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

[DrZaius]

E. Smoky Run, Aurora Warrens, 3:20 AM July 31st, 2075

Just south of the park, the 400GT whispers up to the curb, disturbing very little.

"It's really creepy with the headlights out, Grease." Overkill comments, squinting in the dim light to see.

<<@Team[Grease]: I can see just fine.>>

Quickly turning the car around, the team save for Grease pile out of the car, with the trunk silently popping open to allow Jack to pull the Doberman drone out. Jack's eyes begin to shake, and his muscles convulse, then become silky smooth. He seems to be taking in the surroundings quickly, while maintaining the same snake-smooth economy of motion. He swiftly lifts and sets the drone on it's tracks down next to the car.

RHex looks up at Jack, and cocks it's head.

<<@Team[Grease] Bow-wow. Let's go.>>

[Jack VII]

South edge of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:25 AM July 31st, 2075

The night was warm, a welcome respite to the oppressive heat of the day. One advantage of the city's legendary position a mile above sea-level was the low humidity. A stillness and quiet filled the air, not uncommon for this time of night, even in the sprawl. With the team assembled, Jack silently motioned for the group to follow him as he entered the treeline to the west.

His heavy helmet rested comfortably on his head, the built in trode-net providing a direct-neural interface to the rest of his gear. He mentally composed a text message to the rest of the team as they made their way quietly through the underbrush.

<<@Team [JustJack] Alright amigos, in and out with no surprises. We should be good for the next 50 meters or so. If you check the map on your image links, you'll see AROs for the three sleeping squads and the lookouts at the fire pit.>>

After a short while, Jack held up his fist, signaling for the team to halt. The treeline ended abruptly, their target destination lay inside a copse of trees on the other side of an open area directly across from the fire pit about 150 meters away. Turning to look at the rest of the team, the ork sent another text message.

<<@Team [JustJack] Alright, time for excitement. We have to clear this open terrain to get to the grave site. We're going to be in full view of the Yaks across the way so we need to be sneaky and quiet. Hopefully, between the lighting and distance, they're going to have a tough time seeing us, but you never know. Order across is going to be Rhex, Overkill, and Amy. I'll take trail, keep 10 meters between yourself and the person in front of you.>>

[Jack VII]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:30 AM July 31st, 2075

Amy whispered, "Hold up, the spirit can aid us." Opening her mind to the telepathic connection she maintained with her spirit, she asked it for a favor. "Great spirit, please hide us from those who may try to seek us out." Silently nodding, the spirit materializes next to RHex and bows its head, a brief shimmer surrounding each of the team members in turn.

One by one, the team crossed the open terrain. RHex went first, the control rig providing an extremely smooth interface between Grease and the drone. Slowly trundling along the ground, the drone silently rotated its assault rifle to keep the small group of men sitting around the extinguished campfire in its sight. Ten meters behind the drone, Overkill moved smoothly across the shadowed grounds. His time in Berlin equipped him with the skills necessary to move unnoticed in any environment, helpful for when Corp-sponsored kill teams were gunning for you. Amy followed behind Overkill, a little further than the 10 meters Jack had suggested, but it didn't really matter as none of them could see her. Clearly out of her element, the young woman tried to mimic Overkill's movements but just didn't have the background to effectively hide. Sighing at her inability, she simply walked normally, trusting in her invisibility spell and spirit to keep her hidden.

Jack counted watched his chronometer, guessing when Amy would have cleared the expanse. Once the three had cleared the open terrain, Jack made his way across the gap. Keeping his eyes focused on the watchmen, he failed to notice a branch in his path and stepped on it. The snap sounded like a gunshot in his ears. He squatted down and froze, sweat beading up and having nothing to do with the warmth of the night. Taking four long, deep breaths, he strained his senses towards the trio around the fire pit but did not notice any change in activity or alertness. Convinced they had failed to notice him, the ork continued on and reached the tree line hiding the grave site.

He spotted the team already set-up in defensive positions, with Overkill and RHex setup to cover the west and north flanks respectively. Nodding approvingly, Jack composed another text message.

<<@Team [JustJack] Good work, I think we made it without them noticing. Alright Amy, time to get to work.>>

Jack takes cover behind a tree a few meters away from RHex, figuring if they had an immediate threat, it would come from the north.

[Chrome Head]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:30 AM July 31st, 2075

With her newly acquired AR contact lenses, Amy sees Jack's message appear in the corner of her field of vision. Turning back to him, she nods even though he may not be able to see her, before performing the summoning of a new spirit. First, she crouches and makes sure everyone is well behind cover before she dismisses the spirit of man. "We are grateful for your help tonight, you may return to the spiritual planes as you see fit."

She then concentrates and reaches out to search in those same planes for another being, one more suited for the task at hand. Finding several attuned to the earth, she engages in negotiation with one of sufficient force and with the ability to conceal them like the previous one had done. "Oh great spirit of times eternal, thank you for heeding my call." An astral being seemingly made of the same fabric as trees are made appears in front of her. "I am here to serve, instruct me and I will obey until dawn is upon us." "Thank you, old one, I call for your help in keeping all of us here, including yourself, concealed from others. I want especially yourself to remain hidden from view as much as you can help it while performing the task I have for you."

