{June 25th, 2073/ 19:08}
Toohey's Pub, Bar

Professor watches the exchange with brief glances between table and the rest of the pub, keeping his communications window open in the corner of his vision, constantly scanning the messaging system and waiting for a message to tell him to act. Nursing his Hurlg, he uses his commlink to send out a quick message to the team.


To: Faces, Truth
Keeping an eye on the table. Need a glance at the Astral?

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:09}
Toohey's Pub, Mickey's Table

Hmm, 12k sounds good. Until you split it six-ways, end up with too little to fill everyone's plate.


To: Professor
Cc: Truth
Can't hurt to have you look at his aura. I'm gonna put some pressure on the guy, demand more money, why don't you keep an eye on his reactions.


The message sent, Faces takes a sip of his beer to give Professor some time to get ready to do his thing before he starts to talk.

And the dance begins.

"In principle me and my associates are willing to help you out with this, there's just a few things that need clarification. Let's start with the first part: The safe return of your girlfriend. We have here a missing person's report for a Guadelupe Torres, dated the 22nd. The more time has passed after a kidnapping the harder it is to find someone and today's the 25th, which means it takes more hands to do the digging, which costs more money. I don't want to sound cold, but we're all businessmen here and we all know that out of a selection of "good", "quick" and "cheap" you at most get two at the same time. Now, obviously you want good - you're talking to us instead of some run-down PI and his doped-up cronies. Now quick is of the essence as well - who knows what's gonna happen to her in the next few days?"

He gives Jaime a few seconds to think up scenarios.

"Speaking of what might happen; what if something already has happened to her such as being killed or being carted off to some foreign country? How much is that information worth to you? And her story... Well, looking at the very short list of your clients, it looks like you could really use a big scoop. So, how about you try and come up with a new offer?"

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:10}
Toohey's Pub, Bar

Checking over the message, Professor needs no more prompting. Taking a slow breath and one more sip from the powerful troggy booze, he lets his senses slip into the Astral; lighting himself up on it in the process, of course, but that couldn't be helped. Eyes roaming over Mickey's Table, focusing on their employer-to-be, giving his aura a good once-over.

Assensing; 3 hits

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:10}
Toohey's Pub, Mickey's Table

Jaime leans in a bit closer, "I can call in a few favors, scratch up another six thousand. Anything more and I'll have to sell a neighbor to a sweat shop to make ends meet, story or no story. Freelance journalism isn't exactly a high dollar business."

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:11}
Toohey's Pub, Mickey's Table

Heh, produce one kidnap case to solve another. And we wouldn't even have to investigate, get right to cashing in, sounds promising.

"Now we wouldn't want to ruin you, broke customers make for bad referrals. No, we all understand the problems of being freelancers."

Faces nods at Truth and continues "I'm sure you'd like us to get working right now, so why don't we see those 6k as an advance - there are bound to be incidentals -, let your initial offer stand for completion and I assure you we get crackign the moment we're through the door."

On the Trid they always do it half now, half later, why the third? You're not going soft on him, are you?

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:10}
Toohey's Pub, Bar

Letting his senses slip back into the physical, Professor would take a quick sip of his hurlg before typing a quick message to those at the table.


CC: Faces, Truth
He's angry. He's got headware, and his eyes and ears are chrome; probably recording everything you say and do. He's in good health, too, so I'd avoid pissing him off further. Got a bead on his aura, though; let you know if it pops up in weird places.

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:11}
Toohey's Pub, Bar

Looking at Professor's message, Faces has to work to suppress a smile.

I'm not trying to piss him off, just getting more cred out of this for us all. Heck, as it stands, we'd better nick some things on the side, anyways. Whoever took that girl hopefully isn't above stealing valuables too. I'm gotten used to living in a nice house, even if it's all just rented. But hey, agreeing to help someone - and intendind to actually do it - feels nice for a change.

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:12}
Toohey's Pub, Bar

Jaime slides the data chip and a certified credstick across the table to Faces. "I believe we have a deal. Is there anything else I can provide? Our mutual friend was nonspecific as to the strengths of your team."

