In Seattle's Shadows

Game Master psionichamster

sh4m nods a greeting and shakes Jak's hand. Salazar arrives and he raises a shocking blue eyebrow at that comment. What a go-getter, just met and barking orders already... heh. He group-texts, "Don't worry... not much of a talker," taking a deep soothing drag on his stim-stick. At idle it hangs in his lips, aerosolizing a fine pungent mist in his immediate vicinity. Flies buzz past and catch a whiff and fall to the sidewalk as their tiny hearts race to bursting. "Good to meet you all."

Three edits later, okay, mixing text-italics and think-italics doesn't work very well...

"Easy, Longear, I'm sure we'll all gladly let ya do the talking, right?"

Garus looks back and forth between Salazar and sh4m, grinning slightly.

"So... Wanna wait for the rest or text them to meet at our destination?"

Rick arrives shortly after Garus and sees the dwarf and elf talking. He chuckles to himself as he pulls up beside them, letting Shade hop off the back.
"Greetings friend. I am Rick and this lovely lady is Shade." He extends his hand in a friendly gesture.

"Greets," he texts out back, shaking the man's hand and nodding to Rick and Shade in turn as his stim flares, burning close to the end. He positions it between two fingers, almost flicks it loose, then appears to reconsider. "This everyone, then?" He sucks the last life out of the stim-stick and only then lets it fly, spitting the butt out of his lips to land with a wet sizzle in the gutter by his bike.

"So, um, whazzup, guys? Are we gonna hit the road now or what?"

Garus walks over to his Thundercloud and climbs behind the wheel.

Recap time:

Hit the road and get to the concert. Come up with a plan to talk to Nabo after the concert (don't want to have a few hundred g-rock fans against me).

I think we have 20 hours to kill before the concert....should we crash at someone's place and maybe work out a plan?? Would Jak fin on my bike??

Trolls typically take up two passengers worth of space, if its a 2-seater of significant size, he should fit without much trouble.

Rick is willing to give over the use of his Harley to the troll and take a seat in the 4X4 if this helps out the group.

Well, we have some 20 hours. Shall we try to get inside, or waylay this Nabo afterwards, or what? While I do appreciate the offer of your lovely machine, Rick, we have enough time that I will decline to displace you from it; the bus will serve me just fine.

Jak has positioned himself so as to shield the group from as many passers-by as possible; 3m of troll makes a good wall. He will also flash a question to Persephone to see if there is any way she can fake a ticket/backstage pass.

Sitting comfotably in his car, Garus fiddles about his commlink for a while before he manages to open a group call for everyone.

"Better than shoutin' over the parkin' lot, eh? Well... We can go and check out the location now. And I think our best bet is catching him after the concert, maybe we can make 'em believe we're from the media, heard 'bout the risin' star, yadda yadda, want to promote him and make an interview? We could use some equip, fake or real... Anyone got a cam-drone?"

Jak:

"I bet I could play a pretty convincing reporter, if that's how you want to run it. But after we get him separated, what do we do? Grab him and make him talk, or play nice?"

Rick listens in to the conversation. If working alone he is pretty sure he could get into the building, but as they are a group, a 'front door' tactic might be better. He continues to listen, waiting to see where the conversation leads.

security tags?

Jak: A specific RFID transmitter that is usually embedded in a hidden part of an item, to track/monitor/identify covertly. Persephone is basically offering to make "legit" seeming backstage passes, that will pass (hopefully) a security scan/ping.

thanks

My friend can doctor up some backstage passes for a couple hundred a piece. Might be they could get us in the door.

"That sounds like a good plan. Exactly how much will they be? And can she have them ready in 10 hours?"

Price I was quoted was 250. The time I was quoted was 6-8 hours plus my travel time to the print shop. That's if we want security tags involved. Only 75 without the tags.

"That's a whole quarter of our pay just to go talk to this guy, though I highly doubt we'll get very far through concert security without them...hurts doing in, but it get's my vote."

"But we sure don't have to buy IDs for everyone... Half of us should be enough to play an interview team, and the rest can provide backup. Hell, I can cover you from across the city, as long as I have a safe place."

