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

[Chrome Head]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:22 AM, August 1st, 2075

"Oh yes, and especially when you try to do something so vile as they are doing. It's not natural and goes against everything I hold dear about what people call magic."

[Always Overkill]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:22 AM, August 1st, 2075

Concentrating more on the ritual they had witnessed, Drave thought of the two empty crosses. "Given her proximity to them, what do you think the odds are that Mary Jane Kelly might end up on one of those tonight or tomorrow night? Regardless of whether we know the identity of the victim or not, we cannot just let them kill another innocent girl out there."

[DrZaius]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:22 AM, August 1st, 2075

Frowning, Grease nods at Overkill. "As much as my cowardly side would like to start with Stinger, I agree; we can't let them kill another girl. This Truck character is serious trouble, and we need to stop him, no matter what. However," he looks at the team directly, "How? He's the size of a house. I laid into that cop today with RHex and he barely flinched. I can't even imagine trying the same thing with a troll three times his size. I think we're undergunned for what we're hoping to accomplish."

[Jack VII]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:23 AM, August 1st, 2075

"Oh, he's going to be a tough cabrón to take down, no doubt about that..." Jack replied. "With that said, I'm not sure how many people, trolls or otherwise, would survive if we all focused our attacks on them. If Chapel can get us some more heavy-duty gear and Amy can whip up another powerful spirit, we might have a chance."

"Why don't we focus on the work we're doing for now and get some rest. I think we're going to need it if we try to take this group down tomorrow night."

[Chrome Head]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:23 AM, August 1st, 2075

"I'm confident we can put Truck down if it's really 4 on 1. Five with a spirit. With confusion, illusion, and concealment on our side, he won't be able to react before it's too late. And I think you're right that we should go after him first, what he's doing is vile, magic or no."

[Jack VII]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:23 AM, August 1st, 2075

Jack yawned. "It did look like he had a few friends there, so we need to account for them. But, it didn't look like they were wearing much armor, which is a plus. Truck would be the primary target, the head-honcho secondary, with the other members last."

[Chrome Head]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:23 AM, August 1st, 2075

"All right, first thing tomorrow morning I'll go see my friend, he might be able to tell me what to expect after I show him the video. Until then, I really need to rest more. As you can see," she lifts up her shirt, "well I guess you can't really see that well, but the wound I had is almost entirely healed. I can take guard duty whenever you need me from now on, and my spirit is already keeping watch for astral threats under sun up."

<<@Hubert [Amy] Hey I'm gonna come by in the morning, there's something I gotta show you. Cya>>

[Always Overkill]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:23 AM, August 1st, 2075

"Very well, Mein Liebling, I have some work I must finish before I can even think of sleeping. We can fine tune the rest of our plans tomorrow." Drave replied to Amy, looking at the splayed out Rotodrone in front of them. Then he turned to Jack, sending him a message in his AR display and saying "Here is a list of what I need from Chapel, make sure he knows we need it ASAP."

[Jack VII]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:23 AM, August 1st, 2075

Jack opens his commlink's editor function and composed a quick list. When he was finished, he opened his text message application, typed a quick message to Chapel, and attached the list.

<<@Chapel [JustJack] We're getting close to seeing results, but we need some hardware. List attached, let us know what you can do. Thanks!>>

<<ATTACHED LISTt>>
1x Colt M23 w/ Internal Smartgun & Shock Pad
4x Spare Magazines for the M23
2x Ares SpinalTap FlashBang
5x Spare Magazines for an AK-97
1x Shock Pad
1x Gas Vent-2 System
40x Rounds of AR S&S (AR)
1x External Smartgun System
<<END TRANSMISSION>>

With the task completed, Jack resumed watch. Opening the video of the sacrifice, the ork began to formulate a plan for the following night.

