[Sichr]

Now, why the fuck did you asked for our opinions? I`ve said its just a guess, and it looks like you know what needs to be done. Anyway...I am not sure I like the idea we go in guns and lightning blazing. I hoped you will be able to pinpoint the location we need to infiltrate to see what is next. Not to blow te part of the hospital to the sky.

[Ren]

Geez, aren’t we snappy today? Stake swallowed back the first response he thought of and reformulated his answer to Zach. ”Man, the power system was a good suggestion, I might not have checked its placement if you haven’t mentioned it. I just assessed what we might expect from the TLSS host. And I totally agree with you, I don’t want us to butt heads with THV security, or as a worst case scenario, NeoNet.
“But I get it, I shut up and get back in there. If something comes up, you can reach me through the comm.” Without further ado, he downed the remainder of his drink then sat back again, slipping into Virtual Reality.

[Sichr]

Zach looks at Stake as he replies, than at the empty coffee cup in his own hand, and before Stake leaves the reality, he can hear.

Hell. Seems like I am not used to real coffee. Dont worry, I remember we are on the same ship. Good luck

UR doing good job. I am a bit itchy.

[inca1980]

@Stake:
You float there in cyber-space in front of the TLSS host as it slowly rotates and shimmers. 

[Ren]

Stake cloaked his persona in bits and fragments of data, melding its form into the regular flow of information before hopping to the grid the TLSS host was on. He hid patiently while he checked out the rotating host, taking extra care to include the visual effects of the shimmering. From his hiding place, he checked for hidden flaws he could use to get in.
[spoiler=matrix actions]deck setting: Firewall 5(6), Data processing 5, Sleaze 6(7), Attack 3, running programs: Virtual Machine, Stealth, Sneak, Signal Scrub, Encryption; noise reduction is 3
Hack on the Fly, complex: LOG(7) + Hacking(7) + Hot sim(2) - hidden(2) - public(2) [Sleaze(7)], 4 hits; opposed test, vs. 6 dice, target is the TLSS’ grid
Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) + Hot sim(2) - hidden(2) [Data Processing(5)], 2 hits; simple test, questions: Firewall rating, Marks on the host
Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) + Hot sim(2) - hidden(2) - retry(2) [Data Processing(5)], 4 hits; simple test, questions: Attack rating, Data Processing rating, Sleaze rating

Note: Invisible Castle was down again, so i rolled at rolz.org, but i can't link it here. If you want me to, i'll repeat the rolls at IC when it is available again.[/spoiler]

[inca1980]

@Stake:
OOC: 6D6E5 => 2 | ones: 3 also used rolz.org
You hop onto the NeoNet grid and start taking a closer look at the TLSS host.  You find how it's setup is rated and find the Attack rating to be 5, Sleaze to be rating 4, Data-processing to be rating 6 and the Firewall to be rating 7.
 

[Ren]

Standard defensive setup, no surprises up to now. Stake looked at the host again, sizing up firewall patterns and access points, then dived forward, going for a spot where he saw some weakness. He marked the host with a scorch-mark from his cartoon cigar.
[spoiler=matrix actions]Hack on the Fly, complex: LOG(7) + Hacking(7) + hot sim(2) – hidden(2) [Sleaze(7)] 14D6E5 => 7 | ones: 1; opposed test, INT + Firewall, putting one mark on the host to be able to log on[/spoiler]

[inca1980]

@Stake:
OOC: 11D6E5 => 2 | ones: 2.  You get a mark on the host.
You manage to subvert the firewall enough for it to accept one of your marks. 

