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Mercy
Sunday June 9 2075, 1722, Tanya's Suite


A plate of sandwiches and some hot coffee in a large insulated mug shows up at your elbow while you are intent on your work. You do not even see or hear the woman when she drops them off.

The data you are looking at is interesting only in watching Howard's clumsy technique or for watching Amanda. The woman can make you hot and she seems to be really trying to give Howard what he wants, apparently with a great deal more skill and will than her employer has. The time stamp of what you are looking indicates these feeds were from Tuesday. Apparently the tapes record over what was there earlier and you get nothing more.
Beta
Preston: Sunday June 9 2075 into Monday June 10 2075, Tanya's Suite


* Coleman: I need practice time. Just repetitions with the deck to get more effecient and effective
* Eliza: hiding in technology is a good way to spoil relationships. I need to make a point of keeping communications up.
* Monkey: And hot VR, I really need to go hot VR
* Gamma: No, I really want to go hot VR, I don't need to. Trying it out would probably change it back to a need.
* Oleg: VR is too seductive, in that it takes over everything. At least with drugs you can compare what you are experiencing with how you normally experience things, and know how messed up you are.


While munching on the sandwich, Preston has plenty to think about. Eventually he starts firing off a bunch of messages

>>Tanya (low priority) [Peter] I'll stop bothering you soon. Just thought I'd let you know that I have a bunch of footage of Howard with Amanda. Really nothing worth looking at, but thought I'd let you know in case you can make use of it somehow<<

>>Sonya [Preston] Things seem to be going quite well with Tanya. Thank you for the reality check earlier this week. I do however need to sort out my relationship with her, well, 'servant' really doesn't cover it. Friend? Assistant? Could I please get an appropriate 100nY flower arrangement sent to Tanya's apartment on Monday, to 'Monique'. She's French, impossibly effecient, owns the kitchen, and I know you've dealt with her so you probably already know more about her than I do.<<

>>RadiantShadow [Preston] Hi there, and sorry I've not been in touch more. Quick update that I need to send you. You know how in the past I always said to feel free to make use of my apartment if you needed it, and you'd laugh and say that you were not nearly so desperate as all that? Well I need to partially pull back the offer. I'm mostly staying with Tanya at the moment, and have loaned my apartment to another man's ex-mistress, who ... well let us just say that it is complicated. While I have no objection to you making her aquaintance, it probably would not be the best to have you show up unannounced. If you should really need the place, let me know and we'll work something out, but the open door policy has to take a break for the moment.<<

With that done he dove back into VR, and returning to Amanda's apartment he worked over the cameras again and again and again, focusing on the quality of his execution. He doesn't count the number of times that he sets up protection on the cameras, erases his mark, then re-mars the camera, cracks the security he'd just set, edits the file contents, and starts over again. Punctuated with re-boots to keep from tempting GOD to interfere.

Eventually he takes a short break for washroom, water, and coffee, then goes back and starts making sense of the more brute force options available with the deck. He doesn't expect to need them on this mission, nor to buid useful amounts of skill in them -- but if he hits a situation with no other way to handle it, it is better to know a bit and hope to get lucky than not to know what he is doing at all.

When he finally crawls into bed for some sleep his head is still full of the matrix, but he is pleased to feel that the mental equivalent of muscle memory is still repeating the actions that he'd practiced. He feels like he's probably back to where he used to be, and about as good as he's going to manage for now.
Beta
(posting for Mercy)

Sunday June 9 2075, Tanya's Suite


>>Peter [Tanya]: Thank you. I will look at them later.<<

>>Preston [Sonya]: Glad that you are having a good time. It is a bit late to be ordering flowers, Preston. And be careful with the French girl. I have met her a number of times and she is the perfect French maid. A bit too perfect, in my opinion. But watch out for her. I have a feeling that maid is not her only job title. No proof, of course, just a feeling. I will send the flowers in the morning.<<

>>Preston [Radiant Shadow]: No worries, sugar. Still owe you for the contacts I made that night at the home of your benefactor. I hope that you are fucking the hell out of her for as long as you can. No problems about your place. Don’t see a need for it right now, but if it comes up, I will contact you before I just show up. Gotta hand it to you, though. Boffing Tanya Marisart and some chick on the side? Better not let the first one find out about the second one.<<

The practice with the cameras is good for you and you finally start to get a good feel for your new toy. Your decision to remain home has certainly paid off. You fall asleep thinking of the matrix and maybe wondering if you should dare the allure of hot sim. It has been a while and you are better now, right?

Monday June 10 2075, Tanya's Suite

You are in the middle of an X-rated romp that seems to include Tanya and Amanda when the world begins to shake. The dream vaporizes into the mists of your memory as you realize that an arm is shaking you awake and a French-accented woman’s voice is saying something.

….up. Wake up, Monsieur Preston. Your mistress needs you. The planning room, please?

Monique is bending over you. You realize that she is wearing nothing but frilly panties and a sheer robe that hangs to just below her hips and does absolutely nothing to conceal her rather attractive figure and that there is a pair of pert breasts hanging inches from your face. Your body betrays you by acting entirely on its own in response to this stimulus, but you get little time to stare as she stands up as you wake. "There is a gang war in the Redmond Barrens and she is going there. She wants you to get online and see if you can find out what is happening. All of the news feeds are carrying something about it. I will bring you coffee and food.” She pauses before leaving and casts a look at your waist. Is that a small smile she lets escape? In any case, she gives you a real smile then turns, the robe swirling about her hips and momentarily rising above her ass as she does, and leaves the room.
Beta
After Monique leaves, all Preston can think of at first is "But I was going to stake out Howard's and Emerald Mountain Security today."

* Coleman: No plan survives contact with the enemy, and by enemy I mean life
* Monkey: Speaking of plans, can I plan to see Monique dressed like that more often?
* Gamma: Tanya needs my help, now. I need to focus on the task at hand.
* Liza: Communication is key.

There are certain advantages to having an internal link. Preston shed clothes and stumbled into the shower even as he started work.

>>Monique [Peter] I'm on it from my internal link for the moment, will be in the planning room in six minutes. Can you please throw an ice cube in my coffee.<<

>>Tanya [Peter] Monique informed me, and I'm started to scan the news. Will let you know what I can filter from that as I make sense of things<<

Ignoring the wonders of the shower, he quickly washed off the remains of yesterday's face and soaped and rinsed key areas while he scanned the matrix for news from various feeds. After three minutes he had the water off and was towelling off the bulk of the water as he mentally pulled up maps from various sources and started plotting events on them.

Not really looking at what he was doing he pulled on a pair of slacks and shirt, too busy with mapping and colour coding to bother with socks or buttoning the shirt for now. As he rapidly walked across the suite towards the planning room he packaged together what he'd done so far, calling out "Monique, does Tanya prefer things like maps and charts, or words, for her information dumps? Or is it best to dump the info to you, and let you present it to her since you have a history on this? Send me an ARO with the answer because I'm going VR."

In the planning room he grabs the coffee with his cyber hand while he pulls out the cable from his datajack with his meat hand. He plugs in, and while dumping his work so far to the deck he takes a few seconds to chug the tepid coffee. He configures the deck to maximize data processing, then he just lies down on the floor and switches to VR to better find and process the information.
Mercy
Monday June 10 2075, 0200 Tanya's Suite



The news media outlets are all on the breaking news of the moment. There is a lot of talk about gang violence breaking out all over the city, from Chinatown to Touristville to Downtown to the Industrial District. The talking heads all seem confused as to why this is happening and there seems to be very little real information on the cause. There are lots of drone feeds scrolling across the bottom of every video channel, all showing signs of devastation and property destruction, with more than a few bodies in the streets.



When you get to the planning room after showering and dressing, you see Monique from the rear as she is bending low over an open cabinet protruding from the wall. Her tight jeans must have been painted on and her ass looks positively delectable from this angle. She stands and turns and you see that she is wearing a light blue shirt with the top three buttons undone, which shows a lot of cleavage and more than a hint of lace. It is hard to believe that this body was hidden under her normal clothes. She slips a shoulder holster contraption on as she talks. “Monsieur Preston, you are control from here. Send what you have when you have something definite to report. be ready with maps if you have them, but all that is playing right now is crap. They know nothing and are just tossing things on the vids to keep their watchers on. Do not burden us with junk. It is your job to get the kernels of truth and provide that to us. She is currently in a car and I will be on a speed bike to link up with her.”



She walks to the table and picks up one of the wickedest looking handguns that you have ever seen and holds it up to you. “Here, I invite a mark on this and on my ‘link so you can track me. You already have a mark on Her Ladyship’s ‘link. Track us and keep us informed of developments. We will use the ‘links to keep in touch.” She reaches to the table and quickly attaches a long silencer to the barrel of the gun and slips it into her shoulder rig before putting three spare magazines into slots on the other side. Finished, she slips a bike jacket on and smiles at you. “This is a good test for you, Monsieur Preston. You are monitoring and controlling the team. There is more coffee in the urn in the kitchen and sandwiches for you in the refrigerator if this takes a while. Order from room service if you want a meal and it will come to you. Have faith in yourself. We do. Ciao.” The Monkey takes the time to notice that her ass looks fantastic in those jeans as she walks out of the room.



