Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Throgg looked to Zo,"They're talking 10k, you want to get on the horn here? It's my man Ferret. He's cool."
Rusty waited a second as the team seemed to talking to themselves, then spoke up again in response to Professor,"The whole city was put on a temporary closed matrix system for security. It's still intact. A lot of hardwired stuff. Use the public directory and call "the Morning Bistro". Do you guys really need to take me along on this? I'm an old man, and I'm gonna be honest, I don't like my chances in there."
Meanwhile, Jovan's spirits returned, reporting nothing more than rats and bugs.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Loose Cannon, Touristville, Redmond

10KY---Hell that would put me up in nicer digs. That and get Throgg a few hits of novacoke.

Zo chuckles. "He if he's cool with the crush, then I'm cool with the deal. Patch me in to this ferret."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<<@Ferret and Acme: What was that? One of you needs courage and the other a brain? I'll see what I can whip up when I get back to my Em City lab. Really I'm just jealous because it's taken me a whole lifetime to become as callous, nihilistic, and violent as Trogs are at birth. It sort of diminishes the scope of my accomplishment.>>

"Yeah, Rusty. If you've got no experience in the matter, we aren't going to try and make you go. Ghouls and mercs creeping around like they are, we'll leave you a little protection and head on out from here on foot. That sound amenable?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Loose Cannon, Touristville, Redmond

<<Throgg@Ferret: His names Zo,hang on, I'm putting him on>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Loose Cannon, Touristville, Redmond


<<Zo@Ferret:Hey Ferret, Throgg is tellin me you need some muscle and some one observant enough to avoid da bullets flyin in your direction. I do both. Since you good with the Crush, I'll take the job for the 10k offered and a location where I can meet up with you.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Loose Cannon, Touristville, Redmond

"Hey Rusty, are you cool with me giving out this location to our new muscle? He's Crush, but this is outta their territory so I don't think you'll have any trouble from them."

<<Ferret@Zo: Me and Throgg go back aways, so I'll take his word that you are up to the job. You got a speciality, guns, blades, whatever? Johnson wants some info and might want a word in person. She's pretty icy and she'll be handling payment. We're at {location}. Oh yeah, if you got a respirator or other chem gear, might be an idea to bring them along.>>

<<@Mrs J: The gentleman's name is Zo. He is a member of the Crimson Crush, so will be of the ork or troll metatype. I will forward specifics of his skills and any specialities once I receive them. Do you wish to speak with him directly?>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Rusty Got the generator running, and a few flood lights blinked to life. He nodded to Oswald,"Hey I appreciate that. You guys can hang out as long as you need, If you see something useful, I'll sell it cheap" He smiled, and made his way to the office door and pulled out an old fashion key to open a lock on it. He heard Ferret's question as he played with the lock,"That's fine. None of the big gangs bother with this area. Not enough cred in it. Building ain't worth livin in for most, so there's not a lot of customers out here for 'em. Besides, I might not be stayin here much longer myself in light of current events"

<<Mrs. J@Ferret: No need, I'll look into the guy and let you know if any flags go up.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Loose Cannon, Touristville, Redmond

<<Zo@Ferret:I'll be there in the next hour or so. That is Stiletto territory? I may have to avoid any gangs in the area followin me.....As to my abilities, yeah I'm damn good with a gun, but then again you might missed the fun when we tangled with the 162's last year. I spotted them fraggin ghouls before da ambush, and we eliminated the vermin.
Shoulda of known better dan to mess with the crush on our turf.

Respirator, you kidding me? You don't live in Seattle with out one...acid rain an all. >>

Throgg--be backsoon--tell Arsenioto get Gore....drek...<looks at Throgg in the thro's of Ork ganger passion>..nevermind I'll tell Arsenio the next I meet em.

Zo grabs his helmet and heads out the door. Outside he gets on his bike and heads towards glow city and Rusty's safe house through routes that avoid him getting shot at.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:35 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"Yeah, we can take it from here, Rusty. In fact, it could be helpful to have an open safehouse here while we go deeper into Big Daddy's lair. A place to retreat to if shit hits the fan."

