The Found Arcana - Chapter 12 [IC] Options

[Jack_Spade]

<<Good idea - I was thinking in a similar direction. While we set Razak to do that, we need to close in on the bar owner. If need be, we need to abduct her ourselves and ask vor a hostage exchange - though preferably as a last resort.
Best case, we can crack their communications and track the team down, stage a diversion and bring our target out in the meantime.

But one step after the other - let's head back to the bar of their contact.>>

Bobby switched channels and called Razak:
<<Hey, we likely identified the team behind the abduction. See the information attached. Can you give us access to info from their military files - both service records and what mil-int has collected about them since their discharge. I know personally, that you keep tabs on high profile magical talent like these.
Thanks in advance.>>

[Thanee]

Jack McPherson looks at Mato for a moment, as he mentions his handle "Frost". But then he turns back to "Mr. Crow".

"Pleasure doing business with you. Next time, please be straight about what you are actually looking for."

As he collects the credstick and gets up, you realize, that you didn't even order anything to eat, but there should be enough time while you wait for a reply from Razak. Maybe even get some takeout for AM and Tamarind as well.

* * * * *

Razak replies after a while.

<< Ah, making progress, I see. Most of them are not in the system, possibly SINless and living under a false ID. The only one we have anything solid on is Jennifer Sundancer. She was drafted in 2066, but only did the minimum. Her evaluations were all very high. Certainly could have stayed, if she wanted to. Her father did a full SDF career, though. Wildcats, actually. Apparantly, she was a bit of a tomboy, growing up, and learned everything she knows from her father. Replacement for the son he never had. Can confirm, that she is awakened. Adept. Just like her dad was. Yeah, unfortunately, he is no longer with us. There isn't much on her, anymore, since she left for the FRFZ several years ago. But, I must say, these girls do look very interesting. I could use assets like them in Denver. Depending on how things turn out over there, maybe you could make that happen? If you can get them to a face-to-face in or near Cheyenne after everything is settled, I will throw in a nice bonus for you. I suppose, that could make your whole situation a bit trickier, but well... just think about it. >>

[Jack_Spade]

<<Not promising anything, but we'll do our best - maybe they need protection after they lose their payday. I'll certainly leave your calling card.>>

When the team reached the bar, Bobby checked the time until the bar would be open.

[Tecumseh]

Take-out sounds like a dynamite idea to Mato. The restaurant is pretty renowned, and the three employees out back called it the best food in all of Denver. Perhaps that was their egos talking, but even if that's true it implies that they take pride in their work, which suggests that the food will be good.

"Oh, I've got to try the green chile cheeseburger," he says. "How about the carne adovada and the posole too. And... the frybread tacos, and some prickly pear lemonades."

He looks pleased with himself.

"Tax-deductible," he reminds Bobby.

When Razak replies, his desire to recruit the Black Cats is a wrinkle that Mato did not expect.

<<Hmm. You can get further with a kind word and a gun than with just a kind word. Or something like that.>>

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby had opted for a simple, classic style taco, while he looked on at the bar:

"Got a few hours before they open. How do we want to play this?

Option 1: We grab and subdue the owner before she opens the bar. Then we raid her commlink.
Problem: Likely has a burner for direct communications with the team, so we need to let her wake and interrogate her. Messy.

Option 2: I sneak in to her office and search for anything useful, while AM goes at her devices for the same.
Problem: We might be detected and warn the ladies.

Option 3: We talk to the owner and negotiate.
Problem: Likely ineffective and warns the ladies.

Option 4: We talk to the owner and pretend to have a job for the kitties, and hack her communications to get their contact.
Problem: She might not contact them directly and we lose even more time.

Any other ideas?"

[Tecumseh]

Mato looks excited - well, as excited as Mato can look - when the takeout arrives.

"We have snacks!" he announces with unusual cheer when returning to AM and Tamarind. If people want to share, he'll cut things up so that everyone can sample everything.

