Salvation, Making the world a better place Options

[Sedna]

11:20:58 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - heading into the Rhino

This time the leather coat is a bit more worn: a bit less Wachowski, a bit more work-a-day; and the watch from yesterday clashes not only with the earring hoops but with something dark and red that looks like it's struggling to break free from her frizzed white hair (is it moving?).

Even astrally, it had taken Blaze a moment to be sure -- and he still isn't, not really: she fits into the streets as well as any of those around her and far better than some. It's that small spark of -- uncertainty? imbalance? -- that finally decides him: and when he finally goes physical to initiate the meet, he recognises Sal at once when she enters just before he does, a few seconds before she sees him, an instant or so before she spots Tin Star waiting laconically (and without glancing once at a watch) at a table he'd staked out for them. At least the smartgun lenses haven't changed. Is that the bit of cyber I'd picked up off her?

She's already gulped down the first mug of soykaf she'd ordered at the counter and is bringing the refill to the table when she finally spots Blaze and waves him over to the table; and she looks like she wouldn't be adverse to adding a pint of whatever passes for beer around here either. She's barely breathing hard: yet Blaze has the sudden impression that the last few hours have been very full for her indeed, and ... is that bruising, on the skin briefly showing where the coat sleeve had slid up from her gloves? It's hard to tell, against the black skin -- and maybe that's the point. But she doesn't carry herself as though she were hurting. Come to think of it, she doesn't carry herself as though she feels much of anything at all.

"I'm sorry," she says instantly, seeing him, to both of them. "I'm late, and I didn't leave a message until late."

[paul_HArkonen]

11:20:58 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Blaze pauses for a moment. "What message?" Reaching into his pocket Blaze grabs the main body of his phone. Flipping to the voicemail section he can see one message blinking as unread. "Oh, sorry. I've been Out" his inflection lets Alleycat know he means of his body rather than anything else.

Smiling slightly, "Either way don't worry about it." Blaze passes on ordering anything, any more Soykaf and he'd start to get jittery. "I didn't see any sign of our former contacts, but they may not have arrived yet."

[Sedna]

11:21:30 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

"That meeting isn't for another thirty-eight minutes," says Sal, her long fingers tapping absently on the empty coffee mug. "More important right now is how your meet went, this morning. I did get a couple of leads on her but nothing solid yet, there's hours ahead of me to follow up what I've got. Heard a couple of things I didn't want to hear in the process, but I don't know how that's involved yet either. Did yours pan out any better?"

[paul_HArkonen]

11:22:12 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Blaze sighs softly, "I don't know if it's really panned out or not. Last night I got a lead that she was in redmond, having nothing else to do while my contacts try to drum up info on our other friends, I headed out there, astrally. While over Redmond I met, well I can't call him anything other than a PI, he had the dress and actions of one."

Blaze shruggs slightly, "I took a gamble and followed him, then asked him to help. The meet this morning was with him. He said he was already on the, case, on the condition that he was helping the girl, not the corp. So he agreed to help me help him. This evening we're going to make a foot trip in to check up on a lead of his, I got the impression we weren't heading out imediately, and if need be I can cancel that."

A slight realization hits him. She's been looking too. "You said you'd done some hunting... anything interesting?"

[Sedna]

11:24:41 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Her turn to shrug: "I'm no PI. Thought I'd go revisiting that building, ask around, see if anyone in the area had spotted anything. Got word only that there might be a new party involved in that game: and that's not something I'm going to talk about further here.

"I've got the wheels in motion, but I haven't yet started going through the Matrixed-microfiche library stacks, public and university, government, corporate, city documents (Department of Licencing, Metroplex Government Auditor, District's Planning and Zoning Commission), birth certificates etc etc for anything relating to her: let alone through the screamsheets to track down mentions of our new third party and try to guess what their interest might be in this. I've got a few ideas for some more direct asking if it comes down to it" -- and one of them might even come later tonight -- "but I'd like to know if those are necessary, first. Haven't even had a chance yet to ask yet through the grapevine to see who might know anything about who'd been hired for that job, or who might know anything about it, or even who knew her from her old workplace."

She takes a breath. " 'Sides which, when I heard you had the meet tonight, figured I might get you to ask first, so I'm not revisiting already-walked territory. You need me tonight, you've got me here now and my number for later; though I might need a couple of hours notice, this time."

