[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

In the space of a breath, Al thought about recalibrating the monitors' internals, artificially stimulating the unconscious guards' vitals, and calling LeFey to do her magic on the signal. But sometimes - hell, most times - simple was best.

Besides, he was feeling a bit naked in here without his own armored jacket on anyway.

He rapidly stripped the jacket from his guard, motioning for Jan to do the same. He threw it onto himself - damn, where did they find these guys, the zoo? - and cinched up the overlong sleeve to where he could line the sensor up with his wrist, securing it there with the velcro strap provided.

Once he was sure his own vitals were reading as the guard's, he made pulled the man's comm geat off him and set himself up to listen. As he took in the chatter, he checked to make sure the two men were out good and cold, but just that. Poor working slobs probably had families, no reason for them not to go home that night.

Jan
[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Jan shrugged on the armourjack as he looked down at Al checking for vitals. Poor hopeful Al. Jan didn't want to say anything that might dampen the man's mood. He seemed such a hopeful and cheery sort. But while Al was a techhead, Jan knew medicine and these 2 weren't long for this world. The guy on the right certainly had a crushed windpipe and would be dead in a few minutes without an emergency tracheotomy; one he wasn't going to receive. The other likely a fractured skull and a brain bleed.

"They'll be fine" Jan lied. "Let's get them hidden, we need to be moving." He slid the side off their shell and took out the weapons, throwing Al's over to him. Things were going to go fast from here on in.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Ali turned her expressionless gaze on Mr. Douglas, her face betraying nothing of either concern or relief over his hushed suggestion. She wanted to play this out and see if he truly could continue to be an asset, or if he would have to be handled before they left. If there was a way they could continue to leverage him for the data they required and saved them a trip to Portland, it was worth the risk.

"And just what is it you know I am Mr. Douglas?"

Her lips parted slightly and she seemed to swallow a few times as she fired off one last message to the team.

<<@all: Supposedly I've been made and our mark knows what I am. Waiting to see how this plays out. How far is everyone from being inside and ready to leave?>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

<<@all: Peaches, hon, we's in an' no more'n a few ticks away from bein' ready ta back any play you make. Try ta ping us her twenny when ya get a chance. As fer leavin', though, reckon that ain't happenin' till we find the damned offline files we's here for.>>

Al didn't much care about the job itself, but what he'd read about this Sybil thing was bothersome to his soul, and if these files they were after could help solve that puzzle, he'd sleep better for it.

With one earpiece dedicated to the team's transceiver net, he put the guard's earpiece in his other ear.

Turning his attention to his elven colleague, he said: "Hell, boy, each one o' them goons is bigger'n me by half. Yer the big strappin' galoot, reckon hidin' those boys is yer detail. Ya wanna be able ta use this here tommy gun, gon' take 'ol Al a few seconds to clear the safety for ya," he said, already prying a casing off the grip of the HK with a huge survival knife he'd retrieved from their fake pump. Once the bodies were out of clear view he tossed the now-hot weapon back at Jan, then retrieved his own shotgun from the pump.

Finally, he put a guard's cap on his head. He'd never really pass for one, but the extra split second of confusion the cap might buy him could make all the difference once lead was flying.

And all the time he worked, he had one ear on the guards' comms.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

@Ali:

As Mr Douglas escorts you into a stairwell leading back to the admin centre you realise you are getting further from your compatriots by the second...the damn guards are still behind you though, just out of earshot...

"You're a runner, I know because he told me. Said I should alert the guards but I'm not that stupid...that would just put me in the cross fire and I'm attached to my current body thank you very much, I don't want it full of holes. So, I help you out, you let me go...sounds like a win win business proposition to me, neh?"

@LeFey:

Slipping back through the secure airlock towards the admin centre you restrain a sigh of relief when you see Al and Jan emerge from the destroyed bathroom...they make an odd looking pair, especially considering the overly large and overly small guard uniforms they have appropriated from somewhere...

