[Tecumseh]

"Yes, Hanz, trust issues," Cannon says. "You don't trust us and we don't trust you.

"That lack of trust is what keeps us on guard, and being on guard is what keeps us safe. I'm sure a man such as yourself understand force concentration, so my friends and I came together."

Cannon listens with a neutral expression as Hanz explains the dead man's switch. He studies Hanz carefully, perhaps looking for a bluff. After a long moment of consideration, he nods, almost approvingly, with the slightest hint of a smile.

"I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into their homes."

Sam disconnects his device from the obelisk. Cannon ignores the invitation to start shooting. Instead, he looks over to the Captain, nods once, and says, "Make the call."

The Captain radios something in. The driver of the Titan steps out, leaving the RV unoccupied. Katsina transmits her good fake SIN. A minute later, ownership of the Titan and the lab are transferred into her name.

"We're legal," Katsina whispers into her micro-transceiver.

There's a growing noise in the distance, like an incoming jet. The noise builds and builds until it's deafeningly loud and directly overhead. Looking up, you see the underside of a GMC Banshee. It uses its VTOL capabilities to slowly lower itself to the ground. The cargo bay door opens. Inside, there are three technicians in the back preparing to load the obelisk. Snow begins to fly as the Banshee gets close to ground level. Ace's vision is completely obscured by the billowing cloud of white crystals.

Cannon steps forward through the swirling winds to stand in front of Hanz. Cannon, in his mil-spec armor and with his lats the size of wings, towers over the dwarf. Cannon extends his data chip to Hanz, and accepts Hanz's in return. Cannon pauses for a long moment, as if he's considering a handshake, but then turns and strides toward the Banshee.

The technicians load the artifact using a Levitation spell; the quickly scrub the spell's signature once the obelisk is on board. Cannon steps into the back of the Banshee while the driver of the Titan takes Cannon's place in the front Roadmaster. The Banshee begins to take off. Cannon stands at the cargo door, looking out at the scene below.

<<@Hanz [Cannon] A word of advice, in case you don't read the file presently: leave the PCC soon. The head of PuebSec's Office of Arcane Affairs is looking for you. Well, technically he's looking for me now, but he doesn't know that yet.>>

Cannon raises a hand in what must be a wave as the cargo bay door slowly begins to close. Before it does, there's a flash next to him as a spirit materializes. From a distance, it looks like an Indonesian woman, but impossibly ethereal. Cannon directs her attention to obelisk. Whatever they are saying is lost in the scream of the VTOL jets. The cargo door closes and the Banshee rockets off in the direction Denver.

On the ground, the perimeter defense collapses as the troops retreat into the Roadmasters. The spirits and and drones maintain overwatch as the ground vehicles are loaded. Once complete, the Roadmasters do a quick donut in the snow and speed away. The drones follow and the spirits dematerialize. Wolverine eyes Chino coldly, then departs as well.

Suddenly, it's quiet. You're left by yourselves in the cold night snow with the Titan and a couple million nuyen. The obelisk is gone.

[Zweiblumen]

Doc is watching what's happening through AR trying to keep an eye on all of the money he just got for the team while trying not to shake at the overwhelming Matrix force he'd have to contend with if things go south and tracking all of the things going down on the ground at the site.  This is taxing even his tremendous intellect.
Waiting for the other shoe to drop when he hears Kat say "We're legal." into the comms.
As the two corps pack-up and leave, all Doc can do is let out a cacophony of whoops and screams.  He starts dancing around the RV in his rather ungainly style.
<<<@Team [Doc] Race you guys to the border for a pick up and then we can send this RV back to the dealer?  I can't believe that worked!  Kat, get me more images of the lab!  I can't wait to get started in there!>>>

He's literally at a loss for any more words to describe how he feels.  The weight of the artifact has been removed from his shoulders, and he's lighter than air.  Picking a likely rendezvous spot, he sends the co-ordinates to the team.   

[Tecumseh]

It's quiet at the campsite. Katsina looks around. There are no enemies, as far as her magic can tell. Instead, there's a Winnebago and a fat credstick. "Wiz," she says, tossing a thumbs-up to Ace's hidden position.

"Alright, we've got some prisoners to process. It's about 10 klicks back into town. Current temperature: 2 degrees Celsius. They won't freeze to death. If anyone wants a faster or more permanent solution, that's on you. Personally, I'm feeling... magnanimous.

