[Poindexter]

<<Do we have that crate yet?>> she comms. <<Do we have a plan for getting it up the hill? Check to if Brother Dwarf can conjure a spirit of the mountain to help us. That's a big hill and the snow doesn't help.>>

"Affirmative. The box is ours. The plan is to get it up there the same way we got it out of the van."

[Ravensoracle]

The Crumpled Man exits VR and returns his attention to the meat. He leaves up an AR screen to keep scanning his own gear for SINs or anything he can use to determine who he is. He then grabs the duffels and heads up the mountain to the van. Huffing and puffing his way up.

<<< So what is the plan at this point? Do we leave these poachers alive or dead?How are we going to get the crate up here? Once I drag these duffels to the new van I am going to go under for a while to help out with over watch and to dig through all our files to find out the past. Who do we want in charge to organize this fragin cluster?  Crumpled Out>>>>

[Novocrane]

Standing in the rut of the van's slow slide over the edge, Ork takes a moment to breathe freely, look around, check his jumpsuit pockets, and realise he just fell off a cliff and walked back up. Even turning into a sweat-slushy popsicle in the middle of nowhere would be that little bit sweeter for having not landed at the bottom. Seeing as he was doing better than that, things were looking up.

"Yup. Didn't do so bad yourself. I might even hang onto the rope - when we're done moving crates and patting each other on the back."

[Tecumseh]

The Masked Woman grabs the hunting rifle and the shotguns and makes sure they are out of reach of the men. She lingers for a moment on each gun to consider them, wondering if they'll jog any memories for her. She's guessing not, given her proclivities for blades, but she's curious enough to check.

<<So far as these guys know it's just the two of us up here and this is a carjacking. If we leave these guys outside they are going freeze to death, but it's going to be a stretch fitting seven metas and a crate in this rig as it is. Taking them along isn't an option. They can have it quick or they can have it slow. Either way, we don't want them around when the rest of you come up. I'm going to take these two slots for a walk to discuss what they did and did not see, and to talk about their life decisions leading to and from this point.>>

She grabs the man with the chest wound and yanks him out of the van. She grabs the medkit he was using and pushes it at him, then spins him around and starts him walking toward Denver. She does the same to the man with the shoulder wound, shoving him ahead of her with a throwing knife in her hand. As she passes the Human, she does a one-handed clap to ask for his taser.

@Human: <<Loan me your taser for a tick, ace. Keep an eye on the van and those two, if you would please. I'll be back in a few minutes.>>

She marches the men forward, handling them roughly. She pulls the man with a chest wound up when he falls to a knee.

@Team: <<We've got an extra load in the back of the van at the moment. Bigger than a troll. Not sure how these gonks got it in here in the first place but here it is. Anybody a confident driver? Maybe if you go in reverse real fast and then hit the brakes it will fly out the back like some sort of paranormal missile.>> 

She smiles to herself. Taking the men around the bend in the road, she thinks about her claymore. It would be so easy. Just right there. Done. It's cold out; they're numb already. No pain. Shh, shh. It's over.

<<We were on our way to Aspen when we went off the road. Let's continue that direction. Would someone please pull the van off to the side of the road so that it doesn't get destroyed by some autodrone ripping through these curves blind at 80 klicks an hour? Maybe turn the lights and the hazards back on.>>

[Ren]

The Human took his taser from the snow and was about to start things when he heard the request from the Masked Woman and replied. @ Masked Woman: >>I’d rather you didn’t deplete my limited ammo so I’ll do it with the shock hands. Anyway, if you taser them they are as good as dead in this temperature, so why not just snap their necks and send them over the edge? But first, a few questions.<< He deactivated the shock hand and grabbed the poacher with the lighter wound and the obviously calmer attitude. ”OK, omae, I’m asking questions and you give me answers, grep? If you don’t, let’s just say tasers ain’t gonna be your biggest problem.” He waited for a second to let it sink in then went on, leaving just enough time for the poacher to answer but not enough to think answers through. ”Where were you supposed to take that thing and to whom? Was there any schedule for when you should arrive? Do you have a hideout or a place where you store your hunting stuff? Where is it? Give me the access codes.”

