The Found Arcana - Chapter 9, The last Tarot card Options

[Gilga]

The flower's bloom sustains itself for almost a minute, and then the card is inert again. While it remains visually pleasing in the astral, it no longer retains an active aura but the imprint of an item with a significant emotional imprint. Once the show is over, the two spectators seem to go back about their day. The gangers linger for several more minutes and then move on, and the businessman enters one of the nearby office buildings carrying two cups of coffee. None of them seems interested to the point of further investigation.

[Jack_Spade]

<<Alright, we are coming out and move it to Mato's bank. We can open up the face account later.>>

Bobby left the queue and moved out again.

[Tecumseh]

Mato turns on his heel and follows Bobby out.

He clicks his tongue and wonders about the astral flower on the car. Is that what was making him feel chilled, like something was passing through him? Seems likely.

Back in the van, he says, "Let's talk this through" as Tamarind drives toward Bancomex.

"Is that what those wards were doing back in the hotel room?" he asks. "Keeping the flower under wraps?"

He thinks about the card in a safe deposit box. Is it just going to announce its presence astrally?

"Raven, you were watching this for a long time, weren't you? So it's not like the card does this all the time; it just blooms periodically."

He taps his teeth together as he thinks this through. "I know wards generally can't be on things that move, like boxes, but is there a way we can shield the card's container? Would biofiber contain the bloom, do you think?"

[Thanee]

<< I only watched it during the car ride, so not that long. But that is my impression, yes. It lies dormant for a while, then this "spirit" emerges. To contain it, any kind of astral barrier should work. Biofiber might be a good idea. >>

Rachel will continue to keep watch with her astral perception for now.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby nodded: "Once the card is in the vault, it should be shielded - both from their wards as well as the living earth surrounding the place. The only other way to contain auras is with other awakened auras - like those bioluminous bacteria. That would be actually easier to obtain, but hard to use."

[Tecumseh]

"What about a box of dirt?" Mato asks, his hand swishing around like he's looking for ideas.

"We seal the card in a protective case, then put it in a box of dirt. Would all the bacteria and fungal cells have the same effect? They'd eventually expire, but the deal would be done by then. We only need the effect to persist for a day or two."

Mato doesn't really know if this is genius or profoundly unintelligent, but he seems to be willing to put himself out there to ask.

"The only talismonger I know is Five Fingers Gau, and he's a jerk. Anyone have a better candidate to ask?"

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby shook his head: "Not the same. It has to be earth as in the world surrounding it with its manafield.
I can put in a call with my talismonger, Bill Wildwater. FAB I isn't restricted - just not that easy to get, but cheap enough that it should balance out. If he can't help, I imagine Raven is charming enough to find someone to sell."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby put in a call to his talismonger, Bill Wildwater, an expat from Arizona and once upon a time a contractor for the SDF:

<<Hey Bill, I have an urgent purchase: I need a unit of FAB I within the next 6 hours. Sending you 200 Nuyen now, keep the change. Give me a call when its ready and I'll tell you where to ship it.

Also, give my regards to Gracy - I heard she graduated with honors - way to go! You must be proud to have such a clever daughter.

Best Bobby>>

[Beta]

"Unfortunately I don't have colour-change options on the van. I can change the plates and spoof the ID, but of course it is best to use that carefully and infrequently so as not to get caught doing it. There are enough vans like this around, but once people start looking at them to see if an astral flower is happening, or just spirits go searching for such a flower, they'll find us soon enough. If we can't get the FAB or bio-fibre fast enough, let's put it in the quickest to arrange safe deposit box that we can -- after all, even if the flower blooms on their roof that doesn't mean that anyone can easily extract it. Then we get Raven and or myself into another vehicle at some point where we won't easily be watched, we stay in my crash pad for the night if needed, and then we pull it out when needed, so that nobody is jumped right on coming out of the bank, hopefully -- but I'd still want you two nearby!"

She's glad she hadn't pushed harder for for trying three-drone-monte, keeping a few different possible carrier drones buzzing around. The astral flower would have made them obvious and sitting ducks to any passing spirit, even one that was just curious.

[Gilga]

Bill texts back >> I'll do my best, no guarantees. Would need to sweat a little to find it. Thanks for the congrats - hope you are doing well.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby nodded at Tamarinds interjection: "Yeah, let's get the card behind bars asap. We can move it around later anyway. Bill has confirmed that he can get me FAB, so once we have that, we can retrieve the card and bring it to wherever we want without detection."

[Tecumseh]

Mato nods at Bobby's explanation about why the box of dirt won't work, but then looks confused by the suggestion of FAB.

"Wait, I don't think I understand FAB.

"There are three types, right? One type lets you detect an astral presence, neh? And then another version - the one they used in Chicago, I think - is weaponized and actively attacks and consumes astral entities. ... I don't remember what the other type is.

"Is that right or am I missing something? Because we don't want the FAB attacking the card, or whatever this bloom is, and nor does it really help us if the FAB glows when the card is 'active'. So what will the FAB do?"