"Except Rozkhi. Frag that guy. I'm taking him with us for us for, uh, experiments. Someone help me get his sack of guts over to the RV."

Katsina opens the back of the lasered Bulldog. She slaps the spare trauma patch on Rozkhi. The patch makes a wireless connection to the Matrix and downloads a prescriptive course of action based on the troll's size and physiology. The patch then quickly pumps him so full of clotting agents that it's a miracle his blood doesn't turn into syrup. The horrendous gash on his arm stops leaking, and the holes in his neck no longer sputter with bloody foam.

"Alright, bub, naptime's over." She grabs his ankle and drags him out of the van, then across the snow and ice to the RV. "I'm not exactly sure how spirits taste, but I'm not adverse to finding out. But first we're going to have a little chat, you and I."

<<@Sam [Katsina] Sam, if you're sure you're done with your prior self, then my goal is to see if I can drain him. If it works, he'll be gone forever. If it doesn't, he'll be sent back to his home metaplane and won't be able to return for a month. But, after that, he might come looking for us again. If you think you might change your mind, let me know. If you want to ask previous self some questions first, let me know.>>

She cleans Rozkhi up enough so that he won't make a mess of the new RV. Then, with some help, she lifts him into the vehicle for further "processing".

<<@Team [Katsina] Chino, let's be pros about this. Let's sweep this thing for tracker tags before we get too far. Also, we can either take the snowmobiles with us or we can disable them. If we can get a trailer then they might help us get across the border. I don't think Sam and Doc want to to use a public crossing.>>

Back inside the Winnebago, Katsina can spend a little more time looking around than her quick overview earlier. The RV is basically a rolling middle-class home. In addition to a handsome chrome Soy Processing Unit, it includes several helpful drones, including a BusyBuddy, a Horizon Firefighter, and a Horizon HandyMan. The BusyBuddy, a compact cleaning drone with two caterpillar tracks, immediately starts following her around to vacuum up the prints she leaves behind, including moping and polishing the tile in the kitchenette where her boots drop some ice. It throws its little arms up in the air in exasperation when it encounters Rozkhi's inert, dirty form.

<<@Team [Katsina] The smart play here is to go to ground and lay low for a good long while. If we're taking Cannon's advice, the closest borders are Denver and the Sioux. From Grand Junction we're looking at four hours and three hours, respectively. The UCAS and CAS are about 8 hours away. Nothing says we all have to go the same direction. Let's figure this out.>>

[rednblack]

Ace remains in position until Katsina gives him a thumbs up, at which point he dusts the snow off his jacket and comes out from behind the felled tree.  Lancer at his side in its sling, he fights the urge to feel too relieved.  A good turn of events, sure -- hell, really the best possible outcome they could've asked for -- but Ace feels exposed out here in the drek, still woozy from the stick'n'shock with a Bulldog filled with hired killers.  But Katsina, even behind her mask she looks jubilant, the way she's carrying herself now like a great weight has been lifted.  And it has, he tells himself.  Maybe it really has.

As he approaches the team, Ace pulls up a message he had written to Katsina during the previous night when his sleep had proven fitful at best.  He had postponed the transmission time to just after midnight, on the better-than-average chance he would've been geeked at some point during the hand-off, and with the hope that Katsina would've gotten away.

<<@Katsina [Ace] If you're reading this something went wrong, and I'm gone.  Hopefully you're safe now, and far away from the campsite a million or two richer.  If not, I hope at least that the obelisk is gone, or otherwise taken care of.  I don't know what you've found, or will find out, if you've regained your memories, or learned more about who I was, or anything like that, but I want you to know that I never held anything back on you, and that I trusted you, that I loved you with a fiercer heart than what was probably prudent.  You're the only person I know, Illeana, and while I've come to trust our team with your life and mine, I have felt a depth with you that is the reason why I've continued to push forward.

As I'm writing this, I'm looking out at you on watch, huddled in your coat, and keeping this team safe.  I am thinking back on our apartment, and at the house when I first saw you without your mask.  I am holding your "preparations" near my heart because they came from you.  I am remembering you teaching me about your infection, and how even your lack of skill as a lecturer makes me smile.  Know that when I went, I was thinking of you, blessed that you were in my life, and I that I could at least form some new memories of our time together before I died.  For that I will be eternally grateful.

