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

[Bastard]

22:06:58 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome, Martinez

Kliko had been here many times before. And though he preferred to keep bizz and his personal life separated, it wouldn't hurt to impress his new replacements either. The Thunderdome rose up majestically from its surroundings near the former Alhambra High School. Originally intended to become a major league stadium. Nowadays it was mainly used to stage various Orxploitation related events. Kliko didn't care tonight. He used to come here for the same primordial bass currently ringing around the Thunderdome's ferrocrete outer shell, but tonight would be strictly business... their fine clothing putting them even more out of line as opposed to the other meta humans walking about the ticket windows.

Skirting the Thunderdome's outer shell they walked all the way around the back of the dome until they reached the abandoned set of trailers and containers used to haul the main - and support acts audio equipment. Here they finally set themselves up in one of the empty containers, relying on a magnetic white electrical light, providing a cold industrial look as opposed to the brightly colored laser show extruding form the Domes interior. Kliko barely managed to scrounge some plastic garden furniture to decorate the container and have a place to sit down before he had to send Bubba back for the ticket windows to welcome their guests...


22:07:25 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Martinez BART station

Jamie steps off the train carrying her new helmet. A bus ride, and a moderate walk and she can see the club/warehouse.



23:45:05 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome Parking Lot, Martinez

Corsair parks his Nomad in the far back of the troll bar's lot. Not being a man of much physical stature, he picks out a path to the ticket window that is straight enough to not look like he is avoiding contact with any of the hooligans in the lot, but will keep him far enough away from them that he can walk confidently to the window.


23:50:05 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome Parking Lot, Martinez

Jamie fakes a cell phone call. She takes her time and looks around carefully. Seeing nothing untoward, she puts on her helmet.

Jamie walks her route keeping the cameras on her back. Once she gets in line, she takes off her helmet and slings it under her arm, keeping her back to the overhead camera as well as she can. The nice man at the ticket office pointed her over to a troll bouncer when she asked for Bubba.

Jamie janders over to the troll and smiles, "I'm Jamie. I'm supposed to meet Bubba."

With a soft sigh Felix returns his awareness to his physical body after watching the entrance to the Thunderdome in the astral and getting a feel for the mood and emotions of those present. 'I hope the worst of the mosh pits stay inside the dome there, that could get ugly for a little guy like me.' With a quick stretch and a pop from his shoulder, Felix climbs out of his car and locks it up. A quick request to his new (after sunset) air spirit to guard his vehicle from harm and he begins moving towards the entrance and the will call window.

The troll standing near the will call window, clearly uncomfortable in his suit, stood out to Felix and so it was no surprise when he was pointed to the troll when he asked about the tickets for Bubba.

"The name's Felix. I believe your compadres and I have some business to discuss?"


22:58:36 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome side entrance, Martinez

The green skinned, blond hair weaved in two girly like tails -red lipstick fiercely overdone- female troll named Bertha slowly leaned over from her ticket booth eying Jamie carefully. "You lucky, meeting such a smart-looking man like Bubba. You hand him this scrap with my private LTG aye." ... 'Poor him, but hey, trolls need some love and affection too.... I guess...' Passing Jamie what looks like an old and crumpled ticket. "Anyway, he's right over there." Looking up she finds the giant alright, looking really out of place with a cheap suit. In fact he's rather hard to miss considering the main act fired up the crowd about a quarter of an hour ago, leaving the ticket booth area abandoned.

Bubba, clip-on tie hanging sloppy from a semi-open shirt, leads her around the Dome to the farthest corner exit where a small parking lot is filled with trucks, trailers and cargo containers spread in some or other logistical setup. Following the lumbering troll Jamie's paranoia kicks in overdrive. 'Its a setup, it must be!' She sees a faint light coming from inside one of the containers down at the parking lot, voices ringing inside. 'At least some people weren't masking their presence'. And at least the troll appeared relaxed, his back towards her. 'He seems trusting enough.'

Jamie takes ticket from Bretha, "Nothing like a sharp-dressed man, eh. Yeah, I'll pass it on."

