Calisto/Jack:

You leave the observation room, doting fiancee pushing her lover's wheelshair with the ever-watchful bodyguard keeping the peace. The doctor steps over to block your path to the door.

"Mr. Falcone, I must insist. You have sustained sever neurological trauma, the extent of which we have not fully measured. I would be remiss in my duties to allow you to leave this--"

Jaron's hand raises and cuts the doctor off in mid-sentence.

"Well, Doctor Morales, as you have seen, my injuries have been healed through a joint effort of your surgical staff and some powerful associates of my own. I will release you of any damages that may come from my leaving before your desire, but I am leaving.

Let's go darling. Jonathan, please have our ride meet us out front. Good day doctor..."

The vapid starlet pushes her wounded sugar-daddy out the door.

Jester nods, summoning his van.

Outside the EFC powered vehicle humms to life, gears engage and the wheel turns as it moves to the front entrence. The doors pop open as it comes to a halt.

Jester quickly pushes his way past the doctor, sure to let him know that they are in fact leaving.

Biomage/Trixie/Wren:

You see Jack's body twitch and his hand reflexively goes to his head as his eyes open once again to the hangar.

Jack:

Dumping the program as quickly as you can, you brace against the flood of neural feedback. You have a slight ringing in your ears and the feeling like someone hit you across the head with a shovel. Your first thought is how glad you are that was a COLD run.

Jack shakes his head, glancing up at Biomage and over at Trixie.

"Christ on a stick..." he says, sitting up, crossing his lanky legs under him and rubbing at his eyes.

"Shouldn't have had to dump out at all, it's a fraggin' chip..." he mumbles.

"Have we heard anything from Callisto and Jester?"

Biomage looks at Jack with his head cocked to one side inquisitively as he turns to face the dumpshocked decker.

"You didn't get my message? Falcone is alive, and Callisto and Jester are coming back here with some money. Was the chip blocking the signal from your keyboard?"

Jack:

You half-heartedly listen to the conversation going on around you as you run diagnostics on your deck and the chip to see what was going on. The chip port seems to have been drawing more power than would be needed to just read the chip but not enough to noticeably drain the battery.

Additionally, te chip seems to have been adaptive, besides adjusting the sim-sense feed to you, it adjusted to its surroundings--almost like it learned that it was in a cyberdeck and began to bypass signals so you wouldn't be interrupted from the BTL signal.

Trixie crouches down behind Jack and watches over his shoulder.

"Weird little fragger, ain't it?"

Trixie:

As you watch the strings of code go by, the understanding that the matrix and things connected to it are just as alive as the real world gives you a different insight. You begin to see places where the chip blocks off input the same way that viruses buffer against the immune system. Just as the chip adapted to a cyberdeck, it's possible that it could adapt to a BTL Sim-deck, or a human brain if it was slotted directly into a chipjack. Once there...

Leaving that line of thought for further consultation when you have a few more pieces, you recognize the amount of power that the chip is drawing--roughly equal to a moderately powered wireless uplink.

Trixie startles and grasps Jack's shoulder.

"Stop the feed! Cut the program!"

She leans over Jack's shoulder and points to the monitor.

"Look at that... the power consuption is equal to a wireless uplink. Lets get a scanner in here and see if we can track down any rogue signal coming from your deck when the chip is loaded... Actually, we may want to get a test deck to do it on. You got any cheap models lying around?"

Biomage watches with vested interest the developments that come from analysis of the chip's operations.

Jack curses and rips the chip out of the deck, glancing around as if to check for enemies that might be sneaking up behind already.

"Nah, only deck ah got is this one, and it's fairly custom built."

Jack growls, "This is fragged! Chips shouldn't be able to do this, programs shouldn't be able to act like this! It practically ate mah deck, and mah brain!"

Jester smoothly merges the Opel into southbound I-5. Bumper to bumper traffic fills the lanes.

"Sorry folks, were going to be a little delayed."

Trixie nods, a worried look on her face. She looks up at Biomage, "Can you get on the line with Callisto? I'd like to know where she got this chip, maybe doing a little hunting around for info on them can reveal something to us."

