[Xzylvador]

Devoted tried to stay in the center of the group heading forwards. He was about to enter hallways that had last seen use before he was born.
"I have a bad feeling about this." was all he said, completely unaware that such thing might have been said before.

[Sentinemodo]

Going for a famous last words Devo? This one is just behind I think its safe. don't worry this building is rotten down and dead. the faster we get up the better, going down by night will be a hell on it own.

[inca1980]

"We just gotta keep on pushing.  No going back now."

[Kontact]

Aside from the stale air, the stairway was immaculately clean.  The team advanced up toward their destination, unobstructed, and Gardener's hand-held radar didn't seem to pick up any movement on the floors.  The 104th should be coming up any moment, and all of the final floors seemed to be untouched executive offices.  This was the jewel on the crown of Cross-Sim.

[Sentinemodo]

So we did the log in. Let's see what here is worth of taking.

Code will run an auto-inventory program, to log all items found, so it would be easier to sort out things based on their value. Verify again that no movement is being registered and open up the closest door we are looking for small high value items - jewelry, art, high tech is probably obsolete by a decade by now, but still, there might be some white crows in terms of books or music.

using the Gardener radar to find safe (but looking physically also, as they might be masked from the radar sensors) and lookign out for hidden compartments in desks, drawers, wardrobes etc..

let see how much time will it take to make a good search of a single room.

I leave a blimp several floors above to monitor the situation above us and Ruckus on the stairway so we won't get surprised by anyone lurking behind us.

Let's do this guys !

[Xzylvador]

Despite the improved surroundings, Devoted still felt less than safe. The background seemed to have lessened and he tried to see if he could put some protective spells on his foci again. Neither spell went exactly as he had hoped, the magic felt hostile in this cursed place.
He groaned when a sudden flash of pain flared through his head.

[Kontact]

Walking out into the hallway, Gardener heard a click just too late to jump back as a rail drone opened fire and caught him dead center with a heavy barrage of bullets.  His mind exploded with pain, even as his armor kept the bullets from piercing his tough hide.  So much pain, in fact, that his eyes rolled back into his head and he tumbled backwards into the stairwell.

[Sentinemodo]

Medic! I don't know how to patch living things!
Code face wasn't visible to well under the fur, but the tail twitched nervously on the sight of blood, and there was a slight pitch of panic in his voice.

Nevertheless, Code was looking around for any kind of wired network boxes, plugs or lines on the walls. Anything that would allow him to jack into the local network. They should be going along the walls, or maybe in air conditioning tunnels. They should be fairly accessible for maintenance and probably since the main defense line is the tower's entry hallway it should not be that well hidden.

[Xzylvador]

"I... I don't think he's really that wounded. I mean, there isn't a lot of blood or bullet wounds. But the amount of pain, his body has to deal with that itself. My magic can't ease that suffering."

Devoted didn't sound panicked or stressed, he sounded numb. He stood pressed against the wall staring at the body lying at his feet. The sound of the automatic fire still echoed through his ears.

[Kontact]

The stairwell was bare of anything except light fixtures.  Falling back though, Gardener had knocked the door hard enough to break the hydrolic arm which pulls it closed.  Peering out at this angle, Code could see the tracks around the ceiling, just like the partially broken and hive-covered tracks a few floors below.  He might be able to jury-rig a way hook into the security network from down there, but it would take time.  Alternately, there was a limited range of motion, and a limited number of bullets available to this drone here, and a doorway not too far from the stairwell entrance.  If he made a break for the office, he might be able to find a computer which would allow him much faster access to the defense network, as well as who knows what else in the form of valuable digital information.  After all, these were the executive offices.

[Sentinemodo]

I think I got an idea. If you can help do it now. *wink*

Gardener has lots of explosives on him. Code may not know how to work with radio detonators, but he's seen on movies that plastic is as good as plasteline in that it glues to everything. So he took a handful of this explosives he got and a ammo pouch he has. Instead of the rounds he has there Code put  few dozens of explosive ammo he's carrying. Then he put on the much too big helmet that ogre was carrying, giving him a wacky look.

Ruckus you go first - dodging manevuers. One second after drone Code dashed with a monkey dexterity jumping madly through the stairwell toward the rail drone.

[inca1980]

"La Chingada!!" utters Machete under his breath. 

[Kontact]

The trusty drone moved out of the doorway and fired a short burst at the rail drone which had just gunned Gardener down.  The exploding bullets landed against a seam on the drone's turret and tore through its insides, scrapping it in a moment.  Quickly swiveling itself to fire on the second drone as it rounded the corner, Ruckus 2.0 sprayed the thing down, with automatic fire, slightly dislodging it from its track.  Code took this opportunity to try and slap the demo charge on the advancing gun, but just caught air as the drone exploded into shrapnel some two feet from his hand.  Machete lowered his shotgun, shook his head and frowned at the young hacker's crazy move.

[Sentinemodo]

Code frowned back on Machete. "That one was mine. I'd've gotten it". He shook the pouch with bullets.

Then his face beamed, "just joking, thanks, cool move don't ya think?"

With that Code assessed if the drones were somehow connected, and if there is some kind of security center that could be hacked.
If there were two drones there might be something else as well...

[Kontact]

The drones were attached to the rail which wound around the corridor, and they received power and communicated through that rail.  There didn't seem to be any connection points on the rial itself which would allow Code to connect into that system directly.  He might be able to patch in using the less damaged drone, but that would take a considerable time investment to figure out.  Chances are that the executive computer system had access to security somewhere inside.  All he would have to do is find a computer terminal and jack in.