[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena tears her eyes from Ralph to look back at the  PI.  "Yelena thank Jedediah.  We need find man name Sam Webster.  Last comm he said was in accident.  Cannot find report of accident with Sam Webster.  Think maybe he taken."  She idly waver a hand at Ralph.  "This Sam brother.  Look just like.  Maybe know more than Yelena."  The look she flashes Ralph implies she doubts that is possible, but she sits back to let the others talk.

She sends a quick response to Arc.  <Yelena laughing.  Is fragging cold when on Scorpion and wind blowing.  Yelena not think much in morning.>

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc gave a nod in confirmation as they went straight down to business, the human sizing up the older man cooly.  "Righto.  We did a little looking around...one accident matching the timeframe was ruled out today, and a known residence has turned up nil."  She took a breath, looking between the two others before adding the next part.

"There is some challenge to this.  We believe Sam Webster is able to take on multiple and very diverse identities over a short period of time.  How that is?  Well ya got me, beyond my understanding, heh."  She smirked, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she took on a more relaxed stance, leaning a little on one hip.  "We was working closely with Sam, and having him kip out on us ain't exactly good for closure, ya heard?"

<@Yelena.  Yeesh, I'll say.  Still, you ain't lyin', you don't look bad for being probably older than this dude.  If you and Marco want some time after this, wanna take the car and I take the bike to my Vruk?>

[ismilealot]

@ Marco  You hear from Cain, >>Are you nuts! 10k!! For a stash worth $1700 tops! Josh is stupid but he ain't that stupid. He'll take your cred, resell if to a decker and run with his share. You'll never see him again. Sheesh but you are one dumb fragger!<<

@ Yelena  You receive a call from Bella right after Arc finishes speaking in Or'zet, >>Hello Yelena, I know you enjoyed the party as much as I did. So much better than a hot tub. Perhaps you can join us at the club again this Friday? My husband is entertaining visitors and I don't want to be bored.<<

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena focuses on the PI as she replies to Arc.  Arc.  Thanks.  Yelena wear better clothes tomorrow.>

The comm from Bella is a bit surprising.  <Bella.  Is Yelena.  Will be at club Friday.  Where Bella be and what time?>

Beyond that, she is listening to what the others say.

[gilga]

Marco texts Cain << oh... I appreciate your concern for my business ventures. If you must know it took me 5 minutes to find him.  You have to be smart about whom to steal from... Pick your marks carefully...but enough about that - aren’t you happy to get you stuff back? If that Orc is giving you that bamfing sound... just remind him how quickly I found him.>>

Marco gives Yelena an hostile look... saying “Coming from you... a person whose job is to make people disappear... that means...  *absolutely nothing* to me.  Indeed we are sort of rivals... but I am in the dark like you... having him missing is... aham... bad for business”.

Reading the faces of everybody in the room, and learning that that person is to investigate Sam’s disappearance Marco feels it is a bit out of place to carry on the show.

“You girls are terrible liars... I should teach you sometimes“ - he smiles, without dropping the body language and texture of voice he say. “I’ll re introduce myself... I am Marco, but I disguised myself as Sam hoping to fish a little bit. Not much luck at the moment. This is why we are here.”
To Marco this was a great opportunity to practice his skills - he clearly enjoyed himself.

[spoiler]
I rolled con,
con roll (if I need one): 18d6t5 7
but as Marco came clean I do not think it is necessary.  Hiring some guy as PI and then throwing him in the wrong direction does not seems very promising.
[/spoiler]

[SmilinIrish]

Jed is taken aback momentarily.  He considers himself to have a pretty good bulldrek meter.  He was quite convinced by Marco's performance.  He knew something was wrong with the girls, but he wrote it off to them not being comfortable with this Marco/Ralph fellow.  Yelena certainly was acting uncomfortable.  Mind racing as he tried to grasp the reasoning for trying to misrepresent himself in the first place, Jed decides that this Marco bears some watching. 

[spoiler]I can't figure out how to link the dice rolls. If he is using judge intentions to read them,  He got 5 success vs Marco, and 3 success vs each of the girls[/spoiler]

Jed sits thoughtfully for a moment as he looks at each of them in turn.  The girls look embarrassed, Marco looks amused.  Unsure of what game was being played, as he looks back and forth between each of them he decides that he better have a closet look at "who" these people are.  As he opens his other "eye" to take in just who he is dealing, he says So you aren't Ralph, but Marco.  Are you still Arc?  Are you still Yelena?

[spoiler]Assensing Rolls:  While assensing Marco: 3 hits, vs Arc 0 Hits (I hate digital dice rollers) and vs Yelena 4.  Primary purpose is to know the aura for future reference and any other hijinx with disguises.  Jed looks at Marco the longest.  [/spoiler]

[Triskavanski]

Ambrose continued to sit in the boat, laying down on the bed, looking up to the ceiling. Here he had access to this Yacht. Not bad, though he's not sure he'd work explosives in here. Forgeries however, he could create a couple more. What kind would he want to put together? That was always a tricky bit.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena reddens, then laughs.  "Is true.  Yelena terrible liar.  Reason why not do much.  Yelena not try lie again."