A treeman appears among the group as the spirit manifests and exerts his power to conceal them. With a deep voice the spirit says "It is done, master, what more can I do tonight?" "Evil-doing metahumans have been buried on this site. We wish to recover their commlinks, it is a small artifact with some moving parts, built mostly from metal and glass. Without making too much noise, please dig in this area until you find their bodies and their commlinks, and hand me over those commlinks when you have found them."

[Lobo0705]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:40 AM July 31st, 2075

The spirit nods, and slides into the dirt at their feet, disappearing from view. The group watches nervously, Jack taking aim on the leftmost of the three men, while sharing his target with the others. Amy looks around in the Astral and physical worlds, looking for anyone who might take notice of them.

Time slowly crawls by, and the team remains still, sweating not just from the heat. The voices of the three men across the park carry across the open ground clearly, and although the team cannot understand the language, they hear laughter in the voices. After a particularly long exchange, one leans back looking up at the sky, while the other two begin walking to the west. They seem to be following the perimeter of the park. One puts his SMG up on his shoulder, pointing it up in the air, while the other has his pointed down at the ground at his side.

The spirit has been gone for about 10 minutes, and now the men are moving south down the western side of the park. They are not moving quickly, but will be on the group in a matter of minutes.

[Jack VII]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:40 AM July 31st, 2075

Seeing the pending threat of the guard patrol heading their way, Jack composes and sends a text to the group.

<<@Team [JustJack] Alright folks, look alive. That patrol is going to be on our position in a few minutes. Let's see if we can wait them out, they don't look particularly engaged. If you've got wireless devices on that aren't slaved to Overkill's deck, even running silently, I'd suggest shutting them down. If the drek hits the fan, we have to take all three of them down at once, quietly.>>

Jack proceeds to disable the matrix connection to his devices, leaving his skilljack connected through Overkill's deck.

[Chrome Head]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:40 AM July 31st, 2075

Amy subvocalizes to the team. <<@Team [Amy] Understood. My contacts and subvocal mic are wireless though, and when I turn them off, I can't communicate with you unless we whisper to each other. I'm still just next to you by the way. If the two of them seem to be coming too close to us, I'll try to have them go around us with an illusion. Get ready to take a shot if it fizzles. Soka?>>

[DrZaius]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:40 AM July 31st, 2075

Grease sends a text in response to Amy, which lights up the AR displays of the team.

<<@Team [Grease]: Copy. Targeting the two heading towards us; will light them up as necessary.>>

[Jack VII]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:40 AM July 31st, 2075

Reading Grease's text, Jack sends a quick reply to him.

<<@Grease [JustJack] RHex is probably the only one who has range on the joker by the fire pit. Make sure he's your secondary target.>>

[Chrome Head]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:40 AM July 31st, 2075

<<@Team [Amy] Ok good. I'm turning off all communication equipment now.>>

[Lobo0705]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:41 AM July 31st, 2075

The two men are advancing down the path, coming closer and closer to the group hidden in the trees. Amy reaches down within herself, and causes the image of a homeless man to appear, on his knees, slightly out of sight of the approaching patrol.

As the patrol moves down the path, they see him stand up, and start speaking in gibberish to himself. They look confused at first, and then the man starts gesticulating wildly, pointing at the two men and shouting.

The two guards look at one another and sigh, and then start moving toward the man, who begins to back away from them. The man moves slowly at first, but as the guards move nearer to him, he starts to accelerate, dodging this way and that, always too fast for them to catch him. The third man at the fire pit, seeing the commotion, is doubled over laughing at the inability of the two men to catch him.

This goes on for a full minute and the guards are not shouting at the man to stop.

[Lobo0705]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:41 AM July 31st, 2075

One of the guards, seemingly fed up with chasing the homeless man through the park, raises his gun and barks an order.

[Jack VII]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:42 AM July 31st, 2075

Watching one fo the Yaks draw down on Amy's illusion, Jack composes a message to the crew.

<<@Team [JustJack] This looks like it's about to get unpleasant. If the spirit is digging in the dirt, is there any reason we need to stick around? The Yaks look like they're distracted right now. Seems like a good time to scram. We can cut through the houses behind us to keep the trees between us and the Yaks and Grease can meet us in the BMW on the street behind us. Am I missing something here?>>

[Lobo0705]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:42 AM July 31st, 2075

As the one guard holds his gun pointed at the illusory homeless man, the other approaches him. The homeless man moves away again, and the original man aims at the phantasm's legs, and fires a burst. The bullets pass harmlessly through the man and strike the ground. Stunned, the shooter blinks, and as the phantasm continues to move away, fires again. Meanwhile, the sounds of gunfire have an immediate effect on the dozens of sleeping forms around the park. They quickly stand up, grab whatever meager possessions that are laying next to them, and they begin to bolt.

[Jack VII]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:42 AM July 31st, 2075

Jack looks around at the others and send a quick text message.