Professor looks around. In another place, another time, this could have been a condo development.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:36 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<<@team: So, I hope this new bullet-catcher drives faster than Ferret. Otherwise, the Viper's going to wake up before he gets here. We still haven't decided what's doing with that guy. If you want to run this gig by committee that is.>>

Oswald had moved to the rear of the Rover to take a look at Thirty, whose condition hadn't improved any, besides the superficial wound. The toxin appeared to be something beyond the scope of medical science. "Feh! Ghost juice. I sure as hell can't scrub it out.."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:36 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<<@Oswald: Did you find any maps or geographical information regarding the Cross reclamation area to which we are heading? Those will be helpful for me very soon. As for the Viper, do you have any tech that can broadcast a signal strong enough and encrypted enough to attract the rest of the Vipers, and preferably only the Vipers, to that location?>>

Jovan directed one of his watchers to the astrally perceiving Professor to act as his mouthpiece. Are you ready to begin? The others can double check the exits and make sure this place is secure in the meantime, if we do wish to use this as a temporary haven.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:36 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Professor replies to the watcher spirit,"I understand a new team member might be showing up soon. I think we should wait for him and then get in gear."

Others in the room look askance for a moment, wondering who he is talking to. (Unlike Professor, who would wonder to whom the person was talking.)

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:36 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<<@Jovan: Maps, yeah. The terrain hasn't changed since the disaster, so your basic mapsoft has all the streets and buildings as they were. I'll pin all the updated info I found to the relevant locations if you want to read up a little. Don't know that it'll help that much.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:55 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Zo's Harley flies through the rubble they call streets in the Barrens. The directions are leading him into uncharted territory. The population is thinning out. The buildings look commercial and barely standing if not already fallen down. He pulls up to the location and his headlight throws an eerie glow on a horrific scene. Three dead bodies. one looks to have been dragged about fifteen feet before being dropped with another. The streets seem empty now. Zo catches the eye of an older man peeking out of the rubble at him from across the street. The neighbors were concerned, but probably more for their own safety than anything else.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:55 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Professor checks out front at the sound of a motor shutting down. "Hey, Ferret. This your man?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:56 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<<Ferret@Zo: Is that you outside the front door? Give a friendly wave so the locals don't take a pop at you.>>

"Well he's an ork on a bike, so looks like it. If he gives a friendly wave right about now, then he's our boy. So let's not shoot him before we get to know him, okay?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:56 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"Heh. Why break with tradition now?" Professor looks for the wave.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:56 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

While the two dwarfs work out the details of meeting the new arrival, Jovan continues to scrutinize and analyze the maps and information supplied by Oswald. He searches for anything that would be important to be aware of going into the area - particularly dangerous ambush points, open roads that are usable as entry and escape routes, anywhere to keep an unconscious body restrained and safe from prowling predators, etc.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:57 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond



<@Ferret>"Hey ferret, I'm here. what ever the frag here is. Shit, this makes my doss look like some dandelion eater's idea of a vacation."

Noticing the fact that the orc has various gang markings on his trench coat you seem sure it is Zo. He unpacks
an assault rifle from the satchel on the back of his bike. Grabbing the rifle at the stock, he waves it a manner that would suggest a salute or greeting before resting it on his shoulders, finger on the trigger. He heads in through the front door.
Looking around at the group he stops at Acme--- Two dwarves, an elf, and human enter a bar in the barrens, wait wasn't that on some horizon reality show last week? and smirks.

So um like do you guys have a plan or what?

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:57 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Acme smirked. THere was a few instincts in him from a long time ago that railed against the gang markings, but he remembered that he wasn't in the First Nations anymore. Oh sure, he had the patch on his jacket... somewhere, but that was out of respect for the friends he made.

