The Rules are simple: No signatures, rolls to a Spoiler.
OOC: http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=7785

Emerald City Messengers, the jewel of downtown Seattle; that's what the adverts declare, though the reality is of course far from the claim. The truth of the matter was, the main dispatch office for the company, hell, the only dispatch office, was closer to being located in Tacoma than Downtown. But hey, what can be said about it? Even in a time where more business than ever has gone digital, there still remains a place for the physical courrier. After all, there are just some documents you don't want going over a wire, and when you really need that Stuffer Shack Soycheeseburger, who better to bring it to your office?

That's why Hermes started the place. Hermes, the guy most people know as one of the most demanding bosses on the streets; an overweight, festidious orc with a voice that sounds like it could crack concrete. While he's quick to remind his people they're one mistake away from unemployment, he pays well. He pays even better if you're working for him in his other, less known capacity. Now some would smirk at those he employs as runners, but he fills an important niche in the shadows as a Fixer. His runners are the new blood in a world constantly in need of it.

Such a runner are you.

Sure you've got a past - everyone in the biz does - but you're still cutting your teeth in the shadows. Everyone needs to start somewhere. So when Hermes calls your name, and says you've got a hot run, well you know your break might just be now. Hot run, after all, is Hermes' way of calling you to the dingy old breakroom, so you can have that special talk that means a bonus this pay.

Johnson is in back, getting changed in front of his locker when Hermes calls. "JOHNSON! IN MY OFFICE!" An outsider may think that Johnson was in deep drek, but he knew the drill. He throws the street gear back into the locker, and straightens his shirt with a smile. Hopefully its a hot run, not just the boss upset about some new policy. "JOHNSON! YOU GOT 30 SECONDS!"

Johnson was just about to enter, when the demand comes. So he stands outside the office for a few more seconds, double checking his clothes are in order, and there are no scuffs on his shoes. Then finally he walks in casually, "Hey boss, what have you got for me today?"

Johnson stands, waiting patiently for Hermes to offer him a seat. Either that, or give him todays route.

JOHNSON! IN MY OFFICE!"

Kai swivels slightly around, opens his eyes. There's one very pissed-off overweight ork looking down at him.

"When I said you could crash here, I didn't mean in my chair!"

It's nothing Kai hasn't heard before -- many times before. As long as he keeps doing his job well, it's all bark and no bite. He leans back and closes his eyes again. In the background he can hear the ork bellowing: "JOHNSON! YOU GOT 30 SECONDS!" followed by the sounds of their boss rummaging in one of the filing cabinets.

This should be interesting.

When Johnson's slightly squeaky, unscuffed shoes are almost directly in front of the desk, Kai kicks his own running shoes down from the desk and straightens up in the boss's chair: "Geez, took ya long 'nough."

Steve looked up from the screamsheet someone had left in the breakroom when he heard the boss yell. At least it was Johnson in the drek, not him.

I wonder what trouble that stick up the ass yuppy is in, thought his drek don’t stink. Steve thought to himself.

His attention returned to the article as he tried to remember where he had seen the author’s name before.

Amanda, Glide to her friends and co-workers, woke up early as she always did on the days she worked for Emerald City. She had moved out of her old apartment in Puyallup to be closer to her job at there. You would think that it would be an upgrade, but not really. Her doss in Tacoma was a hole, but hey it was her hole. Glide rolls out of bed and hits the shower. After a bit of clanging and sputtering the shower nozzle springs to life. It looks to be a good day for her. The water looks clean and has no strange oders to it. It was ice cold, but hey she could live with that. The shower was quick and after a few minutes of vigorous scrubbing she made a mad, shivering dash through her apartment throwing on clothes as she went. It wasn’t long before she was dressed and ready to go. Glide took one last glimpse of herself in the mirror, and tied her black and purple hair back into a small ponytail. She was pretty happy with the look. The purple eye shadow Marcy had let her borrow matched the highlights in her hair perfectly. She would have to remember to ask her where she got it.

‘Heh, look at me…the wanna-be shadowrunner, worrying about her make-up.’

Glide made sure any valuables were hidden before pulling her black “Rapid Transit” jacket on over her Emerald City Messenger uniform and shoulder holster containing her Predator. She slings the scabbard of her Katana over her back and heads out the door. The streets were still pretty empty, but it wouldn’t be long before Tacoma would be full of wage slaves on their way to work. Glide straps on her helmet and with a metal flick causes the Durashock wheels of her cyber skates to snap into place. With a push of her modified leg muscles Glide rolls out into the streets and towards the Emerald City Messenger HQ.

