[IP] Panzerknacker Options

[Gilga]

"I want to better learn how to protect me and my friends against magical threats, I felt powerless in our last encounter, and the other students gave me a false sense of security. "

[Volker]

"Then don't attend a uni. That's not what you do there. A university is a facility of academic research, not a formation camp for combat mages. Read some books, take a teacher, go to training grounds. You won't find what you seek in a university."

[Gilga]

She barely suppressed a laugh "The only powerful mage that I ever encountered out of academia is dead. There were some street mages, but none of them was someone I could look up to. Sure, if I find a person like Lavandora which is not a bloody asshole murderer, I'd give a lot to learn.


About Universities, you kind of idealize them. In theory, they are the places of independent research that you describe. In practice, they are factories for wage-slaves. Many degrees are tailored to what would help one find a job - rather than what is worth studying. The content is motivated by the needs of the big A's, as they invest a lot of money.

Long story short, my previous degree was basically a watered down bachelors degree with few courses such as magical theory and threats. Then, the rest of the time was focused on the practical aspects of spellcasting, conjuring, and alchemy. It felt like a cooperate assembly line aimed at plotting balanced wage-mages that can then later increase proficiency in a field of their choosing.

Though I was too poor to follow through... So instead I repeated the same courses again and again with teachers from different traditions. As I studied the same thing from multiple viewpoints, I took a little from each.
Basically, I just enjoyed being a student and did not think about it too much. In retrospect, I think that I developed beyond most of the students that limited themselves to a single tradition. Though, you would not believe how prohibitively expensive some courses were.

Books do not work very well for me. I need to be active and observe the mana with my own eyes to understand how to manipulate it myself. Books are abstract for me. Perhaps I am not smart enough for the hermetic approach to magic as I always struggled with it. I don't mind trying - I am sure that it has some useful techniques hidden in all these books. Perhaps I could use some courses in math and sciences and then it would make sense. "

[Volker]

bnc listens, but shows no intention of insisting on her point of view. At this point, even for bnc, academics don't have priority.
She only comments. "Universities absolutely don't seem to be your place. You're supposed to read a lot, you know."

For a while, she seems a bit reserved, following her own thoughts as they (try to) check in and board the plane.

[Gilga]

She sighed "Yes... Reading is difficult for me, especially when it is full of mathematical notations. It is not so bad though, there are parties and brilliant students and rich social life, good options for physical exercise and for healthy food... I know how to blend in without raising suspicion and I can usually find some people to study with me and explain the notations, or help with my homework."

She seemed distanced and then asked "Which flight is our own?"

[Volker]

bnc winces audibly and buries her face into her palm.
"Please, just ... just don't study. You've got so much money, can you just buy yourself a tutor or something?
I need to watch a video where kittens are tortured to death now.

We've still got almost an hour to wait. Just sit down, relax, and let me do the thinking.
You could learn German, you know?"

And have a lot of fun in Bavaria and Austria with that.

[Gilga]

Yael sighed "Not a terrible idea... I'll see if I can find interesting pickup lines in German... See if they work for me." and then she added "About the money... wouldn't last long. Money is for smart people like Slob that invest and shit. You're just going to buy a fancier deck... something with naked guys or something... You really think that I can buy a tutor? I mean most of them are kind of occupied in real jobs and everything..."

[Volker]

"Sure, I can show you some ... Let's see. "Andere schlucken einfach nur. Ich gurgle" could go nicely indeed. It roughly translates to: "Other only dance. I rock!"
With your accent, you'll drive them nuts!

You know, if they are kind of occupied in real jobs, that's what you're looking for. Getting money to train someone in magic is a job. So, yeah, that's how money works, sweet-butt."

[Gilga]

She repeated slowly "Andere schlucken einfach nur. Ich gurgle"


"Well... Kind of, the fact that they have real jobs often means that they cannot just tutor me, unless I join the same cooperation. Perhaps if they are a bit dirty and greedy. I am so excited that we get to travel! How long have you been in Seattle? Do you miss your home country?"

[Volker]

bnc helps her with the pronunciation. "You have to work on gurgle, but with your accent, the guys will chase after you, promise." She winks.

I doubt you will want some mage to train you 40 hours a week, so why not just take lessons? And you can always look for retired shadowrunners who will gladly teach youngsters for a bit of money that comes without much danger."[/color]

[Gilga]

"Or I have a spell for that... Ich gurgle!" she laughs softly. She then replies "... Not to bad, but do you know anyone like that? I mean, I don't even have these connections in Seattle, let alone in Munich. Think of why I ended up in university, to begin with... You can imagine that it was not easy for someone like me. "

[Volker]

"I, uhm, no ... that is, I do know a mage who might have the connections but ... I don't really want to contact that specific one...
He, uh, knows too much. That is, too many ... or, let's say, the wrong people. So, no, sorry, but I think I can help you anyway. We'll dig someone out, promise."

