The Found Arcana - Chapter 10, X marks the spot Options

[Jack_Spade]

Gladius' eyes went wide:
"Any spirit... That means he could conceivably invite even what the hermetics call shadow spirits...
And they are on their way to conduct rituals with a drekload of reagents.

We should hurry."

[Gilga]

I can see the tactical benefits of flight, but I am uncertain if my fake SIN can handle airport-level scans, and I really don't want a criminal SIN or jail in that manner. I text Mato mentally because I think he would know >> Mato, can I fly in my condition? Not very direct, but I think he may be knowledgeable about it.


"Alright, so we arrive by plane to San Angelo and rent someplace there? Can we reliably notice when they arrive? Whats then?"

[Thanee]

"Shadow spirits, a bunch of queens, whatever it is, one thing is certain... it ain't gonna be good."

"If we find the site they are going to conduct the ritual on, must be something specific, when they are going all the way down there, maybe we can keep an eye on that with some drones or something they won't notice right away."


<< Also, one random thought crossed my mind... there was this old girlfriend of his... Grace? Gracie? The one that did not make it out of Boston. Did we have a description of her? We are fairly certain, that Victoria is a fake SIN, I mean, who knows... >>

[Beta]

<<Can you get CFD and still retain magic? A gifted monad, with no particular attachment to humanity, sounds like it would be a bad thing. Although I'd think that if she were a monad they'd be more matrix savvy>>

[Thanee]

<< My thoughts were more in the direction of... what if Gracie = Victoria. >>

[Tecumseh]

<<The III has met both Gracie and Victoria. Everything here points to Victoria's personality, capabilities, and interests, so I think we can confidently say that Gracie ≠ Victoria>>

To address AM's concern, he comms: <<Flying on a private jet will address any concerns about identification and/or cargo. We should should bring anything and everything we think we might need.>>

<<Weather this time of year should be sunny but not too hot. Pack your sun hats and your FAB III.>>

"Yes," Mato nods to Gladius, "we'll get in touch with Xavier Tien III and inquire about the availability of his plane. Then we should go pack."

Mato reaches out to III:

<<Good evening, sir. We have a credible lead that your son has left town and is heading to San Angelo, which is right on the border between the CAS and Aztlan. Your son and Victoria have procured a significant quantity of reagents, so we believe they are planning a major ritual involving the XT.>>

<<This is a concerning development for everyone involved. We would like your permission to take the private jet you mentioned to San Angelo to intercept them. If your personal pilot is not available on short notice then we have a professional pilot on our staff.>>

<<Please confirm at your earliest convenience. Thank you.>>

A little cold, perhaps, but professional and to the point.

[Gilga]

I breathe for release and think about my stuff; I'll just get everything Especially the guns; not sure how good they'll fare against mages, but nothing gives me more confidence than a loaded sidearm. Besides, Texans like guns, right? I honestly have no idea, I spent most of my formative in the Trix without leaving home much. Now I am going to Texas on a private jet - if he says yes - but he will agree because he wants the artifact back - and all that stands between me and new toys is a bunch of battle-hardened ex-Boston survivors with a ThD degree, tons of practical experience in magic techniques I only read about, the ability bind massive spirits and the willingness to murder.

What could possibly go wrong?

Thanks Mato... Never imagined myself in that situation before.

"Alright, now if you excuse me, I have a long ritual to watch... Praise the Trickster, it would be long even at double speed - but perhaps understanding what they did would be useful."

The thought that the little bitch likely did multiple rituals just for an assassination attempt instead of swarming him with spirits when he was sleeping like a normal murderer would. She is like the villains in the old James Bond movies that put the hero in an easily avoidable but very dramatic and complicated killing device instead of just shooting the guy in the head.

[Jack_Spade]

<<The III has met both Gracie and Victoria. Everything here points to Victoria's personality, capabilities, and interests, so I think we can confidently say that Gracie ≠ Victoria>>

To address AM's concern, he comms: <<Flying on a private jet will address any concerns about identification and/or cargo. We should should bring anything and everything we think we might need.>>

<<Weather this time of year should be sunny but not too hot. Pack your sun hats and your FAB III.>>

"Yes," Mato nods to Gladius, "we'll get in touch with Xavier Tien III and inquire about the availability of his plane. Then we should go pack."

