It's not really a problem...by the time I roll down the window at the guard post, I'm out of VR and by the time the window rolls back up after talking to the guard I'm in VR...it's not like the Matrix where you have to literally plug me in. Remember, most cars are fully tinted to avoid spellcasting into them so it's not like they'll see me while I'm out.

Having thought about this, here is my take:

Not trying to offend anyone with the comparison, but it is the best analogy I can think of:

Imagine this were the 1950s or early 60s in the south, and Huiquing was a rich white man arriving at his son's expensive boarding school with two African Americans with him. The security at the gate would probably be VERY suspicious, and if the white guy showed any signs of duress at all would probably arrest everyone very quickly.

However, if the white guy seemed to be fine, they would probably check IDs, and if anything came up, run them in, but otherwise probably just a little harrassment.

I think the big difference here is that although the Chinese in Chinatown are prejudice, it doesn't necessarily mean that the guards at this school are, so although they may think it odd that he is with you, and they might run your IDs just in case, they won't necessarily just arrest you because you are an ork, or jump to the conclusion that something is very wrong because a Chinese guy is with an ork. Who knows, he might be tolerant.

So, upon further thought, it may be a good idea for it to just be Sisco and Huiquing, otherwise you do run the risk of having someone run your ID. After all, if the guards ask for it Huiquing doesn't really have a good reason to tell them that they CAN'T check out your SIN.

I sort of meant were you going to stay in VR while you were talking to the guards. I understand that you are only going to be in it before and after you speak to them.

OK, I'm still going to change into my suit. It matches the environment better.

ASDF = 3, 6, 5, 5

Virtual Machine
Stealth
Signal Scrub
Baby Monitor

(Definitely should purchase Track at some point)

Datajack is wireless

Ok, so your Noise Reduction is 3 (Signal Scrub 2, Datajack is 1 more).

Noise is this area is base 2.

First thing is to hack onto the local grid - I'm assuming hot sim and running silent (I really have to remember to ask you each time about that) - which cancel each other out.
So 12 dice base, -2 for Public Grid, -2 for Noise, reduced to 1 die penalty.

11d6: 40 [11d6=1, 5, 6, 1, 1, 6, 2, 5, 5, 4, 4] = 5 hits

Local grid resists
4d6: 10 [4d6=3, 2, 1, 4]=0 hits

So you successfully hack onto the local grid.

You enter it, and lose the -2 penalty for being on the Public Grid.

Now to hack onto the host:

12 dice (and your Noise Reduction cancels the penalty)
12d6: 49 [12d6=4, 5, 3, 2, 4, 2, 6, 5, 5, 2, 6, 5]=6 hits

It resists with Host Rating + Firewall
13d6: 55 [13d6=2, 6, 3, 6, 6, 5, 4, 4, 6, 1, 5, 2, 5]=7 hits - Ouch.

Edge? You have 1 left at this time.

Ugh. Let's do it. Spend the last point.

Ok - so, rerolling failures:

6d6: 23 [6d6=4, 3, 3, 6, 2, 5]= 2 hits, so barely enough, but enough.

Ok, you are now in the Host, OS=7

What are you looking to do inside here?

are Mel and Snap getting out when I stop to let out the flyspy?

Good point, PG. I guess we just don't try to make it out past security?

So - Huiquing is going to make the call, and Snap and Mel are getting out? That puts Sisco in the driver's seat, with Huqiuing in the passenger and Jack in the back?

Sounds right. Quick note: We got clobbered by storms and tornadoes Monday with more bad weather coming. I am mostly without power, so feel free to NPC Jack until I can get back to regular posting.

I was wondering if you were going to be okay - I have a friend who works at LSU and he sent me pictures, it looked pretty crazy.

Umm...the boss usually rides in the back...not up front with the driver and the bodyguard... at least that's how hollywood does it

If it were a limo, I would agree with you - but this is a cargo van - not sure what the seating or comfort is like back there.

Yeah, we're okay. My wife works at LSU as well, they got hit pretty good. We're just without power, but it will hopefully be back on today or tomorrow. Not as widespread as a hurricane. We did 10 days without when Gustav rolled through several years ago.

I don't have much to add right now. Snap is watching over a limp body and some boring bushes and trees.

She'll keep astral perception on throughout. It's much less boring there, with all the colors and stuff, plus her spirits are there and they can communicate telepathically.

Problem is, Mel is in hot-sim, and if she jumps out, she'd have to log back in to the host, and after spending that last point of Edge, that would really suck. She's in the host, and will continue, until someone communicates with her that she needs to jack out and climb out of the van.

Mel is going to pinpoint Bai's commlink, and start Matrix Perception'ing anything hidden. Make specific note of non-commlinks, especially weapons.

ETA: I really should read the IC posts before I post here. Carry on.

Just a heads up, today is crazy busy for me, so I might not be able to reply until late tonight.

Should I assume that you are going to continue driving to the dorm?

depends on how Huquing answers my question

I wish Huiquing had asked the guard who the other visitors were to see Bai today. I would think they would tell a parent.

OOC - That is a good question. I'm not sure what the actual privacy rules (if any) exist in real life for something like that.

