[Cynthia Rawson - 19:30, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #893

Cynthia studied the first folder a bit quickly. She would certainly come back to it later, but at the moment she didn't need to. The second folder didn't seem too interesting either, but if it was encrypted, there had to be a reason. She started a search to find who those names belong to. It probably wouldn't explain why those names were doing in that folder, but it would be a start. Hopefully.

As for the third folder, she frowned, then grinned. She could try to decrypt it more seriously. But... She was a Technomancer, not a lame ass decker. So instead of trying the usual way, she used the tools at her disposal, and starting to thread a Complex Form, one bypassing all that pesky encryption thing to copy the folder.



Matrix Search: who are those people (+2 VR): 17d6t5 4

Threading of the Editor complex form at level 5. I can't take fade damage by just buying the successes, it's resisted by Luke's Intuition + 4 (DP).
Editor [5]: 13d6t5 2, meh. Probably not enough (note that there are no warnings to the user in case of failure). So I try again:
Editor [5]: 13d6t5 4, not great but better. Hopefully enough. If it's not, I can always try again. Since I can do it 4 to 5 times per turn without fade damage, the only question is how long it takes me anyway...

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1930, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


At this point, a quick search gets two hits on the list of names. Lisa Maguire is a first grade teacher in Denver and Glenn Ziegler is a dentist in New York. The other names do not bring up any information. The file resits the first two attempts but the third will open it. It seems to be a file of contacts between Luke and a private detective named Gris Fold. The context seems to be that Luke is investigating his wife, who he suspects of having an affair with his brother, Mark.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:30, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #894

Cynthia grumbled a bit. Even with those two names, she didn't know anything. Whatever that list was, she seriously doubted a simple dentist and schoolteacher would be on it. And even if those two people really were just that, there had to be something more about them. It didn't look like anything she could do right now, or anything that could be important at the moment though, so she dropped it for the time being.

Third file in hand, she lightly shook her head. The Franklin family reunions ought to be interesting. It seemed weird that the best protected file was one about an affair though. Cynthia checked if there were indeed a private with that name in Seattle, and that the files were really about what it seemed by making sure there wasn't anything imbedded in them, or hidden somewhere, something she did for all three files. You never know...

Once she was satisfied that everything is as it seemed - something she didn't really believe but if it were, well... It was... - and turned her attention to Mark's link. At least she should be able to see if there really was an affair.

Matrix Perception: Anything hidden? (+2VR, +2 TM): 17d6t5 8, limit of 6

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1931, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


A quick search of the Seattle business directory does show that there is a private detective by that name that specializes in infidelity cases.

Mark's 'link is a bit easier. He has one heavily encrypted file that even your sprite has trouble with. While you are trying to get that one to bow to your desires, you can go through several of the others. You find that he is very much having an affair with Luke's wife, as well as the wife of his other brother. Neither of the women seem to know about the other.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:31, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #895

>>Margot [Florence]: Men are really pigs. Why is it that every time I dig, I find one of them being an asshole? Not that the women are better in this case since they're having an affair, but... And I know the fact that I'm looking into less than saints' stuff is probably a good explanation, still... It almost makes me want to look into every 'link around here, and publicly share every affair I find. At least that would be fun to watch...<<

Grumbling as she looked into Mark's files, she glared angrily at the file wanting to make things difficult for her. She had to admit that even if her Complex Form made things sometimes easier, she wasn't yet good enough at this. Though of course, sometimes it had more to do with different strengths and weaknesses of the things she was interested in than with any lack of skills on her side. As such, she also tried the "normal" way, before she tried anything more.



Crack File (+2 VR): 15d6t5 5, resisted by Protection level x 2, protection level being the number of successes rolled when encrypting the file with a Computer + Logic [data processing] roll so in this case it should have a maximum of 8d to resist.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1932, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


>>Florence [Margot]: Don't have to convince me. But I doubt that all the affairs are forced on the women, so you might get less satisfaction than you imagine. Besides, I happen to think that some of the affairs are consensual, meaning that both parties already know and accept the cheating.<<

The file you are glaring at must be shivering in its electronic boots because it opens to your touch. This file is a listing of contacts between Mark and the Grand Marquis. You start going through the messages and note that the latest one is from about an hour ago:

>>Grand Marquis [Bricker]: Screw risky. The only one taking any risk in that stock manipulation is me and I want my share now so I can be protected if things go sideways.<<

>>Bricker [Grand Marquis]: Be patient. You will get your share as agreed and as stipulated. Not sooner and not in any different fashion. Straying from the plan could be risky, and we do not like risky.<<

As you begin to look at the next message, the file begins to shrivel with corrupted code You are not sure, but you think there was a flash as if a pre-programmed message has just been sent off somewhere.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:32, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #896

>>Margot [Florence]: Yeah... Maybe. Though in that case, the dude is classy enough to sleep with his two brother's wives. Since they're married themselves, it's... Uh... Frag...<<

As quickly as possible, Cynthia copied the entire file before anything had time to corrupt its content. Between her reading speed and photographic memory, she probably would be able to read and remember all of the messages, or at least the most recent ones, but she wanted to know where the pulse went. Then, she removed the copying entry that just created, and messed the file a bit, to make it look like while someone tried to access it, the attempt was unsuccessful. Instead, she left some traces on the files regarding the affair, to make it look like it was the main target. Finally, barely a couple of seconds after the message was sent, she removed her Mark on the 'link, hoping everything would be alright. Her spying program would probably answer that question soon enough...




