[gilga]

Solo's eyes widen when he sees Goodnight. Her sense of fashion seems undisturbed by the insane speed she was travelling. Her body is now covered with tattoos, probobly fake from her second skin. She talks a bit differently and feel different, colder stronger maybe - clearly more aggressive. She seems familiar to Solo -  at least he thinks that he heard about someone of that caliber before. A scary monster, the stuff that horror stories are made off. Solo is impressed how running in car speed, stumbling hotel patrons that jump aside to make way for her, and all the hardship of the road did not even dent her hair style.  He thought he saw some old trid about a guy that had a perfect hair despite flying at super sonic speeds, but it was 40 maybe 50 years ago. 

He smiles his big smile at her completely unaffected by her insult. "Meet Goodnight, the most beautiful and emotional of us all... She clearly hasn't been into many cooperate broad rooms if she think that what happens in there is different than a battle." He smiles.

To Goodnight "Would you like some red wine? or a glass of water? powerful magic also works while sitting down. " he nods and smiles at her, despite everything he is happy to see her. 
To the druid he say " Well you just witnessed the most interesting thing about our group, we are many super stars, but each take to a different direction. Do not mind my idealist friend in here... most of our souls are as dark as they get... we'll obviously need some time to discus your offer but I am certain that the millions you are going to invest in this purchase will get you what you want, despite some of our idealists begging the difference. I will need concrete evidence and an hour or so in order to advocate your offer... "

In the text he answer her >> There is really nothing you can do to make me angry... except calling my growler a fucking bike. This is one of the things that scares me about you. .

[Jack_Spade]

Isaint didn't protest, but sent a text to Solo: <<What plan do you have? You just relieved him of the obligation to tell us what he plans to do with the family?>>

His face remained impassive even though Goodnight had just revealed her Masha persona. It hadn't come as to big a surprise with all the other stuff he had learned about and from her. But he really, really needed to have a talk with Torrent.

[gilga]

Texting back >> My plan is to get an offer - I do not care what he does to the family because we are not going to accept the offer, not unless there is no other choice.  I might have accepted it working alone, but I do not feel that strong about it one way or the other. I respect you and Al and kind of like this family. So as long as there is an offer they do like, I am all game for having this offer as last resort.

I just want him to give us some time to discuss it and hopefully deal with that adept that is watching the hotel, and improve our position. Hopefully it will take him a while to get a real offer approved, and being a brilliant decker, I think eTher will know about him extending that offer. She will be more generous. 

Guessing from the kind of money they have, I think they'll resell the family to SK. I trust the doc when he say he'd rather be left alone in here than be handed over to them.

[Jack_Spade]

<<Fair enough, but getting more info would have been nice all the same. Lies always reveal a bit of truth.
But what's done is done. So, let's get him out of here - politely.
Also about that adept:
Nitro from Isaint: You could make your drones and yourself useful by spotting and detaining a spy: We have intel that an adept is watching the premise. It might be a good idea to bug him or if that can't be done to bag him.>>
Isaint replied.

#154

[gilga]

>> Yes, you are correct sorry about that. I figured from the emphasis that the offer is to us and not to them that there is no possible way to sell their offer to the family - and NDM knows that. Perhaps we could have learned how well he lies. By the way - I am still not sure it is a real offer - he seem to be fishing us for information offering us unicorns in the astral. 

They only invested like 10k nuyen in stopping us so far - so this is no real commitment. This is why I think they are sort of trying to play middleman. SK invested so much money to have the doc killed I bet they'd pay over a million. They are the only party I believe is interested enough to extend this kind of money.

[ScytheKnight]

The message flickers over Nitro's Image Link, a soft grunt coming over the subvocal. "If I ca' spo' 'im' I'll 'avva drone de'ecated to 'im, bu' thassabou' tha bes' I kin do... sho'guns ain' tha quie'est way te dri'e summon off, or sennem te slee'."

