On the night of the run, Charlie Marlowe had readied himself and had made his way to the determined point for pickup. At the arranged time, Taylor arrived.
But not an adolescent girl.
She was perhaps six feet long and twice that across. Each of her legs was as thick as a man's wrist. The eyes were fractal spheres, dark and sheening. Her body was covered with soft fur, and from the head two fluffy, feathered antennae protruded.
And the wings- two sets of great wings, a pair on each side. They were made up of millions of tiny scales, almost like the skin of a reptile, but smooth and flexible. These scales glimmered with patterns of color.
The moth- Taylor- was settled on the wall, and Charlie became quite sure he was hearing words she made- a young, feminine though-speak. Telepathic, he thought.
Taylor could see again. Colors. Like some lunatic artist run nuts, spraying everything in brilliant, iridescent, glowing, insane colors. Compound eyes. And antennae that tasted and smelled all the delicious smells of the world.
Roberts slipped out of the meeting as everyone spoke; his part was done and it was up to them to fill in the specifics, besides he needed to sort out Vougner. As he walked out he sent a quick message to Nik "Fill me in on everything I miss, that place was giving me a migraine"
He pressed send, hailed a cab and went home to bed.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
As normal Robert woke to a beeping in his ear; Nix had sent a brief summary of everything he'd missed.
"Insect shaman!?"
He screamed, loud enough for the apartment above him to bang on the floor. No wonder he'd mistrusted the girl when they'd met; bugs were bad enough but when you met people who could talk to them you were into some freaky shit. The rest of the information was as expected; plans, documents and schemes, he'd look over it later, now was the time for action.
Over the night someone had given him a list of companies Vougner worked with and as luck would have it one was based in Asia. During his snooping Roberts had obtained Vougners business number, he quickly glanced at the time; 10 am, perfect time for a phone call. He dialled the number
"Hello Mr Vougners office" a female voice answered "Stacy speaking, how many I help you?"
Roberts voice modulator did its magic, his voice coming out as a woman with a thick Chinese accent
"Hello, I represent one of Mr Vougners business associates; Baosteel. We have a meeting scheduled in couple weeks time, however one of our CEO?s in in the area earlier than anticipated. Might we be able to reschedule to a closer date?"
"Um I?m not sure" the secretary replied, clearly she hadnt been hired for brains "Let me check" Roberts heard a brief taping of keys "He has an opening tomorrow at 1pm, I could make an appointment if you want" "Its that easy" he thought "anyone can call up and make an appointment? Christ if the rest of the security is as lax as this we?re going to have no problems breaking in"
Rembering himself he spoke again
"Oh yes that would be lovely, he will be meeting Mr Yiren. Would the Ash Dragon be a suitable location?..."
Ten minutes later Roberts was sitting in front of a mirror perfecting his face
"This is going to be a cake walk" he said aloud with a smug smile.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
It was 12:57. Mr Yiren was sat in a private booth in the Ash Dragon; a small restaurant in the back corner of Seattle's vast Chinatown. It wasn't the fanciest of places; the decor was cliche as they come, the usual mix of dragon, Buddha and painting. What set the Dragon apart was its food; there were thousands of Chinese places in the city, but the Ash Dragon was renowned for its authentic style and flavours; it was said that you would never find an empty seat at the Ash Dragon. It helped that the whole place was a front for the local Triad. The Dragons less than legitimate reputation coupled with its shabby attire made it perfect for Roberts plan, Yiren's company was meant to be going under, so he wouldn't be in one of the more respectable establishments and the Dragon's links with the Triad would make his story all the more beliving. Also it was very easy to hide a body in a area controlled by a gang.
Yiren glanced at the mirror next to his table and admired his handy work. The face he wore was perfect; its features generic yet still realistic. Whenever he had the choice Roberts opted for Asian cover; despite living in a time when Trolls walked the streets and you could buy dwarven crafts in a market, westerners still had trouble telling one Asian man for another. Perfect for remaining incognito. It was 1:15 when Vougner arrived leving two very large goons at the door. He was a slim man despite his years of indulgence, with the wisp of a beard on his face and an altogether seedy look in his eye. Vougner stood out look a sore thumb as the only white man in the restaurant, he looked around nervously looking for a friendly face. Yiren raised his cup in a greeting and beaconed to his table.
"Mr Yiren I presume?" he spoke with a thick east coast accent. Yiren lightly tugged on his ear activating a recording device.
"You presume correct, come, sit. We have much to discuss. Care for some tea? Its quite lovely"
"You seem rather relaxed for a man about to lose everything Mr Yiren" Vougners tone was sharp and cruel, clearly he was not the sort to mince words. After a few minutes of false pleasantries and business chatter Vougner ordered a glass of water and spoke.
"Frankly Mr Yiren I'm surprised you haven't cashed everything in and flown to some remote island"
Yiren chuckles softly
"Funny you should mention that Mr Vougner, I must admit that there is a, shall we say, alternative agenda behind this meeting. A proposal if you will, not strictly legal I might add"
This got him interested, Vounger lent forward in his chair, Yiren held his gaze.
"I have heard from the grape vine that you are a man of the finer things, wine, women, art, the usual"
"I know what's good in life" Vounger replied in a sly tone.
Yiren chuckled once more "Indeed. I have also heard that you are willing to bend a few rules in order to gain these finer things, is that so?"
Vougners voice lowered to a conspiratorial hush and became threatening as he whispered
"What do you know? Better yet, what are you offering?"
"Nothing more than a business venture my friend. You get something of great worth and I get enough money to, what did you say? 'fly to some remote island'?"
"I might be interested" Vougner spoke, again in a calm tone. The man knew how to play this game."So what have you got for me?"
"White jade. A dragon from some time in the Shang Dynasty, one of a kind I assure you" At this Vougners interest became apparent. Though the look on his face showed he clearly knew nothing of Oriental art, people often got interesting at the word "one of a kind"
"Why not sell it legitimately?"
