Tania leaves the place, giving a nice thank you smile as she departs.
"We go check the recordings then?"
"Sounds like the next step. Where are these files kept? Where can we access them? Do we have access to the shared system or security data, or do we need to 'help ourselves?"
"I say we ask for permission to see the records? Theeeeen, may be we try another way, ké?" asks Tania, her mood darkening as she sees her fortunes slipping further away.
"Lets see what we can get away with using our words.. then if it doesn't work we can just get what we need. I am sure they wont mind" Kiziah grins deeply at that last part.
"Then let's go talk to security!" Tania says, jumping at the opportunity.
And with that, the knot in her stomach loosened. She had never been on the wrong side of the law. White lies is all she knew herself to be capable of.
Not really sure security will allow them access to the files they want, Yuri decides to look at the possibility of obtaining them in a 'different' manner.
Not really sure security will allow them access to the files they want, Yuri decides to look at the possibility of obtaining them in a 'different' manner.
While the rest of the team is busy working on their pitch to Tycho Station security, Yuri decides to spend his time investigating just what it would take to cut out the middleman.
Int (Technology):
Playing around with the system, Yuri is surprised to see such protection on what he thought was a normal station security system.
"Well this is interesting. This system has miltec level protection. I could try to hack it, but I might set off an alarm and bring station security down on our head!"
"Miltec?! That is not good... So ask, then beg, then try around, in that order, ké? I'm no good with people, machine's my language. Who is gonna do the talking?"
"If it's Mormons that come running, I am sure I can find common ground and common purpose with them."
He narrows his eyes and shrugs, "Or, as much as anyone can manage with them, that is."
"I am sure it wont be the mormons that come. It will be station security. Not sure we should deal with that unless we have to.. I think Priya might be a bit better at the talking, but I might be able to at least make an impression. Tania, we can try to tag team chatting them up?"
Rather than potentially antagonize the masters of the station you currently reside on (and the closest thing to the law within a hundred million kilomoters), you settle on a plan to appeal to their better natures. A phrase about catching more flies with honey springs to mind, though the specifics of that particular idiom are lost on the non-Earthers among you.
Another transit pod later, and you arrive at the closest Tycho Station Security office. Inside, things don't look too busy, and you quickly spot a couple of officers casually leaning up against the wall. Too casually, in fact, which makes it obvious that the entrance of such a large group has not gone unnoticed. As you approach, one of them peels off and heads deeper into the station, while the other, a tall man whose mohawk exposes a number of tattoos across his scalp, pushes off to address you. He gives your group another pass with his eyes, mentally evaluating each of you.
"You need something, inyalowda?" Apparently, that's what passes for a greeting from this guy.
Tania smiles, but otherwise stays behind, leaving the talking to Tristan.
Tristian holds up both his hands, showing they're empty while he sizes up the guard. "We need to speak with your internal security team, we've been hired by the Mormons to investigate some disappearances. The rest above your pay grade." He addresses the man the way he would another officer who was asking inappropriate questions about naval intelligence matters--respectfully, but giving the firm impression that it's none of their g!*%#& business and he's not going to discuss it with them.
In response, the officer sneers back at Trsitan. "Listen here, dus--" He's cut off by another guard coming up behind you.
"Oi! Send 'em through. Old man's orders, pochuye?" By the way Mohawk stiffens up, it's clear this guy is in charge.
Mohawk mumbles something inaudible, then nods. "This way, eh?" He opens the door behind him, and leads you through it. You're taken through a series of corridors, while two more guards fall into place behind you. Eventually, you arrive at a door that has another two guards flanking it.
Mohawk turns to your group. "In here. Wait a bit."
Tristian gives Mohawk a polite nod but doesn't respond. He waits until the man has departed before sharing what he knows with the others.
After Mohawk leaves you alone in the room, you wait. And wait. Eventually, someone tries to door, only to find it's been locked from the outside. After what seems like hours (though your hand terminals stubbornly claim it to be more like 30 minutes), the door opens. Another pair of guards enters and marshals you away from the door.