[Lobo0705]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:30 AM, August 1st, 2075


<<@Jack [Chapel] Glad to hear you guys are getting close, and transactions are always welcome. I've got everything here except the Colt, and that I can have by 8 or 9 this morning. By my calculation that will be 2818 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) - where and when do you want to meet to pick up the stuff?>>

[Jack VII]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:30 AM, August 1st, 2075

<<@Chapel [JustJack] Deal. Can you meet us at the Rusty Bar-rel around 2PM? We've got some tinkering and recon to take care of in the AM.>>

[Lobo0705]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 12:30 AM, August 1st, 2075

<<@Jack [Chapel] No problem, we'll get a late afternoon drink, my treat. See you then.>>

[Lobo0705]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 8:30 AM, August 1st, 2075

Amy awoke to the sound of the alarm chirping in her ear, gave a big yawn, and stretched. Feeling only minor pain from her chest, she sat up, shut off her alarm, and checked her commlink for a response to the message she sent last night.

<<@Amy [Hubert] You are always welcome here Amy, it has been too long since we've spoken. I'll have breakfast on the table for you when you arrive.>>


Amy got dressed and left the bedroom, gingerly stepping over the snoring forms of Grease and Overkill, and used the bathroom. Unsurprisingly, the house was without power, but as they were leaving in a few hours, there was no real harm. Retracing her steps, she went to the living room, where Jack stood watch by the front window. "Hey Jack, everything all clear?"

The room was littered with tools, circuit boards, and bits of scrap metal, and the object of Grease's and Overkill's work last night was sitting on the sofa. The chassis was still fairly badly smashed in on the bottom, but it appeared that the two tech-heads had restored it to some semblance of service.

Jack nodded, his eyes still on the street, with the video feed from Grease's drones up on his AR display. "No problems so far, this was a good call on the safe house. I checked in with Nic earlier, he and the kids are up and about. He's going to keep them there again today, but I'm thinking we should wrap this up soon, not sure how long he's going to want to keep the babysitting gig." Jack smiled, thinking about the troll keeping his normally surly nature under wraps in the face of the two little ones in his care. "Don't know about you, but I could use some food, there's nothing to eat here except for the carcass those Devil Rats were fighting over last night, and that just doesn't appeal to me."

[Chrome Head]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 8:30 AM, August 1st, 2075

"You're right, Jack. I'll bring food for everyone on my way back here. I wish I could take the car, but that would leave you without one if anything happens, so I'll just call Tony instead. Thanks for keeping track of the kids, we'll need to figure something out for them as you say. That'll be my priority today."

[Lobo0705]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 8:30 AM, August 1st, 2075

Amy makes a quick call on her 'link, and gets the receptionist at Mile High Limo. After a brief conversation, she is disappointed to learn that Turbine is not working. Oh well, I suppose he needs to sleep sometimes...


Walking around the block, she stops at a local store, and waits outside. The metal grate is down over the window, covered in gang tags, both spraypaint and virtual. Trying to put the evening's events behind her, she focused on seeing Hubert again.

In a few minutes, the car arrived, and a quick trip through the Warrens in the company of a large, but silent, Italian man behind the wheel saw Amy to her destination. After paying the driver the 20 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) , she got out and smiled, back on familiar ground.

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 8:55 AM, August 1st, 2075

Amy walked down the dead-end street, enjoying seeing what the Warrens could be if people took care of it. Hubert had taken great pains to try and maintain the area, at his own expense. Generators were connected to each of the three houses on either side of his own, and his street was one of the few with consistent power routed to it. Each of the yards had their own garden, so fresh fruits and vegetables could be served on the dinner table. The houses on the street were all owned by Hubert, but he allowed those in need of shelter to stay at them, as long as they pitched in to maintain the gardens, the sidings and rooftops, and so the people of the Warrens looked upon his street like a small oasis.

Amy always loved viewing this street in the Astral, and she did so again as she walked toward the front steps. Unlike the rest of the Warrens, the astral here was peaceful. Absent were the harsher tones of despair and violence, the Astral shone with gentler blues and greens, and soothed her. Spirits, some powerful and some minor watchers, moved back and forth through the area, keeping guard and helping to maintain Hubert's little paradise. In the physical plane, Amy could see about a dozen people, all hard at work, but happy to help out.

