0113 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Durin looks over at the elf known as Blink. Blink is blinking rapidly. "I'll have the halfer special and the elf piss. Halfer special. Huh, never thought I'd see the day I'd hear THAT and not get offended." Looking over at Avalanche, he adds, "But comin' from you, I guess it's ok. So how about it cowboy," he says as he hands his menu to Blink, "you ready to order or what?"

The Back Post
0107 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"I've got lots of skills, but I'm mostly called upon for muscle, and I've got the augmentation to back it up."

Durin then turns to address Avalanche directly, "Sorry brother, but you just look so pale and sickly I assumed you were a malnourished human. I know a doc that could help you out there."

Back post
0108 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Having endured years of much harsher treatment, Avalanche shrugged off Durin's comment. "Actually, some of my friends like to call me a three/fourthser because of my height. Sometimes it's handy to be mistaken for being human, sometime not. As for the sickly bit, it's from too much exposure to sunlight. Bit like constant allergies. You get used to it."

Nice guy. Typical muscle dwarf type, think's he's gotta prove that his member is larger than he is.

0115 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"Maybe a bit more time, Tin Star san?" suggests Alleycat, looking up again from her chip. "If you change your mind and do decide to order later, this gentleman will return in any case with the food and drink, hai? but by then we will have seasoned it with discussion. Enjoyment should be measured by accomplishment."

She nods to Blink with that gently teasing smile, kind, understanding, but nevertheless a dismissal.

0115 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Blink blinks a bit. "Er, yes. I would be more than happy to take your order when I, er, come back later Mr., ah, Mr. Tin Star. If any of you need anything, let me know." With his usual nervous smile, Blink backs out the door, closing it behind him.

Avalanche's stomach growls loudly. "I hope he gets food soon. But yes, on to planning. Let's recap. We got a myself, a combat decker, Miss Cheng, a decker and rigger, Blaze, a Leopard shaman, Tin Star, our muscle, Durin, more muscle, and Alleycat, a bit of a Jill-of-all-trades. We have a strong mix here. Just one thing I'd like to clarify: Alleycat, you said you knew how to watch over someone gone astral. I would like to know, are you magically active yourself?"

0117 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Now that Blink was gone ...

"Well," she temporised, hesitant, "I can usually sort of sense things about people, like I'd see it, you know? That's why I know what to watch for when someone's gone astral. And I've always had pretty good hearing so I can pick out exactly where someone is even when it's pitch-black -- but then again I don't listen at volume to Darwin's Bastards, you know?" Another hesitation, considering. "So I guess the answer to your question would be yes."

0117 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"So ka." Cheng nodded in understanding. "Alleycat, if we choose to do what we can to destroy the camp and get many of those detained there out, leaving you behind in the boy's place would most likely be suicide. Besides which, how would you get out again? From what I've seen of the camp's information so far, their defenses are meant to keep people in."

Her gaze swept around the room. "What about the rest of you? Get the detainees out and do what we can to destroy the camp, or simply rescue the target?"

0117 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Gril

Blaze looks over at Cheng as he responds, "my preference would be to get our target out, shut down the camp, and bring home as many people as possible. I want to help these people out." looking over at Alleycat Her uncertainty explains the fuzyness of her aura, I wonder how well she can actually watch the astral plane, or what she could do if I got into trouble. "Um, Alleycat, you can watch the astral plane, is there anything you can do, to your knowledge to affect it? I just mean it is useful to have someone watch over my back, but if I get into trouble, could you help out or would I have to evac to my meat?"

0118 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

"I don't know. If you mean can I project astrally, I don't think so. But if you bring something near enough, I might be able to help out." She shrugged a little. "It's never come up before."

0118 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill
Well, that makes me feel nice and safe away from my meat, oh well, at least she can tell the team when to ditch my body. Blaze nods slightly, "and hopefully it won't come up anytime soon."

0119 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

She stared at him, her eyes unreadable behind the mirrored visor.

Does he expect me to say something more? I answered his question, and my idea's been shot down as suicidal. I don't agree, but if that's what they want to think, I'll go along with it. I'd better let the others do most of the talking anyway, go along with whatever they decide. If I can pull a rabbit out of a hat when they need it, wouldn't that be better anyway?

0119 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

Blaze looked around, the lighting of the room playing lightly off his shades. "Since we don't like the idea of slipping Alleycat in on her own, what is our plan? the only real plan I can offer would be to blow open a hole in the compound and try to have everyone run out through it, but some how I don't think that would work so well. I do better in dealing with the astral, or hit jobs, neither of which this really is, so my apologies in advanced."

0120 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

"Well, we have two deckers on the team. Between Miss Cheng and myself, we could do quite a bit of work on their system if we wanted to. Everything from opening gates to supressing alamrs, opening doors, you get the idea. Also, trashing the place becomes a lot easier when you have access to all it's funtions." Avalanche pauses. "I think I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, however. First, we'll have to see if the place is hooked up to the outside Matrix, which it most likely isn't. However, if it is, we might be able to wrangle up some superuser accounts and get a lot more info than we have right now. Worth a look, at least."

