Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: Ren on <11-27-13/0655:43>
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Excerpt from SCMS Newscast
…And now to weather forecast. Summer rainstorms are here for the second day in a row. A generally overcast day will yield around 15 millimeters rainfall. We can expect two showers, one around 4 PM, one between 10 and 11 PM, both lasting at least half an hour. Don’t forget your Evo ChemRep coats at home, the rain will be slightly acidic and may cause allergic reactions. Temperature will be approximately 12 degrees centigrade in the morning, warming to 18 by 4 PM, when a slight cooling effect can be expected from the rain. Evening will be strong ocean winds with 14 degrees centigrade, and the night will bring it down to 9.
Mount Rainier is blessedly calm for the fifth day running, our experts expect no ashfalls until the end of next week…
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Act I
The first job offer
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24th July, 2072, Sunday It was a slow Sunday afternoon. After more than two weeks of seclusion, you started to sink into a routine that almost turns to boredom. Leroy practiced at the virtual shooting range training program he found on the matrix, Miko was spending time in the gym, Matt poked something in the garage, and Joel read the e-book on arcana basics in a comfy chair. The weather was simply oppressive, thick clouds gathered above, proving that the forecast was correct at least on the day. There was not much to do, and despite the uncertainty, you were itching to see what, and more importantly, when, future would serve you.
At 13:58, just as you thought that you couldn’t bear another week closing without something happening, a most unusual thing happened. The house comm beeped, showing an incoming call from your fixer, Tweety. When the person nearest to it answered the call, he was beaming at you from the screen, cutting to the chase by way of greeting. ”Good news, chummers. I’ve got something for you. Grab your gear and haul ass to the usual place. No need to hurry, but don’t let me wait too much. You know the procedure when you’re here.” He waited for you to confirm you’ll be there then hung up.
A great anticipation filled you. This was it. The first opportunity to get used to your new lifestyle. To your new “jobs”.
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Tweety you beauty, good man.
Matt felt a sense of excitement at the prospect of getting out there and actually doing something. It'd been a long two weeks, all his drones and the car were gleaming with polish and he'd hit the limit of what he could do to them without new parts.
He heads upstairs and loads his personal kit into a duffel bag, his helmet, rebreather, pistol, clips, toolkit, miniwelder, glass cutter and helmet crammed in and ready to load into the trunk.
Matt carefully decides between the Stormcloud and the Optic-X. Wanting to take both, but realising he can't fit both in the car, he settles on the Optic-X. He tucks the wings in and folds the gear up slotting it nicely into a rucksack along with his two microdrones in their protective cases. Heading downstairs to the living area, he shouts out to the team
"You guys ready? We'll load up in the garage rather than out in the yard."
Checking the courtyard was clear of prying eyes, Matt heads over to the garage and retrieves the rotodrone from its storage box.
Sure hope I don't need you today buddy.
He checks the drum is full and tightly attached and loads it into the trunk of the car alongside his kit, covering it with an old blanket he'd had in the car for a while.
Hopping into the driver's seat, Matt jacks into the car, feeling the sensor data wash over him as he waits for the others to gear up.
basically taking full sensible load-out. left the stormcloud at home in storage as it is a medium drone and requires a bit of set-up time.
manservant obviously stays at home (with orders to patrol garage and alert me in case of fire or intrusion)
contacts are in, goggles in kit bag. wearing AR clothing + lined coat, taser in jacket as it's legal. commlink + data chip with me too.
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When she heard about the mission, Miko was glad. You could only spent so much time in a gerbil gym before it started to get boring. She quickly put on her runner clothes and armour, taking her warhawk and her whip but leaving her bow at home. If they really needed that kind of firepower, she would have the time to collect it.
"I'll take the bike," she said as she arrived in the garage, "I'll ride a bit behind you to see if you're being followed."
Before they left, she loaded her Seattle mapsoft, just in case, and left a bit behind the car.
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Joel was happy to finally have something to do. Admittedly he was getting rather restless. Granted learning about the theory of Arcana was important, but it was so boring. He got his focus, a necklace with a pawprint pendant as he was gathering his other meagre equipment. He wished he could have recruited one of the spirits of the pack as an ally, but it hadn't occurred to him to prepare for one in advance. Something to consider doing in the future when he had free time. He made sure his stone circle lodge in the garage was in order before heading out to join Matt in the car.
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A sinking feeling in Leroy's stomach.
Things were getting real, real fast.
How could everyone else be so excited when they were going out to break the law? Yeah they were already being hunted by the law themselves but after this job they'll really have no way of provng their innocence... they were forfeiting that by taking this job. They wouldnt be innocent anymore... sure they'd be innocent of The Rider but they'd be in for something else... isn't that what they were running away from in the first place?
Running wasn't a choice, however. The only running he could do now was in the shadows. They forced hin here he didn't choose it. He had equipped his pistol, grabbed his shotgun, and packed the medkit, breather, and ammo for both weapons in his backpack.
Go time.
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Sunday, 14:31
After a very much uneventful drive (and ride) to Tacoma you arrived at the now-known building which held Tweety's office. The usual protocol was no surprise - a call just before you arrived, gate opening automatically, troll bodyguards in the garage and at the top of the stairs, weapons and drones stashed in the strongbox. Even the dwarf was his usual self, welcoming you with a smile and offering seats on the other side of the table. "Come in, come in! I was waiting for this opportunity, and i'm so excited what it will yield."
After you were seated, he cut to the chase. "OK, in some of these situations, your future employers may want to exchange pleasantries, invite you to dinner, or do other things they feel necessary. I will do no such thing, i see you want to get to the point. So, i encountered an unfortunate situation. One of my suppliers just went off the grid, i cannot reach him in any way. The problem with this is, he just shipped something in the city for me, which - in his abscence - will just sit on a shelf instead of getting to the one ordering it. While this would be a loss i could cover other ways, this is a perfect opportunity for all of us.
"The job itself is easy. You have to get into a moderately secure warehouse, and bring me my ware. I know some details that will make your work easier: like, where exactly my stuff is stored, the nature of the thing you have to take.
"As we already agreed, i will waive the rent for next month if you do this for me. Also, if you need the services of a hacker, i can provide one for this job.
"So any questions?" He looks at you expectantly.
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Sounds good. Just want to clarify that we're just after a package, we're not trying to track down your contact? Also, how secure is "moderate"? Are we talking professional armed guards or fat nighwatchmen?
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That was indeed the most important question Jade also had, so she kept silent. The details on where the warehouse was and the information about the package, like size, weight and contents would follow if they were to do their job. Tweety would know this, although contents would probably stay vague, but that was okay for her. She was better off not knowing, although they would need to know if they need to keep it out of sight of police and stuff.
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"Nah, it's just the ware. I'll take care of other things. And it probably is more like fat nightwatchmen. Of course, armed, and they may be the unusual, earnest type that doesn't think his own hide is worth more than what he guards, but chances of that are low on that neck of the woods."
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"And when we get it, we bring it back here I assume," Jade said, "do we have to take special precautions, like keeping it out of sight if the Errants are around? And things like dimensions and weight of course?"
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"i'd keep it away from fire if i were you, both from the burning ones and the shots fired. The stuff you have to bring is not big, two crates easily fitting into someone's arms. They are heavy, though, about 50 kilograms each. Each crate contains 20 canisters, filled with liquid. Those are not fragile of themselves, and as far as i know, securely locked, but heavy force can break them.
"As for where to bring them, certainly not here. When you are ready to go in, notify me and i will provide a drop point, probably somewhere in Loveland. Jim or Sam will take the stuff over from you. And i wouldn't show them off to the cops, they are not illegal, just controlled. And i do not possess the appropriate permits to transport those canisters."
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Joel tilted his head to the side in thought. "Is there other known opposition that we should be particularly on the lookout for?"
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"If you mean other parties looking for the same stuff, i don't know about any." Tweety seemed that this notion didn't appear as a valid one for him.
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With Matt’s consent already given, Tweety took the others’ lack of objection the same. ”OK, as it seems most questions are taken care of, I’ll give you the last details. Said warehouse is in the Tacoma docks, address is on this file I’m just transferring to you, as well as the exact storage identifier for the goods you have to take. Oh, and as you have not been into this biz for long: it usually is not wise to take anything more than what is requested. It might create a diversion if there is an investigation but you never know who’s stuff you took, or how important that was for him. And I don’t want to find out that some syndicate or other is on my heels.
“Oh, and for deadlines, I’m not in a hurry getting the canisters to the one ordering it, so take your time. Still, I’d like to see some results in, say, four days at most. Don’t forget to holler me if you need a hacker.”
It was obvious he considered this a done deal. Still, he didn’t close the opportunity for more questions, but there was no more information he intended to give you on his own. He expected this should be enough for a resourceful team to go on with.
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yeah sounds good. Let's scout it out tonight and see if we're gonna need the hacker. I'll guess at yes, I'm sure they'll have some cameras dotted about at least.
Matt checks his AR feed for the time, sussing out how long they had to get over there.
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"Sounds like a plan," Jade said as she moved out of Tweety's office, "and maybe also some sort of surveillance during the day. It might identify things that are not in use at night, like what steps people have to take to go inside. That's easier to see if there are a number of people go in in a short time."
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Matt nodded at Miko's addendum and looked over the table at Tweety;
"Just want to clarify before we head off, if we call in the hacker, is that adding to our tab?"
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Tweety took a deep breath. "I'm glad you seem to pay attention to every little detail. As i said, i will provide the services of a hacker if necessary. Not lend, or rent, or somesuch. Yeah, i understand why the question, not too many occasions doing biz with me yet, but i make a clear distinction between those things.
"So, no, no charges this time for that."
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Leroy made a mental note to keep an eye out for any evidence he might come across that could tell Tweety where his contact has gone off to.
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I know, I'm sorry mate, just wanna get this right you know. In that case I think we're good to go do some scouting.
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Matt bade Tweety farewell and went through the usual rigmarole of retrieving his personal gear from the lockboxes and headed back to the car.
He opened the file Tweety sent him and checked the location out on his commlink's GPS, looking for nearby parking or suitable places to launch a drone from.
Turning round in the driver's seat to face the guys;
So what do you think guys? I was hoping to get somewhere nearby today and get the lay of the land with a drone or two, check it out from the air, find out what the security is like.
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"Sounds like a good plan," Jade said. She had also opened the file and checked the location on her Seattle mapsoft. During her initiation training a the security firm she worked until a few weeks ago, they had said her that when doing work that involved moving with someone who they needed to protect, to make sure that she had multiple ways in her mind to get from point A to B, so if something went wrong she could change roads without having to check the maps.
"Like I said, I want to do surveillance for some time before we move in."
checking maps:
intuition 4 - defaulting 1 + mapsoft 2 =5 (5d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4321949/)
in case the rating of the mapsoft is somehow important (I have a rating 6)
4 extra dice for mapsoft rating (4d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4321955/)
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14:52
”Give me a call when you have something,” Tweety said as a goodbye. With that, the door opened and Jim escorted you back to the garage. Once you were down there and in possession of the things you might have had to hand over, he told you that you had another 30 minutes to discuss things there if you wanted to, then he left you on your own and closed the door leading to the corridor behind him.
--Matt--
That part of the Tacoma docks was warehouse upon warehouse. The map showed a few diners and a warehouse-store for construction material in the vicinity that might provide parking place for an hour or so, without standing out.
--all--
[spoiler=tests]Anyone checking routes in/out may roll an INT + Navigation and/or an INT + Seattle Area Knowledge test. If you don’t want to roll, you can ask someone else to do the checking instead of you. Appropriate mapsoft provides a +2 bonus to either test.[/spoiler]
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Matt sat staring at the GPS for a place to park, thinking the diners might be the best option. He'd need a small stretch of flat, hard ground to get the optic-x into the air from, perhaps some of the warehousing would be empty or quiet enough to risk a launch from a side street or car park of a vacant lot. He'd have to make that judgement when they got there, otherwise he'd have to skip on the better sensor suite and hand launch his fly-spy instead.
Matt had a think about the best ways in and out of the docks area, if things when to shit, he'd need a way in and out, quickly.
int+seattle area knowledge (6d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4321469/)
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"I might be able to astrally project to check out the area as well, but I'd need someone to watch my body." Joel informed the team as he tried to remember what little he knew of the routes to the dock. It'd be good to have an idea of where various issues could come from.
Intuition (5) + Navigation (0) - Defaulting (1) (4d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4321993/)
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There was really not much to know about that area of the docks. You downloaded the latest traffic reports, indicating a few places where there were roadblocks due to construction work, and containing density curves of the day for major roads. Miko also found a recent KE warning given out for the general area, cautioning that the go-gang Spikes frequent it mainly in the evening but at irregular hours. Matt found that one of the diners was at a less-frequented area, where it would be easier to find a stretch of road out of sight, to launch the Optic-X.
The exact address, according to fresh info on the maps, is used by a company named Breznik Forwarding Ltd. It is on one of the smaller roads of the area, but not far from the main roads, so you could quickly get to a place where you could mix into traffic.
