Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: Crossbow on <04-30-14/2323:14>
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Working the shadows is a strange creature, it is a bit like having monkey on your back. Even when you are flush and the work is coming in, you are always thinking about what comes next, where is the next job coming from and is your rep is as secure as it needs to be? Will any of this matter if I catch a bullet tonight? These are thoughts rolling, at varying degrees, through the minds of each of the runners that just had a New Beginning.
On the low end, one of their number could really care less. His personal life and quests being more than enough to occupy a technomancer’s mind. With his latest sweeps failing to bear fruit, he returns awareness to the meat with the vaguely burnt smelling shotgun-shaped paperweight beginning to overcome the other questionable odors of his flop, and realizes he needs to stay alive if he is going to be any use to anyone.
At the other end of the spectrum, another is about to explode into a million pieces if he doesn’t get a job soon. He done every maintenance check he can on his gear, and with the Fists lying low he hasn’t pulled a trigger on a live round in DAYS, two to be exact, even Zen isn’t scratching the itch.
Somewhere between these extremes, the more stable individuals have managed to keep things in perspective. It would seem the effort of maintaining a balance is rewarded, as Samantha Delavine receives a call from a friend in LA.
Melissa Firebird seems strangely excited, “I found you a JOB!” she says, and as Sammy tries to explain again she is not doing any acting projects now, Melissa shushes her and continues in an urgent whisper, “NO! A SHADOW JOB!”
Melissa explains that there is a guy she knows named Slade that is in Seattle and he needs some locals to handle some business that might get a little rough. “Get your crew and meet the guy at a place called the Gray Line for a meet at 5. “ Her friend seems a little giddy about the ‘shadowtalk’ she is using. “OOO! Does this mean I’m a Ms Jamison or a whatchacallit... ‘tinkerer’?”
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"The official term is Johnson," Sammy said with a sigh. Since she was in the shadows she sometimes found Mellissa's giddyness tiring, but still, a job was a job.
"I'll have to contact my 'team'," she said, "The name Slade rings a bell, but I'm not sure from where. Who is he again? And do you have any idea on what the job is?"
While asking that she already sent a message to all the people of the 'mountain' crew she had commlink numbers from to warn them of a potential job with more details to follow.
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Sam was on his way back from Two-Fingers' shop when his commlink chirped at him to indicate that he had a new message--and then started playing what sounded like a troll singing lounge. Letting go of the wheel--the car was driving itself, but he liked to look the part--he pulled the comm out and tried to turn the music off. After a while, he gave up and looked at the message instead. Huh, the actress has a line on a job? Could be fun, he thought to himself. He sent a reply to let her know he was in, and then turned back to the wheel. The music wasn't that bad, he decided.
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O'Connor, for lack of anything better to do, was at Darrell's shop making a general nuisance of himself when he got Sammy's message, "Huh, wouldn't've expected her to be the one that lined up a job. I ain't about to complain though." Darrell's relief was evident, "Oh thank god, you gotta job. So get outta my shop 'n' go bother someone else!" The dwarf then practically shoved O'Connor out the door and slammed it in his face. O'Connor yelled in mock hurt, "I give you the gift of my company and this is the thanks I get?" Darrell's only reply was a shotgun blast though the gun port in the door that hit a trashcan a quarter-meter to the right of O'Connor. O'Connor scoffed, "You never could hit the broadside of a troll." He did, however, leave before Darrell actually aimed at him.
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Clem was talking to Dino when her commlink informed her she had a message. She politely excused herself before going out of the greasy diner and reading the message. "A job? Yeah, why not" thought the ork. She looked at the other recipients and let out a little sigh before going back into the diner and continuing her conversation with Dino.
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"You probably remember him from that bit you did for Karl Kombatmage, an elf who dresses like an Old West Cowboy. He does prop work for a lot of directors who want authenticity in their trids instead of coding the details in later. I think the job is doing security, what I heard was 'Need guys to stand around and be tough, easy money.' That sounds good right?" Melissa says.
Your own memory correlates this, the reason he seemed familiar is he supposedly did some smuggling on the side. You had forgotten the cowboy thing though.
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"Now I remember," Sammy said to her friend, while checking her messages, "I already have three who have replied, so you can tell him he has a crew. I hope to get something back from our hacker, so we can have some matrix security as well, but if really necessary we can go without him. And one of the guys who replied can easily do the 'looking tough', although I probably will have to give him a crash course in eating with silverware. But I'll manage. So, how are things in Tinseltown?"
While chatting with her friend, she opened up another window and looked up the information about the Grey Line restaurant. She sent the link to the others and told them to be there at 17.00 and to make sure they were dressed appropriately. She also said them the job was probably something security related for a guy who worked for a trid.
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Straight out of Seattle 2072 p 52:
The Gray Line
Pier 63
Located out past and below the pier, this restaurant sits in Puget
Sound, so that at high tide the water covers the glass-walled lower
dining area completely. Buried spotlights provide a soft glow, making
various marine animals, like sea lions and otters, visible through the
windows. Naturally, the Gray Line specializes in seafood. Try the oysters
and the king crab legs in particular.
> The Gray Line is infamous for an armed robbery that took place there back
in ’49. Two unidentified ork gunmen held up the patrons. When they got into
a gun battle with Lone Star, stray shots shattered one of the glass retaining
walls, and the lower level of the restaurant flooded. The gunmen and their loot,
including jewelry valued at a total of 100,000 Nuyen, were swept out into the
Sound. They were never found, although some divers still poke around the area
in hopes of turning up buried treasure.
> Khan-A-Saur[/i]
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Another message came in, not long after the first one. She excused herself once more, reading the contents before sitting back down with Dino. "I have to go now, Dino. The next one is on me and we'll finish this some other day" said the ork as she got up and went to the bartender to make arrangements for their tab. She hopped on her bike and went back to her place, bringing her running gear with her. "Appropriate means ready to go at the drop of a hat" thought the woman as she sheathed her sword after a quick inspection.
Once everything was satisfactory, she set out, arriving 15 minutes before she was supposed to. She parked her ride not far from the restaurant, just in case. She then waited for anyone she recognized, propped against her bike.
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Sammy had taken a cab to the restaurant. She had looked up the node and had dressed in appropriate clothing. Nothing too fancy, but just some nice pants and matching armoured vest that indicated she belonged in this neighbourhood, but still didn't leave her completely defenseless. As mage she didn't need much in the way of gear, so she had just brought her taser for basic, legal, defense and of course her foci. But as those looked like jewelry to the unawakened, she could wear it without drawing attention. She did wear a respirator as she didn't want to be caught out like in the barrens. Sometimes she could still feel the dust in her throat. She had also brought her white noise generator, in case conversation turned confidential.
Upon arriving, a bit more than 10 minutes early, she spotted Clem standing next to a bike. After paying the cabbie, she walked over.
"Hey, how are you doing," she asked.
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Clem, seeing Sammy, bowed and said "Thank you for the message." She then smiled at her, asking "Who else is coming?"
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"So far I've had a message from Sam and O'Connor," Sammy replied, "I hope to get a message from Fionn as well, as we might need matrix security. And I hope you can help tome in O'Connor a bit. I'll try to teach him to eat with silverware, but I can't start lobbing stunbolts all over the place."
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Clem quickly answered "You can try and tame a wild boar, but you'll never domesticate it." She let that sink in and continued with "I can try and keep him distracted, but I can't guarantee anything." The ork paused for a moment before changing subject. "How do you know the Johnson?"
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"I've seen him a couple of times in LA," Sammy said, "he's known there as the guy to go to when you want real props instead of adding things in digitally. A friend of mine in LA called me to say he needed some local people. I guess it's either finding something he needs or guarding something he has."
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A few minutes under ten til the meet, O'Connor pulled into the Gray Line parking lot. He parked near the two ork women. He got out and greeted the two, "How goes it ladies?" Having a lack of variety in his wardrobe, O'Connor dressed in his best consisted of a solid black t-shirt, jeans, black boots, and his armored jacket decked out in studs, spikes, and chains. At least his clothing didn't appear to be frayed, faded or stained, but that was all it had going for it. The lack of finer clothing probably wasn't much of a surprise, but what was surprising was that the only readily visible weapon on him was a knife tucked in his boot. A keen eye would notice the bulges in the sleeves of his jacket where pistols lay hidden .
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"Not bad," Sammy replied with a raised eyebrow, "but if we're going to do this more, we really have to take you shopping for some clothes."
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Fionn had a bit of a decision to make when he got Sammy's message. It wasn't like he needed the money, at least not right now - he had plenty set aside to live off of while he kept up the search, and he'd paid his debts off. His first instinct was to let this one pass him by.
But he kept thinking about it, and something else occurred to him. If he kept working on his own like this, then he truly was alone; if something went wrong, he didn't really have anyone he could turn to for support - and if whatever happened to his sister came his way, well, he didn't stand much of a chance against something she couldn't take on. It wasn't a fast decision, though - it took him some time to figure out what he wanted to do here, to the point that it made about as much sense to just show up as to send a message.
Taking a cab to get there, he noticed that Clem, Sammy, and O'Connor had beaten him there - and predictably, O'Connor didn't really seem to have much of an idea of what appropriate was. For his own part, Fionn had his coat on over his suit - the one and only suit he owned, sure, and one that was a couple years out of date fashion-wise, but what was he gonna do?
"So how's everyone doing tonight?" He almost made some crack at O'Connor's expense, but managed to hold off - wouldn't be helpful, but someone was probably gonna need to explain to him what "appropriate" was.
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"One of those Hollywood big shots, is he?" asked Clementine to Sammy when they were still alone in the parking lot. Clem nodded at the new arrivals, which came in pretty much close to the same time. Fionn sometimes got on her nerves, but the elf did have his moments. "Have you guys heard anything from Torley?" asked the street sam, a little surprised she hadn't heard anything from him yet.
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As Sam pulled into the parking lot, he quickly identified the rest of the group. Yeah, that assortment of characters doesn't look suspicious at all, he thought to himself. Anyone who knew anything about the shadows would probably immediately recognize them as a team of runners. He found a parking spot that wasn't too close to the group, but which would require him to walk past them on the way to the restaurant. Getting out of his car, he quickly adjusted his suit jacket, making sure that his Self-Defender was as inconspicuous as possible. Satisfied, he started walking towards the restaurant, his cane tapping on the ground as he went.
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"Not really a bigshot as such, but rather someone who can get things done on time, on budget and discreetly," Sammy said, as she saw Torley move over the parking lot.
"Speaking about the devil, there he is. How are you doing, Sam?"
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Glancing over, Sam said, "Ah, Samantha. It's been a while, hasn't it? Clem, gentlemen." He nodded to the others, though including O'Connor was stretching the blanket term a bit, in his opinion. In a quieter voice, he continued, "Is this all of us? Anything anyone wants to say before we head in?"
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"Just a thought... You wouldn't happen to have some kind of illusion that could make O'Connor look a little more... Presentable, would you Sammy? Bloody fun as it would be to watch, I don't think him getting tossed out on his ass would make the right impression here."
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O'Connor gave short nods to Torley and Red acknowledging their arrival, but made no other form of greeting. At Sammy's and Red's comments, O'Connor gave them a blank look, "...?" He gave his attire a look over, "No bloodstains, bullet holes, or anything. What's wrong with it?"
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The Gray Line looks like a ferry tied up to Pier 63. You have to walk a gangplank to get to the upper deck, where six tables form the upper portion of the restaurant. Parabolic heat lamps and subdued lighting give customers a romantic view of the harbor even on chilly nights. As it has tonight, when the fog rolls in customers head to the more popular lower deck.
A maître’ de in a heavy jacket waits on the end of the plank.
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"Lucky for you I know Mr. Slade dresses somewhat excentric at times," Sammy said to O'Connor, "and that the meet is here. If it had been at the needle you wouldn't have gotten in. Depending on what the job is, I'll take you shopping for something more appropriate. A simple dark suit that says to the world 'I'm a bodyguard' should do nicely. That way nobody expects you to speak, just stand there being intimidating. And talking about speaking, as Sam here is our best negotiator, I suggest we let him do the talking."
With that she walked on the plank towards the restaurant.
"We're here for Mr. Slade," she said to the waiter at the end. As he had used his real name to make the arrangements for the meet, she assumed he would be doing so here as well.
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Clem looked at O'Connor then back at Fionn. "No bullet holes nor blood, you can't really expect more from him" said the woman before following Sammy to the restaurant, unbuttoning the bottom part of her Steampunk overcoat in case she needed to access what was under quickly. Although she wasn't a regular of fancy places like the Gray Line, she definitely knew how to keep her mouth shut and behave accordingly.
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At the mention of the name, the man checks his book and directs them to the portal that will take them downstairs.
The lower floor is fairly packed. The smell of seafood permeates the room. The thick glass wall opposite the stairs gives an unobstructed view of the harbor beneath the waves. The dining floor affords a wider view, down to the muddy bottom. Outside, an octopus slowly moves by, searching the mud for food. You are led to a table where a lean elf in a bolo tie and cowboy boots sits with his back toward you watching the fish swim by.
He turns as you approach and smiles, “Howdy! Take a load off; I’ll have ’em bring out the chow.”
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Sammy slightly shook her head. Some LA people were really strange, but at least O'Connor would not be too conspicious if he kept his mouth shut.
"Thank you, Mr. Slade," Sammy said as she sat down and removed her respirater, but she left her goggles on.
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Sam briefly considered trying to imitate the "cowboy" accent, but quickly discarded the idea. While it would probably be fun, it wasn't likely to be very productive. Instead he smiled warmly, reached out his hand, and said, "Mr. Slade, nice to meet you. My name's Torley. Been in Seattle long?"
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"Not too long this trip, got a place around here somewheres, but I am usually to busy to see it. Anyways..." the elf stands and gives a good firm grip, then indicates a chair next to him. "You must be the sweet talker, gonna try and make me part with more of my money than I want to, are you? Well go easy on me, I don't do this often."
He sits back down and after everyone else has as well, he points his half filled glass at a waiter and indicates around the table. "Six more and food GAR-ce-on."
"Okay here's the deal: I need some security for my stuff while I’m here. I don’t know for how long, probably two days. I know, you’ve heard it before, when I say ‘It’s an easy job,’ but it really is. You’re just going to baby-sit my stuff while it’s being put into a movie.”
Slade slaps his knee, ”Damn, cat’s out of the bag. That’s probably why I’m not a Mr. Johnson. So you interested? Might see somebody famous, and it will be five hundred per person per day.”
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Clem sat down and laughed internally at the situation. She didn't let anything show, but she definitely thought O'Connor wasn't the worst dressed anymore.
Glad Torley was handling things, she looked over the other runners, eyebrow raised, at the mention of the pay. ¥500 a day wasn't much unless it was a minimum of a week. She'd have to let the talkers do their thing.
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O'Connor took his seat and was unable to decide if the cowboy look was cool-in-a-retro-way, or just plain dumb. After hearing the job description, he slumped a bit in his seat. 500¥ a day for a cakewalk sounded nice, but O'Connor didn't want nice, he wanted a bit of action. While Slade and Torley negotiated, O'Connor occupied himself with the view of the bay. As he watched the octopus move by a few disjointed thoughts filled his head, *Closest I've ever been to an aquarium...Wonder if the one in town has sharks...It'd be pretty cool to see some sharks in the flesh...Fighting some would be awesome...I need to buy a harpoon gun...*
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Having taken his seat, Sam noted Clem and O'Connor's reactions, but kept his attention focused on Mr. Slade. "Before we rush into determining payment, I think we need a better understanding of what it is that you're looking for, sir. Basic security for a few days is something you can hire ex-Lone Star agents for. Hell, you could probably just get some thugs from off the street; make sure they're from different gangs, and they'll even make sure that they protect your stuff from each other. Probably only cost you a few hits of Zen each."
Leaning forward, he continued, "You're familiar with our line of work, and so you know that we offer more specialized services than you've described. You've asked me to "go easy", so I will: if you just want some guys to stand around guarding your luggage, I can get you a line on a security firm for a small fee. But if you've got reason to be working with us, you're going to have to tell us what it is."
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The elf grins and taps on the brim of his hat, "Well, you are right about a few things, but a little off on others. I could hire some security firm, wouldn't really even need your help, though I thank you kindly for offering. Going that route means a whole lot of paperwork and datatrails I would rather avoid, plus, with the timetable, I would definitely have to pay them more. I'll shoot straight with you on this point, I think the producer on the movie put one over on me for budgeting, so I am trying to cut costs where I can." He pauses at this point to take a pull on his drink.
"But as for going the real low rent route, that would be just plum stupid. Yeah I could get a few thugs, but I bring that kind of trash onto a set and they'll know I'm skimmin', plus I'll have to worry about them acting stupid or trying to rip me off. Any of that happens, I can kiss my professional reputation goodbye, inside the shadows and out. So I figger, higher some pros that got their own reps to protect, they get an easy payday, I get to save a few bucks and the job gets done, everybody wins."
He leans back and grins, "Plus there is the matter of the cute little injun girl back in LA that put me in touch with ya'll. She seemed REAL interested in helping me with this problem, and I never could say no to makin' a pretty girl smile."
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Sam smiled warmly. "See, now we're getting somewhere. Swift, discrete protection with minimal red tape. That's more in line with our usual services. Naturally, we provide a package deal--physical, astral, and digital avenues combined. Total protection. As you pointed out, professionals do cost more than amateurs, but you get what you pay for, right? 1,000 each per day, minimum four days, half up front, remainder at completion. Plus room, board, and travel expenses."
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Sammy smiled when he mentioned Melissa. She could so see the 'negotiations', as she knew that Melissa always had a thing for older men. Well, if it helped her to a job, she didn't care. For now, she would let Sam do the negotiations, as he was on a roll, but she did have a question.
"Mr. Slade," she said, "maybe you can tell us what we'll be guarding and where, as that can influence the price as well. I mean, guarding some old cars in a warehouse is not the same as guarding some trid star who thinks she really needs to see the inside of the Barrens."
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"I just told you flat out I am tryin' to make a few bucks on this deal, not give you more than I'm a gettin'. The job is local, so all that travel and room stuff don't apply, but I'll get you fed, they'll be catered on set. I have no idea how long I'll need you, but it will be at least to days cuz that is what they told me the shoot will be. I will give you 6 per day, first day up front with each one after paid at the end for as long as you are needed, but not a nuyen more." the elf is firm in his offer and puts out his hand, "Shake on it and let's eat, or am I riding alone?"
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Sam didn't blink at the reduced offer. The money wasn't all that important to him, though he knew that some of the others would be disappointed. He took a quick glance at the others to gauge their reactions before responding.
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O'Connor shrugged, giving his assent, "A job's a job, and money's money."
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"Like I said, depends on what the job is," Sammy said, "for that money I'm not going to babysit some trid actress in the Barrens. But standing guard over some equipment in a warehouse at the harbour, no problem."
It was kinda ironic that she, a former trid actress, was talking about babysitting said actresses where only a year ago, she would be the one being babysat. But then again, as mage, she was useful even when not acting, while some of the people she had worked with wouldn't be able to find the door to their trailer if someone didn't guide them there.
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Clem takes a moment to assess the other runners' reactions before finally nodding to Torley. O'Connor was right: money was money, and Clem needed some. Besides, if the job was just guarding some movie prop, why not?
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"I can only offer so many details a'fore the job is accepted. Y'all will be protecting and guarding unique and difficult to replace props while they are on the set, since they ain't no studios in this town, the set will be in a public place. But that place will not be in the Barrens, I ain't getting paid that much." The elf finally replies to Sammy.
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Taking in the others' reactions, Sam nodded to the elf. "Alright, Mr. Slade, sounds like you've got yourself some guards."
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“Great! I’ve rustled a great many collectibles throughout the years. I’ve recently started working with Ben Howard—you know, ‘Big Ben,’ made that blockbuster last year for Pathfinder? Tremendous artist for sure, and just the kind I like to work with, likes lots of realism. “
“I’ve secured the gear at a safe house of mine. What I want you to do is to protect my gear when moving it to and from the house and while it’s on set. That was my agreement with Ben. Tomorrow, meet me at this address and I’ll give you IDs to bring my equipment on set. And hey, I’ve heard that Pandora is the leading lady in his new film. Maybe you can get her autograph!”
Trays of butter, razor clams, and filets of some fish arrive, along with your drinks. Slade grabs a napkin, “Now enough yappin’, it’s chow time!”
The address you are given is in the downtown district, over near the Federated-Boeing Complex, so storage site security is not in question.
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'So that means we need to take our 'security' clothes,' Sammy thought, 'time to take some of the others shopping.'
She did remember the name Pandora although she didn't work with her. The same went for Big Ben, simply because she hadn't worked for Pathfinder. But she did know them.
"Mr. Slade," She asked after a while, "where will filming be? Just so we can have a look at the location and see what kind of security is needed."
She didn't know if it was on the matrix somewhere. It probably was, but it was easier to simply ask.
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"We are scheduled to film tomorrow at the Eye of the Needle, but keep that to yourself, set security and all that. Gotta keep the riffraff from mucking up the production." Slade looks and around the table and grins as he dives into his clams.
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"No problem, sir," Sammy said, making a note to take O'Connor and maybe Clem out shopping. Even as security you needed to be nicely dressed. She did wonder why the need for extra security, as security at the Needle was top notch. As she had seen those people before, however brief, she would have to be careful. Although she could always say she wanted to start producing and that this was research. It wouldn't be the first time in LA that someone really did his research. And then did the movie completely different anyways because otherwise it wouldn't work with the audiences. She had noticed that many times before that mages onscreen had to do things that in real life would make their brains come leaking out of their ears.
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"Shooting at the Needle, huh?" thought Clem as she watched the elven "cowboy" dig in to those clams. The man's attire made her feel strange. "And whoever heard of a cowboy eating at a seafood restaurant anyways?" The ork shrugged and decided to at least have her drink while she would wait for someone else to try the fish filets first.
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*Pandora, huh? Heard she was a grade a bitch, but I doubt Starlet's glitzy pals are anything but.*O'Connor gave the seafood a quizzical look, he wasn't quit sure how one was suppose to eat the razor clams. He decided to start with the fish and wait to see how the others went about it. He'd never had real seafood before, but held the opinion that artificial seafood flavoring was god awful. He took a cautious bite, finding the flavor far superior to the substitution, but wasn't quite sure if he liked it or not. He made steady progress though his food nonetheless, enjoying the novelty of the meal at the very least. After finishing a bite, he asked Slade, "Anything special or important we need to know about the equipment other than to handle it with care?"
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"Good restaurant," Sammy said to no-one in particular, "I have to remember this one."
In the mean time she sent a message to the whole team to prepare for a shopping expedition so everybody had correct attire for the Needle.
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"Nope, a lot of it is military grade hardware and equipment, but you look like you know your way around the rough stuff. I got all the licenses and permits, not that you'll have to worry about that on set, and all the weapons are non-functional. I ain't kidding, easy money. Anyone need bread?" he said grabbing the basket and getting a stick.
No other critical info about the job appears to be forthcoming, Slade is fairly congenial as a host and pulls the conversation away from job and more towards small talk. He will excuse himself after the entrée, but encourage the group to stay for dessert and coffee. "It's all taken care of, but don't run up a bar tab, clear heads in the morning." After confirming you have the proper address, he takes his leave.
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As soon as Mr. Slade was gone, Sammy turned to the rest of the group.
"Tomorrow before we go to Slade's little warehouse we go clothes shopping," she said, referring to her text message, "we need to look the part of serious security if we're going to work at the needle. You don't have to wear Mortimer of London or Zoé de Paris. In fact, you better don't as bodyguard, but a good looking armoured vest is a must."
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O'Connor grimaced at Sammy's declaration, "The hell for? If we get the job done, what's it matter how we dress?" The irony of a man eager to run into a hail of gunfire, but cowed by a trip to the mall, was lost on O'Connor.
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"Because if you're not correctly dressed, you won't be allowed in the Needle and therefore you can't do your job," Sammy said, "A nice suit with an armoured jacket is the minimum to get in there. And having such can also help you in the future to get better paying jobs. If you want to play with the big ones, you have to dress the part. I'm sure you have seen trid and photo footage of important people arriving at the needle, or any other high profile location. Look at that footage again and check out what those bodyguards wear. We will have to wear the same thing if we don't want to stand out, which is the goal here. And a trip to the mall shouldn't take long. One hour, tops, should be enough. And if you don't want to get dressed by me, ask Sam if he wants to help. But if we want professional jobs, we have to be dressed like professionals."
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"Come to think of it, we should probably put you in a mask or something while we're at it - seems like the context to be masking your identity, yeah?" He thought for a second.
"Also, after what happened with my shotgun, I might be a little... Underequipped for security work."
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"With your kind of shooting Red, you'd be underequipped for security no matter what you have" answered Clem to Fionn's remark. The ork woman paused for a bit before saying out loud "Guess I could use a change of armour, just in case."
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"You're not allowed in the Needle with a shotgun," Sammy remarked, "Heavy pistols are the maximum they allow in there."
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O'Connor gave out a comical groan, "This is why I don't leave Redmond if I can help it. You people have too many god damn rules. I mean, seriously, security can only carry handguns? How can you call a group a security team if they ain't armed for serious engagements?"
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"It's easier than trying to provide security when you're not allowed anywhere nearby," Sam said with a shrug as he reached for another roll.
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"It's because then building security, who have those weapons, is at an advantage," Sammy said at almost the same time.
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Your group moves to the cars to discuss things civilian ears were not meant to hear. Clem has few ideas about shops that might still be open that would have what they need and Torley does a reasonably good job of passing his acquired Remington Roomsweeper to Fionn. The only remaining business to attend to is arranging transport for the vehicularly challenged among you.
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O'Connor nodded towards the Roomsweeper, "Hey, Torley, you get that thing cleaned yet? I don't think real security teams use looted gear that was probably stolen in the first place and used for god knows what."
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Clem asked the rest of the team "So, who needs a ride?" She was reluctant to offer, but it would make their timetable shorter.
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"I could do with a rode," Sammy said, "I've been thinking about getting one, but I haven't found the time yet."
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Glad she wasn't stuck with O'Connor, Clem immediately took Sammy as a bike partner. "Alright, you can ride with me" said the ork, relieved but not showing her emotions.
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You all follow Clem and get some uninspiring, but effective security uniforms, then rest up.
Your job begins at an hour that most of your fellows are getting to bed. How the SINners manage this day in and day out is beyond comprehension.
Slade is waiting for when you get to the storage facility, a cargo van already loaded with four heavy looking two meter-long cases. With a little but a raised eyebrow to your change of wardrobe, he hands you identification for special access to the Needle and instructions, along with your advance.
The instructions are simple, take the cases to the Needle, get them up to the film set in the restaurant into the hands of the director, monitor and protect the items from theft or non-movie use.
-
Sammy got into the back of the van, as she wasn't a good driver and not so good at noticing things anyways. So it was better if she kept an eye on the crates, feeling confident that she would be able to see if someone wanted to steal something that big at a couple of metres from her. For the moment she didn't summon a spirit. She didn't remember if the needle had wards, but they probably did, so she waited until she was inside the wards before starting to summon. Otherwise the spirit would be blocked anyways.
-
Sam eyed the containers in the van, then walked over to Mr. Slade. "Good morning. Would you mind opening the cases so we can see what we're transporting? No offense, but you're paying us to be paranoid, and part of that is making sure that everything's in good condition when we take possession of it." ...and that we're not taking a bomb into the heart of Seattle, or anything like that, he thought to himself. With a disarming smile, he continued, "It helps the delivery process go so much smoother, you know?"
-
"Sure thing hoss, you want to muscle them out and pop 'em open the lock is coded to your IDs, just make sure they get to the set on time. I had some grunts to put 'em in the van, but I sent them on ahead to unload it at the needle." Slade heads off to a nearby car. The ostentatious longhorn hood ornament marking it as his personal vehicle.
It takes a bit of doing, none of you are really that strong, and the cases are HEAVY, but you manage it. The cases open to reveal four full suits of Red Samurai body armor, including the ceremonial helmets, and what look like traditionally forged Japanese katanas, the included datawork indicates that these are authentic and liscensed versions of the elite paramilitary unit's gear. If a thought existed about ripping off your employer, having Renraku's "Bloody Demons" coming down on you is more than enough to eliminate it.
The van, loaded, only has room for three.
-
Once the cases were loaded again, Sam looked at the team. "Clem, you drive the van; take Sammy and O'Connor. Red and I will follow. Sound good?"
-
Sammy knew Slade was the man to go to for unusual props, but this was something she really hadn't expected. Well, at least thieves would have to either steal the van, or come with a van of their own as these were heavy.
She nodded when sam proposed the split. While she rather sit with the more conversationalists of the group, she could understand the reason of keeping Fion and O'Connor seperate as much as possible.
"Stay close and keep an eye on our six," she said to Sam, quoting one of her lines from one of the first trids she had done.
-
Clem, surprised as everyone else about the contents of the crates, felt somewhat proud. Here was something typically Japanese, recognized everywhere as one of the best battle armours ever made. She helped everyone put the crates back into the van, wondering to herself how a cowboy-posing elf had come across this lot.
At Sam's plan, the ork woman noded. "Alright, I'll take the van" and got herself ready to move out as quickly as possible.
-
O'Connor looked and felt awkward in a suit, *How'd I let myself get talked into this?* Now stuck in the damned suit, he wanted this job over and done with as soon as possible. He did, however, take a few moment to admire the items they were tasked with guarding. After Torley gave his suggestion, O'Connor nodded, giving his assent. He made his way to the van, ready move out.
-
One of the amazing things about modern technology is how little it has really changed. In spite of all the advances in vehicle auto-piloting, traffic monitoring systems and smart grid systems, every weekday morning the I-5 going into Downtown Seattle becomes a parking lot.
Normally if you lot have been at all aware of this interesting phenomenon, it was as a reason to laugh at the wageslaves and sararimen that you would never count yourselves among. This morning though, it is making the prospect of you getting to the Needle for calltime a questionable enterprise.
You have already abandoned the interstate, and are weaving through questionable areas, alert for trouble.
[OOC: I need base Perception rolls from every one and a listing of potential Mods to the roll, but DO NOT add them into the pool. I also need Piloting rolls from Clem and Torley, the van uses the stats for an unmodified Bulldog Stepvan. If anyone has a bright idea about trying to fight traffic, make relevant rolls.]
-
"Do you guys want me to get a spirit to check out where traffic is lighter which doesn't take us through things like the Barrens," Sammy asked, while looking out of the windows. The van was unmarked, like there were thousands of them in Seattle, so they wouldn't be too visible.
-
O'Connor shrug at Sammy's suggestion, "Sure, couldn't hurt. Though, it might keep us from finding a good scrap."
-
"I'm sure Torley has it figured out; he is leading this expedition after all" answered Clem at Sammy's question. At O'Connor's comment, she said "You know, confrontation isn't always the answer, Con."
-
"You might be right on the first count, Clem," Sammy said, "and you're definitely right on the second. we have to deliver these things safely. Look for trouble in your own time. Which reminds me, if something should happen in the Needle, try to use as much as possible non-lethal force. It's in the center of the city, so Knight Errant response times are very fast and they will come to the Needle."
-
O'Connor shrugged at Clem, "It's an answer though. In any case, I'm not asking for something to happen. If it did, though, I wouldn't mind. Probably be the only bit of fun on this damn run."
-
"The fun will be the paycheck and our lives" answered Clementine to O'Connor's statement, keeping an eye on the road.
-
"If nothing happens, you can always ask the director if you can be an extra," Sammy said, "they always need some in most scenes. Of course, the job has priority, but if you can keep an eye out from where you are on scene, it might be fun. It's how I started some years ago."
-
A snatch and grab crew is about to either have a really good day, or a really bad one.
A lot of stuff on the black market are things that “fall of the back of a delivery truck.”
This crew, loosely affiliated with the Cutters, is responsible for a catching a lot of stuff and they have gotten really good at it. They typically hit trucks early in the morning, using a hacker to shut down a target vehicle and unlock and open all the doors, then while one or two guys run in to put a gun to the driver and copilot’s head, up to a half dozen hit the cargo area for what they can and get it off the streets quickly. They have a spotter looking for beat cops and anybody who wants to play hero.
The group’s planning and tactics have all the occupants of the cargo vehicle caught roughly off guard as the van comes to a sudden halt and doors open. Only one in you group sees the situation happening, but typical to shadowrunner luck, it is the guy with Combat Paralysis.
Make surprise checks, van occupants receive a -2 modifier to the check and and Initiative for the first round.
-
It take a second for Clem to realize exactly what has happened, coming to an unexpected dead stop in a vehicle you are driving will do that to you. She does recognize the barrel of a large bore weapon being shoved into her head, and she gets the gist of the situation when a voice says, "Don't even twitch tusker, whatever is in the back ain't worth dying for."
O'Connor gets the same treatment, only without comment and instead of a shotgun it's a machine pistol. However they are doing it, they have the drop on both of your heavies.
Sammy is tossed a bit, but she has some luck in that only one guy coming in the back sees her and he doesn't have his weapon ready, so he has to reach around and get it out to cover her.
Sam and Fionn see the rest of the crew run up to the suddenly stopped and sprung open van, one guy at the side door efficiently cuts the cargo straps on the containers as three of the four at the back move to pull out one of the heavy cases.
-
Sam was not terribly surprised when something went wrong en route--he'd been running the shadows long enough to know that when something can go wrong, it usually did--but he still had a moment of panic when he saw the guys with guns charging up to the van. However, he'd been following the van--and the hacker hadn't stopped his car.
As mentioned in the OOC thread, I'd like for Sam to end up blocking the back of the van, making the goons' day a lot harder (hitting a goon or two would be a bonus), though Sam's not in a good mental state at the moment to be planning that out. So, I'm going to roll a vehicle test using edge:
Skill (1) + Reaction (2) + Handling (2) + Edge (4): 9d6.hitsopen(5,6) = 6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4547217/)
-
Sam manages to expertly roll his car right up to the flung open doors of the van, straining the a bit on their hinges, but doing no real damage to either vehicle in the contact.
THE GOOD NEWS- all four of the grunts at the back of the van are pinned into the narrow space between the vehicles.
THE BAD NEWS- Three of the grunts had been sliding one of the heavy cases out of the van when they got bumped and jostled the case, which smashed down on the hood of the car, ruining the hood and crushing down on something that could be important. Vehicle takes a box of damage.
THE REALLY GOOD NEWS- The bump startles the thugs at the front of the van, and causing them to jump back so they no longer considered to have held actions on O’Connor and Clem.
THE REALLY REALLY GOOD NEWS (at least, for Torley, I think personally) is that neither O’Connor or Clem had a gun accidently discharge near their heads in the process of all this.
Begin second passes.
-
[Initiative 13, IP 2 of 4]
O'Connor was confused when the van came to a very sudden stop. He was about to make a crack about women drivers, when a machine pistol was pressed against his temple. O'Connor's lips twitched slightly in amusement, *I wanted a bit of fun. I get a bit of fun. The Universe is too kind.* The van lerched a bit, startling his assailant. O'Connor clicked his tongue at the thief in disapproval, "Shouldn't lose your nerve so easily, or you'll end up dead." A wolfish grin spread across his face, "Like so." With a few subtle flicks of the wrist, the hidden gun slide deposited a pistol into O'Connor hand. He wasted no time in aiming for center mass and squeezing the trigger twice.
[spoiler]Pistols 4 + Agility 5 + Smartlink 2 + Point Blank 3 = Pool 14
14d6.hits(5) → [6,2,5,1,3,2,5,5,6,6,6,3,1,1] = (7)
14d6.hits(5) → [2,1,5,4,2,3,5,5,4,1,6,5,5,1] = (6)
(http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4550340/)
Light Pistol 4 + Explosive Rounds 1 = Base Damage 5
[/spoiler]
-
The drive was going well until the van started acting up. It took a second for Clem to understand she hadn't caused this malfunction and that it wasn't mechanical in nature. The moment she realized it was caused by someone else, she knew they were targets of a theft. Unfortunately, that slow reaction placed a weapon on the side of her temple. The ork thought to herself "You have got to be kidding me..." when the thug have her his orders, throwing in a racial slur for good measure.
"You're right, this isn't worth getting shot for. You should just..." started the woman before being interrupted by a rather small shove forward from the van. Not understanding what had happened, she heard gunshots coming from the passenger side, and that was her cue to spring into action. She immediately reached for her SMG and shot straight at the punk that had just held her at gunpoint only a moment ago.
[Spoiler] Narrow Burst Agility 7 + Firearms 4 + Point Blank 3 - Burst Fire 2 + Gas Vent 2 (14d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4550438/) 4 hits, no glitches.
If it connects, damage is 5 + 4 hits + 2 narrow burst.[/Spoiler]
-
These street criminals were obviously not prepared to hit real opposition. The poor bastard who drew the short straw of drawing down on O'Connor is loudly splattered all over the cars and the furniture storefront on the passenger side of the vehicle, Clem's attacker takes the burst heavily as well, though his vest allows him to maintain most of his bodily integrity, the force carries him to the parked cars across the street, prone.
(OOC: Rhat hasn't been on for a bit now, we will resolve the Matrix when he returns. The opposition has no extra passes, so feel free to complete your actions.)
-
Sammy was as surprised as everybody else when the van stopped and the doors opened. As she could see what was happening in the back, she saw one of the boxes being moved out. When the car hit the back, the guys there were pinned, but they would be able to get free at some point. Sammy looked at the back, while using the seat as partial cover. She started to gesture as she had learned at The Club, targeting one of the guys strugling wit the cases.
[Spoiler] I'm taking one of the four at the back with a stunbolt, preferable one who, when he drops, makes it more difficult for the others to move the case (so one who, if he drops, also makes that the case drops, or one who would be in the way of the others when they want to move the case).
Force 9 stunbolt:
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4552836/)
So that's DV9 + net hits (4 - willpower roll).
Drain: F/2-1 => 3
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4552848/)
no drain.[/Spoiler]
-
[Initiative 13, IP 3 of 4]
Even O'Connor was a bit on the suprised side when his target was reduced to little more than a large smear of blood and bits gore. He looked down at his pistol to see if he'd grabbed the Warhawk in his haste this morning after waking up late. His suspicions were unfounded, in his right hand was one of his customized Fichetti Security 600s, Lightning of the Storm. He spared Clem a glance, confirming that she had her situation in hand. O'Connor got out of the vehicle and spotted another thief by the opened cargo door. He leveled his weapon, "Your buddy just rode Lightning of the Storm straight to Hell. Tell 'im Bullet Storm sent ya guys." With a laugh, he fired.
[spoiler]
I'm assuming that getting out of the vehicle eats up a simple action.
Pistols 4 + Agility 5 + Smartlink 2 = Pool 11
11d6.hits(5) → [4,6,1,6,6,3,3,1,6,6,1] = (5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4553591/)
Light Pistol 4 + Explosive Rounds 1 = Base Damage 5
[/spoiler]
-
Seeing the man get thrown back from the force of her SMG, a small feeling of satisfaction crept up as Clem was getting out of the van. Wanting to make sure he wasn't going to creep up on her, she looked quickly at him and decided to unload another few bullets in him before moving on to the back.
[spoiler] Just like O'Connor, I will assume getting out of the van will eat up a simple action.
Agility 7 + Firearms 4 - Burst Fire 2 + Gas Vent 2 (11d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4555206/) just barely out of a glitch :( Narrow Burst.
I'm guessing he is prone, so he should suffer a penalty to his defense rolls anyways.[/spoiler]
-
The ganger who cut the cargo strap doesn’t manage to dodge O’Connor’s blast, but takes it like a champ, trying his best to make a run for it.
Clementine’s target does manage to scramble under cover and but loses his weapon in the process.
The target of Sammy’s spell crumples onto Torley’s hood.
The ambush is quickly being routed, all attempts at robbery have ceased, survival of the attackers the only goal.
-
[Round 1, Initiative 13, IP 4 of 4]
O'Connor watched with amusement as the would-be thief tried to flee for his life. He called mockingly after the injured man, "Remember to duck and weave. Run in a serpentine pattern." After chuckling at his own joke, O'Connor took a moment to line up the shot before firing.
[spoiler]
Pistols 4 + Agility 5 + Smartlink 2 + Take Aim 1 = Pool 12
12d6.hits(5) → [3,1,5,6,4,2,5,1,1,5,3,5] = (5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4560761/)
[/spoiler]
[Round 2, Initiative 13, IP 1 of 4]
O'Connor made his way to the rear of the vehicle and looked upon the remaining thieves with fury and disdain, "If any of you want to live past the fraction of a second it'd take me to squeeze this trigger, put that crate back in the van. Now!" He made sure that they all got a good look at the weapon that'd end them in a heartbeat.
[spoiler]
Intimidation 1 + Charisma 2 + Physical 2 + Custom Look 2 = Pool 7
7d6.hits(5) → [2,1,3,2,3,5,6] = (2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4560790/)
((OOC: I get any bonuses for having splattered one of them?))
[/spoiler]
-
The brutal display of force is quite successful in convincing the gangers to return the crate to its place. The attention your actions have attracted is sufficient to keep you from doing any more than putting a serious fear into your unlucky attackers. Once it is clear that this was nothing but a simple snatch operation, you realize you would be better served getting on your way again, especially once Fionn reports that the vehicle has been returned to your control.
-
At least one thing O'Connor is good for, Sammy thought as they crates were put back in the van.
"Okay, let's go, we're late already," She said over the team link, "Fionn, can you keep an overwatch over the van until we arrive at our location, or let one of your friends do so?"
-
Kicking the dropped weapon further away, Clem went to the back of the van in time to hear O'Connor barking orders to the remaining thugs. She stayed there until the crates were properly put back, curious to see if they would be shot after their usefulness was worn out.
Once everything was settled, she put a fresh magazine in her SMG, got back into the driver's seat and drove away, not saying a single word.
-
Once his heart rate was on its way back to normal, Sam ruefully eyed the dent in his car's hood. "Damnit, I just had this washed. Hey, Red, if you have a moment, could you talk to the car and make sure nothing important got busted?"
-
As you arrive, you see that the base of the Space Needle has been cordoned off. Groups of fans and onlookers have gathered around the area. A small detail of security is waiting as you drive up. Fans scream at you, apparently thinking you guys are some sort of sim stars. Security guards in cleaner-than-normal uniforms request your SIN and clearance. You give them the ID you received from Slade, and they direct you to a place to park.
Most trid directors would go for digital editing and replicas in their film using the Studios in Studio City, but Ben Howard, also known as “Big Ben,” tries to bring authenticity to the recorded media. He believes that the real thing brings about a different emotional/mental response.
You take the elevator up to the restaurant. After a few moments, the elevator dings and the doors open onto a busy scene. Several field technicians are cleaning, moving items around, and adjusting the lights for the cameras. Big Ben sits at the far end in a troll-sized director’s chair. He spins his traditional baseball cap in his fingers as he talks to some technician about where the cameras should be placed. Close to where Ben sits is none other than Pandora.
Pandora is wearing Zoe’s fashionable red leather jacket and pants with brass buckles, thigh-high black boots, and mirrored shades. She is using her commlink. With her in the booth sits an elven gentleman with a blond ponytail, wearing a gray suit and green tie. He appears to be fielding questions directed at Pandora from various technicians and makeup artists.
After a few moments, Ben sees you with the cases. He gets up from his director’s chair, followed by one of the technicians. “All right! Are these the suits?” says Ben as he approaches. “Open one up. Let’s see if Slade lives up to his word.”
When you open one of the cases, a broad grin comes across Ben’s face. “Nice. Very nice,” he says as he caresses the red armor. “Even has some wear-and-tear dents. Thank Slade for me.” James, the techie following Ben, shows you a section of the room partitioned off with green walls, where you can put the cases.
Behind the walls are the stuntmen who will be wearing the armor. He then shows you an AR-marked place behind Big Ben’s chair, where you can stand to be out of the way. As the stuntmen dress up, Big Ben calls for everybody’s attention.
He lays out the scene: “This is where Jenny Freelance—Pandora over there—meets up with Agent Johnson, who wants to hire her for a job. Suddenly, a unit of Red Samurai busts in to take ‘em out. Lots of cool martial arts in this scene—Jenny wipes out the Red Samurai and accepts the job.”
To you it sounds like a shadowrunner cliche, but hey, your job at this point is to watch Slade’s stuff, not critique the movie.
-
Now she had been working in the real Shadowrunning biz, she had lost a lot of patience with the trid representation of shadowrunning. But her task here was not to be in a trid, but to guard armours. She did know what she could and could not do on a film set and in fact, had spent quite some time behind the camera as trid mage. But first things first, time to put some protection up.
"I'm going to put up some extra protection," she said to the rest of the team, "by getting an air spirit to do some extra guarding."
She went to the back where the armours where and started gesturing, summoning a spirit of air. The spirit of air appeared on the astral plane and she shifted her vision to there so she could give the order. On the astral the spirit looked like a reddish whisp of cloud, constantly moving around.
"Guard these objects from the astral," she said while pointing to the armours, "and if anybody other than the people currently present here on this floor approached, warn me."
"Thy will be done, master," the spirit said, before it started moving around the room.
Sammy went back to the others, but made sure she stayed in line of sight to the room so she could use the other service she knew she had in case something went wrong.
"Spirit is in place," she wispered to them, "but better put some others in that room as well, just to be sure."
-
O'Connor milled about near the cases, taking in the scene around him. It was busy and hectic, the perfect atmosphere to slip into places you're not welcome. With this apparently being an action movie, a group of thieves could probably waltz in with full loadouts by passing themselves off as extras. He sighed to himself, *Great, probably won't see 'em 'til they make a move. An' with all the collateral damage walking about, I'm gonna have to hold back when the drek hits the fan. Maybe I shoulda bought those baby bullets after all. At least with gel rounds I wouldn't have to reign it in so much. Too late now.* Despite his frustrations, O'Connor did take a bit of time to enjoy the novelty of his current surroundings. He'd never had thought that, at any point in his life, he'd be inside the Needle or on set of an upcoming blockbuster. He was enjoying the movie set bit the most, he couldn't wait to make Darrell jealous over it. The scene sounded by the numbers, but O'Connor watched action movies for the explosions, not inventive scripts.
Once Sammy suggested leaving people with the cases, O'Connor nodded, "I got it covered. We can't know for certain where any thieves will come from, but we damn well know where they'll go. And there's no way in hell I'm gonna be in the wrong spot when the action starts."
-
The screaming, the over abundance of fans, the countless support staff... That was exactly what frustrated Clem. She had chosen a life in the shadows partly to avoid this chaos that SINners go through everyday and here she was, amongst them all. When she heard Big Ben's description of the scene, the ork rolled her eyes and went in the back to change the ammunition in her handgun to stick & shock rounds. Next to her, Sammy was doing some magic stuff Clem had no idea about. She decided to take a look around the room where the armour cases were, just out of curiosity.
"I'll go with Con" said the woman, recognizing the logic behind O'Connor's words, but also taking any opportunity to get away from the big crowd.
[spoiler]Perception 4 + Intuition 3 + Perceptive 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 + Actively Looking 3 (15d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4563363/) no glitches[/spoiler]
-
Sam left the tactical aspects of security to the others in the group; he knew that he'd just get in the way if he tried to do their jobs. Instead, he started moving around, getting a feel for the people nearby and how this new part of society flowed.
[spoiler]
Etiquette for "fitting in": 13d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4566158/) (four ones--no glitch)
Perception (visual specialization): 10d6.hits(5)=4, 2d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4566166/)
Basically, Sam's schmoozing. If he can, he'll talk to Pandora or Green Tie, but he's really wanting to get a feel for the crowd, in case he finds someone who feels "off".
[/spoiler]
-
Back at the van raid...
"Oh, bloody hell." The moment Slade's people wouldn't give him root access on the van, he knew something like this was going to happen. There wasn't any choice but to let everyone else worry about dealing with the grab crew - Fionn had his own problems to deal with; he needed to secure the van to get it moving again and knock the enemy hacker out of the game. Not gonna get this done fast enough on my own... Have to take care of the van myself, can't take time to find this guy before he gets blasted... Gods help me, I think I need the hound. He braced himself for the pain - this one had a history with harsh exchanges, and generally meted out the same.
Yet the pain never came, and somehow that left him feeling far more ill at ease. He'd gotten the better of far too many of these bargains of late, and couldn't help but wonder when the other shoe would drop. All the same, he forced his mind into the present and onto the task at hand.
"I am yours to command for the moment, young one." The sprite's appearance made the 'young one' comment seem strange - to see it walk down the street, it would seem no older than 16 - but of course its appearance was but one face of this being, the early days of his grand legend.
"Friends and comrades of mine are being set upon by an unseen foe. I would ask that you seek out this interloper and end his work, while I endeavor to reverse his efforts." The sprite was worldless in his assent, but he set about his task. Placing his trust in the otherworldly warrior, he set about his own task - breaking through the van's firewalls was a relatively simple task, and once he was in it was a simple enough matter to slave the vehicle to his wetware, preventing the attacker from doing any further harm without going through him first. He wasted no time giving the team the all-clear to get moving as soon as possible, though by then a very frustrated warrior was reporting that the "craven wretch" had fled. Some kid hitting easy targets, probably - far easier a target than they ever should have been. "Hardly a surprise. If you could keep watch, guard us against any further threat to our charge, I would be most grateful."
Fionn didn't quite manage to mask his smirk at the cliched scene, but he did manage to mask it as something funny in chatter about the shoot. He was way out of his element here - last time he saw this much work go into faking something, it was for a psych expriment. Best thing for him to do would be to stay out of the way, not try to predict the flow of room.
"I'll see what I can do from my side, stay off to the side somewhere." Fionn made inquiries about getting access to camera feeds for the site, and then found himself a quiet corner to alternate between scanning the crowd for anything out of sorts, and scanning through any data he can get ahold of to try to get advance notice on anything going pear-shaped while the sprite he'd summoned at the smash-and-fail kept watch on the Matrix side.
[spoiler]Compile Rating 6 Paladin Sprite (14d6.hits(5)=4, 6d6.hits(5)=1, 12d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4565481/)[/spoiler]
-
SAMMY
You are in the middle of making your preparations when you are roughly grabbed and spun around and pulled into a bone crushing hug. “What are you doing here sweetie! I haven’t seen in an AGE!” The troll who has you holds you at arm’s length and you realize both who this is and how she knew you.
Minnie Maxx is one of the unsung legends of trideo productions; she has been around FOREVER and has worked with every serious talent that was not a human or an elf, making good use of a minor magical talent for bio-awareness. Her work on body image and sculpture for the “less attractive” races brought her wide acclaim. Nowadays she works in a supervisory capacity, but Sam was one of her “successes” after working with her on “Up The Well”.
“Samantha I didn’t see you on the casting list, how are you here? Wait, those clothes, dearie are you doing manual labor!?!?!?” Minnie looks horrified at the thought.
TORLEY
You easily manage to find your groove, Hollywood types are known to be the shallowest of the shallow, as long as you understand that everyone walks the razor’s edge of fitting in, you are fine. You are working your way through room and manage to verify that everyone is who they seem to be. You manage to infiltrate the orbit of Green Tie, whose real name is Richard Fermin, though not for long as when he sees you and notes your clothing he quickly dismisses you with a drink and snack order from the Craft Services table.
REST OF THE PARTY
Once the initial discomfort of the stuntmen not wanting to dress in from of Clementine is dealt with/ignored, you quickly find yourself feeling, for the most part, like you are constantly in someone’s way. Everything you stand in front of or sit on seems to be someone’s immediate focus that they have to get to or do something with. Fionn especially, since he is out on the main set, can find anywhere to take a minute and focus on his task. This goes on for the better part of an hour as the sets and lights are made ready.
-
O'Connor started off vigilant, standing at his post, ready to blow away anybody that came into the room. But not long into it, he paced about the room, stopped to sit on one of the cases, fidgeted for awhile, then started over with more pacing. He was worse at sitting still than a fussy toddler on a sugar high. He was even worse at waiting for trouble than going out and finding/starting it.
He was getting restless and the small handful of brain cells that could provide cool, measured, thoughts told him to calm down. At this rate, he wasn't going to hold back when the drek hit the fan. He turned to Clem as a source of distraction, "Hey Clem, lemme ask ya somethin'. As a mundy, do spirits give ya the willies?"
He also sent a text to Torely, ~Hey, good job with those thieves. Didn't think I'd ever owe ya one after a scrap. For the hood, I'll cover a 1/3.~
-
"I don't do trids anymore," Sammy said. While she was wearing her goggles and respirator, but there were people with an uncanny memory for people, not to mention that her aura would still look the same.
"I now do the real stuff," she said, pointing to where Pandora was rehearsing some of her moves, "not as flashy, but much more interesting."
'If you can call waking up naked in the middle of the mountains fun, of course,' she didn't add aloud.
"Maybe I'll do a book about it one day," she added.
-
"As much as the next one" answered Clem to O'Connor. She wasn't ready to tell him about past issues with spirits, and certainly not at this time when she had to be alert to her surroundings. The way he was pacing around did freak her out a bit, and she simply asked him straight out "Do you need a fix, Con?"
-
O'Connor rolled his eyes at the brevity of Clem's answer, *You might have better people skills if you used more than six words at a time.* He was a bit offended by her accusation but kept it out of his voice, "Nah, I just don't idle well. You wired up?" He flailed his arms a bit to pantomime the nervous system, "My version doesn't come with an off switch. I'm always going full speed."
-
The ork shrugged a bit while answering "I'm cool, don't worry about me." Nothing in her tone nor her body language was betraying any emotion, which seemed oddly natural for Clem. She got back to her firearm and, without looking at O'Connor, simply said "This uniform doesn't suit me."
-
O'Connor chuckled a bit, "Preaching to the choir. How'd we get talked into this? If this job doesn't last past tomorrow, then all it does is pay for these damn things."
-
"I don't do trids anymore," Sammy said. While she was wearing her goggles and respirator, but there were people with an uncanny memory for people, not to mention that her aura would still look the same.
"I now do the real stuff," she said, pointing to where Pandora was rehearsing some of her moves, "not as flashy, but much more interesting."
'If you can call waking up naked in the middle of the mountains fun, of course,' she didn't add aloud.
"Maybe I'll do a book about it one day," she added.
The troll looks physically hurt when you mention leaving the business. "Samantha, you mustn't say such things. I know you have to feel hurt missing on that award, but you have to keep at it, if not for you, then for your people, for ME!" Minnie, you remember, was always a lot more into the metahuman right movement. Given her age, it is understandable, she really was a pioneer in the movie industry.
"You need to come sit with me and tell me where your head is at, this will not do at all."
-
"It's not the Oscar," Sammy said, "it was just time to do something else."
It actually was trying to find her sister that pushed her in the shadows and now she liked the tension and suspence, which you didn't have on the trids. And as far as putting up with characters like O'Conner, some producers and directors in Hollywood were worse, although in a different way, but worse nevertheless.
"I don't mind chatting," she continued, "but first I have to do do some security stuff for those props. Like putting a spirit around them."
She tried again to put up the spirit.
-
Almost an hour goes by as lighting and costume issues are dealt with before Ben shouts, “Quiet on the set!”
Minnie immediately stops in mid conversation and turns in the bar stool to observe the scene, it gives Sammy a chance to think of the job for moment. Something odd has been bothering her about the setup, but her old friend’s chatter had kept her from really putting her mind to it.
She is not the only one concerned; Fionn had done his best to find someone who could help him access the restaurant’s systems. He had just hit his last dead-end, an assistant to an assistant technical director that was supposed to be able to contact the site security liaison, he had just gotten off the his comm and was trying to explain some unusual situation to the technomancer when the troll called for quiet.
The scene starts. Jenny Freelance walks into a semi-quiet restaurant from the elevator. She looks out the window before sitting down with a nervous-looking man in a white-collared shirt.
“So,” she asks, “what’s the problem?”
He takes a drink. “We need your skills to retrieve an item in Africa. We can pay your standard fee, but we need you to move at utmost haste.”
“Sure. What’s the job, and why the rush?”
“There’s an important map that’s up for sale, called the Piri Reis map. We want you to retrieve it, either from the auction house, or from the buyer. The trouble is, others know of its importance as well.”
Jenny is about to say her line, when an elevator dings.
The noise is like a lightbulb going on for Sammy and Fionn. Sammy realizes in that moment that she didn’t see a security ward around the building when she spoke to her spirit on the astral earlier. Fionn realizes someone had to have fouled with protocols, there was not a single person from the building in the room. These epiphanies come a moment to late though.
The elevator doors in the Lake Union room open, and out comes a small mob of crazed fans. They immediately fan out, shouting for Pandora. It’s not your job to round up the fans, but then you realize that you don’t see any Horizon security around to stop them either.
(Sammy, Torley and Fionn are in rounds. Please roll initiative and declare you general intent, but no action rolls just yet. Because of their position, O’Connor and Clem have no way of knowing this is out of the ordinary, so they are not in rounds.)
-
The crowd screaming their way to the set engulfs Sammy and carries her bodily to the other end of the bar on the Puget room side, though she manages to keep herself upright and maintain her view of the area protected by her spirit.
Fionn observes the cast and crew shift their collective expression from confusion, to disturbed, and some, onto fearful as the wave of fans comes into sight, clearly believing this scene could turn ugly quickly. He also notes the electronic interference that is getting stronger by second.
Sam notes the nature of the mob and almost subconsciously begins to back away from it, even as he also notes some that of the stragglers appear to coming out of it. Even though it is notable there is not that much of a change, it is kind of like waking from a good dream to realize you have been locked in a toy store at night.
From the corner of hi his eye, Sam also notes three individuals dressed similarly to the mob, but coming from the hall behind him and not from the elevator.
First Pass:
Fionn
spirit
Torley
Sammy
-
As Fionn works to break through the electronic interference, the reddish mist of Sammy's spirit coalesces in the physical, O'Connor and Clem see a group of random individuals (clearly not ones working on the movie) shove and tumble into the area.
A female elf in this group feels the touch of mist and LOSES HER MIND, screaming and crawling back up over the group to get away. As she pushes her way out, the last member of the group looks from her to O'Connor, recognizing your team member. O'Connor knows him from the Barrens too, he is a pale ork, called "The Swede" (real name Nilson) because his heritage. He didn't run in the ganger scene, coming up working muscle for other no-goods, but very serious about his ink, which is how O'Connor knows him.
He and another ork are armed with stun batons, and though they are dressed similar to the wide eyed fans, they are clearly not under the same influence.
(Note to Clem and O'Connor- there is a LOT of people in rather close quarters, weapons fire in burst mode WILL hit unintended targets)
Torley, over by the wall of the room, has been noticed by the third member of the group, a human who stabs at him with a stun baton.
(OOC: Need IC posts from the three with actions this round, as well as what Sammy is doing in her second pass. If Torley is doing a full defense, that needs to be rolled. Once that is figured out, if Torley is still standing, we can get to his action, and start the new round. Necro and Hydro can feel free to chime in with their characters reactions if they want to just don't take any other actions.)
-
[spoiler]
Just because, if I were the GM, this is the process I'd ask Sam's player to go through:
Composure: 8d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4580696/)
The RAW don't give much indication of what threshold to use for composure tests, but Sam's CP raises the bar by 1. That said, three hits seems reasonable--to me--for him to keep his head, so he'll go ahead and go on full defense (dodging); if he'd rolled less well, I'd have just had him dodge, but not go full defense:
Dodge+Dodge+Reaction: 8d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4580702/) :o
Um, wow...?
[/spoiler]
Sam saw the goon pull out the baton, and was twisting away almost before he had time to realize what was going on.
-
O'Connor smiled when the spirit made itself visible, "Looks like someone's crashing the party." As people came pouring in, he stood and faced the door, though made no other move. He might not care so much about collateral damage, but he doubted anyone else felt the same way. He wondered what caused the woman to flip her shit, but he stopped caring once he saw the ork known as The Swede. He smiled at the ork, inviting him to make his move.
-
First it was the spirit, and after it was a sea of over zealous fans. Clementine quickly put things together in her head, spotting the ork that stood out at the same time as O'Connor did. She responded to his comment by saying "Let's crash theirs instead" and making mental preparations to engage both the mob and their assailants. A small moment of relief overcame her, as she was thankful she had had the foresight to switch to non-lethal rounds just before.
-
@Clem: "Comms jammed; only you and I still online. Too coordinated to be coincidence, must be smokescreen. You and Con should probably get to the armour - getting caught up away from it might play to the other side's plan. If you can, might be best to avoid dropping bodies - draw the wrong kind of attention otherwise." He was being intentionally terse - no time to be long-winded in this situation.
In the meantime, he contacted the patrolling sprite. @Paladin Sprite: "Any news? Things are going upside-down in the physical realm."
-
TORLEY
The ebony man facing Sam clearly did not expect such a ridiculously desperate effort to dodge his thrust. the prod held in a heavily scarred hand and arm withdrawing for a more cautious strike.
FIONN
The Paladin looks vaguely insulted, "I was tasked to defend and alert you of any attack. You have not been alerted, thusly, it should be clear that you haven't been attacked. You meat world difficulties are no concern to me."
-
After she had given her spirit the order to scare the group away, which it started doing, she had to escape herself. The flow of people she was in brought her close to the bar and she saw her chance. Never the most athletic of people, she had done some working out for certain roles. When she was close to the bar she grabbed one person and used it as a leverage to launch herself over the bar. And if it worked she could use it as cover to start stunning people. always useful to have someone who you could talk to later. And she could keep an eye on the armours as well, just in case someone got ideas.
-
O'Connor nodded to the ork he knew as The Swede, "Hey, I recognize you, The Swede right? And you seem to recognize me, O'Connor the Bullet Storm. That's good, 'cause now you get to save you and yours an ungodly amount of pain." He flicked his wrist, depositing his pistol into his right hand. He aimed the weapon at The Swede's legs, "You know what I'm capable of, and you might know what Lightning of the Storm here can do, especially to joints. You ever seen what an explosive round does to someone's knee?"
[spoiler]
Charisma 2 + Intimidate 1 + Custom Look 2 + Notoriety 6 = Pool 11
11d6.hits(5) → [1,2,4,6,4,5,2,4,6,6,3] = (4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4583511/)
[/spoiler]
-
Now she was safe behind the bar, at least for those idiots, it was time to start checking why this was happening. She had met her share of crazy fans in her time and there was something odd about these. Normally a few shoves from security made them behave and the materialisation of a spirit often did the same as well, people being scared of spirits. While her spirit was continuing it's service by scaring people, she shifted her view to the astral and tried to see if there was something magical that was influencing these people.
Unfortunately while she did see there was some magical influence, she couldn't see what it was. the emotions of the people, plus the studio people and her spirit had influenced the astral so it was impossible to see more. She shifted her view back to the material plane. Now it was time to start stunning people.
-
Seeing O'Connor talking to the pale-looking ork, Clem got her handgun ready and aimed it at the other ringleader, keeping her sights on him and ready to shoot at a moment's notice. While doing that, she was trying to keep aware of her surroundings and always kept the armours at the forefront of her mind.
-
[spoiler]
Composure: 8d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4590351/)
[/spoiler]
Sam felt remarkably calm, given that there was someone attacking him. Watching the thug with the cattle prod pulling back to swing again, he suddenly remembered Lyra, and something she'd said when he'd joined the society--she'd told him that they were pretty sure one of his "powers" was the ability to tell people to do things. I hope you're right about this, he thought to himself, and then focused as much as he could into a quick shout: "Drop your weapon!"
[spoiler]
Commanding voice, complex action. Sam's Leadership + Charisma vs. the target's Leadership + Willpower.
Leadership (4) + Charisma (6): 10d6.hits(5) = 5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4590386/)
If Sam wins, the target either obeys or stands confused.
[/spoiler]
-
Clem, gun pointing at an ork with a mohawk, was waiting for him to make a move. As soon as she saw him rush through the crowd with a stun baton, she was ready for him. She took a breath, stabilizing her aim and shot at him.
[Spoiler]Agility 7 + Firearms 4 + Vision Enhancement 3 + Take Aim 1 (15d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4590924/) no glitches. The ammo is Stick n Shock, so I'll let you apply the proper modifiers. DV would be 5 plus whatever hits[/Spoiler]
-
Sammy is suddenly having a very bad day, she feels the mental link with her spirit broken and as she turns to check it sees an athletic and dangerous looking Anglo in cowboy boots coming at her with a stun baton. (OOC: roll defense)
Torley’s command resonates through the area, and he sees several people drop the items they are holding. O’Connor and Clem even see a couple of the stuntmen who looked like they were looking to stab at the spirit with their kantanas drop them in haste.
The black man Sam was talking to is also startled and drops his baton, but then gets angry and goes for the massive automatic pistol holstered on his belt.
The shout somewhat drains O’Connor’s attempt to intimidate his foe, but the Swede feels a bit of the effect, with an incredulous, “You named your gun?” the big man stabs a shaky stun baton at him. (OOC: defense roll)
Mohawk sees the pistol and jukes his charge, pulling a human gender-bending cosplayer in front of the shot. “Johnny Freelance” immediately drops, doing the kickin’chicken’.
Crew members for the movie are quickly overwhelmed by the wave of humanity as they corner Pandora into her booth, screaming her name and reaching out to her with pens and cameras and outstretched hands.
(Begin second passes)
-
O'Connor scowled at the Swede as he sidestepped to his right, "Of course I did! I've put a lot of thought, care, and cred into my weapons. They're far more than just guns now. You're lucky I didn't bring Unrelenting Torrent, you might still make it out of here only missing a leg. I am going to blow apart your kneecap now, just so you know." Making good on that promise would have to wait though, he'd hoped to stall long enough to line up a clean shot, but best laid plans and all that. O'Connor took his finger off the trigger and swung his pistol down, aiming for the Swede's elbow, hoping to get him to drop the baton.
[spoiler=Clubs]
Agility 5 + Clubs 3 + Edge 3 - Disarm 4 = Pool 7
7d6.hitsopen(5,6) → [[6, 4],2,2,[6, 2],2,3,5] = (3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4595658/)
[/spoiler]
-
Clem squinted, a "tsk" the only indication she was frustrated the ork had dodged her shot. Lining up her second shot, she fired once more at the man with the pink Mohawk, resolved to tag him at least once.
[spoiler]Agility 7 + Firearms 4 + Vision Enhancement 3 (14d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4595755/) no glitches [/spoiler]
-
Mohawk dodges Clem's shot again, but that is the only good news for the bad guys.
Two different attackers lose their stun batons, one intentionally as the Swede's hand temporarily rendered numb by the pistol whip. The other is quite the accident as Cowboy Boots slips on a wetspot and Sammy inelegant defense manages to send the weapon into an ice bin. (bad guy glitched)
-
She knew her spirit had gone, but there was something more urgent now, like Some guy taking a swing at her. That was something she could not tolerate. So she started chanting and moving like she had learned at the Club, lobbing a stunbolt at her attacker. That'll teach the bastard a lesson, she thought.
-
When Sammy casts the spell, the man attacking her seems to shrug it off, and swings a vicious backhand her way.
Torley also needs to defend himself, as the scarred man gives him a pistol-whipping.
-
Sam tried to twist away from the goon swinging the gun.
[spoiler]
Ok, as I was considering my options, I realized that Sam had used full defense in the previous round, which should have prevented him from using the commanding voice power (since he should have given up his next complex action). Oops. Since I don't think we want to retcon the stuff that's happened since, I'm just going to do a normal dodge:
Dodge: 5d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4603550/)
Damage Resistance (body 3, Armor Vest 4; no other armor): 7d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4603558/)
[spoiler]
-
Torley barely avoids the attack, the barrel of the pistol scraping his nose telling me how close it was.
Sammy isn't so lucky, but the tough ork takes it like a champ for no damage
Third passes.
-
With the Swede's weapon out of play, O'Connor took the opportunity to close with the ork and aimed for his kneecap before firing.
[spoiler]
Pistols 4 + Agility 5 + Smartlink 2 + Take Aim 1 + Point Blank 2 - Melee 3 - Called Shot 4 = Pool 7
7d6.hits(5) → [6,4,3,4,4,5,1] = (2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4608278/)
DV: 5 + net
[/spoiler]
-
It is quite possible the freakiest drek O'Connor has ever seen, the round drives into the thick knee of the ork, the surface fragmentation shredding his pant leg, but instead of blowing his kneecap off, the entire knee area immediately balloons out three times its size. When the Swede's brain registers the pain it is going to be something else, and there is no way that joint will move again anytime soon.
-
Clem, clenching her jaw and trying to avoid any of the fans blocking her way, aims once more at her target and shoots another round, rage building inside of her.
[Spoiler]Firearms 4 + Agility 7 + Vision Enhancement 3 (14d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4608598/) no glitches, always with the S&S rounds. Hopefully this time it'll connect.[/spoiler]
-
Ork-on-ork violence is again given a reprieve as Mohawk continues to dodge Clem's fire.
4th pass, O'Connor?
-
O'Connor wasn't sure how Swede's knee did what it did, but it didn't really matter. O'Connor made a declaration that the Swede was gonna be missing a leg, and the drekhead was going to be missing a leg. O'Connor lined up another shot on the kneecap and fired.
[spoiler]
Pistols 4 + Agility 5 + Smartlink 2 + Take Aim 1 + Point Blank 2 - Melee 3 - Called Shot 4 = Pool 7
7d6.hits(5) → [3,5,6,4,2,2,5] = (3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4612705/)
[/spoiler]
-
Neither runner had noticed in all the chaos around them the iBall microdrone that had rolled into the room, so when it zipped over for the best angle to pop it's flash-pak in O'Connor's face, it was a complete surprise.
Though his flare compensator cut the glare in half, it still spoiled his shot enough to keep him from making good on his threat this time.
New Initiatives.
-
O'Connor gave the iBall an affronted look after it messed up his shot, and he retaliated with a swift kick.
[spoiler]
Agility 5 + Unarmed 3 = Pool 8
8d6.hits(5) → [2,2,1,4,1,1,5,6] = (2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4623993/)
[/spoiler]
-
The pink Mohawk being close enough now, Clem put away her handgun and took out her stun baton, ready for the ork's next move.
-
O’Connor goes to placekick the strobing drone like he was kicking a field goal for the Seahawks, but was still having difficulties with the strobe effect itself. So he missed the little ball zooming forward as he went to plant his foot and turning his kick into an unintentional backflip.
There seems to be some kind of cosmic sitcom that has begun starring Clem and O’Connor that they are not privy to, because as O’Connor’s boot traces an arc over his head he sees Clementine begin to juke to her right ahead of Mohawk’s stabbing her with a stun baton. The intersection of boot and ork head is right at the temple, and the rest of the crash of the two bodies ends with a pileup that leaves you both prone.
Mohawk easily adjusts his thrust and Clem feels the jolt coursing through her.
O’Connor once again feel the weight of a body crashing down one him. This time, instead of animal rage and ripping flesh filling his ears, it is a metahuman screaming as he tries to crush O’Connor’s throat. “MY KNEE!!! YOUSONOVASLITCHGONNABREAKYAFRAGGINNECK!!”
Not a whole lot of difference actually.
(Both of you defend from Melee, no full defense possible, -2 for being prone)
-
Clem, bracing herself for Mohawk's attack, never saw O'Connor coming. Hit from behind, she only had time to wonder what had happened before finding herself on the ground, looking at Mohawk from a weak position, attempting to dodge his jab.
[spoiler]Agility 7 + Close Combat 4 - Prone 2 (9d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4628662/) no glitches[/spoiler]
-
As O'Connor flipped through the air, his subconscious decided to mock him by dredging up half remembered images of Charlie Brown. After landing on the ground, he was in a bit of stupor still trying to comprehend what had happened. He was brought out of his stupor by the Swede. O'Connor did his best to avoid the assault, which from a prone position amounted mostly to squirming and flailing, "Get the frag offa me, drekhead!" He mentally sighed, *I'm a ranged fighter, how do I keep finding myself in ground-and-pounds?*
[spoiler]
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Skill (Dodge) 2 - Prone 2 = Pool 15
15d6.hits(5) → [3,3,4,1,1,3,1,6,3,5,5,6,2,1,5] = (5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4628647/)
[/spoiler]
-
In spite of of her attempt, Clem feels the prongs of the other ork's weapon make contact. (9S total, plus elec)
In spite of his odd position, O'Connor ALMOST slips away. He finds himself in an oddly inverted half-crab arm bar, with the pulpy ruined mass of Swede's former knee weeping fluids onto his face as he is pinned down. (Subdued)
-
Clem, disoriented from the fall, tries to move away from her attacker but is electrocuted from a direct hit to the side of her ribcage. The ork groans from the shock of the damage, but quickly tries to shrug off the pain and the numbness she feels from the attack.
[spoiler]Body 5 + Willpower 3 + 1/2 Impact Armour 6 (11d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4630681/) no glitches. Finally a good roll!
Body 5 + 1/2 Impact Armour 6 (8d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4630899/) no glitches[/spoiler]
-
Sam could hear gunshots and screaming nearby. Sounds like the gun nuts are having fun. Hopefully they'll finish up soon and some help me with this freak, he thought to himself. Oddly enough, he found that he was actually starting to enjoy himself, now that the initial shock of being attacked was wearing off. With a quick feint at the goon's face, he instead swung as hard as he could at his right knee.
[spoiler]
Sam's poor self control is going to get him into trouble someday...quite possibly very, very soon. :-\ But he is what he is.
Attack to knock down (risky, I know, but probably Sam's best chance to get out of this alive): 7d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4630978/)
If that hits and his strength--2--plus net hits is greater than the goon's body score, the knock down succeeds. Either way, Sam will start moving towards the room that Clem & O'Connor are in.
[spoiler]
-
The utter audacity of what might be the very first, and last, offensive action by Samuel Torley almost managed to take the street hardened warrior in front of him by surprise, ALMOST.
The scarred fighter attempts to drop a pistol butt on Torley's skull as he follows. 6d6.hits(5)=2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4639824/)
(OOC: Full turn movement will carry Torley to the door by the end of the present turn, if he is not beaten down before then, but that will be after all of the actions the gun-bunnies have to take)
Over behind the bar, Sammy's attacker confidently moves to retrieve his stun baton from the ice bin and check it's functionality, giving the ork mage a chance to slap the panic button she sees under the bartop and prepare to return to the fight. From this angle she notes that her summoned spirit has not yet departed, the red mist still hanging over the wall where all the screaming and shooting is coming from, leading her to the conclusion that the enemy mage not only broke her connection to her spirit but established one of his own.
(OOC: Sammy's up)
-
Now he was distracted a bit, it was time to try and take him out again. She gathered the mana again and started gesturing, lobbing another stunbolt towards the guy in front of her.
-
Failing to knock the thug's leg out from under him was disappointing, but not much of a surprise. I really ought to practice that more, he thought to himself as he started heading for the doorway. From the side, he saw the thug swinging his gun towards his head; barely breaking stride, he smoothly stepped to the side, avoiding the blow.
[spoiler]
Dodge 3 + Reaction 2:
5d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4640207/)
[/spoiler]
-
The cowboy turns as Sammy's spell reaches him. It looks for a second like he was going to soak it again, but his eyes roll back in his and he drops to the floor soundlessly.
A scream rises out the crowd that has completely obscured Sammy's view of Pandora as the starlet emerges spider-climbing up out of the booth into the windowsill, her head off-kilter and hair taunt in a line from the fist of one of fans closest to her. Braver crewmembers have started to grab at some of the crowd, but are not anywhere close to being able to help the girl, and badly outnumbered.
The scene to Sammy's eyes is akin to Romero-esque zombie trid.
(Still waiting on Fionn, begin second passes)
-
O'Connor struggled against the Swede's hold, "Alright, I'm done playin' nice! When I get out of this, I'm gonna carve out your fraggin' heart and shove it up your hoop!"
[spoiler]
6d6.hits(5) → [6,3,5,2,5,2] = (3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4646435/)
[/spoiler]
-
"What the drek was that?" asked Clem out loud, the message clearly intended for O'Connor. She then got up to her feet and tried to get her bearings straight, ready to pounce on Mohawk at the next opportunity.
[Spoiler] So that's getting back up into a proper fighting position and making sure she still has her stuff with her, more importantly het stun baton[/spoiler]
-
The scarred man stops long enough to get his baton and then gives chase to Torley.
(OOC : STILL WAITING ON RHAT. Sammy and then the bunnies extra actions.)
-
Now her direct attacker was down and she was still standing behind the bar, a bit protected from the rest of the crowd, it was time to focus on taking away whatever influence was holding these people. She hoped that this would also bring back common sense to the group attacking Pandora. So she switched her sight to astral to search for the mage to lob a stunbolt at him. She could also use this moment to take a closer look at the spirit.
[Spoiler]
2 simple actions: observe in detail on the astral: 1 to have a closer look at the spirit and then to search for the mage (who has to be in the room somewhere).
intuition 3 + assensing 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=1, 6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4652349/)
1hit but glitch on the spirit, 2 hits on searching for the mage via his/her astral signature.
[/spoiler]
-
This close to the crowd, Astral Space is a riot of emotions, making it difficult to pick out any details, but Sammy can finally see the mage on the astral, he is sustaining multiple spells and has indeed stolen control of her spirit from her. The shock to her heightened perceptions causes her to involuntarily cry out which draws the attention of the mage and his grin is absolutely maniacal.
(O'Connor and Clem, take your third and fourth passes)
-
O'Connor, in his successful effort to free himself from the hold, didn't even register Clem's question. He quickly scrambled to his feet. A wicked grin spread across his face as he drew his knife with his free hand. It didn't take a genius to figure out O'Connor's next move.
[spoiler]
Third Pass
Stand, and Ready Weapon (survival knife)
Fourth Pass
Agility 5 + Blades 3 = Pool 8
8d6.hits(5) → [5,1,5,3,4,4,4,1] = (2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4654486/)
[/spoiler]
-
Clem tried to shrug off the disorientation she was feeling and swung at her attacker with her stun baton, her body reminding itself of her training rather than her rationalising her movements.
[spoiler]Agility 7 + Close Combat Group 4 - Shocked 2 - Wound Modifiers 1 (8d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4654506/) no glitches. Just so I know how long to apply the shock modifier for, Mohawk got 2 net hits on Clem, right?[/spoiler]
-
(OOC: Both of you are missing the -2 for the strobe from the drone, it didn't affect your rolls but be aware it is there.)
Clementine finally lands a solid shot on Mohawk, who looks hurt but is not out of the fight, O'Connor is not so lucky as The Swede manages to deflect the blade into the floor.
Torley comes crashing into the room with the scarred fighter in close pursuit, armed with pistol and stun baton as the round ends.
(OOC: Roll initiative)
-
The first indication there is a problem is an odd taste on the back of O'Connor's tongue, like the feed tube he had down his throat when he woke up after the Donnellys jumped him into their gang in prison. He started to spit it out but he couldn't draw a breath, couldn't even move or talk as his vision shifted and he was lifted off the ground slightly.
surprise check for spirit turn (14d6.hits(5)=6, 11d6.hits(5)=5, 8d6.hits(5)=1, 7d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4658234/)
Spirit has surprise this round on all in the armor area, no one can act against it for their first pass. (Or in Torley's case, at all)
11d6.hits(5)=2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4658250/)
O'Connor, resist 2x 6S attacks with Body only, no actions in your first pass since you are Engulf-ed and can't act against the spirit until second IP
Clem, first pass action.
-
Clementine, glad her last attack connected, tried to hit Mohawk once more in an attempt to finish him off quickly and move on.
[spoiler]Agility 7 + Close Combat 4 - Shocked 2 - Wound Modifier 1 - Strobe 2 (6d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4659174/) no glitches[/spoiler]
-
Mohawk parries but not far enough and the second jolt is enough to put him down, as he falls you lock eyes with the scarred black man in the doorway. A good deed never goes unpunished, neh?
Torley, then Sammy, but feel free to act out of order since you are separated.
-
Sammy had seen the mage, and now it was time to do something about said mage, as dropping her would also make the spirit go away. Moving her arms in symbols again, she threw a big stunbolt at him, trying to take him down in one go. It was dangerous, but the only option they had.
force 7 stunbolt.
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4663823/)
reroll non-hits using edge (because with 2 hits I'll never make it):
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 reroll edge (9d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4663824/)
6 hits in total, resist with willpower
DV: 7 + net hits
drain 2P:
logic 4 + willpower 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4663826/)
no drain
-
As soon as he entered the room, Sam's eyes were looking for somewhere he could get out of the way and let Clem and O'Connor deal with his "friend". Spotting the armor cases, he dove to get behind them.
[spoiler]
Though this may be tempting fate/the GM (since this may or may not be necessary), I'll go ahead and take a gymnastics roll for this:
4d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4664088/) (defaulting)
[spoiler]
-
"Well I guess I can drop one spell since you can see me." the mage said as he almost contemptuously slapped your spell aside, becoming plainly visible as he did so.
10d6.hits(5)=7 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4668894/)
Now that he was visible, the runner mage looks for all the world like a punker Ang, the Last Airbender, The blue arrows on his bald head and forearms pulsing and moving in holographic neon.
"The name is Pusher, and you should really quit while you can. You might have dropped Harris, but you ain't got the skillz to sling mojo with me."
Back over by the armor, the scarred man had taken cover in the doorway and popped off two quick shots at Clem.
6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4669143/)
On the set, the screams from Pandora grew more desperate as more hands sought to grab her, and the sound of ripping fabric exposed her arm.
(OOC second passes
-
The scarred man took 2 shots at Clem, with the first one connecting and the second one grazing her. Shrugging off the sting from the first hit, she decided to go after her new attacker, running towards him and trying to strike him down with her baton. While she was running towards her target, she yelled "Con's down" to Sammy, attempting to let her know what the situation was on their side of the battlefield.
[spoiler]Reaction 7 - Shocked 2 - Wounds 1 (4d6.hits(5)=1, 4d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4669445/) no glitches. So the first shot gets one hit, the second one nothing.
Damage resistance with the armor vest and Clem's full-body suit Body 5 + Armour 12 (17d6.hits(5)=9) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4669448/) no glitches
Agility 7 + Unarmed Combat 4 - Strobe 2 - Wounded 1 - Shocked 2 (6d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4671202/) Close, but no glitch.[/spoiler]
-
"Oh shit," Sammy muttered when she saw that Clem hadn't seen the mage, so she would have to take him herself. If magic didn't work, there were always other means. she took out her defiance shocker and fired a taser shot at the mage.
"The mage I'm shooting is the prime targer," she said over the restored comms.
[spoiler]
agility 4 + pistols 1 =5 (5d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4672965/)
damage: 8S + net hits, resist with body + half impact armour.
[/spoiler]
-
Seeing you draw and fire a weapon, Pusher hollers out "Hey, no fair!!" as he dives to put the bar between you, the shot from the taser sizzling past his bald head.
5d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4683294/)
OOC:Third pass from Clem, then initiative.
-
Engaged in combat, Clem only had time to shout "I'm busy here. And someone get that light off of me!" as she tried to take another swing at her opponent.
[Spoiler]Agility 7 + Unarmed Combat 4 - Strobe 2 - Wounded 1 - Shocked 2 (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4683710/) no glitches. How many more rounds will the shocked modifier affect Clem?[/spoiler]
-
The scarred man blocks the stun baton into the wall with his pistol.
"You sure you don't want to take a nap tusker? Seems like you aren't cut out for this line of work." he says with grin.
OOC: New round, roll initiative.
-
Clem quickly tries to dislodge her weapon and takes another attempt at trying to hit the scarred man in front of her, deciding not to address the taunt aimed at her.
[spoiler]Agility 7 + Unarmed Combat 4 - Strobe 2 - Wounds 1 - Shocked 2 (6d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4689355/) no glitches[/spoiler]
-
Clem lands a solid hit on her next stab, though her foe still stands after the triggered shock. "Best ya got slitch? See howya do with a hole in da head." He slurs in response as he prepares to attack in return.
OOC: Sammy's up
-
With the mage ducking away, at least his line of sight to some people would be broken, making things easier later on. But Sammy wanted to take him out first, so she moved to a spot where she could see him again and fired again. Even if she did miss him, it would keep him occupied.
[spoiler]
agility 4 + pistols 1 =5 (5d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4695722/)
damage: 8S + net hits, resist with body + half impact armour.
[/spoiler]
-
This is not going well, Sam thought to himself. He looked at the stuntmen who were huddled nearby, and decided to act.
Grabbing one of the nearby swords, Sam addressed the stuntmen. "Alright, guys, you see the situation. Someone's gone to a lot of trouble to set this up; sounds like they're after Pandora. Security's not here yet, my friends are doing the best they can, but we need your help. I was watching you earlier, and I know you guys have all trained hard. That's real armor you're wearing; we can take these schmucks. Are you with me?" With that, he thrust the hilt of the sword into the hand of the nearest man and brandished his walking stick.
[spoiler]
Trying for a rousing speech, hoping to get the stuntmen to help out. I think that's leadership:
Leadership + charisma: 15d6.hits(5)=7 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4695999/)
Leadership is opposed by leadership + willpower; since I'm working on a group, that's either done by the "leader" of the group, or by the highest dice pool within the group + 2 (since there are two other characters). GM's discretion (SR4a, p.130).
Also, Sam's not skilled with blades, so even if he does end up leading these guys in a heroic charge, he's going to stick with clubbing the goons.
[/spoiler]
-
The scarred man hears Torley's speech and the reaction from the stuntmen, ("YEAH, LET'S GET THOSE FRAGGERS!") and decides that the run is a bust, dropping a gas grenade as he falls back.
Sammy is unable to land the shot on her target because she can't find him.
She starts to look harder when she hears a rip and a bloodcurdling scream from the set, Pandora is now mostly topless and struggling to her feet against the window. Her one bare arm is bleeding, as is her scalp. The prized hank of hair and ripped top visible among the crowd that she is viciously kicking back.
(OOC: additional passes)
-
Clem let the urge to run after the scarred man pass and looked back at the scene, making sure none of the stuntmen (or more importantly, the armours) were in any danger or harm. Once she was sure the area was clear of threats, she told the rest of the team "I'll stay back and keep an eye on the armours, make sure nothing happens on this end. Someone should check what's going on over in the other room."
-
"Time to do something to that crowd," Sammy said. Unfortunately her spells couldn't do anything about the crowd, except frying them but that might not be the best option. But she could do something about the target. She began to cast again, hoping that by making the target invisible, the crowd would stop. And if nothing else, she might use the confusion to get away.
[spoiler]
Cast improved invisibility on Pandora, so the crowd can't find her anymore. I'm not sure if it will work, but it's the only option I have for now.
force 3, as that is the maximum I can put in my focus:
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4696833/)
drain DV2 (F/2 +1):
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4696836/)
no drain
damage: 8S + net hits, resist with body + half impact armour.
[/spoiler]
-
The spell have a striking effect. With no dwarves or trolls in their number, the invisibility leaves the crowd without a target and milling about somewhat confusedly. Pandora is able to take advantage of the confusion, crawling along window around towards Sammy.
When the gas grenade goes off, the billowing tear gas effectively cuts off the stuntman's staging room unless you want to risk the gas or climb the partition.
