Blue wakes to the alarm from his personal assistant. Dreams aside, he feels refreshed, and full of energy. Morning necessities taken care of, he walks out into the kitchen and marvels that soykaf is ready and hot. """ Thanks for the brew, Karmakaze. Any news from your people? """

"""Good evening.

"""First off, notice the great smell of that brew? I took a walk to get myself familiar with the area, and found a real coffee shop. I don't want to die with soykaf in my system, and neither should you.

"""I had a contract lawyer look at this contract. She said it was worthless, wouldn't hold up in court, and that it reminded her of ones gangs and mafias use for extortion.

"""Not too much on Petsonal Petsonalities that we didn't already know. Small and reliable corp with high end clients, and low end suppliers. May even breed some of their own stock.

"""As for PoliDemos, everything you would expect from a policlub: Power-hungry leadership; over-zealous followers. Even worse though, is they seem to have turned the local community into their own little kingdom, with all the local citizens support, seems as non-activist and activist capacities. The local gangs are already taking advantage of the situation; Small time racketeering and extortion are on the rise.

"""Plus, good word says that PoliDemos put out contracts on miscreants and the pay is descent.

"""One of my contacts was extremely concerned about my safety dealing with PoliD. He said, "PoliDemos are like the Ancients! But with houses, rounder ears and more money! And even less respect for the sanctity of metahuman life!!!!" """" Karmakaze used air-quotes for emphasis over her contact's response.


"""Hopefully there is something there for you to work off of. I was thinking that maybe one of those low end suppliers for Pets could be someone who looking for money and sold them out to the policlub. I really don't want to pose as a meta-creature dealer.

"""There is also the option that we, or rather I, try to acquire one of their contracts on a miscreant."""

Blue appreciates the taste of the brew and give KK a nod of appreciation. After listening to her report, he thinks for a moment, savouring the coffee, of course.

""" I've actually been thinking of an out-of-the-box approach to this. What if we went to the facility management and told them we are watching at the behest of PoliDemos, and that really the easiest way for our contract to be filled and them to be in the best light would be for them to be forthright and transparent about their operations for the next twelve days? We have access to the goings on, they do what the contract says, we report everything is on the up and up, and everybody is happy. After the two week contract is over, we disappear and they can do whatever they want.

""" We might be able to learn a lot more about the dealings between the two groups if we talk to the group that is ostensibly the upstanding local business.

""" What do you think of that idea? """

"""I like this idea. Especially with it really looking like blackmail and they are pretty much being strong-armed by this poli, they may not feel they can refuse the request."""

""" Alright. Let's get out to near the facility, I'll call the office, and let them know we have an offer they can't refuse. """

Business hours are nearing their close, even though it's still early for Blue. The disadvantage of Owl's children.

The chatter of various news sources filters through their respective electronics to bring a few news snippets to light.

<<<PLASTIC CYBERSURGERY SCAM ARTIST WARNING>>>

<<<SEATTLE MAYOR'S OFFICE CALLS FOR REHABILITATION FUND FOR SIMSENSE STARLETS>>>

<<<UW WIZARDS DISCOVER NON-MALIGNANT HIVE TOTEMS>>>

<<<LONESTAR SQUASHES NEO-A INSURGENCY IN COLUMBIA CITY>>>

<<<ENCLAVE SEWAGE WORKERS DEFEND HAZARD PAY DESPITE ALL WORK DONE BY REMOTE DRONES>>>

<<<PUGET SOUND SPIRITS ERUPT AT LOCAL RESTAURANT - FIVE DEAD>>>

<<<RETIREMENT IN TRIBAL LANDS - WHY NOT TO DO IT>>>

<<<SPIRITUAL RESEARCHERS IN TIR CLAIM GOLD ROLLS SIGHTING>>>

It's another fine day in Seattle, and the evening is clouding over.

"""Five dead in Puget Sound spirit attack? The police responded pretty quick, and the staff witnessed us patch them up. Think they would give us any details of what happened after we left? The spirit attack makes me suspect of this "upstanding" business who is highly involved with awakened creatures."""

The report itself doesn't reveal much more. It starts with <<<Police arrived at a grisly scene, with sea water and blood trails mingling from the restaurant floor down to the jetty ...>>>

Blue considers. """I don't think it was Petsonal, though I did see some water-related astral activity in the area. My bet is still on Mitsuhama, who are more likely to be the ones who are motivated to catch me. Had it been Petsonal, I don't think magecuffs would have been part of the plan.

"""Shall we go? I'm happy to do the bulk of the talking. Let's get some light shed on the dark details here."""

