12:01:45 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Ah," Cosmo smiled easily, eyes lifting from a short list of license plate numbers and addresses, "but this isn't really 'employment,' is it? I do not object to work for pay and considering my situation, it would be pragmatic to keep as many options open as possible. Wouldn't you agree?"

12:02:06 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Of course. Do you have any other questions?"

Kald folds his hands on the table in front of him.

12:02:33 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

Tons, but I'm not getting any answers out of you, am I?

"None just now, no. Is it possible to contact someone if any issues arise?"

She tilted her head to one side, filing away an address in Hollywood as she turned to the items for her second tasking. The pair of tickets to Elise Nirveau's trid release at the Millenium Downtown Marriot pleased her greatly, but why a trip to a Motel 8 first? Was she expected to pick up her 'date'?

12:03:11 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

Kald slides a slim Novatech lapel model commlink across the table.

"This is direct dial. It will only work once."

12:03:20 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

Interesting.

"Who will I have the pleasure of addressing?"

12:03:47 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

For the first time she can remember, and perhaps for the only time, the child smiles brilliantly.

"We are Kald."

12:04:15 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Resistance is futile."

Accepting the commlink with a small smile of her own, Cosmo was encouraged by the boy's grin. She considered speaking to him as a child but threw the idea away.

"I'd like to understand, Kald. What does your name mean?"

12:04:39 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"All will be revealed in time. The Apocalypse is not yet upon us."

Kald shook his head once, firmly.

"Now, if there is nothing more, I must go."

12:05:02 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

A slight widening of her eyes was the only indication that the boy's mention of the Apocolypse with a capital 'A' fazed Cosmo in the slightest. She shook her head and rose, inclining her head toward the youth.

"Nothing more. It was good to see you again."

12:05:44 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Good day, then." Kald slips down from his chair, nods his head to Cosmo, before turning and exiting the restaurant. The first bodyguard leads out, clearing the street before allowing his principle outside the protection of the foyer. A black sedan idles at the curb, rear door opening for the trio as they approach.

Across the street, a heavyset black man in a battered Mercury Comet crushed out his cigarette. As the sedan pulled out into traffic, the Comet followed, several cars behind.

12:06:06 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Sloppy, eh?" Wash grinned, throwing up an image of the surveillance camera inside along with the camera's status display. Motown stared at it for a moment.

"So?"

"Look at the throughput, drekhead. She's patched the data into the loopback interface. The camera reads like it's ok, and if you look at the picture you're not going to notice that it's been tampered with. But all of the feed is going right to the great sump drain in the matrix."

Motown grunted.

"Whatever, just follow the cars."

21:53:45 Saturday, 13 January 2063 - Babylon, 2220 176th St SW, Seattle, UCAS

Women after my own heart Tony thought, smiling at Xayide’s reply. His psec buzzed with the incoming contact information.

“No, nothing else,” Tony said aloud to this indigo-eyed women, still with the slight smile on his face. “I’ll notify if anything changes,” he concluded.

21:54:16 Saturday, 13 January 2063 - Babylon, 2220 176th St SW, Seattle, UCAS

"I await your call, then."

Xayide stands, inclining her head to Tony in something of a formal gesture before turning and descending the stairs to the door.

12:06:12 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo downed the last of her drink and let out a long breath she didn't remember holding. The Apocalypse, and he was so matter-of-fact about it, but how?

Two grabs, a hit on Milan Viddmar's motorboat, remote control interface for four vehicles, and .. what? A trid premiere? And the final meeting location is supposed to make sense after the party? Were the pieces going to come together or would she have to fight with them until they formed a pattern that at least seemed logical?