While quizzing the man, he realized something and shared it with the rest of the team immediately. @Team: >>Ace here. Poachers didn’t see only the two of us up at the road. The one with the rifle saw the Elf in his crosshairs before I shot him, possibly the others as well. The light down there is unmistakable. Unfortunate as it is, I say they should go over the edge. Anyway, we’ll be done here shortly and I will help getting the crate up after that.<< He realized belatedly that he used the reference the Masked Woman used as his name but shrugged after a second. That will do until I know more.

[martinchaen]

The scene inside the vehicle is certainly a grisly one, but I feel strangely OK with it. Must be used to seeing blood, I guess. The Masked Woman asks about their fate, and I snort derisively over comms.

"Who cares if they see us; no way we're leaving them alive on the off chance they find a vehicle of their own. They're witnesses; I say we send them and whatever that creature is flying off the cliff after our vehicle... Oh, and get one of them to hand over ownership of the car, or to invite MARKs on it to everybody at least." OK, so that sounded rather cold, but I am cold. Figuratively, and literally, it seems. Bringing up my AR view of the matrix around us, I take a closer look for other approaching vehicles. Speaking of creature, I wonder what the hell that thing is...

Trudging through the snow is moderately tough going, especially carrying the survival kit, but I try to divert my attention enough to look through my electronic devices for any clues as to who I might be. Maybe the targeting system of the pistol will give me an indication of how good of a shot I am, or have my personal ID attached to it. Maybe the flashlight has an inscription. I've got to have at least a fake SIN if not a real one somewhere. Eventually, I make it up the hill and I breathe freely once more; taking a moment to regain my breath and to hope that my nose stops hurting from the cold air, I grab a picture of the monstrosity that's in the back of the van and begin a Matrix Search for critters matching it's description. I then start gathering headshots of the others, as well as one of myself, so I can do some digital recon on the way to Aspen.

"Anyone have a clue where in Aspen we're going? Also, shotgun!" The memory of clamoring over some other kids to get to sit up front hits me out of nowhere. The hell... I brush it off as I walk around to the passenger side and get in; can't afford to get sentimental out here in the cold. "Oh, and "not it!" when it comes to dealing with the mess in the car; I stopped it, the troll and the ork are dealing with the crate thingy, someone else gets to clean it out. I'll be here doing some recon and keeping a lookout."

[Tecumseh]

The Masked Woman looks back at the van, debating whether it matters that it is unattended. How long until the rest of the team makes it up the hill? How long will those goons stay unconscious?

<<The creature is a Horned Bear. Very intelligent, and rare. A true shame.>>

To express her displeasure, she grabs the man with the chest wound from behind, one hand over his mouth while the other hand presses down on the gash. She lets Ace and the other man walk ten meters ahead, hoping the man's muffled cries will encourage the man with the shoulder wound to talk.

<<Speaking of intelligence, have we looked to see what's in the crate yet? We're going to feel awfully thick if it turns out to be a drone or something that can pilot itself up the hill.>>

[Ryo]

”OK, omae, I’m asking questions and you give me answers, grep? If you don’t, let’s just say tasers ain’t gonna be your biggest problem.” He waited for a second to let it sink in then went on, leaving just enough time for the poacher to answer but not enough to think answers through.

"Ye...yeah man, I get it. No problem." He's almost whimpering.

”Where were you supposed to take that thing and to whom?"

"We were headed to Aspen. Reggie knew a guy that was lookin' for a horned bear, said he'd pay big money for it alive. I didn't know his name, just some collector in Aspen."

To express her displeasure, she grabs the man with the chest wound from behind, one hand over his mouth while the other hand presses down on the gash. She lets Ace and the other man walk ten meters ahead, hoping the man's muffled cries will encourage the man with the shoulder wound to talk.

The man starts screaming in absolute agony, tears streaming down his face with his eyes open wide, his voice muffled by the masked woman's hand, but only barely.

"Was there any schedule for when you should arrive?"

