Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:21 PM, September 11, 2075

<<@Team [Melpomene] Thank you, Jack. I'm seeing three maglocks and one sensor suite in the room. I can't spend much longer here...even with the codes, GOD is watching me for my transgressions, successful as they may be. I'll get you as much intel as I can, but I don't want to spook the target before you ever set foot on the premises. >>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:21 PM, September 11, 2075

Jack responded quickly. He didn't quite understand what GOD was, but it certainly didn't sound good.

<<@Team [JustJack] Sounds good, Mel. I think the goal here is to figure out what we're going up against. The last bit of information we're going to need for the artifact room is what type of sensor suite is in there. Maglocks are maglocks, but that sensor suite could be anything. Once you get that, clear out. Are you going to be able to get in again?>>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:21 PM, September 11, 2075

<<@Team [Melpomene] Sensor suite in the Artifact Room is equipped with ultrasonic, motion detect, O-D mic, as well as a camera with thermo and low light. Alright, I'm out. I didn't pique any interest from the locals, so the codes Chapel gave us are pristine. No problem getting back in. See you on the meat-side.>>

Straightening her suit one more time, Mel took one last look, then typed the relevant codes into her dataslate. Her viewpoint switched as she reverted from VR to AR.

Mel's eyes fluttered open as she watched the link stats roll past her integral image link. She eased out of the Matrix and sat up. She looked down and straightened her jumpsuit, smiling. She looked up at Jack and Snap. "That host was much too friggin' corporate. Somebody likes order a bit too much." Leaning forward, she peered out the window.

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:21 PM, September 11, 2075

Once again, Snap searches for an ancient soul to force into temporary servitude. She was always respectful with the astral beings, treating them as more than mere servants, but at the same time, she needed immediate and complete obedience from them, or else she'd lose her grip. Knowing that spirits can sometimes grow annoyed with ungrateful summoners, she chose to make an offering this time, to show her appreciation and good will towards them. She would likely have to summon even more of them this very night.

Her efforts were quickly rewarded, and a spirit in the shape of an over-sized child appeared to her in the astral plane. "I appreciate your gift, mistress. How may I be of service to you?"

The shaman wanted to go deeper into the scouting of the house, and asked the spirit to explore what the previous one couldn't reach. "Inside the large house on this property is a ward, supposedly sealing off the second floor. I want you to try to pass through that ward without breaking it, and report about what you find inside of it. Assense the space there, and all auras that may be present. Avoid detection if you can. Your help means a lot to me, now go and good luck!"

With that Snap watched as the spirit flew away and disappeared behind the high walls.

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:23 PM, September 11, 2075

As Jack and Snap conducted their recon, Mel listened in. She caught snippets of data from the drones feeding back to Jack. He looked over his shoulder to her.

"Mel, can you ID the two cameras at the entrances to the house?"

Mel nodded. "Yeah, no prob. Gimmee forty seconds."

She sat back in the cushioned chair and blink-clicked her datajack, hot-simming back in. With the codes, she entered the building again. She immediately started sifting through the camera icons, narrowed them down, then ID'ed them.

<<@Team [Melpomene] ARO feeds coming in...here are your two cameras.>>

Over AR, there are two camera feeds...one with the angle of the east entrance, one from the garage.

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:23 PM, September 11, 2075

The large child communicates with his summoner, a bit sheepishly. "I didn't manage to go through the ward, even if I gave it my best. Good luck and farewell."

Well that's too bad. He was a happy fellow though, maybe I should offer gifts more often, I'll get better service. Snap smiled at the pun in her internal monologue.

<<@Team [Snap] I got a couple of spirits to scout the house in astral space for me. I don't have much to report back about it. There's 2 people on the ground floor and 6 in the basement of the house. The second floor is entirely warded, a pretty strong ward I'm guessing, though I won't have any problem crossing it myself.>>

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 10:25 PM, September 11, 2075

The dwarf scratches his chin. "The cases I can do, but as far as fireworks go- that's not something I can arrange tonight. I just sold my last set earlier tonight, no new shipment for a few days."

The elf shrugs. "Well, whatever you can do. The faster the better. I'll let you work." Stone nods, and takes a call, turning away from Grease and tipping his finger against his hat.

Well, that's no good. I can almost buy those things myself. Might as well let the rest of them know..

<<@Team [Grease]: No dice on any firecrackers. We should have decent transport for items in a few hours. Not much decent skuttlebutt as far as I can tell; mostly that the Triads are having some internal conflict, between the White Lotus and the Golden Triangle. That, and the cops are playing it straight for the time being since they just got a new boss; something to keep in mind in case we need to bribe anyone. I'll keep working here; let me know if there's anything in particular you want me to ask about. I can pretty much get these guys to tell me their SIN if I buy a few more rounds.>>

Sighing, he turned his smile back on as he reapproached the bar.

Unappreciated in my time..

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:25 PM, September 11, 2075

<<@Team [Melpomene] Do we need more than three flash-bangs? I currently have three on my lap right now, along with three flash-paks.>>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:26 PM, September 11, 2075

Jack considered the floor plans as well as the camera feeds Mel managed to hack. Staring at the AROs of the floor plans for a minute or two, Jack made two copies of the map and edited the two files, creating two potential plans. Chuckling as Mel's message came through, Jack replied and attached the AROs.