My greatest wish is that you are safe, and that you will be able to start over somewhere.  When things seem low and hopeless know what you are capable of.  Know that you moved someone more machine than man, a hired killer without a conscience, a corp drone who's only worth was ending life and exploiting weakness to love.

I do not know who I was, but I do remember this, from some long-lost day at school as a child.  I cannot recall the teacher's name, nor my own, but I remember Pablo Neruda's words, as if they were my own, as if I had written them for you.

I love you without knowing how or when or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
I love you like this because I don’t know any other way to love,
Except in this form in which I am not nor are you
So close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
So close that your eyes close
As I fall asleep.

Yours, Always,

James>>

Ace puts off the message for another day, and exits AR.

It's quiet at the campsite. Katsina looks around. There are no enemies, as far as her magic can tell. Instead, there's a Winnebago and a fat credstick. "Wiz," she says, tossing a thumbs-up to Ace's hidden position.

"Alright, we've got some prisoners to process. It's about 10 klicks back into town. Current temperature: 2 degrees Celsius. They won't freeze to death. If anyone wants a faster or more permanent solution, that's on you. Personally, I'm feeling... magnanimous.

"Except Rozkhi. Frag that guy. I'm taking him with us for us for, uh, experiments. Someone help me get his sack of guts over to the RV."

"Agreed.  I don't see them causing us anymore trouble." Ace says.

<<<@Team [Doc] Race you guys to the border for a pick up and then we can send this RV back to the dealer?  I can't believe that worked!  Kat, get me more images of the lab!  I can't wait to get started in there!>>>

<<@Team [Katsina] The smart play here is to go to ground and lay low for a good long while. If we're taking Cannon's advice, the closest borders are Denver and the Sioux. From Grand Junction we're looking at four hours and three hours, respectively. The UCAS and CAS are about 8 hours away. Nothing says we all have to go the same direction. Let's figure this out.>>

<<@Team [Ace] Yes, let's get the RV back to the dealer ASAP.  I'd rather meet up on the road than in town somewhere.  After that, it's wherever the smugglers among us think would be the most porous route of egress.  Probably best to stay together until we're out of the PCC.>>

[Malevolence]

Ohanzee watches the VTOL disappear into the distance, lost behind the trees even before the roar of its engines fades to silence. He pays little mind to the organized departure of the security forces, and soon finds himself standing in silence. He barely registers the first half of the conversation as the others stand down from their high alert. Who was that woman? he asks himself. Eventually, Katsina's AR message interrupts his introspection and he finally turns to take note of the changed surroundings.


It was done. The artifact was gone, its mysteries someone else's problem now. The night seemed brighter, the moonlight taking a coincidental opportunity to break through the clouds. Even the cold air seemed crisp and fresh rather than cold and deadly. He focused on what the others were saying, recalling the words he had missed due to his earlier distraction. Ah, the prisoners. Ohanzee's day darkens just a little. Magnanimous. He supposed he felt the same - having the weight of the world removed from your shoulders and some spending money to start a brand new life could do that to you. But before he released them, they'd have to come to an understanding. He started heading toward the van as Katsina trundled past him with the body of the giant troll that the spirit of Rozkhi inhabited.


<< @Team [Ohanzee] Good plan, Katsina. If we can find a way to get rid of them for good, we'll sleep a lot easier. You can bet they aren't done with us - they seem like the type to hold a grudge. Just be quick about it - we can't afford to have a body with us when we attempt a border crossing.

<< While you guys look for bugs, I'll have a chat with our guests. I don't think they'll be a problem once they see reason, so I'm with Katsina on letting them go their own way. But I won't lose any sleep if some of the grenades their wired to turn out to be frags.

<< As for where to go, I'm partial to sticking together, and I think that the snowmobiles could be useful if theres any way we can salvage them. I'm not keen to head into Denver - it's the obvious choice and we know there are people there that know us, mostly for worse. There have to be some soft borders we can take advantage of - the PCC and CAS have fairly cordial relations, so they might not hassle border crossers too much. But I can't deny that our expertise lays in Denver border crossings. Maybe I can reach out to Styles again - he seems solid - and see if he can lend a hand. >>


Then he steps into the van. After checking the prisoners, he deactivates the boobytrap.


