Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 2:31 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

Acme nodded. "It's a plan then, remember, neutral colors."

He looked to Oswald and called "Call us if you need something!"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:01 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Ferret wasn't kidding when he said he was an old lady driver, although to be fair the big van is not exactly built for speed. He trundles along at the speed limit until they hit the Barrens, then slows down as he picks his way along pot-holed streets and around potential ambush spots. Finally, they arrive at their destination. Ferret pulls up next to Twisters to let Acme and Thirty out.

"Be careful out there, gents. I don't recommend trying anything on with the Stiletto's. As I said earlier, they're an unpredictable bunch of fraggers. Just keep your heads down and your shoulders slumped and you should be okay. Remember, you're just here for a bit of ork pussy. I'll turn the van around and park up the street by that office building over there. I'll see what I can do for matrix overwatch, but the signal here is a bit spotty so I don't promise anything. Keep your comms on in case you hit trouble, but you might want to set them to hidden if you haven't already."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:01 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Professor taps Acme on the shoulder before he exits the vehicle. "Got any mojo to make me harder to be seen? I'd like to cruise around a bit and get an astral sense of the place."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 2:32 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

"Just a sec," Thirty says, and he heads into Oswald's kitchen. He unties his ponytail, letting his dark hair fall down around his shoulders, then puts a little soylive oil into his hands and works it in with his fingers until his hair is a tangled, oily mess. Satisfied that this will make him fit in better with Redmond's denizens, he piles into the van.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:01 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

On the trip to Redmond, Thirty has attempted to conceal his sword by placing it upside-down along his spine, with the scabbard's magnetic clasp affixed to a metal nub on his belt that he positioned in the small of his back. His armor jacket barely covers the end of the grip, and his long, now-oily hair conceals the bottom of the scabbard somewhat as it sticks out from his collar behind his head. I hope I don't need to draw it, he thinks as he steps out of the van, I'll probably cut the jacket - or maybe myself. Thirty takes a quick look around before shuffling up the block towards Cheap-Oh's.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:04 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

Oswald lined his old his old hydraulic pallet truck up with the door of the Rover, squeezed the handle, and, with the steady pull of his mechanical arm proceeded to pull down over and over on the lever end. The heavy armored box rose by inches, wobbling slightly as it did.
"Guess I might as well reach out to the others, let them know the heavy ordinance is ready if they need it."

<<@Team: Blimp is ready to once again go skyward. Can be on your location in 10. I could park it closer, but it is now running wireless, so if it stays stationary, it's a target on two fronts. Still have one of my little bombers ready to go should you need to clear the streets. That'll take at least 5 minutes worth of prep and travel to deliver on target. Got another one I could prep with non-lethal means if you just want cover. My advice though, is not to count on restraint to engender you any sympathy from that sort. ...in fact, I should probably just put that air strike on a holding pattern over your location..>>

"Son of a bitch. Danny, help me push- Auuuugh... Yeah.. Guard duty... I'm going to have to recruit old J. Jonah Jameson back there to help me sort this out aren't I?"

"Hey guest, you awake? Talk to the robot and I'll hear you."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:02 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Moments after the doors open, and the inside atmosphere is exposed to the toxic waste of Glow City's atmosphere, Professor gets a sinking feeling that turns to a gut anxiety. It's as if some viscous, acidic sludge penetrated his soul. His fear was confirmed as he opened himself to the astral. Waves upon waves of despair, defeat and decay washed through him. He felt his Magic melt before the onslaught, and one ability after another dissipated into Glow City's irradiated miasm.

With difficulty, he held onto the critical abilities for this task. "Drek! Let's get this job done and get the hell out of here!"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:02 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"


Acme felt the color in his skin start to draw out the moment they even got near the Glow City border. "Ah shit," he wheezed out. "Didn't realize we were going to this part... Forgot what it felt like." He knew Coyote was afraid to tread in this place, for fear of its corrupting touch. As it was, he felt sick, like he drank sour milk and held his stomach. "Prof, I.. uh.. don't think it's a good idea for me to do anything but emergency magic. Shit, even then I'm gonna have to be careful. Toxic spirits.." He shivered. It was always worse for a shaman to be in this area. If anything, he felt, that was the benefit that hermetics had. They were so cut off from the land that it was less likely they'd be corrupted just for putting foot to devastated land.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:02 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Professor thinks about what Acme said. He couldn't blame the guy for shying from this hell-hole's influence. "No problem, chummer."

