[Ravensoracle]

The Crumpled Man is mostly quiet throughout the ride. He nods thanks at the masked woman as she heals him. He then begins to give each member of the group a triage check-up and does what he can to patch up their injuries. Most of the words that do come out of his mouth are simple directions  "Raise your arm...Move this way...of course it's gonna hurt..." simple stuff along those lines.

While he is patching up one of his patients he slides a hardware kit over to help with repairing the broken comms. "I'll help repair gear when I am done with the living."

[Poindexter]

"Jeez, will you please cut it out with the colour drek, big guy? How about we all just use the names we've found or chosen for ourselves; in case you forgot, you can call me APB. My scream sheet certainly indicates there's probably an open warrant or five on me somewhere, so if we meet any cops I'll just sit right here and be very very quiet."

"What would you have me call the two groups, then APB? I'm comfortable with calling them whatever makes you feel better." staring him blankly in the eye.

[martinchaen]

I give the troll a deadpan stare back.

"Screw different groups, main. Ain't nothing here but one group of people, and we're all in the mud together."

[Poindexter]

I give the troll a deadpan stare back.

"Screw different groups, main. Ain't nothing here but one group of people, and we're all in the mud together."

"Well, i for one would like to know more about the past. And if we go back further than yesterday, we are indeed two teams. Check your own comm if you don't believe me. I'll bet my commcode does not appear before then."

[Tecumseh]

The Masked Woman finishes one of her preparations then tucks it away into one of the many pockets on her lined coat. She starts working on another, pausing occasionally to chime in.

"I want to know more too. But we're 15 minutes out from Aspen and we need a destination, somewhere to lay low while we sort it all out.

"I don't know if what Reggie was saying is true or not but odds are good at least one of the hunters has someone who will call it in if they don't make contact in the morning. It's 01:15 now, so that gives us, what, 8 to 12 hours before this vehicle gets flagged. We need new arrangements well before then, a doss that can accommodate seven metas and a giant crate while we get our heads straight.

"Anybody know a problem-solver, or even just a friendly face? The shadows of Aspen aren't that dark, which is going to make it tough to hide. Ohanzee, what about your lady friend? Anyone else know who we might have been headed to see?"

[Poindexter]

"I want to know more too. But we're 15 minutes out from Aspen and we need a destination, somewhere to lay low while we sort it all out.

"I don't know if what Reggie was saying is true or not but odds are good at least one of the hunters has someone who will call it in if they don't make contact in the morning. It's 01:15 now, so that gives us, what, 8 to 12 hours before this vehicle gets flagged. We need new arrangements well before then, a doss that can accommodate seven metas and a giant crate while we get our heads straight.

"Anybody know a problem-solver, or even just a friendly face? The shadows of Aspen aren't that dark, which is going to make it tough to hide. Ohanzee, what about your lady friend? Anyone else know who we might have been headed to see?"

Uncle Sam looks grim when he answers her. "I say we get as close to Aspen as we dare, then ditch the rover before security gets too tight and make it into the city proper via some other means. As for friendly faces, I don't trust anyone on this commlink yet. The fact is, at least I, but more likely WE have been set up and betrayed by someone or multiple someones we trust. For NOW at least, if they did not wake up in a flipped over van an hour ago, I don't trust them." He shakes his head and frowns as he speaks.

He fiddles with his commlink a bit

>> Send Message
  >> Contact: Ohanzee, Chino, Crumpliah
    >> Message: I trust some of us more than others. Apparently, I have a long standing working history with you three, if this link is to be believed. I'll be frank with you. I fear that either our group betrayed them or their group betrayed us. I'm forwarding you a conversation between myself and the Johnson for the job we were on before the accident. Its contents lead me to believe that WE were the ones targeted.

>> Send File
  >> Contact: Ohanzee, Chino, Crumplemintz
    >> File: Johnson transcript.Doc

[Ren]

Ace looked up from fiddling with his commlink. "I also have people in my contact list, some in Aspen. I agree with Sam, though, that for now, we should get by without using them. Sooner or later, though, we will have to contact them, if we want to know what the hell happened yesterday." He looked at Sam. "So, why don't we use Reggie's contact to get some safehouse and supplies? He is into some well-paying crime, i suppose he has his ways to get his hands on most things we immediately need."

He also sent a message to the Masked Woman and APB. >>Hey, do you have anything on this commcode? Does the name Susan or Ileana ring a bell? Found your commcodes in my contact list, so i figured, maybe we can put something more together if we share." He watched for their reactions carefully.

[Poindexter]

Ace looked up from fiddling with his commlink. "I also have people in my contact list, some in Aspen. I agree with Sam, though, that for now, we should get by without using them. Sooner or later, though, we will have to contact them, if we want to know what the hell happened yesterday." He looked at Sam. "So, why don't we use Reggie's contact to get some safehouse and supplies? He is into some well-paying crime, i suppose he has his ways to get his hands on most things we immediately need."