<<@Team [JustJack] In my experience, you can never have enough Flash-Bangs. With that said, I've attached two files to this message with possible plans for this job. Plan A is pretty straight forward but is probably the most obvious. Plan B involves a little climbing, but the only time we'd go inside the house is to enter the room with our targets. Thoughts?>>

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 10:25 PM, September 11, 2075

Pretending to listen intently to a conversation he wished he could end, Grease nodded like a parrot at the patrons of the bar who were telling him, 'Why yes, they did have a few opinions on small Government...'

<<@Team [Grease] My 2 ; I like plan B better. Their security is going to be setup for ground level threats, and they think their wide-open green spaces are going to stop anyone from sneaking up on the place. Snap can get you to sneak up without being seen easily. Plus, there's a camera on the room you're thinking of entering- probably easier to hack a camera than a maglock. Maglocks tend to log when people have used them; the fewer doors we can avoid going through, the better. Even if we have Mr. H's commcode, he doesn't have any reason being in the artifact room at 4 AM; that might trigger an alert all on it's own.>>

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 10:25 PM, September 11, 2075

Snap wasn't the best planner out there but she wanted to contribute something. So she tried visualizing how things could go down as she was looking at the two options laid out in AR. She imagined sneakiing up to the house like Grease was suggesting, and then having someone climb up and retrieve the precious objects, but one thing worried her. What would be the exit strategy when the drek hits the fan?

<<@Team [Snap] I don't mind either plan. Grease, I like what you're saying, that they won't expect someone coming in straight at the second floor. What I have trouble figuring out is what we'll do once we get found out. If there's an alarm, a firefight, guns blazing, and we have to get the frag out. How do we do that? It's really far from the road, and my spirits can't make any of us fly, sadly.>>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:26 PM, September 11, 2075

Jack pondered their dilemma. He wasn't really sure about the suggestion that he go in alone. It had worked fine at the Free Zone Couriers depot, but the area had been relatively small and they had only faced two poorly trained guards. Huiquing's estate was massive and they knew there were many more guards.

<<@Team [JustJack] Alright, so whether we go with A or B probably doesn't matter just at the moment. Like Snap said, we still need to figure out how we're getting to and from the building across the open ground. Invisibility worked pretty well last time, we could probably do that again, especially if we tack on Matrix support. Those spells don't work on a lot of sensors, right? As far as huyendo when the drek hits the fan, does anyone have smoke grenades? We could set a few for remote detonating on our way to the house. If we don't have to use them, we can gather them on our way back.>>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:26 PM, September 11, 2075

Snap was worried for her friend. Are we about to send Jack on this crazy run all by himself!?

<<@Team [Snap] Yeah my illusions don't affect cameras and drones at all, just the minds of living onlookers. I think I should come along with Jack, though if we go into the house together, we need to use Plan A, because I don't think I can climb quickly up and down a vertical wall. >>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:26 PM, September 11, 2075

<<@Team [Melpomene] don't think Jack should go in alone either. The muscle is too big...something goes awry and Jack is dead. Also, Grease, it's easier to spoof a maglock than a camera. The camera is ALWAYS looking...you have to time your interference so what you don't want the cam to see is past in three seconds. Maglocks are just on/off. Just reset it, it opens, then it locks, and doesn't know what happened.

My opinion...Plan A with Jack and Snap (along with one or more spirits) go in. I stay in the car running the Matrix, Grease in the car as emergency backup in case.>>

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 10:26 PM, September 11, 2075

Feeling isolated from the rest of the group, Grease tried to contribute more to the plan.

<<@Team [Grease]: I'll defer to you on all the matrix stuff Mel. So if Snap's spell doesn't effect living things, can we sneak up effectively on the house? It'll be dark, but we probably have to assume they have IR sensors. If Mel can hack a hole in their external camera net we can sneak up across the grounds. I'm not there so I'll go with what y'all are seeing.

Could Rhex get in? I could park him on the other side of the complex in case we need a loud distraction while we're bugging out. I could come along to try and boost a ride, but that's not my area of expertise. We really need to try to keep this quiet; our hired van isn't on board with a combat exit; at least not for what we're paying him. Maybe the three of us go, with Mel as matrix support in VR? I can't lift much but I can point a gun.

Could we combine the two plans? Maybe have Snap and me go in downstairs while Jack climbs up? I don't know if that's spreading Mel too thin. Or I could VR Rhex from the van with Mel for maximum fire support. I just won't be as quiet, and stairs can be an issue. We could come up with a saddlebag solution on Rhex to transport the goods in a hurry. I'm just spitballing here, seeing what sticks. The only other thing I can think of is us driving up to the door with some story.>>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:26 PM, September 11, 2075

<<@Team [JustJack] I think it's an either/or thing with the plans. The whole point of Plan B is to avoid most of the security inside of the house. If we're going to deal with that anyway, no real need for it, other than as a possible escape route. I really think we need a minimum of a three-person team here to cover physical, matrix, and magical security. Not everyone has to go inside the artifact room, but at least get closer to the target to deal with anything we haven't considered. For now, I think we need to figure out how to get to the house. There's a lot of ground to cover.>>

Jack sent the roaming FlySpy instructions to slowly trace a route from the house to his location, using its ultrasound to detect motion detector fields and avoid them while using its radio signal scanner to attempt to spot other hidden devices along the way.

