Nothing's Free in the Free Zone (IC), Adventure 2: A Dish Best Served Cold Options

[Melpomene]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:53 AM, September 12, 2075

Mel gripped her head tightly, the screaming waves of the biofeedback pounding on her mind. Blood from her burst capillaries mixed with tears of pain as she struggled to remain conscious.

"A...a-nother decker...tracker...still in...tact..."

What little that was still in her stomach came up and onto her lap, though Mel still had the wherewithal to quickly shift her deck to the side before it could be puked on.

She looked at Jack, a bloody, teary, sick mess. "S-sorry, boss." And with that, she laid back in the seat, her body slowly recovering from the dumpshock.

[Jack VII]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:53 AM, September 12, 2075

Jack winced, both at Mel's obvious injury and the fact they were still likely being tracked or spied on. "Sin preocupaciones," he replied. Rather than announcing their plans out loud, the ork sent the team a message.

<<@Team [JustJack] We need to try to get Mel patched up, she took a bad hit to her wetware. But we also need to take care of this bug. Anyone got anything that could help? If not, we probably need to make a call to one of our fixers and split up>>

[PraetorGradivus]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:53 AM, September 12, 2075

Wow, girl'ss pretty messed up-hope she hasn't suffered any permanent damage. Uncle Morty would say, that's why I don't play with that headware stuff. Wasn't too keen when I got the control rig as I recall. But Uncle Morty just didn't understand the euphoria of being man and machine at the same time.

<<@ Team[Sisco] I am assuming we're texting because of the possibility of audio. Two options boss- I got a tag eraser, but I've never used it on a tag that I didn't know the exact location of. If its in his stomach I guess we can just place it over the area and turn it on and hope it fries it. We can also just continuously zap every piece of clothing and every part of his body. Might work, might not. Second, I got a jammer, we could turn it on and hope is strong enough to keep the device from hooking up to the matrix>>

[Jack VII]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:53 AM, September 12, 2075

Cursing silently, Jack couldn't believe their bad luck. How did a fraggin' tag hold up so well to Mel? Then again, Overkill always seemed to have problems too.

Jack composed another message, but checked his own persona for MARKs before sending the message, worried that the opposing decker might be listening in.

<<@Team [JustJack] Let's do the jammer for now. It'll take too long to erase the thing; it's either hidden really well or it was in the kid's lunch. Also, everyone should reboot their devices and make sure the wireless is off when they come back online. Once the jammer is in place, I'll ask our ride-alongs to do the same. Once we've gone dark, plot a course for somewhere we can stop so we can give Mel first aid, clean up the van, and so we're not rolling around illegally jamming everything around us. Great way to get Knight Errant involved...>>

[PraetorGradivus]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:53 AM, September 12, 2075

Sisco rebooted everything and turned them back on wirelessly...

Now do I plug into Mr T or do I plug into my gun. Probably better to make a getaway than to be in a shootout.

Having plugged into Mr T, <<@Team[Sisco] Reboot complete. There's a white noise generator back there somewhere. If there's audio with whatever bug they planted it should help mask any sounds.>>

[Chrome Head]

Snap obeys and reboots the commlink that her teenager friend had constructed for her. Poor Kevin went through a lot the last time Snap was on a run and she felt for him, wanted to be a better influence for him. She understood so well how he must be feeling, with all the changes happening in his life and his body, and yet the two of them were an unlikely pair.

Coming back to the situation at hand, her device had rebooted and wireless was turned off.

She turns to Jack and nods.

[Melpomene]

Mel slowly nodded after hearing Jack's directions.

Well, I certainly fucked this up. Good job, girl.

Mentally, Mel cycled a reboot on all her gear. She tried to look at her deck to survey the damage, but her vision blurred and her gut roiled. She put it aside, knowing that the 'shock would stick with her a couple more minutes...until then, she was operating at low power.

Once her gear came online, she disabled Wireless on everything.

