Friday 8 June 2075 1430 Eddy's Bar Seattle


Eddy's Sports Bar is a popular watering hole for the small-time betting crowd. And sometimes the not-so-small betting crowd. It has been your home away from home for some time. It certainly is safer than your home. It has everything you could want in a bar; decent unwatered beer, free snacks, several trid screens showing the most popular events, and comfortable chairs. The owner is Eddy Romano. He inherited the place, along with a stable of racing horses and some fancy cars, when his dad died. To all accounts, Eddy is a good guy. He allows all sorts of people in as long as they don't cause any trouble. And the bouncers are around to make sure that does not happen too often. You know Eddy to see him, but that is about all. He spotted you some drinks right after the accident, but you are down to using your own money now. Bucky is the bartender and right friendly for an Ork. She has offered a few times to loan you something if you ever need it. She has slipped you an extra measure to your beers on occasion so is probably someone to stay on the good side of. The real attraction, though, is Tess. How a bookie can look so hot is a mystery. By stereotype, a bookie is supposed to be hard-looking and easygoing until they either have to pay off or you have to pay in. Either situation can turn ugly. But Tess is so easygoing all the time. And frag is she hot to look at. She could easily be one of the strippers at the club a couple of miles down the road. You have been there more than once, but none of the girls there have anything on Tess. Except for maybe the one named Gardenia Rose. Now, there was a woman. Too bad a night in bed with her charms cost so fragging much.

Friday is almost the same as any other day at Eddy's. Most of the talk is of the Cup Race on Saturday. Eddy has a horse in the race and the odds were on him to cross the line in front, earning the 1M payday, but Eddy had been forced to scratch that entry and is going with a nag two years out of the circuit. The odds makers were all over this and tons of money was being shifted. Tess is almost to the point of pulling some of that gorgeous hair out. Gear and you are watching the highlights of last night's Blood Bowl match and yelling at the refs for an obviously botched call when a familiar voice comes from behind you. Trin's silky tones grab at your senses as she pulls up a chair and sits down. "Hey, boys, mind if I join you? I was talking to Orange and she said you might be over here. Got something you might be interested in. One night, one race, 3 large. Got your attention?"

Shamrock turns to Trin. "Hi Trin, long time no see. How are you? You know I'm always up for a race, but I still haven't gotten any new wheels" She gives him a regretful look. "Oh, don't look at me lake that Trin, you know I don't blame you for what happened. Sometimes a race goes bad, that's just how it is."
Gear cut's in "Is this a one-on-one kinda thing or might I get in on it? I might not be as good as him" he nods toward Shamrock "but I still know how to race. By the way, we might be able to loan you some wheels, 'Rock." He turns to Trin. "How many wheels are we talking? Two or four?"
Shamrock considers this. "Hm, that might actually work. I will have to borrow some creds for the bet as well, I'm not exactly packing at the moment... I don't like the idea of racing on other people's stuff, but frag I wanna race again!" He looks at Trin again. "Ok, I'll try to make this work. So yeah, as Gear said, what's the deal. Bikes as usual or what kind of wheels are we talking? Where will it go down? Anything else I need to know?"

Friday 8 June 2075 1435 Eddy's Bar Seattle



Trin looks over at Gear and nods after a moment. "Yeah, alright. I can cut you in for the same, even if it cuts into my profit. It would help having another. And it's not that sort of race, boys. I need to run down the coast to LA and back. Cars are provided by the Johnson. Cargo is a family that needs to leave Seattle. Problem is that there are other people that do not want them to leave. We drive hard and fast. Supposed to be a secret, but you know secrets. I personally expect trouble and lots of it. Go gangs on the highway, as well as crews hired to stop us. Not going to lie to you; it could be dangerous. Still in?"

Shamrock grins a little. "Oh, that kind of race. That's actually even better, then I won't have to borrow anything. I'm definitely in."
Gear sounds a little more hesitant ."Not quite what I expected, but yeah, I'm in too"
Shamrock leans back in his chair "So what's the plan? We're going to cross a few borders on the way, did the Johnson have any ideas for those kind of issues?" He looks around for a bit. "Maybe we should continue this talk somewhere more private. I love this place, but we're not alone right now, even if the noise might make it difficult for anyone wanting to listen in."

