“That's about what I am thinking when someone says 'replacing the drivers', actually.�

"Just checking."

“Alright, I guess we want to go in there shortly before the limos are being sent to the airport, just to have as little chance as possible to get additional problems to solve thrown at us. The first step would be to find out more about the security company themselves, this time not so much focused on the limos, but rather on their own security, obviously.�

"Best to check if the Limos have any other jobs that day. How big is this company?"

"I can have a look into that; I know one or two things about company security." Alastor leans back in the chair he's taken.

"We have a few days, if we all turn our attention to this we should get fairly good details. Hell one of us could phone the comapny with lots of questions about the service and it's security."

"Seems reasonable.

Is anybody interested in hiring a limo just to drive about in for the day? Play the rich eccentic, make fiends with the driver, that kind of thing?

Doing this could throw off any biometrics they pick up from the vehicle after the fact, and get one a crash course in chauffeing..."

"Well, I'm not one to play dress-up... unless it's to conceal myself as we originally met. Ask Felice if you need a lady, I'm too much of a tom-boy to pull of stuff in heels."

Reg looks pensive.
"I can run a few online pokes and queries on their security... see how accessible their network is from the outside.. I can also run ghost to whoever wants to take a ride, sniff out how they transmit orders and calls. That way we can spoof whatever we need when the time comes."

Reg looks to Alastor. "You and I need to discuss how we're going to tackle their security grid if needs be. I'm good at the Matrix, outside of Renraku, corps are still a little out of my league.

Meanwhile we need to see if we can get more info on those drivers on our list.... see if any of them have any vices we can exploit."

"Sure. We might as well start working on it after the meeting."

"Yeah, seems good, probably best to stick closer together now. Run physical surveilance on the offices and work out the best way to move there, while Reggie works the matrix angle and Felice works out how they work in the limos."

“Playing the lady? Yeah, I guess I could do that.� Felice offers in reply to the renting-a-limo idea. “I got a few pretty garments in my wardrobe, so the dressing-up part shouldn't be a problem.�

"okay so me and Alastor start work on the physical security. Eury and Shiver work with us to get the Astral angle. Felice rides around in a limo to give us the inside scoop, and reggie gives us the matrix."

Alastor nods. "Looks like we've got our bases covered."

"Everyone okay with this plan?"

Eury nods assent deep in thought about something.

Shiver nods, mirroring Eury's expression.

Reg nods, "I'll start sniffing around their operation now... slowly looking for faults is a lot safer than hacking in on the fly."

The elf takes a sip from the bottle, realizing that there's none left in it... Just as well, I guess, I gotta drive... she thinks. Reg gets up readjusting her outfit... "We good to go? I'll need to know when Alastor and I can get together to talk some strategy about their possible security layout, so I have a base to go on.

And we need to plan when Felice wants her little ride so that we can ghost the car." Reg looks thoughtful, "Well, I guess I don't need to be there physically for that, but I do need a starting point online so that I can track the vehicle easier."

“That shouldn't be a problem either...�

"Whenever's good for you, Reggie." Alastor stands too, and goes over to Reggie, preparing to act 'the perfect gentleman to escort the lady from the club', seeming as the meeting looked like it was finished. However, he sends her a private message over commlink, whilst saying "Well, we may as well get a start on this."

Reggie:


He mock bows to the others, grinning. "Gentleman, milady, I believe this meeting is adjourned. My thanks, and I bid thee goodnight." He says, his accent slipping into an upperclass English for a moment.

“Alright...� Felice says while getting up, stretching her lithe body for a moment, before she casually walks towards the door as well. “We will keep in touch. I will get some intel from the limo backseat in the meantime.�

Reg smiles, the elf is quite impressed with Alastor's dramatic antics, it's quite endearing actually. Deciding to play along with her part, she takes his offered arm in lady-like fashion, thankful for some elven grace - so it doesn't look too awkward. It would probably look more natural if Reg didn't look like a 'biker chick', and wearing something fancier than just jeans & T-shirt.

Her eyes scroll back and forth shortly, reading the floating letters of the message in her field of vision. Reg smiles, nods to him, and sends a response - with a simple thought.
Sure thing, lets get underway, the sooner we get the info, the better. I just need to grab my jacket at the coat-check."

Reg 'ta-tas' the others with a hand motion the elf once saw some elf-noble do - hoping to get the gesture just right... then giggles. This is surely an interesting lot... an almost welcome change from orc bikers, troll gangers, roughnecks, gruff drivers, mechanics, and the occasional tech-head Reg usually finds herself with.

