ROBYN:
Robyn waits for her turn to talk then provides the information requested.
"My name is Robyn Lysander, although some of you may know me as Alyce Krait. I am not sure why Torrent used my real name for this, but there you are and nothing for it now. The accent I have never been able to get rid of is Russian. I was born and raised in Vladivostok, Russian Far East. I moved to London in '36. I have extensive experience in communications and matrix operations, to include in Below. I am aware of the noise restrictions there and am prepared to overcome them to make sure that you can maintain communications to the Overworld if you need it. Most of my field experience has actually been in the field. In the almost forty years I have been doing this, I have been on many expeditions to some of the most forbidding places on earth, mostly in jungles, swamps, and mountains and have a reputation for holding my own and keeping people alive and in communication with the outside world. My clients include just about every AAA corporation and many AAs as well as most of the major crime syndicates and I hope that does not bother anyone. I have significant loyalties and personal ties to EVO Corporation and to the Vory, but what happens on ANY specific team I am employed by stays on that team and my contacts know and respect that. It would be unprofessional of me to describe any of my missions in detail and I would not expect any of you to want me to violate that trust, but I can provide contact information if anyone wishes to check on some of my bonafides. Despite any perception of an infirmity, I am a board certified surgeon with specialties in bullet wound trauma and secondary specialties in the repair and replacement of bio and cyber ware. I will bloody well keep you alive and moving." She touches the rather obvious tattoo of a seven-headed serpent that covers most of the right side of her face. "I believe that another reason Torrent recommended me for this is my relationship with the people Below. I am a ward of the Earl of Below and the Earl's House and as such receive the benefits of the protection that affords me. This usually means that I have the ability to walk among most of the areas Below without fear of being attacked. That protection is not universal and there are areas where I would be ill-advised to travel without significant numbers of very deadly companions. I also have close ties to The Old One; a very influential player in the politics below even though not directly aligned with any of the Houses. Oh, almost forgot. I have a skill that may not come into play here, but might. I am a pretty decent cook and can prepare meals for us to eat from just about anything. I have a wide range of recipes available and can pretty much satisfy any taste. I can set a store of foodstuffs if we think that this might take more than a day."
"Assets: I have a mutated brain that allows me to remember and recall just about everything I have ever seen, heard, done, etc. It means I have pretty much an improved sort of photographic memory, so be careful what you tell me as I will probably remember it. I have a very good medkit that can assist me, as well as a number of stim, trauma, and antidote patches I can use to keep people moving in an emergency until I get a chance to take a good look at them. I have an exceptional set of implanted sensory enhancements that allow me to compensate for my blindness and can hear, smell, taste and feel far better than most people can. I also have implanted ultrasound and radar sensors that allow me to have a very good view of the area around me and can peek through most walls. I have a very good deck and commlink implanted and I think that the software and module packages are very good, but I would be very happy to consult with any of you to compare notes on hacking and matrix security. Speaking of which, I would certainly recommend considering linking some of your devices to my deck or to my or someone's commlink so as to gain the protection of a good firewall unless your own is very good. I use two micro drones as my eyes about, as it were. They provide me with sensory data that I can access almost as if I were seeing things. I would dearly like to communicate with Halfpint and anyone else that uses drones so that we can get a good security system organized without duplicating our efforts. I have and can bring with us a customized Mule. This will allow us to carry a good bit of supplies and equipment at a decent pace and can certainly provide a means of transporting me if I need to go into VR for any reason while we are in motion, thus preventing others from having to carry an unconscious body about, which can be quite a chore. This can certainly work in conjunction with the Mule offered by the Johnson. Finally, but certainly not least, I have my own Al. It is certainly unplanned that he and his namesake should be in the same team, but there it is. He is a trained guardian and service animal. For those without knowledge of this great beast, he is dual natured, which means that he can see and act against threats in the astral as well as the meat world. He is definitely not your normal chase-the-stick sort of pet, so please do not mistake him for one. I would not advise not trying to pet him, although he does seem to accept my touch. Also, if anyone here has not yet allowed him to get a good sniff, please do, as that will keep him from jumping to my defense if you happen to be getting too close."
"Negatives: No lies, I have several. Certainly my blindness can be an issue, mainly in how people perceive me. I have few if any skills that could be considered combat oriented and do not pretend to have any. My services are advertised as strictly support, and Torrent knows that, so the rest of you must be the muscle here. It is possible to act as a combat hacker, but my experience in doing that is limited and it would be wrong to assume it of me for planning purposes. Certainly, I can affect a battle with enough prior work by neutralizing some of the enemy capabilities, but a spur of the moment engagement is not my long suit. Also, while my affiliation with the Earl's House is mostly a positive thing, it can also work against us. I am sure it comes as no big surprise that the thirteen Houses are not always in agreement. I also have personal issues with House Valerian due to an unfortunate incident with their Mistress. I interceded in her torture of a very close and personal friend and was tortured myself for about fourteen hours. Without getting into the extremely gruesome details, let's just say that it was unpleasant. We escaped and earned the anger of Melissa and her House in the process. The torture has left me with the slight limp I am sure all of you have noticed but have been polite enough to not mention. I use a cane to walk with, but do not consider it a major disability. Additionally, my friend disappeared shortly after rescuing me and I fear some sort of misconduct on the part of Melissa. Going Below may attract more attention to you because I am present and is something to consider."
"It should be noted that I do share some experiences with two of us here. Iris is a close associate that has been helping me find my missing friend. I have grown to rely on her talents and advice like a sister and friend. But like sisters, we do have our small disagreements. Be aware, though, that also like sisters, we can stand together against a common foe. And I know Al from an expedition we were both on in Cambodia in '68. We grew to have a significant appreciation of each other's talents. I would put my life in his hands at any time without any question and know that he could get me through. He is a truly stand-up guy and a loyal friend. I have missed his presence since we separated and could have used him on any of the expeditions I have been on since. And before too many of you ask, yes, I named my Hell Hound guardian after Al Guthrie here."
"So, I know that was bloody long-winded. Any questions for me?"