"We were gonna deliver it tonight, soon as we got back into town. Reggie's guy was expecting us." He starts looking nervous. He glances over towards the masked woman, able to overhear his friend screaming.

"Do you have a hideout or a place where you store your hunting stuff? Where is it? Give me the access codes.”

"We're just a bunch of guys from Denver, man. We went out hunting for grizzly and Reggie had this crazy idea and..." He starts to break down, trying to hold back tears in his eyes.

"I don't wanna die..." He practically sobs.

[Ryo]

@The Elf

The van moves at the Elf's command after a quick reboot, pulling over to the side of the road and turning on the headlights and hazard lights. There's no sign of approaching vehicles, but you figure its better to be safe than sorry.

You check your commlink, managing to find a SIN.


>> Susan Elizabeth Landon
>> Pueblo Corporate Council National SIN
>> Age: 24
>> Sex: Female
>> Metatype: Elf
>> Race: (your race)
>> Concealed Carry License
>> Nitama Sporter License


You also, much to your chagrin, find a Criminal SIN.


>> Mireille Smith
>> UCAS Criminal SIN
>> Age: 24
>> Sex: Female
>> Metatype: Elf
>> Race: (your race)
>> Crimes: Unlawful use of public grid. Unlawful access to private Matrix systems. Cyberterrorism.  Cyberassault. Cybervandalism. Grand Larceny. Corporate Espionage. Trespassing. Illegal possession of restricted equipment. Illegal possession of forbidden equipment. Assault with a deadly weapon.
>> Currently on Parole


You get the feeling you violated your parole.

Both SINs match your race, which I don't think you've specified.

The Elf has the Criminal SIN negative quality.

[Ren]

"Just tell me which of you is Reggie." Ace sent a message to the Masked Woman. @Masked Woman: >>Hey, rein yourself in a bit, there's no reason to be cruel, and you're just helping Joe Average wet himself here. And that might be Reggie back there, and that one has info we still need.<<

[Ryo]

"Just tell me which of you is Reggie."

He points towards one of the bodies left in the street, specifically the one with the hunting rifle.

[Tecumseh]

The Masked Woman does not appreciably change her handling of her prisoner.

@ Ace
<<Things are going well: he's talking. What's your angle here? These guys are from Denver, not Aspen. They're driving a Rover 2072. They probably have hotel reservations, not a safehouse. Or they were going to sleep in the van, like hunters. What's Reggie know that we want to know?>>

[Ren]

@Masked Woman: >>I want to know about who expects them, when, and where. When we ride into Aspen, i don't want to deal with this as a problem. And someone that can sell a rare animal has contacts, maybe some supplies you can't just walk into a shop to buy. We can use that.<< Ace sighed. >>OK, I'm done with this one. On three?<<

[Tecumseh]

The Masked Woman steers the man to the edge of the hillside.

@Ace
<<I can do it if you find it distasteful. Wicca accepts death. Hecate's Wheel turns, and we turn with it. There is a ritual for it, to help them move through the veil.>>

She pauses and looks over at Ace.

<<I would need a minute alone. It involves the athame, the sword. They can be tased first if we wish to free them from the anticipation.>>

[martinchaen]

While reviewing the SINs stored on my link I can't help but laugh out loud at the length of my apparent rap sheet. On one hand I've got this squeaky clean "Susan" persona, and on the other hand there's a "Mireille" wanted for multiple felonies. I wonder which one is real and which one is fake. Maybe they're both fake.

"Worst case, I'm the fugitive and not the skiptrace..." I mutter under my breath. Well, I can't exactly go around without a name, so Susan it is, I guess. "Hey folks, if we get stopped by the cops or find ourselves in polite company, I'll go by Susan Landon. Any other time y'all might as well just call me APB. Don't ask. And none of that Sue or Susie bulldrek, or I'll smack you across the jaw with a brick before you even know you're in a fight..." I find myself scowling at no one in particular since everybody is off tending to their own drek, but it just feels right.

But hey; at least if that CSIN is real it's no wonder this matrix stuff seems to come easy. Knowledge is power, it seems. And now to see what I can find out about my compatriots.