[paul_HArkonen]

11:25:21 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Blaze pauses, slightly suprised. "If you're willing to come one more is always nice there at night. I'll need to talk to the PI, but I would think he'd be ok with it... My payment was that I'd cover his back, so one more shouldn't be frowned upon."

He takes a breath and then continues, "Either way, I can't thank you enough for what you have done, and for what you're offering to do. If you ever need anything, I'll be there to help."

[Sedna]

11:26:08 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Sal smiles slightly: "Just give me a time and location. I'll be on time ... this time."

Straightening slightly, to both of them this time: "How did the computer personnel search go? When are we interviewing?"

[paul_HArkonen]

11:27:01 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Blaze shakes his head sadly, "Unforchunately we're still down one techie... My contact is busy, sorry. I don't know if you know anyone, but I do have the word out to some friends that I'm looking."

[Sedna]

11:28:30 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

No decker? It's a given then that there isn't any new information available about Alexander or his sister yet, so she won't ask ... not that she'd mention him by name, here. She'll bring up the truck and supplies after this meet, maybe have the two of them walk over with her to see what else was needed.

"Did you have any luck?" she asks Tin Star. "Also, radios? Either of you?"

Once we get that finalised and today's deposit made, Tin Star at least will be clear to go. Whatever else, he'll be employed -- and so long as we don't turn up there, he'll even be legit.

[paul_HArkonen]

11:28:30 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

"I've got radios, I don't know how good, but I was promised at least some level of security. I do have my Decker friend looking for info right now, but no word back yet."

Well, you never have everything you want, but we've got most of it right now.

[WinterRat1]

11:30:01 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Settling back into his chair comfortably and speaking in a laid back Texan drawl, Tin Star says, “I got me a lead on a good old boy who might not cost us too much as far as the heavy lifting, ya hear what I’m sayin’ dontcha? And I even found us a fella with a boat, says he might be willing to take a trip down yonder, mebbe even cast anchor off the coast for a while to put his feet up.”

While Alleycat and Blaze are deciphering his new, and with a flash of understanding: contrived, accent, the cowboy continues to exaggerate his accent, “But ain’t no gen-u-ine fancy shmancy newfangled tech-no-nology boy out thar able to pitch in and carry the load with us. Dern shame too, I aheared that they’re all a mite busy now ‘round these here parts.”

Difficulty understanding him aside, the other two can’t help but think that if nothing else, Tin Star is trying to play along with the whole ‘let’s not let anyone know who we are’ thing, even if he’s making himself more distinctive (in some ways) to anyone in the process.

Well at least anyone relying solely on audio to spy on us will never associate this guy with the real Tin Star, Alleycat consoles herself.

[Sedna]

11:32:15 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Considering the way things had been going thus far, that went much better than I'd expected ... not that I'm objecting. This is just the setting up part. Carrying it out will be something else again ... and that's assuming all the rest is on the level.

"Sounds like things are on track, leaving only the question of fancy-shmancy backup," Sal grins. "I've been in touch with our dwarf. I'd like the two of you to come check it out with me after finalising this."

[Sedna]

11:50:13 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

A nod from Blaze, less than that from Tin Star, might have been commitment to the post-meet and might not. Although nothing that anyone outside the tight group might recognise as specifics is said, consensus is reached to send the word out for the extra help, Tuesday availability notwithstanding. After that's been set in motion, the CASan will be on the road on the way to establishing his credentials in San Francisco: he'll be clear and even with a paycheque, regardless of whether the other two manage to pull together the rest of a team or not. Two more days to find a decker. Can't hurt what with all the research that still needs doing; but it would go faster if someone with the equipment as well as the know-how were doing it. Wonder if it would help if we quietly put out the word it was against Saito? Again the thought of asking Grail crosses her mind, and again she sets it aside -- for now, but maybe once she has that message cleared from her list of obligations she'll approach him after all. She hasn't forgotten that one sidewise comment she'd read on Shadowland. And as far as trust goes, he's had more than enough opportunities to betray her already -- and hasn't. (Yet, insists that stubborn corner of her mind.)