Jester/Calisto:

The sluggish pace of the morning commute almost makes you wish for the freedom that the Hind would offer. You crawl through the flooded arteries of wage slaves and corporate whores until traffic flows away from the direction you need and the EFC engine is able to breathe once more and pulses down the side corridors once more.

The automated bank seems to be exactly where you left it, dispensing credsticks at the warm touch of Calisto's thumb against the reader.

Authorization needed to extend life of account.

The electronic imitation of silks sheets and late night phone calls, requests the proper codes to continue getting money.

The assassin's crisp-cut voice breaks the pursuant silence.

"Authorization, Jaron-three-seven."

Account access confirmed.

Taking the salmon's run upstream, the large van heads back to the hangar with rumbling stomachs and killer matrix connections.

Jack:
Cracking open the casing of the BTL with your microtronics kit, a mess of miniaturization and silicon faces you. Cybernetics zooming in to deal with the micronized scale, you start to recognize the components that created the chip--C2 components are hardwired to microprocessors and a small optical chip.

Excising pieces bit by bit, you track down the wireless link you had been searching for.

Biomage takes out his phone to give Callisto a call, but hearing the van drive up, he decides not to bother and puts it away.

"She's here now. Ask her yourself," he says.

Trixie's eyes light up as Jack goes to work on the chip. "Man... have you ever seen anything like this? Do you think we can cut the BTL part of the chip out and run a diag on the rest of the components to see exactly what they are doing?"

"Nope, never seen anything like it at all. Dang'dest thing is that this things have to be expensive! C2 components are thousands more then most normal miniaturized electronics.

Dunno if we can seperate them, but we might be able to pull the programming out and just look at the hardware..."

Biomage walks over to where Trixie and Jack are examining the chip and says with a dark grin, "So.. what have we found?.."

Trixie frowns for a moment before answering. She then shouts towards the garage doors, "Jester, Calisto, come take a look at this!"

She waits a moment to go on, giving everyone a chance to gather around so nothing needs to be repeated.

"We're not too sure what this is, but whatever it is, it can't be anything good. The chip has a bunch of very strange mods done to it. There are components just like those used in Cranial Cyberterminals, plus a Wireless Uplink. This could have several scarey applications that will take more digging to discover.

"I've got a few ideas though...

"The chip could somehow read the identity of the person using the chip and then uplinks with a matrix database. It searches you out and finds what your interests are and uses them in the simsense.

"The cyberterminal components may suggest some sort of distributed computing network being built. While the user is in la-la-land, the built in deck is.. I don't know... doing something, we'll have to figure out what."

Her eyes unfocus for a moment, as if she is deep in thought. When she looks back to the group, her brow is starting to sweat again.

"If these are tied to an AI, that becomes very scarey. Through BTL signals, a persons mind can be completely reprogramed. Trust me, I've seen it done many times, its real fraggin' nasty.

"Maybe the AI is using the distributed network to power itself somehow?

"Oh man... Jester, do you have a Jammer that can stop any signals from coming in or out of this garage for a while? Also a scanner to track down a signal so we can try to read it?

"Calisto, where did you get this thing? How did you hear about it?"

Biomage thinks for a moment and says, "I think I know."

Looking at Trixie, he says, "Zeidel's paper gives us a clue about the purpose of this device. The chip could be reading a person's personality so that it can upload their consciousness to the matrix. It could also be placing them into a dream-like state so that an AI can make use of their higher brain functions. Sound right?"

As Biomage speaks, Trixie continues to get more and more pale. Fear creeps over her like a sickness. At his question, she jumps to her feet and shouts, "He's DEAD!"

She stumbles over to the closest corner and leans against the wall, hand on her forehead, squeezing her temples. Slowly she slumps to the floor where she crouches, head between her knees. "he's dead..."

Calisto raises an eyebrow at Trixie's outburst. She smoothly rises from her seat and motions for the rest of the team to remain where they are. She slowly kneels by her. Her voice is steady and free of any judgement. "Trixie I need to know who you're talking about? I don't mean to pry but this seems to be hitting close to home. What's going on?' She gently prys her hands from the sides of her head and eases her head up.

Trixie's voice is quiet, "I'm sorry... sometimes its just overwelming..."

She looks up at Calisto and wipes a few tears from her cheek. She tries to smile, but it doesn't hold. "You guys must think I'm a baby the way I just acted..."

