[luckace]

Although Scarcrow was eager to just have a civilized talk with a civilized doctor, he packed his shockgloves this time, one in each pocket of his coat, so he could discretely slip his hands into them inside the pockets.

He checked a digital map of Kathmandu for the easiest way to Harka and the likelihood of getting mugged on the way.

Assumed that we have his address, obviously. Or was the question of visiting Harka still in discussion?

 Unless noted otherwise, Scarcrow always carries a knife in his holster and one in each boot.
Depending on the milieu of the address he also brings his sword.
Is the location reachable by van?

[gilga]

Mark have set the devices he hacked to record what they can whenever there is noise around them. He then Joined Scarcrow in the meet to the doctor disguising himself beforehand, as a businessman.

[Volker]

Cinder

Cinder performs his task with the careful efficiency of a professional investigator. Without drawing too much attention, he picks out some flying vendors and asks them some innocuous questions from which he can draw some conclusion. Not too many, though.

If you puzzle the pieces together correctly, there are six foreigners who can be seen in the temple sometimes.

• one Japanese business man in his fifties. He never talks to any street vendors, is always clothed in fine suits and doesn't have a penny for the poor vendors. Usually, he arrives at the temple in an impossibly expensive taxi, guarded by
• a Japanese bodyguard which gives them gooseprickles. His eyes have the color of blank chromes - not the iris, the whole eyes. He walks in a controlled, almost mechanical, yet very smooth way. This bastard doesn't have a soul, according to the street vendors, who seem to be professionals on that matter. He, too, is clothed in a business suit, but always armed to the teeth.
• Once, there came an even bigger fish from the island (actually a small fish, since he's apparently a Dwarf). Using a lot of gestures and big words, two of the street vendors describe, how one-and-a-half weeks ago a huge limousine arrived at the temple. A heavily guarded Japanese in a suit more expensive than most cars entered the temple and left about four hours later, to be escorted back by the same parade.
• a half-Japanese, half-Nepali woman lives in the temple. There is nothing that contradicts your knowledge about Manisha Hatsumoto. For a little interest the street vendors offer to tell you the general direction where she lives (which is not in the temple). She is cool, clean and polite, but also not especially friendly.
• a German with a gross beard. He stands more than 6 feet tall, wears orange robes and has a red spot on his forehead. He is always polite and friendly, sometimes gives them a rupee or two or buys some useless crap. The German is always high, always relaxed and talks a lot of nonsense.
• an American in her late twenties. She seems to be intelligent (or wear intelligent-looking clothes), polite and attractive (but then, she is blonde, so this might be the only reason - when it comes to the "foreigner woman", the traders seem to be very superficial).
• a young woman from America, who is always flirty and asks around where the big parties are. Although the description is a little bit different, you're not sure whether it is not actually the same person.

Mark and Scarcrow

As you enter, you come into a dimly lit room. The stench of blood is in the air, but it is not strong. A bell rings as you enter and an ARO informs you that the doctor is busy at the moment but asks you to sit down on the aluminium chairs or help yourself to a soykaf at the machine which is standing in the corner. All in all the room hast the air of semi-professional efficiency. It is clean where it has to be, but neglected where it is not (your stools, for example, which can, by the way, not support a troll; nor is the ceiling high enough). You find some physically white screens filled with dynamic ARO advertisments on new cyberware. If you exchange yourself a bit, you realize that the advertisments are not even the same for the two of you. Except for the seats, a table, some magazines and the soykaf machine, there's not a lot of stuff in the room.
Through a stained glass door, you can hear a voice shout "Coming" after a while. If you wait, a small Nepali arrives in your room. He's wearing his black hair very short, has big bulging eyes, a fleshy nose, but a very slim and pointy chin. The man is wearing a doctor's coatlab, no gloves and heavy boots. An array of tools is dangling from a belt around his waist.
"Ah-ah", he makes as he sees you and immediately adresses Mark. "I assume, your ... friend needs some devices, heh heh, right? What can I do for you, Sir, what can I do?"S

[luckace]

"Well... we're looking for something kinda special.", Scarcrow replied. "You've got experience with..." ,and he tapped his temples, "...head implants?"

<< Asking him directly 'bout them kids is too risky, he could tip us off.
 Why don't we say we wanna make a deal with some brain-implants and ask about risks and stuff first?>>

[Jack_Spade]

Cinder was writing his daily reports - actually he had already finished those. Anyway, he was writing a report - just not on occurrences but on what he had learned from the vendors.

