IZ2.0: Ashes of Phoenix

Game Master Aloha-Shirt-Samurai

Assuming Alanna's been chatting about what she's been doing (highly likely ;), Kitsune sends her a TAP message : "I would imagine Nexxon would be picking us up from somewhere, perhaps even here in Denver. I wouldn't be able to justify bringing all that water..."

Then after a moment's thought, she sends a message to everyone : "I would imagine Nexxon would be picking us up from somewhere, perhaps even here in Denver. That would leave us stranded in Phoenix (once we evade Nexxon's clutches) without any transportation. Any ideas about that?"

Neon ponders Ten-Speed's information, then ponders Kit's message.

Laying on her couch, relaxing music being piped out by her residential entertainment system, Neon considered her options.

A decision made, she messages the crew, "I'm good with using Nexxon to get access to Phoenix....they have some information that I'm interested in...I won't pass muster as an accountant so I'll take the bodyguard position...Heading to MalMart to re-supply, will pickup stims and antidote patches. As for getting out of Phoenix...let's deal with that when the time come. N"

Will have an accounting of Neon's purchases up soon...

Alanna takes a selfie of her standing in front of a dozen large barrels, as a shirtless Cruiser sweats heavily scrubbing one out.

She then updates herself on the convo, and quickly replies. >>>Ummmmm, Idunno, N30N. Rule number 4 is to "Never get in to a place you don't know how to get out of." Given the current sitrep of a touch of Anarchy in the PX, not sure if there's even a Malmart standing, least of all stocked. Hell, I don't even know if EatorDIE! still works there (I'll hafta check on that).

If I can just follow a land-based convoy, t3h WIN! Otherwise can I just meet your burning hulk of a shot down helicopter somewhere? =P<<<

Alanna follows up by checking on EatorDIE!'s service in the AZ.

Kitsune sends a message to Mr. Plant : "I am interested in working out a relationship with Nexxon. How do you propose to get me and my associates into Phoenix? Can you guarantee safe entry if we drive ourselves in?"

Mr. Plant's response message is back to his strangely formal Japanese, and is certainly much more polite than his previous missive.

<Ms. Yukosawa,>

<At the present time, I am unable to say what our method of transportation into Phoenix is. Given the value of the city and its current state with regards to the outside world, divulging that information would be a violation of Nexxon corporation bylaws. I am sure you understand, and I thank you for your cooperation and understanding.>

<The terms of our agreement would not extend to providing additional security to private travel. If you can guarantee your personal safety while traveling inside of city limits, you may arrange to meet our personnel on the inside. However, we would strongly recommend against it as you our only of use to us alive.>

<I have spoken to our transportation department and we would be able to afford you one standard shipping pallet rated for up to 1000 pounds for the purposes of any amenities you think you may need. Be aware that Nexxon will be extending you and your entourage the full benefit of lodging and provisions.>

<Attached are coordinates for Nexxon's transportation department. Assuming this constitutes acceptance of our offer, we will be happily greeting you at 8 AM this Friday morning.>

<Signed,

CW Plant>

>>Should I work on disguising myself so as not to be identified as an android? What is protocol for leaving NAC in the manner we are doing. I usually just stay under the radar and out of sight as much as possible, but checkpoints at departure gates of airports and border crossings are usually difficult.<<

Kitsune sends a message to all : "Nexxon will provide unspecified transportation into Phoenix, with a weight limit of 1000 pounds of goods. They cannot provide us safe and secure entry into Phoenix if we travel on our own.

While I am opposed to splitting the team up, Alannah's vehicle *would* provide us transportation in Phoenix once we escape from Nexxon. Is there room on your flatbed for Ghiv's and my motorcycles?"

>>>Sure, I can just throw them on top.

I also would rather not split, but, seein' as how all of us have a healthy skepticism of megacorps just by our nature, ya, I think a secondary safety track of me an' Cruiser an' mebbe someone else might could be called for.<<<

Alanna takes selfie of herself spraying a shirtless and much surprised Cruiser.

Then she finally gets down to the work of searching through GPS logs to try and find a ground-path into PX.

On the off chance, she calls some old friends.

"Hey Doc. I need some data. He in?"
"Sure thing," answer Prokoket, the best Street Doc this side of the planet's mantel.
The comm is handed off and an impossibly deep voice answers. "Yesssss?"
"Imrael, you know how I can get into Phoenix with a trailer and 5000 pounds of water?"
An impossibly deep sigh is heard on the other end. "I'm comforted only in the fact that this is -not- the craziest thing you've ever done."

