Nothing's Free in the Free Zone (IC), Adventure 1: Broken Star Options

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:36 AM August 3rd, 2075

As Grease pulled out the tools of his trade, Jack called up the ARO file of the apartment complex floor plan and started to manipulate it. "Generally speaking, the less ground we need to cover, the better, no matter if we go in using a cover or if we sneak in... which means the northeast stairwell is probably our best bet. Elevators are probably not an option unless we're taking the cover approach and even then, only for entry. Whoever is running the Host can probably shut the thing down regardless of how much control Overkill has over it, there may even be manual controls to do so."

Jack stops abruptly, his quickly forming plan shattering into a thousand pieces. "Uh, amigos? Assuming we can take these guys down, how are we going to move the bodies? Remember the blonde-haired pendejo from the ambush?"

[Chrome Head]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:36 AM August 3rd, 2075

"If we win the fight, I could summon a physically strong spirit to do some heavy lifting, but even that might not be enough for our needs. We need.. some kind of .. cart?" Amy suggests.

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:36 AM August 3rd, 2075

"Yeah, a laundry cart or one of those big trash carts would work. How do we work that into showing up at 0300 or 0400 in the morning? Unless that happens to be when their trash service is normally scheduled, that's out. It would have to be some kind of emergency... plumbing problem or some kind of bad infestation?" Jack liked where this was going, but still had concerns. "How do we get the cart to the apartment complex? We've only got two sets of wheels and I don't think something that size is going to fit in either of them..."

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:36 AM August 3rd, 2075

Lowering his voice, Grease adds, "Lynx is the only one we need to get out of there alive." Letting that sink in a moment, he scratches his cheek. "I like the exterminator idea; I wish we had a van. It's hard to convince someone you're a pro if you show up in a cab. If we fireman carry Lynx out of there unconscious down the back stairs, presumably we can make a break for it before their rent-a-cops can stop us." Jack was pretty sure Grease meant him when he said "we". "Late night exterminator works well though- especially since it would make sense for there to be several of us, and armed."

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:36 AM August 3rd, 2075

Jack furrowed his brow and glanced at Grease. How is it possible we hear the same words but draw completely different conclusions? "I'm pretty sure Johnson expects us to turn up with everyone other than Truck. Not that we can't probably get something out of the effort if Gutter and Falcon don't quite make it..."

Considering the embryonic plan, the ork continued, glancing at Grease and Amy in turn, "We might be able to be enough of an annoyance that they don't really check us out that well. If there's only one of them on duty, Amy might be able to pull her mind trick." Grease was pretty sure Jack meant him when he used the first-person plural. Turning to Overkill, he concluded, "A lot of this is going to depend on you owning that Host though... cameras, locks, comms. Do you think you can do that?"

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:38 AM August 3rd, 2075

Overkill thinks about his answer carefully before replying. "I believe so, yes. That being said, the less I have to do the less likely I am to be discovered. And, as in all things, there is no guarantee, nicht war?"

"Gaining access to the Host was relatively easy before, I believe I can be inside again in seconds. Disabling the varies locks and controlling the elevators should be child's play once I have MARKed the Host. I doubt something like this apartment will have a Spider, so all I will have to deal with is the IC, which should allow me to remain undetected."

Sighing, he finishes, "I am primarily a combat decker, so the one area I am not as proficient is the manipulation of data - so our greatest risk of discovery will lie in me needing to edit camera footage. I am not proud to admit that, but I want everyone to know up front the risks we face."

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:38 AM August 3rd, 2075

Jack considered Overkill's response. After a second, he replied, "That's reasonable. If we go in using a cover and disguises, we may not need that much in the way of camera editing."

Starting to work it out in his head, he said, "We'd need a fake emergency request work order for a team of exterminators for the apartment where Lynx is, something really nasty, like those devil rats we ran into a few days ago. Hopefully security isn't working with them, because that would throw up a red flag. When they see the work order, the guard will probably want to check. I'm not sure if you can intercept that transmission, Overkill, but maybe Amy could step in and use her mind trick to convince them that they don't need to check... something about the occupants saying they were going to stay somewhere else until the pests were handled. Then we go up like we're supposed to be there, toss CS grenades in since the occupants supposedly aren't there, and let Amy's spirit mess them up a bit. Then we go in, gather the bodies, dump them in the cart, and wheel them out like they're what's left of the devil rats."

