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

[Jack VII]

Motel 6, 15000 E. Smoky Hill Road, Aurora Warrens, 8:32 PM, July 31st, 2075

Jack frowned, but nodded. He'd probably feel the same way as Grease, all things considered.

<<@Amy [JustJack] Glad to hear everyone is okay. Do me a favor and tell Grease I understand and think better of him for being cautious. I'd be a little suspicious too given the circumstances. Also, tell Overkill I'm authorizing him full access to my commlink if he wants to check out my call logs, files, and GPS tracking to verify what I'm telling you. I'll figure out a way back to HQ. See y'all when you get done. Be careful...>>

Jack ended the call and started walking north, planning on hitting E. Quincy Avenue. He wanted to clear his head and think for a bit. He also wanted to put some distance between himself and the Motel 6 before considering calling for another taxi. Calling up the menu on his commlink, he authorized it to accept three MARKS from Overkill's commcode. With that complete, the ork shoved his hands in his pockets; his right hand grasping the solid assurance of his Streetline Special. Jack knew that you could never be too prepared.

[Chrome Head]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:33 PM, July 31st, 2075

<Ok Jack. You too.>>

"There's Jack for you. He said that he thinks better of you Grease, for being careful. He's given full access to his 'link to Overkill so that we can check on his story if we feel like it. He had to help out a friend in trouble tonight, that's what he told me, and I believe him completely. After we get a good night's rest, we'll be able to discuss this with our heads clear."

"Now, I'm going to go see if I can use my abilities to help Greeley heal from her injuries. I can do the same to you too, Grease, if you'd like, but I'll do a better job of it if you want to wait until morning. It's a one-shot thing, so you tell me what you prefer."

[Always Overkill]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:33 PM, July 31st, 2075

Drave listened intently to Grease and Amy's argument over Jack, fully understanding the Rigger's paranoia about the ork's ill-timed departure. But Grease's own confession about spying on the rally certainly brought up doubts about his own loyalty to the team.

"I understand your suspicion Grease. The timing of his departure could not have been worse. But I've known Jack for a while, we have worked together before; and I know he would not have left that rally without a verdammt good reason. I have already sent him the coordinates to the Stuffer Shack around the corner; but we don't have time to get out of here and find a safe place to meet up."

Sighing before continuing, his gaze settled firmly on Grease. "We all know how this business works, we take jobs that pay the bills, and try not to ask too many questions. You took the job of spying on the rally before we got into this mess, and it probably seemed like some easy nuyen to make on the side. But you could have kept your mouth shut, collected your payment, and we would have been none the wiser. So, Danke for coming clean about the truth of the matter."

"Now about your meet tonight with your Lone Star contact, I will go with you and back you up, and make sure things stay secure on the Matrix front; we don't know who may be listening. I am the only one here who hasn't required medical attention anyways."

[Always Overkill]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:33 PM, July 31st, 2075


Drave then approached Chomsky and Greeley in the waiting room and asked, "Well, Meine Freunde, I know you have a lot of questions about what happened tonight, and to be quite honest, so do we. So until we find some answers, we would like you to stay under our protection, at a safehouse where you could lay low, until we get to the bottom of this."

[Lobo0705]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:33 PM, July 31st, 2075

Chomsky looks up from Greeley, who is looking a little better after both Jacoby's and Amy's ministrations. The young elf has a light sheen along her arms where the doctor applied a salve to reduce the swelling, and the pain medication he gave her has kicked in, leaving her quiet and a little drowsy.

"To be quite honest, I'm not sure how to feel. On the one hand, it seems that these two officers were up to no good, and clearly the warrant was a lie. On the other hand, I would gladly have gone with them and taken my chances with a lawyer than to see all those people injured on that field."


His face is drawn as he remembers the loss of life. "I know of several safe houses that we can lay low in, and while I appreciate your offer of help, I'm a little worried that your involvement here might make it more dangerous, not less."

[Always Overkill]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:33 PM, July 31st, 2075


"I understand, our crew already has enough outside attention on it, and we certainly don't want to draw any of that extra attention on you two" Drave responded. "Stay safe, we will let you know if we find any answers."

He turned back to Grease and Amy, copying the response he had just read from Ramirez's link and sending it to the team in his AR.

