Deux Ex Paranoia

As you traverse the Sprawl of Seattle towards the Renraku Seattle Building you notice something out of place. Though out of place usually only means danger these days, this seems different; a little more... off.

You see various citizens of seattle dressed in single colored clothing. A large number are all wearing black but some are wearing completely Red or orange and some are in yellow. You are approached by one of these color coded people no matter how you are getting to the Renraku Plex. If you are driving by car you are approached by someone wearing an all black jumpsuit who has a blank look on his or her face. He or she will ask you in a monotone voice:

"Are you a Friend of Friend computer?"

Someone with a Deathwish?

He or she will offer you a pamphlet by merely dropping it on the hood of your car or slide it through your window if its open, Then shuffle off to the next car. From the look of him you gather that he isn't real excited about what he or she is doing...or about anything for that matter.

If you are in walking distance to the Renraku building you are approached by someone in a Red or Orange colored Jumpsuit. He or she has a smile on his or her face and does not break it the entire time as he or she exclaims:

"Hi! are you a friend of Friend computer?! The perfect friend you can ever have?!"

He or she will practically shove a pamphlet at you and continues to smile until you answer or move away...and even then still smiles at you. You get the feeling that something not all up there with these individuals.

Smile and Nod...Nod and smile

If you are taking public transportation everyone on the subway/bus is approached by a group of orange or yellow citizens who seem to have a more serious look on their faces as they say:

"Hello Friend, would you care to hear about Friend computer?"

They then hand you a pamphlet and then move on to the next seat. You get the feeling that this is some sort of Policlub or cult recruiting members.

"Shivers down your spine"

If you are checking the trids, or Decking through Virtual reality. You find there are several Spit jockeys and talking heads giving reports of large numbers of Policlubbers or cultists roaming the streets and handing out fliers and promoting friend computer. Various spins on these broadcasts claim that this group is either violent or a bunch of organized con-artists. The group's influence has spread through small parts of the Salish-Shidhe region and is mainly based in Seattle.

As you move on you encounter more and more of these color coded individuals who all seem to have the same agenda to hand you a pamphlet. The pamphlet shows a picture of a large group of people all color coded smiling and waving at you. Rising on the horizon is a giant eyeball with the words "Friend Computer is your friend!" written around the corona. Inside you see that there is what is supposed to be a small personality test and a form for personal information. It also has a small paragraph:

"Friend computer will be your greatest friend and will empower you to create a world without poverty, crime or war. Friend computer will protect you from your worst fears and create a Utopia to live in"

Rrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight

It also says that there is a rally for Friend Computer at the Seattle Renraku building

How convenient!

(Intermission for RPing on you way to Renraku Seattle)

As you approach Renraku Seattle you or your vehicle is mobbed by a spectrum of these single color wearing citizens. Some are holding signs and banners that have a picture of an eyeball with their own color in the background. You are forced to to turn back as the mob is to big to get through. You also see a small army of Lone-star riot-police trying to form a perimeter. Beyond the huge crowd is the Renraku Seattle building. A bundle tube designed Skyscraper spanning at least a hundred stories tall. Each part of the bundle is curved in a cylinder including the tallest one. The entire building has a reddish hue to it as the sun reflects off of it.

As you wonder what you should do next you see out of the corner of your eye (or cybernetic 360 ultrasound eye...(what-have-you)) you see a Troll in a limo driver's outfit standing next to a Mitsubishi Nightsky holding a sign that says:

"Johnson"

If you approach The Troll wearing a limo suit nods to you and opens the side door. As you sit down you notice the decadent luxury of the fine limo. Cooled drinks of all variety a multi-screen trideo system one of them shows a news program showing the massive and building mob near the building. The comfort level of this limo makes you feel relaxed and cozy. As you get in you notice that there are others showing up or already there. They are most likely your fellow runners.

