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

[Jack_Spade]

Abdecker looked at Nova: "Don't worry about the additional cost. Allow me to add you to my contacts list, and we'll call the paintjob a bonus."

Schorsch took the list from Sharkboy with a shrug: "That stuff is nearly legal. Shouldn't be too hard to get."

[Luckace]

After some hesitation, Wraith comes up with a rather short wishlist as well.
"Speaking of bikes: I have one, but I'm lacking some of the... exquisite upgrades. Can you provide a Morphing License Plate, a Spoof Chip and Run Flat Tires? And a discrete mechanic or an application-drone, i guess.
Apart from that, what I could use a new SIN as back-up. Average quality, doesn't need to have a full bio."


@bnc:
<<Can u install those things, in case he has no mechanic to apply them?>>

[ Spoiler ]

Morphing License Plate, a Spoof Chip and Run Flat Tires (1000+500+2x250 = 2000)
Fake Sin Rating 3 (7.500)

[Gilga]

"Perhaps I will" she responds in a cryptic voice. "bnc is too hot for clubbing - so lets get a few decent hotel rooms which will keep us out of the way from murdering beetel junkies. We'll get some drinks and drugs and blow of some steam until we have more leads. I want to at least get a day or two after all this drek."

[Thanee]

Nova smiled and nodded to the decker's offer, providing him with her contact information.

"Oh, absolutely. Thank you very much!"

[SquirrelDude]

Sharkboy seconded Anna's suggestion of a quiet night in. "I'd prefer to get a hotel room, get dressed, go out, and the come back to that hotel room with some evening companionship. But I'm getting paid to be a pro, and that's probably not the best idea.

"My suit needs a dry cleaning and I could do with a shower and a private room for an evening, anyway."

[Volker]

<@Wraith<sure can how urgent is it>>

[Jack_Spade]

Abdecker replied: "All of that is quite doable. Spoof stuff I have on hand, specials like the sensors will take a few days.
If you already have an Andro drone I can just organise the necessary autosoft and you are golden"

[Volker]

"I do, and ... yep, this is the golden moment.
Bring forth the chips, Jame-o!"

James enters the scene with a chip clutched in either hand. At a mental command by bnc, James elegantly bends his knee before Schorsch, and offers the chips in a generous gesture, palms open.

"Is him as needs an upgrade.", bnc comments laconically.

[Jack_Spade]

"Alright, let's meet here again for your new gear. I'll let you know when I have it. Meanwhile, I can recommend the Gasthof Adler, 10 min north of Linz. Very decent accomodations, food and the owners are used to provide runners with ad hoc hiding spots."
Schorsch had meanwhile picked up the chip and slotted it in his commlink: "Looks like the needed data." He nodded towards the team and headed towards his own car's cab while the little projector drone lingered behind for a moment more:
"It's quite possible that the crusaders will soon be no longer a threat. But for now keep your heads down. I'm sure they have alerted their network to hunt for you."

[Luckace]

"They're welcome to try", Wraith replied sourly. "All right. Abdecker, Schorsch, pleasure doing business with ya. Thanks for everything.
Team, to the Adler then?"

[Gilga]

Anna says "Let's go somewhere unexpected. We have a few weeks right?"

[Thanee]

"More like days," Nova corrected the mage. "We have a total of about two weeks, but that includes getting to Salzburg and everything, so no more than one week here, I guess."

[SquirrelDude]

I'm going to get bored out of my mind if we're stuck in a hotel room for a week

"I don't care where we go as long as it's somewhere that has showers, room service, dry-cleaning, some decent trids to rent, and their staff won't look into our van."

[Volker]

"I'd say we take lunch together tomorrow, and then device a plan how to preceed from here. I have some things to sort out and I could use a break. But by tomorrow evening, I wanna know how we proceed. So-ka?"

James rises again, and steps back.

"Danke, Abdecker. Mal sehen, ob sich unsere verworrenen Wege noch einmal kreuzen"

With a hint of a curtsy, bnc says her farewell and leaves the garage (unless something keeps her.

[Jack_Spade]

Abdecker nodded and his drone followed Schorsch - who promptly left the place, leaving the team to contemplate their next steps.

Linz offered quite a few hotels in many price ranges, although all the larger ones had a strict "no weapons" policy advertised.

