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Tangled Currents - Revenant

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adamu

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« on: <02-29-16/1813:12> »
Tuesday, 19 November, 1400; Caf'n'Go, 23rd Ave & East Pine St, Capitol Hill, Seattle

There was a coffee shop across ths street from the workshop John rented. It was unassuming and pretentious at the same time, which he knew from having heard patrons use those words to describe it. He often stopped there on his way to or from his home. He could watch the people, and no one cared or noticed if he didn't really drink the coffee.

Sometimes he smiled at people. Sometimes they smiled at him.

Today two young women came to where he was sitting. Both were of average height, one had even features except for a somewhat heavy jaw. She was blond, but the roots said it was from a bottle. The other had full lips and squinty, close-set eyes, and was either really blond or had dyed her hair more recently. They wore tight T-shirts and denim leggings. They looked a lot like other people in the neighborhood, a lot like other people in the coffee shop.

"Hi! Hey, you live across the street there, right? I'm Cheryl, this is Kate. We've having a party tonight, just down the street. It would be great if you could come." She twisted a finger in the latest cute way kids did and an ARO with the address and other particulars done up in rudimentary graphics made itself available to download.

Kate rushed to add: "We're inviting everyone in the neighborhood." Some kind of disclaimer. Cheryl gently chided her near-rudeness as they moved on to the next table.

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #1 on: <03-01-16/0436:41> »
John smiled. He had to concentrate to get it right. 45 small servos where involved in that simple operation and still he was sure that he hadn't got the eyes right. That's why he inclined his head bashfully and replied with soft voice no.2:
"Thanks, that's very kind of you. I'll try to attend if my work permits."

He knew that it would probably be a dumb idea to get to know his neighbors better - or rather that they got to know him better. His exterior was handsome and convincingly human - up to a point. People who talked for longer with him always noticed that there was something off with him. Usually it was the eyes. Most assumed it was extensive cyberware replacement - and they were right, more right than they knew.

Watching them go, John felt something akin to sadness. On an abstract level he knew that he should find Kate very attractive - she was the kind of girl he liked before the... accident. But now there was no rush of excitement, no funny feeling in his belly and no... well he could have triggered a response down low, but doing it intentionally just seemed weird.

Instead he focused on the invitation - Nachthexe would probably tell him to avoid it at all costs. She really wasn't big on physical outings. But what was the use of having a physical body if you didn't use it. Now he'd have to look if he could find a dancing autosoft and if he could find the cash somewhere.
He sighed internally and then remembered to engage the little pump to simulate it also outwardly. Probably best if he waited until the party began before spending the cash on the program - or maybe he should just learn to do it. But having skill soft was just so convenient.

He took one last sniff of the coffee aroma around him and stood up. Time to go to the park and see if the new scent package stopped the dogs from freaking out on him.
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

adamu

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« Reply #2 on: <03-02-16/1833:54> »
Tuesday, 19 November, 2300; 23rd Ave south of East Pine St, Capitol Hill, Seattle

Even without his audio enhancements he could easily find the party without the address. The music was like a beacon, the predictable but irresistable electro-rhythms of the Latch-Key Kids permeating the surrounding blocks. The invite had said nine, so he went at eleven. There was no need to knock, the party had spilled over the front yard, and the door was wide open. Almost everyone had plastic cups in hand. He went inside, and ran into Kate, the one with the squinty eyes. Her full lips formed a polite smile and she used her head to motion towards the keg in the kitchen - her hands were full with empties and assorted party debris. It was clear she was trying to keep the place from descending too far into domestic disaster.

Her roommate Cheryl was clearly far less concerned, across the room dancing in jeans and a bra on the coffee table. A lot of people, in fact, were dancing - none seriously, mostly just moving to the music without thinking as the alcohol and whatever else they'd imbibed relaxed them.

There were several faces he recognized from the neighborhood, the coffee shop. Some smiled.

