2075: 86ing the 88s Options

[Jack_Spade]

John
Monday, 25 November, 22:20 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex #140

John just stepped out of the way when the stampede began. A fire's greatest danger lay in smoke inhalation - something he really wasn't concerned about at all. Consequently he had time to look around while chaos reigned within the casino. His sensor did notice a bit of smoke coming from near the One-Armed Bandits, but it didn't have the acrid smell of burning plastic but according to the readout contained high amounts of phosphor.
<<Guys, I think someone just had a smoke grenade go off in the casino. There might be someone else doing a run. But as far as I can see they aren't after the money. That is safe in the cashier's office and - as it turns out - the flimsy walls have metal shutters.
I'm going to the stairs, maybe I can get a look at whoever set the distraction off.>>

John moved, using his newly generated map, towards the stairs while keeping a low profile. Screams were getting louder from people getting trampled in the press - or maybe someone just used the moment to steal their winnings.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Monday, 25 November, 22:20; Near the Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

<<Go back to that bit about leveling the whole place...>> Jan had grown bored at the bolt-hole and wandered down to Chi-town. He was currently enjoying a noodle stand a block down from the casino. He'd got a beanie pulled low on his head. Not much of a disguise, but maybe enough to fool a casual observer unless they were actively looking for him.

[adamu]

Al
Monday, 25 November, 22:20; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

Al surveyed the girl idly as he shook himself and closed his button-fly. She was very pretty, looked Chinese to tourists but Al could tell she was Malay, and her voice made at least second-generation Seattle. He reckoned she had the look the casino bosses wanted.

"Hon, the sheer poetry o' yer invitation, well, stirs the heart. Makes it real hard ta refuse. Reckon I'd love ta hear ya sing such sweet sonnets slow through my slumbers, but I'm with the fire department, see, so duty calls."

Enough people had left the kitchen that he was fairly sure it was empty, and since they hadn't bothered to close the door, he wandered in. Didn't know what was going on. Or why he was going in. Or what he was going to do inside.

But Johnny was in there, and something was going on in there. So couldn't hurt to be close.

Seemed like the thing to do.

The kitchen opened, naturally, onto the dining area. People had cleared out in a hurry. Not much of the fake smoke had gotten this far, but just enough, apparently to get the sprinklers going. He'd been wet before.

The buffet was there - typical casino draw, stretching nearly a hundred meters all told around three sides of the huge room, the fourth side being open to the main casino floor.

He grabbed a handful of onion rings and started munching as he wandered out onto the gaming floor.

[Jack_Spade]

John
Monday, 25 November, 22:25 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex #141

John replied to Jan: <<Getting it down is easy: Five prime charges at the main supports in the cellar and half a dozen or so secondaries to guide the falling direction. Personally, I'd go for a spiraling fall, although that would need more charges in the middle of the building to create the necessary torque.>>

As the party started and John came close to the stairs he called his chummers again: <<Hey, guess what: My ultrasound sensor just picked up an invisible, naked chick running past security and up the stairs. A really nice chassis if you get my drift. And according to the refraction from the laser probably Ruthenium Polymer not magic.
Looks like a lone operative taking on our target.
I'll go and do my EMT thing and follow her.>>

John reached the stairs where - wonder above wonder - two guards still kept their post. John had taken out his face mask with the fake respirator. Bold es brass he said:
"Hey, I just got a call that someone on the top floor has a heart attack. One of you guys is supposed to accompany me."
When the two only stared at him he added: "Hey, no need to rush, it's not as if the heart is a particularly important organ. It's not like I'm thrilled to climb up the stairs in a burning building on my day off. Just give me your names, so I know to whom I can shift the blame."

That seemed to to the trick: Brickwall no.1 began to quickly pat John down, unsurprisingly finding nothing. Than he led him up the stairs. John had cranked up his jammer to stop them from making calls with their commlinks. Their microtransceivers worked, but John banked on the fact that in this chaos the low tech system got overwhelmed with calls from all the many security guys. Yeah, even redundancy had its problems.

Now that he was in the less traveled area he could even smell the girl spy - a mix between rotting cabbages and honey-almond shampoo, indicating that she had come in through the kitchens.
The guard kept looking at him suspiciously but had to concentrate on keeping up with John's quick pace. To stop the man from thinking to much he chose to poke him a bit "Jalla, Jalla my friend, you should do more cardio and not skip leg day. My grampa gets up faster than you."

