Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:30:00 hours

Sakaisuji Road - The roads of Osaka's historical 'center of technological consumption' are choked with activity, hundreds of otaku are standing, watching, taking pictures, or walking with a makeshift cosplay (character performance costume) parade occupying a full 6 blocks. Hundreds of technology stores line the sides of the road, from an old, dusty walk-in specialist selling electronic parts to the new, gleaming countertops and AR displays of the new Nikon store, fully in swing advertising their latest memory chips and newer, higher resolution video cameras with simsense connections and newly improved edit-on-the-fly software perfect for the video blogger. Looming nearby, large office buildings cast their shadows, intermingled with the deepening evening sun, casting it's reflections down on the parade. Drones, automatons and AR companions scamper about, filling their own roles and adding yet more to the spectacle. Overhanging balconies open from local specialty restaurants and stores above street level allow their customers to join in, watch and participate in their own way. Highlights (read: panty shots and other fanservice) from the latest episode of Maid Cafe, Moé-brigade, Go!, playing on the corners don't have anyone looking, but add more light and sound, fueling the consumption.

And it only took 5 minutes for the change to take place to this from the plain old bustling commercial area it normally is.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:30:45 hours

Moments after purchasing some Intelligrip steel guitar picks and a tweaked synthlink overdriver, a girl casually steps out of the dusty music shop into the flow like a swimmer doing a back roll entry. To any tribal primitives or hapless fools who've just had their goggles smashed, she's bound in a Vashon Island leather jacket and a creatively modified messenger suit, looking for all the world like she's trying to be a black-haired Amane Misa or a dressed-up Osaki Nana with long hair in tails. For everyone in Sakaisuji, however, Isako's black Gothic Lolita dress and fancy flame-red hair scream Soryu Asuka Langley, because hey, the classics never die, no matter how many times AZV/Starchild has to animate the corpse.

She lets the wave carry her like a crowd surfer off a stage. As one this body moves on towards its destination.

In a tiny cell shuttered tight in the deep recesses of her mind sits a vague thought that Ichi had something for her to do tonight, but until her internal Task Scheduler brings it up, she's pretty oblivious to it.

Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:31:00 hours

Sakaisuji Road - A scan of the calendar brings up tonight's activities, Empire Day festival, while no data marks any appointment, Ichi clearly wanted to meet at one of the larger shrines in the region in his last call. But there's still plenty of time before sundown and the fireworks and festivals proper begin. Official announcements have been announcing the start of the fireworks at 21:00 with advisories to dress warm.
It's no problem at all blending in with this crowd, after all, they're all there to have a little fun and dress up. Costumes from games, anime, comics, all forms of entertainment are represented if one were to look closely enough with everything from full on home designed VR/AR 'companions' and costumes to ones with most of the work done physically with the actual fabrics and materials. Photography and recording are plentiful as people stream out to take part and appreciate costumes they like.
It's in this storm of activity that something unexpected catches Isako's eyes... A pair of generic vans, unmarked, backed up to an alley on an off street... and the split second sight of a sound suppressor for an automatic before it and whatever else was there are locked away and the vans start up.

Isako
Wednesday, February 11, 2071, 18:31:02

Isako looks around at some of the monitors and costumes around her, smiling and laughing. She raises an arm and motions as though waving to one of the photographers. However, she doesn't keep her fingers stiff and they make patterns in the air as her hand goes back and forth. As her arm comes back down, a chibi version of Eva Unit 2 appears, clinging to her shoulder. Its four eyes sweep past the alleyway.

For an instant, small runic circles pulse on the palms of the virtual Asuka's hands.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:31:03 hours

Sakaisuji Road
The eyes of Eva unit 2 reveal node after node, mapping them out as fast as they possibly can, the traffic in the area is great enough that finding any specific network will probably be a mammoth task. As the van starts up, you get something... it's not the vans, but it's a panicked signal. "Are you kidding me? I'm going to die like Amuro? la-"unexpected end of message, recovery complete, do you wish to save?

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:33:00 hours

Apartment 31b, just off Sakaisuji Road 'Naniwa Licensed' apartments
You find yourself wondering why you even came here. Why it was even on that list Fa'sun had given you is even more a mystery. But here you are, on the balcony of a den of filth. Exactly where the boundary between what mess and stench was here before and after the executions you just witnessed is still unclear.. bags full of empty instant meal cartons, ripped open and spilled over the floor from the force and speed of entry, empty cans littering the room, a spray of optical chips, mostly crushed under boot tread... and 3 bodies. You'd arrived to take a look at the scene just as these 3, whimpering and cowering for their lives, saying 'We don't know where it is! We sold it through a matrix ad-" were shot at point blank range, 3 slugs each, center of mass, 1 each to the head. While you didn't have a good look at their exact numbers, you know there were at least 3 and they were armed and armored for a fight.

