[Tecumseh]

Ivana/Illeana/Katsina listens to the responses. Ohanzee has offered a good summary of the questions confronting them.

"A. Do we include anyone else in the bidding? "If Ace wants to go back to Ares, then I would vote we give Ares right of first refusal. If Ares doesn't want it, or isn't willing to pay, or Ace changes his mind, then I would vote for DIMR as Plan B."
"B. How much do we ask for? "I think six million might be a fair price if they were dealing with another organization with significant resources to defend themselves. I'm worried that the handful of us won't be able to generate the same professional respect. Ace's status complicates things. I think it's possible that they will balk at paying anything when their supersoldier might be expected to bring it back for free. I'm not a negotiator but I would start at two million, willing to go to one-and-a-half. That should be enough to survive on. Not a fancy life, but a livable one."
"C. What else besides nuyen do we ask for? This would include assistance with the nanites or interference to protect us from any repercussions. "We could ask for SINs. I don't have the nanite issue and, frankly, I'd be a bit nervous about asking for their help with it. If what Doc says is true - that they are beneficial like bioware but without the associated effect on your essence - then I think there's a very real possibility that Ares will find the nanites just as valuable as the artifact. Getting rid of them could require a long period of study and... tests. Ace might not be able to avoid that, but the rest of you should be wary. Ares could decide that you are too valuable to let go."
"D. How do we manage the bidding and exchange? "If it's Ares, I think Ace should make contact and start the discussion. They didn't respond earlier but that was when Ace was using the hunter's comm. I bet they'll answer if he uses his own commlink. I presume he has some record of communication with them from before. As for the exchange, I think we'll be looking for something outdoors with minimal opportunities for an ambush. Either a field where we can see everyone coming and going from a long way off, or in the woods where we have cover to make an escape if things go sideways." She looks to Ace and Sam as the tacticians.
"E. Where do we go afterward? "If you guys are taking some time off for treatment then I will go my own way. If you're shacking up with Ares for a bit then you could ask them to drop you off somewhere convenient, somewhere quiet."

She looks to Ace for confirmation. All of their next steps hinge on him.

[8-bit]

Chino shakes his head. "If we're going for the money, of course I want as much as possible. I don't trust anyone in the shadows to be able to get us out of the heat of multiple corporations, law enforcement, or crazy-ass magical societies. I don't trust any of the corps either. Could we strike a deal to get the hell out of the spotlight? Sure, and I couldn't give a damn if I got a single nuyen if they did. I just don't see it happening. Money is the only thing that can help us; enough of it will likely get us out of fire."

He watches Doc pace back and forth. "All the money in the world isn't going to do drek for us if we're dead. On the flip side, getting rid of this thing without being free from pursuit isn't going to help us stay alive. Money can help us hide; make us disappear. Promises from corporations that aren't fulfilled won't help us."

Chino sighs. "To answer your questions, it's up to Ace if we want to include multiple people in the bidding. If he's going back to Ares, that's the logical choice to go to. I'd ask for at least 2 million. That's ample money to disappear, which is all I care about. You can ask for some name clearance or whatever the hell you want. I just don't see why Ares, or anyone else, would feel inclined to honor it after the deal is done. You negotiators can figure out how to manage the transaction. As for where we go, that depends. I can remember that I know a hell of a lot about Denver; and it's easy to lose tails in the multitude of borders. Then again, everyone knows we are in Denver, and any contacts we had before know we operated in Denver." Chino shrugs. "We're probably stronger in numbers, and we're the only people who understand what we've all been through. I can go with the group on that."

Chino pushes his chair back, and stands up. Turning to Katsina, he asks, "Is there any more coffee ready?" Before she can answer, he shakes his head. "Nevermind, I'm about ready for a beer anyway." He rummages in the cooler to find a beer.

[rednblack]

Ace rubs his cyber eyes, and drains the rest of his coffee.  "Ares seems attractive for the safety, the payout, and possibly for the nanite front, though it doesn't seem as though anybody wants to go there.  Can't blame you chummers, honestly.  With DIMR getting a lot of attention and generally being thought of in high respects from the group, maybe we should focus there, at least initially.  Don't worry about me and Ares.  With my memory fragged and my protocol wires all crossed to hell, I'll be able to make something work, though I might need Doc's on a couple tech fronts.

It sounds like aside from getting me back to Ares, most of the group wants to avoid a big ten, so let's see where DIMR stands.  So, if we're in agreement there, where do we start?"