At this Yiren's face back sad and he opted for the same hushed tone as Vougner
"I did not acquire it legitimately. I was gifted it by the local Triad" The look of surprise on Vougners face was a picture. Yiren went on "As I'm sure you know he local government has been cracking down on Triad activity in the area pretty soon they're going to go after smuggled goods. A man with your contacts will be able to keep the dragon safe while a man in my position will be hunted down like a dog." Yiren paused to let his words sink in, he reached to his cup with a trembling hand and took a sip of tea to calm his nerves "He is what I suggest, you come with me to were I keep the dragon, have a look at it, gauge its price, then we talk business"
Vougner knew an opportunity when he saw it, the man was clearly desperate and he could get the dragon for a fraction of its price. Working hard to conceal his glee he spoke.
"That sounds fair. Lead the way" Vougner stood from the table and looked expectingly at the man oposite him "I assume dinner is on you"
Yiren's smile was the pinnacle of polite
"But of course"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The pair walked into a warehouse a few blocks from the Ash Dragon, at Yirins request Vougners goons had remained at the restaurant.
"There is no need for them" He had said "I have none of my own"
The building was dark and empty aside from the light of a single bulb shinning down on a creamy white statue. Anyone who knew what they were talking about would be able to spot the fake from a mile off but to Vougner it seemed to shine with the light of all Asia.
"beautiful" He said in a awe as he began to step towards it, he felt a small jab in the back of his next, probably just a mosquito or something, it didn't matter. That was his thought as he collapsed to the floor.
Yirin smiled as he face reverted back to Roberts, he walked forward a searched through Vougners wallet. Everything was there: SIN, money, house keys and even a few pictures (all of Vougner). Roberts walked towards the door, changing his face as he went. He'd had plenty of time to learn what his target looked and sounded like, assuming his identity was easy. Roberts dragged the heap of a body off the floor and into a small crate at the back of the warehouse, before picking up the stature and walking out.
He began a gentle stroll back towards the Ash Dragon, as he went he threw the statue into a puddle by the side of the road; a few minutes later nothing remained. It was only soap.
Okay everyone. I'm going to give a quick primer for how this is going to run.
First: I'm not going to pull any punches. If you get caught, expect lots of highly lethal bullets to be set your way, followed closely by giant drones, magic spells, and if you're really unlucky - spirits... or worse (yes, there are worse) How different groups of people react depend on what happens (e.g. if you get caught trying to break in a door with a gun, expect bullets, but if you get caught wandering a hallway you aren't supposed to be in dressed as a delivery man and make enough of a "I'm lost" bluff, just an escort back to somewhere inconvenient is probable)
Second: Bullets hurt - remember that.
Third: I'm very loose with the design of the building. If you come up with some crazy plan to, for instance, cut an elevator cable to rocket up to the roof, I'm all for it - see (sorry Ascelpion) "Rule of Cool" for an explanation of why. That said, please keep it slightly reasonable - If you don't have a grenade launcher, you can't use it. As similar as Shadowrun is to Deus Ex, no Deus Ex Machinas please.
Forth: I have a long list of where every important NPC is, guard details, security details, etc that I will not be deviating from until you are caught. This is a double edged sword - It's possible to escape this mission without killing anyone, and without anyone even knowing you've been there until it's too late, but it also means that if you do something stupid, see first note.
Fifth: Bullets REALLY hurt - they cause bleeding, and broken bones, and brain damage, and rapid on-set lead poisoning (read: death). I cannot say this enough - remember that.
One last note: I am assuming that Nik contacted the former-lonestar people, despite my lack of PM from him as of yet.
Now; let the mayhem... begin!
[HEADING=2]Kilmer Data Archive, 7:23 A.M.[/HEADING]
[img/]http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/09/29/automobiles/wheels-The-Cube-Birmingham/wheels-The-Cube-Birmingham-blogSpan.jpg[/img]
The block of cement that posed as a building, stood there - dark as could be. It would have seemed imposing, were it not for the dozens of other, similar, buildings surrounding it. A large white van was parked at the building, NeoNET logos covering its side, moving crates of material to and from the building - their purpose unknown. A handful of guards covered the building, each a powerful specimen of meta-humanity, dressed in the latest and greatest of armors, weapon gleaming from their sides and back. A large fence surrounded the complex, with but a single hole in the front for entrance, protected by a guard house of significant size. Beyond the van lay their one entrance - a pair of sliding, plasti-steel doors, currently propped open for the benefit of the movers - currently inside with one of their many boxes.
There are fewer guards then your informant suggested. None of the guards you see look like they would be "former-lonestar"
[img/]http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/communications/ntpaw/PhotoGallery/images/Seattle_skyline_800.jpg[/img]
As Charlie and Taylor landed, the sun was just beginning to rise over the industrial landscape beyond. For this height, the sun reflected off the water below, creating a beautiful, all be it blinding, array of colors. The sun appeared red in the sky - a sure sign the clear skies the weatherman had promised would turn dark and gloomy again soon.
The roof was empty, save for a small VTOL on the landing pad, unoccupied. The roof, unlike the rest of the blue-concrete and steel structure, was grey and worn with use. The roof was a place for business and emergency use, not a place to take customers - it didn't need to look good. A handful of birds rose into the air in protest to your landing, viciously guarding their nests from the unwanted invaders. Aside from the landing pad - raised slightly from the roof proper - the roof was empty; save two items of interest. The first was a doorway. The door was made of thick metal, clean of dibris unlike the rest of the roof, and bolted shut with powerful magnets.
The second item of interest was what they had came for - the ventilation system. The vent lay beneath the helipad, a massive hole nearly six feet across, covered in metal plates and spewing hot air to keep the building inside at a comfortable temperature. a series of metal gratings kept the many wild creatures free of the system - acting as a sort of filter for the more annoying residence of the roof. around the grate however, was the evidence of a more difficult problem - the chard remains of a number of birds, who had tried to roost on the grating. Contrary to the plans Rodrigo had supplied, the roof was well protected now, by a fence with significant electric charge.
Already, the shipping dock was hard at work, trying to keep the building well stocked with all the supplies it would need. a large queue stood in wait before the building, trying to get their shipment in early so they could make other deliveries. From here, it was easy to see the large, modern-industrial park that made up the buildings grounds and the bay beyond it. Despite it's beauty, the park was vacant - a result of the early-day state. In a few hours, it would likely be filled with tourists here to see the sights and business men and women here to make some deal.