Hacking, Software, Computer: 3#15d6t5 7 4 4, not sure which of the three are relevant for what I want to do, so I rolled all three.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1932, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy jerks upright when she gets the message ending in "frag" and quickly moves to check on Cynthia's body. She opens the eyes and checks her pulse the relaxes when she detects nothing horribly wrong with the meat body. She is about to send a message when she realizes that Cynthia will contact her soon if everything is OK and if it is not, there is little that she can do to help her friend, but not interrupting her is the best she can do.

Each message is a separate file in the folder and copying the folder or its individual files does not seem to be possible. Your reading speed allows you to access and commit to memory six more messages before they disappear into chaotic code. The pulse disappears into a small host located in Berlin. Your effort to disguise your work looks to be as good as you can make it. The next three messages you are able to read are all from this morning, as are the first two. The other three messages are dated two weeks prior to today.

>>Grand Marquis [Bricker]: I am concerned at the length of time it is taking for me to get my share of the proceeds of our joint venture.<<

>>Bricker [Grand Marquis]: I received your message. What is so urgent?<<

>>Grand Marquis [Bricker]: Hello. We need to talk. Now.<<

>>Bricker [Grand Marquis]: Yes. You have done well and your portion of the gain will be deposited to your account in the Caribbean League as agreed.<<

>>Grand Marquis [Bricker]: Thank you, I have done my part and now expect to be paid.<<

>>Bricker [Grand Marquis]: We have confirmation that the stock prices have fluctuated as requested. Thank you for your effort in this.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:32, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #897

Sandy would find Cynthia sitting on the throne, her head resting on her knees, with her dress raised to her waist...and her panties on her ankles.

>>Margot [Florence]: Humpf. I don't like people putting traps in their files. I lost plenty of interesting things now...<< Cynthia grumbled a bit more after that, but in a distracted sort of way, since she was focused on something else.

She wrote down the messages she had the time to read, taking a second to think about how she should proceed now. Finally, she decided to send a message to Tanya >>Tanya [Florence]: Mark Franklin is up to his eyeballs in whatever is going on. It seems weird though...<< She sent a copy of the messages she got >>Tanya [Florence]: All that for stocks manipulation? I have some other stuff but... Maybe approaching Luke to know more would be a good idea: he suspects his brother of sleeping with his wife...and I have proof that he does. Well, with her and their third brother's wife too. Maybe he would want to strike back by telling us everything he knows. Oh and er... Note that they may know someone accessed those logs. If I can find evidence of this manipulation, maybe we could sic the cops on them, no? Even if they don't find much, it could make life difficult for them and distract them a bit.<<

Once she was done with that, she performed a search to try to find what stocks they are talking about, by restricting the results to corporations involved in what was going, directly or not. Then, she started to look into Jason Woods' files. Almost hoping he was that Grand Marquis dude. This time however, whenever she touched a file, she made sure there were no traps in the files she was looking at... And she also changed her Persona, you never know...



Matrix Search, Economics: 17d6t5 7 7d6t5 1, Not great on Economics. But oh well, at least I have the skill...
The search is mainly focused on events a day or two before the "fluctuation" happened, related to Sampson: so everything it owns, but also Renraku, etc. Hopefully, this should narrow down the thing we're talking about.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1932, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle



Sandy smiles to herself when she gets the message. >>Florence [Margot]: You had me worried something was happening to you in matrix land. I am glad you are OK.<<

Tanya's response comes a bit later so she must have been looking at the data you sent her. >>Florence [Tanya]: Depends on the value of the stocks that were manipulated. If it was worth a lot, that information might be worth keeping secure. Approaching Luke is an idea that we can look into. Good work.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:32, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #898

>>Margot [Florence]: Nah, I'm alright. Well, a bit miffed I missed that but... As long as you don't hear me twitching around or falling on my ass, I'm alright. Oh and if smoke comes out of the stall, that's not a good sign.<< Cynthia chuckled dryly at her own lame joke.

A bit distractedly, since she was by then looking into Jason Woods' files, she answered Tanya >>Tanya [Florence]: I don't know yet, I'm looking into it but it may take some time. I'm not really an expert at stock markets after all, and there are a lot of them. Hopefully I'll find something but without any other lead, like I said it'll likely take some time and probably won't be really conclusive. Weird thing is, did you also get the impression that Mark was calling the shots instead of this Grand Marquis? However it's the Grand Marquis who's really leading things for Sampson's projects... Makes me wonder if it's not something he's doing to implicate Mark as much as possible...<<

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1933, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


>>Florence [Tanya]: Hmmmm. I can look into the stock thing, then, if you like. I do have some experience with stocks and finance and can help you there. And I got a sort of different vibe about Mark from thise messages. To me, it seemed like he THOUGHT he might be in charge, but I think the power is in the hands of this Grand Marqui. It could also be exactly as you think it is.<<

Jason has several encrypted files. None have names, only a single digit number to identify them. You look very carefully at all of these folders but do not detect any obvious traps. While you are deciding which file to try to enter first, there is some activity as a new entry is added to file folder 3 and another, this time leaving the device, is almost immediately added.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:33, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #899

>>Tanya [Florence]: Can't hurt. Since it happened two weeks ago it can wait though, it's nothing urgent. Alright, time for the main dish.<<

Cynthia took a second to consider how she wanted to proceed. She didn't want to risk losing anything, but that could happen if she went too fast...or not fast enough. Especially if the message Jason just received was a warning. Without hacking that folder though... Except...

