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

[Jack VII]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 7:04 PM August 3rd, 2075

Giving the elf a thumb's up, Jack said, "No sweat, Overkill. You've been working your culo off tracking down things in the Matrix. Without the information you've uncovered, we wouldn't have anything to connect together."

Getting serious, the ork continued, "Both Overkill and Amy bring up a good point though. I think we need to make a decision here about whether we pursue the mystery Johnson if our own Mr. J asks about it. Personally, I find myself agreeing with Overkill here. From the footage we have, it looks like this J is unlikely to come to the UCAS to meet, which is going to make it somewhere between difficult to impossible for us to even get near him. On top of that, assuming our guesses are correct, we'd now be directly fraggin' with an EVO sub, and I feel like they're going to have a lot more resources than the targets we just put down." Rubbing his gut where his bandages were still wound tight, the ork finished, "...and those guys almost had enough resources to put a few of us under."

"If we can clear 18 to 22, I say we take it and wish Mr. J good luck, rest up, lick our wounds, and move on to the next job. We can keep a copy of the data in our back pocket in case the drug situation doesn't go away and see if we can't find someone else who can find a use for it. Maybe that Greeley chica could do something with it."

[Chrome Head]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 7:04 PM August 3rd, 2075

Amy opened her eyes wide and grinned when the notion of being paid over 20k was brought up. I can finally provide for what Sam deserves, with that kind of money. A good safe home, better clothes, and.. schooling. She really needs to receive a real education, not like what I've got.

Coming back from her day dream, Amy agrees with Jack. "As much as I want to stop all the drek the corps are doing, I want to get my trouble's worth. Grabbing Bradshere is within our means, but I wouldn't go farther than that."

Finishing up her own meal of soychicken nuggets, Amy adds "And if we do get 20k for this job, I'll be more than happy to move on." And she started contemplating all the things she'd like to buy for herself as well. I need more reagents, and maybe get a couple of spirits bound to me. Maybe I could buy what I need to build a little shrine for meditating, and I'll need to buy a Fake SIN for the job too, I wonder how much those are worth. Oh and I get trodes... and fancy lenses... and I should buy something for Hubert, he's been so kind ... and I could look into buy myself some perfume ... and ...

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 7:05 PM August 3rd, 2075

Grease nodded agreement. "There doesn't seem to be much profit in going after Biogene, certainly not worth the risk to us." Or my drones.

Ordering another round, the handsome elf continued, "As long as Overkill has nice file with our findings on Biogene, I say we stay here, have one or two more drinks, and then head over to get our money." With nods of agreement from the rest of the group, the team sat and relaxed for the first time in several days.

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 8:55 PM August 3rd, 2075

Grease's taxi pulled into the parking lot, with Overkill's bike just behind. Little had changed, the Yakuza goons across the street still postured for any who were watching, the sign above the motel still flickered and went out occasionally, if anything was different it was that the motel was busier than usual, with a few more cars in the lot.

The team went inside, and were greeted with by Jim with his usual lack-luster "Hello." Rubbing his eyes with his fingers, he hands over a key to Room 304 to Jack. "Mr. Smythe is waiting for you." Stifling a yawn, he goes back to whatever latest AR application was tickling his fancy for the moment.

The group headed upstairs to room 304, and Jack pressed the key against he Maglock pad, the lock clicking open. The team went inside and saw Ramirez, looking happier that they had seen him the last couple times. "Glad you could make it. Lynx and crew are in custody, as is Bradshere. Good job. Have you uncovered anything else for me?" He grins broadly as he takes some food out of the mini-bar, then looks at it, sees the date, and puts it back hurriedly.

[Jack VII]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 8:55 PM August 3rd, 2075

Jack remained silent while Ramirez congratulated them. He figured Grease or Overkill would take care of providing the ork with the additional details they had uncovered about BioGene and possible experimental Sioux chemical weapons. Nodding to the police captain, the ork pulled out his commlink and typed out a message.

<<@HP [JustJack] Hola chica, I'm in the neighborhood and wanted to swing by to let you know what's up. Are you at the hotel and in the same room?>>

[DrZaius]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 8:55 PM August 3rd, 2075

Smiling, Grease nods to Ramirez. "I am glad you are pleased with the work. While it was difficult, it appears to have been within our powers to complete the mission successfully. I thought of putting a bow on Lynx, but figured that would be too on the nose."