It takes a couple of minutes after she is gone for you to realize that she moved without wasting any motion, as if she has done this before, gun and all. Simple French maid my ass. You lay down on the floor and slip into VR and the world opens up to you.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10 2075, 0210, Tanya's Suite

* Monkey: must protect Tanya! And probably Monique too, because she's also hot, and if Tanya is sad she might not be as much fun.
* Gamma: I have obligations far beyond protecting my sex life.
* Monkey: When everything is going to hell, it is important to focus on what is vital.
* Coleman: Actually is it important to focus on execution, not getting distracted with the end goal.
* Gamma: 'Zen and the art of matrix dis-assembly' is important, but priorities do need to be understood
* Coleman: And the priority is not in question: keep Tanya safe, help Tanya accomplish her goals, keep Monique safe. In that order, no matter what Tanya may say.
* Monkey: OK then. Can I smash something now? I like smashing things.
* Gamma: I'm suffering under fog of war, lack of background, and not knowing Tanya's goals. Which will make it harder to help her out.
* Coleman: Which is where I need to start gathering more information, beyond the pap issued by the news outlets.
* Gamma: I have no contacts in the Redmont barrens, no drones to send, and the matrix there is both full of holes and short of identifiable cameras which could be hacked for a better view of things.

Preston didn't know that his body was frowning, but he certainly knew that he was frustrated. His inner voices were going around in circles, all eager for action, but none knowing what action to take. He thought for a moment and concluded that part of the issue was the confusion evident in most of the coverage. Step one should be to figure out who had the resources on the ground, or in the air. That was, who was originating the coverage, and who was copying it.

* Coleman: Scan multiple feeds, grab footage and time stamp it, set up an algorithm to compare footage. Find out who has something different, or has news first, then drill on them.

Finally going through the news in a more systematic way, the story began to take shape. It was not so much a gang war as Monique had first told him, but rather seemed to be a strike by the Yakuza on both the triads and the mafia -- with those latter two striking back aggresively.

* Coleman: Bad tactics to fight a two front war. Unless they are confident in their advantage, and worried that otherwise they strengthen the not-attacked foe more than they do themselves.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10 2075, 0250, Tanya's Suite

* Liza: So far nothing much happening in Auburn -- when does it ever? But I should warn Amanda.

>>Amanda [Preston] Sorry for the early morning ARO. The news is full of a war between the Yakuzza on one side, and the mafia and triads on the other. Both sides seem to be using street gangs as proxies. No word of fires or fighting in Auburn yet, but that neighborhood could yet get pulled in. I'd stay inside if I were you.<<

That made him feel a bit better, but didn't help him make more sense out of the news. Twenty more minutes of gathering and examinging the news, and none of his analysis was suggesting that any of the news services was ahead of the others on this story. They weren't all running the exact same footage, but nobody seemed to have a consistent edge.

* Gamma: This is feeling odd to me. I should not ignore this feeling.
* Monkey: If things are really bad, maybe I should get into HOT SIM! I need that edge! And my mind would move faster with The Jazz, I could ask Radiant Shadow to send some over.
* Coleman: This isn't a fast reactions issue, this is trying to pull together the big picture, and neither of those things would actually help.
* Monkey: Caff then, at least!
* Coleman: Staying sharp and awake is important.
* Gamma: there is hot coffee right beside my body.

He kept flipping through news feeds as he dropped back into AR, took a drink of coffee, then moved back to cold-sim.

Then it hit him: Coffee. Or at least soycaff. He did know a number of caff shops in touristville in Redmond, and caff-shops all around the plex. Of course many were closed at this hour, but some were 24 hour joints, were any of them near where the action was?

Before he could place a call, however, his software flagged an issue at him. It was confused on one of the questions of 'who had it first.' Examination of the two pieces of footage explained the problem. It was the same reporter, in a very similar shot in front of a building with flames billowing out the windows, in two different places. Similar enough that his program was trying to claim that they were the same, even though one was in Redmond and the other in South Seattle. Something about them scratched at his mind, but at too deep a level to articulate, at least just yet.

He added a couple more filters to his program, then sent it back to work, while he he matched up hot-spots with 24 hour caff shops. But as he did that grunt-work, his thoughts kept churning.

* Liza: That reporter was in feeds from two different sites. He seems to be on the scene a lot, maybe I should be following him?
* Coleman: Freelancers being the ones most on top of the story, selling what they have in a matrix market to all the news companies? That could explain this the distribution I'm seeing.

He went back to his software and applied a whole new set of filters to look for certain reporters and to see how often they were showing up, and was their a pattern to their movements that would suggest they collectively had a feel for where things were going.

Finally he got a good caffe - hotspot match-up. Shifting to AR he made a voice call.

"Hello, Koncrete Kaffe. Fresh caff all night and fresh caff all day; that is the Koncrete Way." The upbeat greeting came in an orcish growl.

"Hey, I was looking at coming by, but the news is talking about a fire and a firefight at The Doll Ranch, and you are pretty close. Are you even open?"

"Of course we're open chummer, we're always open. We'd be open if The Doll Ranch was on fire, possibly even if we were open. But I don't know what you are slotting -- no sirens, no shots, frag its a quiet night in Tacoma. Ah drek, I'm not supposed to say 'frag.' Or 'drek.' Frag, don't tell anyone, please!" and after a second "And of course I don't know any 'Doll Ranch.' Are you are talking about our good neighbors 'The Red Door Lounge, Tacoma,' maybe?"

"Sure, that's the place. Hey, thanks for the intel chummer."

After the call he stayed in AR and ate a few bites of sandwich while he processed the information. Something was squirrely about all of this.

>>Tanya, Monique [Peter] I'm losing confidence in these news reports. At least one is not confirmed from eyes on the ground, and my instincts are bugging me. Will keep digging, but for now don't rely on info from the news report.<<

* Oleg: What were they lighting up those buildings with, that made fire come billowing out of the windows? Proper fire wants to go up, not out.

He dove back into VR and started pulling up sources on fires while firing off some matching alorithms on the flames in the various news feeds.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10 2075, 0300, Tanya's Suite

He hadn't taken the time to set up his searches with very elegant reporting, so he paid for saving time up front with time now making sense of the results. It probably took a little longer than it should have, but eventually he realized that what his search had flagged was the same reporter in front of two burning buildings in two different parts of the sprawl, supposedly only minutes apart. He did a quick check, and even by helicopter there was no way he could have made it from one to the other.

* Oleg: So which type of lie is this? Fake the reporter when they only had the video? Or fake the entire thing?

Before he could chase down that thought, he was poked by an ARO

>>Amanda [Preston] Aw, you are sweet to worry about me so me! By the way, for me it's late, not early. I thought I should make contacts around here so I went to a bar near your place that does Karaoke. Pretty quiet on a Sunday, but Riccardo was there and I thought it made sense to keep partying with him afterwards. I hope you don't mind, but he expected it and I didn't want to piss off the local gangsters in my first night here. Anyway, if there is some mafia thing going on, nobody was bugging him about it, he wasn't in any hurry. <<

* Monkey: Kill him!
* Oleg: Whore.
* Coleman: That was probably good strategy and tactics for her. Her breasts and body, those are her weapons, of course she should use them.
* Monkey: No, mine!
* Gamma: She has never been mine. She's been generous, even when she was Howard's. How could I expect different now?
* Liza: I should let her know that I understand
* Monkey: And that I'll kill him for this
* Coleman: There is an aspect of what this does to my reputation in the neighborhood and with Mr. Jabowski's crew, and whether I need to do anything about this. But that can be for later. For now the important item is that he wasn't worried or rushing anywhere. That is useful intel.
* Gamma: I was pretty upset at first, I should do a physical scan.

Preston drops into AR, mops up some slopped coffee, shakes the tension out of his shoulders, and then pops back into VR.

>>Amanda [Preston] Thanks for letting me know. I understand. I'm not super happy with Riccardo, but I understand. And your info makes me think that the other intel I've been getting is not all correct, so in the end I may be grateful for this having happened.<<

Then he dove back into VR.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10 2075, 0310, Tanya's Suite

He is far from an expert at forging trid feed, but he understands the software side well and has at least the first clue on the forgery side, so he hacks together some code to pick at the images. It takes a while, because he kept trying to focus on the newscaster, and kept getting inconsistent results. He found irregularities between the newscaster and some parts of the background, but not the same for all the background.

Finally he remembered his earlier question about what was burning in those buildings that caused the flames to billow out so dramatically. When he turns his attention to the fire, it becomes clear that it has in fact been added to the images, as well as the newscaster. And probably the time stamp, but that is so easy that it is hard to tell.