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:31:00 hours
Sakaisuji Road
The taxi you've taken to get from the Kobe airport to your new residece seems to have become stuck. You're not even sure what's going on up there but there's an incredible mass of people and police drones directing traffic, slowly, into reverse to avoid the block. How fortunate your taxi looks to be about the last one they're going to get out of there.
Though... through a turn of fate... amid this developing background count, you've noticed a small red will-o-wisp like light on the astral. At first it had been floating casually somewhere above the crowd ahead, but now it's started moving at human running speeds straight down an alleyway. And it just so happens you read an article talking about these very phenomenon the other day. Something the classic Japanese called gods of disaster.. or accident... or perhaps it was misfortune.. the word itself doesn't lend very well to a direct english equivalent, but the meaning is clear. Once thought to cause trouble where they went, the article proposed that they were attracted to the astral space of these events, and so it was therefore the other way around... But here... now... one of them is before you. You dismiss the taxi and get out to pursue the investigation, all thoughts of moving left to the capable, low-wage hands of the cheapest moving service you could go through in the area.

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:30:00 hours
Apartment 30a, just off Sakaisuji Road 'Naniwa Licensed' apartments
A few minutes ago, a terrible feeling of dread and a cold sweat awoke you to the hard reality of wakefulness. Last night's party was really something, or must have been, the details of that are somewhat a blur comparatively... it had gone clear into the morning light though... All party aside, the new situation starting to come clear... the sense of a dark aura bleeds in from under the door behind the sets of feet you can hear quickly descending the stairs outside. And it'd been such good sleep too.

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:35:00 hours

Apartment 31b

Isoro frets as he enters the apartment proper, pulling on gloves and a hat to minimise any DNA traces. Matrix address presumably means commlinks, so he carefully searches the bodies to see what any of them are carrying, and gives the places a quick going over with his Non-Linear Junction Detector to see if there's any hidden electronics that might be of interest. He goes over the crime scene with practised ease, one ear always alert for people approaching. He takes particulr care with the NLJD to find whatever cameras he can, and make sure that they're obscured by something. No sense in getting geeked cause the hit squad left some toys behind.

If he's really lucky, he might be able to find this whatever-it-is before anyone else gets to it, and barter it for favours. It's not quite what he had in mind when he went hunting for jobs, but for the moment, it'll do.

NLJD Test for finding electronic doohickeys (Rating*2, Threshold 2 for non-optical electronics, 3 for Optical, +1 if it's powered down. Range 2m)
553421652656 (7 hits, woo!)
Perception Test
15443615 (3 hits)

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:31:04 hours

Sakaisuji Road

Hell yes, I want to save.
[Command external device Comm Wx0/1: open HGRAM channel 8. Write binary file 'srdistress110211'. Close channel 8.]
Comm Wx0/1: File 'srdistress110211' saved.]

The girl who seemed so bright and happy mere seconds ago suddenly turns dark, an expression of anger quaking across her face.

Whoever they are, I won't forgive them for trying to ruin my holiday. Kernel, tag signal and triangulate source.

Unit 02 pulls out a long tube with handholds and a trigger mechanism mounted on it. Tiny print reads, "Vögeljager 750 Heat-seeking Missile System. Adapted for use with Evangelion Type-A Equipment". The chubby biomechanoid mounts the tube to its shoulder and sets the virtual missile aloft.

Amuro, Amuro... Sounds kinda familiar but it's not coming to me...

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:30:00 hours
Apartment 30a, just off Sakaisuji Road 'Naniwa Licensed' apartments

Kit grimaced as he reached for a Kon Kon Spring Water TM bottle. Good sleep is hard to find. He cracked it, and took a deep slug ignoring the knot in his stomach till he confirmed everything was ready in case he had to run for it. It all should be but it was a very good party. His other hand checked by touch that every thing he couldn't leave behind (it wasn't much) was with in easy reach.

It finally came to rest on the skinlink feed hidden beside his mat that connected via the hair thin fiberoptic cable to the several security measures he had installed. First he took the fail safe timer on the C squared/smoke generator package located in the ceiling above him from 48 hours to 2 minutes. Then he checked his tooth com for jamming. Nothing. Then to pulse the rotating single byte reset command every 1 minute and 58 seconds. Next he brought up the feed from the fish eye camera hidden just out side the apartment door.

Nothing visible yet. Well he wasn't going to ignore a gut feeling like that. Not after the last time. You had to LISTEN to hear the the Kami when they were trying to speak to you. All six million of them. So he whispered a silent prayer to Inari and felt the life force of everyone in 160 meters appear.