With a grin, she accessed the logs the program she installed a minute or two ago collected. There, she should be able to find both messages, which would allow her to decide what she ought to do.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1933, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


The log did indeed catch both messages:

Incoming: >>Jason [Connie]: Not going to make it tonight, baby. Sorry. Something came up at work and I had to stay late. When is that thing over and maybe you could drop by the apartment?<<

Outgoing: >>Frag! Are you sure. Great timing. No, I can't stop by later. My fragging wife has plans for us for later. I was really looking forward to taking you out to the garden and doing you in the hedges. You know how much I love that young pussy of yours. So what am I supposed to do now? And don't mention my wife. Frag!<<

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:33, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #900

Cynthia scowled >>Margot [Florence]: Oh and again, surprise, surprise, someone's cheating and being vulgar about it... I don't think we want to go in the gardens... Those people are really messed up.<<

Now that she knew the message wasn't anything important, Cynthia started to look into the encrypted folders, leaving N°3 for last. It wasn't exactly a priority after all. She would still look into it, since you never know what she could find in there, but only once she had found everything else.

Using a combination of normal hacking methods (with a few usage of her Cleaner Complex Form to remove her Overwatch Score), and her Technomancer skills, Cynthia looked into every folder, making a copy of everything, but each time, being very careful to not trigger a self-destruct process.



There's probably a mistake here, it could be the same name but Connie is his wife (and Katherine his daughter).
And message #900 just here

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1933, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


>>Florence [Margot]: No surprise to me. Hey, leaving you on the toilet for a minute. Someone just came in. Don't die or anything like that.<<

This time, you are looking much closer at the files and you see a small space in the lower right corner of the folder that is big enough to have four numbers or characters or combination of those added in.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:33, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #901

>>Margot [Florence]: I hear and obey.<<

Cynthia took a moment to look at the coded folder. Odds were, it required a password, and inputing the wrong would do Bad Things to the folder, something she of course didn't want to see. Which meant she had to think of something since she obviously didn't know the code. There was something she could try. She didn't know if it would be enough, but it didn't cost much - if anything - and there were no risks of detection if it failed. More importantly, if it did fail, the file wouldn't know anything had happened, so no risks of corruption or deletion.

She started to thread a new Complex Form, trying to trick the 'link and the file into believing the required password had been entered to open the file.



Resonance Veil [5] (Open File): 15d6t5 4, resisted by Intuition + Data Processing

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1934, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


The first try at this does not open the folder and you reason that maybe it was something like this that protected the file on Mark's 'link.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:33, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #902

>>Margot [Florence]: Well... That's interesting... How does it go meat-space-side?<<

If the file she opened and corrupted was similar, then odds were Jason Woods was in this too. It looked like her hunch was about to paid...but that was even more reason to be careful and make sure she didn't corrupt that one. She prepared things a bit more seriously, paying more attention to the threads of Resonance, before she tried, once again, to open the files.



Resonance Veil [1] (Open File, pre-edge): 18d6h5 7, ha, could have been better, but that was a well used Edge point. Hopefully...

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1934, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


There is little more sweet than success. The file opens and you see a list of messages that, from a quick read, indicate that Jason is being blackmailed to put the new architect in charge of the entire design process for the Goldstein Building project.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:34, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #903

Success? Yeah... Well... At least she got the files but... It would have been better if she hadn't known yet about the architect thing. She was a bit surprised to find that outside of the Probus sphere though. She read attentively the messages, to learn who was doing the blackmailing, with what information, and to what end? She could understand the Probus being blackmailed for that: they were architects after all, and were the ones employing said architect. But Jason Woods? As far as she knew, he hadn't anything to do with Sampson outside of his daughter being one of the Probus sons' girlfriend. So if he too was involved, that was new information, and potentially interesting information.

Of course, since he was blackmailed...he probably was on the lower end of the totem pole. But it was better than nothing. Maybe the other encrypted files would help her get a better idea of what was going with Jason, including his "shady dealings" Tanya was talking about the day before.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1936, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


The notes in the file indicate that Jason'e wife has a serious drug habit and has embezzled a good amount of money from the three charities that she chairs to fuel her habit. The messages require that Jason put pressure on his long-time friend, Probus, Sr., to have a certain architect be placed in charge of the architectural side of the Goldstein Building. The blackmailer is the Grand Marquis but there is nothing in the file that would identify him.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:34, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #904

Cynthia sighed. The hunt for information hadn't exactly been a bust but...she had hoped for more. Sure, she had learned a few tidbits of new information, but that wasn't much. There was still Jason's meta-link, but she didn't have much hope. She did look into it, being really careful, almost paranoid, not wanting to believe that it was as simple as it looked like of course. You never know after all. But considering what he kept in his main 'link, she didn't see what he could use that one for...