Problem is, Professor looks too clean. He jumps into the back of the van and proceeds to collect dust and dirt from the floor and rub it onto his clothes and exposed skin. Dirty, but not polluted. Marginally satisfied with this pathetic attempt at disguise, he takes position outside the van beside the driver, Ferret. From here, he has unobstructed view of the astral.

Not that he really wants to see that nauseating moil.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:02 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Acme rubbed a bit of dirt himself, and shifted things around on his body while they were getting ready. Clipping his worn duster around his body to conceal his clothing, he rubbed his hands through his hair, making it a little greasy and dirty. He'd need a shower after they were done here, probably three or four. "So we're just here to get info from a contact or to grab and go, right?" he asked, hugging himself as they stepped out.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:02 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

"Grab and go sounds good to me!" Professor says. "I don't want to be here any longer than I have to, either." He maintains his vigilance in both the astral and the physical.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:02 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"
PAN Mode: Hidden

Thirty leads the group up to the entrance to Cheap-Oh's, working as he walks on a facial expression that is just the right blend of despondent and determined; the former to make himself fit in, and the latter to keep any would-be opportunists from messing with he or his companions. I hope we look dirty enough, he thinks.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:02 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

"Come to think of it, Ferret, I'll poke my nose around back to see if there is a back exit he might run through. I'll keep in contact. If he comes out the front, no need to wait for me if you can nab him, or need to keep in contact with him."

Professor shuffles his way around the building, keeping an eye out for dangerous attention being paid to him. This is no place for an academic. He makes sure his pistol is loose in its holster. The alley looks like a good place to start. he works it so the guys at the front door are watching Acme and Thirty when he ducks into the alley.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:03 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Ferret watches as the Prof shuffles off into the alley. What was that old gamer adage about not splitting the party?

He puts his machine pistol on the seat next to him, within easy reach, just in case things turn nasty. Both the Prof and Acme had been complaining about the magical aura down here. He wondered if it was as bad as the wireless static. He filters out the junk AROs and graffiti tags, slowly narrowing the icons in his vision to just commlinks and nodes in the hope of being able to keep track on the various members of the team and maybe catching a glimpse of Rusty's, if he has it on.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:03 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Thirty and Acme make their way across the street. People glance their way, but not for long. Most seem to be in a daze, or preoccupied with their own matters. The two thugs at the door weren't even particularly interested. They were in mid conversation about a female conquest, and it wasn't clear if they were working the door, or just hanging out. As Thirty and acme approached, the sound of club music grew louder. The Man with the mowhawk gave them a glance as they passed, but said nothing. It was black as night inside. A long bar ran down the center of the place, topped with poles and colored lights. Decor was non-existent. Dirty brown walls, a set of bathrooms, and a door to either side of the stage. Two girls, barely any thicker than the poles danced against each other suggestively. The audience consisted of maybe ten men and four women, including two girls in tight black, plastic looking clothes serving drinks and whispering in ears. In the left corner sat a man, orc, with a black t-shirt and a shotgun in his lap.
Professor broke from the pack and made his way to the alley. There were a handful of lean-to's and some young kids chasing rats with chains. A man sat against the wall in a long coat watching the dwarf approach.His hair was stringy and his face was black with dirt. He spoke in a hoarse whisper when Professor was in earshot,"Oi chummer, you lookin fer somethin?"
Ferret watched the crew disappear into the scene in front of him. Scanning and filtering out nodes was rough. He cut out a lot of the noise and managed to pick up several comms inside and out. There seemed to be an oddly large number of commlinks in the alley

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:03 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Inside Cheap-Ohs

Acme still felt sick from being in Glow City, and the raver atmosphere inside only seemed to make him feel sicker. Which probably fit in with half of the radiation-affected residents, so he just trudged on. He looked around for whoever they were looking for, but he hadn't really been given much of a description, and the atmosphere didn't lend itself to anything but casual glances. "Got a good idea of what he looks like?" he asked Thirty, nudging him.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:04 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Inside Cheap-Ohs