(I'll continue once everyone's done RPing and introducing themselves)

Gavriel had taken the night off, deciding his latest con ideas could wait till morning at least. He always liked to sleep it over, preferably with a beautiful woman. This night was no different. He stood just over six feet tall, wearing his Urban Jumpsuit, colorsofts shifted to black with green highlights to bring out his eyes, the front of the jumpsuit was unzipped to his waist, revealing a dark grey shirt underneath. She was a shorter, 5'7" and oozed with the stench of a CEO's daughter. Well, she had gotten into The Gates Casino, so that told him she was old enough to play. And the fact that she was at a bachelorette party only made it easier to get her to leave with him. She had offered to use her place, it was within walking distance, back towards the Renraku Building, she had said, cementing his earlier thoughts about her ties to the megacorps.

The night was clear, so the Gavriel offered to walk with her back to her flat. It quickly became apparent that something wasn't entirely right about this night. Meandering in what appeared to be completely directionless wandering, men and women, all dressed in bright reds and oranges, were harassing any passerby with pamphlets, and dreck-eating grins. It wasn't long before Gavriel and his 'date' were accosted. The man approached from a darkened alley, grin shining in the light of the street lamps,

"Hi! are you a friend of Friend computer?! The perfect friend you can ever have?!" he shouted, grin not even faltering.

Gavriel simply pushed past him, ignoring the question, "This doesn't look dangerous, but I'd rather not stick around and let it turn otherwise," he told the woman, leaned close to her ear.

The pair continued walking, noticing more and more of the same costumed men and women, finally he took the proffered pamphlet, thinking if he had one in hand already, they would stop harassing him. It didn't seem to help, they kept at him, offering more and more pamphlets. Finally, his date decided she'd had enough, wished him goodnight, and ran through the ever thickening multicolored crowd to her apartment. These guys just ruined my night, he thought, and began the walk back through the crowd he'd just passed. Stopping to shove a couple of red-suits out of his way, he notices something out of the ordinary, a troll in a suit was not a big thing in this part of town, but the sign reading 'Johnson' meant work, and work meant nuyen.

Gavriel double checked that he still had his Hammerli in the armslide under his jumpsuit, and the Hatamoto tucked under his left arm, inside the jumpsuit in it's concealable holster, before sliding into the limo. He'd been in a few Limos, but this one definitely ranked in the top 5 for best accomodations, he made a mental note to own one someday.

He appears to be the first runner to recognize the 'Johnson' name, and so he waits to see what is being offered, while scanning the news broadcast and checking over the pamphlet he'd received.

The rain that permeated the busy streets of Seattle had finally cleared leaving a musty smell in a city that was permeated with sea salt and grime. this cavernous concrete maze of buildings was being cast over by a pair of brilliantly blue eyes, these eyes usually held a familiar warmth but now burned with fire and an intensity that was held by the fiercest of predators, and thats who these eyes belonged to, a hunter. 'Matron, Are you there?'

Can you feel that?

The words echoed in the Sapphire glass that observed three men wandering an empty street in Seattle, wandering from closed bar to closed bar, trying to find another place to drown in their sins. Empty streets were beyond rare in a city that was left with very little room to stand let alone wander endlessly without bumping into someone, the hunter had set a perfect trap for these men, and their sins was the only thing holding them captive. 'Matron, These men have been confirmed as employees of The Ordained. As per your orders, they will be absolved and forgiven.' 'Forgiveness is between them and god, i'm here to arrange the meeting.'

The hunters voice was sweet and filled with warmth, the warmth of a mother protecting her children, not one of a trained killer who's own darkness left a stain on her soul. 'Matron, the innocents are clear and the 'Star is locked out. May you go with the grace of God.' 'Amen.' The eyes closed for a moment, offering a silent prayer to watch over these men who had left her broken and nearly dead, their sins were not forgivable on this mortal plane, so she had to hasten them along the journey. she opened her eyes as a breeze hastened by the skyscrapers height caught in her blonde hair, pulling it in front of her as a great cape that sought to hide her identity. A soft curve along the lips of the expressionless mask grew wider and wider, but the light never meeting the endless oceans of her eyes as her demons came close to her perch and her gaze swept from the rooftops that were equal to her height to the ground that was now rushing to meet her.

Oh Drek!

