Living in the Shadows: IC, your run might be over... Options

[Tiredronin]

17:34:20 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - Outside the Puyallup Street Clinic

Daedalus answers in his gravest tone:

"Is this the clinic at 104 3rd street in Puyallup? You are about to have a very dangerous situation. You need to seal off your ventilation system or you may have a quarenteen breach. There is a in intruder in your vents. Please hurry, there is no time to waste."

[Sedna]

17:34:55 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - Outside the Puyallup Street Clinic

A quick flurry on the other side of the phone, a couple of clicks, then a male voice: Who is this? And what is the nature of the situation? Details, please.

[Sedna]

17:40:53 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - at the Fox and Hound

As Virgil and Dragon continue to work out the details of what they do and don't have yet (and Dragon is starting to get increasingly puzzled by the rigger's silence) -- all at once both their phones go off. Simultaneously. With five or so phone calls each.

The detangling takes a while -- "No, I don't want to subscribe to the Seattle Star!" How did you get this number?. Most of it is innocuous, just the usual barrage of phone calls, nuisance and otherwise, some literally dialing down the list of all possible LTGs: but condensed into a five second burst, overpowering the usual spam filtres.

Fourth down the list, Dragon's side, is Tiffany. "Did you want me to sit on this, Dragon?" she asks directly, her face tight.

Who -- what -- Sit on what, Tiffany?

She's about to say something else but then checks: "Sorry -- you really don't know. That guy, the Caucasian: he's Vinnie."

Dragon and Virgil (on one of his own calls) glance at each other. Then Dragon asks: Who's Vinnie?

Tiffany closes her eyes. "Only one of the middling major players around here. Familia, that's who. He has something of a specialty in smuggling. Sorry, something's come up here. Got to go. Keep your phone on next time!"

And with that, she's gone.

[Tiredronin]

17:35:15 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - Outside the Puyallup Street Clinic

“I am a friend to the employees of the clinic. The rigger who attacked with the missiles earlier today dropped a drone that has entered your ventilation system from the roof. It hasn’t gone very deep yet, but I trust you will respect the danger presented here.

It could be anything from surveillance to a bomb.”

anyone who would put missiles onto a blimp cannot be underestimated…

[Morgannah]

20:16:38 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Wei's Noodle House, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo blinked, which for her was the equivalent to dropping her jaw in wide-eyed astonishment. Had he shown her that face when the two of them were alone, she ... no, it was best not to think of that. Her fingers already itched to touch him, to tap into that current of torrential energy and feel it wash over her. He was intoxicating, without question, and seeing that level of conviction displayed at all, much less in someone that seemed so cool, was beyond fascinating.

Ilsa was a damned fool.

She smiled, slowly at first but with a quiet intensity that grew from one second to the next. It wasn't the charming, seductive smile that had become her hallmark or even the playful dimple she often used to keep men off their guard; there was nothing even remotely pretty about the lush curve of her lips, but then the heat that ran through her wasn't all that pretty either. Cosmo followed his train of thought and took it a step further, glancing meaningfully from her empty bowl to his own. She raised one eyebrow in wordless question.

[banditf50]

17:41:38 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - at the Fox and Hound

Virgil is stuck in anticipation as he waits for Dragon to end his latest call. The merc has a headware phone system so it is not possible for his current conversation to be overheard. The shaman could tell that his friend had just been given an important piece of information, for Dragon's face had just taken on the look of man who has just solved the mystery an hour before the movie was over.

[WinterRat1]

17:42:03 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - at the Fox and Hound

Leaning back in his chair with a bit of surprise on his face, Dragon smiles at Virgil . “Well well well, I guess even we’re entitled to a bit of a lucky break sometimes.”
“What do you mean?”

“You want to know who that other guy in the photo is?”

“You’ve got to be drekking me. You know already?” The disbelief is evident in the shaman’s tone.

“Nope, and that’s the best part. I’m 100% for real on this. Tiffany just told me that the guy’s name is Vinnie , a connected Mafiosi who’s a mid-major player around Seattle. Specializes in smuggling. Granted, it’s not a complete biography, but how many mid-major smugglers in the Mafia named Vinnie can there be? So,” Dragon leans forward and crosses his arms on the table, “where do we go from here?”