"Well, we could gang up on the new guy and use him as bait for the ghouls to clear out while we get our job done," he said with a laugh, stretching.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:57 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Looking down at acme. "nah, ya keebs seem to be da fav's of ghouls---sweet meat or some such drek....or so I've heard."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:57 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Acme just smirked at the ganger, cracking his knuckles a bit. "We'll see how sweet it is later," he replied. "Right now we've got to get a package that's now cost three runners to get. Hope Mrs. J doesn't mind choking on her blood money."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:58 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Ferret rolls his eyes at the posturing.

"Guys, same team, neh. We've got enough people gunning for us without you two picking on each other."

He wanders over to Zo and holds out a hand, performing a passable Crush handshake.

"I'm Ferret. Guess I'm our decker. Acme here, is our mage along with Jovan, who's hiding out in Oswald's Rover. Don't ask! He likes his privacy. Oswald's the grumpy old guy over there. No that's Rusty, He's our guide. The other old guy. He's our rigger. The Prof is...well the Prof."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:58 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Professor walks over and shakes hands with the new guy. "Glad to see some physicality come into our group. Welcome. I'm Professor. Data analysis, idea guy, astral awareness. We were just waiting for you to show up to get on our way to our target destination.

"If you would care to ride with us in one of our enclosed vehicles, that would be good. You can secure your bike in here. Or you can bring your hog along for the fun. Either way, we can fill you in as we go.

"Rusty, any chance you can drum up some help to deal with Amber in a civilized way before more ghouls come for her? I can toss in some cred for the work." He makes 200 nuyen available in AR.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Looking at Professor, and the odd way Prof took his hand, and showed ferret the proper gang shake, Zo felt compelled to speak up.

This is not the first free lance job I've had done, and I just had some questions. 10k aint worth nothing if you're dead. So run me by the plan or are we just winging it? If not what da ya know about the facility and its security? With da ol'man rigger over there, the mages and such I don't think a flyby from a discreet distance would be out of the question. Matrix be useless from what I guess, cause da place has been abadoned since before the crash 2.0 and more than likely 1.0 before dat.

My bike is comming with. No use not havin additional mobility-it is built for riding in the barrens. Finally where do you want me to be? In front, behind, comming from the flanks, as a distraction or body guard?

I am assumin, some one like you Prof, could put your data analysis skills--dats corps speak for good at figuing things out right?--to good use and come up with a good one that doesn't get anyone killed. Includind Mr dandelioneater over dere. Finally before we dispose of the excess bodies, do they have anything useful?--An, rusty ya should probably dump them on some kindling and torch them. I don't want them gettin up an moving. It happens, I've seen it on da trids.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"Six." Oswald said, bitterly. "Well, five and a half, if you count the poor bastard in the trunk of my car... but, more than three dead, for sure. And the little dwarfess isn't going in the ground. I'll take care of the arrangements. She'll be dropped piecemeal over the sound from one of my bombers, but only after I take what can be scavenged from her corpse. You made the decision to watch her bleed out and die, so you don't get to start caring now. Take it from me, 'better off dead' doesn't exist. Alive is always better off. Even those brain-cooked mad ghouls knew that."
He turned to the new guy.
"A plan would be nice. First a couple of facts though. This whole site is full of toxic chemicals. The more vehicles we have rolling down there, the more of that toxic dust gets kicked up, and you really don't want to follow behind someone when their car's kicking up Phosgene gas. Secondly we've got, what, three rigs full of military-grade Ares gear to drive out of there? So we'll need all the spare wheelmen we've got. As to recon, I don't know what I'll be able to find from the skies, but it couldn't hurt, so I'll get to looking. On the astral side of things, I hear that there's things in that kind of toxic night that bump pretty hard. The chance of finding something we want to has got to be weighed against the risk of stirring up something don't want to be found."
He cocked his head to the side to look at the new Ork.
"You don't happen to have any restraints on you, eh? We got a hostile mercenary who should be waking up any second and needs binding. He can't take knocking out again..."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Safe in the quiet sanctuary of the Rover, Jovan couldn't hold back a quiet chuckle at the newcomer's naive fear of the bodies of Amber and the feral ghouls. Ignorant fool. You shouldn't believe everything you see on the trids.