-
Now Pandora was safe, Sammy switched sight to the astral to have a look at where the enemy mage could be as well as to see what happened to the spirit. While invisibility was all fine, he would still leave a trace on the astral. She also used this way to guide Pandora to her location.
"We need to have a word with building security about their 'speed'," she said over the team channel.
[spoiler]
intuition 3 + assensing 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4696984/)
[/spoiler]
-
Clem couldn't risk any of the crazed fans turn and head for the armours, so she stood close by the entrance and made sure nobody would get in, covering her face as best she could with her clothes as to minimize the effects of the gas grenade. She took the pair of metal restraints she had and tossed them to Torley. "Can you put those on him, we need to ask him some questions later on" said the ork woman, pointing at the attacker she had knocked out earlier.
-
Sam caught the restraints, and as he trussed up the goon with the mohawk, he looked to the three stuntmen. "Alright, men, my name's Torley. Looks like we've got a breather. Any of you know where the rest of your team are?"
-
Sammy is able to determine that the mage apparently escaped with his buddies back down the elevator, the sustained spell on the fans dissipates shortly after this. The security forces also arrive quickly. You will learn later that they had been ordered to positions on the observation level below and hadn't realized that no one had been assigned to the restaurant level before the attack, one of a several security misdirections and breaches that had occured. Knight Errant is also in route thanks to the panic button alert.
Minnie the troll will help Pandora off the window and ask Sammy to keep the spell going until she can get her to her dressing room. Sammy will also determine that the spirit had departed after completing it's stolen services to attack O'Connor.
With the effects of the spell released the fans are left confused and somewhat horrified at their actions, and between the crew and the arriving security they are taken into custody and corralled at the far end of the set for KE to deal with when they arrive. Their number includes an openly weeping teenager, bawling miserably into a double handful of blond hair that she clutches to her face.
In the stuntman's area, the missing actors are found, and as the gas dissipates the other defeated attacker is secured, and O'Conner is also taken from the floor and relocated to a couch. (OOC: Necrogigas can roll recovery )
-
As soon as Pandora was with Minnie in the dressing room, Sammy went to O'Conner. She didn't always agree with his psychopathic ways, but he was still a team member and you helped your team members. She started chanting again and quickly blue light came out of her hands, closing his wounds. She knew she couldn't do everything, but it would at least be a start. The spirit normally only did choking damage, but too much of that can still kill you.
[spoiler]
heal, force 5:
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4697323/)
I heal 3 Physical (I don't know if he had physical, but I think he had some overflow).
drain DV1 (damage value-2):
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4697324/)
No drain.
[/spoiler]
-
Clem put her weapons away once she was satisfied there were no more threats. She helped move O'Connor to the couch and took a breather to try and get her wits back. At the mention of KE being on their way, she said "My papers aren't sorted out on my weapons. With someone as high profile as Pandora being viciously attacked, KE will be under tremendous pressure to find culprits. What easier targets than degenerates like us?" while pointing with her chin at O'Connor.
-
"you were part of our crew and we'll vouch for you, don't worry," Sammy said, "Besides, they will probably be very busy with Pandora, me and some other more well known staff members to have much interest in you."
-
After a celebratory high-five with his impromptu army--and a promise of a round of drinks later--Sam headed over to where the rest of the group was talking. "Well, that was interesting. The armor's still safe, so we're still on track for our payday. Any bets on whether I can talk these rent-a-cops into giving us a bonus for doing their job and saving the star, as well as their asses?" he grinned.
-
"That is your domain, omae" answered Clem to Torley's question. She tried not to show she had been shaken up by the fight, but anyone close to Clem could see she was trying to recover from the encounter, sitting down on the floor next to the couch where O'Connor was lying.
-
Fionn comes into the armor area, escorting a blond elf (Richard Fermin), and three armed security types. Two are from KE and one from set security, the police types take statements and the set guy apologizing for his crew's late response.
Fermin does his best to hang back and waves off any attempts to engage him. He is still a bit disheveled from the scuffle with the fans, but he apparently wanting to hear what the runners are telling the authorities and make his own assessment.
Fionn is the first to explain his part, letting the officiers know about the communications inference as well the electronic tampering and crafted security holes that he had observed in his efforts. He seemed unusually distracted though and as soon as he finished his statement he stepped back and took on the look of somebody who had somewhere else to be.
(OOC: You guys need to make statements. It may seem unusual for some of you (re: O'Connor) but these folks don't seem at all adversarial, it takes you a second to realize why. The uniforms have them fooled into believing you are actually respectable rent-a-cops.)
-
When Knight Errand came to get a statement from Clem, she stayed as voluble as she usually was, which was to say her statement consisted of a few sentences. She had decided not to tell them about why she was really on the premises, so she simply said "A mob of crazed fans entered the building and attacked Pandora. I was trying to make my way through the sea of people to get to her but didn't see what actually happened on that side of the room. By the time I got to the room Pandora was nowhere to be seen and the mob was dispersing, so I decided to help the wounded."
-
O'Connor woke up abruptly, jolting up into a sitting position. He took in the room, somewhat frantically, disorientation clearly evident on his face. The moment he registered KE officers, he twitched his wrist, the first movement to slide a pistol into his hand. He aborted his action though once he realized that the officers didn't have weapons drawn, or seem to be placing them under arrest. One of the officers approached him and asked to take a statement, politely even. O'Connor was very weirded out by the unnaturalness of it. He kept his statement brief, so as to be rid of the friendly cop as soon as possible, "I was guarding this area when a bunch of crazed fans came spilling in, followed by two armed men. I told them to stand down, they didn't. Fight broke out, during which I was...I was...um, I'm not actually sure what happened." He turned to the member of his team, "Care to fill me in?"
-
Sammy made sure that the armours were back in their crates before KE arrived. While realistic looking props were not uncommon, these looked like the real deal and it only took one officer who had worked with the red samurai to get more questions than she was prepared to answer.
"We were guarding some stuff here when a group of mind controlled fans came storming in, trying to assault pandora," she said in her statement, "we managed to take out one of them, but the others got away."
She gave a description of the mage and also a summary of what she thought happened to the people. Not that she knew much, but it might give the magical research division of KE a place to start. Mages who could pull that kind of shit were not all that common, that much she knew.
-
Sam was enjoying himself. He'd gone toe-to-toe with a better-equipped goon and escaped unscathed (unlike O'Connor and Clem), he'd started making friends with the stuntmen, the armor they were supposed to protect was fine, and now he was getting to play a role for the cops as well. And amazingly enough, he had a legitimate reason for being where he was and doing what he'd been doing; it was almost too easy. He told the Knights about the mob and what he'd seen, subtly shading it so he and his team played a lesser role, and highlighting the bravery of the stuntmen.
-
One of the stuntmen taps O'Connor, "Yo Chummer, it was that red misty stuff your wizzy pal over there set up," the guy nodded towards Sammy, "after it spooked that fangirl it kinda froze for a sec then it reached out and kinda wrapped you up in it and choked you out, quick like. Then it just dropped you and faded out, fraggin crazy brah."
Once the Knights got everyone's statement, they conferred at the door with the security super. It looked for a few seconds like they were going to want to go back over the fight again when the blond elf finally reinserts himself into the situation.
"Gentlemen, I think it's time you get the troublemakers off the set and let us get back to making movie magic. I am sure Big Ben is fretting about losing the light." he says smoothly as he escorts them from the area, clearly expecting his instructions to be followed.
He has a quiet word for Fionn, and then leaves the group alone with the stuntmen again.
The Irish elf is still got something bothering him, but he turns to the group, "Once the Knights are gone, Pandora wants a word, I guess a thank you or bonus maybe."
-
O'Connor nodded to the stuntman, "Yeah, no kiddin'. He then turned to Sammy, waiting for an explanation. Since she was a teammate, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, he knew he never gave Red that, but then again, Red couldn't throw fireballs or summon spirits that could curbstomp him.
-
"He took over my spirit, okay," Sammy said when O'Connor looked at her, "he was stronger than I was."
She had heard what the stuntman had said and she was pissed off that it had happened. She would have to see if there was a way to prevent this from happening. She knew there was still a lot to learn and that learning was starting very quickly.
-
O'Connor nodded, accepting Sammy's explanation without further comment. He turned back to the stuntman, "I miss anything cool while I was out?"
-
Clem replied before anyone else could. "Nothing much" said the ork, a cold stare clearly telling O'Connor to be done with his statement so Knight Errand could leave them to their business.
-
After another half hour or so, Minnie comes and retrieves you, bringing some security to cover you while you are having your audience with the star. You walk past the set where clean-up is proceeding, Big Ben is on the phone adjusting schedules and shoot times to accommodate the delay. When you enter the dressing room, Pandora and Fermin are surrounded by security. The elf appears to have some medical training as he’s checking if Pandora has a concussion, though some of you’re a bit distracted as you can finally see Pandora’s beautiful hazel eyes.
The elf leaves Pandora and walks over to you. He greets you, handing out his card, which reads “Richard Fermin, Media Arts Manager, Charisma Associates.”
“We have not been formally introduced, I’m Mr. Fermin from Charisma Associates,” he says as he shakes everyone’s hand. “I appreciate you guys’ help. Pandora also wanted me to express her thanks.” He looks to her and nods. Pandora smiles back as she is escorted out by security, making a point to look at Sammy and mouth a soft “Thank you”.
When she is gone, Fermin continues “I want to go one step further. If we have further incidents due to Ben’s props, I would like to have your group there to handle it. I can offer you a retainer during the filming of Big Ben’s new movie, plus I can set up accommodations while you are working for me.”
-
"And how long will that filming take," Sammy asked while trying to remember what she knew about Mr. Fermin.
[spoiler]
OOC: knowledge roll to see what I know about him. I'm not sure which applies, which is why I rolled both I think might work.
logic 4 + horizon media 2 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4706814/)
intuition 3 + celebrity gossip 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4706815/)
[/spoiler]
-
"When Cowboy Johnson releases us, I don't see why not" answers Clem to the rest of the team.
-
O'Connor shrugged, "No reason not to."
-
SAMMY
You are actually quite familiar with the background on both Fermin and Pandora, who are practically one person these days.
You even had a meeting with him once about changing management, but it was a very casual thing, more of a perfunctory formality after your star began to rise. You and Jenny were already quite close, and Richard and Jenny were also friends, the company just needed to “check the box” that they offered you a chance to trade up if that was what you were looking for.
Richard Fermin is the Media Arts Manager for Pandora. He has been with Charisma Associates since the beginning. Before that he lived in Eugene, Tír Tairngire, where he studied business and fine arts. He became Pandora’s manager a year after her performance in the classic Star Wars series. As her success grew, he dropped many other clients until he was down to a handful, with Pandora as his primary focus. While his job title says media arts manager, he is also her sparring partner, paramedic, and bodyguard when the need arises. This has led to a close relationship between the two.
Pandora is a sim star for Pathfinder Multimedia. Her real name is Rebecca Oswick, and she was born in 2034 in Juneau, Athabaskan Council. Her parents are marine biologists. Her mother is from Quebec, so she learned some French. At the age of seventeen, she headed to San Francisco to look for acting work and hopefully build a career for herself. She worked as a hotel maid and as a courier until her big break at eighteen. Director Allan Ford took a chance, casting young Ms. Oswick as lead actress in a series adapted from classic Star Wars literature. The series was a huge success, and her talent was recognized. Rebecca changed her name to Pandora and continued to play strong female heroines. She’s broken out of the typecasting with the occasional drama and suspense-themed films .
-
Picking up on the rest of the team's general willingness, Sam said, "That's very generous, Mr. Fermin. Naturally, we can't change bosses in the middle of a job, but our contract with our current employer is only for the remainder of the shooting here at the Needle. I only tell you this to ensure that, if we accept your offer, no confusion arises as to who we report to when--I'm sure you understand the value of loyalty and adherence to contracts." He grinned affably, to indicate that the comment was not meant offensively; just a standard disclaimer.
"That said, I do have a few questions. The first being why you think this incident was caused by the props--we have not had a chance to interrogate the ruffian we captured, and most of the miscreants seemed more interested in your leading lady than anything else."
[spoiler]
OOC: Did we have to hand Mohawk over to the Knights?
[/spoiler]
-
OOC: KE has Mohawk.
"All told, the schedule calls for about 2 weeks of dedicated shooting, I supposed we will need to keep an option open to for any delays. I am quite certain Mr Slade will not mind your continued security services in LA, especially if Charisma and Horizon are covering the tab and reimbursement for monies already expended. That said I do admire loyalty---and discretion---when hiring contractors. Since Mr Slade is en route, we can make continued negotiations contingent on his acceptance."
Fermin invites you to sit down while you continue to talk, indicating a low table with refreshments if you are so inclined. Pandora's contract riders for her dressing room include some tasty bits and real fruit juices and alcohol, nothing too pricey, but not cheap either.
"To answer your question, your friend, Mystech..." indicating Fionn, who had remained standing and was not really paying attention until his name was used, "...found what we needed in the Matrix to confirm my read of the situation."
The technomancer continued, still distracted "Yeah, uh, when they finally let me get a good look at the node I was able to find all kinds of spoofed orders canceling or rescheduling or rerouting security." Fionn also sent the team a text as he spoke. <Guys, I can't go to LA. In fact, I need to get out of here, pretty damn quick.>
Fermin continued, "It stands to reason that the only items on this set worth the trouble they went to are your armor and my star, and since the mob wasn't even in their right minds thanks to their wizard, it is pretty safe to assume the attack on Pandora was the distraction."
-
Clem couldn't believe it. "He has to leave?" thought the ork in disbelief. "If you leave in the middle of a run Red, you might never find work in this city again. Word gets around fast about who's reliable and who's a quitter" wrote Clem to Fionn, not including the rest of the team on this message. She had warmed up to the elf, but this lack of professionalism would be enough for her to burn any bridges between him and her, should he leave.
Clem nodded to Torley. She had already made clear that everything had to be approved by the Johnson first, so she didn't feel the need to remind him of that. Besides, she knew Torley felt the same as she did about honouring arrangements, so she let him handle the talking part of things.
-
Sammy got the message on the team comm AR window she had open. She did a reply-all.
'What's going on,' she messaged back while keeping an eye out on the negotiations. Torley was the best in that, but she kept following things in case he needed some specific information, as she knew more about the movie scene.
-
<I am truly sorry, but the detective I was put in touch with has developed some very promising leads about my sister,that I need to look into. I know how bad this looks professionally, but this about family. I don't want to leave you in a lurch, I have a few contacts in the local scene that I have reached out to already, to fill in the matrix support hole, and I will hang around until they are on site, but I can't think about leaving the city right now.>
As the interteam comms fly fast and furious, Mr Fermin pulls out a small datapad for some notes, "So let's see, 2 weeks with an option to keep you longer on site, top notch accommodations, off-grid air travel I assume? Four member team, you will probably need someone on the ground in LA to help smooth the transition. I think a thousand should cover your time and expertise?"
-
O'Connor found Red's text a bit surprising, if not disappointing, *Can't say I'm gonna miss ya* He replied, <[Channel: Team | Type: Text] When's your replacement showing up?>
-
"So if I understand correctly, you're going to take over the contract of Big Ben and extend it for the rest of the filming, even in LA, correct," Sammy asked, just to make sure she understood what was going on.
-
As the interteam comms fly fast and furious, Mr Fermin pulls out a small datapad for some notes, "So let's see, 2 weeks with an option to keep you longer on site, top notch accommodations, off-grid air travel I assume? Four member team, you will probably need someone on the ground in LA to help smooth the transition. I think a thousand should cover your time and expertise?"
When Fermin had indicated the refreshments, Sam poured himself a small glass of one of the better alcohols, then took a seat.
"Two week commitment for a five man team to provide on-site security, room and board. You mention transportation to LA, but what about on-site transportation? We'll need a discrete method of moving our equipment as necessary. We'll also need a per diem to cover incidental expenses; nothing too extravagant--I'd say we shouldn't need more than 200 per day for the team. However, 1000 for the entire two weeks is far too low; our normal fee is more on the order of 1000 per day, each."
-
"Are you new at this?" Fermin smiled, "My offer was per team member, per day. I will arrange for transportation in the city, but I don't think a 20% bump is in the cards when I am handling most of your arrangements anyway. That said, it isn't like I can put you on an expense account. How about a 5k slush fund, lump sum for the team?"
Torley finds a very nice scotch, the bottle worth slightly more than a month's rent.
"Any of your daily duties will still be made through Slade, your fee will simply be paid by Charisma, though I would expect a certain deference obviously for Pandora or myself. Ben has a movie to make, that's the important thing."
-
Sam didn't even blink at the jibe. "No offense, Mr. Fermin, but I've found that it's always best to be as clear as possible when discussing terms. My teammates would...not have responded well if I'd made an assumption which turned out to be wrong."
He took a sip of his scotch, smiled, and leaned back. "The slush fund seems perfectly acceptable. Naturally, we'll need that up front so as to have the funds on hand as needed." His eyes played casually over his teammates to gauge their reaction to the negotiations.
[spoiler]Sam's got kinesthetics, so he can read subtle body language cues, in case someone isn't happy but doesn't want to say it out loud. Now's your chance.[/spoiler]
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Sammy gave him a slight nod, before she realised something else. How would she explain things to Marcus. He finally started to get settled in in Seattle, and now she would move back to LA. Also could she take him with her on this job, not knowing if it was only one job or if there would be more. This was going to be one fine mess, she thought. While Marcus was old enough to be on his own for even a couple of weeks, she really didn't want her house to become the frat party place to be. Maybe she could ask James to keep an eye on the boy from time to time, or put him in a boarding school. If she got one in LA, he might like it more than in Seattle. She would have to think about this.
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The shades of a smirk flashed across O'Connor's face after Torley's pause during his reply. For someone that hadn't even left the city before a few weeks prior, he was starting to rack up the frequent flier miles. He figured that leaving town for a bit would be a good move, *The Fists are laying low right now. Being gone for a while might give them enough time to find their spines.*
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Clem nodded slightly at Torley, indicating she was fine with the terms. Although she hadn't wished to travel to another city, she didn't have anything tying her down in Seattle for the moment except for the rent. "A change of scenery might be interesting, especially if it's accompanied with a paycheck" thought the ork.
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"We will also have to see how to get some of the equipment there," Sammy said, "for me it's less of a problem, as I have valid licences for those items that might give problems and if really necessary, I can leave them behind. But we might need to get some extra stuff in via irregular ways.
-
Richard agrees, "There shouldn't be a concern , we can send a case for your gear that will travel with us, along with Mr. Slades props. You will be operating as Horizon representatives though, so please do not embarrass the company."
Slade arrives then, and is filled in as to exactly what happened. He is fine with the idea of keeping you on as security for the rest of the shoot, especially since he is no longer footing the bill and he doesn’t have to look for anyone for security detail in California. He tells them that his contact, Desperado, will meet them at the airport, and he sends them a photo of Desperado. Slade needs the SINs that they are going to be using while down in LA to quickly get working permits. He’ll tell them that security is a bit tight due to the war going on with their southern neighbors, and the studio is already calling several favors to get Big Ben’s stuff on the plane. He also brings you sticks with the balance of your pay, including a bonus from Fermin, which retroactively equals your new pay.
Fermin takes his leave to check on his client and Slade also goes , wanting to check his gear.
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Sammy told to use her Samantha Delavine alias. While it wasn't her real name, it was a name no cop in LA would stop, except maybe to ask an autograph or a photo. And she probably still had a work permit under that name.
"Which reminds me," she added to Slade before he left, "Can you get some Pito accounts for the rest of the team? I still have mine, a bit dusty perhaps, but that should be easily cured when I'm back in Tinseltown."
-
It takes a minute for Slade to register what you are telling him, then he actually calls up some old publicity footage in his HUD before he actually believes you. "What is this some kind of joke? Am I being Turbo Punk'd?" It takes a few minutes to convince him that he is not the victim of a D-list actor's lame show trying to cash in on his grandfather's name. Once you have have walked him through the mental gymnastics that even though you are movie star, you are really doing this runner thing and it is not some prank or stunt he is still very nervous suddenly about you working for him.
"I am really sorry Ms Delavine (he has been calling you this throughout your explanation, even though you have corrected him twice) but I can't have my stuff pushed into the light that much, some of my sources and other work is very underground. If you come to LA working for me I will have glitterbugs so far up my hoop they will bill me for a colonoscopy."
Glitterbugs is a slang term (slur) for hackers who work for paparazzi.
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"I haven't made a trid in a almost a year now," Sammy said, "so I'm sure they won't be following me. But I can use another name, Rachel O'Toole. But then I'll need a second Pito account for that name."
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That seems to settle Slade a bit, but he warns her, "There was a guy that hasn't made a film since before the Crash that was in the screamsheets last week because he got picked up selling BTLs in West Hollywood, you think they wouldn't be talking about a runner mage?"
Slade get the other SINs and leaves.
-
O'Connor gave his Mitchell Danvers ID to Slade while he watched the back-and-forth between him and Sammy with bemusement. Though he never openly questioned her about it, O'Connor had never believed her to be the real Samantha Delavine. He assumed that she was either a hyper-obsessive fan with more than a few screws loose or an escaped banraku puppet with the Delavine persona still partially in place. The rarely utilized logical part of his brain cautioned him to never bring that up, and even rarer, O'Connor listened. And then an event of cosmic rarity happened when O'Connor had and listened to a second logical thought soon following the first.
After both Fermin and Slade left, O'Connor spoke up, "Okay, so we may have done well enough here for an extended contract, but we all know that this was a total clusterfrag. We were all out of position to be an effective unit and mostly just got in each others' ways. If we're gonna keep working together, we're gonna have to change that."
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Clem gave her Fumiko Eckhart ID to Slade to set things up. She listened to Sammy's conversation, trying to figure things out. She was definitely a little overwhelmed and confused by what was going on, but she didn't let anything show. If she had questions, she could always look things up later. "What the drek is a Pito? And why do I need that nonsense to work in the shadows?" thought the ork, as the conversation was winding down and Slade was leaving. She gladly took the signing bonus though, which quickly dissipated any doubts or hesitations pertaining to the job. She made a mental note to call her contact to see if her new firearm would be ready before leaving for LA.
"I hate to admit it, but Con is right" said the ork. "We need to work together if things are to go smoothly. Let the muscle do the pushing and the background folks support them."
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"Sounds like a good plan," Sammy said, "but maybe we can do that over a beer someplace else and not in the Needle. At the same time I can tell you a couple of things you might need to know about LA, as working there is different from working in Seattle."
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Sam cocked an eyebrow at O'Connor and Clem's remarks. Ok, so Red was wigging out, and Sammy lost control of her spirit, but damn it, what do these guys think we're supposed to do? Put on cheerleader uniforms and pom-poms? They're the fraggin' fighters, not us, he thought to himself.
Outwardly, though, he said, "Sure. I owe these guys a round," he said, motioning to the stuntmen who were still packing up, "and maybe Red can get his friend for an introduction?"
-
With the star off the set, the shooting day quickly comes to a close. You are able to get the armor back to the storage site without incident. You also do it without Fionn, who leaves you straight from the Needle, though he sets a sprite to monitor the team and let him know about anything he is needed for.
You meet the stuntmen at one of the tourist bars in the DMZ, though you get a funny look from the bouncer. 50 nuyen relieves his concerns of you rearranging the bar, but he still has his eye on O'Conner. You catch a table in a quiet corner to chat in, the dance floor and the bar keeping the interest of the out-of-towners.
-
O'Connor returned the bouncer's icy glare as he entered the bar. He started the night off with a double shot of whiskey, and a pitcher of beer for the table. As he started working on his first glass, he struck up a conversation with the stuntman he'd talked to briefly at the Needle. The stuntman, named Zhang, and O'Connor had a back-and-forth about how to properly land from a two-story fall. As he had this casual verbal conversation, O'Connor was starting up an all business group chat with his team, <Group Channel | Text: "We should go over how things went done, what we did, and what we should've done." He quickly drew up a crude map of the Needle, using his finger since he lost his comm's stylus a while ago, and marked his and Clem's position during the fight with circles. He also placed two xs for the Swede and Mohawk along with movement lines to indicate where they'd come from. He sent the map to the others to mark where they were.
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Going along to the bar with the rest of the team was a little strange to Clem, as it felt a celebration for something she wasn't sure of. They had repelled the attack back in the Needle, but things had just begun, so she thought this was a little premature. However, she didn't communicate this to anyone, and kept that thought to herself.
Gladly taking a glass of beer, Clem quickly looked at O'Connor's map and let him run with this idea. The group didn't have any clear leader, so she let the adept bring his issues to the whole gang. While everyone was playing with the map, Clem got to thinking, "We started with a big group, and here we are now, only four of us left. I hope Red's contact will be more dependable than he was..." Clem decided to voice one of her concerns though, and simply said "If we're going to LA, I want to bring my own gear, including my usual armour and clothes. No more of this uniform drek for me." The ork took another sip of beer and got back to the conversation. She wasn't much of a talker, but kept her ears open.
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Sam actually had two or three rounds with the stuntmen before he was able to maneuver his way to the back corner to join the rest of the group. When O'Connor sent his message, Sam tried to reply, but for some reason, his position kept showing as being about five feet outside one of the windows. After a few attempts, he swore softly and said, "You know where I was. I don't need to draw you a picture. But, regardless, you know I'm not worth much when it comes to slinging bullets around. That's your department."
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"Don't worry about those 'uniforms' as you call them," Sammy said, "in LA you can see people with all sorts of clothing. Although I would propose to keep things at least decent. In LA you will notice that there are cameras everywhere and what you wear also reflects upon what kind of jobs you will get. So decent, professional looking stuff is recommended, but the whole group doesn't have to wear the exact same thing. But those things we had one today did get us into the Needle with a lot less hastle."
She looked at the drawing O'Conner made.
"I was behind the bar," she said, "as I'm just like Sam here in that I prefer to be behind something if bullets are flying. In this case however there was something strange going on. From what I've been able to see, those people were compelled by magic of some sort to attack Pandora. How exactly this works I don't know, but I do know that this calls for magic much stronger than what I'm capable of, maybe even a ritual of some sort. Which is also why that mage was able to get my spirit and protect a number of people against my spells. All in all, they came with a lot more magic than we had."
-
Clem got to thinking. These runners weren't afraid of getting into the spotlight just to get to that armour. Going after Pandora meant that every KE officer was not looking for them, which meant the rewards were worth a lot more to them. Whomever wanted that armour had a good reason to want it.
"Do you think you could find that mage?" asked the ork, having had more than one instance in her previous career where a mage had used magic to track another magic-user. She wasn't knowledgeable about the details, but she knew it could be done, so it was worth a shot.
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"I've had a good look at his aura," Sammy said, "So I should be able to recognise it. If you want me to go looking for that mage in the whole of Seattle, I doubt I'll find him unless he does something magical, and only then if I'm close by, as I don't know much about ritual magic. I mean, I know the theory, but I've never done it myself and it's not something I begin without training. And you also need a material link, like blood, or hair, of the person you target. I could sent some watcher spirits out, but those are really stupid and if he's behind a ward of some sort, they can't find him. Watchers are also traceable and I'm not sure I want him on my tail.. I'm sure KE had a mage there to look at the aura traces. If you really want to find this person, the best way to find him is to ask around in the mage community. Someone of that power level, if he's local, is known. There are not that many mages who can do what he did. But that won't be done before we leave for LA."
She took a sip from her cocktail. She had surprised the bartender when she asked for a Slow Comfortable Screw Against The Wall With Satin Pillows The Hard Way. It had taken him a while before he figured out what she wanted.
"I also need to talk to you guys about a couple of things you might encounter in LA," she added.
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As O'Connor finished off his first beer, he wrapped up his conversation with Zhang and headed over to the group's table for a refill. Once there, O'Connor gave Torley a cool stare as he refilled his beer. He placed his hand on Torley's shoulder and leaned in, ostensibly to be heard over the ding of the bar, "I know you're not a fighter and I know that the gunslinging is my department and not yours. I also know this about Sammy, but that did stop her from getting all shot up in Puyallup last time, did it? This isn't about making you a fighter, this is about making us a team. Based on this, you're damn lucky those three didn't just pick you off in that hallway." The tone of his voice and the gradual increase in pressure from O'Connor's grip promised Torley that if he didn't roll back his snotty attitude, he was going to end up with a broken collar bone.
After getting his point across, O'Connor released his hold on Torley and returned his attention to the map. He added a few details that he'd failed to put in initially, namely adding some dots to represent the stuntmen and a triangle to represent the spirit. To inject a bit of levity back into the conversation, he labeled the spirit as Sammy's Spirit of Betrayal. After he finished with the map, "It seems our biggest problem has been that we're mainly just doing whatever we want and letting everyone else do the same. Now I'm not big on teamwork, even less so on taking orders. But if we're gonna work together, and not get each other killed, we can't keep doing what we've been doing."
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Sam resisted the temptation to point out that he'd gotten through the fight untouched, while it was O'Connor who'd been knocked out. He knew that logical reasoning wasn't going to work with the fighter. Instead, he decided to go with flattery. "Easy, man. I know you're good at what you do; that's why I trust you when things get heavy. When that goon was coming for me, I could've wet myself; just about all I could think about was getting away from him and to where you were. I knew you'd be able to take him, no problem," ...if you hadn't been flat on the ground by that point, at least, he added silently. On the up side, most of what he was saying was true--he had panicked, and he'd hoped that Clem and O'Connor would be able to handle the guy. Sam was just tweaking the flavor a little to stroke Con's massive ego.
"You're right, I was lucky. But I'm not a tactician or a soldier. You start talking about being out of position and stuff, and, well, that's way out of my league. I trust you to handle the fighting; I don't know that I'll ever be much help. I'll do my best, of course, but you'll have to tell me how I can."
[spoiler]
Necro, if you want, I can give you a con roll to see if Sam's persuasive enough, but with a dice pool of 13, I think he can soothe any ruffled feathers. And I don't really like rolling dice for player-player interactions; feels kind of stilted.
Incidentally, for anyone who's wondering, Sam's issue with marking his position on the map was caused by the gremlins quality. Sam and tech don't get along that well. :)
[/spoiler]
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O'Connor grinded his teeth, and actually took a moment to piece together his next words before hand. Torley was saying all the right words and in the right way, but O'Connor doubted that he meant an iota of it. None the less, O'Connor decided to move forward and turned to address the group as a whole, "Right, well, the way we were positioned was all off." He indicated to where he and Clem had been, "Having the two of us side by side all the time is a mistake. We should've learned that this morning on the way to the Needle. Only one of us should've been guarding the armors, while another covered the entry points to the level. Hell, we should've had both of us on different entry points, while one of the non-fighters sat on the goods." He then indicated to where Sammy and Torley had been during the fight, "The two of you are lucky that the thieves tried to get clever rather than efficient on this run. They could've easily swapped out using that mob for cover to hitting fast and hard. In that scenario, you, cut off from the rest of the team, both get gunned down by automatic weapons. In the future we need to arrange ourselves so that we're all actually in a position to work as a unit. Mostly we just need to be in overlap lines-of-sight and have secure comm lines."
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Clem listened to the interaction between O'Connor and Torley and was a little annoyed. "The guy can't fight with his fists, only with his mouth, leave him alone" thought the ork, recognizing that the gift of a silver tongue was often more valuable than a gun. Still, she let it play out.
What was the most disturbing to the ork was that O'Connor was making valid points. Her ego had let the medium of the message taint her receptiveness at first, but even she had to recognize that the wild gunman was spot on with his assessment. "I only had a direct line of communication with Red in that fight, which went a long way to squashing our efforts. But yeah, next time we should fan out and not keep our assets grouped. Someone with tactical knowledge needs to call the shots if we're going to make it out of the next fight intact" concluded the woman.
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"The only tactical knowledge I have comes from what I picked up when we had an army vet consulting for a trid where I played a captain," Sammy said, "he was there to make it sorta believable, insofar you have that in a trid, which is to say not much. Concerning the comms, that's something we'll have to see with Fionn's replacement, as I know just enough to know I always have to run an analyser program. The problem is that every situation will be different. For instance in the Barrens I could do a lot with a strategic fireball, but in the Needle that was impossible. So we can only make very general agreements. I think it's best in a combat situation if Clem and O'Connor deal with immediate physical threats, I deal with immediate magical threads and Sam helps where he can. If the situation allows it, I can also help in the physical combat, like throwing a fireball or stunbolt around and if I can identify a mage, Clem or O'Connor can take him or her out so I'm free of interference."
She took a long pull from her cocktail.
"Now, to something more important," she continued, "differences between LA and Seattle. I've lived in both, so I think it's best if I give you a quick rundown. The basics is the same, like not carrying assault rifles in certain areas and always go visibly armed in certain other areas. But in LA there are a lot more cameras and some strange things you have to know when working the cameras. One of them is Pito. You probably remember I requested Pito accounts for all of us. Do any of you ever seen or used that system?"
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Clem was as puzzled as before. "I still don't understand what this Pito business is. Explain to me in very simple terms why SINless runners need to get official IDs" said the ork, finishing her glass of beer and holding off a refill, giving her full attention to Sammy.
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"It's not an official ID," Sammy said, "Besides, the one I had before was on my artist name, not my real name. Pito, actually P two, but everybody says pito, is live-networking, blogging, reputation, and sim, all in one. You post things on it and you can also have a live-feed active and other people follow this. It's a very big thing in LA and if you don't have one, you will only get second rate jobs. Of course, as runner you have to take a couple of precautions, like having a two-minute delay on your live-feed, or the police will just log in and track you down. And the use of nanopaste disguise or latex face masks of course. Shadowrunning in LA is often done in the spotlights. Ironic, isn't it. You remember when we entered that little diner just after we had come down from that mountain? It's a bit like that, but even more."
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O'Connor nodded to Clem, grateful that at least one person was listening. He sent her a quick text, <Recipient: Clem | Text: Would you happen to be that someone with tactical knowledge? It ain't gonna be any of the rest of us.> He grinned widely as Sammy described the LA runner scene, "So flashy is the name of the game?"
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Clem, not being the leader type at all, was perplexed after reading O'Connor's message. They either continued to run around like headless chicken during fights, or she had to step up and organize the team when things got hairy. She poured herself another glass of beer, giving herself some time to think about this issue. She didn't have any tactical training per say, but she was well versed in security design in general, which would go some way into focusing the runners' efforts. "Alright said the ork as she took a sip of her beer, if nobody objects, I'll call it when we have to get physical, but I need everyone's cooperation." Clem made sure to look at O'Connor for the last part of her announcement.
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O'Connor gave Clem a nod in the affirmative and sent her a quick text, <Recipient: Clem | Text: I'm the one that asked you.>
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Glad that question was settled, Clem sat back in her chair and got back to the Pito subject. "So if I am getting this straight, the point is to get NOTICED when you run in LA?"
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"In a way," Sammy said, "you have to protect your identity or the police will come knocking at your door, but yes, in LA you have a lot more PR to do than in Seattle. There are even runners who have their exploits filmed by official movie companies, with contracts and all that. I used to follow some of those feeds when I was in LA, I'll try to dig some up and send you the links so you get an idea on how it goes. I wouldn't recommend we do that, but it gives you an idea on what's going on. I think we can start out without live feeds in the beginning, just resume's after the run, but we have to do something like that. I think however it's best if Sam and myself, with some help from our hacker for the edits and stuff, take care of that part. You can be the brooding street sammie's who don't talk much."
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O'Connor found Sammy's description of Pito and the L.A. runner scene both intriguing and baffling. He poured himself a refill, and frowned at the lowness of the pitcher. He remedied the situation with an order for another for their table and one for the stuntmen. He asked Sammy, "Is there any other major ways running is different down there?"
-
"You mean besides going against every runner instinct I have?" sarcastically said Clementine to O'Connor's question. The ork was still somewhat shocked by the differences between Seattle and LA, but she wanted to know if there was anything else she needed to be aware of.
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"Not really," Sammy said, "People will be a bit more flashy than you're used to here, but that's about it. They will still demand value for their money and they also don't want too much collateral damage, at least the corporate Johnsons. And if you take some precautions to hide your real identity, it's not all the difficult."
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O'Connor nodded, "Good to know." He addressed the whole group, "Well that covers the two biggest things going forward. Anything else?"
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Clem simply shrugged, indicating that she had nothing else she needed to bring up with the rest of the group. She looked around to the other runners, looking if anyone had anything to say.
She also took a peek at the stunt men's table. She didn't feel compelled to congratulate them or even give them a thumbs up for their part in the fight, but even she could recognize it had probably been a shocking experience for them. She watched as they drank themselves silly and laughed with one another, and wondered what it felt like to be so oblivious to what really drove the world.
-
"Only some things about matrix security and communications," Sammy said, "but that I have to discuss with the new matrix specialist. I will also sent a message to a friend of mine here and in LA to see if that mage that attacked us is known. But I'll do that later at home. I have a picture taken from my goggle camera, but if someone has a better one."
She sent a picture she had selected from the footage of the fight her camera had taken. The mage was recognizable, but that was about everything as both he and she had been moving.
-
The following day Sammy spent with packing and making comm calls. First she contacted James Dermott, asking him if he knew the mage in the picture and also to check up on Marcus from time to time while she was in LA. He promised to do the latter and to look into the former, as he didn't know the guy himself. She also sent the picture to Melissa in LA, in case he was linked to someone there. In fact, most of the day was spent with Marcus to make him understand that he would have to stay on his own for some time while she was on a run. It wasn't the first time and he liked James, so she didn't expect too many problems. She also thought to sent a message to 'The Club' to request their address in LA, provided they had one and to tell them she would be in Tinseltown for some time.
She didn't have much for the 'special delivery' box. Only her pistol, ammo, her knife and her katana. Her taser she would put in her checked-in luggage, as it was legal to have one. Her foci looked like jewelry and as long as she didn't activate them, they would be very difficult to check and besides, they were also legal, or at least she had a license for them. Most of her luggage allowance went to her clothes, her medkit and a large make-up bag (disguise kit in disguise).
She made sure she was at the airport quite in advance. It wouldn't do to be late.
-
After finishing business with the team, and having a final round of shots with the stunt guys, O'Connor headed to Darrell's to buy stick-n-shock rounds for his guns and to check up on the projects he'd commissioned. While on-route, he sent Clem a text, <[Recipient: Clem | Text]: Wasn't planning on bringing all that up, and then dumping all the responsibility on you. But you saw how good I was at getting the others engaged in a talk about how not to die. Anyhow, I got your back on this.> Darrell gave O'Connor a very quizzical look after he got to the gun shop, and told Darrell what he was there to buy, "Ya know zap rounds are non-lethal, right?" O'Connor gave his signature wolfish grin, "Not if ya use enough." After laughing at his own joke, O'Connor told Darrell about the job and that he was gonna be in L.A. for a bit. Darrell busted up laughing, barely able to form words, "You...Tinseltown...what I'd pay...to...to see that." O'Connor glared at Darrell, "Asshole." He then collected his own order while Darrell regained his composure.
Packing was a very simple process for O'Connor. He grabbed a week's worth of clothing and stuffed them, along with the obvious odds and ends, into a duffle bag. He looked his armored jacket over and sighed. The jacket, deliberately, marked him as a denizen of the Barrens, and he knew that was only gonna cause him problems at the airport alone, not to mention Los Angeles. He needed armor that wouldn't mark him for what he was, so he reluctantly had to leave Redmond and make a return trip to the mall. He was very much out of place there, and he felt every bit of it. He walked into the first store he saw that sold armored clothing. The store employees instantly went into loss prevention mode. He mentally rolled his eyes when one of the associates, a blonde human girl that didn't look a day over 17, began using customer service as an excuse to make sure he didn't nab anything. He gave her distracted and clipped answers as he looked over the selection. He settled on a double-breasted jacket with oversized lapels. After making sure it fit okay, he quickly paid and left. Both parties were glad to be rid of the other.
He decided to only pack one pistol, a machine pistol, and the assault rifle, and all necessary ammo, into the team's case. Not really knowing how the whole airport thing worked, O'Connor made sure to be there with plenty of time to spare.
-
Clem went straight home after they were done with business at the bar, declining the invitation for shots with the stuntmen. She decided she had had enough to drink for one night. On her way back home, she debated whether to spend the night packing or calling Mathew. It had been a while since they had last met and she didn't know when she would be back in Seattle. She sent a quick message, telling him she wanted to meet tonight for some business. Before arriving home, her commlink told her she had received a message. She had been somewhat excited by the incoming message, but soon calmed down when she saw the sender was O'Connor.
She would have never thought in a million years that the psychopath of the group would be the member she identified with the most. As opposite as he was to Clem, in a sense he was scarily similar to her too. She quickly shaked the thought from her mind and got to packing for her trip. She would bring some clothes and her usual armour, but this time she would also bring her guns and her sword. She packed everything in 2 different bags: the normal, inconspicuous things in one bag, the illegal stuff in another.
After she had finished packing and taken a shower, she got a message that simply read "Savannah, 2045." That was what the ork had been waiting for all night. She quickly put something on, brought her handgun with her and left her apartment. She would have to leave early enough to come back, get changed and pick up her luggage before going to the airport, but that wouldn't be a problem. Maybe it was the fact that it was the only meaningful romantic relationship she had ever had, or maybe it was because she didn't feel close to anyone else anymore. Whatever the reason, it was hard for Clementine to let go of Mat. When she opened door 2045, any concerns she might have had about her current job quickly faded away as she quietly slipped into the room, closing and locking the door behind her.
The next day, when Clem arrived at the airport, she promptly spotted Sammy and O'Connor. There was a definite warm glow to the usually cold ork as she organized her things and got ready for their trip.
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While she wasn't as good as Torley in recognising non-verbal clues, Sammy did know a couple of things about women, being one.
"So, who's the lucky guy," she whispered to Clem when O'Connor was a bit away checking something.
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Clem, looking genuinely surprised for a moment, regained her composure and whispered "I have no idea what you're talking about" back to Sammy.
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"You just look like the famous Ceshire cat who found a bowl of cream," Sammy said, putting slight emphasis on the word cream, "I've been there and done that, but if you don't want to share, no problem."
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[OOC: sorry for the delay.]
Sam spent most of the rest of the evening hanging out with the stuntmen at the bar; packing for the trip wasn't likely to take him very long. He could take most of his normal gear with him legally; after giving it some thought, he decided to add the Roomsweeper and its ammo to the "special" crate, but he kept the Self-Defender with him. It felt good to be back in his normal clothing; the Synergist outfit's concealed holsters made the Self-Defender almost invisible, and it just made him feel more professional.
When he met up with Sammy, Clem, and O'Connor at the airport, it didn't take him long to understand what the ladies were talking about, but he knew better than to make any comments.
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O'Connor was a bit weirded out at how content Clem seemed, but even he wasn't about to piss all over a small miracle, so he made no comment. He'd wandered off a bit from Clem and Sammy to get a better view of the various aircraft coming and going. He went into the shadows to finance his personal grudge, but he hadn't expected it to bring so many new experiences with it. He was starting to understand that his entire life had taken place inside one borough of one metroplex. Many of the people coming and going from this place would pass through more cities in a month than he'd ever likely see in a lifetime. The fact that he was even having this revelation bothered him.
Up to this point he'd been an existentially dead person, and he didn't understand why that was changing now. For instance, being apart of a team was a radically new experience for him and he did know why he was even putting any effort into making it work. It was at this point in his internal musings that Torley arrived, O'Connor gave the man a curt nod. Torley was, in a literal sense, the living embodiment of O'Connor's problems with the newly developing status quo. Under normal circumstances, O'Connor would've make the quick-talker swallow his teeth at a convenient opportunity, but that wasn't an option anymore. He didn't have a whole lot of experience with conflict resolution that didn't involve a firefight. The best, meaning least terrible, plan he could come up with was just to make small talk with the guy, try to normalize things between them. He turned to Torley, "You seem the kind of guy to make L.A. a place to see, if not set up shop permanently." O'Connor knew that, largely, he'd be spinning his wheels with this plan, but figured that making a poor effort still counted as making an effort.
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Sam was surprised at O'Connor's overture, but he could tell that he was making an effort, and decided to respond accordingly. "Well, I've never been outside of the Seattle area; our adventure in the woods was the farthest out I've ever been. But from what I've heard, L.A. is bigger, and that's where I feel best. I was nearly out of my mind in the woods...it was just too open, too...empty." He gave his head a small shake, as if tasting something bad. "So, yeah, I'm looking forward to this. Should be quite an opportunity. Anything in particular you'd like to try while we're there?"
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O'Connor shifted somewhat embarrassedly, "It's super touristy, but I'm hoping to hit up the Walk of Fame while we're down there. Its the only way to meet my childhood idols, at least short of time travel. I also kinda want to give surfing a shot. Anything you plan on crossing off your bucket list?"
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Ok, that's different, Sam thought to himself. He smiled at this surprisingly "human" aspect of O'Connor. "I'll confess, that's not what I expected you to say. But I'm sure we can arrange some tourist time. You got anyone who's still performing? We may be able to work out a behind the scenes tour, or dinner, or something. Everyone eats, right?" He chuckled.
"As for my bucket list...I dunno. Never really bothered to come up with one. Generally, if I want something, I can find someone who's willing to give it to me." A thought occurred to him, and he added, "Though...would you be willing to give me some pointers? I have a friend who showed me the basics of how to shoot, but I never really got very good at it. Things start getting ugly, I just tense up, you know?"
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O'Connor took a moment to consider his words before replying, "Most think its fear that causes you freeze up in a fight, that's wrong. Fear will make you quicker, stronger, and smarter. Fear is how your body tells you it doesn't want to die. If you keep a level head, fear will keep you alive. It's panic that causes you freeze up and make mistakes that'll get you killed. So when a fight breaks out, get to cover, take a few breathes, and then analyze the situation."
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Sam grimaced. "That wasn't what I meant. I mean--do you think you could train me? Maybe if I were more useful in combat, I wouldn't freeze up."
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O'Connor suppressed a sigh, but still shook his head at Torley. It was rare that O'Connor was the one thinking that someone was being thick, "You asked for pointers, marksmanship is only one part of surviving a firefight. Marksmanship is always something to improve, don't get me wrong, but it's mentality that's your real problem here. It doesn't matter if you can hit inside the ten ring at the range, when in combat your hands shake nonstop." It was clear that his words where only that to Torley, words. O'Connor wasn't sure how to explain academically what was basic instinct to him. He also wasn't sure on how to help Torley with his actual problem, "In any case, I ain't no teacher, so if you know the basics there ain't much I can do to improve you. Though I know a guy that might be able to. I'll hit him up when we get back."
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Yelena is at a bar, it is a very nice bar. The glass in front of her is vodka, it is VERY nice vodka. This is all very good because the man she is waiting for is NOT a very nice man. He is 20 minutes late, if he wasn’t paying for both her time and her drink she would be gone.
A man enters the bar, she knows him, but he is not the one she is meeting. This elf is of her other life and she has a feeling her date is going to be lonely tonight. Fionn MacDarrach was a man she had met with twice since coming to Seattle, both times they investigated leads into what happened to their missing siblings, the second time he handed her actionable data that she wouldn’t have gotten on her own, he also gave her some insights that have helped her in her matrix education. In short, she owed him and it was clear he had come to collect.
“Ah my Ophelia, I am in a bit of a pinch.” It must be bad, his Irish accent is rarely this strong. “It is nothing about Olena, I am sorry, but it moight be me best chance yet of finding Maeve. Problem is I am working with a crew and we are in the middle of a job, and they are quite possibly the biggest bunch of offliners you ever met. We are doing off-the-books security for a movie and they want us to come back to LA with them in the marnin’. You here about that bit of business at the Needle, that was us.” The technomancer grabbed her hand, “I can’t leave town lass, please cover this for me, they are paying quite handsomely and you know you could use the sun.”
The weak joke almost cost him, but she owed him too much to say no. The rest of the details he gave her certainly made the repayment of the debt almost a pleasure. Talking to the Johnson, a cowboy named Slade got her a spot on the plane and a place to stash her weapons, then Fionn put her in touch with the team early on the morning of their departure.
(OOC: You are up Mercy, you others give a chance make space. We will hopefully get you in the air soon as we can.)
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The 5'6" Elf walks into the waiting area, removes her sunglasses and looks around. Her below-the-ass length hair is the color of newly minted silver coins and sets off deep violet eyes and is braided into a rope behind her. Many young simsense starlets would kill for her complexion and the Zoe Executive skirt/blouse/jacket combination was tailored to show her figure to perfection. As she looks around she thinks, Slade said they would be here waiting for the flight. Now where........, She spots a familiar face and smiles. Her walk is designed to draw attention as she approaches.Sam Torley, is that you? It's been what, four or five weeks and no phone call? What is a girl to think? Are you on this flight? What seat? Maybe we can get the nice stewardess to arrange our seating. It will be like old times. We can catch up on our mutual friend Fionn. He was supposed to make the flight, but something came up about his sister. You must tell me how you have been doing, you naughty man. he did arrange with a kind gentleman by the name of Slade that I was to take his place for some gig in LA. Fionn is so thoughtful.
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Sammy had difficulties not to start laughing when the young (difficult to see with elves) elf walked up to Torley.
"Another cat who has clearly seen where the cream is," she whispered to Clem. While Torley was not really her type, she could see why the elf did like him.
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Clementine nodded at Sammy's comment, trying to leave the sweet-talking member of the team to his affairs. At first, Clem dismissed the elf as another one of Torley's previous conquests. She couldn't help but overhear their conversation as she was preparing for the flight and stopped for a moment to make sure she had heard correctly. "She is Red's replacement?" thought the ork, having a good look at the newcomer. The flashiness of the elf's general appearance certainly didn't sit right with Clem, but who was she to bring that up. The cold ork simply decided to continue with her preparations and hope Ophelia wouldn't get matrix-technical with her.
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Ophelia is scanning the room with her second eyes, using the facial recognition software to see if the others of the team are waiting. There seems to be two more over there. Hmm, now where have I seen........She will put a hand on Torley's arm. Her cultured tones do not completely hide a........Russian(?) accent as she saysSorry, love. I did not mean to startle you. I know it was just a thing. And you were sweet with the tip. But could you excuse me? I have just seen someone I need to talk to. I do hope that we can catch up later. Ta.Ophelia will walk over to where Sam and Clem are.Pardon me. I do hope that I am not intruding, but I have to say I am a big fan of your work. Even where I come from, you are a big hit. I really liked you in "Dragon in the Mist". The nomination was well deserved. When Slade said this was some sort of security gig for a movie I did not realize that you were part of it. Allow me to introduce myself. She holds out her hand and adds, Ophelia Martin, but almost no one uses the Martin part. She will look to the other Ork. I am pleased to make your acquaintance as well. I have the names and faces, and you look a bit familiar as well. I think we may have already worked together, you and I. Don't you do freelance bodyguard jobs for.....well, let's say women of my calling? I rarely forget a face and yours is one I am sure I remember. What a truly small world it is.
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As the elf bounced over to where Sammy and Clem were, Sam let out a breath. "So she's Red's replacement. I didn't know she had those sorts of skills as well. And she's a lot more...talkative than I remember." He turned back to O'Connor. "Though she does have a point about seating arrangements. You weren't happy with how we were positioned in the Needle; any thoughts on where we should sit in the plane? I can probably get us moved around, if you've got something specific in mind." And if not, I'll just get her seated next to me as she asked; should make the flight a bit more enjoyable, he thought to himself.
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O'Connor shook his head in response to Torley , "Small, confined space like the plane's gonna be a slaughtering ground no matter what." He motioned towards the hyperactive new arrival, a look of bemusement present, "Care to fill me in?"
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Sam shrugged. "I'm not sure that I've got much to tell. A friend introduced us a while back, but we didn't really get to know each other very well. Friendly enough, but I wasn't expecting to end up working with her, so I didn't probe too deeply."
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"Thanks," Sammy said, quickly adapting to the clearly hyper-active elf. During her film career, she was used to hyper-active fans.
"But I don't do trids anymore," she continued, "Now I do the real stuff instead of making trids of it. Much more interesting. What did Fionn told you about the job?"
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Snow will settle down and go all business. Looking between the two Orks she will say, He actually did not give me any real details. He tracked me down at Tlcklers and basically interrupted my planned diversion for the evening. he said that he was working with a bunch of real pros, but that he was going to have to bail on them because he had just got a wimping great lead on his sister. He said the money was good and would make up for the lost money for the evening. He gave me Slad'e name and set me up with a quick meet. What I got was that this is some sort of off-book security gig that comes with fourteen days of room and board plus transportation and 1000 nuyen a day. I owed him a favor that is now paid in full, but, pardon my Russian ass, anything that pays that good is not just a security gig. Is there anything you can tell me.?
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"Work with you, I don't think so" thought Clem, detecting a slight Russian accent in Ophelia's voice. And then it dawned on her: she must have been one of the play girls at that meeting that one time!
Clem simply returned a half-smile back to the girl and said "I'm Clem. Do you have a running name or should we call you..." the ork paused for a moment, looking at the elf up and down, "Neon?"
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Neon? What a hoot! Then I will look over my suit, looking for anything out of place. Is there something wrong with what I am wearing? I was told to go chic so I picked my best outfit. If it is all wrong I will have to get something else down there, I guess. I will switch to Japanese. I think I do recognize you, Were you not part of the security detail for that party............yes, I think you were. It is a small world I am happy to make your acquaintance. I will switch back to English. I run as Snow. Not sure where I picked that up, but it stuck. I will pull up a menu for the departures and locate the flight. Wow. It seems we have some time. Are either of you interested in a drink?
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Surprised Snow could speak Japanese, Clem let her talk. At least the Russian girl confirmed what Clem thought: they had met at that "party" before.
The ork looked over at Sammy and simply said "Not for me, I have things to do." She left the two women alone and walked away, busying herself with some final preparations.
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Snow will watch the Ork girl walk away and turn to Sammy, "I hope I did not say something wrong. That would not be a good start. Look, I know I am new and it is always hard to break into a formed group. Can you give me some pointers about the others so I can keep my feet out of my mouth? Pretend I know nothing, which is pretty close to the truth."
Speech Thought Matrix
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"Don't worry about it," Sammy said, "Clem has to know you a bit before she opens up. Also we're now going into an environment she doesn't know, so she might have some nerves. The same goes for O'Connor. He's good in a fight, but less at ease in the more social situations. Torley fits in just about everywhere, but I guess you already know that. As to the job, it actually is security. We started out to guard some trid props and the set was attacked. We managed to hold them off and now we're hired to guard some more, in case they come back. Which reminds me, last time there was some jamming during the attack. Since you're the new matrix specialist, setting up secure communications will be your job, so it's something you might think about."
That would give her something to do on the plane. Now they were talking Sammy also switched her vision to the astral to have a quick look, just as she had done with all the others.
[spoiler]
assensing on Snow (I hope she's won't turn out a John Snow ;) )
intuition 3 + assensing 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4738313/)
[/spoiler]
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Snow smiles at Sammy. "Secure comms.. I will do my best. And thanks for the rest. As for Torley, I was just companionship he paid for. He treated me nice and he tipped well, which is about all I ever really know about anyone. The rest of you seem to be dressed pretty comfortably. I wonder why Slade hinted I should glam up for this? I feel sort of set up." I will sit back in the chair and pull up my list of names. Guess I should let some people know what is going on. Cycle through some contacts and leave messages. <<Vlady, Snow here. Calling to let you know I am off site for a couple of weeks so don't line any clients up until I get back. Ta>> <<Pixie, Love. I am leaving town for a couple of weeks. I will let you know when I am coming home. Water the plants.>> <<Morris, you leach, You have to find someone else for that party at Sid's. I am away for a couple of weeks. Maybe I will call you when I get back.>> <<Boris. A guy called in a favor and I am honor bound to pay it back. I am off to LA for a couple of weeks. I will stay in touch, but is there perhaps someone I should or could contact there? I am not on Vory business, but I do not want to step on any friendly toes. Besides, I may need a contact if things go badly. After leaving the message, Snow will check to see if there is a smoking section near and go sit there, pulling a small case from her bag. She will remove a thin cigar from the case and light it before sitting back and relaxing.
Speech Thought Matrix
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O'Connor wasn't quite sure what to make of the hyperactive new member of the group, *Anyone's an improvement over Red at any rate.* He figured his talk with Torley had gone as well as it was going to, so decided to leave things as they were before it went south. As the elf woman moved to the smoking section, O'Connor found his excuse to leave, "Guess I should go introduce myself. Later, Torley." When O'Connor neared the woman, he called out, "Hi, welcome to the team. Name's O'Connor." He extended his hand to her in greeting.
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Snow will exhale away from Patrick as she stands and takes his hand. "Patrick O'Connor, right? Nice to meet you, Patrick. Please call me Snow." Snow will sit down and motion to the seat next to her. "Have a seat if the smoke does not bother you. I should give these up, but we all need a vice of some kind. And anyway, I really do not expect to die in my bed at an old age, given my line of work." She will take a couple of drags. Even though she blows the smoke off to one side, there is a faint remnant of the harsh smoke in the air. "So, what is your role on the team? While talking, Snow has scanned for and picked up the team's commlink addresses and will be opening a file and sending a message to all of them. <<Message to all team members from Snow. I am requesting that all commlinks be slaved to mine for security purposes. Please allow me admin access to your commlink. Thank you very much. Message ends.>> I hope that they trust me enough to do this. Snow will continue the conversation with Patrick without missing a beat. "I hope that I can pick up where Fionn left off without causing too much hardship. What is your take on this mission?"
Speech Thought Matrix
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Seeing O'Connor go up to Ophelia and play nice with her freaked Clem out. She stopped what she was doing and turned to Sammy, giving her an incredulous look, unsure of what to say or how to react. The adept's behaviour was certainly unusual and not what Clem had come to expect from him, and that somewhat threw the ork off her game.
"He must want to get in her pants or something" reasoned Clem, trying to make sense of O'Connor's courteous handshake. Seeing him make so much effort to be likeable got her thinking. If the team's most disliked member was going through all this effort to win points, maybe she should put in the extra time to open up a little as well.
Clem approached Sammy and quietly said "About your question earlier, it's an acquaintance from a long time ago. We were together for a while but in the end it didn't last. We still see each other off and on though." It was easy for Sammy to see that Clem was not used to talking about herself and was making a tremendous effort to share this part of herself.
When Clementine got Ophelia's message on her commlink, she looked over at Sammy's commlink to make sure she had gotten the same notice and allowed access once she was satisfied the message was authentic.
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Still talking to O'Connor, Snow will receive the go-ahead from Clem. First one in . Hmmm, I would have thought that she would be more reticent. Now, let's see what she has and how I can help this team. Snow will make the connection with her commlink. Clem will see her 'link come alive, responding to Snow's touch as the hacker runs through her system. Perhaps strangely, the Elf does not intrude on any of the Ork's personal information, although the admin access she was given would allow her to do just that. Snow will send a message. "Thank you, Clementine. Would you rather I call you Clem or something else? And you may call me Neon if you like, although it may take a while to realize that you are talking to me. I appreciate the trust given to a stranger. I will try to earn the trust. Feel free to ask me anything." Snow will leave the contact open in case Clem wants to chat, but her main focus is back to O'Connor while she waits for the others to grant access to their 'links. She will look at him as she stubs out her small cigar "Say, we still have some time. Care to escort me to the bar over there? I could sure use a drink."
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O'Connor took the seat Snow offered him, "I'm firepower for the team, same goes for Clem, though she's the one calling the shots during fights. Torley's our talker, and Sammy rounds things out with her mojo." He waved his hand dismissively at her worries over Red, "I wouldn't worry too much about it. We're new as a team, so it ain't like you're breaking up the band or anything." After receiving Snow's message, O'Connor allowed her access to his commlink without stopping their conversation, "As for this mission, its been a completely straight forward guard job just like we were told. The team we had to fight off at The Needle liked to get cute with their tactics, but no surprises otherwise. On one hand, this job's exactly what it suppose to be, but on the other, I'm still kinda waiting for the other shoe to drop." He looked towards the bar Snow indicated for a moment before standing. He looked back down at her with a grin and offered her a hand up, "A drink would be great."
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Snow will smile and accept the proffered hand and allow O'Connor to escort her to the cozy airport bar. She is already plying her deft touch to his commlink, running through is standard settings. As with Clem's 'link, she examines it without violating any of his private information. She sends him a private message, "Thank you Patrick. May I call you Patrick or would you prefer something else? My name is Snow." As they take a seat at a booth, she will be looking her companion over, thinking, "Not too shabby, girl. Could do worse. And this one seems to be very polite."Snow will eye the waitress as well, appreciating her looks and then ask her if she has any special, below the bar vodka. She will motion to O'Connor as she pulls out a cred stick, "And please get my friend whatever he is having." She will turn to him and say, "My treat this time."
Speaking Thought Matrix
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O'Connor thought it odd that Snow texted him when he was sitting right next to her, but responded in kind, <[Recipient: Snow | Text]: I'm not a fan of Patrick, and I fraggin' hate Pat and Patty. Rick never caught on, so I wouldn't respond to it automatically. I just go by O'Connor, or Con, if you're short on time. I run as Bullet Storm, but that's a bit awkward to use in casual conversation.> He nodded his acceptance of her offer, "Thanks, I'll get you on the flip side." He ordered a random, and cheap, domestic beer. He took a stout swig before picking the conversation back up, "Johnson didn't give you trouble about joining up part way through, did he?"
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Snow will smile as she sips the vodka. "OK. This drink is good, which is pleasantly surprising. She will look at O'Connor as he talks then responds, "Well, to be honest, I was under the impression that Fionn left him high and dry, which is bad for someone in our business. I owed Fionn a large favor and this is me repaying the debt. Johnson thinks you may need skills like mine and was willing to toss me into the action already in progress." Snow will shrug. "For my purposes, my honor is clear and the money is not bad, either." She will give the man next to her an appraising look over the rim of her glass. "Fionn told me that you guys were responsible for what happened at the Space Needle yesterday. Do you think that any trouble we get in LA will be from the same guys? If so, can you tell me anything about them that might make my job easier? Did they jam signals? Were they coordinated, as if on a TacNet? And were they using wireless equipment and weapons?" She will pause. "Look, I know that Fionn may have been your friend, but I need to be blunt. He has most of his time and energy invested in locating his sister and that made him weak as a support member for your team. He and I are not the same person. I will do my very best to keep all of you safe and wired in." Snow is already opening windows on her 'link to see what sort of footage and comments are available on the incident. She is looking for any sign of what anyone was using, checking out both sides to see if she can spot anything useful that she can work with.
Speaking Thought Matrix
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Unfortunately for O'Connor he was in the process of taking a sip when Snow assumed that Red and he were friends. Luckily, his sputtering only caused a bit of his drink spill down his chin. He wiped it away with his sleeve. He may have been trying to put his best foot forward, but his cruder habits were so ingrained, he'd never think to correct them. He smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, but Red and I are not friends. I threatened to kill him at least three times in two days." He realized what he said after he said it, *Drek.* He cleared his throat to cover the awkward moment and sped right along into the detail of the day before, "I really doubt that it will be the same team. We captured two and handed 'em over to KE. On top of that, one of the escapees' has bullet fragments where his kneecap should be. Sammy also got a pic of the mage, she's passing it around to her people. I don't think they had a TacNet. All those people they were using as cover would've probably limited it's usefulness anyhow. You'd have to ask Red for the specifics, but if there was anything special going on, he didn't share. All I know is that the comms went down and then there were dozens of lunatic fans everywhere. All of the runners were armed with stun batons as primary, with back up sidearms." He returned her appraising look to judge the sincerity of the last bit of her words. He nodded, accepting her declaration, "As long as you keep the enemy out of our systems, I'll keep mowin' 'em down." He raised his glass in cheers.
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Snow will consider her words before replying. Fionn really did not do these people justice. A good hacker should be well received by his or her team. She had got the vibe from others as well that Fionn had let them down in the security department and then he just ran off on them in the middle of a contract. Not good, Fionn, not good at all. "Thank you for your honesty. Of course, there is no guarantee that someone cannot bring more matrix power than I can handle, but it would need to be a lot and I will take every precaution I can think of to not let that happen. I am surprised that Fionn allowed your comms to go down. I wonder what sort of jammer they were using?" She will use a corner of her mind to send a text message to one of her Vory contacts. <Message : Text: Boris. The team I am working with was part of what went down at the Space Needle yesterday. Do we have anything on either group involved? Apparently two of the attackers were captured and turned over to the KE. Don't we have someone inside on the payroll there that could give us a hint as to their motive and who hired them? End: >Snow will smile at O'Connor and say, "Well then. Perhaps they were hired by someone we can learn about. And it sounds like you were able to defeat these guys even with comms down. That says a lot about your effectiveness as a team. I am glad to be aboard and hope that I do not disappoint." She will take another sip and think to herself, OK. So two in the net. I wonder if the others are having reservations about me. And drek to Slade. I would rather be dressed in clothes similar to what the others are wearing. I would be more comfortable and would have fit in better. As it is, O'Connor is coming across as natural and I feel like a monkey. I wonder what they are thinking about me. Probably something impolite. She will return to the conversation. "So I have you and Clem in my net already and just waiting on the others. Are your companions reticent about me, or did Fionn not use a slave net to protect you?"
Speech Thought Matrix
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Sam swore softly as his 'link once again refused to do what he told it to do. Giving up, he walked into the bar he'd seen O'Connor and the new girl--what had she called herself that evening? Snow? Yeah, that was it--heading for. Sitting down next to her, Sam placed his 'link on the bar between them, where it could have been either of theirs. "Damn thing's misbehaving again. You can do whatever you want with it, if you can get it to work." When the bartender came over, he asked for a scotch on the rocks.
-
Snow will willingly slide closer to O'Connor to make room in the booth for Sam. She will offer her cred stick to the waitress as she says, "New girl is getting the first round." She will turn her attention to the commlink on the table and take it into her hands. She will take control of the device and slave it to her net and check out its security settings before handing it back. "Here you go, Sam. It should be working better now. I have added you to my net and we will try to keep everything running smoothly." She will pause, "And look, I am sorry if I came on too strong earlier. I hope I did not embarrass you or let any cats out of the bag." Snow's light Russian accent is definitely coming through. "So what am I to call you? Sam, Torley, or something else? We did not really get to names when we last met."
"Speaking" *Thoughts* <Matrix>
-
Snow will remain focused on the men in the booth, but will spare time to send a note to Sammy and Clem. <Open message : Text: Hey, why don't the two of you join us in the bar? There is room in the booth and it would give me a chance to get to know each of you a bit better. First round is on me and I can make sure that Sammy is in the net. End Message:>
<Matrix>
-
"What do you think, a little drink with the whole team before we leave to the glitz and glammer of Hollywood," Sammy said to Clem, before heading towards the bar. She took a beer, as she knew they didn't have the cocktails she preferred.
"I still have to give you access to the comm," she said to Snow, "I had to dig up my other commlink for that, as that's the one I use during runs. But just a question, why do you need admin access? Isn't it possible without? First rule in the trid is to never give that kind of access, because before you know it all your private pictures are all over the matrix."
-
Snow will welcome the others to the booth and offer her credstick to the waitress as she takes the new orders. She will nod at Sammy's question. "There are indeed more than one level of access I can have, but slaving your 'links to mine requires admin access. You could get away with a more normal subscription to my 'link, but that is riskier and for what I have in mind it would take more from you." She will look around at the others before continuing, "I would like to talk to you about running a TacNet program for us. Please forgive me if I am saying what you already know. This type of link has several advantages, mostly in combat situations. It keeps us linked together and able to use all of the input from our 'links can be used to assist us. For example, it gives all of us who are in the link an advantage in armed as well as unarmed combat. I am embarrassed to say that the best I can afford now will only be rating II, but I hope to be able to go to III soon. To be in the net we need to stay connected. A slave link does not require any additional input from you,, but a lesser link would require that those in the net subordinate some of their personal sensory data to the link."Snow will shrug. "It really comes down to ease of use and trust. You are correct that you will be opening yourself to my touch. I will tell you that I will not violate your trust, but in the end it is up to you to believe me or not." Snow will look at the group again before adding, "I have looked at some of the public footage of what happened yesterday. While there is a lot left out, I can assume from what was said and not said that your team might not have been set up in a TacNet or that the net was dropped. Am I correct?"
"Speaking" *Thought* <Matrix>
-
"We didn't have one," Sammy said, "I guess none of us thought about it. But such a net requires a constant connection, does it not? So we need to stay in signal range, right? If we slave our links you yours, does that mean that it will keep us linked during jamming, or is the strenght of the slave link also important? If it is, it won't help us much as during the jamming in the Needle, the connection was cut between most of us, so they can do it again."
-
Snow will nod and reply, "Very good. You are right about signal connection. However, if we are linked, the signal strength is based on my 'link so the enemy would need to jam me and I should have the strongest signal in the team for that reason.. But you are also right about needing to be close. Getting separated by some walls or other shielding can temporarily break the link." The slave link gives me the best chance to stay connected by using all of my 'link's abilities rather than the individual 'links. There are lots of possibilities, but the best chance we have is to stay linked together. It will help us survive."She will shake her head slightly and frown, thinking, *Oh, Fionn. What did you do to your team?*Out loud, she will say, I am surprised that Fionn did not bring this up. Perhaps he was concerned that his commlink was not strong enough."
"Speaking" *Thought* <Matrix>
-
Clearly she didn't knew that Fionn was a technomancer, so Sammy wasn't going to bring it up.
"Given the fact that we first met being tied together naked on some mountainside, I assume it slipped his mind," Sammy said, "especially since we didn't even have commlinks at that moment. Just a second."
She started up her runner 'link and gave the access.
"That should do it," she said.
-
Snow will blush. "How awkward for me. I did not know. That must have been horrible. That shows even more that you are a good team."She will access the proffered commlink. Sammy will see the deft touch of the hacker. As with the others, she will not even delve into sensitive personal information. When she is finished, Snow will look up at Sammy."Thank you very much. Now we are all slaved in. I hope that this will help us when the drek goes wild."She will look around at the others. "So, we still have a few minutes. Does anyone want to tell me the story of your first encounter and how you ended up on a mountain tied together?"
"Speaking" *Thought* <Matrix>
-
O'Connor smirked, "About three weeks back, eight of us woke up one morning completely naked and in various states of bondage. We didn't know who everyone else was, or why we were all out there. In the end we found out that we pulled a job in the Tir, and that getting captured and dosed with laes was part of the plan. So fair warning, utter humiliation and defeat counts as success for this team."
-
Clem followed Sammy to the bar, but made sure to have everything she hadn't checked in with her. She might as well go through the introductory motions of welcoming a new member to the team, since everyone else was doing so.
Once at the table, she ordered a beer, glad Ophelia was paying for the first round. "At least she's starting things right" thought the ork, while she listened to the conversation unfolding. She was definitely overwhelmed by the Matrix technical stuff, and was skeptical about how their commlink could help the team perform better during fights. She decided to give it a shot, but if this setup was going to give her any trouble she would be the first to dump it.
Clem stayed silent while everyone else was talking. She never understood that urge people had to say things, to spill everything for everyone to hear. She had been brought up knowing that information was power, so people in her ancient organization kept it short and close to their chest. Still, she was always glad to hear more, as long as she didn't have to share anything. She had definitely met her "sharing" quota with Sammy earlier and was satisfied with her efforts.
-
Snow will laugh at O'Connor's comment. You raided in the Tir? Did you even remember what you had been after? So, if that was the four of you and Fionn, what happened to the other three of that group?"
"Speaking"
-
O'Connor smiled as he shook his head, "Not a clue, and that seems to be by design. As for the other three, two popped smoke when we got ambushed after getting paid. Getting ambushed also seems to be a thing with us. Though hopefully with you here now to play Matrix master, that won't happen quite as often. Karate Kid, the other guy, just kinda dropped off the map. He and I didn't get along though..." He turned to the others, there was a much higher chance Johnny stayed in touch with them.
-
Snow will nod. "I do hope that I will be of good use to you. My honor demands it and I would hate to fail in that. In my opinion, honor is about all we really have anymore, and I swear to all of you that I will do my best to not let you down individually or as a team."
-
Clem chuckled a little bit when Snow started to talk about honour. What could she possibly know about honour, she was Russian, thought the ork. The newcomer was definitely saying the right things, but Clem was not impressed so easily; talk IS cheap after all.
-
Snow will politely ask whoever is between her and the edge of the booth to slide over. "I am sorry, but I need to use the restroom." After standing up, she will smooth her skirt and ask the waitress where the nearest restroom is. As she leaves, she will think, *Give them a chance to talk about me and see what happens.* While in the restroom, she will check to see if she has any answers to her questions. She is really interested in knowing if Boris can cough up a name for a possible Vory contact in LA. She will check out her light makeup in the mirror and give it a quick touch-up if needed. She has always been glad that she can get by with very little. *Sam Torley is cute, but that O'Connor guy might be a better side catch after the mission.*After using the restroom she will return to the bar.
-
O'Connor watched Snow depart, the phrase 'hate to see her go, love to watch her leave' was in full effect. He returned his attention to the group, Clem and Torley specifically, "She seems to know the two of you. Anything Sammy and I should know, or be keeping an eye out for?"
-
Having slipped his 'link back into its pocket, Sam sipped his scotch, then shrugged. "I don't actually know her. We met once, and she never let on that she could handle tech; it wasn't really relevant at the time. She does seem to know what she's talking about, though, and we need that gap in our team filled. Con, I know you didn't get along well with Red, but I liked him, and if he felt she was a good replacement, I'm inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. And she really does want to fit in, be a part of the group; she's not faking that."
He looked at Sammy. "I'm assuming you've checked her out astrally. Any red flags there?"
-
"Nothing special," Sammy replied, "some cyber, in the head mostly, but that's normal for techies. The only thing I felt was that she wasn't as bouncy and happy as she wanted to show us, but I assume that this was simply nerves on meeting a group of strangers for the first time, knowing you have to do tech for them and not knowing how they would react to you. I would give her a chance. And if something goes wrong, we're going to a city I worked in for quite some time. I know people there and quite a few people know me, so we should be okay."
-
"Same as Torley" said Clem after a sip of beer. "I was in the same room as her once, and she wasn't wearing her techie hat that time."
Clem took another sip and looked at O'Connor, a serious expression on her face. "Fancy her, Con?"
-
It was pretty obvious to O'Connor where Clem was going with this. Unfortunately for her, he wasn't in the mood for a 'think with your head, not your dick' lecture. So he fell back on his tried-and-true method of deflection, pissing the other person off. He scoffed at Clem, "What's it to you, jealous?"
-
Clem, having anticipated that remark, simply said "Nah, don't worry, she's all yours" before going back to her beer.
-
O'Connor gave a small chuckle to Clem's retort. He inclinded his head, giving her remark credit. He took a swig from his beer, but didn't further the verbal spat. His goal was to get her to lay off, not start a full fledged fight.
-
Snow will use some breath freshener before she finishes in the lavatory because she knows that some people do not like the somewhat harsh aroma of her special Russian cigars. She will return from the restroom and motion for someone to scoot over so she can sit. Looking about at everyone, she will say, "So, did I give you enough time to talk about me? I hope I am still welcome as part of the team?"She will look over to Sammy, "Say. I have that "Dragons in the Mist" game loaded up. I think that they did a good job with your character and your voice-over is very good. Have you tried the game at all? I am at a sort of sticking point and just cannot seem to get beyond it. If you play, perhaps we can share notes?"
-
"I've never even seen the finished game," Sammy said, "I've just read a number of sentences in a sound studio, that was all. And I've seen parts of the game, mostly the trailers, on the release party. But I'm sure there's matrix sites with information about the game."
-
Snow nods as Sammy talks. After, she will look around at the table and ask, "Does it bother anyone that I smoke? I picked up the habit years ago and it just will not go away. I will try to not smoke around anyone that does not like it. The smell is pleasant to me, but can be a bit harsh if you are not used to it. Just ask O'Connor; he had to sit with me while I finished one. I just want to clarify the team position before I insult anyone."
-
The automated boarding agent finally calls your flight and as you settle into your seats, for one of you there is an unaccounted for rush of fear. This will be O’Connor’s very first time on a commercial aircraft.
There is little to worry about though, the flight itself is a dream. The Charisma Associates provided first class seats are quite comfortable, the service is excellent and even Mother Nature seems to be doing her part, parting the clouds and giving you one of those breathtaking vistas available to the Pacific Northwest, all the more precious because of their rarity.
-
"We're quite important," Sammy said when they had settled in, "normally they don't offer just anybody this kind of treatment. I would say enjoy it because it will stop soon enough."
-
Clem boarded with the rest of the team, making sure to leave O'Connor a seat next to Ophelia. Once on the flight, she made sure to keep away from any liquor/alcohol as she wanted to stay focused and sharp for the job.
At Sammy's remark, she said "Something is bugging me about this. Why fly the hired help around in this kind of luxury?"
-
Snow will move with the others to the boarding area. She checks her 'link again and does not see a reply from Boris, but is confident that he will come through, but there must be some delay in contacting the LA Bratva and getting a name. She cannot help but notice the slight change in O'Connor and will slide next to him and softly ask, "First time? Do not worry, my new friend, flying is easy and safe. But I can very much remember my first flight and how I felt, so I can understand your feelings. It helps if you are flying with someone you know so that you can have a conversation. Before you know it, you are back on the ground. This plane looks very safe; you should see some of the junk we have to use in Russia." She will board and take her seat. Leaning back, Snow will review her security protocols. If seated next to O'Connor, she will keep him involved in some sort of conversation to distract him. If someone else occupies the seat next to her, she will participate in a conversation if spoken to, but will not initiate one.[/color]
-
After crossing the threshold onto the plane, O'Connor realized that he was an overgrown monkey in a glorified tin can that was about to be tens of thousands of feet in the air. He nodded in the affirmative when Snow asked if this was his first flight and was thankful for her reassurances. Once in his seat, O'Connor concentrated on his breathing during take off. Once they reached altitude, O'Connor's ears popped. This was a complete surprise to him. He asked with total confusion, "The fraggin' hell was that?" He began fiddling with one of his ears, as if it would rid him of this odd new sensation.
-
After taking his seat, Sam set about making himself comfortable--which, since Snow seemed more interested in O'Connor, basically meant flirting casually with the flight attendants.
-
Snow will dig into her handbag for a pack of gum and offer a stick to O'Connor. "That was your ears popping to keep pressure equalized. It is common and will likely happen again, and certainly will on the way down. It helps to be chewing something and gum seems to work well. Here, try one of these. I am sorry that all I have is mint. If it works for you, you can get some for yourself in whatever flavor you like."
-
O'Connor accepted the offered stick of gum, "Thanks." The gum did help, so O'Connor tried to settle in and relax, but with little luck. He made small talk with Snow during the flight, but gave little more than perfunctory responses.
-
Snow will try to keep all of her team mates' minds off the flight by creating a tactical situation and sending it out to all of them. <Open: Message Follows: Tactical Drill: Map Attached: A group of humanists has infiltrated the flight we are on. Friendlies are green dots and the simulated hijackers are in red. All noncombatants or questionables are in black. Situation: At cruising altitude the red dots rise from their seats throughout the first class and coach cabins. They state some of the common bullshit we have all heard before, and threaten to start killing passengers if the UCAS does not meet their demands. All of you are dialed into the Tac Net and because your hacker is good, she has been able to give you data from the cabin cameras. Two of the red dots have been identified through facial recognition as a shaman and a vicious thug who has a rep for killing people in gruesome ways. The other three red dots are unknowns. Further information will be provided as it comes available. Clem, you are the tactical boss. What do you tell your team? Please remember that this is a drill and you are to remain in your seats. I will update the map as you indicate your actions. End Message:>Snow creates and populates the map and sends the message out, waiting to see if the team will respond to the game.*Let's see if they bite on this.*
-
Clem looked at Sammy, which was sitting next to her, with an incredulous look on her face, as if to mean "can you believe this?" After the initial giggle, the ork was amused enough to answer. "Might as well kill some time" thought Clementine as she readied herself to type her answer.
<First I will have Sammy tell me if anyone else is awakened while Snow looks for any open communication these hijackers might have. Meanwhile, the rest of the team will look for any weapons we can use.>
-
Snow smiles as Clem answers. *Good. A response. Let's see if I can make it interesting.*<Sammy actually does detect that there are two awakened people on the plane, outside of your group. One is a red dot and one is a black one. Do you want to upgrade the black dot to questionable status? Your hacker tells you that there are shielded and encrypted comms going between the red dots and that she has already identified the links and is decrypting the downloaded conversations, but that it will take at least a minute or two. So far the red dots do not seem to realize that your team is on the plane with them. Sam and O'Connor look about for weapons. The obvious ones are the cutlery in first class, but other than that they will have to improvise. Two of the hijackers are waving ceramic guns in the air...no wait, your hacker just tells you that all of the hijackers have smartlinked guns, but only two have them in their hands, one in each of the cabins. One of the two hijackers in the first class cabin is starting to call out names on the intercom. Clem, Sammy, and Snow are on the list, as are six people in the coach section. It is pretty hard to disguise the two Orks and the Elf and we are being told to stand up. You can hear similar commands from coach. One of the hijackers in the coach section is shouting into a 'link that the first passenger will be executed in ten minutes if he does not have confirmation that his demands are being met. Next move?>
-
This could be a lot of fun, Sammy thought.
<Leave the other one on the black list for now. If the hijacker is an adept, I might be able to summon a spirit unseen. If he's a mage, I'll have to wait until the rest of the team is ready. Be aware that my magic will be affected due to the height. While it's not as bad as a sub-orbital, I will feel it.>
-
O'Connor, glad for the distraction, replied, <[Recipients: Team | Source: Text]: Under the logic of using surprise to quickly take control of this section, so that the rest are cut off in coach. If the guy with his gun drawn gets close enough, I'll trust in my armor and take refuge in audacity. I'll charge him, yelling, "Blitzkrieg, bitches!" I'll punch him in the face a couple times and fight for control of his gun. Probably throw a 'shock-and-awe' quip in there somewhere.>
-
Clem frowned upon reading O'Connor's response. "Of course after waiting for the go-ahead , right Con?" was her reply. "But before Con would charge, I would instruct the others to stay seated while I stand up and keep a knife hidden in my sleeve. If someone comes close, I would wrestle for his gun if he has it drawn out or if not, I would take him as a hostage, with the knife to his head."
-
Sammy sent a new message.
<and if they're willing to die for their cause, that action will trigger a bomb. We have to keep things coordinated and not attack until we are fully in charge of the situation. I suggest we follow their commands until they become complacent, or until we're forced to act. If there's an opportunity, we can take it, but everybody has to be ready.>
-
Clem just turned over to Sammy and said "If they wanted to just blow up a bomb, they wouldn't take any hostages. A hijacking clearly means they have demands, and they are willing to negotiate to get their demands met. Blowing up the plane because one of their operatives has a knife to their head would be both a waste of everyone's lives, and a waste of a salvageable situation."
-
Sam was actually intrigued by the game, though he wasn't sure he'd have much to contribute. Hey, Sammy; your astral scan would pick up which of the red dots is most nervous, right? Maybe I could use that to our advantage? His hand dropped casually to the handle of his walking stick, which he'd brought with him. And I do have more options than cheap cutlery, if it comes to that. But I'd really rather avoid it.
-
<The point of the exercise is to work on team coordination. Clem is the designated tactical lead this time. All of us are in the first class cabin as well as two of the five hijackers. There is a curtain drawn between first class and coach so the only way we are seeing the action in the back is through my scan and the hacked security cameras. Sammy, can you determine if the awakened are adepts or mages? In any case I am pinging the location of the awakened hijacker and turning the color of his dot to purple. The man yelling instructions and obscenities to the negotiators on the ground seems to be their leader so I will change his color to orange. The remaining three appear to be thugs, but based on Sammy's scan the one with the gun out in front and one of the three in the back seem to be quite nervous and unsure of themselves, and I am changing their color to pink. Good question Sam. Now we know that of the five, two might be frightened and unsure of themselves. Based on Clem's instructions, Clem, Sammy and Snow will rise to their feet as directed. Clem has concealed a knife in her sleeve. At this time the two hijackers remain near the stewardess area, so are a number of feet away. San and O'Connor are still seated. The hijacker in the front of the plane with a gun out will tell the three of us to move to the rear of the plane while telling the rest of the first class passengers that they have nothing to worry about as they are all humans. Color recap: Orange=Leader, Purple=Awakened, Pink=Nervous/unsure, and Red=Vicious Thug. Next move?>
-
Clem thought to herself. <Con and Torley are our element of surprise in this scenario, so I would try and be defiant so that one of the two hijackers from first class has to escort me personally to the back of the plane. Probably something along the lines of seeing his mother down in the Ork Underground last night. Once we're out of the picture, Con and Torley would have free reign on the last hijacker, while Sammy, Snow and I distract the other threats back in coach."
-
Sam leaned his seat back and stared up at the ceiling. Was Snow rebuking him for bringing up options that Clem might not have thought of? Sure, let Clem figure out what to do, he thought, but she and O'Connor tend to think with their fists. If we approached this in a calmer, more civilized manner, we could probably get things taken care of without getting bloody. I'm not sure how good Sammy's mojo is at subtle--could she drop the head goon without being obvious about it?--but I could use their emotions against them.
-
<[Recipients: Team| Source: Text]: Didn't realize they were the polite sort of hijackers that'll let you finish a text before shooting you. Since we don't have a nonverbal code, something for the to-do list, how exactly are we taking orders from Clem? We got ten minutes 'til bullets start flying anyway, why wait?>
-
Sam chuckled. Con, there are lots of reasons they may not be inclined to shoot. For one, we're several miles above the ground; the air's kind of thin up here. Random bullets on planes tend to have catastrophic consequences for everyone; I'm sure you've seen trids which demonstrate that. But more importantly, from Snow's description, it sounds like the leader's the only one who's really committed to this. The others aren't sure of themselves; they won't respond as quickly, or as violently. And that's a weakness--the group isn't very coherent. If the leader is seen as not being in control any more, the group could fragment. Then the question is whether violence would be seen as him losing control, or as the catalyst to bring the group further under his control--either could be true, depending on the personalities involved.
Sam paused. That was the big problem with theoretical problems like this. These "dots" were supposed to represent people, but there was so much more to a person than where they were. Everyone had their own backgrounds, fears, hopes, strengths, and weaknesses, but that sort of information could never be fully built into a simulation. And, of course, Sam didn't have formal training--if the situation were real, he'd instinctively be able to learn far more about the hijackers just by watching them than he could by asking Snow questions, since he didn't know the questions to ask. Frustrated, he concluded, If he's at all aware of this and is concerned that his followers would break if things turned violent, then he's likely to hold back unless he's attacked.
