Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: Mercy Merchant on <04-15-16/0317:52>
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Wednesday 6 June 2075 1530 Rachel's Garage
The vehicle on the rack above the pit has been causing you a bit of trouble. You have put untold hours into this thing and are now wondering if some unkind car god or maybe karma keeps you from getting it just right. Your wrench slips as you are tightening a nut, banging your hand against the metal framework. As you shake your hand and groan, you hear the unmistakable sounds of someone walking across the floor of the garage bay. A nice pair of shoes appears at the end of a nice pair of pants. The pants and shoes stop a few feet from where you are and you hear a voice calling out in English, but with a Chinese accent. "Hello. Anyone here? I am looking for Rachel. Is she around? I am here at Gouwei's request."
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Rose immediately regretted not keeping the garage door shut today as soon as she heard the sound of someone that obviously wasn't Robin. It was such a nice day out though and the garage gets so hot in the afternoon without a breeze blowing through it. At least she had the other two bays shut up tight. I told Gouwei I didn't want people I didn't know coming by this place! she thought.
Angry, she bounced her wrench off the axle in front of her and felt a little bit better when the shoes disappeared for a second as the man jumped. As she was sliding out from under the car though, she realized that Gouwei probably had a good reason for sending this person here and that this might actually be the chance she'd been looking for to make some actual money. Coming to a sitting position once clear of the car she futilely attempts to wipe off her hands on her coveralls out of habit and asks, "Yes? Can I help you?"
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The young man is clearly oriental and is wearing a nice suit that is not too over the top for the neighborhood. He bows low, but keeps his eyes on you as he says, "Ah, yes. Miss Rachel? I have been asked to give you this card and ask if you would do my employer a personal favor and go see this person this evening. Seven PM would be an excellent time. May I take a return message?" The card he hands you is an embossed business card, the type most people do not bother with these days. On it in bold print are the words: Pacific Antiques, and below that in smaller letters; Ni Ni Xiaolu - Proprietor. The young man waits for you to digest the card and answer him.
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The card is nice, well, it was. Rose looks slightly embarrassed as she smudges grease across the white surface. She looks at the card, then glances around the room, lost, until finally gingerly setting the card down on top of the tool cabinet. "Uhm... Did he say what this was regarding?" she asks, although not really expecting him to have given details. "Well, tell him that since he asked, I'll be there. Seven will be fine."
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The man shakes his head. "No, Miss Rachel. He did not say what this is about. I will pass your answer on to my employer." He bows again and leaves your garage. Frag, he would have to send someone here. I will have to have a talk with him. Not that it will do much good, I suppose. Your knowledge of the address provided on the card puts the meet squarely in China Town. Big surprise. From previous visits to the area you know that you can only drive to the entrance as the streets themselves are pedestrian walkways only. The timing of the meeting is in the middle of the dinner sessions at most of the restaurants and the area ought to be teeming with tourists looking for an "authentic" Chinese dining experience or souvenir to take home.
However, you have time to get some time to prepare for the meeting.
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Waiting for the man to leave, Rose glances outside then shuts the garage door. "Should I have introduced myself to him?" she wonders. "There's so much of my mom's culture that I never had the chance to learn. Oh well, can't change it now." Heading back into the house proper she proceeds to clean off the results of her morning's labor. Once no longer greasy she winds up staring blankly into her closet she tries to figure out what would be appropriate to wear. "It's going to be mostly tourists," she reasons, "and I don't want to stick out, but that man was dressed fairly well..." After a few minutes of waffling she finally settles on some fairly nice casual clothing. "I wonder what they could want; I don't know anything about Antiques... Maybe it's just a front? I guess I'll find out..."
Finally ready to leave she headed back out to the garages, this time to the middle one where the Americar was parked. Enfield secure in it's secret compartment? Check! Drones were where they were supposed to be? Check! Security system in wired mode? Check! Everything in order, she tossed the briefcase holding her RCC into the trunk and got into the back seat of the car. Sinking into the plush seat, she couldn't help letting out a small sigh. "Things could certainly be worse. Now I just need to start making some real money so that they don't actually *get* worse!" she thought. With another thought the garage door rolled up and the Americar, green today, rolled out into the street.
Arriving in China Town, Rose exits the vehicle at one of the main pedestrian entrances and commands the car's pilot to keep moving but stay within 10 minutes away. Walking towards the antiques shop, she orders the CU^3 to take off and head to the meet ahead of her and notify her of people entering and leaving while staying out of sight. Arriving at Pacific Antiques, she enters and looks for someone who appears to work there. "Is Mr. Xiaolu in?"
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The drive to Chinatown is uneventful, except for the forecast of an 80% chance of rain tonight. The parking lots are fairly full with tourist cars and even the small section reserved for hotel shuttles is rotating them in and out at a good clip. Three KE officers man a small security station just this side of the main entrance, providing a semblance of civil order and watching out for the occasional pick-pocket. It is easy to mix with the small crowds of people moving under the large and ornate sigh announcing that one is about to enter "Seattle's Largest Ethnic Cultural Center". Chinatown is everything that is stereotypical of what a western society would expect to see.........meaning it is all eye candy and fake; something to lure tourists in to spend their money and leave. There is a real Chinese society here, but it is not on the main streets, but hidden well behind the facades and down the narrower streets and alleyways.
Yours is not the only drone in the area. You see numerous commercial drones advertising one service or shop or another as well as delivery drones bustling from the various competing shops, sending their goods to the customers that prefer to shop in VR. You have some knowledge of the Triads that are rumored to control the lives of the ethnic Chinese here and can recognize some of the hidden signs of which one controls which restaurant, bar, strip club, and store. You suspect that none of the businesses here are truly free of this influence and there must be a symbol somewhere, even if you do not notice it right off.
Finding the store front with Pacific Antiques is not hard. Pausing outside, you can look through the glass window at the normal array of tourist souvenirs; ivory (probably fake), jade (also probably fake), and gold (probably a thin coating) items that are marked as authentic and imported all the way from China (probably made in the back of the store). The doorpost at the right has a small engraving bearing the mark of the Octagon, one of the three main syndicates and one you just happen to be on at least so-so terms with. Entering, you hear the sound of a small bell herald your arrival and you see a shop that seems to go beyond the normal knick-knacks and might actually be antiques. There is even some furniture off in a smaller showroom to the left. As you move to the front of the store, you note that a pretty Chinese woman is helping the first of a line of three customers. She looks up at you when you enter and nods at you with a smile. While you wait your turn, you notice the price tags on some of the items and would snort your coffee through your nose if you were drinking any. Either these are really good fakes or perhaps the genuine thing. That or the owner does not really want to sell any of this stuff, which is certainly not the case since at least three customers seem willing to pony up what must be some serious nuyen.
Two men enter the shop after you do and move about. They are not Chinese and seem to be talking about an anniversary gift of some kind. The one man asks the limit and the other tosses out something in the range of five figures. The first nods and says he is in the right place. There is still one woman in front of you when an oriental gentleman steps through the beaded curtain that separates the main shop with what is likely the rear work area. He comes to you and bows low, asking how he may be of assistance. He is perfectly straight faced as he indicates that you are expected and would you please follow him?
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"Five figures?! This Mr. Xiaolu is certainly proud of his stuff, assuming he's the owner," she thinks. "On the plus side, that means he probably isn't hurting for Nuyen, so that bodes well for me!" Returning the man's bow, Rose gestures for the man to lead on and follows him.
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The man stops part way down a narrow corridor and turns to you, saying in a soft voice. "If it pleases you, MISS Xiaolu might not be pleased to be thought of as a man. A word to the wise, but an understandable error on your part." He continues on and leads you through another beaded curtain into a large storage room. You see crates of various sizes stacked around the perimeter of the room and a number of people moving about, several gathered about an open crate. Your escort motions for you to stay and goes up to the group, bowing low to a raven haired Chinese woman who listens to him then turns to look at you. She walks off and the man returns to you. "Please come with me."
He leads you to a small space in the otherwise full and busy room, containing a small table with a tea service on a silver tray and three chairs. The woman he had addressed takes a seat and motions for you to take another. A young Chinese woman comes to the table and pours tea for the seated woman, who looks at you and says, "I am Ni Ni Xiaolu. I have heard good things about you. Would you care for some tea?"
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Rose blushes deeply to have her faux pas called out. "Thank you greatly, I apologize for my assumption," she says as she bows to the man again. She is glad for the reprieve to regain her composure as the man speaks to the woman, presumably Ni Ni. Approaching the table, Rose gladly takes the indicated seat. "Tea would be nice, thank you," she responds. "I'm pleased I'm being spoken of well. I was very impressed by your stock in the front room."
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The woman opposite you at the table nods to the younger one, who pours you a cup of tea and places it in front of you, turning the tray to offer you a choice of milk, cream, sugar, and lemon. This gives you a bit of time to do what Ni Ni is doing; to whit examine the other person sitting at the table. The Chinese woman is very pretty, with obvious physical assets that any man and many women would find memorable and attractive. Her ebon hair is cut to shoulder length and her dark eyes are appraising you. She waits for you to settle on what you want in your tea and smiles as she raises her cup and nods at you. "Yes, it is nice to be thought well of in the circles that you seek approval from. I thank you for your observation of my wares. I work very hard to gather things that other people will want to own and are willing to pay a great deal for. But that is not why you are here; not yet, anyway. I would like to speak well of you to people whose trust I value and enjoy. However, I cannot yet do that. Would you like to please me so that I may speak well of you? If so, I have a task for you." She places the cup on the table and looks at you.
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Declining any of the proffered tea adulteraters, Rose indicates that she'll take her tea straight. "I would like nothing more than that, but I'd have to hear the details of the task first. I can only hope that it's something that I'm able to assist you with." She tips her head and takes a sip of the tea,smiling at the taste. "I really hope 'pleasing her' doesn't mean she's expecting me to do something for free. I'm really going to have to lay into Gouwei if so..."
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Ni Ni smiles as you decline to add anything to your tea. "I see that you are a woman of refined discernment when it comes to tea. Let us hope that this translates to your work as well. And I am told that my task should be in your expertise. If not, I will definitely have words with the man who recommended you. I have a need to do some surveillance on an individual. He is well guarded by both guns and security devices. For reasons of my own I wish to employ an asset that is not of the Triad. I will give you a week to get me as much information as you can about the target. I will leave what you use and how you do it up to you. Further employment opportunities will follow if you do well. I will pay you Y 5K for this service and will front you another Y 2K for expenses. If I am pleased, you may keep the portion of the expense money you do not spend. Bribes, sex, drone surveillance, hiring others to assist you are all authorized. I have two additional requirements in addition to providing me the information: First. There must be nothing said or done to bring this back to me or the Triads. Nothing. If you hire people it is by your hand and name. Likewise if you are caught. Second. I would prefer as little death or destruction of property as possible. This man might be the subject of a further mission and I do not wish him to be alerted."
She pauses and sips her tea before adding, "Do you think you are up to the task?"
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Rose pauses to take another sip of tea while she thinks furiously. "A week of work for 5k isn't bad, but 'guns and security' can cover a wide range of difficulty..." She sets the tea down and says, "That's definitely something I can handle, but a week to get 'everything I can' is very open ended. With only 2k for expenses, that puts a fairly hard cap on the resources I could devote to this, especially if his security is such that drone surveillance becomes risky. I can, of course, take the safe route, but that also means a likelihood of less information. I can do it either way, it's your call."
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The Triad woman looks at you carefully. "And what would you expect a more accurate estimate of your expenses to be?"
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"Well that's hard to tell until I get a better idea of the situation," she says before having some more tea. "How about this, if it turns out I think there's a need for more or a specific risk, I'll contact you to authorize the expenditure?
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Ni Ni watches you carefully then nods. I will send you a private commcode that you can use to contact someone who will have the authority to make the necessary transactions. I am glad that you are coming in on this, Rachel. It is Rachel, correct? Or would you prefer that I call you by a different name?"
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"Good..I don't expect to need it, but it's hard to know what you don't know, you know?" Rose chuckles slightly at herself. "As for names, Rachael is fine between us, but I'd appreciate you using Iron Orchid with anyone who doesn't need to know my real name." Finishing her tea, Rose asks, "So who is this person you want information on?"
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"His name is Howard Townsend. I have provided you with his name and address. I expect that you will provide me with everything else that you can find out in a week. We will have a meeting then and we will decide if more time needs to be invested in this. Thank you for coming by Miss Orchid. I do hope that we will have a long working relationship." The woman stands and the man is back at your elbow as if by magic. He motions for you to follow him and takes you back to the street, where he bids you to have a nice evening.
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Once back on the street Rose instructs the car to circle back around to where she got out and tells the CU^3 to keep watching for 10 minutes then proceed back to the car. While walking to the pickup spot, she shoots a message to Robin: <<Hey, can you do a quick search on a guy by the name of Howard Townsend? Lives here at *address*. Might be some money in it for us!>> Arriving at the pickup she waits for the car to show up and then gets into the back seat again. "Drive slowly by *address* and then head back home," she instructs the vehicle. Once the CU^3 docks back with the car she quickly scans through the footage to see if there were any interesting comings and goings while she was in the meeting and then gets ready to check out Howard's neighborhood and do a quick assessment of the security of his home.
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The answer back from Robin is almost immediate. >>On it, girlfriend. Does this mean you will be out for dinner?<<
The drone's feed is nothing special that you can tell. It appears that no one was particularly interested in you coming or going from the antique store, but it might be hard to tell in the crowd of people on the street. The address you have is on Queen Anne's Hill. Once the ritziest part of all of Seattle, most of it has deteriorated to something less. Many of the famous families that used to own exclusive residences on The Hill have taken up residence in the luxury hotels that dot the Downtown landscape. But there is an oasis or two of luxury still to be found there and such is the area where you are taken. The homes are huge and sit on lots that surely could be made into several multi-family apartment complexes. The streets are broad and tree-lined and high walls provide a modicum of privacy to the wealthy who reside behind them. Number 1476 Wild Acre Drive is one such home. A drive by shows three cameras mounted in the trees inside the wall that follow the motion of your vehicle and three more that seem to be in fixed positions. The gate at the driveway appears to be solid and the quick view you get as you pass shows a vast manicured lawn and at least two men walking about that seem to sentries.
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Rose fires off a response to Robin before getting into the car: <<Naw, I just need to make one stop and then I'll be on my way back. Do you want me to pick something up?>>
Unsurprised by the lack of anything interesting seem by the drone, she's nevertheless pleased by the way things are going. "This seems to be a pretty straightforward job, hopefully it turns out to be what it seems," she thinks to herself as she watches the property values go up outside the window. Noting the multiple cameras, as well as security guards, she wrinkles her nose, "Well... Maybe not that straightforward... "
Once she gets a few blocks away from the house she launches one of the Noizquitos with instructions to go offline and overfly the house to record video of the compound layout from above before returning to the car. "No reason to get fancy tonight. Let's see what Robin comes up with then I can devise a plan of attack." She then continues back to the Everett house with a stop to pick up whatever Robin wants along the way.
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Robin chuckles. >>You could stop and get something from that Chinese place we like. Peking Wok. Get me some of their sweet and sour chicken and steamed rice. I know it is mostly soy, but it tastes pretty good, right? And we have not had anything from there for at least a week. Say hello to Chan for me?<< She drops off to begin doing some research for you. The drive-by does indeed seem a bit formidable and the overflight by the drone does nothing to dispel that notion. When the drone returns and you get a chance to view its feed, you see four men working on the lawn and a fancy garden in the rear of the house, but you also count three pairs of men walking around the well manicured lawn that do not seem particularly interested in what is growing there. The quick flight also picks out several cameras mounted on the eaves of the house and pointing out to the exterior.
When you arrive home with the food, you find Robin almost dancing from foot to foot as she asks. "What are you getting into? Do you have any idea who this guy is? Besides being rich and about seventy so almost ready to kack off at any moment, the guy is a fragging lawyer. And get this, it is said that his only client is the boss of the Seattle Yak-fucking-kuza. And let me have that food. I am starving." Robin takes the boxes and puts the food on paper plates, setting the table using the plastic ware provided by the noodle shop with your order. "You going to spill or what?"
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Rose directs the Americar to stop by Peking Wok on the way home. Submitting her order online for the sweet and sour 'chicken', some egg rolls, and the pepper 'beef' she groans when the host notifies her it's going to take longer than normal today due to it being a busy night. Mentally shrugging, she has the car stop when it arrives anyway and she gets out figuring that gives her plenty of time to harass, err... say hello, to Chan for Robin. Entering the building, she sees that it is indeed packed, "No wonder the kitchen is running slow! Walking up to the counter she sees Chan sweating through the window to the kitchen. "Hey Chan! Robin wants to know why you're being so slow?"
She finally gets the food and heads back out the car and then back to the house. Finding Robin being so antsy, she hands her the food and waves her to the table. "Sit and I'll tell you!" Once they're established at the table with their dinner, Rose lays out the basic idea to Robin: "One of Gouwei's contacts wants information on that Townsend guy but wants plausible deniability should he find out about it, so that's where I come in. I've got a week to 'find out all I can' on the guy, which is pretty vague." Sending an annotated birds-eye view of the grounds to Robin's 'link she continues, "See, security is pretty heavy. Lots of cameras, lots of guards, lots of space. I need to really go through this footage to find the best way to approach it. Will also have to check out his office, which is unlikely to be any softer from what you found." Grimacing, "If he's really the personal lawyer for the Yakuza, I definitely should have asked for more money..."
[spoiler]Security Design (http://orokos.com/roll/393927): 8d6t5 4[/spoiler]
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Robin laughs. "So how serious are you going to go in on this? You have already found out lots of stuff. Let me see if I can grab something from the matrix. And don't try to swipe my soychicken. I know how many pieces I have left." She sits back in her chair and zones out of the meat world and into the matrix, leaving you to go over the security that you saw. Digging into your knowledge of security systems and design, your initial look does not leave a lot to be hopeful about. But it was just one scan, and a quick one at that.
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"Hurm... how deep *do* I want to go? This is basically a favor, but I'm getting paid for it and it could result in more jobs down the line. Coming back with just information found online, regardless of details, probably isn't going to impress her much." Rose continues eating while she ponders what Robin said, "I think I need to at least make a serious effort to do some physical eavesdropping in order to honestly say I did a good job. I'll wait and see what Robin comes up with and then come up with a plan." Resolved on a path forward, she finishes her food (and a piece of 'chicken', just to try it) and waits for Robin to return.
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Robin's limp body shivers a bit as the decker slips out of VR and back to the meat world. She shakes her head and says, "God. Sometimes I just hate to come back, you know? The trix can be just so different to those that can move in it. OK. I did not get much, but enough to know this is not a easy in and back out sort of thing. The place is like a fortress. It is its own fragging host, for drek's sake." She smiles at you. "But hosts are made to be broken into. Can I bring Jaxxo in on part of this? He has busted a lot of hosts and might have some ideas and he is pretty cheap." You remember Jaxxo as a waifish twenty-something who has a crush on you. "Hey, you took one of my chicken pieces. Some pal you are."
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"Did you see anything about where he works? Or is the house so stacked because that's his office too?" Considering Jaxxo, Rose grimaces a little bit inside. She's never sure how to talk to him since he's so... earnest. "As for Jaxxo, cheap or no I'm not sure there's enough headroom on this deal to bring in more people. Let's see how it goes and you can maybe bring him in later if we have to?" Grinning, "Some friend you are for not offering me any!"
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"No, he has an office in one of those swanky office buildings. "Howard Townsend Associates" is the name of the place, but I could not find the names of any associates. He is married, but the rumor rags say that the wife and he have a pretty open relationship. His is more public, while she takes her lovers more quietly. Part of that could be because they are all women." She giggles, "Hey, that could be your way in. According to the pics I have seen, the guy prefers the large chested sort of babe who does not mind exposing a good bit of herself in public. You could let yourself be seduced by either him or the wife and taken home." Robin finishes off her food, saying, "There, see? Problem solved. And you owe me a piece of chicken."
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"Well if they go out frequently, meeting one of them in person could provide some options one way or another. If the security doesn't pay as much attention to the wife, I might be able to use her to gain access to the house or even the office." Thinking to herself for a few moments, she finally continues, "How about this, you see if you can find anything about their schedules for the next few days and I'll try and set up some physical surveillance and we'll see if any opportunities present themselves?" "Although I think I'm going to need to see about spending some of that expense money already if I'm going to have a decent chance at this. Will have to see if Tiny can help me out tomorrow." Waving dismissively at Robin's empty plate she responds, "It wasn't even chicken, so I owe you nothing!"
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Robin laughs as she stands and begins clearing the paper boxes and plates, taking them to the trash disposal unit. "I will see what I can do about getting some info on any public outings. While I am doing that, I am going to get in some time with my Master Vampire Hunter. You up for bringing your Werewolf in for some fun?" She walks off towards the smallish living room where the trid screen sits. "You know, I am sure that we can arrange for some lessons if you are going to try for the wifey. She might be the easiest road in."
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I've got nothing else going on tonight, some Werewolf action might be fun, she replies as she follows Robin to the living room. What are you talking about? Did you find out that the wife plays too?
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As Robin brings up the game and loads it, she nods. "Oh yeah. He is pretty fragging obvious with his arm candy, but she plays, too, apparently. Or at least according to some of the gossip out there. I have set my deck agent to looking a bit deeper and will let you know what I can dig up. For now, it is on to trying to get past the next stage of the Gargun Puzzle."
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Rose slowly sits on the couch and stares blankly for a few moments while she pulls up the controls. "... Ooooooh. Oh! I thought you were saying that she played *this* game!" she exclaims, waving her arm at the trid screen. "I was trying to figure out why you were wanting to give me lessons, you know I'm better than you already!" she jokes, then suddenly realizes the implications. Cocking her head to the side, "What lessons were you suggesting?"
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Robin laughs and turns her head to look at you. "You are about the biggest dweeb I know. Of course I did not mean this game. I meant, you know, some GG stuff. Girl on girl sex and all that. I was just thinking that it might be easier to be seduced by the wifey than the guy. Of course, we do not know that yet. For that matter, it could be easier to be picked up by him, but it seems that you would be more in the open that way than with her. Just an idea. A sacrifice for the cause, you know." She pauses a bit and looks at you again. "Wait.....would you really be interested in that?"
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Sticking her finger out at Robin she responds, "Me?! You're the one that was suggesting lessons!" Relaxing a bit she continues more logically, "But yes, I was thinking your idea of gaining access through the wife had potential. I don't think I could handle a strange guy groping me though. Urk." She shudders a little bit.
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The game comes up and you can forget about the outside world for a bit as you and Robin share the joys of gaming together. It is one of the guilty pleasures that make life easier to get through. At the end of a long chase, your werewolf and her vampire hunter team together for the last boss fight of the Gargun Puzzle scenario, emerging triumphant after a very hard fight. Robin yells out and pumps her fist into the air, quite excited. Her eyes are glowing as she shuts the system down.
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"Man, you always get the best loot out of those scenarios," Rose grumps. "It's obvious the game designers all play Vampire Hunters!" Grinning at Robin's reaction she jokes, "Well at least you're excited. You going to be able to sleep tonight after that?"
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Robin grins. "Yeah, that special crossbow is sweet. The vampires won't stand a chance now." After putting the consoles away, she sits back down on the couch and pulls her feet under her. "Pretty jazzed, alright, so not quite ready for bed. So, got to ask, you serious about trying to let yourself be seduced by a woman? Cause I have to say the thought of it gives me little tingles."
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"Really? I never knew that was something that interested you...?" she half asked, half stated. Peering at Robin, she sits still for a few moments, obviously thinking. Finally, she answers, "Yeah, I think I am. Based one what I saw that might be the only real way to get an in with the Townsends in the required timeframe." Raising her eyebrow, she asks, "So what part of this is giving you the... tingles?"
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Robin blushes a bit and looks down at the couch before looking back up at you. "Hmmm, all of it? I guess I've had a crush on you for a long time. Never said or did anything because I was not sure how you felt and did not want to lose your friendship. Besides, I had never been with a girl before and it sort of scared me to think I might be a lezzie, you know. And then we sort of went separate ways and I always regretted not saying anything. And now we are back and I was still nervous and did not want to say anything to chase you away. And still a bit scared because I have still never been with another woman and do not know how I would do. At least I have gotten past worrying if I am a lesbian or not, because I must be. None of the guys I have dated have made it past the second date. All they wanted was to see my boobs and have sex with me. You are so different, and...............and I ought to just shut up before I say the wrong thing."
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"Come on, how long have we known each other? You should have known that you wouldn't lose my friendship," she consoles, patting Robin's knee. "And why would that scare you? It's 2075 for Christ's sake! People are more worried about Ork on Ghoul action than girl on girl... Plus, how do you know *girls* don't just want to see your boobs and have sex with you?" she asks jokingly, pretending to leer at her chest. "Anyway, you know I've not dated a lot of people, just too much effort when I was already dealing with moving, and school, and my dad. It's never really seemed worth the hassle, plus, like you said, boobs, sex, etc." She chuckles a little and shakes her head, "So really, I've never figured out where I fit in the whole sexual milieu. I've kinda thought at times I might just be asexual?"
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Robin gives you an odd look. "Really? Well, I suppose you are right about girls and looking. I.....um.....I have been wanting to see your boobs and have sex with you for a while now. There. I said it. God, that feels such a relief." She covers the hand you have on her knee with one of hers. "So, um, are you interested at all in taking this to the next level and seeing how it goes?"
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"Well you know you're my best friend in the world, and you're certainly attractive... but this is fairly out of the blue for me. It's not something I've really thought about, you know? I suppose some 'lessons' wouldn't be amiss though, given the situation? Although it doesn't sound like you've got a wealth of experience to instruct from..." Rose smiles broadly at Robin, making it clear she's just teasing.
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Robin smiles at you, clearly a bit nervous but feeling encouraged by your words. She stands and holds out her hand while nodding her head to her bedroom. "OK. If you are up for a bit of experimentation, let's go to my room. Yours is a pig sty. Don't know how you can sleep there or find anything." She takes a step towards her room and waits to see if you are going to follow her.
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"Pfft, just because *you* can't find anything in there doesn't mean I don't know where everything is!" she retorts while standing up. Moving to follow Robin she thinks, "Well this certainly isn't the way I was expecting today to go... I had no idea Robin felt this way about me! I haven't really thought about relationships in awhile, but there's no one else I feel more comfortable with..." Motioning to the doorway, she grins, "After you?"
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Thursday 7 June 2075 0530 Rose's House
You wake up amid the tangled sheets of Robin's bed. Looking at the sleeping woman next to you, you consider what happened, reliving the tender moments of nervous uncertainty and tentative groping that had morphed into more confident lovemaking as the night progressed. The overall effect had certainly been very nice and Robin had proven to be an extremely attentive lover, although she had laughingly said that this would certainly require more practice. Her chest rises and falls as she sleeps and you feel a strange attraction as you watch her chest move. Who knew that you might like this?
Still, the day calls and you need to start figuring out a course of action if you want to please your potential employer. The fact that you are getting in bed with the Triads might be an issue, but you have been on the fringe for some time, already, right?
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"Wow, yesterday was crazy!" she thinks as she watches Robin's chest. Laughing softly to herself she remembers the exchange about guys only wanting to ogle her chest, "Guess I was right after all! In more ways than one... this certainly felt right. Hopefully dealing with the Triads turns out to be right too. Dealing with Gouwei has been okay, and they certainly seem to have money..." Settling back into the bed, she goes over what she needs to do today, "I need to contact Tiny to see about some stuff for trying to snoop on Howard's house, and I need Robin to help me figure out his schedule. And his wife's, I guess!" She smiles at how the wife inadvertently led to her current situation. "Although, will trying to get in with the wife be weird now? Well... weirder? I guess I'll have to talk to Robin about it." Her stomach growls, "After breakfast!" Rose quietly climbs out of bed and heads to the kitchen to make breakfast for the two of them.
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While cooking, you hear Robin stirring in her room, then the soft pad of bare feet as she comes up behind you to give you a hug and a nuzzle on the back of your neck. Her breasts press into your back as her hands hold you tight for a moment. "Last night was amazing. You were amazing. All of you was amazing. I hope that you want to do this again, because I certainly do." She lets you go and tells you that she is off to the shower and will try not to use all of the hot water, reaching a hand past you to grab a piece of soybacon and skip away before you can swat at her. Laughing, she walks across to the shared bathroom. A glance over your shoulder gives you a view of her rather cute butt before she disappears from sight.
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Turning back to what she was doing, Rose fires off a quick message to Tiny, <<Will you be in the shop sometime today?>> A couple minutes later she finishes cooking and sets the plates to the side. Following in Robin's footsteps, she sheds her robe and quietly enters the bathroom, jumping into the shower behind a startled Robin, "This is the only way to be sure my shower is still hot!"
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Robin is indeed startled but recovers quickly and soon the shower boils down to soaping, groping, and kissing. Both of you are aware of the time for hot water and you hear the chime indicating that Robin's allocation for hot shower water and you jump out to punch your code in to extend the time in the communal shower. The second chime comes all too soon and you both step out of the water before it turns icy cold. Toweling off, you both get a better view of what you were barely able to see of each other's bodies during the time in bed together. Her evenly tanned body is quite attractive, perhaps more now this morning than before, especially since you now know it so much more intimately.
Your thoughts are interrupted by a response from Tiny. >>Hey Rachel. Yeah, going to be here all day. What you need so bad you have to call this early?<<
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<<I've got a time limited task and I need to pick up some software for it, if possible. Looks like I need four copies of VM, four of Smoke-and-Mirrors, and a Noizquito Stealth autosoft, rating 6 if you've got it. And if you've got some sensor tags, or know where I could get some, that would be good too. I'll swing by shortly to see what you have.>> Looking over at Robin, "Sorry I've got to cut this short, I need to go pick up some more equipment. Were you able to find out anything about the target's schedules? And speaking of that..." Rose hesitates, "Do you still think approaching the wife is the best way to do this?"
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>>Now you have me awake, girl. I can set you up if you got the cash. Come over any time, but try to avoid noon as this body needs its lunch time nourishment.<<
Robin smiles and shakes her head as you get dressed. "Whooo boy, I will be missing that and thinking of it until next time. Oh, what, yes, the schedules. Let me check. Hmmmm, not much on hers yet, but it seems that the Gossip Zone has him usually away for the weekends with his current squeeze, who appears to be some stripper he hooked with a bit ago. Nice clothes and large chest. Looking through several months, that back, it seems he goes for the girls with large tits. I will keep digging for anything about the wife."
She walks up close to you, looking you in the eyes. "Listen. We've known each other for years and now we've crossed a boundary that I am pretty sure I do not want to go back from. This is personal and it might be something a whole lot more than just friendship, but that is for us to discuss and work out. This other thing? That is work and if you want to go that route I am all for it. I am not going anywhere just because you seduce another woman. Just try to remember what is work and what is me, OK?"
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Looking down at her own less than well endowed chest, Rose jokes, "Well, sounds like I wouldn't have much luck seducing him even if I wanted to then. If he goes out most weekends though, maybe the wife takes that opportunity to go out as well?"
After Robin walks up to her, she puts her hands on her shoulders, "There's no chance of me mixing that up. I want to see where this goes, that's why I was asking about the wife. I don't want to mess things up just because I don't know what I'm doing." She leans in and kisses Robin deeply, wrapping her arms around her neck. "That said, I need to see about some things where I do know what I'm doing, so I'll be back in a bit," she says as she releases Robin and heads for the door. "Let me know if you find out anything more," as she exits to the garage and takes the Americar, blue today, out and heads for Tiny's.
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Tiny's shop is a small hole-in-the-wall place in Redmond. Not quite down as far as the Barrens, but close. He says the proximity is meant to allow him to make a quick escape if he needs to. His line of drones is not top quality, but then neither are his prices. He knows you as Rachel, which is how you like it. The man is waiting at the door as you pull up, waving as you get out of the car, ushering you inside and asking, "So, I got most of your package put together, but that autosoft? You really got something that can handle a R6? If so, I need to know your connection." He pauses then waves his hands about. "Scratch that. I want nothing to do with anyone that can get a R6 drone into your hands. Way above my skill set. But what I am trying to say is I ain't got nothing that good. And I don't know anyone who does. You gotta go deep into illegal military grade shit for that one, dear. I got a R3 and might be able to track down a 4, if you got the cash and the time. You did bring money, right?"
[spoiler]OOC: Rigger 5.0 limits the rating of any autosoft to the Pilot value of the drone. Pilot ratings of 5 and 6 are usually reserved for military grade drones.[/spoiler]
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"Awww, come on Tiny, are you just trying to shake me down for some extra money? It's not like I'm asking for an R6 Pilot! Although, if you ever run in to some of those... you've got my number. No way I'd try to put a R6 soft into a Noizquito anyway, one flick of a flyswatter and I'd be out 3k. But if all you can get is R4, then I guess that's what I'll take. I just hate paying for things that I'll end up having to upgrade elsewhere in the near future... And yes, I've got money, I wouldn't waste your time."
[spoiler]Pilot's over 4 are F, but Autosofts aren't even R and the RCC can run rating 6 softs no problem. You could argue the Device Rating of the RCC restricts the level of the running software, but that's not actually said anywhere.[/spoiler]
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"Sure, Rach, sure. I know. But seriously, you ever get a line on someone can sell you that R6 autosoft, you stay the frag away from him, cause he is probably setting you up as part of a fed sting. And I said I got a R3, but can maybe get you a 4or a 5. Do you want the 3 or want to wait to see if I can get the better ones or not? And cause I like you so much, I am going to give you my best discount. Call it an even 1100 for the VMs and SMs and I toss in the tags for nothing. 1350 for the R3 autosoft, but I might have to charge premium for the 4 or 5 if I can get it."
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"Well like I said, I'm kind of under a time crunch now, so let's just go with what you've got right now, especially if you're going to work me a deal on it." She initiates the 2450 Nuyen transfer from her commlink then continues, "But if you do manage to get a line on some sixes down the line, let me know? And keep in mind what I said about the pilots as well." Rose waits for Tiny to gather the chips and the scoops them up off the counter and pockets them. "Thanks again, you've always come through for me."
Rose leaves the store and has the car take her back to the Everett house so she can install the software in the Noizquitos and the CU^3 as well as slot the new autosoft in her Liegelord. As she's driving home she shoots Robin and message letting her know she's on the way back.
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Thursday 7 June 2075 0846 Driving Home
Tiny takes the money, smiling at you when the transfer goes through. "You are my kind of client, Rach. You know I will keep an eye out for something good for you."
Robin immediately sends a note back. You can almost see her doing a dance. >>Got some news for you. The woman is on the list to be attending a charity gig for the homeless at Roman's on Friday night. Seems some people still care, or want to be seen as pretending to care. The entry is Y 500 per plate. I can get you a ticket if you say yes, but don't delay too long to make a decision. If you say yes, you will need a fancy dress of some kind, too.<<
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Rose smiles at the mental images she gets of Robin's reaction, "This thing might actually work out. I've not felt this way about someone before... It's nice." <<Sounds like this is my chance to get to her, so let's do it! I know you hate the clutter in my room, but can you take a look in my closet and see if the Berwick Dress in there will suffice? Otherwise I'll need to try and find something else.>>
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Her return text is quick. "Yeah, that should do the trick. Not too fancy, not too dumpy. You must look amazing in this. Now that I have seen all of you, I get to imagine taking that off you. Or in this case, imagining her taking it off you. Anyway, this looks great. I am sending in the request for a ticket, but you will need to reply to the return text to transfer the funds for the ticket. And you will need to do something with your hair, though. And makeup. Working on finding out a couple of things you can have in common to talk about. Perhaps an open relationship?<<
About two minutes later you get an text message from the Save the Child Foundation, thanking you for your interest in this worthwhile cause and requesting a transfer of funds to cover the cost of the dinner. The transfer code is provided.
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<<Wait a minute, what's wrong with my hair? And my makeup?! Just because I don't wear it all the time doesn't mean I don't know how to put it on... does it?>> "Does it?" she stews in self doubt for a few minutes till the message from the Foundation comes in and promptly makes the donation. "Well that's it for the expense account, plus some. Anything more and I'll have to see about getting some more money from Ni Ni. Not going to get my bills paid at this rate," she frowns. With another message to Robin she tries to cover up her previous doubt with humor, <<So is that what we have now, an open relationship? You wanting to pick up some girls on the side? *grin emoji* As for taking that dress off me, would you like it if I were able to record [wife's name] doing so?>>
[spoiler]What's the wife's name?[/spoiler]
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>>There is nothing wrong with your makeup and hair.......when you take the time to do them. I have seen you after you put it on when you were going out with, frag, what's his name? The guy with the long nose? Before we separated. You looked good enough to eat and I was insanely jealous of him. After last night, I do not need to be jealous of anyone. And it might be something like an open relationship. I got no one just now but you, but I can live with you doing it. I guess that is all part of some of the things we need to talk about. But I am so very glad that you are calling it a relationship. I know that you cannot see my face, but it has the biggest grin right now. Your words just make me so hot when you ask if I would like to see her take your dress off. You would do that for me? And her name is Elaine. Elaine Townsend. And I just hacked the guest list a few minutes ago and she is going stag. I also looked up some articles about her in the rags and you might be in luck as it appears that she is between relationships just now. Probably horny as frag. When you coming home?<<
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<<Uhm... his name was... Nick? I think. That seems like so long ago, but was what, 6 years? Regardless, okay, I get it, I should make the effort more often. And of course I'd do that for you. It was you sharing your desires that got us here, seems it would behoove me to figure out what else you desire, wouldn't it? As for when I'm coming home, is now soon enough?>> Rose pulls into the garage as she sends the response to Robin.
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Robin is waiting for you at the door from the garage. "I could care less whether you have your hair done or are wearing makeup. I adore you the way you are, in whatever way you want to be. I have lusted after you for years. My heart was empty when we split up. I was overjoyed beyond measure when we got back together. I was a coward until last night, secretly wanting you but afraid to lose you if I said anything. So, you can wear what you want and look like you want and I will still lust after you." She waves her hands a bit and blushes. "There, I had to say it, and now it is said. We can discuss our lives together when we have some free time. What is our play for this job of ours?"
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"Wow, I seem to have awakened a monster here..." Blushing heavily, Rose seizes on the opportunity to talk about the job at hand, "Well tomorrow is the gala, so today I'd like to stake out the residence and see what information I can gather there. If I get everything set up before he gets home, I might be able to figure out a basic layout of the inside which would be helpful if I can get Elaine to take me home." Shaking the bag she got from Tiny's, "I've got to install this stuff but that shouldn't take too long. Probably shouldn't head over there till closer to the evening though. Were you wanting to tag along? It's going to be a fairly boring stakeout, I hope."
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"Me? On a stakeout? Wow, count me in. What do I need to do? By the way, I am still running programs that are searching for any information on this guy. It seems that Elaine was once the "other woman" and was picked up as wife number two when the first one found out about her. The public flare-up was apparently legendary in certain circles. The shark he hired was better than the one she hired and she got little from the divorce. First wife is remarried and still in Seattle. Could she be another source for some information? Anyway, the rags indicate that there is a huge pre-nup this time, with one source saying that it specifically states that marital infidelity is not a legitimate cause for divorce. Apparently, he was always planning on playing around and she married him anyway."
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"Well, my plan is to try and set up some drones so that they can listen in to the different rooms of the house and try to figure out what type of room is behind each window. Need to wait for people to be home for that to work though. If you wanted to keep an eye on the matrix and both make sure the drones don't get hacked as well as check around for anything you can see that's odd or interesting, that would be wiz." The slang sounds awkward coming from Rose. After thinking about it for a few moments she continues, "Sounds like the ex might be bitter, she might be willing to dish on him, but I'm not sure if anything she'd have would be relevant... Wouldn't hurt to try though. I'll need to come up with an excuse to approach her though. Send me the information on her and I'll think about it. As for Elaine, sounds like maybe she's just in it for the money? Doesn't sound like a horrible deal as long as she can stand him. Women have done worse for money..." Thinking to herself, "I wonder where I would draw the line...?" Waving the bag of chips again, "Now let me get this stuff installed so it's ready for this afternoon."
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Robin nods and leaves you alone to work on your drones. She comes in once with a cup of soycaf for you, but otherwise leaves you alone. Twice you take a break to stand up and stretch a bit and you can hear her humming something as she cleans the house. The drones are ready just before noon and you walk out to the kitchen to find that she has lunch almost ready. Still working at the counter, she idly waves a hand to a try on the little breakfast bar that has some sandwiches and soycaf ready for you. "That is yours. Almost done with mine so be there in a sec."
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"Thanks!" Rose walks to the bar, sits down, and begins eating. "Hey, this is good, what's in this?" She continues to enjoy the sandwiches and, once Robin finishes and sits down, tells her about her trip to Tiny's, "So I didn't end up with everything I wanted, but it should be good enough to get the job done, especially if you're there helping." She grins at Robin, "I really appreciate that, by the way." Once they've both finished, Rose pops up and grabs the dishes to take to the kitchen. "Thanks for lunch!" Putting the dishes in the sink, she turns back to Robin with a smile, cocking her arm on her hip in a vague attempt to be sexy, "So, we've got a couple hours to blow before we head out, anything you want to do?"
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The temptation is too much for Robin. Almost before you have the words out, she is on you. She throws her arms about your head and pulls you in close for a kiss. For lots of kisses. Before you know it she is kissing you but her hands are working on your pants, undoing them and then sliding down your body, she slips your pants and panties down to the floor and fastens herself to you, eliciting sounds of pleasure from you as she works you to an internal explosion that leaves you a bit weak at the knees and forces you to hold onto the counter. Standing, she kisses you again then puts her head on your shoulder. "Just in case you forgot how very much I lust after your body. Now, if you want to get some more practice in before tomorrow night..................................? She leaves the question hanging as she holds onto you.
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"Practice makes perfect, does it not?" as she grins at Robin. Grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the bedroom she thinks, "Yup, I've definitely created a monster... but she's *my* monster!" 'Practicing' for the next couple hours, the girls reluctantly stop when Rose's internal alarm goes off, signalling it's time to clean up and head out. A quick, and sadly uninteresting, shower later finds them seated in the Americar, now black, headed towards the Townsend residence. Cruising through the neighborhood, Rose looks for a place, or places, where they can hopefully park unobtrusively for a few hours. "You see anything odd in this neighborhood, Matrix-wise, Robin?"
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Practice might indeed make perfect, but it is also a lot of fun if both people are into it and both of you seem very into it. The time passes far too quickly but both of you are left limp and panting. The shower is uneventful only because both of you know that it is time to get to work. Driving away from the house, Robin once again thanks you for bringing her along. Once in the area, it is easy to find a couple of places to park that are far enough away from the specific neighborhood so as not to cause suspicion. You hope. Robin says, "Let me check. Back in a few." She slips into VR and begins doing her brand of magic, returning to consciousness shortly. "There are several cameras in the front mounted on trees and others on the eaves of the house on all four sides. I might be able to slip in one of the cameras and fool it into seeing what I want it to see when the time comes to do anything. Not sure I want to risk it now, though. Beyond that, I picked up commlink signals from five pairs of roaming guards and each one has some wireless stuff on them, such as weapons and chrome. This guy really believes in security."