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:30 PM, September 11, 2075

As the FlySpy made its way across the yard, Jack marked the overhead ARO of the estate with an additional ARO, indicating the probable location of the motion sensor on the lawn. Considering the map, the ork still wasn't pleased. Not enough información...

Nudging Mel, Jack asked, "Can you take one more trip into the Host? I'd like you to take a look at all of the slaved sensor arrays and determine their functions. I don't think we need to know locations necessarily, but it would be helpful to know their capabilities."

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:30 PM, September 11, 2075



Mel nods and jacks back in. About ten seconds later...

<<@Team [Melpomene] I got two sensor arrays in line with our path to the house. They're equipped with Motion, Ultrasound, Camera w/lowlight and thermo, MAD Scanner, and OD mic.>>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:30 PM, September 11, 2075

Snap hated waiting while doing nothing so she decided that it would be a good time to put to use the many reagents that she had bought in preparation for the next run that she would get. Hopefully it would be more effective than when she had attempted binding in her downtime.

<<@Stone [Snap] Heya Stone, I need a room that I can rent for about 4 hours. I don't need much space, but I'd like it to be quiet. Somewhere in Chinatown if possible. Think you can hook me up?>>

<<@Team [Snap's voice] I just asked Stone for a place where I could perform what hermetics call the binding of a spirit. I wish I'd have a better word for it myself. Anyway, I think it will be useful for the job we have to do. It will take me about 4 hours to form the strong link between me and the spirit. I'll let you know when I hear back from Stone, but I'll need a lift.>>

Chen Huiquing's Estate, CAS Zone, 10:40 PM, September 11, 2075

<<@Team [Snap's voice] Stone set me up with a room about 15 minutes away. I'll ask Sisco to drive me there. [coordinates attached] >>

Heaven's Rest, CAS Zone, 10:45 PM, September 11, 2075

Sisco drove through the streets of Chinatown slowly. The residential areas, similar to most of the rest of the FRFZ were quiet and well maintained. The area that Heaven's Rest was in, however, was a riot of activity and color. Even at 10:45 the street vendors were out plying their trade, and the physical and AR versions of their advertising were an assault to the senses.

The team is glad of the anonymity provided by the van, as they look out across the sea of faces and see that non-Chinese are at a minimum. Jack feels especially isolated, as not a single ork is anywhere to be seen amid the throng.

Eventually Sisco slows even further, looks back and says, "This is your stop. Do you want me to wait here?" The building looks like a early 21st century construction, covered with 13th century decor. The van grinds to a halt in an alley behind the building, next to a small door marked "Service".

Heaven's Rest, CAS Zone, 10:45 PM, September 11, 2075

"No, I should be here for a while."

Snap hops out of the van and into the sea of Asian sixth worlders. Towering over many of them, she felt a little uneasy, and hurried into the coffin hotel.

Heaven's Rest, CAS Zone, 10:46 PM, September 11, 2075

Snap enters the back door, walking down a short hallway and passing through a doorway with only beaded curtains separating the rooms. Her way is barred by another doorway, this time with a real security door in the frame. A camera peers down at her, and a voice from a speaker near the doorway speaks, the accent heavily Chinese. "Hello, what you want?"

Snap looks up at the camera, "I need a room, we have a mutual friend who arranged it."

The speaker goes silent for a moment, and the door buzzes. Snap tests the handle and finds it opens easily. The speaker comes to life again, "Take first left, upstairs, room 27."

Snap walks cautiously up the stairs, turning left at the door. The smell of spice and incense is heavy, but not unpleasant. She opens the door marked 37 and enters a small, cubicle-like room with no window.

The bed is small, barely long enough to accommodate her slim frame, and there is no closet. However, despite being tiny, the room seems well-maintained, the walls looking recently painted and the floor stain-free.

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:05 AM, September 12, 2075

After two hours of listening to the local yahoos, Grease was about ready to call it a night. He had been nursing his drinks while liberally spreading his 'yen around buying for others, but even so he was starting to feel it, and the last thing he needed was to be impaired before the run.

He had pulled his drones after Sisco had taken the rest of the team to the coffin motel, figuring it would be safer than leaving them over the target area. He noted with interest as someone came in to the bar and handed a small package to Jack's contact. Looks like at least one of our toys made it here.

Shaking his head slightly to clear it, he took a deep breath and prepared to contact the team with what he had learned.

Heaven's Rest, CAS Zone, 10:47 PM, September 11, 2075

Snap sits on the bed with folded knees. She closes her eyes and prepares mentally for summoning a spirit attuned to Man and Civilization. Reaching out to the metaplanes, she finds an ancient soul of the native Arapaho people who once lived in the region. The spirit immediately appears in front of her in astral space, looking grim. Snap immediately knows that this one used to be a warrior and a messenger. He is capable of reaching great speeds, and the spirit has a special affinity with making movement an easier task for others as well.

