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

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:32PM, July 31st, 2075

Jack listened to Overkill intently. He was only slightly more familiar with matrix security than he was with magical security. The elf made several good points.

"If you're going to be among the crowd, probably best to just look like the rest of them. We probably need to find out whether the yellow t-shirts are for volunteers only or if the folks in the crowd are going to be wearing them too. From a marketing perspective, Rebuilding Together probably wants everyone wearing a similar shirt for the media impact."

Marketing? What the frag do I know about marketing? I guess something...

Jack shook his head and continued, "But everyone wearing the exact same t-shirt would make security more difficult unless they have a different color shirt or a badge for documented volunteers. From the clothes you and Amy bought the other day, I'd just put something together that would let you fit in in the Warrens. If everyone's wearing a t-shirt, just throw one on over that when we get there."

Considering the operational details, Jack continued, "Let's hold off on the Flash-Paks. With that many eyes on the stage, someone is bound to pick one out and know what it is, which might send a message that Rebuilding Together probably doesn't want to send. But scanning for hidden icons is a great idea. I'm not sure if they are planning on restricting weapons, but that should be your primary focus. How far out can you scan?"

[Always Overkill]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:32PM, July 31st, 2075


Drave turned to Jack at his question, "I can scan up to 100 meters without any problem, but up to a kilometer with only a small amount of Noise, which should allow me to do period scans of the housing areas that have Lines of Sight to the podium. Between that and Grease's surveillance sweeps, we should be able to keep those areas under close scrutiny. I also have another Fliegegeheimagent of my own, and we could add it to your RCC if you'd like an extra sensor suite up there, Grease. But be careful with it; Oppenheimer would be very disappointed if anything happened to that thing. "

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:34PM, July 31st, 2075

"Bueno," Jack replied. "With a 100-meter scan range, you should probably set-up near the middle to the back of the crowd and focus primarily there with occasional scans of the surrounding areas. The long-range scans, plus physical sweeps by Grease's drones and astral sweeps by Amy's spirit, will hopefully cover long-distance threats. We'll have two of us near the stage and Overkill can get close enough for fire support if something goes down there. Assuming we can set Rhex up somewhere for fire support, that sounds like our plan."

"Any additions that I'm missing?" Jack asked, pausing. "If not, we probably should take a look at it as if we were the opposition with perfect info."

[Always Overkill]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:34PM, July 31st, 2075

Looking over the park and their setup in his AR, Drave spoke up; "Unless our hypothetical attackers are looking to stir up a massive response with a public display of carnage, I would have to imagine they would be looking for a precise hit. Which gives us two shooting scenarios; a close-in shooter in the crowd armed with something concealable; or we have a sniper at long range. Any one of the windows in those houses looking out on where the podium will be could have easily been pre-sighted and ready for a sharpshooter to step in at his chosen moment and step out as soon as the shot had been taken."

He continued, "I will keep my focus on finding any weapons in the crowd, but we need to keep a tight watch on the neighborhoods with line of sight to the rally. That's where I would hit from." He looked over at Jack, "When we get on-scene, I am going to scan the windows and see if we can find some that look ideal for the shot."

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:35PM, July 31st, 2075

Jack nodded, pleased that Overkill's assessment basically matched his. "I agree. There would be a lot of variables for a close-up shooter to deal with; the security checkpoints, getting a good line of sight from the crowd, and possible crowd reaction to them pulling out a weapon all add up to complications they probably don't want. The sniping angle makes the most sense, other than a spirit popping up on stage to blast an unlucky victim. It's also one of the most difficult to defend against. You either pick up the sniper before the shot or hope to hell they aren't aiming well and armor does its job. I think we're mostly going to have to rely on Grease's drones for early detection. If there is some way we can harden the targets, we should use it. Armor, spells, whatever..."

[DrZaius]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:35PM, July 31st, 2075

Grease has been quiet for some time, but then pipes up when something strikes him. "It occurs to me that if someone was planning a hit, they'd be better prepared than we are now. I think what would be useful would be for us to consider how we can change the circumstances to make their job more difficult. For starters, what if he didn't present on a podium right smack in the middle there? What if we moved the event all the way over to the side of the park, and made that change at the last minute? Say there was water damage or something and it was messing with the electricals. That wouldn't help with your "shooter in the crowd" problem, but you may mess things up for a sniper who had perched himself with a good angle at distance."

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:35PM, July 31st, 2075

Jack chuckled, "I mean... it's a good idea from a security perspective, but I'm not sure even your gift of gab is enough to get them to move all of their drek. It looked like that was a lot of work. Unless you're saying we sabotage their efforts to force them to vámonos?"