@Al & Jan:

Thankfully your techno is approaching you out of the airlock, and she's had the foresight to not let it close yet, giving you a clear route back to the archive store. The guard's comms are so far as relaxed as might be expected for an unusual day, but there's no real alarm and they don't seem to have noticed their missing fellows just yet. But there's something, a tinge maybe, something on the edge of perception...it's too calm perhaps...?

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Never one to be surprised good luck, nor to let it deter forward progress, Al was eager to go through the airlock.

"Files we's after's thataway, right?" he said to Jan and LeFey. "Door's open, reckon we go!"

Still, as he moved for the door, he scanned the freqs on the guard's comm unit, checking to see if there was traffic on any alternate, tactical channels.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

"Hi to you, too." Though he was right. "Follow me. We don't have the time (possibly not even the skill) to lift the files digitally. We'll have to grab the storage devices and run." And by "we", she meant them, LeFey thought with a tinge of regret. Physical security was not her forte.

<@Ali: Please, be careful. And keep us posted. The gang's all here, yourself accepted. We're going back into the storage for our objective.>

Jan
[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Jan hustled forwards with the SMG slung around his waist. It was ready to fire. Sure, he knew he didn't look the part but if his appearance caused even a half second pause then he knew he'd won. "How far is it chick?"

"We'll need to keep a clear path from the target to the entrance." he posited. That wouldn't be as easy as it sounded though.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

@Al: and there it was, listening in on the comms the guards sound relaxed and almost jovial, too relaxed! It's fairly subtle but they've mentioned the word 'castle' one too many times for it to be coincidence...they know you're here! So why aren't they rushing to confront you?

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

"Well stingin' nettles in my drawers," Al exclaimed as the trio quick-walked down the corridor. "They's tipped to us, people, actin' like ever'thin's all copacetic, but talkin' code 'bout us. Well screw 'em, I say. This paydata gon' git someone a step closer ta beatin' this Sybil thing, then ol' Al wants it. Ever' minute they's playin' games is a minute closer we are ta them files, so let's pick up the pace. An' anyone approaches, we shoot first, ask questions later."

He keyed the mic on their own transceiver net: <<Peaches honey, they's onto us, playin' cool to set us up. It ain't jist yer mark - whole sec force is in on it. Break free an' make yer way back to us - we's bee-linin' fer the paydata.>>

Moving along in a position on the other side of LeFey from Jan, the better to shield her, Al asked, "Code word 'castle' mean anythin to ya?"

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Waiting for LeFey's answer, Al wasn't sure what he was hoping for. Things would be a lot simpler if 'castle' was just the local codeword for shit in the fan. But given her earlier hints about some sort of other trouble, he thought he'd better ask.

She was a good kid, and knew her stuff, but he still couldn't shake the feeling she never said all she knew.

Well, in this business, you couldn't blame a body for keeping their cards close to the chest.

Couldn't blame them for wanting to stay alive either. And here he was jumping in deeper when they knew it was some sort of trap.

Well, that's what you did with your back to the wall - jump down the other feller's throat.

Anyhow, with the voodoo gods as his backers and Dog as his coach, he was feeling well nigh invincible these days. But then, he'd always felt invincible, since as far back as he could recollect.

But the others - Peaches, LeFey, Jan - their skins were at stake too.

Well, nothing for it, they needed those files. This Sybill thing had to be snuffed out, or it'd be coming for all of them sooner or later anyway, and he knew he'd rather be dead than have some computerized abomination steal his soul.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

"Couple minutes from here, I'd say." She retraces her steps, drawing the taser that was her only weapon. "Castle, huh?" LeFey had plenty of educated guesses. Emphasis on "guess". A chess metaphor in which their target was the king and moved to a secure position, for example. If Al preferred a worst case scenario, the datafarm was the castle. Which they were about to write off as a loss, along with everyone and everything still inside.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

@Al, Jan & LeFey:

It's all beginning to kick off now...you hustle to the air lock and back through into the data farm. The archive room is just up ahead...easy, right...??!

@Ali:

While your unfortunate Mr Douglas tries vainly to engage you in muted conversation you are aware that the two guards waiting outside seem to be having an argument between themselves...if you had to hazard a guess you'd probably think they were deciding whether they could take you down, presumably against orders / protocols...

