Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: imperialus on <07-13-12/1338:36>
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Saved for GM
Link to Obsidian Portal campaign. http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/tokyo-nights (http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/tokyo-nights)
blue = "Speaking"
orange = <<Text Messaging or Email>>
Purple = "Comlink Conversations"
Brown = Thinking
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July 13th 2072 20:15h
It’s the tail end of rush hour, and the buzzing of cicadas and the hum of air conditioners loosing their battle to contain the heat almost drowns out the everpresent noise of traffic in the heart of Neo-Tokyo. As the sun begins to set over the mountains to the east the news nets are buzzing about an "unfortunate accident" that occurred at the Simbashi subway station in Chiyoda when an Oni woman fell onto the rails and struck by a train causing the evening commute to be very inconvenient. They are suggesting that workers returning home avoid using that line so as not to interfere with the cleanup.
Whatever you are doing it is interrupted by the buzz of your comlink receiving a text message.
<<Tinman>>
<< Job for U if U are OK to work with metas. Meet @ The Chop Shop ASAP>>
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July 13th 2072 20:15h
The one thing about the heat that Aishuku could never get over was that it was, quite literally, hot. The humidity always seemed to stick to him, forcing him to change clothing and bathe more than a few times a day. The air conditioning unit in his squalid apartment in the run-down building had died days before, and with little nuyen to even afford food, calling for repairs wasn't an option. He had a little tucked away for emergencies, but it was so much easier to walk a few blocks to the local club and bask in the cool spray coming from the doors. It was free, and the stupid bouncers couldn't do a damned thing about it. They couldn't just turn it off and let the paying customers standing in line get all gross before entering, could they?
I need a job, he thought to himself. I thought it would be easier to find a way to make some nuyen.
As if on cue, the news feeds and vids he'd been watching in AR through his commlink faded into the background, replaced with the message from Tinman.
<< Job for U if U are OK to work with metas. Meet @ The Chop Shop ASAP>>
He smiled wide, his good looks being shown off to nobody in particular.
Tin, you drek-head, you may have just saved my bacon.
He stood up, stretching his arms and shaking the days' cares off his shoulders. He sauntered through his apartment, grabbing only the stuff he really needed to take with him - his van keys and his commlink. The rest, guns included, were stashed in the secret compartment in the van.
Anybody ever steals that thing, and that's the end of my career. Back to the inside with me.
He locked the front door on his way out, making his way down the hall to the emergency exit - which, by the way, had a non-functioning alarm for the better part of the last half-dozen years - and then down several flights of steps on the fire escape. A quick walk to a semi-secured parking garage, and 10 minutes later he was winding through the heavy traffic of Tokyo, heading for The Chop Shop, the AR map of its location just beneath and to the right of his normal, straight-ahead vision.
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Spirit was staring across the Neo-Tokyo night skyline, contemplating himself and his current 'situation' when his private commlink notified him of a new message.
<<Tinman>>
<< Job for U if U are OK to work with metas. Meet @ The Chop Shop ASAP>>
"Kso." Dismissively deleting the message, Spirit turns quickly and begins towards the elevators for the long trip down from the high rise he had been visiting. He was still acclimating himself to this 'lifestyle' of shadowrunning. Undesirables and cretins, most of them were, but similarly effective. Pondering what this job would entail, Spirit went over the transmission.
ASAP, so this job will need to be done tonight. Tinman-san is honorable, so this will likely be either humanitarian or destructive, especially since he wants us to work with Gaijin. Ghost knows that they can't do much aside from destroy and take.
It took a conscious effort to not shudder at the thought of having to work with an illiterate troll, or even worse, a barbaric Oni. Taking a deep breath, Spirit deactivated his private commlink, and activated his public one, displaying the SiN of one Arakaki Tanaka, his currently assumed identity. As he did so, the elevator doors opened, and Arakaki was bombarded with the quiet, efficient mass of wage slaves for this building. Straightening the tie on his modest and correct business suit, he stepped into the press, riding the sea of humanity towards the parking garage, where his Dobie was waiting. The monocycle had served it's purpose well over the last year or two, and he reminded himself that it was quite possibly the best purchase he'd made yet.
Riding out of the Parking Garage and into the neon and AR-lit streets, Arakaki let the on-board pilot system guide itself through the slow-moving traffic. Since the Chop Shop wasn't exactly the best place in town, he decided that a business suit would not do. He directed the pilot to take him to his small apartment, so that he could change into something more fitting. Once there, he changed into the garb of an industrial worker, the loose-fitting clothing covering up his Chameleon Suit, as well as mostly hiding the bulge of his Ares Predator. Before leaving, Arakaki mentally remarked on the spartan nature of his new apartment, and toyed with the possibility of purchasing some furnishings, or a CHN with entertainment programs.
Maybe next month, if this job pays well. I do so hate not having a steady paycheck.
Ensuring the multiple locks on his door were secured, Arakaki shortly stopped by the landlord's office, to bid the old man good night. The old man returned the pleasantry with a glare and a terse reminder that rent was due in a week. Giving a light-hearted chuckle at the old man's incessance, Arakaki stepped back into his monocycle, and headed towards the Chop Shop.
((OOC: Completely forgot about Honorifics. Thank you, Kozak >_<))
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Kozak sipped from his teacup as he perused the news through the AR provided by his commlink, trying not to think about how hot it was. His clothing was sticking to his skin, something not helped by the fact that he also was drinking hot tea.
A terrible shame about the Oni woman.
Placing his cup down, he motioned for the steeper to bring him another pot of jasmine. One of the first things Kozak did after settling down in Neo-Tokyo was find a decent teahouse. None could come close to the tea his mother made, but eventually he found one that came close, and close to his apartment - The Silver Lotus. He had his armor jacket on over his normal clothing, helping to conceal his Colt Manhunter. He never felt quite right without its familiar presence at his side. It had only been months since he had left the UCAS and come to Japan and finding jobs had been hard. Luckily, he'd made friends with a contact, Ishida Tatsuya, a local fixer. So far, no prospects, but these things took time, he knew.
"Hoshida-san, is there nothing you can do about this heat. I feel like a cooked pig."
The ork steeper only laughed as he heated Kozak's pot of tea. He laughed as well, until he received a message.
<<Tinman>>
<< Job for U if U are OK to work with metas. Meet @ The Chop Shop ASAP>>
"Hoshida-san, apologies but cancel the tea. Something has come up. Maybe another time." He paid his tab, and left. Ishida had mentioned this Tinman in previous conversations, saying he would talk to Tinman about a job.
It seems Ishida-san has come through. I'll have to show my gratitude somehow. But this Tinman. I've never met him before. From what Ishida-san has told me, he's spent time in the Imperial Marines. An honorable man, at least I hope.
Outside the teahouse, Kozak entered his Comet, loading up directions to the Chop Shop on his AR. He sat for a few moments, as the AC filled the car with wonderfully cold air. Taking in a lungful of the chilled air, Kozak departed.
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July 13th 2072 20:15h
<< Job for U if U are OK to work with metas. Meet @ The Chop Shop ASAP>>
Operator rose up from the couch on which he was previously sprawled, staggering off to the bathroom within his Western-style apartment. While not nearly as spacious as Seattle's digs, it provided him with similar comforts. That was good enough for him, and luckily Tinman had just pitched a job offer that could secure his bills for another month.
Taking a few minutes to shower and dress, Operator left his apartment with an armored jacket worn over loose fitting, functional street clothing - the sort that was a grade or two above pressed vendor flats, while being cheap enough to discourage poorly motivated robbers. To further dissuade such behavior tonight, Operator elected to carry his standard issue knife inside his pants pocket, allowing the handle to be exposed against a backdrop of denim. It would serve as a silent warning to those with eyes and imaginations. Two additional weapons accompanied him to his bike: an Ares Predator concealed under his left arm and a pocket pistol worn at the ankle. He dared not bring anything bigger than that; even the Predator could be a liability in Japan.
The lone biker grimaced as he rode out to Chiba, local newsfeeds broadcasting the subway tragedy into his eyes and ears. The authorities would rule this as a suicide. After that, they shake down her relatives for money.
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Hirikara district: Chiba 22:00h
As you make your way towards The Chop Shop you hear a follow up to the news story about the accident on the subway. Representatives from Japan Rail and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police are releasing their official statements. The Japan Rail spokeman speaks first.
“Japan Rail extends is deepest apologies for the inconvenience caused by the incident at the Simbashi station this evening. I am pleased to inform you that due to the diligent work of our maintenance crews service has now returned to normal. Unfortunately the protective doors that prevent individuals from falling on the platform were not designed with the strength of an Oni in mind. Our safety commission will be reviewing our practices regarding such devices and upgrade them if necessary.”
The feed then cuts to a Metropolitan Police lieutenant
“After reviewing the security footage and speaking with witnesses we have come to the conclusion that this unfortunate incident was the result of a suicide. The Oni apparently forced the protective barrier open as the train approached and threw herself onto the rails. Unfortunately we have seen many such incidents among Kawaruhito since they have begun returning from their home on Yomi island. Many find that attempting to integrate with normal people is too difficult and choose suicide as an honourable option. We would encourage those changed people who are having difficulties to consider different options and think of the effect they may have on others should they choose such drastic action.”
The news net then cuts to sports. In something of an upset, the Hiroshima Carp defeated the Hanshin Tigers in extra innings earlier in the evening.
Like always, it takes forever and a day to actually get moving along Tokyo’s road system. Grid guide has helped a lot, but it doesn’t change the fact that there are still several million people all trying to move from one place to another at the same time.
As the glittering high rises of central Tokyo merge into the glittering high rises of Chiba you pull off the expressway and begin winding your way through the sterile corp buildings that form the beating heart of Japan’s high tech sector. You pass the host clubs and 24 hour Raman shops catering to the overworked sariamen and begin entering the built up wearhouses built on reclaimed land where Renraku along with hundreds of smaller fish ship product all over the world. The Metropolitan police of downtown Tokyo have given way to security guards wearing Renraku uniforms. Technically they’re out of their jurisdiction, but everyone knows that no matter who’s name is on the lease, Chiba is Renraku’s territory.
As you drive further to the south, you enter the Hirikara district. The streets get narrower, and the lights are spaced further apart and you begin to see the dark corners of the city where dirt likes to collect. You still see host clubs, but these are seedier, with hired muscle glistening with cyber standing in front of their their neon signs, flickering on occasion as Tokyo’s power grid re-routs electricity to other, more important neighborhoods in the sprawl. Gaijin sailors walk the streets, looking for a good time, and you see squatters and metahumans picking through refuse piles in alleys between buildings. The glizy AR adverts from downtown have given way to ads for call girls, cheap synth-beer, and ‘community clinics’ of questionable repute. You’re still a few blocks away from The Chop Shop but it’s getting tough to navigate the crowds in the street. You see a graffiti covered parking tower with an AR sign advertising “Parking 10 nuyen/hour. Safe.” The ‘safe’ part of the advertisement seems to centre around a board looking troll armed with a club standing in front of the entrance.
Making your way to the front entrance of The Chop Shop you hear the heavy bass of Orzit rap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F41m_ywC0Y) (probably not work safe) from the UCAS coming from the open door. Going in, you walk towards the bar and see that it is fairly crowded with various odds and ends from the dregs of society huddled around tables. The music is being piped through a cheap AR system, but the owner has invested in a reasonable holographic representation of the artist.
Asking for Tinman, the bartender points towards an empty table in the far corner. It seems you are expected to wait.
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Rush hour. The same no matter where you go.
Kozak leaned back in his seat, once more browsing the news while he waited for the sedan in front of him to start moving. The followup to the earlier story of the Oni woman came up onto his AR.
Suicide. If this wasn't Japan, I probably would scoff at the idea. But still. If I've learned anything in my time running, public suicides aren't usually suicides.
After what seemed like an eternity, Kozak finally entered Chiba, thanking anybody listening for the lighter traffic. He looks out his window, seeing the towers and highrises giving way to the less maintained buildings. Bars, hostess clubs and the like. He activated an ad-blocker he had installed, almost as soon as the ads begin bombarding him.
Noticing the "safe" parking garage, Kozak pulls in and parks, depositing enough for two hours as he exits the garage on foot. The music he hears coming from the bar reminds him of the UCAS.
Same shitty taste in music, halfway around the world. Give me some classic rock anyday.
He turns off the music as he enters, opting instead for the ambiance of the bar itself. After asking about Tinman, Kozak takes a seat at the indicated table, ordering a drink along the way.
Seems I'm the first to arrive.
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Spirit split the traffic when he could, the Tokyo traffic crawling at its usual pace. As he entered Chiba, a pang of shame coursed through him.
I should've taken another route
Mercifully, Chiba gave way to Hirikara, and the spam that accompanied it. Blocking the spam, Spirit decided to catch up on the news that he had missed as he crawled through the press in the narrow streets
Hiroshima pulled out a win? Now I am glad I chose to not place a bet on that game. Such a shame about the Oni. With their heritage one would think that they would choose Harakiri, instead of inconveniencing thousands of people.
Seeing the "safe" parking, Spirit chose to patronize the garage, as the troll looked capable, if a but brutish. He paid for three hours time as he crossed the threshold, and parked in an unambiguous spot.
After doing so, Spirit removed his contacts and sunglasses from the small storage cavity in his Dobie. Carefully placing the contacts on his eyes, and covering them with his glasses, he went to enter the Chop Shop, turning the distasteful music off the moment it came into hearing.
After being directed to the table, Spirit glanced at the man seated there. His obviously armored jacket informed of his status as what was most likely going to be his coworker for this job, given Tinman's tenacity with choosing his people. Assuming his role as a weary industrial worker, Spirit sat down unceremoniously, giving a casual bow from the neck to his counterpart.
Japanese: Hello, I hope you don't mind my sitting here with you. This place is very crowded tonight
Spirit - Still identified as Arakaki, even though his commlink was set to private - ordered a synthahol drink for himself. The house special, whatever that happened to be.
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Kozak makes a small nod in return to the stranger.
Japanese - "Please, have a seat. But there is no need for charades, friend. I saw you speaking with the bartender. May I assume that you're either waiting for the same person I am, or that you are said person?
He takes a sip from his drink.
