He remembers Athena's broken body, brutalized by her torturers and also very definitely dead. But he also just saw the same owl, and calling random strangers seemed to have been her modus operandi

All right, Xander, let's talk on the way. Hardwire, by the way

Val sets hardwire up in the van after securing him inside he offers hi hand to the stranger. "Just call me Val." Waiting for the new chummer to take his hand Val wanted to look at his face a moment to see if meeting this person would jar any memories loose, if the new guy was a enemy old acquaintance something but well they needed a way out of there and if this was a trap they would just have to escape it. Val was starting to get used to it.

Padrig looks at Val and noticing the Eastern European look hesitates just a second before extending his hand towards him.

He thinks to himself, Paddy boy, let's hope this isn't a mistake. Al I need is for this Comrade to be Vory and I just fragging told them I was out to get Yuri. What's done is done. Let's see how it goes.Ma would say the cailleach-oidhche gheal wouldn't lead me astray. Hope your right Ma for Paddy's sake.

"This van's been driving on autopilot so far. Paddy don't know if this here van is gonna continue to drive itself and if it does where its gonna go."

Val shakes padrigs hand " yuri is dead?"........a few moments pass and the alarm from the door brings him back to the moment at hand and catching padrigs last few words. " anywhere but here, I know a pawn shop a ways from here, we can trust it." Val hoped lucky hadn't pawned all their stuff yet three weeks with no word and lucky might think him dead. Regardless Val wanted out of hospital clothes and in some real gear and time to clear his new found clout. With time escaping him without knowing Val hoped there would not be a next time but if yuri is truly dead all he was fighting for.......what was he fighting for the old man from his dreams mention. Oh god had he forgot about them, what were their names? Val sitting in the van looks out away from the others tears sliding down his face thinking of the past that he so dearly missed if only he could remember it all..... yuri got off to easy.

Hardwire dismisses the sprite with an expression of gratitude and programs the van on a course towards the I-5. OK, we're moving, now what about Yuri? We blew up a fraggin building? As Padrig opens his mouth to answer, he remembers something probably more pressing "Oh, and did you find any of our gear?"

"Back of the van there's a bag and I stuffed a pistol and Ares Alpha under it. Now mind you, Paddy saw the building blow up but he didn't actually see Yuri's body. Still, he probably bought it all things considered.

Paddy, best not ask too many questions just yet and not mention our one man crusade against the Vors. Comrade there might be connected and this just be a clan versus clan hit.

Friday, April 17th@22:18; St Francis Medical Center, 22000 Marine View, Des Moines, Downtown District Seattle Metroplex, UCAS

The trio make their introductions and try to sort out not only the current scene, but also the scene from three weeks ago. Val places Hardwire into the van, then he and Padrig both climb into the van. As Hardwire programs the destination, Padrig takes a look at the street samurai as he enters the van. He suddenly realizes he recognizes the elf from surveillance video: Valery "The Scalpel" Strobokov, one of Yury's lieutenants. There were rumors he was killed several days before the explosion.

Val moves to the back of the van assessing the gear and reclaiming his personal almost as if missing these items definitely ed who he was and what he did, without them in the hospital he felt like helpless and scared. With his items back he didn't look like quite the victim much more the opposite a aggressor without a doubt. If would not be caught off guard again he would be sure. Checking his accounts for email and establishing a link to the net he starts to back his movements and what little I formation he had. Staying silent all the whole as paddy drove. Sending only a message to hardwire. Val@hardwire"doublecheck everything he has said so far, he keeps mentioning a bird or some such u less you know what he means.ill double check our gear.

<<@Val[Hardwire] Well that's the thing: I got woken up by the same matrix owl. Remember who else used those owls? Can't make that drek up>>

But still, there is a lot to check, not just regarding this Padrig. Did they blow up a building? Did the Vory? And where did the explosion even come from, we were not carrying any explosives? Hardwire finds second-guessing oneself to be a bizarre experience, so he tries to focus his mind on a row of matrix searches instead of wandering off into random thoughts.

Oh. My. Lord. It was a coup. And now I'm sitting with a Vor right behind me and he has an assault rifle. What have you gotten yourself into Paddy.Hopefully, Comrade Hospital Gown doesn't decide to do something stupid.

