Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: cr4kp0t on <07-20-14/0545:45>
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The SIN's of the father!
OOC Thread (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=17286.0)
Synopsis:
The neon glow of a busy city fills the sky above the millions of busy wage slaves, their humdrums lives played out in a worthless existence mere husks to be discarded at the whims of their masters. The bustle of the metroplex is all it usually is the vague contempt of the corporations, the imperial court including the government agencies it controls and the yakuza controlling the day to day life of the residents of this immense city.
Beneath this shallow exterior the shadows of Neo-Tokyo are buzzing over the rumour of a new Johnson in town. With the usual work filtering down the chain from up high to the dedicated runner groups of the various factions until it lands in the deep dark shadows. where an independent runner scrapes his living, this new Johnson could be just the ticket to fulfil someone's destiny, or it could be the match to the powder keg as runners fight for their little slice of this prosperous new opportunity
According to the rumour's this Johnson has barely shown their face and is using a local yakuza fixer as their middleman in abeyance of the local etiquette on such things. The calls have been made and the run is out there just waiting for a group of runners to pounce...
Cast:
- Seijin (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=17286.msg305592#msg305592) - Played by martinchaen
- Roger Dubé (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=17286.msg305605#msg305605) - Played by HydroRaven
- Mariko Natomi (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=17286.msg306286#msg306286) - Played by farothel
- Yuri (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=17286.msg307818#msg307818) - Played by Isane
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Your comm-links all buzz with a distinctive tone as a message pops up in your AR feeds...
incoming message from ...
Unknown User
***
I have work for a talented individual such as yourself.
8pm, Odaiba - Shinto tea house.
Ask for the 'Gumi Special'
***
end of message.
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Mariko looked at the message and then looked up the tea house. While she lived in Odaiba, it was a large ward and she didn't know all the teahouses. Quickly finding the information, she decided to put on her business clothes, as it wouldn't do to offend a prospective employer by being badly dressed. As she still had some time, she first did some meditations in the shrine she had put in her bedroom. It meant she had to sleep in the living room, but meditating and calling the kami needed some privacy, so she had opted to use the bedroom as her shrine.
Tokyo public transport was as good as ever and at 7:50 she was standing in front of the teahouse, dressed in nice business clothes, but with some extra armour underneat. She only had a taser as weapon, if one didn't count her magic. Her commlink was currently broadcasting her Rina Mairi SIN.
'Okay, let's go,' she thought, before she walked into the building.
"How can I help you," one of the servants there asked as she entered.
"I would like the Gumi Special, Mariko said, using the code phrase she had been given.
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Roger was dodging cars on the street when he noticed his commlink had a new message. Slowing down a bit, he pulled up the message and read it. "Odaiba? Pfft, screw that!" thought the elf, already on his way to a car meet. It didn't take two blocks for the man to revise his position, however. He was fighting it, trying to justify the distance to Odaiba, the time, etc. but in the end, the prospect of money and a potential employer was just too great.
"Tabarnak!" said the man out loud before turning his car around and heading to Odaiba. Dodging traffic and making sure law enforcement wasn't alerted to his presence, Dubs got to the tea house with a few minutes to spare. Parking not far away, he got to the front of the establishment, thinking "a tea house, really? What fun is that?"
He popped a Betel before stepping inside and asking for the "Gumi Special". His Japanese wasn't that great, but even he knew what "Gumi" meant, which is why he had brought his firearm with him.
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The AR pop-up notifying Takashi of a new message was just enough to distract the large elf for the fraction of time it took his opponent to tap the side of Takashi's neck with his blade; a killing blow, had he used the sword's edge.
"You must always be focused on your opponent, Seijin" the older man said. "A distraction can be the difference between life... and death." The pause between the last two words was significant enough that Takashi knew he had disappointed his instructor. "Damn it. I am better than this," he thought to himself before addressing Matsuo Ito, his Kensei. The blademaster had taken it upon himself to further instruct Takashi in the ways of Bushido and Kenjutsu both, and he knew he had disappointed his master just now. That feeling stung worse than the blows he had taken and the sweat in his eyes.
"Yes, Kensei," he said, bowing deeply. "Thank you for honoring me with your wisdom, Ito-Sama."
He had to give it to the old man; borrowing his commlink before the sparring session... Takashi should have seen it coming. "Be mindful of your surroundings, and never underestimate your opponent." He repeated the words over and over again as he read the message, thoroughly unsurprised that the sender had masked their Access ID.
He plotted the address for the tea house, pleased that this potential new employer knew to honor the Kami at least. Saying a short prayer to Hachiman, his mentor spirit as those learned in the arts would call him, before he began packing up his gear, he wished he hadn't left his machine pistol in his apartment. He quickly finished putting on his armor and strapped the various bladed weapons he owned, hiding most of the under his thick armored coat, hoping his licenses for the restricted items would hold up if he came across any over-eager corpsec guards. He knew full well that parts of the Odaiba region were extraterritorial, so he made a mental note to avoid what areas he could just in case.
He boarded the train from Asakusa using his Daisuke Kurosawa SIN, and noticed he would be early by quite a bit. He passed the time meditating, and looked up some more details on the tea house, hoping to find out more about who used it as a business, or more likely, a front. He also checked that his biomonitor was fully functional, and that the emergency gear was secured away in the multiple hidden pockets of his longcoat.
Arriving at the tea house half an hour early he remained outside across the street for the duration, checking to see if he recognized any of the patrons. With two minutes to spare, he made his way inside and plainly asked the hostess for the Gumi Special, as instructed.
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Yuri regrets leaving her commlink plugged into her datajack while she sleeps. It's such a rude awakening to have a message notification pop up in the middle of the day. Groaning and turning over in her bed, she ignores it for now, and it's not until hours later when she finally wakes up completely does she read the message. A glance at her Timex watch reads 7:30, barely leaving her enough time to get there. "Oh damn, oh damn damn damn!" With a groan, she climbs out of bed, kicking aside empty soda cans and noodle cups and quickly digging through her closet, throwing aside a mess of cosplay outfits before finally settling on her usual dressCODE ensemble. Running outside to her vehicle, she gives a hurried nod in greeting to some her Bakuto no Bakuta friends hanging around outside, and plugs in the location of the tea house on her mapsoft.
A short amount of time later and she arrives at the tea house, parking a safe distance away. Not wanting to take any chances of upsetting her host, she leaves her handgun in the truck, keeping her Defiance EX Shocker safely concealed under her jacket. High up above, her C-D Dalmatian hovers over the area, joining the large amount of air traffic over the city. Her Flying Eye drone is nestled safely in drone case on her jacket, disguised as one of the many bright and amusing buttons she has pinned on.
After working up the courage, she steps inside and greets one of the servants awkwardly, trying to avoid eye contact the entire time. "H-Hi, I'm here for the Gumi special..."
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As you ask the servants for the 'Gumi special' they politely bow and point you to the waiting area.
I'm very sorry,
but there is a short wait for the 'Gumi special' this evening.
If you would like to take a seat we will be ready for you shortly.
As you find your seat in the waiting area you see the familiar faces of some old comrades.
A group of fellow runners which you have worked before. With the unknown wait before you it would seem there is little to do but catch up on old war stories until the 'Gumi special' is ready.
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Yuri finds a seat in the waiting area, takes one look around at the others, and immediately hides her eyes behind a mess of AR windows. She was here for a job, not to make idle chit-chat, and social interaction was not her strong suit. She just hoped no one would try and talk to her, she hated forcing conversation. 'Oh god what if the Johnson asks me a question, why did I even get out of bed for this...'
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Mariko nodded at the others when they entered. She knew some better than others, but that was to be expected.
"So, you guys are also here for the 'gumi special'," she asked them.
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Takashi looked around the room as he entered, sizing up the other potential employees.
The elf, who seemed to be his mid-20s or so, had arrived in a high-end sportscar that he'd left down the street. "Hmm, playboy millionaire who wants a taste of the shadows, or maybe a rigger who trusts his security countermeasures. Time will tell", he thought. Either way, the car looked plenty fast, and if he had even just an ounce of skill he'd be a far better driver than Takashi was. "Would certainly beat taking public transport."
The young human woman seated by herself seemed distracted, and Takashi could hardly fail to notice that she was wearing what amounted to urban fatigues. "Introvert, but wearing the opposite of subtle in terms of clothing; perhaps a Matrix specialist judging by those AR windows. Interesting; cybernetic replacements for both hands. Accident, or voluntary?" he wondered. The pickup truck she had arrived in would blend in better in the rough parts of town than the elf's flashy sportscar, so that was something at least.
Finally he noticed that Tantei was there, and bowed informally to her in a gesture of respect before sitting down near the exit, adjusting the long blade holstered on his back so it wouldn't catch on the seat. The human woman was a mage of some skill as far as Takashi was concerned, and talk amongst the kami was that she honored herself through her treatment of them. "Glad to see at least some experience here; the two gaijin are both too young to have been running for long, but the Johnson surely wouldn't have gathered them here if they didn't have the skills for it." Saying a silent prayer to Hachiman, he nodded again to Tantei as she spoke.
