I say my farewell, "Looking forward to it" I say with a small smile. It gets easier with practice, and I am so happy we got our way. Tien would seem like an interesting friend if that were even possible. An appreciation of art and magical artifacts and a generous budget means that he'll have a lot of interesting things in his connection. I take a mental note to ask for a tour once we deliver his XT and collect the money.

My step becomes lighter once I am out of the office and lighter once out of the building. In the car, I feel free enough to say "Wow" overwhelmed with the amount of money we would get from a single job - a year ago, I was hard-pressed for a loan with insane interest rates, and here we are planning to make buckets of money. Though, dreaming is dangerous, and we first need to deliver.

Like Jimmy likes to say "Happy people do not check for bombs under their car", and Iktomi be willing we should be vigilant.

The ride down the elevator is uneventful and gives the team a moment to take a look at the dossier.

Friends and Associates of Xavier Tien IV

- Victoria Arione
Born in Dallas, Texas, August 23 2052
Education: Austin Thaumaturgic Institute, doctor thesis on ritualistic summoning
Status: Current partner/girlfriend of Xavier IV
Known address: 831 Ave A, Snohomish

Notes: No events of note in her personal history, beyond a very serious car crash in February 2077. Driver and backseat passenger were killed, Victoria survived with apparently no injuries. Link to hospital report.


- Phillip Creamor
Born in Salem, Massachussetts, March 15 2055
Education: MIT&T, no graduation, but highly skilled healing specialist
Status: Friend and confident of Xavier IV, freelancing contract mage
Known address: 16028 Dayton Ave N, Shoreline

Notes: Phillip was Xavier's lab partner at MIT&T. When the lockdown happened, Phillip had to surive inside Boston. The trauma prevented him from returning to university. He came half a year ago to Seattle, reconnecting with Xavier and helping him with his research.

- Ulrich 'Gladius' Wolf
Born in Chicago, Illinois, September 01 2054
Education: University of Chicago, Masters in Evocation, Psionic tradition.
Status: Ex-Ares Firewatch, now security consultant.
Known address: none

Notes: Ulrich has helped Xavier on several occasions to enter dangerous high magic zones and provided protection for him and his team. Ares has not been forthcoming about his background, but there is reasonable suspicion that he left their services very hurriedly.

- Xavier Tien IV
Born in Seattle, Washington, April 20 2059
Education: MIT&T, doctor thesis on spirit powers
Status: Currently on sabbatical from MIT&T to conduct independent studies
Known address: 1423 Bellevue Way NE

Notes: Since he met Victoria at the MIT&T christmas party, he has shown a serious change in his character - he took a sudden sabbatical and went back to Seattle to conduct independent studies.

Mato is a bit put out to be so quickly dismissed. He had more questions about the theft, plus he wanted to review the footage himself and have the astral eyes inspect the space. There were so many things to check for: mind control, illusions, deepfaked camera footage, etc. He hopes this rapid dismissal is just Wakan Tanka ushering him along, pointing him down more productive avenues.

"Alright, let's scope these out," he says, even though that's a statement of the obvious. "Might make sense to divide and conquer. They don't take kindly to metas up in Snohomish, so it would make sense for Raven and Tamarind to visit there when we're going in person.

"We already too a stab at IV in the Matrix. AM, Tamarind, do you want to do the honors on Ms. Arione, plus Mssrs. Creamor and Miller?

"I'm going to call up Brad Burns. He's the security consultant I met at Pike Hall back at Christmas. Maybe he's heard of Mr. Miller. Or, I think Brad lives in Snohomish too. I wouldn't think that he would run in the same circles as Ms. Arione but it can't hurt to ask."

<<@Brad Hey Burns, Miguel Torres here. It's been a minute, hasn't it? Quick question for you. I'm trying to find Axel Miller, who goes by the callsign 'Gladius'. Story is that he's Ex-Firewatch and is now freelancing as a security consultant. Helps clients enter dangerous high magic zones and provides protection while they are there. You ever crossed paths with him? I'm hoping to get in touch.>>

He'll wait to ask amount Ms. Arione in a minute.