Japanese - "But where are my manners, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Kozak, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. What may I call you?"
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Of course it has to be suicide. They all know that kawaruhito perpetuate that shame on themselves.
Operator chuckled dryly as the news report came in, navigating his way to the Hirikara district. He kept his chin up while driving past some of the guards, doing his best to conceal a conceited smirk. Like any other megacorp, Renraku sure know how to put on a good appearance; they gave those poor slots clean uniforms and the burden of a 12-hour workday, which some would carry gladly.
Noticing the parking garage on his right, Operator stopped and gave the troll guard three seconds of consideration. (English) "Ah, what the hell.” Shrugging his shoulders, he pulled into the parking lot to purchase two hours' worth of security. He walked the remaining distance at a brisk pace, setting his public link into passive and disabling the gaijin music as he set foot into the Chop Shop. Thinking about the UCAS wasn't on his list of immediate priorities, and he wanted no distractions.
After a brief question with the barkeep, Operator took a seat at the far table, sporting a similar armored jacket to that of Spirit. The handle of a knife was also visible from his pants pocket. He also made a brief bow to the gathered men there, wasting no time in ordering a drink under his Kurosawa alias.
(Japanese): "Good evening. Were either of you unfortunate enough to wade through the rush hour?”
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Aishuku waded through the heavy traffic of downtown Tokyo, half listening to the news feed coming across the link.
Stupid Oni. While there is honor in preserving your family name, you should have not come back.
With the traffic increasing, Aishuku turns on the van's pilot program, allowing the vehicle to safely navigate its way for him. When the story of the ball game comes on, he smiles a but.
I KNEW I should have put money on Hiroshima!
He pulled into the garage, nodding at the troll as he slid his certified credstick through the payment slot, opting for 3 hours in the event this took some time. He thought about taking the roomsweeper with him, but decided that was a bad idea. Still, he double checked the compartment to make sure things were good with his gear.
Once inside the club, he set his link to filter out the spam and crappy ads, making sure he could see the holo of the artist while listening to the music. He was directed to the table where the others were, and without asking, sat down.
Interesting about Hiroshima, he asked the others, a smile gracing his face.
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Japanese - "Interesting isn't the word. More like disappointing. I cannot believe the Tigers' right fielder missed the catch. Inches away from winning me a good amount of nuyen." Kozak shakes his head.
Yet another arrives. How many more till Tinman presents himself? No matter. At the least, I'll make some new acquaintances.
Kozak empties his bottle, signaling for another.
Japanese - "Did anyone else have money on that game? And did you hear of the Oni woman? Truly a shame, is it not?
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Operator merely nodded his head in agreement, a small smirk crossing his face in light of Hiroshima's overtime victory. While more partial to Urban Brawl, he did enjoy the atmosphere within a baseball stadium. (Japanese) "I expect that the rail authorities will pressure her surviving kin for restitution."
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Beth pulled into the parking area about a minute after Aishuku, squeezing the sleek royal purple Mirage between two sub-compacts. Absently she acknowledges the nuyen request by the Parking Lots node, paying for three hours. Not sure how long this will take, but better safe than sorry... I don't want to have to brave the impound lot yet again.. the young woman thinks to herself.
Dismounting, Beth sets her helmet onto the seat of the bike, then pulls a her armored jacket out of the tiny cargo compartment, pulling it on overtop of the tight racing leathers, then tucking the helmet under her arm. The weight of her Manhunter comforting beneath her left arm, while a simple survival knife can be seen at her waist.
After securing the bike against theft, Beth slips into the Chop Shop, hesitating just inside to allow her eyes to adjust to the lighting. A nod to the bouncer before slithering through the crowd to the bar; a few quiet words with the bartender and she is quickly directed to the table where the four men sit.
Great, looks like I'm the only girl coming to this party... I hope the chauvanism is kept to a minimum.
Confidently, the ex-cop slips through the crowd once more, taking a seat across from Operater before offering the men a quiet greeting in only slightly accented Japanese.
(Japanese) "Good evening... I trust I am not late?"
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As if on cue you hear heavy footsteps approaching from the bar and a grumbling voice says “No, you are not late.” Turning to look you see a massive tank of a man approaching. At a glance you’re sure this is Tinman. He’s wearing a camo patterned T-Shirt with a “Desert Wars 2057” logo on it, bluejeans and combat boots. He doesn’t look to be wearing any armour, which seems unusual, but then again judging by the plating you see outlined against his T-Shirt he’s probably better armoured wearing nothing but that shirt than a normal person wearing a the full body armour of a MCT strike team. He also doesn’t seem to be armed, but the spirits only know what sort of stuff is built into his ware. His head is shaved, but both his jaw and his scalp have a three-day growth of stubble. The light reflects off of his chrome arms as he sets a bottle of synthetic Shochu down on the table along with six tumblers. He bows towards the group and pours a good 3 fingers of the hard liquor into each glass passing them around the table before taking a seat and downing his drink in a single gulp. “I am Tinman. I have been hired to put together a team for an investigation. Tanaka-Sama wishes that I handle all negotiations on his behalf for now.” Once introductions are out of the way, he pours himself a second drink, lights a cigarette and says.
“As I am sure you understand, the integration of metahumans into our society has been… challenging. Oni, Trolls, Koborokuru and even Elves continue to face great difficulty in becoming accepted within Japan. Many who strive to gain acceptance and live without shame are even killed. You know of the ‘unfortunate incident’ on the subway earlier this evening?” he pushes a brief newsclip of the suicide across your PAN’s
“Tanaka-Sama does not believe that this was a suicide. The Oni who died was named Kusbana-San. She was a leader among the Oni and the other meta’s in Tokyo and owner of a cleaning business that employs many meta’s. She was in Chiyoda to visit the metropolitan government buildings to sign a contract for her company to begin cleaning the Tokyo sportsplex after hours… On her way home, she died… The police have already closed the investigation ruling it a suicide, but it makes no sense… This was a great day for her and her company, and Kusbana-San was never ashamed of who she was.”
Tinman pauses for a moment to take another drag on his cigarette.
“Now Tanaka-Sama requested that I hire humans who are not known to be associates of the meta community for this job. The officials have already ruled it a suicide and would resist any meta’s who might attempt to say otherwise. As humans you are more capable of getting information from those who may wish to sweep this under the rug. As far as payment goes I am to offer you five thousand nuyen up front for accepting the job. If you are able to find evidence proving that there was foul play involved then I am authorized to provide an addition two thousand five hundred as a bonus. If you are able to identify the perpetrators then I can provide a further bonus.
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Operator reclined in his seat, watching the heavily chromed man approach his party's table with a neutral expression - one groomed by several years within the Japanese Imperial armed forces and sanitized megacorporate halls. Tinman easily qualified as a senior figure in regards to fighting experience. CalFree must have taken a severe toll from him. He dexterously scooped up the offered drink, returning their host's gesture by downing the contents of his glass in one gulp. The alcohol burned down his throat, prompting a sharp breath; Tinman certainly liked his drinks to be as hard as his chromed body.
He waited patiently for Tinman to explain the job and its details before speaking. "I saw the story earlier this evening. Even without the details, I suspected foul play; metas are vulnerable to abuses on both sides of the law."
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When Beth sits down, Aishuku flashes a brilliant smile in her direction. He is about to make several innuendo-laden comments when Tinman approaches and puts the drinks on the table.
Our time is not to be now, my dear. Business first, pleasure later.
He bows his head towards Tinman, then scoops up the proffered drink. He salutes the table by slightly tipping the glass towards the middle of the table, careful not to spill any of the drink, then quickly downing the beverage.
Wow, Tinman. Is this stuff rated for de-greasing engines or killing brain cells?
He listens intently to Tinman's story about the Oni, and he reads the news brief when it is pushed to his PAN. He silently curses himself for his thoughts on the Oni on his drive to the bar.
I am sorry, Oni. I was dishonourable. I shall not make that mistake towards you or your kind again./i]
He continues to listen to Tinman, letting him finish his briefing about the job and the offer...
5,000 up front, 2,500 upon completion, and a potential bonus - man do I need the creds!
...all the while trying to ascertain if Tinman is being honest or if there is a little deception being put forth.
Judge Intentions, INT 5 + CHA 4 = 6 hits (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3608933/)
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Taking the offered drink, Kozak downs it, not without trouble as the liquid burns all the way down.
"Ooph, by my ancestors. Your liver must be made of pure steel."
He quickly activates his microphone and recorder as Tinman explains the story, in case he needed to review it later.
Hmm. I had an inkling this could not have been actual suicide. Though it makes me feel no better to proven right.
As Tinman finishes, Kozak speaks up.
"Is there anything at all you could tell us about who might have had a hand in this? I confess I haven't been in Japan that long, much less Neo-Tokyo."
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Wow, Tinman. Is this stuff rated for de-greasing engines or killing brain cells?
Taking the offered drink, Kozak downs it, not without trouble as the liquid burns all the way down.
"Ooph, by my ancestors. Your liver must be made of pure steel."
Judge Intentions, INT 5 + CHA 4 = 6 hits (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3608933/)
Tinman gives you a slight smile before tapping his chest so you can hear the ring of metal on metal. "De-greasing engines. Most my guts got pulped when my truck was hit by an IED in LA. Liver's one of the things they replaced."
You're pretty sure he's being honest, at least as far as he knows. However, if it was a murder, and the authorities are involved in covering it up who knows who you might end up pissing off by investigating it.
As Tinman finishes, Kozak speaks up.
"Is there anything at all you could tell us about who might have had a hand in this? I confess I haven't been in Japan that long, much less Neo-Tokyo."
In response to your question Tinman shrugs. "Not much I'm afraid. You could take your pick really from a pretty long list of people and groups who might want to see an Oni who's actually advocating for her people dead. Hell, it could just be random. Someone didn't like the idea of an Oni on 'his' subway and decides to send a message. It could be the Yakuza, but killing random meta's is quite far removed from the stuff they're normally interested in. I don't belive that Kusbana-San wasn't involved in organized crime other than paying protection money, so unless she was behind on that, or the Yakuza were hired by someone else there's no motive. Beyond that though it could be anyone. Even the Metropolitan Police have a stake in this. A lot of them are convinced that if meta's start working in the core, they'll start living there, and then crime, anarchy, and impoliteness will rule the streets..." Tinman pauses for a moment, swirling his drink in his glass and thinking. "Personally I'd be eyballing the corps. It was pretty messy by their standards, but I wouldn't put it past them. If the government starts hiring meta's to do work like this then it could hurt the market for cleaning drones. I doubt they'd have done anything directly though. That means you're either looking at runners, or Kigyo-Zoku."
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Goodness. I should probably call a doctor to see if that drink will have any effects. And it probably is titanium, looking at the ware he's boasting.
Japanese - "I see. I wouldn't put it past corporations to do this kind of thing. I think the first thing we need to do is investigate Kusbana-San's home, maybe speak with some of her associates. Do you have her home and business addresses?"
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Aishuku laughs when Tinman taps his chest. He listens to Tinman, making a mental note of everything being said, and raising an eyebrow when Kigyo-Zoku is mentioned. He is about to speak when Kozak speaks up, so he waits his turn. When Kozak is finished, Aishuku chimes in.
I agree that we should search her house. I'm also curious about what may lie in her office, as well as the details of the contract to clean the Tokyo sports-plex. As far as runners or Kigyo-Zoku...we could be looking at both. Runners with corporate ties, maybe?
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As she settles into her seat, Beth eyes the others at the table; Aishuku's brilliant smile in particular draws a curious look, although her glance is torn away when Tinman sits.
I could have problems with that one... that smile had 'womanizer' written all over it.. she muses to herself as Tinman begins to speak, wrapping her fingers around the glass but not drinking from it just yet.
"I agree with you, and the others... this doesn't feel like a suicide. Even still, Oni are fairly strong are they not? I wouldn't think some random racist would be able to do that, especially with the safety doors." Beth brings up as people begin to push around ideas and theories. "Is there any way we can get access to the camera footage of the platform?"
Leaning back in her chair a little, Beth raises the cup to her lips and takes a swallow; having seen the others reactions she was expecting something strong, but wasn't prepared to be seeing stars! Coughing softly against her hand, she sets the cup down and gives her head a shake. "Jesus." she slurrs, tongue rather on the numb side.
Beth listens for a few more minutes, letting her tongue regain its feeling before speaking again. "I'd put my money on Corps as well, for the same reasons... with your Emperor trying to make metas more accepted, the Corps have been pretty heavily opposing it."
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As he listens to the group, he quickly orders some coffee, as to counteract whatever effect the alcohol Tinman poured would have. He nodded when Beth brought up the fact of Oni strength.
"I think the young lady has a point. We'll need the security footage to confirm, but I don't think anyone could have physically forced her onto the rails. Whoever is behind this either had something incredibly damning to blackmail her with, or they employed mages. In either case, this seems more and more like something the corporations would do. And corps are corps no matter where you go. If they stand to lose on their bottom line, they'll go to great lengths to ensure that doesn't happen."
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Operator sipped at his remaining glass of the house's special, considering the different angles of their investigation. “I wouldn't discount the 'anyone' so soon, Kozak; the right augmentations could match her strength. My interest lies in the fact that this deed was done in a crowded public place. Mages? That's a sure bet. Hackers are also possible. Have you ever met a person willing to bribe so many pairs of civilian eyes?”
He glanced around the gathered inviduals, flashing a self-assured smile. “I'm Ken Kurosawa, or Operator if you prefer to work on a codename basis. I'm looking forward to the job, if only to get some bills paid and determine if this was a question of greed or racism.”
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Tinman leans back and crosses his arms across his chest.
"So you accept the job then? Good. Here is a link to the escarow account containing both your retainer and the bonus should you be able to prove it was a murder. The password for the account is 'Oni'. Also I have the address for her company, and her home. I would suggest calling ahead. Meta's can get a little nervous when a bunch of humans show up and start poking around. Her husbands name is Jojin-San and her business partner is a Koborokuru named Akio."