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Hmm, Breznik forwarding. We've got a name at least.
Matt pulls up an AR terminal;
//<<Browse v.6.0>> Term: Breznik Forwarding ltd.
Location: Tacoma docks, Seattle
Desired: Recent news, security, crime, layout//
data search 2, browse 6 (8d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4322195/)
data search on the firm, 2 hits.
He mentally enters the data into his browse program and starts hitting the Trix for relevant info. He didn't really know what it was he was looking for, but it never hurt to check things out.
While that ran, he pulled up a second terminal, dropping Danny boy a line;
//To: Danny boy//<<Hey man, hows it going? You see the race result last night? Tweety got us hooked up with some work and just wanted to check if you knew anyone working down the Tacoma docks?//
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"Yo, I kbow ya'll wanna recon and shit, but if we get the chance to go in tonight lets do it. We wouldn't want Mr. Johnson's package disapearing because we waited too long."
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Yeah I hear you. Don't wanna be too cautious.
Matt jumped into the car, feeling the awesome kick of the sensory data rushing over his CNS.
He initiated the spoof chip and morphing plate and pulled away, aiming for the Tacoma docks.
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--Matt--
Basic data about Breznik Forwarding was easy to find, it was in the Seattle Corporate Registry. The majority owner was one James Callahan, main activities were short-time storage and intra-city transportation. It is a small company with only 12 employees. You also find some basic legal data (registry numbers, dates, change requests, etc.).
[spoiler=tests]You can continue with the data search extended test, your next threshold is 4. Just don’t forget that after each interval, the dice pool is reduced by one. You can also roll any business-related knowledge skills.[/spoiler]
Danny boy came back to you almost immediately. >>The finals were ridiculous, how could that little prick Elmore get in there in the first place? Made me lose the most solid-looking bet of the season. Anyway, depends on what you need, but I know a few guys in that neck of the woods, just don’t expect big fish.<<
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//Reply to: Danny boy:// Ha I know, couldn't believe it when i saw it. Lucky fucker, we'll see how good he is at leguna seca in a few weeks! Shit, how much you put down?
Nice, you know anyone working at Breznik forwarding?//
-1 for extended (7d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4323697/)
-2 for extended (6d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4323699/)
-3 for extended (5d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4323700/)
then it'll end as will have too few dice to hit next threshold.
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--Matt--
Further data about Breznik indicated that they did not own property inside Seattle. Both their offices and their warehouse space were rented from the same company, Kelpin Offices ltd. Some articles stated that their specialized equipment (like a truck with a pressure chamber, or with an airtight compartment) let them handle wares that couldn’t be transported by a simple truck, although their registry data didn’t show the necessary permits to handle hazardous materials.
The answer from Danny was a bit disappointing, although not unexpected. >>Nah, didn’t hear about Breznik Forwarding up to now, who’s that? You give me an address and maybe I can point out someone in the vicinity. It's still all subject to what you need, you know, some people can do more than others.<<
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//Small time storage and shipping firm from what I can gather. Seems a bit suss, not sure how legit an outfit they are. <<Mapsoft co-ords attached>>
I Need to scout em out and was wondering if anyone down that way knew a quiet place I could park up and stay away from peeping eyes for a few hours//
Matt forwards the info onto the other's commlinks and returns his focus to driving.
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"import/export business," Miko said when she received the information, "can it be more cliché. One thing, this company sounds Russian so be careful. I'd rather not have the Vory on my backs. And they control areas around the Tacoma docks if my memory serves me well."
She kept driving a bit behind the car, keeping an eye out for anybody who showed too much interest in either the car or herself.
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Early afternoon traffic wasn’t making it hard to get to the docks from Tweety’s office. GridLink reported no accidents nearby so not even a detour slowed you down, it took around 15 minutes to get to the neighborhood of the target warehouse. Here, traffic even got lighter, except on the main roads of the area.
--Matt--
Danny’s answer came a little later this time. >>I know a guy working in a mechanic shop down there, 4 blocks from the address you gave me. He can arrange for you to leave the car somewhere inconspicuous for a few hours, but that will cost you, 10 or 20 an hour, depending. Here’s his contact if you need it, and his name is Franco.<<
--Miko--
Traffic was just the usual, but the weather got colder than it was when you arrived to Tweety’s place. The clouds were heavy and an angry, dark gray, promising rain soon.
[spoiler=test please]Roll an INT + Perception (Visual) or an INT + Shadowing (Tail Evasion) test. Active search applies.[/spoiler]
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//Awesome, thanks man. catch you for a beer soon?//
Getting to the area had been a breeze, thankfully.
<<to: team>>//Guys, we're on the right street now, target building should be down here on the left.
I'm gonna try and record some sensor data as we pass, have a good look too yeah? we'll park up at the diner down the road, grab a brew and figure out the next steps//
Matt swings the sensors as far over as he can towards the building as they pass, recording to his commlink while he does so.
perception 2 (visual +2), int 3, active 3 (10d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4327477/) perception test if needed. vehicle sensor via cold sim VR (forgot hot sim mod in downtime lol!), nothing flashy on this one.
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"I'll keep an eye out for any tails," Miko said, also looking out towards the warehouse as they passed by but keeping up her speed to avoid people taking an interest in her.
perception test to spot a tail:
intuition 4 + perception 3 + active 3 + enhancers 2 =12 (12d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4327699/)
perception test at the warehouse (checking for guards, hidden guards, backdoor entrances, cameras and such):
intuition 4 + perception 3 + active 3 + enhancers 2 =12 (12d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4327701/)
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--Miko--
You noticed nothing suspicious on the way to the docks.
--all--
The warehouse itself was wedged tightly between two similar buildings. You saw only two possible entrances: one for personnel on the left side, the other for wares on the right side, through a ramp, which was built so that trucks could easily unload on them. The walls were made of big densiplast plates, probably fixed to steel structure. You didn't see any security cameras on the outside, although the personnel entrance had a multi-functional device, probably serving both as a camera and a keypad. The building was about 7 meters high, roofs slightly slanted towards the edges joining the neighbouring buildings. The only windows were above the level of the gates, approximately 4,5 meters from the ground.
There were no guards in sight, if there were any, they must have been inside.
Circling around the block, you saw the fronts of other buildings on the other side. Nothing indicated if there were any courtyards, alleys, or other open spaces between the buildings.
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Leroy noticed himself clutching his shotgun tightly. He loosened his grip, checked that it was loaded, and patted himself down to make sure his pistol and extra ammo hadn't fallen out of his pockets and holster.
He emanated an aura of uneasiness and nervousness. Having to walk around with a fucking shotgun wasn't something he was used to.
He didn't doubt that he could blast someone at the drop of a hat; the adrenaline coursing through his veins just manifested itself as him wanting to be sure that he wasn't forgetting something. Maybe a professional with experience would be sure enough of themselves that they didn't leave anything out of their preparations but Leroy was still far from that level of confidence.
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Happy with the first sweep, Matt pressed on, heading to the diner.
He pulled up in the carpark and dropped back into AR so he could have a more natural conversation with the guys. Matt double checks the footage is sent across to his commlink so they can review it and heads into the diner with the others.
Taking a booth in the quieter end of the establishment, Matt keeps his voice down low as he speaks:
//Right, I got a good sweep on it as we went past. I spoke to Danny boy and he's got a guy down here who can get us some quiet parking and somewhere we can launch and land drones from for a small price. I wanna do that, see what the place looks like from the air; you never know, we might be able to get in a roof hatch or fire escape or something. Anything you guys wanna do in the meantime?
I'll send you my sensor recordings now, I pinged a keylock or something similar on that main door but didn't see anything else obvious on that pass. What did you guys get?
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15:10
You settled in the diner to discuss things. There were only two other guests besides you, so there was no problem with separating from them, on the other hand, the other guests didn't take too much attention away from the waiter. Still, he got the signals and left you alone for most of the time - of course, only after bringing out your order.
Outside, the wind started to pick up, making you glad of the roof above you. It was a somewhat colder day in July than you would've expected.
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"Fucking rain," Miko said before taking a sip from her drink, some sort of energy drink specifically made for trolls. Humans and elves would probably fry their brain trying to drink it, but she liked it. And drinking alcohol on a job wasn't something you did.
"I didn't see much," she said, "but there simply wasn't much to see. That's why I want to look in during a shift change, so we can get a feel for the amount of people inside the facility. I'd rather not go in to find a full platoon of shock troops inside waiting."
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"Ditto. We staking the place out tonight then, see if we can ping some of the employees? That card reader/lock thing has got my interest. I wouldn't mind getting a closer look at that, see if we need the hacker."
Matt looked outside over the rim of his steaming hot soycaf. The increase in wind speed wouldn't help his maiden flight, so long as it didn't get much worse, he should still be able to get in a couple of good passes. The Optic-X would deal with it much better than his stormcloud; looking at the wind-bend on the few sparse trees down the main road, he was glad he'd made the choice he did.
The waiter brought the rest of their order over and Matt called up a commcall terminal.
<<To: Franco>>//Franco? Its Hunter, hey, Danny-boy dropped me your 'code. Said you could hook me up with a discreet spot to park?//
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--Matt--
Franco answered in a matter of seconds. >>Yo, man, i can put a car on the lift for a couple a' hours no problem. How long ya need?<<
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"Didn't get much. I'll want to visit there astrally later so I can get a better look. I'll take a look once we've set up at a location" Joel murmured. He didn't want to have to spend time trying to find his body in the astral.
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//Couple' hours should be great man, thanks. You got a quiet stretch of road down there?//
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--Matt--
Franco's answer took a little longer to arrive this time. >>Alley behind shop is quiet. Call me before ya get here and find out by then how long ya need, i have to find something to "do" on the car that takes so long. And i'm here till 10pm so any later than that and ya get your car back tomorrow.<<
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//thanks man, that should be good, will call in a bit//
right guys, got us somewhere quiet to launch drones from and a good alibi for parking a car up for couple hours. We finished with the drinks for now? I wanna make a start while there still some decent lighting
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"And from there the mage can have a look as well," Jade said quietly, "and I'll guard both your bodies."
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"I guess it's you and me in meatspace, part'na."
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Alright then, lets get our kit together and go drop off the car. Grab anything you need from the trunk before hand though, we don't want to attract any undue attention in the garage.
Matt supped the last of the coffee and headed back to the car, grabbing his backpack, minidrone and pistol out of the duffel bag, slotting the helmet into the top of his backpack in case he needed it later.
Matt fires up the car and heads to the garage, checking out the alley as they drove past.
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15:25
The alley behind the mechanic shop seemed quiet enough, although you were sure some debris would have to be moved if you wanted the plane to take off in there. The shop itself was a busy place, with three entrances to the same number of lifts, two of them currently occupied. In front of the third, a lean human man probably of Italian descent, stood leaning against the gate’s frame, obviously waiting for you. When Matt got out of the car to greet him, he was all cheerful. ”Hey, mate, what can Franco do for ya today? What is the problem with yar baby?” In an undertone, he also asked ”So, for how long?”
In the meantime, wind really started to pick up. Heavy, dark clouds moved in from above the sea, carrying the promise of rain soon to come.
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Well I had a bit of a run in with a devildog a few months back and I swear the tracking's been out ever since. Any chance you can give it an hour of your attention? {quietly} Any longer and i'll call ok?
Looking outside through the large garage doors, Matt cursed his luck. He wasn't gonna get long up there before the weather forced a landing.
Shouldering his backpack he nodded at the guys, they'd got their alibi sorted. Heading into the alley, he donned his helmet and slaved the Radio Signal scanner to his image link, scanning around for any broadcasts from cameras covering the alley whilst he took a good look around.
int 3, percep 4, co-processor 2, active 3 (12d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4331448/) active search for cameras + security devices covering the alley.
Detecting hidden nodes nearby: ewar 3, scan 6 (9d6.hits(5)=1, 9d6.hits(5)=2, 9d6.hits(5)=2, 9d6.hits(5)=2, 9d6.hits(5)=2, 9d6.hits(5)=3, 9d6.hits(5)=2, 9d6.hits(5)=4, 9d6.hits(5)=5, 9d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4331455/) 10 complex actions, so about 30 seconds of searching.
Guys, I'm just gonna scan the area for cameras and such before we get set up, i'll need a hand clearing a runway down here. It doesn't have to be long, but it has to be clear.
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Jade had been following on the bike again, as before, to see if they were followed. Arriving at the garage she parked her bike at the side, so it was out of the way but still accessable should it be necessary to leave quickly. He let Matt deal with the garage holder, as he knew best what he needed. when he called, she went to the back to check out the alley.
"Let me know when it's enough, okay," she said while she started moving stuff from one end of the alley.
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You found no suspicious cameras or hidden nodes in the alley. After a minute or two, it was clear enough to provide an adequate, if not perfect, runway.
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Coast's clear. I'm gonna set up and jump in to it. Drop me a line on my commcode if you spot trouble, i won't be able to hear or respond in person for a while.
Matt heads a fair way down the alley, pops the drone out of his backpack and unfolds the wings + landing gear, pointing the nose into the wind as much as the alley will let him.