-
A message from an unknown sender flashes across your commlinks:
<Use of a TacNet in small unit communications is really worth the investment. One reason being when you communicate on a limited network like an airplane and start discussing things like bombs and ceramic firearms on relatively unprotected channels people monitoring such communication tend to get nervous and may act on the wrong idea.>
<Fortunately, those people allow me, your friendly Air Marshal, to operate under a certain amount of discretion. Monitoring your conversation, I have decided that you are not bad guys, just dumb ones, so I am sending this warning. Take a nap, watch a movie, have a drink, you have a lot of entertainment options on this flight. What you cannot do is discuss terrorist response scenarios on MY airplane, but please, enjoy the rest of your flight.>
<PS “O’Connor” you should learn to follow orders, or you are going to get your team killed. Listen to “Clem”, he’ll keep you alive longer.>
A Bloody Mary arrives by stewardess in front of each of you, right after you get the text. “Compliments of the airline.” The remaining time in the airplane is, by comparison, somewhat boring.
---------------
Welcome to Los Angeles, home of sun, sand, and more surf than you can shake a stick at—if you don’t mind the pollution. You arrive at El Toro Airport at 10 a.m. and are greeted by a troll with slicked-back hair, a thin leather jacket, a dark green T-shirt, and chrome shades. The troll introduces himself as Desperado. “Well, well. Looks like you’ve got amigos in high places. They’ve put you up in the posh Hotel Alternate. Yes that’s the name; it’s not an alternative to a hotel.”
He escorts you to the luggage area, where you retrieve your stuff. “Follow me,” he says. “Slade’s stuff is being unloaded out here.”
He leaves through a side exit to where the drones are unloading the cargo. A monstrous SUV, all tricked out, is parked back there.
Desperado pays an attendant and then opens the back of the SUV. The drones move to pick up the cargo from the ground and put it into the SUV. “I’ll take everybody’s toys over to the studio, while you guys check in at the hotel, meet me there after.” Desperado says. “I’d offer a ride, but Slade’s got a lot of shit to move.” He tosses you a set of keys. “I didn’t think you’d want to squeeze into the jackrabbit they budgeted for you, so the blue BMW is yours while you’re here.”
He looks at his link, just as you get a message from him on yours. “That will be this Fermin guy with you’re your IDs and some invites to P2.0. You’d best be installing that, given the crowd you’ll be hanging out with. Just don’t get too comfortable with it, unless you get a following like me. You’ll probably only get fifteen minutes of fame before losing your subscription. No worries though, it’s not for everyone.”
-
Clem was surprised at the message she read on her commlink. Although the situation was comical, she didn't want to laugh. Snow had failed in something she thought should be easy for hackers: keeping their conversations private. She made a mental note of that, as tearing the new member apart now would serve no purpose. She was sure Snow had gotten the message and would be addressing that flaw.
------------
Once they landed in LA, Clem made sure to greet Desperado and follow him to where the sensitive cargo was being unloaded. The ork caught the set of keys from him and looked at her commlink. She decided to wait until she got instructions from Sammy on how to proceed with that before doing anything else, but did want to bring up one minor point with Desperado before he left. "Let me just get something from that luggage before you leave, omae"
-
Snow will sit quietly for the remainder of the short flight. She will run diagnostics on her 'link, trying to see how the air marshal was able to hack her so cleanly. She had routed her comms through encryption software and there was no hint of a hacking attack that she could see. She was very embarrassed. *That was certainly a low blow for my morale. I can only imagine what this team thinks of their new member and what they will say the next time I suggest a simulation. Now, how did that guy get in?*She is happy that none of the others seem too interested in blasting her in public.
She will hold to herself until the baggage is collected and Desperado leaves then turn to the others and say, "Well, that did not go as well as expected, although I did think that you guys were adapting to the situation well. It is pretty obvious that the weak link here is me. I would understand if you asked me to get on the next plane back to Seattle. If you keep me, though, I will do my best to find out how I got hacked and take precautions to not let it happen again." Snow waits to see what the team decision is.
-
The rest of the flight was decidedly uncomfortable for O'Connor, the guy with the Criminal SIN, the guy that just got called out by some kind of sky cop. O'Connor forcefully pressed himself into his seat, his hands clenched tightly. Civilians saw a very nervous flyer, anyone else saw a coiled viper prepared to strike. He had nowhere to go, and could only hope that this air marshal didn't give the team even a cursory look over. He figured that leaving the country under a fake identity was a big no-no for convicted felons. For the remainder of the flight, O'Connor's eyes twitched warily towards any movement headed towards their seats. Luckily for all, the hellish nightmare ended without incident. Its wasn't until they were outside that O'Connor gave a sigh of relief. The tension in his body dissipated and he slowly returned to a normal state of readiness. He replied to Snow, "You get one. That does not happen again." O'Connor was too mentally frazzled to put any anger into his words, his tone was flat and drained. He followed Clem to retrieve his pistol.
-
"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," Sammy said to Snow, "Horizon has a couple of good hackers in their employ.
She looked at the one called Desperado.
"You're right, we won't all fit in a jackrabbit. So, where is the studio and when are we expected there?"
After getting the address and the time and getting her own gear, she moved to the BMW.
"Let's go to the hotel, freshen up and then I'll explain this P2 thing, she said, "Sam or Clem, any of you want to take the wheel? We're probably good with the autopilot, but it might be best to put the best driver at the wheel just in case."
Those were the only two of the team she had seen driving before.
-
Desperado puts up a hand to stop you from interfering with the loading, it is a VERY big hand. "Not here, you pop your case and start handing out goodies and the Puebs will be on all of our asses. Bad for ratings, yo!" The Troll points to the blue SUV parked nearby. "'Pilot's got the address, you can pull it up on your way."
When you get a chance to download the ID mods and P2.0 a new icon is added to your commlink’s AR, consisting of three concentric colored rings, each one with a numeric value inside. The numbers represent how popular you are and how connected you are down here in California. The center ring shows how close you are to Horizon CEO Gary Cline, the next ring is for Membership, or how many people are on your personal network, and the outer ring represents your Subscription, which is the percentage of viewers.
“You’re probably asking yourself right now what these rings are all about,” says a recording of a man decked out like a parody of a movie agent, complete with shades and antiquated cell phone, that came with the P2.0 app. “Through each ring you can see in more detail what the value is made up of. And here,” the agent directs you inside the P2.0 network, “this gray stick figure, which you can personalize, represents you in reference to the rest of the network. Trifling, no? Well, fear not, there’s a placeholder for blogging and me-feeds, allowing me to manage links to other blogs and videos that reference you or your P2.0 ID. And what are viewers? They’re the rest of the network who want to watch your P2.0 channel (me-feed and blog). I also handle the compiling of multiple videos on the P2.0 network to make for a more contiguous video feed. It keeps people from changing channels too often.”
The other slightly annoying factor with the P2.0 application is the pushy broadcast the P2.0 agent wants to execute from your commlink to talk to every other commlink or drone. You finally mute the agent after hearing it say, for the fifth time today, “Here’s my card, let’s do lunch.”
At the Alternate Hotel, your room is certainly at least a step above the coffin motels some of you’re used to hiding out in, though the decor is questionable. The rooms are heavily themed, from the “Stormy Sea” of room 21 to the “Forested Canopy” of room 25. At least you can turn off the AR channel of the Stormy Sea to keep from getting seasick. Each room also includes a small balcony, a bathroom, and a multipurpose kitchenette/living room/office alcove. As you look out from the balcony, your view of Los Angeles gives the illusion of a complete recovery. From the Alternate, you can see concentric walls out to the west where, block-by-block, downtown has been partially reclaimed from the sea. Beyond that are corporate islands where recovery took place quickly lest salvaging pirates get to the area first. Downtown is heavily covered in AR, containing both adverts and the images of buildings in pristine condition. Some of them appear the way they used to look at the turn of the century, while incomplete buildings show their future appearance. Flocks of drones can be seen buzzing around downtown, looking for whatever they believe to be newsworthy enough to gain viewers.
Unique to California is the P2.0-driven competition of those who can afford the subscription to create a proliferation of independent reality shows to grab subscribers. It’s also the first place you can watch a million channels of reality shows and still find nothing on.
-
Snow will look at Sammy and quietly ask, "Sammy, do we really need this P2.0 thing? If so, how does it work and how can we prevent it from showing everyone everything we do?"
-
"If you want to be someone in this town, yes, you do," Sammy said, "does the whole team needs it, probably not. But as the hacker, you are probably one of the people who will get this the fastest. And we have total control over what we show. I would suggest not starting with live feeds, just some stills, maybe like we know the people who did it, but didn't do it ourselves. If we do feeds, put in a minimum of two minutes delay. Not too difficult. I will also contact a couple of people I know to put me in their network and if I put you, we will be able to stay on for some time."
She put this new account on the network of her Delavigne account and then sent a network request to Melissa.
-
Snow will nod to Sammy. "Thank you. I would like that, and I do appreciate the help. I can do some stills and send them in. Is this something I should load on my main 'link or one of my others?" While talking, Snow is opening her commlink files, looking again at the series of events that had resulted in the major hack of her system. Still finding nothing she decides on a new tack. *If you cannot beat them, go to them.* She looks through the comm log to get the air marshal's IP and sends a message. < Open Message: Text: Hello. This is the girl you hacked on the plane from Seattle. Not sure if you are in the air or still in LA, but I would like to chat with you. You blew past all my defenses and through my encryption without attacking my system. I would love to get your advice on how to prevent that from happening. Your skills are well above my own and I would like to learn what I can from you. If you teach me I will promise to never again try anything on a plane. Please contact me. End Message:> *Well, we will see if he responds. It would be good to learn some of what he did so That I can try to prevent it from happening again.*
She will pick up her conversation with Sammy, "I do want to thank you for participating in my simulation. The ending is far from what I had wanted, but I think we were doing good. The team might be able to take advantage of little games like that to build some good tactics that will help us work together."
Snow will also check her mail. Not finding a message from Boris yet, she will send him a reminder about providing her with a Vory contact in LA.
-
Clem got to the hotel with the rest of the gang and decided to take the "Renaissance" room for herself. She was uneasy at the thought of having her gear away from her hands (again!), but gave a meeting time for the team and went to her room. She was lucky to have a tea-making set in her room and put some water to boil. She took a shower and cooled herself off, dismissing thoughts about her night before. Now wasn't the time to think about that, thought the ork as she dried herself and put on her armour. With the water at the right temperature, Clem poured herself a cup of green tea, sipping the drink and taking the time to enjoy the aroma and the taste.
As she was drinking her tea, she decided to have a look at her commlink. This new piece of software was completely new and foreign to Clementine, and she was unfamiliar with Matrix-related things to begin with. After a few minutes of playing with the menus and not understanding what she was doing, she just gave up on the whole thing and headed out the room to meet the other runners.
-
O'Connor took the 'Stormy Sea' room because of the dreary weather simulated in the room's AR feed. He'd been in L.A. for less than an hour and he'd already had his fill of the local weather. A lifetime in the Pacific Northwest had not prepared him at all for the sunshine of SoCal. The overbearing brightness was starting to give him a headache. At first opportunity, he was definitely buying a pair of sunglasses. He sprawled out on the bed and played around with the P2.0 suite. He had a few ideas to have fun with this thing, but he really doubted the rest of the team would let him get away with too much. Some time later he found himself hungry, so set about investigating the mini-bar. He balked at the prices, *Jesus Christ, I could find better prices on the black market during a supply shortage.* He went onto the balcony and yelled towards Torley's room, "Oi, Torley! Mini-bar included, or outta pocket?"
-
Snow will go into her room after acknowledging the meeting time from Clem. She will unpack her clothes then go to the balcony to look at the view it offered. She will sigh. *I miss Vladivostok.* She will check out the in-room mini bar and snort. *Way too much money for a cheap brand of vodka. I hope the bar downstairs has better.*
Stripping and unbraiding her long hair, she will head to the shower, allowing the allotted amount of hot water to wash over her. She feels refreshed as she towels off and begins the process of brushing her hair. Checking the clock, she realizes that she does not have enough time to get her hair dried and braided so will leave it loose for the meeting. She looks fondly at the suit she had worn, but opts for comfortable jeans and a tee shirt. She will check herself out in the mirror, grab up a purse and make sure that everything is there. She has already loaded the P2.0 onto her commlink and run a diagnostic and virus scan on it, finding nothing. *If nothing else, the earlier incident reminded me that I have become too complacent and that I need to be more careful.*
Snow mentally shakes off the bad vibes from the morning and leaves the room for the meeting, arriving a bit early.
-
After a long and relaxing shower, Sammy put one some nice looking clothes, a bit the same she had on before. While going downstairs, she also put a friend request to Pandora on her new P2 account. Having an actress of that format on her network might help quite a lot.
"Ready to go to the studio," she asked to the people already there.
-
Snow had been looking at the features of her Pito upload and was impressed. *It seems the idea is to be noticed doing most things. I will have to ask Sammy what sort of pics and other information I can safely upload.* A thought hits her and she smiles. *Hmmm. I wonder if I can go about things a bit differently here. If everything is public, maybe I can find my own Vory contact, since Boris is slow in responding. I do wonder why I have not even had a response saying he is working on it for me. That is odd for Boris. She will begin searching the blogs and video feeds to see if she can find anything about the local bratva.
She will look at Sammy as she enters the lounge. Leaving her search running, she will laugh as she stands up. "Now I feel a bit underdressed. Are the jeans and tee OK, or do I have a couple of minutes to run up and change? By the way, that color looks great on you." With her arms bared by the short sleeves of the tee, the others can see some tattooing on both of Snow's upper arms. The tats are Cyrillic characters and circle the arms.
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"Don't worry about it," Sammy said, "every one backstage just wears what he or she feels comfortable with. Only in front of the camera do you have to wear what the director says. Most techies will be wearing the same as you do, often more dirty."
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Snow will nod and sit back down and hold up the commlink she is using. "So, I have the Pito loaded on this and it is working. I am still confused about letting everything hang out, and it seems that we might want to use a physical disguise of some sort, but I am not sure of that. Is that how it goes, and can we maybe get something from the studio to help with that?" She will check the scan again to see if anything has popped up about any Vory activity. *Hmmm. I wonder if the Vory presence here is less even than in Seattle. Maybe that is why I have not heard from Boris. But then why not contact me and tell me? Something is wrong.* Snow will continue her conversation, "I was looking at some of the history of LA and it seems that much of the city is still digging out from the earthquakes and flooding. A lot of this place seems not so different from the Seattle sprawl........or, to be honest, the Vladivostok sprawl. But I did see an ad for someplace called Carousel Mall. Out in San Bernardino? They advertise that almost anything can be bought there, including high-end tech stuff. Do you know of this place and would it be possible to go there? I think my software collection might need an upgrade." She will pause then lean forward a bit and say, "I am hoping to pick up some things that would help with the security of our comms. I was very embarrassed this morning and want to see if I can fix the leaks I have."
-
"yes, you can probably buy everything there," Sammy said, "but San Bernardino is like the Barrens in Seattle. You can find everything, but do you really want to go there? But I understand you want to get some extra stuff as Horizon has some very good people in matrix security. As to the Pito thing, we'll have indeed to find some way to keep a medium of privacy. On my other account I didn't have that problem, so I'll have to think about it. As to what to post, just see what I post. If we're doing security work at the studio, follow their guidelines on what you can and cannot do. They all have guidelines, but in short it's simple: no live feeds of the filming, no nude shots of people in their trailers, although there are tabloids who will pay quite a lot for those, especially if you can catch two celebrities 'in flagrante delicto' as they say. Other than that, quite a lot goes, but each studio has their own rules. But don't worry, you'll get a file with them as soon as you arrive on the premises. In nightclubs and such it's even easier: anything goes there."
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Snow will nod and smile. "It seems such a different world here. That is good advice about San Berardino; I would want a lot of protection before going into the Barrens. Thanks for the warning." Her internal commlink will finally ping with a response from Seattle. She opens at the message with part of her mind and mentally grimaces. *They want me to do what? So this mission just got harder. I will see what I can do, although two weeks may not be enough time.* "So when do we leave and who are we going to see?"
-
"We go to the studio, as soon as everybody is here," Sammy said, looking around to see if everybody was already down, "There we continue what we did in Seattle I assume."
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Snow will nod. "Good. Perhaps I can hook up with a software specialist there and talk comm security. I know it is old hat for you, but I am actually a bit excited about seeing a real set in operation." She will hold up her commlink and add, "So for now, we each have two of these? One for real and one for show." Snow will run a hand through her long hair hanging loose behind her and laugh. "Probably should not have washed the mop. Didn't have enough time to dry it all the way so need to leave it down for now."
She, too, will look around to see if everyone has come down.
-
After much yelling, Torley failed to emerge and O'Connor was forced to give up. He took a quick shower and changed into a fresh dark grey t-shirt and pair of jeans. He strolled into the lounge with his jacket in hand, dangling over his shoulder. He nodded to those assembled.
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Snow will greet O'Connor, hoping that he is no longer angry at her. "Have you seen the prices in the mini bar? I hope that everything does not cost that much down here. It would be cheaper to import the vodka from Vladivostok. And the quality would be better as well." She will hold up the small commlink, "Have you figured out the Pito thing yet?"
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O'Connor shrugged, "I dicked around with it, but it's a layers on top of layers type of deal. I got some ideas on how to have fun with it though."
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Snow will look at him, "Oh? Do tell. What sort of fun are you thinking of? Can two do it?"
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"That sort of thing does show up on the Pito from time to time," Sammy said with a grin, "especially if they can catch some celebrity while doing it. But don't put that kind of stuff on your network as it will attract only weirdos."
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Clem was listening to the conversation unfolding. She had no intention of participating though, so she let Ophelia and O'Connor talk to themselves. The more Sammy was describing the P2.0 network, the more Clem hated the idea. She also despised the thought of showing up on someone else's feed, her image left to the mercy of whomever was filming her. She didn't let her thoughts transpire though, but she was becoming increasingly frustrated by this piece of software.
Clem looked at the time and thought it funny that Sam was taking more time than Ophelia to get ready.
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O'Connor smiled coyly, "A few of 'em, but we'll save those for later." He noted that Torley had yet to arrive, "Any of ya know if the minibar's included? Tried to ask Torley, but never got a reply. So I yelled louder, figured the balcony had good soundproofing. Still nuthin', ended up yelling quit a few unkind things see if I could get any response. Never did."
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Snow will laugh. "Yes, from the little I have learned so far by scrolling through this thing, celebrities caught having sex are big sellers and can get you lots of points. Scandal sells. Especially celebrity scandal. I will do my best to avoid any scandal." She will look around. "Hmmm. I would have thought he would be here by now. Should we send someone up after him?"
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Sammy checked the address and the traffic.
"We still have some time," she said, "let him relax a bit."
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O'Connor's yelling had been a little distracting, Sam thought as he took a quick shower. Still, the maid hadn't seemed to notice, so he was more than happy to ignore it as well. This hotel has some nice amenities; I think I'll enjoy it, he mused to himself.
Once he was cleaned up and back in his normal attire, he headed down to the hotel bar, where he found the rest of the gang waiting for him. "To answer your question, Con, the job covers room and board, but don't go overboard on the incidentals," he said by way of greeting.
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Snow will nod and wave as Sam as he enters the bar. "That is good to know, but I thought that the prices in the mini bar were quite high for the quality of the beverage. If those are the average prices for drinks down here, it may be time to go dry." She will give a short laugh and look around. "Well, we all seem to be here. Should we leave for the studio?" She is running searches on both commlinks for the names of the smugglers and those named as owing money to the Vory. *If everyone is as connected as it appears, they may be easy to find. If the word from Seattle is true, they may not be expecting a Vory contact and might be in the open. One of the smugglers might be interested in being the new bratva boss for LA. A direct link back to Vladivostok would be handy.*
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While talking, Snow will bring up her internal 'link and search for the local EVO corporate message address. She is looking for the link to the Corporate Hostess. *Ah, there you are. Hmmm, her name is Rose Arquette. Now, let's see if she can get me in touch with the local fixer.* She will send the woman a message, <Good day, Miss Arquette. My name is Yelena Petrovna Talinovski, but I usually go by the name Snow. You may check out my bonifides through Robert Parson in your Seattle office or Misha Kirov in Vladivostok. Either will tell you that I can be worked with and trusted. I am in LA on business and would like to speak with someone at your office who handles security issues and am hoping that you can assist me in that. Thank you very much and I hope that you can get back to me soon.> *Well, that is another stab at a contact down here. I just hope that EVO is bigger here than the Vory happens to be.* Snow looks around at the others. "How do people drive down here? From what I saw and read up on, LA is still pretty much a mess from the earthquakes." Something about Sam's reply to O'Connor bothers her. *If he heard O'Connor ask him a question, why did he not just answer? I hope that they are not baiting each other.*/color]
-
The noonday sun shines brightly here as you leave the hotel, even through the pollution haze. Heading east over to Studio City, you see many large (up to four-story), white, windowless buildings, each broadcasting the trids that were filmed there. They contrast with the more colorful condos and office complexes in the area. Each of these buildings is a large studio complex, where the stage can blend virtual and real elements into a fantastic trideo. At least that’s what the P2.0 agent tells you.
You drive past several gated private roads and drone sentries before the car stops and tells you that you have arrived at your destination. Before you is a large, gilded security fence with a pair of bored-looking security guards sitting in a guard shack. Beyond that, another large windowless building prominently displays a sign saying “Studio 8.”
The guards request your credentials and verify that you are supposed to be there before opening the gates. You then drive into the large parking lot below the sign. As you exit the car, a dozen iBall drones descend near you. Your links and P2.0 accounts are bombarded by queries. Before you decide whether or not you should go for your gun, they determine you are not newsworthy and leave. One even gives an electronic snort of distaste as it goes, though another seems to linger extra-long on Sammy before departing.
Walking into Studio 8, you are amazed by what is going on inside. It’s like an arcology, but with miniature mountains, oceans, and towns … anything that the director wants can be built inside.
The film stage alone looks to be 350 meters long. The techie with Ben, James, recognizes you and comes over.
“Hi guys. I had Mr. Desperado put Mr. Slade’s equipment in storage room 8A, over to your left. I’ll show you the room.” He heads off past what appears to be a green-colored, irregularly shaped wall.
“Over to the right of the stage are the meeting rooms, catering, restrooms, workshops, etc.,” he says, pointing to the one and two-story buildings nested inside the studio. “When the red light ARO is on in any of the rooms, it means that we’re filming and everyone needs to be quiet. And here’s storage room 8A.”
He fumbles a bit with a hefty set of maglock passkeys around his neck and gives you one. “Here’s the key. When Ben wants some piece of equipment, I’ll come and find you.” With that, he heads back to the stage, busy with something on his ‘link.
The storage room is about as big as or bigger than some of your apartments. It’s twenty by ten meters, with a six-meter-tall shelving unit and attached rolling ladder. Slade’s cases fit neatly on the bottom corner of the shelving unit. Nothing appears to be missing.
Snow also receives a text:
<Your message was forwarded to me by our tech guys, sorry to say I do not really have the skills to have done the work myself, I was just the lead on the situation as the Air Marshall. I do have several suggestions for you, some from personal experience working the merc circles in Bogata and some compiled by my team at my request. Perhaps we can discuss them over dinner next time I am in LA?>
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Snow will enjoy the ride over to the studio. The entire experience is much like what she was used to in Vladivostok working as a hostess for EVO. First class rides to nice places. The difference is that those trips always ended in someone's bed and this may turn out differently.
She is awed by the size of the studio and listens carefully to the techie. *Tempted. But this is not the time to ask to see the IT guys. Wait for a better moment.* She will follow with the group to the storage area and pick up her weapons, checking to make sure that everything is in working order. She will run a quick diagnostic on the gun through its smartlink. Then wait. She will ask, "So, is this what we are supposed to watch over?"
She is excited to see the text. Excited and disappointed. She sends a reply, <Dinner will be nice. I would like very much to hear what you have to say. I will be in town for at least two weeks, maybe longer. Send me a note and I will try to carve out some time.>
-
Taking the maglock key, Sam thanked James and made sure he'd left before the group opened the case and retrieved their equipment. The Roomsweeper slipped into the second holster in his suit, adding a comfortable balance to the Peacekeeper. After that, he looked around the room to verify that it only had one entrance, then turned to the team.
"Ok, as we discussed before, Clem's got lead on tactical decisions, with Con as backup. Snow, can you take over this lock? At least get it to tell us whenever it's opened? I doubt this is the only key, but even if it is, it's possible for someone to get past the lock, and if that happens, we ought to know." He trusted Sammy to be doing whatever magic mojo she felt was necessary, but until the elf proved herself, he was going to try to help as best he could.
-
O'Connor ran a quick visual check on his weapons, before booting up his smartgun system and running diagnostics and calibrations. He loaded his Security 600 pistol with a clip of stick-n-shock, and Crusader machine pistol with the normal explosive rounds. He placed his machine pistol on his right hip, and light pistol up his left sleeve in a gun slide. He slipped his knife into his right boot. He nodded in response to Snow's question, "That's it. Already had a bit of trouble over 'em, probably have some more soon." He held up his heavily customized M23 rifle and turned to Clem, "After what happened at The Needle, think we should roll heavy for the time being?"
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Snow will nod and give Sam an amazing smile before she bends over at the waist to examine the lock. "If this is wireless, I should be able to hack it to create a user account in the system. Let me see." She begins to hum a little tune as she works her 'link's programs. She will stand up and move to the sit against the wall near the door. She will look up at Sam and say "We should have time here, right? I will be going slow in case the place has security and will be in VR, so please watch out for me." She will begin to probe the lock, looking for its weaknesses, its chinks in the security. The lock might be a simple device, but it might be part of a larger security system that would not appreciate her intrusion and subordination of its device. Probing gives her the best chance to slip in unnoticed. If she makes it in she will log on to her user account, which should be all she needs to manipulate the lock to tell her when it is accessed.
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Seeing that their gear was safe and sound was a big relief for Clem. She double-checked all her things, making sure everything was in order and working properly. She said "I like where your head's at" to Torley before turning to Ophelia and asking her "Any chance you might get a blueprint of the place? I would like to know where we are vulnerable before any possible attackers do."
The ork looked at O'Connor and squinted. "Remember we're not back in Seattle here, we don't know how serious KE or Lone Star or anybody else with the contract here takes this studio. We have to keep collateral damage to a minimum, so keep it short and focused." She had hoped O'Connor had understood what she had meant by that, so she let him be.
She finally addressed Sammy and asked her "Is there anything you can tell me about the spirit world around here?" She hadn't meant for her question to be so vague, but that was the extent of her knowledge on those matters. She knew there was something the ex-starlet could do to prepare the team in the event of an attack, so she let her figure that one out.
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Snow will nod at Clem and get to it as the hacking program does not require her entire concentration. She will send out feelers to see if she can get a set of the blueprints. As a minimum she will upload the emergency exit floor plan. "I have the floor plan they use for emergency exits. It should do as a start while I continue looking for the blueprints. Uploading it to everyone....now" She goes back to working on her two projects.
-
There is a signal dampening quality to the walls of the room. Nothing that Snow can't overcome with her gear, but normal comm traffic is blocked inside the room, something relatively noticeable to all of you since you are very conscious of the unusual comm traffic you are subject to with the Pito system and running in Active Mode. The room's node is easily overcome, though there is little to it but temperature and humidity controls for the room that are openly accessible AR and the lock. The outer building's node is defended by security hackers who, after a bit of a conference, incorporate Snow into their system and provide what maps she seeks.
The cases in the room contain the familiar armor with katanas, the team's contraband, and four additional containing:
1. macuahuitls and an obsidian knife
2. Thunderstruck Gauss Rifle
3. 4 sets of 6 shuriken
4. A riot shield with the Red Samurai logo
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O'Connor nodded to Clem, "Right. No full-auto, and no shooting up the client's stuff." He slapped a mag into the M23 and pulled back on the charging handle, loading a round into the chamber. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and waited for the plan to start coming together.
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Snow will download the maps from the security team. <Thank you very much. It appears that we are cut off communications wise from the outside. Will you be my point of access?> "Clem, the blueprints are uploading to you now. Do you have a place you want me to stay?" Snow will load a magazine into her Predator and work the slide, chambering a round before placing the gun in its holster.
She will continue to monitor the security channels for the two nodes without trying to make a pest of herself and getting dumped. She will send a signal to the other 'links in her system to make sure that all are functioning properly and trying to anticipate the logical attack point so as to be ready to keep the team net operational. *Damn. I really need some better software, and this firewall could use an upgrade. Heh, almost everything about this system could use an upgrade.*
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Clementine said a simple "Thanks, Snow" before taking a look at the blueprints Ophelia sent her. She tried to find any chokepoints or any other areas where an infiltrating team could possibly want to strike.
[SPOILER] I guess I'll just roll a knowledge check and let Crossbow tell us what she figures out from the plan. It seems invisible castle is down, but I wanted to roll Clem's Security Design (4) knowledge roll, which would be 7 dice.[/SPOILER]
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For Sammy, this was a trip down memory lane. She had been here before, so she knew how to act around a studio. Nothing much had changed actually and while she hadn't been in this particular studio, they looked sufficiently alike for her to quickly find her way.
"Every studio has a couple of mages," Sammy said to Clem, "Mostly to do the special effects, but they can also do a little bit of defense. So expect some spirits roaming around as security, mages who can lob a stunbolt or two and whatever security they assign to high profile stars. Oh, and those special effects mages are often very good with illusions. Like I did at that warehouse, the extra guys who suddenly burst in shooting. If the crap hits the fan, things like that can happen. Astral space here is fairly normal, as long as we don't go out in the lagunes or in El Infierno."
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Snow will smile when she is given the access to an account. <Thank you. I will not be a problem. Could I ask to be informed if there are any odd happenings or breaches into the studio?> She will continuously monitor not only the links to her team net, but what she can look at on the node. She is not going to dig where she should not, but she is trying to get to see how far she can get with her access account.
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Sam blinked as he remembered something, then glanced at where Snow was reclined against the wall, closed off to the real world. He swore softly. Glancing at the rest of the group, he decided to send them a message over the tachnet, which he hoped Snow had properly sealed off by now. Guys, I may be wrong about this--I hope I am--but we may not be alone in here. I didn't think much of it at first, but when I looked around earlier, I saw a gray spider. Except, thinking back on it, it seemed too...shiny. I'm going to take another look, see if I can find it. Keep talking casually; if someone's listening, I don't want them to know that we're on to them.
He then stood up and stretched. "Ugh. I'm still feeling stiff from the flight. I'm going to walk around a bit, see if I can stretch out." He proceeded carefully around the room, periodically stopping to twist his body and/or bend over.
[OOC]Invisible Castle's down, so I'll let the GM roll for me. Perception dice pool 10, visual specialization, for a total pool of 12. The flexing should give him an excuse to peer into otherwise hard-to-see parts of the room, under cases, etc.[/OOC]
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When Torley looks closer, specifically checking for them, he sees not one, but several of the little metal insects, including a couple sticking to the ceiling. He counts at least five, emphasis on at least.
They are definitely artificial, as the spindly little legs coming off the body only number four, which matches up with no insect you have ever hear of, even among awakened bugs.
-
Snow will blink at the message from Sam. She will send a message off to the security team she has access to. <Hey, do you guys have any eyes in this room? We think there may be at least one spybot of some kind in here. Shape of a spider? Let me know if this in one of yours or something to be concerned about.> *Now let's see if we do have more nodes operating here.* Snow will send out feelers to detect any additional nodes than the two she knows about already. Unless something was passive or stealthed her first sweep should have picked up all of the nodes. She will send a message to Clem. <Boss, scanning for stealthed nodes. If I find one should I try to infiltrate or let them think we do not know they are here?>
-
Clem read both messages from Torley and Ophelia. She didn't like this sudden change of situation, but as the new coordinator for these things, she didn't want to jump to any conclusions too fast. The last thing they needed was to be overzealous and break something that belonged to the studio. She sent a casual message to the whole group, hoping they would see the wisdom in her restraint. <Before anything, Snow, I want you to confirm with the site that this spybot is not theirs, or something part of this P2 business. Sammy, can you see if there's anyone in the vicinity ready to pounce on us meanwhile?>
After she sent the message, Clementine turned to O'Connor and jokingly asked him "You sure you know how to handle that big gun?" She hoped the hint was obvious enough for O'Connor to be on standby.
-
"I'll have a look in the astral," Sammy said. She was looking for a nice spot to sit when the messages got in.
<<It can be spy bots from a rival company or something like that. It's something that happens here a lot. If security confirms they're not theirs, just remove them and turn them off. We can check later to see who sent them and if we can't find them, we can always wipe their memory and sell them. Or use them ourselves. Going offline for a moment.>>
Then she found a nice spot, sat down and let her consciousness flow from her body into the astral to do a quick recon.
-
Snow gets a quick reply from the tech. "No eyes on your space, that is almost a dead zone for us, by contract. Sounds like you got some nosy spybots, we get that kinda stuff on set time to time. We're a bit busy right now, with shooting starting any second, but as soon as we can break someone loose we will send them your way." With backup coming, she will set her link to start scanning for the hidden drones.
The Avalon locks onto the first one about five minutes later, she sets it to continue searching while she carefully checks the particulars of the first. She identifies it as a stock model Shiawase Kanmushi and after checking the specs, determines it must be operating by remote command. It simply doesn't have the power to penetrate the dampening in the room's walls to receive instructions even if the rigger were standing right outside the room.
-
Snow will send a message out to the group, <Studio security confirms that these spybots are not theirs. They claim they get stuff like this all the time. I have tracked one. Specs: Shiawase Kanmushi spy drone. The dampening here in the room is probably enough to prevent any rigger from being in direct control unless he is hiding in one of these boxes, so they are probably under remote or automatic control, gathering data that can be collected later. Clem, do you want me to try to hack one? As of now we are going full encryption on our internal comms unless you advise otherwise.> *Damn. These are not that hard to spot. How did I miss them when we first got in here?* <Scanning to see how many of these suckers are in here.>
-
Sammy's astral scouting trip reveals nothing unexpected. She finds Minnie Maxx in a meeting of some kind, and another uninitiated mage near the sound stage, probably a magical adviser to the movie. Security-wise there are a several watchers on the perimeter who completely ignore her, apparently their instructions are to alert someone if an astral being enters the area, but not if one is wandering around inside of it.
-
O'Connor raised an eyebrow as he swung his rifle off his shoulder and stood ready, "I'd be glad to demonstrate." He stood idle while Snow and Sammy did their respective things. After a few minutes he turned to Clem, "I'll keep an eye on stuff outside. Wouldn't do to have the enemy attack with all of us crammed in here." With that he exited the room and stood guard at the door. He set his commlink's camera to record and placed it in the breast pocket of his jacket. From there it'd be able to record what was in his forward field of vision. He figured that if something went down, the team would have vid of any enemies that might get away, and he'd also have something for the Pito thing.
-
Snow scans the room with her Mk 1 Eyeball while her deck continues it's search. She quickly figures why they were so hard to spot, even with overlay of the now revealed node of the drone she almost can't see the tiny thing from her seat. Even knowing what to look for now is almost no help, she finally see one not half a meter from the first on the back wall as her deck pings a third on the ceiling.
-
The news was some kind of relief. "Means we can play with these things without alerting their owners, right?" thought the ork at Ophelia's remark. "Good thinking, Con" said Clementine at O'Connor's idea. She turned to Torley and asked him "Want to accompany him? It's always better to have two people standing together. Let me figure out what to do here in the meantime and I'll update you on the plan of action."
Clem sent a message to the team. <Yes, from now on, I want our conversations to be completely private. Do what you have to do with the spybot and find out where it comes from, it's all yours. Sammy, stay with her, I want to go talk to the head of security here, see what physical means they have going on.>
-
Snow will mentally nod. <On it, boss. Encryption of all comms starts...now. Just remember that you are likely off the net outside the room, so be careful. I have to admit that these little guys are hard to spot on the matrix. Perhaps stealthed? I will try to hack one, but I have at least three located now. I wonder id they are set for the Pito to broadcast an event that someone expects to happen here. I believe that this is a very common spy drone and the number of them in one room might indicate that several people have put them here, which might tie into the Pito theory. I will try to hack one now that I have it located.> She will attempt to probe to gain entrance to the Kanmushi. If successful, she will attempt to examine its programming to see what instructions it has been given. *Come to mama, baby drone. Come to mama.* Snow also maintains her constant sweep of the room to see if anything else pops up as well as monitoring the small net.
-
Sammy sent an aknowledgement, before she summuned a watcher spirit as well, putting it on standby. She wanted another messenger ready in case she needed one in a hurry and the commlinks were jammed again. Next she also started thinking about what she would do if an attack came. An illusion like she had done in the warehouse would be best, but maybe put the guys in a PCC elite unit uniform. She started a quick search to get the correct uniform and unit patch. It was always a nice touch if you added that. She also checked her P2 account to see if people she had sent a network request had already answered.
-
I see at least five visitors, Sam sent when he'd finished his trip around the room. At Clem's suggestion, he nodded. "Sure, no problem. Everything looks good in here." Stepping out, he nodded to O'Connor, then glanced around to see where he could place himself most comfortably while still keeping an eye on the door.
-
O'Connor returned Torley's nod. O'Connor kept checking the people near the storage room, trying to tell if anyone was taking too much interest in it. Anytime someone passed near, O'Connor dropped his finger from the fire selector to the trigger of his rifle. He also mean mugged the hell out of them to encourage them to move along quickly.
[spoiler]
Perception 3 + Visual 2 + Intuition 3 - Poor Lighting 2 = Pool 6
Invisible Castle still down. I'll leave it to the GM to roll.
[/spoiler]
-
Clem followed Torley out of the room, making sure to tell everyone to "Stay in communication." Once out, she tried to orient herself to the nearest security outpost, using the blueprint Ophelia had given her for direction. She wanted to make sure everyone present knew who they were and also what the security personnel was supposed to look like.
-
Sammy's connections have already paid dividends on the group's collective Pito rating. Their C rating is already a 6 thanks to the connection to Sammy, and their M ratings have quickly climbed past 20 as people assume that anyone Samantha Delavine knows is someone worth knowing too. Most are simply unknown glitter chasers, but the name Liam Starcross does stand out as a familiar one.
For Clem, the security operation of the studio, just like everything else in this place, seems wrong. No centralized station, bodysecurity that more obvious than their principals, it is giving her headache wrapping her mind around it. She still manages to get some face time with all present and make sure her crew doesn't end up getting shot at from all sides.
With her deck continuing to locate and catalog microdrones, Snow carefully checks out and takes command of the first little bug. The mission coded into its simple little brain was to first find out what was inside all of the cases that were being placed in the room, then insert a backdoor code into the maglock of the room, and then escape and get itself into the nearest trash bin, assumingly for a later pickup off site.
She is able to quickly verify that the backdoor had not yet been inserted, though the drones did have a good idea of what the cases contained by this point. After 90 minutes of search time she is fairly confident she has located all of the bugs and commanded them to line up like good soldiers, a dozen in all, on a shelf at eye level for quick collection or dispatch.
Just as she is finishing up inside, someone from the tech crew finally wanders over to the storage locker and playfully tries act tough by way of introduction to O'Connor. "I hear you big, bad shadowrunners are looking for an exterminator."
-
Snow will use her account with the security node to seek out Clem. <Boss. I have a dozen of these suckers lined up and standing at attention. It appears that all of them are here to gather information on the cases and insert a backdoor into the lock of the room. Someone has some serious nuyen to throw at this if they are willing to commit twelve of these drones to one job. At this time they have not managed to put the back door in place, but they do have most of the information about the crate contents. The normal use would be to have them transmit this information after being picked up, but I cannot be certain if the owners have gotten the information somehow. I am still trying to find out who they belong to. What do you want me to do with them? I could wipe their memories and deactivate them. It is possible that we could sell them to a rigger if you know one in the market, or perhaps trade them for some needed software upgrades for my system to help us stay secure.> She will continue to probe the first drone to see if the owner can be identified.
-
O'Connor gave a hard stare to the tech as way of greeting, "Name." His tone made it clear that this was a demand, not a request. He also sent off a text, <[Recipient: Clem | Source: Text]: Got a tech here to pick up the drones. You find security yet, so that we can confirm identity?>
-
From the side, Sam tried to remain inconspicuous, or at least innocuous, when the stranger approached O'Connor. Luckily, he was far enough away that he wasn't obviously "on guard", but close enough that he could hear the conversation. Let's see how the gun nut handles this, he thought to himself, taking the opportunity to look the "tech" over.
[spoiler]
Invisible Castle is still down; GM may roll. Sam's perception (visual) pool is 12; judge intentions 14.
[/spoiler]
-
The tech quickly goes from "regular guy joking with regular guy" to "omigod, I have fragged up, this guy is gonna kill me" in less time than it took to say. "Crenshaw, James sent me over because he said you may have found some bugs in Mr Slade's storage area."
Torley picks up nothing beyond the the obvious, no subterfuge.
-
The guy's reaction all but confirmed he was on the level, but O'Connor was gonna have fun with it. He passed the names of the tech and who sent him on to Clem to verify, "Confirming, gimme a sec." While he waited for Clem to get back to him, O'Connor continued to bore into the guy with his stare, and for a bit of extra theatrics he kept tapping the trigger of his rifle.
-
Sammy was still in the room and as she had not much to do but watch Snow work, she was fiddling with her Pito system. She also took a closer look at the drones Snow was investigating. Not because she knew anything about them, but more about curiosity what they looked like.
"Those bugs really look like bugs," she remarked, "let's keep them and sell them later. I doubt the studio would care as long as they get a memory wipe."
-
Snow is still trying to bore into the memory of the drone but can reply to Sammy, "I can so agree to that. These little guys will run you about 1000 nuyen new. Each. And even more if you customize them. They ought to be worth something, even used. I am trying to see if I can determine who sent them here and how long ago." *Come on baby. Open up and give me the information.*
She will look up at Sammy, "So this Pito thing seems to be doing alright and all we have is your name. You certainly are something around here. Do you know who this guy Liam Starcross is?"
-
Clem forwarded the information she got from her team to both Johnsons, asking for confirmation on the validity of the newcomer. <If he seems on the level, let him in, I'm getting confirmation from the Johnsons. Snow, stay on him and make sure he is never left alone, especially in the Matrix. And make sure to keep those bugs, they might come in useful.>
-
<[Recipient: Team | Source: Text] The guy's here to collect the things for disposal. Should I send him away?>
-
<Got it, boss. Keeping the drones. I do recommend a memory wipe of the information they have, just in case the owners try to get it from them.>
-
<Give him a few, but keep at least one. We could use it for bait if we need to later on.>
-
O'Connor stepped aside to allow the tech access to the room, and knocked on the door to get one of the girls to open it. He continued to stare down the tech, curious if he could get the guy to piss himself from a stare alone.
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<OK boss. I will keep what I can and continue my research into who owns them.> I will continue to examine the drone as well as scan for additional hidden nodes and any intrusion on the net.
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I will look up at the knock on the door and go open it. I will welcome the tech with a bright smile."Hi. Oh, you're cute." I will point to the ten drones I have left out. "The drones are over here. I have isolated ten of the suckers. They appear to be normal micro drones. As far as I have been able to determine, they were put here to gather data on the crates and to put a back door in the door lock. The back door was not installed yet, but I think that they have much of the data they were looking for. Do you think that you can determine who sent them?"I will run a finger down his shirt. "You know, I could always use some good software upgrades and if you could put in a good word for me I would be ever so grateful. Ever so grateful."
-
Sammy rolled her eyes as Snow put the moves on the techie, but then she turned to her own search in this Liam Starcross. She had heard the name before, but there were so many names in LA, many quickly forgotten.
[spoiler]
same for me. Invisible castle still down, but trying to remember the name. If it's celebrity gossip, horizon media or magic trids, my dice pool is 6 for all. GM can roll.
[/spoiler]
-
Poor Crenshaw is completely a mess of emotions, when James told him to come help the team, he was pretty excited. He was friends with one of the stuntmen, so he had heard all the details of what had gone down in Seattle, including the night that followed. Seeing his life flash before his eyes, then getting hit on by a elf that looked as good as some of the simstars he worked with inside of the same minute, he retreated immediately to something he knew and latched onto the drones.
"You are right, they are straight off the shelf. They have been found on sets before, Ben will be glad to know you found them, he likes to keep a tight set. Sounds like you have these well in hand, I can take them if you want me to, but I can't guarantee they won't just sit in a box for a week or two. Things are really hopping for us right now." While he is double checking what you told him he replies to your request, "I might know some folks, but I don't do a lot coding myself."
The previously mentioned red ARO comes on at that point.
Outside Torley and O'Connor's attention is naturally drawn to what is going on.
The lights dim. Nothing happens for some time, but you feel the temperature rapidly drop to a brisk eight degrees Celsius when the action starts. You are a bit surprised by the sudden chill and occasional flake of snow. The Jenny Freelance is climbing up the green mountain shapes with a Sherpa. She starts a conversation with the Sherpa.
Apparently she’s speaking Sherpa based on your link, but you don’t have the software to understand it. Luckily, the AR has a CC channel:
<wind howling>
Jenny: How much farther is it to the temple of the four winds?
Then a dozen frozen undead pop up. This leads to several takes of more martial-arts combat, as the zombies keep falling apart in the cold.
-
Snow will touch his arm and breathe softly, "All you have to do is get me some contacts that can help me upgrade my operating systems and perhaps some usable software upgrades. I can do the rest. But I would be very grateful, especially since I really don't know anyone in town." She will nod, happy to see that he verifies her ideas on the drones. Do you think I could keep some of them? They might fetch some good nuyen. How many do you really need to take with you?"
Snow is a bit surprised by the appearance of the red ARO. She is momentarily interested, but then goes to full defensive mode as it crosses her mind that this would be a good distraction for someone to use. She will step up her sweeps of the room to see if any new nodes pop up.
-
O'Connor tried to remain vigilant and on-mission, but come on, the movie shoot was too cool to ignore completely. He sent a text to Torley, <[Recipient: Torley | Source: Text]: Given the director's hard-on for realism, we should probably thank the producers for the fact we're not up on some cold ass mountain peak right now.> O'Connor shivered a bit from the cold, regretting changing out his old jacket for the one he was wearing now. The one he left back home was insulated.
-
Sammy had seen it all before, but she did check the astral. Not only because she was responsible for astral security, but also to check what kind of illusion they had used to make this. Changes this drastically were mostly done by mages and she had to admit, they were good.
-
Crenshaw has recovered sufficiently from his near death experience to take advantage of the opportunity presented to him. “I could definitely introduce around, the tech crowd in LA tends to keep to itself, but we have our spots. We can meet later after the shooting ends for the day, then go to the clubs later? As for the drones I only need a few, keep what you want as long as you are willing to show appreciation. “
After Snow makes her choice, he will swap comms and Pito links with her and head out.
Sammy sees a little magic being used to enhance the experience on set, but not much else. Jenny Freelance being a cybered-action type it is a different feel from her shoots, but Big Ben is not one to pass on enhancing the experience.
The filming continues for several hours before a break is called and the red ARO winks out. As most of the crew heads for a cafeteria, Richard Fermin steps over to the storage room and goes to speak to Torley.
“Your reputation precedes you apparently,” he says, by way of greeting, handing over an invitation to a private party with a smile. You can see there’s an RFID signal coming from the invitation. He continues, “I’ll level with you—one of my co-workers wants to hire you. I don’t know the details, but if Pandora believes it’s important enough to get you invites to The End of the World Club, then that’s good enough for me. Party starts at 9 p.m. Take tomorrow off to do what you need to do; I’ll have things taken care of here, okay?”
-
When the ARO told Clem the set was clear, she made her way back quickly to the team. Just in time in fact to catch Richard Fermin talking to Torley. She decided to stay out of it and asked O'Connor "Anything happened?"
-
O'Connor shrugged, "Nothing but that tech showing up." He inclined his head towards Torley, "Looks like Torley's got new marching orders for us though."
-
Snow brushes her breast against Crenshaw's arm as she takes five of the ten drones she had left out and moves them to her bag with the other two she had stashed there earlier. "I would love to meet some of the LA tech set. And you will have no doubt about how much I appreciate your help. I do not know what my boss has planned for tonight, but I will call you." She blows him a kiss as he leaves.
She continues to run scans of the room and her net throughout the filming. She also keeps up her effort to extract some information from the drones. She takes them out one at a time and makes sure that they are shut down before she puts them back in her bag.
-
Sam wasn't too surprised by the hardcopy invitation; while they were increasingly rare, he knew some of the higher-end establishments liked the impression they gave, even with the modern security additions. He thanked Richard as he took the paper and slipped it into an inner pocket of his jacket. "End of the World? Must be nice, with a name like that. What's it like?"
And he says he can take care of things here without asking for the key back. I knew we didn't have the only copy. Wonder how many there are? he mused to himself.
-
"New orders already?" thought the ork. She certainly didn't want to pry in the conversation Torley and Fermin were having, so she simply whispered to O'Connor "Did you hear what it's about?"
-
Richard smiled, "You'll like it, very nice place for the rich and famous to come and play, High security though, so, no offense, but tell your friend to leaves his toys at home and be chill. Unless he has a hit song on the charts they will be looking for a reason to toss him, and that won't make any of us look good." The elf gives Torley a solid shake and takes his leave, heading out of the studio.
-
O'Connor shook his head, "Nah, just bits and pieces, something about Pandora and a place called the The End somthin'...":
-
Snow waits for Richard to leave and goes over to the others. "I have been invited to go meet with some techs and it may be a door to get some of the software upgrades I need for the net. I am sure that by now all of you know that I am not as well prepared as I had thought I was. I think this is a good opportunity and would like to take it if that is alright."
-
Sam nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you take Con with you? I've been invited to a place called The End of the World to talk work, and it doesn't sound like his scene." He hoped that she wouldn't need Con for his skills, but it was always better to be safe. "Sammy, Clem, would you ladies like to go with me? Oh, and we've been given tomorrow off--from guard duty, at least."
-
Snow looks at Sammy. "Well, I guess I get to keep the fancy stuff in the traveling bag. Knock em dead." She turns to Con. "You alright with this? Probably lots of tech talk, but I was told we would be going to a couple of clubs. Besides, I know that nerd girls are attracted to the handsome action types. You might score."
She will use her Pito 'link to dial up the tech. "Hey, it's me, Snow. The girl from the prop room with the drones? I just got the green light to go out. What time were you looking at and should I just wait here for you? What you saw for clothes is all I have here so you would have to pick me up at the hotel I am at if I need to change. By the way, one of my friends is asking to come along, if you have the space in your ride. He is not much into tech stuff, but he can carry a conversation. And he does not need to be in on the appreciation part of the night. What say?"
-
"End of the world sounds nice," Sammy said, "Clem, what do you have in the way of dresses with you, as that place has a dress code. Quite a lot of the important places in LA do actually. Oh, and I've noticed that Liam, you know, the guy from the diner, has gone on my P2 network. Apparently he's in LA and he managed to get onto that stuff as well. Good to know, at least it's another guy we know in case the fecal matter hits the oscilating unit, right?"
-
O'Connor was stuck between a rock and hard place. His options were go to the fancy-schmancy club and feel out of place all night, or go clubbing with the techs and feel out of place all night. He settled on the techs, since he figured that he could bully them into dropping any b.s. they may pull, not so easily done to rich people with several bodyguards. Snow's comment about getting some also helped sway his decision. Of course he couldn't let that be apparent. He shrugged indifferently to Snow, "Sure, I'll come back you up. Given this team's luck, if I don't, the Universe is bound to pull something just to spite us."
-
Clem didn't like what she was hearing. Their client was not only inviting them out, but was giving them the day off to make sure there could be no reason not to go. If the break wasn't an obvious enough sign that this party was important to the Johnson, Clementine didn't know how else it could be communicated to them. Ophelia had showed an obvious flaw in her tactics back in the plane, and now she was risking insulting their client because she wanted to prepare herself for the job in the middle of the run. The ork didn't like how the newcomer to the team was operating, but she wasn't going to say anything in public. She would have to wait to bring up her issues.
Clem turned to Torley and simply said "This is all I have really," pointing to her clothes. Although she wasn't a fan of dresses and dressing up in general, she knew she had to do what their employer asked of them. "If it's absolutely necessary, then I guess we'll have to go shopping first" said the ork, looking at Sammy as she said that.
-
Snow nods at Sam and Con. "Just waiting on the tech to get to me to see if he has room in his ride, We should probably leave anything larger than a handgun here in the box or give them to the others to take back to the hotel. I would assume that handguns can be checked at the club door but rifles may be too much." She turns to Sammy, "Sammy, do you know if that is true or should we leave the handguns, too?"
She removes one of the drones from her bag. "I have seven of these. I would like to take a couple with me to see if the techs can get more information from them. They are shut down for now, so should I take all of them or leave some with you guys?"
-
O'Connor was not a fan of bumming a ride all night, "Frag that, I want my own escape vehicle. Sammy, know any good rental places?" He watched the last of the set crew headed towards the cafeteria, "Anyone else gettin' hungry?"
-
"You go ahead, I'll stay here" said Clementine to O'Connor, "I'll go after you come back. Take Snow and Sammy with you, I'll stay here and stand guard with Torley meanwhile." She turned to Ophelia and said "You can bring a few drones if you want Snow, but we should keep some for ourselves, just in case we need them for bait later on."
-
Ophelia thinks for a second and responds. "Ah. I think I will pass on the cafeteria, thanks. I am pretty sure that dinner comes with my date. He had said earlier that he would be available as soon as they wrap up for the day, so he could call back any minute. I can stay here with you until he calls." She holds up the drone in her hand. "Besides, I am still working on this sucker, trying to determine who sent it"
-
"Why don't you tell the techies that you can't make it now, as you have other engagements," Sammy said to Snow, "they'll understand. As to weapons, I don't know exactly but expect all weapons to stay at the door. You can take a handgun, but it stays in a lockbox at the door and you can pick it back up when you leave. It's the policy in a lot of the upper establishments."
-
Snow nods, "I could do that." She turns to Clem, "What about it Boss? What should I do?"
-
O'Connor shook his head at Sammy, "Why bother with all that? Sounds like this End of the World thing is just picking up new orders, not interviewing for a new run. Plus there might not be time tommorow for Snow to take care of this."
-
Snow says, "The contacts I might get tonight may lead me to something tomorrow. I hope I do not piss anyone off, but I really think my best use is with the techs, although I will miss the fancy place. I really need to see if I can upgrade my stuff."
-
With an emotionless stare, Clem replied "You do what you have to do" to Snow.
-
O'Connor shrugged, "Glad that's decided. I'm grabbin' food." He unslung his rifle and handed it to Clem, "I pass guard duty to you." He gave her a mock(ing) salute before leaving.
-
Sammy thought it over.
"You might be right," she said to Snow, "if you and O'Connor go with the techs, we'll go to the End of the World. If we need you at the club, we can always contact you via the matrix and set up a trid chat or something. And since you're not allowed to bring weapons in, club security here is very good, so we should be safe even without our heavy hitter. Just a question from someone who doesn't know a lot about techie stuff, but shouldn't you keep those drones in a... what you call it again... far-day cage or something?"
She'd rather not have O'Connor in the fancy club if she could avoid it. He was club material all right, just not that kind of club.
-
Snow shakes her head. "Perhaps with some drones, but these are very limited due to their size. Before we leave I am going to ask Crenshaw to run a tag eraser over them, which should kill them for whoever owns them. That should make them ours. I am not a rigger, so I can't really use them as they should be used, but we can still get some value for them."
After the others go eat, Snow sits down against the wall and watches Clem. After a couple of minutes she says, "Hey, Boss. Is there something besides my screw up this morning on the plane that is eating you about me? If so, I would like to clear the air so that I can work on it."
-
Sammy is also dragged off to lunch by Minnie, who is quite insistent, and since they still need to get the team some alternate looks for me-feeds, she relents. She is hoping she can convince the troll that her career change is voluntary and not some Hollywood plot to keep metas down.
O’Connor and Torley grab food and sit down. As they eat what is some pretty good food to O’Connor and reasonable acceptable fare to Torley, the face gets tapped on the shoulder. The tech from before, Crenshaw, is there with a tray in his hand and says hopefully, “You are Snow’s friend right? I hear you are going to be hanging with us tonight, my chummers are really interested in hearing about the Emerald City.” He nods to a table a little further into the room with a group that is CLEARLY composed of tech guys.
-
"First and foremost, your timing" says Clem after a short period of reflection. The ork was not comfortable at all talking in the middle of the job like this, on location, especially with the P2 feature recording and broadcasting everything.
-
Sam briefly considered tossing O'Connor to the wolves, but Con hadn't actually been that annoying recently. Smiling at the tech, he said, "Well, actually, I've got a prior engagement this evening, though I believe Con, here, will be joining you. He's not much of a talker, though--we keep him around mainly for his rugged good looks. I've got a few minutes, though; I can tell you a bit about things up north. Though I'm sure Snow has plenty of interesting stories of her own." With a nod to O'Connor, Sam stood up and headed over to the other table.
[OOC]I sure hope Con appreciates this. ;D[/OOC]
-
O'Connor gave Torely a nod of appreciation as the face rose from the table. He also gave a short nod to Crenshaw, but it was filled with marked disinterest. He took a second glance at the table they were headed towards and shook his head. He'd agreed to go because nothing seemed to ever run smoothly for this crew, but it looked like one way or the other the night was going to be a long one. He continued to lament the coming evening as he continued his meal, *This tech better deliver on his end.*
-
Snow will look at Clem. "My timing? I am not sure I understand. And you can talk freely here. Remember that the room is sealed and I have taken the precaution of shutting down our personal Pitos and isolating our chat to just us. I really am not as incompetent as it might appear from this morning. I still do not know how that was done, but I am trying to fix that so it does not happen again. Now, about my timing?"
-
Clementine frowned at Ophelia. It seemed that she wanted to get this over with right now and then. Clearly social cues was not her forte, thought the ork. "Now is not the time to talk about issues you have, and if you need to work on your shortcomings, you should do it on your own time, not when the Johnsons are inviting us to a private party of theirs." Clem let a small pause before looking away and saying "But you do what you have to do. Which reminds me, did you find anything about those bugs?" Clementine wasn't expecting any progress on that, but she hoped Snow could at least get that this was the end of that conversation.
-
Snow remained silent for a few seconds. "Not much, Boss. These are pretty much straight-off-the-store-shelf grade drones. I am still running a program to try to determine who put them here and am hoping the techs I see tonight will be able to help. Only thing techs love more than tech stuff is a puzzle involving tech stuff. I figure that turning a few loose on these babies will get results. I am also still running a sniffer program to see if something was running silent and programmed to pop active when the normal day was done. Nothing yet, though."
She uses her 'link to go through the node security channel to contact Crenshaw again. <Hey, Snow here. You have not called back and I was wondering if we are still on for tonight. Like I said earlier, I only have the jeans and tee with me, so is that enough or do I need to go home to get something else? And my friend has decided that he wants to take a rental to the club and meet us there. So where are we going first and what time will you pick me up here?>
-
Crenshaw follows Torley, looking rather upset. "He hasn't mentioned killing me or anything has he? We didn't really get off on the right foot this morning." Crenshaw introduces Torley to his co-workers and then answers Snow's call. <I am sure you will look amazing even if you weren't wearing anythin...er, ah,... I mean, yeah, that will be fine. I was gonna grab a shower and change after work though, I can pick you up at your hotel right after and your friend can tail us to the club. It's called the Data Haven.>
By the end of lunch Snow will have exhausted her capabilities of finding any kind of hidden data, instructions or traces on the little bots but not found anything new. She is also fairly certain that she has erased and reset any pre-programmed instructions they might have had. She wasn't a rigger, but she was pretty sure no joystick jockey could have hidden something that well in these little bots.
-
Snow will see the note from Crenshaw and send one back. <Thanks for the compliment. I can shower for you and you can pick me up. By the way, I can't just call you Crenshaw all night. Do you have a first name or something else you want me to call you? Oh, and is breakfast included?> She will run a quick check of the Data Haven to see what sort of club it is and if there is a dress code and what amenities it offers.
She is a bit non-plussed at Clem's reaction to her. *I wonder if it has anything to do with her being a Yak and me Vory? I know that some people can't get past something like that so it might be.*
-
Sammy is also dragged off to lunch by Minnie, who is quite insistent, and since they still need to get the team some alternate looks for me-feeds, she relents. She is hoping she can convince the troll that her career change is voluntary and not some Hollywood plot to keep metas down.
Sammy liked talking to Minnie, even though she did take some convincing on the fact that she liked being a runner. Yes, it paid less than a movie star, but they both knew that if you were the star today, nothing said you were still a star tomorrow. And Sammy found it more interesting than parading half-naked (and sometimes not even that) in front of a bunch of people. Not having to wear some horny scenarist's idea of female armour did make up for the fact that she made less money.
She did bring up the alternate looks, knowing that Minnie was a good one for these things and not likely to go overboard. She had seen enough caped crusader wannabes over the years on me-feeds and she really didn't need to join their ranks.
-
Minnie will be glad to help your team fix your looks for the LA runner scene, she has a dwarven protege that she promises to send to them. When she hears that Sammy is going to be headed to The End of the World for an event, she is initially excited thinking this a return to the spotlight for one of 'her people.' But she is brought down to earth finding out that she is going for a meet, then says grudgingly, "You are going to need an extreme image change, you are too well known in this town, I would be surprised if the rumor-mill isn't already buzzing about you being on set at Pandora's latest. If you show up at the End and get recognized you will have a flock of glitterati following you all over town."
When shooting begins again, the scene has shifted to the edge of an icy mountain cliff, Jenny battles the undead alone over the body of her fallen Sherpa companion. Even though it’s a movie, the adrenaline kicks in with the suspense. Suddenly, some elf comes snowboarding down the mountain, swinging a sword. Pyrotechnics blast zombies over the cliff, apparently simulating combat magic (Sammy is NOT impressed). Your attention fades as the story focuses briefly on this guy, who tells Jenny that he’s a mystic knight and he’s here to help her.
The dwarf who will be doing their new looks escorts you individually to the make up area for your new look.
-
When it is Snow's turn, she will go with the Dwarf to see what can be done with her. "Is it enough to just color the hair and perhaps some tinted contacts? I am really unused to any of this. I could wear heels to add an inch or two of height. What do you think? I am not really that well known down here to begin with."
-
"We could play up your name and go full-on abino, white hair, pink eyes, maybe some glitter skin?"
-
Crenshaw follows Torley, looking rather upset. "He hasn't mentioned killing me or anything has he? We didn't really get off on the right foot this morning." Crenshaw introduces Torley to his co-workers and then answers Snow's call.
Sam smiled reassuringly at the tech. "I wouldn't worry about it. Sure, Con's a bit intimidating at first, but I think that's mainly a defense mechanism--he's been hurt before, you know? I understand you LA-folks are open and accepting, but there are people up north that still don't like it if someone takes an...unusual path." Sam couldn't resist himself from trying to make Con's evening a little more interesting. "I don't know all the details; like I said, he doesn't like to talk much. But maybe you know someone like him? Make an introduction while you're out tonight?"
[OOC]
Etiquette check, since Sam's hanging with people he's not used to, so needs to use some skill to read the crowd: 13d6.hits(5)=10 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4755271/) :o
Oh, and Invisible Castle's back up!
[/OOC]
Sam spent the rest of the lunch chatting amiably with the techs, regaling them with stories of life in Seattle, many of which were actually true--or, at least, close enough.
When it was his turn to receive a new look, he chatted with the dwarven artist for a bit before making his decision. When he emerged, his head was bald and it looked like his nose had been broken, healing slightly crooked. His eyes were also a striking light blue color, almost white in their paleness.
Edit: Added new look.
-
Sammy went for blonde hair, which she had put in a wave instead of just straight. Some blue contacts, make-up to make her skin more pale and pads in her cheeks so her face looked a bit different finished the disguise. It was something she could undo and redo herself quite quickly as her work in the biz had given her some experience with make-up and stuff. It wasn't needed for just walking around, but when they were on a run, she could always use her magic to augment her disguise, or use it to go back to her own look in case it might be interesting to use her fame to get something done.
-
After finishing his meal O'Connor met with the dwarf. He got his hair dyed jet black, with midnight blue lightning bolts to match his pistol. He also wanted to get a fake scar down the length of the left side of his face. To finish things, a bit of latex to his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose to throw off facial recognition. Once complete, he returned to the storage room to resume guard duty. He nodded to Clem, "Miss anything good?"
-
Snow considers the Dwarf's recommendation and decides to go with it. *I hope it does not keep me from getting laid tonight.* After the work is done she looks at the Dwarf, "Very nice, and thank you for your help. Can you show me how to set this myself? What about showers? Also, I am going on a date tonight and there is a chance at intimacy. Will this stuff last through that?"
Snow returns to the storage room after her session and joins the rest of the team on guard duty. She turns to Sammy. "You look great. What do you think of the albino look she did for me? And Con, I love the lightning bolts. So now we can turn on the Pitos, right? And we should still set them for the two minute delay." She laughs, "Now I regret even more not going to the fancy place. I bet the Moonsilver gown would look incredible with this colorization and the glitter. I could grow to like this."
-
"You look great," Sammy said, "but don't start to like this kind of treatment too much, it can end very quickly. And yes, if you put on the me-feed, add in a two minute delay, especially if we're out doing something illegal. If you're just in a club or in a situation like this, it's not really necessary, but maybe do it anyway, just to get into the habit. One thing we have an advantage here is that quite a lot of people change their looks on a regular, sometimes even daily basis, so the cops won't look too concerned if your looks don't exactly match what's on your SIN."
-
After lunch, Clem waited until everyone had had a go with the makeup department before going last. She had thought long and hard about what would be the best disguise for running in LA. She reasoned that if she dressed up flashy enough, it would be very difficult for anyone to connect Clem and the runner from her feed.
Once it was her turn, the ork decided she wanted to go full-on ganguro, with the dark tan and flashy makeup. She also asked Minnie to bleach her hair pale blonde, with streaks of pink and white. She put a few plastic flowers in her hair as well, put some yellow, neon pink and bright red nail polish on and completed her look with some silver lipstick and lots of white eyeshadow. She also altered the colour scheme on her armour to match this new look of hers. *There is no way anyone will be able to recognize me now* thought Clem as she looked at her new look in the mirror.
When she got back to the team, she made sure to fully understand how to set a 2 minute delay on her Pito feed. She finally felt safe walking around LA, knowing her identity was safe from any recording eyes.
-
Snow nods at Sammy's remarks. "And I bet that if someone gets to be a popular Pito star that lots of people will try to copy their look." She sets her Pito for the delay and waits for Clem to return. When she does, Snow will go and walk around her. "Clem, you look so different. You had some great ideas. Me, I had to have her give me the ideas. I went in for a quick hair dye and some contacts and came out like this."
She looks around at everyone. "We all look so different that I doubt that anyone in Seattle would recognize us." She goes to talk to O'Connor. "Say, Con, got to love the sexy scar. Anyway, my guy got back to me and said that he will pick me up at the hotel and you can follow us over. He is taking me to the Data Haven. I am putting an ARO of the address on your 'link in case we get separated or it takes you a while to get a car. I wonder if we could arrange for a car to be delivered to the hotel so it could be waiting for you?"
"Oooh. That reminds me. I should send him a current pic so he knows what he is getting. Can you take a picture of me with your 'link and send it to mine, please?" Snow will send the photo off to Crenshaw. <Hey good looking. Thought I would send a photo of the new me just in case you want to bail on the evening. If I don't hear from you in a negative way, I will be waiting at the hotel. Ta.>
Then it is back to net security and guard duty for the rest of the afternoon.
-
"The point was to look different and unrecognizable, right?" said Clem to Snow's remark. "Now you can record all you want and I don't care what you capture."
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Snow nods to Clem. "It was indeed. I think you look amazing. Like a vid pop star."
-
Everyone is comfortable with maintaining there look, though O'Connor should probably make sure Sammy helps him with the scar, the looks are good for regular wear, or normal exertion, but the dwarf warns that the looks will not survive *looking at Snow* extreme personal activity.
Snow gets a fast reply to her text, <WOW! Very nice, I am definitely looking forward to tonight, and I made a point of inviting out a friend who should know the people you are looking for.>
O'Connor is able to arrange for a rental to be brought to the hotel, a Spirit for 50 nuyen a day, for his use.
Once everyone is settled, filming for the day ends shortly after and the team leaves the studio as the sun is setting.
-
O'Connor gave a whistle as Snow approached the group, "Lookin' good, Snow. May need to steal you away for myself tonight." Once Clem returned, O'Connor turned away to hide the mixture of horror and confusion etched on his face. Only after schooling his expression did he turn back to the group. The name of the club Snow gave did not raise O'Connor's hopes for the night. He looked over the address and gave Snow a resigned nod, "I do hope your new friend comes through on those upgrades, for his sake."
Once done for the day, O'Connor returned his rifle to the team's crate. He held onto his other weapons, plus spare clips. Back at the hotel, he placed the machine pistol and its spare clips in the glove box of the new rental.
-
The end of filming for the day only signaled the start of the second part of their day for Clem. She was aware that this place they were going would most probably be very strict in terms of weapons, so she decided to only bring her stun baton with her. Her katana was already at the hotel, so she decided to leave all her guns at the studio and waited for Sammy and Torley in order to go get a dress for the club.
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Snow laughs at the Dwarf's comment. "I am pretty sure that I will be involved in some 'extreme personal activity' tonight. Will I need to come back tomorrow to get this refreshed or can you show me how to repair the damage?"
She nods to O'Connor. "Thank you very much. It is striking, is it not?"
After Clem gets back Snow will give her a thumbs up and say, "Very nice, Boss. And I just got a note from Cavendish. He says that he has lined some people up that should be able to help me. Looks like a win. And Con? Remember that nerd girls like action people, but polite action people that smell nice."
Snow joins the others and places her Predator in the group box. Once back at the hotel she takes a quick shower and gets dressed. She swaps a nice pair of slacks and sleeveless blouse for the jeans and tee. The Vory tats circling her arms are quite visible, but only someone with knowledge of the Vory would recognize them for that. Anyone else would just think that they were simply old Russian sayings. The rest of the tats are concealed by the blouse. She finishes off with a smart blazer that she can easily remove. She relocates the various parts of her special pistol as accent pieces or in her clutch. She adds a small bit of scent to wrists, neck, and cleavage then makes a final mirror check before going down to the lobby, carrying her blazer oven her right arm. She finds a place to sit and wait for her ride.
-
It had been quite boring for Sammy, as she was used to having a bigger part in these proceedings. She would leave her pistol at the hotel and only take her taser, which was only a weapon to have a visible weapon, as she could do a lot more damage without it.
"We have some time," she said to the others, "I just need a bath and a change of clothes. Anybody needs something else?"
-
"Only something that fits the dress code" answered Clementine to Sammy's question.
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"I'm sure we can find something here," Sammy said, "but first, what do you have and what do you think you need?"
-
Clementine will definitely need a shopping trip, her outrageous new look will simply not go with the subdued clothing she brought with, even the high end stuff.
Fortunately, the Alternate Hotel is in the midst of a shopping district, and while it isn’t Rodeo Drive, you can find some nice looks. Actually, considering that what little is left of Rodeo Drive is toxic beachfront property; this area has it beat all hollow.
You have a “Pretty Woman” moment, as one of the higher end shops is not really interested in catering to a couple of minority Ork women, but depending on what you want to spend, clothing is available at regular and tres chic levels, there is even a shop where you can find some nice looks made with ballistic cloth, though it is not high end. (Clem can spend what she likes on clothing up to 1000 nuyen for outfits, the low end stuff can be Armored as you wish, just spend the money and you have it)
-
There’s only one road you can take to The End of the World. After the Twins, what used to be a through road and intersection became a dead end overlooking a twenty-five-meter cliff face.
You drive up the winding road into the Hollywood hills. Up here, the haze and light pollution blocks your view of the stars, but below, Los Angeles looks just as pretty as any galaxy. After ten minutes, you arrive on a stretch of road that ends in a cul-de-sac on a cliff. There are several other cars here; expensive looking cars, but not pimped out. The view is breathtaking, with an unobstructed look over L.A. A warm breeze takes the slight chill out of the night air. Off to the far right is the Hollywood sign.
The End of the World is a high-class, single-story building. The grounds are dark, except for subdued yellow lighting along the sidewalk and over the door. The building is perched partially over the edge with serious reinforcement. As you approach the club, two “walls” step out of the shadows. One of these burly troll security guards lights a cigarette, illuminating his face. Apparently even the guards go for a little cosmetic surgery. The lighting over the door brightens a little so you can now see both guards well enough.
“Invitations please,” asks the first guard. As you present the invitation, there’s a loud buzz in the distance followed by a pop and flash of light.
“Glitterati drone,” says the second guard in answer to your unspoken question.
“Go on in sir,…ladies.” says the first guard, opening the door and handing back the invitation.
Inside, you see that the place has a classy look with brown colors and faux-wood furniture. This contrasts with the placement of jagged black stripes and irregular black spots. The AR has two overlay channels. One replaces the black with a view of the aftermath of the quakes from the perspective inside the club. The other is a present-day view. Looks like the place was in fairly bad shape after the quake, and someone recorded the moment.
Many people wander around; waiters serve entrees and drinks while the guests circulate among dozens of sitting areas. You can see Alexi Summers, who just brought out a new line of urban tribal for Evo, and Anthony Pardes with an armful of women. The other guests acknowledge your existence with cool greetings and empty small talk. Apparently you aren’t high enough on the Pito scale for a full conversation. You overhear tidbits of conversations: producers throwing out ideas for the next blockbuster, an assortment of rumors, and a slightly heated argument over whether Teiko’s next album, Lollipop Dreams, will beat out Chrisy Daee’s Sunny Daee at this year’s awards.
-
Sam had left his guns at the hotel, but still had his walking stick. Flanked by the two attractive orcs, he stepped into the club like a fish slipping into water. This was his element, and he was going to enjoy himself. He quickly scanned the room, mentally classifying everyone; the powerful, the hopeful, the wannabes acting like power-mongers. He knew that his social status--as defined by that bizarre Pito crap--wasn't strong enough to directly approach the higher-caliber socialites, but at least he could avoid talking to those who were losing status and inadvertently being seen as "on the down swing" himself.
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Once inside the club, Clem started recording. Safe in the knowledge that she didn't look like herself, she set her commlink to "record" and was determined to figure out the Pito feature and use it to her advantage.
-
Sammy had put on her Moonsilver line gown, in a deep blue colour that actually went quite nice with her now blonde hair. The hair was done up in the latest fashion. She too had her me-feed running at the moment, while she chatted with other people. She knew who to pick and who to ignore, having been to parties like this before. She also knew what gossip she could tell about the new trid she was involved in. Some things the studios didn't mind going out and in fact, sometimes studios had been known to sent behind the screens people to parties with a number of 'rumours' that they had to get out. It was a way to get publicity for a trid and also something she had done before when she worked behind the scenes.
-
Snow is picked up promptly by Crenshaw, who cleans up nicely even if the late model Comet he driving isn’t up to standard of Snow’s regular dates. The Data Haven is exactly as advertised, a techie club where O’Connor looks EXTREMELY out of place, and while Snow is easily the best looking woman there, there is certainly some nice ladies in attendance, even though the gender ratio is not in his favor.
There is an especially well-endowed specimen that gets the out-of-towner in a little trouble as the barkeep quietly informs him that ogling the goods when the party isn’t in residence is considered bad form. O’Connor is confused until he realizes the woman in question seems to be asleep on her chair, apparently she is working the club in full VR.
It is still little early, so Crenshaw and Snow have some time to talk before his people start arriving.
-
Snow greets Crenshaw when he shows up. "You are right on time, I like that." She moves her arm down her body. "Will this do for the club? I hope the change in my look is not too much for you and your friends. And my blouse? I could cover the arms if the tats are inappropriate."She offers her arm to him and lets him escort her out of the lobby and to his car.
At the club she follows him in. "Nice place. Who are your friends that we are meeting? What did you tell them about me?"
-
O'Connor checked in his pistol at the door, however reluctantly. Once he crossed the threshold into the club, he knew that the night would be a test. He ordered and downed two shots of tequila in rapid succession, and followed with an order for a rum and coke. He walked about the club to familiarize himself with the layout, while keeping an eye out for some chicks that weren't spaced out in VR.
[spoiler]
Perception 3 + Intuition 3 + Visual 2 = Pool 8
8d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4759989/)
[/spoiler]
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The first thing that you will notice is a sharp uptick in your group’s Pito rating. Apparently just being allowed in the door at The End of The World makes you someone worth a look.
Torley casually inserts himself into a group of writers discussing various projects and pitches they are working on, overhearing one about a group of shadowrunners looking for El Dorado. He got the idea from rumors of Aztlan working with ground-penetrating radar at some of digs for the Legendary City of Gold.
Sammy isn’t nearly as comfortable as she thought she would be, first there is the fact that even though she is seeing people she knows, she can’t approach them because she isn’t HER right now, and she has to preserve that illusion. Another reason is that she climbed this particular social ladder once, so dealing with starting on the bottom rung again is not something she is completely happy with, even though it is not her life anymore. She might have been okay, but she fell into a conversation with a group of women discussing the fashion in the club. Seems the House of GaGa is debuting a new line in Paris right now and the Gagaistic Effect is supposed to return and replace the Zoe fashions that she is happier with, and is in fact wearing.
Clementine’s look has garnered her a bit of attention, but once engaged she is having trouble with the fine points of conversation. Although she has had some experience in these settings, it was as protection, or sometimes window dressing, having to communicate with people rather than evaluating them is taking some getting used to.
Things seem to be going much better at the Data Haven. O’Connor is able to find some interesting company, a couple of ladies who are a little older, but introduced themselves by getting very handsy and telling him “You’re about the manliest hunk of meat we have seen in this place since Chaser’s turbo-steroid hookup got busted.” They have brought him to their booth and are buying him drinks, since the booth has a good sightlines he really has little to complain about.
Crenshaw has turned out to be rather charming, in a geeky, sort of desperate way. He is nothing but complimentary towards Snow. He tells her that his friends will be along soon, some are from the studio so they have seen her, but a couple of other folks he tells her are coming to, including a person coming later that might be the connection she is looking for. “He tells me he is in good with Alex Machine, so he has got to know someone in the LA shadows.” He makes a point of showing her the VR portion of the club, the sculpting of which is a work in progress, but cool, then does his best to chat her up, asking her about her life and work.
-
O'Connor had to admit he'd been wrong about this place, being the big fish is a small pond had its upsides. He mirrored the girls directness by getting handsy himself, "And you ladies are the sweetest pieces of tail I've met since gettin' to L.A." His night was starting off extraordinarily well, which meant something was bound to happen. He occasionally took stock of the situation in the club to keep from getting blindsided by whatever karmatic balancer was head his way. Despite his paranoia, it didn't take much to get his attention refocused on the girls and continue to sweet talk them, in his crass ways.
-
Snow notices Crenshaw's unease and takes him off to a slightly secluded corner. She takes him by his lapels or jacket front and pulls him to her, kissing him deeply. She breaks the kiss and says, "Relax. I like you so just be yourself. I am here to meet with the people you have mentioned, but I am going home with you tonight, breakfast is optional." I put my arm through his and we go back to the main area. Unless he objects I will keep my arm in his to let everyone know just exactly who I am with. When seated, I will sit close to him for the same reason. Since he did not object to the tats on my arm I will carry the blazer with me, exposing bare shoulders and arms.
I let him escort me about the club. "I will let you buy me a drink. Vodka. Neat. Do they allow smoking here and do you mind if I do?" When he asks about my life I say, "I am Russian, from Vladivostok. I used to wage slave for EVO there. That is where I learned some of my skills. I was sent to Seattle a couple of years ago but boss and I did not get on. He wanted too much 'extra' from me and when I refused he let me go. I took to the shadows, but I am not so well prepared for this sort of work. I really need to upgrade my system and the software to help me protect my team."
-
AT THE END OF THE WORLD
A gentleman in a gray suit and dark green tie approaches Torley and gently pulls him away from his group. He hands him a card with a familiar logo. (Somebody is paying a FORTUNE for Horizon execs to keep killing trees for these nice cards.) It says“Andre Guiles, Media Arts manager, Charisma Associates.”
“Evening. I’m Guiles—I’ve heard you are on retainer with Richard Fermin,” he says. “Can I have a private word with you to discuss additional business?” He leads you to your partners and giving them each cards repeats his introduction, then leads you off and down a hallway to a room guarded by a man and a hulking mastiff (don’t get nervous, mastiff NOT BARGHEST). Almost everything inside the room is black, with only a partial non-black frame. In the middle is a set of tables and chairs—sturdy, functional, and not at all comfortable.
Once everybody’s seated, he continues, “I have something that needs to be taken care of with the maximum discretion: the retrieval of an item for my client. Fermin and I have discussed this, and we agreed that I can pay you for this job in addition to your retainer. While I am sure that we can reach suitable arrangements, I need to know if you are willing to take on the assignment before I divulge any details.”
AT THE DATA HAVEN
Snow’s assurances have certainly put Crenshaw at ease, well, not too much at ease, but that isn’t really a bad thing. His crew, when they arrive is a friendly bunch, and is more than willing to answer technical questions on a variety of topics. It is rare for them to have someone as charismatic as her ask intelligent questions and actually listen to the answers. Few of the topics are of real value to shadow work, but she hadn’t talked to such people since she left the University.
As the night goes on, O’Connor is also enjoying himself. Brenda and Bridgett do not seem to be competing for his attention, it is more like a tag-team and he is enjoying being outnumbered. A desperate effort at professionalism has kept him from getting completely wasted, though he is really hoping that the contact Snow is waiting for shows up soon. The girls have a Zen hookup they will hit on the way to their flat (roommates! Bonus!) and he is feeling an itch.
The clientele entering the club has been relatively easy to keep track of, apparently the real party, for them, is on the Matrix side, so the few meat bodies coming in are not staying on the premises long, so to speak, unless they are joining Snow’s group across the club. With the redhead’s tongue in his throat and the bottle blonde’s hands at his belt he almost didn’t catch the new arrival. His scan of the room paints him as a regular, but when his eyes settle on Snow’s back, the initial appreciative appraisal turns into squint of serious examination, then he seems to be reversing course to leave rather than settle into the club.
-
Snow is in tech heaven. She has not had this much fun in years. She listens carefully to what the others are saying, interjecting her questions where she feels they are appropriate. She is extremely comfortable in her skin, and is pleased that the others do not seem to mind either her tats or her questions. She stays sober, only taking one more vodka and nursing that one. She gets comfortable with these people and spouts Russian once in a while in response to questions, then repeats the answer in English.
At some point she pulls out one of the drones and shows it to the others. "I picked this up at the work site. It appears to be a normal, off-the-shelf micro drone, but I was wondering if there was something special about it that I cannot see, so I thought to bring it to the experts." She passes the drone around, showing her second one if there is interest.
She lets them talk a bit, then tries to bring the conversation around to her real interest. "I have found that my cyber 'link is a bit inadequate for my sort of work. Where is the best, and cheapest, place to get upgrades?"
-
With great reluctance, O'Connor untangled himself from the girls, "I'll be right back. You can count on that, but the job calls." As he made his way towards the man, he sent a text to Snow, <[Recipient: Snow | Source: Text]: Guy behind you, headed out, took a really fine interest in you and now he's bolting. I'm grabbin' him.> O'Connor picked up his pace to catch up to the guy before he got away. As he neared his target, he called out, "Hey, chummer!"
-
Gagaistic Effect only made her gag, pun intended. Sammy hoped it was a phase that would quickly go out of vogue again. On the other hand, while she was in her other persona, she could probably keep wearing Zoé outfits as they were still classy even if they weren't the latest fashion. In some clubs or restaurants you were better of with a classy Zoé dress than with something bizarre, in the same way that a Mortimer of London suit would always work.
She was happy when she was called for the business part of the meeting. At least when that was done she could take a second or even third cocktail and look for Mr. Right now. She held back for now, letting Torley take point in the negotiations.
-
Once everybody’s seated, he continues, “I have something that needs to be taken care of with the maximum discretion: the retrieval of an item for my client. Fermin and I have discussed this, and we agreed that I can pay you for this job in addition to your retainer. While I am sure that we can reach suitable arrangements, I need to know if you are willing to take on the assignment before I divulge any details.”
Sam wondered if Guiles--or his employer--had specifically brought in uncomfortable chairs for this meeting. They didn't really seem appropriate for a high-end club. Putting that thought aside for now, he cocked an eyebrow at Guiles. "Normally, it's considered bad form to take on a job for a second employer while still working on the original contract; there are too many potential conflicts. You seem to know the nature of our work with Mr. Fermin; you can understand, surely, that we would be in a difficult position if trying to retrieve your client's item required us to allocate too many resources away from his job and something...unfortunate happened." Though retrieval does sound a hell of a lot more interesting than fraggin' guard duty, Sam added silently to himself. "And resource scheduling is just the simplest of the potential issues that could come up. You say that you and Mr. Fermin have discussed our services, but do we have any way to verify that your contract would not conflict with his?"
-
EOTW
"We both believe that this should be a simple job for a team with the talents that you displayed in Seattle, with the only difference being a modicum of personal discretion would be necessary, nothing more. The schedule conflict will not be an issue, if you can't acquire my client's item during your impending free time it will be worthless for you to try."
DH
By the time O'Connor could disentangle himself from his friends, the guy was outside. Acting casual leaving the club and getting off the text to Snow cost him more time. Once he was out the door, it took him a second to find the guy again, but when he did he knew the guy was in escape mode even as he called out.
The guy had hotfooted it across the lot and was approaching an old beater, as he looked back his face was pale and full of dread. Seeing who was following him, he bolted for an alley that was at the edge of the lot instead, his hand going into his jacket for a weapon.
-
O'Connor immediately gave chase. He went for his pistol, but then remembered it was back in the club, *God dammit.* He didn't have time to go get it, so he picked up the pace to catch the guy, "Get back here, now!" He turned his commlink's microphone up, "Hello viewers,and welcome to Eye of the Storm with everyone's favorite psychopath, Bullet Storm. Caught this guy scoping out my teammate and now he's pulling a runner. Let's go make friends." He figured that if he had to use the Pito thing, he might as well have fun with it.
-
Snow does not miss a beat as she is mostly listening to the others anyway. She sends a comm off to O'Connor. <Please be careful, Con. I have no idea who this person is. Pretty much the only people I know in LA are at the table with me, especially in this get up.>
-
The former yakuza was used to a more linear set of directives. Having all these different contracts was both unfamiliar and confusing to the ork. She would have much preferred to have had one employer with different tasks, instead of different Johnsons with different jobs.
Listening to Torley negotiate, however, put Clem's concerns at ease. It seemed their concerns were shared, and his eloquent solution to the dilemma was welcomed by Clementine. She decided to keep quiet and listen to the rest of the details, but she gave an approving nod to Torley as to indicate she was fine with the parameters set forth so far.
-
Sammy was following the conversation when she saw that O'Connor had activated his me-feed. She quickly sent a message to Snow, with the rest of the team in copy.
What's going on down there, Snow? Oh, and make a mental note that we have to teach O'Connor a couple of things about how he introduces himself.