All right, and the self-confirmation sends her teeth on edge, I'll ask for his help. Happy? We're all actively looking for deckers anyway, so it'll be legit by Blaze and Tin Star if I can get him. He doesn't even have to show if he doesn't want to: he's shown a remarkable aptitude for infiltrating Matrixed systems from a distance. I'll offer it to him as a member of the team after I clear this message, and maybe I can even talk him into seeing the opportunity as part clearing of my debt.

At which point the sardonic part of her mind pulls her back into reality: when have you ever talked Grail into anything he didn't already want to do?

That unconscious awareness of time elapsed pulls her to her feet just as she drains that sugary and sweet liquid concoction she had broken down and ordered (she could almost feel the energy being sucked thirstily into every cell of her body; and her teeth rotting away at its very touch): and with a bit of effort she manages to cue her two companions into something a bit more staggered, a bit less military drill team. Blaze is abstracted ... astral, yes. Checking the place out, no doubt. She'd not yet noticed anything that didn't fit the patterns of yesterday, but then again she'd not actively been looking. If he saw something uneasy, he'd let the two of them know.

Sal walked over to the same bartender, the recognition in him obvious even before she gave him the code. Good: she'd set herself up to be recognised. His attention snapped on the other two, hesitated a little when he didn't spot the expected fourth. She waited briefly for his clearance, and Blaze's: and then she led the three of them into the back room to finalise the deal they'd struck yesterday.

[WinterRat1]

11:56:27 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Despite thoroughly checking the astral, Blaze saw nothing that aroused his suspicions nor anything out of the ordinary in the now bustling lunch crowd. Nodding to Sal, he let her know that everything was fine, as far as he could tell. Taking that cue, she nodded at the bartender, who had already motioned her towards the back.

Waiting for the team was again the ork, human, and elf. Already seated, the ork smiled politely at her and motioned to a chair across the table. “Are we ready to put the finishing touches on this deal?” he asks.

[Sedna]

11:57:12 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Three and three. They hadn't changed, we had, and now we're balanced. Good starting point, Sal thinks to herself, only half ironically.

"We're here," she says straightforwardly. "Start with any changes your superiors wish to propose, follow that with the retainer we discussed, and finally we'll discuss the tentative calendar to which we'll all be working."

[WinterRat1]

11:59:41 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

The ork nods. “All right then, let’s get to business. I discussed our agreement with my superiors, and they were fine with it for the most part, with a few changes. First, they want to be able to be in on the planning when it comes time to make the actual bust. Second, they want one of our own as co-commander with your man there,” he points to Blaze, “and third, they want an agreement that regardless of how the actual job goes down, we get paid the balance of the 15K for the physical assault/diversion when it’s over.”

Folding his hands, he concludes, “The retainer is fine at 5K, that covers point 2, the information sharing and smuggling, as well as a down payment for the physical assault, correct?”

The ork pauses and waits for Sal’s reply.

[Sedna]

12:00:58 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

"Third," and Sal shifts slightly toward Tin Star, enough to cue him to lay the certified credstick he'd brought on the table, midway between the two parties, "yes." After all, if they screw us over, they won't get paid. I don't think they will, but stranger things have happened.

"Second ..." and she shifts slightly the other way, toward Blaze, waiting for his response.

[paul_HArkonen]

12:00:58 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

"I can accept working with one of your people, they probibally know the area better than me anyway. The only condition is that if I say stay we stay, and more importantly if I say we need to leave we leave. Other than that, I'm willing to work with him or her."

[WinterRat1]

12:01:37 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

The ork nods at Blaze. “That is acceptable, again with the previously stated caveat that our people will not do anything flagrantly suicidal, such as being used as cannon fodder or engaging in a direct, head-on military confrontation.” He looks back at Sal, “If there is no further need for discussion with your man in regards to point two, are you prepared to address point one?”

[Sedna]

12:02:15 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

"Second, yes then, as you've agreed to here. First ..."

Sal folds her hands on the table, not glancing at the credstick between her and the ork. "I think my major reservation is that being in on the planning can mean much or little. I can understand concerns about one's personal role, expressed before the time for action, but this seems to go considerably beyond that. What precisely do your superiors intend by it?"