--
Leap of Faith
Agility 4 + reaction 7 = 11 = 7 hits
--




Her arms were spread wide, welcoming the warming embrace of mother earth, she felt the building near her feet, the preternatural sense gifted to her by god allowed her more freedom than the birds themselves at time. Her body met the plastisteel and concrete heart of the super structure and beat a tattoo in rhythm with the cities pulse, this night demons would be cast from the darkness into the light, the ground rushing at her ever faster. When she felt the speed becoming to much when she felt on the edge of losing herself she pushed with every ounce of strength she had and moved her momentum from the vertical to the horizontal and became the arrow fired from St. Michael's bow into the heart of the enemy.

Her knives well in hand as she spun in mid-air and flung her justice at the enemy, who's filth had stained her city.

--
((Surprise round))
Throwing knives (man on the left)
Agility 4 + Throwing Weapons (knives) 4 (+2) = 10 = 6 hits

Dodge Test: null; surprised

Damage: (str/2 + 1)p
Str(3 + Power Throw (rating 2) 4)/2;rounded up + 1)p = 5 + 6 hits = 11p

Damage resistance
body 3 + Armor 4 = 7 = 2 hits

Total damage:
11p - 2 resistance hits = 9p

Throwing Knives (man on the right)
Agility 4 + Throwing Weapons (knives) 4 (+2) = 10 = 5 hits

Dodge Test: null; surprised

Damage: (str/2 + 1)p
Str(3 + Power Throw (rating 2) 4)/2;rounded up + 1)p = 5 + 5 hits = 10p

Damage resistance
body 3 + Armor 4 = 7 = 1 hit

Total damage:
10p - 1 resistance hits = 9p
--

The first man wound up with a knife flung straight and true into his throat, clutching at the wound now spurting crimson stains on the pavement glared at his partner who was now accompaying him to the otherside, the knife struck true, buried to the hilt in his skull, Leaving only 1 more man to stand against this predator as she rolled along the streets arresting herself to stand against her foe who now held a heavily Ares Predator 4 at her, the laser sight against her fore head, "Lady, who the hell are you?" and before she could answer a drop of blood wound its way down his neck quickly followed by a red stream of his life fluid that meant he was not going to live this night through. The monowire attached to her knives shining briefly in the moonlit night, the would be defender indefinetly losing his mind of the situation as his now cold corpse fell to the streets.

Get down with the sickness!!

With a deeply concerted sigh, the hunter reached down to each man and closed his eyes, still wide with shock as she sent silent prayers to whichever higher being these men prayed to. Retrieving her knives she assisted as several vehicles rolled into the area, cleanup crews leaving the safe confines of their vehicles to make sure that no evidence of the events of this night would ever reach the common public. After she had made sure the cleanup was clear and that her Cleric had left the area she made her way along the sidewalks into the coming crowd of people that flocked to where ever it was that free will took them this night. 'Thank You my friends. It is you who hath saved me from eternal damnation, go with god.''It is you who saved us, and it is in you we trust, Go with God Matron Sarah.' A smile curving along her lips, the expressionless mask of a killer waning to her usual warmth, the feeling that her family no matter how distant would always be with her



As she wandered through out her city streets she would notice more and more the people in jumpsuits hassling the crowd, causing them to stir closer and closer to her. She had never had a problem with crowds, with the closeness felt in a confined city, but this was becoming havoc quickly. Without a second thought she turned down an alley way and with a quick glance to the two story height made her way to the roof.

--
Wall running to the roof
Strength 3 + running 4 = 4 hits

((4 meters first test, jumping to the otherside of the alleyway to attempt to run higher to the rooftop.))

Parkour stunt
Agility 4 + Parkour 6 = 10 = 6 hits

Jump test (horizontal, to the other wall; about 20 feet = roughly 5 meters)
Agility 4 + gymnastics 4 + great leap 1 = 9 = 5 hits, 5 meter leap; success

Wallrunning to the roof; part 2
Strength 3 + running 4 = 7 = 3 meters

Average height of a two story building in meters = 20-25 feet;5-7 meters
--

She made it to the rooftops above the gathering crowds that seemed to grow stronger, a tidal wave of orange, red, and yellow jumpsuits, a mythical wildfire that spread down the streets of Seattle, a constant murmer of 'Friend of Friend Computer' echoing through out the night, as she walked along the rooftops she spotted a limo with a man holding the familiar calling card to the shadows, although much more obvious than she would have wanted. "I ask for a sign and He sends a Limo."