"So, umm, where we going after the pawn shop and what's the plan when we get there? Not that Paddy has anywhere to be or anything to do. Just wondering, ya know?"

Val noticed the nervous question realizing he didn't exactly give off a warm fuzzy aura explains as quickly andplainly as he can. "we will go to lucky pawn to make sure our gear is still there if Athena has been avenged and her murderer brought to justice, who vas yuri than we can rest easy and I'll take on killing more vory alone. I yuru is not dead which may be the case since you guys are seeing bird which was her calling card we have us a hunting party, yes." at the thought of the last statment of yuri not being dead val could strangle someone. "now do you know why the place exploded? Is anyone even looking into it? Hardwire did you get a capture on those two? Maybe see if you could do a check and see who they work for known alias etc."

"Right now I'm busy with the last couple of weeks, future comes after that" Hardwire mumbles.

Val nods in agreement first and foremost they need to learn what happened to them before they could figure what direction they needed to go next. For now he hoped stamp hadn't sold everything he was holding.

Friday, April 17th@22:22; Headed towards the I-5, Des Moines, Downtown District Seattle Metroplex, UCAS

Val suddenly *realizes*, as he thinks about the area, that the hospital is actually a Vory controlled hospital where organs are harvested for the organ market. Is three weeks enough time to have your kidneys harvested and not to have it hurt? What are the effects of having your kidneys harvested?

Meanwhile, Hardwire's neurons are flying all across the matrix trying to play catch up for three weeks of downtime.
<<@Hardwire [Tyr] Paddy? Sorry chummer. Never heard of him. Say, where you been? Been weeks since I heard from you. I got a couple of jobs lined up for you. Come by and see me when you have time.>>
<<@Hardwire [Mr Fix-It] Online. Systems at 87%. Operational. What are your orders?>>
A search of public records regarding the warehouse fire yields the following details.

As Hardwire continues to connect the dots from then until now, he notes that he is currently on page 196 in Werner Dorthup's Guide to Renraku Matrix Protocols of 2071; he has flagged seven potential holes already.
While to crew *napped*, the world continued on. Several large events and several closer to home:
- March 30: After a gunfight that leaves one officer and eight Ancients dead, Seattle Police Special Operations Unit confiscates 45.8 tons of leäl from a house in Tarislar, Puyallup Barrens.
- April 7: A fire fight in Touristville, Redmond left three civilians dead when members of the Lords of War street gang engaged in a street fight with unidentified, heavily armed individuals.
- April 11: Heightened security patrols in the Tacoma docks resulted in the arrest of three men linked to organized crime.
- April 15: A 15 year old UCAS citizen was arrested on charges of hacking today. He was found in a reprogrammed auto-cab loaded with snack foods and the like taken from various vending machines around the Downtown area. Preliminary tests identified him as one of those technomancers. He is currently in the custody SPD Juvenile Division.

Paddy takes a moment to look over his new companions as they settle in for the ride. There are a few surprises.

Friday, April 17th@22:22; Headed towards the I-5, Des Moines, Downtown District Seattle Metroplex, UCAS

Hardwire tags the items about the Lords and the juvenile joyrider for further search and then turns his attention back to the meatworld to deliver the news. "Scan this" he announces and flings the bulletins towards Val and Xander. "Yuri might really be dead if you believe the coroner. Any idea who these other two might be, Val"

With half an eye he opens a trideo channel to his drone, anxious to see if he still has a home.

Friday, April 17th@22:22; Headed towards the I-5, Des Moines, Downtown District Seattle Metroplex, UCAS

Val looks over hardwire information and quickly after realizing the hospital was vory controlled was even more confused why he wasn't dead yet. He double checks himself. If he were missing his kidneys he would have symptoms by now wouldn't he. " not to alarm you hardwire but that hospital is vory controlled also, specially in kidney trafficking as on of their hot points. " Val quickly doubles checks himself again for any scar or surgical procedures and checks his bio meter to ensure he wasn't harvested.

looking at the information Val didn't have any reason to mistrust the information how ever who is to say one they didn't have extra bodies laying g around. " we have to be sure yuri is taken care of and of so. We should get in contact with our doctor friend and see about payment" after all credits would get Val more answers than questions alone.