<<@team: Professor and I will handle the planning. As for the bodies, I wouldn't worry a great deal about their disposal, as we have other and more important issues to attend to. The trids do not exactly have a reputation for authenticity. Do you have any idea how many people I've met who thought that magicians can teleport, for example? It doesn't matter how many ridiculous reanimation scenes the trideo has shown you, pop culture is exasperatingly inaccurate.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. I don't suppose you want to go by 'New Blood', do you?" Professor winks.

"We have some maps our secretive mage is poring over at the moment. According to Rusty, here, the man we seek, Big Daddy Long Legs, has a base in an abandoned facility north of here about five kilometers. Used to be CatCo Labs, I believe. We should see signs for CatCo Labs and Phoenix Mall, and warning signs about toxins and unstable buildings. Rusty's not sure exactly which building Big Daddy stays in. Whenever he contacted BDLL, he never got past the gas station up the street. In there is a working Matrix terminal. Thats how he got in touch with our guy, but he hasn't answered calls in days.

"Our task is to get three trucks worth of armaments that Big Daddy was supposed to deliver to our employer. He didn't show. We get the trucks with the gear, take them to the docks, and get paid. Simple, right? Unfortunately, we have to look for them in the most likely place, which is smack dab in the middle of a toxic wasteland.

"And we are abrasively competing with a mercenary team called Viper 12 that is after a different cargo Big Daddy has failed to deliver. They tried to use us as their ferrets," He turns to Ferret, "no offense buddy, but we smacked them down, hard. Unfortunately, they smacked back. Our street sam was chewed up and poisoned by their spirit snake. He's the guy we are nursing in Oswald's vehicle.

"So we have to get the cargo and keep an eye over our shoulders for the Vipers. The toxic dust we will kick up while going in and the need for drivers are both valid points. I suppose you could park your bike in the back of one of the trucks, if there is room. If you do drive it there, out in the open like that you should probably be in the front, so you don't eat our dust. Point isn't necessarily the best place to be, so you choose." Professor strokes his chin.

"There's more background, but that's the gist of the immediate needs. We can fill you in as we go. Because of the Vipers, the toxins, and the local denizens, I don't relish the thought of being in this neighbourhood any longer than we have to. I'd like to saddle up and get going as soon as we can."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Jovan scrolls through the data from Oswald. The maps are a little old, But they show the whole complex. Four story condos Ring the perimeter like a castle wall. Two Taller buildings stand in the center between other industrial buildings. Just inside from the Condos, there's a large, cross shaped mall surrounded by Retail space. In In the oldest pictures, the structures look new and gleaming, though the surrounding area lay in crumbling decay even then. There was a few shots after the disaster that showed one towers blown in half and many of the structures below buried in the debris. Collapsed condos and strip malls. and much of the place still smoking.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Zo pulls out a set of plastic restraints to professor and hands it to him.
"Names Zo and here's a ziptie for your captive.

I can be a wheelman, but I'm thinking the the rigger can pilot all three. Right? By the way, there's something about loosing a 20K bike fore 10K in pay don't make much sense to me. If I leave the bike here, <looks at rusty> I'm pretty sure it won't be here when I come back.

So our base plan right now is to walk up to the building an knock? Hope to hell the vipers don't ambush us on the way in, hope to hell the Big daddy's place isn't infected with toxic critters like ghouls and he's their lunch we're dinner, and hope to hell Big daddy doesn't use the big toys he just got to blast us all to kingdom come....and he got milspec commlinks too if I'm readin' this right--that is what the Viper 12 no 8 is lookin for supposedly if your source is tellin the truth. I'd wager 50/50 on that one be right. Four guys and a chopper, my money is on the fact that they're after what we're after.

