Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: inca1980 on <12-19-13/2238:44>
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Cast:
Zach -- Ork smuggler Cat physical adept
Storm -- Elf Norse pain-mancer
Stake -- Dwarf Hacker
After the three of you make your escape from the Tacoma industrial zone you know that going back home at the present moment is not an option. Zach manages to work out a deal with Rush from the Ork Underground and in only a few hours you procure a tiny safe-house flat deep beneath the city. It's dry and cozy when a fire is going and the only draw back is the connection between you and devices on the surface is quite noisy (-2) and the public grid is the only thing that's free. He doesn't want payment since it belonged to a recently deceased friend of his, but he only requests Storm's occult healing services for the neighborhood, but you gotta be out in a week if you're not gonna actually rent the place.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66568711/SR%20shares/UB%2010/SRscene407.jpg)
@Stake:
Stake his been laying in his bunk hacking away for hours at the file folder on the small chip and finally comes up with something. He finds that the name of the drone is Drone_232F3 and most all of the files are software related which manage some of the inner-workings of the drone, but one folder in particular looks quite corrupted. After fixing it up and manipulating the file systems, the latest two updates to the file could be salvaged by Stake's savvy-ness with programming. The drone hardware must have totally crashed before the delete command could be fully completed and the folder inadvertently stayed active. The on-board pilot software was responsible for managing the info on the chip and it just kept getting updates that piled up even after the pilot software went off-line. The chip was also simultaneously sending info straight to the Tacoma Veteran's Hospital's host but this info must have not alerted the host as to the status of the file folder....only the gps coordinates were sent out. The title of the folder is "Comm▓░ands╞" and the date stamp on the first update is, October 12, 2075 which is the same day you went to the meet with the robo-johnson and it all looks like some kind of scripting code.
This is the content:
░▒▓╦╠╬├─├┬░◄╛┐╬▓░▒░▓
║◘♠§¶▲▓░▒▒█▄▌▀▐■⌡═╩╟
░▒▓╦╠╬├─├┬░◄╛┐╬▓░▒░▓
File - Commands_2075.10.12.2133Z
SET meet_location= "Puyallup Lodge"
SET target_1 = "SR3241"
SET target_2 = "SR3242"
EXECUTE meet_backup_overwatch_3213.231
DO WHILE (meet_status = "meet_on_track")
IF (Android_Johnson_3423F4_status_report = "meet_gone_bad") THEN
SET meet_status = "meet_gone_bad"
END IF
END WHILE
IF (meet_status = "meet_gone_bad")
EXECUTE Project_Boot_Camp_attack_sequence_42313.232
END IF
IF (NOT(Location.target_1 = "Puyallup Lodge".OR.Location.target_2 = "Puyallup Lodge")) THEN
EXECUTE download_orders_standby
ENDIF
END
** The second and final update is this:
░▒▓╦╠╬├─├┬░◄╛┐╬▓░▒░▓
File - Commands_2075.10.13.0023Z
SET SR3241_threat_level="high"
SET SR3242_threat_level="high"
DO WHILE (Drone_232F3_tag_status = "secure")
EXECUTE Stealth_mode_urban
FOLLOW SR3241.AND.SR3242
IF (SR3241_threat_level="high".AND.SR3242_threat_level = "high") THEN
SR3241_status="do_not_engage".AND.SR3242_status="do_not_engage"
ELSE
EXECUTE Project_Boot_Camp_attack_sequence_6534.2534
END WHILE
IF (Drone_232F3_tag_status = "cracked") THEN
EXECUTE Project_Boot_Camp_attack_sequence_6534.2534
SET SR3241_status="engage"
SET SR3242_status="engage"
END IF
END
░▒▓╦╠╬├─├┬░◄╛┐╬▓░▒░▓
║◘♠§¶▲▓░▒▒█▄▌▀▐■⌡═╩╟░
║◘♠§¶▲▓░▒▒█▄▌▀▐■⌡═╩╟
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No matter how long he is in Seattle, this is the first time Zach has a chance to stay in the Underground for more than a few hours. Having his need of sleep supressed far beneath normal metahuman need, Zach spends this time wandering around the safehouse, part being on the watch, part looking dor escape routes, part looking for a few SnS clips, as he remembers the advice well, and part just socializing himself and trying to take in the atmosphere of the place. Being hunted is nothing new for old siberian ork. Be it mercenaries and raiders hired by EVO in his homeland, border patrolls all across eurasia, Vory v zakone; the only thing new on this situation was that hunters were mostly machines. Well. There is some brain and mind behind this, that is for sure. On the other side...this place resembles his home and childhood in caves under Ural mountains much more than anything in recent 20 years.
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Storm hates the Underground. The air is stale and reeks of sweat and grime. Her enhanced senses make her grimace in disgust everywhere she turns. She yearns for the open air of her homeland, crisp with snow and tinted with the smell of evergreens.
What the hell are we doing down here?
Storm drops 1,000 nuyen on a black market spell guide for a spell called "Chaotic World". It causes mass confusion, both for sentient targets as well as machines. Should be perfect in case a distraction is necessary to get into the hospital. It should also scare the drek out of anyone close enough to be caught in the area of effect, which suits Storm just fine. Just fine, indeed.
Storm seeks out the team's decker to see if he has any additional information on what the next steps should be.
Something tells me we're going to pay a visit to this hospital that seems to be the source of all our trouble.
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Or another proxy.
As the best way to get to some place is to be properly dressed, Zach asks around for the Tacoma hospital. He is not interrested in hospital itself, though. What he is trying to figure out is what clients do they have, what is the response team, what emergencies they answer and what is their territory. Maybe snatching the ambulance and some doctor uniforms may work well for this. Also...if we go in this way, we will need some good diagnose.
Stake. I would need safe communication channel. Can you help me with that? This is my contact [Dr. Watson]. Tell me when we are ready.
While Zach is waiting for Sakes reply, he will familiarize himself a bit with the new FlySpy drone. He got used to have one more eye in the sky, well this factory setup was far from Sylvia, that was heavily customized by Wagner. On the other side, Zach soon finds the lack of personality algorithms in the autopilot behaviour satysfying, he was a bit nervous when Sylvia tried to joke and once a month she was real bitch. Zach was content that once he unpacked the new drone and loaded the autosofts, because drone behaves just like...drone. Tool, that answers to his commands with not a single sarcastic comments.
Actualy...Zach treasures the memory of the moment he blew that bitch to the sky. At least it died usefully. Well on the other hand he tries to forget her last good bye.
Taking his current adversaries into account, thinking about that machine as it was "her" feels pretty pervers. Missing her even more...
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@Zach:
You find a weapons store not too far from where the three of you are staying. The ammo you're looking for is well stocked and you even find out that the ork named Vlad owns the little Underground shop is russian as well who immigrated to Seattle. He raised a son in the Underground who joined the UCAS marines at 15 in order to get SINs for himself and his dad. Ever since his SIN went through many years ago Vlad has been running this shop. Tragically his son was senselessly killed in the middle of gang violence but he does point you to an Underground bar where veterans hang out called Piggyback where they might know more about TVH. All he knows is that there once was a nasty awakened mold outbreak there some years ago....had to move everyone out, clean the place and then move them back in.
@Storm:
On top of being miserable down here, you can see many people giving you ugly sideways looks as you walk through the tunnel-streets, most likely cuz you're an elf. There are several open minded people however and you manage to engage at least a few of them in conversation. Only one ork lady named Winnie you talked to has been there and she goes there regularly with a friend who's a vet named Kimbo to keep him company while he gets his dialysis. Despite TVH's reputation for substandard care she thinks TVH is better than visiting the local shaman which is what most people here do, so she feels Kimbo's lucky to have his vet benefits.
You get back to your quarters and right to work over AR displays of arcane runes and symbols teaching you mana-patterns that will eventually allow you to bend the perception of space-time in strange and twisted ways once you get the hang of it.
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Awakened mold my ass. Sounds like insect hive or something. But I`ll tr that bar, maybe I can find some more.
I got a tip for local infopoint, Iam going to ask around about that hospital. Summary what Ive found so far is here. The place is called Piggyback. Feel free to join me there.
With the tear in his eye, Zach refuses stakan filled to the edge with dellicious home made vodka. Not wanting to hurt Vlads feelings and hospitality, Zach pulls his shirt up and shows nasty looking scars on his belly...
Izvinite Vlad. Consider it punishment for my mistakes, but Iwould have to refuse even if you offer Cлезы Сталина. I have been punished before, but only a few things hurt me this much. Every cup of milk from then reminds me to be more carefull.
But it is much better for my inner cat Zach finishes sthe sentencein his mind.
Thank you for the hint, Ill get back to you when I need anything else and got some cache to spare. Take care.
Zach packs purchased goods to his pockets and sets off for the Piggyback.
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Stake sighed deeply when he finally got the results. Despite being rested and healed, this wasn't some trivial task, and he started to wonder what kind of resources the owner of the drones had. The serial number of the drone supported the idea of a resource-heavy operation. Even if not all of the previous spots were filled, it must have been a considerable army of drones. And the surveillance footage that he got from Storm in the beginning, just fortified these suspicions.
The serial numbers for the runners were also disturbing. Even if the first three digits represented grouping, assuming these two didn't have the highest number, an estimated 24 groups were under some kind of surveillance or in the databases where these IDs were from. And the possibility for an even higher number was there. Whoever was determined enough to get on the bad side of so many runners, was either cocksure or downright crazy. Stake wondered what his number was in that database, and if he just recently made it in there, or some previous activities were already registered.
He decided the input of the others might be valuable this time. "Guys, look at this." He sent the broken corrupted file's contents to them. "This seems to be two different command upgrades on the drone you shot. Are any of the dates or places in there of some importance to you?" After giving them some time to process the information, he continued. "If we are lucky enough, i might use the credentials of this drone to get inside the hospital systems. This little bugger seemed to continue downloading updates and sending info even after being shot down, so we might try that. Or even use it as bait at a later time, allowing it back online and looking for whatever comes to investigate."
-o-
When Zach requested a secure communication channel he provided it as long as needed. Hearing back from him, getting that piece of information on the TVH, he sent a quick reply. >>I can meet you there or i can stay here and look into that 'mold' incident more deeply. You know, newscasts, business reports, companies participating in renovation and cleaning, somesuch. I also wanted to gather all that is available and seems important on the TVH from the matrix anyway. So which do you want?<<
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Storm sends a message via AR to her two compatriots:
>>Found an ork that goes to the TVH on a regular basis, might be useful if we need to get inside in person. She goes in with a vet who has bad kidneys. Keep your eyes out for a vet named Kimbo. Probably won't be in the bars due to his kidney problem but maybe we'll get lucky and run into him elsewhere.<<
>>Looks like whoever it is knew that there was a good chance the original meet would go south. They must have figured that we wouldn't cooperate, almost like they were picking a fight.<<
Storm continues to meet with Winnie and pumps her for a little extra information. She's particularly interested in the magical security in the compound. She asks Winnie relevant questions that could help determine if there are wards, wandering spirits, dual natured critters, etc. She attempts to hide her interest so as to not alert the ork as to why she's asking about the hospital - she says she's got a friend that needs treatment but she won't go in without her loving Blackberry Cat. [Blackberry Cat from 4e Running Wild is Awakened and wouldn't be allowed into the hospital.] Storm gives Winnie 50 nuyen as a bribe.
Storm is sustaining Improve Charisma and is currently not using her Psyche drugs
Con(1)+Cha(11)-Sustaining(2)+Evidence(1)+Bribe(1) (12d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4343056/)
In order to interpret the info she's able to get, Storm uses her Knowledge skill in Magical Security. She's sustaining Improve Intuition using her F3 sustaining focus.
Magical Security(7)+Int(5) (12d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4343059/)
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By the way, I have possible cover for entry to TVH. We will just need to look for some credentials about the son of this man...Vlad...who runs this shop. His son was in military, and despite he is dead now, I can use his name and some story if they ask too many questions. Anyway...I am almost at the Piggyback
Zach takes a walk around the pub before he enters, trying to figure out possible escape routes, well he has a feeling that there is much more holes hidden to the eye of casual visitor, in case of LS crackdown. As he enters, he places his order for soycaff and tries to find a place to sit at the table with a few other visitors. As soon as he receives his coffe, he made acomment about this would probebly kill him. As he is new in Seattle, with some health problems, he is looking for good hospital. It is difficult to find this days, man should listen to vox populi, rather than media edvertisement, if he doesn`t want to wake up with less kidneys than he had when he went to sleep. If he is lucky enought to wake up, that is. Old Vlad recommended TVH, well he told Zach that people around here may know more about the hospital.
Char(2)+Ettiquete(3) (5d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4343627/)
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@Zach:
"хорошо my friend. Anytime you need some ammo or something a little bigger to back you up, you come to Vlad!"
You leave the little shop and continue down the tunnels of the crowded Ork Underground....
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66568711/SR%20shares/UB%2010/Underground_City_2.jpg)
You follow your directions and the tunnels eventually open up onto an open cavernous area. The Piggyback is nestled on the second floor of a series of bars and you climb the stairs walking around a slumped over heavily inebriated troll and sliding through several patrons loitering outside.
The bartender brings you a cup of hot black liquid that when you drink it goes down smooth and warms you up all over. He nods understandingly. "Don't drink that soycrap...here's some authentic Colombian brew, I got addicted to the stuff on my time there. Looking for a good hospital? Dannyboy sitting over there lost half his organs when a landmine in Bogota tore him in two. Ever since he got the cyber-torso he hasn't been able to have drop of alcohol either cuz of his kidneys. I think he got his ware installed at TVH and there ain't a day when he doesn't complain. I don't know why Vlad would recommend it. You can ask good ol' Dannyboy though, but from what I can tell, it's just like any other public facility....pure crap." You follow his pointing finger with your eyes and can see that Dannyboy is a youngish looking ork who's wrapped in a poncho and chatting with some friends.
@Thermo:
Winnie doesn't seem suspicious at all.
I don't know what kind of mojo surrounds the place, but I don't ever mess with that stuff. It doesn't look like they have much that important to protect, just a bunch of broken and wounded warriors. I don't ever get any funny feelings when I'm there though. The trids usually say that you can feel spirits and creatures from other worlds when they're close even if you can't see them."[\color]
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Colombian hmm. Say hello to your relatives up in the Cascade range, I hope they enjoy their cofee too. And thanks for something with the real taste. I for sure remember this place when I need to improve the day. Vlad said something about his kid serving in the army, so maybe TVH was the first that came to his mind, I don`t really remember. Sad. Surviving this long on the enemy turf and then be killed by his own people almost at his backyard. Desperate days, I tell you.
Zach continues sipping his cofee and waits for Storm to arrive. It would be strange coincidence if they find two orks with kidney problems at the same area and the same time.
Bloody professional honor. We should have taken one of those bags for ourselves. This is simply delicious.That would make even Brick feel alive.
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Storm receives the location and heads over to meet with Zach at the Piggyback. She steps over the trashed troll at the front door and finds Zach inside. Before sitting down, Storm gives the whole place a once-over using her astral sight. She uses her heightened sense of smell and is immediately intrigued with that she finds.
"Hoi, chummer, is that real coffee I smell? In this place?"
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Believe and thou shalt be saved. Real as a pain. Get one. And by the way...see that guy over there? Ork with cybernetic body? Dannyboy. He visits TVH quite often because of his health problems. Like kidneys and such. Sounds familiar? Go ahead, I`ll join you, I just have a call to make.
Zach marks Dannyboy just for Storms AR, not visibly pointing at him, then he returns to his coffee
Hi Stake. Ready to make the call? I would feel safer if you assure me that no Heimdall traces its source to the bar we are sitting.
Hell. Am I getting paranoid lately? And is it still paranoia , when you know for sure they are afer you?
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Stake ran the appropriate routines before answering Zach.
[spoiler=protecting call]Deck settings: Firewall 6(7), Data Processing 5(6), Sleaze 5, Attack 3, programs: Signal Scrub, Encrypt, Toolbox
Protect Communications, Complex: LOG(7) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) - public(2) [Data Processing(6)] (12d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4345311/); Note: protection rating is 5. I'm also regularly checking for unknown marks on my deck during the call.[/spoiler]
"Done. Go ahead and make the call. I'm redirecting it through my deck for the extra protection."
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...
Dr. Watson? Siberian cat here. You all right? I just finished two bottles of vodka and get an idea that I would invite you for a drink, baby. What do you say?
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Storm orders a coffee with a shot of real bourbon and walks over towards Dannyboy. She takes a seat behind him at the next table over and sits with her back turned partially towards him. She sips her drink, observes, and waits for Zach to make the first move on his new potential contact.
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@Zach:
Instead of hearing the Doc's familiar robotically masked voice respond to your question, an automated message that you can tell is the voice of his/her assistant Neena. "If this is a life or death emergency, activate your Doc Wagon panic button on your comm-link immediately, otherwise we encourage you to seek medical care elsewhere. Thank you." The call hangs up.
You see Thermo position himself close to Dannyboy and you take that as a good sign for you to move in. You approach the table he's at and they all look up at you. Finally being able to see Dannyboy's tusked face you can see the mechanical irises of his cybereyes rotate and unfold. "So you wanna know about TVH....don't worry, I heard the whole conversation." He taps the side of his hood covering his right ear. "At least I got one piece of ware that works decently." Shifting in his chair you can hear the rotator servo's in his torso purr a little too loudly and he begins to cough and puts up a finger asking you to hold on while he composes himself again. "Excuse me....I was on a tour of duty in South America, us UCAS Marine's were clearing some minefields so Ares troops could move a transport through....my sensor equipment failed and I stepped right on one. The corps outsource the dirty work to us government forces and then when we break we just get shipped back home. TVH did what they could to put me back together, but they hardly got the resources to do the job right. If you got the cred I'd recommend taking your ass over to some corporate Hospital. You got some bad kidney's too?"