Thirty can barely hear Acme over the thumping bass and digitized moaning that passes for musical accompaniment to the strip show. He holds up a finger and finds a place for them to sit where he can keep an eye on the shotgun-toting ork without being too obvious. Once they are seated, he whispers on the comms, <Red hair going gray and "shaggy" is all we have to go on. He's probably human, since our friend didn't say otherwise. Until we find him, let's enjoy the show, I guess.>

He smiles and claps Acme on the back, then turns his eyes towards the girls on stage, forcing his face into an expression of lust. They aren't his type; he prefers a thicker, more muscular woman. As they gyrate against each other, it seems to him they are trying to take shelter in each other's arms rather than titillate the audience, and he can't help but feel sorry for them, though he doesn't dare show it. He leans back a bit in his chair to help conceal his sword, and lets his eyes flicker to the women working the crowd, but he's actually looking for someone fitting Rusty's description.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:03 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"
(PAN: active)

Professor focuses his astral perception on this inquisitive... too inquisitive... fellow set up in the back alley with the kind of view Professor was looking for. Professor texts the team. <<@team: Keep sharp. Could be the other team is here. Got a too inquisitive street bum, with a coat that can hide a lot of hardware, asking me questions back here in the alley.>>

He assenses the man who questioned him, as he answers, "The Meaning of Life, chummer."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:03 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"
PAN: hidden, Programs active: Stealth, Analyze and Browse

Ferret was just starting to feel relaxed at Oswald's warehouse. Now his nerves are back on edge, just like they always were in the Barrens. Well, maybe even more than usuaul, as this is not even one of the parts he thought of as 'safe'.

As he struggles with the crappy wireless signal, he picks up the concentration of commlinks in the alley, That's weird.

<<@team: Prof, I'm picking up a lot of commlinks at your location. Either there's a group of people back there or that bum has got a bunch of active 'links on him. Neither of those options is particularly good. Let me know if you need backup. Main street is quiet for now and I can always keep the van's sensors open in a window.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, Jovan's mind, Oswald's warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

"Giovanni, I swear to Ghost I am going to take you on a night of good old-fashioned drinking and partying sometime soon. What the hell do you mean you've never been to a bar before?"

A curly brown-haired Jovan looked back at his friend, confused by the question. It was evening, and they were walking near the edge of campus toward their dorms. "Uhhhhh..... I mean I've never been to a bar before?"

The ork Geoff sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. "Bah. You are still like a kart. I should haul you to a pub somewhere and make you drink some hurlg. I cannot believe that you have never been out to a bar before. I have not seen such quaalz and nonsense in months from you, my little stick friend."

Jovan's face twisted in an expression of feigned injury, though truthfully he did not mind his friend's insults or his nickname for Jovan. He had realized long ago that it was just Geoff's way of being friendly through his manly self-image as an ork. "Idiocy and nonsense? What is that supposed to mean? For your information, good sir, I am quite capable of drinking when I feel like it. It's just that I usually prefer other ways of having fun. Like reading, or gaming, or hanging out with you guys." He frowned a bit. "And I would probably be better off avoiding the hurlg, chummer. From what I've heard about it, I think it might be a little too strong for me."

Geoff dismissed his dainty companion's concerns with a wave of his thick, muscular hand. "Nonsense, dear Giovanni. If you do not try new things, how will you ever become learned? If you do not try to do grand deeds, how will you ever stop being an ujnort?"

"Geoff, I don't think being a non-ork has anything to do with-"

Geoff clapped his hand on Jovan's shoulder in a gesture of friendship. "Come, Giovanni. We will have an adventurous night on the town this night, and I will help you open your eyes to new things. Maybe you'll even be lucky enough to get some rohodo, eh?" He winked at Jovan as he turned and set off at a run toward the bright lights of town.

Jovan sighed in resignation as he watched his friend go, and set off at a run to catch up to his friend. "Wait, what do you mean by 'get some rohodo?' What does rohodo mean?"

Geoff laughed as he shouted over his shoulder at Jovan, "What, hasn't your Or'zet professor taught you the word for sex yet?"