By the way what type of milspec stuff is it? Is it drones, guns, ammo, thor shots, did the Johnson mention it? If he's got drones, and guns on em, does anyone have enough firepower or mojo other dan me to take em out?

And just ta clarify, by discreet I mean that don't get caught pokin' around? See what's there an get the hell out.

Then to top it all off, where are we supposed to drop the gear off and get paid?

If you want to discuss this in transit, that is fine by me. But I'm thinking we should come up with some sort of a plan before we get there.

Wait, Rusty, do you know if Big Daddy has any armed drones, and can he use them?"


---Frag me, I've seen ganger wannabees more organized in hitting a local stuffer shack, Throgg are you trying to get me killed? I hope they got some better intel on the joint than just this is Big Daddy's doss---

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"A zip-tie, eh? I guess being beat to shit ought to keep him from struggling too much, but this guy is one of four who gunned down a bar fulla Stilettos on a hat drop. How about.. two zip-ties?"
He took the proffered restraint and started walking back towards the Rover.
"As to driving three rigs at once, I could do that, but not if you want close air support too. Besides, if you left your hog here, it wouldn't be alone. Our mage Joe will be here playing sitter to the merc I mentioned. Basically, this place is our point of egress. We're taking the rigs back this way."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"Yes, this is temporarily our safe house. Jovan can send spirits as needed from here. Zo, you are quite right we need more info about the actual location. Acme will be our on-site magician. If the rest of us move forward to the jackpoint Rusty tells us about, we can conduct magical, physical and matrix surveillance from there, to decide our best path of approach."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond
Hey, theyz the same ones lone star used or used to. So I'm guessing they'll hold a troll. Here's another sould you need it. Tosses oswald another set of restraints. Here's some more if it makes ya feel better.

Zo goes outside grabs his bike and rolls it inside the Safehouse.

<@team--excludes rusty and the captive>"Now about this plan Prof, so you is thinking we should probably head in to a nearby structure and approach the Terminal under some cover, either spirits, or invisibility if we can. I'm guessing first thing, Ferret, you'd hack this guys system and see what he see's and feed that info to us. Meanwhile Joey will send us a spirit,--ya think ya can handle the toxic astral here? If he is alone, ye should have pretty much the run of the place. If ya do bump into something there, let us know so we can locate the threat via the matrix or if possible take e-m out with an airstrike. Oswald--do ya have anything small and disposable you don't mind using like one of them cockroach drones?

Once we find Daddy Long Legs, we be best knowing why he claims he did it. So gettin him alive is a good thing. Cause maybe the J crossed him and he's just crossin back. Not that that matters to me much in terms of completing the job, it will determine how we approach the J after we get the gear. I mean these Viper 12's you guys mention may be in her employ--not that the J would admit to hiring two teams to do the same job.

BTW-How much would you trust Rusty to watch Joe while he's in the astral?

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<@team: Rusty and the captive have no access to this line. I suspect Jovan will send a spirit ahead to explore with us and stay aware here. He is very careful and has resources to protect himself when astrally projecting, so if he does so, I wouldn't worry about him.

BDLL alive would be a good thing. The Johnson suggested extra to off him if he really did betray J., but we declined. So, are we ready to progress to the forward observation post?>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<@team: I can hack into the system from the terminal. But remember it's an old wired system. That means I either have to use an old fashioned keyboard, which means slow, or I plug into it, which means I'm lying there helpless. I'm not too keen on option B, what with ghouls around, so that means we hold there till I shut it down or someone stays with me to watch my body.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 9:59 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<<@team: no problem, Ferret.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Oswald took the first zip tie and attached it to the Viper's wrists, behind his back. The second went on his ankles, securing them tightly. Finally, he used a third to bind the first two ties together for a make-shift hog tie.
<<@ZO: "Small and disposable" is laying on the ground out front, half eaten by ghouls. As to bots, I tried to get a fly-spy the other day but the whole damn city is sold out. Won't arrive until tomorrow. For now, the best I can do is a rigid airship providing Gun on Demand and communications-relay support.>>

