The Found Arcana - Chapter 11 [IC] Options

[Thanee]

Rachel appreciates the clean look of the building. As they approach their destination, she switches her senses to the astral. Her magic and her foci are hidden from view, thanks to her newly gained insight into the higher arts. Bobby, who is a bit farther ahead in this kind of metamagic technique, was able to give her some pointers during the process, which really helped getting it right. Now, once she goes active, there is no way of hiding anymore, so she has to be a bit more deliberate about it. The same goes with actually using her magic. There is a lot to learn still.

She is Mayor of Redmond. The election is for the Governor of Seattle, which is her boss. She will have some obvious interest in who gets elected. So, yeah, pretty sure it is going to be about that. Rachel communicates via the mental link when Bobby asks about their thoughts.

She looks around the room, while the Mayor speaks, her eyes lingering a bit longer on each person, as she does so. In her mind, Rachel is wondering, what the man's deal is. Surely, he is not just a bodyguard. He is dressed too well for that. Maybe they will find out soon enough.

As her focus goes back to the Mayor, she smiles friendly and says: "Nice to meet you. I'm Rachel." She only knows her from the occasional appearance in the trid, and there havn't been that many. It's Redmond after all, not many care about what happens here.

[ Spoiler ]

Assensing the Assistant 3 hits
Assensing the Mayor 3 hits
Assensing the Man 3 hits

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby, as usual was much more direct: "Hi. I guess you want to keep your job and to some extent therefore also to keep Redmond working.
I guess you'd prefer the candidate with the loose purse strings to keep doling out the means to keep the lid on things around here.

So, what do you want our agency to do?"

[Tecumseh]

"Pretty close," the Mayor tells Bobby with a smile that looks tired. "Yes, I fell short in the gubernatorial primary in February, but I still have two years left in my term as Mayor of Redmond. And for someone from Redmond, taking 10% of the primary was an accomplishment!"

She's rounding up, as you might expect of a politician. Her tally in February's primary was 9.5%, but she's not wrong about it being a decent showing from a candidate who works on the outskirts of civilized society.

"But you are correct that I do wish to keep Redmond working. We've had some hard-fought victories over the last decade and I wish to consolidate them. Some whisper that Redmond should be cut off like a gangrenous limb to save the rest of the metroplex, but I strongly disagree."

Sonja folds her arms across her chest and pauses for a moment before continuing.

"To that end, I would like to know who my friends are and who they aren't. Ms. Taul is well-known to me as a fellow district mayor. It is Ms. Potter that I wish to know more about. She is a newcomer and little is known about her other than her support for the Technocratic platform. That is where you come in."

She unfolds her arms. There's a light knock on the door as the elven assistant returns with a pot of Earl Grey, some soykaf, and a small pitcher of chilled orange-like juice. The mayor waits for the assistant to deliver her refreshments, then Sonja dismisses her with a small smile and a nod.

Once the assistant has left and closed the door quietly behind her, Sonja asks, "Tell me, have you heard any rumors about Ms. Potter?"

Knowledge skills:

[ Spoiler ]

I'm not sure anyone has directly applicable knowledge skills here. Those with Underworld, or with law enforcement Contacts, might have heard rumors that Ms. Potter's old boss - Howard Cannon, the original Technocratic nominee - was murdered not just to get him out of the race, but specifically to clear the way for Ms. Potter. This is outlandish, as Ms. Potter was almost a complete unknown and could hardly have been expected to receive the nomination in Howard's stead. Plus, such conspiracy theories surround every murder of a well-known figure. So far there's no evidence to support this theory.

Assensing:

[ Spoiler ]

The mayor is in good health, at least by Redmond standards. She probably doesn’t enjoy the same diet as the mayors of wealthier districts, and she’s probably exposed to more pollution than other mayors (except the Puyallup mayor), but she gets three meals a day and regular health care. She’s mundane and has a few select pieces of headware, nothing major. Her mood is weary. She doesn’t appear deceptive, at least not yet.

The man at the rear of the room is another matter entirely. His aura – or at least the aura that he’s presenting – indicates that he’s a dragon, one whose Magic is many multiples of your own. From personal experience you know that some magicians have the ability to alter their astral appearance, but few would have the temerity to mimic a dragon, nor so effectively as this. The dual-natured man (?) stares back at you, his eyes drilling into your auras.

[Jack_Spade]

"Only crackpot theories. Whoever killed Cannon - if he was killed, would have to have amazing organization skills to get Potter to where she is now.
If I understand you right, you want us to investigate her and find any dirt we can, right?"

Bobby replied, taking a cup of tea and a biscuit.

[Tecumseh]

Sonja drums her fingers on the edge of her desk. Nerves, or a bit of showmanship?