The number of guards at the dock seemed strangely low and particularly disorganized - more so then their reconnaissance would have suggested. The lack of former-lonestar goons seemed the most apparent - Nik's little warning seemed to have done the trick. Unfortunately, the action had also slowed down the guards ability to get trucks through - hence the significant delay in deliveries. What more, the guards were clearly on edge - desperate to make no mistakes while their colleges were out "sick." They were searching every truck they could, but for every truck they searched, four more slipped into line, and another two slipped into the docks without "authorization" - it was chaos for the guards - and perfect for the runners.
Or so it seemed, until one guard - a particularly large Troll with a mustache - waved their truck over.
The lobby was sparse, even by NeoNET standards. The walls shown of polished chrome, with AR advertisements and programming covering the walls. A large VR clock hung over a desk, as the men and women behind it directed traffic in all manner of directions. Said front desk was overflowing with people and as a result the attendants were rushing around, desperately trying to keep pace. Of course, this was only expected when half the guards were out with "the flu." However, all of this was secondary to the rather troubling new detail. With half their security forces out, NeoNET seemed to be supplementing their force with shadowrunners.
Hundreds of shadowrunners. Hundreds of shadowrunners who were currently flooding the front desk with questions of where they were supposed to go. Hundreds of shadowrunners who were currently flooding the front desk with questions of where they were supposed to go, wearing more guns of more types then they could count and wearing armor no shadowrunner should rightly be able to afford.
the 7:23 A.M. thing is an arbitrary time as no one stated a start time I just picked one - the time I started writing this. If anyone has a better time, post it in the chat. the details won't change much so it doesn't really matter.
Venaticus stared at the gleaming oasis surrounded by dull, plain buildings. Venaticus was in his NeoNET guard's uniform and assumed the most plain, boring face he could find. Wulf already knew he was an AI and Nik figuring it out by now, assuming he never caught on to Wulf's constant hinting, would not matter. Venaticus figured that the best way to enter the highly guarded compound would be as a guard. Simply, he would walk in, jam their communications, lights and anything else that would give them some form of an edge. By the time Venatcius was done, the place would be a hollow glass and metal shell with worthless terminals.
Venaticus had seen Wulf and Nik near the compound and met up with them to fill them in. They both looked alarmed and were about to kill him before Venaticus said, "It is Rodrigo guys, don't shoot. The place is heavily guarded, but they won't be able to override my authority if I get in. My SIN is probably expired so I am not sure if that would work. Simply, if you all add a distraction, I will be able to slip in undetected, move quickly, inspect one of the terminals and if I just get a couple seconds alone, I will be able to easily destroy their little building's interior. Did it to NeoNET, Kilmer should be doable. Any objections?"
Wulf barely stopped himself in time to not shoot Rodrigo, his hand only grasping the handle of his flechette Predator, on account of it being quieter.
The streets were relatively empty despite the hour, a fact that surprised him as well as the lack of Stars on the guard. Sure some of them could be rookies moonlighting, but the lack of that walk and strut down there he didn't like. He still didn't trust the cop beside him and the lack of Stars only served to heighten his suspicion.
"It is Rodrigo guys, don't shoot. The place is heavily guarded, but they won't be able to override my authority if I get in."
"You have anything in particular in mind on that, Rod? Distraction's a pretty vague descriptor. You want it loud,messy, a combination of the two, or something else entirely?"
"You have anything in particular in mind on that, Rod? Distraction's a pretty vague descriptor. You want it loud,messy, a combination of the two, or something else entirely?"
"Since NeoNET won't hire AIs as guards, I just have to slip in undetected and the SIN will carry me the rest of the way. I would prefer that the whole confrontation remain bloodless, but if you guys have to kill, I just never heard it. Wulf, you make a loud noise far to my left, Nik will disable the magical barrier and let me pass through. After that, he will aid you in removing anyone who follows you. With that distraction, I can easily run through and get inside. Once inside, I will work as quickly as I can and get to a security terminal. Once I have a security terminal, I will get our information and cause a mass system wide wipe of every single file in the archive. After that I will disable all lights and electric systems, as well as their communications and automated drones. This will buy me time to overload their systems. Once overloaded, the whole computer network will be down long enough for me to escape and begin heading to NeoNET. I have something important to do while the others do their job."
The speech was long winded and he hoped that there would be no interrogation as to why he needed to actually go to NeoNET. However, he was comfortable divulging a small bit of secrets to those two. Neither were friendly with gangs, and if he did try to bring Nik back to the right side, he would have to tell him everything anyway.
His mask secure, Charlie held on to her back with his arms wrapped around her. His equipment pack dangled behind. Taylor began scaling the vertical wall. Minutes later she was flying. She opened her wings, flapped them up and down, tucked the legs up beneath her and lifted away. She was no longer tied to the ground.
They flew between high rises. She rose to a hundred feet, high enough to escape the notice of early commuters. Carrying a man on her back, Taylor reached the structure exterior just as the sun was rising.
The Helipad was unoccupied. She could see- literally see, like a glow- the heat coming off the vent. It mixed with the cool morning air.
She touched down, letting Charlie slip off the fuzzy abdomen so her could draw his gear and secure the VTOL. As she was drawn to the aperture, Taylor could sense the magnetism of a live current somewhere before her- a barrier to the entrance.
Does silk conduct electricity? No. I'm pretty sure it doesn't. [http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_silk_conduct_electricity]
She needn't have worried. Marlowe had drawn a set of thick gloves and pried apart the wire. The current left darkened lines across them, and Taylor could taste an acrid smell of burning polymers. But the man was undaunted. With that, she tucked her wings behind her and began the hazardous process of climbing inside.
Taylor and Charlie crawled through the hole in the electrified grating, hot wind in their face being spewed from the air system. It was slow going - trying to avoid the electrical conduits designed to keep animals and thieves out - but it was going; a positive if nothing else. Eventually, through their diligent efforts, they reached their first goal: the vent.
Time had corroded the metal within in ways animals could not have. Hot air, water, and time had discolored the steel pipe into a mix of reds and yellows, unbecoming of such a modern building. Looking down, the drop in the piping ended at a grating some 40ft down, then split off into a dozen other directions to reach the rest of the building.