* Oleg: Someone put some work into that. Nice work too.
* Coleman: What a massive diversion. Of public attention, of KE and media resources. Possibly even of some of the Yakuzza, mafia, and triads.
* Monkey: Although apparently not Mr. Jabowski's crew. But I'm going to divert at least one of them, divert his body away from his fragging head!
* Gamma: This is bigger than anything Fisher and I ever did, but it is very similar in concept. Build a multi-layer diversion to create predictable behavior and cover our actions.
* Liza: Professional admiration aside, what do I tell Tanya and Monique?
* Coleman: I've spent over an hour chasing this diversion. I need to move fast to find out what is really going on.

Auburn was clearly quiet, and the part of Tacoma around the Koncrete Kaffe. His instincts said that the actual action would be in an area at least near the fake action, as that would add to the confusion of who was doing what. Maximum diversion would be doing something far away, but the work to suggest various criminal elements were involved suggested a need for cover in that way.

That gave him somewhere to start: areas at or near reported incidents, footage that wasn't being pushed to all the major grid news feeds. In fact, the public grid -- people posting there were mostly reporting to the other poorer people in the sprawl rather than aiming at the mainstream media. Not to ignore the others, but he'd largely been ignoring the public grid up until now.

Look for public camera feeds, or at least weakly defended cameras showing public areas. Public grid reports of unusual violence or traffic. Cryptic messages that might be informing other members of groups that an issue had been observed.

* Monkey: Find out what danger Tanya is in.
* Oleg: Foolish woman to charge off into danger like that.
* Monkey: I can't let anything happen to her!
* Gamma: Realistically I can't stop things happening to her, but if I can find out what is going on, I can arm and armor her with information.
* Liza: Starting with what I know so far. And I should find out what she and Monique have seen.

>>Tanya, Monique [Peter] The entire 'Yakuzza versus Mafia and Triads war' is looking like a forgery. Certainly much of the trid-feed is forged. Trying to figure out what is really happening so far, other than knowing that Auburn and central Tacoma are quiet. Are you seeing or encountering anything that is looking more real?<<
>>Tanya, Monique [Peter] Please don't take time to respond if actually facing real issues.<<

Dropping back to AR he pulled back some more coffee to calm his nerves, then with a grimace grabbed the deck and hurried to the washroom to off-board some of the caff he'd been sucking back.

* Oleg: Just don't drop the deck in the toilet
* Monkey: What a time this would be to get shitty news!
* Liza: in tense times, we all do things we aren't totally proud of. But if Tanya replies I don't have to tell her what I'm doing just now.
Mercy
Monday June 10 2075, 0310, Tanya's Suite


>>Peter [Tanya]: Very good work on the feed forgeries. Is there any way to determine who set that part up? Also, I have unconfirmed reports from other sources that the Redmond Barrens might be the real target. Some sort of armed force supported by armoured vehicles seems to have moved into various locations in the Barrens. I am headed there now and Monique will join me as soon as she can. Focus your attention there, please, unless you have a viable lead of some kind that points in a different direction. Petra Sprent is a very good reporter and a real bird dog when it comes to digging up the news. She is in the Barrens now, following up a lead there. I have asked her to patch you into her feed net so she should be contacting you very shortly. Ciao.<<

You have barely flushed the toilet when you get a message from an unknown source identified as Petra Sprent, IDC News. >>Mr. Preston [Petra Sprent]: I was asked by a very good mutual friend to patch you into the news feeds and commentary that I am sending to the news desk. I will be putting a three second delay on the feeds you get so that my office can get the news first, but you will have everything I see. Please hit the accept button to begin getting the feeds. In a nutshell, I have dead bodies here. Lots of them. At this point, all of them seem to be gangers and civilians that were caught in some sort of crossfire between the gangs and an unidentified armed force. The attackers are equipped with good battle armor and military grade weapons and have vehicle and heavy weapons support. I have unconfirmed rumors that the attackers entered the Barrens on a wide front and are asking for information on two people that match the descriptions of those the KE would like to speak to about the incidents at Washington Rec and Mercy General on Saturday. The word is that anyone giving information and granting right of passage is being left alone, while anyone not doing those things is being wiped out. I am currently following the path of destruction further into the Barrens to see what is going on. Oh, please, this is a favor for my friend and she told me that you would not be sending this information to a rival news source. Thank you very much.<<

The vid feeds that you begin receiving appear to be as real as the ones you have been looking at already, so it will be up to you who or what to believe. There are signs of building heavily damaged by heavy weapons fire, with some still burning. There are bodies in the street with people trying to help them. At several times you see a feed that includes the face of the reporter as she films herself against the backdrop of the combat zone.

>>Preston [Monique]: Can you do a scan of the area I am at, please? I am stopped by armed men at a barricade who are checking IDs and taking money to allow passage. I see four men in scrap armor but carrying assault rifles and would like to know if there are more. I would imagine that they all have open ‘links. Can you do this for me?<<
Beta
Preston, Redmond matrix, 0310

Preston's persona, and consciousness, shift to the mark on Monique's gear. The persona appears with some temporary glitches around the edges, and staggers slightly as Preston gets used to the lag from the distance. Then he focuses on looking around.

Monique is right there, of course, and he can still feel the now hidden mark that he'd left on her link. There are more personas nearby, dingy for being on the public grid. Clustered near Monique are three personas -- two look like barely customized stock images and the third looks like a crude scan of the owner. Slightly off to one side are another four personas, one of them looks like a custom-but-cruddy sketch and the rest are more nearly-stock images.

* Oleg: That one link must be old, they changed their base "Leather Lad" persona two years ago after all those indency complaints, and that is the old one.
* Gamma: Amazing that anyone with that taste that bad has survived for that long.
* Liza: Could be that he didn't, but his link did

Off to the right -- at least in the matrix -- are a couple more personas, one a new generation Leather Lad with a superimposed clown face, the other looking like an off-trademark Nazgul interpretation.

>>Monique [Peter] Based on matrix position you've got three nearest you, four just past them, and two off to the right. If you have a dozen seconds I'll try for precise coordinates on a few of them.<<

He immediately sets to work -- if she needs his data there is no point in waiting, if she doesn't there is no harm done. The two that appear to be off to one side are his pick for leaders, so he starts with the Nazgul.

Jumping to the public grid he started trying to hack "Nazgul's" link. The device was junk, but with the distance, noise, and terrible state of the public grid it was a bit of a challenge to do anything at all. Still, adrenaline surging through him he quickly flicked a line on the Nazgul with his riding crop, and moments later he just managed to tag it again on the back-swing.

* Gamma: And now GOD is starting to track me

With two marks to triangulate to, he tried to track the precise location of the 'link, but couldn't overcome the noise. He could feel the deck get sluggish as it dealt with the noise, but staying focused he tried again and got the precise antenna coordinates. He shot off a quick ARO
>>Monique [Peter] One of them to your right<<
and followed it with a squirt of the coordinates.
Mercy
Monday June 10, 2075 0310, Redmond Matrix


>>Monsieur Preston [Monique]: Merci. That is what I needed.<<

Two other icons have moved in behind Monique by the time she gets to the group of four, then the mark that is Monique jumps forward. The two icons behind her split apart and go back away from hers but none of the other links seem to react, except for the one you see as Nazgul, which moves a little then stops. Monique's icon continues to move forward.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0312, Tanya's Suite

After seeing Monique leave the other icons in her wake, Preston assumes she safe and starts trying to search the area for anything else of interest, such as a camera which may have seen anything -- but the noise over this distance makes it challenging.

* Coleman: Distance makes noise. Noise makes things hard. Hard makes things slow. Slow leads to problems
* Gamma: I have taken actions that will attract demigods eventually. Slow could lead to big problems.
* Oleg: It is always better to be clean, especially if you are about to get dirty.

>> Tanya, Monique [Peter] I'm going to need to re-boot to avoid the all-seeing eye of god. Back on shortly and I'll contact you both about getting fresh marks on you. <<

He flips to AR then logs out and re-boots. By the time he's back on-line he's already striding toward the bedroom, a decision made.

>>Tanya, Monique [Peter] It looks like all the real action is going on in Redmond. The noise from here to there is too much for me to do much matrix-wise, or even to observe well. I need to get closer to be effective, and frankly I may be able to figure out as much or more with normal site as from the matrix, given how sparse things like cameras are in most of Redmond. Any objection to me jumping in my car and moving into the wake of the action? I'll stay live in the matrix the whole while.<<

>>Tanya, Monique [Peter] and when you are still enough and can give me an approximate location, let me know so I can come and mark you again.<<

* Coleman: I should aim to be out the door in less than a minute. Time to move fast.

While he waits for a response he puts his light pistol into his smuggling compartment, and his hold-out and blackjack into their hidden holsters, pulls on his armored vest and coveralls, pops in contact lenses, slaps on his smart-wig, and decides to just bring his make-up kit with him rather than worrying about building a face right now. He puts his taser and heavy pistol into obvious holsters, finds a satchel for the deck, then grabs his electronics kit just to be on the safe side.

He's half way to the door before he remembers to go back and grab socks and boots.

