the man leers at Gnoss, open lust plays upon his features. you can easily imagine what he's thinking about.
Come on man, it's because of all that snow that I can't just get back here easily! Can you sell me enough to finish a job just this one time?
He looks to Gnoss for some help.
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She rose an eyebrow arching hi. She was actually used to such looks though they still disgusted her usually. still she was annoyed.
"Then he can use my 2 as well.. and your 2 and how ever many more he wants to buy. you arent getting anymore customers tonight i can assure you.
She paused making a slight face as she .... rolled her shoulders back just a smidgeon causing her cleavage to become a little more promenent.
Only once the transaction is complete does he declare
Okay, show's over! Don't post any pics online. She'll find you and you won't be happy!
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"were runners dearie... ive a decker who could track down a sheeple in austrailia on the net. Keep it in the spank bank. I see my pic anywhere online i will find you... and not even the legendary phoenix will save you from my flames.... "
She let her hand wreathe itself in flame the blaze making her eyes sparkle. as she took out a oeice of the gum she had bought popping it in her mouth. She brough her hand forward the flames just exstinguising as she pated the clerks cheek with a grin.
"tootles!"
Once outside she pulled out tapped her ear and brought up her phones list of folks to call....
"Thanks Wraith... remind me to tell missus wraith she has herself a gem. "
She didnt know if her were married. he should be. He was pretty squared away for a humie.
"Babe! hey biz came up... big time emergency with a corp lab. Teams put together it'll be chill. Dont wait up weather is terrible might not have coms for a bit..... Love you!. "
She blew a kiss into the air and winked at Wraith.
Damn Chummer if you could see my new girl she would blow your mind.... shes a yoga teacher......her legs go up to here."
She held her hand up to her chin.
Married, uh. Well no...
He lets it trail off as she continues. He nods appreciably at the description of her girl.
He can't think of anything clever to say so leaves it at Nice!
Taking a moment, Tatyana sent the yen to Mark using the same contact she always had. Then headed to the front to wait for the goods.
boop
Mark walks up to you both Final delivery of the day. Take these three masks to my friend at the Hush Hush bar on university and alaskan. then youre done for the day. Lady's name is... well, i'll leave that to her if she wants you to know her name. She wears a lot of buttons. Im sure shell find you before you see her. you both get 200 nuyen from helping him for the day
Manjit looks over to Warren and smiles.
"Well, one more, and what say we get ourselves a drink. At least stay out of the cold for a bit before heading home!"
Gathering the items, Manjit heads out with Warren and heads towards the Hush Hush Bar
Warren smiles at Manjit, "I like the way you think. A little something to warm us up after a cold days work sounds good." Warren picks up his share of the load and heads out into the cold once more.
All of you (except tatyana) arrive at the hush hush bar at the same time. It is with some humor that you all walk up to tatyana, the woman sitting at the bar enjoying a drink.
"Woah there lads. Let's not crowd the lady. My friend and I have a delivery for The White Queen from Marky-Mark."
He looks over the group as they fall into line behind him and Warren.
"Looks like you have a party on the go. Let me drop this off and my friend and I will get out of your hair and grab a drink!"
He hands off the package and then the two of them head off to sit and order a drink.
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"Ugh I swear men get more and more boneheaded by the day. Can you believe that guy Wraith? Alright my lovelies we have more ammo shall we get this show on the....."
She paused eyeing the two new men in the bar. She hadnt expected really to see any folk really out and about...She blew a really big bubble letting it snap loudly in annoyance.
Oh, I can believe it. It didn't take much for you to pull on that lever and get our ammo.
He chuckles as the new men enter the bar.
Package? For which one of us?
Warren looks over the group in the bar and then nods toward Tatyana. "It's for her. Masks that were ordered from Mark."
the auto-tender beeps several times as you punch your drink order onto its outdated display consol. Automatic arms behind the bar whir and gyrate, moving with machine fluidity, gently grasping glasses and pouring ingredients into the containter to the correct amount. Each arm glides gently along the bartops edge, and lays the drinks before Warren and Manjit.
"Ah! My masks!" Tatyana declared as she picked up the package. "Thank you. If I may... Did Mark look well? Do you do many jobs for him?" She asked of the two newcomers.
Manjit takes a small sip of his hot chocolate and brandy.
"Not too often...just happened to be close by and owe him for some 'work' he did for me awhile back. He seemed ok to me...what do you think, Warren?"