Mato reaches out to III:

<<Good evening, sir. We have a credible lead that your son has left town and is heading to San Angelo, which is right on the border between the CAS and Aztlan. Your son and Victoria have procured a significant quantity of reagents, so we believe they are planning a major ritual involving the XT.>>

<<This is a concerning development for everyone involved. We would like your permission to take the private jet you mentioned to San Angelo to intercept them. If your personal pilot is not available on short notice then we have a professional pilot on our staff.>>

<<Please confirm at your earliest convenience. Thank you.>>

A little cold, perhaps, but professional and to the point.

The reply came back almost instantly:

<<Well, that sounds like you make excellent progress. My jet is available - I'll accompany you. Don't worry, I'll stay back at the hotel, but if my wayward son happens to appear as you predict, I'd like a chance to talk to him face to face.>>

[Tecumseh]

<<Understood. We need to gather our belongings and make our preparations. We'll proceed to the hangar and meet you there in a couple hours.>>

"The III will be joining us," he tells Gladius. "Have you had the pleasure?"

[Jack_Spade]

"Yes, though not recently. He shouldn't mind having me on board.

Once we are over there on the ground I can try my hand at a bit of pattern prediction to divine the location for the ritual and the arrival of the group."

Gladius replied.

"I know the airfield in Everett. I'll meet you there. Call me if there is a change of plans."

Scanning the surveillance files didn't give AM much more knowledge than she already had:

Gloved hands had lifted the skylight just a crack to let the drone in. It had quickly deployed its sensor tag and then moved to the adjacent master bedroom.

From there on two video streams showed the three mages in their mindlink discussion until they came to a conclusion. Arione fetched something from the window sill - likely the small potted cactus - and placed it inside the ritual circle. Then Tien IV gestured and something invisible seemed to happen - likely he had commanded a bound spiriti of his to manifest. The camera couldn't see it, but most likely the spirit was forced to fit its astral form into the small plant and stay there while the group began to enact the greater spirit ritual that gave the spirit the power to open an astral rift. What followed was a ten hour ritual. After that, Creamor left the frame, likely taking the cactus with him. Evidently, he had put the plant into a can, so astral perception couldn't spot the bound spirit.

The sensor tag wasn't placed optimally, so there was a lot happening out of frame, but it was most likely Creamor that installed the can opener and the sensor tag in the work room.

After that Creamor was clearly leaving the flat. Arione and Tien began packing, moving from room to room, but took a brief moment to share a kiss in the master bedroom in between stuffing clothes into duffel bags that already seemed to contain other stuff. There was no sign of guns, but the surivival jackets looked suspiciously like Ares armored Globetrotter jackets.

[Tecumseh]

Mato leads the other back to the car.

"Time is short," he says. "Let's go pack."

His eyes glance over at Rachel. Hopefully they could get her packed up before the drugs wear off and she crashes.

[Beta]

Tamarind has her van with her, and confirms that she will meet the others back at the house. She takes the time of the drive to think about whether she wants to bring all of her drones with her. Eventually she concludes that a private jet should have enough space, so she might as well. Heck, if they have the time maybe she can even tinker with them a bit.

[Gilga]

I am already at our van when the team decides to join me—catching up on my composure and trying to return to a less stressful environment. Mato seems composed enough, and I trust him fully, not bothered by all these powerful emotions - or is he? The drone feed is interesting, but not with the information we already know... They spent ten hours preparing a trap that may kill Gladius; there does not appear to be tension between them as expected for such a decision.

I look at Rachel and text, "I can detox you if it is no longer fun or if it gives you some headache or whatnot." Still, I have recently learned the detox spell and a bunch of other health spells I thought every shaman should have. Not that I have a community to heal, and still, a medicine woman should know more than just a heal spell... and the detox spell would allow me to drink that terrible Hurlag without poisoning myself - or at least without all the discomfort while my body burns from the inside, helps keep that stoic expression to impress Mato. Using it on Rachel would spoil the surprise but work first. Drugs without crashing afterward seem to offer interesting possibilities. Well, except for addictions... but still.