Trin smiles and stands up. "Drink up, boys. Let's go to my place. Either of you chummers drive here or do you need a ride?"

Shamrock empties his glass and stands up as well. "Gear gave me a ride here, but I'll go with you. We can start talking on the way. You ok with that Gear?" Gear also gets ready to leave. "Yeah, that's chill with me 'Rock. Just tell me where to go and I'll meet you there."

Trin gives an address and Gear nods. "Got it. Be there in about twenty." She walks quickly to the exit and leaves the bar, heading to a car in the parking lot. As the wing doors open you can see they have been significantly reinforced. She slides across the hood and climbs in the driver's seat and is already strapping in when you sit in the seat. The car is moving before your door closes and the Keeb tells you to buckle up. The car glides away from the bar and onto the road, where it runs through the gears and takes off at a high rate of speed. You see a number of special dials and devices on the dashboard and center console between the seats and a soft green light fills the car. It takes a few minutes only to arrive at an open garage door and Trin pulls the car inside and parks it expertly. The wing doors open and you can get out of the car and look around at a well appointed garage. The woman motions to a counter that has a cafpot sitting on it. "Could you please pour me one? I will be right back down." She is heading to a set of stairs that lead up to the next level, unbuttoning her shirt as she walks. She removes it as she reaches the half-way point of the stairs and you can watch her bare back as it disappears from view.

Finally blinking again, you look around and see your car parked in one of the bay slots and a racing bike against one wall that you recognize as hers. As you pour the soycaf, Gear arrives and claims a cup. "That woman can drive, right?"

"She's not half bad" Shamrock answers with a bit of a grin. Then his face becomes a bit more serious. "To be honest, I only know a few that can measure up to her skill. And I don't think she's joking when she told us this might be dangerous. Are you sure you're up to this? As far as I know you've never been on any actual 'runs' before."
Gear looks slightly offended by this. "Oh, come on. Sure, I'm a bit younger than you and I know I'm not as good with a gun but I know how to drive and I've got other skills as well. I'm not saying this will be a piece of cake, I'm not that stupid, but I know how to handle myself"
Shamrock holds up a hand. "Alright, don't get all worked up about it. I just wanted to make sure you understood what you're getting into".
About that time Trin comes back down and Shamrock hands her the soycaf. "So what kind of wheels have the Johnson provided? Are we splitting up the cargo? As I said in bar, what's the plan?".

Trin returns wearing a sleek racing suit that emphasizes her figure and smiles as she takes the cup you offer. "Thanks. Mmmm, good stuff. Sometimes I think my blood is fifty percent soycaf. Let's go over to the table and I will lay out the plan." She takes you to a large table off to the side of the garage and motions for you to take a seat. There are road maps and glossy photos spread all over it. "OK, here it is. This is pretty much what I do. Well, besides street racing. I move things for clients, usually small things that can be put in the trunk of a car. This time I think I need help." She points to the photos and continues. "This is the family. Mr. Carson is a mid-level wage slave for Mitsuhama. A short time ago he was contacted by Horizon to sell them some secrets. He said yes. Now he needs to leave town and Horizon will pay to have him delivered. That is the short story. The next chapter is where it gets interesting. Mitsuhama has apparently found out and wants Mr. Carson to explain. So, we have one AAA paying us and another trying to stop us. Still in?"

He gives her a hard look. "Yeah, I'm still in, but AAA means some serious drek could go down on this run. How big is the family? Are we the only ones in on this or are more people joining us on the way? Does the family have any protection besides us? Shooting and driving at the same time can be tough, so I assume we want someone riding shotgun with some firepower?
Shamrock looks her in the eyes. "It seems you're the most experienced one when it comes to this, I've only done a few runs, and those didn't include any AAA or border crossing..."

Friday 8 June 2075 1510 Trin's Garage



Trin grins. "Glad to see you have the moxie I thought you had. OK, answers. Yes, I expect serious fragging drek. Mitsuhams apparently does not want to let these people go. Mom and pop, plus three kids, one is an infant. We will have shooters, but bring your own stuff just in case. I am told that the shooters will meet us at the cars. And I am glad you want in, Gear. Saves me the trouble of looking for a third driver." She passes out the photos of the family and then the road maps. "Here is the route. Take a look and get familiar with the route. We will go over it again at the meet this evening. I expect that we will be away from Seattle for a few days so do you need to get anything for the trip? I would recommend a couple of changes of clothes and some deodorant."