@PsyOp:

From your monitoring position outside the data farm you have all too clear a view of the NeoNet HTR team that pull into the parking lot. They are met by one of the managers and a sec officer at the main entrance and there is clearly a discussion going on about the best way to isolate your team and take them down...

When his fixer Bengi'd called letting him know he finally had real work for him he'd been excited, he'd been nervous, but he was eager to finally be doing something other than hiding out in his little apartment, messing with his sprites.

So now he monitored the comm traffic between the rest of the team, keeping eyes out for any action happening outside the datafarm, his bike idling underneath him as he hid in an alleyway. And action was what he got, the NeoNet team's icons showing up in on the grid throwing him into action.

<<@all: Whatever Castle means, it can't be good. NeoNet HTR is here and meeting with security, I would suggest getting out of here fast.>>

With that he set to work, beginning a compile on a machine sprite while tagging the HTR team in AR and linking it to the rest of the crew.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

<<Roger roger, kid. We's still eyes onna prize in here. Extendin' marks on my 'link. Track us and find our best exit, somewhere away from the HRT and preferably with wheels you kin boost fer us. An' if'n ya kin do all that an' still find a way ta slow the sumbitches down, well, then ya git a gold star.>>

Then Al spoke to Jan and LeFey. "So, it ain't that in-house is settin' up on us, it's that in-house is pussies and waited on the big guns. That means we got a clear shot to the dingus - let's git there afore the bad guys git stacked up outside. Lead the way girl."

And with that, he broke into a dead run behind LeFey, praying Peaches was on her way to them.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Ali’s mouth compressed into a tight line as she took in the various feeds of information and tried to process it all and determine what was the greatest threat as well as just what angle Mr. Douglas was attempting to play. As the mood in the data farm shifted, the guards getting more agitated, she decided to play along with Mr. Douglas’ game and try to determine just who was feeding him the information against her and her team. Her demeanor shifted into one that fit better one's perception of a "runner" and she pitched her voice down to a whisper meant only for his ears as studied the guards and tried to pick up pieces of their heated conversation.

“You want to save your ass, I can respect that. But just how do you plan on helping me?”

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Rushing throught the data farm toward their goal, mind turning on the tactical pickle they were in, Al's mind was awash with the massive dollops of energy surrounding them. Electrical energy hummed through everything. That, in turn, was generating so much thermal energy that have the place was devoted just to bleeding it off to barely-safe levels through coolants - a delicate balance he'd love to interrupt. And most would have overlooked the potential gravitational energy stored in the roof - a strong enough tug, well, a few metric tons per meter, but why quibble? - and all that would come down on, well, someone's head.

All that energy, all held just in check, all around them.

He just had to figure out the best way to turn it loose.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Psy gave a slight sigh of relief as the sprite materialized before him, the small scramble of vaguely humanoid data looking back at him. He hadn't managed to pull one for long, but the little guy would be a big help if he chose the right place for him. Looking out then over the matrix between him and the rest of the team, he spotted the icon for an airlock that might be able to buy them some time. He reached into himself then with a small breath, trying to picture strings rising from the icon before it slipped from his thoughts. He gave his head a virtual shake to clear it, first job jitters getting to him a bit more than he'd thought they would as he got ready to give it another shot, keeping an eye out for something the team could use to escape once outside.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Looking around for a way to use the power in this place against its masters, Al's eyes spotted the feed for a gas-based fire suppression system. Shazam!

<<Hey kid, can you git yer techno-mitts on they fire system? If I know my feeder configurations, they usin' one o' them new BTM variants, tree huggers be damned. It'll blow out opaque and toxic, jist what we need ta ruin the SWAT-ninjas' day. Once Peaches gits her little tush back with us, here's what I'm thinkin'…>> And the little man laid out the parameters he'd envisioned for a rolling activation that would keep his people in the clear but be constantly in the face of their foes.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]


Psy concentrated again, focusing on the airlock again. This time he felt a connection with the door now, not a strong one, but enough to get something quick out of it. Deciding the best course of action was to lock it as soon as the group was ready to move, he acknowledged Al's request. <<I'll see what I can do, blocking that door took a bit out of me...>> he sent back, looking to this fire alarm system. He focused again, preparing to send false signals to the system, telling it it needs to deploy the gas suppression.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

She stops in front of the data storage, jiggling a lock experimentally. Of course they were secure. "Would you mind?" LeFey asked her teammates. "I'm not much of a locksmith." She smirks briefly. "Or equipped with a crowbar. We don't have time for finesse."