<<@Churchfriends [Blocked] There was a warrant put out for their arrest, signed by Harvey Browne. It is not a normal arrest warrant, i.e. for the city of Denver. This was a corporate warrant, in other words, whoever these two are, they aren't going to jail, they are to be brought straight to corporate. There is one officer assigned to serve the warrant, a rookie named Robert Finamore. The guy just joined the Star last month, straight out of school. I've attached a photo from his dossier.>>


"Of course, he was a cop..." Drave said, cursing the crew's ill-fortune. "The Doc can hang onto the body here until we decide what to do with it." He then turned to Grease and asked "Now what do you need from me for this meeting Grease? "[/color]

[Chrome Head]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:34 PM, July 31st, 2075

Now that the stress level has diminished, Amy takes the opportunity to come apologize to her friend. "I'm sorry for this mess, Jared." The shaman seemed emotional. "And I'm sorry for causing the death of that cop." She paused to think how to express what she felt.

"I just didn't want Lone Star to take you away on trumped up charges and never see you again. I had to act on the moment and in that sense, I don't have regrets. I know it's not your approach to fight the corps with violence, but sometimes there's no other way."

"Do you need me to accompany you to that safe place of yours? ... Or maybe you just don't want to have me near you right now..."

[Lobo0705]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:34 PM, July 31st, 2075

Chomsky stands up, and spreads his arms wide, walking carefully to Amy before embracing her, trying not to press too hard on her bandages. Despite his care, Amy winces slightly at the pain.

"Amy, I do not for one moment believe you acted out of any sense other than to protect us." After a brief embrace, Chomsky lets go, and says, "We do not need you to come with us, but that does not mean we are pushing you away. I do, however, think you should go with your friends, not so that you will be away from us, but rather I think they need you more than we do. We will be safe, and again, thank you for helping ease Shannon's pain."

[DrZaius]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:34 PM, July 31st, 2075

Waiting nervously while Overkill and Amy talked with the civilians, Grease started to wonder how he had gotten into this mess.

It had all been so simple. These aren't the two we need to worry about; if anything happens to Ramirez we're going to be taking a long walk off a short pier. I hope they can keep it together long enough to wrap this thing up. The sooner we get paid, the better. Besides, killing a cop is bad no matter what. Dirty or not, that's going to come back to bite us. Ramirez may pay us and have us arrested in the same meeting.

Making sure that Amy and Overkill were occupied, Grease takes a popper of novacoke, feeling it against the back of his eyeballs almost instantly.

...That's better.

He throws the popper into the "Danger: Sharps Container," with his teammates none the wiser.

Other than that mage; how'd she pick up on it last time? I'll have to keep an eye on her, she may be more trouble than she's worth.

Grease frowned at that thought, worrying that he was getting too paranoid.

No such thing. Speaking of, where was Jack? These two seem awfully sure he's not the type to betray us. What do they even know about him? Certainly less than they know about me. Chapel would sell us out in a heartbeat if there was the right kind of pressure. That's the business, and they're nuts if they think the right way to approach it is to trust first, question later.

Eventually, Amy and Overkill finished with Greeley and Chomsky, walking back into the office.

"Jacoby, can you keep this guy on ice for a while? We've got a meet in 25 minutes, then we'll be back to discuss what the heck we're going to do about it. "

Jacoby frowns, but then nods.

He probably knows he's getting some decent ware out of watching this body for an hour, odds are.

"Overkill, Amy, we're meeting with my contact at the Rusty Bar-rel. You've both been there before, so you know the layout. This is a guy I trust, so we don't have to go too crazy here. Just follow my lead, and try to stay low. Amy, you in particular might want stay back, maybe sit at the bar with your back turned but listening in. I don't know if he's seen video of this evening yet or not."

Grease frowned, nodding at the team with a sense of determination.

"Let's get some answers."

[Chrome Head]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:34 PM, July 31st, 2075

Amy nods to Grease. "You got it. But before we go, we need to do something about this disguise. Either you make a new one, or I'm going as myself, cause there's no way I go anywhere else with this on. And can you get your taxi to us, in case we need it. I think it'd be safer to always have it near us just in case."

[Lobo0705]

Dr. Jacoby's, Aurora Warrens 8:34 PM, July 31st, 2075

Amy, Grease, and Overkill say their goodbyes to Chomsky and Greeley, the pair getting into Greeley's car and driving off with Chomsky behind the wheel. Jacoby, standing at the door says, "I'll keep an eye on your friend, those two took care of your bill for tonight. Call me when you are ready to pick him up."

"Now, let's see if we can get you two looking a little less conspicuous", says Grease, his demeanor a little more manic than usual. He quickly strips off the two wigs, and with a flurry of brushes, powders, and some strategic shaving, Amy and Overkill no longer look like the two Aryan elves who were at the park earlier in the evening. "Ready to go good let's go!", the rigger hops into his BMW and guns the engine until Amy and Overkill join him, and they quickly zoom off into the night.