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #3 on: <03-03-16/0303:18> »
John nodded and got himself a cup. Then he did what he always did when he got somewhere new: He explored the grounds and noted all entries and exits. Only when he had seen it all (including a few pairs of lovebirds in various states of undress) did he return to the main dance area. The beer had lost most of its carbon dioxide and no longer smelled fresh, so he discreetly placed the cup on a table and started to move with the rhythm. It was actually not hard - after memorizing the pattern, he could leave it to the drone body to repeat it. But he noticed soon that that wasn't enough - machine precision wasn't working - except for that one industrial piece. So he concentrated on interjecting variations in the pattern. That proved harder to do - especially since that did tax his gyros hard enough to make a little whining noise even above the sound of the loud music.
Realizing he had drawn attention to himself, he reigned in his movements and brought them to the same low key performance as the rest of the party goers.

He left the room to find Kate - without thinking he started to collect trash as well. He had noticed that for some reason it somehow relaxed him to create order and patterns.
"Great party, thanks for the invitation Kate. Is there any particular occasion to celebrate?" He smiled and he was almost sure that he had gotten the eyes right this time.
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

adamu

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« Reply #4 on: <03-05-16/1805:03> »
Tuesday, 19 November, 2315; 23rd Ave south of East Pine St, Capitol Hill, Seattle

Kate started to answer with a friendly smile, then paused with a sort of quizzical look on her face, like she'd just maybe noticed something amiss, but then it was gone and she resumed smiling as she spoke: "Well, any excuse right? Hey thanks for helping with that - here, dump it into this bag. Oh, I guess the official pretense is Cheryl's big signing." She put her fingers up to place mock quotation marks over the last two words.

"Signing? is she a singer?" John asked.

"Actress. It's just with an agency, but she's pretty excited about it. I'll admit, they come off pretty slick. Some sort of Korean label trying to get started here in Seattle." She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone, and said something John assumed she would not have to a total stranger had she not been drinking. "I was actually a bit surprised. Always been skeptical about her career choice. I mean, yeah, she's pretty. But not movie star pretty, you know?"

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #5 on: <03-06-16/0550:38> »
"Wow, I had no idea. Well, that is as good a reason as you can find for a party. I have to admit, I'm quite out of the loop on the current music and movie scene."
John studiously compacted the trash to make room for the next haul using it as an excuse not to look in her face.
"You see, I'm a security contractor. If you tell me about things like this, I'm more interested in the Korean label trying to get it's teeth into Seattle - it's kind of a vocational disease.
But more important, what is it you are doing? If I had to guess I'd say you want to do something serious with your life."


John wasn't entirely sure, what he was doing here. Nothing good could come out of this - unless Kate was in urgent need of a mercenary or a killer-android.
He immediately stopped that train of thought when he noticed that the drone pilot had started plotting the most efficient way to dispose every person currently inside the building.

He looked her in the eyes again and smiled: "I'm sorry, I just realized I haven't actually introduced myself: The name is John. John Henry."
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

adamu

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« Reply #6 on: <03-09-16/1213:43> »
Kate smiled mischievously and waggled her shoulders and hips in a way that teasingly said something like, 'wow, you're all that,' and mimicked him with "Is that kinda like 'Bond. James Bond.'? You're a hoot, John!"

It wasn't the cleverest of things to say, but she had clearly been drinking a bit.

Her eyes, however, were alight, and it appeared to John that he had done something to make himself attractive to her. "So, you're really a security contractor? Do you have a gun?"

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #7 on: <03-09-16/1322:23> »
It took John a second to find "James Bond" in the matrix. The blank look changed back into the smile in an instant: "Oh, no. I'm not a secret agent."
'Careful now, don't start posing just because she is a nice girl...'
"But I do own a gun - several actually."
'God damn it! ok, you can save this just don't...'
"But mainly, I use a shock pad. Got it integrated in my hand."
'Fuck you!'
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

adamu

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« Reply #8 on: <03-12-16/2059:29> »
Tuesday, 19 November, 2316; 23rd Ave south of East Pine St, Capitol Hill, Seattle

Kate got that funny smile on her face again, the one that showed her trying to decide whether to be amused or disturbed.

"Okay, well, that could be good fun," she quipped. "Shock pad - right on. Listen, um, you're sweet, but I've got a whole party to take care of here...so just mingle and have a good time, okay?"

