IC: Oriental Opportunities, Avoiding death in Hong Kong Options

[sabs]

[18 February 2072, 10:30:31 PM Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | Fake SIN(3) = Johnny Cash | Wuxing Corporate Citizen

<<Oy, Don't we got some chummers doing surveillance on the House?>>

Fractal waits for a response, <<Some SUV just drove up and dropped off some cooler and left. Might be nice to know who the frak these chums might be.>>

<<I'm grabbing some financials, and stuff. I'm gonna be right busy for a while. Somebody order me some nice soy noodles.>>

[phlapjack77]

18 February 2072, 10:31 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
PAN = Passive | SIN = Liu Zi Ang
DragonFly 1 autosofts: Facial Recog
DragonFly 2 autosofts: Adaptability, Clearsight, Covert Ops
iBall: Weapon Watcher, Visual Spotter

<<We're on it, tailing it now. Registered license number is Echo-Niner...>>

Dante spewed a slurry of letters, numbers, and characters into the channel in the hopes that Fractal would be able dig up some intel on it. He didn't want to have to rely on Jones for help. Shuddering slightly at the thought, he refocused and concentrated on keeping his distance from the SUV, without looking like he was keeping his distance.

[Seth]

[18 February 2072,10:30 PM Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | SIN = Dr Yang

"The hacking seems to have gone very well Fractal. If my services are no longer required, I will see if I can assist elsewhere" Dr Yang says goodbye to Fractal, and then sets off on his bicycle heading towards Lantau Island.

<<Dante / Hope: This is Dr Yang. Is there any way in which I can be off assistance? >>

[phlapjack77]

18 February 2072, 10:31 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
PAN = Passive | SIN = Liu Zi Ang
DragonFly 1 autosofts: Facial Recog
DragonFly 2 autosofts: Adaptability, Clearsight, Covert Ops
iBall: Weapon Watcher, Visual Spotter

<<Dr. Yang? Of course, we can always use your valuable insights and abilities. Right now we're in pursuit of a vehicle that entered and then left the compound. Can you magic us up a way to make sure we follow them successfully or anything?>>

[sabs]

[18 February 2072, 10:32:33 PM Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | Fake SIN(3) = Johnny Cash | Wuxing Corporate Citizen

Fractal copied the interesting files down to his commlink for later examination. While he did that, he prepared for breaking into the next sub node. Creating himself a user account for the HouseMate™'s node, he moved back into the main node, making sure that the IC had still not noticed him.

<<I've got some financials we're going to want to go over.>>

In another window, he did some searching on the license plate, trying to figure out who the car was registered to.

[Thanee]

18 February 2072, 10:33 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Ting-Ting | PAN = Passive | SIN = Xiao Ling

< [Ting-Ting] Noodles, eh? Guess you earned yourself a warm meal. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) >

Ting-Ting then heads to the bar to order a plate of noodles for their hacker, before returning to their room, taking a tea and some snacks herself.

[Seth]

[18 February 2072,10:33 PM Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | SIN = Dr Yang


<<Dante: Sadly the rules of magic constrain my ability to respond. Perhaps I can head them off. Which way are they going?>>

[Mickle5125]

[18 February 2072, 10:35 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | Fake SIN(4) = Zhao Shang | no-name street performer

<<@Ophelia[Max] Hey doll, what do you know about a guy by the name o' Li Shen Chang of Luck Consolidation and Specialty Gardening fame? Thanks in advance!>>

[Kim]

18 February 2072, 10:31 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
PAN = Passive | SIN = Yuki Kondo

"If it was a cooler and not a guest they dropped off, why are we following them?"

[phlapjack77]

18 February 2072, 10:31 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
PAN = Passive | SIN = Liu Zi Ang
DragonFly 1 autosofts: Facial Recog
DragonFly 2 autosofts: Adaptability, Clearsight, Covert Ops
iBall: Weapon Watcher, Visual Spotter

"Do we know it was just a cooler? And besides, this could give us some good intel. Maybe we can boost the truck, make another "delivery" or somethin'. Who knows, but it's better than sittin' on our butts watching fireworks, don'tcha think?"

[Edana]

18 February 2072, 10:33 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
After copying off the encrypted file and creating himself an account on the house node for later, Fractal sets his programs to cracking the protections on the file and searching out what information they can find on the owner of the SUV that briefly visited the house.

The license search turns up quickly, indicating that the vehicle belongs to a company called TV Imports, apparently a liquor importer with its home office in Vladivostok, along with a couple warehouses located near the docks in Hong Kong.

Shortly after the decrypt program notifies him that it has completed its task, and the file containing many financial and scheduling transactions is open for perusal. While the raw amount of data is staggering, including every order for kitchen and household supplies made for the last few months, it doesn't take long to find the data on the gardener, as there are exactly two entries referencing him.

<2072-02-15: [Shen Li Chang] Goods ordered. Delivery 2072-02-20-0345. 163000 on delivery. {S-1-5}>
<2071-11-16: [Shen Li Chang] Goods ordered. Delivery 2071-11-21-0415. 148000 on delivery. {S-1-3}>

There don't appear to be any direct references to the garden in the records, but the occasional spade or bag of fertilizer shows up, so it's likely that the mundane supplies are all accounted for in the files.

