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

[Morgannah]

09:16:42 Monday 01 January 2063 - Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo chuckled, resolving to deal with that situation when it presented itself, and not a moment before. It took less than a second to switch from phone call to the main screen and less than three minutes of careful searching to determine that the only saved entry in the p-sec was the message she'd seen earlier that day. Turning the machine off and flipping it over in her hands, she begins the delicate process of taking the thing apart.

Come on, baby .. give me a little something, hmm?

[grendel]

09:19:25 Monday 01 January 2063 - Los Angeles, CFS

While the outside casing is Novatech standard, the innards are anything but. No serial numbers on the boards, the memory, or the processor. The construction is non-standard, something far cleaner and precise than should appear in a piece of consumer electronics. Even something high-end.

[Morgannah]

09:19:28 Monday 01 January 2063 - Los Angeles, CFS

Too easy, but .. beautifully made.

Barely even sighing as she goes about putting everything back together, Cosmo re-engages the manual steering controls on her little coupe, pushes somewhat insistently on the gas, and continues towards her apartment with a determined glint in her eye. She'd be damned if there wasn't time for a shower somewhere in her agenda.

Ghost knows what was in that goop this morning ....

[grendel]

09:36:48 Monday 01 January 2063 - Riverwalk Apartment Complex, Los Angeles, CFS

Sliding her keycard through the accesspoint at the underground garage, Cosmo taps the steering wheel impatiently as the heavy metal gate scrolls upward. Easing the BMW inside, she pauses next to the information kiosk and slide the card again. A cheerfully fake female face appears on the screen.

"How may I be of service, Ms. Richards?"

"Which parking space is mine?"

"Second level, number 161." The smiling face doesn't miss a beat. It struck Cosmo that only her paranoia and the fact that it wasn't a real live cheerful person kept her from putting a bullet through the face. Instead, she rolled the window up and went to find her parking spot.

A short ride up the elevator, a right down the corridor, and Cosmo slides inside the apartment, closing the door quietly behind her before drawing her weapon. A short hall opens into a large main room, tastefully done in post-modern minimialist. The curtains on the large windows are drawn, covering the room in shadows. Moving forward down the hall, the corner opens up to a small kitchen, with an open bar between it and the rest of the common room. A sliding glass door in the far wall leads to a small balcony, and a short hall leads back to the bathroom and bedroom. All prove to be empty as Cosmo sweeps through.

[WinterRat1]

0340 Saturday January 6, 2063 - looking for a stage or back door

A friendly, but professional female voice answers, "Name and ID please." The camera moves slightly, appearing to attempt to focus in on the two of them as they stand outside the loading dock entrance.

[Shadowrunner13]

17:57:07 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - 10441 Pacific Court Way, Seattle, UCAS

Tenmou orally recites his checklist.

"Pick up Miss Omura at 1330 at 6461 Woolfes Lane, take her to her 1400 appointment at 905 West Park Ave in Tacoma and return her to her apartment."

Lifting the credstick from the desk, he stands and bows to Mr. Omura. "Is there anything else, Omura-san?"

[WinterRat1]

1245 Saturday January 6th, 2063 - Virgil's Redmond Safehouse

Still speaking in that calm, mechanistic tone, Dragon addresses the shaman again. "We have three choices. One. Leave her to die of a drug overdose. Two. Actively facilitate the process." It was chilling, the detached way that the mercenary said, 'facilitate'. He was saying, 'kill her' in a polite, almost civilized tone. It almost made one forget what he really meant. Almost.

Without missing a beat Dragon continued, "Three. Take her to the clinic with us and let the doctor take care of her. Surprising, I know, but it appears that our other two alternatives may be a bit...inhumane. Besides, if you trust this woman to keep quiet, it may not be so unreasonable to trust her to keep this girl quiet as well. Note also that I am only stating possibilities, not inputing my opinion at this moment. What do the rest of you think?"

[grendel]

17:57:52 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - 10441 Pacific Court Way, Seattle, UCAS

Omura stands and bows as well.

"Not at this time. Arigato."

[Sedna]

0340 Saturday January 6, 2063 - looking for a stage or back door

"Hang on a sec, I've got it right here in my purse ..."

