IC: Emerald City Nights, This Ain't no Oz... Options

[Slipshade]

Glide sighs when Mouse bolts from the table. She stuffs the last piece of chicken in her mouth and stands up. "Call me if you need me." she says grabbing her helmet off the table.

Heading out the door Glide looks around. Mouse is nowhere in sight, which was to be expected. He was fast.

'Fraggin kid, he better not slot this run up. I need the money.' Hard to admit but Glide liked the kid. He was like the little brother she never had, but this was business and she really did need the money. Catching up to Kai would be pointless, so Glide didn't hurry. She slides her cellphone in place around her slightly upswept ear and pulls her helmet over her head. A feather light mental pulse to her skates and she was off.

The buildings fly by as her augmented muscles push her faster and faster. Glide weaves in and out of traffic until she gets closer the warehouse location. Travel is a bit more difficult the closer she gets to Redmond. You have to be careful not to stray into the wrong territory especially if you are an Orc like Glide. Lucky for her she could pass for human at first glance, but she took a more round about route to avoid any street life.

Before she arrives at the wharehouse Glide slows to a stop. She stuffs her helmet into her backpack and begins to walk keeping an eye out for Mouse and a good place to observe the wharehouse.

[Thomas]

Steve watches the two kids take off, then looks at Mr. Johnson; “They stiffed us for the check…”
Scooping a credstick off the table he adds; “But this should cover it.” He continues; “Do you think you could give me a lift back to the shop?”

[Sedna]

In the growing gloom of twilight, without any warning, comes suddenly Kai's voice in Glide's ear: "Hey, what keptcha?"

[Slipshade]

Glide spins towards the voice unnaturally fast, her gloved fist shooting out towards the voice.

'No!!!!!!!' she screamed to herself, her body reacting to the threat before her mind had been able to process Kai's voice.

With a great effort she forced her body to react and pulled her punch which was dangerously close to Kai's face.

Anger flared up as she looked at his still smiling face.

"Geez kid, don't ever sneak up on someone with moded reflexes. I coulda killed ya."

She calmed herself enough to answer his question though.

"What took me so long? Wasn't really in a hurry chum. Took some round about ways to get here too to avoid some of the worse areas. Redmond ain't really the safest place for a pretty orc girl like me."

[Sedna]

"Ehn? Who'd be lookin'?"

Though he'd nodded solemnly earlier (not quite holding back the continuing grin), the kid's barely phased ... and now that Glide's had the moment of breathing space, she's realising that he'd been ready to move if he had to, and maybe he just might have been able to scramble out of her way. That'd explain why he's still alive, pulling stuff like that. Though one of these days you're going to time things a little too fine, Kai.

" 'Sides Pike up there," he adds and waves casually -- and Glide's body discovers that it still has some adrenaline to spare. "Found us this here spot," he's continuing matter-of-factly, "perfect view, an' ain't no one kin sees us. An' th' fans behind, they runs loud an' hot, can't no one sees us even wi' thermo."

Geez, kid, do you want to live to see thirteen?

[Slipshade]

"Lets go have a look then and see what you found." Glide says following Mouse. Then something he just said registered to her. She waits until they ducked into the nearby alley before saying...

"Umm Mouse...you invited someone else to hang with you during this?" Glide looks exasperated. "What the hell were you thinking?"

'Geez Hermes, why did you send this kid along...he isn't ready! Fat bastard!'

[Sedna]

And Kai looks exasperated in turn: "It's like what Viper said 'bout Liddy before, it's cool. Pike's a friend."

[Slipshade]

"No Mouse, it isn't cool and Viper was right. You don't pull this kind of stuff without letting your crew in on it first or having a Fraggin good reason." She stares a hole in Kai. "So let's have it Mouse, what's your fraggin reason."

Kai can tell that Glide is furious now, though she is sure to keep her voice low to not give away her location. She doesn't give him a chance to answer just yet though.

"You don't keep secrets from your team Mouse. What's your deal? Your obviously wired or an adept or somethin. You where too fast back there to not have a mod of somekind."

Now she stops and waits for his answer.

[Sedna]

"No, no," packpedalling quickly, too surprised and shocked that this would be her reaction (but also instinctively keeping his voice down) -- "I mean, Viper said it were cool 'bout Liddy ...? y'know ...? ya knows I ain't chipped! an' geez, Glide, think 'bout it -- ya think I'd be scroungin' up a slottin' crashpad wi' Hermes if alls I had t' do was Deus someone? I'd be livin' th' life o' Knight!"

[Slipshade]

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't chipped and you can still match my reflexes?" Glide tries to keep herself calm and think a bit more clearly. An idea was coming to her, but she needed to know more.

She waits for the answer she knows is coming and follows up with.

"Ok lets head up to the roof before someone spots us. I have a couple of questions for you and your buddy Liddy."

