"You are just about the cleverest woman I have ever met, Cynthia. You can do anything your mind and heart are set on. Just give yourself a chance and believe in your abilities."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #441

Cynthia shakes her head with a smile "You know, far from me to say I'm dumb but... The smartest? You should meet more women you know..." She chuckles, then adds "That being said, it's not my brain that I'm worried about regarding that. More that... Well, I'm not sure I'd like sitting in a classroom all day long... That's not something I miss from high-school. Especially considering that I didn't go as often as I could..." She taps her glass of ice tea with her fingers, pensive for a moment. "But I may have a way to get an idea about that..."

She sends a message to Tanya >>Sorry to disturb, nothing urgent but... Can you tell me more about Margot Freed? <<

>>Margot? Hmmmm. I know her fairly well, yes. In her thirties, well educated, well published. Lots of influence in academic circles, but that seems to be waning lately. She does not talk about it much, but I think that she is a bit concerned about her future. I am sure that I can arrange a meeting if you want to get to know her."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #442

>>Well, it's not so much her I'm interested in but... Let's say I'm considering going to college, so...<<

>>College? Normally, I would say congratulations but is this part of a plan to get more information?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #443

>>Information? Uh... Oh no, it's... well... Life choices, plans for the future, etc. I just want to know what's available if I want to, and it seemed that college should be on the table, so...<<

>>That is very wise of you, Cynthia. I would be pleased to help you with that if you need it. Do you wish to chat with Professor Freed about?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #444

This time, Cynthia thinks a bit before she answers >>I'm not sure it would be the right time... Then again, there may not be a better time than now. Or tomorrow at least. So... Uh... I guess?<<

>>Sure. I will see what I can arrange and get back to you. What are your plans for what we are doing? Are you safe?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #445

>>Yes, for now I'm at Sophie's. For tomorrow, I could continue to dig a bit into the cave, but I don't think it would be a good idea right now. So assuming you manage to grab Roger - which would he really nice since I wouldn't be able to lie to him convincingly - I'll try to find and pillage Tanaka's 'link. Not sure it's the best thing to do right now, but I don't see better at the moment. And since I didn't have news from Barbara today, I suppose all is well on their front. I have two ideas to reach Tanaka, but it's kind of a long shot...<<

She pauses, then adds pensive >>Hum, I just had another idea, maybe a..."not so long" long shot...<<

>>Sounds intriguing. Please let me know if I can help.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #446

>>Well, unless you want to play Tanaka's call girl on Thursday, taking care of Roger tomorrow will be enough to make me...well, maybe not happy but...<<

>>Hmmmm. You have a plan in mind for a call girl? Now I am even more intrigued. Tell me more, please.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #447

>>Uh... Its just that Tanaka chooses a call girl every Wednesday for the following day. I know among which he will choose, so I'll try to use that to get to his 'link when he makes the...er...appointment.<<

>>Do you have anything on the girls? Pictures, bios, names? Please send that to me and maybe we can work something out. What is your plan?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #448

>>Hum, yes I have that.<< She sends the profiles she collected, then adds >>I'll wait for him to make his choice. He'll have to contact the Host freom which he wants the call girl, which mean, if I'm fast enough, I'll be able to catch him there. And if I catch him there, I can find his 'link, mark it and plunder it.<< After a couple of seconds, she adds >>Well that's the plan anyway. I have a rough idea of when he does this usually, but I have no idea about which one he will choose, which will complicate things a bit. I have another option though. Not sure it'll work, but since it'll have to be done before that anyway... We'll see.<<

>>Alright. Let me try to work an angle with this, too, unless you want to work him alone?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #449

Cynthia shrugs. Then remembering that she can't be seen - by Tanya at least - adds >>I don't care. I don't know the guy and he's pissing me off so... Plus, it's your case to begin with, I'm just the hired help. Well, sort of anyway. And to be honest, finding the secret base is much more fun than trying to catch this dude. Not that I won't be really pleased if I do get him in the end but...<<

"Strictly speaking, this is our case, not mine. You share full credit for success or failure and I do not intend that we fail. I do want to use your ideas as much as mine, so please share if you want to. Do you have a plan for this base or do we have enough, do you think?