"Welcome, Hosah. Thanks for answering my call tonight."

"At your service. How may I best serve you?"

"Oh I don't need anything from you right now, spirit of the ancestors. But, I hope that you don't mind if I try to convince you to remain in my service in a more... permanent manner."

"I do not wish to remain on this plane of existence for more than one night, lady."

"I know you don't. Thankfully I have brought with me an offering. We will see if I can change your mind. We will be friends in time, Hosah."

Smiling, the shaman adds, "and you can call me Amy."

Snap meditates peacefully as Hubert has shown her, as she begins the long process of binding a spirit. Taking long, deep breaths, she engages in communion with the spirit.

Sisco's Van, CAS Zone, 10:48 PM, September 11, 2075

Mel was multi-tasking again. She was in hot-sim, drifting through the Matrix, enjoying the freedom the experience gave her. She was nervous...nervous about going in...she was always more confident with her Matrix-side versus her meat-side, but rationally she knew she COULD do it...she just had to calm the jitters.

Her avatar moved with purpose from host to host, basically "window-shopping"...Mel didn't attempt any MARKs or anything...her simsense flooded with sights, sounds, smells, etc. At the same time, she had her integral music player clicked on...Bach's Cantata No. 82 soothing her mind almost unconsciously. Lastly, she set up a macro to collate all of the information on the Huiquing estate, matching and cross-referencing maps and descriptions so that there would be no confusion when the time came to put all that info to use.

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

<<@Team [Grease] I picked up a lot of stuff in the last couple hours, not sure how much of it is pertinent, but I'll give you what I know.>>

As he composed his message, he was distracted by a leggy blonde that was standing by the bar. He wasn't sure, but she looked like she was making eyes at him.

<<@Team [Grease] The Triads have been busy boys, it seems. Not only do they have an internal power struggle going on between the Golden Triangle and the White Lotus, they are bumping up against the BBs in the BTL market, and for some reason they've pissed off the Humanis punks from Alamos 20K.>>

She is definitely looking at me. Well, who can blame the poor girl? Nodding slightly, he makes a slight motion with his hand, inviting her over. The woman sauntered over to his table, the tight fitting clothes showing off her body to good effect. Her hair, blonde with pink tips, was swept upward in the current fashion. She reached Grease's table and bent over slightly, her cleavage enticing. "Well hello there. May I buy you a drink?" Grease, smooth as silk, continued to compose the messages while pulling up the AR menu at the bar.

<<@Team [Grease] As far as the target, I'm guessing these guys don't run in the same circles, 'cause the only info I got is that he's a high ranking member of the White Lotus Triad. I did hear a rumor from one guy that he got caught in a sting, and is looking to turn evidence over to the "Tin Men" for immunity, but I don't generally listen to people who have less teeth than limbs.>>


Her voice was a purr as she replied, "Absolutely, I'd love a good scotch." Woman after my own heart. He pulled down the menu, checking the time. Three hours before all the stuff is here, I've got time for a little relaxation. A few mental manipulations had a couple of expensive drinks over to the table, and the woman sipped the drink, her lipstick leaving marks on the glass. "I'm Lisa." Grease took a sip of his own, feeling the liquid warm its way down his throat. "I'm Henry. And how are you on this fine evening?"

<<@Team [Grease] There are a couple of other rumors running around, there's a new Sector Manager who might just be on the level, and there's a place called Rock Solid with a former 'runner for an owner - apparently had some issues with the Yaks recently. And, if it turns out we need to go to the Tech Center, let's just not do it, its supposed to be a Ghoul haunt.>>


She smiled again, toying with the glass in her hand. "I'm better now, and I'd be even better if we had something a little stronger." She leaned in close. "You want to party?" Grease's pulse jumped about 30 beats a minute. It had been a while since he had indulged, and it was hard enough fighting off the urge without an opportunity like this one. His mind raced, I can control it. I'll be fine. Just one hit.

"I'm always ready, if you can handle it." She stroked a finger along his arm, and then pounded the rest of the scotch. His eyebrow shot up, and did likewise, checking back a cough from the fiery liquid.


<<@Team [Grease] Guys I might be indisposed for a little while, I've got some...erm... business to take care of. I'll check in in a little bit.>>

Grease followed Lisa outside, his common sense warring against his baser needs, and as usual, losing badly. "Where are we going honey?" he asked her, not wanting to get too far away from the bar. "Right over here." She half turns as she beckons him onward, toward an alley nearby. They turn the corner and Grease, feeling a little uncomfortable sends out on of his Fly Spy drones, having it zip down the alley, the footage appearing on a window on his view of AR. Looks clear...

He follows her to a small alcove behind a dumpster, where she leans back against the wall. "Now then, wrapping her arms around him. What do you have for me?" Grease grins, pulling out a bag of Novacoke from his inside pocket. Jack would kill me if he knew I brought this along. I just think I'll keep it my little secret for now.