After Bubba leads Jamie and Felix back to the container, she slips him the ticket. "The ticket troll asked me to pass this on." Jamie steps on in, smiling at his confusion.


23:05:42 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

The white light eradicated any prospect of coziness from the room. This was a place for doing biz and even the furniture, bare disposable plastic seats you could find in any decent gardening outlet store, only served to further accentuate that atmosphere. Behind the table sat a single green-skinned ork, touches of grey hair combed backwards across an increasingly balding head and dressed in fine clothing. 'Yet another cheap suit screaming I'm a professional, and will kick your ass if you mess me up.' Assensing the character in front of him Felix realizes that whoever did the surgery on this chummer, they did a pretty fraggin job stuffing all that headware in a skull like his. Felix could see two faint grey wires running down to the base of Kliko's neck and the other even further down his arm towards his wrist. At least his mood appeared relaxed... 'Afterall, all I have to do when the drek hits the fan, is pull the pin of this gas grenade taped underneath the table and beat some sense in them.' Yeah, Kliko was feeling just fine...

"Finally, there you are." Kliko addressed Jamie "Please sit down. I have a proposition for the both of you. I'm not sure what our mutual friend told you about us, but we're basically what you might call a professional heavy-hitter crew." Confirming the runners first (or worst) impression. "... we're a professional crew and want to extend our skillset somewhat. J's pay top-premium for crews able to handle a wider range of operation. Now we invite you to join our little happy few and earn your fair share of that premium... Now before we proceed on the details... I need to know, are you in or are you out?

You don't like what you see? You're free to walk out of here and pray you never see any one of us again...."

Jamie sits down in one of the chairs at the orc's direction. She sets her motorcycle helmet on the table looking in askance at the metal walls. She settles into the chair cautiously looking at the only exit at her back.

The ork lays out an introduction, if you can call it that. As a heavy-hitter crew, I assume they mean corporate targets

Jamie waits a beat, then responds, "I have a few questions." Without waiting for a response, Jamie rattles them off.

"Does this group have political connections? How heavy? Like, do you tangle with I Marines? Did you take care of the cameras outside? "

Her eyes roll up toward the ceiling, and back to the ork's face. "I think that's it."

[Kliko]

23:06:10 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

"Does this group have political connections?"... "We accept jobs through a number of contacts, one of them being our mutual friend, as long as the nuyens good... We don't like a job, we walk away. Also we're involved with kitty-kat bizz between the big nuyen, to keep an edge and get some training together."

"How heavy? Like, do you tangle with I Marines?" ... "If the pay is right, sure... better be some awesome nuyen though."

"Did you take care of the cameras outside?" ... "They've been out of order for as long as I remember... Anyone looking for you? You really think anyone crazy enough to start a fight in front of a stadium filled with trolls on steriods? This is a safe a place as any."

"Anyother questions? Whats it gonna be chummer, in or out?"

[Bastard]

23:08:50 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

"Me's in, Klikos!" Bubba says with great enthusiasm.

[galenbd]

23:08:23 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

The ork is straight forward describing his team. They're quite mercenary, with some limitations and they have a reasonable assessment of their abilities.

What Jamie actually says is, "I'm in. No one's looking for me as far as I know, but I just prefer to keep a low profile."

[ntwi]

23:08:25 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

Felix pauses for a few seconds as he parses Kliko's statement before replying "I'm in as well"

[klinktastic]

23:08:30 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez


Seeing his new team gathering, Corsair heads in. "Hey guys. Thanks for the invite. I'm in for anything."

If you turn to see who has spoken, you'll see whom you presume is Corsair. A 6'1'' slender, slightly toned human male. He has close cropped black hair. He is wearing a Las Angeles Bolts (Urban Brawl Team) tee-shirt, camo cargo pants and a pair of combat boots. Slightly cocked to the side, rests an LA Bolts hat.

