14:42:18 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Badger Street Bus Depot, South Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Thought not a great distance from Miner's Landing, the condition of the streets and the weather in general made Eyes' commute difficult at best. His navigation brought him, eventually, to shelter beneath one of the freeway exchanges to the 5. Across the street was the building described by the latitude and longitude coordinates in Dr. Casimir's apartment.

Two stories of gray concrete, with dirt and graffiti smeared windows, the building was singularly unimpressive. A crowd of squatters hunkered down next to one of the external heating vents, calling out to the occasional passenger passing throught the doors.

14:42:20 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Badger Street Bus Depot, South Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Eyes glances at the building dispassionately. The coordinates--if that's indeed what the first two numbers were--were extremely precise; a quick search told him that the difference between one-hundred-thousanth of a latitude line was only a meter or so. It was possible that the coordinates were meant to point to a specific object or room in the building--a row of lockers maybe? Either way the final number was looking more and more like a combination, maybe a locker combination or room code, and the setup looking less like a trap; only a monster would put a bomb or something like it in such a public place, and Dr. Casimir didn't seem the type.

The thought that this might all be a wild goose chase crossed his mind as Eyes searched for a place to park. It was a possibility; he was making quite a leap to think that these numbers really meant what he thought they did. But in the end of course such speculation was meaningless; trap or not, wild goose chase or not, nothing would be settled by just sitting around and thinking about the problem.

14:49:11 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Badger Street Bus Depot, South Downtown Seattle, UCAS

The inside of the Depot is as drab and run-down as its exterior, the faded tile floor gray with slush and salt from the streets outside. A row of automated ticket kiosks stand just inside the door, while to the left are half a dozen vending machines offering everything from soda to microwave soy pitas. Along the right wall are three long ranks of lockers, while the rest of the open space is occupied by plastic benches bolted to the floor.

Eyes immediately angled to the right, his GPS nav confirming his suspicions. The lockers turn out to be numbered one through seventy five, each secured with a three digit combination. The lockers could be rented almost indefinitely by providing an account number, or for a limited amount of time through certified cred.

Finding locker thirty, Eyes glances around, suddenly suspicious. Oh well. No guts, no galaxy. Punching in 4, 0, 7, Eyes stands to the side and opens the locker. After there isn't an explosion, or poison gas billowing out, or a team of Red Samurai crashing through the doors, he glances inside.

Resting inside the locker is a high density optical memory chip. Written on it in Casimir's neat script is the word EPOCH.

18:15.00 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Miner’s Landing, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Halfway through dinner, Marq changes the subject from small talk, to something that may be more in Tony's expertise. "You have any more jobs where you may find an extra truck comming up?"

14:49:20 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Badger Street Bus Depot, South Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Eyes glanced at the chip, almost disappointed. He had been keying the moment up a bit too much in his mind, he guessed; it was a bit of a let-down not to get blown up after worrying about it so much. He grinned as he thought to himself that living with that particular disappointment was going to be pretty easy.

Slipping the chip into his pocket, Eyes checked the locker for anything else, though not really expecting to find anything. When finished, he began the trek back to his apartment. Hopefully there'll be enough time to delve into the chip's contents a little before his scheduled meet, though he supposed he could always postpone if necessary.

18:15.17 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Miner’s Landing, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"Not that I know of, but then again I didn't expect a truck from this job," Tony said, spearing some green beans from his plate. Taking a sip of wine, man, that's some good stuff Tony thinks appreciatively, with the food, he decides to talk a little about the job.

"It's funny how things work out sometimes. I was hitting this spooky Johnson up for more payment, and then I get a truck out of the deal. Kinda strange, but everything around this job was as well," Tony added. "Typically, I get most of my stuff thru Zedya nowadays. And, while he's not perfect, he will get you stuff that isn't way out of your league, and will let you make your own decisions about jobs. Those are two things I've learned not to be common out here. If I do get anything else that I need you on, though, I'll let you know thru him."

Thinking a bit around chewing his food, Tony adds another thought. "What can you do, then?"

18:16.00 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Miner’s Landing, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"If thats the case, Im sure the truck isn't hot at the moment, but when the Johnson needs a fall guy, he may call on it. I think re-identifying the truck will be good enough...I will get it painted as well."

"I actually thought Z was going to have a run for me tonight. All he said was it was in my line of expertise." Marquis smiles, then grabs another bite of real potatoes.

18:17.44 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Miner’s Landing, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"In time, mi amigo, in time. You don't just start out on the same scale as Argent or someone like that. God knows I'm not, and I may never be. As you prove yourself, you'll get more jobs to your liking." Tony said, remembering his starting days and thinking that not everyone had those same advantages. Yeah, some people are doing this because they have to, not because that's what they were trained to do. he thought to himself.

Thinking of something that may be more helpful to the man across from him, he said "Drek, you're doing something I can't do, and I'm paying for it, and I hope that they don't start trying to look for the truck while you're working on it. Another thing; be careful what you wish for. I don't much mind getting shot at, I'm just scared that they'll hit one day," Tony finishes, chuckling.

21:55:49 Monday 08 January 2063 - In Front of the Paradigm Shift

Waiting in line in front of the Paradigm Shift, Max anxiously looked at the line ahead of him. It hadn't seemed very long when he'd gotten in line, and on a monday night, he'd figured that arriving about fifteen minutes early should have been more than enough. Unfortunately, it didn't look like it was going to be.

