2072: Game World, IC thread for 2072: Recruitment always open! Options

[sabs]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Madrona Park, Lake Washington Blvd, Seattle]

Fractal tries not to look too impressed by the Mage's shift in appearance. "That's handy". A video clip and a note are added to Sirene's file.

"Do we want to plan here?" He looks around, it's a bit more open than he's used to. "How much time do we have to plan, and prep." Through all the flash, it's clear that Fractal is a man who likes to measure twice, and cut only once.

[Aria]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Madrona Park, Lake Washington Blvd, Seattle]

“No, we just wanted to sound you out, see if you were interested before we move on…” Silk frowned at Bale… “as Bale and I know the location all too well I guess we’d like to see what ideas you have for breaching it. We can discuss intel once we meet up again but to give you something to mull over I’m an infiltrator, Bale and Requiem specialise in combat and detection and Sirene is a spirit with all the benefits and drawbacks that that entails…to some degree we are all trained in stealth and depending on how competent you feel in that department we can either try and get some technological aids to help or leave you to your own devices. In the past comms have alternated between being run on site or from a remote location… which do you feel most comfortable with?”

[sabs]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Madrona Park, Lake Washington Blvd, Seattle]

"I much prefer to be on site for the trigger pull. Makes it easier to take care of any issues." Fractal ponders, "I'm not really the.. ninja type. My stealth comes from blending into the crowd, and looking as if I belong where ever it is I'm supposed to be." He does a little twirl, "Effeminate Elf boytoy, enjoying the park with other like minded effiminate elves." He flashes a grin. "I can probably pick up a basic stealth package. But it's only going to fool your basic security systems. Though, if I get enough lead time onsite, I can probably compromise most of the cameras around. But we can talk about all that when we sit down to brass tacks. When and Where do we want to meet."

[Gortrek Bloodspl...]

@Fortune's Forecast
[April 17th, 2072, 21:16:10 Крымские дворце (The Crimean Palace)]
[Quincy Mathews: PAN Passive][Jack Blades: PAN Hidden]

"Well a vehicle, I umm...well don't. Everything was pretty much within walking distance at my last place. I haven't had to transport anything before. Not like this anyway..." The conversation was awkwardly forced for Jack. It may have been the combination of having an incredibly demeaning conversation with an elderly lady who further offended anyone with a sense of fashion, or it could have been the need to move a large quantity of ammo which likely was a first.

"I don't suppose you have anyone you trust to go with me to meet your uncle that has a reliable vehicle do you?"
If not I suppose an indy cab will only cost me one of my kidneys to move the goods...

Jack looked around at the attention the laugh had drawn in and only hoped there wasn't someone listening in when Alexi mentioned the ammo. Gambling, shoplifting, general theft, and countless other petty acts was no big deal, this was smuggling on a limited level. It gave Jack something of an adrenaline rush and passed quickly. He preferred the high he got when playing a full house or a straight but this was something new, and Jack typically liked new.

[DaedalusK71]

Erebos fumbles about and fashions a message to Fractal, attempting not to sound like the scared kid he was. I hear you're looking for something to give you and adVANtage... I may be able to help you out. [PAN Address] 500 nuyen. You name the time, I'll name the place.

You have got to be the worst ... criminal ... ever.

[Aria]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Madrona Park, Lake Washington Blvd, Seattle]

“We have a comfortable safehouse on south east sixth street in Bellevue. I suggest we meet there this evening to begin planning our moves. Gather what you will all need before that. A protocol that the old team used was that when they were preplanning a run, right through to sometime after completion, they stuck together as much as reasonably possible… for safety in numbers and control of information. I’ve heard too many horror stories of a target picking off runners before they even step through the door and I don’t want that to happen to us. I know we all have lives outside of running but doing this ensures we keep them separate as much as possible.