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:13}
Toohey's Pub, Bar


CC: Faces, Truth

If we're taking this job, see if you can score something that might have a sympathetic link to the girl in question. Hair, skin, bodily fluids, body parts. Bet he doesn't have any, though. If you can get a piece, it might be easier to track the girl down. I make no promises, however; that's not my strongest area.

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:13}
Toohey's Pub, Bar

Jaime slides the data chip and a certified credstick across the table to Faces. "I believe we have a deal. Is there anything else I can provide? Our mutual friend was nonspecific as to the strengths of your team."

Taking the chip and credstick, Faces nods to Jaime. "Indeed we do."

Strengths of the team? Yup, nice probing.
"Well, we do cover the three Ms - meat, matrix, magic. For the last one you don't happen to have a sample of your girlfriend's blood, hair, skin or the like? Finding someone by magic gets easier if you do, I'm told."

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:14}
Toohey's Pub, Bar

Jaime sighs and you can see relief spread in his shoulders, "I'm glad to hear that. Blood no, however I can give your team access to her apartment. Just send me a note from whatever ID you choose to use and I'll get it tacked onto the access list for the week. Inside is her childhood toy, a tawny little teddy bear, there's also her mothers necklace, and I'm sure other things."

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:14}
Toohey's Pub, Mickey's Table

"We'll see what we can do with that, though a fresh sample - like I said, skin, hair, blood - works best. Anyway, we'll better get going, clock's ticking."

Faces shakes hands with Jaime, gets up, dons his jacket and heads for the door.
Putting the data chip into his comm, he composes a message while walking.


To: Team
OK, I signed us on for the job. Pay's 6k up front, 10k for the girl, 2k for the data.
How about we relocate and talk through who does what?
I'm volunteering my crib <address>.
Professor: J's giving us access to the girl's apartment, with a bit of luck there's something to work your mojo on.

Oh and here's the J's data on his gf <chip contents>.

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:14}
Toohey's Pub, Bar


To: Team
Sounds good. I'll be out in a few. Someone keep an engine running for me.


So as not to appear suspicious, Professor would spend the next ten minutes or so casually draining his pint of Hurlg and watching the place. Placing the glass on the bartop, he'd pay and leave to hop into whatever vehicle remained behind to give him a ride to the address dropped.

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:14}
Toohey's Pub, Bathroom

This meet hadn't been at all what TripB was expecting. The beer they had on tap had been pretty good. The food was a bit heavy, but also good. Unfortunately, in TripB's stomach, both underwent some alchemical process that resulted in incredibly vile and horrible things happening in the men's room.

Lo'd, ah swar, eff'n yo' make it stop I'll nevah take yer name in vain evah agin. I'll stop runnin' wif fast wimmen, ah won't lie o' cheat ennyone ennymo'e, honest. Jest make it stop.

After a while, his stomach seemed to calm down, and he finished up his business just as the message about their new job came.

Great. ah miss th' entire meet, an' thet Faces guy inded up doin' all th' talkin'. Gwine t'have t'fix thet fo' next time.

To: Team
I'll drive ennyone thet needs a ride. I'll be a couple blocks south of th' bar. Gimme a couple of minutes t'see eff'n ah can take care of enny pitchers of us bein' saved hyar. I'll be last t'leave, an' will make sho'nuff yer not recognizable.

A forced smile plastered to his face, TripB takes another seat at the bar and asks the bartender for an ice water. Popping an AR display up in front of himself, he subscribes to the bar's public node and starts analyzing it to see if he's up to getting deeper into it. Almost as an afterthought, he starts looking for any obvious cameras that would have caught imagery of any member of the team.

{June 25th, 2073/ 19:15}
Toohey's Pub, Bar
Ah, thar's th' cameras. Bunch t'watch, one t'ketch us a-comin' in, as enny fool kin plainly see...pow'ful wish I'd thunk t'say sumpin t'Proxy befo'e han'. Aw fine, ah ought t'be able t'han'le this. Now less see...

Images danced in front of TripB as he starts up his exploit program and sics it on the server.

