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Trigger
October 15th, 2070- 6:54:23 PM- University Drive North, Fargo, UCAS

Smoke rises to the southwest as a a sleek Mercury Comet burns rubber up the main north/south thoroughfare of Fargo. A Japaneses sushi bar located in the heart of the West Acres Shopping Center exploded roughly nine minutes ago, the sounds of sirens echo from Lone Star moving through town to get there to save or detain anyone around the scene. You are all crowded in the Belle's sedan although it is currently Dawna in charge of the meat.

*Nine Minutes Ago*
Your team shows up to meet your new Johnson at Shogun Teriyaki, a Japanese Sushi Bar in the West Acres Shopping Center. The Shogun is a well known front for the Yakuza in Fargo, for what small influence they have compared to the local Families and the Vory. All research on your Johnson has revealed him to be one Jonathan Kenworth of NeoNET, a well known and trustworthy Johnson who has a clean track record of paying well and never fragging a group of runners in his employ. You arrive a quarter hour before your meeting time, each of you arriving in your various forms of public transit, only Belle bringing her own ride. You meet outside the bar and confer about a preliminary scouting of the place for any ambush when a violent explosion throws you from your feet. The Shogun just blew sky high, throwing plexiglass and plasticrete every which way. None of you are hurt in any serious way, simple bumps, bruises, and scrapes. Fire consumes the bar and no one runs from its doors trying to escape the building. But Japanese thugs do pour out of some of the surrounding buildings and business', wielding various weapons. Some of them notice you in front of the building and charge your way. Instincts kick in and you pour into Belle, now Dawna's, Mercury Comet and get your hoops of there.

You are now heading down University drive North through central Fargo, driving next to the campus of North Dakota State University headed towards Hector International Airport. LoneStar vehicles rush past you in the opposite way, oblivious of your own speeding as they head to the scene of the explosion.
Thanee
Kerrigan checks the data from her biomonitor, conveniently displayed in her field of vision, her pulse is still racing, but other than that, the numbers seem to be within normal parameters. So far, so good. But what now?

“That one was meant for us, wasn't it?”

Everyone knew that, of course, but Kerrigan didn't quite know what to say, and the silence was killing her.
Marmot
"Wait, what? We're skipping town?"

Akita looks back at the group, having clambered into a position in the back-seat from which to look out the rear window at the rising smoke fading in the distance.

"Even if that," Akita gestures vaguely in the general direction of the now-exploded restaurant as she turns around to try to sit comfortably in the back, "was for us, shouldn't we at least try to find out who wanted us blown up?"
amra28
Halfpast sits quietly in the car but the look on his face could crack a stone. His hands are clenched into fists and occasionally he glances at the others. His ears perk up as the discussion on what they should do finally starts.

"I agree with Akita we need to get more information before we make any long term vacation plans. Although we should be ready to split at a moments notice. We should probably start getting in touch with people to find out what the word on the street is."
MrMiracle
Dawna, who is not smoking for a change since Belle never got a chance to pull out her cigarettes, drives as sanely as any mind-altered individual who's personality is driven by anti-social memory engrams.

Which is to say, not at all.

"Which one of you peed in the betuku hot tub?"

Patting her jacket and pants for a familiar bulge, Dawna finally finds where Belle put the cigarettes.

"Anyone else want one? The car is about to stink to high heaven anyway."

Not caring if anyone objects, Dawna lights up.

"I'm picking up my stuff and skipping, and I can take one of you with me. Not enough room in the car to cram all five of us. Draw straws, ro-jam-bo, play russian roulette, decide amongst yourselves the best way to do it."
Digital Heroin
Fuck this, why are we running? I mean seriously you know how many people that could have been for? Even Buscemi's AR voice has a nasal quality to it, a perpetual whine. Sure, it was probably for us, but the place is crawling with slants. It could easily have been that the Vory were sending them a message.

He doesn't mind the smoking, in fact he's about to light up a nasty hand rolled cigar himself, right after he takes a nip from his flask.

I say we go to ground, figure this out. We go running for nothing and we're gonna take a serious hit to our reps. In case you all don't know, mine's not exactly sterling as it is.

Of course they all know, things just go wrong around him. Hell, maybe he accidentally tripped the sushi bar's 'go boom' subroutine while ordering his Philly Roll.
Trigger
The car continues into the University district of Fargo, where student housing and a lot of the clubs popular with the younger crowd were located. The car is silent as smoke fills the air of the vehicle, a noxious mixture of tobacco, nicotine, synth rat poison, and the sweat of the bodies inside.

beep beep beep

Buscemi's comlink rings, breaking the silence.