And what do we have here..... Taking another deep draft of the water. Flat tasting as always. Spring water my furry little tail.

Detect Life extended force 4 2643234162 (2 hits)
4S Drain 231156662435 (5 hits!)

Not as clear as usual. Do I have uninvited guests? Too much partying last night. Despite the cold sweat and the knot in his stomach, he smiled at both what little he remembered from last night and at how easily his prayer was answered.

What was that there...

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:35:00 hours

Sakaisuji Road
Laughing to himself a little, Professor Davidson is not going to believe this. On the ride to my apartment, I catch a glimpse of a will-o-wisp...the exact topic of the article he forwarded me! He always said I had a lucky streak about me.

Aldan pulls up the public directory node in AR to get his bearings, then sets it to fade into the background. He then runs his assistant agent, Adelia.

<Aldan> Adelia, please update my research log with a sighting of a red will-o-wisp.
<Adelia> Yes, master.
<Aldan> Also, please cross-reference any articles on this phenomenon, say within the last three years, with priority to given Japanese origin.
<Adelia> Yes, master. Is there anything else I can do for you?
<Aldan> Yes, we seem to be in a crowded area...some festival or something. Please monitor our node and alert me to any unauthorized activity.
<Adelia> Of course, I already began once you brought me online.
<Adlan> You're always on top of things!

Aldan then summons a watcher spirit (2 2 6 2 5 1 3 2 4 1 = 2 hits) (Drain 2S, 6 5 1 1 5 4 1 3 3 1 = 3 hits) and mentally links the red will-o-wisp image that he saw just minutes ago. He then commands it to search out this astral entity and maintain observance, noting it should be close. The watcher immediately begins its task.

Let's see what trouble I can get into tonight.

Aldan walks toward the alleyway the will-o-wisp was heading towards.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:31:10 hours

As the virtual missile works its way up into a long circle to home towards its target, Isako risks trying to look directly towards the vans, as though to get a firm picture in her head of what they look like or even take a photo. She then shifts her attention back towards the missile, which seems to be starting to tend towards the upper floors of a nearby building, where there are presumably apartments. The coordinate range in her glasses starts narrowing down.

Ah, now I remember. In Gundam: Revival of Universal Century, Amuro Ray was assassinated pretty meaninglessly considering what an icon he is. But is this guy a hero, or just some unlucky nut...

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:32:00 hours

Sakaisuji Road
The missile track has narrowed the origin signal down to the 30-34 blocks of apartments above this particular back alley, which all seem to be in the same 3rd floor level of these apartments. You've managed to get a fair picture saved to your external device, but the inconsistencies in format really cut down on the 'quality' of the photo. It's good enough, you know from dealing with Ichi he'll take it, he's seen these type pictures before... but those little bleeds and blurs... the haloing effect that seems to come out every time a neon sign is in 'shot'... It should suffice for identification anyway.
The vans have started to drive away at this point, entering into the traffic being directed away from the street festival and you get a glimpse into the alley behind... you can see the ground-level entryway to the 'Naniwa Licensed' apartment blocks fairly clearly. There is light pedestrian traffic near it.

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:00 hours

Apartment 31b, 'Naniwa Licensed' apartments
Your scan of the apartment turns up dozens of devices, at least 2 commlinks apiece for each of the bodies, full bodied trid image cameras, an old console-style computer sits in a corner as well. No cameras were set up for security, from what you can see or scan. Only the camera in the door. The door with the smashed latch mechanism... that's going back and forth with pressure changes, opening and narrowing with a low creaking sound. One of the otaku has a death grip on his commlink, a high end Renraku 'MUGEN' cable from the device to his head, he was clearly operating it when he died. As you continue your scan, your NLJD appears to be glitching... you've scanned the whole apartment, but it's continuing to give a 'closer scan required' in the area of that body.

A closer scan reveals a time delayed incendiary, set to go off at 21:00:00 hours.


Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:00 hours
'Naniwa Licensed' apartments, apartment commons block 30-34
You've set out at a brisk pace, your watcher's already reported back to you with a report of several of these will-o-wisps in a... well, let's face it, your interpretation of what it's telling you is an apartment up on about the 3rd floor. You've managed to get in the building without any trouble at all, the lock on the entryway was broken forcefully by the time you arrived. Setting a brisk pace you've reached the 3rd floor... there are a few others around, but several of them are... markedly ignoring the open door of apartment 31b.

