Fat Man chuckles at Cypher's delivery and then nearly kills himself laughing at Widget's reaction.
"I'll keep that in mind if I come across a really big catapult, but I was more thinking if you could find out from investigating her. An adept might be buying foci or other magical goods and wouldn't be going to clinics like the one we just raided, for example."
Full Version: Deep Vengeance...
A small random apartment in the Verge:
An incessant poking roused him to the sight of his dismal apartment, the dawn's light barely filtering in past the heavy shades over the windows. He opened an AR window to shut off the alarm and then cursed softly as it refused, informing him that he wasn't out of bed. He rolled off his lumpy mattress into the frigid air of his apartment with a shiver. Breakfast was the normal uninspired soy it was everyday. Finally it was time for the one worthwhile part of the morning.
He opened the doors of the small closet, bowing reverently to the shrine inside. He refilled the water and salt, spruced up the life like, though false, Sakaki Tate, and changed out the purified synthahol and rice, both too expensive for him to partake of. Satisfied, he sat back and opened his mind to the AR filter, allowing it to show him the shrine in the grand splendor it deserved.
Grand and venerable, just as he always remembered it, the ancient hand carved shrine stood before him, guarded by fierce dog spirits and warded with a grand shimenawa. All across the shrine were strips of paper naming and dedicated to every kami venerated by his house, including those he'd met or worshiped after his exile. Preeminently among this new set stood a much larger one honoring to a spirit named A; a new type of kami to be sure, but especially powerful in this modern age.
After his prayers he picked up his commlink, donned his work clothes, and then his face. Looking in the mirror, he made sure it was perfect, for this was not a day to be sloppy. Finally ready, Q walked out the door, prepared to meet some dangerous new work friends.
An incessant poking roused him to the sight of his dismal apartment, the dawn's light barely filtering in past the heavy shades over the windows. He opened an AR window to shut off the alarm and then cursed softly as it refused, informing him that he wasn't out of bed. He rolled off his lumpy mattress into the frigid air of his apartment with a shiver. Breakfast was the normal uninspired soy it was everyday. Finally it was time for the one worthwhile part of the morning.
He opened the doors of the small closet, bowing reverently to the shrine inside. He refilled the water and salt, spruced up the life like, though false, Sakaki Tate, and changed out the purified synthahol and rice, both too expensive for him to partake of. Satisfied, he sat back and opened his mind to the AR filter, allowing it to show him the shrine in the grand splendor it deserved.
Grand and venerable, just as he always remembered it, the ancient hand carved shrine stood before him, guarded by fierce dog spirits and warded with a grand shimenawa. All across the shrine were strips of paper naming and dedicated to every kami venerated by his house, including those he'd met or worshiped after his exile. Preeminently among this new set stood a much larger one honoring to a spirit named A; a new type of kami to be sure, but especially powerful in this modern age.
After his prayers he picked up his commlink, donned his work clothes, and then his face. Looking in the mirror, he made sure it was perfect, for this was not a day to be sloppy. Finally ready, Q walked out the door, prepared to meet some dangerous new work friends.
Cypher pulls up another window and verifies the routing information was up to date for his shadow accounts.
"Alright folks. I say tonight, go do what you do, we're on the clock starting in the morning.
"I'll key it into my searches Fat Man and see what comes up. Widget if you can drop me the details when the office is setup, I will swing through."
The hacker began moving around the small apartment packing. He pulled out the overnight bag and slid a few changes of clothes and his working gear into it. The doctor's said that preparation, mentally and physically, would help him stay in control. Walking through the steps of packing, he talked to himself about the flashes and tried to keep his anxiety levels stable. The team had dealt with his eccentricities before, and now they had plenty of bigger freaks to look at than the crazy hacker in the corner.
"Alright folks. I say tonight, go do what you do, we're on the clock starting in the morning.
"I'll key it into my searches Fat Man and see what comes up. Widget if you can drop me the details when the office is setup, I will swing through."
The hacker began moving around the small apartment packing. He pulled out the overnight bag and slid a few changes of clothes and his working gear into it. The doctor's said that preparation, mentally and physically, would help him stay in control. Walking through the steps of packing, he talked to himself about the flashes and tried to keep his anxiety levels stable. The team had dealt with his eccentricities before, and now they had plenty of bigger freaks to look at than the crazy hacker in the corner.
Zerone bows gratefully, but politely declines the offer of a ride home.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Fleet, but I can make my way home. I enjoy riding the bus. It lets me see the city, and sometimes offer help to those in need.
"I wish you all a good night, and I hope you have fun. I cannot stay long at clubs because the different lights give me a headache, and the smoke makes it hard for me to breathe. All probably productions? No...products! All probably products of not being properly removed from my cloning tube. Go with God." He smiles and waves, and makes his way out of the club. As he goes, he crafts a quick message to Widget, switching to his native tongue.
<<@Widget: Sister, might I have a moment of your time when you are free? I am concerned for the safety of some of my friends, and I believe it may be time for me to call upon your favor.>>
"Thank you very much, Mr. Fleet, but I can make my way home. I enjoy riding the bus. It lets me see the city, and sometimes offer help to those in need.
"I wish you all a good night, and I hope you have fun. I cannot stay long at clubs because the different lights give me a headache, and the smoke makes it hard for me to breathe. All probably productions? No...products! All probably products of not being properly removed from my cloning tube. Go with God." He smiles and waves, and makes his way out of the club. As he goes, he crafts a quick message to Widget, switching to his native tongue.
<<@Widget: Sister, might I have a moment of your time when you are free? I am concerned for the safety of some of my friends, and I believe it may be time for me to call upon your favor.>>
Zerone
Almost immediately you get a reply. You see the message is in English and lacking the usual formal tone.
<<@Zerone: Sure - what's up and how can I help?>>
Almost immediately you get a reply. You see the message is in English and lacking the usual formal tone.
<<@Zerone: Sure - what's up and how can I help?>>
Cypher
As you pack and try to keep yourself grounded in your memories - you launch the agents and begin the searches for the next job. You quickly create a series of false accounts to access the data from different points hoping to prevent a clear picture forming of what you are looking for. You set up a framework of programs running to redirect any traces sent your way just in case someone or anyone gets interested in your work. You watch as icons spin to life and graphs begin to plot progress then turn to finish up what packing you have left to do.
As you finish an alert grabs your attention letting you know the searches have completed and been compiled. You see the two icons representing them. You tap the icon for the search centered on Zuzane. The symbol expands and unfolds into several windows in the air around you. You begin to read over the collected data streams. It seems she started out as a bodyguard for Fixers and the occasional Johnson. Nothing in what you see matches the video you saw earlier. She is wearing the standard dark and well tailored suit you associate with paid protection. Her specialty was providing protection without the need for guns or obvious armor. She was discreet and could attend high society events as easily as rubbing shoulder in a dive bar filled with parolees. It seems pretty clear she was an adept based on her performance on several jobs - she was able to punch through a car door to retrieve a client being extracted. Another time she killed a man with only two blows while he was wearing body armor.
It seems she experienced a shift in personality and appearance working for a man named Micheal Nelson. She dropped her other clients and worked for him exclusively. Almost overnight she began appearing at his side as his sub in a variety of fetish wear. He was rumored to have a well connected sponsor - a dragon, a Prince or a triple A executive of some sort. He led a circle of powerful individuals - all believed to be Awakened and suspected of being bound to one another. You see an oddity in the search results almost immediately. There appears to be no data connected to his associates. You can find images of him and footage but every trace of them has been systemically erased. You feel the cold chill pass over you - someone with serious juice snapped their fingers and they vanished down a black hole.
You find the reports and files surrounding the incident at the Body Bag. It seems a theft, assault and deaths were the order of the day. Lone Star had marked the case open but it has moved to the cold cases in their archives. You do see a small anomaly recorded by the lead detective - an Esteban Ramirez - he found a posting on a shadowboard asking about the party and the aftermath - seeing if anyone was taking credit for it or knew anything about it. There was a series of posts of people commenting on it and saying this or that but nothing creditable. He seemed taken by one post by a Rosso Regina that simply stated "I am done - move on." but it never panned out any new leads.
Shortly after the disappearance and presumed death of her former employer, she emerged back into the shadows selling off rare magical items or knowledge. She slowly re-established herself as a broker and buyer of goods. She has tried to establish herself as a person who can sell higher end goods or help move them through the Seattle are. She has just begin to dabble in the purchasing side of the business. Most of her clientele are individuals - other runners and Fixers. She doesn't seem to have any established enemies. You think she could have some value to Lone Star but with them losing the contract for the city to Knight Errant you suspect it would be less now than before. She has been making a clear effort to have only happy and satisfied customers. She also seems to have reverted to her former look of corp chic but with a harder edge than she had before. She does hire help too - she has shown up for transactions with backup who seem to be the "smart muscle" variety.