Avalanche looks over at Lady Cheng. "After this meeting, do you want to check out the matrix over there? I'm sure the People's University would be more than willing to assist us."

120 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

Blaze leans back in his chair, "If you can't connect from the outside, I would be able to find a connection inside, either from the astral or in person later, if that is needed."

0121 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

"There's always dataline taps," said Alleycat, her voice sounding puzzled that no one had already said that.

0121 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

"What I meant, Alleycat, was a question of being able to access the camp's host via the outside matrix. As in, Miss Cheng and I being able to hack into their system from right here. If it is isolated, however, all the dataline taps in the world won't do any good unless we are actually on-site."

0122 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

"I'm in favor of completing all objectives, even if we don't bring everyone back here we can at least let them out."

Durin then gestures to Allycat,

"If the lass thinks she could take the boys place, couldn't she infitrate the place to get some inside info? You know find the target first, or even get you that inside dataline tap? I'm sure they won't notice one more pointy ear walking about. Heck, I'll even go in with her if she needs some one to guard her skinny backside."

0123 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

Alleycat shrugs softly. Exhaling a bit of smoke, she replies, "If my suggestion is unfeasible, I'm willing to go along with a different plan."

Looking over at Lady Cheng, she inquires politely, "Do you have a plan for our next course of action?"

0124 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

When the time to order food had come, Steele had simply gestured to Blink that he'd be passing for the moment. Wasn't that he didn't need food, or trust the food here, he just didn't want the distraction. And so he'd listened quietly to the conversing, and to the planning to the moment, and when the call for an alternate comes, he clears his throat. Removing his hat and setting it upon the table, he smiles.

`Seems to me our biggest problem is a lack of intel at this point, which has been adressed already. Much as I'm inclined to believe in the honesty of a man, I also know anyone who relies on the legwork of another blindly is asking for trouble. So if I may, perhaps we need an insider.`

He lets the suggestion linger a moment, before extracting a cigarillo from somewhere about his person, and a lighter to match.

`Now, you're all probably wondering what I mean, or who I intend to bribe... well I don't intend to bribe anyone. It ain't honest, which might seem odd, but I like to do things at least a bit of the honest way.`

He puts the cigarillo to lip, and lights it. Taking a pull, he speaks as the smoke trails from his mouth.

`I've got a legit record that leaves me rather recently unemployed, and I've done my share of guarding, so perhaps I might end up going the way of California, and seeing about signing on with prison detail. Seems to me the Gen'ral's got other concerns for his military boys, so he might just have a spot open for an old Texan who it seems people think shares his mindset with regards to pointy ears and tusks. Would give us an inside view, and a gun on the inside for when we decide to make our move.`

0125 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill


Blaze looked studiously at the "cowboy", light glinting menacingly around his shades. "If you're willing to go for that we could use that kind of inside man. I can check out the place for a general idea astrally, but if we can get you in there that would be for the best."

0126 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

`I've done my share of undercover work, so it shouldn't be so hard. Just a matter of acting how they expect you to.`

He takes a draw off of the cigarillo, looking to the others.

`As for transit, might I suggest either some form of boat, or long haul trucks... later might be a pain on borders, but less conspicuous in the long run.`

0126 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

Blaze nods, light glinting off his shades, "the trucks sound like a good idea, it lets those of us with other transportation to bring it with us, and can carry large numbers of people anywhere."

0126 January 5, 2063 - the back groom at Blink's Grill

Durin stops watching the door for the food and turns to Tin Star, "Being in with the guards would be good, especially if we add that to a team inside the camp, I got a head radio so coordination shouldn't be a problem. The trouble with a truck is we'll be crossing a few boarders with what comes down to illegal immigrants. Now I can get us back into Seatle with them, but I'm not to sure about the other boarders, maybe, maybe not."

"Now where's that pointy ear with the food?"

0126 January 5, 2063

"It's not so much that it's unfeasible... simply that leaving one of our own behind entails its own problems. If we have retrieved this individual, keeping him in the vicinty while we support your efforts increases the risk to all involved." Cheng's lips thinned in a grimace. "I've heard the stories about Yomi Island, and my concern is that this place will be little better."

She cocked her head to one side. "As to the crossing of borders, I do have access to a boat of considerable size. It would easily be able to transport all of us, but transporting the hundreds of detainees by that method would be beyond my capabilities."

0127 January 5, 2063 - The Back ROOM at Blink's Grill

Almost on cue Blink knocks, halting the conversation. He enters and quickly and discreetly brings everyone's food and drinks before exiting once more. The burgers live up to their endorsement from the menu, and not only taste great, but somehow also seem less filling. Interesting.

The Tir Mist is similarly enjoyable, leaving the crew with that warm and happy glow from being well fed. Conversation comes to a temporary halt as they shovel the food and drink into their mouths.

As the pace slows down, Alleycat offers in response to the earlier question about truck driving skills, "I know my way around a few vehicles, but the type of trucks you're probably talking about are more than likely beyond my experience, especially if we run into trouble."

She leans back and takes a sip of her Tir Mist, simple yet inscrutable behind her shades and calm, yet faceless expression.