A half hour or so later Glide rolls up to the front door of Emerald City. She retracts her skate wheels just as she hits the sidewalk and transitions smoothly into a walking stride. Removing her helmet and tucking it under her left arm, she pushing the door open with her right.

"JOHNSON! IN MY OFFICE!"

‘Looks like Hermes is in his usual good mood.’

Glide throws a nod to Steve as she enters the breakroom, to store some of her gear.

“Any idea what’s up his ass this morning?’

About a hundred odd kilos of irate ork if I was guessing.

Steve chuckled at the thought as he put away his pocket sec and turned to face the pretty young girl.

"Morning, Glide"

Viper, hanging out near the dispatch office, raises no eyebrows - she hangs out here a lot. But Hermes actually left a vague message on her telecom, telling her that she might want to swing by today. That got her interest - she has her eye on some goodies over at Mort's, and it might take a chunk of change to get them. Hermes may be a bit abrasive, but his jobs have been a big step over the usual errands and mischief she does to get by. She hasn't seen Kai around, yet. Kid's probably snoozing somewhere.

In the meantime, she is amusing herself by explaining, with saintly forbearance, to Spike (one of the Emerald City messengers, and alas, poor deluded thing, a rivetgirl) just how much her favorite industrial band sucks. "Honestly, you can't even call it music. It's more like the noise you would get if you took a dozen cats and several revved-up chainsaws, and threw them all in a cement mixer. Although being a cat in a cement mixer with chainsaws would be a more pleasant experience than actually listening to that garbage." Spike, apparently unable to face the truth about her band, is responding with her usual mix of threats and insults. "Aaargh! You bitch! I'll eat your spleen between two pieces of toast! Yer momma's so goth, she don't eat beans an' rice, she eats beans Anne Rice! Yer momma's so goth, when she gets cold, she don't turn up the thermostat, she turns up the thermoLESTAT!"

They both pause when Hermes' voice booms out "JOHNSON! IN MY OFFICE!" Viper idly wonders if the pretty boy seeing Hermes has anything to do with why Hermes left her a message. Sometimes he almost seems to use Johnson as an intermediary when he's gathering a group together for a run. She nods briefly to Glide who, like Steve, is paying little heed to her usual wrangling with Spike.

Hermes, still digging through files, probably more to look important and busy than actually looking for something, as Johnson waits his reply. He keeps in his laugh as Kai tries to sit up straight. Johnson gives him the "I seen that" smile, still holding his chuckle. With Hermes continuing exploration into the unknown of office paper work, Johnson reaches over and wipes the scuff marks Kai left on his desk. Returning to his professional stance, he gives the kid another smile, but this time an unaudible chuckle escapes.

Controling his facial expressions again, "Sorry boss, thought you called me. Im going to get some coffee. You want to join me Mouse?"

Four hundred pounds of orc shift about when Johnson says he's going to go get coffee. Hermes regards the two of them, the suit and the kid, for a long moment.

`Yeah, you go do that. While you're getting your coffee, round up the usual suspects, meet me in the lounge. And for the love of my ugly mother make sure there's no one nosy about.`

Johnson usually gets a begrudging respect from Hermes, mainly because they're almost the same age. This all isn't unusual, though. This is the routine they've had for every run. He bellows for the suit, to make the others know he can still be angry when he wants to, and then he gets him to pull the group together in the lounge area. Hermes is nothing if not theatrical.

Johnson walks out of the boss's office with a smirk. "Oooo you're all in trouble now," he says to his coworkers with a laugh. "Hermes is pissed!" His joking manner looses most of the others in the office, now loosing their interest.

As he walks up to where Steve is and passes the much more simple message, "Hermes wants us in the lounge." He does so quietly enough for others not to overhear, but not the obvious whisper, that seems to make others ears perk up.

Continuing on down the line, Johnson meets up with Viper. "Hey are you guys talking about Chrystal Drek, they fraggin rock. Yeah!" Spike snorts and leaves, being revolted by someone as ancient as her dad having the same taste in music. "Thought that would piss her off. Hermes has work for the 'dream team'. We are meeting in the lounge."