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:32:00 hours
Apartment 30a, 'Naniwa Licensed' apartments
As you reach out to all life in the area, you feel the cold touch of a life leaving the world. It's fairly close, in the next block over, just through the commons area. Otherwise the area is relatively similar to normal. Well... aside from Sakaisuji road.. There's a massive amount of life down there, but that's hardly unusual.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:32:00 hours

Sakaisuji Road
Isako starts sifting her way through the crowd towards the entrance of the 'Naniwa Licensed' apartments.
[Command external device Comm Wx/01: Edit archive package 'srintel110211_1832' Attach 'srvans110211_1831', 'srdistress110211', tagged coordinates for srdistress110211. Body of message:
Ichi, I've just seen a couple vans leaving Sakaisuji Road. I'm sure I saw a sound suppressor for an automatic weapon inside one of them. At about the same time, I intercepted the attached voice transmission and have tracked it to the coordinates, which seem to be on the third floor of an apartment building nearby. I'm guessing that the perps in the vans have just murdered whoever sent that transmission. Hopefully, you or whoever you sell the intel to will be able to track them with the vehicle registration. I'm also plotting on a map here the direction I last saw them going in, maybe the holiday traffic and detours will slow them down. I'm going to investigate the apartments and see what else I can get for you.
Command kernel: encrypt archive 'srintel110211_1832'. Send to address tag 'Ichi'. End.]

As she draws near to the entrance, she puts her hand to a pocket, making sure she's got her Pulsar on her and ready.

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:30 hours

'Naniwa Licensed' apartments, apartment 31b

What am I getting myself into?

Aldan walks closer to the open door and peers in. He takes a deep breath and says, "Excuse me, is anyone here? Is anyone in need of help?"

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:34:15 hours

Sakaisuji Road

Having weaved, squirmed and had to swim back upstream through the crowd and reached the entrance to the apartment block with no muss to her hairstyle, Isako takes a cursory look inside. When satisfied that it's clear, she enters and quietly ascends the stairs towards the third floor. Unit 02 resumes watching her back, and she draws her Yamaha Pulsar to keep at the ready.

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:30 hours

As the strangers make their way up the stairs, Isoro makes his decision and pockets the commlink along with his NLJD and goes and hides behind the door. The man clumping his way up the stairs doesn't sound like an enforecer, but then, they never do. He waits patiently for the man to enter to get a look at him.

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:32:00 hours

Apartment 30a, 'Naniwa Licensed' apartments

This is out of the ordinary. Best go take a peek.

He dropped the spell and grabbed his working longcoat and a cap and slid in to them.
Kit slipped a slim case out of a pocket and plucked a single tab of Psyche (some of MCT finest) and placed it under his tongue.
A quick check to make sure ever thing was there and... that bottle would do as a approximately priced accessory. Hopefully he wouldn't have to drink to much of it.
He reset the failsafe to 48 hours and set it to C Squared only.

By then every thing has sharpen up and the knot in his stomach was barely there.
A simple prayer changed his cloths to better match the local color.

He glanced at the mirror. Oh yah. Absolutely no fashion sense here. Prefect.
A not so simple prayer dimmed his aura to once again better match the local color.


Checking the mirror again. Good.

Trying again his Sense Life was better as he started to recognize some of the life forms.

He gritted his teeth for a second has the Kami made the point it was rude to attract its attention twice in such a rushed and unmannerly fashion but in seconds his Trauma Damper once again proved it was worth every nuyen. He grinned as he headed to the door. The best tricks require a little risk. And the Kami do appreciate a good trick.

Using his life sense to confirm no one would see him leave, he slipped out and head over to the trouble.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:30 hours

'Naniwa Licensed' Apartment commons block 30-34
You climb the stairs fairly quietly and get in position where you can see into the commons area of the 3rd floor. There's an open door with a gaijin standing in it... you hear him call out into the room.
"Excuse me, is anyone here? Is anyone in need of help?"


Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:30 hours

Apartment 31b, 'Naniwa Licensed' apartments
You press yourself into the space behind the door, unfortunately there are a number of the trash bags there as well... At least you should be hidden visually... but this apartment is *full* of things that make noise *way* too easily. A voice at the door calls in.
"Excuse me, is anyone here? Is anyone in need of help?"


Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:30 hours
'Naniwa Licensed' apartment 31b
Taking a look inside the room, full senses open, you see two of these will-o-wisps floating around the filthy room... a triple homicide, certainly a qualifier for tragic, blood and bits of flesh from the still bleeding wounds still seeping out.

Someone else has just entered the commons area behind you, and the 'creak' of a squeaking trash bag comes from behind the door you stand beside... someone or something is there, and alive.


Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:30 hours
'Naniwa Licensed' Apartment commons block 30-34
You shuffle on out into the lobby just as some gaijin calls into apartment 31b... the door of which is open... The direction and distance are about right, that's right where that life was snuffed out only a few minutes ago. The commons room seems to be empty excepting this one man... but you can be guaranteed the neighbors have an eye on their own doors, and the cameras in them.

