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[IC] Waves of Desperation (Seattle Gauntlet, Part I)

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Ren

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« on: <07-09-13/1605:56> »
Prologue
Into the waves
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Ren

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« Reply #1 on: <07-09-13/1612:58> »
[Signal playing, the silhouettes of the Space Needle and the Horizon logo in the background. Pleasant female voice greets the viewers.]
Welcome to Seattle Now, the show which provides our faithful Viewers with fresh news from all around the Sprawl. I’m Janice LeCrouse and I welcome you all in the name of the whole crew.
Today’s hottest topic around Seattle is the long-awaited grand opening of our City’s newest crown jewel, the magnificent WaveRider Shopping and Entertainment Center, which is promised by the management to be the “meeting place of the decade”. It is advertised as the glass-and-plasteel palace of fun and leisurely activity, aiming to take over as the most visited place in Bellevue. And I say, it is bound to make a head start, seeing the program for the opener.
But don’t let me jump ahead, as today’s show presents you not only with management interviews, shop lists, but you get an exclusive sneak peek at the interior design, and we have an interview with the opener’s main performer to be.
We’ll be back after a short break and will start with all the trivia about the Center’s past and brightly shining future.

[Ads]

We are back, going on to the center itself. While you hear our own Kate Lockwell’s interview with CEO James Kendrick, the background will show you what magnificent and glorious environment will open to you on the 8th of July. [And that happens. The interview is obviously cut for maximum effect: less dry facts, more grand promises and goals. The interior tends to be tres chic, with names of top designers thrown in by the CEO.]

[Ads]

As you heard, the management didn’t spare any trouble for themselves, for you, happy customers, to feel fun for your heart’s content while you are in The Rider. And they did extremely well by themselves with the grand opener as well. A whole days worth of fun awaits those who wish to take part in the event, with hourly lots where priceless prizes will be handed out to the lucky winners. Those who wish to hear the views of our respectable leaders will be enlightened by Rupert Avery, the Mayor of Bellevue and Emmelyn Richter, the Head of the Bellevue Cityscape Regulation Committee between 10 and 11 am. Those purchasing a VIP ticket to the event will receive a tour throughout the Center, having a first opportunity to visit Berwick’s newest shop, and will receive a small present courtesy to the company sponsoring the event. Restaurants will open at 11 am, Bella de Mare among them, where the award-winning star chef, Lulu Verdice will perform and serve the guests. Meanwhile the shops await all with glamorous merchandise and grandiose sales to introduce the new place, and various performers will give their best for all visitors to enjoy. You can access the full list by following the flashing icon.
But I’m sure all of you want to hear about the big surprise now, who the mysterious top performer of the evening will be – and it will be revealed to you after just a short break.

[Ads]

And now, the time for a long-anticipated revelation comes: Kate Lockwell interviews one of the hottest novas of today’s music scenery.
[Standing in front of the Center, the camera shows a stunningly beautiful human woman, with long, flowing black hair, perfect body under a black and orange designer dress, everything what makeup, clothes, and surgery can buy.]
- Thank you, Janice. I greet you all on this occasion when anticipation mounts almost as high as last term’s presidential election. We stand on the edge of a discovery that, I believe, will attract even more people to the grand opening as those events and opportunities enumerated before. I’m standing here, in front of the building of The Rider, accompanied by none other than the great Johnny Silver, lead singer and keyboard player of the hottest electronic music band of this era, the SilverSpike, which will certainly provide a humongous spike in the grand opener’s mood levels. Hey, Johnny, what’s up?
[The camera centers on a guy in his mid twenties, smiling at the viewers, wearing tight-fitting, neon-colored clothes, with top-quality AR enhancements]
-Hey, Kate, hey, Fellas, it’s spectacular to be here in Seattle Now.
-Thanks for coming, our viewers are absolutely happy to have you on screen. But more importantly, I heard you will indulge us in a well-kept secret that will surely cause an outburst of joy from your fans.
-Yeah, we kept it secret until now, but I’m sure the rumor mill already took it up, so it’s finally time to make it official: we have been working on a new album for months now, and the grand opener will be the perfect opportunity to present our first single, Soar Above.
-After your last album hit the market, you promised that the next one will be on a whole different level.
-Absolutely. We will be able to use all the wiz tech in the WaveRider, which is thankfully well up to the task. The new songs will have a fully embedded simsense layer, with a partial limiter so that the user will be aware of his body and those surrounding. It will be a huge party, like really sharing the same experiences with others. The Center will provide a live sim broadcast for us so those present will be able to share what we, the band feel during the performance.
-Wonderful news, Johnny, thank you for sharing it with us first.
-You’re welcome, Kate. And for you, faithful fans, I can just say: come and let us Spike you!