Don’t worry about the stealth package for now… we’ll source camo for the relevant job or pick up full stealth suits when the need arises. Ideally we get you and Bale fully kitted in milspec gear, I have a contact with the right sort of connections to arrange that and it would allow us to tackle the kind of threats that the old team dealt with… yes, I know that’s hardly blending in but it may pay to have the option open to us”

[sabs]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Near the Safehouse, Bellevue]

Fractal did a good job of hiding his disappointment that noone took his goad. "I'll bring my gear. I can get there by 7 or so. I don't mind sticking together. Though I do want a room of my own. I spend a lot of time in bed." Fractal didn't really have a life of his own, other than gathering info and spoofing himself a halfway decent lifestyle.

Fractal laughed, "Yes, Milspec doesn't really blend in. Not usually my style. But those lovely fullbody suits, are pretty sweet, and they fit underneath regular clothing."

"That seems settled." He takes Sirene's hand and kisses it, bowing to the others. "Lady, Gentlemen. I shall take my leave of you. You wouldn't believe how much packing I need to do. The life of a Dilettant is never done." Fractal waits briefly in case anyone has anything to say, and then he departs the park.

Fractal takes a rather circuitous route getting back to his current hideaway, changing disguises, entering the building he's currently occupying.
"Good Morning, Steve. How's the family?"

"OH well, Mr Druthers. Welcome back sir. Is there anything I can do for you?" Asked the Security guard at the Lobby front desk.
"Yes, a Limo service will be showing up in about 4 hours, can you see that they get access to the freight elevator. I have a lot of luggage."
"Of course Mr Druthers, of course."

With that Fractal went upstairs to the well furnished Condo he'd appropriated just a few months ago. It was time to burn this place anyways. Fractal spent about an hour and a half packing up everything he cared about, gear, disguises, weapons, into false bottomed suitcases. The following hours were spent reprogramming the home system to do a proper scrub of all evidence he had ever been here. By the time he was satisfied he had scorched all biological and electronic evidence, the Limo driver was arriving up the front door.

Fractal had the Limo driver pack up his luggage, and take him to a very swank hotel in downtown Seattle, where he had a relationship with the doorman, who immediately called him a cab. After another hour, Fractal showed up with his luggage at a corner near the safehouse, this time looking like an Orc deliveryman, complete with a delivery van. He dropped the luggage out the back, and sent the van on it's return trip home, having planted a delayed bug that would erase all records of where it had driven in the last 30 minutes, and the next 30.

He opened up a commchat to Silk. <<I'm here. Which building is it.>>

[DaedalusK71]

freΣdom / Erebos
[April 17th, 2072 10:05:16 – Aimlessly wandering Seattle (job hunting)]

Erebos makes his way downtown, wandering rather carelessly looking for the spot where he had seen the vans. He fishes his comm out of his pocket and dials the only person he trusts...

Pockets... It's Erebos. Listen. I gotta get out from under Kecce and his goons. I got a line on something but I need to know if I'm walking into a knife here. Can you pull some strings and give me everything you have on the handle 'Fractal'? I owe you man...

[SoyKaf Adict]

@Fortune's Forecast
[April 17th, 2072, 00:50:11; Everett, inside Everett Medical Center]
PAN=Passive, SIN: Erica Hallowford
PAN=Hidden, SIN: Vivica Leman

It had been some time, either the receptionist was ignoring Saint, or hadn't heard a word out of her mouth. She assumed the tapping away the oozing woman had done at her commlink was involved with the transaction, but no comment had been made otherwise.

"So... Am I good to go?"

Saint makes sure that her own commlink logged the transfer, she had a credstick but it was empty. The thought dawns on her, that paying via PAN for a 'standard' fee was perhaps an idiotic move, even though it was a fake SIN. She blamed it on her airy alter ego, and waited for a reply.