<<@Team [JustJack] I think the jig's up. Next move? >>

[Always Overkill]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:42 AM July 31st, 2075


Examining the situation, Drave responds;

<<@Team [Overkill]: "We could try to slip out along with the rest of the vagrants booking out of here. One extra group of figures running out of the park like everyone else would likely draw little added attention.">>

[DrZaius]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:42 AM July 31st, 2075

Grease responds quickly.

<<@Team [Grease]: Stay frosty out there. We came here for those commlinks, and I haven't seen anything to suggest we shouldn't get them. We outnumber them 4 to 3. We hold position until we get the commlinks, then leave as a team. If we need to we can take these suckers. We're on the clock now, the cops will show up eventually.>>

You start to think that's an easy position to take, given that you're all out here, and Grease is safe alone in his car half a mile away.

[Jack VII]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:42 AM July 31st, 2075

<<@Team [JustJack] Cops? Are you serious? There aren't going to be any cops out here. Exactly how long are we waiting for this spirit to finish? Did it happen to provide an itinerary? Those guards probably figured out magic's involved now, so their response is going to escalate. I imagine they're calling up the primo Yak assets including their mages and scrambling them out here pretty damn quick.>>

[Lobo0705]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:43 AM July 31st, 2075

After Grease and Jack have their brief conversation, they do not waste time getting down to business. Grease engages the Doberman's sensors, using the ultrasound and motion sensor to lock onto the goon moving closer to Amy's illusion, while zooming in for a closer shot. Jack, mutters to himself, I've got a bad feeling about this..., but engages his helmet's vision mag to bring the goon who just took the shot into clear focus. Inhaling full, exhaling half, he prepares to take the shot if necessary.

Amy, meanwhile, realizing that they will see through her illusion without some help, attempts to reach into the mind of one of the men, trying to to subtlety twist his thoughts to her own advantage. However, the strain of sustaining the illusion is too much, and although she is not fatigued by the spell, she is unable to enter the man's brain.

Overkill, his vision split between the real world and the Matrix, scans the signals being sent out in the vicinity of their position. After a few seconds, he is able to pierce the jamming around the guards' locating the icon for the SMGs for both of the men in the field - although he is unable to find the icon for the man still at the firepit.

The guards themselves, unaware of the leashed violence in the small copse of trees a mere 50 meters away, start shouting back and forth in their own tongue. The two in the field then start to run back toward their comrade at the firepit, while he seems to be talking as well.

[Lobo0705]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:43 AM July 31st, 2075

Grease and Jack continue to train their weapons on the two men running back toward the firepit.

Amy reaches out to the spirit, "Are you close to finding what we are looking for?"

While she is waiting for a response, Overkill watches as the man at the pit continues to speak in Japanese, while hurling a stream of 0's and 1s at the guard's submachinegun. They coil around the icon and burn an image into its electronic image.

The response comes back from the spirit, "It will take a little while longer mistress, I am still looking."

[Chrome Head]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:43 AM July 31st, 2075

Amy isn't sure what is going on, but it looks like their gig might be up very soon. "Well try to hurry, I'm worried we'll need to leave this place real soon." she tells her spirit.

She whispers to her companions. "Let me know if and when you want to engage, I'm still by your side and ready."

[Jack VII]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:43 AM July 31st, 2075

Jack remains silent, focusing on his aim and breathing. If we were going to take these guys, probably should have done it before they squeezed off a few shots and started calling for backup...

[DrZaius]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:43 AM July 31st, 2075

Sensing the tension in the team, Grease sends out a quick message as the two scouts run back to the fire pit.

<<@Team[Grease]: Last chance for an unfair fight. I suggest we hold until they come looking, and defend ourselves if need be. If we were going to take care of this ahead of time that moment is passing rapidly. I can use suppressive fire to keep them all pinned down once they cluster by the fire pit.>>

[Lobo0705]

South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:44 AM July 31st, 2075

As the group sits and waits for the spirit to finish its work, there is a commotion at the door to the apartment complex. The door bangs open, and 5 more goons in track suits come out of the doors, each brandishing machine pistols or SMGs. They move into the treeline on your left, and hide behind trees, as if waiting for some signal. The three goons at the fire pit have also taken cover.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Amy sees a pair of astral forms streak across the sky, and stop above the middle of the park. One form is the glowing image of a female metahuman, and the other a brilliantly glowing ball of fire.

They hover over the park for a moment, before seeing the auras of the group in the trees. Amy, who has been waiting for something to happen, is the first to react.

[Always Overkill]

Overkill, South side of Sagebrush Park, Aurora Warrens, 3:43 AM July 31st, 2075


Drave smiled as he placed the 3rd MARK on the last goon by the firepit, now confident he could reduce their weapon's to sparking heaps of fused metal and smoldering composite materials should this come to a firefight; only not much fire will be coming from their side. But Drave much preferred the idea of getting out of the park without an exchange of bullets. They had made enough enemies the past two days as it is.

He sent an update to the team;

<<@Team: I have all of their weapon's MARKed and can take them out schnell, should the need arise.>>

He then switched his comm to speak only to Jack.

<<@JustJack: Its your call Jack, this may be our last chance to get out of here without a fight. Their backup is going to be here soon. Either way, Mein Genosse, I have your back.">>