"Assuming all the information is correct, it certainly sounds like Victoria is not an angel. Maybe take a closer look into that car crash? Who was killed? How did it happen? She surviving might have been because of her magic. But then why did she not protect the others as well? Maybe she couldn't, or maybe she even caused the accident. Wildly speculating here, but probably worth a closer look. Splitting up seems like a good idea at this point. I doubt we will find him or her at their home addresses, but maybe there are some clues. Of course, we somehow need to get inside. For his flat, that is easy enough. For hers that might be a bit more tricky. But let's just go there and see what we can do."

Well, I guess it is only me being worked out about what happened. I chip in after Raven. "She seems to have money from her address; she is a mage in her own right. They went to MIT&T together, so it all makes sense. The car crash is possible with magic or blind luck, but if one of these identities is fake, it would be her. Such stories are a convenient way to keep the SIN alive for a second user hypothetically speaking ofcourse."

Mato's suggestion feels like offering a child a second slice of chocolate pie; my face lights up at the opportunity of doing that right now. My lips curl to a smile, and I also say, "Yes, please - I want to do it...!" but I do have some self-control despite the desire to spend another hour or two in the beautiful matrix. Let's start doing house calls and getting our leads while the trail is relatively hot. "Perhaps we can start at 1423 Bellevue Way NE? Tien Junior's address? We can do the searches, but it would take some time. So it may be best to search while on the move." I suggest, but my hand reaches into my purse to stroke my beloved Erika, eagerly waiting for us to reconnect.

Brads reply came quickly:
<<Hey man, how are you? Live's been pretty boring since the family started their world tour. Come over to the hall if you have time.
I've heard of Gladius. He was hired by the family once or twice for a vacation in Africa. Pretty intense guy according to McElroy. They considered hiring him as support for the Couriers, but apparently Gladius turned them down.
Afaik, the family was very impressed with his service. McElroy thinks, the man had some bad experiences with bug spirits. Made him somewhat paranoid.

Do you want to hire him?>>

Now that was an angle, she had not considered herself.

"That's an interesting thought. A fake identity. If there is any way to figure that out, it would be a very strong hint towards her being the malicious party here. Oh, and let's not forget: Nice job in there! I guess, we also have to thank whoever gave this recommendation, this is one big job. He is putting a lot of trust into our ability to solve this. Let's not let him down."

This definitely was a lot of money for them. Potentially. They first had to actually manage to find that artifact and his son.

"I guess, we should get going. We can still discuss any further steps while we are driving."

Mato debates how distant to keep Brad. He decides to straddle the line. He doesn't want to lie but discretion demands that he be coy, at least for now.

<<Yes, potentially>> he tells Brad, which might not be truthful at the moment but, in this business, who knows? It could be true next week. <<Do you have any contact information? I only know him by reputation.>>

<<Or what about Victoria Arione? Have you heard of her? She's Awakened too, and I believe she moves in the same circles as Gladius. I think she's based up in Snohomish. I thought you might know her out of proximity if nothing else.>>

<<What are you doing this weekend? I'll swing by. Any takeout you've been craving? My treat.>>

To the rest of the team he says, "AM, Tamarind, you deep-dive. I'll drive. We'll hit the IV's Bellevue address first on our way back to Crossroads to pick up Tamarind's van. We'll split up from there.

"As for fake IDs, these folks are heavily credentialed. Can we ping their respective universities to confirm their enrollment dates and degrees received? Maybe even slip in behind the firewalls for a private peek..."

He doesn't know if AM will be into this or not but he'll let her decide.

"Perhaps the alumni offices know where they are. Fundraisers look for donations will find you." This is said only half in jest.