The line in front of him seemed like it hadn't shrunk at all, and despite the increasing snowfall, it didn't look like they were going anywhere. A huge troll bouncer in front and a human who looked almost big enough to be the troll's younger brother seemed like an impregnable wall determining who and who would not ever enter the club inside. He'd noticed them right off the bat, and the impressive astral security that was obvious and pervasive made him wonder, what kind of club needs this much security anyway? I mean, I know this is the Barrens and all, but this place looks like it's ready for a war! I hope I know what I'm getting myself into here, this shadow business might be more dangerous than I realized...

Multiple bruises and a lingering soreness that hadn't quite gone away were a testament to that reality, but those sensations quickly melted away as the human bouncer headed directly towards him. Staring at him, ignoring the crowd that was pointedly not watching them, the bouncer stated, "Maximillian Steiner."

Is that a question or a statement? And what does this guy want anyway? Crap, do they have a 'how to play it cool' guide somewhere I could research for stuff like this?

The guy kept staring at him, eyes concealed behind black mirrorshades, but it was obvious he was waiting for an answer.

01:35:00 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

"OK Cole," she stressed his name, reminding him that to her, he was and would always be Cole, "here's what I'll do. Can you give me a description of the place? Geographical, landmarks, basically if you were trying to give me directions as if I couldn't read, from my office. Or a description of the area. I'll come over myself and take a look at the place."

"Wait, Rosa, that's just what I asked you not to do. You weren't listening..."

"Relax Cole," she cut him off. "All I'm going to do is look. If there's no magical security, it'll be cake for me to take a look myself, won't take me but a few minutes. If there is magical security, I'll be able to tell that just from looking, and then...well and then we've got a whole different problem on our hands. But we'll discuss that if and when it comes up. So are you going to tell me how to get to this place or what?"

13:36:24 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

Sighing to himself, John replied, "Ok. I don't have a good feeling about this, but Ok. I'm in this industrial park on the border of Bellevue and Redmond. Let's see, to get here from your offices I'd go..."

He continued the directions, providing various details when Rosa required. Finally, when she was satisfied, she said, "Ok, I think that will do it. Just give me a few minutes and I'll call you right back."

"Ok, Rosie, but listen; be really careful. First sign of trouble, even a fraggin' whiff of anything mildly resembling trouble, I want you to..."

"Cole, that's sweet and all, but I am a professional. I don't need you to tell me how to do my job. Hang tight and I'll call you when I 'get back.'"

As the call disconnected, John pulled the phone away from his ear, looked at it for a second, then folded it up and stuck into his jacket. With a casual glance around, he walked around and climbed back into the van.

As he shut the door behind him, Megan asked, "That your sister again, old timer?"

Slowly turning around to look at the rest of the van's occupants, and trying to ignore the drek-eating grins, the old runner started fishing the crumpled cigarette pack out of his shirt-pocked. "Ha-fraggin'-ha. No, that was someone who's going to help us see if this place is going to be easy or hard. It just took some convincing, that's all."

"Sounded like it." Tyler kept a carefully neutral face.

"Yeah, well...whatever." John added eloquently. "Anyway, now we wait for someone to call. Nobody saw anything while I was outside, did they?" While waiting for an answer or a phone call, he lit another cigarette and cracked the driver's window to let the smoke escape.

18:17.44 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Miner’s Landing, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"Yeah, I get ya, its just I'm looking for more excitement, more challenge, you know. Plus I could use the extra money, to expand my business...es..." Marquis lets that last sentence fade. "I can't complain, business is good, but I am always looking to expend, but I do get your point. Just keep me in mind if you need an extra body, wheelman, or whatever. Plus, you got to start somewhere." Marquis ends on a highnote, and with a smile to let Tony know he isn't a total newb, and does know what he is getting into.

18:18.32 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Miner’s Landing, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"I hear ya, man. And unless your Damien Knight, one can always use extra money," Tony says, finishing his glass. Pushing his mostly empty plate away, he continues "and if I need help, I'll get ahold of you, at the number on the card, right? And if you need anything I can do, let me know as well." Scratching his mobile number out on a napkin with a pen, he hands it over to Marq.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow at noon?" Tony says, slotting his credstick for the amount of the meal, with a decent tip.

2003 Tuesday, January 9, 2063 - Land's End Magic Shop

“I just want the security system to be enough of a deterrent to keep the above average thief out to the shop and be able to detect/record anyone else for identification later. I have about 20,000 nuyen to spend on the system and wanted to get some ideas from you.” Seeing if Sam has more questions Andie says, “Let’s sleep on it and I’ll touch base with you in the morning. Alright?”

Andie then leaves the room and returns to the circulation in the back of the store to check on it and then goes to bed.

18:22:49 Wednesday 10 January - Unit 303, Winlock Apartment Complex, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Eyes leaned back in his chair, absently rubbing the back of his head in thought. The chip, not an OMC like he'd first thought but an OCC, held a very large, densely written, but ultimately incomplete program. Something about the missing blocks, though, told him that it was designed to be this way. Possibly in the same manner as a binary explosive is packaged and shipped separately, the two components only combined when they're ready to be used.

The coding was some of the most elegant he'd ever seen, though, more art than science. He got the same feeling from it that he got when he watched Ran or any of her tribe work with the matrix. Without the complete code he didn't want to hazard a guess as to what it did, but aspects of the code itself were familiar. It had frame elements to it, although much more advanced than a simple smart frame design like Jane. Portions of operational utility code appeared within it as well, resident in the overall structure of the frame. That was part of the reason for the size, as well.

