"You seem to be a bit unsure. Would you like to take some time to rehearse your story again?"
Kynos reply sounds mellow - if you ignore the acidic sarcasm.

"Look man, They are going to sacrefice you on an unholy Blood alter during Winter solstice. Their plan is to kill you with a dagger to your hear. I have no knowledge exactly how they plan to get you tied up to that alter -as I doubt you would sacrefice yourself willingly. You have to figure that part up...

Kynos nodded: "I see. Tell you what: I'll do some investigations of my own. Depending on what I find out... well I don't have many principles, but people always get from me what I owe them.
Capturing a blood mage isn't trivial, seeing as you need to take them alive to get the bounty. Oh and one other thing:"
Kynos reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small pebble.
"This is a stealth tag. If you want to meet me, press that little indentation. It will let me know your position.
If you are honest with me it means you are in an immense amount of danger and I'll owe you something. So that will be your "help me, I don't want to die" card.
Until then... adieu and servus."

She exhaled and said "Be safe Kynos, and thanks." she pocketed the stealth tag in her purse and walked toward the store. She exited shortly after with some basic loot such as a new pair of jeans that she thought were bnc's size a long dress and some shoes.
While inside the shop she texted to know if Slobber wanted anything, and if he did she picked it up for him.

When exiting she explained "I wanted him to be gone to avoid being seen together..."

@Gilga> Just take time your time find a place to dump the stealth tag that's not where near us.

>You can keep it somewhere you can get to in a rough spot, but I don't want it anywhere near me for the next two days.<

She said "Well, I put it in my dorms room, meet you laters." With that in mind she took the bus to her university's dorm room. The dormatory was quiet as everybody were in classes, so sneaking in was relatively discreet. Her roomate, Debbie was however in the room, sleeping late. Anna opened the door quietly and entered. "She is alone... " she sighed in relaxation, without much hesitation she pocketed the chip in one of her nice dresses, and quietly exited the room, hoping not wake her roomate. It was noon after-all which was about the time Debbie ususally woke up. The attractive woman could have been an A student - but her hot and untamed nature meant that she actualy studied very little... It also made her the best wingwoman and an occational lover, which was what Anna really cared about. Still, she missed her and some part of her hoped to get caught in some meaningless conversation.

The next stop from the dormatory was the dull safehouse... But they were going to do something remarkable very soon - and it made Anna feel alive and confident in levels that she did not feel before. She was a different person than she was just a few days ago, some choices could not be undone.

"Did ... Did he just say servus?? Just tell me, he didn't say servus...

Mike, can you get me one spare drone? I'll send it to Anna. She can attach the tag to the drone. Meanwhile, I will set up a routine to simulate an authentic motion pattern, in case he's watching. If possible, can you get me a drone which can, if we must, press the button? It'll do if it's got some thing protruding with which I can press the button against the wall. Anyway, well done, blondie."

Mike replied: "Sure, no problem. I've got a drone with articulate arms that can take care of that."

She texted... "Thanks babe.... perhaps I can just plant it in Debbie's purse... She lives a similar lifestyle to my own and we share a room.

"Nice idea, but we might actually need it, and then it's unavailable. I'd prefer having control of it myself."

> It's also preferable that it isn't on an actual person when the primary concern is that he will be using it to track them and bring harm to them, or kidnap them and bring them to his boss as a replacement.

She frowned and then replied >> OK OK, I'll keep the tag with me and place it on the drone... Would not want Debbie to be sacreficed... The girl might actually find it exciting until she realizes that they are actually going to do that. Wouldn't want my shit to go mess up her life.
Though, somehow I cannot see these guys getting along and fetching some replacement... perhaps I am naive. I doubt I could put 'you wanted to sacrefice me on a Blood alter' behind me. She followed the orders and kept the tag with her to attach to a drone.