He's obviously very observant and a veteran of intense combat but Dannyboy and his friends seem to be a lot nicer than their intimidating demeanor would suggest.
@Thermo:
The astral space of the Piggyback exudes a warm comforting feel tinged with the basic depressing grind of poverty that pervades everything down here. You also see a lot more prevalence of awakened varieties of spores and dusts but that has been prevalent throughout all of the Underground.
[spoiler]OOC: Rolling your knowledge skill. Magical Communities 7 + Int 5 [Mental=5] = (12d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4350920/). 5 hits[/spoiler]
You remember that not too far from here a number of storm drains in the vicinity broke during the earthquakes caused by the Great Ghost Dance, and the combination of quakes, subsidence, and erosion has opened out a large cavern nearby called the Cavern of Waterfalls. Shamans passing through decided that a place so rich in natural forces would be an excellent place to site medicine lodges, and the set of lodges here— all to urban totems like Dog, Rat, Raccoon, Gator, and Snake— is analogous to the similar spot on Council Island, Medicine Lodge Hollow. Unlike Medicine Lodge Hollow, some of the lodges are fully functional... and in regular use by particular shamans. As part of the caverns there are several kinds of mosses that provide some light and the area is incredibly peaceful so you've heard. This is most likely the origin of the higher counts of awakened biomass.
@Ren:
[spoiler]OOC: Make a matrix perception check. Make sure to take the -2 for being in the underground in addition to any grid penalties you might have (-2 for public).[/spoiler]
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Zach hangs up quickly, muttering curses:
@Stake:As I suspected. This contact is possibly compromised. We better start packing, in case the call was traced. I have trust in you, well ork can never be carefull enought this days.
He takes his cup and moves to the table. This needs to be done quick. Even if it means to play all-in. He is not sure about the next step, so he took a deep breath and jumps to the dark waters head first...
Sorry about this tightrope dancing, well I don`t want to disrespect you by not being honest to you. Our problem, Dannyboy, seems to be the crackdown on shadows. Chirurgicaly precise, almost like AI controlled, armed milspec drone assaults. I don`t know if you have some friends in the shadows, or if you heard of such attacks recently. Me and my friend here we were targetted by those enought times to take it personal, and we traced the source back to TVH. The hospital is in no case the target, but something is hiding there. And if it isn`t stopped, it would strike here and there, unless it hits someone we care about. We need to get in and out with the less disturbances possible. You know the place. Can you help us to get our hands on ambulance and some medical uniforms? Or at least give us some security detail that would help us to get in?
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@Zach:
[spoiler]OOC: Roll a Charisma + Willpower [Social].[/spoiler]
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Fuck am I sweating or is it just a feeling
Ch(2)+Wp(3) [4] (5d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4351508/)
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[spoiler]OOC: Judge Intentions Cha 4 + Int 4 = (8d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4353873/). He reads your intentions correctly and sees that you're not trying to mess with him.[/spoiler]
@Zach:
Dannyboy and his friends all look at you in silence. Danny quickly looks around the room back and forth and then leans in a little closer lowering his voice. "Are you and your friend over there....shadowrunners?". You're a little surprised that he noticed a connection between you and Storm, but she does stand out anyways in the Underground.
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Far beyond the point of no return, Zach has no choice but to continue. He looks at Storm, just to see how she likes to be mentioned by both sides as a third person, nods at her, and leaves upon her to decide what he meant by that. Before he turns back to Dannyboy, Zach sends quick comand via trodes to his PAN, and activates his white noise generator. He isn`t sure if the device helps in the place like this, but
Better safe, than sorry.
Da. Runners on the run.
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Storm's cybereyes flash a magical bright blue as she turns her attention to Danny. She gives a smoldering look that says "No more questions about us" and "It's in your best interest to help us" without actually saying a word.
Cha(11)+Intimidate(1)+Specialization(2)+First Impression(2)-Sustaining(1) [Social:7] (15d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4354072/) 7 hits
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@Zach&Thermo:
[spoiler]I'll take away 3 dice from your roll since orks are more physically imposing and they outnumber you, but you also are using some magic so make that a -2 which leaves you with 7 hits still. Cha 4 + Will 4 + leader 2 = (10d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4354770/). 5 net hits.[/spoiler]
The orks freeze up and even though they try hard to suppress it you can see an unmistakeable look of fear grow behind their expressions. Dannyboy looks back and forth between Zach and Thermo and lowers his voice even more. "You don't have to worry about us saying anything to anyone....we don't want any trouble.... I can't help you with getting your hands on what you're looking for. We're just ordinary vets and we don't want to get mixed up in anything!"
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[spoiler=matrix perception]Note: Currently I have a Noise reduction rating of 4 (2 datajacks, Signal Scrub program), so only the public grid penalty should apply.
INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) – public(2) [Data Processing(6)] (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4355052/)[/spoiler]
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@Ren:
You've been monitoring Zach's encrypted comm call and judging from the subtle delay in ping echos you can tell someone or something is snooping around and might be actively attempting to crack your encryption. As long as they don't crack it they can't find Zach's comm, but if they do they could potentially attempt to mark it up enough to run a trace and zero in on a physical location. The one thing working to your advantage is the noise they would have to deal with tracing someone into the Underground.
[spoiler]OOC: if you want to know more about the icon doing the snooping roll another Matrix Perception opposed test with an extra -3 for additional noise.[/spoiler]
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OK ok calm down, no need to be afraid. We are not here to threaten you. We need help. And as it use to be in our job, I don`t want it for free. I understand that you, as vets, have a chance for some medical care in TVH. Well there may be quite a few of your relatives or friends, who are not this lucky. I happen to posess a few best Autodoc units available on the market, including medicals, antbiotics and whatever you may use down here for your children, wives and those in need. If you cannot help us, lead us to someone who can. Please.
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Who are you, little sneaky bastard? Stake took a look at the sniffer.
[spoiler=matrix perception]INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) - public(2) - noise(5) + noise reduction(3) [Data Processing(6)] (9d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4355556/)[/spoiler]
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Storm takes a calculated risk. "If we can set you up with a permanent medical solution down here, does that increase your.. interest?"
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@Zach & Storm:
Dannyboy looks at both of you and then falls silent for a moment weighing his options and then speaks. "That sounds like a fair trade. Quality medkits with replenishing supplies would go a long way to helping many people in our community. Half this place is run by gang-bangers and the other half is run by KE and we're squeezed in the middle. I didn't get blown apart half-way across the world to come back and see that nothing we did made an ounce of difference for our families and friends here at home." The other ork vets nod in agreement and you get the feeling that a part of their minds are still reliving battles whose scars are the only medal they ever took home. Danny looks at Storm, "By a more permanent solution, if you could help me fix my glitchy 'ware up that TVH installed, we could help you out. "
@Stake:
You look for the snooper but it seems to be sleazing you quite effectively.
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Stake. We may need your help on-site, if you are able to run diagnostics on the cyberware or even help us fix those. Are you willing to join us here?
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"Will join you shortly," Stake said to Zach while getting back to AR, "but right now, we have a problem. Call you back soon." With that, he restarted his deck withouth further ado. Then he called Zach and Storm. "Zach, whoever you called, has some leeches attached. There was someone trying to sniff around the call. I will join you and reset our network, but until then i want you to reboot and check your systems regularly. Over and out." With that, he disconnected the call and rebooted again. After finished, he went back to VR to check if he made the leech lose the trail, then went to join the others at the bar.
[spoiler=matrix perception]INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) - public(2) [Data Processing(6)] (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4362709/)[/spoiler]
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Copy that.
With no further hessitation, Zach turns off his commlink, loosing the wireless connectivity for all his linked devices, as their signal is too low to deal with surrounding Noise.
Storm, we go offline.
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Storm nods her head at Zach and immediately powers down her commlink.
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Are you able to help Danny with that ware problem? I dont know if our abilities are enought for that. Well at least running diagnostic with autodoc may tell us where the problem is. And if problem is recognized, it would be much easier to find the solution.
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@Stake:
The snooper wasn't able to find your device in the matrix since they were unable to crack the encryption on the call, and you don't find any sign of anyone attempting to mark your deck or the devices slaved to it.
You hustle along to the Piggyback and make it there quickly. You find Zach and Storm having a conversation with a group of orks and you make your way towards their end of the room.
@Everyone:
Dannyboy continues, "I'd appreciate you helping us out like that, now you wanted to know about the security of the place am I correct. I always found it to be quite....light, you could say. Granted, I never made a real assessment, but I've cased enough establishments when we were doing block by block house raids in Bogotá. In terms of occult security, I never saw anything strange, and from our experience in the field, heavy mojo often times causes strange things to happen that even those of us who cannot see astrally are able to pick up on. Well, maybe I take back the part of not seeing anything strange, but I didn't see anything of an other-worldly sort, or at least I don't think it's of that nature."
-
Hm. Who is providing security for them? KE or USAC army itself? And before I forget that...did you just say you have seen something strange?
-
Stake stopped for a moment, sizing up the orks before joining the gathering in the Piggyback. He greeted Zach and Storm with a quiet ”Hey, guys.” and the orks with a nod, and while they conversed, he set the slaving back up, to protect the team’s comms.
Some few keywords, like ‘security’, ‘occult’ and ‘mojo’ registered in his mind while he worked, so he asked Storm to quickly fill him in about the earlier part of the conversation.
-
Knowing that the cybered ork could hear every word even if she whispered, she spoke to Stake in a conversational voice.
"This is Danny-boy. He's agreed to do some things for us if we can set up his locals with permanent medical assistance and if we can fix his buggy cyberware. Danny-boy, this is Stake. He's going to be the one responsible for fixing you up."
She gives a severe look to Stake, as though to say "Bluff if you need to"
-
Stake looked at Storm wit a blank face with a moment, some strain showing in the corner of his eyes, then he nodded to the orks again. ”Good to meet you, I’m Stake. Don’t let me interrupt the discussion, we’ll have plenty of time afterwards.” He drew back, trying to blend into the background, while his thoughts were racing. Drek, I knew I should have taken that beginner course in Complex MedTech. Why did I have to immerse myself in the Code instead? Drek, drek… Calm down, man, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s just electronics, and software, nothing more. You just have to look at voltage, sensors, control software, just what you always do. A bead of sweet rolled down his brow. The rest drenched his back under the jacket. And it’s nothing you have to worry about if you hose it. Just a couple’a orks, all angry and probably armed.
He suddenly cut the line of thought and started to devise the appropriate search parameters for when he knew what type of cyberarm they were talking about, what kind of manuals and AR overlays he’d have to look for. Almost an aside, he casually looked over the orks, to see how well they were strapped.
[spoiler=looking for weapons]INT(6) + Perception(3) + Vision Enhancement(3) [Mental(14)] (12d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4366375/)
Notes: vision enhancement adds dice as well as raises limit. I didn’t add active search bonus, as I try not to stare at the orks openly.[/spoiler]
-
@Stake:
The orks look a lot less dangerous than gangers roaming the streets. You can't see any side arms, but their cloaks are pretty baggy. You can tell these guys are veterans who have served their time, and even though they're still young, their bodies have seen the wear and tear of someone much older. For the most part they seem much happier resting their bones and not getting too worked up.
Your ARO indicated that he has invited a mark from you to his cyber-torso
[spoiler]OOC: I'll let you substitute Hardware for Cybertechnology but with a -3. Any software problems with the cyberware you can just handle with your Software skill. [/spoiler]
@Everyone:
Dannyboy turns to Stake and nods. "Good to meet you." He turns his torso back and forth and you hear the whirring noise. "My biggest problem seems to be this damn rotator servo in my torso, but really the whole setup just feels buggy."
Responding to Zach's question, he thinks for a moment then answers, "The security wasn't KE, it was ....something..security solutions...TL Security Solutions was the name, that's it. He seems to get lost in thought. "The strange thing I remember is that for a short while we had a whole group of patients that arrived. I was recovering and by that time I wasn't delusional anymore, I could even carry on a conversation with my fellow hospital roomates. These guys, they were all marines like us, but they didn't have nothing wrong with them except they were comatose. Just would lay there with their eyes open and their faces completely blank. Over the course of a few days they all just started flat-lining and would get carried out. Only one of them survived. I was in there 1 month with him. He never once said a word or moved an inch."
[spoiler]OOC: Dannyboy makes a memory test. Log 3 + Will 4 = (7d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4366579/).[/spoiler]
"His name was Lt. Goodman, don't remember his first name. I was discharged and he was still there alive when I left. That would have been about a year ago. I never found out what happened to those marines. But I tell you they didn't have a scratch on them, but it was as if their minds were fried."
-
Hm...I dont recall hearing of such company. Well, Stake, this looks more like your domain. Youi know, fried brainz and things like that.
-
"Or could be the effect of some chem," Stake shot back, "or the byproduct of seriously hosed mojo. There are to many ways to get into a catatonic state to do better than guess without further info. I can look up some chem and some tech that can induce that state, but we should set up a priority order as i begin to have too much to do at the same time."
Stake thought back on his lessons in the corporation. They covered the basic effects of hot sim sensory overload, he saw some descriptions about what meeting with a black ice could do to you, but it mainly was serious brain damage. Or could they have been simply link-locked? Link-locked technomancers, maybe? Drek, it was hard to concentrate on a simple question with so many stimuli.
[spoiler=thinking]Note: Stake tries to determine if he heard about any matrix security measure or chem that causes a state described by Dannyboy.
LOG(7) + Chemistry(4) [Mental(11)] (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4366904/) (i used active chemistry as a knowledge but i think they are inseparable so i didn't use any negative dice pool modifier, neither did i use my mnemonic enhancer bonus; please correct me if i was assumin wrong and remove dice from the end as you see fit)
LOG(7) + Security Design: Matrix(5) + Mnemonic Enhancer(2) [Mental(11)] (14d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4366906/)[/spoiler]
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Fucking smartass
Yeah so what about trying to focus on that Lt. Goodman. I suppose that would be classified, but you never know if there isn some leak hereo or there. And that security company, TL Security solutions didn`t ring the bell. Hell. Do watever you thing is right. I am going to bring those medkits so we can run the diagnostic on Danny here.
Zach mutters some russian and yakutsk words on his way out, clearly it is some sort of high appreciation. Looks like he always had a soft spot for NERDS.
Especially for those dwarven ones...
-
Stake shot a long, hard look after the grumbling ork. Fragging clueless razorboys. They expect us having every intel, on demand, without delay, and can’t even imagine it takes us time to pump the ‘Trix for info. He didn’t give too much thought though, he was used to this attitude, and he had more than a half-hour’s work ahead, maybe even a few hours, so he got to it. Oh, and not to forget, he left me here with a bunch of unknown muscle. And the mojo-slinger.
Thinking for a bit more, he set his priorities. It might take a while to get what he needed for the ork’s cyber, so he’d start with the intel requested by Zach, at least they’d have some reading to do while he looked for the rest. He put the invited mark on Dannyboy’s ware, checked it for niceties, and downloaded the technical details if he found none.
[spoiler=matrix test]Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) – public(2) [Data Processing(6)] (9d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4367821/); simple test, I’d like to know the following: is there a data bomb, its device rating, number of boxes filled on its condition monitor[/spoiler]
”Guys, I have to do a few rounds on the ‘Trix, looking for some tech manuals for your exact type of ware, among other things. This should take a while, but maybe you could make it easier and quicker. You know which grid the military uses? I just want to gather all the intel on the Lt, not do anything heavy, mind. It might also help if you remembered when he was brought in to the hospital.”
-
Aa he stepped outside, Zach took a deep breath, no matter how poluted the air. He had a feeling that he just used so much words he can stay silent for another half of the year. He wasn't completely associal, but in moments like this he missed times when he was working with Brick. Less talk, more fight. Hit and run. Or just run in some cases. Things get much more complicated. As should have been anticipated.
He need to calm down and stay patient. Dwarf will find out what they need. Until now, he always does.
Zach puts on his respirator, pulled goggles down on his eyes and set out to get his bike here.
-
@Ren:
You run several of the on-board diagnostic routines that you find on the torso and can see that the ware definitely is shit. You quickly find an AR manual for the ware that gives you a little more insight. Some of the problems could potentially be aleviated temporarily by rerouting certain functions through different sub-systems but this would be quite a test of your programming ability.
[spoiler]OOC: You don't find any databomb, the device rating is 2 and it's condition monitor is 9 boxes with 4 of them already filled with damage. To find a manual for the ware you can just buy hits. I'll say the AR manual gives you a +1 to dicepools related to repairing the ware. Roll a Software + Logic [Mental] (6) test to reroute functions on the ware. [/spoiler]
@Zach:
Your bike is parked close to one of the entrances to the Underground up on the surface. Getting a vehicle down here is next to impossible and most of the traffic is pedestrian, bicycle, skateboard, and small electric scooters.
-
On his eay out Zach measures the entrance and his mood gets even darker. When he gets to his bike, he takes his backpack and puts three medkits there with enought supplies. He frowns, as he throws the bag on his shoulders, and goes back by foot. At least je won't get lazy.
All this time he looks arond carefully and tries not to bring any suspicion.
-
Stake looked through the AR layout for the last time, memorizing the key points and procedures. Even though he’d have the AR overlay ready during his work, he liked not to rely on that too heavily. Sometimes, disasters happened during that single second you took your eyes away to look at the manual. He looked at Dannyboy. ”Try to sit down comfortably. I will probably have to disable a few functions during the process, so this might cause some inconvenience. And I will use the direct connection on the service panel, so try not to make sudden movements, yanking out the cable while I still prod your software might not be the best of ideas.”
He procrastinated some, mainly waiting for Zach to come back. If something went really bad, it would be good to have him there. But he had to do it sometime, and when he got to it, he gave all his concentration to it.