In the breakroom he finds Glide. "You're in deep drek. Hermes wants to see you in the lounge." Glide knows its a lie, but you can never tell with Johnson, he can make it sound so serious, that you don't know sometimes when he is kidding.

Steve gives Johnson a quick nod, finishes whatever entry he's making in the pocket sec and trails slowly toward the lounge.
Whatever had the big ork going was about to spread - and sometimes that meant good nuyen.

"Yeah. Sure, boss." Not moving from his perch, Kai doesn't bother to conceal his grin as he watches what's obviously an established routine unfolding betwen his boss and Johnson. He still hasn't been able to figure whether the older guy's some kind of manager, or just a grunt like the rest of them. Grapevine -- name of Viper -- had said something about there being some more interesting jobs run out the side for the 'dream team', extra cash, that kind of thing. Looks like it just might be Kai's chance to finally get in on that action. Long's it involves a bicycle, ought to be right up his alley. "Double delux skinny tall, extra froth with peppermint sprinkles, on ye'r nuyen, right?"

"Some time today, Mouse." That's from Johnson. Kinda figures that the one thing the guy would pick up on real quick was that fraggin' name -- and then he's up and out of the chair and ducking the light, punctuating cuff from Hermes out of long instinct -- okay, about a week's worth of instinct, it's not like Hermes ever really means it seriously. "And for the love of my ugly mother make sure there's no one nosy about," Hermes adds quietly to Johnson -- making Kai's ears perk up real good.

Bunch of others, milling around sort of outside. Guess they was warned by Hermes' yell. Huh, Viper's here. "Hoi, Viper," he says, and she waves back, but she's listening to Johnson, he overhears something about meeting in the lounge. Geez, like that's a stretch. Yeah, definitely some kind of routine, and it's on the QT: besides Viper, Johnson's pickin' out a person here and a person there, talking quietly to each of them.

Hey, an' he's pulled me inna the lounge as well. That means it's official. The grin grows wider. I'm in.

Johnson watches as the team assembles in the lounge, keeping a close eye for any easedroppers. He grabs the coffee pot, a couple of clean mugs, the sugar and creame and carries them across the office to the lounge.

He enters, checking again to see if any nosy coworkers are around, then enters behind the rest of the team. After setting all the mugs up right, Johnson fills the six cups and passing them around the table. He sets a full mug at the empty 'big chair' for Hermes, then takes the seat opposite of him.

Taking a seat near Hermes "big chair", Glide graciously accepts the mug from Johnson and takes a sip.

"Ahh, nothing like the taste of soycaff in the morning to wake you up."

Kai grabs the largest of the assorted mugs as they're passed around. On it, accompanying the caption, is a large picture of a grinning, striped cat. He pulls the bowl of sugar packets over to himself, and proceeds to start dumping as many of them as he can into his soykaf before someone objects.

Viper sits down with a slight smirk. Looking around, she sees that her hunch is virtually confirmed - it's a job. "Yo, Kai," she greets as the street kid comes in. So Mouse is going to be part of this? The others might be a bit surprised, but she's not. She doesn't go around tripping on her astral sight all the time, but she takes a peek enough to know that some of the others are cybered, and that Kai is awakened. She idly stirs her soycaf with her finger. "Well, what do you know? No dead bugs floating around in it this time. Pity... they were kind of tasty."

"Gotta get the protein somehow," says Kai, glancing beside him, then leaning over to stare more intently into Glide's mug. "But -- er, never mind." And he tilts back his head and downs most of his own mug. "Got any more?"

Johnson quietly replies to Viper's remark, "No, they all sank this time, and they are all in the bottom of the far cup." Old Man Johnson is obviously referring to the boss's mug, but not saying it. The team is left to wonder if that is because its true. It is usually Kai and Viper sabotaging the others for a laugh, but maybe Johnson actually did it, to let the others know he is really part of the team. I guess we will have to wait and see Hermes reaction, if he finishes his cup.

"Mouse, you want to toss me a sugar packet, before the whole box is in your drink?" Johnson waits with his hand on the table, bottom of his palm touching, but his fingers and hand raised, waiting for a packet to be slid over to him.

It's a few more moments, and some bellowing in the main dispatch area of the offices, before Hermes makes his way into the lounge. He's never moved fast in the time anyone's been working for him, though there have been whispers of the time he sprinted after a delivery truck laden with Doritos.