After that... Well, there were two things she could try, but... She probably didn't need to do it now, and she had spent enough time on the toilet as it was. >>Tanya [Florence]: Alright, I'm done. Jason cheats on his wife with a much younger woman called ****, he's been blackmailed by that Grand Marquis to pressure Probus into recruiting James Fines to design the GB. Connie is a junkie, she's been using money from the three charities she chairs to buy drugs. There are two things I can look into, but for now I fear that'll be all. I'll try later to see what I can do, but I don't expect it'll lead to much. Ok, I hope one of the two will be really interesting, but...<<

Message sent, meta-link explored, Cynthia exited VR, and sat up on her throne. She sighed, grumbled a bit, then stood up. Sandy could hear a yelp and a bang on the door soon after: distracted, Cynthia had forgotten she had left her panties down and had tripped, hitting the door with her forehead. When she opened the door, she was biting her lips, rubbing her forehead. It was pretty cute, but she didn't look happy. In fact, she looked really embarrassed. Which probably made it even cuter.

She washed her hands in silence, then turning to Sandy said "Alright, I suppose we can go back and enjoy the evening. If that's possible. What are people doing around here except talking?" she grimaced "Well talking and visiting the gardens... We can eat I suppose..."




***** is to be replaced with the name of Jason's affair. It's probably not Connie since that's his wife's name. Cynthia will check in the list of invites to the gala if there's a woman with that first name (and if there are two or more, hopefully only one is in the right age range, which should allow to identify her).

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1936, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


>>Florence [Tanya]: Thank you very much. This gives me a lot to think about. You have done good work so now enjoy yourselves.<<

Sandy is beside you in a flash as you stumble. "Here, let me kiss that better." And she does, her lips feeling quite nice as she softly kisses your forehead. She moves to lean against the wall near the sinks as you wash your hands. "So, besides eating, do you have any plans?"

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:36, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #905

>>Tanya [Florence]: If you say so. I still hope I'll learn more soon.<<

Cynthia grumbled, but let Sandy kiss her forehead to make things better, then takes a moment to think about what they should do "Well, eating is important. Besides that... Maybe we can try to find your MM for your autograp? But do you have anything she can do it on? After that, no idea... Anything you want to do?"

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1936, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle



Sandy's eyes glow a bit when you mention the autograph. "That would be nice. But, you know, I am a bit overwhelmed by this sort of thing. I mean, it's fun once in a while and for short bits of time, but these people are not me and I don;t really know if I can move in their circle. It's OK of we are working, but I am pretty sure that I don't really want to socialize with some of them. Am I sounding stupid here? I can do anything as long as I am sharing it with you, so if you like it here......................."

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:36, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #906


Cynthia smirked "Oh, I totally understand. Look at what I found. Of the three people whose 'link I looked into, two of them are cheating on their spouses, and everyone in their entourage is...well...let's say not anyone you'd want to know. And I'd be ready to bet that they're the norm and not the exception." She paused, then sighed "That being said, there should be exceptions, like everywhere. And you're the one who said I should give it a try, so..."

With a slight smile and a shrug, she added "We can try to find those exceptions, and ignore the others. Nothing says we have to be polite to the cheaters, arrogants or whatever and play according to their rules. After all, we don't care what they think of us, right? It could even be fun to just say what we think and damn the consequences. A lot of people won't like it, but since those people would be those we wouldn't like anyway, it's not a problem, right?"

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1937, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy smiles then chuckles. "See? You are so good for me. Yes, we can go out there and try to find the ones that are nice people. Um, how do we do that?"

She laughs again as she takes your arm and the two of you go back out to the ballroom. The size of the crowd had increased a bit and it would be easy to mix and mingle.


OOC:

I was aware of the Connie thing. I was thinking that Jason would find it convenient to find a mistress with the same name as his wife. No calling out the wrong name at the wrong time.

By the way, the Meta was completely bare of anything when you looked at it. Did you add your software to it as well or ignore it?

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:37, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #907


"Uh..." Cynthia frowned "I have no idea. It could be easy if I cheated and looked into the 'links, but that would take a while..." with a shrug, she added "So I suppose we'll have to talk to them and see how it goes. I suppose it'll go pretty fast if they know we say what we think. Plus, the boring people will not want to talk to girls like us, who aren't celebrities or whatever."



Noted for Connie. Cynthia will have installed the program on the other link, you never know. There might be a good surprise and it doesn't cost anything. She would have made it even less complex than it was on the other links given the level of the link.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1937, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy smirks at you. "Are you saying I am not interesting? We may not be celebrities, but you are the prettiest girl here and I bask in your glory so they kind of need to at least talk to me if they are interested in you."

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:37, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #908

"The prettiest girl in here?" Cynthia snorted "That's just your very own filter saying that. There are plenty of women here who are much more beautiful that I'll ever be." She shrugged "And I don't want people to be interested in me for my body, especially since everyone here is much older than we are, and considering that it's only because of a freak accident, when my genes decided to do their own thing yesterday..."

She smiled slightly "But I suppose I don't mind if they have to talk to you before they are granted the chance to get my attention." she waved, a bit airily, as if she were some kind of Princess and those people much beneath her. She quickly laughed though, and dropped the pretence "Alright, let's hunt your MM, and we'll see if anyone interesting and considering us interesting will want to talk to us on the way."