As they stared into the abyss, a sound graced their ears. A light clicking from behind them - in the direction of the doorway to the roof. A second later, the door opened and through it walked a pair of feet, the rest of their forms hidden by the helipad.
Mr John Vougner was sitting at his desk in one of Novatechs many high rise offices, surveying the city below him watching as people ran too and fro in a vast display of organised chaos.
"No wonder Vougner was so up himself" Roberts thought "Seeing people like ants is bound to cause some delusions"
It was a day after he'd assumed Vougners identity, after the affair in the warehouse he as ordered his goons to driving him home and then spent the rest of the night perfecting the character. That morning he'd walked into the office at 6am, Vougner always arrived early, Stacy the receptionist had handed him a cup of black coffee and given him the days schedule fumbling over almost every word.
"Defiantly not hired for brains" He thought once more
Once in the office he'd thrown the coffee out the window, sat on his executive sized chair and waited for the rest of the team to call in with what they wanted him to do.
I assume that's my job, sit there and wait for phone calls?
As all the preparation talk before the job was finished most of the people stood up and left for their own destinations. Finwe had been waiting for this moment as he could finally show Sebastian his new armour. Finwe stood up and smiled very short, something that was quite strange for him. He walked over to Sebastian.
From the looks of things, all the preparations for the run were complete, as people were now leaving The Dragon's Lair. Sebastian then began looking over the notes he made, in regards to specific weapons and any other equipment that may be needed; when Finwe came over to him.
"Can I show you my new armour now Sebastian?" He asked.
"Sure, why not. Listen; sorry for not wanting to see it earlier, it?s just well, we had to get stuff done for the mission. The overall complexity of such a job requires a lot of work. But now everyone is done, I'd be glad to see your new armour." Sebastian remarked, getting up out of his chair.
"Sure, why not. Listen, sorry for not wanting to see it earlier... But now everyone is done, I'd be glad to see your new armour. Care to lead the way?"
Finwe looked at Sebastian. "I understand why you didn't want to see it earlier it was just the conversation wasn't going anywhere so I thought we might as well leave. After that it got interesting but not before."
Finwe grabbed his car keys and looked to the door. "I will lead the way then." Finwe walked over to the door and opened it holding it open for Sebastian.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sebastian walked out the door, with which Finwe soon followed him. He soon walked over to Lupo, and began pressing some buttons on it, then turned back to Finwe.
"There, just activated the auto-drive, now Lupo should follow me to your place." Sebastian remarked, explaining what he just did. He then saw a car nearby.
Finwe turned around to see his own car standing there. "It is indeed." Finwe turned back to Sebastian."You might wonder why I have such an unremarkable car. Well the reason is simple; my car never attracts any attention. I have had to escapes multiple times, and while the parts have been replaced with better parts I could sometimes still not outrun my pursuers. But because of my unremarkable car all I have to do is drive onto a normal road and drive in a normal speed and my pursuers have already lost me."
Finwe then said. "Well I am going to lead the way. And with your impressive vehicle I am sure you are able to keep up." Finwe looked happy as he walked toward his car. He opened it carefully and pushed a few hidden buttons before entering. Wouldn't want my head blown off. He started the engine and drove off at the highest legal speed toward his home. Looking if Sebastian was following him.
"You might wonder why I have such an unremarkable car. Well the reason is simple; my car never attracts any attention. I have had to escape multiple times, and while the parts have been replaced with better parts I could sometimes still not outrun my pursuers. But because of my unremarkable car all I have to do is drive onto a normal road and drive in a normal speed and my pursuers have already lost me." Finwe said, as he got into his car.
"You got a good point. Sometimes the best way to go undetected is to become one with the crowd, let them act as your cloak." Sebastian remarked as he got onto Lupo. He began starting up the engine, and then followed Finwe, making sure to remain at a reasonable speed.
"You got a good point. Sometimes the best way to go undetected is to become one with the crowd, let them act as your cloak." Finwe showed a short smile as he heard that his friend agreed with his choice of vehicle.
After about 20 minutes of driving they arrived at a gigantic villa just outside of the city. A wall was built around it with all kinds of security set up. This looked more like a military facility then a home. Finwe drove to the guard standing near the gate. There was a short discussion before both vehicles were let through. The guard seemed very impressed by Sebastian's vehicle.
Finwe drove into the underground parking lot. He then got out of his car and looked at Sebastian as he was getting off of Lupo. "This is my boss?s house. I own a couple of rooms in it. I own 5 rooms and share 4 with a couple of colleagues." He then grabbed a suitcase out of his car and walked back to Sebastian with a happy expression on his face."So if you will please follow me." Finwe began walking toward the stairs. Looking if he was followed by his friend as he was getting up the stairs.
They had roughly spend around twenty minutes driving before Finwe and Sebastian arrived at what appeared to look like some sort of military building, but it did show signs of a more civilian appearance. During the brief moment when security was checking over things, it appeared that one of the guards was impressed with Lupo.
"This is my boss?s house. I own a couple of rooms in it. I own 5 rooms and share 4 with a couple of colleagues." Finwe said as he went to the back of the car and pulled out a suitcase from the trunk.
"So if you will please follow me." He then added, as Finwe began walking toward the stairs looking back to see if Sebastian was following.
"Of course, I must say this is a rather impressive building. Your boss must be into some serious business." Sebastian remarked, looking at the details of the building. He soon followed Finwe through the doors.
"Of course, I must say this is a rather impressive building. Your boss must be into some serious business." Finwe nodded as they went through the door.
"My boss is a person who dabbles in about every business. He is never the biggest in any of them, but he still makes allot of money. His main source of income is running a shadow runner job center. He has clients from all kinds of lands for almost any job you can imagine. He has about 20 shadow runners working full time and about 40 part time. And another 200 on a call list that as soon as there is an job that fits their area of expertise they will be called. My boss only hires the best."
Finwe stepped a little closer to Sebastian and whispered.
"If I hadn't been an almost classified surgeon with magic potential he wouldn't even have considered hiring me."
Finwe then walked a bit further until they got to an main hall from which allot of hallways could be seen each of them locked by a big door.
Finwe walked to one of the bottom level doors as he grabbed an key and opened the door holding it open for Sebastian. The roomed seemed quite unremarkable, tidy an well decorated just not anything new. A couch here a TV there a few doors that led to other rooms but not really anything worth noting. Finwe however was smiling.