She takes the bag from him, disengaging from his arms as she dipped a finger into the bag, holding it up. She smiled, putting the bag down, and then Grease felt himself slammed up against the wall. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

Her voice came from behind as he felt his arm twist painfully up behind his back. He tried to struggle, and a well placed blow hit him in the kidneys, doubling him over in pain. He sent a frantic message to his Fly Spy, sending the video over to his team, along with the message <<@Team [Grease] I'm in trouble guys!>>

He could hear "Lisa's" voice though a cloud of pain. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future."

While slightly relieved his life wasn't in imminent danger, the enormity of his situation hit him like a ton of bricks. <<@Team [Grease] I'm going to need a lawyer or something - in a hurry.>>

"If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning, if you wish." Her voice stopped, and he could feel her expertly search him. She took his commlink and powered it off, shutting off his communication with the team. Oh crap, Grease, what have you gotten yourself into this time...

Cisco's Van/Chen Huiquing's Estate, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

Mel was in a peaceful state by this point...she was still in hot-sim, and had found a quiet place in the Matrix to sit and play her music. He relaxed her mind, and drove away any jitters that plagued her. It also did a pretty good job of pushing away the beetle urges that cropped up during the quieter times in her life. Then she got the fly-spy video, followed by the message.

<<@Team [Grease] I'm in trouble guys!>>

It jarred Mel into semi-consciousness.

SHIT!

She watched the fly-spy vid, and could easily deduce that Grease just got stung.

SHITSHITGODDAMNGREASEGODDAMN!

Cisco's Van/Chen Huiquing's Estate, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

Drek! Jack thought as the full reality of the situation resolved itself in the camera image of a Fly-Spy. None of the plans he had considered had anticipated this possibility. Jack knew that Grease was professional enough to avoid talking about the job, although there was no way to tell if anyone had noticed his line of questioning at the bar, least of all the undercover Knight-Errant agent who was currently reading him his rights. Assuming they weren't all about to be busted in explosive fashion, the team needed to figure out two things: whether they could continue the run as planned and what to do about Grease.

Jack couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of shadenfreude over his friend's predicament. Should have listened to me. Wouldn't have happened to a professional... After removing Grease's burner comm from the distribution list, he sent a message to the team.

<<@Team [JustJack] I doubt Knight-Errant is going to do much with Grease's commlink before we have the chance to ditch these burners, I think we'll be safe to use them for now. Mel, keep an eye out for any unknown MARKs. I think the needle on our timeline has moved to sooner rather than later. Not much we can do for Grease at the moment, but we need to get him an abogado ASAP so that he doesn't say anything else. We actually ran across a CAS based attorney on the last run, maybe I can approach him for the short term.>>

Jack ran a quick matrix search to locate the number for Klein, Smith, and Johnson.

Cisco's Van/Chen Huiquing's Estate, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

<<@Team [Melpomene] Copy that. I'll keep a watch on the fly-spy vid as long as it holds out.>>

Cisco's Van/Chen Huiquing's Estate, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

The Fly Spy vid continues to play out as Mel and Jack watch on helplessly. The undercover agent frisks Grease none too gently, pulling the Light Fire 75 from its concealed holster under his arm. With a wry chuckle she says, "The company thanks you for purchasing Ares products. Mr. Moss," as she ejects the clip and puts it to the side.

"Now sit tight, your ride will be here in a moment." True to her word, a patrol car arrived just two minutes later, the Knight Errant officers exiting the vehicle and taking Grease into custody. The officers confiscate his weapon and 'link, taking information from the undercover officer. One officer pushes his head down as he enters the back of the vehicle.

The Fly Spy, following Grease's last command, continues to provide footage of the alley. Soon the car pulls away, and the undercover agent fixes her hair and strides out of the alley. Loyal to the last, the Fly Spy remains, footage showing an empty alley.

Heaven's Rest, CAS Zone, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

Deeply concentrated, Snap could feel that something was up, with messages piling up in her AR display. After a few moments she finally finds an occasion to take a short break from her task to read, listen and watch quickly through what was going on, just in time to see Grease getting his head shoved into a police car.

Grease... oh no. What have you DONE?

Feeling powerless at the enormity of the situation, she wished there was something - anything - she could do to help.

<<@Team[Snap] Isn't there something we can do to get him out of trouble? Intercept the KE vehicle maybe? Can we reach it in time?>>

Mr. T (Sisco's van), CAS Zone, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

Bored, Sisco decides to check up on his Doberman. When he jumps into it he sees
that Stone's cache is still safe in this vault and the Doberman appears to be functioning
without problems.


Nothing's ever free with Stone. He couldn't just store the Doberman for a few hours. Nope, not Stone. Had to protect one of his caches for the next 48 hours. Hope as
hell no one knows where it is, I just got this toy. Wonder if Stone can get me a morphing plate and a transporter library for Mr. T. Not that I have the nuyen right now. Maybe after this run. Heck,
I should get an apartment first. Mr. T is my baby but it ain't really a great place to sleep. Not that I sleep much. But with an apartment I can at least take off my suit so that it doesn't get all wrinkled
all the time. Got to get it to the cleaners later... got to get another set of clothes too. Life was so much easier when the company provided the safehouses, the clothing and the gear.

Feeling melancholy over the whole thing.