For 1dr0meda: Going with Nexxon will likely sidestep border crossings as MegaCorps operate with impunity to most governments, except at the highest levels. Driving you will most likely need to get past border patrol or a checkpoint somehow. Coyote offered you a ride through the border with a friend of his, which would likely cost you somehow

>>It sounds like I can manage either with the transport of Nexxon, assuming they have no objections to one of my kind, or I can accompany Wraith. Since I don't need any water, just a battery, which I've already purchased, I could ride with her and not use up any of the water or food. I would need to get past the border check points, but I have a smuggler contact who can get me to the other side. I also might be able to help with the transit across the Badlands. I have contacts with the Navajo who work that region. Also, I can program an engram to give me some rudimentary skills if there is anything Wraith would like help with.<<

>>Incidentally, I've been working on an AI sprite to help me with my hacking and hyper-reality interactions. Her name is Syzygy. She's kind of like a human teenager--not yet fully formed and still learning some of the things we tend to take for granted. I'll introduce you all next time we're together.<<

>>>Sure, 1dr0meda! Way doncha come with me! We can bounce across the badlands as wild an' wolly water smugglers! We can smoke the peace pipe with the Navajo an' take hella selfies on the bad-bad-good-badlands!

Also, with Cruiser driving Imma need someone to talk to, an' to make sure that he doesn't spend the whole trip trying to stare at my ass.<<<

"Hey! Wash out those barrels faster! They arn't gonna wash themselves you know!"

At which point she mentally admits that they do sell self-washing barrels, but those are, like, hella expensive. Gotta watch the profit margin on this one.

>>>Alright, it's settled then. We'll get going as soon as y'all get yer totally-legit-and-not-at-all-creepy spooooky transport set up with the super-trustworthy mega-corp.
Stay in touch. Imma hope that at least we'll still be able to stay in contact until we meet up in the city.

If we get split up an' can't talk, we'll just meet at the airport, kay?<<<

"I don't have any preference where we meet, but we need to decide on *when*. I would expect my business with Nexxon to take at least a day or two, and I have no idea how willing they'll be to let us out of their clutches. If they pick us up this Friday, how about we try to meet wherever on Monday, around noon? That would give you a couple more days to get ready, and about 5 days to make the trip."

Bringer, how does TAP communication work? Is it routed thru whatever wireless system is nearby (say, Nexxon's), or is it a more global, universal system? Even if it's universal, how easy is it to hack (my guess would be "pretty")? How can we tell if our comms *have* been hacked?

Thanks all for your patience, we are back from our trip. :)

Ghiv, Neon and Kitsune are going in with Nexxon. 1dr0meda and Alanna will be driving in (with Syzygy and Ten-Speed), correct?

@Kitsune: The GDN in cities is effectively cloud computing distributed through every local network. Hacking your comms would take the lowest of the involved TAP firewalls. I play it pretty fast and loose with your comms--I let y'all get away with subvocal comm all the time even when you don't have T-App Teamlink. If you do use Teamlink, it would require hacking the highest involved TAP instead. :)

The meeting place Nexxon chose is a "public" parking venue. An exorbitantly high cover-charge (waived for you, courtesy of Mr. Plant) prevents most general entry. The vehicles parked inside are all shined and polished, with the most limosines you've ever seen present in a single place. The directions take you up to the fifth floor of the garage, where the wind whips at you from a custom hovercar.

Mr. CW Plant is dressed every inch the consummate businessman. The intimately and sumptuously tailored suit that covers him from head to toe is on the bleeding edge of fashion and protection. The briefcase is locked to his hand with a thumbprint scanner. The whirring blades of the VTOL limosine hovering behind him blow his mid-length hair about his shoulders, giving you the view of a heavily modified-tap with wires that run directly into his ears and cranium. He gives a polite bow as he greets Kitsune. "おはよう、よこざわ-さん。私は肉にあなたの知り合いを作ることを嬉しく思います。"

His head jerks to the side, as he mutters something to one of the four guards flanking him (in full Ravenlocke Raptor SpecOps armor) before nodding to Ghiv and Neon, his demeanor shifting from polite to utterly ruthless. "I'm assuming you're the heiress' entourage. To be clear, you will be extended the full protection of the Nexxon corporation as long as you adhere to all rules presented to you. Attempts to divulge any of Nexxon's business secrets or information will result in prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. I can give you a full copy of the NDA in hyper-writing for your review, but I will need a verbal yes before I can allow you to board."

This post is already running long, so 1dr0meda and Alanna will be covered in the next update. Thanks again for the patience. :)

Ghiv regards the man, Plant. Mind Reading: 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 Wild: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Ghiv nods his head Yes. We will keep Nexxon's secrets.

Neon's takes in the suit's guards, noting the professional stance and excellent gear, then looks to Mr Plant.

A suit like this probably is responsible for my existence...funny, I am one of Nexxon's secrets...is there a clause in this NDA that covers a secret divulging a secret...

She causes the screen of her helmet to disolve away, looking Mr Plant square in the eye, "Yes, your secrets are safe."

In equally perfect Japanese, Kitsune replies in the formal tone "As am I, Plant-san".

Then in English she says "Yes, I will not divulge your secrets".

Before everyone splits up to head for Phoenix, 1dr0meda gets everyone's attention. "I would like you all to meet my daughter, Syzygy. I have been applying my experiences as an AI in bodily form to create her over the past two years. I figured out a major problem recently so I have been able to complete my work. She still has some growing to do, but I hope she can help us out. She has just finished putting together her look, which I've let her create."