<<Tinman>>
<<Macco Financial Acct# 8070-873459>>
<<Simply Clean: Yokohama, Sigasaru Ward, Block 4871, Hiragachi building Suite 713 >>
<<Residence: Yokohama, Sigasru Ward, Block 7532, Building C, Suite 432>>
"If there are no other questions, I will leave you to your work. I will pay for your tab. Buy some dinner if you desire. The tempura fish from next door is actually quite good and you can order it from the bartender here. It's krill, but they have the texture right. Thank you very much for your time.
If no one speaks up to interrupt him Tinman will stand up, taking the bottle of liqour with him, approach the bar say something to the bartender while gesturing at your table and walk out the front door. Anyone who checks the account and provides the password "Oni" sees a balance of 7500 nuyen with a 5000 nuyen available balance.
-
Aishuku, not wanting to be greedy but at the same time not wanting to let his share of the creds just sit there, punches the account data into his commlink, and then transfers his shared to his own credstick.
5,000 nuyen...5 of us...that's 1,000 each...
He then adds the 2 addresses to his commlink, storing them for future use.
In case we get separated, at least I'll still have the details so I can try to finish this job.
He sits back in his seat, that brilliant smile still flashing across his face. He looks the group over, still trying to calculate the next move with this job.
I am going to assume that we shouldn't split up as there is safety in numbers. If what Tinman has told us it true, this could get very dangerous very quickly. Where do you think we should start first? Personally, I'd like to start with the business. That contract with the sports-plex could have been very lucrative. And money equals rivals. But that is my opinion, and I would like to hear your thoughts before we set off...
-
“I'd vouch for splitting to cover these two leads at the same time; one group of two, and one group of three. Since we are dealing with a grieving widower, I'd suggest that our group of two visit him while the rest of us gather details about Kusbana-san's company.”
Operator downed the rest of his glass, sharing glances with each other person. His gaze lingered on Aishuku for an additional second before he addressed the table. “There is merit in not letting any one person go alone on the streets, but I also think that a full group of five will draw attention or cause undue stress. Should we hold a more private discussion about our individual talents?”
-
Kozak checked the account quickly, confirming the 5000 nuyen available balance.
This will come in handy if we need to grease some palms.
"I think that's a good idea, Operator-san. Would everyone be comfortable continuing this over dinner, as Tinman suggested? Or shall we retire to a more private place?"
-
For the first time all evening, Aishuku's smile faded.
Your suggestion to discuss talents has merit, but I fear we are lacking the proper time. The longer we wait to get started, the more time someone else has to cover up the truth behind the events we are investigating. If you must know, I'm a driver and chemist, in the simplest terms. I would love to go into more detail, but I believe we should get moving as quickly as possible. I volunteer to go to Kusbana-san's business.
-
Following in Aishuku's example, Kozak spoke.
"I can be sneaky when the situation calls for it, but I prefer doing the talking. And I volunteer to speak with the widower."
He checks the time.
It's beginning to get late. I hope this meeting doesn't last much longer.
-
“We can resume our investigation tomorrow when the sun is up. I am willing to visit the subway; otherwise I will be getting some rest prior to our appointments.”
Taking a pen from his pocket, Operator scrawled a commcode on a handful of blank business cards and distributed them to the runners. “You can reach me with this number.”
-
Hirikara ward: Chiba 23:30h
The number of patrons in The Chop Shop is starting to dwindle down as the dock workers and other working class folks start making their way home to get some sleep before another 10+ hour workday tomorrow. A pair of Renraku security guards wander in, give everyone in the joint the stinkeye and have a short conversation with the bartender before leaving.
-
Aishuku picks up the business card, turning it over several times before settling on the comm-code. He deftly inputs the number into his own Commlink, and then pushes his contact information back out to Operator. He then quickly, and quietly, gives the others at the table his contact information.
We have some time to kill before we can go to the Oni's house or business. I would like to get some form of sleep this evening.. he spits out as he begins to yawn ...and then tackle the business in the morning....
His voice trails off, and the expression on his face shows that he is deep in thought. After several seconds, he speaks up.
You know, the house and the business are probably both going to be knee-deep in police and security tomorrow morning. And the subway video may not exist by the time we all wake up. I am going to swing by the subway station on my way home and do a little minor snooping, if anyone wishes to join me. If not, where and when shall I meet the other 2 of you that are going with me to Kusbana-san's office?
-
Beth remains rather quiet through most of the meeting, letting the males talk, listening carefully to each of their opinions and ideas. As Tinman gets up to leave, she offers him a gracious little bow from the waist, respectfully; she may be gaijin, but she won't be accused of being disrespectful!
Once he is gone, however, she nudges her glass away, then signals to a waitress and orders a light Saporo instead, along with some of the fish that Tinman suggested. Done with that, she turns her attentiosn back to the men as they continue their discussion.
"I'm surprised Tinman didn't introduce us. I prefer to be called Nightshade... my real name isn't particularly important." she offers, her tone low but relatively sincere. "As for what I do.. " she trails off and shrugs. "I worked for Lone Star for four years... that should probably be enough. I know my way around the streets, and I know my way around a fight. Don't expect anything fancy, though." Nightshade finishes, shrugging again.
"Are any of you... familiar with the more intimate details of the Matrix? I agree that the surveillance video may well be gone by tommorow.. hell, it might be gone by now. We need someone to get into the system to get a copy of it, at the very least."
As Operator passes around his commcode, Beth adds it to her own, then offers up her own commcode to the four of them. "I'm going to hang around here for a bit longer... I'm starving, and I'm not passing up a free meal." Beth chuckles softly, showing that perhaps she's not always totally serious.
"After that I might poke around a little... see if I can dig up anything. I don't need a lot of sleep, generally."
-
Kozak takes the card, saving the comm-code, while passing out his own. He ponders leaving, when his stomach growls.
"It seems I'll be joining you on the free meal, Nightshade-San. I don't know about the rest of you, but the only thing I've had all evening aside from the quite robust drink is tea. Afterwards, I'd be glad to join you and Aishuku at the station. Perhaps one of guards would be willing to talk."
-
A decent, FREE meal sounds good about now...
I think I shall join you for the meal. We can then leave straight from here to go to the subway station.
Aishuku flags down one of the waitresses and asks her to bring them a set of menus for the place next door. When they arrive, he places a decent order - Udon, steamed with fish and fried in sesame and garlic oil, with a side of edamame. When the food does arrive, he eats quickly and cleanly, not talking during the meal as he feels it would be rude.
-
Operator rose up from his seat, bowing briefly to his associates. “I will excuse myself for now, as I have some calls to make. Notify me when you leave for the subway and I will meet you there.”
Departing from the Chop Shop, Operator hurried back to the parking garage where his bike was stored. I'll message Hans and pick his brain. Yamaguchi may also know something, but I can't risk tipping off the Yakuza too early. Wasting little time, the Japanese man started the Mirage's engine and took off into the neon-lit streets.
<@Mark Hans>
<<Mark, how is the sim market treating you? I can't thank you enough for looking after my warehouse while I handle affairs here in Nihon. I'd like to inquire if you know of or have had dealings with a Yokohama cleaning firm named "Simply Clean." If our schedules permit, we should go to lunch - my treat.>>
-
Simbashi Subway station: Chiyoda ward: Tokyo. 00:45H
Your food arrives and like Tinman said it's pretty decent. Nothing special, and you're pretty sure that the fish is actually krill but at least it tastes decent.
After eating your meal and spending a few more minutes talking you start heading towards the subway station. The trip is largely uneventful. Even the traffic has died down considerably. The station itself is in the heart of the government offices for Tokyo and the JIS. There are still some lights on in the gleaming modern buildings that symbolize the power and prestige of the Japanese Imperial State as bureaucrats and government staffers do the work of managing a country with interests spread across every time zone in the world. The bulk of the workers have long since left however, having been replaced by a small army of cleaning drones and their human overseers who will be working throughout the night to ensure that there is not even a blade of grass out of place in the neatly manicured lawns and gardens surrounding the buildings.
During the drive in you see very little overt security, but anyone who is native to Japan knows that just driving through this ward will get your vehicle scanned by a hundred different cameras and the registration cross referenced with almost as many different databases. You'd better hope your papers are all in order. You are able to find parking near the subway station and since it is after 11PM it is free until 4AM.
Going down the escalator to the subway you pay for a fare and begin your investigation.
-
Stepping off the escalator, Kozak takes a look around the station.
Hmm. For a place widely known as the heart of Neo-Tokyo, I'd expect it'd be busier, despite the hour. Glad it's not though. It could make things more difficult.
He opens up his AR, bringing up a top-down map of the station, hoping to find the security station.
"Obviously, our first priority should be obtaining a copy of the security footage. Anyone have suggestions?"
-
Aishuku let the step-van drive itself to the subway station, the pilot program easily navigating the heart of Neo-Tokyo. And doing a much better job of it than he could. This gave him time to pull up the earlier news story on the Oni on his commlink so he could study exactly where the accident happened.
Once at the subway station, he made his way down the escalator, putting his goggles on as he did so. At Kozak's question, he stopped.
I don't know how we are going to get that security vid. But I would like to take a look at the scene itself, if you don't mind. I'm sure it's been sterilized by now, but you never know.
With that said, he follows the AR instructions to where the accident happened - hoping it isn't too far from where he ran into Kozak - and he scans the place, looking for anything that may be a clue or point to something else that might be.
Perception 3 + INT 5 + Cybereyes Vision Enhancement 1 + Goggles Vision Enhancement 3
12d6.hits(5) = 5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3615247/)
-
Arriving within Simabashi, Operator accompanied Aishuku to the accident scene and trained his eyes towards the ceiling and pillars overlooking the tracks.
Let's see how many cameras were watching Kusbana-san. Considering this is the heart of the Empire, a thoughtless disruption of their feeds would have brought about an immediate response.
Perception 6 + Intuition 4. Op is specifically searching for the presence of cameras that would have observed the accident.
10d6.hits(5) = 1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3615609/)
Also rolling Knowledge: Security Design with 6 dice.
6d6.hits(5) = 0 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3615832/)
Great rolls on both accounts, right?
-
Beth eats her meal with quick and quiet efficiency, all the while keeping in mind the local customs over the consumption of meals; while this may be a bit of a dive, it pays to make a good impression on the locals. Once she has finished both the tempura "fish" and her Sapporo, she uses her commlink to leave a small but appreciative tip for the waitress before standing.
A nod to Aishuku and Kozak. "I'll travel with you two... I've got a bike parked nearby." she explains, then heads out of the Chop Shop and heads back towards the parking lot. Once there, she does a quick walk-around of the bike, checking for any signs of damage or sabotage. Perhaps a little odd in behaviour, but it carries back to her time in Law Enforcement where an officer was required to check a vehicle before taking possession of it.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3615698/
(Perception 8 + Vision Enhancement 3 = 11dice; 4 hits, probably success)
Satisfied that there appears to be no damage or sabotage, Beth smiles to herself, shrugging out of the lined coat and stuffing it into the saddlebag, then mounting up and donning her helmet. After consulting a map of the area, she starts up her bike, then waits for Kozak to take off, following him.
@Kozak: Lead-on, I'll follow a couple of car-lengths behind.
After arriving at the subway station, she parks a few spots away from Kozak; dismounting she pulls the lined coat back on, stowing the helmet into the saddlebag for safe keeping. Checking her sidearm and backup, she then moves to follow Kozak and Aishuku into the Station.
When Kozak pipes up with a question, Beth looks to him. "Matrix work isnt my specialty, and poking around might set off alarms if it's not done delicately.." she replies, then tilts her head. "I'd suggest we communicate via commlink.. never know who or what might be recording us." she adds in a lower tone.
Immediately, she sends both Kozak and Aishuku a subscription request; if/when they accept, she opens up a voice-chat window and links them both into it (her persona, incidently, looks like an athletic woman in generic SWAT armor of black and royal purple, a helmet with a full faceplate made up of a reflective material and an energy-sheathed katana).
Casually she follows Aishuku a half dozen paces behind, keeping an eye out for potential threats; once they arrive at the crime-scene she starts to slowly make her way around it in a circle, scanning the area and using her knowledge of law enforcement protocols and crime-scene management to try and get into the heads of the detectives who processed the scene in the first place.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3615723/
(Knowledge: Law Enforcement 6 dice; 3 successes)
-
Kozak subscribes to Nightshade's voice-chat as he follows the group to the crime scene, utilizing his sub-vocal microphone to keep things quiet. He also activates his regular commlink integrated microphone, to help make sure nothing sneaks up on them.
Listening Perception : Int 4 + Device 2 - 6d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3616001/)
Taking a quick look at the crime scene, he's impressed at how it looks like nothing happened despite the contrary.
Finding anything here is gonna be hard.
Kozak activates the Ultrasound in his contact lenses, trying to find any cameras that may have seen the incident, while scanning the area the old-fashioned way.
Visual Perception: Int 4 + Device 3 - 7d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3616010/)
Yay for teamwork.
"Think we'll find anything here?"
-
Like you suspect, the platform and rails have been scrubbed clean. A full forensic team could probably find a spot of blood or something, but short of pulling up tiles, or jumping onto the tracks yourself the physical evidence is just gone.
Digital evidence however seems to offer a better chance at success. You see at least 2 different cameras that would be well positioned to see the gate that Kusbana went through. There is a 3rd one that offers a wider angle of the rest of the platform too. You might not see Kusbana, but you'd be able to see most everyone else on the platform.
The security office is clearly marked on the public AR map for the station.
-
Nodding in satisfaction, Operator purchased a soft drink from a vending machine and sat down on a bench. He loaded a basic image editor into his hidden commlink and drew out the scene as he observed it, notating the cameras' positions and angles. There's two cameras which would have spotted her on arrival, and the third one will let us notice sudden movement before the accident.
His gaze drifted back to the platform where Aishuku, Beth and Kozak were carrying out their extensive search. Minding his presence within a public location, Operator sipped from his beverage and looked towards them with the kind of interest a stranger might offer to curious locals. “You can see it for yourself! Our janitors are exceptionally hard working individuals.”
<@Nightshade>
<Treat me as a bystander in front of the electric eyes and authorities so we draw less attention. If you have the ears of our friends, please pass that on for me.>>
-
Aishuku stood there, looking over everything he could, biting on his lower lip slightly. As he stood there in thought, his fingers deftly depressed the correct set of keys to accept the invitation to join the private network of Nightshade.