On the ride over, Grease turns to Amy, "Listen, not that its bothering me too much, but would you mind using your magic to heal me? When Rhex got shot out from under me, there was some serious neural feedback, and I just want to make sure I'm going in to this meet with a full deck of cards if you know what I mean." Amy nods, "I'll do what I can." and closes her eyes and lays her hand on Grease's shoulder. After a minute of concentration, Grease feels much better than he did before. "Thanks! Feels good as new!"


The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:05 PM, July 31st, 2075

The trio of elves pull into the parking lot, and notice that Grease's taxi is already there waiting for them. They exit the car and walk inside, the place crowded with large men mostly dressed in coveralls marked with the "FB" logo. Grease is greeted by a couple of the regulars, but he only briefly acknowledges them, scanning the room for Murphy. He quickly finds him at the back of the bar, seated at a booth alone, blowing clouds of smoke from the cigar held in the corner of his mouth.

Several men walk up to the booth, looking to have a seat, but a look from Murphy is enough to send them moving on to stand at the bar instead. Murphy catches sight of Grease, and motions him over to the table with a nod of his head.

[Chrome Head]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:05 PM, July 31st, 2075

As agreed, Amy got off the car a block away and walked in a little after Grease and Overkill.

Once inside, she picks a spot at the bar and asks for a synth-scotch on the rocks. That's gonna warm me up, what a night.

As the conversation is starting with Grease's contact, she listens through her earphones.

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:05 PM, July 31st, 2075

Sliding into the booth across from Murphy, Grease nods at Overkill, who sits beside him.

"Murphy, don't think you know my associate here. Let's call him "Jeff" for now. I imagine you have some questions about what went down tonight. I've got a few of my own. I called the meeting, so why don't I start."

Nodding at the bartender with a smile, Grease speaks through the side of his mouth, keeping eyes on all the various patrons.

Do I know that guy? Who's that? Seems crowded in here tonight. How many are Murphy's?

"Odd coincidence, don't you think, that the little rally you wanted me to keep an eye on blew up like it did. What do you know?"

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:06 PM, July 31st, 2075

Murphy switches the cigar to the other side of his mouth, and growls, "Nice ta meet you. Now, keep quiet so this one can start explaining why he's bringing other people to our meetings." Grease starts to say something, but Murphy cuts him off. "Shaddup, its fine. Its just bad enough I gotta deal with one mealy-mouth elf, let alone two of 'em." He pours a drink and shoves it across the table to Overkill, who catches it adroitly.

"As for what happened at the park, I've got all sorts of reports coming in, big fragging spirits all over the place, drones firing at the spirits, drones firing at the crowd, drones firing at the Lone Star officers," he pauses and tosses back a shot. "The cops showed up and arrested people and were attacked. The cops attacked the crowd first. The cops drove off. The cops were killed. Its a mess, and all sorts of people are screaming at me to find out what the hell happened."

Looking over at Overkill, who had not yet touched his drink, Murphy yells, "What'sa matter? Don't drink?" He reaches across the table, grabs the drink back, and downs it.

"As I told you the other day, we weren't even supposed to have anybody down there, which is why I got you to keep an eye on things. So. Spill."

Overkill, startled slightly at the ork's overbearing nature, simply keeps his mouth shut and his eyes open. Glancing around the room, he and his Agent search for any prying eyes. Apart from various patrons using their commlinks, plus the normal devices you would find in a bar such as this, the Matrix seems clear. As Murphy continues to talk, Overkill surreptitiously activates his bug scanner under the table, and, after a moment, shuts it off, convinced that no one is listening to their conversation.

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:06 PM, July 31st, 2075

Grease eyes Murphy narrowly, trying to determine if he's on the level.

"Well, as you said, nobody was supposed to be there. Rally starts, then about 10 minutes in we hear sirens. Two prowlers come in, along with 4 birds packing heat."

Grease pauses to down the shot he was just served, then nods to the waitress to bring another. "I'm in the car trying to keep order of everything, trying my best not to be seen and bother anybody. Next thing I know, the cops are shooting at somebody in the crowd, and all hell is breaking loose."

Grease looks over his shoulder, then back at Murphy. "Two cops, to serve a warrant in the Warrens? I thought you guys didn't roll into there with less than a battalion. Plus they were arresting some community organizer on drug charges; the rally was about keeping the Warrens drug free. It don't add up pal."

Trying to sense what Murphy already knows versus what he's getting Grease to admit to, Grease pauses. "That odd to you? Two guys on their own, trying to arrest someone at a rally with hundreds of people? Wouldn't they come in with crowd control? Why are those drones firing live rounds into the crowd?"