Heading back into the first node, Fractal checks on the IC and notes that it still hasn't noticed him, before moving on to check out the final node.

18 February 2072, 10:31 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Eager for some action, Dante begins to pursue the SUV as it returns from its trip to the house. The vehicle is driving at a relatively sedate speed, and sticks to the main road leading through the island.

[sabs]

[18 February 2072, 10:32:33 PM Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | Fake SIN(3) = Johnny Cash | Wuxing Corporate Citizen

<<Not to alarm anyone but that SUV you're following belongs to an Alcohol Importer from Vladivostok. So try and not get tagged. I hear those guys don't have a sense of humor.>>

Fractal organizes some more files and create a package, <<Ting-Ting, I'm a bit busy you think you can look through these financials for additional info? I found how much their paying that Gardner, and it's disturbing. They paid him 148,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) Last time, and they're paying him 163,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) in 2 days time. This guy makes /bank/>>

He sends the financials to Ting-Ting's commlink, then focuses on the next node. Lets see what secrets you're hiding, my sweet.

[phlapjack77]

18 February 2072, 10:33 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
PAN = Passive | SIN = Liu Zi Ang
DragonFly 1 autosofts: Facial Recog
DragonFly 2 autosofts: Adaptability, Clearsight, Covert Ops
iBall: Weapon Watcher, Visual Spotter

<<@Fractal[Dante]: Any other upcoming shipments of liquor on the books? Something we could use to gain entry to the garden maybe?>>

[Thanee]

18 February 2072, 10:34 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Ting-Ting | PAN = Passive | SIN = Xiao Ling

< [Ting-Ting] Well, I'm hardly a financial expert. All my expertise with money is in how to spend it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) >

Nonetheless, Ting-Ting will take a look at the data, maybe she will spot something unusual.

< [Ting-Ting] And that sure is a lot of money... do you think that this is 'just' for the 'magical gardening stuff', as extraordinary as it might be? Oh, one thing... maybe you can find some sureillance footage of the garden from the time he is working there? That could prove useful. >

[Edana]

18 February 2072, 10:33 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
The lack of many roads allowing exit from the island makes Dante's task of following the SUV at a safe distance a bit easier, and if the driver of that vehicle has noticed his tail, he's certainly not showing it as he drives down the road in no apparent hurry.

18 February 2072, 10:34 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
As Ting-Ting begins sifting through the record data, Fractal turns his attention to the third node spotted in his initial foray. A second scan reveals that one of the previous users seems to have logged off, so there are now only three non-IC icons active, but nothing else has changed. Putting his skills to work he manages to squeak past the node's defenses and stay hidden from the patrolling IC. Like the other nodes, this one seems to have a link back to the encrypted node seen earlier, as well as several slaved nodes that are labelled "Perim.", "Garden", "House Ext.", "House Int.", "Garage", and "Maintenance". It doesn't take too much investigation to determine that each of those nodes in turn have various cameras and sensors slaved to them.

While the hacker is getting his bearings in what seems to be the central surveillance node, Ting-Ting notes that most of the vast quantity of log entries in the records she was given don't seem to have a lot of relevance to the situation at hand. The most recent entries seem to indicate that there is a dinner party that's expecting 10-15 people will be happening on the 19th, but all of the supplies have already been ordered and delivered over the past couple of days. An interesting insight that comes up in this hunt is that hardly any of the entries have tags like the "{S-1-5}" from the gardener's entries, and those that do have only the vaguest descriptions and odd delivery times. "Package" seems to be the most common label chosen.

<@Max: You mean old man Chang? Can't say I really know him, but I've heard of him. Some kind of dragon line specialist. Rumor has it he's in tight with the Chrysanthemums. Seriously creepy if you ask me. I don't think he'd appreciate your usual treatment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) . I'll look into it some more and get back to you, this a rush? --O>

[Thanee]

18 February 2072, 10:40 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Ting-Ting | PAN = Passive | SIN = Xiao Ling

< [Ting-Ting] Hmm... the only thing that comes to mind is, that they are trying to hide something. They receive the occasional 'package' or 'goods' with no details given. Those seem to correspond to the entries noted with some special tag also, like {S-1-5} or {S-1-3}. Maybe those tags reappear somewhere else? Could you have a look while you are in there, Fractal? >

[phlapjack77]

18 February 2072, 10:35 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
PAN = Passive | SIN = Liu Zi Ang
DragonFly 1 autosofts: Facial Recog
DragonFly 2 autosofts: Adaptability, Clearsight, Covert Ops
iBall: Weapon Watcher, Visual Spotter

Dante grimly set his mouth and continued to tail the vehicle. He was beginning to suspect that Hope had been correct, that there was no real use in tailing this vehicle. He risked a glance, looking longingly at the case of beer on the seat next to him. Sighing, he returned his eyes to the road and the SUV in the near distance.