Isako
Wednesday, February 11, 2071, 18:36:32 hours

'Naniwa Licensed' Apartment commons block, 30-34

The girl takes a deep breath, lowers her Pulsar so that it isn't pointed at the gaijin, and begins walking quietly through the commons area. She makes no attempt to conceal herself. When he looks her direction, she puts her hand up over her mouth as though to stay quiet, then holds her hand up, palm forward, to show she wants him to stay where he is.

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:34 hours
'Naniwa Licensed' apartment 31b

Aldan, seeing the girl and understanding her hand signals, stands just where he is.

She looks like she can handle this, so I'm just going to sit back let her take control. Try not to get into any more trouble...

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:37:30 hours
'Naniwa Licensed' Apartment commons block 30-34

Kit's Sense Life told him that the man in the entryway didn't have a gun out. He got a peek at him as he shuffled by.



Local Police advertise 10 minute response time. Like I believe that but there is always a first time. Set the internal Timer to count down for 8 minutes from the time he awoke.

Is he alone? Lets give it a minute.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:36:36

'Naniwa Licensed' Apartment commons block, 30-34

On her way through the commons, the leather-jacketed girl notices the coated and capped man who's shuffled out into the lobby. He still looks a little groggy to her. She passes on by and goes up to the gaijin.

She whispers, "So, is he still alive? I got a distress..." Her eyes wander in the door. She stands stock-still for a moment, then she returns her attention and her pale face to the man.

"Uh..." She seems at a loss for words for a moment. "What's going on? And if we have to touch any dead bodies, could I trouble you to take care of that? I haven't been to the shrine yet, you see."

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:37:50 hours
'Naniwa Licensed' apartment 31b

Touch any dead bodies? The sound of those words just hit reality...

Replying in a low volume, "Um, no, they all seem to be...well, they have moved on." Aldan points to the three men past the doorway. He motions for the girl to come closer, then in a whisper, "I think there is someone behind the door...alive."

He leans back away from the girl, then says, "I do not know what exactly is going on. I just happened upon this incident...uh, by luck, I guess you could say..."

Aldan locks his gaze back into the apartment, "Oh, and I really wasn't planning on touching any of those bodies."

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:00 hours

Outside Apartment 31b

A few more seconds tick by as the girl looks between the gaijin, the floor, and the door. "It can't be helped I guess. Maybe I could... no, it won't come to that."

She readies her Pulsar, squints her eyes, and turns her attention to the door. "Hey, nezumi-chan... Hey man, come out. Let's talk." She whispers again to the gaijin, "Don't worry, all the guys with guns are gone. I think."

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:00 hours

Inside Apartment 31B

Since it's fairly obvious that he's been tumbled, Isoro steps out from behind the door, palms open to show he's not carrying anything. He executes a formal "bow-to-a-stranger-that-I-have-bumped-into-on-the-street" to the newcomers.

"Good day. My apologies for concealing myself. I was concerned that the men who did this might have sent someone back for one reason or another. I gather that none of you know why this has occured?"

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:15hours
'Naniwa Licensed' apartment 31b

"I certainly do not know. I was traveling on Sakaisuji and, well, noticed something strange that drew me here. The type of astral activity that I saw was, intriguing, to say the least."

Aldan pauses, not sure if he has said too much about himself to these strangers. But, there is no going back at this point and these two certainly could have killed him already if that was their goal.

"And you, what has brought you here?"

Here? Wait a second, why are we talking here?

"And does anyone think this is not the best place to be talking? I don't know about either of you, but if there is no longer a reason to be here, I would feel much safer calling this into the proper authorities."

"I would suggest that that wait for a while. There is a timed incendiary device underneath one of the bodies."

Isoro ignores the question about what's he's doing here and stands calmy with his hands clasped behind his back, not really looking at anything. He really would like to investigate this valuable thing that has been sold, and the prospect of the police clomping all over the crime scene really would be a hindrance.

"In any event, one would suspect that they are either already on their way?"

He communicates the question with a crooked eyebrow, delicately fishing to see if anyone has already called them.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:25 hours

31b

"Me neither. I saw the armed perps leave, heard a distress call, and was ticked that they'd be out killing shut-in geeks on a national holiday. I wanted to find out who they were, maybe sell the intel to their enemies and get them proper payback... Okay, yeah, it sounds like a longshot, but I'm still ticked. And you said something about a bomb?" Her eyes seem to jump tracks, though, and she says, "Hey, what kind of astral stuff? Are there spirits in there or something?"

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:31 hours

31b


Kit activated the Camera Neutralizer along with his white noise generator and voice mask.