"Home sweet home." Finwe stepped inside after Sebastian as he closed the door.
"Please make yourself at home. Can I get you anything to drink? Maybe some tea? Though I am afraid I don't have the same selection of different teas like you have, I still have some quite tasty ones." Finwe said while he was walking toward the kitchen.
"If I hadn't been an almost classified surgeon with magic potential he wouldn't even have considered hiring me." Finwe whispered as they made their way along a corridor leading to his room.
"I'm sure someone would have hired you. You got some good skills there Finwe, certainly ones that I don't have." Sebastian remarked in a reassuring tone as he walked through the door into Finwe's room. Whilst it may not have been as impressive as Sebastian's apartment, it still looked decent enough.
"Home sweet home." Finwe said as he closed the door, and made his way to the kitchen.
"Please make yourself at home. Can I get you anything to drink? Maybe some tea? Though I am afraid I don't have the same selection of different teas like you have, I still have some quite tasty ones."
Sebastian took off his coat, and hanged up his gear next to it, then sat down on the nearby couch. He then turned his head to face Finwe.
"I'll take any kind of tea you have Finwe. I picked up those flavours because I needed to expand my taste in tea, and also I really like fruit."
"I'm sure someone would have hired you. You got some good skills there Finwe, certainly ones that I don't have."
"Thanks allot for the compliments Sebastian. But I mean that my skills are the entry level anything underneath that my boss won't even consider."
"I'll take any kind of tea you have Finwe. I picked up those flavours because I needed to expand my taste in tea, and also I really like fruit."
"Well I am sure I have some fruit tea around here somewhere... Aha." Finwe returned after a minute with 2 cups of strawberry tea. "I hope you like strawberry tea because this was the last fruit tea I have available at the moment." Finwe gave one cup to Sebastian and then sat down and placed his cup on the table, it needed to cool down a little first.
Finwe looked around in his apartment."Sorry for the lazy design here. I spend most of my time in my lab and I don't receive many visitors so I don't spend much time here." Finwe seemed to think for a moment before saying.
"Sebastian have you ever heard of the enhancement drug called K-10?"
"Sorry for the lazy design here. I spend most of my time in my lab and I don't receive many visitors so I don't spend much time here." Finwe stated, handing over Sebastian a cup of strawberry flavoured tea. He then thought for a moment before asking something.
"Sebastian have you ever heard of the enhancement drug called K-10?" Sebastian took a sip of the tea, taking in its flavours, using this time to think up a response. He then placed the cup onto the table in front of him and spoke.
"First off, this is a rather pleasant tea Finwe, a rather full flavour. Second, it?s understandable that you don't spend much time in here due to your work." Sebastian remarked in a rather complimentative tone.
"And, whilst I have heard of K-10, I do not use it, along with not using any other drugs or enhancing substances. Nor do I smoke, I don't drink alcohol often, but when the mood calls for it. Why do you ask?" He then said in a inquisitive tone.
"This my friend is K-11. It is made from cheaper material then K-10 and I even though I am still trying to get rid of some of the side effects. I am now able to make K-11 in my lab whenever I want." Finwe said with a grinning smile, as he procured a small vial filled with a purple liquid. Sebastian took a moment to examine the vial that was placed on the table. He briefly took another sip of tea, and then made his statement.
"Was there a point of showing this to me? Why do you make drugs Finwe, even though you yourself don't use them? Not to sound rude, but is it part of your boss's operation? And shouldn't a trained medical person like you know that with cheaper materials, means more chance for things to go wrong. I just don't want to see you getting hurt because of some narcotic you?re creating." Sebastian said in a serious, but all around caring tone.
"Was there a point of showing this to me? Why do you make drugs Finwe, even though you yourself don't use them? Not to sound rude, but is it part of your boss's operation? And shouldn't a trained medical person like you know that with cheaper materials, means more chance for things to go wrong. I just don't want to see you getting hurt because of some narcotic your creating."
Finwe didn't know how to respond to this. He had never met someone who cared for him as Sebastian said he did. So he just started at Sebastian for a few seconds unsure of how to react.
"Well... The reason I make these drugs is quite simple really. You see I have been studying most of my life, And when I started doing this work there were no challenges for me mentally, so I started designing and experimenting on making drugs just to see if I could. I don't sell them or anything like that. And for the cheaper material well I replaced some high price ingredients with just as good cheaper ones so there is no real danger.And since I don't sell, or use them I am in no real danger so you don't need to worry about me.? Finwe said all of this in an apologetic tone as he tried to avoid Sebastian?s gaze. He was clearly ashamed.
"Well... The reason I make these drugs is quite simple really. You see I have been studying most of my life, And when I started doing this work there were no challenges for me mentally, so I started designing and experimenting on making drugs just to see if I could. I don't sell them or anything like that. And for the cheaper material well I replaced some high price ingredients with just as good cheaper ones so there is no real danger. And since I don't sell, or use them I am in no real danger so you don't need to worry about me." Finwe said in a rather apologetic tone, obviously thinking that Sebastian was ashamed of himself. There appeared a silence between both of them, as Sebastian thought over Finwe's words, deciding how best he should react. After finishing off the tea, he spoke.
"Alright then, if you can assure me that you?re not using them on yourself and creating them simply to test your skills, then that is okay." Sebastian remarked in a stern tone. His mood then shifted to a more calm one.
"Now then, I'm curious to see what you got for yourself in terms of armour." He said with a brief smile, hoping it would lift Finwe's spirits.
"Alright then, if you can assure me that you?re not using them on yourself, and creating them simply to test your skills, then that is okay."
"I promise I will never sell or use such things." Finwe said still avoiding Sebastian's gaze.
"Now then, I'm curious to see what you got for yourself in terms of armour." Finwe smiled as he got up."Wait here for just a sec." Finwe walked toward one of the doors and went through it. He came back a minute later with an armoured jacket on. It seemed to be modified.
"I have bought an armoured jacket but I have asked for quite some extras. First it is completely lightning proof. Second it has an bio monitor and also an auto injector. And an Level 1 Fetish to strengthen my magic." Finwe moved his arms around before showing him his open palm. He was wearing strange gloves.
