[inca1980]

@Stake:
Without being able to properly analyze what you're seeing and only being able to rely on visual characteristics, the one thing u can tell is that this technology is nothing u haven't seen before.  That being said it definitely is highend gear....but u wouldn't call it top of the line.  The rotodrones look like standard military recon models, something a shadowrunner with the right connections could got his hands on without too much difficulty.  The androids look like something a low-end pleasure house might have on its menu for the evening for those who have pockets big enough for an elaborate dom fantasy autosoft experience but not quite big enough for for a full blown bunraku meat puppet.
 
The tactical behavior of the android and drones are something else entirely.  Their autosoft behavior software programming is definitly top of the line as far as you can tell.  Not game changing but top of the line for sure. Even that however is not enough to really make anyone wet their pants.  What makes you furrow your virtual brow is that you've counted more than 7 of these rotodrones on top of one of  the androids and it was quite obvious that way more heat than what was shown on the vid was either present or on its way.  That's a lot of tech.  Despite the team which encountered them having some heavy mojo to sling, these drones really gave them a hard time and they barely escaped with their lives. 

You jack out and lean back in your recliner going over it all in your head.  The words of the faux Johnson ringing in your ears...."Weee will render your profession irrelevant..."  With the job market for runners as slow as it was it almost felt that way already.  All the new runs posted today have been snatched up in seconds...same thing been happening for weeks now.

You decide to get up and clear your head before getting back to the one who had just laid this all on your lap.  You know that if you were gonna dig deeper it would require an actual inspection of the recovered warez.

[Ren]

Stake walked slowly to the fridge, took a beer, popped it open, then drew deep from the can. He frowned. God, i hate this taste. But this was the best he's got for months now. Business was slower by the week, and he even had to move from the nice apartment in Renton to this drekky hole in Tacoma. Cheap place, cheap food, cheap girls... not really his style.

While downing the beer, his thoughts went at speed. He was not the one for conspiracy theories, not really. He found the notion of someone actively trying to remove all 'runners from the picture absolutely ridiculous. Or rather, he found the sentence about rendering their profession irrelevant, highly unrealistic. Shadow business was lucrative, at least for fixers and power players. So if anyone was moving in this direction, it must be about taking over a hefty slice of the market, sweeping the profits.

That said, even the drones and androids on the vids cost a small fortune, and whoever dealt with them, turned most of the tech into high-end junk. So, whoever was behind the confrontation, must have had deep pockets. And this provided some opportunity. The one sending the messages might go on about fame and all that stuff, but you could starve on that. On the other hand, taking the tech from the one behind the scene and exploiting it, profiting from it, then turning it back into his face... well, that sounded better.

Hoping that he wouldn't have to work directly with the one slinging that serious mojo, he decided to answer the last message, some 60-odd minutes after his last one. >>Hoi, chummer. What you sent me sounds somewhat interesting so let's talk biz. If you want me just for hacking the drone and checking its contents, we can meet and i'll check its security ratings. After that, i will tell you a price for hacking it, depending on the difficulty of the job. It will be between 500 and 1500. Plus 25 percent of the value of the paydata in there. But i take you also might want someone who checks the data trails, gathers additional info on what you found, and protects you virtual humps if need be. I might do more than that. I'm not afraid to get out of my chair and be there to shoot whatever needs to be shot. So, if you thought about longterm, belay that initial fee, but i want equal shares from whatever the job yields, and at least 25 percent. I don't like big groups. Which one will it be?<<

[Sichr]

CHR(2)+Ettiquete(3)[4] (5d6.hits(5)=2)

Okay doc. No problem, just askin...

What does she hide under that mask. Is she involved? Why would she have interrest on Bricks elimination??? Hell I`m probably just too paranoid... On the other hand who isn`t, in this profession...

I`m just asking for your professional opinion. You do your biz, I do mine. Staying alive outhere, that is. If you feel answering such question would get you involved, drop it. I`ll ask elsewhere. Now, to the biz. I understand you tell me that you are not medical supplier, am I right? Since I need to buy some medical supplies.

[Thermo]

Storm receives the encrypted response from the decker and quickly applies the key to decode it. She reads the response while leaning back in a cheap desk chair, the only functioning chair in her squat.

We're still out from the fake run we got suckered into at that crappy coffin motel. Now we have another hand taking a share of whatever we can pull together trying to save our humps. No way.

BUT, it's true that we don't have a paying run at the moment, and the only profit we're likely to see any time soon is coming from whatever is locked away in those drones. Or in the data stores of whatever or whoever sent them after us. We need a decker, and any decker we approach will likely take at least that much share just to fence the data. So we're getting a decent deal; better to get a small share of something than to get a big share of nothing. Plus, we haven't got a clue where to start without someone to look at the data on the drone.