[grendel]

20:17:04 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Wei's Noodle House, Los Angeles, CFS

Standing, Caska offered his hand to Cosmo, reradiating the heat of desire. He swept his glance across the restaurant, nodding to Wei in thanks. Payment for this evening had already been made. A window opened in his vision, remoting the sensor feed from the Condor II orbiting overhead. A single line of text appeared across the bottom of the image: Clear. Handing Cosmo into his car, he opened up his headware comm interface.

Heading to my place, keep eyes on, ground combat element released once we've arrived, rendezvous tomorrow 1400.

Engine snarling, the Shadow accelerated down the street into the darkness. The drive was short, twenty minutes of primary arteries through central Los Angeles to a modest residential neighborhood consisting mostly of four and five story apartment complexes. The driveway they pulled into belonged to the Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes. Caska slotted his passcard, waiting for the heavy gate to scroll back before negotiating the slight ramp down into the parking garage. Cosmo noted the security cameras scanning the entrance to the garage, setup to catch only the license plate of vehicles entering and not the driver's face. Caska's parking spot is well chosen, affording three different routes to the two exits from the garage while being out of direct sight from the casual passer-by on the street.

As he closed the door of the car behind her and moved them towards the bank of elevators in the center of the parking garage, Caska placed his left hand at the small of Cosmo's back, a simple gesture of control and possession that only fueled the fires burning inside of her. It was hard to decide who moved first when the elevator doors closed, bodies came together in a rush, mouths hungry for each other.

Caska broke away when the elevator chimed to a halt on the third floor, clearing the hallway before leading Cosmo down to the condo marked 3D. The door opened to his passcard and entrance code. Her practiced eyes noticed that his lock was different from the others, featuring a passive fingerprint scanner built into the keypad. So, not just another safehouse, but his home, she mused, the hunger of her curiosity warring with another, more basic, desire. Investigation can wait until later, she decides, reaching for Caska as he closed the door behind them.

[banditf50]

17:42:03 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - at the Fox and Hound

"Well there is more than a probable chance that this Vinnie is totally unrelated to Jonah's disappearance. It was the dark man that came to the club seeking Jonah and it was likely him and his entrouge that tossed the doss."

Virgil leans back and takes a long drink of his lager.

"I am getting way ahead of myself here. Right now our working theory is that Jonah was home when his place was ransacked, meaning he likely fled somewhere. If I had a connection with an accomplished smuggler, I know that's the first guy I'd turn to if I wanted to get out of town."

[WinterRat1]

20:15:29 Saturday, January 6, 2063 - Catapusan's Sushi Bar

“Well ain’t that something to hear that warms my old heart,” Max answers in a slightly exaggerated tone of voice. A waitress comes by discreetly and asks if they would like anything to drink. Casually the two men place their drink orders, and wait until she leaves before resuming their discussion.

Leaning forward slightly, Max looks a bit uncomfortable. “Listen kid, I know I said we shouldn’t talk biz, but we don’t have a lot of time and I’ve been doing some digging like you asked, and I got some of that information you asked me for. Figure we should get that out first, because this, you should know. I’ll give you the not so bad news first.”

Not so bad news. That means there’s bad news next. This cannot be good. So much for a nice, quiet, relaxing evening. “OK, let’s hear it,” Blaze answers a bit stiffly.

“I looked into that magical group or whatever you call it, and as far as Leopard shamans only, you are drek outta luck. Of course, it’s possible I just ain’t in the know enough to know about them, but I pretty much got laughed at by my contacts for asking. ‘Leopard shaman? In the sprawl? Are you fragging nuts? When was the last time a Leopard was anywhere near a sprawl?’ was about the long and the short of the responses I got.”

Running a hand through his hair, Blaze just nods. “I expected as much, but I was hoping I’d luck out. I mean, you never know, right?” Leaning forward with his arms on the table, he asks quietly, “OK then, that’s the not so bad news. Now let’s hear the really bad news. And before you ask, I know it’s really bad or you wouldn’t have been so hesitant about it.”

Max flashes him a quick smile. “Read me like a freaking screamsheet. I’m going to have to work on that with you.” Nodding sharply, his demeanor abruptly shifts. “OK kid, you’re a pro, so I’m going to give it to you straight. Buzz on the street says not one, but two crews are looking for your cousin now. One of them is Universal Omnitech, which figures. They aren’t too scary, I guess they know what she can do and figure she ain’t too dangerous, and there’s no need to send the heavy guns after her. They’ve got a fair amount of people combing the sprawl looking for her, but nothing too out of hand.”
“Figured Omnitech wouldn’t just let her walk away.”