Finished with the merc, Oswald shut the door, walked over to where the others were gathered, and re-engaged the vehicle's anti-theft system.
<<@team: I could stay with Ferret, but you'll probably need someone handy with a screwdriver at the destination. Maybe Acme could whip up a spirit to watch over him?>>

"By the way, the Rover's security is turned on, and the warning is turned off. I generally despise warnings. They ruin the surprise."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:01 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

<@Team>Ferret--just a thought, would you be able to rig a wirless connection to the wired portion of BDLL network? Are we taking the rover and ferrets van or just one of the two?

So you all ready to get goin? We can finnish planning later on the way

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"OK, give me a few minutes with Jovan, and I think we will have some of the finer details worked out." Professor walks over to Oswald's vehicle, knocks on the door, and enters. He barely glances at the unconscious Viper.

"So," he says to Jovan, "what do you see in the maps?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Acme nodded with the plans as set forth so far... Much that they were. He couldn't really disagree with them going as it came to them. Though that sort of planning had burned them so far, it was really how he operated often. <<@Oz. Sure, I can do that. It wouldn't need to be too complex, I assume you're just looking for a watchdog instead of a full diagnostic machine?>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Just before he touched the vehicle, Professor stopped (second time in one hour) just before disaster and nodded to Oswald, who allowed him through the security features.

Maybe in future we can get Oswald to set the security just before we leave, rather than while we are walking around the death trap. Just a thought. Then I don't have to worry quite as much about being the absent-minded-professor fool.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:01 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Ferret's features screw up as he contemplates Zo's suggestion, making him look even more rodentlike than normal as he scratches at his stubbly chin.

<<@Team: Hmmm, good idea. I do have that bag of commlink's in the van. I could wire one of them to the terminal, than slave it to my comm....

His voice trails off as he wanders over to the back of his van and disappears inside. After a minute or two, he reappears with a small kit of tools and one of the more trustworthy looking commlinks from the bag.

"Okay, this should work", he announces to the team. "Guess I'm ready. Oh frag. Hang on a minute."

He disappears back into the van, returning this time with the four respirators from Beetle. Jamming one over his head, he holds the rest up and mumbles, "Anyone else need one of these?"

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Jovan smiled slightly. "As misfortune would have it, it appears that the most likely place for Long Legs to hide the trucks would be inside one of the two towers near the center of the area, or any of the factories that lie between them. At first glance, anyway. Oswald and the ganger speak truth, uninformed though it may be - those towers are undoubtedly a breeding ground for toxic creatures, and likely have been since relatively soon after the disastrous chemical explosion from inside one of them.

"Now, I do not dismiss the possibility that a toxic spirit or mutated creature may have found and preyed upon Long Legs a short time ago, thus explaining his disappearance. But Rusty and that Swagger J spoke as if the troll has resided in this area for some time, and if that is so then he was likely not living in a building as toxic as the towers are likely to be. Most of the surrounding condos and malls were leveled by the explosion and ensuing debris, so following this logic he would likely reside in one of the few buildings still standing. We should scout out those outlying condos and mall sections still standing before moving to the inner towers and factories anyway, to minimize our chances of stirring up something toxic in the towers until we are prepared. 'Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not hear a foot fall.'"

"In addition, some news has reached me that deserves some looking into. A few weeks ago, a ghoul by the name of Jonathan took several other ghouls whose mental deterioration was... more developed, and headed from their territory in Tacoma to the Barrens. Jonathan wishes to help those of his kin who have lost most of their mental faculties, and claimed that the spot to which he was heading would give those ghouls more 'space to roam.'

"Considering that this has occurred both within the same time frame of the last few weeks and in the Redmond Barrens as well, I fear that he may somehow be involved in this whole affair as well. It is just a little too coincidental. So be on your guard for feral ghouls while you all are out there. And if you can momentarily restrain yourself from killing any you come into contact with, ask any ghouls that try to attack you if the name Jonathan means anything to them. If they can speak, of course. Perhaps Jonathan could be turned into a temporary source of assistance, if he and his entourage are in the area at all."