Eyes glanced at the time. Only an hour left. The partial construct stared back from the screen. If this is only half the program, who has the other half?

01:58:49 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

Not even half an hour later, the natives were getting restless. Sprawled out in the back seat of the van, Tyler was irritably playing with a knife. "Come on man, when's that chica of yours going to call back anyway? We've been waiting forever."

The tragedy of his life passing before his eyes was evident, and John couldn't help but laugh in his mind. Kids these days. No patience. Think shadowrunning is all guns blazing and magic flying. Bah, watching too much trid and not thinking things through enough. Why back in my day...

Before he could let his mind wander around telling itself how much better he was back in his day, he was yanked back to reality as he looked in the rearview mirror and saw Megan leaning forward slyly. "So...who's the lady?"

"A friend," he answered gruffly, hoping to dissuade her and end the conversation before it started.

"Bulldrek!" Tyler's voice shot from the back.

"Yeah come on, who is she? It ain't like we got anything better to do?" Twiggy spoke up, apparently losing some of his fear of John, and bolstered by his two friends.

"Come on old man, we heard her yelling at ya. What'd you do, stand her up on a hot date or something?" Megan asked with a smirk that said she already knew the answer to that question.

Well, sort of... John's mind replied to itself. "Damn kids..." he muttered under his breath.

"Start spilling already would ya! I'm bored!" Tyler sat up and leaned forward on the bench seat in the back, adding his voice to the 'demands' for a juicy story.

18:23:00 Wednesday 10 January - Unit 303, Winlock Apartment Complex, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Leaning forward in his chair, Eyes unplugged the chip from his reader. For a moment he considered just chucking the thing: it was essentially useless to him and his investigation, it seemed vanishingly unlikely that he would ever run into the other half of the program, and even if he did it was not necessarily likely that other half would be of much help to him either. On the other hand something like this just radiated danger: a program so complex that it was either an SK or the digital code of one of those otaku "daemons" he'd heard about, and yet so dangerous that it was split at least in half and hidden separately seemed just the sort of thing that a man like Dr. Casimir would have been killed over. Yes, it would be far better to both him and Jennifer if he just threw the chip away and forgot it existed.

Despite all this, Eyes surprised himself by pocketing the chip. He wasn't really sure why he did it, other than the vague notion that it wouldn't be right to just throw away something so obviously important and valuable. Indeed it'd almost be a crime to throw away a program so elegantly written, even if it was only half a program. He chuckled at the irony of such a thought.

Eyes took off his glasses and rubbed his temples tiredly. It had been a trying couple of days, and after this latest disappointment his only real prospect for clues seemed to be Casimir's computer records. The sheer amount of time that such an operation might require, and the little likelihood of such a project of having any meaningful results made him want to just forget the whole thing, lean back in his chair and go to sleep. After all, he did have a dream from a couple of days ago that he wanted to get back to, as much as it shamed and disgusted him to admit it.

"'The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep,'" Eyes muttered to himself, the words appearing in his mind from the murky depths of a high school English class. With a grunt that was more theatrics than actual effort, he got to his feet, picked up his helmet and a keys, and headed back out into the cold.

18:18.32 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Miner’s Landing, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"I will see you tomorrow then, round noon. Thanks for dinner, " Marquis finishes his meal as Tony exits the bar. One last swig of his Alaskan Amber to wash the food down before climbing out of the booth.



0945.00 Thursday, 11 January 2063- Hidden Oaks Cooper's apartment, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Marquis dials Chavy's cell, speaking in Spanish, just to keep fluent, "Morning Chavo- whats up for today at the shop?"

"Nothing much killer, the Westwind is going to be picked up around 1130 or so by the owner, but thats it."

"I got a truck coming in, that Im going to re-ID, about noon."

"It has to stay inside then? How big is it?" Chavez asks.

"Good sized. I figured we could hold it up in a storage garage somewhere, until we do the actual work. Im going to make some calls and see if I cant get one this afternoon."

"If you need, I can follow you over and give you a ride back to the shop."

"Sounds good, see you at noon then," the call ends.

Marquis places a few calls, trying to locate a self storage unit that can hold the truck, that is close by. Then a few calls to find a junkyard with similar make and models, not completely destroyed by joy riding juveniles and drunk drivers. It only takes a few minutes, but its way out in Redding.



1147.25 Thursday 11 January 2063- Cooper's Automotive, Downtown Seatle, UCAS

Marquis's golden 2005 Cadillac slides to stop behind Chavez's red and chromed 1974 Chevrolet Chevelle. Which is resting behind the crimson red Eurocar with jet black tinted windows, which happens to be parked in front of the small auto shop with the sign reading "Cooper's Automotive."

Climbing out, Marq sees Mr. Morris in the office with Chavez. A small nod of recognition is this morning's greeting. Up the street Marquis sees the Westwind's bright yellow sister, idling in wait for her. Marquis enters the loby and picks up the stapler of the desk. He dissasembles it, examing its components for possible enhancements, as he waits for Tony to arrive.

18:18.34 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Miner’s Landing, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"No problem. See you tomorrow" Tony says as Marq leaves. As he gets up to leave, the band playing with Aria begins tuning up for their next set. Nodding a goodbye to Zedya, Tony leaves the Landing for the freezing three block walk back to his car.