He looks through the feeds, not holding out much hope, but then through the feeds he spot an open patch, a drone hovering near the ceiling getting a clear view of someone watching the front door, and everyone giving him a wide berth. The target located he lands a drone in a shadowy spot that gives it a line of sight.

"Alrigh'... I foun' 'im, no' har' he ain tryin' 'ard te hi'e himself, I'll kee' an eye onnim an le'ya know if 'e ma'es a move."

[spoiler]A roll for the Fly-Spy to avoid detection.

Pilot 3 + Autosoft 6
Fly-Spy Stealth check: 9d6t5 3 hits
Not great... but then Minidrones are rather hard to spot to begin with, and being a Fly-Spy it may just be mistaken for a bug in the shadows.[/spoiler]

[adamu]

Inside the suite, Al watched as Victoria prepared her magical ritual, and listened as Goodbye made her grand entrance.

What he could not hear were the words of their spectral visitor. "Very well. I shall contact you in this place in one hour from now, by which time you shall not find any such binding offer made to your shell company, but you will find there a business enquiry backed by the agreed sum in a perishable escrow account, released by a registered third-party at Zurich Gemainschaft subject to acceptance of personnel placement services outlined within a designated timeframe. Terms of employment for said personnel will also be detailed therein. I sincerely hope that by that time you shall be prepared to discuss details of how we shall complete this transaction."

And with that, the apparition rose, and headed for the door.

[gilga]

Solo sent the okay for the family shortly after their visitor left. Once they get settled he say, "We talked in the astral with a representative of NDM, he say they can have money ready within an hour with a proof of seriousness. I am almost certain NeoNet and SK are monitoring their competition... so word will be out that money begins to move...But before we move... that adept must be neutralized. Anyone got an idea of how to do so quietly without a trace? "
He looks for Vicki to suggest a plan, but then spots the spirit - "Do you gals also do nonlethal mag..." He jumps in surprise "What? How? who is this  ginger lady over there..."
Seeing how the look on the sprit's face was just as confused as his own, she just arrived and still tried to figure out where she was Solo apologized: "I did not mean to be rude, we are all so tensed and you seem... completely human at first glance... I am Solo - nice to meet you."
Solo thinks to himself "If I could just summon ginger ladies I'd never go on dates..."
You pig! said M.
"It was a private thought but you already know I have this weakness do not judge me..." Thought Solo.

[adamu]

Doctor Pelletiere and his wife paled with panic - and utter confusion - at Solo's speech.

Al put a hand on the doctor's shoulder, and said to Solo, "They ain't linked into our comms." Turning to the doctor, he said, "What Solo here means about money is jist that we lettin' 'im move some cred around, up what a more, um, acceptable buyer, will pay - both to you an' ta us'n."

Al lit a cigarette. He was so very very happy to have one to light.

"Three things." He ticked them off on burn-mottled fingers. Index finger: "Feller outside's worth a helluva lot more to us alive than dead." Middle finger: "We gotta move now. No more lollygaggin' fer any reason. At least two parties knows we's here. You jist say where, Goodbye baby, an' we won't argue, long as it puts us near the surface an' keeps us in contact with the matrix, because..." Ring finger: "We go live with Dragon Lady in fifteen at a place inna matrix of y'all techheads choosin'. If we gotta be movin' at that moment, all the better - no need fer full VR onna first date."

[gilga]

Doctor Pelletiere and his wife paled with panic - and utter confusion - at Solo's speech.

Al put a hand on the doctor's shoulder, and said to Solo, "They ain't linked into our comms." Turning to the doctor, he said, "What Solo here means about money is jist that we lettin' 'im move some cred around, up what a more, um, acceptable buyer, will pay - both to you an' ta us'n."

Al lit a cigarette. He was so very very happy to have one to light.