His smile fading, he continues. "We surfaced a connection to a Evo subsidary, Biogene. We had a little conversation with Lynx's rigger Gutter, who spilled the beans when he thought we were on his side. Take a look." Grease sends over a file to Ramirez's commlink, who frowns as he reviews the 5 minute interview.

"As you can see, he seems earnest. He doesn't strike me as the type who would be clever enough to plant a false flag in a situation like this. This, combined with the effects that Amy surfaced lead me to believe they were potentially testing their product in the Warrens. Cheaper than clinical trials, larger population to work with, and no need to pay your research subjects. The ones that survive, at least." The elf crosses his arm while he waits for Ramirez's response.

[Lobo0705]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:00 PM August 3rd, 2075

Ramirez finishes viewing the footage, rewinding at some key moments. He looks at the team, seemingly satisfied. "I agree with your assessment. He looks groggy, but as far as I can tell, he seems to be telling the truth. Either that or he is the world's best liar."

"This information on Biogene is potentially huge. If we can prove any of this, it will definitely be a black eye to the corp, and something of this magnitude will have to be shot up the chain to the Council. A corporation poisoning the population of another zone is something I don't think Ghostwalker will look kindly on."

He taps out a quick message on his commlink, then says, "I've just messaged Chapel, authorizing the release of a 100,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) to be split among the four of you. It isn't the full payout, but with only Stinger and the Johnson still in the wind, I can give you most of the money." He reaches out to shake hands with each member of the team.

"On behalf of Lone Star and the families of the deceased, thank you."

In the meantime, Jack's commlink chirps with an incoming message.

<<@Jack [Honeypot] Please tell me you've got this taken care of. I'm going stir crazy here. I'm where you left me. On the bright side, the air conditioning works.>>

[Jack VII]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:00 PM August 3rd, 2075

Jack returned Ramirez's handshake firmly and replied, "I don't think we're often going to find ourselves on the same side of a run, but I'm glad we were working for you on this one. The gente pequeña seem to get fragged in these deals. Do me a favor and see if you can put Mary Jane Kelly to rest. Girl was at the wrong place at the wrong time, her family deserves to know what happened if you can find out. By the way, did you have a chance to run down anything on the bio material I gave you earlier? We'd kind of like a head's up if we need to watch our backs if there's any blow-back from that part of the run."

Stepping back, Jack pulled out his commlink to check the message he had received. Chuckling, he typed out a quick response.

<<@HP [JustJack] Be there in a few. Long story short, it's been handled. I've got something that I need you to pass on to someone for me>>

[Lobo0705]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:00 PM August 3rd, 2075

Overkill follows Jack's example. "Bitte schön, it was nice to have a job that lets you sleep easy after you are done with it." He slaps Amy on the back gently and smiles, an almost brotherly pride on his face for the young woman on the completion of her first mission.

"Now I need to see a doctor, this shoulder is killing me." He winces as he gently rubs his right shoulder.

[Lobo0705]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:00 PM August 3rd, 2075

Ramirez nods in sympathy at Overkill's pain, and then turns to Jack. "We were able to get DNA results back on those, um, samples, you provided. One came back as a Maria Santiago, she had some priors for solicitation. The others came back as several different sararimen, no one of real importance. Mid level functionaries at most."

Jack sighs as he recognizes Maria's name, not looking forward to giving Honeypot the bad news.

[Jack VII]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:01 PM August 3rd, 2075

"Gracias, Captain." Jack shook the ork's hand again and made way for anyone else who wanted to interact with Ramirez. The confirmation of Honeypot's contact having been murdered filled the ork with regret. I'm going to have to be more careful in the future, he thought as he waited for the rest of the team to finish up. He definitely needed to touch base with Honeypot next.

[DrZaius]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:01 PM August 3rd, 2075
100 large!

Nodding along with Jack, Grease shakes Ramirez's hand. "If anything else surfaces, we will be sure to send the information along to Chapel. I'm glad we were able to help. It's rare in this business to feel good about what you did after the job is finished."

[Chrome Head]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:01 PM August 3rd, 2075

Amy accepted Ramirez's hand with a charming smile. She started speaking by repeating a sentence she had been taught for an occasion like this one, and followed on with her typical honesty. "It was a pleasure doing business with you. Truthfully, I'm glad we've helped clear out drugs coming into the Warrens - its citizens are my people."

