," Bubba corrected again.
"-she- is behind the run on Tehran? Do you think the other shadowrun team was his-"
"Hers," Bubba corrected Felix again.
"Hers. Do you think the other shadowrun team was hers, possibly a hit team. They seemed to be waiting."
"Felix, yous knows da differents betweens boys an girls?"
"Shut up."
"Uhs... just checkins, cause dragons cans be boys or girls, like-" Bubba was cut off by harsh stares from both his teammates. "Me tells yous laters."
"Who knows," Kliko answered. "Maybe Miss Abby Johnson is Hestaby."
"Uh-ohs..."

The two helos continued to circle around the mountain as they climbed. The runners would be mesmerized by the awesome view of the giant volcano looming over the Cascade Range of the Sierra Nevadas, but instead they are focused on who they will meet at the top of the mountain, and what unknown horror awaits them.

[Bastard]

14:45:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo) – Aboard Miss "Abby" Johnson's helicopter, over Mount Shasta
01:45:00 Friday, 13 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta)

The two choppers reach the peak where several cabins sit loosely surrounding a large building that looks like a ski lodge. Sitting against the snow-covered landscape, the log cabins with stone accents appear to be a serene escape, but Kliko and Bubba have a different emotion stirring. The two choppers land on a moderately sized elevated pad that blends into the scenery, just behind the main building.

Radek steps out of the first helicopter, while the pilots go through the shutdown process. The copilot of the runners chopper steps out, and opens the door for them. He yells directions over the winding down engine, pointing toward Radek. The runners follow the directions, because what else can they do at this point? In their conversation along the ride up the mountain, they runners reached the conclusion that if Hestaby wanted them dead, they would be dead. Why run and die tired? If she was Radek's employer this entire time, she could have destroyed them at any time. That was of little comfort, because great dragons do not follow the logic of man, and seem to always be playing their own games, by their own set of rules, which they then bend and break as needed.

Stepping onto the tarmac, the runners almost lost consciousness. The combination of adrenaline, nerves and cold thin air shocked their systems. It took a few breaths before their bodies recovered, but they did so as they followed their fixer toward the buildings back entrance on its north side. The sun was blindingly bright off to their right, but it did not stop the cold. The wind was light, but its bite was harsh, and they were not dressed for this weather. Hestaby had them at another disadvantages, and they hadn't even realized it until now.

"Radek," Kliko finally asked. "Didn't your employer hire us to hit this place? What the frag is going on?"

He stopped, turned to Kliko, "Why yes, but it was part of the plan. It will all be explained here shortly. I had thought you figured it out already. Don't worry, my dear shadowrunner, you are amongst friends. We are very impressed by your work."

Radek turned back and continued walking like the statement explained everything. Kliko stood there on the path and said allowed, "What the hell?"

"Anytime someone tells me that I am among friends, it is usually right before they frag you," Felix replied.

"I am even more confused now."

"Me is always confused," Bubba tried to relate.

Radek stood by the door, holding it open. "Come on gentlemen. Hestaby is waiting to meet you."

"Dids him say Hestaby is waitin ta eats us?"

Kliko didn't respond. Felix responded by foraging ahead. Hell, he thought, maybe I can learn some magic from a great dragon. For some reason, he had suddenly become optimistic. Kliko and Bubba followed.

[Bastard]

14:50:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo) – Hestaby's Lodge, Mount Shasta
01:50:00 Friday, 13 October 2062, Dubai/Iran Time (Iraq/UTC+4/Delta)

Radek led them down a familiar hallway. There were two closed doors on their left, one leading to a stairwell, one to the meditation room. There was one more door on the left, which was open, like the one at the end of the hall. The door to the left led to the east entrance, they continued on into the reception and lounge area. It was large, much larger than it had seemed in the dark almost a year ago. Across from them were two wood framed glass doors, each at least four and half meters tall. To the side of each was a wall almost made entirely of glass. Beyond the glass wall was a parking lot, and a few vehicles but behind it nothing but sky and the tops of a few snow dusted evergreens.

"This way, gentlemen." Radek guided them to a pair of doors at the right of the room. Through the doors was a massive room, again, crystal clear glass windows from floor to ceiling. The wall ran 18 meters easily to the corner, back to the north end, where it turned for another 15 or so meters into an L shaped room. In the corner sat Miss Johnson. Abby. Hestaby. One and the same.

She is dressed in casual blue jeans and a loose grey sweater, that looks much too bulky on her tall, slender frame. Her auburn hair falls just below her shoulders, framing a face so stunning, the three runners forgot about the view of the mountain ranges beyond. She looked much different than she had on the private jet, but they knew she was the same person. Or dragon. She was much more relaxed, and seemed very approachable.