She didn't need to check her watch to know that it was only a few minutes past noon and hours yet until her meeting with Scrye. Oracle would also contact her tonight, if all went according to plan, but there was still the issue of what to do in the meantime. She wasn't quite frowning as she made her way outside, clearing her Mirage before pulling her helmet on and slipping into Santa Monica Boulevard's midday traffic with the sort of active awareness that would be better suited to guard detail at 02:00 than the stream of ordered noise that flowed around her. A bright, almost gaudy ad for the newest NERP just about distracted her from a more tasteful billboard advertising something called a WMI. Cosmo had already resolved to do some research on Novatech’s upcoming IPO thanks to a nightly news teaser she’d noticed in an appliance store window, a quick peek at what this new toy had to offer might be worth it as well.

There was more than enough time to travel across town as many times as needed and though the circuit she’d planned wasn’t the most time-efficient, it kept her off the grid more often than not. She took the time to survey the streets surrounding her new safehouses and for once, the layout of each neighborhood interested her more than its inhabitants. Egress and security would be manageable so long as she was careful. Both apartments should already be stocked with a few necessities too, but she wouldn’t know for certain until she moved in when no one was around to watch, most likely after her meetings and a short trip to one of the addresses that her black binder had listed. It was no accident that she had a place to stay within twenty minutes’ drive from any point in Los Angeles, all connected to major highways after several turns and far enough from Grid Guide streets to give her a bit of peace, besides. With a bit more time, Cosmo was sure she could do even better than she had so far.

19:47:50 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

It had taken every bit of willpower to resist the urge to dress for dinner but Cosmo had done it, arriving at Il Grano just as she had earlier in the afternoon. How anyone could do this, day in and day out, however, was completely beyond her.

Anticipating a potentially hours-long wait, she’d picked up a few newspapers several magazines, all in chip format of course, to keep her occupied while she ‘lounged’ in a cozy booth, glass of merlot in hand.

21:56:45 Saturday, 13 January 2063 - Babylon, 2220 176th St SW, Seattle, UCAS

Tony nodded back at Xayide. Idiosyncrasies. Yeah. May just be crazy as well Tony thought while watching Xayide descend the stairs down to the main level, and seeing if anyone followed her or noted her leaving.

Maybe it was the cybereyes? He’d always heard that jamming too much of that stuff into yourself could do that. Xayide didn’t look to have that much, but looks could be deceiving unless you knew exactly what to look for. Maybe she was just loco from doing her job. Maybe she was just off her meds. Crazy or just odd, as long as she’s good I don’t care, Tony thought, keeping his eyes open and sipping the remainder of his whiskey.

Night's still young he thought, not really wanting to go back to staking out some dead, seemingly unoccupied building in the freezing cold; at least not without a few more drinks. Waiving at the waitress for another as the muted bass thrummed through the bar, he scanned the bar and stair area for movement that would have accompanied Xayide leaving.

22:01:28 Saturday, 13 January 2063 - Babylon, 2220 176th St SW, Seattle, UCAS

As near as Tony can tell, no one takes an overt interest in Xayide's departure. In fact, she seems to have simply disappeared, slipping down the stairs and out the door without him having seen more than a shadow of her.

19:58:16 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Sister, you are into some freaky drek."

This time Cosmo did look up in surprise at the softly cultured voice, smoothing the jerkiness of the motion with a playful smile. Scrye had changed, and not just her outfit. Her hair was now a dark indigo, her skin paler, although still obviously ethnic. Her makeup, though, was done to de-emphasize the graceful curves of her face, making her appear flat and unattractive.

"Merlot?" offered Cosmo, tilting her glass towards the slim woman.

"No thanks, I need something stiffer. Got what you wanted, but I certainly don't like what it means." Opening up her commlink, Scrye dumped a hundred megapulses worth of data into Cosmo's lap.

"Okay, we've got stills of the vehicle including license plate, make, and model. Couldn't get the driver due to window tinting. Here's your mark, cute kid by the way, and his bodyguards. Profile and face shots. They arrive two minutes prior to noon. Leave five minutes past, heading east, my guess is on a reciprocal route to what they took to get here. They're professional, whoever they are, very good at evading surveillance. Very methodical. Which is pretty much their weakness as well. Thirty minutes later they're here, duplex apartment in Pasadena. I make it as a safe house. Two vehicles parked in back, both off-road capable SUVs. Sedan pulls into garage, garage door closes. House is secure, with external surveillance and a security system I didn't want to try. Also, I shook a tail leaving here, a pair of operators in a Saab Dynamit. Also professional."