"But enough talk from me for the moment. What are your thoughts on these matters? We will need to plan our approach such that one or more of our goals are met even in the event of one or more of us falling in combat... or worse. But you are the data analysis and 'idea guy,' as you put it, and there is nothing in which I take more delight than outthinking difficult situations and those who would do us harm. Let us put these skills of yours and mine to the test, shall we?"

<<@GLL: Ghoul kin, do you have any pictures or other visuals of this Jonathan? I would appreciate such a thing, small though it may be.>>

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Zo thinks he hears something looks at it and decides the small rat is not worth the effort.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

After Oswald's blimp did its final circuit around the Cross zone he compiled the images into a 3 dimensional picture of the area and indicated their current location and the location of their first stop-off, the gas station. All this sitting around was making his Cram-addled brain edgy.

"Alright, fellas. There comes a point where this whole process stops being 'planning' and starts being 'standing around holding our dicks.' We've got three miles to cover. We can do it on foot, staying careful, quiet and spread out, or we can cruise in loud as you please. Either way, this.." <<@team: [data]>> "is our search area. We've got 5 days yet to secure this cargo to the Tacoma docks, so there's no need to split up or anything equally stupid. I say we move our main force to the destination marked on the map, the gas station, and we finish gathering intel. Any further planning will be done on comms as we move and as we gather further information. Ferret, leave Rusty one of those shitty comms in case we need to contact him. As long as my blimp stays about 1 klick from this position, we should have wireless coverage thanks to the Rover here. From the blimp, I can provide another 4 kilometers of signal to my link, so we should be able to stay in constant communication unless I need to bring the air in to engage targets. So, unless anyone has something to add, I say we go. Show of hands: foot or vehicles?"

Oz looked around.
"I'm for foot. Personally, I think a little thirty-minute walk could do me some good. Besides, we'll have a better chance of spotting car tracks on foot than by vehicle, and I don't think we're going to be shot at besides. No one lives around here according to the local over there."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"Is it just me or does it look as if the path from here to the gas station has been channeled with roadblocks built from derelict vehicles?

"If the channeling is real, rather than a visual artifact, I think we would be better off driving... for armor, speed and ramming-through-crowds-of-ghouls power."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

Rusty pulls a canteen from his poncho and begins to twist the cap,"Those roadblocks were put together by me and old Long Legs. Got a bulldozer out there from the reconstruction team that was abandoned. The things outa gas now, but it runs. Well, the oil might be gummed up. It might need some work. we did all that a few years ago. I had just started squattin here, He helped me fix up the place, and I play lookout on the southern front here."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"I'm for foot like Ozzie, I think it will help us be better at sneakin in and we can approach from the less obvious path and are more likely to not be seen by BDLL or any one he is with.
."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"Well, if Rusty put up the barriers, I feel better about hoofing it. I do like the idea of being quieter."

Friday, Sept. 11, 2071, 10:00 PM, Rusty's Safe House, Redmond

"Looks like feet have the majority. Let's get to creepin. But first, since we know there shouldn't be any fucked-up eldrich monstrosities in the in the nearby squats, what say we get the spook report for the nearby buildings?"

<<@Jovan: You find any inhabitants yet? We're about to set out on foot. Also, Thirty's not getting any benefit from being hooked up in the med bay. If you want to drag him out, I can use it to fix you up as needed. It should still be basically sterile. I mean I saw the trog use my laundry and shower. That reminds me.>>

<<Oswald@Danny: Danny! Get off your broke ass and clean my shower!>>
<<Danny@Oswald: Happy birthday to me ...>>
<<Oswald@Danny: I can't imagine you'd need two arms to use a sponge, but yes, it looks like I'll be getting that new arm on you tonight. Just finishing up out here.>>
<<Danny@Oswald: Right. Piece of cake. I’m very happy.>>