20:31.50 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

After spending some time at the Spirit catching up on the day's business news, Tony made his way back to his flat. Reletively quiet evening; no bullets or rabid dogs he thinks to himself as he walks into his apartment. And, the power's still on. What more can a guy DAMNIT! he thinks to himself as he walks over to the fridge unit and almost trips on the small robotic vac unit patrolling the apartment. Recovering his balance, he points down at the small unit, "That's the second time this month. One day, I'm going to kill myself falling over you" he says to the disk-shaped appliance as it scurrys about its business. Getting a glass of water from the kitchen, Tony heads to the bathroom to clean up and hit the bed, eyeing the vac unit wairly as he makes his way.

23:50.10 Wednesday, 10 January 2063 – Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

Awaking to a loud beeping from the telecom, Tony tries to shut it off by voice, but finds that his tongue is stuck to the roof of his mouth. Too much whiskey, not enough water he thinks to himself over the beeping while taking a large drink of water from the glass. Just as he is about to silance the beeping, he realizes that it is the message tone. Getting up and walking to the telecom, carefully keeping an eye out for the vac unit in the dark, he pulls up a message from Todd. Wow, the kid did come thru Tony thinks to himself as he types a message in return.

23:52:46 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Apartment 875, Parkewood Village Apartments, Tacoma

Todd's meditation is broken when the LED starts to glow in his vision letting him know that Tony had already got back to him. Scanning the message, he sends back a quick reply.

23:54:08 Wednesday 10 January 2063 - Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

Very good. It'll be great to catch up with Andie and Ricky again Tony thinks to himself. Suddenly unable to go asleep from excitement at getting hold of his old friends again, he lay on his chair in the living room absentmindedly watching a news program on the trideo, thinking of old times. Finally mentally exhausted, he goes to bed again at around 2.

07:14:55 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS
Snapping bolt upright in bed, Tony reaches frantically over to check his psec, thinking that maybe he dreamt the exchange with Todd last night. Nope, everything's real he thinks to himself while placing a call to Todd. Come on, kid, be up this early he thinks, as the phone rings.

07:15:00 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Apartment 875, Parkewood Village Apartments, Tacoma

Ugh... who the hell is calling this early...

It had been a late night of coding and Todd didn't get to bed until nearly 1am. Bringing up the time in his heads-up display, the young Otaku growns, waaaay too early.

He answers the call anyway, figuring it had to be good. A groggy voice picks up the line.

"This better be good."

21:58:33 Monday 08 January 2063 - In Front of the Paradigm Shift

Trying to muster as much ‘cool’ as he could, Max stares the bouncer directly in the sunglasses, swallows hard and say, “Actually it is Maxwell Steiner. Are you under the employ of a Mr. Fan?” It was a logical assumption that Max very much hoped was correct.

21:58:57 Monday 08 January 2063 - In Front of the Paradigm Shift

Unfortunately, his logical assumption did not appear to be correct. The bouncer cocks his head curiously. "I'm sorry sir, you misunderstand. I am in the employ of the Paradigm Shift. They noticed you waiting in line even though we had been informed to expect you. Why did you wait in line instead of coming to the front and informing us of your arrival?"

Waving his hand dismissively, he continues, "Never mind. It is not my business, and I'm sure you have your own reasons. However, if you keep waiting in line, you will be late for your appointment. Please sir, if you will follow me I will escort you to see Mr. Fan."

Turning sharply, he begins walking towards the entrance of the club, obviously expecting Max to follow.

07:15:05 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

"Hey, Todd? It's Tony. Sorry to get you up so early, but I was wondering when you could meet today?" Drek, last thing I need is a decker pissed off because I called too early

07:15:10 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Apartment 875, Parkewood Village Apartments, Tacoma

"Oh. Yeah, hey man." Todd pauses to yawn, "You're an early riser... Sure, lets do this. Want to get together for breakfast? There is a place down the street from where you dropped me off yesterday, Lenny's. Good eats."

07:15:16 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

"Yeah, I do tend to get up early; old habits die hard. As long as they've got real coffee, I can handle it. Call it about 8:30?" Tony said, checking the time.

07:15:20 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Apartment 875, Parkewood Village Apartments, Tacoma

"Sure. Gives me time to shower and wake up. See ya there."

Hanging up the line, Todd throws his sheets aside and plants his feet on the floor. Jerking a bit as the cold of the hardwood flooring seeps into his toes, he quickens his pace towards the bathroom.

08:18:23 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Apartment 875, Parkewood Village Apartments, Tacoma

An hour later, he is in front of the mirror, applying gel and drying his spikes. Grabbing his backpack on his way out the door, Todd makes his way down the block to Lenny's.

19:20:03 Wednesday 10 January - Schrodinger's Chess and Coffee Shop, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

The wind howled, and Eyes shivered like a leaf. As much as he liked to think he was used to the cold, there was a part of Eyes that never really left the much sunnier Calfree, and times like this he really missed the way it would sometimes go days without a real cloud in the sky. He was surprised he actually made it on time for the meet; the freeways had cleared up remarkably in the past hew hours and he had made better time than he was expecting.

And now, of course, came the hard part. Eyes hesitated at the door to the coffee shop; he didn't particularly want to be here right now, as in a few minutes he'd have to be letting Jennifer know he'd reached a dead end. It was only a small failure, really, and such things had to be expected during something so involved. He couldn't help feeling a personal connection to the job, though; he really wanted to succeed at this, and not just for what seemed more and more a pittance, compared to what the job was worth. You do this to yourself every time, he thought ruefully, You sweep yourself up, enslave yourself to a cause, to the exclusion of gain, of safety, of good sense. What's gonna wake you up this time?

