[Imladir]

[Cynthia Rawson - Sunday June 10th, 2075 - In VR] #121

*Woh, Seattle becoming a war zone... Yeah, no wonder he had to leave. I wonder what has set that off though... But I can't go snoop around there so... Guess I'll have to rely on Sherlock. I wonder if the Chinatown barrens are concerned...*

Cynthia will let Sherlock dig a bit more into all of this, mainly to get a list and locations of the gangs involved, to check if the Chinatown barrens are involved, and what are the reasons behind this "global" violence. More importantly, what are the real hotspots which are at the origin of this, and where did the gangs took advantage of the confusion. Fortunately, this can probably be found with a simple chronology of the events. Which should help to find the cause of all this activity anyway.

*So, nothing important in the public files for Liston. Nothing surprising there. Would be disappointing in fact... There are two points I should look into though, two maybe possible leads. First, this raid on their UCAS warehouse, and second those poor records of employment. But first...*

Cynthia checks with Tanya's and Marissa's ARO to make sure that they are still somewhere deep in the club: it wouldn't do to miss the fact that they came back... She doesn't care where they are and what they are doing, not even if they are still together, as long as they're not back.
If all is right, she will start to dig a bit more. First regarding the robbery, which should have at least some not too hidden/protected details. That is not to say that she will get to the bottom of it right now, but she should still be able to get a bit more on the subject without too many risks. The same should hold for the employment record, but she'll do that a bit later.

[VegasRigged]

"I prefer to be selective with my partners, and suspect that, while I might enjoy the such carnal pleasures physically, I'm not likely to let myself off guard among so many strangers. Do you intend to join them?"

I'm looking down at the groups with focus and interest. My lovely little secretary just got in on that and here I am being a stick in the mud. I know I'm right, I know if I went down there I'd end up feeling out of control and hating it.

However, Tom and Merie getting into it with strangers could be a concern if someone gets leverage on her, though it might also be useful if I can get a recording.

[Mercy Merchant]

@Eva   Tanya shakes her head and laughs.  "No, not me.  There are already too many pictures of me here tonight and I do not need to provide even more fodder for the gossip vids.  I think I will actually just let Marie and Tom go have their fun.  There is an MM cover band on the eighth circle that is pretty good.  If you like her songs, you should at least give them a try.  But feel free to mingle a bit.  Ciao."


@Cynthia   For now, the other AROs of your group are nowhere near the suite, leaving you free to dig a bit.  A bit less than a year ago, the UCAS branch of Liston Pharmaceuticals was targeted in a raid by persons unknown.  This would have made little news at the time except for the fact that the facility was the storage repository for half of the nation's stockpile of anthrax.  The company was very quick to deny that any of the dangerous toxin had been stolen, but some sources continue to claim that to be a lie and that the government is complicit in some sort of cover up.

[Imladir]

[Cynthia Rawson - Sunday June 10th, 2075 - In VR] #122

*Anthrax? What's that? Uh, ok. Wait, it can be used as a bioweapon?* Cynthia pauses for a few seconds, as she thinks about this. And recalls what Tanya told her earlier. *Maybe it's nothing but...*

She stops her search for the moment, and instead sends a message to Tanya <<I suppose you know about Bogotá?>>

[Mercy Merchant]

@Cynthia   A silence stretches out and you almost think she did not get the message.  >>I watch the news feeds, Cynthia.  Why do you bring that topic up?<<

[Imladir]

[Cynthia Rawson - Sunday June 10th, 2075 - In VR] #123

*Yeah... Good question... She talks about a plot involving bioweapons and I see one on the first thing I look into... Drek, I'd bet most corps have stuff like that squirrelled away...*

<<Uh... I'm being paranoid, sorry. Forget it, I'm probably too tired to think straight.>>

[Mercy Merchant]

>>Tell me what you think.  I am interested.  What about Bogota?<<

[Imladir]

[Cynthia Rawson - Sunday June 10th, 2075 - In VR] #124

<<Uh... If I'm not paranoid, this is really not the way I'd like to discuss this, you never know who might  be snooping around... Give me a sec'.>>

Cynthia will go to a Host she knows that offers private meeting rooms. Private, discreet and confidential meeting rooms. There, she'll take a room and send Tanya the required information to allow her to join. Once Tanya is there, Cynthia, sited in a comfortable sofa, speaks. Not too unsurprisingly, she seems completely at ease here, in control. With no trace of the awkwardness she showed earlier.

<<It may be overkill but if I'm right, I'd much rather be safe than sorry. And if I'm wrong, well, you now know of at least one way to meet discreetly on the 'trix... So. One of the programs I'm working on detected the bombing in Bogotá earlier in the day, so I kept an eye on it. As I was digging a bit into it, I found what I believe to be the reason for the bombing. Nothing too difficult to get, and nothing I can prove. But I do believe that Liston Pharmaceutical planed the bombing to assassinate the Finance Minister, to replace him by his deputy. Which they probably bought some time ago, given that he seems much more reasonable. As far as they're concerned at least.