Takashi, never one to mince words, answered plainly. "Yes."
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The uncomfortable hush between you all is soon broken as two gentlemen in suits burst through the back room door hauling the bloodied body of some poor sod. the rest of the patrons meanwhile don't bat an eyelid at this.
After expelling the bloody heap out into the street through the front exit the men in suits straighten them selves up and address you all.
Apologies for your wait.
Your 'Gumi special' is waiting for you if you'd like to follow me.
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Takashi stood up as soon as the suits first entered the waiting room, and when he saw the body he tried to see if there were any signs of life.
"Savages," he thought to himself, watching the men callously dump the body out front. As the suits returned, he waited for the one who addressed them to finish speaking before bowing formally, and then asked two simple, direct questions.
"Will that person live, and what kind of act deserved such treatment?"
Standing firm and unmoving, the large man waited patiently for an answer.
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Dubs was sitting, trying to survey the other people sitting next to him. Just as he was starting to take a closer look, a scene erupted in front of him and one of the people sitting next to him got up and asked a few questions. "Are you serious with those questions?" thought the elf, looking around to the other runners gathered to see if this was some sort of test or just a big joke.
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Mariko kept silent as it wasn't her place to talk about Yakuza internal affairs. Had she been a police officer, she would have said something, but she wasn't. She did however switch her sight to the astral to have a good look a the bleeding man and the two who carried him.
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Yuri rises from her chair, face completely deadpan, and prepares to follow the two men. Her heart had skipped a beat when the beaten man was unceremoniously tossed out the front door, but she figured it would be best to ignore it. It wouldn't work out well at all ticking off a potential employer with questions like that.
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@ martinchaen
As you stand and questions the suits they look visibly shocked; obviously not expecting someone to challenge their behavior. One of them turns to you and started to open his mouth as though he's about to dress down some punk kid.
Who th....
It only takes a moment before he thinks better of the idea, quickly reinforced by the quick review of your solid stature and the clear experience you have. He bows shallowly at the shoulder as a small measure of respect before addressing your questions.
Sir the man is alive,
The Mita-Gumi is never pleased by betrayed. A man such as yourself must appreciate the importance of honor in any relationship.
A dead man can tell no tales this way people will remember who we are and respect the agreements they make with the Mita-Gumi.
As you look over the man and the body that is spitting and dribbling blood as he is dragged through the tea house. You clearly note that both the suits are wearing knucks and that the bloody wounds on the mans face and body have been freshly dealt upon the body. While still alive it is just barely and he will certainly be scarred for life following this awful beating.
@farothel
As you peer into the mists of the astral plane the wisps of the men's vibrant aura's betrays their emotions and life force. The first of the two suits the one that remains silent is clearly a very young and is slightly unnerved by the whole situation, sporting some minor injuries to hiss hands presumably caused by delivering the beating on the limp body. He is clearly mundane.
The body is alive but just barely, the beating was quite fierce and the mans face will never look the same again, he has several broken ribs, he is also mundane.
The gobby suit is clearly mundane just like the others but unlike his compatriot the whole situation is something that pleases him, he's almost happy that he's got to beat the man to a bloody pulp. However still young and inexperienced he becomes anxious at being challenged by the tall strong runner that is Seijin.
@ All
Following their brief conversation the main suit asks for you all to follow him as he heads towards the solid door that leads to the back room.
If you'd like to follow me please gentlemen.
The main suit leads you through the teas room towards the back door...
As you walk through the tea house and finally get you first good look at the patrons most are wearing suits or traditional garments and many are quite elderly. more than a few clearly have body guards standing around the room or sitting at adjacent tables.
While you walk the second suit hangs back to follow you in and is slightly dipping his head.
As the door to the back room is opened before and and you entered the dark room their is a small room that is lit only by a single hanging lamp that is swinging slightly casting an ever changing dappled haze over the plascrete walls. Standing in the corner is a middle aged man in front of a metal table slowly rubbing off some blood splatter from his expensive suit.
Jimmy San, Show them into the office then you and your brother SHOULD go home.
Taking his cue instantly he leads you into the back office which is tastefully decorated, in a traditional and minimal style. a pot of tea is already sat on the table steaming away. once Jimmy has left taking his brother with him the Well dressed man walks in and takes a seat down on the rice man before pouring you all a cup of tea including one for himself.
Thankyou all for coming at such short notice.
I'll make this as simple as possible;
The Johnson has a job that will require all your specialist skills.
Usually I would keep jobs with the Gumi but this Johnson wants a team of independents.
He is prepared to offer you each 3000¥ in compensation for the work undertaken.
Are you interested?
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Best to be polite, Mariko thought. But from what she knew about this group, she was the one most used to doing the talking, thanks to her time with the police. When doing interrogations or checking things with informants, you picked up skills.
"I'm interested, sir," she said, "but before I agree, I would like to have a bit more details, if possible. As you probably know, both Sejin and myself won't do killings. While I fully understand that you can't give all the details at the moment, a short summary so we know a bit more."
She knew it was probably not an assasination, as those would pay quite a lot more. But that didn't mean it was something she wanted doing.
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Takashi fixed the man with a steely eyed stare as he listened in silence. When the suit finished speaking, the large man replied simply, though his Neo-Tokyo streetspeak accent shone through briefly.
"There is no honor to be found in the beating of a defenseless man. Trial by combat; seppuku; these are truly honorable ways of dealing with traitors," he responded, bowing formally as if to both indicate that the suit should continue what he was doing and as an apology for interrupting.
As the group followed the man into the back room, Takashi paused briefly to take in every visible detail about the middle aged man in the darkened room; the way he carried himself, his facial features, the blade in his hands and how he looked in his surroundings. "Hmm. A man who calls himself Mita-Gumi and yet resorts to senseless violence; I shall have to watch this one closely. No payment is worth staining one's honor for; I may not be samurai, but a ronin must still obey Bushido."
As he waited in the back room with the others he said a brief supplication to Hachiman, and bowed deeply with his hands at his side before accepting the cup of tea. Takashi listened as the man spoke, and was pleased when Tantei responded with his exact thoughts. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod as a show of respect and acceptance when she looked in his direction, and remained quiet.
As the man seemed out of place both in terms of style and demeanor, Takashi sent a mental command through his trodes to his commlink in order to capture a clear image of his face, intent on learning more about their mysterious employer later on.
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Dubs followed the rest of the gang to the other room, but not before subtly (or so he thought) making sure his firearm was still where he had put it before entering the establishment. Although he did know how to shoot, he was primarily a wheelman, so situations involving guns were not second nature for him.
Upon hearing the job offer, the elf was intrigued. Although he didn't know what the well-dressed man wanted, the promise of 3,000 nuyen looked good; it would definitely help cover expenses related to his car. Just as he was about to agree, the cute woman that was here with them spoke up and asked for more details, which prompted Dubs to get to the edge of his seat and point at Mariko with his chin, saying "Yeah, what she said", a subtle hint of a French accent in his voice.
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Yuri bows politely in greeting and stands off to the side, letting the woman who spoke up do the talking. She apparently knew this 'Seijin', which Yuri guessed was the guy with the sword on his back and a stick up his you-know-what. But neither of them did killings? 'So what, just no wetwork gigs, or no killing at all?' If she took this job with these people, she'd have to get a clear answer on that to avoid any issues in the future. But first they'd need to know more about the work the man had before accepting it.
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The man in front of you silently sips his tea as he listens to your responses clearly examining your every move in minute details. He places his cup neatly and delicately on the table a small stagnant pause and then he speaks...
The Client, has a found himself in a difficult position, an error has been made in a key piece of research for which he was responsible and he needs the evidence of this to be covered up so that he can't get blamed for any repercussions down the line.
There is only one more condition that the client insists on...
The man shifts uncomfortably and nervously before finally breaking the bad news in an exacerbated tone.
...well the client insists that he join you on this run.
I know this is far from ideal and i have been authorized to negotiate terms, but this aspect is non negotiable.
So what say you?
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"We have to babysit our Johnson?!?" exclaims Roger, the words leaving his mouth before he has any time to even think about it. He slumps back into his chair, visibly in a state of disbelief. He tries to look around the room to see if anyone else shares his thoughts.
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Mariko ignored the outburst from one of the gajin. They really had no sense of what was proper. That's what you get from having an ad-hoc team, she tought, no sense of who should do the talking. But she had to say something as well.
"That's very unusual," she said, "and very risky, as we will have to split our attention to make sure he survives if things go wrong and with people who don't know how it goes, the chances for that also go up. It also gives rise to more questions. The primary is: will Mr. Johnson follow our orders when we tell him it's too dangerous to go somewhere? And secondly, and this is a non-negotiable on our part, no recording devices of any kind. If we agree, he will not record any part of the run."