That's enough.

He turned around and walked slowly over to the group with his hands out and executed a formal "bow-to-a-stranger-that-I-have-bumped-into-on-the-street" to the others.

"Pardon my interruption, I noticed the... disturbance" Kit says with a grimace. "And thought it best to check out. I've some data that might help. First, I've taken the liberty of neutralizing any cameras in the area like the apartment door peepcams. Second, we are the only non locals currently in the area and I'll be aware of it if that changes. Third, the local security provider advertises 10 minute response time for this neighborhood. Actual response time is likely slightly longer but we have about 2 and half minutes before we reach the 10 minute mark provided the alert went out at 18:31.

Now what was that about a bomb?"

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:31 hours

31b

A bomb? Certainly the wrong place at the wrong time...but maybe the rest of these are the right people, so I'm just going to go with the flow...

Aldan looks at the girl, "No problems, really, in the astral. I just noticed something that usually alerts Awakened folks...usually something bad. I was curious, so headed this way our of sheer curiosity."

He scratches his head then points to the bodies, "That's obviously the reason for what I saw. Not a pretty or fortunate sight..."

Aldan bows back to latest person [Kit] on the scene, "Two minutes isn't much time. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I want to be here when the local authorities arrive. I landed here less than an hour ago and was heading to my new apartment...I don't want to be spending my first night in a holding cell."

Damn it, there I go again...too much information given.

He looks back at the man [Isoro], "Yeah, what did you say again? A bomb?" Aldan brings his attention back to what seems to be the biggest threat at hand.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:40 hours

31b

"Okay, fine fine. I understand everybody wants to beat tracks rather than try to solve the mystery. I think I can wrap up my part here in mere moments after I hear the answers to two questions. One, how much time is left on the timer, and two, were any of these guys jacked into DNI when they died?"

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:45 hours

31b

Hmmm...a mystery. I never did think of it that way. My stuff is being delivered to my new apartment, I can unpack later. I think I may just stick around and see how this pans out.

Pointing to the guy behind us [Kit], "I think he said two and a half minutes."

Aldan, still perceiving in the astral does a quick check in his field of vision, then says, "Well, I'll let you know if something changes in the astral."

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:48 hours

31b

I hope some one here can defuse it otherwise we need to pull the fire alarms and try to get everyone out.

OOC If no one immediately replies he will....

Kit shook his head once, "That's how long till we reach the local security provider's self reported response time, not the time remaining on the bomb."

So that they could concentrate on the bomb, he added I'll know when they arrive outside the building."

Otherwise he will add it to the end of the Bomb conversation as an explaination (possibly as he runs away).

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:38:50 hours
31B

Isoro returns Kit's bow.

There is a bomb of some sort, concealed under that man," who Isoro delicately indicating the relevant man with a point of his foot. "It's not scheduled to go off for a while yet. I believe at 9 o'clock tonight. I would hope that local security deals with it."

Figuring that he's probably not going to get away with hogging the commlink, and that magical backup who's never heard of him before could be extremely useful at the moment, Isoro pulls the 'link he scavenged earlier out of his pocket and shows it to the group.

"The man seemed very, ahem, attached to this device. There are also many other electrical devices here that I can show you, but I had assumed that they were simply part of the general clutter that these... Otaku seem to generate."

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:39:45 hours

31b

Aldan rubs the bridge of his nose. Believing that the man [Isoro] is not hiding anything, he figures he can attempt to be more useful, especially if there is more to be found in this apartment.



Aldan winces a bit, showing a little discomfort in his face.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:40:00 hours

31b

A wide grin creeps onto Isako's face as she steps over the threshold. "Ah, yeah yeah! Now we're getting somewhere. That answers even more questions. Now we're getting a basis to work with. Like question zero." She nods towards Isoro. "To get the commlink and check out the incendiary, you've already given up your ritual purity for the week, so if we need them moved or searched again, you can do that. For another, setting it for 9 o'clock seems pretty leisurely. I expect they want to burn up all the evidence and then blame it on stray fireworks. They also don't figure anybody called the police on them, so unless somebody called the police on one of you guys, we've got a little time. More than enough to check a little hunch of mine."

Her grin starts to die away. "You don't figure they ARE the... Hey, who's got the law enforcement contract for this area?"

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:39:45 hours

31b

Kit walked up to the door and stood behind her. He took a good look around then moved off to the side entering as far as he could with out stepping in any blood forcing his knotted stomach to behave. It wasn't very far.

OK quick in and out and review later. What was here that was worth killing for? What type of Otaku were these and where is the renter? TF record every thing

On his image link the tiny little tooth fairy unencumbered with an excess of clothing fan danced using her semi transparent wings. With only her eyes visible above her fluttered her wings she coyly winked and then shot him a digital finger and flew off. The sensor data started to scroll by at the bottom of his vision. His lips quirked glad for the distraction.