[Back to the studio]

As you all can see, it will be the Event of the Year so far, so don’t let it get past you, be there, and let the Waves carry you away. I thank you all for your honorable attention and I’m happy to share that we will have the exclusive rights for live coverage of the event, so if you can’t be there in person, follow us live on the 8th of July, all day long, our own Kate Lockwell reporting from the grand opener of the WaveRider Shopping and Entertainment Center.
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Ren

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« Reply #2 on: <07-10-13/1150:13> »
8th July, 2072. It was a fabulous day and not only by Seattle standards. Light seaside drafts softened the strength of the seething sun, making it 23 degrees Celsius although it still wasn’t midday. The forecasts showed a high possibility of rain early afternoon, thankfully not acid rain, so light coats were in order at most. It seemed every higher power wanted this day to be perfect.

It was the long-awaited event, the grand opening of the WaveRider Shopping and Entertainment Center, or as most of the media took to calling it last week, The Rider. A mass of people were gathering in front of the brand new, glass-and-plasteel marvel that was bound to be the hottest gathering place in the following decade. Far in front, right at the entrance, the opening ceremony just finished, as Emmelyn Richter from Cytiscape Regulation and CEO James Kendrick cut the ribbon closing off the great revolving doors. People cheered as they led them, quite an unlikely procession, into the embrace of The Rider.

It all became a semi-coordinated stampede almost immediately. Even though everyone was bound to get in, all wanted to be there before the next person. Families laughed as the kids talked about the prizes they would win in the Great Vault, the arcade that included the most wiz tech available this day. Gangs of youngsters gathered, to hang out and take advantage of anything the place offered. Determined fans tried to push their way past others, in order to get the best places for the evening’s show. As they entered, the crowd waved through the plazas and the corridors of the place just as water through tunnels and crevices.

Everything was flashy, designed to attract notice, to steal away the limelight, to be the most visited place on the first day. Unbelievable introductory sales waited for those prepared to empty their virtual purses. Most represented were clothes shops, electronic stores, restaurants and simple food stalls, but you could find almost anything in the winding corridors and the deepest recesses. Excitement permeated the gathered people, you among them.
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farothel

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« Reply #3 on: <07-10-13/1241:29> »
"So you all know where you have to be," the chief of security said, "to your posts then, we open in ten minutes."

Jade and nine others of her company had been hired as additional security for the opening of the latest corporation tool to get the people's money.  For her it was just a job.  She would be on guard at the backstage, where some more visible security might deter the more fanatical of fans from going where they shouldn't be.  So while her bow was still at home, she did bring her Warhawk and her taser and she had put on her armoured jacket with her form-fitting suit beneath.  She even had managed to conceal her whip on the inside of her jacket.  She really didn't expect to need all of that as mostly the mere sight of a big troll standing in front of an entrance calmed people down.  But one could never know.

So she went to her assigned spot, nodded to guard from the SilverSpike and stood at the other side of the door.  There she was standing when the wave of people entered.
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Ren

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« Reply #4 on: <07-10-13/1429:57> »
This looked like a long, boring day ahead of you. Even though part of security detail for the SilverSpike was already here, they weren't scheduled to arrive until 18:00. It was a hassle to guard something that wasn't there, and the guard next to you, although not openly hostile, wasn't inclined to talk to you except when needed. If it was racism or he just thought you beneath his status, you couldn't be sure.

As the crowd flowed in, your thoughts were mostly confirmed. For the next few hours, noone dared to get too close to an obviously armed troll, even if she was a woman. Lunch break was too short to get a good look around, but at least you got some local corp scrip to spend on food as part of the payment. And it was enough to get something real.
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Csjarrat