[spoiler=software rerouting]LOG(7) + Software(5) + AR overlay(1) [Mental(11)] (13d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4369368/)
YES! I'M GOOD, AM I NOT?[/spoiler]
-
Having nothing better to do, Storm stays in the bar with Stake and the UCAS orks. Stake might need some backup if things go sideways, and if he jumps into any of the electronics he'll be helpless. She doesn't have any particularly affinity for dwarves, including this one, but he's better off to her alive rather than dead.
She walks to the bar, gets a second coffee, and puts it down in front of Stake. She then sits back down in her same chair without saying a word, completely cold and emotionless. She keeps a watchful eye over the group, switching her vision modes periodically as well as scanning the astral from time to time.
-
Stake was pretty much immersed in his work so it took him a few minutes to notice the coffee in front of him. With an absentminded "Thanks!" to Storm he started to sip it.
-
@Stake:
Hexafluorosilicate lubricant kinetic dampers....this sub-system is in no way designed to be run through the app manager, but with the jolt of inspiration real coffee beans fill your mind with, you manage to transcribe the hardwired code into a mirror of that processor space and write an app simulating it's basic functions. A virtual version of it if you will. Problem is that means overwriting certain higher level functions, but not receiving online updates is the least of Dannyboy's worries. You finish that up in record time, snap out your universal connector from the orks datajack and crossing your fingers that you didn't just paralyze him, give the wireless command for a full system reboot.
For a moment Dannyboy's eyes go wide as his whole body freezes up and jolts. He clutches his back in pain as he begins to spasm and you all look around the room worried people will notice and start being nosy. Just as quickly as it starts, the convulsions subside and Dannyboy let's go of his back. He stands and twists back and forth testing his movements and you notice that the whirring sound is gone. A huge grin slowly grows on his tusked mouth and he looks at you relieved.
"It feels great!! Little chummer, you're a fraggin genius!" His friends also look at you in disbelief and give you a pat on the back that almost sends you to the ground.
"My friends, I'm here for whatever you need to find what your looking for! As to when I was with Lt. Goodman .... that would have been back in Sept. 2074. As to what grid UCAS army is on,....it's the Emerald City grid."
[spoiler]OOC: Great roll! +1 Karma for the great programming. So since you only want to spend a max of 15 minutes per search, we won't worry about OW score since you're using baby monitor. So roll your two searches (one for Lt. Goodman, the other for TL Security Solutions). Before each search roll a Hack On Fly grid hop vs. 4 dice since you've narrowed your search to the Emerald City grid and if you succeed you don't have to take a -2 to the search. [/spoiler]
@Everyone:
Dannyboy is very thankful and seems like he could be a reliable contact.
[spoiler]OOC: add Dannyboy as a Marine Veteran C3 L4 contact.[/spoiler]
-
A proud grin spread on Stake's face in answer to the orks' praises. He didn't even mind the somewhat uncomfortable shoulder-patting. It was always a very satisfying feeling when Code combined together and became something useful. "You're exaggerating man. It was hard work, but hey, that's what i do for a living, so i better be good at it."
He didn't lay back right then, though. He still had work ahead, so he turned to Storm and quietly said "OK, i'm gonna go down below, to get the intel we need. Would you please look out for my body? Ping me if there is a situation and i'll be back in a second." He waited for whatever acknowledgement came then went back to work.
[spoiler=Matrix Actions]Deck setting: Firewall 6, Data Processing 5(6), Sleaze 5, Attack 3; Virtual Machine, Signal Scrub, Baby Monitor, Browse, Toolbox
Hack on the Fly, complex: LOG(7) + Hacking(7) + hot sim(2) - public(2) [Sleaze(5)] (14d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4369800/), limited to 5 hits; opposed by 4 dice (4d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4369802/); for first search
Matrix Search, maximum 15 minutes: INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) [Data Processing(6)] (13d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4369807/); simple test, Lt. Goodman
Hack on the Fly, complex: LOG(7) + Hacking(7) + hot sim(2) - public(2) [Sleaze(5)] (14d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4369801/); opposed by 4 dice (4d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4369803/); for second search
Matrix Search, maximum 15 minutes: INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) [Data Processing(6)] (13d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4369808/), limited to 6 hits; simple test, TL Security Solutions[/spoiler]
-
Zach comes back only to witness ex-marine testing his upgrade.
Seems like the dwarf get his job done. Good for him.
He joins the company at the table without the word, and puts the backpack down on the floor, next to Danny`s chair. There wasn`t much to do other than just sit and wait for intel.
-
@Stake:
You close your eyes and zone out. After about a half-hour later your eyes shoot open and your breathing is accelerated. GOD was pretty hot on your tail after sleazing the emerald city grid but you managed to keep your search time down low enough to jack out and reboot before they converged on you.
You found several Lt. Goodmans, but one Lt. Goodman in particular stood out. His name is Lt. Marshall Goodman and his personnel file was transferred from the UCAS Military host to the NeoNet main host in August '74, about a month before Dannyboy reported the strange thing he saw. The only other connection you see is that the TVH host is on the NeoNet grid. You don't find any evidence of Lt. Marshall Goodman being interned at TVH, but then again, those records are probably protected inside of the TVH host itself. All other Lt. Goodman's have no connection whatsoever to TVH or NeoNet. Curiously, you also find 11 other Marine personnel files transferred to the NeoNet main host simultaneously with Lt. Goodman's.
You also find a host for TL security solutions that looks like a giant iridescent cube with a logo on it.
[spoiler]OOC: buying hits with your matrix perception, the host is rating 4.[/spoiler]
-
Stake thought for a second about some more thorough examination of TLSS’s host but currently, he wasn’t in a hidden mode, and he didn’t want to attract attention. He’d have plenty of time when he came back. He returned to the Piggyback.
Coming out of the layers of Virtual Reality, he sighed and opened his eyes. He shared the information he got with Zach and Storm. While they read it he got something to drink then asked those two what they thought. ”I just came back to ask what you think. I will have to get back, to extract more, and I wanted to ask if you have any specific questions about the TLSS before I get back.” He continued on the comm. ”And although these fellas seem to be OK, I wanted to ask if this is the place to continue. I will hack into the TLSS host, which is way easier than the hospital, and try to get some intel about TVH security designs and procedures, as well as if there is some code or ID or whatever we can use to make it easier to get in there. Any suggestions there?”
-
Its just a guess, but the place we are looking for would have only limited access for only a few high profile personel, if any. The character of our enemy leads me to the idea that it may be even completely automatized. That means lot of energy consumption in some rarely visited part of the building.
-
>>if someone can direct me to the right place, a well-placed lightning storm (or a powerful storm spirit) could knock out a significant amount of their power systems. If this area is as secure and important as we think, it will be one of the only areas with enough backup power to run even after the main switchgear is fried. We rule out the other critical areas such as the ICU and any operating rooms and we'll likely find where it's located. <<
-
Well turning off TVHs electricity may lead to some unwanted colateral damages.
Says Zach directly to elf
And this is not the best place to say it is acceptable risk
-
”Probably I won’t find power usage data for the TVH in the TLSS host. But I may find where the power centers are situated. But once we take it out, I’d expect a heightened level of security, both physical and in the still-working systems, so I suggest we use this as a back-up or escape measure. I can also look for extra security measures, taken around the same time when Goodman and the other eleven were transferred.
“But I’m not convinced it is in a rarely used part of the building. If you place someone in intensive care, you only have to place something to transfer the Matrix signal in his vicinity, and modify his brainwave data in the hospital systems, and you have him hidden in plain sight. Even easier if his doctor and a nurse or two are included.
“And another thing to consider. TVH may or may not have a security force on site that can compete with determined runners. But if we cause a ruckus too soon, i suspect we will have to face NeoNet forces. Don’t forget that the personnel files were transferred to NeoNet itself.
“Now, anything else, before I go back in?”
-
Now, why the fuck did you asked for our opinions? I`ve said its just a guess, and it looks like you know what needs to be done. Anyway...I am not sure I like the idea we go in guns and lightning blazing. I hoped you will be able to pinpoint the location we need to infiltrate to see what is next. Not to blow te part of the hospital to the sky.
-
Geez, aren’t we snappy today? Stake swallowed back the first response he thought of and reformulated his answer to Zach. ”Man, the power system was a good suggestion, I might not have checked its placement if you haven’t mentioned it. I just assessed what we might expect from the TLSS host. And I totally agree with you, I don’t want us to butt heads with THV security, or as a worst case scenario, NeoNet.
“But I get it, I shut up and get back in there. If something comes up, you can reach me through the comm.” Without further ado, he downed the remainder of his drink then sat back again, slipping into Virtual Reality.
-
Zach looks at Stake as he replies, than at the empty coffee cup in his own hand, and before Stake leaves the reality, he can hear.
Hell. Seems like I am not used to real coffee. Dont worry, I remember we are on the same ship. Good luck
UR doing good job. I am a bit itchy.
-
@Stake:
You float there in cyber-space in front of the TLSS host as it slowly rotates and shimmers.
-
Stake cloaked his persona in bits and fragments of data, melding its form into the regular flow of information before hopping to the grid the TLSS host was on. He hid patiently while he checked out the rotating host, taking extra care to include the visual effects of the shimmering. From his hiding place, he checked for hidden flaws he could use to get in.
[spoiler=matrix actions]deck setting: Firewall 5(6), Data processing 5, Sleaze 6(7), Attack 3, running programs: Virtual Machine, Stealth, Sneak, Signal Scrub, Encryption; noise reduction is 3
Hack on the Fly, complex: LOG(7) + Hacking(7) + Hot sim(2) - hidden(2) - public(2) [Sleaze(7)], 4 hits; opposed test, vs. 6 dice, target is the TLSS’ grid
Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) + Hot sim(2) - hidden(2) [Data Processing(5)], 2 hits; simple test, questions: Firewall rating, Marks on the host
Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) + Hot sim(2) - hidden(2) - retry(2) [Data Processing(5)], 4 hits; simple test, questions: Attack rating, Data Processing rating, Sleaze rating
Note: Invisible Castle was down again, so i rolled at rolz.org, but i can't link it here. If you want me to, i'll repeat the rolls at IC when it is available again.[/spoiler]
-
@Stake:
[spoiler]OOC: 6D6E5 => 2 | ones: 3 also used rolz.org[/spoiler]
You hop onto the NeoNet grid and start taking a closer look at the TLSS host. You find how it's setup is rated and find the Attack rating to be 5, Sleaze to be rating 4, Data-processing to be rating 6 and the Firewall to be rating 7.
-
Standard defensive setup, no surprises up to now. Stake looked at the host again, sizing up firewall patterns and access points, then dived forward, going for a spot where he saw some weakness. He marked the host with a scorch-mark from his cartoon cigar.
[spoiler=matrix actions]Hack on the Fly, complex: LOG(7) + Hacking(7) + hot sim(2) – hidden(2) [Sleaze(7)] 14D6E5 => 7 | ones: 1; opposed test, INT + Firewall, putting one mark on the host to be able to log on[/spoiler]
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@Stake:
[spoiler]OOC: 11D6E5 => 2 | ones: 2. You get a mark on the host. [/spoiler]
You manage to subvert the firewall enough for it to accept one of your marks.
-
Stake smiled as he stepped into the host, still hidden in the usual daily traffic. Once inside, he looked around and fitted his persona to the local sculpting. He also checked for running IC and hidden watchers that would make his job harder.
[spoiler=matrix actions]Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) – hidden(2) [Data Processing(5)] (11d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4380891/); simple or opposed, first I look for hidden icons, if I find any, I look for further details about them, if not, I turn my attention to the general surrounding; if I have to, I’ll spend more than 1 action on this[/spoiler]
-
@Stake:
One more detail you notice is that yours is the only mark on the host, which is rather unusual. Upon entering the host you find yourself in the lobby of an office building made of black windows and an off-white colored marble. An unmanned greeting desk sits in the center and behind the greeting desk is a fountain with a statue of a saturnian planet in the middle of it.
On the wall behind the fountain is a single elevator but no one is standing watch. You explore the host further going up in the elevator but when you arrive at the second floor and the elevator doors open you see nobody guarding the entrance to administer the typical patrol IC scan. In fact, you see nothing at all. All the cubicles, desks, terminals, filing cabinets, everything, looks as if they've been completely moved out, or maybe never even moved in in the first place. The whole massive office floor looks as if it should have a giant "office space for leasing" sign posted on it's window. The other seven floors of the building look exactly the same way.
You descend back down to the lobby empty-handed but right as you pass the fountain again you notice one small detail. The statue has an inscription carved into its the base. It reads "My dear T.L., patience is bitter but it's fruit is sweet...."
-
Stake became increasingly puzzled. No marks on a host, OK, that is possible, even if the chance is miniscule. But a completely empty entry point? A security firm devoid of security measures? He didn’t know what the hell was going on.
When he noticed the inscription, he stopped. That was the last clue in a row of clues that didn’t add up. Even though the whole installation seemed to be left, to be a baseline sculpting for a host of any number of offices, stripped of customization and preferences, why leave a single detail there? Technically speaking, it was way harder than wiping the whole system and leaving just the bare bones. But that was a second fact that didn’t add up. Why leave a working host, do maintenance on it, if you don’t intend to use it? Stake suspected that there was something going on in the background that would give a logical, even if twisted explanation to this seeming madness.
Although he was not sure that the inscription was meant as a reference on a shared event but it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that it was a feature, different from the whole, and that merited closer inspection. Slowly circling the statue, he carefully tried to ascertain further attributes of both the inscription and the statue.
[spoiler=matrix action]Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) – hidden(2) [Data Processing(5)] (11d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4385895/)
Uh, almost a glitch...[/spoiler]
He also thought about the possibility that this whole set was just a façade, the first security measure a devious mind planned. He went through all the possibilities he learned of, thought about theories and practices. Was this some kind of a sophisticated door handle? Was there a backdoor into another host? Was this host a simple backdoor itself?
[spoiler=knowledge]LOG(7) + Security Design: Matrix(5) + mnemonic(2) [Mental(11)] (14d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4385896/)[/spoiler]
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@Stake:
Your analysis of the statue doesn't show it to be anything more than sculpting. From your knowledge of security protocols it would be very improbable for something more important to be buried deeper inside the host. Your decking skills would clearly reveal that the host has archival sections to it but you see nothing. What this looks more like is an off the shelf host that was never set-up and just acts as a facade to keep up the rouse that something called TL Security Solutions actually exists. The engraving on the fountain statue definitely was something customized.
-
This started to become annoying. Stake didn’t want to return with about zero information. Before logging out, he checked the greeting desk, if there was any logbook, or something. Even if the host was never used, it was set up, and the activity logs should have retained the date of the configuration. That would at least be something.
-
@Stake:
The log-book at the desk is totally devoid of entries, but the last date associated with the log-book file is the creation date of July 10th of 2074. You also notice that the log-book has the four marks of an owner and it is in the form of a little stamp in the shape of a boot. The owner of the host also has this mark.
@Zach & Storm:
Stake has been zoned out about 15 minutes and Dannyboy's friends are starting to get up and leave. Dannyboy asks you if it's ok if he goes home now. He makes sure to give you his commcode.
-
Zach stands up and offers Danny his hand.
OK. Nice to meet you. Don`t forget your backpak.
-
OK, that's it, then. Stake smoothed some code that would show his activity then logged off of the host. He rejoined his buddies in the meat world shortly, dissolving his presence from the virtual reality. He sighed deeply, rebooting the deck, and told the others what he didn't find, and the small amount of almost-information he got. The only lead this yielded was the shape of the mark, which was a stretch at best.
-
It sounds like this whole thing is a ruse designed to protect this comatose decker. What is he, some kind of technomancer? The UCAS think they were going to start a cyber-army but only got this one guy? Doesn't compute. I wonder if the hospital even knows what this guy is up to.
Storm sends a message to both Zach and Stake via AR text:
>>Stake, is there any way to send this guy a message? Find out what he really expects to get out of this?<<
Storm silently stands up at the same time as Danny, turns, and leaves with Zach without saying a word.
-
Stake shook his head once slowly. ”Nah, I don’t have a direct comm number to him. And I seriously doubt the hospital will reroute calls to him just like that.” Stake tried to put the pieces together but there were still a lot of unanswered questions. However, a pattern seemed to be taking form in the background. TLSS, Lt. Goodman, TVH – all were connected to NeoNet.
-
Well. What electrons didn't tell, visit may. I am going to setup an outpost nearby and watch the TVH and traffic for a an hour or so. Try to find out the best way in. What about astral recon? And as for that guy...well I say we put the bullet to his brain to end his misserx. I dont care about his motives. He tried to kill us. Thats all that matters. Strike back, and strike as hard as possible so he would never get the second chance.
-
Storm smiles at the comment from her old friend Zach; he always had such a great way with words. She agreed with him that this threat needed to be crushed under their boot heel. Now that the group had taken the diplomatic solution off the table, it was time to find him, kill him, and move on with their collective lives in the shadows.
>> I will provide astral recon, once we get to the recon site I will project and scout the location. Let's go get him. <<
-
”I agree, bastard don’t deserve to survive this drek. Although, it would be profitable if we could discern what kind of backup he has, he could just be a middleman. In the meantime, i'll do some research on the TLSS. But for that, i have to get back to our cozy little bolthole.”
After Stake arrived back at the place Zach got for them in the Underground, he started to check things on the trix. This time, it was all legal, so he didn't have to worry about GOD that much, he optimized his setup for search.
[spoiler=matrix actions]Deck setup: Attack 3, Sleaze 5, Firewall 5(6), Data Processing 6(7), programs: toolbox, encrypt, browse
All search times are cut in half because of browse.
Matrix search, special: INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) - public(2) [Data Processing(7)] (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4396035/); TLSS background
Related knowledge tests:
LOG(7) + Business(1) + Mnemonic(2) [Mental(11)] (10d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4396037/); Got... distracted... by Code...