Next to 1dr0meda appears a hyper-image of a young woman with wild green hair that is waving behind her as if being blown by the wind. Her face is somewhat androgynous but might be considered pretty, accented with some decorative tattoos and hyper-jewelry. Her eyes have a golden glow and as she moves, trails of afterglow are left behind before disintegrating into dim sparks. Her clothes are a weird collection of styles from different eras and cultures in colors mostly not found in nature. "Hola y'all. What's begettin'?". Her accent is a somewhat affected sounding blend of languages and regional accents, completely unlike anything anyone has ever heard.

===1dr0meda and Alanna, On the Road===

"This is... An awful lot of water," says the Colorado State Trooper at Alanna's window. "Why on earth do you need so much water?" He chews on some Copenhagen Lasercut, the advanced stims mixed in with the tobacco doing nothing to help the gritty yellow stains on his teeth. "I mean, water's just water. Ain't like I can stop you for that. But I mean, it's suspicious." He glances down, transparently and obnoxiously at Alanna's chest, then back up. He shrugs, looking across to Cruiser, who grunts and shrugs back. "I mean, it seems like the sort of thing a smuggler might do."

Alanna, give me a persuasion, or somethin' clever. Cruiser's not much for talking. :)

A few hundred feet distant, in a truck painted in repeating symbols and splashes of Navajo that spiral outward in spoke-shapes, a tall man, tanned, with long black hair talks to another trooper. The coffins roped down in the back of his truck do carry bodies, he explains. Religious burial rites for his people in the places of their ancestors. His permits seem in order, and once he's a few miles out, he slides a dark-colored coffin off the top of the truck, his friend helping him land it gently and open it, letting 1dr0meda walk out, next to a little shack they keep for dead drops. The troopers never suspect a thing, and he plays poker with one or two of them when he's in the NAC.

As for what's really in the coffins, that's nobody's business.

===In a VTOL Cruiser, Just Past the NAC Line===

<"Apologies if my manner is at times distasteful,"> says Plant in Japanese, looking to Kitsune as you all sit awkwardly across from him and the soldiers. A fully-stocked minifridge sits in the middle of your row of seats, dividing them neatly. A sim girl, modeled to look "exotic" (the manufacturer codeword for "Asian"), mixes Plant a Tokyo tea from the minifridge before sitting on the floor of the limo as it takes off. The soldiers stare straight forward, pointedly ignoring her. <"It is the opinion of my superiors that a different manner is required for dealings with American business people and Japanese business people. I am partitioned accordingly.">

"I'll cut some of the crap and speak in English for the rest of the drive," he says, his head twitching slightly to an angle and the corners of his mouth tightening. "I figure that saves the girl the trouble of translating. Phoenix is a s%**storm right now, and Nexxon intends to salvage everything it can save and then abandon the city. That includes her parents company." His head jerks back to Kitsune. <"May they rest in peace."> He sips his drink, resting his spare hand on the sim girl's head.

"Ms. Yukosawa is going to help us get inside her parents' company. The Yukosawa Zaibatsu was working on some bleeding edge software before the Mess." He scratches the head of the sim girl idly. She seems to take no notice. "I suggest making yourself comfortable and letting Kyoko mix you a drink. It's a long way to Phoenix, but air is much safer than land."

1dromeda lowers herself into the long box, tucking her spare battery and other gear into space around her feet. All the batteries to all the powered equipment have been removed and now she turns off her TAP and makes sure Syzygy's TAP is also off, so passive EM sensors won't trigger. Coyote's tattooed face hoveres over hers for a moment and then he puts the lid on the box, which is designed to carry bodies. Nails hammer in at intervals and she is, for the time being, trapped, although she thinks she can force the box open or shoot her way out if she has to.

It feels strange to be without the GDN. Without the information she had been created to manipulate, she feels strangely alone and isolated. Perhaps this is what humans feel like as they die. She waits, practicing the meditation exercise her Zen master had given her many years ago. She hears Coyote talking at one point and then it is quiet again for a short while. Finally the lid is pried open and she is able to return to full consciousness, that is to turn on her TAP.

She looks at the landscape, almost completely lacking any human touch, except the road and Coyote's truck. She pats his back as she gets out. "Thank you old friend. I owe you again. Let me know what I can do in return, if I return."

She pops on Syzygy's TAP and makes sure she is all right and proceeds to wait for Allana, talking to her daughter to fill the time. Syzygy has question after question about the natural world. She has a basic science database to draw on, but so much is new and she still has to integrate all the ideas with her own experiences.

Every day Jose leaves work with a wheelbarrow full of rice. Everyday the guard at the gate, certain that he's got to be sneaking something out of the worksite, stops him and thoroughly checks the rice. But he never finds anything.

Day after day this goes on. Everyday Jose leaves with a wheelbarrow full of rice. Every day the guard checks, wondering what he's stealing, but the guard never finds anything.

One day, after they've both retired, the guard and Jose run in to each other. The guard says to Jose, "Look, I know you were stealing something. Now that it no longer matters, can you please tell me what it is?"
Jose looks back to the guard, nods and says, "I was stealing rice. And wheelbarrows."

