Meg´s Place, near Sea-Tac International Airport, Perimeter Road, Seattle, Sea-Tac
Tuesday 8/12/70 22:06:10

As ideas were exchanged around the table, Conall couldn't help himself but think about the TRC Academy. In some classes, they had ran mocked scenarios where team were assigned objectives, and expected to draft plans of actions and prepare mission statements within the hour. But Conall's classes had taught him the exact opposite of what he was about to do tonight. He knew TRC standard operating procedures for VIP protection... not how to approach one covertly.

When Krait addressed him, his senses swung back to the dinner.

Krait: "Are you planing to take your own wheels or join us in the taxi?"

The young elf chuckled.
Share a cab with you? Right.
He simply shook his head from side to side.

“I'll be taking me own ride. If we ever get ourselves in fiddler's green, I'd rather hightail it on me own accord than flag down a cabbie”

When both women started to butt heads, Conall found himself in a position he had hoped to avoid. Although his employer's comment was indeed very crude and insulting, Etain's reaction had also been quite blunt. Not one to be very careful himself, Conall nevertheless felt the duty to intervene before anything went further. As Etain leaned forward to speak her mind to Carla, Conall's firm grip went to his sister's shoulder, slightly pulling her back. Across the link, a single thought filtered through his twin's head.

“That's enough.”

“Let's just get on our bloody way. Even if we get ourselves there early, so much for it. We'll be able to eyeball the grounds and set up SOPs.”

Meg's Place
Tuesday 8/12/70 22:06:15

Carla covered her mouth behind gloved hands, trying to conceal the look of amusement on her face. She hadn't expected Etain to react so seriously to her little joke, and Carla couldn't help being amused by the girl's threatening tone. Of the many things Carla was afraid of, this girl's empty threats were not one of them.

"Alright, we'll split up," Carla addressed the twins, "You know your capabilities better than I do, and I doubt you'd put yourselves at risk if you weren't confident in your skills. You two see what you can do about impersonating a celebrity while Frank and I see what we can do about impersonating caterers. We'll meet up at the destination to straighten out any last-minute details."

"Let's hit the road."

Meg's Place
Tuesday 8/12/70 22:06:22

Without a single word, Conall slipped out of the booth, taking his jacket from the back of his seat and sliding it back into place. His helmet already in one hand, the young shaman used the other to help his twin out of the booth.

“Time to rise and shine sister. Let's get there and show these yanks how to do things the right way.�

Letting her take the lead out of Meg's, the young elf walked only a few paces behind; always close enough to intervene should anyone one of the local degenerates try something.

Meg´s Place, near Sea-Tac International Airport, Perimeter Road, Seattle, Sea-Tac
Tuesday 8/12/70 22:06:35

She didn’t need any additional prodding to get her out of the booth and headed out into the night air. Outside she let out a huff of frustration mixed with indignation at the woman inside but before she could start ranting, a stern look from her brother buttoned her up quick.

“How fast can ye drive? If I’m going to have a chance at pulling this off I’m going to need a place to put the look together, and I’d rather it not be too close to the event. No need to tip ‘em off ahead of time.�

She tried to smile a reassuring and confident smile as much for herself as for her brother.

“There’s got to be a washroom somewhere near by that I can do my thing in, just not back in there. Too many people saw us spend enough time in there. It’d be suspicious. Ye got any ideas?�

Meg´s Place, near Sea-Tac International Airport, Perimeter Road, Seattle, Sea-Tac
Tuesday 8/12/70 22:17:23

The twins had made their way to Conall’s bike and Etain had managed to just get settled again on the back when Frank and Carla had come out of the diner and were flagging them down to wait. Frank eyed her expectantly and reminded her she said she could help get uniforms for them. Nodding with a soft sigh she slipped off the bike again and looked around the area. Spotting a standard vending area within the truck stop she sent Carla over to get a couple of sets of flats that would fit the pair since she highly doubted they’d want her altering their clothes. Besides, the coverage of the flats would be better suited for their needs.

When the woman returned with the sets of clothing in hand Etain insisted everyone head towards the washroom area at the set of coffins just down the street from Meg’s because she wasn’t about to put herself out in front of everyone here. Along the way she was assured that Frank had managed to get images of the caterers uniforms from the convention center. He added in that he even managed to get some good stills from the feed of the event of the security who were watching the VIP’s arrivals.

When they got to the stacks of coffins they couldn’t get far inside the washroom area without a keyed rental of a unit but the place was relatively quiet and shielded from most prying eyes. Etain instructed the pair to change into the sets of flats as she studied the images Frank had found. She had Conall stand “guard� nearby to divert any trouble and suggested to Carla she could go around the corner further if she was uncomfortable changing in front of any of them.

Soon the pair was standing before her in drab grey garments with no fit or form. But they were perfect for her needs, the coverage was ideal.

“Now, to make this work I’m gonna have to touch ye, and ye might feel a little tingle.�

Almost instantly when she stated that they might feel something Conall suddenly felt nothing as his mindlink to his sister was suddenly severed. It brought back bad memories of what had happened back in the Tir, but this time Etain knew it was only a temporary situation. She couldn’t afford to jeopardize the success of creating the uniforms if she was sustaining the spell to keep in contact with her brother.

Before either Frank or Carla could protest she got started, with one last glance at the images she then closed her eyes and opened herself to the lifeforce that swirled and ebbed all around her. Soft whispers of Sperethiel tumbled from her lips as she started with Frank’s outfit. Slowly moving her hands over his shoulders, her palms always in touch with the fabric itself, the man wearing the clothes could feel them starting to physically change on his very person. Faded grays gave way to clean crisp dress whites with gold piping, the convention center’s logo embroidered in gold thread across one breast. She drew a long breath as she stepped back to view her handiwork. It definitely wasn’t her best work but then she normally wasn’t doing clothing for anyone but herself. Frank’s outfit would likely pass a cursory inspection, but she would have to do better on Carla’s if they wanted to actually have their plan work.

She ran her fingers through her hair and tried to take a few breaths to center herself and focus more this time around. She created the confidence inside herself and stepped forward towards the woman with a look of determination in her eyes. This time as the foreign words came from her lips they had more intensity behind them and it showed in the craftsmanship of the outfit this time. Everything was expertly tailored, a double-breasted coat that fit Carla’s frame to a T. Edged in the same gold piping with a clear event logo on the breast of the coat that went with a matching pair of tailored white pants with a thin strip of gold that went from hip to ankle on the outside edge of the legs. Even the shoes were a perfect fit in style with the outfit. Carla looked more like a caterer of higher rank, perhaps even a chef herself to Frank’s grunt who just served the food.

“I’d highly suggest ye change back to street clothes and into those when ye get closer to the event. Wouldn’t want to show up to work in a dirty uniform would ye?�

She waited for the pair to finish redressing before wishing them well on their journey. Both of them seemed rather uncomfortable with what she was doing, enough so that she didn’t want to start all that would be involved with her physical transformation until they were already on their way. Besides, to get the look just right, she was going to have to remove some articles of clothing, and really she didn’t want anyone watching. It was an ill-timed moment of modesty that hit her and made her question if she was going to be able to pull this off. Things were different when her brother was around. Before while she was on her own she felt liberated and carefree, now she was reminded constantly of her proper upbringing and it was causing her a bit of an internal struggle that she had to fight through. She kept reminding herself that the sooner she got through this event, the sooner she’d have more time to spend with Conall, to catch up and figure out just where they’d go from here.

Bump-N-Sleep, near Sea-Tac International Airport, Perimeter Road, Seattle, Sea-Tac
Tuesday 8/12/70 22:15:23

Etain waited till the pair was on their way in a hailed cab before she even thought about getting started on her own transformation. As she waited, she looked through the potential “starlets� Frank had managed to find while they were inside. Finding one that at least appeared to be close to her own height and general physical stature, she studied the various images of just that starlet before she went any further. Clothes and makeup would be no problem but it was the physical mask that had to be dead to rights. She checked in with Conall before she tucked herself back into an alcove with as much privacy as possible. She took a few deep breaths as she leaned against the wall. This was nothing more than another costume party and she just got to play another role.

