[Tecumseh]

Doc/Hack flits off into the Matrix to investigate the houses that Katsina has identified with AROs.

>> Welcome to AspeNet!
>> Proudly provided to you in conjunction with Sandia Laboratories

The virtual horizons of cyberspace expand around Doc. He can tell right away that he's in a special corner of the Matrix. Everything is crisper, more compact. Dataflows are faster and processors are time-slicing at much higher clock speeds. This is the Matrix of his dreams.

The sky is black, as if it were night, but the Matrix "weather" is mimicking the snow that's falling outside. Looking closely, Doc realizes that randomly selected data streams have been coded to shine and fall like snowflakes. The visual stretches a kilometer around him in every direction. It's a gratuitous use of processing power, and it is beautiful.

In a blink he's over by the houses. They are tethered near to the ground, unlike many other hosts which choose to float somewhere above earthly matters. Scanning them is a snap. Almost immediately he pegs the middle house as the softer of the two targets. After glancing around for other hidden observers (and finding none) he decides to dip his toe in to see what he can find.

In a blink, Doc has a scalpel in his hand. He uses it to finely incise a mark onto the host, leaving a red wound on the node. He invites himself in, poking around at his leisure. He quickly identifies the physical security measures, plus the myriad devices that compose a modern household. Even inside the Matrix, the home feels brisk. He sees that the thermometer is set to a chilly 15 degrees. Either Daddy Warbucks here has such a large wine collection that he treats his whole house as a wine cellar OR he's not going to be home for a while. A quick check of the themometer's schedule suggests that the latter is true. Doc smiles; this seems like a valid option.

[Zweiblumen]

While snooping around the Host and gathering some more intel Doc informs the group of his current findings.

<<<@Team [Doc]: The middle house is a soft target.  Pretty standard security, camera's motion sensors and some mag locks.  All easily dealt with.  Also, doesn't look like anyone is planning on being here for about a week or so.  We'll have time.  Doing more digging before risking the North house.>>>

"Now lets see if I can get any info on the owner."

Doc walks into the office of the host and takes a look at the file cabinet.  He dons a Sherlock Homls-esq hat and pulls out a magnifying glass as he starts to rifle through the files.

[Tecumseh]

Doc waves his magnifying glass around, absentmindedly puffing on a gigantic pipe that has appeared out of nowhere.

The house itself contains relatively few details on the owner. He must keep his private files on his personal commlink. The only thing that Doc can find are some utility bills which indicate that the house is owned by one JOSEPH MORAN.

Doc takes a minute to cross-reference the name with what's available on the Matrix. There are dozens of men by that name but Doc limits the results to those likely to reside in or around Aspen. He finds records for a Joseph Moran working for an Ares subsidiary (a bank, specifically) in Denver. The bank used to be a part of Cross Applied Technologies but was devoured by Ares when CATco fell apart in 2065 following Crash 2.0 in November 2064.

Joseph does not appear to have any wife or children. An online dating profile suggests that he has been divorced at least once. His profile photo looks like your typical lily-white, doughy, middle-aged corper. There is a news article from an independent screamsheet accusing Mr. Moran's department of predatory lending practices, specifically targeting low-income metahumans. That was the last issue published by that particular screamsheet. Mr. Moran's professional profile indicates that he used to work for Brackhaven Investments in Seattle about 12 years ago before leaving to pursue opportunities in Denver. He has a license to practice law in the UCAS.

[Zweiblumen]

Once Doc has reviewed the data, he copies it up and sends it to the team.
<<<@Team [Doc] attached file <Joseph_Moran.txt> I think we have a winner here.  Not going to bother with the North House.  Taking security out now then I'll meet you in the meat.>>>

[Malevolence]

As soon as he read Doc's message, Ohanzee got to work. Once again, his chanting filled the cabin of the rover. For a few seconds, the mana gathered to him, and then was focused into the spell, channeled towards the crate. It. VANISHED. One moment it was there, nearly 400 kilos of solidness, and then - nothing.


But it WAS still there. It just didn't LOOK "there". He imagined a collective gasp from those in the cabin, but perhaps it was mere fantasy. It WAS a pretty cool trick, worthy of gasps of astonishment, but hardened Shadowrunners tended to have a higher threshold of "oooh!". Such a pity.


He moved on to his next task, and the chanting once again filled the inside of the vehicle. A few seconds later the vehicle noticeably lifted, the weight of the crate no longer a burden on its shocks. Visibly distracted with focus, the dwarf opened the rear doors of the SUV and exited, guiding the invisible crate out behind him. He raised it to about 3 meters off the ground, just so none of his compatriots would risk bumping into it.


Once outside, he waited for the others to exit and lead the way - he wasn't likely to spot so much as a troll in a neon suit under his current level of distraction. Better to let another lead.