[adamu]

Al
Monday, 25 November, 22:25 pm; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

Hearing Johnny's play, Al wandered through the rapidly emptying gaming floor until he caught sight of the stairwell in question. Dammit, another casino/hotel stairwell populated with unknown numbers of armed and angry Chinamen. Well, he sure as hell wasn't making that climb again.

And yet he needed to back up his new coworker.

And yet his onion rings were getting cold.

Well, the elevator bank was right there with the stairwell entrance - from here he'd be able to control the flow of any reinforcements headed up from below, or make a path for Johnny hightailing it down. Satisfied with his rationalization, he found a nearby spot just out of sight of the remaining guard and sat down on the wet carpet in the artificial rain.

First, the onion rings.

Then, if he got bored, he could take out the guard. They were supposed to be killing 88s, after all.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Monday, 25 November, 22:25 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

As people streamed out of the casino Jan saw the streets around him fill with people. Damn, his curiosity was getting the better of him. He took his noodle pot and headed down towards the source of the commotion.

[Aria]

Glo
Monday, 25 November, 22:33 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

With judicious use of the wrong side of the balustrade Glo was able to avoid the odd guest making a bid for the exit down the escape stairs...she was glad that this was an old building and service stairs with utilitarian handrails rather than the slick glass panels of some corp facilities.

As expected the first floor was clear, everyone who was going would already have evacuated from this point, that would just leave the staff and from Glo's perspective they were fair game. The security office wasn't far away but she wasn't ready to abandon caution just yet...indeed as a pair of guards turned the corner she had already disappeared into an alcove, her gifts stilling her breathing and muting any slight thermal signature...and then they were past and she was at the door to the target...the monowhip slipped from the concealed port in her cyberhand and a quick flick removed the locking mechanism around the hardened frame...designers always seemed to beef up the door and forget that it needed to secure to something solid, and in an old building like this her whip sliced through the material as if it wasn't even there...

[Jack_Spade]

John
Monday, 25 November, 22:34 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex #142

The scent trail was faint but still traceable, John moved up the stairs with ease while his guard began to wheeze slightly. Scanning for any traces of the amazing invisible girl revealed no thermal signature and John almost missed the broken door lock. But as luck would have it the casino guard had asked for a short breathing break just at the right level for John to notice the slightly open door.
'Interesting, it seems like someone cut their way in. I'll have to be careful if I don't want to lose parts of my new chassis.'
"We are here, go ahead and kindly open the door for me. We wasted enough time as it is."
His Jammer was still going strong, so John wasn't worried if the man was going to call back up. And anyway, better for the guard to go in first...
<<@Team: Funny thing here, seems like the NIC (Naked invisible chick) just cut her way into a secure residence up here. I'll have a look around. Find attached the a current map.>>

[adamu]

Al
Monday, 25 November, 2234; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

Al had finished his onion rings and was wondering if smoking would give him away - or if he could stay lit with these damned sprinklers still going - when he got Johnny's message.

He still thought securing the elevator hall/stairwell entrance was a good plan, but he was mildly curious about the INC. What the hell good was a naked chick, anyway, if she was invisiible. Maybe if they caught up with her they could see about making her into a VNC.

He stood and rounded the corner toward the guard. He figured he'd use his skills as a master Thespian to talk his way past the guy. The Chinese put his hand, palm out, and said, "There is a fire, sir, please go to the nearest exit."

Perfect opening. He allowed the essence of his character - a corporate gambling addict and new father - flow into, around, and through him. "Yes, sir, Mr. Triad Guard, sir. I am making my way to the exit now." Hmmm - missing something - right - he waved his arms a bit, to display a panicked demeanor. "But I left my baby up those stairs. Her name is Penelope Epheginia Baldercott....because my name is Mr. Baldercott. So I'll go up and get her now."

Al waved his arms again, to reinforce the panicked demeanor.

The guard waved a gun in Al's face.

Al took it from him and then waved his brass knucles in the guard's face.

The guard fell down.

Al made his way up the stairs, playing his performance back in his head, wondering what could have gone wrong.

[Mercy]

Monday, 25 November, 2234; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex


The security cameras show no sign of a fire anywhere and a key is turned to silence the alarms and shut off the sprinkler system. The security man at the main console is in the process of calling in to the fire department that there is no fire when the door opens.

@Glo There are three men in the room, all wearing the uniforms of the hotel security and armed with truncheons and side arms. Two are sitting at consoles and frantically trying to make sense of what is happening and the third is standing behind one of them, pointing at the man's monitor.