First she started with the basics, altering everything she could by magic. With a few well chosen words and a lot of concentration she started her makeover. First her hair became very white blonde with a bit of gold in it, the style shifting to a perfectly straight long length that brushed the small of her back. She gave herself dark smoky eye makeup and pale lipstick for that sultry yet not slutty look. She gave herself healthy all over glowy tan skin and her face looked nearly flawless with the new glow. Looking in the mirror she was satisfied with her work, already marveling in the way they dramatically changed her looks. Next she had to get to work on the clothing. Sure she could show up in something sleazy and overly revealing, but she decided to take a risk and make something a little more tailored and classic looking with a sultry edge.

She took inventory of what she was wearing and quickly decided what could stay and what needed to go. She slipped off her shoes for a moment as she shimmied out of her jeans and removed the bra she was wearing under the oversized t-shirt. She slipped the shoes back on her feet and piled her jacket on top of her jeans as she stood there half naked. She gave the bottom of the t-shirt a slight tug to see if it would have enough material to work with before she continued. Spreading her fingers across her own belly she closed her eyes and envisioned the outfit she wanted to create. The white t-shirt started to turn darker, inky black strands extending from her fingers till the entire shirt was jet black. Next the fabric started to shift and tighten across her body. Plunging low down the back, all the way past the small of her back and clinging to every curve of her hips the front neckline draping in soft folds and showing quite a bit of skin. She slid her hands further down her body and to the tops of her shoes which transformed to strappy high heels that wrapped up her calf and tied just below her knees.

Looking in the mirror at the work she had done left a smile on her lips. She looked down at her and checked for anything missing or anything she had forgotten to remove. She quickly removed the copper band from her right hand and slipped it carefully inside her jacket pocket. Devoid of any other jewelry she nodded at her reflection, it would have to do. She knew the physical mask would really take over all the efforts she made with the other two spells, but if for whatever reason the mask cracked or something happened to her, she might have a better opportunity to get by if the rest of her still looked mostly like the woman she was trying to imitate.

She was so close to being done but the crucial piece still remained. Etain didn’t have the exact duplicate of the woman’s body shape or features or eye colour for that matter. The physical mask would have to take care of that. She pulled up one last set of images into her contacts and stared at them in silence until her perception nearly shifted. When she could still see the woman, her curves, her lips, her eyes with her own eyes closed she knew she could do this. Calling to Moon Maiden for her assistance she wove the mana around herself and created the image people would expect to see at the event. The top of her dress filled out with impressive cleavage, her Elven ears became as rounded as every other norm, her eyes shifted to a brilliant shade of cornflower blue. Accessories in the form of glittering earrings that dangled to near her shoulders and a set of thin silver chains around her neck in varying lengths were added as just skin alone wouldn’t do. The final touch, a kanji tattoo, peeked out from her dress at the base of her spine to complete the look.

Etain had entered the hallway, but Syren had come out the other end. Her heels clicked down the hallway as she walked with the few stray items she no longer wore clutched tight to her chest. By the time she stood behind her brother and his bike a confident, dangerous smile was on her lips and her extra clothes were held at her side. She smelled different, a perfume she’d have never worn before and her voice a huskier whisper with no trace of her Irish lilt.

“Hey there big guy, care to give a stranded woman a ride?�

Bump-N-Sleep, near Sea-Tac International Airport, Perimeter Road, Seattle, Sea-Tac
Tuesday 8/12/70 22:17:42

When her brother had picked his jaw up off the ground and stopped protesting what she had done to herself long enough for her to get a word in edgewise she mentioned unless he wanted to have a Wolverine Security uniform added to his permanent wardrobe that they should probably grab another set of flats to make it look like he was a member of their security detail. Once they were procured from the vending machines around the corner she wasted no time getting to work on them. As she concentrated harder as she attempted to keep her mask in place, she used the stills from the video feed as reference as she started to craft each piece to look quite similar to the existing security team as well as fit her brother’s body. Hopefully it would be solid enough to fool even the most perceptive observer. She kept working the mana around her until she believed the outfit was nearly perfect. She knew that his training would let him fit in physically, he never had a problem looking imposing, not ever.

She took a step back and admired her handiwork with a satisfied nod.

“That should do ye right. Perhaps we should start off towards this mess before those two get themselves in fiddler’s green? Besides, I want to see just what ye can do with this bike of yers.�

Her now-blue eyes glittered in the twilight as she slipped her jacket onto her shoulders for the ride and stowed her jeans in the bike itself. As she climbed on the back of the bike, her short dress crept up dangerously and indecently higher on her thighs. As Conall got himself settled behind the controls of the bike and started her up, Etain wrapped her arms tightly around her brother as she tried to focus for one last favour from the lifeforce that surrounded them and once again her thoughts were opened up to her brother’s again.

�Consider this one more layer of security, to stay in touch unless there’s trouble.�

In a cab southbound on 57th Street, Ft. Lewis, Nisqually
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:13:00
Krait - Underway to the party
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 0), Moai passive

When the 'transfer compleated'-icon lit up in his lower left field of vision, John terminated the connection to Mr. Chu and cut down his signal-strength again. With a thankfull nod, he handed the certified credstick, which had 100 left, back to Ms. Johnson. The negotiations with the elder asian fixer had gone down quiet favourably and he had given the elf a 10% discount. Of course John could have saved at least twice as much, but that would have involved another 2 days of legwork or more. Chu had been abled to provide the Sniffer III on the spot, instantly transfering it to his com. While he waited for his Agent to decrypt, analyze, install and test the freshly aquired software, the proto-hacker recounted this day´s work in his mind.

After Ms. Johnson´s call, he had spent the whole morning scrounging the net for usefull information on the awards ceremony and the surrounding trade-show. It became quickly apearent, that he wouldn´t be abled to hunt down three tickets for less then what Chu was asking for, which given their operational budget made aquiering them an inefficient option. Gaining legitimate VIP-access seemed out of question alltogether. So he had prepaired himself to harvest some poor fan´s comlinks for tickets and gain access to one of the myriade of small news-outfits´ nodes, to pose as reporters. Secluded in a cozzy, secure coffin-hotel, well away from his own home, he had entered the Matrix in full VR. He had little apreciation for the virtuel world´s exotic iconography, prefering his own nod´s functions to be set up much like he was used to it in AR, as a number of small windows that where streaming text mostly - not unlike what the hackers of the old internet-age would have used, only assisted by a few icons and non-visual cues, to help guid his attention. Still being freed to some degree of his meat-body´s physical restrictions, enabled him to react to these cues much faster then he could in AR, as much as he hated his physical senses being restricted to a small window holding the audio-visual feed from his comlinks and implants.
Loaded directly into his persona as oposed to running freely on his node, his SOTA-Agent -the real power behind his hacking-capabilities- was only an invisible presence fealt in the back of his nack, like the hand of a guardian angel softly resting on his shoulder, only manifesting in his perception being channeled by filtering, translating and highlighting the important information and the way his system reacted to his will, mediated through the almost top-grade Command-Software. He had considdered to get some personality-upgrade for his core-software, to make working the matrix feel more natural and thus less stressfull, but atthe moment he had more pressing things to spend the 150+ a decent virtual person package would cost.

While the first intrusion had been quiet easy, it had been imensly stressfull, for it was the first time he was actually breaking into a forraign system - not counting the vendor-machine from earlyer that morning. Finding an Exploit had been no hard task, as the low- to medium-grade systems he had targeted where leaky like an oil-tanker fit for retirement bleeding it´s load. When he used the backdoor, the system didn´t seem to care, abled to do little against his mid-level Stealth-Program, even though he had severly rushed the probing, as would be expected for an off-the-shelf Erica Elite and Iris Orb OS, especially with the smoke-screen provided by the aggrssive, viral porn-ads he had collected to distract the node from his reall agenda. Still John had his Agent hurry through the preprogrammed routine, faster then his own mind could have commanded it to do task by task, saving his own mental ressources to study the system-scans his software was running for any irregularities, that would necessitate a change of plan. He considdered brifely, to stay inside the fan-boy´s network a bit longer, to look for any usefull paydata, but considdered it to be too risky for his first hack, so he was in and out -ticket exchanged for bogus-file, logs cleaned and connection cut- in a matter of seconds.
Even though the operation went down without any problem, he took the time to change his location, before he approached his second victim. Beeing new to this business, he deemed this precaution necessary in case he made any newcommer-mistakes.
The second system was as easy as the first and John allready fealt less stressfull over committing a capital offense, even though he was still engineering his defense in case he was captured. This one was a pimped Renraku Sensei running the equally powerfull, but slightly less secure Renraku Dai, that his former employees arch-rival had reverse-engineered from their popular Novatech Navi OS. The easyest way in proved to be through this users electronic porno-mag subscription. He didn´t stay long in this node either, as much for the perceived risk of being noticed, as for the fact that this system´s Hardcore-SM-Metaphor bordering into even less acceptable -and in some cases maybe not quiet legal- forms of pornography severly limiting his motivation to take a closer look at the storages contents in search of something usefull.