He heads over to the group and props himself up against the wall near them, establishing the connections through his skinlink to his commlink, his implants and finally into the drone.
A brief spate of diagnostics to run, and then....
Skyward.
Matt opens the throttle, feeling the wind streaming over his wings as he runs as fast as he can, the bumpiness of the alleyway assaulting his feet. He loved this bit, the tentative first steps into the air, the final transformation into the machine.
-
"I may as well take a look from the Astral as well. If you need me... Hit me and I'll notice. Not too hard though." He propped himself up beside Matt and closed his eyes, relaxing as his astral self takes leave of his body, freeing himself of physical bonds. His projection hovered in place for a little while, adjusting to the feeling of being in astral space once again. It had been a little while since he was last here.
Got to get to work...
He began carefully, but quickly, moving to the location that they were to investigate; looking out for any kind of barriers or other astral presences.
-
Jade positioned herself close to the two guys currently doing some out of body work. She would be the obvious bodyguards, something she was used to do. She turned to the dwarf.
"I'll stay here being obvious," she said, "can you put yourself a bit more concealed as back-up incase someone wants to play?"
-
--Matt--
Taking off was no problem, despite the quality of the pavement. Miko cleared enough of the debris to create an adequate runway. When you emerged from among the low warehouses, the wind hit you in the left pretty hard. You took it in stride, however, using its momentum to help with a turn, settling in the direction of the warehouse. You were a bit more worried about landing later, in a crosswind, but the simple joy of flight made you postpone these worries for later.
It didn’t take you long to get to the target area, as out here, in this weather, there wasn’t too much of a traffic in the air. Up from here, it was all confusingly similar, and you needed the GPS coordinates to be able to identify the exact building at first.
--Joel--
Leaving your body behind felt the same as usual. This was, however, an area frequented by all kinds of traffic. Residues of different emotions and events assaulted your senses for a second, before you were able to get used to the feel of the area. After that, however, it was as clear as a city bustling with activity could be.
The easiest way of finding the target building was to follow the barely visibly blackness of Matt’s drone, so it took a bit longer than it would’ve been if you simply travelled by yourself. On your way you saw very little astral activity: some kind of spirit whooshed through the area at speed, and a building far off to the right was protected by a ward visible from the outside. The target block, however, didn’t show any sign of astral defenses, not from the outside at least.
--Miko and Leroy--
Maybe two minutes after Matt and Joel left their bodies behind, one of the doors opened. You realized it must have been leading into the mechanic’s shop, as the person stepping into the alley wore the overall bearing its logo. He was a short, skinny, middle-aged human, lighting a cigarette as soon as he was out, inhaling deeply, and noticing only then he wasn’t alone out here. He seemed surprised about finding someone else there.
-
Completing the take off smoothly, he retracts his legs into his body and retracts the flaps on the trailing edge of his wing-arms, becoming sleeker and faster.
//Ok guys, over the target now, starting recording. Shouldn't be too long//
Arriving at the GPS co-ords, Matt dials up the zoom on his sensor suite, recording in detail the layout of building and its neighbours whilst perceiving through its walls with the UWB radar.
vision enhance 3, percept 4, int 3, coprocessor 2 (12d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4334746/) 5 hits, no glitch. recording sensor data + trideo as i fly.
Has ultrasound (probably out of range as flying at a decent altitude to minimise noise and visual signal to pedestrians), UWB and twin cameras with enhancement + zoom on them.
-
Jade had her sunglasses on and was playing the part of bodyguard, just standing there, keeping an eye out on him (and the rest of the alley of course) but not doing anything unless he acted first. She did keep her hand close to her gun, but far enough not to seem threatening.
-
--Matt--
Aerial surveillance got you mixed results. You got the lay of the land perfectly, but something within the building scrambled the images from the UWB, so you got an approximate layout, and an estimation that about 6-10 people are in there currently, but nothing on their movement or position.
--Miko and Leroy--
The guy inhaled from the cigarette deeply again, and in a slightly dull, unsure voice, asked "Hey, girl, all righ' with the dudes down there? They look summat out."
-
"They're fine," Jade rumbled, "just doing some remote work. Your boss told us we could sit here."
He was in a garage, he should know what she was talking about, Jade thought, even if the second one is out on the astral and not inside a vehicle.
-
Joel's astral form watched the spirit curiously as it floated past him, but he continued with his task. He looked at the block in thought, before floating closer to peek inside the block, eyeing first the outside, then the inside, astrally.
Assensing - Outside: Assensing (4) + Intuition (5) + Perceptive (1) (10d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4335163/). I learn the building is actually a technomancer.
Assensing - Inside: Assensing (4) + Intuition (5) + Perceptive (1) (10d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4335164/)
-
Leroy, leaning up against the wall in the alley opposite of where the mechanic exited and making sure no one snuck up on either Jade or the other two team members zoning out at the moment, had his shotgun by his side in a not so subtle manner. Even though he had never done something like this before, he felt confident having Jade around.
He took a drag of his own cigarette, a new vice he picked up to help himself cope with the stresses of the last few weeks. He squinted his eyes at the mechanic, showing not the slightest shred of friendliness that Miko might have tried to convey.
-
--Joel--
On the outside, there was no extraordinary thing to sense. Everyday feelings of normal people mixed – frustration, tiredness, anger, sometimes the sense of accomplishment. Under it all, the subtle signs of technology made everything a little bit grey, something like watching through sunglasses. The age-old pollution of fossil fuel burned, the “hum” of engines working, it all gave an unpleasant but unremarkable background to the place, just like any other area in a city dedicated to industry. The building itself felt like something that belonged, with no additional features. You felt no barriers from the outside, and suspected no astral activity inside at all.
What you saw inside supported your suspicions. You saw no spirits, no dual-natured guards. You counted 7 different auras, all going on about their work. Three of those were in smaller rooms, like offices or a kitchen. The other four were in a much bigger space, probably the main storage area, two of them preparing large boxes near the cargo entrance, one occupied between the ails, the last supervising it all. You saw this person was a bit different than the others, and not only in feel: he was strapped.
--Matt--
[spoiler=test please]You may roll a LOG + Engineering test to determine what feature might cause the interference with the radar.[/spoiler]
As you watched from above, you noticed a truck stopping on the side of the street, then starting to slowly back up to the warehouse. They either brought or were ready to take something.
--Miko and Leroy--
The man seemed oblivious of the shotgun in Leroy’s hand. He looked at Miko somewhat confused though. ”Dean? I thought he wasn’t in today.” He took another deep drag. Some wind suddenly buffeted in the alley, bringing the unusually sweet scent of his tobacco to you.
[spoiler=tests please]You may both roll an INT + Negotiation (Sense Motive) test. Gustovness, you may also roll a LOG + Chemistry knowledge skill test.[/spoiler]
-
//Guys, looks like we've got a pickup/drop off occurring at the warehouse. I'm gonna do another couple of passes, see how their security functions. I'm opening a trid feed from my sensors to your 'links now.
How we looking down there?//
-
"I don't know his name," Jade said, "I'm just the person who has to prevent anybody from taking off with their shoes. He made the arrangements."
She pointed at Matt, slumped against the wall. When the feed came in, she put it on the AR display of her cybereyes, so she could have a look and still see what was going on in the alley.
'Try to go as quickly as possible,' she texted to Matt, 'I have some guy out here who's starting to get a bit too interested. I want to be out of here before I have to permanently disinterest him.'
intuition 4 + negotiation 1 =5 (5d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4337088/)
but luckily not a glitch. And trying to shift the interest.
-
//Ok, let me know if I need to make an "appearance"//
Matt circled round for another pass, trying to get a fix on the van and its occupants as they approach the building
-
No-one dual-natured... I should check them out for information though. Could be useful. Joel's astral form floated around the warehouse, carefully examining the auras within for any information he could find.
Assensing the various auras: Assensing (4) + Intuition (5) + Perceptive (1) (10d6.hits(5)=3, 10d6.hits(5)=3, 10d6.hits(5)=4, 10d6.hits(5)=6, 10d6.hits(5)=4, 10d6.hits(5)=4, 10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4338703/)
In order:
Smaller room 1: 3
Smaller room 2: 3
Smaller room 3: 4
Prepping large box 1: 6
Prepping large box 2: 4
Between the ails: 4
Supervising: 3
-
--Matt--
Passing overhead, you saw the truck backing up to the gate closer to the personnel entrance. The driver, a broad-built human, got out after shutting the engine down, then walked to the end of the loading ramp and up the stairs there. Unfortunately, you didn’t see much else from your vantage point, as the roof hung over the ramp, you’d have to descend almost to street level to get a better look.
Through the whooshing wind, you only heard as the loading gate opened, but any other sound would be carried far away.
--Miko and Leroy--
”Hah-hah, shoes… That was good, girl, hilarious. I’d watch ‘em not getting sloshing wet, though, if ‘em remote for much longer.” He took a deep drag again, half of his tobacco stick gone. Then he paused, straining to think. Hesitant again, he asked ”But what are you doing in the alley? Shouldn’t you sit in the office if you spoke with Dean?”
--Leroy--
While Miko chatted with the guy, something began to bother you. When the wind carried a wisp of smoke from the guy’s tobacco stick to you, it instantly became clear. The sweet fragrance was a clear indicator of a substance often used in chill-out drugs. His tone, body language and uncertainty all made it evident that he was high on something.
--Joel--
The auras of those working in the warehouse didn’t show anything interesting. Tiredness, companionship shared, petty grudges born, everyday anxiety showed up, mixed in their souls. The only outstanding thing was the connection between two of them. The one supervising the preparation of the boxes, and the one in the office left of the personnel entrance were pack: they got each other’s backs.
There were minimal, or even no augmentations built into the bodies of these people, a datajack here, some ear or eye mod there, but nothing heavy. They seemed to be Average Joe personified.
-
"I just guard the bodies," Jade said, "they decide where they want to sit. I don't even try to understand what and why."
-
Matt looped around for another pass, keeping an eye on the loading or unloading of the van, keeping an eye on the windspeed readings. He'd keep flying as long as he could, but didn't want to risk a crash landing in the alley because of the conditions.
-
Leroy could smell the wacky-tabacky the man was smoking. He was almost sure Jade picked up on it too. People in her line of work were often exposed to illicit substances like those. Being that he was probably chilled out because of it, Leroy thought that the man might be more open to an indirect and friendly approach. Maybe a nudge towards a different subject might make him lose his short train of thought (and interest) in Matt and Joel.
"We asked Dean if we could hang out out here."
Leroy flashed his own carton of cancer sticks to the man.
"I charge a heavy surcharge if I can't smoke while on guard duty."
Leroy flashed a friendly smile at the man.
"I'm sure you can relate!"
He shifted his posture to convey relaxation.
"God I can't wait til' these guys are done with their shit. I need a beer. "
He asked Jade aloud so the man could hear him clearly, "Hey, sis, you find out where we're goin' after we punch out? Somewhere around here, maybe?"
Leroy hoped the man's interest would change to talking about local bars now instead of their op.
Ugh, Invisible Castle is down again... Ren, if you need me to roll a knowledge test for bars or whatever let me know and I'll try back tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise you can feel free to roll yourself to keep the story moving forward.
-
"I don't know," Jade said inthe same way, "I assume there will be a bar here somewhere. A docks area without a bar is like a docks area without water."
-
Joel allowed himself to float back to his body, feeling he wouldn't get any other information from astrally projecting himself there. He knew the number, that they were fairly average, and one appeared to be tied up.
He opened his eyes, back in his body, gasping slightly as normal sensation returned. He was about to start his report when he noticed that the team had guests in the alley, and promptly cut himself off before doing so. He instead simply stood up, moving around to get the stiffness out of his joints.
-
--Miko and Leroy
[spoiler=vs. Etiquette]CHA(3) + Perception(2) - Distracted(1) - Intoxicated(1) (3d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4342966/)[/spoiler]
"Yeah, girl, that sounds like shit. I'd hate to work for guys like'em." When Leroy joined in the conversation, he seemed to be surprised, as if really noticing him for the first time. His eyes focused, a vague smile appearing. "Hear, hear, a good smoke helps you get fulfillment." Suddenly, his eyes focused more, and widened at the sight of the shotgun. "Geez, you loaded for bear, i see. Who the frag are these guys, that they need this kinda protection?" Both of you could sense suspicion seeping into the guy, like he was trying to reassess the situation.
-
A bucket full of adrenaline washed through Leroy's veins. He was suddenly in a primal fight or flight state that never came even close to what he felt in any fire he'd ever been in. There was something more exciting about working with a killing tool in your hands than a foam extinguisher.
Leroy put on one of the mean faces he had been practicing in the mirror . . .
Gotta look GANGSTA . . .
. . . tightened his grip on his firearm and let Jade take the lead, lest his excitement get the better of him.
-
<<To:Team>>//Still got a bit of activity up here guys, how we looking down there? We still drawing some *interest*? Joel, you get anything interesting?//
-
"Yes, we are," She subvocalised to Matt
"That, neighbour, is none of your business," Jade said to the guy, putting herself between the two on the ground and the man. Her pose looked relaxed, but anybody who had done some martial arts could see that she was ready to hit if needed.