<<@Stone Need to talk to you later about some items? See you the day after tomorrow.
I'll be picking up my dog then.>>

Sisco jumps out of the Doberman and returns to meatspace. He notices a worried look on Mel's face.

"Everything allright back there, Maam?"

Mr. T (Sisco's van), CAS Zone, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075



Mel transitions quickly to AR and leans forward, stress clearly showing.

"Our rigger just got stung by friggin' Tinmen!"

She looks at her compatriot. "Jack! What are we gonna do? Do we go after Grease, or stay on course? I don't know if we can crack this with just three..."

Inside Mr. T, CAS Zone, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

Trying to answer the posed questions, Jack responded via text.

<<@Team [JustJack] Look, if we were operating in the UCAS sector, we might be able to pull something off. As it is, being extranjero here in the CAS with nothing in the way of resources and a very limited time frame, I think we're going to have to try to work a different angle than a physical hit to shake him loose, otherwise we'll all likely be vacationing behind cell bars. I'm going to drop a line to the lawyer who was protecting one of the witnesses from the last case we worked and see if they could represent Grease in the short term. Who knows, we may even be able to lean on Ramirez to see if he could get KE to extend him professional courtesy and transfer Grease to his custody. Maybe say he's wanted for some serious crimes over in the UCAS Sector.>>

Sending the message, he followed it up with a brief missive.

<<@Team [JustJack] Look, I'm the last one who wants to leave a man behind, but we knew the basic risks when we took the job and we simply don't have the resources or knowledge to succeed at hitting KE.>>

Inside Mr. T, CAS Zone, 12:16 AM, September 12, 2075

"If your rigger has any toys on the loose that the tinmen didn't get, it would be a real shame to let them sit there and rot. Besides, not everyone's a suit, things have been known to go missing when the owner ain't keeping on eye on them. My suggestion maam, is that you mark em and bring 'em on in. I can transfer the ownership to you- just need to open up them puppies and a little time is all. You can transfer back the ownership to your rigger when he gets sprung"

Sisco pulls out a pack of gum and starts chewing on a stick. He waits patiently for an answer from Mel.

Inside Mr. T, CAS Zone, 12:15 AM, September 12, 2075

"We might as well, there's a package at the bar Grease was in that I need to pick up." Jack replied. He furrowed his brow as he contemplated all of the wrinkles Grease's loss introduced into the plan.

Mentally accessing his Meta Link, the ork took some time and composed a message, sending it to the inbox of Klein, Smith, and Johnson, care of Mr. Karem Dakak.

<<@Dakak [Blocked] Good evening, Mr. Dakak. You don't know me, but I've heard good things about you. An acquaintance of mine was unfortunately just arrested by Knight Errant. His name is Henry Moss and he is almost certainly in need of quality representation. I've attached a 500 voucher as an initial retainer to this message that you can earn simply for visiting him. It is password locked with the name of Henry's favorite pet. The voucher will expire at noon today | Voucher Attached>>

Inside Mr. T, CAS Zone, 12:16 AM, September 12, 2075



Mel considered this.

<<@JustJack [Melpomene] Should I take the drones? >>

Inside Mr. T, CAS Zone, 12:16 AM, September 12, 2075

Jack nodded. "I think that seems like the most logical choice."

He mentally composes a quick message to Snap, <<Snap [JustJack] We are going to head to O'Roarkes and pick up Grease's drone. I don't think you have anything to worry about, whatever his faults I don't think Grease would give any of us up, but stay alert just in case. We'll come back to get you later.>>

Turning to the other ork in the vehicle, he says, "Sisco, we need to get over to the bar, can you take us?"

Nodding slightly, the ork slips into VR and the Eurovan glides into motion.


O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:45 AM, September 12, 2075

As the van pulls up outside the runner bar, the feed has remained unchanged, showing the dark alley nearby. Mel slips into VR, and looks for the drone's icon in the nearby Matrix. The noise from the public grid that Grease uses is just as bad on this side of the border, but she shakes it off.

<<It takes her a minute to locate the drone's icon floating nearby, lost as it is in the glowing stream of icons from the AR signs of the various businesses nearby. She plays a soft melody on her instrument, the music slowly coaxing the drone out of the alley, and it floats gently over to the van. Satisfied that the drone is on its way, she jumps back to meat space.>>

Rolling down the window, she grabs the insectoid drone as it enters the van. "Got it. What's next on the agenda?"

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:45 AM, September 12, 2075

Jack considered Mel's question. They were in a bind now, having lost their face/rigger. Granted, with the limited resources available to him on the CAS side of the border, Grease wasn't really going to be that much of a rigger here, but every little bit counted. Jack sent a quick message to Mel.

<<@Mel [JustJack] Alright, we're down one. I think rigger support would be very helpful here and we happen to have a rigger drive us around for this gig. What do you think about offering a contract extension to Sisco? In addition to driving us around, he provides drone support as well. Granted, we really don't know him, but when do you ever know people on these jobs? Thoughts?>>

Heaven's Rest, CAS Zone, 12:20 AM, September 12, 2075

With a few minutes delay, Snap looks again at the messages from Jack, when she finally is at a point where it's possible to take a short break in the binding process.