[Kliko]

23:08:40 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

A big grin erupts on the Ork mecernary at the other end of the tables, tusks protruding proudly. "Welcome in the crew chummers. Now there are a few things you ought to know and priorities we have to get straight. Whatever drek hits the proverbial fan, our first prio is to get out safe. You're no use to me when you're very brave, but also very dead... the minute you go down you become a fraggin liability, We'll scoop you up alright, but medical bills just ruin my day... We're all entrepeneurs in this bizz ... that means I expect you to cover eachothers asses and not clip your fellow co-worker to save ourselves a trip to the street doc, aye."

"We're all entrepeneurs in our partical field of expertise" using a lot of expensive words Kliko didn't really understand. 'but what the heck, it sounds interesting, so it must be interesting.' ... " and our clients expect good value for money. Meaning we act professional. We deal with a client, we make sure we dress appropiately, meaning some fine clothing, or cheap business suit at the least." looking in Corsair's direction. "We got a meet-scheduled with one of our J's for tomorrow evening. His name is not important, but whats important is that its your first tryout."

"Now our mutual friend send me you rep sheets so this is how we're gonna roll"... "We got a meet scheduled with a J for tomorrow evening. Like I said our first prio is team-security and this were you all come in. Felix, I'm by no means an expert, but you cover all magic related security stuff. Something comes up, you warn us through our comms-system and we get the frag out. Corsair, you're a drone rigger so you and your drones got overwatch. Anything happens and you warn my good friend Bubba here who acts as backup. Drek hits the fan, we make sure we all get the frag out of there in one piece."

"Our other crew-member used to be some kind of a spook. She'll come with me and pipe an audio/video feed through our comm-system. You got some wireless capability Jamie?"... "Because you're the one looking up any questions Ludmilla and me might have on the fly." ... "We have a pretty solid comm-system we're using for this kind of stuff and both Ludmilla and me will be jacked in during the meeting."

"Any questions?"

[klinktastic]

23:08:45 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

"Good to go Kliko. I'll provide arial recon with my drones. Additionally, I'll stay stationed in my jeep. That way I can make a quick pick up of you two if things go awry."

[ntwi]

23:08:50 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

"Is it team policy to always go to meets in professional clothing, or does that change depending on where we are meeting with Mr J? In an upscale meet it makes a lot of sense, other times it may draw more attention to the meet because we don't blend in." Felix pauses before continuing "Any details on where this meeting is tomorrow, or are we waiting for that information? I'm asking because if it's upscale enough to be warded, I'll need to be there in person to do much."

[Kliko]

23:09:00 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

"Is it team policy to always go to meets in professional clothing, or does that change depending on where we are meeting with Mr J?"...

"You're spot on Felix"...'Smart chummer' "I don't have a location yet. We'll check just before the meet and see whether it is... warded you say?" Its rather obvious to Felix that Kliko's knowledge of all things magical is limited to the Karl Kombat Mage hit trid series.

"Those drones are gonna be a real asset Corsair. We'll meet again tomorrow two hours before the meet takes place. You all be issued your comms-system and Ludmilla will take you through our protocol once more. Sure its going to be alot of prep for just a meet." "Putting emphasis on 'just' by making annotations in the air. "But there's a first time for everything and getting our routines down before the drek hits the fan works wonders in my experience."

[galenbd]

23:09:03 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez
Jamie shrugs, "I don't yet have wireless interfaces set up. Haven't needed them. I usually just install a dataline tap and jack in from there. Might not work if we don't know where the meet will be. I could install a cell link before the meet, but I'm strapped for yen. Does your comm system interface with the cell network? From the Matrix, I can keep cell network secure. "

[Kliko]

23:09:18 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

"Comms are milspec, tactical encryption, decent electronic counter-measures, DNI-control, extra port, the works... no external interfaces to keep our exposure down see. I'm not fraggin about when I talk secure comms chummer. 'At least Kliko talks the talk as far as electronics are concerned....' "Tell me whatever you need and Ludmilla and me take care we get you something to work with."...

"In time you might even afford one of those wireless dataline taps to deck from outside corporate compounds." Obviously happy with his skill-display "Physics don't give a frag about extra-territoriality."

[klinktastic]

23:09:25 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

"Do we have a location for the meet? If we do, we should scout the meeting spot and I can deploy one of my survellance drones. Once we get a lay of the land, we can formulate our game plan for the meet."