"Wait, what? You dumped us off at a Vory chop shop?!" Hardwire turns towards Xander

"First of all the sign on the door says hospital, not chop shop...how was I to know. Second, it's where the owl told me to drop you off. It also happens to be where the owl evidently wanted me to pick you up. That's as much as I know."

Paddy me boy, this could turn ugly real quick. Hopefully he's slowed down a bit from his wounds if worse comes to worse.

Isn't that place run by the RCC? Not sure what the Vory could want here...and at any rate, my kidneys are still here

"Well, maybe she though it hiding us right under their noses was the best option" Hardwire says in a more conciliatory tone. "Anyway, did this look like a gas explosion to you? And while we are at it, why are you after Yuri and his stuff, did you know Athena?"

Friday, April 17th@22:24; Entering the I-5, Des Moines, Downtown District Seattle Metroplex, UCAS

Hardwire's home, amazingly, is unchanged. Three weeks away and no robbery, no B&E, only that a swarm of ants on that doughnut he left on the table. The half-eaten McHough's burger? Looks the same as the day he left.

Val anxiously checks his biomonitor.... Healthy. OMG they took my... oh, wait. Healthy.

Xander thinks about the explosion... What does a gas explosion look like?

Friday, April 17th@22:24; Entering the I-5, Des Moines, Downtown District Seattle Metroplex, UCAS

"Maybe if I'd done my civic duty and done a tour of duty, I would know the difference between one explosion and the next. But reall, all I know it was a big fraggin boom."

Padrig thinks about it for a sec: Well Paddy, you already told them you were out to get Yuri. In for a pinch in for a pound.

"It's like this: Yuri and his crew were responsible for the death of someone Paddy holds dear. So a little payback was in order. However, fate seems to have intervened. As to Athena, the only two Paddy knows is the one from mythology class and this Hermetic Mage that thinks his mentor spirit is THE Athena from mythology class."

Nope, Athena was an acquaintance of us who liked to communicate with those strange owls. Yuri and his friends traced her to get to Val, and it was not pretty...so we have quite some interest in bringing down Yuri, and I'd like to know if he's really dead or just used the occasion to go into hiding.

And before you ask, I don't remember us planning to blow up the place...certainly wouldn't be my style

Val agrees with hardwire with a hmmm as he is checks shelf and is satisfied everything Is where it should be. Thinking to himself though why did the place go up. Did one of the thugs with yuri have explosives or the cop mentioned in the explosion maybe was under cover as well, how were they gping to uncover it all and ensure the deed had been done. If the owl was still around something g must be amiss. In the mean time they needed a place to lay low and figure out their next move. Stump would have their gear and mmaybe know a place safe enough to use.

"Well then, I guess you and Paddy have common cause. If Yuri isn't dead, it needs to be rectified. And if a few more of his boys go under, Paddy won't shed a tear."

Not that I'll shed any tears over them, but I'll be just as happy when he ends up tied in front of a precinct.


Anyway, how do we find out if that body really was Yuri? The coroner's report is from the 1st, I doubt his body is still on ice

Maybe I should think about that for a while on my couch he thinks, with immense gratitude to still have a home and couch.

Friday, April 17th@22:26; On the I-5, Des Moines, Downtown District Seattle Metroplex, UCAS

Paddy, having kept track of Yuri following the explosion. He was cremated; the disposition of the ashed was unclear. No amount of cautious queries in the past three weeks have turned up any evidence to the contrary.

Friday, April 17th@23:05; Hwy-202, Touristville, Redmond District, crossing into the Redmond Barrens

The I-5 to I-405, east then north to the exit at NE 85th st and down Redmond Way. Then Paddy sees the van turn north on hwy-202 and headed into the Redmond Barrens, out of the patrolled areas of the district. Granted, Touristville Redmond is a rough neighborhood, but its not the Barrens. The direction they are headed is the Barrens... and in the middle of the night.