@John You are on the second floor and can see where your NIC (or someone) has cut the lock on the door of a room with a sign indicating it is the "Security Station - Authorized Personnel Only" There is some writing in Chinese lettering underneath the sign. The security man wheezes as he reaches the landing you are on. The man bends over and squints at the open door into the security office not ten feet down the corridor and realizes that something is wrong. He reaches for his sidearm as he brings up a 'link. He tries to speak into it but has to catch his breath.

@Al As you climb the stairs past the body of the fallen guard, you can hear voices just ahead at the landing to the second floor. John is talking to someone and you can hear another person wheezing to catch his breath

@Jan There is a mob of casino patrons coming out of the large entry doors. Two casino security men are directing traffic and trying to get people out in an organized manner. You spot two men sporting wicked-looking SMGs standing off to one side and looking around but the large number of people in the street precludes either of them getting a good look at you as you slip into the building to a scene of organized chaos. Water sprinklers are just shutting down and everything inside is wet, including the people still pushing to get out. Slipping to the side, you can get a good view of the main casino room off to the right and the stairway to your front just off of the bank of elevators. There are four more of the SMG-wielding gunmen near the elevators but the stairs seem clear for the moment, except for one of the casino security guys sitting down on the third step and leaning against the wall.

[Jack_Spade]

John
Monday, 25 November, 22:34 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex #143

John had stepped aside to let the guard catch his breath and pushed open the door to get a glimpse of the insides while being covered by the wall.
Since he isn't in the line of fire he confidently calls out: "Hey, is everybody ok in there?" while giving the wheezing guard a thumbs up and a wink.

[Mercy]

Monday, 25 November, 2234 Mercy General Hospital Seattle Metroplex


Ai is trying to remain calm. She has borrowed a set of scrubs to replace the dress that was torn and covered in blood in the crash and the aftermath. There have been two changes in the KE officer in charge of the investigation so far as someone more important than the last guy shows up. The current SAIC is Major Gwendolyn Holmes, a senior officer in the Organized Crime Division. She had arrived several minutes earlier with eight men who have given an impression of efficiency. Major Holmes has stationed her men at the doors to the hospital rooms where Fu Shing and his companions are being evaluated. She has impressed Ai with her efficiency and order, even taking the time to look at the reports gathered by the two earlier officers before asking any clarifying questions.

>>Al [Han Sin]: Updating you on the status at the casino and I do not like it. The fire I reported seems to have been a false alarm. I am in contact with Casino Security and it seems that all of their men have reported in at the last check and no one has made an attempt at the vault or the exchange cage. It might be something done simply to give the casino a bad reputation and keep patrons away. All of our men are available and on station. Instructions?<<

>>Han Sin [Ai]: You might be right. This is very close in timing to the assassination attempt. Let the casino security handle the issue for now, but keep your men patrolling and on duty at the elevator and up in Fu Shing's suite. You are doing well, Han Sin. I do not know when I will be able to leave here.<<

She receives a call just as she is concluding business with Han Sin. >>Ai [Hai Jang]: Can you give me an update, Song Ai? I am sure that you can understand the concern from mother and grandmother..<<

>>Hai Jang [Ai]: The last medical report is as much as I have for now, Hai Jang. It looks like a broken leg and some broken ribs, along with a concussion. I am sure that they will want to keep him overnight for observation. There are KE guards on the rooms as well as my own men. I will keep him safe, Hai Jang.<<

>>Ai {Hai Jang]: Thank the dragon that you were there, Song Ai. You deserve all of our gratitude and appreciation. Is there anything I can do to assist you? We do have some influence with certain members of the KE, if that will help?<<

>>Hai Jang [Ai]: I am not sure we should rattle the KE too much at this stage, Hai Jang. I am working with a Major Holmes, who seems quite competent based on my personal observation and the part of her record that I have been able to dig up so far. But I am standing in a hallway dressed in scrubs because my dress was effectively destroyed in the crash and the fighting afterwards. Could you please send someone to Fu Shing's rooms to bring me some clothes from the closet. I would ask one of my men, but I do not trust their style sense nor do I wish to take any of them from their current duties, given what is happening at the casino right now.<<

>>Ai [Hai Jang]: Holmes. I will see what we have on the her and get back to you. I will send someone to bring you some clothes. Any specific color?<<

>>Hai Jang [Ai]: Black, I think. And, Hai Jang, David Han is doing well.<<

There is a slight pause in the messages. >>Ai [Hai Jang]: Thank you, Song Ai, for that information. He has not contacted me. Please tell him..................tell him that I was concerned.<<

Ai smiles to herself. >>Hai Jang [Ai]: I will let him know, Hai Jang. He has been with Fu Shing and the doctors are being very fussy about devices of any kind in the room. At this point, I am prohibited from seeing Fu Shing due to my implants, but I expect that to change soon. I will tell David to call you.<<

>>Ai [Hai Jang]: Thank you, Song Ai. You are a blessing from the dragon himself. Call us with any new information.<<

The two men from Ai's shift show up and she assigns them to the door outside Fu Shing's room. Five of Jedong Kai's hard men arrive and assume responsibility for his safety. The man in charge of the shift bows to Ai and thanks her for her diligence in protecting the life of his master. It is clear to Ai that he is warring within himself for accepting that this girl has done what skilled men did not do.