On the other hand, if she read the mission correctly it would probably mean getting in somewhere and removing some data. If this was the same spot Mr. J worked, it actually might be useful to have him around, as he would have passkeys and things like that.
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Takashi watched Mr. Johson as he spoke, noting how his precise movements emphasized the man's control over both the conversation and his environment. This man was clearly comfortable in his role, and so his discomfort and obvious nervousness when he brought up the caveat of the deal was therefore all the more of a shock to the street samurai.
"Perhaps this client is a friend or family member, someone this man cares for. Possible link to be investigated, just in case" he thought to himself.
Pointedly ignoring the outburst from the gaijin, Takashi listened as Tantei specified her own terms, then gave a deep bow as she finished and spoke to the man in front of him for the first time.
"Tanaka-sama; know that if an agreement is reached between us you have my word, sworn in the light of my ancestors, that I will keep your client alive as long as they know to move when I say move, should it come to that."
As the large elf spoke, he watched the older man for any hint of emotion at the thought of harm coming to his client. Anything that would betray this man's tight control of his true emotions could possibly give the team an edge in dealing with both the negotiations and keeping the client safe.
Bowing once more to the Johnson, he gave a slight nod to Tantei as indication that he would agree to these terms.
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Yuri bit her lip, still refraining from speaking up yet during the meet. Lucky for her one of her future teammates voiced the exact same concerns she had. Babysitting the client just opens up a whole mess of problems for this run. 'Jeeze, Seijin here is really hamming it up...'
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Relaxing slightly at the fact that none of you walked immediately after dropping the bombshell.
The Johnson will be prepared to agree to those terms.
He is committed to the success of this run, following orders will be no issue; and it is in his interest that there is no recording of any kind so this will not be a problem.
If you are in agreement the Johnson wishes to meet you all in person.
He can fill in the all blanks there.
So are there any issues or do want to finish the meet?
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"I can live with it," Mariko said, looking at the others, "and yes, if the Johnson wants to join, we will have to meet him. I assume that he will tell us the details, like what, where and when?"
She knew how these meetings went. The fixer did all the negotiation and therefore the team would normally only question about the how and the when, not about the price. She had heard that in other cities the teams had to negotiate the price, which sounded to her like chaos incarnate.
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Takashi waited patiently as Tantei finished her conversation with their new employer, strangely eager to begin.
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Yuri gives a half-hearted smile and nods back at the woman as she looks over at her. Besides the Johnson's stipulation, this run didn't sound too bad.
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Well the Johnson is hoping to meet you tonight.
He said is going to be at the bike event tonight. I have a regular box there in the stadium.
When you arrive you will be expected.
All the hospitality is on me.
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Takashi waited for Tantei to ask any follow-up questions about the venue before bowing deeply and thanking their new employer for the opportunity.
Once they were outside of the teahouse, Takashi introduced himself.
"Tantei-san, it is good to see you again," he said, bowing informally to her as one would an acquaintance. Addressing the two others, he spoke softly. "You may call me Seijin. I am a follower of Bushido and a samurai trained in the art of Kenjutsu. My blade is yours." While speaking the last phrase, he bowed deeply to each member individually as one would to honor a stranger, and continued. "For those who do not know Bushido, know that I will not attack an unarmed or defenseless person, nor strike an unaware opponent, as these acts would be grave violations of both my honor and that of my mentor, Hachiman."
He locked eyes with each member of the team in turn as he spoke next. "Also know that I will not allow any of you to do these things; if combat is inevitable, I am more than capable of handling several opponents by myself, and any who underestimate a swordsman of my skill will find themselves sorely lacking. I will leave dealing with our client to you, Tantei-san, and focus instead on keeping him, and all of you, safe." He bowed once again bowed to everyone, more informally this time, indicating that he now viewed everyone as closer companions than he had before.
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The idea of all expenses paid pleased Roger. "Alright, what are we waiting for then?" said the elf, standing up and waiting for the rest of the team to be done with their business before following everyone else outside. Once away from the tea house, he introduced himself as a driver that knew how to mend wounds in sure times, and made sure to remember what everyone's role was on this run.
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"Very well, we'll be leaving immediately," Mariko said to the fixer, bowing before leaving the room, but after she got the stadium name, as neo-Tokyo had quite a few of those. Outside she introduced herself as Tantei to the others, a name Sejin had used.
"I'm a mage, following the kami Fukurō," she said, "I follow Sejin-san here, up to a point. I don't kill, but I don't see any problem in dropping a stunbolt on someone who doesn't see it coming. Now, to something more practical. I have the address of the stadium we have to get to. I don't know who has transport, but I normally use the monorail or Shin-Kansen lines."
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Yuri shuffles along outside with everyone else, already tapping a few commands through her commlink and having her truck pull up a bit closer. She lets out a nervous giggle once everyone says their piece. Probably not appropriate at all, but she just couldn't help it. The nervous tension she was feeling about Seijin's vow was so thick she could cut it with a vibroblade. He was like something from one of her comics. "I-I'm sorry, but are you going to be challenging people to duels or something?" She rubs the back of her head nervously, still half smiling.
"I'm Yuri, and y-yes that's a streetname. I do uh, matrix and drone support. I can do less than lethal, f-fine, but I don't have any qualms taking out people who are trying to take out me or my team. So, ya know... keep that in mind... when people are shooting you..." She trails off awkwardly, and glances down at the sidewalk for a moment before looking back up at Tantei. "Oh! Uhm, if you need a ride, I have room in my truck. Seijin can go with our 'Driver' I guess." She jerks a thumb over at the other elf.
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Takashi smiled at the young hacker when she mentioned duels.
"There are many honorable ways to die, Yuri-chan, few more so than single combat," he said, using an honorific he felt was appropriate for the youthful woman and her curiosity. "If any of our opponents wish to die with honor, I will not deny them," he finished.
"I wonder how much time this one spends in the real world," he thought. "No matter; everyone has their interests and skill sets; and who knows, she might surprise you yet" he thought, reminding himself of the lesson he had been taught just a short while ago.
He nodded at the elf beside him. "I am ready to go when you are, hakase." Takashi wasn't sure if the man had received formal training as a doctor, but if he was a healer he deserved the title as far as he was concerned.
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Dubs put his hands up in the air and shrugged at Seijin's use of a title for him. "I know how to stop the bleeding if we get into an accident omae, don't expect me to do bypass surgery" joked the elf, announcing that he would get his car around to pick up his passenger.
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"Yeah, but like... why? What if they don't." Yuri raises an eyebrow at Seijin, and begins tapping away at her AR keyboard. "No look, see, there's this hilarious video from an old movie where a bad guy is facing down the hero with a sword and the hero just pulls out a gun and shoots him and..." Her truck finally pulls itself up to the curb, and she looks up from her screen at its arrival. "N-Nevermind, I'll find it later, let's get going Tantei-senpai."
She pulls open the driver's side door, and lets out a sudden flurry of curses as the obnoxious J-pop she left on comes blaring out of the vehicle's sound system. Flustered, she pulls herself in and grasps at the center console, eventually silencing the music. Blushing as she looks at Tantei through the side window, she somberly gets herself seated and nervously drums her metallic fingers along the steering wheel. "S-Sorry, ah, let's just ignore that... you ready? And seatbelts please."
Trying to focus on something else for the moment, she sends her Dalmatian ahead to the stadium, making sure it avoids any no fly zones. She figured the stadium itself would probably have high security, but she still wanted some heavy firepower nearby just in case. 'Jeeze, I wonder how they'd react if they knew what that thing was armed with...'
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Arriving at the stadium the car park is almost full. Eventually you find a space and as you approach the entrance to the stadium there is the unmistakable roar of bike engines.
Upon opening the doors into the stadium the foyer is empty it would seem the show may have already started. there is one man sweeping up the floor of all the dropped snacks. and one cashier behind the ticket counter.
There are some turnstiles that lead to the stadium floor and a door to the right with a maglock that leads to the VIP lounge.
-
Nobody to see, Mariko thought as she looked around, well, then they would probably be on the list of the guy behind the counter, so she walked that way.
"Good day, sir," she said, "I was told that there would be tickets waiting for us here?"
-
The cashier take a moment before looking up from behind the counter. He gives you and the rest of a party a quick look over... he pulls up the guest list on the AR display in front of you and as he flicks through the list.
It does't take him long before he come across the booking... and he suddenly realizes how rude he's been acting so bored and uninterested.
My Apologies the Gumi said you were coming.
If you would like to take your passes and proceed to your box,
The main event has not yet started we will make sure they wait until your in position.
He passes across four passes through the secured glass.
Enjoy your evening.
As you have a look at passes they are simple and understated with a lanyard. As you approach the door it unlocks automatically for you. It would seem that the passes are tagged with RFID to allow you in the relevant areas.
The box is up three flights of stairs and as you open it up there is a very modern styled room in front of you with several leather suites with titanium frames, holo-projectors and a vasts array of AR displays. The walls are polishes plascrete and there as a few tasteful modern art pieces decorating the room.