As I thought - the place has been sanitized pretty well. But at least we know about the positioning of the cameras. If one of them can break into the security system, we may get some answers.
He stands there, near the edge of the platform, looking down both directions of the subway tunnel, as well as down into the tracks themselves to see how far away from the edge they are. He then walks towards one of the benches - not one that Operator is on - and he plugs his earbuds in, pretending to be listening to some audio-book through his commlink and waiting for one of the trains to arrive.
Now to sit and watch the trains as they come in. Which direction, how far from the platform, where the passengers get off...so much to take into account here.
Perception 3 + INT 5 + Cybereyes Vision Enhancement 1 + Goggles Vision Enhancement 3
12d6.hits(5) = 3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3617804/)
-
Nothing. Should've figured.
Kozak nodded his head as his gear spots the cameras.
Looks like we'll have to get the footage.
Speaking into his subvocal microphone, he talks with the others, hoping they've subscribed to Nightshade's voice chat.
"Looks like we'll have to head to the security office after all. It's marked on the map, so it should be no trouble finding it. Question now is, how do we get what we need? I'm sure the office is being manned by one or two guards."
-
Beth gives her head a little shake as she surveys the scene. Damn. What I wouldn't have given for crime scene techs this good back in Seattle. she ponders, then gives her head a shake. At this point, Operator's message bleeps for her attention.
<@Operator>
<Will do. We've got a private chat going on. Feel free to subscribe.>
The techs here in Neo-T are pros, no physical evidence to go on. Operator is playing the part of bystander, so don't pay him muhc mind. she sends to the others in the chat. If one of you can link into the local security net, you might be able to get a glimps inside the Security Office if they have cameras in there. We might get lucky and it be an automated system. Beth adds, not entirely convinced.
While conversing in the subscribed chat, Beth makes her way over to one of the public terminals and begins to poke around at the schedule and local maps, mostly to cover her semi-distracted conversation.
Its possible that something might have been missed on the tracks, but it seems unlikely... and probably not that relevant. We want the killer, not evidence of the victim.
After fetching a surprisingly hot can of coffee from a vending machine, Beth sits down at the same bench as Operator, but doesn't give any indication of knowing him. Instead, she accesses the local news network, checking to see if there was any word on where the Oni's remains may have been taken for processing.
(Data Search) 4d6.hits(5) → [2,2,5,3] = (1)
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3620042/
-
Spirit entered the Subway station, and immediately set himself to sitting on a bench near a trash receptacle, wavering just enough to make himself look like an industrial worker that had spent the night at the bar.
Subscribing to the private chat, Spirit had confirmation on what he had suspected, nothing physical was going to be left behind. He couldn't recall offhand if the security office here was manned or not, but physically breaking into it would be the last on his list of options, as the amount of cameras here would end this endeavor rather quickly. Sadly, he had left his PocketHackerDeluxe in his other pants, so that was out of the question. Deciding to look and see if anything has been uploaded to the less-mainstream YouView-type sources, Spirit set his commlink to browse for anything regarding the death.
Data Search(Browse): 2 Hits, no glitches (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3620065/)
I would like to get an hour of sleep or two before speaking with the family. ...Unless the family is already being visited by the same people as their daughter.
Spirit stood up, wavering a bit again. He looked around the station as if he had seen it for the first time, and began walking out of the station, mumbling about rail stations all looking the same. As he left the station, he dropped the charade and switched his broadcasted SiN to that of a different industrial worker he looked somewhat like, and stepped into his Dobie, making way to his home after ensuring he had no tail by obfuscating his roue and double-backing a few times.
@Private Chat #552375
I'm having a look to see if there are any shows like the one we want to watch, I'm heading to the place to make sure everything is ready in the morning, as well.
-
Aishuku: By timing the trains you see that sure enough they do arrive on time, or at least with 30 seconds of their scheduled arrival time. Even when they are late though there is an AR display above the tracks that gives you a 30 second countdown prior to each trains arrival. At this hour the trains are probably less than half full and people getting on and off do so quickly and efficiently. Each door lines up perfectly with one of the security doors on the platform and the train doors open first, before the platform doors open.
Beth: You notice that the train appears to be a mag-lev. The track itself is designed so that the train fits very closely with the platform. A child, or maybe even a dwarf might be able to squeeze into the gap if they were on the tracks, but a full grown orc would need an act of God to avoid getting hit. You are also able to find out that the body was taken from the scene by Crash Cart. Where it ended up though you're not sure.
Spirit: You begin poking around some of the darker corners of the Matrix searching for guerrilla videos of the suicide. After a few minutes searching you find a comlink video on a website run by StormFront, a large Humanist Power website with ties to Alamos 20K and the Humanis Policlub. The video is poorly shot and shakey but it is entitled "How the Japs deal with Trogs".
The video itself shows a crowded subway platform. From the right, a lone Oni pushes her way through the crowd towards the doors causing a bit of a stir as she does so. Standing directly in front of them the doors slide open on their own about 10 seconds before the train starts to arrive and suddenly the Oni disappears seconds before the train arrives at the platform its emergency brakes screeching as it tries to stop. You hear some shouting and the crowd begins surging around before the feed cuts.
-
A small smile crossed Operator's face as he subscribed into Nightshade's private chat. In stark contrast to the telephone switchboard associated with his visible commlink, Operator's chat icon resembled an American soldier from the second World War of the 20th century.
@Private Chat #552375
"Getting any useful information out of the security personnel will be an interesting challenge. We all know violence isn't an answer here, but perhaps we can leverage the news report in our favor. Metropol stated that Kusbana-san forced her way onto the tracks."
Operator glanced towards the platform doors where Kusbana was reported to have forced herself onto the tracks, studying them and the surrounding barriers for signs of damage. He then stood up, approaching the public bathrooms as a means of getting closer to the security office and taking a surreptious headcount of the guards on duty.
Two more Perception tests.
1) Studying the doors: 10d6.hits(5)= 3
2) Counting the guards: 10d6.hits(5)= 0 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3620347/)
Spending Edge to reroll guard headcount. 3/4 points remaining. 10d6.hits(5)= 4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3620353/)
-
Well, that was mostly pointless. All that told me was that I need to be here during the day to observe. Which I don't have time for. I guess a little research before I go to the business tomorrow...
Aishuku yawns slightly, stretching his arms over his head. He speaks into his subvocal microphone, addressing the others in the private chat.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Need some sleep before getting clean. Where we meeting for breakfast?>>
At the same time, he deftly uses his commlink to do a simple data search to find basic information about the Oni's business, as well as news clippings on the sports-plex cleaning contract.
Data Search 0 + LOG 3
3D6.hits(5) = 1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3620358/)
Note: IC is being ridiculous this morning and not letting me log in. Not sure why.
-
((OOC: Getting this done for everyone else before I work on the rest of my actions))
Upon reviewing the low-quality footage, Spirit sent the file to the rest of the team via their private chat
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<This is why we can't have nice things, if StormFront is to be believed. [file attached]>>
-
Kozak walks over to a vending machine, buying a cold can of tea.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Unless any of us can remotely connect to the security system and get the footage, I'll try and talk to the guards, see if I can't convince them to give us a copy. If that fails, I'll try and distract them long enough for one of us to get in, get a copy, and get out.>>
-
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Unless any of us can remotely connect to the security system and get the footage, I'll try and talk to the guards, see if I can't convince them to give us a copy. If that fails, I'll try and distract them long enough for one of us to get in, get a copy, and get out.>>
Spirit turned his Dobie around, since he had only just left the rail station. He wasn't about to let this team do something so bold without him being there to have it done proprely.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Turning back now. If we need a bit of entertainment I can do something>>
-
As Kozak approaches the security office he sees a board looking security guard playing an AR game on the other side of a glass panel. A second guard is visible in the back, idling flicking through camera feeds. Both are wearing the uniforms of "New Dawn Security", a AA security company based out of Osaka with a reputation for employing friendly, (human) security guards for low risk jobs that involve a lot of interaction with the public. Both guards are armed with stun batons. Upon seeing you approach, the security guard at the window clears his game and and stands up with a smile on his face giving a polite bow as he asks:
"Good evening sir. What can I help you with tonight? Do you need directions?" As he is speaking, an AR display of the Tokyo subway map pops up behind him with a small chibi character holding a "You are Here" sign over Simbashi station.
-
"Good evening to you as well, sir. It is a pleasure to meet you." said Kozak, bowing in return. He activates the microphone in his commlink so the others could hear him. "I hope I wasn't interrupting what looked like a most interesting game. And thank you, but no, I don't need directions. In fact, I'm here specifically to speak with you. My name is Ayasaki Shinichiro . I work for Renraku as an assistant to one of the Claims Investigators, and I'm here because I've given the task of obtaining a copy of the security footage from today's incident. I'm sure you gentlemen have heard and read of the terrible tragedy involving the Oni. As the Oni, Kusbana-San, and her company were recently contracted by Renraku, it's my duty to make sure any and claims made against us by her family or company have no ground. So I would appreciate your hasty co-operation in this matter."
Cha 5 + Con 4 + First Impressions 2 - 11d6.hits(5)=8 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3622825/)
-
Leaning back a bit on the bench, Beth smiles a little to herself as she listens in on Kozak and his conversation with the guard.
<@Private Chat 552375>
<Claims investor. Nice touch, Kozak. If they ask why you are here so late, maybe explain that you wished to avoid undue media coverage in this case?> she suggests, her lips barely even moving.
Damn, I wish I had payed more attention during our Cyber-crimes seminars. Or had the foresight to contact Shayne. She might be in Hong Kong right now, but it's really not that far of a commute. Beth sighs, thinking of the cute albino elven hacker she knew from back in North America.
Beth sits up a little as Kozak's conversation continues, the former officer looking up and down the platform briefly, keeping an eye out for potential trouble... or to be trouble, if it comes down to it.
-
The guard's smile falters for a fraction of a second as he says
"Of course Ayasaki Sama. I understand why Renraku may wish to investigate this further. This is highly irregular however so would you permit me to contact my supervisor first?"
Charisma 4, Sense motive 2 6d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3623349/)
You get the impression that he believes you, and you intimidate him a bit. You could probably nudge him into simply handing over the info without waking his boss up if you pushed a bit. You also remember that New Dawn officers tend not to be paid terribly well so...
-
"Please, feel free, though your supervisor will likely be very unhappy at receiving a call at such a late hour, especially for something they've already been informed of. But I understand completely. You're probably wondering why I'm here now, instead of having come earlier. Well, Renraku wishes to avoid any undue media attention on the matter, especially considering it has yet to be a full day since the tragedy. And on that matter, I trust you gentlemen won't mention any of this to the press? I'm sure you can appreciate the need for silence, and Renraku will of course be willing to show their thanks." Kozak raises his eyebrow in suggestive manner at the last few words.
Cha 5 + Con 4 + First Impressions 2 - 11d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3623463/)
Also, I'm not actually going to pay them. Just hinting at the possibility.
-
The security guard's shoulders seem to slump slightly. "You are right Ayasaki Sama. Please, allow me a moment to find the file you require."
After a few seconds, a file transfer request pops up in your PAN. Interestingly it is fronted by a form written legal letter demanding that you keep the material in confidence, and not distribute it outside of New Dawn Security or the Japan Rail system.
When you open the file you see the security camera angled towards the door that the Oni went through. Like in the video from Stormfront you see her push her way to the front of the crowd. Upon reaching the doors there is a hicup in the footage and suddenly the doors are open and the Oni has disappeared onto the tracks. The file is obviously missing a few critical seconds but finding out whether or not someone hacked it on the fly or it was done after the fact will take some digging.
-
Operator dropped his beverage can into an appropriate recycling bin, reviewing the Stormfront recording offered to him by Spirit. He glanced briefly at Aishuku, then looked back to the train platform's doors.
@Private Chat 552375
"Both Jojin-san's residence and the office for Simply Clean are located within Yokohama. If you need to stop for breakfast, I suggest you pick one restaurant on the way there and pray that the industrial zones aren't upwind."
Just as Operator subvocalized his response, something in the video caught his eye - the opening doors. I don't have to be a train employee to understand that this is a serious liability. He rewinded the video two times, watching it again to verify that he wasn't simply imagining things.
"Minna-san, this recording shows the train doors opening a few seconds before the train arrived."
-
"Domo. Be sure that I'll make favorable mention of both of you to my superior and yours." Kozak leaves, speaking into his subvocal as he turns his back.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Got it. Meet outside in a few. Don't want to attract attention from the guards.>>
-
Aishuku stands and stretches, yawning wide for the cameras. He bends over a couple of times, his hands on his lower back, to make a better impression of stretching out tired muscles. Sub-vocally, he replies into the commlink.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<On my way out right now.>>
He walks over to the stairs, fumbling with his commlink, still trying to pull up news clippings about the Oni's contract for the sports-plex.
-
Spirit waits outside the rail station, seated in the Dobie, mentally reviewing the events of the evening after seeing that the security footage was hacked. This Kozak seemed to be competent, which made Spirit's outlook for the mission slightly brighter.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<I will be heading back to the house shortly, anyone care to join me?>>
-
@ Operator: As you finish looking at the gate, even going so far as to casually walk by it once or twice you don't see any damage whatsoever. Heck, the paint is barely even scratched. Whatever caused the gate to open was almost certainly not brute force like was said in the news reports.
@ScareCrow: There is very little information on A Simple Clean. A very basic matrix node owned by the company explains the services they offer, claiming that their 'human touch' makes them superior to an automated cleaning system and that they specialize in cleaning offices and commercial properties. All of their employees are bonded with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and there are a half dozen or so testimonials from small businesses you've never heard of talking about how wonderful they are.
As far as the sports plex contract goes you manage to find a single human interest story talking about the contract from several months ago. It was written by a small news net talking about how the company was making 'great strides' towards improving the reputation of metahumans in Japan and that Kusbana's friendly demeanor and good business sense was doing very well improving the reputation of Oni.
-
@Private Chat 552375
"Nothing more for me to discovere here; the gate has no signs of damage. No chipped paint, no warps, no consistency with the 'official' story. Shall we get breakfast prior to an appointment with Akio-san?"
Operator turned to exit through the subway entrace, keeping a relatively straight face for the cameras.