He takes a look about, and moves to the chair that's customarily his, settling in slowly, so as not to crush it. When he takes up his mug, and takes a swig, he sloshes the contents around in his mouth a moment before swallowing.

`Extra bugs today, eh?`

How he knows what they'd been talking about is just one of his mysteries. After letting that settle a moment, he smiles a yellow toothed smile.

`I bet you've all just been waiting for this, haven't you? A good old hot run. Here's the deal, for those of you who haven't worked one of these before. What I talk about here, doesn't get talked about outside this room. I hear rumors going around, and I get to firing people.`

He takes another swig of the coffee, and sets the mug down.

`I've got a man who wants to meet with you about a special order. So yous all have the rest of the day off, paid.`

He has of course aranged his fees, so he doesn't care about floating them a little extra.

`I don't want to know what this deal is you're doing, but if you don't come to work tommorrow, I'll dock a sick day. You get three, then I look for new couriers. Comprende?`

"Boss, tomorrow is my off day. If I dont show up are you still going to dock me a sick day?" Johnson smiles watching Hermes reaction. Before he can answer though Johnson continues.

"When and where is the meet?"

Glide sits back in her chair and waits for the details of the meet.

'Good, extra nuyen.'

Steve pushes his untouched cup towards Kai then opens a new file on his pocket sec.

With a flick of his wrist that sends a packet skittering across the lounge table to stop right in front of Johnson, Kai finishes his own mug, then grins thanks at Steve and begins dumping sugar into the new one.

"Ya gonna pay me an extra day if I stick around here anyway, long's I go meet yer guy an' don' talk about it except in here? Ya kin pay me Johnson's." He leans forward, a gleam in his dark eyes. "But ya know, that's gonna be ratty, ifn' ya think 'bout it. Like, kin I talk 'bout it with these guys even if we're not inna lounge? Or if there's other people inna lounge, kin I talks about it then? Or --"

Viper shakes her head ruefully. His first possible run, and Kai is already tag-teaming Hermes with Johnson. Fortunately, the big ork seems to have a decent tolerance for sass despite his deceptively surly demeanor. She is tempted to put in her own two cents, asking if she gets a day's pay too (not being an employee), but decides against it. Pushing people's buttons is an delicate art form, and she avoids being either obvious or derivative when she does it. Instead, she turns to Kai.

"Hey now, Kai, don't blow it. This could be your big break." Pause and a smirk. "Hmm... is that why they call this the break room?" Even Johnson seems to wince just slightly at the bad pun, but Viper is looking back at Hermes, waiting for him to reply to Johnson's question, with a deceptively innocent look on her face.

Kai rolls his eyes.

Johnson opens the packet and pours the sugar into his cup. Taking a large swig, then setting the cup down. "Mmmm...I can taste the roaches."

* bump *
Steve tries to ignore the other's pointless chatter, waiting for the big ork to get to the paydata.

Used to Johnson's dealings, and used to also just brushing them off, Hermes just grunts, and waves him off. When Kai follows up, he groans.

`You're all lucky I don't get myself some more seasoned professionals for this type of job as it is. You want to keep carrying packages all yer lives, feel free to try and weasel out of my arangement. Those of you who are serious about all this, you've got a date at Merciless Ming's tonight, six sharp. I'd suggest not being late. These boys look like they won't take that so well.`

He's not the money man, they should know this. He just gives them the jobs, and the time to do them.

"Thanks boss. Can we use the lounge for a few more minutes to organize?"

Johnson waits on Hermes answer, and exit, before getting down to the details. "Well, looks like its time to rake in some nuyen. This is good. I like negotiating the job myself, not having Hermes do it for us." He knows the orc has the room wired, but has always acted as if he didnt know. He will never bad mouth him here, but he will make the regular "work sucks, boss is a slave driver" jokes you would any other place. Hopefully that throws Hermes off his scent.

"Okay, Kai. Here is how we roll. I make the meet. If you and Glide," Johnson looks over at the charming orc, "can scope out the place, we can make more detailed plans."

"For now I would like to enter Ming's, obviously with Viper and Glide. You do what ever the situation calls for. If there is seating for all, then we all sit, if just for one I will sit, and you two will stand over and watch. Steve, you blend in so well, I prefer you to arrive a bit earlier, Mouse you arrive a bit later. Watch for anything suspicious. We may change things around after Kai and Glide scope things out."