(PAN Active)
Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:04 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Inside Cheap-Ohs

Acme nodded, flipping on his comm as they walked to the seat so he could hear Thirty. At least it was a distraction from the show. He often liked going into places like this; Coyote was often ruled by his baser instincts after all, but this just looked... Sad. The girls had the air of desperation that sapped any sex drive if you were sympathetic to the human plight at all, he was sure he'd need a Geiger counter to double check if the drinks were safe, and he was sure that the VIP room had a background count all its own. He looked unsettled, considering getting a drink to fit in but he was already feeling sick. So he had to do what Thirty did, scan the area while attempting to look like he was getting some sort of jollies at the girls.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:04 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

the man on the gurny tried to sit up when he awoke, straining shortly against the straps before remembering his predicament. he turned to answer via the robot leveling the worlds largest handgun at his face,"So what's the plan man? what else you want from me?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:08 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Cheap-Ohs

Thirty and Acme scanned the room for their target. No one fit the description; an Asain man with his hand under the coat in his lap and a look of concentration on his face as he watched the show, a thin couple in a booth sharing a beer to wash down pills, two orks in worn cammo talking quietly by the stage, an older man in a long coat sipping a dark drink at a table whispering back to the waitress and pointing at the back room, a woman with mouse brown hair and a dirty sweater and big brown boots waiting to get on stage. Acme noticed the spraypainted stiletto colors on the ork pair's fatigues. Thirty found himself approached by a woman in shiny black, and skimpy top,"Whatcha lookin for baby? "

In the alley, the bum opened his coat with a smile. He had a couple of plastic bags full of random comlinks. Most of them glowed with the light of a running comm, as if he had stolen them, and not even bothered to turn them off. A few other Items were stuffed into these bags as well, including jewelry, sunglasses,and a taser. The kids had circled back around after the rodent on the run, and came careening into the dwarf like a mini football blitz. The man started yelling in his broken voice,"Hey! Piss off you shits!"
Even though Professor's perception seemed dimmed by the twisted magic around him, he managed to catch one of the kids reaching into his pockets.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:08 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Cheap-Ohs

Professor grabs a hold of the urchin putting small hands in his pockets. "Waste of time, kid. Nothing there for you to sell or use. But a bunch of sharp kids like you, you could earn some nuyen if you're willing to do something for me."

While the boys think this over he adresses the man with the commlinks. "Where'd those come from, chummer? I might be interested in acquiring them if you are willing to make a deal."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:06 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

"Well, just the doctor here," Oswald started as he walked over to the rack of tools looking for some sort of lever device to help him move the Rigger cocoon into the vehicle. "I'm checking up to see how you were feeling, and to let you know that there is no longer any medical need for you to be immobilized on the gurney. I figured you might want to be free of it." Finding some old steel sheeting and a pry-bar, Oswald turned back to try and move the heavy armored box into the vehicle.

"Way I figure, you were looking to hide out when our friends found you and picked you up. Well, you're pretty well hidden now, so what's the next goal? You going to wait until they bump off those other guys out looking for you, then, once the heat dies down, try and get back to business?" He slipped the steel sheet under the far side of the cocoon by rocking it back and forth a bit. "Or do you just want to make a break for it and hope you can find somewhere new that doesn't wind up making your piss glow in the dark? I mean, you don't need to stay here... unless you want to help find the guys who trashed your club and get your life back. ..Hurrrrg! Son of a bitch get in there!" He wedged the pry-bar under the back end and managed to lift and turn it so that the cocoon inched a little further into the car. "Er, sorry... That is to say, you have options waiting for you here. It's up to you to choose them."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:08 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Cheap-Ohs

Thirty smiles at the waitress and says, "Nothing too heavy, beautiful, I got some business to take care of in a bit. A beer apiece for my friend and I," he inclines his head towards Acme, "and if you can hold the rads, I'll tip better." He slots the woman five nuyen, and continues his surveillance.