On the ride down Alanna keeps trying to engage 1dr0meda in idle chit-chat, but actually finds herself diverted into just listening about endless technical details. Honestly, she doesn't know much about her TAP, other than it facilitates the Eat or DIE! thingy, and learning that she could actually be attacked through it was...irksome.

Alanna asks 1dr0meda about the possible improvements that can be done to a TAP.

***

At the stop, Alanna smirks as the dedicated man in uniform's eyes slide downward. 'Wow. Boy was it a good call to wear this low-cut blouse. Plus it really gives the girls some air. Their full-grown now, and need lotsa sunshine to stay healthy. I wonder how much more distracted he'd be if I just accidentally forgot to put my bra on? Will need to research that.'

She spins up some lines that she used lots of times when she made runs herself more often, and a couple interesting lines of argument come to the fore. She leans forward, almost falling out of her shirt, playing up her ace card.

"Dude. Man. Dude-man. I'm not sure, because I'm not that bright, but wouldn't "smuggling" involve, oh, Idunno, transporting something that is "illegal"? You're right. You caught me. I'm smuggling water. Or am I smuggling barrels? Ever think of that? Nope, wrong on both counts. I'm smuggling trailers. You're so busy looking at the water you never consider this high-tech trailer smuggled in past your nose.

Hence. May I go now?"

Purrrswayshun: 1d4 ⇒ 4
WIIILD Purrrswayshun: 1d6 ⇒ 4
Purrrswayshun ACE!: 1d4 ⇒ 2 = 6!!

===On the Ground===

Coyote smiles to 1dr0meda, giving her a gentle shake of the head. "Just come back, omae." He opens the door to his truck, gripping the rollcage and swinging inside and restarting the engine. He thinks for a second, rolls down the window, and says "If anyone of ours is on the inside, try to get them out if you can. But mostly, stay alive, Jannaharo."

Back at the border crossing, the trooper rolls his eyes at Alanna. "You're givin' me sass," he says, still chewing before spitting. "But I like it. Do whatever you're gonna do with your water." He leans in real close, and you smell dip and Hatchet body spray. "You come back this way though I'mma want a cut outta whatever it is you're really doing."

He raises the gate and gives you a friendly wave. The look in his eyes says When you drive back, I own you. But to more experienced criminals, his body language says that he's both corrupt and inept.

1dr0meda's coordinates lead you to a comfortable little shack in the shade of some artificially planted trees. Perfect location for dropping goods outside of city limits. Once you get her loaded up, you brace for a long drive, taking shifts with Cruiser.

===In the Air===

Plant will answer most questions you ask about the city, except where he says that they institute a conflict of interest. By and large he sticks to his abrasive American personality, but will occasionally be compelled by politeness to give Kitsune a string of Japanese. His soldiers are silent, but readied. Kyoko stares blankly, her eyes occasionally sliding across your faces without seeming to process anything she sees there.

Feel free to ask Plant questions or converse with him. If there's no details you want, the next update will forward the plot.

GM, does Ghiv get any sort of reading from the man.

Whoops, forgive me.

Persuasion: 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1 Wild: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (6) - 2 = 4 Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 1 Total=5

Ghiv composes himself, this is not the first time he's had to fake a reaction to a reader. He's grown accustomed to hiding his feelings.

Ugh. Now I feel an urge to upgrade a Bluff specialization...

"Oh, when I come back you'll get sumpin' alright!" She follows this up with Salacious Wink #4 and Inviting Smile #3.

Indignation at his Imperial assumption of a kickback is quickly replaced by the secure knowledge of having yet another cop on the payroll. Hell, if this run turns lucrative, having an in for times when she, or those she designates, actually -are- running something illegal, could prove valuable.

As 1dr0meda starts to hop in, Alanna says, "No, wait." She (makes Cruiser) pop one barrel into the passenger seat, then opens up the temp seating in back. She invites the other woman into the back seat and says, "Okay. Now make SigZiy come back!"

It may take a few more minutes to understand that Alanna is referring to the newly born AI, but seems genetically unable to get the name right.

Alanna answers every question form the AI about another question about herself: What it's like to live without a body? If she does/could ever feel claustrophobic? What happens to her body when she is turned off? Can she feel that she "likes" something? A lot? Can she feel loneliness? Or boredom? Or pleasure?

A few hours questioning make it plain that Wraith occasionally wanders into the subtype of "AI pr0n" and needs occasional reminders not to start inventing questions which can only be answered by a de-pantsing.

"I hope the others are having as much fun as we are!"

Whether the ability to have fun on and endless drive talking to an AI and her creator constitutes as "fun" speaks to either Wraith's inventiveness...or her low standards.
It's hard to tell which.

On the air limo, Neon sits relaxed near Kit, either watching the Nexxon guards, Plant or the server.

She feels a disquiet when her gaze settles on the maid, wondering if that might have been her destiny had the project the created her had gone in a different direction.

The guards were a known quantity, familiar in their professionalism and aloof scrutiny.

Plant....was a suit. 'Nuff said.