Shamrock looks over the map quickly. "I'll bring some clothes and other necessities of course, but we might have a different issue. Do we have anyone helping us crossing borders unnoticed or are we going through 'legally' under cover? If we're doing the second the issue is that I have no SIN, which they may check... Otherwise the plan seems simple and straightforward, just the way I like it."

"You will have a SIN provided that should get you across the borders, but other than that we are pretty much on our own until we get close to L.A. I have been briefed to expect significant trouble along the route as well as following us. Mitsuhama is not as squeamish about being involved as Horizon is. Our work will be cut out for us, boys. So, here is the address of the meet. You should be able to get home and there in three hours, yes?" She looks at you both. "Any questions?"

Shamrock shakes his head. "No more questions, it seems crystal clear to me." He looks towards Gear. "You've got anything else to ask our should we head? I trust you'll give me a ride?" Gear shrugs. "I've got nothing to add, so yeah, let's head out."
They get into Gears car and Gear revs the engine a bit. Shamrock leans out of the car window. "See you in three hours." And then they're off.
On the way the talk a bit about what might happen and how they can prepare for it. After about 20 minutes Gear says: "Drek, this neighborhood is rough. I know you're short on creds right now, but you've gotta do something about this when you get back on your feet". Shamrock looks around for a bit as he says: "I can't really afford to be picky at the moment, but yeah when I've got the money for some new wheels I need to move somewhere else. A bike wouldn't survive long in this kind of place."
About 10 minutes later Gear drops him off. "I'll be back to pick you up in about an hour, and we'll grab something to eat on the way." Shamrock walks up the stairs and checks the door for signs of anyone breaking in but after not seeing any such marks he unlocks the door and walks in. The apartment is small and pretty shabby, but it's a place to sleep at least. He gathers up some clothes and other necessities and put it in a bag. Since he moved here he never leaves a gun at home anymore, but he still checks that they're strapped on right and ready to be drawn if needed. He puts some ammo in his belt, 6 rounds of each type for his Ruger and an extra clip for the Streetline, and packs the rest in the bag. Anything else he might need goes in the bag as well. He looks around in the apartment. There's pretty much nothing of value left, except for a cheap soycaf machine, a bed and an armchair. His bag isn't overly packed either. He realises he doesn't have much stuff anymore. Not that he needs much. He makes some soycaf and drinks it in his chair while waiting for the rest of the hour to pass. When he hears the honk of Gears car he gets down and they head off towards the address of the meet.

Friday 8 June 2075 1800 A Barn Edge of Seattle



The directions Trin provided you with get you to a dilapidated-looking barn on the edge of the sprawl. From the outside it looks like a breeze would knock it over. The inside does not do much to change that opinion. The stalls along the walls are mostly broken and the loft at the far end is completely gone, the pieces laying on the ground below where it had once been. There are three cars and five people waiting in the barn when you show up. Trin has the hood up on one of the cars and is bent over looking at the engine, stretching the fabric of her coveralls across her shapely butt. Three men are at a long work bench cleaning some weapons and a young teen-aged girl is sitting at a small table building a quite large card house from what looks to be several decks of cards. All except the girl look up at you when you enter the barn. Trin smiles and the men cleaning weapons nod. Leaving the car's engine for now, Trin comes toward you, wiping her hands on a shop towel. "Right on time. Thanks guys. Let me introduce you around." She motions you to follow her to the work bench, where you see an impressive number of guns in various stages of being cleaned and reassembled. She gathers the three men together and points to each person in turn as she says, "I am Team Lead and will be referred to as one-one, or eleven" You are next, then Gear. "This is two-one or twenty-one, and finally three-one. These gentlemen are twelve, twenty-two and thirty-three. Get used to the names and use them, please. It will save time on the chatter and we will all know who we are talking to." She points to the girl with the large card house in front of her. "That is one-three. She is our rigger and deck support for the run and will be in the lead car." The men nod as everyone is introduced, but the girl barely acknowledges that she was included. 11 turns to you and says, "The extraction team is on track to make the first pick up in about eight hours. The primary is the father but he will not move until he knows his wife and kids are on the way here so the delivery will be staged. Car 1 will have the father, car two the mother and infant, and car three the two older kids, aged 10 and 13. They will likely be scared so do your best to manage that. We will pack the family and when they arrive and be ready to jump as soon as the father gets here and in the car. You three can continue to work on your weapons and I will take the drivers to look at their cars. Any questions right now? From anyone?"