Friday, Sept 11, 2071, 4:10 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

Jovan was still as a corpse as time dragged by, with only the slight rhythm of his breathing to give any indication that he was actually alive. As his brain went in and out of its sleep cycles, a small part of him - perhaps his biological clock, perhaps the part of him linked with his astral servant, perhaps something else entirely - intuitively felt that the sun would soon set. The unconscious bloodsucker waited anxiously for the last few hours before sundown to pass, so that he would be free to resume the prowl for his current prey in the night that was his element - though whether that prey was the rigger Big Daddy Long Legs, the cold and professional Mrs. Johnson and her boss, or someone else entirely was something of which not even he was certain.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:08 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Cheap-Ohs

Acme nodded, noting that he'd need to cover something for Thirty in the future with him picking up the beers. It was probably the first time he hoped that they'd be a little weak, since he needed to have his head clear for spotting their prey. Already he couldn't look for too long at the girls, it looked like their dances were robotic and memorized instead of the natural flow that one would expect from good talent.
<@Thirty I really hope we don't last here much longer. I think one of the dancers is thinking one of us is her next John..>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:07 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

The man strapped to a gurney stared at the ceiling as it was more comforting than looking at the robot,"Well, I'm not sure what my options are at this point really. As priorities go, I'd say not being eaten or shot are way up the list. Getting unstrapped from this thing would be nice too. I think I'm done with Twisters. Somebody else can deal with that crazy shit. I know some people in Puyallup that can set me up with somethin."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:08 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Cheap-Ohs

The kid that was nabbed by Professor manages to squirm free and run off. Most of the others join him, but four of the older ones stick around at the mention of money. Their eyes flit back and forth between the dwarf and the man with the comlinks, the light rain beading on their greasy hair. The man sitting in the alley starts to open a bag,"well, I usually charge 50 cred for one of these, but I like your style. I'll let ye have one at 30. Which one you want?"
Inside, Thirty's waitress smiles half hearted,"Sure thing sexy". With that she heads to the table with the Asian man who's arm stops moving under his coat for a second.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:08 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Cheap-Ohs


Professor sizes up the four boys. "That's an interesting offer, sir. Give me just a moment to deal with these young gentlemen. Boys, I'm looking for a guy named Rusty. I just wanna talk with him. Hangs out here at Cheap-Ohs a lot." He describes Rusty. "I'll give each of you 25 nuyen now to stake this place out for the rest of the day, into the night if necessary, and I'll give 50 more nuyen to the one who finds Rusty and tells me quietly without raising any alarm."

Professor waits for a reply from the boys and gives them the money if they accept. Once they've spread out as they wish, he turns to the sitting man. "I'll give you 250 nuyen for the whole lot of commlinks." He chuckles. "And one of the bags to hold them all."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:09 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Cheap-Ohs

The biggest boy, maybe 11, takes the cred and speaks in the toughest voice he can muster,"We know him, I'll let ya know when I see him." He motioned to his friends, and teh ran down the alley toward Ferret's van.
"This must be your lucky day buddy," said the man handing the bags to Professor with a smile of blackened teeth.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:10 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"- Cheap-Ohs

Professor pays the man and wanders back to Ferret in the car. On the way back he reports to the team. <<@team: False alarm in the alleyway, I think. Have posted four kids looking for Rusty. One says he knows him. Street bum sold me a bunch of operating commlinks he has collected in the neighbourhood. Taking them to Ferret now to see if he can find anything useful among them. Otherwise I just bought an expensive pile of junk.>>

He makes as unobtrusive a return to the car as he can, and passes the bag of commlinks in to Ferret. "Do your magic, if you can here, big guy. I'll keep my eyes peeled."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:09 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

"Eaten, eh? Ahhahaha.. Best not to believe everything you see or hear when people are trying to scare the shit out of you.." Jovan doesn't eat people, right? "Ahh.. you seem smart enough to know you'da been shot by now if that was on the menu. Maybe you'll do something to get yourself shot, though. I don't know. Hard to tell, seeing as how we're strangers yet.. But, if you stay here, you can hang out, watch some trid, have some breakfast. I don't care. If you want to go to the Puyallups, I could drop you off somewhere downtown. Hopefully you've got the cred for an autocab to your destination. I think that link they took off you might be around here somewhere... Problem is I need to get my car fixed up first. You know anything about auto mechanics? Or is that head-wound of yours keeping you on bed-rest still?"