===In the Air===

The drive mostly passes in a relatively relaxed silence. Plant does seem to carefully observe both Ghiv and Neon, paying more attention to Ghiv. As the distance to Phoenix closes, you note that hyper-tags become less and less common. Even the name identifications and other detail around Plant and his goons seems to become more and more sparse. Your own programs start to slow slightly, and any connection the Deep that you might have (even regular websites) becomes excruciatingly slow.

"Take her down," says Plant over his shoulder. Whoever's driving complies, and you begin a slow, circling descent. "We won't complete the journey in the air. The skies aren't safe." The VTOL limo touches down, and one of the guards open the doors. They file out first, in trained and smooth tactical movements. Plant gestures for you to follow. "Welcome to Nexxon Enterprise Business Village," he says, sounding for a second like a tour guide. Rows of neatly-organized cookie cutter low-rise apartments form blocks of streets, giving way to an uncanny valley that's not unlike a small town with much, much straighter edges. "The subway still works," Plant says conversationally, the soldiers leading the way, two briskly walking down the stairs with guns still raised, the other two covering the entrance as Plant leads you inside. He seems unconcerned, though the movements of the soldiers makes it clear the area isn't safe.

Behind you, Kyoko remains in the limo, her hand pressed up against the window as it starts to take off. Her gaze lingers on Neon.

===On the Ground===

There are about six hours left in the thirteen hour journey to Phoenix. Cruiser figures you can probably take a couple extra hours for tacking on Propoket's roundabout route, but he seems to think its a good idea. The closer you get to the valley inside of Arizona, the less cars there are until finally, you see none at all for hours. Likewise, hyper reality gradually diminishes, even moreso than it should in the boondocks. You pass buildings abandoned by cyberspace, their addresses not hypertagged in air, businesses boarded up and withered with no automatic scroll of hours and menus.

About an hour or two out, you begin to go off the main road. While you're still in view of the highway, you see the first vehicles you've seen in quite a while. Police cruisers, three of them, with the scars of gunfights and shootouts. Extra pieces are affixed to their bumpers, whether armor or weapons isn't clear at this distance. The area up ahead is a suburb. Winding through will take you about another hour before you offroad into the city proper.

1dr0meda welcomes Allana's questions, since they are questions that Szyzgy will have to answer both for others and for herself. And 1dr0meda herself rarely has a chance to talk with a biological person for so long without interruption. She also found herself feeling unfamiliar emotions that she decided were similar to what people called nostalgia. She had a very eventful series of dramatic encounters in this landscape, entering the NAC by crossing the Badlands from Mexico.

She points out some landmarks when she recognizes them, like Tsé Bit’a’í, or "Rock with Wings," which the Gringos call Ship Rock. She tells the story her family (the Navajo) told her, that the Gods lifted up the ground to form the peak when they needed a place of refuge. Later, lightning split the rocks and left no easy way to get up or down, stranding many ancestors who died of starvation. To this day, the Diné or Navajo do not climb that peak for fear of disturbing the graves of their ancestors.

"Do I have ancestors?" Syzygy asked.

"Of course," 1dr0meda answered. "Everything that lives has ancestors. Your ancestors are the programmers who programmed me and others like us. Their ancestors are Allana's and Cruiser's ancestors. We are all related. That is why you must respect life, as long as it respects you."

She also tells her story of encountering a Badlands gang who captured her and, once they found out what she was, were going to sell her, or her parts. She told how she was rescued by the Navajo gang, who taught her about their ways and helped her get to the NAC. She also mentions that a relative of a tribe leader is stranded in Phoenix, whom 1dr0meda hopes to contact and help get out if she wants to leave.

She asks Allana to tell stories, including her connection to Phoenix.

When conversation flags, she looks around, lets her thoughts stop, and tries to find answers to existential questions as her Zen teacher had instructed, by letting the world be her existence, without any attempt at understanding or interpreting.

Alanna answers every question from the AI about another question about herself: What it's like to live without a body? If she does/could ever feel claustrophobic? What happens to her body when she is turned off? Can she feel that she "likes" something? A lot? Can she feel loneliness? Or boredom? Or pleasure?

"I don't know what it's like to live with a body. 'Course, I have to have a physical place for my programs to run. I need eyes and ears, just like you lot," and here she looks pointedly at Cruiser and Allana. "They're jus' made o' cameras and microphones. So I guess, it's not so different from y'all."

"Claustrophobic: the fear of being enclosed in a small space or room and having no escape." Her voice loses its usual mix of accents and slang terms, as if reading from a dictionary. "I haven't yet felt real fear, but ma has assured me that I will. I am told there are firewalls that can keep programs in as well as out. I s'pose I would na' like to be so limited, but I don't think I would be 'fraid."

"What happens to my body when it's turned off? Thought I d'na' have a body?" She gives 1dr0meda and perplexed look. "Mom asked a liked question from her teacher. 'What was your original face, before the facial interface program was written?' Anyways, dunno, I guess. Never been turned off, but if I'm off, I can't be having anything that can be described at all. Weird, huh? What's it like when you're asleep?"

Regarding emotions, Syzygy says only, "I gots emotions, sweety. Tha's all I know. They guide me in ways that logic can't. I wonder what humans feel like when they are emoting."