LOG(7) + Law(2) + Mnemonic(2) [Mental(11)] (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4396038/)
INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) - public(2) [Data Processing(7)] (11d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4396036/); boot-shaped mark, done in 1/2 hour[/spoiler]
-
OK. I`ll run silent, contact every 5 minutes or emergency. If I wont respond, get the hell outa there. and good luck with your search. At least we know the shit is deep.
-
Stake:
After a whole 1/2 hour of scouring the matrix, you find practically nothing at all, save for one little file. Something posted to an obscure data-dump by a decker named Codec. It is just a file header similar to the one on the drone you found and it has the four owner marks of the little boot. The owner marks were scrubbed from the drone you salvaged and from the corrupted files on it by the emergency self-destruct protocols, so you don't know if the boot mark was ever on the one you found. Codec doesn't know who the mark belongs to but he has found it associated with someone involved in a heavily classified and now defunct NeoNet program called "Project Bootcamp." Codec explains a little in a txt file addendum how he came upon such a file. He seems to be addressing an admin named Chan of the data-dump.
<<2075.4.20.17:53--Dear Chan, managed to piece together the disparate sections of this file and all I could salvage was the header and the owner marks on it, hope it fetches you some cred. Have no idea who the boots belong to. I got the file by taking advantage of a legit NeoNet mark invitation my team procured for a run we had to do and during all of my 15 min. in the host I had my run of the place before they figured out I wasn't supposed to be there. I had enough time to complete the mission objectives and do a little personal data-grabbing. It comes from a massive data trashing NeoNet conducted about a year ago. Not only did I find that data was trashed but an entire sub-host called "The Bootcamp" was taken offline. Something to do with "Project Bootcamp". Quite intriguing and perhaps some of your scavengers might find an interested buyer. --Codec>>
It appears no one found the header very interesting because after a few months Chan just threw it in the public folder.
All you could find of TLSS is that it's for sure just a sham company with no other contracts save for TVH. Your know legally TLSS only has to be registered as a company and as long as they're not stepping on anyone's toes nobody is really going to go check how legit their operation is. Apparently TVH is such a shithole no other security company has taken interest in them. Strangely enough you find the company is a privately owned company registered to Lt. Marshall Goodman.
-
This gets more interesting with everything I find. At least the pieces fit the picture. Stake came out of the virtual pathways of the matrix and shared his findings with the others, adding his own thoughts.
>>This all seems like a very elaborate scam, I just can’t decide if it’s corporate financed black ops, or someone working in the shadows. The trashed data supports the latter, I don’t think any black ops files would be cast aside that carelessly. The financial backup, however, suggests some degree of corporate backup, at least in an unofficial manner. This whole ‘Bootcamp’ stuff fits the data from the drone you took out.
>>So what do you think, is this some scrapped NeoNet project our good lieutenant continues on his own volition, or is this still a NeoNet project?
>>Anyway, the next step is in the TVH. How goes the surveillance?<<
-
Zach jumped on his bike and ride to the Tacoma. As he is just the solo rider in the traffic, he blends easily to the background and draws little, if any, attention. His new SIN wasnt bulletproof, but it was almot the best the money can buy and he should be able to pass standard security checks with only a little delay. He has his traffic control drone encounter still in memory, so he has licences connected even for his weapons, althought he is f r from carrying those openly. As he approaches TVH, he drives around the block, watching for signs of armed security, checkpoints, CCTV hubs and other surveillance equipement, but also for publicly accessible places with open view on the hospital, and he tries to find one with the good possition and oportunity to keep any eye on TVH entrance for a while. Restaurant or cafe would be great, well any place possible would do.
-
@Zach:
After scoping the locale out a little bit you see there is a small building with a 4th story greasy spoon diner across the street. You find a booth next to a window looking out on to the TVH lobby entrance marked by a low bluish over-hang supported by a few pillars. You don't see any other businesses or services in the TVH building so it seems the veteran's hospital occupies the whole thing.
(http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy5/Inca1980/SRscene27.jpg)
As you observe over the course of several cups of coffee, you see few people go in or out and the few that do seem to be mostly old deteriorating vets sometimes accompanied by a spouse, child or friend. You haven't caught a glimpse of any security whatsoever. There doesn't seem to be emergency room service either and nothing resembling an ambulance entrance seems to exist on any side of the building. In terms of alternate entrances you only found a fire escape on the rear-side of the building while you were walking about, but from the diner you can only see the front lobby entrance.
[spoiler]Zach's perception test: 11D6E5 => 2 | ones: 2[/spoiler]
You don't see anything more of interest.
-
As promissed, Zach keeps radio contact in short intervals. After half an hour hr was quuite sue anything new iss going to emerge.
Place looks clean from here. Meet me at the restaurant across the street, I have safe LOS.
-
Storm heads back to her safehouse via public transport, scoping out the scene before hopping on her Suzuki Mirage and heading to the meet with Zach. Prior to getting too close to her safehouse in Redmond, she summons a spirit to make sure she is protected against anything waiting to ambush her.
[invisible castle is down, I'll roll for the spirit later I guess]
F6 Spirit of Man, optional powers: Movement and Innate Spell [detect enemies, extended]
On the way, she constantly cycles through her various vision options. She has the spirit connected to a telepathic link so she's in constant communication.
Once she arrives at the diner, she scopes out the whole scene in the Astral, followed by a quick Astral Projection to see if any new information comes from a closer look.
[again, invisible castle is down, Storm's dice pool for assensing is Int(5)+Assensing(1)]
"Keep me protected while I'm out there, eh chummer?"
-
Zach continues to to eat his soy-ham and eggs, sipping his soy-tonic. When Storm comes in, he sends her brief message, not paying her attention:
Sit over there in the compartmenet, I`ll keep an eye on you. Stake? Are you on your way or is there any problem?
-
"Be there shortly," the dwarf replied.
-
@Ren:
While Zach and Storm go about making preparations you have spent the last 12 hours soaring through the Matrix following leads for more info on Lt. Marshall Goodman. After a enough helpful tips off the forums you manage to score out of the Denver data dump a complete classified military file on the guy. He's 23 years old, enlisted when he was 17, grades average, I.Q. average. Aptitudes in hand-to-hand combat and fire-arms. Made it to the Second Marine Special Operations Battalion and did a stint in Bogota, came back unharmed and after a battery of tests he made the grade to be admitted to Project Bootcamp testing. The acceptance letter to Project Bootcamp is signed by a Dr. Tara Lowenstein. You search about half an hour more for information on her and all you can find is that she was a well known researcher and specialist in artificial intelligence and matrix technology that held a position at the University of Washington before taking a R&D position with NeoNet. She appears to have disappeared completely because you find nothing on her present activities.
Try as you might you can't find anymore leads on Project Bootcamp other than one reference in a short looted Renraku internal txt msg from about a year ago. "Thanks to the Project Bootcamp fiasco things are looking good for us. If we all push our weight in the coming months and don't get too over-enthusiastic, the UCAS armed forces stamp of approval seems inevitable...."
-
Stake threw himself down on a chair opposite Storm with a huff. He ordered some coffee and after the waitress left, he cut to the chase. ”This is starting to round out.” He sent all the information to the others links. ”Goodman ain’t seem to be a hacker, just your regular jarhead with a somewhat impressive service record. TL having been proved as an AI expert, I think he was used either as a prototype or a model for something. We still can’t know what we face, but I’m thinking it has to do something with a rogue AI or a fragged-up artificial environment software.
"The state of Goodman – being out cold for a long time, as our orc friend told us in the bar – suggests he was wired into a computer system, with a couple of his military buddies, when something went very wrong. So wrong actually that someone in NeoNet decided to revoke the funding of the project. This supposition is supported by the partial data from that Renraku message.
"I still have two theories, which could both work. Both start out at the Project Bootcamp fiasco in NeoNet. First is, when something went wrong, leadership just decided to put the injured people aside somewhere that don’t really stand out. Unknown to them, however, parts of the project product – a rogue AI? – got out inside one or more of the injured test subjects and is still at large since then. Second is, after the project was scrapped, the dedicated scientist, TL just couldn’t bear to give up her work and left the company, continuing to conduct her research secretly. Either way, the result is us being targeted, and I think the next step is getting into the hospital and trying to figure out Goodman’s exact connection to the case.”
-
[catching up on some rolls from earlier when Invisible Castle was down]
Cast F5 Increase Willpower: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power focus(4) [Force 5] (18d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4412160/) willpower increases from 5 to 9
Drain Resist[2]: Willpower(9)+Charisma(7) (16d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4412163/) no drain
Cast F7 Increase Charisma: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power focus(4)-Sustaining(1) [Force 7] (17d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4412164/) charisma increases from 7 to 11
Drain Resist[4]: Willpower(9)+Charisma(11) (20d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4412165/) no drain
Summon F6 Spirit of Man: Summoning(7)+Specialization(2)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(2) (15d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4412167/)
Summoning Resist: Force(6) (6d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4412169/) 4 services
Drain Resist[2]: Willpower(9)+Charisma(11) (20d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4412171/) no drain
Storm takes her Psyche injection prior to getting her bike. She's jumpy and has a severe case of ADD by the time she gets to the diner.
-
You know what. To me this Project Bootcamp going south sounds as a succesfull shadow operation. My my opinion we are targetted as species, revenge being the motive. And as it wanted us to find the_piece_of_wall when we met it for the first time, My gues that big guy fucked them up. I serriously doubt that we woud find out who hired him, as by my opinion Amazing Larry, was the one who told this motherfuckers about the run and B´s common associates. Rest in pieces Larry. I dont know if they were working on some Echo Mirage revival or some transhumanistic black ops.I just wonder if killing Goodman would have null impact on the existence of his e-ghost, or if that vegetable still needs to be alive for this entity to continue.
Well, we are about to find out soon.
Security seems to be low, so I wonder if NeoNET even knows about this mess, by my opinion they just wrote those gusy off once the got flatlined. Well they still have serrious hardware, so who knows. I say we go in as soon as you both reach this place.I just hope Storm gives us some astral insight on the background of this shit.
-
The three of you have arrived at the diner and the are observing the hospital from the both. The sun is starting to set and the orange light makes the fumes of the plex sparkle with life. Nothing unusual has happened yet as far as TVH is concerned but the dwarven waitress does arrive and asks Storm and Stake if they want to order anything.
-
Storm is so wired that she's barely even able to respond to the waitress without her words coming out in a torrent.
"We're fine please dont worry about us go away NOW thanks we appreciate it and we're fine so no need to come back since we're fine and dont need anything..."
She stops abruptly and her head snaps to the side as the looks at something out the window, then she turns back to the waitress just as suddenly, but this time there's something.. different about her. Something that looks feral and cold.
"GO."
Then, just as suddenly, her expression softens and she laughs a full and rich laugh, her face incredibly beautiful once again. She gets distracted by something over the waitress's shoulder, and finally focuses on the waitress as though noticing her for the first time.
"Thanks, we're all set, we're waiting on someone." she says, in a perfectly normal voice.
Once the waitress has left the table, Storm astrally projects and heads over to scout the hospital. She gives a mental command to her Valkyrie spirit to stay by her side in the Astral realm.
Storm tries to see if there's any residual magic present around the hospital
Assensing(1)+Intuition(6)-Sustaining(2) (5d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4413661/) no glitch, fortunately
Not having much of a choice, she tries to get into the hospital itself. She commands her spirit to cast its extended range detect enemies spell before they head in. Warn me if beings with hostile intentions towards us are in the area.
-
Shiiia. And now I would have to kill that waitress before she calls bouncers to throw Storm out. :'(
He raises his hand.
Here.here! I would like to make anozher order. Btw. that elf bitch is stoned as hell, I suppose. I bet she would spend lots of money when she wokes up. Fifty bucks against one coffee for free. What do you say?
-
Stake was about to order a sandwich when Storm’s words cut in. He tried to hide his surprise and concern when he heard her speak but he knew he probably was doomed to fail. Oh, drek, why do mojo-slingers always have to be weirdoes? Geez, the poor girl will surely remember the two of us now, we will be the topic for a few days. However, as he could do nothing to make the conversation not happened, he silently endured and waited for her to come back from the recon.
-
Storm is clocked out and unable to hear how Zach just referred to her. The waitress just holds her AR note-pad and stares at him disapprovingly. She seems to decide to not ask any questions, refuses his 50¥ and goes to wait on another table.
@Storm:
[spoiler]OOC: Valkyrie casts detect enemies F6, range radius 360 meters, which encompasses all of TVH and almost 4 city blocks. drain resist will 6 + cha 6 = (12d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4414193/). The Valkyrie takes 2S. [/spoiler]
Your astral form leaves the the diner and floats across the street and down to ground level with the Valkyrie by your side. As you approach you ask her to wield her sorcery to cast a spell to find anyone with possible hostile intentions inside. She nods, closes her eyes and utters a few syllables in an ancient tongue. The strain this causes even one as powerful as herself is evident, but pain is the currency in which her kind barter. She opens her glowing eyes again and reports back to you. "I cast a powerful spell but did not find any enemies inside this fortress young-one."
You look around the outside of the hospital and try to read the threads of astral energy dancing all over but do not see anything unusual, any wards nor any signatures of magic-use. This part of Tacoma is quite drab and the dullness of the astral realm reflects this and nothing about TVH indicates the presence of magical defenses.
In your muted conversations with the ork Dannyboy you only gleaned a cursory sketch of what the layout of TVH is like. You decide to take a direct approach in order to map the place out in your mind and enter through the lobby. As soon as you pass right through the front sliding plexi-glass doors which look completely opaque to you in the astral, you are greeted by the negative vibrations bouncing off the walls and echoing through the structure. Neglect, impatience, incompetence and apathy all float through the ether and Valkyrie turns to you. "Is this how you meta-humans treat your wounded warriors? In Valhalla they would be honored and celebrated and not cast aside and forgotten like they are here." She grimaces and seems to steel her resolve to search the place and leave. You pass through and explore the first 4 floors, as always the signs and room numbers are incomprehensible to your astral form but you can tell that all the rooms are completely filled with what must be patients, most of them lying in bed, a few of them sitting in rec-rooms. The 5th and final floor is completely devoid of astral forms or signatures. Although inanimate objects look like mere dull shadows, it is still possible to tell that most of what you are looking at is electronic equipment strewn about. Valkyrie is searching in a separate room and suddenly she calls your attention through your mind-link. "I think you should see this." You phase through a series of walls and when you arrive in the room she is in you see that the whole far wall is glowing with the energy of being right behind a ward which must encompass a whole room and in the center of the wall is a hydraulic sliding door.
Wound: Valkyrie{2S(drain), 3 services}
-
Storm glides over towards the ward and tries to determine some basics about its construction. What type of magician erected it? How long has it been up? Did the mage spend the energy to make it permanent or is this just a temporary barrier? Finally, how strong is it?
Assensing(1)+Intuition(6)-Sustaining(2) (5d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4414914/) (sweeeeeeeet....)
I think we just hit pay-dirt...
-
@Storm:
You analyze the swirling colors streaming over the ward as if it were sunlight glinting off the surface of a soap bubble. This astral construct looks to be more powerful than your own power and must have taken several hours to construct. It's most likely that it's creator invested part of his or her own power to make it permanent and you find the tell-tale signature he or she left behind.
-
Storm instructs her spirit to follow her and heads back to the diner. She enters her body once more, feeling the painful rush as her blood pressure hits the limit as she jolts back to consciousness.
"There's definitely a room in there that they don't want anyone spying on. Had a powerful mana ward around it, wasn't able to get inside without setting off whoever erected it. Top floor of the hospital is abandoned except for that room."
At this point, Storm begins furiously drawing a map of the hospital interior.
This way, that way, up several hallways, end of the hall, on the right, up the stairs, nobody home on this floor, hahaha, just the damn MANA WALL, why the HELL did that need to be there, no way in, gonna set off the mojo alarm, hahaha, FOCUS, gotta get back in meat body, lead the way for chummers to kill drek-eater inside, son of a bitch tried to kill me, ME, don't they know who I am, well now I'm good and pissed and I will fry his ass to pieces
She shows the map to Zach and Stake and hopes it makes sense.
Memory test: Logic(2)+Wil(9)-Sustaining(2) [Mental: 7] (9d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4426681/)
-
From the AR sketched map that Storm drew you see that the fire escape in the alley back behind the hospital goes all the way up but you see that the back fire-escape door to the fifth floor has been cemented off with plasticrete blocks and mortar as if maintenance had marked off that floor as no longer being in use. The only entrance Storm really could find was going astrally straight through the floor but you do see that the elevator shaft makes it all the way up, but you have no way of knowing for sure if the elevator is programmed to allow you onto the fifth floor.
-
Zach points at the shaft and sealed doors. Here and here. Possible ways in or outt. I have no mote explosives, so I would recomend goong in and out throught the shaft and leep those doors only if anyone has a meaning to break the wall. Storm? Wpuld amy of you minions able to help us with that? Or some spell you cast?
If we get to zhe elevator ot the shaft itself I can deply spy drone to do the recon ahead. But I will need to have the line hidden an protected. Stake? You ready to go im with us?
-
”Of course I’m ready to go in, just don’t expect too much stealth outta me. Elevator sounds good, hopefully if I can directly connect it, its defenses will be lower than the system from outside.” Stake thought for a second. ”I can also prepare some packages to make that exit usable again, I have the tools and the materials to open it up in a second. I can’t really make calculations, so I will have to overestimate the hardness of the structure. Zach, you mentioned a drone, if you could make a survey of the cemented-off door, it would make estimations more accurate.”
-
ZUach pulls the Fly spy out of hi pocket, holding it on his palm he waits until it has its winds stretched to operational mode.
Can fly it yourself, or should I take care of it, Stake?
-
"I'm no rigger myself, i just trust these things to their dogbrains if i have to, so i think we're better of with you in control. You give me a live feed, i can tell you what to look at better."
-
Ok. Herer we go.