-
Snow sends a message back to the team. <I am not entirely certain. Con was talking to some people he met then he sent me a note saying that a guy behind me was acting suspiciously and was leaving. He gave chase and all of a sudden we are getting this Pito feed from the parking lot.>
-
Discreetly, Clem took a look at the conversation the team was having. After reading Snow's message, she immediately sent her a message of her own. <Quickly, follow Con, that guy could be someone that traced the bugs back to where you are now!> She turned over to Sammy and asked her quietly "How do I patch myself on Con's feed?"
-
Snow replies <Wilco. Leaving now.>
She turns to Cavendish, "I am sorry, but it seems that one of my teammates is having an issue with someone in the parking lot. Are you picking up the Pito feed as well? I need to go see if he is in trouble. Will you excuse me for a minute, please?" She stands up, excuses herself to the others and goes outside to see if she can help.
-
"We both believe that this should be a simple job for a team with the talents that you displayed in Seattle, with the only difference being a modicum of personal discretion would be necessary, nothing more. The schedule conflict will not be an issue, if you can't acquire my client's item during your impending free time it will be worthless for you to try."
Sam's attention was focused on the negotiations, so he was only vaguely aware of the comm chatter. Didn't seem to involve him, so he ignored it as best he could. "Very well, we will proceed on your assurances. However, I do wish to be absolutely clear that we would be taking this on as an extra job; if there is any conflict--real or perceived--between your job and our current employer's, our original contract takes precedence. As I'm sure you're aware, loyalty to an employer is very important in our line of work. As long as this is understood, I believe you may go forward."
-
"Just select his icon and then you will get some options," Sammy wispered back while trying to follow the conversation, "select the live feed."
She did sent a message to O'Conner.
O'Connor, make sure your delay is on or the cops will simply track on your feed and find you without any problem.
-
[OOC: Per the post in the OOC thread I will let you guys know when you are all operating at the same time again.]
O'Connor immediately gave chase. He went for his pistol, but then remembered it was back in the club, *God dammit.* He didn't have time to go get it, so he picked up the pace to catch the guy, "Get back here, now!" He turned his commlink's microphone up, "Hello viewers,and welcome to Eye of the Storm with everyone's favorite psychopath, Bullet Storm. Caught this guy scoping out my teammate and now he's pulling a runner. Let's go make friends." He figured that if he had to use the Pito thing, he might as well have fun with it.
O'Connor reaches the mouth of the alley, then easily ducks back avoiding the guy shooting at him from the next corner. He hears a language he doesn't understand, probably cussing him out, that ends with "...leave me the frag alone!!"
O'Connor can roll initiative at this point, he is in rounds.
-
O'Connor rushed down the alleyway, yelling at the guy, "I've got two hotties, not on the hook, but in the damn boat. And you are fragging that up for me! Every second you do not surrender is an extra kick in the balls!"
-
O'Connor puts on an impressive burst of speed, made all the more impressive because he is chasing a man with a gun while unarmed. He comes around the corner just in time to see the man ducking into a narrow walkway. When he reaches the passage himself, he dives in realizing the man is less than a meter away and turning to shoot again.
-
EOTW
“You’ve no doubt heard of Christy Daee—four Grammys for Best Album, four for Best Female Vocals, two for Best Sim Performance. A few days ago, Ms. Daee got caught in a compromising video that could seriously undermine her career. I’ve already started a cleanup process, but yesterday miss Daee received a blackmail letter. It was easy enough to identify the blackmailer as Bacchus from the A-Kidz gang. The A-Kidz are a local gang, and like most gangs they have their own P2.0 show—theirs is called Gang Life. Charisma Associates is constantly watched over by newshounds, and I can’t trust anyone in town not to post this on their Pito, so you’re in the best position to retrieve this video, not being from around here.”
“I don’t believe the video is stored on any networked location, otherwise it would’ve already hit the streets. My people are already allocated if it does get released, but that’s more money than I hope to lay out. I’m authorized to pay your five-man team two grand apiece for the retrieval of the video, to bring it back to me before it goes the public. Contact this number when you have it, and I’ll meet you back at Studio 8.”
-
Sam nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds fairly straightforward. Track down this Bacchus, get the tape. Do you want it returned, or is destroying it sufficient? And do you care what happens to Bacchus, or his gang?"
-
"Bacchus and the A-Kidz are of no concern to me, get the recording and bring it to me, payment is on delivery."
-
O'Connor rushed the guy, "If you fire that gun one more time, I'm shovin' it up your hoop!" He threw a haymaker at the guy.
[spoiler]
Unarmed 3 + Agility 5 = Pool 8
8d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4764189/)
Damage: 2S + net hits
[/spoiler]
-
The blow knocks the guy on his ass, he looks for a second like he was going to shoot, but then he puts up his hands, "Alright fine, frag, it ain't worth dying over. She's here to collect? She needs to know there are new players."
-
O'Connor didn't have a fraggin' clue what the guy was talking about, but decided to play things safe and cut his me-feed. He grabbed the guy's gun and then pulled him roughtly to his feet by the front of his shirt. He then punched the guy again, "If ya ain't willing to die, then don't start shooting." O'Connor grabbed him by the back of his neck, "You're coming with me, and explaining this drek." As O'Connor led his captive back into the alley, he called Snow, <[Recipient: Snow | Source: Call (audio-only)]: "I caught the guy. Said something about you being here to collect, and that there were new players. Am I bringing him in to you, or are you coming out to me?"
-
Snow responds, <Con. Snow. I am in the parking lot but do not know where you went. Can you bring him to me? It sounds like a case of mistaken identity. I will be near the edge.> After the call she waits for Con to reply or come to the lot.
-
O'Connor reached the edge of the alley and got Snow's attention. He motioning for her to join him, before receding back into the alleyway out of casual viewing. Once Snow joined them, he turned to the guy, "Start talking."
-
Snow turns off her Pito feed as soon as she hits the parking lot and looks around for O'Connor. When he appears in the alley she waves to let him know that she sees him and slides over to the alley. Rounding the corner she sees the man and tries to place him. "Has he said anything yet?"
-
O'Connor shook his head, "Just what I told you, but he's about to. Right?" He shoved the man's gun into his face for added emphasis.
-
The man shakes off O’Connor’s hands and straightens his clothes. “Look, I’m not trying to start no trouble. After the Twins, everything went to hell! Long Beach, Santa Monica? That shit was fraggin’ GONE! If I hadn’t visiting my babushka out in Barstow, *I* woulda been gone. You guys want to come back in and get your piece? Fine, better than the Italians anyway, and anything is better than the squints, ya know? But we have to start fresh and you got to protect people from the repercussions.” The man looks at Snow when he talks, clearly more worried about her than the gun pointed at him.
-
O'Connor pistol whipped the guy, "You run, start shooting, and then have the stones to say we? If you want in on the ground floor, that ain't the way to go about it." He might not know what's going on, but this guy was pissing him off.
-
Snow considers her reply then softly says, "Con, this is about me and my personal life." She turns to the man. "So, talk to me about who is bothering you. I will try to remove them as a threat. Give me your comm code and I will call you. I am here to give notice to the mafia and yaks that we are coming back. I am looking for people to set up here. Are you one of those people?"
-
The man looks confused, "No, no one is bothering me, I am just doing business...you weren't looking for me? Crenshaw said he was bringing me down to meet some people, do some business, that ain't you?"
-
O'Connor growled in frustration at the situation, "Why did you run? Her people got issue with you?" After asking, he realized he didn't care. He had two loose chicks to get back to before someone else tried to swoop in. He handed the gun over to Snow, "You got this under control?"
-
Snow takes the gun. "Thank you, Con. I will be in shortly." She turns back to the man. "I have list of names of people who owe us. Tell me your name. If you help us I will reduce your debt."
"Your friend Crenshaw will be missing me. Can you hold it together and come inside or not?"
-
"Naw, naw I ain't talking about that. I don't got debts." the man starts back towards the bar, "I was talking about percentages, I am paying to the guys who are running things now, so you Vory can't expect to come back in and just get your piece like nothing's happened. That ain't gonna work."
-
Snow walks with him. "And what would work? Do not underestimate my ruthlessness when it comes to family and Vory. Give me a name and I will pay someone a visit." She stops at the entrance to have the gun registered and to pick up his name when he does.
She takes the man over to the table where the others are waiting. "See who I found wandering about. He says that he is a friend of yours." She pulls up the team comm channel and sends a message. <The little problem is taken care of. It was a case of misunderstanding.> She alos resets her Pito feed.
-
O'Connor returned to the club ahead of the other two and went back to his table, "Sorry 'bout that ladies. Now where were we?"
-
*Misunderstanding?* thought Clem as she read Snow's latest message. Her doubts quickly dissipated when she remembered O'Connor was the point man. She didn't even bother replying and simply shifted her focus back to the negotiations at hand.
-
Hrm, wonder if Miss Daee knows that he wants the video back but not destroyed, Sam thought to himself. Somehow, I doubt it--though she'll likely find out the hard way at some point. Poor girl. Smiling affably at the man, he said, "Well, Mr. Guiles, it sounds fairly straightforward, and since this is understood to be a side contract, I'm willing to give you a discount on our normal fee. However, we don't work "on spec"--our standard terms are half up front, half at completion. So that'll be seventy-five hundred now, seventy-five hundred when we hand over the video."
[OOC]
Negotiations roll: 15d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4766708/), no glitch.
[/OOC]
-
Guiles grins at your moxie, "Your math seems a bit fuzzy my friend, unless you have picked another two and a half teammates I don't know about. Since I don't see a dwarf among you, I will assume you were trying to ask for more money. I can be a reasonable man, since I am taking you out of your comfort zone, payment wise I will do 2300 each, but there will be no advance."
"If you are thinking to refuse or counter, consider this. Christy and Pandora are very good friends, so if this footage got out, and Pandora found out that you had a chance to stop it, the gravy train you are riding might come to an abrupt end." the grin turned mean and oily.
-
Sammy had kept quiet since Torvey was doing quit well, while she was checking out what she knew about Andre Guiles, both professionaly as well as the gossip. She also checked out his Pito profile.
celebrity gossip 3 + intuition 3 =6 Horizon media 2 + logic 4 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=3, 6d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4766831/)
-
Sam shook his head slowly as he stood up. "I wish you the best of luck, Mr. Guiles. But I'm afraid that, as I stated, we do not work on spec. For Ms. Daee's sake, I hope you find someone who is able to help you out--but, honestly, those in our line of work who are willing to take full payment on completion are generally the ones who haven't been around long enough to learn better. You do get what you pay for." So saying, he turned for the door.
-
Clementine got up to follow Torley. She didn't like backhanded threats, and didn't like Guiles' negotiating tactics, but more importantly, she had a bad gut feeling about him. Something told her he was a snake that would backstab anyone to get to where he wanted to go. If the terms were not perfectly in sync with what the team wanted, she therefore had no problem walking away from this without an afterthought. She looked at Sammy and simply said "We're done here" as she passed by her, expecting the former sim-star to join them.
-
Guiles is somewhat surprised by this turn of things, but he recovers well.
"I have worked with deniable assets before young man, with exactly these terms, so maybe it is you who don't know how things operate here. Don't allow your ego to draw on an empty credtick."
-
Time to interfere, Sammy thought
"Can you give us a moment to discuss things, sir," Sammy said to Guiles, "we'll be back soon."
As soon as they were outside of his hearing, she adressed the others.
"Guys, why don't we accept these terms," she asked, "when we get the recording, we can easily make a copy and if he doesn't show with the money, the copy 'accidentally' get's released on the matrix. I'm sure Snow can easily arrange that. And I know the guy, not personally, but he's a combination bodyguard/personal manager. When he says he knows how the shadows operate, he's not lying. If he screws us over and word gets out, he's going to have a hell of a time finding other people to put out the bush fires all those celebrities create all the time."
-
Listening to Sammy, Clem couldn't deny her reasoning. If the recording was that sensitive, they could easily make a copy in order to secure themselves against any eventual refusal of payment.
She hated to admit she had acted too quickly, and her pride didn't allow her to say it, but she simply nodded to Sammy. "This is your world, so you know this environment better than I do. If you think this guy is the real deal, then let's go. But I want to go on the record saying I don't like his negotiating style, and I don't trust him one bit."
With her mind laid out, she deferred to Torley, waiting to see what he had to say about the situation.
-
Sam frowned. "I don't like it. You may not have noticed, but he wants the tape in his possession, not destroyed. He's collecting leverage. He's not trying to protect Christy, he's using her. And he's trying to use us. The difference is, she's a long-term tool for him; as long as she's big, he's set. Us? We're extremely disposable--other than Sammy, none of us know anyone down here. I'm not worried so much about not getting paid at all as not living much past delivery. We can't threaten to release the video if we're dead."
-
"And have it be know all over the Pito that he kills those he works with," Sammy said, "I don't think that will help him a lot. Besides, I think there exist system that you can release something on the matrix on a timer. If you don't access it within a certain time, it gets distributed. We can also have only one person deliver the footage to him, with the rest keeping watch somewhere. And as to that leverage, Christy has a very clean reputation, which means that he has done these kind of cover-up ops before. So if he wants leverage, he already has it, I'm sure of it. Thirdly, these kinds of jobs are the bread and butter of this town. If you don't want those, you won't have much work here. And here we are asked to remove evidence, you could also be asked to plant evidence of something, as happens quite a lot in this town."
-
Sam didn't have to ask who the delivery boy would be; there really was only one option, and he didn't like it. "All over Pito? We've got what, three viewers? The only way that's going to help us is if we get a lot more visible, and if our feeds let on who our employer is. We can't do drek about the first, and he's not going to be happy with the second--remember, he wants this to be swept under the rug. We let it be known who we're working for, we're out of a job--at best."
-
"We can do the same as with the footage," Sammy said, "recording, but not yet broadcasting. Actually, he probably expects us to do that. Everybody does here."
-
"Yeah, my Pito has been on since I walked in here actually" said Clem, as-a-matter-of-factly.
-
"As has everybodies normally," Sammy said, "but that doesn't mean everything is broadcasted on the me-feed."
-
Clem looked at Sammy with a puzzled look. "The what feed?"
-
"the me-feed," Sammy said, "you know, that thing I asked everyone to put on a two-minute delay. It films what you see and broadcasts it for everybody on your network to follow."
-
"So you mean turning it on doesn't automatically broadcast?" asked Clem, shame building up inside of her.
-
"Turning your Pito on doesn't automatically start broadcasting your me-feed," Sammy said, "that depends on your settings, so you can set it that way but it's not necessary. But back to the subject at hand. I say we agree to the offer, of course we also ask for payment for our two collegues who are not here and we take precautions to avoid betrayal."
-
"I have already voiced my concerns on that, so you know where I stand. I will defer to your judgment" said Clementine to Sammy, trying to deflect her embarrassing moment of ignorance. She had the exact same concerns Torley had voiced, but since the new assignment didn't interfere with their current run, she felt comfortable letting Sammy, who knew the LA scene better than she did, make the call.
-
Sam was still not convinced. "The offer is for all five of us. But I'm still not sold on this--we're out of our zone, and we don't know how things work down here. Sammy, you're the only one of us who knows anything about this scene." As Clem here just demonstrated, he added to himself. "Sure, back home, we could set things up to be safe, but down here we've got drek. Don't you think he's already anticipated the fact that we could duplicate the video once we get it? We do that, we're definitely not getting out of this town alive." He shook his head. "No, if we do this job, we do it straight--but I say we deliver the video to Christy, if possible. That may screw with our getting paid, especially if he's playing her like I think he is, but it should at least keep us alive."
-
"Which is why I tell you, if you don't want this kind of work, you're not going to do much in this city," Sammy said, wondering why they had such a problem with it. Certainly they had done worse than retrieve a possible blackmail trid. She knew she had in her youth, just to survive East LA.
"You don't mind hitting someone, but you have problems getting back a trid where we don't have to kill someone," she asked, mostly to Clem, "although, if we have O'Conner with us, killing will probably happen anyways."
-
Raising her eyebrows in a dismissive way, Clem simply added "And probably on his live feed too." She turned to Torley and asked him "Would you prefer we talk to Pandora's friend and give her a heads up before we set out tonight? That way, if this snake really tries to pull a fast one on her, she will have time to prepare herself, and her reaction will pretty much give us an indication as to what to expect on our end."
-
"I can try to do that," Sammy said, "I'll have to get out of this make-up though or we wouldn't make it past the first guards or past the PA. As to when, we can ask what the deadline on the blackmail letter is. I don't think he's told us that."
Here the advantages of knowing people and being known to people were readily apparent. A no-no shadowrunner wouldn't be able to get into contact with Chrissy, not even Torley, as she would be protected by people who could withstand his magic appeal, more people here having such a thing. But two stars could contact each other without much trouble.
-
Sam still wasn't comfortable, but he didn't let it show. "Alright, sounds like we've got a plan. Take the job, try to get Christy a heads-up and hopefully deliver to her directly, and survive past delivery. And for drek's sake, Clem, don't put our client's information on Pito or we're all screwed."
At their nods, he turned to tell Guiles the "good" news.
-
DATA HAVEN
The new arrival, whose name turns out to be Yuri Kozlov, shakes hands with Crenshaw and a couple of the others in the group. He passes a chip to one of them which elicits a grateful smile, then sits down putting the technician between himself and Snow.
“So you have already met Yuri?” said Crenshaw as you came back, “That makes it easier. Yuri and I go way back, we met in college, I graduated but he still makes better money than I do.” The men smiled, “Yuri is the only guy I know that would rather spend the day at the Hahn Free Market over a Silver Pass in Fun City!”
The fixer relaxed and ordered a drink, “Hey, I got my ass kicked in Fun City once; don’t let the costumes fool ya, that Horizon Corp Sec is no joke.”
Yuri’s entrance signaled the break up of the party, though it took awhile, some folks went full VR and others going to the bar or breaking off to talk to other friends.
On the other hand, O’Connor’s party was just getting started. The ladies had already subscribed to his me-feed and now wanted to hook him up with a trode net and help him sculpt his online persona. They were very disappointed to find out he didn’t have a hotsim mod, but the ‘preview’ they were giving him in a private room AR was definitely making him look forward to the evening and consider the investment.
THE END OF THE WORLD
When you return to the table Guiles’ initial look of amusement at your conference seems to be wearing thin.
“I hope you have reconsidered and that this was not some elaborate bit of theatrics to squeeze out a few more nuyen, because if it is you wasted all of our time. Fermin spoke very highly of your abilities, but if not you I need to get someone local on this problem as soon as possible.”
-
Snow nods. "We met briefly as he was coming in. I think we might know someone in common." She lets the conversations wind down and waits until only the three of them are 'present' at the table before turning to the new companion. "Yuri, I was told that you might be able to help me. I am looking for upgrades to my internal commlink and software . Can you take care of me?" She looks at the man over her drink, trying to determine if he might have the moxy to fit into a new bratva here.
-
Once it is the three of you by yourself and Snow looks to talk business, Crenshaw himself opts out of being involved in the exchange and goes to bar on the idea of getting a pitcher and an appetizer. He has an eye on the table as he waits.
Yuri lets him leave before answering, "I can get some custom work done if you are interested, or you can give me a list and I will see what has fallen off the back of a truck this week."
-
Now that Snow had met her contact, O'Connor was looking to get Brenda and Bridgette into more private settings. The AR stuff was fun, and he bet that hotsim was amazing, but he would always prefer real over digital. After having to fight to remove Brenda's tongue from his throat, he suggested to the girls that they hit up their zen guy and then move the party back to his hotel room.
-
When you return to the table Guiles’ initial look of amusement at your conference seems to be wearing thin.
“I hope you have reconsidered and that this was not some elaborate bit of theatrics to squeeze out a few more nuyen, because if it is you wasted all of our time. Fermin spoke very highly of your abilities, but if not you I need to get someone local on this problem as soon as possible.”
Sam smiled as he sat back in the chair, giving no indication of discomfort. "Our apologies. No theatrics. My colleagues were simply concerned that I was imposing our northern customs on you improperly; what is normal for us may not be normal for you, and so a certain amount of leeway should be granted. As such, we have decided to waive our usual retainer requirement and accept your terms; 2300 each, payable upon delivery of the video."
-
"I don't think you have mentioned the deadline those gangers have given," Sammy said, "we will work as quickly as possible of course, but having a bit more time gives us the time to do the job more subtly."
-
Guiles looked more than a little relieved at the team finally accepting, "Excellent, let's get to it then..." He brings out a data pad and sets it to open broadcast, allowing any of you who want it to copy the data to your comm as he makes his presentation. It shows a highlighted map of LA and a few still images.
(Paparazzi footage and stills showing Christy Daee enjoying nightlife)
"Christy is in town on a break from touring, she has been doing a little business and noodling around the studio, but mostly she has been hitting the clubs and partying with her friends, several nights ago she was out with them hitting several spots starting around 10pm."
(3 or 4 dance clubs are highlighted on the map and w/ street views)
"Around 2 am Miss Daee is at Cadillac Avenue on the west side. It is at this point that she goes missing." Cadillac Avenue is mapped and shown, it is in a seedier area that still suffers from flooding. "I blame myself for this, we are using a new security firm. Top notch outfit, but they aren't used to her habits when she is home."
(Image shift to a crummy looking no-tell motel and the location is highlighted)
"The firm picks up her comm at 3 and find her shortly after in room #8 at the Cinderblock. They are able to remove her without incident by using an impersonatorat a local mall. No one else at the hotel except the attendant, who was asleep and never rented the room. "
(image shift to what looks like an ork. Well built and heavily cybered with some cosmetic mods [goat horns and 'prettifying'], tight curly bright red hair with a long goatee. A wide angle viewplaces him at about 1.6 meters tall and shows altered legs that make the whole of the image resemble a satyr, with brown fur.)
"This is Bacchus. His social media puts him in the area during the disappearance."
After making sure you have the files, Guiles puts away the datapad and says "You can find him from his live feed, but until that turns on he is in the wind. As to a timeframe, his note says he will call tomorrow to talk about ransom, Christy is firm on saying 'no' to any demands, so you have until then to find the footage. Good luck."
-
Snow looks at Yuri carefully. "I am in need of upgrades to my 'link for Firewall, Signal, System, and Response to grade 5. I am also interested in good ECM and basic TacNet software. Can you help?"
She waits a bit then adds, You are a smart guy. I have been sent here to see what needs to be done to get the Vory presence here increased. What do you know of the competition and would you be interested in helping me? The rewards could be significant."
-
Snow looks at Yuri carefully. "I am in need of upgrades to my 'link for Firewall, Signal, System, and Response to grade 5. I am also interested in good ECM and basic TacNet software. Can you help?"
She waits a bit then adds, You are a smart guy. I have been sent here to see what needs to be done to get the Vory presence here increased. What do you know of the competition and would you be interested in helping me? The rewards could be significant."
"Well, I do specialize in tech. I help my friends find a market for their work and try to get goodies where I can. I know some people who do this kinda stuff, some of the hardware is going to have to be custom work, and the software is definitely going to need to be farmed out." Yuri says making some notes on his commlink, "It's not going to be cheap and it will take some time. Do you have sensors to go with the tacnets or what? How many sets?"
"I trust Eddie, but these people don't code for free, I will need something up front to give to make them prioritize the work." The fixer seems truly non-plussed by your offer of rewards, "Look, I toldja, all I did was pay a guy from the old neighborhood a cut to do business, I wasn't in a crew or anything. Now, I pay somebody else, I don't like it, but it's business, that it. I ain't looking to get jumped in."
-
Snow looks at Yuri carefully then shrugs. "I can understand your desire to remain out of any conflict. Do you know someone who might think differently and who might want a cut when the Vory picks someone to lead the operation here?" She pauses as she lights a cigar from her silver case. "As to the software, what sort of upfront costs am I looking at?"
-
Yuri thinks about her words for a second, then shrugs "There were some smugglers that I was put in contact with back in the day. I heard they were still in operation, but I ain't reason to reach out until now, I could arrange an introduction for a modest fee, I will tie that into the earnest money for the coding work and gear, which I still need specifics on, let's say 10 K for now."
-
Snow looks at Yuri through the smoke of her cigar. "Come now, we barely know each other and you are saying 10K like we were married. Let's say 3k to get the process rolling and we can talk a higher finder's fee if anything comes of it? And I am just interested in the TacNet software. My main concern is the upgrades to grade 5 for the basics; firewall, system, signal, and response, as well as a good ECM package. My basics are already at grade 4 so it should not take much to improve them.
-
Clementine simply looked at the footage and waited for the meeting to come to an end. She didn't need to add anything else, simply leaving Torley to his theatrics and formalities. Once everything was said and done, she fired a quick message to O'Connor and to Snow. <We have a job starting right now, and we have a narrow window. We need to find someone that goes by the name of Bacchus, and we need to squeeze him before tomorrow. Snow, we need you to get started on finding his location.>
Clementine sent them a copy of the information she had obtained from their latest Johnson along with an explanation of the job and then turned over to her teammates. "I think we're done here. I need to go back to the hotel and get my gear if we're to convince this guy to hand over the footage."
-
"Good idea," Sammy said, continuing as soon as they were outside of Mr. J's hearing, "And I'll see if Bacchus wants the famous Sammy Delavine on his Pito network."
She took her other commlink and activated Sammy's Pito, looking for Bacchus' gang and asking for an invite into their network. She also started going over the public footage to see if she could find a location they often frequented. With her knowledge of LA she might be able to get an address without much searching.
-
Snow gives an inner groan. *Tonight might not end as well as I had wanted.* She hits her internal 'link and begins the matrix searches for the name Bacchus as it applies to modern L.A., as well as a Pito search for the name or related gang activity. She also looks at Yuri, "Can you tell me anything about a man in LA that goes by the name Bacchus?"
-
Yuri smiles and leans backs, suddenly more comfortable in this part of the conversation. "Ah zolotse, this is no good, we were getting on so famously and now you want to throw all that away on a few filthy rubles. Consider it an investment expense, if you are looking to get back in here, a little goodwill can go a long way, and I assume you want to keep this under wraps, secrets can be expensive. I need eight thousand if you expect me to take you seriously." He waves off the information request to concentrate on the matter at hand. "he is a banger with a Pito show, who cares? I can look into it, but I need to see the cred before anything else."
-
Sammy's research reveals similar results, her request to join Bacchus' circle is auto accepted based on her rating, but it is a bot doing the accepting and the person himself is not broadcasting. She begins going through some archived programming from A Gang's Life, the A-kidz reality show, but nothing she recognizes has come through yet.
-
O'Connor was very tempted to ignore his comm, but the ringtone told him it was from a teammate. After reading the message, he cursed, "God fragging dammit. This is such bulldrek." After giving off a resignated sigh, he broke the bad news to the girls, "My team's picked up a time sensitive job, starting now. As much as it pains me, I'm gonna have to take a rain check. You know who this Bacchus a-hole is?"
-
"uhmm...Roman god of wine?"
-
"Fun factoid, but I don't think I'm going after an ancient Fifth World god. Thanks though." O'Connor traded numbers with the girls, "I'll be hitting you up once this is all said and done. You can most definitely count on that." He exchanged rather exuberant and drawn out goodbyes with the girls while he waited for Snow to finish up her business.
-
Snow looks at the man opposite her. This man has no respect for the Vory and that is almost the most blatant mark of betrayal she can imagine. To Snow, the Vory is everything. Her holy trinity is Vory, Honor, and Family and this man has just stepped on all three. She was born Vory and has lived her entire life as Vory. She remembers how the bosses look when they are angry. The most frightening are the ones who keep their calm and just speak. She leans forward a bit and her face loses expression. Her voice assumes a Russian accent that she has been careful to not show here before. "Listen, to me well. The Vory is coming back to LA and soon. I am just the first and highest ranking member to visit. You recognized the arm tattoos. You know that they represent my place, my rank. But it is the tattoos you cannot see, the ones hidden under my clothes, that should frighten you more. Do you think that the ink on my arms comes free; that I have not paid my dues? My voice carries weight at home and my opinion is considered. I came here to find people that can step up and lead the Vory back here. If I find no one I can trust I will bring in people from home to clean up. Do you want to be one of those left standing when the clean up crew leaves? You would do well to not haggle or try my patience. I do not have time for games."
She sits back and smiles. "Now, I do not mean to be rude, but I do not haggle. That is for other people. I do not know you. I will offer 3k to get you started. If that is not enough for you then leave and I will find another source."
-
Sam decided that his best option for trying to find out where this Bacchus or his gang could be found was to go back out to the party and see if he could find someone who happened to follow their Pito feeds. It was a long shot, but they were on a short deadline and he didn't have his usual resources. His first attempt was to return to the writers he'd been talking with earlier. "Sorry, had to deal with an agent issue. He wants me to come up with a real-life story of some ganger named Bacchus. And, of course, he wants it, like, tomorrow. Any of you follow him or this "A-Kidz" gang? I need to track them down tonight or I'll miss out."
-
"Hey, I might have an idea on how to get in with this Bacchus dude," Sammy said, "I'll contact him directly over the pito as Ms. Delavine and I'll tell him the studio is interested in doing a movie about him and his gang. That way myself, Torley can pose as an agent and maybe Clem as bodyguard can get in and we can scout out he place. We'll go in as our regular selves, without the make-up and then when we go back we know what the place looks like."
-
"If we're going to see him, I won't wait for a second meeting to get what we want" said Clem to Sammy. "Besides, I think he might get suspicious of anyone that has to do with a movie studio for the next 24 hours. And if we go in as ourselves, there's a strong chance he might record something or otherwise broadcast us to his pathetic following and then we're in trouble." Clem thought for a moment before continuing. "Is there any chance you can use some magic to find him?"
-
DATA HAVEN
When the steel comes into Snow’s voice she can see for a second that it has an effect on the fixer, but then he finds his nerve. When she leans back and finishes, he fills the space and responds, “You speak of dues and those far away as if that is supposed to mean something to me. Where were the Vory when I needed them? I have been here, on the ground, rebuilding my world after everything I knew was washed away in the Twins, including Vory V Zakone. You want to talk tough little girl, but the fact is you are nothing here, a memory. You want to be serious? Show me your cred. You want to bring the Vory, do that and more power to you; I already said I would rather work with them rather than anyone else. But do not for one minute think you will walk in here with some ink, making demands and offering trifles like some tsarina, and I will bow and scrape. “
Rising, he stalks out of the club, throwing one more comment over his shoulder, “Wake up Anastasia, this is the real world, not your far away fantasy kingdom.”
Once he is gone, Crenshaw returns to the table and attempts some uncomfortable humor, “So, that obviously went well.”
END OF THE WORLD
Torley is quick to realize that this is strictly the wrong crowd to find someone who knows Bacchus, even the few who know the name only recognize him or the A Kidz as guttersnipe, barely worth their time.
Sammy has a bit more luck, finally recognizing a hole-in-the-wall that seems to be a haunt for the gang from the archived footage of A Gang’s Life that they can go to. Checking the map from Guiles she notes that it isn’t too far from the Cinderblock Motel, maybe a mile or so.
-
Sammy turned to the rest of the team, calling the two who weren't there so they could join the conversation.
"I think I have a hit on their location," she said, "based upon old feeds, they seem to be often at a bar not far from the Cinderblock motel our Mr. J showed on the map. So I assume Christy was more a target of opportunity than a real planned operation. If we can go to a quiet spot, I can jump over in the astral and have a quick look."
-
<[Recipients: Team | Source: Commcall]: "If we're taking on a decent sized gang, I'm grabbin' my rifle. Anything you guys need out of the box?">
-
<Yes, my stuff as well> answered Clem. <We have to go to the hotel first, so we'll meet you here.> Clem looked at the map and sent the coordinates for the Cinderblock Hotel. She then turned around to her companions and asked them "Anything else left for us here?"
-
Snow smiles and shrugs, "It could have gone better. Let's just say our personalities do not mix well." She puts a hand on Crenshaw's arm. "And it was nothing you did. I hope that it does not roll back onto you if you are his friend." While talking to the tech, she responds to Sammy's comm. <Team. Snow. Where do we meet? Con, I do not want the large pistol unless Clem says it is needed. By the way, meet was a near bust. Contact and I did not get along. I will try to get a rain check with Crenshaw as he deserves something for setting this up for me. Let me know where he is to drop me.>
-
Frustrated with his lack of results, Sam shook his head. "No, I'm done. Let's go."
-
'Go back to the hotel,' Sammy texted to the whole team, 'we will come there too so I can do my magical recon from my own room. It should also give you some time to 'say goodbye'. And it should give O'Connor some time to pick up his goodies, as long as he keeps them well hidden until they are really needed. The last thing we need is the police on our asses. And remember, except for El Infierno and other Barrens like slums, everything is recorded here.'
-
With their business done at the party, Clem calmly left the premises and left once everyone was in the car with her, headed for the hotel so they could get changed and prepared.
-
Snow responds to the team message. <Snow is on the way.> She gives Crenshaw a smile. "Would you like to take me back to my hotel? We could go to my room and get a bit better acquainted."
-
Everyone gets back to the hotel without incident. In Sammy's room, The Gobi Desert, room 93, it is very hot and dry. The coffee table is a zen rock and sand sculpture; stacked rocks make up couches and chairs with blankets for cushions. Scattered cushions also serve as the bed. Fossils embedded in stone decorate the walls and floor. The shower is a stone waterfall.
She will need a spotter that she is familiar with to find the bar and astral scan it from this distance.
-
Snow takes Crenshaw up to her room and gives him a good time as partial thanks for his help. "I did have a good time with you tonight. Thank you for everything you did to set things up. I am sorry again that I did not click with your friend and hope that he does not take it out on you." She tries to have a good time in the bed, but she will make sure that he does. Afterwards, she tells him that she needs her sleep and will usher him to the door, promising to see him again. "I would like a chance to spend more quality time with you."
After Crenshaw leaves, Snow quickly washes up and gets changed into clothes appropriate to the dive they are going to. She rearranges the pieces of her hidden gun and checks out her commlink and its software. After dressing, she goes down to the lobby and waits for the others. Her taser is in her bag as it should be allowed in the hole in the wall bar.
-
Snow goes with the others. She finds an opportunity to get close to Sammy and whisper, "I appreciate that you gave me some time to let me give Crenshaw a proper thank you. I may need to see him again during our stay and it just does not pay to treat him poorly. I just wish that I had been able to talk better with the other contact. I just tossed any chance of getting any upgrades from him out the window, but he wanted more money than I can afford right now. So, how was the party? I would have loved to be there and mingling. Maybe the next time we get an invite there."
She sets her internal 'link to searching the team net for any bugs. <Team. Snow. I will be pinging your 'links to be sure that we are still on the net and running an encryption check. I will do my best to keep us up and running.>
<<PING>>
<Team. Snow. So what are we doing about the Pito links?>
-
From the club, O'Connor returned to the studio to pick up weapons and ammo and then made his way straight to the Cinderblock Motel. He informed the team, <Got the gear, headed to the Cinderblock now. Should I scope it out, or hang back and wait for you guys?"
-
<Hang back and wait for us since you've got our weapons. Shouldn't take us long for us to arrive anyways> answered Clem after she read O'Connor's message.
-
Sammy had changed clothes to something more suited to the location they were going to, including her form-fitting armour and armoured vest. She also took her pistol and taser and some small items she might need, like a first aid kit and stuff like that.
"No worries," she said to Snow, "I understand completely. And don't worry, just keep an eye on things and be ready to act if there's any problem."
'Leave the Pito to record, but don't broadcast. We'll check what we broadcast after the run, if anything. Snow, do you have a good editing suite so we can make it into some sort of regular mini series?'
-
The team manages to hook up and get to the area without incident. The little corner bar, called “The Bally-Who?” has few customers at this late hour, and Sammy finds no significant magic in the building.
Torley, as the point man for the team, is in the bar, the twenty or so other occupants are checked off as not being A-Kidz, with a few questionable cases being verified by comms with O’Connor and Clem as little better than poseurs. The heavies have posted themselves at either end of the block on overwatch.
Sammy and Snow are in the vehicle driven by Clem, the mage continuing to do an occasional Astral sweep while downloading and reviewing archived Gang Life episodes for more leads and Snow, already in control of the bar’s node, reviewing footage from the security logs.
Stakeouts suck.
-
Snow is poring over the security feeds and tossing the data through her analysis software to see if something stands out. She is looking for recurring patrons, of which there ought of plenty in a neighborhood watering hole. So far no one has stood out, but she has already identified several hookers and other regulars. She is cross referencing faces with those of the A-Kidz gang. Every time Sammy comes across a new face on her archive search, Snow takes the feed from her and pops it into the analyzer mix she is running. So far nothing. Once she has everything running in the background on her cybered 'link she turns to Sammy. "So, why did you leave the glamor and glitz for this sort of life, if you don't mind talking about it?"
-
"To look for my sister, who dissapeared," Sammy said, "and I can tell you, glitz and glamour are also not always what people think they are. It's nice to be recognised and not having to wait outside of clubs and stuff, but there's also disadvantages. Stalkers, runners trying to extract you for another studio, things like what happened in Seattle with Pandora, for women the fact that after 30-35 years you're considered too old for most parts, the casting couch."
-
O'Connor strummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel of his rented vehicle, *This is such fraggin' bulldrek. I had a three way lined up, but no, now I'm stuck with this damn stakeout.* He hoped that they got a lead soon. He was feeling the need to take out his frustrations on these A-Kidz. He scanned the area again, hoping against hope.
[spoiler]
Intuition 3+ Perception 3 + Visual 2 = Pool 8
8d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4787614/)
[/spoiler]
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As time was passing by, impatience started taking a hold of Clem. The ork was usually calm in these situation, but the time constraint was putting pressure on her. She tried to inspect her weapons for the third time since they had arrived, but to no avail. After a while, she finally said "If nobody comes by in the next hour or so, we have to think of some other way to find that roach."
-
Torley, as the point man for the team, is in the bar, the twenty or so other occupants are checked off as not being A-Kidz, with a few questionable cases being verified by comms with O’Connor and Clem as little better than poseurs. The heavies have posted themselves at either end of the block on overwatch.
Sam knew that, even if the other people in the bar weren't in the A-Kidz, the gang would be known to the regulars. Bacchus, especially, seemed like a hard-to-forget character. The only question was how best to go about getting the information he needed. He quickly decided against posing as a detective or a drunk member of a rival gang; neither option seemed likely to work. A jealous husband? Possible, but that required the right sort of receptiveness from the audience. A reporter could work, but Sam thought he had a better idea.
Sam was careful to look dejected as he walked into the bar. There were few reasons people willingly went to places like this, and the main one was that the booze would be plentiful and cheap. Taking a seat at the bar, Sam ordered a whiskey, then, while the bartender was pouring, changed his order to a double. He considered asking the barkeep to leave the bottle, but figured that would be pushing the clichéd role a little too far. After nursing his drink for a while, he started talking, half to himself, half to the bartender, half to anyone who cared to listen; the alcohol had clearly loosened his tongue up. "Damn her. She's a mage, everyone knows that. This should be easy for her. But she wants realism. This is going to be her big come-back--the great Samantha Delavine returning home after her mysterious absence--and she wants to do it without any drekking illusions. Never mind what it does to our budget. Never mind that we're in the middle of filming already. She wants a gods-damned satyr, and of course the fraggin' producer promises that we'll get one. And then he turns to me and tells me that if I don't show up on-set with someone with goat legs, I can kiss my career good-bye. You have any idea how hard it is to find someone like that on short notice, even in this city?" Probably not as hard as I'd like, Sam thought ruefully. All sorts of weirdos running around here. Finishing off his first drink, Sam motioned to the bartender for a second, then sighed. "Joe said he thought there was someone down this way, but damned if I can find 'em," he muttered to himself.
-
Snow replies, "Is there something about Seattle or is it just misfortune? I, too, am looking for a missing sister. She came over from Russia a bit ago under a cloud. Father had exiled her here to save her life because she had defied the wrong people. She made a poor choice of friends there and disappeared. I was sent to find out what happened to her and get justice for the family. And the man I replaced on this team was looking for a sister. And you, too. It is strange. Did you find your sister? I have not found mine yet."
She chuckles. "You mean that casting couch really exists? I had thought it was an urban myth. I spent years being a corporate Hostess Girl for Evo. That is the polite term for corporate prostitute. Where I grew up you did what you were told so it was no real problem functioning in that manner. That is how Clem knows me, and maybe why she has some trust issues. She was Yakuza and providing security at a party meet between the Yaks and the Vory. My Vory bosses provided me as part of the entertainment for their Yak contacts. But the bottom line between us is that she is, or was, Yak, and I am very much still Vory."
-
"Oh hell yeah, it exists," Sammy said, while filing away the information about the other's syndicate contacts in her memory for future reference, "it actually mostly doesn't exist when you audition for porn, or so I'm told. But there you know what you're auditioning for. I was simply lucky in that I worked behind the scenes and when an actress fell ill and I looked enough like her so they could substitute without too much trouble. Also I knew the lines, having been behind the scenes of the movies. In fact, working behind the scenes is often much more interesting than standing in front of the cameras."
-
The barkeep pours your drink and takes your cred, casually but purposely leaving the window open and the TIP space blinking. "Might be able to point you in the right direction bud."
-
Sam looked at the barkeep in disbelieving hope, barely glancing at the tip space as he filled it in with a 50. "Really? Man, you have no idea what that would mean to me!"
-
The bartender replies sarcastically "Really? Man, it must not mean THAT much to you!", clears the field and sends it back.
-
Sam blinked in disbelief. "What? Oh...um..." He coughed uncomfortably, squirmed, then typed 500 into the field, looking up anxiously at the bartender as he did so. As he slid the pad back to the barkeeper, he stopped, grabbed the pad back, cleared the field, and quickly typed in 1000 before thrusting it at the bartender with a hopeful smile.
-
The surprised smile on the bartender's face says he hit the right number.
He runs the transaction, then, before Torley can reach for his drink, he dumps the glass in the sink and pulls out two more, filling them from a different, unlabeled, bottle than before.
After a quick toast he throws his back and leans in close, "Okay, so the guy you are looking for is an ork named Bacchus, he runs with this booster gang called the A-kidz. I haven't seen him in awhile, I think there was some kinda thing went down, but a couple of the other guys have a flop upstairs in the back. You want me to call them?"
-
Sam was clearly relieved, but gave an inadvertent squeak at the term "gang". He was clearly torn between his desire to find his "satyr" and a natural desire to avoid getting involved in a gang. He blinked a few times, then took a long drink from his new glass to steady himself. "Um, ok, sure...I mean, it's safe, right? They're not going to...you know...um..." he stammered.
Inwardly, of course, he was smiling. I love this job, he thought to himself. Now, let's see if the bartender throws me a rope for clearly having bit off more than I can chew, or just throws me to the wolves. Either way, I win.
-
The bartender refills your glasses, "Don't worry about it man, these are bored rich kids acting tough, looking for a rush. Burglars and hijackers, the lot of 'em, nobody to worry about. The kid in the flop? His pops owns the whole street. Give it a year or two they'll all be back on Arcology Mile." the bartender breaks off to fill a few orders, then returns. "Did I tell you? They got a Pito show!" He rolls his eyes. "Anyway, I can call if you want, like I said I dunno if goat-boy still runs with them or not."
-
Clementine couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I thought you had to know how to close your mouth if you opened your legs for a living" thought the ork as she was listening to Snow and Sammy talk. Before anything went further, she just cut the conversation short and said to Sammy "How about you have a look at the upstairs, see if anyone's there?"
-
Snow shrugs and mouths a big "Oooops" at Sammy. She goes back to examining the security feed from the past but is also rolling the feed from right now to keep an eye on Sam and the people around him. She wants to be able to warn him and the others if something does not look right. She takes a second to double check that the encryption software is up and running as well, after all, it would not pay to have others hear their internal chats.
-
"Will do," Sammy said, slipping out of her body again and having a look upstairs of the bar, checking out the astral auras she might find there.
I've done 3 rolls, as I would like to assense everybody who's present. If you need more, let me know and I'll add some.
intuition 3 + assensing 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=3, 6d6.hits(5)=1, 6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4788504/) no glitches.
-
You only find 2 people on the second floor, both are in the rear most of the three small apartments that run along the second floor.
Taking the first two rolls you made:
The first subject is under the effects of some kind of recreational drug, he is relaxed, but not quite unconscious, He has a some headware and hand razors. Complete mundane human who you are unfamiliar with. The second is like the first, only you can't tell for sure if he is drugged, just relaxed and you can't quite find his cyberware in his aura, otherwise the same result.
-
The bartender refills your glasses, "Don't worry about it man, these are bored rich kids acting tough, looking for a rush. Burglars and hijackers, the lot of 'em, nobody to worry about. The kid in the flop? His pops owns the whole street. Give it a year or two they'll all be back on Arcology Mile." the bartender breaks off to fill a few orders, then returns. "Did I tell you? They got a Pito show!" He rolls his eyes. "Anyway, I can call if you want, like I said I dunno if goat-boy still runs with them or not."
Taking another drink, Sam was clearly feeling more relaxed, either from the alcohol, the bartender's reassurances, or both. "Oh, they're on Pito? That's great, means they have experience being on screen. Less training for us to worry about, then. Yes, please call them--if I don't get back to the studio with their damn satyr, I'm fragged."
-
'There are indeed two people on the second floor,' Sammy texted to the whole team when she was back in her own body, 'one was completely drugged out of his mind and while I couldn't be sure about the second, I think he's gone the same way.'
-
Snow scans through the video feeds to see if there is a camera in the upstairs hall and bedrooms. "If there are drugs or prostitution here they might have cameras everywhere. The real slimes will have cameras in the rooms for blackmail. I have helped set up clients that way. I am also trying to scan to see if Bacchus was in the bar recently and with whom."
She also branches out a bit from inside the bar, looking for the nodes of security cameras on other building on the street in the area.
-
The bartender comes back from making the call and freshens your drink and his. "Got the machine, but I know Jim and Eddie are up there, you want I should send someone to wake them up?"
-
Snow sends a note to the team from her 'link. <This bar does not seem to have more than one security camera and that is in the bar itself. So I have no footage of the outside or upstairs. I do have eyes on Sam and will continue monitoring that as well as review what old footage I can get to.> She goes back to focusing on the current footage while glancing at old stuff to see if Bacchus has been here recently.
-
<Can you pull up the schematics for the building, Snow? I want to know if there's a back exit or any other way to get in or out besides the front door> asked Clem over the team channel.
-
Snow nods, even though she knows Clem cannot see it. <Let me try.> She tries to nudge into the city platting board's public files on construction and older properties. From there she tries to get to a section where she can look up old blueprints on this and other buildings in the area, including the no-tell motel. She also tries to hook into the security cameras for the motel just on the chance that something interesting comes up. After sending the commands and waiting to see what comes up she runs another diagnostic scan on the team network and checks the encryption file again. *No surprises this time, Snow.*
-
She is able to easily find the files, probably due to how many buildings have been lost, old construction is not considered to be high priority for security. The apartments over the club don't hold anything in the way of surprises. Three identical efficiency apartments on a hallway running the length of the building on one side.
Searching for the node of the motel will take some more time, but the plans are equally uninspired.
-
Snow is happy to have got to the plans so quickly. <Team. Snow. I am looking at the blueprints of the bar. There are three efficiency apartments on the second floor on one narrow hallway. If there is a back entrance it is not clearly marked, although there is a space that could have had a door put in after the plans were filed. It would certainly lead to a small alley in the back. Attaching plans. I hope it helps.> <<send attachment - floor plans>>
She goes back to keeping tabs on Sam inside the bar and running the security footage through her analysis software, looking for Bacchus or anything that stood out as odd. She is happy when the encryption scan pings her to let her know that it is still functioning. Her diagnostic scan also lets her know that no one has tried to hack into her node yet.
-
Clem sent a message to the team. <Was there anything else you wanted to ask or do we move in on the two gangers?>
-
Snow think for a second. <Team. Snow. It looks like the bartender is going to ring them up. If they come down in the mental condition Sammy says they are in, then I would think Sam could easily manipulate them into telling him where Bacchus is. So far his cover story sounds pretty good and his acting is pretty good.>
-
<Clem, we moving to cover escape routes?
-
Clem looked at the plan Snow had given her and tried to find possible escape routes. <If this plan is accurate, I want Con standing here and I will be here> wrote the ork, sending an ARO to pinpoint where she was referencing. <Sammy, come with me and Snow, stay in the car and monitor any communication the gangers might have. If they call for backup, I need to know about it.>
[spoiler]Rolling for Clem to have a good look at the plan. Logic 3 + Security Design 4 (7d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4792684/) 2 hits, but a glitch :( I'll let our merciful GM take over from here ;)[/spoiler]
-
Snow nods to herself and smiles at Sammy as she leaves the car. <Roger. Also trying to hack their commlinks. I might be able to get call lists and patterns and prevent a call for help.> Then she goes to work to see if the stoned gangers left their 'links wireless connections up and open to intrusion. If so, she will hack in and take control of the devices. She can be pretty blunt about it as these gangers are not very observant right now. If she gets in she will download the call lists, run an analysis of the logs, and prevent the gangers from calling out unless she lets them. If this works she will have control before the team is even in position. It feels good to be doing something useful for the team.
-
Sammy got out of the car and moved to Clem. At least from what she saw, they wouldn't be able to put up much resistance, but one could never know and it was better to be prepared.
"So how are we going to do this," she asked Clem.
-
"Torley will go up and talk to them while we remain very close but out of sight. If something happens, we'll be there to assist, or Con will be there to intercept if they decide to run away" answered Clem to Sammy, as they were making their way casually towards the bar. They waited for Torley to be done with the bartender before making their way to meet up with him through the apartment entrances, out of sight from the bar's camera.
-
Snow is watching the matrix in the vicinity of the bar. Every wireless device should be giving off its own small ARO. She knows those of her team and is watching for the signs that other devices are on the move in the area. Even while she is hacking the stoned gangers' 'links, she is also looking for the signals from their guns as they are the next targets. Her mind deftly uses the matrix to try to get control of the guns and render them inoperable.
-
The bartender comes back from making the call and freshens your drink and his. "Got the machine, but I know Jim and Eddie are up there, you want I should send someone to wake them up?"
Sam was clearly disappointed, but struggling to stay afloat in what were obviously new waters. "Um, yeah, that'd be great...they'll know where I can find Bacchus, right?"
-
“They should, they run with him don’t they?” the bartender walks over to the door and talks to the bouncer, who looks annoyed as he puts down a tablet and gets up and lumbers into the back. He is back a few minutes later, having gone up the back stairs and rousting the punks from the flop. He dumps them into a booth where they flop looked spaced out. After making sure the bartender sees them, the bouncer lumbers back to his seat and his show.
“…of course they might not know how to find themselves at the moment.” The bartender grins as he refills Torley’s glass and, leaving the bottle, goes to start a pot of soykaf.
-
Sammy followed Clem, periodically shifting her vision to the astral to make sure they weren't jumped by spirits or projecting mages. While in the meat world, she kept an eye on the data the other members of the team were sending, like camera feeds and things like that.
-
O'Connor moved to where Clem indicated, <In position.> He really hoped Torley go what they where looking for, he was already done with this stakeout.
-
Sam looked over the two punks and sighed. It had already been a long day, and getting information from these two in their current condition wasn't going to be easy, even if they knew what he needed. Walking towards the booth, he sent a quick message. Con--can you guess what these guys are on? Any tips on handling them?
-
<Not much to go on, but at a glance, its definitely some kind of downer. Keep in mind these tips are broad generalizations of all downers. Tread carefully.
1) You'll need to heavily guide the conversation to keep them focused.
2) Aggressiveness will make them shut down, but may be necessary to get their attention if they're that far gone
3) If they get all weird and loopy, just go with it. Its easier, trust me.
4) Don't touch them. Physically contact can sometimes make them flip.
Good luck.>
-
Snow thinks for a moment, "Hey Sam. Can you focus your Pito feed on them and describe their condition? I might be able to recognize the drugs. Do they or you have a bio-scanner that can provide any information? I could come in and take a look at them, but we may not need them awake. I am trying to hack their commlinks one at a time to see who they have called recently. That might give a signal to trace to find Bacchus. There is apparently no security camera at the motel." She continues her actions, thinking. *Please don't fail and let them down again.* Snow drops her attempts to hack the guns of the stoned gangers, hoping that this will give her a better shot at getting more information from their commlinls. She also stops running the old security camera feed through her analyzer. At this time the only things she has running is the software on the team net, her real-time security camera feed of the bar, and her hack of one of the commlinks.
-
How much does she think I can do without being obvious about it? Sam thought to himself upon receiving Snow's message. The bar wasn't very big, so it didn't take him long to walk over to the booth. He was careful to keep his Pito feed focused on the gangers, both as he walked and as he sat down, but he didn't have time to give descriptions as well.
After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Sam cleared his throat to draw their attention. "I understand you boys know where Bacchus is. The sooner you tell me, the sooner you can get back to your room," ...and whatever poison you're pumping into yourselves, he added silently.
[spoiler]Crossbow, let me know if you want me to roll for looking the gangers over. Sam doesn't know much about recreational drugs, but he can read people pretty well.[/spoiler]
-
Snow is not getting much love from the hacked 'links so she can leave them and focus on the gangers. Using the close up pictures she runs the visible symptoms through her analysis program to see if it comes up with the drug of choice for these guys. She realizes that her chances are not as good as if she was standing over them, but she might get something.
-
Snow scans the faces and looks closely at the physical symptoms the gangers are displaying. *Frag. These gangers are not doped. These are symptoms of BTL chips.* She sends the team a message. <Sam. These gangers are high on fragging BTLs, not drugs. Look for the chipslot and disconnect them. They will be very hungry and thirsty so get some water and food ready. They might be talkative in the early stages of coming out. Have them drink water, not the drek they call beer there.> She sits back in the car, glad that she could make the diagnosis. Smiling to herself, she goes back to monitoring the security feed from inside the bar and monitoring the net.
-
Sam was surprised by Snow's message, but decided to trust her. Motioning the bartender over, he ordered a pitcher of water and a couple meals, as well as a small appetizer for himself. Then he started looking to see if he could find the BTL chips.
[spoiler]I'm assuming perception is needed here. Sam's visual dice pool is 12 (5 skill, 5 intuition, 2 specialization). Unfortunately, Invisible Castle seems to be down right now, so I'll let the GM do whatever rolls he feels are appropriate.[/spoiler]
-
(OOC: You guys really do make this too easy for me, MWAH HA HA)
Although Torley is not personally acquainted with cyberware, he is a child of the Fifth World so he knows there is a manual eject on most brands of chipjacks that come with open ports like these. He easily removes the chip from the black haired man's jack and is watching the results of the dumpshock come across the banger's face while he is reaching for the nodule on the blond's neck.
(OOC: Logic check for manipulating cyberware unskilled. Hello there Gremlins Rating 2 Negative Quality! 8) :o )
The nodule moves strangely, so Torley readjusts his hand and jabs the spot harder. When his finger slips into the blond's neck up to the knuckle he thinks there could be a problem, then the man begins to have a violent seizure. On the bright side though, he can feel chip has ejected as it is spit past his suddenly very wet finger that is still inside the kid's neck.
-
Snow is watching on the Pito feed that Sam was using to show the gangers. Seeing what is happening, she grabs her bag and races for the bar to render care. She slides to Sam's side and tries to help him with the one he has stuck in the neck. Keeping calm and hopefully looking confident, she looks at the victim as she says, "Hey Sam. Got a small problem here? Let me take a look." Kneeling, she opens her medkit and begins first aid procedures as she carefully withdraws Sam's fingers from the chip slot. "Went a little deep in there, eh? Don't worry, this happens all the time with these fragging cheap slotters. You would think anyone who uses this drek would front the money to get a good one." Maintaining her calm, she begins the work to save the man's life. Talking more to herself, she talks in Russian to the ganger, "Не умереть на мне, что ты идиот. Now, don't die on me you idiot."
-
When Snow rushed inside the bar, Clem cursed under her breath. *What the drek? This woman never stops, does she?* thought the ork. She sent a message to the rest of the team, saying <Stand down, we don't need to spook the gangers or the barkeep with more than one unexpected "good samaritan">
-
Sammy had also set two steps towards the bar when she got the message and when thinking about it, realising that Clem was right. And those chipheads would probably not last long anyways, as chipheads never did. That was something she remembered from her youth in the slums: drug addicts, no matter what the drugs, didn't last long. And neither did gangers for that matter.
"Sam, ask the barkeep," she said over the comm, "he might know what to do and he might not want his bar covered with blood. say it was an accident, that it suddenly let go."
-
<I think we past that point as it is Clem. Sam, I'm the one that's suppose to kill off our leads before we learn anything.>
-
Torley throws up a little in his mouth, but otherwise manages through sheer force of will, and probably that appearance magic he just learned he had, to keep the outward appearance of the disaster to a minimum. He becomes strangely fascinated with mixture of blood and other fluid pooling in his palm for a tick or two until the world comes rushing back into focus.
Snow is suddenly there, the beautiful Russian carefully extracting his finger from the kid’s neck through a wad of gauze then somewhat roughly shoving him away so she can get to work saving his victim’s life.\
He registers a woman screaming. Some poor thing happened to be looking the wrong way and witnessed the gruesome activity. A crash of broken glass draws his attention as his (former?) friend the bartender drops the bottle he is pouring from and moves to come around the bar. The fat bouncer is also lumbering his way, having been shoved aside by Snow’s hurried entrance to the bar.
-
Snow calmly begins working on the kid but spares a glance and comment for the bartender. "Hey. Lucky for you and this kid that my, um, date stood me up and I happened to come in for a something to drown my anger in. This kid's drek of a chipslot failed." Nod to where Sam is standing with blood on him and his face registering shock. "It looks like this man was trying to save his life by putting pressure on the neck. He is clearly in shock. Can you get him a drink to steady him up. I can cover the cost. In fact, get the fragging screamer a drink, too. I need it quiet in here." She sends a message to the team. <Guys. Does it make sense to back my play on this or am I all wrong? If it does, I think that Sam should just keep playing his movie guy and act all shocked and get a drink.> She will address the bartender again, "Could you have your rather large bouncer keep the people away so I can work here?" She shakes her head. "The fragging street doc who put this slot in should be hung. I could have done better with only one hand."
-
Sam was surprised at Snow's sudden arrival, but quickly recovered himself. "You sure you got this, ma'am?" he asks, then at her brisk nod, headed back to the bar and called for a towel to wipe his hands, and then a fresh drink. "Hope she's as good as she sounds," he said while the bartender poured.
-
The bartender seems to be buying your version of things, he is clearly appreciative that someone is on hand to explain the bloodshed as well as deal with it so that he doesn’t have to. He helps Sam clean himself up as Snow works on the kid, getting the bouncer to move him to the floor so she can work easier.
In spite of the show, the damage to the A-kid is not very serious. The most dangerous parts, the blood loss and the internalized chip, are dealt with by Snow with minimal fuss, a testament to her healing skill. The seizures stop, but the kid is out, she notices an activated CrashCart monitoring device on his wrist, so there should be someone coming to get him very soon.
The other ganger, Jim, is helped out of the booth and brought to the bar. There he is plied with hydration and starts to become more cognizant, ready for questions.
-
Snow continues to work on the kid, trying to make sure that he will live long enough fro the crash cart to arrive. She sends an encrypted message to the team. <The boy will live. He has a crash cart monitor on his wrist, though, which means that a doc of some kind will be dropping by soon. Depending on the level of service, it could be a while, but it might limit the time Sam has with the other kid. Clem, I am sorry that I did not ask for guidance before leaving the car. I should have. Should I stay in the bar now that I am here or leave?>
-
Clem rolled her eyes. *Now she asks for my opinion?* thought the ork, as she read the message Snow had just sent. <Just think of a good reason why you are there and why you intervened, and stick to it. And leave Sam out of your story, and also let him work the remaining chiphead.>
The former yakuza knew Amelia meant well, but she felt that she somehow wanted to do much more than she could, which often resulted in Clem getting frustrated with her. Every member had an equal voice in the team, which meant that everyone's opinion was important, but she felt compelled to somehow come forward and remind Snow what her role was and to stick to it. Clem, however, knew that now was not the right time and just buried the thought in the back of her mind for now.
-
Sam looked over at the black-haired ganger. "Hey, sorry about the rude awakening. I just..." He waved in the direction of the bartender. "He said that you know a guy named Bacchus? Looks like a half-man, half-goat? My name's Sam. Working on a trid right now, and our producer really wants someone like that. Full-on realism, you know? Anyhow, he practically told me not to come back to work tomorrow if I can't find someone for the role."
-
The kid looks mighty pissed. He glances sourly at the bartender then looks back at Torley, "You gotta be kidding me, you pulled me out of 'Round the World Gangbang Marathon 4' to ask me about THAT fraggin' guy? He doesn't even run with the Kidz anymore! Thinks he can carry a show all on his own, with his big 'surprise' footage. Now he is getting trids? Frag him and FRAG YOU Mister Suit! Find another way to blow your boss, I am going back to my honeys." The ganger wanders back towards the door he was carried through,not even sparing a glance for his unconscious pal.
-
Like hell I'm going to kiss away 1000 nuyen just to get the brushoff from a twerp like you, Sam thought to himself. Shooting a quick "don't follow me" glance at the bartender, he quickly followed after the ganger. Catching up to him at the door, he hissed, "Ok, chummer, listen up. What I said back there? It's what that gonk at the bar needed to hear, or I wouldn't have even found you. Truth is, my crew's been hired to take Bacchy-boy down a notch or three, but we miss our payday if we don't get him quick. Our hoop of a J gave us a bum lead, though, which is why I'm here. You want goat-boy fragged? We can do that for you, if you tell us where he is. And if you help us, we can help you. Nuyen, new beetle--what's your price?"
-
The ganger still seems a little pissed, and the appraisal he takes of Torley seems to indicate he doesn't believe him capable of handling Bacchus, but he says, "I got no clue, he usually sleeps in coffins I think, but since he started his new show he has become one of those pretentious hoophats that blogs every meal, tryin' to cop discounts 'n drek. Watch his feed, you can catch up to him that way." He reaches the back stairs and tries to put a closed door between himself and the face.
-
Sam was not used to not getting what he wanted. Especially coming after a long day, he was starting to get frustrated. Taking a deep breath and mentally thanking Lyra for teaching him about his ability, he called out to the ganger, "Come back here."
[spoiler]Commanding voice: Leadership + Charisma, opposed by Willpower + Leadership.
Leadership (4) + Charisma (6) + Improved Ability (2) + Kinesics (3): 15d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4803157/)
[/spoiler]
-
The banger does an immediate about face and, for the first time, gives Sam his full and earnest attention.
-
Sam stepped towards the ganger, his walking stick making an audible crack as it hit the ground. "Listen here. I'm not asking you to help us. I'm giving you the chance to profit from it. But if you don't want to do it that way, we do have alternatives that I'm sure you'll find less enjoyable. Do you honestly think I'd bother dealing with drek like you if Bacchus were broadcasting his location over Pito?" He shook his head. "He's gone to ground because he knows we're hunting him. He fears us--and if you don't come up with a way to help us in about ten seconds, you'll learn why he does."
-
"Bro, which part of 'I CAN'T HELP YOU!' are you not getting? Bacchus don't run with the A-Kidz no more! We cut his ass loose, like, a week ago! If I knew where he was I would be puttin' the boots to him, cuz Leo said he killing our tags. I told you, he like to crash in the coffins, different ones each night, its 4am, where the hell else is he gonna be?"
Back in Clem's car, Sammy has changed the parameters of her stream review, looking at more recent episodes. They seem to back up the punk's story, Bacchus hadn't been on the A-Kidz show in several days, and the first one after he stopped appearing there was this weird bull session with the gang talking about hunting goats in the Hollywood hills and what evil and sick stuff they would do if they caught some.
Bacchus had just started a new show, "LA Gang Life" with himself as the primary camera hog. The name of the new show was so similar to "A Gang's Life" that it blended into the queue.
-
Snow is startled by the outburst from the ganger, but she does not take her attention from the one on the floor. He should live, but she will wait for the CrashCart unless Sam gets in trouble. Looking the boy over, she is once again amazed at the shoddy work done on his chip reader. *I could do so much better. Wait. Maybe I could offer to do some medical work in exchange for the upgrades I need.* She sets a note on her 'link to remind her to contact the tech to see if he would be willing to meet again. She might have to eat some crow, but there should be a way to spin it in her favor.
-
Sammy was not really following the conversation. She was checking out the astral and also keeping an eye on the pito feed of Bacchus. Should he come online, she wanted to know it.
-
Sam's gut told him the ganger was telling the truth, though it was hard to believe that someone could sever all ties that quickly. Turning away from him, he pulled out his commlink. "Bullet Storm, this is Sam. I'm done with this guy. If you want to have some fun with him, go for it."
[spoiler]If possible, Sam will leave the premises directly; otherwise, he'll just walk straight through the bar without acknowledging Snow or the bartender. He is not in a good mood.[/spoiler]
-
Sam is easily able to leave through a back door. In the front, the CrashCart ambulance had pulled up and the paramedics rushed into the bar. They quickly took over care of the patient from Snow and, in spite of the fact that she had done most of the work for them, double checked everything she relayed to them about his care. It was clear that they were unhappy with the fact that their patient was taken care of by an unlicensed person, Snow's real medical qualifications being very difficult to apply to false identification, and seemed intent on collecting for the services Snow performed prior to their arrival. They also made it clear that she was very welcome to leave as soon as possible.
-
O'Connor frowned at Torley's message, *Not like him to encourage me to pick a fight. And does he really think I'd jump at the chance to beat up a spaced out beetle head? I fight for the challenge and the adrenaline rush, neither of which I'll get here.* The more he mulled it over, the more O'Connor became offended by it. When he saw Torley slip into the backalley, O'Connor gave the face a cross glare before heading back to his car. He messaged the team, <[Recipients: Team | Source: Text]: Who's checking out this motel?>
-
Snow taps into the team net after Con asks his question. <Clem. Snow. The CrashCart guys are making it clear that I am free to go. What do you want me to do?>
-
<Back to the car for now, we'll check out the hotel next> messaged Clem before asking Sammy to follow her back to their transportation.
-
"Sounds like a plan," Sammy said to Clem as she followed her to the car, "let's do it the same way. I'll check it out astrally and Sam goes in to have a look."
-
Snow takes one last glance at the ganger being looked at by the CrashCart guys and leaves the bar. Going to the car she slides into the back seat and waits for the others. She checks the team security and encryption software and is pleased to see that all seems to be in order. Then she sits back and waits for the inevitable chewing out for going into the bar without asking. It is just a bit hard to be working with a real team after so many years going solo. *Damn. I really do want to fit in, but cannot seem to do more than get my feet buried deep in my mouth. Just have to try to do better.*
-
The motel is beyond run down; most likely it was flooded after the Twins and since then only the furniture‘s been replaced. (maybe)
The rectangular building lives up to its name, with six rooms in the front and six in the back, the first one on the street side had been converted to an office.
The astral scan returns nothing of interest, beyond the overall depression and negativity common in these areas that were poor before the earthquakes and forgotten after. There are three people in the entire building, all mundanes, all sleeping.
The locks on the rooms are not networked, but from the logs that Snow is easily able to pull from the simple node that runs the place, none have been serviced by the current owners and complaints are common about faulty operation.
-
Sam didn't miss Con's glare, but waited until they were away from the bar before he explained himself. "Hey, about that final bit with the ganger--what I said was for him, not you. I wanted him scared; it wouldn't do for him to suddenly remember how to contact Bacchus and decide to warn him that someone was on the hunt. If he saw me as weak, he might've done that; instead, I hope he's cowering behind a locked door, wondering just how many bullets are in the storm, and how soon it's coming. I'm not sure how much time that would buy us, but I figured it was worth a shot, so to speak." And if it helps us establish a reputation down here, that's not a bad thing, either, he added silently.
When they got to the hotel, Sam opened a channel to the group. Ok, how do we want to do this? Same as the bar? I go in, see what information I can come up with? Or do we have a better option?
-
<I vote for the same gameplan, unless you want Con to tag along this time> answered Clem to Torley on the team chat. She then asked Snow for a plan of the hotel, looking if there were any likely escape routes she needed to cover.
[spoiler] Reading the plan and seeing where possible escape routes are. Security Design 4 + Logic 3 (7d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4810567/) no glitches[/spoiler]
-
"Or we can simply go in," Sammy said, "I've spotted only three people in the hotel, and they are all sleeping. So information gathering will probably not be necessary."
-
Snow digs through the same source she used for the plans to the bar, thinking if the bar was there then the fleabag motel had to be available. She still has her mark on the source so should be able to grab the plans. <Plans downloaded to you.......now, boss. The locks are not networked and have not seen any regular maintenance in some time, according to the complaint file in the manager's office. Is anyone else wondering what a vid superstar was doing in this joint? This is a bit below simple slumming, in my opinion. That motel is barely still able to call itself that. I would hesitate to come down here without you guys to back me up, so why was she here and apparently alone? I have found no security cameras in or around the building.>
-
Sam thought for a moment. Sammy, can you mark where the sleepers are on Snow's map? Do we have a clear path to the office? Place like this isn't likely to have billing addresses for its customers, but there may be something useful in there. He then glanced over at Con. Or Con and I could go wake up the manager and see if we can good cop/bad cop something out of him.
-
"Give me a minute, I'll have to check again for that," Sammy said. She slipped back out of her body and went back to the motel, now also taking the walls into consideration. She also checked every aura, to see if they had augmentations or were magically active. When she got back in her own body, she indicated the location of the three on the map.
"This is correct within a couple of meters," she added, "it's not easy to judge buildings in the astral."
[spoiler]
assensing: I'll do them in order from the closest to our car to the furthest.
intuition 3 + assensing 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=0, 6d6.hits(5)=1, 6d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4810786/)
I probably won't see much about the first one, but it's luckily not a glitch. I can probably give a good description of the last one.
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor responded to Torley's explanation with a simple grunt of acknowledgement. He didn't bother pointing out that it was a crock of drek since it made no sense for the ganger to be scared of a name with no rep. Luckily for Torley, O'Connor wouldn't get any fun out of picking the fight and Clem would bitch him out over it. He messaged the team, <[Recipients: Tm | Source: Text] Managers for these kinds of places always turn a blind eye, so when they say they don't know anything, they're telling the truth. We should just kick in the door of whichever room we need to get into and toss it. Clem or I can deal with anyone that has a problem with it.>
-
"None of the people seem to have any modification, at least not at the level Bacchus should have," Sammy said, "None of them are in the room Sunny Daee was in, so that's an advantage. So we can have a look without alerting someone if we do it silently. And if the locks are as shitty as Snow said, it shouldn't be a problem."
-
Clem thought for a moment. "It would probably be better to cover more ground this time. So how about Torley go with Con and talk with the front desk, while I go with Sammy to the room our diva was in? We probably don't even need to sneak in, I'm sure we can rent the room if it's not occupied and have all the time in the world without risking getting bothered by the staff." Realizing she hadn't thought about Snow in her idea, Clementine continued with "And snow can have a look at the Matrix to see if she can't pick up anything that could help us."
-
Snow nods then realizes that the rest cannot see that. <Team Snow. Understood. I am still monitoring the security camera in the bar. I would not put it past the barman to contact Bacchus to get in good with him. Other than that I am using my Pito to try to find his new show. According to the ganger, he is broadcasting all the time, so why have we not seen it?> She keeps the team comm channel secure and tries to go out on the matrix to look for the signs of this new show.
-
O'Connor shrugged, <"Fine. Torley, we should do this hard and fast. I break in, rough him up, and shove a gun in his face. You come in and convince him that talking is in everyone's best interest.">
-
Snow mentally thumbs the group channel, <Checking for any security nodes in the building. My earlier check for cameras cane up negative, but there might be some alarm buttons in the managers office/apartment. Checking now.>
-
"OK, let's do this," Sammy said when Clem had parked the car. She got out and with the other Ork she went to the hotel to get the room they needed. She had a credstick, which she was sure this hotel would accept. It looked like the kind of place where certified cred would be no problem. They probably had an automated check-in system, although seeing the hotel, she wasn't sure if it would be in working order.
"When we get in, stay at the door," she said to Clem, "I'll first try to see things in the astral, and for that I'd rather not have any interference. It's probably too late, but you never know. And after that we can check physical things. Okay?"
-
Both rooms are a total of 50 nuyen, there is indeed an automated check-in, though it does work. It figures in a place like this that the best maintained piece of hardware would be the thing that takes your money.
The two of you walk around the outside to the doors of your new 'home'. The lock on 7 doesn't work which is fine because the door is only attached by one hinge, not that you were actually interested in staying. The lock on 8 seems work, though it also seems like a good Santa Anna breeze would have popped it.
(Astral and mundane perception rolls)
-
Listening to Sammy's plan, Clem gave her a nod as she got out of the car and followed her to the hotel, walking towards the rundown building in the middle of the surprisingly cool night. The outside blended perfectly with the feel of the neighbourhood, something that strangely soothed Clementine. It vaguely reminded her of Seattle, which was the first time she had thought of her hometown since arriving in LA.
Once the rooms were booked, the pair made their way to #8, where she would wait patiently by the door for her companion's signal to enter the room. She fired a quick message to the rest of the team, advising them that <We made it to the room without any issues and we'll have a look around. Give us 5 minutes and then Con and Torley move in with the interrogation.>
[spoiler] Invisible castle is down, so I used another website. Perception 〜 Intuition 4 + Perception 3 + Perceptive 1 + Reception Enhancer 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/271900): 13d6t5 3 no glitches [/spoiler]
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O'Connor parked his rental across the street from the rundown motel. He turned to Torley, "You happen to know how to pick lock? If any of these doors have full function, it'll be the manager's. Kicking in the door works fine for me, but its just really fun to watch a guy wake up and realize there's a gun in his face."
-
Sam shrugged. "Dunno; I've never tried. But from the looks of this place, if we find a door that takes more than a light tap, it'll be a good sign that it's the owner's room."
-
Sammy stood at the entrance to the room. She shifted her perception to the astral and slowly looked around to check astral signatures that might be here. Since the astral signatures became more pronounced with heavy emotion, she hoped that she would be able to find something. Slowly as not to miss anything, she went through the room.
Next she helped Clem search the room in the material plane.
[spoiler]
As invisible castle is down, I've used Rollz to roll this.
intuition 3 + assensing 3 =6
6D6E5 => 3 | ones: 2
3 hits, should give me something :)
perception regular:
intuition 3 + perception 2 + vision enhancers 2 + actively looking 3 =10
10D6E5 => 5 | ones: 2
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor nodded, "Well let's hope his door's as drek as the rest of this place. Seriously, I cannot do justice to watching confusion, shock, anger and fear fight for control."
-
The only thing more depressing and gross about the room is its spiritual copy. Negative emotions and loveless machine-like sex combined with poor housekeeping have permanently scarred this place almost beyond reclamation even if you were so inclined. Bacterium in the bed and mold in the bathroom crevices has grown to the point of almost having a barrier-like presence on close inspection of the astral. If there was anything to find Sammy would be loath to examine it too closely, but there wasn’t.
Checking the room for physical clues is a mercifully short enterprise, fruitless until the mage notices something odd in the damages and marked ceiling. What she first mistook to be insects among the water stains had garnered closer attention when she realized they were geometrically centered on the stains and that three in the main room were strategically placed around the bed, with a fourth in the latrine.
They turned out to be intentionally drilled holes through to the roof, only a few millimeters in diameter.
-
"So that's how they did it," Sammy said, more to herself. Then she pointed out the camera holes, because that's what they were, to Clem.
"It's an often used technique in LA," she commented, "and you can be sure to be able to film all of the action. If you drill holes in the walls, you can be sure that the angle will not be right or that someone puts a chair or something in front of the hole. So we'll have to check out the roof I guess." The astral didn't show anything, but I didn't expect much anyways."
And then go back to our own hotel for a long shower, she didn't add. Luckily she had her respirator in, something she always wore whenever possible because of her asthma.
-
*Holes, huh?* thought Clem as she looked at where Sammy was pointing. The setup made sense, she had dealt with her fair share of shakedowns in the past anyways. "So this probably means Pervy McHorny wasn't acting by himself" said the ork back to Sammy, trying to find a piece of cloth relatively clean she could wipe her hands on. She wasn't unfamiliar with filth, but she never liked it either. "Let's head upstairs then" said Clementine to Sammy, as she left the room. She decided to update the rest of the team, saying <We searched the room and we're heading upstairs for now, we'll keep you updated. Torley, Con, make sure you ask if our freak wasn't alone, he might have had an accomplice in this.>
-
Sammy indicated the exact location of the holes on the map Snow had made, so she would be able to find them back on the roof. Then she followed Clem back out of the room.
"As soon as we're done here, I need a shower," she said, "What on earth would make Sunny Daee come here?"
-
O'Connor checked the time after getting Clem's message, "Alright, I'm done waiting. Let's get this done." With that he exited the vehicle and made his way across the street and up to the manager's door. He drew his pistol, and waited for Torley to get into position. Once ready, O'Connor tested the door, checking to see if it was functional and/or unlocked.
-
Clementine’s athleticism and enhancements make short work of the climb onto the one-story roof, thanks to some ‘conveniently’ placed detritus at this end of the building. Although not as graceful as her partner, Sammy is also able to climb, following Clem’s direction and getting pulled up the final bit.
What they find up there is quite the little peep show operation, a treelike structure of PVC pipe has been laid across the roof, with capped branches reaching over each room. From your immediate vantage point you can see that the branch over what would be #5 is not capped, a few spidery fiber optic cables reaching into spots over that room.
At the base of the “tree” across the roof is some kind of device. Once the two of you reach it you realize it is not one that either of you are familiar with, though Sammy sees a vague resemblance to the satellite uplink device she occasionally sets up for her commlink.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
On the ground, O’Connor sees the red light on the lock wink off as he reaches for it and enters the office. The adepts move through the room, which doesn’t accurately reflect the floor plan, being about half the size of the other hotel rooms. Quickly reaching another door on the back wall, he again sees the lock wink off as his Matrix (Snow)Angel clears the way.
Entering, they see that the owners have converted the two hotel rooms into a small efficiency apartment with a small office. The two people Sammy found in these rooms actually sharing a large queen bed that straddles the place where the wall was.
-
Snow sighs in silent relief as she gets to the locks just before Sam and Con do. At least she is able to do that without bunging it up. She make a mental note to herself to encourage the team to get equipment with image link capability so that some of the issues of the evening could be avoided. It would also help her keep up with what is going on with her team mates without verbal communication. She continues to scan for other nodes that might be transmitting.
-
*What the drek is all this? There's more equipment here than back at the studio* thought Clem as she made her strange discovery. She looked back at Sammy and asked her "Any ideas what all this means?" Clementine tried to make sense of all this, figuring this setup wasn't an accident, but catching the starlet in action might have been. <Snow, I need you to tell me what this is and if we can do anything with it> messaged the ork as she sent pictures back to the rest of the team. <And boys,> added Clementine as an afterthought, <make sure the manager explains this setup.>
-
Snow jumps her attention to the equipment that Clem is showing her. She does a quick scan to see if it is operating. <It appears to be a signal device of some sort. Are there wires or cables connecting it to any of the rooms? It could be a bait and sting op. I was used in several of those to set up potential blackmail targets. You know, cute girl gets man or woman to room for sex or conversation that can be recorded to be used later. Very common. Could be your friend got caught by accident or on purpose in room with wrong man.> She notes the similarity to a satellite uplink and finds its node on the matrix. <Boss. Got the node. Do you want me to try to access it and see what it is doing? I can also try to simply intercept the message it is sending out and decrypt it. There may be safeguards on the device if it is sophisticated enough.>
-
O'Connor drew his machine pistol, with his free hand, the moment he spotted the second body. He moved to the foot of the bed and aimed at both sleeping occupants. For funsies, he set his machine pistol to full-auto. O'Connor took a moment to examine the two poor souls they were about to chat with.
[spoiler=Perception]
Intuition 3 + Perception 3 + Visual 2 = Pool 8 (http://orokos.com/roll/273792)
8d6t5 5
[/spoiler]
-
"It's probably what Snow said," Sammy replied, "a set-up for blackmail. And if it's not about sex, sometimes you can use what's in the conversation to your own ends. The only thing that bothers me is the location and the cost of this set-up. Most people who come here, a couple of exceptions notwithstanding, are not important enough to blackmail. Which reminds me. Snow, if you go into that node, see if it has a copy of the recordings. And don't have to bother tracing it, it goes through a satelite, probably a high orbit one. I have a similar, although smaller device, for when we were filming out in the boonies."
-
Snow nods in the car. <Good point about the uplink, Sammy. I might still try, just in case it is just a local transmitter and not to a satellite. I also agree with your concern about the set up here. It could be that other important people are lured here as a place for "completely anonymous sex" only to find that is not the case. An alternative is that someone is just a voyeur and likes watching. Perhaps Bacchus uses the footage for his new show about life in the sprawl and just got lucky when your friend stumbled into his web. In any case, I am going to try to access the node. This is likely to use my attention for a bit so I will leave our encryption protection running in the background, but will not be monitoring it closely, so watch what you say.> She pulls her attention back and focuses on the task to hack the node.
[spoiler]Hack System Hack Information Feed (http://orokos.com/roll/273869): 7d6t5 2[/spoiler]
[spoiler]Edge to reroll failures. Edge to reroll failures (http://orokos.com/roll/273870): 5d6t5 3[spoiler]
-
Snow is stumped by the device. It does not seem to conform to what she had expected and she gets a bit frustrated before she realizes that the transmitter is not a hidden wireless node. It appears, in fact, to be not connected to the matrix at all. Looking again at the images Sammy had sent her, she also notes something that she should have caught. *Some hacker I am. My teachers would be ashamed. I definitely need more practice.* Mentally thumbing the comm net, she says, <The device does not appear to be a matrix node, hidden or otherwise. This is something set up to run automatically without wireless controls. My guess is that it is not a satellite uplink at all, but is transmitting line of sight to a receiver. Can you look down its direction and see anything that it might be aimed at? Someone went to a lot of trouble to make this operation off the matrix, probably to fool anyone coming here into thinking they were secure from prying eyes. I would think that most suspicious people would be looking for wireless nodes, just as I was.>
-
"So this thing needs a direct line of sight?" asks Clementine after reading Snow's message. She starts to look around, trying to find something that would look like it connects to the device.
[spoiler]Perception 〜 Intuition 4 + Perception 3 + Perceptive 1 + Reception Enhancer 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 + Actively Looking 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/274123): 16d6t5 4 no glitches[/spoiler]
-
Sam was letting Con take the lead; this type of "social interaction" was much more his line of work, after all. Stepping up to the side of the bed, he raised his walking stick and glanced at Con with a "shall I wake him for you" expression.
-
On the roof, Clementine checks the sighting mechanism on the device and tries to see a receiver. Dishes on roofs are fairly commonplace in this age, but she narrows down the possibilities down to what looks like a strip bar about 4 blocks away.
In the manager's apartment, O'Connor notes the occupants are a pair middle-aged humans ( a mail and a female) who like they had been rode hard ( or perhaps rode each other hard ) and put away wet. Several bottles of synthahol at varying levels of contents, and the wrappers of many street drugs littering the floor.
-
O'Connor finished observing the couple, *Well, at least someone got to party and get laid tonight.* He doubted that anyone would respond to gunshots in this area, but better to play things safe. He moved to the opposite side of the bed and gently placed his machine pistol against the woman's temple. He nodded to Sam to clunk the guy over the head.
-
*This goat is really starting to get on my nerves* thought Clementine as she spotted what she thought was the receiver a few blocks away. She pointed to the strip in the distance, asking Sammy "Would that look like the receiving end?" The ork sent a message to the team, saying <I think I spotted the receiver a couple of blocks away. Con, Torley, squeeze the manager, we'll go and investigate the receiver> as she was making her way down the rooftop with Sammy, the sporadic lighting in the crisp night guiding her movements. Once down from the roof, she headed back to the vehicle where Snow was waiting, checking her commlink as if this simple gesture would somehow reassure her they had plenty of time left before their deadline.
-
Sam understood Con's gesture, but he didn't think they'd be able to get good information from someone with head trauma. So, instead, he brought his stick down solidly across the man's chest. Holding the startled man down with the end of his cane, he smiled beatifically. "Good morning, sir. I'm afraid my associate and I just need a moment of your time."
He nodded towards Con, watching in satisfaction as the man's wide eyes followed.
-
Snow stops monitoring the sleaze motel, feeling that Sam and Con can get out on their own, and takes a minute to look at the feed from the bar camera to see if anything of interest is going on in there. Beyond that, she waits for Clem and Sammy to get to the car so they can go to the next site.
-
"Let me first check things out in the astral," Sammy said when they were back at the car, "just as a precaution."
She got into the car and left her body again, flying over to the other building and checking for patrolling mages, spirits and wards. She also checked any background count if it was present. She'd rather not walk in a toxic domain if she could avoid it.
[spoiler]
astral perception:
sammy:6D6E5 → 3( 5; 4; 4; 4; 5; 6;=> 3 successes against 5 )#astral perception (https://rolz.org/info?X955702)
[/spoiler]
-
While Sammy is out scanning the astral, Snow says to Clem, "Which building are we looking for? I can start a scan for nodes."
[spoiler]Scan for open nodes: Scan for open nodes (http://orokos.com/roll/274471): 7d6t5 1[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor grinned wolfishly as understanding mixed with fear in the man's eyes. The man's startled thrashings awoke the woman. She turned to see what was pressed against her head. When she realized what it was, she opened wide to scream. O'Connor shoved his machine pistol into her mouth to muffle her cries. He leveled his pistol at the man's face, "There are two things you need know before you answer our questions. First, My partner will know if your lying. Second, she'll pay for it if you do. Now, start talking about room 8."
[spoiler=Intimidation]
Charisma 2 + Intimidation 1 + Pistol 2 = Pool 5
Intimidation (http://orokos.com/roll/274472): 5d6t5 2
[/spoiler]
-
The man looks completely confused, "Are you trying to rent a room? I don't understand, please don't hurt us, I got a little bundle of Horizon script out in the office, you can have it."
-
O'Connor sighed, "Playing dumb is the same as lying. Now I want you to look at what I have this machine pistol set to." He angled his pistol, while leaving it in the woman's mouth, so that the man could see that it was set to full auto. After letting that sink in, O'Connor continued, "Playing dumb won't save her, and it won't save you. Now you need to tell us what you know, or we kick this interrogation up to the next level." He glanced over at Sam to see what his take on the man was.
-
"I swear to Christ, I'm not playing dumb! I have no idea what you want, just give me a chance! Did you leave something in #8? What was it?" the man looks desperate.
The woman is just about to faint, you notice a wetness growing at waist level.
--------------------------
As the two from the roof make it back to the car and Sammy does her scanning, Snow uses a quick data search and local public access to determine that the strip club in question is called The Derma. Looking up the node, Snow stops short, unlike the rest of the systems on this run to date, the club has a sculpted Matrix node. A neon woman grinding on a neon pole. The fact that they have modified their Matrix presence beyond standard iconography say loud and clear that this one is actually going to be a test.