Anyway. When I looked into Liston Pharmaceutical I noticed a robbery some time ago, where Anthrax was not stolen. Given what you told me earlier about bioweapons, I couldn't not see a link... Maybe there is none, but if there is, it would be best to stop there and reconsider my...approach...of the problem...>>

[Mercy Merchant]

Tanya's matrix avatar is a crystal warrior and she seems a bit.............uneasy?..............as she walks into your private room.  >>Yes, I am very interested in the connection between Bogota and Liston Pharmaceuticals.  It would be nice to have more information on the company and it apparent controlling corporation, Sampson Industries.  I do see the link to the assassination and am concerned that this will clear the way for Liston to move into Colombia.  I have good reason to believe that a quantity of anthrax has been removed from Liston's facility in the UCAS to be sent elsewhere to be mutated and weaponized.  I do not know enough.  It seems like the opposition is always a step or two ahead of me and that is disturbing.  Can you find out more and what would you need from me to help?<<

[Imladir]

[Cynthia Rawson - Sunday June 10th, 2075 - In VR] #125

Cynthia nods. <<I can try to find out more yes. As for what I'd need...>> she frowns pensive. <<I'd need to know what you know. Or well, maybe I don't need it, but it would help. A lot. First, if you're lagging behind, it would be stupid for me to take the time to find stuff you already know. Second, it would help me to measure the opposition, and adapt my strategy to it. And third, the more I know, the more I'll be able to find new elements. For example, now I can look into this Sampson Industries, which I didn't yet find.>>

She pauses for a couple of second, then adds <<What would help, is if I had some support.>> she looks in space for a moment <<I never worked with someone else, but on this... I think it would help quite a bit. The good news, for me at least, is that I already know someone who's looking into this. In fact, the other job I told you about would be to help this person looking into Bogotá.>> she smiles thinly <<The bad news is that I have no idea for whom he looks into this.>> she shrugs <<And I only met him today. He made a good impression, but I can't be sure of course.>>

[Mercy Merchant]

The crystaline avatar laughs.  >>I do know more, but not as much as I would like, and I am not entirely certain if my information is correct or up to date.  I would appreciate knowing more, but do not know how much to reveal.<<  The woman pauses, as if in thought, then nods as much to herself as to you.  >>Alright, I will tell you more.  Perhaps it is enough to get you further ahead.  Sampson Industries is a shell corporation that controls a handful of other, smaller companies and corporations.  One of these is Liston.  The board of directors of Sampson consists of six people, three highly placed members of the Yakuza and three mid-level suits from Renraku.  I had managed to turn one of the Renraku men and he was helping me from the inside.  I say was because he was removed from the board a couple of months ago and because he is now dead.  He was an early casualty of the violence yesterday.  He had arranged for some of the anthrax and some rather incriminating documents to be sent to me via a rather complicated series of couriers.  He must have tipped his hand somehow because some mercenary soldiers killed him and his family, killed the people of the courier service, and killed the courier, retrieving the case.  Story over, right?  Not so much, as it seems.  For some reason, these same people assaulted the hospital where the bystanders from the initial attack had been taken.  Their target seems to have been a young woman who had been holding the dead courier in her arms when she was shot and wounded.  My very great supposition is that the case is trapped and the courier gave some sort of code to this woman and the mercenaries want her so she can give them the code.  She is on the run, but with help, as the bullets that hit her have apparently rendered her paralyzed from the waist down.  It is widely believed by KE that she is currently in hiding with the man who rescued her from the hospital and at least one other person.<<

>>Now, how this ties into Bogota?  Still not sure, but there are just too many coincidences for me to accept.  Liston is at the heart o this, I am sure.  Well, Liston and Sampson Industries, and whoever controls them.  I believe that Liston is going to use its scientists to modify the anthrax to be effective against certain targets, in this case anyone who is not human.  I consider this a significant threat and am working tirelessly to stop them.  I have............associates that are aiding me, but could use your expertise.  If you are willing to help.  You may talk to this friend of yours, but I urge caution.  These people do not play for fun and have already demonstrated that they are more than willing to kill innocent people.<<

[Imladir]