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #450

>>We know something. Enough? Depends what you want to do with it. Given their security I don't think an assault would be a good idea, but... I can look at other things, but the base itself, it's kinda difficult. They have some sort of field that acts like an anti-matrix or something. I'm not sure I could do much even if I wanted to from outside. And there's no way I'd be able to get in there. Not alone anyway, I wouldn't exactly blend in.<<

>>OK> We can put our heads together and see if we cannot find a way inside at some point in the future. If we think we even need to go inside. I am looking at these photos you sent. I might be able to substitute for one. Do you think that would help any?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #451

>>I have no idea. Well no, you probably could get a better idea of what's there than with pictures only, but would you learn anything important that way? They don't feel like the kind of people who would leave data unattended. Plus, I wouldn't be able to use you as a relay to link to what's inside considering that field or whatever. I'd probably need to be inside myself for that. Something that probably wouldn't help keeping me in good health... So while going there could help... I'm not sure it's the right move right now.<<

She pauses and adds >>Not that I know what would be the right move mind. Except maybe the brothers who own the future building could know stuff? They had their sisters and cousins removed from the company, there might be stuff to see there, no?<<

>>I was thinking about substituting for Tanaka, not the base. But you might have an idea about the sisters. They might have a grievance we can use to our advantage. DO you know where they are so we can approach them?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #452

>>Substituting for Tanaka? Uh, I never saw the guy but don't you have the wrong plumbing? Oh wait, you mean for the call girl? Maybe... Maybe I can try to make sure he can't get some of the ones you wouldn't be able to convincingly emulate? Have them marked as taken or something? As for the sisters... I didn't look before, wait a minute...<<

Cynthia looks into the family who owned the corporation, and more particularly at the people that were depossessed of it, and where it would be possible to contact or meet them.



Data Search (+2VR): 16d6t5 4

The granddaughters are named Ruth and Naomi and both still live in Seattle and you can easily find their addresses. Both still use the surname Franklin.

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #453

>>Found them. Ruth and Naomie Franklin. Here's their address.<<

Tuesday June 12 2075 1825 Cajun Town Seattle


>>Good. Are you going out tomorrow to see one or both of them?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #454

>>See them? Why would I do that? 'links talk to me, but people not so much...<<

Tuesday June 12 2075 1825 Cajun Town Seattle


>>OK. Sorry, I worded that improperly. Will you be going to see them on the matrix tomorrow? And can you please insert the attached identity into the data base for "Lotus Flower", one of the escort services? And send an add over to Tanaka in the same style as what he is getting from them? It might work or not, but is an avenue I think we can pursue. Is that possible?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #455

>>Both answers would be I can try. The sisters will probably be easy to hack I suppose, but I'm not sure I'll learn a lot that way. For Tanaka... He usually receives his add on Tuesdays, makes his choice on Wednesdays, and er...meets...the girls on Thursdays. I don't know how he'll react with a new add, even if I send it via one of the Host. So yeah, I certainly can do that. But will he bite and will he be suspicious are two questions I can't answer to...<<

>>You could be correct. That may have to be something for maybe next week as we would have more time to set it up properly. If we need to go that route. Still, it is an option. Alright, you have given me a lot to go over so I am off to do that. Stay safe.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #456

>>Next week it is then. Let me know if you fail to grab Roger tomorrow so that I can have a moment to come up with something. Anyway good evening.<< she glances at Eugene >>Sorry, some stuff to discuss.<<

When you look at him, Eugene puts the harmonica down and smiles at you. "You were off somewhere, thinking. Is everything alright?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #457

Cynthia nods "Should be yes. Hopefully Roger won't be a problem anymore tomorrow. I hope..." She shrugs "Anyway, did you find interesting stuff about Bogota today?"


I'll use some of my karma to:
- Buy Small Units Tactics 4 (10 karma)
- Increase Logic to 6 (30 karma)
The main consequences of that last one are:
- My memory pool is now 15 (with photographic memory, Cynthia will have trouble forgetting anything...)
- +1d in some hacking pools, among which are crack file, edit file, hack on the fly
- my Sleaze rating is now 6 instead of 5 which means that in addition to have a nice +1 to my limit to hack, I now have a pool of 12 instead of 10 to resist being spotted when running silent

Eugene looks at you for a few seconds then nods. "Yes. Bogota is a hotbed of conspiracy. What happened is just way too neat to be a natural series of events. So far, some of the dead are not counted and there are several important people in the government not accounted for, but it seems that just about all of those who stood against Liston getting permission to build there are either dead or missing..............or have changed sides. There is still some rioting in the streets, but the President and most of the cabinet are holed up in the Liston compound, protected by some really serious armed mercenaries. The rebels that started all of this with the assassination seem to have faded back into the jungle. But not before some of them were caught on CCTV cameras about the city. I ran some really good facial recognition software and have identified seven ranking "revolutionaries" that are now wearing the uniforms of the Liston mercenaries, something I find quite telling. At this point, although the President is making announcements from the compound, I am wondering just who is writing his speeches."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #458

Cynthia shakes her head "There's not much doubt about who pays the writer though, so who he is doesn't matter much. Sadly we're quite limited by the distance, it'll be difficult finding more than that."