You and Mato are the best wing people. I comment to Raven.
I shake my head as if to say, "I don't know" about the fake identities - it was just intuition, with no way to check without delving into one hell of a rabbit hole - and even if Vici is fake, so what? I am fake. It does not mean she wants to steal XT or abuse the third. "I am not here to give unsolicited marriage advice, so let's keep researching Vic's ancient past as a nice-to-have thing or if we get stuck. I will focus on recent activities for now and see how much of a digital trail they leave behind." I yawn playfully and say ," I am in wonderland, texting is better, but the microphone is also active if you insist on communicating in slow motion.

With Trouble's help, I prepare my mind for the search, attaining supernatural clarity, and having another set of eyes and a mind to bounce ideas to at the speed of thought is also very helpful. I should teach Trouble how to use the Trix, it is an important skill, and nobody expects a spirit to be tech savy. Iktomi would approve... but now for myself... I have a silly smile when I login into the hot simulation and become my digital self, being able to move and access data at the speed of thought - well at the limits of the data processing capabilities of my deck - but still, it is fun.

Brad replied:

<<Yeah, there's a commcode around - I'll attach it to the message.
Arione? Never heard of her. What's her deal?
Absolutely - I could go for a good soyburger to be honest. The cook here is great and all, but now and again a bit of junkfood is just what you need to get by.>>


AM finds quite a bit more about Arione, now that she knows what to look for.
The accident happened close to the Azlan border in Texas. The car drove of the road into an irrigation ditch, rolled over and caught fire. Victoria apparently was thrown out of the car, as she was found five meters away from the blaze. There was no obvious reason, why the car left the road, so it was deemed a driver error. No data could be retrieved from the wreckage. Fire investigators were amazed that the car's battery cooked off so spectacularly, but again, put it down to bad luck. Arione was admitted to a hospital close by, but checked herself out after a preliminary diagnosis that attested her perfect health. She declined a healing mage, citing that she was more than capable to administer her own health spells and had no interest in paying for unneeded services.

There is a short mention of her visiting a few auctions for magical artifacts during the last year, but no record of her buying anything.

Phillip has published a few papers on transformation magic, theorizing about where mass in- and decrease comes from in various magic spells. He proposes that mass is put in storage and retrieved from other physical metaplanes with the astral body acting as a bridge between them. There are no publications after Boston Lockdown. He completely fell off the map after that. His first interaction with the matrix was two years later when he bought a soylatte in Seattle. There are no records of him using his SIN to enter the city.

Gladius has a few recommendations from other clients on the matrix - he is a well regarded mercenary mage, specializing in expeditions into dangerous areas. There is a bounty on his head that seems to originate from another mercenary group, but looks like a cut-out. There are darkweb messageboard messages about him regularly fighting against would be bounty hunters and having a sizeable killcount by now. His last known position was in Seattle as well when he bought an ammount of reagents large enough to trigger a background check.


Driving through Seattle was a breeze today. The team needed barely 40 minutes to reach the condo of Xavier Tien IV. According to the mailboxes, four other parties live in the building, with Tien's appartment being on the top floor of four.

The main entrance is closed and requires RFID keys to open. A small camera overlooks the entrance as well.

There is a companel to directly call each of the appartments. There seems to be an underground parking garage beneath the building, but the garage door is closed

<<Same story with Arione. One of those Awakened-types, although I'm not sure if she's more adept at getting into trouble than getting out of it. Trying to figure that out.>>

<<Thanks for the commcode. Roger that on the comfort food. I'll be by with soyburgers and fries. I'll get you one of those Ludivenko Lovely Soya-Sloppies with the DoubleThick option.>>

Mato is doing his best to reserve judgement. He trusts III's observations about how the IV's behavior changed following the new relationship. Correlation is not causation, he reminds himself. And the III's challenging relationships with women suggest that he might have a tainted opinion of the opposite sex.

"Got a potential commcode for Gladius," Mato reports to the car. "Sounds like he has a solid rep, but also a price on his head, perhaps from competitors. I'm guessing that will make him wary of us. If we approach him, it should be delicately."

He considers the accident report. "Is there any indication about what tradition Ms. Arione follows?" he asks. "I'm told that possession traditions can make you physically formidable, to the point of being thrown from a vehicle and escaping unharmed.

