The RV finally grinds to a halt. In the Matrix, Doc is vaguely aware that the RV is no longer on the road. Classic, Chino! But the Ford-Canada Buffalo comes with off-road suspension as a standard feature, so no reason to worry. Instead, Doc turns his attention the decker in the black cloak. The decker's agent paints over the mark left by Doc, erasing it. The decker's persona, in turn, wraps its dark cloak tightly around it, as if Doc were a cold breeze that could be warded off. Doc laughs at the notion, and lunges forward with an aggressive thrust of his scalpel.
It was a trap! Instead of soft code, Doc's fist punches a brick wall. He grabs his wrist as it twists and aches. He feels his grip weaken on his scalpel and he knows that his deck has been damaged too. He looks to his agent for a bit of good news.
<<Agent Message: Silent Device Details>>
<<Device ID: RENRAKU SENSEI>>
<<Device Rating: 3>>
<<Device Firewall: 3>>
<<Last Matrix Action: RUN SILENT>>
None of that was terribly compelling in and of itself, but Doc does wonder why none of the devices running silently seem to be slaved to their decker's Firewall. No time to linger on the question now though.
In the Bulldog, the ork in the passenger seat pops a cyberspur. Wolf, preparing for his feast, barely even registers the threat. When the strike comes, Wolf regrets his lack of attention. The blow is powerful and deep, the blade twisting sharply within Wolf's physical essence. The wound is not trivial but the damage is done. Wolf plunges forward, his powerful jaws clamping on the mage's warm, buttery-soft neck. The man behind the mage yells and tries to fire into Wolf but to no avail. The shot goes wide, leaving Wolf to his feast. The magician returns to his body with a bloody cough and a gurgle.
Inside the RV, one of the fire spirits begins skipping about, spreading flames as it goes. The malicious little imp sits on the remains of the crate that held the obelisk. The splinters burst into flame at once, turning into kindling instantly. The imp cackles as its cousin triggers a series of unfortunate events. Katsina, flat on her face, looks up just in time for the cupboards to disgorge their contents on her head. A china plate smashes her ballistic mask; she looks away reflexively, leaving the back of her head vulnerable to a cascade of dishes and glassware. They shatter on her head and she starts to bleed.
Chino, meanwhile, finds himself in a puddle of Taéngelé, a distilled hard liquor made of honey and anise usually favored by elves and the overly rich. The fire spirit touches the other end of the puddle, sending a river of fire in Chino's direction. He manages to stand before the flames reach his face, but they lick his boots and his ankles. He notices that his jumpsuit is on fire. He can't feel it for now but he knows that the fire is just going to keep traveling up his alcohol-infused clothing until he can stop it.
As the RV comes to its final resting place, the roto-drone races the front. It hover in front of the windshield like an fat bumblebee, then spits a short burst through the windshield at Sam. The windshield shatters easily and Sam, on his side and constrained by the dashboard and the deployed airbag, is helpless to dodge. The bullets rip through the airbag and into Sam. He involuntarily coughs at the impact but feels nothing more. He's certain that he's been hit but his damage compensators have negated the pain. In a rage, tries to stand before an invisible force takes his feet out from underneath him. Sam brings up his XM30 and hammers on the trigger, sending a long burst through every vital point of the drone. It disintegrates in an instant, then explodes in a shower of metal debris. Somewhere, a rigger's brain does the same.