She had barely reached the bottom step when the front door opened, and Hubert stepped out. "Amy!" the old ork shouted, "How wonderful to see you again." Amy stepped up and clasped the ork's hand, and he placed a quick kiss on her cheek in welcome. "Come in, come in." They walked through the door and into the kitchen, where the table was set, and sideboard was full of food. "Now, how do you want your omelette? I've got peppers, some cheese, onion, and some ham. You just let me know." Amy smiled and sat down, pouring some water into a glass. As Hubert turned on the stove, he said, "How are Kevin and Sam?"

[Chrome Head]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 8:55 AM, August 1st, 2075

"Thanks so much for cooking for me, I really appreciate it."

"I'm not gonna lie, Hubert, things could be better right now, especially for the kids. As you know, I've started my very first shadowrun a few days ago and it's rough. Some cold-blooded killers want us dead already and we'll have to fight back. I knew what I was getting into and I'm ready for it, but I'm afraid for the kids' safety. I found a safehouse for our team, but I'd never bring Sam there so she's at old Nic's place for now. I think I've told you about him and Jack before, he's got a small shop called Nic's Knacks."

"Anyway, maybe I should have come to you sooner, but I didn't want to get you involved in anything, you've done so much for me already."

Having said a lot, she waited to see Hubert's reaction.

[Lobo0705]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 8:55 AM, August 1st, 2075

Hubert puts down his spatula and turns towards Amy. "Now Amy, I appreciate you trying to spare me any trouble, but please, don't hesitate to ask if you think I can be of assistance." He touches her on the shoulder in fatherly concern.


"I may not have much in the way to offer, but what I have is yours. Tell me how I can help."

[Chrome Head]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 8:58 AM, August 1st, 2075

"Well, there's two things. And you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. I need some place safe for Sam, and I was hoping she could stay with you for a while, until I have secured a new home for both of us. You don't know her that well but you know she's a sweet girl. She's very active but if she puts her mind to something, she calms down for a while. She likes drawing for one thing. Anyway, there's also Kevin, the kid who has a gift with machines. I know he can handle himself but it'd be nice if there was a roof over his head for the time being. If I leave him to fare for himself he'll end up sleeping under a bridge somewhere. If you let him come here, you can make him do all the work you'd expect of anyone else, so it shouldn't be a burden. Maybe he can even help out with any electronics you got."

Amy paused. "Sorry, that's a lot to take in. Please don't feel like you have to agree to this. I'm just, well I'm just a bit desperate right now. See, the guys that are after us, we're also after them, and one of them seems to be up to no good. Up to really fragged up stuff. You need to look at this video and tell me what you think."

And Amy gives her 'link to the old ork. "Press anywhere to start the playback."

[Lobo0705]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 9:03 AM, August 1st, 2075

Hubert accepts the commlink from Amy, and says, "I suppose you want me to watch this now? If so, you are going to have to make the omelets." Handing her the spatula, he reaches into his pocket and removes a pair of glasses, pulling the black frames on carefully. He has a seat, and presses play. He sighs heavily as he watches the video, and pauses it several times passing his hands over his eyes, and then continuing on through the film to the end.

After a moment, he says, "These are the men that you are chasing? If so, then I hope you catch them quickly." He puts the commlink down, purses his lips, and says, "I look forward to meeting your two little ones, I am sure that they are wonderful children. I will be happy to have them enjoy the safety of my home while you track down these killers."


Amy, adding a mixture of the ingredients to the eggs, pours the concoction into the skillet, and stirs while Hubert continues to speak. "As to what I think? I think you've got some very evil people there. Ritual is powerful, and human sacrifice is not something to be toyed with lightly. To plan three such sacrifices is to be driven by incredible lust for power or extreme foolishness. Either way, it is an abomination in the eyes of the magic that you and I practice."