"But I think this is the coolest of all my modifications. You see I have an friend who makes really high quality armours. And I have asked him to give me this. He has placed tasers in the armour which I can use by using my gloves. Cool huh?" Finwe seemed really excited.
"Wait here for just a sec." Finwe said with a definite smile, obviously a little cheered up about things, as he disappeared into another room, and came back with what appeared to be an armoured jacket, that had some modifications.
"I have bought an armoured jacket but I have asked for quite some extras. First it is completely lightning proof. Second it has an bio monitor and also an auto injector. And an Level 1 Fetish to strengthen my magic." Finwe remarked as he went into explaining the capabilities of the jacket, and then moved the arms around a bit so Sebastian could look at it with more detail. He then showed some unusual looking gloves.
"But I think this is the coolest of all my modifications. You see I have an friend who makes really high quality armours. And I have asked him to give me this. He has placed tasers in the armour which I can use by using my gloves. Cool huh?" He asked with a rather hopeful look in his eyes. Sebastian smiled.
"Finwe that is both a cool, stylish, and practical piece of clothing you got there. Your friend certainly knows how to make a quality piece of gear; I'm impressed at his skills as an artisan." Sebastian said, obviously happy with what Finwe had. His voice changed to a more calm one.
"Listen, sorry if I was giving you a hard time just now. It?s just, your a good guy Finwe, and I didn't want to see someone with talent get hurt by something. Between you and me, there is a bright future ahead of you."
"Finwe, that is both a cool, stylish, and practical piece of clothing you got there. Your friend certainly knows how to make a quality piece of gear; I'm impressed at his skills as an artisan." Sebastian said, obviously happy. Finwe smiled brightly as his friend approved of his new armour. "I will tell my friend that an master assassin was impressed by his work, he would love to hear that."
"Listen, sorry if I was giving you a hard time just now. It?s just, your a good guy Finwe, and I didn't want to see someone with talent get hurt by something. Between you and me, there is a bright future ahead of you." Finwe looked at Sebastian with an reassuring smile. "No what you said needed to be said. I have to be careful when creating such things. And I also think that you are an good guy Sebastian."Finwe smiled at Sebastian.
His face then turned a bit sad. "I hope that what you say is true and there is an bright future ahead of me, but I don't think there will be one where I work for Don. You see he is my friend but as most other shadow runners are much older he almost never lets me go on a job. I was only allowed to go on this one because a person he owed asked for me specifically."
"I will tell my friend that an master assassin was impressed by his work, he would love to hear that." Finwe said with a definite smile, obviously happy by the compliment Sebastian made earlier.
"If I was him, I'd probably feel the same way." Sebastian remarked.
"I hope that what you say is true and there is an bright future ahead of me, but I don't think there will be one where I work for Don. You see he is my friend but as most other shadow runners are much older he almost never lets me go on a job. I was only allowed to go on this one because a person he owed asked for me specifically." Finwe said with a rather sad face.
"I see, well the reason that he might be doing that is he may not want to see you come to harm. Anyway, if for some reason you can't live here anymore, I might be able to get you an apartment where I live."
It was then that the pair talked for a while, and then Sebastian left the building to go make final preparations for the mission.
[HEADING=2]Novatech - Lobby, 7:33 A.M.[/HEADING]
Today was the day of the run, at this moment everyone was getting into their positions. Sebastian had made his way to the Novatech Lobby, and watched as various people went in and out of the buildings numerous security checkpoints. He himself on the other hand was dressed in a rather fine suit and glasses. He was now posing as Caspian Blake, a gentlemen who had an appointment with Mr. Vougner, now Roberts in disguise. Most of his equipment would be arriving via a package that would be sent to Vougner's office, he did however keep his pistol on him, passing it off as having at least some form of protection. Noticing an opening emerge, he went up to the front desk.
"Hello there, my name is Caspian Blake, I believe that I have an appointment with Mr. Vougner in about ten minutes." Sebastian said polite voice as he took a brief look at the watch he was wearing.
"Let me just verify that for you sir." The receptionist responded with, checking the computer screen in front of her; fortunately for Sebastian, his contact and friend Abigail had helped in setting up a fake appointment as so to provide a believable cover story.
"Yes, there appears to be a appointment with that name on it. There is also a mention of a large package as well."
"Ah yes, its a present for him. A collection of rare art works, after all, he is a man who enjoys the rather finer things in life."
"Very well then sir. Just sign here, and I'll notify security of your arrival." After dealing with the initial entry, Sebastian was directed to which elevator he needed to use to reach the office. He soon passed the elevator checkpoint, and was on his way to meet up with Roberts.
On his arrival, he was met by Mr. Vougner's personal secretary.
"Ah Mr. Blake, its a pleasure to see you. Mr. Vougner has just entered his office and is ready to see you now. Also the package that was to be requested has arrived and is in his office. I'll just inform him of your arrival." The secretary said in a friendly and overall polite voice, then again she was probably paid to act like that. She briefly spoke with a man on the other end, and soon directed Sebastian in. Once the door was shut behind him, he removed the glasses.
"Mr Vougner there's a Caspian Blake here to see you, shall I send him in"
A voice over the intercom spoke. Roberts looked up from the cat he'd been drawing on some of Vougners official documents and pressed the speck button
"Yes please Stacy, and get us two coffees please"
"Right away sir"
Roberts leant back in his chair and watched the door, Sebastion strolled in wearing the nicest outfit Roberts had seen him in so far.
"Good Morning, Mr. Vougner."
"Casper!" He exclaimed, standing with his arms open "so good to see you again. What brings you to Seattle?"
With purpose Roberts marched up to Sebastian and grasped him in a firm handshake, his back to the rooms security camera
"Play along" he said in a hushed tone quiet enough to remain unheard by a mic "they're watching us"
"Casper!" Roberts, posing as Mr. Vougner exclaimed, standing with his arms wide open.
"So good to see you again. What brings you to Seattle?" With a sudden burst of purpose, the man marched up to Sebastian, and grasped him in a firm handshake, his back to the cameras that were obviously watching the pair of them. Out of earshot from the microphones, Roberts whispered a few things into his ear.