John, now affectionately known as Sport was more than playing his part, but he looked uncomfortable too, that she hadn't recognized as something she told him would work as an angle. Something in here had him squirming on the end of a hook, when she turned back to the receptionist the answer lay before her. They'd both be thankful to move along down the line. The ooze was starting to turn green--

[Aria]

freΣdom / Erebos
[April 17th, 2072 10:15:16 – Dockfront, Elliot Avenue West, Seattle]

You're sure this was it...they came out of that building over there and gave you the fright of your lives...bastards nearly ran you over, it's why you thought they were after you at first. In hindsight that was probably a silly assumption but Kecce has fingers in many pies and you'd hardly been thinking clearly at the time...

Your 'link chimes with an incoming missive from Pockets

<<So you wanna know about Fractal? I’ve gathered a small dossier for you from a couple of the shadow boards. Far as I can tell he’s an up-and-coming star on the hacker front. Got some solid rep with his peers and is rumoured to have successfully done a number of jobs recently. Nothing concrete, but for a runner, having it confirmed that you’ve done something, at least in the recent past, is as good as saying you lack subtlety and your rep takes a hit… I’ll send the file over and you can look through it yourself. Keep your head down Erebos, you’re hot at the moment, be careful who you accept work from!>>

[Aria]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Safehouse, SE 6th St, Bellevue]

<<I’m here…>>

<<Fractal, good, come in…>> and a discrete ARO highlights the path to one of the non-descript suburban condos done up in shabby chic. It’s a corner plot surrounded by trees and other vegetation that shield it from observation. A quick scan reveals a dense amount of wifi traffic in the neighbourhood and you suspect that there are surveillance measures hidden in the mesh.

Inside there is a sparse selection of comfortable furniture and a sweeping AR Wallscape™ that currently depicts the surroundings of the house from multiple angles, including overhead.

“You can stash your stuff in the garage out of the way for the moment…you planning on a long stay then?” you are sure you hear Bale muttering something about kitchen sinks...

The team are waiting for you in the living room. From the walkers in the park they have transformed into the very image of runners…darkened armour suits, weaponry and various pieces of technological paraphernalia. Only Sirene is unchanged in her summer dress and bare feet…

[onlyghostdancesw...]

@ E:PL
[May 19th, 2072, 09:33:00; En-route to UK]

How much to tell him.... What do I tell this assassin? Anselm calmly rocked back in his seat and turned on the white noise generator he kept for the occasions like these that required discrete speech. "Indeed you would be, however I expect that the main concerns will have to do with either those who would like to, shall we say interview, our guests. Prominent researchers at places like Aztechnology and others of their ilk have expressed the desire to repay those who turn such as the father in to their human resourcing centers with very lucrative contracts. Now, I have nothing against free enterprise but for myself I would rather this particular man stay... unattached for the time being. Keeping him so will help us gain favor with some very interesting individuals; it's your job to see to it that the individuals, eco-rads and others, don't find us a little too interesting first."

[onlyghostdancesw...]

@Fortune's Forecast
[April 17th, 2072, 21:16:23 Крымские дворце (The Crimean Palace)]
[Quincy Mathews: PAN Passive][Jack Blades: PAN Hidden]

Hawke nodded in an understanding manner, "I thought that might be the case here, tell you what, I'll have josef go and pick them up for you but I'll take a favor in return if you don't mind? There's a tournament in two days over at Casino Corner, you've heard of the place?" When Jack nodded quickly, he continued, "As it happens, I have a team going to that tournament but they are short one person and you seem to be very good at cards and you are looking for experience... I want you to go with them, you don't know them of course but you'll meet them shortly before the tournament starts. I want you to play as hard as you can to win, but if you end up against them in the finals I want you to stack the deck in their favor, and if it comes down to you losing to make them win, do it. After that, you can come back and tell me all about your experience, keep your eye out for anything unusual and tell your old uncle."

[onlyghostdancesw...]

@Fortune's Forecast (Saint/Adrian)
[April 17th, 2072, 00:50:11; Everett, inside Everett Medical Center]

The nurse with the disturbing ear infection looked up and smiled, "Thank you for paying the paper work fees love but you missed the most important one, the payment for processing dear... it's also 500 nuyen and honestly our electronic systems have been having issues lately, you know how things go around here, never enough funding..."