"Amy, could you pull off the same trick you used at the Park this morning? Have the principals speak through a microphone backstage and you create an image of them on stage that a sniper would target instead?"

[Chrome Head]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:35PM, July 31st, 2075

Amy thinks about it before answering. "I don't think that's wise. Think of it like old school magic. What I can pull off on a side street to get a distracted man from noticing that he's being scammed out of 20$ won't work on a New York stage, with the whole world watching from every angle. Same thing here. I wouldn't try something this obvious in front of a big crowd and expect no one to find out. Some people would see through it immediately, for sure, especially the Awakened. I can maybe make the targets harder though, as you put it, but it depends on the amount of concentration that will require of me, and it might not be sufficient anyway. Do you really think there's gonna be an attack today?"

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:35PM, July 31st, 2075

"OK, I'm not familiar with magic. Thanks for the explanation," Jack replied.

"Do I think there's going to be an attack?" the ork asked. "No, my gut says no. I mean, it's certainly possible that the Rebuilding Together people might be targets, but so far it doesn't seem like the conspirators are interested in anyone who isn't Lone Star or a witness to a murder. I threw it out as a possibility, but if Chomsky isn't expecting anything from us, I'm not too worried about it. I guess we just do the best we can and hope that nothing's actually going to go down, focus our efforts on gathering info like we originally planned."

Jack paused, as if remembering something, "Oh yeah, one thing. As you know, Grease and I went to talk to Jill at Schaefer's. She said the man she saw driving was not the same person from the Stuffer Shack murder, which is disappointing that we don't have a solid connection. That was when we learned about the troll and the mage, the two tails Grease texted you about. Jill said they wandered over to Newton's apartment complex across the street after talking to her. We headed over there as well and Grease is pretty sure his drone picked up something that smelled like death coming from the apartment with the best view of the accident. That's probably another body to add to the butcher bill."

[Chrome Head]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:36PM, July 31st, 2075

Amy wasn't shocked at this, just disappointed. "Oh. I see. That's probably what had happened to the woman who was hit by the van, too. She had seen too much. The fact that they are aggressively getting rid of possible witnesses is a bit scary. We need to get to one of them as soon as possible, because they'll be coming after us sooner or later. I'm getting seriously worried for our safety: they don't seem like the kind of people we'll be able to reason with."

[Jack VII]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:36PM, July 31st, 2075

"I agree, Amy. We need to get this thing sewn up, quick." Jack responded.

"OK, are we good to go then? We head over, check out the area, maybe someone suggests they might want to move the stage somewhere else or wear some armor. Regardless, we're going to have Grease running the surveillance net with his drones and Overkill's Flugelhorn or however it's pronounced. Me and Amy are going to hang out backstage if they let us, Amy to cover the astral and me to cover the principals. Overkill is going to be checking out the crowd and the matrix. If we can find somewhere for Rhex to setup, the drone can be our fire support. Sounds about right?"

The ork checked the action on his Streetline Special and tucked it into the sub-standard pocket holster that the cheap firearm was sold alongside. I need a proper concealed holster for this thing. I guess when I have the time and nuyen... he thought to himself before addressing the crew. "I'm not planning on bringing anything heavier than my hold-out for this gig. If the drek does hit the fan, the main thing is to get Chomsky & Greeley out of there, agreed?"

[Chrome Head]

Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:36PM, July 31st, 2075

Amy nods. "Yes of course. Chomsky.. and Greeley." She didn't mean to make her distaste of the new savior of the Warrens so apparent, but she couldn't help it. Ms. Greeley is under my care for tonight. I gotta protect her like I would anyone else, she told herself. "I think we've covered everything we could from here. Let's get over there and see what kind of feeling we get from the whole setup they already have down there."

[Lobo0705]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:15PM, July 31st, 2075

After stopping off to grab a quick bite to eat at a local Stuffer Shack, the team arrived at Horseshoe Park. They drove up to the parking lot behind the stage, and after a brief discussion with several Cruz Security employees, were waved through after a message from Greeley gave them permission to enter. Grease parked the BMW in an empty spot, and the group exited the car, looking a little out of place in the sea of yellow t-shirts.

Chomsky came over and greeted them warmly, embracing Amy and Overkill, "Hello, and good to see you again." Turning to Jack and Grease, "I think we may have met once or twice before, Jack is it? And as for you, I'm Chomsky - any friend of these two is a friend of mine, welcome."