Scrye leans forward on her elbows, glancing meaningfully up into the corners of the room.

"I've looped the cameras, our pictures are being taken but the data is being erased instead of stored. I checked the activity logs, though. At least two other people have hacked superuser accounts on the security system here at the restaurant in the past twenty four hours. If they're not with you, then they're against you. You've got troubles, sister girl, and I don't envy them."

22:05:59 Saturday, 13 January 2063 - Babylon, 2220 176th St SW, Seattle, UCAS

“Nice,” Tony murmured to himself, noting Xayide’s disappearing act. She’s good, or you’re getting sloppy. he thought to himself as the waitress placed another amber-filled tumbler in the place of the empty one. Hopefully the former he thought as he sipped some of the whiskey, not seeing anyone that had followed her exit either. He shook his head slowly while staring down into his drink, trying to get himself out of the paranoid funk he seemed to be in. It’s not like they’re looking over your shoulder. Get to the job at hand he thought, giving the datapad holding the map of the building a glance.

Now, why would a Johnson want this shut down? he thought. He didn’t relish going back out in the cold night to do what seemed to him some more pointless surveillance. This place looked dead, and may have been for awhile. Well, looks can be deceiving, and I’d rather this building be dead than me. Black clinic like this doesn’t work on banker’s hours, he reminded himself.

Slugging the rest of the whiskey down, he slotted a credstick to pay for his drink, and stood up, feeling the fiery tongue of the liquor stab down into his stomach. Finally warm he thought, shrugging his coat back into place before descending to the door. “Miles to go before I sleep,” he thought, leaving the grandiose club and heading back out into the cold night, a cold car, to look at a cold building.

20:01:33 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo allowed herself a slight grimace that was only partly covered by the glass raised to her lips.

"Mm, I can't think of many people that would want this sort of attention. Occupational hazard," she smiled, pulling another credstick from somewhere up her sleeve and handing it over, "but there was no way to be sure without growing another pair of eyes. Thank you."

The stills were all good clear shots of the subject and there were plenty of them but the Saab .. bothered her. The Kald tended to use only the most basic and utilitarian equipment but then .. she couldn't recall any Dynamits tailing her at any point, either. One of the hackers in Il Grano's security system might have been with her employers and it was possible that the other had nothing to do with her at all but again, could she assume that it was a happy coincidence?

She poured another glass of wine, appearing much more at ease than she really was. Would another CARAT team be deployed to put her back under if it was learned that she had been reactivated? Might it be something more permanent this time? It was a chilling thought, but who else would be after her so quickly? Viddmar's people?

"You're good." One devastating dimple appeared in her cheek as she admired Scrye's disguise with a certain professional interest. Good eye. Good hands. I'll bet she blends right in whenever she wants....

"Knowing what you do, though," she paused thoughtfully, "would you consider doing something like this again?"

20:02:25 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"I might," replies Scrye, the credstick disappearing into her overcoat.

"I'm a businesswoman, after all. I'd have to consider your case carefully, though. You're hot, and I don't just mean that smile of wicked promises. Working for you might bring some of that heat on me."

The slim asian woman taps her fingers on the tabletop for a moment, gaze slid sideways to the dining room.

"Ah, the Hell with it. Maybe momma did raise a fool. What have you got?"

20:03:51 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Nothing that should bring you in direct contact with the opposition."

She signaled a waiter and arched an eyebrow at Scrye, only speaking when the woman nodded.

"Martini. How will you take it tonight, Pretty?"

"Straight up."

Cosmo's grin did turn a little wicked as she nodded at the slack jawed waiter, refilling her own glass while they waited for the drink to arrive.