0128 January 5, 2063 - The back room at Blink's Grill

Avalanche nods thoughtfully. "If that's the case, we might need to hire outside help if we want to rescue as many prisoners as we can. Perhaps some nearby resistance group could lend us trucks and drivers for the task. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone in the area. I could log onto the 'Land and see if there's anyone in the area who could help us out, but I'd prefer to have someone one of us can vouch for. Any suggestions?"

0128 January 5, 2063 - The back room at Blink's Grill

Blaze shakes his head. "My only suggestion is that we not involve other groups in this. It will be better if we go in alone than with several other groups that we can't vouch for."

0128 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Cheng bit her lip and looked winsomely pensive. "It's a tossup, really. Without outside help, we'll be much less likely to run into a security leak, but we'll also be less able to truly help all those within the camp. I may be able to rig well, but the transportation of that many people with just the manpower we have here will be a nightmare. Getting them all out by sea is beyond our resources, and trying to make the run east into the Ute and through the NAN with so many will almost certainly lead to our capture. Even if we're not taken, that many people travelling together will raise suspicions."

Her gaze swung upward, and she stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Unless... well, it's a bit farfetched, but we could masquerade them as a touring group and try to get our hands on some busses for transport. But if we plan for that, then we'll likely need to find some means of getting to CalFree other than the ship I mentioned. It's owner would be rather irate if it was left floating in some California harbor while we drove back to Seattle."

0129 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

The Texan considers a moment, taking another long draw off of the cigarillo.

`Well I reckon if I drive down in my truck I can make the trip in a day easy, just need to negotiate the borders. I'd suggest the rest of y'all might want to think about air travel to get in country, and arange for the busses in Cali.`

It was just a suggestion, mind you. He didn't much seem like he was planning on asuming a leadership role here.

0129 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Cheng levelled her gaze at Tin Star, and let a sly smile touch her lips. "Planning on going all day and all night, then? That drive would take a good twelve hours even going down what used to be I-5, and nowadays you'd need to skirt the Tir. Are you sure you've got the ..." She raised a flirting eyebrow. "... stamina?"

Looking around at the others, she went on. "Despite that concern, it's still a solid idea. Tin Star's truck could serve to transport gear we'd desperately need in Cal Free that might not be easily available there, and that we couldn't easily bring in via airliner. Although hiding that gear from the border patrols could be a problem, even if we have several larger vehicles to move things with."

She glanced over at Alleycat and Avalanche. "And speaking of gear and getting past security... there is one possibility that we might explore for infiltration. If the camp is isolated from the Matrix but has its own dataweb, we could try to access it remotely by a microwave, laser, or radio link. Those methods would cut down the speed a decker could interact with the system, but since the troops there would likely be counting on the host's isolation from the Matrix they wouldn't be as likely to have heavy ice protecting their vital points."

An idea came to her then, intuitively, filling her mind up with new possibilities. "Wait a second... if we could compromise their network, and forge a communication from a superior, could we make the troops manning the base think they'd received an order to transport the detainees to another base entirely? Get the detainees safely away, and then the elimination of the base becomes much simpler and avoids risk to those held there. Having Tin Star inside as a ace in the hole just gives us more options in that regard."

"And if we manage that, we can bring Alleycat and Star out at the same time, solving the problem of leaving them behind." She smiled warmly at the young woman, trying to patch over the ruffled feelings from her own initial negative reaction to the other's plan. "I wouldn't have thought of that without your idea, 'Cat. Thank you."

Bring each of them in to the whole. Better to have each member of the team contribue and feel worthwhile than to snub another's feelings and create friction within the group. Cheng damped the thought in her head, pushing it away as unworthy. These people were each well-trained and professional, in their own way... they weren't pawns to be pushed about in some battle-sim.

"So... do any of you see any weaknesses in that idea? What things could go wrong that we'd want to prepare for?"

0129 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Steele regards Cheng with a broad smile, tipping his hat a touch.

`I've got more than enough stamina little lady. You don't stand border patrol without it.`

He considers the rest a moment, taking a draw of the cigarillo. Everything sounds good, as far as the initials go, and he doesn't mind transporting sticky cargo. He can work through border patrols no problem. Hell, he's got himself an idea that'll keep 'em from inspecting already.

`I'm in.`

0130 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"There is one problem to be worked out, though -- where we get the transports from. Somehow, I doubt that the local branch of Hertz rents out busses by the dozen. Buying that sort of thing would be inordinately expensive; fortunately," Cheng smiled knowingly around at each of them, "we're not the kind of people to be bound by those limitations."

"Avalanche," she continued. "Do you feel up to slicing free some transportation for us from the Nipponese supply depots?"

0130 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"I'm going to be absolutely worthless in terms of driving, but I can ride in the back of the truck and patch up a few people in the back if needed. Besides it means one less person to worry about getting over the boarder.

"I can also scout out the area from the astral right now, Maybe give us a better idea of the numbers of people we're talking about, and also a general layout of the area. I'd like to do that before we leave, but I can do it now, or in three days, it's up to you all."

0131 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Avalanche nods and smiles. "I'd be happy to oblige. Be a new experience for me. However, I would like to voice my opinon (again, I know) that we should consider getting some outside help for transportation."