[SquirrelDude]

"I'm not that picky about where we stay, but I do have a few requests for those who are searching.

"1. I'd prefer to be able to carry my weapons in without concern that we get tossed out when room service finds them
"2. A private bathroom
"3. Room Service. It's expensive and trash but it means we don't risk getting Pearl Harbored.
"4. They need to be okay with people wearing masks, and I'd prefer a private room.

"That last one is more of a me thing, but the rest are probably good in general."

[Thanee]

Nova asked: "Is there any reason not to go with the recommended Gasthof Adler? Or should we just head there?"

[Volker]

"Can't see none."

bnc does a quick matrix research about the Adler, including doing research on the shadier side of the law.

[Jack_Spade]

The official matrix site shows Hotel Adler to be a very old fashioned local in a rather small village outside Linz. It is still part of a larger farm and a so called "Heuriger" where in autumn the local made cidre is sold. It truly doesn't look like it has anything to do with the shadows. Except of course that Abdecker explicitly recommended it as such.

[Luckace]

"I'd say we go there."

[Thanee]

On their way to the hotel, Nova made sure that all her weapons were cleaned as much as possible, reloaded, and broken down and stored in the various cases along with her ammo and armor accessories. She also took the time to make herself and her attire as presentable as the situation allowed. In her executive suite from Zoé, the blonde woman looked more like a corporate type than a runner once more.

[SquirrelDude]

Sharkboy tried to wipe off his mask in a mirror and pressed down his suit to make it look more appropriate. He zipped his bow and arrows up in his duffel bag and wait for their arrival. He spent most of his time on the phone looking for a nearby wrestling promotion to use as a cover, if necessary.

[Jack_Spade]

Hotel Adler was just as advertised: Old buildings, but well maintained. The restaurant of the Gasthof took up the whole ground floor and going by the number plates both tourists and locals were eating here.
Inside, wood panelling dominated - even the floors were age old hardwood.
Behind the reception desk, a large troll in a loden suite received the guests.
With a very broad accent he greeted the runners: "Welcome to the Gasthof Adler. Am I right to assume, that you are the acquaintances of Herrn Abdecker?"

[Volker]

bnc didn't go at any lengths to make herself more presentable. She felt like shit, and so did she look. She brushed the dust off her paints and went her hand through her hair (which then styled itself, as it is fibreoptic hair), that's it.

At the hotel, she raises an eyebrow at the troll in loden, then says: "Si, des samma. Und Sie miassn a net auf Englisch reden. I nimm an, er håd scho oiss vorbereiten låssn fia uns?"
Then she smiles, 'cause for an instant, it kinda feels like being at home, talking to a troll in Trachten in the Austrian dialect. A Kaiserschmarrn was all she needed, and she would shit red-white-red.

[Jack_Spade]

"Ah, guad. Es san 4 von unsere speziella Zimma fia eich reserviert. Gebt's b'scheid wannda's Friastück woits - 's werd eich aufs Zimma bracht.
Kommt's mit, I bring eich nauf."

[ Spoiler ]

Ah, very well. There are four of our special rooms reserved for you. Let us know when you want breakfast - it will be delivere to your room.
Come with me, I'll take you upstairs."

The troll pulled four keycards from his desk and headed upstairs, waiting for the runners to follow him.
after the second staircase, he took the runners past a row of rooms towards a large wardrobe, intricately carved and as old looking as the whole rest of the building. He opened the old wardrobe door, presenting a bunch of old clothes, that smelled strongly of moth balls.
He waved one of the keycards over the back wall and with a slight click, it opened and revealed another passage. This part of the building was inside the old barn next to the hotel, but the interior of this corridor was much more modern with a soft carpeted floor and sturdy looking doors lining it. There were six rooms in total here.
The troll handed out the keycards and explained - this time again in English:
"The secret door only opens when no-one else is in the regular corridor - you can see what's going on on the other side with this little monitor here. Over here is the dumbwaiter. You can order over the commsystem in your rooms.
Every room has a shower and a large bathtub. The rooms are Farraday warded but have a wire connection if you want to use the matrix.
There's a sauna and a small swimming pool in the cellar if you don't mind meeting regular guests.
In case of you needing to leave in a hurry, there is an emergency exit at the end of the hallway that lets you out behind the hotel right next to the parking lot. I wish you a good night."