“Yeah, but they aren’t the ones who I’d worry about. The guys I’d worry about are another group. Smaller, but professionals, you scan? I couldn’t get a handle on who they’re working for, but they’re definitely shadow talent, from what I hear. They’ve got an interest in her as well. If I had to guess, they were hired by another corp to extract her in this mess. Hell, maybe they even caused the mess, what with her husband dying and all, you never know, right?”

The waitress brings back their drinks, and the fixer takes a sip of his before Blaze interjects, “OK Max what aren’t you telling me here? This is pretty standard drek, it shouldn’t bother you that these guys are out here. Hell, we both expected it. There’s another card in this deck somewhere and we both know it. Don’t worry about protecting me from things I don’t need to know, and all that drek. I need to know or I’m going to get fragged up a hell of a lot worse for not knowing?”

“You’re right. Just wasn’t sure how to break it to you. I tracked your cousin to being in the Redmond Barrens. Granted, that doesn’t narrow it down much, but it’s a start, right? What worries me is that I’ve been hearing rumors, just rumors, mind you,” he emphasizes with a disclaiming wave of his hand, “that some of the local Triads in Redmond are starting to get a little restless. About something…or someone.”

He lets that sink in before clarifying, “For all I know, it could be coincidence, but these Triads, they don’t talk. So I got no real way of knowing anything more than that. Could be nothing. More than likely, it’s just coincidence, but if it’s not , you could be biting off more than you could chew. You hear me?”

[paul_HArkonen]

20:20:29 Saturday, January 6, 2063 - Catapusan's Sushi Bar

"Yeah, I understand. But that doesn't really change much, I still have to find her. I've got a spirit out looking, but there's no gauruntees. At least if I've got it down to the barrens I can start doing an astral search, although I don't know exactly what I'm looking for..."

Max shakes his head slowly, "you've really got to work on the impetuous streak, it's gonna get you into real trouble one of these days."

Blaze chuckled slightly at that, "it's already gotten me into trouble, but then again I think that's why your contacts laughed at you about Leopards in the sprawl. Either way thank you, I'm sure you know how much this means to me. But the fact that the a second shadow group and the Triads may be involved has me somewhat worried. Unless she's learned some fairly impressive dreck she's gonna need help."

Sighing Blaze shakes his head slowly in turn. The waitress came back by to deliver the day's sushi special, a Salmon roll, and Tuna Sashmi. Blaze nods to her mumbling "Arigato".

Turning back to Max he continues on, "It's my job to try and protect her. She needs my help, but I'm not sure I really can help. It's my job to keep my family safe, but all I can do is find out afterwards that they're in trouble. Damn it, and I was hoping to stay off the topic of biz..."

"It's alright kid. I understand this is fairly hard, but at least now that you know she's still ok you can keep working on it. Just don't do something that's going to get you hurt."

"I'll try not to. If I did that I'd have a hard time finding that chika to get you off my back wouldn't I?"

"I suppose you would kid, but the ladies seem to like a man with a few bullet holes, means he's tough, and can protect them... But don't get them just for that reason. I mean really, takes you out of the game for a fragging long time."

As the two of them began eating their food they continued their discussion, the conversation slowly shifting from Blaze's personal life to Max's, and then over to the subject of the values of the newest version of NERPs.

After about a half hour of eating and chatting with his "son" Max stood up from his chair. "This has been enjoyable, we really should try to do this more often kid, but I've got to go. I've had a busy day, and it's not done yet. I'll give you a call if I hear anything more about your cousin."

"Yeah, we should do this more often, thanks and I'll see around Max." Blaze remained in his seat, slowly sipping at the dregs of his drink and finishing some of the ginger left on his plate. He gave Max a good ten minutes of head start before standing up, paying the check and heading out for the rest of his evening, and maybe a decent night's sleep.

[WinterRat1]

17:43:03 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - at the Fox and Hound

"Agreed on that wanting to get out of town part. But what makes you think Jonah was home when his place got sacked? Did I miss something? And while we're on that question, do you have any better guesses than the Big A for the so-called 'dark man'? Because Juliette was right, that's not exactly a hell of a lot of hard evidence, or even substantial evidence."

Dragon absently butters a roll and starts chewing as he kicks around the random facts and thoughts they had accumulated, trying to make them fit into a coherent picture.