Sliding the results aside, they quickly collapse back into the icon - you slide the other search to your frontal view. A single tap sends the data exploding out into a series of windows. It seems the warehouse Widget found is indeed hers. You see it belonged to Micheal Nelson and a series of legal documents. It appears she went after the property to pay her back wages he owed her. She filed numerous petitions asserting he was dead and that his estate could give her the property to pay off his debts to her. It was a long and fairly expensive process but she eventually was given the property to settle the outstanding bills. Looking it over - she has a legitimate business set up as a bodyguard and security consultant. She has a legal SIN under the name Zuzane Kaska and part of the delay was vetting the identity. It seems there was little activity attached to it but nothing could be found to prove that it was fraudulent. She has no other property tied to this SIN though she does have paperwork filed for a small investment firm operating under the name of the Kaska Investment Group.
The site was off-site storage for the nearby Federated Boeing Auburn Facility - it was sold off during a re-org the corporation was doing about 10 years back. It is just off the 164 to the north in Auburn. The property was bought by a small shipping company, a Tea House Enterprises, that has since gone under and the site was bought lock, stock and barrel when the company attempted to stave off debtors by liquidating assests. The plans filed by Federated Boeing show a large industrial warehouse designed to store sensitive electronic components and a small R&D lab. There are individual storage areas with complete environmental seals and independent environmental controls. There appears be an extensive wiring through the entire structure to support several complicated systems - one most likely being some sort of security framework. When Tea House Enterprises bought the site they filed plans to divide the existing storage into smaller storage areas in the building and converted one area into a hydroponics lab. You see no plans or changes filed since the property was bought by Micheal Nelson.
The nearest neighbor is the Federated Boeing facility and they own almost everything around it. You look over energy consumption for the area and the site appears to draw a limited amount but something looks off and as you look closer you see someone has diverted some of the power from the larger plant to it - giving the site the illusion of a low power draw. The crime in the area seems to consist of the working class variety - bar brawls, drunken disorderlys and the like. Looking over the building itself you think it probably has a fair amount of automated security having once been Federated Boeing's - you just have no idea how much was still being used and has it been upgraded over the years. You know you'll have to watch out for security from the nearby plant and make sure not to make yourself a perceived threat to their operations.
From the matrix the node attached to the site is a simple off the shelf interface. It promises a new business coming soon to this area from the Kaska Investment Group. YOu pull yourself free of the flood of data and the rooms sways slightly as you get your bearings.
As you pack and try to keep yourself grounded in your memories - you launch the agents and begin the searches for the next job. You quickly create a series of false accounts to access the data from different points hoping to prevent a clear picture forming of what you are looking for. You set up a framework of programs running to redirect any traces sent your way just in case someone or anyone gets interested in your work. You watch as icons spin to life and graphs begin to plot progress then turn to finish up what packing you have left to do.
As you finish an alert grabs your attention letting you know the searches have completed and been compiled. You see the two icons representing them. You tap the icon for the search centered on Zuzane. The symbol expands and unfolds into several windows in the air around you. You begin to read over the collected data streams. It seems she started out as a bodyguard for Fixers and the occasional Johnson. Nothing in what you see matches the video you saw earlier. She is wearing the standard dark and well tailored suit you associate with paid protection. Her specialty was providing protection without the need for guns or obvious armor. She was discreet and could attend high society events as easily as rubbing shoulder in a dive bar filled with parolees. It seems pretty clear she was an adept based on her performance on several jobs - she was able to punch through a car door to retrieve a client being extracted. Another time she killed a man with only two blows while he was wearing body armor.
It seems she experienced a shift in personality and appearance working for a man named Micheal Nelson. She dropped her other clients and worked for him exclusively. Almost overnight she began appearing at his side as his sub in a variety of fetish wear. He was rumored to have a well connected sponsor - a dragon, a Prince or a triple A executive of some sort. He led a circle of powerful individuals - all believed to be Awakened and suspected of being bound to one another. You see an oddity in the search results almost immediately. There appears to be no data connected to his associates. You can find images of him and footage but every trace of them has been systemically erased. You feel the cold chill pass over you - someone with serious juice snapped their fingers and they vanished down a black hole.
You find the reports and files surrounding the incident at the Body Bag. It seems a theft, assault and deaths were the order of the day. Lone Star had marked the case open but it has moved to the cold cases in their archives. You do see a small anomaly recorded by the lead detective - an Esteban Ramirez - he found a posting on a shadowboard asking about the party and the aftermath - seeing if anyone was taking credit for it or knew anything about it. There was a series of posts of people commenting on it and saying this or that but nothing creditable. He seemed taken by one post by a Rosso Regina that simply stated "I am done - move on." but it never panned out any new leads.
Shortly after the disappearance and presumed death of her former employer, she emerged back into the shadows selling off rare magical items or knowledge. She slowly re-established herself as a broker and buyer of goods. She has tried to establish herself as a person who can sell higher end goods or help move them through the Seattle are. She has just begin to dabble in the purchasing side of the business. Most of her clientele are individuals - other runners and Fixers. She doesn't seem to have any established enemies. You think she could have some value to Lone Star but with them losing the contract for the city to Knight Errant you suspect it would be less now than before. She has been making a clear effort to have only happy and satisfied customers. She also seems to have reverted to her former look of corp chic but with a harder edge than she had before. She does hire help too - she has shown up for transactions with backup who seem to be the "smart muscle" variety.
Sliding the results aside, they quickly collapse back into the icon - you slide the other search to your frontal view. A single tap sends the data exploding out into a series of windows. It seems the warehouse Widget found is indeed hers. You see it belonged to Micheal Nelson and a series of legal documents. It appears she went after the property to pay her back wages he owed her. She filed numerous petitions asserting he was dead and that his estate could give her the property to pay off his debts to her. It was a long and fairly expensive process but she eventually was given the property to settle the outstanding bills. Looking it over - she has a legitimate business set up as a bodyguard and security consultant. She has a legal SIN under the name Zuzane Kaska and part of the delay was vetting the identity. It seems there was little activity attached to it but nothing could be found to prove that it was fraudulent. She has no other property tied to this SIN though she does have paperwork filed for a small investment firm operating under the name of the Kaska Investment Group.
The site was off-site storage for the nearby Federated Boeing Auburn Facility - it was sold off during a re-org the corporation was doing about 10 years back. It is just off the 164 to the north in Auburn. The property was bought by a small shipping company, a Tea House Enterprises, that has since gone under and the site was bought lock, stock and barrel when the company attempted to stave off debtors by liquidating assests. The plans filed by Federated Boeing show a large industrial warehouse designed to store sensitive electronic components and a small R&D lab. There are individual storage areas with complete environmental seals and independent environmental controls. There appears be an extensive wiring through the entire structure to support several complicated systems - one most likely being some sort of security framework. When Tea House Enterprises bought the site they filed plans to divide the existing storage into smaller storage areas in the building and converted one area into a hydroponics lab. You see no plans or changes filed since the property was bought by Micheal Nelson.
The nearest neighbor is the Federated Boeing facility and they own almost everything around it. You look over energy consumption for the area and the site appears to draw a limited amount but something looks off and as you look closer you see someone has diverted some of the power from the larger plant to it - giving the site the illusion of a low power draw. The crime in the area seems to consist of the working class variety - bar brawls, drunken disorderlys and the like. Looking over the building itself you think it probably has a fair amount of automated security having once been Federated Boeing's - you just have no idea how much was still being used and has it been upgraded over the years. You know you'll have to watch out for security from the nearby plant and make sure not to make yourself a perceived threat to their operations.
From the matrix the node attached to the site is a simple off the shelf interface. It promises a new business coming soon to this area from the Kaska Investment Group. YOu pull yourself free of the flood of data and the rooms sways slightly as you get your bearings.
"Turn the running lights off and ease her through the channel. And tell Kip to turn off the damn radio, the Coast Guard'll be on our ass if they hear it."
The small ship swayed in the water as it moved forward. They were pressing their luck with the storm, but foul weather meant fewer patrols. Whole lotta good that would do if they were dead...so far the Devil hadn't claimed his dues.
***
As Daniel pulled himself up the ladder, solid ground felt odd beneath his feet. He swayed left to right, his legs adjusting to a tide that wasn't there.
"Suck an elf" Cypher clawed his psyche back to the apartment. So much for the theory of home is where the flashes stop...
Creating a consolidated data packet, the hacker sent the data about the facility to Fleet.
<@Fleet [Cypher] Here's some info on the target location. Can you arrange to take Zerone and Fat Man nearby so they can do that thing mages do?>
Pinging the entire group, Cypher lets them know that he had some preliminary findings to share. He was going to wait to send it out until Widget had the new office setup.
The small ship swayed in the water as it moved forward. They were pressing their luck with the storm, but foul weather meant fewer patrols. Whole lotta good that would do if they were dead...so far the Devil hadn't claimed his dues.
***
As Daniel pulled himself up the ladder, solid ground felt odd beneath his feet. He swayed left to right, his legs adjusting to a tide that wasn't there.
"Suck an elf" Cypher clawed his psyche back to the apartment. So much for the theory of home is where the flashes stop...
Creating a consolidated data packet, the hacker sent the data about the facility to Fleet.
<@Fleet [Cypher] Here's some info on the target location. Can you arrange to take Zerone and Fat Man nearby so they can do that thing mages do?>
Pinging the entire group, Cypher lets them know that he had some preliminary findings to share. He was going to wait to send it out until Widget had the new office setup.