Hot on their heels is, of all people, an Earther, dark-skinned and powerfully built. "Who," he says, looking over the party, "the f@+!...are you?"
Kiziah just looks up and gets a bit stunned. "Hello there Fred! Or should I call you Mr. Johnson. We are trying to solve a mystery here on your station. Missing scientists. I think my friend here is better suited to describing the details though."
Tristan is set temporarily on the back foot when Fred-f+$~ing-Johnson, the master of Tycho Station himself, comes to greet them. Luckily Kiziah steps into his startled silence.
"Mr. Johnson, pleasure to meet you. Forgive me, I didn't expect Tycho's...well, someone as important as you to meet with us personally. It's an honor." The Martian quickly introduces himself and his companions. "We're here on account of a pair of missing scientists who have been working on the station, and we were hoping to view the station's security footage as part of our investigation. We understand the sensitive nature of your request, of course, and would accept whatever stipulations you saw fit to require."
Ignacio nods to Fred Johnson, "What my friend here says is true, though from the looks of it, and the fact that you're here, my guess is we've poked somewhere we don't belong. I am sure we can come to some sort of arrangement, though."
Tania stiffens as the name of the former general is mentioned. So many stories she had heard, about the far past and the recent one, and so many hypotheses on his true intentions for the station and for its Belters...
Unable to speak, she stays with her mouth open, gaping at the living page of history flipping in front of her.
Yuri looks surprised that "The Man" himself would come and look into their investigation. After the way he treated the Mormons, he was unsure of how their investigation would go with Fred's interference.
Johnson's face is impassive as the party does their best to answer the question he asked and the ones he hasn't yet. Finally, he nods. "I know who you're talking about, and I know you are, Seong. I'd been led to believe the two had simply left for other work after the Nauvoo was launched, but it seems I was mistaken about that."
He squares his shoulders. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to give you access to the security footage you're asking for. But in return, I want you to tell me what you find. Depending on what you turn up, we might be able to help each other further. Do we have a deal?"
Ignacio felt some kinship towards the OPA, Fred Johnson especially. Repentance for one's sins by fighting alongside those you'd wronged was right up his alley, and the fight for liberation was one he would always support.
He extends a hand to the Fred Johnson, "I will do what I can to help you, you've got my word on it. If you'll keep yours, we'll have a deal."
With a nod and a smile "Great! Lets get to it. Thank you Fred." She rubs her hands together feeling like the case will be solved soon.
Surprised and pleased by how smoothly this went--and doing his best not to be too suspicious--Tristan inclines his head in respectful acceptance. "We appreciate it, sir."
Yuri gives a sigh of relief as Fred gives them access to the feeds.
"This is good...many thanks, Mr. Johnson. Now just show me where to set up to access these files...?"
"I too agree..." Tania adds, thinking to herself that their employer would know first though. A good contract and all...
Johnson looks almost surprised at how quickly the group agrees, as if he was expecting an argument. He quickly recovers, though, and reaches out to shake Ignacio's hand. "Good luck," he says, his tone a degree warmer. "Anytime scientists go missing, it always ends badly. I'll help you any way that I can."
He turns and leaves the room even faster than he entered it, and he's replaced by a couple of Belters in Tycho uniforms hauling in a set of electronic equipment. Data storage, mostly. It doesn't look like you'll be getting direct access to the Tycho Station security network, but this should still be enough to do the trick. Helpfully, they've also included a holographic projector so you'll all be able to see what everyone else is looking at.
The cameras show him leaving work and heading home, just as he'd said he was. As he passes through a crowded market area, though, the cameras lose him. "Cameras there were busted," Mohawk volunteers if you ask about the gap in coverage.
The men usher him on board a ship, which a quick check of docking records tells you is named the Ebenezer Hazard, a cargo freighter registered to Pope-Sanchez Shipping.
Yuri steps up to the reader and starts to search the files.
Int (Tech):
It's a simple matter to make use of Tycho's facial recognition database to turn up footage of Dr. Cerri's last day at work.