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"Don't do anything that would potentially raise an alarm yet, today's just about observing. I'm going to try and set up the drones now, if you can keep an eye out for anyone trying to 'tag' them in the Matrix." Rose goes into AR and launches the three Noizquitos and the CU^3 and directs them towards the house, flying high. Once close, she switches them all to running silently and has them start running Smoke and Mirrors at maximum strength. Running Stealth for the Noizequitos and Clearsight for them all on the RCC, she jumps into each Noizquito individually and guides them to a resting place along one of the side walls and the back, respectively. Firing up a VM with Signal Scrub and Smoke and Mirrors on the RCC, she uses the remaining one capacity for noise reduction along with her headwear to offset the artificial data jibberish she's hiding behind. After assuming an overwatch position inside the CU^3 high up in front of the house, she instructs the other drones to train their laser mics in a rotating pattern on the windows on their side of the building and to alert her and record if they detect any change in sound. Finally, asking the car to speak to Robin, "I'm in position now, so now we wait for Howard to come home. Not as exciting as this afternoon, eh?"
[spoiler]Let me know if I need any rolls for positioning, etc. She can default 2 successes and reduces vehicle test thresholds by 2.[/spoiler]
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You are able to place your drones where you want them successfully. Unfortunately, few of the windows are able to give usable information, either because no one is in the room or perhaps something is disrupting the reception. You are clearly able to see the five pairs of guards roaming the grounds. The conversations that you pick up from them are in what you suspect to be Japanese, as would be the case if they are indeed Yakuza hard men.
In response to your question, Robin says. "Fragging aye this is exciting. Besides having sex with you, this is the best time of my life. I am out on a stakeout with my partner. Oooh, wait. A car is turning into the drive. The plate matches the car driven by Elaine. She must have been out." Indeed, your drones covering the front of the house see a sports car pull up to the front drive and park. A woman matching the description of Elaine Townsend slides out of the car and heads into the house.
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"Great, she's going inside now. We'll see shortly if this has been worth the effort or not." Training the laser mic on the front window by the door, she waits to see if she can track Elaine's progress through the house or if the windows are somehow treated to prevent it.
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You are able to track her progress through the house except in the bedroom, where the mic seems to lose contact. She is apparently talking to her maid and is complaining about Howard's schedule. Eventually she just tells the girl that she is going out to the patio and could she please bring her some wine there.
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"Well it seems like they're concerned about their privacy in the bedroom for some reason, I can't get any audio from there. I wonder what goes on in there?" The audio from the car speaker doesn't convey any emotion, so Robin isn't sure if she's joking or not. "There is at least one maid on the inside though, and Elaine is apparently irritated at Howard's schedule. I couldn't tell if there was something specific going on or not though. Sounds like she's settling in to relax outside." Rose routes the camera feed from the back Noizquito to Robin's comm so she can watch Elaine on the patio too. "I was hoping he would have a home office or similar we could listen in on, but if the bedroom is protected, it's likely that would be too. We'll just have to wait for him to get home and see I guess."
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Elaine must have changed in the bedroom because she is wearing a two piece bathing suit when she steps onto the rear patio. A young woman places a carafe of red liquid on a table beside her mistress and pours her a glass of it before being waved off. Elaine sips at the wine and reaches to her neck to untie the straps to her top, removing it to expose her breasts as she lies down on the chaise lounge to take advantage of some of the rare sun. You also note that the roaming guard patrols have stopped traveling to the back of the house. After a few minutes, Elaine opens a drawer of the table and removes something from it. She lifts her ass and slips the suit bottoms down her legs before taking the device in her hand and placing it between her thighs. Your camera picks up expressions of pleasure and excitement as she begins moving her hand back and forth.
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"You're seeing this, right?" Making sure that the video from the Noizquito is recording, she pilots the CU^3 around to the back of the house in order to bring the zoom cameras into play. "Well, if seducing Elaine doesn't work, blackmail might. And if this happens frequently, that might be a way to get in the house as the guards appear to have been tipped of to avoid the area." Rose suddenly has an interesting thought, "Hey, is the device she's using wireless?"
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Robin mutters, "Already on it, and yes it is. But it is neither illegal nor abnormal for a woman to use a vibrator. What sort of mileage are you thinking of getting? Ok, here is an interesting point; the cameras in the back just went down. And I mean off. No cameras and no guards. And she seems a bit interested in what that thing is doing to her to pay much attention to what is going on around her. Hmm good zoom shot. You know, if you are interested in watching this, I could let you watch me some time. Of course, I am hoping that my collection becomes somewhat obsolete and unnecessary soon." She chuckles. "Well, you now know what you will be getting into if you go for her. She looks fit enough, so must have some sort of work out regimen. I could find no mention of a gym membership, but maybe there is something in the house?"
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Well my thought was that if her device suddly stopped working before she could finish she might be more interested in picking up strange women tomorrow. But if even the cameras are down at this point... Let's see if I can get a drone in the house. As she's saying this, she jumps into the back Noizquito and fly's it up to the back door while Elaine is distracted. Okay, I'm at the back door. I'll try to sneak in next time it opens. Going back through what Robin said, she suddenly realizes the implications of what she said, "Wait, you have a whole collection?
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You can easily fly your drone up to the house near the patio door and wait for it to open. Robin's voice comes to your ear. "Hmmm, OK I have the vibrator and can turn it off if you want. My guess is that will get the door to open as she either goes inside or calls for her maid. But what you don't know about vibrators would fill a book. If she has one, she probably has several. This one is likely to be the one she likes to use out here, but I would bet that there are others in the bedroom. And yes, I have twelve of the things. Some smaller and some larger than this one. They all do different things or reach different places. I could show you some later. So, you want me to shut this thing down?"
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"... oh." Rose thinks for a moment the responds, "Yeah, shut it down, at least that might help us get in the house faster. Don't want to be stuck out here when the lawyer comes home." Then, after thinking some more, "... how much larger?"
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Robin lets you know when she is shutting down the vibrator, not that you need much warning. Elaine seems quite upset at the thing, withdrawing it from herself and shaking it a bit in frustration. She finally slips her suit bottom back up and puts the top on as she steps up off the lounge. Obviously pissed, she goes into the house and you can follow her in. Robin come back to you, "Hey, big surprise. The cameras just clicked back on. And on the other thing? Guys come in different sizes and so do dildos and vibrators. My largest is about the size of a ten-incher. Really, I could show you everything when we get home, if you like. Even use one or two on you."
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When the door opens, Rose navigates the drone in behind Elaine and then concentrates on staying out of sight. That accomplished, she scouts around for an office or really, anything of interest while using the audio information from the external drones to try and avoid Elaine and the maid. When she gets a chance she responds, "Look at my body, does it look like I want a ten-incher? I just never thought about you needing a collection of them, especially with your disinterest in men."
[spoiler]Perception - examining house interior (http://orokos.com/roll/396731): 10d6t5 4[/spoiler]
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The drone is the size of an insect and is easy to hide. You do not seem to have any problem getting to most of the rooms in the house. You would expect that the man who keeps some of the secrets of the Yakuza has his house swept for bugs on a regular basis, so it might not be possible to stay here long, but for now, you have no problems. It seems that besides Elaine's personal maid, there are only two other people in the house; a cook in the kitchen and another woman who seems to be cleaning house and is currently in the living room. Before long, you have a good map of the interior of the house. It seems that Howard and his wife keep separate bedrooms, which must be convenient if both have lovers over. You see Elaine dressing in casual attire as if getting ready to go out. She leaves the bedroom followed by her maid. "I am horny as hell and going off to see if there is anyone interesting at Charlie's. I will call you if I am coming back."
Robin giggles, "I may not be interested in men, but that does not mean I do not appreciate feeling a stiff dildo inside me. And, believe me, I have been looking at your body for years. Oooh. Are you picking this up? Hmmmm. A quick search indicates that there is a Charlie's down in Touristville. It is a strip bar that caters to the gay crowd. Maybe you can get lucky tonight?"
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"Doesn't seem like he has an office or anything of interest here, seems like the house itself is a bust." Elaine announcing her plans to leave curtails Rose's search for alternate exits from the house and provides a obvious way to get the drone out, so she takes it, "Yeah, I got that, I'm bringing the drone back out." After watching Elaine's car leave, she brings all the drones back to the car and docks them, "I guess we can move the schedule up some, although I already have tickets to the thing tomorrow night. Do you think she'll find it too coincidental if I show up at both? And do you think I need to go home and change first?" Rose waves a hand down her body, "You've made it clear you like it, do you think she will?"
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Robin looks you up and down. "Nah. You look great to be going to a gay strip club in Touristville. And all you have to do is get her talking to you and it can come out that you are both interested in the same things. It should be an ice breaker of sorts. Remember to try to take pictures so I can get started on my personal collection of you with the women you just have to seduce for the good of your job. And if she does not like it she is blind."
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"Well, okay, you're the teacher here, right?" she grins. Silently ordering the car to the destination with a stop on the way, she responds, "So I'll just go in and try to act like I belong and hopefully she's frustrated enough to latch on to a woman obviously on her own. Otherwise I'll have to try and figure out some way to approach her, not exactly one of my skills..." Once the car gets to the stop, a gas station a few miles from Touristville, she hops out of the car and opens the bay on one of the Noizequitos and brings it back into the car with her, slipping it into her bag. Telling the car to resume, she explains, "Need to have a way to get those pictures you want, plus never know when it might come in handy..."
Once the car gets to the bar, Rose leans across and awkwardly kisses Robin, "Well wish me luck. The car's set to take you home, just tell it if you need to go anywhere else." Climbing out of the car, Rose scans the exterior of the building, "Wonder if we beat her here or not? Well, one way to find out..." Taking a deep breath she heads into the club.
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Thursday 7 June 2075 1723 Charley's Place Touristville
The club is pretty busy, even if it only just before five thirty in the afternoon. The music from the stage area is loud and current and the girl up there must have just started her set because she is still half dressed. Almost all the people surrounding the stage are women and they are all whistling and demanding the performer remove more clothing. Off to the right is a long bar with a number of stool lined up at it, mostly occupied. Small tables and a few booths dot the main floor. It is quite apparent that most of the people in here are same sex couples. Looking around carefully, you spot Elaine at the edge of the stage, tucking some money into the garter belt of the mostly naked dancer.
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Rose steps through the door of the club and pauses for a second to take it all in. "I've never been to one of these before, male *or* female... It looks nicer than I imagined." Continuing into the venue, she spots Elaine handling paper money and realizes she didn't come prepared for this. Looking around a little wide eyed, she finally settles on one of the unoccupied small tables and heads over to it and sits down. Looking around the club while avoiding eye contact with anyone proves to be a challenge, but she's soon saved by the approach of one of the scantily clad, but still clad, waitresses. Ordering a beer, she gladly accepts it when it arrives, and then settles in to see if Elaine will approach her. "Hopefully she's frustrated enough to approach me, I'm not sure what I'll do if I have to try and engage her..."
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The waitress is wearing enough to qualify as not naked, but not much more. She has a smooth, seductive voice and compliments you on your hair, telling you that she gets off at two AM if you are interested and still alone. She moves off after slotting your credstick and you can nurse your beer while looking around. You do seem to be the only unattached person at a table, although you cannot really tell how many of those at the stage rail are going solo. The girl currently on the stage finishes her set and Elaine turns around to go to a table where she sits alone for a few moments. You can almost see her nod her head as she stands and comes over to your table. "Hello, my name is Elaine. I could not help but notice that you are sitting alone. Is that by choice or would you like some company?"
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Doing her best to smile winsomely at Elaine she indicates the chair next to her and motions for her to sit down. "Oh, sure, company would be nice." "Okay, now what...?" Looking at Elaine's empty hands she grasps at the conversation opening, "No drink? Would you like one? I noticed you up at the stage a little while ago. I didn't even think to bring paper money. This is my first time coming to a strip club. I'm sorry, I'm babbling, you're just really pretty." Looking down at her beer, Rose finally inhales. "Okay, that was horrible, but Robin complimenting me seem to work well, so maybe I saved it..."
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Elaine sits down. "Sure, I will have a drink." She waves her hand at a passing waitress and orders a beer. "So, a club virgin, eh? I have a few extra bills I can share with you, if you want to go to the stage." She places a tentative hand on your back to gauge the reaction. When you look up, she is smiling at you as her eyes flick up and down your body. You notice that she is breathing a bit hard. It could be that she has just come from the stage, or it might be you. She smiles at you and moves her chair closer to you. "We could just watch the action from here for a bit if you like." The hand on your back starts moving up and down, gently stroking you. It feels surprisingly nice.
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Rose starts slightly when she feels the hand on her back but then recovers and leans into it slightly. "Whew, this is still a little weird, good thing she seems to be pretty aggressive." Faced with the offer of engaging with the dancer on stage Rose's trepidation must have shown, "Oh, here is fine for now, I'm not sure how all that works. Thanks for the offer though." Gesturing awkwardly at the performer, she manages to knock her beer over into Elaine. "Oh my god, I am so sorry!" She leans over and recovers the bottle from Elaine's lap and then tries desperately to sop up the liquid with the tiny drink napkins. "Well this is going great..."
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[spoiler]From Emails[/spoiler]
Elaine jumps back a bit as the beer spills onto her lap but recovers quickly, leaning over to whisper in your ear. "Hey, it's alright. Just some overpriced drek. And there are easier ways to get your hand down there if you are interested." She puts a hand on yours and presses it against her lap and moving it down a bit as her other hand goes returns to stroking your back, only going farther down each time, until she can feel the roundness of your butt, which she strokes and grabs gently. She leans over again and you can feel her breasts against your arm as she resumes whispering. "Don't be nervous. You have come to the right place if you are looking to experiment a bit. I know this place not too far from here that is very discrete."
As Elaine pushes her hand into crotch Rose gasps a little in surprise, <Very, very aggressive>. "It's not the beer I'm worried about, it's your clothes. I'm really sorry." Elaine's groping seems to indicate she cares as little about the clothes as she did the beer, and her comment proves it. Rose picks her hand up and looks around a moment to see if anyone else had been paying attention to the little drama at their table. "Uhm... I might... What sort of experimentation did you have in mind?" <Don't want her to think I'm too eager here. I'm still a little surprised this is working so easily. Turning off her vibrator must have really gotten to her.>
Elaine frowns a bit but then smiles. "I am horny as hell and watching the girls on the stage is not helping that any. I was hoping to find someone to share a mutually satisfying couple of hours with. I thought that maybe you came in here for that. Am I wrong?"
"Well, I didn't really have a goal when I came in, but it's definitely gotten me excited, and you certainly weren't helping with that," she grins. "My name's Rachael, by the way. And yes, a 'mutually satisfying couple of hours' sounds great, I just wasn't sure what your intentions were, exactly." Appearing to think it over for a moment, she finishes with a smile, "So where is this place of yours?"
Elaine settles down and smiles again before leaning over and kissing your ear as she whispers, "I will show you exactly what my intentions are." She lifts a hand to feel your breasts and in the dim light of the place you are pretty sure that no one cares or is looking. "It is a few minutes from here. I can drive if you like? Or if you want a bit more adventure, there is a club that is a lot of fun. You would like it there if you want to try a threesome or even a larger group?"
Covering a soft gasp as Elaine plays with her breasts, Rose lets a larger one out when she mentions larger groups. "Oh, no, I'm not ready for anything like that, I'm sorry. Being with other women is still fairly new to me as it is... If you want to drive us someplace more private though... that could be fun."
Elaine chuckles softly. "Do not be sorry, dear. It is delightful to find someone new to this just wander in here. I would enjoy it very much if I could initiate you into the real pleasures of how sex is supposed to be. We can save the group participation for after you are more comfortable. Would you like to leave now or we can stay a while longer if you like?"
"Well, this is still my first time here and I haven't really had a chance to see much of the show... Why don't we have a couple more drinks and let me see what there is to see," she chuckles, "and then we can go? Do you have a schedule to keep?"
Elaine tosses her head back and laughs. She shakes her head and looks at you as she puts a hand on your on top of the table. "No, dear, no schedule. I could be completely yours. If you do not mind, I have a recommendation that we sit here a bit to get in a better mood then order up a good lap dance before leaving. What do you think?"
"Uhm, well, obviously that would also be a first for me, but I'm game. Another beer would be nice as well. I'll try not to spill it on you this time?" She grins at Elaine, "So you come here often?" <Ugh, am I going to pull out every cliche conversation trope?>
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[spoiler]More email action[/spoiler]
The waitress will bring you two more beers and you can sit and watch the girl on the stage. Elaine nods as she sips her drink. "Oh, I don't know. A couple of times a month, maybe. Usually when I am between girlfriends, so some times I might go a couple months or more between visits. Sometimes a girlfriend and I will come down just to watch. It's fun and it's anonymous and I can be myself in a place like this, instead of the good wife I am supposed to be." Several girls come and go from the stage in a repeating pattern of coming out clothed and dancing to a song while removing clothing; usually down to the underwear. During a second song, the girl strips all the way down. The entire process is supported by people who gather at the railing near the stage and toss money at their favourites. Other fans sit at the booths and tables and give their support through cheers and applause.
You note that some of the scantily clad girls roam the main floor between sets, looking for women who will ask them to sit and chat and perhaps order drinks. Once in a while you see one of these girls strip down for one of the customers at a table and give them a sexy private dance that usually ends up with the girl wiggling her butt on the customer's lap. Elaine mentions that the customer is not supposed to touch the girl unless a premium fee is paid. After a bit, Elaine waves one of the girls over and pays her to give you a lap dance and looks over to you to see if you want the premium service, telling you that this is her treat.
"Wait, wife? Does he know about this and all the girlfriends? I guess so since you're so open about it? My girlfriend seems to be okay with it as well, even encouraging. That's mainly why I'm here today."
"Oh, no, I couldn't, lets just go basic for this one. Thank you for the offer though." Rose looks at the approaching woman with a bit of trepidation, waiting to see how this would go down.
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Elaine laughs. "Oh, he knows. He had clauses written in the prenup that stated that marital infidelity is not to be considered a cause for divorce. He is always going about with one large-breasted girl or another. The marriage is more for convenience and money than anything else. He knows full well what my preferences are and does not yell if I bring someone home. He keeps an apartment to put his women up in."
The girl doing the lap dance is pretty and smiles at you when told that you are the subject of the dance. She gyrates sensuously to the music and slowly strips her clothes off for you alone. Even though others are watching, her performance is strictly for you. She leans over and places her breasts within easy reach and then turns around to rub her ass against your lap, turning her head and smiling at you.
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"Oh? Well what do you each get out of the marriage then, if you don't mind me asking?" And you get to bring girls home but he doesn't? That doesn't seem fair!" she jokes.
A little bemused at first by the dance, by the time the girl is rubbing on her she's getting into it. "Maybe I should have taken her up on that offer, but probably best not to get too involved here." As the dancer finishes up and walks away, Rose turns back to Elaine, "Wow, that was more than I was expecting, thank you. So, about that discrete location...?"
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Elaine snickers. "I get his name and social contacts. He gets my father's political connections. And it is his decision to keep his women at his apartment and not at home."
When the dance is over and the girl leaves with a nice tip, Elaine takes your hand. "I thought that you would never ask. Let's go." She takes you by the hand and leaves the club. She asks if you have a car and takes you to hers when you say no. A few minutes later, she is pulling into a small motel. She has arranged for a room while driving and drives up to a parking spot. Before getting out, she turns to you, suddenly seeming a bit nervous, despite her previous sense of being in control. "I hope that you are not disappointed."
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"Oh, he's famous?! I can see how that might be nice."
Following Elaine out of the club, Rose is curious about where she's being taken. Once they arrive at the motel, she can't hell but feel a little disappointed, "I was thinking it was going to be an apartment of her own or something. Won't learn anything here..." Some of her feelings must have shown to prompt Elaine to ask. "Oh, no, it's fine, I just wasn't expecting a motel... I'm still new at this, so I'm sure it will be fine. Hopefully *I* don't disappoint *you*."
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"Yeah, he's famous alright. Bigshot lawyer has one client and he's famous. And the motel is definitely discreet." She takes you by the hand and leads you into the motel room where she pauses before taking you into her arms. She is no longer nervous as she kisses you. She is a skilled lover and is more than willing to guide you into how to please her. And she is definitely able to please you.
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As Elaine leads her out of the car, Rose remembers her promise Robin, "Oops! Almost forgot! Those beers aren't helping..." With that, she activates the drone in her purse and releases it onces Elaine brings her into the room. <<Stay near the ceiling and record the people in this room>> she directs it. That done, she allows Elaine to take control and show her what to do. Partway through she finds herself thinking of Robin again, "She's going to be surprised with some of these new tricks I'm learning. Maybe that's part of why she had me do this...?" Once they're finished and laying in bed, after minor small talk, Rose tries to get back to business, "So I'm still new to this open relationship thing, how is it you don't get jealous of your husband's women? And how do you get to be a successful lawyer with more women than clients?" She jokes.
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Elaine is indeed willing to guide you farther into the world of girls making girls happy and you are indeed learning tricks that you can use on Robin later. The experience is actually almost mind numbing and you experience a lot of pleasure before ending up laying on the bed next to her, both of you panting. Elaine snorts and says, "The open relationship is easy to understand, really. We have never loved each other. My father wanted this and I went along with it. I was promised a life of ease and security and all I had to do was marry some rich guy. Father needed the money that Howard would loan him and Howard got the political connections he wanted for his client. So I was his eye candy for a bit while he worked through a divorce from his then-wife and bang, there I was. Completely unloved and really unneeded for anything. it wasn't three months after the marriage that Howard explained the rules, which basically amounted to me allowing him to fuck anyone he wanted and to carry on publicly with whomever he wanted to. In consideration for allowing his infidelity, I would also be allowed to have as many lovers as I wished. I have found that I much prefer the experience with women over men and that leads to you and this bed right now."
She pauses, "Not incidentally, I have really enjoyed this. I would be interested in seeing you again, if you would like and if your girlfriend is willing to share you."
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Rose interjects abruptly, "Wow, that seems very... cynical. Why did you go along with it originally not knowing that you'd be able to have your own lovers until later? And who is this guy and his one client that he had that much influence with your father? I don't think my dad would have ever asked me to do something like that." Once Elaine finishes, Rose blushes and responds, "I've really enjoyed this as well, but I'd have to talk with my girlfriend about that first. The deal was for me to have some hookups, not repeat engagements, and I don't want to mess up what I have with her. Nothing against you, of course," she grins.
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Elaine grimaces herself. "Your father was probably not three million nuyen in debt to the Yakuza over a failed business venture. Howard offered very generous terms to bail him out plus toss in some extra if I would marry him and if father would could arrange access to the governor, the mayor, and other politicos. I did not really know the living arrangements until after the wedding. Never even saw the prenup as it was arranged by lawyers and my father and Howard. I might be able to break that, but I have no desire to, actually. I live in a big house, wear fancy clothes, and do not have to look at my husband every day. I get to have the bed partners I want and who he sleeps with is of no real interest to me. So if that is cynical then I guess I am."
"As far as I know, Howard's only real client is some big boss in the Yakuza, which I find a bit strange. I am not that curious about it, to be honest."
"I can understand the need to talk to your girlfriend. So in that regard, let me show you just how much I can please you. Call it a bribe." Elaine will lower herself to your already used body and begins to gently show you what skills she has picked up over years doing this. Part way through, she lifts her head from you and says, "You know, it might be a lot of fun to include your girlfriend. This bed is too small for three of us, but mine at home is more than big enough. Think about it." She does not wait for an answer, but goes back down on you.
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"Well, sounds like she's not going to be a direct source of information on her husband, she doesn't seem interested in his professional life. I guess we'll have to try getting in the house again or get into his workplace somehow..." When it becomes clear what Elaine is about to do, Rose sends a message to Robin, <<You might want to take a look at this. Consider it Elaine's invitation for you to join us sometime. At her house. Hint, hint.>> She follows it up with a link to the feed from the Noizquito. It's a good thing she got the message off quickly, because she wasn't able to concentrate on much else once Elaine got down to business.
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Thursday 7 June 2075 2336 A No-Tell Motel Touristville Seattle
Robin sends you a note back. >>Mmm Hmmm. I hope that you have been taking notes that you can pass on to me. You do seem to be enjoying all of that attention and I am wondering if we have created a monster. I am sure that I could benefit from her experience as well, so tell her yes. Ohhh, the things I do for the good of the team. At least it would get us inside the house where we can maybe look around while consorting with the lady of the house. Whooo boy. she seems to be digging deeper on you. Looks like it feels uber good, so remember that one for tonight.<<
Elaine keeps you writhing on the bed for another hour, taking you over several times, the last one being extraordinarily explosive. She lifts her face from you and smiles as she crawls up to lay next to you. She is licking her lips as she says, "So, describe that to your girlfriend and let her know that she can have the same if she is interested. I will understand if either of you is too shy to get into a threesome like this, but I think it would be a lot of fun for as long as it lasts. Now, I need to be getting home, so where do you want me to drop you?" She looks at you a bit sideways. "Unless you want to try to arrange for your girlfriend to join us tonight? In that case I could pick her up somewhere."
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"Wow, uhm, I'm not sure how much more I can take, but I can extend the invitation. Maybe she can keep your attention occupied and I can have a break!" she jokes. Then, to Robin, <<Speaking of tonight... she's offering to pick you up if you want?>>
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>>Oh my God, Really? Are we ready for this? Are you ready for this? This is still a bit new, alright a lot new, to you, to both of us. And I have never done a threesome, either. But my body has been quivering on the edge for some time just watching so I am ready if you are. I got nowhere to go in the early morning. Hmmmm. Ok, I can park the car at the Stuffer Shack on 15th and Grand, and can wait for you inside. I am so turned on by watching you with her, but only do this if you want to see me with another woman.<<
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"Just a second," as she holds up a finger to Elaine. <<At this point, I'm just going with it and seeing if any opportunities arise. Admittedly, it's been fun, and educational, but it's still business. If you want to get some action as part of that business, then I'm fine with that. Plus it could be fun. But if we want to wait till another day, I get the sense it's an open invitation.>>
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Friday 8 June 2075 0045 A No-Tell Motel Touristville Seattle
There is a short pause before the answer comes back. >>OK. Sober now. Thanks for the wake up. Yes, I am interested in helping us do this. We are a team, right? In everything, now, I hope. So, sure, tell her I am interested and will be at the 'Shack I mentioned. Business and fun can be nice, especially with you involved. So count me in.<<
Elaine blows you a kiss and steps away from the bed to use the bathroom.
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<<In everything. *smile emoji* We should be on the way shortly, so you should probably head out. Can you grab the other two Noizquitos from the car as well?>> While Elaine is in the bathroom she takes the opportunity to recover the drone and slip it back in her purse before starting to get dressed. When she reenters the rooms, "Well, she's in. We can pick her up at 15th and Grand. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night," she says with a grin.
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Elaine smiles as she begins to get dressed. "A long night indeed. But who said it has to end in the morning? Do you have anywhere you need to be or can you stay and make a day of it? If you can stay, I can promise that you will not be disappointed." She pauses when she is dressed and looks at you. "Ready to go?"
She laughs as she walks you to her car and climbs in, humming a tune to herself. She is certainly in a better mood than when you met her in the bar. The drive to the Stuffer Shack is mostly quiet, but you catch her looking over at you several times and smiling. Robin is leaning against the outside of the building when Elaine pulls the car into the parking lot. She comes over to the car and bends over to look into the front window. Elaine's gaze is drawn to what Robin is wearing under her semi-open shirt, which is to say she is wearing nothing and giving both you and Elaine a good view. Robin smiles and sticks a hand through the window, "Hello there. My name is Robin. Are you Elaine?"
Elaine takes her hand. "Nice to meet you. Yes, I am Elaine. Hop in." Robin smiles broadly and hops into the rear and Elaine drives off.
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"Well, I've got a previous engagement tomorrow night, but I'm free up until then. Let's go," she waves towards the door. As they drive to the restaurant, Rose sees Elaine smiling at her and returns the smiles, "Well this seems to be going well, now we just need to actually get something out of it!" Once Robin gets in the car, Rose explains the situation, "So, you were right, I just sat at the club and someone picked me up and took me home. Only thing is, she's taking you home too. Was that part of your plan?" Rose chuckles. <<She's angling for us to stay tomorrow, or at least me, so there should be lots of time to check out the house, hopefully. Were you able to bring the drones?>>
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Robin laughs out loud. "Hardly the plan, dear. I was just hoping that you would get over being shy. No, this is clearly a bonus." >>I am alright with staying if you are, and yes, it should give us time to look about. I did bring the extra drones.<<
There is some small talk as Elaine tries to get to know both of you while she drives. The car pulls up to and through the gate at the driveway and she parks in a spacious garage. As the three of you leave the car, Elaine says, "I had a text from Howard a few hours ago that he was going out and not coming back so neither he nor the men that guard him are here. My maid, housekeeper, and cook sleep in the far side of the house so we will not be disturbed." She takes you inside the house and through the living room to a set of stairs that lead up to the bedrooms. She pauses at one and tells you that it is Howard's when he decides to sleep at the house, then takes you down the hall a bit, pointing out two guest bedrooms before opening the door to her room. The furniture consists of a huge bed, a large three-drawer bureau, a nightstand on either side of the bed and a nice table with four chairs. You can see a huge bathroom through one open door and an equally large walk-in closet through another.
Elaine moves to Robin and kisses her before turning to you and doing the same.
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As they walk back to the bedroom, Rose messages Robin, <<Just put your bag down so it opens when we get in there, then I guess just enjoy yourself!>> When Elaine turns to Rose, she returns the kiss briefly then breaks away, "Sorry, priorities," she says as she moves over to Robin and kisses her deeply, confirming that there's nothing under her shirt. Once she's sufficiently confirmed to Robin that it's still all about her, she breaks away and invites Elaine to join back in. Once Elaine is involved in the action again, Rose pulls up the three drones in AR and directs them out of their respective bags and into the air. Sending two of them out through the main bedroom door, she directs the 3rd towards the ceiling of the room to record the action, alerting Robin to the availability of a 3rd person view. She commands the other two to explore the house again, this time mapping the halls and rooms with ultrasound in order to locate any spots that weren't immediately visible in the first exploration, and to alert her if they encounter any signs of life. That done, she keeps their camera feeds going in AR with a small portion of her attention on them and devotes the rest of it to Robin and Elaine.
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Elaine is already undressing when you turn back to her. Her body is already intimately familiar to you, but Robin grins at seeing it in person instead of through a drone's sensors. Soon all three of you are naked and on the bed, with Robin giving you enough time to set the drones before you join them. You and Robin both find that sex with two other women is far different than with just one. Elaine has apparently done this before and acts as the guide, giving gentle instruction on where to put what to get the best effect. The experience is quite enjoyable for all three of you. Elaine's stamina is surprising as she outlasts you. And Robin. Finally finished, the two of you curl up on each side of Elaine and all three are asleep in minutes.
You wake to find Robin moaning not so softly, her hands pushing down on Elaine's head between her legs. Robin invites you to join in, and you begin stroking the two of them as you check on the sensor feeds from your drones outside the room. A fairly complete mapping of the house has been completed and you note with interest that there is something odd about one wall of the library downstairs. There is enough missing space to indicate some sort of hidden passage. Unfortunately, the ultrasound images cannot give more than that. Otherwise, there does not seem to be any irregularities in the structure. While you are registering this, Elaine's arm reaches out for you and pulls you into the mix.
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Pleading bathroom needs, Rose pulls away from Elaine's insistent tugging and retreats to the bathroom to handle her business. While there, she updates Robin, <<The only thing that even hints of an office here is a potential passage in the library. *IMAGE* Can you check around there for any sensors or tripwires or anything? When you get a chance, of course. *grin emoji* We'll have to hang around today and see if one of us gets a chance to inspect it. From what I can hear in here, it doesn't seem like you'll be sad about that!>> Her business complete, Rose heads back out to the bedroom and joins the other two on the bed for an extensive eye-opener.
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Friday 8 June 2075 0730 Elaine's House
>>Roger. Er, Oh. I will get right on that.<< While in the bathroom, you note that the tub in here could easily seat four or five people. Returning to the bed, you find Robin twitching from what Elaine has done to her and Elaine holds out a hand to you. The two of you are like putty in her hands as she educates you on the joys and pleasures of sex. The woman is far more experienced than either of you and is a surprisingly good teacher and of course it helps that both of you are actually interested in learning what she has to teach. Some time passes and all three of you are laying on the bed in a mass of converging body parts, panting and reveling in the glow of extremely enjoyable sex. Elaine weakly climbs out of the bed and says, "I think a bath is in order, ladies. Crawl off the bed and join me. I think you will find that the tub is more than large enough."
Robin groans and follows her on shaky legs.
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Exiting the bathroom, Rose laughs a little at Robin's condition on the bed. "Did this end up being more than you bargained for?" she asks. After some time on the bed, <<Well, even if we get nothing else out of this job, we've certainly improved our love life!>> When Elaine is finally exhausted, Rose is a bit relieved, "I don't know how she can have this much energy. Robin and I are wiped out! Following Elaine and Robin to the bathroom, she comments, "I was wondering if we were going to get to try that out, it looks amazing. Much better than our shower!"
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Elaine laughs. "I had this added after I moved in. So, scented oils, bubble bath, or both?" As she turns the water on in the tub, she turns to both of you and says, I cannot remember when I have had so much fun. Or so much pleasure. You two might be new to this, but you learn very fast. I am practically worn out. I would feel pleased if you decided to stay as long as you can before going out. And would it be presumptuous to ask if you would like to return?"
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Rose and Robin turn to each other and say simultaneously, "Bubble bath!" After Elaine's question, they again look at each other and Robin shrugs. Rose says, "We're happy to stay here for the day, but I, at least, have to leave at some point to get ready for tonight. This has been an amazing time though, so I'm sure we can get together again." She grins and offers the number to one of her prepaid commlinks. "So what else did you have in mind for us today?"
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[spoiler]Email action[/spoiler]
Elaine pours in enough bubble bath liquid to get a good head going. After all of you are ensconced in the protective cocoon of bubbles, she looks around at both of you then her face gets a bit sad and she quietly says. "You know, I do not actually know what I would do. Certain parts of me are feeling quite used after our heroics of last night and this morning and could use a short rest, I think. If I were alone, I would probably do some laps in the pool in the basement and sit on the patio outside if it is sunny. Otherwise I.................well, to be honest, I really don't do much of anything. I suppose that rather makes me out to be quite a sad and pathetic person, if I put it those words." She laughs a bit ruefully. "And this has been so refreshing. I usually have to pay for company in bed but you two have not asked for a single nuyen. I would have to say that this has been the most fun I have had in years. I hope that you do not mind that I want it to last a bit longer. You pretty much know all about me already, so tell me what you two do for a living? "
Rose frowns for a moment, "What did you do before you got married? Surely you had interests or hobbies or... something? Like I like to work on cars. Robin here mainly likes to play video games." She pokes Robin under the water and grins. "Work is really whatever we can find, although I have some money from my family, so it's not a big issue. Although, if you're paying..." she laughs. After thinking on it for a minute, she continues, "Maybe you're just bored...?"
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Elaine looks at you and smiles. Her eyes light up as she says, "Cars? You like to work on cars? Me too, or at least I did. My brother was always out working on his latest find. He would go to scrap yards and have the ugliest things brought back home and then put them back together. Mother hated it and made him do it in the garage. Father did not understand it. But I did. He was five years older than me and we got along great. I would come out to watch and he would send me after tools and let me hold the lamp for him when I was little. When I was a bit older, he started showing me everything about how to fix a car. Soon I was spending all my time with him and usually ended up as covered in grease as he was. We must have rebuilt a dozen cars together. I think I have never been happier. Then Rob and Father had an argument; a real rip-snorter. Rob left the next day and I think I hated him for a bit for not taking me with him to work on cars somewhere. It was not the same at home without him. Mother had the garage cleaned up and that was the end of that. I toyed with the idea of running off to look for Rob, or maybe just go find a garage that would hire me. After all, I was a damned fine mechanic back then. None of it happened. I was a bit too afraid to try it on my own and I slowly became like my mother."
"Then Father's business began to fail and I overheard my parents arguing about finding more funding. Mother hated the idea of being poor and Father hated the idea of being embarrassed among his friends. The fights and money problems went on several years, both getting worse and accusations began to fly. I think they fell out of love, if they were ever in love. Then Howard came along with an idea about how to save the day. I was pimped out and basically traded away for enough money to keep Father afloat if he was smart with the money. He is not a smart man and the Yaks just added more debt until he just up and shot himself one night. Mother killed herself with pills three months later. The creditors got everything except for me, but I already belonged to Howard by then. There have been times when I have dreamed that Rob would come along and take me away, but I think he is dead, too. Very sad story all around, I would say."
"And that is far more than what you asked. I am sorry to be such a talker."
-
Rose widens her eyes a little as Elaine opens up to them. Once she finishes, "So why are you still here? Your parents don't need the money anymore and it doesn't seem to be doing you any good. You obviously don't seem happy. Have you tried using Howard's connections and resources to find your brother? You can't just assume he's dead without at least trying to find him..." To Robin she sends, <<What do you make of this? You haven't really said much since we got here. Is there another play here other than just trying to distract her so we can examine that room?>>
-
[spoiler]From Email[/spoiler]
Elaine grimaces a bit. "You are pretty much right on all counts. I am unhappy here, mostly because there is nothing to fulfil me. Howard is totally against having children ruin his perfect little world and so I do not get to be a mother..................or grandmother. The problem with leaving is that Howard once told me that he would be the one to leave and that he would hunt down and kill me if I tried it. And if I left with someone, he would kill them, as well. He was not joking, in my opinion. Besides, where would I go? My skills in a garage have been passed by with new cars and new tools, and younger mechanics. I suppose I could learn, but see argument one above. I did try once to use some of Howard's connections to find my brother, even hired a private detective. After a couple of months, Howard paid the guy off and told me to drop it. I was angry and went behind his back and hired a different guy from the allowance Howard gives me. He found out and threatened to cut me off. The detective called me the next day and said he had been warned to leave well enough alone. That was that. I knew that Howard or his backers had got to the man. I am pretty much at a loss here. I do have a bit of money saved in a bank that he does not know about, but I have no way of contacting another detective that he will not find out about."
As Elaine finishes, she casts her eyes down and shakes her head before looking back up. "See, sad and pathetic."
Robin texts back, >>I have no fragging idea what to say to all of that. Just how much information are you supposed to get on this guy? We might already know enough to impress your new boss. Do we need to get into the secret room or is that just showing that we go the extra mile for our clients?<<
<<Well, more is always better. There was no objective criteria given for 'enough'. As long as the risks stay small, I don't see any reason not to continue. At this point though, there seems to be some potential here for actually turning Elaine if we were able to offer her a way out of her current situation. Let's stick to the current plan, but that's something to consider after I talk to the boss. That would certainly result in a font of information.>>
"Oh, he's basically got you chained up then, just without the physical chains? That sounds... hard." Rose frowns at Elaine, "No wonder you were so eager for company..." Rose splashes her a little to try and lighten the mood some. "But would you really be willing to give all this," she waves her arm around at the opulence of the bathroom, "in order to leave him?"
-
Elaine laughs a bit and splashes back, although it is mostly bubbles that get pushed around. "To be honest, I do not really know. I despise my life and my husband and I dislike myself, bit I do not know what I would do if I left. And you have not seen his friends. When he is home, there are guards on the premises. They walk around in pairs and carry guns and are generally very scary people. I am sure that he would send some of these people after me and find me. But it is a nice fantasy and I dream of it often."
-
Rose frowns even more at Elaine as she describes her plight, "Well surely a man that powerful has to have made some enemies along the way? Maybe if you dug up some dirt on him you could leverage that to get away somehow? I guess it would depend on how willing you were to potentially hurt him while extracting yourself from the situation. Although if you don't know what you'd do if you left, that's probably the first thing you should figure out," she grins. "I mean, this isn't all bad, right?" Smiling at Robin, "We certainly wouldn't say no if someone presented us with all this, eh? The strings attached seem pretty heavy though." Then to Robin, <<Maybe we can get her to do some of the work for us? If she comes up with dirt on him on her own, then we're set!>>
-
Elaine shakes her head. "No, this is not all bad. I have all the comforts I need and I am taken care of. What sane woman would not like it here? You two have been the only real bright spark in my life for a long time." She looks from one to the other of you. "I know it sounds crazy, but would you both like to live here, sort of? You could have your own rooms for private and pair time and access to the house. I know that you have day jobs and need to come and go, but it would be nice to have someone to talk to and actually make love to instead of cardboard hookers that are paid to say nice things.
-
To Robin, <<Okay, this is getting kind of weird. Move in with her? I mean, that would make exploring the house easy, but that seems to be just inviting trouble down the line, right?>>
"I mean, this place is certainly nice, as are you, but how would your husband handle something like that? I'm not sure we want to end up tied down by the same strings he has on you. And we certainly wouldn't want to deal with him having any... expectations of us..." Rose looks at Robin, raising an eyebrow, asking for her input.
-
[spoiler]From Emails[/spoiler]
Robin quickly sends a note back. >>Yes. Very weird. Exploring the house would be easier, but there could be complications.<<
Elaine looks a bit sad. "Yes, well, I guess if he noticed you here he might actually try to get something on with either or both of you. On the upside, he is very generous to the women he sleeps with, if that is any compensation, and apparently very nice. You would almost certainly get clothes and money, and probably some jewelry as well. And I would have someone to talk to and do things with. You would have full range of the house, not just this wing. He is a very attentive lover, just not to me anymore, and he would not be around all the time as he has a current mistress living in the apartment in the city. Depending on your point of view, this could be a real win-win for all three of us." She looks at both of you with some hope in her eyes.
Robin reaches for your hand under the bubbles and squeezes it. >>OK. Weird just got a bit practical. If we play our cards right........?<< Out loud, she says, "Well, that is a tantalizing thought. After all, what girl doesn't need clothes, money, and jewelry? But I don't have much experience with men at all. Is he a hitter? A mean drunk or druggie?"
Elaine smiles and shakes her head. "None of those. He is a social drinker, but I have never seen him drunk, he refuses to do drugs, and he has never hit me." She blushes a bit. "Well, except early on when I was still new and he would spank me a bit during sex. Loved it. And I am sure he would enjoy both of you. Singly or together. At least for a few months, and then he would not be a bother anymore. Is it worth a thought? I could certainly make it worth your while if you agree to give it a try."