-
@Matt: "Plenty. I'll tell everyone about it later when we're in a more secure location." The stiffness worked out, Joel peered down the alleyway to the discussion happening with Leroy and Jade. @Team: "Want me down there too guys? Or shall I stay here and try to be uninteresting?" Joel knew he needed to get a sim module for his commlink. He was a bit slow texting manually.
-
<<to: Joel>>//Anything more I need to check out while I'm up here? I've got eyes on the building and a delivery/pickup is in progress right now.//
-
@Matt: "Nothing comes to mind. I managed to get a look at each of the workers astrally. I admit though, this level of scouting isn't my specialty, you might be better off double-checking with one of the others. If there isn't anything else odd though, you may as well come back."
-
Leroy took a drag of his cancer stick and turned his back to the man, conveying a dismissive stance. He was trying to show that he had no interest in escalating the situation, but he didn't want to look like a sucker doing it, so he gave the middle finger equivalent of "good bye".
-
--Miko, Leroy and Joel--
Although Miko was a troll, imposing size and all, the man didn’t show too strong a reaction to her move. ”No need to be snippy, girl, just tried to be friendly. Geez, one would think you’d appreciate the unusual friendliness. If you just wanted me to shut up, just would have to say so.” He finished his smoke with a few deep intakes then he went back to the shop. ”Have fun, Miss Surly,” he said as a goodbye.
--Matt--
Making a few more circles above, although not seeing more, the suppressed voices of the activity down there still reached the drone. The loading seemed to be efficient, with the gate open for as short a period as possible. After that, the driver disappeared for a few minutes in the building and was let out later at the personnel entrance. He walked to the car, got in, then drove away.
A sudden gust of wind reminded you that the storm was imminent. Landing would be increasingly difficult by the minute if you delayed it much longer.
-
//Alright guys, delivery is complete. I think i've got about all I can get up here. Coming in to land shortly so get rid of our new chummer sharpish!//
Matt wheeled round, his ailerons straining against a tight banking turn into the wind. Lowering his landing flaps and extending his landing gear, Matt lines up his approach, feathering the throttle to stave off a stall and does his best to hit the tarmac down the centre of the alley
Landing test, VR drops threshold by 1
rea 7, pilot air 3, control rig 2 (12d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4355056/)
-
Leroy walked over to Joel.
"What do you think are the chances our payload is on that delivery truck?"
-
--Matt--
Landing was a piece of cake. You took even the most dangerous part, when you descended from open sky with moderate crosswind into alley with light upwind, with little difficulty. When you switched back to your own body, you felt that even the past 15 minutes made you stiff and cold. The damp smell of air supported your earlier experience from the atmospheric sensor, a rain was coming. You felt it would be better not to let it catch you outside.
-
"Wouldn't have a clue. Matt would be a better person to ask." Joel confessed. He hadn't taken the time to investigate the driver, but he hoped that without a pack to back him up, the driver would be easy enough to deal with.
-
Matt shakes off the momentary disorientation at resurfacing back into his own body, his brain re-establishing links with his own limbs.
He takes a look at the alley and groans his way into a standing position, his knees creaking in protest.
Speaking to the others;
"Our new mate must have gone then?"
He jogs over to the drone and begins to pack it down into his backpack again. He opens an AR terminal as he does so, mentally narrating a message to tweety
/<<To: Tweety>>//Weather is getting a bit dicey so had to land, got a sweep of the target building and a delivery/pickup. Hard to make out the details but I've attached the sensor feed for you to review.
Pinged about 6-10 people inside, hopefully that number will drop significantly on a night time {Media Attached}//
-
"I think it might be a good idea to tail that truck... just incase our pay dirt was on it, don't you guys think?"
Leroy shrugs, take a last drag of his shitty cig, and throws it down on the ground before stepping on it.
"I'm just thinking aloud..."
-
"Could be a good idea," Jade allowed, "I'm not the best at this trailing stuff, but I can go with my bike where others can't. Unless you guys need me here."
-
--Matt--
Tweety's answer came with a little delay. >>Appreciate the intel but i really don't have the time to go through this now. I trust you will do whatever you think is necessary to get my stuff back.<<
-
--all--
As if sensing something from afar, Tweety sent a text to all of you a few minutes later. >>Guys, I know this is your first job, but don’t sweat it too much. You know what you look for, where to look, and you have more than enough time to get it. You won’t get too much of these in the future, so take your time, get accustomed to the thoughts, the works. And just so you know: I trust you will be able to do this.<<
-
{to Leroy}
Did you guys see the trid-stream i sent you from the drone? Did you see our package being loaded on the van?
I don't think I did but I'm just gonna check.
Matt re-calls the trid feed into his image link, watching it over carefully to see if he could make out the details of the delivery/pick up
-
"I was a little distracted. I didn't see anything just being cautious. I think we're being over cautious. Let's walk in, take the package, and walk out. Matt, can you do anything about that keypad? Should we wait until closing time? I think we should go in now as alarms are less likely to be active. Yeah there'll be more people... a little smash and grab might not be a bad idea, though."
He looked over to Miko, "Think we can scare anyone into submission incase we run into company? Not exactly corpsec we're running up against here."
He looked at the wall, speaking to no one in particular, "We're gonna have to eventually go in loud and heavy. Might as well get our practice in on a low risk run like this one."
Back up to Miko, "I say we try to crack the keypad on the door and have all of us go in as quietly as we can. If we run into someone, we point our heaters at 'em til' they either piss themselves or try somethin' stupid. I'm not fuckin' around. None of that 'shoot to wound' garbage like the cop in the tunnels we ran into. I've had plenty of time to wrap my head around it."
Leroy awaited his companions' opinions.
-
You got another text from Tweety in rapid succession. >>Guys, usually I’m not this scatter-brained, but I really have other things on my mind now. I just wanted to remind you of the opportunity to have the services of a matrix specialist. If you decide you need her, give her a call on the number I attached to this message. Her name’s Judy.<<
-
Jesus Leroy, I was hoping not to get the whole of the police force on our asses today. I don't really fancy kicking the door down unless we have no other options.
I'd prefer to get that hacker in, have her take out their security and then get in when things are quieter tonight.
-
"Sounds like a good idea," Jade said, "going at night. But do I have to follow that truck or not?"
-
"I'd say to follow that truck for now, see if they deliver something that looks like our package? Always good to cover our bases." He considered the hacker mentioned before. "Unless we have any other concerns, I think we should get the hacker to do her tricks for us now. While we have time, we shouldn't take any longer than necessary."
-
Guys, the truck will be long gone, it was pulling away as i swung round to land. We're not gonna find it now.
Lets just get the car back and call the hacker. We going in tonight then yeah?
-
"You're probably right," Jade said, "well, I would say we go in tonight unless something at the site would counter-indicate it. Like a sudden influx of security people. I would say we go somewhere we can sit for a couple of hours and study the footage Matt made to make a good plan."
Jade liked to have a good plan. That made you had less surprises when you had to do a job, no matter what the job was.
-
"Good call. I fancy a coffee and something really really bad for me"
Matt slung his drone-filled backpack over his shoulder, making sure everything was zipped up tight and out of sight before heading back into the garage to look for their man.
He mentally transferred the hacker's number from Tweety's message to his to-do list, along with scanning the front of the building to check if that lock was wirelessly communicating or hard-wired to a node somewhere in the building. He guessed it would be pretty important to let their hacker know either way.
Last thing I fancy doing is getting caught with my tools out by some overzealous beat cop. I'm sure she'll know a better way of defeating that lock.
-
Leroy put his hands up in acquiescence.
"Aiight! You guys wanna play this quieter that's cool too."
-
When you got back to the mechanic shop Franco was seemingly finishing up the car. "Hey, i got good news. No problem with the brakes, just some oily drek clinging to the drum. I cleaned it and checked oil levels so it will be as good as new. It will be 10." He winked once while talking.
-
Matt smiled and gave him the payment plus 5 extra, Thanks for your help. {quietly} keep your boy quiet yeah? we were never here.
-
This time Jade took the lead, having checked out some diners in the vicinity where they could stay some time without raising suspicion. As soon as everybody had something to eat and/or drink, she asked Matt to open the footage so that everybody could see it.
"So essentially we have the loading docks and one door at the front," she said, "there has to be a back door as well, probably going on that courtyard. But as fire doors are often wired to give a lot of noise when opened, let's keep that as plan B. We can go through those hatches on the roof, but that means climbing on and I'm not sure if that roof is up to holding me. We will need that hacker, unless Matt you think you can loop the cameras and get us in?"
She looked at him as he was the most technically proficient of the group. But being technically proficient didn't mean being a good hacker.
-
Look, I'm no pro-hacker. If you give me physical access to a device and enough time I could work out the electronics, but we'd be sitting ducks while I crack open the casing and try to bypass it. Given that the pad faces the front of the street, It only takes a curious cop on a late night patrol to ruin our day pretty thoroughly.
Cameras will be a problem, I'd need to physically get to the camera, and even then I'd only really be able to take it offline, nothing you couldn't achieve with just brute force to be honest.
We've got a few options the way I see it;
A-Get the hacker, have them sort out security for us. we go in nice and quiet at stupid o'clock in the morning when there aren't many people around.
B-Forget the hacker, we chat up someone who works there and figure out a way to get the door code or some other entrance out of them
C-Forget the hacker and chatting up the workers, we buy a cheap ladder and some climbing gear and get in via the roof hatches.
D-Brute force it, smash in a window or door, shoot the place up, grab the stuff and take our chances with the law.
My vote is for anything but plan D to be honest. Last thing I wanna do after surviving that ordeal and getting this far is to be banged up for life as a terrorist.
My favourite is plan A, Tweety covers the cost, we look responsible and we have a professional on board who has experience in dealing with security. Either way, I wanna get eyes on the front of that building again. I wanna run my signal scanner over it, see if the loading doors are controlled by pressure plates or if that keypad runs on WiFi. We might have more options than we think.
Thoughts?
-
"I would go with plan A," Jade said, "it just gives us some extra option in case things go south. For instance if the package was on the truck, having someone who can go into their tracking system to see where it was sent to might come in very handy. That way we don't have to go looking for one nondescript truck in the whole Seattle region."
She took a sip from her coffee.
"If you need another run, we will do another pass," she said, "but first let's see if there's other things we still need, so we don't pass there every five minutes. The people working there might not have been at the front of the queue when the brains were handed out, but they might get suspicious."
-
"I my vote is also for Plan A. Gives us the most resources available, and the most control. Chatting someone up is an option, but it leaves the security not dealt with. Same with Plan C. And like you, Matt, I don't want to go with Plan D either." Joel cupped his warm drink in both hands. He blinked. "Oh right. My recon, before I forget. None of the workers were Awakened, and they don't really have anything meaningful implant-wise. Two are willing to defend each other to the death. Seven in total. One of the two is, I think, the supervisor and is the only one I could tell was armed."
-
right, I'll give the hacker a ring then.
Matt copy pastes the commode from tweety's message into his call list and mentally taps the dial button.
-
"That's what was there during the day," Jade said, "it will be different at night. I suggest that Joel does another recon right before we go in, just to check who's in at night."
-
--Matt--
You had to wait for a few beeps before a young female voice answered. ”Hey, Judy speaking. What can I do for you?” Her voice sounded lively and anticipating.
-
Judy, tweety put me in touch with you. Got a job we need your help with. How you fixed for tonight?
-
"I still say we go with plan D."
Leroy sat back into the booth, arm up and stretched out.
He waited for everyone's raised eyebrows to be pointed at him before let out a laugh.
"Haha! Just fuckin' with you chums! We'll play this quiet then!"
-
"Tweety told me you might call so i don't have anything that can't be done later."
-
//Great stuff, should be simple enough. Just a couple of devices we need you to work on. {geotag attached} any chance you can come join us for a coffee?//
-
”Sure, why not,” she answered cheerfully, then there was a pause. ”Ugh. It’s raining something fierce out there. Forecast says it will settle down soon, so how about I meet you there in an hour or so?”
-
//Yeah there's no rush. I'll send you over a flyby of the target. have a look at the footage, we're gonna do another pass. let me know if anything needs further attention. {file attached}//
-
"I'll check it but until i know what you want me to do, i can't really say what more info i need."
-
//We need to get in, there's at least a keypad lock stopping us from doing that. Could you run your eye over it for anything else?//
-
"Can do. Now if you don't have anything else..." She waited for a few seconds before promising to be at the diner in an hour then disconnected.
-
"Hacker's en-route guys. will be meeting us here in an hour."
-
"Okay, let's see what we need from her so she can have all the information she needs," Jade said, "does anybody knows where the cameras are and if they are wireless or wired."
-
We've got the stream from the drive-by and from my fly-by. You guys review that, I'm just gonna go and have a walk past and run some signal scans. Be back in a bit.
The rain was coming in in sheets, this wasn't going to be a very comfy walk. But Matt knew it had to be done, It'd be too awkward in the car.