Buscemi-

[ Spoiler ]
Thanee
“Just look on the list of people we screwed in the past, and you will have them. It's kinda obvious, really. Problem is, they simply have the leverage here in Fargo. They made quite a point about that, didn't they? Not sure, if it is the best idea to further investigate that now. I for one don't see the point of staying here. It's just too damn hot right now,”? Kerrigan says.
amra28
Halfpast shrugs and adds, "Running seems like an easy solution but for some of us it may pose bigger problems. There could have been anyone in that restaurant the bomb was aimed at. It may have been at at the Johnson. Of course you are all free to do what you think best but I am going to lay low and try to find out what the word on the street is regarding us."

After he finishes with his little speech Halfpast takes a quick look out the back window. As he turns back around he thinks, 'I hope that bomb was meant for someone else, I can't run again right now.'
Digital Heroin
When the ring pierces the silent coversation's bounds, Buscemi all but drops the cigar he's been fishing for a match for.

`Bloody hell, I thought I had that thing on silent.`

Being his beard commlink, and a rather crappy one at that, the ring was hideously generic. He silences it quickly enough, running the feed to his headware commlink so he can keep the call quiet.

[ Spoiler ]
Trigger
Buscemi-

[ Spoiler ]


The streets are just startng to get busy as the college students get out of class for the night and start heading back to their dorms to change for a night of trying to find someone drunk and loose enough to take their upcoming test tensions out on.

There are a lot more vehicles on the road now, forcing the car to slow down or run down others.
Marmot
"Ah! Watch it!" Akita gripes as the car starts tangoing through traffic.

"So we're going to cut and run, sounds like. I mean, that's fine, that's cool. How're we going to do that? I mean, anyone got ID on them for the plane?" The shaman chuckles nervously and peeks back over her shoulder to make sure nobody was following them - and that they hadn't run anyone over yet.
Digital Heroin
`Fuck.` The word is wrought with frustration above and beyond. Freddy was in something thick, and it smelt of Vodka.

Alright folks, time for the bad news, and the worse news. Seems the explosion wasn't meant for us... it was meant to look like we did it. Now we've not only got the bloody fucking Star out for us, but every syndicate in town wants our skin. Even as he speaks in the virtual he's muttering curses to interspice it. His mind is rolling out possibilities, and he grunts.

Forget commercial flights. The airport's going to be swarming with Security, and if the Star have any sense in their heads they'll have transmitted our faces around the city.

Without a second thought he subscribes to the nearest open node and opens a link to the Matrix, running a search for charter flights.

What do you guys prefer, cargo or private jet?
Trigger
QUOTE (Marmot @ Dec 21 2006, 09:00 PM)
The shaman chuckles nervously and peeks back over her shoulder to make sure nobody was following them...

Akita-

The street behind you is filled the usual collection of Ford Americars, Mercury Comets, Nissan Jackrabbits, and the smattering for the more foreign makes. But a pair of bike each riding duo can be seen moving in and out of the lane behind you. The riders are hard to make out, but they are on the slightly shorter end of human, but not down there in dwarf altitudes. They seem to be trying to maintain a low profile, but are failing horribly due to the fact of two riders on each bike and that thay aren't simply speeding through traffic like the rest of the go-gang wannabes on two wheels.
amra28
"Frag it", Halfpast mutters when Buscemi breaks the news. "Ok I guess I got the confirmation I needed. I need to swing by my place and pick up some gear. Anyone else need to make a stop?"

The as an after thought he looks at Buscemi and says, "I prefer cargo. It should be cheaper."
Digital Heroin
Buscemi audibly grunts, even as Halfpast's words roll over his ears.

Payment might not be an issue... the only place I can find is thoroughly Smirnoff. But we can't be too choosy, can we now? Swing by my place last and someone smack me when we get there, I'll see what I can work out with their system.

Even as his voice whispers it in everyone's ears, Buscemi's body goes slack, as he enters the Matrix in full, letting the sweet, sweet virtual wash over him.
Marmot
"Hey, I prefer someone let me know if someone in this car called their friends on the bikes back there for backup." Akita says, indicating the two bikes to the rest of the (non-driving) car occupants without pointing.

After a second, Akita blinks. "Those -are- friends of someone's, right? Right?"
MrMiracle
Dawna looks around at the local University atmosphere.

"Sure are a lot of hookers in college these days."

She checks for the bikes in her mirrors. If she did want to lose them, it would be tricky doing so with so many passengers in her economy car. She punches up the local region.