Robin looks over at you and squeezes your hand under the water again. >>It is just sex, right? The things we even think of doing for the client. To be honest, I could do this for a bit if you think it would help. We would be in the house and might be able to have one of the drones follow him about in his secret room. What do you think? Are you ready to even consider this?<<
Tilting her head slightly and appearing to consider what Elaine is proposing, Rose continues with Robin, <<I don't know, this is just a big too much all at once for me. I've never been really interested in sex and the last two days have been making it pretty apparently that I was really just never that interested in men. I was okay with this whole Elaine thing because it was 'just business' and you were on board and encouraging, but I'm not sure that would be enough to feign interest with him. If it's something you're interested in, maybe we could propose an arrangement where you're available to him but I'm off limits? Only if that's something you'd want to do though. I have to admit, more money *would* be nice.>>
Robin squeezes your hand again and replies. >>OK, I will admit that I might have let nuyen signs cloud my judgement and take me away from the "just business" concept. As to feigning interest, I doubt that is very hard. I have heard that once a guy gets his little head into operation, he really only has one thing on his mind and it is not likely going to be whether or not we have any interest in him as long as we are available to him. The extra money would certainly be good and we would likely be able to afford real food once in a while, and if having me get laid by this guy will help us with this project, then I am for it. I am sure that I could fake it with him for a bit, but it would definitely be better with both of us. You being off-limits could work, but if it upsets you or alienates you then I am not for it. I do not want to lose what I have just found in you.<<
<<Oh, honestly, as long as you're honest with me, what you do with someone else isn't going to bother me or hurt what we have. :D I just wanted to make sure you weren't potentially doing something you didn't actually want to do just because you thought I wanted you to do it. For me, the thought of being with him as a means to an end is somehow different than it was with Elaine, I'm not sure why. Maybe I could feign enough interest to get him going like you said, but I'm not sure.>>
>>OK. I'm in. I have no problem doing it as a means to an end if it will help, and I think it might. So the plan is to stay here for a while and let Howard seduce me, but you are currently off the menu? Let's go with that. Oh, by the way, just in case you did not receive the memo yet, I am definitely in love with you. If I have the plan right, go ahead and tell her; I think she is about to go crazy wondering.<<
Finally looking back at Elaine, Rose responds, "Okay, I think maybe we can try it? I will likely try to avoid Howard though, if that's okay? I think Robin would be willing to play with him, but I just really have no interest there. Do you think that would work? Or is he going to get pissed off and kick us out on the curb?" She grins and then gets serious again, "I'm still going to have to go to work though, because I can't count on this lasting forever, and I'll still need the job afterwards. Maybe I can time that for when he's going to be here and avoid the situation?"
If there were ever a poster child for a grateful woman, it would be Elaine. She brightens up and smiles at both of you. "Really? I was so sure that you would run. I am positive that we can work things out, although I never really know when he will come home. Sometimes he lets me know, but it is more a hit or miss thing. But we could certainly arrange to be going out together if he shows up and let Robin stay with him." She takes a deep breath. "You have no idea what sort of lifeline this is for me. I feel younger and rejuvenated already. But listen, this should not be just one-way here. Is there anything I can do for you? Besides the sex, I mean?" Her entire outward appearance seems to have made a radical change. "And to think that is was a busted vibrator that sent me to the club last night. If I had not gone I would not have met either of you and my life would not be changing for the better. So, what time today do you need to leave?"
"What, you mean the sex isn't enough?" Rose jokes. "But not to be crass, and at the risk of being compared to the 'cardboard hookers,' we're in it for the money and nice things as well as the experience. It sounds like we're all going to have a good time, but good times seldom last forever and the hope is to leave with some material things to go along with the memories," she grins. Alluding back to their previous discussion, "Maybe we'll even leave with you...? Who knows! As for tonight 4pm should give me plenty of time I think."
-
Elaine looks serious, as well. "Well, I can certainly understand your position. And, no, I do not put you in the same category as the people I normally pick up. With them, a price is agreed on and money changes hands in advance. And you have been so much more fun to be with and the emotions seemed much more real than what I am used to. So I do not begrudge you a desire to profit from this. I get an allowance each week that I am allowed to spend on just about anything I want, except for private detectives, apparently. I do not spend it all and have saved some in an account at the bank. What if I offered the pair of you three thousand a week to stay with me. You also get rooms here, plus board if you are here for meals. And as much sex as you want. A deal with Howard will probably get you some more money as well as other perks. Interested?"
Robin looks at you with a grin. >>Wow. We could be getting paid three times for the same work. Does it get better than this?<<
"Make it four and *you* get as much sex as you want," she haggles with a grin. "We can give this a try for at least a week and see how it goes. Assuming Howard doesn't kick us out immediately that is." Responding to Robin, <<Well, anything you can get from Howard would be just gravy for you. I'm not expecting you to split that if I'm not helping with the... work. Least it doesn't seem like we need to rush things now. I've got 5 more days to gather information so we can wait for a good opportunity to go exploring that passage.>> Returning her attention to Elaine, "So, did you have any desires for the rest of the time till I have to go? We could just stay here in the hot tub. Although it could use more bubbles," she laments.
-
Elaine looks surprised. "Four? Done. And you may find that I want a great deal of sex. As to what to do before you leave? Hmmm. There is the bed, of course. A swimming pool in the basement that has a real hot tub. But of course, no bubbles there. We could walk in the garden or just sit in the sun. I do not know what you like for entertainment. I have a charity event that I have to attend this evening so your timing is perfect. But we can go out on other nights. I have memberships at several clubs that we could go to. I need to get your IDs into the security system at the gate and the house or things could get embarrassing."
She stands and wipes at some of the bubbles before walking to the large shower, where she turns on the water before looking at you both. "Come on. We can get rid of the bubbles and then get you into the house registry before we do too much else. I do not want to forget it." Once in the water and washing you down, she adds softly. "Were you kidding about taking me away?"
To Robin, <<I can't wait to see Elaine's face tonight when she sees me at the event. I'm going to have to work hard to not give the game away. Oh, I just realized she might leave you here alone during that time. That could be ideal for our purposes.>> Following Elaine out of the tub, "Well, recently we've been passing the time with sex and videogames, really. Mutual interests. Trying out some clubs could be interesting. I guess we'll just have to try things and see what works." Enjoying the shower, Rose is a little surprised by Elaine's question, "Well, yeah, we already kind of talked about it some. You want out but don't really know how or where to go. If this works out, we could possibly be the where, but the how remains an issue."
-
Elaine is pretty quiet during the rest of the shower, but her smile does not fade. She goes to a cupboard and pulls out three very soft towels and all of you can dry off before slipping into robes. She takes both of you out of the bedroom and down to the living room. She opens a console and has you enter your IDs and set a password for access to the driveway gate and the door. She tells you that you will need to change the password every time you leave and re-enter the house after leaving the grounds. Once she makes sure that you know how to work the system, she turns to you and says, "Sex and videogames, eh? What sort of games?"
-
"Well, the main one is a VR game with supernatural monsters and vampire hunters. It's fairly involved and needs specialized controls though. Not sure if that's something you'd be interested in? We could all start some new characters to run around with if you'd like? Although we'd need to buy the hardware unless you happen to already have it?"
-
Robin pipes up, "It is called "Dark Mansions" and is one of the best
multi player on-matrix games on the market today."
Elaine laughs, "I might surprise you two. I was playing MMOs a long
time ago. At least I was learning. A couple of friends had a hook up
for something called............."Zombie Apocalypse 55", or at least I
think that is what it was called. My parents came home to find us
playing one day and my father blew a gasket. The girls were sent home
immediately and their parents were told their daughters were never
welcome in the house again. I was crushed. And humiliated at school.
I think that was the last time I had anyone over for anything. My
parents tried to make it up to me by having a big party for my
birthday, but no one came. Not one person. That was even more
humiliating. I was very lonely for my entire last three years of high
school. Lonely and confused, because I did not understand why the
other kids would call me names and throw things at me when I had not
done anything. It was like everyone was taking something out against
my parents but I was the target. Maybe that had something to do with
why I agreed so quickly to the deal with Howard. It was only later
that I realized that there really is something worse than what I had
been put through as a teenager."
"But that is all sad drek and I want to be happy. I would love to try
the game. We have a huge trid screen, but I do not have any of the
controllers, if that is what they still call them. I could have some
bought and sent up. Maybe we could set something up tomorrow.
Hmmmmm. Perhaps I should take you two on the big tour of the house so
you know where everything is?"
-----
Trying to keep things upbeat, Rose replies, "Oh, you used to play? I
wasn't able to really get into it until recently. Robin got me in to
it, so I blame her," she grins. "We should definitely get some
controllers for here then. Can see how rusty you are! Let's start the
tour with the trid screen?" she suggests with forced excitement.
-----
If Elaine can tell that you are faking the interest, she does not let
on. She takes you into the huge living room and plops down on the
couch that is facing a blank wall. Lifting an arm rest, she pulls out
a hand help console remote and presses a button. The wall moves a bit
in and then slides down to reveal an immense trid screen. She clicks
it on and surfs through some channels. The definition is amazing.
Robin does not have to pretend that she is interested. "What is that,
hundred and twenty?"
"Forty. It was here when I moved in. I guess the previous wife liked
to sit here for hours and watch fashion shows and dog shows. I
confess it tantalized me, too, for a bit, but I was watching porn on
it. You can really see..........um, well, yes. Anyway, I have not
sat here to watch much on it for a while now. But I think it ought to
work for the game, don't you?"
"Fragging right, it will. Sorry, I was just getting excited thinking
of how it will look to see those vampires get it on this screen."
Elaine laughs, too. "Oh, and say. I should tell you about the man
cave." She points to the section of the wall that you have identified
as having the hidden door. "There is a door there, but it is very
well concealed. Howard calls it the gateway to heaven, or in man
speak, his special den. That is where he works when he is home and he
keeps lots of other things there as well. He showed it to me once
when I showed an interest in some old Chinese pottery pieces he used
to keep up here. There are some stairs down to a real nice room.
Sort of like this, but the walls have all this artwork and more of the
pottery pieces like I had seen, only these are all in glass cabinets
and fancy shelves. The paintings are all lit up nice and covered in
glass boxes. He told me that the room was worth over a quarter
billion, and that was years ago, so it is probably more now. He is
prone to exaggerating so I am pretty sure he was not telling the
truth. I do know that he has some serious security down there and he
keeps updating it when something new comes out."
"I have not been down there in years. I think he keeps videos of his
mistresses down there and watches them from time to time. I know that
at least one of his women has been there because I saw him bringing
her up. Twice a year he has his client and some of the client's
associates over and they always end up going down there to discuss
business."
Robin sends you a message. >>Bingo maybe?<<
---
Rose is amused at Robin's obvious interest in the vid screen, "She always has been big on the latest technology. Least this seems to have gotten Elaine off her past..." After Elaine reveals what she used to use the TV for, Rose asks, "So you just stick to the porn on here? No sim or anything like that? Just curious, you seem to have a bit more experience with all this than the two of us..." With the existence of the man cave confirmed, she messages Robin, <<Yeah, but 'serious security' doesn't sound promising, especially if he really is storing valuables down there. If you get a chance, see if you can scope out the security measures? I'll see if we can get the tour to go down there.>> "The gateway to heaven? That room doesn't really sound like my idea of heaven," she jokes. "What's so special about the pottery pieces?"
-
Elaine laughs. "Why do you think I stopped using the trid screen. Hot SIM porn is much better than the flat screen." She looks amused as you ask about the pottery. "Yeah, I wondered about that, myself so I looked it up once. It seems that there is some massive collection of Chinese pottery collectively called The Gateway to Heaven. About a hundred pieces all together, all done by the same master. Different sizes and shapes, but all with one common motif of paradise. At least paradise Old Chinese style. Apparently Howard and his family have been collecting this stuff for generations. The resource I used did not list a price for this so I do not know, but he seems to think it is important. But it did say there is some sort of prophecy that involves the collection. Did not say what that was, though."
-
<<Ah, now we're getting to it! How much you want to bet they were interested in 'valuable ancient pottery with prophecy attached' from the beginning?>> If there's about a hundred of them, do you have any idea of many of them he's collected? I don't really see the interest in pottery, but I guess I've heard of sillier hobbies out there. And he said there was a prophecy but you didn't ask what it was?! Some video game player you are; you always ask about the prophecy!" she grins widely. "Can we take a look at it? Or does he have it locked up tight?"
-
>>I am sure that you are right. This detective work is exciting.<<
Elaine laughs and shakes her head. "No, I did not say he told me about the prophecy. The article I read indicated that. I did try to find out, but all I ever got was links to some site is Chinese and I just blew it off after that. And, sorry, no. You would have to ask Howard to show it to you. I do not have access to the codes to get in. And I am not sure how many pieces there are down there. A lot."
>>I wonder if I can pick up some knowledge on Chinese pottery?<<
"So, what do you want to see next? We have about an hour left before you need to leave and I need to get ready."
-
"Oh, I misheard, but still, I wouldn't have been able to not ask him." <<Not sure knowledge of what it is will really help us, I'm assuming the client already knows otherwise they wouldn't be interested. Can't hurt to look though. Of more importance is what it's going to take to actually get down there. Just how state of the art is that security and what's it going to take to get past it? Might be able to get some resources for that if we can identify what's needed.>> "If you just want to do a quick tour of the rest of the house, that would probably be good. Our room, the kitchen, you know, the important stuff!" she grins.
-
Elaine nods, "I did ask him, but he just said it was his future. How
did he word it? Hmmm, something along the lines of "Don't worry any
about that. Someday soon that pottery will be worth a fortune to me."
Anyway, it seemed that he was not going to say more so I dropped the
subject and did not really think about it until just now."
She takes you on a tour of the house and shows you your bedroom. "I
suppose that you have things you want to bring over?"
------
"Huh, that's weird that old pottery would suddenly become more
valuable, but that's not something I know much about. But yeah, we'll
need to bring over some clothes and toiletries and such over here
unless you were just planning for us to run around naked," she jokes.
"Robin, do you want me to bring anything from the house tonight? Or
did you want to go home with me now and come back later?" <<Your call.
Didn't know if you were ready to deal with Howard possibly coming home
while we're both gone or not.>> "A car will be here to pick me up
shortly; I assume you'd like me to come back tonight?"
------
>>No, I think I will stay. I can get a good look at the security system while you are out.<< "Hey, yeah. Pick up some clothes and toiletries while you are home, but I think I will stay here and relax. Maybe try out the pool."
Elaine brightens. "I would definitely like for you to come back
tonight. In some ways I feel like the teenager I was never really
allowed to be. You two are my saviours and I cannot thank you
enough."
-----
"Hey, it's our pleasure, literally." Rose makes small talk with the other two for a few more minutes until her car pulls up outside. Making her goodbyes she heads outside and gets into the back seat of the Americar, red today. Relaxing into the seat as the cars pulls away from the curb, she lets out a long breath and relaxes for the first time in what seems like forever. "This has been a long strange couple of days. I went from being single and suffering from too much free time, to having a girlfriend who likes the idea of an open relationship and another woman who seems to like both of us but whom we're getting paid both to hang out with and effectively spy on. It's like one of those bad romcom shows where the guy lies in order to get the girl. They always turn out okay in the end, but life is seldom like a romcom. We're going to have to be very careful as we get in deeper with Elaine. If it turns out we do end up helping her escape from her husband it's going to be really awkward when she finds out the truth about us. I guess this is one of those enjoy it while it lasts kind of things... I should probably contact Ni Ni soon as well and find out if what we've discovered so far is sufficient or if we're totally on the wrong track."
Arriving at home, the car parks in the garage and Rose heads inside to prep for the charity event. Getting the dress Robin liked so much from the closet, she puts it on and admires herself in the mirror. "I guess I can see what she's talking about, this does look pretty good on me." Rose takes her time putting on her makeup and doing the best she can with her hair, all the while thinking about the reaction she's going to get from Elaine when she sees her there. Finally ready, Rose gathers up her coat and heads back to the black car, directing it to take her to the dinner.
-
When you arrive at the site for the dinner, you are forced to wait in line as three other cars disgorge their passengers in the light rain. A uniformed doorman assists you from your car and holds an umbrella for you and gives you directions to where you can send the car if you wish it to wait for you. He escorts you the few steps to an awning that stretches almost out to the curb, where he bids you a nice evening and turns to go back to where yet another vehicle has pulled up to drop someone off. A pretty hostess asks for you invitation, which Robin so thoughtfully arranged, and checks you against a list on her pad before welcoming you to the restaurant. She motions you to the coat check room where you may leave your wrap if you like. Looking around, you see lots of well dressed people standing around with drinks in their hands. You know no one, although a couple of faces are familiar from news feeds. Then, from across the room, you hear Elaine's voice. "Oh my God! Rose. I did not expect to see you here." She sweeps in and takes your arm. "I should have guessed, though. Silly me. Well, this has just gone from dull and boring to something better. Why didn't you say something?"
-
Rose waits impatiently in line and then instructs the car to follow the provided instructions. Trying to look like this is something she does every day, she allows the doorman to escort her in and then deposits her coat at the coat check. Stepping in to the room she's frozen for a moment as the noise from the muted conversations washes over her. Shaking herself out of it, "Stop standing here like a moron. This is where you're trying to get to, right? Back into high society... or at least middle!" With new resolve she steps forward and then hears Elaine from across the room. Luckily her enthusiasm is infections because Rose was having a hard time maintaining the surprised act and she broke out into a grin, "I'm not sure why I didn't consider that we'd be going to the same charity event, there can't be *that* many going on tonight! I guess all the events of the past two days were just overwhelming and I wasn't thinking about it. Well this will certainly make tonight a lot more fun! I don't think I know anyone here except you... Although I'm pretty sure that's Lisa Banyan from Days of Our Lives over there. I can't believe that show is still going on!" Looking around the room she motions to one side and asks, "Is that a bar over there? I could really use a drink. I promise not to spill it on you..."
-
The crowd of people barely registers you, but you do indeed think that you recognize the current sim star from the longest running daytime soap in history. Elaine takes you by the arm and leads you to the bar. She laughs, "Hon, you can spill on me anytime you want." Once at the bar, you can get drinks and mingle. Elaine confesses that she knows few people here other than by name and usually just stands off to the side. "I eat the food and listen to people talk and sign the donation forms before just going home and wishing I had done more. Oh, look, there is someone I have met before. She is really very nice, scandalously rich, and is the source of lots of gossip. She is English and some of her words are hard to understand. Want to meet her?"
-
"Wow, that sounds amazing like what I do at these things, I guess that explains why we've never met before? Although I'm not usually wishing I'd done more... I mostly come as an obligation to my father. He thought things like this were my ticket to the high life." Looking over and the woman indicated by Elaine, she shrugs and responds, "Sure, I've got no plans here. I'll just follow your lead. Any of the gossip I should be especially aware of?"
-
"Her name is, get this, Dame Lady Tanya Marisart. Her father was some guy with a title back in England before he died and left everything to her. She is definitely fodder for the gossip trids, so be careful. There is a ton of rumors out there about her, and she had been spotted on the arms of most of the power movers in the city. And rumored to be in their beds as well. All of that is just rumor, so take what you want from it. What I know is that she gives a lot of money to charities and sits on the board for several of them. She seems very nice and personable, although I have really only spoken to her a couple of times. I know that Howard wants to bed her, but I think that so far she has shown the good common sense to stay away from him. Might be smarter than the trid gossip says she is."
Elaine leads you over to where a red-headed woman in a long blue gown is standing. She is chatting with a couple, but they soon leave and she turns to you. "Why, hello Elaine. It is so good to see you again. But we should stop just meeting at things like this. Lunch sometime?" She holds out a gloved hand. "Hello, my name is Tanya. I do not believe we have met before."
-
"Ah, well that answers my next question. Lets go say hello." Walking over with Elaine, Rose waits for the introduction then grasps the proffered hand and sketches an ungainly curtsy, attempting to cover it up with a verbal torrent, "My name is Rachael, pleased to meet you. Elaine here speaks well of you. How are you enjoying the event? Lots of well dressed people here tonight. You're looking really nice as well!" Running out of steam, she turns to Elaine for some help.
-
Tanya is smiling and Elaine chimes in. "We met at a social function last night and realized that we have some common interests. I was surprised to find that she was coming here this evening." Tanya looks closely at both of you then smiles, "In that case we really should do lunch together some time." A man come into the lobby and announces that the dinner is served. Tanya links her arms with both of you and says, "Well, time to go in. You can tell me why you want to donate to this cause while we eat."
-
"Yes, it was really interesting that we'd meet yesterday then run into each other today. Must be fate!" She goes along with Tanya and heads with the other two into the dining area. Ending up seated between Tanya and Elaine, Rose trots out her prepared story, "Well, my family used to be fairly well off but over the years after the crash our fortunes turned and we weren't far from being homeless ourselves. We were able to reverse things eventually but my dad made me promise to try and help out people that weren't able to when possible. How about yourself?"
-
Tanya laughs softly between bites and shakes her head. "No, way different. I was made homeless when my parents died and all the bloody inheritance laws in England gave everything to a long-lost cousin. My mother's money had been set aside and I did inherit that, but no house came with it. The money is tied up in a trust fund that the cousin has nominal control of and the allowance he gives me allows me to live quite well. But I am reminded of the time I did spend homeless while waiting for Cousin Jeremy to get his bloody fragging ass of the pot and open the doors to the money. It is all a very long story and very much better told when we are all tossed and sitting in a hot tub together somewhere. Let me know if you are ever interested."
-
Rose laughs and looks over at Elaine, "What is it with you and got tubs? Seems I can't avoid them around you." Speaking of hot tubs... <<Robin, how's it going at the house? Any sign of Howard yet? Elaine is introducing me to people here. A Lady Tanya? *image*>> "I'd love to hear the story sometime. It sounds like your low was lower than mine but you've risen much higher?"
-
The response from Robin takes a bit. >>Hard to answer right now, dear, but I do have a bit information on the systems. And, yes, Howard came home. He did not prove difficult to seduce at all. Talk later.<<
Elaine laughs at the hot tub remark and Tanya gives you a puzzled look then leans over. "No, the wealth is a ruse. I just pretend and everyone thinks I have money and gives me stuff. I get invited to lots of parties where I can eat for free." The look in her eye leaves you wondering if she is telling the truth or not.
-
<<I'm shocked at you. Shocked! Have fun. *grinemoji*>>
"Huh, I must be doing something wrong then. I pretend to have money and that just makes people want *me* to buy things for *them*. What's your secret?"
-
She laughs. "Simple. I have a title as a British noblewoman and am the daughter of a viscount, therefore I must have money. It also helps that I am extremely scandalous. People invite me over in the hopes I will spill on some of the men and women I am supposed to have slept with. Some even hope to entice me to their beds. I never do the first, and maybe do the second. But I never tell, and that just makes it juicier and so I get invited to even more parties. See how it goes? People's imaginations will lead them to all sorts of unfounded conclusions and they all assume that what they hear is true because I do not deny it. But I do not confirm it, either, and that makes it all the more salacious."
-
"Ah, that would explain it then. I'm certainly not the daughter of royalty, British or otherwise, and that's not really something one can remedy after the fact, unfortunately. I could work on the scandalous bit, although I'm not sure that's really up my alley. However, I *have* already spilled on Elaine," she laughs. "How do you get away with never actually revealing anything? I'd think people would wise up to that after awhile? Surely you have to confirm something sometime..." Motioning towards the rest of the room, "Are these people really that oblivious?"
-
Tanya nods and softly says, "Yes, dear, they are that oblivious. People will normally believe what they want to believe. So, for example, how much of what I have just told you do you believe?"
-
A little annoyed at being called out, Rose turns to Tanya and responds frankly, "I have no idea. Until tonight I had no idea who you were and how much money you do or don't have has no real bearing on my life. I was just going along with the conversation because it was interesting and I'm fairly certain calling someone a liar to their face isn't something one does in polite company. Should it become relevant to me for some reason, I'd have to do my own research and reach my own conclusion. That's why I was a little amazed people would except what you say you're presenting to them without ever being provided with something concrete, and confirmable, to base it on." She shrugs, "If you made me guess, I'd say you're making it up, just because that's the simpler solution."
-
Tanya looks closely at you and says, "Very good, Rachel, very good. You do not seem to be the normal sort of guest here. So which part is made up, do you think? Every lie is better and more convincing when combined with a bit of truth. Where would you start looking to separate the truth from the lies?" She then waves her hand at the rest of the room. "And do not judge these people too harshly. Most of their lives are lies that they convince themselves are real. To challenge what another person says leaves them open to be exposed as well. I think it is in their best interests to believe what I say, because it gives their lives some sort of meaning. Does that make any sense to you?"
-
Raising her eyebrow at the praise, "Like I said, at this point I wouldn't. I don't know enough about you to even start. And while that makes sense I'm not sure that means they shouldn't be judged..."
-
Tanya gives you an odd look that seems in no way patronizing, but.........................yes, processing. As if she is trying to place you in her vision of the world and you do not fit into one of the neat holes. She goes quiet as the main speaker begins talking about the way this charity can help others in need. The dinner is excellent and the side conversations with Elaine and Tanya are interesting. Elaine seems to be coming out of some sort of shell in your presence. At the end of the meal, Tanya walks with both of you to fetch your coats from the check room. As she is slipping into hers, Tanya looks closely at you and leans in to whisper. "I do hope to see you again, Rachel. It has been a real pleasure talking with you. You are........................different. Good night, unless you want that hot tub and wine experience?"
-
Rose enjoys the meal and conversation, although the food wasn't worth nearly the 500 nuyen that it cost. Walking out with Tanya and Elaine, she is a little surprised by Tanya's whispered offer. "Oh, that wasn't one of the lies?" she grins. "Is Elaine included in that offer?" Quickly, Rose sends off a message to check in with Robin, <<Hey, you've been quiet. Things going well there? Howard still there? This Tanya person seems to be wanting to extend the night but I don't want to abandon you.>>
-
Tanya looks over at Elaine, who has stopped still and is looking at both of you with an indefinable expression. Tanya also looks back to you and nods. "Certainly the invitation extends to both of you. And I think I can promise you a view you might not have seen before. So, what do you say?"
Robin is a tad slow getting back. >>Yeah, been busy here, lover. The man is an animal and does not seem to know when to stop. I think you might enjoy him more than you think you will. Anyway, no promises yet, but he is hinting at providing something for me if I have sex with him when he comes to stay at the house and I am sure that he would include you as well if you wanted to look into that.. I have not been too idle, though. I have spent some time downloading some information on Chinese pottery and let him know I was mildly interested. He has not stopped talking about it since, except for during sex. Might be some good information coming. Go ahead and extend the night, if you want. Oh, oh! I also did a check on Tanya Marisart. Lots of stuff in the public domain. Very rich Brit expat. Lots of charities. Lots of scandalous sexual relations with lots of important people. OK, got to go. Back later.<<
-
"Well, what do you think Elaine? You want to check out the sights or just head home?"
<<Who knew Chinese pottery could be that interesting? No difficulties with you being a strange woman in his house? That's good. I'm pretty sure I don't wan't to deal with an 'animal' though, but as long are you're having fun, then keep at it! I'm not sure how tonight is going to go yet; I'm not sure if Elaine is okay with this or not. I'm leaving it up to her since I don't want to mess up the job, but this Tanya person is interesting, although fairly cagey. I'll let you know how it goes.>>
-
Elaine looks from you to Tanya and back then comes and takes you by the hand and excusing both of you for a few seconds. She whispers, "Hey. Do this because you want to, not because you think I want to. I mean, of course I do, but only if you want to. And would Robin have any trouble with this if it goes beyond just the tub? I mean, she does have a reputation for liking woman as much as men. I am for this if you are."
-
"You were looking a little perturbed at her suggestion so I wasn't sure what you were thinking. This all started because Robin wanted me to go out and have some fun, so that's what I've been doing. It's been working out well so far, hasn't it?", she grins. Turning back to Tanya, "Well, it sounds like we're in. So how are we traveling? We all came separately."
-
Tanya smiles. "Perfect. I am sending both of you a code that will get your cars into the priority garage of the Gates Undersound Hotel. Present the code and they will show you where to park. I will wait for you at the elevator there. I think this will be fun. Champaign or something else? I can have something ready for us."
Elaine looks at you and shrugs. "Champaign?"
-
Rose provides a different link number to Tanya than she'd given Elaine, accepts the garage code, and calls for her car to pick her up. Shrugging back to Elaine, "Sure, champagne, why not?" While waiting for the car she asks, "Are you just visiting Seattle, then? Since you're staying in a hotel? At least, I assume you're staying there."
-
Tanya shakes her head. "No, I live there. Part of the hotel is residential suites." She bids you farewell as a long Rolls Royce limousine pulls up to the curb. "My ride is here. See you in a few minutes. Ciao." She goes to the curb, where a man opens the door for her and assists her in. The car glides away almost silently and Elaine says, "Wow. What a car. I have never been to the Gates, but I understand it is remarkable. Oh, here is mine." Elaine's car is just a step above yours, but the doorman treats her as if she were Tanya Marisart, too. And you are given the same treatment as well when your car arrives.
The drive to the hotel takes a few minutes only and your car drives to the VIP parking, where your name is checked against a register by an alert, and armed, young man. A drone is provided for you to follow to Tanya's parking area. You do not see the limo, but there is a Mirage bike against the wall and Elaine's car is in a guest slot. Both Tanya and Elaine are waiting for you at the elevator, which deposits you in the main lobby. Your view as you walk from the garage elevator to a small bank of elevators around the corner in the lobby is of an expansive lobby decorated in a seascape motif.
-
Rose ogles the limo, "Man, that's a nice car. Someone must have really liked you to give you that as a gift, eh?" she grins. Once back in her car, she relaxes and messages Robin, <<Okay, I'm headed to the Gates hotel with Elaine and Tanya. She certainly seems to be very rich. Maybe we can find a way of translating an in with her into another payday? I hope things are going well with Howard, at this point I'm not sure when we'll be back.>> She also retrieves one of the Noizquitos and preps it for the night, just in case. Instructing it to run wireless off once she turns it back on, she turns it off and places it in her purse with orders to fly to the ceiling and follow her two minutes after being turned on, recording audio and video, returning to the purse and turning off if she snaps her fingers.
Exiting the car at the hotel, Rose joins the others and heads inside. Entering the lobby, she lets out a low whistle, "Wow, this place is nice. And you said you live here?"
-
Tanya laughs. "Yes, I live here. And the car? It is not mine; it belongs to the hotel. One of the perks of living here is that I get to use it when I need to and if it is available. They have several, but I like that one the best." She leads you through the lobby and around a corner to another bank of elevators. A man in the uniform of the hotel nods and greets her and she does the same, asking about his daughter in school. She introduces both of you to George and they chat for a couple of minutes about his family. Finally she dis him farewell and steps into an open elevator car, pushing the button for U3. The ride is quiet and smooth and you are soon deposited in a plushly carpeted hallway. A door is open a short way down and a woman is standing there to welcome you. Tanya introduces her as Monique, her personal assistant, to which the woman responds, "More like slave to her every whim. But the pay makes it tolerable. For now."
Tanya laughs as she sweeps through the door and into a huge living area. A large kitchen is off to the right and a formal dining room to the left. Several door open from the room, one of them being a closet, where Tanya hangs up her coat and Monique offers to take yours. The highlight of he room are the huge floor to ceiling windows that open to a vista below Puget Sound. The curtains are drawn and you can see fish swimming in the water. Strategically placed lights provide enough defused light to view some of the sealife even in the darkness. Tanya motions to the view. "I can never get enough of that. It is worth the price of admission over and over."
She leads you into a huge bedroom and you think the bed itself is larger than most living rooms, including the one at your house. The large master bathroom is the destination and she takes you to where a hot tub is burbling away. It sits on a wide, tiled floor and looks directly out into the sound. "The glass is treated so that we can look out but cannot be seen from out there. I spend a lot of time here or on the couch just watching." She begins to strip out of her clothes and Monique is there to take your dresses and hang them up. Snacks and champagne are available. Elaine actually seems a bit nervous as she undresses, but Tanya apparently has no reservations at all.
-
As the elevator descends Rose wonders to herself what is going on, "I figured we were going up to a penthouse or something." Exiting the elevator, she raises an eyebrow at the remarks from Monique, "It seems my frankness at dinner was right up Tanya's alley if she allows that from her assistant." Giving her coat to Monique, Rose is drawn to the giant window and walks over to it and peers out. "Wow, this is amazing! I didn't realize there was still this much life in the Sound. You weren't lying about the view." Reluctantly allowing Tanya to lead her away from the window and into the bathroom. She can't help but admire as Tanya undresses, "What is going on with my life? Three days ago everything was normal and now I've been with two attractive women and it looks like there might be a third shortly. I blame Robin!" Seeing Elaine's trepidation at undressing, Rose catches her eye and raises an eyebrow inquisitorially.
-
[spoiler]From Email[/spoiler]
Tanya must also sense something and looks at Elaine. "Something wrong, Elaine?"
Elaine looks at the huge window that looks out at the sound and says, "Are you sure that they can't see in?"
Tanya laughs, "Well it is only fish right now, but yes, I am sure. Trust me, if there was some trid gossip reporter out there, more people than just me would have been spread all across the news by now and I am sure that some of my neighbors are far more lawsuit happy than I am. No, you can relax and enjoy yourself." She finishes removing her clothes and sinks into the bubbling water. "Ahhhhhhhhh. This is just right. Do let me know if you would like it a bit hotter or cooler, would you?"
Monique pours champagne and sets small plates of snacks where you can easily reach them. "Thank you very much, Monique."
"Not at all, My lady." And like that, Monique leaves the tub room. Elaine nods and seems to lose her reticence, stripping and joining your hostess in the water. She, too, gives a sound of appreciation as the hot water begins to soak at her. Tanya stretches in the tub, sitting on a side bench under the water so that her arms are laying atop the rim and her upper chest is exposed. She sips from her flute of champagne and sighs before pointing to the window. "I try to come her after my morning runs to just relax. Sometimes I try to count the different fish I see and keep a small book just over there with pictures." Another sip. "Thank you both for coming here. I did so enjoy your company at dinner. Did either of you think that meeting seemed to drag on a bit? The cause is worthwhile, which is really the only reason I go to these things but sometimes these events can be such a bore. I was lucky to find you two there." A slight pause. "And even luckier that you agreed to come home with me. So, a toast to new friends." She lifts her glass up and sips again. Her look does not seem particularly oblivious and you somehow get the impression of being inspected under a microscope.
-
Once Elaine seems more comfortable with the arrangement, Rose watches her undress and then, in the absence of Monique, takes her clothing and hangs them up for her. Following suit Rose strips off her Berwick dress and underwear and secures them as well. Setting her purse on the counter, she rummages through it to find her lipstick, triggering the micro drone in the process. Lips freshly glossed, she returns the tube to the bag and leaves it cracked open slightly.
Descending into the hot water, Rose lets out a similar sigh, "No, this is perfect, thank you." Enjoying the feel of the water on her skin and the motion of the Sound outside the window, Rose asks about Tanya's fish observation, "So what's the most interesting thing you've seen out there?" As the conversation turns to the dinner they just had, "It didn't seem too terribly long, but I wasn't really paying attention to the speaker anyway. At an event like that it just seems to be preaching to the choir. Anyone not already interested in the charity wouldn't be there in the first place." Raising her glass to return the toast, Rose furrows her brow slightly at Tanya's stare and asks bluntly, "So why *did* you invite us back here?"
-
Tanya puts her glass down and pulls the book over, opening it so you
can see the pictures as she thumbs through it. "I got the waterproof
kind after I splashed water on the first one. Waterproof ink, too. I
take notes on what I see and when on the pictures and also at the end
of the book. Let's see. Yes, here. About two years ago I saw one of
the small whales that comes into the sound. They usually do not get
this far in, but one young one must have gotten separated from the
pod. Came right up to the glass before it realized it was in the
wrong place. Another one came up and led it back out into the open
water."
At you last question, she smiles. "Yes, straight to the point. I
like that. Well, there are reasons and reasons, aren't there. I
suppose mine are twofold. First, I have seen Elaine at a number of
events like the dinner and at a couple of parties. She is never with
Howard and she is always shy and among the first to leave. Tonight
she was witty, energetic, and interesting. And I do not recall seeing
you with her before. I am curious and wondering if you are the cause
for the change in her. Second, I find both of you quite interesting
for probably different reasons and am hoping that I can convince you
both to stay the night and have some really great sex with me." She
pauses. "So will you stay?"
-
Looking through the pictures is actually really interesting as Tanya flips through them. "I wonder if it was drawn in by the lights? I can see why you like to spend so much time watching them."
Laughing, Rose smiles over at Elaine and responds, "Well, I haven't actually known Elaine for that long, so I'm not sure what effect I've been having on her, if any? She was actually the one to get me to come out of my shell, so I can't really envision the Elaine you'd seen before. Have we changed each other?" Waiting for her reply, she continues, "Well what do you think, should we stay? You've been a little reticent since we left the party."
-
Elaine smiles and nods her head. "I was thinking about poor Robin."
Turning to Tanya, she says, "We have something to confess. We met at
a bar last night and something just clicked. It seems that Rachel has
a girlfriend that was trying to give her a new experience and sent her
to the bar. We met by accident as I had not even planned on going out
last night. But I am so glad I did. I asked Rachel and she told me
about Robin and we all went over to my house and had the best time I
have ever had. And the sex was only part of it. We sat and talked
about likes and desires and the upshot was that I have invited them to
live with me until we get tired of the relationship. Personally, I
would hope it continues for a very long time, and would like to
convince these two young women to stay. But we each had solo tickets
to the dinner and meeting tonight and Robin is at home. I was feeling
a bit guilty about excluding her."
Tanya looks at you both and nods. "Well, I am relieved to hear that
it is nothing sinister. Why did you not say so earlier? Would you
like to invite her? The hot tub and the bed are more than large
enough and it might be fun, as long as no one gets territorial or
jealous. At this time of night she will have no problem getting a cab
out to your address, Elaine. I will have Monique meet her at the
elevators as it takes a special code to get down here. So, yes?"
-
"I didn't realize how much you wanted to reveal about our relationship, so I didn't say anything earlier. I checked in with Robin earlier to make sure she was okay with this and she said your husband was keeping her company and she gave the all clear." She smiles and then looks over to Tanya, "I've certainly got no problem inviting her, that would be great, but I don't want to cause any issues with having her bail on Howard or anything like that. I'm still learning how these whole open relationship things work..."
-
Elaine looks a bit embarrassed. "I was not sure how much to say, but
I definitely do not want hard feeling from Robin." She blushes,
"Right now you two are too important to me to risk having that happen.
I finally feel like I can breathe and I do not want back in the
coffin that was my life. I want to live and I think I can do that
with you. Even if it goes bust after a while, I will have broken free
of the chains I let me father and Howard put me in. I did not realize
that Howard had come home, but am glad that she is able to get some
fun from him. If she is good with this, then I am all for it. I
apologize for being a wet blanket."
Tanya will smile. "Then we are all good? Bloody great news, that."
She emphasizes her words by sliding over between t=you and Elaine and
taking first her then you in a kiss. You and Robin have had very
little experience. Elaine has had quite a bit, but almost all of it
from people that were paid to fake their joy. Tanya has apparently
had a different experience and shows both of you things that neither
of you had known. At some point, the tangle of bodies moves to the
bed and everyone eventually collapses in the exhaustion of complete
satisfaction.
You are awakened by Monique coming into the bedroom. "Good morning,
My Lady and ladies. It is just on half six and you have a racquetball
court at seven." Tanya sits up and tousles her already messed up hair
and stretches. She looks around at the two of you and says, "Either
of you play racquetball or want to learn? Or Watch? My morning
routine is usually some exercise then a run outside. I am sure we
have gym clothes that will fit if you are interested."
There is a short note from Robin as well, from about two hours ago.
>>Man just left. I am a limp noodle. He did some things to me that I want to try on you. I am going to sleep in and will talk to you when I can put coherent thoughts together. The guy is not bad, but he holds nothing to you in bed and he has the personality of a rock, something I will never say about you. Come see me when you can. Love you.<<
-
"Don't worry about her, she's definitely good. I wouldn't just abandon her like that," she grins. "What you feel for us is fairly akin to what I feel for her." Smiling at Tanya, teasingly, "Yes, it certainly sounds like we're 'bloody' good." Marveling in the difference that different partners can bring to what is essentially the same act, Rose greatly enjoys the experience that Tanya brings to the night.
Waking up in the morning, Rose again pleads biological needs and retreats to the bathroom. Snapping her fingers, she's only able to see the drone reenter her purse because she was specifically watching for it. Turning it off and then finishing her business, she returns to the bedroom. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline, I still have a job I need to keep up on and I've got to deliver Robin her toiletries and such. Maybe we could come watch you some other day, and you could meet her?"
-
Tanya nods in understanding and looks at Elaine, who also politely declines. Tanya sighs, "Well, I had hoped. And I need a shower before I go play racquetball or all the men in a near radius will know what I was doing. If you two are interested, the showers are right through here. If you are going home as is, I will have Monique escort you to the elevator as you will need a special code to get them to open. I would like to do this again some time, and by all means include Robin."
-
"I think I'm going to go ahead and head out, as entertaining as the shower sounds. Plus, you'd probably end up late," she grins. "Should I just contact you here in the future?" Turning to Elaine, she lays out her plan for the day, "I need to drop stuff by your house and then I've got to go to work. I'll come back over tonight, if that's okay?"
Allowing Monique to retrieve her coat and escort her to the elevator, Rose returns to the opulent lobby and heads back out the the garage. Returning to her car, she directs it to Elaine's house and then contacts Robin. <<So that was an interesting night. Sounds like yours was as well. I'm coming by now to drop off clothes and toiletries but I'll try not to wake you. I've got to go to work and I'm going to check in with the client, but I'll be back over later. Hopefully you'll have recovered by then. *grinemoji*>> Arriving at the house, Rose parks and retrieves the toiletries from the trunk and lets herself in. Poking her head in their bedroom she checks to see if Robin is awake before depositing the bundle in the bathroom.
Returning to the car, she drives to her Bellvue house to change clothes, take a quick shower, and then check in with her dispatcher to register availability for calls. While waiting for the first one, she reaches out to the number provided by Ni Ni, <<I've come up with some information that I'm assuming is related to your interests. I'm available to meet this afternoon if you'd like to discuss it.>>
-
Elaine nods and indicates that you coming back after work is very much OK. Tanya exchanges comm codes with you and steps into the shower. Robin does not immediately answer your text and when you get to the house you find that she is asleep. For some reason, you stop and watch your friend as she sleeps and notice a few of the things that make her special in your eyes. Perhaps this is not just some fling but maybe the Real Deal? Youi must make some noise because she stirs and lifts a sleepy face to look at you. Her smile is genuine as she says, "Oh. how I missed you, dear. I so look forward to spending some alone time with you. Hmmm. I see you sent a text. I will look at when I wake up. Are you off to work?"
Even at this time of the morning, you get an almost immediate response form Ni Ni. >>!400, if that is convenient. My shop?<<
-
"Yup, still need to keep the day job going as a fallback. Things are looking up here but you never know... You should go back to sleep and rest up!"
<<1400 at your shop is fine>>
The morning passes as per usual: two motorists stranded on the 202, a car that won't start in Bellevue, and a car that had been shot into undriveability just outside Touristville. She was able to help the first three but could only recommend a junk service for the young couple that made the wrong turn. "I'll never understand that 'Oh, it can't happen to us,' attitude. Yes, it can, and will, happen to you." Once 1 oclock hits, she signs out from the dispatcher having put in a good five hours and heads back to Bellvue for a quick shower and change of clothes before repeating her trek to Ni Ni's store from 3 days ago. "Was it really only three days ago? It feels like so much has changed in my life now. So far it all seems to be for the better, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop... Hopefully I'll get paid today and that will be even better!"
-
Robin does not need much convincing and is already asleep by the time
you finish putting the toiletry articles away.
Elaine arrives home as you are leaving and gives you wishes for a good
day. "Thank you so much for what you have done for me so far. I hope
that I can make this worth something for you as well. Maybe Robin and
I can go out shopping while you are working. We'll call you."
The steps to Ni Ni's shop take you past several other shops and a
restaurant. The afternoon foot traffic is heavy with tourists coming
down for some souvenir from Chinatown that they can take home. The
girl behind the counter is talking to a customer but nods at you and
waves you through the curtain, where you are met by the small man. He
bows low to you and motions for you to follow him, taking you out to
the work room and the table. Tea is already poured and steaming in
small cups and you note that there are none of the small bowls for
anything that could polute the tea. Ni Ni comes up from behind you
and takes a seat in one of the chairs while pointing to the other.