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1940, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


A quick question of one of the attendants will let you know that MM is indeed here. Heading in the direction indicated, you find a small crowd of people gathered in a semi circle around a woman someone will tell you is MM.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:40, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #909

"Well..." Cynthia looked into the crowd "Looks like a lot of people got the same idea than you..." She observed for a couple of seconds, before she asked "Do you have an idea on how to get her attention, or do you want us to wait around for an opportunity? Maybe we should go straight to her and ask her upfront?" She smiled, and in a teasing tone, added "Maybe if we draw attention to ourselves I'll be spotted by an Agent who will want me on the cover of a magazine or something. I really have to start earning money to finance our new lifestyle after all." She chuckled lightly, but quickly added with an apologetic smile "Sorry, I shouldn't tease you with that, even if I think you're...exaggerating...a bit, I'm happy you find me pretty."

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1942, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


You here a girl's voice from behind you. Her English is accented in what you think might be French. "Hey, you two trying to get an autograph, too?" When you turn to look, you see a young woman of about your own ages dressed in a nice gown that shows very little skin. "Love your dresses by the way. Where did you get them made?"

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:42, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #910

Cynthia looked at the other girl for a second or two, surprised to see anyone roughly their age talking to them. She quickly recovered though, and nodded "Hi. It was a craftswoman near Seattle who made them. As for the autograph..." she smiled, looking at Sandy "Well... Lets say that one of us wants an autograph, and one of us is trying to find a way to get one without appearing... Without being a pain in the...er...butt." Her smile widened a little "Well, how to get an autograph and maybe be able to talk a minute or two with her, since the autograph is just an excuse to do just that." she seemed pretty amused as she looked at Sandy, an eyebrow cocked "Right?"

She looked at the crowd, with a small grimace "With that crowd, it probably won't be that easy." She squinted "Unless we don't care about the crowd, and just walk to her. But I'm not sure how she would respond to that. Depends on the quality, or lack thereof, of said crowd I guess."

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1943, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


The girl laughs and nods her head. "Yeah, it could be a while before the great unwashed get a chance for an autograph. Hey, my name is Claudia. Claudia Moore. My parents are on the board of the charity and I badgered them to let me come for an autograph. It looks like it may be a bit tough, though." She looks at Sandy. "So I guess you would be the fan?"

Sandy raises her hand. "Guilty as charged. I am Margot and this is Florence."

"So hey." She looks over at you. "I think I saw you at the registrar's office? I was waiting to get my fall term classes."

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:43, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #911

When Sandy introduced her, Cynthia nodded a bit distracted, focused as she was on the group of people surrounding MM. Not really looking at Claudia, she answered "The registrar? Oh, you mean at the University, yeah. Now that I think about it, I should have been contacted by a Professor by now..."

She shook her head, and after a calculating look in Sandy's direction said "I think I have an idea. I'll take one for the team and try to distract them. If it works, just grab MM somehow. You probably won't have long, so make it count..."

Whatever she had planned, she didn't act straight away though. She was looking for information about the charity organising the gala. After a few seconds, she coughed slightly when she realised she had looked into the wrong charity, and ended up gathering data on another organisation with the same name but in another part of the world... To hide her embarrassment, she said "Maybe you should get close to MM before I start."

As she restarted her search, with more success this time, she walked a bit to place herself on the other side of the crowd from MM. After a last look at Sandy, where it was obvious she was a bit stressed, she waited for a pause in the ongoing conversation, at which point she inspired deeply and then coughed slightly, to get the attention of the small crowd in front of MM. Raising her voice, she started to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" she let a couple of seconds go by and when she got what she wanted, nodded at Sandy and Claudia, and started a small speech, to thank everyone for being there tonight. She started by recalling a few of the most recent actions taken by the charity, then talked about the plans for the future, telling them it was thanks to them that they would be made possible. She was planning on making them feel important and good about themselves, calling for a congratulatory toast which by himself should take a minute or two.

With all that, she hoped to give the two other girls enough time to get an autograph and maybe a few minutes to talk to MM, just the three of them. At the end of the toast, she was planning to disappear in the crowd, her cheeks red. Not from the same kind of embarrassment than the rest of the day, but she was clearly stressed by what she had just done.

As she was trying to disappear, she briefly hoped there hadn't been anyone important in the crowd she had just tried to bamboozle, and that there were only mindless groupies though... Otherwise, her little speech could have more consequences than she had hoped for...


Matrix Search: pertinent information on the charity: 15d6t5 1, wow.... That was... I'll try again with the -1
Matrix Search: pertinent information on the charity (-1d retry): 14d6t5 5, better...

Composure, Con, Performance: 14d6t5 2 9d6t5 2 9d6t5 3 for the impromptu speech, not taking into account any possible situational modifier.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1950, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Your attempt has somewhat the desired result of giving Sandy some time with MM, but not in quite the manner you hoped. You do get to the other side of the small crowd and you are able to get the attention of most of those in the area when you start talking. Sandy and Claudia sidle through the crowd, getting closer to MM as you talk. You are part way through your impromptu spiel when you see a woman in a very fancy gown leading three security men towards you. The look on her face might lead you to believe that she is Not Happy. She points to you and says something to the security men, who move forward in your direction.