He turns to a makeshift kitchen they've erected in the parking lot. "If you are hungry, we have a very basic dinner, donated by Shannon and Rebuilding Together for both the volunteers helping tonight, and then the attendees later. Please help yourself." Chomsky begins walking, motioning for the group to follow him. "Amy says we may have some security issues, but we have about 20 employees of Cruz here, along with our volunteers. I'm sure that we can handle crowd control - so I'm assuming you are talking about something a little more violent?" As you walk, it is clear that Chomsky is very popular among the people already here. Even these two sentences has taken him several minutes to get out, since you are stopped constantly by people who wish him well, or ask him for direction, or who just want to chat.

For most of the questions, he directs them to Shannon, who is on top of the stage, her suit jacket on the ground and her shirt sleeves rolled up as she helps a volunteer move a speaker into position. No sooner does she finish helping him than she turns to answer questions and direct traffic. Chomsky seems to smile each time he looks at her.

Chomsky stops walking for a moment, and his face turns serious. "I will admit that when Amy and I spoke the other night, we talked about this possibility, but it is still hard to wrap my head around it. I am not so much worried about myself, but I don't want any harm to come to our friends and the people who will be here tonight. Do you think it likely they will be in danger?"

[Chrome Head]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:15PM, July 31st, 2075

As they arrive on site, Amy looks around in the astral to get an idea of the general feel of the place. She'll keep perceiving astral regularly until she can summon a spirit for the evening that will do it for her.

Seeing the look that Chomsky gives Greeley, Amy can't help but feel jealousy. She grew up rich just like Chomsky, she was educated, hard-working, good-looking, charismatic, and she fought for the good cause. She's too perfect and that can't be right. But then again, her main fault was that Chomsky was fond of her.

Amy answers Chomsky's question. "No, not that likely. We don't know of a specific threat, other than the fact that some people would hate to see this movement succeed. These people don't think twice about using murder to solve their problems either. So we're here to try and make sure this doesn't happen, just in case they wanted to strike tonight.

Before we continue, can I ask you if it would be possible to get a volunteer t-shirt so that we can blend in with the others?"

[ Spoiler ]

Gear

Ordinary clothing: Jeans and a black top. Her face is disguised.
Armor Vest

Renraku Sensei
- subvocal mic
- AR Contact Lenses (image link)

Reagents 20 drams

[Lobo0705]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:15PM, July 31st, 2075

In answer to Amy's question, Chomsky nods. "Of course." He motions to one of the volunteers, and after a brief conversation, the volunteer runs off to fetch some t-shirts.

[Chrome Head]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:15PM, July 31st, 2075

"Thanks. For extra security, we were thinking some of us would stay near the stage or even backstage, and others would be among the crowd and around the perimeter. I'll have some magical backup with me, and Overkill will be looking into Matrix security. There were some ideas about moving things at the last minute to throw off an attacker with a prepared plan, I don't know how feasible this is." Turning to the others, "what else?"

[Jack VII]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:15PM, July 31st, 2075

Jack simply nods when Chomsky addresses him. Guy's good with faces and names, alright...

The ork looks around at the milling metahumanity busy with their efforts to finish their preparations. Having only lived in the Warrens for about a year, Jack didn't have as strong a connection to the place as Amy did. But he did appreciate seeing people investing sweat equity into changing their situations for the better. At the same time, rallies weren't really his thing. For the same amount of effort and energy that went in to putting on this spectacle, these folks could have probably fixed up a block of houses bordering the park. He did have to admit that the rally might be a good way to gather more resources. But if he were investing, he'd want to see the balance sheet at the end of the day.

At Amy's question, Jack responds, "Chomsky, what are your thoughts on giving the folks who are going to be on stage some discrete protection? We have a few armor vests that should be difficult to spot that y'all could borrow. Also, I'd like to take a quick look under the stage and make sure it's clear, if that's okay."

