Ask, ask.

I don't think we have anyone on hand with the ability to analyze the dust -- certainly not the time.

As for the others, I don't know.

-Siege

Not to mention we don't know about the CC or the "Great RuleBook in the Sky" that controls our lives.

It's a little frustrating -- I'm missing something OOC, but I don't have any better clue IC.

She may very well be a free spirit manifesting to check out humanity or a person possessed by a spirit. This from the guy who advanced the shifter theory -- but something is definitely odd.

Or something else entirely that we just don't know enough about to speculate -- I'm waiting to find out she's really a Drake in disguise. (Kidding, Talia...relax)

-Siege

Sorry, I've been a bit too busy to post for a few days, and now that I've got the time, there are suddenly loads of new posts to read through.

As far as searching databases goes, Solitaire has a subscription to Saeder-Krupp's Intel-XS consumer records database. Since it seems that (unless I've missed something) Julianna has a SIN, we could try to compile a better profile of her by tracking her purchases, we might even be able to determine where she went when she vanished with the elf.
Another thing we could check out with this database, is to check who made credstick transactions at the Mafia guy's restaurant last time Julianna was there with her elf friend, it's a long shot, but if he paid for the meal we'll be able to ID him, or at least get his false ID.
Even a false ID would give Solitaire another thread to follow up.

Sigh. I'm not one much for speculation since it tends to take away valuable game time. Admittedly, we don't have any real game time here, but it's a habit I had to get rid of, especially since the planning tended to take so long.

But since we have the ‘time’ here, I’ll throw in:

Was the target taken specifically or just ‘hovered up’ in a general kidnapping of some group? If whoever these people are were generally kidnapping some group, would we have heard about it?

From the personnel records we got, how many vampires, etc would be supported by munching that many people? If the night shift is something nasty like that we can try to get an idea of how many there are by looking at how many people they eat, though I still dunno about the dusting thing. Of course the question would then be, why bother to import your food? Considering the situation in Seattle, I’d not be too hard to round up a bunch of squatters and homeless to munch on.

Re SL: thanks, Siege. And no: she's not a drake as far as I know

Digging around to see if any of her relatives (does she have any on file?) have also gone missing might be worth a try. Also, trying to track down why she might have decided to investiage this area might be worth a try. Does she have ties with the Holloweeners? or maybe she knew someone who used to live here?

Otherwise it seems likely that she was specifically targeted, which makes getting out un-detected a bit difficult.
{Evil Mastermind: Hurry Igor, the olds ones come. Bring for the sacrifice.
Igor: Um, the sacrifice seems to have gone missing, master.
Evil Mastermind: Doh!}

Eh, Alma was making a rookie's mistake. Obviously she hasn't been screwed twice yet.

-Siege

Echo what everyone else said. I'm tapped for ideas, anyways.

All right.

When last we left our heroes ...

1. Diamond was outside the complex, waiting anxiously for the arrival of the second gang while the gang he is with slips increasingly out of control. The building security guards are starting to pay attention to your diversion. So is the guard in the kitty corner building, who has already called Lone Star but (unbeknownst to him) has gotten Advent instead. He has a couple of elementals on tap.

2. Advent is keeping tabs on Lone Star and local activity, and intercepting cellphone calls as needed. There are also still a number of surveillance drones scattered through the air ducts of your building.

3. Solitaire has established superuser clearances within your building, and is trying to Matrix-work the system as required. Unfortunately, not that many systems on this level besides the elevator seem to be centrally controlled, and many are distinctly archaic, even non-electronic (such as the hellhound cages).

4. Ghost is in the "astral current" corridor, trying to decide what to do upon hearing footsteps echoing down the hall from somewhere beyond the (probably) central area ahead. She has independently maglocked doors to either side of her. Most of the rooms along this hall Trogdor has discovered to be empty, but one is a storage place, another seems to hold some kind of back-up ventilation system, and a third (already passed) is the hellhound kennel. The rooms appear to be sealed.

5. Trogdor is pacing Ghost astrally. Since you have since discovered that at least two of the denizens of this level are dual-natured, this could rapidly become a problem.

Yeah, it's the beer I'd be having if I wasn't along on this run.