-
Snow whistles. <Team. We must be more cautious here than at the last bar or the motel. The club is called the Derma. The club has a sculpted matrix node, which means some serious effort has been put into it. I will have to be very careful here, and I would recommend that the rest of you are very careful as well. There is probably a good physical security presence, too. Get me closer so I can try to get into the node. I would like to try to penetrate it if you want me to. What is our play here?>
-
"If it's a strip club, we can sent our two gentlemen in to have a look around," Sammy said, "and depending on security, Clem and I can have a look around the roof again. Maybe this is just another retransmitter and we have to be at another building in the end."
-
Sam's smile remained unchanged. "I'm sorry, sir. My associate was perhaps a bit...unclear. We're not interested in the room, so much as the people who have been using it. And what they do with the recordings you allow them to make of it."
-
"Yeah, I think we're going to need everyone for this one" acknowledges Clementine. <We're going to need you over here once you're done, guys> wrote Clem to the rest of the team.
[spoiler] I realize we're working on 2 different timelines, so I'll let Crossbow determine when Clem actually sends her message during the "interrogation" ;)[/spoiler]
-
"Aww no man, you got the wrong guy for that stuff. You need to find this ork named Bacchus, dude's got these crazy cyberlegs. He set that stuff up, I think he runs with the A-Kidz, some thrill gang. He just drops off a bottle or chips or whatever when he climbs up on the roof and I don't ask questions." the man was happy to find out he had information that could save his life, when he finishes he looks to the woman with hope and support. She carefully nods her head around the barrel of the gun in her mouth.
-
Sam sighed, his entire presence conveying that the man hadn't actually provided useful information. "I'm afraid you're going to have to do better, if you want to keep my partner happy. Which I'd really recommend, honestly. We've checked with the 'Kidz'. Bacchus is on his own these days. Now, there are two things that I know would make my partner here very happy. The first, of course, would be for you to give him a reason to pull that trigger--he's inordinately fond of doing that, I've found. The second would be for you to remember how we can find Bacchus."
After a brief pause, he added, "Oh, and I should add that my partner isn't a very patient man. So I'd recommend you decide which option you're going with quickly." His smile never faltered.
-
"How would I know that? We don't hang out, he gives me my stuff sometimes, that's it! I'M SO SORRY DIANE!!..." the man sobs into his hands then looks up again, looking horrified and turns in the bed to face the woman, "DEBRA!! I MEAN DEBRA! Omigod!"
The woman's face changes a bit, she is still scared, but there is suddenly a look of rage and hate there too, not directed at the runners, but at the man in the bed.
-
O'Connor sensed more than saw the woman's rising rage and bloodlust. He removed his pistol from her mouth and took a half step back, *Told everyone talking to this guy would be a waste of time. Hopefully this domestic drama will make up for it.*
-
As soon as O'Connor steps back, the woman is all over the guy, punching and clawing, screaming about "that skinny-ass bitch, Diane" and what a lowlife he is. The tangle of soiled sheets and screaming humanity roll off the bed on Sam's side and suddenly there an empty synth-whiskey bottle being wielded in the mix and the man's cries of defense and mercy start becoming ones of real pain. The shatterproof resin of the heavy bottle is truly effective as club as she rains blows and invective that even makes O'Connor wince on the man's fetal form, the linen still tying them together.
-
O'Connor was an expert on delivering pain, and he was impressed. He winched as a heavy blow completely shattered the man's nose, *Holy drek on a stick, she's pissed.* He looked to Sam and then motioned towards the door.
-
"There's no magical security that I could see," Sammy said when she had returned to her body, "there are still some people there, probably the late shift closing up. Hopefully we find a location where we can get onto the roof without being seen from the ground or cameras. That way we don't have to be in the club and maybe Snow can attach a cable to the receiver and get in like that."
-
"I can probably get on that roof without too much trouble, but I don't know about Snow" answered Clementine to Sammy's comment. "Could do something to make her float or otherwise get her on the roof? In my experience, people that have the money to spend on the Matrix have already spent some on their security, so I'd rather avoid any contact with them before we confirm this is where we want to be knocking on the door." Clem turned around to face Snow and asked her "Is there any chance you can tell us with any degree of certainty if they have eyes on that rooftop?"
-
Snow nods. "Let me try. I do warn you that my skill set is lacking in certain needed skills, a failing that I will try to correct as soon as possible. I do agree with you that a place that would spend as much as they must have to sculpt their matrix presence is likely to have security systems." She sends her commands out to the matrix to see if she can find anything. She knows that her initial search will take only a few minutes and decides to drop her overwatch to give her the best chance of success. <Team. Snow. I need to concentrate on finding any security nodes on the club so I need to back off on securing the team comms. Please do not use the system for a couple of minutes. I will be back up shortly.>
[spoiler]Check for security nodes (http://orokos.com/roll/277122): 4d6t5 1 Second roll for security nodes (http://orokos.com/roll/277132): 3d6t5 3 Third roll for security nodes (http://orokos.com/roll/277133): 2d6t5 1 5 hits in three combat rounds. Got very lucky on the second roll.[/spoiler]
After three combat rounds she has as much as she thinks she will get and goes back to securing the team's comms. <Team. Snow. Back on security. I can try to detect a hidden node if I know its approximate location. I will look for gaps that should be covered and concentrate there for something. Please be cautious.>
-
Sam started for the door, but said over his shoulder, "Ah, I see we are intruding upon an intimate moment. Please pardon our interruption. Ma'am, I do hope you are able to help him with his obvious memory issues."
On his way through the office, Sam took a quick glance to see if he could find the bundle of Script the man had "offered".
-
Snow is slightly pleased. <Clem. I have identified the main node and there does not seem to be more than the one obvious one. I would suspect that most of the security devices and other aspects we need access to are tied to that node. I can try to hack it and you got two choices here. I can do this slowly and it can take a couple of hours or so or I can make it fast. Fast is far more dangerous and can get me detected much easier. Slow takes longer but is less risky. But once into the system, I should be able to give commands to the various peripherals as long as I do not stretch too thin. To be honest, I recommend that the rest of you take a nap in the cars while I take the slow way. It is only about 5 AM now so we have some time. If I cannot do it slow then we can try fast and take our chances. Your decision?>
-
Clem liked the idea of doing things right, but she almost gasped when Snow mentioned the timeframe. The ork had a hard time understanding how it could take more than 10 minutes when it only took her a few seconds to order a soykaf on her commlink. <We don't have hours here Snow. We don't even know if this is where goat-boy is, so we need this done in the time it takes the guys to get here.>
-
Snow thinks for a moment. <Boss, I don't know how the last guy did it, but cracking security nodes is not meant to be easy. In this area, quick can be harsh on the hacker and her team. But, OK, we might not have the time for the slow approach. I can do quick, but let me try something else first to try to even the odds. I can take a quick snoop to give the firewall a poke and get an idea how strong it is. If it is weak, there is a good chance that other things are weak as well and I can go all in. If it is strong, I can still try it, but be prepared for the node to react.> She accesses the matrix to Observe in Detail, with the priority to the firewall then anything else she can glean from the node.
[spoiler]Observe in Detail (http://orokos.com/roll/278175): 7d6t5 3[/spoiler]
-
Clem simply shrugged and wrote <OK> back to Snow, lost in the complexities of the conversation.
-
Sam locates a small bundle of Horizon corporate cred notes worth 150 nuyen.
-----------------------------------
In the Matrix, Snow's beautiful and severe Snow Queen flings sparkling white dust at the neon woman writhing on the pole. The dust seems to make the stripper shiver a bit as it circles her, then returns where it came. Arriving in front of her it coalesces into glass showing a Firewall rating of 6, a System rating of 4 and no active alert on the node.
-
Snow is secretly impressed with the Snow Queen persona as it perfectly fits her attitude. She frowns at the information her observation had procured for her and carefully works out what she will say to the team. <Team. Snow. This node is well protected by a good firewall and system defense. I will lay out what I see my options to be. Option A is I can try to hack the node quickly, but it will still take at least two and probably three direct attempts to get enough control to get in, taking between 3 and 6 seconds. The firewall of the node is good and it will get an attempt to find me with every direct attempt I make and my stealth needs will not protect me for long. The truth is that I can probably get in, but I will almost certainly be discovered. Once that happens I will have only a short time to control the node before they send the mind killers after me and I have to get out. That should be enough time to grant you access to the building, but you can expect that the node will call for meat security as well. We could have a fight on our hands and still not get the information we need. Option B is to go in slow. With my skill set, this probably means at least two hours and perhaps three. The plus is that the system defenses might not be able to find me and I can gain access to the security systems of the building. The minus is that the firewall still has a chance, although much reduced, to find me when I log onto the node and we would have wasted the three hours and still have a fight. I am sorry that my news is not better. The node's firewall is simply better than mine. What do you want me to do?>
-
Sammy tried to remember what she knew from her trids on hacking. One of the consultants had said something at one point.
"I got it," she said, "if we can find a camera on the outside and we can access it without being seen by another camera, you can plug in physically. That would get you into the system, right? At least enough to get access to the camera feed and maybe spoof it into sending a loop to the control room while somebody else climbs on the roof. We don't really have to be in the club's node, we just have to have a hole in the camera coverage to get on the roof to check out the transmitter. And if it indeed goes into this club, you can still hack in. But just to get on the roof to check things out, I wouldn't do it. It might just be a retransmitter on this roof."
-
Snow considers Sammy's comment. "Yes. I can jack straight in if we can find a port. Once in that way, I might be able to conceal our movements. We can look around for that while waiting for the guys to show up." She gets out of the car, waiting to see if Clem will give the go-ahead on the physical recon.
-
"Alright, let me have a look around first then" said Clem as she got out of the car and tried to spot any cameras that could have a view on the roof.
[spoiler]Perception ~ Intuition 4 + Perception 3 + Perceptive 1 + Reception Enhancer 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 + Actively Looking 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/278653): 16d6t5 7 no glitches[/spoiler]
-
After they exited, O'Connor motioned back to the room, "Told ya scumbags like that actually do turn a blind eye as long as they get their cut." He gave a shrug, "Well, at least that was entertaining, if not useful." While walking across the street, he asked Sam, "I know you said the Johnson only cares about recovering the blackmail, but do ya think there'll be a bonus in it for us if we wipe out this extortion racket?"After returning to the vehicle, O'Connor began watching excerpts of the A-kidz' and Bacchus' shows while waiting to hear back from the girls. He wanted to get an idea of what kind of gang Bacchus was trying to run and how much of a bite it really had.
-
"I can make someone invisible," Sammy said, "and that also works for cameras."
-
When Clem got back to the team, she laid out what she had seen. "Here are the cameras I found" said the ork as she put AROs on a map of the area. "The problem is they are protected by grills, and the only way I can see us having access to them would be from the roof itself. I could go on that roof with Sammy's help, but once up there I wouldn't know what to do with the cameras." The ork, short on ideas, just shrugged and asked "Does anybody have any ideas?"
-
Snow chips in. "If Sammy or you can help get me to the roof, I still might be able to jack in. Some grills are meant to prevent damage from punkers throwing rocks. Did you notice if the grills have a small mesh or one large enough for me to get my hand in?
-
"No, the mesh is too tight for that" answered Clementine, "but I think I did find a blind spot we could climb on the roof from." Clem then indicated on the map where she thought she saw the opening.
-
Snow nods then says, "Do you want me to come along in case there is something I can do up there?"
-
The ork wouldn't normally want to he hindered by Snow in such a situation, but since they were dealing with electronics and such, her presence would be beneficial. She simply let out a "Yes" and got out of the van, ready to climb on the roof. Once Snow was out and ready, she led her to the blind spot she had seen earlier and tried to get herself up.
[spoiler]Strength 3 + Climbing 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/279360): 5d6t5 4 Not bad of a climb actually![/spoiler]
-
Snow gives an inward groan as she sees how easy Clem made the climb look, knowing that she could not do the same. <Clem, you made that look so easy, but I cannot possibly take that route. Maybe there is a fire escape I can use to get up. Sammy, can you perhaps make me invisible to the camera until I am up then can release me and do yourself?> She looks along the back of the building to locate a fire escape.
-
There is no fire escape, this being a stepped two story building. Clem know this and is really too annoyed with the Russian to waste a lot of time with her. Instead, Clementine leans back down and grabs Snow, hauling her bodily onto the roof, depositing her on her feet.
(OOC: This is your bonus for a spectacular climbing check Hydro, don't say I never gave you nuthin' ;) )
-
The roof of The Derma is nothing special. There is an access hatch, locked from the inside, most likely, AC unit and not much else outside of the signal receivers you already knew were here. Now that you are up here you can see that the Cinderblock setup is not unique. There are several more receivers placed every few feet along the roof, and there are a few transmitters you can see on building that have line of sight of the roof.
The most unusual thing is the coaxial cable that runs to all of the receivers. It is spider-webbed all over the roof then gathered into a central hub that disappears into the building.
-
"Can you tap into any of these things to see what we have?" asked Clem to Snow as she saw the setup on the rooftop. The thought of this place filming and spying on unassuming people disgusted the ork. Calming herself down, she sent a message to the rest of the team. <It looks like these guys are getting feeds from all over the area. This is definitely the place.> Clem thought a bit and sent a follow-up message. <There is a hatch here on the roof, so if we can lure someone outside, we could overpower them and enter the place from 2 different entry points.> Clem turned over to Snow and asked her "Do you think you can find a layout of the place?"
-
<No magic on the place right? Sammy could send in a spirit to freak some of 'em out, like at the Needle. Then they run right into me.>
-
<Or we could start messing their equipment over here and when they come up to check it out you guys make your way through the front entrance.>
-
<Or we do both, you get the drop on roof group, I get the drop on ground group.We hit the building, mop up, done deal.>
-
Snow looks in amazement at the set up on the roof then smiles at Clem and says, "Thank you, boss. I could not have made that without your help. Got some interesting stuff up here, don't they?" The Russian looks around to see if she can see any cameras pointed at them then moves to the central hub. <This stuff is all very illegal. I doubt that they will be calling the police if we get noticed. They might limit their initial response to whatever security is in the building and whatever gangers might be available that offer security. if they have not had much of a threat here in the past, that security may be as ineffective as the two gangers in the bar. If we are going to get noticed, I can certainly get me noticed by making a direct assault on the node and getting security up here. Sammy, Clem and I should be able to hold off whatever they send through the trap door, especially if I take care and bail from the attack as soon as I am spotted.>
-
"Alright, go for it" said Clem to Snow, "I'll start smashing stuff meanwhile." She got her katana out and sent a message to the rest of the team before slashing away at the equipment. <Wait for our signal before barging in, we need them to unlock this hatch before anything else happens.> Her identity protected from her new style, Clem decided to start recording her actions on the rooftop, saying "This is what happens to perverts that film people without their consent" to the camera as she started breaking the various receptors, cutting wires as she went along.
-
Snow smiles and takes a Hack on the Fly to try to smash into the node.
[spoiler]I have no idea what happened to my posts but I made a roll with one success, used edge to reroll failures and got 2 more. Second init pass is Hack on the fly second init pass. (http://orokos.com/roll/280513): 8d6t5 3 Total is 6 hits after two init passes, which should break the firewall.[/spoiler]
-
Back in the electronic ether, the Snow Queen is crafting different jewels and offering them to the dancer. The first simple jewel is simply ignored, but the second catches her eye, though looks a bit puzzled at the Queen's offer, as if wondering what Snow is doing at her show. (Your hack attempts have triggered an alert)
-
Snow continues having the Snow Queen offer treats to the nude dancer in an attempt to buy her off and allow greater access. The surprised look on the dancer's face indicates that the access has not gone ignored. <Team. My hack has been noticed. I can see the equivalent of alarms going off. At this time I have a general user access to the system, but that will not allow me to get control over any of the security systems or block any calls for meat security. I am afraid that my time in the node is limited. I will proceed to see if I can get control, but I would advise getting ready to resist physical security while I try to survive in the matrix long enough to perhaps cancel any calls they might have made to the authorities.>
Snow starts weaving her snowflakes tighter about the dancer in an attempt to distract it from her real intention. She makes the first of her Hack on the Fly attacks.
[spoiler]hack on the fly for security access: Hack on the Fly (http://orokos.com/roll/281170): 8d6t5 3 First Pass of the next turn.[/spoiler]
-
Sammy kept an eye out on the astral. The rest would warn her when there were meat thingies coming up, but she was the only one who could look at the astral. And since a first response was often to send a spirit in, it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep an eye out for that. Also one of the guys in the club could be a mage as well, which she should see should he come out. Besides, if they came out of the building, she would be able to see them as well in the astral.
-
On the roof of the Derma, Clementine has finished her work of dismantling the peepshow operation, but in the Matrix, Snow continues to struggle against the node's, now alerted, firewall. The dancer is still refusing her gifts, but Snow now has her full attention.
(OOC: Snow hasn't yet penetrated the firewall, though she feels she is close, but the node is now on alert which makes it tougher. She hasn't seen any other response as of yet.)
-
The Snow Queen sends a cloud of soft flakes to cover the torso of the dancer in a shimmering robe that clearly emphasizes her figure, hinting at the treasures beneath.
[spoiler]Second init pass of the turn to Hack on the Fly. Hack on the Fly (http://orokos.com/roll/282233): 8d6t5 3 Not too bad. total is now 12 hits.[/spoiler]
Snow thinks to herself that she should have overcome the firewall this time.
-
The dancer clearly appreciates this gift, but she is still a bit suspicious. (Firewall 6 + Security Access 3 + Alert bonus to Firewall 4 = You ain't there yet ;) )
-
The snow queen throws in some slippers and a crown in hopes that this time her gifts will be well received.
[spoiler]Hack on the fly (http://orokos.com/roll/283135): 8d6t5 3 Use edge to roll misses Edge to roll misses (http://orokos.com/roll/283137): 5d6t5 2 Using the edge gives me 14 hits, which ought to be enough.[/spoiler]
Snow smiles as the dancer accepts the gifts and opens her access port. <OK, I am in. I may have limited time so what should my priority be?>
-
The Snow Queen sends some ice elf minions into the system to seek out and retrieve the information she needs. They are penalized a bit by their young Queen's inexperience and lack of certain skills but they are remorseless in their search.
[spoiler]Seek out information: Data Search (3 due to defaulting) + Browse (4) = 7d6 for an extended test. Roll three passes. Data Search (http://orokos.com/roll/283508): 7d6t5+6d6t5+5d6t5 7 Result is 7 hits is not too bad. Follow with File Transfer. Sheet indicates no roll needed (?) [/spoiler]
-
When the final gift the crystal crown, is received, the dancer finally relents to entry and pull on the pole as if it were a curtain, inviting the Snow Queen through.
The first thing she notices is that if she wasn't certain before, she is now, the node is on alert. The next thing she notices is a certain sense of disappointment. In contrast to such a well made gateway, the node itself uses standard Matrix iconography, these folks not have wanted to spend the money on node sculpting beyond the entrance.
As her elves return from their scouting, she is even more disappointed, they have found no trace of the files she is looking for, even widening and generalizing the search parameters returns nothing but some PR footage of featured dancers to the club.
-
Snow is disappointed. <The system is on alert. The information we need is not on the system. Anywhere. Nothing of any sort of blackmail data. Nothing but ads for dancers. The system is surprisingly unsophisticated. Not even worth crashing. What do you want me to do?>
-
<Make sure they send someone on the roof, and then take them offline> wrote Clem as she stood ready with her flash-bang grenade in hand.
-
In spite of the agitated tone of the folks on the roof, nothing really seemed to be amiss for the others watching the lot from O'Connor's rental. Sammy had moved over here to conduct her astral searches when the others had left, and Torley and O'Connor had seen nothing more than a dancer leaving by the side door, a bouncer watching her as she went to her trike and left before closing the door again.
-
Snow sends her persona on a tour of the system, looking for the means to send meat security to the roof.
[spoiler]Spend Spoof command to send security to the roof. Spoof (http://orokos.com/roll/283713): 8d6t5 2 I cannot tell from the sheet if this is an opposed roll this might be good enough to get things moving. Next up is crashing the system. System Crash (http://orokos.com/roll/283715): 8d6t5 4 Second pass Crash System second pass (http://orokos.com/roll/283717): 7d6t5 2 edge to reroll misses from second pass Edge to roll misses from second pass (http://orokos.com/roll/283718): 5d6t5 2 third pass Third pass (http://orokos.com/roll/283719): 6d6t5 2 That is 10 hits in three passes with another edge gone. Is that enough to do the job?[/spoiler]
That being done, Snow reviews the data her ice minions had gathered and concludes that there may be a hidden node in the building. <Message sent for security and the system should be collapsing on itself. But this drek is just too fragging old to be what we are looking for. I am going to risk looking for a hidden node and see what comes up.> The snow Queen sends out her minions again to see if there is someone else in the building that she can bribe with her gifts.
[spoiler] Search for node Search fir hidden node (http://orokos.com/roll/283807): 7d6t5 1 Well, that did not go well. A glitch on the first roll is not good, and probably means extra time needed or extra security to bypass. I will keep going Edge to reroll first pass (http://orokos.com/roll/283808): 6d6t5 2 Second pass Second pass at node (http://orokos.com/roll/283809): 6d6t5 3 third pass Third pass at node (http://orokos.com/roll/283810): 5d6t5 0 Edge to reroll misses (http://orokos.com/roll/283811): 5d6t5 2 Fourth pass at node (http://orokos.com/roll/283812): 4d6t5 3 Fifth pass at node (http://orokos.com/roll/283813): 3d6t5 0 A critical glitch on that pass means there is no way I can accomplish this task right now.[/spoiler]
The minions return with the bad news that they have completely failed and need to be punished for being inept. Their queen dismisses them in resignation that she has also failed. <Team. I have failed to locate the node and am out of options. I could try again, but I have no edge remaining. Instructions?>
-
<Sounds like its time for plan b then. Can you bust open the hatch? Clem and I can make a two prong attack. Then we tear this place apart, top to bottom.>
-
Jimmy Jammer had always enjoyed this job, where else would a nerd from streets get to be around half naked women all day and get paid for it? Plus, these chicas knew that he had a little sway in who got featured on Matrix peepshows, that meant extra scratch , so sometimes they even broke him off a piece. All things considered not a bad gig for a guy that barely squeaked thru his classes at the community college.
It was the end of the night, and the girls were winding down and in the process of leaving, the clean-up would be here in a bit, and he was going over everything for the boss when he came in at 0800. When the firewall monitor ping’d him he figured it was some teen trying to slip in on the cheap, but he sent the sniffers to work anyway. Then whoever it was went for security access, he figured he might get to really earn his keep and went hot trying to get a handle on the intrusion. He was kinda hoping that they go for the honeypot, he had been wanting to see what that scary looking Renraku shadow code could do, but the logs said they were just doing simple data searches.
That was when things got really weird, the intruder tried to manufacture an alarm code for the hatch on the roof, but Jimmy told the little ice fairy to piss up a rope, but then the sniffer report came back and said the hacker was really up there meatside. What the frag is going on? Time to get personal , the spider spoke up to the gorillas on guard duty “We got a problem, lock it down and do a sweep, I think there is somebody on the roof.”, he loaded up on combat progs and went hunting. The gorillas did the same.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are in rounds, for everybody. No surprise at work. For those not actually in any fight, which right now is everyone but Snow, I just need a general idea of what you are doing and when you would have actions. Snow is in combat in the Matrix and we are in that weird slow down time, I will give you a better idea of what is going on once we get all the rolls.
-
Just as Snow finishes her back and for with her team, in the Matrix a stock copy Square-Jawed Hero persona arrives in her vicinity, cape fluttering, "Not really sure what you are doing here, but I think it's time for you to go.", he says, firing attack code at Snow.
Spider attack (http://orokos.com/roll/288045): 9d6h5 4
(roll shows 6 but I mistyped the code, its 4)
-
The Snow Queen taunts the caped persona. "As Queen of this realm, I decide when it is time to go. No anti-hero in last year's tights is going to order me away." The Queen throws up a barrier of ice spears to thwart the attack.
[spoiler] Response (4) + Firewall (4) + Hacking (4) = 12d6. Full matrix defense against the IC (http://orokos.com/roll/288067): 12d6t5 3 Sadly, I only got three hits so will use an edge to reroll. Use edge to reroll defense (http://orokos.com/roll/288194): 9d6t5 4 Much better. I may just try to do it without the full defense next time. Total is 7 hits on defense.[/spoiler]
-
The code splashes across the shield. "Lady, you are taking this WAAY too seriously, guess I get to have some fun!" The Square-Jawed Hero reaches up, an obsidian sledgehammer (nothing like standard iconography when it comes to subtle ;) ) appearing in his hand as he smashes it down, trying to hit the queen through the shield.
Spider attack (http://orokos.com/roll/288810): 8d6t5 2
-
The Snow Queen laughs at the puny attempt to hold her. She forms a gale of wind and snow to blow the hammer sideways.
[spoiler]Snow uses a regular defense = 8d6. Defense against hammer. (http://orokos.com/roll/288845): 8d6t5 5[/spoiler]
The wind blows the hammer out of the hand of the hero leaving him without a weapon for the time being. The queen realizes that she does not have much in the way of offensive skill and uses her opportunity to try to log off of the system.
-
Snow is able to return to 'real world' without incident, though it will take her a microsecond to get used to meat again.
OOC: Everyone give me initiative rolls.
-
Snow breathes a sigh of relief that she escaped without significant harm. She realizes that she needs a bit more skill in matrix combat, and hacking in general.
[spoiler]Init is Initiave (http://orokos.com/roll/289395): 9d6t5+9 10 Not only did I roll poorly, I got a glitch. Ouch.[/spoiler]
-
Now that Snow had gotten their attention and Clem was hacking at their equipment, Sammy knew that there would be problems very soon. So she quickly cast a spell to give her a bit more speed. Something quite useful when in action movies actually. And her sustaining focus made that she didn't have to concentrate to keep it up. Unfortunately she got a slight headache from the casting, but she knew that it would pass.
She drew her pistol and staying behind the rental, she looked at the club, waiting for trouble to begin.
-
(Init 12)
Everyone is so ready to work it is almost a relief when the side door opens. But instead of the wide bright opening to send one the ladies to her car, it is slightly cracked, and dark beyond as no one appears, but the door stays ajar.
(perception rolls all, audio and visual, post them OOC, Necro is up, then Clem if you are doing something other than holding)
-
He informed both those with him and those on the roof, <[Recipients: Team | Source: Comm (audio only)]: "Hey I got something; side door's open, no other movement...yet. Clem, we moving in?">
-
Standing at the ready by the hatch, something had caught Clem's attention. She messaged the rest of her team and said to them <Movement coming from the side and front, stay alert! You guys take the side, I'll look at the front.>
She then motioned Snow to cover the hatch while she cautiously moved to the ledge of the roof, trying to get a visual on the front entrance, her grenade still in her hands.
[spoiler]Let me know if you want me to roll anything and I'll edit the message and put it here instead.[/spoiler]
-
Snow nods in response. Coming out of VR has been especially difficult this time and her body is still getting used to the meat world. "Got to say that my withdrawal from the matrix has me disoriented a bit more than normal. I will do my best, but I may need a few seconds to be fully effective here."
-
Clem edges her way over to the front to get a look, she sees someone using a car for cover take a shot as she moved into line-of-sight.
Security goon shooting Clem (http://orokos.com/roll/294010): 2#9d6t5 1 4
Everyone can then take actions in initiative order
-
Clem, surprised by her attacker, wasn't fast enough to get out of the way, getting hit twice in the chest from shots fired towards her.
[spoiler] Reaction 7 (http://orokos.com/roll/294616): 7d6t5 0 no glitches. Reaction 7 - Second Attack 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/294618): 6d6t5 3 no glitches. So she gets tagged twice, with one net hit each time.
Resistance tests: Damage Resistance - Armour 13 + Body 5 + Toughness 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/294620): 2#19d6t5 7 6 no glitches.
So that's one net hit for both attacks, and 7 and 6 for the damage resistance tests.[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor smiled when he heard two shots ring out, "Both of you follow me, and stay about a grenade blast worth behind." He started running towards the club, "I'll engage first, then Sammy will fireball anything still standing. Torley, we don't have anyone else, so you're on mage-shield duty. Now hussle!!!"
[spoiler=Running Test]
Str 3 + Running 2 = Pool 5
Running (http://orokos.com/roll/294856): 5d6t5 2
[/spoiler]
-
The ork felt a numbness in her chest from the shots, but didn't let it show as she tossed her grenade towards the direction she had been fired from. Clem then immediately ducked behind cover and She also let the other team know to "Move in, we're blown!"
[spoiler] Throwing the grenade: Throwing Weapons - Agility 7 - Defaulting 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/294865): 6d6t5 2 no glitches.
Also, depending on where you want to take the dice off for armour penetration (at the end of the dice pool or at the end of the armour section of the dice pool), Clem would have gotten 1S damage from the second shot that hit her. So I'll just mark her as 1S for now.[/spoiler]
-
"One came out of the side door," Sammy said to the group with her, as she quickly cast a stunbolt at the guy, using the centering techniques she had learned recently. Then she followed a bit behind O'Connor, vision back into the meat world.
[spoiler]
Force 5 stunbolt
Sammy:11D6E5 → 2( 3; 3; 4; 4; 4; 3; 6; 4; 3; 5; 4;=> 2 successes against 5 )#spellcasting (https://rolz.org/info?X1733528)
damage DV: 5S + net hits
drain: 1
Sammy:9D6E5 → 2( 3; 3; 4; 1; 5; 1; 3; 6; 3;=> 2 successes against 5 )#drain (https://rolz.org/info?X1733530)
no damage
[/spoiler]
-
At the sound of the gunshots, Sam felt his blood run cold, though he tried not to show it. It took him a moment to process Con's instructions; by the time he had, he had to jog slightly to catch up to Sammy.
-
Snow hears the shots and sees Clem jerk sideways from the hit. She draws her pistol and moves closer to her companion while keeping a watch on the hatch. "Clem, are you OK? Do you need medical assistance?" She is still shaking off the effects of coming back from the matrix world.
-
As O’Connor races into the parking lot after the shooter, a goon that must have scuttled out from the side door pops up and has just enough time to shout “They’ve got back-up!” before Sammy’s spell slams into him.
Goon resisting stunbolt (http://orokos.com/roll/295647): 3d6t5 0
He takes the spell’s full effects and staggers but stays standing.
From the side door, two pistols emerge for the darkness, spitting lead at the adept.
Goons shooting at O'Connor (http://orokos.com/roll/295648): 4#7d6t5 2 1 2 4 1 (Forgot to adjust the pools for range, only impacted the first shot)
____________________________________
(Note: Redid the map, added a car to the front no one could see from the street where the guy who shot at Clem is hiding, and moved people their full distance for the round based on descriptions given. Snow and Torley still have actions, O'Connor has a defense roll and then top of the order.)
-
Snow moves to the hatch while keeping an eye on her companion as well. She finally feels that she is able to act normally.
-
When the doors opened O'Connor acted more through instinct than conscious decision. He stopped and jerked his head back. He felt the tiny shockwave of the bullet as it passed within a few millimeters of his face. He turned to face the door and feinted left and juked right to dodge two more shots. He could tell the fourth shot would hit him in the upper sternum. but instead of moving to the side he bent over backwards. He straightened his spine, and reveal himself to be unscathed from the assault. He smiled towards the doorway.
[spoiler=Dodge Rolls (Full Defense)]
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 = Pool 19
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/295777): 19d6t5 5 vs. 1
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 1= Pool 18
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/295778): 18d6t5 5 vs. 2
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 2= Pool 17
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/295779): 17d6t5 7 vs. 4
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 3= Pool 16
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/295780): 16d6t5 6 vs. 1
[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]Going to throw a composure roll out & let the GM decide how well Sam's holding up. He has to deal with a +1 threshold modifier for this.
Composure (http://orokos.com/roll/296198): 8d6t5 3
[/spoiler]
Sam was not having a good night. As he and Sammy followed Con, he could feel his breath shortening, the panic starting to settle in. I am not getting paid enough for this sort of drek, he thought to himself. Suddenly, more gunshots rang out and Con started twisting wildly; Sam had to force himself to keep moving with Sammy. He shifted his stick to his left hand and reached into his jacket to pull out the Roomsweeper. To his disappointment, the weight of the heavier gun was not comforting.
-
Clem drew her Cobra and put her right hand in front of her eyes, motioning for Snow to shield her eyes. She also said to her partner, in a low voice, to "do some Matrix drek to give me an advantage."
[spoiler]So Clem will ready her firearm, motion to Snow and talk to her, and stay crouched behind the roof's ledge for the time being, waiting for her flash bang to go off.[/spoiler]
-
Snow shakes her head as she covers her eyes. "There is little that I can do in the matrix that will help at this point. I think I am better able to support you with my weapon and medic skills for now."
-
Sammy had moved closer to the chain-link fence. This gave her some protection, but it still allowed her to see the guy that was shooting at O'Connor. Another reason to move away a bit from the charging street sammie. Bullets that missed their intended target were indiscriminate about who else they targeted. And it looked like the guy shooting was a member of the 'if you pump enough lead into an area you will always hit something' school of shooters.
'Let's see about that', she thought as she let go another stunbolt.
[spoiler]
spellcasting, force 5 stunbolt
Sammy:11D6E5 → 3( 5; 4; 2; 1; 1; 2; 2; 2; 5; 3; 5;=> 3 successes against 5 )#spellcasting (https://rolz.org/info?X1822463)
DV: 5S + net hits. He can roll willpower against me.
drain 1:
Sammy:9D6E5 → 5( 1; 5; 2; 5; 6; 3; 6; 4; 5;=> 5 successes against 5 )#drain (https://rolz.org/info?X1822464)
no damage
[/spoiler]
-
Snow moves to where she can be close enough to the building edge to pop up and give support to Clem in the next combat. Since she is not looking over the edge right now, she can also keep an eye on the hatch.
-
The gunfire from the doorway continued on O’Connor, in spite of his Matrix inspired moves (talking about the old flatscan, not the state of existence).
Goons shooting at O'Connor again (http://orokos.com/roll/297548): 4#7d6t5 4 2 4 2
Then the flash-bang in front went off to some effect judging from the surprised cries than Clem and Snow heard from the roof.
The victim of the magical attack managed to retaliate, crying “Frag the mage!” unsteadily…
Goon shooting at Sammy (http://orokos.com/roll/297550): 2#97d6t5 4 2
…while simultaneously eating a second Stunbolt.
Goon resisting stunbolt again (http://orokos.com/roll/297551): 3d6t5 1
For a second, he looks like he will still keep standing before he slumps over the hood of the car, then falls out of sight, the Predator an odd hood ornament to old Comet.
-
He always found clarity in moments like this. when all that mattered was the next split second. The world shrank down to just him and the incoming bullets. Now that he had a bead on his opponents, O'Connor's movements were far more fluid. Instead of sudden jerky dodges, he ducked and weaved using no more motion than necessary to move out of the way. The rounds had pass him by once again. The world expanded back out, *This is good exercise, but near time to go on the offense. That last round was a bit close.*
[spoiler=Dodge Rolls (Full Defense)]
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 = Pool 19
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/297609): 19d6t5 7 vs. 4
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 1= Pool 18
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/297610): 18d6t5 5 vs. 2
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 2= Pool 17
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/297612): 17d6t5 7 vs. 4
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 3= Pool 16
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/297611): 16d6t5 2] vs. 2
[/spoiler]
-
Snow steps to the edge of the roof a few feet from Clem, lines up at one of the attackers and fires.
Shoot (http://orokos.com/roll/297715): 9d6t5 5 And the second shot. Second Shot (http://orokos.com/roll/297725): 9d6t5 6
-
Her grenade going off was Clem's cue to go on the offensive. The ork poked her head out long enough to fire her SMG, aiming for whomever had shot at her only a moment ago. The stock from the firearm pressing on her shoulder reminded Clem about her days with her old family, the muzzle flash temporarily illuminating the elaborate makeup on her face.
[spoiler]Clem is firing short wide bursts at her attacker. First shot 〜 Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Burst Fire 2 + Gas Vent 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/297738): 11d6t5 6 No glitches
Second Shot 〜 Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Burst Fire 2 - Second Burst Fire 3 + Folding Stock 1 + Gas Vent 2 + Personalized Grip 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/297740): 10d6t5 4 No glitches
So that's 6 hits for the first shot, and 4 hits for the second shot, both of them have a -2 defence dice pool modifier due to the wide burst and both are at 5P since Clem is using regular ammo in her SMG.[/spoiler]
-
Sammy had just done her spell when she felt the impact of the two bullets, despite the cover she was in. While her armour and the fact that she was a tough ork helped, she still felt the two shots and she grunted with the impact. Looking down she saw a red spot on her leg. But for now she had to set this aside and continue. As long as you could feel the pain, it was a sign you were alive. And she had dropped the guy in such a way that they could still ask him questions afterwards.
[spoiler]
shot 1:
Sammy:3D6E5 → 0( (4, 4, 4→ 0 successes against 5) )#dodge shot 1 (https://rolz.org/info?X1862652)
so that's 9P, AP-1
armour shot 1:
Sammy:13D6E5 → 3( (4, 2, 2, 5, 4, 6, 6, 4, 1, 1, 4, 2, 1→ 3 successes against 5) )#armour shot 1 (https://rolz.org/info?X1862677)
reroll misses using edge:
Sammy:10D6E5 → 4( (4, 4, 5, 1, 6, 1, 6, 3, 6, 4→ 4 successes against 5) )#use edge to reroll misses (https://rolz.org/info?X1862690)
so 2P damage
shot 2:
Sammy:1D6E5 → 0( (4→ 0 successes against 5) )#dodge shot 2 (https://rolz.org/info?X1862656)
again, 9P, AP-1
armour shot 2:
Sammy:13D6E5 → 1( (1, 3, 6, 1, 3, 1, 3, 3, 4, 1, 1, 2, 1→ 1 success against 5) )#armour shot 2 (https://rolz.org/info?X1862682)
reroll misses using edge:
Sammy:12D6E5 → 6( (4, 2, 3, 5, 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 3, 6, 2→ 6 successes against 5) )#use edge to reroll misses (https://rolz.org/info?X1862699)
again 2P
so 4P damage in total.
composure roll to keep going:
Sammy:8D6E5 → 3( (6, 3, 6, 4, 1, 3, 1, 5→ 3 successes against 5) )#composure (https://rolz.org/info?X1862845)
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor raised his rifle and rushed towards the door, "My turn." He fired two bursts, one at either shooter.
[spoiler=Attack]
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Smartlink 2 - Running 2 = Pool 9 / Recoil: 2 RC: 6
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/297898): 119d6t5 1 1
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Smartlink 2 - Second Opponent 2 -Running 2 = Pool 7 / Recoil 5 RC: 6
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/297899): 97d6t5 3 3
Colt M23 6P + Explosive Rounds 1P + Narrow Burst 2P = Damage 9P + net hits / AP -1
[/spoiler]
-
The poor bastard in front is a little stunned by the grenade and is then RIDDLED by weapons fire from the roof.
Goon in front defending and resisting damage (http://orokos.com/roll/298807): 2d6t5 0
Goon in front defending and resisting damage (http://orokos.com/roll/298811): 8d6t5 3
Goon in front defending and resisting damage (http://orokos.com/roll/298813): 4#6d6t5 4 3 2 3
4#17d6t5 3 6 4 8
His body continues to twitch lifelessly long after the bullets stopping him. Those on the roof can hear the front door being slammed closed.
Goons shooting at O'Connor getting shot at, using the door for cover (http://orokos.com/roll/298818): 2#8d6t5 3 1
Goon resisting damage (http://orokos.com/roll/298819): 19d6t5 9
The goons at the side are effectively using the doorway for cover and a minimally affected by O'Connors gunfire.
(End of Round 1. New Initiative rolls in OOC thread)
-
O'Connor sneered as most of his rounds impacted the doors harmlessly. He couldn't let the goons continue using them for cover. He moved on the doorway as he switched his weapon to full auto and let loose a torrent of suppressive fire.
[spoiler=Suppressive Fire]
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 = Pool 9
Suppressive Fire (http://orokos.com/roll/299318): 9d6t5 3
[/spoiler]
-
Clem sent a message to the rest of the team, saying that <The front door is closed.> She then asked Snow to "Stay here and keep an eye on the front door and that hatch" while she made her way towards the side door, keeping on the roof and moving in a way as to not expose herself to shooters.
[spoiler]This should eat Clem's first pass[/spoiler]
-
Sammy went to the guy she had dropped with her stunbolts, staying behind the car so she had cover from the people inside. She quickly checked him out and then turned her attention back to the door.
-
Snow replies that she will provide over watch as directed, and splits her attention between the front door and the hatch on the roof. She calls out on the team frequency, <Should I try to shoot the lock on the hatch and make my way inside?>
-
Snow moves to the hatch and tries to see if there is an obvious point she can shoot at that will unsecure it. The haze in the air prevents her from anything more than a cursory look.
-
Snow can easily see four spots in the thin painted metal, 2 each on opposing sides, where rivets were attached and painted over. Stands to reason they are attachment points for hinges or latches on the cover.
--------
The suppressive fire works to lets O'Connor reach the door without response, the damaged hinges keeping it from swinging closed. As he reaches it, he sees Clementine on the roof above and his ears tell him Sammy and Torley are behind him to his left between the cars. Though it is still dark inside, he can see the remains a makeup table against the far wall of a small room.
(OOC: You have all reached the end of your movement for the round, though Clementine can be on the ground with the aforementioned roll, If Snow is doing anything with the hatch we can handle that, but otherwise we will be starting a new round.)
-
Snow fires two shots at what she suspects is a hinge for the hatch.
[spoiler]url=http://orokos.com/roll/300509]Shoot at Hatch[/url]: 9d6t5 2 and second shot Second shot at hatch hinge (http://orokos.com/roll/300510): 7d6t5 3
-
The bullets rip through the thin metal, one of her partners on the ground might be able to rip or bend it far enough to get by, but Snow will have to blow the latches off as well.
-
[spoiler]Since the OOC thread seems to indicate that the GM isn't expecting Sam to do anything this CP, I figure I ought to post something... :)[/spoiler]
Sam was crouching down behind the car with Sammy, trying to keep his breathing under control. He was not getting paid enough for nights like this one. He tried not to cringe when he heard more shots ringing out; those sounded like they were coming from the roof. If they've got a sniper up there, we're doomed... was all he could think. Con's been shot, we're pinned down here, and Clem and Snow are trapped inside. We're doomed.
[spoiler]Yes, I know Sam's totally misinterpreting Clem's comment about the front door being closed. But he's not really thinking straight at the moment.[/spoiler]
-
Snow places a call over the team link. <Team. I am working on getting the hatch open. A couple more shots ought to do it. Would you want me to go inside to support your efforts at the side door?>
-
O'Connor updated Clem on the situation after she landed on the ground, "Sammy knocked one out by the car. I got two retreating back into the building. They ain't runner material, but they ain't your run of the mill rent-a-pigs either." He called back to the other two, "You two alright?"
-
Clem acknowledged O'Connor's information by nodding and throwing her grenade inside through the doorway. With her free hand, she reached for her metal restraints and threw them in the general direction where the unconscious foe lay, saying to her partners "Fire in the hole! Torley, secure that body"
[spoiler]Throwing Weapons - Agility 7 - Defaulting 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/301576): 6d6t5 2 no glitches[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor asked while waiting for the grenade to go off, "The hell happened? I knew we shoulda just rushed 'em. Now they'll be posted up, ready and waiting."
-
The heavies wait for the grenade to pop, then swing around the doorway...into an empty dressing room. a stage curtain separating it from the larger room beyond which seems better lit if the view around the curtain resettling is any indication. A door to what looks like a storage room is on the other wall.
Snow adjusts her position to fire shots on the other side of the cover.
-
Snow moves to point blank range and takes her shots at the second hinge.
[spoiler]Fire at second hinge (http://orokos.com/roll/302416): 11d6t5+11d6t5 9 So 3 hits from the first shot then 6 hits from the second shot. [/spoiler]
If it is loose enough she will use her second IP to try to move the hatch off its base.
-
Listening to the comm chatter, Sam could feel himself relaxing slightly. Things might not be as bad as they'd appeared, though he still wasn't happy about them. When Clem addressed him directly, he blinked stupidly, then, giving his head a quick shake, scrambled over to where the restraints had landed, scooped them up, and started trussing up the unconscious goon.
-
Time to get some extra assistance, Sammy thought as she started with the movements she had learned to use for a spirit summoning. She settled on an air spirit as she thought it would be the best and also the least noticeable. When she was done, a spirit appeared in front of her, manifesting so she could see it. It looked like a little tornado, swirling around all the time.
"Guard the front doors," Sammy ordered, "and if someone other than me or my companions..."
Here she indicated the rest of the group.
"... comes out that way, warn me over our link and then try to use your fear power to get them back inside. If that doesn't work, engulf them until they go unconscious."
The spirit acknowledged the order and moved of to guard the front doors.
"I have put a spirit on guard at the front door," Sammy said over the comms to the rest of the group.
[spoiler]
summon force 5 air spirit with optional fear power
Sammy:8D6E5 → 2( (5, 4, 1, 4, 3, 1, 1, 6→ 2 successes against 5) )#magic 5 + summoning 3 (https://rolz.org/info?X2311215)
spirit resistance
Sammy:5D6E5 → 1( (3, 3, 3, 6, 3→ 1 success against 5) )#resistance spirit (https://rolz.org/info?X2311257)
drain DV 2
Sammy:9D6E5 → 2( (1, 2, 1, 3, 5, 2, 3, 4, 5→ 2 successes against 5) )#drain (https://rolz.org/info?X2311260)
no drain, 1 service
[/spoiler]
-
"Cover that curtain" whispered Clem to O'Connor as she made her way to the door and crouched on the side of it, slowly opening it and having a quick and careful look inside the room. She immediately pulled her head back, trying to evaluate what she had seen from the relative safety of the wall.
[spoiler]Perception 〜 Intuition 4 + Perception 3 + Perceptive 1 + Reception Enhancer 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/303337): 13d6t5 3 no glitches. I also forgot to add the actively looking, so if these hits aren't enough, let me know and I'll roll them.[/spoiler]
-
As snow wrestles with the hatch she sends a message to the team. >>Team. Snow. Struggling with this fragging hatch but might actually get it off. Should I go inside?<<
-
O'Connor nodded as way of acknowledgement, and took a knee as he leveled his rifle at the curtain.
((OOC: Withholding actions))
-
The storage room is exactly that, boxes of different items and backdrops for the ladies' shows, along with liquor and TP and whatnot. On the roof, Snow sees ladder rungs bolted to the outside wall as she bends the ruined hatch out of her way.
-
Clem signals to O'Connor that she will move into the storage room. She whispers to him to "take position next to the curtain and wait for my signal." While making her way across the storage room, gun at the ready, she reads Snow's message and fires a quick reply. <Wait for my mark.>
-
O'Connor moved into position, but was starting to get ancy, *Come on already. The more we wait, the more time they have to get ready.* He tried to concentrate on anything he could hear on the other side of the curtain.
[spoiler=IP3 Perception Roll]
Intuition 3 + Perception 3 = Pool 6
Perception (http://orokos.com/roll/304121): 6d6t5 2
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=IP4 Perception Roll]
Intuition 3 + Perception 3 = Pool 6
Perception (http://orokos.com/roll/304122): 6d6t5 1
[/spoiler]
-
Now she had covered the front door and would get warning if someone was to go out that way, she could move in to support the rest of the group.
"I'm coming in after you," she said over the comms before moving into the first room. She had learned that you had to announce yourself if you went in behind your teammates as otherwise they might take you for a hostile and open fire. From what she had seen from O'Connor, it was not a bad idea.
-
Clem reaches the far door and after checking for noises in the room best she can, opens it carefully.
The room beyond is a fun house mirror reflection of the dressing room she left the team in, except for no outside door and the furniture is intact. It is just as dark though, the only light filtering through the curtain. This is no problem for Clem, her orkish vision already accommodating the darkness as she steps into the room, clearing the corners. In the one to her right, she sees three underdressed and over-endowed women huddling in the corner, one of whom, also an ork, starts screaming as the weapon swings her way.
-
"What the hell," Sammy said, more to herself than to the team, when she heard the screams. She ran that way, sure that Clem had cleared out any real hostiles. She knew that if things had gone slightly different, it could have been her in there.
"Don't worry," she said to the girls, "we're not going to hurt you if you just stay here."
She quickly sent a text to Torley asking him to come here as well, as he was probably better at this. And maybe those girls knew something. They were often treated as furniture, but the ones treating them like furniture forgot they had eyes and ears.
-
The screams startle Snow in position at the now open hatch. From here she cannot tell who is screaming. >>Team. Who is hurt? Does anyone need my medical skills and should I come down the hatch?<<
-
The screaming didn't really surprise Clem, but it was something she had wanted to avoid. However, she did have the wits to quickly jump over a stool and a coffee table to quickly get to the side of the door, ready to get the drop on anyone wanting to investigate the screams.
When Sammy got inside the room, Clem simply asked her to "Shut them up by any means", keeping her eyes and her firearm pointed at the doorway.
-
When he got Sammy's text, Sam looked at the trussed-up body next to him. "Sorry, chummer, but I'm going to have to leave you here by yourself for a bit. Don't go anywhere, ok?" Receiving nothing but a gentle snore in reply, Sam hurried into the club, trying to keep low, just in case.
-
O'Connor tensed slightly when the screaming started, half expecting someone to come bursting through the curtain. He wasn't happy just sitting here, he did know how much longer he was going to wait.
-
When Torley got into the room and started talking to the screaming women, Clem told O'Connor to <Move forward, I'll come out shortly after you.> The ork then waited a bit to wear off the opposition's expectation of having someone come out from the room where people were screaming. She was trying to take them off guard by having O'Connor come at them from another position, and once they would be adjusting from that she would pull the curtain and assist the street samurai in his offensive.
Meanwhile, she sent a message to Snow, telling her <Everyone's fine, stand down for now and wait for my mark.>
-
Sam nodded to Con as he passed him, then moved to where Sammy and the three women were and knelt down. Focusing on his voice, he told the woman, "Stop screaming and listen."
[spoiler]Commanding voice: Sam's Leadership + Charisma vs. the orc's Willpower + Leadership. 15d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824114/)
I'm going to assume that's enough; if not, I'll have to come back and edit this. :)
[/spoiler]
As the woman's scream swiftly cut off, Sam spoke quickly and quietly, before she regained control. "Everything's going to be ok. We're following up on a lead of some illegal activity here--" He gave the women a reassuring smile. "Nothing to do with you ladies, don't worry. But your employer seems to be involved in some pretty ugly drek. Please, come with me into the other dressing room, stay calm and quiet, so my associates can do their jobs. I've just got a few questions for you."
[spoiler]So, Sam's trying to project a law-enforcement vibe. Con roll: 13d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824115/) Hrm, not as good as I'd hoped. Using Edge to re-roll misses: 10d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824116/), total of 7. Much better.
Assuming the women buy it, Sam will lead them into the first dressing room--which should be further from combat--and try to interrogate them quietly while the rest of the group continues sweeping the building.
[/spoiler]
-
The stripper does stop screaming and listens to Torley, but when he want them to go with him, things take a turn for the worst.
"Frag off breeder, you ain't no cop!!" The ork woman says as she lashes out at him with a knife.
One of the other girls goes to grab his gun hand with the roomsweeper.
[spoiler]WHEN STRIPPERS ATTACK! :) (6d6.hits(5)=2, 4d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824168/)[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]WHEN STRIPPERS ATTACK! :) (6d6.hits(5)=2, 4d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824168/)[/spoiler]
[spoiler]Sam tries to dodge: 5d6.hits(5)=1, 4d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824176/)
So the knife hits (one net hit), but the grab misses.
Damage resistance: 4 impact armor + 3 body => 7d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824177/)
[/spoiler]
Sam wasn't fast enough to get out of the way of the knife, but his instinctive movement pulled his gun hand away from the second woman's grab.
-
Damage resistance: 4 impact armor + 3 body => 7d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824177/)
Sam wasn't fast enough to get out of the way of the knife, but his instinctive movement pulled his gun hand away from the second woman's grab.
Fortunately, the tough material of his armor is enough to protect him from harm.
-
Three large stages and tiered auditorium seating. The stages are T-shaped platforms, six meters long and six meters wide, with poles every three meters. The auditorium seating is not very private, though the lights all focus on the stage. Beside each seat is a small, round table for drinks. On either side is a four-meter-long bar where trid projectors display miniature versions of the stages so no one misses the action.
Through the open door you can see stairs going up to the second floor. The x's on the map are all similar looking security goons taking good advantage of the plentiful cover, except for the guy behind the upper bar. He is also armed, but not as buff as the others.
O'Connor didn't need to be told twice to attack. The moment he got the go ahead, he rushed through the curtain. He quickly assessed the room, "What's up guys?! Don't mind us, we're just here to kill you all!" He fired two tightly controlled bursts at the exposed goon at the bar before moving towards decent cover. He yelled into his commlink to keep Clem apprised, "Got six goons, with solid cover."
[spoiler]
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Smartlink 2 = Pool 11 [Recoil 2, 5 | RC 6]
11d6.hits(5)=5, 11d6.hits(5)=2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824207/)
Damage: Colt M23 6P + Explosive Rounds 1P + Narrow Burst 2p = 9P + net
AP: -1
[/spoiler]
-
Waiting to hear from O'Connor's firearms, Clem poked out of the curtain and assessed the situation quickly. She then spotted the closest person she could find and fired two bursts in his direction.
[spoiler]Short wide bursts First shot 〜 Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Burst Fire 2 + Gas Vent 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/305407): 11d6t5 1 Second Shot 〜 Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Burst Fire 2 - Second Burst Fire 3 + Folding Stock 1 + Gas Vent 2 + Personalized Grip 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/305409): 10d6t5 1 no glitches, but those are pretty bad rolls :([/spoiler]
-
Snow hears the shots from inside, but remains where she is and waits for Clem to give the word to enter the building. No one on the net is yelling for a medic yet.
-
One of O'Conner's shots struck home as he snapped off shots en route to putting the stage between himself and the return fire coming from all over the room.
[spoiler]defense rolls for the guy O'Conner shot at. (10d6.hits(5)=4, 9d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824672/)
Body roll for the guy O'Conner shot. (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824676/)
missed 3 for the body roll (3d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824692/)
Wounded Goon shooting O'Conner (5d6.hits(5)=2, 5d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824698/)
Other Goons shooting O'Conner (6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=0, 6d6.hits(5)=0, 6d6.hits(5)=1, 6d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824699/)[/spoiler]
The two others shoot at Clem
[spoiler]Goons shooting Clem (6d6.hits(5)=1, 6d6.hits(5)=1, 5d6.hits(5)=3, 5d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824702/)[/spoiler]
Among the sounds coming his way, O'Connor hears a noise he immediately recognizes. The sound of a Predator IV misfeeding and the slide attempting to shear the round off in the chamber. Pure money to a guy who fixes guns.
His pleasure is short lived however as he also hears another collection of noises, "Lenny, Squiggy, SIC 'EM!!!", followed by strange whines as two black streaks come at O'Connor, going for hand and throat.
[spoiler]When Critters charge (10d6.hits(5)=4, 10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824708/) [/spoiler]
-
As the goons lined up their shots, O'Connor crouched down to make them aim low. The moment they adjusted their aim, O'Connor sprung into the air, jumping over the barrage of lead. He did a front flip to show off. As the critters lunged at him, he juked to one side and then the other to dodge the things' charges. With the critters in the mix, taking cover behind the stage would be impossible so he adjusted his course for the bar nearest him. There was a lot of ground to cover, but it was a better plan than fighting the creatures while exposed to mass gunfire.
[spoiler=Full Dodge]
Wounded Goon
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2+ Ranged 2 = Pool 19
Dodge (19d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824718/) (vs 2: critical success)
Other Goons
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2+ Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 1 = Pool 18
Dodge (18d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824719/) (vs 2: critical success)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2+ Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 2 = Pool 17
Dodge (17d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824722/) (vs 2: critical success)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2+ Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 3 = Pool 16
Dodge (16d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824723/) (vs 1: critical success)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2+ Ranged 2 - Previous Attack 4= Pool 15
Dodge (15d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824724/) (vs 3: success)
Attack Critters
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 5 = Pool 19
Dodge (19d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824726/) (vs 4: success)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 6 = Pool 18
Dodge (18d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4824727/) (vs 3: critical success)
((OOC: Dodge Tank successful, I love it when a build comes together. ;D ))
[/spoiler]
-
The screams both bothered and prevented Clem from concentrating. She distractedly got out of her cover position in order to fire on the nearest assailant she could find, missing wide. Instead of tagging him, she had to dive down in order to avoid a hail of shots coming her way. As she crouched, she felt something his her, the familiar sting of a well-placed shot reminding her to keep her head in the game and to ignore distractions.
[spoiler]First attack: Reaction 7 (http://orokos.com/roll/305811): 7d6t5 3 no glitches
Second attack: Reaction 7 - Second Attack 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/305812): 6d6t5 2 no glitches
Third attack: Reaction 7 - Third Attack 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/305813): 5d6t5 0 no glitches
Fourth attack: Reaction 7 - Fourth Attack 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/305814): 4d6t5 3 no glitches
So if I'm reading this right, only the third shot catches her with 3 net hits.
Damage Resistance - Armour 13 + Body 5 + Toughness 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/305815): 19d6t5 3 close but no glitches
Dang, I'm hitting a patch of rotten rolls. I don't know what the total damage is, so I won't take any chances and use edge to reroll misses. Edge Reroll (http://orokos.com/roll/305816): 16d6t5 6 no glitches.
So that's a big 9 for damage resistance.[/spoiler]
-
Snow hears the volleys of shots and sends a message. >>Clem. Snow. I am hearing the activity below. Do you need me to come down the hatch?<<
-
The stripper does stop screaming and listens to Torley, but when he want them to go with him, things take a turn for the worst.
"Frag off breeder, you ain't no cop!!" The ork woman says as she lashes out at him with a knife.
One of the other girls goes to grab his gun hand with the roomsweeper.
Still moving from his dodge, Sam swung his walking stick at the ork's knife hand.
[spoiler]Called shot to disarm; -4 DP, so I'm going to have to use edge and hope. ::)
Clubs (2) + Agility (5) + Personalized Grip (1) - Called Shot (4) + Edge (4) => 8d6.hitsopen(5,6)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4826181/)
If that hits and the modified DV is greater than the ork's strength (I know, real long shot), then she's disarmed. The staff does 3P damage, base.
[/spoiler]
-
Fear gives the Face unintentional power, that and the incredibly unlucky movement of the other girl. It converges in a perfect storm as the woman's arm is caught between Torley's downward swinging club and his upward swinging pistol.
There is a sickening wet crack as the ork's forearm is broken and the jagged end of both the radial and the ulna rip through the flesh, spraying those nearby with blood. The woman screams in pain as the others cower back crying and the knife goes flipping into the dark
[spoiler]6d6.hits(5)=0 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4826208/)
Composure roll for Sam at the bloodshed?[/spoiler]
-
"You need some assistance, Clem," Sammy asked over the comms while keeping an eye on the women. Clearly they were cowed by Torley, but Torley wasn't a prime combatter. Neither was she, but she had spells to keep people in line. From the amount of noise she heard from the other room, it was hell in there. No way she would be going in there without some extra, so time to start casting, activating her focus at the same time. She started chanting and quickly she dissapeared from view.
[spoiler]
force 3 improved invisibility.
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4826509/)
to be put in my illusion sustaining focus.
drain 2 (F/2+1)
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4826510/)
no drain
[/spoiler]
-
Blood spatters all over Torley, and he feels his stomach heave. Luckily, he hadn't had anything to eat since the party the previous evening, but the beers he'd had at the bar threaten to make a second appearance. He staggers a step or two to the side before his knees give out, dropping him to the floor. Breathing heavily, he rubs an arm across his face, trying ineffectually to clear the ork's blood from it.
[spoiler]OOC: Sam's going to have to take a bit to recover from this wholly unexpected shock. Since he didn't glitch his composure role, he's not going to faint, but don't expect much from him for a while. :D[/spoiler]
-
Shrugging off the mild numbness from the previous shots, Clem tries to focus and pokes her head out from the doorway, shooting once more at the closest target.
[spoiler]First shot 〜 Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Burst Fire 2 + Gas Vent 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/307473): 11d6t5 6 no glitches. Once again, short wide burst.
Second Shot 〜 Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Burst Fire 2 - Second Burst Fire 3 + Folding Stock 1 + Gas Vent 2 + Personalized Grip 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/307475): 10d6t5 6 no glitches, short wide burst.
That's more like it! If she sees the first shot takes her target down, then she will shoot at the second closest target to her.
Both shots are at 5P and both have -2 DP modifiers.[/spoiler]
-
With Torley out of action, it was now Sammy's duty to keep the women in line.
"Don't try anything funny," she said, "I'm still here and still watching you even if you can't watch me."
She moved a bit after saying this, as she wanted to make sure they couldn't attack by tracking her voice. She was now near the door so she could support Clem if she needed it.
-
The security goon takes some solid hits and drops out of sight.
[spoiler]defense rolls for the guy Clem shot at (8d6.hits(5)=3, 15d6.hits(5)=6, 8d6.hits(5)=3, 15d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4832464/)
6 damage total[/spoiler]
The three with guns still functional take their shots at O'Conner while the one who's gun is jammed tosses it and pulls out an extendable club.
[spoiler]Wounded Goon shooting O'Conner (5d6.hits(5)=2, 5d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4832635/)
Other Goons shooting O'Conner (6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=3, 6d6.hits(5)=1, 6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4832645/)[/spoiler]
Upstairs, Snow has a problem of her own, a security goon snaps shots at her too, though she has cover.
[spoiler]
Goon shooting Snow (8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4832655/)
Goon shooting Snow (8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4832679/)
[/spoiler]
-
Snow is glad of the cover she has as the security goon shoots at her. [spoiler]Dodge First Hit (http://orokos.com/roll/309671): 7d6t5 2 and Dodge Second Hit (http://orokos.com/roll/309672): 7d6t5 4[/spoiler]
Both shots spang harmlessly into her cover. She uses her held action to return fire at the goon. [spoiler]Take first shot at goon (http://orokos.com/roll/309673): 11d6t5 3 followed by the second shot Second shot at goon (http://orokos.com/roll/309674): 11d6t5 4[/spoiler]
-
As O'Connor continued on his path to the bar, he seemed completely unfazed as the hailstorm of lead criss crossed through his path, but never struck him.
[spoiler=Full Dodge]
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 = Pool 19 vs. 2 (19d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4833226/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 1 = Pool 18 vs. 2 (18d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4833227/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 2 = Pool 17 vs. 2 (17d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4833230/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 3 = Pool 16 vs. 3 (16d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4833231/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 4 = Pool 15 vs. 1 (15d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4833232/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 5 = Pool 14 vs. 2 (14d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4833236/)
[/spoiler]
-
The goon on the second floor dodges Snow's first shot, but she adjusts and gets him with the second.
He is hurt, but not as much as she would like.
[spoiler]defense rolls for the guy Snow shot at (8d6.hits(5)=5, 15d6.hits(5)=3, 8d6.hits(5)=1, 15d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4833464/)[/spoiler]
-
Clicking her tongue, Clem ejected her clip from her firearm and slammed a fresh one in. The ork chambered the first round, staying behind cover all the while, her hands going through the motions automatically.
[spoiler]That takes care of Clem's last IP for this round.[/spoiler]
-
Snow sends a comment. >>Team. Snow. Security man on second floor has shot at me and missed. Return fire nicked him a bit.<<
-
O'Connor released a torrent of fire at the goon behind the bar he was headed towards. Seeing that his clip was nearly spent, O'Connor ejected it with his smartgun system and slammed the fresh clip home.
[spoiler=Long Wide Burst]
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Smartlink 2 = Pool 11 [Recoil 5 | RC 6]
11d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4833877/)
Long Wide Burst: -6 Defense
Damage: Colt M23 6P + Explosive Rounds 1P = 7P + net
AP: -1
[/spoiler]
-
Defense roll for the guy O'Conner is shooting (Active Defense) (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4834343/)
15d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4834350/)
He ain't down yet, but he is hurting A LOT, and dodging cost him the chance to shoot back this time.
-
The street samurai gets out of her cover just long enough to shoot at her target once more.
[spoiler]Always SWB
First shot 〜 Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Burst Fire 2 + Gas Vent 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/310601): 11d6t5 2 no glitches.
Second Shot 〜 Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Burst Fire 2 - Second Burst Fire 3 + Folding Stock 1 + Gas Vent 2 + Personalized Grip 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/310603): 10d6t5 4 no glitches.
Hopefully that takes care of him.[/spoiler]
-
Snow will try to maintain her basic cover and shoot the security goon again before he can shoot back.
[spoiler][First shot at guard (http://orokos.com/roll/310633): 11d6t5 4 Second shot at a guard (http://orokos.com/roll/310635): 11d6t5 1
-
O'Connor sent more bursts of fire towards the bar, hoping to finish the goon off before he got there.
[spoiler]
Long Wide Burst
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Smartlink 2 = Pool 11 [Recoil 5 | RC 6]
Long Wide Burst (11d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4834499/)
Long Wide Burst: -6 Defense
Damage: Colt M23 6P + Explosive Rounds 1P = 7P + net
AP: -1
Note: If long burst kills target, switch to nearest target. -2 dice, for switch, off back end does not effect roll.
Short Wide Burst
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Smartlink 2 - Recoil 2 = Pool 9 [Recoil 8 | RC 6]
Short Wide Burst (9d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4834506/)
Short Wide Burst: -3 Defense
Damage: Colt M23 6P + Explosive Rounds 1P = 7P + net
AP: -1
[/spoiler]
-
With the three women keeping calm for now, Sammy decided to have a look at what the others were doing in the next room. She moved to the open door and looked around to see what was going on and if help was needed there. She still kept most of her body in cover. While she was invisible, that didn't mean anything to a flying bullet.
-
Defense rolls (9d6.hits(5)=2, 8d6.hits(5)=2, 15d6.hits(5)=5, 15d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836948/)
Seeing O'Conner managing to blow away the guy with the best cover in the room, the others with functional weapons abandon their cover to try and bring down the demonically agile gun-fighter.
Goon attack rolls (O'Conner, ranged) (8d6.hits(5)=3, 8d6.hits(5)=3, 8d6.hits(5)=3, 8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836956/)
Following the gunfire the dogs try again to get a piece of flesh, and the baton-wielding goon takes his shot as well.
When Critters attack part 2, with a goon (10d6.hits(5)=5, 10d6.hits(5)=5, 11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836967/)
The guy behind the other bar keeps shooting at Clem.
6d6.hits(5)=3, 6d6.hits(5)=0 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836968/)
-
O'Connor didn't have long to relish the victory, as the survivors began firing again. He was starting to get a bit annoyed. The goons only had numbers going for them, and it was slow going on reducing that advantage. Dodging the bullets was mundane fare for him as he weaved around predictable lanes of fire. The critters actually gave him more problems. As he juked away from the first, the second got a solid bite on his arm. Fortunately he was able to use that sudden shift in his center of balance to help him duck under the last goon's baton. With the dogs still nipping at his heels and a goon now in the melee mix, O'Connor decided to forgo reaching the bar for cover. His new strategy was to rush straight at the gun wielding goons with the three melee combatants behind him. He figured that either the gunmen would stop firing, or they'd miss him and hit their own.
[spoiler=Dodge]
Goons with guns
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 = Pool 19 vs. 3 (19d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836972/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 1 = Pool 18 vs. 3 (18d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836973/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 2 = Pool 17 vs. 3 (17d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836974/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Ranged 2 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 3 = Pool 16 vs. 1 (16d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836975/)
Critters and a goon
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 4 = Pool 22 vs. 5 (22d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836976/)
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 5 = Pool 21 vs. 5 (21d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836977/)
*Body 4 + Impact Armor 6 = Pool 10 (10d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4837305/)*
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 - Previous Attack 6 = Pool 20 vs. 4 (20d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4836980/)
Not sure how much damage the critter did, but it'd literally have to kill me to affect the outcome of the last roll
[/spoiler]
-
Clem's attacker surprised her, emerging from behind the bar and shooting twice at her. The first shot grazes her left shoulder, the pain making the ork twitch back a bit, which involuntarily results in Clementine dodging the second bullet.
[spoiler] First shot: Reaction 7 (http://orokos.com/roll/311824): 7d6t5 1 so that's 2 net hits for the goon. Damage Resistance - Armour 13 + Body 5 + Toughness 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/311825): 19d6t5 6 so if I'm not mistaken that's 1P of damage to Clem since you said they were at a base 5P + the 2 net hits.
Second shot towards her: Reaction 7 - Second Attack 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/311826): 6d6t5 2 no glitches. So she dodged that one.[/spoiler]
-
Second Floor (8d6.hits(5)=3, 15d6.hits(5)=2, 8d6.hits(5)=2, 15d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4837663/)
The goon gets hit again by one shot as he returns fire.
8d6.hits(5)=2, 8d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4837667/)
-
As Sam wiped ineffectually at the blood on his face, he could feel his stomach revolting. The more he rubbed, the stickier the blood seemed to get. Quickly turning his head, he managed to keep himself mostly clean as his stomach's contents spilled onto the floor.
-
Sammy saw some of the goons firing at Clem and O'Connor. She also spotted a door at the other side.
'Time to help things along,' she thought as she started casting. Suddenly the door flow open and three guys, all dressed in black with black facemasks, but clearly visible as Orcs, busted in and started shooting. They didn't hit anybody, but they did make a whole lot of noise and fired on full auto, firing towards the goons. Flood them with targets and they would have to split their attention.
Those new guys are my illusion, she texted to the whole team.
[spoiler]
Force 5 trid phantasm (using the same one as I did in the warehouse)
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4838125/)
they need 6 hits to see through the illusion (I guess on a perception test).
drain 5 (F/2+3)
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4838126/)
no drain
[/spoiler]
-
Snow ducks behind the damaged hatch as the goon returns fire.
[spoiler][/Dodge first shot Dodge first hit (http://orokos.com/roll/312173): 7d6t5 3 The first shot missed. Dodge second shot (http://orokos.com/roll/312177): 10d6t5 4spoiler]
Even though the cover was minimal, it was enough that both shots buried themselves in the hatch.
-
The effect of the illusion was immediate and trans-formative. The two guys by the door, who were already getting nervous about their chances, dropped to the ground and tossed their weapons immediately. The guy behind the bar also chucked out his piece and put up his hands.
The bruiser in hand-to-hand backed off from O'Conner and took cover, and with a quick command "Pixie, Trixie HEEL!" called off the dogs as well.
The only place the combat is technically continuing is upstairs, but with the guy having now taken cover in a room and Snow playing "peek-a-boo" from the hatch, neither has a good shot to take.
-
O'Connor was ready to keep going, but there wasn't much sport in shooting the remaining unarmed and cowering goons. He gathered up their scattered firearms and took them over to the bar with the shot up goon. He pocketed the clips, and wiped down the weapons with a towel from behind the bar. After finishing with the weapons, he searched the dying guy for credsticks, jewelry, and other such small valuables.
-
Snow ducks back and forth a couple of times but cannot quite make out enough of the goon to take a shot, She sends a message to the others. >>Team. Snow. The shooting has stopped. Did we win? At a stalemate up here. I hit the security guy a couple of times. Not sure of the damage, but he is still up and active. Orders?<<
-
When she saw the guys downstairs were giving up, Clem asked O'Connor and Sammy to secure the room while she rushed upstairs, putting away her SMG and taking out her handgun instead. Once upstairs, she said out loud "Your buddies downstairs have surrendered already, and if you come out now I promise you amnesty. But if you make me look for you, I guarantee you it's the coroner that will be bringing you downstairs."
-
Sammy's extra goons stopped shooting and just kept standing there. As soon as O'Conor had collected all the weapons, she dropped her invisibility and the extra goons, keeping the spell to move faster ongoing in her focus for now. Then started healing herself, while keeping an eye on the others.
Next she went to O'Connor and quickly did a heal as well on the bite wounds on his arm. Then she went to see if there was anything she could do for the downed goons. Only the ones that were actually down, the others would have to find their own healing. Maybe if she made sure they wouldn't die, she could create some goodwill when the questioning started. She didn't say anything to O'Connor when he went through the man's pocket, not wanting to have a discussion about this. A couple of years ago she would probably have done the same.
After all that she positioned herself at the door so she could see both the main room as the room where Sam and the girls were sitting.
"You girls, come here in the main room," she said to them.
"Sam, you feel better now," she asked, "It's time to start the questioning. Here, let me get rid of that blood."
She cast the spell Makeover on Sam, concentrating on cleaning him up, just as she had done when they had woken in the mountains.
"There, that should be better."
[spoiler]
heal spell, force 5
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4839121/)
actually only 3 hits as I had to take a -1. So I heal 3 physical on myself.
drain 1 (DV3 -2)
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4839122/)
no drain
heal spell force 5 on O'Connor (I'm not sure how much damage he has taken from the dog):
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4839123/)
I can heal up to 3P
drain (max drain is 1, as max heal is 3 and drain is DV-2)
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4839124/)
no drain.
I'll put in 2 heal checks for goons that are out. I will only stabilise them, so a force 3 spell (max hits is 3) .
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=2, 11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4839125/)
I can heal 1 goon 2 and another 3 if there are any needing stabilization.
drain 1 (DV-2, and max DV is 3)
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=2, 9d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4839126/)
no drain
Makeover on Sam, force 3
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4839127/)
that should get rid of most of the blood and make that he can function again.
draing F/2=1
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4839128/)
no drain.
[/spoiler]
-
At Clem's instruction, the last guy will surrender peacefully. The two security guards that were bleeding out, the one in the front lot and the one that O'Conner put down inside, will be stabilized. There are three others wounded.
-
Once the situation was under control and they had made sure nobody was hidden or alarms for reinforcements had been triggered (although that was more Snow's area of expertise), Clem got back down with the rest of her teammates and rounded up all their opposition in the main room. The ork took out her sword, for intimidation, and stood guard. The contrast between her flashy makeup and the coldness of the steel made for an interesting picture, one most often seen in animation, not on the streets of LA.
She certainly wanted answers, but knew words weren't her forte. She was more of a hands-on type of runner, so she had asked Torley to do the interrogation, not sure the man was up to the task.
-
Snow comes down through the hatch and joins her companions to see if anyone needs medical care. She is concerned about Sam's appearance but quickly makes sure that the blood on him is not his own. She moves off to find the independent node she knows must be here. "I need to find that node so I can do a direct plug-in." She looks at the group of goons in the room. "Which of you is the tech guy? I need access to your data."
-
The hacker turns out, no surprise, to be the one guy that doesn't look like a human wall. He was actually the guy behind the bar on Clem's side of the room. He is also apparently the one nominally in charge of the others.
"What are you talking about? What node? This is a strip club, lady!" he says, "What the frag do you want? You do understand that the Puebs are going to be here eventually right? This may not be Fun City, but you can't just start a shooting war and think folks are gonna sit on their hands!"
-
O'Connor pocketed his meager gains, and put on his new pair of shades, *Was meaning to get a pair.* He began to slowly circle around the host of goons, like a predator preparing to make the kill. He scoffed at the hacker, "Guess its a good thing we got a whole group of hostages and meat shields then. By-the-by hostage situations don't usually end too well for the hostages." He noticed the stripper's broken arm, and frowned before quickly returning to a more neutral expression. He had a bit of a soft spot for sex workers, having grown up in the brothel his mom worked in. Judging from the peepshow operation this place was running, he had no doubt that these girls were being turned out as well. He'd been fragged over by the AF and then the system, but even the years he lost didn't really compare to the lot of those that literally got fragged day in and day out by life. He got Sammy's attention and motioned to the girl, "Would you fix her arm already? The crying is giving me a damn headache." Of course he couldn't ask nicely or let on why he asked, he had a reputation to maintain.
-
Snow looks at the club hacker. "No, it is only a strip club on the outside. I could feel something else. I am the Snow Queen and you were very good. I would like to talk to you about what you did. But right now, we need access to the4 information that has been funneling into here from various no-tells around the sprawl. We are searching for a particular vid that I am sure you have on file here. I need to get direct access to the node and I would like you to help me. You could do so much better than hacking for this place. When this scandal breaks there will be all sorts of people that will want a piece of everyone involved."
She looks at the hacker and waits.
-
Sammy looked at O'Connor, but then she went to the woman in question. It was the first time O'Connor took any interest in anybody besides himself or his team, so it was something to be encouraged. It took only a few seconds to mend the arm.
"Next time don't enter a fight with professionals," she whispered to the woman.
Next she went to a news site and the main Pito feeds to check if there was something going on downtown. She knew Pueblo security would indeed react to this event, but how fast depended on their other many priorities. So if there was a big accident or something like that going on downtown, they would leave low priority locations to their own devices.
He's right about pueblo security, so we better move as fast as possible she texted to the rest of the team
[spoiler]
force 3 healing spell.
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4840498/)
I heal maximum 3 wounds (hits are limited by force).
drain 1 (3 DV -2)
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4840499/)
no drain
[/spoiler]
-
There is nothing particularly encouraging in the breaking news department, this early in the morning things tend to naturally slow down, even for a 24-hour city like LA. You do have the advantage that this is a low class geographically remote area for law enforcement, but that gives you probably 30 minutes, an hour tops.
The ork stripper waits until the healing is completed before she comments, something about professionals puking all over themselves.
Jimmy, the hacker, looks incredibly confused. If it is an act it is a good one. "What are you talking about? It's a strip club on this inside too, the only shows we have are the feeds we do of the dancers for the pervs that subscribe remotely." The goons and dancers that are hearing the exchange don't seem to understand what is going on either.
-
Once Sammy's magic had taken care of most of the mess, Sam started to feel better; a quick trip to the bathroom (such as it was) covered the rest.
He looked over the various hostages, trying to tell if anyone was more likely than the others to know anything useful. Snow was starting to work her charms on the tech, so he left her to that; the security goons might know things--people hired to guard things often got to see what they were guarding, after all--but there wasn't an obvious leader. After a brief pause, he walked over to where the strippers were and addressed the orc whose arm he'd broken.
"Sorry about the arm. But you were right, we're not cops. We're hired security, and we have reason to believe that this establishment is more than it seems, and that our client is in danger from its...extra activities. Have you--or any of these other ladies--seen an ork with goat-style legs, goes by the name Bacchus?"
[spoiler]Sorry for the delay. Just got back from a California trip, trying to get caught up and de-jetlagged. Crossbow, let me know if you want rolls.[/spoiler]
-
After she finished with the stripper's arm, O'Connor gave Sammy a small nod of gratitude. As his circuit around the group brought him close to Clem, he whispered to her, "These idiots don't know jack. We might just have to tear the place apart. Did you do a full sweep of upstairs?"
-
Snow looks at Jimmy for a moment then turns to Clem. "They might not know what we are talking about. I can use a few minutes and go into Hot Sim and look for it if you want?"
-
Clem looked annoyed. She didn't want to spend more time than she had to here, and she didn't want to show her shoulder had been grazed, but things were going nowhere quickly. She turned to Torley and O'Connor and asked them to "squeeze them for the contraption on the roof, Snow, Sammy and I will have a look at it ourselves." She made sure O'Connor understood what she meant by "squeeze". The night was slowly slipping away and they didn't have much time left to find anything, so she wanted answers quickly.
She then turned around and motioned to Snow and Sammy to follow her upstairs. The newest member had a fairly good chance of knowing what to do with what was on the roof, and Clem didn't want Sammy to interfere with the interrogation.
Before going upstairs, Clementine helped the others make sure their captives were well restrained.
-
Snow nods and makes to follow Clem up the stairs. After all, it serves little purpose to show any disharmony in front of the security goons. As she moves behind Clem she notices the slight blood stain on her clothes near her shoulder and when they get to the second floor she says, "Okay, what is our plan here? Look about the second floor or go straight to the roof. I am fairly sure that there is nothing up there, but am certainly willing to give it another look. But we might have better luck looking around on this floor. And by the way, Clem, you are hurt. Why did you not say anything when I asked earlier? Do you want me to look at it?"
-
"Just a minute, I have something to do in the astral first," Sammy said, before turning to O'Connor, "and I almost forgot, could you get the stunned one from the parking lot and bring him here as well?"
Then she sat down and moved out of her body. While Clem was helping to bind the club goons, Sammy scrubbed her astral signature from the local astral space. If Pueblo security showed up, they wouldn't be able to track her. She also dismissed her spirit, as he had been on a remote service and wouldn't be able to do more for her.
Arriving back in her body, she followed the two other women upstairs.
"if you can stand it for a while, I'll heal it as soon as we're out of here," she said to Clem when Snow told her about the wound, "so you want us to follow the lines to see where it comes out? Are you sure it's a good idea to leave Torley with O'Connor?"
[spoiler]
it will require me about 12 combat rounds to clean up the astral space: a number of complex actions equal to the force. With 5 force 5 spells (illusion for the goons, 2 stunbolts outside and 2 healing) and 3 force 3 spells (1 healing, 1 make-over and one invisibility) it's 34 complex actions. astral projection gives me 3IP/round, so that means 12 combat rounds (11 and a bit, but I have to dismiss the spirit as well).
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor brought the guy inside with some difficulty; he was fast, not strong. After dropping the unconscious goon among his teammates, O'Connor motions the strippers away from the goons, "You girls should move out of the way so you don't get caught up if these idiots try something. Never did like seeing the blood of pretty women."
-
Clem simply shrugged, downplaying her injury. "It's fine, don't worry about this. What we need to do is find out what the deal is with this receiver on the roof and we need to figure out how that perverted goat got that leverage on the client." Addressing Sammy's concern, Clem simply said "Con and Torley will be fine, don't worry about them. Let's just figure this thing out and be gone before the reinforcements arrive." With that, Clem tried to see how the contraption on the roof was set up and where it was leading.
[spoiler]Let me know if you want me to roll anything for that.[/spoiler]
-
"All this tech stuff isn't my thing," Sammy said, "so tell me where to look and what to do to help out."
The last was directed at Snow, as Sammy assumed she would be taking the lead in this investigation.
-
After the girls got out the way, O'Connor walked up the hacker, viewing him as the guy who'd know the most and as the weak link in the group. He raised his hand dramatically as if to back hand the guy. What the hacker didn't notice, until he got hit with it, was the pistol that had popped into O'Connor's hand. Said pistol was then shoved into the hackers face, "Come clean now or I start executing you goons one by one until someone does."
[spoiler=Clubs]
Agility 5 + Clubs 3 = Pool 8 (8d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4842095/)
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Intimidation]
Charisma 2 + Intimidation 1 + Physical 2 + Pistol Custom Look 2 = Pool 7 (7d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4842097/)
[/spoiler]
-
Snow nods. "We are probably looking for cables that seem to disappear into the roof. The larger ones seem to be a bit older and I do not think that they are what we need. Look for something smaller. I am going to try and concentrate to see if I can find the hole in the matrix that could be where the separate node is."
With that, Snow sits down on the roof and blanks out into hot sim VR. The Snow Queen is moving through the matrix on the roof and the floors below, looking for any suggestion as to where the hidden node might be. She is looking more where the matrix webs are not rather than where they are.
[spoiler]Let me know what sort of rolls I have to make for this search.[/spoiler]
-
The team manages to quickly scour the the second floor, finding nothing of note. the private stages allow for a more intimate setting for the girls to work with their clients. The office is locked, but a swift kick deals with that, for all the good it does, again it contains little to note. Recording equipment is found in one of the private rooms, but it is a higher quality and current tech besides, including wireless capability, compared to the ancient (turn of the century) junk on the roof. No coax anywhere. Excavating the ceiling to trace the cable would be a major project that you are ill equipped to deal with, even if you had the time.
Downstairs the only information of value you get is that Bacchus is a friend of the owner and occasionally works the door for extra nuyen, he hasn't been in in several days.
-
Sammy went to a spot in the corridor.
"the cable somes in here somewhere," she said, "but where does it go to from here. We can't rip out the whole of the ceiling. Maybe we can get out one panel and see which direction the cable goes. By taking out a panel here or there instead of the whole ceiling we might be able to track it. Sounds like a plan?"
-
Snow nods. "I like it. There were a couple of chairs in that office there that we can use to stand on. Shall we get to it?
-
"Yeah, alright" said Clem as she got to the office and took a few chairs to stand on. She also looked at something with some weight to it she could use to quickly smash through panels. She reasoned trying to be delicate with this thing would take too much time.
-
Snow sees that, whatever else their faults, these guys spared no expense on their chairs. She has trouble moving one of the massive things about and instead choses to help Clem. She laughs a bit as they set one in position. "Fragging heavy chair. At least it will not tip easily." She notices a coat stand in the corner of the office and grabs it after the chair is in position. "This ought to help break a hole in the ceiling." She takes the rack and begins thrusting it at the ceiling in an attempt to break a hole in it.
-
Listening to the chatter on the comm, Sam had a thought. To the women, he asked, "Has there been any work on the second floor recently? Electricians fixing lights, or someone patching holes in the ceiling, something like that?"
-
Getting no response from the strippers, Sam turned to Con. "Keep an eye on things down here; I'll go check on how things are going upstairs." Once upstairs, he got a brief summarization from Sammy, and started looking to see if he could figure out where the cable likely was, or if there was anything else that might point the team in the right direction.
[spoiler]Perception (visual specialization): 12d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4844169/)
Since that matches Clem's roll, which didn't produce anything, I'm going to go ahead and use edge to re-roll misses. I believe this is Sam's fourth (and final) edge point, until we get a chance to refresh.
8d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4844172/), total of 9.
Much better. ::)[/spoiler]
-
When she got back from a search for the basement, Sam went upstairs, so Sammy took his place to guard the women.
"You are filmed when you are with a client in those rooms upstairs," she asked.
-
Sam is wandering around the second floor, looking around, watching the others set up to start breaking through the ceiling when he notices something strange. The spot where the cable comes in the building is just past the women's bathroom, which is a very narrow utilitarian thing with an open shower and toilet, the only door past that on the wall is the office where the others are getting the furniture for their makeshift scaffold. Looking at the office though, it doesn't seem like the room is big enough. Checking along the back wall, Sam starts handling the stuff on the wall and quickly finds a pool trophy that, when shifted, pops open a concealed door in the corner of the room.
The room beyond seems to be what they are looking for, a niche packed with archaic video recording equipment and hardwired monitors. Adding to the creep factor is a camera set up to record the 'action' in the adjacent bathroom through a large two-way mirror.
-
Oh, these guys are into all sorts of drek, Sam thought to himself. Stepping back out into the hallway where Snow was trying to redecorate the ceiling, he called to her, "I think you'd better put that down and come look at this. I suspect it'll be a better use of your time."
-
When she got back from a search for the basement, Sam went upstairs, so Sammy took his place to guard the women.
"You are filmed when you are with a client in those rooms upstairs," she asked.