[Mercy]

Monday, 25 November, 22:34 pm; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex


The three men in the security room are caught by surprise, as is the security man standing next to John. Glo's monofilament whip lashes out and grabs onto the standing security man's upper torso, slicing off a huge chunk of his body as she pulls it tight, drenching the man to his front with blood as part of his body fell into the man's lap and the rest collapses to the floor. The man near John is already looking into the room, his gun half raised but no target to aim at and catches some of the blood as the whip circles back to its owner. He does not see the shock glove, but his body certainly feels the effect as he dances about for a moment before falling to the ground.

Al slides up to the side of the door opposite John and nods that he is ready. Inside the room, the shock of what has happened is still barely registering on the remaining two guards as the whip swings out again. One might think that the chairs the men are sitting in might give some sort of protection. One would be wrong. The whip slings around the closest man and a tug pulls right through flesh, bone, and chair and another man lies in two pieces. The third man has the presence of mind to slap both hands into the air, calling out to spare him.

[Aria]

Glo
Monday, 25 November, 22:34; Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

Without hesitation or remorse Glo accelerated in to action…it wasn’t that she felt no compassion or empathy, she just chose not to feel such things for these men…the whip arced lazily towards the standing guard and neatly trisected him, his body taking a few moments to realise it was no longer functioning as it should as the surprised segments slumped in different directions in a coppery stinking mess on the floor…it was so fast that not even a trace of blood was pulled away on the whip as it coiled back round to strike at one of the guards manning the monitors…

[Jack_Spade]

John
Monday, 25 November, 22:34 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex #144

John watched fascinated as the assassin murdered the security guys. Not so much how they died - monofilament was fairly predictable in that regard - but how little hesitation the NIC showed in using this deadly weapon - not least because those things could be extremely dangerous to the wielder as well.

Well, no sense in just standing there. John stepped out of his cover - ready to jump back at once - and smiled while he slowly clapped:
"Great performance there. Say, you wouldn't be interested in joining an anti-triad alliance? I'm John by the way."

[adamu]

Al
Monday, 25 November, 2234; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

Apparently someone - NIC? - had had much the same idea about the Triads as they did, and had set to with somewhat more vim and vigor.

Or they were just after cash or some shit.

Either way, by Johnny's words and actions it was clear to Al that the fun was over and boring talk would now happen.

Which in a sim would mean no one would disturb them until their conversation was finished.

Since this was not a sim, however, Al did a couple of things. First, he gave the guard Johnny had electocuted a vicious kick to the head - he'd been caught on the back foot more than once by folk he'd thought were down for the count. Then he found an alcove with a big potted plant and just sort of melted into it. Didn't need to be invisible to be invisible, you knew what you were doing. And if any more security guys showed up, well, not having brought his shotgun, he'd want to be able to get right up on them before they saw him.

Once settled in, he stayed vigilant for any sign of approach, ready to bushwhack any party crashers. Well, that's what he did with one eye.

The other was peeled for the NIC.

<<Jan, kemo sabe, up here with Johnny outside some room or other. Some sort o' fracas with a nude third party resultin' in some dead Chinese.>>

Clear communications were so important in life or death situations like this.

[Aria]

Glo
Monday, 25 November, 22:34; Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

Whispering in the vain hope that it wouldn’t travel far beyond the room Glo said “open the data vault and you get to live, cross me and I’ll open it myself…!” leaving the threat obvious but unsaid

Positioning herself so that she could see the door and the reluctant guard Glo could see another triad soldier apparently unconscious, so it would appear that the voice did indeed belong to someone with a mutual dissatisfaction with the Chinese mobsters

“Ok, John, I might consider an alliance but that would require a measure of trust and our positions are a little precarious here for negotiating. Why don’t you tell me why you are here and then I will do the same…?”