There is a feast of various cuisines on a tiered table to the left and right of the entrance doors. Renting this box for the night would probably cost more than most of your lifestyle would for a month. This really was the lap of extreme luxury in both entertainment comfort and necessity.
-
Since Takashi wasn't very good at chit-chatting he didn't speak much to the driver apart from saying that he thought his vehicle was nice. The ride to the venue was therefore fairly uneventful on his part.
Once at the stadium, the young elf simply followed Tantei's lead, hanging the access pass around his neck when he received it. He made sure to keep an eye out for possible chokepoints that would serve to hold of an attack, emergency exits, and anything that looked out of place.
-
Roger, trying to make conversation but clearly in the presence of someone who didn't want to talk, drove the rest of the way keeping to himself.
Once at the stadium, he got the pass from the cashier and casually put it in his pocket, looking around at the surroundings as he was following the other runners up into the VIP section. Once inside the room, he immediately went for a few snacks to put in his hands, trying to take as big a variety of foods as he could without being overburdened. After he got what he could handle, he walked across the room, looking at the lavish accoutrements their mysterious Johnson had organised for them. "Not a bad set-up" said the elf, eating something as he was taking in the view. "You guys should try some of this stuff" continued Dubs, slightly raising his hands and showing off some of the delicacies he was eating.
-
Not long after you enter the VIP suite an announcement come s over the stadium PA and the tannoy's, below you the muffled cheers of the crowds through the security screen. echo in the box. Before being drowned out by the tannoy.
Give it up for the amazing gizmo!....
The crowd roars once more...
but now it's time for tonight's main event.
Our very own local boy...
A superb talent and thrill for all
the one the only...
RRRRUUUUUUSSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!
The crowd goes absolutely wild and were it not for the security screen the noise would be deafening.The projector comes to life as do the AR displays. It would seem the main event for tonight is a good old fashioned stunt bike show. the stadium is filled with scolded ramps jumps and death defying feats for a bike rider to even think about let alone attempt.
The show is something else and whoever this rider is he's good, beyond good, he's an absolute biking sensation.
-
Mariko looked around as she took a bit of food, trying to see who they were going to meet. She looked at her ticket to see if there was a seat number or a table number on it, and if so, she would head for that. She also looked in the astral to get a feeling of the place and to see if there was some strange things. It was something she always did.
-
Takashi pointedly ignored the ostentatious display of wealth even as Dubs grabbed as much as he could carry and began stuffing his face.
"Gaijin..." he thought to himself while taking a closer look at the room they'd entered. Then, something that had been nagging him since they got their passes finally clicked into place.
"The attendant said they'd hold the show for us" he said quietly, speaking in Tantei's general direction. "I wonder why it is important to our employer that we see this show. Unless... Is it possible that this Rush person is our employer?" He walked over to get a better view of the stunt rider. "Yuri, can you see what you can dig up on this Rush? It might be advantageous to know something about the person our employer paid what must have been an exorbitant cost just so we could see the performance."
The name was certainly familiar but Takashi couldn't quite place it, so he thought about it some more while waiting for their new employer.
-
"You think that's the guy we have to bring along?" asked Dubs at Takadhi's comment. He paid more attention to the AR displays, looking at Rush's performance. "He's got talent, I'll give him that..." remarked the elf, biting into something that looked as lavish as it was delicious.
-
"Mkay." Yuri stops reaching for some of the appetizing food, and instead finds a seat, entering VR as she does some data searching on this 'Rush'.
-
Takashi nodded.
"I think it's a strong possibility, or we wouldn't be here watching the show with no Mr. Johnson in sight. Rush is known on the streets as a bit of a playboy investor, and the son of a corporate executive. Sound like anyone we know? Anyway, just a thought; we will know soon enough," he said, as he resumed watching the show.
-
"Nothing special on the astral though," Mariko said over the team's link, "not even spirits, which I find strange for a set-up like this. I'll have a closer look at our possible Mr. J."
At a moment he was not moving as fast between two stunts, she had a closer look at him. Then she also took a plate and took a bit of food. Not too much, but if they offered it was considered not polite if you didn't take something. And it was real food, so something to savour.
-
Yuri drops out of VR, and sends the information she's gathered to the rest of the team. "I've got a bad feeling that this is our client..." She grabs a few sweets from the buffet and finds a spot in the corner to wait, but not before discretely going over her food with her tag eraser, a very common habit whenever eating something she didn't prepare herself. "T-This guy sounds like he'd fit in better over in Los Angeles."
-
The shows last for about half an hour of pure thrill and spectacular death defying stunts.
Once Rush leaves the grand arena the normal crowd starts to filter out of the arena.
It's not long after than the doors swing open and the big man himself walks through helmet armor and leathers still on.
Taking his helmet off you see a well groomed young Japanese man, good looking and with a wry smile he addresses you.
Thank-you all for coming,
I hope you enjoyed the show.
Ando should have told you the basics,
So do you have any questions?
-
Yuri bows politely as Rush enters, and glances at the others timidly before speaking up. "Ah, yes, we were only told the very basics. Do you mind running us through the whole thing... details and all that?"
-
Cutting in before Yuri could get an answer to her question, Dubs asked Rush "Yeah, what mods are you running on that bike?", the elf visibly excited at the prospect of talking about something racing-related.
-
Takashi regarded the man in front of him with a mixture of respect and disdain. In one way he respected the man for his bravery and skill, but on the other hand he also felt the mans talents could be better spent elsewhere. "Perhaps tagging along for this job will open his eyes. Though if he's just concerned about covering his own ass, maybe not. Time will tell," he thought.
The young man bowed deeply as he addressed his new employer in a calm and collected manner. "Tanaka-sama, I am honored to make your acquaintance." He rose out of the bow and continued, fixing the man with his gaze. "You have my blade, and I am ready to begin when you are. For all intents and purposes I will be your bodyguard for this operation, as long as you agree to the following; if this job ever comes to violence, you must do as I say, no argument or hesitation. Additionally, I cannot keep you safe if you go off on your own, so stay close to me at all times."
Bowing to the man once again, Takashi gestured to his companions and began studying his new employer's stance; how he held himself, how he moved, even how he talked could be important down the line.
[/quote]
-
Mariko kept silent at the moment, but she gave the results of her assensing over the team's comms.
-
Rush casually walk over to one of the leather couches and takes a seat placing his leg upon the other with the noticeable squelch of the leathers and armor. While putting another arm over the back of the couch.
With his other hand he points to the dubs the elf.
You and i sir will have to pick up after, I mean oh man could I show you some awesome mods.
Now settling back in to a comfortable pose he activates the holo-projector and brings up an image of some corporate building in downtown.
Right then guys, and girls,
This is the building where I work in downtown for Mitsuhama.
Now I'm no major big wig but i recently got given a major contract,
we're just about to close out the contract last week when one of the tech guys informed me that there was testing that indicated a critical failure in the product that would potentially lead to serious legal reprisals if it went out now.
Unfortunately it will cost far too much to correct the failure at this stage and will breach several of key delivery dates on the contract. I can't afford this failure in my profile.
All I need from you guys is get in and erase all the data that indicates the failures in the product so that it can go on sale without any legal recourse for the company. I can assist you all greatly as i can obtain various access pass that will get you past most of the basic security and of course the program loaded here has a full security map and layout of the building.
I insist on joining you on the run I have my own reasons for this and NO I will not let you know what these are. But Seijin i greatly appreciate your support. The only other consideration I have is simple, and is why I hired you rather than my usual runners. There must be no killing. I work with these people it's just not kosher to leave bodies everywhere.
-
"Killing ain't my style anyways" answers the elf, shrugging with a grin on the corner if his mouth.
-
Seijin listened as the young corporate executive provided more details on the mission at hand. "Knowingly releasing a dangerous product to market? Despicable. But it wouldn't be the first time a megacorp screws over the consumers, it won't be the last, and there's nothing I can do about it right now" he thought to himself. As the man continued describing the mission parameters, Seijin mentally recapped his own role for the foreseeable future. "Get in, make sure team has a chance to erase paydata, get out. Keep the asset safe, don't kill anyone. Null sheen."
Addressing their employer, Seijin spoke in his usual quiet tone. "Non-lethal is my preference as well and will not be a problem, Tanaka-sama. Question; will we have time to pick up our gear or do we need to go right now? I'd like to have the rest of my tools, but if need be I am ready to begin immediately."
-
Well Seijin, you have time to get your tools.
We have three days, before the time critical aspects of my contract expire.
-
"So when do you want us to start," Mariko asked, "And can you provide us with plans and how the security, including astral and matrix, look like, so we can do some planning
-
I was thinking we should go in tomorrow night, the security team working tomorrow are the old timers. No way they're going to be as attentive as the usual night shift. All thanks of course to some clever alterations to the shift patterns, by a 'friend' of mine.
The projector there is loaded with the building schematic fell free to peruse it all and let me know what you guys come up with.
He tosses the controls for the projector into the middle of the table and with it a commlink...