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

@Ali:
"I...err...I have all the building codes...you want to get out right? Or whatever it is you came here for...I can help you get it...bypass security...?"

And it is at this point that the guards clearly decide that one unarmed female shadowrunner is no match for their brave defence of corp property as they enter the room reaching for their sidearms

"Don't move!"

@Datafarm team:

With your outside hacker taking on the spoofing part of your plan you can turn your attentions to the hard drives themselves...and there are literally hundreds in this archive room, each containing nuggets of wonderful paydata...you can't take them all in the timeframe so either LeFey is going to have to get back inside and face Winter or someone is going to have to trawl through the much slower paced AR interface...unless there was someone who knew the system of course...?


@PsyOps

The host is about what you'd expect from something on the Neonetwork grid...flash and chrome cityscapes viewed from inside a plush corporate tower. You can feel the pulse of the data as it flashes through the system, even with the majority of their operations moved elsewhere this place still hums. At the risk of a little OS you are able to gain control of the airlock, at least for now, and the wisps of Resonance at your disposal begin to infiltrate the suppression system...

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Ali immediately went stock still at the security guards demand, already gauging that they were about as useful as rent-a-cops and likely with an itchy trigger finger on whatever weapons they might be carrying. She pitched her voice low enough for just Mr. Douglas' ears as her body made the universal signs of surrender.

"If you want to help, help my team get what they came for, in the datafarm."

Ever so slowly and with body language that made her appear to be frightened and confused she turned towards the guards.

"Please," she pleaded. "There must be some kind of misunderstanding. I'm not sure what exactly you think I've done, but I assure you I'm just here on business."

While she waited for the guards response she fired off a message to the team with hopes that Mr. Douglas would actually at least attempt to make good on his offer.

<<@all: I'm sending you a key. Keep an eye on him, I'm still not sure what angle he's playing or whose side he's on outside of his own.>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

PsyOp's last comment about the door proving a challenge did not inspire much confidence in his ability to pull off Al's plan with the fire suppression system. He grabbed two masks from a nearby cabinet and handed them to Jan and LeFey - "Cookin' up a little suprise for our incomin' friends. Ain't supposed ta hit us'n, but keep these close jist in case."

They had arrived at the hard drives, but of course they were all locked up. "Yeah, ol' Al kin git that open fer ya," he said, answering the young she-hacker, "but are ya sure this'n's the one ya want?" he asked, his gaze expanding to take in the huge array of racks surrounding them.

Before she could answer, he got Peaches' message. He wasn't sure what she meant by a key, but it seemed clear she wasn't free to explain. So he kept his channels open and prayed she was taking care of herself.

Then, since worrying wouldn't do any good, he started looking at the locks.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]


Psy started to grin as he finally got a hold on not only the door, but also the suppression systems in the complex. <<Alright, I'm all set on my end when you're all ready to move. I'm going to look for a ride near your exit point that you can borrow.>> With that he took a look out across the grid outside the host, looking for the icon of something that could carry the other four people on the team out of there. He cast a glance over at the icons for the HTR team, focusing a bit to see if he could spot if the response team had a matrix specialist of their own backing them up, or even a rigger among them.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

The more Al looked at the locks, the more locks he realized there were.

Damn this was a hell of a lot of hard drives.

Well, maybe that was why they called it a data farm. Freaking genius, baby.

It was clear he was still getting the hang of this shadowrun business.

And he'd better get his head around it quick - he was getting more stressed with every passing second he didn't know what was happening with Peaches, not to mention the fact that the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up straighter with each jackbooted step he could feel the HRT team taking towards their position.