By this point, Oswald had given up on wedging the Rigger Cocoon any further into the vehicle and was well on his way towards the living quarters and offices on the south side of the warehouse. On reaching the door where Danny stood, leveling the massive revolver at the restrained man, Oswald peaked in and flipped on the lights. "Sorry about the lights. I'll only be a moment." Oswald maneuvered around to the man's right arm and, with his right hand holding his Redline pistol, used his left hand to loosen the cuff on the man's wrist so that, with a little bit of twisting and pulling "Jack Jameson" could pull his hand free and take care of the rest of the cuffs himself. With that first small step accomplished, Oswald backed towards the door where the robot kept guard.

"Alright, regardless of whether you stay here a bit longer, help me fix my car so we can get you out of here, or some comedy third option I haven't thought of yet, I'll give you a quick rundown of the rules for my establishment.
1) Don't go outside. I am a man with a lot of explosives and a lot of free time. There are booby traps everywhere. Even more of them set to my biomonitor, should any misfortune befall me.
2) You break it, you bought it... and by "it" I mean the farm. Any harm comes to my property, I will treat it as if that harm was directed at myself, and, well.."
As Jack was working on uncuffing his legs, Oswald raised the laser pistol toward the dart board on the far wall of this little "entertainment room" of his. With nothing but a reek of ozone to mark any action, the center of the dart board flared up momentarily, leaving not only a hole in the center, but through the wall into the room where Jovan lay resting.. and through the far wall... and then through the distant wall of the warehouse... and a tree outside.. it was hard to tell after that.
"3) You're going to be escorted at all times by my lovely assistant over here. That's for your own protection on account of rules one and two. Just so you know, testing out his parameters to see what kind of crap you can get away with before he shoots you.. is one of the parameters for him shooting you. Keep it simple. Bathroom, food, couch, trids. You get esoteric and he might take it the wrong way. He's just froggy like that. Heh heh heh heh..."
"..mm-don't-mind-him-he's-crazy-mm.." the one-armed robot hummed out.
"Dammit, Danny, don't go undermining me in front of company!"
"..mm-sorry-Riggs-mm.."
"So, what's it gonna be, Jack?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:10 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City", parked near Cheap-Ohs

Ferret relaxes when he hears the Professor's message. He can see the commlinks getting closer in his mind. When the Professor hands him the bag of 'links, he looks like a kid in a candy store.

"Thanks Prof. I'll take a look and see if any of them are any good or have any useful info on them. At the very least we have a decent supply of disposable links."

Ferret takes the bag and sits them in his lap. He starts pulling the links out one by one, scanning them both physically and electronically, then setting each one to hidden mode. He either slaves them to his own link, or to one of the other links he has already checked, slowly building a network of nodes around his own comm with the lowest ratings on the edge and the more powerful ones closer to his own link.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:09 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

Oswald's captive rubbed his wrists and stretched after sitting up on the gurney,"Sounds like the safest thing to do is help you with your car. I don't know a lot, but I could hand you tools and help you lift things"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:10 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City", parked near Cheap-Ohs

Inside, The two women on stage finish their song and make their way through the door to the left of the stage. The girl in the sweater hops up on stage and strips down to nothing. The waitress shows up with two beers, still in the can. She looks to the Elf,"Hey doll, those two girls that were just dancing, they want to know if you're interested in a private party?"
While she's giving her sales pitch, A troll, with a chain mail shirt under his leather jacket and Stiletto colors up one side and down the other, makes his way from the room on the right to the two orks in the club. His septum has eroded to the point that he has one large nostril that drips ever so slightly. He speaks in a stern tone, not trying to raise his voice, but naturally loud,"We gotta go, Squirly and his lot can watch the place"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:10 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City", parked near Cheap-Ohs

Acme groans internally, not out of excitement, but confirmation of his fear. That would be all he needed, not only to get distracted away from the job to where Thirty could get hurt if something happened, but then there was the fear that these strippers had some unholy form of VD that had been mutated from the radiation. He held his hand up, shaking his head as he took the beer. "Maybe later, I'm outta credit," he replied. "'s why my cousin here is buying the drinks today." He chuckled and leaned back, forcing himself to watch the newest dancer.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:10 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City", parked near Cheap-Ohs

<<@Team:Oswald is ready to come overwatch. We might as well add his sky eyes to our grounded ones. Hoy, old man, give us your ETA and we'll keep you informed of our happenings. We have Acme and Thirty inside, God help them, Ferret and Professor outside, and a crew of street children patrolling the environs hoping to earn some cred with an ID. Oh yeah, and Ferret has a fistful of discarded commlinks to play with.

