[Jack_Spade]

Defense: Intuition+Firewall: 13d6t5 4
No success
Mark on you

In response you receive an invite for a friendly mark. It reveals the location of the commlink one level above you, back at the living quarters where you left the janitor and the wounded corp-decker


The quick hack revealed two things: It was indeed the Janitor and he and his commlink were more than up the task: The sneak attempt failed. But instead of receiving nasty code, another message arrived including an authentication code for the sender: "Careful now, this is going to be loud."

[Volker]

I assume, with "janitor" you mean Hank? Or really a new player in the game who happens to be the janitor of this bade?

Damn, this dude is cooler than I am. Just glat the party didn't realize I just got beat in a Matrix fight by a janitor...

[Jack_Spade]

Yes, correct.

I hope you all will forgive me if I don't wait for Torrent's action to begin the new action phase. But the fight is getting tedious, you are very likely to win and you earned earlier the achievement: "Friends in low places", so now you are getting a little help.


The warning came not a second to early. The little drone stopped and now the team could see clearly what had been taped to its back: Three stun grenades


Combined Blast: 20S AP6

Soak Intruder 4: 14d6t5 6
K.O.
Soak Intruder 5: 14d6t5 7
K.O.
Soak Intruder 6: 14d6t5 8
K.O.
Soak Intruder 2: 14d6t5 6
K.O.


The combined blast was hard enough to knock the remaining intruders against the walls and also to obliterate the little cleaning drone.

[Sabato Kuroi]

The elf  gets up from his prone position.After he is certain none of the  intruders are  moving he turns to the team.

"OK team time to find the mage and explain to him why playing with metahuman entrails is a really bad idea.Then get the hell outta here!"

[Jack_Spade]

Schmitt had gotten up and looked carefully around the open door.
"Well done. But we better hurry. They will most likely send reinforcements before to long. Is one of you able to assence the conjurer of this abomination outside?"

[SgtBoomCloud]

Ten seconds.  That is how much time Krestov waited after the drone stun bomb went off, standing still as a statue.  Finally, he moved, striding calmly towards the pile of unconscious guards, reloading his Crusader before bolstering it.  "Targets neutralized.  Slob, bagging souvenirs.  Believe term is merry Christmas?". Reaching down, he picked up the pair of laser weapons gingerly before showing them away, heading back towards the group, patting the big gun aplreciatively.  "Nice work on gun, bnc.  Kept me safe.."". As he rejoined them, the troll gave a quick, violent shake of his clothes, the clatter of several spent shock bullets falling to the floor breaking the silence. 

"I know not how assense, as you say, or if we have ability.  However, other option is presented."". He trailed off, pausing a bit as he worked out his next words.  "...is...not favorite option to he taking.  But chances of rest of you surviving improve much with it..". Turning to bnc, Krestov lifted his visor.  "Likely won't like option.."

[SquirrelDude]

Slobbertooth took time to look over the bodies for ammunition and grenades. "Sorry Chummer, but assensing isn't really my game."

[Volker]

Ten seconds.  That is how much time Krestov waited after the drone stun bomb went off, standing still as a statue.  Finally, he moved, striding calmly towards the pile of unconscious guards, reloading his Crusader before bolstering it.  "Targets neutralized.  Slob, bagging souvenirs.  Believe term is merry Christmas?". Reaching down, he picked up the pair of laser weapons gingerly before showing them away, heading back towards the group, patting the big gun aplreciatively.  "Nice work on gun, bnc.  Kept me safe.."". As he rejoined them, the troll gave a quick, violent shake of his clothes, the clatter of several spent shock bullets falling to the floor breaking the silence. 

"I know not how assense, as you say, or if we have ability.  However, other option is presented."". He trailed off, pausing a bit as he worked out his next words.  "...is...not favorite option to he taking.  But chances of rest of you surviving improve much with it..". Turning to bnc, Krestov lifted his visor.  "Likely won't like option.."

"Spit it out!"

[SgtBoomCloud]

Krestov blinked at the curt response for his idea, the troll's jaw set as he cleared his throat.  "Okay.  Way I see this, first option is finding mage and eliminating.  That removes spirit and make extraction possible.  However, reinforcement make time issue.  If can't find in time, will need to extract with spirit in place.  To make work, needing diversion to keep spirit attention"  He gave a pause, glancing at the others.  "...I would able to provide longest diversion..."

[Volker]

bnc's eyes grow wide. After half a blink, she snaps back, barely hiding the irritation in her words: "What? No fucking way! What's that gonna accomplish?
"See, this is a bloody mighty spirit - and a mighty blood spirit, too. Your physical strength is of little use if you fight a blood spirit. He will not attack your body, but your life force as such. Seeing as you exchanged a lot of your flesh and blood by augmentations, you'd last shorter than I would. There's no way at all you're gonna throw your life away just like this. Besides, it will take us minutes, if not many of them, to find the mage. You could only buy us seconds. So stop wasting our time with heroism and come up with a good idea how to find that mage."