* Oleg: It isn't civilized to run around in bare feet, I should have had those on already.
* Monkey: but this rug is SO soft!
* Coleman: This delay and lack of practice took me to nearly two minutes. Far too slow.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0313 - 0325, Tanya's Suite, on the road, and in the matrix

>>Peter [Tanya] I worry about you being in VR in the middle of this mess; I'd like your body to stay intact. But I also need a central communications point, and don't want you off-line. So I'm not pleased with this plan.<<

>>Tanya [Peter] Tell you what, I'll stay in AR. It isn't ideal, but it will still be less of a problem than the distance is. And I'll only do anything that might tweak God's interest if it looks really valuable, so minimal re-boot time. And I'll avoid the bleeding edge, I'm going fully armed, and I do know how to avoid trouble.<<

>>Tanya [Peter] I knew there was a bit of thrill chaser in you. Keeping you cooped up when things are happening was going to be tough. So I accept your conditions for careful thrill seeking.<<

* Monkey: Yes, action!
* Gamma: but no VR.
* Monkey: She doesn't have to know.
* Oleg: I'd know.
* Monkey: pffft, she's not a mind reader.
* Coleman: Easiest to keep my word. But I will adapt to circumstances.

Preston back-tracks one more time to grab his armored jacket. Even if he doesn't wear it for now, best to have it along.

Even so late at night the attendents are at their stations, and arrange for him to be able to get his car out -- apparently it is not so easy to enter or exit this secure parking in the small hours of the morning. By the time he's on the street he's loaded the car up with a destination, and he immediately starts going through the reporter's footage, matching shots with image databases to confirm locations, zooming in on details.

As the car heads out of downtown proper he concludes that her footage is legitimate as far as he can easily tell. Combined with the support from Tanya, he's inclined to trust it. He adds a couple more way points to the car's orders, to help him follow in the trail of the invasion.

Staying in the distraction of AR, still idly checking the various coverage feeds -- accurate and not -- he does some quick work on his face. A quick coating to make his skin even paler, a hint of a scar on his chin, deep shadows under his eyes. He finishes just before the roads start getting rougher, and is happy he did his make up first

Rough roads don't interfere with what comes next. He quickly grabs some images of the overalls worn by the workers of the susidiary that theoretically takes care of Grid Guide in Redmond, and adjusts his overalls to a reasonable match. He changes the wig to a faded and disheveled red, and a quick check in the mirror says he looks adequately sketchy to be the person sent out into a violent zone in the middle o of the night.

Rolling into tourist town, he can see scuttling in the shadows, thanks to the low-light enhancement in his contact lenses. People are laying low, but there is no doubt that things are stirred up.

* Oleg: Scavengers will already have claimed much of what I'm interested in.
* Coleman: This is why I carry spare credsticks.

Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0345, on the road in Redmond

In the end it had been easier than he'd feared it might be. To grow up in the barrens is a master class in being aware of what predators are stalking the concrete jungle. While lions had mauled the local hyenas, the rodents and had hidden from the violence -- but that didn't mean that they hadn't watched it, or come creeping out as soon as the violence had stopped, in order to get on with the business of surviving.

* Oleg: They ripped me off, I should have gotten everything for half the price.
* Liza: Maybe a quarter.
* Gamma: Fisher could have had it for half, Tanya for a quarter and a smile, but I'm not them. If nothing else I can probably salvage enough electronics from these links to cover my costs on that side. Out of pocket on the bullets and recordings though.
* Oleg: I should have shot that one properly, not just shoved the taser in him. Teach them proper respect.
* Liza: Killing one would have gotten me less, or cost me more.
* Monkey: But the look on their face when I whirled around and left that punk just thrashing on the ground was priceless!
* Oleg: They could have taken me down if they'd been more determined, they were rats.
* Coleman: What else would expect on a battlefield, after the battle has moved on?
* Monkey: Wait, did I just call myself a rat?

>> Tanya, Monique [Peter] I'm probably well behind the times with this news, but I think we're looking at mercenaries, based out of Eastern Europe. We're talking good armor, heavy firepower, good coordination. I'm attaching a file with their symbol, and a real quick and dirty gear estimates based on rough visual and sound recordings, spent bullets and eyewitnesses.<<

>> Tanya, Monique [Peter] On a sound recording I caught what sounded like orders in something Slavic that wasn't Ukrainian. But I heard English and at least one romance language that wasn't Italian -- probably Spanish. <<

>> Tanya, Monique [Peter] Do you need to find out more about this force? Good odds that they have a host, but good odds the security will be high, given that they seem pretty solid. My other option is to keep following the invasion and see if I can pick up on anything else.<<
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0345, on the road in Redmond


The human rats had been as bad as you had thought they might be. Still, you had been able to gain some information about the attackers.

>>Peter [Tanya]: Good job on finding that out. Even if I have already heard that, it is valuable to get confirmation. Please continue if you think you might learn more of what is happening.<<
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0403, on the road in Redmond

* Coleman: I'm chasing a reporter who is chasing the action -- and the scavengers here make army ants look as slow as addicts of The Bliss.

Fifteen minutes deeper into the barrens and fifteen minutes more frustrated, Preston surveyed another skirmish site without a lot of hope. One badly mangled body lay almost naked, even what must have been hole-ridden and blood-soaked clothing stripped from the corpse already.

From what the reporter had broadcast, there had been several casualties among the Diablos before they'd fled into the sewers, but the other bodies were gone. Possibly for respectful burial, more likely in order to see if anyone was buying corpses tonight.

* Monkey: It's like Christmas for ghouls today.
* Oleg: In the barrens I can't imagine its ever that hard for them to get bodies.

Then the matrix showed a surprise; five personas that appeared to be pretty much on top of each other, and apparently moving through what looked like an old collapsed building.

* Oleg: Some rat moved fast to snag all of those. I should feel no guilt about taking them away from it.
* Coleman: Could be a gang member tasked with gathering the 'links of fallen comrades. But either way, I'm not apt to catch them back there, and I'm deep enough into the barrens that the odds of being swarmed if I leave the car are going up; life is cheap this deep in.
* Gamma: I'm afraid to go out there on my own. This is a rational fear, but still a fear.
* Monkey: Or I could just take everything in the links off by hacking them, and save money while having fun! A quick dive into VR and I can suck them dry.
* Gamma: I told Tanya I wouldn't go into VR.
* Coleman: Marking the links shouldn't be too hard, but finding and extracting the latest files in AR might be more iffy. To do things this way I think I need to go into VR quickly.

Quickly, before the links moved farther away and made it harder, Preston ordered his car to creep forward slowly, toward the burned out building then turning away. Hoping that a moving car with reflective windows wouldn't scream "easy victim" too loudly, he slipped into VR for some quick and dirty hacking.

It started well as he quickly marked one of the links, but as he attempted to copy the latest files he quick scoop failed, the files all staying stubbornly wedged together. He tried again, only to fumble his grab as the entire file structure fell apart. Finally he picked out the file that he wanted and moved on.

The second link went smoothly, but the third one had actually had the latest security patches implemented and took a second try to mark -- at least copying the file went smoothly. The fourth one again gave him problems in prying loose the latest data, taking three tries again and making him begin to worry about the overwatch he was building up. Maybe it was his nervousness that made him still have trouble on the fifth one, but on the second try he copied the files.

He dropped back to AR then jacked out entirely and re-booted, half convinced he could feel the breath of god on the back of his neck. Fortunately he seemed to have gotten away with his gamble, and he and the car were still intact. Popping back into AR he quickly scanned the files he'd copied, and hit what he needed on the first one -- if he'd only looked at it before continuing he could have stopped there.

It looked like one of the Diablos had been setting up to take an 'Barrens Brawl' type recording, a genre that was popular in certain corners of the matrix. The Diablos had stood across the street, yelling out that if the intruders met them hand to hand and won, they'd let them pass. A Dwarf with a distinctively wide nose and scarred lip had raised the face plate on his helmet, and responded "Tell you what boys, here is what we'll do ..." and then a link had caught just a moment of muzzle flashes before being dropped as its owner was gunned down by assault rifle fire.

* Monkey: The mercs are jerks! They could have easily taken them hand-to-hand.
* Coleman: Killing the gang was probably more efficient, at the time and to keep others from interfering.
* Liza: It wouldn't have been that hard to tell the gang exactly what was coming.
* Coleman: Wasn't my decision. But more to the point, that is a distinctive face, a face that I should be able to track in the matrix easily enough.

Back in AR, Preston drove cautiously while running an image match program. He got lucky and found that the dwarf had once participated in "Desert Wars" and had kept an on-line presence reviewing the latest offerings of the franchise, ending two months previously when he'd announced that he'd joined a new outfit with strict rules about outside media presence. And gloriously, he provided their name.

But before he could do anything with it, he was pulled back to reality by the roar ofmotorcycles pulling up beside him ...


Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0406, on the road in Redmond


The troll on the Harley Scorpion looks like he could tip the car over with one hand. The large hand cannon in that he is carrying indicates that he probably does not really need to tip the car over. He takes a large cigar from his mouth and gives you a toothy grin as he motions for you to lower the window.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0406, on the road in Redmond

* Oleg: I know better than to let myself get caught this way
* Gamma: I promised Tanya I'd be careful.
* Coleman: no time for coulda-shoulda, need to focus on the situation.
* Monkey: The situation is I should shoot him right in his ugly mouth!
* Coleman: I could probably shoot first, but I don't have the ordanance to one-shot the troll, and then there are the others. I also don't have the speed or armor to realistically escape. Either one is better than total surrender, but negotiation should be my first option.
* Liza: I should let Tanya know
* Monkey: No! I can't let her know I got caught this way!
* Coleman: There may not be time for proper communication later.