She sighs "Even if you sent the pictures of the men in their terrorists personas and their Liston's one to the press, it's not much as far as proof is concerned, it'd be easily countered. The problem is not to know who is responsible of what is going on there, but why and for what. I'm afraid getting those answers would require being there or getting into Liston's main Host. Possibly on a deep run..."

"So, is there anything to stop you from going to Colombia to check this out?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #459

Cynthia seems surprised "I don't speak Spanish for one, I don't know anyone there for two, and if you give me a bit of time, I'm sure I can find something else. It would be dangerous enough in normal times, but right now? It'd be suicide..."

Tuesday June 12 2075 1835 Cajun Town Seattle


Eugene nods at your points. "Valid reasons, all of that. But there are also valid answers to each point. There are translation programs you can download, you can meet someone on the matrix from there that might want to help you, and just keep it in mind." He looks at your empty plate and continues. "Are you ready to go to the boarding house and check in?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #460

Cynthia shrugs "Maybe. But I have some stuff in the works that I'd really like to get done before any of that. Especially a small stay in a local clinic. Plus, after Roger, there's no way I'll trust anyone I just happened to meet in the matrix, no thank you. But after that and if I'm accompanied with someone able and willing to babysit me in a war zone..." She shrugs Maybe. That would be an adventure..."

She stands up "Indeed I am, I should take care of it before someone thinks I don't have to pay."

Eugene smiles as he stands up and pulls your chair back, but does not offer to carry any of your things this time. Jeanette waves as she looks up from where she is cleaning one of the empty tables. As you walk outside, you see the same old guys rocking away on the porch, almost as if they lived there or something. The air has cooled a bit, although it is still somewhat muggy. The fireflies are out and flit about in small groups, much to the enjoyment of several small children. Several people smile at you as you walk the short distance to the boarding house, two gentlemen even doff their caps and call out, "A good evenin to ye, Miss Cynthia." They move on without stopping.

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #461

Cynthia seems surprised for a moment that they know her name, but quickly realises it's not that weird in a small community like that one. When she gets to the boarding house, she asks for a room, and pays beforehand this time, in order to avoid any kind of troubles in the morning.

The clerk behind the counter nods as you step up and turns the old ledger around for you to sign. "Just the one night, then, Miss Cynthia? Or perhaps a longer stay?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #462

"Huh..." Cynthia seems pensive for a moment, then shrugs "I'm not sure to be honest... Let's make it two nights, and we'll see how it goes from there."

The clerk nods and hands you a key to the same room you had the previous night. "I will have fresh linens for you in the morning, Miss. Have a pleasant stay."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #463

Cynthia nods "Thank you, good evening." She then turns towards Eugene "And you too."

Eugene nods and smiles at you as he pulls his harmonica from a pocket and motions to the porch outside the open entrance door. "Think I will sit in one of those rocking chairs there for a bit and do some thinking. Might take a walk down by the river and look at the moon. Good night, if I don't see you again this evening." He stands still for a moment, then adds, "You are quite clever and much prettier than you think you are, Cynthia." Smiling again, he turns to the door, heading outside to the porch.

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #464

Cynthia shrugs uncomfortably but does not answer. In her room, she lies on her bed, with the intention to spend a few hours playing. Before that though, she'll check at what time the Japanese news service sends its package to Tanaka: that's something she doesn't want to miss.

Tuesday June 12 2075 1845 Boarding House Cajun Town Seattle


It appears that Tanaka get his news packets twice a day; one at 0530 and again at 2000. From your room, you can hear the soft notes from the harmonica.

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Downtown, Seattle] #466

That is probably the first good news Cynthia had regarding Tanaka in the day. She'll play until 19h50 - so nothing too serious - before she goes back to the news service Host, her translation program running on her 'link. There, she will hack the Host to get the news packet, make sure it's not sent to Tanaka (but still flagged as sent), modify the packet to include a tracker so that she can follow the file to its destination, and send the result to Tanaka.


Hack on the fly (+2VR): 18d6t5 3 (Will use edge if necessary...)
Edit File (+2 VR, -2 silent): 12d6t5 4