"Personally, I don't see how we're going to pull off rescuing and disabling the entire camp without some support from the MPA or the October 25th Alliance. I know involving outside help can be risky and expensive, but these guys just want to see the people get rescued and Saito get a kick in the groin. They'll proabaly work for cheap, and we might be able to count on them for transport and maybe even a diversionary attack. At least, I think Miss Cheng or I could do some virtual sniffing in Shadowland and see how things look. "

Avalanche looks at the group around him. "Am I alone on this?"

0132 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"So ka. Driving all day and night and coming in exhausted would only help your cover." The oddly self-satisfied tone of Alleycat's comment jangled strangely against her words as she regarded the CASan. "It's not impossible some of the prisoners themselves might have driving skills, and there's almost certainly transports already in the area. How else are they bringing anyone in? Myself, I'd say the odds are pretty good. And anyone inside certainly has incentive. That means we start looking at the people there not as liabilities but as potential allies. They're not just victims. They're people, peoples." Her head tilted slightly toward Lady Cheng. "It also means we start looking at ways to make them more effective allies. That is, if this whole thing is really a prisoner bust and not just a corporate extraction. There's something here that just, I don't know, doesn't add up?

"Seaside borders are sometimes the loosest. The boat could be a shuttle rather than a transport, get a few people out at a time and maybe smuggle other people or -- things -- in, so we get kind of a fifth column effect going. We'll definitely want radio coordination, Durin, but we'll want to watch how we do transmissions: even coded bursts indicate something is up. We'll want to be very careful with the astral recon for the same reason, Blaze. They'll almost certainly have some kind of astral surveillance in place, if only people like me ... but they'll mostly be people who'll have some real nasty spirits on tap, and ... I don't think you can conjure from the astral ...?" With her shoulders hunched, Alleycat seemed very small against her chair.

" 'Course, nobody other than Mr. Fan has briefed us," and her voice became crisp again as she straightened, "so we don't know nearly enough about the situation. Avalanche, for sure take the Shadowland scene, since you'll know your way around it best and since you'll probably be the one Matrixing it and Miss Cheng will be working on a way to divert troops. Maybe one of you also knows people around here who've run the San Francisco gauntlet recently? My contacts here are a bit limited." She spread her hands suddenly with a coquettish half-laugh. "In fact, you're looking at them."

"There's at least one other problem. How're you going to get the prisoners to trust a guard?" The last of the words trailed off a little, as if she'd been thinking about adding something, but decided against it.

It was very nearly the most words she'd said yet, when she'd not been talking to or around the Johnson.

And then she turned her unseen gaze full on the other woman in the group. "You don't need to soothe my feathers, Miss Cheng. I only tossed a plan in the air I knew I could pull off. Wasn't like I was married to it."

0132 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"Honestly Alleycat, I've never tried, Don't know if I could or not, but either way I can't whipe up particularly great spirits, It's just never been my strong suit. I do, however, think that driving in early is preferable.

"I like the Idea of putting the guard in, and getting prisoners to trust a new guard is as easy as having him be the nice or leniant one. In difficult conditions people tend to attach to the largest outside source of kindness." Almost shuddering to himself, "to make people attached to you and trust you all that is needed is to stand there, smile at a few of them, offer them a little food, or something of the like, secretly of course, and they'll be quite ready to trust their new friend."

Sitting back afterwards Blaze begins thinking about what the best way for him to arrive will be. Perhaps riding across the boarder in standard transportation. No, riding with Tin Star will work out the best, If I stay Aware I can keep track of people behind us, and of where we are. Besides, It's been quite a while since I've ridden in back of a truck.

0133 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

... and getting prisoners to trust a new guard is as easy as having him be the nice or leniant one ...

"You think so?" asked Alleycat -- and the sudden sharp sardonicism did not quite mask the naked stab of pain. "You think the semblance of kindness is what's trustworthy?"

0133 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"Definitely not," commented Cheng with furrowed brow. "Making nice with the detainees when you've just been brought in is bound to raise some eyebrows. Remember, in Japanese society metahumans are considered eta -- outcast, unclean."

0133 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Looking slightly suprised at their opinions, but willing to let it go Blaze asks, "So what is your suggestion for what to do once we have a person on the inside?"

0133 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"Making contact with the people held there is a good idea, but I doubt it'll be trusted by either side if someone who's supposedly a guard does it. A fellow detainee might be more trusted, but making contacts and being trusted by people is likely to take some time."

Cheng swirled a french fry in some of the ketchup left on her plate, absentmindedly drumming her free hand's fingers on the tabletop. "We have to have some contacts there if we're to accomplish this -- for support, for potential transport, or to help get those people who aren't interested in a run to the border get away from the camp."

She sighed as she ate the fry. "Additionally, though we can probably get some people out that way, it'd look awfully suspicious if everyone detained there suddenly got moved to another locale. I know I came up with the initial idea, I'm just poking holes in possibilities, but that's something that must be considered." She glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, lost in thought.

"Here's another possible plan. This'll require a bit more outside help, but if it works we'll be much better positioned to accomplish our goals. First, get in contact with a resistance group down in Cal Free. Second, slice the vehicles needed free from some supply depot. Third, refit at least one of those vehicles so that it looks like a transport but has some concealed compartments to hold weapons, explosives and the like." She held up a new finger with each item.