[Sedna]

17:36:03 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - Outside the Puyallup Street Clinic

Seconds pass, ages of time. After it's gotten almost to a full minute, the rigger is about to try again, certain that his earlier message hadn't gotten through; when the line comes open again: Thank you for your timely warning. The issue has been dealt with.

Daedalus twitches: military training notwithstanding, after what he'd just gone through, there is something of stubborn refusal in him to leave it at that. May I know what its purpose was? If they dealt with it that quickly, probably it was just surveillance -- but that doesn't fit what I'm starting to know of this guy. He's not yet had a drone that only served one function, and the secondary ones were pure ambush.

Gas, says the other curtly. Fugi. We have retrieved the drone and have a barrier active.

Its sensors will still be active ...

The other waits for him to finish. After a second or so of silence came the answer: Thank you for the warning. We are aware of the nature of the problem and of its range. Sybersnake has been moved to a safe location.

With that the line clicks shut. Daedalus thinks briefly about pulling himself out of Icarus, reconsiders when he remembers the earlier interference, reconsiders again when he realised that whatever it was that had been interfering with earlier electronic communications seems to have been lifted. That was strange. Is this kind of thing typical of this area? It looks a bit shot up, but I thought that was just the missile. Frag, I'm hungry.

Hey, Daedalus, what's keeping you? comes Dragon's familiar voice over the radio. A good dinner's missing you here, and we've got to brief you in any case. Concern suddenly bleeds through: What's going on there? Do you need me?

Maybe five minutes ago ... but Daedalus has long been practiced in the ways of behind-transducer thinking. Had a bogey, but we're clear now. I'll update you later. While I get some food into me! Where do I meet you again?

Daedalus quickly pulls up the instructions for how to get to the Fox and Hound, sighs softly when he realises it's going to be more than walking distance. I'll just copy over the Shadowland personals to ask their opinion, and then I'm gone. I can't believe I'll have to take a taxi. How humiliating.

[banditf50]

17:43:46 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - at the Fox and Hound

"Frag. Did I say that I thought he was home? I meant that I am almost positive that Jonah was not home. Sorry about that slip-up." Blame it on the head-ache I guess. . .

"As far as the dark-man indicatind the presence of the Big A goes, the combined tactics of the fire elemental and watcher were are very common amongst their mages, the types that we've been up against before." Virgil feels a shudder work it's way up his spine.

"In addition to that observation, I swear that I heard him speak with a spanish accent in Cindy's memory of her encounter with him."

[WinterRat1]

17:45:09 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - at the Fox and Hound

Dragon nods. "Fair enough. That said, have we checked Shadowland for anything lately? All sorts of stuff shows up there, some of which might actually be useful to us. It can't do any harm at the least. Oh and by the way, Daedalus is on his way. He should be here shortly."

[Morgannah]

20:40:16 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo grinned, her teeth flashing white in an otherwise black room. However many things she could say about Caska, there was no denying that she was drawn to him. Spirits above and below, was she ever drawn to him. Clothing ripped. Teeth pulled at flesh with little restraint. Fire leapt into her eyes as tiny crystal beads sprayed from her tattered shirt, bouncing across the floor before they finally settled. Her knees threatened to give out at his low, gravelly laugh. Strength fought strength; skill fought skill, and Cosmo knew that her will was nothing compared to the power he radiated.

It was a difficult balance to strike. Poised between the prospects gentle yielding and complete and utter surrender, Cosmo felt as though she danced on a razor's edge, flirting with the dangerous prospect of losing herself to caresses that demanded more than she'd ever wanted to give. A low growl slipped from between her lips as she strained against him, her lithe body twisting at the last moment to gain a little extra leverage only to find the move skillfully reversed. Suddenly she was beneath him, her back pressed firmly against a soft mattress as the last of her clothing was torn away. Her eyes widened for a second, alight with challenge before they half-closed. A long slow breath escaped her as she stared up at Caska, noting the rigid set of his jaw, all the planes and angles of his face .. the sheer animal beauty of him. Something inside her tore away in that moment. She knew what he wanted from her; what he'd wanted from her the night they met.

"To hell with it," she breathed, her voice so soft she could barely hear it herself. A small smile played about her lips as her eyes finally drifted shut.