-
Aishuku walked up the stairs, listening to the conversation intently. He watched the video sent his way of the subway footage as quickly and discreetly as he could, silently agreeing with the rest of the team that the footage looked iffy at best.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<I'm going to head to the business to snoop around there a bit. I'll drive - it's what I'm good at. I'll swing the van around the corner to the east. If you're going with me, meet me there in about 5 minutes.>>
Aishuku then walked casually to where his van was parked, and drove nonchalantly to where he instructed the others to meet him, picking up whomever was waiting. As soon as they were all in the van, he pulled up a map showing directions from his current location to Kusbana-sans office, again taking the least visible route.
-
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<I shall join you.>>
Kozak walked to where Aishuku had indicated, and stepped into his van when he arrived.
"We can go over the footage while you drive."
-
Confident that he was going to be alone staking out the parent's home, Spirit decided that since he by himself would be of no use against a team of cleaners, he would follow Aishuku-san's lead, and went to the business, using a different obfuscated route than the van. He felt a bit uneasy leaving a possible loose end go, but without proper backup, he wouldn't accomplish a thing if that possibility did come to fruition. Besides, the information gathered from the business would most likely be just as-if not more useful than that from grieving relatives.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<I will meet you there, I want to bring my own vehicle, in case I need to leave earlier than expected>>
Since the streets were less-than-packed, Spirit let the integrated pilot system take care of the route he had programmed into it, and went over the StormFront video, analyzing it in detail to see if there was anything more to glean from it than was readily available on the security footage
Perception 2 + Intuition 5
4 hits, no glitches (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3629330/)
-
Sigasru Ward, Yokohama 03:20 h
Kozak Spirit and Aishuku (along with anyone else who goes with them) have an uneventful drive to Yokohama, Kozak and Aishuku in the van with Spirit keeping his distance on his monocycle. The only excitement is the construction crews on one of the overpasses that have the road reduced to one lane. Upon entering Yokohama the high rises of Neo-Tokyo give way to the fire and earthquake damaged structures of Yokohama. Power is sporadic here and your matrix connections are fuzzy at best. Operator, if you're along for the ride you get a vauge sense of unease... Something is not quite right here and you get a weird sense of... "sadness" or "loss" that you can't quite put your finger on. This is the closest thing to the barrens that Japan has on the main island, but even here it lacks the aura of menace found in other slums across the world.
Upon arriving at the building housing the offices for "A Simple Clean" you find a simple office tower, largely undamaged by the earthquakes that rocked the city 10 years ago. No lights are on anywhere in the building and everything appears quiet.
-
Operator climbed into the front passenger's seat of the van, nodding in acceptance; a utility van was unlikely to draw much attention to itself. He quietly reviewed the footage, letting Kozak and Aishuku discuss it in further detail. StormFront showed him all he needed to know; the subway and police authorities would lose face if they publicly admitted that the door systems were bypassed and used as an accessory in Kusbana's death.
Once they entered into Yokohama, his expression shifted from impassive observance to mild bewilderment. Operator leaned forward to inspect the ravaged district, gazing amongst broken buildings lining the road. What the hell am I feeling? I know what happened here, but this.. isn't the same as knowing. It feels like something else. The tower belonging to "A Simple Clean" survived the Ring of Fire disaster mostly intact, giving Kusbana's business viable office space.
He studied the tower's entrance, thinking back to the intermittent power feeds within the district. “In my opinion, I wouldn't trust maglocks here if the building is on the local grid without its own generators.”
Making a visual Perception test to notice anything amiss. 10d6.hits(5) = 4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3629686/)
If applicable, also making a Security Design test regarding what door locks and other safeguards would be taken. 6d6.hits(5) = 1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3629687/)
-
Once Operator and Kozak were in the van, Aishuku programmed the route into the computer and let the pilot program take over. He moved into the back, sitting opposite Kozak, and pulled up the video on his commlink, letting the holo-trid display so they could look at it in detail.
"I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at here. I can see the doors open slightly before the train arrived, but their isn't any visual evidence of Kusbana-san being pushed. In my opinion, the video has been changed to prevent anyone from seeing the truth."
When they got into Yokohama, Aishuku merely looked disinterested in the locale.
Reminds me of home, actually. The only difference between my apartment and this area is that I PAY to live there.
As they pulled up in front of the building, Aishuku began unhinging the cover to the smuggling compartment he had in his van. He pulled out his armored jacket and his roomsweeper, dropping the heavy pistol into a holster sewn into the underside of the left arm. He also pulled out 3 thermal smoke grenades, dropping them into one of the pockets in the jacket. He also studied the entrance of the building, looking for guards and anybody else that might be around.
"Well, we are here. Building appears to be empty. Are we waiting for an invitation, or are we going to go in unannounced?"
As he says this, he puts the lid back on the compartment, completely hiding its existence in the floor of the van.
Visual Perception
12d6.hits(5) = 4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3629555/)
-
Kozak watched the footage on the display Aishuku brought up.
"I agree, there isn't any evidence that Kusbana-san was pushed, but notice the hiccup in footage. This is security footage, not some trid. My guess is someone tampered with the footage, but we'll need an expert to go over it to be sure."
As they pull up to the building, Kozak watches Aishuku equip himself.
"Expecting trouble?"
-
"Expecting trouble?"
"Japanese: There are no authorities to speak of in this area, Kozak-san. There is nothing wrong with precautions."
Spirit came to them from the side, having parked his Dobie a few meters away. He had discarded the workman's clothes and instead was wearing his activated Chameleon Suit. If one cared to look hard enough, there was an obvious bulge below the small of his back, where a specialized pack contained his B&E toolkit, and the unmistakable outline of a handgun was attached to his right leg. Switching his commlink to private and null-ing the SiN attached to it, Spirit stepped towards the building, assessing it's likely security measures and giving a cursory look around.
Knowledge Security
Mnemonic Enhancer 1 (+), Corporate Security Procedures (+6), Logic (+5)
4 Hits, no Glitches (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3629764/)
Visual Perception
Vision Enhancement (+3), Perception Skill (+2), Intuition (+5)
One hit, no glitches (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3629777/)
The pistol is loaded with Ex-ex, with two additional magazines on standby, one of Subsonic ammo and the other with SnS. Current available ammunition:
15 Ex-ex
15 Subsonic
15 SnS
No round in chamber
-
@Spirit: Upon reviewing the footage you notice that immediately after the doors swung open there was a group of about 2 or 3 people who moved behind Kusbana immediately before she disappeared. They moved very quickly and vanished from the frame as soon as Kusbana fell. You can't see their faces, and it looks like they're all wearing a plain black sariaman suit, but they certainly didn't act like normal commuters.
Operator and Spirit: In this part of town the security tends to be very hit and miss. Typically there will be maglocks, and often motion sensors and other simple security devices but the response tends to be limited to what the property owner can afford. In the case of this building, the lower windows are barred and the front entrance is covered by a heavy security shutter with a maglock beside it. There is also a camera beside the front door. A faded sign advertises that security is provided by Nightwatch Inc. From what you know of them, you figure that if an alarm was tripped they'd check the cameras. If they saw something suspicious they'd alert the police and send a security guard to open the door for the cops. You figure that response time would be between 20 and 30 minutes..
@Scarecrow. As Operator and Spirit gauge the buildings security you think, though you're not 100 percent sure that you saw a brief flash of light from one of the 7th floor windows. A Simple Clean's offices are in suite 713...
-
Aishuku puts his commlink in private/hidden mode, and as he does so he sees - or, he thinks he sees - a flash of light coming from the 7th floor. He opens up the private channel to his teammates to warn them, speaking sub-vocally.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Guys, it looks like we may not be alone. I think Kusbana-sans offices are on the 7th floor, and unless my eyes deceive me, I just saw a flash of light up there in one of the windows. Give me a moment or two - I want to see if there's another way in.>>
Aishuku slowly gets out of the van, looking both ways to make sure nobody else is coming. He closes the door and quickly locks the van, then walks around the side of the building - so the cameras cannot see him, hopefully - looking for another way in.
Infiltration (to avoid the cameras)
AGI 4
4d6.hits(5) = 2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3631652/)
Perception (to spot other possible entrances)
Perception 3 + INT 5 + Cybereyes Enhancement 1 + Goggles Vision Enhancement 3
12d6.hits(5) = 3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3631653/)
-
@Private Chat 552375
"Let's move quickly and mind those cameras. Nightwatch reviews the footage if an alarm is tripped, and if they tip off the police then we can expect to see them in 20 minutes. Half an hour if they drag their feet."
Operator switched his public commlink into hidden mode and checked the gun in his jacket. While waiting for Aishuku and Spirit to scout the building for an entry point, he glanced behind his seat at Kozak and flashed the younger runner half of a smile. “Have you visited Seattle? Yokohama's present condition reminds me of the Barrens, although it is much less offensive.”
The Ares Predator in Op's jacket is loaded with regular ammo, no rounds in the chamber. He also has two spare clips, one loaded with regular and one loaded with Ex.
15/15 Regular (loaded)
15/15 Regular
15/15 Explosive
Op's jacket also contains shock frills, which are fully charged but not currently active.
10/10 Frills
-
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Designate the specific window, Aishuku-san. I will go directly>>
Pulling the hood over his head, Spirit activated his Chameleon Suit fully, and headed to the base of the building, avoiding the cameras.
Urban Infiltration 7+2 (Specialization) + 8 Agi
17d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3631780/)
Spending edge to reroll failures
12d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3631782/)
Rerolling 6, as edge is spent, no hit. Total hits for infiltration: 8
Reaching the base of the building, Spirit reached into his pack and pulled out his Gecko tape. Placing the knee-pads on first, then the slippers and gloves, Spirit began climbing to the seventh floor.
Assisted Climbing 1 + 2 Strength
3d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3631786/)
Urban Infiltration to maintain stealth while climbing
17d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3631798/)
Spending edge to reroll failures
11d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3631802/)
9 total hits, reroll of that one 6 not necessary
Current Edge - 4 (Because fuck glitches, that's why)
-
"I have had the honor of working a few jobs in Seattle. Though thankfully, my work kept me out of the Barrens. Though I dread to think of what it's like if your comparison is true."
Kozak stands behind Operator, readying his own pistol.
Kozak has a Colt Manhunter, with regular ammo, 3 spare clips, built-in laser sight, and a silencer.
-
As they wrap up their work at the Subway station, Beth indicates to the others that she will join them at the location of A Simple Clean's offices, but will take her bike since it is already there.
Once at the building, she pulls up beside the van, dismounting and pulling on her lined coat, checking to make sure her heavy pistol is easily accessible. To the others, she nods briefly in greeting.
"It occurred to me on the trip over that the Subway Safety gate could have been tampered with wirelessly... did anyone check the possibility? Network security isn't my strong-point unfortunately." she explains to them, frowning a little at her own ignorance. "If so, someone could have hacked in and opened them early."
Spirit in his chameleon suit draws an appreciative look from Beth, but she then gives her head a little shake before looking to the building itself, then to Operator. "I spent most of my life in Seattle, and yeah this has a Barrens sort of feel." she agrees, before nodding to Aishuku.
<@Private Chat 552375 >
<If the police here are anything like we were in Seattle, I'd bet money on them dragging their asses when it comes to this area... "
-
“I can't prove the door was hacked, either; it's outside of my specialty. However, I am good at noticing things - StormFront's bootleg recording shows the doors opening early, and there were no signs of physical damage that support the official story.”
Operator slipped out of Aishuku's van through the side door, watching the chat window in the corner of his vision. “As for Yokohama, the key difference is that Japan is still working towards its restoration.”
-
Sigasru Ward, Yokohama 03:26 h
@ Spirit: Climbing the building is no small task, particularly as you are trying to avoid notice. It'll take you a little while to make your way up, but you're confident that you can do it. You figure another 10-15 minutes and you'll be up.
@everyone else: You make your way to the alley on the side of the building. Sure enough you find another entrance. It looks like a entrance to the basement. There is no camera on this one, or rather the camera that was there has been ripped off and the maglock beside the door handle has had the cover pulled off and the wiring has been bypassed by a decoder pad that dangles, still attached to the door. The door is slightly ajar, but you don't detect any signs that there is anyone else around.
-
Seeing the broken security measures, Kozak double checks his pistol, and ensures the safety is off.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<It seems whoever is here, they're in a rush and they clearly mean business.>>
-
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<It seems whoever is here, they're in a rush and they clearly mean business.>>
Hearing this, Spirit took a deep breath and began climbing quicker, caring much less about stealth. If they were in a hurry, that meant he needed to be as well.
Climbing Check
3d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3636373/)
-
Aishuku pulls the roomsweeper from its holster and makes sure the safety is off.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<I'm running hot, so check your 6s to make sure you aren't in the line.>>
Aishuku slowly pushes the door open, carefully watching and listening for anything out of the ordinary as he makes his way into the basement.
Visual Perception: 12d6.hits(5) = 5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3636764/)
Auditory Perception: 12d6.hits(5) = 6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3636769/)
-
Noticing the door was breached, Operator switched out his Predator clip for another marked with a single band of foreboding red tape.
@Private Chat 552375
"Spirit, if you spot them first, let us know what they're carrying. We're going in."
Op is switching to his clip of Explosive ammo.
Visual Perception: 10d6.hits(5) = 4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3636773/)
Auditory Perception: 12d6.hits(5) = 4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3636779/)
Also, with the lights out in the building, what kind of visibility conditions are we facing?
-
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<I will link my eyes to this channel once I am in, moving as quickly as I can>>
Spirit clenches his jaw in effort as he moves toward the seventh floor, regulating his breathing as best he can.
Three Sararimen in the Railway. At least one will be here as well. Should switch to nonlethal if there is an opportunity.
-
Nightshade draws her own weapon, checking to make sure the safety is off and that the smartgun link is functioning properly. Satisfied, she nods to the others, giving Aishuku a light tap on the shoulder to indicate that she is good to go .
Should have brought my Ingram... didn't expect we'd go right from the meeting into the running though. she ponders, frowning a little. Giving her lined coats pockets a little pat, though, the ex-cop is glad for the slight weight produced by a number of thrown wepaons; flash-bangs and a flash-pak.