"Where should we meet after the recon is done? Can you all go to the bar?," he snickers half serious, "I like to get a two or three drink buzz goin before a meet."

"Geez, boss, ya'd think I was, like, of age or somethin'."

Steve makes a few entries in the pocket sec then looks at Johnson.
"I'd think a couple out on the town might draw less attention - If Viper is up for a 'date' we could join you for the meet if appropriate or offer extra eyes from a discreet distance if the contact is one of the 'one-on-one types'."

Viper keeps quiet during Johnson's speech, keeping a smirk off of her face with difficulty. Poor guy takes himself so seriously sometimes. Like they're going to get jumped at some seedy food joint.

At Steve's suggestion, though, she snorts. "Yeah, real inconspicuous, that's me all right."

She frowns thoughtfully as she considers the idea further. "If we went as a couple, we'd be more of a distraction, to let Glide and Kai move around with less attention. Seems a waste of your knack for blending in, but if you still want to do it (evil grin)... I have been waiting for an excuse to give you a much-needed fashion makeover."

"Well lets have Glide and Mouse check it out first, then we can make our plans from there." He looks back at Steve, "You all want to meet up at The Shore in two hours? Glide and Mouse can give us the run down then?"

They're all taking this part of it way seriously, it's the Big Time, and it's really just some guy meeting some other guy. Lessn' there's guns involved. Fiddling with a pen that's found his way into his pocket, Kai glances around the small group again, lets himself wonder about where Viper would hide a gun -- and when he focuses in again on the talking they're still talking about how Johnson was going to meet the guy or chica at Merciless Ming's. Ehn, I know I done hear o' them before. Somewheres. Mebe. Or mebe it were Mercy's place?

Kai shrugs, not caring who sees. If it's relevant, it'll come to him sooner or later. But sure, I'll scopes out the place, jest gets me outta this one! Bored, wishing he could just get moving! Kai kicks his feet against the chair legs, resists the strong urge to roll his eyes again at Glide's calling him the "Mouser" and again at the idea that she could keep him out of trouble (but I'll be good this time! really!)

"Why th' hell wouldja wanna be inconspicuous, Viper? Why'dja wan' him not t' be? If the term's starin' down yar tits, not like he's gonna be payin' that much attention to th' boss here. A-One Distraction." He grins. " 'sides, makes ya real believable 's a couple. Ya'll have'ta decide how much ya'd be worth. Or mebe if ya had t' pay him."

Viper stands up and lazily stretches. "Well, I think we're pretty much done here. I'll see you guys at The Shore in a bit."

As the interplay gets going, Hermes shifts, and with a creak of protest the chair lets him up. He looks over the group, shaking his head.

`I just hope you all don't kill eachother before the meet. Remember, don't be late.`

He's said his piece, knows at least, that Johnson will get them there on time. He leaves them to their planning, and soon enough he can be heard barking orders out on the main floor.

Just that quickly Kai's on his feet and halfway out the door.

"C'mon, Glide, faster we go check out the place, faster we gets outta here."

"True that," she replies to Kai's impatient plea to leave Emerald City's HQ. I'll meet you out front, I have to go grab my stuff from the break room."

With that the cute ork girl heads off to the breakroom to grab her jacket, pistol and blade. With absolutely no shame or embarassment she trades her Emerald Courier clothing for a pair of comfortable jeans and an old tacoma wings shirt, cut to reveal her midrift. Glide returns briefly to the break room and tosses her katana to Johnson. Could you take that with you to The Shore? I may want it later. Thanks J

Kai's idea of changing involves flinging on a very used, fringed longcoat over the jumpsuit and (when Glide brings it up) changing the colour setting ... from Emerald City green, to a yellow/neon blue pattern used by the latest neo-Native revival band to make the trid rounds. There's not all that many other clothes he's ever been seen in, besides that tattered Concrete Dreams t-shirt he'd been wearing when he'd first come through the doors -- couldn't say "walked", there were still scuff marks on the floor where he'd side-braked the skateboard he now pulls out of the locker, his eyes dancing.

"Race ya?"

As everyone starts leaving, "Well I will meet everyone at The Shore in about an hour. Have to run an errand first."

As Glide tosses him her katana, he looks at it uncomfortably. Holding it awkwardly you can see he isn't a swordsman of any sort.