[Mercy]

Monday, 25 November, 22:35; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex


The frozen guard remains with his arms up. "I will do as requested. Please do not kill me. I have a wife and children. What part of the vault do you want? There is no money here and I can only do so much." He manages to glance down to where the first slain guard's body lays in a bloody mess on the floor without throwing up, although it is plain that he would like to be anywhere but here right now. "My supervisor had more clearance. He has a card. On a chain around his neck."

[Jack_Spade]

John
Monday, 25 November, 22:34 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex #145

John genuinely laughted: "Trust is good, but I'm somewhat attached to my arms and legs, so please keep that cheese wire of yours retracted.
About my mission here? I'm a hired goon. If you don't mind I don't want to speak to openly here where enemy ears can hear us - even though I've got the noise generator on high. Let's just say there are open accounts that have to be closed. I'm stepping around the corner now and I am unarmed... well, except for my arms obviously, which - as I stated earlier - I'd hate to lose."

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Monday, 25 November, 22:34 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

Receiving Al's message and figuring they were OK Jan blended back into the crowd and followed them out onto the street once again, milling around with a mix of wet patrons.

<<@Al: You all in hand then? I'm outside if you need bailing out>>

And with that he kept eating his noodles. All he seemed to do was eat recently. Maybe he'd picked up a parasite from the rough living? He stroked his belly slightly before putting the thought out of his mind and continuing eating.

[adamu]

Al
Monday, 25 November, 2234; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

<<@Jan: Roger roger amigo. Johnny's jist havin' a powwow with the naked chick. Thinks she can help us. An' from the amount o' blood comin' out from under that door, maybe she can. Besides, what other reason would Johnny have fer talkin' to a naked chick? Anyhoo, gotta stay quiet, cuz ol' Al's hidin' see. Makin' all sneaky like, bushwhack me some guards if any come by.>>

[Aria]

Glo
Monday, 25 November, 22:35; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex

"I will do as requested. Please do not kill me. I have a wife and children. What part of the vault do you want? There is no money here and I can only do so much. My supervisor had more clearance. He has a card. On a chain around his neck."

Glo growled at the guard "I'm not interested in your money! Open the vault to the offline server, get the key card if you need to, I want access to it in the next twenty seconds or your usefulness to anyone will go down rapidly..."

Turning to John she could tell that he could see her somehow...so much for invisibility...there was something off about him but she didn't have the time to analyse that now

"I guess we can work together for now. I'm nearly done here so whatever it is that you are closing had better be fast before the hornets we've kicked home in on us!"

[Jack_Spade]

John
Monday, 25 November, 22:34 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex #146

John had stepped around the corner and into the room, taking in the whole scene, but lowered his hands again, showing a relaxed posture with his EMT uniform.
"We are ready when you are, although we probably shouldn't use the front door for our exit."
John turned to the visibly shaking guard still alive:
"What's the PIN for the card? And don't lie. We might be in a hurry, but you wouldn't believe how quickly you can lose body parts... on second thought I think you do know."
"8688, please, don't hurt me!"

John nodded, picked up the card himself and flipped it towards the NIC with his left hand. With the right hand he quickly delivered a 10.000 V shock to the guards neck.

"Sorry for this, but I really hate to talk in front of witnesses. Your assault somewhat surprised us since our operation is only in the recon phase. So any info you can share will be welcome. Oh and by the way, you might want to invest into an ultrasound jammer - and a strong deo if you hide next to a dumpster."

[Aria]

Glo
Monday, 25 November, 22:35; Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex



"Let's get this done. There should be an offline server access port in that vault over there...if you can get it open I've got a data tap to link it to the 'trix and a hacker waiting to rip the secrets out of it" and she fished the tap out of her thigh pouch and it appeared on the desk once outside the influence of the ruthenium camouflage...

[Jack_Spade]

John
Monday, 25 November, 22:34 pm; around Bright Path Casino, Chinatown, Seattle Metroplex #147

"No problem." John moved over to the vault and tried the card and the PIN. The light turned green only to be immediately replaced by a red warning light and a Message: No access during emergency evacuation.
"Seems like they thought of that one. Plan B."

John fished his micro welder from his cargo pants pocket and began to burn through the little safe door.
While he did so, he said: "Say, are you a Runner or is this personal business for you? That's some pretty nifty hardware you've got, although I really don't know why you wouldn't just get them RP on personal armor. I mean, I'm not complaining or anything and I certainly don't judge if you prefer running naked, but I'm curious..."

It took only a few seconds to cut out the lock. Unphased, John gripped the cherry red glowing door and pulled it open with his climbing claws.
"Tada."