Better than nothing.[/]i
-
@Spirit: You start to pick up your pace, pulling yourself from ledge to ledge attempting to reach the 4th floor window as fast as possible.
As Aishuku pushes the door open, the rest of you see what is obviously a utility room. The buildings HVAC unit fills the center of the room and there is an pair of elevator doors with a maglock beside it on one side of the basement with the exit to what you assume is a fire escape a few feet to the side.
-
Aishuku sizes up the basement, trying to determine the best route to take to get to the 7th floor. He analyzes the layout of the building, using his Radar Sensor to try and get a floorplan complete with locations of any people and materials in the building.
Radar Sensor 4. Per AU page 36:
This device emits ultrawideband and terahertz radar in short stepped-frequency pulses. An expert system analyzes the Doppler shift in the bounced signals and converts the information into a three-dimensional “map” that overlays (or replaces) the user’s visual senses, similar in some ways to ultrasound. The advantage to the radar sensor is that it can “see” through walls and other materials, which appear as translucent. This system is excellent for detecting motion (even as slight as breathing), calculating exact distances, and allowing the character to visualize floorplans, locations of people, and placement
of materials like weapons. It is unaffected by visual tricks like camouflage and Invisibility spells. It is unable to ascertain colors, lighting, or other visual features.
The radar sensor uses the same Visibility modifiers as ultrasound. It can penetrate its rating x 5 of cumulative barrier Structure ratings (see p. 157, SR4). For example, a Rating 2 radar sensor could “see through” two Structure rating 5 walls. It can be used to detect weapons and cyberware on a person in the same way as millimeter wave radar (p. 255, SR4). Radar sensor cyberware has an effective Signal rating of 2 for determining the sensor’s range. Radar sensors are vulnerable to jammers and jamming.
I'm using the Radar Sensor to get a map of the building (or as much as I can get), complete with object placement between me and the extended range, to determine best course to get to the 7th floor.[/spoiler]
-
Kozak activates both his low-light and ultrasound, to help navigate the building.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Steady, everyone. Step lightly. We don't want them to know we're coming.>>
-
Looking around, it appears that the lower couple of floors at least are empty. The elevator shaft and stairwell both look pretty straight forward. Both seem to be in order at least. The only other method of getting around the building looks like its HVAC system. You might be able to crawl around the ductwork. It would be a tight fit, and slow going but you could do it.
-
Operator examined the HVAC duct, then both sets of doors before moving towards the fire escape and slowly nudging the door open.
@Private Chat 552375
"I'm listening for the intruders as we speak. They're in a hurry, so it should not be difficult to detect them if we remain quiet."
Operator will proceed up the stairs.
Infiltration test to remain quiet: 9d6.hits(5) = 4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3644027/)
Audio Perception as Operator moves upstairs: 12d6.hits(5) = 5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3644026/)
- Spatial Recognizer (p.333) dice if applicable: 2d6.hits(5) = 1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3644028/)
-
Beth offers a quick nod to Operator, moving so that she can peek past him through the tiny opening of the door; activating her low-light vision in the process.
<@Private Chat 552375>
<Let's not crowd up too much; we should try to cover the stairs and the elevator both.> she sends to the group. Giving Operator's shoulder a light tap, she then moves past him, nuding the door open just enough for her to slip through into the room/hallway beyond. Once through she'll lower her stance and, then slip forward to press against the opposite wall (if a hallway) or close cover (if a room).
-
Aishuku starts moving up the fire escape. He fires up his commlink once again.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Guys, I'm sending some data your way. If anyone sees anything in these images that needs investigating, let us know.>>
Aishuku then broadcasts the map of the building as he sees it to everyone through the private chat channel so they can see what he sees, and they can get an idea of the floor plan. He then continues escalating the stairs until he hits the 7th floor.
-
As you move up the stairs pausing periodically to check your radar for threats you pick up a living, not to mention cybered person coming down the stairs just as you are about to reach the 4th floor. Because of the thickness of the concrete stairs you don't see him until he is just about to reach the 5th floor landing himself.
Initiative:
Bullet: 11d6.hits(5)=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3646689/) (Initiative 15)
Kozak: 7d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3646694/) (Initiative 10)
Operator: 9d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3646700/) (Initiative 14)
Nightshade: 9d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3646702/) (Initiative 8 )
Spirit: 11d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3646706/) (Initiative 16)
Unknown Enemy 11d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3646706/) (Initiative 16)
You notice the form above you, at about the same time he seems to have noticed you... At least there is a pause from above, and you hear a loud clanking sound that echos throughout the fire escape as a metal cylinder bounces down the stairs, almost as if it were in slow motion before rolling to a halt on the 4th floor landing a few feet from your faces. It looks like either a flashbang or a smoke grenade from what you can see.
Spirit: At about the same time you reach the 7th floor window that Aishuku said he saw the light in. You see a darkened office with a pair of plain looking desks. No signs of life.
-
Aishuku sees the grenade land near his feet on the stairs and pays little attention to it. Knowing that he has both flare compensation and thermographic vision, the possibilities for smoke or flashing from the object hindering his sight would be minimal at worst and non-effective at best.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<We need this guy alive, so if you can avoid shooting him in a vital area, that would be awesome.>>
Aishuku then races past the grenade, up the stairs, hoping to make it to the 5th floor landing so he can come face to face with the unknown individual. When he gets a clean shot, he wastes no time in firing at the guy.
Initiative Pass 1/3
Free Action = Speak sub-vocally through commlink to the team.
Simple Actions = Quickly assess grenade (I can roll for demolitions, engineering, or chemistry if needed) and race up the stairs
Per imperialus, I am firing at the guy with the Remington Roomsweeper.
Pistols 2 + AGI 4 + Smartlink 2
8d6.hits(5) = 5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3648663)
Flechette rounds. DV 5P + net hits, AP -1
2 IPs in this combat turn remaining
-
As you clear the stairs two at a time you arrive on the 5th floor landing, coming face to face with a man dressed in a tight, black suit of form fitting body armour, an armoured vest, and a gas mask. A wickedly long combat knife gleams in his hand.
[ooc]Just as an FYI, for all intents and purposes you're in melee. Since you have you're gun out normally you'd be forced to use the club skill and do crap for damage. I'll rule however that you can still attempt to shoot him for the first IP at least. Roll your firearms skill like normal and he'll fight back with his reaction+blades. If you win he gets shot and you can open the range somewhat, if he wins you get cut and you're stuck in hand to hand. Also, the stairs are narrow enough that only two of you could engage him at once. Second one to join the fight (operator) will suffer from the shooting into melee penalties should they choose to do so.
-
@Private Chat 552375
"Mind that grenade!"
Operator bounded up the stairs behind Aishuku to face down the man in black, assessing his opponent's armaments as he prepared to take a shot. If the grenade was a flashbang, both himself and Aishuku would be relatively protected from the blast. As it was, they had much more pointed concerns to address.
Drawing a bead on the assailant, he squinted and ignored the false positives from his smartlink's AR feedback, squeezing the trigger on his Predator. Damn, I'll need to tweak it later; it thinks he was a valid target.
Taking a Free Simple Action to aim before pulling the trigger. Also forfeiting smartlink bonus to avoid shooting Aishuku by accident.
The shot: 11d6.hits(5) = 5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3651677/)
Ex rounds are loaded, so base damage is 6P with AP -1.
-
Taking large, steady breaths, Spirit stepped into the abandoned office. As he did so, he turned his Wired Reflexes on, and quickly took the Gecko Gloves, Slippers, and knee attachments off, storing them in his pack. Looking about, Spirit removed the Magazine that held the Explosive Rounds and replaced it with Stick-n-Shock in a smooth, practiced motion. With that done, he glanced at the map sent to him.
They look to be on the Fourth Floor. Should find the stairs and--
<< "Mind that grenade!" >>
"Kso!"
Spirit dashed out of the room, moving as quickly as he could towards the fifth floor after racking a round into his pistol's chamber
Run check for sprint
3d6.hits(5)=2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3648731/)
Weapon Loadout change: Ares Predator now loaded with Stick-n-Shock. Round in Chamber, 14 Rounds in Magazine.
Active Effects change: Wired Reflexes 2 is now turned on (+2 Initiative Passes per Turn)
-
Backpeddling slightly, the enemy knocks Aishuku's gun to one side causing the buckshot to smash into the cement wall beside him before slashing out with his knife towards your face.
12d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3651610/) That's 1 net hit for him. You're looking at 5P damage resisted with Impact armour. You're also stuck in melee now, and anyone else trying to shot him will run the risk of hitting you.
Spirit: It takes you a few seconds to wrench the window open wide enough to fit through. Pulling yourself in you hit the ground running and race to the fire escape, your footsteps pounding down the concrete steps as you go to help the remainder of the team. It's going to take you this entire combat round to reach the fight, but you'll be good to go as soon as we roll initiative for next round.
-
Moving quickly pass the grenade, Kozak tries to steady a shot on the enemy. Unfortunately, Aishuku has engaged him in melee. Deciding not to risk hitting his new partner, he puts away his Manhunter, and pulls out his stun baton, activating it's electric charge.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Aishuku, if you can disengage, I can handle him. I'm handy with a club.>>
Readying the baton is a simple action. And since I can't do anything, I'm delaying my actual move till a more opportune moment appears.
-
Aishuku takes a half-step backwards as the knife penetrates through the armor and slightly into his flesh.
Impact 6 + BOD 3
9d6.hits(5) = 3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3652068/)
Short sheet updated. 2 boxes of damage taken. 1 more and I've got a -1 penalty.
-
Aishuku's attacker tries to twist out of the way of the muzzle but Aishuku is able to shove him slightly giving Operator a clear shot. The stairwell echos with the blast of his predator striking the assailant full in the chest. The bullet rips through his vest, the bodysuit underneath and smashes into his ribcage. You don't see any blood, you're pretty sure that the armour took most of the shot, but chances are real good he broke a few ribs.
Dodge roll (reaction 6) 6d6.hits(5)=0 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3652399/) (10P AP-1)
Soak roll (Body 5, Armoured Vest 6, Full Form Fitting 6, -1 AP) 16d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3652412/) (reduced to 5P)
-
Nightshade, hearing the thunk of metal on metal and seeing the grenade tumbling down the stairs, back-peddles several steps and twists her body sideways, hoping that the lined coat will help to absorb most of the damage if it *is* an explosive. Being near the back she doesn't have a good view of the tango, and isn't about to risk hitting a team-mate with a wild shot so while she does draw her Manhunter, she doesn't take a shot.
-
The grenade on the landing lets out a noxious cloud of teargas burning your eyes, throat and nose. Everyone except for Spirit (who is far enough away) needs to resist 5S without any benefit from armour. If you have anything to protect your eyes and respiratory tract then you can avoid the damage entirely. If you have one but not the other then you only suffer 3S.
The injury seems to have staggered your attacker. Spirit, you're up. If you choose to move into the radius of the teargas then you need to resist the same damage as everyone else. After Spirit it's Aishuku, then your attacker.
-
Spirit rounded the corner, coming into view of the grenade's effects. Taking a moment to identify who was who, Spirit stepped forward and fired off two shots of SnS at the attacker.
Visual Perception, 3 hits, assuming that's good enough to identify "I don't know that one"
9d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3655265/)
Firing two shots of SnS.
First shot
17d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3655267/)
Second Shot
17d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3655268/)
Twelve Rounds left in Magazine, one round in chamber.
-
Aishuku thanks his lucky stars that he's wearing goggles, but those don't protect him from breathing in the noxious fumes.
BOD 3
3d6.hits(5) = 0 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3655284/)
Aishuku is now at -1 penalty (2 boxes of P, 3 boxes of S damage), which affects his initiative. I'm still going to place my action in this post, but it may happen at a different time now due to total damage received.
Aishuku, choking on the fumes of the tear gas, decides against standing toe-to-toe with this guy, opting to get into ranged combat. Mainly to use his gun, but also to clear his throat of the gas. He therefore backs up and begins to ascend the staircase, hoping that the landing at the 6th floor is clear enough for him to catch his breath.
-
Not wanting to take a lungful of gas, and seeing his chance has Aishuku pushes the attacker back, Kozak rushes forward, trying to squeeze past Aishuku.
Gym 3 + Agi 4 - 7d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3655441/)
Spend an Edge point to add a few hits - 3d6.hits(5)=2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3655443/)
Rule of Six - 1d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3655446/)
And that's it. Didn't hit after that one.
-
Teargas..
The last time Operator had taken a whiff of the crowd control gas was in boot camp. It was not difficult to forget the following 30 minutes of nausea, disorientation and vomiting; he also remembered being thankful that his aversion training had taken place before mess. Those memories expressed themselves in the form of a quick dash towards relative safety, skillfully weaving around Aishuku and the staggered assailant.
Once he was clear, Operator palmed a fresh Predator clip of regular ammunition and exchanged it for the still-heavy Ex clip. The bastard didn't need to die - he only needed to stop doing harm.
Gymnastics(5) test to escape the teargas cloud. Agility 7 + Gymnastics 4: (11d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3655430/)
Assuming that a Simple Action was necessary for the maneuver, Operator will exchange his Ex ammo clip (14/15, Eject as Free Action for smartlinked weapon) for a regular ammo clip (Simple Action) once he's safely out of the way.
-
Both of Spirits rounds score direct hits on the back of the attackers armoured vest. His body arcs and you hear a scream from behind the mask as the current slams through him.
1st dodge roll 3d6.hits(5)=2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3657395/) (reduces to 10S)
Resistance Roll 11d6.hits(5)=6 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3657397/) (reduces to 4S)
2nd dodge roll 1d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3657398/) (reduces to 9S)
Resistance Roll 11d6.hits(5)=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3657399/) (reduces to 4S)
Somehow however he has managed to stay on his feet. That said, it appears the fight has gone out of him. He drops his knife and collapses to his knees, raising his hands towards his head.
-
Kozak could scarcely raise his stun baton before the masked man shouted in pain, collapsing to his knees. Seeing Spirit behind him, Kozak smiles.
"Excellent shooting, omae. Though I wonder what took you so long" he chuckles slightly,"In your absence, Aishuku suffered a prick I think will need tending. In the mean time, I think we should decide what to do with our new friend."