Eyes pushed open the door, and stepped inside. What else was he going to do?

19:24:11 Wednesday 10 January - Schrodinger's Chess and Coffee Shop, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

The coffeeshop is blessedly warm, filled with the aromas of dark Kona roast and biscuits. The clientele appears to be the same, only fewer students. Eyes orders a venti, just for the extra warmth the coffee will provide, and finds an open table where he can watch for Jennifer. He doesn't have to wait long for either, his employer walking through the door shortly after 1930. Seating herself across from him at the table, she unwinds the scarf around her neck and blows on her hands to warm them. Her eyes, though guarded, show a flicker of hope and interest.

"What did you find?"

21:59:30 Monday 08 January 2063 - In Front of the Paradigm Shift

Max opened his mouth to reply, but thinks better of it.

‘No need to show more of your naiveté, you’ve embarrassed yourself enough.’

So wordlessly Max follows the bouncer towards the club entrance. Aside from the astral security, The Paradigm Shift’s astral space was alive with color and emotion. The crowd outside was a turbulent mix of anxious waiting, excitement and adrenaline, with an undercurrent of frustration, boredom and restlessness at the snow that was falling faster and faster.

Max’s own aura mirrors much of the crowd. He is anxious and excited about his meet, but frustrated and restless about the events of the day. He needed this job, but he couldn’t help but feel that he should be doing something to help Keira.

‘Hopefully John is having some luck.’ He thinks to himself as he follows the bouncer into The Paradigm Shift.

2005 Tuesday, January 9, 2063 - Land's End Magic Shop

Sam nods acknowledgement of both proviso and parameters, glances up when he hears the nuyen limit. "I have to be honest with you, Andie," he says after a moment. "Within that budget, detect/record is about the only thing you'll be able to do with any competent thief, and even that will be far from guaranteed. What you'll really be aiming to do -- what anyone really aims to do, anywhere -- is to deter the casual attempts and try to track down the more determined and skilled ones. Beyond that -- well, it gets expensive. It helps that you don't have any windows. I've got a few ideas and you've obviously got the connections, but -- you're tired? And you'll have an early morning tomorrow too." Unobtrusively Sam's drifted back with him to the main store area and then to the workshop; something Andie only really realises when the heavy curtain's moved aside a second time, allowing another icy draught in. "What're you making here, orichalcum?"

Andie nods shortly, checking the various parts of refinement and distillation as a matter of course. Good. It's settled down, and I'll hope the wards hold through tomorrow. I really have to get them back to strength before Sara notices. And she'll notice: even this guy noticed almost immediately. I know she asked me to do it, but I wonder if she'll object if they happened to have someone else's astral signature? At that he sighs: Probably she won't say anything, but I'll have disappointed her again. And then an odd thought: Do I even care? Sure, she'll expect it, but it's not like I signed a contract to do it or even really agreed to do it. My magical studies here are done. I'm no longer her student, I'm a businessman, well, working on it anyway. We've got the one business deal locked away, she'll buy a few units at percentage or take on commission and she's already agreed to let that second unit stand as the full cost of the tuition. I've got copies of the libraries, computers to pick up day after tomorrow, and a lot of spell formulae to learn. What else do I really need from her?

It's a logical thought, and a very uncomfortable one, and it's refusing to leave as he's settling in for another night. I finish this circulation, and what more do I want from them? I want my own store, but most of that's up to me, and it doesn't look like they'll help me much beyond what they've already done. Granted, that was huge, but now that I've already got it ...? I thought I wanted adventure, but not if it comes in the form of unnerving people who slam me down to the floor without reason. I really thought I was going to die. I was scared. I've never been that scared in my entire life.

Do I want them as friends?

In its own way, that thought is even more frightening. Certainly Sara had been acting much more like a friend, this past month, than like a business associate or even a teacher. And Solomon -- but that one's complicated. Be easier to understand if he wore a wedding ring on his hand to match hers -- I'll hope I can create a focus like that one, one day! -- but he doesn't. They understand each other to the point that they finish each other's sentences, sometimes. But their hands never touch.

And now there's a brother in the equation ...

My life seems to have gotten very complicated. And then, completely randomly, I miss spending time in the gardens with Abe. He smiles at that: Heck, I'm missing working at my parents' bar!

Andie wakes up suddenly -- must be close to midnight. He'd fallen asleep on that thought. The room's cold. And the rest of what Sam had been saying had suddenly registered. (He'd stopped really listening after the second acknowledgement: "Good. That means I can cover for you ...")

"... when you're dealing with the dog tomorrow" ?!?

Staring into the cold darkness, tired, listening to the quiet bubble of the crucible and the soft background growl of the oven, wishing he could just fast-forward the whole month and have his own shop established and at the same time that he could go back to when it was mostly just him and Sara and the occasional few hours at his parents' bar.

I don't know if I can handle being friends. I don't even know if I really want to try. Can't we just make trades for what I need without all these attached strings?

07:15:17 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Capitol Hill Terrace, Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

"See ya there," Tony says. Hanging up the line, he gets out of bed for a quick shave and shower. I'm not used to rushing this early in the morning, but traffic is going to be killer getting out to Tacoma he thinks to himself, hurriedly running soap and hot water over himself.