"Good idea, Ace. That's exactly what we do." He looks around at the rest of the group. "Any objections?"

[Tecumseh]

The Masked Woman thinks about Sam's question for a moment while continuing to inscribe and hum. She pauses to take a breath and respond.

"APB, do we have any communication going back and forth between Reggie and Vinny the Bear? If Reggie comm'd that he was on his way then Vinny will be expecting him any moment. If we show up at the exact same time instead, without references or introductions, then it's going to look bad and get us off on the wrong foot. But maybe one of you is a sweeter talk than I am." She glances around the van, reasonably confident that someone is endowed with more social graces than she is.

Finishing up her fourth and final preparation, she pockets it carefully, knowing that the next touch will trigger the spell. She leans back, positioning her claymore as best she can, to rest from the fatigue of casting. She looks at APB, waiting for her reply, while comming APB and Ace separately from the group.

@ APB + Ace
<<My good SIN has the name Ileana on it, although it barely rings any bells for me. Evidently we trusted each other enough to be using good names. I might go back to street handle with the group until more pieces fall into place. Ace, I've got your photo on a message from four weeks ago saying that I could find you somewhere in Aspen. It suggests your involvement was key to the task or plan, whatever those were.>>

<<It dawns on me that we could be a second team, either competition or a parallel team hired by the Johnson. Red team and Blue team both have separate magic, Matrix, and muscle resources. The only wrinkle is that our team doesn't have an obvious way to move a crate that heavy. So were we babysitters? Backup? I can't remember anything.>>

[Novocrane]

Chino muses silently in the driver's seat while others throw ideas around, trying to fit it all together like an ill-treated jigsaw puzzle - parts scattered, others missing, and the box replaced - featureless grey cardboard staring him in the face instead of a picture of a park or other scenery. Little of it lines up to him, and the theories even less so. His expression mirrors his souring mood, and he keeps driving towards Aspen as others debate their actual destination.

... If the crate and contents is valuable enough that we were hired to steal it, then betrayed over payment, why do we still have it? If getting shot at and crashing were separate events, why did we crash?

Without an answer to give, Chino uses the driving time to slowly roll up his sleeves one after the other, glancing at the tattoo work and feeling for a way to appraise or empower the qi - if he hasn't unwittingly done so already.

[Ryo]

Without an answer to give, Chino uses the driving time to slowly roll up his sleeves one after the other, glancing at the tattoo work and feeling for a way to appraise or empower the qi - if he hasn't unwittingly done so already.

You examine the tattoos on your arms, the intricate patterns reminding you of the power held within. It's a Force 1 Qi Focus that grants you the Spirit Claw power.

At the same time, the tattoo on your face tingles as you channel your magic into it, your vision shifting towards the astral. It's a Force 4 Qi Focus that grants you the power of Astral Perception. You have Assensing 2.

(The description of the tattoos is up to you.)

[martinchaen]

>> Message from Ace:
>>Hey, do you have anything on this commcode? Does the name Susan or Ileana ring a bell? Found your commcodes in my contact list, so i figured, maybe we can put something more together if we share."[/quote]

Jeeze, these guys must have gotten their heads knocked harder than I thought.

>> Message to Ace, Ileana
>> Yup, like I already told you, one of my IDs is Susan. I haven't got much else to go on, though. As for traffic, let me finish up working these things and I'll be good to go.

Grabbing the toolkit that's been offered, I incline my head and get to work.

[GrimWulf]

Ohanzee lets the others know what he learned about the contents of the crate, including the fact that it very well could be some type of magic artefact.  This Gloria might be a better bet to visit now that it seems her area of expertise.  Maybe she's the Johnson?

[Tecumseh]

The Masked Woman listens to the Dwarf's description of the crate and his contact.

"Ohanzee, it sounds like Gloria might be someone you were... pumping for information. If you're still on good terms then she might help answer the question of what this is and why someone wants it. I doubt she's awake at 1 in the morning though."

She turns and looks at the Troll. "Sam, you have a theory about the Johnson betraying us. Did you have some back-and-forth with the Johnson? That would suggest that you're our frontman with him or her. Is there a commcode we can trace? Might give us a clue."

She thinks about the how the conversation with Vinny might go. "It doesn't sound like Reggie and Vinny were chummer-chummer, just business. He might be disappointed but maybe some nuyen will smooth things over. What's the going rate for a safehouse? ¥250 a night per person? I can cover a night or two for myself but don't have much more than that."

[Ravensoracle]

The Crumpled Man looks up from his latest patient. "If we aren't wanting to make it all the way to Aspen maybe we can find an old lodge or resort that is out of business. Or if we can't find one out of business to hole up in then maybe on that has some out of the way cabins we can hack our way into."

He seems to be thinking over things in his head.

"I'll look into that."