[Chrome Head]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:39 AM August 3rd, 2075

Amy liked where the conversation was going, but she wasn't too sure that the targets would go down so easily. "Very good plan so far, I feel like it's probably going to work up until we get to the room. But I've seen what Lynx can do and I fear what Falcon can do. Just throwing in gas grenades and my spirit, that might really not be enough. There might also be drones in the room, and if they fire that would raise an alarm. No, I think by the time we're at their doorstep, speed might become more important than stealth. We want to surprise Lynx and crew and hit them with all we can throw at them all at once."

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:38 AM August 3rd, 2075

"Do you think we could get anything stronger? Some Neurostun would make things a lot quieter, and wouldn't necessarily wake up their neighbors. This is all contingent on us getting grenades and making a run at them tomorrow night, though. If we decide to go tonight, we'll have to go in with what we have, unless Chapel is awake and has some lying around."

Nodding at Amy, Grease adds, "That's why I figured we'd want to just worry about Lynx. If they're conscious, Gutter and Falcon are ten times more dangerous than Lynx, at least in my opinion. Lynx can be trusted to act rationally if he has a gun to his head; as far as I know he's limited what he can do in those circumstances. Falcon and Gutter both have additional abilities that means they need to be out before I stop worrying about them."

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:39 AM August 3rd, 2075

"OK, if we're not going to go the gas grenade route, we're going to need to go in with guns drawn, which means Overkill's probably going to have to be on footage editing duty to change what the guards are seeing when we go in... devil rats don't shoot back. We might need to convince the security guards that we have fumigators, at least to delay their reaction to any gun shots that are reported. We just tell them that the fumigators sometimes sound like gun shots."

Glancing at Grease, Jack replied, "NS is pretty tough to get on the street, from what I've heard. CS is used in all kinds of training exercises, from police to the military, so it's pretty easy for it to fall off the back of the camión. We could always ask Chapel and see what he says."

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:39 AM August 3rd, 2075

"I'll send him a message now, and see if he has any available or can scare any up in a short amount of time."

Grease leans over to tap on his commlink for a few moments.

<<@Chapel [Grease]: Hey there- I still owe you that dinner next week. In the meantime, could you get your hands on some CS grenades? We're running an angle on our current job. Masks to go along with them would be handy as well.>>

"While we wait to hear back, what else are we missing? A cart? What about a gurney? We could throw our friends in a body bag, and cart them out like that. If they're covered in CS the guards probably won't look too hard, I can tell 'em that's "Devil Rat Spray", and try not to get any on their clothes."

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:39 AM August 3rd, 2075

Jack itched at his chin. "Wouldn't they look a little too much like human bodies then? I was thinking we could get some garbage bags and pack them on top of the bodies if we had the cart. When we leave, if they try and stop us and check the cart, Amy can whip up an illusion of a devil rat coming out of the pile. We all freak out and bash at it and it scurries back down into the pile. I bet they wouldn't look too closely then... but that would still require a cart."

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:40 AM August 3rd, 2075

Grease feels the tickle along his spine, his DNI alerting him that he has an incoming message.

<<@Grease [Chapel] Looking forward to it. Yes I think I can, and the gas masks are easy enough. How many do you need?>>

As Grease takes another swig, he sends the message back with a few mental commands. <<@Chapel [Grease] One grenade ought to do it, and 3 gas masks, oh - can you get you hands on 3 metal restraints? And, as a favor, can you meet us at the Bar-rel?>>

A moment later the response comes back. <<@Grease [Chapel] I'll have them there in an hour.>>

Grease sees the bill appear and winces slightly, but then makes the payment, the nuyen disappearing from his 'link and fleeing through the Matrix to one of Chapel's many accounts.

