[Jack_Spade]

Thanks to his own measures to prevent communication with his jammer, Isaint only had his eyes and hands to convey the message to Solo that this was a very bad thing to say. Prevent a woman from going shopping? Even I know that that spells trouble.
But he would be damned if he intervened. Instead he said: "As for that: Some basic supplies for a food processor will do. Regarding alcoholic beverages and other recreational drugs: If you have to have them to feel on the level, do so. But we are still on the clock so I'd prefer my colleagues rather to be  sober."

He turned back to the others: "But back to topic: I have no-one that I could conceivably contact. There are a few S-K connections, but neither are those really friendly, nor seem the local S-K to be trustworthy. Especially after we probably trashed one of their heli's and HTR teams.

If you contact them, be sure to route your call through a Sneak program so it's bounced a few times around. Solo or I can help you with that."

[gilga]

To Isaint he said:  "I do not intend to get drunk, but some gourmet food and matching wine can actually be very fun... I prefer to feel relaxed and peaceful when I can, it is my treat - lets deal with that after we finish with strategy. " 

"About SK I feel that these guys want the doc dead. at least they did not mind tossing in heavy weapons and risk hurting the family. I know a guy at Ares that I can trust with my life but I am not sure if they are particularly interested. Or if he have access to a decision maker, I actually never been in a situation like this before.  "

[Kinkerbell]

Victoria rolls her eyes and gives Solo a withering look. "If you want to end up going into toxic shock, by all means shop for your own meal. As for everyone else, I'll do my best. Fee's taught me how to cook and I can still taste stuff, so I'm not, like, totally clueless. But really, some of the stuff down here requires a tolerance that you don't have unless you've lived here. Fee was sick for two weeks when we first came down."

Victoria looks at Isaint. "I'll make sure the water is bottled and tabbed, the food is safe to eat, and I'll do my best to refrain from billing you for a half-kilo of novacoke." She purses her lips, then shrugs and says, "Antibiotics, zeta-interferon and binder might not be a bad call. Long Haul and Jaw, too. Y'know, safe, OTC stuff." She grins again, this time showing a centimeter of icy-white fang. "Its not my first dance, Mr. Saint." She crosses her arms under her modest chest, idly tapping her ribs with one delicate finger. "You'd have to set up and program an SPU, and getting soystock down here might be more trouble than its worth. I'll see what I can find, but these people need food now. They're not used to living like 'runners sometimes have to." She sniffs slightly and glances at Al, then adds, "I'll make sure there's smokes in there too. You guys can pay me back later. I'll leave the line open if you want to add or subtract anything."

She looks up at the drone and says, "I'll be by a few minutes, Hades. If you want to add anything you need right this second, comm me. Otherwise I'll get your order when I see you." Walking toward the door, she gestures sharply and a spirit shimmers into view. Its a man, or reasonably man-shaped, with a heavy-looking sword in its hand and iron boots on its feet. Its form is that of a powerfully built elf with cruel, brutal features and a red beret perched on its steely-grey hair. In gaelic, Victoria tells it, "Stay here. Guard the astral against any that might seek to enter without the permission of the occupants." The redcap gives a cruel smile and vanishes back whence it came and Victoria, now satisfied, steps out the door, blurring into near invisibility as soon as she is out of sight. True to her word, she leaves her comm line open, her librarian's glasses relaying a chaotic view as she zips through the hotel back toward the market.

[gilga]

Solo softly said "Okay... get me some chaos reagents while you are at it. 2k should do the trick I'll wire the money directly to the seller. I also have a bike so some directions towards the nearest connection to London upside."
Solo was not planning to eat anything from a filthy neighborhood underground. The place seemed polluted and toxic.

[Jack_Spade]

Typical, a place where you can get hellhound eyes on toast and distilled moonshadow, but a vaccuum sealed package of foodprocessor paste is a rarity.
"Yeah, sure. Thanks."
Isaint turned to the rest of the crew: "Before this progresses any further, I'll go and take a quick shower."
Picking up his gear, he went into the not yet occupied room, disrobed and took a long awaited, scalding hot shower.

#129

[gilga]

Solo thinks "This is impossible to make a meaningful discussion like that. Why didn't he shower during the hour everyone were waiting for me. Off course I am in no place to complain. I just created five watcher spirits, relatively powerful ones without even knowing I can do it."
Solo looked distanced, he was silent but his thoughts raced.