OOC:

Sorry to make you backstep a bit on your plan, but someone was not buying the CON.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:50, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #912

As she saw the woman come in her direction, security in tow, she ruefully shook her head. She first sent a quick message to Sandy >>Margot [Florence]: Ah, I hadn't planned on anything like that, but it'll work to give you a few more minutes. I hope you're making that count! And don't even consider coming back, I can handle myself.<<

She didn't even try to retreat or disappear though. Given what she was wearing, she really didn't want to run from security for one, and it wasn't like there were plenty of people looking like her that would allow her to disappear. So instead, she stood her ground. She didn't appear really sure of herself, but what was the worse that could happen? She'd be kicked out of the gala? Tough... And that seemed a bit too much for a small speech, especially considering that she didn't even say anything wrong, even less insulting.

Glancing at the woman, she hacked her 'link to get her name. If she were just some nobody who just didn't like someone taking the limelight from her, she wouldn't hesitate to take the crowd as witness, apologising for having to cut this short since it didn't seem to please everyone and wondering about what was wrong with talking about the charity organising this gala and holding a toast in their honour. All in all, despite being visibly stressed, she would still chuckle, amused, and utterly carefree. Even if no one took her defence, she was completely unafraid of the possible consequences.

All of that would still be true if the woman had some close relation with the charity, like a board member, except that she would just wait silently.

And if the woman was nasty... Well... Maybe she would find stuff on her 'link that would allow her to be nasty back: everyone knew that pissing off a Technomancer was a terrible idea after all, right? But... One step at a time...


Its alright It will achieve the objective even better that way after all.
Hack on the Fly, Matrix Perception (+2 TM): 17d6t5 4 15d6t5 6
Composure, Etiquette?: 14d6t5 2 9d6t5 3, looks like it's not the day for composure checks... Replace Etiquette with Performance or Con if it's more appropriate.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1951, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


The woman's 'link is a good one, but you can overwhelm it and get inside, finding out that her name is Carole Moore and she is one of three executive vice chairs of the charity sponsoring the gala. You can peruse her files as she and the security guys walk forward, but you do not immediately see anything actionable. She stops a few feet away and one of the men steps forward and politely asks you to come with them. There is some noise in the crowd about the girl just having fun, but the woman just shakes her head and motions to the guard. He looks back at you and offers his hand.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:51, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #913

With a carefree laugh, Cynthia lightly bows in the direction of the crowd "Well ladies and gentlemen, it looks like my oratory skills are required elsewhere. Have a good evening."

She took a few steps toward the guard, both to indicate that she was ready to follow and that she had no intention of taking the offered hand. As she did, she was quite relieved her invitation was genuine, even if she didn't exactly go through the normal channels. At least, she wouldn't get in trouble for that. What were the odds though? Three vice-chairs, and one of them had to be on the crowd around MM when she did her thing... She shrugged, unconcerned, and followed in silence looking perfectly fine, almost like it was her own idea.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1951, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


A couple of people in the crowd call out to you in support, but that seems to dry up when the woman looks over at them. The walk is short and you are taken to a large office, where you are politely asked to sit on a chair in front of the desk. One man remains in the office as Carole begins tapping on the keys of a terminal. "I do not understand young women like you, Florence. All the privilege yet none of the responsibility. My own daughter is just like you and I can see where it comes from. I see from your SIN that you are registered at the U. Believe me, I applaud that, but I do not applaud the sort of behavior you displayed out there." She looks up at you. "Are you on drugs? I could have a nice long chat with the dean, who is a very good friend, and he could make life miserable for you...................."

She is interrupted by voices in the corridor outside the office. "Please let me in to see her."

The voice sounds familiar, but you cannot quite recall from where. She must be talking to one of the guards. "Your mother left instructions to not be disturbed."

"Listen, none of this is that girl's fault. I need to explain that before mother does something to her."

Carole nods t the man in the room, who opens the door and stands aside as Claudia and Sandy come in. "Mother, I need to tell you that my friend only did that for me."

Carole frowns. "You know her? I know all of your friends and she is not one of them."

Claudia rolls her eyes. "Mom, I met her at a rave near the end of last term."

"A rave? You know I do not approve of..................."

She is interrupted again. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I will meet all the wrong people there. So punish me, not her."

Carole looks from you to Sandy then to her daughter and back. She shakes her head and taps a few more things into the terminal on the desk. "Claudia, you are risking everything you have worked so hard for. I will not let that happen. You will not see either of these girls again, do you hear? And no more of these raves."

Claudia hangs her head then raises it. "No, mother, I do not hear you. I am only risking what YOU have worked so hard for, not me. In fact I am done listening to you." She angrily whirls about and storms out of the office, leaving her stunned mother looking very surprised.

Carole calls out angrily. "Come back here this instant, you ungrateful child. If you do not get back in this office you will not be welcome at home, do you understand?" She looks up at one of the guards. "Stan, will you go after her. please?"

The man nods and leaves as Carole looks at the two of you. "I am sorry, children, but I am going to ask you to leave the gala. I hope that you will not make a scene. Charles will see you out. Don't forget to stop by the coat check room if you brought a coat with you. Good evening."

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:51, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #914

As the woman typed, Cynthia leaned forward, reaching out to the monitor, as if she were trying to see what was displayed. Her real goal however was simply to touch the device on which Carole was working, any part of it, to initiate a direct connection. She didn't really need to considering she had already hacked the Gala's Host a few times, but it would make things easier if it was slaved to the Host. Success or not, she would still attempt to hack the terminal, first to see what the woman was doing exactly, and second to go through the files in there, to look for anything of notice she could use.