"I don't remember the last time I've needed an ID to get in anywhere. I should be able to talk my way in just fine."

"I'll go for the tag," he sends. "Camera tech. I'll pick up a videodrone, it'll come in handy later anyway."

So that is three then, and Salazar, you will talk your way in?

If we want I can check the security at the warehouse and see if I can get in without needing a pass. Lets go and take a look at the place and see."

Do you want any company, Rick. I think we should keep the number of us poking about ahead of time to a minimum. I do want to see if there are any Awakened security measures in place.

"Got a point, Jak." sh4m lights another smoke, twitchy hands fingering the ignition on his bike. "Let's split. I'll grab a 'drone for the "interview" and head down by the address, lay low til you two give the rest of us a signal?"

Ok. Plan is for sh4m to go shopping, Rick (&Jak?) Go scope out the venue, while Shade, Garus, & Salazar hang back to wait for the security badges?

That is what it seems to to me.

Jak sends a quick message to Persephone. Thanks for the quick response 'Seph, we are gonna take you up on three all access tickets with tags. What info do you need from us?

Sh4m, do you think you can hack this Nabo's 'Link? He may still have the email stored in it.

Garus will follow them to the vicinity of the venue and look for a place where the backup squad of the team can hang out later, when the interview squad is going in.
Maybe a parking garage or something, with an easy exit way, where he can drop his body and give the interview team astral support if necessary.

Rick heads out with jak to the warehouse.

Persephone responds quickly, "Sounds good, gimme a headshot of your chums, ill work up a quick throw-away alias for the tags. I'll message you where to pick 'em up in a bit. You can drop the creds in my usual till."

Surveillance team: the ride to the warehouse is uneventful, but shows promise for all kinds of shenanigans. Out in the Barrens, right on the water, the spot is smack in a Z-Zone, if you've ever seen one. Gang tags cover the majority of the intact buildings, and GridGuide kept piping up "danger area, use caution" until you shut the darn thing off.

Nabos warehouse looks like most of the others in the area, but in slightly better condition than most. A 3m chain link fence wraps the perimeter, covering a complex of about 500m x 500m. Inside the fence, a bunch of cars sit near the warehouse building proper. Huge rollup steel doors face the street entrance, covered in gang paint.

The back of the warehouse butts up against the water, where an old concrete pier juts into the thick, scum-coated bay. Another, smaller rollup steel door sits in that entrance. Other than some small windows set up near the roof level, there are a couple of fire exit doors on the sides of the building. Another one exits at the same height as the windows, leading down a rusty fire escape ladder setup.

Rick: there's plenty of abandoned buildings nearby, and several partially collapsed ones.

sh4m starts up his bike and heads off. "Figure I can, Jak," he sends back, "Take me about an hour to do it right."

Assuming I'm reading the hacking rules right, anyway. I want to get close enough to access his wireless, then spend an hour "probing" rather than going "on-the-fly." For my cover and recon, I'm picking up a Lone Star iBall from a used tech market on the way over.

Garus drives around the blocks and checks out the abandoned buildings, also looking out for signs of imminent danger, such as groups of armed gangers.

He informs the others via commlink conference call.

"I'm not from here, but this zone looks as Z as it gets. Means we can blow up the whole damn block without havin' to worry 'bout any Lonestar whinin' about, but it also means that if we step on the wrong people's toes, some crazy gang'll try to rip up our asses. At least there's lots of ruins, so I'm sure I'll find a nice cozy hideout for the backup squad."

Area Knowledge Seattle (to back up the Z-zone talk): 4d6 ⇒ (5, 3, 2, 5) = 15-> 2 successes
Combat Tactics (to find a good backup position): 10d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 4, 1, 2, 4, 1, 5, 2, 6) = 36-> 4 successes

Very minor ret-con: Before leaving for the warehouse, Jak addresses the other two that are going inside the warehouse. We need mug shots for the tickets. Any problem with supplying it? Also, transfer the 250 for the ticket to me and I will forward it to my friend. If no one objects, Jak will snap a quick face shot of each of them, include one of his own, and send those off to Persephone, he will deposit the 750 into the specified account. End of ret-con.