"It's actually broader than that."

She leans forward a bit, lowering her voice.

"I want you to find evidence that she actually exists."

She leans back.

"Oh, she exists in the sense that she's a physical being who can smile on camera and shake hands and answer questions. But we know remarkably little about 'Corinne Potter' the person. Of course we fear what we don't know but, even deeper than that, I want to make sure she's not a sock puppet for someone or something else. Moreso that usual for a politician, of course." She gives a wry smile.

[Gilga]

I pour myself a cup of tea, unsure how long this meeting will be, but just holding the warm glass would make me happy. Not a sock puppet? Does Sonja know how much of a sock puppet she appears with a dragon sitting behind her watching us? Not that I am not flattered that such a being takes interest in us - but still. That man was there before as well.

"So you want us to verify that Corrine Potter is a metahuman rather than some immortal being with more exotic ambitions? Or that there is a person named Corine Potter with a matching digital trail and people who dated her in high school? Do you have any concrete suspicions of her being a sock puppet for someone else? Some direction we should be looking into to speed things up?"

[Tecumseh]

"Not so much an immortal being in disguise, no. More like, is the person an artificial construction? Or, to put it another way, is she really someone else?

"I hesitate to tell you how to do your jobs. Presumably you would start with a background check, then - if there are any loose ends - start pulling on them to see where they lead.

"Or look into the decision-making process behind Corinne getting the nomination over any of the other Technocrats in the metroplex. 'Lucky' Duck Phillips is a councilor up in Snohomish. He has enough of a reputation to have a nickname. Why didn't he get the nod?

"Maybe scratch at the death of Howard Cannon. Knight-Errant considered it an open-and-shut case. But their contract with the metroplex specifies metrics for arrests and convictions, so once those KPIs have been met they lose interest. In other words, they don't lean into things. That's what I need you to do here: lean on things and see if a bit of pressure produces anything."

She looks to Bobby specifically.

"Last time you said that I'd be paying you for effort, not results. The same is true here, I suppose. I don't wish for you to fabricate anything. I'm not looking for dirt where none exists.

"But..." she trails off and tilts her head to the side. "If you do find something... that would be worth extra to ensure your discretion, and my exclusive receipt of your findings."

[Gilga]

I use my throdes to take notes;

[ Spoiler ]

>> AM's notes: Meeting with mayor Sonja.

1. Contact 'Lucky' Duck Phillips about the process.
2. Full background check.
3. Contact Jawsey's friend about Cannon's death. Maybe she'll say something off the record.

After I appear to be finished with my notes I speak "Okay, so you want a full background check on Potter, as well as her meteoric rise to favor, and of a bit of digging around Cannon's death in case it sheds some light on Potter, and you pay extra to guarantee that the information is available only to you. Did I get it all right?"

I also mentally text Edie my thoughts quickly before I lose my confidence. >> Hi Edie, do you think people would want to talk to Corine Potter in person? I am thinking of trying to get her to talk to potential supporters in the neighborhood. Make it less about clothes and more about substance. Want to help me organize such an event - I have never done anything like it, and you seem so good at organizing things. It would be good for the neighborhood for a potential mayor to know who we are. If it works, it would be an excellent opportunity to talk to her and see how she responds to an unusual question.

[Jack_Spade]

"Sounds reasonable. Are you looking for actionable proof that you could use in a court of law, or are you content with 'fruit from the poisoned tree's - we can deliver both, but obviously, actionable information is much harder to come by and not necessarily as quickly, as would be necessary for it having an impact before election day."

Bobby looked her straight in the eye:

"In other words: are you paying us to investigate or to spy?

In any case, we need the file you have on her - known residences, associates, bank accounts, school record, military service, etc.
If she had any life before her nomination, we need to know about it. Because if we have to puzzle all that together ourselves, we lose valuable time. Time we could be spending shadowing her."

[Tecumseh]

"Yes, correct," Sonja nods to AM.

<<omg do u no her??>> Edie responds to AM. Who would have thought that Edie would text like a teenage girl but there you have it. <<yssss!!!!!>>

After a few moments she adds, <<danforth says it could improve property values!!>> This seems like a bit of a stretch, and won't benefit you as renters, but if it makes them happy...

Sonja raises her eyebrow at Bobby.

"I'm not looking to convict her. I'm trying to understand her. I don't want to know what kind of toothpaste uses; I don't need her shoe size. I need to know if her 'gee whiz golly' personality is real and she actually did stumble into all this, or if she's someone's pet. If she's someone's pet, I want to know whose lap she sits on.

"Bank accounts? My goodness, you have an imagination. I don't have any of that.

