The Found Arcana - Chapter 12 [IC] Options

[Gilga]

After learning about the link, she makes an effort to trace the link and access its geolocation functionality.

[Tecumseh]

Mato doesn't seem to have any ego wrapped up in the competition or its adverse result. He responds matter-of-factly.

"With throwing blades, yeah, I'll drill a flea's ass mid-hop. But not with darts, which I've hardly ever used. Give me some practice though and, sure, I'll nail a mosquito to the wall.

"Darts aren't heavy enough," he continues unnecessarily. "I like to feel the weight of something. Makes it feel solid, real. Darts are these dainty little things. I need mass."

[Beta]

Tamarind is happy to have Mato back in the truck. Better than watching over AM's unconscious body on her own, and it was probably best not to go into the bar now that she thinks about it -- it is the sort of place where she could run into someone she used to know. For that matter, she could have come here at some point and not even remembered it.

About the darts she comments "Losing a close game like that is generally a good way to make yourself liked. A perfect outcome if you are trying to hang around and gather info. Not really what this visit was about, but I'd still call it the perfect outcome in the circumstances."

[Thanee]

Working on the commlink, AM manages to mark it enough to begin the trace. The physical location of the commlink is not too far away, actually.

Just about one kilometer, and getting closer. It is coming to you.

[Jack_Spade]

"Shame, seems like they actually want to meet us. Once they arrive, someone should place a stealth tag on their ride. Makes us less dependent on hacking their devices."

Bobby considered for a moment then nodded.
"We need to listen in on their chat with their fixer. A sneaky drone would probably be best for that as I imagine powerful spellcasters will check the astral."

[Gilga]

Praise the trickster! At least we didn't get caught. she says dryly clearly not amused that all this sophisticated hacking with nothing to show for but when you follow Iktomi, perhaps it is good to feel like a joke. We could probably try it later...

[Tecumseh]

Mato slaps his knees.

"Right then," he says. "I'll go pretend like I just stepped outside for a minute.

"Bobby, if you're going to go undercover, do you want to do your Mind Link to stay in contact with us? Maybe with Tamarind, since she'll be less visible.

"AM, you okay on point? Let me know if you want me to join you. Otherwise I'll stay on overwatch."

Once the plan is set, Mato gets out of the Gopher and goes back inside to take his place at Cassy's table, hopefully with an angle to watch Susan out the corner of his eye.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby shook his head: "Mindlink has limited reach - we are talking a few meters. I'll take a stealth tag with me and activate it when you should pick me up.
Otherwise, sounds like a plan - be careful when you talk about Razak. Make it clear we aren't circumventing their fixer - more that it's a networking opportunity.
You'll also have to admit that we weren't perfectly honest earlier."

[Gilga]

"I'll do my best." She says

AM orders something to drink and wait for her meeting at one of the tables.

[Thanee]

"Still around?" Cassy says, as Mato joins them after all. "Sorry! But your bottle already half done."

Susan puts AM's ordered drink on the table, as the roar of a motorcycle can be heard getting closer. "That could be Kyra. Where's your friend, Bobby? He seemed most eager to get in touch. No promises, though. Not sure how much time they got at the moment."

[Gilga]

"Lets see if he is still around... He did seem eager." AM tells Susan as she texts Bobby >> they are almost here. She adds "Thanks for reaching out to them...

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby was in the process of getting out of his pants when AM sent the message: <<I'm getting ready. If they ask where I am, I just got an important call that I had to follow up on - setting up our livelihood in this area.>>

[Beta]

Tamarind launches one Flying Eye to hover up in the darkness and keep an down on the parking lot, then gather the input from that and the truck's sensors and packages it together on the team channel so that the others can see what is happening outside. When she has a clear window she'll go try planting a bug.

[Tecumseh]

"Yup, back," Mato tells Cassy. "Don't worry about the bottle; I was well aware of the risk."

His ears perk up at the roar of the motorcycle, but he tries to keep a poker face. He decides to keep the table distracted with small talk.

"You all work at Apex Plasmids?" he asks. "I grew up in a Wind River family. Do you ever get used to the smell, or not really?"