"Taking it a step further, maybe she has a rider that's manipulating her into manipulating the IV. Food for thought."

Working in AR, Tamarind hadn't pulled up the data on the contacts as quickly as AM had. But that was fine, AM was enjoying the hot sim experience, instead of being terrified that she'd be unable to make herself jack out for most of a day and wake up by being dumpshocked in a jail cell. Tamarind mostly felt glad for the elf's enjoyment of the sim-side of the matrix. Mostly.

"I agree that that the girlfriend is the most likely influence of change. But some people came out of Boston ... strange. Some outright monads from what they say, and I'm sure post-traumatic stress, but I've heard rumous of some who had changed, but who were not claiming to be Monads. I don't know how true it is, but it made some minor waves when people came back to the FRFZ and didn't fit back into that weird society they have there. So worth paying attention to the friend, too."

Once they'd arranged their initial destination, Tamarind had her van meet them there. They were going back to the house after anyway, for everyone else to grab gear, but she still wanted the van to come and bring her drones, in case they were useful. She also gives the location to her delivery drone, for it to bring the Taco Temple order. She mentions to the others "Food will be here in five, just so that we don't have to stop later. I can have that drone do an overhead scan on the way in, just to make sure there is nothing odd to be seen from that sort of angle."

"You do not need possession to pull that off. Some spells would certainly do the trick. Heat up the battery, levitate out of the car, ... it's definitely something to keep in mind. Declining the mage... sure, it makes sense, considering she is an accomplished mage herself, but if she has the money, and was in an actual accident, why not let a trained professional make sure you are okay? I mean, yeah, could be, but then again... all the small things are adding up. Any word on who else was in that car?"




"Could that 'Gladius' also be part of it? A huge stack of reagents is usually used for rituals, but especially binding. That artifact is used for conjuration. Why just now? Does not sound like a coincidence to me."


When they arrive at their first stop, Rachel offers: "I could take a quick look from the astral, see if there is any magical security. If not, I could also just make one of us look like him, when going inside."

If noone objects, she will lean back in her seat and project into astral space, to see what the building is like from this point of view.

Once we arrive, I lift my matrix attention to the host, impressed with its structure and a bit tempted to just test my abilities against it. Though I know very well that it is not without risks and that I shouldn't just do it- my team deserves to understand the risks involved even if I am the one cracking this host. I can hear parts of my brain scream "do it!", but my sheer willpower is enough to suppress it. Following the Trickster has made me more aware of my limitations and how my actions invite mischief. I need to let the adrenaline run sometimes - I feel too uptight, but I have 250k reasons to be in control right now.

If the Trix security is so tight - it is just one aspect; there are always alternatives like asking nicely or physically entering after some neighbor opens the door, we do not have to hack it. However, it is nice to have options. Black claims that "You can open more doors with please than with a cyberdeck," so I decided to test her hypothesis.

... I take a few moments to see if I can find evidence of any new tenants in this building - or any listing of properties for rent. I am looking for any legitimate reason we may have to bypass the door - either by telling a plausible lie to one of the neighbors or seeing a property for rent. I mainly see what I can find about the building and try to devise a social way to do it.



In the meanwhile, Trouble is getting restless, and he asks Raven, "Can I come with you? " Apparently, sitting in my lap and scratching my dress is not amusing enough for the young cat spirit.

"Of course you can join me. Why not? I will only check, whether there is any astral security right now. Don't want to alarm anyone. Just figure out what we are up against here, and how to best approach it."

From the Astral Rachel saw a pretty substantial ward surrounding the flat - setting it up must have cost quite a lot of reagents and the strength was on par with what you'd expect at high security magic facilities.


The drone didn't spot any suspicious activity but noted that a skylight on the roof was open - just a crack, but likely enough for a spy drone.

AM remembered that Tien senior had looked into the flat, so likely had a key copy. Looking through the virtual documents, she found a handy duplicate.