Best thing to do was to help the computer types find the damned Sybil files they were after. He pulled out his commlink and accessed the archive icon for the closest data rack on his screen. Yeah, he could do it faster in AR, but he also needed to keep his dinner in his stomach and his world from spinning in circles.

Damn this was a hell of a lot of hard drives.

Jan
[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Jan took a knee and braced his rifle to cover the corridor back to their exit. He tried to use the doorway as cover, but it barely covered an arm and shoulder. He'd hope to be firing first though.

"How far in to the facility is she?" Jan asked Al of Peaches. "Not got long to make it back here."

Jan watched Al out of the corner of his eye. He knew he would be getting antsy and might have to be kept on-task, possibly forcibly. It was always fun working with people new to the shadows....

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Al glanced up from the archive search he was carrying out on his commlink's tiny screen. "Karl Brackhaven in a dress, how'm I s'posed ta know? I was hopin' LeFey knew. Just keep yer eyes open fer that 'key' she says she sent us, cuz if'n it's some sorta help, we sure could all use it!"

He put his eyes back on the screen, afraid Jan could read them and no sure what he might see there. Girl was in a pickle, no doubt. "Don't worry, I won't go after her till the job's done," he added.

But his body language made Jan wonder.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Then Al’s commlink screen seemed to come alive, and he realized LeFey was seizing several dozen of the files his searches had coaxed to the top of the heap. Within seconds she was pointing, there, there, and there.

And Al got to work. Each bank of drives was protected by an iron grill secured by a thick carbide padlock. Then, behind the grill, each individual drive was behind a steel door guarded by a keypad. A glance at the padlocks told Al they weren’t going to be cut. Fortunately, two of the three drives LeFey had identified were behind the same grill, so he played the odds, took out his picks and got to work.

He had the tension wrench in and was going for the first pin when he started speaking, half-spent cigarette hanging limp from the corner of his mouth: <<Closin’ in onna paydata now, Peaches girl. Clock’s tickin’.>>

And then it was off, and he was throwing the grill open and attacking the housing of the first keypad. His first thought was to smash it off, but if there was an anti-tamper switch it could seal everything shut on a time-lock and they’d be screwed. Tools a blur, he spent thirteen precious seconds with the casing, then six more on the wiring.

In the distance, he could hear fire suppression gas spewing out - the SWAT ninjas were in.
Well, if the sequentially tripped gas releases didn’t buy them some time, Jan’s lead releases would.

“Voila,” he said, stepping aside for LeFey and moving on to the next candidate. Now that he’d seen the first one’s guts, and confirmed no anti-tamper, the next one would go down faster. The same hammer he’d used on the guard came down hard and he was in, just as LeFey shook her head regarding the first suspect drive.

He rewired the second lock’s innards and moved on, but before he had the other padlock open, he heard, “Got it!”

<<Where are we on that exit, PsyOp baby?>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Ali watched out of the corner of her eye as Mr. Douglas moved away from her and stepped closer to the rent-a-cops and had a whispered conversation that seemed to satisfy them enough to allow the manager to step away from Ali and get back to securing whatever protocols he was responsible for. Ali’s discreet gaze tracked him as he departed as he made a bee-line towards the server farm and most importantly bypasses the locked door between the Admin building and the data control floor before he headed towards her team. A slight smile turned up the corner of her lips as she continued to play the guards into her hands, which were still held up in a sign of submission.

“Gentlemen,” She chided softly, “I think there has been a grave misunderstanding here.”

She slowly slipped the oversized purse from her arm and gently placed it on the floor in front of her, nudging it forward with her foot towards the guards in a silent invitation to search it. One guard kneeled to look at and then through the bag, the other kept his gaze fixed on her, though his brow raised almost imperceptibly in question.

“I’m not quite sure what is going on here, but if this is how you treat prospective multi-million nuyen clients, perhaps I misjudged NeoNet’s reputation and should begin considering my other options.”

The guard who had pawed through her bag stood back up and nodded to his partner, “The bag’s clean.”