Amy nods, manipulating the egg with the spatula so that it doesn't burn, carefully folding it over and then flipping the omelet. "I can't get a sense of the relative power of these individuals through a video, I'd have to observe them myself, so I can't tell you if they are charlatans or powerful magi, but that they are to be taken seriously either way there is no doubt."

[Chrome Head]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 9:03 AM, August 1st, 2075

Amy brings the two plates with omelettes in them to the table with a look of concern on her face. "The only one we're really after is the big Troll who calls himself Truck. But all of those in the video probably need to be stopped. Do you have any idea what they may be after if they're not charlatans? Do you know what else people like that may be capable of? I've heard of blood magic before, is this what it is? Do we even have a chance against people like that?"

[Lobo0705]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 9:04 AM, August 1st, 2075

Hubert accepts the plate from Amy, and puts it down in front of him. Then, frowning as if he has lost his appetite, he pushes it slightly away from him. He replays the video, fast forwarding through some parts, and pausing on others.

"As you know, I'm not a student of the rituals of the Magi, and I will say that the symbology on their robes is unfamiliar. Without looking at them through the astral, it is impossible to say for sure, but I do not believe this is blood magic. Blood magic involves the use of someone other person's body to take the drain for when you cast spells or summon spirits. While this ritual certainly involves blood-letting and sacrifice, it does not appear that they are casting spells or summoning anything."

He goes back and forth over the video again. "That being said, there are older and fouler things than blood magic out there. This could be something where they intend on releasing some power on the third night, with the final sacrifice. It is possible that who the sacrifices are matter, perhaps not." He sits back in his chair, and takes his glasses off. "I wish I had more information for you. Now I just have to try and find my appetite again. Tell me, do you have pictures of the kids on this?" He hands the commlink back to Amy, and forces himself to take a mouthful of omelet.

[Chrome Head]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 9:04 AM, August 1st, 2075

"Sorry for troubling you with this before we even start eating. I'm not a good guest to you. I'm just really.. focused these days."

"Yes of course! Let me show you Sam. It's been a little over two years now that she's living with me. You'll see she's grown since then. I'll let you go through the album..." And she hands back her commlink. "Kevin doesn't let me take a whole lot of pictures of him, but you'll find pictures of him in there as well."

And Amy started eating her own plate with appetite. They continue eating while he looks at a few pictures. When Amy's done she comes next to him and talks about the pictures. "See? Right there she drew that one herself... And that's her sixth birthday last year..."

When Hubert is done eating, Amy can't help but come back to her current worries. "You have a good idea of what I'm capable of, Hubert, you taught me most of it. What do you think I should look out for the most? You said you could see what it's about if you could look at it yourself, can you describe what should I look for specifically?"

[Lobo0705]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 9:07 AM, August 1st, 2075

Hubert wipes his mouth with a napkin, and then starts clearing the table. "The first thing to do is get a look at the place in the Astral. See what effect the sacrifice has had on it. You should see a negative impact on the area just due to the one murder, but look to see if there is something more. See if the area is set on any ley lines, you remember I showed you how to look for those, I'm sure. Check the ground for any signs of the group setting up a magical lodge for their ritual."

He runs the water, clearing off the plates, and then washing each one, rinsing, and placing it to the side to dry. "All of this will have to be done in person, obviously, but you still have some time before the next stage of the ritual. Your biggest concern will be they might have someone or something watching the site during the day. If none of these things are present, no unusual activity in the Astral, no ley lines, no magical lodge set up, then I would say that the rituals are not magically motivated, but more religious or ceremonial in nature."

After finishing the dishes, he again stands near Amy and puts his hands on her shoulder. "As I said before, even should these men not be Awakened, I would treat them with extreme caution. Now come, I'm sure you have to get back to your friends and family, but in the meantime, let us walk outside a moment."

Hubert leads Amy out the back door, and the two of them walk around the yard, feeling the morning sun on their face. Amy isn't sure if it is just the presence of her old master, or an effect of one of the many foci he carried, but she began to fee a little more relaxed as the two of them walked and spoke of old times. It was nice, even for only a few minutes, to get away from the carnage that the last few days had brought to her and her friends.