Clark nods to people as they leave, waiting for everyone else to be gone before he makes his exit.

Shiver Makes sure that he is leaving near Eury, as they exit he says to him.

"Would you like to go somewhere else so we can go over our magical strategy?"

Alastor grins at Reggie's gesture, recognising it instantly. As they head out the door, he quietly says to her, the affected accent gone again, "Y'know, that's one of the few times I've found any of those old etiquette lessons drilled into me as a kid of any use." His eyes are bright, laughing, although the laugh doesn't extend beyond them. The rest of his face appears serious. They start heading down, looking an interesting pair- him in his semi business attire and her in her biker chick gear.

As they head out towards the carpark once Reggie's grabbed her jacket, he sends her another private message.
Right, I'm free for whenever, so whenever suits you. But we might as well get this started now, if you're free. Your choice of place- mine or yours.
Still maintaining the outward guise of a perfect gentleman, Alastor escorts Reggie to her transport.

Eury will nod to Shiver's suggestion.

Reg chuckles softly with Alastor's comment as she walks with him towards the door.

At the door, Reg gets a strange look from the coat-check girl who hands her an old, worn, brown leather jacket. It's not so much the state of the jacket, considering the elf's attire. It's the Ork ganger colours and various other patches that just don't seem match the owner or her companion. Reg's insistant glare forces the woman to give up the prized posession, along with her bike helmet and the two head out the door.

As they walk to Reg's bike she replies to her companion's queston: "Well, unless you want to put up with two over-protective Orks, poking their noses in every few minutes, it would probably be safer for your health if we go to your place." she smiles and winks, relaying everything by text so that it appears the two aren't saying anything. "I'm not in the habbit of coming home with men often. They may not always show it, but brothers have a funny way of showing their affection... particularly if they feel they need to protect a younger sibling."

Alastor struggles to keep the laugh down to silence, to keep his facade the same. <I wouldn't know what it's like- only child-> He chuckles quietly at the image in his head of Reggie's brothers, although he was a little surprised at the revelation that they were orcs. That he blamed his own up-bringing on, the surprise. But he might ask more later. <-You're lucky to have that. But damaging to my health? Don't think so. Sure, my place it is then.> He leaves much unsaid, not wanting to go into those waters here.

With that, Alastor fetches his own bike quickly once Reggie's got hers, and they head off back to his to his apartment, offering to grab some food if Reggie was hungry.

Reg smiled as she watched Alastor grab his ride a few bikes down.
He's most likely pondering over 'the only elf in the family' deal as he does... maybe if I get closer to these people, I might let them know how it is... she surmizes.

With the offer of food, Reg suggests Taco Time...the hot sauce makes crill hash and soy burger seem more palatable, and more like real hamburger than other fake meats. With take-out in hand they drive to Alastor's place making short talk on whatever comes to mind.

"How good are you with meshed environments?" Reg asks as they get close. "If you stay back here in the real, outside of me sending some feeds, it could get a little boring for you if I do some poking around tonight."

Location: The Eagles Rest, Sioux Sector, Denver
Time: 10.00pm
Date June 10th, 2070

A man walks into a bar. He's not tall but spirits is he broad. His thick dark hair held in a simple wood and leather clasp. His body ripples with muscle and he moves in the easy, ever so deadly way that big cats move. He walks up to a table occupied by bto other people. One another Amerind, but a woman her pretty face marred by a livid scar just missing her left eye; the other is an elf with auburn hair and a gothic style that makes him stand out like a sore thumb hre is the Sioux.
"Watcha boss," says the woman.
"Hello Nightshade," says the man, "it's been to long. Bilbo," he nods to the elf.
"I hear you have a protege," says the elf with a slight cali twang to his accent.
"Yeah, he's pretty good, needs to learn but hey who didn't before they joined."
"You've been working him for a while. Time to bring him in or drop him," the woman says her voice business like and cool.
"Then he should test him, make sure he has the right bearing," says Bilbo he glances to the man, "Just don't kill him, you almost got me when I joined."
"No problems. I wasn't going to go for personnel combat ten years practice since we fought that one seems to have honed me a bit. I was going to deep end him."
"Ah, see if he can keep his head above water. Any life preserver, I'm free."
"Orchid wanted to play, she's interested."
"So if the monster's don't get him she eats him alive. I thought Bilbo said not to kill him. Besides I don't think bringing in an outsider even her, will help. She's Athlete's way. It's all a fucking game to her."
"He'll do fine. As will she, it's not like we're sworn to secrecy or anything. Who's Alpha of this pack?" the is a faint hint of challenge in the mans voice.
"Fine, have it your way."
"Thank you."