Preston gives a small nod to the troll, and while slowing the car down and slowly and obviously reaching for the window controls fires off an ARO

>>Tanya, Monique [Preston] Apparently gangs are a-roaming again sooner than I expected. About to 'negotiate' with a troll and some other bikers. Will update if I have true trouble. Attaching my coordinates, just to be safe.<<

He adjust his voice modulator for deeper tones that hopefully sound better to the troll, and ups the volume to be heard over the rumble of the motorbike's engine. With his hands visible on the wheel, he rumbles to the Troll "Hoi Chummer, been one fragger of a night, eh?"

* Monkey: I did NOT just say "eh?" That is so embarrassing!
* Oleg: There is nothing wrong in sounding like I come from Edmonton
* Monkey: Yes there is!
* Gamma: My old accent does tend to come out under stress.
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0406, on the road in Redmond


The Troll looks in through the window then gives you another crooked smile. "Hoi. One fragger of a night, yes. But it seems like you are a bit off the path, Chummer. I expect that you will be wanting an escort back out of here? What you got worth that sort of service?" He nods at the other bikes that have pulled up. All four are ridden by large Trolls. "My friends and I would be glad to help you."


>>Peter [Tanya]: Be careful, Peter.<<
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0406, on the road in Redmond

* Oleg: I hate being shaken-down
* Gamma: I don't want to die
* Coleman: I came into the barrens without high-lethality back-up; this is tactically unfortunate but strategically irrelivent, assuming their price isn't too high.
* Liza: The embarrasment could be a 'strategic' factor in the future, but this could also be an opportunity now!
* Monkey: I have not had nearly enough caff to deal with this, at this hour of the morning.

He lowers the 'growl' factor of his voice modulator a little bit, not wanting to be too obvious about matching the troll voices. "Funny you should mention that, eh? I was just saying to myself that I'd just about kill for a double-double -- cup of caff that is -- and a chance to drink it without having to actually shoot anyone. I've already seen enough blood this morning."

* Gamma: 'eh' again?
* Liza: At this point I might as well go with it. They know I'm an outsider anyway.

"Now, 'what I got' that I could give in exchange for you taking me to that caff? I could offer you my Colt Manhunter, since I wouldn't be needing to shoot anyone. It's pretty big, but maybe still a little small for you, eh? I'd hate to see you pawn it for a lot less than its worth. So I could just offer you what it cost me -- seven hundred nuyen, certified credstick."

* Oleg: Most of Fisher's contacts don't want to see my face, and my contacts are ruthless. Replacing that in a hurry would cost me more than 700.
* Liza: Chances I take. I need to make my offer as broadly appealing as possible, since I don't know what they really want. Guns and money are two of the four currencies of the barrens. I don't have any drugs, so that eliminates offering them the third.

"And I'll make you another offer too, if you are interested. I was here investigating who shot up half of Redmond this morning. I'm willing to trade information, if you are interested."

* Liza: Information is the fourth, of course.
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0406, on the road in Redmond


The Troll gives you a sideways look and laughs. "Now what would I do with a gun like that? Wear it like a piece of jewelry?" He holds out a massive hand. "I will take the stick and then we will see you out of here. And information? Nah, got no use for that. All I need to know is that the former gang that was here in now not here and we can expand in without fighting the former owners."

As soon as you hand over the credstick, the Troll and his buddies motion for you to move on and they pace you until you get to a nicer part of town, where they wave you on and turn around.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0406, on the road in Redmond

As he sipped a truly vile cup of caff at Sneaky Pete's in Touristville, Preston fired off a reassurance.

>>Tanya, Monique [Peter] All is good, thanks to the power of the credstick. Can't afford nights like this too often, but sometimes it is the tool that works.<<

Once it seemed that the trolls were truly on their way he took the rest of the cup with him back to his car, if only to avoid the strung out and desperate working girls who were still, already, or just always trolling the patrons of the all-night purveyor of barely edibles and marginally potables. But back in the car there was no distractions to keep him from thinking.

* Gamma: I really do need to earn some nuyen soon.
* Monkey: Tanya promised a split from this job tomorrow. Big time nuyen!
* Coleman: The question is, am I the right person for the job? The trouble I had just with those links was not encouraging.
* Gamma: I don't have other jobs lined up, can I afford not to do it?
* Monkey: I'm awesome, I got this!
* Oleg: She asked me to do it, not my problem if she isn't good at selecting people for the job.
* Liza: As a partner in this job, it is my responsibility to speak up if I can't do my part.
* Monkey: I got this, I won't let anything happen to her!
* Gamma: I can't be sure of that.
* Coleman: I get some rest, I get the extra programs and modules I need for a little more of an edge, and I do some final prep work.
* Liza: And maybe I pick up a lucky rabbit foot?

To quell his thoughts, Preston ran the deck through its paces a couple more times. He felt pretty quick, pretty solid, but still a little clumsy with the new matrix protocols. He really should have prioritized getting his hacking skills back up to speed sooner -- being just a little sharper could make all of the difference.

* Monkey: Using hot sim could also make all the difference!
* Oleg: No
* Gamma: And waste all that work getting over my addiction? No.
* Coleman: It is an option that I could need to use, but only if things get truly dire.
* Liza: Should I explain this issue to Tanya?

>>Tanya [Peter] Probably everyone needs some rest after tonight. But I want to block off some time to talk about tomorrow night, I have a better idea now of where I stand, and you need to know the risks.<<
Beta
(For Mercy)
Monday June 10, 2075 0415, Touristville; 0433, Tanya's suite

Tanya responds to your first message right away. >>Peter [Tanya]: I am glad of that. Consider the stick an expense and I will reimburse you for that as well as any other costs you might have had to make out there. I hope that you got some good practice in.<<

You may have thought that there would be no distractions in your parked car, but you have forgotten the strung out and desperate working girls, some of whom come up to you in your car and knock on the windows to get your attention. The amount of barely concealed flesh is certainly gratifying, although two of them would seem a bit too old or too burned out to be doing this sort of work. The end result is that you move the car a couple of blocks away to get the peace to put your deck through some extra use.

Your second message to Tanya get a quick response as well. >>Peter [Tanya]: Monique and I are already on the way back home. Come see me when you get there and we can talk. I am interested in hearing what you have to say about your experiences tonight and will share some of mine. Ciao.<<

By the time you get back to the VIP parking area, you find the racing bike already in its assigned slot. The security man at the private elevator gives you a hard look and calls down to the suite, getting Monique, who verifies that you are indeed expected. She is waiting for you at the door to the apartment, wearing pink bunny slippers and a robe and with her hair up in a bun. She smiles and hands you a cup of coffee as you step in. “Welcome back, monsieur. Her Ladyship is taking a shower and I am to tell you that you may join her if you wish. I am off to bed.” She turns away then looks over her shoulder. “That was good work on those thugs tonight. Merci. I will see you later in the morning. Will you be up for breakfast or lunch?

After she gets your answer, she nods and turns to go to her room. For a moment, you stand and watch her walk away, your mind having a bit of a problem processing what you have seen of her and comparing that to the woman who was wearing the tight jeans and carrying that pistol in a shoulder rig. Your choices are to go into your room to sleep or to join Tanya in the shower for talk. Yeah, talk.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0433 Tanya's suite

Preston quickly ran some calculations and affirmed to Monique "Lunch, I think. Thank you, and you are welcome." Then he turned towards Tanya's suite.

* Monkey: My turn.
* Coleman: We need to do planning.
* Monkey: My turn!
* Liza: I need to let Tanya know of my worries, so that she has time to adjust any plans
* Monkey: MY turn!
* Gamma: I need some solid sleep.
* Monkey: MY TURN!!!

Preston shed his clothes on his way through Tanya's room and bathroom -- taking care to put the deck down on a chair -- and was surprised to find himself growling as he stepped into the shower. He managed to string together a few words "If you aren't ready for this, tell me to back off very soon, like the next five seconds." Even as he was speaking he backed her up against the wall of the shower, and occupied the designated waiting time by nibbling on her right ear.

* Gamma: I'll probably sleep better for this.
Beta
(For Mercy)
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0434 Tanya's suite

Tanya responds in what has to be just about the fastest five seconds you have never had to count. Her body shivers a bit as you nibble at her ear then she turns in your arms to kiss you, her lips, hands, and body telling you in no uncertain terms that she is definitely ready for this. Her lips open against yours and she sends her tongue into your waiting mouth, letting it twist with yours in some sort of amazingly sensual dance. As you move your hands about her exposed breasts she gasps and her nipples harden under your touch. The foreplay under the warm water seems to last forever but eventually you go past that and she cries out in ecstasy as you enter her for the first time, her entire body shaking in your grasp. She convulses several times in release before you reach your own point of no return and expire inside of her. By this time the pair of you are slumped on the floor of the large shower, too weak to do much other than let the water pour down on you.