"We do shows for some of the shut-ins that pay well, and do sim chats and stuff. Nothing illegal." one of the girls explained. Jimmy made agreeable noises and added, "It's good money, you should look into it, you got a nice look for that kind of thing, you do any acting?"
-
O'Connor pistol whipped Jimmy again, "Quiet." With the fight over, O'Connor was losing his patience for this place and the hacker was revealing himself a convenient vent for it.
[spoiler=Clubs]
Agility 5 + Clubs 3 = Pool 8 (8d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4844186/)
Damage = 2P + Net
[/spoiler]
-
"Thanks, but no thanks," Sammy said, "so none of you know anything about that illegal monitoring stuff on the roof used to film 'shows'?"
She didn't say where the 'shows' where filmed. From what she knew about these things, they didn't want to be filmed unless they knew up front (and got paid extra). And if the customers knew they were being filmed without their consent, business would also go down.
-
Sammy gets nothing but a lot of confused looks and cautiously shaken heads.
-
A pissed off look momentarily flashed through the elaborate makeup on Clem's face, but her stone-face quickly returned. She sent a message to the team and asked Sammy to come back upstairs and help look and identify the client on the tapes. While they did that, she asked Snow to take a look at the equipment and analyze it, and she also demanded Torley help Sammy with the tapes.
The ork went downstairs to keep an eye on their captives with O'Connor, but calmly asked who the manager of the place was. More specifically, she wanted to know and punish who had lied to them.
-
You easily get the name Steve Patterson, who is the owner and the manager, his name was on the door and desk for the office.
He is coming into the club to go over numbers during business hours, though he will probably be here sooner once the law enforcement shows up. (BTW, tic-tic-tic...)
-
Snow grins at Sam. "Good. I was getting nowhere fast. Thanks." She goes into the room and starts looking at the equipment, trying to analyze the uses of the various parts. She slides her DNI cable from its hidden location on her neck and waves the tip around at the stuff in front of her, whispering more to herself than anyone else, "Now, which of you pretty things is going to be first?" She has an idea while she is looking around and sends a message to the team. >>Clem. Maybe you could convince good old Jimmy to call and cancel the alert to the constabulary. He could tell them it was a mix-up with some new security equipment or something. It might buy us some time.<<
-
There really is nothing to plug into in any fashion, but there are some basic equipment that you can make work to review the memory items (What the hell is a flash drive? and why does it look like Batman?). You can even probably explain it to some of the others, maybe not Clem, and Torley may erase everything, but surely O'Conner and Sammy can help you get through this relatively quickly (like 20 minutes)
(BTW tic-tic-tic)
-
Snow sighs at the antiques here and lets the DNI cable slip back into its slot. Looking around she says, "Hey Con, Sammy. Get a look at this old stuff. Can either of you help me sort it and see if it is what we are looking for?"
-
O'Connor makes sure that Clem had the hostages covered before heading upstairs to assist Snow. He looked over the room, finding the archaic equipment unfamiliar to him. He gave a huff, "Drek, this could take some time. We need to hustle, 5-0 could be here any minute."
-
Snow nods at the dour words from Con. "This is mostly just drek, but there may be something here. I guess it was a no go with getting Jimmy to call off the police? Time is running out and we have nothing to show for this so far." Snow goes back to looking through the drek in front of her.
-
Frustration mounting, Clem simply asked <Is there any way we can just take the equipment with us and look it over somewhere else? Also, if we get the manager's commcode, would it be possible to track him? We have to leave soon. I suggest we take the techie and go.>
To O'Connor, Clem sent him a personal message. <I need your assistance with one of the bouncers, we need to show them that we won't tolerate keeping information from us.>
-
Snow looks around for what can be easily taken away, to include the tapes and equipment. >>Let me see what I can gather up.<<
-
O'Connor was regretting letting Clem take over as tactical leader. He agreed with almost none of the decisions she'd made during this attack. If he'd been the one calling the shots, this would've gone down much differently. He continued to sort through the archaic equipment as he replied over the team channel, <"Don't think that's happening Clem. This drek is old, I think we'd need to take all of the gear. Faster just to go through it here and now.">
O'Connor saw the notification of Clem's private message, but ignored it. The search was slow going at it was, and he wanted to find the chip and leave as fast as possible. Cops were something even he wanted to avoid. He also figured it had to do with Clem being mad about all the tech stuff. From what he'd gathered, Clem found anything tech related completely impossible to understand. He didn't have the time or desire to deal with it.
-
Snow gathers the others and tries to show them some of the things that they are looking for to help speed things along. [spoiler]Teach others (http://orokos.com/roll/315250): 7d6t5 1 Use her last edge to reroll misses Last Edge to reroll teaching misses (http://orokos.com/roll/315251): 6d6t5 3[/spoiler]
After stumbling over the initial concepts, Show finally finds the words to use. After that comes the active looking as a group. [spoiler]Look for chip (http://orokos.com/roll/315253): 6d6t5 1[/spoiler]
-
Sammy also started going through the chips. She quickly tried to find a system to get to a frame where she could see the people's heads and try to recognise them that way. Some she might actually recognise from other body parts, but the face was still the easiest. Or for some their tattoos or rings in special places...
[spoiler]
perception
intuition 3 + perception 2 =5 (5d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4845174/)
not so much.
I'm not sure if it might help, but I know a lot of people in LA (at least their faces). So I've rolled that knowledge check as well to recognise people.
intuition 3 + celebrity gossip 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4845175/)
[/spoiler]
-
For twenty minutes, the three runners glance through the feed recordings, trying to find the face of Christy Daee, or at least someone who looks like her, doing something compromising. They have several 'close calls' where they have found someone who looks like her (very common, considering the quality) but further scrutiny reveals either a background that doesn't match the Cinderblock or nothing compromising occurring.
When you realize how few you have actually churned through you wonder if it might be worth the risk of using Torley, he seems to have a sharp eye for details.
Downstairs, Clem is prowling the prisoners like a caged animal.
(BTW tic-tic-tic) (New rolls)
-
Snow keeps looking, but realizes that Sam may be helpful in this. >>Sam? Could you come up and help look through this drek? I am starting to naked bodies everywhere and you might be able to use fresh eyes and find it.<<
-
"I also still have nothing," Sammy said as she put a new one in, "but the next time I see this Bacchus, I'm going to go all medieval on his ass. Say, can't some of us try to create some distractions somewhere else so the police has other things to do?"
[spoiler]
Here's my rolls for perception (no glitches)
intuition 3 + perception 2 =5 (5d6.hits(5)=1, 5d6.hits(5)=4, 5d6.hits(5)=0, 5d6.hits(5)=2)
and for celebrity knowledge to recognise them (again, no glitches):
intuition 3 + celebrity gossip 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=3, 6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=2, 6d6.hits(5)=3)
Okay, I've rolled the extra ones:
extra dice =2 (2d6.hits(5)=0, 2d6.hits(5)=1, 2d6.hits(5)=2, 2d6.hits(5)=2)
so that's 1, 5, 2, 4 hits respectively.
[/spoiler]
-
Torley was sitting on the stairs, trying to puzzle out the next move. He had moved to this location after being barked at for the third time by Clem, who was clearly very tense and really didn't need his help guarding anyone.
As the minutes ticked by, his own agitation grew and quieter he got. When he heard the sounds of a vehicle pulling into the lot it was almost a relief, looking at the clock he noted he had been waiting 30 minutes. Moving to the side door that was still ajar, he just caught a glimpse of the patrol car pulling around the building to the front.
A few seconds later when it rolled back into view, even though it had maintained an even speed, Torley could tell by the agitation clearly visible on the officer's face he had seen the bullet-riddled vehicle and the blood-stained gravel in the front. When he reached the street, he moved out of sight of the building and seemed to be pulling over, Sam saw him raise a radio mike to his face just as he lost sight.
-
Ah, frag it. Of course this would happen, Sam thought to himself. Then, into the coms, Con, ladies, looks like someone's noticed our handiwork outside. I'm going to go see if I can smooth things over. I'll leave my audio feed on so you can hear if we need to get out quick.
Smoothing his clothing, he stepped out of the door, looked around, and, noticing the cop car, strode over to it. When the officer rolled down his window, Sam quickly read his badge and said, "Oh, good. Mr. Patterson's always complaining that there aren't enough of you 'boys in blue' around. Dunno if you saw, but a few of our patrons got into a tousle 'round the corner. Guess the bartender let them have a little too much, you know? Got really ugly until our bouncer, Con, got in and scared two of 'em off. We can give you descriptions of everyone involved, if you want, but since the guys who started it got the worst of it, I don't think we need to press charges. Daria's going to be pissed when she sees her car, though. Wish you'd been here then, probably would've kept things a lot calmer. I keep telling Mr. Patterson that he ought to give you guys a discount, encourage you to come by." He patted at his pockets. "Hrm, I could have sworn I had some passes for private shows; must've left them on my desk. Tell you what--why don't you come by tomorrow night when we're open, and I'll make sure you get a nice private showing, on the house? Just tell the guy at the door that you're looking for Pete."
[spoiler]Man, I really, really wish I had some edge left. This is an impressive load of BS, and I'm not sure if the dice will hold it up...
13d6.hits(5)=9 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4845384/) :o :o 8)
Ok, I can start breathing again. (and yes, I write these up before rolling.)
[/spoiler]
-
Snow listens to Sam, but keeps working on the chips. *Fragging distractions.*
-
The officer has you stand back as he gets out of his cruiser, and though his hand is on his gun, by the end of your spiel he has relaxed his posture enough that he is leaning on his car, clearly believing what you have told him.
"What is your name sir? You are ghosting, you know that isn't allowed on a public thoroughfare. We have reports of automatic weapons fire coming from this establishment, you know anything about that?"
(OOC: I consider it an assumption that you guys do not go on mission in anything other than Hidden mode)
The officer is casual, and seems to be believing your con, but is still following procedure.
-
Sam blinked. "Didn't I introduce myself? Sorry, name's Pete, Pete Conrad. I work in the office here, helping Mr. Patterson keep everything running smoothly. You know, keeping the books, setting up shows, making sure the stagehands and the girls get along, that sort of thing. And, yeah, we ghost while we work. Company policy, you know? Helps everyone feel more comfortable, and it's a safety thing, too. Don't want someone getting the wrong idea and showing up at one of the performer's home, right? So we all ghost. Just last week, Mr. Patterson docked a stagehand half his day's wage for accidentally leaving his ID up. You should have seen him, he was that livid."
Sam chuckled and waved his hand, changing the subject. "As for the gunshots...sorry about that. Cindy and Rachel are working on a new show. Cop and Runner deal. They've got all sorts of reasons for bits of their outfits to get caught and 'accidentally' pulled off during the chase sequence; I think it's going to do well. But Mickey thought it needed something more, so he was trying out a few new sound effects during their practice this morning. Scared the girls something awful, let me tell you; damn near gave me a heart attack, and I was upstairs in the office. I chewed him out for it. Good thing Mr. Patterson wasn't here this morning, or Mickey might've been out of a job. He's a tough boss, sure, but he really cares about his girls and making sure that everything goes smoothly. You want, you can meet him tonight."
[OOC]If the cop isn't satisfied/looking like he's ready to move on, Sam will try to steer the conversation into more general stuff, perhaps giving more details about the other routines, etc., trying to convince the cop to come back sometime when the club is open, continuing to promise discounts/free shows. Basically, he's going to try to get the cop to leave, or stall long enough for the rest of the team to find what they need and get out of there.[/OOC]
-
Sammy was a bit worried when she heard Torley say they had cops coming up. Gutsy move to go out in the open too. And she was impressed with his performance. During her time in the showbizz she had heard a lot of speeches, bullshit talk and both good and bad acting and she had to say that Torley could be a star if he wanted it. She thought that he could even get the cop to give them a ride downtown as soon as they had finished here. And if Torley didn't manage, she could always come out and use her residual fame to get things moving.
But for now she kept looking at the recordings, trying to find the one they were looking for as quickly as possible.
-
The officer seems to be receptive to what you are saying and believing you, but procedure is still prominent for him.
"Yeah, you definitely need to put that guy in his place, we got some crazy calls, someone even said there was a cartoon character on your roof shooting up the place. Anyway, I am still gonna need to scan you, you should let you boss know he can't require that by the way, and when the detective gets here he is going to want to interview some people, you may not want to press charges but we still gotta make a report." While he is talking to you he seems to be working as well, typing into a datapad as he walks around, you see him take a close look at O'Conner's rental.
He also looks at the building again and for a split second you think there is something really wrong, but then he asks "Hey you have metas dancing? Like elves? I've never seen an elf stripper in the meat, y'know?" You see what got his attention is the picture of the ork girl whose arm Sam had snapped half an hour before, the taste of his bile still on his tongue.
-
Clementine decided to bite her tongue and let Torley do his thing. If there was one thing he knew how to do well,
It was to talk himself out of a bad situation. The ork meanwhile warned the hostages to shut their mouths and to keep quiet, or else there would be repercussions for disobedience. "Just be quiet, don't attract any attention and this will be over sooner than you think. If, however, for the craziest of reasons you decide to invite the cops to look inside, people are going to lose some body parts." Clementine finished her speech with a nod towards the orkish stripper. She didn't think anyone was stupid enough to invite law enforcement personnel into the place and risk angering whomever was running the joint, but sometimes people under the effects of panic make wrong decisions.
-
O'Connor chuckled at Sammy's comment about Baccus, "I think I might track him down for fun after the run." After a moment, he added sarcastically, "Who's in? We can make it a team building exercise." He continued to work through the records, but kept an ear on Torley's audio feed. He promised himself a long time ago that he'd never go back to prison. He hoped for everyone else's sake, that the snake tongued face would be able to pull off his audacious con. He'd lost out with those club chicks, the fight had been middling, and now a cop. This run was getting less worth the price by the minute.
-
Sam chatted with the cop as long as he felt he could, hoping that he'd managed to buy the team enough time. When the cop insisted one more time on his switching off ghost mode to confirm his identity, he sighed. Looking down at his feet, he said, softly, "I was ten. I didn't understand what had happened. All our links, appliances, everything, it just...just shut down. I was scared. Dad said it'd be ok, that the lights would come back on, that we just needed to wait it out. Mom...I guess she didn't believe him. Said that we were doomed, all of us. She left...on foot; none of the cars worked, of course. Couple days later, Dad said he was going after her, that I should just wait for him, or call his link when the lights came back. The lights did, but...neither of them did. And I couldn't call them--my link didn't recognize me anymore. None of the systems did. Got locked out of our house because it didn't know who I was. I...I ended up wandering for a long time. Found out there were others like me. Locked out of the system." Taking a breath, he glanced at the cop, but couldn't maintain eye contact. "Mr. Patterson, he--he's helping me. He's saving half my wages; once that's enough for the fee, he's gonna help me get myself back. But, yeah, I'm..." He gulped, knowing that he was about to take a big risk. "I'm SINless." He scuffed a foot on the ground, clearly knowing that he had just told an officer that he'd been breaking the law since the Crash, but hoping forlornly that the cop wouldn't lock him up for it.
[spoiler]Ok, guess it's time for another con roll. Still no edge to add to this. For what it's worth, Sam is 22, so his claiming to be ten during the crash of '64 isn't too much of a stretch.
13d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4847473/)
...I hope that's enough. If not, you guys go complete the mission and then come bust me out or something, ok? :)
[/spoiler]
-
Snow is practically in tears over the heart-rending sob story she hears over the feed. If that does not get the cop to let him off with a warning, nothing will. Smiling, she goes back to work, looking for the chip they need.
-
Torley had been working on this guy for a good ten minutes, so at the point the officer thinks he has just made a really good friend. So this switch into vulnerability is really uncomfortable for the officer (name is Barham by the way).
The shock on his face at the admission takes him awhile to work through, but the pay off is worth it. "Hey chummer, naw don't worry about that, I know things are crazy. Your boss, he isn't working all SINless right? Somebody in there has data right? Why did they send you out? Look, go in there and get one of those morons out here, quick, before the detective gets here. Then you need to bounce, the dick isn't gonna get it, he will take you down. I will be around tomorrow after all this is done and help get you squared away but you can't be here right now, go get someone that can make the report, GO!!" Barham is waving you back towards the club.
-
Sammy was looking at yet another file of someone she vaguely recognised, but it wasn't the person they were looking for. So up to the next one, she thought as she slotted the ancient device in the machine.
"Got it," she reported to the rest of the team, "Daee and... I guess that's Whyte Knight. I don't recognise any of the others. Time to bug out I think."
-
Snow sighs with relief. >>Thank goodness. I have seen enough bad porn for one night. What do we do with the rest of the chips?<<
-
Sam looks at the cop in disbelief, clearly relieved and grateful to not be under immediate arrest. "Um, yeah, well, we're closing for the morning, and with Mr. Patterson out...everyone else was busy. But I'll find someone. Just wait here; I'll send 'em right out. Thanks, sir. And please do come back; we've got all sorts of metas. We'll make sure you're taken care of, I promise!"
Turning, he walked eagerly back to the club. Once through the doors, he looked for some way to lock or at least quickly jam them to slow down the cops once they realized that no one was coming out. At the same time, he said through the comms, Ok, we've got to go. Now. Con, we're going to have to abandon your rental, sorry--the cop was looking it over pretty well. Anyone got an extraction plan?
-
O'Connor groused over the lose of his ride, and his SIN with all the licences attached. He muttered under his breath, "Damn it, this run is getting worse by the minute?" The fake "papers" were meant to be tossed, but to lose them on something so small really stung. He resisted the urge to pop off a few rounds to vent his frustration, at least for the time being. He turned to the others, "So what's the not loud way outta here?" His tone made it clear that he only reluctantly agreed that leaving quietly was for the best.
-
Snow sends a message. >>We still have the other car, right? Can we get to that without raising attention?<<
-
"Snow, Clem, you've been on the roof," Sammy said, "can we get on there and then to the adjecant lot without the officer seeing us. If needed, I can cloak us with a spirit like we did in the mountains."
The last part was only for Clem as Snow wouldn't know what it meant.
-
Snow nods, "Yes. There is no fire escape ladder down on the back side of the building, but we can still use that to get out of the building. Once on the ground, we should be able to go to the next property and then away."
-
"give me a minute," Sammy said, going in a seperate room. Those guys downstairs didn't have to know what they were up to. She gathered her will and reached into the astral for an air spirit. It took some doing, but one responded.
"Greatings," she said to the swirling mass of air that appeared in the astral, "Please, as soon as I give you the signal, use your concealment power on me and my companions so we can pass undetected, but make it so that we can still see each other. Please wait for now until I call you for this."
The spirit nodded and dissapeared, waiting in the astral until it was called. Next Sammy also removed the astral signature of this so the cops wouldn't have anything. She had been wearing gloves so fingerprints wouldn't be there either.
"Okay, I'm ready," she said over the comms, "As soon as Torley is back in, we can go."
[spoiler]
force 5 spirit of air with optional guard power.
magic 5 + summoning 3 =8 (8d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4850110/)
roll of the spirit
force 5 (5d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4850111/)
that means 2 services.
drain = spirit hits x2= 2DV
logic 4 + willpower 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4850112/)
no drain.
[/spoiler]
-
<Alright, you guys get to the roof, Torley and I will meet you there> wrote Clem to the team. She then helped Torley quickly obstruct the front door and took her SMG out, pointing it at their captives. "This is what's going to happen. You will all lie down on the floor and count to 100. If anyone gets up, talks to someone else or even moves before time's up, you will never get the chance to make another mistake" said the ork, waving her firearm around for effect. She then waited for Torley to make his way upstairs before backing out and following him, her weapon still pointed at the group of people as they got down and started counting.
-
Snow moves to the roof and waits for the others to arrive. Staying low to avoid being seen from below, she moves to the rear of the building and carefully peers over the edge.
-
The predawn moments in the City of Angels are some of darkest times, the quiet and the stillness seeming to swallow light as well as sound. The runners climb onto the roof carefully, O’Conner, Sammy and Torley getting their first looks at the damage caused by their companions.
Once Clem joins them and Sammy activates the service of her elemental, the team makes short work of the climb down over the fence. Clem is last, being best able to scale the side without the recoiled rope.
The trek across the waste is accomplished in short order, but is not without a scare. A building shell that you thought might provide additional concealment is discovered to have a rather terrifying inhabitant.
The brown mass that lay there you initially think to be a family of squatters huddled together for warmth, one long emaciated human arm visible on the heap, you realize is only one single dirty metahuman bedding down with at least a dozen well-fed devil rats.
A ruckus behind you at the Derma reveals your ruse, making a quiet departure even more important.
-
Sammy had also asked for her second service before they left, the use of the guard power on the five of them. She hoped it wouldn't be necessary but now it turned out it might be.
"Move on slowly," she wispered to the others, "concealment works on all senses."
-
Snow shudders involuntarily at the sight of the creature. She is very glad that Sammy has concealed them.
-
O'Connor aimed his rifle at the vermin pile, as a precaution, but did nothing further. He'd seen this and worse in the Barrens, so he was unfazed by the sight of the pitiful creature before them.
-
Clementine also took out her SMG and was ready to shoot at a moment's notice, but keeps as quiet and as stealthy as she could, following the others out of the area.
-
About an hour of careful movement and quietly waiting out observed threats brings the runners into the full light of dawn before they find a point suitable for crossing back. They find a McHugh’s just opening up and blend in with the few other early risers testing their GI tract with bricklike breakfast fare and caustically hot soykaf.
Guiles will be quick to arrange a pick-up when contacted, no questions asked, and the other vehicle will be picked up later, once the scene has cleared.
-
Over breakfast, Snow looks at the others as she stifles a yawn. "I hope that I am not the only one to be glad that we have the rest of the day off. Once we get back to the hotel I am going to take a shower to wash the drek of the last few hours away then climb into bed. I hope that the chip we recovered is all there was."
-
O'Connor sat in a nearby alleyway, keeping an eye on the weapons that were too large to conceal. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, glad that the run was almost over. To keep himself awake, he kept loading and unloading rounds into one of the Predator clips he acquired from the goons.
-
Snow grabs an extra breakfast and takes it outside to Con. Sitting down next to him, she hands him the take-away and eats in a companionable silence.
-
Desperado shows up after about an hour in a passenger van, the markings identifying it a shuttle for The Alternative Hotel. When you pile in his first question is “What happened to your ride?”
You give him minimal details, but he seems to be in the know. “Oh, the strip club raid was you? That’s legit.” He places a call to someone and when he hangs up tells you, “It will be at the hotel when we get there, no sweat. Seems like we both had an interesting night…”
The big metahuman then begins to give you a play-by-play of his evening, in great detail, as he drives you to the studio to meet your Johnson.
-
Clem got into the ride, but not after grabbing a soykaf. Fatigue was slowly creeping up on her, and her wound was weighing on her mind more than her body. She didn't want to share any details with Desperado, but she wasn't rude enough to let him know she wasn't interested in his evening. She simply pretended to listen to him, nodding here and there, her mind slowly winding down.
[spoiler]Posted almost at the same time as others, so edited the whole thing ;)[/spoiler]
-
Between the soykaf and the rush of having fooled the cop, Sam was feeling much better, and was more than happy to swap tales with Desperado on the ride back. Naturally, at least half of what he said wasn't true, but Desperado was no stranger to the boasting game; neither felt the need to probe the other's tales to discern truth from "enhancement".
-
Sitting in the van, Snow just sits quietly, holding her hands in her lap, hoping that the others do not see that they are shaking. She tries to sit back and relax, gathering her thoughts and emotions.
-
The soycaf Sammy had while waiting for their ride had certainly not been the best, but also not the worst she ever had. When shooting on location out in the boonies the catering could be horrible. She agreed with Snow that a bad and bed, in that order, would be a very good idea. She also sent a message to Marcus that she would be staying away a bit longer and not to break down the house in the meantime.
When Desperado arrived, she took a seat in the back. She turned to Clem.
"It's difficult to do it in a moving vehicle, but as soon as we're in the hotel, I'm going to have a look at those wounds, okay."
-
O'Connor had been grateful when Snow brought him food, and was a bit surprised she stayed rather than return to the group. The soycaf helped perk him back up a bit and it wasn't half bad in his opinion. In the van, he noticed that the usually chatty hacker was almost dead silent. He nudged her with his knee and mouthed, "You okay?"
-
Snow looks up at the nudge. Shaking her head, she mouths "No" and lifts her shaking hands a couple of inches so that he can see them and hopes that the others are too busy with their own thoughts to notice.
-
O'Connor furled his brow in confusion, she'd seemed fine up to this point, *The fight didn't seem to faze her earlier. What's got her so strung out?* He wasn't quit sure what to do about the situation though, comforting people wasn't exactly a skill he'd perfected. He awkwardly reached out and took her hand. He wasn't really sure what else to do to calm her down, especially without getting the attention of the others.
-
Snow gives Con a smile and gently squeezes his hand in unspoken thanks for his concern. She gives a small sigh and her hands stop shaking. Smiling, she closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep with her small hand still in Con's larger one.
-
"It's nothing serious but thanks" answered Clem to Sammy, a smile appearing briefly on her face. As she turns her head back, Clementine notices Snow and O'Connor holding hands, but decides not to stare and look away. This was a side she never could have imagined the adept had.
*I guess everyone can soften up under the right circumstances* thought the ork, wondering if she had looked like that in her days when she was dating Matthew, her ex-boyfriend. Although she had always thought she didn't need to tie herself down, her mind couldn't help but wonder if one day she would also find someone that would hold her hands in moments of stress.
-
The Studio seems quiet, though there is some life moving around. There’s a limo and a truck in the parking lot when you pull in. Two Pathfinder Multimedia bodyguards are standing at the doors of Studio 8, which is a little off from the normal security. They check your IDs before opening the door, refusing you entry as a group until they check each one.
One of the bodyguards escorts you inside. You are led to one of the internal buildings, where you meet Guiles in an office in a corner of the studio. Next to him is Miss Daee, looking a little tired. Her eyes are red from crying. Guiles nods to the bodyguard, and he leaves the room.
“You found it?” says Guiles, waiting for you to present the footage.
-
Snow sits quietly through the remainder of the ride. She whispers a quiet "Thank you," to Con as they exit the van. She is profoundly glad that her shakes were only temporary. Once in the room with the agent and the starlet, she lets others do the talking.
-
Sammy had put on the camera on her goggles before going into the meeting, but at this moment she would only record, not broadcast.
"Yes, we did, sir," Sammy said, taking the stick and putting it on the desk, somewhere between Christy and Guiles and in the middle of the table.
-
Sam elaborated. "Bacchus has gone to ground, but he's going to have some trouble if he wants to keep doing this sort of thing. We dismantled a significant portion of his system, and last we saw, the cops were about to search the building as well. Given that we didn't bother closing the hidden door, I'd expect that they found what was left of the system, and the stuff that those guys were up to isn't what most cops are going to be willing to ignore, even if you bribe them. I know that's not what you hired us for, but I thought you--"he smiled gently to Christy--"might appreciate hearing that."
-
O'Connor gave a nod to Snow as final reassurance before they made their way to the Johnson. He kept to the rear of the group, letting Sammy and Torley handle things.
-
"The cops? You mean the PCC authorities? I was expecting something a little more...subtle. Well, Horizon/Pathfinder will want their people involved, where was his 'system' located? Who else is involved? This is the only copy, correct?" Guiles had moved to pickup the stick as he talked and passed it to Christy.
-
Sam was nonplussed. "You hired us for speed and results; you even explicitly stated that collateral damages weren't an issue. Would you like us to replay the conversation so you can confirm?" He gave a quick shrug. "Regardless, that is what you asked for. Snow can tell you more about the details, but we're confident that that's the only copy."
-
"Collateral damage to the persons responsible. But I am sure that Christy does appreciate your haste, what about this 'system's location? Who is Bacchus working with?"
-
Clem spoke up. "Seems he was working with a gentleman's club under the protection of the Puebs. Not sure if they actually knew about the scam or the arrangement, but the club manager sure knew about it."
-
"Is it really going to be that difficult to get a name and location from you?" Guiles looks irritated/
-
Snow looks at Clem and nods. She will take follow her lead, but is not against sharing this information.
-
"The Derma" said Clem, stone-faced and emotionless. She nodded to Snow, as to say to her to send the location of the place.
[spoiler]It actually took me a while to find the name of this place ;)[/spoiler]
-
"They had some sort of laser rig from the roof of the Cinder to the Derma," Sammy said, "quite old technology. The girls in the Derma were also filmed and I had the feeling they didn't really like that very much."
-
Guiles doesn’t verify the contents. He simply hands it over to Miss Daee.
Christy Daee, with great deliberation, sets it back on the table and pulls out a hammer. She gives the chip a few blows with the hammer. Then, she starts crying and gives it a few more whacks. With tears coming down her cheeks, she exits the
room
The security guard comes back in with a small crucible. Guiles brushes the chip debris into his hand and dumps it into the crucible. As the crucible heats up, the pieces begin to smoke and melt.
Guiles looks you over after the crucible completely destroys the recording, then reaches into his jacket and places a leather case containing 5 credsticks. Laying them on the table, he gives them a deliberate tap. “This incident never happened. Good day.”
Guiles and the security guard walk out of the room, taking the crucible with them, leaving you in the office with the acrid
smell of burnt plastic.
-
Sam remained quiet throughout the spectacle. Once the room had emptied out, he slipped one of the credsticks into his pocket and said, "Well, that went pretty well, considering. Guess we're back to guard duty until they need us again. Ladies, once you're rested up, see if you can put together some sort of Pito-show out of this? Might help us get more stuff to do. I'll trust you three to make the necessary edits."
-
Clem checks one of the credsticks to make sure everything is there. She then announces to the group, but Torley more particularly, that "I recorded the whole thing. If anyone's good with editing, they could make this whole thing look cool without compromising anyone."
-
Snow also takes one of the credsticks and slots it to get the balance. She quietly says, "I could give it a try, but right now I am a bit disappointed in my skill set so far. I know that I came on all able to do this and do that, but it appears that my hacking skills, while maybe better than some, need a lot of work and my software really needs improvement. I hope all of you can forgive me for making as ass of myself when we first met."
-
"I've also been recording," Sammy said as she took the credsticks and distributed them to the team, "and I'm sure we can make something out of it. I do suggest we get a few more cameras, so we can cover more angles. Some very small ones we can stick on a wall somewhere. It can give us coverage while on the run and footage for after the run. And I can generate publicity for ourselves by using my Samantha Delavine account to link to the footage. Maybe a couple of other runner shows as well to cover up that I actually belong to this one. But first a bad and a bed, in that order."
-
O'Connor took his credstick and checked the balance. The burned i.ds and papers were going to be costly to replace, but then again he could also burn through this credstick and maybe get back with those two girls from the club. He had a truly monumental decision to make. Either way, he need sleep soon, so pushed off the decision for afterwards. He nodded and mumbled in agreement with the others when they voiced their common need for shower and bed.
-
On the way back to the hotel, Snow looks at the others. "So. Are we off until tomorrow, then? It is a bath and then bed for me. After I wake up I might look for some place to get some new software to play with. Any issues with me going out or should we stick together?"
-
"You do what you want to do on your own time" said Clem with a shrug of the shoulders. She herself was planning on resting and getting her things in order before the next day of work.
-
Snow looks at her boss. "Got it, and thanks. However, I would like to go to your room with you right now as I really should look at that wound before it gets worse. Maybe we can get Sammy in to put some mojo on it as well after I am done. It just does not pay to let that sort of thing go untreated as it might throw you off your game if you let it fester. No arguments, please."
-
"She's right, Clem," Sammy said, "and tomorrow, or better, later today, I'm going to see for some of those small cameras. And maybe visit a friend I have here, if she has the time."
-
What Snow and Sammy were saying made sense and Clem knew it. She hated displaying any signs of weakness, but there was no point in refusing medical help once everyone was safely back home. "Yeah, alright" said the ork as she motioned for Snow to follow her upstairs.
Clementine didn't know what she would do the next day and that got her thinking. The team was back on their main contract, which meant they would probably spend some boring days waiting for time to go by. But she wanted to be sure her team was prepared, so she decided she would go down and evaluate the perimeter, get a sense of the surroundings and prepare herself a few contingency plans. After all, she reasoned, strategy mostly came down to good training and careful planning.
-
Snow follows Clem to her room, stopping off at hers to get the better aid kit. Once in Clem's room, she readiies her first aid kit while waiting for the other woman to disrobe so she can see the wounds. Without comment, she takes care of the wounds, her medical experience telling her that they are not serious. Still, as she had said earlier, they should not go untreated.
[spoiler]First Aid (http://orokos.com/roll/319165): 15d6t5 4 Fragging crappy rolls. At least it is not a glitch.[/spoiler]
Snow patches up the wound but is not terribly satisfied. "You should let that heal a bit. I will be back later after we both get some rest and will look at it then to be sure everything is alright. No extreme exercise for you for a couple of days."
-
Clem finds the studio mostly bare, a few custodians and a couple of ADs trying to get a jump on their schedules. While examining a crack near the floor of the storage area to ensure that it doesn't go through the wall, she dozes off for about an hour, she realizes that good preparation also extends to getting enough rest and heads back to the hotel.
On the way back she notes a blip on her commlink, Bacchus finally posted while she was dozing:
Diabo Verde is da bomb!
10:12 a.m.: Just ate bacon/egg flavored krill breakfast burrito. It’s a good start to the day for only four nuyen. The burritos are very spicy—wakes up the sinuses! Wish he sold beer. Here’s a link to Verde’s roach coach. Anyone else like Verde’s? Message me. If not, fuck off!!
-
Snow shakes her head as she leaves Clem's room. *Frag it. I am so tired.." Back in her own room she quickly strips and stands under the hot water in the shower until the dirt, grime, and fear of the morning are washed away. She resolves to try to get something done about her software suite after she wakes up.. Wrapped in a towel, she stands goes out to the small balcony to look out over the vista. *So fragging far from home and no closer to finding her. I will bring shame to myself and the family and the Vory and there is only one penalty for that.*
After a few minutes in the cool breeze, she moves to the bed and climbs between the sheets for some sleep.
-
As she had said, Sammy took a long bath, just soaking in the water and checking things on the Pito. After she was completely relaxed, she went to bed. The following morning at breakfast she started to go through her recordings to see what might be interesting to put on the Pito show. While she had been the actress, not the director, she had done enough behind the scenes stuff to have some idea on what to select to make it look nice. She would just need Snow's help to edit it into a good looking show.
She send a text to Snow:
Can you help me with the Pito show and also to go out to select some extra small cameras we can use.
-
It is amazing what a few hours of sleep can accomplish in restoring one's energy. Snow rises and is dressing when Sammy's text comes across. She immediately responds, >>Hey. Thanks for asking. Glad to help any way I can. When and where do you want to meet. I am just getting dressed and can be out of my door in a few minutes.<< After sending the text, Snow finishes dressing. She is wearing an extremely demure blouse and calf-length skirt. She applies a very little makeup and finishes off with a pair of reading glasses before heading out the door to meet Sammy.
-
O'Connor returned to the hotel nearly catatonic. He took a quick shower, any longer and he'd have fallen asleep in the tub. After crashing out, O'Connor mulled over how to spend his day off. While getting dressed he sent off a message to the girls he'd met the night before, Brenda and Bridgett, <<Hey ladies, sorry again about last night. Finished the job though, in record time. Now I can't think of two lovelier ladies to spend the paycheck on.>>
-
Sam felt much better after spending much of the morning/early afternoon resting in the hotel. He preferred the evenings, anyhow. Once he got up, he sent Sammy a message. You know anyone in the area that could help us with supplies? I need a new persona, and I think Con might need one as well.
-
I'm at a late breakfast Sammy send back to Snow, I'll be in the lobby.
As soon as Snow was downstairs, they took a taxi to the city center where Sammy knew some shops where they could buy some micro cameras and microphones. They would have short range, but could record and retrieved later. It turned out to be much easier to find than she had expected, although in LA were everybody was spying on everybody it was logical to find these things.
she was just looking for a place to have a late lunch when she got the message from Sam. She thought about it for a moment and decided that her ex-agent might know. It had been her who had come up with the Samantha ID.
I might know someone. Let me see if she's available and can help us out. I'll keep you informed. she texted back.
Then she turned to Snow.
"Sam just asked me if I knew someone for a new ID for him and Con," she said, "I think I know someone, but I'll have to confirm she can and will be able to help us. I'll try to set up a meeting, but I'll probably have to go alone. Can you find your way back to the hotel?"
[spoiler]
I'm buying 3 micro sensor packages with camera and 3 micro sensor package with microphone. At 100 nuyen for the camera and 50 for the microphone, the lot will cost me 450 nuyen. They have a signal rating of 2, which is not much, but I assume they have some memory to store if they can't send immediately.
not sure if Snow will buy some as well.
[/spoiler]
-
Snow enjoys the outing with Sammy very much and is a bit sad when it is over. She nods, "Sure, I can find a way back. I think I will stay out for a bit longer and look around a bit. Thank you for asking me along. I really enjoyed it. We should still get together later to work on that Pito feed. Call me when you get back."
-
Snow goes into the restaurant and sits down at a small table. Examining the menu, she selects a salad and laughs at how stereotypical that is. While waiting for the food, she skims her commlink for any places close to her that might sell software upgrades for her suite.
-
O'Connor had actually planned on taking the girls out. They nixed that idea however when he met up with them in the hotel lobby. Bridgette jumped into his arms and did her damnedest to suck his tongue out of his mouth as Brenda grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him back towards the elevator.
-
After leaving Snow, Sammy contacted Jenny. She picked up quite quickly for a busy agent.
"hey Jenny," Sammy said, "it's me, Sammy."
"Oh, hey, how are you?"
"Fine, back in Tinseltown for a while. I need a favour from you. Can we meet somewhere?"
"I know you're back. Just a moment, let me check my agenda... how about tonight, at your hotel. I know which one. Say around eight?"
"That's fine, I'll be there."
Next Sammy called Melissa, who turned out to be free that afternoon. Together they went to a new shopping mall that Melissa knew adn they spent the afternoon window shopping and chatting. Melissa still couldn't understand why Sammy didn't want to work in the trid anymore as she could make a lot more money for a lot less danger. And Sammy couldn't explain well that she liked the thrill of real danger, instead of standing in front of a green cloth where they would add a lot of stuff in later, even if it was safer. But they were still friends and when she went back to her hotel, she was fully up to date with the latest gossip about the big trid stars.
She had mentioned on her Delavine Pito that she would be talking to her agent tonight, sending off speculation about which movies she would be in next. She knew that Jenny would like the attention it got her. She arrived just before eight to see Jenny already in the bar. They took a secluded spot and Jenny did put on her white noise generator. After some small talk, Jenny came to the point.
"So, you're finally back," Jenny started, "I've had a look in my database, and I think I have just the role for you to get started again."
"Jenny, I'm not here to start acting again," Sammy said, "now that I've done the real work, I find it much more interesting to just talking about it. I like what I do now."
"But you could be big," Jenny said, "and what you do now is dangerous. What about your brother should something happen to you?"
"He's almost grown up," Sammy replied, "but I simply can't do it anymore. It's all just so fake. No offence meant."
"I know it is, dear," Jenny said with a smile, "and I won't say it doesn't grate on me from time to time. Which is why I do this. But are you sure you want to run around at night shooting people in the face for money?"
The old prejudice on shadowrunners, Sammy thought.
"I have never shot anybody in the face for money," Sammy said, "some do, but I don't. I defend myself, but I don't go just shooting people. And even if defending, I'll try to use stunbolts to knock people unconscious instead of killing them. No, this is what I would like to do. I don't want to be just another pretty girl chasing the same roles and then discarded when I become too old."
To this Jenny could only nod. It was still something that women had more issues with than the men.
"So what is it you need," Jenny asked.
"I know you got me the Samantha Delavine ID," Sammy said, "in our crew some are in need of new IDs. At least two, and maybe 3 or 4. Could you get me in contact with the people who create those IDs?"
Jenny looked somewhat uncomfortable, "That was actually a Horizon resource, of the books of course, but I don't know if I can swing this for your friends. I can contact him and ask, but you would have to deal with the money end of things."
She makes a couple of calls, and after some horse-wrangling gets the name. She makes another call and talks to the person , and sets it up. "Okay, the guy will come by the studio tomorrow, so have your money on you."
-
"I will tell my associates," Sammy said, "thanks. Another one?"
She pointed at the glass and when Jenny nodded, she signaled the waiter to get two more drinks. Next she quickly sent a message to the team that if they wanted some extra IDs, she had arranged to meet someone the next day at the studio, but that it probably wouldn't be cheap.
-
Clem red Sammy's message and thought to herself. *Fake ID, huh? Could be useful, just in case.* She then decided to go out and get herself one of those cheap/disposable commlinks to accommodate that new ID.
[spoiler]Just getting one of the disposable commlinks, so I imagine it shouldn't be a real problem.[/spoiler]
-
With most of the day to rest you head back to Studio 8 at eight in the morning. The soundstage has been revamped to look like the Himalayas again, but with real stone this time. Big Ben requests the big box. Inside it is a Thunderstruck Gauss Rifle. You
wonder how the hell Slade picked up that one.
By one o’clock, the set is ready. As the scene is laid out, Jenny Freelancer has caught up with the competition at the Tibetan temple past the undead army. While they are busy figuring out the puzzle to get the Sextant of Worlds, Jenny ambushes the rigger and pulls out the rifle. Lots of real explosions—big ones— and real armored stuntmen flying all over the place.
In the midst of all this excitement, a man approaches the storage room carrying a briefcase. Walking up to Sammy he says, "Ms Starflinger said that you and your group were interested in exciting stock options we can provide, can we step onto the room and discuss things?"
-
Snow is staying in that room, trying to make sure that the matrix setup has not changed in the day she was gone. She checks to see if more of the little bugs or any of their cousins have mysteriously shown up. If Sammy brought the Pito strip with her, they can work on editing it.
-
Sammy had been working on the pito thing with Snow while they were guarding. She did do an astral tour every ten minutes or so, but they had time to get a nice pito show out of the ground. When the man showed up, she brought him to a small office that was currently not in use and she texted the rest of the team that there was someone with 'stock options', using a code they had agreed to after Jenny had told her that the person she would send would be using those words.
-
Snow is as pleased with the Pito effort as Sammy is. "So how and when do we put this out?"
Snow has two secondary IDs already, but she is willing to look at the quality the man has. He might prove a good contact if she does manage to get something going with the Vory. She enters the small room when it is her turn to do so and examines his work. Her funds are limited and she is saving for software upgrades, to include a good Tacnet.
-
As Sammy follows the man into the weapons room, she sees him open his case, which contains various devices to record retinal scans, images and prints.
"Ms Delavine, I hope you understand this is not something I do everyday, my position within Horizon could be severely jeopardized by this kind of extracurricular activity. I expect to be well compensated." He removes a piece of hardcopy from a pocket of his case. Handing it to you, he continues, "I took the liberty of outlining a few tiers of security for these, the baseline obviously is a simple discardable SIN, I have a couple of blanks I can leave with your group today. The next level is what I set you up with to bring you into Horizon. There are several levels between the two, but they really aren't worth the effort. There are additional levels, which you can add, but they will take more time to put things into the proper databases, obviously these come with liscensing for whatever you need."
OOC: Disposables can be had for cost, minimum level for anything else is 4, with availability time based on book numbers with the increase in price for quicker work. He is asking for a 30% increase in price for the custom work.
-
"I definately would like good quality," Sammy said, "complete with attached licences, of which I have three. Say one of your regular good ones and one with some extras. Of course we understand that good quality takes time, but how much time are we talking about?"
She was sure that this wasn't the first time he did this kind of thing for runners.
-
With no money to spend, the man is not overly eager to show his wares. Snow is allowed a peek at a couple of the lower end IDs. She is impressed and tells him so, which earns her a sarcastic smile as if to say that he already knows that and buzz off if you are not going to buy. Snow returns to her job in the main storage room, continuing the endless search for new bugs.
-
After listening to the man describe his wares and his prices for a while, Sam smiled. The guy clearly knew his stuff. "This all sounds very good. It's always a pleasure to work with someone who understands what people need and knows how to get it. That expertise is always worth paying a little extra for." With an apologetic shrug to indicate that it wasn't personal, he continued. "But we, too, need to make a living. We are bringing you a significant amount of work; even at a lower price, you'll still be doing very well today." The negotiations took a while; both Sam and the man seemed to enjoy the process almost as much as the results, going back and forth, haggling over details, mixing flattery with honest compliments, and so on. At the end, they agreed to a rate that was ten percent over the man's costs, and both were satisfied.
-
After placing his order, O'Connor handed Torley a credstick with the forger's original bid with instruction to return the remainder after haggling the guy down. He returned to the storage room and planted himself on one of the cases for a short power nap. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, not that he was complaining. Before conking out for a bit, he checked in with Snow, "We still in the clear?"
-
Snow nods, "Yes. No new bugs as yet. I am running scans every few minutes to catch things that might be running silent and waking up on remote or on a timer." She looks up at the man, "You did good at the club."
-
O'Connor nodded with a large grin, "Not hard with these rugged good looks. Helps that they were prowling for a rough and tumble kinda guy." He turned the subject back on Snow, "Kinda suprised you hooked up with the tech. Talk about a guy scoring way outside his league."
-
Back out on the set of the movie , around two, and after a half-dozen takes, Big Ben calls for a break. Pandora is handed a towel and water bottle. She sees Clementine and Torley on the job, waves to them and walks over.
“Hey guys!” she says, hitting them hard with her megawatt smile. You have yet to get over the shock of being so close to Pandora—even Torley, with his magical talents, finds it hard not to be drawn in by the star's charisma—and now she’s also talking directly to the two of you! “You guys kinda work for me now right? Could you do me a teensy little favor?”
She sits down next to them and talks a little lower, “I am starving! I’d kill for an Organwich Works special with extra avocado, but I’m under this contract with Horizon.” She waves her hands as she gets a little flustered trying to figure out how to explain it. “There’s politics involved, and it basically boils down to avoiding giving the Organwich Sandwich free advertising by having me being recorded with one, plus the craft services people, and the sponsors..... " She throws up her beautiful hands in surrender. "Would you mind getting me two Organwich Sandwich specials with extra avocado? Please? But we have to keep it just between us, just you and the team, --- our own little shadowrun!!”
-
Snow looks at Con. "Thank you so much for saying that. It does mean a lot. But the tech guy was providing a valuable service and my finances are a bit tough right now. I paid in a coin he wanted and would accept." She nods over to where Pandora is sitting down with Sam and Clem. "So what is so special about that woman. Pretty, yes, but lots of women are pretty. What is it, do you know?"
-
Awestruck as she was, Clem did give Torley an incredulous look after hearing what Pandora wanted them to do. *A sandwich run?* thought the ork as she turned back around and tried to smile at Pandora, her efforts visible to the pair in front of her. "I guess we could spare someone to get that for you" said Clementine, trying her best not to let her disappointment show through her disguise.
-
O'Connor raised an eyebrow, "No disrespect, but you're rather generous with your 'coin' then. The way you had that dweeb wrapped around your finger, he would've crawled through monofilament wire for a kiss." He shrugged at her question, "How does anyone famous get there? Sammy's the one to ask about that. Anyway, I'm taking a power nap. Mind waking me if I sleep through my alarm or if Clem comes calling? I really don't need her bitching me out over a few winks." With that he set his alarm for 15 minutes, rolled over on the crate and dozed off.
-
Snow nods and lets Con go to sleep, setting her own watch in case he sleeps through his alarm. She considers what he has said then shakes her head. No, her experiences as a corporate hostess girl and Vory prostitute have taught her that her body is a tool and that sex is a tool. The tech might have been willing to do all of that for a kiss, but now he would more fondly remember the evening and might do something else for her later. If the cost to her is sex with the man, it is a good trade. She is quite skilled in bedroom techniques and is more than willing to share her skill set.
-
Sammy stayed behind to make sure that the guy understood what they wanted, to arrange for the payment for her own IDs (she had some credsticks) and then arrange for pick-up of the IDs as soon as they were ready. It would according to the man take between one and two weeks, which was something she thought logical for high quality work. They had always told her you could have it cheap, fast or good, pick two. And since they wanted quality and not pay more than regular rates, they would have to wait.
As soon as the man had gone, she went back to the studio as well, first doing another astral check and as it was a break, chatting with people, both crew and actors.
-
Snow looks over at Con as her internal clock lets her know that the 15 minutes has passed. She goes over to him and gives him a gentle shake.
-
Awestruck as she was, Clem did give Torley an incredulous look after hearing what Pandora wanted them to do. *A sandwich run?* thought the ork as she turned back around and tried to smile at Pandora, her efforts visible to the pair in front of her. "I guess we could spare someone to get that for you" said Clementine, trying her best not to let her disappointment show through her disguise.
Pandora reads Clem's look and continues to smile warmly, "I know that it may seem silly, if anyone in this town would it's me, but you have to understand what the stakes can be for something like this in my position. A sponsor's contract is a serious piece of business, runners here make a living forging evidence of this kind of breach. I wouldn't risk it if I didn't trust you all, and you are the only ones I would in this building right now, but if you had one of those Specials you would believe me that they were worth the risk, in fact, let me treat you guys, anything you want." She presses a credstick into the ork's hands.
-
Sam was as incredulous as Clem at the starlet's request, but he was even more dumbfounded when the orc actually agreed. Does Pandora really understand what we do? We're not errand boys who will get you a sandwich from the corner deli for a smile and five nuyen! he thought to himself, carefully keeping his outward demeanor as calm as possible.
-
She spotted Pandora talking to Clem and Sam, so she wandered over there. Some of those stars were very touchy and while Sam was one of the best talkers she had met, he was on unfamiliar ground and she didn't want any problems because a simstar was a bit touchy.
Good afternoon, miss Pandora," she said, "all is well?"
-
Snow made sure that Con was stirring then went back to sit down against the wall and continues her periodic scans for bugs. She had been interested in what was going on with the starlet, but had heard enough to know it involved a sandwich run, something she found hilarious. She stayed where she was because she did not think Clem would appreciate her laughing at the concept. Here she was almost out of the line of sight of the others and perhaps out of mind for a bit. Snow is still smarting over the flubs she had made the previous day and needed some alone time to try to figure out how to avoid the same errors the next time out.
-
Pandora turned to her with a bit of a pout, "Not really, Richard told me you have done some work here in Cali, maybe you can explain to your friends how important this really is." she looks at the other two, then her pout turns a little bit angry. "Look, you work for Richard, so just get it done, okay?" With that, the stands up and marches off, pulling out a pair of shades that probably costs a year's rent for most of you. Putting them on she marches to a make-up chair and sits, with her comm pulling up reading material. You think you see a tear starting fall before she turns the chair away.
-
"What does she wants," Sammy asked when Pandora has gone. When she got her answer, she looked at the star.
"it's not that bad," she said, "in fact, it could be a lot worse. I know a good place not to far from here that makes great Organwich Works specials. And she's right, they're quite good. How much has she given you?"
-
"I can't believe you two're actually talking about doing this. Not only is this trivial--a sandwich? Really?--but she's just told us that it'd be a violation of her contract, and that runners get paid to fake drek like this. Not to mention that we just went through a rather unpleasant night trying to help another starlet deal with when she did something she didn't want publicly known." Sam shook his head. "Look, I'm all in favor of having a steady stream of jobs, but if those jobs are a result of the Johnson--or someone close to him--being an idiot, count me out."
-
"That's how jobs go in this town," Sammy said, "and yes, it sound's stupid, but stuff like that get's you other jobs. And she's right about those contracts. I used to have some of those as well when I worked in her spot. She's also one of the people who can make or break our reputation at this studio. And if our reputation at this studio is wrecked, it's also wrecked at other studios. And the only thing we have to do is to get a sandwich. I can tell you, I've seen runners go for a lot worse. Look, think of it as checking out the perimeter of the studio and while you were doing that, you got hungry and got yourself a sandwich and you brought some for other people. I wouldn't mind getting one of those as well. They're quite good, although I don't like the extra avocado. If you don't want to go, I'll go. I'll just have to summon a spirit to guard the astral while I'm gone."
She had to find a way to make them understand that this kind of things happened here and were to be taken seriously. In fact, a sandwich was just a simple one. It could have been awakened drugs. At least when you were stopped by the police with a couple of sandwiches in your car you wouldn't be arrested.
-
"Fine, I'll go" said Clem, wanting to cut short this conversation. She had paid her dues in her past life and she knew that sometimes you needed to take care of the boring stuff I order to climb the ladder. Besides, the team needed to eat lunch as well and it would be a good change of pace over staying out in front of a room waiting for something that would or wouldn't come.
She slid the credstick in her pocket and said to the team [I'm going on an errand for our customer, I'll be back in a short while. Just make sure no one else leaves the equipment while I'm away, and keep me updated if anything happens.]
-
Snow nods to herself before replying. >>Snow here. Order is understood.<<
-
O'Connor nodded to Snow in thanks for waking him. He saw Clem's text and asked Snow, "What I miss?" While listening to her reply O'Connor pulled his rifle out of the team's case. As the insistence of a studio rep, he'd kept it put away since "it made people uncomfortable." He had a feeling that the tech Krenshaw had complained, but he wasn't going to risk the run arguing the issue. With the other heavy hitter out on errands however, he didn't give a rat's hoop about the comfort of some nervous nellies.
He waved Sammy and Torley over to him. They'd agreed that in Clem's absence he was leader, time to see if they'd follow through. He casually loaded his rifle and ran diagnostic checks as he handed out marching orders, "Snow says we're in the clear digitally. Sammy, I want an astral sweep of the building. Torley, chum it up with site security. If they run into issues, I want to know about it that second."
-
Can you bring me one as well, but without the extra avocado Sammy texted to Clem, use mine as a cover for hers.
When O'Connor started giving orders, she balked at first, but she realised it was agreed that he would be in charge. About the only thing was that he was telling her how to do her job, as he was also magically active. Probably couldn't see the astral.
"I do my astral patrols at random times," she said, "so it's more difficult for any intruders to slip through. Say, you're magically active. You want to learn how to see the astral? The same goes for you, Sam."
It wouldn't be a bad thing to have someone else who could see the astral.
-
O'Connor turned to Sammy, "Well I want you to do another sweep, now. We're down a heavy hitter at the moment, and I don't want any surprises." After all his checks came back green, O'Connor swung the rifle over his shoulder. He gave a disinterested shrugged at the mage's suggestion, "Maybe, but my skills and powerset are solely physical, so I'm not sure dabbling with the mystic side over further enhancement is a great idea. 'Sides don't astral sight cost a fair bit of mojo for adepts?"
-
"I knew an adept who was able to do it, so it must be possible," Sammy said, "And he said he learned from a mage. But I'm not sure how much of your potential this will take. It will be some work though, to learn to shift your perception. And speaking of shifting perceptions, I'll go and do another sweep."
She first went to Pandora and if she was alone, let her know they were taking care of the 'extra'. Then she took a quiet seat and did another astral sweep.
[spoiler]
looking around in the astral is I assume assensing:
intuition 3 + assensing 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4865714/)
I'm not sure if you get the +3 for actively looking like with normal perception?
[/spoiler]
-
As Sally Sue on the advertisement says, “The ingredients come straight from the farm to the deli!” You have to wonder if that includes the sliced ham and turkey. There are only three Organwich Sandwich Deli stores in LA: one in Fun City, one in Escondido and, as promised, one just a few minutes away downtown.
Arriving at your destination, the store is not hard to find. The large barn-like facade sticks out in this urban environment. You also notice that your link is offering up coupons at Organwich Sandwich for two free toppings for fifteen centimeter or longer subs, and a free large nutri-water with any purchase of a thirty-centimeter sub. Even though it’s past lunchtime, there are still ten people waiting in line. This gives you time to review the AR menu and possibly pre-order your food. The smell of freshly baked bread makes your stomach growl. Not everything looks like real food, but with the smells coming out of the kitchen, who cares?
-
Clem reviews the order Pandora wanted and makes sure she orders exactly what the starlet had asked, with the extra avocado and all. She then orders a mix of whatever looks appetizing for the rest of the team, making sure she has enough for everyone.
-
Thought you guys would appreciate seeing this...
-
So, you are back on the set at 2:30 with the sandwiches that you smuggled in, and you soon see Pandora sitting off the set. She’s changed clothes and is now wearing a long red trench coat and mirrored shades. She sees you, stands and walks toward you, carrying a large bag left purposefully open.
You get the gist—she wants a secret handoff of the sandwiches. Gritting your teeth at the silliness of it you drop them covertly into her bag, then her glasses depolarize briefly and she gives you a wink, continuing to walk toward her dressing room.
For the next hour, you eat a late lunch while watching the movie people build scenery. Clem is conflicted, her professional pride is still injured, but the approving wink of Pandora went a long way toward soothing her ire.
As for the scenery, you realize the techs have been building another set on the other side of the mountain. Curiosity is satisfied professionally as you walk around the mountain and fake snow drifts, ostensibly to check security in that part of the building. you find yourself in a small jungle edging onto a Central American–looking temple, probably supposed to be Aztec, though you’re pretty sure that the large head sculptures are Olmec
-
Without really thinking, Snow gives Clem a warm thank you in Japanese when she drops off lunch. It is not half bad, but the hacker is busy with the latest scan and does not really notice it, in fact leaving about a third of it on the paper plate provided.
-
Crenshaw looks down from the second floor of the temple at you guys and shouts, “Hey! Can you bring the case with the macuahuitls and the obsidian knife? Big Ben wants a camera check before shooting tomorrow.”
Heading over to the room, you can hear Big Ben yelling on the commlink as he takes an occasional drink from a large thermos. “No! No! A week is too long. I need those T-birds ready in three days. A storm front is heading towards Denver and I want things ready to shoot when I get there.”
<Pause>
“Then don’t worry about it. I’ll call Casquilho Imports. A Mr. Costello has offered to provide T-birds when I shoot the Denver scene.”
<Long pause>
“That’s what I thought. Thanks, Slade.”
He sees you guys and waves, before walking over to his chair to eat some snack someone brought him. You grab the case from
the storage room and come back out.
At 3:34 p.m., chirps, beeps, and rings of commlinks go off simultaneously, getting their owners’ attention. Looking around, you see
every technician, stagehand, and caterer stop in their tracks and start operating their links. A couple of girls burst into tears. Big Ben looks dumbstruck, He drops his drink and leaves the set. All over P2.0 and viralling out into the Matrix is some heavy news:
Christy Daee is dead.
-
O'Connor, unlike the studio employees, was rather unaffected by the news. He whispered to the group, "Think we got another run coming down the pipeline?"
-
"I don't know but I don't see anything good coming out of this for us" said Clem, looking a bit worried. She turned to Torley and asked "Sammy, Torley, think you can find out what that means for us? If someone were to find out we were somehow connected to this woman the day before she died, that might attract unwanted attention on our party, and I'd rather know who's coming for us before they get here."
-
Snow cares. She did not know the girl, but it seemed that she was troubled. She looks at the Pito feeds to see if the cause of death is mentioned. She also sends a private note to Sammy. >>Sammy, you knew this girl, right? I am sorry for your loss. Is there anything I can do?<<
-
Sammy didn't know Christy Daee, at least not personally. In fact, yesterday was only the second time they had been in the same room, the first being the Oscar ceremony she had been at and where Christy had done a song.
"From what I can see there are some people who know," Sammy said, "first is the group we took that footage from, but they will not tell as that would bring too much attention on their own operation. The other is her manager. Maybe Snow can check to see if there was a copy of that footage and that it was released. Other than that we can't do much except keep our eyes open. And wait until they release the cause of death, as it is probably totally unrelated to what we've done yesterday."
-
Snow nods to herself and begins cruising the lanes of Pito feeds from earlier in the day. >>Team. Snow. I just had this really crazy sort of conspiracy idea. What if the agent is the bad guy here? He works with the people setting up the sex tape but is double-crossed. he hires us to get the tape so he can blackmail the girl with a copy of it. Sounds crazy, but the guy seemed slimy to me.<<
Snow stretches and goes for a bathroom break while running the scan of public Pito feeds. On the way back, she spots Crenshaw and gives him a smile and a wave, putting the fingers of one hand to her ear and mouth in the universal symbol to give her a call.
-
O'Connor rolled his eyes, "Y'all need to calm the frag down. Clem, our connection to the now rotting meat is that we were strong armed into doing a job by her agent at the insistence of her best friend. I think we're fine. And Snow, no, just no. This may be Hollywood, but I really doubt the guy is a b-grade villain with murky motives and a shaky plan."
-
With everything going on, you haven't given it much thought, but in the minutes after the announcement of the singer's death some strange traffic seems to be coming down. Being members of the matrix age you are all used to the occasional spam that comes your way, but the addition of the Pito traffic on your links has taken this stuff to the point of distraction.
O'Conner has had a steady stream of gun safety links and PSA's about gun violence statistics popping up in his feed that seem to coincide with checking his gear, and the night before there were some weird bits about drug use and unprotected sex that tried to mess with his party.
Clementine has noted that ever since coming back from with the sandwich shop she is getting a pop-up showing calorie counts on every RFID'd package she looks at.
The local matrix is abuzz with news of Daee, but any searches Snow initiates get redirected to tribute sites and promotional material, it is taking extra work to get to any hard news sites or investigation links.
Sammy keeps finding parts of the footage she is putting together on the team's run getting refiled to her recycle bin, and the spectacular shot she had of the stripper's arm getting broken seems to be gone entirely.
Sam hasn't really had any problems, mostly because his comms have been out all day other than direct texting.
-
"There's some weird shit going on on my commlink," She said, "Time to switch to the back-up."
She shut down her main commlink and started up the back-up. That one only had her SIN information and the Pito login (which she had put on both commlinks) and not much else. It would be annoying as it was a slower model, but that couldn't be helped right now. And even the best hacker couldn't do much with a commlink that was physically shut down, except maybe use it as paperweight.
"Snow, can you check this one tonight in a ... Faraday cage, wasn't it called like that?"
-
Snow feels a bit silly after Con's jolt back to reality. *Another fragging embarrassing comment from your fragging big mouth. Why can't you just learn to keep your mouth shut? Just frag and drek.* "Sure. I will check. Maybe my techie friend can hook me up. Let me go ask him. I have switched to my secondary comm as well. Lots slower but....... I will go look for the guy. Leaving the room.
She leaves the room to go look for Crenshaw.
-
…or at least she tries to. As she is walking away from the storage room she is met by Richard Fermin, “I need to speak with you and your team.” He says in a voice that doesn’t seem to acknowledge the existence of a negative reply.
He gathers up the rest of your group and takes you to the same office where you last saw Christy Daee alive. After you are all in, he locks the door and moves past the windows, activating the polarization for privacy, before sitting down at the head of the table. From his pocket he removes a shiny silver disk which he places on the table and lightly taps the top of. The high end white noise generator hums, the quickly goes supersonic. He rubs his fingers on the table on either side of the device and is distracted momentarily by the slight indents in the imitation wood.
“You probably have heard the news that Miss Daee is dead,” he says. “What hasn’t been released yet is that police consider it murder. Daee was found an hour ago, having died of asphyxiation due to a defective CHN in her apartment. Police have brought in para-forensics to the crime scene, which leads me to believe that magic was used.
He puts his link on the table and pulls a news headline. “In two hours, this news will be released. Andre Guiles has also been found dead. He was found at the bottom of a ravine southeast of The End of the World. “
He adjusts his suit in his seat. “I’ll be frank with you. Guiles hired you for some other job while down here. It doesn’t matter to me what the job was, and I don’t hold you responsible for Guiles’ death because of it. My problem is Daee. Guiles kept her home life very private. So much so, he employed several Daee look-alikes so the media wouldn’t know where she lived.”
He adjusts his suit again, obviously agitated by this event.
“I want to know how the killers found Daee. Did they torture Guiles or have some other inside information on our clients? Are the murders related to the job that Guiles wanted you to do? Is this retaliation against Guiles?”
He finally just stands up and walks around. “All of Charisma Associates is on high alert because of this. I’m offering you double your retainers to get me answers. This is your job now, your only job.”
-
Snow is quiet for a bit, then asks, "Is it certain that the real girl is dead and not one of the look-alikes?"
-
Fermin looks at the runner in a little bit of shock and then smiles, "A very good question, but unfortunately yes, we are sure. When both Andre and Christy were found dead, Charisma Associates accessed his files and contacted all of the hired lookalikes and confirmed their well being."
-
*Now our job description just changed to "detectives"* thought Clem as their Johnson was explaining things to them. She didn't want to spook him or put any unnecessary thoughts into his head, so she spared him her theories and simply asked "Do we have "carte blanche" on this investigation?"
-
"I don't ask about your methods, as long as it doesn't come back on Pandora and I, Charisma or Horizon, in that order. Get some answers about this, quickly."
-
O'Connor asked, "Got any leads besides yesterday's run? Known stalkers that might do this? Anything? And once we find the killer, are we bringing them in, or taking them out?"
-
"Can you get us on the locations," Sammy asked, "if there are magical auras, I have to check as quickly as possible. Or have access to the police reports checking the same."
-
O'Connor asked, "Got any leads besides yesterday's run? Known stalkers that might do this? Anything? And once we find the killer, are we bringing them in, or taking them out?"
"I don't have any leads to offer you, because you are already in possession of the only leads that the police don't have access to, the run that Guiles and Daee hired you for. I don't know what they are, and I don't want to know, I just want you to run them down." Fermin looks somewhat troubled, "This may seem a little cold, but I really don't care what happens to the killers, I need to know how they found Daee, it was supposed to be damn near impossible."
"Can you get us on the locations," Sammy asked, "if there are magical auras, I have to check as quickly as possible. Or have access to the police reports checking the same."
"No, I can't. The point of using you is that there is no public connection between us, if you absolutely need that kind of intel or access you will have to find a way to get it on your own, I can't be involved. The point is I need you checking the leads that the police don't have, the ones connected to your run night before last."
-
Snow clears her throat and in a small voice says, "It was clearly pointed out that my last conspiracy idea was drek, but we might still want to look into the guy who made the tapes. I think it is at least a place to start."
-
O'Connor smirked at the rest of his team, "I was considering tracking that goat freak down for fun, might as well get paid to do it."
-
Snow is surprised that someone has actually accepted her idea. She sits back, waiting for the plan and what her role in it will be.
-
Sammy shook her head. O'Connor reminded her of some people she met during her youth, before she managed to escape. It was clear to her that for him the adagio was applicable that you 'could take the hood out of the barrio, but you couldn't take the barrio out of the hood'.
"That might be indeed the only lead we have," Sammy said to the team before she turned to Fermin, "in the press releases there were no addresses where the killings took place. Can you please provide us with those addresses so we can, if needed, match people to a certain location. I'd rather not kill the wrong people."
-
Snow remembers something that has been nagging at her. Her voice is stronger, since the subject is in her line. "Is anyone still getting that interference on their commlinks? How are the secondary systems working out? Perhaps I can still set something up with that tech to help examine them."
-
"I would like that," Sammy said to Snow, "I didn't like the way my system was behaving. It should alert me to intruders. Well, if it really was a hacker and he was in full VR, he will have a headache now. But the system will have to be looked at and cleaned up. And maybe next paycheck invest in a bigger firewall."
She turned back to Fermin.
"Sorry, sir," she said, "Some glitch or other in my commlink. Bon, back to the mission at hand. As soon as I have the address, I'll hop over in the astral to see if I can find something there, like an astral trail I can follow."
-
Snow nods. "Mine is still acting up as well. The secondary is working better. If I can get the main commlink from everyone I can try to see if I can find and fix the issue. I have a couple of metas that I can pass out if someone only has the one."
She holds her hands to take the 'links and looks at the gathered team. "Unless anyone has any objections, I am off to look for Crenshaw. He might be able to help me work this out." Leaving the room, Snow goes looking for her tech friend.
-
Sam hadn't noticed anything unusual with his 'link, or, at least, more unusual than normal, so he just shrugged and handed it to Snow when she asked for it. "Let me know when we're ready to move. I'm going to go see what I can find out." So saying, he turned and left the room, scanning the various stars, starlets, and techs as he strolled around the set, looking for anyone who didn't seem to be reacting to the news in a usual manner, idly scanning conversations as he passed for anything that might point him in the right direction.
[spoiler]Crossbow, feel free to roll any necessary perception checks for Sam. I'm assuming his kinesics will help him read the body language of the people he's passing.[/spoiler]
-
As O'Connor exited with his team, he got a new influx of anger management and stress relief tips. He growled as he pulled out his commlink and started yelling at it, "I handle my anger and stress just fine. Killing the people that stress me out does wonders." He continued to give the device dirty looks, "The frag is up with this piece of drek? This thing is either trying to be a killjoy or is just mocking me. All day, nothing but firearms are dangerous and don't kill people. Last night it was all don't do drugs and always wear a condom. I'm about ready to put a bullet through the damn thing."
-
Giggling, Clem said "I'm stuck on calorie counts for everything I see myself" before handing her commlink to Snow.
-
Snow laughs softly at the comments from her team mates. She takes the 'links and goes looking for Crenshaw, starting at the location she had seen him before.
-
Snow finds Crenshaw still in the area where he was when the box with the weapons was taken for camera checks. He is huddled around a portable holoprojector with he others that were working with him watching a memorial rebroadcast of "Daee of the Rising Sun, Christy Daee live from the Tokyo Dome" from last year. Some of the others are crying openly, but Crenshaw just looks striken.
When he sees Snow he jumps up immediately and comes to her, wrapping her in as comforting a hug as his skinny arms would manage. While holding her, he says "Hey, sorry, I was going to come find you, but Colin had the holo and we all just got a little lost. How are you doing? Are you okay?" he asks, his voice full of concern.
-
Snow molds her body to his as he hugs her, making sure that her chest presses against his. She nods, a bit crestfallen. "I.....I barely knew her, but her music was very good. I only really just got to know her and now she is gone. She will be hard to replace." She puts a soft hand on his arm and says, "Thank you for asking. That means a lot." She looks over at the holovid. "Anything new on how. Or why? I mean, who would do such a thing?"
Snow stands close to the tech after the hug and looks up at him, smiling a bit nervously. "I have a question for you, but don't know if I should bother you with it. All of our primary comms have suddenly been getting a lot of drek tossed at them. Sort of like someone is messing with us. Secondary comms are not affected." Here, Snow puts a finger to Crenshaw's chest and moves it down a few inches. "I have tried all I can think of and no real fixes. I was wondering if you might be able to help me?"
-
Crenshaw is still a bit in shock but quickly recovers when Snow asks him to help her. "You got it, no problem. TOMMY! Come help us take a look at these comms!" at the look of surprise from Snow, he quickly covers, "Don't worry, Tommy's cool, he has a sister that works the shadows back in the CAS, very sharp."
He takes the comms from Snow and moves away from the movie set, "Let's get some privacy..." realizing that he might have said something crude, he tried to backpedal...badly.
"I mean, the three of us should be alone...s-ssoo we can work on you...I mean, your commlinks. THE THREE OF US SHOULD GO BACK TO OUR SHOP SO WE CAN WORK ON THE COMMLINKS!"
Tommy stops walking over in for a second, and the rest of the group looks up as Chrenshaw shouts. One of them, a guy Snow met at the club the other night, gives a wave to her and a quick "Hi!" and goes back to watching the concert, but he's the only one not looking at the two of you.
-
Snow giggles a bit as she moves to join Crenshaw, putting an arm through his. Leaning a bit closer, she whispers. "It is alright. I am a big girl, or have you forgotten that already? Maybe I should show you again." She stands on tip toe and gives Crenshaw a peck on the cheek then lets him lead her to the work room with Tommy. She nods at the other tech, but her stance clearly indicates that it is Crenshaw who has her attention.
Once in the shop she gives all of the 'links to the techs, except hers. "At least two of these are fairly high-end and should have had enough firewall and scanning going on to prevent this sort of interference." She blushes a bit then says, "I am afraid mine is implanted. Will you two be able to work on me?"
-
While waiting on Snow to fix the comms, O'Connor returned to the team's crate and loaded up on spare clips and ammo. After returning to the group, he asked, "Any ideas on how we're going to track down the goat?"
-
"I think he posted something on his blog earlier, but I couldn't be bothered to read it" said Clementine to O'Connor.
-
"Let's have a look at it," Sammy said, who had been standing there, opening her second commlink and checking out the post.
"I'll first check out the crime scenes in the astral to see if I can find auras," Sammy said, "then we can go check out the restaurant he mentions."
-
O'Connor read over the post, "Sammy, he said it's a roach coach. Maybe glitzy types like you don't know, but those things are mobile. I ain't spending all day tracking down a frycook based on a day old post by goat-legs."
-
"Oh, I must have missed that bit," Sammy said. She had just skimmed the title and read the article diagonally.
"But we can still track it down," she said, "one, they probably have a fairly regular schedule and that will narrow down the search for our good friend. Two, this is LA, so even those roach coaches have a matrix presence, probably coupled to a tracker to potential customers know where they are. Just a question of looking it up. As soon as Snow is done with the commlinks, she can track it down. And three, while I have had a taste of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, it's a. fake and b. I grew up in an area a bit like ... say Touristville in Redmond. And today it looks more like glow city, but with water instead of nuclear waste."
-
"Alright then, if we can get a location on this moving diner then we can set out" said Clem. The ork didn't wait for an answer and she went to retrieve her gear, making sure her magazines were full and her firearms ready.
-
Finding Diablo Verde's is an easy thing, they have a schedule on the Matrix. Finding the crime-scenes is a little tougher, but it is doable. Problem is that one is in a very exclusive area (The End of the World) and the other is both an exclusive area and a fast growing shrine to a major pop star.
The crowded and highly patrolled astral space in both locations would make for a challenging penetration by a highly skilled astral snoop, and Sammy is not one of those yet, even if she were willing to try, both locations have magical law enforcement on site (including spirits and watchers) as well as a powerful and obvious ward.
This is not happening.
-
Snow moves closer to the two techs and assists as she can. Her skill is enough that she can actually feel like she is contributing.
[spoiler]Assist with fixing comms (http://orokos.com/roll/326476): 7d6t5 2[/spoiler]
Minimally contributing. The guys are obviously better.
-
Sammy was quickly back from her astral trip.
"That was a bummer," she said when she got back in her own body, "wards, police, including astral police, spirits and enough fans to make Christy's house aspected. Any astral signature I might have been able to find is long gone because all the others trampled all over it. Consider it a dead end. Any luck on the roach coach?"
She heard that they had indeed found it and even had a schedule.
"As soon as Snow is done with the commlinks, I suggest we visit them," she said to the team (minus Snow who was somewhere else at the moment), "Torley here can charm the pants of them and get the location where Bacchus got his burrito or whatever it was he got and we can go look from there."
-
Tommy, Crenshaw and Snow are working on the commlinks for about an hour. They are able find trails and traces of the programming which would be responsible for the odd behavior, but the locations are unique for each device and the what and how are still unknown. They figure that a factory reset should eliminate the programming, but none of them are sure as of yet.
Tommy figures he can keep working the problem, but that it is likely to be a long time before he has any real answers.
-
Snow is disappointed. She had hoped that this would be a quick fix but that is not to be. "Thank you for all the help guys. I really appreciate it. Can you keep working on these for a bit? I can check in later to see if you have made progress. And please do not do anything that would get you in trouble with your bosses here. I will check with my team leader to see when I came be available to help out, although you guys seem far above my skill set." She looks at Crenshaw, "Do you think you could walk me out of here?"
During the short walk, Snow leans closer to her friend and says, "Tommy seems real good at this. Thank you for thinking of him. Can you do a factory reset on my implanted 'link if that is the fix?"
-
"Things are going to be slow going for a bit with Christy Daee passing, we can find the time. Geeks love a puzzle." Crenshaw stutters the movement a bit but puts an arm around the little Russian, "You had a piece of that, don't think otherwise, you found that one piece of code, remember? Anyway, yes, I will help you with the reset."
-
Snow accepts his arm and moves into the protective shell a bit. When they get to the storage room, Snow turns to Crenshaw and gives him a quick kiss and a promising look before heading in to talk to her team. "Bad news. There is some sort of intricate code on the 'links, to include my implanted one. A couple of techs are working on the issue, but there is no quick fix and it could take a while. I do have a couple of metas here that I can loan out for the time being if you need one while yours is being worked on."
-
"I have a secondary," Sammy said to Snow, "it's a bit slower, but it will do the trick for what I need of it. But who's working on ours actually if not you? There's stuff on there that not just anybody can see."
-
Snow stops to think. "I thought that you were using the Pito one down here? My tech friend and one of his buddies named Tommy are working on them. Do I need to go get them back? I have to tell you in advance that this code is not some run-of-the-mill hacker code. It is tough stuff and is frankly beyond my skill alone. What do you want me to do?"
-
"It's just that the footage of our run is on there," Sammy said, "they might draw wrong conclusions."
She didn't keep much other stuff on her commlink. A couple of years of seeing what happened with other actors and actresses when nude pictures and sex tapes became public knowledge had made her very careful to: 1) not having them made and 2) never keep personal stuff where it could be stolen. So her commlink was fairly free except for the footage of the last run which she was still working on. As soon as that was done, it would be transferred to a memory chip and deleted from the commlink.
-
Snow nods. "Let me go retrieve that one. Be right back." She looks around and asks the others, "Anyone else have stuff on their 'link that they do not want the techs to see?" She leaves the room and returns to the tech room where she explains that she needs some of the 'links back. She picks up the ones she needs and gives Tommy and Crenshaw a smile before returning to the storage room. "Here you go. They can work on the others until you get yours wiped."
-
When everyone is satisfied that their selfies weren't going to get posted on the net, they head downtown to find Diablo Verdes
Diablo Verde is a very large, green-skinned ork. He used to be a professional wrestler down in Baja and Tiajuana until he had a bad accident and blew out both knees—not because of his wrestling, but because he was dating the wrong person’s daughter. He headed to Los Angeles and got into the food business, relying on his minor fame in wrestling to boost sales.
His roach coach is lime green converted bus with his masked face on one side and an order window replacing the belt buckle of his full wrestling regailia.
-
Clem hung back as she knew this was beyond her area of expertise. She would just let Torley do his magic while she tried not to get in his way, waiting close to him but not too far as to not hear the conversation.
-
Sam greeted the ork with a grin and, in Spanish, ordered a breakfast burrito. While he waited, he commented, "By the way, a guy I used to hang with recommended you on his Pito feed. I've been trying to track him down, reconnect with old friends, pay him a surprise visit, you know? But he hasn't posted his location. You'd think it'd be easy to find a guy with goat legs, wouldn't you?" His general posture was that of someone who feels like he's run out of options, but is hopeful that a last-ditch effort will be rewarded.
[spoiler]Sam's got a DP of 7 for Spanish, just in case a roll needs to be made. (For clarification, everything he says here is in Spanish. Just re-read it and felt I wasn't clear on that.)[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor stood off to the side of Clem with a sour look on his face. He highly doubted that the slop slinger would yield anything useful, but it was the only lead they had. He just hoped Torley would get this over with quickly.
-
"You speak the tongue well for a gringo, but i don't think Bacchus has any friends anymore. His last few were here this morning looking for him, I might have overheard where they were headed while I was making their order, but business has been real slow today so I have had other things to worry about." Not the smoothest bribe request you have ever heard, but he's big and green, what, are going to critique him?
-
Sammy had been following the conversation a bit further and now she also stepped up to the counter.
"Para mi lo mismo, por favor," she said to the guy, before turning to Sam, "¿ha encontrado a su amigo, mi amor?"
[spoiler]
Sorry for the spanish, but I thought I'd show off my Spanish classes I've been taking. It's
1: for me the the same, please
2: have you found your friend, my love.
She will pretend to be Sam's girlfriend who's helping him. If I need to roll something, please let me know.
[/spoiler]
-
(Not about to try and put this in Spanish)
"Tell you what, you and your friends have a seat at the picnic table over there, I bring you a nice meal and maybe while I am working my memory gets jogged a bit, okay?" He taps a few buttons and a little display holo pops up saying 150 nuyen.
-
Snow is standing off to the side, near a small table. She does not understand the language being spoken and resolves that she needs to get a Linguasoft for it if she is going to be here long. It seems that just about everyone down here knows some Spanish. She spends the time trying to isolate the code the guys had said had infected her 'link. The defensive software that she running on it should at least have tripped an alarm of some kind, but she had had no warning. Just a system failure and another instance where she had failed to protect her team.
It looks like Sam and Sammy are placing an order for food, but the amount that pops up as being owed is far more than she would have thought. She focuses on the body language of the three and it dawns on her that a bribe is being offered. The guy at the truck window may be able to help after all.
-
Sam's smile never missed a beat. Continuing in Spanish, he replied, "Gracias, amigo. It truly can be hard to think of other things when business is slow, and it never hurts to help others out." With barely a glance at the holo, he accepted the charge, then, with his arm around Sammy's shoulder, lead her over to the indicated table.
-
Diablo grins as you accept the charge, then looks at his device. "Hey chulo, I get my stuff from local growers, at least, that is what packages say on the distributor's website, and I ain't had no body get hurt except that stupid puta that thought she could handle the Diablo Volcano, how was I supposed to know she had an ulcer?"
At your understandable confusion over the change in attitude, the ork shows you his device. It shows the receipt for the order, but at the bottom in the "How was your service today?" box there are two messages there:
Street vendor food poisoning is up 4% for the calendar year, with record-shattering 8 deaths attributed to food borne pathogens
Buy local, grow local! PCC farmers grow enough food to support the community, but only make up a quarter of the market share of LA food consumption.
-
O'Connor was actually surprised the guy was going to be a viable lead. If they were one step closer to Bacchus, they were probably one step closer to a fight. Though they'd already eaten lunch, it'd be a good idea to do a little carbo-loading while he had the chance. Dodging bullets was a high energy activity after all. After Torley finished his business with the ork, O'Connor put in an order for a large portion of carne asada fries and a chicken burrito, whole grain wrap and extra rice. Since the commlinks were acting up, he paid with a credstick.
-
The big ork refuses your money, "I was going to feed all of you, the two chicas too, making my special enchiladas, but first you must explain this la estupidez"
-
Sam was confused, though more by the ork's reaction than by the message. Those sorts of things just happened, didn't they? He didn't even pay attention to them most of the time any more. But the ork was clearly upset, so he did what he could to calm the situation down. "Si, amigo. You clearly care about your services; anyone looking at this"--he gestured to the ork's vehicle--"could tell that. But I can tell that this system error is upsetting you, which is only natural." Thinking quickly, he bought a side of guacamole and allowed the vendor to take an extra 50 nuyen for it.
-
Money in hand, Diablo goes to cook their food. Whatever is going on with your links almost cost you this lead, but fortunately, money can go a long way to sooth hurt feelings.
The smells coming from the bus are working up your appetites, in spite of your late lunch. After about 10 minutes, Diablo comes out with two trays full of food, which he places on the table and steps back, clearly expecting you to eat before he speaks.
-
O'Connor dug in immediately, eagerly and sloppily. Per his original plan, he focused primarily on carb heavy dishes.
-
Clem sat down with the rest, staying quiet the whole time. Greasy spoons weren't really her bag, and to top it off she didn't understand a word of what was being said. Once the food came and the cook was standing there watching them, she looked around at the different dishes, seeing O'Connor wolfing it down like a ghoul on a fresh corpse. Clementine simply tried to spot the leanest-looking dish she could find and had a taste, washing it down with plenty of liquids after.
-
Snow digs into the special enchiladas sent over by the Ork in the truck. She smiles at him and waves as she finds that the food really is pretty good. She looks at Sam. "This is pretty good stuff. How do I say Thank You?"
-
"It's gracias pretty lady," says Diablo in accented English, looking at the group enjoying his food, the big ork finally gives up the goods, "The boys looking for Bacchus mentioned that they were heading for Club K to get back with the Kidz. Someone named Leo that they were really nervous about seeing."
Club K is is easy to find when you look it up , it is a hard drinking and gambling establishment downtown, though it's location comes bundled with a suggestion that you would have more fun at a juice bar down the street that is inside a fitness club.
-
Snow smiles at the man in the truck. "Gracias." Turning to her companions she finishes her enchilada while waiting to see what the plan is and what her part will be.
-
When they walked to the tables, Sammy gave Sam a quick kiss on the cheek. She wasn't bothered by playing this up, as she had been doing so during her trid career with people who were a lot less good looking.
The food was remarkably good and as soon as she had her commlink back in working order, she would put in an appearance as Samantha Delavine and promote it on her Pito.
"So, a guy named Leo in Club K," she said when the guy is back in his truck, "either we arrive there as a group, like a group of friends celebrating a birthday or something, or we go there in small groups."
-
"I don't think we all need to go inside. Some of us could stay outside and cover the exits, just in case" said Clem to Sammy's idea. "And what the drek was that kiss for? What did you tell this cook?" The ork had a puzzled look on her face, but she was sure it had something to do with getting them their next location somehow.
-
O'Connor spoke up between bites, "If we're hitting up a gang, I should go in." He raised an eyebrow at Clem's comment on the kiss, it hadn't really registered as a thing with him. He turned to to her, "What's wrong? Anti-pda or do you have a no frada...fretra..." A look of frustration crossed his face as he failed to remember the word he was looking for, "A no fucking your teammates policy?"
-
"I only said that I was his lover," Sammy said to Clem with a grin, "it's acting. And you must admit, our Sam looks kinda cute."
She looked at O'Connor.
"That might be a good idea, although I would suggest we try to talk to them first," she said, "we need Bacchus, at this point there's no reason to believe that the rest of that gang is involved. And the bar is quite rough, from what I know about it. Bikers, heavy metal, that sort of thing. O'Connor would fit in there. I would also suggest that we all check their old shows on Pito, so we can have an idea on how they react to certain things and how good they are. I know it's edited, but it can give us a rough idea."
-
You already have a few files of the back catalog of episodes for Gang Life, though accessing them becomes a problem, as each time you try to look at a new episode for review you get a pop-up suggesting a nice rom-com or family drama instead.
Working around this you figure out that the K Club is one of the main hangouts for the A-Kidz, and this Leo is their boss. His appearances on the show are infrequent, his lion-head cosmetic mods used for best effect on storytelling, though his instructions and orders are a constant for the bangers who are on camera. Club K looks pretty wild, with real and virtual gambling and a featured arena for expensive tech toys like drone racers and anthropomorphic gladiators to meet their doom in competition.
-
O'Connor snorted derisively at the spectacle of the A Kidz, "First goat-legs, and now a cat-faced freak. Is this a street gang or a group of furries? Sammy, is this really what passes for a gang down here?"
-
Clem just roller her eyes at O'Connor's comment. His lack of class was usually funny to her, but in this instance she didn't have time to pursue this further. "Fine, you go in and work your street charms. Snow, I will need schematics of that place to see where the exits are" said the street samurai, turning to the pale woman.
-
Snow nods, "I can try that, although with this stuff going on, who knows what I might end up with. So, does that feed indicate how they treat Keebs?"
-
"yes and no," Sammy said to O'Connor, "if you want to be a gang with a pito feed, yes you have to be special in some way, but there are others who don't make as much publicity and they are more in line with what you know about gangs. They are mostly in the less reputable parts of town."
