Pale Lights (IC), in the evening Options

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:42.675 hours

Now out in the hall, Isako drops down and presses her back to the wall, her hand over her mouth. Her eyelids flicker behind her glasses.

[Command external device Comm Wx0/1: Scan for tertiary devices.
If device error code == TRUE then:
Tag device.
Spoof expected channel to tagged device as NORMAL. Command tertiary device ALL STOP.]

[JavaLamp]

Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:43 hours

Apartment commons block 30-34

All four of you run out into the commons area with seconds to spare. Isako plants her back to the wall outside the apartment you've just left and her eyes scan wildly. Isoro with comm in hand, and Aldan, hastily pocketing a few of the chips he'd been looking at while running. It's now only 3 seconds until that timer has run out...

Isoro, looking over his shoulder, sees Kit concentrating, his hands pressed together fervently and sweat at his brow and the sounds of splashing water come from inside.. Finally Kit turns to run out. Aldan, fighting his own adrenaline to keep his composure, runs to the stairs.

18:41:46

Isako grunts frustratedly and curls up to brace. Aldan takes a shielded position in the open stairwell, but down mostly out of sight of the apartment. Isoro and Kit themselves are mid step running through the commons when it all goes down. In the heat of the moment, the boom hardly registers as more than a loud, menacing rumble. The building shakes and settles.. dislodging fragments of cheap plasticrete and showering the commons area. A tide of chunk and rebar fly out of the door at high speeds, burning and turning every which way, some skitter only a few feet out of the doorway, but many more of them spill out into the commons area, peppering everyone.

18:41:49

Looking back to the apartment, the whole contents are blazing away, even meters away the heat deters any approach. Great cracks in walls, ceiling and floor... the new 'balcony' where the bathroom was, and the flaming and smoldering bits you've managed to mostly brush off hastily all testify... that was too close for comfort.

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:42:00 hours

Apartment commons block 30-34

Isako doesn't bother looking back but heads for the stairwell, keeping crouched to the floor with her mouth covered. She doesn't straighten up again until she's clear of the smoke. Though her face is emotionless as she walks away, she mutters, "To think that everything I said was completely wrong. The things I'd like Yuri to do to them when we find them..." Then she speaks up enough to say to Isoro, "I'd like to see that commlink as soon as we can get to a safe place. I'm interested because he was plugged in when he died. I'll save introductions for when we're outta here..."

[tarbrush]

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:42:00 hours

Apartment commons block 30-34

Isoro bow's his agreement.

"Certainly. But let us get to this safe place first."

Isoro fussily brushes his clothes down before heading down the stairs without a backward glance.

[deek]

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:42:05 hours

Apartment commons block 30-34

"Slot...that was close."

Aldan decides that its best to follow Isoro and Isako. He's not quite sure what's going on here, but he's certain its safer with them than venturing further alone. With that decision made, he has his agent tie up some loose ends.

<Aldan> Adelia, please confirm that my baggage arrived at the flat.
<Adelia> Certainly. Do you want me to have the landlord hold it in short-term storage?
<Aldan> That's a splendid idea, bird. And I'm not sure when I'll be there, so check my messages and reply back that I'm here in Japan but occupied.
<Adelia> Yessir.

[cndblank]

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:42:00 hours

Apartment commons block 30-34

Kit shaking his head murmured "That was most excessive." and follows.

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:42:10 hours

Isako fires off a short message to Ichi: [Bomb self-detonated at site. Can you suggest safe place and route? Commlink retrieved from scene. Thx, Isako.]

"Since we're probably now Persons of Interest to the local Happy Police Precinct, I've asked a friend where we might go. We ought to be able to blend in with the crowd outside and that'll get us some distance while I wait to hear back, maybe work toward a club I know not far from here or a shrine."

[JavaLamp]

Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:42:50 hours

'Naniwa Licensed' apartments stairway

A number of residents can be heard from behind you, three of whom are attempting to bark orders... unfortunately they're contradicting each other. As you passed the landing for the second story, you saw about half a dozen people poking their heads out, with the exception of the tenants of apartment 21b, They're all out in the commons block in various states of undress shouting at each other while one of them fetches a fire extinguisher...