"Use two or three of those vehicles to get some of us, and a substantial number of combat-capable people, inside as quote-detainees-unquote. Keep the vehicle there at least overnight, so as to ready the weapons. Use one of the big trucks to rig an explosive that can take out the main gate and the guard towers that'll undoubtedly be flanking it."

Cheng grabbed the last ort of her bacon cheeseburger and polished it off before continuing. "It'll require, though, that we jam their communications. And having someone, or someones, inside earlier to potentially tap into their network would be ideal."

She glanced around the table. "Thoughts? Critiques?"

0134 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"Well," Alleycat said slowly, "looks like we've got some fixed things anyway. Let's make sure we agree on what those are, first.

"One," and she counted it off on her fingers. "We want to get on the inside. We're unsure as to whether we want it as a guard, or a prisoner, or a replacement, or astral, or a guard with his eta moxie whom he visibly abuses, or a bunch of us as prisoners overnight. We know Tin Star can probably step in legitimately, and we know that besides him, Durin and I have volunteered. We also know that we could make it a two-part insertion: one or two persons a day or so from now to get a sense of the place and lay the groundwork, the rest to come in later. I'm saying a day or so from now, because I don't think any of us wants to go in completely cold. Finally, we know that sending in more than one person ahead of time increases the risk, and they'll also need some kind of simple code to coordinate, but it also increases the chance one of them will pick up what information or contacts are needed.

"Two. We know we've got to get more information about the place before we can really plan out anything in detail at all. We're unsure as to whether we try to get it here, or get one of us in place first. We know Avalanche is going to find everything he can on Shadowland. We're also unsure as to who we could talk to here who might already have some communications in place. Anyone have contacts among the Seolpa rings, or with that ork trid channel? Elves might also know something, I guess. It's the kind of thing they'd be watching real close.

"Three. If we're going to try to get as many people as possible out, we know we've got to get transportation and drivers on a large scale. The choices seem to be either getting people on the inside to do it, or making contact with a resistance group and slicing loose our own vehicles. We're also unsure as to whether we want to do this to get in initially or not. There's also the option of using the boat as a shuttle to get people away to wherever the transports are parked.

"Four. We know it'd be a real good idea to come up with some kind of diversion. We've got no real clue yet how, except that it's probably going to be something Matrixy.

"Five. We know we've got to not only get the people out, we have to make the camp non-operational. There's the physical destruction means of doing that, either direct force or demolitions, either from outside or internal sabotage," and Alleycat gave a little shrug, "but that really doesn't solve anything beyond give a bunch of grounders some extended make-work projects ... although it could buy the time to get people in or out. There's the sudden influx method, where everyone suddenly floods into an area and takes it back just by overwhelming the security, which is pretty fragging permanent but no way could we coordinate it mondo fast." Alleycat laughed sharply. " 'Specially seeing as we're not locals." She suddenly hissed through her teeth. "I wonder how the local city spirits feel about the whole thing. Bet they'd be pretty pissed off. Bet a powerful free one would be willing to stay around a long, long time.

"Six. Like Miss Cheng just said, it'd look awfully suspicious if everyone detained there suddenly got moved to another locale." Again, Alleycat's voice unconsciously took on the exact inflections of the other woman. "So maybe the direct method's out, but whatever happens here is still going to affect the other camps. The question is," and Alleycat leaned forward slightly on her chair, propping her elbows on the table, "do we care?"

0135 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Blaze shakes his head slightly, "Let's take these points in reverse order," Holding his hands up with seven fingers extended, conciously keeping with the pattern of the other two, "Seven, of course we care, these people are being held against their will, and it is a limitted time until we have a Nazi Style Holocaust here." ticking down one finger.

"Six, it would look suspicious, but since this camp is going to be eliminated permanently, hopefully anyway, that suspicion will be the least of their concerns, I think that having everyone just leave isn't going to work, although giving the order, through their com systems, is a good idea. It won't actually get them through the door, but it should leave them confused as to what the guards are supposed to do."

Dropping away his second hand Blaze continues, "Five, I think you have a god point here with the spirits, if I can find a powerful local spirit, one who's opposed to this camp, we might be able to work with him, or her, to bring this camp down, we destroy, or maim, it and he, or she, helps keep the camp from coming back, you know flaoting things around, creating random accidents, that sort of thing, we make them think that the ground is unusable."

Ticking off another of his fingers, "Four, I think that a Matrix order to clear out the prisoners, along with a guard or two inside following that order, plus a few prisoners panicing would work nicely as our distraction."

"Three, I'm with ferrying them out, slowly and a few at a time, you know five one night, three the next. Few enough that at first the guards won't notice, then, when we go in for a big strike we can bring in some sort of resistance group help, and if we're made by them we make sure that the target along with at least a few other people have made it out."

"Two, I personally don't have any contacts there, but I don't know about all of you, and either way, I'm sure that at least one of our contacts does know some one who knows a guy who can get us some information for the right price, or job."