"Gentlemen, Ma'am. Let me start by saying that there is a very good chance you are walking away. But, there are a couple things we need to clear up first. Now, I don't expect that any promises you make under duress are likely to stick, but I'd like them anyway. Today, you leave with your lives, and most of your stuff. We've taken a liking to the snowmobiles and drone, and the van is probably a loss, plus some ammo and other knick-knacks. But you have your lives. If we run into you again, we won't be so kind. When those spirits come knocking again, looking for revenge, keep that in mind. Also, they aren't likely to want these bodies anyway - Doc Hack will know why. They're better off looking for fresh meat. And next time, they won't just be disrupted for a month - we'll be prepared to disrupt them permanently."


"So, sign over the goods, give me your word - and convince me - that you won't be a problem for us going forward, and we'll cut you lose. It's about a 10 klick hike to town, but you can probably make a comm call and sit tight. Up to you."


While Ohanzee waits for them to respond, he sends an image of the materialized spirit from the Banshee to Doc. << @Doc [Ohanzee] When you have some down time, can you check her out? I'm curious who she is. Thanks. >>

[Tecumseh]

<<@Team [Katsina] The Prometheus needs to be returned to Grand Junction. Either we go to Doc, or Doc comes to us and sends the RV back on pilot, or we meet halfway in Kahvah. If we want to go to Denver then it'll be the SINners in the Winnebago and the SINless using one of Chino's border holes. If we think Ohanzee is a 'person of interest' for the SecForce then he should slip across the border too unless he's got another ID. Sam probably needs to remain incognito as well. That leaves me and Ace in the RV and Team Blue on snowmobile.>>

Ohanzee delivers his speech to the prisoners.

María José phsaws. "Howdya want me to sign anything over, meng? Howya want us to 'make a comm call'? You already took our links, corto. Youj wanna gibum back?"

Dale pipes up, "Well, I say, that sounds jolly sporting. A fine turn from fine lads. Right you are there, gu'vna. Happy to oblige. My deck is already sixes and sevens so why not the rest of the lot? Ha ha!"

Yuri and Dmitri look concerned. "Ohanzee, man, B13... you really trying to get out? Mom ain't gonna be happy. She wants her cut and will look for you. You and me, man, we go way back. You need help, man. They got docs that can get your head back. Why do you want out? You never wanted out before. Man, we're you're friends. We just want to help. Whatever's wrong, Mom will make it right. You gotta come in from the cold, man."

[Poindexter]

Sam watches through the blurring snow as the war party drives away into the night with the obelisk. He stares unblinking at the tail lights getting dimmer and dimmer until there's nothing left to see anymore, then keeps staring. Out. At nothing. Katsina, Ace, Ohanzee, Chino, and Doc all chatter away amongst themselves in the meat and on the comm, some of the words probably intended for Sam's ears, but it all slips past him. He thought he'd feel relieved or excited or something when they finally got rid of that giant metal millstone that had been hanging around their necks since the dawn of time, but he doesn't. All he feels is empty.

The prisoners bargain for their lives and still, the foimor stares out into the night. What am I? after the split, he'll have about four hundred thou and some change in his pocket if he decides to take that much, or any. The urge to calmly walk out into the mountains and see what life in the wild has to offer is huge, and the only thing countering it is that corper's warning. If heavy PCC goons are about to be on the hunt for him, than perhaps alone, exposed, and under equipped in the mountains is not the best position to be in. Still though, those peaks call to him something fierce.

He can't see Bear, but he feels a look of disappointment on him, and assumes it's the great ursine from the astral, judging him for considering abandoning the team. Sam doesn't intend to speak the words he's thinking aloud, but still lacking a lot of experience being dual natured, he blurts them out astrally anyway. "I'm sorry, Bear. I just don't feel much connection to them. I don't really feel much connection to anything honestly, not as much as I do to those mountains." It's not until hears Bear's response that he realizes what's happened. "You feel that longing because you've forgotten something, little one. Go tend to that, then return to the pack."

Slowly, a lightbulb flickers itself to life in the spiky giant's head and he begins walking slowly back toward camp.

After a few steps, Katsina notices him moving around again, but reluctant to intervene or pry too much, says only, "Sam?" Without breaking his slow, plodding stride or turning to face her, he responds in a hollow and defeated grumble. "Gotta disarm the explosives. Be back before we leave."