"I'm fine with them. It's only once you try sticking any form of cyberware into me that I get into trouble- SURGE is kinda to blame for that." Alastor grins.

Upon getting back, having made sure that Reggie was settled down with food and plates in the living room, he goes and quickly changes into something a bit more casual- a pair of black combat trousers and a red t-shirt. He settles down in the living room too, and starts on his food. "Do you need anything before you go virtual?"

Reg smiles at Alastor's comment of the limmited use due to his condition... "Well at least there's gear for that stuff now, not like the old days when I first started playing with the Matrix...."

While Alastor is changing, Reg does a few quick checks on some stuff she's been following up on... when he comes back, she's idly nibbling on a half-eaten soft taco in one hand while holding a couple of 'Mexi-Fries' in her other. Reg's expression can best be described as vacant, the elf seems lost in thought. Her eyes dart around as if reading some sort of invisible set of documents.
Alastor's question snaps Reg's attention back to the real world, and the elf smiles. "I think I got everything I need, not sure how long it'll take to poke around the Limo companies login host though... Unless you got some trodes to tag along for the ride, this can get pretty boring. Or in the case of my brothers, where most Matrix things are way over their heads anyway, they normally just go out for a few brews when I get into this stuff." Reg winks, hoping to add a little humour to the comment.
Reg gets a little more serious.
"The reason why I asked we do this together is that Corp networks are still a new thing for me... As I mentioned before, most of my corp security knowledge is about Renraku, unless they have a Ren host network, you're knowledge in corp security could come handy."

Alastor crosses the room, and grabs a set off a shelf near to the trid system, holding up his find to Reggie with a grin. "Got 'em." He crosses back over to the sofa, sets up the trodes, and sits back down, before grabbing a handul of fries. He has a few bites to eat before settling back, ready to surf the Matrix. "I'm no hacker or techno-whizz, but I'll give it a shot at helping with the security end of things."
Inside, Alastor was about to reveal a little bit of why he knew what he did, but he stopped himself from doing so just in case it led to questions that he didn't want to answer yet. Or for him to trigger.

22:17:53, June 10th, 2070
Denver, UCAS Sector
Felice

Even at this late hour, it's hot outside. On her way back, she is walking, having left her bike at home tonite, Felice browses the Matrix looking for some information on renting a limo in a few days. She also compares prices between the one company and a few others, just out of curiosity. It wasn't the price that would control her decision, anyways. It was already decided.

Once she has done so, Felice mentally closes the data window in her field of vision and opens the music player, which immediately begins to play the latest club tunes in the background.

Reggie finnishes off the Taco while Alastor grabs the trode set.
With a half-full mouth Reg replies. "Don't need a wiz-hot hacker, but I think a second pair of eyes will help alot."

Reg washes the food down with a cola, and settles back into the couch, watching as Alastor adjusts his trode-set. The elf gets a pensive look... "Maybe I should call a friend along... to make sure you're safe."

Alastor shrugs. "Suit yourself. As you said, extra pairs of eyes watching help; you're the one leading this- I'm just the hired muscle." He grins. "And I'm touched that you're thinking of my safety... or is it that it's just you covering your own back further?" His eyes twinkle darkly with mischief and humour, despite his serious tone of voice.

Reg smiles.. "never hurts to be carefull... " and winks.

With that the elf closes her eyes and focuses on the wireless networks around them. The reality of the livingroom soon disolves to the familiar grid network and electric hum. Reg smiles, it feels so good being in this form. Reg's body is now a sleek silver humanoid form, that of the silver surfer.

Reg waits by the location of her body, waiting for Alastor's form to log in.. wondering if he uses any form of reality filter or custom avatar. While the elf waits, Reg focuses on the Matrix, calling forth some aid.... about the time that Alastor's avatar logs on, a half-height character in a black cloak materializes from some distant place. Reg smiles and the creature greets them... "The thief should help protect us both if things get tight." Reg says aloud, and the halfling smiles and nods.

Looking to Alastor. "Ready?"