She looked very pointedly at Saint and then at Adrian and tossed two badges onto the counter, "But I'm sure you'll be able to find that missing paperwork by the time you get back from your appointment. Right cyber-eye was it? Doctor Bailey just had an opening for diagnostics, he's in room 403, through the doors, take the first left then the second right and up the elevator, right on the fourth floor and second door on the left."

[sabs]

freΣdom / Fractal
[April 17th, 2072 11:12:42 – Safe House]

<<Erebos, lets meet. You pick the place, I'll pick the time. Some mutually beneficial business might be doable.>>

The one thing that's clear in the dossier, is that pretty much noone knows what race he is. Although everyone is fairly sure he IS a person, and not an AI or E-Ghost. People talk about meeting a Troll, an Orc, even an Elf. Noone can seem to agree on his personality either. That being said, he's known for being solid with the information, and providing excellent on the ground support.

Fractal, curious about this Erebos does some searching, contacting a few connections he has.

Meanwhile, Fractal shows up at his meeting with Summer, using her codes, and armed to the gills. His Fractal form pulsates to an unheard background beat. <<Summer, it's unfortunate we can't meet under more pleasant circumstances. I've been contracted to determine events that happened recently. I was led to believe that you might be able to shed some light on this rather baffling problem?>>

[sabs]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Safehouse, SE 6th St, Bellevue]

Fractal grins, "Not particularly. Just long enough to pull off the job, let the heat if any die down. It was time to clear out of the life I was borrowing anyways. I have others in the works." He considers for a second, as if about to say something, but then seems to change his mind and goes to stow his gear into the garage. All, except for a couple of items, which he seems to carry in a small backpack, the kind you might see couriers or students carry. Fractal disappears into the bathroom, and emerges 20 minutes later looking completely different again. The Fractal that comes out is a dead ringer for Johnny Matrix, the hacker in the Sunflower Guns™ TV show.

He plops down in the living room, and gives the entire group of killers a smile. "lets get down to brass tacks." It's subtle, but it's obvious that he's wearing a full body suit under his clothes, and from the look the clothes he is wearing are armored, though.. subtly. He sits down on the couch and leans back, relaxed, though he does have two guns tucked into shoulder holsters.

[Ears]

@Fortune's Forecast (Saint/Adrian)
[April 18th, 2072, 00:50:11; Everett, inside Everett Medical Center]

Hmm, a thousand to see this ominous 'doctor'; wonder what she does with her cut that's more important than having her ear treated.

<<from:Sport to:Saint>Let's get going. I'll cover the other 500.>

Nodding at the nurse, Adrian grabs one of the badges and starts to head for the doors. Near which stands a small group of people - the Ork orderly from before and two nurses berating him. They seem to blame him for that troublemaker's behaviour. And he seems to not care a bit. Maybe he's used to it?

[JxJxA]

@ E:PL
[May 19th, 2072, 09:33:00; En-route to UK]
[Erika Elite, ID "Maximilien Danton"]

Gemeaux grins bitterly at the mention of "Aztechnology and their ilk." Ah, the elegant simplicity of the megacorp mindset---so essentially human. It wants, it desires, and it thinks nothing of the actual humans it now considers "lesser beings."

"That is a wide range of potential enemies," he says, returning La Repartie to its case, "and while I would prefer more details, I suppose that will have to do for the time being. I must confess that I am ill-equipped to handle magical threats, but I suspect that is an issue you can attend to if it arises."

He withdraws one last effect from his luggage---a sterling silver flask and a pair of crystal wine glasses. He takes a seat across from the priest, pouring the man and himself a glass of fine Cassis wine. He offers the glass to the priest.

"Now, can you tell me a bit about arrangements once we arrive in the UK? I suppose 'traveling in style' is too much to hope for..."