He looks over to his companion as he takes another small sip of the hot drink.
Warren nodded and said "He seemed well. Need something to warm up though. Everything is going numb from the cold. A little work would help get the blood moving again. None of this delivery stuff. Retrieval. That's where it's at."
recognizing the sheer size and scope of the job offered by the Johnson, Gnossimanthia boldly offers a short term contract to Manjit and Warren.
We need help. Big, big job. she looks around at the nearly empty bar. Several patrons nurse drinks, while some hook up IVs to slow drip their alcoholic blends direct into their systems. It's called "blitzin'", injecting premixed alcohol/saline into the bloodstream. A person can get very drunk off of the solution, and yet awaken in the morning wihtout a headache. Some patrons have been known to inject drugs into the mix, allowing for a more abstract high. The effects are... delirious.
I cannot say more, until we are more secluded. Free from prying ears, and eyes she nods around the room at the patrons.
hmpf. Why should we trust your word? Warren begins, but manjit lays his hand on Warren's arm.
Hold now, my friend. Let's hear the lady out. Manjit nods to Gnoss. Please, continue.
Gnoss purses her lips, thinking. Not getting into specifics... but, the jist is a search and find mission, with reestablishing comms. Beyond that, i cannot say without greater detail.
Warren nods. Understandable. So, a big job?
Tatyana nods
Manjit takes a sip of his drink Must be, if it needs more than four souls for the job.
Tatyana snorts obviously.
Gnoss nods it is.
Warren nods again, understanding upon his face. Of course. Now. How will pay be handled? It is not like we were there to be part of the negotiations with your johnson.
Gnoss moves her mouth, but nothing comes out. her mind begins to race, trying to figure out a solution.
abiss pulls out a credstick and tosses it to Warren.
The actual payment, we can figure that out later. On that stick is 100,000 nuyen. more than enough to pay for your time right now, and for, say, 10 hours worth of work? 10,000 nuyen an hour is a good pay.
Warren and Manjit stare each other. then back at Abiss.
10,000 an hour, for both of us, makes it a 5 hour job.
Gnoss growls under her breath You-! I aught to-! she clips her words before swearing too loudly 10,000 yen is plenty pay to come with us. You greedy-!
Manjit lifts his hand Peace friends! Peace! It is not bad manners to try to achieve monetary gain upon situations like these. after all, we are like you. Living in the shadows, one step ahead of authority, State, or Corporate.
Gnoss growls again, her throat making noises normally found on feral cats fighting for territory...
Let us instead call this earnest money. warren picks up You have paid us to accompany you to, where?
The docks. Wraith says.
the docks. wait, The Docks? warren asks in startlement. Why the docks?
because, where we are going, is across the Bay Gnoss provides. She turns to Wraith Why the docks?
Wraith holds up a hand and begins ticking off numbers One, its almost a 2 hour drive just to the island on a good day. Two, today is not a good day. Ive never driven in snow. And i am sure no one else has. Three, we only have 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to the man- to the location. and four, the last ferry to Bainbridge Island leaves from the docks in he checks his watch six minutes. Either way, we need to hustle.
Wraith stands up, and nods to warren and Manjit Gentlemen. either youre coming with us or not. We have to move. he turns and strides to the exit.
Tatyana, gnoss and Abiss all stand, and leave.
100,000 nuyen... Manjit says softly
100,000... a big job... warren mutters.
yeah... a big job...
Burn me... we're doing this, arent we? Warren asks after finishing his drink
I am no milk-hearted fool. Manjit agrees.
the two of them rush out of the Hush Hush bar.....
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It'll take a little over an hour to get to the island folks. please stay seated and only move when neccessary. The bay is real choppy cuz of the storm. We'll be fine, just be careful please. Captain out the intercom system buzzes with heavy static as the line from the ferry captain is cut off.
The ferry bucks and rolls on the rough bay waters, twisting and tilting to and fro in the heavy chop. Water splashes onto the glass windows, with some of it slipping through cracks and gaps.
The interior of the ferry is cold. the walls are cold, the seats are cold, even the very air is cold.
The only other passengers upon this last ferry ride are a troll, who sits in the far corner towards the bow, snorring loudly. And a Dwarf sitting aft of everyone. he wears a large camo poncho upon his short frame, a tent of obscurity upon him. Large glasses hang upon his nose, AR goggles. His hands are hidden beneath the poncho, but his mouth hangs open and the occasional grunt (along with the rhythmic up and down motion at his groin) indicates the man is lost in AR Porn.
anyways.... Manjit says, turning away from the scene Talk. we are as secluded as its going to get. what exactly did we just sign up for?