<<@Jack[Snap] You sound like you have a plan. I sure hope you do! I'm at a loss. The job seemed pretty hard already, and now we're really shorthanded. If you think the best thing to do is continue what I'm doing, that's fine, and I trust your judgement for what will follow as well. If you want me to stop, state it clearly and I'll drop it. I'm pretty concentrated on what I'm doing so I'll have to go now. Let me know if anything big changes. >>

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:45 AM, September 12, 2075




<<@JustJack [Melpomene] Well, he's done right by us so far, and he did come from an at least semi-reputable source. Alright...see what he says. I'm down.>>

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:45 AM, September 12, 2075

Fielding both messages, Jack mentally responded to Snap.

<<@Snap [JustJack] Keep doing what you're doing. Buzz us when you're done>>

Nodding, Jack turned his head toward the front of the van and said, "So... Sisco. How would you feel about amending your contract? As you can see, we're down a rigger. Since you've been driving us around, I'm not going to insult your intelligence. I'm pretty sure you've figured out that we're going to be hitting one of the Triad jefes. The plan is a simple snatch and grab, we're supposed to steal a pair of valuable items before they can be auctioned off in a day or two. We then need to transport the items to the UCAS sector. Since you're based here, it's up to you if you want to try to cross with us. Once we turn over the items to our fixer, one of Stone's acquaintances, you'll get Grease's cut, which is 20K clean. What do you say?"

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:45 AM, September 12, 2075

Sisco thinks about it for a second.

This could solve my living problem, for a while. But the triads can be a vindictive lot. Maybe I should ask some questions before answering.

With a thought, Sisco commands the window to roll down. He spits out his gum and commands the window to roll back up. Turning his heads towards Jack he replies, "Sounds interesting. But before I commit there's a thing or two I need to know. First, how big are the items? That'll determine whether or not I can try and transport them over the border with Mr T or if we have to find ourselves a dedicated Coyote. Second- who are we hitting? The White Lotus, the Golden Triangle, or the Red Dragon? I've worked with Golden Triangle before. So if it's one of the other two, they might even be willing to help smuggle us out just because we'll cause the other Triad to lose face. Third, Triads have lots of mojo. You guys equipped to handle whatever magic security is present at the site?" Last, besides eye-in-the-sky, what's my part? Just driving or do I need to go into the building or whever to help steal the item, And yes, I know, fire support if the drek hits the fan is a given.

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:45 AM, September 12, 2075

Good, at least he's cautious... Jack thought as he responded to Sisco's questions.

"Fair enough. The items are relatively small, think small sculpture up to a vase in size. Stone is actually hooking us up with a set of cases to protect them during transport. We have a coyote on stand-by and, since we aren't officially here in the CAS, we're going to have to take that route back to the UCAS. I don't think you're going to have to worry about taking Mr. T across the border. With that said, if you have a legitimate enough travel permit to the UCAS, that would be pretty helpful."

Thinking through what the team had learned up to this point, the ork continued, "Our target is a member of the White Lotus. Relatively high ranking from what I understand... also judging by the size of his casa. At this point, I don't know if we want to involve the other Triads. The less mess, the better, although I understand your amigos have a beef with the White Lotus right now. That may be useful..." Jack scratched his chin before continuing. "As far as mojo, we've got a pretty good mage on hand. We've also been told that the target has more trust in machines than magic, but we know that some of the area we're hitting is warded, so we're just going to have to be ready for whatever comes our way."

"As far as you, it really depends on your skills. To be honest, Grease was a terrible guerrero. He did get a lucky shot or tow off during our last run, but his strengths generally rested in his ability to talk his way through things, driving, and running his drones. This run isn't really shaping up to look like its going to require a lot of talking, but if you have any combat capability, another pistola is always welcome."

"I ain't got no pistolas. Not that I don't know how to use one mind ya, just don't got one handy is all. I do however have an Ingram Smartgun under the seat of Mr. T if that'll do. The Triads as a means of crossing the border was just an in case scenario- you really don't ever want to owe them guys a favor if you don't have to. Normally, I'd also have my drone for extra firepower but since I was only contracted to drive, I loaned it out to Stone for the next 44 hours or so. Well. Seeing as I'm driving you already- in for a penny, in for a pound. I'll take the job as long as damages to Mr. T are paid for from the contract money."

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:45 AM, September 12, 2075

Mentally calculating what was left of their advance and the money he had set aside in case Sisco wanted to play hardball on the negotiation, Jack figured they could agree to the terms.

"Deal," the ork said, offering his hand for a firm handshake. "In case you haven't figured it out, our target is a guy named Huiquing. Mel, can you rope Sisco into our communication net and share with him everything we've discovered so far?" We've got a bit of time to burn... Snap is in the middle of binding a spirit so we'll have some more mojo to bring to bear and we won't be able to get the rest of the gear we ordered until 0345 or so."

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:45 AM, September 12, 2075

Sisco takes the proffered hand a returns a firm handshake. He thinks to himself, That was a bit too easy. Either he doesn't think there's anyway significant damage can come to Mr T and so it's a throwaway clause or there's more money and I just shorted myself. Ah, 20k is good money to steal a couple of vases or whatever they are. And I guess I should give Stone a cut in case he finds out and feels he somehow responsible for this contract.