[Lobo0705]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:53 AM, September 12, 2075

Bai looked genuinely shaken at Mel's distress, and, ignoring a quick word from his father, knelt down on the floor next to her, pulling out a monogrammed handkerchief from his pocket. Handing it to her, he asked, "Are you okay? I'm so sorry you got hurt." Looking around at the others, he asked, "What is going on?"

[Melpomene]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:53 AM, September 12, 2075

Mel blinked at Bai, and smiled through the pain as he handed the handkerchief to her. "T-thank you, young sir. I have definitely been better, but no permanent damage was done." She took the handkerchief and dabbed her eyes, then the corners of her mouth. She frowned as she looked at the handkerchief, looking at the awful smear of what had come off her face.

[PraetorGradivus]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:53 AM, September 12, 2075

"What's going on? Well, your father would say that someone tried to assassinate him at the same time we were trying to rob him. Me, I''m into revisionist history and would rather just say we just trying to protect you and your father. Now all we have to do is figure out who is behind the plot."

Turning towards Huiquing he adds, "Hǎo xiānshēng, nǐ huì jiànyì gǎo qīngchǔ fāngmiàn shuí yě zhèng shì zhè bèihòu?"

[Lobo0705]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:54 AM, September 12, 2075

Huiquing's mouth turned into a slightly disapproving frown at Sisco's attempt at levity. "Son, it is an unfortunate turn of events that we will speak of in length shortly." Turning to the runners, Huiquing says, "In order to bring me back to power, I need foot soldiers, and firepower. That is going to require the assistance of Hung Lao, the Zhífǎ of the area. If he is compromised, then we will have to go through his subordinate, Li Guang."

Grimacing, he continues, "How to tell Lao's loyalty is the problem. A meeting in a public place? Your Móshù shī says she can determine if he is telling the truth. But we need to make sure we all stay alive long enough for her to figure that out."

Turning back to his son, he says, "First we must find out how to stop whatever my son is carrying from transmitting. Any ideas? We cannot just leave a jammer on him indefinitely."

[Jack VII]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:54 AM, September 12, 2075

Jack nodded, "We need to deal with the bug, but with Mel's deck getting fragged, we don't have a lot of options at the moment." Glancing at Sisco, he continued, "Can you find us a place to buy some clothes? I'd like to dump what Bai is wearing, just in case I missed the bug."

The ork was surprised at the sudden onset of a headache. He should be used to it by now considering everything always seemed to go wrong on these jobs. He wasn't sure why he was even still in the business. "After that, we need a place to lie low for Mel to recover. During that time, we can ring up one of our friends to see if we can call in a specialist. Alternately, we're probably going to need to repair Mel's deck in any event, so let's see if we can figure that out as well. Then we can work on a plan."

[Jack VII]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:54 AM, September 12, 2075

Thinking through what he had suggested, Jack made a few mental adjustments. Tapping Snap on the shoulder, he turned to their clients and said, "We're going to make a quick pit stop up here at a bodega. We're going to drop Bai and Snap off, then move the van far enough away to get out of range of the jammer so we can use the wireless assistance on this medkit. Don't worry, she can more than handle herself and protect Bai. Shouldn't take too long, we'll swing back and pick them up and keep on trucking."

Climbing into the backseat, the ork pulled out a large grey bag with a red cross symbol. Unzipping the bag, he started to get the medkit ready. Sisco spotted a Stuffer Shack ahead on the left. Pulling up, he discretely parked next to the store and allowed Snap and Bai to exit the van so that the bulk of the vehicle protected them. Driving off, Sisco started to circle the building, but it only took about 5 meters before the green light on the medkit lit up, indicating it was connected to the matrix. "Let's get you patched up," Jack said as he attached the various diagnostics to Mel, the decker adjusting a few of them after he applied them for a better contact. After a few seconds, the medkit beeped and dispensed the formula for a chemical concoction designed to reduce the internal hemorrhaging in Mel's brain and reduce the chances of stroke. Pulling out the appropriate medicine pouches, the ork mixed the fluids together in a questionable cocktail and passed it to the decker. Scrunching her nose at the sterile smell of the fluid, she swallowed it in one swig.