[Thanee]

"Fun? That stuff is more irritating than fun... but it was necessary. I would have been too slow otherwise. Only use those in absolute emergencies. I really should look into learning a spell that does something similar. Anyways, Detox? Cool that you know a spell like that. Sure, hit me!" Rachel replies in a rather hectic manner.

[Gilga]

I take Rachel's hand and then take all the fun away - well, for me. She is pretty amusing, talking so fast and being so active and making me feel lazy. "I don't know why you feel the need, chemistry and alchemy seem to accomplish very similar things..."

Next on my bucket list is to take my bugout bag, the guns, my reagents, a quick shower, and get into something more casual for the flight. To be honest, I could settle for a long shower, but somehow, I feel not very original in that desire so that I might settle for a short one. I dash to the shower when we arrive to ensure I get hot water.

[Thanee]

"Well, they are cheap," Rachel says with a bit of a sheepish grin.

"It's what law enforcement agencies give their troopers to be able to keep up with souped-up cybers when the need arises. Have saved my behind a few times, but in the long run, I need an alternative. For now, they do what they need to do."

[Beta]

Tamarind shudders to herself at the talk of combat drugs. She's descended into the early stages of addiction a couple of times, and she's seen what alcohol did to her Mother. She could just about imagine how addictive the high from combat drugs would be. Even without having tried them she can feel a longing to pop them and see what the rush is, "just once". But she suspects that for her "just once" wouldn't be possible.

To change her mind off that depressing thought she asks "Any idea what customs will be like in the CAS, coming in by private plane? It is great not having to deal with regular airport security, but I imagine that showing up with a load of weapons and saying that we are there for vacation might still raise some question marks."

[Jack_Spade]

The team arrived at their home with little delay - traffic hadn't switched yet to rush hour.
The whole neighborhood was practically dead around this time - everyone was still at work or school and any garden service had long finished their work. The only traffic came from the security patrols on their little electric ATVs.

One of them stopped next to the team as they themselves went to get out of the car.

"You are the new residents here? Hi, I'm security consultant James Yoshimura and that is my colleague Ranshid Vaughn. Do you have a few moments? We have some questions."

[Tecumseh]

AM rushes off for the shower. Mato, from experience, knows the he will want to shower after he lands; air travel always makes his skin sweaty and grimy.

"The UCAS and CAS have one of the more peaceful borders in the world," Mato says. "Most of the border checks are on the gentle side, and anyone coming in via private plane is going to get that much more leeway. It would be a much different story if we were coming from Aztlan - like, twenty times worse - but we're reputable professionals traveling with a reputable employer arriving from a friendly country.

"As for local laws, CAS isn't big on jail time. They prefer fines, which makes bribery much more prominent. If there's any friction, a modest 'look the other way' incentive should expedite matters."

Mato packs just about everything. He switches to his Casseur Gala Uniform because it's after 18:00 and he's not a farmer. Plus it repels dirt, and Texas is dirty. He packs his Chasseur Field Uniform plus his armor jack and his rarely-used ballistic mask.

Then it's on to his weapons, including the AK-97, Ingram Smartgun, and Walther P118, plus a wide range of ammo for each. Grenades: yes. Shuriken and throwing knives: certainly. Shock hand and climbing claws: literally can't leave those behind.

He brings his full range of B&E gear and medtech, including a medkit and slap patches. Given what they saw in IV's apartment, it seems like those might be relevant.

"Gladius says they're weak to tech," Mato says. "Not incompetent, but perhaps a blind spot. Let's think of ways we can leverage AM's Erika and Tamarind's drones. It wouldn't surprise me if they are bulletproof, but sometimes you can get a message across without kinetic force."

[Tecumseh]

"You are the new residents here? Hi, I'm security consultant James Yoshimura and that is my colleague Ranshid Vaughn. Do you have a few moments? We have some questions."