After a short pause, she added with emphasis. "You have such a good heart, you should consider a life outside the influence of corps and governments. We could use someone with a sense of ethics and justice such as yours."

[Lobo0705]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:01 PM August 3rd, 2075

Ramirez gives a genuine, friendly laugh. "That is a nice idea, but I think that I can do more good from where I am now than starting over on the outside. I'm not as young as you, you know."

he looks around at the team and says, "Again, you have my thanks. Stay out of trouble, I truly don't want to see you end up where Lynx and the others are going." He winks at them, "The room is yours for the night, should you need it. Otherwise, if I can help you out, just give me a call."

With a quick touch of a finger to his forehead, he slips past the team and exits the room, leaving the group with a sense of satisfaction, and much fuller pockets.

[Chrome Head]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:01 PM August 3rd, 2075

When Ramirez is gone, Amy turns to the others. "Well that sure turned out pretty well! Can't wait to get my pay from Chapel, there's so much I want to do with it."

After a moment she adds. "You all know this was my first run, and I barely survived it, thanks to all of you. I have to say that I think we're a good team, even though I have nothing to compare against. How about we meet up again in a few weeks, once we're all in better condition and our pockets aren't full anymore, and we talk about maybe running together again? We could tell Chapel we'd like to stick together for the next job if possible."

Turning to each one in turn, Overkill first, then Jack, and then Grease which she's liking more and more, she says "I'd really like that."

[Jack VII]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:02 PM August 3rd, 2075

"Estoy de acuerdo," Jack replied, rubbing his side. "If you can check the blocks that say 'Alive' and 'Paid' at the end of a job, then it's usually a good one."

Clapping Amy on the shoulder, the ork said, "You did really well, Amy, especially considering one of the first things people in the shadows learn is to geek the mage. Walking away from your first run is an accomplishment. I look forward to working with you en el futuro. If Sam or Kevin want to come visit Grandpaw Nic, just give me a call."

Jack reached out and shook Overkill's hand. "Thanks for all the solid matrix work, amigo, we wouldn't have had nearly as much success without it." Lowering his voice, he continued, "More importantly, thanks for being our center. Things might have ended up going a bit darker had you not stepped in... good luck with whatever comes your way next."

Finally, the ork squared up with Grease. Considering everything they had experienced over the last week, Jack had a much different outlook on the elf than he had just a week ago in this exact room. "Look hombre, I'm not saying I trust you or that I necessarily agree with how you work, but I will say that I'd gladly go on another run with you. Good luck out there. See you later, a menos que te veo primero."

"Alright amigos, I've got to take care of a little last bit of biz around here, so I'm heading out." Waving goodbye, Jack left the room.

[DrZaius]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:02 PM August 3rd, 2075

Watching Jack leave, Grease is quiet for a moment while the door closes.

Earning the trust of that one is something I don't think I'll ever accomplish. Not to mention that I'm not sure I trust him. Where'd all that 'ware come from? He's cagey about his past in a way that is peculiar; I may have to do some digging..

Snapping out of it, the elf turns to the rest of the team and smiles at Amy. "So, you made it through your very first run. I can't say I'm surprised; you're significantly smarter and better adjusted than the majority of magical talent I've worked with. No putting on airs, delicacy, anything like that." His grin turns wicked. "So, I suppose it's time to tell you. Since you survived your first run, you're going to need a street name. Can't go calling you by your Christian name in the middle of a bank robbery, can we?" He nods at Overkill. "Normally, someone in your group would pick the name for you; but I wouldn't want to be presumptuous. As someone who got the name "Grease", I'm willing to suggest you pick your own."

A glint in his eye, he finishes, "So what should we call you?"

[Chrome Head]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:02 PM August 3rd, 2075

Amy almost blushes at the compliment. "I'm glad you think so!"

Amy had been wondering about what her street name would be, and she really wanted one, too, in order to sort of officially become a shadowrunner. "I don't know what I want to be known as, everyone I know calls me Amy, even my little girl! I always thought someone else would come up with something. You can start calling me something and see if it sticks?"

She really had no idea...

[DrZaius]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:02 PM August 3rd, 2075

"What about 'Snap'? You always seem to trust your gut and make quick decisions, which is extremely valuable. I can't tell you how many runs I've been on where someone clams up in the middle of a firefight." The elf smiles warmly. "Plus, I think we've learned it's a good idea not to piss you off."