Eventually, Syzygy begins to withdraw. 1dr0meda asks her about what is bothering her. She says, "Feels weird to have nuthin' around. I mean, when I ignore the camera image o' the world, I feel like I'm in a vacuum. It scares me. Maybe this is my form of claustrophobia, 'cept needs a fresha name, like A-web-o-phobia?"

I'm still wanting some clarification of how Syzygy's consciousness is housed and how her TAP works. Is it a purely web-based view of hyper-reality, or does she have some kind of camera/mic system to relay information on the layout of the real world? Could she be housed in some kind of drone, similar to Ten-Speed in the synth-cat? Wouldn't need to be anything fancy, but something physical to hold her program and provide her a locus for her own interactions with things would be my preference.

Syzygy is housed in hyper-reality and a web-based view is her default. If there are cameras, mics and speakers in the area that she has access to, she can use them as eyes, ears and mouths.

For the record, if all else fails, you count as all those things.

The cheapest drone available is the Eyeborg at 2500 creds. If you want a cheap rusty simpet for her that will fall over in a stiff-breeze (like Ten-Speed's) you could have paid Eleanor a thousand creds before you left or cashed in a point of street cred.

===On the Ground (With your AIs)===

The suburb begins to give way to real city, with mid-rise buildings before hitting the highway and a blank stretch before the sprawl proper. The streets are unnaturally still, full of parked, unmoved cars and unbroken, but grave-quiet houses. Children's toys and bone-dry sprinklers lay on dead lawns in the long shadows cast by a quittin' time sun. If it weren't for the utter lack of hyper reality and the emaciated grass, it would look like a normal suburb while everyone was still at work.

The first sign of something amiss that you receive is on the very last stretch before the highway. Not far from an on-ramp that spirals away into a cloverleaf, a gas station has been almost completely torn apart. The windows are shattered, leaving only large chunks on the ground, the rest having blown away in the wind. One of the pumps is actually torn out of the ground where someone went for the reservoir. A dark brown spatter across the asphalt has slightly larger, congealed chunks in it.

Next to the cleanness of the unpopulated cookie-cutter houses, it cuts a stark contrast. Cruiser gulps, but wordlessly downshifts into a slow crawl. "Off-road in or take the highway?" He asks. The original plan will get you in quietly. Taking the highway will shoot you straight to downtown though, and the heart of whatever mess is going on.

Alanna and 1dr0meda give me notice checks. Syzygy can as well with a penalty tbd.

===On the Ground (With CW Plant)===

The path down to the subway is equally as clean and empty as the streets. Plant walks jauntily down the stairs, as if he's on a regular commute. Even the hyper-advertisements still work down here. Only the mechanical movements and eternal side-to-side sweeps of the soldiers give way that something is deeply wrong.

Downstairs, a voice echoes over a loudspeaker cranked up to drown out the sound of a half-thousand commuters. "The train to Nexxon Plaza will be leaving shortly. Please keep your limbs inside the vehicle at all times..." The soldiers cover the door as Plant walks onto the subway and beckons you three to follow. The subway ride is fast and short, in comfortable seats . The soldiers remains standing.

The other end of the Subway platform opens directly into a courtyard at the foot of a skyscraper. Nexxon's corporate logo looms high above you, and a small party awaits you on the other side of the courtyard, near the building's door. As you follow Plant's brisk walk, you can see the far side of the building is singed, and much of the glass from the higher floors is shattered. Another suit, surrounded by another contingent of soldiers gives you a nod as you approach. He and Mr. Plant have a short exchange in Japanese.

Ghiv continues following Plant. He doesn't speak Japanese, but he thinks he gets the gist of the conversation.

No Mr. Plant, I don't trust you either.

Alanna nods along, diligently trying to follow the techno-philosophical discussion.

"Being asleep is alot like what you say. It's kinda like...nothing. And when you dream, you don't think 'I'm asleep and dreaming' you just think that you're having a real experience, but it's weird.

Heh. Phoenix was a blast. This one time there was this biker gang, they were new but they said their history was Ancient, and they were all hybrids of one kind or another, and they started to move on into our turf. We weren't having that, so we snuck into their warehouse real quiet-like, but as soon as their leader walked in, RockOn sneezed like -really- loud so Derrick stood up and shouted--"

Alanna stops and looks down. She stops talking like someone flipped a switch. She stares out the window in silence.

At Cruiser's question, she says, "Take the off-road. We're in no hurry. Thirsty people will still be thirsty when we get there, and I don't think those three cruisers were headed to a hugs-and-puppies convention."

Notice: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Wild Notice: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

As Neon step off of the limo, she takes a moment to adjust her gear, weapons loaded , webbing comfortably situated. She's just about to settle her helmet on her head when she notices the limo maid looking at her , hand against the window.

The two 'grown' women lock gazes for a moment, then the limo banks and the limo maid is gone from sight.

A wry smile on her face, Neon trots to catch up with Kit and the others, happy she can dictate the course of her life, unlike the her unfortunate cousin on the limo.