[Sedna]

"This here's Pike. Ya -- oh yeah, y' never met Liddy." He'd obviously been about to tell her something like Geez, can't ya tell the difference? but thought better of it -- and then he'd thought. "Got friends, like I tol' ya. Gots friends all over the city. They knows all th' good scrounge places, hides -- like here, ain't nowheres better t' go scopin' out this place. I ask, an' they shows me; an' then I shows you." And now he looks a little hurt: "Like I done."

[Glyph]

Nibbling idly on the last bits of rice on her plate, Viper looks at Steve, then Johnson.

"Before you guys wiz out of here, like Kai and Glide did, ya wanna set up when we're going to meet up again tomorrow? I guess, since those two already took off, we can just chat them up when they show up at the Jam Pony tomorrow. Then we can figure out how to play this. I've already given you the low-down on what I can do. And I could always talk to one of the loaders if we figure out what bars they like to hang out at after work. Guys always like to brag... you'd be surprised what they can let slip when they're trying to impress someone."


She smirks at Johnson. "By the way, since Mouse likes getting stickey-fingered, I've given him... interesting... things to find when he picks my pockets. So the kid got clever, and put some of my stuff into your pocket. I saw him, though, so now we can turn it around on him. We can just keep it vague - you know, stuff like:

'Um, Viper, does that little... club... of yours accept new members?'

'Why Johnson, I never knew you would be into that sort of thing.'"

She chuckles. "Heh. We'll drive him crazy."

[Bastard]

Seoul Food (Steve, Viper and Johnson)

"No problem, Steve...and as for Mouse, I think he is crazy enough...," Johnson takes another swallow from his glass.

"As for tomorrow, Im not sure I will make it. Hermes needs me to run the shop while he is off with a 'female friend' he says. Probably some sea donkey he met on the matrix. He also has a noob for the team, so now you will have two kiddies to watch. Im going to meet him at EC Nights shortly, if you want to roll with Steve and I."

"Hopefully I will be able to cover a few watches, if Hermes dont light up phones making sure Im not correcting his mistakes."

After handing the waiter the credstick, Johnson finishes his brandy..


The Warehouse (Glide and Kai n' Friends)

The warehouse isnt quite in the barrens, but it might as well be. The roads are pretty much paved, well they used to be. Now there are more potholes and chuckholes than smooth asfault. The area is mostly old warehouses, autoshops and the like. Either aluminum sheet siding or red brick, most of the buildings are vacant of business, but florishing in squatter population. Gangland is just a few months away.

However there seems to be a few businesses still in the area. Small cheap food joints, a Qwik-E-Mart, complete with fuel station and slooshies, and a few other work shops. In short, the two of you dont really stand out, talking on the sidewalk. Of those that notice you, dont really. You can easily assume that you will be forgotten within a few minutes.

[Slipshade]

"Mouse, this is important. Your friend Pike did find us a good location, but where did Pike come from? How do you know him? Think about it." Glide's was almost sure her guess was correct, but Kai didn't seem to have a clue that he may be an adept or mage or both. Something Kai had said earlier sprang to mind.

'He said Viper was ok with it. She would know or at least have some idea if Kai was awakened.'

She waits for Kai's answered before triggering Viper's number on her earplug cellphone.

[Sedna]

He stared at her, uncomprehending, before he went back to watching the warehouse. "This part o' th' city, o'course." There's still a bit of sullenness in his voice, but it's fading fast. "Where else would Pike come from? This here's his doss. Like in 'bout Steve's eats, that's where Liddy hangs out. Got friends in every city. Jest goes onna streets an' asks around."

And then something flashes in his eyes and he glances at Glide with a big grin on his face: "I gets it. Ya didn' know Pike's a spirit, right?"

[Slipshade]

Glide cuts the call she was just about to dial and looks at Kai like he just splashed cold water on her head, then starts to laugh.

"That may have been something to let your team in on Mouse." She says when she catches her breath. "So how long have you known you were..." She searches for the correct term, "...awakened?" she asks as they make there way to the roof.

[Sedna]

Now it's Kai who's real confused, and looks it. He's silent for a long time, then, "Glide," he explains patiently, "if I was a wizworm, I'd be able to cast fireballs an' call up twisters. like on Tyee!. I just gots friends everywhere. Some o' them is orks," and he favours her with another "who, me?" grin. "Some o' them is humans. Some o' them is spirits."

[Slipshade]

"Didn't say wizworm kid, there are other kinds of magic too. Maybe your one of those adept people. You sure are faster than any non-chipped norm I've ever scene. May have even gotten away from that punch I threw at ya when ya suprised me. O'course I could be wrong, but ya may wanna ask Viper next time ya see her. She would know better than me."

Climbing onto the roof just behind Kai she gives a nod to Pike, not sure really how to address a spirit.

"We got a long night ahead, best try and get comfortable."

She pauses a moment while she finds a place to sit.

"And Kai...sorry I snapped at ya down there chum."