As the group gets further and further away, one lonely thought creeps it's way into his head as he disappears from view into the snow,

Shoulda never said anything to Chino; Shoulda just blew it up."

[Tecumseh]

Bear appears to Sam after he separates himself from the group.

Rozkhi, your apology is misplaced, not your feelings. We are a society of individuals. We care for our young and those that need protecting. Once the young are grown, they protect themselves. So shall it always be, and so it is here.

The danger has passed. You have defended what needed defending. You have fulfilled your purpose.

You are free to follow your instincts where they take us.

[Malevolence]

"Yes, you'll get your commlinks back when we are ready to leave."


He struggled to remember the names of the two Russians. He failed. "Boris and Dmitri" he guessed, getting one right by chance, but assigning it to the wrong meta, "you don't get it. We're not your compatriots. Those spirits you came with? Those are your buddies. All their thoughts and memories, they were ripped from these bodies when those spirits were made. We know nothing of their past other than fragments that any stranger could put together. We have no interest in them. What happened to them should have left their bodies as brainless husks which would have frozen or starved or been 'recovered' by those hunting them, but instead something" he looked for the right word "else took over. Put simply, if it weren't for us, they wouldn't have bodies left to return to. But that same mystery that saved their bodies also makes them undesirable, like I said before. They should have no reason to come after us."


"As for this 'Mom', we are no threat to your organization unless you choose to make us one. You and yours have nothing to gain by tracking us down and nothing to lose by leaving us alone. And as far as this Mom and 'her' cut, the deal 'she' arranged went sideways. The Johnson reneged. There was never going to be a payout. A second team was hired - probably by the same Johnson - to intercept the artifact and I don't know if they succeeded or not, but it doesn't matter because both teams lost control of it when they all had their souls ripped from their bodies. It was reclaimed by a neutral third party - that's us - who had no knowledge of what had transpired previously. We can't 'come in from the cold' because we were never part of your organization. We're just some bodies that are useless for their previous owners. If we go back, we'd just end up in the trash. Maybe she's mad that her team failed - that sounds like a problem her and the spirits need to work out - and the Johnson that sabotaged them. Maybe 'she' holds a grudge and hunts us down to make some example for walking off with an item that almost literally fell lout of the back of a van. I don't know what sort of organization she works for, but I have to imagine that it'd be more costly to hunt us down and deal with us than it would be to just let it go."

"In all cases, it's obvious that distance is our best play. Are you going to be a problem?"

[Tecumseh]

The Russians stare at Ohanzee but it's clear that they don't quite comprehend what he's saying. Confusion swishes around their auras as they try to process how someone can be someone but not be someone. Ohanzee's insane ramblings about "brainless husks" and "something else" only serve to deepen their bafflement.

"Alright, priyátel', if you say you're not Ohanzee then you're not Ohanzee but yet you still know and use Ohanzee's name. But, no... there's no problem..."

Ohanzee tells them that their commlinks will be available a click or two down the road, enough time for the team to get a head start. María José scowls at the notion of having to walk back to town but doesn't complain too bitterly. She's probably sore that she's not going to get paid for this.

Ace, Katsina, and Ohanzee get in the RV while Sam and Chino get on the snowmobiles.

<<@Doc [Katsina] Doc, meet us as soon as you can. Ohanzee thinks his SIN is burnt so we need to get you out of that RV before someone comes looking for it.>> She sends an ARO with a meet location in the small town of Kahvah, halfway between Rifle and Grand Junction.

A few clicks down the road, Ohanzee opens the passenger window and starts dropping commlinks and unwanted goods out the side.

Outside of Rifle, Ace and Chino take a moment to liberate a trailer that can be attached to the Winnebago to tow the snowmobiles. Chino and Sam rejoin the team inside the RV, with Sam taking care not to excrete any acid on anything.

Katsina convinces Ohanzee not to look at the file that Cannon provided until Doc has a chance to scan it for data bombs. The two RVs meet in Kahvah, which is small and completely silent at this hour. Doc happily shows off the credsticks. The ebony credstick is used to fill the empty gold credsticks, which Doc then distributes. Ohazee keeps one of the ebony credsticks and Katsina keeps the other.