It's not until you've gotten to the first floor landing that the fire alarm finally sounds. But without a backwards glance you filter out into the street. There are a few people in the alley, gawking and pointing at the flames above, and the flaming rubble on the ground.

[tarbrush]

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:42:50 hours

'Naniwa Licensed' apartments stairway

Isoro turns politley to Isako.

"So. To where are we headed"

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Time consistent with above

Sakaisuji Road

"There's this nice little blues club not too far from here. The bar opens earlier than the clubs I usually play at so we can go right in, get a booth. I'm cool with the regulars there, hopefully we won't be disturbed."

[cndblank]

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:43:00 hours

Sakaisuji Road

Kit "Good choice."

His lips quirked "I will join you there after I clean up."

[deek]

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:43:15 hours

Sakaisuji Road

I was certainly looking to experience some of Japan's night life...and I don't think these guys are going to kill me...

"Sounds good to me too."

[tarbrush]

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:43:50 hours

Sakaisuji Road

Isoro suppresses most of a shudder. Imported yankee blues is not exactly to his taste. But then, no-one he knows is likely to be there, and right now there's nothing he likes about a place than that.

"Shall I hail a taxi, or can we walk?"

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Sakaisuji Road
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:44

"We'll never get a taxi through this mess. It'll be faster on foot, and lower profile. Just follow me." She indicates with a toss over her head the direction to the club. "Shall we make contact on our 'links so nobody gets separated?"

[deek]

Isako
Sakaisuji Road
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:50

"Those both sound good to me. I'd have no idea where to go in the first place!"

Aldan sends a subscription request to Isako.

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Time and place unchanged

Isako establishes a secure transmission with Aldan's link. "Good. Two numbers to go."

[JavaLamp]

Wednesday, February 11, 19:20

Sakaisuji Road

Through the ebb and flow of crowding people, you make your way down Sakaisuji Road. It's almost half an hour of deft maneuvering, AROs become, if not necessary, quite convenient, through the whole walk, though by the end of it the crowd is much more thin and walkable. A MotoPed JRX-0664 on a Pizza-Trump delivery (with it's boldly emblazoned king of spades on the side) zips by as thin strains of saxophone start whispering in between the waning anime theme songs and store advertisements.
A stairway gap between two stores, with enough room for most to walk though one at a time, becomes the clear source of the sounds. An old sign marks the wall with near illegible markings for store locations in the stairway, but a crisp, clear ARO waits tirelessly, inviting the passerby in. A query shows there are 40 of 60 seats available, Open mic night starts at 8pm, and the special is the owner's own spiced tea. Reasonably priced at 5 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif)
You head down a narrow flight of subtly creaking stairs to the well kept, wooden door. Entering, you are greeted immediately with a 'Welcome! Please be seated where you like.' from a thin, middle-aged man with a short, pointed goatee and round sunglasses behind the bar cleaning cups. There is pre-recorded music mostly of a solo saxophone that's just winding down. Music picks up again with some slow blues.

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Wednesday, February 11, 19:20

Domino Blues Club

Isako gives a courteous nod to the bartender then makes for a booth. She sits and gestures for you to join her.

[Thank you for sticking with me this far and keeping this line innocuous. Please enjoy yourselves while I prepare a fiberoptic or laser line, and welcome to Domino.

I think I might have missed any introductions earlier. You can call me Isako - hacker, ghost hunter, and lead guitar. I'll admit this sax stuff is not my thing, but it'll get better.]

[deek]

Aldan
Wednesday, February 11, 19:20

Domino Blues Club

Aldan nods a thank you to the bartender and follows Isako to a booth.

"Ahh, this music is really soothing. I might even be able to relax a bit in spite of what just happened back at that apartment." Aldan looks at Isako, but seems to be sharing this with anyone that is listening. "I don't know if anyone else had a chance to grab anything or if this is even important, but..." He pulls a out an optical chip and sets it on the table, "I grabbed this before everything melted."