Krestov knows her well enough to understand what's going on. Her fear of losing him turned into anger, and this is her way of saying "Please stay with me".

Instead she says: "In the meanwhile, I suggest we move. As long as we've got no better plan, I guess we can just hope to stumble on him.

"I'd try to move to the top floor for the following reasons:
 a) Tom Preston adressed the rigger under influence of magic. His room is on the top floor, so this might be where the magician is. It might even be that the rigger knew the magician, because he referred to them as a "she".
 b) The armed people tried to breach in the top floor. There will be something of value, so this is where we're gonna find the spellslinger.

"Shall we move?"

While speaking bnc falls on one knee, sliding her slender fingers into her boot where - as all of you are well aware - she hides her emergency supply of drugs.

[Sabato Kuroi]

"The Doctor is safer with you protecting him, big guy .Thing is, if the Azzies  came here for the prototypes, why are they still around?They should have left when they got their hands on them.Whatever it is they're after, I bet we'll find the damned blood mage somewhere near. "

[SgtBoomCloud]

Krestov's large mitt darted out, deftly catching bnc by the wrist and effectivelybstaying her hand as he dropped to a knee.  His visited gaze pierced into her as his voice rumbled out low.  "Later.". With a squeeze, he stood up, nodding his head with a small chuckle.

"This why Krestov not making of the plans.  Yes, we move.  Laser weapons must not be target.  Schmitt, what is of interest between here and top floor?  Aware of only one or two things, CEO and body armor being them.  Either way, am ready to move"

[Jack_Spade]

"It's a hostile take over. They don't want to steal anything per se - they keep all assets under lock down and make the key researchers sign new contracts while the finacial battle is still raging. 20kMUS is an undisclosed asset, so S-K and Ares could legally transfer everything of value out while they haven't had the chance to replace the board. So they cut communications, secure the inventory and - while they are here - force us to stay on.

I admit, it's a bit complicated, but we are in international waters here and possession is 9/10th of the law.

Inside this lab they have secured all the researchers exept five - which I assume were killed:

Their names are:
- Andy WILLIAMS   
- Bea JONES
- Carl BROWN
 - Eva MILLER
- Francis WILSON
- Herbert TAYLOR
- Irene ANDERSON
- John THOMAS
- Liam WHITE   
- Michael HARRIS
- Naomy MARTIN
- Olivia THOMPSON
- Pita GARCIA
- Quin MARTINEZ
- Ralf ROBINSON
- Tanja RODRIGUEZ

Tom Preston is the Executive Officer and was up on level 5. I assume he was killed, otherwise they would have secured him here with me and the others. Dr. Malcom left yesterday for his vacation.

The missing researchers are:
- Steven CLARK
- Karl JACKSON
- Gabriela MOORE
- Donnie DAVIS 

Beside those there is the support personal:

Twelve guards who are most likely dead, including our two security riggers.

And finally there are
- Jay the Janitor or rather Hank, as you probably have learned. He is my backup here.
- Carla the Cook
- Tom and Tim the Technicians
- Ruth the Rigger
- Kim the Kitchenaid

One of those alive must be the traitor who summoned that blood spirit outside. I only have a very limited knowledge about that, but I remember that you need to sacrifice an intelligent being to achieve that. There might also be a ritual weapon involved."

Schmitt paused: "I'm sorry, I seem to be a bit shaken, I'm rambling."

[Volker]

It takes a second while bnc checks her data.
"Wait. You said five researchers are missing: Clark, Jackson, Moore, Davis and..?"
bnc bites her lips.

"Okay. We have 16 researchers and five personnel left. Without being a racist, I'd like to point out that three of them have Spanish names: Pita Garcia, Quin Martinez, Tanja Rodriguez. While it's only a guess, it's still the best guess we have that one of those might be the blood mage."

Let's hope their biomonitors are still online. They used to be when we arrived. It's not a lot of hope, but hope it is...

bnc tries to find the AROs that represent the three researcher's biomonitors. With a bit of luck this would lead them to the bloodmage.

Matrix Perception:
Matrix Perception Test: 8d6t5 3
If not - can I access the security camera and stuff via wifi or do we have to get back to the station?

[Jack_Spade]

"I'm sorry, I misspoke. It's four missing researchers. I erroneously added Dr. Malcom to the missing.

Hm, yes, you are correct about your guess regarding ethnicity. It's a starting point."

He turned to Torrent: "Now about that proposal, if you are willing, you could play me, while I try to establish communication again. Jay, I mean Hank will accompany me to the fifth level and may be one of you, too. But be aware, that a mage might be able to assense your magical abilities and not be fooled."


Yes, the bio monitors are online again, but they are slaved to the Blue Hades host, if you want to get more information than just their existence.

Just as a little reminder: You do have a possible witness...