How's Jovan and our guest?>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:11 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City", parked near Cheap-Ohs

Thirty chuckles softly, grins at Acme and says, <Nice dodge. All those twigs woulda done is poke your eyes out. Looks like we might be waiting a while for Rusty to show. Lets give him a bit longer and then move this party outside. I figure we can keep an eye out just as well from the van, and if we stay too long in here, either I'm going to get really depressed, or really drunk, and I'd rather do neither.> He hoists his beer and takes a sip, giving a whistle of appreciation for the latest performer.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:10 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

<<@Professor: Well, since Danny is preoccupied keeping guard on Jack, I figured I'd get Jack to do Danny's work. So, he's here helping me put my car back together. Should be done in an hour or two. Jovan didn't stir when I fired into his room, so it's safe to say he's still sleeping.>>

Jack's shock of walking from a small office environment into a large open-air warehouse was completely lost on Oswald as he powered ahead to the mechanic shop. "This way. This way." He goaded the abused prisoner. "Just help me shove this big son of a bitch in here and I can start bolting it into place..."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:00 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

It had taken some time, but, for a rush job, everything looked to be perfectly solid. "Alright. We're ready to get out of here. Why don't you hop in the back. My medical apparatus is back there. I'll run you through a quick physical therapy and drug treatment. Should help speed up your recovery. Also, you won't have to worry about pesky things like remembering where my building is. Go on in. Don't worry. I'll pump you full of the good stuff. You'll be feeling great straight into next week." Ozzy helped the still reluctant man into the Valkyrie Module situated in the Rover's trunk. "There ya go. Just hang on a second." One of the modules cuffs came down and attached to his arm, injecting a light anesthetic. "That's the stuff, eh? Count backwards from ten.." Oswald closed the doors and walked off to the other side of the SUV. Opening the door and the rigger cocoon, he climbed inside, ready to work.

<<@Danny: Go wake our other guest. Ask him if he wants a ride to the site.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:42 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"
PAN: hidden, Programs active: Analyze, Browse, Scan, Spoof, and Stealth

Shit, thinks Ferret realising he has lost around forty minutes while playing around with the commlinks. He looks around nervously, checking to see if anything has happened in the meantime. He only sees the Prof still sitting up front in the van looking vaguely bored.

"Hey buddy, I hate to tell you but these 'links are shit. Nothing interesting on them either. But if you need a disposable comm, I guess they're okay. Sorry, looks like you wasted your money.>>

<<@Thirty, Acme: If you get a chance ask about a troll goes by the name of Snot. Do not laugh at the name. If anyone asks why, tell them you have a line of some 'gear' he might be interested in.>>

<<@Beetle: My van is parked a couple of doors up from Cheap Oh's. Your delivery boy can hand the stuff over when he gets here. BTW, how much is it all gonna cost?>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:01 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

Jovan was slowly starting to awaken when his sensitive ears picked up the sound of heavy mechanical footsteps approaching his room. For a moment, he considered in annoyance the idea of Draining the nuisance who sent a drone to bother him, but then he remembered where he was and decided that such a thing might endanger his already precarious status with this group. And so he held his peace and let the manservant enter, simultaneously checking the numerous messages waiting in his inbox so as to update himself on the situation.