[Jack VII]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:05 PM August 3rd, 2075

Jack hummed a wordless tune as he approached the door to Honeypot's temporary home. Reaching up, he knocked the rudimentary code the two had worked out just a few days ago to verify his identity. After a second, the maglock cycled open and he heard a faint voice bidding him to enter. Turning the handle, the ork opened the door and walked in the room.

The first thing Jack noticed was the cool temperature in the room. Good to know I won't have to beat Jim's hoop... he thought. The second thing he noticed was Honeypot sitting on the edge of the bed with a small packed bag, her arms crossed and foot tapping. "Well, can I go now?"

Jack grinned, his tusks making the smile appear broader than it actually was. Reaching into his pocket, the ork pulled out a datachip and flipped it to Honeypot. The elf deftly plucked the chip from the air and inspected it. Slotting the chip into the cheap commlink Jack had provided to her, Honeypot booted up the video file it contained. As the video played, Jack commented, "Those three are the last of the crew that was after you. The troll that came for you at the hotel is dead. The team's decker has fled Denver and probably won't ever be back. As for those three the ZDF rolled them up and, based on what they were doing, I doubt Ghostwalker is going to let them see la luz del día anytime soon. You should be safe now. Do me a favor and give that video to Smokey. He helped us out and was worried they were gunning for him too."

As the video concluded, Honeypot looked up and asked, "So, they're not dead?" Disappointment was evident in her voice as she continued, "I appreciate everything you did here, Jack, don't get me wrong. I would just sleep better knowing they were dead. If they're slippery enough, they might be able to strike a deal with Lone Star or the ZDF and be back out on the streets." The elf looked down as she pulled the datachip out of the commlink. Pocketing the chip, she handed the commlink back to Jack. "I don't think I'm going to need this anymore. Thanks for letting me borrow it... any news on Renata?"

Jack sighed. He had been dreading this part of the conversation. "I'm sorry, Honey. I was waiting until I had confirmation before I told you and I just got it. Lone Star confirmed that Renata was one of Truck's victims. She was sacrificed by a group of mages a few nights ago. We took care of that group two nights ago, so she has at least been avenged."

Honeypot nodded silently, Her demeanor showed more annoyance than sorrow, in either event she wasn't particularly happy about the situation. "I'd love to say that it has been good working with you this go around, Jack, but it's been a pretty expensive relationship for me. Thanks for cleaning up the mess though, I'll see you around."

Nodding, Jack held the door open for the elf as she walked out. Giving her a few minutes to settle up with Jim, the ork followed behind and placed a call to Amendola's for a ride home. Staring at the grey smudge that was the Denver sky under a hefty amount of light pollution, the ork wondered what their efforts mattered in the grand scheme of things. Maybe they didn't, but maybe they mattered in the small, personal ways.

[Chrome Head]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:02 PM August 3rd, 2075

Amy looks puzzled. "Snap?"

She eventually grins. "Snap it is!" and just walks out of the room, content.

[DrZaius]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:02 PM August 3rd, 2075

Surprised by Amy.. Snap's sudden departure, Grease shrugs at Overkill. "Until next time, Freund."

[Lobo0705]

Motel 6, Aurora Warrens, 9:02 PM August 3rd, 2075

Overkill shakes Greases hand, and departs the Motel, walking to his motorcycle. With a roar of the engine he disappears into the Warrens, already scanning a message marked "Urgent" in his inbox.

<<Drave [Muller] Mein Freund , ich hasse es , Ihnen dabei zu kommen , aber es ist eine dringende Angelegenheit , um im Hinblick auf die BADF diskutieren. Es gibt Probleme mit nach Hause , und ich brauche Ihre Hilfe.>>

Revving the accelerator, Overkill rockets off, his mind flashing back towards times best left forgotten...

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:30 AM August 4th, 2075

The silent, vibrating alarm on Jack's Ikon woke the ork at precisely 0630. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Jack stretched wide before wincing and reaching down for his bandaged gut. He hadn't let on the night it happened, but Lynx's bullets nearly ended him and he was happy to see his wounds were healing quickly. Standing up, the ork cracked his neck and checked out the weather through his dirty, smudged window. It actually looked reasonably nice, the oppressive heat hadn't yet unveiled itself. Quickly changing into a pair of shorts and an old NAGO T-shirt, the ork tugged on a pair of running shoes. Leaving his room, he quickly slipped out the front door, his commlink secured to a Lycra band around his arm. Mentally accessing his skillwire system, he shut them down entirely. No need for that today... the ork thought, as he started a slow jog, taking it easy so as to not aggravate his injury.