"And finally One, we can send in Tin Star first, to sort of get an idea of the area, give him a day or so, then sneak Alleycat in. Just Alleycat at first. She has an advantage in terms of the sort of code she was talking about. I can visit her at specific times and specific places inside the camp on the astral plane, and most of the guard will be none the wiser. After that if we need more people on the inside we start send in Durin, and anyone else, other than me and likely Avalanche, unless he needs to go in to connect with the camps computers.

"Ok, that's my money's worth on this. I think that we can pull off the whole thing, but we should start small, and start with the target."

0138 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Avalanche keeps eating his burger while listening to the others talk. When they finish, he wipes some grease off his mouth and interjects a point.

"Not to sound cowardly, but I don't think I would be able to slip in as a prisoner, not with the 'ware I'm packing. Nothing overly heavy, but more than any civilian could reasonably have. If I have to get at the computers inside, I'm gonna have to sneak in. Which brings us full circle to having someone on the inside."

Avalanche nods at Alleycat. "Personally, I think Miss Alleycat is our best bet for the prisoner route. Since it seems she can't conjure spirits or sling spells, they might overlook her ability to look into the astral. This gives us a perfect insider, as Blaze mentioned.

"As for the distraction, I'm not sure an order like that would be issued over the 'Trix, or trusted if it could. Something that big would actually be likely to hurt us, as they would likely suspect that their system had been compromised. If you want general mayhem and confusion...." Avalanche's smile becomes mischievous. "I can do that without too much worry. Lights going haywire, auotmated defenses turned against them, anything. I could have every piece of networked equipment down to the last coffee pot breaking down. However, it's more than likely that I'll need to be at the actual compound, as I said before.

"I don't know much about spirits, but from what I hear, free ones are kind of rare. I don't think we should get our hopes up of meeting one, let alone meeting one that will help us.

"I don’t have any contacts in the region, but then that's what Shadowland is for. Speaking of which, I think I've pretty much added in all I can to the plans here. I think I'll use the telecom over there and see if I can dig anything up that will give us some info."

Avalanche walks over to the telecom in the corner, sit's down on a chair nearby, and jacks in via the illegal jackpoint he created there when he first started renting the room from Blink.

The virtual world springing to life around him, Avalanche begins to take his normal precautions against being traced before logging onto shadowland to dig up the dirt.

0139 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

"I think we just lost Avalanche," comments Alleycat wryly. "I wonder where he hides the camera monitors?"

She glances around the small group then, a small pause at each, ending with her head cocked toward the Matrix-tranced albino. "It seems we have the loose sketch of a plan. Maybe it's all we could have come up with at this point anyway, with what we have. It sounds as though it might be best for each of us to search for more information in our own ways, about San Francisco generally, about that camp specifically, and even about the boy."

She smiles then at all of them, warm and gentle and a little sad, and her body seems to sag slightly against the chair.

"Shall we call it a night for now, and meet tomorrow here again, at, oh" -- her voice went vague for a moment and then re-focused -- "1 am? We can get some real sleep before anyone sets out to do anything, and when we meet again we can share what we find in the course of the day. Tin Star and I will come prepared to leave immediately, if that's what is decided. And afterwards, if we're still happy with what we've laid out, Tin Star and I can do as we all deem best then ... but with a little more information than we had."

0139 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Durin is taken off guard by the sudden fast turn the conversation takes. He starts to speak a couple times but finds himself overrun by Allycat and the others.

His wait for a pause ends with the meeting. Fine, I'll check out the underworld angle, the boarder bribes, and what kind of stealth my comm gear has, and tell them tomorrow.

0139 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Stretching slightly as he gets out of his seat Blaze readjusts his shades, making his tired eyes invisible to the others. Many more nights like this and I'm going to be extrordinarily tired. "I'll see you guys here tomorrow at 1AM, oh and Alleycat and Tin Star, if you do go tomorrow I'd like to go with you."

Heading out the door Blaze begins planning out a few other things that he has to do.

0139 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Taking it all in, Steele smiles. He'd figured he was going alone, now he's got at least one passenger. Suits him just fine.

`I'm ready to roll now, but a few hours to talk to some people, and sort out rent'll be fine by me.`

He pushes off of the wall he'd been leaning on, and looks to the lot of them.

`I'll see y'all tommorrow, then we'll talk who all goes with me.`

That said, he heads on out. When he gets back to his appartment he makes some calls. Greenly for a favor, Duffy for an offer, and Z for some info.

0140 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Cheng nodded agreeably as Tin Star made his exit. "Fair enough. Everyone get some rest, and we'll pick up again tomorrow night." She finished the last of the the fries, slid her chair back from the table to stand up, and (with a glance at the otherwise-occupied Avalanche) strode out to settle the tab with a certified credstick.

A great deal to accomplish, and little time to do so. Her lips quirked in a half-smile as she walked out of Blink's Grill. High pressure. Just the way I liked it back in college.

An amorous couple walked past her going the other direction, the man yawning with the late hour. Cheng stifled a sympathetic yawn of her own as she slid behind the Auslander's wheel. A needle of melancholy at the thought of the couple threatened to pop the bubble of contentment that she felt in the wake of the good food and the challenge, but she pushed it away and turned the ignition.