Slowly she stands and runs a hand through her hair to brush a few wild strands away. "I'm sorry. I guess once the subject of AIs came up I should have said something, but it isn't something anyone likes to make public... I was in the Arc when Deus took over... There is no words for how bad it was in there and the things that AI did... But I was lucky, I made it out... I just wasn't expecting to have to face something like this again..."

She takes a deep breath and looks around at the group, her back stiffens as her resolve returns.

"If you guys want me out, I understand. Sometimes I get a little freaked out by flashbacks. But I'd like to stay if you'll have me. If something like this is really happening in the world at large we have got to stop it. It was bad enough when Deus had the Arc, but this may turn out to be worse..."

"No need. I don't think anyone here has walked away without scars. I suspect your prior experience is why Jaron hired you in the first place." Calisto walks over to her place by Jaron. "To answer your question, I heard of the BTL from a friend. She said it was the hottest thing sweeping the streets and was undercutting all the trade in the area."

"Trixie, Calisto is correct. I had heard of your prior experience with Deus in the arcology, that and your talents as a ghost in the system were why I brought you into this job. Your trauma had not been mentioned, otherwise I would have tried to better prepare you for what you faced."

The executive wheels himself over to Hafiz.

"Well my friend, it appears you will get to try your hand at modifying a wheelchair. Perhaps it will be similar to your drones."

The Arab reaches out a hand to touch Jaron's shoulder. They rest that way for a second or two, seeming to repair through that simple touch some kind of deep-set bond.

"Hafiz, I need you to arrange for transport to Tokyo for the team. Speak to them about what gear they will need to smuggle in or have waiting on the other end."

Biomage:
With your third eye still open from watching the deckers' health, you notice small strands of mana pull together and course through Jaron up into Hafiz's arm and spread through the rigger's body and mind.

What was that?

Biomage observes the phenomenon with a raised eyebrow, as his mind tries to figure out what he just saw.

Some communication by magic?

"Ah want to keep working on this chip, but ah need a shop, and it sounds like we're packing up. Any chance of finding or renting one in Hong Kong?" Jack asks, already loading his deck back into it's case and packing in the random components.

Biomage:
You almost lean closer to examine the brief surge of mana. Judging by the positioning of the different trails as they climbed through Hafiz's body and the light web that laid itself over the rigger's mind, you would presume that it was a very mild control manipulation. It was't strong enough to meat-puppet anyone, more likely it is reinforcing conditioning that had already been done.

Team:

A few of you note the slight change in room temperature for a second, feeling like a draft from a cold graveyard blowing through the hangar. Hafiz turns to the cowboy-decker, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

"Yes, it would be simple to rent a small shop. For how long do you need it? The more important things are going to be weapons and any cyberware that you have which is illegal. Those are what it will take me longest to arrange for, also everyone is having a SIN that can be used for entry, yes?

Interesting... I had thought Hafiz's affinity for Jaron seemed odd. Now, I know why. It isn't real. Probably learned and maintained through magic. If that's true... Jaron... no wonder you don't like cyberware.

Biomage's face gleams with a smile when Hafiz speaks, though it fades with the realization that some of his cyberware may not be legal.

Giving himself a quick mental checklist, he says, "Half of my 'ware is class A or B cyber- and bioware. My gun is an automatic weapon. My spells.. we just won't tell anyone. Smuggle me in a box if you have to."

Trixie turns to Hafiz, "I've got a SIN that can get past most scanners. Let me know if you need any help getting records altered and whatnot."

Turning back to the team, she says, "I'm thinking it would be a good idea for me to do one last info search on this Beatle and see what I can find out about it. All my gear is ready to go, so I can do the run while you all get packed. Cool?"

"I just have some blades, everything I have will pass inspection." Calisto moves through the space to a seat. "So we are heading for Japan to meet this mystery decker who says he/she can help us with this AI. We have a strange BTL floating around with cranial cyberdeck components and these funky modified trodes." She takes a moment. "Go ahead and see what you can find Trixie about it. Hafiz will need the time to arrange our exit from the country." Calisto looks over at Jaron, she rises up from the seat and kneels by him, switching to Italian. "Anything else I need to know?"