GEAR

[ Spoiler ]

Streetline Special [S&S] w/1x Spare Clip [Regular] & 1x Spare Clip [APDS]
Flash-Pak (W)
Armor Vest
Horn Rim Glasses w/Flare Comp, Image Link, Vision Enhancement (2) (W)
Earbuds w/Audio Enhancement (3) (W)
Hermes Ikon (5) w/Subvocal Mic
Meta Link (1)
Bio-monitor (W)
Medkit (3) (W)
4xStandard Credstick
Fake SIN (4) [Diego Sanchez]
Fake License (4) [Augmentations, Concealed Carry, Firearms]

Cyberware
Internal Air Tank (3) [Alpha] (W)
Muscle Replacement (2) [Alpha]
Skilljack (4) [Used] (W)
Skillwires (4) [Used]
Skillsoft: [Gymnastics (2), Navigation (2), Pistols (4), Sneaking (4)]
Smartlink [Alpha]
Handblade [Alpha]
Wired Reflexes (1) [Alpha]

[Lobo0705]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:18PM, July 31st, 2075

Chomsky thinks for a moment. "Well, I don't mind wearing one, and I will convince Shannon too, even though it will ruin the line of her suit." He winks conspiratorially at Jack.

"With regards to the stage, I have no problem with you taking a look, you would have more of an idea of what to look for than I." As he finishes speaking, the volunteer comes back with four t-shirts that look like they will fit the three elves nicely, but will be a bit snug on the ork. "Here you go, wear them in good health."

[Jack VII]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:18PM, July 31st, 2075

"Gracias, amigo," Jack replied, taking possession of one of the shirts and slinging it over his shoulder. "Are you and Greeley going to be onstage at the same time? We've got four vests and Grease shouldn't really need his, but if we need to stick both of you in vests, we'll have to use someone else's. This t-shirt's probably going to be pretty tight, so a vest is probably going to stick out on me... I'm just not sure if my vest is going to fit either of you."

Looking for somewhere to change, Jack failed to spot anything. Shrugging, he squatted down, took off the ironic Concrete Dreams throwback t-shirt he had been wearing and slipped on the yellow Rebuilding Together t-shirt. It was a tight fit, his augmented muscles standing out in stark relief, the vest an obvious protective device. Slipping the end of his own t-shirt through a belt loop, he tied it off securely so he wouldn't lose it.

"Hey Overkill, when you're ready, you want to come look under the stage with me? Another set of eyes wouldn't hurt."

[DrZaius]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:18PM, July 31st, 2075

We should really get business cards, "Paranoia is our Profession". Grease hasn't said much during this portion of the run, content to sit back and let Jack, Amy and Overkill handle questioning Greeley. What on earth does Murphy want to know about this rally? It seems harmless enough.

Grease busies himself sending both of his Fly-Spys along with the one he borrowed from Overkill on an aerial patrol, checking rooftops of nearby buildings and scanning the crowd for anyone who matches the description of the shooters they've encountered. The drones rapidly scan the faces of each person in the crowd as it gathers, sending back images to Grease who sees them superimposed over his glasses.

<<@Swarm [Grease] Keep a lookout for any weapons, figures matching the descriptions given, sudden movements or noises, and any other drones. Also, make sure one of you keeps recording Greeley throughout the rally so the footage can be spliced together.>>

Hearing Jack mention borrowing his vest, Grease gives a wide smile and pulls his off, exchanging it for the bright yellow t-shirt. "Sure, borrow mine; I'll be in the car for most of this, so I should be relatively safe. Plus, that way I get to listen to the radio!" His last statement seems like a joke, but you aren't sure. I sure hope he doesn't need that vest; it'll make this whole situation a lot more complicated, and I just bought the damn thing.

"Let me send this little guy under there too Jack; he might spot something you miss." Grease drops his microskimmer, which looks like it's going to hit the ground and shatter into a million pieces before it adjusts and engages it's tiny little thrusters, keeping it hovering a few inches off of the ground. It goes searching underneath the stage in a zig-zag pattern, either through some advanced algorithim or possibly because Grease added whiskey to his soykaf this morning.


GEAR

[ Spoiler ]

Essy Motors Dronemaster RCC
BMW 400 GT
Fly-Spy
Fly-Spy 2
Fly-Spy 3 (Borrowed from Overkill)
Microskimmer
GM Nissan Doberman "RHex" (in trunk)
Ares Light Fire 75 with 2 regular ammo, 2 gel ammo clips (glove box)
Ingram Smartgun X with 2 regular ammo, 1 gel ammo clips (globe box)
Colt American L36 with 2 regular ammo clips (on person)
Regular Clothes
Glasses w/smartlink
Micro-transceiver
tag eraser (in car)
Metalink Commlink (Slaved to RCC)
Cram, 1 dose (on person)
Novacoke, 2 dose (in car)

[Always Overkill]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:18PM, July 31st, 2075

Drave looked at the scope of the gathering and after Chomsky's embrace said, "Herzlichen Glückwunsch in Ordnung sind, Mein guter Freund," and after Chomsky gave him a look, Drave laughed and said, "It means 'Congratulations'; things have come a long way. I will be very interested to hear what you und Ms. Greeley have to say. You'll have to share some of the finer details of what you are planning later, but for now, there is much for both of us to do."