It's potentially unwise to be revealing personal details, but Mato figures that it's worth the risk to build some camaraderie. He trusts that anyone working for Apex will know of Wind River Corporation, which became the largest corporate agricultural producer in North America after Horizon bought it in 2068.

Mato looks over at the large "No Smoking" sign that hangs behind the bar counter. Next to it, there are a number of pictures on the wall, all of them depicting faces that are clearly bruised or beaten.

"Who are they?" he asks. "Is that a Wall of Fame or a Wall of Shame?"

[Thanee]

"You were a good sport, it's only fair that we get you a fresh one." The guys nod and Cassy orders one more bottle that gets delivered promptly.

They tell Mato that they are all co-workers at Apex, indeed. The question about the smell does elicit some laughter and a lot of head shaking. No, definitely not. But you just have to tolerate it. You gotta earn those Nuyen somehow, right?

When he asks about the beaten up images on the wall, Cassy says: "Not much fame to be had there, that's for sure. Let's just say, some people don't know how to behave. And we don't like that very much here."

Now, asking all those questions, it's just natural that some come back at him. "So, you do not work at Wind River then? What do you do for a living?"

* * * * *

Tamarind's drone is the first to notice the bike closing in. It's a black and red Yamaha Rapier. A single driver is riding the bike, female, with a slender figure, which could fit the images you have seen before. Clad in black biking leather and with a helmet there is not much else to see. The drone's sensors also pick up a bit of residual heat on the back of the seat, probably from a passenger, who must have been there not too long ago.

The motorcycle slows down and enters the parking area, where it comes to a stop. The woman dismounts and takes off the helmet, hanging it on one of the bike's handles for now. You can hear some clicking and clacking as the bike's automated locking mechanisms do their thing. She is amerindian, tall and fit, attractive features. Her dark hair is styled in a french braid. She looks around, and you are fairly sure that her eyes linger on the Gopher for a moment, before she picks up her helmet and gets inside, heading straight for the bar.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby watched with interest as the bike arrived. This would complicate things for him as a stow away. Still, he turned into red squirrel, stashing a stealth chip in his cheek. When the lady was out of sight, he made sure his aura was showing only a harmless squirrel and made his way over to the bike - zigzagging like a real squirrel would, before carefully closing in on the motorcycle.
Sniffing a bit at the bike, he jumped up on the seat, posing as if he was grooming himself. Just before he jumped off again, he slit the chip into the seat cushion. Afterwards he quickly ran off so he wouldn't arouse suspicion.

[ Spoiler ]

Buying hits for a simple transformation

Palming to hide the chip
Palming: 12d6t5 3

[Gilga]

AM is mildly aware of the happening from the group feed, but she does nothing but keep waiting. "Praise Iktomi for keeping my life interesting!" she says quietly as the adrenaline kicks in.

[Tecumseh]

"I don't work at Wind River, no," Mato admits. "I saw what it did to my parents. It broke them in ways I didn't want to be broken. I think they saw it as the price of life, but I wanted to go a different way.

"I'm in security consulting and risk assessment. Surveillance, research, and analysis, that sort of thing. Freelance. Clients can still yank your chain now and then, but there's no long-term boss putting your neck in a noose." All reasonably true, but also appropriately vague. Hopefully it will side-step any negative connotations about being a private detective.

Mato nods to Cassy's explanation for the wall of shame. "Any good stories?" he asks about the bruised and beaten. "Any of them particularly deserving?"

[Beta]

Tamarind does some inspection of the matrix, to make certain that the biker didn't leave behind a drone of her own to monitor the parking lot. Then she leaves Bobby to his work -- if he can't manage it, she'll try something of her own.

matrix perception in parking lot: 12d6t5 4

[Thanee]

"Oohh, fancy! Yeah, we do not really have a whole lot of options out here, so it is what it is. Work is tough, but it pays the bills. And more importantly... the beers."

"As for the wall... you don't end up there, if you did not deserve it. So, yeah, every one of them had it coming as far as I know."