God, I so need to get laid. The thought popped unprompted into her head as she reversed out of her parking space. She considered for a moment. She had no need to worry about pregnancy; the hormonal implants under her left arm were good for another three years. So... Not an entirely bad thought. There is that bar near the university campus... and since I'm not likely to get to sleep for another three or four hours anyways...

With a anticipatory glow, she impishly smiled, pulled out of the Grill's lot and headed towards Lake Union.

0141 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

Leaving only an almost-overlooked Alleycat and a might-as-well-be-absent Avalanche, with no one having mentioned anything about tomorrow's meet to him. Well, she'd told the group that she was capable of watching over someone gone astral, and in its own way this wasn't so very different. Might as well start with now. Besides, she could always get him to give her a lift back to the Puyallup flat afterward. For some reason, she wasn't overly enthusiastic about discovering the quirks of a new transit route at this hour of the morning.

In the meantime, she'd have time, maybe much, maybe a little: Avalanche had neglected to mention even an estimate of how long he'd be out. She didn't know yet whether this was typical of him, whether he'd intended just to hop in and out again, whether he'd closed the group out entirely and expected them to be gone when he returned. Time to waste? Yeah, right. She'd never understood that expression. What would anyone want with time just to be filled -- to do nothing at all?

She pulled her feet out of her boots and tucked them comfortably underneath her as she folded herself onto the chair, bare toes just touching opposite ends of the seat. Poised. Utterly relaxed. This position, she could hold for hours.

Almost automatically, she found herself studying the wreckage of the meal on the table, cataloguing plates, glasses, the soft sting of the Tir Mist still lingering in the back of the throat. Her hand snuck out and stole two french fries someone -- her mind and her senses automatically supplied the person who had been sitting there -- had left behind. The whole thing could have gone worse -- a lot worse. After Durin had -- But no, she'd need to work in everything she'd learned before she began to go back over specifics. Linearity of remembered data she knew to be one of her weaknesses. She'd accept the time she'd been given now to absorb, and incorporate, and cross-reference, and make it her own.

After five minutes of utter silence her spine seemed to straighten slightly.

Six of us: Alleycat, Avalanche, Blaze, Durin, Miss Cheng, and Tin Star. Decker, Leopard shaman, muscle, rigger/decker, and a solid knowledge of all things pistol ... and the usual assumption of additional useful skills not mentioned outright. No time limit set by the Johnson, but a practical time limit against reasonable odds of discovery, if they were to infiltrate. And afterwards, getting out, getting across the border, and almost certain repercussions against the other camps.

"People's University"? She'd have to get a few knowbots coded later, pull up some background information on the place that the others here had seemed to have taken for granted, maybe weather satellite pictures as well, always a chance the infrared might pull something up. Did the camp even border on water? Might as well work up dossier/summary files for all the others while she was at it. The others? No, not the others: just possible they'd have their own knowbots preset to alert them whenever their names get Matrix-pinged. Let's see: general road conditions and considerations, borders; oh, she'd have to go as "Kevin" if she didn't want to scuttle "Anne" altogether, better see what Grail had on the go on that, and how quickly he could throw together a couple of extra visas and whatever else would be necessary -- maybe just let him take care of all that? At least he seemed skilled enough in all things computer: Hobbes had pulled some solid people around her.

Alleycat resisted the urge to rub her temples. This freedom thing was getting far more complicated than she'd bargained for. For a brief and blinding moment, she was almost overwhelmed by the urge just to toss it all away again, go back to the streets and try to survive day to day again -- or maybe even to go back --

No. That way is closed forever, closed more finally than death. Leave it, Alleycat: you already know why you abandoned all that. Even if you don't really have any idea where you're going, dwelling on it isn't going to get you where you need to be, here, now.

She smiled wryly. I'm going to San Francisco. I'm going to let myself get arrested, and processed into the Redwood County Center for the Protection, Education, and Relocation of Metahumans, and very likely let myself get raped again in the process just so I can get quickly in with those already there -- and I've got to make sure Tin Star sees none of this, because I think he might be likely to react badly. I'm almost positive Blaze would.

Alleycat, you're an idiot.

Acknowledged. Now what?

Let's see -- pigeonholing impressions is always potentially limiting, but so long as she recognised that and allowed for it, there might be something of value in here too. Start with the Johnson, Mr. Fan. Old, certainly. Powerful, certainly. No other two things could so create such a sense of belonging as she'd sensed in him.

Alleycat frowned briefly. Something about this room -- Avalanche also somehow "belonging" here? Ah, there it was: a shared understanding, a vested interest, possibly ownership, possibly just being in a position of power over the owner ... no, not that last here, the relationship with Blink seemed too comfortable ... but perhaps not impossible with Mr. Fan? And yet it wasn't quite the same thing either, not "belonging" in the same sense of Avalanche here at all, but -- absolute assumption that his presence would automatically be accepted? And the room had resonated to him in the same way as that one booth over at the Last Drop did to the other Johnson. Maybe one of the two deckers could check it out and run correlations: the Paradigm Shift and the physical description of Mr. Fan. She'd heard the joking truism a hundred times: trace the money and you'll find the power ... but not all power was measurable in money.