[Gilga]

"Fine, no biggie really. I am just excited to be out of the city. I mean we are not in the air yet and I already think what I am going to do there.

[Volker]

bnc cracks a grin. "Me too ... there's all the bucks and all the possibilities...
Once we're on the plane, I'm gonna browse the whole god-damn matrix for augments." bnc winks at her.

[Gilga]

Yael yawns and says "I always wanted to get a sleep regulator... If money was no restriction, what would you make yourself into?"

[Volker]

"Money is hardly a restriction anymore ... essence is, however. A sleep regulator is definitely on my list. A toxin extractor as well... Apart from this ... I'll have a look into cultivated bodyware, nanotechnology and DNA modifications. I want to be in control of how my brain wires, of my hormons and transmitters. I would optimize by whole nervous system. What nature spit out is admirable, but science can do wondrous things.
Oh, and I think I'll get rid of my good ole Gitti. The deck served me well, but I think for half a million bucks, I'll get something super-fast.
Well, there's one wish that might exceed my financial potential. I would have a humanoid drone that is super-fast and super-strong, then Jump In and run parcours. That would be friggin' awesome.
Jeez, do you think I could actually afford such a thing. That would be... would you shut up for an hour or so? I need to do some research, honey!"
bnc digs into the matrix, hardly paying attention to Anna's response, a wide grin on her lips.

[Gilga]

Yael does not bother answering as bnc was out in her own world. She seats down in the waiting hall for the plane, she listens to some music and astrally perceives the people that come and go, practice makes perfect. For each, she invents a story in her mind that satisfies their emotional state. Then she observes bnc's aura and wonders how much more can she take. Quickly her mind becomes distracted with many thoughts and remains immersed in these thoughts until boarding time, or until someone talks to her. In any case, she'll quickly jump and stop assensing the world. Feeling a bit disoriented.

(Just some random thoughts - read if you like.)

[ Spoiler ]

Unlike most awakened, Yael is very much fascinated by augmentations. There was nature and there was nurture and there were augmentations. What you have and what you taught yourself was important - but what you BOUGHT - that was the thing giving some people the edge over others... Two kids are smart - but one has a cerebral booster from a young age making him a genius. The other just becomes... average. Good nurture - but not enough augmentations. It felt like the future of humanity, away from the cycle of magic into something more reliable.

But she could not play on that team, could not take part in this wonderful journey of evolution where people better themselves into superior beings. Initially, she was too poor... So she worked on her skills and her body, exploiting whatever potential she could out of it.... then she awakened and magic and technology did not mix well together. Augmenting herself felt like giving up something that defined her. Even now she did not seriously consider to augment herself? Did she?

Yael was attracted to healing magic to compensate herself for lacking augmentations, in most days magic could mimic the effects. She could be made faster, or smarter or stronger or more attractive. It should have allowed her to compete but then she understood that unlike augmentations she could just gift these abilities to rich people. So they get both augmentations and magic, and she gets a headache while some rich shmuck is trying to impress a lady. Money made the world go round, and nothing seemed to be able to change it. She needed money more than she needed the rest of the things.

Well, now there was money - a lot of it... and a bunch of corpses in her closet. Litteral corpses, that was Blood money. Literally blood money... That thought made her sick, Yael never wanted to harm anyone. Sure she liked to steal stuff - but that was her birthright, her heritage! The natural order did not give her financial resources and she had any right to not respect that order. She got a moral license to steal whatever she wanted. Why should the people's property be respected, when Yael had nothing?! Only a fool would accept such a cosmic order. Besides, stealing was fun and harmless... it is not like someone's life would be ruined because she lifted his wallet... Would it?

Killing people, using them as reagents to fuel powerful blood magic. That was more intense! Such powerful magic that just trying to dispell it physically harmed her. That was appalling, it was evil it made her sick... and it was attractive. The allure of being so powerful, so rich that SINner people are just fuel to you... Perhaps it was not augmentations but the power she desired... but Zola had too much power and it made him stupid, and he was too attached to physical objects and it made him weak. That ring she stole, it was also - a shortcut to power... A powerful focus, but perhaps Zola was dead because he had too many of these. Because it made him overconfident and reckless and insane...

.. but what if she could sustain two spells instead of one? She could be even more powerful. It was not very different from buying pheromones or sleep regulator or a cerebral booster. No... Yes... she felt conflicting about using a focus. Taking the shortcuts into power she envied others for. Yet... She was the 100% natural mage with skills rather than 'things'. It was something she took pride in and could now change...