-Siege

Well, at least it wasn't massive screaming with sprays of blood coating the lens of the security cam we're hacked into.

-Siege

Uniforms

D'oh! You edited out the earlier question! (and now the answer makes no sense)

But:

Trogdor knows enough to be certain these auras aren't like any of the other auras in the building - and aren't like the dusted elf who passed you earlier, either (although that one has similarities with both types). Beyond that, he's pretty sure he's never seen anything like this before.

Alrighty. So we've had a chance to look around this room while hiding. If there's nothing interesting in here, since the dynamic duo has passed, let's continue when it seems safe to do so?

From p.7:

The other side of the elevator (the front doors) opens to the parking garage. To get here, Ghost passed through the other set of doors.

Will do as soon as I have more than a few free moments, today or Saturday. (You would not believe what these last few weeks have been like.)

Can I get a quick review from anyone that remembers, of our infiltrator's abilities? Didn't she have something like scent? What do we smell right now?

Apologies, I'm still out of it. (The break-in situation from mid-last year has escalated, among other things.) If I don't get this updated tomorrow, then virtually (trying for absolutely!) for sure on Tuesday.

Break-in situation? Sounds more intriguing than the current scenario.

-Siege

Thanks Crusher Bob.

The characters were all reposted at the begining of the new thread, along with some of the early plans.

So this is "Tuesday"

No other disturbances down here, so Ghost makes it (cautiously) to the central room without any further incidents. Just on time, too: Trogdor (and a bit later Advent) will be able to confirm that the elf is returning to the kennels behind her. She does have line-of-sight concealment in the central room. I'll assume she's taking advantage of it.

The central area is roughly carved out of what looks like blackened slagged concrete behind the draped hangings, with rounded walls creating a vaguely circular shape with a more-or-less domed roof area maybe 12' high at its centre, with a large globe light source hanging from it on a chain. The ground is much more level. The whole space is probably close to 20' diameter. Around the room are scattered a few pieces of heavy slab-style furniture from a different age: two wing chairs, a massive dining room table taking up the centre of the room, an overstuffed (rounded) corner sofa. All in deep red mahogany and burgandy leather.

Behind some of the hangings, Ghost can see three other corridors raying out from here through equally roughly-carved archways: one continuing along the current, the other two at right angles. From the central room, Ghost can see that the cross-passage (not the continuing one) is lined with metal (steel?) doors. The continuing one bends and goes out of line-of-sight.

Sex, blood and a metallic-like, ozone-ish smell...

Can we say "ritual sacrifice?"

We definitely need to decide which way has the stronger scent -- a data bomb needs all the data we can acquire.

-Siege

Edit: Any fear-smell in the air? Or a whiff of bowel?

Edit 2: Any thermo traces lingering in the room? A shame we can't plant a burst-transmitter video camera somewhere in the room...

Sigh, the chance of finding the package alive seems to now we at the bottom, and busy digging.

Are the curtains far enough away from the wall to make a hiding place (al la Hamlet)? Lets skip the stabbing part though...

Best bet seems to be 'follow our noses' and pick a door to open, unless someone has any better ideas about how to proceed.

The glider is not going to be able to carry them all, if there are multiple prisoners, and Diamond and Ghost are not likely to wish to leave them behind. Could be a bit of a Three Kings comming right up..., of course we aren't covered in blown up cow yet either.

Archie Gates: “What is the most important thing in life?”
Troy Barlow: “ What are you talking about?”
Archie Gates: “ What is the most important thing?”
Troy Barlow: “Respect.”
Archie Gates: “Too dependent on other people.”
Conrad Vig: “What? Love?”
Archie Gates: “Little Disneyland isn’t it?”
Chief Elgin: “God’s will.”
Archie Gates: “Close.”
Troy Barlow: “What is it, then?”
Archie Gates: “Necessity.”
Troy Barlow: “As in...”
Archie Gates: “As in people do what is most necessary to them at any given moment.”

....

Archie Gates: Load the people into the Humvee!
Troy Barlow: There's no room!
Archie Gates: Make room!
Troy Barlow: Whatever happened to necessity?
Archie Gates: It just changed!