"Omgggh," he says, trying the green chile cheeseburger. He gets a faraway look in his eye. "I see the clouds parting, a beam of light descending, a choir of angels singing..." Either he is deeply moved, or he's starting to hallucinate from the capsaicin. Perhaps the former, as orks are generally known to tolerate the latter.

Bobby pitches some ideas.

"I think we should start with honey, not vinegar. There will be plenty of time to escalate if need be.

"We could pose as SDF," he adds after a moment of consideration. He looks back and forth to how he and Bobby are dressed. "We've gone native," he explains, bemused at the double meaning.

"Razak's offer gives us some legitimacy. Maybe there's even a con in there about how Belenkiy is a person-of-interest for the SDF. It would make sense: he is a mid-level executive at Ares and currently in charge of the R&D department for Personal Arms and Armor. That sounds highly relevant to SDF interests.

"Pan o palo," he says in Aztlaner Spanish. "Bread or stick. We could dangle some lucrative SDF work as our bread, or even use our own personal success as testimony. For a stick, we can imply that they might not want to run afoul of the SDF. Or, a step further, that we've been authorized to extract Belenkiy ourselves.

"All this depends on first getting an audience, and second having them care. Jennifer Sundancer's father was a Wildcat, and taught her everything she knows. But at some point there had to be a conscious decision not to follow in her father's footsteps. Maybe lucrative shadow work was too much of a draw, but now it's time for the prodigal daughter to come home."

Mato lets the thought hang in the air, then shrugs.

"And if it all goes to drek, you're living electricity and I'm bulletproof. Well, bullet-resistant. We'll handle things the old fashioned way."

[Beta]

"I'd say gather intel while the risks of exposure are minimal. Between Bobby and Kanmushis, if there is a gap into the bar we can at least check it and look for traces and clues -- actually add in AM hacking outdoor cameras, they may still have footage that could include a likely truck at a likely time. If we know a bit that should help, I've seen smooth talkers use a bit of knowledge to give the impression of knowing a lot more."

[Gilga]

My lips curl into a smirk when Bobby and Mato walk in, their arms laden with greasy paper bags overflowing with takeout containers. It's good to see them again, and the aroma of fried food is a welcome change from the bland protein bars I've been subsisting on. My stomach growls a deep rumble that betrays my excitement. I snatch a container of nachos, my fingers brushing against Mato's chromed hand as I grab a handful. I shove a cheesy chip in my mouth, savoring the crunch and trying not to get any crumbs on the plush leather seats of the car. "We can bring her takeout..." I comment between bites, my voice muffled by a mouthful of cheesy goodness. I swallow hard, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. "Burgers make for good diplomacy." I manage to say before diving back into the nachos, my fingers slick with melted cheese.

After a long pause to finish my snack, I wipe my hands on a napkin and regain my professionalism. "We should approach with Razak's suggestion, trying to link them to him. It could cause the fixer lady to call the team, and then I can intercept that call and trace their location," I explain, tapping my fingers against the armrest as I outline the plan. "If it does not work out, we can kidnap her and play the ransom game. Still, in that case, our hand is weak because we do not know how deep their relationship goes, how much leverage that would be, not to mention the technical difficulties of keeping a prisoner."

[Jack_Spade]

"Nothing difficult about keeping a goldfish in a bowl.
Alright, let's try to hire the team - any volunteers for that job? I feel like I used up all social graces I could muster today."

Bobby replied, wiping his hands on a napkin.

"But just to be on the safe side, let's send in some drones to check things out inside."

[Gilga]

"Holy spirits" I mutter, raking my fingers through my short blonde hair and absently playing with my spiderweb earring, a delicate golden filigree dangling from my ear. I needed to focus.

"We need to cover three directions to kidnap her. Shapechange covers the physical one, but technological and magical ones exist. Tech is simple enough; we won't take her clothes or equipment and loop the cameras in the area to cover our hops. Magic is tricky; we need a ward, or they'll do what I did and follow the material link back to her." My gaze flickers to Bobby, hoping the complexity won't just change the woman on a whim, letting us wing the entire extraction. "If we don't pull it off perfectly, the kittens will find us, and they will have the initiative. we can't let people of their caliber dictate the terms, or we might not like the outcome."