[gilga]

Marco thought to himself, many dead... and can't tell a descent lie. Maybe the secret for being a good assassin is don't be a smart-ass. Shoot well enough and the victim does not move. He's fellow classmates were also similarly in-competent in the social department - perhaps this kind of life take you apart from society.

"Perhaps I should do the laying... sugar coating the truth comes so naturally for me. I was born to talk."
He smiles at Yelena.

To Jed: "we also have a lead that Sam was in an accident, at about 17:00 yesterday. There were two accidents at that time, we already checked one with a single person involved - that was unrelated to Sam. I am on my way to check the other accident . In fact, from here I plan to go to the hospital. A friend of us was kind enough to provide us with an employee keycard and some visual information, and you already see that I am good with disguises. I suggest that you come with me to the hospital to investigate this lead. Maybe with your experience you'll know what the right questions to ask.  I honestly have never looked for someone before... a paranoid person, hiding under multiple identities that tries not to be found is aiming a bit too high for a first timer. "

When Marco is talking, the chat seems to get a mind of its own, just saying the words out loud seems to form all sort of intuitive connections between events and ideas... maybe he is right and maybe not... It is hard for Marco to focus clear enough to see the thought through all the way, but his intuition usually does not fail him.

"Have anyone seen Sam's car? it is worth to try and trace its icon - there got to be some car registered to his SIN or something like that... Sam was my contact man for background checks so I don't know anyone with such skills but a professional man scanning the matrix and locating his car can give us a place to start ... that car is the last place that we are certain that he was. "


Marco takes off the little cross that he wares and hands it to Jed.

“This commlink is custom made - not the kind you buy on the store... Sam gave us comlinks like that just a short while ago. First there is a link frequency of a similar comlink that Sam was wearing. Second - if you know how to trace its origin it can lead us to one of Sam’s trusted contacts. It takes a certain level of trust to purchase a comlink like that from someone... as it is used for delicate messages. “

Walking around the room, thinking and getting excited as he talk Marco continues.


"It is important to know that Sam arriving to the hospital is a speculation... we know that he had an accident - but we do not know that he went to the hospital... he could have been kidnapped... Like Feathers... First Feathers was kidnapped, then Phoenix was kidnapped and then Sam disappears...  I am beginning to see a pattern... we last heard from Sam at 19:00 and 5 minutes later he was already gone."


Finally Marco seems to have lost his clearity he is a bit confused so he sits down. Saying to Jed:

“So many thoughts... I am already confused with all the things that I just said... is any of that useful to you ? your job seems very confusing. We honestly don’t know much about Sam.”

[SmilinIrish]

Jed takes a deep breath as he tries to assess the situation and assimilate this new information. 

So you were already looking for this Sam fellow, who is your employer currently.  Now I've been hired by the Ancients to determine if he has been surveiling one of their bosses? How long have you know this fellow Marco?  If he is using many different identities, obviously this makes him harder to find, as this persona may effectively no longer exist.  This face you are wearing now, is this what he looked like when you interacted with him?  Have you interacted with him while using any other personas? 

I do have a Matrix guy, as well as a contact in the PD.  If I can get enough info, maybe I can find other aliases that we could be looking for.  I'm not sure.  You say this was your guy for doing background checks?  Maybe he had a business built and this Sam is his primary life. 

I would say maybe my matrix guy to run facial recognition, but if you've been about town disguised as him, it's likely to generate some false positives.  This special commlink seems to be the most concrete lead we have. 

I can certainly accompany you to the hospital.  I assume there is a urgent need to follow this lead now? 

Please keep in mind that my primary job here is to determine if Sam has been watching the Ancients.  To do that, I obviously need to find him first, so our purposes run parallel for now.

[SmilinIrish]

Pardon me a moment while I start some balls rolling.

@ Blindside:  I have met with the group you sent to give me information on this Sam fellow.  Please elaborate on why you are suspicious that he was watching you.  It might give me some more information to work with.  My initial expenses are going to involve my normal Matrix support and some research expenses.  I'm about to be out hitting the pavement now.  If this guy is watching you, I'll find out.  Don't worry.  You know how thorough I am.

@ Escher: Escher, I am working on a missing persons case right now.  I'm going to need your help doing some matrix digging.  Additionally I have a special commlink that may require your special services.  Let me know and I'll give you access to it.

@ Mike:  I have a missing persons job right now, that involves the Ancients.  $500 bonus plus my normal daily.  I'll send over all the info I have.  If you have any ideas that help me crack this that bonus is all yours Boss.  I'll get back with you to let you know if that beer is still a go

[gilga]

“I totally get it, Sam can handle the ancients on his tail, he have been through worse... thanks for being honest about it.”

“Yes, Sam was the one to do the background checks but I do not think he did them himself, either because he is too busy and these take attention for a long while. Or because he does not know how... you are looking at a charismatic person with many contacts. He seem to be in the business for a long while at least for a rookie like me.”