08:28:13 Thursday 11 January 2063 - 5th St, Tacoma, Seattle UCAS
Thank God I took the quickest shower in my life Tony thinks, pulling off onto 5th Street in Tacoma, or else that traffic jam on I-5 would have messed my schedule up. Some commuter bus had apparently hit a stretch of ice, fishtailing and eventually filpping over and blocking all but two lanes of the Southbound traffic. Stuck with what appeared to be half of the Sprawl's communters, Tony was glad that the traffic didn't take too long to right itself. Of course, it doesn't hurt to be in one of the lanes that didn't get blocked he thinks to himself as he pulls up to the spot the Autonav said to go.

Getting out of the car, he walks into the cafe. Man, I should give a little more thought to how I dress he thinks, looking at the cafe's inhabitants. Although not as fancy as the Vashon Island outfit he had on yesterday, the fine clothing that Tony had on was better than most in this neighborhood, making him stick out in the crowd, as does his looking around for Todd.

08:28:20 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Lenny's Diner, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Todd can't help but chuckle at how Tony was dress, but the guy was cool with him either way. Raising his arm, Todd waves Tony over to the booth he managed to grab. As the bodyguard steps up to the table, Todd smiles and motions to the seat across from him.

"I already ordered some coffee, it should be here in a sec. How's the last few days been treatin' ya?"

08:28:44 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Lenny's Diner, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"Not too bad, considering that Seattle is now in the Arctic Circle. How about you? How's that project you're workin' on going?" Tony says, removing is jacket and taking a seat opposite of Todd

14:01:07 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

Ah, Rosie. I told you to send someone else! Your "couple of minutes" are long gone, and still no word. What the frag do I do now?

John sat in the front seat of the van, smoking the last cigarette of the pack. In the back the kids were keeping up a constant stream of taunts and pleas, trying to get him to provide details. He'd been ignoring them as long as possible, trying to keep some semblance of a watch, trying to keep from dwelling on Rosa and Nora, but finally he could take no more.

He turned to look into the back as Megan said, "C'mon! Just tell us already! Why'd ya stand her up? Stringin' two chicas along at the same time or somethin'?"

"Enough! Holy fraggin' drek! Don't you guys ever shut up?"

"We can be really quiet, chummer," Tyler smiled slyly, "When someone's tellin' us a story."

Ignoring the giggles that Tyler's crack produced, John sighed and said, "Trust me, you guy's don't want to hear my story. It's long and depressing and don't have no happy endings. As far the woman I was talking to, she's the one who is currently risking her life to help us find our friends. Remember that?"

"Aw, c'mon! We ain't askin' for your day-to-day, chummer. Just tell us who she is and why she got mad at ya!" Megan looked to the others for support, as Tyler added, "Yeah, man. I heard her yellin'. You don't get that drek from friends; just family and lovers...and we know it ain't your sister."

Sighing again, John briefly hung his head. "If I tell you a little, will you promise to be quiet for a while?" He looked up in time to see them all nod, and Megan sit forward. "Ok. Her name's Rosa, and we were engaged a long time ago. It didn't work out, and she left. I don't blame her. It was totally my fault."

As the painful memories surfaced, John paused to decide how to continue. "Couple of years ago, I'm going through AA, trying to stay clean. You guys know anything about AA? Well, there's these steps you have to do, right? One of 'em is to apologize to everyone that you've done something bad to." He finished the cigarette and tossed the butt out the window.

"I thought about it, and decided that there was no way that I could apologize to everyone. I mean, I was a pretty fraggin' bad guy for a long time. I needed to prioritize; only do the people that I really wronged. That list was still pretty long. Rosa was on it. So I told her I was sorry and after talking for a while we decided to keep in touch. She comes into town on business every so often. When she does, we get together and catch up on what's going on.

"We were supposed to get together last night, get some coffee or something. Then this deal with Nora comes up and I have to bail. I don't know why she got so hot."

He turned back to his watch, looking for any sign they'd been spotted, before glancing over his shoulder. "Satisfied?"

22:00:45 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Lobby

As tight as the astral security was, it was quickly apparent that the owners hadn't skimped on physical security either. Walking through a fairly small lobby, the bouncer led Max to a security checkpoint that made no efforts to hide the MAD detector in front of the entrance to the club, nor the two razorguys flanking it. An attractive woman stood behind a counter and smiled at Max while placing a plastic bin on the table.

"Please leave any weapons you have in the bin. They will be returned to you as you leave the club. Thank you and enjoy your stay." Her smile and practiced speech sounded polite and unthreatening, but then again, Max supposed that was what all the muscle was for.

"Don't worry chummer, you'll get your stuff back. Just leave your weapons and I'll take you to Mr. Fan." The bouncer leading the way paused and looked at him expectantly.

02:04:09 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

The kids look at each other for a moment, as if they're puzzled by something. Finally Tyler breaks the silence. "Damn man, are you stupid or something? She's glitched because you bailed on her, and she's still got feelings for ya. It don't take no corp scientist to figure that one out."

"OK kid, you don't know what you're talking about, it's..."

"Aw geez, leave him alone Tyler," Megan unexpectedly spoke up, defending him. "I mean, he can't help it if he's getting senile in his old age and can't see what's right in front of him no more!"

The kids all sniggered at their jokes, but John could pick up the faintest hint that they really were concerned and trying to help him, albeit in a very roundabout way.

Luckily for him, before the conversation could go any farther, his phone rang. Looking at the ID, he noted with relief that it was Rosa.

"Cole, it's me. Listen, sorry it took me a while, I decided to go through some extra preparations before I actually set out, just in case it got heavy, you know? Anyway, it was easier than I expected. No astral security, nothing. Bunch of people inside, all mundanes, no one with any unusually heavy or out of place cyberware. If this place is as shady as you think it is, they must be keeping a really low profile."