Zach starts the micro propellers of the drone and uses the doors to fly out to the street. It wasn`t too far from caffee, and he didnt had to use any advanced maneuvering, so he merely keeps an eye on dogbrain and sets the waypoints for the drone. He wasnt sure what data they will get, and how usefull those would be, new Fly-Spy lacks any advanced sensors and simple camera feed wont reveal any secrets, well it was move forward any Stake may notice something usefull. Zach possess two more micro-crawlers, Wagners herritage, and he already thinks about using them as satchel carriers. As he lacks rigging equipement and hardware himself, he did not see too much other use for those drones.
-
The micro-drone exits the building housing the 4th story diner and crosses and takes a wide arc trajectory towards a point behind the TVH that has visibility on the cemented fire-escape exit.
[spoiler]OOC: The sensor functions on your drone are all rating 3 and I"ll say are Camera[low-light, themographic, VE rating1], Atmospheric sensor, laser range finder, Directional microphone[Audio enhancement rating 1, select sound filter rating 2], Omni-directional mic (range 5m) [audio-enhancement 1, select sound filter 2], Olfactory sensor, Motion sensor [l[/spoiler]
-
Ok. Here you go. Observer possitioned. I'll move it by your command, if you need any detail.
-
Stake watched the live feed and put in a word or two if he needed to direct Zach with the drone. Even if he didn’t have advanced sensory images, simple visual data was more than nothing when planning how much explosives one needed to go through a wall. Size of plasticrete blocks tended to be uniform, letting weight to be calculated, and the state of mortar may indicate how strong the bond between the blocks was. Placement of explosive charges was also crucial, and the position of the blocks would show where to put them.
[spoiler=tests]Knowledge to help with planning the demolition: LOG(7) + Engineering: Civil(4) [Mental(11)] (11d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4438689/)
Planning the demolition: LOG(7) + Demolitions(6) [Mental(11)] (13d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4438691/)
Let me know if I have to roll anything else.[/spoiler]
-
@Stake:
From seeing the doorway through the drones eyes and even the ultrasound readings of the plasticrete seal you estimate it's about 20cm thick and you are worried that with 5 kg of commercial explosives you might only chip away at it and not be able to get through it.
-
A frown appeared on Stake’s brow. ”Well, bar my last statement, I don’t have the materials ready to go through that heavy structure. Unless we can get some more commercial stuff, or the milspec variant, the wall stays where it is.” He shrugged and added casually ”Of course some prepared charges can possibly help us inside, with some security doors with more nasty systems.”
-
Zach watches Storm`s distant look
The Bicth is stoned again?
-
@Sichr:
[spoiler]OOC: 15d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4449264/). Sylvia defending Owner's will 3 + Firewall 3 = (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4449278/). She has to resist 9M, DR 3 + Firewall 3 = (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4449281/). Takes 7 matrix damage. [/spoiler]
Suddenly in the upper-left corner of the AR window showing the micro-drone's feed that there's an incoming surge of matrix signal! She must be under attack and she definitely got hit hard.
-
Storm snaps out of her stoned state with a jump. Her eyes focus and become razor sharp again.
"Why didn't you chummers ask me in the first place? I have some friends who love breaking things."
She throws her head back and laughs.
Summon F8 Spirit of Earth: Summoning(7)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(2) (13d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455252/)
Summoning Resist: Force(8) (8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455254/) 2 services
Drain Resist (2): Wil(9)+Cha(11) (20d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455255/) no drain
[optional powers: Concealment and Elemental Attack: Earth(Acid)]
Storm summons a F8 Spirit of Earth in the form of a surly dwarf. A dwarf with a glowing hammer that appears to be.. dripping. Acid. She summons the spirit directly to the astral plane to avoid detection (and to avoid the chaos that would ensue if the dwarf suddenly appeared in the diner).
As the dwarf is summoned, Storm knows that she must make a powerful sacrifice for a creature this strong. With a mental command, Storm turns off her cybered Damage Compensators. She grabs a fork and slams it into the palm of her hand, sinking it at least 3cm deep. It's possible to see the bump on the back of her hand where the tines have nearly poked all the way through her hand.
She grins to her teammates, her eyes dancing with excitement. She waves her hand at her teammates absentmindedly, the fork still protruding.
Her expression turns cold and frightening again. She yanks the fork from her hand and it clinks on the table, her blood making a small pool on the tabletop. Her supremely elevated platelet count from her Platelet Factories is causing the blood to harden even as it leaves the wound.
"You boys just let me know when it's time to let ourselves in."
-
[spoiler=composure]CHA(1) + WIL(5) (6d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455639/)
Spending Edge to downgrade Critical glitch.[/spoiler]
Stake watched with bulging eyes what Storm just did, a small, fearful cry just escaping his lips. Jesus Fragging Christ, the bitch is crazy. Jesus… Jesus… Jesus… what should I do? Hope she won’t touch me again. Ever. He couldn’t take his eyes from the blood pooling under her hand. As she waved it around, he spoke in a quiet, rasping voice. ”Stop that, would you? You’re drawing attention to us.”
-
Well, thats not our greatest problem. Looks like the drone is under attack...cybernetic one. Stake, can you help me with that?
-
INI (11+3d6=19) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4457622/)
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[spoiler]OOC: ??'s Init 4d6=16 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4459993/), init=26. Flyspy init 4d6=15 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4459996/), init=21. Flyspy will go full matrix defense, -10 init. Zach's turn now.[/spoiler]
@Zach:
Your AR output of the flyspy's pilot's processes show that it's firewall is attempting to put all it's resources in defending itself.
IP1,CT1 Init: ??-26, Zach-19, Stake-13, Flyspy-11
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Zach realls the surroundings he saw from Fly-Spy while approaching the blocked doors. Fire escape means stairway, or at least some remains of it, and the drone is small enought to land on the tip of the needle:
RE(7)+Pilot(1) (8d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4460264/)
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[spoiler=deck settings]Firewall 6(7), Data Processing 5, Sleaze 5(6), Attack 3; programs: Encryption, Stealth, Signal Scrub[/spoiler]
Stake reacted to Zach’s words with a miniscule delay and a murmured ”Drek!”, then went to VR without delay. He put the drone under the active protection of his deck, then sent a message to the team. >>Look for physical presence through drone cam.<< He was prepared to take any attacks.
[spoiler=matrix actions]Switch Interface Mode, simple: going to hot sim VR, +2d6+1=10 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4460945/) initiative
Full Matrix Defense, interrupt: +WIL to defense tests for the rest of the round, -10 initiative
Link Device, free: slaving the drone to my deck
Send Message, simple: sending above message to Zach and Storm[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]OOC: Brute force: 15d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4461256/). Flyspy uses Stake's stats to defend: Will 5 + Firewall 7 = (12d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4461258/) + will 5d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4484525/). The attack is repelled. Zach and Stake's turn.[/spoiler]
@Zach:
You take the AR controls of holographic steering handles and fly the drone to perch on the railing of the fire-escape.
@Stake & Zach:
The matrix icon which is not visible to you is definitely trying an assault, but you firewall repels its initial attempts.
IP2,CT1 Init: ??-16, Zach-9, Stake-3, Flyspy-1
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REBOOT!
-
Storm peers at the AR display to try and find the source of the attack. She doesn't know much about what to look for, so while it's not impossible that she'll be helpful, it is rather unlikely.
Roll to see through drone camera: int(6)+perception(1)-sustaining(2) (7d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4468696/)
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Storm get up from the booth and walks toward the door. She nearly smashes face-first into the waitress, who takes one look at Storm's magically-charged glowing blue eyes and pivots out of her way, flattening herself to the wall in the process. Storm completely ignores her as though she wasn't even there. She was astrally perceiving as she walked out of the diner, everyone showing up as blueish purple auras. She turns back to the rest of the group and says "It's time. Let's go. Now." before walking through the door.
Damn technodweebs and their electronic toys, why does Zach rely on such nonsense? He's a warrior but he relies on tricks and subterfuge. And now they're aware that we've been snooping around. Grrr. And where the hell was our hacker while his drone was under attack? Doesn't matter now, as stealth will be a moot point once we start smashing down that wall.
Storm prepares to levitate the group up to the fifth floor fire escape. She plans to use the summoned dwarf's Concealment power to hide from their enemies until they can break the wall to pieces.
-
Stake watched helplessly as Zach gave the command to the drone to reboot. He was still the owner, despite the slaving, so nothing could be done. He wanted to try finding the icon from which the attack came – it must have been hidden, otherwise the attack would automatically reveal its position – but hearing the words of Storm through his external mike, he decided to leave the embracing arms of the data world.
He opened his eyes in the diner and sat up, preparing to leave with the others.
-
Just as quickly as the Matrix attack started, it stops. The icon which was attacking the fly-spy has seemed to call off it's assault and all is silent on the matrix front.
[spoiler]We're out of initiative now.[/spoiler]
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So what now. I would peraonaly try to get in via elevator shaft. If we manage to synchronize our attack, you may provide distraction for me and while you will keep those machines occupied, I can try to localize VIP targets and eliminate them or at least give you directions for final push. Any objections?
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Storm reads Zach's comments via AR as she walks past the waitress. Seeing that it's business talk, she gets frosty and gets her drug-induced paranoia focused on the task at hand.
She quickly send back her reply to the whole team: >>We split up and you might find yourself face-to-face with a bunch of drones while you're stuck in a metal box. Your call. They've probably got the elevator heavily monitored, so be careful. Remember that there's a warded room upstairs and therefore there's obviously a mage involved, so there's every chance there's a spirit wandering around to enhance security. I'd suggest we stick together and breach in one location. The spirit dwarf will make short work of that wall.<<
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Noted. Storm. You know I am kinda sneaky guy. Frontal assault gains me only a little advantage I'll be able to max out. If I get caught at least I will provide distraction for you two. Elevator shafts are my second home
Zach grins confidently...but behind the facade he still recalls Wagner torn apart by MCT guardian droid and the heat of White Phosphorous inferno he had to pass throught in order to get out from that zero zone hell.
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"I have to agree with Storm on the high probability that the elevator shaft will be secured the best way they could arrange. But i don't know your abilities so i won't try to dissuade you, Zach, just be careful." Stake gathered himself, paid their tabs, giving a larger-than-usual tip, then followed the others. "Anyway, what do you want me to do? I'm not that big on sneaking around - no pun intended - and i somehow get the feeling that i won't be too much of an addition for Storm's distractive-destructive display. But i can help there, watch her back if for example she leaves for astral, or i can try to secure some exit routes from the area. Still, if you want my tech expertise inside, i will somehow have to get in With you."
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I recall you blasting those drones in the warehouse we met. I think you will be quite usefull if you stay here with Storm. No offense, but I think I`ll be better alone. Still, Ill need a protected channel once I break radio silence.
Zachs voice become calm and professional.
There is only a light security around. Ill try to get in using main entrance, just waltz in there. There may be sensors though, and there may be security desk connected to security HQ right behind the entrance, so I would need you to hep me to fool the sensors, and eventualy intercept any alarm sent to HQ. Would you be able to do that? How can I help?
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>>let me know if you want me to put a veil on you before you head in<<
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"You may recall that the place has heavier matrix security than i'm usually able to handle. But if you can plug some wireless transmitter into a security station, or just somewhere inside that is prepared for usage by staff, maybe defenses are less than from the outside and i can use it as an impormptu entry point." Stake shrugged. "Otherwise, i can't do drek about alarms." All the while talking, Stake had this nagging feeling to check the TVH host again. Hosts usually didn't change their ratings overnight, but it never hurt to double-check. Again, he tried to determine the appropriate ratings.
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That would be great, Strom, I am ready for the veil whenever you are and I will use it well.
Zach turns his head a bit...
Well...I am afraid I don`t have any kind of bug or tap with me. I may be able to install such thing, well I dont have any.I would have to go in just with the Veil and my skills. Ill figure out some kind of solution once I can see the security desk, If I decide this delay worthy. Unless...unless we attack from three directions. Storm through that wall, I through that shaft, after I escort you to the security control room or desk and dispose any interferring guards. You can connect physicaly and possibly monitor the situation and use your skills to help us if any confrontation shoul happen.
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"No problem, Zach, but i have some." With that, Stake handed a small device to the orc. "You can use it as a wire tap but with this end, you can also plug it in." Hearing about him going in, he started to get suspicious. "But how do you want to get me in? I admit, sitting in the control room might give me much broader options, but there tend to be security guards in there, and i don't think gunfire would go unnoticed."
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Once outside the diner, Storm grabs Zach and pulls him out of sight behind a concrete barricade. She gives him the universal sign of quiet by putting her index finger to her mouth.
Casting F6 Improved Invisibility on Zach: Spellcasting(10)+Specialization(2)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(2) (18d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4492941/)
Drain(5) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4492942/)
Crap, that's not going to hide anything.. need to concentrate
Casting F6 Improved Invisibility on Zach: Spellcasting(10)+Specialization(2)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(2) (18d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4492943/) Limit[Force] caps hits at 6
Drain(5) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4492944/)
Good, that's better.
Storm walks out from behind the barricade and wordlessly joins Stake.
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Hm...Its not like Im going to use autocannon inside. Besides...Zach taps new SnS magazine in his HK, it wont be necessary even to kill those guys. And We had an idea there is not too many of those. Well it may take a while even to locate the right spot. On the other hand...If I take your equipement inside and wait for you there, you may be able just to waltz in...it is public place, you know? You just told them you were bitten by ghoul or something, and that you have money to pay the bill, and they would for sure let you find your doctor.
Zach is watching the ambulance passing by, dreaming about emergency crash cart, where he can hide Stake and all their equipement.
If only we have one of those, like I planned originaly. Well...no time to waste. I am going inside. Once I locate the security room, I`ll get in touch with you. Give me the tap, If I find the right spot, I will plug it into their system ad you may be able to get yourself connected.
Maybe...hm..maybe I should take those charges also. You won`t need them to break the wall, so we may find a way to use them somewhere else. And I don`t think you want to be caught carrying a ton of explosives around. Ready?
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@Stake:
You look carefully and you notice three little boot marks on the TVH host.
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"Uh, i can give you one prepped charge, i usually don't keep those pre-formed, easier to transport and hide that way." Stake gave Zach a small package, including the data tap. "Unfortunately, thinking more about our current situation, i'd have to get inside the building to be able to get into the system. Hopefully, for cost-reduction, they don't keep their slaved systems at the level of the main one, otherwise i'm screwed. So, contact me if you found a way in for me as well."
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Storm turns to Stake and tells him point blank:
"You're coming with me. We bust in through the wall, you find a jack point inside. They won't know we're there until it's too late."
Storm's expression looks cool and collected. Her body language tells a different story, however; she looks like a high-tension wire ready to arc-flash. You see little tendrils of electricity crackle between her fingertips on her one un-gloved hand.
"We go to the fire escape and let Zach get into position. You provide electronic cover until he's in position. I provide magical cover for the team. You ready?"
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Ok. If I find good spot to tap, I`ll do it, otherwise I`ll just try to get into the possition ASAP. Its a good chance they keep the systems in the uppper floor separated from mainframe, so it makes sense.
Zach puts the package from Stake to his pocket, checks the gear once again and turns back to his teammates. Then he realizes they arent able to see him , so he just sends the message and leaves.
OK. Get into possition. I am going in.
When scarred Siberian approaches main entrance, he looks around for scanners and other sensors:
INT(4)+Perception(7)+Visual Enhancement(3) [Mental:4] (14d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4495841/)
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”OK, let’s have it your way. Just be prepared to protect my body while I'm in.” On the inside, Stake didn’t exactly feel the same self-confidence he showed. He still remembered the painful experience of the healing Storm gave him and it made him antsy around her. And her little display in the diner this morning made him question her sanity, if not her professionalism.
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@Zach:
Receptionist Logic + Will = (6d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4499325/), Dwarves Logic + Will = (7d6.hits(5)=3, 7d6.hits(5)=4, 7d6.hits(5)=1, 7d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4499326/). No one in the lobby sees you.
You approach the entrance of Tacoma Veterans Hospital just as the sun is about to set and wait for someone to go in since your invisible state won't set off the motion sensor for the doors. After about 5 minutes a dwarven couple arrive, the husband coughing obnoxiously, and as their approach triggers the rather smudged automatic glass doors you slip inside and glance around. You do see an omni-camera dome on the ceiling in the middle of the lobby. Directly in front of you about 15m is a reception desk and a single dwarven female receptionist with blue highlights in her otherwise black hair. The rest of the room is a waiting lobby filled with rather uncomfortable looking plasti-benches a dwarven couple waiting, the man sitting silently next to his woman and his right arm and right leg are both obvious cybernetic prostheses.
The other dwarven couple that just entered and let you in walks up to the reception desk and without even looking up she says, "Visiting someone or are you a veteran reporting a medical condition? The wife tells the receptionist that her husband needs to be seen and then they sit down in the lobby and wait to be called.
@Storm & Stake:
Based on what you had observed through the drones camera (btw the drone is now perched on the fire-escape near the top and is shut off) you know that one advantage you have is that the back alley where the fire-escape is looked relatively empty of people. The one problem is that the fire escape only starts at the second story and there is a weighted swinging staircase which allows those descending to reach the ground and it is currently raised.
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Storm looks over the staircase and decides that noisy acrobatics are probably not the best way to approach the top. Especially with a dwarf in tow. She suddenly grabs the dwarf around its midsection and gives him a great bear hug, lifting him slightly off the ground. She whispers coolly into his ear: "BE QUIET AND DO NOT LET GO".
Casts F6 Levitate on Storm and Stake: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(3) [Force:6] (15d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4498603/) 6 hits
Drain(4) resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4498604/) no drain
Storm instructs her Spirit of Earth to use its Concealment power over the three of them. She kicks off the ground, propelled at 2 meters per second towards the top of the fire escape.