She quickly types out a reply to Stake's message:

>>Understand. Let's play the long game, chummer. Equal split, no less than 25%, and that includes whatever paydata we get from the target. Whoever this is, they're dangerous; something tells me you're going to earn that share. You have a place to meet? We'll bring the drone, have your gear ready.<<

Storm follows the same encryption protocol and sends Zach a quick note:

>>Got us a decker to take a look at the drone. Sounds like he wants a cut of the paydata, if there is any, in exchange for analyzing the data and running down leads. Low risk decision. Location of the rendezvous to be determined shortly. You ready to move?<<

[inca1980]

@Zach:

The doc relaxes a little and stretches his neck from side to side a little.  "Listen, I don't mean to be a little jumpy but business has been slowing down lately and the people that do stroll in the door are torn up a little worse than usual.  I made sure to take some extra security precautions.  I don't want to get in over my head with whatever is going on out there, but just like always I can sell you supplies and patch you up.  Tell me what you need."

[Sichr]

Zach didnt hessitate, he thought this shopping list a few times before, at least to the level he recalls from his own struggling in the wilds, no matter is outside or inside the city. Alsoi he did some search in the matrix...and least but not last he hopes doctor would fill any gaps with her own initiative.

Antibiotics, antihistaminics, painkillers, pills that help fighting the fever. Mulstivitamis. Pills for cleaning the water. Bandages, sterille equipement. Short...medkit supplies and some Diagnostic units...no need for SOTA  tech but I`ll need at least 5 of them. I promiss nothing of it would be traced back to you and I will use it wise and in small amounts, not to disturb any local concerned citizens.
My own medkit would can also need some refillement.
You say biz is low this days. I`m about to find out why, the technobitch I`ve been talking previously made some nasty promisess of hitting shadows hard.. And I will make this worth your time...for all that medical equipement you can sell me I have 5 thousand yens ready to be transfered. And if you have some serum of youth around, Ill also take a shot. Ive seen lot of things and I know that I cannot expect much more, as an Ork I am. But I wont go easily, that time is still far away I believe...

[Ren]

Stake sent a text to Jordan, the one that usually supplied him with parts. Sometimes, it was possible to rent a corner in her shop or her warehouse. And if this was not the occasion, she would know who to turn to. >>Morning, Jordan, bringing biz today. I need a secure place to meet with some friends and check some tech thoroughly. Can you rent me one of your workstations for an hour or two? Need it ASAP, please respond in a half-hour.<<

With that, he returned to the tedious task of waiting. This was the worst. You couldn't get to anything serious, the incoming answer would totally ruin the buzz. And he just had to hack an account to his favourite puzzle-games host again, this crappy place didn't come with a subscription.

[inca1980]

@Stake:
Jordan shoots you a message back:
<<No prob, it's the usual 20¥/hr>>

@Zach:
"No problem."  He looks over at Neena and she starts gathering the supplies immediately.  She returns with 3 fully stocked medkits with enough supplies for five restocks.   The doc zips it all up in it's tidy little foam lined casing. 
"Here ya go.  For 5000¥ you'll be able to stay quite healthy.  That also includes full Matrix support from our end as long as you have the wireless enabled on the kit's computer."

OOC: 3 rating 6 medkits (4500¥) with 5 resupplies (500¥).

[Ren]

Stake sent a text to Storm. >>I have a place in Everett, sending you the coordinates. I can be there in an hour. Give me an ETA.<< He liked when things ran smoothly, and wanted to enjoy the feeling while he could. He got an inkling of this changing sooner than later.

[Sichr]

Zach watches the supplies with light hessitation.

OK. I said that it wont be necessary to have SOTA equipement, there probably would be same lack of matrix coverage as of anything else...On the other hand, this could work. Good. Now lets make it worth the money. Is there any other exit than those doors I`ve just came inside?

Zach grabs the package and his guns and commlink and follows the direction given to him. Paranoid as ever, he takes his time to be sure that he is safe to leave, watching the surrounding area through peephole. A few days out and everything changes. As he is not familiar with this new GRID setting, he leaves his comm turned off and runs completely silent, untill it is necessary to change that. He heads back to the squat they were ocuppying with Storm, once again paying doing everything he can to avoid unwanted attention. That means...staying completely natural and blend to the background, while observing his surroundings with every sense

Agi(4)+Sneaking(9) [Physical limit: 6] (13d6.hits(5)=4)

Agi(4)+Sneaking(9) [Mental limit: 4] (13d6.hits(5)=4)

[Thermo]

Storm sends a real-time message to Zach via her PAN but it appears that his commlink is offline. She mentally checks the box to allow the message to be received off-line:

>>You almost back? We've got a meet in an hour with the decker.<<

While she's not thrilled with Zach sharing her squat for the past week, it has its benefits; if someone were to come looking, she'd have someone to watch her back. Someone who's pretty damn good with a submachinegun, that is.