“About facial recognition... you can try I’ll eliminate false positives if you find something just show me the pictures I’ll know myself and what I did. About the hospital... I think we should hurry up before his trial gets cold. If he was there - someone may have seen him, may remember him. He may be released by now, but the more we wait the slimmer the chance to encounter someone that remembers him is. People don’t stay hospitalized forever ya know, and with the patient's change, stuff will not remember old patients forever. “

Marco thinks: That's a bold move Yelena... lets see if it pays off... Using a potential enemy of Sam to find him - people that kill. Fascinating thinks Marco... wait a minute fascinating?! that's insane... insane enough so it might work. We need to gather some money. If we plan to keep on plan without Sam this mission is expensive.   

On the way out Marco say with his most friendly voice "One last thing, we are going to meet a forger now. The one that stole the key... I am working on fumes of money and personal favors... I clearly do not have the resources to finance a hunt for such a man.   Any chance you can write the forger as an expense? After all his key card would give us access to confidential patient data, and finding Sam is what you get paid to do.  If you do me this solid... I'll introduce you to this contact  he is very talented. "

[ismilealot]

@ Jedediah  You get a quick reply from Escher, >>Hey, glad to hear you're out of the hosp. and back in biz. No prob. with taking the job. I just finished up some work for Mike and am free. Shoot me the info and I should have something for you by tonight.<<

Mike's response takes a little longer. >>The Ancients, walk carefully with that gang. Long lives means long memories and longer grudges. Shoot me the info and I'll take a look.<<

Just then you look up at Arc & Yelena and it clicks, Frag! Those are two of the ones that killed the blood mage! Right here in your office and lived to tell about it, something you almost didn't and that was just a toxic shaman. Frag! Getting old man if it took you this long.

@ Ambrose  Marco seems determined to go back to the club. Ambrose had enough footage to make him a few ID's of emplopyees, and even one of one of the heavy rollers, a keeb by the name of Cinan Mistishsa. He was a bit heavier and taller than Marco but that was easy enough to fake. And definitely a few new ID's for himself. A top-notch kit like this shouldn't be wasted.

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc was a bit flushed in the face as well, but her grin didn't seize as she gave a shrug.  "Hey, I just tried to go with the flow.  Like this was some test or drek like that.  Either way...Mr. Early, was it?  I'm Arc, have been, will be, ask any local with a ride in the Barrens...chances are good I've fixed em up at least once."  Nodding her head in affirmation, she let Marco take the lead on the explanation...he knew their Sam the best.  After a while, she crossed her arms under her bust and jumped in.

"The links have a bonus feature that may have been missed...all messages between them have a copy sent to Sam's no matter what.  I don't know much about the Trix, but I imagine that can be traced.  Wiz that you got a Trix guy...if backup is needed, a buddy of my Vrukart (Or'Zet, boyfriend) offered to help in the next coupla days.  Either way, sounds like we came to the right place."  She smiled, looking at the others before adding.

"I'm getting a vibe that you're a decent dude, Mr. Early.  Yelena can shoot me for saying this, but it is important.  We working on digging into this club called the Stardust.  Got a lotta people going missing, real sketch.  Sam put us to the job.  After these new eyes and the arm, couldn't exactly refuse, eh?"  She held up her right cyberhand as a point.  "Our mage dude Feathers was with us for it...he went dark a few days in, and Sam was digging around.  Now we got drek."

"As for payment, I think I can help out.  I gotta thing after this, so I won't be available unless by emergency until tomorrow, and then I'll be looking into getting some jing.  I got a line up on a job or two that might be worth sumsomethin', null sweat."

<<Yelena:  You ain't the only one with a line on working for the club, amirite?  I won't ask what you're doing, but I'll work my angle, ask for help if needed.  If we having to fund ourselves for this op, better we do it with their cred, yeah?  Besides, it's what we were aiming for anyway>>

[Spoiler]@Jed: of course this assensing yields no results, but further digging would show her not to be Awakened, and subject To a notable degree of essence loss, for obvious reasons.  Not sure what more would/could be learned[/spoiler]

[Triskavanski]

Ambrose was finally back in his element. Yes, bombing was a big gig for him, but he was so much more than just a guy who made bombs. He was a guy who made.. Things. Bombs, Cards, Documents, Licensees, and more. Deciding to give Marco a few cards to the club, he began work on that next. If he could just have some more nuyen himself, he could begin outfitting these punks in some of his specially designed pieces of gear.

Deciding that even he was getting a bit hungry, he began checking around the yacht to see what supplies it had as far as cooking went. It wasn't going to be a fancy meal by any means, but one of the better ones out there.

[spoiler]Cooking: 11d6t5 3[/spoiler]

And while he let it sit in the stove it was time to begin working on another master license. This ID card was going to be for that keebler. Screw him and his cookies, Ambros was baking in town. Perhaps he should get a nice RV? While making the card he began looking at what he could do to improve the similarities between Marco and the elf.

[spoiler]
Forge the Keeb - Blow the bloody limits!: 21d6h5 12

[/spoiler]