The second guard’s eyes wide for a moment as her unveiled threat sank into the guard’s head and the possible loss of her business could have a large effect on his job, he seemed to be second guessing whatever orders he had been given and lowered his weapon, keeping it at the ready however by his side. Ali took his momentary hesitation as her opening and continued her story weaving.

“Let me guess gentlemen, your security team received an anonymous message that myself and my technical specialist were not what we seemed. That we were some kind of threat to the integrity of the datacenter itself?” She watched the second guard carefully for his tells, confirming that her vague story was resonating with him with enough veracity that he was seeing her as less than a threat.

“My competition would do anything to tarnish my reputation, to damage my essential contracts and stall my business deals. Do you see where I’m going with this gentlemen or do I have to spell it out for you? This isn’t the first time he’s tried this tactic, and I doubt it will be his last. Do what you have to do, but save us the trouble and you the embarrassment of continuing this charade any longer.”

The first guard coughed uncomfortably as he closed the distance between him and Ali as the second guard rubbed his hand over the back of his neck nervously.

“Miss, I’ll… uh... have to check your person for any weapons or devices.”

He was suddenly so nervous, Ali was convinced she could detect a faint blush staining his cheeks. Her voice slipped back into ‘haughty executive’ again and she scolded the nervous guard before her.

“Like I said, do what you have to do. When you find nothing, can we then move on and you can stop treating me like a common criminal and you can let me get back to work and Mr. Douglas can spend the next few days attempting to earn my business back?”

Ali held up her hands and gave the guard full access to pat down her body, sighing appropriately when the guard’s hands moved over her hips and small of her back and the way he trembled nervously as he seemed to forget just what he was trained to do as he leaned into her and the smell of her expensive perfume enveloped him. All the better for Ali’s plans to have these two escort her out of the facility in the next few minutes.

“She’s clean.” The first guard’s voice trembled with a bit of unintended vibrato as he glanced back at his partner who was beginning to trip over himself with apologies.

“We’re terribly sorry Miss…” He hesitated as he checked her credentials Miss J had provided, “Miss Printemps. If you’d be so kind to follow us out this way, we’ll get you out of here in an expedited manner.”

Ali straightened her suit jacket and let it settle around her shoulders again before nodding her acceptance, though the traces of anger and disgust at the guard’s little display of power were written all over her face.

“Very well. I trust Mr. Douglas will escort my colleague out of the building as well?”

“We’ll see to it Miss Printemps.”

Ali began to follow the lead of the two guards as they started to escort her towards the exit of the Admin building and with any luck, out to the parking lot where she would rendezvous with her team shortly.

<<@all: Looks like I’ve got my ticket out of here. Hope you have what we came for. Get out when you can.>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

PsyOp checked to make sure his sprite was still where he left it, just in case, his virtual eyes settling on that HTR team.

Taking a look out back on the Matrix, Psy saw the cars parked outside and zeroed in on a large step van. He concentrated, feeling his connection to the device deepening, seeing the owner's data and superimposing Al's own info over it for the time being.

<<Al, I've marked a van in AR for you guys, that's your ride, it'll start up when you guys get close to it.>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Everything was coming up roses.

First, LeFey's announcement that she had the dingus, followed by Peaches saying she was on her way out, then the computer kid's location of their ride.

Of course, good news in quick succession was the way Al rolled, and he wasted no time in congratulating himself for it.

Boxes all ticked, it was time to go.

<<So point the way to the door, kid, ol' Al's gettin' thirsty.>>

In about twenty minutes, he'd be relaxing with a cold one and deciding which bar girl to sexually harrass.

Because at this point, what could possibly go wrong?

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

As his reply, a trail appeared in AR for the rest of the crew, arrows pointing the way to their get away van.

<<I'll keep an eye on the HTR guys just in case they get too close>>

He checked his gun's icon as he said that, pulling data from his Smart gun system, making sure it was loaded and ready to go, then another check over his bike's icon; couldn't be too careful this close to the end.

Jan
[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Jan heard about the arrows, but had no way of seeing them. He wasn't bothered. Such things were a distraction. Following the path of the team he never took his eyes from the iron sights, the barrel of his rifle sweeping left and right across the corridor as they made their exit.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

PsyOp's promise to keep tabs on the fast approaching HRT was a welcome assist, but not what Al had been looking to hear. He was about to repeat his request for an exfil route when his crappy little comm vibrated a certain way - the way he'd set it to let him know when people directed AR messaging through it at him.

