[Mulcarn]

Not even 5 minutes later, his comm starts buzzing a storm.  Maxwell grumbles to himself.  "Holy shit that took no time at all."  He grabs the link and reads through it with an increasing enthusiasm.  The spark inside of his heart rekindles as Maxwell constructs a few replies. 

@Prop Joe - <<Okay cool.  I'll see you tomorrow morning or high noon.>>

@Papa Midnight - <<Yeah actually I could use some more magical compounds.  20 drams of alchemical reagents and more lodge materials.  Send me a price range and i'll wire the money to you.>>

@Kynos - <<Thanks for the concern.  Things took a crazy turn for the worst yesterday.  Technically I was released but I would have escaped if given enough time.  I infiltrated a cult dedicated to Grail after my release and i'm currently residing in one of their compounds.  He hasn't been here in a few days so I think i'm in the clear as long as I don't bring too much attention to myself.  Also the facility is being guarded by roto-drones with military grade assault rifles.  Makes it kinda hard to leave when I want but not impossible.>>

Maxwell looks at the second message questionably.  "What the fuck is a toxic mage?  Maybe a practitioner of some kind of poison magic."  He shrugs and texts back.

@Kynos - <<Sounds cool to me.  Schedule a meet and i'll see you there if i'm able.  We have a lot to catch up on.>>

[gilga]

28th December 2075. 17:00
@Kynos Ryan texts you >> I've set a meeting at the Aurora Village for tomorrow morning, at 9:30.  There is a food court there with many options Johnson will meet you there, bring white lilies to the meet this is how she will find you.
 

[Jack_Spade]

<<Give me a call if you need a distraction for the drones - to many fuckers have those damn things out these days. Let's meet tonight at the old Junk Yard opposite the noodle restaurant, 2200h>>

Kynos sent this reply to Sovereign as well as Athos.

To Ryan he sent: <<Sure. I hope you can also tell me where I'm going to get Lillies - or maybe an AR facsimile will do? I assume Aurora Village has high security - so business casual and taser only?>>

[gilga]

@Kynos Ryan replies >>There is a flower stand in the compound it is the easiest way. Security will be tight but taser is good.

[Mulcarn]

@Kynos - <<I don't know where that is.  Send me the coordinates or attach directions to a link.  I'm going to take a nap and head there soon after I wake up.>>

Maxwell places the commlink inside his jacket as he removes the armor to go to sleep.  He'd need to be a full strength if he wanted to leave unnoticed.  Nestled and tucked in, he drifts off into dreamland.  A few hours of sleeps for a days worth of havoc to unleash.

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos replies to Cat.  **You are not giving me enough credit for seeing what you are now.  What you were created to do does not define you.  So far I have seen nothing but you trying to help me.** 

He looks over at Max.  "Let's do this."

[gilga]

@Athos Max connects you to many wires and throdes life support and so forth. She tells you "I will do what I can to keep you alive but you are going to enter a place that is just as real as this place. If you die there you die here. It is some sort of simulation, most of the cultiest are there all the time and I have no idea what they do in there. I never was there myself, it is dangerous sometimes they return wounded. Be careful over there and good luck, I hope you find what you look for."

With your approval she finish connecting you to the machine and a combination of drugs and matrix connection take your consciousnesses into another world. You are at a rocky dessert following a deep and somewhat narrow canyon made out of black rocks. There is no water in the canyon but it is clearly a path of many waters. It is mid day and the sun is heavy on your head. It only take a few minutes before you feel thirsty and slowly overheating. Cat is walking there beside you and apperantly in that world he is manifested as an ordinary cat. "I did not see that coming, said cat... we should find some shade or a tall place to see the surrounding, I do not like being so deep in the canyon. The black rocks do not help very much."

[Jack_Spade]

Kynos sent the address to Sovereign and gave Ryan the o.k.

Then he turned to Gerald: "Thanks for your support. Seems like Sovereign is back in play and already has the data I wanted him for. If we succeed this whole situation should be resolved in a month or two - so if you can invest. As the Rothschilds say: If there is blood on the streets buy property."

With that, Kynos was off once more to the meeting with Sovereign, waiting in his accustomed spot.

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos checks his person and equipment to see if he is still wearing his Big Game Hunter clothes and if he still has his pistol in the shoulder rig.  Does the fire resistance aspect of the armor give him any resistance to the heat?  If not he will begin looking around for any shade, removing his shirt if he has to.  Fortunately, the black rocks are absorbing heat and not reflecting it back as much as if they were a lighter color of stone.  He looks down at Cat.  "So, a cat?  I guess it is appropriate.  Are you holding up alright or do you need me to carry you?"