As Emilio stands up to leave, he says,
"Thank you for the offer, but I have wheels. Cheers to HR for the selection bonus. Let me know if you want any backup while we scope it out."
Emilio heads back to the car park, and drives back to his workshop. While walking, he fires off a text
<<@Cypher: Once this job is over, I am wondering if you could help me figure something out. The Yaks seemed to take a special interest in me at the clinic y'all rescued me from. They put more effort into catching me than the scoop-ups they had. I am wondering why. I especially am wondering whom else may want to try to scoop me up in the future. Can you look into this?>>
"Thank you for the offer, but I have wheels. Cheers to HR for the selection bonus. Let me know if you want any backup while we scope it out."
Emilio heads back to the car park, and drives back to his workshop. While walking, he fires off a text
<<@Cypher: Once this job is over, I am wondering if you could help me figure something out. The Yaks seemed to take a special interest in me at the clinic y'all rescued me from. They put more effort into catching me than the scoop-ups they had. I am wondering why. I especially am wondering whom else may want to try to scoop me up in the future. Can you look into this?>>
Still writing in Sperethiel, Zerone explains his concerns to Widget. Based from his tone, inflections, and tenses, his writing gives the impression of a child asking an elder for help.
<<@Widget: Dear Sister, I am concerned that my past may bring harm to my fellowship and possibly my friends. My birth is not unique. There are others who bear my face and likeness, but I fear they have been taught to embrace hate and violence. Based on a prior encounter with my friends in the church, I am afraid that they face some trouble. I have faith that they will find the strength to face it, but I could not forgive myself if I discovered that I had allowed them to face my demons alone. I can track them in the Astral, but I am lost in within the manmade plane. Dear Sister, could you seek out signs of them through the Matrix? If you find them, please stay at a distance and let me know. If this is worth more than the boon you granted, then I shall pay more.>>
<<@Widget: Dear Sister, I am concerned that my past may bring harm to my fellowship and possibly my friends. My birth is not unique. There are others who bear my face and likeness, but I fear they have been taught to embrace hate and violence. Based on a prior encounter with my friends in the church, I am afraid that they face some trouble. I have faith that they will find the strength to face it, but I could not forgive myself if I discovered that I had allowed them to face my demons alone. I can track them in the Astral, but I am lost in within the manmade plane. Dear Sister, could you seek out signs of them through the Matrix? If you find them, please stay at a distance and let me know. If this is worth more than the boon you granted, then I shall pay more.>>
The hobgoblin whiles away several more hours going through the motions of being sociable. He buys drinks, engages in at least some small talk with each member of the team, and takes his leave a bit befor when last call would have been in any other bar.
Anyone that's outside at the same time will see a large, obviously modified chopper roll up to the rigger as he steps out if the bar. He climbs on but seems to pause for a few moments, as if waiting on something, before pulling away.
A low slung black sports car, all hard lines and sharp angles, will arrive as Breeze and SG when they exit the bar. A note will ping both commlinks, <Hello, welcome to The Fleet. Commands can be provided via voice or commlink, and physical control is available if necessary. It is not recommended, however. Destination?> Doors will hiss open, revealing a minimalist interior, obviously intended to be controlled vi AR or VR, though it's clear from the way things are laid out that extraneous prices have been removed to make it a comfortable ride for even the troll.
<@Cypher[Fleet] Will do. I'll set up a time as soon as they're willing. Thanks for the information, it gives me a better idea on where to start with physical recon.>
<@Cypher, Eklipse [Fleet] What's your general MO in terms of Matrix operations against a target? Do you go in early to scope around, or save the risk till we're in the moment? I'm asking more because I've got a nexus and some small skills, with a copy of the right program or two I can help out with the grunt work or just watch Cypher's while he's poking 'round.>
<@Team [Fleet] I'll be starting the low grade stuff tomorrow, but I'll still be in touch. Ping I ou need anything.>
<@SG, Breeze [Fleet] The car should be able to handle transportation needs while you're 'on the job'. > <@Zerone, Fat Man [Fleet] Eklipse has requested that I provide transportation while the two of you handle checking out that piece of real estate we were looking at in Auburn. How much time will you need, and when do you want to make the trip. Don't worry, I'll watch your stuff while you're gone.>
The next day, work begins in earnest. Perched at one of the coffee shops in the area, the rigger scolled windows of perception back and forth, occasionally zooming in on one part of th feed or another. A few blocks away, tucked down an alley, a Jackrabbit's trunk popped open and there was a slight flicker in the air as something drifted free. Sipping harsh black coffee with several spoonfuls of sweetener, the closest thing he could get to Turkish, the hobgoblin reviews all the local restrictions on airspace Boeing had put into place, paying careful attention to the specific lines around their facilities. In another window, the screen slowing adjusted to show alley walls, then building tops, and finally a top down view of the local area from the Stormcloud. It's AccessID was spoofed, and it was putting off signals of experimental advertising craft from Horizon marketing to anyone that casually peeked, joining the normal drone traffic in a gentle loop. In truth, however, the nearly invisible drone was focused in, view magnified all the way up, and the subsidiary building, some 500 meters away. Five football fields seemed like enough of a safe distance to start with while he was taking a look at how things stood.
Anyone that's outside at the same time will see a large, obviously modified chopper roll up to the rigger as he steps out if the bar. He climbs on but seems to pause for a few moments, as if waiting on something, before pulling away.
A low slung black sports car, all hard lines and sharp angles, will arrive as Breeze and SG when they exit the bar. A note will ping both commlinks, <Hello, welcome to The Fleet. Commands can be provided via voice or commlink, and physical control is available if necessary. It is not recommended, however. Destination?> Doors will hiss open, revealing a minimalist interior, obviously intended to be controlled vi AR or VR, though it's clear from the way things are laid out that extraneous prices have been removed to make it a comfortable ride for even the troll.
<@Cypher[Fleet] Will do. I'll set up a time as soon as they're willing. Thanks for the information, it gives me a better idea on where to start with physical recon.>
<@Cypher, Eklipse [Fleet] What's your general MO in terms of Matrix operations against a target? Do you go in early to scope around, or save the risk till we're in the moment? I'm asking more because I've got a nexus and some small skills, with a copy of the right program or two I can help out with the grunt work or just watch Cypher's while he's poking 'round.>
<@Team [Fleet] I'll be starting the low grade stuff tomorrow, but I'll still be in touch. Ping I ou need anything.>
<@SG, Breeze [Fleet] The car should be able to handle transportation needs while you're 'on the job'. > <@Zerone, Fat Man [Fleet] Eklipse has requested that I provide transportation while the two of you handle checking out that piece of real estate we were looking at in Auburn. How much time will you need, and when do you want to make the trip. Don't worry, I'll watch your stuff while you're gone.>
The next day, work begins in earnest. Perched at one of the coffee shops in the area, the rigger scolled windows of perception back and forth, occasionally zooming in on one part of th feed or another. A few blocks away, tucked down an alley, a Jackrabbit's trunk popped open and there was a slight flicker in the air as something drifted free. Sipping harsh black coffee with several spoonfuls of sweetener, the closest thing he could get to Turkish, the hobgoblin reviews all the local restrictions on airspace Boeing had put into place, paying careful attention to the specific lines around their facilities. In another window, the screen slowing adjusted to show alley walls, then building tops, and finally a top down view of the local area from the Stormcloud. It's AccessID was spoofed, and it was putting off signals of experimental advertising craft from Horizon marketing to anyone that casually peeked, joining the normal drone traffic in a gentle loop. In truth, however, the nearly invisible drone was focused in, view magnified all the way up, and the subsidiary building, some 500 meters away. Five football fields seemed like enough of a safe distance to start with while he was taking a look at how things stood.
<@Fleet,Zerone,Emilio[Fat Man]cAN EMILIO COME ALONG? iT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO PROPERLY USE ONE OF THESE MEDKITS. iT WILL PROBABLY TAKE ABOUT 6 HOURS TO WARD YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE WE SET OUT, THEN IT DEPENDS ON IF THEY HAVE WARDS UP AND IF THE CREATOR OF THOSE WARDS IS WARDED; AT MOST ANOTHER 6 HOURS BUT MAYBE LESS.>
Fleet will repeat his request for locations for the two mages, with a note about picking them up so that they can get started on the warding.
"Breeze, take the car, I've got a ride for in town, just come pick me up for the job."
<<@Everyone: If anyone needs physical security for a Matrix or Astral visit, I'd like to get eyes on the site.>>
<<@Everyone: If anyone needs physical security for a Matrix or Astral visit, I'd like to get eyes on the site.>>
<@Fleet, Zerone, Emilio[Fat Man]: If things go poorly, you would want to be able to see and run from physical security, and we would want as much living stuff around as possible to make our astral activity less noticeable. The parking lot of a mall or the like would work well. We don't need to be all that close to the target for this to work, so you should have no trouble finding a suitable place to work from.>
<@Fleet, Eklipse[Cypher] I do all the pre-work I can without blowing a horn. I'll need to do more digging on this site before I can say if the agent will help.>
Breeze continued his bit of drinking for some time, invited Widget to dance a few times went on with his flirtations, then when he gets a message from Fleet and then Strangeglove he looks over to the troll...