[Poindexter]

"Those that want to make as much money as possible: Doc and Chino. No stated preference from Ace or Katsina. Sam and I firmly in the survival-trumps-all camp, with a strong preference towards information and/or materiel aid over nuyen.

"Survival most certainly does not trump all with me. Answers do. I don't care as much that I make it out of this alive as I do about learning what 'this' is."

"A. Do we include anyone else in the bidding?
"B. How much do we ask for?
"C. What else besides nuyen do we ask for? This would include assistance with the nanites or interference to protect us from any repercussions.
"D. How do we manage the bidding and exchange?
"E. Where do we go afterward?

"A. Yes, everyone. Everyone who wants to come and their mothers. B. Irrelevant. C. Information on who we were. Removal of the nanites. D. We invite everyone to one big party and we let the truth come out in the broad daylight. E. Wherever we want, or think we can survive."

Shaking his head Doc looks at Sam and says, "I'm very confused by what your goals are and what you measure success to be.  You want to know what 'this' is, and you want 'answers.'  But you've yet to ask a question.  You want the nanites out of your chrome, but all we know about them is that, at this point, they are beneficial to us.  Possibly not in the long run, but for now they are helpful.  Do you want to know the full history of this 4th World artifact?  That'll take years and years of research by hundreds of people working furiously to fully answer.  I have a mild curiosity to that history, but I'm much more concerned with learning about how we came to be here so that we can get people to stop shooting us... at least until we, as individuals or a group, choose to take another job where, hopefully different, people shoot at us again."

"Isn't it obvious? I want to know who I was. Why I was in a van full of killers with a million year old rock and the means to destroy it. I don't need to know everything about the artifact. In fact, I doubt I'd understand most of it. But i very much want to know how it fits into the events at hand. Beyond that, I don't much care about it. And maybe you think the nanites are beneficial and maybe they actually are, but until I learn what they are, what they're doing to us, and how they got there, I'm not working off that assumption. I want them out."

"It sounds like aside from getting me back to Ares, most of the group wants to avoid a big ten, so let's see where DIMR stands.  So, if we're in agreement there, where do we start?"

"I have no such aversions. If Ares can provide what we seek better or faster than anyone else, I say they get the damned thing. I care not."

[Malevolence]

"OK, so other than Sam, we all defer to Ace on whom to contact with a preference of DIMR over Ares. Ace is fine with DIMR, so DIMR is definitely in. Sam wants to include everyone, so let's take a vote - who is actually against shotgunning the invite?"
"I was apparently way off on my understanding of where people were leaning for profit. It looks like about 2 mil is generally accepted as a good starting point, and we will go up or down from there based on the negotiation."
"What else to ask for. We seem split on this. I think we are in general agreement that there isn't much more we can learn about the artifact - any information on it was almost certainly lost during the fifth world, so anything beyond what we already know will involve months or years of research, which we aren't willing to wait for. Information about us or getting our nanites removed, or at least getting more info on them, seems strongly championed by Sam and is something we are all curious about, but I'm not sure whether it is wise to include this as part of a negotiation - it puts us at a disadvantage and risks the other party frakking us with it. I'll go with the consensus, but I think I agree with Chino on this point that money is simpler to negotiate for and can then be used to solve this information problem. Material aid (weapons, gear, transport, etc) is something to explore. I'm not sure about asking for fake SINs since if our goal is to disappear, letting them know our fake identity is probably a poor strategy."
"Remote and outdoors seems to be the consensus for how to handle the exchange and possibly the negotiation. Unless there are objections, we'll go with that."
"And what comes next? It seems we are agreed to stick together and try to lay low. Denver is one suggestion, at least short term. It's as good a plan as any - the only other option is to try putting some miles between us and here in the hopes of making it hard for any remaining pursuers. So let's start with Denver and see where that gets us - if the heat stays on us, we'll reconsider."
"That about sum it up? We talk to DIMR for sure and possibly others depending on the vote. We ask for 2 mil on cash and use that to try to solve our other problems - no need for transport if we're sticking around Denver. We find a nice, remote wilderness area that meets our needs tactically and arrange the meet there. Then we take our loot and head to Denver to try to unravel the mystery of us and wait for the heat to die down. If I've got that right, then let's vote on whether we make this a DIMR exclusive, or at least give them right of first refusal, or we broadcast to everyone."
"I'll lead off. I say we keep it simple and give them right of first refusal. Too many variables the other way - it increases the chance of one of the smaller parties that don't feel they can compete with the big boys deciding to take actions into their own hand and too much chance we end up with a dozen way Aztlanian standoff. We can make them think we are in contact with others, which might improve our negotiating position and perhaps entice them to play fair to avoid the wrath of the other bidders."
Ohanzee finally takes a deep breath as he eyes the others, waiting for their responses.