He scanned the road they would soon travel down for anything at the height of the crate that he might need to compensate for, and mentally mapped the course in his head. Then, once all the others had exited the vehicle and finished their preparations, he fell in with them as they headed towards the house they would be staying in for the night - and perhaps longer.

[rednblack]

Ace nods as he reads the write-up on Moran.  This looks like a winner to him, for sure.  When he focuses his attention back on the interior of the van he's taken aback for a moment when he notices that the crate isn't there.  When the shocks from the van gave an auditory sigh of relief, he looks to Ohanzee and gives a small thumb's up, not wanting to distract the man from whatever work that chanting is doing.  Once the door opens, Ace steps outside and does a head-check until the whole team is assembled.  He turns to Sam and says, "You take point, and I'll watch our six, wiz?"

[Poindexter]

Once the door opens, Ace steps outside and does a head-check until the whole team is assembled.  He turns to Sam and says, "You take point, and I'll watch our six, wiz?"

Stepping out of the rover and stretching out for the first time in a while, he strikes an imposing figure, even with the frost and ice breaking and falling off of him. He minimizes his AROs dealing with fire, explosives, and rover schematics to replace them with more combat related ones before readying his rifle, but keeping it low, under the jacket as much as he can. He narrows his eyes a bit and gives Ace a cold as the snow, deadpan look that says "you are speaking" and without breaking eye contact, he speaks to Ohanze in an even tone.

"What do you say, Big O?"

[Malevolence]

Ohanzee looks a little startled by the question, bringing his focus back to the dialogue. Something about who should be on point and who on rear guard. The situation looked like it might turn tense.


>> To Blue Team:
>> We don't have to trust them, but don't let them know that. Keep your enemies closer, and all that.


"After the events at the downed chopper, I'm not sure Sam is the most observant of us. Katsina is the best option for point m-" he pauses, "person, I feel, being very perceptive, and able to see in the astral as well. Please, take the lead. Chino, Doc, and I will take the middle as we're likely to be more distracted performing our tasks. Sam, you might have to carry Doc, so I suggest Ace bring up the rear."


>> To Blue Team:
>> I know it is tactically dis-advantageous putting him in the rear if we can't trust them. But for now I don't see much option. Take whatever precautions you deem necessary.

[Poindexter]

"After the events at the downed chopper, I'm not sure Sam is the most observant of us. Katsina is the best option for point m-" he pauses, "person, I feel, being very perceptive, and able to see in the astral as well. Please, take the lead. Chino, Doc, and I will take the middle as we're likely to be more distracted performing our tasks. Sam, you might have to carry Doc, so I suggest Ace bring up the rear."

The giant russian nods and turns around, offering an arm to the crumpled doctor; the arm without it's finger on the trigger of the rifle, of course.

>> To Blue Team:
>> I know it is tactically dis-advantageous putting him in the rear if we can't trust them. But for now I don't see much option. Take whatever precautions you deem necessary.

>> To Blue Team:
  >> I'll be second to last. It will take him too long to kill me for him to gain any tactical advantage from doing so. Also, keep in mind, just because we were on different teams does not mean we were enemies. Red team could very well have been a secondary or support crew, sent in after the initial phase of the job. They may be essential allies or they may be backstabbing foes. We must, for now at least, assume both are true when dealing with them.

[Zweiblumen]

<<<@Blue Team [Doc] I second the trust but verify stance.  Also, I've got feeds on everyone and can keep an eye out that way.>>>
<<<@Team [Doc] As soon as I'm done with the security I'll come back to the meat.  See you soon chummers.>>>

[8-bit]

Chino almost breaks the car door when he hears Katsina talk to him. He missed most of the words; something about his aura being weird. He quietly pulls his hand back and tries to act normal. Taking a quick glance back, he notices Katsina wasn't paying any attention to him. It's been a fragging minute since I realized I'm falling apart and I almost blew it! Pull yourself together! Images hit him again, a man, completely flattened by a door that seems to have fallen on him, blood everywhere. This time, he hears echoes 'Four-three, bitch!' followed by laughter that sounds very much like his own. It's an unsettling scene, but Chino finds himself enjoying the image; the death and victory sending tremors of ecstasy through his body. As if that scene was natural, more natural than the current freezing drek they were situated in.

Buunda! I need something to do. Something to concentrate on.

After what seemed like an eternity, something flickered into his view. Finally! Doc got something. Crumpled. Hack. Damn it! Chino shook his head. He's Doc for now, everyone else seems to be calling him that. He quickly brought up the info file Doc had sent. Eager that he finally had something to focus on, Chino swiftly read through it. Bingo! Yahtzee! Wait, what the frag is Yahtzee? For that matter, what the frag is Bingo? Aaaaaagh, I'm losing my grip again!