I still need to get even with Chan for her. I never asked for a comlink with a personality. Reminds me too much of his last girlfriend. You must be the Tooth Fairy's best customer my furry little tail. If she wasn't so good I'd have installed a new OS over her so fast... Which earned him another finger.

He scanned his eyes over the bodies and took a deep breath to get a good sensor read on the inhale.



Which may have been a mistake as the smell of the blood and drek seem to double.

He gritted his teeth and forced his bile down calming himself and tried again.



Hmmm

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:00 hours

31b

Isoro makes a small face at the mention of ritual sorcery.

"You may also wish to know that the man whose commlink this is was mentioned something about an object that he had sold over the matrix, just before he was shot. It seems that whoever shot him was looking for it."

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:20 hours

31b

Isako ponders over it a bit. "Hmm, who knows if they found it or not. Also no telling how deeply firewalled the log is, if he didn't delete it outright. Well, I was going to haul out the heavy artillery anyway. I'll get to that while you guys check the scene over. Just make sure that commlink there is on." She peers at its screen a moment and nods. "And if you've got sensors for EM or infrared, it'd be great to get some of that too. With the mention of astral, I'd like to see the traditional parapsychology angle here." With that, she slips into the bathroom and locks the door behind her.

"Ugh, have they ever cleaned in here?! Hikikomori are the worst!"

31b, the bathroom
Isako gingerly crouches near the edge of the tub.

[Command kernel: ./build.cmp CA7_5.1.4
Kernel: Compiling CA7_5.1.4 in progress... complete.]

Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:20 hours

Apartment 31b

Aldan

Inventory and items pour into your head and the literal glut of 'trash bag, empty instant ramen bowl, empty instant pasta bowl, empty instant..." pops a vessel in your nose, a slow trickle of your own blood starts coming down.
Of interest in particular are the large numbers of optical chips all over the floor, about half of them smashed or damaged in some way... and with them, a few old style paper comic books, no doubt unsellable for being drenched in blood or shot through. Most of the rest doesn't seem that important, mostly merchandise from, what you would assume is, popular animated programs. But yeah... there's a lot of trash.

Kit

It's hard to see, but you've got an angle on the incendiary where you are, the unusually large, red-numbered display blinking slowly and clearly "21:00:00". The smashed stacks of optical chips, sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by a moat of blood, makes an image pretty similar to one you'd heard an old buddhist priest describe the lake of blood and mountains of needles there is in hell... You catch a glimpse of the corner of a paperback comic book under one of the bodies near to you, it's edges wrinkling with blood as if it were the tortured souls of the damned.


Isoro

As you stand there holding the commlink no one's taken an interest in quite yet... your own link starts reporting a little girl's voice coming from behind you. Nobody else reacts to it that you can see...

"Onii-san? Onii-san? Onii-chan (she glances sidelong to one of the bodies), he... he's not answering me.. I can't seem to call out, can you? I need to call the ambulance for him! It's cold in here and I'm scared-"

Taking a look... it's a young girl with bunny ears and a puff on her rear outside her maid-like clothing, very much not real, she has the appearance of a cell-shaded 2-dimensional animated character, she seems somewhat familiar... you think she's appeared on a lot of advertising in the last year or two. Ah, there it is.. you were perched on a billboard featuring her for one of your last jobs.

Isako

You enter VR amid the molding grout, the strong smell of stale urine giving way to the far more pleasant digital smells.. Someone was paying for this place to always smell like food... You get a nose full of roasting turkey as you enter your compiling process.

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:25hours

31b

Aldan looks at Isoro and Kit, "I've got nothing better to do tonight and I love a good mystery, so I'm in."

He takes a few steps into the apartment then says, "I'm Aldan, by the way. I'm still watching the astral, so if anything changes, I'll let you know. I'm also compiling a list of everything of interest here."

Through his trodes, Aldan access his commlink.

<Aldan> Adelia, please open a new file and start dictating these items.
<Adelia> As you wish.

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:30 hours

31b

Isoro blinks rapidly, and turns around. He stares at the apparition for a few seconds before he places where it came from. Curious, he waves a hand slowly in front of it, trying to work out if it's talking to him.

"Who are you?" he subvocalises into his mike, feeling somewhat embarrassed at directing searching questions at a cartoon character.

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:39:45 hours

31b


Kit finished his scan. He picked up a fast food sack and gave it a once over and then pulled out some unused napkins.