-
Seeing his target go down, Spirit assessed the situation. It appeared that there were no more targets that needed to be put down. Lowering his weapon, Spirit flicked the safety on and holstered his pistol.
"Excellent shooting, omae. Though I wonder what took you so long" - "In your absence, Aishuku suffered a prick I think will need tending. In the mean time, I think we should decide what to do with our new friend."
Spirit felt it best to not respond to the jab. Shadowrunners liked to be unprofessional the moment the shooting stopped, as if that meant the job was over. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly at the thought, damnable ameteurs. Without thinking he turned and began ascending the stairs again, activating his Chameleon Suit. He turned his head so that he could be heared.
"Make sure Aishuku-san isn't bleeding too heavily, and remove anything of value from our friend. Bind him, so that we may gather intelligence via a debriefing. I will search the office."
And with that he silently ascended the stairs, expecting the gaijin woman to follow him.
-
@Private Chat 552375
"Good shot placement. I'll take care of the wound, then we can pump some information out of this man."
Operator exhaled heavily through his nose, switching on his gun's safety and returning the Predator to its holster. Dealing with the adrenaline rush from violence was difficult, particularly when his speed of movement was accelerated beyond what would be considered 'normal.' Thirteen years ago, his cultured spine implant would have been considered cutting edge - it was just enough to let him hold his ground in a fight with other street samurai who were wired to the bone.
Wires were not an option for him; cyberware was particuarly disruptive to his body. An older smartlink system just behind his left eye had recently failed, and Ghost knew that it brought up some crazy dreams every other night. I may have to get back under the surgeon's knife, but that would take a lot of cred.
Operator gestured to Aishuku, leading him aside for treatment of his knife injury. "Let me patch that up before infection sets in."
Treating the knife injury (Physical damage): First Aid 3 + Logic 3, +6 Medkit, -2 for Aishuku's essence (10d6.hits(5)=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3657715/)
-
Aishuku coughs and sputters, trying to get the teargas out of his system. He is about to respond regarding his injury when Operator begins looking him over.
"Wait..it's just a scratch...it's not necessary..." he tries to spit out, but what comes out is "*cough*...*hack*...not *COUGH*"
After he is able to calm down a bit, and the coughing subsides slightly, he thanks Operator for patching him up. "And I'll...*cough cough*...try to not let that happen...*cough*...again."
After he completely clears his throat and his speech is mostly back to normal, he holsters his roomsweeper and looks at the man who cut him.
"We should get him back inside so as not to cause a larger scene out here. The gunshots may have alerted the authorities, and we don't want to be in plain sight when we interrogate him, do we? Come - let's get him back into the Oni's office and we can question him quickly in there."
He then gestures that he is going up to the 7th floor, and that someone should grab the guy.
-
Kozak gets the man on his feet, gesturing with his stun baton. Kozak pats him down, removing anything of value.
"It's your lucky day, omae. Looks like we're not killing you. Yet. Stay quiet, don't cause any more trouble for us, and things will go smoothly. Now get moving."
He spins him around, and pushes the man forward, following the rest of the party.
-
Operator looked back down the stairwell to where Nightshade braced herself against the wall.
"We're about to ask our guest a few questions; let's see him. I've got an antacid wash in the medkit if you need some relief from the teargas."
First aid for Nightshade, if she accepts. Treating Stun damage. First Aid 3 + Logic 3 + Medkit 6, -1 for Nightshade's Essence (11d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3659742/)
-
Your prisoner is compliant, albeit silent as you bind his hands and pat him down. In addition to his bodyarmour and the knife he has a comlink, a second knife, a length of thin, high tension rope, and two more cans of the teargas.
As you move up to the office you find the front door undisturbed. Even the maglock is intact.
-
Spirit cursed himself for not thinking to wedge the door open.
These Shadowrunners are rubbing off on me. I would have never made such a mistake...
Taking a knee and grabbing the necessary tools from his pack, Spirit went to work bypassing the maglock on the office door.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Make sure you check for passkeys on our friend, this maglock wasn't tampered with, from what I can tell at first glance>>
Bypassing maglock's security in order to stay open - 5 hits
Hardware 4 + Logic 5 + Specialization (Maglocks) 2
11d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3660796/)
Spending edge to reroll failures
10d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3660797/)
Rerolling sixes
3d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3660800/)
-1 to edge, at 3 currently
-
Aishuku watches as Spirit attempts to force the lock.
"Let me know if you can't get it, my friend. I may be able to use the chemicals in the grenades to confuse the lock enough to open. Maybe."
Aishuku eyes their prisoner, keeping his roomsweeper trained on the man in the even he tries anything funny.
-
After a minute or so you manage to force the lock open. Pushing open the door you enter into the same darkened office that you just passed through.
-
"We're in. The office is seemingly undisturbed"
Stepping into the office, Spirit took a long hard look at the area in both AR and normal vision, seeing if anything looked disturbed or out of place. If Aishuku-san was correct, and a flash did come from this office, there should be some form of evidence.
Perception 2 + Intuition 5 + Vision Enhancement 3 + Low-Light Vision (No negatives for light)
10d6.hits(5)=1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3664358/)
-
All you notice is the damage to the window frame that you inflicted as you wrenched it open to try and get into the building as fast as possible during the fight in the stairwell.
-
Aishuku gently pushes the captive into the office, his weapon ready to lay waste if needed.
Yeah, right. I couldn't hit the broadside of a building with a tank.
He adjusts his goggles and scans the room, trying to see what could have potentially caused the flash.
Perception 3 + INT 5 + Vision Enhancement 3 + Low Light (as with Spirit, no penalties for no light)
11d6.hits(5) = 3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3664807/)
-
After treating Nightshade for CS inhalation, Operator moved up the stairs to the 7th floor. While Spirit and Aishuku examined the office, he decided to address their captive with a humorless stare and a succinct tone of voice.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Intimidation test. 4 Charisma + 4 Circumstance, -1 Defaulting (7d6.hits(5)=1) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3667320/)
That result sucks, so I'll use Edge to reroll nonhits. 6d6.hits(5)=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3667325/)
-
"And please, be honest." says Kozak, bringing the active baton close to the man's neck. "I'd hate for my hands to slip."
-
Your attacker doesn't show a lot of emotion as he stares operator in the eye and says:
"People call me Icepick. As for what I am doing here, I was hired earlier today to reformat the network in this office and then upload a file. Milk run until you fraggers showed up. He eyeballs the window. I'd suggest that you do whatever the frag you came here to do and then either shoot me or let me go. I'm tapped into a police scanner and the JIF is responding to a security breach at this building, and I'd really rather not be caught by them."
-
@Private Chat 552375
"Let's finish our search and bug out. Shooting him will only intensify the heat coming down on our shoulders."
Operator groaned inwardly, shooting a glance back at Aishuku and Spirit within the offices. He then turned his attention to Icepick, toggling his public commlink to active mode. "Knowing them, they've got their own copy of Leavenworth on the mainland. If that file isn't a virus, send it here. I would also like your commcode; we may have need of your talents later." Operator gestured to Kozak to step back, indicating the stun baton had served its purpose.
-
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Agreed. We shouldn't linger any longer then is necessary. However, I don't like the idea of letting this drek-head go. I've got room in the van, whether or not he wants to come with.>>
Aishuku continues his search of the room, hoping to find something, or at least a trace of what caused the flashing he saw earlier.
-
Unfortunately it doesn't seem as though anything is obviously out of place. If you knew the room you might notice something but. The office is small and other than a pair of simple desks and a partially disassembled cleaning drone in the corner there doesn't seem to be much in it. The larger desk has a larger dedicated comlink on top of it that Icepick said he had been mucking about with but other than that the room is pretty empty.
Icepick shrugs slightly at Operators request. "Sure, why not, it's just a text file." He also cocks his head at Aishuku as he peers around the room and says "I don't know what you could be looking for... I didn't touch anything but the comlink... When I booted it up, the room lights came on automatically but that's it."
Once the file makes its way over to your link you see that it is quite obviously a suicide note ostensibly from Kusbana. In it she details how ashamed she is of her status as a 'changed person' and that although she has tried to maintain a positive facade it has become too much for her and she decided to end her life. She also said that she wants all of "Simple Clean's" equipment to be liquidated, the company closed and any money raised to go to her family.
-
@Private Chat 552375
"It's written as a suicide note. It claims she (Kusbana) is ashamed of being kawaruhito, and that it became too difficult for her to maintain a false front; she also wants her company to close, liquidate assets, and funnel the proceeds to her family. I feel that we should visit tomorrow to caution Akio-san against acting on the note too soon."
Operator reviewed the text file, then nodded briefly and switched his link back into hidden mode. If that link was compromised, he could replace it with minimal expense. "Did you come here on foot, Icepick? We've got a few more questions to ask you after we get away from the marines."
-
Aishuku studies the "suicide note", mulling his thoughts over in his head.
Damn me for not paying more attention. Saito-san was a wiz at computers and such - wish I would have listened to his ramblings before he died.
Aishuku grabs the commlink, stuffing it into his pocket quickly and quietly.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<We need to find someone to take a closer look at the note. I doubt she wrote it herself, especially not with the contract the company just signed. I'm no good at cracking file headers and such - do we know anybody that might be able to find out where, using her comm, the file came from and who wrote it?>>
Aishuku looks at Icepick, continuing to study him.
Sorry about the shot, friend. If you're on foot, I've got room in van.
-
Icepick gives Operator a small smile:
"Thank you for the offer, but my mother always told me never get into a car with strangers. I assume that the advice would count double if I were to suggest getting into a car with strangers who just shot me. My bike is parked nearby. "
As you are leaving and asking him about who hired him he says:
" A Mr. Takana made the arrangement through my fixer. When I met him he screamed corp, but if he was a pro that could have been a false flag. Very bland individual, wore a black suit, bought me lobster at a high end restaurant downtown. My payment was in an escarow account out of Hong Kong."
When asked about Kusbana and shown the video he shakes his head:
"I'm a thief and a hacker. I'm handy with a knife but I don't do wetwork. Whoever did it though is pro, and very well co-ordinated. At the very least there was a hacker there to open the door and then the two 'sariamen' pushed the victim onto the rails, all timed to within a second or two of the train arriving... I'm wondering if someone else might have fired a spell off to dazzle her or something and keep her from fighting back but I know almost nothing about magic. The video quality looks like you could have recorded it on a toaster though... maybe try enhancing it and you'll be able to pull something distinguishing out of the mess of pixels."
-
Aishuku muddles the latest pieces of information in his mind, trying to make sense of everything. His mind starts taking odd turns with theories about who is responsible, but when he hears Hong Kong, he really starts to wonder.
Hong Kong? That can't be good. I mean, why would someone with an escrow account thousands of miles away want to cover up the shaming and killing of an Oni here in Neo-Tokyo?
When he reaches the street, Aishuku will send a message to the others in the group.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<This is not good. We need to find someone to hack the Oni's commlink. I am terrible with even the simplest of functions, but maybe one of you could see if she received any funky emails or calls in the days leading up to her death? And just so we're clear, my passport is not updated.>>
-
@Private Chat 552375
"We can always roll the dice with Shadowsea. I get the impression that there is a third party who can profit from this mess, rather than any of Kusbana's immediate rivals; I'm not convinced that they could justify the outcome with the associated costs and risks."
Operator followed Aishuku out to the street, glancing towards Icepick. "I'll look you up later if I need the technical support. One last question before you go - what did Takana-san offer you for the job?"
-
Not wanting to interrupt, but seeing the need for haste, Kozak butts in. "Gentlemen, Lady. Much as I would love to hear what he has to say, I think we need to get out of here. In case you've forgotten, men with guns and body armor are on their way."
-
Aishuku turns to Kozak slightly, nodding in agreement. He then looks at Icepick, grabbing him by the arms.
Sorry, but we cannot let you go at this moment. Until we know for sure that you are a friend and not a competing interest, you are going to have to come with us.
Aishuku then leads Icepick to the van, depositing him in the back, handcuffs and all, before climbing into the driver's seat.
-
Spirit sighed inwardly, there was nothing left to be done here.
"It's time we leave. Make sure to clean up any evidence of our presence as quickly as you can"
With that he turned and closed the window, then began moving down the stairs, making sure to pick up the two cases from the rounds he fired earlier, and (assuming there are no objections from the rest of the group) left the building, making sure not to be seen by the cameras, and donned his industrial worker uniform before leaving on his Dobie.
-
Operator exhaled slowly, glancing after Icepick. It really wasn't necessary to pull the thief along for the ride, but Aishuku was offering the transportation and he had no interest in walking out of Yokohama.
"Like he said, we have no time for discussion. Give me the location of your bike and the passcode, and I'll tail behind the van. I can also leave it to be found by the JIF, but you and l would see that as a waste of money."
-
As you push Icepick into the back of the van he gives you a shrug and gives directions to his bike. 'Thanks for the offer. It's a black street bike about 2 blocks away. As for payment... Well it was enough to keep my rent paid for a while."
He turns to Aishuku and says "And here I thought we were getting so friendly." He sits on one of the bench seats in the back at an odd angle to keep the cuffs from digging into his back and hunches forward silently.
As you drive away, you begin to hear sirens in the distance. By picking side streets and avoiding the noise of the sirens you manage to escape the district without being noticed.
-
July 14th 2072
You drive back to your homes in the hopes of getting a few hours sleep before attempting to arrange a meeting with Kusbana's business partner and her husband. Operator, you send both video files to your contact hoping he can enhance them into something that will get you a clue as to the identities of Kusbana's assailants.
-
"You comfortable back there?"
Aishuku didn't really care how comfortable the guy was, he was just making small talk and making sure that the guy was still back there.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<I'd like to program the van to drive itself so I can keep an eye on our package in the back. I'm hungry, so I'm heading towards a small diner near the Hotel Hearton Higashi in Shinagawa on the riverfront. It's populated, but should provide some cover while we discuss...things.>>
Aishuku programs the coordinates and address of the place into the van's pilot program and then makes his way into the back, kneeling in front of Icepick.
"I'm no locksmith, but if you can promise me that you're going to behave, I can see about removing those cuffs."