Another minute goes by, this time, without any images coming to mind. Just pure darkness. Sweet. Delicious. Darkness.

As he comes to, Chino realizes that everyone has already left the car. Now might be a good time to move. Or... No! Move, damn it! Chino does not go out like this!

He opens the door and steps outside. Ohanzee seems to be taking charge again. Right. Orders. All right, I guess I'll be in the middle. I better not black out while we're walking. He notices a whole bunch of messages flying around, and looks them over. Lots of messages between the blue team. In a surprising moment of clarity, he responds,

<<@Blue Team [Chino] They are in the same boat as the rest of us. They know that they have a better chance with us than against us, and that we outnumber them. Nevertheless, I agree. It never hurts to be too cautious.>>

Chino nods and gets himself into formation. Damn, it's good to be moving again. Unconsciously, a grin appears on his face. He faces Katsina. In a semi-serious tone, he says, "Ma'am, you lead the way."

[Malevolence]

As the group arranges themselves and moves out, Ohanzee is struck by a concern. Having the crate up high is fine for mundanes, but it is lit up like a candle in the Astral. Having it up high makes it easier to spot, so he brings it down to nearly ground level off to his side. He's careful to keep it out of the way, and to avoid any obstacles that come up. In spots where there isn't room to maneuver, he falls back a little and moves it into it's own crate sized spot in the roughly single file line the team has formed up in.


Once they are all clear of the van, he sends a message.


>> @ Team
>> Okay Chino, it's your show. Send our ex-ride to its final destination.

[Tecumseh]

Katsina nods at the plan of action, internally pleased to be moving. She hops out of the van and is quickly reassesses her opinion of moving. The wind is gusting up to 20 kph from the south-southwest. The temperature has warmed slightly from when they first woke up but it is still -17C outside. She pulls her long coat more tightly around her, happy to have no exposed skin. Exchanging a glance with Ace, she leads the way per Ohanzee's instructions.

Internally, she's impressed at the effectiveness of Ohanzee's casting. Both spells are strong and tight. She can see the crate floating along on the astral, easily keeping pace with the team.

The snow crunches audibly underfoot. She's not worried about the noise - it's the dead of night, and Ohanzee's spirit of air, White Raven, would certainly conceal them from any casual observeration - but she's knowledgeable about Tracking and knows that the tracks are bad form.

<<@Team [Katsina] We're headed about 200 meters up the hill. Let's walk single-file to conceal our numbers. With luck the falling snow will cover most of our tracks by morning. The forecast is for a few more centimeters tonight. I'm not sure there's any other way to avoid tracks unless Ohanzee wants to levitate us one-by-one.>>

She glances about, taking care to look up as well as around. Visually, the task is easy. With thermographic vision and a night colder than a witch's tit (she would know), anyone with a pulse would stick out like a flare. The aspen trees are thin and naked for their winter hibernation, providing little cover. Astrally, things are more complicated. The aspen trees are still alive, if dormant, making the scene as bright as the meatworld is dark. Her sustained spell is strong and is telling her with all due certainty that nobody with harmful intent is within a quarter klick of her position. But, still... there's a nagging thought in her head. Just because there's nothing hostile nearby doesn't mean that there's nothing. Her head tilts up, her senses divided by the concentration on her spell and the lingering effects of drain from previous casting.

<<@Ohanzee [Katsina] I see movement in the tree tops. Nothing hostile, but could be a pair of eyes. I saw some watchers and low-level spirits on the other side of the road during my first pass but none over here. But let's make sure. Can you double-check?>>

Edit: grammar

[Malevolence]

Ohanzee looks around gamely, but his vision is blurry from the strain of sustaining. Sparkles of light shoot across his vision as the strain causes his photoreceptors misfire under the exertion. After a few moments, he gives up.


>> @Katsina: I can't see anything but blurriness and flashes. If they see in the astral, we're impossible to miss with the crate lit up with magical energy.


He thinks for a second.


>> @Katsina: Maybe I can use the crate as a diversion. Might give us the element of surprise if one of them changes their mind and becomes hostile.


Ohanzee maneuvers the crate about 10 meters away from the party, parallel to their line, but essentially on the opposite side of the road.


>> @Team: Heads up, we may have some interested spirits up in the tree line. Can't get a good look at them, but be prepared for if they turn hostile.

[Zweiblumen]

Doc sees the terrier PatrolIC approach and starts to panic for a moment, then remembers he's a pro and the Host has him here as a legit user.  He pats the IC on the head and tosses it an electronic doggie treat.  While the IC is distracted he quickly pulls his scalpel back out and makes his modifications to the security systems, then whistles for the dog while waving a chew toy at him.