[farothel]

Hyena was trying another number, as the first didn't give any connection, when she heard Jerry and Iceblade.
"What he said," she said, pointing at Iceblade, "and don't worry about the analyse program on my link.  I have a modified one that is made specifically for the link so it doesn't use as much resources as a regular program."

With that she turned back to her link to check if the connection had already been made.

[Sentinemodo]

Excuse me, are you from the past? ...

You really don't know what you're talking about or you just earned Oscar award here and now ....  VPNs base on transmission encryption and transmission encryption has ended in 65 with Heinrich Maneuver.

Go ahead and amuse me, set up your VPN, let's how long it last.

[Mirikon]

Regardless of your own thoughts on the subject, no one looks on my PAN without getting a sword through their throat. And since we're not going to do anything stupid like wander off around Lagos on our own, we can switch to simply talking if the comms go down.

Anyway, did you read the info packet? Matrix might not be up half the time we're there, so we shouldn't rely on comms too much, anyways.

[farothel]

"Don't worry too much about matrix security," Hyena said, "as long as we don't go into Festac Town or Victoria Island we should be fine.  And as long as we're within signal range, we can keep using our links as they will form a local mesh.  At least, that's what I've understood from these things."

[Sentinemodo]

I've stopped worrying.

[Thermo]

@Hyena:
Daughters of Yemaja: Local Area Knowledge (8d6.hits(5)=3)

You reach out to your contacts within the Daughters of Yemaja to find out the local conditions in Lagos. Your first few attempts are unsuccessful, as the connection seems to be extremely unreliable, so you leave a message with a trusted member. After about an hour, you get a video message back. The face is familiar, but appears to have a few scars that you don't remember. It's Hrickik, a girl you trained with. The message is in broken English.

"Hoi Hyena! Got your message. Good to hear from you. Things here have been.. rough. Since you left, mercs and terrorists have flooded the city with weapons and seem intent on showing how big their cajones are. The slums are seeing the worst [transmission garbled] It does mean that there are some great toys, if you've can get your hands on them. Best place to go is [transmission garbled] and they even [transmission garbled] spirits for hire [transmission cuts off]"

@Iceblade: After you purchase the two Linguisofts, Jerry offers to take a look at them and see if he can crack the copy protection. [OOC: it's your call, but if he screws up it might render them unusable]

@Jerry: You take a look at the Linguisoft kiosk and begin to probe its security, trying to see if it's connected to the plane to determine how serious it would be if you got caught hacking it. It doesn't appear to be connected to the plane's communication system, but may very well be connected to the pilot's PAN so he can be alerted to any theft. Hard to tell. You run a quick Matrix scan for the device, and stop dead in your tracks. These are the same linguisofts that Ares provides to fragging UCAS State Department employees. It doesn't appear to be high-security, but you won't know for sure until you're already into the system.

You spend the next 4 hours of the flight doing your data search on the Atlantean Foundation.

Created by Sheila Blatavska shortly after the Awakening in 2012, the Atlantean Foundation is a private organization publicly dedicated to restoring the glory of the lost golden age of Atlantis, a supposed Mecca of wonders and knowledge that disappeared into the mists of time. More than just a group of eccentric history buffs and new-agers, it is an organization with branches worldwide, popular trid shows, monthly newsletters and chats, major research centers, sponsored archeological digs, and cadres of respected scientists. It boasts millions of members worldwide and operates at a level just shy of an AA corporation.

[You might be able to find out more if you spend more time researching. Alternately, you have several other topics that you can investigate if you prefer.]

You have approximately 7 hours left before the flight lands.

[farothel]

"Ok, people," Hyena said to the others, "I've just managed to get through to someone I still know in Lagos and apparently there's some trouble over there, even more than usual.  Mercs and terrorists are apparently running loose in the city.  It means that we can get weapons even easier, but there will be a lot more people intend on using those easy to get weapons.  We'll have to be careful there." 

She looked to the hacker of the group and transmit him the message that she recorded.
"Euh, Jerry was it, righ?  The transmission wasn't very good.  I've send you the message I received, can you try to get the garbled stuff a bit clearer?  I have the feeling there's some interesting stuff that didn't get through correctly."
There wasn't anything on it that would compromise the daughter's of Yemaja and she knew enough that the commlink used to send the message would be gone already, probably given to someone in the slums.