"yeah yeah, I forgot you had a car already, this way I won't have ta worry bout it when I'm piss drunk"
As the night wore on and people started leaving, Breeze remained enjoying the scenery of both the dance floor and at the table, eventually he sat down next to Widget and started talking to her some more, making jokes, touching her hand and her leg on occasion after a few moments he leaned close to her ear, slid his hand over her leg again and whispered...
"What do ya say I make your hair go all techno-color again, this time for a longer period o time"
After the whisper his hand slides up her leg a bit then moves up to her hand and he kisses it softly.
"yeah yeah, I forgot you had a car already, this way I won't have ta worry bout it when I'm piss drunk"
As the night wore on and people started leaving, Breeze remained enjoying the scenery of both the dance floor and at the table, eventually he sat down next to Widget and started talking to her some more, making jokes, touching her hand and her leg on occasion after a few moments he leaned close to her ear, slid his hand over her leg again and whispered...
"What do ya say I make your hair go all techno-color again, this time for a longer period o time"
After the whisper his hand slides up her leg a bit then moves up to her hand and he kisses it softly.
Eklipse realises he has had at least one beer too many as he struggles to compose a response to the rigger and decker.
<<@Fleet, Cypher: Cypher is handling the matrix end. Suggest you two coordinate with each other and let me know if there is anything you need from the team in terms of minimum specs for commlinks or sensor suites.>>
As he sends the message, he also realises he composed it in his native language.
Ah well, there are plenty of translation sites out there.
As people begin to drift away over the course of the evening, he also notices Breeze ignoring his advice and making a move on Widget.
Shit, the fool is going to get himself into trouble. Well, I did warn him.
"I zink I vill be calling it a night. I have too many beers drunk."
As he extricates himself from the booth, he gives a warning glare to the Brit, before wobbling gracefully off towards his appartment.
<<@Fleet, Cypher: Cypher is handling the matrix end. Suggest you two coordinate with each other and let me know if there is anything you need from the team in terms of minimum specs for commlinks or sensor suites.>>
As he sends the message, he also realises he composed it in his native language.
Ah well, there are plenty of translation sites out there.
As people begin to drift away over the course of the evening, he also notices Breeze ignoring his advice and making a move on Widget.
Shit, the fool is going to get himself into trouble. Well, I did warn him.
"I zink I vill be calling it a night. I have too many beers drunk."
As he extricates himself from the booth, he gives a warning glare to the Brit, before wobbling gracefully off towards his appartment.
Looking Glass
Another ripple of colors passes through her hair and you feel the heat coming off her skin. She smiles and launches herself from the spot where she and Breeze are sitting - dragging him by his hand across the floor. She gives a cheerful wave as she makes her way towards a lift in the corner of the club near one of the back bars. Mr. BoBo gives a slightly disapproving look as he unlocks the doors to let them up to the upper floors of the building - from the exterior they look they might be apartments or studios. She hugs him fiercely and you watch his body soften as he shyly hugs her back before shooing them into the lift and resuming his protective glare over the rest of the club.
Eklipse
You see an incoming message from Widget as you weave your way back to your room.
<<Can we have lunch tomorrow or the next day - whenever you have the time? I don't do breakfast - its obscene to do anything before noon. Please say yes.>>
Zerone
You wait a moment then her reply scrolls out across your vision - switching to your native tongue.
<<If my efforts can grant you peace then I will do so gladly. I must know who the people you seek to shelter are and all that you have discovered of your own origins. I am not clear on how long it will take me to reveal what could be hidden but you have my promise I will find what answers are within my power.>>
Another ripple of colors passes through her hair and you feel the heat coming off her skin. She smiles and launches herself from the spot where she and Breeze are sitting - dragging him by his hand across the floor. She gives a cheerful wave as she makes her way towards a lift in the corner of the club near one of the back bars. Mr. BoBo gives a slightly disapproving look as he unlocks the doors to let them up to the upper floors of the building - from the exterior they look they might be apartments or studios. She hugs him fiercely and you watch his body soften as he shyly hugs her back before shooing them into the lift and resuming his protective glare over the rest of the club.
Eklipse
You see an incoming message from Widget as you weave your way back to your room.
<<Can we have lunch tomorrow or the next day - whenever you have the time? I don't do breakfast - its obscene to do anything before noon. Please say yes.>>
Zerone
You wait a moment then her reply scrolls out across your vision - switching to your native tongue.
<<If my efforts can grant you peace then I will do so gladly. I must know who the people you seek to shelter are and all that you have discovered of your own origins. I am not clear on how long it will take me to reveal what could be hidden but you have my promise I will find what answers are within my power.>>
<<@Widget[Zerone]: Thank you, Dear Sister. I shall gather whatever resources I have and then report them back to you, although I do not have much. Perhaps samples of my flesh and blood will help, as we are of one body if not of one mind.>>
<<@Fleet, Fat Man[Zerone]: I think Mr. Fat Man is right. I volunteer at one of my church's shelters when I have free time, so you can find me at the alley here.>>
<<@Fleet, Fat Man[Zerone]: I think Mr. Fat Man is right. I volunteer at one of my church's shelters when I have free time, so you can find me at the alley here.>>
Zerone
A moment passes after your last message and then a new message scrolls past.
<<I can do little with an actual gift of your flesh and life's blood but if someone could map it then I could use that knowledge to search for others like you. The name of the your people you seek to protect or titles they carry would be of great use as well.>>
The Team
In the small hours of the next morning - some could even call it the late hours of the night before a packet is sent from Widget out to the team.
<<Before I call this night over and get some much needed sleep - I wanted to pass along the information from HR. This is the office being rented for your use and your two new hires are being directed there as well tomorrow at 5 pm. The file has the address so you should have no problem finding the new location. Let me know if you need anything else.>>
A moment passes after your last message and then a new message scrolls past.
<<I can do little with an actual gift of your flesh and life's blood but if someone could map it then I could use that knowledge to search for others like you. The name of the your people you seek to protect or titles they carry would be of great use as well.>>
The Team
In the small hours of the next morning - some could even call it the late hours of the night before a packet is sent from Widget out to the team.
<<Before I call this night over and get some much needed sleep - I wanted to pass along the information from HR. This is the office being rented for your use and your two new hires are being directed there as well tomorrow at 5 pm. The file has the address so you should have no problem finding the new location. Let me know if you need anything else.>>
<@All: Cypher, I'll meet you at the office tomorrow afternoon to sweep for bugs. You have the gear?>
Redmond, Seattle - Bargain Basement
You make your way east into Redmond you see the decaying infrastructure of what once was a thriving metroplex of upscale apartments and condos. The style of the buildings look to be at least forty years old if not more. You see the signs of squatters everywhere - you see places that once housed a single mid level corporate manager now home to multiple families. You see conversions of spaces such as gardens and patios converted into more practical uses like vegetable gardens, rain collectors or even make shift solar panels. Every face has a hard cast to it and people have left some of their humanity behind to eke out a living here. Even the children have lost the softness and you see more than a few packs of feral street kids moving through the area.
As you weave through the streets you see small street markets in abandoned parking lots or business parks - where scavengers offer what things that still have some value. You clearly see signs of the organized crime in the area providing some sort of power structure and order. You see areas where people are out in force with visible weapons. As you pass these pockets of control and commerce - you quickly see only really two groups seem to have a pronounced presence here - the Yakuza and the Mafia. They seem to have the only stable supplies of food and water - probably also medicine. The controlled areas resemble compounds with a show of force being the order of the day.
You arrive at the address - a small overgrown walled site several miles from the squatters and what passes for a city in this area. This area looked to be large homes or estates with a great deal of space between them. Many of the homes appear to be completely looted bare or destroyed. You walk through the remains of a once grand home - it appears to have been destroyed in a fire - you quickly find a small wandering path that takes you through an overgrown bamboo grove you come upon a small house. It's clear this house has been well maintained and cared for - it's present in the care of the gardens and the upkeep of the structure itself.
You make your way east into Redmond you see the decaying infrastructure of what once was a thriving metroplex of upscale apartments and condos. The style of the buildings look to be at least forty years old if not more. You see the signs of squatters everywhere - you see places that once housed a single mid level corporate manager now home to multiple families. You see conversions of spaces such as gardens and patios converted into more practical uses like vegetable gardens, rain collectors or even make shift solar panels. Every face has a hard cast to it and people have left some of their humanity behind to eke out a living here. Even the children have lost the softness and you see more than a few packs of feral street kids moving through the area.
As you weave through the streets you see small street markets in abandoned parking lots or business parks - where scavengers offer what things that still have some value. You clearly see signs of the organized crime in the area providing some sort of power structure and order. You see areas where people are out in force with visible weapons. As you pass these pockets of control and commerce - you quickly see only really two groups seem to have a pronounced presence here - the Yakuza and the Mafia. They seem to have the only stable supplies of food and water - probably also medicine. The controlled areas resemble compounds with a show of force being the order of the day.