With never a thought to her own safety she uses a fire escape to lower herself to street level and calmly filters through the busy populous towards the driver and the vehicle, "You ask, and He shall deliver." Her only words as she enters the confined space of the plush limo, trappings of greedy people who only show off material goods, she hated the tight space but went in anyways, noticing the other person sitting with her she reaches her hand forward, "Matron Sarah Gaven."

"A Matron? Am I in the presence of a renowned nun?" Gavriel takes the offered hand and bends to kiss it. "My name is Gavriel," he offers a warm smile to the young woman, she appears to be an average human, but he catches slight glimpses of what could be ork or troll tusks, and only barely perceptible pointed ears. Whichever meta she is, she hides it well.

"So, what do you make of the crowds?" he makes an attempt at small talk until they can find more information. He is still leafing through the "Friend Computer" Pamphlet to get an idea of what exactly this crowd is after.

The old, battered truck wound its way through the city streets, backfiring once shortly before it reached its desitnation. It pulls into a slot a short distance from the limo and a heavy set, middle aged man in a worn jumpsuit gets out. He moves carefully down the street, glances around, then climbs into the limo with the others. He nods a polite greeting and jerks a thumb at himself. "Quake."

A yellowcab rolls through the evening streets of Seattle, neon lights shining on its clear-coat and windows. Inside, it stank of too much human experience. There were small bits of paper and wrappers on the floor, the odd stain and tear on the upholstery. And it smelled. Not of anything in particular, but there was definitely a sort of odd, formless and unpleasant odor. Sitting in the with one arm tossed casually over the back of the seat, one leg crossed in front of him, John Valentine reflected that it probably wasn’t the cabby’s fault. At least, this cab was cleaner than the last he’d been in, and didn’t seem new. That would imply that the orc sitting up front liked to keep a clean vehicle. A rarity, to be sure.
Valentine turned his attention to the world moving past the clear dura-plastic window to his side.
Seattle was an eclectic town, full of the wealthy and the poor, the educated and the unenlightened. “ I wonder which group I belong with? ” He certainly wasn’t unenlightened. He’d spent years studying. Catholic education institutions were notorious for their supposedly antiquated methods and curriculums, but still… As for wealth; Valentine looked down at himself. Black slacks, shined shoes, and a pristine white shirt, three buttons undone from the top down. A red pattern necktie, not snug against the neck, but left loose and only passingly tied, and allowed to fall below his last undone button. A long, tailored black jacket which hung just to his knees topped it all. He rubbed a hand across the three days worth of stubble on his face, feeling the rasping of the stiff bristles under his hand. A short-brimmed black hat was pulled low on his head, a few locks of dark brown hair poking out from underneath. Despite the taste and tailoring of the outfit, it was rather rumpled, and showed a certain laissez-faire attitude on Valentine’s part. It also made his exact station in life difficult to peg, which was often useful.
Returning his attention to his surroundings, Valentine took note of the odd customers with poor fashion sense mulling around and bothering all normal chummers on the sidewalks. He watched them as they walked up to strangers and handed out their little brochures. “Probably another blasted cult. Damn. I was wondering why the good Father would ask me to go meet with a Johnson.” The thought of his spiritual mentor and Seattle contact caused Valentine to frown. The man liked to put him through his paces… and often insisted that he take jobs on solely for the benefit of the Order. Being a priest, he didn’t have to worry about making ends meet. The lay members of the Church, however, did.
The cab pulled up to its destination, and Valentine stepped out. He accessed his comm and put a moderate tip on the cabby’s tab. It always paid to tip someone who could identify you later.
Walking up to the building where he had been told to show, one of the annoying people in the funny outfits placed himself in front of John. The annoying little slot had a dopy smile on his face, and pushed a brochure into Valentine’s hands. For his part, John looked down at the thing, skimming over the print there. Keeping his face neutral, he looked over the edge of the brochure and gave the fellow in front of him a close inspection, looking at the make of the man’s clothes, any identifiable markings or tags, and at the man’s expression and physical qualities as well. He then let his eyes unfocus slightly, shifting his perceptions into the astral so that he could examine the man’s aura. With groups that harassed people with flyers, one should always look for some sort of mind-tampering, even if it was old-school psychology and not magic.