"Snow, just go to their public node and there you most likely have a virtual tour. You can maybe use that to get schematics."
-
Snow nods and tries to link to the club's public node to get an idea of what the place looks like. She downloads anything that looks useful. She tries to find interior shots to get an idea if Elves are accepted. Perhaps they have a sign indicating if a particular meta is unwelcome.
-
You are able to find plenty of public access data on Club K. It is a renovated warehouse, so a floor-plan would be superfluous, its a big square room. The most prominent feature is the semi-sunken pit in the center for the games.
-
Snow looks at the set up. "OK guys, here it is. Seems like the place is a converted warehouse, so basically just one fragging huge room. There is a sunken pit of some size in the center of the room, probably for the games they play. Still no idea from the pics on whether all metas are welcome."
-
O'Connor finished off his plate of food, "Well, we got a name and a location. No point in lollygagging." He rose and headed back towards the vehicle. As he passed the food truck, he called to Diablo. He wasn't fluent in spanish by any means, but he knew a word or two. Unfortunately that was a word too few, "Gracias amigo por...la foodo?" His pronunciation was also drek, gracias came out sounding more like grassy-ass. After an awkward pause, he hurried along to their ride.
-
Snow also finishes her food. Standing, she tosses the plate and wrappers into the small trash bin and moves to the car. She clears her throat. "I do not know if we have a cohesive plan yet, but I am not unused to places like this. I have certain......skills.....that might allow me to move inside without too much interference. You can consider that in your planning while we drive there."
-
"So how about this" said Clem as she was removing herself from the meal, "Con, Snow and Torley go in while Sammy and me stay outside on standby, making sure nobody slips out the door. You don't need to be inside to do your magical tricks, right?" asks Clem as she turned around to face Sammy.
-
"To have a look around in the astral, no," Sammy said, "unless they have put up wards, but I doubt it in this kind of place. To actually sling spells at people, I have to see them, so yes. But if we're close to the door, we can be inside quickly enough. Spirits I can summon outside, but as soon as I let it do something beyond my visual range, that's the last thing it will do for me. In this case I think I can be outside. I'll have a look around in the astral before the rest goes in, just to be sure, but normally they shouldn't need big mojo inside."
-
Snow takes down her long braid and pulls a pair of large reading glasses from her handbag as they travel to the club location. The glasses have the effect of making her large eyes seem even larger. She pulls some gloss out and freshens her lips as she asks, "Are we looking for this Leo, or just any of the gang? And what do we want from them?"
-
"Bacchus has gone to ground, we need to find his hidey-hole. Leo, or Bacchus' old cronies, will be the ones with the location. I'd rather get it from the head honcho, but that ain't really necessary." O'Connor was in the back seat shutting down the smartlinks on his weapons. Without his comm's smartgun system, the links were useless and he was a bit worried about that weird code, "Hey Snow, when you get a chance, can you check over the smartlinks on my guns? I need to know if that code in our comms infected them too."
-
Snow nods. "Sure. I can do that. And just to let you know, the techs seemed to be of the initial impression that they might need to do a factory reset of the 'links. They won't do that without our permission, so does anyone have a problem with them doing that if they cannot figure out a different solution?"
-
"What does that exactly do, a factory reset," Sammy asked, "Does that wipe everything on there, or is it only certain settings that change?"
She knew how to keep her commlink reasonably secure, but she was no hacker. There were things she didn't know about the thing, just like most people.
-
"To my knowledge, there are two types of resets. One wipes everything and takes it back to when you took it out of the box the first time. The other is more selective. I did not have time to ask them which they were thinking of, but they will not do anything until we say it is OK. Right now they are just looking."
-
"Whatever" answered Clem with a shrug. "As long as I don't have to see a calorie count every time someone mentions dinner."
-
"If a reset is necessary, I'd rather have the selective one if I can choose," Sammy said.
When they were close to the club, she asked the car to be stopped somewhere so she could do an astral recon of the club
[spoiler]
I'm doing a look-around in the club, just checking things. I'm looking for wards, checking out the amount and level of awakened population in the club. As I don't know the aura's of Bacchus or any other of the A-Kidz, I can unfortunately not look specifically for them.
intuition 3 + assensing 3 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4877350/)
[/spoiler]
-
Snow nods, but otherwise remains quiet, getting her mindset into another world. She waits until Sammy finishes her astral recon and Clem gives the word to go.
-
You would think that the astral space around the K Club would be a vibrant place. You would be wrong. With an especially strong background count in the area, and a lack of any real positive emotions in the place, Sammy view was filled with mundanes doing their best to kill their astral selves with technology, pharmacology and vice.
In the real world at Club K, you see that there’s no door off of E Street. It’s all brick with a neon sign of a large K. Its not until you circle around that you see people walking around back via an alleyway. Walking down an L-shaped alley between Kong Mart Whole Foods and an appliance storage place, you find the main entrance to Club K. A small parking lot between all the buildings holds some sweet motorcycles. Those you see entering Club K or out smoking are some heavily modified individuals with obvious cyberware. An aggressive thrasher metal beat leaks out from the doorway. Inside there seems to be some competition going on: games of pool, drone combat live and on the trid, and poker. Some seem really intense and into the game. You recognize the two guys from the bar the other night, though they haven’t pegged you. Above all this is a huge lion-headed man in a leather chair, watching and directing the others in these games. Apparently he’s the one in charge.
-
Snow steps out of the car, whispering "Show time." She gathers herself then shakes her head gently and seems to change in front of the eyes of the others. When she turns back she is not quite the same. The dress is the same and the hair is the same, but at the same time they are not. Her very being oozes sensuality and the promise of something exhilarating if the price is right. Her stance is modified, even the placement of her arms and the slight tilt of her head announce that she is available, but that anyone who wants her had better be prepared to pay. The demure dress she is wearing seems not so demure any longer as she leans over to the open car window and says. "Thanks, boys, that was great."
Snow winks at her companions and straightens up before giving a small wave and moving to the club door. Entering, she picks up the thrasher music as she looks around, slightly moving her body in tune to the beat before walking with a sensuous grace to the bar. Snow looks at the rough menu board and orders a beer. Taking it, she tosses a look at the man on the large throne, but moves off to the poker table.
-
O'Connor followed a handful of paces behind Snow, hoping she'd serve as a distraction for the bouncers. Bouncers seemed to always have it in for him, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with it. Unlike Snow, he made a beeline for Leo. Once he got close enough, he shouted over the din of the club, "Yo, Leo!!! We got an enemy in common, Bacchus. I'm told you're the one that'd know where he's hiding."
-
"I'll go and put up the monitoring system," Sammy said to Clem when the others were in the club. She took out the mini cameras she had bought.
"I'll see if I can put one on each emergency exit, so we can keep an eye on them without being obvious about it."
She went looking for the emergency exits that had to be there somewhere and she tried to put camera coverage on all of them, while listening in on the comms of the team.
-
The bouncer-persecution of O'Conner continues as they materialize to either side of him. They interpose themselves between him and Leo, who spares him an amused glance before he returns his attention to the fighting pit.
-
*God dammit.* O'Connor gave a put upon sigh. He continued to yell to Leo, "Look, we both want Bacchus taken down a peg, or are you soft on traitors?"
-
Clem stayed at the wheel of the van while Torley, O'Connor and Snow left for the club. She and Sammy were staying behind in case there was a need for a quick pursuit, and that suited the orkish woman very well. She wasn't one for clubs or noisy places in general, so staying away from club K was actually what she had secretly wanted.
"Alright, I'll stay in here" answered Clementine to the ex-starlet as she announced she was going to place cameras around the entrances/exits. "Just don't be seen" warned Clem as Sammy was walking away, her voice a forced whisper.
Once alone in the vehicle, Clem made sure her magazines were full and bullets were chambered in all her firearms. *This goat-boy is starting to give me a headache. How did he manage to survive this long in this business?*
-
Sam followed Con into the warehouse discretely, relying on his natural ability to blend into the crowd. Since Con clearly wanted to take the lead, Sam pretended to be interested in the action in the fighting pit, carefully maneuvering to get as close to the lion-headed man as he could without being obvious.
-
Just like everyone around her, Snow turns to look at the source of the commotion in the club, then goes back to watching one of the poker games. She can feel the cards calling to her and the chink of chips on the tables is like music to her ears. She should have thought of this problem before coming into the club, or, perhaps subconsciously she had. She marshals her thoughts to avoid the drum call to sit and gamble her money away.
[spoiler]Composure Test (http://orokos.com/roll/329969): 9d6t5 3 I believe the threshold for this is 2.
-
The bouncers barring O’Conner’s way give him a rough shove back into the crowd, thoughts of bloody retribution immediately come to mind as he scans the room. He sees a bunch of pussies that he could probably take individually, but all at once? The air is also thick with camera drones, some of which might be broadcasting live, so the cops would be coming from the first shot. Is the goat really worth suicide?
Snow is watching a card game, having read the chip leader’s hand accurately from the look on his face three hands in a row she is now tapping a credstick on the bar, the itch starting to become intolerable. A tap reaches her shoulder just as she is ready to give in, “Excuse me, were you at “The Bally-Who?” night before last?” She turns and sees a young blond ganger with a bandage on his neck.
-
Snow looks surprised as she turns to see the ganger. She eyes him up and down. "Say, are you the guy I saw in that bar? The one that had been hurt? Yes, that was me. Lucky I had just stopped outside and was wondering what to do with the night." She reaches up to touch the bandage, "How does it feel now?"
-
Sammy was back quickly.
"That's the only entrance there," she said to Clem, "easy to keep an eye off, but annoying if you want to get out unseen. I'll warn them." Then she sent a text message to the rest of the team. If they got into trouble they had to know they could be cut off with nowhere to go.
-
"Oh, its fine. They got the jack out and I will go under for an upgrade next week." the kid points to a nearby table where his dark-haired friend from the other night sits, "You want to join us? The least I can do is buy you a drink after you kept me from bleeding to death. We have a great view of the pit and we are in a great spot for when Leo starts the real show." At her questioning glance he continues, "We are jumping back in Goat-boy's little traitors if they manage to put the scratch together today." He nods toward a shooting simulator on the wall. "Dean is the last one that has a chance, but only if his highscore holds up. I wish I could shoot, the guy who takes him down is going to be able to write his own ticket around here."
-
Snow nods. "Sure, I would love to join you. I do hope that the guy you get that done with is better than the last guy. That jack you had was just waiting to blow. I know a thing or two about medicine and have actually assisted in some cyber installs. Too bad I don't have a good place to work and some equipment or I might be able to get you fixed up if you have the device." She takes his arm and walks with him to the table, "So, my name is Ophelia. What is yours?"
Snow nods to the other ganger as she takes a seat. She looks around as she orders another beer and introduces herself. "You were not kidding. This is a good view of the pit. Look, the fact is that I only got in from Seattle a few days ago and don't know much about LA except that there seems to be a lot of celebrities here. So is this goat-boy one of them and what do you mean by traitors?" She looks over to where her companion is pointing. "So how good is he? I know a bit about guns." All of this should be going out over the image and voice links but she sends a message from her internal 'link. >>Team. There is some sort of shooting competition going on. Apparently, the best shooter gets bragging rights and more here. Anyone care to try?<<
-
Seeing the frustration on Con's face, and knowing what was likely to be the volatile man's reaction to being brushed off, Sam was relieved when he saw Snow's message. Hoping that Con would actually pay attention, he sent back, I'm not very good with guns, but I think Bullet Storm might have a chance.
-
"I'm Eddie, my folks named me after some dude in a book that got his head chopped off. Anyway, You don't know about Bacchus? I figured that was why you were here, you aren't a fan of the show?" the ganger looks confused, as if such a person couldn't possibly exist.
-
Snow chuckles and shakes her head. She looks into Eddie's eyes and says, "Like I said, maybe three days in town so far. I am not even really sure I understand the whole Pito thing, but it seems very interesting. Can you tell me about it?"
-
O'Connor took a deep breath and grinded his teeth. Walking away was the smart move, but O'Connor's pride superseded his brain any day of the week. He had no respect for this pretend gang, and he wasn't about to back down to any of these losers. He grabbed the nearest club goer and shoved him into the bouncers. He tried to dash through the opening. He yelled with great frustration, "The frag ever happened to 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend?!' You are very close to just being another enemy. You and I are talking. Friendly or not, that's up to you."
-
Snow looks over at the growing commotion swirling around Con. She lets out a small moan and says, "What the frag is going on over there? It looks like I may have some more work lined up without trying. Is it always like this down here? Good thing my kit is in the car outside." She quickly sends a message out. >>Hey. Looks like someone is getting in trouble. Can someone please bring my medkit in? I just might be needing it.<<
-
Clem gave an exasperated look to Sammy and said to her "There's just one exit anyways, we might as well go in" after reading Snow's message on her cheap new commlink. She reached out in the back of the vehicle to grab the medkit and made sure her makeup was still on in the mirror before heading out to club K. Clem was certain the combination of her style and her sword would attract some attention, but she made sure not to get distracted by the stares and to evaluate her surroundings carefully, trying to spot her teammates without being too obvious about it.
[spoiler]Perception 〜 Intuition 4 + Perception 3 + Perceptive 1 + Reception Enhancer 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/330870): 13d6t5 5 no glitches, for good measure :)[/spoiler]
-
"Agreed," Sammy said, following Clem inside. And if someone was in trouble, she would probably be needed, so she activated her 'go-faster' spell.
[spoiler]
force 2 increased reflexes
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4880473/)
+1 initiative, +1 IP
drain 3
logic 4 + willpower 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4880474/)
no drain.
[/spoiler]
-
When the bouncers surrounded O’Conner, it wasn’t possible to see him for a second through the wall of metahuman flesh, and then it was hard to follow him because he was moving so quickly, diving, spinning and parrying so many attacks it looked like there was two of him. He even managed to drop a couple of the brutes, or maybe forced them to drop each other, it was hard to tell.
By that point there were plenty of others ready to step in, Eddie was even looking to jump the rail and get closer to try his luck. Then the numbers game finally caught up, three bouncers coordinated movements, two of them sacrificing themselves to give the third an edge, and the adept went down.
Even then it wasn’t completely over though, as Clem and Sammy were finally working their way through the mass of people crowding in to see the fight one of the bouncers rolled out of the pile clutching himself in pain. But after that there were a few who were putting the boots to the restrained runner on the ground and then there was the sizzle of a stunbaton being applied an EXTRA long time.
O’Conner’s unconscious form was carried overhead by three bouncers while a fourth cleared the way to the emergency exit at the front of the building, which he was chucked through into the street. His boot, which had come off somehow in the melee, followed.
A smattering of appreciative noises rose out of the crowd, but whether it was for the security or your teammates feisty defense is not really clear.
“Never a dull moment at the K.” said Eddie, he sat back down as the club returned to normal.
-
Snow frowns and puts a hand on Eddie's arm as he fidgets. "Hey, you are going under the knife to get that jack replaced." When it is over and Con is tossed through the door, she shakes her head and stands. "Never a dull moment in LA. I am going to see what I can do for these guys. Thanks for the beer."
Snow walks outside in time to stop some of the people outside from going through the unconscious man's pockets. Clem appears at her side as she is kneeling down and offers her the med bag. Opening it, Snow removes her kit and sets it up, shaking her head at the bruises that seem to cover his body. "Poor man is in pretty bad shape. Anyone know who he is?"
[spoiler]First Aid for Con with Edge (http://orokos.com/roll/330994): 18d6t5 4 Followed by the edge roll. Edge for misses (http://orokos.com/roll/330995): 14d6t5 8 Wow. A total of 12 hits means 10 damage boxes healed.[/spoiler]
In a few minutes, all that expensive education and residency pays off. She waits until Con tries to roll up and places a hand on his chest. "Not so fast, big guy. You will be shaky for a bit. You already proved you are tough so there is no reason to prove you are dumb. You should go to a doc of some kind to be sure that my work is good and to rest." She closes up the kit and stands, looking about. "Anyone know this guy and can get him some place he can rest? And no, not you. I saw you with your hand in his pocket."
-
"You keep an eye out here," Sammy said to Clem, "I'll check up on Connor."
She moved back out and when she spotted Snow, she kept back for a moment.
"I know," Sammy said on Snow's question, "he works at the same studio I work at. I'll take him back there and he can sleep it off in one of the trailers."
She supported Connor and brought him back to the car.
"You okay," she asked.
-
Watching the chaos O'Connor was causing, Sam thought to himself, Well, that was predictable. Note to self: never let the muscle do the talking. He noted that Snow followed Con's body out the door; he figured she'd take care of him, so he stayed where he was.
-
After all the commotion, Clem had followed Snow outside to hand her the medkit she had brought with her, but went back inside promptly after. *The show must go on* thought the ork, giggling to herself for a moment at the joke she had just made.
After getting back inside and finding a spot at one of the bars, she sent a message to the rest of the team, asking [Any progress? And what is this shooting competition you talked about Snow?]
-
Snow sees the message from Clem as she finishes her work on Con. >>Lots of bruises and maybe a cracked rib or two. Nothing broken. Those gangers really know their stuff so try to avoid following Con's example. Just finishing up and was thinking of going in to offer help to the gangers. Sammy is here to get Con back to the car for a bit. I do not know the rules of the competition, but my guess is that if you go up to the firing line, someone there will tell you. It is off to the left of the central pit. Good luck to you. I think I will be busy with med stuff for a bit.<<
-
O'Connor awoke with the normal disorientation of returning to consciousness. He nodded to Snow as she finished her ministration, "Thanks." He got to his feet and experimentally poked and prodded himself to assess his injuries. He gave reflexive winces whenever he hit a particularly sensitive spot, but otherwise seems rather unaffected by the beating he just took. He refused Sammy's assistance as he was fine to move under his own power. He felt fine enough that he considered immediately going back in for round two. He decided against it though, time to let the talkers try their hands. He also shrugged off Sammy's concern, "Pfft, yeah I'm fine. For starters, Snow seems a way better medic than a hacker. Those A-kidz are also a bunch of fraggin' limp dicks. Look at me, nothing but a few bruises and maybe a cracked rib or two. I've paid for rougher sex."
-
Snow finishes packing her kit as Sammy and Con go off. Standing, she returns to the club and makes her way to where the bruised bouncers are grouped. She assumes a sensuous pose and uses a soft, almost promising tone as she holds up her medkit. "Say, I might be able to do something for those of you who are worst hurt. Any takers?"
-
Looking towards the pit, Clementine tries to identify what Snow was talking about. After a quick look around, she leaves her spot at the bar and walks towards the side of the pit, making her way through the crowd of chip heads and synth-drinkers dancing to the beat of what was playing at club K.
"I'm up for it" said the ork as she took one of the electronic pistols and readied herself.
[spoiler] So here are 10 straight rounds of pistol shooting.
Shooting Competition - Agility 7 + Firearms 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/331166): 10#11d6t5 4 5 5 5 3 4 3 3 5 7 no glitches.
Edit: Second part of rolls: Shooting Competition - Agility 7 + Firearms 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/331176): 50#11d6t5 1 3 5 2 5 5 5 3 3 3 1...
It's a lot of numbers to look through on my phone, but I haven't spotted any glitches. I might be wrong though, so if anyone wants to double check and let me know if I missed something, I would be grateful :)
So Clem has 3 passes per round, with 2 shots per passes, which would give us 6 shots per round.
Round 1: 26 hits
Round 2: 22 hits
Round 3: 25 hits
Round 4: 18 hits
Round 5: 21 hits
Round 6: 25 hits
Round 7: 27 hits
Round 8: 20 hits
Round 9: 22 hits
Round 10: 16 hits
I hope I read these numbers correctly :\
[/spoiler]
-
'You can clearly take the rat out of the Barrens, but not the Barrens out of the rat,' she thought
"No offence, but I'm not really interested in your love life," Sammy said, "look, you need to make a few changes in your go-to response. Violence is not the first answer to everything. It has its place, I'll be the first to acknowledge this, but not always. And let me tell you, I grew up in a place not all that different from the Seattle Barrens and see where I managed to get. If I can do it, so can you."
-
O'Connor gave a sharp laugh, but the cracked ribs cut it short. He turned to Sammy with an amused smirk on his face, "You think there's hope for me? That's sweet, but you are so very, very wrong. You got out, good for you. I'm happy for you, really, but we are nothing alike. I am a criminal SINner with no skills other than violence. I don't have a place in the world outside of the Barrens." The amusement never left his voice. He wasn't bitter or angry about being a Barren rat, it's just what he was, simple as that. He made his way towards the Kong Mart next to the club. He prefered liquor as his go to painkiller, but mid-run he'd have to settle for actual painkillers. He huffed at Sammy, "Yeah, what I did wasn't the smart play and it accomplished nothing. I knew that going in and I don't regret it. There are three things I won't ever compromise on: pride, spite, and vengeance. This poser gang is a disgrace, and I won't bow to them or play their games. I'm starting to think the real gangs here ain't worth a damn either. How haven't the thrill gangs at least taken them on? You can bet, sure as drek, that if something like the A-kidz showed up in Seattle, the Halloweeners would've murdered them all on live broadcast."
-
That was probably the difference between the two of them, Sammy thought, he had been part of the gang life and she hadn't.
"It's not because they have a show and are a bit more flashy than you are used to that they can't be effective," she said, "and as to you not having other skills than violence, you can learn. I did, others did. It's just a matter of trying. In fact, this trip to LA might be good for you, as now you are out of your comfort zone and you will have to try."
-
O'Connor shook his head, mirth written across his face, "Okay life coach, what exactly can you see me doing with my life other than shooting people in the face for money? Where should I, the ex-con from the Barrens, go looking for job training and honest work?"
-
"For starters to the other people in your team," Sammy said, "me, Snow or Sam can teach you about etiquette and stuff like that. Snow can teach you tech, I can teach you some magical stuff and maybe Sam can do that as well. And as to another job, you're very fast, so you can for instance be a stuntman in the trid industry. You've seen those guys on set, right. Don't tell me you can't do that with a bit of extra training in some areas. And you wouldn't be the first person with a criminal SIN to work there. People make mistakes in life, but that doesn't mean you can still try to make something of your life. In fact, you're already trying to get out of gang life by doing this job. Just try to diversify your skillset a bit and you will not only be contacted if people need to be shot in the face for money."
-
Speaking of shooting as a skillset....
When Clementine had stepped up to the booth, the kid who was winning the day had assumed she was someone's arm candy looking for a little fun. When she started mowing down targets with precision, his jaw dropped.
She passed his score with a quarter of the time remaining, that was when the moaning started. When the round ended he was cursing and heading for the door through a crowd, who took the opportunity to mock him.
-
Clem was surprised at how easy video games could be. She had thought there would be a big difference between shooting a real gun and playing with a toy, but surprisingly she took to it quickly and easily. At the end of it all, it took her a moment to realize she had gotten a higher score than the reigning champ.
The ork wasn't one to brag, but she had seen the top-placed kid trash-talk every person that challenged his position on top of the scoreboard, including her. Before he left through the crowd, she couldn't help herself and said "Would you believe this was my first time playing this?" with a wink and a smile.
Unsure of what to do next, the street samurai put down the gun and went back to the bar to get herself a cranberry juice.
-
If the gangers allow it, Snow sets to looking the bouncers over. She shakes her head, Con really dished out some hurt before they spanked him. She does what she can to help.
-
The amusement drained from O'Connor's face the longer the conversation went on. It had been funny at first, but it was quickly becoming tiresome. He gave a noncommittal shrug to Sammy, "I'll keep that all in mind, though I don't get why this even matters to you." He kept quiet after that. He entered the store and made his way to the aisle with the pills and stuff. He reached up to grab a bottle of pills on the top shelve. He felt a twinge in his back as he did so. He had an idea of what it was though. He pulled off his jacket and as expected saw that the area where he was struck by the stun baton was left crackled from the lengthy discharge. He tried to reach the spot on his back, but it was just out of reach. He pull his shirt up, "Hey Sammy, there's a burn on my back isn't there? How big and how bad?"
-
'Because it would make you easier to work with,' Sammy didn't say aloud.
"It's not too bad," she said on his question, "you will probably need a new jacket though, and a new shirt. Get some quickly and we head back to the car in case the others need us. I'll heal you up there."
-
O'Connor grabbed a bottle of burn ointment, "Save your magic, this ain't worth it." He decided to forgo a new jacket and shirt. Sure if a bullet hit that exact spot it'd go through, but when was he ever facing away from the bullets? He glanced at Sammy for a second longer than what would be normal. He couldn't figure her out, she said they came from similar places, but he couldn't see it. He couldn't fathom it actually, *Guess you gotta leave it behind to get out.* And that was something he could never do, probably wouldn't even if he could. He sighed heavily, "Look Sammy, I hear what you're saying, I do. So I want you to hear me. You need to stop thinking of me as a person. I am a rabid animal that can't be tamed, won't be. We're runners, realistically, we don't got long. I'm a Barren rat that's fighting a one man war, I got less. I don't have the time to fail fighting against what I am." With that O'Connor walked off to pay for his things.
-
"If only I could," Sammy whispered to his back. Shaking her head, she left the store and went back to the car to wait for the rest of the team to finish their stuff in the club. She would have to talk to Sam or Clem about this, or maybe ask Snow, as she seemed closer to O'Connor than the rest of the team.
-
Inside the club, an alarm sounds like the buzzer at a ballgame. "THAT'S IT!" shouts Leo, an implanted vocal modulator making it sound like a lion's roar, "Pledges! To the pit!"
Several guys jump into the pit, some are holding wads of scrip, or stacks of chips, some simply have a credstick. The gang leader leans out from his throne, examining the men. "Where is the Hunter? I thought he was going to make the cut?" someone stepped to the throne and whispered to the gang leader, then he pointed to Clementine at the bar.
"YOU THERE!!" Leo boomed again, his enhanced voice making it seem like the words were shouted from the next bar-stool, "Come forward!" he says pointing at Clem.
"You pledges, deliver your fees to the Master of Coin and prepare for the jumping in." the men all went to the far end delivering the goods, they looked very nervous.
When Clem is in front of the throne, he booms at her, "You have defeated the Hunter, denying him reentry to this organization. Your triumph has earned you a boon. Do you seek membership, information or reward, what can the A-Kidz do for you?"
-
The theatricality of this "recruiting" event was making Clem a bit uncomfortable. She didn't like the attention so much, but was willing to endure it if it meant she could find out where Bacchus was.
"I just need to know where goat-legs is" said Clementine, trying to make her request as neutral as possible. She was sure her teammates had eyes on what was happening, so she simply said "Torley, come talk to this man" while keeping her gaze on Leo.
-
If Torley attempts to move toward the goings-on in the pit, he will be stopped by the same bruisers that stopped O'Conner. None of them were seriously hurt, despite a few low blows. The most seriously injured was a guy who probably fractured his hand punching his buddy out. He is trying to make time with Snow while she wraps and immobilizes the hand. He isn't really necessary, anyway.
“You seek that piece of trash?” Leo laughs boomingly, “He tried to crown himself and pull off his own show and got his comeuppance. His P2.0 subscription was revoked, his backer was arrested, and he is running.”
He gestures toward the people in the pit behind her. “All of Bacchus’ little dogs are now coming back to me with their tail twixt their legs, and soon we will paper-train them again.”
Taking a drink, he motions to one of the men behind her, anyone who reviewed footage from LA Gang Life recognizes him as having a bit of screen time. “Nike! You were his second, Bacchus, where is he hiding out?”
Nike looks even more nervous as he replies, “He’s heading for the border so he can get on a pirated network.”
“There you go. Head down I5, you might catch him before he hits the border. Especially if he is still driving that POS convertible.”
His business with you done, he ignores you. Looking at Nike he says, "Well done Nike, a reward I think. You will be jumped in first. Gentlemen, no weapons on Nike, but be sure you break something."
-
Clem simply said "Thanks" as she exited the premises. Once outside, she quickly sent a message to the rest of the team. [Goat-legs is heading towards the border on I5, so everyone back in the van now, we have ourselves a man-hunt.]
-
Snow smiles up at the large bouncer and slips him a small card with her code for the 'link she uses for the Pito. She mouths "Call me. Got to run." She packs up her kit and turns for the door. Knowing that the man's eyes are on her butt, she moves as sensuously as possible. Once out of the building, Snow quickly walks to the car and climbs in. She sits next to Con and asks, "So how is the burn? I have some ointment in the bag that might help. I can apply it while we drive if you lift your shirt a bit. After looking over some of the bouncers you left on the floor, I got to say that you can use your fists. Now, how about that shirt?"
-
O'Connor held up the bottle of ointment he'd purchased, "Wish I'd known that before buying this. The burn's not that bad, more annoying than painful." He brushed off Snow's complement, "I was mostly dodging in ways to make them hit each other. I ain't exactly a jacked powerhouse." As if to emphasize his statement O'Connor pulled up his shirt, revealing his toned, but slim physique. He was built like a gymnast rather than a bodybuilder. The others had already seen them, and much more, but this was Snow's first viewing of the patchwork of scars that covered his body. The scares were quite varied; bullets, blades, burns (acid and fire), and even a few jagged ones that were from broken bones breaking the skin. There was also a prison tattoo across his chest in gothic lettering, C-Block Crashers, with three knife emblems beneath the lettering. He turned his back to Snow, giving her access to the burn.
-
Snow looks with interest at the scars and tats that Con shows as he lifts his shirt. The physician in her keeps her to task and she carefully applies the ointment. As she finishes, she uses a finger to trace some of the scars. "Quite the warrior, aren't you? Perhaps you can tell me about how you got some of these some time. I like the art, too, though I am not familiar with the style. I do not have scars like yours, but I carry a good bit of ink."
Snow finishes with the ointment and places the cap on the bottle before handing it back to Con. "That should do for now. It will probably bother you for a bit, but I do not think it will discomfort you for too long."
-
Sam hadn't moved when Clem had called to him; he'd realized that Leo was the sort to only listen to those who had earned the right to address him. Once it was clear that they were on a chase, though, he started maneuvering through the crowd and got out the door even before Clem had been dismissed.
-
After Con takes the ointment back, Snow looks over the seat to where Clem is driving. "Not sure what this code has done to my 'link. My guess is that it has at least made my hacking more difficult. I would not count on me being able to do much to affect our travel. Be careful."
-
South of Fun City I5 is a long isolated freeway with ocean on ether side for most of the time. There’s an occasional island nearby or car to pass, which you do, the speed limit in rural southern California is still more of a suggestion than a law. It is also a self correcting problem you note, seeing the wreckage of a days-old accident on an outside curve. While the signs have been removed, there are still off ramps from the I5 ending in the sea. As you race down the highway at your best speed, you spot a bondogrey jackrabbit convertible near San Clamente.
Nothing looks bad at first, but then he accelerates. Something spooked him and now he’s running. It must be time turn on the chase scene music and pursue.
OOC:
They included a nice little synopsis of chase rules, so I am going to post them here.
Vehicles: Chase Combat
Vehicle chase combat involves multiple vehicles
traveling at high speeds over distance. Because of
this, Chase Combat is different than regular tactical
combat. Complete rules can be found in Vehicle
Combat, p. 167, SR4A. Some specific highlights are
included below.
• Time is measured by Chase Turns, with each
Chase Turn being one minute long. Initiative
Passes further subdivide Chase Turns.
• Engagement ranges are divided into three categories:
Close (vehicles side-by-side or similarly
close), Short (near, but not close enough to
directly engage), and Long (within sight, but at a
distance).
• At the beginning of each Chase Turn, all drivers
must make a Vehicle Test. The winner chooses
the Engagement Range for that turn.
• Drivers must spend a Complex Action each Chase
Turn controlling their vehicles (see Vehicle Test
Threshold Table, p. 168, SR4A). This action can be
used to perform a Chase Stunt (see Chase Stunts,
p. 169, SR4A).
• Passengers take actions during the Chase Turn in
normal Initiative order.
Chase Scene Modifiers
Player Characters (and NPCs) encounter a variety
of modifiers during the chase scene. These can affect
everything from their Vehicle Tests to targeting
someone with a spell. A few common modifiers (and
their table references) are listed below:
Vehicle Test Threshold Table, p. 168, SR4A
Example: Weaving through downtown LA full
speed; Threshold: Hard (3).
Terrain T est T able, p. 169, SR4A
Example: Off-roading on the mud and sand of the
shoreline; Threshold Modifier: Tight (+4).
Ranged C ombat Modifiers T able, p. 152, SR4A
Example: Attacker on a moving vehicle (–3),
Target has partial cover (–2), Target on a moving
vehicle (–3), Visibility Impaired: Full Darkness (–6).
-
Sammy had kept to herself, sitting in the back of the car and checking out her Pito profile. She also checked the A-kidz to see if O'Connor and Clem were on their feed somewhere. If so, they might be able to link it to their own feed and draw a bit on the large fan base of that group to get their own show off the ground.
"What now," Sammy asked when the car came into view, "I can get a spirit to play havoc with his systems, but that might evoke a crash, so we have to be careful. Maybe Snow can get in his system and just shut him down, as they did to us when we were on our way to the Needle."
-
Snow smiles, "On it." Her body slumps on the seat of the car as she slips into Hot Sim mode. The bikini-clad Snow Queen rises from her limp form and rides on the top of the speeding auto like some regal surfer, sending out her small minions to bring back the information on the target vehicle. Once she has that, she sends a stream of snowflakes out to confuse the other vehicle's computer into believing it needs to stop.
[spoiler]Matrix Initiative:Matrix Initiative (http://orokos.com/roll/333058): 9d6t5+9 14 14 and 3IP
Matrix Perception Matrix Perception (http://orokos.com/roll/333059): 9d6t5 2 Not very good. Use edge to reroll misses. Edge for Matrix Perception Misses (http://orokos.com/roll/333061): 7d6t5 1 3 hits for perception
If three hits are enough to identify the icon use spoof to tell it to shut down. Spoof Vehicle Computer (http://orokos.com/roll/333060): 10d6t5 5[/spoiler]
-
"More importantly, make sure they don't do that to US" said Clem as she downshifted and accelerated the BMW, its occupants feeling a jerk from the sudden burst of speed.
-
O'Connor awkwardly drew his machine pistol off his hip. He rolled down the window and leaned out, up to his waist. He voice mostly lost to the wind, "Time to say hello."
-
Sammy was sitting in the back of the car, so there was not much she could do. One thing was to summon a spirit to force the other car of the road. She shifted her perception to the astral and projected her consciousness to the metaplanes to summon a spirit here. But the only thing she got was a headache. Well, time to try again, she thought. But the second time didn't go any better, except that the headache became more pronounced.
"The spirits don't feel like responding today," she said after she shifted back to the material plane, "I might be better off just throwing a couple of fireballs. Or maybe another illusion."
[spoiler]
I'll do both my actions for this round together (I have 2 IP)
force 5 air spirit
magic 5 + summoning 3 =8 (8d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4887321/)
spirit resistance
spirit resistance 5 (5d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4887322/)
drain 6
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4887323/)
2S
force 5 air spirit
magic 5 + summoning 3 =8 (8d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4887325/)
spirit resistance
spirit resistance 5 (5d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4887326/)
drain 6
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4887327/)
1S
3 stun and still no spirit. The dice gods don't like me today. I'll try again next turn.
[/spoiler]
-
Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, Clem tried to steer the car she was driving in a way to maximize traction and to minimize swerving
[spoiler] I'll put 2 rolls for my 2 next passes as these actions don't make for any entertaining writing.
Manoeuvre ~ Reaction 7 + Pilot Ground Craft 1 + Handling 2 (10d6.hits(5)=2, 10d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4887898/) glitch on the second one, so I will spend an edge to cancel it out.[/spoiler]
-
Sam was enjoying the thrill of the chase. Following Con's example, he pulled the Roomsweeper out of its holster.
-
Bacchus was still a few ways away from the pursuing team, but since they had started their high-pursuit chase, Clem had managed to close the gap between them somewhat. What had started as a blurred vision in the distance was now becoming a discernible vehicle in front of them. Still out of reach, Clem was encouraging herself by the progress, her resolve growing as she was slaloming to avoid the debris that sprinkled all over the road.
[spoiler] I'll put Clem's 2 other initiative passes here as well: Manoeuvre tests round 2 ~ Reaction 7 + Pilot Ground Craft 1 + Handling 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/334903): 2#10d6t5 5 3 And for the second round in a row, I will spend an edge to cancel the glitch :([/spoiler]
-
Rather than the normal torrent of fire, O'Connor used short controlled bursts on the fleeing vehicle.
[spoiler=IP 1]
Simple Action 1
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Take Aim 2 - Long Range 3 = Pool 8
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/334905): 8d6t5 7
Damage 4 + Explosive 1 + Hits 7 - Defense = Total 12 - Defense
Wide Burst: -2 to Defense Pool
Simple Action 2
Take Aim
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=IP 2]
Simple Action 1
Take Aim
Simple Action 2
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Take Aim 2 - Long Range 3 = Pool 8
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/334906): 8d6t5 2
Damage 4 + Explosive 1 + Hits 2 - Defense = Total 7 - Defense
Wide Burst: -2 to Defense Pool
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=IP 3]
Simple Actions 1 & 2
Take Aim
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=IP 4]
Simple Action 1
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Take Aim 2 - Long Range 3 = Pool 8
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/334912): 8d6t5 2
Damage 4 + Explosive 1 + Hits 2 - Defense = Total 7 - Defense
Wide Burst: -2 to Defense Pool
Simple Action 2
Take Aim
[/spoiler]
-
In the back of the car, Sammy tried again to summon a spirit. This time she managed to get through, although her headache didn't get any better.
An air spirit materialised in the astral.
"Please go in that car," she said, indicating the shadow of the car in the astral, "and use your psychokinesis power to push the brakes and keep them pushed down."
[spoiler]
summon force 5 air spirit with optional psychokinesis power:
Sammy:7D6E5 → 2( (5, 2, 3, 3, 6, 1, 4→ 2 successes against 5) )#magic 5 + summoning 3 -1 wounds (https://rolz.org/info?X5190322)
use edge to reroll misses
Sammy:5D6E5 → 2( (5, 1, 3, 3, 6→ 2 successes against 5) )#reroll misses (https://rolz.org/info?X5190332)
4 hits
spirit resistance
Sammy:5D6E5 → 2( (6, 2, 3, 3, 5→ 2 successes against 5) )#resistance spirit (https://rolz.org/info?X5190326)
2 services
Drain 4
Sammy:9D6E5 → 3( (4, 5, 3, 2, 5, 1, 2, 1, 6→ 3 successes against 5) )#drain (https://rolz.org/info?X5190358)
1S extra, for a total of 4
second action: give the spirit a command. The spirit will act in the next round. The psychokinesis power is like the magic fingers spell (p211 in the book). What I want him to do is to get into the car and use that power to slam the brakes, which should be possible (braking doesn't require all that much strenght or agility). I assume here that the brakes are still working in the same way as they do now. If not, my character will probably know and I'll adjust my post.
[/spoiler]
-
The Snow Queen on the car roof sends out her white minions to get a toehold on the enemy network. Carving, scratching, biting; they know they have limited time to do their mistress's work.
[spoiler]First IP, when it is Snow's turn. First IP for Hack on the Fly (http://orokos.com/roll/336987): 10d6t5 3 3 hits is not too bad a start.
Second IP: Second roll for Hack (http://orokos.com/roll/337364): 9d6t5 4 Ooh. Not bad.
third IP: Third IP for Hacking (http://orokos.com/roll/337365): 8d6t5 4 Wow. 11 hits in three attempts is not bad.[/spoiler]
-
The first bullet out of O'Conner's gun stars the windshield, but the rest of the fire is lost to the weaving of the two vehicles. In the Matrix, Snows minions make quick work of the commlink's defenses and writes her a legitimate account to to keep goat-boy from detecting her presence.
Sammy's hard won air spirit goes jetting off toward the other car, the woosh of departure providing a cooling effect to the sultry evening and tension of the chase.
(OOC: Initiative for round 3, Sammy's spirit and Snow especially so we know which of them will be responsible for stopping the car. :) )
-
The Snow Queen gathers her minions about her, digesting the information they bring back to her. She gives a brilliant frozen smile when she realizes that she is inside the system. Asking for volunteers from among her snow-clad minions, the Snow Queen selects one to carry the special command to the car ahead of her and assigns others to keep the messenger safe. Gathering strength, she blows frozen crystals in the direction of the target car, sending the messenger and his guardians off to do their tasks.
[spoiler]Send command (http://orokos.com/roll/338200): 10d6t5 3 Use Edge for rerolling misses. Edge for misses (http://orokos.com/roll/338203): 7d6t5 1 Sadly only 4 hits total. [/spoiler]
-
It is hard to see what actually happens first, as the situation is occurring 30-40 meters down the road in poor light, but the engine on the jackrabbit seems to die at the same time it's brakes engage. You do clearly see the driver's head bounce off the steering wheel and then fall from sight, and the car just miss eating the wall as it comes to a sudden halt.
You slow at a much safer pace and come to halt at a safe distance.
-
The icy Queen on the roof of the car maintains her vigilance and her control of the other car, waiting to see if her minions are needed for other tasks.
-
O'Connor immediately jumped out of the sedan, through the window. He yelled to Bacchus, his quip dripping with sarcasm, "Ready to meet your biggest fans?" He switched his machine pistol to full auto, and advanced on the car.
-
"Hey, bullet storm," Sammy yelled as she also got out of the car, "make sure we can still ask him questions and he should be able to answer them."
She followed O'Connor, ready to drop a few stunbolts if needed. She knew, or at least strongly suspected, that O'Connor was one of those who had a lot of bullets in his riffle, not with a name on it but with 'to whom to may concern'.
-
Clem got out of the BMW after she had shut it down, leaving the door open as she pulled out her handgun from her holster. She approached the car from the opposite side O'Connor was, pointing her weapon at the driver side, ready to fire at the first sign of resistance. "Shoot to incapacitate, Con" reminded Clem as they were getting closer to the vehicle.
-
Sam followed Con, holstering the Roomsweeper and pulling out his more familiar Self Defender in its place, scanning the car for any potential signs of danger.
-
You approach the car carefully, ready to duck back if the guy decides to make a fight of it. When you reach the car you see Bacchus, holding wadded napkins to a heavily bleeding nose as he lay across the seat. He is not interested in fighting at all.
He mumbles "If you guys want an autograph just hand me a pen."
-
O'Connor gave an annoyed huff at the sight of the cowed Bacchus. After all the effort, the confrontation was rather anti-climatic. He popped the door open, "Out." He glanced to the others, "We actually might want to get a few autographs from him. Famous killer drek sells for bank."
-
The goat carefully slides out, still holding the napkins to his face. O'Conner notes as he does so that he is wearing an underarm holster with a Warhawk still buckled in and quickly can relieve him of the piece without issue.
As he is being disarmed what you said sinks in and he says, quite alarmed,"What do you mean KILLER? I haven't ice'd anybody!"
-
Snow does not believe that GOD is looking around out here, but it does appear that her decker skills are not really needed right now so she bids the towering Snow Queen farewell and slides back into her body. She shakes her head for a minute to get fully back to the here and now before climbing out of the car. Seeing the slightly bleeding man on the ground, Snow reaches for her medkit and approaches the rest of the group. She approaches Sammy, as Con seems to be in charge of the questioning. She speaks in a low voice so as not to interrupt Con. "Say, that was a good idea with the spirit. It really came through for us." She lifts the medkit. "Is this a place for a Bad Con/Good Snow scene?"
-
Clem got her restraints out and cuffed Bacchus after pulling him out of the vehicle. She decided not to say anything to him and instead just motioned for Torley to come over. "Try and get him to talk before our friend works on him" said the ork, pointing with her head over to O'Connor. She intentionally said it so that Bacchus could hear and see her.
-
Bacchus begins to look panicked, "No body has to 'try' and get me to talk, I'M TALKING!! What do you want to talk about ? I can be a very talkative person, just give something to talk about and I will talk your ear off. People even talk about the fact that I talk so much. You might even say that talking is my thing, you know what I am talking about?"
-
Snow leans over to Sammy and whispers, "He does not seem much like a master criminal, does he? I wonder if he had help setting up the blackmail scheme?"
-
Sam holstered his gun as he went and knelt down in front of Bacchus. "Talking is good. But the problem with talking is that you need to be saying stuff that others are interested in hearing. Right now, I'm going to talk about how you can avoid dealing with my over-aggressive friend over there, which I know you're interested in, so I know you're going to listen."
He continued, "Recently, some starlets have been having...issues. Which, I'll grant, isn't unusual. But we're interested in knowing the specifics of some of them, and we happen to know that you are the man we can get them from. So let's start with an easy one: tell us what you know of Chrissy Daee's recent issue. Before you start, I should warn you--we already know many of the details, so don't lie. It'll just annoy my friend, which I assure you would be a bad idea. Oh, and he has a rather limited attention span; I recommend short and interesting."
-
Snow goes over to the pile of stuff Con had taken from Bacchus and picks up the commlink he was using. "Let's just see if there is anything useful on here, like who he has been talking to lately." She walks back to where Sammy is standing. "You might know some of these names better than I; do you want to take a look with me?" Snow begins to flip through the contact list, looking for names she knows or has heard of, allowing Sammy to see the screen over her shoulder.
-
Bacchus looked from Torley to Con, then back to Torley. "I never met her personally, but she decided to go partying in one of my voyeur rooms with that new action star, Whyte Night, among others. Me and the guy I was working with figured she be down for some professional work, but my buddy got his place raided and I got dropped on Pito and now I am heading for SD to get a new gig."
The ork looked hopeful that his vomiting confession was to your liking.
-
O'Connor gave Bacchus a steely glare, "And?" It was clear that the wanna-be ganger, despite his best efforts, was both annoying and boring the gunman.
-
Clem motioned to Snow, saying "Run this "Whyte Knight" through your programs and tell me everything I need to know about him, including where to find him." Clem gave an approving nod to O'Connor, telling him to press on.
-
Snow nods and puts the name in every browser she can and send the find command. When the name pops up, she sits down, places her back to the car and slips into Hot Sim to go deeper along the data trails. The queen's snowy minions race along every matrix line that is exposed, looking for the end point, bringing back every snippet they can find.
[spoiler]First roll for data search: Search for Whyte Knight (http://orokos.com/roll/339212): 10d6t5 3[/spoiler]
-
"I'm not sure, but you might be right," Sammy said to Snow, before helping out with the stuff on Bachuss' commlink. When Clem asked Snow to search for the White knight, she thought about the name, trying to find some things that Snow could use as starting points for a more focussed search.
[spoiler]
I have both horizon media and celebrity gossip. I'm not sure which one applies, so I'm rolling both. I hope to get an address and otherwise, anything about him might help.
Sammy:6D6E5 → 1( (2, 2, 4, 6, 3, 1→ 1 success against 5) )#intuition 3 + celebrity gossip 3 (https://rolz.org/info?X5393683)
Sammy:6D6E5 → 3( (4, 5, 5, 3, 3, 6→ 3 successes against 5) )#logic4 + horizon media 2 (https://rolz.org/info?X5393686)
[/spoiler]
-
Bacchus looked from Torley to Con, then back to Torley. "I never met her personally, but she decided to go partying in one of my voyeur rooms with that new action star, Whyte Night, among others. Me and the guy I was working with figured she be down for some professional work, but my buddy got his place raided and I got dropped on Pito and now I am heading for SD to get a new gig."
The ork looked hopeful that his vomiting confession was to your liking.
Sam sighed. "I'm afraid you're going to have to do better. Like I said, we know lots of the details. You weren't looking to hire her. Care to try again? Remember, my friend's trigger finger starts to twitch if he gets distracted."
-
The bands of minions are scouring the matrix, looking for any information on Whyte Knight. Some have returned already with reports of failure or perhaps hints of other information, but the larger picture is not yet available. Snow sends them back out for more.
[spoiler]Second roll for the extended test: Second roll for gathering information (http://orokos.com/roll/339344): 9d6t5 2 Total of five hits so far.
Third roll: Third roll for data (http://orokos.com/roll/339348): 8d6t5 2 Total of seven hits after three passes.[/spoiler]
-
Snow takes a closer look at her first minions to return. On closer examination they look drunk, or maybe high. As more of her minions return she realizes that her search parameters had overwhelmed the poor beasties. Whyte Nyght is EVERYWHERE in the local gridspace, even more than Christy was just a few hours ago, and with good reason. The man had been assassinated seconds after coming on stage at an event he had been scheduled to appear at. This had happened less than an hour ago, back in LA, AFTER the team had begun their pursuit of Bacchus.
The graphic nature of the death (the left side of his head had exploded like a grenade in a watermelon after the bullet hit him in that eye) and that it had happened in front on an worldwide audience and dozens of cameras had flooded the Matrix with imagery and opinion and ‘news’.
Sammy is also getting an insistent buzzing on her commlink as EVERYONE she knows in Hollywood is trying to call her to talk about this.
******
"And what? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! Okay fine, Christy Daee wasn't on board with doing the videos, but she would have gotten a cut, nobody was trying to rip her off." Bacchus cries in the real world.
-
O'Connor rolled his eyes in irritation,"No, you were just trying to blackmail her. And after we ruined your scheme, she ended up dead. How do you think that looks?"
-
Snow rallies her minions and brings them home then slips back into the real world after detailing some to remain on the main newscasts to gather information about the assassination. "Hey guys, Whyte Knight is dead. Assassinated on stage while we were on the highway after this guy. Very public, very brutal. No one claiming responsibility yet and no apparent suspects." She looks over at Sam and Bacchus. "Fleeing from us has probably saved your life. It is likely that you could be killed as well. You should do more talking if you know anything or anyone that is involved."
-
Clem frowns at the turn of event. She knew that meant they would be required back in LA very soon, and would be pressed for results. She didn't want to ruin the moment, in case Bacchus felt even more compelled to reveal things, but she knew they had to leave soon.
Unsheathing her sword, she got closer to Bacchus and said, in a calm voice, "Tell us everything now, I am growing tired of this."
-
Sammy took the calls from Melissa, Jenny and anybody important connected to their current run, and let all the others go to voicemail. She kept her responses quite minimal, expressing concern, but including she didn't know what was going on (technically not a lie). She also went a bit away from the group so that the people she was talking to on the commlink couldn't hear what the others were saying and vice-versa.
-
"I'M TELLING YOU EVERYTHING I KNOW!! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!" Bacchus is doing everything possible to move away, bound up and limited as his movement is. "I am a nobody! I didn't even come up with the voyeur scam, that was Patterson! I just did the grunt work! The Puebs busted Steve after the Club got shot up this morning, I got no job, no crew, Horizon dumped me so I got no show and no Pito, they don't even want me for their field tests any more. I am NOBODY! I am not a killer! I saw Christy ONE TIME to deliver Patterson's terms, THAT'S IT!"
-
Snow remains silent, letting the others question Bacchus. Certainly they will ask about this Patterson.
-
Clem turned around to look at Snow and asked her "Do you have a commcode or an address for this Patterson, or do I have to continue listening to his annoying voice?" The ork hoped Snow could find something to work with on Bacchus' commlink so they could head back to town.
-
Sam smiled reassuringly. "See, now you're starting to tell us some interesting stuff. That sort of behavior is always nice. You delivered Patterson's terms--how did you know where to find her? And if you're not Patterson's hatchet man, who is?"
-
When Snow takes another look at Bacchus commlink, without the pressure of the chase, she notes something. It takes a second to confirm her suspicion but there is no question, he has the same virus, in a much more advanced form, that she and her friends back in the studio found in their links.
The infection is such that there is essentially a warning sign on Bacchus public profile warning people that he is an 'undesirable', what ever that means.
-
O'Connor gave a frustrated growl, "This is useless. It's obvious this sniveling coward already told us everything he knows." He motioned for Clem and Torley to move away from Bacchus. He then aimed his machine pistol at the goatman's prized legs, "By the way, Leo wishes you luck in San Diego." He then pulled the trigger. After which he gave his team a look that could be translated to, Roll with it.
[spoiler=Long Burst]
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Take Aim 1 - Recoil 1 - Poor Lighting 2 = Pool 7
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/340315): 7d6t5 2
Narrow Burst: +5 to DV
Ares Crusader 4P + Explosive Rouns 1P + Narrow Burst 5P + Hits 2P - Defense = Total 12P - Defense
[/spoiler]
-
The burst of gunfire completely separates his right leg just above the knee and leaves left knee materially connected but mechanically useless as the hoof is now next to the man's armpit. After a strangled scream, the ork quickly goes into shock, eyes wide and staring at nothing, body on the pavement and drooling.
-
Snow reacts to the gunshots by grabbing the medkit she had brought from the car and jumping to the downed man. She recognizes the effect of shock and sets to work to counter ii, for shock can kill a person as dead as a bullet to the brain. Additionally, there is some trauma from the effects of the explosive rounds and she needs to care for that as well. Once Bacchus is stabilized and not in direct danger, Snow digs some bandages from the kit and wraps them around the man's legs to stop the blood flow.
[spoiler]First Aid for Bacchus: First Aid for Bacchus with edge for misses. (http://orokos.com/roll/340344): 18d6t5 3[/spoiler]
While the man is unconscious, Snow uses some of the tools in the kit to finish the job Con had begun. Bacchus would never walk on these cyber limbs again and some of the ware and its connections were still attached and could bring further harm to the man if not removed. The work site is far from optimal, but she does the best she can and finally removes the more dangerous parts of the legs. Sparing a glance at Con, she says, "Come on.......explosive rounds? A bit extreme I should think. Still, it was effective. Did Leo really tell you to blow his legs off?""
-
Sammy was just on the phone when O'Conner started shooting.
"I gotta go, call you back," she said to the person at the other side. By the time she arrived, Snow was already working on Bacchus.
"What the hell is wrong with you," she shouted to O'Conner, "shooting people while they are attacking you, sure, but if they are defenseless on the ground? Are you insane. Don't answer that, it's rhetorical."
Next she looked up to see if there were any camera drones close by.
[spoiler]
looking for camera drones
Sammy:10D6E5 → 5( (3, 6, 2, 6, 5, 6, 3, 1, 1, 6→ 5 successes against 5) )#intuition 3 + perception 2 + vision enhancers 2 + active looking 3 (https://rolz.org/info?X5444886)
if they are there, I'll probably see them.
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor flashed Snow his trademark wolfish grin, "I'll explain on the way back." The ork was most likely out cold, but to be safe he wouldn't spill the beans here. He then turned his smile onto Sammy, but also gave her a pointed look, harkening back to their earlier conversation. Once Snow finished her work, O'Connor dragged the former goatman back into his car. If the visual wasn't so grim, it would've been funny to watch the slim man struggle with half an ork that still outweighed him by at least 25 kg. After finally getting Bacchus back into the vehicle, he gave it a once over for anything interesting to nab. After finishing his pilfering and wiping away any fingerprints, he told Snow, "Park the car on the shoulder and turn on the hazards." He then grabbed the separated legs and tossed them over the side of the freeway into the waters below. With his business concluded O'Connor made his way back to their sedan, a self-satisfied smile on his face.
[spoiler=Perception]
Intuition 3 + Perception 3 + Visual 2 - Poor Lighting 2 = Pool 6
Perception (Visual) (http://orokos.com/roll/340407): 6d6t5 3
[/spoiler]
-
This far from LA, there is not much to find, no drones certainly. Bacchus' vehicle also shows nothing of note. Nothing much to do except head back, unless you are planning to invade Aztlan.
-
Sam wasn't pleased with the carnage, especially given how close he'd been to Bacchus when the shots were fired, but he knew than to complain to Connor. While Snow and Con dealt with the unconscious ork, he simply stretched and headed back to the car.
-
After making sure the situation wasn't going to deteriorate any further, Clem simply gave O'Connor a disapproving head shake. She didn't mind teaching Bacchus a lesson, but removing his legs was beyond a lesson; it was the kind of stuff that people seek revenge for. "Make sure we can safely leave him here" said the ork to Snow, motioning for everyone else to get back to the car.
-
Once everyone was in the vehicle and on their way back to LA, O'Connor jumped at the chance to fill the team in on his scheme. It was obvious he was very proud of himself, "Okay, so granted there's a lot of luck involved here, but whatever. It's not like I'm gonna stick around to steer the course. Worse case scenario, I've only ruined a life that was already in tatters. Let's be honest, it's not like he didn't have it coming. Hopefully though Bacchus will be looking for revenge, and with us long gone and me planting the false seed, he'll be gunning for Leo. Revenge gives Bacchus new direction in life, Leo learns not to leave loose ends dangling, and the A-kidz get a crash course in gang warfare. Win-win-win for all parties." O'Connor paused as an excited grin spread across his face, "Now, pie in the sky, Bacchus will be smart enough to strike for maximum impact. Meaning he'll make his move during some big A-kidz broadcast. That'll be a huge ratings grabber. Now, Sammy, correct me if I'm wrong. Hollywood execs will latch onto anything that causes a ratings spike and try to catch lightning in a bottle. Imagine it, during sweeps, all these posers actually gear up and start acting like proper gangs. And you all know, people will eat that drek up. No one can pass up the chance to rubberneck. Then the real gangs are going to want in on all that cred, and they'll look to wipe out the ones with shows to make room for themselves. I may have just set in motion the revitalization of the LA gang scene." He doubted it would actually come, but he still acted like the others were about to congratulate him on his cunning and brilliance.
-
Snow does her very best to make sure that Bacchus will survive, but is still unsure. There has not been any real traffic on this stretch of road for a while and there is every chance that the man will go into shock again after waking to find it was not a dream and that his prized legs are gone. She carefully considers her position with the group and goes to the car, speaking through an open window. "I am sorry, but I cannot leave this man here like this. There has been about zero traffic pass by since we stopped and even if a car did come by there is no real guarantee that someone would stop. His commlink has been crapped by the virus we have, but even worse, so he would not even be able to call for help. Besides, I think there is a very good chance that he will fall back into shock after waking up. I have seen it before after treating patients on the operating table. I am a criminal and perhaps worse, but more importantly I am a doctor and I just cannot leave it like this. I would like to propose that I drive his car and follow you back to LA, then go to a hospital and leave him where he will be found by the hospital staff. We can keep connected and discuss the next step while we drive." Snow looks around at the others, then focuses on Con. "I know you guys are a tight-knit group and I am still the outsider foisted on you by the Johnson, but I have to say something. That bit was uncalled for, Con. The man was not even resisting and he was talking. I hope that this is part of a greater plan, but I just do not see the value." Her mind made up, Snow returns to the other car and makes Bacchus as comfortable as possible in the passenger seat before starting up and making a U-turn. She tries to keep in touch with the others via her Meta 'link.
-
Clem listened to O'Connor, still struggling with his "plan". Deep down, she was feeling glad she hadn't fallen for the man's new image since Snow had arrived on the scene. Just like she was wearing some heavy makeup to conceal her real identity, O'Connor was still the same deep down. *People don't change* thought the ork, which gave her pause for a brief moment. Did that mean she was bound to always run, coming home to a lonesome and empty apartment?
Shaking the thoughts from her head, Clem nodded at Snow and said "Follow us and we'll drop him off on the way back to LA." The street samurai definitely didn't like this detour, but could see in Snow's face this was more than a simple act of goodwill. The Russian woman had been shaken by the events and needed to do something about it.
Once on the road, the ork said out loud "I still don't understand how a gang war gets us paid or makes our job any easier."
-
O'Connor shrugged as Snow walked back towards Bacchus' car. Apparently she'd gotten a very wrong impression about him based on his kindness towards her. It seemed he'd ruined his chances with her. A shame to be sure, but this was a one of a kind chance to sow seeds of chaos and destruction, and to whip these poser gangs into shape. And as they say, there's more fish in the sea.
O'Connor rolled his eyes at Clem, "It had nothing to do with the run. It's about getting these Pito gangs back on the right track. They're a joke and need to learn how to act like proper bangers again. And do you only do things revolving around work? No hobbies or anything?"
-
You have found a turnaround and are driving at an innocuous speed (figuring at most 5 KPH above or below the limit) with Snow trailing a safe distance behind, when a shimmering barrier appears across the width of the road.
(OOC: I need surprise checks from everyone, to save time I will also need driving checks from Mercy and Hydro so we will know if they crash before or after they are surprised :) )
-
Snow listens to Con's plan over the team net, or what is left of it. The crappy Metas are not up to her normal standard, but her internal 'link is fragging apart and she does not trust it. She drives in silence for a bit, then says, >>This may have been a good plan, but it was not a team decision to do this. In my mind there is no real reason to start a gang war of any kind and certainly no need to teach these gangers, posers or not, how to become real ganger, whatever that is. I do wonder at your experience with "real" gangs. I could tell you stories, but I am just me. There may be others that can talk to you about what real gangs are like. And a war of any sort usually brings innocent people into the crossfire between gangs. If this had been a group discussion, my vote would have been against the action and against the war.<<
>>That being said, wher.............Что побед! Панка посмотреть!, Clem look out!<< Her voice breaks off as a shimmering field appears across the road ahead of the first car. Snow attempts to stop the car before crashing into either the barrier or the other car.
[spoiler]Surprise roll (Initiative): Surprise (http://orokos.com/roll/341303): 9d6t5+9 14 Driving test: Driving Test (http://orokos.com/roll/341309): 6d6t5 1[/spoiler]
-
Sammy had kept out of the conversation. She had placed her spirit on standby as she still had one service left and it would be easier to use that service instead of calling up a new spirit. During the drive back, she texted to the people she had put on the answering machine. In LA, public relations was a given and you had to work on them. Constantly.
A sudden screetch of the breaks brought her out of her concentration.
[spoiler]
surprise test.
sammy:7D6E5 → 1( (4, 2, 6, 4, 3, 1, 4→ 1 success against 5) )#initiative (https://rolz.org/info?X5518412)
I assume that with only 1 hit I'm surprised.
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor was about to give his counter argument to Snow, but was cutoff when drek started to go down.
[spoiler=Surprise Test]
Reaction 8 + Intuition 3 = Pool 11
Surprise (http://orokos.com/roll/341370): 11d6t5 3
Edge - Reroll Misses (http://orokos.com/roll/341371): 8d6t5 4
Total: 7
[/spoiler]
-
Listening to Snow, Clem wasn't giving the road her full attention when something suddenly appeared in from of her. Surprised, she tried to keep her composure.
[spoiler] First, surprise test. Surprise ~ Reaction 7 + Intuition 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/341435): 11d6t5 4 no glitches, which gives us a 15.
Next, driving test. Driving Test ~ Reaction 7 + Pilot Ground Craft 1 + Handling 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/341436): 10d6t5 2 close, but no glitches. Since I only have one edge left, I'll let this driving test stand.[/spoiler]
-
Tires scream, plexiglass cracks, polymetals crumple and a half a dozen metahuman bodies go from traveling over a hundred kilometers an hour to a dead stop in just over four carlengths. The magical barrier that halted your progress is already gone, but before you can even begin to assess your surroundings and pain, loud bangs sound in the engine compartment near the passenger wheel well and the engines die completely.
(OOC: Once all resistance rolls are done, I will also need passive visual perception rolls, please remember if you disabled your PAN that means any funky goggles you have going are disabled too. Then you can roll initiative, and take actions.)
-
Tanya slams forward then back as the car careens into..........something. The barrier seemed tangible enough when she hit it and she barely recognizes that it is now apparently gone. Unlatching the seat belt, Snow weakly grabs her medkit and forces the door open, tumbling to the ground, badly stunned. In the moment before she had crashed, Snow had seen the car ahead of her slam into the barrier. Not even sure where her Meta Link is at the time, she begins to crawl over to the other car, dragging her kit with her. The pain and surprise are so much that she can barely focus on getting to the other car, ignoring or not even seeing what is going on around her.
[spoiler]Perception: Perception 6d6t5 - 2d6 stun (http://orokos.com/roll/342194): 4d6t5 1 Initiative: Initiative 9d6t5+9 - 2d6 stun (http://orokos.com/roll/342207): 7d6t5+9 13 13 and 2 IP[/spoiler]
-
Sammy was doing something else when the car hit the barrier and she slammed her head against the seat in front of her. While the seatbelt made that she didn't fly through the front window, it did bruise her ribs from the shock and she went limp in the harness of the seatbelt.
[spoiler]
I'll put the resist roll here again.
Sammy:7D6E5 → 2( (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 6, 3→ 2 successes against 5) )#body 4 + impact 3 (https://rolz.org/info?X5562285)
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor smashed into the back of the driver seat and reeled back from the impact. He was stunned and probably concussed, but still conscious. He told Clem, "Pop the trunk." He didn't have a clear idea of what was happening, but when in doubt O'Connor grabbed a gun. He got out of the vehicle, not spotting an immediate threat or source of the attack, and when to retrieve his rifle.
-
Sam hit the dashboard hard, but didn't black out. Pulling the door open and unfastening his seatbelt, he slid to the ground next to the car, wondering why he was thinking about a dragonfly.
-
Disoriented, Clem unfastened her seatbelt and exited the car as fast as she could. Hearing O'Connor, she quickly stepped back, opening the trunk of the car before dashing to find some cover and taking her SMG out, trying to shake off the fuzziness from the crash.
-
Bad things continue as the team bails out of the car.
Snow, crawling on the ground, feels something swipe across her head and neck. (Resist a 3P attack, no defense possible)
Behind the cars, approximately 5 meters, a form materializes. Vaguely humanish, its form dances with electricity, that, as it gestures, streaks toward Clem.
Spirit bolt attack on Clem (http://orokos.com/roll/343854): 10d6t5 3
As Con leaves the car he also is attacked, from a sniper concealed in the darkness well down the highway.
Sniper attack on Con (http://orokos.com/roll/343855): 16d6t5 3
-
Snow feels the brush of pain across her shoulders but her determination to get to her team allows her to shrug most of it off.
[spoiler]Resist: Resist Damage: Body 2 + Armor 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/343859): 6d6t5 2 So 1P added to the 6S.[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor ducked his head as the bullet whizzed by. He called out to warn the others, "Sniper!"
[spoiler=Dodge]
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 - CM 2 = Pool 17
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/343883): 17d6t5 5
[/spoiler]
-
As Clem groggily runs for cover, she manages to weave, tumble and otherwise dodge her attacker's attempt at her.
[spoiler]Spirit Attack ~ Reaction 7 + Athletics group 2 - Wound 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/343948): 8d6t5 5 no glitches. She went full defence there, so Clem manages to dodge that one.[/spoiler]
-
Sam's head was still spinning, making it hard for him to think straight. He vaguely heard what might have been shouting and a few loud pops; it was hard to tell past the ringing in his ears. But that dragonfly...it could have gotten hurt! He had to check on it! Luckily, he was close to the wheel well; he crawled over and tried to find it.
[spoiler]Perception: Int(5) + Skill(5) + Specialization(2) + CM(-2) + Actively Looking(3) (http://orokos.com/roll/344101): 13d6t5 4
I'm assuming there's a visibility penalty--wheel wells tend to be dark--but the dice roller seems to have front-loaded all the hits, so that shouldn't affect the results.[/spoiler]
-
YOU FOUND IT! Or maybe that is the first one's brother, or that one, or that one, man there are a lot of dragonflies out here, is there a nest? They don't seem to like you guys much, you see one of them open a wound on Snow, and in fact, one them is diving at you!
[spoiler]
Dragonfiy Attack (http://orokos.com/roll/344698): 7d6t5 3 Roll defending melee.
[/spoiler]
And you aren't the only one, Clem and O'Conner aren't even paying attention to the ones attacking them!
[spoiler]
Dragonfiy Attack and being seen by Con or Clem (http://orokos.com/roll/344699): 8d6t5 2 6d6t5 3 7d6t5 1 7d6t5 4 7d6t5 4
Clem resist a 1P (Body only!) attack, and O'Connor, ouch, 2@4P. No defense.
Mercy, your roll was Body only too, so that was 2 boxes on Snow.[/spoiler]
-
[spoiler]
Sam's suffering enough as it is, so I'm going to use edge on this one:
Dodge: Reaction(2) + Dodge(3) +CM(-2) + Edge(4) (http://orokos.com/roll/344738): 7d6h5 5
[/spoiler]
Sam tried to swat at the dragonfly, but he missed. Luckily, his swing overbalanced him, pulling him out of the little bug's attack path.
-
O'Connor was too focused on the sniper, that he never saw the flying bastards coming and paid the price for it. One of the attacks came rather close to his jugular.
[spoiler=Damage Resist]
Damage Resist (http://orokos.com/roll/344740): 4d6t5 1
Damage Resist (http://orokos.com/roll/344741): 4d6t5 2
So that's 5P damage taken.
[/spoiler]
-
Clem felt something hit her but was too preoccupied with the spirit to notice what was flying around. Although she wasn't hurt, she did feel it was something deliberately aimed at her, which prompted her to look around and identify possible hidden attackers.
[spoiler]Damage Resist ~ Body 5 + Toughness 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/344743): 6d6t5 1 no glitches.[/spoiler]
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O'Connor searched frantically for the even newer threat. In all the chaos it took him a moment, but he finally found the little fraggers. He activated his gun slide and dropped his pistol into his hand.
[spoiler]
Simple Action: Observe in Detail
Intuition 3 + Perception 3 + Visual 2 - CM 3 = Pool 5
Perception (Visual) (http://orokos.com/roll/344765): 5d6t5 0
Edge to re-roll
Perception (Visual) (http://orokos.com/roll/344766): 5d6t5 1
God dammit. Ho-fucking-ray for wasted edge. >:(
Simple Action: Observed in Detail
Intuition 3 + Perception 3 + Visual 2 - CM 3 = Pool 5
Perception (Visual) (http://orokos.com/roll/344767): 5d6t5 3
Free Action: Draw Pistol (Hidden gun arm slide)
[/spoiler]
-
Snow feels the pain of the attack, something ripped at her exposed skin leaving trails of blood dripping down the side of her neck onto the roadway. She shakes her head, determined to make the other car. She has been able to spot Clem, Sam, and Con, but no Sammy, who must still be in the car. Determined to make it, she shrugs off the pain and keeps going.
-
Clem looked around and spotted the source of her latest attack. She decided to concentrate on the new threat, hoping she could quickly dispose of this before focusing on the spirit that attacked her.
[spoiler]Perception ~ Perception 3 + Intuition 4 + Perceptive 1 + Perception Enhancers 2 + Visual Enhancement 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/344838): 13d6t5 5 No glitches.
If her SMG is at the ready, which Crossbow hasn't told me otherwise, then Clem will fire.
First Round, Second Pass - Agility 7 + Firearms 4 - Damage Modifier 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/344844): 10d6t5 5 No glitches, narrow burst, DV+2Q[/spoiler]
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Snow looks around for the drone. She is still feeling the effects of the crash and has to shake her head a couple of times to try to clear her vision. Just looking for the drone takes a lot of effort.
[spoiler]Perception: Perception Int 4 + Perception 2 - Stun2 (http://orokos.com/roll/345478): 4d6t5 0 Not seeing much. Use edge. Edge to reroll initiative (http://orokos.com/roll/345716): 4d6t5 1 So 1 hit all together.[/spoiler]
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In finding their other attackers, the team’s heavies make themselves targets for their original ones.
Sniper- on O’Conner
Sniper attack on Con (http://orokos.com/roll/345845): 16d6t5 5
Spirit – on Clementine
Spirit bolt attack on Clem (http://orokos.com/roll/345848): 10d6t5 3
Once defenses are rolled, proceed with third pass.
-
O'Connor stepped to the side as the sniper's bullet whizzed by. One time, he'd like to be the ambusher.
[spoiler=Dodge]
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Ranged 2 - CM 3 = Pool 16
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/346000): 16d6t5 5
[/spoiler]
-
Concentrating on the new threat, Clem didn't have enough time to see the lightning bolt coming at her.m, but still managed to somehow shrug it off. The shock of the lightning bolt still apparent, Clem fired back at the spirit.
[spoiler]Defence ~ Reaction 7 - Damage Modifier 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/346408): 6d6t5 1 no glitches. So that's 2 net hits.
Damage Resistance ~ Impact armour 9/2 + Body 5 + Toughness 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/346409): 11d6t5 3 No glitches. Using Clem's last edge to reroll misses. Edge reroll (http://orokos.com/roll/346410): 8d6t5 4 No glitches. So that's a 7 for damage resistance.
Next Clem will fire a narrow burst at the spirit. Turn 1, Pass 3 Attack ~ Agility 7 + Firearms 4 - Damage Modifier 1 - Shocked 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/346719): 8d6t5 6 No glitches. What a lucky roll! So that's a DV of 5 + 2 for the narrow burst.
If the spirit is still standing, the second attack will be for it. If not, for the fairy that attacked it (I calculated all the penalties/recoil compensation modifiers and just simplified it)
First Turn Third Pass Attack 2 ~ Agility 7 + Firearms 4 - Damage Modifiers 1 - Shocked 2 - Recoil 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/346720): 7d6t5 2 No glitches, same deal as the first attack.
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor held one hand to the wound across his neck. With the other, he raised his pistol and opened fire on the drones.
[spoiler=Pistol]
Agility 5 + Pistols 4 - CM 3 = Pool 6
Pistol (http://orokos.com/roll/346735): 6d6t5 3
L. Pistol 4 + Explosive Rounds 1 + Hits 3 = DV 8 - Defense
Agility 5 + Pistols 4 - CM 3 = Pool 6
Pistol (http://orokos.com/roll/346736): 6d6t5 3
L. Pistol 4 + Explosive Rounds 1 + Hits 3 = DV 8 - Defense
If first drone destroyed switch target, -2 off backend
L. Pistol 4 + Explosive Rounds 1 + Hits 2 = DV 7 - Defense
[/spoiler]
-
O'Conner's shots each cause a little drone to buzz madly off course of another fly-by on him, the inevitable crunch against pavement or barricade finishes the job.
The spirit look a little peeved that Clem was able to soak it's last shot, but did the same to the gunfire that the enforcer hit with. Closing to melee range, it tried another.
Spirit bolt attack on Clem (http://orokos.com/roll/346974): 10d6t5 3
She is up next.
-
O'Connor continued to pick off the drones buzzing about, targeting the one attacking Snow.
[spoiler=Pistol]
Agility 5 + Pistols 4 - CM 3 = Pool 6
Pistol (http://orokos.com/roll/347929): 6d6t5 1
L. Pistol 4 + Explosive Rounds 1 + Hits 1 = DV 6 - Defense
Agility 5 + Pistols 4 - CM 3 = Pool 6
Pistol (http://orokos.com/roll/347931): 6d6t5 2
L. Pistol 4 + Explosive Rounds 1 + Hits 2 = DV 7 - Defense
If first drone destroyed switch to one attacking Clem, -2 off backend doesn't effect roll
[/spoiler]
-
The one attacking Snow appears to be a little more aware than the rest, moving in a random evasive pattern when O'Conner turns its way, quite successfully.
Dragonfiy Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/348272): 11d6t5 3
Dragonfiy Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/348273): 10d6t5 7
-
Maybe it is too focused on Con to see Snow's shots coming with the same agility. Snow fires twice at the drone as well, scoring 2 hits and 1 hit.
-
These dragonflies are angry, Sam thought to himself as they buzzed around. Through his disorientation, he tried to take a swing at the closest one.
[spoiler]
Swing, batter, batter: Clubs[2]+Personalized Grip[1]+Agility[5]+CM[-2] (http://orokos.com/roll/348285): 6d6t5 1
...yeah, that didn't go very well. On the off chance that the drone flubs it, his staff is 3P.
[/spoiler]
-
With the spirit coming in closer to her, Clem decided to evade its attacks as best she could, flipping and jumping out of its field of vision. The otherworldly being, however, hit the ork with unnatural precision, the hit connecting squarely on Clem's back. The shove from the attack put the Japanese woman off balance for a moment, enough to disturb her plans for a retort. *Drek, I hate spirits!* thought the ork, as she composed herself and shrugged off the incapacitating effects of the shock, a small force inside the pit of her stomach compelling her not to give up, not wanting to be the weak link that would make the team unravel.
[spoiler]Shock Resistance ~ Body 5 + Will 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/348459): 8d6t5 2 no glitches
So I did this all wrong and forgot the modifiers and whatnot, so rolling the rest of the die.
Shock Resistance part 2 ~ Impact 9/2 - Shocked 2 - Wounds 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/348466): 2d6t5 1 No glitches.
Now, by some miracle, Clem is still standing.[/spoiler]
-
Unfortunately, by showing her strength, she is daring the foe to knock her down and they oblige as a magical bolt streaks out of the night from off the side of the freeway...
[spoiler]Enemy mage mana bolt and drain (http://orokos.com/roll/348277): 11d6t5 5 9d6t5 3[/spoiler]
...O'Conner continues to be the target of choice for the sniper...
[spoiler]Sniper attack on Con (http://orokos.com/roll/348773): 16d6t5 8[/spoiler]
...and Torley's attacker ducks his clumsy swing and dives at him.
[spoiler]Dragonfiy Attack (http://orokos.com/roll/348775): 7d6t5 2[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor wasn't quick enough to dodge the latest attack. The sniper round punched straight through his armor. He didn't even have time to vocalize his pain or fury as the attack threw him to the ground. His head bounced off the asphalt as his body crumpled. He didn't get up.
[spoiler=Dodge]
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/348778): 16d6t5 3
Edge to reroll
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/348785): 13d6t5 3
Total hits 6
Damage Resist
Damage Resist (http://orokos.com/roll/348797): 12d6t5 3
Damage 7p, 2 boxes of overflow
[/spoiler]
-
Sam staggered to one side, inadvertently slipping out of the way of the dragonfly's attack.
[spoiler]
This isn't going well; using a second point of edge to avoid going on full defense, for whatever it's worth.
REA(2)+Dodge(3)-CM(2) (http://orokos.com/roll/348953): 7d6h5 5
[/spoiler]
-
Snow looks around at the carnage. Con is down and bleeding and Clem seems to be in distress as well. Sammy has not moved from the car and Sam is busy dodging. She makes up her mind and places her gun in its holster before standing with arms spread apart. She shouts out to the hidden antagonists. "Hey! We surrender! Clem, give up. We are going to die here if we continue to fight. Please give me time to treat my friends." She holds her breath, waiting for the next shot.
-
The bolt completely took Clem off guard and connected with her squarely with her side. The pain from the attack jolted the ork, but she managed to stay on her feet. Reminded the spirit had a master not far from their position, Clem turned around and focused on the dragonfly, the commotion and confusion of the battle drowning out Snow's plea for a cease-fire. Spotting the threat, she fired in the general direction, waves of pain disturbing her otherwise stable hands.
[spoiler]Observe in Detail ~ Intuition 4 + Perception 3 + Perceptive 1 + Perception Enhancers 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 + Actively Looking 3 - Shocked 2 - Wounds 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/349841): 12d6t5 4 no glitches. I will assume that is enough to spot the caster, which Clem will shoot at.
Clem will simply attack the dragonfly twice.
Second Turn, Third Pass ~ Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Shocked 2 - Wounds 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/349843): 7d6t5 0 Close but no glitch.
Second Round Third Pass Second Attack ~ Firearms 4 + Agility 7 - Shocked 2 - Wounds 2 - Previous Attack 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/349992): 6d6t5 2 No glitches. She will be shooting in a wide burst this time. I condensed all the shooting modifiers (recoil compensation, penalties, etc.) into one modifier.[/spoiler]
-
Dragonfiy Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/350023): 4d6t5 1 Glitch
Sniper attack (http://orokos.com/roll/350028): 16d6t5 5
Clem's second shot clips the drone attacking her, the damage causing it to arc and veer away from her. The miraculous aspect of the flight, unnoticed by all was its intersection with the sniper's line of fire. What was a confusedly delayed killshot on Snow is deflected imperceptibly by the drone.
(OOC: Snow is being shot at, but even if she fails to dodge, the bullet will only graze her skull. The visual severity of the shot will be determined by the damage, but it will only do, at most, 1 box of damage)
Initiative for round 3
-
Snow flinches as the bullet grazes her head, sending her spinning back to the space between the cars. **So much for that.**
[spoiler]Initiative: Initiative 9 - 3 wound mod (http://orokos.com/roll/350032): 6d6t5+9 11 11 and 2IP[/spoiler]
-
The lightning spirit closes in on the staggered ork, looking to finally finish its persistent target. As it reaches back to launch a finishing blow, its head looks toward the mana bolt's source and disappears. The remaining two drones also, forgive the pun, bug out, leaving three combatants practically dead on their feet and wondering if they can call this a win.
Declare actions.
-
Snow will dive to where Con is laying on the ground and hook the medkit to him.
-
Sam's head was starting to clear; seeing Con drop had helped. He saw Snow moving towards the fallen gunman, and that Clem was still on her feet, but he realized that he hadn't seen Sammy since the crash. Sliding to the back door of the car, he pulled it open to check on her.
-
As surprised as everyone else was, Clem looked around her, her firearm pointing everywhere her gaze stopped. Once she was satisfied nobody else was coming after them, she holstered her SMG and sat on the road, back against the car. The adrenaline had worn off and her right flank was extremely painful. Clem spat next to her, a mixture of blood and bile left on the pavement telling her this had been a close encounter. Her left leg still twitching from the shock, she put a hand on it to try and calm her spasms down, telling the rest of the team to "Help the people that are down and get back in the cars quickly, we can't stay here." The ork felt like lying down and letting herself recover, but knew they were an easy target to whomever would pass by.
-
Snow rushes to Con's side and kneels to attach the leads from her kit to the fallen gunman. She swipes at her face to keep the trickle of blood from the graze from interfering in her task. She knows that Con is hurting and in trouble and cannot afford to mess this up. Crossing her fingers, she swears in Russian and flicks the kit to stabilization. At first is seems as if she may have attached something incorrectly, the she gets the green light telling her that the patient is stabilized and will stop bleeding. Looking around, she half expects to see the hidden enemy approaching. Keeping her confusion out of her voice, she says, "OK. Con is stabilized. I should stay with him to try to bring him around, but will stabilize anyone else in need. Clem, you OK? Sam, how is Sammy doing? Do you need me in there?"
-
Believing that an awake Con is better than one laying on the ground, Snow manipulates the medkit to apply healing to the fallen gunman. Realizing that she is hurt, she makes sure that everything is hooked up correctly. After all, it would not do to electrocute the man. She calls on all of her medical training and works as quickly and safely as she can. She is quite pleased with the effect as her patient begins to stir.
She looks at the man as she disconnects the kit and stands. "I am sure that there is little point in telling you to stay down and rest a bit. I am going to check on Sammy."
Snow moves over to the car and looks in the open door at Sam and Sammy. Leaning in, she uses the biomonitor on the kit to determine the status of the actress.
-
O'Connor slowly returned to consciousness and was rather confused. He expected to wake up in Hell, not laying on the freeway. He ignored Snow's advice and got to his feet as fast as his wounds would allow. He turned to Clem, "You took down that spirit?"
-
Clem didn't even bother turning her head to face O'Connor when she answered him. "They just up and left." After a short moment, she continued "And we should do the same." The ork slowly got up, holding her side as she climbed into the driver's seat.
-
Snow is hooking her kit up to Sammy when Clem gets into the car. "I need some time to make sure that Sammy and you are fit to even be walking. Can you give me that time?"
-
Whether she wants to or not, Clem will be giving Snow the time as the vehicle chooses to respond to her requests to start by making on grinding noises and beginning to emit smoke and the smell of burning plastic.
-
Without looking around, Snow grimaces at the noise the car makes as Clem tries to start it up. "Clem, you might have better luck with the other car. I might have impacted the barrier less harshly since I was a bit behind you." She finally gets the biomonitor hooked up on Sammy and looks at it as it registers the mage's condition.
Satisfied that Sammy is simply knocked out, Snow hooks her up and does some First Aid. She is rewarded by the mage's groans.
-
Confident that Sammy was in better hands than his, Torley looked dubiously at the second car. It was obvious that they wouldn't all fit in, unless they moved Bacchus first. And given how much work Snow had gone through to get him this far, Sam doubted that she'd appreciate their just dumping him by the side of the road. Damnit, she's got a good heart, but charity starts at home, right? he thought to himself, wondering how they were going to get back to town. I really don't want to have to call Johnson for another pick-up--hardly professional. But we may have to.
-
Satisfied that Sammy was coming around, Snow looked over at the other two members she had not examined yet. "Sam, Clem? How are both of you doing?"
-
Sam's ears were still ringing, but he could see the blood dripping from the ork. "They didn't get me. Take care of Clem." He walked over to the second car and slipped behind the wheel, trying the ignition.
-
Snow turns to Clem. "Boss? You going to give me trouble about this, too? Or are you going to sit and let me work on you?"
-
Clem didn't have the energy to get into any kind of argument with the pale-skinned woman, so she just waived her in and stayed seated in the driver's seat of the broken down car, ready for the bandages, stitches and whatnot she would require.
-
Snow recognizes the posture of the unwilling but does not let that deter her. She is a physician and Clem is a patient, and that was that. Careful to not add further injury to her boss, she hooked the kit up and allowed it to assist her expensive university-trained ability. Everything goes well and the look of relief on Clem's face is payment enough, even if she gets no thanks for the effort. Snow knows that she has done well.
-
Sammy awoke with a groan. She still had a headache, and going over the rest of her body she noticed some pain in her ribs and legs as well.
"What the hell happened," she asked, while shutting down the docwagon alert. She didn't need them here at the moment and as soon as she was a bit better, she would be able to check herself a bit better and do some magic to get rid of the last problems.
-
Snow hears Sammy's groan as she is disconnecting her kit from Clem and looks over at her with a bit od concern. "You should be OK if you do not move too much right away. I took some of the effect of the crash away, but I think you might have cracked a rib. We ran into some sort of mojo barrier and crashed both cars. This one does not seem to run at all and we do not yet know about the other. We were attacked by several drones, a spirit, a sniper, and probably a mage. I am not completely sure. I think Con took out some of the drones but we were getting the worst of the exchange. You were out from the crash, Con went down bleeding, Clem and I were hurt and not doing well. Heh, still not doing so well. Then they just left. Anyway, Clem is much better now and can better answer your questions. I am heading over to the other car to see about Sam and Bacchus."
-
O'Connor raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Left? Why? They had us right were they wanted us." He was finding it impossible to fathom a reason for the sudden retreat.
-
The second vehicle is as dead as the first. (It is amazing the damage a rigger can do to a car when they can fly a grenade into an engine compartment)
Sammy has no problem spotting the residual effects of the magic that was used against the team after she was knocked out.
-
Clem shrugged, the effects of the medicine dulling her response. "I can't explain it. Just when they had the drop on me, they retreated." Trying to stand up, the ork made her way to Bacchus' vehicle and inspected it.
[spoiler] Basically looking if there are any leaking gas tanks, leaking batteries, etc. Anything that might make the thing explode on ignition. Let me know if I need a roll for that.
Never mind.[/spoiler]
-
Snow tries to open the passenger door but it is twisted a bit and jammed shut. She reaches through the window to fasten her biomonitor on Bacchus to see if he is in need of aid. While doing that, she calls out to Sam. "Hey, Sam. Can I check you out as well? Not sure I can trust anyone's word about not being hurt."