"Good afternoon. I appreciate that you did not preface your call with
a request for additional expense money. Does that mean that you have
information I can use to determine your value to me?"
-
To Elaine, "Sure, just let me know. I'll be busy till around dinner time most likely."
"No additional expenses were incurred, so no request was needed, I mainly wanted to be sure you were serious about such an open ended assignment. I can't be positive of the assessment of value since you didn't give me anything to go on as far as what you wanted to know, but based on your business I'm guessing you're interested in The Gateway to Heaven?" The capital letters are obvious in her voice. "I'm assuming you're already aware of the minutiae of his Yakuza ties and his sham marriage?" Rose watches Ni Ni's face for any sign of reaction to her two statements.
-
The only detectable reaction you get from Ni Ni is a smile. "I am
absolutely serious about the open ended test I gave you. This is an
exercise to see how much you can provide with as little guidance as
possible. I am testing your initiative as well as the quality of the
information you provide. I will tell you that you are correct in your
assessment of where my interest is. That Howard has ties to the
Yakuza is how he has what I want and it would please me and my
superiors to take something from them without being discovered.
However, I fully respect their capabilities and their desire to punish
those who thwart their goals, and I would urge you to have the same
concerns. You are not playing with amateurs, Rachel, but very
dangerous and violent people. His sham marriage is of no concern to
me at this time, but it may be a way to get the information I need."
"What can you tell me of the Gateway to Heaven collection that Harold
has in his possession?"
-
Rose smiles back at Ni Ni, "Yes, I've gathered that Howard is both powerful and vindictive. His collection currently resides in a hidden room in his house that he keeps well secured and he rarely allows anyone into it. Additionally, there is a timing factor with the pottery as he thinks it will increase in value soon. Possibly in relation to the prophecy associated with the collection? I didn't want to spend too much time on it in case it wasn't something you were interested in."
-
Ni Ni places a credstick on the table and slides it over to you. "I
am satisfied that you have met the requirements for the first part of
our working relationship. This is payment in full plus a forty
percent bonus for the speed at which you provided the information. I
am pleased and hope that you are as well. I would like to hire you to
continue your current job, but focusing on the collection we have
mentioned and its specialized location. Are you interested?"
-
Picking up the stick from the table, "Thank you. The bonus is appreciated, and I'm pleased to conclude our first arrangement satisfactorily." Slipping the credstick into her bag, she cocks her head and considers the new request, "Potentially. What did you have in mind?" To herself, "This should be interesting. I wonder if she just wants more information or if she's expecting more of a breaking and entering type job. I need to be real careful what I agree to here..."
-
"This part of the job is more focused, but no less dangerous, and
perhaps more so. I have already contracted with another person to
take what I need, but I would like any information you can gain
regarding the physical, astral, and or matrix security systems of the
house, the room, and the collection. Also, I am somewhat concerned
about your comment that Howard expects the value to increase shortly.
Please try to find out what he means by that as it could impact on my
contractor if an unexpected time limit is to be imposed. I will pay
you twice what I just gave you for this information due to the
increased exposure and danger you may face. I will provide you with Y
10K for expenses, as you may need to hire others to assist you with
astral surveillance. Are you willing to accept my offer?"
-
"Excellent, I was afraid you were going to request I actually try and retrieve some of the pottery, and that's not where my skills lie. Subcontracting out an astral survey is no problem, but further information on security measures past the initial doorway might prove... interesting. That plus the possibly shortened time frame... 10k plus expenses sounds more reasonable to me. Especially if rumors of the value of the collection are true."
-
Ni Ni's face goes calm. "Do not put too much faith in what others value the pottery to be. It's monetary worth will shortly be decreasing significantly. The terms are agreeable. Do your best to determine the information asked." She places another credstick on the table and pushes it to you for the expense money. "Do you have any questions for me, Rachel?"
-
"Just one, do I need to watch out for the other contractor you've hired? I don't want to get it their way when they come calling. Otherwise, this is agreeable." She snags the credstick from the table and puts it with the other one.
-
Ni Ni shakes her head. "At this time the other contractor will not move on the project until you have more information. Please contact me as soon as possible once you have anything to report." Again, the man appears at your elbow as if by magic and escorts you back to the front of the shop.
-
"Well, that went about how I expected. I figured she'd want more information on the secret room, and good to know she doesn't expect me to actually steal anything. Astral is going to be annoying though..." Walking back to the car pickup point she messages Robin, <<Hey, got payment for the first job and now she wants more detailed information on that room. Were you able to get any more of a look at the matrix security on it? She's going to want an astral recon as well, you have any mage friends you want to bring in or should I reach out to one of my contacts? Either way, I'm headed back to Elaines now.>> "If she doesn't know anyone I'll have to contact Gouwei and see if he can recommend a mage." Once back in her car, she directs it back to Elaine's and sends one more message, <<Hey, Tiny, how are you stocked on Kanmushis? Could use a couple of those, software for them, and some spare parts. Oh, and some camera gear for them. Let me know.>>
-
>>You mean we actually got paid? For doing this? Wow, I could get
used to your sort of life. And, yeah, old Robin has not been
entirely lazy. I do have some information, but not enough. Got
irons in the fire, though. I am pretty sure we want to be careful,
right? Not getting caught is important. Mage, huh. Oh, hey,
remember that guy from back at April's party? What was his name?
Oh frag, I cannot remember. I can give her a call if you like. They
seemed pretty tight and she might know how to contact him. He was
talking about needing some work, but I have no idea how good he is.
Hurry back. Miss you.<<
Tiny takes only a few minutes to get back to you. >>Hey, sorry, had a
customer in when you called. Kanmushis, eh? Yeah, I got a couple and
can get more if you want to wait a couple of days. One of them is in
good condition but the other could use some work as it seems to glitch
on me. I could get a good camera in the one if you want to swing by
and wait a bit. Let me know.<<
-
<<Yup, paid with a bonus! Got rent covered plus the weekly funds we're getting from Elaine now. And yes, not getting caught is paramount. One, Howard doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would respond well to that and two, we don't want to mess up the gravy train with Elaine prematurely. Please give April a call, see what she says. At this point anyone we got would be untested, so might as well start with a friend of a friend. I'm on my way!>>
<<You know I can do the work on them, but I'd rather not start with one that's got unknown issues. How about we just do the one with my standard sensor package but replace the laser mic with a MAD sensor and do whatever you can with the cameras? And then some parts so I can customize the speed and acceleration and such. Those things are so slow by default! I wouldn't be able to come by till tomorrow though, most likely.>>
-
Tiny acknowledges the request. >>Hey, for you, anything. Swing by
any time after noon and all will be good.<<
The gate at the driveway responds to the code you enter into the pad
there and swings open, allowing you to proceed up the drive and park
in the garage. Robin is waiting for you at the door leading into the
house and she takes your hand and leans in to give you a kiss.
Stepping back she licks her lips and says, "I just wanted to do that,
just to see what it felt like to welcome you home like that." She
smiles. "Fragging amazing. Just too much. So, dinner in about an
hour. Elaine is changing. We went shopping and I think she has
changed just about her entire wardrobe. Way too many bags to put in
the car so some was delivered. Lots of cool stuff. Anyway, I have
cocktails on the patio if you are interested."
-
Rose returns the kiss and smiles broadly, "I could get used to that!" Amused, "A whole new wardrobe? What was wrong with the old one? Did you get anything fancy for yourself? And cocktails sound great!" Grabbing Robin's hand, Rose lets her lead her out to the patio. While they're walking, <<So you said you found out some information?>>
-
Robin laughs, "Nothing was wrong with her old stuff, but she said it was her old life and she was done with that. I did not want to spend our money like that without talking to you, first. She wanted to buy me everything, but I declined. I feel guilty enough as it is. What are we to do with the monster we created?"
She keeps your hand as you walk to the rear patio. A pitcher of something alcoholic and good sits on a table under an umbrella. >>I am assuming you are referring to something other than some of what I learned from how he used his mouth on me? OK. I have learned a couple of things of importance. First, there is some sort of matrix barrier at the door. Remember how I told you that this place is its own host? I meant it. Complete with a Spider and what I would assume is some wicked IC. I managed to get into the host but only as far as using common areas, such as the kitchen, swimming pool, patio, places like that. The Spider watches the rest pretty closely. I did not even try to go past it, but I am pretty sure that it is an off-site service, not a resident. Second, I did get as far as peeping in the door when Howard was coming and going. I have some pics of the security system that might help an expert determine what it is. Third, we have a potential invite to see the room in person. I guess I managed to impress him with my knowledge. I have downloaded tons of stuff and am trying to digest it all. He knows about us and wants to fuck you. I told him you were pretty much lesbo, but that only seemed to excite him more. He told me that if I could arrange it, he would take me down to see the pottery. Personally, I do not know if we need to sacrifice you on the pillar of Howard's ego to get a view of the room, but I told him I would talk to you. Oh, and he is willing to toss a few hundred our way if he can use one or both of us when he is home, which will not be until Monday night at the earliest.<<
-
"Don't think of it as creating a monster, more as liberating a prisoner." And then to herself, "And hopefully it stays that way. If she learns why we're here, I don't think that will go well..." Grabbing a glass Rose pours a drink for Robin and then one for herself. Sinking into one of the chairs, she considers what Robin said and sighs internally, "A spider is going to make this really slow, or really difficult, or both..." <<Well a spider is not good news... I guess if we get desperate I could let him sleep with me to get you into the room, but lets try other options first. Definitely not for a few hundred... If you show me the pictures I can take a look at them, but I'm not really an expert. Might be able to pass them to the client though and have her deal with them since it's what's she's interested in. My current plan was to try to get a small drone into the room though an air conditioning duct or a plumbing line, but that's going to be much harder if there's a spider watching for unfamiliar icons. I can boost the noise around the drone and the spider being remote helps, but it sounds like for safety I might need to have it go in under its own control. And that's assuming we can find some duct work that leads down there...>>
[spoiler]Checking out the pics (http://orokos.com/roll/401590): 8d6t5 3[/spoiler]
-
Robin lifts her glass in a toast. You look at the pictures of the security device that Robin sends you and you realize right away that it is a dual system, a lock that once opened reveals a second one. You are not familiar with the specific model, but someone more familiar with locks might.
>>There would need to be some vent access, right? Some way for him to breath down there? We will have a whole weekend to find it.<<
-
<<I would assume so, but we don't have unlimited time to look for it. There's apparently another contractor coming to try to steal some of the pottery at some point and Howard's comment about thembeing worth even more soon is worrying. We need to try to find out more about that too if possible
>>
When Elaine joins them on the patio Rose smiles at her, "You're looking nice, new clothes?" She grins, "Robin says you tried to buy out the entire store! Are we going to get a fashion show?"
-
Robin nods at your last text just as Elaine comes out on the patio.
She smiles back at you as she pours herself a drink then turns around
to model her new outfit. "Yes, I wanted something different to
celebrate my new life. I feel totally new inside and wanted to show
that on the outside, too. Ooooh, good drink. A couple or three of
these and the show you get will be a strip tease." She sits down in a
chair opposite you and continues, "Robin and I had a nice chat about
Howard while we were shopping. I advised her to make sure that she
does not sell herself cheaply. I happen to know that he pays his
mistresses about five hundred a week for expenses and another two
thousand a week just to be on his arm. And that is in addition to
providing them a place to live for as long as he is interested in
them. Amanda, the current one, is at almost six months, which is
about a month longer than normal. I would expect that he is already
looking around for her replacement. So the same goes for you, dear.
If he asks, I say go large and see what you can get."
She finishes off the drink and reaches to pour another but stops.
"No, I had better be careful around these. Maybe later. So what do
you girls want to do this evening?"
-
<<See, I told you he was being cheap!>>
"I don't think we had any plans. I've gotten everything done today that I needed, so just dinner and bed at some point. Would you like to do anything? You spent the afternoon out, do you want to stay in? We're your kept women now, so it's up to you!" she jokes with a smile.
-
Elaine laughs. "This is just too funny. I may be keeping you girls, but I have no idea what to do. Howard did not ever say I could not go out, but I really had no one to go out with. The other wives always seemed to pity me and I think I did not help that any. So my usual evening out was to some bar or strip club to pick up an anonymous woman to take to a motel or bring back here. I will not need to do that until you two decide to leave. And perhaps even after that. I might just keep on being free. You two have been super for me. Perhaps we could set up the trideo game stuff?"
Robin perks up a bit at that suggestion. "You should see the set up she bought. SOFA stuff. None of that skipping any more."
-
Rose's eyes light up at the thought of the upgraded game hardware, "Sure, that sounds great! Lets finish our drinks and then do that." A little while later, drinks emptied, they head back inside and go to the main living room where the boxes of new gear are set in front of the trid. "It's almost like Christmas!" she says as she helps Robin open all the gear and start assembling it. "At least we don't have to worry about hooking up wires anymore." Once everything is up and running, they all sit on the couch and turn on the game, "I've been wanting to make a Medusa, it will be neat to see all the intro levels on this setup. What do you guys want to play?"
-
All three of you get lost in setting the hardware up, you and Robin showing Elaine what to do. When it is ready, Elaine sits on the couch between you while Robin describes the various character types. Robin looks over at you, "Medusa, eh? Strong combat and some sorcery is a good choice, but I think I will stick with old tried and true. Elaine, I think you should start with the werewolf. That is a very strong basic fighter; lots of damage and it can take tones of punishment in the wolf form. You can try it and then swap to something else after you get the hang of the game. In my opinion, the werewolf is the most forgiving character for beginners." Elaine nods and you can set all the characters up before the cook comes to announce that dinner is ready.
Elaine looks happy as she stands to lead the way to the dining room. She talks about the game the entire time, asking questions.
-
Grumping to herself, "Most forgiving for beginners? What is she trying to say?!" Out loud, she defends her main character, "Don't let her deceive you, the Werewolf is actually really challenging at higher levels..." Frowning when interrupted for dinner, Rose suddenly realizes she never had lunch and is actually starving, "Oooh, dinner sounds great!" Heading to the dining room with the others, she is amused by the enthusiasm Elaine is showing. "Looks like sex and video games really is right up her alley." Dinner is plentiful and tastes better than anything Rose and Robin have had on their own in a long time. <<I could really get used to this. It's going to be weird once this job is over...>> When dinner is finished, Elaine practically bounds back to the living room and Rose and Robin quickly follow, all three of them plopping down onto the couch to get started with their new characters.
-
Several hours pass as the three of you play the game. Lots of laughter mixed with a bit of frustration makes the time pass quickly. You and Robin share stories of your earlier characters and the mistakes you made as well as the triumphs. It would seem that you have a new convert to the game, but all three of you start yawning at about one in the morning and Elaine suggests retiring to the bedroom for a different sort of game.
-
"It's already 1am and some of us worked today! I should go in tomorrow as well to get the week closed out..." Looking around at the disapointment on the faces of the other two women, she smiles and relents, "Okaaaaay, but just for a little bit." Elaine squeals and pops up, grabs Rose and Robin by the hands, and leads them back to her bedroom for some more 'games'. After about an hour of physically exhausting play to complement the mental activities of earlier, Rose makes her excuses and retires back to her room, leaving Robin and Elaine to amuse each other till the wee hours of the morning. "Obligations can be such a downer, but we need to get the bills paid..."
-
Robin enters the room a couple of minutes after you. She tosses her clothes into a hamper and crawls into bed with you, saying, "Elaine sent me in. She says that she does not want to come between us. She was fishing a toy out of a drawer as I left." She puts her arm around you and nuzzles up against your neck. "You feel nice."
In the morning, Robin asks if you want to share the shower. "And what are our plans for the day, lover?"
-
Well I should go to work today to finish out my obligation for the week, but no real plans other than that. A shower would be good though!" Hopping out of bed she strips out of her underwear and then pulls Robin behind her, hopping on one foot trying to get her own panties off, into the bathroom. Dialing up a nice hot mist, they both get into the shower and start soaping each other up. <<We need to work on getting eyes on that room and related security. I'm going to pick up some stuff while I'm out to help with that, so I'll be gone longer than I normally am when working. If you could keep poking around the edges of the matrix security here, that would be good, just be careful! Also, if you can keep an eye out for any icons that come and go regularly, especially ones that occur in multiples, that would be good.>> Robin gets really distracting at this point and it takes a good few minutes before Rose remembers the last item, <<Oh, did you get any more info on the mage?>>
-
Robin grins. >>Mmmmmmm. You have enough magic in your hands for me." She shakes her head. "Oh you mean the guy. Yeah. I sent him a text, and got an auto-reply that he was out of touch until later today. I can send a follow-up to make sure he knows we are serious. And I will continue to poke around. Carefully. Wish I knew what some old pottery so important. Someone is putting out some serious nuyen to get at it.<<
-
Rose laughs at Robin's joke and swats her on the behind, <<Stop it, this is serious!>>
<<Yeah, I agree. Hopefully we can find out more information on it as we get more details on the security. If we can find out what's so valuable about it, maybe we can get some of that for ourselves.>> After a little more fun in the shower, they finish up head back out into the bedroom to get dressed. "I wonder how late Elaine was up with her toys last night. She certainly seems to enjoy them. Once dressed, Rose says goodbye to Robin and heads out to her Bellevue house to pick up the Bulldog and check in with the roadside assistance dispatcher.
One broken axel, two empty gas tanks, and a headon collision later, Rose clocks back out shortly after lunchtime and contacts Tiny to let him know she'll be in shortly. After a quick shower to get the worst of the grease off she shows up at his shop. "Hey Tiny, you got all that stuff I asked for? I need that Kanmushi, the best maneuvering and stealth chips you've got for it, and the extra upgrade parts?"
[spoiler]Kanmushi: 1000
Speed to 3: 150
Accel to 2: 200
2 Autosofts, best rating he has up to 6: Rating * 500, Avail Rating * 2
[/spoiler]
-
Tiny responds back as you head over to his place. >>Hey, kid, yeah, I got it all for you. How much more stuff you gonna need? I got a one-time open door to a special pipeline so now is the time to give me a wish list. I will see if it is possible. 'Course it will take some serious credits.<<
-
<<What sort of timeline are we talking about here? I've always got stuff I want, but how much I can afford depends on when you need payment.>>
-
>>The door closes on Monday at noon and the seller is leaving town afterwards. Let me know what you want and I can try to get it for you and hold it a bit. Of course, that service ain't free, either, but I am sure you can understand that. But the earlier you let me know what you want, the earlier I can make the arrangements. And just because you want it does not mean he has it, got it? But there is some good military grade drek available that is almost never available.<<
-
<<Man, where do I start? High level pilots are always great. Software is probably the most interesting stuff that could be considered military grade since it's easy to hide. A Prairie Dog would be fun to play with, but hard to hide and even harder to explain. Actually, speaking of hiding, signature masking or chameleon coating equipment and materials might be the most useful in the long run, along with spoof chips, morphing license plates, and Gridlink Overrides. And you know I've been looking to upgrade my RCC for awhile now, but that's not strictly military tech and that's probably out of my price range still, unless we worked some kind of upgrade deal? Otherwise, if he's got anything that seems really interesting, let me know.>>
-
>>I do happen to know that he can get his hands on one R5 and one R6 pilot. I was thinking of you, see? Can you afford them or what? And you are right about the RCC; the kind this mook can get are priced way above you unless you suddenly inherited a ton of nuyen from a long lost aunt. I will ask about some of this other stuff for you. You could try getting a loan from someone, if you are a bit short. I know a guy for that if you are interested. Plays it hard on payments, though, so you don’t want to fall behind, but pretty fair interest rate, from what I hear.<<
-
<<Well I'm definitely interested in the pilots, although I may just have to restrict myself to the R6 depending on funds and the other items he might have. I've got a line on some money coming in fairly soon, so a loan might not be a bad idea. If you could connect me with your guy, that might be to both of our advantage.>>
-
>>Good news about the money, but no way on the direct meet. The man is scared and making his score before bugging out. You deal with me and I deal with him and that is how it works. I will see what he has on your list and get back to you. This will go down in a few days. I will let you know. You still coming by today?<<
-
<<That works fine for me, less risk all around as long as you trust him. And yeah, I'll still be in shortly, I need that Kanmushi for something I'm working on now, can't wait for your guy to get back to you.>> After a quick shower to get the worst of the grease off she shows up at his shop. "Hey Tiny, you got all that stuff I asked for? I need that Kanmushi, the best maneuvering and stealth chips you've got for it, and the extra upgrade parts?"
-
Sunday June 10 2075 Tiny's Bargain Shack
Tiny smiles and nods. "I got what you need. Come on back." He leads you to his business office and lays your purchases out for you, allowing you to examine them if you want. You are a bit surprised that he has managed to find R6 chips for the Kanmushi. Once you appear satisfied, he slides a stick reader over to you and waits for the amount to transfer. When done, he walks you back out front and says, "The man will get back to me tomorrow or Tuesday and I will get back to you."
-
"Oh great! I knew you'd be able to come through, these will make my job a lot easier, thanks." Scooping up the chips, parts, and the tiny drone, she slips them into her purse and pays Tiny. Walking back out to the front with him she responds, "Okay, just let me know. I'm pretty excited to see what he comes up with. Hopefully your other guy can extend enough of a line for me to make it worth your while." Rose says goodbye and head back out to the car and directs it back to the Bellevue house so she can customize the Kanmushi. On the way, she checks back in with Robin, <<Hey, I'm finished with work but I need to do some quick mods on a drone before I come back to Elaine's. Shouldn't take me too long. How are things going there? Elaine finally wake up? Or did she keep herself up all night with her toys?" Sitting back and relaxing for the rest of the trip, she thinks about the past few days, "Everything keeps moving so quickly. My life has changed so much in the past few days. I'm still not sure how much I should bring Robin into this. She's been really helpful but I still keep finding myself insulating her from the details of the client and such. I guess I need to figure out just how serious I want things to get with her. And Elaine for that matter. Things are not going to go well if and when she finds out everything that's been going on. We're going to need to find out some more stuff on Howard I think if we're going to free her from that marriage. But, do we want to do that...? Heh, all this talk of 'we'... seems like I've decided at least one thing!"
-
You get a pretty quick reply from Robin. >>Yeah, she woke up, alright. We went swimming in the pool and sat in the hot tub for a bit. Ooooh, it felt nice on sore muscles. Then she wanted to play. I really do not mind it because she is showing me lots, but I wish you were here, too. My research on the lock mechanism is paying off, but not necessarily in a great way. Whoever this other contractor is had better be good with security systems. This one will be tough to get past. But I think I found a vent into the place. Hurry back.<<
The Kanmushi is easy to modify with the tools and equipment you have and you are soon ready to be on your way.
-
Once Rose gets the modifications done, she sits back, satisfied with her work. <<I bet you don't mind it. You seem almost as insatiable as she does! *grinemoji* As for the other contractor, not our problem. Us providing information on the lock ends our responsibilities there. A vent access is great! Were you able to pick out some possible icons to disguise as? I'm about to head back to you.>> Hoping in the shower, she quickly rinses off then heads back to her car, "I seem to be spending more time in the shower these days, surprised I'm not turning into a prune... Although those other two make me seem like a prude!" She laughs to herself as she gets into the car and instructs it to take her back to Elaine's.
-
Sunday 10 June 2075 1500 Bellevue Home
You get back a message of one of those large emojis with a tongue sticking out at you.
Traffic is light on Sunday and you get back to Elaine's house in time for dinner. The other two seem quite happy to see you. They have done some gaming to get Elaine's confidence up a little and what to go back in as the three of you. After kicking ass for a couple of hours, Elaine begins another sort of game on the couch, alternating between both of you.
-
"We're not... going to level up... very quickly this... way" Rose manages to get out while Elaine is working on her. When she decides it's Robin's turn again, Rose gives up on the video game, not that they'd been doing anything useful for the past few minutes, and tosses the controller on the couch before pulling off Elaine's underwear, swatting her on the ass, and returning the favor. Elaine isn't the only one whose confidence in games has been boosted recently.
-
Elaine manages to get a few words out between gasps and moans, trying to explain how this is getting her up just fine. Robin moans in agreement and pretty soon the couch and the carpeted floor neat it are a tangle of naked bodies, each trying to please the both of the others. Eventually, the three of you exhaust yourselves and take a breather. Elaine, panting, says, "Wow. Ok, I am officially hooked on you two. I have not looked forward to much for years and I feel more alive now than ever before. We might only have a limited time together, but I want to make it memorable. For you as well as for me."
-
Rose pants, "Well you've definitely made it memorable. I think I've had more sex in the last few days than I normally did in a year prior to this. Both of you are bad influences!" she jokes. Getting serious for a minute, "And you know, it doesn't have to be limited, we might be able to work out a more permanent arrangement in time... This is certainly fun for the time being though." Point at Robin practically passed out on the floor, "She certainly seems to agree." Robin stirs, yawning, "Is it bedtime yet? You two are exhausting!"
-
Elaine yawns as well. "I used to be able to go for longer than this. Either I am getting older or you two are just sucking my energy out faster than I am used to. I am off to bed. Remember that Harold has some sort of skeet shooting practice in the morning, but might be home any time after that." She helps Robin stand up and kisses both of you goodnight before going upstairs to her bed.
Robin puts her arm around your waist and walks with you. "The past few days have been an eye opener. Remind me why I never tried to seduce you before?"
-
"Well, there *are* two of us..." she laughs. "Maybe we're keeping you young?" At the mention of Howard she friend, "This would he so much nicer without him around. Although I guess he is paying for it all..." Enjoying the wall back to their room, she responds, "My understanding is you were afraid of losing me as a friend. Seems kind of silly now, no?" she grins and hugs Robin.
-
Robin turns and hugs you back. "Yes, it does seem silly now. But would you have been ready for me earlier? Maybe it was just time, you know." The two of you get to your room and Robin strips off her clothes and falls into bed. "I am so exhausted. You truly are my best friend and I am very happy to be your lover. Thanks you, dear."
-
"I don't know. I was so involved with my dad's illness and then I got a little crazy once he died, so maybe not. It seems to have worked out okay though." She grins and then drops into bed next to Robin, "You make me very happy as well. These last few days have been kind of crazy, but you're definitely the best part of them. Now lets try and get some sleep!" Rolling towards Robin, she gives her a hug before sending, <<Big day tomorrow, we need to see if we can get a drone into that room! >> Rolling back, Rose closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep.
-
Monday 11 June 2075 0600 Elaine's House
You wake to find that Robin has spooned up behind you and has an arm curled around your waist, her face against the nape of your neck and her breasts pressing against your back. Part of you wonders just how you ended up here, wrapped in the arms of another woman and feeling that it is so........................right for you? After a few minutes of thinking about the day, you realize that another urge needs to be satisfied and slip from Robin's embrace to go to the bathroom. She enters the room as you are turning the water on for the shower. She comes up behind you and puts her arms around you. "Good morning. Another day, eh? You know, for the last couple of days I have been almost afraid to open my eyes in the morning, wondering if this has all been just a dream fantasy. And so far it has proven to be real. I am quite happy with you, you know. Quite happy indeed." She lets you go so that you can step into the shower while she uses the toilet before joining you under the hot water. >>I can show you the vent I found and we can try to get one of the drones in there. I have a concern that the host spider might pick it up if it goes in wireless. Can you program it to go in and look around and return?<<
-
"Nope, I'm still here, you appear to be stuck with me." Waving her arm at the opulence around them, "This seems like more of a dream to me. How did we end up staying here, and being paid to do so to boot? I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Elaine reveals this is all an elaborate set up, Howard goes into a jealous rage, who knows? I guess we just enjoy ourselves and go with it and if it turns sour, we'll handle it then..." Getting into the shower, Rose is amused at how quickly things have changed; a week ago they wouldn't have used the same bathroom together, let alone the toilet. "It seems like it's been so much longer than a week. Maybe because we'd known each other for so long before this?" She is enjoying the hot water, and Robin, when business intrudes, <<We can do it without wireless, but that's going to take time and privacy. I was thinking that we could disguise the drone as one of the other Matrix icons that are here periodically and sneak in that way. The other alternative is to slave it to your equipment and see if it can't sleaze under the spider's radar, but that would depend on how skilled you think he is? What do you think is the best way to not get caught?>>
-
>>Hmmmm. From what I gathered, the only people that come and go to that room are Howard, a couple of men he brings down once in a while, and the occasional babe he shows it off to. So I guess we have more than one way to do this. How much privacy do you need to sneak in wirelessly? I can get maybe Elaine to go back out shopping with me, if that is enough time. Sliding in under the spider? Yeah, I can maybe do that. But if I get caught, it sort of tips our hand. We can always go the Howard route, too. We already have an invite to the room if you have sex with him. Wow, listen to us. Just a couple of days back we were talking about having sex with Elaine to get access to the house and now it is sex with Howard to get access to the room. So, how do you want to approach this?<<
-
<<If you managed to get Elaine out of the house for a little, that would probably be enough. The issue is that I'll need to send the drone in, have it come back out, download what it saw, then rinse and repeat with the new information. I guess the best way to do it is to try it that way, then if it gets caught, there's no link to us. If it gets to an obstacle it can't get past on its own, then we might have to try one of the other routes. Hopefully we can resolve it with technology, but sex sure does seem to open up a lot of doors... So are you going to let Elaine buy you something this time if you go shopping?>>
-
As the two of you are drying off after the shower, Robin nods. >>Yes,
actually. Elaine was showing me some of her toys and we were talking
about me getting a couple. I could get her out of the house for that.
She does seem to know her toys and apparently has an in with a local
retailer. I am sending you the location of the vent now.<< After
dressing, you go down to breakfast and Robin asks Elaine to go
shopping with her to get something "suitable". Elaine laughs and
agrees, asking you if you want to go. She is a bit disappointed when
you indicate that you want to remain in the house today, but Robin
brightens her by suggesting they get you one as a surprise. As they
leave the house, Elaine warns you not to edge up your character in the
game, a sentiment echoed by Robin.
You are left alone in the house, except for the two maids who do the
cleaning and the cook, who disappears into the staff wing.
-
<<*More* toys? She already seems to have a never ending supply of them. What more could she want?>>
"I wouldn't even really know how to choose. You two seem to have a better idea of what would be fun to use, especially you, Elaine, so a surprise sounds like fun. I can't even imagine what you'd want that you don't already have... Have a good time though! I'm just going to relax and watch some TV. I promise I won't play the game while you're gone." Once the two of them leave, Rose goes to her bag and gets out the immobile Kanmushi drone. "Well, here goes nothing I suppose. It's a good thing I put in that speed upgrade or this would take even longer..." Running her 'jack cable to the drone, she boots it up into wireless off mode and uploads an image of the target vent. Commanding it to record a full sensory track, she directs it to enter the vent, follow it, and return once there is a fork, it ends, or it detects anything unusual, leaving it up to the pilot to determine how to evaluate 'unusual'. Releasing it onto the wall, she settles back to watch TV with an AR window up of the local Matrix activity and wait for its return. "I wonder how many trips it's going to take just to get it close to the room? I'm going to need to pay extra attention to the MAD output to watch for any odd traps or other sensors."
-
Monday 11 June 2075 0830 Elaine's House
Elaine grins. "Oh, the toys are not for me, dear, they are for you. We might get a couple of other things as well, so we ought to be back in a few hours. I hope that you are ready to play. Either game."
The tiny drone takes off and soon disappears into the vent. While you are catching up on your morning trids, one of the maids comes along to clean the room. She is pleasant enough, exchanging greetings in a foreign accent, but seems mostly there to work, not chat. The drone returns while she is still in the room.
-
"For me? Uhm... maybe I shouldn't let you two go without me." Robin laughs, "Too late! It will be more fun this way, I promise."
"Of course she decides she has to clean in here right now..." Rose leaves the maid alone in the hope that she'll finish quickly and leave but her hopes are dashed when she catches sight of the drone returning on the ceiling. "Ma'am, this is one of my favorite shows and it's getting hard to concentrate with you working in here. Would it be possible for you to come back later?"
-
The young woman looks up, a bit of confusion showing on her face. "Sorry? No. Mister Howard, he likes his cleaning just so and in such an order. I dare not do different. I will be finished here soon. Very sorry for the noise." She shrugs and continues her cleaning as your drone crawls closer and closer to you. Fortunately, she is on the other side of the room when it gets to your location and drops into your lap.
-
"Whew, that was close. I didn't even consider the he maids. I'll need to be more careful if I'm going to succeed at this..." Waiting until the maid leaves to try and be less suspicious, she finally gets a chance to plug into the drone and download the recording quickly before pocketing it again and replaying the sensor recordings while pretending to o watch the trip.
-
The video feed from the drone shows that it had little trouble navigating the narrow path, which ended at a vent into a larger room. From the slots in the vent, you can see ambient light shining on a large number of pottery vases. The angle is not the best, so you only get a small feeling for the size of the room, but you can see some of the bowls and vases on pedestals on the floor, shelves in wall niches, and in rows in curio cabinets. It appears that some of the slots might be more than large enough for the drone to go through, but it had returned as directed after hitting an obstacle.
-
Smiling to herself that the drone made it all the way to the next room, Rose relaxes a little bit. Going through the MAD output she double checks to make sure there's nothing anomalous around the vent. Increasingly confident, shes still leery of getting caught by the maid, so she takes a trip to the bathroom in order to connect to the drone and reprogram it. Commanding it to return to the vent and then move to just on the other side of it, she directs it to take detailed recordings of all the objects in the room, especially with the MAD sensor and then to return, waiting at the return vent till it sees her rub both ears. "Not going to have it come out into the room with other people here this time!"
-
Monday 11 June 2075 1130 Elaine's House
The drone disappears into the vent again and the waiting begins. The young maid comes back to the living room and up to you. "Please, Miss. Madam call to say she is out later than expected for another maybe three hours. Cook say to ask you what you eat for lunch? She has very nice roast beef for sandwiches or can make a nice salad and chicken soup?"
As she is speaking to you, you get a message in from Robin. >>Hey, lover. We got a couple of nice toys for you. Thought you might need a bit more time, so I agreed to let her buy me some clothes. We will eat lunch out and be back in a couple or three hours. You know how long it can take to try on sooooooo many outfits. Why can't we have money like this? It is just not fair.<<
-
"Salad and soup would be fine, thank you." "Once the food gets here they'll hopefully leave me alone fora bit so I'll see if the drone is ready then."
<<Great, this is taking awhile. The maid running around is making things difficult. Would you take Elaine's place in exchange for the money? That might could be arranged if so... *smirkemoji*
-
Monday 11 June 2075 1140 Elaine's House
>>Nah. Can't have the house without the money. We'd never be able to pay the upkeep. And right now I would not want any place that did not include you as part of the deal. Talk later.<<
The maid will bring you some soup and a salad on a tray then leave you alone. The food is surprisingly good. You are waiting for the drone to return to the vent exit when you hear voices in the hall. Turning, you see Howard talking to the maid. "No thanks, Conchita, I ate at the club. I am just here for an hour or two anyway." The maid curtsies and disappears as Howard turns and comes into the living room. He stops short as he notices you then comes to stand near the couch. The man oozes charm as he says, "Hello. You must be Elaine's other friend. I am her husband, Howard. How do you do?" His eyes scan your form, staying on your chest for a few seconds before rising to your face. He holds out a hand to you in greeting.
-
"Drek! I was hoping to avoid dealing with him directly. I supposed it was inevitable though. He certainly seems to be as described though..." Standing, she shakes his hand. "Yes, my name is Rachael, pleased to meet you. Thank you for letting us stay in your house and keep Elaine company. She's currently out shopping though if you were looking for her." Rose falls back on her habitual cold demeanor to cut through the charm.
-
Howard smiles, apparently unfazed by your cold demeanor. "You are quite welcome, Rachel. And. please, call me Howard while you are living here. I keep telling Elaine that she needs to get out and make friends. She is in a shell and I would be quite grateful if you helped her out of it. Stay as long as you like, please." Now that you are standing, his eyes travel up and down your body again, obviously liking what he sees. "So, I had a chance to spend a good bit of time with Robin and she told me lots about you. She said you might be as much into having fun as she is. Is that true?"
-
"Yes, she does seem to be in a bit of a rut. Seems like she's been having trouble pursuing her interests recently. Hopefully we can help her get more involved with her life." Raising her eyebrow at his appraisal, "I'm very much into having fun, but you're not really... equipped to entertain me."
-
"Hmmmm. Robin did say that might be a problem. I will say that she was of the same opinion before we started partying, but I think she changed her mind pretty quickly." His eyes are clearly oriented on your chest at this point. "Are you sure we could not come to some sort of arrangement? Is there some enticement I could offer you?"
-
"Yes, Robin always was more willing in that regard. Is she not sufficient for you?" Pointedly looking down at her own chest and then back up at Howard, "Nothing that I'm aware of, but nothing's impossible..." She shrugs. "No reason to shut him down entirely in case we do end up needing something."
-
Howard momentarily frowns, but the smile comes back quick enough. hHs eyes look at you hungrily and you know that he is mentally undressing you as he shakes his head. "One woman, or even two, could never be enough to satisfy my real needs, so I confess to being disappointed. But well enough said to keep me hoping. I am sure that you would find me very generous if you let me experience you even once, just to make sure that you could not be interested. Your friend proved very interested, indeed. I am going to be in my private office for about an hour to do some work, but I will have an hour or two to kill afterwards before I have to leave. Consider my offer and let me know if you change your mind."
-
Raising an eyebrow at his comment, Rose interrupts, "Your 'real needs'?"
"Well, you didn't really make an offer, but sure, consider it considered." Rose sits back down on the couch and turns her attention back to the trid, ignoring Howard as he goes to his office. "Well, he is certainly full of himself. Convinced he's God's gift to women, I'm sure. 'Can't be satisfied by multiple women'? More like can't be tolerated by them... Well, maybe now's chance to see what he does in that office of his. I wonder if the drone is still in there?" Giving a couple of minutes to make sure Howard isn't returning for some reason, Rose rubs her ears to see if the drone is waiting to return.
-
At your interruption, Howard nods and replies before going on. "I have an immense sexual appetite, Rachel, and have found that having only one partner limits my creativity in that regard."
"Hmmm. I guess I did fail to make an appropriate offer. Alright, here is something to consider while I am in the office. Three hundred nuyen for an hour of your time. If we prove compatible, I will provide you with a fifty percent bonus. If you agree to let me have some access to you while you stay here, I will give you the same each time. I would double the offer if you would consent to include Robin in the arrangement as well. And if you prove to be even better than I am imagining, I would consider making the base price five hundred nuyen, with all bonuses calculated from that amount. Consider the offer."
With that, he turns and goes to the hidden door, pressing some buttons and leaning forward to speak into the lock before it disengages and the door opens. He disappears inside, closing the door behind him. The drone does not emerge from the vent at your signal, so must still be cataloguing the contents of the room.
-
Maintaining a straight face while Howard recounted his offer was hard, but Rose managed to restrain her chuckle till he had left the room. "Well, I guess you don't get to stay wealthy without being cheap..." Amused, she sends a quick message to Robin to recount the details of the exchange and to let her know she's not currently considering engaging further with him. Settling back into the couch, she halfheartedly watches the trid while signalling for the drone every five minutes or so, getting increasingly worried that something might have happened to it when it actually entered the secure room.
-
Monday 11 June 2075 1400 Elaine's House
Four five minute periods go by and the drone still has not entered the room. You get a message back from Robin, though. >>No problems, dear. He has a talented tongue, but the rest of it is definitely not my style. I do think that earning upwards of 500 for an hour of fun is not all that bad. Maybe I just do not know what current rates are. But in any case, this is your call, not mine and I support you all the way.<< The drone finally emerges at the seventh signal and crawls over to you.
-
<<I guess it's just the vibe I'm getting from him. I'd have to work really hard to feign interest in doing anything with him, and it just doesn't seem worth it, especially with the money coming in from Elaine. I'm glad you had some fun with it at least.>>
Breathing a sigh of relief at the return of the drone, Rose pockets it and then after a couple of minutes heads to the bathroom again to jack in and download the recordings from it. Returning to the couch, she pretends to watch the trid while jumping to near the end of the A/V recording and checking to see what Howard is doing. "If he's doing anything interesting, I'll need to get the drone back in there ASAP. Would be really annoying if the drone left right as things were getting exciting. Assuming he's not just paying bills or something similarly boring..."
-
Your orders to the drone had been to remain just at the far side of the vent into the hidden room and scan all it could from there. From that vantage point, it had done the best its small brain could do. You have a detailed scan of the location of a large number of pieces of pottery. You can also see that there are openings to the left and right of the wall section you are on that would seem to indicate the room extends off in those directions. Toward the end of the video, you see that the scanner picked up Howard moving to an office and entering. Lights came on, but the drone did not move from its programmed location to get a better look.
-
Replaying the video again from the comfort of the couch, Rose marvels at the apparent size of the room. "I had no idea there was that much space down there. I think the girls are going to get home before I can finish this, and there's no reason to risk it with him in there without knowing more, so lets try a different tack tonight." Once the current show ends, she takes her purse and returns it to the bedroom. After programming the drone to leave the purse at 3am and return to the vent by way of the ceilings, do a circuit of the secret room's ceiling, and then come back to her purse by 6am, she leaves the purse open on a nightstand by the wall and returns to the living room. "Not much to do now other than wait for them to get home. Not sure what they have in store, but Robin sounded way too excited about it... I wonder if she's heard from that mage yet? Need to get that aspect," she chuckles to herself, "resolved as well."
-
Robin and Elaine arrive shortly after you return to the living room. They are carrying a couple of bags and both look happy. Elaine disappears up the stairs and Robin plops down on the couch. "I think you will enjoy the present she bought you." She runs a hand along your leg. "We will show it to you tonight, but only if you are a good girl." >>So what progress have you made on the real project?<<
-
"Pfft, when am I not a good girl?!" Putting her hand on top of Robin's, she pulls it further up her leg and arches her eyebrows. <<No major progress. That secret room is bigger than I thought, but no obvious internal security in the portion I could see. Howard is in there right now, so I put a hold on further exploration. The drone is already set up to map the rest of the room tonight. I didn't see any alerts or warnings though, so that's good. Have you heard from that mage yet? If he's not available I need to look elsewhere or we're going to end up possibly running out of time.>>
-
Monday 11 June 2075 1530 Elaine's House
Robin lets you move her hand and then takes it just a bit farther. Her breathing is quicker and her eyes a bit larger as she looks into yours. "You are always great and I cannot wait to get you out of these clothes." >>Good on all counts then. Glad you got some work in while I was out. I did get a note back from the guy. He said he was busy on something, but would give me a ring tonight.<<
Elaine comes down and notices where Robin has her hand as she sits down next to you and tentatively places her hand high on the other leg.
-
<<Okay, good. Really all we need him to do is scout the area for any astral security or traps. I'm not really sure what all that would entail, but that's what we'd be paying him for, right? The primary factor is not to get caught though.>> Smiling at Elaine as she enters the room, Rose asks, "How was the shopping trip?" When Elaine sits by her but still appears unsure, she's not sure what's going on, "She was the aggressive one initially, but she seems to be more and more reticent. I wonder what's going on..." Putting her hand over Elaine's, she brings it up next to Robin's, giving it a squeeze. "Do you two want to head back to the bedroom? I'd rather not be here like this when Howard reappears."