* * * * *

While Bobby squirrels his way towards the bike to put a tag on it, Tamarind cannot find any traces of other drones in the area.

* * * * *

Kyra talks to Susan, and AM can see the head of the barkeeper / owner pointing to her table while they speak, and also over to Mato at the other table. Observant as he is, Mato also notices the same.

She turns around and heads over to AM, looking her over.

"Damn! And people think, I'm tall. You might even give Jen a run for her money. Hi, I'm Kyra. Susan told me that you and your friends are, uhm, quite some fans? You are lucky, that I was in the area. Wanna tell me what this is all about?"

She sits down across AM at the table, smiling confidently.

[Gilga]

“I am AM, short for Amy Maka. Sioux Shaman and decker.” She smiles a shy smile when they made the height comment not entirely comfortable with the attention her new physique gives her. When they mention their group being interested she says in a conspiratorial smile "the most impatient member of our teem seemed to be more impressed than he should... I think you have a fan. "

Then she bites her lower lip feeling obligated to get to buissness rather than just chat “As for me... I figured I might want this introduction... I have indirectly run into your team, or at least its reputation... it seems like you are missing a decker. Not many shadow runners operate it so I figured you might want to know I am in town for a while if you'll have anything that requires a decker."
She looks around as if expecting Bobby to join though she suspects he is already a cockroach or something on their ride. "There is also a favor I was asked to deliver, our benefactor. ex- SDF... he was curious about you when we submitted a report. His name is Captain Razak, if you think it is worth your time I can set up an introduction. Perhaps you would click. “

[Thanee]

"Hello, AM. You probably know my name, already. Nevertheless, I'm Kyra."

She gives you a friendly smile. But, of course, you know that she is a face and it could all just be a facade.

"I don't know what you heard, but we are not typically working with others, especially folks we do not know well. We work extremely well together, and we are not going to jeopardize that. We need trust."

Her tone does change a little bit as she continues.

"And speaking of trust, help me out here, you seem like a smart girl. Would you trust this? This whole thing. You come in here, three of you, asking for us, specifically. Then it's just you, and the rest is sitting over there, or outside in that truck of yours together with your driver. Why are they not here with you? I mean, I have a pretty good idea now. Especially, after that shapechanging friend of yours ended up squirelling his way towards my bike outside. That wouldn't strike you as odd? Neat trick, though, I will give you that."

AM is wondering, how Kyra can even know this part. Surely, she cannot have seen it. Someone else must have been watching them. Probably before Kyra arrived even. Very likely, this would be their shaman, Lena, since she would have the means to see inside the truck. Maybe astrally, or maybe with some kind of detection spell.

"The reason I am here is to figure out what this is all about. At first, it didn't even seem so weird. A bit unusual, sure. But now that I am here, there's just this bunch of red flags. Surely, you agree. So would you extend me the courtesy and tell me what is going on for real? As of now, nothing has happened, right? I would hope that we can keep it that way. Maybe then we can also talk about that benefactor of yours."

[Beta]

That warm seat on the motorcycle -- dropped someone off nearby? Or someone is invisible? They have lots of magic, so I'm thinking the latter. And that is fine. Well, it makes me envious, but sure, if you have magic then use it. And we are being paranoid, why shouldn't they? Still, it would be great to know if someone is standing next to the truck, waiting to blow it up. I guess I should probably check for such things.


She reaches out to Uncle, and had it turn on its ultrasound sensor, and fly back towards the truck, circle it, and start running a search pattern between the truck, the motorbike, and the bar, looking for the characteristic 'weak pings where there should be nothing at all' that is suggestive of someone operating under an invisibility (but not silence) spell.

[Gilga]

AM lets out a breath—relieved, not that Bobby got caught, but that Kyra actually asked.
She rolls her eyes, more at the situation than the people. “My crew’s... a little eccentric. Tamarind, the one in the van, she’s got social anxiety. Prefers drones to people. Then there’s Bobby, the shapeshifter. He got very powerful magically and his paranoia grew with his might. I like the guy, his heart’s in the right place, but he is exhausting. She says truthfully letting out some air relieved to say it out aloud.