With that business concluded, it became time to prepare for the early morning action against both the mage and the decker. Per schedule, both would begin their shift at 6 o'clock in the morning.
Schmitt intoned this as well: "Get an early rest, we need to get up at four and send the equipment to the boat house, drive to the island while passing the checkpoints and load up again, so we are in position once the the shift change has occurred. Mike will make sure you all get a good breakfast beforehand. 12 hours from now you'll be rich and I'll have my prototype back. So enjoy your last night at the safe house."

bnc bites down a remark when Dr. Schmidt suggests slash orders they get up at 4am. Rather than that, bnc attaches a tag-controlled needle to her. At 3.45, soft music would wake her up, followed by more powerful one some minutes later. 3.55, a mix of soft stimulants would be injected into her system to get her up and ready.
Short after 4 am, bnc joins the breakfast table, wide awake and motivated, but also biting her lip in a way that indicates nervousness to those who got to know her closer She is silent in spite of being rather awake, showing that she takes today's task rather serious.

"'d morning, ev'ry'un. Big day, huh? I'd do with some extra chocolate on my soyghurt muesli. Also, I need volunteers to promise that they will rather die than leaving our after-coup party afore 8am. When we're done with this, I need to really shake it. K, for you, it's not an option. I need you to be with me. This, chummers, will be a turning point in all of our lives."

Slobber has been up for hours, but he usually sleeps early. He's abnormally pensive while he sips a soykaf. He mutters something when bnc brings up the after party. "Yeah, party. Sounds fun.



I certainly hope so.

"Doc, during our interview you suggested you could help with my unwanted celebrity status with KE. What exactly are you going to be able to do?"

Anna spent the evening before playing the guitar, it helped her relax and keep her mind off things. She was too excited to get proper sleep but forced herself to sleep. She woke up at 15:30, and did not leave her room before a shower, lotions, and makeup. If she was going to prison - at least she'll be pretty when they take her picture... not that one could see much under a full body armor. Yet, being pretty was mainly a confidence thing. The hour was too early to eat, so she settled for a chocolate bar and a can a coffee and a stimulant chewing gum.

Grinning she asked bnc, "What did you have in mind?"

Between to spoons of muesli, bnc answers: "Let's first survive, baby girl, then celebrate. In Austria, we have a saying the goes something like: "You shan't distribute a bear's pelt before you actually killed the thing, or so. Basically it means, don't eat the steak before you butchered the cow.
Okay, honeys. I need confirmation that everyone of you grants me three marks on their commlink in case I have to act fast. Also, give me a list of gear you want me to slave to my good stuff for protection. For communications, please be sure to communicate everything over the group channel so that others are informed, too. At the beginning of a message directed to only one member of the team, name him or her.

Other than that, I'm ready."
I just don't really feel ready...

Schmitt replied to Slobber's question:
"First of all, I'll provide you with the best fake SINs that can be purchased on the market. Then, a trustworthy unit of the MET2K will report that they found a burned out car at the German-Austria border in a ravine with four occupants whose charred remains DNA confirms that you and your team burned to death. Case closed.
Now, Mike is already preparing the transport u-boat. Put all equipment that you can't take through the check point on the island inside."

[ color=cyan]"Shouldnt we need a flight to Germany to reliably die there?..."[\color]

Schmitt nodded: "All necessary documents will be provided, although you hopefully won't need vanish, Anna. This is a special deal between bnc, Krestov, Sloobertooth and Torrent, based on a previous run. As far as I know, you have not run afoul of KE."

"No criminal record... This gig definately is important enough for some spiritual help."

Once the sun dawns, Anna would summon a spirit.
Anna closed her eyes, and softly whispered a short prayer. She then opened her eyes and cried "She listened!"




She said "Names are a bit sensitive with my spirits, but lets call her Debbora. Named after one of my favorite biblical characters. She is right here with us, perhaps prefering the astral to the physical. She is likely to stay for the entire gig as I negotiated five services. "

"This is our last cycle in the house, ya? I'll make sure to put out bowls of of soy kibble and water on the sub for Zelda."

Slobber put on the full body armor to get used to the weight. He had dragged a sheet off his bed after he was finished packing, laying equipment out onto it to figure out what he wanted to bring with him.