[Sedna]

"Adept, huh?" and he sounds a bit disappointed, like he'd been thinking over what Glide's been saying and been playing with the idea in his head, but now this is all he'll ever be, even if it's got a fancy name. "S'okay, Glide, it ain't like people ain't snapped at me before, an' I guess ya didn't know. 'Bout Pike, I means. He cool, Glide, he don't bite ... moren' me, neway. I'll call 'im over, if ya want, in-tro-duce ya."

He considers. "I'd'a bin careful, Glide, ya knows that. It's not like I called in Tiffany. Now she's a friend too, but she's nosy. Mebe she kin fin' out what ya needs t' know, 'bout that place -- but she's a snoop, ya knows? an' y'all said t' keep this quiet."

[Slipshade]

"Nah, lets leave Tiffany outta this if she's as noisy as you say. If we need her later we can get her. We just need to lay low 'till we get some more data."

Glide really did feel bad about snapping at him.

"And sure Kai, I'll say hi to your friend, I mean we're gonna be hangin here all night."

'Besides, not like I get to talk to spirits everyday.'

[Sedna]

"Hey, Pike!" calls out Kai in a stage whisper almost lost against the rattling of the fans behind them. "Come hang! Glide's cool wi' it now, an' she'd like t' meetcha. We'll all scope out this place groupwise, mebe one of us ketch somewhat t'other don't?"

The three of them cluster on the nearby roof in the hot shelter of the fans, quietly talking as they're watching the door and trying to figure out the general layout and patterns of the place. Maybe they'll take different positions to get different views of the place later in the night as new information makes it appropriate, who knows?

[Sedna]

Ah .... frag. My first double-post on these forums :D

[Thomas]

Steve is quiet during the ride back to EC dispatch, which is to say, abnormally quiet even for him. He seems preoccupied – dark and brooding – wrestling with some inner demon.

Offering Johnson an automatic ‘Thanks’ as he gets out of the car, the worn-looking elf goes to his locker. After spinning in the combination he opens the door.

His first words were barely audible; “What the…” His voice rapidly increases in volume as he releases a very uncharacteristic string of profanities while storming toward the office.

“Hermes!...” He screams, interrupting the last-minute instructions the ork is giving Johnson; “Tell me why I’m NOT going to slap-patch that little shit and sell him to the chopdoc for spare parts…”

The human and ork are confronted by an almost comic sight: An elf, face purple in anger, voice cracked from screaming, shaking a key fob with a couple of keys in his fist as if it were a weapon that he intended to use.

The fat ork jiggles as he can’t suppress a chuckle as the elf continues in his loud-but-squeaky, damaged voice;
“I’m worried sick that the run is already compromised – MY LIFE is already compromised – because some little street-rat can’t keep his hands to HIMSELF?!?!”

Steve takes a gulp of air and continues in the subdued, harsh voice of someone who has blown-out their vocal cords; “THAT’S an idea, just his hands – I might get enough for just his hands to pay the locksmith and dealership; that’s what I’ll do!”

The elf pauses for a few ragged breaths; he looks like he’s going to pass-out.

[Bastard]

Johnson's expression remains unchanged. Calmly he replies, "you can have the other credstick that was to cover expenses to cover the cost of your car. We will deal with Kai after the mission is over. Then his hands are less useless to the rest of us, and we wouldn't mind seeing them missing as well."

He returns to his conversation with Hermes as the elf's vital signs return to normal. Steve catches the end of the conversation about the boss taking off for a few days, and that Johnson will have to cover the office.

Exiting the office, Johnson's expression has now changed. He looks angry, but undercontrol. His complexion remains the same, so Steve is still the only purple faced employee mucking about EC Nights.

His voice a bit less enthusiastic, Johnson pats the elf on the back, "Lets go meet the new guy. His name is Peta or something. Half the time I cant understand what Hermes is saying. I really wish he would stop eating while talking to me."

He scans the shop for Viper, so she can join him and Steve in the break room, where the new guy is waiting.

[Thomas]

Johnson’s reply catches Steve totally off-guard; the calm tone and demeanor such a counter-point that the elf’s anger is nearly completely short-circuited. As Johnson returns to his previous conversation Steve takes a few moments to compose himself.

As his breathing and heart-rate begin to return to safer levels Steve takes stock: The rising acid from his stomach is competing with the damaged vocal cords for his attention. The muscles on the back of his neck – right side – are starting to ache. A vein in his right temple is throbbing. It’s going to be one of those headaches…

“Well,…” He thinks, “at least no-one’s tossing, bugging or trapping my apartment or car, unless Kai is some kind of agent.” A hysterical giggle escapes the distraught elf. “Stranger things have happened…”

Still a bit light-headed from hyperventilation Steve falls in step with Johnson. I’ve got antacids and aspirin in my locker; and I can get the Doc’s prescription filled at any pharmacy.

“About the credsticks…” Steve is surprised with the hoarse croak of his voice; “that’s the team’s expenses, not mine. If I could just get 200 nuyen, to cover the locksmith and keep the landlord off my back, the guys at the dealership will bill me on a 60 or 90 day invoice.”