-
The relief on Elaine's face is clear. She smiles and squeezes your
hand before standing. "Yes, I would very much like to be upstairs
when Howard finishes his work. I had thought something was going on
when we got here and the normal crew of guards was not present. Sorry
to be so worried over nothing." The three of you head up to Elaine's
bedroom, where they show you the two toys they have bought for you.
The rest of the afternoon goes by in a blur of pleasure and
satisfaction. The three of you shower and dress for dinner and Elaine
reminds you that she is ready to go up a couple of levels in the game.
Once downstairs, the maid tells you that Howard has left, saying that
he may not be back until very late. She looks a bit concerned and
when asked, tells you that he had been in a great hurry and had
forgotten to close the door to his special study and she did not know
what to do.
-
Rose responds, "Oh, I didn't even notice there were no guards. Howard seemed normal when he talked to me. He propositioned me, as expected. Didn't seem like there was anything odd going on..." Following Elaine upstairs, she sends to Robin, <<Nothing seemed odd to me, but the guards not being here is weird. I thought they always followed him when he came home. Maybe I should have left the drone in there to spy on him. As long as whatever the issue is doesn't result in him removing the pottery, it doesn't really effect our job though.>> Unconcerned with Howard and content with her drone arrangements, Rose throws herself into the bedroom activities with the other two women. A little shocked by the two toys at first, she quickly accepts them and continues to enjoy herself, "I could certainly get used to this," she thinks. "I wonder how it would have gone had Robin came on to me earlier. Would it have worked out as well?"
Once they head back down for nourishment and video games, Rose is a bit worried at the maid's demeanor. "Did she find some evidence of the drones? Or see something earlier?" When the maid reveals the source of her dismay, Rose jumps on the opportunity. "Oooh, Elaine, you want to go check it out?" she asks, grinning mischievously. To the maid, "We can check and make sure nothing is amiss and then lock up after us."
-
Elaine dismisses the maid after telling her that she will take care of it then looks at you. "I don't know, actually. It isn't usual for him to do this. And it isn't usual for him to be here without his guards. They are what I would describe as the jealous type." She looks from you to the slightly open door and then back. "I suppose we could take a peak about and see if something is wrong.?"
She walks to the door and opens it, revealing a blinking green light on the security panel. "Looks like he did not even reset the alarms. Now, that is very odd. Whatever was on his mind must have been very important. So, fancy getting a better look at all the pottery?"
-
"That's odd, he didn't seem worried or in any particular hurry when he came home. Certainly had time to spare to proposition me..." Bending over to look at the panel after Elaine does, she responds, "Well I don't care much about pottery, but I think anyone would be curious about a secret room! Lead on!" Rose shoots a quick message to Robin, <<This is weird, why would he just leave like this? I didn't think I was detected but... Maybe we need to move up the timetable?>>
-
Elaine nods and pulls the door open enough to walk through it, leading the way down a carpeted hall with muted accent lights providing illumination. Robin brings up the rear. >>Just took a call from the mage. He is heading over to do a scan of some kind and will contact me again when he is closer.<< The hall has a gentle downward slope and goes for maybe fifty feet before opening into a huge underground room. There is pottery everywhere. Elaine stops just inside and shakes her head. "There certainly is more of it than when I was last down here. So, do you want to look around or look at his office, which is just over there? I am still a bit surprised that we can even get access here."
-
<<Okay, great. If he can do his part quickly, maybe we can finish this job today before whatever is bothering Howard comes to a head.>> Following Elaine down the ramp, Rose starts for a moment when she sees the full room, "This place is huge! Did he have this built himself?" Starting to wander around apparently aimlessly, she starts comparing the contents of the front area with the recording from the drone to see if anything has changed. "He really loves this stuff, huh?" Once done checking out the front, she wanders to the wings to see what was out of view of the drone previously. Once done with that, she asks, "Is the office more interesting? This is kind of boring for a secret room..." and heads towards the office.
-
As Elaine walks around she murmurs a couple of times that Howard has
really added to the collection. She points out several empty stands
and a couple of empty spaces in a display cabinet and says, "It looks
like there are only a few missing from the entire collection. This
must have cost him a great deal of money." The side wings are just
continuations of the larger room. The recording the drone made seems
to match what you are seeing. When you ask about him loving this
stuff, Elaine replies, "Oh yes. It was his passion. He was trying to
finish what his several time back grandfather had started. He often
spoke of his "perfect collection" and how it would be the only one
like it in the world."
Elaine looks a bit concerned when you go in the office but does not
stop you. The place is neat but you notice an old-style computer on
the desk that seems at odds with the modern age. More, it has been
left on and the monitor springs to life when you jiggle the mouse. A
flashing light indicates that he has a new email that has not been
downloaded yet, but the one open on the screen is enlightening.
>>Howard, I have some very bad news. It seems that the prizes
I sent you a month ago may not be genuine. I am in receipt of some
documents that would indicate that the papers of authenticity may have
been forged and the pieces themselves could be excellent fakes. The
workmanship certainly fooled me, and I assume you as well since I have
not heard from you about them before this. I know that you have
already spoken to the principals in this matter and that they have
arranged for someone to come view the pieces. I am sure that you know
what might happen if they think that you have deceived them, so is
there any way that you can put them off while I make sure of my
sources?<<
-
"Oh, these empty spots are already laid out for the missing pieces? Wow, he's really close then... Such an odd hobby." Personally uninterested in the pottery, she finishes the tour of the outer area. "Well, obviously, if he's got all the pieces then it would definitely be the only one like it in the world," she grins. Entering the office, she lets out a whistle and calls out to Robin, "Hey, come take a look at this, this guy is old school." Circling around the desk as the other two enter the office, Rose reads the email and then gasps, "Well, I know why he ran out of here so quickly, take a look."
<<Well this complicates things, this doesn't say which ones are the recent acquisitions. I wonder which one Ni Ni is interested in? Well, we're just being paid to assess the security, so it should effect us, but I doubt she's going to be pleased...>>
Once they've both had a look at the screen, "I guess he's not as close to completion as he thought. We should probably get out of here before he comes back; I don't think he's going to be in a very good mood..."
-
Robin is in the room first and almost laughs when she sees the
computer. "Old school? Dear, this man is in the dark ages. They
stopped making these a long time ago." Both of the others are left
speechless at the content of the email. >>Yep. This certainly puts a
new twist to it. Hmmm. Did your employer not indicate that the value
of the collection was soon to be less than thought? Do you think she
knew about this and was referring to it? If so, she may not be as
displeased as you are thinking.<<
Elaine nods after recovering a bit. "Yes, we should leave. And try
to leave everything as it was."
The three of you leave the hidden room and she stops to pick up a
commlink. "I should call him and let him know that we found the door
open. Just in case." She enters the code for her husband and leaves
it on speaker. "Howard, Elaine here. I am in the living room and
the door to your study is ajar."
(Silence)
"Howard?"
"Yes, Elaine, I am here. Keep quiet while I think, would you? Has
anyone been in there? Are your guests with you?"
"I do not think anyone has been in there, Howard. And, no, my friends
are upstairs."
"Good on both accounts. Just make sure that no one goes in the study,
especially those whores you brought home. The Robin one is an
adequate lay, but that Rachel just lay there like a limp noodle when I
did her this morning. You can do better than those whores, dear.
Now, here is what I want you to do. There is a panel on the inner
door. The code for this door is 2574H. Enter that and close the
inner door. The code for the outer door is 1390E. Enter that and
close the door. I will reset the codes when I get a chance. You got
that? Tell me when you have it done."
Elaine gives both of you an apologetic look as she walks to the door.
After entering the codes and closing the doors in sequence, she says,
"OK, Howard, the doors are closed."
"Good. Now listen. Something has come up and I might have to leave
for a while. A few days at most. I am expecting a visit from some
associates for Saturday coming. Please have all the guest rooms open
and aired out for them. And, for God's sake, please send your
"friends" away for the weekend. Now, I have to run. Talk to you
later."
The connection breaks and Elaine just looks at the 'link for a moment
then looks at both of you. "I do.......I cannot.........I am so sorry
that you heard that. You have to know that I do not............"
Robin goes to her and puts an arm around her shoulder. "Now, now,
Elaine. It is not pleasant to hear someone call me an adequate lay or
Rachel a limp noodle, especially when she did not have sex with him in
the first place. But both of us know that you do not think of us like
that. There is no way you could fake any of that."
-
<<I have no idea. She obviously knows more than she's saying though.>>
Standing by while Elaine calls Howard, Rose has a hard time staying quiet when he maligns Robin and outright lies about sleeping with her, but she manages. Her restraint pays off when she hears the codes to the security system and she makes sure to note them down. Once he finishes giving his orders and disconnects she comments "Wow, he really is a piece of work isn't he? Not even a thank you." Robin applies her softer touch and Rose joins them in a hug, "Don't listen to him, he's just trying to control you even more. I don't see how you put up with him."
<<Looks like as soon as we get the magic scouting report we should be able to close out this job. I'm not sure if there will be a follow up after that but I don't think we can just abandon Elaine here once we're done... What do you think?>>
-
Elaine looks up at you with tears in her eyes and shakes her head. "Yes, Howard is a real piece of work. But as for putting up with it, I never had much of an alternative. Or really anyone willing to tell me to do something about it. I suppose that is admitting that I was too stupid or cowardly to just leave."
Robin is still trying to reassure her. >>Yeah. Not sure how long to stay. But you are right about Elaine. She has played fair with us and I would feel bad if we just abandoned her here with that sleaze. And, for the record, I consider you a tremendous lover. Limp noodle my ass.<< "Hey, didn't we come down to eat and level up?"
Elaine brightens considerably and pats Robins hand. "We did, indeed. Dinner sounds great and then you two can school me some more."
-
"Well, from what you said before, it seems like he was keeping you held here pretty tightly. You just need to get out from under his thumb."
<<Well that's good to know. Really, it doesn't matter how I am as long as it's what you like. *grinemoji*>>
Rose's stomach growls and the three of them laugh as she blushes, "Yes, dinner does sound good for some reason."
While they eat, Rose sends a message to Ni Ni to keep her up to date on the situation, <<I'm almost done assessing the security, but I thought you'd like to know that Howard has been tipped off by his most recent supplier that some of his recent pottery acquisitions are fake.>>
-
Monday 11 June 2075 1853 Elaine's House
Dinner is excellent, but halfway through the meal Elaine gets an
urgent ping on her commlink. Frowning, she picks it up and reads the
message, going quite pale. "My God! He is taking everything. This
is a notification from the bank that someone, presumably Howard, is
trying to empty our joint account. Fortunately, he must have
forgotten that he needs my authorization to do that." She types into
the 'link and smiles grimly. "Well, that makes it official, I guess.
He is leaving me to hold some sort of bag and it must have something
to do with that fragging pottery and the people arriving on the
weekend. OK, done. I have just blocked access so he is not getting
the joint money, but I am pretty sure that he has already cleaned out
any private accounts he has."
She tosses the device to the table and looks up at you both, smiling
tentatively. "Well. Any ideas here? I still have access to some
personal money, but I am sure that he will be freezing the joint
accounts like I just did, so the majority of my assets are
unavailable."
At about this time, you get a response from Ni Ni. >>Bad news travels
quickly. So sad for Howard. This does not change our arrangement,
but it does now impose a timeline. If you can get the access codes to
the hidden room I will grant you a Y 10K bonus, but it looks like your
window to do that closes no later than Wednesday afternoon. I will
send the other operative in on Wednesday night, with or without the
codes.<<
-
"Sounds like it might be time to have a pottery yard sale?" Rose asks half-jokingly. "If he's trying to pin something on you, we should probably figure out what that is before it happens... and none of us should be here by the weekend I don't think. You said you don't have anywhere to go, right Elaine?"
<<I can give you the codes to the room now, and might even be able to facilitate the operative further, however it seems like Howard is panicking and I'd prefer not to get caught in any fallout. Do you have any information on what he might be doing in reaction to that news? I can tell you that he has previously scheduled visitors coming this weekend that appear to be putting a hard deadline on things and it looks like he's attempting to relocate his legitimate assets.>> To herself, "Ni Ni seems to have a fairly wide sphere of influence. Tipping my hand to her now might help us get out of the immediate situation, and should definitely help build trust for future dealings."
-
Elaine looks thoughtful. "He has always told me that some of the pieces are very valuable by themselves, but that the value of the entire collection would dwarf the individual parts. There is probably some guide, but I would need help selling it off and really do not know anyone. And it probably would take longer than this weekend, would you not think? And why do you think I should not be here this weekend, anyway?"
>>Excellent news about the codes. I will contact the operative and see if the date can be moved earlier. Please send the codes to me. Do you have a feeling for any astral security?<<
-
"Yeah , and we don't even know which of them are the fake ones." Rose looks at Elaine a little puzzled, "You said he was trying to leave you holding the bag come thus weekend and I figured you wouldn't want to be here for that?"
<<The codes are 1390E and 2574H. I won't know about the astral until later today. Do you have any knowledge of what Howard is doing now that he's panicking?"
-
Elaine seems lost in thought. "Yes. I am sure that you are right. It is only that I do not have any other place to go to. I suppose that I could stay at a hotel or something. I do have some funds of my own, but they will not be enough to keep this place up. Actually, I do not really know if I would want to. Lots of sadness here, you know. I have only really felt alive and happy for the past few days. I think I ought to let the staff know as well, do you think?"
>>I will get people on digging up anything on what Howard is doing. It would appear that he is afraid of what the people might find out this weekend. You will let me know what you can about the astral situation when you know anything, yes?<<
-
"Well, why don't you pack as if you're not going to come back and then we can figure out what you should do from there? You probably shouldn't say anything to the staff yet though in case they report back to Howard..."
<<What do you think? Should we let her crash at our place while we figure out what she's going to do? And any word back from the mage? I'd like to have this job closed out before we leave and potentially lose access.>>
-
Elaine nods. "I can do that. I do worry about not telling the staff. If you think these men might hurt me, I do not want them to hurt my staff, either. I have to tell them something."
>>I have heard from him. He is in the area and is doing something and says he will report to us within a couple of hours. I gather we are going to stay the night? If so, we should try to act normally, just in case some of the staff do report to Howard.<<
Robin smiles and says, "It would be smart to pack, but I think we need to spend the night and act as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Rachel and I would like to invite you to our place for a few days. It is not nearly as nice as here, but it does have a room you can use while we figure out if a hotel is a better choice."
-
"Okay, I guess we should stay tonight, but be ready to leave if we need to. There's almost a week till whoever it is is supposed to come, but I don't trust Howard. Once we're actually gone, then I think it would be safe to tell the staff. If we go tomorrow that still gives them a couple days to do whatever they need to."
<<Let me know as soon as he reports in. When we do leave tomorrow it might be prudent to ransack his office for information in case he tries to come after us or Elaine once this pottery deal concludes.>>
Making an effort to calm down a bit in the face of the comments from Elaine and Robin, Rose stops trying to get them to leave immediately. "Once we get packed, I think there's some levels calling our name," she grins.
-
The others agree and all three of you go up to pack. When you have your clothes in the bags you brought them in, Robin opens a small store bag and holds up a slinky negligee. "I got this for you to wear. Don't know if you would like something like this, but I think it will look great on you, and even better pooled on the floor at your feet. Would you want to wear it tonight?"
-
Returning to her room with Robin to pack, Rose gets everything ready to go but takes care to leave her purse open so the Kanmushi can still carry out the final inventory of the hidden room. Gasping a bit in surprise when Robin holds up the garment, she expresses her dismay, "That's too small, isn't it? It's not going to cover anything! Why not just have me go naked?!"
-
"Because taking it off you is part of the fun. You will look great in this. And out of it. Now, let's go do some levelling and get our minds off this crap for an hour or two."
-
"Well if this is going to be our last night here, might as well make it memorable. Both of them keep trying to get me to do more stuff, so lets see if I can surprise them. Hopefully the staff is all done for the night now..." Telling Robin to go on ahead while she finishes arranging her things, Rose waits for her to leave the room and then tentatively strips down and puts on the negligee. Looking at herself in the mirror, she can see why Robin would buy it for her. although it doesn't hide much, what it does conceal creates an aura of mystery that makes the whole effect more enticing. Grinning to herself she heads out into the hall but as she approaches the trid room her nervousness sets back in. Taking a deep breath, she steels herself and walks through the doorway, heading to the couch without looking at either Robin or Elaine, and carefully sitting down on the couch to avoid actually exposing anything. Picking up the controller she activates her character and then, after the other two don't shortly follow suit, asks, "What? Lets go."
-
Monday 11 June 2075 2000 Elaine's House
The other two do not immediately respond then Robin almost whispers, "Well, that is not exactly what I meant, dear, but I think that you can agree that it is perfect for you. What do you think, Elaine?"
"My God! It is just too perfect." She carefully puts her controller down and reaches a hand over to stroke your side. Placing a hand on your face, she turns your head to face her and kisses you. "I have quite forgotten what it was were going to do."
Robin gives some sort of throaty comment of agreement as she reaches over and removes the controller from your hands. She begins to touch you and not even your steel resolve can resist the two of them. The pace of love making tonight is slow and passionate rather than all motion and frenzy, but it is nice nevertheless.
-
Rose tries to maintain the show of being interested in the game but the attentions of the two other women quickly overwhelm her resolve. The next few hours are a nice break from having to worry about how the current situation is going to resolve and they eventually all end up in Elaine's bedroom, exhausted. Rose's last thoughts before drifting off to sleep were about how she was going to explain the truth to Elaine.
Waking up in the morning, Rose is immediately back in business mode. She checks for any updates from Ni Ni and then nudges Robin and messages her, <<Any word from the mage?>>
-
Tuesday 12 June 2075 0430 Elaine's House
>>Ugh. How can you be awake so early? I am still feeling everything we did last night. Let me look.........................yes, he left a note. No astral security that he can detect and he included a link to send his money for the job. So, what, when, and how do we tell Elaine anything? I rather like her as a person and certainly like having sex with her. I will feel such a heel if we just continue to lie to her until it is too late and she finds out on her own. Ideas?<<
-
<<Too much to worry about to sleep in. Good news about the lack of astral security. How much did you agree to pay him? As for Elaine, I'm thinking that when we leave here I'll give her the truth in the car. That way if it goes poorly we can drop her off wherever she wants before showing her our house in case she ends up getting vindictive. How does that sound?>> She also shoots a message to Ni Ni with the update, <<No apparent astral security. Your contractor shouldn't have any issues.>>
-
Robin lifts her head so that you can see her nod, then she scoots in closer to Elaine and begins kissing her awake, to which Elaine responds. The two of them begin touching and kissing and Elaine moves an arm to include you and pulls you in close if you like.
Surprisingly, or maybe not so, Ni Ni seems to be awake and alert. >>Fantastic news. I will pass that on and move the timetable to tonight. What are your plans for extricating yourself?<<
-
Before joining the activities of the other two, Rose quickly responds to No Ni, <<I'm going to drive away? Is there something I'm missing? The house should be totally vacant tonight unless Howard returns.>>
-
>>I was just hoping you had a plan. Come see me tomorrow if you can. I will have your payment ready, plus a good bonus for a job well done. My best time will be at 1400.<<
A couple of hours will pass pleasantly. OK, more than just pleasantly. Afterwards, the three of you shower and dress before going down to eat. Elaine stops in the living room and looks around. She finally shakes her head and motions at the furnishings.. "You know, I was wondering if I could really leave all of this. The furnishings, the house, the money. But I see no problem leaving. It was all a sham. Sham marriage, sham life, sham friends. Well, at least until you two. I know that we have not really spent the whole week together, but I want to pay you anyway. I want us to part as friends and want you to know that these have been the best days of my life." She raises her hands. "I don't want to hear anything about how you are only doing it for the money, because I don't really think you are. Or at least not anymore. So, I have no car and could use a lift. If you really meant it, I could use a couple of days at your place to get my head used to the fact of being alone and then I promise to let you have your lives back. What do you say?"
-
"Hurm, what is it Ni Ni thinks she knows that I don't? I guess we'll have to deal with anything stopping us from leaving when it comes. Maybe I'll take some precautions just in case..."
Gathered with the others in the living room, Rose sees her opening to start revealing the truth to Elaine, "You can never really be sure of anything, but this last week with you has been truly great. You're certainly welcome at our place for as long as you want, but there's some things we need to discuss in the car before that." Motioning towards the dining room, "Until then, lets enjoy one more meal here before we vacate, and then you can fill the staff in on what's going on."
Once they sit down to the meal and the staff has left the room, Rose brings up the office, "I'm not sure what Howard is doing now, but you've said before that he was powerful and unwilling to let you go. I'm thinking we might need some leverage against him in the future if he comes after you, and the information on his computer seems open for us to take currently. I'd like to go back to the office before we leave and do that. Any objections Elaine? I'm not sure how you'd feel about effectively stealing from him and not just leaving..."
-
Elaine grins. "Frag no, I don't mind. Let's go see what he has left behind that we can use." Conspiratorially, she leads the way back to the hidden door. She turns to you and asks for the first code and enters it after you give it to her. The second door follows and she enters the hallway leading to the display room and the office. She motions to the desk and says, "Help yourself. I am useless with modern ones and this thing is way beyond me."
The ancient computer is still on and the screen immediately lights up when you move the mouse. It takes some time to work out how to navigate through the system.
[spoiler]What are you looking for?
-
Rose sits at the desk and, after a few false starts, begins to flip through the files on the ancient computer while talking to the other women. "Hopefully we can find something blackmail worthy should he try to come after you. Some records he has of his dealings with the Yakuza that he wouldn't want to come to light. Or maybe something that would get him further in hot water with the people coming this Saturday that he seems worried about. We could just take the computer, but that would probably be inviting trouble you don't want. You just need him coming after you to be more effort than it's worth.
-
None of the files on this computer seem to have much at all to do with his employer, except for a few mentions of him investing in the purchase of a number of the pottery pieces. Everything seems to be information on what the pieces are and where they were picked up. Some of the dates would seem to confirm Elaine's story that Howard's family has been working on the collection for several generations. You do hit paydata in two of the files. The first is a listing of the current market value of each piece, along with its provenance. The second is some email traffic that would indicate that his direct employer had fronted a significant sum for the purchase of a set of five pieces from one collector. The final part of the email chain mentions that a team of experts would be coming by the house on Saturday, 16 June, to examine the pieces.
Robin whistles. "OK, now we know who is coming and why Howard took a bunk. I bet these are the forgeries Howard was told about and he is afraid that he will be help responsible for purchasing them with someone else's money, to whit the Yak boss. I would think he is rightly concerned that his employer will want an accounting and will you just look at the sum forked over for the fakes."
-
Flipping through the assorted folders with increasing annoyance, Rose finally sighs and sits back, "He really did seem to only care about this pottery. There's virtually nothing we can use long term here! If we wanted to get him in to trouble immediatly we could report this to his boss, but that would likely make him more vindictive, which would be bad. In that same vein, I don't think we want to take any of the pieces, although the money would be nice. Fencing them would just be too difficult." She records the pricing data in order to match it up with the catalog from the drone later, just in case it becomes relevant, and then stands up. "Doesn't seem like there's anything more for us to do here. Are you guys ready to leave? Do you want to meet with the staff before we do that, Elaine?"
-
Tuesday 12 June 2075 1430 Elaine's House
Elaine nods. "I have been thinking about that. Wouldn't running away just let the Yaks think that I am complicit in what Howard is doing? Most of them think of me as a nonentity already, but running might get them looking for me........and you. No, I think I will let the staff off for the weekend and tell them to call before coming back, just in case. But I will stay. I will not pressure either of you to remain." She looks at the two of you and leads the way back to the living room after you have everything you need.
-
"Well this just got awkward..." Following Elaine to the living room, Rose considers how to handle this, "We could just bail out now with the job done and never see her again, but I don't think Robin would be very happy about that and I'm not sure I would be either. On the other hand, hanging around here is risky, but where there's money there's always opportunity to acquire some, and there's certainly money here. Might even be able to turn it into further jobs for Ni Ni... But the longer we stay, the more likely we are to get caught..." Making a decision, she messages Robin, <<I'm thinking that I don't want to just abandon Elaine here, especially if anything bad happens to her as some side effect of the job we're facilitating. I also don't want to have the truth of our engagement here come out by surprise though. What do you think about taking her for a ride, with our bags in the car, and telling her the truth and seeing what she wants to do at that point? Once she knows everything that removes some of the risk of staying here, and if she wants us out of her life at that point we can just drop her off and be gone. How does that sound to you?>> Figuring that Robin will go along with it, she connects to the Americar at home and has it start heading their way.
Talking to the car drone reminds her of something else and she fires off another quick message, <<Hey Tiny, haven't heard from you. Everything going okay with our deal?>>
-
Robyn nods at you as you walk up the ramp behind Elaine. Once back into the living room, the door is shut and secured by the codes and Elaine turns to both of you. You two are certainly very quiet. Now, don't either of you worry about me. This is my house and it will be expected that I be here. It will be strange enough that Howard is not here, but I do not need these people angry at me as well. It is pretty common knowledge that Howard does not share his secrets with me, so I should be alright. So you two can just plan on disappearing if you think that is the best option for you. Could be more fun if you stayed behind, though I am not going to push you for either course of action."
-
"Okay, well, we still need to have that talk I mentioned. I have a car coming now and once it's here Robin and I can pack up and then we can all go for a drive. We'd love to stay with you, but at that point you'll need to decide if you want us here or not. Until then, how about some games to lighten the mood?" Smiling, she snags one of the controllers and tosses it to Elaine.
-
Elaine smiles and snatches the controller from the air. The three of you get some good playing in before the car signals that it is at the gate and needs the code to enter. Elaine gets up and enters it in the security console as Robin packs the controllers away. She looks over at Elaine and says, "You are getting very good at this, Elaine. I think that the three of us make a good team. And I mean both in the game and out." Elaine blushes and nods in agreement.
The three of you go to the car and once away from the house, Elaine looks at you expectantly.
-
Walking with Elaine out to the car, Rose opens the passenger side back door for her to sit next to Robin before loading their luggage in the trunk and then heading to the front and getting in the driver's seat, swiveling it around to face the back as the steering wheel retracts. She grins at the slight surprise on Elaine's face, "I've made a few modifications. It seems silly to have everyone facing forward when we hardly ever actually drive anymore." As the car pulls away from the house Rose offers the other two a drink before getting a glass of water for herself and sitting back, a serious expression descending on her face. Commanding the car not to release Elaine's seat belt, just in case, she starts into her explanation.
"So, I'm afraid this is going to sound like a bad romcom trid show, but I'm also a little hopeful since those always work out in the end. Meeting you at the club last week was no accident, I was actually there for the express purpose of meeting you." Holding up a hand, she forestalls Elaine's comment, "Just let me finish and then you can ask questions. I was actually hired to find out information on the pottery collection your husband has and you were initially just a means to an end. I was at the club in the hopes that you'd take me home and I'd get access that way. That plan obviously worked, but as time passed I actually started to really enjoy our time together. We both have. That job ended and for the last few days we've been with you just because we wanted to be, not because of work or because you were paying us. Now, it's up to you if you'd like to spend any more time with us. We can drop you back off at Howard's house, or anywhere you want, really, if you'd like us to go. Or we can all go back together. Either way, any help you need for dealing with the Yakuza or just getting away from Howard, you just have to ask, and we'll do what we can. I'd say I wish we'd met under better circumstances, but then we might not have met at all... So, what are you thinking?"
-
Tuesday 12 June 2075 1513 Rachel's Car
Elaine is smiling tentatively as you get started, but her face goes quite pale as you tell your tale. She closes her eyes and tears fall down her face as she alternately shakes and nods her head. She seems much sadder by the time you finish and remains quiet for some time as you drive around. Finally, she takes a deep breath and opens her eyes. "I had been hoping, but I guess the old adage is still true; if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. You had me. I guess I wanted it to be real." She sits back in the seat. "You got anything harder than water there? If not, can you atop at a bar? I think I need something to drink. I cannot give an answer just yet, girls, I need to think."
-
Rose flips down the beverage panel and puts together a gin and tonic, handing it to Elaine. "Just because it wasn't real at the start doesn't mean it didn't become real. We're still here..." They drive in silence for a minute. "Do you want us to drop you by your house to think?"
-
Elaine shakes her head. "No, I can think well enough here. So it was the pottery you were after? Looking at things from this perspective, I guess I should have tumbled to that earlier, what with some of the questions and interest in Howard's study. But by that time, I was too......................too well fooled." She finishes the drink and holds the glass out for another. "So, what is to happen now? You said your job was over and that you were staying to be with me. Was that because of the money or something else?"
-
"Well the initial job was to investigate Howard in general, but then that developed into finding out more about the pottery. I'm still not sure why everyone is so interested in it, but that was the job, so we did it. By the time we were actually getting access to his study the two of us had already been discussing how to help you out of this situation for days. We've truly enjoyed our time with you and would like to spend more. If you're committed to staying through the weekend, we'd be happy to stay with you. And while the money is nice, obviously, since that's how we got here, we'd stay without it at this point, right Robin?"
-
Robin starts to reach out and touch Elaine, but draws her arm back. Her voice is a bit more sad than your is. "Oh, Elaine. Yes, it is because of you. If it wasn't, we would have just left without telling you. We would both like to stay with you and frag the money. Things got more involved every day and I was feeling so guilty. I.....I....."
She shuts down for a couple of minutes and Elaine looks over at her then at you and shakes her head. "OK. Frag it. Let's just go back to the house and fuck each other silly. You might want to tell your employer that you have spilled the beans, but I see no reason to hide. And I really think that leaving just opens the door to these Yaks to think I was involved and come gunning for me. As it is, they may still feel a need to clean house, but it has long been apparent to everyone that Howard does not include me in any dealings of any sort. I want to be there to show them that I know nothing about what happened. So, I guess just take me home and you two can stay if you want to."
-
"Are you sure? We don't want to force you to do anything..." When Elaine nods, Rose tells the car to return to Elaine's and continues, "Okay then, lets head home! But I don't think I'll be telling our employer anything. The job is done, and you knowing about it shouldn't change anything. It might be best that we do as Howard said though and be gone on Saturday, just so we don't bring any suspicion down on you." Rose then sends Robin a message to catch her up on her thinking, <<Well that worked out about as well as could be expected! I'm glad she's starting to accept it; you sounded so forlorn. I don't think there's any need to mention the upcoming theft. We're not actually involved and, assuming the thief is at all competent, she shouldn't even be aware it happened.>>
-
Tuesday 12 June 2075 1600 Rachel's Car
>>I agree with everything. I was feeling so bad about what she might think of us. Maybe I am not cut out to be a cold-hearted shadow runner. But I noticed your lip trembled a bit, too.<<
Elaine nods at your call to be gone for the weekend. "I will try to send you messages as things happen."
You also get a reply back from Tiny as you are driving back to the house. >>Hey, Rach. Never forget about you. You know you are my favorite customer, right? Anyway, the guy is on a timetable, but he says he can get you one R6 pilot. It will be about time and a half for cost, though. Let me know if you need me to put you in touch with a good loan guy. Not too harsh on the interest and easy terms.<<
-
<<I was just worried about losing our 4k a week!>>
"Hopefully it will be uneventful, but we'll stay close in case anything happens and you need help. But we've got 4 days till we have to worry about that. I know what your plans are for tonight," she winks, trying to get a smile from Elaine, "and I've got to meet our employer tomorrow to get paid, but other than that, the rest of the week is yours!"
As they're pulling in to the drive at Elaine's, Rose responds to Tiny, "Ouch, 50% markup? I guess I can handle that for the pilot... I'll definitely need a loan though... Is this the same money man you were going to deal with before? Did the guy say anything about the rest of my shopping list? And thanks again, btw!>>
-
Tuesday 12 June 2075 1620 Elaine's House
>>Yeah, right.<<
Elaine helps you carry your bags back into the house and up the stairs, but will leave you to unpack. {color=blue]"I am going down to explain to all of the staff that it looks like Howard has left me but that I should be able to cover all wages and maintenance costs for a few months, but they might want to begin looking for other employment. But who knows, if he is really gone somewhere, I can try to sell off some of that fragging pottery and keep us going for a while."
She leaves you alone to unpack.
-
While Robin starts to unpack, Rose walks over and touches her on the shoulder, "You're sure this is what you want to be doing now? This might be our last chance to cut and run before things get potentially more complicated. It sounds like Elaine will be able to manage fine without us for a decent while..." Anticipating her response, Rose smiles and moves to start unpacking her own bags. "At least we'll have plenty of opportunity to level up our new character here!" <<I'm supposed to check in with Ni Ni tomorrow to get paid. Speaking of, I need to know how much money to send to your mage. Did you guys agree on a fee, or was this a 'pay what you think it's worth' situation?>> Once they've finished unpacking, "We should go check on her, she should be done with the staff by now..."
-
Robin smiles at you and seems a bit relieved. "Yeah. I think it is
the right thing to do. >>I don't know if she will be able to keep the
payments coming, but any should help. And we owe 2000 for the astral
scan. He gave us a discount for being a friend of a friend.<<
As you descend to the living room you notice that the lights are off
and you can hear Elaine softly crying from the couch. She looks up as
you walk over and wipes her face. "They are all leaving. All of
them. I told them that Howard was leaving me and that I would have to
look at the wages I was paying and they all turned in their notice on
the spot. It was a bit comical in a way, you know. Like rats leaving
a sinking ship. Wanda, the cook, said that she would stay for the two
weeks, but the others are leaving on Friday. Do you know anyone that
can do housework that does not charge an arm and a leg?" She shakes
her head and presses a button on the console next to her and the
lights pop on. "I guess I should feel lucky that I have anything.
There is enough money in the bank to pay for the basics, and some
residuals from a small trust fund set up by my parents to make sure I
had some money. So, I should quit whining at get cracking on kicking
ass in the game. Boy, I feel like I need to kill something. Weren't
we going after that Samedi twerp and his legion of undead?"
-
<<2000? For an hours work? I'd hate to know what he charges normal people...>> Rose transfers the money to the account Robin gave her.
When Elaine tells them about the staff all leaving, Rose shakes her head, "There's no real loyalty anymore. I remember that happened when we lost our money as well. Although it didn't sound like Howard was one to inspire much loyalty anyway, but you'd think they'd stay for you..." Sitting down next to her, she continues, "Maybe it's time to let go of the house as well. There's no reason to stay here after this weekend, is there?" Giving her a hug, Rose stands back up and snags two of the controllers, tossing one to Elaine, "Come on Robin, the Baron needs to be taught a lesson!"
-
>>Yeah, we are definitely in the wrong business, but then neither of us are awakened. We would be singing a different tune if there had been some astral security here.<<
Elaine nods then shakes her head. "I understand entirely and I have no real love for this house. I could sell up in a quick minute, but I am thinking it might not all be bad luck. If Howard is leaving me, I might be able to sell off his damned pottery collection. I imagine his Yak boss will want something to cover the money Howard lost, but maybe someone will buy the rest of it. You know anyone that might deal in antique Chinese pottery? If not, there must be someone we can talk to. I would be willing to go 20-20-60 on what we can make from the sale."
Robin looks at you then back at Elaine. "And what did that list say the stuff is worth?"
Elaine smiles. "About thirty million. I expect, though, that even if we would have to take a large loss, we will get a good bit." She grabs up the controller tossed at her and says, "Yes! Time to show that nasty Baron Howard Samedi that he can't mess with us."
-
"I might be able to find people wanting to buy through the person that was employing us, but we shouldn't count our chickens until after whatever happens on Saturday... happens. Who knows what the Yakuza will do? Even at 10% though, that would still be a decent bit of nuyen. You could set yourself up in a business if you wanted to!" Rose picks up her own controller and gets down to the serious business of putting Baron Samedi down for the count. She makes sure to let Elaine get most of kill shots and the final loot at the end though, trying to keep her mind off of the events of the day for awhile.
-
Your tactic seems to work as Elaine throws herself into the game, seeming to forget her problems as she pursues the dark Baron Samedi. The final battle is tough for your levels, but you manage to put the guy back into the evil pit he came from and end the chapter. Some whooping and cheers as the last minion falls and laughter all around. Elaine looks at both of you and says, "Thanks a lot, you two. I had fun. Whatever comes of this, you guys have helped me. A lot. Now, what would you say to retiring for the night and letting me show you how much I appreciate you?"
-
"Now that's the Elaine we know!" Rose grins and hops off the couch and points towards the bedroom, "What are you waiting for?" Shooing the other 2 in front of her she follows them down the hall. When they're passing her and Robin's bedroom she stops and says, "I need to freshen up real quick, you two go ahead and I'll be right there." Ducking into the room, she hurries to her purse and pulls out the Kanmushi. Quickly programming it to return to the secret room and to record the activities of any people that enter, she then uses the restroom quickly and rejoins the other two in Elaine's room. "Wow, you two didn't waste any time," she says upon seeing them fully naked and entwined on the bed. Stripping off her own clothes into a pile she jumps on the bed to join them.
-
Tuesday 12 June 2075 2130 Elaine's House
What follows could easily be considered to be more than XXX rated and the complete description is better left to the imagination. Suffice it to say that after a couple of hours the three of you are left panting and sweating, too exhausted to move from the bed. After a few sighs of contentment, all of you pass out in a slumber that is uninterrupted until 0600. While enjoying a shower of unlimited hot water, you review the feed from the drone. You can see a figure entering the coverage of the drone's camera, but it is a bit blurry and indistinct as it makes its way directly to the office. The light turns on and you can make out the form bent over the old computer then straightening after precisely 4.39 minutes. The figure leaves the office and turns out the light there, walking with a purpose to one of the display cases and making short work of the lock, opening the glass door in exactly 9.6 seconds. A hand hovers over a small pottery bowl then plucks it up and turns it over to look at the bottom before slipping a duplicate from a small sack and replacing it for the original on the shelf. Closing the cabinet door, the figure steps back and appears to be studying the case then turns and leaves the room in a somewhat anticlimactic end to the theft. The thief had been in the room a total of 8.68 minutes.
-
Mentally and physically refreshed, Rose enjoys her time in the shower while she considers the video from the drone. I wonder why that particular one was the one she wanted? At least they put in a fake so I don't have to worry about explaining to Elaine why one is missing." She reviews her memory of the pricing sheet to see what the value on that particular piece was. "They were definitely professional; I wonder what they were doing to blur the camera? Oh well, doesn't really matter, I just wanted to make sure I knew what they took." Eventually finishing up her shower, Rose towels off and returns to the bedroom to get dressed. Once prepared to face the day, she goes back to the living room and turns on the trid to wait for the others. "I wonder if Ni Ni is up yet?" Returning her message, she sends, <<Just returning your message. 1400 is fine today; I'll be there. I assume last night was a success?>>
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 0645 Elaine's House
If you recall correctly, the piece in question was of relatively low worth compared to many of the rest. It's value of 15,ooo nuyen puts it well down on the list. Again, despite the hour, the response from Ni Ni is swift. >>Thank you, Rachel. I will be expecting you. And, yes, last night went as it should have. I have been impressed with your skills so far and may have an offer for you if you wish to assist in the next phase.<<
Elaine comes down the stairs, followed by Robin. "So which boss is next? That is the right word, right? Boss?"
Robin laughs and hugs you. "We may have created a monster in more ways than one, dear. But yes, Elaine, that is the correct word. And I think the next set of adventures involve the Gorgon League and the boss is a tough Medusa who is being courted by Lord Merde, who is someone you will see lots of times. He is always at the back of the show, just escaping as he tosses a minion at you. He is one of the main bosses on the game and you will not get a real chance to kill him for quite some time."
-
"That's odd, I wonder why she would care about that particular piece? Oh well, can't ask her without revealing what I know." <<Okay, we can discuss it this afternoon.>> "Or maybe she'll tell me as part of the 'next phase'..." she grins to herself.
When the other two appear she shakes her head at Robin, Why so many spoilers? Let her find things out herself!" Patting the couch on either side of her, "I've got to go meet the client at 2 but we've got lots of time to play till then."
[spoiler]Miss Coulter is in the other thread. ;)[/spoiler]
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 0800 Elaine's House
Elaine's skill at the game is improving and she seems to have a lot of fun with you. Just before 0800, the cook comes in to say that breakfast is ready in the dining room and Elaine smiles and thanks her, before setting her controller aside and standing up. As you all head to the dining room, she says, "So you are going to meet your employer this afternoon? I hope that the meeting goes well. I wonder what the interest is in the pottery besides its monetary value. Hmmmm. Will you be gone long enough for me to go get some shopping done?"
-
"Im curious about that as well. I've been trying to get more info out of her but she's been cagey about it. Hopefully she trusts me more now, but we'll see. You should have plenty of time for shopping, I might need to run some errands myself as well." "Maybe I'll stop by Tiny's and see how that order is going..."
-
The conversation at breakfast is mostly about the different tactics needed for different characters to do well in the game. Near the end of the meal, Elaine gets a call on her 'link and you receive one on yours. >>Rachel. Ni Ni here. I have an update on Howard that I thought you might want to have before our meeting this afternoon. He was seen at the airport in the international concourse, but has since left to return to the city somewhere. My operative at the airport was not able to follow him, so I do not know if he is headed back to his house or to someplace different. I have good reason to believe that his employer is looking for him and is a bit upset at something. Perhaps he also received a note about the fakes. In any case, please be cautious.<<
Elaine laughs out loud as she places the commlink on the table. "Howard is pissed. He asked if I had placed some sort of hold on the joint account and seemed surprised to find that I had. He told me to lift the hold and I refused. He sounded downright angry and almost apoplectic. He said that he needs that money for a stake in another country and will send for me when he is settled. I told him I would think about it. He then said he needs some of his things but does not want to come by the house to get them. He ill send me a message in a couple of hours to let me know where to take them. I have no intention of lifting the hold on the account as I do not trust him to send for me, but what do you think I should do about the things he wants?"
-
<<Ah, that is good to know. Thank you.>>
Smiling as Elaine recounts Howard's troubles, Rose responds, "Well, did he say what it was he wanted? If it's something innocuous I have no problem arranging for a vehicle to deliver it to him if it means we don't have to deal with him here. If it's more complicated than just clothes and such, well, then I'm not sure. Either way, giving him access back to the money without some sort of assurances for your future seems like a bad idea..."
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 0810 Elaine's House
Robin nods in agreement and so does Elaine. "Oh, yes dear. I have no intention of lifting the hold on the account at this time. There has never been much love between Hoard and me, but even less now. I have a strong feeling that he is planning on leaving the country and was hoping to take as much money with him as possible. But the things he asked for are simple enough; clothes, a razor, some other toiletries. He did ask for one odd thing, though. There is a porcelain bank in the storage room downstairs. We got it on our honeymoon. It caught our attention as something to symbolize our union. We put a few nuyen and some of the local scrip in it as a sort of seed for our future. Some future, eh? Anyway, he lost interest in it about a year after we were married and had it moved to the storage room on the pool level. Never wanted it since so I cannot think why he would want it now."
-
"Porcelain is a little too close to pottery for my tastes. Howard doesn't strike me as a sentimental guy, so why would he suddenly be interested in this now? Maybe we should take a look at it and see if he's stashed anything inside in the interim?" Rose finishes off the the crepe on her plate and wipes her mouth. "We've got some time before he calls back for an answer, right?"
