[Marak1972]

"Ok where you wants us for max protection and do the most good??"

[Crossbow]

Smiley gives up his coms to the techs, "Let's get that eyespy up quick, okay?  What are the chances of one you popping the locks and killing the engine on the prize car, if need be, when the escort gets taken out?"

After the last minute conferences, Smiley will show Marak where they can stow their bikes near the spots Hank has them, out of sight, but close enough to get to if they need to bug out or give chase.

[Mirikon]

The 'tank' looks at Smiley, and says, "I don't have an eyespy, but I do have two aerial drones which I am launching now." And indeed, two drone racks built into the van discharge their drones, one a helicopter-style aerial drone, and the other an ancient Reaper, from the old USA days. Where Tachikoma got one of those is anyone's guess, but it was armed with two machine guns, and a pair of actual bombs that could be dropped on a target! The other combat drones, the helicopter and the tank that had followed the van (in its camouflaged form, of course) both had machine guns of the same type, the Ares MP-LMG.

As the helicopter-drone rose in the air, a three-dimensional topographic map appeared in everyone attached to the tacnet's AR, displaying the surrounding area, with members of the tacnet hilighted. The Reaper and helicopter rose above the range of small-arms fire, as the holographic tank turned to the others. "So, what is the plan?"

[Thvor]

Hank sighs. Great, it's a damn AI... "Ok, Tach, you can share my eyes for now...but don't get too used to 'em, ok? And no funny games feeding me images of purple ogres and whatnot, or so help me I'll find your home node and turn it into tiny bits of flaming slag."

Hank's not biased against AI; it's just that he's old enough to be a little put off by the new movement to give computer programs the same rights as (meta)humanity. Kind of a "damn kids get off my lawn" moment. But he's also experienced enough to know the benefits of a good tacnet.

As Rybka slips into VR, Hank sends her a map pinpointing the prepped van. Over the group channel, he sends: Alright, girl, let's see how close you can get that hummer to here. And don't worry about Laughing Boy--I'll see that he keeps his hands to himself.

[Marak1972]

An AI ....uh ok Marak thinks. Nods at Smileys directions , pulls out his Alpha and loads a frag into the launcher. Slides it back into place. And sits on his haunches til its near showtime. And turns on as background music some METAl that a friend of his scrounged up AC Top or something

[Netzgeist]

"What are the chances of one you popping the locks and killing the engine on the prize car, if need be, when the escort gets taken out?"

@Team: "We can't say before the car starts coming closer... If its wireless is enabled, it's controls are not only manual/mechanic,and we get into mutual signal range, I assure you the chances are pretty high. Gosh, I assure you I can hack it, and Tachikoma here probably could make it dance."

And as a private message:
@Hank: "Also, thanks."

@Team: "Let's get this show going, okay?"

Rybka does not know how well the AI should drive, but she was betting he was an ace: two years is quite the age for a Digital Inteligence, and she liked the moddifications she has seen and heard he did to his vehicle/drones. Probably the Program is a good enough rigger.

Her avatar; a featureless girl, minimalistic-sculpted (it's just a female shape, all glowing white except for the mouth and eyes), yet very carefully edited, floats on her Singularity BBB node. She opens the connection and allows for Tachikoma to slave her commlink to the TacNet.

A private message is sent to Tachikoma:
@Tachikoma: "Look, chummer; it's nothing personal, but it's not my thing to trust someone I have just met. So listen that: I will allow my comm' to be slaved (even though most of my sense feeds will be useless while I'm diving), but know that I'm well aware of any information traffic going on, and I'm not your regular friendly-hacker... I know how to deal with sneaky intruders, if it's needed, okay?"

Rybka's sensor channels shared through the Tacnet:
Natural Senses (via SimRig)
 - Natural Vision (Channel Rybka1);
 - Natural Hearing (CHR2);
 - Natural Olfactory (CHR3);
Through  other gear:
 - Earbuds - Enhanced Hearing (CHR4);
 - Glasses - Enhanced visual (CHR5);
 - Smartlink (CHR6);
 - Urban Explorer Jumpsuit Biomonitor (CHR7)*.

* Biomonitors do not provide sensor channels in the sense of the ones needed to get the bonus, but it means that others will be aware of Rybka's health status in real time.

[Mirikon]

"Dance? Oh, if I can get access to it, I can make it do more than dance. And my drones have enough firepower to ruin someone's day. Most of the guns are loaded with EX explosive rounds, but one of the Reaper's guns has stick-n-shock, for a nonlethal option. Oh, and if I need to drop either of the bombs, you will want to clear out in a hurry. They're incendiaries, and they can pack a wallop. At some point, I want to get some actual missiles, and more drones, but all that is expensive. I had a hard enough time getting components to upgrade some of the old systems on the Reaper to modern tech. But it is a good weapon platform, and is fairly fast."