This commlink will only contact me let me know the plan and where i'm to meet you.
Any how I believe you wanted to look at my hard-ware didn't you Dubs?
-
"Uhm..." Yuri raises a hand slightly, a puzzled expression on her face. "Is there a reason you can't delete the data yourself? You said it was your project, right?"
-
Seijin expected the answer to Yuri's question to be "deniability", but it was a valid question so he patiently waited for the response.
-
"Yeah, show me what you got" answered Dubs at Rush's invitation. Right as he was making his way across the room, he stopped to give Rush a chance to answer Yuri's answer.
-
Using the pause Dubs had provided Rush turns to the young girl Yuri, to answer her question.
My dear girl, if it was as simple as just deleting it I wouldn't need you now would I?
I mean there are all the back up files and system logs that need deleting or editing.
I certainly don't want to be implicated in this.
He turns again and accompanies Dubs down to his garage and shows him his beauty...
A Yamaha Growler, a little dusty after the show but otherwise well maintained, a quick examination shows it's far from standard.
Rush then proceeds to break down the block and show him his custom tuning.
And here of course is the real beauty.
-
Dubs whistles, clearly enjoying what he's seeing. "Nice setup you've got there, clearly no chummer touched this beautiful piece of equipment. Did you do all of this yourself or did you have someone work on it for you?"
-
Mariko started looking at the files. This would be a job for the hacker of the group, with the rest just making sure he made it to his destination. But that wouldn't be too easy either, since if they all showed up on Mr. J's card and suddenly there was a problem, it wouldn't take the security guys much time to figure out what went wrong. She did however made a mental note to see what the product was and to put it on her blacklist.
she started to look on the plans for astral security, which would be her thing. She would do an astral recon on scene later, but if she could get some stuff from the plans, it might tell her where to look for more information.
-
With the stunt rider off bragging about his machine to dubs, Seijin motioned Yuri over before he moved closer to Mariko, speaking in a whisper. "Tanaka-san is insisting on coming on this run, we're supposed to delete important project files that belong to his team, and our employer is willing to provide us with access passes that will be connected to him in one way or another, and yet he says he desires plausible deniability. Does this seem like a setup to anyone else?" While waiting for a response, he took a closer look at the plans they'd be given and tried to identify any potential issues with gaining access to the server room.
-
Yuri just stares at Rush as he departs, before joining the others at the table, muttering to herself. Grabbing a seat, she folds her arms together on the tabletop and rests her head on them. "Nah, really?" she answers sarcastically, "Says he doesn't want to be implicated, yet insists on coming along for reasons he won't tell us. Either he's a moron or up to something." She begins going over the plans Rush gave them, focusing on the matrix and technical security, and glances over at Mariko. "What do you think Senpai?"
-
@ Hydroraven
Damned straight no chummer's touching my wheels, Most of the components have been hand forged as per my designs. While i don;t have the skills to do it all myself I have a trusted friend that helps me out from time to time with the forging.
Pausing for a moment to admire his own work, satisfying his tactile need he gently strokes the bike before looking back up at you...
Of course I hear you're rather a good driver yourself, you know, maybe i might consider letting you out for play on it sometime.
The main holo projectors flicks through with clear specifications of the entire building and an active model of the security,
The main aspects that it reveals to you all are:
General:
- The building is 24 stories tall
- The building is deemed extraterritorial grounds of Mitsuhama by the JIS.
- The building is mostly dealing with heavy industry and hardware and is a large scale office complex that deals with the administration and logging of data, all testing is done of site at additional facility
- This is one of the main server access point for the corporation to share data on the internal network.
Physical:
- The main entrance is manned by a single security guard at night with another two in the back room watching the security monitors. They are on a rotating four hour shift.
- The rest of the building there is patrolled by three teams of two man patrols, with two out and one on rest again with four hours shift changes.
- The Shift changes across the building are at the same time.
- All the public doors in the building are controlled by ID badges with embedded RFID tags, all privileged areas have additional security in the form of key pads.
- There is a goods entry to the rear of the building that is monitored by camera and opened by the guards in the office, there are several deliveries expected during the night.
- A cleaning crew is based on-site but they come and go through the goods entrance and have no defined schedule.
Matrix:
- Each floor is set up a standalone network with a feed into the main server room where all the traffic is logged and stored within the mitshuma internal network.
- The average terminal will have minimal security
- The main server room is deemed a privileged area
- The RFID tags scanners can be easily spoofed.
Astral:
- There is an onsite wage mage, he is likely only to be mildly awakened, with a magic of only two or three.
- There are several watcher spirits patrolling the building to support the main security teams.
@ martinchaen
With your knowledge of security procedures you know there will an HTR team on standby if called for that will be onsite within minutes of the call. the local guards are there for identification and to delay the intruders long enough for the HTR team to come and 'clean up' the scene. The way the security patrols work they would be very easy to avoid and not get spotted.
-
"If you think your bike can handle my driving, why not?" said Roger, a mocking smile on his face. After a short laugh, he turned back at Rush and asked him "I have to ask you though, what's a rider like you doing working for a Mega?" His expression was a little more serious, but Rush could see his question had no meaning other than what was asked.
-
Clearly frustrated with your question he spits his response at you as though it were venom,Well Mr. Dubs, I work for Mitsuhama as a matter of honor to my father and to my family, something I wouldn't expect a giajin to understand. pausing a moment he calms instantly.
Sorry about that, I just get so fed up of people always assuming well anything.
The truth is my father wanted me to join and I have always felt obligated to honor him and wisdom, but it isn't me, this is me he starts to caress the bike as if it were a lover this bike this is my real life the thrill of it all that rush of adrenaline there's just nothing that compares to it.
You know what, ... He pauses for a moment before realizing he has completely let his guard down.
Never mind.
Besides it's getting early and I have some groupies to entertain. I'm sure the rest of the group will be missing you by now too.
-
"I didn't mean anything by the question, omae" said Dubs at Rush's emotional outburst. "But I'll take you up on that offer when we're done" continued the elf, pointing at the bike with his eyes before walking back to where his team was waiting.
Once back in the luxury suite, Dubs asked everyone "Alright, so what's the plan?" as if his little "bonding" session with the client was as normal as going to the bathroom.
-
Seijin had never really been taught the arts of conversation, and even at the best of times he had a bad habit of letting subtle clues pass him by. As a result, Yuri's sarcasm went straight over his head. "What do you mean? I was being serious; why else would I have said it." As Yuri leaned on the table in front of her and continued as if he hadn't said a word, he nodded in silent agreement and then interjected before Tantei could respond. "I do not see this noted anywhere, but suspect a facility like this has HTR personnel on standby; if we do have to resort to force we'll have a couple of minutes at most to get out. We should confirm with Tanaka-san if he is to be extracted with us in this scenario, or if he gets left behind. Also need to confirm if he expects to go to alternate locations, as this would necessitate change in route" He pointed at the trid display as if to indicate potential ways to get to the server. "Patrol pattern is staggered; team can use this to our advantage by timing our movements to avoid them. Worst comes to worst, I can easily deal with two guards on my own while the rest of you protect Tanaka and Yuri and get the job done."
He thought for a while to allow Yuri, Dubs, and Tantei a chance to respond before continuing. "Suggest we avoid shift changes if at all possible; no need to deal with twice the amount of guards unless necessary. Finally, am concerned about security cameras, however, as being seen in privileged area could prove disastrous. Yuri, what are your thoughts on the Matrix side of security; can you hide our activities in the server room from the watchers?"
-
"We'll have to see what the watcher spirits are asked to do," Mariko said, "they will expect people and the changing of workers will prevent them to learn all astral signatures. If the watchers are reporting to the onsite mage, we can take him out and they won't pose a problem. If they report also to others, it's of no use. As to the guards, I can detect them coming and I can also sterilize the places we've been."
-
"Sorry, I missed the first part of the plan" says Dubs. "Are we getting in as guests of Rush?"
-
Seijin regarded the gaijin silently for a moment. "Probably. Tanaka-san has said he can provide access passes, and that he is coming on the run. As far as I'm concerned, this means he will be accompanying us, though it is not known to me if he intends to break away at some point. And if things go bad, I don't see how he can claim deniability if he is with us."
-
"Then that probably means we're not walking in there with him, which would mean we need a cover to use those passes" said the elf, cutting to the point. "I think either delivery people or cleaning crew would be more plausible for the guards to see new faces." Thinking a bit, he then continued, saying "Of course, the cleaning crew cover would give us an excuse to be walking around the building should we get questioned by anyone..."
-
"I think it's indeed best to have some alternate means of getting about," Mariko said, "even if it's only 'in case of'. And cleaning crew is indeed one of the things that gives us access to most of the building."