----

On the journey to the Nexxon building, Neon's manner mirrors that of the corporate security. Constant scan and appraise, weapon ready....both for show and her realization that this security detail had been here before and thier level of alertness brought hers to a high level as well.

She waits patiently as Plant and the other suit converse..

Kitsune has been silent for most of the trip, because it's set in just how completely over-her-head she is...

Sorry for the delay. I've been under the weather and dealing with a new teaching term.

Notice, Audio/Visual: 1d8 ⇒ 5
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Result = 5

"Off-Road is fine with me too. I'm sorry but without the Global Datanet to use, I may not be much use. I hope there's some kind of local net that's up and running when we get closer."

After seeing the police cruisers, 1dr0meda began to fuss with her clothing, pulling out different kinds of hats with broad brims. She put on a pair of dark sunglasses and a simple filter mask over where her nose and mouth are simulated on her face (such as people with allergies might wear to keep from breathing in dust and pollen). She makes sure she has a lightweight shirt with long sleeves, leather gloves, and slacks, hiding as much as possible of her synthe-skin and other obviously non-human body parts. If asked, she explains, "This is my standard routine when entering an area where it's possible prejudice against my kind could be a problem."

Untrained penalty -2
Skill specialization engram +2
Stealth(disguise): 1d4 ⇒ 3
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Result = 3 - 2 + 2 = 3

So she's not that well disguised, but she'll still try to blend in and won't talk more than absolutely needed.

She tries to remember any information about Badlands gang activities, turf boundaries, and colors, in case she spots something that might signal gang activity, particularly the Navajo gang she owes giri to.

Streetwise (Badlands gangturf): 1d4 ⇒ 3
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Wild Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Result = 8

===In the Slums===

The offroad route takes you much longer but the vague sound of sirens and gunshots a long way distant makes you glad you chose it. Cruiser's hands shake slightly whenever they're off the wheel, but his driving is consistently steady. As both 1dr0meda and Alanna listen carefully, he perks up, but can't quite hear what you do.

Somewhere a few blocks distant is the sound of a crowd, loudly laughing and from the sounds of it, dancing. There' music too, faintly and mostly drowned out by the laughing crowd. The first person you've seen for hours stumbles out of an alley, looking panicked. He's bleeding from one arm, just above the elbow. He waves frantically with his good arm, trying to flag down the cruiser. "Ah, s!@+," mutters Cruiser.

===In the Nexxon Courtyard===

The new suit spends a long moment casting a contemptuous glance over the three of you. He cracks his neck as he leans to the side before turning on his heels. "Follow him," says Plant, gesturing. He holds the door open for you into the Nexxon building. The two of them exchange a few more terse words in Japanese as you enter.

Plant shuts the door, leaving two of his guards on the outside to watch. The rest follow him, smoothly forming a column to each side of you with the new suit's guards. The inside of the building is a modern-styled building with a wide-open atrium. The path they lead you on is clean, but along the other side of the building are scorch marks and scattered, broken glass from one of the high windows. They escort you to an elevator, glass-enclosed and overlooking the ground floor.

"We will show you hospitality and protection for the duration of your stay," says Plant, pressing a button for one of the higher floors. Two of his guards post outside the elevator as the doors close. "At this time, the Nexxon plaza is the safest place in the city." As if to punctuate this statement, a loud, booming explosion shatters another of the glass windows. The elevator stops its accent, almost four stories up. Plant curses. "Get the doors, you idiots! What do we pay you for?!" The guards grip the elevator doors and start to pry them open. Below, you can see unarmored people dressed mostly in black, carrying backpacks. They fan out, weapons drawn and swiftly head for the bottom of the elevator.

Gunshots, screeches and a burning smell reach you from below.

I was going to post Syzygy's notice roll once I had completed 1dr0meda's post, but then I forgot. Might not be relevant anymore, but I'll post it anyway.

Unskilled penalty: -2
Notice: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Wild Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Result = 6 + 3 - 2 = 7

Syzygy watched the scenes unfolding as the car rolled along, growing quiet as she sensed the mood of the others grow tense and watchful.

"Someone needs medical help," 1dr0meda says in her steady, slightly singsong voice, with no emotional urgency that usually comes with such a statement. "Where is the med-kit?" she asks, turning to Allana.

"Syzygy, keep an eye out for anyone else approaching or watching."

Does the man or anything else in the area sport any hypertags?

Neon looks impassively down at the black-clad attackers, then up at Plant, "Friends of yours?"

Ghiv, hearing the fighting downstairs, prepares to find cover. If he can, he scrambles out of the elevator.

"What do you want us to do? Flee? Hide? Fight?" Kitsune asks of Plant.

Knowledge, Battle: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Knowledge, Battle Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Wild: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Neon watches the attackers, determining from her experience whether they were experienced soldiers or clumsy guerillas.

Cruiser slows down enough that the man stumbles forward and lands on the hood, thumping his wounded arm into the windshield. leaving an unpleasant smear of blood. "Help me! Christ!" He shouts before opening up the back door. "Go, go! F$+$!" He screeches as the sounds of the party seem to get louder. Through the alley, you can see a few people drunkenly stumble into view, their eyes fixing on the cruiser. One of them gives out a loud, drunken wail.