"I know what you can read in the newsfaxes: age 44, came up through the Seattle public schools, attended the University of Washington and held a had some civic-oriented jobs and volunteer opportunities after graduation until" - she wipes her hands clean - "all public records were lost in Crash 2.0." She holds up her hands, empty.

Then she slaps the desk to get down to business. "I'm sure you're eager to discuss compensation, so let's talk numbers.

"I'll pay you ¥50,000 for a full report. I think you'll find that quite generous compared to the rates you have listed for background checks on your Matrix site. And, depending on what you find, the value of your discretion may be worth that much again.

"As for timing, I do wish you to have the necessary time to be thorough in your investigation. Shall we say delivery one week from today?"

[Beta]

An interview with a mayor would be more intimidating if it were not the mayor or Redmond. How many others think that they are the real powers in the city? Does she control much that is out of sight of city hall? But she has money, and she is willing to pay them for actual detective work.

Tamarind hesitates to speak up. For all the usual reasons, and that Bobby and AM seem to already know this Mayor Lady. Still, as the person running the drones, she has a question that is probably more important to her than the others. "Any limits on how open we can be in our investigations? I'm sure that you are not the only one having people look into her background, and I'm sure that she is expecting it. In rough terms there are three levels:
1- don't be found out,
2- It is OK if she know that yet another team is digging, so long as the trail doesn't lead back to you
3- Anything short of having a drone parked over her head all day is fine. Basically just don't be too gauche about it

What level of restrictions do you want followed?"

[Gilga]

I mentally text. >> No, I don't know her, but it is a tight election, and she is generally unknown in the city, so I thought if we can get her to come it is now. It would help if we knew how many people would come.


***
My mind races when it comes to currency on the table. 50k seems reasonable, but there are gaps in knowledge, and we will be spying on an important figure, which means risks. Is that public money at work? I wonder, instead of getting more coppers or roads or schools, they pay people like us? This world is upside down.

I'll let Tamarind's questions be answered before I'll say my piece.

[Thanee]

Rachel mostly keeps in the background. AM and Bobby know the Mayor from a previous job, and they already mentioned most things. She does not really have much to add at this point.

The Crash 2.0. The mentioning of that incident brings back memories. It was a major turning point in Rachel's life. And for the most part, it shattered everything that she called her life before. From one moment to the next, she lost everything, her home, her parents, her identity. The years that followed were an experience, that she does not want to repeat. Her talent was pretty much the sole reason why she made it through that.

Since noone else mentioned him, she asks the others via their mental connection:

What's the deal with the guy in the background? And is that really a dragon? Looks like one on the astral. But the aura seems a little... overdone.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby shrugged: "So a 100k. Doable. But yeah, what she said. How much is the target allowed to notice?"

Bobby personally was of the opinion that the target should never learn that they had been spied upon. But he would leave that to AM as a lever for negotiation.

To Rachel he thought: 'As far as we know, he's on a level with Urubia. No idea why he stays around for us to see, but then, never tangle with dragons, so better ignore him.'

[Tecumseh]

"Well, to be clear, that second half is dependent on there being information worth the exclusivity bonus. It's not for whether or not she puts creamer in her soykaf in the morning, or which pant leg she puts on first."

To Tamarind she says, "I previously hired you for your agency for its discretion, so I'm hoping you bring that same level of delicacy to the current task.

"Now Ms. Potter will know that people are investigating her. That's just a given when you are prominent in public life; it's all in 'the game'. So, to that end, being found out is not inherently a crisis. In fact, you should be able to use the media for a certain degree of cover, who likely will have drones parked over her head all day long.

"Of course, that latitude has limits. There are plenty of grey areas to exploit, but blatant criminal activity will still get you arrested and prosecuted. If you get caught." A wry smile.

She holds up a finger.

"But a word of warning. Ms. Potter may be a neophyte, but the Technocrat party is not. They generally have plenty of support from the corps who like the Technocratic 'less government, more private sector' rhetoric. In fact, if you cooked up a party platform in a corporate lab you would basically expect the Technocrat's principles and party line. So don't go into this thinking that Suzy Q. Homemaker is going to be running everything from her refurbished Renraku Sensei. My number one rule is hope for the best, plan for the worst."

[Jack_Spade]

"I see, so we provide the information and you can decide if anything is sensitive enough for you to pay - but if you don't want it, we are free to sell it otherwise.

We should be good here. We improved on our magical talent and also got some more expertise where technological surveillance is concerned."

Bobby replied.

[Tecumseh]

The mayor nods to Bobby. "Correct," she says.

She looks to the others to see if there are more questions.

[Thanee]

"So, how do you want us to report back to you? That Knight-Errant escort was a nice touch, but it might be a little too conspicuous, considering the level of discretion you are asking for. And, assuming, we will find anything worthy of your attention, should we provide you with preliminary reports, so you can give us feedback if anything should be investigated in more detail, or rather wait until we concluced our investigation to present you with the full results?"