Rosa paused for a moment, then continued, "So what are you going to do now?"

19:24:11 Wednesday 10 January - Schrodinger's Chess and Coffee Shop, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Eyes shrugged lightly. "Nothing useful, I'm afraid," he replied, "I followed the clue you found, and it led me to a bus station locker with an OCC inside. I took a peek, and it looked like it was going to be a frame of some kind--sort of a helper program--but it was never finished." Most of that was true enough; of course it didn't tell the whole story, but Jennifer didn't need to know anything more about it. "It was elegant code, worthy of a master for certain, but it doesn't really help us out at all."

"So I guess we're stuck with the original plan," he concluded. "Did you bring it along with you?"

14:08:35 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

As he answered the phone and heard that it was Rosa, John breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Listening to her story left him confused.

"Wait, that's it? No awakened types, no razorguys, nothin' out of the ordinary? Did you see...hold on a minute." Covering the phone, he turned around and glared at the gangers as they made kissing-noises and fake baby-talk. They'd started the minute it became obvious who he was talking to. "Do you kids fraggin' mind? Or do I need to step-out of the van?"

As they all collapsed in a fit of laughter, Megan responded, "We'll be good! Promise!"

Fraggin' kids. Don't they realize how serious this is? ... Wait. They probably do, right? Everyday is life or death on the streets and you know that first hand, chummer. They're just takin' their fun where they can find it. They're just razzin' you like you was part of the group. Who knows, maybe you are now?

Putting the phone back to his ear, he heard Rosa say, "Cole? Is there a problem?"

"No, Rosie, everything's fine. Just some of Nora's friends giving me a hard time. Anyways, I was about to ask how many people did you mean by a bunch? Also, can you recognize people when you're astral like that? I mean, I guess I'm asking if you saw Nora. I was hopin' that this was the end of the line, but it sounds like just another fraggin' step."

22:01:30 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Lobby

Wordlessly Max pulls the Remington Roomsweeper from his jacket and hands it over to the woman behind the counter.

“Thank you sir.” She replies handing Max a claim ticket in return.

“Your welcome.” He smiles back. While he may be out of his element he knew it never hurt to be polite. Turning back towards the bouncer he motions forward with his gloved hand. “After you.”

Max follows the bouncer through a heavy curtain into the club. It was busy even considering that it was a Monday night and Seattle was in the middle of a snowstorm. The first floor held the main dancehall, while booths line the outside of the second floor, for those wanting a more intimate place amid the noise and chaos of the Paradigm Shift. Catwalks crisscrossed the upper level allowing full view of the lower level of the club. Max continued to follow the bouncer through the press of bodies near the bar and towards a waiting elevator.

02:09:14 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

"Sorry Cole, I think it's just going to be another step. Let me check my notes...here we go. I counted thirty in the building you described, not sure if the whole place is owned by the Clinic or not though. It looked like a couple of labs and offices on the upper floors, examination rooms on the ground level along with the requisite waiting room. If I had to guess by placement, activity, and aura, I'd say about twenty or so of those thirty are employees, the rest are patients or 'others', so to speak."

"Everything's fine all right...now that I'm talking to you baby!" Tyler looked at Megan with big googly eyes, and the three of them all burst out laughing again.

"What was that? Did someone say something Cole?"

Glaring at the gangers and making the throat-cutting sign to knock it off only made them laugh harder, leading to an amusing (at least to them) imitation of him by Twiggy.

Looking at the ceiling for relief, as if there were any to be found there, John continued, "No, just Nora's friends being idiots. What about security again?"

"Like I said, security seems legit. No awakened types, no razorguys. Couple of people had some cyberware, but light, what you'd expect from the average person these days. There were maybe two to four security guards with light cyber, but nothing I would classify as anywhere close to anything serious. Comparable to a Lone Star patrol officer, if that. I hate to say it Cole, but I didn't see Nora either. Whatever you do here, it's going to be just another step no matter how you look at it. Any other questions for me?"

22:01:45 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Lobby

The bouncer leads him through the lobby to the elevators, where an ork bouncer and his escort exchange nods of greeting. Stepping into the transparent elevator, Max rises above the crowds for a bird's eye view of the club. Loud sensations, auditory and astral assault his senses as he takes in the pulsating beat of the music and the raw emotion generated by the crowds.

Exiting the elevator, the bouncer leads him to a room along the back wall, knocks twice sharply, then opens the door. "Here you are Mr. Steiner. Enjoy your meeting."

Then he closes the door, leaving Max alone with an elderly Asian male sitting on the couch along the far wall.

22:03:00 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Room 7

Nodding to Max politely, the elderly man gestures to a comfortable looking chair across from him and slightly to Max's right. "Please. Sit down. I have taken the liberty of ordering refreshments for us. Feel free to order a drink when the food arrives. My name is Mr. Fan, and I presume that you are Maximillian Steiner?

Max nods politely. "That is correct Mr. Fan."

"Excellent. Your reptuation as an academic and a researcher proceeds you Mr. Steiner."

Takinga sip of his own drink, Mr. Fan idly swirls the liquid in his glass with a small cocktail straw. "Tell me, how does a man of your credentials find himself working in the shadows? While I certainly confess it is none of my business, my client has expressed concerns over the sincerity a man of your distinguished stature would possess for such an 'off the record', if you will, undertaking."