Friday, April 17th@23:05; Hwy-202, Touristville, Redmond District, crossing into the Redmond Barrens

"Not that Paddy is a prissy nurse maid, but do you guys know why this vehicle is going directly into the Barrens? It's the middle of the night, and that's the time all the psychos , not to mention ghouls, come out to play."

Friday, April 17th@23:05; Hwy-202, Touristville, Redmond District, crossing into the Redmond Barrens
Val

Val rather familiar with the area since waking up with no memories looked at Paddy and smirked "if you were a criminal and killed a vory boss the is one of the best places to hide is it not? the Vorys reach doesn't mean squat here, gangs can be paid off cannibals can be killed and KE has zero patrols here. safe is a loose term to use but it better than worrying about a drone picking my face out of a crowd."Val chambered a clip in the area alpha and another grenade into the launcher. "if things get dicey you have weapon yes?"Val searches the bag of content for a weapon to hand Paddy.

Friday, April 17th@23:05; Hwy-202, Touristville, Redmond District, crossing into the Redmond Barrens

"To be quite honest, Paddy would shoot himself in the foot if he ever tried using a firearm. Let's just say the Three Sisters Who are One have, in their infinite wisdom, gifted Paddy with the Gift. A blessing and a curse really. You get to see really weird drek other people can't, but get to do things other people can't. Toss up that."

Val stared at paddy for a moment holding the we on out, seconds go by and paddy doesn't reach for it so Val stuffs it back into his coat. "Well if you don't have tech or hardware you must be slinging mojo. With talk like that most probably. Ve vill just check in vith our contact and go from zhere."

"Paddy keeps forgetting that Ma's Irish way of saying things isn't as readily apparent to you non-Irish sometimes. Mojo it is. Druid extraordinaire. Well, Druid anyway."

Yuriy byl svin'yey. Mne tol'ko zhal', on by umer ot moikh ruk, a ot vzryva. On povezlo umeret' bystro. Rad, chto drugoy rukoy, chtoby pomoch

"Well, there are a lot of psychos come down from their glittering towers to go slumming since it's Friday, but apart from those...you've seen too many bad trids"

Before having a chance to ask Xander what Isle of the Blessed he headed from (do the Tirs allow dwarfs in their druid circles?), Val interrupts with a stream of Russian. "Sorry, I lost you at Yuri..."

Friday, April 17th@23:05; East on 116th St, Redmond Barrens

The van continues along, the road quickly deteriorating into a nightmare of potholes then right onto 116th. Halfway down 116th, through the roundabout at 162nd Ave a pair of motorcycles fall in behind from a side street. The headlights of the motorcycles are the only lights in the area except for those of the van. Darkness has fallen, broken only by those three vehicles headlights and the glow of the night sky from the lights of the nicer parts of the city to the west.

Hardwire is still trying to find a translation service backed by enough fuzzy logic to work off his memories when his connection to the van chirps. "Drek, we have a tail. Or two"

Val silently cursed as if to set the tone for paddy's first experience here in the dumps now he gets a true taste of what could happen. Val shoulders the alpha. "Paddy I'm gonna need you to open the back door here, hardwire slow down a little to draw them in close. When your comfortable payed opens the door I'll give them a few seconds before I open fire to break off." sometimes it was better to let hangers know it would be more trouble than its worth. Didn't he do some work for a gang a while back though. He hoped it wasn't them.

Padrig thought to himself, yes Paddy, this was a wonderful idea to go into the Barrens at night.

Padrig complies with Val's request and opens up the back door of the van.

Friday, April 17th@23:05; East on 116th St, Redmond Barrens

The dwarf moves to the back of the van and opens the door, giving Val and Hardwire a clear view.... of a pair motorcycle headlights on a dark night. Paddy's flare compensation on his eye wear has the beneficial side effect of negating the spoiling of his night vision thanks to the instant polarization of said eye wear.

Hardwire squints and tries to shield the glare with one hand, but quickly gives up in face of the powerful lights. Their tails obviously do not give much for subtleness, but neither have they opened fire -- he still moves behind a shelf with seemingly solid (and throwable) tubing before asking the others if they see anything of the riders.

