[Zweiblumen]

"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.

After watching the trid, Doc is sort of nonplussed.  He shrugs and says very clinically, "That jives pretty well with the video I have on my stolen deck.  Looks like we were stealing guns from the Yakuza for someone who has the same connections as Sam.  Possible it wasn't him, but seems reasonably likely the three of us were some kind of gun runners at the very least.  With a penchant at the least for killing people for fun.  And I'm guessing from Sam's reaction that some of the emotional bits are erotic?"

"Yeah, pretty well convinced we were not nice people.  And Chino, you don't have any references to 'Mom' in any of your contacts?  It's likely only one of us would have had contact with the buyer so it would make sense if you didn't.  But would be nice to be able to colarborate pieces of data.  And no, I've been 'Doc' or 'Crumpled' for as long as I can remember, no need to call me anything else.  Its not like 'Hack' was my identity, just a street name."

"Thanks for sharing the past with us, no matter how distrubing it was, Chino.  Once I have 'trix access again, I'll check news feeds for incidents like this.  Should give us some more information.  Ohanzee, time to get your wounds looked at again."

Doc connects to Ohanzee's biomonitor again, and pulls out some of the medical supplies.  Applies a new medical patch and another injection of boosters.

"Dunno if it'll work, but try concentrating on the nanites to see if they can help repair some of the damage done.  I don't know how they work, but it appears that some of them are activatible.  Can't hurt to try."

[8-bit]

Ah, what the hell. I might as well watch it again. Can't be that bad on a trid projector.

After the simchip is finished, Doc speaks up.

"That jives pretty well with the video I have on my stolen deck.  Looks like we were stealing guns from the Yakuza for someone who has the same connections as Sam.  Possible it wasn't him, but seems reasonably likely the three of us were some kind of gun runners at the very least.  With a penchant at the least for killing people for fun.  And I'm guessing from Sam's reaction that some of the emotional bits are erotic?"

Chino considers a moment.

"Erotic; lustful; bloodthirsty; maybe a few others that don't really exist except in BTLs. Pretty much. I have to admit, it's not as bad as it was on hot-sim."

"Yeah, pretty well convinced we were not nice people.  And Chino, you don't have any references to 'Mom' in any of your contacts?  It's likely only one of us would have had contact with the buyer so it would make sense if you didn't.  But would be nice to be able to colarborate pieces of data.  And no, I've been 'Doc' or 'Crumpled' for as long as I can remember, no need to call me anything else.  Its not like 'Hack' was my identity, just a street name."

Chino holds up his commlink. "Burner. If I did have 'Mom' as a contact, I don't remember. And this commlink doesn't help; it's a blank except for conversations with the people here."

He goes quiet for a minute or two. "About our camping site; do we want to try and cross a few borders before setting up shop? It might help throw some of our pursuers off our trails and create a bunch of confusion. I can remember a few ways to get through border control without being spotted."

[Malevolence]

"Seems silly to wish myself better, but I guess it's not all that different than DNI or magic. And it's what the doctor ordered. I'll give that a try." Ohanzee thought of another odd scenario that presented itself due to the presence of the tiny machines in his body - they responded positively to alcohol, meaning that if this worked, alcohol might prove to be a potent medicine for the infected team members. Instead of worrying about drug interactions with alcohol, it'd be prescribed right along side them. He smiled a bit at that thought, then went to get another beer while he mentally tried different ways of directing the little machines.


After completing his experiment, he pondered the trideo. He understood Sam's reluctance to face that aspect of his past, but he was almost certain that the trio had known each other for a while prior to the events of the 31st. But so far there was no evidence that Ohanzee had had any relationship with them. Was that him denying the obvious, as Sam had done? Or was it simply more likely that he had been a member of whatever organization - cult - had infiltrated the AF's dig team? Perhaps he was the inside man.


But that left a few niggling problems - what was that conversation that Sam had had with his Johnson? If Ohanzee also worked for the Johnson, presumably another member of the cult, then why would he have gone along with Sam's insubordination? Or was Sam considering selling to a third party, and Ohanzee had convinced him (magically or otherwise) to break the agreement? And still, the apparent collaboration with Red Team completely breaks any explanations Ohanzee could consider. If you consider Ohanzee a member of neither Red nor Blue team, how did three teams, by all current accounting working at cross purposes, end up together in a van in the middle of nowhere with no evidence that they were at each other's throats, and indeed, likely cooperating?


Ohanzee, with some distress, pondered the counterintuitive fact that the more they learned, the less things seemed to make sense.