The reunited Purple Team hits the road headed east toward Denver. Doc confirms that Cannon's file is free of data bombs or other viruses. While Ohanzee reviews the file, Doc starts to divide the precious metals into equal portions. In the end, it's rather a lot. Everyone gets almost 3kg of gold, 4kg of silver, and 5.5kg of osmium. Combined street value: about ¥145,000. That, plus ¥333,333 in certified cresticks, makes for a generous payday.

Ohanzee looks over the files while Chino and Doc (and/or their nanites) happily chug beers. In addition to the known parties (the Atlantean Foundation, the cultists, the Vory), the file also mentions the Mystic Crusaders (the "acquisition" team of the Atlantean Foundation) and the Apep Consortium (a competitor of the DIMR and AF, especially for arcanoarchaelogical treasures). Rumors of the artifact have also reached the great dragon Schwartzkopf in Prague, who is well-known for his constant pursuit of magical knowledge. It is possible that he has alerted one of his magical groups, Benandanti XXV, to possibly acquire the artifact and/or anyone who may have come into contact with it.

Finally, it appears that the Black Lodge is heavily invested in recovering the artifact.

>> ELIJAH “BLACK CROW” HIGHWATER;
>> PUEBSEC OFFICE OF ARCANE AFFAIRS
>> In the shadows, Black Crow is a known operative of Black Lodge and has spent many years sewing discord between the PCC and the other member nations of the NAN, especially the Sioux. There is a six-figure bounty on Black Crow's head, but he is worth five times as much alive if he is captured and delivered to a fixer named Feather in the Sioux Nation. The contract was believed to be put in place by Henequen, a feathered serpent residing in Cheyenne.
>> It is believed that the Black Lodge are seeking a way to pull energy directly from the metaplanes without interacting with the astral plane. The risks inherent with opening a long-term dimensional rift are obvious to anyone who watched DeeCee over the past decade.
>> Research by the Atlantean Foundation and the Black Lodge indicates that there is an entity (or entities) on the other side of experimental astral rifts. These experimental rifts have all collapsed shortly after their rituals were completed, but were open long enough to communicate with the other side. This entity (or entities) and its retinue of spirits primarily focus on establishing and preserving order on their plane, and possibly on others. The denizens of this plane are interested in structuring the beings they meet into organized groups. This is done with mental manipulation powers at first, but it can take physical form as well. The most immediately dangerous of these physical activities is the spirits’ apparent ability to crystallize people who refuse to conform in their presence.
>> It is possible that the Black Lodge is seeking an alliance with this entity as a way to counteract their adversaries in this world, including the Immortal Elves and the Great Dragons, and that this artifact ties into their plans.
>> Black Crow will use all of the resources at his disposal - including the PCC SecForce - to obtain the artifact or anyone who may have interacted with it. This would be undesirable both for you and for the world as a whole. Please exercise extreme caution and leave the PCC immediately, for your own safety and the safety of others.

Ohanzee sits back and contemplates the parties eager to make his acquaintance: organized crime, Great Dragons, the Black Lodge, the free spirits who will inevitably come looking for him. He considers the ebony credstick in his hand - a work of art that's worth ¥1,000 on its own indepenent of the hundreds of thousands of nuyen loaded on it - and wonders whether it's worth it. He didn't ask for this, or at least his current personality didn't, but it will be up to him to deal with it, and to survive as best he can.

[Tecumseh]

Throughout the drive, the inert form of Rozkhi is an odd counterpoint to the general celebratory atmosphere in the RV. Once the beer-slamming has reached a resting point, Katsina asks for Doc's help in laying the foundation to revive Rozkhi.

"I don't want to bring him up in here," she says. "I want to carefully orchestrate the scene when he wakes up. I'll need some time with him, alone. I'll debrief him to see what he knows. There may be some, ah, yelling involved."

"Right on!" Chino says with a fist pump. "Can I watch? I ain't never seen anyone eat a spirit!"

"I said alone," Katsina shoots back coldly. It's clear that she's defensive about the matter.

Chino instructs the RV to turn off Highway 70 onto a mountain road just a few klicks from the FRFZ border. The road runs north into the snowy mountains.

"Now you'll swear this approach is too obvious, but I promise it will work," Chino says. "Running into Denver is easier than ever these days. Just a couple months ago Ghostwalker and Harlequin decided to jam. I don't know why - maybe Ghostwalker banged Harlequin's mom back in the day, or maybe it's the other way around. Who cares. Bottom line is that it's basically been civil war in Denver ever since. Underworld groups took advantage of the confusion to frag each other up, and it's been a regular playground for the terrorists. Aztechnology used the opportunity to take back some parts of the city that Ghostwalker kicked them out of back, what, fourteen years ago?? Dreeeeek... getting old...