[Aria]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Safehouse, SE 6th St, Bellevue]

Bale snorts in amusement as you enter the room in yet another guise. Sirene smiles at you too, clearly looking beyond the physical form to the unmistakable cast of your aura (or whatever it is that these spirits do…). Requiem looks uncomfortable and you notice a distinct tic in his jaw line that perhaps doesn’t bode well. Silk on the other hand ignores you, sunk in some state of inward looking contemplation.

“Ok, now you’re here…” a slight pause while Silk takes in your appearance “anyway, let’s decide how we are going to penetrate the location undetected and make off with the goods. We have the layout and some information about the services for the building. It’s not over a major sewer route so underground isn’t likely to be an option. Security is tight but we don’t know much more than that…any thoughts Fractal? Bale and I can’t exactly forget what we know about the place so this planning session is in your hands…”

[Aria]

freΣdom / Fractal
[April 17th, 2072 11:12:42 – ShadowSEA meeting node]

You step into the node and straight into a lurid garden scene reminiscent of Alice in its strangeness. The iconography has clearly been manipulated since you were last here, ShadowSEA don’t usually have the funds to sculpt their meeting nodes to suit their clients.

Alice herself appears like the Cheshire cat in a phase of pixels…

“Fractal? Thank you for meeting me. You are working for Prospero? I offered to help him myself but unfortunately the runners I sent were intercepted. So, you want to know what’s going on? Well, it will come as no surprise to you that since our emergence my kind have been hunted. Prospero was generous enough, or foolish enough, to shelter a number of us. It would seem that our hunters have found a fast way of identifying us, something that ought to concern everyone. Particularly as I don’t know where they were taken or who is responsible, or to what use they will put those they have taken. Perhaps you will be able to piece this tale together? I hope so! You are wondering about how much trust I am placing in you? Let us just say that I have seen the aid you can, and will, give us in the future…”

[sabs]

Balefire / Fractal
[May 09th, 2072; Safehouse, SE 6th St, Bellevue]

Fractal seems to ignore the scowls, and just focuses on the work at hand. It's interesting that his entire body language is completely different than it was before. Given enough time it might well be possible to detect the similarities, but the short term effect is fairly confusing. Even the speech pattern is different. And if he's giving offense by not trusting these people he just met with his real face, he doesn't seem to care.

"lets bring up the lay out, and the services. See what they tell us. We're also going to need to do some recon. Are there any deliveries, does anyone come and go." He looks up at Sirene, "What magical defenses are there. It would be swell if we managed to get to the cheese, just to realize there's an invisible magical cat waiting to eat who ever is there."

He considers. "wireless network suppression. Duct systems. There's so many ways we could do this. We need to narrow it down some. Is the place currently abandoned? Or is there armed security?"

"The preferred plan would be something along the lines of" As he speaks, a bullet point list shows up on a holo projector Fractal places down on the table.

* Sirene and Fractal disable security measures
* Bale infiltrates and retries item, possibly with Silk?
* Requiem acts as Johnny on the spot should problems arise.


"I will need a day or so to analyze the target. See what's going on. See if I can compromise their security system a head of time. Brute force is so inellegant."

[SoyKaf Adict]

@Fortune's Forecast
[April 17th, 2072, 00:50:36; Everett, inside Everett Medical Center]
PAN=Passive, SIN: Erica Hallowford
PAN=Hidden, SIN: Vivica Leman

<<@Sport: Damnit, classic blunder, I just over-paid by not thinking. Payments like that usually get taken care of through credsticks. Never be in a hurry to pay someone when the charges can go up. This curiosity is getting expensive. [Saint]>>

She had to bite her tongue and smile. Extortion was worth every nuyen, and this place would've crumbled long ago without it. She takes the other badge and follows Sport through the doors and past the three quarreling staff members.

Room 403. Through the doors, first left then the second right and up the elevator. Right on the fourth floor and second door on the left.

She didn't have time to react toward them, more than likely he was being chastised, no doubt, for bringing KE onto their doorstep. She ran a stopwatch in AR from 5 minutes, counting down. They weren't likely to have that much time, but it was something to keep mindful of.