Laying on the sheet were

- Yamaha Raiden, 10 clips ammo
* loaded with 1 clip of Gel
* 4 clip APDS
* 1 clip Gel
* 3 clip Ex-Explosive
* 1 clip Flechette

w/Grenade Launcher Attached
* 6 Smoke Grenades Loaded
* 6 HE Grenades spare

- Ruger Super Warhark, 8 speed loaders
* Loaded with Stick N Shock
* 3 speed loaders with APDS
* 1 speed loader with Hollow Point
* 2 speed loaders with Stick N Shock
* 2 speed loaders with Gel

- Weapon Foci 3 Knucks
- Survival Knife

- A bunch of grenades
* 2 Neuro-stun X
* 2 Flash-Pak
* 2 Thermal Smoke
* 2 Flash-Bang

- Transys Avalon commlink

He donned his Earbuds (audio enhancement 3) and glasses (image link, vision enhance 3)

In the satchel provided by the good doctor, Slobber placed

- 4 Thermite Burning bars
- Handheld sensor housing (Cyberware, MAD, Ultrasound)
- 5 plasteel restraints
- Respirator (Rating 6)
- Gas Mask
- 2 Trauma Patches

Slobber looked over to bnc and Krestov. "Think I'm forgetting anything?"

Edit:

At bnc's suggestion, Slobber through his spare Mercury commlink into his satchel

"Uhhmm... I'm not a fighter, so I don't know the detail stuff and so, but it looks to me as if you were fully capable of blowing up people's sorry asses in a lot of different ways and are good with sensors, too. Communication is on, so I think you're good.
Don't forget to bring into the van whatever you're gonna need if things go south. We might have to flee. Bring the commlinks with the fake SINs and don't forget about your survival gear."

bnc's backpack is slightly smaller. In addition to what Johnson packed, she brings:

Tom (her Ingram Smartgun X, packed with gel), in a hidden arm slide (+ordinary ammo extra)
Golden Mirror (in her auto-injector) + one extra dose.
a dose of Psyche and a dose of Deepweed
Fairlight Caliban
3 stealth tags
2 sensor tags
3 data taps
Area Jammer V
3 Noizquitos
satellite link
MCT-Nissan Rotodrone
w/ Cavalier Arms Brockett EBR with enough ammo, loaded with rounds (normal and apds ammo spare)
Micro Camera
the commlinks carrying her several SINs she received from Gerhardt

For the trunk of the van, she also packs:
- electrochromatic clothing
- ordinary clothing
- chameleon suite
- more drugs
- some groovy contact lenses
- warm outdoor clothing
- chemistry toolkit

To the satchel, she adds plasteel restraints.

"I'm ready, too."

Kite was the last to pack her gear into the tiny submarine. When she was done she looked up and gave the team a sheepish Latino grin: "By the way, none of you thought to place the spy drones at the bank. Lucky for you, I managed to have them drone delivered. They'll activate at 6 past 6, so just to be sure, we should have taken out the spider by then. Based on the simulation, the Kanmushi's will need about five minutes to get into position throughout the building. So stay sharp and keep a close watch on your watches."

Schmitt looked worried at these words, but didn't comment on it. Instead he turned to Mike:
"Alright, we'll be off. You know what to do. Clean this place out and up. Don't be a miser with the chemicals either. We don't want to leave any DNA traces here. You've got the drones to help you. Also you have all necessary codes and access to take care of the team should anything unforeseen happen."
He turned to the team:
"That goes for everyone: Should we get separated we go back to the save house. Except if the upper left window is dark when you come back. That means this place is compromised. In that case we meet at the training ground in Snohomish.

Right. Let's get this show on the road."
Schmitt had changed into his best tailored suit and was critically inspecting the team's appearance, making sure they all looked respectable when they had to pass the checkpoint on the bridge.

bnc shoots Yael - whose task it was - a silent look, but says nothing. She knows that they were a team and so it was her fault, too. She would make sure such a thing wouldn't happen again.

bnc, still in her pyjama, zips shut the last lid. Every movement is sharp and precise, though someone watching closely could perceive her fingers shaking slightly. She inhales deeply. "Then let's turn into something human, shan't we." She smiles, though it doesn't look a 100 % genuine. One last time she returns to her room and checks everything. Looking herself into the mirror, a short moment she feels the urge to take a patch of Whoom, to relax her a bit. She pushes it aside, focussing on the day before, and slips into her clothings, meticuously careful to put it on properly.