You arrive at the address - a small overgrown walled site several miles from the squatters and what passes for a city in this area. This area looked to be large homes or estates with a great deal of space between them. Many of the homes appear to be completely looted bare or destroyed. You walk through the remains of a once grand home - it appears to have been destroyed in a fire - you quickly find a small wandering path that takes you through an overgrown bamboo grove you come upon a small house. It's clear this house has been well maintained and cared for - it's present in the care of the gardens and the upkeep of the structure itself.
Q roused himself in time to pray, put on his everyman face Jason Smith, and make the earliest bus to Redmond. His 40 minute trip with public transportation was thankfully uneventful. Stepping off, he blended in to the depressed early morning crush of metahumanity. Jason Smith blended in well since Q wasn't able to afford much more than those around him, though he still kept an eye out for pickpockets. "Those that caused my fall to this will pay when I find them." Noting the prevalence and control of the Yakuza and Mafia, he took his time to avoid and blend in away from any contact with them. He was thankful when he finally left that area behind and could walk the rest of the way in relative peace.
Coming to the edge of previous grandour, Q takes a look around a bit before finding a nearly concealed path that goes back into a bamboo grove. A little shiver goes down his spine before he reminds himself that no one knows him here and Japanese culture is very popular here. He finds a sheltered area in the abandoned, fire gutted building to conceal himself adequately from any technological sensors. When he satisfied that he's hidden from view, he drops his Jason Smith disguise and changes into Q. Taking a moment to turn off his commlink and focus himself on encountering new and dangerous friends Q heads down the narrow path.
Coming into the clearing with the house Q opens himself to the spirit realm and slowly walks the circut of the clearing. When he's finished he makes a second slow inspection of the area without the spirit sight to familiarize himself with the area. Satisfied, he enters the Japanese Safehouse by the mudroom door. Making sure that no one is looking, Q cleans his boots and removes them, replacing them with a pair of socks and slippers from the selection already laid out; there are many of all shapes and sizes, even troll sized. "How kind of the master of this house to be so accommodating. How many of my new associates will need those largest ones?"
Heading inside, Q inspects the house, noting its layout and that he's the first one here liked he planned. After searching the house, he leaves his shoes at the edge of the great room so that he only treads on the tatami mats with sock covered feet, and climbs a ladder up into the loft of the great room. He takes a position so that he can see the front of the house through a window and and see all of the great room of the Japanese Safehouse. Q checks to make sure that he's hidden in astral as well. Lastly he opens up his commlink, dials its Signal to 0, and opens up a program on comparative studies of Shinto, Buddism, and Christianity,and takes out a snack to await the arrival of the other employees.
Coming to the edge of previous grandour, Q takes a look around a bit before finding a nearly concealed path that goes back into a bamboo grove. A little shiver goes down his spine before he reminds himself that no one knows him here and Japanese culture is very popular here. He finds a sheltered area in the abandoned, fire gutted building to conceal himself adequately from any technological sensors. When he satisfied that he's hidden from view, he drops his Jason Smith disguise and changes into Q. Taking a moment to turn off his commlink and focus himself on encountering new and dangerous friends Q heads down the narrow path.
Coming into the clearing with the house Q opens himself to the spirit realm and slowly walks the circut of the clearing. When he's finished he makes a second slow inspection of the area without the spirit sight to familiarize himself with the area. Satisfied, he enters the Japanese Safehouse by the mudroom door. Making sure that no one is looking, Q cleans his boots and removes them, replacing them with a pair of socks and slippers from the selection already laid out; there are many of all shapes and sizes, even troll sized. "How kind of the master of this house to be so accommodating. How many of my new associates will need those largest ones?"
Heading inside, Q inspects the house, noting its layout and that he's the first one here liked he planned. After searching the house, he leaves his shoes at the edge of the great room so that he only treads on the tatami mats with sock covered feet, and climbs a ladder up into the loft of the great room. He takes a position so that he can see the front of the house through a window and and see all of the great room of the Japanese Safehouse. Q checks to make sure that he's hidden in astral as well. Lastly he opens up his commlink, dials its Signal to 0, and opens up a program on comparative studies of Shinto, Buddism, and Christianity,and takes out a snack to await the arrival of the other employees.
Eklipse is fumbling for his door key when Widget's message pings into his head.
<<@Widget: Liebchen, I am a creature of ze night. Even noon is early for me. How about later in ze day? A late lunch or early dinner vould find me in a more socially acceptable state of mind.>>
He lets himself in and even though he is somewhat under the influence, he secures the door before collapsing on the bed, still in his dancing gear. His mind spins, a little like the room.
Why does she want to see me? And how come her 'uncle' warned me off but not Breeze? Mein Gott, do they know that Heidi is still alive? Do they know where she is? Are they in contact with her?
He sits up too fast, reaching one hand out to steady himself. He drags himself out of bed and gets a drink of water and some anti-hangover pills from the medkit. Then he undresses and returns to bed, his mind still spinning but his heart soaring.
The beeping of a commlink finally wakes him early the following afternoon. He curses as he reads the message about the meet and checks the time. A quick shower and soykaf later, he thows on some clothes and pulls an armored duster over them. He scoops up the bike helm as he leaves the appartment and checks he has the commlink with the fake ID he uses at the club. He swings a leg over the bike and pauses a moment to focus his senses, becoming aware of his self and surroundings. Shadows pool around him as he revs the engine and pulls out of the garage.
<<@Widget: Liebchen, I am a creature of ze night. Even noon is early for me. How about later in ze day? A late lunch or early dinner vould find me in a more socially acceptable state of mind.>>
He lets himself in and even though he is somewhat under the influence, he secures the door before collapsing on the bed, still in his dancing gear. His mind spins, a little like the room.
Why does she want to see me? And how come her 'uncle' warned me off but not Breeze? Mein Gott, do they know that Heidi is still alive? Do they know where she is? Are they in contact with her?
He sits up too fast, reaching one hand out to steady himself. He drags himself out of bed and gets a drink of water and some anti-hangover pills from the medkit. Then he undresses and returns to bed, his mind still spinning but his heart soaring.
The beeping of a commlink finally wakes him early the following afternoon. He curses as he reads the message about the meet and checks the time. A quick shower and soykaf later, he thows on some clothes and pulls an armored duster over them. He scoops up the bike helm as he leaves the appartment and checks he has the commlink with the fake ID he uses at the club. He swings a leg over the bike and pauses a moment to focus his senses, becoming aware of his self and surroundings. Shadows pool around him as he revs the engine and pulls out of the garage.
Jon's Apartment
After getting up with the sun, Jon reads the message identifying where to meet. Nodding to himself he practices hand to hand combat for a few hours, then cleans his weapons. Slipping on his blue contacts, he heads out the door to grab a cup of coffee before meeting his new coworkers.
Building @4:45pm
As Jon walks along the path up to the building, his eyes scan the environment. While they lightly touch everywhere, a glance is all thats needed as everything is cataloged by threat level.
wonder what the obsession is with bamboo
He pauses in front of the door cocks his head as if listening and with a nose twitch he takes a moment to check the door for any traps he knocks on the door waiting for a response.
After getting up with the sun, Jon reads the message identifying where to meet. Nodding to himself he practices hand to hand combat for a few hours, then cleans his weapons. Slipping on his blue contacts, he heads out the door to grab a cup of coffee before meeting his new coworkers.
Building @4:45pm
As Jon walks along the path up to the building, his eyes scan the environment. While they lightly touch everywhere, a glance is all thats needed as everything is cataloged by threat level.
wonder what the obsession is with bamboo
He pauses in front of the door cocks his head as if listening and with a nose twitch he takes a moment to check the door for any traps he knocks on the door waiting for a response.
Fleet
In the afternoon you get an alert letting you know you have an incoming message. You look it over and see it's from Maroon. You feel the tension rise slightly in your body as you open it. An AR window pops open and you see a clearly female body materialize. The enticing curves of her avatar are barely covered and with lines of code at that. It looks like the equivalent of digital lingerie. The avatar smiles sweetly as it speaks - her voice a husky intimate whisper.
"I think I have exactly what you want. I went ahead and included an attachment with this - just make sure I get what I want and consider it done."
The icon peels a string a code from its body off - slowly and you watch it lift from the skin, offering glimpses of the flesh beneath before the remaining code shifts to cover the opening. She wraps it into a ball and offers it you with both hands and a look of excitement on its face.
Breeze
You come to more than wake up to the chill of recycled air hitting your skin and you realize you have no covers on you but you are lying in a bed. You have the brief moment like you always do when you open your eyes - where are you and what happened last night. The studio around you looks like a bi-polar super model lives here, There are piles of clothes all over the place and most of it seems to be in piles loosely based on color. A smile creeps on to your face as you sit up and feel the ache of your body - this was a feeling of a good night. You look to your left and see a blonde head poking out of a human burrito of blankets and pillows. You start a little as you see movement out of the corner of your eyes and at first think rats but quickly see small drones crawling over the place. You see one trying to clean the small kitchenette and another seems to be responsible for the sorting of the clothes as it drags a blue metallic skirt to the "blue" pile.
You try to figure out what woke you up when you feel more than hear the silent alert from your commlink go off again. You lay back and quickly access it wia AR. You see two message from the people you asked around about Zuzane about. You decide to go with Matt first and save Joan for last. Tapping the icon his message scrolls out across your vision.