"Hate leaving home..." Tatyana muttered to herself as they boarded the ferry.
She tried not to think of the icy water outside, nor the rocking of the ferry ride. She took this moment and brought up the information she had copied from Johnson to see what exactly it was she had gotten... and what this file Red Queen, held.
It was a rather simple hack, given the OS. But, your avatar hammers through Johnson's node with relative ease. inside, you see more icons, organized in simplistic manner. An icon with what looks like a humanoid with a power symbol shows. Another icon is listed as "FTLewInfilvid", another "hiveLayout". "Level1access", "Level2access". Another catches your eye and demands your concentration "TheRedQueen".
Still more: "negotiationRates", "potentials", "Contactslist".
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"You signed up to protect me and mine from whatever made the other team....teams? disappear. They didnt have ... or care to give a lot of information but they are paying great, we are mostly preparred. I asked for a bonus to rescured workers they agreed. So there is that, you will of course be cut in on that. We are getting in, getting the infor they want. "
She nodded towards tatyana for that part.
"and we are getting out as quick and safely as we can. As much as i love credits... team comes before survivors. I'm Gnossimanthia Silverwind. of the tir'tangi.... nevermind that. "
She scowled.
"I am called on the streets by the name of Phoenix.... I heal mostly... but dont think i cant or wont melt something into slag with fire if need be. This is our Decker The White Queen. Thats Wraith our guns, Abiss our... well lets call him muscle for now. Besides being errend boys not small feat in our town im not belitteling you i promise what skills do you have?"
"I am Manjit Banepali, well not actually, but it is a good enough name for now. I am...or was a member of His Majesty's Royal Gurka Regiment from Napal. Mystic warriors trained me to fight with my kurki or by hand.I worked as a close escort bodyguard for many years, but now am here and selling my skills to those of good faith and large bank accounts!"
He gives a short bow and then waves to Warren.
Apart from his instructions Wraith says little else. He gives his name but doesn't like to elaborate an introduction that goes into his training. He'd rather show it with action when the time comes.
It's good to have you both. I suspect numbers will be helpful for this job.
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Despite the cold Wraith stands out on the deck of the ferry as it hums across Puget Sound. Everyone believes the orcas long extinct but he always looks out for them due to stories his dad told him.
He doesn't walk back into the galley until the ferry is making its final approach.
Warren nods to the others and says "Warren is a good name for me. I...can get in and out of places others can't. Some even The White Queen can't."
you huddle up in a chair, ignoring the perverse sounds coming from the man sitting in his own tent of warmth. You review the files you pulled off of Johnsons phone, hoping to glean more intel for the group before reaching land.
A big swell of water hits the bow of the ferry, forcing the ship to shudder and moan, but you pay it no attention, as the data is your main concern.
Level1access is just that. Its a code for an rfid chip to broadcast for security doors. As to what it can access on that level, you are not sure. you will have to capture the wireless signals and analyze them to determine that.
Level2 access does the same thing, only for the second level of the Hive.
HiveLayout is more pictures of the Hive from different angles, along with a High res 3d model that you can interact with in AR. However, the model looks like it has been edited, the meta data built into the save file showing previous versions. Perhaps, when you have time, it might be worthwhile to recover that intel?
FTLewInfilvid is a video file. Its run time is 10 minutes, and from some of the screen images you pull off of it, it looks like its actual footage of the Fort lewis team infiltrating the Mansion.
Potentials shows a list of other shadowrunner teams that are in the greater seattle area. The moaning nymphs, Blare's confusion, The Heavies. are the names you recognize from surfing the 'trix. You cannot help but whistle in amazement as you read the name Jorn. You had last heard that Jorn was working out of Azania (south africa) actively hunting the great dragon Mujaji. For him to be here, in seattle...
you shudder from those thoughts.