He tucked everything in and zipped his jacket up tight, heading out into the wild weather outdoors.
It had been a claustrophobic couple of weeks all-in-all. aside from the odd visit to the local bars with Danny boy, they'd all been living in each other pockets, arguing over the soymilk and who watched what on the main trid screen.
20 minutes peace and quiet was a rare treat, even if it did come at the cost of a good soaking.
Matt pumped some tunes into his headphones and hit the tarmac, following his commlink's GPS co-ords back to the target building, ducking from canopy to cover to trees to doorways to keep as dry as possible.
He walked along the street, keeping the road between himself and the target to minimise exposure, but doing his best to get a good peek with his own two eyes as possible, running a scan for wireless nodes while he was at it.
perception test: int3, percep 4, co-processor 2 (9d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4382791/)
scan 1 ewar 3, scan 6 (9d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4382793/)
scan 2 ewar 3, scan 6 -1 (8d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4382794/)
scan 3 ewar 3, scan 6 -1 (7d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4382796/)
scan 4 ewar 3, scan 6 -2 (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4382797/)
scan 5 ewar 3, scan 6 -2 (5d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4382798/)
scan 6 ewar 3, scan 6 --5 (4d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4382799/) gets me to 15 threshold for hidden nodes
-
--Matt--
You had the feeling that soaking yourself was not the best idea to get the short interval of peace, because, annoyingly enough, you didn't find any significant wireless traffic on the outside of the warehouse. You suspected that you found the main node inside, but that wasn't too hard, it wasn't hidden at all. But the signals you sensed suggested that whoever installed the keypad was smart enough to wire it to the main node.
As for other sources, they were probably set to a low signal rating, and the heavy rain just made things worse. You weren't sure that you'd have felt even some of the cheaper commlink models being active inside the building.
Your little detour yielded some information, however. The truck was definitely gone, as you all assumed. And even through the rain, you thought you noticed two security cameras under the roof hanging over the landing ramp, one of them directed towards the personnel entrance, the other looking over the loading gates.
-
Matt completed his pass of the building, turning left and keeping a block between him and the target building, doubling back to the diner as fast as he could.
The rain hadn't let up and he was even starting to feel damp through his jacket. The thought of a steaming mug of tomato soup kept popping into his head, or something at least warm to wrap his frozen cold hands around.
//Two cameras guys, keypad is hard-wired. Bloody freezing out here! grab us a coffee would you? back in a minute.//
-
16:53
The rain was only pouring heavily for 25 minutes or so then it stopped and even some rays of sunshine broke through the clouds. It didn’t clear up, though, and the distant roll of thunder accompanied the usual sounds of the city. The waitress kept the coffee cups full while you watched the footage and discussed possibilities.
About an hour after you settled in the diner, a young elf woman stepped to your table and introduced herself. ”Hey guys, I’m Judy. I think I’m here to meet you. Can I sit down?” She smiled at Joel and at the others uncertainly.
She was a strange one. Usually when one thinks of elves, a distant, haughty demeanor comes to the mind, a fragile beauty that instantly catches the eye, with admiration, envy, or hatred. This one was totally different. Not reaching 6’ and slightly plump, hair probably cursorily brushed and only the slightest amount of makeup on, she gave the impression that her looks were not what concerned her the most. Her uncertain but friendly smile made her pretty in a different way.
-
Judy, glad you could make it. Please, join us.
You want a coffee?
Matt sat back down and introduced everyone in turn, hoping to allay some of her nerves.
I sent you the footage of a building over earlier, the plan is to get into it tonight, liberate some stuff and get the hell out. We need your skills to defeat the locks and cameras.
We'll get you home safe afterwards.
I've done another pass since I sent you that footage, keypad lock on the front door is hard-wired by the looks, two cameras out front covering each of the access points. Did you get anything else of have any concerns from the trid I sent you?
-
Leroy sat up as straight as he could to gain every inch of height possible as soon as the elf reached the table.
He nonchalantly moved the sleeves up of his shirt to show off his bulging dwarf muscles as if he were scratching his shoulders.
-
"The idea is that you take care of electronic security and we take care of magical and physical security," Jade said, "since all entrances seem to be at the front, we will have to do this in plain sight. We take the one you think easiest and fastest, the truck entrance or the foot entrance."
-
Judy greeted each of you in turn then joined in the planning. ”Getting in will not be a problem. Before I got here I checked the system from the outside, and it seems that they didn’t have the jing to implement serious defenses in the ‘Trix.” She waited while the waitress poured the coffee and left then continued. ”I don’t think that a spider will be weaving his webs in a low-sec place like this so editing cam feed won’t be an issue. Probably, I can also block outgoing alerts unless it is from some other source, like the guards’ links. Which you have to take care of yourselves.
“Hopefully, the whole system is centralized, so I can control the locks from it. That way, you can choose either way in, probably I can open the door for you. Just one thing: I noticed that the loading gates don’t have an outside controller, so if you have a backup plan, I’d stick to the personnel entrance.”
-
Leroy looked over to Jade, hoping to get the go ahead with the plan.
-
"Personel entrance it is," Jade said, "Judy will disable the camera, or loop it, then open the door and we go in. Take out everybody who crosses our way and get the package as quickly as possible. The guards in a place like that aren't really interested in picking a fight, so if we have to take out people, try to do it non-lethally and without noise if possible. A good whack on the head should do the trick. Also we put something over our faces so they won't be able to recognise us, or at least not easily. I don't think there will be any spirits in a low-level place as that, but if there are, Joel, they're yours. Even a stupid watcher can betray us, so keep an eye out. Any remarks or questions?"
-
Sounds like a plan to me. We'll need to split the stuff down off the pallet it's stored on, Its only a car I drive, not a truck. Where do you want me, outside with the engine running and eyes on the door or with you guys inside?
-
"Refresh my memory... How big is that package?"
-
"Two crates easily fitting into someone's arms, about 50 kilograms each with 20 canisters filled with liquid in each," Jade said after she consulted a file on her commlink where she had put all that information, "so Matt's car should be enough to hold it. Matt, Maybe you can best stay in the car and keep an eye out on the surroundings. Have a fly drones above, weather permitting, to see police or other security vehicles approaching from a couple of blocks away. The other drone can come inside, so we have some extra guns and to keep in touch. Is that possible?"
-
More than possible. I'll keep the engine running then, you'll just need to collapse the rotors of the drone and chuck it in the back with the crates as you leave. Cost me enough, don't want to lose it on the first job!
You guys wanna grab some masks or something before you head in?
-
"I'll use my moter helmet," Jade said, "ther's a reason I took one with a reflecting face plate and a neutral colour. I can't hide that I'm a troll, but I'm not the only troll in the city who owns a motercycle. For the others I would indeed suggest some masks, just to be sure."
-
"I should get a mask though. I don't currently know any of the spells to disguise appearance." Joel interjected. He knew about the spells, he just never thought them necessary as a wagemage.
Perhaps he could look into them when this is all over. Along with everything else.
-
Alright, best go grab something then before we head over there. There anywhere nearby that sells that kind of thing?
-
You easily found a store in the neighborhood that sold all kinds of safety gear for constructions and heavy industry, masks and goggles included.
[spoiler=prices]If you want something simply to hide your faces, the price is included in your lifestyle. If you want something special, please detail it in OOC and I will put a price tag on it.[/spoiler]
-
The afternoon had dragged on, there was only so many times you could look at the trid feed and plot your angles before you got bored/hacked off/went mad with anticipation.
The shopping for the masks was a welcome break from the tedium and after being at the diner for so long, it was suggested that we settle the bill and move on somewhere different.
Grabbing a burger from the stuffr shack up the road for dinner, Matt checked his watch.
21:42
Getting near to go time guys, day shift must have finished by now. ready? or do we wait?
-
Act II
Where’s my ware?
-
22:00
Judy stayed with you for about an hour, discussing some minor details, later just chatting with you. She was a cheerful girl, and showed an interesting mixture of positive thinking and realism. After a time though, she left, saying she’ll be able to do everything she needed to do from afar. As a parting present, she gave Matt a small box containing a single wire tap, just in case they needed it somewhere in the building, with the note that she’d like to get it back if it is not used.
Traffic during the day followed a pattern you all knew well. Factory workers filled the seats around you at around 17:00. Commuters got in for a quick bite but left well before 18:00, to get home. You felt a pang of… Was it nostalgia? Or longing? You saw what was your life until less than a month ago. These people around you, were mostly the blessedly ignorant.
You switched for another place when the waiter started to shot curious glances at you. You tried to spend the evening seeming to do something but there was really nothing to do but wait for the opportunity, wait for the time appointed by yourselves. By the time it was 22:00, traffic thinned considerably, the usual people went home, only a few hobos, the occasional truck driver, and the heavy alcoholics sat at the crappy places of the neighborhood.
-
"It will probably not get more quiet," Jade said as they assembled not far from the warehouse, "if nothing has changed, if there aren't scores of people inside, I would say let's get on with it."
-
Matt psyked himself up, giving himself a good mental-slap into action.
Heading to the car, he semi-prepped the roto-drone. All the guys would need to do would be to extend the blades and set it on solid ground once they got parked up.
Matt handed the device to Jade. Judy gave me this
He swapped out the taser for the pistol in his holster, popped on his helmet and jumped in.
//Right guys, I've opened us a new channel for comms, good luck in there, keep in touch. I'll pilot the drone to cover you. Just make sure she comes back in one bit eh? :-)
Judy, we need that door open and soon please.//
9D6R5 => [ 2; 5; 1; 5; 5; 4; 3; 3; 2 => 3 success(es) against 5 ] = 3 | ones: 1
ewar 3, encryption 6. 3 hits to encrypt communications.
Invisible castle is down again, rolled this on rolz.org.
Feeling the increased weight of a fully loaded vehicle ready for action and the anticipation tingling in his sense, it was all Matt could do to keep the speed down and observe the traffic regulations.
A block away, he engaged the morphing plate and spoof chip and swung the car through a reverse parking maneuver into the loading bay.
//Go! set the drone up!//
-
Joel breathed slowly, calming the feeling of nervousness. It was like he was a newly-hired wagemage again. He focused his magical abilities into a weak spell on himself, one to aid him in the event combat came up, utilising his focus in order to assist him in sustaining it. He winced slightly at a sharp spike of pain, but it faded quickly. Having done so, he put on the nondescript mask. No need to stand out at all.6
He figured Jade or Leroy would be better with setting up the drone than he could be, so he briefly switched on his Astral Perception, checking to see if the building had been magically protected since his last 'visit' there.
With IC still down, using Rolz.org
INCREASE REFLEXES
Magic (5) + Spellcasting (4) = 9 dice.
9D6E5 => [ 3; 3; 1; 2; 1; 2; 6; 1; 5; => 2 success(es) against 5 ] = 2 | ones: 3
Force 2 Increase Reflexes. 2 hits for +1 initiative, +1 IP. Sustained via Health Sustaining Focus.
EDIT: WHOOPS DRAIN
Drain DV: 3S
Drain Resist: Intuition (5) + Magic (5) (10d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411060/) (and yes that should be Willpower 5)
Drain MDV: 1S
ASSENSING
Assensing 4 + Intuition 5 + Perceptive 1 = 10 dice
10D6E5 => [ 2; 4; 4; 1; 1; 4; 2; 6; 3; 2; => 1 success(es) against 5 ] = 1 | ones: 2
I see how it is Rolz. Apparently I'm not going to be of any help this mission!
-
On the outside, the warehouse was no different than during the day. It was much quieter, though, but that was true for the whole neighborhood. From the astral, it also looked the same. No barriers appeared suddenly, and there were no patrolling spirits.
Judy's reply came soon after Matt's request. "I'm in. It's as i suspected, one whole system. I'll have the lock open by the time you're at the door. You also don't have to worry about cams."
-
"Great, thanks," Jade said, "okay, let's move. Judy, can you see any guards or other people on the cams?"
She walked towards the door, moving as if she had business there, but still keeping an eye and ear out for any guards that might be inside.
-
Pulling up an AR terminal, Matt coaxes the drone's rotors into motion, easing it into a stable hover behind the guys as they approached the door.
<<Good work, making our entrance now>>
-
"Fragging system doesn't have full coverage, so i can't be sure, but i suspect one guard in the main storage area. If there are others, i don't see them," came the hacker's reply.
-
"Let's go in," Jade said to the others, "I'll try to take out the guard silently. Don't shoot unless it's really necessary, but if you have to, make sure the first bullet does it."
She moved into the warehouse.
-
Matt took a look around once the drone was in a stable hover, making sure the passers by weren't interested in the night's events.
int 3, percep 4, co-processor 2 (9d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411029/)
Returning his attention to the drone, he seized control from the pilot and followed Jade in, scanning with the sensor suite for activity.
Rea 7, pilot air 3, AR 1 (11d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411030/) 5 hits on piloting
int 3, percep 4, vision enhance 3, c-processor 2 (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411032/) 4 hits on perception
-
Joel joined Jade and the drone, moving as quietly as possible, listening carefully for the guards or any sounds other than the team making their way through. He didn't stick too close to Jade, not wanting to blow her cover as she snuck up on the guard. He was prepared to help stun if necessary.