<<I have no fucking idea who this skirt is - I asked around and either she never parties or she buys her shit form a higher level in the food chain than me. One guy I spoke to thinks he may have seen her a while back a private bash that he supplied some candy to but he snorts more of his shit than he sells. It was one of those parties with rent girls with designer labels. Hope that helps and let me know when you need a refill.>>
You're not surprised but it was worth checking just in case. You close the message and slide it into storage and then open the one from Joan.
<<Interesting name to toss out there - if I didn't know you better I might get jealous. She's a bodyguard turned broker - pretty scary lady with her hands and feet but she is building a solid rep for being able to keep her end of a deal but still a small fish in the big pond. I have heard rumors she might be making her way into the acquiring angle of the business. She has been meeting people in my line of work to see about setting up supply lines. If you can put in a good word for me, please do and I'll make sure to make it worth the time.>>
In the afternoon you get an alert letting you know you have an incoming message. You look it over and see it's from Maroon. You feel the tension rise slightly in your body as you open it. An AR window pops open and you see a clearly female body materialize. The enticing curves of her avatar are barely covered and with lines of code at that. It looks like the equivalent of digital lingerie. The avatar smiles sweetly as it speaks - her voice a husky intimate whisper.
"I think I have exactly what you want. I went ahead and included an attachment with this - just make sure I get what I want and consider it done."
The icon peels a string a code from its body off - slowly and you watch it lift from the skin, offering glimpses of the flesh beneath before the remaining code shifts to cover the opening. She wraps it into a ball and offers it you with both hands and a look of excitement on its face.
Breeze
You come to more than wake up to the chill of recycled air hitting your skin and you realize you have no covers on you but you are lying in a bed. You have the brief moment like you always do when you open your eyes - where are you and what happened last night. The studio around you looks like a bi-polar super model lives here, There are piles of clothes all over the place and most of it seems to be in piles loosely based on color. A smile creeps on to your face as you sit up and feel the ache of your body - this was a feeling of a good night. You look to your left and see a blonde head poking out of a human burrito of blankets and pillows. You start a little as you see movement out of the corner of your eyes and at first think rats but quickly see small drones crawling over the place. You see one trying to clean the small kitchenette and another seems to be responsible for the sorting of the clothes as it drags a blue metallic skirt to the "blue" pile.
You try to figure out what woke you up when you feel more than hear the silent alert from your commlink go off again. You lay back and quickly access it wia AR. You see two message from the people you asked around about Zuzane about. You decide to go with Matt first and save Joan for last. Tapping the icon his message scrolls out across your vision.
<<I have no fucking idea who this skirt is - I asked around and either she never parties or she buys her shit form a higher level in the food chain than me. One guy I spoke to thinks he may have seen her a while back a private bash that he supplied some candy to but he snorts more of his shit than he sells. It was one of those parties with rent girls with designer labels. Hope that helps and let me know when you need a refill.>>
You're not surprised but it was worth checking just in case. You close the message and slide it into storage and then open the one from Joan.
<<Interesting name to toss out there - if I didn't know you better I might get jealous. She's a bodyguard turned broker - pretty scary lady with her hands and feet but she is building a solid rep for being able to keep her end of a deal but still a small fish in the big pond. I have heard rumors she might be making her way into the acquiring angle of the business. She has been meeting people in my line of work to see about setting up supply lines. If you can put in a good word for me, please do and I'll make sure to make it worth the time.>>
<<@Widget[Zerone]: My friends are my talismonger, Rev. Joshua Hannibal, and his secretary, Maggie MacLeod. They told me that they are changing from their current location because their lease fell through and would be out of touch for a while, but I sensed something in their words that left me uneasy. I have a friend who may be able to digitize my flesh and blood, and I shall send them to you as soon as I receive them. Once again, my sincerest thanks, Dear Sister.>>
Zerone dials up his friend, Dr. Huxtable, and sends her a message. However, the switch from Sperethiel to English is not easy for him.
<<@Rebecca Huxtable[Zerone]: Hello Doctorate...I mean, Doctor Huxtable, how are you? I have not seen you since last week's vespers, and I hope you are well. Might I ask you a favor? I need to have my DNA digni...um, no that's not it...oh! digitized, and I think you can do it?>>
Zerone dials up his friend, Dr. Huxtable, and sends her a message. However, the switch from Sperethiel to English is not easy for him.
<<@Rebecca Huxtable[Zerone]: Hello Doctorate...I mean, Doctor Huxtable, how are you? I have not seen you since last week's vespers, and I hope you are well. Might I ask you a favor? I need to have my DNA digni...um, no that's not it...oh! digitized, and I think you can do it?>>
Strangeglove catches a ride to the office with whomever is convenient.
"No sense in drawing attention to the place by parking ten cars outside."
Searching the house, he runs into Q.
"Q?! What the hell? Since when are you running with these clowns? I thought you said you were solo."
Embracing Q, he delivers two quick bone-brusing slaps on the back.
"Well shit, things are shaping up to be a party."
Strangeglove's planning fields of fire and reinforced fire positions are abandoned, replaced by consideration of where to put a disco ball. The area is pretty shady, we might have to bus the party in.
"No sense in drawing attention to the place by parking ten cars outside."
Searching the house, he runs into Q.
"Q?! What the hell? Since when are you running with these clowns? I thought you said you were solo."
Embracing Q, he delivers two quick bone-brusing slaps on the back.
"Well shit, things are shaping up to be a party."
Strangeglove's planning fields of fire and reinforced fire positions are abandoned, replaced by consideration of where to put a disco ball. The area is pretty shady, we might have to bus the party in.
[just after leaving the club and just after the comparable messages]
<<@Fleet,Zerone,Fat Man,Emilio[Emilio]: I'll be happy to assist.>>
<<@Aideen: Can you score me some highest-power Traq patches, stim patches, and stabilization patches? Also, I've been meaning to ask, how did that last job come down the pipe? Was I asked for by name or was I just the best fit? It seems like someone put a lot of work into that trap, and I'm trying to figure out who and why. Well, mainly trying to figure out if we have to kill more Yaks than the rescue team you sent already did.
>>
<<@Davan: I want to take you up on that offer of replacement plans for ammo. If you can, please find me plans for normal rounds, gel rounds, EX, and stick&shock rounds. And I know how you've been wanting a hold-out pistol, so if you find the plans for one, toss it in and I'll see what I can do about whipping one up.>>
<<@Balatari: The name Zuzane came up in some recent discussions. Have you heard anything about her?
<<@Fleet,Zerone,Fat Man,Emilio[Emilio]: I'll be happy to assist.>>
<<@Aideen: Can you score me some highest-power Traq patches, stim patches, and stabilization patches? Also, I've been meaning to ask, how did that last job come down the pipe? Was I asked for by name or was I just the best fit? It seems like someone put a lot of work into that trap, and I'm trying to figure out who and why. Well, mainly trying to figure out if we have to kill more Yaks than the rescue team you sent already did.
>><<@Davan: I want to take you up on that offer of replacement plans for ammo. If you can, please find me plans for normal rounds, gel rounds, EX, and stick&shock rounds. And I know how you've been wanting a hold-out pistol, so if you find the plans for one, toss it in and I'll see what I can do about whipping one up.>>
<<@Balatari: The name Zuzane came up in some recent discussions. Have you heard anything about her?
Next morning, after Emilio checks out the packet and figures out where the office is, he will contact Fleet:
<<@Fleet: I looked over the packet from HR, and want to take you up on that kind offer of wheels. Could a car please meet me at [gives an address three blocks away from his house] at 2:00PM? That should leave enough time to get to the office. Thank you.>>
<<@Fleet: I looked over the packet from HR, and want to take you up on that kind offer of wheels. Could a car please meet me at [gives an address three blocks away from his house] at 2:00PM? That should leave enough time to get to the office. Thank you.>>
"Ooof! Good to see you too SG. And I only started meeting these folks today. How long have you been running with them?" Q rubs his shoulder while leading Strangeglove over to the nicely yet modestly stocked kitchen. "Ready to start partying again already? Last night wasn't enough?"
@4:45pm
Upon hearing the knock, Q walks up to and opens the door. "Greetings. May I presume that since you've found your way here you've come to aid us in aquisition and reallocation?" At Jon's affirmative Q continues, "Good. I'm known as Q. Yourself? Welcome then Jon. If you'd be so kind, there's a mudroom where you can retire your footwear into something more comfortable It's the second door, near the corner of the house," he finishes, gesturing to the left.
Upon hearing the knock, Q walks up to and opens the door. "Greetings. May I presume that since you've found your way here you've come to aid us in aquisition and reallocation?" At Jon's affirmative Q continues, "Good. I'm known as Q. Yourself? Welcome then Jon. If you'd be so kind, there's a mudroom where you can retire your footwear into something more comfortable It's the second door, near the corner of the house," he finishes, gesturing to the left.
In the Afternoon
Catching a ride along with one of the other team members, Cypher spends most of his time in the car online. He grimaces as the signal starts to flicker and shake on the edge of the Barrens. It wasn't worth the time of trying to piggyback along other signals or cut through the static echoes of the crumbling buildings.