"Excellent. Now, I'd like to begin by saying that you're free to walk whenever you want and considering that you know some of the dangers already, it's null persp if you do. In all truth, I'd feel better about this if you did evac at the first sign of trouble. What I'd like you to do, however, is twofold."

"One." She raised a finger, tilting her head to one side. "I'll pay you to do exactly what you're doing right now, rerouting camera feeds and such, but at pre-arranged times and locations."

"Two." Cosmo leaned forward slightly. "I'd like you to tail me for a while to see if these professionals come out again. I'd like to learn a bit about them, if you feel up to it."

20:04:42 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

Scrye taps her lip with the metal skewer the held the olives of her martini.

"Let's see, get paid to keep my eyes on that sweet little tush of yours. Hmm, just give me a minute, I wanna know if there's any downsides to this deal."

She grins, a fiery expression that her makeup can't quite hide.

"Done. Hacking cameras requires a minimum of six hour lead time or the price doubles. The watching you part? I just might do for free."

20:05:14 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Come now, I'll offer five hundred a day for a week or as long as it takes for these guys to show themselves. And of course, all the, ahh, wardrobe changes you can handle."

She didn't quite wiggle her eyebrows at that, but the playful dimples peeking out of her cheeks said pretty well the same thing.

"Sound good?"

20:05:49 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Oh please, don't feel that you have to get all dressed up on my account."

Scrye smiles.

"But I'll take your deal. I'm assuming we're starting today?"

20:06:07 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Only if you're available. Tomorrow is fine by me if you have a few things to handle first."

20:06:29 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

"Baby, I was born ready. I'm all yours."

Scrye tips her glass up and finishes her martini in two long swallows.

20:06:42 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Il Grano Restaurant, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo grinned roguishly, setting a few bills on the table next to their empty glasses.

"I'll be sure to remember you said that. You may come to regret it."

Laughing softly, she slid out of the booth and paused beside Scrye. "You have my number; call if you need anything."

21:17:48 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Tea and Bytes, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo settled the less than flattering net of trodes over her head and leaned back in her chair. A cup of steaming coffee and a huge boston creme donut decorated the tiny round table in front of her but Oracle's message had set the meeting at Palatine for as soon as she was available. Excellent timing, considering where she'd come from.

The Complete Storage Solutions compound had turned out as she'd expected, more or less. Standard self-storage warehouse, seven long buildings of five by five by three meter storage garages. Chainlink fence, lightpoles, daylight level lighting, cameras everywhere. Two gates, keypad maglocks but for once .. I have a key. Wonder of wonders. And Scrye will have the place prepped by 00:30. Amazing....

She would have preferred cover here as well but didn't anticipate much time spent in the tiny cyber cafe either. With any luck, she'd be in and gone by the time anybody noticed her here. If there was, indeed, someone looking for her at all.

21:19:09 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

As the blue curtain of their private room closes behind them, Oracle turns to face Cosmo.

"As you requested, I have investigated Milan Viddmar further. It seems that he is not one man, but rather a conglomeration of individuals. Or, rather, a cover identity used by a number of different individuals. In much the same way as corporate liaisons call themselves Mr. Johnson or Hans Brackhaus, although in this specific instance it is used to negotiate the legal world which requires identification and not to simply conceal the true names of these individuals. Milan Viddmar was first created five years ago, and has been in periodic use since. His credit trail is flushed at regular intervals to prevent legal and illegal entities from detecting the false nature of his identity. The construction is quite effecient, obviously a work of a veteran forger."

"Your third request proved more difficult. The Resonance is a nebulous entity to pin down. There isn't even a concensus among Otaku tribes as to what, exactly, it is. In 1943 Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts published A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity which first postulated that a network of individual non-sentient machines of sufficient size and complexity might spontaneously develop intelligent decision making properties. While this in no way compares to true Artificial Intelligence, it is viewed as the first stepping stone along the path. Sophisticated self-learning algorithms have been around since the turn of the century, but again, for all their sophistication, they lack any sense of identity. As work continued throughout the early years of the matrix, it was assumed that the development of artificial intelligence was a foregone conclusion. The Matrix Crash of '29 put an end to those thoughts. The vulnerability of the modern world to massive electronic infrastructure attacks proved a sobering wake-up call. Software developers and system administrators began to have second thoughts about allowing a purely network based consciousness to operate unchecked in the Matrix."