"Anyway, the Defense Force has been spending so much time stamping out internal fires that they're almost purely inward-looking these days. Getting across should be easier than Little O's mom!" He snaps and winks at Ohanzee with double-pistol fingers.

The RV comes to a stop in the middle of the mountains. Chino jumps out and begins to unhitch the snowmobiles.

"Alright, Doc, I don't need him feeling good," Katsina says about Rozkhi. "If anything, some pain will help things along. Just gimme enough to get him awake. If it doesn't work, I'll try to heal him up a bit to get his motor going."

Doc breaks into his new medical lab and looks around like a junkie in a BTL shop. He's practically giddy at all the options available, but in the end he settles for a relatively straightforward syringe full of adrenaline, calibrated for Rozkhi's massive size. "Here, hit him in the heart with this." He hands it to Katsina; the damn thing is so big it looks like a horse tranquilizer.

"Goddam, Doc, you sure this isn't going to pierce his heart and bleed him out?" Katsina asks, holding up the massive needle incredulously.

"He's a troll," Doc says, shrugging. "The needle needs to be reinforced to get through his natural dermal plating."

"Yeah, you're right," Kat agrees, flicking the needle of the syringe with one of her gloved hands. "Plus that spirit in him is reinforcing him a bit too. Well, if it doesn't work, I could always try a blood eagle."

With that, she grabs Rozkhi's ankle and drags him outside. She turns around to admonish everyone not to listen and not to follow. She stalks off into the night, her black coat flapping in the wind around her, as she drags the troll off to its doom.

A few minutes later, the screaming begins.

[Malevolence]

Ohanzee isn't fooled by the promises of the two former acquaintances of his body's previous inhabitant, but he really doesn't feel like killing anyone today, either. Besides, if they are this bad at lying, how bad of an organization could they be working for? He's tempted to try explaining it one more time, but decides against it. It is time to leave - this forest, this city, this life - behind.


The trap's components are recovered and as the RV pulls away, a knife is ejected so that the prisoners can free themselves. After a couple kilometers, Ohanzee starts throwing commlinks and other items belonging to the captives out the window and on to the side of the trail.


-----


Later, once they had met up with Doc, Ohanzee has the decker examine the data chip Cannon had given him for any bombs or beacons or other ugliness. He sends a copy of the data to each of the team's commlinks, then sits down to dig into it. As expected, it is largely things they already knew, but he is still pleased that Cannon had taken the request seriously enough to have an underling do so thorough a job. The involvement of the Vory makes Ohanzee's heart sink. Vory = Russian, and it was now pretty clear that all of the Russians they had encountered were very likely tied up with that group - including the captives he had freed. Wow, did I call that wrong or what? Nothing for it now.


Diamondback sticks around until sunrise, helping to stand guard and ensure they aren't followed as they make their way into Denver through Chino's smuggling skills. It is there that they make plans to go their ways.

[rednblack]

When the team pulled in behind Doc in Kahvah they're all beginning to think that they might just get away, and by the time they've made it into Denver they're practically giddy.  Security was as light as Chino said that it would be, and once the team is in UCAS territory, they stop at a late-night automated cafeteria to grab food.  After a brief discussion with Katsina in the back of the RV, Ace catches Sam out in the night air.

"Hoi, he says, zipping his coat up around his neck, "Katsina and I are going to be staying away from the 'plexes for a bit.  What say you come with?"

As he's listening to Sam's response, Ace gazes up at the night sky, yellowed and faint with the stars competing with Denver's AROs and skyscrapers. He waits briefly for the Black Lodge, or the Vory, or PCC goons to extend beyond their territory and open up with automatic gunfire, but it doesn't happen, and for a moment or two he believes that he's just a guy drinking a beer in a SoyKan's parking lot.  The feeling passes when the bottle's drained, and he deposits back in the RV instead of in one of the conveniently-placed receptacles, but if even now, a few hours having rid themselves of their millstone, he can feel like a real person for a moment or two, that's good enough.