Iron fingers reach
stretching out of the concrete
a titan buried
The hacker rubbed at his temples to shut up the voices.
Once the car pulls in, he squats down and starts scanning for radio signals. Filtering out the static, he let's out a string of curses in Japanese about demon-spawned metahumans, may they all be swallowed by the sea. When the foul mantra reaches orks, Cypher seems to finally realize what he's saying and bites his tongue. The taste of blood drags his attention back to the task.
With the scan configured as best he can, the hacker moves through the house room by room. He scans a small device over nearly every surface. Beep. Shuffle a few steps. Beep. The process continues.
Catching a ride along with one of the other team members, Cypher spends most of his time in the car online. He grimaces as the signal starts to flicker and shake on the edge of the Barrens. It wasn't worth the time of trying to piggyback along other signals or cut through the static echoes of the crumbling buildings.
Iron fingers reach
stretching out of the concrete
a titan buried
The hacker rubbed at his temples to shut up the voices.
Once the car pulls in, he squats down and starts scanning for radio signals. Filtering out the static, he let's out a string of curses in Japanese about demon-spawned metahumans, may they all be swallowed by the sea. When the foul mantra reaches orks, Cypher seems to finally realize what he's saying and bites his tongue. The taste of blood drags his attention back to the task.
With the scan configured as best he can, the hacker moves through the house room by room. He scans a small device over nearly every surface. Beep. Shuffle a few steps. Beep. The process continues.
(Mispost)
The Morning Before the Meet
Fleet grimaces as his avatar, a white-robed, hidden figure with gold trim along with the concealing head and face wrap, reaches out his his hand, gingerly accepting the small ball of code. In the real world, still perched on his bike, the hobgoblin trembled. Encounters with Maroon Dream always left him conflicted. Her avatars were top rate, enough, despite the virtual environment, to send his pulse racing. But there was a part of him, though, that hated having to interact with someone that so blatantly showed off her body, like some cheap prostitute. He liked to justify his continued interaction with the fact that she was so connected, and that there was no one else he knew with those kind of connections. At least part of that was a thinly veiled lie, however.
Nimble white-gloved fingers unwind the ball as he triggers the commands to access the package and the request that would surely be attached.
Fleet grimaces as his avatar, a white-robed, hidden figure with gold trim along with the concealing head and face wrap, reaches out his his hand, gingerly accepting the small ball of code. In the real world, still perched on his bike, the hobgoblin trembled. Encounters with Maroon Dream always left him conflicted. Her avatars were top rate, enough, despite the virtual environment, to send his pulse racing. But there was a part of him, though, that hated having to interact with someone that so blatantly showed off her body, like some cheap prostitute. He liked to justify his continued interaction with the fact that she was so connected, and that there was no one else he knew with those kind of connections. At least part of that was a thinly veiled lie, however.
Nimble white-gloved fingers unwind the ball as he triggers the commands to access the package and the request that would surely be attached.
The Afternoon Before the Meet
Fat Man stretched and then took another large swallow of soyspresso as he felt the headache from the stress of concentrating on the warding ritual slowly fade.
Time to head to the meeting and see who these new teammates are.
Fat Man armed himself with his newly-upgraded telescoping staff on his belt, and charged his foci before using the chi-concealing technique Hito had shown him to blend his aura into the background mana of the area. The Barrens wasn't exactly safe, but Fat Man was used to living on the fringes of metahuman society and it wasn't his first trip through them, and now that he knew how to cloak his natural astral form it would be considerably safer than his last visit.
Fat Man stretched and then took another large swallow of soyspresso as he felt the headache from the stress of concentrating on the warding ritual slowly fade.
Time to head to the meeting and see who these new teammates are.
Fat Man armed himself with his newly-upgraded telescoping staff on his belt, and charged his foci before using the chi-concealing technique Hito had shown him to blend his aura into the background mana of the area. The Barrens wasn't exactly safe, but Fat Man was used to living on the fringes of metahuman society and it wasn't his first trip through them, and now that he knew how to cloak his natural astral form it would be considerably safer than his last visit.
Breeze reads through the first message noding in understanding as he thinks for a moment about the reply he looks over to the little drone dragging the skirt, he nods to himself with a mischiveious smile as an image pops into his head, remembering something form last night...
That thing was fun to take off, those little clankers are useful
He turns his attention back to the message and replies to Matt.
<<Aright thank brother, I am running a bit low so probably be by next week>>
He moves on to look at Joan's message, as he brings her message up he smiles in appreciation of what he sees, he had set his commlink that an intimate picture of Joan would come up any time she called or a message came from her, after a few moment of appreciation he moves on to the message itself, then replies.
<<Hey thanks punk rock girl you always come through with something, remember those blokes that got me out of that meat factory clinic a few weeks back? Yeah, scary lady pissed off the wrong person, maybe you can capitalize on what she wanted to do if things go well with this job>>
Breeze looks back around at the room thinking about why he is so tired still, when he realizes that it is still the morning hours...
"Blimey, how many times have I told them no messages before noon, crazy blokes"
He lays back down and crashes back to sleep to about noon.
That thing was fun to take off, those little clankers are useful
He turns his attention back to the message and replies to Matt.
<<Aright thank brother, I am running a bit low so probably be by next week>>
He moves on to look at Joan's message, as he brings her message up he smiles in appreciation of what he sees, he had set his commlink that an intimate picture of Joan would come up any time she called or a message came from her, after a few moment of appreciation he moves on to the message itself, then replies.
<<Hey thanks punk rock girl you always come through with something, remember those blokes that got me out of that meat factory clinic a few weeks back? Yeah, scary lady pissed off the wrong person, maybe you can capitalize on what she wanted to do if things go well with this job>>
Breeze looks back around at the room thinking about why he is so tired still, when he realizes that it is still the morning hours...
"Blimey, how many times have I told them no messages before noon, crazy blokes"
He lays back down and crashes back to sleep to about noon.
Eklipse cruises to the edge of the Barrens, GridGuide chastising him whenever he goes more than 5 km/h above the posted speed limit.
Then suddenly, it stops complaining. <Warning : GridGuide service offline : Please drive carefully>
His grin is hidden beneath the bike helmet. He torques the accelerator, lifting the front wheel briefly off the tarmac. The roads here are in poor condition, but traffic is light. The bike howls as he pushes the revs, twisting around burned out cars, potholes and the unidentifiable junk that litters the streets.
By the time he reaches the location, he is feeling much better. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest and his awareness is sharp and focused. Shadows slide off the bike to follow him into the peaceful aura that surrounds the small building.
Not exactly what I expected for an office, but I like it.
Hearing voices inside he strides up to the door and knocks, stripping off his helmet and running a hand through his tousled hair while he waits to be invited inside.
Then suddenly, it stops complaining. <Warning : GridGuide service offline : Please drive carefully>
His grin is hidden beneath the bike helmet. He torques the accelerator, lifting the front wheel briefly off the tarmac. The roads here are in poor condition, but traffic is light. The bike howls as he pushes the revs, twisting around burned out cars, potholes and the unidentifiable junk that litters the streets.
By the time he reaches the location, he is feeling much better. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest and his awareness is sharp and focused. Shadows slide off the bike to follow him into the peaceful aura that surrounds the small building.
Not exactly what I expected for an office, but I like it.
Hearing voices inside he strides up to the door and knocks, stripping off his helmet and running a hand through his tousled hair while he waits to be invited inside.
Noon on the day of the meeting
Breeze wakes up again, looks around, again attempting to remember where he is and again gets reminded by the blond haired girl next to him, he looks at the time and nods to himself...
Right, that is where I am, at least now it isn't an obsencenly early time
He gets up to search for his clothes, locating them slowly one at a time. Once dressed he sneaks over to Widget's side of the bed and snaps of a picture of her smirking and mumbling to himself.
"Thar's a pretty lass"
He fiddles for a moment with his commlink and heads out the building, when he begins to walk out he sees Fleet's message light up again as he is reminded that he now has transportation, he gets into the car, lights up another smoke and sits down giving the car an address.
At home he finds what ever take out was left in the house, drinks a strong coffee and then heads out to see Matt and find a bit more relaxation.
Around 5 pm later that day
After sometime talking to Matt and messing around with the locals for a few hours, his Commlink yells at him...
"Hey WANKER!! pay attention"
He looks at the imagelink and reads the message he wrote to himself...
"Fuck, hey i'll see ya later brother, stuff I got to do"
He makes his way back to the apartment gears up and heads over to the new "office" in the car.
Breeze wakes up again, looks around, again attempting to remember where he is and again gets reminded by the blond haired girl next to him, he looks at the time and nods to himself...
Right, that is where I am, at least now it isn't an obsencenly early time
He gets up to search for his clothes, locating them slowly one at a time. Once dressed he sneaks over to Widget's side of the bed and snaps of a picture of her smirking and mumbling to himself.
"Thar's a pretty lass"
He fiddles for a moment with his commlink and heads out the building, when he begins to walk out he sees Fleet's message light up again as he is reminded that he now has transportation, he gets into the car, lights up another smoke and sits down giving the car an address.
At home he finds what ever take out was left in the house, drinks a strong coffee and then heads out to see Matt and find a bit more relaxation.