When he was done with the second of the most easy fan-nodes, relocated to another coffin-hotel again and ready to hit the news-server with a fresh access-ID, he noticed to his dismay, that the reporters had managed to cancel their delay and had allready entered the trade-show, gleefully commenting the big mud-wrestling event in their screemsheets latest update. So he switched plans and started probing another regular ticket-barer´s com, who had boasted of his planned night-time activeties once he got rid of his wife and kids. This one was a bit better situated then the first two, prowd owner of a Hermis Icon Comlink with upgraded Iris-Orb OS. Not willing to risk beeing late at this attemt as well, John rushed the probing again, even though he had much time left before the meeting at Meg´s. When he had identified a feasable way in through a gardening-SIG instant-massenger, he doublechecked his Agent´s commands and entered.
This node was squeaking clean, with now sign of adult entertainment or other questionable passtimes -or the ticket for that matter- anywhere to see. Still the elven intruder knew from his erotic-entertainment-awards-SIG-Posts that this ork had some juicy sims stored savely out of sight somwhere, to recreate in his coffee-break. After a quick analysis, the trusty Agent had uncovered a trap-door in the system´s anti-virus-software´s isolation-area, which lead him directly through the desk-jokey´s datajack and into his head. Part of the internal memory was separated by a hardware data lock -probably for business purpose- but what he was looking for was stashed away in a virtual cardboard-box labled 'winter-hollydays 2062'. John didn´t pay much attention to the small library of simsense recordings - quick to do what he had come for, removing his tracks and leave again. After all one never knew if this ork´s superiors where as paranoid about their network-security as John had been.

With some time left, but not nearly enough to do anything he´d like to do to put together a really good plan for this night, the technical specialist decided to give it another try and raid a 4th system. They would only need the 3 tickets he allready had, but he´d like to invite Belinda or maybe the boss of his electronics-shop, if she wasn´t interested. A ticket worth 1.5 grand would be a mighty boon to establish their connection. If nothing else, he could sell the ticket to Mr.Chu for a fraction of it´s nominal worth and get maybe some 100 per hour of work out of it. Besides it was allways good to have a back-up, just in case.
The node he had selected was a bit tougher then the first ones, though maybe not more so then the 3rd, but easy pickings where growing slim, as most people had allready entered the show. The PAN was running on a Fairlight Caliban with upgraded Navi OS, but at least it wasn´t hiding behind a corporate-firewall, but conecting directly to the Matrix. He was allmost thinking he wouldn´t make it in time, even though he was again rushing the probing-process, but then he discovered a loophole in the PAN´s synchronization-port with the user´s home-apliances-network. Reluctantly he scanned the system for an alart as usual, before he sliped through the rabit-hole into Alice´s Wonderland. The network´s iconography was fashioned after some last-century anime-tv-show of the classic novel, though, the deeper one entered into the system and thecloser one looked, the more aperant it became, that the PAN-architecture was hiding some decidedly 'hentai' elements beneth the child-like surface. It took John some time to recognize one of the queen of heart´s card-soldiers as the virtual representation of the ticket-file, but he finally got what he had come for. Not without a brush of fate however, when the clearly forraign icon of a feudal japanese bushi in full ceremonial armor strode past him in the maze-garden. His Analyze-Utility labled the newcommer as a Renraku Red-Samurai IC, though it´s high pilot-rating -comparable to that of John´s own aid- was gladly cut short by the restricted system-ressources available on the PAN. Otherwise the Introdusion Countermeasur would have quiet likely spotted his icon and set of an alart, that might quiet likely have resulted in a cyber-combat he could only loos. He reconed that the IC had entered from some corporate-network, the user was now accessing and wasted no more time to clean the logs and leave, as he wasn´t found of another confrontation with patroling Ice and was well aware, that the comlink´s barer migh enter an anti-wifi-screened zone, if he had just accessed his company´s physical site.

Content with his work, the elf had hurryed to get ready for the meeting, spending some -rather short- time to scout the surrounding area again and then waiting for his anoyingly late business-partners - or where they partners in crime by now? Despite the surprise of a 'new team-member' and the obligatory threats and verbal bullying from Paddy´s side, the meeting went over well enough and they had come up with a plan that might even have a chance to work.
When they where finally alone in the coffin-area, John had wasted no time to get out of his cloths and put on the flats, showing a slender but athletic body covered with some -non-permanent- tatoos in places one wouldn´t bother to decorate on a 'usual' night out. As he striped down his expensive suit, he sayd with a half-humorous smile.

Krait: "Sorry, I don´t usually get rid of my cloths that fast on a first date and I feal kind of bad, because I didn´t even get to invite you on some food and drink, first. Maybe I can make up for it some time - preferably in a more decent location."

As the sorceress put her hands on his shoulders, he did in deed feal a slight tingling sensation, though he wasn´t sure if it was actually her magic or just the fact of beeing targeted by a spell, or something else entirely. The uniform she created from those drab flats didn´t fit as well as his tailor-made outfit, but it would have to suffice tonight. She seemed to do a much better job with Ms. Johnson, even though one would assume she would get worst with the second casting, for being exhausted, rather then get better. John couldn´t help but wonder why this was the case. Was she distracted when she worked on his set of clothing or just got some practice out of the first time? Maybe she was simply better at changing women´s cloths or just put more effort into it for their team-leader.

When they had changed back into their evening outfits, the taxi was allready waiting for them. Before they even hit the freeway, he noticed the two other elfs rushing past on the combat-mage´s bike. Out of earshot from the other team-members, John asked his employer, if she could spare some more money for an aditional program that would largely increase their chances tonight in his assessment and she reluctantly surrendered a certified credstick holding 1,000 to him. While he negociated a price with his fixer via comlink through his direct neural interface, he kept up a light discussion of their further actions with Miss Johnson.

Krait: "Allright, I´m set and it looks like this new gadget would working well enough."

He said as he put his new Sniffer-Utilety to an impromto test, picking up random communication from the surrounding area.

Bump-N-Sleep, near Sea-Tac International Airport, Perimeter Road, Seattle, Sea-Tac
Tuesday 8/12/70 22:17:50

Once Carla and Krait had had their makeover done up, Conall intercepted them before they left. As he spoke, he directed his attention to Carla only, but his message was clearly meant for the both of them.

“I have no clue as to how ye two might handle the heat if it comes down bearing on us... but if things do take a sour turn, don't freeze up. Drop everything and just walk away, ye got me? Issue with private security forces isn't that they're quick on their feet on strong on their shooters... their strength is in numbers and mobilization. As long as ye're moving, they're ain't about to stop ye.

He took a small wireless earpiece from his pocket and stuck it in his ear.

“I'll be listening on me comm if ye need to reach me. No names on the air while the operation is going on. J's One, Tech man's Two, Am Three and me sister's Four. Target is Prime. If yer compromised, ye sound out yer position.� Conall blurted out rather fast, in a manner that sounded almost mechanical and practiced.

The young shaman arched one of his eyebrow “Ye got all that down?�

After having changed back into his “regular� street clothes, Conall slipped on his bike , kicking the legstand off and starting it off with a roar as Etain jumped on. He felt his twin's delicate arms wrap themselves around him.. and even through his thick jacket, Conall could almost feel the warmth of her body.

Grinning behind his downed visor, Conall simply suddenly turned the throttle to it full on force, making the tires spin on place for a brief moment, before lurching the bike forward into the night. If he could get there before Krait did, it would be just that much more for his own ego.

Parking Garage connected to the Fort Lewis Convention Center, Ft. Lewis
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:05:01

While they never actually spoke a word on the thrilling ride over the twins had managed to say volumes to one another in the past 45 minutes. From Etain insisting to Conall that she could handle what they were about to do all the way to the mutual adrenaline rush they both shared from each others perspectives as Conall took the bike in and out of traffic on the way to the convention center.