"M... how come I can make watcher spirits?"


"Oh... you have forgotten a lot. You were much more powerful once, strongest mage I have met."

"What happened to me? who is this dark one?"


"Well since you already know about Dark one I will tell you this, you had a difficult life. Growing up, you were experimented on that's you do know - but what was the experiment? That you do not know. "

"What was the experiment?"


"You were not considered metahuman in the early days. So IDI took you for research."

"What were they after?"


"I do not know exactly, times were different back then and my understanding of meta humanity was lacking. What they did fundamentally changed your aura, you picked up many skills and very quickly. You started to be interested in technology and and became a decker at half the time it took others. Your drive in life changed - you were obsessed constantly studying."

"I am still very skilled, what does it have to do with dark one?"


"Nobody understood it but you became less and less stable, something very fundamental in your soul felt the manipulation and with each passing day and each new skill you picked up overnight that part became increasingly resentful."

"I already know that I eliminated an entire division in IDI, I probobly was very pissed off"


"No you weren't you loved IDI, when you discovered the truth about you and how your entire family did not survive the experiment, you decided to take your own life. You couldn't continue living in a cooperation that you now hated and you couldn't even imagine doing anything violent about it, or leave it."

"I am obviously - still alive what happened?"


"You were weak and that dark part of you took over. Your first casualty was your secretary, she found out that you were trying to commit suicide she tried to talk you out of it but you just killed her. Do you remember it? Her name was Dana."

"I am sorry, I never knew I had a secretary, in fact I know that I had one I know that I worked in IDI and killed many people in there, but it feels like a dream, not like something that actually happened to me."


"Well since you killed her, you crossed a line you just killed and killed and no one seemed to be able to stop you. You were one of the most powerful people in IDI, you managed to erase yourself in a combination of magical and technological methods. You wen't rampage in the shadows doing the most dirty of jobs."

"I vaguely remember killing people - but I haven't killed anyone in many years now. How did it stop?"


"You stopped it... you defeated dark one. "

"I stopped myself? "


"In a way, you invented a ritual to brake a personality fragment from a man. "

"I did what!? "


"You took out the dark one outside of your head."

"This does not make any sense, I don't remember any of it "


" I just know that when the ritual was done you barely remembered who you are but you could barely hurt a soul. "

"I know that I am insane... but it seems like I was pretty fucked up even before I did that to myself.  "


"Well, part of that ritual was designed to cause you to lose as much of your magical talent as possible, so that you can never change your mind."

"What happened then? "


"I do not know... you said your goodbye and never summoned me again for a while. You said that you will probobly never be able to summon me again. But I watched you when I could."

"This is why you asked all these questions... how long ago was it? "


"I do not know, this world feel like a dream for me - time work differently where I live."

"Oh, I had some dark times... I was convinced I was three different people. It took me a while to understand that I wasn't."


"So you do not believe that anymore? "

"Oh, I still feel like different people - but I know that that feeling is false, and I try to stay balanced and avoid stressful situations, because I have no idea how stable I am"


"Indeed, you barely feel a thing since you summoned me, completely numb. "

"I have no idea why I am like that... I was a lot more emotional when before I understood that I am very sick. But then, I started feeling stuff from my summoned spirits. When that chopper went down I felt the pain the spirit felt."


"I am a bit confused right now. "

"Why are you confused? "


"Because you love me. I can see it, you are genuinely in love with me. "

"I like you do not be an ass about it"


"But you never felt like that before..."

"What was our relation before I lost my mind? "


"I was completely in love with you. I even allowed you to fetter me."

"And I ? "


"You were cold, you used me. Eventually you grew used to me and took me for granted."

"Did I hurt you?"


"Very much, but the day you released me you seemed genuinely regretful. "

"But I did not love you... why did you came back?"


"I am not sure, I was curious... I still felt guilty even after you made me your slave. I still was the one that killed your mother when she tried to escape."

"You just did not want to be bound and she was not powerful enough, I forgive you. "


"No you DON'T you never did. You manipulated me, used my emotions. Deep down you hated me. You only say that you forgive me because you became numb and you feel nothing toward no one."

"You just said that I am in love with you tough - you are not making a lot of sense."