When Claudia and Sandy were brought in, she blinked, less than pleased. She didn't say a word for a time though: first, because she simply couldn't interrupt, second because it gave her more time to look into the files on the terminal. Sure, she was reading really fast, something she had always really enjoyed, but she still needed a bit of time to find whatever she could.

As she diem she fired off two messages >>Marcel [Florence]: Sorry to bother you so soon Mr. Marcel, but it looks like our stay at the gala will be shorter that I expected. We'll need the car to pick us up in a minute, if that's alright?<<, and looking in the Matrix, she found the commcode of the device exiting the room and followed by the guard's stuff, and sent >>Claudia [Florence]: We'll have a car in front if you want?<<

Looking decided to stay exactly where she was for the time being, as if she hadn't understood the dismissal, she turned to Sandy and asked "Did you get what you wanted?" While Sandy was answering, she looked for recording devices in the room, Marking those. If she found anything she could use to have the woman back off, she didn't want any of that to be on record.

She didn't mind being asked to leave, even if she found that reaction to be a bit over the top for just a few words that no one took, or even could have taken, as an insult. But when Carole started to first insult her with those drugs accusations, then threatened her? That she didn't like. As if the woman could talk about privileges and responsibilities... Cynthia was ready to bet, anytime, that she had far less of the first, and far more of the second. Anything she had right now, she had worked for it. Hell, she probably had taken more risks in the last couple of days than Carole in her entire life. As for responsibilities... What responsibilities could Carole have? Vice-chair of a charity? Managing a network of obligations and acquaintances? Cynthia, right now, was in the middle of a conspiracy at a scale Carole probably couldn't even fathom...

It was at that point that Cynthia started to wonder if it was really worthwhile to do anything about Carole. It would have been like an adult bullying a child...but the child wasn't the one you would believe. It would be so easy: a couple of rumours, a few files slightly doctored, a scandal... Even if Carole was found blameless in the end, she would forever be linked to the scandal...and forever socially radioactive: after all, there had to be a reason, right?

But to what end? She didn't care about the gala, and what would Carole be able to do to her fake SIN, much less to her? Would any of that be worth her time and attention? While it would be pleasant for a moment, maybe even fun, it could impact more than Carole, maybe even decent people. For all she knew, the charity was a good thing, even if she didn't believe for a second that Carole, like probably most of the board, was in it to do good but to further her agenda. Maybe she should try to refrain her
impulses...



Hack on the fly: 17d6t5 7, limit of 6
Matrix Search: juicy stuff?: 15d6t5 4

I can probably just buy the successes to hack any of the devices in the room that could record what is going on, but if something is high level (or slaved to something high level), I can always roll if need be.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1954, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Hacking the terminal is child's play for you. She is looking at the data attached to your SIN, which seems to actually be very complete for a fake. You are apparently an orphan but have access to a somewhat large trust fund that you will inherit completely at age twenty-one. Indeed, your false persona could easily be said to be one where you have had lots of privilege and little responsibility. Otherwise, the files on the terminal all seem to deal with charity business. You do note that Connie Woods is one of the other two executive co-chairs, along with Carole and her husband Richard. There are many files and you would need lots of time to read them all and even copying would be difficult unless you cherry pick some you think might be interesting. In the time you have, you do not find anything juicy about Carole.

Sandy, looking a bit miserable, nods to you without saying anything, but you catch a sparkle in her eye.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:51, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #915

With Connie on the board, odds were this charity was one of those she took money from. As such, while she talked, Cynthia grabbed every finance-related file she could.

"Alright then." she shrugged and stood up. Looking at Carole, she said a few words "You know, you should be careful about who you threaten, especially with completely baseless accusations. I'd bet you my blood is cleaner than anyone here this evening." She shook her head "It doesn't matter I suppose." For a moment, she considered saying more, but ended shrugging "Don't worry, you'll think of me in a few days."

She held a hand to Sandy with a smile "Alright, let's leave this meeting of cheaters and crooks. We really have nothing to do with them." She nodded to Charles, indicating he could show them the way "After you."

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1954, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


You grab a few files that you hope are worth taking. Carole gives you an odd look at your words bit says nothing. The security guy nods at you and leads the way out of the room. You get some stares as you walk along the side of the ballroom to the exit. Charles politely asks if you have anything at the coat check room and walks you outside when you both shake your heads. The Seattle night has gone a bit drizzly and you can feel the drops of rain that threaten to turn into a downpour. Marcel is standing outside the limousine and waves to you when you reach the wide steps going down to the curb. You see Claudia just off to the side, standing with her arms around herself as if trying to stay warm. Her back is to you and she does not appear to notice that you have come out.

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:54, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #916

Cynthia ignored the looks. She didn't care at all about what they thought, and she was very far from ashamed. In fact, she looked amused as if everything had just been a nice joke without any consequence worthy of notice "You know what would be fun? Make us into the girls to invite to those evenings, just to be able to tell her no." She chuckled, but shrugged quickly "Too much efforts though."

On the way, she sent a quick message >>Tanya [Florence]: We were asked to leave by the wonderful Mrs. Moore so don't be surprised if you don't see us anymore.<<

When they reached the car, she nodded at Marcel, and raised her voice "Hey, Claudia." She waited for the other girl to turn in her direction, then indicated the limo with her chin "Want to get in?"