She grabs the drone and hoists it into a large backpack she had laying around. It's too heavy for her to wear on her bike, so she waits for Zach to return. While she waits, she gets prepared for the meet by popping a hit of Psyche and casting her final preparation spell.

[takes one dose Psyche, duration 9 hours. +1 Int, +1 Log, +1 Mental Limit]

Cast Improve Reflexes (F6) [Force Limit: 6]: Spellcasting(10)+Magic(4)+Power Focus(4)-Sustaining(2) (16d6.hits(5)=8) [adds 3d6+6 Init, new total: 4d6+17]
Drain(6) Resist: Cha(11)+Wil(9) (20d6.hits(5)=5) [1P drain]

With the Psyche running full tilt alongside the magically enhanced reaction, intuition, and reflexes, Storm is practically vibrating with energy. She barely feels the pain from the overcasting damage, due in part to her high-end damage compensators.

She waits for Zach to arrive so they can head to the meet.

[Ren]

When there was still no answer after 15 minutes passed, Stake repeated the message to Storm. >>I have a place in Everett, sending you the coordinates. I can be there in an hour. Give me an ETA.<< It was possible, and it sometimes happened that the message got lost in the 'Trix.

[inca1980]

@Zach:

You make it out of Doc Watson's chop shop and slip off into the night.  You don't notice anyone on your tail but you still feel it's safe to take the back-alley's all the way back to Storm's place.  When you arrived she looks quite annoyed at not having been able to reach you and she rushes you out the door because apparently there is a meet in only an hour with someone who can look at the drone and you'll have to put the bike into full throttle to make it there on time.  She quickl sends a txt back telling the contact an ETA of lan hour.


@Storm:
OOC:  Make a Logic + Willpower (2) test since enough time has gone by of you using Psyche that you need to make an addiction test.  If you fail you're addiction goes from Mild to Moderate.

@Stake:
You get a tx back confirming the meet in an hour.

@Storm & Zach:
You manage to make it to Everett right on the dot and are only about 2 minutes late to the meet spot.  Several blocks of storage space and warehouses surround the location and the only soul you see in the physical or astral realm is a passed out homeless troll draped in tatters nestled between several old tires across the street.  The building that corresponds to the gps coordinates you were given looks like a small tin roof and aluminum paneled warehouse with a garage and a side door being the only entrances.  All the windows look to be painted black on the inside and you can't tell if lights are on or not. 

Suddenly the side door swings open and a crack of light spills out onto the sidewalk.  A dwarf swings his head out and looks up and down the street.  Even under his baggy cargo pants and jacket you can tell he's quite thin for a dwarf and balding at the temples and the top of his head.  Without even looking at you he motions you to come in with an obvious cyber-arm.  The paranoia of the last few days has not gotten any better and your first instinct is to draw your weapons but you control yourself and try to let reason prevail.  You grind your teeth at the thought that this might be another setup, but what other option do you really have.  From the looks of the UDC wire running from his temple datajack to some piece of tech buried deep within his clothing he probably really is the decker Storm's trusted contact hooked you both up with.  Either you take your chips and cash-out or you go all in, and from the looks of it, whether you like it or not you're both all in, so what the hell.  You take one more look up and down the street and step into the warehouse. 

As soon as you see the hydraulic lifts, micro-forges, and electronics workstations you begin to relax.  The dwarf looks at you matter-of-factly and just points to a clear space on one of the workstations.

[Sichr]

While on the squat Storm looked a bit irritated, she gets along pretty quick. As she had to hang tight on his back, as bike raced down the streets, he can feel her movements somehow sharp, slight cracks in her attention as she seems distracted from time to time. Stoned again. Like good ol`times. He takes this into consideration and the way happens to be smooth, safe and fast. As he was half-expecting trouble in their destination, he was a bit jumpy and it took a milisecond to reconsider suddenly appearing dwarf as non-hostile. his hand didnt even lost the grip on bike`s handhelds, and he let the tension slip away. something happened to his talent recently and he was still not sure what it was, but gratefully it didnt make him too agressive. Letting Storm get down of the bike first, he stands the bike, activvates its masking and follos the two inside the building. A bit currious he was, but he leaves the speaking on Storm, as he had no clue who this halfer is...

[Ren]

”Hoi, chummers, I’m Stake and welcome. Now let’s do a virtual autopsy on that little friend of yours. Time is money, and it isn’t different this time either.” His speech was crisp, while he looked his guests up and down. His jacket was open, and the grip of a taser could be seen strapped in a holster as he moved. His clothes obviously saw better days, but they were mostly clean and taken care of. His hair was cropped short unevenly, he must have done it himself. He wore glasses, which polarized according to the lighting.
Checking the other two for weapons and armor just by looking.
Storm: INT(6) + Perception(3) + Vision enhancement(3) [Mental(11)] (12d6.hits(5)=7)
Zach: INT(6) + Perception(3) + Vision enhancement(3) [Mental(11)] (12d6.hits(5)=5)