As they neared the actual location traffic became thicker and Etain was grateful they were on a bike that could weave in and out of the gaps in the traffic to get there just a little quicker. While Seattle was hardly the center of the Adult Entertainment industry that was obviously thriving in the UCAS, they definitely had their own little niche cornered as evidenced by the amounts of people milling around the convention center to watch the red carpet.

As the twins pulled into the parking structure they had to wind through a few levels before they found a place to safely park the bike that both wasn’t under constant supervision by the security system cameras and satisfied Conall’s needs in case they had to get out of there quickly.

Etain carefully slipped from the bike and pulled the short hem of her skirt down a touch and slipped off her jacket, folding it carefully and stowing it in the bike with her other clothing. She ran her fingers through her now wind-blown hair to work out at least the major snarls as Conall got off the bike and surveyed the area. She got his attention and spun in a quick circle and raised her brow when she turned back around.

“So, whadda ye think? Good enough to get us inside�

Road leading to Fort Lewis Convention Center, Ft. Lewis
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:05:30

Though Carla had originally wanted to meet up with the twins one last time before heading off into the operation, she figured it wasn't worth the risk of being seen associating with each other in public. She sent a message over to Paddy

Any last questions? If not, head on in without waiting for us.

Besides, as the taxi approached the convention center, it occured to Carla that there was probably a designated entrance that the caterers were supposed to use. She turned to Krait and asked him what he could find,

"Are the caterers expected to go in through a specific entrance? Maybe the catering company has instructions for employees available on its website?"

Parking Garage connected to the Fort Lewis Convention Center, Ft. Lewis
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:05:26

“That's unless someone tries to fondle you before...� thought Conall, speaking in silence as he crossed both of his arms on his chest.

Eyebrows down, he looked at his twin with a rather grumpy look. He knew this was probably one of the best plan they could come up with on such short notice, but he still didn't like it. He things went from bad to worst, he would be the one who would have to spring them out of harms way. From what he knew, Yankees were trigger happy bastards all around. But then again, they were just that: clumsy yankees who probably couldn't hit the broad side of barn. Nothing close to the elite TRC Conall had been in line to join. Even a fresh cadet like himself probably had more training and composure than a full squad of Wolverine agents. And he was pure blood.

They wouldn't stand a chance. He was about to add something when the commlink clipped to hils belt buzzed. He glance down, reading the tiny message off the screen.

Any last questions? If not, head on in without waiting for us.

The young shaman typed a quick and short reply.

Wilco.

He then turned his attention back to his sister.

“Are you sure you still want to do this? I won't hold it against you if you want to back out.�

Parking Garage connected to the Fort Lewis Convention Center
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:05:45

Etain sighed softly at her brother’s thoughts and concern. She crossed the short distance between them and placed her hands on his arms, just below his shoulders as she looked him in the eyes and spoke softly.

“We’re going t’be just dandy. Ye just can’t go flying off the handle if someone gets too close for yer comfort. We just need to get in and get out after talking to the girl. No harm, no danger to her or us. We just want to find out about the missing woman. Then we leave. Plain and simple.�

She stared at her brother for a moment, her own eyes reflecting in the mirror image of his, before a smile touched her lips.

“No, I’m not sure I want to do this exactly, but what other choice do we have? Ye want the boss and the techno-fruit to get the answers we can have in moments if we just go inside first?�

She paused, letting that sink in, knowing full well she was purposefully manipulating her brother, baiting him to not stop her from helping them get the answers they needed.

“I promise ye, I will be fine. I’m a lot stronger than ye give me credit for sometimes.�

She gave his arms a little squeeze as she saw his jaw tighten at the thought of Frank getting the better of him. With a slight nod to seal the deal she turned from him and started towards the convention center.

Outside Convention Center, Main Entrance
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:08:30

Naturally, the road outside the main entrance was packed full of traffic. Not in the mood to sit still, Carla opted to pay the taxi-driver his fee and simply walk the remaining couple of blocks towards the main door.

She sifted through her coat pockets as they walked, keeping stock of what she was carrying. Her commlink was clipped securely to her belt with her credstick slotted safely inside. A wad of cash nuyen she had brought along - just in case she needed it - was tucked in her interior coat pocket. And her spare ammo clips were -

"Oh crap." Carla had forgotten she was carrying her pistol. She nudged Krait as they walked along the busy sidewalk. When she had his attention, she discreetly showed him the tiny pistol hidden within her coat.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this? Isn't security going to pick it up?"

Outside Convention Center, near SE entrance, in front of Hilton
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:14:30

From where Carla and Krait stood talking, they could glimpse three of the convention center's key entrances. Closest to them was a wide stairway leading up to the ticket-bearer entrance located at the east end of the center's broad vestibule. There was a line of some fifty people waiting to get in. About half were plain or else downright unattractive men in ones, twos or threes. There were other men that didn't have the same air of desperation, and a few couples. Most of the women looked pretty trashy, both in attitude and in apparel, all of which was revealing.
The line here was moving pretty quickly, although uniformed Wolverine guards were visibly present. Unlike the dress uniforms they had seen on the trid feed of the red carpet, the guards at this entrance were in BDUs with web gear. Very clean and professional looking, but looking a lot more imposing than the "show-guards" their company had marched before the media cams. And, as at the red carpet entrance, there was a being that was obviously some sort of spirit, even though it was shaped like a man and wore the same uniform as the others.

Off to their left, the portico that extended out from the front of the building was lit up like day. Spotlights shone down from the roof and up from the ground. They couldn't see anything going on, of course, because of the crowds of media and drooling fans, but periodic cheers went up with the arrival of each Roll Royce Phaeton limousine. Security officers in those same BDUs patrolled the perimeter of the ruckus.

To their right, down an attractively gardened and well-lit walkway between the center and the Hilton, they could see the northeast corner of the building which they'd learned was the personnel entrance for caterers from the hotel. Nothing was moving down there right now, but they could see at least one Wolverine woman standing watch, SMG hanging at her hip, a hand lightly on the grip.

Outside Convention Center, near SE entrance, in front of Hilton, Ft. Lewis, Nisqually
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:14:30
Krait - Underway to the party
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 0), Moai passive

The elf arched an eyebrow at the sight of the gun. In their situation, the weapon would probably cause more problems for them then it would solve. Even if Ms. Johnson had a license, she probably wouldn´t want to wave around her ID tonight. Besides, the hilton staff most likely wasn´t supposed to carry guns at work, even if they happened to posess a legit license. On top of raising unwanted attention, it would probably escalate the situation -quiet possibly to lethal levels- if the plan wasn´t working!

Krait: "Quiet likely! We should get rid of it. Have a license? Check it in at Laundry´s Seafood House. Otherwise, we´d have to hide it somewhere, before we go in."

He took in the surrounding and especially the visible entrance areas for a few seconds and checked the results of his scanning for wireless signals, before he went on.

Krait: "Once we took care of this, I´d still suggest we go in using our tickets, covering the uniforms with our street-cloths - at least in part. I can hear some voices, but the doors are either opened with short-range transponders or not wireless at all, so we can´t just walk in on our own."

The paranoid man wasn´t verry comfortable, to discuss these matters on the street, but doing so in a casual tone was the best he could do, to not draw attention from any bystanders.

Krait: "When we are inside, we can get a better look at the setup and then I´ll check in our street-cloths with my backpack. If you wait somewhere out of sight, carrying my uniform-jacket, that shouldn´t raise any suspicion at the check-in counter. From there on, we might have to do some talking to get into the serice-areas. We will see."

He took another mental look at his scanning results. The service-channel was no problem, so he would at least be abled to hear what was happening at the catering-front. Combined with his personal experiance -though a bit rusty- of jobbing at high-class bars and restaurants, this information should get them into the flow of caterers, once they passed the outer barriers of the restricted area.
The security-channel on the other hand randomly switched frequancies, so he had to continuously pick it up and decrypt it again, turning him deaf on that ear for mostly 2/3 of the time.

Outside Convention Center, near SE entrance, in front of Hilton, Ft. Lewis
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:10:30


After a quick decision to leave the newly-fabricated security uniform with Etain's clothes in the bike's storage box, the twins had started off around the back of the convention center.