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« Reply #5 on: <07-10-13/1449:56> »
//Oi hunter, come on, you haven't got long. Get a better angle on that joint. Try the north side maybe?//
Hunter could sense the crosswind tugging at his rotors, dragging him inland. it took a fair bit of wrangling with the thrust to even keep it steady, the angular shaping of the roof of the brand spanking new build creating odd wind-shears and eddies that toyed with his small craft.
After some fiddling with the trim, Hunter upped the zoom level, dialed up the enhancement algorithms and began recording for the last section of what was to become Seattle's first fully interactive building management system, complete with holographic projection and self diagnosis modules. Much of the building had been built as art over engineering, but Evo had lapped up the drone maintenance contract, probably graciously thanking the architects for their foresight in making most of the building's structure inaccessible to human engineers.
The building was the swankiest Seattle had seen built in a long time and someone had spent some serious cash on it, marble floors shone under foot. millions of litres of AR paint had been used to create huge advertising boards, all vying for your wallet. It was all pretty impressive, but Hunter still had work to do.
The building was due to open in a few hours and the recording work had been delayed due to overrunning repairs to some joints on the titanium spars that held up a couple of sections of the roof.
Hunter didn't need his boss crunching his balls over the comms all day, but apparently Hunter had a lot more of that en-route.
//Jesus H Christ Hunter, will you keep it steady???//
It might be worth sticking around for the opening after work actually, see what the new Drone Shack has got in store while I'm up this end of town..
« Last Edit: <07-10-13/1523:32> by Csjarrat »
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« Reply #6 on: <07-10-13/1546:16> »
When finally done with the recordings, and turning in the results to the always-grumbling shift manager, Matthew was richer by a virtual bundle of corp scrips. On the up, the job paid well, considering other recent ones. The rest of the day might even be fun. On the down, the scrips were only valid inside The Rider. Altogether, considering the sales the grand opening was bound to have, it would still be money well spent.

Closing every angle took an hour and half, so people were already teeming inside, when Matt stepped out of a maintenance corridor door.
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« Reply #7 on: <07-10-13/1839:13> »
Leroy hopped out of his fire truck and stretched.  He took a deep breath of the fresh air, held it in, and let it out.  The dwarf scratched his side and yawned. He looked around one of the new shopping center's utility entrances where he and his truck were parked.  He regretted not being able to join the stampede of people... there were bound to be deals to be had in there; especially on a new pair of boots.

At least it's Friday... Maybe I can make it tomorrow...

The obvious stampede of people trying to get their hands on those deals was the reason he was there after all.  His engine had been assigned there as a precautionary measure should there be any injuries at either the rush that followed the grand opening or the occasional fainting that accompanied every Silver Spike concert.  He was there as a paramedic more than a firefighter, so he was wearing a polo and his loose fitting dark blue baggy cargo pants.  All of his standard firefighting gear was tucked away neatly inside the truck beside his medical supplies...

... which I've taken stock of three times today already to make sure everything is there...

[spoiler]Note to GM: I haven't specified any firehouse equipment in character creation as Leroy doesn't own it.  If I'm going to use anything from the truck, please let me know the attributes and ratings of each as soon as you can![/spoiler]

He walked around, stretching his legs, never venturing too far from the engine.
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Ren

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« Reply #8 on: <07-10-13/1903:52> »
Preacaution paid for the crew of The Rider in the first hour. Two glass cuts, an ankle sprain and a nosebleed caused by extremely high blood pressure made it very interesting, indeed. Most of the cases were handled by the medical stations inside but they needed some help with the somewhat difficult patient suffering the sprain. The paramedics of the building were pretty much freeked out, the facilities were not designed for this many visitors. After two hours of making ends meet, the Chief of Staff called Leroy.

"Mr. Jenkins, i'd really appreciate if you could come inside. We are hard pressed to reach everybody in time, and Sector C has just seen an event i'd call mass hysteria in other circumstances. They just announced some spectacular sales at Zara, and people are... well, let's just say they might be in need soon, if enthusiasm doesn't drop a few notches. You can use Storage 2C for anything that's too bulky to carry around. And sorry about the car, but you will have to park somewhere near, the garage levels are almost constantly full now."
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« Reply #9 on: <07-10-13/1921:26> »
Leroy replied to the chief,

Don't worry, the engine has made it's own parking spot where it won't block anyone's way.  We'll be right there.

Leroy grabbed his medkit from the truck.

"Hey Leroy," shouted one of his comrades from the truck, "I'd better not see you wasting time on the company's dime pickin' out new lingerie for yourself."

Leroy laughed and shouted back over his shoulder, "Maaaan, kiss my short black ass!"

He made his way to the designated area where the sprain victim was inside the mall.