Alianna proceeds to fish desperately through her purse. Her shivering is making her a little clumsy though: paper clips, kleenexes, a tube of lipstick, a credstick-sized pencil slip out of her fingers and into the muck at her feet. Finally, in pouting frustration, she turns to Blaze, hands against his chest: "You told me you could get me in to see them!" Everything about her promises, and withholds, and cries out her sheer frustration.

And back to the camera, still fishing blindly through her purse: "Look, hon, please, can't you just cut me a break? He'll make it worth your while ..."

[Shadowrunner13]

17:58:11 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - 10441 Pacific Court Way, Seattle, UCAS

Tenmou looks at Miss Omura and lightly bows.

"I will see you tomorrow, Miss Omura."

Turning to his employer, Tenmou says "Arigatau, Mr Omura," before turning and leaving the conference room, heading back the way he came.

[paul_HArkonen]

0340 Saturday January 6, 2063 - looking for a stage or back door

"I know, I'm sorry. Here, listen buddy, we both know how it is, how much is it going to take for me to let my chica see the band?"

As he speaks Blaze carefully pulls a large stack of bills out of one of th coat's pockets. "Come on, I promise we won't do anything, she just wants to see them up close." As a shiver passes thourgh his body, "Just let us in, it's fragging cold out here."

[grendel]

18:03:30 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - 10441 Pacific Court Way, Seattle, UCAS

Downstairs, the anonymous bodyguard holds the door for Tenmou again, stepping inside before closing it this time.

"Have a good evening, sir."

In the short time the meeting required, it has begun to rain, a hazy mist descending across the metroplex. A taxi idles at the curb.

[WinterRat1]

0340 Saturday January 6, 2063 - looking for a stage or back door

The other end of the intercom is silent for a moment. Then a burst of static comes through. After a moment, it clears, and the door slowly swings open. The female voice says smoothly, "Please enter the Paradigm Shift. Enjoy your stay." The open doorway appears to lead into a hallway cum storage area of some sort. The intercom is silent, and the entrance beckons to the pair...

[Sedna]

0340 Saturday January 6, 2063 - looking for a stage or back door

With a breathless and tossed out "Thank you," Alianna never hesitates. Or, rather, she hesitates just long enough to notice that Blaze is not quite as fast off the mark as she is. "Well, come on," she says sharply, tapping her foot impatiently as the anticipation floods her aura. "They won't wait for us forever ... and neither will I," she adds, that throaty note of anticipation and promise drifting once again into her voice as she vanishes into the doorway.

[paul_HArkonen]

0340 Saturday January 6, 2063 - Entering the Paradigm Shift

Blaze's voice is slightly playful, "You know I try to never keep you waiting." As he walks in Alianna can see that Blaze's movements are more fluid than normal, almost as if he was wired, but she knows the mage has no cyber on him.

As he enters the building Blaze's senses are on high alert, wary of any sort of attack.

[WinterRat1]

0340 Saturday January 6, 2063 - Entering the Paradigm Shift

And almost immediately they both run smack into a wall. Not literal of course, but the type of symbolic wall that only a pair of massive individuals, in this particular case, a troll and a human, can convey. About 10 feet into the loadin/storage area the physically imposing duo steps from the shadows, in rhythm with the back door slamming shut, an audible *click*, most likely indicitive of a locking mechanism, following almost instantaneously.

Despite their menacing appearance, the pair keeps both their hands in plain sight. A quick astral scan on Blaze's part indicates that they are both heavily cybered, as he expected. Before either he or Alleycat can do anything, the human nods at him respectfully and says, "Sir, if you will please come with us. There is someone who would like to speak to you."

The troll adds, "It was clever of you, to disguise yourself by using a groupie as cover to your identity, but you will find the security here is very good."

Nodding, the human adds, "Our boss said the girl can go see the band. She has nothing to do with this, and what is to be discussed has nothing to do with her." Without so much as a hint of a leer, he continues, "Your promises to her will not go unfilled, at least, not because of any fault of ours."

Alleycat is impressed. Muscle or not, they are both polite and reasonably well-spoken. They've obviously been trained and polished, and are thoroughly professional in their conduct. Just what kind of place is this, anyway? Whatever it is, there's a heck of a lot more than meets the eye... she muses.

