Salted Wounds [IC], a Deep Black Sea game Options

[Volker]

bnc kept to herself, concentrating on the steering of her car, observing the van and arranging a date with the Abdecker.

[Jack_Spade]

Abdecker confirmed the meeting and gave the team an address close to the Danube port. The maps showed the place to be a small garage.
The prisoner replied: "I'd say you are hired guns. Which means you have someone paying you for this. Let me go and I can double whatever they are offering you."

[SquirrelDude]

Sharkboy might have considered the offer if this wasn't part of what had already become a quagmire of a manhunt.

[Gilga]

Anna replies "I'll be surprised if your pockets are deep enough to hire us. I do admire your tenacity though, and I am not without sympathy to your situation. In the spirit of conversation, any idea who is most likely to pull such a shtick and what would they want from you?"

She texts as to not annoy her team >> I'll see if I can get him to tell us anything of value.

[Volker]

<@team<sure go ahead prying info out of a pro u just kidnappd. best luck>>

Once everything is set - the cars are driving, the messages are handled - bnc moves a copy of the two files to her commlink and turns off the cyberdeck - which is still seriously damaged from the previous engagement with the spider. She then returns to her meat body, shifts and moves a bit to get the blood flowing through her system and opens the files in AR to read them and memorize them properly. If there's time left, she'll do some background checks on Herrero and potential other persons and places mentioned in the files.

[Jack_Spade]

The content of the file is very complex and quite a lot is just machine code, but bnc finds the gist of it readily enough: Knowledge won from studying CFD victims has been used to create a new form of BTL chips. Users have their personality subsumed with that of a highly trained individual. Pain reception is dulled in such a way that users don't notice the over extension of their untrained muscles and artificial induced fight or flight instincts ratchet up the adrenaline production.

Meanwhile the prisoner replied: "I see. So despite this hit being quite daringly and meticulously done, you say you didn't do your homework. Oh well. Would you mind letting me speak with your boss? My pockets are indeed deep enough and then some..."

[Thanee]

Nova had to bite her tongue in order not to laugh. What was Anna saying there? Sure, that guy had deltaware implants, but couldn't afford to hire a few runners. That made sense. On second thought, though, she was probably right, and maybe that was what she was actually hinting at. No money in the world would be enough, at least for some of them. It was a family matter, after all.

[Luckace]

Wraith didn't didn't show any interest in joining the questioning. He focused on keeping his spell up and communed with his spirit to thank it for its aid.

[Gilga]

Anna replies "Not at all, you will meet him shortly". She had to give it to him, he seemed pretty calm.

[Luckace]

"Speaking of...", Wraith chimed in on the team's channel, "When we deliver our package, I guess I'll offer Abdecker my help in extracting whatever info he wants from this guy. Mind-reading beats questionning, after all, and saves them breaking fingers. Should he accept, what's our wishlist? I say we could use some more toys for more firepower. "

[Volker]

"Id love to know what he needs these files for."

[Thanee]

<< @Wraith: Some hard-to-get stuff, probably. He mentioned, that is something he specializes in. >>
<< @bnc: You know, he actually explained that... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) >>

[ Spoiler ]

Here:

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...p;#entry1343750
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...p;#entry1343769
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...p;#entry1343786

And while I am just on that page, here's what we agreed upon:

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...p;#entry1343778

[Jack_Spade]

The meeting point seemed to be abandoned, except for the garage door opener that was clearly visible on the matrix - protected only with the most minimal firewall a device could have.

[SquirrelDude]

<<@Wraith I'd obviously appreciate some replacement arrows and grenades. If he has any Ares mono tips or seeker shafts he's willing to give up, that'd also be appreciated. That drek's too expensive for the usual side-gig>>

[Volker]

<< @bnc: You know, he actually explained that... wink.gif >>

"Actually, I don't. Care to enlighten me?"

[Thanee]

Nova mentally shrugged.

<< @bnc: And there I thought, you are the brainiac here. Anyways, in case you really missed that part of the conversation, he told us that he wants the data, in order to learn from it how to infiltrate their network and who is behind the whole thing. He plans to neutralize the Crusaders faction entirely. >>

[Luckace]

Wraith ran a quick astral check on the meeting point to make sure it was indeed abandoned.