Passing the loading dock in back they saw Wolverine officers in BDUs with SMGs. "Syren" drew plenty of looks from staff and guards alike, as the brief gusts of wind conspired to render he dress ever more daring.

Continuing on, they came to the service entrance for personnel. Two more Wolverine guards, one male and one female, stood watch at this door, where there was a lot less activity at the moment.

Walking down the pleasantly gardened path between the convention center and the Hilton, they could see that they would have to wait in a bit of a line to get into the entrance for regular ticket holders. Rounding the corner, they took their place at the end of the queue. They could see that the line was moving fairly quickly as guests incorporated their tickets into their PANs and they were scanned for contraband and weapons electronically on their way in.

And it was obvious the the spirit in a Wolverine uniform was conducting its own sort of scan.

Occasionally a guest was questioned briefly by one of the security personnel, but mostly everything was going smoothly.

Once in line, "Syren" was quickly the object of a lot of attention from the other people waiting. Apparently normal societal rules about blatantly staring, or even craning one's neck to get a peek beyond this fold of cloth or that, were thrown out the window in this sort of venue. And it wasn't just leers - within moments a fat man with a pubic-hair beard blurted - "Hey, you're Syren! Wow! Hey everybody...Let me just say, when you pulled that ork triple-P in Muffs of Moria, well I...let's just say I replayed that scene a dozen times, each time as a different one of the orks! Can I shake your hand?"

Outside Convention Center, in front of SE entrance
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:14:35

Carla tossed the tiny pistol and spare ammo clip into an alley as they walked down the road - she wasn't worried about fingerprints, since she had never handled the gun without gloves (or even with a real hand, for that matter.) As far as she knew, there wasn't any identification on the gun at all, so it shouldn't be possible to trace back to anyone. Besides, Carla doubted it was unusual to find cheap pistols in back alleyways in a metropolis like Seattle.

Eventually, Krait and Carla merged into the line of ticket-holders and patiently waited to make their way towards the door. Carla couldn't help shifting uncomfortably from time to time; underneath her overcoat her white street shirt was tightly fitted over the top of her catering uniform. She wore the catering pants and shoes uncovered, though without the top and jacket she figured that nobody would recognize them as part of a uniform.

"Where do we hold the jackets?" Carla asked her partner.

Outside Convention Center, near SE entrance, in front of Hilton, Ft. Lewis
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:12:15

Walking around the back of the convention center had been a wise choice. It gave Etain time to get into character with those that most likely weren’t as intimately familiar with Syren’s body of work. A well placed wink and a smile to a couple of the security guys in the back and a less than innocent flash of long legs with a gust of wind and a laugh.

By the time they made it around to the actual entrance for the common convention goers the line was impressive. The patrons not so much. When the first one approached her and started raving with start-struck glee about some scene in a movie with Orks her stomach actually flip flopped. She managed a sly smile in the fat man’s direction only because she knew Conall was within reach should anything go horribly wrong. She did extend her hand to the man knowing it would likely give him a cheap thrill and tried not to grimace as he wrapped his fingers tightly around hers.

As a larger crowd gathered around them it afforded her the opportunity to take a slow look around, pausing her attention on the doorway and she drew in a bit of a surprised breath as the Spirit of Man came into clearer view and Conall could feel her apprehension growing.

�I’m not even sure I’m gonna make it inside with that thing guarding the door. It’ll see right through me.�

She continued to pose for various holopics with “fans� as the line creeped ever forward, its progress only mildly slowed by the growing crowd around her. She knew, depending on just what the spirit was on watch for that both she and her brother might stick out like glowing masses in the sea of meta-humanity out here.

It was only a few more moments before the twins were standing before the entrance.

Outside Convention Center, near SE entrance, in front of Hilton, Ft. Lewis, Nisqually
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:14:49
Krait - Standing in Line
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 0), Moai passive

Krait: "Let´s leave them in the backpack untill we get inside."

John fealt a bit naked, going into the scene with no armor - well almost none. His suit was carefully folded and stuffed into his bulging, green backpack along with the uniform-jackets. Similar to the woman to his side, he wore the rest of the uniform under his two-sided windbreaker, which was fit to be worn inside-out just as well as the other way around. It was now showing it´s gray-black on the outside, instead of the more eye-catching pale yellow he had put on the outside for the meeting at Mag´s. The white cap and blue glasses still redirected any onlooker´s attention away from his handsome but bland face.
As they slowly closed in on the entrance, he only hoped that he wouldn´t have to use his license to get through with his restricted protective ware.

Outside Convention Center, near SE entrance, in front of Hilton, Ft. Lewis, Nisqually
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:14:51


Just as Krait and Carla found their places at the end of the line, up ahead they spied Paddy just taking his turn at the security checkpoint. He was with a ravishing bleach blond wearing an extremely revealing dress - although unlike other dresses they saw in line, it wasn't going to get her arrested.

Facing the guards, the twins had already followed the ARO directions and uploaded their tickets to their PANs. As they approached the sensor gate, the spirit's expression gave nothing away, but it was clear the uniformed man standing next to it was using the Sight, and that he was interested in "Syren" for more than just her long, fully exposed legs.

He glanced at another guard who stood behind some sort of console, and then back at Etain. "Good evening Ms. Syren. If I could just have you and your companion pass through our security gate, and then join me in our interview alcove, we just have a few brief formalities to cover." He smiled congenially as his hand indicated at semi-open partitioned area off to the side of the entrance.

The other guards at the gate appeared unconcerned as they motioned the next people in line forward.

Interview Alcove, inside SE entrance, Fort Lewis Convention Center
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:17:00

The twins followed the mage guard into the "alcove" - just some temporary partitions setting a little space aside without actually enclosing anything.

The mage spoke, and while he did a fair job of sounding natural, it seemed clear he was reading a customer service script in AR. "First, let me apologize for this inconvenience, Ms. Syren. One of our top mission directives is to ensure that you have an enjoyable time at tonight's event. The reason we've requested this interview is that, in order to maintain the highest safety standards for our valued clients, our policy requires all guests who choose to enjoy themselves at this event as lookalikes of their favorite stars to provide positive verification of their government-registered identity. Please be assured, however, that we at Wolverine make no assumptions whatsoever about your spiritual, emotional, sexual, or mental identity. And we hope you will take this minor inconvenience as a compliment demonstrating the excellent quality of your personal appearance homage to Syren, who as you know is one of the hottest, classiest and nastiest young stars in the SoftOnDemand firmament. So if you could just place your finger in this disposable reader, ma'am, we will verify your SIN and allow you to take the reader with you, our compliments."

The guard held out a small device.

Interview Alcove, inside SE entrance, Fort Lewis Convention Center
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:18:17

Etain’s nervous smile came off more dangerous and more sultry than she ever could have intended as she locked eyes with the security guard reading from the script. As she reached her hand forward she bypassed the reader the guard was holding and let her fingertips brush the guards hand before settling on them. Her voice was a soft purr and not her own thanks to the spell she was sustaining.

“Is this really necessary? I’m certain both you and your friend out there can tell if I’m lying and I truly mean no harm to any of your clients tonight, nor any of your guests.� Her fingers lightly moved up towards the guard’s wrist as she continued her plea, a twinge of desperation filtering through her voice.

“I was just looking for a way to get a leg up in the industry you know. Pretty girls are a dime a dozen, even those with talent. But if the studio execs could get their hands on someone who could look like anyone and had the talent to compete with the big stars…�

She let the last bit of that sentence trail off, letting the guard form whatever picture in his mind that he chose. She didn’t want to have to resort to using the reader to gain access to the show, afraid that the ID Elaine’s friends secured for her wouldn’t hold up, or worse she’d turn up SINless, but she knew that might be the only way inside if this didn’t work.

“I just need a way to see the execs, but I’m running late because of pulling all this together and now they’re all upstairs in VIP and all I have is this general admission access. How’s a girl supposed to get her foot in the door when they employ such talented security as yourselves to keep us out?�

Fort Lewis Convention Center
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:21:17


A complex series of emotions played over the guard's face, the main themes being lust and self-control. "Well, I guess we're not all born with the same advantages. People deserve a chance to step up in the world." He smiled and returned to his post at the door, leaving the twins alone, with nothing between them and the red velvet curtain through which guests were passing after they cleared the security checkpoint.