Soon, everyone but Katsina and Sam will have eaten, and then they'll split again: Ace, Katsina, and Sam in one direction, Chino most likely off on his own, and Ohanzee and Doc to figure out for themselves what their next steps are.  Ace has less than a week of memories, and he's about to say goodbye to half the people he's ever known.  They buy commlinks that they'll check once a day, only for use with each other, should someone come looking, should someone need help.  Ace shakes hands, doesn't say he'll miss them, though he knows he will. 

[Zweiblumen]

Once the team meets up with Doc in Kahvah, the decker/medic charges out of his rental with the cred-sticks and smiles like a child.  Fanning them out for all to see.  "Now that's what I call a payday!  Big O, you knocked the negotiating out of the park!"
He looks over the RV and the mobile lab and gives a low whistle of appreciation.  "Guess I'm gonna need to get a big truck or something to haul this thing once we split up?  Not like I can't afford it!"  He says with a big shit eating grin on his face.

On their way through town, Doc goes over everyones conditions.  Ohanzee and Sam needing fairly serious care.  Ohanzee practically passes out in front of him.  Taking the dwarf and the troll back to the lab to get them healthier he's able to give some of his new toys their very first workout.


After they settle down at the SoyKan and he's had some time to really dig into the lab he joins the others for what is probably their last real meal together.
"Chino, you feel like being a driver for me?  Since we're splitting up I was thinking of getting one of those big Ford Percheron's to haul this thing.  Head down to the CAS and drive to Florida to see what the weather is like down there?  Maybe we drag Ohanzee with us to keep us out of too much trouble?"

Doc figures that between a killer SIN, licenses, and the truck to haul the lab he'll be down about 75k.  That should leave him more than enough, if properly invested and managed, to live on if not for the rest of his life, close enough.


Once Ace hands out the commlinks, Doc goes through and secures them, the only contacts in there being the other burners with no names attached.  As Ace shakes his hand, Doc pulls it in to a "bro-hug" and gives Kat a hug good bye.  Sam he grips carefully on the protected parts, but embraces as well as the stoic troll will allow him.  "Seeya when I seeya."  He says, no idea where the phrase comes from but it felt like the right thing to say.

[Poindexter]

"I don't want to bring him up in here," she says. "I want to carefully orchestrate the scene when he wakes up. I'll need some time with him, alone. I'll debrief him to see what he knows. There may be some, ah, yelling involved."

"Right on!" Chino says with a fist pump. "Can I watch? I ain't never seen anyone eat a spirit!"

"I said alone," Katsina shoots back coldly. It's clear that she's defensive about the matter.

With his jaw set firmly and his voice loud and clear as a bell for the first time in a long time, Sam interrupts. "I'm coming." Kat inhales to respond, but before she can, he continues. "That spirit has all the answers I'm looking for. Answers I'm going to get before you finish him off. Unless you plan on killing me, I'm coming with you." The woman behind the mask tries briefly to come up with an argument, and being unable, simply sighs and continues her preparations.

The experience is gruesome and hardening, but it proves educational. In between tortured screams and pleas for mercy, Sam learns a lot about who he used to be, where he came from, and who he really is, or was anyway, deep down on the inside. He also learns a great deal about the loved ones he's wronged, those who had misplaced their trust in him, and those who deserved some form of recompense for all his former self had put them through.

On the way back, he begins thinking about the absurd sum of money now in his possession. A decent chunk of this is going to pay back some old debts.

-------------

Later on in the evening, the crew is gassing up the vehicle and Sam stands watch outside. His shoulder is finally starting to feel better, thanks to doc and his new portable lab, and he still enjoys the feeling of the cold, crisp mountain air in his lungs. He can feel Ace approaching from behind.

"Hoi,"

"Hoi."

"Katsina and I are going to be staying away from the 'plexes for a bit.  What say you come with?"

Sam pauses for a bit, looking his... friend? in the eye for a moment, lost in thought. I'd intended on staying with Katsina, as she's really the only one who understands me, but I'd never really stopped to consider that he would be coming as well. Rather stupid of me, considering he loves her and all, huh? He blinks a few times and crunches his brow. I hope he doesn't think I'm trying to start some sort of love triangle here. Sam takes a short step forward and places his palm on the human's shoulder. He looks him deep in the eye for a moment with a near sad look and says simply. "You know she'll only ever be like a mother to me. I promise I won't be in your way." He steps back into the RV before Ace has a chance to respond.