------


Hours later as they drove away from the safe house, Ohanzee allowed himself a moment to cast a spell on himself. He had watched on the astral as Katsina had made her spell effects permanent and that had triggered a memory - not of a past event, but of knowing how to do that himself. Since then he had wanted to try that as well, to remedy his lackluster performance when the bullets started flying. It could very well be the difference between life and death one day, maybe today. The spell he would cast - one that would amp up his reflexes - was draining and he had not wanted to risk casting it before now, before he was fully rested. And it was good that he had waited as the spell took and was strong. The strain of casting impacted him just as he had expected, but no more. And as he gritted his teeth and powered through the fatigue forming the spell had wrought, he saw the world around him crystalize. It didn't slow as it was often shown on the trids - it continued on at just the same pace, but he was aware of more, responded to its changes quicker. It was like the difference between being groggy and being awake and alert, only this was to alert as alert was to groggy.


He maintained the spell, enjoying the effect for a minute before closing his eyes and focusing on the astral world. He observed the way the spell interacted with his aura, saw it intersect in places. He focused on those intersections and weaved the mana flow so that instead of merely crossing through, the pattern melded together. As the connections hardened, his aura did so as well, becoming less malleable, not unlike the scabs from a new tattoo. These would heal over in time, he knew, as the process of living brought new experiences and his astral form was forced to change and adapt again. As the scabs healed and fell off, to complete the simile. Then, and only then, could he "imprint" another permanent casting, would the mana flows be malleable enough to adjust so that they could feed a new spell without requiring his constant attention.


He vaguely recalled an instructor referring to the process as "trading potential", giving up learning a new skill or honing your bodyor mind or otherwise making use of experience and hard work in order to gain a magical benefit over a mundane one. He supposed that the comparison was apt as the aura would only be softened up enough to make another spell permanent once it had been exercised, not just with time, but with knowledge and experience, forcing it to adapt as it interacted with the world, the stronger that interaction the faster the aura would again be ready. Experience and training, the vehicle through which people grew, was also, it seemed, the method through which the spirit could be made to absorb the magical manipulations that caused spell effects. He was sure that this was all very zen, but for him it was merely a rule of thumb that allowed him to understand why he couldn't just make every spell he wanted permanent - why there was a limit to his ability to enhance himself in this way.


He inspected his handywork and once satisfied let his concentration drop, and the spell held, sustained by his very essence. He could also see that his ability to apply more spells to himself was exhausted for now. Wistfully, he shifted his gaze fully back to the material world, again marveling at the clarity, the efficiency, with which his mind and body responded to the world.


If only he could similarly affect his ability to make sound long term decisions.

[Tecumseh]

"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."

"Call me Ivana in public, since it will make the most sense given the Japanese-Russian elf appearance. Privately... Kat, Katsina, Mask, I'll know who you mean.

"I can get the camera. I'm not an expert in winter or survival gear. I'll need some help." She looks to Ace, who not only has some survival experience but also has the best endowed... credstick. "After we get out of here we should head straight into town to get things before stores close for the evening.

"That raises the question of where we're going to spend tonight, unless we want to launch straight into our sub-zero camping experiment. The Eurovan might offer us some shelter too."


She joins the others in the library to watch the BTL. It could actually pass for a decent action trid, although the execution of unarmed prisoners might limit its widespread appeal. She doesn't really know how to feel about it. Is it that bad? she asks herself. Have I done worse? Either to eat or for work? I killed that hunter, sent him beyond the veil. Is this so different? She pushes into the wingback chair, trying to bury herself in it.

Doc and Chino were treating it as a game. Inhumane, perhaps, but its not like their targets were beacons of innocence. Was Doc a psychopath? Was he under the influence of the nanites, or did those come later and actually make him more humane than he was before?

She looks around the library at the others. She sees the nanites in their auras, however faintly. Are the nanites encouraging us to cooperate? Or forcing us to? If I don't have any, where do I fit in? Am I just here because I'm the helpful type?

So Chino - or "B" - had a bit of a BTL problem. Hardly surprising; it's hard not to get hooked on something that is, by definition, better than life. Doc had a bit of a killing problem. I'm not sure he's alone in that. She thinks of herself with the hunter, and Ace with the Natelys. She exhales, and tries to clear her mind.


The day passes. Ivana distracts herself by doing laundry. Sam transfers the external smartlink to Ace's Lancer quickly and professionally. Doc monitors Ohanzee, who is healing like a champ. Not surprising for a dwarf, but still a relief. Ace and Chino do their own things. People rest, nap, and recharge for the events to come. No one imagines the last chapter will be any easier than the earlier ones. Ivana and Ohanzee organize lunch, then a quick dinner before its time to go.