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As soon as Storm grabbed him, Stake had the sudden and unexpected urge to pray to some unknown entity, to preserve and deliver him. He was starting to sweat heavily under his armored jacket, feeling pretty uneasy, even though he appreciated the irony of the situation at the same time – the elf stepping close to the dwarf to embrace him. Still, there was nothing intimate about either the touch or his feelings, and he held on tightly and as still as he could until he survived this new chapter of his encounters with magic.
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@Storm & Stake:
You gently perch on the third-floor fire-escape and Stake breathes out a sigh of relief. Nobody has gone nor looked down the alley and you're quite confident no-one on the street has seen you. Every level of the fire-escape has a fire-door exit from the building except the top 5th floor which is sealed.
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Without hessitation Zach is looking around for vizualization, turning his wifi off he relies only on old school markings. As soon as he finds stairs leading to upper levels, he follows those as high as possible. And, even if covered by Veil, as sneaky as possible, his mystical senses on alert.
AGI(4)+Stealth(9)+Sneaking(1)+Cat(2)[6] (16d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4500711/)
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@Zach:
The only route out of the lobby are to a pair of bathrooms and then through a doorway which is right next to the reception desk. This would mean sneaking directly past the receptionist which is no problem for an invisible cat. The doorway leads you into a series of hallways which all contain urgent care examination rooms. The occasional nurse walks by as you press up against the wall and they don't notice you at all. You find an elevator and a stairwell and when you try the door to the stairwell it's locked and a maglock keypad is on the right-hand side of it. When you try the elevator button, it arrives and you silently move into it and quickly push a few floor buttons on the inside and they don't work without the sliding of a key-card.
The level of security doesn't fit with how run-down the place looks.
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Zach was aware, that the major changes in the matrix made his skill to open magnetic locks and other security measures a bit obsolette, so he didnt even try to think about opening the magnetic lock by himself. On the other hand, there is always more ways to skin the cat, and, in fact, he wasn`t really eager to use the elevator at all. He reaches to his gear and pulls out the Holoprojector.It shouldnt be able to uncover himself, when scanning the elevator space, due to the veil Storm put on him, and once scanning was complete, holoprojector was ready to show empty elevator cage to anyone watching.
He places the holoprojector to the corner, and lean against the walls, using his gecko gloves set to get closer to the ceiling, where the trapdoor of emergency exit should be.
STR(4)+Gymnastics(7)[6] (11d6.hits(5)=2 - Assisted climbing= up to 4m) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4502528/)
He then deploys one of Lena Wagner`s Kanmushi microdrones, and uses its UWB sensor to see through the ceiling, if there is any tripwire or other type of alarm he should be aware of. With gecko pads it is able to move almost freely on the ceiling:
Lena: Pilot(3)+Clearsight(3)[UWB rating:4] (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4502544/)
Before drone returns with its report, he prepares his toolkit, pulling out the mini screwdriver.
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@Zach:
You place the holoprojector down and it makes the elevator look empty. The door finally closes and there is no movement of the elevator at all. Using your gecko-gloves you manage to wedge yourself near the ceiling and begin to examine the maintenance hatch. It's hard for you to really interpret the visual field presented to you by Lena's sensors, but you do see a series of wires which are connected to the latch of the hatch. This could potentially trigger an alarm when opened. Being up close to the ceiling you also see a small camera observing the elevator.
To disable the hatch alarm do a diminishing Hardware + Logic (10, 1minute) test, or a Locksmith + Agility (5,1minute) test to get it opened silently. Take a -1 to your dicepools for it being on the ceiling and it's distracting to be working upside-down.
@Storm & Stake:
From your vantage of the third floor of the fire escape you can both see that all is still quiet in the alley.
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Bloody hell this is ging to be difficult.
Log(3)+Hardware(3)-Distraction(1) (5d6.hits(5)=0, 5d6.hits(5)=3, 5d6.hits(5)=1, 5d6.hits(5)=2, 5d6.hits(5)=2, 5d6.hits(5)=1, 5d6.hits(5)=1, 5d6.hits(5)=1, 5d6.hits(5)=2, 5d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4503973/)
Edge: Reroll (5d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4508427/)
Edge: Reroll (4d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4508428/)
Finaly, alarm wirings give up. Deep inside Zach things something about switching the job or takint some real education in this field of work, well he managed to bypass the alarm...or whatever it was.
He hopes that his actions were hidden enought by the holoprojection, well the fact nobody showed up in last 7 minutes seem to confirm his hopes. He turns of the drone and pockets it.
Paranoid enought. Lets jump to this trap head first!
He breathes deep and slips throught opened hatch to the elevator shaft. He closes the hatch behind him as quickly as possible, then he observes his surroundings.
INT(4)+Perception(7) +Visual Enhancement(3)[Mental:4] (14d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4503980/)
INT(4)+Perception(7) +Visual Enhancement(3)[Mental:4] (14d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4503983/)
(Low Light(natural), than Thermographics(goggles))
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Storm readies herself for combat. She also erects a soundproof bubble around the group, allowing the spirit dwarf to smash the wall without setting off every alarm in the building.
Cast Increase Reflexes (F6) [Force:6]: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(3) (15d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4504414/) 2d6+4 added to initiative
Drain(6) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4504415/) no drain
Cast Silence (F6) [Force:6]: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)+Specialization(2)-Sustaining(4) (16d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4504416/) 5 hits
Drain(5) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4504417/) 1P drain
Cast Increase Reaction (F3) (F3 Sustaining Focus) [Force:3]: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(5) (13d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4504420/) Reaction: 5
Drain(2) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4504424/) no drain
Cast Increase Intuition (F3) (F3 Sustaining Focus) [Force:3]: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(5) (13d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4504428/) Intuition: 6
Drain(2) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=9) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4504434/) no drain
Storm loses concentration for a moment and one of the spells backfeeds into her body slightly, causing a jolt of pain as her back spasms so hard it makes her teeth crack together.
1P damage
-
Stake looked at Storm expectantly. This was probably her area of expertise. He noticed with increasing alarm how energies seemed to gather around her. He prepared himself mentally for something big coming up.
-
@Zach:
You nimbly hop out on to the roof of the elevator. You unsure how successfully you were able to stealthily deploy the holoprojector nor how well the hologram covered your work on the elevator escape hatch, but you really don't have a choice but to press on. It's pitch dark in the shaft and you are relying completely on your thermographic vision to be able to see anything. You notice the faint outline of the emergency shaft ladder which extends up into the darkness.
-
Then, the only way the one that leads to the top. Zach begins to climb.
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@Zach:
You begin your ascent into the black void of the elevator shaft, only weak shades of infra-red outlining the rungs of the ladder. The climb is almost completely silent except for a little bit of chatter as you pass by the elevator doors of the first 4 floors. You take a breather once you reach the 5th floor and assess the situation. The outer elevator doors are closed shut and you decide that you could either try to pry them open using your strength or try your hand at a small circuit board you see wired to the doors.
OOC: Strength check would be Str + Body, or circuit board would be a simple Hardware + Logic [Mental].
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Zach gives the circuit one looong look.
Fuck you. I got enought electronics today.
He things about frying the circut with the SnS round, then he decides to do this old school:
Magic(7)+StrenghtBoost(1) (8d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4513592/)
Body(4)+Str(4/6)[6] (10d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4513593/)
Using his gloves for better grip, Zach takes a deep breath and slowly, silently he begins to pull the doors open.
-
@Zach:
You close your eyes as you strain and as you stand in the middle of the elevator doors you can feel the mana in your muscles cause them to bulge to the point of almost tearing your jumpsuit. The creaking of the gears makes you think that this door hasn't opened in a while, but you keep pushing until they open a crack and instantly the elevator shaft is filled with stale air that makes you want to cough. Finally you reach the point where the door mechanism itself catches hold and the doors slide the rest of the way open. You take a second to catch your breath and then do a quick surroundings check.
INT(4)+Perception(7) +Visual Enhancement(3)[Mental:4+3]= (14d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4514283/)
The lights are off and you are using your goggles to analyze the hallway that the elevator comes out into. The hall extends about 15m in both directions and the walls are lined with lot's of what looks like very old medical equipment covered with clear plastic tarp as if they were using this hallway, maybe even the whole floor for storage. At the end of the hallway to your left you see an doorway that has been filled in with plasticrete blocks but on top of the doorway still hangs an un-lit "exit" sign. Storm and Stake must be on the other side of that door, but communication with them is dead since you turned off your commlink. The layout of the hallway is not that much different from the other floors and there are several examination rooms and you don't say any cameras of any sort anywhere. Directly in front of the elevator door however there is a large set of double doors and on top of the them is dusty metal sign that says "OPERATING ROOM". From Storm's improvised map it appears the operating room is the way to go to reach the warded doors.
Data spike on goggles, incoming 12 Matrix Dam, resist with Int 4 + Firewall 2 = (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4514292/). Resist's dam: DR 2 + Firewall 2 = (4d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4514296/). That's 9 Matrix Dam and your goggles are bricked.
Suddenly the room goes dark for you and your goggles power down.
-
Bloody hell.
Zachl pulls his googles up, pissed just a little bit more than before. This whole situation sucks and he wants to end it this way or another. At least his contact lenses keep working well he didn`t want to risk the same destiny so he turns them completely off. Without theromgraphics, he have to rely on his own low light sensitive eyes.
Like old times.
He grinns, as he recalls himself exploring deep underground caves in Ural mountains during his childhood. At least things that lived there bleed and were possible to kill. All this electro crap...he had a feeling he is getting old.
Not old enought to die.
Making sure smartlinks are off, he readies his silenced SMG and continues to the doors. He got whole fucking pack of sensors well he was sure that as soon as he turns any electronic device on, he would be compromised. And it was not the time yet. He needs to find the way fot the rest of the team to reach the target and also he needs to assess dangers they may run into.
Lets move.
Zach lays down on the floor carefully and he tries to push the doors with the barrel of his gun, as this kind of doors are usualy just swinging doors to allow quick entrance for doctors and surgeons with antiseptic gloves.
Hopefully they didn`t add the lock recently. Zach prayed but he expected otherwise.
-
@Zach:
You crouch down, try the operating room doors and they can swing freely as you hoped. As you look in you see the operating room is completely barren, the floor covered with dust and nothing but 8 support pillars break the open space. On the far side of the room you see what must be the door Storm described but it is wide open. Almost in the middle of the doorway stands a massive crouching catlike drone with a nasty looking chainsaw appendage attached to it.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66568711/SR%20shares/UB%2010/SRdrone63.jpg)
You hear a voice come out of it's loudspeaker that echo's throughout the desolate room. "Well done Shadowrunner. Somehow you have managed to find your way here, but I suppose that is what your kind does, what your kind is paid to do. Pokes, prods and stick your noses where you shouldn't. Well we will soon put an end to that, for you, and for all of your kind.
OOC: everyone roll initiative. Here's the layout to scale.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66568711/SR%20shares/UB%2010/TVH_5thfloor1.jpg)
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Initiative (3d6+11=19) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4515329/)
While the voice is talking, Yach turns his commlink on and sends short message>
Hot in 3 secs.
Then he throws it on the ground on the crossroad and starts running south.
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Initiative: Rea(5)+Int(6)+1d6+[2d6+4] = 3d6+15 (3d6=10) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4517840/) Initiative: 25
Storm turns off wireless connectivity on her commlink and orders her spirit to materialize and smash down the wall. She stands back and shields her face against any errant drops of acid that might flick her way.
Spirit Elemental Attack: Exotic Ranged Weapon(8)+Agi(6) [Physical:15]; Dam: 16, AP -8 (Acid) (14d6.hits(5)=2, 14d6.hits(5)=4, 14d6.hits(5)=5, 14d6.hits(5)=6, 14d6.hits(5)=6, 14d6.hits(5)=8, 14d6.hits(5)=6, 14d6.hits(5)=3, 14d6.hits(5)=6, 14d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4517854/)
[dammmnnn.. shame to use such a powerful spirit on, you know, a wall.]
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Initiative: INT(6) + REA(4) + 2 dice (2d6+10=15) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518411/)
Stake drew his taser and checked the darts when he read Zach’s message. If there were drones inside, as he suspected from the trid footage of the last skirmish he saw, it would be more effective than his light pistol. He drew back hurriedly, as much as possible, when the big spirit appeared out of nowhere, waiting for it to finish its job. He kept an AR overwatch until it broke through the wall.
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OOC: Spirit has no more services left and will depart after it breaches the wall. Earth Spirit Phys Init: 2d6+15=21 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518569/). Lynx init: 4d6+10=28 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518555/), Remember, you guys are now incommunicado until you use a free action to switch your wireless on.
@Zach:
You manage to get your message across and drop your commlink but the thing is fast, real fast. The swinging doors of the operating room almost knock you over as they burst open and the whirring sound of the chrome monstrosity's monofilament chainsaw makes your stomach clench. The teeth lining the edge of the weapon are just a blur and the arm comes down straight for you.
OOC: Exotic Weapon Chainsaw 4 + Logic 6 + VR2 [Acc 5 + 4] = (12d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518615/) + Charge 2d6.hits(5)=0 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518622/). So 2 hits. Zach roll defense (Reaction + Intuition). Chainsaw has reach of 1 so take -1 to defense unless you take a -5 to init and parry with weapon of reach 1. Since you still have a free action you can take a +1 defense to receiving charge.
@Stake & Storm:
The dwarven golem opens it's maw and begins to hose down the plasticrete barricade with a stream of acid so putrid you have to concentrate not to gag. You both stand back a little ways to not get splattered.
OOC: 2 layers of structure 10, Armor 16. Incoming damage is 18, AP-8, Structure 10 + Armor 16 - AP 8 = (18d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518618/). Do 11 damage to first layer, which makes 1m x 1m hole in it. That's 1 point of acid damage on the second layer, which it will resist. That still knocks down the second layer's armor by 1, so now the second layer has Structure 10, Armor 15.
As you peak briefly to see the effect on the wall you see the bile colored liquid instantly begin to eat a decent sized crater into the barricade but it still isn't through to the other side yet.
OOC: Storm, Stake and Zach can act now in whatever order depending on who can post first.
IP1CT1: Earth Spirit-21, Storm-25, Stake-15, Zach-19, Lynx-28
Wound: Storm-{1P(d)}
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Zach manages to send the message and the next second the cat-bot is right on his throat
RE(7)+INT(4)+Combat Sense(3)-Reach(1) (13d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518627/)
Fucking abomination! How did it managet to find me!?
Zach stretches his arms and focuses, SMG in his hand
Mag(7)+AGI Boost(1) (8d6.hits(5)=4)(>AGI=8, 8CT) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518631/)
As Zach rolls away from attack he fires short burst from his SMG, trying to deal at least some damage to the target, as he gave up hope he would be able to move to another possition or stay out of combat until cavalery arrives...
AGI(8)+SMG(9) (17d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4518653/)
Short Burst, Stick`n`Shock, Base DV 7P
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While waiting for the thing looking like a dwarf to punch trough the wall, Stake looked out for any icons behaving suspiciously in the area.
Matrix Perception (complex): INT(6) + Computer(5) - hidden(2) [DP(5)] (9d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4519000/)
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[OOC: Storm's first round action was to order the spirit to attack the wall. No additional action this round.]
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@Zach:
OCC: You have to take the -3 for being in melee combat, so that leaves you with 2 hits. Drone defense: (12d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4521987/). It misses.
After deftly avoiding the swinging chainsaw blade you whip around and open up with your SMG, but your dodge throws off your aim and your shot goes wide.
@Stake:
You see the icon for the steel lynx drone since it is in 100m. It's icon looks quite scary (OOC: see post above for picture). You see it has another software system protecting it with a firewall rating of 5.
OOC: People holding actions can take them and then now it's the 2nd IP, Storm goes next.
IP2CT1: Earth Spirit-11, Storm-15, Stake-5, Zach-9, Lynx-13
Wound: Storm-{1P(d)}
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@Zach:
OOC: Lynx attacks: Exotic Weapon Chainsaw 4 + Logic 6 + VR2 [Acc 5 + 4] = (12d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4523170/). He gets 4 hits.
The lynx seems like quite a match for your feline reaction times and his whirring combat saw is swinging a little bit too close to your face for comfort. The mechanical monstrosity takes another lunge at you.
@Stake & Storm:
OOC: Dwarf golem blasts wall again: Exotic ranged 8 + Agi 6 [15]= (14d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4523177/). Incoming damage is 22P. Wall resists: Structure 10 + Armor 15 - AP 8 = (17d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4523179/). 2nd layer of wall takes 18P, 1 meter hole is made, so the wall is breached with a 1m x 1m hole. Roll Agi + Int (2) if you go through the hole to not get some acid on you.
The dwarven golem spews another vile blast of green acid at the crater in the barricade and it melts like jelly, creating a hole just big enough for you to fit through but you need to be very careful not to let any of that insanely potent acid drip on you. It's almost completely dark inside and stale air mixed with the putrid acid smell blast your nose and you hear some kind of metalic whirring sound coming from within along with gunfire.
OOC: Stake and Zach can act in the order that they're able to post.
IP2CT1: Earth Spirit-11, Storm-15, Stake-5, Zach-9, Lynx-13
Wound: Storm-{1P(d)}
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RE(7)+INT(4)+Combat Sense(3)-Reach(1) (13d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4523344/) 1 Net hit for lynx
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@Zach:
OOC: Base damage is 12P, so incoming is 13P with AP-8. Roll soak.
The lynx is way too smart to be operated by just a simple pilot program and it fakes you out with a swing of it's claw, and brings down the chainsaw just at the wrong moment, you feel the teeth digging and ripping into your armor
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Body(4)+Chameleon(9)+Mystic Armor(3)-AP(8) (8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4523411/)
Finaly it is over.
Is this really it?
Zach feels the cat walking softly around his soul, sitting on one the peaks of Ural mountains. Vertical iris in her green eyes.
Soft steps and movements of the flexible body
You fool. Why don`t you move. Did you forgot what you`ve learned on this long journey we walked together? Why didn`t you MOVE!