"Perhaps. It would depend, of course, on who I would be riding with," he said in response to the manservant's inquiry. "What is the situation with the others in that hellhole?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:01 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett


Oswald's voice came hissing through the drone's speaker.
"Well, I'm sealed off in the cocoon, Jack's sealed in the back, the windows are cranked up to opaque, and we're ready to roll. I need to drop Jack off near a cab stand downtown, then we'll take the southern road to lower Redmond. We'll park a few miles from the glow proper, probably near the old hospital where they sent Heka. From there we'll provide offsite backup, but be close enough to get on the ground if needed."
There was a short pause in the torrent of words.
"If you're worried about me and your.. condition, please feel free to take a look around my warehouse. You'll see immediately that I don't throw away anything that's still useful. And before you go jumping to any conclusions and assume that it's common knowledge, I pieced it together from seeing you start smoking as you ran to the blimp earlier. That and you kept saying 'thou' in your messages. You might want to work on not using old English if you want people to think that you're normal like me and Danny. Heheheheh. So knuckle up and let's hit the road... Actually, there's soycaf if you need... and you might want to fill a thermos. I don't know how long we'll be out there before we hit on anything."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:42 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Thirty looks around the club for the troll he had seen earlier, but now there's no sign of him, so he whispers into the comms, <Snot, eh? Yeah, a troll came in a while ago that has to be him, but he left. We'll see if we can track him down.>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:42 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Acme shrugged. It was a lead to pursue, much better than the one they'd been going through. Flagging down the waitress, he tilted his head. "There's something ya can actually do for me," he replied. "My 'cus and I were looking for Snot. We need to talk some biz with him, you seen him around lately?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:02 PM, Oswald's Warehouse, Merrill Creek Pkwy. Everett

Jovan ignored the subtle insult for the moment, albeit with slight difficulty. A nosferatu is nobody's tool. There would be time enough to redress the old man's ...error... later. "'Mend your speech a little, Oswald, lest you may mar your fortunes.' If we are releasing the prisoner, I am going to need to do a few things with him first. " He got up off the bed, grabbed his lined coat from where it had been hanging, and made for the Rover. "Let's hurry up and get this job done."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 4:43 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

The waitress paused for a second, wondering if they had seen him out here earlier. She surmised that they didn't actually know him, but that didn't mean they didn't have business with the guy,"You just missed him hot pants, he went through here like twenty minutes ago. I think he's in the middle of some Stiletto biz at the moment."
The waitress didn't know much more than that. The scene didn't change much in the next few hours. drunks and perverts came and went. By seven, the sun began to lean on the horizon and add a bit of orange to the pale faces on the street.
Ferret gets a hit back from Beetle,<<My guy can be there in about an hour, Lets round the cred to 300. Drop it in this account{attached}>>

6:02 PM
The occupants of Ferret's van watch a motorcycle pulling up along side them. The driver pings Ferret's number and lets him know that beetle sent him with the gear. He drops off his backpack with him and takes off as fast as he can. Inside the grungy bag is four heavy duty respirators and a bag of Novacoke.

7:20 PM

Oswald's rover was just outside Glow city. The Dickensian child from Professor's alley constitutional came tapping on the side of the van. When addressed he held out his hand for payment,"I seen yer guy."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:20 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Professor holds the payment ready but doesn't conclude the transaction. "OK, big guy. Where is he... what is he wearing?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:20 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

The young man pointed. Through the misty rain hovering in the haze of the sunset, Professor watches an old man in a fuzzy poncho and black motorcycle helmet coming up the far sidewalk, heading into Twisters."There he is" said the grubby kid,"He was up the street, fixing a guys bike."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:21 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"
(PAN: active)

Professor makes the payment. "Thanks, kid. Maybe we can do business again sometime. Who should I ask for if I need some work again?"

<<@team:Rusty identified, heading into Twisters. 'Old man in a fuzzy poncho and black motorcycle helmet.'>>

[quote name='pbangarth' date='Oct 18 2010, 08:15 PM' post='1001585']
Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:21 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"


Acme stood up, getting the message. [color="#00FFFF"]"Great, something happened that didn't make us miss a contact," he said, grabbing his coat. He felt lucky that the place watered down its drinks, or with the amount of brain-cell killer that he consumed in the last three hours would have made him useless. He headed for the exit, waiting for Thirty impatiently.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 7:21 PM. 23rd street, "Glow City"

Thirty gets up and follows Acme out the door, feigning reluctance to leave.

When they have met up with Professor again and are on their way over to Twisters, he says, "I hear this place is where the locals go to get high on the nasty kind of drugs. Let's stick together, get the info we need from Rusty, and get the frag outta here, eh chummers?" He puts on a brave face for his companions, but he longs for the relative safety of his low-rent apartment building back in Tacoma.