Well, that's for the deckers. Let's see: what do we have of a plan already, what do we need to add? For sure Tin Star getting hired in with the security, not so much for sure Alleycat getting arrested in with the camp prisoners. Alleycat entertained a momentary fantasy of Miss Cheng in her place, then almost laughed out loud, the image had been so ludicrous even from its onset. For sure the woman had her strengths -- covering the tab definitely counts! -- but this would never be one of them.

Alleycat, you're getting ahead of yourself again ... and you're getting sidetracked.

Get down to California and San Francisco, that's the first part. Tin Star's truck for maybe the first three of us, with Blaze if he's going to insist on it. Me, I'd rather Blaze followed us down with Durin in Miss Cheng's yacht: give him a secure place if he's going to do the astral recon bit; and Tin Star and I can play off each other for minimum hassle, first in the Tir, then turn it around in California. Avalanche could come on-site, I suppose, but I'm thinking he's our primary decker, with Miss Cheng picking up the slack and making connections as we need to on-site. Although having Blaze along does have its good side as well. Sure would be nice for someone to pick up my travelling clothes and credstick from the bus locker asap, before it sits there too long and some bright security type decides it's time to confiscate what's inside.

Note to self: tell Avalanche to make sure my fingerprints don't come up in the system, just in case that's part of the processing: although I doubt it, they've just got too many people they've got to go through. I'll be better off SINless if I'm to pull this off. Oh frag -- Alleycat froze as a sudden realisation hit her -- I'll hope they don't do fingerprints. Should work anyway, if anything breaks my way at all. Oh well -- and her shoulders relaxed again -- what's the worst they can do? Kill me?

So: Alleycat and Tin Star on-site, but on opposite "sides". Avalanche Matrix coverage from Seattle. Miss Cheng coming down in her yacht, along with Blaze and Durin. Tin Star should be able to legitimately meet up with Blaze during his free time: they're both human. Of those who'll be in San Francisco, Durin's the only one who's really shafted, so he'll have to stay aboard the boat until we're ready for him. My responsibilities:

1. Get people on the inside to trust me.
2. Get allies and identify their skills (and identify who the spies are).
3. Get the layout of the place.
4. Get lines of communication connecting the place with the outside, or find out where they already are.
5. Identify locations of wards and find "safe" astral lines of access for Blaze.
6. Locate Alexander Wong.
7. Identify sabotage points.
8. Help smuggle Durin in at the proper time.
9. Be prepared to act to sabotage the camp and appropriately direct allies at the proper time.

Tin Star's responsibilities:

1. Get the security people to trust him.
2. Get the layout of the place.
3. Get all information to Alleycat or out directly, but never using on-site equipment.
4. Never give the security people a reason to distrust him.
5. Locate Alexander Wong.
6. Identify sabotage points.
7. Help smuggle Durin in at the proper time.
8. Be prepared to act to sabotage the camp at the proper time.

Since we're bringing Durin into the camp later, he'll be in charge of bringing in needed supplies. (Let's see, we'll need guns, lots of guns, nothing fancy, just basic stuff that can cause a lot of confusion in a hurry. Demolitions pre-built on the Idiot's Guide principle. Maybe a deck ... or maybe Tin Star could bring in a legit computer which he'll "lose" somewhere in the camp, and I stealth in the Mask/Evasion MPCP and maybe a couple of programme chips? Other stuff?) Miss Cheng sounded like she's quite capable of rounding up transport. Blaze will be checking out the magical and spirit situation. And throughout it all, Avalanche will be backing us up with almost constant Matrix support.

Of course, there's nothing saying whoever we free here will even want to go to Seattle and be processed again by Mr. Fan and his people: and he's paying us by the processed person. That's if we don't end up finding out that the whole thing is just one big tailchaser, or worse.

Wait ... is Avalanche finally stirring?

Alleycat waits, her entire attention now on the room around her and on him.

0157 January 5, 2063 - the back room at Blink's Grill

With a shudder, Avalanche jacks out of the matrix, giving his cyberdeck a mild glance of frustration. More paranoid than normal down there, it seems. Makes sense, I guess. Still, I figured more people would know my rep. After all, how many albino dwarf deckers can there be in Seattle? Figured it was an open secret hereabouts that I was albino on top of meta. Well, no use in cluing in potential spies any more than I already have. They'll be on the lookout for a dwarf, but people tend not to notice that when you're whiter than a sheet of paper....

Avalanche looks around the room, and sees that only he and Alleycat are left in the room. "Everyone else gone, I take it?" She nods. "Figured as much." Not unexpected. Why is she still here, though? "I guessing I didn't miss anything important. Sorry to be blunt, but after a while of not being in the matrix, I get a bit itchy. No place like the electron waves." He smiles at her briefly.

"As for Shadowland, I've made some general overtures but people are rather suspicious. I've tried to lay their fears to rest best I can; I'll check for replies later."

Avalanche starts to head for the door, and suddenly pauses.

"By the way, I don't mean to offend, but why'd you stay behind? I mean, I appreciate the overwatch, but Blink's is about as safe as I can get in this sprawl."