[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn nods as she scans the room.  Picking a place, she cleans off some of the accumulated dust and debris and sits with her back to a wall.  "I am on it.  Someone going to stay and watch me and the equipment?  I will be of no use when I zone out to the real world."

[Aria]

[Sunday July 5th, 2076; Abandoned Bakery, London Underplex]

If Walt Disney had been British instead of American, he might have engineered a creepy consumer hellhole that looked just like this. It’s not just that the floors are so clean you can eat off them, the engineered smiles of the businesses, the entirely too cheerful lighting or the omnipresent security; it is something deeper than that. It is the Seventh Wonder of the wageslave universe, the Vatican city of the megacorporate world. It is the West End Underplex. Our community surveillance rules have changed, so please update your PANs!

From the dubious safety of the bakery you are able to take a moments rest away from the wild crowds of Below and the more sedate and sparse crowds of wageslaves of the Underplex.  So far so good!

One rather precarious data tap into a power terminal (the only thing left in the bakery with connection to the Underplex main host) and Robyn is able to slope inside an even more plastic replica of the environment outside the shop.  Sculpting her persona icon to blend in with the sariamen visiting the host at this hour she is easily able to identify the surveillance measures along the route they need to take to get to the magazine…from there it is a matter of a deft touch to filter the feeds to show just what she wants…

There is a maze of service tunnels in the bowels of the Underplex between you and your prize but the mapsoft has been solid so far, now you just need to pick your window…

***

#17

[Mercy Merchant]

As Robyn sits down to try to invade the host, the drone that she has left inside the building to watch over her is scouting the area near her.  Its feed shows her the power junction box and she smiles.  Standing she goes over to see if the thing is still on and connected.  She is a bit surprised to find that it is.  She walks over to the mule and pulls out a small data tap and returns to the power box.  She affixes the tap to the junction and connect directly to it before sitting down near it.  Her memory of the drone feeds as they walked to the bakery gives her the style of dress for her icon and she sculpts it to fit then descends to her "real world". 

The matrix is life itself some days and is usually far more interesting than the meat world.  Her avatar speeds along the trix strands right up to and inside the host itself.  The host is one of those that seems to exactly mirror its meat world counterpart, probably so as not to confuse those that come to shop here.  She waves her hand at the several helpful host servants that come to ask if she needs assistance, telling them that she is just looking around for now but that she will contact one of them when she finds it.  She walks through the stores and offices of the Underplex as if she belongs there with the other sariamen.  The security along the route to the magazine is easily identified.  Perhaps too easily.  She spends time to make sure that there is not something hidden away and spots a couple of devices not immediately visible.  Robyn cannot resist trying to intrude on one of the security devices, filtering through the feed.  She verifies that the mapsoft they have is correct before leaving the host and carefully jacking out.

She experiences the normal regret at leaving the trix but is otherwise unaffected.  She pulls up the map of the route and adds information about the locations and types of security devices she found on the route before focusing on her sensors to see who is about. 

[adamu]

While the others went about their business, Al had stuck near Robyn. Even if it hadn't been her, you couldn't let a co-worker be all exposed the way she would be when she jacked in.

While she did her digital work, he poked around the analog bakery, looking at what worked, or what still might have useful components, inventorying what was available in his head the way a seasoned chef might on a pantry walk-through. Never could know what might come in handy in a tight spot, and given enough raw materials and parts, there were few limits to the magic that could be done in a pinch.

Almost before he knew it, however, Robyn was back in tangible-land. It always surprised him how quickly these matrix jocks got their work done.

[obidancer]

Right about now we could use the support of our mages with an improved invisibility spell, so we can move the cargo unobtrusively.

Upon hearing the comment Deckard turned around himself looking for other people. Seeing no other Mage he interjected:
You really think I'm some sort of illusionist or what? Sorry pal, haven't learned to do any of that.

The Bakery was as good as they could get for a safe place and he made himself somewhat comfortable. He didn't like his gun to be hidden in the instrument case, but at least they were in the same room, and had managed t pass the scrutiny of the bored security.

He simply nodded at ISaint's request and shortly after Robyn entered the Matrix, Deckard let his Astral Form separate from his meat body. Trying to recall the layout he just looked at he moved from Areas to Areas to look for other Astral entities and security. Wards would stop him and he would not attempt to pass through just yet, keeping a low profile, even in the Astral Space. He could feel the link with his two spirits, ready to appear at the first call and that reassured him, but he kept his focus on identifying any possible opposition. 
 

#38

[Mercy Merchant]

One of the advantages of having almost everything you need implanted is that you do not need to open your eyes to do anything.  Being blind just makes it easier because people do not expect you to open your eyes.  Robyn finishes her map notes and scans the bakery, noting that Al and Deckard have stayed.  The rest must be out looking around.  She decides to wait for the team to come back together to run the new data past them.  Standing, she draws a fag from pack she takes from one of her pockets and lights it before moving over to her mule.  She fusses a bit with the various compartments before softly calling out.  "You remember this thing from Cambodia, Al?  Still have it with me.  Glad I had it then and glad I have it now."  "She pauses to take a few drags on the cigarette.  "You've lost some weight.  You been alright?"

[adamu]

"Heh heh. BCV diet. You lost a good stone-an'-a-half yerself," he answered, possibly revealing how much attention he'd actually been paying her figure. "Hope it ain't down ta me hookin' ya back on those." He indicated her cigarette.