Minutes later, she manages to move over to you, covering your face with kisses before leaning against your body, still panting. Finally, she stands, using the various hand rails in the shower, and pulls you out to dry you off. Then, taking your hand, she leads you out of the bathroom into the bedroom and tosses the covers back before slipping between the sheets. She holds her arms out for you to join her and begins to once again explore your body with her lips and hands. Eventually, after a long and satisfying stint, she raises her head. “It seems, Peter, that my other decker friend here is anxious to be plugged into some sort of direct interface. You don’t mind if I allow that to happen do you?” Without waiting for an answer, she raises herself up and moves to where she can sink down on you, leaning slightly so that you can get full access to her. She is quite vocal and her cries reinforce the shaking of her body, leaving no doubt that she is reaching several climaxes, one after the other, the last one coinciding with your own. Panting for breath, she falls over onto you then rolls off to lay at your side. Her hand gently strokes your face and she smiles.

“I think I was ready for that. Can what you wanted to say wait for us to wake up? You have exhausted me and I am not sure I could really think straight just now.” Her last words to you as she drifts off to sleep are a nearly whispered, “I love you, Peter.”
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0450 Tanya's suite

* Monkey: Ahhhh, that is better.
* Gamma: I will sleep well, despite the excitement and caffeine.

Preston was floating half way between post-coital brain-melt and sleep, when he realized that Tanya had asked him a question, something about talking.

Sleepily he mumbled "Talk about what?"

* Liza: about hot sim, the decking risks ... but I need to be coherent

Slightly more coherently he added "Oh, wait, I remember! And yes it can wait until we are awake again. But not much longer."

After Tanya is asleep Preston mentally fiddles with the settings in his cyber-arm, such that when he wipes his eyes he doesn't have to feel the dampness there.

* Oleg: What does she know about love?
* Gamma: What do I know about love?
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0450 Tanya's Suite Gates Undersound Hotel Seattle


You are rudely yanked from your sleep by someone shrieking in your ear, or at least it seems that way. Waking up, you realize that it is precisely that way. Tanya is sitting up in the bed, the sheet at her waist. Her right arm is hanging at her side and her left arm is pointing straight ahead of her at the wall opposite the bed. Her head is moving from side to side as she screams out again and again.

The door to the bedroom slams open and a form throws itself onto the bed and wraps its arms about Tanya. “Mon Dieu! I had been wondering when this would happen.” Monique obviously sleeps in the nude and did not take the time to throw a robe on when the screaming started. She holds Tanya in her arms and begins cooing at her in French then looks over to you. “Why do you sit there? If you love her, help me with this and if you don’t, then get the frag away. If you want to help, then put your arms about her and whisper things in her ear; words of love and calm. She must be calmed down or this can go on for hours.”


Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0450 Tanya's Suite Gates Undersound Hotel Seattle


Monique didn't seem phased by the fact that Preston was crouched beside the bed, pistol in hand below the gaping open smuggling compartment. In fact Preston felt more disturbed than Monique appeared to be.

* Gamma: I went into combat mode before being awake. There are times that is a good reflex, but probably not the correct one in this situation.
* Monkey: I was asleep, nobody can blame me for how I react when I'm asleep. And why shouldn't I protect myself first?
* Liza: But time to help take care of Tanya now.
* Monkey: Ugh I'm tired, can't I just go somewhere quiet and get some sleep?
* Gamma: By accepting a relationship, I think I don't get to do that.
* Monkey: Relationships suck. Couldn't I just have the sex?
* Coleman: The teamwork of a relationship is worth this price.

Preston quickly returned the pistol to its smuggling compartment, crawled back onto the bed, and then very tentatively put an arm around her.

It was several long seconds before he started murmuring "It's OK. You are here at home, with Monique and I. Safe, loved, protected. The past can't get you here. Come to us, tell it to stay in the past. I know what it is like, so many times I woke up unable to breath, wrapped in cobwebs of the past. But you can tear them away, push past them. Breath deep, the air is clean here, it doesn't smell like it did there and then. Listen to Monique, listen to me, the sounds are soft and gentle. Feel your comfortable bed beneath you. And know that you are safe."

He falls silent for a few seconds, before repeating variants on the same theme, not knowing if it really helps Tanya or not. Forcing himself to talk calmly and slowly was helping him calm his hammering heart and anchoring him in the here-and-now, but that wasn't important if he wasn't helping Tanya. He knew that when he woke up from nightmares of the past, it helped him to force himself to focus on his senses, to prove to himself that he wasn't where the nightmare insisted he was. He didn't know if that was what helped Tanya or not, if that was what helped anyone other than himself really, but he couldn't think of what else to say.

Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0456 Tanya's Suite Gates Undersound Hotel Seattle


The shrieking just seems to go on and on as you and Monique hold her and talk to her. Her left arm stays outstretched as if she is reaching for something while the right one continues to hang limp at her side. After a few minutes, the shrieking lessons the slowly ebbs away until she is sitting in the bed with both of you and sobbing. Monique looks over at you and nods her head. "She is almost done now, Monsieur Peter. Then she will sleep."

At almost that moment, Tanya goes limp and her head falls back as she abruptly falls asleep. Monique whispers that it is now alright to lay her back on the bed. She covers Tanya with the sheet and stands. Still making no move to cover herself, Monique smiles at you. "Well, you have passed the second test, Monsieur. Thank you for helping. I am going to go make some food. Will you join me? Do not worry about her for now; she will be asleep for several hours. I will shower have coffee on in about ten minutes."

The Frenchwoman turns and walks from the bedroom.
Beta
Once Monique is gone, Preston lies down next to Tanya, just lightly touching her, and silently sobs as he recalls all of his regrets, somehow stirred up by Tanya's fit.


After several minutes of that he finally gets up and goes into the shower to wash away his tears. Once composed he finally goes out to see Monique.
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0520 Tanya's Suite Gates Undersound Hotel Seattle



Leaving the bedroom, you see Monique sitting at the dining room table. She is wearing a robe, but your mind has a hard time not seeing the body of the woman under the concealing cloth. She stands and motions for you to sit at the table and you let the delicious aroma of the coffee stir you as she pours you a cup. Various containers sit on the tea tray and you can see milk, cream, sugar, and lemon available for you to use. There is also a platter of sandwiches on the table.

After you sit, she moves the sandwich platter closer to you and looks at you over the lip of her own cup. "Well, Monsieur, you have seen some of the best of her and now some of the worst, non? The nightmares come less than they used to and we always hope that they are finally gone for good. But then something like this happens. It is very disturbing, so I thank you for staying to help me with her. She cares for you very much and I am hoping that you can make them go away. But that depends on whether you stay or not. The bad times are very bad. There were several maids before me and none of them lasted. Her feckless cousin would have had her committed to an institution.Her uncle was the only family member that even came to see her in the hospital and he wanted to help so I stole her from that place and took her to him in Scotland and we got her mostly better." She grimaces and waves her hand at the bedroom. "Well, partly better. You will have to accept this part of her life if you are interested in staying with her."

She pauses for a moment and sips from her cup. "I rather hope that you decide to stay, but it is your call. I cannot promise that the bad times will be any better or less frequent."

Monique stands and chastely wraps her form in the robe. "I am going to get some sleep. Please help yourself to what you want of the sandwiches and coffee. You can leave the cleanup to me for later."
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0525 Tanya's Suite Gates Undersound Hotel Seattle

After a few minutes Preston admits that he's not going to get back to sleep. Sleep can be a tricky thing for him, and once his adrenaline gets up, it is even less likely for him to settle back down.

Instead he calls up his bootleg Lonestar nightstick AR training program, and practices strikes, blocks, holds, and flashy spins until he's built up a good sweat, then goes back to the suite for a long shower. After he has dressed, he starts fretting about when he might expect the delivery from Tanya's contact, now that it is finally Monday. Clearly not at six thirty in the morning, but, there is something that he wants to check out ...

* Coleman: in business hours they might have more spiders on duty, then again they could have less not expecting daylight matrix intrusions.
* Gamma: I'd be more comfortable doing it in off hours.
* Oleg: doing it at night just makes me look more like a criminal, and is more like what we'll be doing Tuesday night. Doing it during business hours could be more like corporate intrusion from a curious rival.
* Liza: And ghosts forbid I come across as a criminal, while breaking into a security host!
* Gamma: I shouldn't do it from here, anyway.

Holding off on any more hacking for the moment, Preston decides to finally go do some scouting. Pulling back out the overalls -- and general disguise -- he'd worn the night before, he straps on weapons and gathers a bit of gear. He leaves an ARO waiting for Tanya, asking her to contact him once she is up, then he heads out through the early morning traffic to Howard's neighborhood. Once there he takes control of his car manually and pulls half off the road, mostly blocking the sidewalk. He hangs up vaguely official and officious AROs at each end of the block informing people of the contact code for GridGuide if they have any complaints about travel/street alignment, and another bragging of GridGuide's responsive customer service checking out a reported alignment problem on this block. This had been a favorite trick of Fisher's, give people something to complain about and they mostly don't pay real attention to you, just their complaint.