"""Let's go then. Do have to make in preparations?"""

"""Yeah,""" says Blue.

He reaches into a pocket and pulls out one of the two remaining Heal spell one-off items. With experience, a magician gets a sense of how a spell feels... how it will work, as it is cast. This one, the one he thinks of as #2, felt to him at the time like it would work better for someone with augmentations.

"""Take this. If you have been hurt physically, you know, bullets, knives, that sort of thing, and I'm not in a position to cast a Heal spell, this will do it for you. It's a nice strong casting, so it should help if things have gone bad. Snap this bit off and touch it to yourself. You could actually use it on someone else, too, if the mood hits you. Like me if I am out of commission.""" He hands it to Karmakaze.

"""Shamans like I am can't really put spirits on call, but we can summon them quickly if we need them, so I won't do that right now, either. Maybe in the car I will summon a spirit to be with us as we travel, You know, 'cause Mitsuhama seems to be hot on my trail, but as soon as I go in the building, that spirit will depart."""

Ger loaded up, Blue holds the door for Karmakaze.

It's a very short car trip, although it might have been an hour by foot, to Petsonal.

The parking lot is as it was before, with one exception. A young-looking woman in chic dress is leading a pair of barghests to a Polymog (a three-axled spiritual development of the old Unimogs) that looks approximately as snazzy as a Nightsky. The barghests are not on chains, but are simply and obediently following her, tails gently wagging. Two folks are coming up behind her; an ork and a human in Petsonal Petsonalities hoodies, with animal handling tools. They're ready to handle barghests, clearly, but they look pretty relaxed. Another day at the office?

While Blue and Karmakaze drive in, she opens the back hatch on her Polymog, and they hop in without demur. She closes the hatch, and the employees bid her farewell.

To judge by appearances, the folks at Petsonal know their business pretty well.

On an unrelated note, to judge by appearances, that colossal pit viper in the front window hasn't been fed today, and flicks its tongue in the general direction of Blue and Karmakaze.

Blue regrets that from the astral he was unable to check things like telecommunications numbers in the office, so he dials up the public access number for Petsonal Petsonalities. As he waits for a pickup, he comments to Karmakaze, """That damn snake gives me the willies."""

Once in he asks to speak to the manager about a recent contract Petsonal has with a local community organization. He lets them know he is right outside. That should get them curious.

The front office responds pretty quickly, but instead of simply passing Blue along, he's asked what the particulars of the contract are so that his call might be appropriately routed.

While they sit in Karmakaze's car, a Bulldog van pulls in to the parking lot, and a couple of men use a pallet jack to move a really heavy cage off the back. Something very big, and apparently very scaly sits inside, but the view is restricted by rag netting. From inside, an ork with a 'link shows up to talk to them. A chat ensues, including exchange of a credstick.

Blue responds curtly. """Polidemos. It's important I have a talk with the person in charge right away. You may refer to me as 'Blue'."""

There's a brief pause, presumably while hurried words are exchanged, and then the response comes: <<<The manager is waiting for you at the rear door. It's unlocked.>>>

Oh well, at least it was a response, if not exactly the last word in politesse.

Karma looks at the "stick" Blue handed her, somewhat confused. """Thank you. I didn't know you could make a Heal-Spell-on-a-Stick.""" She slides the item into an interior pocket on her jacket.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Karmakaze had also noticed the viper, but she found "dragonettes" and other awakened creatures more concerning. She was about to tell Blue so, but he was relieved from the brief hold. She continued to monitor the action in the parking lot.

Blue lowered the link and said, """They said the manager is waiting for us at the back door."""

"""Why not the front? Should I pull around back or park up front?"""

"""Let's drive,""" says Blue. """Keep our escape vehicle close."""

Karma drives around the building where they locate the back door. She circles the block once so she can get an idea of the layout and population, and maybe Blue can do some magical scouting. On the second pass, she backs in the car so they can make a quick getaway if, when, needed.

She exits the car while scanning the area for any threats. The next time Mitsuhama sends people after Blue, it probably won't be some hicks from the badlands.

As Blue had found during his earlier scouting expedition, the back door opens directly onto an alleyway.

In terms of the cardinal directions, the fully-fenced parking-lot is northwest of the building, and leads to large delivery doors as well as metahuman-sized access. The large display window of the office shows onto the street, to the southwest. The southeast is also bracketed by the main thoroughfare, but the northeast borders an alleyway running northwest-southeast, and it is here where the back door is. There is no fenced parking lot here.

The parking lot itself directly borders, divided only by its fence, the next business in the row, further to the northwest.