And Mato... he plays the strong silent protector, even though I’m more than capable of taking care of myself, and I may be naive but I don't feel the danger. These people are much to stomach, but don't make more to it then there is. Just a bunch of misfits each pushing the boat in a different direction. I talk to you because I... AM wants to talk to you they are just being impossible.”

She sighs, pushing past her hesitation. “Trust has to start somewhere, right? So let’s do this properly.”
Another pause, then she just rips the bandage off.
“When you extracted Mr. Belenkiy... we were hired to get him back. Not by Ares, but by the farm’s owner. Some disgruntled employee saw the whole thing, then tried to ransom the farm—half a million nuyen, or he'd ruin their reputation. Our job was to track him down, figure out what was really going on.”
She reaches into the plastic bag in her purse “This feather... I think it’s yours. You left it at the scene. Opened you to ritual tracking... Didn’t work, but still— a bit sloppy to leave behind.”

She softens slightly, more explanation than accusation. “Thing is, we’re getting paid because we found the decker who posted the ransom. No payout, no PR disaster, everything stays quiet. That’s all our client wanted.”
Another sigh—third now. She’s building up to something.
“I told Bobby to let it go. Told him that if you had were still entangled with the extraction, you wouldn’t be here meeting with us. I mean, if I had to babysit Belenkiy before a dropoff, I wouldn't have come to meet myself. I'd crawl under my rock and wait for him to be gone, especially with a megacorp that might be looking. So I figured it was a done deal—and I reached out because I wanted to offer something.”

Her gaze flicks down, lips pressing together before she bites the lower one, just for a second.
“Our benefactor, Captain Razak... he offered us a commission if we could arrange a meeting with you. We saw what you gals can pull off when we revisited the security cameras in the area. Good magical execution, but your decker was sloppy and just hacked the farm ignoring the other cameras that were not slaved to their host. Anyhow, we told Razak about you, and he was impressed with what we had to tell him. So in a way—you crossed our path, left a mark, and in return got a recommendation. And Razak... he’s done right by us. We trust him... I don't think there is any damage in meeting the guy, worst case you don't click.”

She shifts in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. This isn’t easy for her to market her own skills.
“And look, when the dust settles on this specific job, we’ll all go back to normal... And I’ll still be me. Still a damn good decker, and perhaps the kind of person you'll mesh well with. No hidden agendas other than self promotion. I genuinely think you’ll benefit from having my number around. Keep your options open for the next time you need tech work. I don't know if anything good would come out of it given your justified suspicion, but I did want this introduction for myself. I didn't expect to have my entire crew trying to get involved in a simple networking attempt and making it awkward... but well... they have done worse in the past.”

[Thanee]

Kyra listens carefully, as AM explains the situation. When the ransom gets mentioned, she can even see a bit of surprise in her eyes.

Here and there, she nods acknowledgingly. At other times, she shakes her head slightly. A little more vigorously when that decker is mentioned.

As AM produces the feather, Kyra shrugs. "Some say it's sloppy. Some say it's bold. You can keep the feather. I can always get more."

She leans back a little, a bit more relaxed than before.

"Alright. I think, I can believe you. And you do happen to know a few things, that much is clear. A few things you got wrong, though. We had noone covering the Matrix for us. There was no need for it. Whoever did that, was not on our team. Maybe that ransom guy? What is up with that, anyways? Did he really put a ransom on someone, we took from the ranch? The nerve of some people."

"So, you are no longer looking for the suit? Not sure, I fully believe that part, so allow me to let you in on a little secret here."

She leans over, conspiratorially and continues in a hushed tone.

"I am not going to tell you exactly what our job was, but I can promise you this much... Belenkiy is being returned to the ranch in a few days, unharmed."

Settling back into her chair, she says: "We know Captain Razak. Well, not personally, but one of us has crossed his path briefly in the past. I guess, there is no harm in listening to what he has to say. How do you propose we get in touch?"

* * * * *

Outside, Uncle returns to the parking lot, scanning the area around the vehicles and the bar, but does not find any other persons hiding there.