[Poindexter]

"Remote and outdoors seems to be the consensus for how to handle the exchange and possibly the negotiation. Unless there are objections, we'll go with that."

Sam nods his head firmly in agreement with this point.

"And what comes next? It seems we are agreed to stick together and try to lay low. Denver is one suggestion, at least short term. It's as good a plan as any - the only other option is to try putting some miles between us and here in the hopes of making it hard for any remaining pursuers. So let's start with Denver and see where that gets us - if the heat stays on us, we'll reconsider."

But at this one, he cocks it to the side in confusion. "Isn't Denver the opposite of remote and outdoors? I believe we ought to keep roughing it until this whole thing is over with, one way or another."

[Tecumseh]

"I think it's safer to only include one party in the negotiations, so I vote against shotgunning the invite.

"Ohanzee's on the right track. Answers regarding the artifact will take months if not years. The same might be true for the nanites, for all we know. Unless you are willing to put yourselves in someone else's hands for an extended period of time then the best option is to get paid and seek treatment independently. Or even bankroll a small lab for Doc! He's certainly got the brainpower to get the bottom of it, given enough time. Between his medical and his technical expertise, one of the best researchers in the world could be sitting at the breakfast table with us right now.

"If we want to reach out to DIMR then the main hurdle is that we don't have an 'in' with them like we do with Ace for Ares. We either need to arrange for an introduction or we need to cold-call them. Both have their risks. Involving more people is inherently riskier, and if we go through Ohanzee's fixer then there's the risk that he's not an independent party. Cold-calling DIMR might fall on deaf ears, as it's relatively uncommon for strangers to show up on your doorstep with a Fourth World artifact in tow.

"One thing that could help our cause is a quicksilver camera. It's basically a camera that takes a photo of the astral plane. To mundane eyes it will look iridescent, but someone Awakened can assense the photo and see a snapshot of the of the subject's aura. In this case, it should allow us to convince DIMR that what we have is as remarkable as we say it is.

"The good news is that quicksilver cameras are not restricted and you can find them in a decent talismonger's shop. The problem is that they cost ¥2,500 and I don't know where the nearest talismonger's shop is. I could make one from scratch but the process would take me a week. Given how challenging it has been to survive 32 hours, I'm not sure we have a week to spare. Taking a photograph might be hard; the obelisk is so blinding, it's like trying to take a photograph of the sun. But I think we can do it with some trial-and-error.

"So I would suggest that the next step is to check out of here, find a talismonger, get a quicksilver camera, take photos and reach out to DIMR. Meanwhile, we need to be researching an exchange site and conducting some reconnaissance.

"And, Sam, Ohanzee was suggesting we go to Denver after getting rid of the obelisk. Until then, remote and outdoors is probably a winning strategy."

Illeana finally stops talking and starts to think about what life after might look like. She had thought people would go with Ares to resolve the nanite situation, leaving her nanite-less self on her own. The possibility of selling the device to the Dunkelzahn Institute of Magical Research changed that thinking. Would she want to stay with the group? She doesn't have much in common with them, other than the amnesia and the shared hardships of the last day. Would she want to connect with DIMR professionally? Was Ace really going back to Ares? She didn't remember much but she was reasonably sure that it was rare to find people who were willing to overlook her condition. She takes a deep breath and waits to see how the group responds to her suggestions.

[rednblack]

I likewise agree with Ohanzee," Ace says.  "I want less eyes on this, not more.

"Doc, what would our chances we could narrow our search of who to reach out from DIMR with some of your nova matrix skills?  If we could get that quicksilver, it's
'quicksilver,' right? Anyway, if we can get one of those pics directly to someone in the upper echelons, we could potentially further limit our exposure.  That kinda thing possible?  About how long would you need with a good connect?"