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:40 AM August 3rd, 2075

"Alright," Jack said, examining the layout ARO, "we've got Chapel working on our gear needs. We've got disguises or should be able to pick them up pretty easily. We've got our own kit already. Seems like the last major challenge is getting a vehicle and a cart that we can transport the bodies in, assuming we're grabbing all three and there isn't some other way to get them out like a trash chute or balcony."

"How do we do that?" The question hung in the air as the ork looked at the rest of the crew.

[Chrome Head]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:40 AM August 3rd, 2075

Amy smiles. "We steal a utility vehicle, of course! We have a genius hacker on our team, and an expert of all kinds of machines. I'm sure you two can figure it out!" Amy's natural optimism had taken a step back lately, but it was still there deep down. The plan that would finally end their run was shaping up and she was getting contagiously excited.

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:41 AM August 3rd, 2075

Overkill responds to Amy's remarks. "If we find a vehicle, I can control it with relative ease. If we keep the usage time down - basically stealing it right before the job and dumping it afterward, we should be able to get away without leading anyone back to us."

He smiles, "Fortunately we are going through the Warrens, Lone Star patrols will be at a minimum there. Grease, I would recommend not driving with your usual, shall we say laissez-faire attitude toward safe speeds? The one thing that will get us caught is if Lone Star pulls us over for traveling double the speed limit.

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:42 AM August 3rd, 2075

Jack listened to Overkill intently, trying to pick out any weaknesses in the suggestion. Failing that, he said, "OK, so we have all the logistics nailed down, or at least have a plan to square them all away. Overkill, can you run a quick search for a laundry or shipping company in the Warrens, preferably something with not a lot of security?"

"Bueno, assuming we get the logistics squared away, here's how I see it going down: We do a quick recon of the exterior. While we're there, Overkill jumps into their host and creates an emergency work order request for an exterminator... devil rats, occupants out of town, all that good stuff. The exterminators are set to arrive in an hour. During that time, we collect whatever Chapel could get for us, the rest of the supplies, and go boost a truck. We then head over to the apartment complex somewhere around 3AM. Walk in through the front, Grease does his best song and dance to convince them to let us in and give us a key to the apartment. If needed, Amy adds her mind magic. We go in, Overkill MARKs the host and starts looking for Gutter's drones. Once we get to the door, he hacks the lock if we didn't already get a key and Amy calls her spirit. Once the door is open, I'll toss in the grenade and Amy's spirit can start working on whatever targets we have, then we all go in and do our best to take them down."

Pausing to finish off his beer, Jack concluded, "If everything goes down clean, we load up the bodies into the cart and wheel it out the front door. If they want to inspect the cart, Amy whips up an illusion of some nasty devil rat crawling out and we beat it back down. They probably won't want to take another look. If things go to drek, Overkill takes control of what he can and we figure out another option, probably the eastern elevator. It might involve us shooting some security guards, but that's one reason why we've got non-lethal ammo. Hit the truck, bug out, meet up with Grease's cars, then jam back to Nic's or whatever safe house we want to use. Give Johnson the call and set-up a rendezvous with the ZDF. Maybe wake Lynx up and work him over a bit to see if he'll roll on his Johnson."

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:42 AM August 3rd, 2075

Impressed with Jack's line of thinking, Grease lets him finish before asking a question.
Wherever they installed his brains they did a bang up job..

"One question- which room are we getting a key to- Lynx's? If it were me, I'd be paying off the security in addition to my rent. They'll know the apartment is occupied. Unless you meant their neighbors."

Pulling up the ARO of the map, Grease indicates on the floorplan the elevator and stairway closest to Lynx's apartment. "We should try to cover both exits. Probably have two of us go up in the elevator with the cart, then the other two take the stairs "to check where the vermin got in". If Gutter is smart he'll be watching the elevators, which means that's a priority to hack; either the elevator itself, or maybe a drone he's got parked in there to watch out."