It's an honest question, not a passive-aggressive way to poke holes in the plan.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby shook his head: <<The FAB doesn't have to do anything - they are dual natured and feed on astral energy. As soon as they come in contact with an astral aura they glow. Important for us is the fact that an astral form can't move through another active astral form without displacing each other. Once the card is surrounded by a bag that contains astral bacteria, the bloom can't spread outside anymore. Biofiber does the same but more convenient. At the very least, the glow will show us whenever the card blooms.>>

[Tecumseh]

Mato nods, although he still doesn't really understand what the FAB will accomplish. Once they have it in the safe deposit box - which will be soon enough, hopefully - whether the FAB illuminates seems secondary. But Tamarind makes a good point that even if the card 'blooms' at the bank, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be easy to track down specifically, nor easy to extract. That said, Mato hopes that the bank doesn't take offense.

"Okay, let's do it," Mato agrees. "We'll put it at Bancomex in the meantime."

[Thanee]

"Well, for what it's worth, since that one time it has been dormant now," Rachel informs the others.

[Gilga]

The bank is not fooled, as most clients are in the middle of their workday. The building is a glass building with a guard at the entrance, and they offer general service, business service, or private banking. Safety deposit boxes are available for both options, and their fee is 100 nuyen a month, paid in advance. A bit expensive for a small box, but not too bad for storing the card. As far as the team can say, they are not followed by the gangers, and after a brief while, the few spectators moved on after the bloom.

Once the fee is paid, the time arrives at a small room with multiple safety deposit boxes and a digital key for one of these boxes. The room is well monitored, but the boxes are secure mainly to nonaugmented individuals. Possibly the site's security lies within the bank's influence rather than the physical security.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby let Mato take the lead as the established customer and instead followed, keeping an eye open for unwanted attention. He also took note of the magic wards within the building and especially down in the vault.

[Beta]

Before the others took the card into the bank, Tamarind pulled out one of her small crawler "bug" drones and gave it to them to stick in the box with the card. She instructs it to stay in low power and only wake up every five minutes to see if it can reach the matrix, and if it can to check its location and send it to Tamarind. Not foolproof, if someone steals the card and either finds the drone and locks it back in the box, or destroys it, it won't pass along useful information. But locked in the box, isolated from the matrix, the little thing would run out of power too quickly if left live all of the time.

While Bobby and Mato are in the bank, Tamarind searches up a list of other nearby banks that offer safety deposit services. They might be looking to move the card soon, or they may not, but in case they need to do so quickly she wants a list of options, and works up both the quickest possible route and a couple of routes that could easily be heading to more than one bank. The reflex part of driving was fun, but knowing what you were doing was usually the bigger factor in being successful.

Of course, none of them really knew what they were doing with this card, probably least of all her.

[Tecumseh]

Mato sends a quick note to the bank announcing his arrival. It might be too-short notice for it to help, but his Aztlaner Spanish classes have suggested it is the polite thing to do. Good friends may visit one another without giving prior notice in Aztlaner culture, but in business situations advance notice is generally expected.

He checks his skin and hair in the mirror before getting out. He's looking better now that he's no longer carrying the card. Of course, he's about to pick up the card to carry it into the bank...

Once his jacket is on and his collar is straightened, he scoops up the card in its new plastic case and exits the van. The main Bancomex branch for the Seattle Metroplex is downtown, not far from the Aztechnology Pyramid. This area is known as Capitol Hill and overlooks the downtown core, including the Space Needle and the ACHE. Mato doesn't even glance back at the view and instead strides purposely through the tall bank doors leading into the glass building.

The lobby is cavernous, with 10-meter ceilings and giant columns clad in marble and brass or gold - something shiny. Mato's shoes click-clack across the floor, his enhanced hearing picking up the echo of his footsteps off the hard surfaces all around. There are brightly-illuminated chandeliers high above. An attractive female teller - dark hair, elven, apparently age 25 like all elves - gives Mato a warm smile as an invitation to step forward. As there is no cash to safeguard, there is no armored glass to interfere with the customer relationship. The woman's perfume hits Mato's olfactory sensors and makes his brain do a backflip. It's so compelling that he momentarily wonders if it is a tailored perfume, or involves pheromones.

"Buenas tardes," Mato says in his best Aztlaner accent (which, on the whole, is only so-so). "Soy Miguel Ángel Torres. Estoy aquí para la cita con Diego Hidalgo y Durán."

The woman smiles at Mato's Spanish, although odds are good that she's just being polite to a customer. She indicates that he should go up the stairs and that Señor Hidalgo y Durán would meet him up there. Mato follows her instructions, although there's a stirring deep within his major histocompatibility complex that makes him loathe to leave her. But business calls and this card isn't going to hide itself. He tears himself away from the attractive teller and ascends the stairs that have a princely view over the lobby below. The teller smiles at Mato from a distance, a well-practiced move that releases a burst of dopamine in Mato's brain and binds what's left of his ventral tegmental area to her.