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:07 PM, July 31st, 2075

The ork takes his cigar out, and rubs his tusk with a finger.

"Alright, stop - what are you talking about? The cops were serving a warrant? I didn't have any information on that. And at a rally? They should have had a Citymaster and a couple of choppers at the least, go big or go home wit' that kind of job. Even better, why the frag not just wait 'til the rally was over?"

He takes out his commlink. "You got footage of this? The cars specifically? License plates? Any footage of the drones?"

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:07 PM, July 31st, 2075

Nodding, Grease calls up some freeze-frames of the footage showing the cops and their cars, and sends it over to Murphy. He doesn't release the full video just yet, just the frames showing the police getting out of their cars, along with the drones flying overhead.

"So, I ask again; what have you gotten me into?"

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:08 PM, July 31st, 2075

Murphy looks at the freeze frames, and plays around with his commlink for a minute. "Well, you're right, something screwy is going on. The license plate on one of those Patrol-3's comes up as valid, the other doesn't. The pictures of the cops doesn't help me, their in full body armor, numbnuts. Where is the rest of the video?" He scrolls through the photos again, "And what about those drones?"

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:08 PM, July 31st, 2075

<<@Overkill[Grease]: Here is the video file. I'd like you to review it before I pass it over.>>

Assuming Overkill knew what he meant, Grease continued with Murphy, stalling a bit to get some time.

"Well, and don't get me wrong here, you've got first dibs, whose to say I want to show you the video? This type of thing would be worth a lot of money to the right people. I had a whole net of drones up there; 7NEWS Denver would pay top dollar for footage like this."

Pausing to take a sip of beer while Murphy scowled, a vein pumping in his forehead, Grease continued nonchalantly changing the topic.

"The officers came up on the stage, saying they had a warrant. Someone told me it was signed by a Judge Harvey Browne; ever heard of him?"

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:08 PM, July 31st, 2075

"Whose 'ta say you want to show me the video? I got three people. You, for taking the job, the credstick in my left pocket with payment for that job, and the badge on my chest that says I can make all sorts of problems for you should you piss me off."

Murphy chugged back another drink, then says, "Look, I'm not unreasonable, I can probably shake loose another 500 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) to cover the all the drek that went down. But let's be clear, I want that video before we leave." Pouring another, he says, "I don't know all the judges in town, but no, never heard of a Harvey Browne." He looks expectantly at Grease, waiting for the rest of the file.

[Always Overkill]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:08 PM, July 31st, 2075


Drave breezed past Murphy's ultimatum, spoke up and continued asking questions, "Those Drones were armed with Explosive Ammunition, and so were your Officers. Is it Lone Star policy to bring that sort of lethal firepower with them going into a public rally to serve a warrant? One would think they were expecting trouble, if not looking to initiate it."

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:08 PM, July 31st, 2075

Murphy frowns. "Explosive ammo isn't exactly common, but it isn't illegal for them to carry. Still, given that at lease one of these cars had their license plates switched, I'm not that surprised to find out that their ammo wasn't standard."

[Always Overkill]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:08 PM, July 31st, 2075

Realizing that no amount of concealment would likely thwart Murphy's scrutiny, Drave simply cut out the footage of Amy throwing her last spell at the fleeing Patrol Cruiser, and sent it back to Grease with a nod. He followed that up with a brief message.

<<@Grease[Overkill]: Not much point in trying to mask how it happened; footage of the incident is already up on the Matrix.>>

[DrZaius]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:08 PM, July 31st, 2075

Grease is about to send over the footage, but pauses for a moment.

"I hate to do this; you know I trust you implicitly. I have to ask who wanted this footage before I hand it over. Otherwise I have to walk. I don't want my car showing up in the police blotter."

[Lobo0705]

The Rusty Bar-rel, 9:08 PM, July 31st, 2075

Murphy looks confused for a moment before responding. "Who the frag do you think wants the footage? Same guy who always foots the bill when I hire you or another freelancer - my boss. Weinstein has been taking a hit in the monthly meetings for his stats, and wants to try and knock those down - I guess he figured he'd rather not chance a PR nightmare by putting the Star in the middle of a powderkeg." He takes a deep draw on the cigar, and exhales the smoke toward Overkill.

"Although apparently that ship has sailed with whatever the hell happened. The drek is going to hit the fan on this one." He shakes his head. "And please, why would I put you on the blotter and dry up one of my sources of information? Its not like you did anything but film this fiasco, right?"