[Chrome Head]

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 9:15 AM, August 1st, 2075

As they walk around, Amy shares her thoughts with Hubert. "This feels really nice. You know, shadowrunning is no easy job, and just walking around here with you helps me forget a little bit about what has happened and what is coming. I've felt the presence of my mentor spirit a lot in the past few days, as I've tasked myself with protecting a whole lot of people -- you can imagine. I'll need some time to take a step back and meditate about a lot of things when this first run will be over. A lot of blood will have been spilled, probably some innocent blood too, if there is such a thing."

"Well, now I have to go back to the present, and do my best. I'll bring Sam and Kevin right away, if that's okay with you. I promise I'll make it up to you one day. Thanks for your help and as always thanks for sharing your wisdom, my friend. We'll keep in touch, stay safe."

Once Amy is sitting in the back of the taxi, she messages the team. <<@Team [Amy] Found a place for the kids to stay where they won't be in the way for Nic. I'll go pick them up right now if there's nothing urgent.>>

[DrZaius]

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 9:16 AM, August 1st, 2075

A forest. Deer racing, just out of reach. A wolf chasing it, boxing it in. Helping. We're going to catch it! My teeth sinking into the deer's neck, stealing it's power. A bee, buzzing. buzzing. Buzzing.

Grease's commlink buzzes next to his face, until he makes a guttural "Grwah!" and slaps at it, making it stop. What an odd dream.. Amy's message blurs against his sightline across his AR display, until he blinks a few times and manages to read it. Groaning, feeling like he was run over with a dump truck Grease responds.

<<@Amy[Grease]: I'll go pick them up in the Taxi. Doesn't do any good to have you go to both places if we think someone is following you.>>

His body similar to gelatin, Grease slides out of bed like an amorphous blob. Eventually, he manages to stand up and get his keys, mumbling at the two other sleeping bodies in the room. "Grm. Kids. Be back."

Nic's Knacks, the Warrens, 9:30 AM, August 1st, 2075

Grease honks on the horn a few times, and eventually groans and decides to go in and get the kids. Both are up and about, but haven't packed anything. "Grab your drek, c'mon. Your mom wants you to move to a new place." His tone is different from the syrupy tone the children are used to; today it sounds more like he has a 4-pack a day habit. Eventually he manages to shepard the children into the cab, but only after his head starts pounding like a jackhammer. I am going to take a long vacation after this run..

"Breakfast! We want breakfast! We're hunnnngry!" One of the children yells from the back of the cab. Grease isn't sure what their names are; he probably should have paid more attention to what Amy was saying. He was slipping; he hadn't thought much about the physical needs of children when he volunteered to grab them.

"Ugh, fine, fine, we'll grab something. Hold on." The children cheer noisily as Grease floors it, throwing them around in the back of the cab.

Hubert's house, E. Hamilton Place, 9:46 AM, August 1st, 2075

Walking up to the door of Hubert's house, Grease drains the last of his soykaf, already starting to get cold. Cheap Stuffer Shack drek.. The children happily munch on their breakfast sandwiches, made of meat products even Stuffer Shack fully admits "Contains a legal amount of animal parts ®". Seeing Hubert smile as the children walk up, saying, "Hello Children. Your mother wanted me to look..." Grease tunes out the rests and walks back to his car without saying goodbye to the kids. "Thanks Mr. Grease!" They echo in chorus, but Grease is already peeling out, heading back to the safe house.

Abandoned house, S. Flanders Ct, 9:58 AM, August 1st, 2075

Grease comes back into the safe house looking like the walking dead. He's got a carrying case with 3 coffees in it, heating tabs unpulled. He sets it down on the table next to the drone he and Overkill were working on and addresses the team. "Alright, kids are dealt with. Let's figure out how we're going to survive the next 48 hours." Hearing a general groan from Overkill and Jack, Grease scoffs and starts tinkering on the drone more.