Stepping back and slightly apart, to allow Alleycat to pass, the troll gestures towards the dance floor. "Ma'am. If you'll excuse us, we'll return your boyfriend to you shortly."

Looking over at Blaze , the human asks once more, "Sir?"

[Sedna]

0341 Saturday January 6, 2063 - Entering the Paradigm Shift

"Hang on," she protests at once, staring at the two massive shapes who are blocking her way -- "Hang on," she begins again, and again stutters to a halt, so obviously torn between the band and Blaze that her entire body literally sways. "Tiger, what's going on here?"

Blaze spreads his hands, and there's just the hint of a building mana in them. "Your guess is as good as mine."

She turns back to the others, the hunger overt in her: "I'm clear to jive?"

"Yes, ma'am," the troll repeats levelly, without emotion. "If you'll excuse us?"

"And you'll return him shortly?" Her head's cast back as she looks up at them, her body's completely open to the two of them, her hair spilling down the nape of her long neck, pale against the black dress and the artificial lighting. "I need him."

"Yes, ma'am," the troll repeats again. "We'll return him to you shortly."

But just before she leaves she presses suddenly very tightly against Blaze and kisses him, deeply and thoroughly. It surprises him enough that the spell dies uncast. "Don't keep me waiting," she whispered.

[Shadowrunner13]

18:05:49 Wednesday 03 January 2063 - 10441 Pacific Court Way, Seattle, UCAS

Tenmou nods a quick thanks to the bodyguard before hunching over and hurrying to the cab waiting for him.

He quickly steps into the cab and gives the cabbie an address not far from his place of residence.

[banditf50]

1246 January 6th, 2063 - Alley outside of Virgil's Redmond Safehouse

Watching the child trembling within Tiffany's embrace the reality of her condition set in. . .Cold be damned, warming her up isn't going to do much for her if she doesn't get medical help immediately.

Even more depressing than the sight of the sickly girl were the recesses of Virgil's own personnel introspection. Hearing the detached tone in Dragon's voice only made Virgil painfully aware of the fact that, had he made but a few different choices in his life, he might be holding the same cold judgement.

"We can't leave her to die like this, not on my watch. We'll bring her to the clinic with us, I'll call
Juliette and Galina from the car so they can be ready for her."

Maybe his companions would not agree with the action. Someone has to stand up eventually.

[paul_HArkonen]

0341 Saturday January 6, 2063 - Entering the Paradigm Shift

Still caught slightly off guard by Alleycat's action Blaze does manage to grab her arm before she walks away.

"Unless you two have specific orders to stop her I'd like her to acompany me." Turning towards Alleycat "I know you wanted to see the band, but I'd prefer if you came with me to finish this first. Would that be ok?"

As he speaks Blaze continues to try and at least pretend Alleycat is nothing more than a friend, or "groupie" disguise. Staring at the "guards" the entire time they can feel Blaze's personality radiating off of his body, it is almost a palpable force.

[Sedna]

1330 Saturday, January 6th, 2063 - Alley outside of Virgil's Redmond Safehouse

"Clinic, then. Sybersnake, what is the status of the car?"

Pulling her head and shoulders out of the back seat, the Latina gave him a short nod: "I think that's as good as I can get it. Good thing you didn't spring for fabric seats."

I did. That's another thing the dealership stiffed me on. But the other part of Dragon, the part that had stepped back from his statements of fact long enough to listen to them; that part was starting to wonder if a scanky car dealer in a bad suit was really such a big deal, here and now. You have much worse problems, Dragon -- starting with what you see in the mirror.

He didn't glance at it, just closed the door and pulled away the moment they'd dealt with the sheets as Virgil suggested and had all piled in, the shivering kid between the two women in the back. Sybersnake was looking very good for someone who'd nearly died a couple of hours ago. The kid stank.

We've got that meet at the clinic anyway. We can ditch the kid there.

As he drove he picked up the harsh sound of Virgil's voice, calling ahead to warn of their arrival:

"Hello, Juliette? Oh, she's not in yet? Who am I -- Trank? Ah. It's Virgil. What do you mean, which Virgil? The one who was -- Well, if you knew, why did you ask?" The shaman closed his eyes. "Look, will you just -- no, that is -- look, is Galina around? No, I -- How about Father -- Look, can you just tell her we're heading in, and we've got someone with us that needs her? Thank you."