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Wednesday, February 11, 19:20

Domino Blues Club, booth

"Oh good, yeah. Man, those guys really have some nerve, busting up a perfectly good party like that. Major disrespect to the hosts. I hope they get what they deserve, and soon." As she's delivering this somewhat stilted and disjointed adlib, she palms the chip and slips a fiberoptic cable over to Aldan's commlink jack.

[I may be cool with the regulars but they don't want heat coming in here. This way we can talk privately; if you can, keep what you say out loud casual. Anyway, let's take a look at what you've brought, then at the hikikomori's link.]

She inserts the chip and scans it for viruses before bringing up the file directory.

[deek]

Aldan
Wednesday, February 11, 19:24

Domino Blues Club, booth

<<Aldan: Yeah, good idea, bird. I sometimes don't realize that sort of thing, which tends to get me into jams. This will work out great.>>

Following Isako's lead, Aldan says, "Yeah, that party was really just getting started."

<<Aldan: By the way, in case she chimes in, Adelia is my agent and she helps fill the gaps in my technological knowledge.
<<Adelia: Greetings. And its more like bridging the chasms. Really long bridges.
<<Aldan: Thanks, bird, I need that...
<<Adelia: Isako, is there anything I can assist you with in analyzing that chip?>>

[TakayamaYuuko]

Isako
Wednesday, February 11, 19:20-something

Domino Blues Club, booth

Isako's jaw seems to lock a little and her face scrunches up before she manages to squeeze out a "I was sure it'd go all night. But they stunk up the place."

[My, wit on the fly. Personality simulation in agents sure is advanced these days. Keep it on standby until I've got a better sense of whether anything dangerous is on this.]

[cndblank]

Kit

Wednesday, February 11, 19:25-something (up to GM but after he stashed his gear from the apartment).

Domino Blues Club, front entrance.

It hadn't taken long to vacate the apartment. Prior planning prevents poor performance. And with everyone running around, he certainly fit in no matter how much he was carrying. There was a lot of fear and worry from people who had little to lose.

The club made a nice change and Kit willed himself to enjoyed the slow beat. He headed to the bar and got himself the spiced tea then scanned the bar for the rest of the impromptu band as he sipped it.

[tarbrush]

Isoro

Wednesday, February 11, 19:25

Isoro had been quiet as he followed the group into the bowels of an unfamiliar club. He was pleasantly surprised when they got in. The western music wasn't his style at all, but the spiced tea is excellent and the place is quiet. He'd never understood the fascination of the youth with eardrum-burstingly loud music (although he did of course appreciate the annonymity that a club provided on a purely professional level). Once they were inside he quietly hooks into whatever secure line Isako is offering, unwilling to simply message his link details across the open airwaves.

Once the others start talking and messaging across the booth, he contents himself by sitting back and silently unwinding just a little bit. Renraku would never in a million years think of looking for him here. The relxation lasts only a moment as he remembers the sheer depth of deviousness of some of his former colleagues.

[JavaLamp]

Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 19:30 hours

Domino Blues Club
As the last of CompuRx's scans read off negative, a clunky old file listing scrolls up in a black box, the label on the volume is 'Box of Tiger Bread' (ToraPan no Hako) After hassling with the formats for a moment, you manage to open the file with the same title as the folder (there are literally hundreds of files listed here). It's a comic, scanned, it looks hand drawn in a rough style. It's quite clear from the arrangement on the cover that it is meant to have a double meaning as 'Pandora's box' There's a girl in a tiger striped leotard with some bread hanging out of her mouth bent over looking into a box on it. A designation of 'NatsuComi 80' and a creator's name of 'JizouJidoku' are written out in roman characters in the top right.
Paging through the book it looks like a pretty cheesy story of some girl with a box and all the people who walk out of that box, slip and fall on things and get into compromising positions with her and with each other. Various forms of accidental nudity come into play through the story.

Spoiler for Yuuko

[ Spoiler ]

You recognize the characters as most of the teachers and students from a romantic comedy of the day. Beautiful Karen

A group of three guys can be heard starting to set up the stage for the coming open mic night.