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #9 on: <03-13-16/0933:47> »
John wanted to face palm, but that would have only dented his face. He smiled and said: "Sure, sorry, I'm keeping you from your other guests."
He stuffed the last piece of garbage into the bag and retreated into the house and into the backyard. But somehow it now seemed all very tedious. Especially since the virtual DJ now had changed to dwarvish infra reaggae. Besides, his batteries where getting below half load and he hated being not in top condition. So he vaulted over the fence and jogged back to his own place.

Only when he had plugged in at his outlet he allowed himself to replay everything he had said and done - and cringed mentally.
'Stupid, stuipid..."

He needed some perspective on this, so he called Nachthexe: <<Hi Hexy, are you still up? I was at a house party tonight. My two hot neighbors were celebrating with the whole street some trideo-deal. Got a bit flirty with one of them and almost blew my cover. But it's all cool now. By the way, do you know which Korean trideo label is currently recruiting local talent around here? I've a feeling that something is not totally kosher about that.>>
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

adamu

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« Reply #10 on: <03-15-16/1410:32> »
Tuesday, 19 November, 2337; John's Workshop, Capitol Hill, Seattle

The figure floating in John's AR view was surreal in her beauty - but then that came cheap in the matrix. He was a lot more interested what she knew...or could find out.

"Revster honey," she winked, "I knew nothing about Korean trid labels until zero-point-nine seconds ago, making it three-point-one seconds since your query reached my dainty virtual ears. Now I know all. Not sure I like the sound of you playing knight-in-shining-armor for some local chicas, though. Did it ever occur to you that you owe me at least one good rescue?"


Jack_Spade

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« Reply #11 on: <03-15-16/1424:14> »
<<For that you'd need to fail at beating up all opposition by yourself. If it should come to that unlikely situation I'll be the first in line to get you out. Promised.

And I'm not exactly White-Knighting either. The one concerned isn't even my type exactly.
But here is what I had to think when I heard about a young actress to be discovered by an up and coming Asian "film company": Slavery.
I've seen operations like this in Africa and the Middle East. Young girls from America and Europe are "cast" and taken under contract. Than they are put into a plane to go to a location shoot. There they are stripped of all identification and usually clothes as well, raped, drugged and sold to whoever pays the most for a young, clean, white girl.

So come on and just tell me I'm paranoid and afterwards we can go and take part in a raid on the MDK host. My werewolf hunter is almost ready for the lair attack.>>

talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

adamu

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« Reply #12 on: <03-19-16/1941:33> »
Tuesday, 19 November, 2338; John's Workshop, Capitol Hill, Seattle

<<Well, you're on the right track, but not quite so melodramatic. Listen, I already hit the UW database, pulled all the images of acceptably cute, slender women in your neighborhood, then crossed them with files of three Korean media companies currently making forays into the Seattle market. Your friend Cheryl, under the incredibly original moniker of Jade Whisper, has signed with Red Ribbon Productions, headed by Peter Jun Je Wan. But according to their talent resource development records, she's still in the grooming phase. They haven't yet told her she's being hired for porn. And if they're bothering with a grooming process, Revster my paramour in waiting, then the bad news is that its some nasty stuff, because girls like Cheryl are lining up to get into the vanilla stuff." The way she spoke to him reminded John that, although she flirted shamelessly with him, she still correctly saw him as somewhat young and naive. "The good news, of course, is that they also wouldn't bother with the grooming if they were planning on using force...maybe."

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #13 on: <03-20-16/0540:14> »
<< Ah, the good old carrot and stick approach - except you don't know where both of these objects will end up...
The only question I have now is: Should I warn them? On the one hand you can't ask of anyone to make an informed decision without all the information. On the other hand it's really none of my business. And who knows, maybe "Jade Whisper" already did some adult entertainment before - with such a stage name...

Ah what the hell, I'll sent Kate a message and leave it to her.

So, how about a little online action than? The werewolves aren't gonna kill themselves - actually they might, but we don't get XP for that.>>
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

adamu

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« Reply #14 on: <03-21-16/0949:25> »
Tuesday, 19 November, 2338; John's Workshop, Capitol Hill, Seattle

Nachthexe gave a short virtual shrug in response to John's musings about a couple of local coeds he's met, and then responded to something she actually cared about. <<I'm uploading you a program I just wrote - it bypasses the game's structural architecture and goes straight for the machine code. Represents as the usual wolfsbane, but does triple the damage...."