The Warrens were actually pretty quiet at this time of day. The few people who worked a regular job were getting ready to head out to work and the denizens of the night were either asleep or passed out from the previous evening's revelry. Jack jogged northwest on S. Genoa Way before turning left onto S. Ceylon Way. This was Trey-Eights Territory and they had a passably working relationship with Nic, which generally extended to Jack. The fact he was an ork with stacks of vat grown muscle visibly moving beneath his skin helped give anyone second thoughts about jumping him. Passing the row upon row of derelict, squatter inhabited tenement housing, Jack pondered the run the team had just completed. The people that lived in the Warrens needed help. The fact a relatively low-level corp effectively used the inhabitants of the area as a handy drug trial population just showed how vulnerable the people actually were. Redoubling his pace, the ork thought about Chomsky and Greeley. He hadn't had much chance to interact with them due to getting called away by Honeypot, but he felt he should try to do something to help them out with their efforts. Taking a quick left on S. Reservoir Road and then another quick left on Princeton, the ork headed back to Nic's.

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:45 AM August 4th, 2075

Entering the converted house, Jack quietly made his way back to the bathroom, hoping not to wake Nic. He showered and changed into street clothes: his armor vest, an olive-drab short-sleeve button-up shirt, jeans, and a pair of boots. Walking back to the front room, the ork started the soykaf machine, having to give it a whack before the green light turned on. Never much of a cook, Jack checked the fridge and pulled out a few BreakFAST Stuffers from Stuffer Shack. Checking the expiration date, he popped them in the microwave and punched in the appropriate time. While the food cooked, the ork searched in vain for the remote control to the trid. Unable to find it, he walked over and manually turned on the set, changing it to the local news shows. As he found the station he wanted, he heard the inimitable sounds of Nic entering the room. The servos of his backwards cyberleg wheezed and whined as he walked over to the pool table and reached into the cubby where the rack was held. Pulling out the trid remote, the troll changed the channel to cartoons.

"Too much serious drek has been going on, chum. You need to unwind some more," Nic said, walking over to the soykaf machine and pouring a serving into two chipped mugs. The microwave beeped and Nic pulled out the stuffers, tossing one to Jack. The ork managed to deftly pluck the gooey, heated missile and avoided staining his clean clothes.

"Thanks amigo," Jack replied as a cartoon devil rat brained a cartoon hellhound with a frying pan in the background. "Job's done. We met with Mr. Johnson last night and he was pretty pleased. Thanks again for all your help." Jack left it at that; the troll had previously made it known that he wasn't into any sappy stuff. That was fine with the ork, but he fully intended to compensate Nic for his time. He just had to figure out what to get him. "I've got to send a few messages and want to read the paper, but I'm ready to work when I get done."

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 7:00 AM August 4th, 2075

Accessing the Denver Tribune archives, Jack picked up where he had left off in his goal of catching up on the events he couldn't remember. He was only five years out now, but making significant headway in his goal. His memory loss was an impediment, but one that didn't typically effect his day-to-day activities. It did bring up a few strange situations, like not catching pop culture references from the past five years. The big deal in 2070 was apparently large-scale nanomanufacturing, which didn't turn out very well, as Jack understood it. After he finished scanning through a week's worth of newspapers, the ork sat back and pulled out his commlnk, composing a message to Chapel.

<<@Chapel [JustJack] Hoi Chapel. Thanks for the job, it seemed to go off pretty well. Mr. Johnson said you were holding our pay in escrow. Rather than transferring it to me now, I was hoping you could track down a few items for me that I've attached to this message. The suit and datajack are going to need to come with a tailor and cyberdoc, as well. Also, I'm willing to go in for 500 for a pair of tickets to that NAGO show we talked about earlier. If the total price is less than 14K, just deduct it from my pay and transfer the rest to my account. Thanks hombre | File Attached>>

Finishing up his message, Jack turned to Nic and said, "Alright amigo, what's on tap for the day?"