Then he stepped forwarded and leaned down by the body over the antique.
He slipped his endoscope under the body checking for any surprises.
He then pulled the comic book out from underneath the body with two fingers.
He was wearing gloves but didn't want to have to clean them. A quick glance at the cover.

Kit then carefully wiped the blood off the comic book and the scope.

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:39:46 hours

31b

Aldan watches as Kit picks up the comic book, "Yeah, odd isn't it? There's a few more lying around here." He tries to wipe the blood from his nose before anyone notices.

Comic books? What were they doing with comic books?

"There are a ton of optical chips, too. Not all of them are broken." Aldan bends over and picks one up. He waves it back and forth a bit, "Anyone care to run it?"

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, What is Time, Anyway?

31b, the bathroom / The Matrix

A revolving, cascading circle of lines and ideographs lights up the space before Isako. A form begins to coalesce within.

[Hey, Witch, smells pretty good huh?]

The form becomes a teenage girl, apparently a few years younger than Isako. A stream of liquid runs down her cheek from her left eye. One moment it looks like blood, the next like tears reflecting moonlight.

[Sayoku? I asked the kernel for Witch.]

[Consciously, yes. Subconsciously you needed my abilities. You think you'll need to hack, so I came in her place. Trust the kernel.]

[Hmm... alright, then. Here's what we need to do right now. Within a five-meter radius of us there are a number of devices belonging to deceased owners, primarily commlinks. We need to survey these devices, gain administrative privileges, and prepare their data for secure uploading. Alert me to any agents, avatar apparitions, or 'snapshots'. If you are able to perform these tasks and retain build stability, afterwards go on standby until I can stabilize you later this evening. Shall we begin?]

Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:40 hours

Apartment 31b

Aldan

You also get a look at the book Kit has picked up. It doesn't look familiar to you, but whoever the girl on the cover is, she's drawn in a clearly erotic posture.

Kit

You can barely read the cover for how badly stained the book already is, but you can make out the title, 'Prism Knight - Day of Hawk' with a clear 'Under 18 prohibited' printed in the one clean corner. You think you remember the character from somewhere.. if it's what you're thinking of the source work was created in the 2020s. It was an unpopular comic with a cult following with a wild story about an 'exotic beauty' in shining armor defeating poverty and hunger with well planned strikes against tyrants.

Isoro

The character fidgets and bows.

[I'm M-- Maria Moeko. Please help! Onii-chan wasn't responding to me at all when I came back from sorting files.]

(Do you know anything about what happened here? Maybe something about the men who came and shot him?)

[SHOT!?] Maria seems to be frozen in shock, her eyes are wide, pupils and iris' narrowed and she has blue color filtering in from below her hair down to about her eye line. [Please! His life is in danger!]

Everyone in the apartment space
A moderately loud buzzing noise comes from the direction of the incendiary. Directing your attention to it reveals that it the numbers are no longer present, and the display reads "ER:RO:R!" It then flashes "00:00:07" "00:00:06"

Isako

Sayoku crosses her arms and stares at Isako flatly.

[Maybe I should draw you a hot bath, prepare your tea and put out some senbei for you? Honestly, you have so far to go. Go on, think about it, clear your head. Stop trying to think about how you want to do things and start thinking about how to do them.]

You hear a buzz faintly.

Kit
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:41 hours

31b


Kit yelled "Six seconds left! Run!"

An incendiary would likely be fairly localized. If they exited the apartment they should be fairly safe for the initial fire bomb. More so if they could get the door shut. Likely be able to get everyone else living here out in time.

He watched the girl for a reaction trying to judging how long it would take him to get to her side and grab her wrist if she didn't start moving.

Is she doing something or just off in the matrix?

Muttering a prayer he called for the hearth Kami to protect those who dwell in the apartment complex and those seeking justice for the slain.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, Somewhere between 18:41 and Eternity

Isako's forced to put her hands up and wear a sheepish grin. [You're right, of course. I've been flying solo too long lately. Here, just follow me and I'll lay out a more reasonable course. Stand by to support.]

She gets up and comes out of the bathroom to hear Kit yelling about the timer.

"What a pain in the ass." She moves for the exit.

Aldan
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:41 hours

31b

Seeing that Isako is out of the bathroom and running for the exit, Aldan makes haste and follows. He tucks the optical chip into his pocket.

Not sure which one (Isako, Kit or Isoro) to follow, but right now, it doesn't matter!

Isoro
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:41 hours

31B

Isoro stares at the girl and yells "Which link are you on?" If she manages to indicate one and it's grabbable, he'll grab it, but either way, once the count reaches 3 he bolts for the door, pausing only to let the others out if they arrive at the door at the same time.

Isako
Wednesday, 11 February 2071, 18:41:41.985

"Sorry, I didn't even get a chance to start," she answers Isoro.