[ Spoiler ]

Astral perception: 8d6t5 3

[Jack_Spade]

There seemed to be only one person inside:
Schorsch, the barkeeper.

[Luckace]

"Schorsch is inside, the barkeep. Let's blindfold our prisoner and then let's get this over with.
Oh, and... I don't know a lot about weapon-tech. So if it comes to bargaining, let's do the negotiations together."

[Volker]

<< @bnc: And there I thought, you are the brainiac here. Anyways, in case you really missed that part of the conversation, he told us that he wants the data, in order to learn from it how to infiltrate their network and who is behind the whole thing. He plans to neutralize the Crusaders faction entirely. >>

"That's why I ask, smartass. What he sent us to fetch is not info about who's behind - which, by the way, I could find out - but the schematics needed to produce or reproduce the beetles. Oh, and the engineer. If he wants to know, who's behind, I give him file B. But if he needs the schematics, which is what we were sent for - I'd love to know what he needs them for. Because I don't wanna be used by some self-named cannibald king who tries to build his own zombie army - cannon fodder and ghoul fodder in one.
I'd love to hear what he has to say to that."

bnc encrypts both files and protects them with a databomb.

[ Spoiler ]

Protect File: 2#17d6t5 4 6
Set data bomb: 2#17d6t5 5 4
I'm not sure what I roll against. It says "device rating" but does that mean that it becomes more difficult to set a data bomb when my gear is better?"

[Thanee]

<< Yes, obviously they have the schematics in a factory where they produce those chips. He needs to analyze these to be able to get into the network, which is what he told us, and which is what he will tell us again, if you ask him. If he has additional motives, that might very well be, but why would he reveal any of that to us? It's how these jobs work. If you ask me, there is no point in bringing this up. This is a matter of trust, and you want him to help us get your sister back. Might not be the best idea to question his motives and potentially piss him off. Also, he's a ghoul. He already has the means to build an army. From what we know about him, he is very careful not to spread his disease. Maybe give him a little more credit. >>

[Volker]

bnc ponders on this for a second, then says: So-ka. I'll leave the talking to those who understand it. Don't expect me to trust a total stranger who didn't even meet us face to face - while demanding the same from us - and plays us to do him a favor. But you can expect me to shut up.
You got the info that I have both the schematics he wanted and infos about who is behind. I'll leave it to you what you bring up in what manner."

[Thanee]

<< It's good to be careful, but I have no reason to believe, that he wasn't being honest with what he told us. And so far, everything has checked out. Doesn't mean I would trust him with my life, but at the moment I trust him enough to keep his word. He might not have told us everything and why should he, really. We are as much of a wildcard for him as he is for us. Remember, who has brought us into contact with him. And him not meeting us face to face? I actually appreciate that he does that. It is to protect us from him as much as the other way around. I wouldn't want to stay too close to someone with that affliction. >>

[Volker]

"Yeah, sure. He hides from us just to protect us from his urge to eat our brains, but in his heart he is, despite being a smuggler, fixer, hacker and monster, a sweet and caring man who's deserving of our trust solely on account on his words. I'm absolutely with you. Maybe we should just present him the additional infos as a sign of our trust, eh?
Just bring it behind you withtout drooling, so-ka?"

As a safety measurement, bnc copies file B to a stealth tag, attaches it to her rotodrone, and sets it off to fly the city in a regular pattern. The other one, she copies on her commlink, leaves it to James and has him drive off with our van. She then erases all traces of the two files on her deck.
"Ready when you are."

[Gilga]

Anna is happy to see that bnc is keeping herself busy and morally engaged. She personally does not care if the ghoul starts a zombie army or not - as long as he delivers the promised information they need to find Bean Si. She is surprised that bnc is not more desperate than that, but it is a good surprise - the decker cares for other people than herself. It is a welcomed change, or perhaps she misjudged her friend.

At any case, Anna replies "I'd love to have some custom made RP poncho or something similar, I am addicted to that polymer. The second skin is like the best cloth ever, and my rising huntress dress (like Sleeping tiger) is my all-time favorite. I'd love to use this stuff in places that do not accept high fashion though, but clothes customized with RP which are not mass produced are difficult to come by."

...

Anna gets herself ready, and astrally scouts the place prior to exiting the car to look for any astral threats or things she needs to notice.

[ Spoiler ]

If I need a roll...
Assensing (Augmented intuition): 16d6t5 4