I pause and then remember , "Well, there is a partial solution to the magic aspect, as Gladius had taught me the mana barrier spell. It is not ideal, but I can sustain it as long as I am awake, and it can quicken if I get too tired... We need an enclosed space big enough to conceal a large sphere of mana so that our location does not draw too much attention. It's not impossible, but we'll have to figure it out within a couple of hours. We might be able to make it work, but it's risky." My voice tightens on the last words, betraying the unease with this planned route. There is too much chaos, but I must admit that none of the obstacles is impossible to solve. I will do my part if the Trickster steers us in that direction. Gratitude warms my green eyes. I add, "You handled that meeting well, thanks." I don't say why I am thankful, but Bobby should know the toll that playing nice with dangerous people takes from me. "I'll lead the next meeting, but if we go with the Razak plan, it would be more credible with an ex-military on my side." I say, realizing that while I don't like it - I am competent doing it, and the stakes are high.

[Tecumseh]

Mato rubs the bridge of his nose, although it's debatable how comforting that is with fingers made of carbon fiber and titanium.

"Let's leave kidnapping to Plan C," he says. "We don't have a fishbowl. If it comes to it, make her a snail, or something slow that won't suffocate in the open air.

"I can walk into the lion's den," he offers. "We don't have to pose as SDF; we could just go as ourselves. Things have been lucrative for us; I think we could make a compelling argument.

"But, yes, let's start with the recon. I'm sure I could get in, but I'm also sure Bobby and Tamarind can be more subtle about it."

[Beta]

The food was good, but the plans were not entirely agreeing with Tamarind's digestion.

"Kidnapping should be well down our list. Playing defense is drek, one mistake and that can be it. That was the worst part about being ground crew for the smuggler operations, it was almost a matter of when, not if. I probably got lucky that Razak saw use for me or I'd possibly be in a cell still. Dealing with a runner team has the potential to be worse, some might prefer non-lethal, but some figure dead foes tell no takes or whatever."

"Anyway, let's see if there are clues to be found before we make any decisions. Hopefully they don't have anyone there early, cooking up soup or something. Sooner we look, the less chance of interference."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby nodded: "Alright, let's go in. I'll turn bird and carry a Kanmushi drone with me. Firing up my map ability to find the best entrance point. From there I'll go bug sized into the bar. You can warn me through the drone if someone comes. I'll start searching in the office. Keep an eye open for devices popping up - I'll switch on anything I can't access.

Any better ideas? Alright, let's do this."


Bobby did as he said once the team was in position. Turning into a pigeon was just as easy as getting a complete layout of the place again, studying it for a few moments, before heading for the most promising access point.

[ Spoiler ]

Body Boost: 11d6t5 2
Spatial Awareness F3: 20d6t5 5
Drain Resist: 13d6t5 4
No Drain
Shapechange (Pigeon) F5: 18d6t5 5
Drain Resist: 13d6t5 4
No Drain

[Beta]

Once Bobby was underway, Tamarind got the rest of Kanmushis ready, and her Flying Eyes just in case a good access point showed up. She'd rather get a swarm into the bar than rely on Bobby and one drone, given her druthers, but she wasn't going to force the issue.

While waiting for Bobby, she asked AM, "Do you sense any magic around here?" Meanwhile for her own part she started looking for signs of external cameras physically, then in the matrix.

[ Spoiler ]

visual perception: 16d6t5 6
Matrix Perception: 14d6t5 4

[Thanee]

<<Tuesday Afternoon - 12:54 - May 16, 2079 - Hardpan, Thornton, Denver>>

The area around the Hardpan is pretty much the same as when you checked it out last night, just brighter in the daylight. That does not exactly help much, though, as the scenery is even more dull during the day. The whole area is dominated by the food production facilities of the Apex Plasmids Complex. And the smell has not gotten any better, either.

As before, you cannot sense any magic, no wards or other protections. It's a bar, not a corporate research facility. With your talents, you have little trouble finding a way in to check it out more closely. There is the main bar area with the reinforced furniture and a large counter, which covers the vast majority of the building. Next to it are some restrooms, a storage area with back access, and a small office.