-
Bacchus having been so carefully packed into the car seems fine, at least as far as the crash is concerned.
-
Satisfied that Bacchus is OK, Snow looks to Sam. He is walking around and seems OK, so she sits on the ground and does some First Aid on herself. The effect is rather nice the drugs remove quite a bit of the effect of the crash. Shaking her head, she stands and goes looking for Sam again.
-
Sam was actually glad that Snow had managed to take care of the obviously wounded. He wasn't bleeding, but he was definitely not functioning at full capacity. Looking over, he picked one of the Snows to head towards, hoping he'd guessed right.
-
Snow sees Sam wobbling a bit and swear under her breath. "Fragging heroes. When will they learn?" Shaking her head, Snow moves to intercept Sam and gently leads him back to the car so that he can sit comfortably. She hooks up the biomonitor and gets to work. Sam responds well to her treatment, but she is a bit concerned that he was wobbling around. She does some extra tests and monitors the biomonitor carefully to be sure that there is no overt brain damage. She shakes her head at the handsome man. "You should be feeling a bit better in a few. Please let me know if you experience any signs of dizziness, fainting, blurred or double vision. You had me worried for a minute there. I would like to have you sit here for a bit and leave the monitor hooked up. Please?"
Snow leaves the monitor attached to Sam's arm as she stands and looks about. She calls out to get the attention of the others. "I am monitoring Sam over here, but it might not be a good idea to have all of us standing about in a group. What does everyone think we should do next? I have done the best I can for First Aid, but all of us are still hurt a bit All I can do now is help with extended care. Sammy, are you able to help with some healing?"
-
O'Connor stumbled to the trunk of their vehicle and pulled out his rifle. He slumped against the vehicle, barely able to stand, "We should make sure they're gone. Anyone get a look at where they came from?"
-
"I might be able to help with healing as soon as I'm feeling a bit better myself," Sammy said, "At this point I'm not sure if I'm going to be much use to anybody. I'm just going to check in the astral on the mage's signature so I recognise him again when I see him. And I can also check if they are gone, as hiding in the astral is very difficult. I'm just going out of my body a bit."
She took a comfy spot and slipped out of her body. First she had a good look at the signature of the mage on the remnants of the barrier in the astral. Luckily he departed so quickly without wiping things as she always did. Then she followed the signature, going rather slow, at least by the standards of astral movement. But she didn't want to run head-on in a barrier and she had to follow the trail. Soon she had found what she was looking for and after checking in the real world where exactly she was by manifesting she returned a bit more quickly.
"Okay, I've found him on an island some distance from here," she said to the rest of the group, "and the nearest metahuman settlement is about five miles that way."
She pointed to where she had found some buildings.
[spoiler]
checking the barrier for the signature of the mage who made it.
astral perception (2 wound penalty) (http://orokos.com/roll/352812): 4d6t5 3
I guess I will definitely recognise the signature again and if I've already seen it, I might recognise it now.
checking if and where the other group has gone.
astral perception (2 wound penalty) (http://orokos.com/roll/352813): 4d6t5 1
[/spoiler]
-
O'Connor quickly determined likely sniper points, "Sniper was probably only a few hundred meters down the road. I'm gonna check it out." He stepped off of the vehicle, and stood under his own power. The ripple through his body was almost visible. He immediately collapsed, fire pulsating from the grievous sniper shot. A shrill yelp escaped from his lips. He took a moment before speaking, his voice relatively unbroken,"Like I said, the sniper was up the road a few hundred meters. Someone should check it out."
[spoiler=Composure]
Wil 3 + Cha 2 - Condition Modifier 4 = Pool 1
Composure (http://orokos.com/roll/353862): 1d6t5 1
((OOC: I'll assume that a hit of 1, and a 6 at that, with a dice pool of 1 will let me save face to a small degree. I mean, come on.))
[/spoiler]
-
Snow quickly moves to Con and kneels next to him, her face full of concern. She slaps her biomonitor onto his arm, but does not bother with the rest of the kit because she has already used it on him and it would be of no use now. "OK. The monitor indicates that you are still badly injured. I can do nothing more for you except supervise your rest and recovery and Sammy is in no condition to use any healing magic on you yet. You are going to have to take it easy. Frankly, I am amazed that you are still even able to try to walk. You must have the constitution of an ox to have taken this much damage and still be conscious." Snow lifts her head and looks at the others. "Sam, do you think you can help me get Con to the car there so he can sit more comfortably? Afterwards, perhaps either myself or Clem can go check out the sniper point. I also feel that the wounds Con has will limit his ability to go to that island. Another wound could kill him."
-
"I suggest we don't investigate the island for now," Sammy suggested, "we're in no shape for another fight, not to mention that we don't have any means of getting there. And if there is one thing you do not do, it's swimming here in the bay. The water is highly toxic in most places and the magic of the Deep Lacuna is making it even more dangerous. I'm only going on the water in a good boat and after some preparations."
-
Watching O'Connor, Sam winced. For the tough guy to show as much discomfort as he was, he had to be almost dead on his feet. It didn't take a strategical genius to figure out who was most expendable at the moment. He sighed. "I'll go see what I can find. Snow, I'll keep my line open; keep an ear on me, ok? Clem, keep them safe. And get out of this damn light."
Before anyone could object, Sam started down the road. Once he was beyond the cone of light, he angled to the side of the road furthest away from the mage's island, doing his best to fade into the darkness, while scanning ahead of himself for any warning signs.
[spoiler]
Sneaking: AGI[5] + Infiltration[3] + CM[-1] (http://orokos.com/roll/354046): 7d6t5 2
Perception (including thermographic from his lenses): Int[5]+Perception[5]+Visual Specialization[2]-CM[1] (http://orokos.com/roll/354047): 11d6t5 2
...Well, that could've been better. :P
[/spoiler]
-
Snow nods at Sam as he gets ready to set off. "You got it, Sam. I will come running if you shout. I am linking to you so that I can share what you see. Be careful."
Once she has the man's image link tied to her, Snow does her best to get Con settled into the back seat of the car and as comfortable as possible before sitting back to look at what Sam is seeing..
-
Sam creeps up the highway, positive beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was not going to make it back to the cars. Every thought is that the last thing that goes through his mind will be a bullet. When the headlights wink into sight, he is fairly confident that he is having a coronary episode, and in spite of his initial concern about the mage's hill he shrinks as far as he can into the outside wall of the road, ready to jump in the water if the headlights slow at all.
The car passes him without incident, but it slows for a second as the occupants rubber neck his friends stuck on the other road. Then they double their speed and zoom past.
For some reason, this incident calms the social adept, and he is able to continue with some semblance of calm. He is 200 meters down the road when he finds what he is looking for. Burnt rubber marks the road and a broken lamp above allowing the moon to light the scene. A spot had been cleared among the gravel topping the median with a great sightline on the cars. the funny thing is that the pebbles that had been cleared were neatly piled according to their color and makeup, and even the shattered plastiglass pieces were sorted according to size.
-
Snow realizes right away that she has no visual from Sam and quietly curses in Russian. Shrugging, she keeps close contact with his 'link while making sure that the others get some rest. Twice, she is almost ready to sedate Con to keep him from moving too much, but he settles down quickly enough to not reopen the wounds.
-
Staying as low and quiet as he could, Sam murmured into his subvocal mic, "Snow, I made it to the sniper's nest. No sign of him now. Looks like he bugged out in a hurry, for whatever reason. He'd been here a while, though." He pulled out his 'link and scanned it around the piles so she could see them, then started looking around the area.
[spoiler]Sam will spend some time looking for anything else out of place, especially any spent shell casings. If the sniper left quickly, he may not have cleaned up his brass carefully--and if he did, that might indicate professional/military training. Crossbow, let me know if you want another perception roll (or make it yourself). ;)[/spoiler]
-
Clem didn't like the idea of sending Torley by himself out in hostile territory, but she was in no condition to do anything about it after the last encounter. The ork simply rested in the car, seated as comfortably as she could in a crashed vehicle. The rest was much welcomed, but her mind was racing for a way to get back to town. She knew the nature of their assignment was very time-sensitive, and this attack was either well-timed or a really unfortunate ambush by a random bunch of attackers. However, the retreat was pushing her towards the former, as it seemed the attacking party's retreat meant they weren't interested in loot or any other material gains, besides stalling the group for time.
-
Sammy was sitting next to the car so it shielded her from the location she knew the mage was at. For now there wasn't much she could do, so she opted to rest as much as possible. As she was fiddling a bit with her Pito profile, she noticed the extra icon that had appeared there.
"Snow," she said to the hacker, "when we get back, we need to figure out what that extra icon is doing there. And how to get rid of it."
-
Snow nods. "Unless I am reading this incorrectly, our signals are broadcasting that we are people to be avoided. Sort of like putting an ARO over our heads that says "These are bad people." That is probably why that car slowed then sped off. We will not get any help out here if we leave our stuff on. I would recommend turning off all wireless functions when we see another car. Hopefully my techie friends back at Horizon have a fix for this. I hesitate to contact them in case doing so would transfer the virus to their 'links as well. I am going to go dark for a minute or two and see if one of the remaining burners I have is infected. If not, I will send a message to the guys."
Before shutting down, Snow contacts Sam and tells him that she is cutting the connection, then suiting her actions to her words, she turns off every piece of wireless technology she has. She is not just going silent, but going dark. Being completely disconnected is a strange feeling and one she would not want to experience often. She walks about 50 meters away from the cars and pulls out one of her last two burners. Flicking it on, she examines it for the virus tag.
-
Snow is able to reach Crenshaw, but it is clear that she is already to late to try and protect him. The call is overlaid with a datastream of the risks of casual sexual encounters and the dangers involved with mail-order Russian brides. An EXTREMELY embarrassed looking tech is able to remove the streams form the call after a only about 30 seconds of humiliation on his part.
"So yes, as you can see whatever this is has infected my gear as well. I am glad you called, now I can shut this comm down and reformat it. Tommy is still working on things here, and he is running down some leads he has, I think he might have even called his sister."
-
Snow cannot resist a slight tease after hearing about the Russian mail-order brides. >>You do know that I am Russian, right? But I am glad that you are making progress. We are stuck on the I5. Sending you coordinates now. Let someone know that we need a ride back as some fragging mage geeked our cars. Pardon my words, but it has been a very interesting and dangerous day so far. I am sending the code to my last burner so someone can contact me. I am concerned that this one I am using will be infected after talking to you and will shut it down. I am otherwise dark and I have to say it is uncomfortable. I would like to see you after we get back and continue where we left off in a private location. Tootles.<<
She signs off and checks the Meta to see if it has indeed been infected. If it is, she turns it off before turning the last one on. After setting the ring to as loud as possible, she places the burner on the side of the road and walks back to the rest. "OK. My theory is validated. My burner was clean because it had not been on. I called Crenshaw and told him where we are and asked him to contact someone to give us a ride and gave him the code to my last phone, which I set off to the side over there, but I think we can hear it if they call. I do recommend that everyone go dark, and that is hard for a decker to say."
-
"Go dark?" asked Clem. She realized what the elf was asking them to do as she was wording her question and reached in to her coat to turn off her commlink. This simple gesture seemed unusually exhaustive for the ork, and she simply went back to resting afterwards.
[spoiler]Here is Clem's resting rolls. Recovery ~ Body 5 + Will 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/354582): 8d6t5 2 No glitches. Nothing extraordinary but enough to bring her modifiers down to -1.[/spoiler]
-
"If we really have to," Sammy said while turning off the commlink, "this will be a problem as soon as we're back in civilisation."
It was strange to go completely without commlink.
-
Snow grimaces. "Yes. It is extremely uncomfortable. And inconvenient. But unless you want everyone with a 'link to see the ARO above your head you should leave them off. Otherwise we could face questions from the police just for walking on the sidewalk. So for now we sit and wait for my guy to come through for us and get us a ride home. Unless someone really has a need to roam about all banged up."
-
Not finding anything else at the sniper's nest, Sam headed back to where the rest of the group was resting, though he was surprised to find that they hadn't moved from under the streetlight. Since the sniper was gone, and they hadn't been attacked a second time, he shrugged and decided not to make an issue of it. When Snow told him to turn off his commlink, he did so readily enough.
-
Now she was feeling better, it was time to start healing people. She went to each of them and did a healing spell. Only on herself did she not feel any difference and with O'Connor she gathered a bit more energy as it was clear he had been hit harder. With Sam she saw he only had bruises and she knew her spell couldn't do anything about those, so she told him that he would have to heal on his own unfortunately.
"Okay, so what do we do now," she asked when the healing was done, or at least as much as she could do at the moment.
-
Snow looks appreciatively at Sammy as she walks among the others and dispenses her healing. Smiling, she says, "You could make a fine doctor. Thank you for the help and I hope that you did not hurt yourself doing it."
She shrugs at the question. "Not sure. I have sent a message for help and it should be here within a couple of hours. Maybe. Beyond that, our comms are sort of fried until my guys can get past the virus. If they do, it will likely mean a complete reboot for your devices. For me it might be a tad more difficult since my gear is all implanted. I am still not sure that we should be thinking of too much rough stuff just now, given our status, although your help has certainly made a difference. Thank you again."
-
After a few hours, you see the lights of another vehicle moving southbound. It slows down and crosses the median into the northbound lane and runs hazards. As it pulls up you see it is a micro tour bus that seats about 20 people, with a logo emblazoned on the side that announces it as belonging to the studio.
When it rolls to halt, Crenshaw climbs down through the door with an apologetic look, “Best I could do on short notice, you wouldn’t have all fit in my sedan.” You will notice as you climb in Tommy seems to be struggling in the driver’s seat. "He is a better driver than me, I use GridGuide."
-
Snow grabs Crenshaw in an embrace and kisses him strongly, "My hero." She then breaks and looks at Tommy and blows him a kiss. "You're my hero, too, Tommy. Thank you for coming out to get us. But how did they let you guys off to come out?"
She races back to pick up her commlink and turn it off, then waves Crenshaw over to the car. "I will need help getting one of my patients to the van. Can you please help me?" With help, Snow gets Bacchus to the van and makes as many trips as necessary to get all of the equipment to the van as well. Once everyone is on and ready, she takes a seat next to Crenshaw and holds his hand. "So, any luck on the virus? I have shut everything down to avoid spreading it further here, but it sure would be nice to find out that you have got an answer."
-
O'Connor nodded to Sammy in thanks as her healing spell diffused through his body. Her magic knitted up the sniper wound greatly, if not fully. While he wasn't back to 100%, he was still good for a rematch with their assailants. Once the techs showed up, he started loading up the gear. He was eager to be on his way.
-
Snow gives Con a silent nod of thanks for the help moving the equipment. Once everything is on board, she looks over at the cars and says, "So what about the cars? We should probably send for a tow."
-
"Not a bad idea, Sammy said, turning to the two studio guys, "If I'm not mistaken, it's a studio car. Do you guys have a contract with a tow company that you know about?"
They might not know, but she certainly didn't know and with her commlink turned off at the moment, no way to look it up.
-
From her reaction to the people in the bus, Sam decided that Snow had the situation well in hand, and stayed as unassuming as possible. He was feeling better after the second hour of rest, but he could tell that he still wasn't fully recovered from the crash.
-
Snow checks each of the team as they get on the bus, making sure that the exertion has not opened any wounds, and not forgetting to check on Bacchus. Once all are seated she returns to sit next to Crenshaw, who is trying to arrange for a tow for the other cars. She smiles at Clem, "It is nice to be able to walk away from this one, Boss."
Once on the seat next to the techie, she nudges him and says softly, "You have no idea how much I appreciate what you are doing for us, but I intend to try to show you. I might even bear your child if you can fix my virus problem. Unless you have someone else in mind for that, of course, and then we can work out something else."
-
Feeling much better than before, Clem was actually able to stand on her own at the arrival of the minibus. Gun drawn, the ork waited to see the occupants before holstering her firearm. A slight nod was all the ork allowed herself to do to show her appreciation, the guilt and shame holding back any words. She helped transfer their gear from the crashed cars to the bus, slipping on the last trip and hitting her chin squarely on the corner of the bus, her headache intensifying from the shock. Shaking it off, she sat on one of the backseats, keeping quiet for most of the trip.
[spoiler]I put the bit about slipping just in case Crossbow wanted to play that recovery glitch and then tell me later what the consequences are.[/spoiler]
-
Sammy knew these kind of buses as most studios had them. She took a seat just behind the driver, as that was one of the safest places in the bus. When she heard Snow's remark, she shook her head. The newest member of the team was clearly laying it on thick. But she kept silent for now.
-
Tommy looks rather skittish as the runners pile onto the bus. He is definitely uncomfortable in the driver’s seat, and looks to bolt from it at the first indication that one of them wanted the spot. As they all decline the honor, he slumps down and begins the arduous process of finding a gear and turning the bus around. It is clear to anyone at the front of the bus that he is referring to an instruction manual in his image link’s HUD as he works on the bus.
In response to Snow’s question, he laughs, “Yeah like anyone was going to get any work done. With Christy dying and Nyght getting assassinated, the whole town is in mourning.” After a particularly rough gear shift, which has the tech using BOTH hands to wrench the shifter into place, leaving the wheel temporarily out of control, he answers her other question. “I have done quite a bit, but it is a nasty little bugger, this whole behavior mod stuff is another new layer, as is your new friend’s particular wrinkle. This ‘Undesirable’ tag he has got is a little screamer, going to make it REALLY hard for him to get back on Pito.”
-
"That is his problem, not mine," Sammy remarked. She didn't care about the pito position of Bacchus, but only her own. Maybe she should have to buy a third commlink to go on her Samantha Delavine account, to make sure that one wouldn't be contaminated. She still had some money, so it should be possible.
-
Snow laughs and stands to move to the front of the bus. "Hey, Tommy, why not let me see if I can wrestle this thing. Not sure I can do too much better, but it seems like you could use a break." She waits for the bus to stop then slips into the driver's seat to replace the obviously relieved Tommy. Once she familiarizes herself with where things are located, Snow drives off, clearly more comfortable than Tommy was.
-
O'Connor took a seat towards the back near Clem. He whispered to keep the techs from overhearing, "So now what? Our lead on Bacchus was a bust and I didn't exactly get a good look at the guys that attacked us."
-
Clem turned her head towards O'Connor and said "I have no idea. I'm still trying to figure out why the attackers pinned us down and just left without taking anything. It just doesn't make any fraggin' sense to me. Unless they simply wanted to leave us stranded and late for spmething..." The ork then looked at her shut down commlink and wondered if this virus had anything to do with it. She didn't care much for the Matrix, but couldn't ignore the fact that someone was actively following them through the digital space. Stalkers, ambushes, dead trid stars... It seemed their enemies were much more influential than a banger with a weekly Matrix show.
-
O'Connor nodded in agreement, "Right? Still can't wrap my head around that one either. They had us, so why ain't we dead?" He shrugged, he had as many answers as Clem. He continued, "Since they didn't deep six us, we have to assume that they only wanted to delay us. So, why?" He racked his brain, but couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer. He gave a heavy sigh, "Well neither of us is exactly the brains around here." He turned back towards the others, "Hey, team meeting!"
-
Sammy had put herself as comforable as possible into the seat and was dozing off when O'Connor called for a team meeting. She jolted upright.
"Huh, what, something happening?"
-
One of Snow's first actions after getting the bus in motion is to shut off all wireless for the bus. She takes her time driving, keeping a low speed and doing her best to get the feel of the vehicle and watching out for barriers, magical or otherwise. She has been encouraging Crenshaw and Tommy to explain more about what they had found out about the virus and any possible cures. When Con calls for the meeting, Snow says over her shoulder, "Hey, can you hold that meeting up front? I am driving this thing and have disabled the wireless capability to prevent it from getting the virus and maybe going all crazy on us, so no autopilot. Or just give me the details later if you want to hold it in the back."
-
"I'm in favour of doing things here," Sammy said from her seat right behind the driver, "then I don't have to move."
Whatever they want, she didn't add, still not completely up to speed.
-
Tommy, very grateful to be out of the driver's seat, described what he found about the virus, "The overall course of the program seems to be one of behavior modification, towards what is generally considered to be coloquially 'good' behavior. It becomes increasingly more invasive as it's 'suggestions' are ignored or refused in an effort to do it's job. At a certain point, it seems like the program will just give up on the host though and turn available resources outward in an effort to warn others away from the host, this 'Undesirable' tag." He points at Bacchus.
"I am not sure what triggers the final version of the program, but once it has activated there is very little that can be done beyond a complete reset, and it is very obtrusive. The triggering event could be a general pattern of continued behavior or a single offensive act, but once triggered it is basically like having someone following you around screaming at the top of their lungs what a horrible person you are. Very distracting and impossible to hide with or hide from."
"I have some 'bots out investigating some leads, but...." he looks distracted, then goes full VR without any warning. Crenshaw looks apologetic "He is great at tech, but not really good at manners, like a raccoon really, he may be gone for hours." Hearing Snow being paged he offers to take over for her, "I think I can keep us on the road, gas is on the left, correct?" he jokes.
-
Snow slows the bus to a stop then stands to let Crenshaw in. She gives him a quick peck on the cheek as he passes by her. "Funny Ha Ha. Just keep us on the road and drive slow. What you saw of the cars back there was from a mojo barrier that suddenly appeared in front of us on the highway. We don't need a repeat of that if we can avoid it." Snow then moves to sit across from Sammy and check out the mage's wounds as they wait for the rest to congregate.
-
O'Connor gave Sammy a rather annoyed look, "I'm sorry Starlet, I didn't realize you were the one that got gut shotted or electrocuted. Oh, wait. You weren't." He left several further comments unspoken.
-
Snow gives Con a surprised look. as she finishes checking on Sammy. "Hey, I thought it was a good idea for her to sit up front where I could watch her better. You, too, for that matter. Now sit and let me check on your wounds, too. She waits for Con to take a seat then checks his bandages to see if he has done any damage to himself, then motions to Clem and Sam as well. "I can listen while we talk, so don't wait for me to finish checking all of you out."
-
The ork was reloading her firearms when the group decided to convene in the back. At Snow's motion, Clem just waved her off, saying "I'm fine." She then sat straight and simply asked "So what now?" to no one in particular.
-
Sam shrugged. "He's the one who wants to talk," he said, poking a thumb towards O'Connor. "Near as I can tell, we don't have much left. Our best lead came up dry, and is lucky to not be bleeding out right now. We don't have anything good to tell the Johnson, and we just got our asses handed to us on a platter by some pros who seemed more interested in delaying us than finishing the job, though I have no idea why that'd be."
-
O'Connor stayed where he was, and ignored Snow's request that he come up front. He nodded at Torley's summation, "Basically what Clem and I were going over. So, for a lot of reasons, we need to track these guys down. Question is, how? Sammy can you track the mage? And/or Snow can you do anything to find the rigger?"
-
"I can recognise his aura, should I see it again," Sammy said, "tracking him via the astral is possible, but it will take some time, even with spirit help. Of course, I can start from the island, but still, it's going to take some time. But I'm more worried about that virus and the tag we have on our systems. We need to find a way to get rid of that quickly."
-
Snow shakes her head. "Not at this juncture, I am afraid. I do not trust my implants enough to try anything. This virus is really fragging my abilities. Our techie friends here say that it looks like a complete shutdown and system reset is going to be required." She looks over at Crenshaw, "Say, do you know if the virus is affecting others or just us?"
-
With an annoyed expression, Clementine quickly interjected "So what now?" The ork quickly composed herself though, and her face turned expressionless. Whether it was the frustration of not knowing their next move or the mental exhaustion of their recent defeat that brought the burst of emotion, even she couldn't tell. With a composed expression, she calmly asked "Where do we go from here?"
-
"I would say we need more intel," Sammy said, "we need to know more about the virus and the 'undesirable' tag and we also need to know who those guys where who attacked us. That might lead us to the why. Oh, and we need to know what to do with him there."
The last was said while pointing to Bacchus.
-
With a quick glance at what Sammy was pointing at, Clementine simply answered "I vote the nearest gutter."
-
Snow remains quiet when the subject of Bacchus comes up; she has already given her vote earlier and reiterating it might not be wise at this point. She does say, "Our friends here are already working on the virus. We can let them reset most of our comms and see what happens next. My reset might be trickier, but I do not know." Here, she turns to look at Crenshaw. "What do you think? Can you do the resets and what about mine as it is implanted?"
-
Crenshaw glances at them in the oversized passenger mirror. "The reset itself is not a problem, but an effective scrubbing of the hardware and reload of the software will require it to be offline for a full day, same goes for the implanted link, and they will all have to be down, or they could just get reinfected by the infected links. We haven't been able to observe an infection event, but the host device definitely needs to be in mutual sensor range for a reasonable amount of time. The infection isn't widespread, but it seems to be capable of spreading quickly in a social environment. Tommy's and mine have been affected, but we are still at low levels, mine is just giving me social cues and Tommy is getting exercise advice, and we don't mind the help."
Noting a passing sign, he slows down and asks the back, "We are getting back to civilization, Escondido is the next exit, if we want to drop the banger at a hospital or a truck stop, this might be the chance."
-
"Hospital," Sam called back. At the look on Con's face, he explained to the gunman, "A lot of people already know we were looking for him. Not to mention that he knows who did the deed. Taking him to the meds may help stave off difficulties later."
-
Snow gives Sam a gleaming smile and nods. "Thank you, Sam. I would prefer a hospital as well." She turns to look at Clem, "So, can we be off the matrix for a day? Our primary systems are pretty far gone."
-
"Do we have a choice," Sammy asked, "Let's first dump the punk over there, get back to the studio and then see. Maybe we can buy a couple of burners, put a seperate ID on them and don't go near the Pito system for a day while our primary systems are cleaned up."
While Sammy wasn't a hacker, she was well briefed by her agent on matrix safety when she just started out and unlike many stars, she had actually heeded these warnings. It also helped that she worked a lot behind the scenes before becoming an actress.
-
Snow nods and calls up to Crenshaw, "So, it looks like we want to get the 'links fixed. Can we get started right away after we get back or do you need some more time to get set up? I don't want you getting in trouble with your bosses over this, so we can go to someone and get permission for you to work on our equipment if you think it is necessary. And what do you need to do to me, specifically, since mine is implanted?"
-
O'Connor was in agreement with Clem about Bacchus. Snow had seen to it that he'd live, so he could crawl to a hospital on his own. The others seemed dead set on the hospital though, and he didn't argue it. He turned to Sammy, "The techs seem to have the virus thing in hand. How soon could you start to search for the mage?"
-
"Theoretically now," Sammy said, "in practice I would like to have a good night sleep to get rid of my headache before I try it. That mage is not just an amateur. It might even be better to wait a bit until he relaxes his guard before we go after him."
-
"We don't have the luxury of waiting for him to relax his guard" interjected Clem. "As weak as it is, this is the only lead we have."
-
Before Sammy has to explain the vagaries of magical tracking to two folks whose only experience with the subject is reruns of “Jack Spectre, Occult Detective,” and as Crenshaw takes the exit into the small coastal town, his hacker buddy comes around. Assessing the situation, he asks “Oh, did one of you guys spot the tags too? I thought you all had shut down your links, well I will go ahead and confirm what you might be thinking, from some of the area feeds I tapped into, I think it is your ambushers. I saw one of the guys with the tag removing a case for what could be a sniper rifle from his car, and there are weird little drones operating in the area.”
-
A startled Snow looks up at the hacker, her face red in embarrassment. "Tags, Tommy? No, I did not pick up any tags. Another failure. I cannot trust my 'link because of the virus. Can you show us where the tags are so I can disable them? And where is the sniper located?"
-
At the same time as Snow reacted, Clem asked "Can you tell us where this person is?", her head perking up and looking at Crenshaw's friend, her face and tone expressionless.
-
"You can locate them in the general sense with your own links, they are all broadcasting the 'Undesirable' tag. That should get you to the general area, maybe even as close as 3 meters in an urban environment. Unless you begin to engage in 'bad' behavior the virus won't do much to you beyond annoyance, so if you want to just get close and then shut the links back down while you are handling business."
Crenshaw explains to Tommy why they pulled off, then the hacker, "There is a hospital about 3 miles that way, and the tags are all in about a 3 block circle a couple of streets over from where we are now. We can take care of Stumpy and come get you after you do your thing, I would offer to help but my link has decided that it doesn't like me to hack into private servers."
Crenshaw brings the bus to a stop in a strip mall parking lot at the suggestion.
-
Snow gives Crenshaw a quick peck and a mouthed thanks as she gets off the bus and waits for orders. She is already trying to get a general feeling for where the tags are by turning her 'link back on. She looks at Clem as she climbs from the bus. "What first, boss?"
-
O'Connor readied his weapons when they were told the ambushers were near. He exited the bus and looked back at Clem expectantly. He was eager to settle the score.
-
Getting out of the bus with the rest of her companions, Clem nodded at O'Connor. "Unless we have an urgent need to be somewhere else, I think now should be the time we hit those that ambushed us. They probably don't expect us to track them down, which should give us the upper hand. Any objections?" asked the ork, looking around with a look that said her question was more a form of politeness than anything else.
-
As Sam got off the bus, he thanked Crenshaw for his willingness to take care of Bacchus. Then he turned to Clem. "So, what's our approach? Should I go in first, see if I can start a conversation?"
-
"I want to do an astral recon first," Sammy said, "that would give confirmation on the number of people and I might get some extra information."
-
Clem simply shook her head. "No, the talking comes later. We'll pay them the same courtesy they paid us: shoot first and when they're down then we'll start the conversation" added the ork, inspecting her firearms and making sure her magazines were fully loaded. She also ripped and removed her bandages, bunching them and throwing them away on the side of the road.
-
Snow makes sure that her medkit is resupplied from what was in the cars and also makes sure that her pistol is loaded and ready. Looking at the others, she just waits for the word to move out.
-
"Just give me a minute to summon a spirit, just in case," Sammy said. She quickly shifted her vision back to the astral and summoned a spirit of air as she had been taught. Luckily one responded.
"How may I be of service," it asked, while fluttering about. Air spirits, like air itself were not given to standing still.
"Please use your power of concealment on all of our group," Sammy said, indicating O'Connor, Clem, Sam, Snow and herself, "but make is so that we can still see each other."
The spirit nodded and went to work.
"I've asked it to use it's concealment power," Sammy said to the others, "it won't make us invisible, but it will make us very hard to see. At least, for our enemies. We have to stay within line of sight for it to continue working, so I suggest we move as one group until we spring the ambush."
[spoiler]
summoning a force 5 air spirit with optional power (energy aura):
magic 5 + summoning 3 =8 (http://orokos.com/roll/363537): 8d6t5 4
spirit resistance:
spirit resistance (http://orokos.com/roll/363538): 5d6t5 2
that means 2 services.
drain 4S:
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/363539): 9d6t5 3
1S drain, that will bring me back in my -1, but still okay.
concealment gives the adversaries a -5 (force of the spirit) dice pool penalty on their perception rolls to find us. The fun part is, as long as I don't give another order, it will also keep working in combat. :)
[/spoiler]
-
Snow nods and takes a step closer to Sammy.
-
O'Connor nodded at Sammy's explanation and began moving towards their targets.
-
Preparing to leave, Clem gave some final guidelines. "If we found them because of their links, they can surely see our comms homing on them, so everyone will go dark except for Snow to track them." Turning her head towards the elf, Clem continued "Once we have located them and have confirmed their position, you will shut down your link as well. Sammy, how long do you need to prepare for your magical feats? I want to hit them quick and fast, but would rather take the minute or two if it means you can deliver a bigger punch."
Nodding to everyone, the ork set off with her companions with a thirst for revenge.
-
Snow silently acknowledges Clem's instructions and follows, staying close to Sammy.
-
"I just need the one spell," Sammy said, "it won't take long."
She started casting, using some gestures as she had been doing for some time now. She would only need her speed-up spell, everything else would depend on the circumstances which she didn't know yet.
"That should do it for now," she said, "I have to see the exact situation for any of my illusion spells."
[spoiler]
force 2 increase reflexes (to go in my sustaining focus)
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 -1W =10 (http://orokos.com/roll/364823): 10d6t5 4
drain 3:
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/364824): 9d6t5 4
no drain
[/spoiler]
-
The area the tags lead you to is two 3-story apartment buildings, external corridors with stairs at either end, each building has a lane of parking in front of them, facing each other across a two lane street. Enterprising residents have converted the ground floor apartments into storefronts, several kinds of merchants and services are available, with one building having what looks like a small club and the other having a diner at opposing ends of the street. You have returned to civilization, so there are plenty of people out cruising or partying or shopping.
You approach the area from the north, on the dividing street. As you get closer the signals separate, with one upstairs in each building, and one ahead in the street or the adjoining parking area.
(I am including a map to explain what I just described, I do NOT plan to use it or improve on it any further, fair warning)
-
Snow looks at the buildings as the team approaches them from the north. "OK. What is our play here. I would recommend no guns with bullets as any misses might hit innocent people. Does anyone have extra stick and shock rounds for a Predator IV? And do you want me to leave my 'link on to try to jam theirs in turn as we take them down, or are we going after all three at once?"
-
"I can throw stunbolts, but then I want to take out the mage first so he can't interfere with anything," Sammy said.
-
O'Connor decided to ignore Snow's recommendation about guns. He did however throw in his two nuyen on the situation, "Doubt any of 'em will keep those infected links for long. This is our only shot, so no one can get away. We have the numbers. We should divide into teams and take 'em all out in one go."
-
Having made her comment, Snow elects to remain silent as the others chime in.
-
"I'm not in favour of splitting," Sammy said, "without links we can't coordinate or shout for help if one group runs in trouble. And also as soon as you leave the line of sight of the spirit, the concealment effect will drop for you and you will also have trouble seeing us as at that point you are not part of this group anymore as far as the spirit is concerned. We just have to hit the first ones so hard and so quickly that they don't have time to warn the others."
-
Clem nodded at Sammy's plan. "I think that is a sound idea. The point is not to capture everyone, but to find out what they wanted with us. For that, we just need one of them to talk to us, so I personally don't care if the others get away. If we geek the mage first, the rest should be easy to take care of."
-
"which one first then," Sammy asked, "I suggest hitting like a Kansas tornado, giving them no chance to do anything. As soon as we have one, we tie him up, let Sam do his magic to make him talk while we go to the next one. Two is always better than one, that way you can verify things."
-
Sam wasn't very happy with the approach the others were discussing, but he was careful not to let it show too much in his body language. "Snow, how hard would it be for you to see what sorts of 'anti-social' behavior their commlinks are warning them about? That could give us some intel on who they are, what they've been doing, right? I mean, right now we don't know drek about these guys, beyond the fact that they've got a mojoman, a hacker, and a military-quality sniper. What do they even look like?"
-
O'Connor's expression soured, "This close together, the others will hear us take down the first target no matter what. After that they'll scatter, or a firefight will break out. Either we intentionally leave loose ends, which is fraggin' retarded, or the bullets start flying. That I'm always in favor of, but you're all always bitching about collateral damage. So tell me again, how is this a good plan?"
-
Snow looks at Sam. "Let me see, Sam. I can try to use my link just to get a look at the new AROs and see if they tell me anything." Snow focuses on locating the 'links of the opposing team. She expects that the virus will allow her to see something since it wants others to know when people are bad. She is looking for any information that would tell her what they do that is bad.
-
Your plots and plans seem to have taken too long, as the action of the moment begins in earnest. As might be expected, the one of your number that could most closely be associated with action is the only able to truly respond to what is occurring.
The explosion of a sedan at the far end of the street begins the festivities, the light reflects off the turrets of two combat drones, one ground based, one a rotor model, that come from that direction. While neither were not the source of the explosion, their arrival seems to be oddly coordinated with the event. Obviously, people begin to lose their minds.
(O’Conner is the only one who beat the surprise level , so he is the only one that will take actions for now)
-
Combat Round 1: Initiative Pass 1
Initiative 13
O'Connor grinned like a fat kid in a candy store when the explosion went off, "Lets party!" He moved towards the nearest available cover and took aim at the aerial drone through the scope on his rifle. "Alright Mira, time to get some payback." He squeezed the trigger, releasing a withering hail of bullets. As it always did, the complete lack of recoil brought a smile to his face. He'd designed Mira well, and Darrell had built her perfectly to his exacting specifications.
[spoiler]
Simple Action: Take Aim - Lock on with vision magnification
Simple Action: Narrow Long Burst
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 - CM 1 = Pool 8 (Recoil: 5 - Compensation: 6)
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/367329): 8d6t5 3
M23 6P + Explosive Round 1P + Narrow Burst 5 + Hits 3 = Damage 15P - Defense
[/spoiler]
-
One or two rounds in the burst hit the drone, but seems to ricochet off its armor. It starts to gain attitude as it fires a grenade which engulfs your position and covers the rest of the team as well.
The rest of the team starts to get a sense of things going wrong with the smake surrounding them, though the have yet to identify the source of any attackers.
-
Combat Round 1: Initiative Pass 2
Initiative 13
O'Connor was rather perturbed that the drone didn't go down. He thought that Sammy's spirit mumbo jumbo made them invisible and the enemy sitting ducks. He gave a mental sigh, *What's the damn point of all this being careful and planning drek, if it never gives us any advantage?* He pushed forwarded to get clear of the smoke. He continued to fire wildly on the aerial drone.
[spoiler]
Simple Action: Running
Strength 3 + Running 2 - CM 1 = Pool 4
Running (http://orokos.com/roll/368838): 4d6t5 3
+6 meters to movement
Simple Action: Wide Long Burst
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 - CM 1 - Smoke 2 - Running 2 = Pool 4
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/368840): 4d6t5 1
Wide: - 5 to Defense.
[/spoiler]
-
The rotordrone continues to rise, avoiding your continued fire.
-
Combat Round 1: Initiative Pass 3
Initiative 13
Having cleared the smoke, O'Connor moved towards the next piece of cover while continuing to fire on the drone.
[spoiler]
Simple Action: Take Aim
Simple Action: Wide Long Burst
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Take Aim 1 - CM 1 = Pool 9
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/369239): 9d6t5 2
Wide: - 5 to Defense
((OOC: Am I going to to completely waste this entire turn? Why, yes! That is exactly what's going to happen!))
[/spoiler]
-
It's evasive patterns and the distance are making a solid hit difficult, though you are doing a great job of clearing the street as you run firing into the air.
-
Combat Round 1: Initiative Pass 4
Initiative 13
O'Connor continued to fire at the flying drone.
[spoiler]
Simple Action: Take Aim
Simple Action: Wide Long Burst
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Take Aim 1 - CM 1 = Pool 9
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/369659): 9d6t5 3
Wide: - 5 to Defense
[/spoiler]
-
When you throw enough lead down range, you are eventually going to hit something, especially when it is the only thing up there. Is hard to see from this distance, but you definitely broke something loose and there might even be some smoke coming from the drone.
As the rest of the group begins to act it occurs to both Torley and Clementine that before they were lost in the smoke, neither of the drones were directing any attention their way, they were tracking on the buildings to either side.
-
Combat Round 2: Initiative Pass 1
Initiative 17
O'Connor continued to fire at the flying drone.
[spoiler]
Simple Action: Take Aim
Simple Action: Wide Long Burst
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Take Aim 1 - CM 1 = Pool 9
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/371520): 9d6t5 4
Wide: - 5 to Defense
[/spoiler]
-
When the drought breaks, a flood usually follows. The rotordrone continues to take fire and it's flight turns into an arcing plummet.
-
Clem took out her SMG and tried to run for cover. Having noticed that the drones weren't aiming for them, she said to her teammates "Take cover and hold your fire!"
-
Snow sticks close to Sammy to continue receiving the help from the concealment spell, going where she goes for now.
-
Sammy thought Clem's idea was very good. All the other people would do the same and that way they looked like just regular people to whomever was monitoring this. So she ran towards a parked car, ducked behind it and looked at the drones and O'Connor. She also tried to see where the people they needed were, checking the last known posititions she knew about.
[spoiler]
perception roll to see where they are. As I assume that I'm out of the cloud of smoke, I haven't counted those modifiers.
intuition 3 + perception 2 + active 3 + enhancers 2 =10 (http://orokos.com/roll/373112): 10d6t5 2
[/spoiler]
-
Without Snow or your own link for active guidance you aren't able to pinpoint any likely targets. You don't really notice anything of importance at first, people are realizing they are in a bad situation and are scrambling to take cover or flee.
Then the spirit materializes near O'Conner and blows a cloud of brown fumes at him.
[spoiler]
Noxious Breath
Type: P • Action: Complex • Range: special • Duration: Instant
The critter can project a nauseating stench to incapacitate victims.
Treat it as an inhalation vector toxin attack (Speed: Immediate, Power:
critter’s Magic (FORCE 5), Effect: Stun damage, nausea; see p. 254). Armor does
not help resist this damage, but respiratory protection will (see the
Toxin Protection table, p. 254). This blast of breath extends in a cone
out to (Body) meters, and can catch up to two targets who are within
one meter of each other
Inhalation toxins must be inhaled by the target and are applied as
an aerosol spray or gas. A target wearing a gas mask, chemical seal, or
using an activated cyberware internal air tank (p. 342) is immune to
its effects. Chemical protection gives a bonus equal to its rating to the
Toxin Resistance Test.
Immediate means the Effect is applied at the end of the Combat
Turn the victim is exposed to the toxin.
Nausea: Nausea is a catch-all term that covers pain, panic, vomiting,
double vision, and other toxin effects. If the Power of an attack
after the Toxin Resistance Test exceeds the target’s Willpower, she is
incapacitated (unable to take any actions) with vomiting and dizziness
for 3 Combat Turns. Whether or not a character is incapacitated,
nausea doubles all of a character’s wound modifiers for 10 minutes. A
nauseated character with 3 boxes of damage (a –1 wound modifier),
for example, suffers –2 dice on all tests instead.[/spoiler]
-
When Con started shooting, Sam's mind went blank for a moment. Once he'd recovered, he noticed that the ladies were moving forward out of the smoke and--as far as he could tell--taking cover in good military fashion. Sam's instinctive reaction, on the other hand, more closely mirrored that of most of the people on the street: get away from the lunatic with the gun, preferably without drawing attention to himself. So Sam turned and scrambled for the nearest stairs.
[spoiler]Running as a free action. GM's discretion on any tests Sam needs to pass in order to look like a terrified innocent bystander, though I'd politely suggest that his CP might qualify him for a bonus on the "terrified" part, at least. ;) Holding his other actions.[/spoiler]
-
'Just fraqqin' great,' Sammy thought. She quickly shifted her attention to the astral to determine what type of spirit it was. She knew by the attack it did that it had to be either Air or Beasts, as those were the only ones she knew with noxious breath.
[spoiler]
assensing on the spirit
astral perception (1 CM) (http://orokos.com/roll/373488): 5d6t5 2
I assume I can see at least type and force.
trying to figure out which tradition the opposing mage is
logic 4 + magical theory 2 - 1 CM=5 (http://orokos.com/roll/373491): 5d6t5 0
no glitch, but no information either. If it's an air spirit, the only thing I can say is that he can be hermetic, as that is what I am and I can also summon air spirits.
[/spoiler]
-
Snow sees the brown cloud roll over Con and steadies herself. "Sammy, if you can deal with or divert that thing I can go help Con if he needs it." Snow takes a quick check on the tags she is tracking to see if they are moving.
-
Combat Round 2: Initiative Pass 2
Initiative 17
O'Connor smiled vindictively as the drone's luck finally ran out. This victory was short lived however with the appearance of the spirit. It's fetid breath made O'Connor queasy, but he chocked down the sensation for the moment. There was nothing he could really do to hurt the spirit, so he continued to move down the middle of the street. He hoped to hell that Sammy would take care of it, or at least draw it's attention away from him. With the aerial drone falling out the sky, that left one viable target at the moment. He took aim at the ground based drone. If he'd been keeping track correctly, there should've been ten rounds left. He decided to take a chance and emptied the clip, trying to take out the drone in one go.
[spoiler]
Complex Action: Narrow Full Burst
Full Burst 9 - RC 6 = Recoil 3
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 - Recoil 3 - CM 2 = Pool 4
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/373979): 4d6t5 1
[/spoiler]
-
The withering fire appears to have no effect as the drone returns fire.
Shooting (http://orokos.com/roll/374293): 6d6t5 1
[spoiler]There is a glitch on that roll. I got it.[/spoiler]
-
"Sammy, stay and help Con. Snow, you're with me, we're going to find our targets" said the ork as she motioned with her hands in opposite directions. She then holstered her SMG and asked Snow "Which way to the closest mark?" before setting off.
-
Snow checks the tags and points the way to the closest one. She picks up her medkit and goes with Clem.
-
Time to get rid of that spirit, Sammy thought as she gathered her will. Banishing wasn't easy, but it was easier than trying to stunbolt it away. She only hoped it wasn't bound, as that would make it a lot more difficult. On the other hand, if she managed to get a bound spirit away, it would be a much bigger blow to the opposition.
[spoiler]
banishing:
magic 5 + banishing 3 =8 (http://orokos.com/roll/376254): 8d6t5 2
use edge to re-roll misses.
reroll misses (6) (http://orokos.com/roll/376255): 6d6t5 1
3 hits in total.
spirit can counter-roll force (5 in this case) unless it's bound, then it's force + summoner's magic, in which case we're screwed.
I need to know the hits, as the drain is twice 'spirit hits'.
the advantage is that if the spirit is on remote service (out of the line of sight of the summoner), one net hit is enough to get rid of it.
[/spoiler]
-
The spirit seems confused and somehow miffed that O'Conner is ignoring it. The air temperature all over the area drops 10 degrees Celsius as the being draws freezing air into an elemental strike on the gun man.
Spirit bolt attack on O'Conner (http://orokos.com/roll/376347): 13d6t5 5
It does take note of Sammy, when she fails to banish it.
Resist Banishing (http://orokos.com/roll/376348): 11d6t5 3
Snow points Clem toward the eastern building, where the signal appears to be on the second floor, 3 perhaps 4 doors down. She notes the other signals as she minimizes a window showing a PSA for proper responses to a terrorist attack, the ground based one had moved to the far end of the building they were entering, and the western building's (the one Torley is entering) signal appeared to be at the far end of the third floor.
-
Snow mutters to Clem. "Need to work quickly. The trix is full of warnings about terrorists in the area, and I would assume Con is the terrorist. I would expect an HRT of some sort soon, as this is not the slums. Could help us, but might hurt poor Con."
-
Combat Round 2: Initiative Pass 3
O'Connor ducked out of the way of the spirit's attack, "Anytime now, Sammy!"
[spoiler=Dodge]
Reaction 8 + Dodge 7 + Improved Dodge 2 + Specialization Ranged 2 - CM 2 = Pool 17
Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/376811): 17d6t5 7
[/spoiler]
Combat Round 2: Initiative Pass 4
O'Connor continued to advance on the drone as he reloaded his rifle.
-
Clem and Snow move up the stairs to the second floor, weapons ready. There is a noise out ahead of them, and they reach the landing, ready to start exchanging lead. What they find is no less than 9 kids, not really showing an awareness of the runners as they stream past at full speed, each with a backpack or drawstring bag carrying their worldly possessions. The last is a girl, maybe 14, carrying a baby and diaper bag in addition to her load. She notes the weapons of the women, but after a moments hesitation she squeezes past them on the rail and races down the stairs, calling after the children in some Hispanic dialect.
Turning back to the balcony, they see three adults, much more heavily laden. Four technically, if you count the ancient being cradled in the young man's arms. The parents of this brood are also there looking frightened. You note a heavy pistol stuffed unholstered in the man's belt, but he looks too scared to use it.
The open door behind them is one that belongs to the room NEXT to the one the signal is emanating from.
-
Snow hisses at Clem, "The tag's signal is coming from the room next to that open door. So are we trying to capture or kill?"
-
Clem whispered back to Snow "Incapacitate." The ork then motioned with her head and asked Snow to "quickly ask them how many and where the aggressors are." She then put a finger on her mouth, telling the people inside the room to be quiet. She stayed vigilant while trying to show them through her body language that Snow and Clem wanted them no harm.
-
Snow nods and catches the attention of one of the people passing her. She points to the door in question and in a low voice, she asks, "Do you speak any English? Who lives there?"
-
Snow gets a headshake and the women crossing herself as she rushes past her. "NO!...no say!..no!"
-
Snow watches the woman go past and turns back to Clem with a chuckle. "Guess I should try to learn some Spanish if we are going to be here for a while."
-
Combat Round 3: Initiative Pass 1
Initiative 11
O'Connor continued to rush forward as he aimed for the last drone. Unfortunately his aim was hampered by him throwing up in his mouth, unable to hold the churning feeling in his gut at bay any longer.
[spoiler]
Simple Action: Take Aim
Simple Action: Wide Long Burst
Agility 5 + Automatics 4 + Take Aim 1 - CM 2 - Nausea 2 = Pool 6
Automatics (http://orokos.com/roll/378297): 6d6t5 3
Wide: - 5 to Defense
[/spoiler]
-
"Working on it," Sammy shouted back.
'So the banishing didn't work,' she thought, 'then we go with the old stand-in, the stunbolt.'
So that was the next plan, just throw a big stunbolt and try to take it out that way. She gathered the mana and threw the stunbolt at the spirit.
[spoiler]
force 9 stunbolt.
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 -1CM=10 (http://orokos.com/roll/378422): 10d6t5 2
drain 3:
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/378423): 9d6t5 5
no drain
spirit can roll willpower against.
DV is 9+ net hits.
[/spoiler]
-
As he climbed the building, Sam could hear the sounds of combat fading. Sounded like Con was still shooting and people were still screaming, though, so things couldn't be going too badly, he figured. As he approached the third floor, he started moving more quietly, trying to find whoever was hiding up there without alerting them to his presence.
[spoiler]I'm not sure how far Sam can get in a single combat turn (25 meters, but on stairs?), so I'll leave it to the GM to determine when Sam gets to the third floor/how long it takes him to perform a sweep. Also not sure if I need to roll an infiltration, perception, etc. test.[/spoiler]
-
O'Conner's wide spray of ammunition hits the drone, doing damage, but not disabling it, meanwhile, people taking cover nearby give new voice to their screams as the fire shatters glass and punctures tires on both sides of the street.
Drone dodge resist (http://orokos.com/roll/379381): 1d6t5 0 10d6t5 5
The spirit ignores the hit and turns toward Sammy, making it's own attack.
Spirit resist (http://orokos.com/roll/379378): 5d6t5 3
Spirit bolt attack on Sammy (http://orokos.com/roll/379380): 13d6t5 4
Upstairs, Torley begins working his way down the row on the third floor. A quick peek through windows shows people hiding, or empty rooms.
-
Sammy knew she would get the spirit's attention, but she had rather hoped it wasn't as much attention. The only thing that could be said about it was that the cold actually froze the ruptured blood vessels close and that while she wasn't the strongest of Orks, she still had a very good constitution. But it hurt nevertheless.
[spoiler]
dodge:
dodge (default reaction) (http://orokos.com/roll/380105): 3d6t5 1
so that's 8P coming in.
soak:
body 4 + half impact 3 =7 (http://orokos.com/roll/380106): 7d6t5 5
So I take 3P.
I think everybody has been for their first IP, so back up to Clem for the second one.
[/spoiler]
-
As Clem and Snow rush the door, things go quickly pear-shaped. A shot rings out, the sniper finally revealing himself as he fires at the oriental ork.
[spoiler]Sniper attack on Clem (http://orokos.com/roll/381049): 16d6t5 4
Perception rolls for anyone looking for the sniper.[/spoiler]
Right after that, the door to the room they were heading for opens and a man staggers from the room, blood streaming from a gash on the side of his head and wearing a blood splattered blue long coat bearing the scrawl “Merlyn’s…P-something” . “FRAG YOU ABEL!!! I know your bugs and I know your van, you up-jumped Jersey hitchhiker, BURN IN HELLL!!!”
He rains a HUGE fireball down on a white van in the lot, catching O’Conner and a LOT of civilians in the area of effect.
[spoiler]Fireball cast and resist (http://orokos.com/roll/381057): 10d6t5 5 9d6t5 3[/spoiler]
He slumps into the rail as he is hammered by drain.
-
Snow looks over at Clem to see if the woman is hit then scans the area for the shooter. "You alright omae? I am following your lead on this."
[spoiler]Perception: Perception (http://orokos.com/roll/381063): 6d6t5 3[/spoiler]
-
It was clear that on her own she wouldn't be able to take out the enemy spirit. And as soon as a fireball was thrown into the crowd, she knew she had to be fast.
"Take down that spirit," she said to her own spirit, before throwing another stunbolt at it for good measure
[spoiler]
free action: give command to my spirit
force 9 stunbolt.
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 -2CM=9 (http://orokos.com/roll/381186): 9d6t5 2
drain 3:
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 -2CM =7 (http://orokos.com/roll/381187): 7d6t5 3
no drain
spirit can roll willpower against.
DV is 9+ net hits.
[/spoiler]
-
Clem, seeing the glint of something reflected in the distance, cartwheeled for cover as she heard a gunshot that was most definitely aimed at her. The adrenaline rushing through her veins, she had just enough time to have a quick look and try to figure out where her attacker was shooting from.
[spoiler]Decided to make it seem like she had a reason to dodge that sniper's attack, only for flair though. Full Defence ~ Reaction 7 + Athletics 2 (http://orokos.com/roll/381209): 9d6t5 5 No glitches.
Next is Clem's perception roll to see where this sniper is. Sniper Perception ~ Intuition 4 + Perception 3 + Perceptive 1 + Reception Enhancer 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/381211): 13d6t5 5 No glitches.[/spoiler]
-
Snow follows Clem into the room and looks around pistol at the ready.
-
Clementine's instinctual reaction to the muzzle flash saves her, and it takes a second to register that the sniper is hidden on the corner of the 3rd floor roof across the street. As she and Snow take cover in the recently vacates illegal's room, She also notes Torley, reacting violently to the loud shot and falling on his ass. His look of bewilderment would be funny if the situation weren't so dire, he is clearly going to be of little help as he looks everywhere but where she spotted her attacker.
The wind whips through the area with almost hurricane force as the two strong air spirits do battle. Debris is flying and howls of the flames and the injured threaten to damage eardrums.
-
Snow looks over to Clem, her face a mask or horror. "We have to help those poor people down there. What's our play? The mage is here and the sniper is where he can see us as we leave the room, but his sighting is spotty. If you can drag the mage into the room, I can sedate him."
-
O'Connor was so focused on the drone that he never saw the fireball coming. The flames engulfed him and he was tossed to the ground by the blast. The fact that the flames didn't feel hot, and that his body actually felt cold told him how bad it was. Before he could focus on it, the shock told hold and he lost consciousness. He was lucky that there were two air spirits dueling, the buffeting winds put out the flames that still clung to his clothes, and in some places, his flesh.
[spoiler]
Spell Resist
Body 4
Spell Resist: 4d6t5 3
Fire Damage Resist
Body 4 + 1/2 Impact 3 = Pool 7
Fire Damage Resist: 7d6t5 1
Force 9 + 2 net hit - 1 soak = 10P Damage
Three boxes of overflow
[/spoiler]
-
Snow fops down in the door fore cover and shoots at the mage.
[spoiler]Shoot the mage. 11d6 - 2 for cover (http://orokos.com/roll/381517): 9d6t5 3
Second shot (http://orokos.com/roll/381518): 9d6t5 4[/spoiler]
-
The mage tries to move out of the line of fire, but the second shot causes his grip on the rail to slip and he lies still in a quickly growing pool of blood.
(3rd passes)
-
Snow looks over at Clem as the mage in the hallway bleeds out. She does a quick scan for the opponents' tags. "What is our play? Some of those people down there will need some help, but I am backing whatever you say. It appears that the mage is down and we know the location of the sniper. The tag for the rigger has disappeared."
-
"Make sure that mage is down, I'll take care of the sniper" said Clem as she took a shot at their attacker with her firearm.
[spoiler]First Shot ~ Agility 7 + Firearms 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/382287): 11d6t5 4 no glitches. Since she sees the mage is down, Clem will shoot her stick and shock ammo.
-
When Clem opens fire on the sniper, Snow leaves the room and runs for the cover of the stairwell.
-
Clementine's bullet seems to go where it is supposed to, but the target is no longer there to receive it.
-
Shaking off his surprise, Sam got back to his feet in time to see Clem shooting at something further down the building from where he was. Muttering darkly to himself about looking like a fool, he continued working his way forwards cautiously, alert for whoever was ahead of him.
[spoiler]Crossbow, let me know if you want any sort of perception or stealth roll.[/spoiler]
-
Seeing that O'Connor was down, Sammy quickly ran on the street towards the wounded team member, zig-zagging a bit as there was a sniper somewhere. She grabbed him and dragged him behind the nearest cover and then started working on his wounds.
-
Both baffled and frustrated that their attacker wasn't there to receive her shot, Clem asked Snow to "Find me that sniper", looking around for its whereabouts.
[spoiler]Sniper Perception 2 ~ Intuition 4 + Perception 3 + Perceptive 1 + Reception Enhancer 2 + Vision Enhancement 3 + Actively Looking 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/383245): 16d6t5 11 Wow, what a roll! If that doesn't refresh one point of edge, I don't know what will! With this roll, Clem should be almost zen-like aware of where this sniper is, unless he is magically concealed.[/spoiler]
-
Snow nods to Clem. "I will see if I can roust him. His tag says he is right there. I can go over and see if you can cover me. Turn your 'link back on so we can talk." Se sends a quick note to the boys in the bus, telling them that some idiot mage just set off a fire ball at her location and asks if they can get any help out here from the hospital. She heads down the stairs and over to the other building, checking to see if the tag for the sniper comes back on.
-
Okay, best guess, he isn't there anymore. If he was waiting to take a shot, Snow had sufficiently exposed herself to make some kind of effort at her, unless he was specifically waiting to nail Clementine. Likely he was moving, but where to? Probably a flatter trajectory to be able to shoot into the room. If she didn't move, he would have her cold.
-
Hearing Snow's answer aggravated Clem even more. *Drek, he's good* thought the ork as she left for the stairs and back downstairs. She definitely didn't want to be caught flat-footed, so she decided to move and get her rival guessing as well.
-
As soon as she dragged O'Connor to safety, she started to work on him to get him back up. Unfortunately she wasn't all that well herself, so she couldn't push it as much as she wanted.
[spoiler]
heal force 5
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 - 2 CM =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/384195): 9d6t5 3
I heal 3P from O'Connor. This will take me 3 combat turns, so I'm not going to roll inititiative for the next 3 rounds.
drain 1 (DV-2)
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/384197): 9d6t5 3
no drain
[/spoiler]
-
As Torley moved down the balcony, he noted the female runners switching buildings, he also spotted Sammy pulling their resident kamikaze to safety. Most important though is what he heard, barely, above the windstorm created by the battling spirits.
There was a ringing noise that he didn't identify until he heard the breaking glass, it was boots on metal of someone coming down a fire escape and kicking in a back window, and it was below him.
Snow got her reply as she sprinted across the street, "First respondents are already scrambling, by the way, look up, 3 o'clock high, 'Hey beautiful!' *waving* " Her peripheral vision picked up the camera drone with the "Eye Spy News" logo broadcasting the scene live to the Matrix. Before she could consider shooting it down she saw a half dozen more.
-
Snow dives into the other building and pauses to catch her breath. She sends out two messages. >>Clem. This is perfect for the PITO feeds. Let them see us saving the day and stopping the terrorists. What do you think?<< She sends the second to her possible boyfriend. >>Hey. You really think I am beautiful? Thanks so much. I will show you how much I appreciate that when we get together again.<<
-
Getting Snow's message across her field of vision as she was crossing the street, Clem simply thought to herself *She's thinking about her PITO feed at a time like this?* The ork had completely forgotten about her PITO, but now that Snow mentioned it, she turned her link back on and started brodcasting in a 2 minute delay, as Sammy had taught her. She reasoned it was like running a taxi meter in this town, and as long as she was still under heavy disguise, she didn't mind the attention.
-
Sam swore when he realized what he was hearing. He glanced to the side and saw the security fencing, quickly discarding any thoughts of trying to cut off his target through semi-suicidal heroics. Not wanting to draw any excess attention to himself, he turned his 'link back on and sent a message to Snow and Clem. Target on the move, going through a room below me. Then he hurried along the hallway, checking each door as he passed to see if it was open.
[spoiler]OOC: Yes, Sam could probably shoot a door open, but that's not his style (and I doubt he's got what it takes to kick a door open either). Hopefully the sniper didn't lock the door behind him/her when (s)he started running, or someone else's door is open..[/spoiler]
-
As Torley turns on his link to send his message, ignoring warnings waiting for him about how to properly respond to a terror attack (hole up, call the authorities), he is confused by what his link is showing him. He is close enough to the "Undesirable" tag to know that it is definitely above him on the roof, but he is sure about what he heard as well.
-
Frustrated by a lack of good options on the third floor, Torley hustles down the far staircase and comes back to the second. Seeing his partners coming his way he goes to meet them, trying to scan rooms with his peripheral vision.
The third room is the jackpot, but he almost misses the sniper setting up behind a couch. Whoever he is, he is really good at hiding. Luckier still, the gunman apparently has ignored him as a threat, or he might already be bleeding out. Even though his heart is hammering, he maintains a casual pace and posture as he considers options.
-
Once he was past the window, Sam leaned casually against the wall, ensuring that he wasn't visible to the sniper inside. Pulling out his 'link as if checking the news, he sent a message to Clem and Snow. Found the target; sniper in the room next to me covering this entrance. There's also a fire escape on the back I heard him using. Thoughts?
-
"Does the room have a rear window? We could double team him?"
-
There used to be a window, Sam sent back. Sounded like he broke it to get in.
-
Snow looks at Clem. "What's the play, boss? Two in front or one front and one back?"
-
"I need to know what the room looks like first" answered the ork. "Find me a blueprint, ask Sam to draw us a quick schematic of the layout, or better yet, hack one of those media drones and get me a look into that room."
-
Snow nods and goes out on the matrix to find what should be public information from the AR site of the motel. It is common for such places to post pictures of their rooms and she pulls one up for Clem to look at. "Here you go, boss?"
-
A shot rings out from the room. Looking across the way Clem is able to pick out the spot where the shot hit. It blew a hole through the security fence and still had enough power to rip a fist sized hole in the wall, right where her head had been a few moments ago.
-
Snow looks at the hole in the wall. "Pretty big gun, boss. What do you want to do. Before you tell me to neutralize the gun, I want to remind you that I do not trust my skill with this virus on my 'link. If we are going to go, we take a chance. I will back your decision. Maybe just talk to him? He might want to gloat or something."
-
Clem fired a quick message to Torley before pulling one of the flash bangs she had from out of her coat pocket. <I need eyes on the back, I don't want this cowboy slipping through our fingers again.>
She pulled the pin and with a quick flick of her wrist threw her grenade inside the room, aiming close but far enough her target couldn't easily throw it back.
[spoiler]Not sure what you wanted me to roll, but I figured throwing weapons ought to do it. I sure wish I had had some edge left for that throw.
Grenade Throw ~ Agility 7 - Defaulting 1 (http://orokos.com/roll/389426): 6d6t5 0 no glitches. So no hits, but at least it shouldn't bounce right back in our faces.[/spoiler]
-
Sniper blind attack on Clem (http://orokos.com/roll/389667): 8d6t5 4
The rifle barks right after Clem draws her hand back, blowing a hole in the wall behind her.
(OOC: initiative for round, you are in faro)
-
Sammy finished with her spell. She knew it wasn't enough and O'Connor would need a lot more treatment to get fully back together, but at least she had stopped him from bleeding out on the street. That was all she could do for the moment. Spotting a car parked close to a wall a bit further, she quickly looked around and then dragged the unconscious team mate to that location. Here a sniper had to be overhead and shooting straight down to hit him and that would be kinda obvious.
Next she looked around to see what was going on, like with her spirits, any law enforcement arriving and location of bad guys. She also checked the astral, as it might give more or other information. Unfortunately the battle of the two spirits had left that in turmoil, so not much to see there either. And with the commlinks off, she couldn't contact the others, so for now she would stay where she was.
[spoiler]
perception roll.
intuition 3 + perception 2 + active 3 + enhancers 2 -2 CM =8 (http://orokos.com/roll/390437): 8d6t5 1
I don't see much, but at least not a glitch.
astral perception roll.
astral perception (2 wound penalty) (http://orokos.com/roll/390438): 4d6t5 1
also not much.
Sammy doesn't know you put your commlinks back on :(
[/spoiler]
-
The sniper's missed shot sprinkled bits of plaster on Clem's hair, creating dust in the air. The ork, however, peeked around the corner and fired two shots in her attacker's direction, trying to tag him.
[spoiler] Clem is shooting at the sniper. First round, First pass ~ Agility 7 + Firearms 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/392490): 11d6t5 4 No glitches. So that's 4 hits wish S&S ammo.
Edit: First round, First pass, Second shot ~ Agility 7 + Firearms 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/393144): 11d6t5 5 no glitches. I cancelled the recoil with the personalized grip and instead decided not to write anything.[/spoiler]
-
Snow watches as Clem fires a shot at the sniper and takes advantage of the opportunity of a distraction to move forward around her partner to fire her own shot.
[spoiler]Fire predator at sniper (http://orokos.com/roll/392499): 11d6t5 4 4 hits, no glitches with standard ammunition
Second Shot: Second shot at sniper (http://orokos.com/roll/392902): 11d6t5 2 2 hits, no glitches[/spoiler]
-
Sam wasn't sure what he could do, but he was sure of one thing--he didn't want to be where the bullets were. Following Clem's request, he went to see if he could get to the back of the building.
-
The female runners pump rounds into the sitting area furniture, but the sniper is on the move and they don’t manage a clean shot.
[spoiler]
Sniper Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/393184): 4#12d6t5 4 4 6 3
Blind fire and running mods killed your hits and gave him enough to make it..[/spoiler]
Running and jumping back out the rear window, he tries an awkward attempt at Snow as he falls out of view.
Sniper attack on Snow (http://orokos.com/roll/393347): 10d6t5 5
-
Snow's shots are wide of the target as the sniper is already moving, but she does not have time to let her companion know before the high-powered rifle in his hands sends a round into her chest. The shot throws her back against the barrier of the railing before sending her to the balcony, where she lies unmoving.
-
Looking up, Sammy didn't spot the spirit she had summoned. She did however, see the other one, attacking civilians. Clearly that was a bound spirit, boosted by the binding ritual. She had never been very good at that, even at college and she also didn't use it like that. But for now she had to stop the damage to the innocent bystanders, so she gathered the mana and started casting.
She knew that the fastest way to get rid of it now, since her banishment attempt had failed, was to simply blast it away. And if that didn't work, she would have gotten its attention and at least it would stop attacking other people. But if her spirit had done it some damage, and normally it should, she might be able to finish it off in one go.
[spoiler]
force 9 stunbolt
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 - 2 CM =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/393851): 9d6t5 5
spirit get's to roll willpower (which is equal to its force I think): damage is 9S + net hits.
drain 3P
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/393853): 9d6t5 3
no drain
[/spoiler]
-
The spirit did indeed take quite a bit of damage from it's first opponent, so the stunbolt quickly dispatches him.
(Back to top for pass 2, Clem is up)
-
Clem froze for a second, flashbacks of her past life haunting her. She wanted to go after the sniper and hunt him down, but decided that she didn't want to make the same mistake she had done before. She chose to stay with Snow and see if there was anything she could do besides warn the others the elf had been hit, hard. <Snow is down, bleeding profusely, sniper fled. Sammy, we need you here right this instant.>
The ork then pried the medkit from the motionless elf's hands and started the process of stabilizing, effectively shocking Snow back into consciousness.
[spoiler]Edit: First Aid ~ Medkit 6 + Logic 3 (http://orokos.com/roll/395224): 9d6t5 2 no glitches. Not a great roll, but it should be enough for Snow to get back up.[/spoiler]
-
Sammy looked at the building the others had dissapeared in, spotting Clem working with the medkit on what looked like Snow. Since normally Snow was doing that, she was probably out, or close to it. Since O'Connor was safe for now, or at least stabilized, she ran that way, zig-zagging a bit to throw of any shots that might come her way.
[spoiler]
perception roll to see if I can see something, like the sniper escaping
intuition 3 + perception 2 + active 3 + enhancers 2 -2 CM =8 (http://orokos.com/roll/395537): 8d6t5 2
[/spoiler]
-
Torley races around the strange structure, sure that by the time he is in position, the fight will be over.
When he reaches the alleyway, he is surprised to discover that not only has he not avoided the fight, he has moved to the frontline.
The man is a compact, powerfully built Italian, with a dark crew-cut and mustache. He is definitely cyber-enhanced, the movement is unmistakable to Sam even when the chrome is subtle. His eyes narrow and a hand wielding the prettiest killer's knife ever moves into view as he turns flight into fight, closing the distance between you.
Incidental details like the broken glass in his clothes, the bent rifle barrel poking out of a nearby dumpster, and the chain ladder hanging from the back of the building register peripherally as the runner responds to imminent attack.
Badguy (formerly sniper) getting stabby on Torley (http://orokos.com/roll/396044): 10d6t5 4
-
[spoiler]
Well, darn. Knew something like this would happen.
Dodge, using edge because I need some luck: REA(2)+Dodge(3)+Edge(4) (http://orokos.com/roll/396055): 9d6h5 5
[/spoiler]
Sam barely had time to register the knife before his body started twisting away from it. As he did so, he found himself instinctively crying out, "Stop fighting! I want to talk!"
[spoiler]
Commanding Voice: Leadership(4)+CHA(6)+Kinesics(3)+Improved Ability(2) (http://orokos.com/roll/396060): 15d6t5 5
Mr. Stabby resists with willpower + leadership.
[/spoiler]
-
"No, you are just a coward who doesn't want to get stabbed. Where are your tusker slots? Keeping that little dandelion eater from bleeding out? They won't get here in time to save you, meta-lover."
He actually seems a little surprised by his own bigoted invective, then he gets angry and prepares to attack the face again.
-
Sammy arrived just as the medkit had done its job.
"I'll take it from here," she said to Clem, "and I'll keep an eye out on Snow and O'Connor."
If she could see the Clem and Snow from where she was with O'Connor, she could keep an eye on him from here as well.
She immediately started to gather mana and cast a healing spell.
[spoiler]
force 5 healing spell:
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 - 2 CM =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/396226): 9d6t5 3
Snow heals 3P. This will take 3 full combat rounds.
drain (DV-2): 1
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/396227): 9d6t5 2
no drain.
[/spoiler]
-
Picking up her firearm, Clem nodded to Sammy and told her to "Turn on your link" before running back into the room and looking out the window, where their attacker had fled moments before.
-
The killer, using some sophisticated technique with cyber-enhanced speed, drives at Torley with the blade.
Badguy getting stabby on Torley again. (http://orokos.com/roll/396978): 10d6t5 6
-
Sam wasn't able to get out of the way of the second knife stab, receiving a very large gash through his armor. The cut was deep enough to drop him to the ground. Clutching his side with one hand, he threw his cane to the side, leaving his hand open in a sign of non-aggression. "You're damn right I don't want to get stabbed; I'm not a fraggin' idiot. And you don't seem to be one, either. You know the heat have to be coming, soon, and you're not going to be able to get away. Talk to me--we can all get out of this, alive and free."
[spoiler]
Negotiation roll, trying to convince the guy not to gut Sam: Commanding voice, round 2 (only 13 dice):
Negotiation(4)+CHA(6)+Kinesics(3)+-CM(1)+Improved Ability(2) (http://orokos.com/roll/397635): 14d6t5 4
:o Wow, six 1s. Not a glitch, thankfully, but too close for comfort.
[/spoiler]
-
The killer looks disgustedly down at Torley, “Why should I worry about the police? You are the ones defending Undesirables like that Ork freak and his little singing whores. I am doing their job, cleaning up filth like you.”
Then, strangely, he kicks Torley’s stick back to him and steps back, “Now pick it up and get back on your feet, I am not going to lose any more Good Time for fighting someone unfairly if I don’t have to.”
(OOC: Third pass. Clem you reach the window and can engage in ranged combat)
-
Gun in hand, the ork arrived at the window in time to see their attacker on top of Torley, talking to him and kicking his cane around. Without a moment's hesitation, the woman shot twice at the Italian man.
[spoiler]Shooting at Attacker ~ Agility 7 + Firearms 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/397963): 2#11d6t5 5 6 no glitches, hopefully something lands. Clem is shooting S&S ammo.
And just in case, I rolled a surprise roll too. Surprise ~ Reaction 7 + Intuition 4 (http://orokos.com/roll/397964): 11d6t5 3 No glitches.[/spoiler]
-
The killer never saw the shooter, when he went stiff as the rounds hit him in the back, the look on his face was pure outrage, from Torley's point of view. He almost faceplanted on top of him in the alley, the knife still convulsively gripped in his hand.
-
After finishing up the healing of Snow, she put on her commlink and contacted Clem.
How are things down there, She asked, we have to get our stories straight for the police. Since the cameras have only filmed the last part, maybe I can switch to my Delavigne persona and we can pretend to be studio crew who just by accident got involved in all this?
With Torley's powers of persuation and Sammy's fame, they should be able to make that stick and since they had been filmed, trying to hide wouldn't be all the easy. It could be done, but it would be difficult. They would just have to make sure that O'Connor didn't have any weapons on him when the police arrived, but that was easy. As film evidence would prove, he hadn't done anything more than be gunned down on the street. Everything else was just self defence, like Sammy's attack on the enemy spirit.
-
Sam heard the gunfire as the man dropped next to him. At first, he thought that he was the next target, but then he looked up and saw Clem in the window; realizing that she was the one who had fired, he looked more closely at the body next to him and realized from the lack of blood that she must have been using non-lethal rounds. Still clutching his side where he'd been stabbed, he called up to the orc, "Nice shot. Can you...get Snow down here?" He then moved to the prone man and started examining him.
[spoiler]
Sam doesn't know enough first-aid to do anything useful, but he's going to try to look like it for the cameras. Really, though, he's searching for anything that might give him a lead on who these guys are, and will try to surreptitiously take what he can, especially the sniper's commlink and the knife (a trophy, if nothing else!)
Perception: Int[5]+Perception[5]+Vis[2]-CM(1) (http://orokos.com/roll/398216): 11d6t5 3
Palming: Palming(3)+AGI(5)-CM(1) (http://orokos.com/roll/398217): 7d6t5 4
Ok, dunno if he's going to find much, but he should be able to nick whatever he does. :o
[/spoiler]
-
Putting her handgun away, Clem yelled at the two girls back in the building before getting down the ladder in a flash. "We have to leave, NOW!"
Once on the ground, the ork asked Torley if he could stand by himself before looking for O'Connor. "Take whatever you can from him and then we need to get out of here" said the Asian woman, pointing at the passed out attacker before going in O'Connor's direction.
-
As the limousine rolled toward what had so recently become a war zone, the four passengers worked at vastly different tasks.
The first was clearly a dangerous man, with armor and weaponry all about his person. He was coordinating tactical response with the HRT members that were already in position, giving them a small window to extract the assets compromised, by force if necessary. This last part to be enforced by the heavies in the black van that rolled behind the limo. A helicopter flying in that would be on site simultaneously was also under his control.
The second person couldn’t have been more his opposite, a slight man who looked like he would blow away in a strong wind, he was nonetheless very intensely studying a datafile he had just received while also working to recode some work he had previously finished. The code would only need to be installed onto a previously infected commlink and as long as Pito is reloaded, the commlink will be cleaned in minutes.
The third was a bearded man watching feeds of the situation in front of them. He selected one that showed an ork woman bent over an elven woman doing magic. His expression was simultaneously grim and frightened.
The last one spoke quietly on a line, in what seemed like a conference call that only he was party to. Though the deference of position he held in the car marked him as the superior, it was clear that he was not giving instructions but receiving them from the call.
The van suddenly accelerated past the limo and screeched to a halt disgorging heavy security forces in front of three figures in an alley, the helo screaming over their heads in a hot landing in front of the building.
Richard Fermin and Crenshaw get out of the limo, the latter giving the runners a nod before running to the front of the building.
Richard walks right up to Clem and Torley, “So I am guessing you must have SOME information for me at this point, but it will have to wait until we get back to Studio City.” He indicates the limo.
In front the helo deploys two medical/security teams which quickly converge on the forms of Snow and O’Conner. The Horizon Security patches put Sammy at ease before the bearded tech arrives to let her know that her ride is the limo in back though it is clear he is staying with Snow.
-
Clearly someone was following the feeds, Sammy thought as she gave over Snow to the medical teams. Well, as soon as the commlinks were virus free and they had some sleep, it would be time to do something on the Pito. For now she followed the lead of a bunch of people who could force the issue if they wanted to.
-
"He does" answered Clem, nodding towards the passed out Italian. As she was helping Torley up and get to the vehicles, she asked Fermin "Think you got room for one more in that convoy, we need to talk to him."
-
"He's riding in the van, but I doubt he will be able to intelligently converse on anything of note, he's too far gone. Come on." said Fermin as a couple of security goons hauled him into the van.
-
Collecting his walking stick and the sniper's knife as Clem helped him to his feet, Sam looked at Fermin. "Nice timing. We've got some info, but this guy's important. I couldn't find his 'link..I think he might've chucked it onto the roof; I saw something from it up there earlier, but thought it was just mine acting up." He started to shrug, winced, and started heading for the limo. "I'll try to not get too much blood on your car while you get it for us."
-
Fermin looks to the military man who has gotten out of the limo and nods toward the building. As Sammy joins them the man leaves to retrieve the link.
As you get into the limo you see Tommy furiously working, he gives you a wave as he continues to work on whatever it was that he sees in his datalink HUD and says distractedly “The banger will live, and I will take care of the problem with your links.” Before you can ask any other questions he slumps going into full VR.
This is one of the more unusual getaways you’ve experienced. The car doesn’t break any speed laws and has a flock of drones pursuing it. PCC Security is at the gates of the studio as you pass through. You realize that as employees of Charisma Associates, you have some diplomatic immunity. It’s kinda nice being recognized rather than having to be a deniable asset.
Inside an office complex, you leave Tommy as Fermin leads the runners to the same large office you met in twice before. At least a half-dozen workers are in here, chatting away. You can overhear the words “Moral Vigilantes” used more than once.
“Please sit,” Fermin says, as he himself sits down in a leather chair. “Tell me what you uncovered and then I will try and fill in the holes.”
-
As soon as they were in the limo, Sammy started working on Sam. First she used Snow's medkit to get the worst of the bleeding under control, before finishing the job with her magic. The latter didn't go all that well, as she was tired, but it was at least something.
"That's all I can do for now," she told him.
[spoiler]
first aid using the medkit
first aid= medkit 6 + logic 4 - 2CM (http://orokos.com/roll/400046): 8d6t5 3
heal 3P
magical healing (force 5):
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 - 2 CM =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/400047): 9d6t5 1
heal 1P
drain: 1S
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/400048): 9d6t5 3
no drain
Torley is healed a total of 4P
[/spoiler]
-
"We have a couple of things, sir," Sammy said, "a new name: Patterson. Presumably the one that gave Bacchus his orders. And a group consisting of a mage, a sniper and possibly a rigger with some nice combat drones tried to ambush us. Twice. We didn't really catch their names. That's it in a nutshell, unless I missed something."
She looked at the rest of the group, at least the ones present.
-
Sam nodded, then added, "The group was good, probably ex- or para-military. Definitely not cheap. Whoever this Patterson is, he's willing to spend a lot of money to keep us from getting too close to him." He grinned wolfishly. "I'm looking forward to meeting him and thanking him for caring to send the very best."
-
"I don't think this Patterson person is the one who sent these hitters...even if he had resources for them, which he didn't...unless you found a connection between them, the information I have been given points elsewhere." Fermin's gaze on you is steely "Have you found a direct connection between Daee and Guiles' deaths and the run they hired you for?"
-
"The only thing I've seen is that they were in the hotel where Bacchus and Patterson had their camera for some 'entertainment'," Sammy said, "and they were blackmailed with it. I can't really recall something else. Do you know this Patterson, sir?"
From the way Fermin said it, she assumed he did. She couldn't really recall having heard the name before.
[spoiler]
I'm going to do my knowledge checks to see if I know the name:
logic 4 + horizon media 2 =6 (http://orokos.com/roll/401941): 6d6t5 0
luckily no glitch.
intuition 3 + celebrity gossip 3 =6 (http://orokos.com/roll/401942): 6d6t5 2
[/spoiler]
-
“No, this Patterson person…” he says the name like he was eating something unpleasant and needed to get the taste out of his mouth, “…was unknown to me until the briefing I just received.”
Fermin steeples his fingers, then sighs, plunging onward, “Near as I can tell, what we have is a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Because of this, we have two talents dead and a huge and very public mess to have to clean up.”
He gets up and walks to one of the polarized glass windows, staring at it as though he can see through the frosted snow. “I have been ordered to make this disappear, and I have been given complete authority in that regard. The suggestions I have been given are to simply wipe the slate clean, clear cut and salt the earth, but Pandora likes you, and plus there are these heretofore unknown talents in misters Crenshaw and Baker to consider, there should be some compensation for bringing their skills to light. So I have to ask you three a question you wouldn’t normally be asked in your line of work.” He walked back to the table and looked at you each in turn.
“Can I trust you, and can you, in turn, give me your trust?”
-
Sitting on the edge of her leather seat, Clem shrugged at Fermin's question. "You are paying us and can trust us as far as our contract goes. We are guns for hire: nothing more, nothing less. In our line of work, our reputation, and therefore our word, is what separates repeat business from a cold slab in a KE morgue." The ork took a pause to let what she was saying sink in. "Some of us here have been on a few runs together, so we know the importance of discretion when it comes to Johnsons. We won't break our arrangement, but feel free to give us a 'discretion bonus' if that would appease your conscience."
Clem realized her bluntness was probably not what Fermin had wanted to hear, the man probably used to dealing with yes-men all the time, but she prided herself on her honesty in these situations and hoped Fermin could appreciate a straight answer once in a while.
-
Sammy winced when Clem stated something which was true, but might have been said a bit more diplomatically. Well, maybe she could salvage something.
"As my collegue said, we're not going to double-cross our employer, because if we do, word will get around and nobody will hire us anymore. But I understand where the question comes from, as I know this city quite well."
-
Sam nodded reassuringly. "We are professionals, Mr. Fermin. You don't last long in our career if your employer cannot trust you--not just during the contract, but afterwards as well. And I'm not talking in the old 'you'll never get a job in this town' sense, as my colleagues have suggested; breaches of faith tend to have...lasting--and messy--consequences, which are best avoided all around."
He paused, then continued, "So yes, you can trust us. The tougher part, in all honesty, will be our trusting you. As I'm sure you can appreciate, it is dangerous for people in our line of work to rely too much on their employer's good word. However, 'he who pays the piper calls the tune' is as true for us as it is for anyone, probably more so. As long as you are our employer, that will continue to be the case. Increased remuneration strengthens the employment bond, naturally, but increased communication does as well." His eyes narrowed. "You talk as if the group that has temporarily disabled two of our members and caused us a significant amount of trouble was not, in fact, hired by someone to stop us--but was actually working in parallel with us. If that is the case, then it seems there are multiple significant and expensive breakdowns in communication, which I'd suggest are in your best interest to resolve."
-
Fermin smiled, “Well, on that particular count, you have already accomplished the ‘resolution.’ What remains is simply clean up.”
A message goes out from Fermin's comm, at a wholly owned Horizon medical facility nearby it is received the dangerous military man from the limo. At his signal two separate teams of medical professionals actually begin to work on the injuries suffered by the runners that were brought by helicopter, instead of simply stabilizing them. The man and his troops take their leave.
Back at the studio, Fermin brings up something on a datapad and begins to speak again, “Shortly we will release the news that Christy Daee’s murderers have been killed and brought to justice. Your role in this will be edited and glossed over. People will be focused on the life of Miss Daee for months to come. I’m afraid, though, that your P2.0 rating has become too high to be of any service to Charisma Associates.”
He does a few things on his ‘link, “Your P2.0 accounts associated with the identities you have been using have been suspended pending a lengthy, unproductive investigation by PCC.” He puts down the datapad.
“That is all that will ever be spoken of about the time you have spent here, beyond this room and this moment. While we are here in this room and this moment I will let you know that as a part of their performance contract with Horizon, the A-Kidz were involved with beta-testing some new products. Among these was an addition to the P2.0 program called a Life Management Guide. This addition had some bugs which a now former-developer for project attempted to fix using code from another test product, a prisoner rehabilitation program that was developed on the East Coast.”
Fermin pinched the bridge of his nose, “The interaction between these products produced some unforeseen issues, including self-replication. It also apparently caused a breakdown of progress made by otherwise successful graduates of the East Coast program that had relocated to the PCC, as well as inducing obsessive–compulsive behavior, a certain amount of ‘moral vigilance,’ and social intolerance in those individuals.”
One of the workers comes in. “Mister Fermin, I have a Mister Desperado in the lobby."
“Thank you. That means your ride is here. You have a private plane waiting to take you home that will be ‘wheels up’ in an hour. Anything you have at the hotel will be shipped to Slade as soon as possible. A severance total of ¥15,000 has been deposited into each of your accounts, that, and full medical treatment at the best Horizon Medical Center in the Pacific Northwest for your two teammates, should be the conclusion of our business arrangements.”
“On a personal note, I want you all to know I truly appreciate everything you have done for Pandora and her friend.”
His manner seems to indicate the meeting is over.
-
So that was it, Sammy thought. Well, it could have been worse and 15000 was not bad. And it had confirmed her decision not to work in front of the cameras again. Time to get back to Seattle and Marcus. She hoped he hadn't destroyed the place yet.
"Thank you," she said, "and you have our contact details in case you wish to hire us again in the future."
-
In the end, it was the Pito that prevented them from getting any more work. The irony wasn't lost on Clem, but then again she had always been wary of things to do with the Matrix. The ork simply stood up and took a bow to Fermin, saying a polite "thank you", hands lying flat on her sides. As different as Hollywood was, deep down it was the same as Seattle: once the job was done, you collected your fee and went on your way.
*At least I'll be able to sleep in my bed* thought the woman as she was getting out of the room, waiting for the other runners to follow suite.
-
Heading out to the lobby, you see the same troll in shades, grinning at you. He leads you to his truck. “So, how was your fifteen minutes of fame?”
Waiting for you are all of the comms you left with Tommy, clean as a whistle. You verify that the funds promised were indeed delivered, not that you doubted it. Fermin seems to be one of the pros, if not one of the good guys.
There is a datafile on your front page with an address in Bellvue, right on Lake Washington for Blue Skies Rehabilitation Clinic. It is apparently where you can reconnect with your teammates.
-
"I've had mine before," Sammy said, "and meh. Say, do we swing by that hospital to pick up our less fortunate colleagues?"
-
"All I know about it is that your IDs have been logged as approved visitors, I think they are going to be there for a bit."