-
"Only one problem, omae; cleaning crews don't typically carry swords, and I don't go anywhere without mine" Seijin said to Dubs as he brought up his commlink and started browsing the Matrix for pictures of maintenance worker uniforms and tools. "Perhaps we can disguise my blade as something else?" he wondered out loud, and continued. "Should also consider posing as delivery people; Tanaka-san mentioned that several deliveries were expected during the night. If one of them are supposed to go to the server room this could be highly advantageous. Alternatively, Yuri; can you hack their schedule and insert a new entry so that they think they're expecting a delivery to the server room tomorrow? Either way, we could just walk right in, drop off whatever goods we bring with us, and walk right back out again. Null sheen."
The big man smiled for once, excitement beginning to creep into his consciousness. "No use denying it" he thought, "work like this may be dishonorable in some ways, but it is also thrilling."
"What about exit strategies?" Seijin said later. "If things do get violent, we'll need to be able to get out of there in a hurry." He looked around at his new colleagues. "If the server room is high enough up, we won't make it out of the building by the stairs before they get there. Any of you ever rappelled or done a BASE jump before? If we're spotted and HTR is called in, things could go one of three ways in my experience. In all three cases, it's likely that personnel will be stationed at the exits. If the guards make us on security cameras, a team could be dispatched straight to our position. Alternatively, they'll move up floor by floor and clear each of them methodically. Once in while they'll send a team or two up to the top floor to secure any VIP personnel, and then flush the building downwards, but I think having a means of escape from the roof would be a good idea."
-
"Do they let the delivery people go all the way inside the building? Wouldn't the security guards just sign for delivery and send us on our way?" asked Dubs. "Unless..." continued the elf, with a pause for suspense "it's something sensitive they can't handle themselves, like some toxic goo or some spiritual mumbo-jumbo." Dubs looked at Mariko while he said the last part, hoping she could come up with something that would back his plan.
"And if you're thinking about leaving through the roof, if we can find a helicopter or something that flies I can get us out of there" said Dubs to Seijin, trying to give the team more options for their exit strategy.
-
"I just need a few minutes or so in the server room. Dealing with doors in the way won't be a problem, assuming our employer actually gives us the keycodes." She looks over the data again. "It's a twenty-four story building, with nine guards. One at the front door, and two of them on break at any time, so it's just a matter of avoiding the patrols and either avoiding the cameras or not attracting any attention to ourselves."
"Posing as a delivery or cleaning crew sounds like a safe bet. Freeze the camera image and I can get the door open during the guard shift change maybe. If we uh, do the delivery thing, I can put in a phony delivery notice, but if we go as the cleaning crew the guards won't really question why we're coming in or lingering around. We really need to find out what Rush plans to do when we get there though..."
"And I don't think we're going to be able to find a helicopter in such short notice. My VTOL drone could possibly be able to carry one person unsafely, might have to remove the frag grenade launcher so weight wouldn't be an issue and uh... yeah... nevermind." She turns quiet and stares at the projector, looking for how much camera coverage the place has. Trying to hack every single camera they pass and edit the footage would get tiring quick and just increase the chances of being found out.
-
The program starts to flicker as the holo-projector heats up, obviously not used to being used to sustain such a complex image with so many layers.
By now the stadium is practically empty and there an eerie echo from the cleaning crews as they start their work by disposing of the waste food receptacles.
-
As you all look closely at the flickering projection you can see some small text at various points of the blue print... as you look more closely you can see notes written into coding of the plans. they would seem to be rush's idea of what would happen on the run. The text is faint as though someone has tried to erase it and failed.
The notes suggest that Rush's plan is quite simple really he was going to sign in to reception earlier in the evening and let them know that he is expecting a party to be joining him to discuss a potential merger, this would get you visitor passes that would get you into the public area and specific privileged area where the meeting room is which is specifically one located in the same zone as the server room.
This would get you in easily but leave a lot of issues such as being very visible...
His backup plan was to impersonate a maintenance crew and to arrange for a call out to be made. Again quite visible but would have less issues due to having a disguise in the first place but this would allow you to get gear in.
No matter what there are some subtle notes that do indicate there one of the security spiders has been paid off to help support with minor issues but he can't get access to the server room, which is why he needs a runner crew.
The glaringly obvious hole in all of hiss plans is that there is no exit plan only entry and implementation almost assuming that everything goes okay.
-
"I think we'll have to iron out these plans," Mariko said, "like get a valid entry strategy that won't burn the Johnson and actually get an exit strategy. But maybe we can better move to a more secure location before we start discussing this."
She'd rather not want to cleaning crew to see what they were up to, and in a public stadium like this who knows was monitoring everything they did.
-
Seijin nodded at Tantei's suggestion. "Sounds good. Did you have a specific place in mind?" he asked, and then added. "Might as well lay the plans before picking up any additional gear. Oh, and I am still in favour of rappelling or BASE gear as a last resort exit strategy."
-
"I know a few pubs where we can sit undisturbed," Mariko said, "but I'm open to other and maybe better suggestions."
-
Yuri stands up from the table, putting her hands on her hips. "W-Well I suggest we get our so called employer in here and go over just how the heck he wants this thing to go down. If he's coming with us, he's going to be treated like my teammate, not my boss."
"As for an exit plan, leave it to me. Slipping out the back can be easy when the front door is exploding." She smiles triumphantly. "Or a distraction like it."
-
Dubs stands up with the rest of the crew. "Yeah, I am feeling a little thirsty. We can finalise the whole thing at the pub like Tantei suggested" says the elf, nodding at Mariko with a slight smile on his face. "If you want the Johnson to give us his input, maybe you should have him meet us there when he's done" said Roger as he was turning around, heading towards the door.
-
A quick bit of research finds and a look up on the local map-soft gets you the route and address for one of the pubs that Mariko suggested, the Johnson gives a quick text reply as you let him know the address.
<<incoming message>>
I'll meet you there, just give me a few minutes.
<end of message>
It doesn't take you long to get there and you have plenty of time to grab a drink before you hear the clattering roar of a bit pickup trick rolling up outside. swiftly followed by your employer walking in.
Right then, what are we all drinking then? he calls out to you as we comes to join you at the bar.
-
Seijin answers the Johnson plainly. "Just water" he says, and waits for the others.
-
"Well, I'm drinking a brew" says Dubs after hearing Seijin's answer, directing his comment at Rush.
-
"for me just something fizzy, non-alcoholic," Mariko said. If they were going to do some serious planning, she didn't need any alcohol. Maybe after the run was finished, but not before.
"Let's set up a network," she said next, "so we can share files and such without having to project them."
-
"Good idea" answered Dubs at Mariko's plan to setup a network.
Once everyone got their drinks, the elf started talking. "Alright, this is what we think are the best ways to get into the building." He took a sip of his synthbeer and started looking at the plan that was on their private network. Pointing at the back entrance, he said "We can either go in as delivery guys, or as cleaning crew. There are advantages to both, really. The delivery guys, we get a pass for being new faces. The cleaning crew, we get to walk around the building without anyone being suspicious."
Dubs stopped for a moment to look if there was any bar food around, and then went back to looking at the layout of the building. "I can't really think of any other way to get into the building without tying you to this run, chief" continued Dubs while addressing Rush.
-
Taking you all in clearly Rush seems very happy at the professionalism of you all. Well I shall join you with water, a clear mind is a good thing after all.
I appreciate your candid assessment of the situation, I think i can help arrange the need for a delivery... but the cleaning crew go through too much scrutiny to sort something out overnight.
-
"Firgures," Mariko said, "but can delivery crews get far into the building? Mostly they have to hand their packages in at the front desk and the internal service delivers them to the recipient. Depending on the layout, it might be an option to stun the guards at the front desk, slip them a shot of Lael and make it look as if they have fallen asleep. Let's have a look."
She checked the building plans on the network to see if she could find the set-up for the front desk. She was sure there were cameras, but it might be possible if they were rotating or not pointed at the desk itself.
-
The delivery crews tend to be escorted to their the relevant recipients, by the security guards on duty at the time. so that should work I'd have thought?
-
Dubs took a swing of his drink and said "I'm just thinking out loud here, but we could bring in a large box, stash the decker and someone else in it and have it delivered to the server room. While we get there, Mariko can work on trying to disable the cameras that have an angle on the room without being seen and once that's done we neutralize the guards and do our business." The elf rested his bottle down on the table, looking around at the other runners to see if his idea made any sense to them.
-
"Nice plan, except for one little thing," Mariko said, "my knowledge about cameras is limited to 'pull the plug and it stops working' or 'spray the front and it's still working but is not seeing much', both of which are fairly obvious to anybody who's looking at the cameras. Where's the security center, maybe we can hit that first, take out the people there and then we can do what we want with the cameras."
-
Seijin regarded Dubs as he spoke. "That could work, certainly. Would also give us excuse to smuggle in larger pieces of equipment and our employer." He bowed his head deeply to the corporate suit sitting at the table. "No offense intended Mr Tanaka, but your presence might jeopardize things if anyone were to recognize you dressed in a delivery uniform."
He then turned to address Mariko. "Seconded; my skills with electronics are about the same. I could potentially take out the security center, but I would prefer that a physically assault be a last resort, only to be used if no other option presents itself."