When she returns to the common room, she's dressed in the business suite Schmidt gave them ages ago. While Anna shifts a fold or a stray hair in place, bnc goes through all the lists and procedures. She makes sure all the weapons and important online gear is slaved to her Caliban, then actually thanks Yael. Once all is settled, she gets into the car, next to Krestov. She resists the urge to lean on him, but places herself closely enough to feel the warmth of his massive arm, and drain some strength from his presence. Inaudibly to the rest of the team, she turns on her internal music system, playing a rhythmic but repetitive melody to help her focus on the task ahead.
After a couple of minutes, she turns to Mr. Schmidt. "Is everything prepared for passing the checkpoint or will I have to manipulate any sensors?"

Anna wore her new Zoe Heritage, native American style business suit that combined elements of cliche idealized view of the past along with modern fashion.
Did she look blankly at Kite? "Drones? when was that going to happen?", She seats in the front seat by Flatline. "I am confused, when are we doing the decker spirit thing?" she asked not wanting to mess out again.

Before getting into the van, Slobber moved all of his leftover equipment down into the minisub along with Zelda and dishes of kibble and water. Slobber knelt down next to the dog and brought her head close to his.
"I'll be back in a little bit, and then we'll go home, wiz?" Zelda didn't respond with her usual confidence.

Slobbertooth sat in the back, wearing his Mortimer of London Berwick suit, with glasses and earbuds. His loaded Ruger lay hidden in his jacket. He already couldn't wait to get out of his suit and on the body armor.

bnc answers instead of Kite, holding herself back, but still having a biting tone in her voice. "Step 1 was that you were supposed to secretly hide a bag with small spy drones in the toilets so that we can actually get a view what is going on inside. No use crying over spilt milk, though. Kite did well. I'll make sure nobody misses any step from now on."

Kite just shook her head at the question: "I know you are a chaos mage, but you still might benefit from writing things down."

Schmitt answered bnc's earlier question: "I've prepared for this check point as well as possible. There is no reason to stop us - and if you don't take any illegal or restricted stuff you don't have a licence for with you, there is no reason we should fear a stop either.
So please, put all your dangerous gear in the submarine."


Than there was nothing more to do: At 5:00 the team rolled out in the "Meteor Enterprises" disguises. Kite drove the Rover while the auto pilot of the mini submarine made it's direct way across the lake.
Reaching the checkpoint, once again the car was checked thoroughly with very modern looking sensors.
As promised, the identities held against the scrutiny.

At 5:30 the team reached the boat house with the sub already waiting for them. Schmitt looked a bit harried but tried to keep a calm facade. While the gear was loaded into the Rover he turned away to make another of his calls.
Although they hadn't trained that part in particular. The team was ready in their armor at 5:50 - except for Kite, Schmitt and Flatline, who were supposed to stay in the car and couldn't risk appearing armored when confronted by a cop.
At exactly 6:03 the team reached the back alley parking lot of the bank - just in time to see the relieved shift leave the building and filing away towards the hotel.

Slob slid the helmet over his head and locked it in place to ensure the chemical seal

"Comm Check"

"Gear Check" He began going over all of his equipment, making sure that every suppressor was properly attached, that his grenade launcher was loaded, and that all of his vision and hearing enhancements were functioning. He wrapped himself in the polymer cloak.

"Check each other's RP cloaks, make sure they're working."

Slobber looked over to Anna, Time do deal with the spider and the wage mage

Anna looked at Kate and sighed - "Why did she go off by herself instead of talking to me?" She announced: "I'll be away for a little while, make sure that I do not emberess myself. I am going with the spirit." She would wait a bit for the team's response and then project into the Spider's home and carefully observe him to make sure that it is the right time to strike.

around 5.30 am:
[color="lightgreen"]"deck and link check. gear check, too.
Procedure check for pre-strike activities:
1. knock out mage via gas grenade
2. hack biomonitor
3. prevent spider from calling for aid
4. deactivate biomonitor
5. attack spider via spirit

According to this procedure, we can't use but won't need the passphrase we know to deactivate the guarding drone, as none of us enter physically. Please confirm procedure.

Anna traveled with the speed of her mind to the flat of the spider. Looking through the flat she found one aura sitting on the couch in the center of the room... and one sleeping form in the bed next door. The aura did not belong to the girlfriend she had met at the cafe.
Otherwise it seemed as if aura on the couch was fit, had some minor cyberware in the head and it showed to be in the funny state where the mind is alert but the body seemed to be asleep - aka full VR.