[Mirikon]

Iceblade had been sitting back, enjoying a drink from the plane's minibar after declining Jerry's offer to crack the protections on the linguasofts (he didn't trust the hacker not to screw them up, or go looking places he ought not to), but he opened an eye at Hyena's words. "Hmm. That provides both opportunities and difficulties. While I may not be any good with heavy weapons, grenades would be helpful if we have to make tracks out of Lagos in a hurry. I'd prefer to use flash-bangs or smoke, of course, and we can't use gas grenades with anything more powerful than pepper spray in them if we're in an inhabited area. But the high explosive grenades would be useful for dealing with 'problems' away from civilians. The background count is going to make magical options more difficult, I'm afraid."

[farothel]

"The one thing that's plenty in Lagos is weapons," Hyena said as she grabbed another drink from the minibar, "nukes are probably a to-order job, but 'normal' weapons you can get without any problem.  As for the background count, you get used to it.  Except in places like Surrelere, but I would avoid that place alltogether.  Now, any of you have actually handled physical money?  You know, coins and stuff."

[Mirikon]

"Not since I was twelve, and went on a trip to Britain with the parents. It was odd seeing paper money. But I gather we'll need to visit one of these 'hawala's mentioned in the info packet, and trade nuyen for the local currency?"

[farothel]

"I know one, so I can give you an introduction," Hyena said, "and you're even better with hawala vouchers than with coins.  And never take paper currency, it's worth nothing.  Too easy to forge."

[Mirikon]

Iceblade nodded approvingly. "And this is why it is always good to have a local guide when you're travelling. Especially if you're going to different continents." Looking to Jane, he said, "When we get to our lodgings, do you want me to put a ward up around our rooms? It won't keep any determined foes out, but at the very least we'll have some warning if anyone tries to attack us magically."

[farothel]

"True that," Hyena said as she leaned back, "wake me when we're one hour out."
She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.  She didn't need all that much, but sleeping while you were on a plane and couldn't do much was prefered to falling asleep while in combat.  The latter was often quite fatal.

[Sentinemodo]

"Hoi Hyena! Got your message. Good to hear from you. Things here have been.. rough. Since you left, mercs and terrorists have flooded the city with weapons and seem intent on showing how big their cajones are. The slums are seeing the worst [transmission garbled] It does mean that there are some great toys, if you've can get your hands on them. Best place to go is [transmission garbled] and they even [transmission garbled] spirits for hire [transmission cuts off]"

Cleaning a signal here? Let me think... For a moment Jerry inventoried tools he had at his disposal. Microdrone .... check ...audio enhancement .... Lost, Hyena, that earbuds you got... you have a software loaded on them?.
....
If I rig the earbud audio enahancement with microdrone sensor. Yes that could work.
...
If I get that signal cleared with the commlink analyze program, then link that result to the drone sensors amplified with audio enhancement route again the amplified signal to the comlink and use select filter to remove the noise I think we'll have it cleared.

OOC: Thermo this is completely out of the rulebooks, just my creation.
Lost is having earbuds with audio enhacement r3, Hyena is having on his own a select filter program r2
If I get the signal and use Electronic Warfare(2) + Analyze program (5) + MathSPU(2) I could get 9 dices to roll, but if you allow rigging the wires and route it through the audio enhancment of r3 and the use select filter to remove noise r2 -> i Could get 9 additional modifiers of 5 for a total of 14 dices, which would allow me buying the three hits you requested on buying hits.
I have a Juryrigger quality that allow making such contraptions without any other parts required.

[Thermo]

[Cool idea! I'll allow it, but not *quite* the way you've got it written. First, no buying hits. You think MacGuiver would buy hits? I doubt it. Second, you need to make your new device following the rules on pg. 138 SR4a. Threshold is 6 (Rating 2), 8 (Rating 3), or 12 (Rating 4) and interval is 15 minutes. Gotta decide on the rating before you start. You'll be using Computer + Logic for the construction. Modifiers are as follows:

distracting working conditions (-1)
tools are adequate (+0)
jury-rigger (+3)

Once you've got the device, you'll only get a limited use out of it before it stops working. I'll allow you to do an extended test (15 minute intervals) until you roll a "1" 6 times. You decrypt one of the three static areas (randomly) for every three hits (9 hits would unscramble everything)

Make sure you leave enough time to put everyone's gear back together again 

Oh, and don't glitch if you can avoid it.

Any questions?]