[Cynthia Rawson - Sunday June 10th, 2075 - In VR] #126

Cynthia seems surprised. <<Oh? So there's a link there too? Hum, you'd like to meet Rowena then I suppose, to know what the courier told her? By the way, the man who helps her is called Benoit Christianson. And the other person is a woman by the name of Barbara. I don't know if either of those names are real ones, but it doesn't really matter I guess. They worked for a PI business called Raleigh's Investigations up to yesterday when it was hit, at about the same time the courier was attacked. I know Barbara's comcode if you want. In fact, I already sent her a message, but since it was just a warning and nothing much, she didn't answer. But if I have more to say, she may be interested. Given their situation, I suppose they'd welcome any offered help... I stopped looking into that after I sent my message though, it was getting boring to be honest. I can try to get them to reach to me if it's useful.>>

Cynthia shrugs, and adds <<Knowing what the courier told Rowena would just be one piece of the puzzle though and I suppose you'd want the suitcase too. The mercenaries have it, or left with it at least. They could have given it to someone else since then for all I know. No idea who, much less where, they are though, I didn't care so I didn't look into it. But now... What do you want to look into first? Liston Pharmaceuticals and Sampson industries, or the home front with the mercenaries? Reaching out to Barbara wouldn't take much time but it'd be impossible to look into the corps and the mercs at the same time of course.>>

Pensive, she taps her lips <<I think it would be a fair bet that B&B are looking at the mercs situation. I don't think they'd want to hide forever, and taking out the mercs would probably be their best option. And I think Barbara is tech savy enough to find some data by herself. So the best bet would probably be for me to reach out to Barbara, as an intermediary to the one supposed to get the suitcase. Maybe if your...er...friend...from KE had some data on the mercenaries to "share", I could send that along? That way, Benoit and Barbara would be able to effectively focus on the mercs, maybe with a bit of support from me, while I dig into the two corps. Would that work for you?>>

[Mercy Merchant]

The avatar pauses then seems to come to a decision of sorts.  >>My KE "friend" is very much involved in this, but unfortunately from the wrong side.  I strongly believe that he is in the pocket of one of the Sampson board members and have been angling for some proof that I can use to get him to give us some information.  I have not given up on that angle, but I like your idea of reaching out to the others and trying to help them.  Can you make that your first priority?  After that, I think I need to know more about Colombia than I do.<<

[Imladir]

[Cynthia Rawson - Sunday June 10th, 2075 - In VR] #127

Cynthia shrugs <<Uh ok, no information from KE then. Without more information or help to give them I don't know if they'll want to reach out though: they may think it's too risky, but I can try.>>

Thinking about it for a second, Cynthia composes a message to Barbara, and sends it <<Hey Barbara. I sent you a message earlier but I've come across more information regarding your situation. And I'm with the intended recipient of the suitcase Benoit tried to secure. I'd like to talk to you, so you'll find attached the logins for a discreet room in a secure host@. Or you can choose another one if you want, I don't mind. Let me know, maybe I can help.>>

Once this is done, she says <<Ok, done, I can only wait for her now. I'll do the serious stuff tomorrow, when I'm fresh and at 100%, but I can continue my preliminary search now I suppose. Unless there's something in the club?>>

She takes advantage of the pause to check on Sherlock, to see what he found on the cause of the gang wars going on in town.


@ The room is a different one from the one Cynthia and Tanya are in. She won't involve Tanya for now, you never know.

Regarding Sherlock, it was that:

Cynthia will let Sherlock dig a bit more into all of this, mainly to get a list and locations of the gangs involved, to check if the Chinatown barrens are involved, and what are the reasons behind this "global" violence. More importantly, what are the real hotspots which are at the origin of this, and where did the gangs took advantage of the confusion. Fortunately, this can probably be found with a simple chronology of the events. Which should help to find the cause of all this activity anyway.

[/spoiler]

[Mercy Merchant]

The file from Sherlock is not as extensive as you might like it to be, but he is still looking.

>>Chinatown Barrens:  There is always violence associated with this cesspool of humanity.  The KE has no official presence there and matrix activity is hard due to spots of extreme noise.  The periphery of the area is accessible but little beyond that.  This is definitely a place where eyes on the ground is your best intelligence source.

>>Gang Violence:  Many of the gangs throughout the city seem to up in arms over something.  The notable exceptions seem to be the Downtown and Fort Lewis districts.  Rumors abound at the cause, but the most common one is that the Yaks have declared war on all of the smaller gangs, or some slight variation of that.  As a result, gangs are throwing up barricades and roadblocks all over the city and terrorizing anyone silly enough to try to transit their turf.

>>Hotspots, Local:  There does not seem to be any real source of the gang violence and no one place that is worse than the rest.

>>Hotspots. Global:  The current spot seems to be Colombia, where riots are taking place after the assassination of the Finance Minister.  Widespread looting and burning of buildings and cars seems to be the norm.  A calm spot seems to exist in the area of the building housing the offices of Liston Pharmaceuticals, where heavily armed mercenaries are providing a haven for people to gather in safety.  They apparently are well armed and not afraid to use their weapons.

You do not immediately receive a response from Barbara.