Perception (Audio): Intuition (5) + Perception (4) + Perceptive (1) + Hearing Spec (2) + Audio Enhancement (3) (15d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411062/)
-
Suspense increased momentarily when Miko reached for the door but it opened with a soft *click* - and a not too loud squeak. In front of you, you saw a corridor, about 2 meters wide, closed doors on the other end, and one on the middle of both left- and right-side walls.
[spoiler=tests please]Whoever moves in please roll an AGI + Infiltration test with a +2 dice pool modifier.
Also, everybody please roll a Memory test.[/spoiler]
-
"Let's move to the main part," Jade subvocalised to the rest of the team, while activating the map they had made with the drone on her AR display, "if someone can keep an eye on the side doors so we're not surprised."
She moved on, slowly as not to make noise, towards the door at the end. She did stop at each side door and listened to hear if she could hear people inside, before doing the same at the end door.
infiltration test:
agility 5 -1 defaulting =4 (4d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411220/)
memory test:
logic + willpower
logic 2 + willpower 3 =5 (5d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411221/)
perception (hearing) (3x, left door, right door, end door):
intuition 4 + perception 3 + audio enhancer 2 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=3, 9d6.hits(5)=3, 9d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411222/)
-
Joel was doing his best to try and move quietly whilst keeping Miko in sight. The loudness of his movement made him cringe as it seemed to echo in his ears. Then he remembered that he might be able to get a bit of an edge. He sent his focus into the Astral, reaching out for aid from the Pack.
It took a little effort, but one appeared to come willingly, far more willingly than last time. Perhaps it was because the Astral was cleaner here? Or he wasn't injured and weakened? Something to consider later. As the wolf materialised in the Astral, he sent it a polite request.
@Wolf: Thank you truly for coming to my aid. Please use your powers to protect yourself and my pack present here from prying eyes. My pack look like this: [image of Jade], [Image of Matt's drone], [Image of Leroy] as well as myself. I would be grateful if you could keep us safe.
Manners were always good. Particularly since this spirit was far more powerful than the last one that had willingly worked with him. He was going to do his utmost to treat it with the respect it deserves.
Agility (1) - Defaulting (1) + Bonus (2) + Edge (2) (4d6.hitsopen(5,6)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411659/)
Logic (1) + Willpower (5) (6d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411660/)
WELP
So yeah. That thing about being useless on this mission. Or more this campaign in general.
Summoning F6 Spirit of Beasts (with Concealment, Natural Weapon): Magic (5) + Summoning (5) + Beast spec (2) + Mentor Spirit (2) (14d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411668/)
Opposed by: Force (6) (6d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411681/)
7 tasks? I'm suspicious now of where that luck came from.
Drain DV: 2P
Drain Resist: Intuition (5) + Willpower (5) (10d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4411683/)
Drain MDV: 0P
And he's basically requesting the spirit use its Concealment power on the team which will give a -6 penalty to anyone trying to detect us astrally or with Perception tests.
-
<<Got it, I'll cover the side doors>>
Matt halts the drone in the corridor so he has line of sight onto the doorways, scanning the motion sensor's output for traces of movement.
-
--Matt--
As you followed the others into the building inside the drone, your mind wandered for a second or two. Flashes of memories came back about how you came to be here, this moment before falling back in crime. Then a particular moment came up, one from the job discussion with Tweety, and you suddenly remembered that you forgot to notify him you were about to get into the warehouse, as you promised.
--Joel--
”Don’t worry, little brother, I’ll bring the silence of the night forest and the concealment of dense foliage to you. You’ll be as Night itself, if you take care to move a bit more quietly.” He materialized for a moment, to get the feel of the area then faded back to the astral, keeping guard around you.
--Miko--
As you stopped to listen at the door in the end of the corridor, you heard two things. Someone’s steps echoed softly in the big space beyond the door, and a soothing melody played from several speakers at a low volume.
--all--
As you prepared to enter whichever door you chose, you felt a menacing presence behind you. When you quickly turned, you saw a huge, spectral wolf standing next to Joel, staring at you for a second before fading into nothingness. It took another second to realize that it was probably something Joel summoned because he stood there without any change in his stance despite clearly seeing the magnificent beast.
-
oh shit...forgot about tweety
//<<To:Tweety>>//We're hitting the place now, where's the drop off location?//
-
"what the ...," Miko said before she decided it was probably some magical mojo on his part. If it had been magical security, Joel would probably have reacted a bit differently.
"One set of steps," she reported, still subvocally, "and some music. We can use that to mask what we do."
She put her ear back at the door and waited until the steps moved away, indicating that the guy's back was turned towards the door. Then she opened it and quickly moved inside, looking around for the guard and some cover, in case he was too far to rush.
OOC: I'll stop here to give Ren the time to describe the scene.
-
--Matt--
Tweety sent a short text back to you. >>This is a bit sudden. Let me get back to you in 10.<<
--Miko--
As you opened the door, the music became easily audible, but still not loud enough to completely suppress the sounds of careless steps. Or the whirring of the drone’s engines, for that. You were sure that if Joel kept up with you, you wouldn’t be able to set a decent ambush up.
The space beyond the door was, however, somewhat favorable. There were long, sturdy metal shelves, row after row, from one end of the room to the other, with only three corridors to move across rows: next to the walls and in the middle. They were full of boxes of every size, providing almost perfect cover if you moved carefully. You heard the guard’s steps from somewhere among the rows but you had to get closer to be able to determine the exact location.
--all--
Leroy took position next to the open door, grabbing his shotgun tightly. ”I’ll secure our exit if need be,” he whispered.
-
She put herself behind the nearest cover before she activated her select sound filter. That way she should be able to isolate the guard's footsteps and find out where he was, sneaking closer from cover to cover until she knew where exactly he was.
"Joel, can you stun people," she asked, mentally cursing herself for not thinking about this sooner.
-
"Yes. Just need to be able to see them..." Joel murmured quietly in response to Jade's question. He still held back a bit, knowing that he was no expert in remaining stealthy and that his ally's concealing magic only did so much. In any case a single stunbolt would suffice.
He frowned, creeping carefully to the open door and peering in. He knew he wouldn't be able to sneak around the room like Jade, but if he caught sight of the guard he'd be able to make do with a swift stunbolt.
-
Matt kept checking between his car's sensor feed and the drone's, doing his best to keep an eye on everything at once
-
--Miko--
The filter did its job perfectly. After drawing nearer to the shelves, you heard the guard getting nearer to you. He was probably between the second and the third row.
[spoiler=tests please]Roll another AGI + Infiltration, +2 bonus still applies. Please also roll an INT + Perception (hearing) test, with a -4 penalty.[/spoiler]
--others--
Standing in the doorway, you watch the broad back of Miko as she goes into the storage area, using the shelves to provide her cover.
[spoiler=test please]Roll an INT + Perception (hearing) test, with a -2 penalty. Matt has another -2 dice for being distracted.[/spoiler]
-
int 3, percep 2, enhance 3, co-processor 2, recognizer +2, -4 (8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4414228/)
-
Intuition (5) + Perception (4) + Perceptive (1) + Hearing Spec (2) + Audio Enhancement (3) - Penalty (2) (13d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4414894/)
Yes I'm good for something!
-
"between second and third row," Jade subvocalised to the rest of the team, while slowly moving on, trying to hear the guard's movements. She put her select sound filter on his foot steps so she could keep tracking those while she tried to hear anything else.
agility 5 -1 defaulting + 2 bonus =6 (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4415505/)
intuition 4 + perception 3 + audio enhancer 2 - 4 penalty =5 (5d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4415506/)
-
--Miko--
The steps of the guard became slower as he got near the end of the row of shelves. ”Is that you, Jacob? Hey man, don’t frag with me, you know I don’t like these kinds of jokes.” He took an unsure step in your direction, drawing away from the shelves to see better who was there at the end. He was maybe 3-4 meters from the end.
--Joel--
When you heard the guard’s uncertain challenge, you also heard a door closing to your left. It was behind another door, and you remembered well from your astral survey that the sound must have come from the restrooms. This was supported by the soft sound of running water. Someone else was there and in a few seconds he was about to enter the storage area.
-
Joel's eyes widened and he reached for his commlink. @All: Guard coming from the restrooms left of the entrance to the storage. Will be in here in a few seconds. I can try to stun him as soon as he enters. Suggestions?
He eyed the door nervously, preparing to stunbolt the newcomer if the team didn't have a better suggestion. Unfortunately it was the most subtle way he had of taking out a threat.
-
Matt swung the drone round to face the incoming threat, arming the weapon systems in preparation, selecting burst fire mode.
//take him down quietly if you can, Ive got your backs covered with the noisy option if we need it//
-
"OK, go for it Joel," Jade subvocalised, "I have the other one."
She waited until he was close enough and then burst out between the shelves. Given her background she knew the quickest way to dispatch of a man, so she brought her knee up between his legs as hard as she could. As the guard doubled over, she brought her hand down on the back of his neck.
initiative (if need, because I assume I can still have surprise as the guard thinks I'm one of his buddies):
initiative 9 (9d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4421874/)
that gives initiative 11
attack roll:
agility 5 + unarmed 4 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4421876/)
forgot that I have reach 1 as troll, so that's 5 hits in total
reach (1d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4421883/)
He can defend, unless he's surprised.
DV: 4 + net hits (str/2=3 + 1 from my karate)
finishing move maneuver (I can hit him again as interrupt action, this uses up my next action on my second IP):
agility 5 + unarmed 4 + reach 1 =10 (10d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4421909/)
4 hits
He can defend, unless he's surprised.
DV: 4 + net hits (str/2=3 + 1 from my karate)
-
--Miko--
[spoiler=surprise test]REA(3) + INT(3) – Ambush(3) (3d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422186/)
Note: The guard rolled a good perception, but not good enough, so you don’t get the +6 ambush bonus, only the +3. For simplicity, I reduced the guard’s dice pool. Initiative is yours anyway.[/spoiler]
The guard seemed shocked by Miko bursting from cover. He obviously didn’t count on anyone attacking him here. His hand went for the holster on his hip, still fumbling with it as you hit him with a 1-2 combo. He wasn’t too hardy a target, he only wore a simple armor vest on his uniform.
[spoiler=resisting]1st attack:
Resistance test vs. 8 Stun damage: BOD(4) + Impact(4) (8d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422189/); Spending Edge;
BOD(4) + Impact(4) (8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422190/); 7 Stun taken
2nd attack:
Defense test: REA(3) + Unarmed(3) – damage(2) (4d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422191/), glitch; 3 net hits
Resistance test vs. 7 Stun damage: BOD(4) + Impact(4) (8d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422192/), glitch; 6 Stun taken, out[/spoiler]
The guard fell without a sound, crashing into the shelves, driven by the momentum of your swings.
--others--
Leroy grabbed his shotgun tighter, still covering the exit. ”Anytime, dudes.” He watched if he had to help the other two dispose of the second guard.
[spoiler=guard's tests]Perception: INT(3) + Perception(3) + Enhancers(3) – distracted(2) – door(2) (5d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422194/)
Surprise: REA(3) + INT(3) (6d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422195/)[/spoiler]
The other guard came out from the door, grabbing a shotgun, grumbling about someone misplacing a box again, letting it fall from a shelf. His eyes almost pop as he notices the two people and the drone waiting just for him. He wore similar equipment as his coworker.
[spoiler=tests please]Roll a Surprise test, with a +6 modifier. If you roll more hits than the guard, he is surprised. Initiative is yours, because of delaying, order is Joel, then Matt, then Leroy.[/spoiler]
-
init 14, 1 pass (AR)
rea + int (10d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422263/) no glitch
forgot my ambush modifiers! (6d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422956/) 4 hits total
-
Joel narrowed his eyes as the guard entered the room. A small, vicious grin settled on his face as his eyes locked ont o the surprised guard, his hands moving as he released a stunbolt right into the guard's aura. As he did so, a ghostly wolf seemed to be overlaid on him briefly. He knew he'd need a little bit of time to clean his signature off the place once the guard was taken out from how powerful the spell was, but he didn't want to leave anything to chance.
Reaction (3) + Intuition (5) + Ambush (6) (14d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422544/)
Stunbolt Force 9: Spellcasting (4) + Magic (5) + Combat Spec (2) + Wolf Mentor (2) (13d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422548/)
Use max 1 net hit
Drain DV: 4P
Drain Resist: Intuition (5) + Willpower(5) (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422549/)
Drain MDV: 1P
Initiative (just in case): Reaction (3) + Intuition (5) + Improved Reflexes (1) (9d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422551/) for a total of 13 initiative)
EDIT: Mistakes fixed!
-
[spoiler=resisting]WIL(3) + EDG(2) (5d6.hitsopen(5,6)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4424199/)[/spoiler]
The guard stood for a moment then collapsed right there in the door, grunting softly. He'd probably be out for quite some time.