"I know this is why I am confused, you love me like I loved you. "

"But you did not want me to bind you..."


"Please don't... I am not ready for such a commitment. I do not trust you enough."

"I do not know what to say... You just told me I love you. Do you feel anything toward me?"


"I do not know... you forgot everything, almost everything but I remember it all. I enjoy your new self, I will give you that."

"You are afraid that the ritual failed and I will revert into my old self that abused you?... don't answer I know you do. I cannot even imagine hurting you, I will do anything within my power so that does not happen again.


"This is what makes it so sad... I know you will but you grow in power fast, you just relearned ritual spell casting in an hour. What if you are changing right in front of my eyes?"

"Please do not cry... We are in a public place and they already think that I am completely insane."


"I can't help it, I am so sad."

Solo's eyes became wet, he apologized and said "Just give me a minute... I'll go wash my face." He spent a couple of minutes crying until he could contain M's deep sorrow.

[Kinkerbell]

Victoria uses her supernatural speed to effect, whipping down the tunnels until she got to Nightside, where such a breakneck pace is as likely to kill her as speed her progress. First things first. The 'runners had undoubtedly been in even more filthy and desperate situations than this one, but the Doctor and his family came from privilege. They would need a little help.

With that in mind, Victoria walks quickly through the middle level of the market, searching first for an apothecary or a drug smuggler. A proper pharmacist would be impossible to find here, and the medical clinics deepward would charge an arm and a leg for specialized medications. Thankfully, this is Nightside, and it doesn't take long to find what she seeks, a small stall run by an unhealthily thin human with sallow skin and graying hair. He's hawking things surfacers would take for granted; vitamins, immuno-boosters, antidote patches, antihistamines, and analgesics sit in neat rows all around him. Victoria swans up and simply grabs everything that looks useful; a bottle of VitaMax, another of Alphasprin, a sleeve of Long Haul, a small vial of Zeta-Interferon, two packs of Jaw, and an eyedropper full of Nightwatch. She dumps the whole thing in front of the stallkeep, who reads off the price in a bored-sounding tone. A half-dozen corp scrip notes change hands and a few minutes after she arrived at the stall Victoria is on her way again, a black mesh bag held in one hand.

As she walks, she comms Natasha and asks, <<Hey, kitten, have you or your brother got a favorite color? The shadowrunner-chic you're rocking is neat and all, but its still not really armored and its not warm. Between here and Earl's court can get colder'n a witch's tit, so I need to get you some new threads. Gonna need a shoe size too.>>

Then she flips to another window, a much more secure line, and sends, <<Hello, Quicksilver. Was hoping to ask you if Draco might have use for a cutting-edge CFD researcher and his family. Asking for a friend. Would need full relocation package for four, two minors, and stripping of their assets for conversion. Need reply soonest.>>

Finally, she comms Isaint. <<Mr. Saint, I can't help but notice those people are haphazardly armed. I'm sure Fee has told you that no one should go unarmed down here, but at the same time you probably don't want them throwing Ex-squared in the dark. I've got some stuff so they can at least see where they're going now, and there's a couple options. I can get them basic weapons with safe-target systems, but someone'll have to pick up the tab, or I can get them pepper-punch sprays. The pepper punch has less of a chance to go wrong, but its also a lot less effective and actually has a higher chance of collateral if they're in amongst you all. Preference?>>

Her messages sent, Victoria turns and heads for the stairs. Time to check on Nitro.

[ScytheKnight]

The directions where pretty simplistic, but then in a place like this simple is more useful than detailed. The flamboyant rigger casually slings the assault shotgun across his back, as he expected the obvious augments and the milspec weapon got him several glances, but no trouble. Ahh, here's the stairwell, to the bottom eh? Well, I guess levels are a bit more relative then floors above ground. It may not be the streets he's used to navigating, but he wasn't finding it too hard to get around, that and storing the directions into his Orientation system highlighted the turnings in his image link.

The clinic looked nothing fancy, but he'd done enough augmentations in black market places to know not to judge any shadow clinic by its looks. Going inside he looked around, getting a feel for the place. It wasn't state of the art, but it would do for the kind of work he was after. Tired of my drones pinpointing a sound before I can. Making up his mind he approaches the clinic owner. "Hoi Chume', na'es Nitro, loo'in te ge' so'e wor' do'e, no'in ma'or jussa cy'erear upgra'e." the owner looks him over slowly, noticing the weapon slung across his back. "A runner eh? Come down here to get work done off the books? Well we ain't got everything but you should be able to find what you want, am I to guess you'll be leaving your old set behind?" Nitro nods "Aye, ra'er speciali'ed so ye migh' 'ave trou'le sellin' 'em off whole, bu' ye kinna allways stri' 'em fer com'onen's."