[Bastard]

12:05:10 Thursday, 30 March 2062

Kliko answers Radek's call.

"Hello."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Kliko. Can you and your team make a meet around 4 o'clock today in Golden Gate Park?"

[Mister Juan]

04:23:11 Wednesday, 29 March 2062 - Somewhere just outside Sacramento

It was a stale grilled cheese in a stale dinner. But then again, there weren't that many places still opened at this time of day, and the kind that still had some lights on were in the same breed as this dinner. Someone had a radio on in the kitchen, the twang of country music barely audible over the hum of the neons. Alone in her booth, Ludi did her best to ignore the piece of bread scratching the roof of her mouth. She felt tired and annoyed. Mostly annoyed. She chewed mechanically, washing everything down with lukewarm coffee that was probably a few days old. She felt annoyed because the job wouldn't net her a single dime. She was annoyed because she had promised Lana to spend week home... a promised she had to break. When a friend high up in the government calls you up for a favor, you can't really turn it down. Favors, especially from politicians, were always good to have in store. But banking such favors meant being up at 3 in the morning, in the middle of nowhere, eating a cardboard like grilled cheese sandwich.

Leaving a few crumbled nuyens behind, and a half eaten chimera of breakfast and lunch, Ludi exited the dinner. Beside her car, the only thing she found in the parking lot was a puddle of water and a half of a flying newspaper. She got in, turned the music way up and went for a little drive. With the windows rolled down, the music blaring in the night and the smoke at the corner of her mouth, Ludi almost forgot about how annoyed she felt. Alone on the road, the wind whipping her hair around, she almost smiled. Almost.

After almost an hour of driving around, the young Russian woman finally found what she was looking for. Turning on the little dirt road, it only took a brief moment for the Sacramento river to jump out of the night. She parked and popped the trunk.

Union Representative Biff Pacey had duck tape over his mouth, flex cuffs around his wrists and ankles, and wild fear in his eyes. Blood had apparently poured from his nose, drying over the tape. He wiggled around like a worm knowing the hook was coming. The tip of Ludi's smoke flare orange as she pulled on it. Pacey had turned out to be a little heavier than she had expected... making Ludi resent having to take him out of the trunk. She would've much preferred to simply shoot him in the head, roll him up in a garbage bag and dump him in the river. Quick, clean, simple. But that wasn't the point of the whole night. Struggling as best as she could, she pulled the man out of the trunk and dropped him on the muddied ground. She also took out a chain and a block of cement, setting them down next to him... making more than sure he saw them. When he tried to roll away from her, Ludi knew the message had been sent.

Grabbing him by one foot, cigarette still in her mouth, she pulled him close to the riverbed. Ludi knelled to his level, took hold of the tape and ripped it in a single motion. Pacey screamed once in pain, and then in fear. All it took to shut him up was a punch in the gut; something Ludi was quite good at. She took the phone out of her pocket, thumbed the speed dial and held it to man's ear. When he heard the voice on the other end of the line, his lips began to tremble. He answered only in “Yes”, with a quivering voice, to a few questions. He swallowed a few times, simply nodding his head frenetically.

Then, he looked up at Ludi.

“She.... Wants to talk to you....”

Ludi brought the phone to her ear.

“Make sure our friend understands, and cut him loose.”

Ludi turned the phone off. She looked at Pacey. She looked at the way his adam's apple kept bobbing up and down. The air was thick with the smell of moss and urine.

“Do you understand, Mister Pacey.” she said, letting him hear her voice for the very first time.

He nodded. Ludi took a photo out of her pocket, unfolding it and holding it up to Pacey's eyes.

“You have two little ones, in Swiss boarding school. If you talk of this night to anyone, I will bring you their heads.

He nodded again, his eyes tearing up.

Ludi threw the picture at him, threw her smoke into the lake, and rolled him over. Wrapping one arm around the man's throat, she held him in a head lock for a few seconds, making sure enough he wouldn't wake up before tomorrow. Clearing him of his bonds, she pulled him out of the river's edge and into the forest. Hopefully, he'd wake up and find his way back home before some night critter decided it had the munchies.