-
As Operator tailed behind Aishuku's van, a pair of upload bars tracked across his field of vision to make the hundred percent dash in just under fifteen seconds. There you go, Mark. Let's hope we can get some clues out of the enhancement.
@Private Chat 552375
"I would like to eat something before knocking back a few hours of rest. I'd also like to let the hacker go at the earliest opportunity; it is fortunate he is not a possessive American biker."
-
Icepick slowly opens his eyes and looks at you raising an eyebrow: "No, I love having pieces of metal digging into my wrists... The pins and needles sensation in my fingers fills me with joy. It distracts me from the intense pain in my chest." When you raise an eyebrow at him he says "Of course I'm not going to try anything. You have a gun, I do not." You get the impression that he isn't even able to sit up straight. In fact the fact that you have his arms twisted at an awkward angle while he's sitting there with a broken rib or two is probably insanely painful.
[ooc]Remember Icepick is sitting at -5 dice due to a combination of physical and stun damage. Even if he wanted to he wouldn't be able to beat up a schoolgirl. He can't even walk unaided.[/ooc]
After about 20 minutes you arrive outside the Hearton
-
Aishuku fumbles with the cuffs for a few seconds before realizing he is not a locksmith. He continues to kneel next to the poor bastard, almost sorry about his situation.
Sorry, friend, but I'm no locksmith. I have no clue how to get you out of those.
After driving for a while, the van's pilot program finally beeps, letting him know they are nearing the hotel. Once the van is near the hotel, Aishuku contemplates stopping, but he realizes that he is bleeding and reeks of tear gas. He steps to the back of the van, ready to open the back door.
Once again, I'm sorry, friend.
He throws open the door, and then lifts Icepick up, tossing him into the street unceremoniously. He then closes the back door of the van and speeds off at a reasonable pace, headed towards his apartment.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<The package is gone. I'm headed for rest. Where and when are we meeting up to discuss things?>>
Hotel Hearton Higashishinagawa (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1066854-d1083455-Reviews-Hearton_Hotel_Higashishinagawa-Shinagawa_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html)
-
Before you push Icepick out of the door Nightshade steps in and pulling the key from a pocket unlocks the cuffs and slips a stim patch into his hand. "Try to get yourself to a street doc and get those ribs looked at. I'm sure Operator will be in touch about your bike."
-
July 15th 03:30 Hearton Hotel Shinagawa ward, Tokyo
As you enter the hotel lobby the dated decor matches the slightly musty smell. The canned music of a Shamisen is piped through the lobby. It doesn't look like anyone is on duty at the front desk. In fact with the exception of a drunken sariaman trying heroically to navigate the AR check in counter the lobby is deserted. The rates are posted as being 100 nuyen/night for a room with a double bed or 160 nuyen for a room with two double beds.
-
Operator pulled up next to the van as Icepick was turned loose, shooting a glance at him. "Can you ride your own bike in that condition? If not, I know a guy in the film industry whose studio has a secured parking lot. I can also offer you first aid for the trouble."
@Private Chat 552375
"Let's meet here at 11:30 AM; I need at least six hours of sleep and a long shower to get rid of the CS smell. I recommend generous amounts of soap and thorough scrubbing."
-
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Got it. Running home - will be back here at the hotel at 1130 hours.>>
Aishuku then goes home, sleeps, takes a nice, long, cold shower thanks to the landlord never getting the hot water fixed, and will then meet back up at the hotel lobby.
-
Spirit drives back to his Apartment, thankful for the time to allow him to get the CS smell off of himself.
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<I will be there as well.>>
After a long shower, Spirit sets his alarm and lays down to sleep. There is nothing left to be done tonight.
-
July 15th 06:07
It feels like you've scarcely had time to close your eyes when a request for a conference call comes through from Tinman. He sounds pissed.
"I was just told by a contact of mine with the marine provos that there was apperently a gunfight outside of Simple Clean's offices?! Were you involved? They've taken Akio and Jojin in for questioning. Right now they're assuming that Kusbana's death had something to do with either foreign or meta gangsters... Either way things just got a lot more high profile."
-
Operator grunted, wiping the rheum from his eyes as his commlink buzzed him. Tinman was calling, and it was scarcely a few hours after their ordeal in Yokohama. He cringed upon accepting the request, hearing the tension in his fixer's voice. Damn, that's going to bite us in the ass later.
Gathering his breath and composure, Operator sat up to answer Tinman's questions. Honesty was the best course of action; he did not want to draw further ire from an ex-Marine. "Yes; we decided to start investigating after the meet. We acquired video evidence at the subway station, and also visited the office building containing Simple Clean's headquarters. A third party bypassed the locked door and vandalized the cameras. We came into contact with a hacker who dropped a grenade directly at our feet. We reacted as though it was a life-threatening explosive, and for that I must apologize.
"We pumped information out of the hacker, who goes by the name of Icepick. He claimed he was hired to reformat Simple Clean's network and then upload a suicide note that was supposedly written by Kusbana. We also compared subway film from one of the cameras to a grainy bootlegged film of the same incident and discovered that the 'official' footage was edited."
<<Private Chat 552375>>
<I recommend that we abstain from speaking with Jojin and Akio for today. I don't trust the cops to leave them alone even after they finish their questioning.>
-
Aishuku rolled over when his commlink buzzed, hoping that it was just a dream and he could stay asleep. But when the commlink wouldn't stop, he sat up in bed cursing himself for getting into his chosen profession.
Damned...what the...I need coffee...
He picked up his commlink, rubbing his eyes and yawning as the spectre of sleep continued to hang over him, threatening to take him back to his dreams. When he was reminded of the gunfight, and that Jojin and Akio had been taken in, the spectre left abruptly, pushing him quickly to the land of the awake.
<<As Operator stated, a grenade was dropped at our feet. We fought back against what was an apparent threat. Or are we to stand there and get our asses handed to us?>>
<<@Private Chat 52375>>
<<Operator, you are correct. They are going to be far too hot right now. But what other leads do we have to go on?>>
-
Spirit slept soundly enough, but was awoken earlier than he expected from the message sent by Tinman-san.
Taking a deep breath and sitting up, he reviewed the irate message. It was silly, how one explosion and a single gunshot was enough to cause sensationalized reports of a "gunfight". Sighing, Spirit wrote his reply, ensuring that it was saved and encrypted before being sent to Tinman-san, using an encryption code that they had used for their sensitive correspondences in the past.
<<@Tinman>>
<<We were met with resistance on the stairs between the fourth and fifth floors. Non-lethal force was used to subdue the individual. A Grenade and one gunshot were fired without sound dampening. Full report available if needed>>
Standing up, Spirit began contemplating what their next step should be. Considering the circumstances, he did not want to attempt back-door infiltration to get in contact with Jojin and Akio.
-
Tinman grumbles over the phone upon hearing your explanations...
"It's OK... Look, I'll massage my contacts in the marines, see if I can't do some damage control from my end, or at least send them off after a red herring... There are factions within the JIF who are quietly supportive of the meta's fight for greater rights. Cal-Free opened a lot of eyes in the corps. Crimes with guns plays into the conservative's hand though, lets them bang on the "kawaruhito are dangerous and bring crime" drum."
At Scarecrows comment you hear a grunt. "No, Scarecrow, I do not expect you to get your 'ass handed to you'... next time just try stabbing him in the kidney instead of shooting...
-
Operator filled a glass of water from his bathroom sink, drinking it steadily as he considered further options to pursue. "I wanted to speak to Akio and Jojin today, so this is problematic. While I wait for Hans to finish with the video enhancement, I was planning on contacting StormFront to ask questions about the identity of the individual who uploaded the subway film.
"In the meantime, Tinman, do you want to see the evidence that we have already gathered?"
-
Tinman says "Contacting Stormfront would probably be helpful. If you think you might have something useful, please forward it to me. Unless there is anything else though I will leave you in peace. I believe you had a somewhat late night last night.
-
<<@Private Chat 552375>>
<<Where do we want to meet up to discuss tactics prior to heading to SF?>>
-
"I'll send what I have to you now, Tinman. If we make any further discoveries, we will keep you posted."
<<File Attachment: Subway_Cleaned.vid, Subway_SF.vid, note.txt>>
Operator forwarded the two recordings and a copy of the suicide note to Tinman, exiting the conference call once the uploads were complete. He flopped backwards onto his bed, relaying a quick message to his associates before allowing sleep to overtake him.
@Private Chat 552375
<<The same hotel lobby as before, 11:30 AM. I must be rested for the remainder of the day.>>
July 14, 2072. 11:29 AM
Hearton Hotel Higashishinagawa, Lobby
Naturally, anyone who comes asking questions about these matters will be regarded with suspicion. I will simply have to adopt an appropriate tone.. one that is dismissive towards metas, yet subtle. Only addressing them when 'their' world collides with ours.
Operator sat at an empty table, carefully holding a steaming cup of soykaf. He sipped from it slowly, savoring the warmth of the fluid as he reminisced about his days as a corporate man. When it came to social engineering and other forms of interpersonal legwork, Op found it best to approach them as if it were an important business meeting. Once Spirit and Aishuku found him in the lobby, they would also see his preparation also extended to tangible physical qualities. Op had left behind the street clothes in favor of an immaculate business suit, something that should help reinforce the image he planned on selling to StormFront.
Operator left his guns behind, and is carrying shock gloves and his survival knife for weapons.
Armor is Actioneer business clothes (5/3).
-
Spirit hurriedly walked into the Hotel lobby. His suit marked him as lower-level management, and his hair was stereotypically proper. The muted tones in his suit meshed well with the muted features of his face, and the muted coloring of his hair. Most people wouldn't even register he existed, his appearance so blandly correct.
Glancing about, he spotted Operator sitting at the designated table, his suit speaking the role he wished to play.
Gods, but it is good to work with a professional
Sitting down and offering a bow of his head to Operator, Spirit set his hands on the table and folded them.
"Shojito-Sama, it is good to see you well. I am Ishikawa, our fathers were in business some time ago. I am glad we were able to meet after yesterday's unfortunate events. You spoke of a business proposition?"
Armed with a Fichetti Tiffani Needler holdout, 4 rounds of Flechette ammunition loaded. (weapon is silenced and holstered under the left armpit)
Currently unarmored at 1/1 armor and 6/6 resist.
-
As you make small talk you begin the process of tracking down Stormfront's matrix presence. It doesn't take long, but you're glad you're using your work links since when you first logged in your firewall snagged a low level tracking IC that had likely been planted there by some sort of authority trying to track who visited. Upon entering the node you see prominent links to groups like the Humanis Policlub, the "Knights of Nordica" and even an Alemos 20K newsletter.
The registration process is relatively simple, and before long you're digging through the posts on their VPN. The thread containing the video is apparently quite popular, almost 700 responses. It looks like the initial poster goes by the handle H88tebreed. His public profile is relatively sparse. He lists himself as living in the UCAS, but there is no state or city listed. His hobbies apperently include 'drinkin brews', as well as 'Call of Battlefield 73', and 'Hitler'... You do however notice that he is also flagged as being online and in Stormfronts cyberclub "The Confed"...
-
"Hai, Ishiikawa-san. I've been looking forward to this opportunity."
Operator dove headlong into the registration process while he made small conversation with Spirit. Within moments, he was viewing H88tebreed's video forum under the innocuous username of Mason Dixon. He posted a reply, then attempted to follow H88tebreed into "The Confed" and to blend in with the other users.
<<The nips are going to cover this one up, just watch and see. They've got that whole image thing to worry about.>>
-
The Confed is a fairly low end cyberclub. The VR architecture is largely stock, portraying a small, reasonably generic bar. The walls however as well as the music that surrounds you is anything but... mainstream. Swastika's are prominently displayed around the walls, there are a number of ork and troll 'heads' displayed like hunting trophies, and the pounding music that fills the VR space is filled with references to racial war and other such trash.
It doesn't take long for you to find the avatar with H88tbreed floating above his head. His avatar is an off the rack job styalized to look like a marine in the JIF. He's talking to a couple of other people in military avatars.
-
@Private Chat 552375
"They are either cheap or unimaginative. I'm no hacker, but I find the sculpting here to be amateur's work at best."
Operator shook his head, filtering out the music in favor of his own playlist. To the other patrons of the Confed, his avatar appeared as a Caucasian man in his early twenties, wearing a bulky headset. He surreptitously approached the gathering, taking a seat at the virtual bar.
<<From: Mason Dixon>>
<<To: H88tebreed>>
<<Hoi chummer; saw your film and all the views it's getting. Do you have a moment to speak with me? I have a few questions about the footage.>>
If necessary, Op's Etiquette roll.
Etiqette 4 + Charisma 4 (8d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3741457/)
-
<<From: Mason Dixon>>
<<To: H88tebreed>>
<<Hoi chummer; saw your film and all the views it's getting. Do you have a moment to speak with me? I have a few questions about the footage.>>
If necessary, Op's Etiquette roll.
Etiqette 4 + Charisma 4 (8d6.hits(5)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3741457/)
A window with H88tebreed's avatar in it opens in the corner of your eye.
<<ya man, I got a min. Wuts up? You talk lik you got a blog, doin a story?>>
-
<<I've got an eye for discrepancies and other alarming things, and I wanted to ask how you acquired that film. I'm currently visiting the JIS, and when the news broke I decided to pay a visit to the subway station. Official word is that the tusker shoved her way through the safety doors, but there's no damage at all to them. No chipped paint, no bent metal, nothing of the sort.>>
Operator paused to take a drink of water in realtime, flashing a grin to Spirit.
<<The rabbithole goes even deeper than that, I'm afraid. I was able to acquire the recordings from the subway cameras. While I can't clearly make out faces on your film, I can see that there were a group of salarymen who were responsible for pushing her through the same security door, which opened completely on its own.
That door shouldn't open at all until the train comes to a complete stop, omae. Your video has about 10 additional seconds of exposure that the 'official' record does not! Perhaps there was an error in the recording, or perhaps someone erased it before Metropol could take a look. Either way, the cops assumed a suicide had occurred.
My concern here is that someone exploited a public safety fixture to throw that woman on the tracks. That's dangerous to anyone - especially humans. What if this inspires the kawaruhito to do a similar stunt? I don't want them getting ideas about my subway system, if you're following my words. I need to know how you acquired that recording.>>