He accessed the data on the screen, but the AROs apparently stretched out of his line-of-sight, and the tiny flat screen had no effective way to translate an overview into 2D. Muttering something like "lousy kids an' they ay-ar infatuation" loud enough for Jan to hear but quiet enough for LeFey to miss, he activated the wifi on his eyes and took the plunge.

Everything spun - the world was expanding and contracting erratically in four or five dimensions, and he quickly converted the data to a bird's-eye overlay and memorized the route before he lost his lunch. He toggled his eyes back to wifi-black and had to grab a nearby post to keep his balance as the world righted itself.

"Alrighty folks, we got our exit. Thissa way."

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

@Ali:

As you congratulate yourself on a good con you are escorted down the stairs and back towards the exit from admin. The HTR team rush past and you have a moment to hold your breath before they go past... then your heart skips as one of the dark clad goons turns back to you

"Hold it!"

"It's ok, she's clean, we're just escorting her..." your sheepish escort respond

"Not on my watch. I decide if she's good to go..."

And then thankfully his overly chiselled face gets the telltale look of someone receiving an AR feed and he turns and jogs off after his team and towards your friends...

@Al, Jan, LeFey:

You begin your hasty retreat with the spoils safely tucked away for later analysis. Behind you the suppression system erupts into action, viciously blasting the non existent flames with an icy cold mist...the way to the exit appears clean and the final door lock blinks invitingly green...

@PsyOp:

The HTR team are inside, all behind your team as they make the bid for the exit...except one, who climbs out of their vehicle and begins to set up an aerial pursuit drone...it would seem they've dealt with slippery runners before and aren't about to let their marks get away clean...

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

...invitingly green...

Al held up a hand.

Glanced back, listening as the discharges of fire suppressant grew steadily closer.

But there was always time to take one calm breath.

One last glance around...

<<Psy buddy, this here open door, that's you, right?>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

<<Yeah Al head on through fast. You're looking for the red step van>>

The van indicated would be a brief jog from the door, the dark red van fairly nondescript; except for the 1980's album cover splash across the side.

Meanwhile he spotted that rigger getting ready, taking a look out to see if they had a decker supporting them as well.

Jan
[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

"This has been far too easy" Jan thought, mostly to himself before realising he'd said it out loud. He was walking backwards now, anticipating any of the HTR breaking the cloud cover and catching a slug to the face. He paused when they reached the door and crouched on his haunches, scanning behind them. He considered a burst into the thick mist to keep them at bay, but the HTR team didn't know their location for sure, and the last thing they needed was return fire.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

"Second that, Cochise," Al answered. But there was nothing for it, they had to trust their matrix support. Besides, too easy for some folks was simply a way of life for Al. Just blessed that way, he reckoned. He took a breath and, shotgun ready, was first through the door.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Just like the kid said, the coast looked clear. And he could see the red van with the weird art work not far off. As they trotted over, the expected ambush of withering automatic weapons fire failed to materialize. Al assumed - correctly, it turned out - that PsyOp had taken care of the locks, opened the driver's door and climbed in. As he started the engine, there were so many things he wanted to congratulate himself about, he hardly knew where to start.

<<Where you at, Peaches? You need a pick-up, or you gon' make the rally point on yer own?>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

She manages a smile. "Unless you feel like indulging your paranoia in a big way, I think we should keep going." LeFey follows Al inside the van. "That said, here's something to think about later." She glances at the hard drive. "We're doing someone else's work for them. Aside from Ms. Johnson, I mean. Someone else is helping to make our exit easy so they can ambush us and grab the data before we can deliver it." She looks around for anyone following them. "Don't take it too seriously. I got the idea from an old video game."