Val squinted against the pain of the light hitting his eyes once again reminding him what a bad idea it was but more importantly that he needed a way to stop that in the future. Using his off hand he attempts to wave off the bikes following him than chambers a grenade into the alpha. val@hardwire"the minute they make a move I start shooting.. I can't see drek back here please tell me it's some punk kids."

Friday, April 17th@23:08; East on 116th St, Redmond Barrens

The back door wide open, everyone squinting to try to see past the headlights, one thing is crystal clear... The three are fish in a barrel and if the bikers wanted them dead bullets or buckshot would already be flying freely.

The van continues to Doc Phin's and comes to a stop, the bikers pull along side the passenger side... again, the team knows that if they wanted a shoot out, the duo sure as hell wouldn't pull along side, rather they would have pulled up short or even for cover around the block.

Looking out, Val recognizes the gang colors of two the Warlords, the local gang who holds sway here... and who he and Hardwire got the medical supplies for last month.

Spirits, what was that escort supposed to be? We were this close to dropping a shelf on you

Seeing the gangers pull up and not start shooting was a huge relief for val, giving a welcoming nod. He wished he knew the colors better so next time he wouldn't be so paranoid the next time he ran I to them. Thanking the job giving them good graces he starts to make his way inside to see doc phin.

Friday, April 17th@23:09; East on 116th St, Redmond Barrens

The closer rider dismounts the bike and looks to Hardwire. "We were actually gonna light your asses up... until you all opened to door to show us the Russian was with you." He then looks to Val, "Where you been Holmes? We thought they'd found you or you'd turned yellow and left the Plex. Your buddies been around looking for you. They put a hammer to the Doc's knee before we chased them off." He pauses a moment before continuing. "They've been through a few times since, usually in sedans. The van made us curious so we waited to see who the hell was crazy enough to drive in here, this time of night, in a plumbers van..."

Little point in dancing around the facts, Hardwire thinks, let them be as confused as he feels. "Drek, that was the shootout from the news? Chip truth is, we spent the last weeks dozing in St. Francis Medical and have little idea what happened in between. Been told that Yuri is dead and we were in the building that exploded on him, but don't ask me what went down there"

@all[Hardwire]: He's right. April 7: A fire fight in Touristville, Redmond left three civilians dead when members of the Lords of War street gang engaged in a street fight with unidentified, heavily armed individuals. 7 Dead, actually

Is the Doc available?

Padrig thinks to himself, Figures that a Russian would be friends with the dregs of society.Well, let's see how this pans out Paddy boy.

Of course,it never occurred to Padrig that the average SINner would call him the dregs of society.

Val took in the information with a grain of salt. If the vory were still actively searching for him they were either looking for revenge or operating on yuri ' orders which begged the question of was yuri really dead. Black sedans roaming the Barrens looking for a Rouge Russian there had to be more to the story. Information on the entire subject was scarce which was always a bad thing in the life of running in the shadow, information could topple empires and mega corps alike. Responding to the ganger before heading into the clinic with a simple smile a shrug.

Friday, April 17th@23:15; Doc Phin's Clinic, 168th Ave near 116th st, Redmond Barrens

The ganger pauses a moment considering Hardwire's request, "I'm not sure... but since you all have been off the grid." He pulls out his comlink, flips open the cheap unit and makes a call. He steps off to the side. It appears to take several attempts to get a reply, but finally there is a hushed conversation, he nods a few times and finally ends the call.

"The doc will be at the door in a few minutes."

------

A few minutes later while the team waits, another pair of gangers arrive. This pair is equipped with slung SMGs. Sure to his word, a few minutes later there is an audible click as the door unlocks. The ganger that has spoke up to this point opens the door and proceeds in. The other steps up to the door and gestures the team inside. The newly arrived pair have flanked the group.

Friday, April 17th@23:15; Doc Phin's Clinic, 168th Ave near 116th st, Redmond Barrens
The intense scrutiny comes as a surprise to Hardwire, who had assumed Val and the Doc to be on a certain level of mutual trust -- at least a higher one than indicated by the two guards who obviously are not to protect the three from an external threat. Probably a good think we did not mention the attack at the hospital to them, he thinks as he steps inside, that would only have put them even more on edge . An anxious expectation about the doc flashes into his mind, did the mystery attackers really just break his knee?