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:42 AM August 3rd, 2075

Jack grunted in assent,"Probably safest to go with what you're suggesting. On one hand, if Lynx is going to ground right now, I doubt he would want many people knowing that there was anything particularly interesante about his apartment, including some low-rent security guards. On the other, if this is a well-established safe house, the guards may be more loyal and better than we think. So, one more task for you, Overkill. Hack the door and we'll hope they won't notice that we're at the wrong door on the camera. That would probably take pretty good eyes though."

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:45 AM August 3rd, 2075

"Wunderbar. Let me check." Overkill seems lost in thought for a few minutes and says, "I think I have found something suitable. There is a small shipping company, Free Zone Couriers, located near E. 2nd and N Airport Blvd. It is only a few kilometers from the apartment complex."

He pulls up an ARO showing the location of the shipping company. "Satellite imagery shows they've got about twenty trucks in their lot. One missing shouldn't draw too much attention."

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:45 AM August 3rd, 2075

"Excelente!" Jack exclaims after Overkill gave his report. "It sounds like everything is coming together. Last thing we need is a bug-out plan. If everything goes south, what's the plan? Who's going to make the call on aborting? Overkill or Grease will probably have the most situational awareness of what's going on between hacking security cameras and drones."

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:45 AM August 3rd, 2075

"I will have the cab here-" Grease indicates on an ARO map, 2 blocks from Lynx's apartment. "We can have my BMW nearby as well, here," he points at a different point the other direction on the map- "if need be. The cab is the primary vehicle here; once we have our guests we'll pile into the cab and bug out." He scratches his chin. "The van we just leave at the location. No need to be more complicated than that. If all goes to drek, we meet at the first safe-house; the one where we slept the other night. Say we get there by 6 AM. If we don't hear from you, we assume the worst and discuss together what to do."
He grins. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. I can use Bumb.. The rotodrone as fire support for any quick getaways we need to make. Overkill, I'm giving you MARKs on all my stuff; if I go down, please save my sorry hide and get us out of there. I am comfortable running things. Jack, you're number 2; Overkill will be busy with his brain in the Matrix most of the run and will lack situation awareness. Any questions? If not, let's get you changed into your new personas while we wait for Chapel with his delivery."

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:45 AM August 3rd, 2075

Jack hesitated for a moment before replying, "Sounds good to me. One suggestion... when we're getting away, Overkill should take control of the truck remotely and drive it in the opposite direction. It may cause enough confusion for us to get away. If we're not being followed, he can just park it somewhere out of the way."

Turning to Amy, Jack asked, "How are you feeling about the plan?"

[Chrome Head]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:45 AM August 3rd, 2075

Amy noticed that Grease didn't even mention her name when explaining who should be in charge. Even though she knew she had the least experience, her ego was still a bit hurt given that she had shown her resourcefulness so far, but she decided to just let that go.

"Worried," the shaman replied to Jack. "I'm always worried about everyone's safety, and this operation will be the most dangerous we've attempted so far. If we can get the drop on then, that's all very good, but it's very possible that they see us coming, and we need to be ready for that too. What do we do if say, the security sees through our disguise and realize that we're not who we say we are?"

"Also, we haven't talked about magic much, but I suspect that there will be a spirit keeping watch, and it's likely that one or more backup spirits might be ready to intervene rapidly. I can't stress enough how our highest priority target has to be Falcon, because I think he surpasses me in magical abilities, and I'm not weak myself."

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel: Gateway Ave between Enid Ct and Fontana Ct, Montbello, Denver, CO, 1:45 AM August 3rd, 2075

"Those are valid concerns," Jack replied. "For the first part, if security doesn't buy Grease's story, it might be a good idea for you to try your mind magic on whoever is in charge. If that doesn't work, we take them down fast. At that point, we decide if we go through with it or abort."

"I think you're right about Falcon being the most dangerous, but it depends on who is awake. If most of them are asleep, like we hope they are, then I think our primary target is whoever is awake... unless there's a spirit involved, in which case we take Falcon out immediately. If there is a choice between who's awake, I would suggest Falcon, Lynx, then Gutter, just based on what we know of them so far. If we can take the first two out, Gutter might surrender."