"Work went on, though. Even the most dangerous of technologies will be pursued. I could quote Oppenheimer here, but I think you're familiar enough with the psychology. AI projects, though, were driven underground, the province of clandestine corporate research and development, government, and rogue organizations. It is a widely held belief that around the middle of the 2050's, one or more of these organizations succeeded."

"This does nothing to explain the emergence of the Resonance, though, who's existance has been claimed by some Otaku groups to extend back as far as 2035, and the re-emergence of some of the Echo Mirage personnel. If the Resonance is indeed an AI, then by necessity it is one of the earliest and perhaps most primitive of the Intelligences developed. If it is not, if, rather, it is a collodial intelligence, either still 'human' or simply a 'brain in a box', it begs the question 'Why hasn't anyone been able to locate it?' The Otaku are renown for their ability to pry into supposedly impenetrable systems. One would only assume that they, for all their interest in the Resonance, would be the first to locate it. But they seem to be at a loss as to explain it as much as everyone else."

"Morever, multiple tribes of Otaku have described locations known as Resonance Wells, places of power in the matrix directly analogous to geomantic places of power claimed by the Awakened. If these claims are true, it supports the interpretation that the Resonance is a psychological rather than physical entity."

"This is the basic information that I have available on the topic. Do you have any specific questions?"

11:36:14 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 - McHugh's

Sitting down across from Lana, the thin man doesn't even wait for her to sit, instead speaking immediately in his abrupt style, "Svetlana Tasya Prevlov. You are the sister of one Nikol Prevlov. We would like your assistance to assure your sister's safety. Are you prepared to listen?"

21:21:18 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

Why would this Resonance be interested in bringing about an Apocalypse if it's a Matrix entity? Wouldn't it be limited to activity within the Matrix and if so, why should it concern itself with the destruction of an outside realm? Or, even worse, its own realm? And what exactly is this intelligence, 'higher plane' or not, resonating -with-? An Otaku war over the possession of these wells would be understandable, but this?

More than that. With the Kald serving the Resonance or another AI, the likelihood of being acquainted with someone on the upper echelon is virtually nil. The information was simply there, waiting in the Matrix, for whomever .. whatever .. to sift through and use to its advantage. It would not have been looking for us, specifically, but, Spirits, a thorough search would have netted enough intel to get the gear damned near perfect. If these things can have fully-developed personalities, what's not to say that they can have good taste and a ton of whatever serves as testosterone in this crazy place as well?

It was fascinating. Diverting too, which was the problem. Did she have any reason to continue investing in information about her employers when it might not be tied to her arrival in CalFree? Beyond that, could she afford to be distracted? It was likely that the Kald would not kill her at the end of her taskings if she continued working for them. Perhaps she could even barter for the information that lead them to her.

Viddmar might as well be a dead end, too, and really, figuring out the reason for tasking number three would not alter the fact that she'd been the one to see it through. For all her guilt, she hadn't batted an eyelash when it came time to snuff out two innocent lives for nothing more than the opportunity to live a little longer.

What kind of person did that make her?

Had she been anywhere but the Matrix, the headache would have made her eyes water.

"Only one specific question for now," Cosmo frowned, already thinking three steps ahead, "how does the re-emergence of the Echo Mirage personnel relate to the Resonance?"

"I assume you made contact with HardBitten?"

"That aside, I have a license plate number from a Saab Dynamit and I need you to track it down and learn as much as possible about whomever's been using it within the last forty-eight hours." Could be a pointless search, but the risk is certainly worth the potential reward.