Señor Hidalgo y Durán is waiting for Mato at the top of the stairs with a wide smile that doesn't quite reach the corners of his eyes. They shake and exchange greetings. Mato is wearing real leather gloves but those won't hide the cyberhands during a handshake. The banker's smile falters for just a moment when he grips Mato's hand, although he quickly recovers.

There are pleasantries because they've never met. Señor Hidalgo y Durán is human, about 50, with a barrel chest, slicked-back hair, and a bushy mustache. He is delighted to have Mato's business, even though Mato had no say in the matter. Señor Hidalgo y Durán is a fan of Elven wines and Elven women and offers one or both to Mato with a leering chauvinistic grin.

"Ahorita," Mato says to politely defer the invitation. "What I presently require is a safe deposit box. Something modest will suffice."

This is an easy enough request. The monthly fee is reasonable and easily addressed. Once the requisite forms are completed, Señor Hidalgo y Durán has another attendant - female, elven, dark-haired, attractive, Mato is detecting a pattern here - escort Mato and Bobby to the vault. The safe deposit box pulls away from the wall. She places it on a stainless steel table and then draws a curtain so that Mato and Bobby may have privacy as they place the card in the box.

"Not as much security as I would have expected," Mato admits in low tones. "I suspect that they're depending on their proximity to the Aztechnology Pyramid. And, of course, the underworld Aztec reputation for responding to transgressions."

Mato places the plastic container within the safe deposit box and feels relieved to have done so. He slides the box back into the wall and locks it in place with the digital key.

"How much time does Bill need?" he asks Bobby. "The bank will close for the evening before too long. We might have to return in the morning."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby noticed the sudden change in emotion that went through Mato as he looked at he pretty elven girls. He refrained from commenting at the time, but would make certain to remind Mato at an (in)opportune time.

When they reached the business stage of their visit, Bobby followed and kept track of the warding scheme. As a registered magic user, he was certain that security had already picked up on him, so he didn't bother to hide his nature and his astral sensing.

When they reached their lock box, he answered Mato: "I don't think they are going for one strong defense. At least in the astral they have a bunch of nested wards that are individually not particularly strong, but would slow down a determined attacker tremendously and make stealthing in almost impossible. I was worried that the card would intersect with them, but it's been dormant till here. So that's good.

As for the FAB: We should get delivery in a few hours. Bill has his shop close to the border, but his drone couriers are pretty reliable. But yeah, for the moment this is good enough. If everything else fails, you get an insurance payout if the card gets stolen from your SDB.

Alright, now we can get organized - collect Raven's gear, make some calls and set up the auction. If everything else fails, we can let Nightmare get the card while we transfer it from here to another bank."

[Tecumseh]

Mato shakes his head.

"The bank doesn't provide insurance on the safety deposit box. Homeowner's insurance might help but we don't have any because we're in Redmond. If we move to Bellevue I'll get coverage. But even then they would want a proper appraisal; they're not just going to take your word for it that you have a 50,000 nuyen collectible that, whoops, got stolen."

Speaking of stolen, he takes the digital key from the bank and slips it into the smuggling compartment in his leg.

"Let's get to Redmond to pick up gear. Hopefully Bill can make a delivery there soon. If we're lucky we can get back here before the bank closes, but that might require some aggressive driving."

He looks to Tamarind, figuring this will be music to her ears.

[Gilga]

18:00 - SIS HQ
As the team is having a communal dinner, a nice car pulls over by SIS. It is a black Euro car Westwind. An attractive teenager exits the car and looks doubtfully at the several Crimson-wearing orcs that happened to drive the street in their bikes, drinking and laughing, knocking off mailboxes for giggles. They stop for a while when they see the car, but mainly talk to each other and keep their distance. It is uncommon to see that type of car in Redmond, but SIS gets nice car visitors occasionally, so it is not unheard off. "The smartasses get another Richy rich client," one of them comments confidently.

The teenager is perhaps sixteen, tall, well-groomed, and wearing a black parka covering most of her body. Her hair is pulled back and neatly braided; she looks with concern at her car, then at the orcs, and then finally at the door. She takes a deep breath, mumbles some self-confidence mantra, and then knocks.

[ Spoiler ]

Mato and Bobby can identify her as Seraphina, Bernt's girlfriend, their past employer, and one of the hacker club kids that owe SIS a substantial amount of money.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby had followed the feed of Seraphina's arrival with interest in AR, filling the others in about their visitor. So he was in position when the knock came.

He opened the door with a smile: "Hi Seraphina. Come on in - to what occasion do we owe this surprise visit?"

[Gilga]

She takes a few steps in but does not sit. A bit relieved that Bobby opens the door, she says quickly in a manner common with kids her age. "Hi Bobby, I don't know. " She rolls her eyes and shrugs "My uncle told me to buy a cheap link and deliver it in person. He insisted I do it alone even when I explained that you live in Redmond. Crazy, right?" She opens her coat, revealing a plastic bag with the brand name of a known electronic store. It's not a bomb or anything. I bought it myself about an hour ago in Bellevue, she comments nervously.

[Thanee]

"That is not clandestine at all," Rachel comments with a slight smirk.

"Hey girl! I'm Rachel."