[WinterRat1]

12:03:03 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

The ork smiles mirthlessly at her. “You’ve got an agenda here, and it may or may not be the same as ours. I know it, and you know it. Don’t get me wrong, we know we’re benefiting from your help and expertise, but the bottom line for you is different than the bottom line for us. We want to be sure that your methods don’t interfere with our bottom line.”

He pauses, and waves out a hand, palm up, talking with his hands now as well. “For example, you may consider it expedient to sacrifice some of the internees so that the others can be freed. We might not. We won’t get in the way, after all, we know you guys are the experts, that’s why you’re here, right? But we want to make sure that your methods don’t negatively impact our bottom line, which is helping as many of the people as possible and kicking Saito where it counts. Think of us more as an oversight committee rather than having any significant involvement in the planning process. You scan me on what we mean now?”

[Sedna]

12:06:42 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

Another slight shift to left and right: she wants it clear that she is speaking for all of them, here. "We have an agenda, yes. I think we've been upfront about it." At least, judging by what was said in the last meet, I'm fairly certain Ice Cube had brought it up earlier. "Nowhere in that agenda, for example, is any proviso that every person rescued from that camp must be brought to Seattle. I'm sure some of them must have families elsewhere that they'd like to return to. We can't help them directly with that --" that's your job "-- but we certainly won't hinder them either, not after we get them clear of the camp. I'm sure you're also aware that not bringing as many people as possible to Seattle does cut into our bottom line."

Let you do the math on that one yourself: that our bottom line and our agenda aren't one and the same. You'll believe it more if you work it out for yourself.

"We're interested in taking down the camp, completely and utterly and as 'naturally' as we can manage it; not least because future retaliations are relevant to us. That's part of 'helping as many of the people as possible'." His words, his intonation, his context, completely without conscious awareness. "A distraction feint by a known dissident group, where it just happens to coincide with a series of other unfortunate events, isn't as likely to increase retaliation as it becoming known that this was an outside job."

At that she frowns a moment: "Anyone here a Japanese-style astrologer? I'm thinking it can't hurt if we try to coincide our actions with a time when the heavens themselves are seen to cross Saito -- and it may help you, down the road."

Setting that aside for the moment, she continues: "We'll guide and identify what needs to be neutralised quickly inside the camp, but a lot of this plan depends on the willingness of at least some of the people there to help themselves. That's why I consider the single major role for your people, even above the distraction, to establish the supply lines you can set up with those inside. In fact I've just confirmed today the medical supplies you'll be smuggling in first, even before the light armaments." And that's another thing that cuts into our bottom line. Do the math!

"But once we're in, I have to know that you're going to work within the plan we have. I'm willing to negotiate specifics of plan with you, right up until we go in, and you'll have noticed" -- a slight incline of her head toward Blaze --"that I've set things up so lines of communication --" and now co-lieutenantcy "-- are constantly open. Oversight all you like, up to that point. Once we're go, however, I can't have anyone second-guessing what I'm absolutely relying upon if I'm to get me and everyone else in there with me out with absolutely minimum casualties."

With that, her tone softens. "I'm willing to concede so far: if you run into any specific cases where any single person considers that kind of sacrifice expedient, you have my clearance to deal with that situation -- only -- as you see fit ... and we'll all hope we don't run into too many active Saito sympathisers on the inside."

[WinterRat1]

12:08:13 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

The ork nods. “Don’t get me wrong, we know who the pros here are, and we know we’re the ones getting paid, so you’re calling the shots, and we’ll play the tune. Like I said, as long as it’s a reasonable undertaking, that’s the way it is, right? Take the money and take your chances. The way you explained it just now, we’ll consider it more than fair and consider that part settled.”

[Sedna]

12:08:58 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

"Done, then."

With that, her tone shifts subtly, losing a bit of its crispness. "Where will you need us to drop off the medical supplies? We'll start with you feeding those in. Then, in about three days, we'll shift to establishing communications ... unless you already have reliable and shielded telecom, radio, and Matrix taps into the camp?"

[WinterRat1]

12:09:41 Sunday, 07 January, 2063 - At the Rhino

The ork snorts. “We wish we had communication into that place. If you want that, we’ll need to work on establishing whatever communications you want within the camp first. As far as medical supplies, we can try to start smuggling them down to CFS and then into the camp as soon as you can get them to us. How much are we talking about here? It’ll make a difference where we’ll move them from depending on volume.”