-
"The cameras shouldn't be a problem for me. If the layout you gave us is correct, I can take care of any cameras in our way given enough time." Yuri sips at her glass, a ridiculous and fruity colored drink. "I'm n-not very fond of being stuck in a crate for all this though..."
"Why not let security take us to where we need to go, knock them out and stash them, and I'll fudge an all clear to the rest. Should gives us enough time to deal with the server room, and then work our way out."
-
"You're Mariko?!?" asked Dubs, pointing at Tantei. "I thought SHE was Mariko" laughed the elf, pointing at Yuri.
"In any case, if you are in the box it gives you the chance to hack away without the guards being suspicious. Just a thought though" continued Dubs, raising his shoulders half-dismissively.
-
Yuri bites her lip in thought. "Yeah, m-maybe. I'd do it if you guys swear to handle shit on your end. Do we know what kind of inspection they give to arriving packages? If it's enough to notice someone inside, c-could try claiming it's highly sensitive computer equipment and scanning it might ruin it or something..."
-
"not a good idea," Mariko said, "because then they will want the box opened. At least that's what I would do in a situation like that. Besides, is it needed to have someone in a box. We can all walk in carrying boxes and you can do the cameras while someone else is putting the paperwork in order with the recipient."
She wondered why it was still called paperwork, even though there was no paper to be seen in these cases. Conservatism probably.
-
Dubs thinks for a moment. "It would have to be a huge order if we're to justify 4 deliverymen" said the elf. Quickly realising what he said, he corrected himself. "or women..."
He turned his head to Rush and asked him "What kind of order would require such a massive amount of boxes?"
-
Big delivery eh?, There are some refurbishments due on the floor above soon. who knows maybe the first shipment arrives a little early? some administration error or the like.
The Johnson seems to be settling down quite nicely from the anxious man he was earlier. it seems kind of strange but he seems to be really enjoying himself while your talking.
-
"It's an option," Mariko said, "we'll have to see what is needed, so our boxes have the correct labels and RFID tags. But that should be possible. Then we'll have to do the delivery late in the afternoon, when the first people are already going home, in order to make sure there is not too many people around. Does someone have a van that can be used as delivery vehicle?"
-
"I got a truck, but I'm not fond of it getting burned if this goes tits up, so I'll want to do some extra prep work if w-we use it."
-
"You don't have that paint that can change the colour scheme on your van," Mariko asked, "and a morphing licence plate? I always thought it was the first thing any shadowrunner put on his van or car. If it's really necessary, we can rent one and just have one person burn a SIN."
-
"Got the plate yeah, but feel free to chip in if you want it chameleon coated..." Yuri shrugs, and takes another sip of her drink. "Gimme a day or so and I can have it painted up like a delivery vehicle.
-
My mechanic should be able to help with that respray, he can always find time to fit in a personal request for me.
-
'Yeah, so you can hide all sorts of tags and trackers on it? Great...' Yuri puts on a smile for Rush, but frowns inwardly. "S-Sounds good to me, I'd like to observe of course and help out. We have our way in, what next?"
-
"If we're using your van, then that means we have our way out as well, unless you want to burn your vehicle" said Dubs. "Of course, someone could always stay with the vehicle and drive away after, while the remaining 3 find an alternate escape route" continued the elf, thinking loudly.
-
"So transport is arranged," Mariko said, "now we just need boxes with logos that match the delivery. I mean, if we deliver stuff from a construction firm, it should have that firms logo on it. Shouldn't be too hard to do, as the logos can be easily found and printed on a sticker we put on the box. And we can use those boxes to bring the equipment in we can't wear. or carry in the open"
-
"Think we can manage to f-fit my Doberman in one of them? I wouldn't mind having some extra firepower along just in case."
-
Hey it's an office refit I'm sure we can mange to fit in a drone.
Here's an account you can debit any incidentals to by the way
Rush sends you all an account number to a credit account.
Since we seem to have all the details in place shall where shall I meet you all tomorrow?
-
"Let's say here," Mariko suggested, "we have your comm number, so if things change, we'll contact you, okay? What time was the best again?"
-
Night shift goes on duty just before 9pm so meet here about eight?
-
"Sounds good to me," Mariko replied, looking at the others, "I'll do a magical recon tonight, just to check things out in case security gets clever."
-
"Alright, so let's meet here again tomorrow" said Dubs, finishing his drink. When everyone was done, he got into his car and drove around where they were supposed to strike the next day, trying to figure out the best routes to get to the company and to leave it, making sure he had a few alternatives in case they needed them.
[Spoiler] Not sure what you want me to roll for that, but I'll guess a knowledge check and maybe a navigation check. If that's not enough I'll roll something else.
Logic 3 + Urban Planning 4 (7d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4638296/) no glitches
Intuition 5 + Navigation 2 (7d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4638298/) no glitches[/spoiler]
-
As soon as she was back at home, she went to her shrine and put herself on a tatami mat. There she left her body and moved to the building they would have to invade the next night. At first she looked at the building, checking for patrolling spirits and wards and checking if Mr. J's information was correct. If needed, she would go closer, but if she could see everything from her high vantage point, she would.
-
The day goes smoothly with the usual suspects helping pitch in the small supplies you need to get the job done.
@ Isane
The mechanic is very professional and appreciates your concerns over your 'baby' it';s returned in pristine condition.
@ Farothel
The basic view of the building confirms most of the the astral security aspect advised within the plans Rush has provided you
You see the auras of the security patrol's on their rounds being supported by watcher spirits, you catch a good view of the mage as he walks on duty and he pays your projection no attention in particular, a review of his aura shows you that he is a low level age with a magic of three. and he is distracted by insomnia. Probably something to do with the combinations of anger and happiness towards his newborn son.
The rest of the building is not very secure astral and there are no wards or astral barrier except around the secure areas, although that is only a ward on the entrance and bio-wire construction techniques.
-
Mariko sent a message to the team to say that the astral security was what Mr. J had said it was, before going to sleep. It would be a very long day the next one, and she wanted to be rested.
-
After getting her truck ready, Yuri gets the next part of their delivery disguise ready by having her gang help her acquire some appropriately sized boxes and fake shipping labels. Uniforms would take a bit more work, so she'd wait until tomorrow so the rest of the team could help. For now, it was time to actually get a reasonable amount of sleep for once. Which meant only wasting a single hour reading or browsing the matrix.
-
The day passes smoothly and when you arrive at the pub before the run Rush is there waiting for you.
Hoi Chummers,
Tonight is gonna be fun!
-
Mariko looked at him. If he thought it was going to be fun, they might be in trouble. These things were not supposed to be fun, they were a job and the less 'fun' there was, the better.
"You do know the Chinese curse, sir," she said, staying polite, "May you have interesting times. I hope that tonight it will not be too interesting. Just get in, get the job done and get out without any fuss. And speaking of fuss, while we are waiting for the others, I'll quickly do a final astral recon."
She quickly found a place where she could sit without being obviously absent. Then she went back to the location they would go to and, staying a bit at a distance (no sense in warning them that she had been there twice now) she checked to see if things were still the same as they were the day before. Late minute changes in the set-up could mean exactly that, a set-up.
intuition 4 + assensing 4 + spirit 2 =10 (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4651026/)
-
@ Farothel
Your astral recon of the building shows the opposite of your fears.
In fact it would seem that Rush's inside man has done a good job of diverting security as there are fewer watchers on patrol and the ward on the secure level is no longer there.
-
Mariko went back to her body in the pub.
"I've had a quick check and it seems your buddy is good to his word, sir," she said to Rush and the others, "there's less magical security then when I checked yesterday."
-
Dubs arrived just a few minutes before meeting time and spotted the team. He got himself a synth beer before talking business. "Good!" answered the elf to Mariko's statement. "I went and got down a few escape routes myself last night, just in case." He then took a mouthful of his drink before saying to everyone present "This job almost seems too good to be true, like everything is falling right onto our laps!"
-
"I'll put up a couple of spells before we go in," Mariko said, "I should be able to feel it when a full SWAT team is sitting in the next room."
-
"I've got the delivery disguise all set up. Let's go over the plan one last time, and figure out i-if there's anything we need to still do." Yuri looks over the others, feeling more jittery than usual.
-
Rush takes the lead and spells out the plan as he sees it with you all.
Good to hear the peripherals are all sorted.
The plan was rather simple the way i saw it:
I go ahead with my new buddy Seijin... Assuming he ever turns up?
Has any one seen him today?
We inform reception of the delivery so that your expected when you turn up.
I meet you at the loading docs and we go up to floor 42 with all the gear in packing crates...
On 42 we need to break into the secure wing and the server room,
Yuri here hacks her way in and erases the raw data that implicates the failings in the project.
Meanwhile Dubs and Mariko here will make sure we're all clear and covered ready to escape, by well either
a. distracting
b. neutralizing (not killing)
c. evading
the security patrols
as to Exits we have the van if we don't get spotted...
and if we do....
well there is running or Yuri's choice of the roof...