[Tecumseh]

"Let's set a meeting for next Saturday at noon. You may have an escort if you like. If not, come as you please. They'll buzz you in and my assistant will meet you at the security station downstairs."

Raven's second question makes the mayor look thoughtful for a moment.

"Good question," she says, delaying a moment to decide on a final answer.

"Send me an update if you have something solid. Not rumors or hearsay, but if you have something concrete then share it."

She takes out a pen - an anachronism that AM and Bobby remember from their last visit - and scratches down something on a piece of paper.

"Here's a commcode," she says, passing it to Raven. "If you really strike it rich, we can conclude the contract early."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby looked at AM:
'Do you want to haggle a bit for a deposit? So far she paid her bills on time and the offer is good for one week of work.'

Through their team channel he sent:
<<We probably best start with a matrix search. I'll ask Lysander if they know anything about her background.>>

[Gilga]

I sigh . "Look, Sonja, that offer is a bit light for what you ask us to do. We're digging into the potential governor of Seattle and peeing the technocratic party's pool. This is way bigger than what you asked the previous time. There are also additional risks due to the stressed timetable and our mark running an election campaign.

The stakes are higher when going up against politicians... You can send the coppers to our house, so I am unsure if I want to step on your toes for 50k. You are asking me to step on... well, bigger toes. Plus, you want everything done in a week, so slow and safe won't be enough. In simpler cases, it often takes more than a week to wait for them to make a mistake and study their schedule. Your job likely involves unorthodox means - and these are dangerous for us. "

[Tecumseh]

Sonja looks like she's having none of it.

"It's not light," she says with hardness in her voice. "For a background check, it's quite generous.

"You're not dealing with criminals now. You're not even dealing with a politician; she's just a candidate. And I haven't asked you to piss in anyone's pool, so don't exaggerate matters. Nor do I foresee any potential for danger.

"If that's not of interest to you, I am sorry for disturbing your Saturday."

[Beta]

Tamarind zones out during the final haggling over price, and starts to think about angles they can follow up in order to get information. The challenge isn't in getting information, she has no doubt they'll gather a fair bit. It is in either finding well hidden information, or pulling out hidden meaning from otherwise dull information. This isn't something that she's had to do before, but she understands the technique, because it had been used by Razak's team when she was arrested back in the Sioux.

The Smuggling consortium she worked for moved stations around regularly. Sometimes they'd go to a location just for a single re-fuelling or offloading, other times they'd settle in for a few weeks. But they returned to some of the sites periodically. That was why she'd started planting wildflower seeds around them, to have something pretty to look at when they returned, without digging gardens that would be obvious and need maintenance. But Razak's team had noticed the increase in wildflowers, looked for someone buying the seed regularly without property to plant them on, and had used that to track her down. And once they'd cracked her, they'd rolled up a good part of the operation.

But trying to find hidden patterns in a week would be hard. AM was right, they'd have to push hard, they'd not be able to stay cautious.

[Gilga]

I grin because sayings like "Nor do I foresee any potential for danger" invite the Trickster, but as much as I fear my totem, I enjoy that kind of attention deep down. Honestly, I find Sonja funny; perhaps politicians are like that.

We are here because Potter is electable. It's a Saturday, you have a week, and you are a busy woman with no time to waste. Talk is cheap, but you placed 100k nuyen on the table because of possible complications despite not foreseeing any dangers yourself. I get it; one must be optimistic to the core to become Redmond's mayor.

I say in my most nonconfrontational bias, trying to establish that the truth lies in the middle of Sonja's overly optimistic view and my darker perspective. " So how about A 25k bonus in case Potter is elected and we might have pissed off the new governor. " I am proud of myself for such an offer because it can tell me what Sonja thinks about Potter's chances. If she is just "a candidate", I just agreed to her terms - she has no reason to refuse. If Potter is likely to end up as the governor, I just asked for 25% extra - in that case, she'll probably edge it - or throw us out of her office.

[Tecumseh]

Sonja seems to appreciate this line of negotiation more than the previous one.

"Hmm," she says, seemingly caught off guard by the proposal. She stares at AM intently while considering it. "Interesting idea."

After a long moment she comes to a decision. "Yes, BUT under the condition that you find something that Ms. Potter would not want others to know. If she is who she says she is, with no skeletons in the closet, then confirming as much could hardly be expected to piss her off. As I said, it's politics: this is all in 'the game'. She's a campaign manager; she knows how it's played.

"And, if you do the job with the discretion I know you are capable of, then she'll be none the wiser, with nothing to piss her off, which makes it free money.

"Are we agreed then?"