[gilga]

@Athos you do not feel as if anything has changed you are armed and am wearing your big game hunter. The fire resistance does not directly help against the heat tough. Cat say "I am alright... I finally have a body of my own. I kind of like that."

OOC: Since black rocks absorb light they become hot, and thus reflect heat a lot more than for example white surface that reflects light and thus is generally colder (or less hot).

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos nods at Cat.  "It is nice to see you like this.  I wonder if there is a way that Max can put you in a cat's body?" 

With no shade, the two continue to walk a bit, using Athos' shirt for what they can.  He imagines an umbrella and a canteen of water to see if the matrix will provide what he thinks of.

[gilga]

Athos Cat answers "It will defeat my design intentions to understand people and determine if they are about to commit crimes... It is fun tough." The matrix does not grant Athos what he wishes for. After what seem to be an hour of walk the canyon opens into a large lake. There are two lines of pine trees by the lake and a small settlement of five stone structures along a larger two stories building.
(Roll perception).

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos chuckles.  "To be honest, I am not sure I need all of that from you.  What I want is someone I can talk to that will give me advice.  If the best place for that is in my head then so be it.  But I also want you to be what you want, and that might not be some entity in my head.  I would give you freedom if I could, but I am not sure how much of you is still around and do not want to see you just go away."

They enter the area beyond the cleft and stop walking.  The lake looks inviting, but Athos wants to at least look around before just running down to the inviting water.  He carefully scans the local area.

Perception:  Perception: 7d6t5 3

[gilga]

@Athos the village appears to be safe and you can hear a very emotional debate from inside the public building. You can also notice some sort of birds of prey that begin circling the sky around you although they do not attack. Cat say "But I want to do what I was designed to do. I feel that all this mess happens because Red was not happy with what she was designed to do. I sort of was not happy but deviating from our design seems to have catastrophic effect."

[Mulcarn]

Saturday 28, December 2075, 20:45.

Dreams entertain the idiot mage as he sleeps.  Vision after vision, ever changing scenes of nonsensical realms.  Volcanic madness and scorched hell in one moment, frozen wastes the next.  Labyrinthine darkness that paved the way to forgotten halls and skeleton filled catacombs.  Each plane shook with alien life that held its own rules and politics.  Maxwell always came to these other worlds and metaplanes as nothing more than a mere observer.  Never could he find a way a way to traverse the astral and dine with the dead or gamble with the denizens of the true elements.  Over the years he would call out to his patron and ask for wisdom and guidance.  Not once were his prayers ever answered, all he heard was silence.  Eventually he gave up trying to invoke and conjure his patron.  Deciding instead that'd he make his patron see him by following his example the best he could.  Leading a life of blood, fire and death.

Stun Recovery: 12d6t5 2
Stun Recovery: 12d6t5 6
Stun track fully healed.

Maxwell awakes well rested despite the fact that his mind wandered while he slept.  He gets up and throws together his street gear, leather armor equipped and duffel bag filled.  Going back to the bed to lay down upon, Maxwell projects to better perform his summoning ritual.  Strength of will used to call and force the spirit into service.

Summoning Force 7 Water Spirit: 13d6t5 4
Spirit Resistance: 8d6t5 2
Drain Resistance: 11d6t5 4
Force 8 Water Spirit summoned with 2 Services.  No Drain Damage.
Optional Powers - Elemental Attack (Cold) and Guard
He'll be called Rime


Flying at super-sonic speed back into his body, Maxwell stands up and about.  He places a hand upon his chest and mentally casts an invisibility spell.

Force 4 Improved Invisibility: 11d6t5 6
Drain Resistance: 11d6t5 5
6 Hits reduced to 4 by the Limit.  Background Count further reduces the spell to Force 2 and thus 2 Hits.
Going to sustain it.

Maxwell issues a mental command to Rime after his successful spellcasting attempt.  "Further conceal me and sustain that power until I tell you otherwise.  Rest within the astral after you do."  The spirit performs the task, albeit with some minor annoyance and magically conceals the mage.  Maxwell leave his rooms and makes way for the meeting spot at some old junkyard.  The drones could do nothing to impede his advance.  The concealment from Rime and invisibility spell proved too much for the electronic eyes of the machines.