[spoiler]Gonna need the rating now for the company/fire station medkit.[/spoiler]
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MaxKojote

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« Reply #10 on: <07-10-13/1940:04> »
Joel did his best not to get trampled by the crowds as he made his way into the Rider. he and a few other Azzies were there in plain clothes, mostly just checking the place out. A couple reports would go back to Aztechnology over the contents, but there would be some distraction over the contents of the stores. They had been given a bit of a free hand here, and some were happy for it.

Good grief, there are people everywhere. Why did I agree to this again? I get most of my resources from Ms Steele anyway. I mean, I suppose no-one really says 'no' to the higher-ups, but still. Joel wasn't really one of them.

@DrStills: Be careful. People probably have already been trampled in this mess I suspect. I doubt the higher-ups would accept being turned into a doormat as a reason for a late report.

He knew Dr Stills, who had become a bit of an acquaintance, was there as well and probably scoping out a pharmacy. Joel wished he himself was back in the training room; giving himself nosebleeds was preferable to this insanity. Still, perhaps he could find a gift for his parents around here, maybe something to remind them of England.
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Ren

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« Reply #11 on: <07-10-13/2013:34> »
--Joel--
As time ticked away, people started to gather around certain parts of The Rider. This gave the illusion that those shops Joel was intent on visiting, were not crowded. Of course there were several gift shops in the building but the first hour gave nothing satisfactory enough, and definitely nothing related to his previous country.

The others quicly became bored with Joel's intention to spend most of the time in places they called boring, dispersing throughout the place. "We can cover more this way." Rick told him almost apologeticly before leaving. And the good doctor's enthusiastic answer was giving the impression he didn't care so much about the crowd. @Joel: >>What doormats? You're joking again, young man. You should see Evo's new critter shop instead. They have everything what one needs for paracritter treatment that can be acquired legally.<<

--Leroy--
You almost reached the patient with the sprain, though wading through the crowd was pretty taxing. Most people weren't looking out for danger at your height. And when you arrived, the situation just went for the worse.
"What the frag is this? I asked for a trained medic and you get me half?" The patient's - an elderly human woman's - eyes almost plead for a painkiller, while a man in his mid 30s, obviously related according to facial features, stands protectively between Leroy and her. He is short and stocky, though not as much as a dwarf, and wears pricey black synthleather clothes. He watches your every move with caution, directing his words toward the comm-drone hovering next to him.
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« Reply #12 on: <07-11-13/0004:36> »
Leroy did little to hide the offense he took from the comment, cocking one eyebrow up and squinting the opposite eye.

"Maaaaaannnnn... If you LIKE, I can get you ANOTHA medic, make yo momma WAIT more, and put in my report on how yo ray-sis-ass was the reason I couldn't perform care on the patient no SOONAH."

Leroy threw his stubby arms in the air, letting his medkit fall to his side.

"So what's it gonna be, beanstalk?"

[spoiler]As you can tell by how Leroy handled the situation, I'm not expecting this to go too well :) CHR 2 + Etiquette 1 = 3 (3d6.hits(5)=1)

1 hit! Might not be an automatic fail after all![/spoiler]
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« Reply #13 on: <07-11-13/0113:18> »
"Oh, uh, sorry. Yeah, that'd probably be best. I'll see you guys later." He looked a bit sheepish at getting distracted as the group separated. It was unfortunate that there was nothing from England. He was wondering what to do next when the Doctor's voice cut through.

@DrStills: Wait, really? That stuff would be great back at the pens. He was a bit excited, having taken care of some paracritters himself. Some paracritter care products weren't usually easily obtainable, having it available here would make his life significantly easier. He began looking around for where the aforementioned store might be.

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« Reply #14 on: <07-11-13/0125:20> »
"Finally, where did you stay," Jade grumbled when her replacement finally showed up so she could take some lunch.  On the other hand, the fact that is was a bit later might not be a bad thing, as now the rush would have died a bit.  At least she didn't have much trouble walking through the crowded hallways as she was still wearing an RFID tag and ARO that identified her as security.  And one of the few advantages of being a 2m something troll was that people would step aside for you.

After buying some soydogs (she would keep the rest of the money to check out one of the lingerie shops on the second level later, if there was time) she moved back towards her post, doing some window shopping while she walked.  Another advantage of being a troll, she thought, you can look over all the shorties.  She also looked around a bit, as a security officer should.
"Magic can turn a frog into a prince. Science can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with." Terry Pratchett
"I will not yield to evil, unless she's cute"