Test: Perception
Intuition 4 + Perception 4 = 8 = 3 hits

Assensing:
Intuition 4 + Assensing 2 = 6 = 2 hits

Valentine nodded noncommittally towards the man, then made his way past him.
He looked around until he noticed the limo and its sign-holder. “[i]Subtle as a flashing neon sign,” John thought with disgust. He knew the shadows, though he didn’t consider himself a runner. Some Johnsons chose to meet in crowded bars, others in deserted and obscure locales that offered privacy. This was the first time he’d heard of one using a fraggin’ limo though.
He walked up and got into the limo, and looked over those already inside. Nodding to them, he leaned back in his seat, his hazel eyes scanning them and the interior.

Test: Perception
Intuition 4 + Perception 4 = 8 = 5 hits

Gideon is out driving in his Rover van. As usual, he is grumpy and a little sweaty from the night’s work. “Another night of frakkin’ baddies. Why cant they just find some hole to crawl into. As much as I enjoy takin’ them on, I need a vacation. But like my pappy used to say ‘crime doesn’t rest, so why should we?’

As he is approached by the colorful overly happy wierdos in the street, his face becomes sour. “What the frak is this crap?” When they try to hand a pamphlet, he shakes his head with a very gruff no and tries to drive around. After finally getting around all the ones in black jumpsuits, he inches closer to the Renraku Complex, just to get mobbed by more. “Oh hells no!! That’s it. I am done with this dreck!”

Gideon thens tries to scare a path by revving his large engine, if that doesn’t work his moves forward. If he needs to bump a few out of the way with his bumper he will. Finally admitting defeat, he drives towards the security forces and the makeshift riot perimeter. As he clears the perimeter barrier, he sees the troll with the sign [i] “What the frak? A suit wearing troll here?? I wonder what’s up. Must check it out.” Gideon pulls over and parks the rover behind the limo. After checking his gear, he jumps down and moves to limo. He approaches the troll with a nod, then a knock on the window. After a moment, he opens the door and looks around. “Hi, I guess we are all for the same thing. My name is Gideon. Now where can I park my butt?’ Seeing and empty seat, he sits ans waits

Skud is bored. Though his vision is cluttered with augmented reality overlays, through his commlink he sees and hears the invisible wireless mesh network linking the Shopping Mall security together.

He quickly answers a text message by mentally composing the message and then with a gentle and somehwat dramatic wave of his hand he sends it on its way. He keeps one eye on the stream of chatter and focuses on his active connections with the other. One window streams real-time footage of a Football game - he has money on the Raiders this time - another window flickers with real-time footage from his surveillance drone hovering in place over the mall, showing him that there was no indication yet that there was any intrusion detected. Another larger window displayed a map of the mall, with the security team noted as red dots and the locations of RFID-tagged wageslaves in the building as green dots. He monitored the malls primary wireless net in a third window. Two orange dots flickered into color. These had been identified as 'potentials' by the subvocalized chatter of two security personnel. Skud sent in the drone for a more detailed and backed-up look.

Excitement began to build as the hunt and subsequent aprehension of the next mall thieves was imminent. Getting closer, the drone picked up the two orange blips. Two pimple faced teenage boys were walking along having what appeared to be a rather animated discussion about the latest VR Game.

'Oh, come on man! Them?' he said to the four walls that housed him and his multi-display of clutter. 'Geez! I need a life' Skud thought as he pulled back the drone. He thought about getting stuck into the alertees but what was the use. Everyone was bored. 'I need some excitement' Skud thought as he enlarged the Football game window and shrank the others into minimisation. Great, the Raiders down by 14 points. 'Can the day get any worse?' Skud thought.