[Ren]

Stake smiled as he stepped into the host, still hidden in the usual daily traffic. Once inside, he looked around and fitted his persona to the local sculpting. He also checked for running IC and hidden watchers that would make his job harder.
[spoiler=matrix actions]Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) – hidden(2) [Data Processing(5)] (11d6.hits(5)=5); simple or opposed, first I look for hidden icons, if I find any, I look for further details about them, if not, I turn my attention to the general surrounding; if I have to, I’ll spend more than 1 action on this[/spoiler]

[inca1980]

@Stake:
One more detail you notice is that yours is the only mark on the host, which is rather unusual.  Upon entering the host you find yourself in the lobby of an office building made of black windows and an off-white colored marble.  An unmanned greeting desk sits in the center and behind the greeting desk is a fountain with a statue of a saturnian planet in the middle of it.
 On the wall behind the fountain is a single elevator but no one is standing watch.  You explore the host further going up in the elevator but when you arrive at the second floor and the elevator doors open you see nobody guarding the entrance to administer the typical patrol IC scan.  In fact, you see nothing at all.  All the cubicles, desks, terminals, filing cabinets, everything, looks as if they've been completely moved out, or maybe never even moved in in the first place.  The whole massive office floor looks as if it should have a giant "office space for leasing" sign posted on it's window.  The other seven floors of the building look exactly the same way. 
   You descend back down to the lobby empty-handed but right as you pass the fountain again you notice one small detail.  The statue has an inscription carved into its the base.  It reads "My dear T.L., patience is bitter but it's fruit is sweet...."

[Ren]

Stake became increasingly puzzled. No marks on a host, OK, that is possible, even if the chance is miniscule. But a completely empty entry point? A security firm devoid of security measures? He didn’t know what the hell was going on.
When he noticed the inscription, he stopped. That was the last clue in a row of clues that didn’t add up. Even though the whole installation seemed to be left, to be a baseline sculpting for a host of any number of offices, stripped of customization and preferences, why leave a single detail there? Technically speaking, it was way harder than wiping the whole system and leaving just the bare bones. But that was a second fact that didn’t add up. Why leave a working host, do maintenance on it, if you don’t intend to use it? Stake suspected that there was something going on in the background that would give a logical, even if twisted explanation to this seeming madness.
Although he was not sure that the inscription was meant as a reference on a shared event but it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that it was a feature, different from the whole, and that merited closer inspection. Slowly circling the statue, he carefully tried to ascertain further attributes of both the inscription and the statue.
[spoiler=matrix action]Matrix Perception, complex: INT(6) + Computer(5) + hot sim(2) – hidden(2) [Data Processing(5)] (11d6.hits(5)=5)
Uh, almost a glitch...[/spoiler]

He also thought about the possibility that this whole set was just a façade, the first security measure a devious mind planned. He went through all the possibilities he learned of, thought about theories and practices. Was this some kind of a sophisticated door handle? Was there a backdoor into another host? Was this host a simple backdoor itself?
[spoiler=knowledge]LOG(7) + Security Design: Matrix(5) + mnemonic(2) [Mental(11)] (14d6.hits(5)=5)[/spoiler]

[inca1980]

@Stake:
Your analysis of the statue doesn't show it to be anything more than sculpting.  From your knowledge of security protocols it would be very improbable for something more important to be buried deeper inside the host.   Your decking skills would clearly reveal that the host has archival sections to it but you see nothing.  What this looks more like is an off the shelf host that was never set-up and just acts as a facade to keep up the rouse that something called TL Security Solutions actually exists.  The engraving on the fountain statue definitely was something customized.

[Ren]

This started to become annoying. Stake didn’t want to return with about zero information. Before logging out, he checked the greeting desk, if there was any logbook, or something. Even if the host was never used, it was set up, and the activity logs should have retained the date of the configuration. That would at least be something.

[inca1980]

@Stake:
The log-book at the desk is totally devoid of entries, but the last date associated with the log-book file is the creation date of July 10th of 2074.   You also notice that the log-book has the four marks of an owner and it is in the form of a little stamp in the shape of a boot.  The owner of the host also has this mark. 

@Zach & Storm:
Stake has been zoned out about 15 minutes and Dannyboy's friends are starting to get up and leave.  Dannyboy asks you if it's ok if he goes home now.  He makes sure to give you his commcode.

[Sichr]

Zach stands up and offers Danny his hand.
OK. Nice to meet you. Don`t forget your backpak.