The owner doesn't even blink at this before continuing. "Of course, standard service for your types down here. Had more than a few runners come down here looking to get rid of hot 'ware. Anyway you got records so we know what we're doing or you going to make us work blind?" the flamboyant runner laughs and flicks his fingers, a file showing up on the shop's system, the owner looking down as he read's through it. "Acou'se I'll gi'ya me file... go' too mu' te 'ave ye go inna any wor'..." he trails off suddenly as he finds himself looking down the barrel of a Superwarhawk. "What the hell?! A head full of nanites? You really think I'm just going to let some freaken headcase walk in off the street and contaminate my entire shop and stock?"

"Ahh dreck...."

[Kinkerbell]

Sometimes, its useful to have a run speed in excess of a hundred kilometers an hour, and be able to casually stroll faster than the surface traffic of a Seattle street.

...Other times, you end up walking into an Sinsearach standoff between a cybered badass with a shotgun and an irate shopkeeper with a revolver.

As the vicissitudes of fate would have it, Nitro is still examining the quality of the rifling on the Super Warhawk stuck in his mug when the slender teenage killing machine strolls into the lobby of the cyberclinic and stops dead. She smiles and starts forward, tossing her lavender hair as she moves- at a normal pace- toward the 'runner.

"Stay back, young miss. This is dangerous, and I wouldn't want a child hurt because of scum like him." The owner spits on the floor, and Victoria's vastly sped-up perceptions allow her to watch the globule fall in slow motion, and still have time to analyze the entire room. She glances at Nitro, who looks more resigned and irritated to her than upset or frightened.

Victoria shakes her head slowly, still smiling sweetly. "Come now, there's no need to stick a gun in his face, is there?" Then she smiles showing three centimeters of icy-white fang and her eyes grow to their full brightness, a horrible, chilling white glow completely devoid of warmth. "Get the goddamn gun out of his face. He's clearly been around the block. He came in here in good faith, even that might not kill him, if you frag up the man is carrying an assault shotgun, and even if you do manage to slag him, then you'll get to explain to Goodnight why she doesn't get to do it instead."

At the mention of Goodnight, the man's face goes a horrible sort of greyish-green, and he finally looks over at Victoria. Its only a glance, but then he does a double-take, startling magnificently. Unlike her sister, VIctoria is legitimately terrifying. Goodnight is too pretty to really pull off scary, and while Victoria is possessed of the same incredible looks, she is subtly inhuman, and the eyes and fangs strip away the thin veneer of her metahumanity to reveal the monster underneath. While his attention is divided, Victoria is suddenly only a meter away. still smiling that horrible smile, as if daring him to try his luck.

Apparently, she is definitely Goodnight's sister.

"Your call, honey." She says simply. "You can shoot him and die now or later, or you can take the gun out of his face, let him explain, and maybe make some money."

<<You, uh, wanna explain this to me, sweet pea?>> She sends to Nitro.

[ScytheKnight]

Nitro looks back at the vampiric elf and gives a faint 'thanks' smile, in the time it takes for that to happen he shoots her a short message. <<A slight professional risk at the moment... you know that doc is mixed up in the whole CFD thing? Well, I use nanites, hard nanites. I got them and a Nano Hive to regulate them a while back to boost the effectiveness of my Control Rig. Unfortunately now is, well a bad time to be having nanomachines running around your brain, he didn't find out accidentally, I supplied the info along with all my other 'ware so he knew what he was working with. I guess I can't really blame then for being jumpy down here.>>

The message sent he keeps his arms hands away from his body, even if the owner hadn't noticed the bulge of the sawnoff under his coat there was still a milspec assault shotgun to worry about. "Well I mussay I canna faul' ye' cau'ion, 'imes bein' asay are. Bu I mussay, if ye was gonna shoo' me inna hea' thin'in' I wassa a hea'case I sure as fraggin HOPE ye dinna 'ave Ex-Ex or Hollow Pion's loa'ed inna tha' thin... The lassthin' ye wanna 'ave is grey ma'er ll o'er yesshop."