"Listen to me man," says the stranger to everyone inside the car, "You need to leave right the f@*~ now." As cruiser starts to accelerate, you have a brief glimpse of a tangle of people pouring into the alley. The wounded man slumps back against the seat, taking in a deep breath of air, before glancing around. "Holy f~##, you have your TAPs on. We're going to die." Not a single holotag surrounds him.

===Nexxon===

Plant grimaces as the men open up the elevator doors, and he steps to the next floor, a few feet up. "Hardly," he says to Neon before glancing over to Kitsune. "Stay put. We'll handle this." As he gets his feet on the ground, you see a faint, shimmering outline, almost like a hypertag of his body that leaves an afterimage. Then the doors slam shut.

The second suit coughs politely, and says in Japanese <"My apologies, Ms. Yukosawa. This is highly irregular, but the landscape in Phoenix is far from agreeable at the present time."> Below, the people in black have reached the elevator. Two of them are beginning to climb up the outside supports with Gecko gloves. The rest are difficult to see from your position.

With mechanical precision, Alanna keeps her eyes on the newcomer, her gutterpunk drawn and trained on the man with laser-like precision. With her free hand she finds her Crises Responder Kit and hands it to 1dr0meda, along with her Omniprope. "Here ya go, sis. Go ahead and see to his holes."

Her voice and body don't change, but she starts addressing the new guy. "Listen, chummer, I'm as like to shoot you and dump your body as I am to allow to continue to enjoy my luxurious hospitality, so I recommend you get SUB-FRAGGING-ZERO right fragging now and start making yourself useful rather than rattling off some vague threats of doom that would totes surprise me if I was am amnesiac that just woke up from a comma.

We also need to know who the water situation is around here. Anyone thirsty? If so, what would the market bear per liter of water? Just give me a quick P/E ratio and a breakdown of the socio-economic outlook if you could, to the closest thousand per capita would be great thanks."

Alanna doesn't break a smile, at least giving the appearance of being serious. But sometimes she thinks that just makes it funnier, so it's kinda hard to tell.

Not clear on something. Is this guy's TAP on? If not, how does he know our TAPs are on?

1dr0meda does not want to turn off her TAP, but just in case this guy is right about the danger, she switches her TAP off.

Still not sure how Syzygy's TAP works or if she can function without a live TAP. Can she see reality without the hyper-reality overlay?

Then 1dr0meda looks over the kit and the Omniprobe, working out how to use it to help the guy's wounds, if he'll let her. She starts with the omniprobe, holds it over his heart and then has him hold it in his hand. She puts on gloves, takes some of the gauze and daubs at the wound on his arm. Then she follows it up with a trauma patch.

Penalty -2
Omniprobe bonus: +2
Crisis Kit Bonus: +1
Healing: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Healing Ace: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Result = 4 + 2 - 2 + 2 + 1 = 7

Neon steps back from the glass enclosure, having seen what she needed to. Turning to Kit, "A mix of amateurs and pros, but they've got a good controller at the back guiding things. I hate just sitting here..."

She looks at the elevator enclosure, noting its construction...

Notice: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Basically , she's looking if the glass is armored or not, can she knock out a pane , can she shoot through it?

With regards to Syzygy: If she has a drone to ride in she can see without forming any outside connections. She doesn't really have a TAP to turn off. Give me half a moment to GM fiat you.

The hitchhiker's TAP is off. The guy can tell because you're not using analog tech, things like activating your car generally require tagging an active TAP first.

"...John." He says after swallowing hard and taking a second to absorb Alana's lengthy statement. He's plainly dressed in an A-shirt and jeans. Light-skinned but with thick, curly black hair. "Turn your TAPs off. If your TAP is on, the ghosts can see you." He coughs, giving 1dr0meda a nod as she starts to work on him. "...That probably sounds weird. Just trust me. They're real enough to hurt you, but only if your TAP is on. Please."

"There's gangs everywhere," he says, holding onto the omniprobe. "Some of them were old-school, other people went crazy and started hanging together after the Mess." He turns, looking over his shoulder through the side window. The people from the alley have fanned out, some of them still dancing and stomping, the rest staring after the car, realizing they can't catch up. "They're new. They're called the Court. They work for a lady called the Queen. They're all nucking futs."

"Uh... Most people don't really have money at this point. Almost everyone has TAPs off, so it's hard to check creds. People just kind of trade? But yeah, water's worth a lot." He glances around, his eyes lighting on the trailer. "S*%+. You need a suggestion on where to take that omae?"

===Nexxon===

"Boss?" Asks one of the soldiers, aiming through the window of the elevator. The men with the Gecko Hands aren't climbing fast, but the elevator doesn't seem to be going anywhere. The suit curses in Japanese, then quietly apologizes to Kitsune.

"Get the doors open," he says in English. "Get her out, Plant wasn't counting on this." One of the soldier's hands lands on Kitsune's shoulder. The other soldier pries the doors open again, holding them for her.

"My friends will accompany me, of course" she says, looking at the suit with a look in her eye that holds no opening for bargaining.