Now, jest gotta git in, find wharvah th' footage goes, edit it, clean up af'er mahse'f an' git outta hyar. C'd jest replace th' footage wif noise, but thass a li'l too obvious. Guess I'll jest hafta haf some fun wif this hyar then, as enny fool kin plainly see. Now, less see...ah allus wanted t'be a bit of a midgit troll, ah reckon...

June 25th, 2073/ 19:20}
Toohey's Pub, Bar

As the last of the team makes their way nonchalantly back into the street and into the world the bartender shakes his head and shrugs, continuing to wipe the bar down.

June 25th, 2073/ 20:03
Faces' house in South Bellevue

Mi casa es su casa! Well, my house for this month. House, guest accounts for my visitors, full access to studio systems.

He turns around to face his companions while a hologram representing his house's computer system appears.

Think you'll like it. The sound system is nice, but what's really cool is all the hologram projectors.

Turning back around, he proceeds on through the living room and into another room which seems to be filled by free floating paintings.

House, switch studio to concept mode; oh and order the usual from Wong's. Any of you feel hungry, just add it to the list.

The paintings vanish, to be replaced by a dozen floor to ceiling whiteboards. Faces access his comm's AR and one of the whiteboards fills with the contents of the chip Jaime had given him.

Normally I'd start making a mindmap like so.
He picks a photo of Torres from the pile on one board, throws it over to another, where it settles into the centre then adds a pic of Garrete under the heading "bf / agent" to it.
Part way through I get an idea and just toss the thing. So, before I continue making a fool of myself, anyone got exeperience with this kind of thing, kidnappings?

June 25th, 2073/ 20:03
Faces' house in South Bellevue

TripB glances around the house as Faces leads them back to his studio, and whistles softly to himself. "This hyar sure beats th' crappy 'apartment' thet ah rent. Mebbe ah sh'd let yo' talk t'mah prospeckive lan' lo'd next time,'dn't mind a place like this hyar at all, ah reckon," the ork says to Faces while looking around the place. He adds an order of General "Chicken" to list for Wong's, and starts thinking out loud. "
Kidnappin's...not so much. Eff'n yo' need t'move sumpin wifout th' cops findin' out about it, ah's yer man. But I'd reckon kidnappin's doesn't usually pay out. Too menny idiots out thar haf see one too menny trids an' doesn't like t'palavah wif th' kidnapper." He sucks on his front teeth for a moment, then adds, "Th' way ah see it, we need t'git thet footage of th' lady bein' kidnapped, cuss it all t' tarnation. See eff'n we kin see a vehicle, a face, ennythin' thet might he'p us out thar. ah doesn't knows whut else af'er thet."

{June 25th, 2073/ 20:05}
Faces' house in South Bellevue

"I have had some experience with abductions, I'm not an expert however. I agree with TripB, at least I think I do, if we can acquire the footage it should be helpful. Also if we can gain access to her notes we should be able to find out what she had found."

{June 25th, 2073/ 20:05}
Faces' house in South Bellevue

Professor looks around the place, then takes himself a seat on whatever seating looks sturdy enough to hold his large frame. Subscribing to the home's network so he can get a good look at the arrows being thrown around. He leans back in the seat, hooking one arm over the back of it and one leg over its arm. "I don't have any real experience with this sort of thing. My areas of expertise are of a more theoretical nature. I can certainly assist in the logic and thought process department, though. Couple things. Pop a map overlay and pinpoint the girl's home, the boyfriend's home, her workplace, his workplace, and the area where she was abducted. See if anything overlaps."

{June 25th, 2073/ 20:05}
Faces' house in South Bellevue

At first it looks as if Faces wants to object to Professor's choice of seating, then decides against it with only a hint of a shrug.

Does he even know how much... wait, it's just leased, like all the other shit. It gets damaged, what do I care, it's not like I'm gonna pay for that.

Nodding at TripB, he taps onto Torres' face, adds a node leading away from it labeled "abduction" and to that one that reads "footage?".

"Hmm, maps, yup why not?"

Walking a few steps over to a third holo, he pulls up a map of Seattle, zooms in, adds pins for Torres' home, point of kidnapping, the two drop points and Jaime's office.

"Reminds me..."

Walking back to the second board, he again adds nodes to Torres, representing "fake chip? @ Bawdy Lass" and "real chip? @ cigar bar".