[Zweiblumen]

At the mention of setting up a lab for the research Doc perks up.  "That would be an interesting thing to use my time on once we are out of this mess.  I like that idea.  If we could get someone to fund the lab, give them some rights to the research?  That, a fake SIN and someplace to live would settle me just fine."

Looking to Ace, he responds "I'm sure I could find a comm code in a reasonable amount of time if I've got someplace safe to surf for a little while.  Might also be able to find someone selling the camera if Ohanzee's connection doesn't happen to have one we could borrow.  And you've got a decent amount of jing on that credstick of yours, yeah?  Maybe find a used one or somehting?  I'll have a lot more options once we're out of here."

Thinking about where to go next, "Maybe we pick up some actual camping supplies, a few insulated tents, a portable stove and whatnot.  Then actually head out into the hills, far enough to be hard to find, but close enough that we can get something of a matrix signal... or picking up a sateite uplink and we can go even further."
[spoiler]I can't find the reference to it, but I'm thinking something along the lines of the tent in the fluff from R&G p.144.[/spoiler]

[Poindexter]

"And, Sam, Ohanzee was suggesting we go to Denver after getting rid of the obelisk. Until then, remote and outdoors is probably a winning strategy."

"Ah." He nods his head, understanding now.

I likewise agree with Ohanzee," Ace says.  "I want less eyes on this, not more."

Well tough titty, captain kill-bot. Sam has started re-thinking his whole "They were the good guys and we were the bad guys" idea. The basic premise is the same, but he's re-examining the whole "Heroes vs Villains" bit. Something about Ace and Mask still just don't feel right to him. He doesn't think it's who they used to be that's giving him this feeling. Nor does he believe it's cause of who they are now. Maybe it's the differences between the two. Something doesn't match. He'll be damned if he can put his finger on what it is though.

[8-bit]

Chino pulls out a beer and pops it open. He goes back to his seat and silently drinks it. Today was looking pretty depressing. Again. He still wasn't sure what he liked about these people. So far, they didn't exactly mesh personality-wise. Maybe when it was all over they wouldn't have to argue and butt heads all the time. Yeah. Just like maybe Katsina isn't a vampire and maybe I don't have a BTL problem and maybe we didn't steal the artifact at all! Maybe they just gave the thing to us!  Maybe ...

As the others lay out their plans, Chino chimes in.

"One thing that could help our cause is a quicksilver camera. It's basically a camera that takes a photo of the astral plane. To mundane eyes it will look iridescent, but someone Awakened can assense the photo and see a snapshot of the of the subject's aura. In this case, it should allow us to convince DIMR that what we have is as remarkable as we say it is.

"The good news is that quicksilver cameras are not restricted and you can find them in a decent talismonger's shop. The problem is that they cost ¥2,500 and I don't know where the nearest talismonger's shop is. I could make one from scratch but the process would take me a week. Given how challenging it has been to survive 32 hours, I'm not sure we have a week to spare. Taking a photograph might be hard; the obelisk is so blinding, it's like trying to take a photograph of the sun. But I think we can do it with some trial-and-error.

"So I would suggest that the next step is to check out of here, find a talismonger, get a quicksilver camera, take photos and reach out to DIMR. Meanwhile, we need to be researching an exchange site and conducting some reconnaissance.

"These ... quicksilver camera things. They're reuseable right? Because it would be all kinds of annoying if we had to pay for each individual photo."

"Maybe we pick up some actual camping supplies, a few insulated tents, a portable stove and whatnot.  Then actually head out into the hills, far enough to be hard to find, but close enough that we can get something of a matrix signal... or picking up a sateite uplink and we can go even further."

Chino perks up at the thought of moving again. "Perhaps somewhere in the woods? That way, we wouldn't be easily spotted by helicopters in the air, and we would be relatively out of view. I mean, I don't know if it would be any safer then the hills, but maybe? What do you think?"

[Tecumseh]

"A quicksilver camera can hold five mana-sensitive film plates at a time. Those will come with the camera. We then have five chances to get the image right. That should be enough. The trick is that the photos are actual, physical objects. You can assense them in person, but that means just sending a copy of the image to someone's commlink isn't going to get the message across. We need to find an office or a person to deliver it to."

Ivana frowns a bit, wondering about the best way to make this happen.

"The directors for the DIMR are scattered across the globe. The good news is that there are at least three of them right here in the PCC. The bad news is that there are in the L.A. area. That's, what, a 16 or 17 hour drive from here.