Shamrock looks at her, impressed by her being so business like and organised. "Yeah, I've got one. We can be fairly veritable certain we'll be hitting some trouble on the way. What's the plan when the drek hits the fan? Sticking together and give each other support or are we splitting up or doing something else? Other than that, let's have a look at those vehicles."

Friday 8 June 2075 1825 A Barn Edge of Seattle



11 nods. Good question. The intent is to stick together and give what support we can. I do not want to leave anyone behind if it is possible." She looks around for other questions, but no one else asks one. She nods and motions you over to look at your cars. "Boys, these are sweet rides. Matching Dodge Chargers, added armor inside and out, Passenger Protection System, Manual Control Override, Speed and Handling improvements, improved economy and sun cell systems for increased range, Rigger interface, two concealed standard weapons mounts front and two in the rear, spoof chips, morphing plates, and run flat tires. All that is needed is the supplies and passengers and we are ready. The last detail is determining what sort of weapons you guys are skilled with. I have some AK97s and Cavalier Falchion shotguns as standard loadouts, and the shooters are good with both, but you will be the backup shooters so are you comfortable?"

Shamrock quickly draws his Ruger Super War hawk and shows it to her "I'm best with pistols, specifically revolvers. I can probably manage those other ones somewhat, but I've got no experience with them." He nods towards Gear. "I think something similar goes for 31 over here" "Hey, I can speak for myself thanks, 21." Gear retorts dryly. "And even if I'm not as good with pistols as you I can actually handle shotguns fairly well." Shamrock shrugs and puts his gun back. "Ok, I guess a shotgun for you then." He looks over towards the cars. "Those are some sweet rides! I can't wait to get behind the wheel of one of those!"

Friday 8 June 2075 2000 A Barn Edge of Seattle



11 smiles. First, I would like you two to become as intimate with these as you would be with your favorite girl. I would not trust a man who does not know his car. Tools are over there. Take a couple of hours then we get some rest." She goes back to where her car and bends over the engine again. 31 tilts his head a bit and gives a soft whistle. He leans closer and says, "Always did want to see what she has under her hood and find out what makes her engine purr." He slaps you on the back and goes off to get some tools. After a half hour on the engine, you think you know what makes it tick. 22 comes over with the armament and the two of you take great care to mount the two rifles and two shotguns in the forward and rear mounts. A few minutes checking out the controls and you are convinced that you can at least operate the guns if you have to. Finished, you turn to see that 31 and 32 have finished their car as well, but that 11 and 12 are having a bit of trouble mounting a very odd weapon to the forward driver's side mount. Instead of ammo belts this one has power cables. As you walk over, she gives a loud whoop and the thing sit on the mount, twisting its barrel on command. She recesses the weapon and smiles at everyone. Good going, guys. Now, some rest, I think. The cargo will be here in a few hours and we need to be able to rock away. Questions?"

Shamrock looks at her mounted weapon. "Yeah, what the frag is that!? Looks wiz, but I've never seen anything like it before."

Friday 8 June 2075 2204 A Barn Edge of Seattle



"That, 21, is a laser. It is fairly experimental, but I think it will be a surprise if it works like it is supposed to. OK, bunks for you guys are over there and I will see you in about five and a half hours from now." She turns and goes to the stairs leading to the small office and you note that several of the guys are waiting to watch her climb the stairs. There are some exchanged looks and chuckles amongst you then everyone goes off to find a cot and lay down. Gear turns to you and says, "Hey, thanks again for giving the nod for me to come along on this."

"Of course man, feels good for me too. Always good to know I have you watching my back. But now let's get some shut-eye, I think we'll need to be as sharp as possible for this, it's not going to be easy..." And with that Shamrock starts heading for his bunk to rest until it all starts.