"Hey..."
"Shut up, Bubba," Kliko elbowed the giant in the side before he could make any "Love Train" comments, or other ungainly and/or crude pickup line.

"Come in. I want to talk. I will explain everything."

Radek closed the doors as he left them to meet his employer. Past the large dining table sat two overly large couches that sat facing the chair the woman had been seated in before. She gestured for them to join her and sit down. One couch faced out the north windows, the other at 90 degrees facing out the west window. Between the couches and the large chair is a hand carved redwood table that matches the walls. On it rests a book, that the woman had been reading. An honest to God paper book, not a data pad.

In the corner of the L shaped room, hidden from the rooms entrance, was a state of the art entertainment center complete with theater seating, which somehow didn't clash with the tribal-looking artwork, carved wooden masks and weapons.

They were hesitant to sit, but the woman encouraged them. "Please sit," she said as she did so herself.

[Bastard]

14:52:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo) – Hestaby's Lodge, Mount Shasta

"I have been looking forward to explaining everything to you," Miss Johnson said. "My name is Hestaby, and I have brought you here to discuss the future - yours and mine.

"As you no doubt have figured out, it was I who hired you to hit the this lodge a while back. The data you acquired was essentially worthless, but it not only allowed me to test your skills, but also made it appear your team was employed by someone other than me. You have done well on all the jobs I have given you, and even unwittingly did a job for Ghostwalker as well. That was beyond my expectations.

"'Why?', you might ask. Why go through the trouble, and what did I need with all these runs? I don't believe you ask a Johnson that, let alone one that is a great dragon, but I would like to change that. I cannot give you all the details, but involves almost all the great dragons. I don't want you to feel like pawns in a chess game between us dragons, but I know it might seem that way. You see, direct conflict, magical and physical, between great dragons can be a bit messy. While we go home and lick our wounds, entire cities have been destroyed, countless metahumans killed and injured. To minimize this, we created rituals and rites to settle disputes, a long time ago. You have been participating in these rites as my agents for almost a year. The other great dragons have their own agents and their own agendas in this ... contest."

"So this is just some fragging game!?" Kliko blurts out.

"It is better than the alternative, is it not?"

"Not for me! Not for Duster!"

"I understand," Hestaby says, and to all three runners, she looks seriously empathetic. "I am sorry you lost your teammate and friend. Multiple friends," she corrects herself. "It is part of why I am explaining to you the situation and the rules to the contest, now. I need you for one more run, but I thought you should know more. At this point of the game, your secrecy is no longer needed."

There were no more interruptions, just harsh stares, so she continued.

"The most important rule of the contest is that each great dragon must act through his or her agents. We cannot act directly against each other or their agents. We are however allowed to defend ourselves. So long as you don't do anything to threaten a great dragon, you will be safe from them. However, as I am sure you are aware, agents can attack each other. It is actually not that different from megacorps and their dealings with shadowrunners, which I think is an insult to us.

"The last mission is going to take you to a place you call the metaplanes. Normally non-magical metahumans cannot reach or observe the metaplanes, but there are ways to get you there. Not even I can tell you of the dangers and challenges you will face along the ways; Every astral quest is different. Once you are in the astral realm, you will need to find a very important jewel. If you are able to succeed in this mission, it will most certainly secure my victory, and I think it is best for everyone that I succeed. Unless you would prefer someone like Ghostwalker, Aden or Lofwyr to win." She looks directly at Bubba with this last statement.

Bubba shakes his head, knowing a bit about great dragons, "Nopes. Uh-uhs."

"After the success of the mission, you will each be paid one million nuyen, and my personal gratitude."

"Personal gratitude?" Kliko sneered.

"It is worth more than the nuyen."

[Bastard]

15:00:00 Thursday, 12 October 2062, California Free State Time (PST/UTC-8/Bravo) – Hestaby's Lodge, Mount Shasta

"You are right, Miss Hestaby. I do feel like a pawn."
"I know. The contest is a bit... arrogant. However, it is the way of my kind, and unless I win it, I cannot change those things. And I plan to win. I don't think anyone will entrust their agents on an astral quest, I they would least expect it from me. It will definitely be a deciding factor."
"How will you change things," Felix was very interested.
"All intelligent beings of all races should be able to work together toward mutual goals, and be able to discuss openly their disagreements."

Hestaby answered all the questions about the run, but when it got to probing details about the contest, other great dragons, or herself, she avoided direct full answers or told the runners that she would not discuss that at this point in time. She then left the three of them to discuss the job. One million nuyen. Each.

Most of their questions were directed at Felix. Kliko was not too familiar with the astral realm and meta planes, and Bubba was tired of flying.