"Also," she would have been biting her lower lip had her control over the Matrix avatar been less than perfect; this sort of search was ill-advised at the best of times, "there was a Seattle shadowrunner operating under the handle Cosmo between 01 August, 2060 and 01 November, 2061. Find whatever you can about her. Go where you need to go and you will be well compensated."

11:36:59 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 - McHugh's

Lana blanched. She didn't want to, but it was impossible for her to keep herself from turning a lighter shade of pale. Someone wanted to hurt her sister?!? She was instantly worried, what could Niki have gotten herself into that would warrant some skinny and now much creepier man hunting her down?

"I'm listening."

Inside she was in turmoil, the urge to try to phone her sister immediately was near overwhelming, but probably wouldn't go over well with this guy sitting across from her. Inside of her amidst the fear grew a strange feeling of anger. She didn't appreciate being threatened, blackmailed or the emotional rollercoaster ride this asshole across from her was about to try.

21:21:41 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

"He won't find anything about you online, sweetheart." HardBitten's icon extruded itself from the floor, a humanoid figure composed of nothing but digital static. It moved over to stand in front of Cosmo, hands on its hips.

"You paid me well enough in those days to expunge your digital trail. And I do good work."

Oracle slipped aside, moving to stand next to one of the digital braziers. HardBitten looked her up and down for a moment.

"You're looking good, girl. Never thought I'd see that smile again."

21:22:04 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

Even though the face she wore in the Matrix was a far cry from her own, the slow smile that curled across her lips was pure Cosmo. She laughed softly, ignoring the impulse to run over and hug her old contact; he'd always liked his space.

"Come now, HB, I'm sure you saved a few stills from some of my more interesting assignments. What made you decide to believe, Oracle, here?"

21:22:37 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

HardBitten shrugged.

"Call it morbid curiosity. I wanted to see if you were actually back from the dead. Or, if it were someone else, I would at least have a project to work on."

He glances over at Oracle.

"I've got questions for you but they can wait. The Resonance doesn't have anything to do with Echo Mirage. EM was a government project to deal with the Matrix virus that caused the '29 crash. They were killed defeating the virus. Anyone that tells you that the Resonance is a result of the virus or Echo Mirage is smoking nova coke. The Resonance is a force of nature, a network resource like water or silicon or gold. It has no inherent intelligence, but it has immense value. A value that would drive others to fight over it."

21:24:11 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

Cosmo nodded slowly, still smiling as she stepped closer to HardBitten.

"Mm, makes sense. Questions will have to wait, dammit; I'm not in a position to carry on in here much longer." She rested one hand on his forearm as if to steady herself in looking over the decker's shoulder at the room's other occupant. "Can you handle the Dynamit, Oracle?"

21:24:33 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

Oracle nods.

"Yes, a DMV search should only take an hour. I can send you the results rather than meeting here, if you'd prefer?"

21:24:49 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

"That would be best, thank you."

She turned back to HardBitten, dimples peeking out of her cheeks as she glanced up at him through thick black lashes.

"I don't suppose there's any chance you're looking for a project to keep you busy...."

21:25:08 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

"Depends on how much you're willing to pay. My services, if you recall, don't come for free."

HardBitten smiles, crossing his arms.

21:25:23 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

Cosmo rolled her eyes, settling back onto her heels with a soft chuckle and a playful wink.

"How could I forget? What's your schedule looking like for the next 24 hours?"

11:37:11 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 - McHugh's

"It is very simple. We do not want any trouble either with or for you and your sister. Simply tell her that an undisclosed party has asked that she stop working on what she's working on right now. She'll know what you're talking about."

21:25:42 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

"Oh, nothing really important. Crash a few hosts, delete a couple of lives, post to create general anarchy in the online community. You know, the usual. I suppose I can spare you some time, though. Give me a couple of hours to put some projects to rest and I'll get back with you."

HardBitten brushes non-existant lint from the front of his coat.