<<@Stone [Sisco] They changed the nature of my contract and up'ed the compensation. Thanks for the hookup. I'll forward you 5% as a finder fee when I get paid. Later.>>

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:5 AM, September 12, 2075

Stone saunters into O'Roarke's, squints and makes out Sisco. When he walks up to him, Sisco says, "You got the items we're waiting for?" Stone chews on his cigar for a second before replying, "Sure, follow me. It's in my trunk."
As they head out the door, Sisco makes eye contact with Jack and mouths, Be right back.

When the trunk gets open Stone pulls out the cases, Sisco can't help but exclaim, "Surely you can't be serious." Stone grimaces and says, "I am serious...and don't call me Shirley."Sisco thinks to himself, One of these days Stone is going to be too funny for his own good.


"Alright. But really man, I could have just gone to the Stuffer Shack and picked these cases up for half the cost." Stone nods: "Yeah, but now there ain't no receipt that says you bought this and when you dump them, whoever is looking for 'em will be looking for Xander Willie. Whoever that is."

Sisco thinks, just cause you're a pain sometimes,"."Whomever."

"Whoever, whomever, whatever- you got your cases, Sisco", as they both walk back into the bar. "And what's my cut."

Business, always business with Stone:"A thousand nuyen, assuming I'm still breathing and get paid."

"Null sweet", replies Stone, "Just don't get your ugly mug fragged."

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 12:50 AM, September 12, 2075

Before exiting the van, Jack said, "Mel, you're welcome to come along or you can stay in the van if there's anything you need to do in VR."

Re-entering O'Roarke's with Sisco, Jack spotted Tara by the pool table. Fortunately, it appeared that she had ceded the table to others who wanted to play. Approaching the woman, Jack nodded, "Hola, señorita. How's it going?"

Tara shrugged, "Play at the table has been pretty weak, but there's been plenty of other things to keep me occupied." Reaching out to shake her hand, Jack barely spotted her palm a datachip right before making contact. The cold plastic pressed into his palm and he closed a fist around it.

Nodding, Jack replied, "Thanks, Tara. I think we're going to need all the help we can get on this job. The rest of it should be ready in a few hours, is that right?"

"Yeah," the woman replied, "a little bit before 4AM. Lucky for you. O'Roarke's stays open until 8AM."

O'Roarke's, CAS Zone, 3:45 AM, September 12, 2075

The hours had dragged on, the team trying to remain alert. All of them were now going on 18 hours without sleep, and Grease's fate was a stark reminder of how fast things could turn on them. Jack and Tara had spent most of their time chatting quietly, sharing as the did a common thread in Honeypot.

Mel and Sisco talked as well, each of them new to the team, and so they looked to form their own bond similar to the one that existed between Jack and Snap. Synth-kaf flowed freely, and the bartender gave them a knowing smile. O'Roarke's was no stranger to a group to runners waiting through the early hours of the morning for the next step in their assignment.

Finally, a late arrival to the bar entered, and wandered over to where Tara and Jack sat. "Tara, great to see you!" the newcomer, a slender man in his early thirties said. She stood and embraced him, and Jack caught the transfer of a small box between them. "I'll be right back," he said, leaving his coat on the chair, "I just have to hit the head." He nodded once at Jack, and then headed to the back of the bar.

Tara slipped the box over to Jack, who carefully pocketed the linguasoft. "Pleasure to meet you, really. I look forward to dealing with you again, if you ever end up on this side of the border." Jack smiled, and sent a message to the others.

<<Team [JustJack] Alright. We've got the stuff. Snap, we'll be at your place in about 20 minutes. Hope you are ready.>>

Jack went to pay his portion of the tab, but Tara waved him off. "This one's on me. You get the next one." He thanked her again, and headed out the door.

Heaven's Rest, Chinatown CAS Zone, 4:10 AM, September 12, 2075

Snap had finished her work and was now resting quietly on the slab that passed for a bed in this place. Not sure how much rest I would get in this place if I had to sleep here. Its barely better than my old apartment. Still, Stone had been true to his word, she had been left alone to do her work, and that was all she had been looking for at the time.

She could feel both spirits' presence, lurking at the back of her mind, and felt comforted. We should have plenty of backup when we go in later. She heaved a sigh and stood up, grabbing her gear. She knew from Jack's message that they should be here soon, although she wondered if Jack had compensated for the fact that Sisco didn't drive like he had a death wish the way Grease did.

The thought of the rigger pained her, and she felt anger rising up in her. Damn it Grease, why did you get caught over here? It made her feel helpless that the team couldn't do anything more than call a lawyer, a solution she had absolutely no faith in, but realized that any attempt to rescue Grease would just end up with the rest of them in prison as well.

<<@Snap [JustJack] We're here.>>

Walking down the stairs, she exited through the back, stepping out into the alley and seeing the hulking form of the Eurovan. She imagined just for a moment it was a beat-up yellow taxi, then shaking her head, she stepped inside.