Mel's complexion immediately improved and she said, "Tell me you have something to chase that with..."

Satisfied that the medkit had done as much as it could do, he turned to tell Sisco to back up, but the rigger was already doing it. The doors popped open as Bai and Snap piled in. Not waiting for the door to shut, the rigger drove off, mentally activating the servos that shut the van doors. Without waiting to be prompted, Snap placed a hand on Mel's forehead and caused a slight glow to appear. When she removed her hand, Mel looked as good as new.

"Alright," Jack said, "problem one is solved. Let's tackle the next one"

[Melpomene]

Outside Vandermay Academy, CAS Zone, 10:55 AM, September 12, 2075

Mel took a deep, cleansing breath. The combination of the First Aid kit plus whatever Snap had done to her was like the best Beetle she had ever socketed. Her mind fixated on her stash for a few seconds, but then she saw Bai and she forced herself to focus. She sat up in her seat and put her deck in her lap, flipping it onto its face. Deftly, she found the six hidden socket covers and slid them open. Reaching into her backpack, she took out her Tech kit, and found her socket wrench. In a few seconds, the primary access panel was off, and Mel was surveying the damage.

"Alright...she's bricked, but she's not dead. It'll take a while to bring her back up to chrome, but I can get her to working condition much sooner. Give me about a half-hour."

With practiced skill, Mel set to work repairing her deck.

[Lobo0705]

Outside Vandermay Academy, heading north, CAS Zone, 11:20 AM, September 12, 2075

While Mel worked, Jack and Sisco conversed quietly up front. "We need somewhere with lots of escape routes, because once we turn this jammer off, they are going to pinpoint our location quickly." Jack nodded at Sisco, "You know the area better than I do, where do you think we go?"

Sisco scratched his chin for moment, then pulled up an ARO for Jack to see. "The tech center. Access to multiple highways, plus its next to Chinatown, so they would have to account for us heading there. We can get lost in the crowd pretty easily I think."

"Do it." Turning back to the rest of the group, including Huiquing and Bai, Jack says, "We are heading toward a spot where Mel can deal with that tracker. We are going to have to hightail it out of there once she's done, so keep your seatbelts on."

Outside the Denver Tech Center, CAS Zone, 11:58 AM, September 12, 2075

Sisco pulled into the parking lot of the Tech Center, sliding into the small amount of traffic from the convention held there this weekend, a local one for prospective business owners in the CAS area. Mel put the finishing touches on her deck, and closed the casing up before rebooting it. Satisfied that while it wasn't finished, it would do in a pinch, she gave a thumbs up to Sisco, who got ready to shut the jammer off.

[Lobo0705]

Outside the Denver Tech Center, CAS Zone, 11:58 AM, September 12, 2075

<<Mel hops onto the local grid with ease, she has penetrated the security on this grid so many times the act is second nature to her by now. She waits until Sisco turns off the jammer, and begins to search for the tag. She can see the local grid pop into focus as the jamming ceases. Acting quickly, she slams a stream of vicious code into the offending icon, watching it shatter apart and disappear from the Matrix.>>

Snapping back into AR, Mel says "We are good to go." and Sisco eases into the traffic pattern heading toward the downtown area, maintaining a steady speed so as not to call attention to Mr. T. The rest of the team keeps a sharp eye out, seeing potential threats in any vehicle that stays with them for more than a few seconds.


Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:30 PM, September 12, 2075

After 30 minutes of driving around, taking circuitous routes that would make following them unobserved a difficult proposition, Mr. T passes by the Denver Zoo. The parking lots are full of visitors from this sector and others, although there is not much traffic since most of the patrons are already in for the day. "Looks like our luck held, and we are good for now." says the ork driver.