Whatever the case, a spare hand on the digital side of things couldn't hurt. <PsyOp, may I have access to the van?>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

<<For now you guys should be able to work it Peaches; it thinks Al is whoever owns it for the time being. Do as you like with it, though we're gonna have a few friends of our own to deal with soon, especially if my sprite friend doesn't handle the drone head.>>

Psy shook his head to clear it again; he'd tried to pull a bigger sprite out of the Resonance now that he'd found something for the first one to do before it faded back in, but the little bugger hadn't really taken a liking to him. Eyes out for the two deckers out there he weighed his options, ready to thread a form or try to compile another sprite; hopefully with better luck this time.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

The three of them on board, Al put the red van in motion.

He'd noticed as they got in that whatever hippy owned the thing had painted it with a naked man and a pentagram - just about his two least favorite images in the whole world. Not a good sign. But he didn't reckon beggars could be choosers. Not all the time, anyway.

LeFey was even smarter than she was cute, and he took her idea about an ambush seriously. No beer till they were good and safe. First thing he needed to do was get out onto the main road that led to the freeway, and then straight for the Barrens. But while it might not be the most direct way out to the road, he figured it couldn't hurt to casually drive by the front of the place...he hadn't heard back from Peaches on whether she needed a lift out, and he wanted to put his eyes on her before they got truly the hell and away.

[[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Ali breathed a sigh of relief as the HRT team member was diverted away from holding her any longer, she wasn't was confident that she would be able to talk her way out of their detainment as it was with tweedle dee and tweedle dumb currently escorting her towards the car she and LeFey had arrived in.

<<@all: I will make the rally point on my own, exiting in the car we came in and will ditch it before meeting up. Are you all clear?>>

She stopped beside the non-descript sedan they had arrived in less than an hour earlier. The doors unlocked as the fob in her pocket connected with the vehicle a moment before she opened the driver's side.

"Thank you gentlemen for your assistance, I'm truly sorry for any trouble I've caused you by trying to bring NeoNet my business."

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Al watched his niece - well, he thought of her that way - in his side mirror from a hundred meters away. Once she was in her car he pulled out into the street.

<<Yup, we's out - fer the nonce, anyway. We'll take route A, parallel us on route B. We'll stay outta sight but in strikin' distance o' one another. See ya inna Z-zone.>>

Settling into the unfamiliar seat, Al congratulated himself on the wisdom and foresight to pre-plan their routes.

He lit his first cigarette in about seventeen long minutes and kept his eyes peeled for trouble as he headed east for a very dark part of Puyallup. They think about making delivery once they knew they were clean.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, Heading east away from NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

As PsyOp works his brand of digital magic on the HTR team’s matrix users you congratulate yourselves on waltzing out of the building under the very noses of a professional team of corporate killers. If you’d been running the show no doubt Ali would have been stopped and interrogated, you wouldn’t have made it to the van unmolested and there would currently be some kind of tail at the very least. As far as you can tell though there isn’t a suspicious presence following you and as soon as you dump the van there won’t be any RFID tags to follow…

A call in to Miss J later…

<<@Team [eTher]: You have the data? Excellent. I would propose a virtual meet but I understand from Silk that Master Guthrie finds the experience uncomfortable. I am flying in to Seattle tomorrow morning and I would be willing to meet you then if you would prefer?>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, Heading away from NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

Al interjected his gravel-laced voice into the conversation: <<No, I do not think we would prefer. Master Guthrie will be jist damned fine. Happy ta lose a few cookies if'n it means unloadin' this paydata a day quicker. 'Sides, you go virtual, we got folks fer that. Ol' Al, well, someone's gotta stay back an' watch the meat bags anyhoo, right?>>

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, Heading away from NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]

He gave a nod over to Al, smiling a bit. He'd be happy for a chance to do the meet over the Matrix and let him forget a bit the soreness in his head from his powers acting up on him during the run. He relaxed a bit against the van, looking out at the AR view of Puyallup, and getting a good look at his fellow runners for the first time.

[Sunday September 29th, 2075, Heading away from NeoNet Datafarm, Fort Lewis, Seattle]


<<@Team [eTher]: Very well Master Guthrie, then I will leave you and your team to suggest a virtual meeting location or we can use the Citadel gaming host again if that is satisfactory?>>