Driving around the block is mostly a matter of the main thoroughfare, with a brief turn down a side street, and some gentle rumbling down the rather uneven surface of the alley.

The door itself is a heavy, reinforced steel-faced door.

Karma parks where the car is easily accessible, and where it is difficult to block in. She exits the car and scans the alleyway, making sure the coast is clear before Blue gets out.

"""Clear in the real world. How about the astral?"""

"""I'll have to step out of the vehicle to see beyond its shell in the astral.""" Blue steps out and opens his perception to the astral.

The alleyway shows nothing new, as far as Blue's view of the astral is concerned; aside from the time of day it's substantially identical to when he cased the building before.

However, in the proximity of the door he does not currently hear the snuffling sounds that he had before. Maybe traffic noise is too loud, or the snuffler is elsewhere?

Speaking of traffic noise, rush hour is well and truly under way, so the streets, while not impassable, will be slow going for the next hour or two at least.

Blue fills in Karmakaze. """Nothing untoward out here. I also do not detect some of what I had interpreted earlier as astral security. Maybe they actually want to talk."""

He waits for Karmakaze to exit the car, coming back fully to the material plane. and together they can walk to the door. Once there, he will knock.

A woman in coveralls, branded with Petsonal Petsonalities on the front, opens the door. Judging by the lumps in the coveralls, they're pretty well armoured (which shouldn't come as a surprise, in this line of work) with particular attention to joints such as knees, elbows and so on. She appears to be human, middle-aged (perhaps mid-fifties, at a rough guess) and a sandy blonde. She doesn't say anything, but beckons. Behind her, there's just a tiled hallway with a couple of strong-looking doors and electronic lock modules.

Karma leads the way to the entrance and greets the woman.

"""Hi. I am Karmakaze; Mr. Blue's assistant. I am armed, and would like to stay that way to protect my client."""

The woman pauses, and looks up at Karmakaze. Then she glances down, and up again. """I see. Do you have credentials?""" She keeps her hand on the handle of the heavy door.

Blue sees this going south very quickly. He takes a small (yeah, yeah, dwarf) step forward and interjects. """My protector this evening is very thorough and professional. We both recognize that causing trouble of any sort in an establishment such as yours would be foolish in the extreme. I am here to talk with your management about a problem I believe you have, which has turned into one for me and my team as well, and a simple solution that will smooth things over for all concerned.

"""We are here to talk. Nothing more. May we come in please?"""

"""No.""" Her answer is as flat as the wall.

"""No credentials, no entry, and besides this corridor leads to the cockatrice hatchery."""

She makes no effort to interpose. Blue could probably push past her if he insisted, but given that they certainly have cockatrices, her statement of what lies behind her has a certain weight of credibility.

Karmakaze pulls her SIN, which her UCAS Bounty Recovery Agent and Private Investigator Licensees are tied to, which she informs the woman.

The woman's eyes narrow, and she cocks her head at receiving this information. Her expression softens a little, she glances up and down the alleyway, and then beckons both elf and dwarf inside.

Karma puts her credentials away and backs away, allowing Blue to enter first. She scans the alleyway one more time before entering.

Blue nods to Karmakaze and follows the woman.

Karmakaze and Blue follow the woman, without any apparent further developments in the alleyway.

She leads them through a door that somehow unlocks for her (presumably some kind of ID recognition system) and leads into a rather ordinary-looking employee lunchroom. Right now it's empty of other people, but there are seats and tables, various refrigerators and official notices about working hours and pay rates and insurance mandates and suchlike compliance stuff.

However, this doesn't mean that it's empty of other life. Two barghests lie on the floor. They hardly move at first, just sort of raise their eyes. One of them wags a leisurely tail, which thump-thump-thumps on the floor. She gives each of them a pat, then pulls out a chair and sits down, motioning for Karmakaze and Blue to do the same.

"""So what's this all about?"""

Karma eyes the two "dogs" then looks back at the woman. """ I prefer to stand, but thank you."""

She takes up a spot in the corner furthest from the two barghests.

Blue takes a seat around the corner of the table, so as not to be opposite the woman. Reduce the us vs. them messaging.

""" A few days ago I took a contract from a Mr. Johnson that he purported would be a simple, two week surveillance job to see if one party of a contract was living up to the terms of that contract, with a rider if there would need to be encouragement for that party to do so. Magical talent was a requirement for the job, especially if encouragement was needed.