With a shrug, the brother and sister passed through as well.

And it was immediately apparent why some sort of screen was necessary to prevent the goings on inside from being seen by passers-by outside.
The Hilton was a family hotel after all.

The prefunction area before them was milling with people - mostly casually dressed males, but a healthy collection of females, almost all of whom were decidedly less dressed. Conall and Etain had thought they'd seen some revealing outfits in line, and in the matrix feed of the red carpet, but that had apparently just been for mainstream consumption. Dangerously risque outfits had transformed into XXX pornographic with the tug of a string or the arcanery of a studio mage.
The tiny dress "Syren" wore was easily the most modest in the place.
Various piped tunes were competing for attention - some from the two hallways off to their right, others from the prefunction area itself, still more drifting in from the main hall.

The vestibule's walls were lined with photo-op set-ups, all loudly bannering one studio or another. Photographers rotated from one to the next to record images of the studios' stables of stars that posed dutifully under the lights, usually at least partially nude, and often engaging in sex acts with their co-stars for the cameras.

Handheld cameras were all around - small but readily visible as amateurs held them above the crowds to get better looks at what was going on. Who knew how many eye-cams or news drones were floating around.

The entire place crackled with a party atmosphere, with many people holding drinks, moving idly to the music as they talked, laughing and cheering at this or that announcement or exploit.

And this was just the prefunction area. It was clear that there was plenty going on down the meeting room halls, and who could imagine what the main auditorium held.

About twenty meters beyond the entry curtain was an escalator originating in the middle of the floor and surrounded by security. It was easy to see that the VIP arrivals were making their way from the portico entrance to this escalator to head upstairs.

A few minutes after the twins plunged deeper into the ruckus in search of their quarry, Krait and Carla easily passed the security checkpoint with their tickets and were met with the same debauched scene as the twins.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor - Prefunction
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:22:33

As her eyes took in the scene around her she could feel the blush creep up her cheeks and deepen as she caught a glimpse of the sex acts taking place in plain sight and she quietly wondered just what she was getting herself into. It wasn’t like she had never seen porn before, but she didn’t experience it first hand from 10 feet away and she didn’t make it a regular bonding experience with her brother watching along side her.

Before their presence could draw a crowd inside the prefunction, she pulled her brother aside and kept her back to the crowds as she tried to determine their next move. She was still riding the high of getting past the first set of guards with nothing more than a wink and a smile and unfulfilled implied promises. Getting into VIP however she already knew wouldn’t be so easy.

“So we cut that closer than I would have liked… and getting upstairs isn’t going to be any easier. And bloody hell I’m completely overdressed for this place, I stick out like a sore thumb.�

Deciding that she wouldn’t need the general admission ticket at this point and having her commlink broadcasting might not be the wisest decision, she flicked a small switch with a tip of a fingernail at the commlink tucked away carefully on her hip as she went electronically silent.

“We have to get upstairs. C’mon. Start to look like the badass we all know you are.�

She gave Conall’s hand a slight tug as she started off towards the escalator and the surrounding security. It was now or never, the clock was ticking down to the start of the awards and they needed to get to Zephyr while there was still time to ask the woman questions.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor - Prefunction
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:25:00

The first thing Carla noticed once she got inside wasn't the sheer obscenity of the place, but the abundance of camera's. Carla wondered how recognizable she was in her catering uniform and whether anyone from her community might ever spot her on some amateur video posted to the matrix.

Speaking of uniform, the catering jackets were still hidden away in Krait's backpack.

"Where do we put on the jackets? In a restroom perhaps?"

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor - Prefunction
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:25:00
Krait - Starting the Show
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 0), Moai passive

The white-haired elf attentively took in the scene around him, looking just like any other wide-eyed visitor. Though unlike most of them, he wasn´t looking for a thrill but trying to find the weakest spot in the barriers between the VIP and the namelee masses. Meanwhile, he carefully listened to the wifi-traffic he was picking up, to collect information for their upcomming con.

Krait: "No problem. Hardly anyone in this crowd will payattention to someone putting their cloths ON. If anybody cares, we´ll just look like two caterers off shift or taking a break. Let´s just go and get a look at the inside, so none of the guys from the entrance watches us by chance."

With that 'Frank' moved deeper into the convention-center, carefull to help the woman in his tow getting through the tightly packed crowd. Once out of sight and a good distance away from the entrances, he took the jackets out of his backpack and into Ms. Johnson´s hands. Then he stuffed his wintbreaker into the backpack and motioned for his companion to get out of her coat.

Krait: "I´ll be right back. Wait here or go into that restroom for a few, in case you are worried about beeing talked to by an over-active event-manager. Though I don´t want to imagin what´s hapening behind those closed doors. Once I´m back, we can get a quick look around, to find the point most suitable for entrance."

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:27:00

Moving past the VIP escalator and pushing through the crowd into the main event area, Krait and Carla senses were inundated with a veritable carnival of carnality. The huge convention center floor was divided into individual event/promotional/informational booths of varying sizes. There was mud wrestling, a Miss Nude contest, an Amateur Miss Nude contest, booths representing a plethora of commercial concerns, selling everything from toys to chips, to tickets on porn cruises. There was the chance to be photographed with your favorite star, the fee a sliding scale depending on the pose. Chip signings, edible undie samplings...
And all that was on the physical. In augmented reality their senses were flooded with a tsunami of "adult" advertising tenacious enough to overload the best of spam filters.
The two could only guess what the astral in this place must look like.

After a couple of minutes, Krait went to scout the rest of the main floor, leaving Carla to her own devices.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:27:00

Unfortunately, the team had done a very poor job of planning out the specifics of this operation; now Krait was running off somewhere, and Carla had no clue what to do with herself. And she was supposed to be in charge!

Not wanting to look like an idle caterer, she folded the jacket over her arm and started walking towards the bathroom. Perhaps she could just hide inside a stall for a couple of minutes - assuming she could get some privacy there - while Krait did whatever it was he needed to do.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:30:00

Carla quickly learned that finding a restroom that wasn’t being used as a multi-gender orgiastic free-for-all would take some doing. After simply peering into the first women’s restroom she came to, Carla’s overpowering feeling was one of deep pity for the janitorial staff that would later clean up the mess.

Setting off in search of a more private place in which to wait for Krait’s return, Carla began a circuit of the hall. While many of the professionals present seemed to have just stepped out of an air brushed catalogue of perfect flesh, the majority of the fans of these stars were hardly models of athleticism and good looks. Alongside the sleek, young, often nude porn stars were similarly undressed fans of all ages and body types, and the often lurid contrast reached Felliniesque surrealism.

Rounding a corner among the booths of vendors of sundry goods—some of them living—Carla pressed forward quickly, wishing to escape the sight of an emaciated and nearly nude old woman apply a burning brand to a young dwarf of indeterminate gender. The dwarf’s gasps of pretended pleasure turned Carla’s stomach. One foot in front of the other, Carla walked quickly away down the aisle, turned a corner, and entered a small aromatic cloud of smoke emitting from a cigarette held by a large man with a long braid of jet black hair hanging down his back nearly to his waist. The real anomaly was that the man was fully dressed, clad in an immaculate black suit and Italian leather shoes. His back to Carla, the man smoked a clove cigarette, the nearly cloying smell of sugar rising into the air. On the other side of the man was a short elf woman, who, amazingly, was also fully dressed. Carla heard an almost familiar voice speak to the woman, saying “Yes, I think we’ll enjoy that.� And then, deciding whether to squeeze past the man or return back the way she had come, the man’s arm dropped briefly to his side, and Carla saw a small holo on the stub of the filterless clove. Catching the light at just the right angle, the holo projected from a tiny chip embedded into the paper of the cigarette, and the Black Cat Fireworks feline, in all of its open mouthed, sharp toothed and goony glory, stared for a split second at Carla.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:27:20

Carla was initially unsure of what to do. At first she thought she was better off avoiding the Black Cat altogether - she doubted that he wanted to be seen associating at all with her in public. On the other hand, someone with the Cat's resources and cunning must have a means of getting into the VIP area - hell, he might even be a VIP himself. Perhaps he would be willing to do her a small favor, despite the fact that he owed her nothing at all.