Johnson heads back to his house to change, not that he really needs to, but he likes to one up the Mr. Johnson. Also its good to have some heat with you, just in case. He takes his Ares Viper Silvergun, checking that its working, then loads it, and brings a few spare clips. He usually leaves it at work, since thats usually where he is when he gets the call, but takes it home to clean it now and again. His armor hidden under the nice dress shirt, gun tucked under the blazer, and his smile worth a million nuyen, he heads off to The Shore.

Glide smiles at Johnson. "You don't have to use it, just bring it along."

Outside she looks around the morning streets still slick with rain water from the night before.

The bulges in Kai's pockets suggest that he's pocketed a couple of other things. She can only hope it actually is all stuff from his locker. Stuff small enough to fit in pockets has an unfortunate habit of ending up in Kai's.

"Pawnie's on th' corner, up a block from Ming's. I'll waits till ya gets there!"

He doesn't give her more warning, he's so gone, and the first turn casts sparks from the steel wheels and sends a nice spray of water arcing over an unfortunate pedestrian in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whatever else, he won't be hard to follow.

Steve smiles inwardly at Viper’s verbal jab. If she wanted to part with some if her hard-earned nuyen to buy him some new clothes, well, as long as he picked them. He didn’t trust her fashion sense as far as he could throw Hermes. Sad, he knew there was a very pretty woman hiding under all that trash.

Ah, yes – The Shore – not Johnson’s usual after work watering-hole. Having taken Johnson’s offer of an after work drink there once, Steve knew the place. Not good as far as drinks go – a cut below the usual watered-down swill and the food was over-priced and only of average quality. Still, the place had some booths which looked like they offered reasonable privacy.

Kai’s crude remarks caused an inward frown – and what was the little klepto playing with – Steve quickly checked his pockets – nothing missing, good. One day that kid is going to get in more trouble than he could get out of. The kid did have a point though – Viper’s stretch accentuated her lithe, well-sculpted body. But the kid had no manners.

As Kai leaves Steve puts the pocket sec to sleep, opens the side cover and removes the encrypted auxiliary memory chip. Standing, he slips the pocket sec in one pocket and the chip in another then leaves.

Stopping by the bike rack on the way out of the building he rearranges the security cable on his bike, threading it carefully through the frame, wheels, crank and the rack, just to keep honest people honest…

He walks the two blocks to the automated parking garage and slots his ‘stick at the personnel door. When the cover retracts he places his thumb on the pad as instructed.

“Thank you for choosing Mite-T-Safe parking location #10324.” the security system drones on, “Your vehicle is on level one, space C-42. Access granted.” The door slides to the side and Steve enters, walking toward the parking area as the door hisses shut. As he approached the car he pressed the disarm stud on the fob twice. The alarm’s cool voice announced “System disarmed, doors unlocked.” He opened the driver’s door, then the center console and pressed the trunk release. Unfastening the clasps on the bike carrier he removed it and placed it in the trunk. Hanging the garment bag on the trunk lid so that it could hang freely, he opens it to examine the dark grey suit within. Although the jacket looks acceptable, the trousers have a bad crease at the hanger so he removes them and the peach colored shirt and lays them aside. Carefully repacking the soft yellow tie and black belt he closes the bag and relocates it to the hook inside the car behind the driver’s seat. He is interrupted by a voice.

“Excuse me sir, Mr. Chin – Security. May I see your identification?” The man had come out of nowhere, silently. Steve turned to see a Japanese man dressed in a very expensive, perfectly-tailored suit, and slowly reached into his pocket for his ‘stick.

Steve bows slightly as he extends the credstick. “My apologies, Chin-san.” Steve notices the bow is not acknowledged as the guard takes the ‘stick and slots it in a hand-held reader. Only after the reader beeps a confirmation does the guard seem to relax slightly and return the short bow.

“My apologies, Mr. Wellman.” Another bow. “You understand that I am only concerned for the security of your vehicle.”