[Jack_Spade]

'BEEEEP - BEEEEP'

"Every, god damn time I'm in the shower or taking a bath." Isaint hopped out of the spray and to his pile of gear. With his wet hair he didn't want to apply the trode net, so he opened the message on the small screen of his link.

<<Mr. Saint, I can't help but notice those people are haphazardly armed. I'm sure Fee has told you that no one should go unarmed down here, but at the same time you probably don't want them throwing Ex-squared in the dark. I've got some stuff so they can at least see where they're going now, and there's a couple options. I can get them basic weapons with safe-target systems, but someone'll have to pick up the tab, or I can get them pepper-punch sprays. The pepper punch has less of a chance to go wrong, but its also a lot less effective and actually has a higher chance of collateral if they're in amongst you all. Preference?>>

Still to wet to touch anything he commanded his agent:
"Susi: Record and send reply: "Yeah, good thinking. Currently they have two tasers from my arsenal but getting them their own weapons is probably prudent: Specifications: Defiance Ex Shocker with laser sight and safe targeting. Four of them, one for every family member. Also if you can swing it: Forearm guards with integrated shock weave. It's a good defense measure against being grabbed and dragged away.
Thanks for your help(.) e(/a)nd message.
Now where the hell do they keep those extra towels. Oh well, time for a shave you old ugly bastard. Hm, now full beard is out, maybe a nice early century mustache. Yeah I think that's it. Send's the right message.

#130

[gilga]

Solo said lets talk some security while our saint is away. "We are very good on the astral, nothing is expected to pass the astral here without at least getting spotted. Physical security I have 3 flying eyes that I keep outside our perimeter... But given our previous experience I suggest checking out the floors below and above us, to see if we see anything suspicious.  Lets not fall to the same tick twice, SK dudes have already blew up the floor beneath our legs. "

He then pauses, and take a deep breath.

"I have my bike waiting for us below the building completely active and ready to go. I will try and get more growlers - hopefully at least 3 more.  They are amazing in this terrain and our desperate ''everything goes to hell MO'' should be to grab your favorite family member and ride as far as possible. If I'll have enough time I will bind some spirits to add to security but mainly to make us a lot more faster in case we need to run away.

It is sad to note, but our numbers are not as they were. Goodnight is gone, Vicki despite everything is a 16 years old girl. She may be powerful - but she is still a teenage. Teenagers are not known for their restraint and she will get very hungry as the hours go by.  Especially if she keeps this level of activity. Goodnight usually take care of her god knows how, but as long as Goodnight is out - Vicki is a time bomb. She might not be able to control herself - it take practice time and maturity to achieve self control for the infected. None of us know how green she really is..." ... Solo thinks "Just how do I know this stuff?!"

[pistolgrip]

Aaron frowns at all the talk of sobriety and such. He simply goes back to spinning the Omni's cylinder while keeping his eyes and ears open for intruders. Street thugs and protesters were much simpler to deal with, usually operating on the hope of a surprise attack or an incompetent guard. All this spirit and magic business, Solo off in a room having some kind of one-man orgy, it was all very unsettling. That must be why they call him "Solo".

As the man introduced himself, Aaron nodded. "Yeah, it's hard to miss your name. I'm Jackhammer, as you know. And I thought I was one of two normal guys in this whole business, doc & family not included." he says, nodding at the family. "But then eyes-saint over there said no beer. So I guess I'm the only normal guy left."

[gilga]

"I'll get you beer dear Jackhammer... Hold on lets see if I can find a place with good reviews down here... These are the best reviews I can found:"

 "The beer is non toxic, I had a terrible hangover but survived - CrazyO"

"Their German beers are amazing... but don't drink anything off the tap. Steph the Ripper"


"The dancing dwarf is the place to drink with a foreigner, you just need to replace the foreigner every night. - Duke"

Solo Shows Jackhammer the reviews-
"these are the best I found.
What do you say Mr. Jack Hammer - feeling adventures? we can send the bike to collect the order.  "

[pistolgrip]

Aaron puts crosses one arm across his waist and uses the other to prop up his chin. He frowns for a moment, looking into the air.
"You know, Solo, I just don't feel thirsty anymore."