The cameras show him leaving work and heading home, just as he'd said he was. As he passes through a crowded market area, though, the cameras lose him. "Cameras there were busted," Mohawk volunteers if you ask about the gap in coverage.
If you pass an additional TN 9 Int (Tech) or Perc (Search) check, you may open the next spoiler.
Int (Tech):
By opening up the search parameters to include likely false positives, you find some other potential results. It takes a while, but you find more footage of Dr. Cerri being escorted through a docking area by two burly men in jumpsuits. They keep positioning themselves to block his face from the cameras, but there are a couple of times where he turns his head directly to the cameras for just a few frames.
The men usher him on board a ship, which a quick check of docking records tells you is named the Ebenezer Hazard, a cargo freighter registered to Pope-Sanchez Shipping.
If you passed both previous checks and make another TN 13 Perception (Empathy or Intuition) check, you may open the next spoiler. Anyone watching may attempt this, not just whoever is trying to search the records.
"Well this is very interesting! Anyone see anything else on this video?"
Watching Yuri get the machine booted up and get the correct parameters inserted into the machine.
"Hmm Where there is Cerri.. Oh yup, those guys don't look nice. "
Looking closer to the screen Cerri, really does not want to be with those men.. Seems obvious that he is being forced into that. Where is this Ebenezer Hazard now? And any information about Pope-Sanchez Shipping?" Kiziah turns to the Belters who brought the machine in. Hoping they respond with something.
Nodding in agreement with Kiziah's assessment, Tristan turns to the Tycho personnel. "It seems we'll need to impose on Mr. Johnson's generosity a bit further. Can we see the docking data on the Ebenezar Hand? Crew and officer roster, ship specs if she's had repairs here, destination, anything you've got. Please."
The flight plan of the Ebenezer Hazard, being a matter of public record, is trivial to obtain. Currently, the Hazard is on a round trip mail/delivery run from Tycho Station to Vesta, and is scheduled to arrive at Tycho Station tomorrow before leaving again two days later. A crew roster is just as easy to obtain: Mia Gallager, Jay Chen, and Kolton Hague.
Looking over the data. "Well, looks like Ebenezer Hazard's ship times don't match up with what it should be. When I look into where those 14 hours could have gone it looks like they could have set up their trajectory with an old mining facility called 532 Herculina. Matches with the lost time."
Turning to the group "Looks like they are supposed to arrive here at Tycho tomorrow for a few days. Seems like a good place to start. Shall we.... um... "check out" the ship when it gets here?" Kiziah has some strong air quote game.
Yuri watches as Kiziah brings the information up on the screen. As she makes her discovery, he asks the security personnel,
"Are there cameras at the departure sites or along the corridors? Perhaps we can try to follow and see where he went?"
Ignacio writes up a polite request to Vesta and reports his findings to the team.
"If I had the authority, I'd arrest the Hazard's crew once they dock and find out what they know, then commandeer their ship to check out that mining station. But I don't have that authority, so we'll just have to play it by ear. We should let Mr. Johnson know what we've found--I'm not sure I trust him, but it's not like he couldn't review this same footage so there's nothing to be gained from trying to hide anything from him. Perhaps we can talk him into deputizing us as well." Tristan grins at the thought.
Ignacio nods, "Some more, ah, temporal authority could be useful here on Tycho. If we can get Mr. Johnson in our corner, that's all the better."
It doesn't take long to get a hold of Johnson, and you soon find him looking back at you from your data terminals as you brief him on what you've found. After you finish, he sits in silence, clearly thinking through as many angles as he can. After a pause long enough to be awkward but not long enough to be rude, his eyes refocus on you again. "So," he says, "how do you want to play this? My inclination is to let them leave the ship, split up, let their guard down, but I'm open to suggestions."
Yuri speaks up.
"Would we be able to use the security cameras to help follow them? It would make it much easier to stay at arm's length that way!"
Tristan nods. "Good idea Yuri, we'll keep tabs on them and the ship electronically, but we'll want people on the ground too." He looks at his companions. "Are any of you good at tailing people?"