"West Acres isn't too far. I can't dodge traffic with this many fatties in the car. Lets split up. I'll drop three of you off and Akita and I can play freeway tag with at least one of the two wheelers.
Thanee
“I doubt they look like I would even want to be friends with 'em...”

Kerrigan silently contemplates the information gained over the last couple minutes, then says: “Why should we do that? Bomb that place? Doesn't sound like a very smart idea. But I guess, they believe anything they read in the newspapers these days, so it would be hard to explain...”?

“I, for one, do not mind leaving behind this little gem here. I've always wanted to see one of the big cities.”?
amra28
'It starts already', Halfpast thinks as he resists the urge to turn and look at the bikers.

"I didn't call for any friends", Halfpast confirms as he tries to catch a view of the bikers in the mirrors.

When Dawna puts forth her plan the amerindian male just grunts and nods.
Trigger
Kerrigan's place is the closest to your current location, actually only a few streets into the college district. The area is relatively cheap with working nodes around enough that your PAN always has something to latch onto.

The bikers also seem to be getting a little restless and are moving slowly closer than their previous four cars back.
Marmot
"Wh-what's 'freeway tag'? Akita asks, unsure about the combination of 'freeway', 'tag', and the idea of herself being in the car alone with Dawna.

By now, Akita has given up on pretending she doesn't know the bikers are behind them and stays turned around to keep an eye on the group's pursuers.
Thanee
“Just in case,”? Kerrigan says, and it is not immediately apparant, what the shaman means, but she seems to be concentrating.

A faint shimmer with a blueish tint appears next to her in the car.

“Materialize over there, so I can see you, but not too many else,”? Kerrigan points to an alley a bit ahead of them still, while she speaks. “I will turn you invisible. Then scare the bikers away, start with the two drivers. Thank you!”?

The faint shimmer disappears through the side of the car, heading to the appointed place and Kerrigan is concentrating again...

For a mere eye-blink, a sylph-like figure appears in the shadows, where Kerrigan had pointed to earlier. Then it is gone.
Trigger
As you continue down the road the bikers come closer, moving with a car behind you at the point where you pass the alleyway containing Kerrigan's well hidden spirit.

As the bikes cross the line of the alleyway the spirit releases its wave of magical fear upon them and disapparates back the metaplanes where it is far more comfortable. The two drivers suddenly screech on their brakes behind you, pulling a quick u-turn in the middle of traffic that nearly throws off the second riders and gets them all ran over in the process. The two bikes take off at full speed, jumping the center divider and gunning it down the road in the opposite direction. The lights of a Lone Star patrol car flare into being as the patrol hidden in another alleyway takes off after them.
Thanee
“That should keep them occupied for a while. Glad you aren't driving too fast, or the Star might be after us now,”? Kerrigan says, quite amused by the scene, but then her voice falls back into a more serious tone again.

“So, what now? Get our stuff and then off we go?”?
amra28
The screeching of the tires causes Halfpast to look out the back window. He throws back his head and gives a hardy laugh as he watches the scene with the bikers. "Good job Kerrigan. Yes lets get our gear and ditch this rat hole.", he says as he turns back around.
MrMiracle
"Lovely" Dawna comments, driving more nominally now. With the imminent danger gone, she shuts off her wires.

"Who lives closest?"
Thanee
Kerrigan raises a hand. “That would be me.”?
Trigger
Kerrigan's place is a small apartment complex on the north side of the college district, a large building made of standard grade plasticrete and plexiglass full of tiny one bedroom apartments. It runs a street over from the start of the airport district, so silence is an extremely rare commodity in the area. The business' cater to the late night college crowd and those looking for a quick bite or a little bit of fun on their layover at Hector International Airport, that is if they are not flying suborbital or ballistic that is.

The streets here are just starting to come alive like the rest of city, alleyways filling with various forms of metahumans in various state of undress to show their wares. The clubs begin to open their doors, the large ork or troll bouncers looking as if they had just woken up as they take their places. The actual roadways are relatively clear though, as not many people actually own vehicles in this sector, preferring to hoof it, ot more likely having to hoof it due to the lack of 'yen.
Thanee
“Home sweet home... at least for the next ten minutes. Let me grab some of my clothes, and I'll need to get to the subway station over there to get the rest of my stuff, it's in a locker. Lemme start there. You're waitin' here?”?