-
After everyone is finished with breakfast, Elaine leads the way to the lower level. The pool is inviting, as is the hot tub bubbling away near it, but she walks to a door in the side of the room, which opens on a large storage space. A number of things line shelves or are stacked in orderly piles against a wall. Elaine stands in the center of the room for a bit, trying to remember where the bank is, then smiles as she moves to a chest near the fall wall. Opening it, she rummages about inside before lifting out a porcelain piggy bank decorated with Hawaiian leis and a faux grass skirt. She smiles and sighs. "This was supposed to be symbolic of our relationship and I guess it was. My married life was just like this poor pig; stored away somewhere, waiting for someone to come find me. Well, let's see what is in it." She turns the bank upside down and removes a plug from its belly before turning it back over and shaking the contents on the floor she is kneeling on. Quite a few nuyen in currency notes and some sort of scrip are removed as well as some coins and a key. Elaine picks the key up and says, "Well, I think we may have figured out why Howard wanted the pig, but I am not sure what this goes to."
Robin has been counting the money and whistles. "Wow. Must be at least fifty large here, Elaine. This seems a bit more than just tossing a few nuyen in."
"It certainly does. Let me see. Hmmm, yes. Well, this is far more than we put in when we bought it. A second reason for him wanting the thing back."
-
Rose lets out a little gasp when they enter the pool room, "Why didn't you mention this was down here?! We could have been using the hot tub this whole time?" Slightly put out, she follows Elaine into the storage room and idly peruses the abandoned accumulation of stuff as Elaine looks for the bank. "Why did you guys even have all this stuff if it was just going to sit in this room?" Interrupted by Elaine's discovery, she walks over to look at the pig with the other two. "A key? Any idea what it's for? And that's not an inconsequential amount of money, but surely he's still expecting to get access to his joint account, so the key must be what he's really after..." Rose stops and thinks for a moment, "This whole business keeps getting more and more interesting. I'd love to see what that key goes to, but is it worth dealing more with Howard? Would you rather just be rid of him, Elaine? We could give it to him and hope he goes away, or we could try and trick him and see what it opens..." She grins a little, making it obvious which option she is in favor of.
-
Robin smiles. "I did tell you about the pool down here, remember? I
said that Elaine and I had been in the pool."
Elaine nods at your suggestion. "No, 50,000 is not a trifling sum,
but I do agree that that it is perhaps the key he is more interested
in, and I would like to know what it goes to. What do you have in
mind?"
-
"Well I blame you two for distracting me then. You should have reminded me!"
"I was thinking that supplying a fake key and bugging the pig would get us some more information. We'd have to let him have the fifty thousand though if we didn't want him to know we'd tampered with things. I should be able to make a copy of that key that would pass visual inspection but not actually work. He can't have seen it too often if it's been stored down here for any length of time."
-
Elaine gives you a puzzled look. "But that is just it. I had thought
it was on the bottom of the chest, but it has been years since I
looked for it and I just thought I had been mistaken. But there was
only about 200 nuyen and a few dollars of the local scrip inside it
when I last saw it in the bedroom. He has been adding to it and I
have no idea when. I had thought he hated the thing and had it put
down here just to appease me because I rather liked it."
-
"So you think he's been adding to it periodically instead of just stashing once and leaving it? That could be, but I doubt he'd remember what exactly a key looks like. The alternatives are just give him the key, or keep it all and ask him straight up what it's for. You're already deadlocking him on the joint account, so that wouldn't be much different, but I don't think it would really gain anything. You could say you're keeping it because you were the one that liked it and see how he responds."
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1015 Elaine's House
Elaine smiles. "That sounds devilishly clever, Rachel. Thank you. I think that is precisely the line I will use when he calls back at noon. So, do we just wait or do we try to find out what the key might be fore. It does not look like a safe deposit box, because I have one and it is very different. I don't think it opens anything here at the house or he would have just come back for it, so perhaps at one of his apartments?"
-
"It might be something there, but what? And at which one? I'm afraid if it's not something located here it's going to be really hard to figure out what it goes to. Do you have access to his apartments? Isn't that where he takes his lady friends?" Rose reaches out her hand for the key and takes a look at it once Elaine hands it over. "Doesn't ring a bell for me. Robin, can you run a search on the design and see if there's any info on what kind of lock it might fit?"
-
Robin nods and takes the key to study it before handing it back and settling back in her chair as she goes into another world. Elaine gives her a surprised look and turns to you. "Is she alright? I have heard people talk about going into Hot SIM, but have never seen it before. Is that what she did?"
-
Rose grins at Elaine's reaction, "Well she's probably in cold right now, and not hot, but yes, they look the same. It's much faster for her to do it this way than through basic AR. Orders of magnitude, even. I guess it could be a little disturbing if you're not expecting it. You said you had some sim porn, it's like that, just with fewer genitals."
-
Elaine laughs. "The longer I stay with you two, the longer that collection of porn is going to languish unused. I have not felt the need for several days now. I keep wondering if the blush will come the bloom here, but hope that it takes a while before you are tired of me."
Robin slides back into the world with a smile and says three words. "Bus station locker."
-
"Well you gave us a second chance, least we can do is stick around for awhile, right?" She smiles and gives Elaine a hug. When Robin comes out of her fugue with the news about the key, Rose smiles, "I only thought people used those in bad trids. How many bus stations are there around here? Do any of them even have lockers anymore?"
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1025 Elaine's House
Robin smiles. "I thought you would want to know that. There are six large bus stations in the sprawl, but only the Downtown Main and Queen Anne stations still offer storage lockers to rent." She looks at both of you. So, do I feel a road trip coming on?"
-
"Hurm, I've got a little time before my meeting, sure, we can at least check out one of them. We're going to look silly sticking the key in every locker to see if it opens though," she laughs. "Why don't we start downtown? Is your car still here, Elaine, or did Howard claim that as well?"
-
Elaine snorts. "Howard would not be caught dead in my car. Not fast enough or fancy enough. We can all pile in, if you like."
As you make your way to the garage and Elaine's car, Robin says, "There is a chip, some sort of RFID tag on the key, but it is hidden. I can try to crack it once we are in the car and I can go out to the matrix." She quickly slip back into VR after the three of you enter the car. Elaine looks at her in the rear view mirror a couple of times. "Will she be alright? I have heard that it can be dangerous to stay too long on the matrix."
-
"Yeah, we should take your car, that way if this runs long I can take mine to the meeting and let you two finish searching." Following the other two outside, Rose takes the opportunity to command her Americar to drive to the downtown bus station, park, and let her know once it's there. "Oh, you think it might have the id of the locker on it? That would be really helpful!" Sitting up front with Elaine to let Robin do her thing, she laughs at Elaine's question, "Not really, although I guess you could eventually starve if you don't come out. If you're doing anything illegal then you might eventually get caught, but just using it normally doesn't have a time limit. I don't think what she's doing with the key would even be noticed since it's local, but you'd have to ask her about that. Either way, she knows what she's doing."
-
Elaine nods, but does not look completely convinced. "It is just that
I have heard stories of people getting addicted to the Hot SIM and
never wanting to come out. I will trust you both to take care of
yourselves, but I am allowed to be concerned." The rest of the drive
to the bus depot is quiet and Elaine eventually pulls into the
Downtown bus depot parking garage and finds a slot. The garage is
fairly full so you have to park on the fifth floor, where you have to
wait a few minutes for Robin to come out of VR. Shaking her head, she
says, "We're in luck. The chip on the key indicates it is for this
depot and the locker number is 1476. Are we doing this?"
Elaine nods. "Hell, yes. I would like to see what he has in there."
It is just a short walk to the elevator and you take it to the ground
level and cross over into the bus terminal. The large open lobby is
crowded with people waiting to buy tickets or heading off to pick up a
bus. The glory days of bus travel are long past, but there is still a
certain mystique about taking a bus to a far-away destination and
letting someone else do the driving. As you head across the lobby,
you note that it is still possible to take a bus to Denver, Los
Angeles, Chicago, or even New York City, but that the vast numbers of
passengers are just using the buses to take them to various
destinations around the sprawl as part of the mass transit system.
The lobby's decor and maintenance reflect the decline in customers.
Some litter blows across the station ramps and the murals on the walls
and giant pillars supporting the ancient structure are faded and some
of the graffiti has not been removed. The dress of the passengers for
the local buses also reflects the current day and style. A locator
sign lets you know that the storage lockers are located in Wing A of
the depot and the three of you make your way there, where you find
signs indicating that storing anything in the lockers is at your own
risk and that the Transit Authority is no longer responsible for
maintaining security of the locker area. Elaine points to the sign
and says, "Another cost cutting measure, I suppose. Still, I am glad
of it right now."
-
"Well Hot SIM isn't always necessary in the same sort of way that she's not always doing illegal things. If you abuse Hot SIM, sure, you can get addicted to it, but that's just like anything else really. Do something too much and it becomes unhealthy. A lot of things these days can even be done by agents and don't even require using VR at all. I'm sure she appreciates your concern though," Rose grins. Taking advantage of the rest of the quiet ride, she links back up with the Americar and, through it, assigns the CU^3 the task of loitering around the main entrances to the bus station and the garage looking for any sign of Howard or his car. "Would be a giant drek fest if he were to walk in on us opening up his locker. Hopefully he's not here yet since he hasn't called Elaine back..." she thinks to herself.
Once Robin returns to reality, Rose responds, "Well that's a break. I wasn't looking forward to trying to open every locker without being obvious about it." Looking back over at Elaine, she cautions, "Are you sure? If it's something that has relevance to your marriage, you won't be upset about it?"
Fully committed, the walk to the storage lockers is short but mildly depressing. "Places like this remind me to be thankful of what I have," she thinks. "Lower security can be a blessing and a curse," she responds to Elaine. Looking around the area she tries to see if anything looks out of the ordinary, "I don't see anything odd... Let's go see if this locker was worth the trouble."
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1112 Downtown District Transit Terminal Seattle
The wing containing the lockers is fairly empty of people. There is a good bit of graffiti on the walls and lockers and more than a few appear to have been broken into. The lockers are numbered sequentially and soon you are standing in front of number 1476. Elaine hesitates and looks at you. "Here we go." She uses the key to unlock the locker and opens it. And closes it. And opens it again. From behind her you see that the locker is filled with stacks of bundled nuyen. Three ledger books sit atop the pile. Elaine closes the locker again and turns to you. "OK. What do we do now?"
-
Rose's eyes light up a little at the sight of the stacks of money, "I don't think I've ever seen that much hard nuyen in one place before!" Looking around to make sure no one is paying any further attention to them, she responds, "Well, I think it would hurt my soul a little to just leave that stuff there, but I have a feeling Howard is going to want those ledgers. We'd need to take a look inside them to really figure out what to do with them though." Pausing to think through the different options, she finally settles on one that might hopefully get Elaine out from under Howard, "What you coooooould do is take everything in the locker, plus what's in the piggy bank, continue with the plan of telling him you're not going to give him the bank, but agree to unlock the joint account if he grants you a divorce and doesn't contact you again. That's probably enough cash to get you started doing whatever you want, and the ledgers might give you some leverage should he be recalcitrant." Turning to the locker, Rose reopens it and grabs the ledgers before closing it and paying the ten nuyen to re-lock it. "Whatever we decide to do, lets find a place to sit and look through these while we figure it out."
-
Elaine nods at your suggestions. As you reach for the ledgers you
mentally calculate that it will take a good-sized satchel or suitcase
to empty the locker of the money. Elaine says, "Hey, when we were
walking through the terminal I noticed a large cafeteria. It seemed
to be doing a brisk business but there were some empty tables and
booths. We could go there and grab a soycaf and look at these things.
Or is that not private enough?"
-
"A busy cafeteria isn't exactly my idea of private. I was thinking more of one of the terminals with no buses coming soon. Usually only a few people drunk or reading there. We can pretend we're going to..." She looks around and settles on one of the terminals that looks fairly empty, "Portland!"
-
Loading platform 4B is a good choice. It serves buses going to
Portland and the next bus departs in six hours, which means that the
platform is pretty empty right now. You see two people slumped on
benches and one man on a bench near the end of the platform reading
from a pad of some sort. Otherwise the platform is empty except for a
few seagulls looking for scraps. The three of you can sit on a bench
away from the other occupants of the platform and each open a ledger.
Almost as one breath, each of you makes a soft exclamation as you
realize what you are looking at. Howard has taken copious notes about
every one of his dealings with his employer, the boss of the Yakuza in
Seattle. He has been the private attorney for several years and it
looks like he started taking notes three years ago. Every detail of
every meeting is on paper, written in a laborious hand. It might not
be electronic, but whatever else you can say about Howard, he has
great penmanship. Killings, rackets, bribes...............all of it
is here, listing names and dates and dollar amounts. Elaine tries to
say something twice before finally getting the words out. "My God!
What was he thinking? He must have thought this would be some sort of
insurance policy, but..............what the frag are we to do with
these?"
-
Rose stares at the ledger in her lap, stunned. "This... wow." At a loss for words she flips a few more pages, not really looking at them. "Well, this changes things a bit. There's no way he's going to let you walk away if he thinks you might have these... and if he doesn't have them, he's going to assume you do." She closes the book and taps her finger on the cover while she thinks. Finally, she turns to Elaine and raises her eyebrows, "So... how much do you dislike Howard? If there were no restrictions on you right now, what would you like to happen as far as your future and Howard's?"
-
Elaine opens her mouth to reply to your question but closes it to think about her answer. "Well, I certainly want to be rid of him. I feel rather strongly that he is hoping that I give him what he wants so that he can run off somewhere and abandon me. Even if the Yaks leave me be, I would have nothing to fall back on except for the bit I have saved. Oh, he deserves to be punished. What are you thinking about?"
-
Rose laughs, "Well if you really wanted to be rid of him, giving these to the Yakuza would that, although I suspect it would be in a rather permanent fashion. If you just wanted protection, I could arrange to turn these over to a rival organization in exchange for them providing for your safety. We could possibly make it look like the ledgers were stolen from the locker to misdirect Howard, but he'll probably always suspect. A third option would be to hold on to them and keep Howard away by threatening to release to the information. Some punishment might be arranged by selective use of the data, but we'd have to spend some time looking into that." She looks around then shakes her head, "Honestly, I'm a fan of option one. I've no love lost for Howard and having the Yakuza owe me sounds like a great idea."
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1122 Downtown District Transit Terminal Seattle
Elaine scrunches up her face in thought then nods. "Yeah. I think I share that thought, actually. He never really gave me anything I would not have had if I had not married him. The marriage was a sham almost from the honeymoon on. He never hit me, mind you, but there was no connection and now it seems he cares so little about me that he is willing to leave me in the lurch. So, how do we do it? There will be Yaks coming over to the house on the Weekend. I could let them know I have something I think belongs to them. Would that work?"
-
"We can't be positive who exactly is coming on Saturday. I think a better plan is to take these home and go through them to find someone who appears to be high up the food chain and then contact them directly. The higher up we can go, the better, if we're trading for favors. Why don't we go home now and do that and then you two can come back here with some bags for the money while I go to my meeting?"
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1213 Elaine's House Seattle
The others quickly agree and you return to the parking garage and car. Once home, Elaine leads everyone to the living room. "Do you think it better to read these in the hidden room?"
-
Rose looks puzzled for a second, "Why? I was figuring we'd leave that room alone till the people came to look at it this weekend. The more we're in there, the more likely it is they'll know we were?"
-
Elaine shrugs. "I was just thinking of the privacy. We don't need to move anything, but we won't be bothered by anyone coming in on us, either. You have a different place in mind?"
-
"I was just figuring here," pointing at the coffee table, "the cook is the only staff member left, right? I guess we could go to one of the bedrooms, we've never been disturbed there." She grins.
-
Elaine nods and you go to her bedroom and sit around the reading table there. The documents are pretty detailed and mention a number of illegal activities. The oyuban himself is clearly implicated in much of the crimes documented in the ledgers. All three of you are reading similar stories, only separated in time. The ledgers provide an insight into the minds that control the Yakuza in Seattle. All too soon, your internal alarm tells you that you need to leave for your appointment if you wish to arrive on time.
-
"Wow, this goes way further than I expected. I'm not sure who the best person to turn this in to would be. Anyone shy of the Oyabun might be tempted to use it for themselves... Giving it to the Oyabun seems the only solution to that, but I'm not sure where to even begin getting in to see him. With this much dirt, I'm starting to lean more towards giving it to one of the rival organizations." Engrossed in the books, Rose starts when her alarm goes off, "Okay, I've got to go to this meeting. If we did want to give these to someone other than the Yakuza, this would be a good time to get that process started..."
-
Elaine nods. "That is certainly something to consider. I should have known that the oyuban was implicated in these notes. After all, he is...............or was................Howard's only client. There must have been tons he saw or heard and we have barely begun reading. I am almost scared to read too much more. Good luck at your meeting, dear."
-
"I knew he was working with one of the higher ups, just didn't realize it was *the* higher up! I'll see if I can't explore the other avenue without tipping our hand. Are you guys going to stay here and read or go empty out the locker while I'm gone? Either way, don't leave those unprotected. If you want to put them in the truck while you guys do things, Robin, just let me know." Waving to the two of them Rose leaves the house and gets into her car, directing it to the same dropoff point as before, "This is starting to become a regular thing..."
-
The drive is uneventful and you arrive in Chinatown with time to spare. Ni Ni's shop is full of tourists, but you get a slight nod from the girl behind the counter and pass through the beaded curtain, where you are met by the sort man. He escorts you the rest of the way into the building, depositing you at the tea table, where you are joined by Ni Ni. She sits and pours tea before speaking. I am very pleased with our association so far. Things have gone as well as they could have. Here is your payment and a nice bonus for doing well under a bit of pressure." She slides a cred stick across the table to you.
-
Rose smiles and reaches out to grab the credstick, mentally checking the balance as she slides it into her bag. "Things have gone well indeed. I'm pleased that you're pleased with my work. I hope that the piece you were able to secure met your expectations?" She pauses with eyebrow raised. "You mentioned that there might be further work pending?"
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1413 Ni Ni's Shop Seattle Chinatown
Ni Ni looks at you over her cup as she sips tea. Her face is difficult to read as she places the cup neatly in the saucer. "Yes, I did mention that. The piece that was retrieved was exactly the right one and the job was made much easier with your help. Do you believe in the supernatural, Rachel? I mean the things found in nightmares and are generally assumed to be fiction and something useful for scaring children to bed at night? In curse, omens and portents?"
-
Rose raises her eyebrows at Ni Ni, "Well, I don't *not* believe in them. I've never been given any reason to believe in them either, though. I heard rumors that there was some sort of prophecy connected with the pottery collection, but I didn't get any details since it didn't seem particularly relevant to the task. I'm guessing you're alluding to that?"
-
"That is indeed part of the story, but only a part of it. There are rumors and omens that portend a great evil is almost upon us, one that will make what happened when the dragons returned look like a playdate in the sun. Many do not believe in this, but some do. And of those, more are trying to bring it about than are trying to stop it. I am working with a small group of those trying to stop it from happening, and have used my position in the Octagon to further our goals by shunting resources and people about. Unfortunately, those opposing me are better funded and have more resources. I could use your help, if you are interested. Are you?"
-
Rose furrows her brow, "Wait, why would people be trying to bring about 'a great evil'? Do they think somehow they'll be spared?" Pausing, she thinks for a moment before continuing, "Well, really, this has been a good relationship so far, so as long as it continues to pay, then their motivations don't really matter... It does continue to pay, right?"
-
Ni Ni chuckles. "I am sure there are hundreds of psychological
treatises on why people are convinced that doing evil is good for
them. Promised rewards of wealth or power are probably common
reasons, but I am sure there are more. And yes, it will continue to
pay." She pauses then adds, "Do you like to travel? The piece we
picked up from Howard's collection leads us to Thailand next. If you
are interested, I would like to discuss travel arrangements."
-
Rose pauses and thinks before responding carefully, "I've never been to Thailand, but that could be interesting... I'm a bit worried about leaving all my tools and resources behind though. I'd have to know more about what you wanted done in order to be able to tell if it's something I could even help you with."
-
"You would be doing pretty much the same thing there as you did here.
I have a name and not much more. The person is well protected by
criminals and the military, which pretty much amounts to the same
thing there. I will not sugar coat the obvious here; it will be very
dangerous. I will need you to locate a piece of pottery for me and
determine the security measures that protect it. Obviously, I will
not be immediately available, but I do have contact with assets in the
area that might be able to help. At this time, I am not aware of a
time factor, but that could change at any time, just as it did here.
If you say yes, I will let you think of what sort of resources and
personnel you might need and I will try to make them available."
-
"So this is solely recon again? If the military is involved, that ups the danger quite a bit. How much were you willing to devote to this operation? I'm assuming you have a method of transport available that will permit... less than legal... SINs?"
-
Ni Ni shakes her head. "No, it is likely to end up being much more
than just recon. I want to provide you with a team to assist you in
finding and securing the item I need. I already have an operative for
making the grab and she will be part of your team. I would like you
to consider who you would need if you were doing this without
additional outside support once you are in-country. Will you want a
rigger, some muscle, a mage, anything else? I can get you into the
country undetected and provide you with a safehouse and some equipment
and money, but you will mostly be operating away from support or
control."
She taps a finger on the table several times. "I need to know if you
think you are capable of doing this. I value your skills and can find
something else for you if you do not want this challenge. Please take
some time to consider this. Let me know by Monday. Here at 1400?"
-
"It's something I'm capable of in general, it's the specifics that get iffy. Can you give me the name so I can do some research before Monday? I can certainly let you know by then." Putting her elbows on the table, she steeples her fingers and takes a breath, "With that out of the way, I do have another matter to discuss. Let's say, hypothetically, that an acquaintance of mine had come into some information that would be detrimental to members of one of your rival organizations should it come to light. Members up to and including the leader. This would obviously be very dangerous information to posses. What would you advise my acquaintance to do? Hypothetically."
-
She shakes her head again. "I cannot provide the name and probably
should not have told you the country, just in case you decline the
job. What I can say is that he is a foreign civilian currently
operating under the protection of the military junta currently in
charge over there."
She looks surprised at the question. "That would depend on what your
acquaintance wanted out of it. My initial advice is to destroy what
they have. Of course, such information might be worth a great deal,
either to the people involved or their enemies. It might be possible
to broker a sale of the information if your acquaintance is not sure
how to go about it. If I had to make a guess, I would suspect that
you found something Howard was leaving for insurance and since he only
had one client, it would be easy to guess who the subject of the
information is. Am I close?"
-
Rose sighs, "Okay, well I will definitely need to think about it then. I'll let you know by Monday. As for our hypothetical situation, just for the sake of argument let's say your assessment of the situation is correct. We can assume the friend wanted to end up as well off as possible with little to no risk of ending worse off, but had no specific goals."
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1423 Ni Ni's Shop Seattle Chinatown
Ni Ni shrugs. Same advice as before. Destroy the stuff if you think you can. But if Howard knows you have it, or even thinks you have it, he may use some of his contacts to get it back, and they probably will not be polite about it. I really think your best interests are better served by trading it to the Yaks. My guess is that the obayun will not be pleased with his attorney and Howard should soon be in no condition to harm you at all......ever. For a fee, I could act as a middle man in this exchange. Would you like me to open a line of communication with the Yaks?"
-
"Yes, that would be very helpful. My concern with that route was not being able to get it all the way to the Oyabun and having there be retribution later if an underling retained it." Rose grins, "I think we can drop the 'hypothetical' at this point."
-
"When can you bring me what you have found? I can begin making overtures on your behalf, but will certainly need something to show to prove I have what I claim to have."
-
"Will you be here later this evening? I can drop off a portion of it then. Would be nice to get it resolved as quickly as possible before Howard figures out what's going on. And if there's nothing else, I'll go attend to that and then get back to you about the other job by Monday?"
-
Ni Ni nods and dryly replies, "I have no life so I live here, or at least my employees think I do. I will have some watching for you when you return."
She makes a very slight hand motion and the small man is at your side as if he had been there the entire time. He smiles at you as you stand and motions for you to follow him. leading you from the storeroom back out to the main lobby. As you leave the building you notice a young tough in colors representing the 88s Triad walking just across the street from you, alternating between paying you a lot of attention and ignoring you.
-
Stepping out of the doorway, Rose notices the man watching her as she turns up the street. Taking a couple steps further, she knocks herself on the side of the head and shakes it. Muttering to herself she turns around and goes back into the shop. "Do you happen to have a back way out I can use, please?" While waiting on the answer, she sends a quick command to the CU^3 to launch from the Americar and head to above the shop as quickly as possible.
-
The young woman at the counter indicates that she will tend to your needs as soon as she finishes with her current customer. The five minutes that takes gives your drone more than enough time to arrive on site. After taking nearly forever to deal with the tourist, the clerk shows you to an exit that opens onto a narrow alley.
The alley is much like any other alley you have ever seen; dark and narrow and filled with the odors of unwashed humanity mixed with the smells of uncollected garbage, urine, feces, vomit and the varied perfumes of designer drugs. At least it is until you reach an intersection where a young boy is leaning against a wall. "Would you be interested in finding what you most want? Whatever it is, you can find it down this alley. Just a few yards in, you will have your eyes opened to the truths about sex, love, drugs, chips, guns...................anything. It is all waiting for you. But there is a cost. There is always a cost. The more you desire, the more it costs. Are you interested enough in your future to see what I am talking about?"
-
Already displeased by having to walk through the alleys, the young boy's spiel is not well received. "No, I think not. All I need to know about my future is the fastest way out of here." Brushing past the boy, she continues on with an overhead view of the route provided by the drone in an AR window. "These stupid alleys have so much drek hanging in them that I can't see down into most of them. The main road should be over.... there!" Looking over her shoulder to make sure the boy isn't following, she speeds up towards the more open area.
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1445 A Back Alley Seattle Chinatown
Sadly, the alleys are full of drek and it is very hard to tell one from another and what seems like the path to the main road is not. The drone's view of the alley you are in does not seem to match the reality of your location. These byways are almost empty of people, but not quite. You do pass the odd body on the ground, but not stopping to check you are not sure if it is a dead person or just someone on the way to dying. Coming to a dead end, you turn and begin to retrace your steps...................possibly. The closeness of the walls begins to weigh on you and there is a fleeting thought of wondering who in the frag would find your body if you died here. Checking, you do not even have the familiar comforting presence of your 'link to tell you that you are still connected to the world and the drone has stopped talking to you. Just one empty alleyway after another. After another. After another.......................
Then the sound of voices comes to you from just around the corner; a man talking. He seems to be completing a transaction of some kind and you hear him say, "I guess that does it. Give her the money, Jimmy."
A woman's voice responds. "Thank you, Councillor. Pleasure doing business with you, as always. Next week?"
"You got it." Then you hear footsteps heading your way, followed by the forms of two men. Their faces are indistinguishable in the shadows, but one is wearing a fine suit completely out of place for this area. The other is dressed more as a bodyguard and places an arm across the chest of his companion as he says, "Well, what do we have here? Not dressed like you belong here. Lost? Or a KE rat?"
-
When her 'link shuts down and her orientation system cuts out, Rose knows something weird is going on. Hearing voices, she's relieved at first to find some other people but then quickly realizes they probably won't be happy to be found. As they turn the corner and the man who appears to be a bodyguard confirms her suspicions she grimaces, "Lost! These drekking alleys all look the same and my commlink doesn't even seem to work so I can't even pull up a map. Do you know the way back to the main street?"
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1600 A Back Alley Seattle Chinatown
The bodyguard does not seem inclined to believe you and starts to slip a hand into his jacket when a woman's voice interrupts him. "She is the next customer. You spent too long haggling over the price that she showed up. She is harmless."
The well dressed man nods to his guard, who does not look convinced but obeys. The man looks back at whoever is standing behind his guard and says, "Just make sure she is harmless and that she develops a case of amnesia about this."
The two men push past you and you see that the woman is actually a teenaged girl. She looks at you quietly then says, "Are you really lost or were you following the councilman?"
-
A wave of relief passes over her as the two men brush past her. Turning to the girl who spoke, she answers honestly, "No, I really am lost. I was just trying to get back to the main car pickup spot. I don't even know who the 'councilman' is. Politics isn't really my thing...."
-
The girls looks closely at you and gives you a sort of crooked smile. The minimal light in the alley allows you to see very little of her, but she seems no taller than about 5'6", with dark hair and a fair complexion. Up close, you think that she cannot be older than fifteen, sixteen tops. "I must say that you have chosen an odd place to get lost in, but it can be very easy to get turned around in here. I do not have another customer scheduled until tonight and my place is not too far away. Could I interest you in some tea? Or something stronger? If you say yes, I will agree to get you back to the main road safely, otherwise I will just point and give instructions that you might remember correctly...................and might not."
-
Looking at her in silence for a moment, Rose finally responds, "Well, I've obviously had no luck getting myself out and I'm not sure directions would be much help... Some tea would be nice." Bowing slightly, "My name is Orchid, what should I call you?"
-
The young girl frowns a bit as she considers your name then smiles at you. "Orchid. I like it. I was trying to remember if I have know anyone else with that particular name and I do not think so. My name is Sian, Orchid." Sian makes an odd clicking noise with her tongue and two of the piles of garbage stir. Bright red eyes stare at you as two Hell Hounds rise and approach the girl. These are huge even for their breed and you can almost smell the smoke wafting from their nostrils. Sian holds out a hand to you. "Hold out a hand and let them sniff at you. They will not harm you if you are nice. Come with me." The girl reaches up and removes something from the wall. Suddenly your 'link pops back on and you have access to your drones again. Turning, Sian moves down a narrow alleyway that twists and turns, with several intersecting alleys that look remarkably like the one you are in. One of the hounds precedes her and the other falls in behind you.
After about ten minutes, you step from the alley into a broader street. Broader in that it is wider than the alley, but is still much narrower than a standard street. Sian turns to you and says, "Welcome to the Chinatown Barrens. Lots of opportunity to find anything you ever wanted, but also lots of opportunity for you to end up a slave or dead.................or worse."
-
Starting a bit when the garbage moves, Rose takes a step back from the two animals that appear. Carefully holding out a hand as instructed, the two 'dogs' both snuffle around it and then look back to Sian, ignoring her. When Sian pulls what must be some sort of high powered jammer off the wall, Rose is relived to see her drone went into a holding pattern when it got disconnected and hadn't crashed and burned. Instructing it to do it's best to map this section of the alleys and update her nav system, she follows Sian further into the maze.
Emerging into the slightly larger road, she orders the drone to resume pathfinding from there. "Well, I'd really prefer to end up neither of those... What is it you're doing here if it's that dangerous? You seem fairly young for this sort of area..."
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1610 Chinatown Barrens Seattle
The young girl waves her hand at the street as she leads you down it. She ruffs the fur of one of her hounds and says, "Yes, I am at risk, but I have my friends to watch over me." Indeed, you notice that the other people in the street, at least those still conscious, swing wide around her and the Hell Hounds as you walk. Many people cross to the other side of the street and make signs with their fingers, as if to ward off evil. There are plenty of unconscious people about, as well. Unconscious or dead. The odors of the narrow alley have changed only in scale and if you think they are weaker, it is only because the street is wider and allows the odors to be less concentrated. The building along the street are mostly ruins, shells of what they had once been. Many are shop fronts, but there are a large number of bars and strip clubs as well. After all, the people here have to have some place to go to try to forget they live here.
You see no policemen and vices are offered out in the open. Drugs are plentiful, but money is scarce, even for the cheap drek, so sex is a common currency and you see women, and men, on their knees or splayed against walls as they "pay" for the various drugs that offer a sort of release form this place. You can imagine that this would be a pick pocket's heaven.....................if there was much to pick from anyone's pocket. Sian leads you to a ruin of a building at the end of a small alley and the hounds settle down at the door as she opens it and walks in.
The room beyond the door is small, and is apparently a combination kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Sian points to two doors in the wall. "Welcome to my place. Through there is a bathroom if you want to neaten up some while I get tea started. That is a closet."
-
Looking around as they walk, Rose is viscerally reminded of the life she's actively trying to avoid. Trying to avoid meeting anyone's eye, she stays close on the heals of the girl leading her. Entering the small room, she's impressed at how nice it is compared to the exterior and surroundings. "This is nice, thank you." Stepping over to the indicated bathroom door and going in, she takes the time offered by nature's call to send a message to Robin, <<Got held up. Getting a first hand look at the seedy underbelly of Chinatown. Not sure how pleased I am about that. Hopefully wont be too long. Everything going okay with you two?>> Her business done, she cleans up and heads back to the central room, "So why did you cover for me and bring me here? Do you normally pick up strays in the alleys?" She raises her eyebrows and nods at where the dogs would be on the other side of the door.
-
Sian smiles at you when you return to the small living area. She points to a tea service on the rather shabby table. "I hope Earl Grey is good? Do you take it with sugar or honey?" She pours some tea into two chipped cups and sits down after offering you a cracked sugar bowl and a small pot of honey. "My impression was that the Councilman would have you killed for being a KE spy, even with no proof of that. He is being a very naughty boy and does not wish to have his activities exposed. I just felt it was right to step in. Are you disappointed?"
>>Doing fine here. Wait, did you say Chinatown Barrens? That place is rumored to be worse than the Redmond Barrens. Sounds like a story here. Stay safe. Love.<<
-
"Earl Grey is fine, thank you. No sweeteners though, please." Sitting down in the indicated chair, Rose sips from her cup. "Well I'm certainly not disappointed to not be killed, but that still doesn't tell me why you'd risk your dealings with him to rescue me. Or invite me to tea afterwards?"
-
Sian smiles as she sips her tea. "Mmmm. Good tea. Sometimes one can be a bit disappointed in the quality of what can be purchased down here. As to your first question, I did nothing to risk my dealings with him. I have things he wants and provide them at prices he likes. For the second question, I am not sure. But I have answered one of your questions and it is now your turn. What were you doing in that alleyway if you are not KE and spying on the councilor?"
-
Rose raises her eyebrow at Sian, "I told you, I was lost. I got spooked by what looked like a gang member following me, so I ducked into an alley figuring I could just go the the next street and get out, but that obviously didn't happen. I tried to pull up a map but I think your jammer was keeping me from being able to do that. So... now that I think about it... it's only fair then that you rescued me, right?" She grins and sips her tea.
-
Sian has a nice laugh and it seems to be reflected in her eyes and smile. "Yes, well you wandered into the wrong alley to escape gangs. There are many gangs down here in the Barrens. But I will show you a good way back to your world. Do you have someplace to be or would you like a tour of my world?"
-
Rose pauses a moment to think about it, "Huh, still not sure why she's taking such an interest in me. Is she just bored? Or does she know more than she's saying? I didn't commit to a time with Tiny, so might as well see how this plays out. Knowing more of the dynamics here can't hurt with my dealings with Ni Ni." Resolved, she nods and says, "Sure, why not? Maybe it will help me not get lost down here next time?"
-
Sian laughs again. "No, it probably won't, unless you are really, really good at remembering things. I have been here for.......a while........and I can still get turned around. Fortunately, I have found that if I keep walking, I will eventually come to a place I do recognize. And I hope that you do not play much poker. I can tell by your face that you are still wondering why I am being nice. Let's just say that you interest me. I am always interested in new things and people and you are certainly new here. I applaud your bravery for walking into a new area without a guide or any information about it. And for accepting an invitation from a complete stranger. And it can get lonely down here. The upside of my friends out there is that they keep people away. The downside is that they keep people away. But I noticed that were not frightened, much. Have you had experience with this breed before?"
-
Rose frowns a little, "No, they just seemed like huge dogs? You obviously weren't worried about them and you seemed to think they wouldn't bother me. Should I have been more worried?"
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1710 Sian's Apartment Chinatown Barrens Seattle
Sian smiles. "No. I am a bit surprised that you do not recognize them as Hell Hounds. They are friendly as long as I am not threatened. And sniffing you means that they can let you in here with me without them watching every move you make. They are my best and only friends at the moment. So, are you finished and ready to take the tour? Let me clean up and I will be ready to go." She stands and carries the chipped cups and tea pot to the sink and runs a bit of water, careful not to waste any.
When done, she looks around to see if you are ready.
-
Rose raises her eyebrows, "Hellhounds? Really? No, I don't have much knowledge of any animals let alone things like that! Looking at her appraisingly, she continues, "From what little I do know, it's impressive you have two under such firm control though! it must be odd to have only them for companionship though..." She finishes her tea and sets the cup down for Sian to take away. Standing up, she indicates for Sian to lead on, mentally checking to ensure the drone is still positioned high above the door.
-
Sian laughs. "From what you have seen of this place, would you like to take companions from the populace? No, the hounds are loyal and dedicated to me. They do not ask for more than they need and require little in return except for my own loyalty and dedication to them. But you are an outsider to this area and new. Are you offering companionship? The experience might be interesting for both of us."
Sian walks you to the door and outside, where the hounds perk up from where they have been impersonating furry trash piles. They fall in to either side of her as she heads off into the street. Again, you notice that everyone seems to give the Hell Hounds a wide berth as they walk on the street, with almost everyone either making some sort of sign with their fingers, bowing low, or both. She points out some of the interesting shops on the streets and tells you about some of the interesting people in the neighborhood. She seems to be very knowledgeable for a teenager, but then you reason she would need to be if she is to survive here. Her walk leads you to a narrow alley and the hounds split up to have one in the vanguard and the other trailing you. Sian carefully points the specific turns to take as she guides you through the labyrinth of passages. Suddenly the lead hound stops and flattens against the wall, allowing Sian to pass it. She goes several feet more then stops, pointing. "Straight on then a right turn will bring you to the main road. Your drone might be able to make a map for you if you ever want to return." She reaches into a pocket and withdraws something. Holding it in her hands, she breathes out a fine green mist that settles on the item and sparkles momentarily before fading, illuminating a small toy soldier. She smiles at you and hands the toy over. "If you do decide to return, show this to the first person you see in the street and you will be safe, or as safe as anyone can be in the Barrens."
She steps sideways to allow you to pass.
-
Rose stammers a bit at Sian's suggestion, "Ah, no, we just met. It just seemed odd for you to be here with only them for friends." Following her out the door, Rose finds the tour really interesting, especially the variety of reactions that Sian receives as they walk. "While she might not have any friends, people sure know who she is down here." Eventually ending up at the exit, Rose raises her eyebrow at the mention of her drone but doesn't questions her. She had a pretty high tech jammer running earlier, she probably has some more wiz sensors as well. Taking the small toy from Sian, Rose looks at it carefully but can't see anything different about it from any other child's plaything. Looking up a bit dubiously, "Is there a way I could reach you without having to try and find you down here again?"
-
Sian laughs. "Comms are spotty down here, even on the best of days. And I doubt I would be comfortable or welcome out in your world. In that regard, you are braver than I am. But I will be here if you are brave enough to return." She stretches out a hand and runs a finger along the side of your face and it seems like a jolt of electricity runs from her finger to you. It is warm and inviting and exciting all at once. Despite yourself, you feel a temptation to remain here for a bit longer and that feeling does not go away when she lowers her hand.
"Take care of yourself. Here, let me see that for a moment, please." When you hold out the toy, she leans forward and murmurs some soft words in a language that makes the hair on the nape of your neck stand up. The toy glows green for a few seconds then goes back to normal, but it seems warmer in your hand. "I am going to teach you a word. Use it if you are in danger and need help. All you have to do is whisper it." She looks you in the eyes and says, "Vleck. Can you remember that?"
-
Blushing, Rose stands still for a moment before taking a small step back, "I do *not* need to be adding more complications right now..." As Sian mutters over the toy, her confidence in what's going on doesn't increase, but she's able to respond appropriately when Sian finishes. "Yes, I can remember that, thanks." Still unconvinced, she pockets the toy and turns to leave. "Thank you again for the tour, it was certainly interesting." Following the instructions given, she finally ends up back on the road she recognizes and she beelines for the car. Sitting in the seat for a few minutes she goes over the afternoon in her head before finally giving a mental shrug and sending a quick message to Tiny to see if he happens to still be in the shop.
-
Wednesday 13 June 2075 1850 Chinatown Seattle
Tiny responds with of peeve in his voice. >>Wow, Rachel. Too late for tonight. Got something going on with a smoking hot babe. Can you be here tomorrow? Hey, unless you want to be a third, in which case I am in tonight and could even see my way to making a hefty deduction to what you will be owing for the R6. Love to see you naked on the bed.<<
The guy sounds like he has had a few drinks already.
-
<<Null sheen, just thought you might still be there. I'll come by in the morning. Have fun with your lady!>> "Yeah, don't want to get involved with *that*..." With nothing left to do while out, Rose checks back in with Robin, <<All done here. You still at Elaine's or did you guys end up going back to the locker? What's the status of the 3 binders now? Looks like I've got a way forward on dealing with them.>>
-
>>Hello, hon. Got a bit worried for a bit. Your comm went silent then came back on, but you did not call for help. I am so glad to hear your voice. We went to get the money and wow, it is really a lot. We have counted it twice already and are doing it again. Can't wait to see you and hear what you have to say.<<
-
<<So you're back at the house? Okay, I'm on my way!>> Directing the car back to Elaine's house, she sits back and reflects on the day. "I didn't think things could get any crazier, but apparently I've been cursed with an 'interesting' life recently. Not really sure what to think about that Sian girl. And this toy that's supposed to give me protection? That's just weird!" Arriving at the house she steps out of the car and lets herself in. Hearing the door open, Robin calls from the main living area and Rose heads that way. Going into the room the scene is almost like one from an action trid. There's a pile of ledgers stacked haphazardly on a chair while two women sit at a table counting piles of cash. Rose can't help but laugh, "You guys should see yourselves. All that's missing is a pile of drugs in the corner!"
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Wednesday 13 June 2075 1930 Elaine's House Seattle
Both women look up and laugh as you enter the room and Elaine points a finger to where a small satchel sits on the floor. "Careful what you say. It seems that Howard was into some sort of drugs. Don't have any idea what they are, and I am not sure what they would be doing in that locker." She sighs and sits back in the chair as she waves a hand at the money. "Looks like just about a million nuyen here. Split three ways, that is a chunk of change for each of us."
Robin stands and comes to give you a kiss and a hug. "Mmmm, you feel good. Now, talk some sense into her, will you? I have been telling her that she does not need to split this even up, but she is not listening. And how are you?"
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"Well, I think I've got a way to get the ledgers to the Oyabun without us getting killed in the process, maybe I can dump the drugs the same way and maybe get something for them? Although, how much more than a million we'd need, I'm not sure," she laughs.
Enjoying the hug from Robin she responds, "Well, it's her money, or, I guess, her's and Howard's, and if she wants to share it out, she can. Don't discount that we did help with getting it in the first place." She grins and turns to Elaine, "That said, don't feel obligated to do anything. You're the one that's going to need to set up a new life for yourself. But we've got to get this one resolved first. I'll need to take one of the ledgers tomorrow as proof of what we have, and then things should hopefully move quickly after that. I'll try and offload those drugs at the same time, assuming you don't want to keep them? As for the money, it might be good to secure it somewhere else until this is all resolved? Wouldn't want Howard sending people over looking for it, right?"
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Both other women laugh, but Elaine gets a serious look on her face. "As for this money, I have already contacted the bank and arranged for three safety deposit boxes and we can take the money over tomorrow. In my opinion, you can take the drugs and ledgers to your contact and see if they can be sold or traded. And I would like to talk about us. Well, I had hoped that you would not throw me out now that there is money. I have grown rather fond of the two of you and would like to talk about all of us living together on a permanent basis, which is why I was thinking of an even three-way split of this."