Once we are in sight of the warehouse, Jak will shift his perception into the astral plane. As he does so, he speaks quietly to Rick, Can you get a couple close up shots of that fire escape?

Rick takes a look around the area, noting the various entry points to the warehouse. He moves up to the fire escape that Jak pointed out.

Perception: 6d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 5, 5, 2, 2) = 22. 3 successes
infiltration: 7d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 4, 1, 5, 6, 6) = 27. 3 successes

Again, sorry for the delays all, I will try to get a daily post up here or on the discussion page about this time, work permitting. :)

sh4m: George can easily arrange for the iBall purchase, for list price (¥1500). You approach the warehouse with your 'link scanning the active frequencies, but don't find any open broadcasts within the normal 40m range of a standard commlink. Note: the fence surrounding the warehouse leaves a gap of at least 20-25m between the building and the street on all sides except the water.

sh4m: make a Detect Hidden Node test (SR4; pg 230)
Completely random, unrelated check

Garus: You are fairly certain nothing short of a high-powered running gun battle, use of tanks/thunderbirds, or something equally destructive will attract the legitimate authorities around here. Gangs, city-based predators, and other less "legitimate" types are another matter, entirely.

Assuming you're planning on leaving your shoes behind for astral overwatch, you park your 4x4 in the remains of a partially collapsed warehouse, diagonally across from the target position, approximately 450-500m away. The truck is all but invisible from the street, backed into a corner behind a couple of 3m brick walls. Slip into gear, floor the accelerator and you're out on the street heading directly towards Nabo's warehouse.

Rick:
Completely random, unrelated check

The fire escape itself is rusty, but appears solidly attached to the wall of the warehouse. It is an old-school style, with a pivoting ladder that would drop down the last 3m when weight is placed on it. Currently, the ladder's bottom rung is elevated almost 6m up from the street level.

Steel fire doors, set into the wall approximately beneath the fire escape, present smooth metal blockades to entry. As you get to base of the warehouse, you notice a couple more things of interest. 1: you smell distinct tobacco smoke from both above and below, mixed with some alterants perhaps. Looking closely, you notice a thin wisp of smoke rising from the top of the fire escape, like someone stands up above smoking.

2: You spot a large-ish dragonfly looking "bug" detach itself from atop the building, swoop around in a long, lazy arc, then settle back on the roof. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to notice you (yet).

3: You hear a voice from behind the fire door, guttural and deep, talking into what you assume is a radio. "I didn't hear nothing. Ya sure ya know what you're talking 'bout?" There is a brief pause, as of someone responding, "I ain't goin' out the side door, 'less ya see somefin...that walk back 'round sucks!"

All: remember, you have a "group chat" link established, allowing you to text/call/send images between each other as needed. Those of you with cybereyes/glasses with image links can easily patch your feed to anyone else you're subscribed to.

What's your next move?

Rick gives a quick sitrep to the group, detailing the position of guards, and the possibility of a drone. Moving silently, Rick checks out the fire door, looking for locks and the possibility of gaining entrance through it.

Rick: The door is a one-way exit, the kind with a push bar from the inside, but no handle at all on the outside. Like This No lock is visible, but the hinges are exposed slightly at the top and bottom. It looks like it swings out and to the left as you exit from the inside.

Seeing nothing remarkable about the warehouse on the astral plane, Jak will summon a Watcher.

Conjuring: 8d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 1, 5, 6, 3, 1, 5) = 32, 5 hits.

He instructs the watcher to search the warehouse for any sign of Awakened metahumans, Dual Natured beings, magical defenses, or spirits, and sends it on its way.

Would I know if the lock pick set I have will enable me to get through such a door??

Stealthly moving along the edge of the building, Rick scouts for any other means of entry.

Infiltration: 7d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 6, 5, 6, 4, 2) = 27 3 sucesses

Jak: Roll to resist 5S drain You summon your watcher spirit, which arrives in a puff of glittery smoke on the astral and takes a roughly humanoid form. After receiving its instructions, it rushes off to search the warehouse for Awakened metahumans, Dual-Natured creatures, magical defenses, or spirits. It will exist for 5 hours.