[Gilga]

I take a bit of a look around and conclude "Nothing special, just what you'd expect from a bar. I'll go on the Trix, but I don't expect to find much unusual. Depending on how hush-hush her communication methods with the kittens are, we'll need a link, or perhaps a burner link."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby used the tried and tested method of breaking through a filter of the air conditioner and crawled out from the vent.
From there he made a beeline - or rather a big line - to the office. After making sure that there were no cameras around, he turned human again and started his search.

[ Spoiler ]

Shapechange F5: 18d6t5 5
Drain Resist: 7d6t5 4
no drain

Finding cameras: Perception: 13d6t5 2

Searching the office: Perception: 13d6t5 4

[Tecumseh]

Mato stays in the Gopher while Bobby and the drones do the work.

"Let's watch from a safe distance, or search and scrub any cameras covering the parking."

He'll keep overwatch on AM if/when she goes hot-sim.

"Tamarind, do you want me to take the wheel while you're concentrating on the drones?"

Mato never gets to drive. A shame, since he's actually pretty good at it. Not as good as Tamarind and AM, but still.

[Thanee]

Bobby looks around in the office. There's a small desk with a chair and a computer terminal there, a bit dated. A coffee machine sits next to it. There are a bunch of pictures on the wall, most of them showing the same woman, which should be the bar owner, with various other people, usually natives. A few are pretty shots of landscapes or buildings. In one corner, on the floor, there is a small housing with a cleaning drone inside.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby pushed the chair in front of the cleaning drone's outlet, trapping it inside.
Then he turned to the terminal. Old equipment like that might not have wireless access. He touched it and worked that particular bit of magic, that allowed him to use any tool.

[ Spoiler ]

Analyze Device F3: 18d6t5 7
Object resistance: 15d6t5 4
Drain resistance: 11d6t5 3

Second attempt
Analyze Device F3: 18d6t5 5
Object resistance: 15d6t5 2
Drain resistance: 11d6t5 2

1 net success to learn everything relevant about the terminal

[Thanee]

The terminal does have wireless capabilities. It is dated, but not ancient. It's not VR-capable, though. With the help of his spell, Bobby can see how it is operated. He also learns, that there are three Marks on the computer's icon.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby whispered to the Kanmushi:
"There's a terminal here - not quite state of the art, but matrix capable. I'm switching it on - careful though - my spell tells me, there is already a tap in place - someone's listening in regularly."

After turning it on, he went looking through whatever physical files he could find and also looked for a safe, that the business most likely had. He didn't have any gear with him, but if it was an old mechanical one, his spell might help him decode it quickly enough.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception: 13d6t5 3

[Thanee]

Bobby cannot find a safe. But, in this modern age, even a bar like this does all transactions electronically, which makes something to safeguard valuables a lot less relevant.

Also, there is no real paperwork.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby spoke again to the Kanmushi:

"Blink twice when AM has hacked the terminal, so I can shut it off again and get out of here."

[Gilga]

I whisper a silent thanks to the Trickster for sharpening my mind and invoking Iktomi's blessing to heighten my focus. The clarity that follows is unmatched, a rush of total awareness that feels as potent as any performance-enhancing drug. For a brief moment, I savor the sensation, my mind augmented and honed for the task ahead. Leaning back in my seat, I wave a small "bye" to Mato—a signal that I’m about to slip away, into Wonderland. I close my physical eyes, letting the matrix unfold before me in all its shimmering, chaotic beauty. It doesn't take long to find the terminal—a relic, really, ancient by today's standards. It's just a dull icon with no flashy VR interface. This thing must be at least a decade old. But it still lives on the Trix, so I don’t need to bother with anything physical like the old Internet. Grandma used to tell funny stories about that slow mess. Still, this icon is as slow as it gets because I don't get the massive feed of data but rather lines and shapes and rough ugly looking half transparent VR icons that appear goofy with a pitch-black background.