21:26:38 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Los Angeles LTG

"Sounds like a plan," she stepped back, a soft secret smile playing across her lips for the few seconds it takes for her to slip out of the Matrix, voice growing softer and softer as she fades away.

"It's good to see you again, HB. Take care out there."

00:32:51 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Complete Storage Solutions, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo pulls up in front of the warehouse, helmet still firmly in place, keycard in hand.

Here goes....

00:32:51 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Complete Storage Solutions Unit 304, 10770 Hoffman Blvd, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo glanced left and right, scanning up and down the long line of anonymous storage units identical to the one she stood in front of: a plain gray garage door about two and a half meters wide, with a keycard maglock on the right hand side.

Here goes nothing.

Standing to one side, she slid the card through the lock. The maglock buzzed open. Grasping the handle, she rolled the garage door up. A thin overhead lightstrip, cued by the lock, flickers to life. Revealed inside the sparse cement and plastic storage cube was a single large plastic transport case, some seventy five centimeters long, and a small data display unit. Again, Cosmo cleared herself left and right before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. Setting the display unit to the side, she lays the transport case on its side and flipping the catches. Nestled inside amidst cushioning foam are five identical explosive charges, equipped with radio detonators, kleen-tac adhesive backing, and what appears to be a two stage explosive payload. Also provided is a single radio transmitter, keyed to the detonators' frequency. A cold, tight knot begins to form in the bottom of Cosmo's stomach.

Not again.

Closing the transport case, she set it on its edge and took a seat, picking up the data display unit and activating the power. The unit ran through its powerup sequence, before the screen flickered with its preprogrammed instructions. An overhead view of Los Angeles dropped onto the screen, seen from an altitude of five kilometers. The image zoomed in rapidly to a south central neighborhood, focussing in on a luxury limousine service called Elite Limousines. The view proceeds through the fence surrounding the Elite parking lot, to a cordoned off section in back with a dozen Rolls Royce Phaeton limousines. Five vehicle identification numbers highlight themselves on the screen. The view rotates three dimensionally until she's looking at the undercarriage of one of the limos. A digital view of one of the demolition charges appears momentarily before tucking itself away adjacent to the vehicle's fuel tank.

Oh boy.

01:00:02 Wednesday, 10 January, 2063 – A Warehouse in the Barrens

Time had slowed down to a crawl. Sounds felt distant. Screams felt muffled. The air was already filling itself with the smell of smoke and blood. In the past two seconds, Knight had been witness to more death than he had ever in his entire life. This wasn't just cold blooded murder; this was a massacre.

Where ever Knight's eyes rested, all he saw was innocent dead or dying. People who had never asked for anything. People whom he had watched over and helped since his employ under Cao's wing. Even the man who's duty it was to protect, a man whom he deeply respected and who seemed larger than life before the night's events... even that man was in danger.

Pivoting slightly in his crouched position, at least enough to get out of the way of the now frail shelf he had taken cover behind, Knight decided it was time to call on some reinforcement.

Opening his mind to the spirits of the Wheel, Knight felt an incredible force channeled through his self. He felt a power he had never felt before. His desperation and desire to protect fueled his call beyond what he could have ever imagined. Far off, from another plane of existence, his call for help was answered. Before his very eyes, a massive golem of stone, earth and concrete started to rise up.

00:34:07 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Complete Storage Solutions Unit 304, 10770 Hoffman Blvd, Los Angeles, CFS

The room felt colder and, for a second, she was certain she was drowning in a pool of freezing mud. Why this? Wetwork is .. not for me. How could He not know? She could barely move, staring at numbly at the data display unit, hardly breathing as her mind already began to work out the logistics of the job. As much as it repulsed her, Cosmo knew that she was too close to the end. She'd see it through.

It was not a comforting realization but it seemed to do the trick. Cosmo was up and moving in short order, lifting each of the charges and wrapping them in a spare long coat before placing them in her nylon duffel with the display unit and detonator. If her movements were jerkier than usual, well, she wasn't exactly excited to be working again and there was no way to know if she'd be able to manage the collateral damage that might very well be part of the 'tasking.' The fact that she was being sent to a swank trid release party in a week was less than encouraging.