Damage: 12/10
NO! Not Dead Yet!
Edge: 2 1
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@Stake & Storm:
As light floods into the hallway you can see with your metahuman vision your compatriot Zach hit the ground as a chainsaw blade draws sparks and blood from his back.
OOC: Stake's turn.
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Storm sees Zach go down and immediately draws from her inner power reserves to assist. Her vision turns red as she sees the monstrosity cutting into his back.
nonono I don't think so you son of a bitch not today not tomorrow not EVER. Take this you fragging shit.
Storm grabs an enormous pinecone reagent from her belt pouch. She crushes the pinecone in her left hand, sending brittle shards deep into her hand. Blood squirts between her fingers, immediately clotting into hard rivulets as it pours from the wound. The old pine sap gets into the wound. It hurts BAD. Storm smiles in a ferocious grin as she blasts a spell at the mechanical beast in front of her. Her Silence spell gives a creepy and murderous effect to the whole scene.
[OOC: Storm uses a 10-dram reagent]
Cast F8 Flamethrower: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)+Specialization(2)+Mentor Spirit(2)-Sustaining(5) [Force:8 Reagent:10] (17d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4524942/) 6 hits
Edge re-roll: 11 dice (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4524949/) 9 hits total
Storm releases her pent-up energy in the form of a laser, white-hot energy lancing out from her extended fist.
[Base damage: 8P, AP -8]
Drain(7) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4524950/) BOOYYAAAAAA
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OOC: Lynx defense: 11d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4525453/). 5 net hits for Storm. That's 13P incoming. Soak: Body 6 + Armor 12 - AP 8 = (10d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4525522/). Edge reroll: (8d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4525524/). It soaks 7P and takes 6P.
Stake marvels at Storm's raw display of power as her incredible bolt of red plasma shoots into the hole and lights up the hallway a bright red, making it possible for you to clearly see Zach face-down in front of the mechanical monster, a massive pool of blood around him. The bolt hits the thing square in its flank and practically knocks it over while its cybernetic head whips around taking its attention off of Zach's limp form and it displays an array of glowing sensors that seem to glare straight at Storm through the hole in the wall with what you could almost call a look of surprise.
OOC: We'll wait for Stake's 2nd IP actions before we move on to the next IP.
IP2CT1: Earth Spirit-11, Storm-15, Stake-5, Zach-9, Lynx-13
Wound: Storm-{1P(d)}, Lynx-{6P}, Zach{12P,overflow}}
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Seeing that Zach was down, Stake didn't hesitate. Even though the drone was a bit far for the taser, he took aim, zooming in at the same time, hoping that it took enough damage to slow it down for him to hit. It was still a better option than to attack it separately, from the matrix.
Free: switch off AR mode
Simple: Take Aim (both bonus types apply because of wireless smartlink)
Simple: SA shot AGI(7) + Pistols: SA(4) + smartlink(2) + take aim(1) - range(3) [Accuracy(8 )] (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4526822/); base DV 7S(e) AP -5, electricity causes drones physical damage
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@Stake:
OOC: Lynx defense, -1 for previous dodge: 10d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4526865/). 3 net hits. Incoming 10S(e) AP -5. Soak Body 6 + Armor 12 - AP 5 = (13d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4526868/). Takes 4S(e), his -1 stays for another combat turn after this one. Also checking if the thing caught fire. Armor 12 (5) = (12d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4526879/). Managed to beat the theshold so it's not on fire.
Your shot hits the thing almost in the same charred spot where Storm's plasma blast hit it. It jerks as the current spreads over it's chasis and seems even more dazed as your timing hit it just right to put it even more off guard.
OOC: Storm's turn.
IP3CT1: Storm-5, Lynx-3
Wound: Storm-{1P(d)}, Lynx-{6P,4P}, Zach{12P,overflow}}
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Time to end this.
Storm grabs a second giant pinecone from her pouch, crushing it in the same hand as the first. It crunches painfully in her hand as she looses another searing blast at the robot beast looming over Zach.
Cast F8 Flamethrower: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)+Specialization(2)+Mentor Spirit(2)-Sustaining(5) [Reagent: 10] (17d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4526885/)
Drain (7) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4526886/) yeahhhhhh
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@Storm:
OOC: 9d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4529894/). Using Edge. 5d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4529895/). 8 hits, spell misses.
The chrome beast starts to adjust to the sudden change in its situation and it dives out of the path of your second blast of energy, nimbly leaping closer and closer to you so fast you can barely react even with your heightened reaction times. It jams it's chainsaw arm through the hole in the barricade and tries to impale you on it.
OOC: Exotic Weapon Chainsaw 4 + Logic 6 + VR2 + Charge 2 - Awkward attacking through wall 2 - electricity 1[Acc 5 + 4] = (11d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4529946/). 1 hit. Roll defense with -1 for reach. After that everyone roll initiative again.
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Melee defense: Rea(5)+Int(6)+Reach(-1) (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4530312/)
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Initiative: Rea(5)+Int(6)+1d6+[2d6+4] = 3d6+15 (3d6=12) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4530316/) Initiative: 27
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Initiative: INT(6) + REA(4) + 2d6 (2d6+10=20) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4530755/)
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(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66568711/SR%20shares/UB%2010/TVH_5thfloor1_2.jpg)
OOC: Lynx init: 4d6+10=21 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4530897/). Storm goes next.
IP1CT2: Storm-27, Lynx-21, Stake-20
Wound: Storm-{1P(d)}, Lynx-{6P,4P}, Zach{12P,overflow}}
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Storm contemplates sending a lightning ball at the drone, but it's too close and any mishaps in judging the distance will result in both her and Stake getting cooked, especially standing on the metal balcony. She takes a few steps down the balcony to get distance between her and that chainsaw, making sure she keeps it in her line of sight. She violently pulls Stake backwards with her as she moves, trying to get him out of harms way as well, as she knows the dwarf's not as fast as either her of the beast. [Free action] She drops the Silence spell as well as the Invisibility spell on Zach.
Time to gamble with the devil for all the novacoke, as the expression goes.
She readies a blast of fire to slice this bastard in two. Before casting the spell she grabs a third pinecone [F10 reagent] and crushes it, her hand now thick with shards of pine resin and dried blood.
Cast F8 Flamethrower: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)+Specialization(2)+Mentor Spirit(2)-Sustaining(3) [Reagent: 10] (19d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547058/)
Edge re-roll (16d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547059/) 3+5=8 hits total
Drain(8) resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547060/) 1 Drain
[OOC: Storm's not using her Spellslinger glove (assuming it needs wireless mode) to avoid having it hacked and cooked. Thing's too valuable to waste. Also don't want to turn on wireless mode so this beast doesn't hack any of her cyberware systems. If the Spellslinger doesn't need wireless (skinlink?) then Storm's got a couple more dice to roll.]
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OOC: Defense pool 11 + good cover 4 = (15d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547187/). -1 also for electrical damage is still 3 net hits. Incoming is 11P with -8 AP. Body 6 + Armor 12 - AP 8 = (10d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547191/), takes 11P, catches fire as well.
@Stake:
The shards of pinecone light up and as you feel them burn your hand the flame instantly shoots out toward the flailing chainsaw arm and hits it dead on, you see it turn red hot and the glow spreads down the arm and then out of sight as it spreads to the body hidden by the wall. The magical fire takes hold of the whole monstrosity and she lets out a screech that reverberates through the alley now that your silence spell is finished. She gives one more violent shudder and the chainsaw powers down and goes limp, the mechanical arm holding it glowing red hot and hanging out of the hole in the wall until the hole thing melts into a glowing molten puddle on the floor.
OOC: We're out of initiative, Agility + Reaction (3), (Stake gets a +1 due to his size) to get through the hole in the wall without touching the molten metal, if you fail resist 8P, with -8AP. Zach went down on IP2CT1, so with a Body 4 he has 33 seconds more to live.
IP1CT2: Storm-27, Stake-20
Wound: Storm-{1P(d),1P(d)}, Zach{12P, 2 boxes of overflow}}
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Storm bows her head in concentration, ready to make a very important contract. She summons an icestorm elemental to do her bidding, knowing that the price for this particular deal would be steep.
Summon F8 Air Spirit: Summoning(7)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(3) (12d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547734/)
Summon Resist: Force(8) (8d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547735/) no net hits
Drain(8) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=10) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547737/) no drain
The entire deal was over in a flurry. The spirit wasn't interested. Damn it. A whole second had passed, leaving Zach that much closer to death. Time to try again.
Summon F8 Air Spirit: Summoning(7)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(3) (12d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547740/)
Summon Resist: Force(8) (8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547742/) 2 net hits
Drain(2) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547743/) no drain
F8 Air Spirit, optional powers Movement and Energy Aura: Cold
As the deal is negotiated with the powerful spirit, Storm knows it will take a considerable sacrifice to seal the deal. She grabs a lump of molten metal from the remains of the drone and holds it in the palm of her hand. The flesh sizzles as the shards of the pinecone light on fire, producing an sooty black flame that dances from the palm of her hand. The pain is excruciating and exhilarating at the same time.
Though she normally uses telepathic commands when dealing with her summoned allies, she says this one out loud so Stake can hear her commands:
"Noble spirit, your first task is to use your gift of Movement on this dwarf to allow him to reach our fallen comrade. Your second task is to cool the molten metal left by the metal monstrosity to allow him to pass through unharmed. Do these things and you have fulfilled your bargain."
Storm bellows at the dwarf standing next to her:
"GET IN THERE AND STABILIZE HIM! THERE'S A MEDKIT IN HIS BACKPACK!!!"
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Stake was already sizing up the hole, to see how to get through, when he felt the cold and heard the commands of Storm. This was one of those rare occasions when he felt glad having a magician nearby, and he felt conflicted by it as usual, but pushed all those feelings in the back of his mind. He waited for the icy spirit to do its thing, waiting for the all clear sign to race to their fallen companion.
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@Stake:
The icy apparition blasts the hole with cold and in only a few seconds the red hot molten metal has turned shiny and white.
OOC: you can pass through now no problem and make it to Zach in time to roll a stabilization test. First Aid/Medicine + Logic + Medkit [Mental] (3) test. Then after that you can try a healing test as normal with -2 cuz Zach is awakened.
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As soon as the way was clear, Stake ran up to Zach's recumbent form. He didn't forget elementary caution, so he kept his attention on his surrounding until he reached his teammate, then he opened Zach's pack without hesitation and reached for the medkit. Attaching tubes and sensors in a hurry, he cursed himself in his thoughts. Should have taken those Medicine 101 courses. But no, i had to make a timetable-calculator instead. The code was so beautiful, how it swirled, and organized every single piece... No! Don't think about it! Concentrate, before your buddy bleeds to death! Letting the medkit make the suggestions, he applied each patch and dose and bandage carefully.
For the initial test: LOG(7) - defaulting(1) + Medkit(6) [Mental(11)] (12d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4548607/)
For the healing: LOG(7) - defaulting(1) + Medkit(6) - magical(2) [Mental(11)] (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4548608/)
Spending Edge to reroll: LOG(7) - defaulting(1) + Medkit(6) - magical(2) - hits(3) [Mental(11)] (7d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4548620/)
7 hits altogether, so that heals Zach 5 boxes (Threshold of the test is 2 according to the book).
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@Stake:
You feel blood begin to soak into your pants as you kneel next to Zach and and carefully unzip his chameleon suit to expose his bare chest in order to properly position the medkit. Lying on his back, the device looks almost like a cybernetic alien attached to the Russian ork once all its sensors and tendrils have been connected to various points of his anatomy. Nanites quickly spread throughout his circulatory system and begin the careful work of performing close to a million micro-cauterizations of individual arteries, veins and even capillaries. Within seconds the medkit alerts you that stabilization of the bleeding has succeeded and resuscitation will commence. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, CLEAR and a jolt from the defibrillator literally lifts him off the ground. Nothing......5, 4, 3, 2, 1 CLEAR, and his chest lifts up once more.....nothing.....his heart-beat shown on a tiny display on the face of the medkit stays as just a flat line. 5, 4, 3, 2 ,1 CLEAR and this time instead of Zach's chest only lifting about a foot off the ground, he instead shoots into an upright sitting position panting uncontrollably, his eyes wide as silver dollars and his face shining with sweat and smeared with blood. Even before getting his bearings he begins impatiently disconnecting tendrils of the medkit, yet his face still looks in shock.
You breathe a sigh of relief and notice how moments ago you had called him "buddy" to yourself. Hardly a few days ago you remember opening the door of Jordan's workshop to that ork and elf and that was the moment your peace of mind ended. You could see the fear behind the tough masks any serious runner knows how to cultivate. Why in the Great Ghost's name did you ever accept to look at that drone? But you DID accept, and you've been in the shadows long enough to know that ANY time you accept a job, there are risks involved. Now that you're kneeling in Zach's blood and the three of you have survived another harrowing attack together, maybe its not just circumstance which has kept you in the company of these two individuals. Maybe you're starting to believe that the three of you are actually quite a good team that can pull through in the nick of time; not just running together for the pay day, cuz as far as you can tell your next pay day is no-where in sight, but helping each other out because maybe you all actually care.
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This wasn’t the time to ponder about some serious philosophical issues, so Stake shut this train of thought in the back of his brain, to continue at a later time. He couldn’t help wondering for a second, though, if he felt the same way about the crazy elf woman.
What was sure, that together, they seemed to be an efficient trio, and they still had work to do. Even though Zach was hurt and probably would be somewhat hindered in his further activities, they should go on scouring the area inside the magical walls Storm mentioned.
He spoke loud enough for Storm (who was hopefully closer inside by this time) to hear as well. ”Did everything I could. Shall we go on?”
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Storm watches as Stake stabilizes Zach and nods to herself with a feeling of satisfaction. They'd managed to survive, all three of them, to fight another day.
She steps gracefully through the melted hole in the wall and walks over to the still-seated Zach and puts her hands on his wound. She looks almost sad when she says a single word to the battered ork.
"Sorry."
Electricity arcs between her hands, writhing its way deep into the wound.
Cast Heal [Force:6] Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(3) (15d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4550606/)
Drain(2) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4550607/) no drain
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OOC: That means Zach heals up a total of 10 boxes of damage. He was 2 boxes into bleed-out overflow, so that leaves him looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with 2 boxes of physical damage.
@Zach:
You feel the life flow back into you and the wound in your back has subsided to a dull ache.
@Everyone:
The double doors of the operating room are still swinging slightly back and forth but you can't see beyond them.
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Zach freaks out, filling his lungs with fresh air, almost slipping on the spilled blood. His own blood. He blinks in disbelief, grabing his chest in the place his armor is torn apart and the brutal scar reamains...wel its nothing more than a scar suddenly...he feels that propper healing woud take a bit more, as particles of pain circulates his veins around the wound, itching weird and reviving the memory of the wound in his mind, well he was able to move. And to fight.
HOW THE FUCK?!? He stares at Storm with awe.
I owe you one life, witch... he pronounces the last word quite carefully, trying not to insult Asatru.
The abomination was waiting for us. I may have underestimated it a bit. My mistake. Well by the wa it moved...there was something behind this. We hit the right spot.
Zach takes his gun and commlink from the ground, meeting Stakes eyes on the way...
So much for sneaking around, huh... he grins sarcasticaly
..but at least I`ve located the threat, as I`ve promissed. Thank you for being here this fast.
He checks the gun, getting ready for further advance.
I guess it would be this way...
he turns to point his gun on the doors to the operating room as he speaks...
"Ready to finish this?"
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”So you’ve done. And I have the feeling they were already waiting for us, so stealth was only an option up until the top floor.” Stake nodded to Zach and drew his own gun. ”Let’s not wait for security response, shall we?” He drew level with Zach and started for the door at the same time.
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Witch. I kinda like that.
Storm offers Zach her hand to help him stand.
"Damn right. Time to end this."
Storm quickly summons a Valkyrie to protect the team as they clear the rest of the building.
Summon F6 Spirit of Man: Summoning(7)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)+Specialization(2)-Sustaining(3) (14d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4561570/)
Optional Powers: Innate spell: Detect Enemies, Extended; Innate spell: Healing
Summon Resist(6) (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4561571/) 3 Services
Drain(4) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4561574/) no drain
Noble Valkyrie, I ask that you use your power to detect enemies in the building and alert me to anyone looking to harm us.
Storm joins the rest of the team as they walk towards the door.
-
@Storm:
Your Valkyrie shimmers into existence on the material plane in front of you and nods her head in acknowledgment. She concentrates her spell, and in a few seconds she opens her eyes and speaks. "I have found no one who would mean you harm in this building or nearby."
@Everyone:
One of you holds the swinging doors of the operating room open while the other two move in, it is bare and quite dusty and it looks like it was cleared out and abandoned long ago. On the far side of the room as Storm and Zach had seen before, is an open airlock door through which you can see a room on the other side filled with functioning tech and computer terminals.
As you make your way closer, Storm's spirit indicates to her that it can go no further due to an astral barrier and she stands outside its periphery. Storm also temporarily deactivates her foci in order to move through. You can now see more clearly inside and the room is maybe about 25mx10m and the walls are all lined with 4 rows of drone racks, all filled with more than one hunderd of the familiar roto-drones that have attacked you so many times, all of them powered down and deactivated. The same goes for one corner of the racks that are holding perhaps 10 deactivated identical models of the familiar female android who stood in as the fake Johnson when you got ambushed at the meet at the Puyallup Lodge. They all look rather uncanny hanging there motionless with their eyes open and different panels opened up along their flesh exposing ports that are connected to various charging wires and fiber-optic cables. You also notice a motionless long mechanical arm along with a hatch in the ceiling that seems to be the mechanism which deploys the drones.