Saturday 9 June 2075 0330 A Barn Edge of Seattle



Internal clocks start going off at 0330 and people begin to stir, several heading off to the small bathroom. 11 comes down the stairs, stretching and yawning, to take her turn in line for the bathroom. She runs the route again while everyone checks personal weapons and ammo loads and gets ready. At 0350, 11 calls out that the first extraction team is on time and expected within ten. Seven minutes later a van pulls up outside the open barn doors and disgorges three armed and armored men who assist a woman and two youngsters from the car. 11 shakes hands with the man who is apparently in charge and the passengers are led inside the building to the cars. After making sure that everything is good, the men take up positions outside the barn to support the second extraction team. 11 gives numbers to the family: mother is 23, infant 24, son is 33,a nd daughter is 34. They are hustled into their cars where they are strapped in and joined by the gunners. 13 slides into position and links in as the drivers wait. Exactly twenty-three minutes later the second extraction vehicle spins into the gravel outside the barn and two men climb out, one hugging an attache case to his chest. 11 and the leader from the van team go out to greet the armed escort who shakes hands and passes something to her before returning to his car. As the van and car accelerate away, 11 lets the man go to each car to make sure his family is alright before going to car 1 and getting to the rear seat.

11's voice comes over the 'link. >>11 to all, we will be leaving in five. Team switch to command.<< You flip the toggle to go to the command channel and hear her continue. >>All set? Count off in order, please.<< After all announce they are ready, she gives the command and the cars pull out of the barn and onto the road.

The mother, 23, tries to look back to see the car her other children are in but cannot see it and gets worried. "Are we all here? I cannot see the other cars."

Shamrock answers her without taking his eyes of the road. "Yes mam, we are all here. We have three cars that are all pretty much the same and we're driving together all the way. We do not want to you to get separated." He changes his tone a little, to sound a bit more lighthearted and calm her down a bit. "I'm 21 and I'll be your driver on this trip. Here next to me is 22, he's here to keep our path clear. We're going to do all we can to get you safely to your destination, mam."

Saturday 9 June 2075 0730 Southbound Highway 5



11 had started off on the highway at a moderate speed, eating up the miles and taking advantage of the Sun Cell and Improved Economy improvements. 11 lets you know that the cars are equipped with some basic language response software and are currently running high level Stealth and Evasion software as well, but that you can shift to targeting software for the weapons if you need to.

23 gets used to thinking in terms of numbers, but it takes time. She asks to be able to speak to her family but 11 indicates that is not a great idea just now, but that she will have an opportunity at the border crossing. The passage from the UCAS is quite easy, with your IDs passing a bare level of scrutiny. Some time is spent stretching legs and some food is made available from the Stuffer Shack at the border. The infant has been mostly quiet, but did create a fuss once to let his mother know he was hungry and again when he needed a change of diapers.

21 walks off his stiffness a bit and gets a soyburger while chatting a bit with 31. Then he calls 11 over. "11, could you show me how you shift the software in the car? I'm not too hot with computers.."

She smiles and walks with you back to your car. She has you sit in the driver's seat and leans in from the passenger side. She has unzipped the front of her suit a bit due to the heat and you get an unexpected view of what is inside it. She grins and says, "Eyes on the console 21." She motions to the console between the seats but does not zip the suit up. She takes a few minutes to show you how to swap the software around, making sure that you understand. As she finishes, she looks up at you and smiles, "You are doing well so far 21. I am glad I brought you in. And I don't really mind you looking, just don't get so distracted that you forget your job." She leaves the car and walks around to make sure everyone is doing alright. After the short break, it is time to hit the road again and the three cars roar off down the highway. 11 still maintains a speed that allows the cars to make good time.

Shamrock tries to small talk a bit with 23 to keep her at ease. He keeps most of his focus on the road though, he has to be prepared whenever the drek hits the fan.

Saturday 9 June 2075 1030 Southbound Highway 5



The call from 11 to go to the command channel cuts in. Once all are there and check in, she says, >>First drek on the way, chummers. 13 has picked up five inbound bikes to our rear. Drivers and passengers and moving in formation. Current speed is greater than ours and anticipated intercept is one five mikes. Shift to abreast formation and pull up to me. Stay alert for updates directly from 13. 11 out.<<

Shamrock looks quickly at 23. "Hold on, we've got company!" He shift his focus back to the road in front. "22, get ready to man the guns. When they get close enough, we shift from stealth to targeting software, but we keep the evasion software going" He positions the car as Trin told him to. Then he answers in the command channel "Car 2 ready".