[grendel]

21:32:49 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes, Los Angeles, CFS

Wind hammered against the bedroom window, and the air in the apartment was chill and dark. A single strip of red LEDs lit the room, enough light for a normal human to navigate by, but almost as good as daylight for the enhanced predators curled beneath the covers on the bed. Caska slid his hand across the smooth curves of Cosmo's skin.

"Tell me something true, again," he whispered.

[Morgannah]

21:33:11 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo smiled softly as she looked down at him, her face, still damp with a sheen of sweat, mere centimeters from his. Long waves of silky blonde hair tickled his ribs as she shifted downwards, trailing light kisses across the claw marks she'd given him two nights earlier. She was very nearly purring; his hands hadn't left her from the second the door closed behind them.

"Mmm," she shook her head, playfully nipping at his chest. "You first."

[grendel]

21:35:26 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes, Los Angeles, CFS

Caska was quiet for a moment, his eyes distant. His hands continued to move against her skin, though, gentle but demanding. The latent strength in his body now was relaxed, resting.

"I killed five men when I was thirteen years old. They were my first. That was fourteen years ago. I couldn't tell you how many lives I've taken since then. I've sold pieces of my body, replacing them with titanium and polymer, FRCs and fiber optics. I've trained for years with weapons, explosives, vehicles. I have cut away everything that could be used against me by an adversary."

Again, his voice drops, gravelly. Cosmo feels him close, though. This is the truest he's ever spoken to her.

"If I ask you to stay with me, you'll be in danger. I know that doesn't mean much to you. You've been trained as I have. But I'd like you to stay."

[Tiredronin]

17:38:03 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - Daedalus's apartment

Leaving Icarus to watch over the clinic, and fully entering his body after hours of projecting his mind and senses all over town on the radio waves, Daedalus gets dressed and layers a sweater and his long coat for the chilly weather outside.

Making a call to the cab company, he exits his apartment and while locking the door remembers the shadowlands post and that he needs to contact Vinnie.

Dialing as he jogs down the stairs Daedalus can only reach Vinnie's voicemail.

"Hey Vinnie this is Daedalus calling regarding our delayed meeting. What type of delay are we talking about and how about the first package? Call me back whenever."

Ugh, I really hope this won't be a long delay, I could really use my van... Daedalus thinks as the battered yellow cab pulls up.

A short trip, and a handful of bills later and Daedalus finds himself in front of the Fox and Hound, famished but impressed at the quality of resturant his friends arrange their meets at.

Entering, he spots Dragon and Virgil and bypassing the host station by indicating he is the missing third party makes his way to the table.

"Well hello my friends, nice place. Virgil its been a while, Dragon nice to see you with my meat eyes. Whats for dinner?"

[WinterRat1]

17:59:45 Saturday, 6 January, 2063 - The Fox and the Hound

Dragon grins at the rigger. "Whatever you want. It's on our delayed host's tab, and since he's the one that caused this hold up in our schedule, I for one don't feel bad about going a little nuts."

[Morgannah]

21:36:57 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes, Los Angeles, CFS

She felt his words more than she heard them; the roughness in his voice, the brief statements he made .. and didn't make, all resonated within her. The largest part of her success with people stemmed from feeling what they were about and as much as emotion could be a liability in their particular profession, for her, it was everything. Cosmo had held on to enough of herself to see that there was still music and beauty in an otherwise dark world, so long as one was willing to look for it and make it their own.

The smile that played across her lips was soft, almost sweet, despite the seriousness of the moment, and rather than recoiling from him as another woman might have, Cosmo wrapped her arms about Caska, hugging herself to him. She was quiet for a long time though her eyes, dancing with emotion, never left his.

"It means a great deal to me, Caska, because I know you'd keep me out of trouble if you could; I would do the same, if I could."

She took a deep breath and paused, considering how to proceed.

"There are .. things, about me, that I don't know; parts of myself that I'm still learning. I have dreams, waking and asleep, of the person I might have been but no matter how hard I try, I can't credit them as true. I can't deny them either." Cosmo shivered, remembering dark speckles across her pale skin, the metallic tang of Version's blood on her lips as she felt his life slip away....

"I don't know what's after me or why I was brought back, but I do know why I'm here tonight. I'd like to stay, if you'll have me."