He then followed along behind the crew to check out the stage area.



Gear:

[ Spoiler ]

Armor Vest
Proteus-AG Blitzfurhen "Lightning Drive" Cyberdeck (Renraku Tsurugi)
-Cyberprograms
-All Common and Hacking programs, Agent 4
-Mapsoft- Denver
Ares Crusader 2 w- Suppressor
-120 Rounds of Stick and Shock Ammo (3 Mags)
-40 Rounds of Explosive Ammo (1 Mag)
Streetline Special
-12 Rounds of Standard Ammo (2 Mags)
Earbud- Audio Enhancement 1, Spatial Recognizer
Fake Sin 4 (Wilhelm Krieg- A Dutch Immigrant and freelance contractor who works Matrix Security in the tech industry.)
-Cybernetic Augmentations
-Bioware Augmentations
-Firearms & Ammo (to possess them)
-Firearms & Ammo (to carry them)
-Cyberdecks & Programs
-Communications Devices
Fliegegeheimagent x1 (Fly Spy) (In Grease's possession)
Bug Scanner 5
Trauma Patches x2
Stim Patches 3 x4

[Jack VII]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:30PM, July 31st, 2075

Grease's tiny microskimmer slipped under the decorative material covering the bottom of the stage with little problem. Jack, on the other hand, had to push the material up in order to slip between the structural beams comprising the stage's framework. Squatting down, nearly crab-walking into the dark underbelly of the stage framework, Jack slipped when his foot caught the edge of the microskimmer rather than solid ground; the little drone deftly avoided his falling form. Grumbling, the ork looked over at the drone, its lights flashing in a pattern that gave Jack the impression it was laughing at him. As Overkill deftly entered the area, the drone returned to its normal operation, hovering about and training its scanners on different parts of the structure. Of course he didn't see it...

"Alright amigo, this should be pretty simple. We're looking for explosives. Considering this stage is almost entirely plasteel beams, any explosive devices should be pretty obvious. I'm going to take a look with my eyes if you can take a look in the Matrix. Most likely locations would be on the corners or underneath the podium."

The two men crawled around underneath the trellis frame for a good 15 minutes while the drone whizzed around underfoot. After a determined search, they fail to uncover anything. "Looks like we're good, mein freund." Overkill said as they finished their work. Clambering out from underneath the stage, the pair tracked down Chomsky. Locating him at the center of what can only be described as organized chaos, Overkill reported, "The stage is secure, mein Chef. Could you direct me to where Cruz Security has set up their operations center?"

[Lobo0705]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:30PM, July 31st, 2075

Chomsky tore himself away from several workers and came over to hear the good news. "Glad to hear that the stage is safe, follow me." He walks over to a van parked in the lot, with the words "Cruz Security" emblazoned across the side, with the logo, a Conquistador helmet underneath. Standing at the back of the van looking at an AR map of the park, a tall human with salt and pepper black hair and a mustache was making adjustments to it.

"Mr. Costalas, these are some friends of mine, they um, have some security concerns they would like to address with you." Chomsky steps back and indicates the runners should express their concerns. Costalas looks skeptical, but addresses them professionally. "Hello, Captain Mike Costalas, Cruz Security. How can I help you?"

[Always Overkill]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:30PM, July 31st, 2075


Drave made a quick inspection of the van as he offered to shake the Captain's hand, noting the equipment they were using and the various angles their cameras were covering, "Guten Abend, Captain, my name is Steiner. I will be providing my services in making sure things stay secure here on the Matrix side of things tonight. We have some local "businessmen" we believe have a vested interest in seeing that this movement doesn't get off the ground; nothing concrete, but we aren't taking any chances. I will also be keeping a close eye on the crowd, and wanted to know what kind of security checks your people will be conducting on those in attendance. Are your men doing pat-downs for weapons?"

[Lobo0705]

Horseshoe Park, Aurora Warrens, 6:31PM, July 31st, 2075


Costalas shakes Overkill's hand, then pulls up the map to show the group. "We'll have officers here, here, here, and here." His finger causes the four security checkpoints to light up. "We'll pat down people as we can, but this isn't a stadium, we can't exactly completely restrict access."


He looks to Chomsky, "We were hired for crowd control, not an assassination attempt. If you want protection for something like that, then we need to renegotiate the terms of the contract - at which point I can get more men down here."