[Volker]

It took bnc almost an hour and despite her words, she almost missed the plane.
"Drek! We gotta go! Where the drek are Special K and Slob? They're s'posed to be here for at least half an hour or so!"
And I didn't notice cuz I missed that my closest friends haven't shown up in favor of looking up how to spand several thousand bucks into the most awesomest butler.
"Slob? Krestov? Where are you? The frigging plane's leaving! Hurry the fuck up, right dammit now!"

bnc quickly grabs her stuff. "Quick, or we'll miss it, too!", she urges her, puffing heavily, as she runs to the plane.

[ Spoiler ]

Interesting and impressive thoughts. Such a pity bnc doesn't know!

[Gilga]

Thron from a dream Anna rushes with bnc to the plane. "Perhaps they are too trog to pass security without a hitch...?" She suggested and hurried to her seat.

[Jack_Spade]

No answer came from the two runner's com and a quick matrix search showed, that the links both were offline or at least didn't have matrix connection. Still, if they missed this sub-orbital, they could take the next one just six hours later...
The two human lady runners had been given a rather quick frisk - quite likely that Krestov and Slobber had to endure a much more intensive and intrusive search, considering their phenotype.

Still, there was no time to muse about that: The Suborbital Ramjet took off and the awesome acceleration pressed the passengers into their seats. A flight that would have taken 50 years ago over half a day would be reduced to a mere 4 hours. As America dropped away below them, they could make out through AR the enclave of Seattle sticking out from among the tribal lands, getting smaller and smaller until the clouds took it away.

There was a little ping and the automatic harnesses opened up again to allow the passengers a bit of movement.

[Gilga]

[ Spoiler ]

The acceleration was exciting, and Yael had to admit that she was nervous and afraid. She did not let it show, but she never imagined herself on a suborbital before. Strangely, it was more terrifying than the Blood mage... but it was over quickly and she thought that she could get used to it. Then, she looked through the window and watched her entire world becomes no more than a point and then vanishes...

Yael was worried that being delayed at the airport could mean being arrested as news of their action would be published. She thought: "I wonder if Munich had an expedition agreement with the UCAS."... Then she realized that she did not even know which political power controlled that city... She thought " is it Europe? Germany? Austria? Does it matter? Even if I knew I would not know the answer. " Then came the realization "We may be arrested as soon as we land... Delivered back to the UCAS for the trail, or something terrible" She sighed and felt frustration at how little she knew about simple things such as geography, or politics or about the law... She then decided that it was better to put on a smile and act carelessly as there was little she could do about it.

Frustrated, she browsed the news to see if anything was mentioned about the bank robbery... Perhaps they'll say something interesting. She tried to practice "Andere schluken... something, Ich gurrrgle... How did it go?" but her memory felt weak, her body tired and her mind occupied.

[Volker]

bnc frantically tries to reach every commlink and burner link anyone of those ever possessed, calls Gerhardt and Mike (on a secure line, bien sure) and even considers hacking airport security, but then thinks better.

"We can't go on the suborb without them. What if they need our help? Goddammit!"

[Gilga]

Yael replied in a stable and relaxed voice as to not invoke suspicion "Sweetie, I understand that you are worried. The likely explanation is that they are simply delayed for being dangerous trogs in a highly secure location. If something worse happened it is highly unlikely that the shit wave simply missed us. We weren't exactly hiding and were barely aware of the surrounding. However, if you go in their rescue you will make things worse and perhaps even get arrested. Then who knows what would surface... Please come on the flight with me, I do not want to worry about you too."

[Jack_Spade]

They had missed the flight.

Gerhardt returned the call at once:
<<What's going on? You know that we are supposed to keep radio silence right now.>>
After hearing about Slobber and Krestov he replied:
<<Whatever you do, don't try to hack the airport host. They have some of the meanest IC you can imagine. The identities for Krestov and Slobbertooth are watertight, but if they were "randomly" selected for a more intensive questioning I'm sure they both can manage. The Orc Underground is very politically active right now and tensions are running high. People looking like those two are automatically under suspicion. If there is a hack detected trying to free them, it will land them in very deep trouble, because then someone might look too deep into their SIN. Even the best fakes can take you only so far.
... Wait a second. They have been let go, but instead of the Suborb they got put into a conventional flight to Europe. They are taking off as we speak.>>

Only a second later, Krestov returned bnc's calls:
<<Sorry, Matjuska, got delayed in security. Slobber made bad joke. We got put in isolation and missed your flight. Will travel old fashioned plane. At least were upgraded to first class. Enjoy your flight.>>

[Volker]

Assured bnc sighs audibly, leaning back into her seat and relaxing.

"Okay, Anna, you win. You were being rational and I was not."

bnc sighs again.

"At least they're safe...
Okay, sweet bun ... let's work on your "ch". It's difficult but "Ich" is such an important word. It's our "I", you the guys should at least feel you attempt to do it right.
Now, listen..."

[ Spoiler ]

I guess we can close Panzerknacker at this point, can we not?