Not wanting to interrupt, she decided to wait a few feet behind his back, pretending to be interested in the obscene surrounds while waiting for the Cat to finish his conversation with the elf.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:31:00

It was probably Carla’s clothes that did it. Not that what she was wearing was particularly noteworthy, but that she was wearing clothes at all caused her to stand out in such an environment of bacchanalian debauchery. One moment Carla was attempting an interest in an exhibit of semi-sentient houseplants that had apparently been genegineered for anatomical insertion of some kind, and the next she felt a slight tug at her right sleeve. The elf woman that had been talking to Black Cat is RIGHT THERE, close at her side and sidling around in front of her. A touch shorter than Carla, the woman wears no make up to hide a smoker’s face covered with obvious wrinkles around mouth and eyes. From what Carla can tell at such close proximity, the woman wears a faded Levi jacket, cut off and fraying at the shoulders, a white t-shirt and dark red jeans. Her feathered unwashed dishwater blond hair falls shoulder length. She leans in even closer to Carla, smiling with a mouth crowded with nearly overlapping teeth, the filterless Lucky Strike hanging from her luridly yellow teeth nearly brushing against Carla’s right cheek. Carla can feel the heat of the cigarette against her skin and wants to gag on the chain smoker’s breath, fetid in Carla’s face. “Just what can I do for you sugar?�

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:31:05

Though not wanting to be overly rude, Carla couldn't help leaning back to keep some distance between the elf's face and her own. In response to the woman's question, she nodded her head in the Cat's direction.

"You know the well-dressed gentleman over there?" she asked.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:31:10

The short elf woman takes a step back from Carla. Carla can see that her white t-shirt has written across it in black letters:

Yep, You’re Right.
So?

“You mean him?� the woman asks Carla in a slight Texan accent, motioning with her thumb behind her at the only fully dressed male in close proximity. “What of it?� she spits out.

And then the man turns, snapping closed and pocketing some kind of small electronic device while at the same time smoothly breathing out a lungful of pungent smoke. Coming face to face with Carla, Black Cat’s eyes widen for a brief moment before he catches his reaction. Carla sees that Black Cat’s tie is a slightly mesmeric kaleidoscope of black, white, yellow and red. The colors converge into a meaningful pattern and for a brief moment the fireworks feline stares out blankly before once again dissolving into slowly twisting random swirls of color.

His dark eyes never leaving Carla’s, Black Cat says “I think you can safely call off the dogs, Ms. Shred. You see, I am this woman’s retainer.�

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:31:13

Carla raised her eyebrow slightly, surprised at his use of the word "retainer."

"It's a pleasure to see you again," she greeted him. And she was sincere; seeing the Black Cat reminded her that he wasn't a just a dream that disappeared into thin air, and that she actually had some tangible hope to overcome her ghostly stalkers.

"What brings you to this event?" she asked with curiosity.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:31:20

“Whoa!� says Ms. Shred, stepping up. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Perhaps an introduction is in order?�

“Of course,� answers Black Cat. “Ms. Johnson, Ms. Rose Shred. Ms. Shred, Ms. Johnson.�

“Well,� says Ms. Shred with a smile, “That’s good enough for me. Any friend o' Cat’s a friend o’ mine. Call me Rosie, Ms. Johnson. Rosie Shred, UCASMC Sergeant, re-tired, now independent contract assassin, mainly for the U-CASS guv-mint but that all depends on the job and the Johnson, ya know. Very pleased to meet you, shug,� pronouncing “shug� as one might say the first syllable of “sugar.� Still smiling, she offers to shake Carla’s hand.

Grinding the stub of the clove into an ash which he lets drop to the floor, Black Cat fishes out of his jacket pocket a pack of Golden Bat cigarettes. With what might be taken as a slightly bemused expression on his face, he shakes one out while watching the two women.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:31:23

"Ah, good evening Rosie," Carla offered a gloved hand to the elf woman, "so you are a contractor, yes? You know, it just so happens that I need quite a small favor at this event tonight, and I have a bit of cash on me."

Carla directed the offer to both shadowrunners, "If either one of you isn't terribly busy, would you be up for a bit of business?"

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:31:50

“Truth to tell, Shug,� says Rosie to Carla, “we’re here for a little party of our own, so to speak. See, Cat and I recently had what you might describe as an al-ter-ca-tion with one or two of the folks now present at this here e-vent. All’s I can presently say is that I’m fairly positive that if certain parties don’t hand over a LARGE amount of cred into our greedy little paws tonight so as to placate our indignation, well –� Ms. Shred leans in close to Carla in what is meant to be a conspiratorial whisper, her smoker’s breath hot in Carla’s face, “– I’m of the opinion that BC’s going to kill a few people.�

Rosie finishes her Lucky Strike and tosses the still burning shreds onto the floor. Accepting a Golden Bat from Black Cat who fires it up for her with his lighter (on which Carla can see the Black Cat holopic), Rosie says “Thanks, BC.� Inhales, exhales a long stream of smoke. “Then again, it’s not like we don’t have a bit of time to kill before our shindig. What'cha think BC?�

Looking at Carla, Black Cat says “It would depend upon the job. It always depends upon the job. Ms. Johnson is knowing this about me already. I can assure you, Ms. Johnson, that Ms. Shred shares my professional reservations as to certain kinds of work.

“But I believe that Ms. Johnson is already knowing this, Ms. Shred.�

“Well then, Ms. Johnson,� speaks up Rosie, “that being understood, what kind of party are you having? That is, assuming I can likewise sign up to be your re-tain-er?�

"Actually," says Black Cat, "perhaps we should continue this discussion somewhere more private?"

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor - Exhibition Hall (A) infront of Restrooms
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:32:00
Krait - Starting the Show
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 0), Moai passive

When John re-arrived infront of the pair of restrooms situated against the south-western corner of the exhibition-hall with his companion nowhere to be seen, he considered to take a look into the washingrooms himself for a second, but then opted to fire up his signalrange for a split-second and send her a text-message instead, using the frequencies, encryption and code-names pre-established with the team.

Tuesday 8/12/70 23:31:33, Two@Team: I´m back where we parted, One. I think I found a suitable route and the setup will allow for you to look nervous, so don´t be worried that you´re going to botch it.

While he waited for an answer, he snatched a white letter-envelope meant for some swinger-lottery and the e-cards of some merchandizing-company away from one of the numerous stags. With ease, he forced his way into one of the tiny nano-processor, erazed the original programming from the small piece of electronic paper and put it into the envelope, ready to accept any message Ms. Johnson wanted to send to Zaphyr.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:32:05

"Do you have a particular place in m-," a quick buzz alerted Carla that she had just received a message. "I'm sorry, pardon me for just a moment."

Carla debated whether she should pursue Krait's plan or try to make a deal with BC and his friend. On one hand, she had a feeling that a deal with someone as experienced as the BC would minimize risk, but it also would require her paying more money. And at this point, she had already spent almost as much money on this job as she expected to make.

One to Two: Be there in just a minute.

"On second thought," Carla addressed the couple, "I don't want to interfere with your...plans, so I won't bother you with any favors." She stepped closer to the Black Cat and lowered her voice so that only he and his friend could hear her.

"I really must, however, meet with a certain celebrity named Zephyr by the end of the night. If it's not too much to ask, could you at least let me know how much time I have before you...break up the party, so to speak?"

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor – Prefunction, Nearing VIP Escalators
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:26:01

As quickly as the twins approached the security hell that surrounded the entrance to VIP Etain quickly pulled Conall aside and took a long close look at the area both on the physical and the astral keeping watch for some specific details if they were available. She kept her eye out for additional magical security and more specifically some studio execs she might sleaze her way upstairs with if it was necessary.

As soon as she spotted anything it was instantly conveyed to Conall across the link that they shared.