""" It is a hazard of the business in which I find myself that one is not always informed ahead of time of the most pertinent details of the contract. This has been the case with the current one. The party to be watched turns out to be your firm. The party of the second part turns out to be a group called PoliDemos, about whom the more I learn, the less I like. I am informed by my legal counsel that the contract between you is legally unenforceable, and that the only way PoliDemos could get anything out of you is through strongarm tactics. That seems to me now how that group operates. I want to assure you right now that I and my team are not the kind of agents who shoot people in the face for money. A certain naiveté on my part at the taking of the contract puts me and my team in a bind. We will fulfill the letter of our contract, but I wish to propose to you a way in which we can cooperate such that some of the other party's suspicions are allayed. I believe that they will continue to be the kind of suspicious people that they are even after the two weeks are up. Nevertheless, any release of pressure would be a good thing.

""" I know from your communications with them and internal conversations among your employees that you find the demands of this group distasteful, to say the least. Blackmail and rabid, anti-corporatist ideology seem to be their guiding principles. """

Blue holds his hands palm up and to the sides in response to a slight raise of one eyebrow. """ We try to be thorough. It was enlightening to learn more about what atavophid basilisks actually are. And a little frightening to think what such creatures could do in the service of a group such as PoliDemos. Or in the service of whoever pulls their strings. My early astral forays into your facility lead me to think that they may have severe difficulties in doing any kind of damage to you, except by sending fall-guy teams such as ours to wear you down. We may not be the first to have been assigned that work.

""" As an aside in that regard, astrally I met a certain bird in your office who seemed to want means to buy itself a way to freedom. It mentioned drachmas. This raises a concern in my mind that there may be one or more agents in your facility already who work for the other party.

""" In any case, I propose that we make an arrangement that portrays me and my associate here as prospective buyers who have approached you to provide me with some paranormal security. We are taken on a tour or three. We talk about needs and prices. Somehow I get a hint about an interesting new creature. Maybe one of your staff accidentally mentions 'dragonettes'. I ask about that cool thing, but you inform me in no uncertain terms that such creatures are all accounted for in another contract and that no deal can be made for them outside of that contract.

""" At the end of the two weeks, which will be in about eleven days time, I can then report to the other party that I managed to infiltrate your facility in multiple ways, I saw no dealings of the creature in question with third parties, you refused to sell what PoliDemos considers their property to someone else, and that you seem to be upholding your end of the ... bargain you have with them. There will be no need for me to encourage you to uphold your end of things. I will therefore forego the extra money they offer for enforcement, but that is acceptable to me in order to be rid of a bad deal on my part. After my current contract is complete, perhaps we can talk again about what can be done to free an upstanding, reputable firm from the clutches of a group of thugs.

""" Does any of this sound reasonable to you?"""

She listens carefully to Blue while he talks, only distracting herself long enough to reach into her pocket and withdraw a packet of gum from which she takes a piece and starts to chew.

After Blue asks his final question, she pauses to look at her hands for a bit, still chewing, and then says: """So, yeah. I wouldn't listen to anything from Glorian. That bird lies like it's a competition. As for the - yeah, officially they don't even exist. We've kept to our side of the bargain, but if they're sending people like you after us, then they're in breach because they're supposed to stay off our backs. Nothing any lawyer cares about, but it is what it is."""

She pauses again, as if thinking what she should say next.

"""Look, PoliDemos has heavy backing. I mean, heavy. They could do synchro-drekking on Stone Way in broad daylight, and they'd get away with it. They don't need you. Like you said, you're fall guys. You can tell them whatever, and I'll tell you right now those things aren't for sale, and wouldn't be if you promised to pay in a nest full of dragon eggs. But here's the thing: PoliDemos doesn't care. It's not about animals. It's about control, and they've discovered the hard way that they don't know how to control snakes. That looks bad for them, and now they have a problem. Capisce? They hafta make it look like our fault, when in reality they did it themselves. 'course, on the up side, should have fewer devil rat problems soon."""

""" It is likely there are several layers of pawns in what is going on here, then. """ Blue considers further. """ It might be that the Johnson who approached me represents that 'heavy backing' you mention, rather than PoliDemos. Checking on the truthfulness of their next level up pawns, as it were. I would appreciate it if you could fill me in on who that 'heavy' is. It's nice to know who is actually pulling one's strings.

""" Furthermore, any understanding I could have of what has been let loose on the neighbourhood by the negligent ones would be useful in protecting ourselves and the neighbourhood from the creatures, both un-legged and two-legged kind. """

"""Can't tell you about their backers, because I don't know, and I don't want to know. All I know is they're visible but untouchable, just like a ghost. As for the critters? All I'll tell you is they're scaly and they like the taste of meat. The rest isn't for me to tell."""