"Guess we'll have to come up with a plan to access her locker at that bar. Maybe I could walk in, pretendig to be her lawyer or something, and seize the stuff on account of her estate with her being probably dead and there being some kind of legal dispute over her possessions; you know legaleese usually shuts people up faster than you run out out of bullshit to hide behind."

This he ends with a big grin.

"Of course, there's also this..."

Faces adds yet another node to Torres' image, one labeled "apartment -> blood/hair/skin/???"

Turning to Professor, he explaines "J's agreed to add one of us to her apartment's access list, so we can go through her stuff and see if there's anything you can use to track her down, however that works. Told us to just send him the ID."

However that works? You sound llike a mundane, as if what you're doing isn't magic as well. Some other kind of it though.

{June 25th, 2073/ 20:05}
Faces' house in South Bellevue

"Wal, soun's like we need t'make a couple of trips then. Howsabout ah drive Proxy on over by th' camera an' let him wawk his mojo. ah can drop th' Professo' off at th' apartments along wif Karvusta as backup, an' then move on over t'th' cigar joint wif Faces an' give him some technical backup eff'n he needs it. Send Truth t'check up on th' Bawdy Lass? Unless yo' guys kin reckon of a better way t'split up some of this hyar labo'. An', come t'reckon of it, does we even knows whar th' camera is? Or is we a-gonna play guess th' camera an' drive aroun' whar she was taken?"

{June 25th, 2073 / 20:08}

Proxy had remained mostly silent for the past few hours, after getting the rundown on the job he'd been turning it over in his head ever since, and something about it felt wrong, though he couldn't quite tell what.

"You guys go ahead without me. Something about this whole setup is off, but I'm damned if I can figure out what, so I'm going to go see some people who might know more about this" With that said, he strode out of the apartment, and headed out towards his car. Getting in, he punched in an eleven digit phone number from memory, driving off into the night as his commlink rang the number his friend Caz used for her less than legitimate dealings.

Come on Caz, pick up the damn phone already he thought as he headed towards her office.

{June 25th, 2073/ 20:06}
Faces' house in South Bellevue

For a moment, it almost looks as if Professor is about to open his gob and start talking about exactly how it works. Just what the group needed at the moment. Instead, he pushes up out of the seat, hefting his large frame up to his full six-and-a-half-foot height, running a hand over his dark, bald scalp. "Sounds like a workable plan to me," he states, shoulders lifting in a faint shrug as his bright neon green eyes track Proxy's egress from the home. "I may need to contact a friend of mine, however; a material link is only good for a limited amount of time, and I'm not versed in using actual sympathetic links. Skin, hair, blood, and Spirits forbid a body part; they only maintain the astral signature of the person they belong to for some time before it loses the link. Frequently- and recently-used items and items they have an emotional attachment to requires a branch of magic I have yet to master; too busy with my personal research. And symbolic links are even harder. My... ugh. My older sister knows how to do so with material links quite a bit better than I, and knows certain divinations as well, so we'll have to get in touch with her if we find anything of use. Well, she's better at it than I am, in any case, and has the proper formula - plus, I can give her a hand with it, too."

Gob opened. Apparently, he enjoyed the sound of his own voice. Who would have thought?

{June 25th, 2073/ 20:07}
Faces' house in South Bellevue

Not that many would see it, but Faces relaxed - just a little bit.

Good, someone else's got an idea, watching Proxy leave or an hunch looking at Professor or a field of expertise that overlaps with this mess. At least I don't have to pretend I got even the slightest inkling as to how to run a team.

"Before we all split up and run off on our own tracks, anyone got something to add to the overall picture, something the rest of us are overlooking? way Is see it, we need someone to get at the chip at the cigar bar - guess that's me and whoever wants to go as backup -, someone to have a go at that security cam in the ally - guess that's TripB and backup - and someone to accompany Professor to the girl's apartment. Yeah, I know we're all grownups, but can't hurt having someone watching our backs. Guess Proxy's doing that for all of us by following his hunch. That said, think you could run a search on that cigar bar before you head out, TripB? I like to have at least some idea of who I'm talking to."