"Remember John, there was that important project I wanted to discuss with you. But also I have come back from a recent trip to Britain, and managed to acquire those paintings you were looking for the last time we met. I tell you, it took a several days worth of discussion with the dealer, but I think you'll enjoy them." Sebastian remarked with a slight chuckle, gesturing over to a large crate that was just out of the camera's field of vision.
If this interferes with anything you had planned, let me know.
Taylor lay motionless at the rim of the vent, watching and listening. Marlowe ducked so that he was level with the raised platform before scrambling behind it on all fours.
The footsteps stopped. From her viewpoint, she couuld just make out the shape as it partially came across the cockpit. A uniformed figure- tall and slender. An elf, who had stopped to listen while the other security personnel gathered behind.
Zanfretta had heard some disturbance from the roof. In addition, there was an alert from the tension-sensor of the electric wires; that something had brushed against it and moved it out of place. Any sort of pressure sensor was prone to false positives, especially at this altitude where winds and weather can alter the reading and make the computer think something is there. That's why we're here, the elf thought. No matter how advanced the sensor, someone else must respond to it.
But something seemed different about this one. There hadn't been a storm (well... for Seattle, anyway.) and the birds had shifted. Something had spooked them.
It was at that moment that they saw a man in some kind of mask, slipping behind the VTOL. Zanfretta called out, revolver and cell phone at the ready. The other men filed past him. They had pistol firearms, handcuffs, personal scanners, light armor. But one of the men had something much more dangerous- an automatic shotgun. Committed to protecting their client's structure, they slipped around the landing pad to where the masked man had disappeared. They spread along the platform and crept along the fence in an effort to get the jump on the intruder.
It was then that he got a shock. Just as he was preparing to leap out to confront the unknown trespasser, Zanfretta felt something touch his shoulder from behind. He spun around, revolver in hand, but instead of finding another masked man illuminated by his flashlight's harsh glare, he saw an entity with fur dully striped with whites and browns, great wings and fluffy face with massive compound eyes.
Zanfretta was stunned by the sight before him; for a split second, just enough.
He hastily turned his gun on the bizarre creature. The next thing he knew a wing slapped across his face, painting his suit and skin with dust. He was shoved backwards, as though shoulder-charged by someone invisible. He stared up in amazement at the thing, which he now recognized as a moth. While his hands felt the damp surface under him and the great drop through the links of the fence.
'You-' he said, trying to stand up. He was shoved back down again, and sat there incredulous, simply unbelieving. He heard gunfire and saw the rest of his men scattering or holding their hands up, dropping their weapons while the man in the gas mask fired- lying flat on his belly- from atop the parked aircraft.
He went limp. The shout died in his mouth. He felt himself flop back onto the concrete. He lay there, looking up into the clouds overhead. He could move his eyes. Nothing else. He imagined being bound and rendered immobile. This was worse. This was paralysis. He could do nothing. He worried about his breathing stopping, his heart stopping, his tongue blocking his throat, his bowels relaxing.
The noise died down. The moth sat silently for a moment or two as Charlie climbed down off the VTOL. Then Zanfretta felt the ground scraping his back through his clothes. He became frightened that they would throw him off the building, and wondered if this was his last day on Earth. Then, he heard a feminine thought-speak. The moth was 'talking', like a girl. And not for a second did the elf doubt it's words.
At this Roberts opened the crate, inside was a pile of his preferred gadgets along with his Novastar, Sebastian had even managed to track down a "Sasquatch".
"Wonderful" he said softly as he picked up a small golf ball sized orb, slipping it into his pocket. It was a small device designed to shut down the security cameras in his room; giving him and Sebastian long enough to arm up before the main event. Activating it now would seem suspicion so he and Sebastian would have to make chit chat until the time came.
Suddenly he heard the latch click on his door, Stacy with his coffee,as fast as he could he placed the lid back on the crate and turned to Sebastian.
"Theres are going to look wonderful in my bedroom, thank you." He turned around feinting suprise "Oh Stacy. Yes yes bring in the coffees"
Its up to you, we can wait until shit starts to go down or RP about 20 minutes of meaningless conversation
Charlie blinked. The last moments were like a dream, flying to the site on a giant moth, a giant moth, which was, a few minutes ago, a waif-like girl with a fondness for Insect Spirits. In addition to the trademark suit and fedora, he wore upon himself the hallmarks of a burglar - a mask and gloves. But this wasn't just a burglary, while this particular job might fall under the definition of burglary, if Charlie remembered correctly was illegal entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offence, this was a shadowrun. After all, he reasoned, this was out of bounds for the courts of Seattle and if all when well - no one but the faceless corporation, NeoNET would be hurt. Such a shame.
Mr. Malowe blinked again.
He was at the Novatech Data Archive, on the roof and had just about finished climbing off a VTOL while Taylor flapped her wings and caused a magic powder, full of neuro-toxin, to spread into the air like confetti. He hadn't realised that he was in the middle of a fire-fight, even thought, as if automatically, the brand new Beretta 101-T was in his hand and was giving fire while lying down on the floor. Most of the mob that had arrived had scattered, dropping their weapons. Even though the gun was a joy to use - the recoil just the same as he was used to, even with the added bunk of the laser-sight and the twelve round magazine - firing on unarmed persons wasn't necessary or enjoyable. While he wasn't sure how to communicate with the Taylor-Moth, he spoke into the communicator.
"Finished with these guys, Princess?" He muttered, "We've got more to do here than just playing a bit of rough 'n' tumble."
Glad to be back. Looks like somebody had jump-started the 'run, though...
Zanfretta struggled against his paralysis to no avail - he couldn't feel or move anything. Combining that with the feminine voice of a moth inside his head - no doubt a Bug Shaman - all he wanted to do was be anywhere but here. He would have wet himself, if not for the paralysis.
That the moth could speak directly into his mind was perhaps the most disturbing of things. Zanfretta tried to banish any thoughts for Novatech and its security from his mind - just as he had been trained to do. He may have been a disposable foot soldier, but he was at least a loyal one. Using what NeoNET had taught him about magic, he buried his inner thoughts behind images of metal walls, miles thick, to stave off any intruders. When he felt secure, he began to "speak" to the creature via it's presumable telepathy. "Who are you and why are you here?"