Blue sits back, puts his hands on his thighs, and cocks his head to one side.

""" I don't think you are as cavalier about what has happened as you let on. You tell me that Polidemos has lost control of one or more of these special snakes, that the snakes are not for sale, which says to me that someone does have priority for them, and that PoliDemos has serious backing that can erase public and visible crimes.

""" There is no way you would have missed the fact that if the heavies can erase crimes, they can fabricate them, too. If I and my colleagues have been hired to investigate you, then either the thugs or their backers are paying the tab. If it's the thugs, then they are desperate to cover their asses to their bosses. They will eventually fail, and be caught out. If it's the bosses, then this is just the first step in a campaign in which sooner or later you are going to be blamed on public trid for releasing baby-eating, paranormal pythons into the sewers of Seattle.

""" Then, either a government crew or a team of 'respectable and competent' new managers, sent by those who believe they have that priority for the snakes, will be brought in to take over, and it will be you who loses control, loses a profitable business, and likely loses freedom. I've seen the likes of it happen.

""" So it falls on you to get ahead of this problem before it gets your head on a stake. You will have already been planning contingencies, but one new contingency that presents itself is that sitting before you is someone who is likely the most able you have ever met to resist the siren song of creatures such as the one in question.

""" The question follows then: What are you going to do about it? """

"""Slow down there, parrot whisperer.""" She has a smirk on her face - not cocky, but sardonic. """I don't know that they lost control, but I'll take a bet that they did because why else would they get verklempt about secrecy? We didn't do anything wrong, and they know it. So the only thing left here is that you write up a report confirming that fact. If they wanna nail us anyway, like you say, they don't need investigators, they can just do it."""

She pauses to shift the wad of cud from one cheek to the other. """But I'll give you this for free. It's not exactly private knowledge, but it's not exactly public either. There's been a leadership move in PoliDemos over the last coupla weeks. You figure out who and why, and I'll bet cash money you'll figure out why this is suddenly a problem today. Gangs always get antsy under a new boss that wants to prove something."""

""" Thank you for that bit of information, """ Blue nods appreciatively. """ It could indeed be useful. Now, my team and I might in our peregrinations, especially since we are burdened with dealing with the possible losers of a snake or two, come across one of your lost pets. Were that to happen, I suspect you would be happy to get it back yourselves, rather than seeing it back in the hands of incompetents.

""" Hypothetically, then, what would your firm pay as a finder's fee for one of these special snakes? Even if you wanted them to have it, wouldn't it be worth the look on their faces for you to present it to them, again? 'Here, you lose one of these?' """

She pauses to consider this new question, then pulls a pocket secretary from the front pocket of her coveralls, and taps it a few times. """OK, I'll tell you what. Bring 'em back alive and viable, and you get fifty nuyen per kilogram weight. Bigger ones are more valuable, but also more trouble so I guess that's fair."""

Karmakaze listened in to the talk but kept quiet in the back corner... until the collection of specimens portion.

"""So we are going snake wrangling? Awakened snake wrangling?"""

"""" Well if one shows up in front of us, we might as well get paid for it. Speaking of which, """" Blue turns ba k to the woman. """What does a grown one of these weigh?"""

"""Depends on exactly how grown you mean. They come out of the egg at around a tenth of a kilo. At a year, a couple of kilos. Five years, about fifty kilos. Biggest I've run across was maybe two-fifty, but I have no idea what the upper limit is. But the older they are, the more they diverge, physiologically. It just gets wild. Good news is, anything you do run across probably won't be over a year or two."""

"""How do they hold up to gel rounds?... Just out of curiosity."""

"""Gel rounds? Never tried those. We try to be gentler, to reduce harm and general aggravation. On the other hand, sometimes they have their own opinions, and we have to corral them."""

She closes a button on her pocket to secure her pocket secretary and adds: """Gel rounds would surely maim or kill little ones, but beating the big ones just riles 'em up. I'd probably not want to do that."""

Blue looks back and forth between Karmakaze and the manager. She appears to be done with the conversation. He pushes back his chair and puts hands on his knees, as if to rise.

""" A whole hundred nuyen ror a yearling? You must really not want these things back. I can get that much for a vial of blood from a talismonger. And hundreds of times that from a competitor or a parabiologist flush with a research grant.

""" I don't see us hunting for these things, but if we do get one alive, well, business is business. """

She chuckles and points at the door. """Awright, you can find your way out. You can tell Glorian anything you feel I should know. He'll make it entertaining."""

She gets to her feet, and heads for the coffee pot. Well, soykaf concentrate reconstitution system. It has caffeine.