[sabs]

Fractal
[18 February 2072, 10:41:13 PM Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | Fake SIN(3) = Johnny Cash | Wuxing Corporate Citizen

<<Ting-Ting, here's some stills from the security camera setup. See if you can gleam something useful. Hey, you think we can chill out here for a few more hours? I need to finesse my way into the last node, and that's probably gonna take 3, or 4 hours. You up for a late night?>>

While he's doing all this, he's very absentmindedly eating his noodles.

Fractal sizes up the big admin node, and gets ready to start cracking it.

[Thanee]

18 February 2072, 10:41 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Ting-Ting | PAN = Passive | SIN = Xiao Ling

< [Ting-Ting] I think Dante made the reservation, not sure for how long. But I think it will be ok. I will have a look. >

She then browses through the pictures and looks for anything that might be useful for them.

[Mickle5125]

[18 February 2072, 10:35 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | Fake SIN(4) = Zhao Shang | no-name street performer

<<@Ophelia[Max] Have you ever known me to care how someone feels about my usual treatment? Anyways, not a need-it-yesterday rush, but you know I'm not the most patient of sorts. Thanks, hun. I'll bring you something shiny next chance I get.>>


Max considered what Ophelia told him for a few minutes, then fired off a message to the other participants in this endeavor.

<<@Ting-ting, Dante, Fractal, and the rest of my companions for this night of fun and profit [Max] Rumor has it our friendly neighborhood gardener is in tight with the Chrysanthemums, and I don't mean the pretty flowers. Thoughts?>>

[phlapjack77]

18 February 2072, 10:36 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
PAN = Passive | SIN = Liu Zi Ang
DragonFly 1 autosofts: Facial Recog
DragonFly 2 autosofts: Adaptability, Clearsight, Covert Ops
iBall: Weapon Watcher, Visual Spotter

<<@All[Dante]: I have a contact in the Chrysanthemums. I could ask about our gardener, but then I'd be worried about whether word would get back to him that someone is sniffing around. Anyone have any ideas on how I could approach my contact without tipping our hand?....One other thing - Chrysanthemums are organ-leggers. Combined with everything else we've found out, this guy sounds like bad news. I can't wait to meet him.>>

<<@JiuJiu[Dante]: I heard a rumor that there's a really great party being held at the garden retreat on Lantau Island tomorrow. This seems like a great way to network. Any chance you could get me some invites?>>

[Thanee]

18 February 2072, 10:42 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Ting-Ting | PAN = Passive | SIN = Xiao Ling

< [Ting-Ting] Now that's interesting... it might explain a bit better what those "goods" and "packages" are, don't you think? >

Ting-Ting tries to recall, if she knows anything specific about the Chrysanthemums.

[Edana]

18 February 2072, 10:42 PM, Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Taking a little time to go through the now-available security feeds Fractal determines that the property has 100% video coverage, including both low-light and thermographic information. Most areas seem to be covered by at least two independent cameras slaved to different sub-nodes, with agents running on each of those analyzing the footage as it is taken. Other sensors are much sparser, a few pressure sensors scattered randomly about the yard, as well as MAD and Chem sniffers located near each of the entrances to the buildings.

The garden also boasts some pressure sensors in the walkway, and the plants all seem to have sensors to warn of a disconnect, but nothing to indicate they're anything more than a simple proximity sensor. There are also moisture sensors associated with each of the plants.

As she mulls over what she knows of the Black Crysanthemums and scans the still images sent to her of the garden area, Ting-Ting notes that there seems to be an irregularity in the stone walkway near the center of the garden. A closer examination reveals a deliberately cut circle, perhaps 1m in diameter. There aren't any indications as to its purpose though.

<@Dante: You'll have to be a bit more specific than that omae, Lantau isn't exactly small. If you know who's running this shindig, it would certainly speed things up. -JJ>

<@Max: Hah, true that. But I think he would probably be especially unappreciative, if you get my meaning. I should be able to get you something by morning. I do enjoy the shiny things. -O>

[phlapjack77]

18 February 2072, 10:43 PM, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
PAN = Passive | SIN = Liu Zi Ang
DragonFly 1 autosofts: Facial Recog
DragonFly 2 autosofts: Adaptability, Clearsight, Covert Ops
iBall: Weapon Watcher, Visual Spotter

<<@JiuJiu[Dante]: It's very kind of you to pretend like you don't know every move I make. I'd like a few invites to a garden retreat located on the east side of Lantau Island, southeast of the airport, owned by Zhuóyuè Shengwù Jìshù. I hear their New Years celebration is to die for...>>

[sabs]

Fractal
[18 February 2072, 10:43:12 PM Best KTV, Mong Kok, Hong Kong]
PAN = Passive | Fake SIN(3) = Johnny Cash | Wuxing Corporate Citizen

<<@Dante[Fractal] Hey my man, I'm slogging through some heavy drek. I'm gonna be dancing the light fantastic till after this place closes down for the night. Think you can talk the owner to let me hang out post hours? Otherwise, I gotta take a break, go find a coffin, get all setup again. >>