Suddenly Flatline's astral form appeared next to her: 'Anna, what the frag? That's not how we trained this. How is bnc supposed to tell you that you can sic your spirit on the spider? Don't you trust your spirits to do what you ask of them?
I'm supposed to keep an eye on the astral around the car, not play messenger.'

Anna made a face "We call her Debora. Second, ofcourse I do not send her alone, what is the matter with you."

She did not wait for a reply. Instead, she returned to her body. Spider is in VR but is not alone. There is someone sleeping in his bed... The bastered may be sleeping around... That said, she may call for help herself." she reported.

I hope, I got his defense pool right.
"Okay, I can handle this. Just one more step.
One. The mage. Kite, keep your drones prepared if something goes amiss. Grenade detonates in five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go."
bnc sends off the signal to turn on the gas grenade, then give Kite a few seconds to react. If everything goes according to plan, she dives into attacking the spider. Elegantly, she passes his firewall and makes a small mask of comedy appear both on his biomonitor and his commlink. Then she flips a switch. She holds her breath for a moment, when the switch withstands her command, but the spider doesn't seem to have noticed. She focusses, changes the attempt, and the second one works. The biomonitor will now send the "okay" sign whatever else may happen.

"Anna, do not release your spirit until I say so, but be ready to do it any microsecond. Wa-kata?"

The drone outside the hotel sends a continuous stream of radar data of the wage mage's room. But it's very hard to tell if the gas grenade worked or not: The mage - or at least a vaguely humanoid form sits in the center of the room - likely his lodge - and doesn't move.
Kite acknowledges: "Shit, we probably should have put a sensor tag next to the grenade. Can't tell if we got him. Maybe he was on the astral already and now his body got unconscious and his astral body is now floating somewhere around, wholly disconnected."

Anna replied "I'll be going to disable the spider with Debbora, that way I know how to act if things get messy." Then hearing the report from Kite she said "We can try to approach in the astral, and have a look. It can be a bit dangerous if he is conscious though."

Flatlline replied: "Not to mention, if he is in his lodge it will be damn hard to go in through the astral to have look. But I can send a spirit if you want. If the man is out everything is ok, if not... well than we'll have blown it."

"Do so. Kite's drone feed doesn't imply any problems but better safe then sorry. Please confirm he's out. We got little time left, I'll take care of the spider. Gimme a sec."
bnc turns her attention back to the security officer. Now that the most important objective is achieved, bnc refines her attempts to get marks on the commlink. She subtly sends faked access permission requests to two slaved devices. They are cleverly engineered, and indeed, a mask of tragey and bnc's third version - the mask of void - on the persona indicate that the access is granted.
Mind racing, bnc blocks the device's abilities to send messages out. Instead, she redirects it to the commlink of Ruth Axis. This way, she would be able to keep him distracted for another precious two or three seconds until he realizes his link was hacked. Until he would realize it if he weren't out by then.

"Barbie, now!", bnc yells into the group channel, and immediately launches her last attack on the device.
That very moment, something odd happens: A synthetic voice, smooth and female, leaves spider's commlink and says: "Laputa machine"

Enter Deborah.

Debora is ordered to arrive materialize and engulf and disable the Spider, it does so quickly, and precisely.

The words had an immediate effect on the robot: It shut down.
"Debora" materialized without a hitch, enveloped the spider who was in VR and thanks to the RAS incapable of noticing or defending against the attack.

It was over in less than a second - the spider still breathed, but shallow and his lips were blue from lack of oxygen. Through the spirit connection, Anna was informed that there had been a noise in the adjacent bedroom.
The girl was awake...

Goddammit. I hope, Anna reacts the right way.
bnc reacts quickly, when she perceives matrix activity. She sends the commlink down the river, thus eliminating the hacking notification and rendering her unable to inform anyone for at least a couple of seconds.

A slurred voice reached the spirit's senses:
"Everything ok with you? I though I heard something..."
A young woman with tousled brown hair and an oversized t-shirt with the Karl Combat Mage logo printed on came into view, her eye's still half closed.