"I'm out of ... rations," Ivana confides at dinner, somewhat embarrassed. "I"m fine for now; tomorrow might be okay too, but after that... let me know if anyone is giving you trouble! I'm here to help!" She does her best to smile and make light of the situation.

There's an audible buzz that signals when it's time to check out. Kimama makes sure there aren't any stragglers. Jacquez offers to help ferry your bags to the Eurovan. You pile in, Chino in the driver's seat, and then pull out of the cave.

You're back outside. It's cold, dark, and snowy once again. Chino pilots the van down the narrow lane, dark branches brushing the van from the side of the road. Doc's eyes roll back and he practically groans with pleasure as he gets a Matrix signal again.

"Ragged Mountain Sports," he says, sending an ARO with directions to Chino. "Hurry, it's closing soon."

"And here's a talismonger," Ohanzee says. "Tawa & Tokpella."

Ivana gives Ohanzee a look. She tilts her head, then studies his aura for a long moment. Then, without saying anything, she grabs one of her throwing knives and inscribing a preparation on it while Chino drives.

You arrive at Ragged Mountain Sports. It's a large retailer with a big parking lot out front. The parking lot is mostly empty; the vacant parking spots are already accumulating a dusting of the snow that's lightly falling. Inside, employees are tidying the store and getting ready to close. It looks like you have about 15 minutes until they kick you out.

[Poindexter]

"That raises the question of where we're going to spend tonight, unless we want to launch straight into our sub-zero camping experiment. The Eurovan might offer us some shelter too."

"I say we stop somewhere and blow our load on some high end camping gear and disappear into the mountains."

"I'm out of ... rations, I"m fine for now; tomorrow might be okay too, but after that... let me know if anyone is giving you trouble! I'm here to help!"

A thoughtful look crosses his mighty face. "Answer me a few questions about your condition?" Seeing that she's willing to talk about it, he continues. "Just pertinent stuff, I promise. One, how much blood do you need? Two, is the victim killed? Three, is the victim at risk of infection?" Before she can answer him, he continues. "Because if the answers to those questions are, 'Alot', 'No', and 'No', then I volunteer to be your donor."

Sam sticks with her when she heads into the talismonger shop, but plays the side guy and keeps his mouth shut the whole time. Before the two of them split from the group, he says to Doc, "Head into that sporting store over there and spend whatever it takes to get us the best camping gear they've got. Consider that we'll be living in whatever you buy for a while, so get whatever portable matrix amenities you may need as well."

[Tecumseh]

"I say we stop somewhere and blow our load on some high end camping gear and disappear into the mountains."

Everyone in the van is familiar with the basics of outdoors survival, with the notable exception of Katsina, who knows squat. The group puts its (male) heads together to start formulating a shopping list while Katsina scribbles away on her alchemical preparation. It quickly becomes apparent that Ohanzee knows the most, and can account for altitude sickness, avalanche danger, nutrition, and so on.

If your intention is to disappear into the wilderness, like Sam suggests, you'll need a significant amount of gear: food (although you still have some in the cooler), a heat source and fuel (lots of fuel to melt snow for water), tents, sleeping bags (maybe even sleeping bag liners given the overnight temperatures), sleeping pads, ground cloths, backpacks and/or sleds, poles or ice axes, snowshows and crampons, etc. Ohanzee knows how to make an igloo or a snow cave, so maybe you can save on tents, but there are six of you, including a very large troll and a very large ork. This is not an inexpensive proposition.

A thoughtful look crosses his mighty face. "Answer me a few questions about your condition?" Seeing that she's willing to talk about it, he continues. "Just pertinent stuff, I promise. One, how much blood do you need? Two, is the victim killed? Three, is the victim at risk of infection?" Before she can answer him, he continues. "Because if the answers to those questions are, 'Alot', 'No', and 'No', then I volunteer to be your donor."

Ivana opens her mouth, then freezes. She tilts her head, wondering if she heard that correctly. Yes, she did; she has excellent hearing. Then she opens her mouth again, only to come up short. "I... I..." she stammers. She then repeats the process all over again.

"I can get by on a liter a day," she says finally, after regaining her composure a bit. She seems to be blushing. "The average metahuman male has about 5 liters. A standard blood donation would be half a liter. You can donate blood once every two months." She pauses and rubs her head, wondering how she knows all this. She glances at Doc to see if he can confirm it.