Saturday 9 June 2075 1035 Southbound Highway 5


As 22 nods, a new voice comes on the channel. >>13 on line and assuming tactical command of the op. 12, 22, 32 wait for my instructions to deploy weapons. Feeds from rear drones should be on your ops screen.....now. Current intercept is one zero mikes unless something changes. Car commanders are authorized to break from my control if the situation warrants it, but be prepared to justify it later. 13 out.<< It crosses your mind that she had looked like a teenager back in the barn and why are you listening to her? The operations screen lights up as she is talking and the multi-screen shows four views to the rear of your formation. Five bikes are racing forward in a tight vee formation. Each bike has a driver and passenger, both laying low on the bike to reduce wind resistance. The lane lines are passing at a crazy rate, giving some idea of the speed of the bikes, even without the drone data indicating they are traveling in excess of a hundred mph. That the drivers can maintain the formation at that speed is a testament of their skill. One of the drones makes a close pass and you see that the passengers all have some sort of assault rifle slung on their back.

Your passenger is obviously nervous. "What sort of company? Oh I knew that this was a bad idea. We were doing good where we were and should never have gotten into such a mess. Can we please just go back?"

Shamrock is on edge, ready to take control of the vehicle at any hint that it's needed. "I'm sorry mam, but it's too late for that now. Our 'company' seem like the kind of people who shoot first and ask questions later rather than the other way around. But, don't worry, we're here to get you safely through this. It might get a little rough, but we'll just fine."
He keeps his focus on the road ahead while looking for their pursuers in the rear view mirror. The kid on the channel sounds like they've done this lots of times before, but how is that possible for someone so young. He'll trust her for now, but will be ready to take control if it turns out that she's not as experienced as she seems.

Saturday 9 June 2075 1040 Southbound Highway 5


The girl's voice chimes in, >>Five mikes to projected interception. Gunners may activate their weapons. I have marked three of the bikes on your ops screens with a number. Each car is responsible for the bike with their number. 13 out.<< As stated, a number appears over three of the red icons on the screen, leaving the point bike and the one next to it unmarked. 22 softly says, "About time. Keep her steady 21. Keep her steady." Suddenly, the point bike begins to shake as if its driver was fighting for control, but you have little time to wonder about it before the bike swerves directly into the other unmarked bike. Both drivers are exceptionally talented and manage to keep the bikes upright, but they both veer off course and into the woods to the right side of the wide highway. At the speed they are traveling, there is no chance to recover and two very expensive bikes and the four people on them become just so much twisted metal and flesh. 22 grunts, "Must be the kid. So now we know why those did not get a number. Nice piece of work."

The voice comes back to the channel. >>3 mikes to intercept. Weapons free as they bear. Stay on target. Processing new data. Two cars across the road at 6 mikes out. Drivers slow speed by two five on my mark. Three...........two..............one..............mark. Now 1 mike to rear intercept, 8 mikes to front intercept. 13 out.<<

"Man, I'm glad I'm not up against her..." Shamrock glances towards 22 while slowing down like 13 said. "Don't worry, I'll keep her steady, at least until I'll need to avoid getting hit in return. You just make sure your aim is true." He drives on steadily ready to manoeuvre away from gunfire at a moments notice.

Saturday 9 June 2075 1041 Southbound Highway 5


The rear drones keep tag on the remaining bikes as four new screen segments pop on the ops screen, showing two cars pulled across the road and several men with what looks to be rifles taking cover behind them. Your eye catches motion in your side view mirror and you see the approaching bikes catching up quickly. 22 quietly says, "The car should be able to take the damage, 21. Keep her steady. Tracking the target now." The drones show the passengers unslinging their assault rifles in a nearly synchronized motion and each takes aim at the cars using the shoulder of the driver to steady his gun. Light twinkles from the barrel of the rifle directly behind your car and you hear spangs as the bullets impact on the armored vehicle. You cannot tell if the man takes note of that and shifts his aim because the driver's body jerks dramatically, sending the bike to the pavement at nearly one hundred miles per hour. The impact of a human body traveling at that speed leaves only a smear of blood and body parts for over eighty feet.