Skud receives the Fixers message and his heart begins to beat a little faster as he responds. He flicks off a message to his Blogger friend and to his Spider friend as well. He takes the bus to the meet and arrives just in time to see some people entering a limo. Ha! That's me mate!

Quake drummed his fingers ideally as he considered the job ahead. Sounded like it was going to be a straight forward tactial search and destroy. A tough one, mind. But straight forward. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he waited for the others to ask any questions and the briefing to move on.

"The only question that immediately comes to mind," started Gavriel, "is when exactly did this start? Those guys with the bombs strapped to their chest cause this or did someone or something start all this, and is now using the those suicide bombers for grander scheme?"

The multiple Trideo screens shift back to the singular line across the screens. The voice continues on.

"To answer your question I will explain the hierarchy of the friends of friend computer and what we know of their current agenda."

The screen changes to a picture of a black jump-suited human, then splits into multiple screens with different colored jumpsuits. The voice continues.

"The ranks of Friend computer include their lowest rank: infrared, represented by black to Ultraviolet; represented by white. The other colors in between represented from lowest to highest are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. Each of these ranks have a somewhat different personality and role in the Friend computer organization.

The Infrared's personality is completely without free will. Somehow they have been programmed them to follow any order given to them no matter what it is. The only order they wont obey is a different order unless its from one is given by a fellow member of greater rank. Blue seems to be the highest in their leadership regarding tactical decisions that we know of. We have yet to see anyone of Indigo or Violet rank but we do know they exist.

From what we have gathered the suicide bombers have been given an order to detonate their explosives if anyone tries to breach the front entrance to the building."

The voice pauses for a short while to let this information sink in.

"The infrared members of friend computer are merely pawns in this operation. The real leadership of the attack on Renaraku tower was one of three entities: The Ultra Violet, Friend computer aka our A.I., or an unknown outside force controlling the friends of friend computer. My associates believe the highest probability is towards the AI but that is only 87% certain.

I'm afraid I can't do that Dave

The friend computer movement started three months ago and grew like wildfire. They now have a little over 50 major gathering points dotted around Seattle. For a while they seemed like a mere annoyance. They had been holding less then noticeable demonstrations and small chat-rooms on the matrix.

But it wasn't until theAI became self aware that we realized there was a connection between the movement and Renraku itself. It was also at this time that the growth of the friend computer movement increased exponentially. The movement seemed to actually be based around Friend computer or rather the Renraku AI.

One of us! One of us!

Either way it wasn't until about a month ago, when the friend computer movement went Militaristic, that they began to attack various Renraku installations. They also threatened this building on several occasions. Somehow either they had breached Renraku's security or the AI had contacted the movement then turned off security from the inside out. As I've said their actual attack began at midnight and since then has turned into a stalemate."

(ooc Ive decided to keep action language as Red since Red yellow and orange is to confusing)

The final members arrive and sit in the luxurious limo. Light music is playing in the background. you all get the sense that your host wants you comfortable. Could the reason for this treatment be to let your guard down for a dastardly trap? Or could it be that its meant to prepare you for disturbing information pertaining to your run?


As Gideon enters the limo, he notices the others as well as how nice it is inside. “Nice. I could used to this.” He puts his hair up in a quick ponytail and also throws an elastic around the end of his beard. [ i] “May as well as try to look decent.” [/i] Looking around, Gideon also notices all the vidscreens.

As the screens come on, Gideon watches each for a couple of seconds before moving on to the next (a lot like a security guard watching screens). He tries to get as much info from them as he can. “I see colored jumpsuits. I wonder if they are the same as the whack jobs that tried to harass us earlier.”

Gideon jumps alittle as the screens go blank then he sits back to listen as they “speak”

Quote :

"The news today seems to be getting a little intense these days doesn't it?" The voice says referring to the previous broadcasts. "I can assure you that it has everything to do with what I am hiring you for. You may have seen broadcasts, Blogs and the Friends of friend computer fliers; but I can assure you the situation has a more dangerous nature."