[rednblack]

"Well, it doesn't look like you can count on us for the long term, but if Sam can give a half liter, I can too.  We're going to need to figure something out soon, though.  Right now, we're on a strict timeline, though, so Ohanzee you got a list for us?  If we can split it up, we can get what we need before they close up for the night."

Ace starts doing the math on Katsina's dietary requirements.  Short of come and go access to a blood bank, it's hard to imagine how she's going to keep herself fed assuming they can walk away from this without preying on any "innocents" who happen to be around.  Of course, it might be about the same thing with them in the forest, depending on how long it takes to set this deal up.  Drek, this could get bad.

Ace runs his hands through his hair, adjusts his jacket, and prepares to exit the Eurovan.

[Malevolence]

Ohanzee stares out at the falling snow for a long moment, then sighs. "Katsina's condition puts us at a small disadvantage for remaining 'off the grid'. We can potentially keep her 'fed' for two to three days, depending on how much more blood an orc or troll can give than the average metahuman, based on her numbers, which I don't doubt. We'll almost certainly have to either supplement her diet with unwilling victims" he blanches noticeably at the thought "or rob a blood bank, both of which are likely to send up a red flag for our pursuers, especially since it is likely that at least one group is aware of her condition - whatever organization it was that had infiltrated her coven. So, we have to find a way to do one or both of those things discreetly. Such subtlety has been a singular challenge for us thus far, but I believe we are capable of success here. My vote is for the blood bank, but if we go that route, we need to hit it before we leave town so we can put as many miles as possible between the blood bank and our camp. Also, as our current location is a bit of a cross-roads, it helps hide our true destination while later cities might not. Option "catch and release" would require us to camp within range of potential victims, eliminating the possibility of deep wilderness and severely reducing our overall options."

His piece said, Ohanzee waits for the others to chime in with their ideas before moving on to the topic of gear. He works up a list of gear and sends it off to the others. "This is a worst case list of items we will need - if we camp in a clearing in tents. If we can find shelter - a cabin, a cave, or even an igloo, we can remove the need for tents." Thinking of igloos, Ohanzee wonders if he could get a water spirit to build an appropriate shelter, or even a spirit of earth to excavate something warmer. A shaping spell would also be useful, but he was pretty sure he didn't know any. He also cursed his lack of access to fire spirits as they would be all sorts of useful for heating - both living quarters and food. "I might be able to garner the assistance of a water spirit to help us move over dangerous ground without the need for the snowshoes and poles, cutting our need for those to maybe two so that a pair of scouts can travel without my having to be present all the time. A water spirit might also remove the need for the snow shovel and could also provide potable water without having to use so much fuel. But the cold weather gear, cooking and eating tools, and sleeping bags are mandatory. The sleeping pads are a luxury - they beat sleeping on a bed of leaves to provide insulation from the ground. Especially considering the only leaves we're likely to find this time of year are evergreen needles. We can probably get by with 2 or 3 backpacks if Katsina and I supplement our carrying capacity with magic. The downside to saving that money is that it leaves the rest of the team at a significant - perhaps insurmountable - disadvantage if one of us is incapacitated."


He does some mental arithmetic, looking blankly out the window while he ponders. The wind, it seems, can't decide on a single direction, causing the snow to drift every which way as it falls, shifting from moment to moment. The irony is not lost on him, as he sees his history of indecision in a brief moment of self-reflection. "That's still a few grand worth of gear, not including food. That'll probably be about 100¥/day for nutritionally balanced fare, and that's still nowhere near the quality of food we've been enjoying as of late." The smell of bacon sprang to his mind. "We could also just buy a stack of soy pizzas for 100¥, which would last us a week and save us the need to dig a latrine." He smiled mirthfully at his joke, then returned to business.


"Considering the daily cost, we'll have to move fast to get our deal done before we run out of cash." He wondered how being homeless could be so expensive.

[Poindexter]

"My vote is for the blood bank, but if we go that route, we need to hit it before we leave town so we can put as many miles as possible between the blood bank and our camp."

"So is mine."

"The downside to saving that money is that it leaves the rest of the team at a significant - perhaps insurmountable - disadvantage if one of us is incapacitated."

"We should spend whatever it takes for all contingencies. What exactly are saving this money for anyway?"

[Tecumseh]

"You save money for Plan B," Ivana says, "just in case you find out that Plan A involves saber-toothed cats, thunderbirds, eyekillers, greater wolverines, or pissed-off storm or mountain spirits."