"Well done 22" Shamrock says, "But now let's focus on what's up ahead and let the other cars take care of their targets in the meantime." He focus on the problem ahead of him and tries look on the screen while keeping his focus on the road. He considers what would be the best way get through the barricade. Just drive through it or is enough room to drive around it?

Saturday 9 June 2075 1042 Southbound Highway 5


22 grunts at your praise and taps at the ops screen as you focus forwards. "12 and 32 took out their bikes as well. Good teamwork. The girl's voice comes back up. >>Rear threat neutralized. Praises all around. Forward intercept in six mikes. Drivers go to pattern alpha on my mark. In three.............two...............one.............mark. 12 is weapons free to the front only. 22 is weapons free to the right only. 32 is weapons free to the left only. 13 out.<< Pattern alpha is a straight line formation behind car one.

You slip into the line formation behind car 1 and watch to see car 3 slide in behind you. The seconds to intercept tick down and car one does not look like it is slowing down. 13's voice comes back on the channel. >>Frontal intercept in one mike. All cars maximum window tint on my mark. Three................two..................one...........mark. 11 is weapons free. 13 out.<< As you hit the maximum glare shield the roadway ahead of you is bathed in a bright light as a beam of coalescing light pulses from the front of car 1 and strikes the rightmost car in the road block. The car explodes in a brilliant ball of fire, sending pieces of the car and the men near it flying.

Shamrock drives through the recently opened gap in the barricade with the other cars. "Wow, was that the laser? Not quite what I expected, but very effective. I don't think they expected anything like that!"

Saturday 9 June 2075 1048 Southbound Highway 5


You are concentrating on driving and do not see 22 shrug. "Probably. Never saw one in action before. Cool effect, though." Your sensor feeds show a couple of gunmen to either side go down as if struck by bullets then the cars are through the barricade. Three men are trying to get into the second car to move it and give chase, but the rear sensor screens show that it moves maybe ten feet and stops. Soon the wreckage is left behind as you small convoy pushes past. 13 comes back on. >>All apposing elements neutralized. Good work team. 13 passing control back to 11 on my mark. Three................two..............one...........mark. 13 out.<< The ops screen goes blank as all of the sensor feeds go dark.

11 comes back on, "Good job, team. I expect that was just the first of the problems. Slowing down to allow recovery of the drones. Please assume original formation and speed. And, thanks.<<

22 looks over at you and smiles. "Good op so far. I was a bit unsure at first, but things seem well planned and supported."

23 calls out, "Why are we slowing down? Shouldn't we be going faster?"

"We're slowing down to let the drones catch up but don't worry, we'll go faster if we need to" Shamrock then addresses 22. "Yeah, it's going well so far, let's just hope it keeps doing that."

Saturday 9 June 2075 1215 Gil's Gas Southbound Highway 5


11 calls a rest and fuel break at a small gas station on the highway. The place has an attached Stuffer Shack, auto garage, and a motel. Your cars are still only at the half empty mark, but 11 wants them topped off. Everyone gets out to stretch their legs and grab a quick bite to eat. The cargo family huddles together, seeking some comfort in the temporary closeness and go inside the small 'Shack to grab something to eat. 11 calls the team together as the pumps are filling the cars. "Nice work, everyone. Smooth control and execution. So far my decision to trust you has been justified. Thanks. But do not get too cocky. We dealt with a couple of go-gangs, but there are likely to be more of the same ahead of us as well as whatever corporate assets can be spared to recover the family. So, stay sharp and continue to perform. Any questions?"

"None from me, it's been pretty stellar run so far. That laser was Whiz!" Shamrock looks towards Gear "What about you, 31?" Gear looks back at him in a fairly nonchalant manner. "Nope, no questions."
Shamrock looks back at Trin. "So, soon time to move on then 11?"

Saturday 9 June 2075 1330 Gil's Gas Southbound Highway 5


11 nods. "After some food, yes. Let the family have some time together before we set off." She looks over to 13. "Nice job on the tac, there. And good job to everyone for listening to her." She turns and heads into the 'Shack, taking a seat at a table where she can look out the window. 31 nods to you as the others follow her. Some run so far, eh?"

"Yeah, you could say that. It's been smoother than I expected though. Either you've really done a good job putting this group together, or we got some heavy resistance still waiting. These corps don't usually give up this easily...
I gotta ask though, what are they paying you for this run? Getting involved with a triple A is risky and not exactly what I expected when you talked about a race for 3 k. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bailing or anything like that, I need the creds to get back on my feet. Just curious, 'cause something here doesn't add up."