[Jack VII]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:30 PM, September 12, 2075

Jack clapped Mel on the shoulder and said, "Good job." He was glad to see the decker had pulled it together after having had such trouble earlier. With the bug dealt with and no apparent pursuit, the ork looked around the van. "I think our next step is going to be to find a place for Bai to stay." Looking at the boy, he continued, "You've been really brave so far, Bai, but the rest of this job is going to be very dangerous. It would be best for everyone involved if we knew you were safe somewhere." Looking to Huiquing, he finished, "Is there anyone you'd trust with your son? Our connections here aren't the greatest."

[Lobo0705]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:30 PM, September 12, 2075

Bai brightens at Jack's words. He sits a little straighter, and smiles encouragingly at Mel, saying "Thank you miss, I appreciate what you are doing for us."

Huiquing shakes his head briefly. "Before last night I would say I had three or four people I could trust. Now I'm not so sure. Hung Lao is one of them, if the meeting with him goes smoothly I would trust him to watch Bai. I have several safehouses in the zone, but any or all of them could be compromised."

[Melpomene]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:30 PM, September 12, 2075

Bai brightens at Jack's words. He sits a little straighter, and smiles encouragingly at Mel, saying "Thank you miss, I appreciate what you are doing for us."

For a second, Mel felt true sympathy for Bai. He clearly was in danger because of the sins of the father. She smiled at him.

"I would not want to see anything happen to such an talented musician such as yourself. Your success make up for the rest of us failures." There is more than a hint of humor in her voice.

[Chrome Head]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:30 PM, September 12, 2075

Snap keeps calm, always with an eye out the window and her mind set on the safety of the group first. At the mention of meeting with contacts of uncertain loyalty, she starts thinking. "So where are we going to conduct those meetings anyway? How are we going to make sure they don't try to attack us, and that they come alone? Maybe we ask them to show up in a public space, and then give them instructions to reach our location, where we can see people coming from far away?"

[Jack VII]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:30 PM, September 12, 2075

Jack looked out the window. "How about over there? Zoos can have fairly discrete, yet public areas. Taking a sniping position would be a little challenging when you have to invade some paracritter's territory to set up your shot. With a slight disguise, we could set ourselves up as lookouts along the way."

"But first, we need someone reliable to protect Bai. Let me give someone a buzz."

<<@Tara [JustJack] Hoi Tara, looking for a little more biz? I need a body to babysit and a safe place to go with it. Let me know.>>

[Lobo0705]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:31 PM, September 12, 2075

Barely a minute passes before Jack feels the now-familiar tingle that indicates an incoming message.

<<@Jack [Tara] I'm always on the lookout to expand my business horizons. When do you want to meet?>>

Bai blushes slightly at Mel's words, and waits quietly while the others discuss his fate.

[Jack VII]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:31 PM, September 12, 2075

As the feedback for his suggestion of the zoo filtering in, the ork checked his returned message and responded.

<<@Tara [JustJack] Our job took a turn for the, uh, interesting. I'm looking for safe accommodations and reliable protection for a single teenage human male on a per day fee schedule. Not sure how long this is going to take, but I hope not more than a week.>>

[Lobo0705]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:32 PM, September 12, 2075


<<@Jack [Tara] Interesting is just par for the course in our line of work, isn't it? I can handle that for you, price is going to vary based on protection assigned, what are we looking at?>>

[Jack VII]

Denver Zoo, CAS Zone, 12:32 PM, September 12, 2075

Jack contemplated the message and mentally accessed his accounts. I can probably swing it if it comes down to it... Waiting to reply to Tara, the ork looked to Huiquing and said, "I think my contact can square us away with something, but it depends on what kind of security we want. My accounts are not unlimited, but I can probably cover a few hours to a day of reasonable security. I'll be expecting reimbursement at the end of all of this though..."