"Sure," he says, grinning, razor sharp fangs looking undoubtedly menacing, along with the slitted glowing red eyes. Alastor's Matrix avatar is true to form of his Runner name. A towering, '7-8ft tall' looking figure stands in demonic looking yet elegantly beautiful golden armour, shaped into wickedly sharp curves and points. Towards the edges, the gold appears burning in Hellfires, tarnishing to coppery red and to burning red-gold at the very points. Intricate designs are acid-etched throughout the armour in sections. His crested helm covers the upper part fo his face completely apart for his burning eyes. The most visible part of his face is his mouth, which opens to reveal a set of long and wicked fangs. Nearly floor length white hair streams out loose from under the helm, blown about by a non-existant breeze, behind a long scarlet cloak, which for moments appear to distort into the shape of demonic wings. In his wickedly clawed hands reside a curved, almost scythe-like double ended halberd.

Alastor nods to the sprite. "A thief to aid us in our deeds. How very appropriate for the occasion." His avatar's 'voice' is a deeper and more growled version of his voice when in SURGE form, sounding all too like a Demon-Lord of Hell.

[OOC: For a vague idea of Alastor's armour style kind of think a crueler looking version of the Haldir's Helm's Deep armour in LOTR The Two Towers.]

22:20:35, June 10th, 2070
Denver Matrix, UCAS Sector
Reggie

The silver face looks at the demonic avatar lifts a right eyebrow. The movement is much more smooth than with most cultured icons. The form reflects certain aspects of Alastor's avatar back at him, making Reg's avatar seem fluid, like liquid mercury, only more shiny. "Cute, now is your bite as good as your bark?" comes the genderless voice when a humorous tone.

Tapping it's foot, a silver surfboard materializes and the avatar positions itself. The halfling thief jumps on the back of the board, holding on to the surfer's calf.... "You can try to keep up, or ride the board.." Reg winks, and waits for a moment, before turning and leaning forward. The board rapidly gains speed as the surfer takes off along a data stream. Time to see just how tough the Limo's host server is...

Like riding waves, the silver surfer weaves among data streams. It's actually not that hard to find their target; like most transport companies, the limo service is on a public commercial cluster. It's almost like going down a freeway full of billboards and signs, passing popups and revolving banners. Soon they're floating above an icon representing the Limo companies host server. The outer public node shows popups of advertisements, with sample fair rates for various destinations. "Umm.. that wasn't so hard to find..."

"Some idea of tactics is always good, we don't want to be working at cross principles, do we. Where did you have in mind?" Eury stands up smoothly and waits for Shiver to reply.

Alastor's avatar looks skeptically back at Reggie's. "Cute? What was you expecting- me dressed in a puppy-dog costume?" As the surfboard start moving, Alastor takes a long leap to grab onto the board, his cloak aiding in his flight in the form of the draconic wings.

As they reach the limo company's server, Alastor looks down at it warily. "Just because they're easy to find doesn't necessarily mean that they're easy to crack. If they're getting clientele such as the band, they probably have pretty decent security."

'Place called "Astral Utopia."' Replies Shiver, comming Eury the address as he heads out the door. 'It's a wannabe bar so no decent mage would be caught dead there. Good place to blend in and we don't have to cross any borders to get there. How are you set up for transport?'

"Still using my legs, or mass transport for long distances, means you see and hear more. Probably should get a bike soon though. If this place isn't too open that people will overhear, that should be ok."

22:25:10, June 10th, 2070
Denver Matrix, UCAS Sector
Reggie

Reg nods in agreement with Alastor's comment... getting in will be a whole 'nother ball of wax.
The surfer floats in front of the host. "The front is going to be too obvious... public nodes are filled with IC if you try to poke into the access ports...." Reg looks down at the thief. "What do you think?"

The black cloaked halfling replies. "Definately gotta be a back door boss."

"That's what I thought too..."

Reg slides around the host icon, looking at the data pathways. Two major pipes, showing dedicated uplinks and downlinks... probably for car orders. We might need to tap into those later. And nestled between them, was a nice little remote access port. "This looks promissing, though it's going to take a while to crack."

Don't worry, I was planning on doing the talking astrally. It's nigh impossible to bug, and like I said, no mage would be caught dead there.

As for transport, I just got me a new bike, i'm breaking it in, want a lift?

"You two get to work opening that, and I'll stand guard for the moment," says Alastor, leaping down next to Reggie and her sprite, the 'wings' of his cloak seemingly slowing his decent.