-
"Everybody keep an eye out in case there are more guards," Jade said, "let's get that package and be gone quickly. Matt, still calm outside?"
-
Matt put the drone's pilot into a stable hover and took a good look around the environs, looking to see if anyone was paying too much attention to him being parked here.
int 3, percep 4, co processor 2, enhance 3, active search 3 (14d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4425231/) looking for police or people looking at the vehicle
-
@Team: I'll need about... fifteen seconds to clean up that stunbolt. Joel responded through the comms. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the Astral, cleansing it of the presence of that stunbolt.
9 complex actions (4.5 combat turns) to cleanse the astral
-
"You do that," Jade said to the mage, while she started to search for the package.
-
--Matt--
Since the others entered the warehouse, no vehicles passed you parking there. You saw one or two on crossing streets but fortunately, there was no Knight Errant presence.
--Joel--
You swiftly cleared your signature from the astral. You sensed no change of the general feel of the place since the afternoon.
--Miko--
Finding the crates couldn’t be easier, the storage identifier was coded according to row, column, shelf, and position. The only problem was that it was out of reach, some 3.5 meters from the ground. The crates didn’t seem to be too big or heavy from the outside, just some simple plastic crates everyone in transportation used.
-
All clear out here for the time being, lets be quick about it though eh?
-
Jade looked at the crate they needed.
"Joel, can you levitate things," she asked. Upon hearing the negative, she moved to plan B.
"Then we'll have to a quick building," she said, "Matt and Joel, you keep guard for other guards. I'll build some crates up and climb up. Unless someone has a better idea?"
She quickly moved some crates that looked solid and build up a structure that she could use to climb on so she could reach the crate they needed. Before she climbed up, she first tested it with part of her weight on the bottom of the stack.
-
--Miko--
Piling crates did the trick. Luckily, there were plenty on the lower shelves that could bear even the weight of a troll. Climbing on top, you carefully took the crates labeled as given by Tweety, their weight and the soft clinking of several metallic objects inside giving you a hint that you really found what you were looking for. Climbing down with a 50-kilograms crate proved to be more of a challenge but you had all the time needed.
—Matt—
Your commlink chirped with an incoming message. It was from Tweety. >>Behind Papa Joe’s Pizza, in Loveland. Coordinates attached. Sam will take it.<<
-
//We've got our meet sorted guys. How we getting on?//
@ren, please consider Matt to constantly be checking the drone's sensor feed and visually too from his car.
-
I have the crates. Give me five more minutes to put some other crates back, Jade said before she put the other crates back where they belonged.
-
//Jesus, no time to be tidy jade, just grab the stuff and lets move!//
Matt spins the drone around, flying it back to the back of the car and landing it with a thud onto its skids.
Powering it down, he kills the AR feed and jacks into the car, feeling the wash of sensory data running over his body as the rig connects the wheels to his brain where his limbs previously attached.
He pops the trunk, ready for the crates and once again checks the sensors.
//Chuck the drone in the trunk too guys, trunks popped, ready to go//
-
--Matt--
Leroy opened the door leading outside for the drone to pass but remained inside, in case the others needed his help. Back in the car, you still didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, it seemed that you chose a perfect window for you little B&E. Appearances could be deceiving, however, and from your earlier life you knew that the more time elapsed, the chances of something going south increased dramatically.
--others--
Miko started to pack the crates she used to climb on back to their respective places when you heard Matt’s message. Hi sounded as someone who wanted to get over with tonight as soon as possible, and you felt that his urging might have some basis.
-
Joel eyed the crates for Tweety somewhat nervously. @Jade: Will you be able to take both crates? Or would you like me to ask my spirit to see if he can help us out?
-
"Let me try first," Jade said as she stacked the two crates they needed on top of each other and then she tried to lift them. She could get them off the ground, but she felt that she wouldn't be able to walk around with them.
"Nope, I can't walk around like that," she said, "they are a bit too akward to hold and I'm worried I might drop the second one. Better let someone else carry that one."
She put them back down and lifted only one, which she could do without any problem.
strenght 5 + body 7 =12 (12d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4447048/)
That gives me 90 kg in total for lift and carry (I have 135 for lift alone), not enough as the two crates at the same time are 100 kg. But our dwarf should be able to take the other one, and the spirit can keep the concealment up.
One isn't a problem, as I can lift and carry 50 kg without test.
-
—inside—
”Gimme one of those”, Leroy chimed in, slinging his shotgun on his shoulder. He stood next to the crate and, clearly visible under his t-shirt, through the half-open jacket, he flexed his well-developed chest muscles before lifting it without much effort. ”You better watch our collective asses, chum, we won’t be able to shoot with these in our hands”, he mentioned to Joel.
-
Impatiently, Matt scanned the sensors yet again
come on..come on... get a fucking move on....
-
"Got it. Let's get out of here." Joel looked around nervously, listening hard for the guards as he began leading the way out; he remained close to Leroy and Jade in case the might notice a threat for him to remove. Normally he'd search in the astral, but he needed to be able to hear if they were approaching closed doors or other things that would block his sight in the astral. "If you notice anything, let me know and I'll take it out."
Perception - Hearing: Intuition (5) + Perception (4) + Perceptive (1) + Hearing Spec (2) + Headphones (3) (15d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4448223/)
-
Jade followed the dwarf as they made it to the outside with the crates, which they put in Matt's vehicle. She had put her motercycle a bit further to keep it out of sight, but she should be able to get to it very quickly as soon as the drone was also in the car and her comrades.
-
As Jade and Leroy loaded the crates, Matt forwarded on the RVP location to Jade.
With all the kit on board and the guys in the back it was time to make a break for it.
Half of him wanted to gun it; tires screeching, jumping red lights and such, but the cooler half of him took control.
He did his best to pull away smoothly, keeping the revs low and stopping the wheels from spinning up and attracting too much attention.
Taking a good look at the sensor feeds, he heads out on the most direct route, flipping the spoof chip and morphing plate to a new setting at an opportune moment so as to obscure their gridguide datatrail.
He'll be actively looking for police activity on the sensors as he drives
Only as he starts to feel like he's putting distance between himself and the warehouse does he message the team.
//We all good? anyone hurt?//
-
Jade followed the car at a small distance, again looking out for anybody following.
"Nope, and the two guards we took out were only stunned," she added, "so all in all not bad for a crew not used to this. Let's drive nicely within the rules, but as quickly as possible."
-
You headed out of the dock area, Miko somewhat ahead with the bike, the others checking their bodies and feelings for any kind of hurt but finding little. Leroy just started to laugh on the back seat, joking about how this was a piece of cake.
—Miko—
You passed one a smaller side street with lighting mostly out, keeping yourself safely within the speed limit, when you heard the revving of bike engines from your left side, and sensed that multiple headlights were turned on behind you. Screeching tires signaled that someone took a sudden start, then you heard angry shouts and more tire-screams. When you looked back you saw that your companions just passed the alley in the car, and at the same time, some none-too-small trolls on bikes and in the colors of the Spikes came to a halt not to collide with the car. Matt barely avoided the collision by pulling sharply to the right.
—the car—
Matt barely had time to react as the headlights suddenly appeared on his right. For the fraction of a second, everything was unnaturally clear. Half a dozen bikers hit the break with a mixture of panicked and angry expressions. You pulled sharply to the right to avoid collision with the one in front of the others and your gazes locked for a moment. You saw shock change into anger, as if you took away the favorite bunny from a child. Unfortunately these children were 7-to-8-feel trolls on bikes, in the colors of the Spikes. And as time jumped back to normal speed, you noticed in the rear cameras that the bikes started to give chase and somehow you were sure that they wouldn’t be worrying about speed limits and whatnot.
-
Shit... just our luck.
//Guys, get your belts on, this is gonna get messy.//
-
"Just great," Jade muttered, before switching to team comms, "Matt, get in front of me, I'll try if I can warn them off, being a Troll and all that."
She did take her whip ready, just in case persuation wouldn't work.
As soon as the car had passed by, she looked at the Trolls following and gestured for them to leave off.
-
Matt opened the throttle, dumping two gears and carefully threading the traction control to keep the power down as much as he could.
Accelerate! shin hyung's accel rate is 45m.
vehicle test to add 5m per hit: pilot wheeled 6, rea 7, rig 2 (15d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4453568/)
total accel of 65m
-
Joel looked behind at the gangers as the car sped up. He was originally planning to attempt to stun them off their bikes, but that would end up leaving a trail to them, and might not even be necessar. He decided to wait for now to see if the bikes could even keep up with the vehicle.
Delaying
-
Unfortunately, the trolls seemed to be intent on giving chase. They accelerated the best they could. Although their choppers were not really made for speed, they were more maneuverable in the tight streets than the Shin-Hyung.
They made rude gestures as an answer to Miko’s waves, shouting things that would make even a whore blush.
[spoiler=vehicle tests]REA(4) + Pilot: Bikes(4) + Handling(2) (10d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455640/)
REA(4) + Pilot: Bikes(4) + Handling(2) (10d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455641/)
REA(4) + Pilot: Bikes(4) + Handling(2) (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455642/)
REA(4) + Pilot: Bikes(4) + Handling(2) (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455643/)
REA(4) + Pilot: Bikes(4) + Handling(2) (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455644/)[/spoiler]
-
Sensing he'd opened up a bit of a gap, Matt tried to press home the advantage, giving it all she'd got.
//Guys, give these fuckers something to "dissuade" them//
Ugh, not a great one for 17 dice!
pilot 6, rea 7, rig 2, handling 2 (17d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455663/) 3 hits for second batch of accel
here's my vehicle roll for next turn: pilot 6, rea 7, rig 2, handling 2 (17d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455664/)
and initiative: initiative (9d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4455665/) ini 11, with 2 passes.
-
"Let's see what I can do then..." Joel murmured as he opened the window so he could get a clear view at the trolls following them.
Taking delayed action. I'm assuming opening the window so I can spellcast will be at the very least a simple action, so I won't do anything else yet.
-
Leroy also opened the window next to him and readied his shotgun, starting to lean out of the window. ”Would you then fragging keep it straight? It is impossible to aim with this swaying.”
-
As they were still behind her and Matt's car, Jade risked a quick look back to see how many there were and what they were packing, and also on which bikes they were riding. She also listened to the sound of their bikes, as that could often indicate engine problems or upgrades.
observe in detail.
intuition 4 + perception 3 + enhancer 2 =9 (9d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4456630/)
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—Miko—
There were five trolls following you. They all wore heavy jackets, potentially of the armored variety. You couldn’t see all of them clearly – some provided cover for the others – but they probably were all armed. You saw a second shotgun, a big steel pipe, and another pistol. They all rode choppers, sturdy Harleys that showed lots of weekly hours of maintenance and love. You suspected they practically lived with their bikes, so naturally did they ride the big machines.
-
<<Leroy>>//I'll worry about the driving, you worry about the shooting yeah?//
-
Leaning out the window slightly, Joel glared at the troll bikers following them. He considered the sleep spell from before, but discarded it as too risky for the amount of power he would be channeling and the trail it would leave in the astral. Instead he considered the vehicles themselves and wondered what might happen to a chopper if something happened to one of its tires.
Picking the leftmost troll, he experimented with that one, glaring at it as he sent a charge of destructive energy, growling quietly as he did so. The shaking of the car combined with the awkwardness of the angle messed with his concentration and his control over the forces involved was less sure and more painful.
Force 3 Powerbolt, targeting front tire of left-most motorcycle: Spellcasting (4) + Magic (5) + Combat Spec (2) + Mentor Spirit (2) - Distraction (1) (12d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4456681/). Will use only 1 net hit.
Drain DV: 2S (3S if a net hit)
Drain resist: Magic (5) + Intuition (5) (10d6.hits(5)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4456682/) WELP
Drain MDV: 2-3S
Now I just figure out if I dealt more damage to the tire, or to myself. Woooo!
-
You were completely baffled by the spell not having any effect whatsoever. Its energies disspated harmlessly around the targeted bike, causing you a minor headache. On the up side, the trolls probably didn't even notice you trying anything "funny", they are occupied by bigger and more obvious targets.
-
The trolls also throttled aggressively, trying to keep up with the Shin-Hyung. They hooted in ecstasy, obviously enjoying the game.
[spoiler=vehicle tests]REA(4) + Pilot: Bikes(4) + Handling(2) (10d6.hits(5)=5, 10d6.hits(5)=3, 10d6.hits(5)=4, 10d6.hits(5)=1, 10d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4459958/)[/spoiler]
In the next minute, Matt saw that with simple speed, it wasn’t possible to get away. The streets were not all straight, and as you got further from the warehouse, some traffic started to hinder your advance.