OOC: if any roll is required for this I'd like to edge it.

11 looks over at you then the others. "21 has some good points, however, I do not usually talk about how much I am being paid or how much I am paying the runners. It sets a bad precedence, in my opinion. All you have to know is what I have offered each of you, based on your known or demonstrated skill. I am also planning a bonus if we continue to do well. I do expect more opposition and believe that what we saw earlier was the best they could get in our way at short notice. Good for them if we are stopped and probably no great loss if they do not stop us. I expect the next batch to be tougher. We will need to be on our toes."

"No problem. As I said, I was just curious. So what's the plan for the coming stretch? The planning is part of the reason why it's gone so well so far. 13 is no small part of it either. But the better prepared we are the better the rest of the run will go."

11 nods and looks over to 13, who pops a map section onto the table. There are three large green and six small green dots on the road in a cluster and a string of small green dots ahead of the cluster on the road. 13 points to the cluster first and the other dots next. "This cluster is the cars and some of my scouts on perimeter watch and this is a line of scout drones I have watching the road ahead of us. These four have reached their assigned positions and the last two are still moving to theirs. All six will begin moving forward when we leave here. I have access to all of the vid feeds from all drones and can share the data as we approach each drone point. Our speeds are far greater than the drones can do so we will eventually catch up to them and pick them up as we pass." A blue dot flashes some distance ahead of the cluster. "The blue dot is our next rest point, about three hundred miles ahead. If possible and if the plan does not change, we can grab some food and top off the tanks there while the drones go ahead of us again." She pauses again and two orange lights come on. "These are my far eyes. They are well above us and have been in place for several days. They give us a broad view of the road and can let me know if there is a block or other obstruction ahead, such as road construction or flooding There are a total of eight of these along the road, but only two in the current sector I am showing you. Visual intel should be accurate and as up to date as I can give you."

The girl goes quiet and 22 whistles. "Frag, 11. How much are these people worth? I have never seen this sort of support on an op, except in the military on a good day. If the fraggers at Horizon are willing to foot this sort of expense, what is the opposition willing to put against us?"

11 nods. "Precisely, 22. We have no idea, and I am sure that the guy who hired me was not being completely square. It is best that we assume the worst and plan for it, and I think we are doing just that. Any additional questions or advice?"

"Not really. But at this scale we can be certain a real drek storm is waiting somewhere ahead. We need to be ready for it." Shamrock looks at 13. "You're really good at what you do. You know that of course, but to be honest I wasn't sure what to think at first. I'm glad you're on our side though. So what's next, is it time to get moving?"

Saturday 9 June 2075 1350 Gil's Gas Southbound Highway 5

13 looks embarrassed that anyone is really talking to her. 11 chuckles. "I like to see people ready to move. But yes, it is time to break from here and move on. Let's saddle up, people." She stands and goes over to where the family is sitting. You notice that they have barely touched the food they had ordered. They acknowledge 11 and rise from the table, joining the car crews in an exodus from the 'Shack. Everyone settles into their cars and follow 11 away from the roadside stop.

There was a time when this highway would have been crowded, or at least that is the rumor you have heard. People would drive from California to Washington and you could not travel more than a mile without coming across another vehicle. In the next two hours you pass one car going in the direction you are traveling and two heading north. The good news is that the wide lanes offer a perfect roadway for fast cars and your average speed for this leg is almost a hundred miles an hour. 23 nurses the infant, but otherwiser the leg is quiet. Maybe too quiet. At fifty miles out the voice of 11 comes over the net. >>Possible interference ahead. 11 is passing tactical control to 13.<<

The young girl's voice comes across flat and unconcerned. >>13 has tactical control. Situation: five large tractor-trailer rigs ahead at the blue dot. Immediate IFF scan of the plates yields the information that they were reported stolen two days ago from a moving company warehouse lot. There is a 95.6 probability that these are hostile. All cars slow speed to 75. Patching data from drone to cars.<< The feed from the drone shows five large rigs in the parking lot of the rest stop. As you pass the forty mile mark, the rigs begin to deploy to cross the road and perhaps a score of men carrying rifles take up covering positions on both sides of the roadway.