Let's hope this party doesn't end with a bang....

00:34:38 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Complete Storage Solutions Unit 304, 10770 Hoffman Blvd, Los Angeles, CFS

A bitter cold rain falls outside as Cosmo closes the door to the storage unit, glancing up and down the alleyway in between buildings to ensure she remains unseen. Dumping the duffle bag into the trunk of her car, she hurries around to the driver's side, seeking shelter from the vicious wind. She kept the lights of the BMW killed until exiting the storage lot, accelerating into the night once clear.

11:37:11 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 - McHugh's

Setting her jaw and her mind she sat up a bit straighter, attempting to make all of her 1.6m frame look more "imposing" or something. Hard to do when she was surrounded by the neon-bright colours of the hardened antibacterial plastic chairs and tables of McHugh's. She felt like she was about 10 centimeters tall and she wanted to throw up.

What did Niki manage to get herself tied up in now? She doesn't get into trouble and this sounds like trouble. BIG trouble. Could it be work related? This doesn't sound like a corporate reaction to something she could have done at work...

She shook her head, more at her inner monologue than at the words being spoken by the ThinMan.

"Undisclosed party wants her to stop doing whatever it is she's doing and no one gets hurt, is that it? I mean that is what you're trying to tell me here, Da?"

Her eyes shift over towards the place where Kat stood and gave a slight nod to let her know she was still ok, for now.

00:35:14 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Complete Storage Solutions Unit 304, 10770 Hoffman Blvd, Los Angeles, CFS

It wasn't a long trip to her new doss, even with the detours she took to drop potential tails and avoid Grid cameras. The place was relatively quiet, as expected, with a couch, armchair, and jackpoint in the living room, enough preserved food to last a week (but no real coffee, apparently) in the tiny kitchen, and a box of basic gear tucked under her new double bed in case things went south. Cosmo settled on the floor and slipped the trode net over her head. If HardBitten was going to be a few hours, she could do a bit of research on her own while she waited.

11:37:29 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 - McHugh's

The thin man shakes his head. "I am not trying to tell you that. I am telling you that. If I have been unclear, indicate the source of your confusion and I will clarify what you do not understand."

00:16:14 Thursday, 11 January 2063 - The Barn, Seattle UCAS

Keyed up, knowing she didn't want to sleep and then wake up to Flipper's call or message. after which she knew she'd head out right away again, she'd headed for The Barn. The last Indoor Ladies Bikini Volleyball match had finished far earlier, but as usual many of the teams had stayed around to share a few liters of imported Euro brews. With an internal grimace Litany sipped on her sickly sweet raspberry margarita.

She smiled and nodded at Ralph as he explained in excruciating detail the latest algorithmic market analysis routines the office AI research types had passed on to him for field research. In spite of his arch hints of insider information, which she was careful to respond with conspiratorial amazement at the trust Gordon, Smith, and Associates had placed in him, it was easy enough to tell the Matrix heads were putting a heavy layer of separation between the think tank analysis and the actual field operations. One obvious clue was the one day delay in the forecast and execution cycle instead of a real time hook up driven completely by the software. It would actually be kind of exciting to be involved, but it would be much nicer if Ralph didn't so grossly self inflate his own importance. All he was doing was transferring 12 hour old forecasting routines and executing the purchase requests blindly. Litany had a feeling he would be just in the dark with more intimate activities, though he did keep himself in shape and was decently co ordinated on the court. But if she wanted something mechanical there were plenty of discreetly available devices and services for that.

//@Gabriel First Impression grade is a C for Ralph ,I want someone comfortable enough with himself not to have to make everything he does sound important

Keeping Ralph happy would mean resisting the urge to deflate his ego, which would be a considerable exercise in willpower, and a frequent temptation.

and we know how often I have succumbed to some of the darkest ones...