The Line spanning the multiple screens is replaced by a outside shot of the Renraku building. 

Quote :

"As you may have noticed, a high concentration of Friend computer activists are surrounding the Renraku Seattle Building, however what I am about to show you should not and will not leave this limo" 

With a gruff cough, Gideon says ‘Agreed. What is said here, stays here.” He crosses his arms and gets comfortable while listening to the screens as well as the others in the limo. “apparently, all these jumpsuit whackjobs are in cohoots. I may get to smash a few during this job.” There is a content smile on his face, while his real hand flexs open and closed.


The screen is replaced ounce again by another view. It looks to a security camera view of the lobby area of the Renraku building looking outside. There are several support pillars separating several glass doors spanning the front area. Hiding from the outside behind these pillars are several figures of varying meta-types dressed in black jumpsuits similar to ones you have encountered. However, each of them have blocks of what looks to be some sort of explosive strapped to them. 

“What the frak?? Explosives??” Gideon leans forward till his elbows are on his knees, trying to get a better look at the screen. “Ok, Screen? Can I get a copy for my PDA so I can examine this at my leisure? I may have an idea. I know how the Lonestar types handle terrosist attacks as well as hostage situations.” [b] He continues to watch the screens for any info that my help. Seeing the red jumpsuits with guns, Gideon tries to Identify the weaponry.
As the screen with firefight between reds and security opens, Gideon again tries to Identify tactics (IE: where taught / if military or civilian /etc)

Quote :

"As you can see not everything is as it seems. These terrorists attacked at midnight last night and managed to secure most of the building. We know this was an inside job and we know who it was."

"The information I am about to provide has only been seen by the highest levels of the Seattle government. Friend computer is actually an artificial intelligence created by Renraku Seattle. Unfortunately Renraku believes it has become self aware and has launched this hostile takeover on the Renraku building from the floor indicated. We also believe that its responsible for the huge recruitment drive you have seen outside the building and in various parts of Seattle."

The voice pauses for a second and an audible sigh is heard

"what we don't know is how they have been getting so many members, which of them know about this situation, or what their overall plan is. There are also several factors which an outside force would be preferable to stop this situation. This is where you come in. Before I continue I'll answer any initial questions before I explain your part in all this."

[b] “Let me get this straight. You want to go in and stop the bombers as well as rescue the hostages, then put an end to an AI that is hell bent on controlling the whole building??” There is a smile on his face as if he will enjoy these odds.

Valentine watched the people in the car, his hat off and sitting in his lap, one hand idly playing along the brim. While the rest of the team had been arriving, he had looked through the car and found a wet-bar, from which he took a decanter of vintage Scotch. He poured the amber fluid into a supplied tumbler, and now sipped the smoky liquid while the Johnson on the telecom gave the team its briefing.
One eyebrow quirked up. The Johnson described the situation as it stood to the runners, while emphasizing the confidential nature of the information he was disseminating to them. Valentine smirked a bit. “Confidentiality’s part of my biz. Still… it’s interesting. Any runner worth hiring is going to know he should keep his mouth shut. So why’s our potential employer here stressing the point so much?” John took another sip from his Scotch and watched the screen, listening.
“How is it that they know so much about these people, but haven’t managed to do anything about them? Given the setting they chose for a simple meeting, I’m sure they have more than enough resources to deal with a few brainwashed loonies. ” His lips compressed as Valentine thought on that. Given what the Johnson was saying, and the most likely source of that info, John didn’t think it was going too far out on a limb to guess that their employer was Renraku itself. That would explain why their Johnson was emphasizing the secrecy of this meeting on them; if what he was telling them was true, then it sounded like Renraku had cracked the Matrix Grail. Actually coding a true A.I. had been considered a pipe-dream for nearly as long as the concept had been kicking around. If the megacorp had actually done it, then their stocks would go through the roof.
If that A.I. really was rogue, though… Well, the fear of an A.I. doing exactly what was happening around them now was a fear as old as the concept of a thinking computer. The dive Renraku would take from that would most likely ruin them. Still, not everything was making sense...
Valentine decided he needed a bit more to make sense of what was going on, and there was only one source of info to be had at the moment. So, why not get the word from the horse's mouth? He leaned forward, taking his hat and holding it loosely in his left hand, his Scotch in his right, both resting lightly on his knees. “You’ll have to excuse me if I seem a bit dim here. What I’m hearing is: you actually want us to track down who- or what- ever is behind these nut-job’s and their little brouhaha here, right? Who they are, what they want, and how they’re doing it.” He took another sip from the tumbler. “If that’s so, do you just want us to ID them, or are you paying for wet-work as well?”