She listens to the suggestion of hitting a blood bank on the way out of town. A quick Matrix search reveals that Defiance does not have its own blood bank but instead shares a mobile blood donation center (in an RV) with several local communities. There is a small local hospital called Valley View that might be possible to raid.

"I have this neat trick that makes it easy to break in," Ivana says. "A vampire can assume mist form, but the challenge is that I can't take anything with me or bring anything back out other than bonded foci. I do have the Mask spell to assume other appearances, so I don't have to look naked even if I'm freezing my witch's tits. I could try something crafty like slipping in via mist, then walking out the front door dressed as an EMT or a doctor. Not sure how that's going to fly in a town where everyone knows each other though. Ohanzee might be able to string together something clever with his illusion magic. We'll have to hope that the security of the hospital in Defiance, population 10,000, is less than rigorous."


Chino, citing a lack of a SIN, makes no motion to leave the Eurovan. Doc, also lacking a SIN, stays put and continues his series of Matrix searches. That leaves Ace and Ohanzee to play Supermarket Sweep through the sporting goods store. Ivana gives the address of the talismonger to Chino, which is a short distance away. Chino drops off Ivana and Sam, who go inside while the murderous B/Hack duo remain in the van.

The inside of the talismonger shop is relatively small. It is presided over by an old crone of an Amerind woman who looks inclined to throw the young strumpet elf out on her ear until "Ivana" placates her with a tactful greeting in Hopi, plus a rapid series of compliments about the shop. Sam pokes about while the old woman eyes him as she would a juggernaut in an art gallery.

Ivana is tempted to look about but knows that she's on a tight timeline. Furthermore, practically everything in the store is aspected towards shamanistic traditions and would be largely useless to her. She finds a quicksilver camera but receives a rude shock when she looks at the price. Ivana's sweet cooing in Hopi does nothing to placate the old hag, and Ivana silently kicks herself for not having the foresight to assuming a more pleasing form before she entered the shop.

<<@Team [Katsina] Bad news, there's only one quicksilver camera in stock and the price is non-negotiable. It's ¥2,750. Doesn't look like I can swing a locals' discount.>>

She grabs the camera and takes it to the counter, where she finds Sam fiddling with some katsina dolls. The old woman looks like she's about to object, but then notices Ivana carrying a big-ticket item and decides to crinkle her face into a smile instead. Ivana holds her tongue too, refraining from making a joke about Sam playing with dolls. He did, after all, just offer to feed her, and that is not something she takes lightly.

[8-bit]

Once Chino and Doc are alone in the van, Chino turns to look at Doc. He remains quiet for a few moments.

"Do you think that the nanites are changing our personalities? You said that they were concentrated in our cognitive centers. I just wonder because ... well, we seem so different than we were in our past lives. Maybe the amnesia is the only cause, but I can't help but wonder if the amnesia was just a convenience; the nanites themselves are forcing us to change." Chino looks thoughtful. "We didn't seem like great people before, but what if the nanites are controlling us? Are they programmed to be able to take over? Like a kill-switch?"

He turns back to the wheel. "You know the most about them; I was just curious if you had any theories."

[Poindexter]

"I have this neat trick that makes it easy to break in," Ivana says. "A vampire can assume mist form, but the challenge is that I can't take anything with me or bring anything back out other than bonded foci. I do have the Mask spell to assume other appearances, so I don't have to look naked even if I'm freezing my witch's tits. I could try something crafty like slipping in via mist, then walking out the front door dressed as an EMT or a doctor. Not sure how that's going to fly in a town where everyone knows each other though. Ohanzee might be able to string together something clever with his illusion magic. We'll have to hope that the security of the hospital in Defiance, population 10,000, is less than rigorous."

Listening intently to Mask speak, he waits until she pauses before adding anything. "If the more stealthy angles don't pan out, I have no problem with doing it the other way."

<<@Team [Katsina] Bad news, there's only one quicksilver camera in stock and the price is non-negotiable. It's ¥2,750. Doesn't look like I can swing a locals' discount.>>

<<@Team [Uncle Sam] I say we spend whatever it takes This needs to be done right.>>

[Tecumseh]

Ace and Ohanzee stride into the sporting goods store. The staffers look up, wary of customers who interfere with their long-awaited closing hour. The duo adopts the same dynamic they had when introducing themselves to the Natelys, with Ace as the corper and Ohanzee as the charming sidekick. The employees are visibly annoyed until it becomes apparent that Ace and Ohanzee aren't here to browse. Ohanzee quickly figures out that they are paid on commission and soon has every employee at Ace's beck and call. Ace directs the proceedings imperiously, as would befit a corper, as the worker bees buzz about gathering up everything on the shopping list. Closing time comes and goes, but none of the salespeople are objecting to the prospect of earning several hundred nuyen on a ¥5,000+ purchase. The piles of survival equipment quickly accumulate, and Ohanzee wonders if they're going to have to leave the obelisk behind to fit it all in the van. A half dozen sleeping bags - plus sleeping rolls - take up a lot of room!