[Bastard]

...

[Bastard]

08:00:00 Tuesday, 24 October 2062 – Hestaby's Lodge, Mount Shasta

Kliko and Bubba arrived in the Meditation Room for training, like they had at 8 am every other day for the past two weeks. However today, Felix was not there. Their instructor did not elaborate, other than Hestaby had him on a special task.

[Bastard]

16:00:00 Thursday, 26 October 2062 (Local Time) – Odessa, Ukraine

Felix hadn't expected the weather to be so warm in the Ukraine. He was expecting snow, with icy winds blowing in off the Black Sea. Instead a cool breeze blew across a partially cloudy sky, and a beautiful day that was in the mid-60s, not below freezing. Looking out at the sea, he was reminded of his hometown of Berkley and the bay side cities of Oakland and Richmond.

The water was filled with cargo ships, commercial and private fishing boats and tugs of various sizes, all trying to navigate the crowded harbor. The docks were overwhelmed with workers, loading and unloading ships, fish markets and a few piers had been commercialized, populated with restaurants, shops and bars. Now he was seeing San Francisco. Felix smiled as he watched the people go about their business. [b]Radek [/b]joined him at the railing along the dock, handing him a coffee.

"We will find our friend at the Mertva Ryba, around 2100. It is a couple blocks south of the last pier, along the water," Radek hands Felix a card which reads "Мертва риба" over the drawing of a fish, with x's for eyes. The address and phone number is listed, on the card, and on the back something illegible is scrawled in a foreign language, making it illegible for two reasons.

"She is waiting to meet us?"
"No, but the locals say she is there every night, scaring the piss out of the local roughians."

[Bastard]

21:00:00 Thursday, 26 October 2062 (Local Time) – Мертва риба (The Dead Fish), Odessa, Ukraine

The Dead Fish, as it were called, was a dive bar patronized by blue collar workers like local fishermen, longshoreman, and seamen, but it also was a haunt for a more seedy crowd of thugs, petty criminals, and shadowrunners. The drab interior matched the drab exterior of old blue-grey wood two by fours. Inside were few decorations of mounted fish, alcohol logo'ed mirrors and neon signs, hanging dull yellow incandescent light bulbs, and a liberal amount of dust. The salty sweet smell of the sea was masked under the smell of fish and working men, who stood nearly shoulder to shoulder, drinking, laughing and singing bar songs, which if translated, probably contained many swear words and unfavorable references to women and their genitalia.

"Here she comes," Radek pointed toward the parting sea of men from their table along the back wall, opposite of the entrance.

The crowd made way for an unseen force that could only be the woman they were looking for. A quick stop at the bar, and then the wave moved again as she made her way to a table in the middle of the room, where four men had previously sat.

"You see it?"
"Yeah. That's it," Felix confirmed.
"I see it, too." Felix shot Radek a look. There was more the fixer wasn't telling him. "It is a powerful son of a bitch."
"Can we take it?"
"Oh yeah," Radek was strangely confident, which put his shaman partner on edge, instead of at ease.

The mood of the bar had quickly shifted from a roughneck yet jovial tavern, to one of anger and despair. Laughing and singing gave way to arguing and fighting. In the middle of the room sat the woman, a bottle of Kiev on the table alongside a rocks glass, a pack of cigarettes and an ashtray. Her short dark hair was a matted mess, her fatigue pants splattered with something dark enough to see in dim light, up to the knees. She wore a simple black t-shirt, which the sleeves had been cut off, showing muscular arms with cuts, scrapes and bruises from shoulder to fingertips. She pulled a large caliber pistol from its holster and laid in on the table, looking around the room with a crooked sneer. She was definitely the second most dangerous thing in the bar. Third if you counted Radek.

[Bastard]

21:05:00 Thursday, 26 October 2062 (Local Time) – Мертва риба (The Dead Fish), Odessa, Ukraine

"Remember what I told you. You keep her and it occupied, and I will send it back to hell... or whatever plane it came from."
"If you think I can, I think I can."
"Remember. When it turns on you, you are going to be filled with anger, hate and self doubt. Just keep fighting though it."
"Okay."
"You have the presence and the ability, it is just a matter of your will."
"I will do my best."
"Are you ready?"
A deep purr is faintly heard emanating from the ether around Felix as he preps some defensive spells and taps his sustained foci.
"Ready."

Felix heads to the bar with an empty glass in hand. He orders another beer, but as it is being poured, he steps away from the bar and heads towards the table in the middle of the room, where the lone woman sits with a ten foot radius of empty space around her. Felix breaks through the crowd and finds himself standing behind the chair opposite of the trouble-making woman. Her head is down, but her eyes are looking up, not directly at him, but through him. Her mouth is hanging open in a mentally impaired smile.