@Mel,

Just an update, putting your 2 Marks on Bai's Commlink increased your OS to 11

Running a Trace on him increased it to 13.

You have his physical location (or at least the location of the commlink) - it is in the dorm.

On a side note, his persona is in the Host with you (otherwise you would not be able to see it, since you are inside the Host).

As I understand it, unless it is an institute of higher education, parents are entitled to pretty much anything related to their children.

Would Jack have stopped Sisco from driving through the gate? I don't have a problem backing up slightly if you would have.

No, not at all. It would look too suspicious.

Given Jack's last post, I will wait a bit to see if PG responds before moving forward - just to get a little more player to player interaction.

I'm just waiting to see how mel/bai interaction plays out

Ok - and Mel is waiting on you guys

Based on the view out of the window, you can tell that he is at least 9 stories up, (the building looks to be about 12 stories high) and his window is facing north.

(Your car, btw, came in through the gate and turned northeast, and then followed the road along to the parking lot just north of the building.)


You suspect that if he were to walk to the window and point the camera down, he would see your van below.

For some reason, I feel like chaos and confusion might be in our best interest, or at least a backup plan.

If we can get access to the building with Huiquing, Sisco and Jack can head in with him. At the first sign of trouble, maybe we pull the fire alarm? Not sure, hate to put anyone at risk.

Mel,

Just let me know what you want to do with regards to rummaging around the host.

First, can I tell if Bai's commlink has a relevant floorplan...maybe as part of a student orientation packet, he was given emergency evacuation maps?

If there's nothing helpful there, I'll do a search of the Host for relevant plans.

A quick search of Bai's commlink:
13d6.hits(5)=3

Reveals just a basic evacuation plan - marking a route from his room to the stairs.

Taking a moment to search the host:
13d6.hits(5)=4

Finds you the documents I put in the dropbox in the Adventure 2 folder.

Bai is in room 903 (It is a 4th floor jpg, so it is room 403 on the picture).
I've also included the ground floor. All the floors apart from the ground floor are identical to Bai's floor in structure.

It takes about 45 seconds to find the relevant data.

What is Mel's current GOD score?

It is still 13 - only Sleaze and Attack actions (along with the passage of time in 15 minute intervals) increase it. Just looking for the relevant data is a Data Processing action, and so doesn't increase it.

As I can't access Dropbox from work, I'm going to BS Mel's analysis of the plans. Forgive me (and please correct me) if she says something that doesn't make sense.

I didn't realize you couldn't access it - I emailed you the plans

I just realized we didn't get the paper delivered to us.

Planning Time: I'd say we have Bai take the stairs down one floor, then move to the other stairs on the east side of the building. We'll move up those stairs and meet him somewhere in the middle. Probably leaving at least one person at the bottom of the stairs, either Jack or Sisco, to make sure we aren't cut off.

Do'h!

The editors at the Denver Tribune will have to be sacked. Look for the next issue sometime today or tomorrow (in real life)

As per usual, I'll let you guys hash out what you want to do here, and then we can move it to IC whenever you are ready.

The ones responsible for the sacking of those who have been sacked, have also been sacked. Due to all this sacking, the new, new, editors have provided the new document for you in the dropbox.

there's only two of us....we can't let huiquing by himself...they may nab him while we are getting his son.
either one of us stays with him in the van (Sisco is the natural choice here), he has to come with us or Sisco stays in AR and drives the van around campus while we do the extraction.

I figure we'd park, leave the van running, and all three of us go inside. We'll probably need Huiquing to gain access to the dorm. Then either return him to the van with one of us (Sisco seems like the likely choice) or stay in the lobby while one of us goes upstairs to get Bai. The danger with hanging in the lobby is if the guys gunning for Huiquing are there. We don't want our meal ticket geeked.

I vote for stay in the lobby near the stairwell that Jack goes up.

Mel hasn't done anything significant to cheese off the Host, so she can keep a virtual eye on Bai as well as continue to feed camera views to the rest of the group.

So - to make sure I understand the plan:

Sisco parks the van, and all three of you enter the dorm. Jack moves to the east stairwell and heads up, while Bai exits his room and heads down the west stairwell to floor 8, then cuts across and continues down those stairs.

Huiquing and Sisco stay in the lobby, Mel provides Matrix overwatch.

Since you have (barring interference) control over when Bai leaves, is it your intention to meet him at floor 8 and escort him down, or meet somewhere in the middle?

That sounds about right. I guess meeting Bai at Floor 8 would be ideal. With that said, do we still have the Fly-Spy hacked and running? It would be nice to send it up the west stairwell to see if there are any suspicious people lurking around.

I need to buy myself a fly-spy or flying eye for the next mission.

Yes, you do have it still ready - It is currently flying over the campus. You can bring it down and have it come in with you if you wish. Assuming I don't hear anything to the contrary, I'll have an IC post up in an hour or so.

Ok - IC post up - if you could just post what you guys are actually bringing into the dorm, I would appreciate it.

Also, if anyone wants to post anything in IC, please feel free

I think I'm just going to bring the Hold-Out loaded with S&S. I need to see how many rounds I have though. Will check this afternoon and get an IC post up.