Rick:You can't detect a "lock" to defeat on the door itself. From past experience, you know you would have to compromise the door, doorframe, or hinges to get in from this side. Alternatively, someone could open it very easily from the inside.

On the east side of the building (where you are now), there's the fire door on the ground level, the fire escape and another door at the top of that. You know there are a couple of similar looking doors on the southern (the front) wall, as well as large steel rolltop doors. You haven't seen it personally, but you'd expect there to be at least one access door on the bay side, probably with a small pier/wharf.

Random Checks6d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 1, 3, 4, 2) = 184d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 6, 1) = 17

You deftly maneuver silently along the building to the edge, staying out of the line of sight for the drone you saw as well as the guard standing up top. Which side do you head towards? The front has more cover opportunities via cars/trucks, the back has water access.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch Time passes relatively uneventfully. Garus & Jak have set up astral overwatch, sh4m is looking for the target in question to ping his 'link, and Rick has successfully infiltrated the compound looking for an easy entry. The time is now 1330, leaving you with 4.5 hours for until the show. Persephone came through, big time, and the laminated "backstage all access" passes look seriously legit.

What do you do?

Drain Resistance: 8d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 2, 5, 6, 2, 6, 4) = 31.

EDIT: 4 hits, net drain: 1S

If it finishes its search, I will assign it to overwatch until it expires to alert me if anything changes in relation to the results of its search.

Once the ID badges arrive, Jak will flash a message to Persephone. Thanks a bunch 'Seph. You always come through for me. Let me know if there is anything you need that I can provide.

If possible, Jak will make time to rest so he can clear his one box of stun damage.

Healing: 12d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 4, 3, 4, 5, 3, 1, 6, 2, 2, 3) = 37.

Edit: 2 Hits. One stun cleared.

Sorry, busy few days... Not sure what/if I need to roll to find a hiding spot, perception?

sh4m settles into a good hiding place near the perimeter and has a look for hidden nodes.

I think I want to be doing an extended test, how do we notate that? Should I just do a half a dozen rolls, and you'll just use the first X number that you need? Criteria for this extended check is 15+, at one combat round per roll.

Summoning: 8d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 1, 5, 5, 2, 5, 1) = 25 -> 3 hits -> 3 hours lifespan
Drain resistance: 13d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 6, 4, 2, 1, 5, 5, 1, 6, 4, 2, 4) = 44 -> 4 hits -> no damage

Garus informs the others of his findings.

"I'm parking in a cozy little ruin that we can use as our backup place. Sendin' you my pos right now, so you can all drop by. Give me a call if you got anything important."

He makes himself comfortable in his car and summons a watcher.

"Ah, welcome to this side of the twilight veil, my small energetic friend. Please awake and inform me if any metahuman or spirit enters this lot."

Estimating the lifespan of his little helper, he sets up his commlink to alarm him in two hours and 55 minutes. He checks up the status of his Ingram Smartgun before placing it on his lap, one hand on it as if holding onto a teddy bear, and closes his eyes to take a nap.

Rick mve aroound the corner to the bay side of the building, still keeping to the shadows and moving slowly and quietly.

Jak: Your new little friend is gone for about an hour, before you recognize the "feel" that he has completed his task. It seems he has not found any active magic-users, dual-natured creatures, or the like in the building.

sh4m: After a few quick frequency scans and pings, you manage to locate several hidden nodes broadcasting in hidden mode. Several Entirely Random Checks

[b]Garus: You settle in for a long(ish) winter(ish) nap. Nothing disturbs you (unless one of your colleagues decides to pop in) until your alarm goes off.

Rick: Once directly under the fire escape and staying slow & quiet, you fairly easily make it to the bay-side of the warehouse. As you thought, there is a short wharf jutting off the back of the building, and a loading dock area separating the water from the warehouse itself. Two large steel rolltop doors stand closed, while another fire-door stands very slightly ajar in the opposite side of the building. You also notice two Orks standing by the door, smoking and chatting. They wear distinctive leathers, festooned with chains and spikes, and each has a club of some kind slung from his belt. Between the distance and their distracted posture, they obviously haven't noticed you at the corner of the building.

What do you do?