-
"I have one more question," Mariko said to Rush, "are there magically active people in your department? I mean, I would like to go in with a couple of spells active, but will that make me a big target for every magically active being in the compound?"
-
"Y-Yeah I'm not so sure we can all fit on my Dalmatian. I only rode it once and that was on a dare. If the drek hits the fan, I'll have my truck drive itself to a secure location, the Dalmatian w-will provide a distraction, and Dubs can get his hot rod and get us outta there."
Yuri begins twiddling a finger through her hair. "So our entrance and exit are covered. I-I haven't heard from Seijin yet, we might have to rework the uh, in between part..."
-
Dubs laughed out loud. "I can get my hotrod alright, but it won't fit everything, that's for sure" said the elf. "And if the boy scout doesn't show up, then I guess it means we proceed without him. I just hope he won't change his mind and sell us down the road on account of his "principles", or some other thing..."
-
"He won't," Mariko said, "I've worked with him before and once he agrees to work with someone, he won't betray them unless they start doing random killings or things like that, which we haven't. And even then, he will take the offending party down himself if possible. No, my guess is that something happened to him. We'll have to work without him, but as long as I can keep up spells in the compound, I should be able to feel people coming before they see us."
-
As far as I know, the only awakened on site will be the security mage and he won't be paying much attention to anyone...
Unless of course you advertise yourself!
-
"It's a detection spell," Mariko said, "so to see me use it they have to be in the same room, either in the flesh or in the astral. I was just thinking about patrol spirits. But if there aren't too many, I can chance it. Let's go, shall we. I'll try to contact our missing team member on the way to see what's happening, but that security window won't stay open forever."
-
Dubs downed the rest of his drink, took a stick of betel and said "Alright, let's go get paid!" Before following everyone out.
-
Yuri moves to join the others. "If h-he's not showing up, I'm not going to feel very safe without my Doberman, so lets see if we can fit it in one of the crates. If not, well, I-I guess it can just cloak and follow us in..."
-
Rush down his drink and stands,
After you gentlemen,
After all you have the ride.
The drive over to the building is rather uneventful.
Rush pipes up just two blocks away from the building...
If you wait here five minutes i'll go ahead and make that security will let you in,
I am the inside man after all.
-
"Don't do anything to put too much attention on yourself," Mariko called after him. During the wait she activated 2 spells, in order to be prepared. After five minutes, she opened the door of the van.
"Let's go," she said.
[spoiler]
first up is increase reflexes (force 2), and putting it into my F2 sustaining focus
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4666514/)
drain 3:
charisma 5 + willpower 4 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4666517/)
then Detect life (force 3) in my F3 sustaining focus.
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 =11 (11d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4666515/)
drain 1:
charisma 5 + willpower 4 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4666516/)
I now have 2IP and I detect all life out to a radius of 3 meters (should be enough in a building).
[/spoiler]
-
"R-Right, just a few last minute things to take care of. Dubs, gimme a hand here, lets mock up my Doberman like a delivery drone real quick. Don't break anything though." With the truck parked out of site, Yuri begins going over everything one last time. "Right, okay. Totally legal tazer, generic delivery uniforms, crates filled with assorted random electronics and such, concealed pistol, fly eye..." A small compartment opens up in one of her cyberhands, and a tiny drone pokes out. "Check, check, check." The joints of her metal fingers pop and flex, extending out as she waves the snake-like appendages around before returning them to their normal state and pulling her AR gloves over them, effectively hiding her hands. "So uh, S-Senpai..." She looks over at Mariko. "Y-You think you can handle any of the needed talking? N-Not that I can't, just uh, you're probably better at it."
-
"Alright, let me see what I can do" answered Dubs, having a look at the Doberman. He tried to rig up the drone to serve a different purpose, but he wasn't very familiar with drones to begin with. Still, he tried his best and thought he had done a decent job, given what he was working with.
Once that was done, he hid his handgun in the crate he would be bringing in himself, amongst different metal parts as to not make it easy for anyone quickly looking to find it.
[spoiler]Logic 3 + Automotive Mechanic 2 (5d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4667187/) only one hit so he will use edge to reroll his misses. Rerolling misses (4d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4667188/) So that should give us the 2 hits needed. No glitches.[/spoiler}
-
"Sure, I can do that," she said, checking the time. She had downloaded a couple of forms from a regular transport firm to have some paperwork to flash at the people from the front desk, which she had filled out with the bogus order. She now put those on an AR window.
"okay, let's go," she said, getting out of the truck and taking a box, before moving towards the entrance as soon as the other boxes where on the drone and in the hands of the others.
"Good evening," she said at the front desk, "we have a delivery here."
-
The night receptionist looks half asleep and she certainly isn't concentrating on anything other than sorting out her nails and checking out social media. She slowly turns round to see you as you announce your self and your delivery...
urmm...., yes delivery.....
The service entrance is to the rear.
Mr Saito, is expecting you on 43.
The manager will meet you round back.
Do you need anything else?
-
"Not unless we need a badge or anything like that," Mariko said. When there came no response, she told the others to move out and go around the back. In fact, it would be better to be out at the back.
-
'So far so good'. Yuri pulls the truck around the back and waits as instructed. She does one last check on her CD-Dalmatian, now loitering high overhead with its chameleon coating displaying advertisements for an upcoming manga convention. With just a simple command from her at anytime, it would be ready to cloak completely and swoop in as a distraction. Of course, said distraction would be bombarding the front entrance with a couple explosive grenades, but she didn't feel the need to bother her teammates with the details.
-
Dubs didn't say anything and tried to be as non-descript As he possibly could be. He simply followed Mariko's lead and went to the back entrance with her, carrying his boxes.
-
Mariko went to the back entrance and introduced herself and her companions to the guards there as deliverers with a number of packages, while keeping an eye out on the astral from time to time and also keeping track of people around her, thanks to her detection spell.
-
The security guard opens up the rear shutter door and waves you in, he hands you each a security badge.
If you'd like to wait here Mr. James will be down shortly to escort you up to you delivery floor.
He sits back in his chair sipping at his soycaf and looking blankly at his comm.
After a few minutes the elevator door opens and a man steps out and heads to the security booth.
Evening, Frank
This my delivery for 43?
Certainly is Boss, Frank replies without even looking.
'Mr. James' gives you a look and then addresses you,
Right then you lot, follow me.
Once your in the elevator he talks more casually,
So then we all ready for what needs to happen?
-
"I am, but I only have a support role here," Mariko said, trying to feel how many people there were close by. The spell had not too much range, but it could see if a SWAT team was waiting in the next room and if it was really needed, she could recast it.
-
Yuri guides her faithful "delivery" Doberman into the elevator, and nods to 'Mr James' as soon as the doors shut. "Mhm. Just point me out to the nearest bathroom to the server room, I'll take a little break, and freeze any cameras between me and the data. Senpai, if y-you could make me invisible for that, it'd help a lot."
-
Dubs followed everyone else in the elevators. Once inside, he said to everyone "Well, this is going well! We should be out of here in no time if this keeps up!"
-
"I can make you invisible," Mariko said to Yuri, "but you will have to stay within my line of sight, otherwise the spell will fail. I know that's annoying, but I didn't make the rules."
-
@ farothel
Your detection spell picks nothing up other than your crew as you go up in the lift just the occasional cleaner near the elevator shaft as your going up.\
The elevator whirs with a low pitched hum as you travel upwards, so very slowly.... this elevator was clearly very cheap/old compared to the rest of this building that looked so very fancy.
As you arrive on the 43rd floor the elevator doors open to a barren hall-way with doors of to the left and an open glass wall showing the bare office space on the other side. there are sheets of plastic covering most everything up her for now and the lighting is intermittent where the new florescent lamps have not yet been fitted.
Now then miss, I know you've expressed a desire to relieve yourself.
Unfortunately the only working bathroom is on the floor below us. says 'Mr James' clearly pandering towards the camera watching the elevator departure area.I'll have to escort you down there as it's a secured floor. He leads you all to the stair well and as soon as you are out of range of the camera he speaks again.
Okay then we've timed this well, the security team should have just finished their sweep of his floor. That means we have about an hour before they will be back again,
so we should be in and out without being spotted.
-
Dubs gets his weapon from his box once they're out of sight and tucks it away in his clothing. "Alright, got it. Who's calling the shots tonight, guys?" asked the elf.
-
Certainly ain't going to be me, I'm just the money.
-
"Right..." Yuri taps her foot on the floor in thought. "Unless anyone has any objections, I'm going with my original idea. You two keep up the facade of delivering stuff while Mr. James and I check out the server room on the way to the restroom."
-
"Okay, let's do it," Mariko said, "the longer we linger here, the more likely we are to be discovered."
-
"Alright, let us know when you need us" said Dubs to Yuri, giving her a wink.
-
Mariko moved a bit further in the corridor, to have her spell detect anybody behind even more doors. If there were people here, she wanted to know.