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"Well we had already thought about letting you stay with us if needed while you got back on your feet, so that wouldn't have been a big deal. Our current place isn't really set up for three people though, so we'd have to find someplace new for the three of us. A million nuyen buys a lot of house though! Have you figured out what you'd want to do once you're free of this? Or were you just going to be our kept woman?!" Rose grins at Robin who reaches out to high five her. Rose shakes her head, "You're such a boy sometimes..."
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Elaine smiles, too, and shakes her head. "Not sure what is going to happen. This place takes quite a bit of money every month just in upkeep costs and I do not really have any real reason to stay here, so a new start in a new place might be nice. Or do you two think we can manage to stay here? It does have a lot of comforts and we could hire new staff."
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Rose laughs, "You really think Howard is just going to let you take ownership of this place uncontested? No, regardless of if it's with us or not, you need to get away from here and hopefully make it so he can't reach you in the future. If he manages to weasel his way out from under these ledgers, he's not going to be very pleased with you, even if you give him back access to the joint account. Plus, while a million sounds like a lot, I bet that wouldn't even cover this place for 5 years, let alone get you a new life."
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Wednesday 13 June 2075 2020 Elaine's House Seattle
Elaine pouts and sticks her tongue out at you. "Party pooper. But you are right, of course. It does cost a lot and I certainly do not have any income coming in to speak of. So, a new place it is. And I think that you are also right about Howard. He will not go quietly and he has a way with being able to talk his way out of problems, and he will not be happy if.....when....he finds out I used the ledgers and took the money. Let's get all of this put away somewhere. I think we deserve a small private celebration and can't wait to get both of you naked in a bed."
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"I hate to be a buzzkill, but I'm not sure we should have this stuff here over night with no security." She waves her arm at the assorted goods in the room. "You said the bank wouldn't be available till tomorrow? I could have the stuff taken to a somewhat safer place than here... or do you know if you can recode the lock on that secret room, Robin?"
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OOC: I am very sorry. I was away for the weekend. The cabin was supposed to have internet access, but did not.
Robin thinks for a moment then nods. "Sure. I should be able to do that. I can do the locks on the doors, garage, and gate as well, if you like?" She sets to work on the code while you and Elaine pack up the money and the drugs. As you pick up the small pouch of drug vials, you notice a small logo on it, indicating the pouch is from Flint Labs.
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OOC: No biggie. Holidays are nice.
"Oh, okay, that would be great then. We can stash all the stuff down there for the night." Picking up the drugs, she reads the label on it, "Were you two able to figure out what this is? Says on here it's from Flint Labs. Either of you know anything about them? With everything else that's going on, I'm not sure it's something we want to mess with...?"
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Robin frowns. "Something about that name. Let me send Paul out to check while I fiddle the locks."
Elaine looks surprised and mouths the word "Paul" at you with a questioning look. You have heard Robin refer to the agent she has on her deck as Paul.
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Rose shrugs as Robin zones out, "She's got an assistant program she calls Paul for some reason. I don't question as it seems to work pretty well," she laughs. "So that sounds like everything is taken care of for tonight, or almost so. Did I miss anything else while I was out? Tomorrow is going to be another busy day." She makes small talk with Elaine until Robin finishes setting up the locks, then helps the other two women take the assorted booty down to the secret room where they stash it in the office. Hearing the door re-lock after they return to the living room, Rose feels a weight lift off her shoulders. "So that should be okay for the night. Any word on Flint?"
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Robin stops in her tracks as you leave the room and you notice her face go pale. She nods as she tries to speak but has to try a second time before any words come out. "Just now. Fragging lab is one of the few bio war labs left in the world. They keep building stuff to make sure that it cannot be used against them. Anyway, there is a report that their lab in Denver recently misplaced a load of specialized anthrax ampules. The lab categorically denies the rumor and has produced extensive documentation that covers all quantities of the bio weapon at the facility. Looks like maybe the lab is lying, eh?"
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Aaaaand there's that weight back on Rose's shoulders. She sighs, "So you're saying we've got a sack full of weaponized anthrax in the next room? I'm hoping you guys didn't open any of them? Were you able to get anything on what it was 'specialized' to do? I don't guess we can just flush it down the toilet, eh?"
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Robin nods and seems to pull herself back together. "Checking now on those and other questions. The specific "specialization" is not listed, but normal weaponized strains usually target a segment of a population. We could be looking at another dark night where Trolls and Orks are targeted, or Japanese, or...............oh, I don't know. We need to let someone know. But who?"
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"Do we? Who would you trust to be responsible with something like that? One of the governments? A corp? I can't think of anyone, but I'm open to suggestions..." Frowning in the direction of the safe room, she suggests with false hope, "Can't we just get a safe, lock it up, and toss it into the sound? Pretend we never saw it?"
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Elaine has recovered her own ability to speak. "Sure we could, and maybe that is the best option. But Howard ostensibly knows it was in the locker and he may use that as leverage to save his hide. Then we could get fingered when it is not there. What the frag was he involved in? That bastard."
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Rose sighs, "No, I didn't think so. One more thing to deal with I guess. Did you two see anything about Flint or biowar in the ledgers? We may have to go back through them to try and see who he might have been involved with relating to it. We might even need to go back through that relic he called a computer in his office as well... I hope you two weren't planning on any sleep tonight!" she jokes.
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Both women shake their heads and Elaine taps in the new code to open the door. Neither can remember any entry in the ledgers that referred to this, but both admit that they were skimming. The dinosaur does yield up a folder labeled Flint, but it is password protected. Robin slides into VR to bypass the password but is back in a second, a worried look on her face. "Won't work. This is very sophisticated, much more than the computer would suggest. I think that the password is a one-shot deal. Either get it right or something bad happens. This is at least AAA rating stuff, maybe even military grade and I am not sure I can bypass it. It could just erase the file or it might do something worse, like blow up. Elaine, do you have any ideas of what he would have used as his password?"
Elaine shakes her head. "I never got the impression that Howard was skilled with computers or any sort of tech. He always talked as if he was ignorant. I have no idea, but I think we ought to avoid just banging one in."
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"No passwords written under the keyboard or anything I guess?" Sighing, she walks over to the doorway, "I'd almost be willing to give up all the money to get out from under all this other drek that came with it... Well I guess lets lock everything up for the night. I can try making some inquiries about Flint tomorrow when I hand over the first ledger, that might present us with some options? Regardless, let's actually get some sleep, who knows what further complications tomorrow will bring..."
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Wednesday 13 June 2075 2200 Elaine's House Seattle
The others both nod and Elaine leads the way to the master bedroom. Some of the anxiety of the day is forgotten in bed and all can curl up together and get some sleep. Elaine is the first awake and nudges the rest of you as she heads to the shower. "What is on the agenda for today?"
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"Well I need to take one of the ledgers to my contact to try and get those things unloaded and make them someone elses problem. I also need to go meet up with one of my suppliers to see about some electronic toys. Somewhere in there we need to sit down and talk about the future as well." Pointing at Elaine, "*You* need to try and decide what you want to do with your newfound freedom and then, depending on what you decided, we all need to talk about some options for the near future. But that can wait till after I see about those stupid books." Getting out of bed and dragging a sleepy Robin behind her, she follows Elaine. "But first, let's get this day started off at least on a good note," she says as pushes the other two girls into the shower. "This being bossy thing is kind of fun," she thinks, "at least once I know the parameters of the situation!"
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Wednesday 13 June 2075 0730 Elaine's House Seattle
The shower seems to wake everyone up, but the ampules hidden in the secret room have put a damper on any frivolity under the water for now. Breakfast is served and ready for you by the time you all dress and go downstairs. Elaine again shakes her head and bemoans the loss of a cook as a perk. After breakfast, you can retrieve one of the ledgers from the den and return to the living room, where the others are waiting.
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Coming back up from the secret room with one of the ledgers in hand, Rose looks at the other two women sitting there solemnly and can't help but sigh. Trying to put on a chipper face is hard while warning them to be careful today and not to let anyone into the house while she's gone. As a precautionary measure, she orders the Gopher to leave the Everett house and come park near Elaine's place, just in case they need it. Bidding farewell to the others, she gets in the Americar and heads back to Chinatown once again. On the way, she can't help but think about that girl, Sian, that she met last time, and wonder if she'll run into her again. Leaving the car, she has the CU^3 watch for more gangers ahead of her as she takes the main streets back to the antique shop.
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You were reminded of Sian earlier when you were dressing and touched the small figurine she had given you. On closer look is it of some sort of Roman soldier, although you cannot be sure, and it is a bit warmer to the touch than it ought to be.
The drive in from Elaine's house is uneventful, but the news feeds are still going on about the violence that had rocked the city last Saturday. You do not see any extraordinary gang presence on the short walk from the entrance of Chinatown to the antique shop. Entering the shop, you see the girl behind the counter raise her eyebrows and motion for you to wait. The small man comes through the beaded curtain in a couple of minutes and approaches you, bowing as he gets to within two feet. "How may we be of service to you this morning, Miss?"
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"I had mentioned to Miss Ni Ni that I had an item for her to look at. I was unable to make it back yesterday, but hopefully she's in now?"
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The man bows again. "Yes, Miss, she is in but is currently with another customer. Would you care to wait a few minutes? I will see if I can determine how long the wait will be. Would you like some tea in the meantime?"
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"Sure, I can wait. No need for tea though, thank you." Rose idles about the store, alternating between looking at the various items up for sale and the AR feed from the drone showing the flow of foot traffic outside the building.
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The items in the store are very nice and have price tags that match, indicating that this is definitely not a place for the casual tourist. The drone feed is showing nothing out of the ordinary outside the building. A noise at the curtain gets your attention and you see Ni Ni emerging with a man. The two bow to each other and the man nods at you as he leaves the shop. Ni Ni comes to you and takes your hands for a brief moment. "It is nice to see you safe. I was worried when I heard that you had gone out the back door. The alleys can be hard to navigate, especially to one not familiar to them. Would you like to come back to my office?"
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"Well one of the 88s was paying me a little bit too much attention on the main street for my liking, especially with what we'd been discussing, so I figured going out the back was best. It was... educational... but that's why I wasn't able to make it back yesterday. I did bring the item though, so please, let's go back to your office so you can give me your opinion on it." Rose follows Ni Ni back to the now familiar office where she places the ledger on her desk and sits down without comment, letting Ni Ni look at it at her own pace.
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Ni Ni reads several of the pages of the ledger before looking up at you. "My, my. Howard has been a very naughty boy. It is usually considered very bad form to be taking notes about one's employer. I would think this is probably meant to be his safety net, but such things rarely work out that way. The Yak Oyabun probably does not really fear exposure but he would definitely take a dim view of Howard writing about him. And most of this is so very unflattering. No, I think it is more of a betrayal thing and that Howard is not going to like what his boss would do to him. I will not bother reading more and would advise you to do the same. I can certainly act as your go-between in this matter. What are you hoping to get from this?"
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"At this point, honestly, out from under it. Howard likely suspects we have it, or will certainly do so in the future, and we'd prefer not to have to deal with his attempts to recover them. Giving them to anyone other than the Oyabun has its own associated issues. Getting them to him though means there's little danger of him blaming us for wherever they end up and might even result in Howard being removed from the picture. Now, if he offered a gesture of thanks..." Rose grins.
"However, there's also another issue that's come up. Another hypothetical, let's say. Do you know anything about Flint Pharmaceuticals? They're big into engineered biowar products. There was some news awhile back that they might have... misplaced... some specialized anthrax clones. They denied it, of course. What if those samples were to turn up and someone wanted to be rid of them while causing the least amount of pain and suffering. What should that person do? Hypothetically."
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Ni Ni nods and smiles. "I would think that he might be grateful for the book and for exposing treachery in his ranks. I will see what I can do." She listens to your hypothetical story and grimaces. "This other bit is a lot more worrisome. I am assuming that it is not really hypothetical. How much did you find and was it with Howard's things as well?"
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Rose frowns at Ni Ni's refusal to play along but quickly gives in, "Yes, it was with Howard's things. As for quantity, I'm not really sure how to estimate as it is contained in sealed vials, but the bag holding the vials is about this big." She holds out her hands and pantomimes the size of the sack.
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The other woman whistles. "Quite a lot, then. Would you be averse to turning them over to the KE? I know a couple of good cops that would love to have this stuff off the streets and it would help their careers as well, which is never a bad thing if you want friends in the police force."
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"I'm pretty sure we'd be okay with that if you can give assurances that it won't just end up in some corp's hands and leave us responsible for some atrocity down the road. I can deliver it and the other two ledgers whenever you're ready for them. And yeah, having KE owe a favor or two couldn't hurt." She grins.
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"Do you want to be the one that turns the rest of the ledgers over to the Oyabun and the bio-drek over to the KE? After all, do you want them owing me a favor or you?"
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"Uhm, I'm not sure we really want to come to the attention of the Oyabun, so I'm happy to let you take that one." She grins, "A personal favor from KE could certainly come in handy though, so I can handle that handoff if you set up the meeting?"
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Ni Ni nods. "I can understand your reluctance and will make the arrangements as you wish. I am assuming that I may keep this ledger to give the Oyabun a taste of what you have?"
With that, she looks at you and you get the feeling that the meeting might be over, but then her gaze lightens a bit. "Am I wrong or are you bothered by something else?"
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"If you think that's best, then sure. That's why I came to you. We didn't go through them in detail, so I'm not sure how representative of the other two that one is, but they appear to be similar at a glance."
Caught in the act of standing, Rose sits back down, "Bothered by something else? You don't think this is enough?" She laughs disparagingly. "Does she somehow know about Sian? Is that what she's getting at? There's so many factions down here I don't know if that's good or bad..." she thinks to herself. After a pause, she continues, "I'm not sure what you're getting at?"
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Ni Ni looks at you for a few moments. "Nothing special. I just have a good feel for people and it seems that something else is bothering you. I could be mistaken, though, as certainly the ledgers and the poison should be sufficient reason to be concerned all by themselves. I beg your forgiveness if I am mistaken as I do not wish to pry."
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"Well, I did have that member of the 88's obviously looking for me yesterday when I left here. Is there something I should be worried about there? I've not had any dealings with them previously..."
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"The 88s? No, they are always sniffing about here, just as we do to their buildings. They will not bother you unless you give them reason to. Did you give them a reason?"
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"Not that I'm aware of, but he seemed pretty focused on me. Maybe I was just being paranoid? Well, I guess let me head out. As soon as you can arrange the meet with KE I'll be happy to turn over those vials. Same goes for the ledgers. And I haven't forgotten about your offer of further employment, I'm still mulling it over." Rose stands and prepares to head back to her car, assuming Ni Ni has no further questions.
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Ni Ni shakes her head as you stand. The little man shows up at your elbow to escort you to the front of the shop and then the door. Looking about carefully, you do not see anyone paying any real attention to you this time and can return to your car without incident.
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Walking back to her car, Rose thinks, "Ni Ni sure seemed to be pushing for more information. Does she already know about my run in with Sian? Which begs the question, does Sian know about Ni Ni and is that why she talked to me...? There's too much I don't know about what's going on down here." Arriving back at the car, she messages Tiny, <<Hey, sorry for the interruption last night. I'm heading over now. Hope your night went well!>> Directing the car to drive to his shop, she mentally goes back over the shopping list in her head. "Seems like forever ago that we were talking about this stuff. Seems almost trivial now. Although if I do this other job for Ni Ni, it might come in handy. That's something I still need to talk to the other two about. There's just been so much other stuff coming up!" Pulling up to Tiny's, she gets out and heads inside looking for the big man.
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The sound of a labouring air conditioner almost masks the sounds of
stuff being moved around when you reach the entrance of the shop.
Tiny is carrying a large carton in his arms when he sees you. "Hey,
Rach. Come on in. I got everything you need, I think. If you got
the money, we can swap right now." He puts the carton down on a
counter and wipes some sweat from his brow. "Gonna be a scorcher
today and maybe not even any rain. Ha! Listen to me. I usually
complain about the rain, but I could use it today. And thanks. Yes,
I had a good night." He gets a calculating look in his eye. "Hey,
you know I got your best interests in mind, right? I might be able to
work out a serious discount for you if you wanted to come over a
couple of nights a week and keep me company. Alright, so I have my
own best interests in mind, too. But give it a thought. It could be
very beneficial in the long run, especially if I can put in a word
with the loan guy, too."
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"Yeah, I've got some cash now, but I was counting on that loan to give me time to come up with the bulk of it. I've got a line on some but it's not actually in my hands yet, neh?" Shaking her head at Tiny's overtures, "Sounded like you've got enough company as it is! Might frag up the deal I'm working now if I were to do anything with you though. Don't think I'd come out ahead. Let's just keep it business for now..."
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Tiny shrugs. "Your loss, Rach. I could take good care of you. Last
night was a distraction, someone who was willing to work out a deal
for a discount. Let me know if you change your mind. I got the R6
pilot, the prairie Dog, no sig masking, but I have up to 5 of the
chameleon coating sets, eight spoof chips and four morphing plates,
although I don’t think you need that many do you? Only 2 overrides.
But I do have the RCC you were looking at. Can get it all for you at
Y 219K. The loan guy is willing to front that to you. He wanted 15%
per month and I started at 7 and we ended up at 10."
He looks at you and smiles. "You can still negotiate a better rate
and or a discount on the prices. Up to you. I got the papers to sign
for the sale and can get the loan paperwork sent over right away if
you are interested."
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Rose laughs, "Wouldn't I just be someone trying to work out a deal for a discount?" She pauses for a moment to think about the items then responds, "Most of that stuff is more rare than expensive, so I'll take it all just in case I end up needing it. Wasn't expecting you to come up with the RCC, but I shouldn't have doubted! Terms on the loan are steep, but better than 15%, and hopefully I won't have to carry it much more than a month. You really came through, thanks!"
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Tiny laughs, too. "Yeah, you would, but you are different." He pats
his rather large girth. "This is what you will be missing. Let me
get the paperwork for you." The large man pulls a data pad from one
of the pockets on his coveralls and types on it for a bit then hands
it to you. You see that it is a fairly standard loan application,
where you promise to pay a specified interest rate (10%) for a
specified amount (Y 219K). The end point of the loan is not
specified, nor is the amount you are expected to pay against the
principal each month, but the first interest payment is due on July 1.
There are the usual clauses regarding the penalties for missing
payments. The first late payment will be forgiven if you pay an extra
1% within the first week. The penalty rate increases each following
week to 5%, 10%, then 15% if you are a month behind. There are some
not so vague warnings that collection proceedings will be initiated if
you do not make the first payment plus any penalty interest by the
beginning of the next month.
Tiny watches you read the contract and says, "I hope you got that line
on the money, Rach. This guy is nice if you make the payments and he
does not really care if you make regular payments against the
principal, but do not miss the interest payments, because that just
makes him mad. Sign right there and I will go get your boxes once he
acknowledges receipt."
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"How could I miss it, you're not exactly hiding it!" Rose jokes. Intrigued that there's actual documentation for this loan, Rose reads it carefully then signs. "This shouldn't be a problem, but even if I can't pay it off as expected, I should be able to carry the interest till I can." Then, under her breath, "I hope."
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The data pad pings almost immediately with the acceptance of the loan
contract. Tiny smiles and goes to get your boxes. He helps you load
them into your car and wishes you good luck, although he does add one
last warning about missing the interest payment on July 1. You can
almost feel the tug from the RCC in its separate box. Oh, what you
could do with this thing.
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Seated in the car, Rose thinks for a minutes about what to do next and finally decides she needs to drop this stuff back off at the Everett house. With all the drama with Howard going on, having this stuff at Elaine's house as well is just asking for trouble. As the car is driving back to Everett, Rose's thoughts go back to her life just a week ago and she realizes that with all the recent events she'd almost forgotten about her actual job. The solution to that is easy and she calls up the dispatching service and lets them know that she won't be available anymore. Disconnecting, she breathes a sigh of relief as a weight she didn't even realize was there is lifted.
Once she arrives at the house, she shuts the garage and then unloads the trunk, stashing the new goodies in the back room. As she stacks the boxes, the urge to open them up and play with the next toys like it's Christmas morning is almost overwhelming, but the the thought of Elaine and Robin waiting for news of Howard's things sobers her up and she locks everything up. Checking to make sure the security system is still engaged, she gets back in the car and heads over to Elaine's. Messaging Robin, <<Hey, got everything taken care of. Ni Ni is going to handle the ledgers for us and we'll be turning the drugs over to some KE people she trusts, so hopefully we'll have that resolved soon. In other news, I quit my job! So I've got more free time now. I'll be back at Elaine's shortly.>>
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Robin must have been sitting around waiting for you to call. Not nervous or anything, right? >>Great. Wait................did you just say you quit your job at the garage? But I though you loved that job. Anyway, both of us are waiting very..............um..................impatiently for you to get back and tell us what you have found out. Both of us are jumping every time we hear something odd. And boy are we hearing something odd every few minutes. Hurry home. I love you.<<
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<<I love the work, not the job. It was just something on the side to make ends meet, but it's looking like it's not needed anymore. Maybe we can even start up something of our own with Elaine's help? She seemed interested in mechanic stuff as well! Plus, there's a new potential job as well that would conflict. We can talk about when I get there. I'm close.>>
As Rose approaches Elaine's, she starts to worry a bit about what Robin was saying about weird noises and signals the CU^3 to pop out and do a scan around the house as she's pulling in. Leaving the drone on patrol, she steps out of the car and heads into the main house, glad that it requires a security code. "Hello! I'm back," she calls and goes looking for the other two women.
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The drone does not find anything unusual as it begins its patrol. Walking into the house, you hear Elaine call out from the living room. "In here. Are we glad you are home. Just a bit jumpy, I guess." As you enter the large room, Robin smiles at you and pats a space next to her on the couch. "Here. Sit down and tell us everything." Elaine nods and scoots over a bit to give you enough room.
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Rose walks over and sits on the couch. "Okay, first things first. I've got Howard's crap taken care of, it will just take some time. I've got someone arranging for transport of the ledgers to the Oyabun, so that should get us out from under those. For those vials, I'm going to give those directly to KE who should be able to dispose of the properly so we don't have to worry about being responsible if they resurface in the future. As for the money, well, we keep the money!" She grins broadly. "Elaine, have you thought any more about what you want to do? You've got your money, plus Howard's stuff, and that gives you a lot of options." Looking over at Robin, she raises her eyebrows and continues, "Because of all the stuff that's been going on, I decided to quit my job since I couldn't commit the time, but I still like doing it. You seemed to have inclinations that way as well. What would you think about the three of us setting up our own shop? Yeah you've got money now, but that would help ensure you had money in the future too. What do you guys think?"
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There is silence at first in response to your question and you can see both of the other women working things out in their minds. Robin is the first to speak. "So, you mean like buy our own garage and workshop and make it a business venture? I think it is a great idea, but would you be able to commit the time to it? I mean if that is the reason you quit your job?"
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Rose laughs, "Well, *I* wouldn't be the only one working, right? At that point, we could also hire people if we had enough business to support it. If it becomes big enough to pay all the bills, then sure, I'd have plenty of time. I quit my current job because all this," she waves her arm towards the secret room, "is taking up a lot of time and I didn't need the money currently." She pats Elaine's leg, "You're already paying me more than I made there! That said, there's the final item to talk about. Ni Ni, the lady that hired us for the job that got his here has a line on another job, but it's out of the country. If I, or we, ended up doing that, I likely wouldn't have been able to keep the roadside job anyway. And that brings us back to what we're going to do. Robin, I think there's going to be a need for some Matrix skills on this job she wants done, so there's probably a spot for you on the job, but it's probably not worth it for you to try and tag along, Elaine. I was thinking you could stay in town and work on things here? Assuming you wanted to stick with us. And assuming all this Howard crap is done by then..."
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Elaine's face goes through several emotions as you talk, from thoughtful to happy to sad then finally resigned. She shakes her head and puts a smile on her face before saying in a low voice, "Sure. I mean, yes, I want to stay with you two. My life has changed so much over the past few days that I cannot see going back to what I was. I really like the idea of setting something up and I really do not have many skills that would be useful in a foreign country. So how long would you gone and when are you leaving?"
-
"No timeline has been discussed, but it's a job similar to what this one was," she grimaces a bit at the reference to Elaine being a job. "It's in Thailand, and could very well go a couple weeks, or be done in a day. I don't have very many details yet. I'm supposed to let her know Monday if I want to do it. It should pay pretty well..."
-
Elaine grimaces at your reference as well then says, "I know I was a job, but I hope we have progressed beyond that by now."
Robin looks between the two of you and nods. "Yes, Elaine. You were a job, but we have indeed moved beyond that. I think our friend with the foot in her mouth does not mean anything negative. Also, Rach, if this job requires any interaction with the locals, would not Elaine's skills at moving in social circles come in handy? I mean, we do not know anything about the job, right? Can we get any sort of advance information?"
-
"No, she was pretty cagey about the actual details... Does that sound like something you'd want to do, Elaine? We've not really talked about your skills other than your early mechanical proclivities. I could see if there's a spot if so. What would you like to do?"
-
Elaine looks a bit pensive. "I....I don't actually know. No one has ever really asked me what I want to do. I rather like both ideas, actually. Starting a new life with you two is so......so interesting and amazing. I think I would like to be where you two are. I do know a thing or two about moving in certain circles and also happen to know some Thai. When I was young, one of my nannies was from that country and taught me some."
-
"Speaking the language is always good. I'm not sure what else might be required, but the job is billed as a recon then infiltrate to snatch a pottery piece. The snatch guy is apparently already selected, so we wouldn't have to worry about that, just getting them the information to make it a success." Rose sits and thinks for a minute, "Getting us all out of the country while the stuff with Howard falls out probably isn't the worst idea ever... This might be a bit personal, but do you have any implants? Getting at least a commlink before we go would really help facilitate things. Something to think about at least."
-
Elaine laughs. "That is about all I have implanted. My father was very strict that I have something in case I was kidnapped, but felt that more would take too much of my essence to let me be marriageable. Howard just did not want me to have more because of the social circles he thought we would run in, but then he quickly stopped taking me with him. So, yes, I have a good implanted 'link, but usually just use one I carry for appearances. Why do you ask?"
-
"Well, when you're engaged in things that you don't want to be caught at, being able to communicate with your partners without anyone else being the wiser is a pretty key ability!" Rose laughs. "How do you think Robin and I communicated while we were both here? she grins. "So, is it group vacation to Thailand time?!"
-
Both of the other women nod and Robin asks what you want to do for the afternoon.. Elaine suggests some time trying to take down Master Zagriv followed by the pool and hot tub.
-
"Relaxing would be nice. We don't need to commit to Thailand till Monday, so at this point we're just waiting to hear back about getting rid of Howard's drek. Master Zagriv won't know what hit him!"
-
Four hours later, Master Zagriv is toast and his minions are dead or
fleeing, although his mistress has escaped, promising vengeance in the
future. The three of you have retired to the hot tub for some
relaxation when you receive a message from Ni Ni. >>I have set things
in motion for you. Can you bring me the rest of the ledgers in the
morning, say by 1000? And a Colonel Anton Greaves would like to see
you for lunch at the KE headquarters in Downtown. He is the head of
the Counterterrorism Unit and would love to meet with you. Can you
make that and will it be just you showing up?<<
-
<<1000 would be fine tomorrow. I'll be glad to be rid of them. Will the Colonel be expecting me to bring any of the vials with me, or is this just a preliminary meeting? No problem meeting then, and it will just be me.>>
"Just heard back from Ni Ni; looks like we'll be able to get rid of the ledgers tomorrow and hopefully make some progress on getting rid of the drugs as well!"
-
>>Thank you for being prompt with your answer. I will expect you here at 1000 with the ledgers. Please do not bring the poison with you as I do not really want it near here. But Colonel Greaves would like you to have it with you when you meet him.<<
Both women in the hot tub with you smile and Elaine says, "That is good news all around. Could not be sooner. Now, since it looks like things are looking up, maybe we can get a bit more intimate?" She leans over and kisses Robin deeply then slides across the pool to kiss you. Robin, not to be left out, moves close to you as well and begins kissing the parts of you that are exposed above the water and touching parts of you that are below the water.
-
<<Okay. I"ll see you then.>>
Rose snickers and says, "I was wondering how long it would take you. You've been remarkably well behaved the past couple of days!" Her amusement doesn't last long, however, as it's quickly replaced by excitement at being the focus of the two women's ministrations.
-
And focus on you they do. The tangle of wet bodies merges and separates in different combinations and the moans of pleasure and delight echo across the room for some time. Finally, all three of you are worn out and you tiredly make your way to the master bedroom, only to fall into a deep sleep that lasts until early in the morning. A long, hot shower followed by breakfast and the three of you are ready to face the day. You make a trip to the den to get the other two ledgers. Once they are in your hands, Robin asks, "Will you be taking the poison vials, too, or coming back for those? Timing might be a bit tight to come back."
-
"Ni Ni doesn't want the vials anywhere near her for some odd reason, so I've made arrangements" she motions towards the driveway outside. Snagging the sack of vials as well she leads the two others out to the front where a black Gopher is parked next to the Americar. Robin laughs, "I hope you're not expecting me to drive that. You know how much I hate the pickup." Rose shakes her head as she heads to the truck and tosses the vials behind the passenger seat. "No, I've got this. No one needs to be driving around with this stuff. I'll meet with Ni Ni and keep the vials mobile then when KE is ready to receive it, I'll hand it over. Less chance of anything bad happening that way. You've got the access codes to it as well. Should something happen to me, you can drive it into the ocean or something." She steps into the back of the Americar, "But I'll be fine, this should just be two basic handoffs. Can't hurt to be careful though!" She closes the door and heads towards Chinatown as the truck pulls out behind her and heads off towards the freeway, a small feed of its progress popping up in the corner of Rose's vision.
-
Both women embrace you and kiss you. Elaine looks at you and says, "I know I have only been a part of your lives for a very short time, but I would really like to stay part of your life, so please be careful and come home." The sentiment is echoed by Robin. "I feel just the same, lover. Come home to us. We are now a trio and we need all three parts to be complete."
The drive to Chinatown is uneventful and you arrive in front of the antique shop with plenty of time to spare for your meeting. The outer display room is busier than you have seen it before and there is a small line at the counter. Ni Ni is talking to an older couple when you walk in but her eyes flicker in recognition. While waiting, the small man comes from the rear and bows to you, offering to escort you back. "Miss Xiaolu is busy right now. Please follow me to wait."
-
Rose enters the room and looks around, a little worried at the increased traffic, but it seems like everyone is there to shop, so she relaxes. Acknowledging Ni Ni with a nod, she resumes browsing the store until the now familiar man approaches her and she follows him into the back.
-
The man escorts you back to the usual table and you are provided with
tea. You have to wait about five minutes for Ni Ni to show up. "I
must apologize for the delay. An important customer showed up and I
had to see him. I hope that you can forgive the unintended slight."
She pours herself some tea and visibly relaxes as she sips from the
steaming cup. "Ahhh, so much better. Now, do you have the other
ledgers? I have an appointment with the Oyabun this afternoon and do
not wish to disappoint him."
-
"Business is business. As long as I can make my meeting with KE, I'm happy to wait." Reaching into her bag Rose pulls out the other two ledgers and places them on the table. "As promised. I'm happy to get them out of my possession. Hopefully the Oyabun appreciates your efforts."
-
Ni Ni smiles as you put the ledgers on the table. She picks them up
and does a quick scan through but does not take time to read anything.
"These seem to be in the same hand and style. Thank you for bringing
them in to me. The Oyabun seemed particularly grateful based on the
sample I provided him. I am sure that these will make him very
happy." She pauses and taps her fingers on the table then says, "May
I ask a very personal question of you?"
-
Rose pauses for a moment the responds, "You're welcome to ask as long as you understand I might not answer." She smiles a bit wanly but can't help but be curious what Ni Ni wants to know.
-
"I suppose the answer depends on how ruthless you are. I definitely got the impression that the Oyabun is very disappointed indeed with Howard. This sort of disappointment usually comes with orders to remove the problem. I expect that Howard will not be long for this world, especially since I can provide a pretty good address for where he is hiding out, thanks very much to your efforts. The question I want to ask concerns Elaine. It has come to my attention that you and your girlfriend appear to have become close to Elaine over the past few days. I would like to know if this is part of the job and you are milking it for all you can get, or if it is something else. Normally I would not care a bit, but I like you and do not want to see you saddened unnecessarily. I believe that the Oyabun will give the order to have Elaine killed as well, just as a precaution and to send a message. If you care about her, I will put in a word for her when I see the Oyabun. If you do not care, I would advise you to leave the house as soon as possible today and do not go back. I can parlay the ledgers and Howard's address for her life, if you like, or she can die. Which would you prefer?"
-
Caught a bit offguard, Rose sits back and thinks for a minute while sipping her tea. "I hadn't considered him wanting to get rid of her as well. Howard made it pretty clear he was done with her and has been trying to regain control of their joint assets... Up to now our association with her has been beneficial, and I'd prefer to keep that up for now. Especially if Howard is removed from the picture, she might suddenly be worth a lot more than she is now." Rose grins, thinking, "Couching it as more of a business arrangement should hopefully make it easier for the Oyabun to understand. Plus I'm not sure I like Ni Ni being so involved in our personal business..."
-
Ni Ni nods. "I will say it just like that then. Thank you for your input. I have to say that I like your style. More tea?"
-
"No thank you. I would hate to be late for my meeting with KE. I really want to get that stuff out of my possession. Will you let me know how the meeting with the Oyabun goes, especially as relates to Elaine?"
-
Ni Ni nods and stands up from the table, indicating that the chat is finished. The man is at your elbow as you stand, ready to escort you from the workshop back to the outer display room. He smiles as he opens the door for you. "Please to come again."
-
Rose stands and exits through the indicated door back to the main showroom. With a last look around at the customers browsing the wares she opens the front door and heads out into the street. Keeping an eye out for the return of the 88s, she moves quickly to meet back up with her car in order to head to the KE meeting.
-
As you exit the shop, you do notice two men taking appearing to take an interest in you, but they do nothing more than watch and are soon concealed by the crowds in the street. You make it back to the street beyond the entrance arch and can pick up your car with no problems. The drive to the KE headquarters in the Downtown District is uneventful and you arrive with plenty of time to find a parking spot and walk across to the large, ornate building rising from an extensive plaza. The glassed doors are guarded by several officers and sensor arches. As you approach, you notice that everyone desiring entry has to be seen by a uniformed officer, who asks their business, then pass through the detectors as well as have two wands passed over their bodies.
-
As Rose rides in the Americar towards her meeting with KE she carefully plots a route for the truck that will bring it back to the vicinity of the building fifteen minutes after the meeting is to start and ensures it's broadcasting an ID she's never used before. Double checking her bag to make sure she's not carrying anything that could get her in trouble she laughs to herself as she removed the Noizquito and puts it in the glove box, "The things that little guy has seen! Certainly don't want KE messing with it..." Upon arrival, she gets out of the sedan and closes the door before sending it on a circuitous route around town, changing ID and appearance in a couple tunnels. Her tracks covered as best she's able, she approaches the uniformed officer and announces her appointment with Colonel Greaves.
-
The officer looks at a list on a tablet and asks that you step just over there and wait, please. Soon after, a young woman appears and approaches the desk, where she is apparently pointed to you. She comes to you and holds out her hand. "Lieutenant Mallory. Colonel Greaves is expecting you. I was told to ask if you are carrying something with you for him? If so, he has directed that I take you through here and go past the security scanners."
-
Rose reaches out and shakes her hand. Suddenly realizing she's not sure what name Ni Ni gave to KE, she ignores the standard greeting and plows ahead, "I don't have it on me as I wasn't sure what the procedure would be. It will be delivered shortly. We can wait here if needed or I can just come back for it with the Colonel once it arrives?"
-
The KE Lieutenant smiles as she shakes your hand. "I would prefer to
wait, if you do not mind. Just let me inform the Colonel of the
situation." Her smile does not falter as she pauses for a few
moments. She shrugs her shoulders and says, "The Colonel is aware of
the plan and he said to tell you that he will hold lunch. He also
wants me to be sure that I pass on how pleased he is to know that some
citizens are willing to do the right thing. How long will we have to
wait?"
-
Rose mentally checks the progress of the truck and sends it on a more direct path back to the building. "Should be able five minutes at this point. I'm just happy to have been able to find a safe place to hand this stuff off at. I certainly didn't want it falling into the wrong hands. I'm not 100% on the specifics, but regardless it's not stuff I wanted out on the street!"
-
The wait is not long and it passes quietly, as the lieutenant is
either not skilled at small talk or just not interested in saying
anything. The small truck arrives as planned and you can go out to
get the package. When you return to the woman, she is holding open a
side door into the building, thus allowing you to bypass the more
severe of the security systems. She escorts you through a large lobby
to a small bank of elevators, motioning for you to proceed her into
one. The ride to the sixth floor is short and quiet.
You are led down a carpeted hallway past several closed doors to a
large corner office. A pretty woman behind the reception desk nods
and smiles at you, saying that Colonel Greaves is expecting you. The
Lieutenant takes you just around the corner and knocks at a door,
receiving a command to enter. She opens the door for you, announces
you, and closes it after you enter without following you in.
Your first impression of the man rising from a large desk is that
Colonel Greaves is one huge Troll. Your second impression is that he
knows how to dress. His uniform is spotless and the trousers are
creased to a sharp plane. His horns curl almost like a ram's and are
carved and decorated with bits of gold and silver. He offers a huge
hand that completely swallows yours and his voice is incredibly deep
and surprisingly cultured. "How are you, Rachel? I am Colonel
Greaves. I have heard good things about you from a contact of mine,
and I trust her judgement despite the path that she has chosen in this
life. She tells me that you have found some special toxins that I
might be interested in. A form of Anthrax, if I recall. If that is
what they are, then I am very interested indeed." He motions for you
to take a seat in front of the large desk then his eyes go to the case
in your hands. "Are the toxins in the case? May I?"
-
Rose steps forward and hands the parcel to the colonel before taking a seat in the chair. "Go right ahead. I was afraid to mess with it too much. Obviously I wasn't able to do any testing on it, but based on the markings and the news stories about the... troubles... that manufacturer was having, along with the word on the street, it certainly appears to something along those lines. I was leery to give it over to our mutual friend due to her, how did you say, 'path in life', so I was very pleased she was able to connect us. If it is what we think, what do you plan to do with it?"
-
Greaves takes the box with a smile and places it on his desk. The
door behind you opens almost immediately and a young man in a white
lab coat comes into the office. He comes to the desk and takes the
box. Looking inside it, he nods at the colonel and says, "Less than
an hour, sir."
Greaves nods and the man walks out of the room. The colonel stands
and offers you his arm as he comes around the desk. "We have about an
hour for the lab geniuses to do their brand of magic and let us know
if the stuff really is what it seems to be. I would like to take you
to lunch, if you would accept. We can discuss what we are going to do
about the toxins and what, if any, your role in that might be after we
return to the office. I think you will find that the food is excellent
here. Would you be my guest?"
-
Rose stands and accepts the arm quickly, if not gracefully. "I must admit I'm curious to know what that stuff actually is and it would help me sleep better at night knowing what you're going to do with it, so food on someone else's nuyen is pure gravy. Lead on!"
-
You are completely dwarfed by the large troll as he escorts you from his office. He stops at the receptionist's desk to let her know he is going to the dining room and will return in about an hour. The colonel is more talkative than his lieutenant, but does not pry at any personal information other than to ask if you follow the local Blood Bowl team. Most of his talk is purely of the weather and what your impression is of how the KE is policing the city. The dining hall is restaurant style, but high class. The tables have linen tablecloths and napkins, real metal silverware, along with more knives and forks than you are used to using. A real waiter shows up to take your order and Greaves recommends the Filet Mignon, mentioning that it is the specialty of the chef and is very good.
-
"Blood Bowl has never really been my thing, I'm more into trid games than physical ones." Rose picks at the assorted silverware, vaguely remembering admonishments about which fork was to be used for what food from her youth. "The is fancier than I would have expected for a police cafeteria. Can't say I eat like this very often." Somewhat lost in the menu, Rose is happy to take Greaves' recommendation for the meal, "The filet, please. And could I get the ceviche to start?" She looks over at the colonel with an expression obviously asking if that's too much.
-
Greaves nods at the waiter and tells him to make it for two. He
launches in more small talk after the waiter has disappeared then
looks over your shoulder and gives a slight grunt. "Hmmm, look what
the cat drug in. Sorry, should not talk that way, especially when he
is with someone I respect. Do you know the woman that just walked in
with a comrade of mine?" As you look across the room to the entryway,
you see Lady Marisart standing there with her arm through that of
another KE officer, this one with even more stuff on his shirt than
Greaves. "Um, would you mind terribly if...............?"
-
Rose tries to mask her surprise but isn't entirely successful. "Actually, yes, I met her at a charity event not long ago. What would she be doing here? And who is he? He looks important..." She realizes she's running on while he waits for a response, "Oh, yes, sorry, by all means."
-
Greaves looks amused. "The he is my superior, Commander Ross." He stands and motions with his arm, but the other officer does not seem to see him, even though he looks right past him. Tanya Marisart gives her escort a nudge and nods her head in the direction of your table. Ross seems to notice Greaves and nods, moving towards you. A hurrying waiter scurries over to pull a chair out for the British woman. Ross looks at you with more interest than he spares for Greaves, but the colonel grabs his attention. "Commander, how nice to see you. How is Helen?"
The commander looks a bit non-plussed and reddens a bit at the mention of the woman's name. "My wife is fine, Greaves. Thank you for asking. She has hied off to her mother's again. Damn witch.....never could stand her." He looks around the table. "Um, my wife's mother, not my wife, of course."
Greaves motions to you and says, "Sir, may I introduce my companion? This is Rachel........"
He seems to be at a slight loss for words, realizing that he does not know your last name. Tanya artfully covers by saying, "Rachel! How are you dear? We met at that tiresome charity auction thing the other night. Libraries or something, wasn't it? Fancy meeting you here, my dear."
-
As the new pair approaches their table Rose eyes Tanya and nods in recognition. Looking a little taken aback by the Commander's initial comment, her laughter is clearly forced as he tries to save his verbal blunder. The laughter is much more genuine when Tanya mentions the charity event, "Yes, I recall. It was 'for the children' though." Grinning, "At least the food here is cheaper!"
-
Tanya gives you what is almost certainly a genuine smile as the waiter seats her. The colonel also gives you a smile, but Commander Ross is a bit more uncomfortable. He sits down between you and Tanya at the table and is that a slight glare he gives Colonel Greaves? Apparently your escort is far more at ease in his boss' company that the other way around. Meals and drinks are ordered for the newcomers and the conversation goes back to talking about the weather, although it appears that Tanya has interests in both the local Blood bowl team and matrix gaming, neither of which are shared by Ross. It comes out that she is deeply into the Vampire Hunter game and has a couple of high level characters there. She seems very personable, but then someone in her position might be expected to be, right? Twice during lunch it appears that Commander Ross is going to say something derogatory to Colonel Greaves, but Tanya puts a hand on his arm and he calms down.
-
Intrigued by the interplay between the two men, Rose can't help but wonder if this is part of the reason that Ni Ni contacted Greaves and not someone higher up the chain, like the Commander. "So how do the two of you like working for KE? Have you been doing it for a long time?"
-
Commander Ross nods as he finishes chewing a bite. "I have served KE honorably from a beat cop on up. I went straight to the force from high school and never looked back. I believe that Colonel Greaves is pretty much the same, eh?"
"Yes sir, that is correct. Slightly different trails, but fairly close. I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to continue to serve in Seattle."