Jack hrms, hands reflexively dropping to the hilts of the two Cavelier deputys.

"2 pistols, a rifle, and mah deck. None of it's going to pass snuff as legal. Mostah my cyber's legal stuff, just to help me deck.

"If I may make a suggestion. There are a number of outfits that regularly move in and out of Tokyo illegally, I suggest we try them first. It will be far easier to infiltrate the city illegally, then to get in legally. Especially for those of you without SIN's or not wishing to compromise your legal ones. And there is the vehicle," Jester points his thumb over his shoulder at the rig.

"If we can't take it, my usefulness will be somewhat reduced."

"I don't use weapons and I don't have much in the way of gear. Nothing illegal except for my faked SIN, so not much to worry about."

Trixie leaves everyone to their plans and moves back to her spot next to the wall. Taking a seat lotus style, she pulls out her dataline and jacks in.

As the digital world comes to life around her, she relaxes a bit, feeling more at home. But then she remembers what she could be going up against and her pulse quickens a bit with the anxiety of it all.

First things first...

The matrix zooms around her as she passes through the grids, making her way back to the Tokyo RTG. She takes a moment outside the alley where the Fool lives to make sure she isn't being watched for followed. Satisfied, she moves into the alley to leave the fool another note.

We're coming. Will take a few days.

She hangs out for a moment, to check with the rat program and see if the Fool shows up.

Trixie:

The rat grins and waves as gleefully as ever, but it doesn't seem to be pulling you anywhere. The note you left earlier has been erased.

Calisto:

Italian rolls from Jaron with the skill and nuance of learning it the old-fashioned way. "Nothing of consequence for now, speak of it later."

Team:

Hafiz nods at Shadow's suggestion.

"If that is what must be done, I will arrange for such to happen. I wanted first only to check if legal ways were possible. We are wanting to take a ship then? If your helicopter must come with us, that will be necessary. Arrangements can be made."

The rigger moves to get his coat and head for the door.

"Well the van anyways Halfiz, I am not sure we would want the chopper, it has a limited roll."

Team:

The middling-Arab nods to his fellow rigger. "I will arrange for only the van then." Hafiz walks out the door and seconds later you can hear the quiet purr of the engine rolling over.

Biomage watches the conversation, not really caring for its content until the end. He speaks up, "Hafiz! While you are out, if you have time, pick up a gas vent III for a TZ-110. I can repay you when you return."

It's been days since I've shot something. I hope I get to shoot something when we get to Tokyo. If I don't get to shoot something soon... I'm going to BREAK something.

Biomage clutches his fists and grits his teeth in anguish as an agry grimace crosses his face. He makes sure to put on a happier face before he turns around where people can see him.

Maybe there's a shooting range in Tokyo. Yeah, there has to be at least one of those there. People use guns there too. Best to try not to think about it right now...

Trixie doesn't bother wasting time waiting around for the Fool, she flies back into her home territory and begins to scour the net for anything she can find about this new BTL.

Jack glances up as he hears the engine purr to life.

"Callisto, go with Hafiz. Nobody goes out alone, remember? As soon as Trixie's done, we'll pile everyone into Jester's van and do a drive by to pick up toothbrushes, and grab a hotel suite somewhere. No harm in moving until we get word on the transportation arrangements."

Trixie:
The digital landscape blurs past as you return to the Seattle LTG. Wisps of data trail out from your hands, scouring the local grid for the information you seek as you begin to cut through flame wars and the thrice damned souls of forum baiters into the Shadow archives and data havens that you know so well.

It seems the Triad has posted a reward for the heads of anyone trafficking in the new "Interactive BTLs"--500:nuyen: for each dealer and a smooth 20K for whoever is behind the operation and the location of their production. Contact info is directed to a sword named Hanna Cha.

There is a string of shadowtalk following the post, mostly speculating on who would have the resources to undercut the Triad operations along the West Coast. Pushing past the blather you dig deeper into the haven archives, finding traces of bizarre behavior from chipheads ranging from here to the Mediterranean--heads turning, odd senses of paranoia cropping up amidst the shadow community. This has been met by arguments that one of the AAAs must be involved but there is no evidence to support the claims.