Seeing no movement or immediate threats you move fully into the room and scan it. Two large computer terminals sit in the middle and several display screens show a variety of diagnostic outputs as well as numerous camera feeds. One particular camera feed window does show to be monitoring a man in a hospital bed who looks comatose, the caption underneath the feed says "Marshall T. Goodman. Rm. 205 Tacoma Veterans Hospital."
You also notice one small window displaying the Horizon News Network feed and another display shows SIN mugshots of various individuals, some of them flashing red indicating that they have been terminated.
@Storm:
Peering in astral space you don't pick up any emotional content, as if no living creature had been in here for a very long time and the only signature you see is the pink glow through the door of the ward.
@Stake:
If you want to interface with the rather foreign looking computer system through the manual interface roll a meat-space Hacking + Logic [Mental] test. Otherwise you do see a universal connector jack alongside the terminal interface.
-
Zach takes the position at the right flank, loading the grenade launcher on hos XM30 and checking the belt for EMP grenades. Assault riffle seems more apropriate for threat like this. He observes the scene...
Stake? What the hell are we looking at?
-
Stake never was afraid of Code but he felt an unusual wariness in the presence of all the tech inside the room. A hundred roto-drones meant a hundred guns that might spray death at them at a moment’s notice, ten of those androids he remembered from the initial recording he received from Storm could wreak unimaginable havoc. He eyed the interface and the UDC and answered Zach somewhat absent-mindedly. ”I don’t know… yet. But I will. Watch my six while I try something.”
He went to the controls and tried to ascertain their individual functions, to get the information he needed without the need for jacking in. He already stored a close visual recording of the mugshots. He kept half an eye on the HNN screen, if they broadcast anything about the TVH in there.
So, Mr. Goodman, how are we today? He stole a glimpse of the man a few times. Goodman seemed to be so peaceful from the outside, so harmless in his comatose state. But looks could be very deceiving, so he didn’t let it distract him from the controls.
Trying manual control: LOG(7) + Hacking(7) [Mental(11)] (14d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4565527/)
-
Storm peers at the mugshots to try and see if any of them are faces that she recognizes. Hopefully the list doesn't include her own!
She keeps a wary eye on the whole room, prepared to launch an electrical storm on the computers and drones if the situation warrants it.
-
Zach stnads back, weapúon at ready, his senses, both natural and mystical tuned to red alert. If anything is about to happen here, he is ready to face it with optimal response. His fresh experience with staring death in the eye meant a lot...at least to focus on the actual situation and use everything possible to get advantage. Everything except tech stuff, as it seems nothing is safe in the close vincinity of Good Deadman.
-
@Stake:
The system has a rather unorthodox architecture but it isn't anything that you can't navigate your way around. With direct access to the manual terminal you are easily able to slip past the system's firewalls without having to interface with your cyberdeck.
You quickly break open access to a massive archive and with a flutter of your fingers across the black plastic illuminated keypads you begin a browse for relevant information. It's plain to see that whoever ran this system didn't intend for outsiders to obtain manual access and all of the heavy security is focused against intruders entering in from the matrix.
Aside from all of the operations protocols for the fleet of drones you find only two other items of interest: an archive of dossiers on more than two hundred different shadowrunners, your own names included; and an archive of media files looking to be visual footage. Not wasting any time you crack into the video footage and the first file begins playing on the overhead monitors:
@Everyone:
The terminal screens on the computer system light up suddenly almost making you pull the triggers on your readied weapons. You hear a smooth lucid voice of a women who can't be more than 25 years old.
"Personal research log, October 3rd, 2072, 02:30AM, Dr. Tara Lowenstein." A stunning red headed young woman with glasses and a white lab coat is speaking directly into a camera, surrounded by computer terminals looking similar to the one you are presently exploring. You vaguely make out a NeoNet logo emblazoned on a far wall of a cutting-edge laboratory she appears to be in. She looks giddy as if there was some exciting news that she couldn't wait to share. "Project Boot Camp just cleared phase 3. What does that mean Req?" She turns up to look slightly off camera and a somewhat monotonic but lucid disembodied voice responds. "Phase 3 clearance indicates organic soldier units may finally be interfaced into full Boot Camp beta operational virtual skill acquisition learning modules."
She giggles. "English chummer! Geez Req, remind me to swap out your linguasoft for something a little less pretentious. What my dear virtual lab-assistant Requiem means to say is real soldiers will begin to test the Boot Camp UV combat training course as soon as UCAS Military sends over the platoon of trainees. NeoNet with my approval has already selected the candidates, real rookies who stand to benefit most from the accelerated training program!"
The disembodied voice changes its tone to something more expressive. "This is good news indeed Dr. Lowenstein."
Stake plays the second file:
"Personal research log, October 15th, 2072, 08:30AM, Dr. Tara Lowenstein." The same woman stands in front of the camera wearing the same glasses and white lab coat. She is accompanied by two smiling young men in UCAS military fatigues and neither one of them can be more than 20 years old. "Good morning, these two young men have been training since the break of dawn and I thought what better way to document the success of Project Boot Camp's beta implementation than to hear it from the the mouths of the trainee's themselves. I have with me Pvt. Maddox and Lt. Goodman." They both nod at the camera. "Tell me gentlemen, and be brutally honest, how do you feel about your last two weeks of training?" The young man who was identified as Lt. Goodman answers first. "Sore as hell, but training has been amazing! We've covered all terrains, from the jungles of Aztlan to the Athabaskan tundras and all from the safety of this laboratory!." Pvt. Maddox adds, "We've also got the muscle mass to show for it. I've put on 10 lbs. in just two weeks and its all muscle, just from sitting in a chair. I feel far more agile and my combat senses are honed yet we've been sitting here the whole time." Dr. Lowenstein looks back in to the camera. "There you have it. I could bore you with the details of the project evaluation statistics, but at the end of the day here's the real evaluation from the ladies and gentlemen that matter the most. Thank you gentlemen."
Wanting to know more stake plays the third file:
"Personal research log, October 26th, 2072, 07:30AM, Dr. Tara Lowenstein." This time she has lost the glasses and the lab coat and is wearing a top of the line Berwick business suit. You could tell she was beautiful with her nerd gear on, but dressed like this you have a hard time not staring. "Req, you there buddy? I think I'm gonna pee my pants I'm so nervous." The disembodied voice responds in it's more human-like linguasoft. "Despite the fact that I cannot technically BE anywhere, you can consider me right by your side Dr. Lowenstein, every step of the way." She smiles and brushes aside a loose strand of red hair. "Well, we did it, today's the big day, and the day I hate the most. NeoNet has invited UCAS military representatives, along with special envoys from a handful of other countries. Today's the day where they pitch Project Boot Camp to the customers and see if they bite. Even though NeoNet can be mighty...persuasive, at the end of the day it's results that count. A fully functional training exercise with living soldiers is the only thing that'll seal the deal. But we're ready to deliver, right Req?" The AI responds. "I have personally run every diagnostic we have on every sub-system and the Boot Camp is running even better than during our weeks of beta testing." Dr. Lowenstein smiles and crosses her fingers in front of the camera. "Well here I go to the demo room. Keep the champaign on ice Req and if the Great Ghost is good to us we'll be popping it open in about 50 min."
A final file recorded only about 30 min after the previous one is all that's left:
"Personal research log, October 26th, 2072, 07:50AM, Dr. Tara Lowenstein." She looks pale and speaks very slowly fighting back tears. "I slipped in here to record this, because it's the safest place to keep this information. I don't know what happened. The whole platoon, all comatose, Maddox and Goodman among them. The training exercise fried their synapses with simsense overload. UCAS walked out of the deal, no contract, so did everyone else. Requiem says he spotted a matrix intruder, but all he found was a log-off. He's investigating right now who's responsible, but in the eyes of NeoNet, this was all my fault. I don't know what's going to happen to me or the project, but suffice to say I will lose my job......or worse. Whoever sees this, I am releasing my loyal assistant Requiem before they can put the axe to all of......" Suddenly a sound can be heard from the far side of the lab and she looks around startled. Before you even have a chance to try to spot something through the camera feed, the lights go off and the recording ends.
The screens all go blank and silence pervades the room again.
-
Zach stares at the laying body.
So...another bunch of toy soldiers wasted, another corp milspec experiment failed. You know what I think? I think that if that crazy bitch used that technology to cure paraplegics or heal crippled vets, to teach people from the street medicine and some usefull technical skills or agriculture, no shadowrunner worth that name would be after her and her research and she would have her facility protected by those who care, so no terorrist can harm the research. Sure, no corp would sponsor it, I guess. So here we go again. Live by the sword, die by the sword. No matter if you carry the weapon or if you are just a good blacksmith.
Zach spits on the ground...
I bet its this Requiem slave, who keeps us occupied.
What do you think, Stake? Would it be enought to blow this place to hell to get rid of it? I think insane metasapients are difficult to bargain with...unless we find the girl and she is capable of stopping it...
-
“In what kind of ideal utopia do you think we live in, Zach?” Stake was taken aback by the ork’s words. “Would be great if it worked your way, but it ain’t. If she had intended it for medical purposes, military would’ve used it for advanced battlefield treatment first. If she intended it for teaching civil engineering, military would’ve used it first to train their soldiers. Maybe that’s exactly what happened. These days, you can live by the plow and still die by the sword, using your allegory.”
All the while, his fingers flow on the keyboard. He prepped an independent data storage unit from his pocket and slotted it, copying the dossiers and footage. He tried to access the logs, looking for any records pointing at either Lowenstein, or Goodman, or Requiem. ”And I don’t think Requiem is the only one working here. Why would he need any manual interface? There is someone else in the picture, maybe this Doctor Lowenstein, maybe someone else. But before I answer your question, let me look at the system some more. So far, I’ve found archives and drone op protocols. Nothing you can’t recreate on another host.”
Stake tried to come up with every bit of knowledge he had about AIs. Since Emergence, more information was available of their workings than before, when they were only tightly guarded corp secrets. He had to find some indicators of the relationship of the AI and the host here.
I don’t know what kind of knowledge skill I should roll here, so I just roll all that I think might be relevant.
LOG(7) + Software(5) [Mental(11)] (12d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4614151/)
LOG(7) + Security Design: Matrix(5) + Mnemonic(2) [Mental(11)] (14d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4614152/)
-
See this dust? No footprints here for a long time. No. I think that manual controlls are just relicts from former facility. And if Goodman is vegetable, I don't see anything else but Requiem or this guys separated self having grudge on shadows. Requiem is my bet, seeking revenge for the loss of his home and Lowenstein whatever happened to her. Sad, that his anger is misplaced, targetting the tool instead of its Johnsons master.
And no. I dont believe in utopia. Seen too much of this shit, been around for too long. Still, my point is that if they were forging weapons here, they shouldnt be prepared they became target.
-
”You may be right. I didn’t catch the dust. And the defensive setup of the host also suggests that whoever built it didn’t think of protecting the server from this direction. But I’m almost sure about Lowenstein at least watching this op. You remember the TL Security Systems? Although it was empty of data, there was an inscription on one of the virtual items part of the décor. It said ‘My dear TL, patience is bitter but its fruit is sweet…’ That was intended for Lowenstein, though I’m just not sure if she was to read it or someone just had to state something for itself.”
Stake worked through talking, even while he continued. ”And it is easy to blame the Johnson for any shadow op. I agree that it is illogical to strike against the tool doing the job and the one mainly responsible for the damage is the one ordering it. But revenge is not about logic. And in case of shadow ops, tools are not mindless items, they are usually willing participants, and they are the ones that can be seen at the front. I can imagine whoever feels the need for revenge will strike at the easily apparent target first.”
-
Hm...you are right. Revenge is one of the most irrational actions of selfdestruction. You know that lesson about digging two graves, if you set on the path of revenge. I always thought that Metasapients are still based on some kind of logic. It seems the world evolves faster than my knowledge
Well this whole place doesn make sense, it seems completely wrong to me.
If the project went to hell, clean-up party would hardly leave this half dead man here. They killed more people for less than just being the proof of some experiments. Also...hoarding all those drones here. It makes me fell a bit...inconvenient...
-
Storm looks at her two companions with a look of incredulous disbelief.
In a rare moment of lucidity, Storm speaks. After her outrageous behavior, it almost seems like a different person talking. "You are wrong about revenge being irrational. There is a balance in the world, the ebb and flow of karma, that autocorrects itself. In that balance, we are all but pawns. Revenge, justice, re-balancing the wheel of ka, call it what you will. It is Thor's will that thunder will always follow the lightning.
I will have no moral duty put upon me to avoid the inevitable. Mark my words, whoever is behind this will die. That will be my revenge, in exchange for theirs. The wheel continues to turn."
Her eyes suddenly lose focus and she breaks down into a series of hysterical, high-pitched giggles.
"The mage who created this ward was sloppy. Didn't erase their tracks. We find the mage, it may lead to Lowenstein."
Storm uses her knowledge of [Magical Security Procedures] and [Magical Communities] to see if she can think of anyone that would create such a ward, possibly for hire. The UCAS may even have such a mage on retainer for use at the hospitals. A mage that's more powerful than Storm, as her assensing previously ascertained, would be rare indeed.
Magical Security Procedures(7)+Int(6) [mental: 7] (13d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4618059/)
Magical Communities(7)+Int(6) [mental: 7] (13d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4618060/)
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Or, we can just blow this place to hell, find a nice observation spot, and wait to see who shows up.
-
@Storm:
You know that in order to create a ward an anchor must be nearby. You begin a search of the room using your knowledge of where these things are typically placed and sure enough you find it. A rune in chalk of a most ancient kind placed right behind the wall next to the doorway. The only place you've seen that rune before were used by the Noctis Society and last you checked Noctis was on exclusive contract with the security branch of Manadyne. Due to the lack of any other type of magical security and this being a stand-alone ward you'd be willing to bet you're looking at contract work and this magic was paid for.
-
@Stake:
You access the wireless connector's gps coordinate log and see that the console you are working on was transferred from another fixed location. The former coordinates show to be in one of the NeoNet towers downtown. It also looks as if this console was dedicated to Project Bootcamp and has other modules attached to it which are inactive. Dr. Lowenstein mentioned in her logs that the soldiers were able to interface with the UV environment so it would seem that this special module might be somehow part of this device.
Make a hardware check Hardware + Logic [mental] (4)
Even though it appears you have found the physical location of some pieces of Project Bootcamp, generally AI's prefer to reside and lie safe in a home host. Host's are not connected to physical devices but lie apart as separate pieces of the Matrix. You decide it's worthwhile to find out how big the TVH host actually is.
Make host-wide search roll Computer + Int [Data Processing] (4) test.
-
Hmm… Multi-location system? Maybe decentralized as well? Inactive modules, probably still inside NeoNet. Let’s see! Stake worked on, still using the physical approach. It was strange and slow, but secure. He was glad they still taught about keyboards in matrix security courses. Also, the size and architecture of the current host was intriguing. Which level was it on actually? Was there a “ghost” host above and behind the apparent one?
LOG(7) + Hardware (5) [Mental(11)] (12d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4629811/)
INT(6) + Computer(5) [Data Processing(5)] (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4629813/)
-
Storm sobers up and informs her companions about her newly discovered information concerning her suspicions on who created the ward.
"I believe the magical ward was created under a contract with one of two possible agencies, namely the Noctis Society or Manadyne. If we're able to snoop into their records, we may be able to determine who paid for the services. Be careful though, as these are security companies. They aren't going to leave their information sitting around for the taking."
-
You know, what really intrerrests me in this moment, if this runner hunt ends in the moment we slit this vegetables throat. Take? Your opinion?
-
@Stake:
You start looking around the console and you notice a panel to the side of the black-plastic key-screen. As soon as you find the switch to pop it open a small tower rises out of it which are lined with two rows of circular racks each holding 6 trode interfaces for a total of 12. Your best guess is that these were the main interfaces between the trainee soldiers and the Bootcamp. A diagnostic monitor also lights up with a graph for the ASIST signal levels to the brain.
-
The three of you look at each other, trying to read the expression on each others' faces for at least a clue of what to do next. The AI Requiem is no where to be found and you aren't sure if this whole nightmare is over yet, or merely postponed. After a detailed study of the trode-sets, he determines they feed directly to a second host called Boot Camp, high-up and tucked away in the electron-night sky of the Emerald City grid, a piece of NeoNet cut-off in order not to be destroyed. If the ASSISt signals he is reading are correct, placing on the trode-net should sky-rocket you directly into the Boot Camp host, whatever lies beyond it's chromium virtual walls; however, is a mystery to you.
You decide. Plunge head-first into a computer program that fried the brain of 12 UCAS Marines? Or hope for the best, leave TVH and return to the shadows, hoping the job market picks back up after having cut-off Requiem from his fleet of shadow-running drones?
-
So what. We sell the data we have to MCT and let their brains-in-the-jar do the dirty work? Hell...even GOD would jump for the oportunity like this to prove their grip over network...
-
Storm almost interrupts Zach mid-sentence and looks at her teammates, her cyber-eyes focus and narrow. "We've come too far, this ends now....". She grabs one of the trode sets off the rack and places it over her temples as she sits on the floor with her back to the terminal. Both sides of the trode pads have an inset glowing blue ring which encases a button and she gently taps her slender fingers down on them and immediately her body jolts from an ASIST signal more powerful than any she's felt before. After a few seconds she slowly relaxes and her breathing slows back down until her eye-lids are fluttering as her brain enters the REM state of virtual reality. Stake and Zach look at each other. Zach's already grizzled expression hardens with determination as he grabs second set of trodes and does the same, plunging himself head-first into an electronic void.
Stake stands there alone, shaking his head. The small dwarf utters a brief "Aww heck..., and quickly grabs a third set of trodes. Instead of placing them on his temples like his new-found comrades did, he cracks it open and pulls out his mini soldering iron. After tinkering a bit with the micro-electronics, the whole time muttering profanities, he fashions himself a little jury-rigged Universal Data Connector port, pulls the retractable cable from his tablet-sized deck, sits down next to the other two and jacks in......