Behind his mental fortifications, he knew the creature was unlikely to answer - but it made for a good delay tactic; a delay in communication he hoped was long enough to raise the alarm and maybe stop the miniature mothra from dropping him off the side of the building.
Novatech - Office
Stacy placed the pair of warm drinks on the table beside the pair carefully, then - smiling - asked her question. "Will that be all Mr. Vougner?" The words barely escaped her moth before she turned and exited. Truthfully, Stacy didn't give a damn about whether Vougner had anything else - the man was a jackass, and one she had no desire to put up with any longer then her job required.
The troll stared at the unmoving vehicle, mildly irritated. Why was it that every time they had a hiccup in the system, the delivery men got so uppity? Annoyed, he was about to just wave them by, too pissed off to care, when he felt a splash hit his head. Normally, this wasn't such a big deal - after all, this WAS Seattle. But this drop was much larger, burning hot, and smelled horrible. Touching his hand to his head, he tasted some of the liquid, trying to figure out what it was.
[i/]Coffee... I hate this job.[/i]
Having no had the final straw hit him, he was not about to make their day easy. "OPEN THE BACK!" he yelled, marching to the back of the delivery truck; unknowingly to him filled with guns, ammo, armor, and shadowrunners.
Kilmer Data Archive - Outside
The guards continued to watch as the people moved in and out of the building with dozens of boxes - all labeled with unknown strings of numbers - meaningless to those that were unaware of the system.
"Who are you and why are you here?" The elf called out. There was no expectation of a response, but one came nonetheless.
"Finished with these guys, Princess?" Charlie remarked, out loud. "We've got more to do here than just playing a bit of rough 'n' tumble."
It was a long drop from the roof opening. Almost 40 feet down to a grating before leveling in a cylindrical chamber. From there the vents branched off. It was spacious enough- the main ducts nearly enough to stand- but enclosed, like the entrance to a three dimensional maze, a grid running through every floor of the building.
She was bombarded with air- a tempest that whipped around the fur of her body. There were fan arrays, shutters and filtration screens. She moved far enough from the drop that they couldn't just a toss a grenade down before coming to rest. And in the wind that enveloped her, Taylor expanded her great wings; laden with a fine particulate dust, and- slowly at first, but with an increasing beat- flapped them in place.
He looked around the roof, collapsed guards were everywhere. He figured that it would be too cruel to just shoot them in the head and finish them off. After all, from the look of it, these guys wouldn't be using their minds and magic to summon a giant fuck-off fireball into existence anytime soon... NeoNET magic training was minimal at best. As he was assessing the situation, the ethereal voice of Taylor popped into his head.
Even with the dawn of the Sixth World and growing up in it, he wasn't comfortable with telepathy and the like. He just didn't like the idea of people getting inside his head, there should be some piracy law against that, but then again, this was the world he lived in. Hell, Charlie was glad that this 'runner group consisted of mostly Adepts and not a person that read minds for a living. Sighing, he set the communicator to 'TEAM NOVA' and began to speak.
"Charlie here. Roof's secure and Taylor's ready as soon as the filters seal off. You'll have address the problem of working the fans to route the 'toxin where you need it youselves, though." Marlowe said, addressing the whole team on the Novatech operation, "I'll be on lookout here, until further orders."
Clay, dressed in a khaki button-down shirt and matching shorts, even a pair of gloves that hid his second thumbs, sat behind the wheel of a Postal Express delivery truck that was hauling a rather expensive cabinet set. Though the real value of the package wasn't the mahogany furnishings, but what lied hidden inside them. Inside the cabinets were enough military-grade gear and weapons to equip a small team of Runners. That very team of Runners sat inside the cab of the delivery truck that was pulling into the shipping dock of the Novatech facilities.
"Alright, looks like this is gonna be easier'n a Taiwanese tranny on a two-dollar Tues...day..." Clay trailed off when he saw the large Troll with a mustache waving the truck over. "Oh, look. This guy's even uglier'n ol' Wulfy. Just act casual, I'll do the talkin'."
The runner reached for the khaki baseball cap with the delivery company's logo on it and placed it atop his head. He was about to speak up when he noticed the Troll reacting to what appeared to be hot coffee falling from the sky, obviously none too happy about it. Practically roaring at them, he told them to open up the back as he went to the rear of the cargo truck.
This can't be good, Clay thought as he reluctantly climbed out of the cab, making sure to grab the mock shipping manifest as well. He walked all the way to back, looking up at the Troll that practically towered over him.
"It's just one o' those days, ain't it?" Clay asked the guard, forcing a large, friendly smile as he begun to unlock the hatch in the back. He slowly slid the truck's door open to reveal the fancy, polished cabinets secured in the rear of the truck. Looking from the furnishings to the Troll with the same smile on his face, then reviewing the manifest, reading off the details as if he hadn't already had them engraved into his mind. "Yeah, we're shipping these in for a mister, uh...mister Voo...Vow...Vogue? Vogue-ner? A mister Vougner. Apparantly one of the higher-ups who feels he needs some fancy schmancy mahogany cabinet set for an office remodeling. Can you believe this? I mean if I had that kinda money, I'd find somethin' better to do with it, know what I mean?"
The troll stared at clay for a long moment, before he sighed - the hint of a laugh in his throat. "I can think of a few interesting purchases I could get for the same cost as this damned wood stuff." the troll said, before digging through his shipping manifest - looking for some hint of the delivery on his end. After a few minutes he gave up and looked back at the man. "Can't seem to find your papers, but that's no surprise, and this certainly sounds like Vougner a'right. Bastard has tons of stupid stuff delivered here - this shits pale by comparison. You know that guy bought some ancient Aztec or Mayan or Incas or some shit statue, just because he thought it would make a good "coat rack." - self righteous prick." he said, his anger being redirected at Vougner. After a few more minutes ranting, he gave clay a once over and said. "Well, I can't just let you through - I'll need to call Vougner to see if he ordered this shit." he said, before punching in a number into his comm-link.
Novatech - Office
Sebastian and Robers continued to talk in code phrases, until they heard a strange sound. Footsteps - heavy - coming up the stairs down the hall. Before either had a chance to look however, the sound was overshadowed by the ringing of a Vougners office line.
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