"Three things." He ticked them off on burn-mottled fingers. Index finger: "Feller outside's worth a helluva lot more to us alive than dead." Middle finger: "We gotta move now. No more lollygaggin' fer any reason. At least two parties knows we's here. You jist say where, Goodbye baby, an' we won't argue, long as it puts us near the surface an' keeps us in contact with the matrix, because..." Ring finger: "We go live with Dragon Lady in fifteen at a place inna matrix of y'all techheads choosin'. If we gotta be movin' at that moment, all the better - no need fer full VR onna first date."

To Al. "Yes... I was going to ask the charmed ones if they do stunbolts - 3 at the same time and he'll probobly never know what hit him. We can bring him back with a medic kit. If he still stands - we'll need some long distance gun a sniper rifle or an assault rifle.  Or if anyone is talented enough to subdo someone in another creative manner I am all ears."

[Jack_Spade]

Isaint chuckled a these words: "Non lethal take downs are actually a specialty of mine. Especially now that my delivery is finally here."
He opened the oblong box and took out a weapon that looked like a cross between a sniper and an assault rifle.
"That one is a bit hard to carry innocently on the street, but as things stand now the police won't be our largest problem by a long shot.
Now you have free choice: Gel round to the head, taser to the ass or my new favorite..." he opened the last box and took to pistol magazines out: "Capsule rounds filled with DMSO and Narcoject.

For waking him up again, I have a stim patch ready.

That said, I could also sneak up on him and just handcuff him."
While he talked, he was disassembling the Ruger 101 and stuffed the parts into his backpack together with the rest of his new purchases.

[gilga]

Solo looks with admiration at ISaint new toy... "I think it will work a lot better than stun-bolts actually - but aren't you afraid for your 'high on APDS' reputation?" Solo says with a dead serious voice.

[adamu]

As usual, Al was deeply impressed by his co-workers, even if he was somewhat aghast at the way Solo referred to some sort of specific hex as though there was some universal nomenclature that any professional would be familiar with. It was growing more and more obvious that this entire vocation had sold its soul lock, stock and barrel to the Adversary.

But as far as Isaint's collection of fake ammo went, he'd reconciled himself to that a while ago. And now it looked like it'd come in handy.

"So how 'bout this - Isaint heads out after his quarry now - Nitro, you got eyes on, right? - the rest of us leave in five, stack in the lobby until we git the all clear. Now the tricky part is, we wanna talk ta this guy, but we can't wait for him ta sleep anything off. If'n you can do 'im an' keep 'im fit ta walk, hurt, an' talk, more's the better, cuz time, she ain't on our side."

He turned to Solo: "Reckon you can't go huntin' cuz you gotta figure out our matrix meet spot inna next few minutes so I can call Dragon Lady fer our meet with her that's gon' be in fourteen minutes from now. So ever'one pack up - Goodbye, we goin' good-bye - where to?"

[gilga]

He turned to Solo: "Reckon you can't go huntin' cuz you gotta figure out our matrix meet spot inna next few minutes so I can call Dragon Lady fer out meet with her that's gon' be in fourteen minutes from now. So ever'one pack up - Goodbye, we goin' good-bye - where to?"

"You are off course correct, I know just the server, it is a library in Seattle - bad connectivity and the noise from the distance will make funny tricks difficult to pull... Thanks for keeping me focused... If there is time after the meetup, I might even try to convince them that I did return my physical copy of the catcher in the rye back then in 64... 12 years late return fine on a book I did bring back, is simply unjust."
 

[Jack_Spade]

Isaint nodded: "Ok. Damn shame that Daddy isn't with us now. A little invisibility spell would make this even easier." To Solo he said: "You better deliver than, you don't want a bibliothecary as your enemy."
He searched one last time through the empty boxes so he really had everything he'd paid for, checked his pockets to ensure he knew where his new gear was and went down to the lobby.
<<Ok Nitro, be a dear and give me access to your drone's feed. I don't want to have to shoot the guy twice.>>