Then he takes his bulky hacking 'link, holds it high, and starts pacing along the side of the street, occasionally stopping to observe traffic or to doodle marks on the curb with a piece of chalk. All the while he is taking video, and arranges to be filming Howard's wall much of the time. He allows himself five minutes to see if anyone investigates this minor behavioral oddity -- he figures that should give him all the observation of Howard's that he needs and will check on what his odds are of being able to idle in this neighborhood during Tanya's intrusion.
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0730 Outside Howard's Housel Seattle


It takes about 3.5 minutes before a security vehicle comes by to investigate. Two burly men step out of the car, although the driver remains at the open door while his partner comes over to you. "Sir, do you need assistance"
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0730 Outside Howard's Housel Seattle

* Oleg: Always best to show you are on the same side as the law.
* Liza: But these gents don't look like they'll have much patience.

"Well," replied Preston, "Unless you can assist me in getting my boss not to send me on the stupidest calls, or actually know of GridGuide acting up on this street, probably not. But I'm sure I could make your life easier by getting out of the way quickly."

He waves his bulky link at the street, while mentally telling it to stop recording and explains "Chasing down GridGuide complaints that they don't think are worth their own time to check out. So someone around here spilled their coffee or was going too fast or, for all I know, bit down on the member to which they were giving their loving attention. Whatever, someone blamed it on the car doing something funny, and sent in a complaint to Grid Guide. Area is too rich to ignore it, but its also too rich for the equipment to go missing or get damaged and not be noticed, so they classify it as a nuisance complaint and contract it out to us. Once in a while there is something causing a lot of noise that can cause problems, but I'm not seeing that. I could sit here for an hour waiting to see if there is bursts of noise, but I don't want to do that, and I'm guessing you don't want me to do that, so unless you know of actual complaints I'll wrap it up and go after something with more chance of being real. I heard there was a bunch of action last night, bound to have caused some real problems."

He starts to turn towards his car, stops, and adds "And as long as this is a casual chat I don't have to add to my report that I talked with local law enforcement, but if you need to file anything about this then I'd better mention it, and get your badge numbers for reference.
"

* Oleg: hopefully I'm not talking to the world's only cops who LIKE doing paperwork.

'
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0731 Outside Howard's Housel Seattle


As the lead officer gets closer, you see that his uniform has a pocket logo just like that of the security company responsible for monitoring Howard's security system. He shakes his head at you. "Nah, no complaints from anyone in this area. You got some sort of work order or other document authorizing this work that I can look at?"
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0731 Outside Howard's House l Seattle

* Gamma: I neglected to forge an ARO before doing this. That was an amateur error.
* Coleman: time for regrets later. With no defense, I have to go on the attack.
* Oleg: These aren't knights, just jumped up private security who think they can push everyone around
* Liza: But best not to look too immediately aggressive
* Monkey: It's fun making little men frustrated. Of course it is also fun to jab them with a taser and watch them thrash around
* Coleman: A plan B is never a bad thing.

"Of course I have an order for this job. Boss called me on my personal line to get me out here before traffic got bad, but I'm sure he sent me all the fragging forms too, officer ..." he brings up the link in front of him, using the opportunity to order it to take a picture of the security agent and then send the pic to his in-head link.

Then he suddenly lowers the link, using it to point at the two men "Hold up a minute -- you aren't Knights!"

Gesturing with the link in his right hand as a distraction, he palms his taser with his left "Sorry, its early for this stuff, it took me a minute to clue in that you aren't actually 'officers'; at least not ones with the public security contract for this area, covering the roads. I don't mean to be drek-head, but I'm not allowed to share details of complaints with anyone but GridGuide or KE -- or their equivalent where someone else has the contract. Maybe you guys are legit, discreet, and all of that -- but we have confidentiality rules for a reason!"

Preston had seen Fisher get into the zone, able to completely take on the persona of the person he was imitating, appearing to legitimately care about what that person would care about. It wasn't anything that Preston had been able to do more than admire, but suddenly he realized he was in that zone. He honestly felt upset that these thugs were trying to get confidential data!

"Just imagine that that the people in that house," he points behind his back, at the walls across the street, "put in a complaint because they were noticing a problem, and it turned out that this place" he points at Howard's house "was generating a lot of matrix noise, either all of the time or in bursts. If you are security for this place and not that one" pointing at Howard's and across the street again "and I told you about it, you might tell your client, and they might retaliate against the neighbors somehow. Then they find out, go to the media, GridGuide has egg on their face, we lose our contract ... So yah, you don't get to see the paperwork."

"So how about we all go our own ways? Then I don't have to file a report that you were trying to exceed your authority, you don't have to start off Monday morning with a confrontation leading to who knows how much bureaucratic work, and we all stop making a spectacle and traffic hazard of ourselves."

* Monkey: That's telling them!
* Coleman: We'll see, I'm not ruling out plan B just yet.
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0731 Outside Howard's House l Seattle


The officer seems a bit overeager to see if your taser can take him down before he shoots you and moves his hand towards his holster when the other officer calls out. "Jim, watch it there. No need to be flopping about on the pavement over something like this."

The first guy relaxes a bit and moves his hand away from his waist and backs off a couple of steps. "Just once I want to shoot someone that acts suspicious. Just once."

The second guy laughs. "Not worth it this time, big guy." He nods at you. "Clever misdirect, there, chummer. Don't try it again or I will let my friend see if he is tougher than your taser. And we have your photo just in case and will be checking out your story, so if you have no real reason to be in the area I would advise you to not come back."
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0731 Outside Howard's House l Seattle

Once he drives away Preston sends the car towards downtown, zooms in on a construction project, and finds a legal parking spot. He then walks around the perimeter of the site for about fifteen minutes, carrying the bulky link, muttering to himself about field contours and ping times. Some of the construction workers give him odd looks, but the rush hour is picking up and nobody has much time for someone who isn't obstructing traffic.

After that he drives to a Soybucks, gets out, and sends the car to drive around for a bit. He sits at a table long enough to make pretty sure that nobody is paying attention to him and that neither he nor his car have matrix marks, then uses the washroom to remove the under-eye bags from his disguise and the logo from his overalls. As he steps out of the shop he changes his wig setting a bit while running his fingers through his 'hair,' then walks to meet his car around the block. He pulls in and out of a Stuffer Shack parking lot, changing the spoof on his registration while briefly off the roads, and finishes changing his disguise.

It is only then that he permits himself to pound on the steering-wheel and call himself an idiot. Fisher had made disguises look so easy, all Preston had had to do was look the part. But clearly you had to be a smoother liar than he'd manad

He pulls a couple more changes, and in-between sends a message off to Radiant Shadow, coded for her to look at once she is awake <<Radiant Shadow [Preston]Good morning, or afternoon, whatever time it is when your fantabulous self finally reads this. I'm not saying I'm going to do it, but if I wanted to, would you be able to provide anything that would give me a brain boost for half an hour or an hour? I'm talking cold, rational, thinking, not burning hot instinct or anything. Is there anything that isn't too addictive -- you know my record isn't great.>>

* Gamma: Tanya won't like the idea of drugs.
* Coleman: Possibly she'll like the risk of getting caught even less.
* Oleg: I don't want to get addicted to anything again.

He frowns, then sends a similarly tagged message to his street doc <<Counter [Preston] I heard a while ago that there was some safe nanite treatment that helps with logical thinking. That story real, this stuff truly work? That anything you could put your hands on in the next 24 hours or so? If so, what would it run?>>

Only then, as clean as he can get himself and dirty questions asked, does he return to Tanya's hotel. When Monique sees him she stops, looks at him harder, and surmises "You are worried about this hack." It wasn't a question.

"I am. His security is good. I'm OK, but not good enough to do this reliably. I feel like if I go back into hot sim, I'll never be able to resist its lure. There are other options that I'm looking into, but ... I'm going to need to talk with Tanya once she awake. For now I need a nap."
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0900 Tanya's Hotel Seattle


Monique nods and motions towards Tanya's door. "She is resting calmly for now. It might help if you went to her for your nap."

While you are waiting to decide, you get a message from Counter. >>Preston [Counter]: Heard the same drek. Not sure I believe it but I can look around for you. I know a guy that deals in that stuff. Call you back when.<<
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 0900 Tanya's Hotel Seattle

Crawling in next to Tanya, Preston knows that the much needed sleep may be hard to come by. The conversation in front of him is not one he wants to have.