�There are a number of watchers on the velvet ropes, maybe a dozen tops, looks like they’re all tied to one owner though. Lots and lots of spell slinging going on around here tonight. Could help us out tons in the long run. My plan is to head to the VIP entrance and use either the guys in expensive suits to get through the security or if that doesn’t work I’ll buy my way in if I have to. The only complication comes with not knowing what information exactly yer boss wants from the porn star upstairs.�

Etain continued to watch over her brother’s shoulder as people moved through and past the VIP security, many of them just lining up along the “Red Carpet� to watch the stars arrivals from the front entrance. She started sizing up her targets and tried to pick out just who might be best suited to help her get upstairs.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor – Prefunction, Nearing VIP Escalators
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:26:27

Conall looked at his sister with the same furrowed brow and concerned look he had worn on his face since they had gotten to Fort Lewis. Actually, he had been feeling rather concerned for his sister's well being ever since they had departed Meg's. Every single second that passed, doubt crept further and further in his mind. It wasn't that he didn't trust Etain. It wasn't that he didn't think she couldn't pull it off.... her little stunt at the entrance had raised his pulse quite a bit, and if things hadn't gone their way fast, he would have pulled them out of there. But things had gone their way. Things were going smoothly their way, he had to at least give her credit for that. Had he been alone, he would have probably already gotten busted and thrown behind bars. But through the mindlink, Conall could not only hear his sister's words, he could also see the plans she was forming. Every single part of Conall wanted to simply push through all obstacles with brute force. That was his way of doing things. But that was also a sure way to get himself, and probably others, killed.

Looking at his sister for a few seconds, Conall turned to his side to give a brief survey of the crowd around them. His sister's thoughts kept creeping in his own head, mixing in with his own views of things.

All warfare is deception.

“Alright...� he said without a sound, his own mind sounding reluctant.

“You're right. Our chances of sneaking in are better i you try to sleaze your way past. When you get a hold of Zephyr, you need to find out what she knows about Esmeralda. Don't take any drek from her. I don't care what she says, she knows Esmeralda. There's too many links between that broad and our missing woman. I'll keep my comm open if there's trouble about. If anything goes bad, just walk away. I'll be down here.�

Etain smiled to him, and all Conall could do was frown back.

“Don't go about putting yourself in a corner now... I will come and drag you out of there if I need... If you can't talk your way pass security, I'll make enough fuss to pull them away.�

Nervously, Conall cracked the knuckles on his left hand.

"As I said; I'll keep my comm open."

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor – Prefunction, Nearing VIP Escalators
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:26:40

Not only could she see the concern on her brother’s features, she could feel it in her very bones. She had no doubt that he would come in charging should things go wrong. But if she had anything to do with it, they wouldn’t. She flipped a small switch on the hard piece of plastic on her hip beneath her dress and her commlink reactivated but in a ghost state. She’d be able to reach out to her brother’s if their link dropped or she got too separated from him. She leaned into him and gently pressed her lips against his rough cheek and pulled back to look him in the eyes with a smile.

�You have to trust me Conall. We can do this and it means the world to me to know ye’ll be here to watch my back. How many times did I twist the rest of the family around my little finger growing up. This is no different. But I promise ye, if things go towards fiddler’s green I’ll walk away… I’ll run if I have to… back to yer bike.�

She nodded to reaffirm her commitment to the last thought as she slipped past him and held her head high and started towards her mark in the crowd. A particularly well-dressed gentleman bearing a badge that as she drew closer announced him as a higher up in the “Serenity Studios� food chain. Even though the initial distance grew between her and Conall her thoughts rang clear in his head.

�Be careful Conall, I know there’s nary a fight that ye can’t win but things are different here and I couldn’t bear to lose ye again right after I’ve found you… “

With every step she took closer to the crowd gathered at the bottom of the escalators she put herself into a different and more focused mindset on what she was about to do. All the while she was juggling the ability to maintain the spells she was sustaining. She locked her gaze on the man’s face as she approached, a sly smile on her… on Syren’s lips as she drew ever closer to the velvet ropes and the gathered crowds.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor – Prefunction, Nearing VIP Escalators
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:26:41

Syren's approach was not lost on the suit-clad pornographer. He responded to her smile with an arrogant smirk, confident that he would hold all the power cards if a conversation ensued.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:32:30

“Actually,� says Black Cat, “unless we very miserably fail our little mission, you’ll never know that we acted in the first place. Charmed as ever, Ms. Johnson.� Black Cat bows slightly to Carla, his eyes never leaving hers. And then – “Well Ms. Shred, shall we?� Black Cat turns and begins slowly walking away, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small electronic device as he does so. Raising the item to face level, Black Cat flips it on with a finger and murmurs the question “Heart rate of target 3?� into the device.

Ignoring Black Cat, Ms. Shred speaks to Carla. “888-5959-0014. Perhaps you can employ our services in the future. Nice to have met’cha Ms. J.�

Ms. Shred turns in a different direction from Black Cat and walks off. Carla sees that on the back of her Levi jacket is a black appliqué which reads “The Flesheaters� curving across the top; the bottom reads “Hard Road to Follow.�

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Meeting spot with Krait
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:32:33

Carla quickly entered the information into her commlink and headed back to her original meeting spot with Krait.

"Alright, what's the plan?" she whispered once she found him.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor – Prefunction, VIP Escalators
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:27:35

The crowd grew much denser the closer she got to the actual entrance to the event going on upstairs and the red carpet. Needing a way through she gently placed her hand on one fan’s shoulder and gave him a throatily whispered “Excuse me� as she slipped between him and the next star watcher, her eyes still focused on Mr. Expensive suit. Whether out of awe or out of respect many of the red carpet watching fans seemed to part the way for her as she strutted herself right before the gentleman with the shiny studio badge.

“I believe there’s a party we’re about to miss upstairs, don’t you?�

She flashed him her blue eyes and her best “come hither� smile as she gently placed her hand upon his forearm.

“You wouldn’t want to miss the best show out there, would you?� she purred up at him.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor – Prefunction, VIP Escalators
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:27:41


"No, I wouldn't want to miss it at all. But then, I'm not going to. And neither are you, since I just saw you go up about five minutes ago in an ankle-length see-though pink number. Has Big Morkan taken to cloning its talent?" the man challenged, although he made no move to disengage himself from the blond's touch.

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor – Prefunction, VIP Escalators
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:27:57

The blonde’s face fell. Not so much from surprise of her ruse being discovered, no this was something entirely different, this was a sense of frustration and anger showing on the attractive woman’s features as her grip on the exec’s arm tightened ever so slightly.

“That fragging little slitch! I should have known she’d try to pull this trick on a big night like this!�

Etain pretended to seethe, and it was rather convincing too. Much better acting than usually appeared in holoporn flicks at least. Her lip twitched slightly as she looked up the escalators to the periphery of the party that was taking place beyond the velvet rope. She kept her little tantrum anger-filled but controlled in the sense that she'd only draw the attention she needed to get this ball rolling.

“And for the record, no there are no clones. Just giant slitches that would like to steal the limelight. She’s probably a security risk, or has someone on the inside working for her to get her upstairs like that.�

Fort Lewis Convention Center, Main Floor - Exhibition Hall (A) infront of Restrooms
Tuesday 8/12/70 23:33:15
Krait - Dirty-talking into Ms. Johnson´s ear
PAN Icon offline, Custom hidden (signal 0), Moai offline

The white-haired man leaned into his female companion a bit more then would have been needed, using all his charm to make it as comfortable to her as possible. He didn´t touch her, though only barely so, still anything less would shine as a beacon of chastity in this environment. With a soft voice, barely loud enough to be heard over the moans and grunts from the restrooms, he spoke to her. After he had quickly described what he had observed, including the key-code for the door and the key-names and events he had picked up from the service-channel, he conveyed his plan to her.

Krait: "I am going to tell that guard, that we took a break from our job and left our ID-Cards upstairs. We´d need to get back to work quick, so we are not missed. I´ll ask him to let us in without checking with the database, so our boss isn´t flaged about our absence due to our unshadulled venture to some place more private, because if he knew, it would cost us our jobs. Let me do the talking and everything should go smothe. Remember the information I told you and pay some attention to the service-channel though, in case you are asked about it. Remember, everything I´m going to do or say is just a show - don´t hold it against me later."

With that the technician forwarded the catering-staff´s wifi-communication to her comlink, while he gave her some last-minute instructions on how to behave as a caterer, to suplement what he had allready told her back in the cab.

Krait: "Oh, just one last thing," he put on a sheapish smile, "we should decide on what we did during our break at least in vague detail, so we don´t botch it with some off-handed remark."

He took his jacket from her, carefully folding it over his own arm and motioned for them to move on. He didn´t really insist on this last request, as any faux pass in this very intimate sphere could easily be corrected.