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn's heart almost stops beating and she turns her head to Al.  She takes a drag on her cigarette to give her time to calm down.  "BCV?  Congratulations on being alive.  I am sure there is a story there."  She holds up her cigarette, "And these?  Maybe.  Not sure if they are to blame or not.  Certainly not going to blame it on you."  The lie came easily.  She was not about to tell him about how she had searched her mind over and over and over for the reasons he left, some rational and others irrational.  One of the more irrational ideas had been that he had thought she was a bit overweight so she had lost a bit over a stone in an attempt to be ready when he came back.  She nods to him, "Thank you for noticing, though.  Is it an improvement?"

[adamu]

In response to the BCV query, Al interjected, "Well, the first two is beer an' cigs." He didn't elaborate further, but listened to the rest of what she had to say.

Then she sprung her trap. Women. No improvement was of course the wrong answer. But improvement implied something had been lacking in the past. Couldn't win. Fortunately, his honest response cut throught the whole thing: "Six o' one... half a dozen...reckon ya looked perfect afore...but yer lookin' mighty tasty now too...course I ain't had the same chances ta make a proper inspection," he added with a leering grin. Then his face got slightly more serious. "Woman, reckon you could grow a hump on her back, have acid thrown on yer face, then gain two hunnerd pounds - ye'd still be the same Alyce what flustered an' consternated me."

[Jack_Spade]

The tender moment was momentarily disturbed when Isaint returned.
"Good news everyone - I found a bakery that does not have currently a massive spider infestation. So I brought sandwiches. Oh, and I got a good look at our target. Leaving through the streets will be extremely difficult: Wide open plaza and only two directions to go.
Please tell me, you found a backdoor we can use."

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn grins at Al before turning to ISaint.  "Not sure about back doors, but I have verified the route to the target location and have identified the security measures along the way.  I have overlaid the new information on the map I am sending you..................now.  I have listed the location and type of security devices I found.  I had no trouble entering the host this time, but that truth could change the next time.  The trix is like that.  Sleepy spiders this time, awake ones the next, that sort of thing."  She moves up to him, "Any chicken salad in that stack of sandwiches?"  Robyn reaches for one of the sandwiches offered and unwraps it before adding, "We can work out our access and a possible withdrawal if you like.  Will the diversion be enough to let us just go back the way we came?"

[Jack_Spade]

"Sure, I've got beef, tuna, turkey... ah there it is. Chicken." Pulling out a sandwich for himself, he nodded to the question:
"Ideally yes. At least that's what Mr. Johnson want's us to believe. But I'd be more comfortable if we could grab the thing without setting off any alarms. It's easier to be stealthy when no-one's looking for you.
To that effect I've been wondering: Since the artifact is allegedly in the cellar of this joint and this whole place is honey combed, could we maybe get into a parallel cellar room and cut our way inside? Mono-filament chainsaws are surprisingly effective at that sort of thing. That way we could avoid any innocent guards altogether."

#298

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn munches on her sandwich as she brings up a 3D image of the mapsoft in front of her.  She turns it around so that ISaint can see it from several angles.  "Hmmmm.  Well it does not appear that any of the main corridors abut the vault, but here is something."  She concentrates and expands part of the image while tossing the rest away.  "There is a large ventilation duct that runs right next to the vault.  They made sure that the vault is not connected to this, but this was probably put in before the idea of mono saws.  We can access the duct from this corridor and crawl along it to right here.  You might be able to cut through the wall and into the vault there.  Oooh, look."  Suddenly little beacons of light pop up on the 3D image floating in front of them.  "I have set the different sensors by type and effect.  See the key........here.  There are no special sensors in this duct because it no longer really goes anywhere.  We would need to bypass these four sensors to get to the duct, but should be home free after that.  Should be.  I caveat my statement by saying that there is always a small chance that I have missed a silent sensor.  Still, this ought to give you the best chance to get in and back out.  The duct is even big enough to get the prize through it.



CoF 94

[obidancer]

Deckard's aura came back to his body but before he even opened his eyes, his nostrils started to move and a grin appeared on his placid face. His eyes finally opened and one of the sandwiches iSaint had presented went flying directly into the Mage's hand. He got up and opened his prize with excitement. Thanks ISaint.

Chewing on a bite, he reported his Astral projection. The place is rather isolated. There's a Watcher roaming around the underplex but not attached to our destination in particular. Some stores are warded but if the 'cellar' where the artifact is was warded, it has long vanished.

He observed with interest the map and plan Robyn was projected. He was amazed by of fast she was processing all that information. Her head was probably full of electronics.

I like that plan. Al, ISaint? what do you think?

[Jack_Spade]

"Looks like a tight fit, but with levitation aid it should be doable - I guess you don't have a silencer spell in your repertoire? Oh well, seems like we'll have to make some noise elsewhere than. That will be a job for Pintsize and the distraction team.

Robyn, I assume you can spoof the sensors, otherwise I'll need the type. Pressure sensors we can beat by levitation, thermal is possible with the right armor - which I have - visual by my RP-cloak. It's MADs that would be hard to solve.

I'd distribute the team therefore like this: Deckard, Al and I go into the vent. Robyn, you and PIntsize do your thing in VR while Jackhammer keeps an eye on you - body guarding so to speak.

If anyone wants to do something else please say so."
Isaint asked.