Closing the phone, Virgil allowed the sigh to escape. "That was Trank. He can be a bit weird sometimes. Galina's around, but she's with a different patient right now, not our woman. Juliette's due any moment. But he'll tell one of them we're coming in."

Dragon nodded acknowledgement, just as a second call came in -- or more exactly, something resembling nothing so much as a visualised text message: by itself enough to identify the sender, but only to someone who already knew him. In person was one thing, but over anything which could become an open circuit Global had always been cautious, almost never letting anything of personality slip. Probably that degree of paranoia came with the territory, being an ex-spook.

• Tiffany report obtained, tracing. Age analysis confirms that baseline voiceprint is at least five years old, with current overlays. Further analysis pending.

Automatically Dragon checked the chrono. Slightly less than an hour. Not bad. Not bad at all.

• Pieter deVeers SIN on open market 1217. Construct, not original. Tracing.
• Hawkeye freelance longrifle, member of Red Team, listed as on-contract. Tracing.
• Other members of Red Team: Calla, leader; WhiteNight, hermetic mage (confirmed dead [ref: L-S 1-6-63-14a] - Virgil?); Jorgen, rigger; Sonny Boy, close combat expert (confirmed DocWagon pickup [ref: DW resc. 10-17//63]), You-Jay, decker. Contact through Calla. Contact?

As the message scrolled down the mercenary closed his eyes. It had been a long time since Dragon had pulled a job for the information broker who'd helped him in the shadows and whom he'd helped to establish in turn. It had been even longer since their paths had crossed for long enough that they could just talk. He couldn't even claim that all of it was duty; he'd been finding ways to re-define duty around his own independence of will enough times. I wonder if I ever told him about Christina.

• Heads-up: something major going down in Seattle, < one month projection.

A sharp message end, no message sign-off. Global never does.

As Dragon pulls up outside the clinic, he catches a glimpse of a couple of street kids outside, watching him. Waiting. Remembering the swarming from last time, this time as he steps outside the car he lets his coat swing open and starts to draw the Savalette. It's enough: the kids scatter instantly, and word would be around almost as fast. Had it had been necessary, would he have carried the action all the way through? Dragon is honest enough with himself to admit that he really doesn't know.

Virgil helps Tiffany out with the kid, and within two steps is carrying her -- or struggling to carry her, she's shaking too hard to make an easy burden, and she's not got the strength in her to walk. Blood has started to drip from her, nose and ears and eyes. As Sybersnake is about to step out of the car, Dragon sharply tells her to stay inside, out of sight.

Maybe, just maybe, they'd lost the drone, or maybe there never was a drone -- but Dragon wasn't about to count on it, especially now. It would have had difficulty picking them up in the alleyway in any case: but the car -- that was identifiable enough, once it had been marked. Unconfirmed target. Sybersnake steps even once into view, and she'll make it certain.

"Got to pee," she hisses urgently. "Want me to do it in a can? -- wait, don't answer that."

[WinterRat1]

0341 Saturday January 6, 2063 - Entering the Paradigm Shift

The troll and the human look at each other, just slightly, not enough to be distracted, but enough to get a confirmation. Something seems to pass between them for a moment, and then the troll turns smoothly and says, "Follow me." Waiting for Alleycat and Blaze to fall into step behind the troll, the human brings up the rear.

Apparently unconcerned about whatever potential threat the pair of them might pose, the troll strides swiftly down the hall, leading them out into the main dance floor and then along the wall. Following behind closely, the human keeps enough space between himself and Alleycat, who's following Blaze, so as to be respectful, but close enough that if she was to try something suspicious, there's no doubt that he'd be on her like white on rice.

Leading them back to the main area of the club, the troll leads them to the elevator, the same one they took to see Mr. Fan. Packing themselves into the elevator seems positively claustrophobic, the mass of their escorts seeming to expand to fill the bulletproof glass walls.

With a soft ping, the elevator opens, and once again the group falls into formation. Leading them back to the VIP rooms that line the back wall, the troll strides into the room and casually takes up a position leaning against the back corner.