"Um, yes. Of course, Greaves, of course. I have a slightly higher goal,though. Mustn't tell secrets, but there are some changes coming down. We should talk about them, Colonel. Perhaps after the next weekend. I will be busy until then."
After a few more minutes of chatter, a uniformed officer approaches the table and presents the Commander with a tablet. he reads it and his face turns a nice shade of purple. "Damned gangers. Pardon my language, ladies. It appears that there have been some issues between two of the go-gangs over turf and I am called away for meetings. I do apologize, Lady Marisart. I had hoped to spend a good bit of time with you. Perhaps later?"
"Yes, Commander. Perhaps later. Thank you for the invitation. I am sure that Colonel Greaves can see me out."
After the Commander leaves, Colonel Greaves and Tanya Marisart look at each other then both turn their heads to look at you. Tanya begins talking about how delicious her meal is and leans over as if to offer you a bit from a clean fork. Her voice is low and apparently only for you and Greaves. "You have about ten seconds to get into something bloody great that could mean life and death to many people in many places. Simply nod if you want in or do nothing and this conversation will never have taken place. It is asking a lot, but it is important."
After giving you the bite, Tanya sits back down and watches you.
-
Rose thinks for a moment, "Wha... Uhm... I can't speak for the other two, but this certain sounds interesting. Might not pay like the Thailand gig though... I guess it can't hurt to find out more..." Rose raises her eyebrows and nods.
-
Colonel Greaves places his napkin on the table and stands up. The waiter senses that the meal is over and hustles forward to assist the ladies from their chairs. Lady Marisart takes the time to thank the waiter for the good service and then follows Greaves as he heads to the door of the dining room. Tanya falls in next to you as you follow the KE colonel down the hall towards the elevators that will take you back to his office. Or not, as it turns out. Once in the elevator, the troll pushes the button for both the first and garage levels as he takes a fancy comlink from his pocket. "Doris, I am off for my afternoon golf session at the club. Let me know if something comes up, will you? Thanks." He replaces the 'link and says, "Alright. That clears me for the afternoon. Good of you to at least want to hear us out, Rachel. We need people like you on board."
You and Tanya get off the elevator at the ground floor but Colonel Greaves remains to continue down to the garage. Tanya takes your arm and walks with you. Her pace is slow enough to not raise any attention and she continues the somewhat useless chatter from lunch until you leave the building. She nods and calls the two security guards at the door by their names and asks about their families. One outside, she motions to a huge Rolls Royce limousine parked at the curb. The uniformed driver is waiting for her with a door open to the cavernous rear compartment. Tanya stops with you as you leave the stairs and stand on the open plaza. "I am putting the address of the country club on the com code I am sending you. Please come. If you change your mind, please let me know. I would like to meet with you there in two hours, which ought to give you time to go home and discuss this with your friends. I..........we...........are impressed with the attitudes and skills displayed by you and would like to invite you to help us save lives. It will not be easy and will almost certainly be very dangerous, so think carefully. You do not yet know enough to hurt our cause, so I am not worried if you decide to decline this chance to do something great. I leave it to you. The guard at the entry gate will have your names if you decide to come out. I would like to save most of your questions for later, but is there one I can answer that might help you decide to come out?"
-
Rose thinks for a second before realizing the biggest difference in the two potential jobs, "Does the work with you guys pay? Helping others out is great, but we still have to make ends meet." She laughs and waves at the limo, "Well, some of us."
-
Tanya laughs as she follows your hand motion. She turns to go towards the car but calls over her shoulder. "How does half a mil sound?" Before you can really get your mind around what she has just said she slides into the rear compartment and the driver closes the door. The long limo glides silently away from 1 Police Plaza and heads out into traffic, leaving you standing there.
-
As Tanya drives off, Rose can't help but think, "Was that total, or each?!" Calling for the car, she idles outside the building. "Well, we certainly have a lot to talk about and not much time to do it in..." Suddenly realizing she never heard the results of the tests on the vials and what was going to be done with them, she turns and almost heads back inside but then realizes she can ask him later if they go through with this new job, and if they don't, she can try and contact him then. Messaging Robin, <<Hey, dropoffs all done. Don't have to worry about that drek anymore. New worries though. Have a new job proposition from the Colonel and our 'old friend' Tanya Marisart. I'm heading back now and we can talk about it, but if we're interested we have a meeting in less than two hours!>> A few minutes later the car pulls up, looking completely different from the one that dropped her off, and she gets in and head back to Elaine's place.
-
Elaine and Robin are both waiting for you as you step into the house. They start talking at the same time then Elaine looks over at Robin and laughs, motioning her to go first. "So give. What happened and what is this about a new job?"
-
Rose laughs and motions for them to sit down. Once they're all seated she starts explaining, "So both hand-offs went fine. I'd still like to find out a little more about what KE is going to do with the vials, but that got interrupted by the new opportunity I mentioned. I was eating lunch with Greaves when we were joined by his boss and Tanya Marisart," she pauses for Elaine's exclamation of surprise. "Yup, not sure why she was there, but once the Commander left, she quickly offered me the chance to 'do some good' and I accepted to find out more. I'm supposed to meet with her at the country club shortly if we're interested. Sounds like it might be a good opportunity, but it would likely conflict with the Thailand job we'd been talking about. Oh, and did I mention, she said it pays half a million..."
-
Both women exclaim at the amount of money you mention and both ask you if that is per person or a total. There is some discussion about yes or no but it is decided that the offer should be heard and all three of you should be there. Robin looks closely at you. "Is this something you want to get into? I mean, we have some money already, more that we have had before. People do not pay that amount of money for nice, easy, or safe jobs. All the money in the world would not be enough if I lost you."
-
"Nice, easy, and safe can end up being boring though, no? Yes we've got some money now, but it's not going to last all that long, especially with three of us. Did you think the Thailand job would be a walk in the park? I think we kind of lucked out with this one here," she smiles at Elaine, "but isn't 'dangerous' kind of what we signed up for back when we decided to start doing this?"
-
Robin nods. "OK. You are right, as always. Let's go see what she thinks is worth half a million."
-
Rose looks over and Elaine and raises an eyebrow and she nods back, "Okay, sounds like a plan then. Lets go see what Tanya has up her sleeve." Rose leads the other two women back outside and into the waiting car. Pulling up to the entry gate at the country club, she gives their names and waits for further direction.
-
The guard at the gate check his pad and nods when he finds your names. "Welcome, Miss. Please follow the green ARO to your assigned parking spot. Someone will be waiting for you. Have a nice day."
The indicated route leads to off to the side of the main club house to a smaller building. There are four gardeners doing some yard maintenance as you pull up to the assigned place. Three of them look your way as you drive up, wiping sweat from their brows before going back to work. A man in loud golfing attire is waiting for you get out of the car. "Good afternoon, ladies, and welcome. You are expected." The man escorts you up to the door of the small building and and opens the door for you. Directly inside is a small lobby and partial kitchen. The man walks with you to a set of double doors, knocking as he gets there. You can make out the deep voice of the colonel as he bids you to enter.
A large conference room is beyond the door, containing a table that could seat twenty people, but only three of the seats are currently occupied. You see Colonel Greaves, Tany Marisart, and Ni Ni Xiaolu. There are trid screens set up in front of four of the empty chairs, but the images are currently wavy static. Tanya rises as you enter the room and your escort leaves. She comes to take each of you by the hand and motions to three of the empty chairs. "We are going to be mostly informal today and for the purpose of security, the four missing members are connected in and will not be visible at this time. Things are moving rapidly and we need people on the ground that are willing to go the extra distance. An offer to have you go to Thailand has already been made, but it was felt that you might be more willing if you know more about the trip. Please be seated."
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Rose frowns when she enters the room and sees Ni Ni seated there. She shoots a quick message to Robin, <<That's Ni Ni, what is she doing here?>> As Tanya explains why they are there, Rose can feel her eyebrows climbing her face, "Wait, so this is the same bit of business that Ni Ni has already approached us about?"
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Tanya nods. "Yes it is. You have impressed all of us with your ability to quickly accomplish the task set to you. Also, and certainly very important in this, is your desire to return the ledgers and the toxin vials. And it is those vials that are the lead in to the next phase. What you brought to Colonel Greaves has been determined to be anthrax. We are almost certain that this came from a secure lab facility and that the Yakuza were involved in the theft. There is a cabal of people that believe that someone yet unidentified is pursuing a goal of selective weaponization of the anthrax. Selective in that they intend to kill off those that are not humans. We intend to stop them. In Seattle we found two crucial pieces of evidence that have left us certain that the next targets need to be Colombia and Thailand. One piece came from the piece of pottery we took from Howard's collection and have since put back. This clue is yours and we have decided that you should be given the opportunity to work more closely with the central cabal. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this project, but neither can I overemphasize the depths of depravity in the souls of the perpetrators of this horrible scheme or how dangerous this task will be."
Tanya stops and watches the three of you. "If you are willing to proceed, we will make you a greater part of the team, privy to knowledge that others will not have. But for now, I can say little more. Are you interested in risking your lives for the good of people you will never know?"
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Rose looks at the other two and doesn't see any sign of disagreement so she continues to speak for the trio, "Well we had already pretty much decided on accepting the Thialand job from Ni Ni, and you've done nothing but make it more attractive both morally and financially, so I'm pretty sure the answer is yes." The other two women nod their assent. "My biggest reservation about the job before was the lack of information, and it seems like you're ready to remedy that now?"
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Tanya smiles and looks over at Ni Ni, who nods. The colonel also nods and computer generated voices come from each of the trid screen indicating assent as well. A small console rises from the table in front of each of you and the others. Tanya pushes a button and a holographic map of Bangkok, Thailand appears in the center of the table. After some manipulation, the view focuses in on ever-smaller sections of the city, finally focusing on what appears to be a tall apartment building near the southeast section. As the view solidifies the faces of two men and one woman appear next to it with names underneath each one. Red lights pop up on each name as Tanya speaks. The two men are Tam and Paranat Pichit and the woman is Panyang Pichit. They are siblings who control shipping interests all across Southeast Asia and up into China. This gives them considerable wealth. What is not publicly known is that all three have links to the Yakuza, making them even more influential in the area. The top four floors of this building is their penthouse home. We are certain that one or all of these three is deeply involved with the plot. The likeliest suspect is Tam, who has been quite outspoken about his dislike of anyone not human, but it would be wrong to assume that he is the main link. We need some proof and would like you to help us get it. I will be going with you and we will be working together to gather what evidence is available." She pauses to take a drink of water and looks at you to see if you have any comments so far.
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Rose looks somewhat confused, "Well that seems pretty straightforward, but what does this have to do with the pottery?"
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Tanya grimaces. "All too much, I am afraid. The people behind this are very much guided by superstition and omens, believing that the answers to the problems of today lie in the past..............far in the past. There is a very ancient story in Chineese literature about the creation of the heavens and the earth. As the story goes, mankind would be embarrassed by the riches offered and would grow lax and feeble. The gods would send punishment in the form of demons. These demons are not specified, but some people can take anything and screw it to their advantage. Indications are that there are important people that are being convinced that the Elves, Dwarves, Orks, and Trolls are the demons and that mankind must destroy all of them in order to make themselves safe. The story was placed on pieces of pottery and then each piece was sent to a different part of China and then farther out in the world. In the centuries since, or so the story goes, the separated pieces would be brought together. The idea is that the plague cure would be made obvious as soon as most of them were in one place and the final act would be timed for when every piece is in one specific location. We now know the how, but still not the when or where the pieces need to be. The entire story is written on some of the pottery, each one pointing its way to another. Both of the pottery pieces in Seattle led us to Thailand.....................to these siblings. They have two of the vases, reputed to be some of the largest and earliest of the entire set. We believe that one of the two will have an important clue. We need to get into the penthouse and find the vases."
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"Okay, so you think Howard was part of their little group? Are they going to be more vigilant considering what happened to him? Or is this one of those left hand, right hand things?" She chuckles a little. "I guess it doesn't really matter, the job's the same either way... do we know anything about these three? Their interests, schedules, etc? Or are we starting from scratch?"
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Colonel Greaves shakes his head. "We do not yet know what Howard's involvement was. We think his family has long been a part of this cabal because they have been collecting the pieces of the pottery collection for several generations. Our guess is that each one hoped to be the person to put all of them in one place and be heralded as some sort of prophet for doing so. I think that he was trying to cover all his bases in some fashion, protecting himself as much as possible. How he got the drugs is a mystery, but the fact remains that he did have them and so much have been associated with the "theft" somehow."
Ni Ni picks up on your other questions. "And no, we know very little about our three targets beyond what is in the public eye. It has only been a few days since we found out they are connected through the leads gathered from the pottery. We are digging hard and should have more information by the time you leave for Thailand. In the meantime, we are not standing still. You will be given new IDs that you will need to become familiar with. If you are still interested?"
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"Unless there's some new objections," she turns to look at the her partners, "then I think we're still interested. You had asked what sort of equipment we'd need for this but I hadn't fully considered it yet as we weren't to Monday yet. Is that still the timeline? Sounds like we're still going in blind though, which is unfortunate... As far as personnel, magic seems to be the big hole currently."
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Tanya nods and grimaces. "There are lots of holes, I am afraid, some bigger than others. Do you have a recommendation to fill that particular hole? I would like to point out that it is expected that you will keep all of this secret for a bit. As of yet, we do not think they are on to us. We have replaced the stolen pottery and feel pretty secure. Every person we bring into this just adds to the potential of a leak that could stop us. The other side has the funding and manpower of a AAA and a major criminal enterprise. All we have is a few determined people of some influence and the assets to allow us to try to keep in the action."
Ni Ni also nods. "Yes, and you have put your finger on an immediate issue..............a lack of intelligence on the next step. That is where you will come in. Make yourselves home in Thailand. Get to know the area and then these people. UCAS expats are a novelty there. Especially if they appear to be well healed." She glances over to where Greaves is sitting, then back to you. "But there is another approach that has some favor. Sometimes a stealthy approach is better. Using the shadows and not being seen has a certain appeal. Do you have an opinion?"
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"I don't really know any mages. Robin brought in the one we used on the last job." Turning to Robin, "Do you think he'd be a good fit for this? Or do you know anyone Elaine?"
"As for the best approach, the 'hiding in plain sight' route worked out well this last time, might as well try it again. Especially in a new area it has the advantage of being more forgiving of mistakes. Being caught sneaking around is bad. Being caught trespassing because you're lost is a lot easier to get out of."
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Elaine shakes her head at your question and Robin shrugs her shoulders and nods. "We can ask, but are how much are we allowed to tell anyone?"
Tanya frowns. "Please remember that we need to keep this as compartmentalized as possible. I can try to vet anyone you recommend, but it would be best to not divulge details of our operation to thers outside of this room."
A disembodies voice comes from one of the monitors. "I appreciate your decision to be a part of this. Please provide Colonel Greaves with a name that you would like to be known as. Suitable SINs will be provided to you. You will need to become familiar with the backgrounds before departing for Bangkok. Suitable funds and attire will be made available. Do you wish to travel as a group or individuals?"
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"Do you need to know immediately? Or can we decide on how to approach this first before committing?"
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Tanya smiles. "Take all the time in the world as long as you decide by Monday. We will need to get IDs and backgrounds together and you will need time to become familiar with them. Just to reiterate; we want you to be part of the recon team that helps us pinpoint where the vases are so that I can get to them. We will be a team in this and I will try to keep you as informed as possible about what is happening."
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"We can definitely come up with something before then, I just don't want to be hasty about it. We can do some basic research and try ti figure out some good cover stories that might get us an initial introduction without being obvious about it." She thinks for a moment, "Are we going to be able to bring in equipment or will it all have to be purchased or provided there?"
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Colonel Greaves speaks up. "We can move equipment around within reason. That is one area where we are at a disadvantage compared to our foes. They have the assets of a AAA and a major crime syndicate and we just have us. If you have a list, we can consider it, but we may end up needing to get some of our equipment locally. And before you ask, this is not a Spallmart of spy stuff. Be smart about any equipment you ask for."
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"Well, it certainly sounds like we have a lot to talk about. We'll get back to you by Monday to confirm details." She looks at the other two women, "Unless you two had any more questions?"
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Robin and Elaine look almost numb as they shake their heads. Tanya nods and stands and the three screens go dark as the unseen entities log off. Greaves and Ni Ni remain seated as Tanya comes to you and motions for you to walk with her. "I hope you can see your way to helping us. We do have an organization, but it is really quite small and we cannot do all of this ourselves. I hope that appreciate the chance we took to bring you in from the dark and share with you. Please be careful and let us know as soon as possible."
She puts a finger to her lips as she approaches the door and escorts you out of the conference room. She quietly leads you to the exit from the building and to the paring lot where your cars are. Turning to all of you, she says, "Monday, then?"
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"I don't think there's any question about us helping, we just need to figure out the best way to do so. You have to admit, this is fairly sudden." After following her quietly out of the building, Rose responds, "We'll definitely let you know by then. If we come up with any more questions, is there a good way to contact you?"
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Tanya nods. "Of course. I am sending each of you a personal com code. Use it if you want to talk. I may be busy, but I will get back to you if you leave a message."
She watches as the three of you approach your vehicles, then waves and turns to go back into the building. Robin and Elaine look at you and their eyes are a bit wider than normal. Robin whispers, "I suppose we should not chat about this out here, but I am about to burst. Home?"
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Rose nods and motions to the car as the doors pop open and the three of them climb in. She waits for a few moments as the car pulls away from the building and then speaks, "We should be fine to talk in here. But speaking of eavesdropping, are we sure Howard doesn't have any way of listening in or observing us back at his house? If this next job involves a group that he's a part of, we shouldn't risk him hearing anything..." She looks over at Robin and raises her eyebrow, receiving a small nod in return. "Why don't we go back to our place? Should be safe from anyone watching us there."
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Elaine nods, too. "I am not sure that he cannot, but then he would have heard everything anyway, right? Still, this is new and we should not take any chances. I can have the car just go back home?"
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Rose instructs the car to head to back to her and Robin's place before sinking back into the chair and sighing. "Okay, so does this sound like something we want to do? It already sounded interesting, but now we're apparently going to be saving the world and getting paid at the same time? I'm certainly okay with that. Although if something goes wrong, we'll be all on our own in a foreign country, so that's certainly something to take into account." Rose looks pointedly at the other two. "At this point, I'm in, although it's moving kind of quickly, but that seems to have been the theme of the last week," she chuckles. "What are you two thinking?"
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Rose actually looks a little relieved and smiles. "Thank God!. I was afraid you were going to back out. I am in. Elaine?"
Elaine looks at both of you and shakes her head. "Listen to both of you. Were you listening to what those people were saying? Going against a AAA and the Yaks? And who knows who else is involved? Now, don't get me wrong, saving the planet is a good idea, but what about saving ourselves?" She looks around at both of you then sighs. "OK. Someone had to at least have a moment of sanity and say that. But having said it, I need to say something else. You two have given me something to live for...........no, someONE to for. I have spent a while over the last few days wondering just what my life was and would continue to be if you had not shown up or if you went away. That fragging picture is awfully bleak. I feel more alive now than I have ever felt in my life. And it is thanks to you two. And it is way more than sex, although the sex has been the best I have ever had. It is something else I cannot really explain. So if you think for one second that I am letting you two out of my sight to go traipsing off to Thailand without me, well, you can just think again. I say we go over there and fuck these people up and stop their plot so we can get back to having sex together. And if I die there, well, I cannot think of better people to die with. Is that direct enough?"
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Rose blushes a little as Elaine gives her speech and then laughs, "Yes, I'm not sure you could have been any more direct. I guess that settles it then; Thailand, here we come!" The other two let out a similar cheer and they grin at each other for a few moments. "Well, I'm glad that's decided, because we're nearing the house. Just a quick warning, Elaine, once we pull in, hang tight in the car for a moment while I add you to the security system. It shouldn't be a problem since you're here with me, but never can be too careful, right?" she chuckles.
As the car pulls into the garage, Elaine peers out the window as the two sentry bots slide along the rails to either side of the car. Rose gets out quickly and heads over to the control console where she plugs in and adds Elaine to the approved guests list before turning back to the car and motioning for the other women to get out as the drones resume their normal positions. "All safe now, we can go inside. It's not as nice as your place, but no traces of Howard here!"
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Indeed, there are no traces of Howard here. Robin gives Elaine the fifty-cent tour, which takes far less time than a similarly priced tour of Elaine's house would take. At the end, Elaine looks at the two of you and asks if she can have a moment alone in the living room.
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Rose looks at Robin and shrugs, "Sure, take all the time you need." She then heads back to the garage to check on all her gear after being away for so long.
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The garage is how you left it. After a few minutes, Robin comes out to the garage. "I wonder if something is wrong, Rach. Elaine is in there quietly sobbing away. I did not feel right about just butting in, but do you think maybe we should?"
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Rose frowns, "She seemed to be okay with everything so far... lets give her a couple more minutes and then we can go check on her. Maybe she just needs a little time to assimilate everything that's happened? She can't have predicted her life would go this way last week..."
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Robin nods and comes over to help you on the bench. The two of you start talking about old times, from before you parted ways.............the boys, the bad grades, the bad booze and sneaking out for, well, for just about anything you weren't supposed to be doing. You are interrupted by a noise from the doorway and turn to find Elaine standing there. She has cleaned up her face and is smiling. "I wish I had known you two back then. Frag, I wish I had known anyone even like you back then. I...I am sorry for just now. Just being in a different house, a house I can sense love in, was too much, I guess. All that house and no love in it. So much money and yet nothing I much want to carry away. Oh, except for the new game controllers we bought. But even that was not there until you two came into my life. Yeah, it was a trick, but I do not feel like it is still a trick."
Robin looks over at you then back to Elaine and shakes her head. "No trick."
Elaine looks like she might break down again and some tears do flow from her eyes, but she does not try to stop them. "Thank you. Both of you. You have rescued me from a horrible life and have allowed me to become part of your lives. I can never say thank you enough."
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A little uncomfortable from all the emotion, Rose shifts on her feet as Robin pats Elaine on the shoulder before quipping, "I'm going to remind you you said that if things don't go well in Thailand!" She smiles at Elaine's weak chuckle and continues, "We're all still on board with that right? We need to figure out what all we need to get ready or ask for before we go though. We only have a few days to plan at this point!"
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The others chuckle a bit at your humor then get a bit serious as you mention planning for the trip. As you turn to the living room, Elaine pauses in mid-step and goes all white. She hold up her hand and looks around at you both, her eyes wide. "I just took a message from a Hilo Tanaka. He says he is contacting me on behalf of the Oyabun. The message is that he cannot reach Howard for some reason so is contacting me to make sure that I will be available at the house tomorrow to keep the appointment that the Oyabun made so he can look over the collection he has paid for. What do I say?"
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Rose pauses for second then realizes there might be an easy solution, "Let me ask Ni Ni. She's handling the journals and maybe she'll have an idea for the best way to deal with the Oyabun on this. Maybe she can pin the whole thing firmly on Howard?" The others look relieved at the prospect of a solution and she shoots a message to Ni Ni. <<The Oyabun has contacted Elaine in order to get access to the house tomorrow in the absence of Howard. How should we handle that? I don't think she wants to be there if the Oyabun realizes he's been had...>>
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The response from Ni Ni comes quickly. >>I know Hilo Tanaka. He was the main contact I was using for the ledgers. Tough as nails, but reasonable. My guess is that the Yaks already know they have been swindled and are trying to determine the damage. They might consider Elaine an accomplice, but not being there will certainly give them that impression. I would think that it is very much to her advantage to be at the house. Try to stay calm.<<
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Rose nods to herself and looks to the other two, "Ni Ni thinks that the Oyabun likely is fully aware of the pottery situation and he probably just wants to confirm it for himself. If we don't help him do that, he might think you're acting against him, which we definitely don't want. We could be there with you if you like? Or just watch over you through the house security system, right Robin? Either way, it sounds like you need to make that meeting..."
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Elaine nods and looks back and forth between the two of you. She nods and smiles. "Where have you two been my whole life? I keep waiting for this to be just a dream as I wake up alone in my bed listening to Howard screwing someone he brought over to the house. I feel like I have emerged from darkness and I owe it to you two. Thank you for the offer. I know I would feel safer, but I would understand if you want to stay away and safe."
Robin squeezes your hand then goes to hug Elaine. "You are important to us, too. What sort of friends would we be if we cut out at the first real risk? Besides, the Liche King is only four bosses ahead of us and we have never been able to get past him with just two of us."
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Rose grins, "Well, we've kind of been flying by the seat of our pants so far and it's worked okay, so might as well have all three of us there and just see how it goes. I guess once we finish dealing with that, we can focus on the Thailand thing. Until then though... did I hear mention of the Liche King?"
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Robin laughs as she takes both you and Elaine by the waist and pulls you to the living room. "The fragging Liche King is way above our current levels and you know it. We will have to defeat his three lieutenants to get there, but I think that we are ready for Lord Doom."
Elaine laughs and walks with you. "God! You two are incredible. So cool and calm when I am feeling like screaming and running for the hills. And have I mentioned lately how sexy you both are? Let's kick some Doom ass and then let me show you how much I appreciate you both."
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"Cool and calm? We're figuring it out as we go along, just like you." Rose laughs. "Real life is a lot more complicated than these games! So lets see about some simple escapism..." She shows Elaine to the couch and then goes to retrieve the controllers and passes them out. "Last one to the dungeon is a rotten egg!"
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The escapism on the couch seems to have an amazing effect on Elaine and Robin. You had not quite realized how wound Robin is until you can see her actually relax. The boss fight with Lord Doom is hard fought and requires the full attention of all three of you. There is a lot of shouting and high-fiving when the demon lord falls to your combined onslaught. After the fight, there is so much adrenaline and need in the room that the move to the bedroom is without thought. Elaine once again shows you some of the things she has learned over the years and Robin brings out some of her toys to make things a bit more interesting. It is nearly 3 AM when the three of you collapse in a sweaty heap and first Elaine then Robin drift off to sleep.
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Mind busy with plans for the tomorrow (today!), Rose finally is able to fall asleep a bit after Robin does. Despite that, she still wakes before the other two and lies in bed mentally planning out different approaches to the Oyabun's visit. Eventually, matters are forced by biology and she carefully extricates herself from the bedsheets and heads to the bathroom. Or, at least, she thought it was carefully. She blushes in chagrin as she returns to the bedroom to face two pairs of eyes blinking at her from the bed. "Sorry, nature called. We should probably figure out exactly what we're going to do about the Oyabun's visit today anyway." The other two groan, but eventually acknowledge that she's right. "I was thinking that Robin and I should set up in the living room and be playing games on the trid when the Oyabun shows up. Elaine, you can greet him and show him around, introducing us as your friends who are visiting. Hopefully we'll seem innocuous at that point and the two of us can keep an eye on things; Robin using the house security system and me with some drones. You take him down to Howard's room, let him take a look, and then hopefully escort him out. We'll pretend to be focused on our games. If drek hits the fan, at least we'll be watching for it. How does that sound?"
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The other two each do their own rush to the bathroom and back and all three of you are soon sitting on the bed looking at each other and chatting. Robin nods, "Once I am into the system, I can control all the cameras and alarms and keep us all under my eye, even when you, Elaine, take the Yaks into the den."
Elaine also nods, apparently having gained confidence from listening to the plan. "I am sure that I will be fragging nervous, but I think that would be normal when meeting the head of the Yaks in Seattle, right?"
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Rose jokes, "If you weren't nervous, then I'd be worried about you. Hopefully they're clear about your lack of involvement in Howard's shady dealings and it's just a simple tour and we all go about our business. Let me go check on my gear and then we can figure out what to do till it's time to go." Rose gets up and heads to the garage to make sure all the drones are charged up and ready to go.
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The others get dressed while you are out in the garage. Everything looks fine and your drones are fully charged and waiting. Soon, Robin and Elaine come out to join you and it is time to be off. On the way, Elaine remembers that the cook's last day had been yesterday. We had better hit a 'Shack before getting home or there will be nothing to eat. What do you think?" At the reminder, your stomach makes its own opinion known with a loud rumble. Everyone laughs.
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Rose pulls up a map of the route and locates a Stuffer Shack that's not too far out of their way and adjusts course. "Sure! I've been so distracted with thinking about how this is going to go that I didn't even realize I was hungry." With a slight grin, "Should we pick up some soy-ritos for the Oyabun?"
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That gets a laugh from the others and the mood lifts a bit as you drive to the 'Shack you had picked out. Shopping takes no time and you arrive at Elaine's house in plenty of time to eat and get ready. As agreed, you and Robin set up in the living room and Robin takes some time to get into the system and become familiar with all of the component parts. Elaine asks if you are going to send a drone into the den and have it wait there.
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"Robin should be able to keep us in the loop while we sit here by using the security system. I don't want it to be obvious we're watching them. If they have someone in their group who's watching the Matrix, it would be fairly easy to spot any drone that was being actively used. I've got drone's on the walls outside watching though, plus a last resort in the truck parked down the street if drek hits the fan. Everything will be okay; we'll be watching the whole time."
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Elaine looks a bit relieved and nods. "I guess I am just nervous. I will get some things ready, be right back." She goes into the kitchen and starts opening counters, pulling plates and bowls out to be placed on the dining room table. After she finishes, she returns to the living room and says, "I am headed off to the wine cellar for some Saki Howard keeps there. Do you want anything for us up here? Oh, and I have ordered some snacks that are supposed to be delivered by drone in the next half hour. It would be rude to not have anything to offer our guests."
With that, she heads downstairs.
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"Well I won't say no to something to drink, especially if it's Howard's, but let's not go crazy. Once they leave though..." Rose grins at Elaine. "We should have everything set up on our end shortly, then it's just the waiting game." She turns to Robin, "You've got access to all the cameras now? Here's the feeds from the drones around the perimeter. Can't do much to stop whoever the Oyabun brings, but we can certainly watch for anyone looking to crash the party."
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Robin nods as she accepts your feeds and slots them into her overall view of the security of the building. "Lots of cameras here. Hmm, I wonder if Elaine knows that Howard has a camera in her bedroom. We figure prominently in recent days, but the loop is two weeks and does include some of her with another woman. I am tempted to turn that camera off and discard the feed. There is also one for Howard's bedroom. By the way he is always looking up at the camera you can see that he knows it is there and the girl he is with.....................hold on, let me look at this a bit closer. Back to you in a minute or three."
By the time Elaine comes back upstairs with three bottles of wine, Robin is still looking off into space.
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"Why don't you show Elaine the recordings of us before you delete them; she might enjoy them. Just make sure you kill any outside access to them. I wonder if Howard ever got a chance to watch us?" She shudders a little bit. "Well, even if he did, I think we got him back fairly good..."
When Elaine returns, Rose grabs one of the bottles and looks around for an opener. "Did you know where all Howard had cameras in here? It's fairly extensive... We won't have any trouble following you as you take Oyabun on the tour."
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Elaine hands you one of the bottles and shakes her head as she hands you a corkscrew. "I really have no idea where he had the things. He told me that he was rigging some up to watch the exterior of the house and the grounds. Why?"
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"Well... It almost seems like he was more concerned with the inside than the outside. Especially the bedrooms."
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Elaine puts the bottle she is opening down on the table. "What do you mean? Did the bastard have a camera in my bedroom?"
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"In both of them... Robin says he was recently basically posing for the camera with his most recent girl. She's checking out the tapes right now. There's tapes of us, too..."
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"Can she put them on the vid screen?"
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Rose grins, "Which?" She nods at Robin, "Let's wait for her to get done. Should be any time now."
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In fact, Robin does look up about then, her face a bit pale. "Wow! These only go back a couple of weeks based on the date and time stamp, and we have been here for just over one, so there is not much here, but, wow!"
Elaine asks her to put the feeds on the large vid screen and Robin looks over at you then back to her before nodding. The screen pops to life and the first scene is Elaine with a woman that you do not know, but they seem to be having a good time together. You have seen some of Elaine's moves but the other woman looks like she is not really trying. The disturbing thing is that the picture zooms in at various times to get close-up shots of the other woman's body in different locations and positions. There is some dead space that seems to have been erased, then scenes of you and Elaine and then the three of you together. Again there are close-in shots of various parts of your bodies. Elaine has been gasping from the first shot and shakily takes a seat on the couch. She shakes her head wordlessly as scene after scene goes by. The scenes stop and Robin quietly says, "I think we get the drift. Howard, or someone, was watching us and maneuvered the cameras to take photos of us."
Elaine finally finds a voice. "I had no idea. You have to believe me. I had no......................."
She puts her hands in front of her face for a minute, then looks up. "But he has not been in the house during the time you have been here, except for a couple of hours early on. He must be able to do this remotely. Oh God! Are there others he could have used to see us as we......we......found things and made plans?"
Robin shakes her head. "Only in the bedrooms. But yes, it does look like he, or someone else, was able to manipulate the cameras by remote in real time. Now, personally, it sucks that some perv has seen me completely nude and focused on some very personal areas, but I can get past that. The real interesting part is the feed from his room. Ready?"
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<<I guess we shouldn't tell her we were recording us in the bedrooms as well? *grin*>>
"Turnabout is fair play, right? Is it someone interesting?" Turning to Elaine, "Do you normally keep tabs on who he's with?"
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Elaine shakes her head as Robin sends the second set of feeds to the screen. "I never really cared who he was banging. Not after the first year. It hurt then, yes, but I got over it. Although I am not sure I ever really got over him doing by maid of honor on our wedding day. Right after the ceremony, too, the bastard. I did not know until he bragged about it a couple of weeks later when he brought his first mistress home. I had wondered why Gail had been avoiding me. Anyway, besides that, I guess I just lost the reason to care."
She goes silent as the first vid pops up. Howard is poised behind a young girl on a massive bed, pounding into her. Every once in a while, he looks up at the camera and smiles broadly. While you are watching, a second young girl joins them on the bed, holding three lit smokes, which she hands to Howard and the girl he is having sex with. The second girl swaps positions with the first and Elaine gasps and stands up to look closer. "Can you pause that, Robin?"
The scene stops and Elaine asks her to bring it closer and she does. Elaine starts to giggle and looks at both of you. She points first to one then the other girl. "You might not recognize them, but these are the daughters of His Honor the Mayor of Seattle and His Even Greater Honor the Governor of Seattle. They are both fourteen and their parents are very protective of them. Oh Howard, you ass." She sits back down on the couch and Robin rolls the vid. The three engage in some very creative sex before the scene ends and another begins. The date and time stamp indicate the second one was filmed the day before you arrived at the house. Howard has a very young-looking oriental girl on the bed and he is humping her for all he is worth. Elaine stops the film again and sighs. "Not a hundred percent sure, but I think this is Sachi Yuroki, the thirteen year-old granddaughter of none other than the Oyabun of the Yakuza in Seattle. I have met her a couple of times so it might be someone else, but I am pretty sure." She turns to you both. "OK. Now what are we to do with this?"
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Rose sits stunned for a moment, then finally responds, "So Howard likes them young I guess? Or was he just doing this for blackmail?" Rose shakes her head, "Howard is the gift that keeps on giving. I say we copy the files just in case and then delete the ones on the system here and pretend we never saw them unless there's a dire need. How do you tell the Oyabun his underage daughter has been having sex with a man who betrayed him? Answer... you don't."
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Elaine turns to look at the young teen frozen in place on the vidscreen and just shakes her head. "I had not idea he likes them young. His mistresses have all been young women, but none younger than twenty. At least the ones I know about. No, he must have had some reason to be doing these girls. He always was an egotistical bastard so maybe he is just thumbing his nose at people he does business with? But I do not know what he had in common with the Mayor or Governor."
She nods at your suggestion and looks at Robin, who also nods. "Already on it."
Elaine's 'link pings as Robin is transferring the data feed. Her face goes a bit pale as she answers the call, but her voice is steady as she responds. "Of course. Please tell your employer that I am ready. I do have two house guests, but they will not be in the way.................Of course................Five minutes. Yes, I understand................Thank you." She lowers the 'link and looks at you both. "They will be here in five minutes. Fingers crossed that we can pull this off. But just in case we don't, I want you both to know that this has been the best few days of my life. Thank you."
Elaine bustles over to the dining room table and makes sure that the refreshments are in order then goes to stand at the front door. The security feed from outside the house picks up three long cars pulling into the drive and approaching the house.
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"Seems like he has a proclivity for trying to gather blackmail on powerful people. Makes me wonder if he's got enough of it stashed elsewhere to get out of this mess..."
After Elaine receives the call, "Well, here goes nothing! Just show them what they want to see and everything should go smoothly. We'll be watching everything from here, so don't worry. We'll pretend to be engrossed in the VR game, so hopefully they won't try to interact with us."
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Your feed shows four oriental men step out of each of the first and third cars, two standing at the doors and the other two approaching the house. The second car remains buttoned up and some sort of shielding on the windows prevents any visual scan of its occupants. The bell at the front door rings and you can hear Elaine talking to a man with no trace of accent. Internal feeds from the security system show Elaine leading the four men towards the living room.
OOC: Are you actually in VR playing the game?
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Rose messages Robin, <<That second car worries me. This is a lot of people for a simple look and see job...>>
She connects to the CU^3 drone disguised as a gardening bot and has it train its laser mic on the closed car in an attempt to hear what's going on inside the vehicle. Returning her attention to the inside of the house, her body tenses up involuntarily as the party approaches the room they're 'playing' in. If they noticed, hopefully they'll attribute it to something exciting going on in VR.
OOC: I was envisioning being in the VR game with AR windows up watching the camera feeds and such. Probably dying a lot in game due to lack of proper attention being paid to it. :) If you're wanting to do rolls and such I presume there would be a multitasking/distraction penalty.
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The drone outside is unable to pick up anything from the interior of the second car, so either it is shielded or nothing is being said.
Elaine and the four men arrive in the living room. The leader of the group nods to one, who moves off to stand some feet from the rear of the couch, but clearly watching you and Robin play the game. Another man goes up the stairs and a third wanders off into the kitchen and dining room. The leader stays with Elaine. All four men seem to be professional in their actions, but are apparently at ease with the situation and not expecting any trouble. Just a routine search of the building before their boss comes into the house. The search takes several minutes then the group leader nods and turns to Elaine. "Thank you for your cooperation. I have relayed that there are no problems in the house and your primary guest will be coming in. Shall we go meet him?"
Elaine nods and the two move off to the front entry as the men from the kitchen and upstairs gather in the living room with the man still there. Your outside sensors let you know that the doors to the second car have opened and two men and a woman are exiting the vehicle. One of the men is quite tall for an oriental, and carries himself with an air of authority. the other man and the woman fall into place behind and to each side of him as he approaches the door of the house.
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<<I'm guessing that's the Oyabun? He brought more guys than I was expecting. Although I guess with his suspicious about Howard, it might be reasonable... Just worrying. At least they're acting like this is no big deal.>>
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You watch and listen as your sensor feeds follow the trio to the door and into the house. The Oyabun can apparently speak English quite well and he talks softly, exchanging pleasantries with Elaine as she leads him to the living room. The head of the security detail approaches him and says a few words in rapid-fire Japanese, to which the Oyabun looks over to where the two of you are sitting before turning back to Elaine. [color=brown}"I would like to see the vases, please."
Elaine nods and takes him to the hidden door to the den. The Oyabun walks with Elaine, followed by the other man and woman, with the head of the security guys following in the rear.
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<<Well, here goes! If this is going to go south, it's going to be when he examines the pottery.>>
Rose double checks that the drone in the truck down the block is ready to go, but hopes it won't be needed. There's too many people here to deal with and Elaine is going to be basically trapped downstairs. Rose dies in the game again as she gets even more distracted.
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Elaine and the Oyabun exchange pleasantries until they reach the exhibition hall, at which point the man sucks in his breath and goes mostly silent as he walks among the treasures. He quickly ascertains that Elaine has no more than a passing knowledge of the potters and does not bother her for details. After about thirty minutes of walking about, he goes to a section of shelves that holds several distinctive pieces and speaks in rapid-fire Japanese to the man and woman with him. They move forward and begin to closely examine these pieces, finally looking up and shaking their heads. The Oyabun almost loses his temper but calms down quickly. Turning to Elaine, he casually asks if she knows anything about these particular pieces, to which she shakes her head and answers that she does not and that Howard had just about left her entirely out of anything to do with the pottery by his own choice.
The Yakuza boss will be silent for a bit then motion that it is time to leave. Once back outside and in the living room again, he turns to her. "I understand that it is by your hand that I even know that I have been betrayed. Your husband will pay dearly for his crimes but I wish to honor your actions in this affair. I am interested in purchasing the pieces in the collection that are not fakes. If that interests you, name a price and we can negotiate it. I have already authorized a transfer of a sum of money to an account you shall name in payment for the ledgers that you have found. I have been assured that there are no copies and that I will not hear of anything written in them. If that is correct, I will make an addition sum available to you each year for the next ten years. Will this meet with your approval?"
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Rose sends a flashing <<$$$>> to Robin and then a more tempered <<Yes, take whatever he's willing to offer. At this point it's all bonus. You would know better what Howard paid for all that stuff, but you've got no use for it, so might as well lowball it. Plus, technically, Howard still owns half of it...>>
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Elaine seems a bit surprised at the way things are going, but recovers quickly enough to respond. "That is very generous of you. I.....I had expected........"
The Oyabun laughs. "What? That I would kill you and your friends just for being in the house when I discovered the true level of the betrayal perpetrated against me? Yes, the thought did cross my mind, but I would rather show appreciation and perhaps engender a bit of loyalty in return. Besides, I am pretty sure that you had nothing to do with any of this. Just don't let me find out I am wrong in that. I am going to leave you with a special com code. I expect that you will use it if your soon to be very former husband contacts you. I will have someone contact you about getting a fair cost analysis of the pottery and we can work out an arrangement. Thank you for seeing me."
He nods at the woman, who hands Elaine a small business card, then moves to the front door, followed by his escort. Soon, all are back in their cars and are driving away. Elaine is standing at the open door, just looking out.
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Once it's clear that the visitors have all moved on, Rose disconnects from the game and moves to join Elaine at the doorway. "Well, that couldn't have gone much better; you did great!" She gives Elaine a hug from behind as she stares out the doorway. "More money to help you get out of here *and* it's likely he'll make sure Howard never bothers you again. You're really free now!"
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Elaine leans back a bit into you and lowers her hands to cover yours around her waist. "Yes, it could have gone much worse. And I agree that it seems likely that the Yaks will take care of Howard if he shows up." She sighs and turns in your arms to look at you then lowers her face to kiss you. "But free? No, I do not think so. My heart is trapped by chains I find I do not want to break. Two women have captured me completely and I am lost. But it is a good lost."
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Rose laughs, "So serious! Well I guess we can be lost together then." Rose kisses her back and then steps back a step to address her and Robin, "But that said, it sounds like you're going to be getting a windfall from the Yaks; does that effect our decision to go the Thailand? We should have enough to set us up for a good while here at this point... It sounded like we'd be doing a good thing by helping out though, assuming everything they said about the prophecy is actually true. Plus, I've never been to Thailand!"
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Elaine laughs. "And here I was already mentally spending some of my money on a wardrobe suitable for Thailand. I am all for going."
Robin nods. "Count me in. It sounds like a challenge. Are you having second thoughts? I mean, the money could indeed set us up so that we would not have to worry about work or food or trivid games again. Might be a bit boring, though, what with all the gaming and super sex involved in retiring at our age. So far it is two for going; what is your vote?"