22:03:45 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Room 7

Mr. Fan’s question took Max completely by surprise. It was not something that he preferred to talk about even amongst friends and this man was a complete stranger. He clears his throat and gathers his composure before replying.

“If your client must know, my current appearance is the reason for my dismissal from the University. I have applied for numerous other positions, but have found those avenues to be blocked as well. Now I must fund my own research with moneys gained by investigation and research for clients that wish to keep their findings private in nature. This arrangement also allows me to pick my clientele and arrange time for my aforementioned private research projects.”

Max wasn’t about to go into detail about his family’s role in his walking the shadows, it still hurt to much to think about.

“I hope that explains enough to sooth any fears your client may have.”

22:05:00 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Room 7

Mr. Fan smiles apologetically. "I apologize for the intrusive nature of my query. However, you must realize that those who walk in the shadows follow an unwritten code of professionalism if only because to do otherwise would bring their careers to a quick and nasty end. Not being a regular or established denizen of those shadows yourself, my client sought assurance that you would nonetheless adhere to those same rules."

Max nods in understanding, and at that moment, the waitress comes in with their refreshments. After placing a drink order for himself, Max turns to find Mr. Fan gesturing to the refreshments she brought in. Helping himself, he listens as Mr. Fan continues. "Now that we have settled that matter, I will give you the general nature of the proposed job. My client wishes to hire you to assist in conducting research of a very...delicate nature. What that nature is, I cannot reveal too much of, for obvious reasons, I am afraid.

He puts his drink down, and folds his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on the table in front of him. "What I can tell you is that it will involve travel, on-site research, and expertise in numerous scientific fields I am told you are quite proficient in. If I understand correctly, I believe you are to play a consulting and analytical role more than conducting the actual research. I have also been instructed to tell you that the research may be of a personal interest to you as well. Additionally, the job comes with a confidentially and non-disclosure agreement as well."

Mr. Fan pauses and takes a sip of his drink. "If you are interested, you will speak further with my client personally. If not, I believe this concludes our business here tonight. Do you have any clarifying questions before speaking with my client? I cannot guarantee answers to them, but I will try to answer as best as I can."

22:20:01 Monday 08 January 2063 - Paradigm Shift Room 7

The waitress returns with Max’s drink, a Mondavi coastal pinot noir 2043. It was a good vintage.

“I am interested in your clients proposal, Mr. Fan, enough to meet with him anyway. The only question I have for you is, do you know when your client would like to meet and do you know his timetable for the completion of his research?”

14:11:44 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

"Just one last thing. You get impressions or whatever when you're astral, right? Did you ever get the feeling that anyone was up to no good?"

08:28:44 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Lenny's Diner, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"Yeah, I've make a lot of headway. Actually, I need to talk to you about that... but first, as promised..."

Todd reaches into his pockets and pulls out a datachip and slides it across the table to Tony. "Sorry it took so long, but I wanted to get you as much as I possibly could. I think I even got a RTG number for the troll. Give it a look."

02:11:59 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

Even though he couldn't see her, he'd known Rosa long enough and well enough to almost feel her rolling her eyes. "For crying out loud Cole, most of the sprawl is up to 'no good' at any given moment. Hell, I could sense you being up to no good most of the time I've known you. To answer your question, yes, I sensed several people in there were 'up to no good', but what exactly that means is anybody's guess. Without a mind probe or something designed to gather more information, a cursory aural scan won't give me that kind of info."

14:12:38 Monday 08 January 2063 - Research for Practical Applications Clinic, Redmond

"Frag, Rosie, I don't know this stuff! I mean, I knew it was possible, but not how detailed it got, right? Anyway, thanks for the help. I'm sure you got to go, but I'll call if I find out anything new."

"It was easy, so don't worry. I just wish I could do more." She paused briefly before adding, "Cole? I...uh, just be careful."

Taken off guard, John simply said, "Yeah." before disconnecting. What was that? Are these fraggin' kids right? How could she still feel that way after all I've done? No way, chummer. Probably just worried about Nora. They always were tight. Maybe, though...

"So, when's the date?" Twiggy's voice, and the resulting laughter, pulled John back from his thoughts.

"You guys ever think of takin' your act on the road?" John shot back as he patted his pockets looking for his cigarettes. Frag! Smoked the last one. Guess I'll have to stop somewhere.

"Oooh, good one." Megan came up and sat in the passenger seat. "So? What did your girlfriend say? I mean about the clinic. You can leave out all of the mushy drek."

"She's not my...! She said that there were plenty of people in there, but no Nora. She doesn't know Keira, so she couldn't really look for her, but I think that she would have been able to tell if someone was being held prisoner. All-in-all, she said it looked kinda legit."

"That's what we said too. Man, were we ever wrong." John turned around to see Twiggy looking at the clinic through the window. As he watched, Tyler reached out to give the younger elf a reassuring pat on the shoulder. He then turned to John, "So? What now? We still waitin' on that other call?"

The old runner turned to look out the windshield before replying. "Nah, I don't think we should wait. He may not have even gotten the message yet. I'll go to him. I mean, I'm not going into this place alone, maybe not at all. I'll have to talk to my friend, and Max before that's decided."

He started the van and pulled away from the curb. "First though, I'm going to swing by my place and pick some stuff up, just so I don't have to go back later." He glanced over at Megan and added, "What about you guys? You want to stick with me for a while, or should I drop you at the shelter. Your decision of course, but I'm not sure it wouldn't be safer for Twiggy here to keep movin' around."