however, as you review those names and more, each of them are crossed off. some have notes "To far away", "underprepared", "asks for too much money" (next to Jorn's name). Which leads you to
"negotiationRates". straight forward. For each different group, different amounts were to be offered. Moaning nymphs were going to be offered 10,000,000 nuyen flat rate. Blare's confusion was 6,000,000, with bonus goals (Establish comms with the Hive, Ensure level 4 is secured, secure vial of T virus). Jorn's pay was just "up to 50,000,000." For your group, it started off as "500,000 paid up front, with an extra 1,000,000. Potential value of 10,000,000 if goals are reached. listed goals are "Secure level 4. Secure vial of T virus antidote. Download Backup of Three Magi." It looks like more entries were added "Determine spread of T virus among workers", "elimination of infected", "Revive elevator lift to Space Needle" and "lock down levels 9-13".
the last one you can easily look at is "contactslist". It gives the contact info of every groups Face, code words, drop points, encryption protocols for each. it also includes accents to be affected when talking to the groups. Jorn preferred those with a thick Norwegian accent. Blare's confusion preferred a sweet southern drawl.
a voice hollers from behind you. You turn and see a man sticking his head out of a side door to a private area of the ship. He has an angry look upon his face as he drives spikes through your skull with his gaze.
Tatyana seemed to shrug at Warren's works as she continued to work. It didn't take long before the group heard "Inodi ya nenavydzhu maty ratsiyu..."
Tatyana opened her pack and looked at the three masks... it was hardly enough for half of her team to begin with... now they have added two more.
"Do bisa"
Tatyana let out a long and heavy sigh before she looked to Gnossi "They lied..." She stated. Though she was sure everyone had already assumed that. But for Tatyana to have said something means it wasn't a usual lie. It was a big one. "Also we need to get to level 4 first..."
Wraith is now inside on the ferry.
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"Will someone please help our disfusting dwarf off this boat. preferably tossed over the edge. He is seriously deminishing my calm."
She moved over to sit by Tatyana lightly touching her left forearm to let her know they were listening.
Manjit leans against the wall and listens to what Tatyana has to say. He moves over slightly to allow Gnoss room to sit.
"So I take it this job has just become a bit harder? Warren and I will keep up our end, such as it is!"
Tatyana shifted to bring both her legs up closer to her chest so that she could place her elbow on her knee and rest her head on her closed fist.
"I bought the masks from Mark on a worried hunch. Hoping I wasn't right... But they said that this place was a research facility. So I worried that there could be biological experiments that could be out. Well, I hate being right. There is something known as the T virus which they know or either highly suspect is loose. The antidote is on level 4... And I only have three masks..." Tatyana quietly admitted as she seemed to shift nervously. "I can get us through levels 1 and 2, but getting through level 3 to level 4 might be difficult. They want to find out how far it has spread, backup something named Three Magi, and eliminate those who are infected." Tatyana explained, ensuring her voice was low so that her group could only hear her. "... I only have three masks."
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"You did well to get what you could while you could. Do not worry. I shall forgo a mask. You will have to take one for sure. you are the key this mission. I just...."
"If the unimaginable happens and i fall in this forsaken place i need you to email the information on this stick to Kaycenil Silverwind. the data is on the stick."
too quiet.
The dwarf has stopped his obscenities...
the troll has stopped snoring...
Even the rumble of the ships engine has been cut...
Perception:
2 successes
Manjit pushes himself away from the wall and looks around.
"What...?"
Warren looks around suddenly and pulls his Manhunter out. He says "S&!#s about to go down. It just got too quiet."
Having just passed through the door and come back inside, Wraith heads straight to one of the side windows to stair out at the water where he saw, something...
He doesn't look away for a few minutes while he waits to see if it happens again.
Did anyone see anything strange out there in the water? A... flashing blue light?
He continues staring where he saw it while he asks (anybody that's listening).
you take your eyes off the froth filled bay and look inside the ship, and you see the man who yelled at you two steps away. He holds a compact pistol in his right hand...
...and its pointing right at you.
warren, as he pulls out his Manhunter and says "S%**s about to go down. It just got too quiet" does the sound of a shotgun chambering a round fill the sitting room.
All of you look up and see the troll, still seated in his chair, but instead of snoring, he holds a very large, made for trolls shotgun up to his shoulder. the barrel points in your general direction.
easy klar the dwarf says from just opposite you. His voice has changed. before it was thick, raspy, obscene, heavy with the sounds of self indulgent pleasure, now takes on a tone of that of a British actor.
Easy there friend. he instructs warren How about you toss down that sidearm there onto the deck, and the rest of you lift your hands high. We just want a nice chat with you, but dont want you to feel tempted to do something stupid, no?