Around 5 pm later that day
After sometime talking to Matt and messing around with the locals for a few hours, his Commlink yells at him...
"Hey WANKER!! pay attention"
He looks at the imagelink and reads the message he wrote to himself...
"Fuck, hey i'll see ya later brother, stuff I got to do"
He makes his way back to the apartment gears up and heads over to the new "office" in the car.
The afternoon of the meet
Zerone arrives at the location a little worse for wear, although more so metaphysically than physically. He had heard mention of the Barrens when catching snippets of conversations at his church and through paid and volunteer work, but this was his first time actually entering the place. The horror stories he had heard did not do the place justice, and he is saddened at how the rest of society has turned its back on those people. He resolves to do what he can to help them in the future---perhaps petition the church to help him open a shelter or send a missionaries with aid---as well as a need to learn how to drive so he can buy a car and avoid walking through valleys in the shadow of death in the future.
He knocks at the door and waits for a response...
Zerone arrives at the location a little worse for wear, although more so metaphysically than physically. He had heard mention of the Barrens when catching snippets of conversations at his church and through paid and volunteer work, but this was his first time actually entering the place. The horror stories he had heard did not do the place justice, and he is saddened at how the rest of society has turned its back on those people. He resolves to do what he can to help them in the future---perhaps petition the church to help him open a shelter or send a missionaries with aid---as well as a need to learn how to drive so he can buy a car and avoid walking through valleys in the shadow of death in the future.
He knocks at the door and waits for a response...
He unwinds the code as he builds the transaction in his head, fetching money from one of the numerous accounts attached to Sal-ileel, shaking his head at himself as he realizes her overly-suggestive implication was just a standard transaction request for the funds for the program before he installed it. Sending off the amount, he unspools the ball of thread and lets the context of his commlink convert the program into a curled, yellowed parchment, a prayer strip .3m wide and almost a meter long, tacked up on the wall of the temple that housed his other dormant programs, for the moment.
Back in the meat world, he smiled, a very non-nice looking expression, tusks tilted at the corner of his mouth as he considered the location.
No need to go quiet, and if we're going to spend any time there, it'll be good to keep the small-time rabble away.
Reaching out across the void to the various vehicles scattered around the City, he plotted routes for all of the vehicles heading for the meet to intercept shortly after entering the Barrens, with a note out to the various riders that he felt it safer to travel together.
4 or so in the afternoon...
At the edge of the no-man's land that made up the space between civilization and their destination, the rigger sighed, like an addict slipping a needle into his veins, and dove into his personal network. The first step was planning a route around the various major gangs...it wouldn't do to flash a threat at the Yak's or the Mob, but the rest of this trash...He set out the tactical array, settling the small Jackrabbit that Fat Man had warded, the ubiquitous little car that they'd be using for their recon in the middle with his chopper and the unarmed drone carrier, his heavily armored form slumped over the handle bars as his brain thrummed in the Matrix. Flanking the group in the middle were the two sleek sports cars, one at either end of the caravan, weapon turrets on display.
Sweeping overhead was the sleek, jet powered drones with the swept-back wings, bulky HVAR's obvious and peeking out from under the other-wise sleek fuselages. Far above them all was the droning Kull, virtually invisible when lacking it's bulky cargo containers and covered in chameleon paint, the bulbous nose-tip with the upgraded sensor pack constantly scanning miles of the territory below and feeding information back to Fleet, the rigger making adjustments in the caravan's path as necessary to avoid complete blockages and the those larger organized crime family.
In short, the rigger went in force.
Most of the drones settle down into concealed bays in the various vehicles once the group safely reaches the office, automated grips on articulated arms reaching out to snag the various drones in their slow, looping flights around their chosen vehicle, everything but two rotor drones, stubby machine guns fixed to their undersides, which sprang out and began circling around the sight, drifting through the interior of the burned out building in erratic and almost random patrol patterns.
The hobgoblin, looking bulky in the full suit of armor despite his normally thin frame (for an ork), unlatches the helmet as he steps into the building, eyes looking around for Eklipse almost immediately.
"So, Herr Boss, what's the vote? Do we keep this place and spruce it up a bit? Or we planning on looking around and then finding our own plaffe to plan thingff from?
Back in the meat world, he smiled, a very non-nice looking expression, tusks tilted at the corner of his mouth as he considered the location.
No need to go quiet, and if we're going to spend any time there, it'll be good to keep the small-time rabble away.
Reaching out across the void to the various vehicles scattered around the City, he plotted routes for all of the vehicles heading for the meet to intercept shortly after entering the Barrens, with a note out to the various riders that he felt it safer to travel together.
4 or so in the afternoon...
At the edge of the no-man's land that made up the space between civilization and their destination, the rigger sighed, like an addict slipping a needle into his veins, and dove into his personal network. The first step was planning a route around the various major gangs...it wouldn't do to flash a threat at the Yak's or the Mob, but the rest of this trash...He set out the tactical array, settling the small Jackrabbit that Fat Man had warded, the ubiquitous little car that they'd be using for their recon in the middle with his chopper and the unarmed drone carrier, his heavily armored form slumped over the handle bars as his brain thrummed in the Matrix. Flanking the group in the middle were the two sleek sports cars, one at either end of the caravan, weapon turrets on display.
Sweeping overhead was the sleek, jet powered drones with the swept-back wings, bulky HVAR's obvious and peeking out from under the other-wise sleek fuselages. Far above them all was the droning Kull, virtually invisible when lacking it's bulky cargo containers and covered in chameleon paint, the bulbous nose-tip with the upgraded sensor pack constantly scanning miles of the territory below and feeding information back to Fleet, the rigger making adjustments in the caravan's path as necessary to avoid complete blockages and the those larger organized crime family.
In short, the rigger went in force.
Most of the drones settle down into concealed bays in the various vehicles once the group safely reaches the office, automated grips on articulated arms reaching out to snag the various drones in their slow, looping flights around their chosen vehicle, everything but two rotor drones, stubby machine guns fixed to their undersides, which sprang out and began circling around the sight, drifting through the interior of the burned out building in erratic and almost random patrol patterns.
The hobgoblin, looking bulky in the full suit of armor despite his normally thin frame (for an ork), unlatches the helmet as he steps into the building, eyes looking around for Eklipse almost immediately.
"So, Herr Boss, what's the vote? Do we keep this place and spruce it up a bit? Or we planning on looking around and then finding our own plaffe to plan thingff from?
Eklipse smiles at the hobgoblin, "I rather like it as it is. I expect zere are improvements we could make in terms of infrastructure and defences. But zat is more your field than mine. However, zere is a harmony here zat appeals to my soul."
He takes a deep breath, letting the place fill him with it's presence. His eyes are half-shut as he reaches out with his senses, getting a good 'feel' of the location. He holds his breath for a long moment, then let's it out with a contented sigh.
"But first, let us meet our new team members and find out what HR has dumped on us, neh?"
He takes a deep breath, letting the place fill him with it's presence. His eyes are half-shut as he reaches out with his senses, getting a good 'feel' of the location. He holds his breath for a long moment, then let's it out with a contented sigh.
"But first, let us meet our new team members and find out what HR has dumped on us, neh?"
Afternoon of the meet:
((keyed to Zerone's entry and presumed earlier than 4pm))
Upon hearing the knock, Q walks up to and opens the door. "Greetings and Salutations. It seems that we're a bit early for the acquisition meeting. If you'd be kind enough to follow me to the mudroom, you can retire your footwear into something more comfortable," he finishes, walking towards the left corner of the house.
"I'm known as Q. What may I call you?"
((keyed to Zerone's entry and presumed earlier than 4pm))
Upon hearing the knock, Q walks up to and opens the door. "Greetings and Salutations. It seems that we're a bit early for the acquisition meeting. If you'd be kind enough to follow me to the mudroom, you can retire your footwear into something more comfortable," he finishes, walking towards the left corner of the house.
"I'm known as Q. What may I call you?"
Fleet looks a little unconvinced at te idea of the harmony, but he glady accepts the direction from the furry leader, finding a spot somewhere to settle after a moment in the mudroom. It seems as if the hobgoblin intended to ignore the cultural obligation offered by the separate footwear inside , by the pauses at the entryway, shoulder twitching, and abruptly spins, sitting down stiffly and going through the process of changing shoes to something more appropriate in their new office.
As he moves through the mundane motions in the antechamber, his mind is still connected to the fleet of vehicles outside. Tiny drones spring free of the motorcycle, beginning to circle and map the interior and exterior of the concealing ruined building. The small blimp drifts free of one of the cars, banking smoothly through a broken window to begin probing the shattered building from the inside, high-powered radar stretching through the walls and interior structure to build a visual map that will show actual structural integrity as well, all in preparation for the potential installation of defenses.
As he moves through the mundane motions in the antechamber, his mind is still connected to the fleet of vehicles outside. Tiny drones spring free of the motorcycle, beginning to circle and map the interior and exterior of the concealing ruined building. The small blimp drifts free of one of the cars, banking smoothly through a broken window to begin probing the shattered building from the inside, high-powered radar stretching through the walls and interior structure to build a visual map that will show actual structural integrity as well, all in preparation for the potential installation of defenses.
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