Ace pays and the employees wheel the whole procession outside to load it up into the van. Ohanzee quickly casts Trid Phantasm to make the obelisk look like a giant crate full of luggage and other equipment for the trip. Everything gets wedged in, but the van is full to the brim and you all have stuff in your laps. The employees smile and wave as they return to their newly-depleted store.

"mmrphr hnng snrflblt," Ivana says from underneath the pile.

<<@Team [Katsina] Nevermind. Where are we headed to next? To the hospital then?>>

[Malevolence]

"Aye. Let's get a look at it and see what there is to see. If you want to probe its Matrix defenses, Doc, I'd be grateful for Katsina's company during the astral recon. Best to peep while in route - saves time and gives us a head start on running should we be spotted."

[Zweiblumen]

In response to Sam's questions about how much blood he could give Doc responds, "You could spare 2-3 liters but we'd have to keep an eye on you at altitude and in extreme weather conditions.  And the rest of us could do .5-1 liter.  So we are talking 4-5 liters from the team.  That'll buy us almost a week."

"Aye. Let's get a look at it and see what there is to see. If you want to probe its Matrix defenses, Doc, I'd be grateful for Katsina's company during the astral recon. Best to peep while in route - saves time and gives us a head start on running should we be spotted."

Listening to the talk about the blood bank, Doc starts digging up records on what he can find.  When Ivana/Katsina/Mask and Ohanzee mention the hospital he starts looking into the overall security of the place.
[spoiler]Matrix Perception (Comp 5 + Int 4 + Quali 1 + Spec 2 + DJ 1 - Range Noise 1 = 12): 12d6t5 6 limit 8[/spoiler]

Once Chino and Doc are alone in the van, Chino turns to look at Doc. He remains quiet for a few moments.

"Do you think that the nanites are changing our personalities? You said that they were concentrated in our cognitive centers. I just wonder because ... well, we seem so different than we were in our past lives. Maybe the amnesia is the only cause, but I can't help but wonder if the amnesia was just a convenience; the nanites themselves are forcing us to change." Chino looks thoughtful. "We didn't seem like great people before, but what if the nanites are controlling us? Are they programmed to be able to take over? Like a kill-switch?"

He turns back to the wheel. "You know the most about them; I was just curious if you had any theories."

"That's a good and valid question.  I'll need a lot more equipment and time to be able to answer that well.  It's possible, given the location.  But the amnesia isn't helping diagnose on many levels. As for a kill-switch?  If we are being controled by an individual entity that makes sense, but I'd think they'd have hit that switch already when we went AWOL. So, probably pretty safe on that front, unless of course we are actually *doing* what that entity wants.  We can furrow down a really deep rabbit hole there.  We just don't have enough information to make a sound deduction yet.  I think a lot more of our personality shift has to do wtih the amnesia.  We don't remember what we were like, so we are defaulting to aligning more with social norms, or what goes for social norms among the outcasts of society.  Theft and murder is okay circumstantially, but we seem to balk at random shooting and rape at this point.  At least, *I* feel that way.  The idea of sexual assult hasn't really come up in the last few days.  All things considered, I'm betting the world is better off if 'B' and 'Hack' forgot who they were."

"The news reports say the cops linked our killing spree to gang violence.  The guns stolen from the Yaks are assumed to have been smuggled out to other gangs, which is probably true... just by us instead of something more organized.  Again, assuming we aren't actually part of something more organized."

"We've still got a lot of questions to answer."

While the porters are piling equipment ontop of him and Kat, Doc sends out a message to the team:

<<<@Team [Doc] I've done some digging on local DIMR folks.  Most of the PCC people appear to be in LA, but there may be one that is local and I'll need to do some more research.  One Walks-with-the-Wind is listed.  I was able to get a lot more info on Denver.  They've got a decent sized office in town.  It's run by an elf by the name of Jessica Jäger.  I've got photos, looks like she's Hmong rather than Northern European.  I'm sure I can get an address if not a comm-code for her.>>>