[DaedalusK71]

freΣdom / Fractal
[April 17th, 2072 11:15:42 – Downtown]

Erebos' PAN chirps.
<<Erebos, lets meet. You pick the place, I'll pick the time. Some mutually beneficial business might be doable.>>

Keep your head down Erebos, you’re hot at the moment, be careful who you accept work from! Pocket's words echoed in his ears as Erebos stood on the street corner just up the street from where he had seen the vans.

<<The corner of Spring and Madison. I'll be there with bells on...>> Erebos hesitated; uncertain he wanted to go down this path. Not that he had many choices... [send]

Looking up at the street sign, 'Spring St. / Madison', Erebos walked to the end of the block and slipped into an alley and, after ensuring there were no cameras, sat down to wait for this ... Fractal's reply.

[Trigger]

@E:PL
[July 3rd, 2072, 4:15 PM; Ælias' Apartment, Auburn, Seattle]

He had needed to work quickly gathering the things he needed for the trip to Chicago, especially after the unexpected need to spend three days in bed. Luckily, most of the things he needed were easy enough to find, just a stop off at the local Sports Stop™ and a few thousand nuyen later he had what he had what he came for. At least the legal and easily available stuff.

His next stop was at a Renraku One-Stop Electronic Shop™, where he had one little, but important sensor to grab. At a rather hefty 550 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) a pop, Ælias got a Sensor RFID Geiger Counter, and they even did the injection into the lower dermis of his forearm for free with his purchase. He mentally turned the wireless signal on it off after leaving, letting his own natural skinlink integrate it into his biological PAN, a small number in the corner of his eye, just another one among the many AR displays he kept active when he had to be present in his meat.

The last things on his list were going to be the hardest: he wanted to get vials of Wyrd Mantis Essence. He had heard from some reliable posters on various shadowhavens that it worked rather well to keep most bug spirits away. One poster had commented about barely escaping a couple of Mantis spirits while wearing the stuff, but many agreed that the risk was worth it to keep the others away. He stopped at four different talismonger shops before finally getting a lead on the stuff. It took another two stops and then a quick trip down a back alley to a musty basement to pay another 1400 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) for two bottles of it. He knew the price was high, but he didn't have the time, nor frankly the skill to find it for cheaper. This job was going to worth a lot, both monetarily and in potential with Stillwater, for him to complain too much, but that didn't keep his credstick from feeling the ache.

After two days out and about on the town, dropping thousands of nuyen on new gear that would be useful, but unlikely to be used again in his opinion, Ælias had one last thing he needed to do before his trip across the continent. He needed to find a way to get his gear there. Sure, some of it could come with him on the suborbital flight, but he didn't need the hassle of declaring his Predator, nor did he want them to find the combat drugs he knew he would probably need, nor his collection of disguise tools, makeups, and nanopaste containers. After asking around with The Refugees, he came up with the name Technicolor Wings. Apparently they were a courier service that was very shadow friendly, as well as a frequent employer of other unwired individuals like himself. He wired Brer Fox another stipend for the connection (that guys seems to know everybody) and gave a call to someone named Inbus, apparently an employee of TW and a technomancer.

<< @Inbus: Hoi, Brer Fox passed your digits my way, said you were a friend of The Refugees. I have a package that needs to be dropped off in Chicago, not much bigger than two briefcases. Going to be there in four - five days. Sound possible? ~Ælias >>

[Ears]

@Fortune's Forecast
[April 18th, 2072, 00:51:19; Everett, inside Everett Medical Center]
PAN=Active, SIN: John Taylor

Hmm, I'd better get a few of them, then. Never know when they might come in handy.

Turning left after the doors, Adrian and Saint enter a corridor that may have seen better times. Maybe back then someone had been able to decide on either green, white or gray. Today, it's hard to tell which colour was the original one and which ones were painted over lateron.
The second on the right is another corridor, which leads straight towards a pair of elevators in between which is located an ancient-looking card swiper.

Guess the badges aren't just for decoration, eh?