"An alternative would be not to go straight for the top. DIMR should have an office in Denver, likely in the UCAS sector. A couple of us with good SINs might need to make a day-trip to drop off a package for them. Maybe Doc can find us the head of the local office. He or she should be high enough in the food chain to negotiate with us. Or they could reach out to the local board members."

Ivana listens to the talk about camping.

"Let's not forget that it's still winter out there. Daytime temperatures are freezing and nighttime temperatures are well below. I'm sure there's equipment available to make it survivable, if not comfortable, but that's a significant capital expenditure. Of course, so is staying here.

"On that note, we need to figure out where we're going after this. Doors unlock around 6pm tonight. Then we pop up for a matrix signal and a talismonger shop, but then what? I'm guessing the lack of in-and-out privileges means that we're not welcome back here right away, or if we are then we're locked in for another long stretch."

She looks over to Ohanzee, who seems to be on the mend.

"I guess part of that will depend on how well Ohanzee stitches up."

Ivana starts the process of cleaning up from breakfast. She gathers the dishes, deposits them in the sink, and wipes down the counters. She listens as the conversation continues.

[Tecumseh]

Breakfast wraps up. Once the dishes are done, the group retires to the library where Jacquez is setting up a trid projector. The projector is not normally out - it would disrupt the period-specific decorations of the room - but it is available for guests who might need it. The device projects a trideo hologram into a five-meter cube directly above the device. Jacquez sets it up in the center of the room so that you can sit around it in the wingback chairs and on the plush sofas that are available.

Jacquez retires from the library, shutting the doors behind him to give you a degree of privacy. Doc inserts the BTL into the projector and hits Play.

The filming is in the first-person perspective. The cameraman looks down at his arm, checking out the cyberdeck screen on his forearm and hitting a few buttons on it. You catch the date as August 13, 2074. The camera looks up and see Chino standing next to a heavy door. Chino and the cameraman are stacked up, preparing for a violent entry.

"Hack, you're recording, right?" Chino hisses at the camera.

"I'm recording, I'm recording, you two-balled bitch!" Hack responds, barely suppressing laughter. [You recognize the voice of the cameraman as Doc's.] "Pull your panties out of your ass, B!"

Chino smirks. "And you'll edit it up later?" he asks. "Take the filters off?" he adds with a sly smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do it up all nice and pretty and I'll give it to you wrapped up in a bow when we wake up spooning tomorrow!" Doc retorts with evidently glee.

"Not so loud! Not so loud!" he hisses, trying not laugh.

"This sneaking shit's not really by thing," Doc respond - slightly quieter - with evident mirth.

Chino does a laugh-snort, then tries to get his game face on. "Okay, okay," he says, practically giggling before doing his best to compose himself again. "Okay, okay. The only things holding us back are fear and good judgement."

"Never had a problem with either," Doc says.

"Me either. Let's hit it!" With that, Chino spins into position in front of the door, which appears to be armored steel. There's a flicker of a pause, and then his leg snaps forward into the door. The door rips out of the frame as if it has been hit by a bullet train, launching it into the room with insane force.

"KNOCK, KNOCK!" Chino yells as he races into the room. Doc follows him closely, wielding a shotgun. In the room they find a half-dozen Asian men. Doc introduces himself with the shotgun, screaming, "BLAT, BLAT, MOTHERFUCKER! BLAT BLAT!" A couple of heads explode; the camera shakes with glee and recoil.

Chino is off doing his thing. His thing involves dodging gunshots by jumping onto the walls and running around the room horizontally, then kicking people in the head before they can adjust their aim. The camera catches one particularly brutal Tae Kwon Do kick that either breaks the man's neck or crushes his skull, you're not sure which. Maybe both.

"FUCKIN PRIMO MOTHERFUCKIN KILLIN TIME!" Chino bellows, quoting a popular line from a famous trid-action star.

Chino is a blur, much stronger and faster than Doc is. He hurdles a long table, staying in the air an impossibly long time, before dropkicking another goon into the afterlife.

Doc exchanges a look with Chino. Doc then looks over to the two remaining Asian men, paralyzed at the violence which has encompassed them so suddenly.

"Don't shoot!" one Asian guy says, throwing up his empty hands with a wild-eyed look of fear and panic. The other does the same. Chino hesitates. That gives Doc enough time to empty a shotgun slug into the belly of the guy on the left. The guy on the right makes a break for it but Chino takes his legs out from under him and then silences him with a curb stomp. "Black bag for you!" he shouts, quoting a different trid star this time.