Kerrigan calls another spirit to her side, sending it to a place where it can wait for further instructions for now, it's always good to have a backup plan handy, before she heads off into the darkness to fetch the few things, that she isn't carrying with her already.
amra28
Once they get near Kerrigan's place Halfpast asks her, "Do you want some company, just in case things have really gotten out of hand?"
Thanee
Kerrigan smiles at her amerindian chummer. “Gladly. Thank you! Always good to be prepared. It's not far, this way!” With these words, she heads towards a nearby subway station, where she has deposited her 'runner gear' before going to the meeting.
Trigger
Kerrigan & Halfpast-

[ Spoiler ]


The rest of you-

[ Spoiler ]
Thanee
Kerrigan

[ Spoiler ]
amra28
Halfpast

[ Spoiler ]
Digital Heroin
To Buscemi the presence of the bikers, or their fate at the hands of all things mystical, is lost. He has immersed himself in the Matrix, and his consciousness rides along with his persona. Strange to anyone who has ever seen the man and then had the change to see said persona, he choses to portray himself rather as himself in the annals of the online world, with one difference that would scarcely be thought of the man. Online, Buscemi's self styled persona wears a suit. A rather dated suit, albeit, complete with shades which make it look rather like he is something out of an old flatscreen movie about a diamond heist.

As the Buscemi in the suit makes his way node to node, he draws inexplicably closer to the telepresnce of Trotsky Flights. While many of his peers in the hacking world prefer to know a target well before they approach it, Buscemi is not your typical keyboard cowboy. He revels in the on the fly brute force approach to his trade. While he knows that some situations call for a modicum of planning, and for probing a node's weaknesses, this is not one such occassion. And so the suited man enters the public node of Trotsy's booking node, and immediately launches a covert hack, aiming lofty rather than build his way up. Buscemi's going for the brass ring, and for adminstrator access.
Trigger
The Brass Ring was a little too far for Buscemi to reach and the system caught up with him before he could grab onto the power. The system kicked into Active Alert as he tried and caught him in the act. It is now trying to boot his hoop out of the system, using the system's persona of a sweaty Russian man with a bath towel around his waist. He looks angry, real angry, like you interrupted his-sauna-and-cigar-time angry.
Digital Heroin
A grunt can be heard from him, one which escapes his usual calm while hacking. He's encountering resistance. Seems the system's getting lucky, or he, even in his cowboy approach, is getting sloppy. When he spots the incoming disconnect he immediately tries to wheedle his way around it, not wanting to be shunted out without at least getting a go at the bookings. Sadly he's noticed the disconnect entirely too late, and he finds himself punted out on his arse. It's not long after that he blinks back into consciousness cursing.

`Fucking hell, those lucky Russians and their creepy iconography. I really need to get myself a filter to make it look like everything attacking me is a blonde with a big rack.`

He could dive right back into things, give it perhaps a more subtle go, but for the moment he blinks and looks around.

`Where the hell are we?`
Thanee
Kerrigan

[ Spoiler ]

Trigger
Kerrigan and Halfpast-

[ Spoiler ]
amra28
Halfpast

[ Spoiler ]
Thanee
Kerrigan

[ Spoiler ]
MrMiracle
"Oh, swell" Dawna[b] mutters, observing the Russian exchange. She subconsciously cycles her analysis program (Perception) and carefully observes the goings-on.

Sensing some measure of trouble, [b]Dawna
rotates her skillwires once more and draws her pistol, taking one last good look before preparing to move past the men in the sedan.
Digital Heroin
`Whoa shit, what's going on?`

Buscemi starts to look about when Dawna pulls the pistol, and spotting the sedan he grunts, feeling about for his own piece, just to make sure it's there.

`We been made?`
Marmot
"Chill. Not yet." Akita murmurs quietly as she watches Dawna slink off before continuing to fill Buscemi in. "Kerri and Half went off to grab her stuff, then those guys showed up."

Inhaling slowly, Akita tries to clear her racing mind as she focuses on Dawna, bending light around the slightly-imbalanced woman to better ease her sneakery.

Then exhaling, Akita shakes the gentle stinging from her fingertips after the spell was cast. "Poof. Just like magic. Should be a little easier for her now." She quietly says to Buscemi, feeling around for her own weapon in case there is need for it.
Trigger
Kerrigan and Halfpast-

[ Spoiler ]


Dawna-

[ Spoiler ]


Buscemi and Akita-

[ Spoiler ]
Thanee
Kerrigan

[ Spoiler ]
amra28
Halfpast

[ Spoiler ]
MrMiracle
Dawna voice messages the rest of the team.

"Just saw two enter with small toys. Two more out here with bigger toys, look like they're waiting for something. Let me know if you need some 'improved ventalation'"
amra28
Halfpast's ears perk up when Dawna talks about someone with toys. "Who are you talking about? What is going on?", he subvocalizes to the others.
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