You dismiss the crime-induced fantasies and leave the havens. Your seekers have returned bearing stories of psychotropic IC and 'trode nets that condition their wearers to be more apporachable by BTL dealers.

You are preparing to jack out as a cell-phone materializes in your hand and vibrates with the urgency of its own self-important existence.

Trixie flips the phone open and answers. "Speak."

Trixie: A raspy, garbled voice comes across the phone. It is obviously running through some kind of filter to make it difficult to track as well as translating the words to English.

"I got your message. Call this number when you arrive in Tokyo."

The line goes dead, but the cellphone shows the incoming number on its display screen.

Calisto salutes Jack as she falls back into step behind Hafiz. "Keep on eye out all."

Calisto:

You flag Hafiz down as he starts to back out of his parking spot. Climbing into the SUV, the two of you head for the docks. The rigger seems to know where he's going and cuts through traffic with a lot less room then you would ever dare.

He arrives at a rundown mechanic shop and gets out. The heavily spiced sound of what is most likely the Arab's native tongue fills the room, making the angle grinders and machinery seem quiet by comparison. Money changes hands and a loud sound of obvious jeering echoes through the open air as one of the mechanics points to a silver Vespa.

Shaking his head, Hafiz gestures you back to the car. Cutting across surface streets and through back alleys, you quickly become lost in the maze of squalor wrapped around you. It's not until you get onto the freeway and realize that you are halfway to downtown, that you get bearings on how much distance had been traveled.

A quick stop by burnt out and condemned remains of a hospital to pick up the gas vent Biomage called out for and the SUV heads further north and east as the city melts away into the pastoral landscapes of corporate farms. Hafiz fills up at a crossroad gas station where a young sixteen year old talks to a girl with the obvious uniform of the mom and pop store across the street.

"A still can't believe that anyone would stage a daylight kidnapping and rob a store at the same time. But we knew those city folk were trouble just from the way they spent their money..." The conversation is cut short as they realize two cityfolk are getting gas from them.

Hafiz looks at the kids and back to you, shrugs his shoulders and gets back in the SUV. Moments later you pull into the long driveway of Jaron's ranch-house

Trixie's eyes flutter open as she jacks out. "Our contact will be waiting for us in Tokyo, I've got a contact number for him once we are over there."

She stands and stretches out, then makes her way over to the table and munches on some chips that she'd left there. "I did some digging on the BTL, but didn't come up with much. The Yaks have rewards out for the head of anyone pushing the new chips and 20k out for anyone that can lead them to the production center. Lots of rumors flying around, but nothing solid. What up with things? We heading out soon? If not, I'm gunna catch a few hours rest and then I'll go over all the data I've collected on the flight."

"We need to make sure everyone's got everything they need, but ah'm sure we have a few hours. Need anything before we leave, clothes or whatever? Otherwise, grab some sleep."

Calisto:

Hafiz opens the door and drops down out of the SUV. You see his eyes glaze over and he slumps against the side of the car for a few seconds. When he straightens again, he looks over to you.

"Okay, we should be able to go in. You don't have an internal biomonitor which is configured to the network so I shut down the security for a little while."

The Arab man then proceeds into the house, moving with a sense of purpose and ignoring the damage dealt to the lawn and door jamb as easily as families ignore the dead elephant in their living room. He collects two large overnight bags worth of clothing and toiletries before going into the office.

You trail behind him, keeping a watchful eye out for anything dangerous. As he opens one of the drawers in the desk and pulls out a small case, your eye is caught by a blinking light from another room. Turning you see three comfortable ergonomic chairs with obvious harnesses for datacables. Tracing the cables with your eyes, you see they plug straight into Jaron's PLTG which fills the better part of the room.

"We are going, yes?"

Hafiz stands behind you with one bag in hand, the other slung over his shoulder.

Calisto raises a single eyebrow. "A moment Hafiz, can you tell me what that is?" With a lazy motion she directs her hand towards the chairs, her face remains open and curious.

Calisto

"That is the 'command center.' Mr Jaron uses it when he goes into the matrix. Modifications were made to the grid to route some of the processing power as a makeshift deck--he tells me it is stronger than the ones Fairlight sells on the market. I'm not sure more than that though...I do not use such things. If you'd like I can have him explain it to you."

Hafiz looks attentive but ready to go.