"Certainly, although you do seem to have a love for places with a low reputation. It will rub off eventually, but it gives a kind of security, I suppose" Eury walks out with Shiver to his bike.

"Right, lets get at it then..." Reg replies grimly, the face of the silver surfer giving a flat tight lipped gesture. "Let's hope we don't get anyone's attention or this could get messy."

Reg concentrates on the remote access port, 'feeling' for any flaws within the login server that will give them backdoor access into the admin account...
"This could take a couple of hours, I'm dropping in exploit code and peeling this port open like an onion - less chance of ringing any bells and I can log in without any worries afterwards once we hack the user registry."

The tone of Reg's voice is low, keeping to local broadcast as much as possible... last thing they want is to be 'overheard'.

Clarke, leaves the bar once everyone leaves, pausing briefly to tip the bartender and pay the tab. He scans the area outside with professional speed. Then he walks about a block and gets into an anonymous sedan parked in a small carpark.

He drives for a little while, parks the car again and walks a little more until he reaches the business offices of a specific limo company. He does a lap of the building grinning as he finds a small bistro near the rear entrance and a bar across the way from the main doors. He thinks his commlink into life and spends a moment or two checking something. Seemingly satisfied he makes a call.

"Hey, Dor. It's Sander I was wondering if you where free this evening?"
"Yeah, I've got the night off babe."
"Great. Would you care to join me for a drink and a meal? I've just stumbled across the wonderful looking bistro in the UCAS."
"Sounds intriguing, there had better be a motel nearby you know how I get after being wined and dined."
Clark chuckles, "Of course I'll sort out reservations, meet me at The White Collar first then we'll head to the restaurant."
"Okay, I'll see you in about an hour."
"That's great sweetheart see you soon."

He hangs ups before he says to much. Wonders into the bar and orders a beer, choosing a table where he can watch the street. For once mixing business and pleasure makes perfect sense.

23:30:30, June 10th, 2070
Denver Matrix, UCAS Sector
Reggie

Cracking a remote access port is not the easiest thing to do. Sure there's less IC, but the security procedures are more rigid. It quickly becomes routine: The algorithme the crack sprite is running generates an admin passcode. If the login attempt fails, then back off.. spoof a new address, login again.. anything more than one or two attempts within a minute will trigger a security alert, so it's best to keep them scattered so that it appears to be just random ping attempts.

In between login attempts, scanning, the exploit code analyzing, Reg makes small talk with Alastor, any insights he has to how mid-business corp security works is added to the algorithme to increase the chances they have to crack the admin account.
Sure there are faster, dirtier ways of cracking the system open, but roaming a host with an unsecure user code could trigger security, and they need more than a one-shot access into this host. One of the options is to take control of the limmo, and that's not going to happen unless Reg has control of the override commands - and for that she needs control of the dispatch host. Reg had considered leaving a script or sprite - what hackers call Agents, but if that's found before it can be activated, then they'd be back to square one.

It makes a slightly odd sight, a rather demonic-looking warrior standing guard whilst a silver figure hacks into a limo company's system, especially on 'hearing' said warrior making small-talk on security matters, occassionally pointing out things during the hack specifically when needed. Alastor enjoys it, opening up another facet to his personality to Reg, showing the fairly knowledgable and well-educated side of him.

22:43:17, June 10th, 2070
Denver, UCAS Sector
Felice

After a while, Felice calls up the dialer and puts in the number of the limo company.

beep ... beep ... it doesn't take long before she hears the welcome spoken by a soft and friendly computer voice. After a minute of voice-navigating through the at least somewhat user-friendly menu, she finally has an actual person on the line.

“Ah, good evening. I have been looking over your offers of limousine renting services, and it seems like you are offering exactly what I'm looking for. Punctuality, Flexibility, Friendliness, Discretion. And all that at a reasonable price, of course.”

“Yes, yes, exactly. I would like to rent a limousine for the twelveth. ... June, yes, the day after tomorrow. Twenty-hundred til two in the morning. ... Name's Ramirez. ... Oh, a club tour, just having some fun, visiting some places, meeting some friends, maybe taking a friend along for a ride. Nothing specific. Depends a little on my mood, what exactly will happen, if you know what I mean. That's where the flexibility comes into play... and the discretion, of course.”

“Thank you! I will send you a note where your driver can pick me up then.”