"Looks like our little trip ends here, already," Raven says to Trouble as she heads back into her body.

"I'm assuming, that the IV has protected the building himself. There is a powerful ward in place. Not exactly the kind you would expect here. Stronger. Since we have the key, I don't see a point in playing with the astral security here. Might be tricky to get any spells through this one. Worth a try though. Who wants to go?"

When they approach the building and enter the key code to get inside, Rachel will keep astrally perceiving and try a few times to get through with her sustained spell, but will drop it, if it seems fruitless.

We have a key AM says, I don't want to make it passed the ward until you secure the place because it would take a while to cross that kind of barrier with my spell. Trouble can go, though.

Trouble gives up on the first attempt with Raven, but he would enter the ward with the team - and at least for getting inside he gets in right away as unlikely as it may be.

Using the RFID signal, the door opens and admits the team to the staircase and the elevator. At the top floor the transponder again works its magic and opens the heavy door into the condo. It takes a while for Trouble, AM and Rachel to get through the ward and across the doorstep, but once inside they see a spacious appartment with an open plan kitchen, a master bedroom with bathroom attached, a guest room, another bath, a work/study room, a small home gym, a storage room and the large living room, dominated by a hermetic lodge.

The place looks clean and organized. No stray papers, dust or anything out of place.

Several oil paintings decorate the walls - all of them seem to be from the recent 50 years and take on motives from the 6th world: The Great Ghost Dance, dragons in the sky, the horrors of the first arcology, a drug fuelled nightmare hellscape titled "Tempo" as well as the unmistakable Chicago crater, where Ares detonated an atomic bomb against the bugs.

The astral side is even more disturbing: A pervasive taint fills the room, raising the background count significantly. It has the feeling of rusty manacles closing around your wrists and ancles, weighing you down and demanding compliance. Trouble shudders in revulsion as her essense struggles to keep her moving.



The walls in the work room are covered with printed out diagrams


OOC: Arcane Knowledge Threshold 3

Rachel turns off her astral perception, this is too distracting. She informs the others of what the astral space looks like.

"The main question here is... is he the master, or is he the slave."

She looks at the diagrams, and she sees some stuff there she recognizes, but it is just too different from what she would use.

This is evil... Like many shamans, I object to the concept of binding, but not being a conjurer myself, I try to be polite about it. It takes reaching a place like this to know in my guts that whatever the Third practices here, it is bad news. I feel Trouble's pain, and I take it out and spend a few minutes getting out and in again. I cannot let my child suffer in this particular manner. "I must take Trouble out of this hell; it is torture to keep a spirit to be here."

It takes me a few minutes to return - this damn ward is very powerful.

"Some thoughts, I think the ward is done by the girlfriend - being a ritual expert. So it may give us a glimpse at her signature. The apartment is clean, with no dust, so he has been here very recently.

I look at the notes and say I can only understand the gist of it, but these appear to be binding rituals; they got the necessary steps of a binding contract, but it is much stronger than the contracts used by most conjurers. I suspect that you can bind spirits that would otherwise use any shred of free will to resist you. The background count indicates they already did something similar in this apartment. Either we are too late, they made a test run, or these lovebirds are into some very perverse form of magical BDSM.


The next thing I do is take a look at the matrix devices looking for interesting stuff to hack, cameras, microphones, storage devices, or anything that would give me some additional information about the third and about what happened in the apartment in recent days. Even knowing when the door was previously opened would give something. I also look for silently running devices.

"He keeps the place clean, but does he keep it perfectly clean?" Tamarind had carried in a tote bag from her van, and from it she disgorges her collection of fly eyes and Kanmushis, and sets up the swarm of them to examine the apartment for small things -- anything dropped behind the bed, fingernail clippings, basically anything that the drone brain* can calculate would be hard to see from metahuman head height.

*In this case the drone brain being her RCC, and the very powerful Clearsight program running on it.

And then she sets to work herself, examining the apartment for anything less obvious. Hidden notes or keys, compartments, odd smells, anything to help get a handle on this pair.