Doc lowers his weapon and walks into the room. It's full of weapons in various states of assembly. Many are cheap assault rifles - Colt M23s and AK-97s - destined for the streets.  "This will make the big lug happy," Chino says. "A little late for Mother's Day but Mom will be happy all the same."

Doc looks around and realizes that the last man he shot is still moving.

Doc goes over to him, looking down as the man twists and groans from a grievous wound to the abdomen. The shot has exposed tattoos up and down his torso; they go along with the ones on his arms and his neck. The tattoos are of flames and dragons. Doc reaches down to the man, saying, "Here, let me give you a hand." Doc grabs his arm and then discharge his cybershotgun, blowing the other guy's arm off. The mist of blood and gore splatters the camera. Doc laughs hysterically.

"Damn, Doc, that's cold!" Chino says with a look of reservation. "Ain't you got a Hypocritical Oath or something you're suppose to uphold?" Seeing that Doc's not going to do it, he stomps on the man's chest to put him out of his misery.

"B, you're just mad because we tied, three-three!" Doc shoots back at him.

Chino smiles, then holds up a finger to wave back and forth. He steps back, pointing to where the metal door flew into the room: it crushed a man against the far wall. All Doc can see are the broken legs sticking out from underneath the door, and a growing pool of blood.

"Four-three, bitch!" Chino shouts with glee. Doc laughs with him, then goes up for a high-five with his shotgun hand. Chino slaps it with concussive force, then realizes Doc has tricked him into high-fiving his gory hand. He looks down at his bloody palm, then looks up at Doc. He laughs and shakes his head. "You're too much, Hack. You're too much. But, seriously, get me that recording, neh?"

Doc laughs with him and the recording ends.

[Malevolence]

"Ok, not much to do while we're hanging out here, so rest up. Once we're out, Sam, you're in charge of scouting out a place to camp and a place for the eventual meetup. Kat - Ivana. Wait, what do you prefer to be called now? Anyway, you are in charge of getting us gear to camp out in the wintery wild, as well as the camera. Doc, I'll need your skills to help find someone to reach out to at the DIMR. The rest of us are here to help."

"Anything I'm missing? Anything anyone disagrees with? If not, let's do this thing with the BTL."

As breakfast breaks, Ohanzee catches up with Doc and they head off to watch the BTL.


-----------


After watching the BTL, Ohanzee is glad to have watched it on the trid rather than in VR, or even hotsim.


"Sounds like you and Chino knew Mom, and I'm guessing the big lug was Sam. You still good with Doc, or do you want to try Hack on for a bit?"

[Poindexter]

"Ok, not much to do while we're hanging out here, so rest up. Once we're out, Sam, you're in charge of scouting out a place to camp and a place for the eventual meetup. "

A quick nod. "I'd rather find several, but I'll start with one."

"Anything I'm missing? Anything anyone disagrees with? If not, let's do this thing with the BTL."

After a quick inhale, Sam butts in. "Aaaaaaah, the first time I watched that was in coldsim VR. Even without the full BTL experience, it was..." He swallows. "It was emotionally engaging. Now that I know what to expect, I'd like to watch it again. See if I can see something else. I'll join you and Doc."

Once everyone who's watching is assembled together, Sam sits down. With an almost regretful expression, he silently glues his eyes to the action around him. He tries not to blink this time as the horror and delight of bloodlust plays out around him, desperate to remember something, recognize anything at all that may give him a clue as to who he was. He prays that he's just some explosives expert hired on for the job and not the "Big Lug" everyone is about to hear about near the end of the death orgy dancing through the room. He's relieved when it's over.

"Sounds like you and Chino knew Mom, and I'm guessing the big lug was Sam. You still good with Doc, or do you want to try Hack on for a bit?"

For some unknown reason, Sam really wants to slap the little dwarf right now, but he holds his rage in check, more confused by it than anything else. Not a fragment of it shows through his face or mannerisms. I am NOT the Big Lug!!! Rather than give away his fears to those who may choose to exploit them, he instead blurts out all of a sudden, "HACK! is not here. If he were, he'd murder us all, just to get an erection." He stops himself in mid-rant before he can say anything truly horrible. "I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well. I... I need to go fix Ace's gun." He nods his head briefly before leaving the room an headed to the garage.