Awaiting them inside is a well dressed elf. His sharp, angular features and his shoulder length silvery hair are complimented by a sleek, black pinstriped suit. Power business all the way, the outfit practically screams. Rising, he motions the pair into the room, and once they're both inside, the human steps in as well, closing the door and then standing just slightly to the side of the doorway. Stepping forward slightly to greet them, he offers his hand in greeting.

"I do not believe we have met. Perhaps we can rectify this injustice immediately, yes? My name is Atriel, and you sir," he nods to Blaze, "would you do me the honor of introducing me to yourself and your lovely companion?"

Playing her role to the hilt, Alleycat, or should that be Alianna, lowers her head slightly yet makes eye contact nonetheless, and blushes, seemingly on command, the slightest hint of a pleased smile on her lips.

Dear sweet fragging Leopard! How the frag did I go from a quest to find my cousin to playing patty cake with some poncy elf bastard who's hitting on my gir...er, Alleycat?

Blinking, a languid, catlike, sort of blink, Blaze immediately processes his previous thought before responding. Girlfriend? What the frag am I thinking? That kiss felt real though. Either she likes me more than she's letting on, or she's a really good actress? Out of our crew of what, five, six, she's the only one who's here. What is her game anyway? And why the frag am I thinking about this when there's biz right on the table. Damn it all...

And then it snaps to him that in the millisecond or so he's been thinking, the elf has still been holding out his hand, waiting for Blaze's response...

[Sedna]

0341 Saturday January 6, 2063 - Entering the Paradigm Shift

Alianna opens her mouth again, you just know that what's about to come out again is another, possibly more irritated "What's going on?!?" but somehow everything after the "wh--" seems to die away into a sort of strangled sound.

I knew it, I just knew it, it was too good to be true, there had to be a catch somewhere. Although as catches go, he's still not half bad. A smile begins to play around her lips. I guess I'll just have to go along with it for now ...

Trailing Blaze, trailed in her turn by the human, she only casts a single, slightly desperate glance down toward the dance floor through the bulletproof glass of the rising elevator. As metaphors go, it beats the hell out of Dante's Inferno.

As she examines with interest the elf who'd suddenly appeared in her life, he extends a hand and asks Blaze to introduce the two of them. She blushes and lowers her head slightly, and extends her own silkily gloved hand out to him. "Alianna," she says lightly. "You seem to already know my date."

[paul_HArkonen]

0341 Saturday January 6, 2063 - Entering the Paradigm Shift

Extending his hand Blaze shakes Atriel's hand, firmly, in an obviously corporately trained handshake. "My name is Blaze, and as you heard my companion would be Alianna. But you apear to already know a fair amount about myself. What can you tell me about my cousin."

What's am I thinking, "Girlfriend?" No, This must be part of her cover. I wish it wasn't though, she's nice enough. What am I on?! Bussiness, especially family bussiness before any thoughts about my personal life.

With that thought Blaze's attitude shifts visibally, he has once again taken on almost the embodiement of the Leopard's Ideals.

[Sedna]

1845 Monday, January 8, 2063 - Land's End Magic Shop

Dial ... stir ... dial ... add in more of the radical carefully, the powder must dissolve completely ... dial //

-- Arriving at Sara's that first day with Henry Castile, long before he'd really understood in himself what "Awakened" meant and what it was to mean, eighteen years old and thinking he knew everything -- old, in the way that everyone over thirty is old to a teenager, but still youthfully beautiful -- and then he'd sneezed, it was autumn and the fragging pollen was all over the place, and she'd smiled at him and handed him a hankerchief, not a disposable thing but a sturdy square of cloth edged with lace --

// Andie started. Vivid that had been, not so much remembering as re-living. He'd never experienced anything like that before in his life. At one and the same time he felt energised, as always when the mana was flowing through him, and drained as though he'd been casting.

His first thought was for the circulation, too much invested in that. The golden globules indicating the beginning of the next stage, which he'd been hoping to see now for some time, were textbook-perfect.

Outside, the time on the chronometer was blinking 2005. Solomon had left. The place was locked up for the night.

Somehow, he'd lost over an hour of time.