[spoiler=chase tests and initiatives]modifiers for the round: number of pursuers 5 (+/- 10 dice), number of pursued 2 (-/+4 dice), speed difference (-/+3 dice); net +3 dice for the trolls, -3 dice for the team
REA(4) + Pilot: Bikes(4) + Handling(2) + modifiers(3) (13d6.hits(5)=4, 13d6.hits(5)=5, 13d6.hits(5)=2, 13d6.hits(5)=6, 13d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4459959/)
REA(4) + INT(3) (7d6.hits(5)=2, 7d6.hits(5)=1, 7d6.hits(5)=3, 7d6.hits(5)=2, 7d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4459960/), 10, 9, 9, 9, 8
Leroy: REA(4) + INT(4) (8d6.hits(5)=2) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4459956/), 8+2 = 10[/spoiler]
-
"stunbolt the trolls or kill the bikes," Jade shouted as she accelerated, "try to hit the leader."
She tried to get closer to the car, which should be possible now they were in traffic as her bike could squeeze in holes the car, even with a better driver, could not. It was strange for her to hope for a police patrol, but that would at least make their pursuers go away.
OOC: taking the required action to control the bike.
-
<<//Miko; Break left//>>
Sensing they were running out of options as the traffic drained his speed advantage, he decided it was time to start getting serious.
Fuck you ugly trolls and fuck your shiny chrome too, see how you like this you cocksucker..
Matt broke to the right, forcing the ganger into a horrible choice: very heavy braking, rear end the shin-hyung or play with the oncoming traffic?
-
The troll heading the chase didn’t think Matt would brake and make a sudden change of direction. In a split-second decision, he broke to the right, onto the pavement. He miraculously kept his bike under perfect control, starting to shout a raging tirade at the car.
Leroy swayed wildly during Matt’s maneuver, bumping his shoulder into the rear window frame. ”GEROFF, MOTHAFUCKAS!” he shouted then pulled the trigger twice. One of the shot hit, finding the troll in the middle of a maneuver trying to avoid the flechettes, but the momentum wasn't enough to cause a crash.
-
The troll on the pavement wasn’t satisfied with bad language. As soon as he heard the shots, he drew his own gun and took a snap-shot at Joel.
-
Drawing back in the car to avoid the shots, Joel looked out and concentrated on the troll on the right side of the car. He gathered his energies and sent them into the attacker, causing him to stumble and lose control, swerving than crashing horridly into a parking car. That one would be out of the game for sure.
The other trolls began to draw their own weapons as an answer. Two grabbed shotguns, using the handle-bar to stabilize their weapons. The wounded one took a shot at Leroy, still leaning out of the car, the other, joined by the third troll grabbing a pistol, targeted Miko.
The last pursuer desperately tried to catch up.
-
Miko spotted the trolls taking their weapons and she stood on her brakes. Some bullets and a load of flechettes flew where she would have been if she hadn't. This off course meant she was at their level now, but that was less of a problem, since the shotguns were unwieldy, they could only shoot to the side with difficulty, so she wouldn't have to worry too much about those. Drawing her own pistol, she shot at one of the bike's front tires. That way she could take them out with one shot instead of using multiple ones. As soon as she took her Warhawk out, her smartgun system activated on her cybereye's HUD. The loud bang of the heavy pistol was drowned out by the roar of the bikes, but this was drawing way too much attention.
called shot to the front tire of the bike of the guy with the shotgun who shot at her.
agility 5 + pistols 3 + smartgun 2 - called shot 4 =6 (6d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4480182/)
3 hits, DV 6P + net hits, -2 AP
-
Miko’s maneuver divided the trolls. The one shooting at Leroy still chased the car, paying his full attention to it, while the other one with a shotgun desperately tried to maneuver so that Miko wasn’t in an advantageous position. The one that was lagging, however, came closer to her than she liked, fumbling under his jacket for probably a gun.
-
The scene in the rear view sensor feed was one of carnage. His maneuver had seriously pissed off the Trolls and the lads in the back had caused a spectacular crash. That guy would probably die of his injuries, fast moving bikers rarely won arguments with stationary chunks of metal
//Miko: I'm going right at the next junction, fast//
Approaching the junction at speed, Matt dropped a gear, keeping the revs high as he slew the car to the right, applying a dab of handbrake to kick the arse end out. The traction control protested loudly at the abuse Matt was giving the rears so he mentally shut it down in a flicker of thought as he opened the throttle, slamming the car through the bend at speed.
How you like me now bitches?...
-
Matt’s maneuver came as a surprise even though Miko knew about it. She wouldn’t have thought it possible to turn so suddenly but Matt proved her wrong. He didn’t even bump the car to the one parking near the corner, although he only missed by a few centimeters. Leroy drew back inside with a torrent of swearwords, mere moments before he would have been squashed between the two car’s chassis.
The turn took the car around the corner. The building sitting there covered the pursuers who momentarily were out of sight.
-
Miko saw Matt take the turn to the right and knowing she would never be able to make the same turn, she turned to the left where she had a bit more room. Only the one behind her had a good view on what was happening.
"I went left," she said to the rest of the team.
-
Joel watched as the pursuers disappeared from his vision with a frown. He kept battle-ready however, keeping an eye out for any troll that was ready to meet the harsh end of a stunbolt.
-
The trolls were obviously confused by the maneuvers taken by the two vehicles. The one trying to follow Matt was too focused on trying to reach the annoying little dwarf hanging out of the rear window to concentrate on driving and ended up hitting the parked car Matt barely avoided, full force, crashing through the rear window and not moving too much after.
The other two were more lucky, Miko didn’t put them up with the same difficulty task as Matt, so with some effort, they followed the bike. However, the maneuver put Miko at some distance from them.
-
Miko looked into her mirror to see that she still had two on her tail.
"I still have some on my tail," she said to the team as she opened up the throttle to put more distance between her and the pursuers.
-
The troll struggling with the bike was gaining on Miko, preparing to fire his pistol again. The other one slipped when throttling, and he had to gather himself and his bike, so he was still at some distance.
-
//We lost our tails, you need a hand shaking yours or you got it?//
-
Miko did another sharp turn at speed to try to shake them this time. She choose her turn so that she moved in the general direction of the car and they would have an easier way to catch up.
"I hope this turn does it, otherwise yes please."
-
Having some difficulties with following Miko’s maneuvers, the trolls started to fall back considerably. After a few more turns, they seemed to realize that the others were missing, and lost interest in the rest of the chase, letting Miko escape.
-
"I lost them," Miko said to the rest of the team while she slowed down so she didn't go above the speed limit, "let's meet up and get that package delivered."
-
//ok, let's hit the main drag and keep a low profile. Your bike gonna draw any attention by being shot up?//
Matt heads for the main roads and calls up a damage report from the onboard system.
//sorry about the jinking , but we've lost them and miko has shirked her tails too. We're gonna get back onto the main roads so how we looking back there? You guys alright?//
-
"They missed me, so no problems there," Miko replied as she headed to the nearest main road.
-
”’Side from bleeding on your back seat? Suuure all righ’.” Leroy held pressure on the top of his head, blood slowly trickling down his neck. At the alarmed stare of Joel, he continued. ”Don’t worry, just split the skin when Schumacher here made that awe-some stunt. Would appreciate some help with it, though.”
-
"Hold still then..." Joel murmured as he focused magical energy into the wounds. There was a brief glow, and some of the more minor wounds began re-knitting themselves quickly before his eyes.
-
”Hey, that was quick. Sure this comes handy in emergencies.” The wound on the top of Leroy’s head was fully closed, with no sign of it ever being there, aside from the blood staining his hair and his shirt. It looked worse than it actually was, taking only a small fraction of Joel’s concentrated energies to heal. Head wounds were bleeding much worse than usual, as the dwarf told you while you rejoined Miko on her bike.
Luckily, the troll’s aim was so bad they didn’t even hit the car too much, and the signs of a few fragments from a flechette shell scratching at the paintjob were lost among the marrings of the corrosive rain, so nobody took a second look at the vehicles while speeding on to the meet in Puyallup. At this time of the night, the place was already closed, its almost-clean windows barred by metal grilles. The big neon sign on top was still on, shouting from a distance that this was indeed Papa Joe’s Pizza, although some letters were long blown, and others cracked. Circling around, you saw an alley behind, with a van parked inside.
When you stopped at the entrance, the door of the van opened and Sam, one of Tweety’s troll guards got out. He greeted Miko with a wide smile. ”Hey girl, howzit? Boss said you did all right and have something for me.”
-
"I have a very good massage, but I assume you mean business," Jade said with a smile, teasing him a bit, as she parked her bike and popped the trunk of Matt's car, "here they are, two crates. I haven't been opening them, but based on what your boss told us, they should be the right ones."
-
”Yeah, wish I wasn’t.” Sam’s eyes glittered with interest but he concentrated on the business at hand. After you popped the trunk, he took a knife and used it as a lever for opening the nailed-in crate. ”Serials seem to be all right… canisters inside… and the weight is about OK.” You could see cylindrical metal shapes inside. He even took one to measure and inspect from closer, but you saw he was content with the results. ”OK, just wait while I pack these in the van. By the way, nice job, haven’t heard any unusual comm. chatter from around the docks tonight. I take everything went all right?” He easily took one crate and carried it the short distance to the van’s back. When he opened it, you could see the usual things one would expect in the back of a van: a spare tire fastened to one side, a can, a box of odds-and-ends.
-
Pulling up to a halt in the lot, Matt took the chance to drop out of VR and back into his own skin.
The adrenaline had barely had chance to drop since they'd busted the warehouse but now he was shaking and twitchy as it worked its way out of his system.
He felt exhilarated, exhausted almost. He'd driven out of his skin but it felt like he'd done a stint against the luftwaffe on expert difficulty in DogFight Pro.
Back in control of his senses, he could see Jade chatting Sam up around the boot as he inspected the goods. Matt turned around in his seat, rubbing his face and spoke to Joel and Leroy
Shit, I'm sorry about that gents, all my focus was on shaking those guys before we got shot to bits. You alright?
-
"Just a couple of gangers who tried to play tag," Jade said as she tried to see what was in the containers, "but we were the better drivers and and I don't think they will be complaining to Knight Errant."
-
—inside—
”Yeah, all right now. Just need to change my shirt because I look like ‘m going to a Halloween party, just in the middle of summer.” Leroy was still a bit surly, but in a somewhat friendly way.
—outside—
Sam went back for the second crate. ”No, I don’t think they will. They rather just disappear from the scene if they can manage that.” While he packed, Miko got to look at the contents of the box but it wasn’t anything special, just tools for repair, a tow-rope, accumulator cables, and the like. The can had some liquid in it, probably gasoline, the van must have been a hybrid.
After he finished packing, he shut the doors and turned back to Miko. ”So, a friend of mine told me the Crackerz are throwing a big party next Friday. It’s not far from your place so I thought I’d ask if you want to come?”
-
Matt flashed him a smile
Fucking adrenaline buzz eh? I'm gonna have to stretch my legs. I say we get a crate in tonight and celebrate. Fancy it?
Matt opened the car door, waving at Sam.
Hey man, how are you?
-
"I wouldn't mind a bit of a party," Jade said, her vocal range enhancer giving her voice a purring quality, "count me in. What time and what's the dress code?"
-
”Dress code? You don’t have to use fancy words to impress me.” Sam grinned at Jade, obviously under the effect of her voice. ”The Crackerz are street toughs, so you’ll be perfect in biker clothes as well as anything. Just don’t try to outshine Lady Grace, she can be a bit hard on anybody she perceives as an attack on her… authority.” Taking notice of Matt a tad bit late, he waved at him. ”Hey, man, nothing new. Biz as always. Heard you got to play with some go-gangers on the way.”
-
yeah, had a bit of fun with em. Got away clean in the end though.everything all right with the goods?
-
Joel rubbed his temples slightly. His spellcasting from earlier had left him with a mild headache, more an irritation than anything else. "I could do with a drink." He murmured. As Matt posed the quwestion about the goods, he looked up at Sam, listening to the response.
-
"Everything seems all right," Sam replied. To Jade, he said "Party starts around 8 but doesn't really get interesting before 10. I'll pick you up, they know me. Probably there wouldn't be a problem if i told them you were going but it's always pays to be on their safe side."
-
alright man, catch you later
Matt saw what was going on and took his leave, motioning to Joel and Leroy to stay in the car.
He shut the door and slid back into the drivers seat, looking at the lads.think we've got ourselves a pair of love birds. Right then, let's head back and grab that crate of beers.
Matt eased up the throttle and waved out the window to Sam and miko, heading for home via the liquor store
-
"Okay, i'll see you Friday," Jade said, before she got back on her bike. She blew him a kiss before she left after the car.
"Hey guys," she said over the team channel, "if we're going to get beer, it has to be real beer, and not that near-frozen gnat's urine that some call beer."
-
Oh, you're joining us are you? thought you and mr lover lover might be making your own celebratory plans haha! Yeah, lets get the good stuff tonight, think we've bloody well earned it!
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"That party is only Friday," Jade said, "and he has things to do for his boss now. He can wait. Hunger is the best sauce."
-
The rest of the night was spent in blissful celebration. The beer you got was expensive, but it was a welcome reprieve from the usual soy-based stuff of your everyday meals. Tweety called about an hour later that he got the stuff and found everything in order, congratulating you on your first successful job, telling you how satisfied he was with how things went down. He then left you to your celebrations.
-
End of Part II