I was looking for images for Claudia. I got this, would it fit what you have in mind?

By the way, I've spent a bit of karma:
- Raising Focused Concentration from 1 to 2, which allows to hide sprites from GOD without penalty (before that it only worked on the public grid unless I sustained the Complex Form myself)
- Raising Artisan from 2 to 4 and buying the cooking specialty. Cynthia now has a pool of 12d for cooking, yeah
- Buying French and Creole at 1. Dice pool of 7, mainly to say she knows a few words from her previous searches.
- Finally buying the Prime Datahaven Membership [Jackpoint] we talked about a while back. The invite can be triggered by all the data she sold recently, or any other idea you may have of course, I'll leave that in your hand.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 1956, At the Gala, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy nods. "Serve them right if we never go another of these gigs." She laughs. "But you were brilliant, absolutely brilliant. We got three autographs, just in case you want one. She wrote a special note for you on yours."

>>Florence [Tanya]: So I see. Still, I think that you did what we had hoped. Were you able to gather any interested information that you have not shared yet?<<


At the car, Marcel helps you get in then waits for Claudia, who races over and slides inside with Marcel's help. She sits on the seat opposite and looks at both of you with round eyes. "You meant it! I was not sure. Thank you so much. I cannot remember a time when I have felt better about a decision. Can we start again? MY name is Claudia Moore and I am so grateful to have met you. Just who the heck are you two?"

[Cynthia Rawson - 19:56, Thursday June 13th, 2075 - The Gala, Downtown, Seattle] #917

>>Tanya [Florence]: A few of the specifics, but nothing really important. I think? We'll have to go over it sometime tomorrow to be sure, and I may know a bit more. I doubt it, but you never know.<<

With a nod, Cynthia thanked Marcel for his help, then answered Sandy "A special one for me? Well, I won't spit on it, what does it say?"

Before she answered to Claudia though, she looked for a hotel near the Seattle Hilton Towers, and when asked by Marcel for instructions, asked him to park nearby for a couple of minutes. One of the three Yakuza lieutenants, Shinosetsu, was living there. As the only one of the three not living in Little Japan, and not indicated in Samspon's board as living somewhere else (Tanaka in Tokyo and Watanabe in Jakarta), She felt she really needed to see what was his role. While she was pretty sure Seattle's Tanaka wasn't the real one, maybe it was different for Shinosetsu.

She looked at Claudia then, and shrugged "Of course I meant it. I got kicked out of home, and she," with a small wave, indicates Sandy "Ran away. So whatever of the two you end up falling in, one of us will know exactly how it feels like. But as you can see, it doesn't prevent us from doing well for ourselves. I figured you wouldn't know where to go for the time being, so...If you need someplace to crash for a few days, I'll have just the thing." she squinted "And you speak French, right? Well, you will probably feel right at home. Or almost." She shook her head "Anyway, I have a couple of things to check before we go too far, so give me a minute."

Once she had made sure she was comfortable sitting, Cynthia slipped into VR. There, she thanked Al, and called St Exp. She didn't manage to pull the Resonance threads exactly as she wanted, but still managed to compile the Sprite well enough. More importantly, she didn't take a hit while doing so. As soon as St Exp was here, she hid him from GOD's eyes, then gave him instructions {St Exp; Here are the two links I'm interested in. They may send a message to someone called the Grand Marquis. If they do, I want you to hide one of your cookies in the transmission and follow it as far as you can and report back where your trace ended. Thanks.}

Since she was already in VR, she also went on to check the Berlin Host. She doubted she'd be able to learn much of anything, since it was probably nothing more than a relay, but maybe she would find where the transmission went. If it really was a small Host... If however, it was a really secured one...


Courier Sprite [6] (Compile, Defence, Fade): 12d6t5 2 6d6t5 1 13d6t5 4, 1 service, no fade
Matrix Perception (+2 VR, +2 TM): 17d6t5 5, to find Device Rating, Firewall and Data processing of the Host.

Thursday June 13th, 2075 2003, Downtown, Seattle


Sandy hands you the note. Opening it you read, "To a very good friend, Cynthia. Your actions were selfless and deserving of an award, so here it is. You mat present this note as a pass for you and up to three companions to any of my concerts, anywhere. This includes backstage passes and dinner in the VIP suite of the arena I am playing at. Thank you very much."

Claudia just looks at both of you. Sandy leans forward. "At least stay for the night. You might feel more like going back home in the morning, but at least you can have a roof over your head. A slightly damaged one, but a roof."

Claudia nods without answering but her lip is trembling a bit.

Marcel pulls into the parking slot as requested and waits. You slip into VR and summon your sprite before racing off to the host in Berlin. You find the place ridiculously easy to visit, due mostly to the open invite it offers. The host is a small Turkish kabob shop. Well, maybe not so small because it appears that they have a lot of customers who visit via the matrix, dining in VR or ordering food to be sent out. There seems to be nothing special about the place in either the physical world or the matrix.

While browsing the host, you hear a curse, then several. You sprite communicates to you, {I cannot do your bidding, mistress. I found the comlinks as requested, but they are protected; warded by dark sprites. I felt their presence in the resonance but tried to go closer. There were two kinds of sprites at each 'link. A watcher and a killer. I am fearful and cannot go closer without great risk of being detected. I.....I am afraid.}