Tachikoma considers something, and says, "And why are you people so suspicious? I don't get paid if you guys fail. And I need to get paid in order to get new gear. You act like AIs are out to take people over and make them do crazy stuff. If people try to hurt me, I just shoot them. Shooting is something everyone understands, yes?"

[Netzgeist]

@Tachikoma: "Calm down, guy. I can assure you I am not suspicious of Digital Intelligences... I am of any inteligent being, in general. You know, when we run the shadows, usually there are people who don't get too happy with our actions; so you never know... A small dose of suspicious a day keep the morgue away, haven't you heard?"

"But I hope we haven't hurt your feelings... In fact, I'm surprised that you have so easily declared yourself an AI. Do you know there are still people in there who would pay a huge sum to dissecate your code, don't you?"

[Lethe]

With the help of Rybkas instructions Teddy fumbled around awhile with his commlink until he seems satisfied. He put on a pair of glasses and plugged in some earbuds. "Tachikoma, is it working?"

"I don't know how much help i can be in bringing those vehicles down, but to keep you safe, i better be in a position where i can keep an eye on all of you. I might also get some information about the inside of the vehicles. Nothing worse then chasing the wrong things."

[Crossbow]

@Team: Okay folks, let's remember what we are here to do and how much we are getting paid to do it.  Wetwork ain't in this price range, neither is urban renewal, we need to get that link and get gone, quick and clean okay?

-

[Mirikon]

"Why would someone do that? Have I done something wrong? All I do is shoot people for money. That's what my program was originally designed for, though I added on the money part myself. Need money to do maintenance. Anyways, I'm no hacker, but I can defend myself, inside the matrix and out." The tank looked at Teddy, and nodded. "Yes, you're now online."

[Netzgeist]

@Smiley: Okay.

@Tachikoma: Nothing, but AIs are not yet well-understood, and metahumanity has a thing for knowing and controlling everything to their own ends... Don't worry about that: all I'm saying is that it's not in your best interests to keep spilling the beans all the time.

Now, let's plan our course of action: if any of the two vehicles which come here are hackable, I will do it, and create an account on it's node for you to use, okay? Can you "jump in" drones, as some of us do, you know, becoming the drone? If so, then you may do it - their intended driver will them be unable to retrieve control, as long as he does not expulse you via cybercombat. Don't worry about that, either; I can protect you if the need arrive."

[Marak1972]

"right stick n shock or Ex ...... 

[SeriousOne338]

The night gets a bit darker as Tachikoma’s drone takes to the air the visual feed is dark and shaded before the imaging mode switches over to the usual green tinted world of lowlight vision. It takes several minutes but soon the “convoy” is located three vehicles speeding fast down the old HWY 99. Seems the Johnson’s information is incorrect, the convoy is being lead by a Hummer with a dozer blade and armed with a manually operated turret. The gunner is armed out with a Stoner Ares M202 belt feed. The second vehicle is a GMC MPUV, distinctly armored with smart armor. The last vehicle is another hummer but this one is armed with a remote turret, with four cylinders attached to it. The scan reveals the last vehicle is armed out with 4 LAW rockets.   As you see the feed Tachikoma switches over to thermal imaging showing that the lead vehicle has 5 crew members, the middle vehicle as 4 members, and the chase vehicle has another 4 members.
   While you watch the convoy speeds down the highway. In front of them is a gang’s toll booth two ratty cars blocking the highway. With out pausing they gun in the lead vehicle begins opening up on full auto spraying a field of lead at the gangers. When the convoy gets within 20 meters the chase vehicle fires one rocket creating an opening in the blockade, the lead vehicle then rams a hole through. The firefight all this happening in the space of 20 seconds, with out the convoy breaking.

Your group gets to the per-planed engagement zone with 15 minutes to spare before the convoy should be there. Hank drives the van onto the on ramp and parks it in a blink spot so the convoy would not see it before it’s too late.


Right if Tachikoma allows it, you can try to hack the convoy via the drones signal, consider you have 10 minutes to try until it’s too close to action time for an extended test.

Also Tachikoma roll a senor test on your drones that are watching the convoy… there might be something your not seeing.

[Mirikon]

I will allow it the hacking attempt via the drones. Tachikoma is jumped into the Reaper, and is using a Clearsight 3 autosoft as the Perception skill, thanks to Piloting Origin.

Sensor 3 for the Mixcoatl
3d6.hits(5)=2

Sensor 2 + Clearsight 3 for Reaper
5d6.hits(5)=1