[grendel]

21:39:04 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes, Los Angeles, CFS

I've never wanted anything more in my life. Caska brushes his fingertips across Cosmo's cheek, silent for the moment. It wasn't a question she asked, but he would give her an answer in any case. She was magical, this creature of soft beauty nestled next to him. She inspired passion in him, something he was unused to, as well as something resembling tenderness, an emotion he long thought dead. Parallel, but at complete opposite purposes, were other, more wicked thoughts. He'd felt her surrender to him, the arch of her back as she bared her throat, the moment in her eyes when his will supplanted hers. He exulted in it, savage glee racing through him.

His was a combat mind, though, used to assimilating information quickly, sorting useful from extraneous, weighing the options, and executing a plan. His indecision did not last long.

"Tonight, then. Stay with me tonight."

[Morgannah]

21:41:42 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo nodded, just once, her features radiant even in the wash of red lighting. She'd seen it, really and truly seen Caska soften toward her, even if it was only for a second; something about the mouth, the way he caressed her cheek....

"Tonight," she whispered, unsure and uncaring of what tomorrow might bring. Soft, plush lips parted ever so slightly as she tilted her face toward him, curling into a slow, sweet smile as she felt a new fire kindling in him. She would be His .. tonight.

[grendel]

02:15:36 Thursday 04 January 2063 - Camino Del Sur Condominium Homes, Los Angeles, CFS

The car fishtailed violently, throwing Cosmo against the restraining harness as she countersteered, fighting for control. Bullets gouged scars from the asphalt before chewing up her right rear tire and the rear quarter panel. The runflat tire held momentarily before the friction of the slide tore it apart. The sports car flipped and rolled twice, side windows shattering into beads of safety glass while the front windshield spiderwebbed.

Airbags deployed, cushioning Cosmo as she recoiled from the crash. The vehicle slid another thirty meters on its roof, sparks cascading off the metal, before coming to a halt. Tires squealed nearby, and Cosmo fought against the safety restraints, finally dragging herself free through the passenger side window. Gunfire immediately stabbed across the overturned vehicle, silenced rounds crackling through the air next to her head. She ducked and swore, pistol out in her hand. Without looking, she sent two rounds back over the car before staggering towards the line of parked vehicles twelve meters away. She could hear feet pounding on the pavement as the hit squad switched from pursuit to termination.

Ducking between the two of the parked cars, she swapped magazines in the Predator. Glancing over her shoulder, she could just make out two of the black jumpsuited attackers, faces obscured by a combination of tactical display and gas mask, vest hung with magazines and grenades, and the silenced carbine already shouldered and seeking a target. She took a moment to examine the ruined cocktail dress before brushing an errant strand of hair out of her face. The world exploded.

The 30mm air timed minigrenade detonated a meter and a half shy of her position, just above head level. The concussion blew out her eardrums and sent her skidding onto the sidewalk. The left half of her body prickled, skin punished by the overpressure from the grenade. She rolled into a crouch, weapon held at the ready. A trio of 8mm gel rounds flattened themselves against her chest, fracturing two of her ribs despite the massive deformation of the projectiles.

Cosmo's vision compressed itself into a single horizontal line, one pixel high but of infinite length. Taking a shuddering breath, she tried to open her eyes before realizing they were already open, staring up into the overcast sky. Her body was numb with shock, but she groped for her pistol anyway, finger skittering over its grip before it was kicked away. She went for the ankle, clawing at the hamstring, but someone stepped on her wrist, pinning her arm to the ground. Someone else sat on her legs. Hissing like a cobra, she lashed out again, shadows blurring with the black figures crowded over her. A voice cursed before slipping a plastic flex-cuff over her free wrist and cinching it down.

A face swam into view, dark hair pulled back into a braid, dangerous eyes glinting over a cruel smile. The woman leaned close, feeling along Cosmo's neck for something. She felt the bite of a compressed air injection.

"Say goodnight," whispered the woman as Cosmo's vision faded to black.

Cosmo opened her eyes, inhaling sharply, tension suffusing her body. The memory had been sudden, unbidden, intense. Her chest ached in sympathy to where she'd been shot in the vision, and she reached up to brush her fingertips across the skin. Caska woke and moved as if he'd never been asleep, his right hand clearing the room with a Browning while his left held the spoon down on a grenade he'd already pulled the pin on. Cosmo waited, frozen, her eyes watching as his combat reflexes spooled down to where it was no longer dangerous to move. She brushed her hand across his chest, feeling the rapid but even thunder of his heart. The weapons disappeared as quickly as they were drawn, and he covers her hand with his.

"You all right?" he asks, his voice soft.