Ludi's sleek sports car pulled away from the Sacramento river, music blaring, to disappear into the night. In about two hours, she'd be back to her new home, knowing all too well she would barely have time for a nap before Lana was up.

[galenbd]

23:09:30 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

Jamie considers Klicko's description. She responds carefully, "The comm I use should interface fine with what you're using. I can wire it into the deck so it can override the sim signal. I'll be able to listen just fine. I don't have a signal booster for it, but it has a reliable 2 km range. "

She glances back toward the door as she continues, "The cellular links will take 24 to 48 hours to install. That's too much time for what we're considering. I should be able to find a jack point close enough to the meet. I just need to know where it is as soon as you find out so I can start getting set up. I wouldn't want to be late to the party."

[Kliko]

23:09:40 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

"We'll get you one anyway... You may be comfortable jacking-in from a public place, doesn't mean I am. Best have you safely tucked inside a car when you go limp. You'all dismissed for now. I'll contact you as soon as I got the meet details."

12:05:16 Thursday, 30 March 2062

"4 o' clock is fine sir. I got the crew on standby. You happy to relocate the meet somewhere out of Nip-land?"

[Bastard]

12:05:16 Thursday, 30 March 2062

"The Park would be very convenient for me. Is there some other sort of establishment you prefer?"

[Kliko]

12:05:22 Thursday, 30 March 2062

"The park ain't a problem, parks location is. Our nip-friend" obviously referring to Saito's meta-policy "is. Lets not risk the hassle of imperial security when we can avoid it. How about the mt Diablo observatory museum as an alt location?"

[Bastard]

12:05:22 Thursday, 30 March 2062

"That seems like a good reason. However, I would prefer not to have to spend an hour driving up Mt. Diablo for fifteen minute meeting, just to spend another hour trying to navigate my way back down. How does the park entrance area sound, from Clayton? I believe there is a large picnic/barbecue area there."

[Kliko]

12:05:28 Thursday, 30 March 2062

"Copy that, Pine Hollow Road entrance, we'll be there."

12:10:47 TEXT MESSAGE SENT [KLIKO>>>JAMIE, FELIX, CORSAIR, BUBBA, LUDMILLA] >>>: "1400u, Clayton Club saloon."

[klinktastic]

12:11:02 Thursday, 30 March 2062 - Corsair's Apartment

Upon seeing the text message from Kliko, Corsair replies back to Kliko.

12:11:02 TEXT MESSAGE SENT [CORSAIR>>>KLIKO] >>>: "Roger, Clayton Club saloon @ 1400u."

Corsair begins gathering the drones he was working on and packaging them in his Gaz Willy's thinking to himself, been a while since I have a bad meet with a Johnson...these guys must have gotten burned at a recent meet. Pays to be careful, but they seem a little on edge. Definitely need to keep my guard up just in case.

[galenbd]

23:09:43 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez
Jamie objects, "But it'll take..." She pauses in confusion. Gathering herself, she redirects, "I'll need a 5000 nuyen advance. A couple thousand for the transciever, another couple thousand to match encryption, a couple hundred for the deck parts. I'll need to give my guy something for the rush job."

[Kliko]

23:10:01 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez

Scrathcing the back of his, re-aligning some of his thinning hair... "I meant somewhere in the near future" 'dumbass' "not our next job... we'll have to improvise for now. I'll order you a handset phone and cellular link for perhaps (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 500 by matrix" 'Do I look like fraggin Santa?' "Its up to you to invest in some extended wireless capability.... I mean at the end of the day, we be the one going in there and puttin a tap in place, keeping you out of the heat of the action and in the comfort of one of our rides."

[galenbd]

23:10:01 Tuesday, 28 March 2062 - Thunderdome supply area, Martinez
Jamie responds, "So ka. If I can find a jackpoint nearby, I can monitor the conversation and feed data back to you. I'll start working on finding potential jackpoint locations across the city. When you get the actual meeting location, I'll narrow it down."