“Of course, no trouble at all. Thank you very much Chin-san.” Steve punctuated each sentence with a short bow. Mr. Chin got in the last bow before turning and walking over to a concealed door in the wall. Humm…I guess that’s where he came from. Returning to the trunk Steve made a quick check of the contents of the black duffle marked FRT, grabbed the pants and shirt and pushed the trunk lid closed until, with a soft whir and click, it latched. He tosses the clothes into the passenger seat, climbs in and inserts the fob into the ignition. The car’s engine came to life, bass exhaust notes highlighted by the high, nasal whine of the turbocharger. He pulled out of the space and followed the arrows around to the exit. As he pulled up to the exit gate the in-car parking pass chirped. The post mounted speaker at the gate control panel spoke. “You have 12 days left on your contract balance, insert credstick within 5 seconds to extend your contract.” Steve waited as the computer beeped its 5 second countdown, then watched as the gate swung up, the barricades dropped and the roll-up door opened to let the thin sunlight in. He pulled out into the morning traffic, destinations; a one-hour cleaners off of Warf Road – to get the shirt and pants pressed, a car wash, a quick brunch somewhere, then back to pick up the shirt and pants, and finally, off to meet Johnson and crew at The Shore.

Viper walks out of Emerald City HQ with her usual lazy bounce in her step. She doesn't really have time to head home before she needs to be at the Shore - not that she really needs to. Mort's, however, is closer by, so she decides to make a quick stop over there.

Walking down the short flight of cracked concrete stairs, she gives her elven eyes a second to adjust to the dim lighting (ambiance...). Mort looms behind the counter. Mort makes Hermes look skinny (Viper suppresses a chuckle, though, at the brief mental image of Hermes dressed like Mort that pops into her head. Somehow, she doesn't picture Hermes as the spiked leather and lace ruffles type). Today, he is resplendent in an ornate frock coat, and a vivid red-black lipstick. As always, though, just a bit too much base.

She is not the only customer. A young ork, whom she recognizes as one of the local wiz-gangers, is tapping a skull, topped with a candle, skeptically.

"Hey, man, you said this was a real skull. This is plastic, man!"

"Of course, dear boy," replies an unruffled (other than his attire) Mort. "The chap had plastic bone lacing, you see."

"Really? Cool!"

After the kid buys an "authentic tribal talisman" (Cascade Ork work all right, but probably turned out on a computer lathe), Mort turns to Viper.

"And what can I do for you today, my dear?"

Viper leans over conspiratorily. "Well, just between you and me, I might be coming into some money soon. You still have those spell formulas? And those candles... the blood-red ones?"

Mort purses his lips regretfully. "The candles, I still have a few in the back, but alas, the spell formulas got snapped up already... you know how fast those things go. But not to worry, I expect some more to turn up in a few days."

"Huh. Well, I guess I'll see what you have in a few days." She turns semi-dejectedly, but bobs her head back into the shop for a second. "By the way, Mort, what kind of lip shade is that? I may get some myself." She doesn't really need to know, since she can magically duplicate nearly any cosmetic, but a bit of flattery never hurts.

Mort preens slightly. "It's crimson night, by Versilace. It is rather striking, isn't it?"

Viper nods and leaves the store, calculating that she should still arrive a bit early to the Shore.

Glide rips off after Kai. Her muscle augmentation and the cyber skates chew up asphalt as she gains on the young human.

The wind whips around her as she weaves in and out of cars both on the street and off. This is what she enjoys the most...Speed!

By the end of the second turn, Glide's right on Kai's tail -- which, maybe, he'd been expecting? "Frag, but I hates rain," he says cheerfully to her over his shoulder, sending the skateboard into another tight, water-spraying turn that temporarily turned the surface behind him into an aquaplaning nightmare.

Because she's still a step or two behind him, it's Glide that's still close enough (barely) to catch the sidewalk curses so slowly beginning behind Kai and now her as the two of them shoot through the "half pipe" created in this section by sloping concrete, curving down toward a central straightaway -- not smooth-surfaced, what is, in this part of the city? but that's just another part of the challenge.

Johnson arrives at The Shore, a well mixed place, but this time of day its a bit slow. The crowd is mostly young college students, and high school kids cutting class, over in the Sandbar area. In the Beachhouse area the tables are more spread apart, this is where the johnsons usually sit. Johnson, of course, takes a large table in the middle section, the Coast, where the two meet. The rest of the team probably wont be in for a bit more, but the face likes to be there first, not only to set an example, but also to scope the place out. He knows all too well, all meets are potential set ups. Even the day to day, low budget runs, can be set ups. Most shadowrunners would be suprised to learn how many of the patrons at the meet are actually employees of Mr. Johnson.