* Oleg: I should just tell her I can't do it, rather than fill myself full of crud.
* Monkey: That 'crud' is there to give people an edge in just these situations. Not using it would be stupid. And boring.
* Coleman: Tactically both drugs and nanites would give me an edge. But strategically losing Tanya's patronage would be bad.
* Monkey: So would losing her affection. She's haaaawwwwwwtttttt!
* Coleman: But am I more apt to lose her patronage by proving unequal to the task, or by turning to substances she may not approve of?
* Eliza: I don't think I know her well enough to know the answer to that.
* Monkey: And not to forget, hot sim gives a big edge too. I should totally be using that!
* Oleg: No hot sim, a man should not live like a baby, not taking care of his basic needs.
* Gamma: I would be disappointed in myself if I got hooked on hot sim again.
* Eliza: Given the choices, I think it best to lay out the options to her, really talk with her, not tell her how I'm doing it.
* Coleman: Giving the decision to Tanya is giving up control over my fate.
* Eliza: being in a relationship means giving up some control over your fate.
* Monkey: And getting regular sex -- that part of relationships is great.
* Gamma: Not all relationships feature regular sex.
* Coleman: I can give her this decision as a sign of the strength of the relationship, so strengthening one area even if weakening another.
* Eliza: Yes, communication here should be win-win.

Eventually, spooned up against Tanya, his thoughts settled on a plan, and he was able to drift off to sleep.

Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 1230 Tanya's Hotel Seattle


You stir a bit and wake up to see Tanya's piercing eyes staring into yours. She reaches a hand out to touch your face and smiles. "You are awake. I hope I did not disturb you. Monique tells me that you have now seen the worst of me and did not run when you could have. Thank you. Having any second thoughts?"


Beta
"That is going to be my question soon enough--but before I dive into that, no, your nightmares won't scare me off. I'm sure they are far worse from the inside, I just wish I could keep them away for you."

He pulls her close and holds her for a few seconds, then loosens his grip and says I hate to spoil the moment, but we have to talk about this run."

Preston takes a deep breath, then gushes out "I don't think I can do it, keep you safe from the cameras that is. I should be able to get into the host, and I think I can go unnoticed with the programs I'll be running. But emitting the video is a continuous battle, and I don't think I'm good enough to get every bit of it while also staying hidden. You might want to consider another decker."

Another breath, then another gush "there are options I could use to give me more of an edge, but they all have issues. There is hot sim, which makes everything a bit easier. But I got off the Jazz by disappearing into hot sim for over six months. I got ... pretty bad. I got off that by getting rid of anything that could access it. Decks can all access it. I've been able to resist trying it, but I can still feel the monkey on my back and if it wakes up all the way ... well you've beat an addiction, you know how hard it can be."

"There are drugs that stim the brain, I know a lot of deckers use them sometimes. They can help, and one use probably does not an addict make. Probably. This time. Radiant Shadow can probably hook me up with something of the purest grade, but ... Drugs can be a slippery slope, I've been there and don't want to get hooked again. And I know how you feel on the topic."

"And then there are nanites. They have ones that don't exactly make you smarter, but improve mental skills. I know they say nanites are safe, but anything messing with your brain has to carry some risks. I'm still looking to see if I can even find a sources on short notice, but they could be a possibility. "

"Anything else, like bioware, would take too long. I'd hoped to get brain boosting bioware at some point, but it hasn't been in my budget so far"

"I haven't found a place where I could make a direct link. I need to run quiet to stay in the host long enough for you to do your stuff. So I think it needs to be someone better at hacking, or I have to take some chances to push my edge."

* Monkey: oooh¦ I should do all of them! I'd be like a God in the matrix!
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 1230 Tanya's Hotel Seattle


Tanya sits up, letting the sheet fall to her waist. She cups your face and looks down at you. "First, truth time for you. Do you want me to get someone else or do you want to do this. If you want to do this with me, is there anything else you.....we.....can do to improve your chances? If not, how willing are you to risk being addicted to whatever drug you use. Or use the untested nanites? Which do you prefer?"
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 1230 Tanya's Hotel Seattle

"I want to do this, I feel like I need to prove that I can be useful in the matrix without losing myself in the process. But most of all I want you to be safe. I should know within the next little bit if I can get the nanites and get any drug that could reasonably safely make a real difference, and then in turn how much of a difference all of that could make. Probably I want all of it, if I can get it. If I can get that stuff lined up, then I think I have a real shot. If not ... you need someone else."

* Gamma: that is not giving her much time, but it is being totally open.
* Coleman: Giving the commander a complication, even if it is an honest one, is never very good.
* Oleg: Not my fault that the skirt decided I was Mr. Wonderful without testing me.
* Liza: But I didn't tell her farther ahead of time, either.

"Sorry to give you such short notice. I thought that as I worked off the rust and used the deck, I'd be OK. But the matrix is a lot tighter since the re-build, makes even simple things a lot harder, in ways that I'd not anticipated. I'll get there eventually if I keep at it, but cramming has only brought me so far."
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 1231 Tanya's Hotel Seattle


Tanya looks at you and smiles. "Short notice is better than no notice and that is even better than failure. It would not be the first time I have canceled or postponed something because I did not think I was ready. Let me ask you if you think a bit more time would help? The deadline is just about purely mine, so I can delay it if that would help. I would be hypocritical if I did not approve of things that can help you, but I an really scared of things that can get you addicted to them. Think on it and let me know which you prefer."

Her hand has been tracing lazy circles on your chest but now the circles seem to go a bit lower. "In the meantime, let me show you some thanks for sticking by me." A few seconds later and a bit farther south, she lifts her mouth from yours and giggles a bit. "Oh my, I seem to have encounters a rather large obstacle in the path of my hand. I may need to get a closer view." She lifts the covers a bit and slides down under them, letting the sheet fall and conceal her. You might not be able to see what she is doing, but you can certainly feel it and the way a section of the sheet just over your waist moves up and down should give you enough of a visual as she uses her tongue and mouth to please you.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 1242 Tanya's Hotel Seattle

Once he was able to re-assemble his thoughts, Preston admitted "Time might be the biggest thing. I think your contact should be sending some programs and hardware today, with those I can do a trial run on their site, find out what the security is really like, and maybe improve my skills that bit more. I still think I'll need a boost, but not having to get things in quite such a rush could save a lot of nuyen. Even a few days could really help me."

(and posted for Mercy)
Tanya still has a mouth full of something but removes it for a moment so she can talk, her words muffled a bit from under the sheet. "Perfect, Peter. You have already done as well as I had expected by admitting that you might be under equipped or experienced given the time line I had indicated. I am very pleased. If you think a few days is enough, you shall have a few days. I want you to be as prepared as you can be. Now let me get back to my treat." Her mouth takes your hardness in again and her head resumes its bobbing motion under the sheet at your waist.
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 1255 Tanya's Hotel Seattle

It takes a while longer again for Preston to focus his thoughts. Eventually he is ready to say "Waiting too long will introduce all sorts of variables in your plans, wasting a lot of your prep. Those few days will hopefully not be too long, but will let me be a lot more ready."

A bit later he's ready to check the messages on his internal link, and Radiant Shadow has responded >>Psyche is the usual goto, but if you are really serious about boosting, there is Cereprax. You don't want anything less than pharmaceutical grade, I'll only sell you one dose this quarter because it is that serious, better be ready for a day of terrible afterwards, it will take me a couple of days to get my hands on it, and that one little shot will cost you a bundle. But it is pure nitro for the brain. If that is what you really need, let me know and I'll start pulling strings.<<

* Coleman: That is what I need.
* Gamma: I don't want to mess with something that even Radiant Shadow sounds so nervous about.
* Monkey: Drugs are supposed to be fun, not scary!

Preston lay there, staring at the ceiling, knowing he was going to do it, knowing that he might regret that decision for years.
Mercy
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 1231 Tanya's Hotel Seattle


The sheets flip up and Tanya moves up and shifts her body so that she can slip down over you, rocking gently with you inside her. "Why so serious, Peter? You have your time and you have me. In my book that should keep you happy for, oh, about a billion years. Look, I know this is serious stuff and it is your life and sanity you are considering affecting with some sort of mod to your body. My project can wait a bit. Would you like us to go live in your apartment, away from everything, while you get ready? We would have to share with Amanda, but your place has two bedrooms and I am sure that she would not mind terribly if you did some bed hopping. To be honest, I could use a break from all I am doing and just relax while some irons I have in the fire get hot. What do you say?"
Beta
Preston, Monday June 10, 2075 1231 Tanya's Hotel Seattle

* Oleg: why, the impertinent tramp!
* Liza: It is just her way of being loving

"Sorry, I get moody and gloomy. Maybe my slavic blood? Probably this is where we need to measure our time together and time apart, so that sometimes we can have our seperate moods? Not that I don't miss you terribly when I'm not with you, but this sort of moody introspection is just part of how I make decisions that I can trust. When I keep going fast-fast-fast, without slow breaks, I do things that I regret. The fast-fast-fast response would be to grab the drugs, grab the nanites, and hit the mark. Maybe that is the answer that I get to after this too, but at least I'll have more confidence that I've thought it through."

"Sorry, doesn't make me the best partner some times. But hopefully I can tell you when I need the thinking time, and you can trust that when I make a decision, I'm as sure as I can be. Like being here with you, it isn't a whim or a 'how-long-can-we-keep-having-mind-blowing-sex' thing. I've thought it through in my own way, and I'm confident as I can be that I've made the right decision. Not dramatic or romantic, I guess. But hopefully reassuring somehow."
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