Mato smiles. "Ah, most convenient!" he lies. He's privately grateful that he's wearing a fine suit, the social equivalent of pocket sand.

"Miguel Torres," he says to introduce himself. "I am most pleased to meet you, Yoshimura-san and Mr. Vaughn."

Mato nods to the van, which is being packed up. "We are about to leave on a business trip. I do hope that you will keep a watchful eye on the premises while we are away. Is it the etiquette to alert you when we will be gone?"

Mato reminds himself that he is the client and they are the contractors. He hopes to flat-foot them, and derail whatever their intentions they might have had.

[Thanee]

Rachel stops near Mato and the two security guys.

"Questions? I hope it doesn't take long, we are in a bit of a hurry."

Out of habit, she assenses the pair.

[ Spoiler ]

Assensing Yoshimura 4 hits
Assensing Vaughn 4 hits

[Gilga]

My heart skips a bit, I know there is likely nothing to be afraid of, but I learned to fear security companies and the police. Being SINless does that to a woman; that law does not protect me it protects THEM, though now I am one of THEM... well until my SIN burns and I go to prison for impersonating this Emma Miller chick. Maybe moving out of Redmond is not for me, and maybe I am a critter of shadows and not of light.

Since Rachel and Mato are talking to them, I fake a call from mother nature and give them an apologetic gesture as I run toward the toilet. Once indoors, I look in the Trix for anything suspicious and enter the shower if I decide everything is as it always is. I don't mind talking to crime lords, or billionaires, or nobility, or nosy neighbors, but I am not talking to coppers.

[Jack_Spade]

The two security people are a bit perplex - possibly because the ork turns out to be well spoken and in charge.

Both are human, healthy and have some low level of cyberware implanted in their heads and spines.

Yoshimura was the first one to change gears mentally and answered: "Yes sir, certainly. That's what we wanted to ask. We monitor the traffic in and out of the area and we still need your routine movement when you leave for work and return again. That helps to improve our surveillance data to filter out false positives.

You can tell us also about irregular arrivals and leaving, as well as expected guests with our matrix address, so we don't inconvenience you or your guests with ID checks."

Vaughn finally caught up too and said: "Will you be gone for longer? With your whole... household?"

[Tecumseh]

The surveillance doesn't bother Mato. He grew up with it in a corporate environment; he's accustomed to it. (AM might freak out about it...) He occasionally reminds himself that he is legitimate, but of course a less-generous interpreter of the law might occasionally disagree.

"I confess I do not know for certain, Mr. Vaughn," Mato says. "We have been called out-of-town with rather late notice by an important client. With luck we will return soon, but it is very likely to be two or three days."

He doesn't directly address the "whole household" remark. He's comfortable with a bit of ambiguity. Are they a business partners or a sex cult? Who can say?

"I do fear that our movements are less than routine. Our schedules are often dictated by our clients. We are consultants ourselves, but our project-based - not on retainer - so one week we're supporting one venture, then the next week we'll be contributing to a different task entirely. It is invigorating, but lamentably unpredictable.

"Besides registering our guests and our planned absences, what can we do to make things easier for Sakura Security?"

[Beta]

After Mato summarizes about security, she says "I intend to bring all of my drones, I think. They should have some cargo space on a private jet, should be able to handle Toothless and Stitch and the Pellipers well enough, and the rest are small. Well, maybe I'll leave the new Spy Eye at the house to provide an extra eye on things. And there is that drone you had from a previous job, perhaps we could bring it along too? And I should bring my tricksy ammo along I suppose, the looper rounds and such, just in case if we think that the border won't be too hard."

When the local security shows up, Tamarind is happy to let Mato talk, but she takes up position just behind him and to his left, to provide some social solidarity. A somewhat weathered native woman may not be what they are used to dealing with either, but if nothing else natives do seem to make a certain portion of anglos uncomfortable, and sometimes that has its uses.

When Mato wraps up, she quietly adds "We certainly don't want to make your jobs more difficult than they already are."