He finished the file and sent it through his private comm link to his companions and attached a message:

<<Please find attached my findings. The guarded Japanese Business man would be my top target, but I fear we would compromise our operational security if we abducted him.
Manisha Hatsumoto does not qualify either for the same reason.
The young American woman could be a scout looking for likely test subjects. She should be an easy target and probably wouldn't arise suspicion: Young girls vanish every day around here. For that very reason we can expect her to either have a shadow or she is a capable combatant.
The German doesn't sound like a mover and shaker, but him we can likely drug, interrogate and release - with the right drugs - without anyone wondering.
Therefore I'll try to find the last two on my rounds and see what I can find out about them directly.
Best regards
Cinder>>
 

[luckace]

<< Good job. The German sounds like an easy target. Anyone got connections to get the right drugs?
I know a guy, he smuggles all sorts of stuff from India, he might have the right stuff.>>

So... i don't know much about drugs in shadowrun, but having read Pain and Gain with big interest, I guess Laes would work? I couldn't find anythiny about Laes in the corebook, though, is it from a different book?

Couldn't find a drug-dealer in your contact-lists, Scarcrow has a smuggler (loyalty:2, connection: 3 i believe) as a contact, although I didn't picture him as specialized into chemicals, he could maybe get us something.

[Jack_Spade]

Laes is described in Stolen Souls and Chrome Flesh.
And correct: Cinder would have to use Lone Stars records to find a likely dealer. Feel free to take care of that 

[Volker]

Mark and Scarcrow

His eyes darted to Scarcrow. He quickly readjusted his presumptions on who's the talker. He rubs his hands with a smile. "Sure, sure, I do headware. Quite nice, too, Sir. What is it you need? You need cybereyes? No deal, done is a second. Or can I offer you skilljacks? Ah, I know, quite a secret, heh heh, customer gave me that tip. Internal radar system, heh? Penetrates walls, and flesh, and even thermosmoke. You're in good hands her at Harka's store, for sure, Sir."

Does anyone of you have any drug-related skills? I don't think that laes is common knowledge.
The smuggler might work, but it won't count as a full connection. Via friends-of-friends, you might be able to benefit from that connections. Don't ask me about the rules, though. I've got no idea ^^

[luckace]

"Hmmm... honestly, doc, I'm not sure 'bout them skilljacks.
I mean, aren't they quite a risk? What if I get drugged and some freak messes around with my datajack - wouldn't that... I don't know, make me go crazy?
What if someone hijacks my jack and bugs it with weird stuff?

Life's rough, you know, I gotta be concerned about the safety of me and my colleague"

@ Mark:
<< Crap, I don't know a thing 'bout datajacks. But a good decker could manipulate them, right? Do you know how these slots work? If yes: Might be for the better if you ask him 'bout the risks and side-dangers>>


I'm not sure how much Scarcrow can know about datajacks, but I think so far this is no intricate knowledge in the 5th world. If I assumed more than an uneducated troll knows, please tell me, then I can re-edit the post.
I think it would be safer if Mark leads the talk as long as it goes about some science-stuff, since Mark obviously knows more about Matrix-actions than Scarcrow does. Plus, Scarcrow has no con, so he probably can't fool the doctor with some made-up stories.

@gm: Same here, no idea if friends-of-a-friend work like normal contacts, but logically speaking I guess we could just have the smuggler use his sontacts to get some Laes - will probably take more time and money than getting it directly from a contact, but I see no reason why it shouldn't work. if not, Cinder still can use his registers.

@Jack_Spade: Since you seem to have the Laes-rules, may I most selfishly take advantage of your knowledge and ask you to explain how it works? 

[gilga]

Mark pulled out a credstick and said, "I have heard about these data jacks that can turn a little boy into an assassin. I don't assume you know anything about it?"

[Volker]

Can you please roll on Fast Talk, folks?

[gilga]

Fast Talk: 13d6t5 3

[luckace]

  defaulting con: Talk to Harka: 2d6t5 1 

[Volker]

The doc was just about to reply that it's not possible to hack skilljacks, when Mark interrupts the two. He casts a look at the credstick, then at Mark.
"I have no clue what you are talking about. Are you going to buy something or not? If not, stop that stupid questions and leave my workshop."

Despite his words, Mark can tell that he had one foot in the door. Not only was the streetdoc quite obviously lying, he also shot a second glance at the credstick, indicating that he is torn between the prospect of cash and fear. Fear won, however, and you're losing ground. You know that everything depends on your reaction now.

[gilga]

Mark said "You know exactly what I am talking about!  I can read every little facial expression, every struggle you have this is my job to read people and you are an open book for me. Listen, you are afraid I get it... but you cannot act out of fear you have to think about the consequences of your actions. We are nice guys - but we work for not so nice employers that want results. If you turn us down, our employer will not be happy and will use some other methods to get the information you have - these may or may not involve you - but other methods will be less profitable for your end.

So even if you kick us out you should be afraid - even more afraid than you were before, the people you fear now will assume you told us everything anyhow, especially if I leave evidence of our little visit for them to find. There is also our employer that is definitely an asshole - I myself don't want to be around that prick. So if you kick us out you are going to be afraid of more people than you do now...

If you tell us what you know and I eliminate every digital evidence that this meeting ever took place and give you something for your trouble. You go back to your life and I'll even give you a number to call for a nice security guy that owes me a favor and can look out for your business cheaply if you mention my name.  Be smart Doctor because you cannot afford not to be, you have too much to lose. "