"Hello, Ludi."

[Bastard]

21:06:00 Thursday, 26 October 2062 (Local Time) – Мертва риба (The Dead Fish), Odessa, Ukraine

Ludi looked up at Felix, her eyes cloudy, her hair wet with sweat, her sneer turned into a crooked smile, black tendrils reaching out from the black figure, which had masked it's presence, wrapped tightly round her throat, body and each limb. She answered Felix's salutation by grabbing her Ares Predator IV off the table.

The room had gone quiet, as people turned to watch someone approach the unapproachable woman, then she grabbed her gun. This sort of thing didn't happen at the Dead Fish, not until the past two weeks. Now it was a nightly occurrence.

"Let's talk," Felix tried to negotiate.
"Frag you, mage."
"Shaman."
"What?"
"I am a shaman, not a mage."
"Frag you either way."

She raised her gun, when everything dark. For her, for everyone. The room erupted in panic as everyone went blind, except Felix, Radek and the shadowy figure. Felix removed the gun from Ludi's hand as she flew into a rage, swinging wildly with both fists.

The black figure materialized in front of Felix as he stepped away from the mad woman's hay-makers. Black smoke poured from the shadow, reaching for the shaman. He cast invisibility, but the dark spirit saw through it. Felix could feel the tentacles gripping around him astrally. Fear suddenly overcame his calmness, hatred filled his heart with rage. He refocused it on dropping a stunball on the bar, but the spirit was unaffected, Felix could feel himself losing control. Lightning from his next spell danced around the table where Ludi was now swinging a knife wildly, catching the spirit and a few blinded patrons that hadn't fallen unconscious. The spirit was again unaffected. Ludi screamed in pain.

"You are quite an entertaining specimen," the shadow laughed into Felix's mind.
"Frag you!"
"Much more entertaining than the girl."

[Bastard]

21:07:00 Thursday, 26 October 2062 (Local Time) – Мертва риба (The Dead Fish), Odessa, Ukraine

Felix fell to the ground as the spirit silently exploded in a puff of black smoke that quickly dissipated as Radek walked through it. Felix stayed on his hands and knees for what seemed like an eternity as the room spun and everything echoed in the distance around him. Radek helped him to his feet, as his eyes adjusted to dimly lit tavern. The fish, salty sea and dusty odors seemed even more potent, like his sense of smell was in overdrive, while his other senses were numb. A new odor was presence, the smell of decay and burnt flesh.

"Is it gone...?" Felix finally managed.
"Yes. Good work."
"So what was that thing?"
"A wraith. A very nasty one at that."
"What the frag is a wraith."
"A very evil spirit that feeds off violence and hate, and will slowly suck your essence into non-existence."
"I had already dispatched it before. In Tehran."
"Doubtful. They can escape to other realms, or metaplanes," Radek explained.
"How did you kill it? Did you kill it!?"
"While he was feeding off you, I walked up to it on one of these other realms and stabbed it. It is no more."
"Stabbed it? That's it?
"Well it was a focused knife," Radek said, patting the six inch blade that was sheathed on his belt."
"I never..."
"Sensed it? It is well guarded against that sort of thing."

Around the room, very few people were standing, and those people were disorientated. Radek knelt down next to Ludi, placing his and on her chest, just above her heart. He closed his eyes for a second then opened them as Ludi gasped like she had been holding her breath. She sat up quickly, staring at Felix, then at Radek. She quickly slid away from them, reaching for her gun, which was not on her hip.

"What the frag!?"
"Lets get out of here. We will explain everything," Radek offered her a hand, while Felix gathered her weapons.
"Frag. Fraggin mages."
"Shaman," the two shamen answered in unison.

[Bastard]

...

[Bastard]

08:00:00 Saturday, 28 October 2062 – Hestaby's Lodge, Mount Shasta

"Ludi's!!!" Bubba screamed as he entered the meditation room on Saturday morning. He closed on her quickly, picking her up in a giant smelly bear hug, lifting her high off the ground. She grunted, letting out what air she had left, as she tried to cry mercy.

"Put her down, big guy," Kliko said, as he approached the group, which included Felix and Radek, who they hadn't seen most of the week. They all looked hung over, on top of a beating it looked like Ludi had taken. "What the frag happened to you guys?"

"Wraith," Felix answered, as if it explained everything.

Radek left them to their training with their instructor. They still didn't know how long it would be before they undertook their mission, but weeks of yoga, tai chi, meditation and other exercises of calmness was boring and tiring from the beginning, and was not getting any better. It seemed focusing your self was an important aspect of astral realm.

[Bastard]

...

[Bastard]

...