"Demons hide in the light just as well as they do in the darkness. Our employer wants secrecy so nothing will be traced back to him because he may have a few ties to the company in question, but that is not the point of the mission." Matron had heard enough to formulate a few good ideas of what was happening in her city. These suits had begun to harress and get into places that the population knew was off limits, which would make her Cleric's and every shadowrunner's ;ives for that matter much harder. Since her erst while capture, Matron had changed quite a bit, she had once been considered a blinding beauty, often mistaken for nothing more than eye candy. But taking into account her darker hair and changed demeanour, there was a deeper flame burning within her, and it would not let anything happen to her Cleric or her City. "They cried for a sign, begged for a moment of hope, and instead gained an eternity in his pressence."

Matron ahd ignored every other gentlemen as they had entered the limo, prefering anonymity for herself at the moment until she knew exactly what was going on. "This Friend Computer has acquired so many through the matrix, most of the followers are either simply cult wannabe's, more than likely the lower ranks till they can be better programmed. The higher ranks are more than likely technomancer's or heavily modified riggers, they would be easier to control for a digital mind. That would be the phyisical side of control, the mental bit is much harder, but not that far from any other cult." With her eyes cast downward, and her arms crossed beneath her rounded chest Matron contiued her assessment. "More than likely a simple destruction of Friend Computer would not be enough. Any normal cult master, human or otherwise, has a backup plan. Mass suicides are the usual ways, in the event the leader is killed or as he has convinced his followers martyr'd. Unfortuanly, this mass suicide would contain explosives which would more than likely be enough to level the block and anyone else inside, that of course being a gross underestimation of what a AI could plan."

With her assessment concluded, Matron waited patiently for the others, the cramped space was begining to etch at her nerves, but she would endure to save what would end up being thousands.

<<Begin Transmission>>
To: Cleric
From: Soul of the Earth

Genavieve, I need you to investigate this Friend Computer. I don't want you to touch any of the files, just simply the address, they very well could be carrying very volatile programs.
<<End Transmission>>

"Sounds like a normal run of the mill, get our hoops handed to us on a silver platter, but we just might save the world and make some money in the process kind of job. Right? Well, I don't know much about the technomancers or high tech riggers, but I do know a thing or two about people. And from what I see of these lower classes, the reds and oranges, they seem like they wouldn't recognize anyone by anything other than their color. So what are the chances of us getting some suits like those and getting a little closer?"

Gavriel then leaned forward to see what the others had to say, resting his elbows on his knees, and eying the recently discovered wetbar.

Skud, feeling rather new to the nuances of running the shadows decides to listen as closely as possible and then act when appropriate or be kicked in the backside and then respond. He has a number of unanswered questions, the major being 'what or who is really behind all of this and what pecuniary advantage or edge are they after?' being the foremost questions.

He decides to keep them to himself rather than die of embarassment by asking obvious questions which he is sure have already been answered in the flood of information. He decides to make mental notes and investigate with a couple of searches later once he finds out a bit more, especially due to the agressively passive reactions. He looks to the older hands in the team for direction.

Gideon:

Quote :

“Ok, Screen? Can I get a copy for my PDA so I can examine this at my leisure? I may have an idea. I know how the Lonestar types handle terrosist attacks as well as hostage situations.”

The voice from the Screen responds:

"All information being played here is restricted. But you will be able to view this information at your leisure within this vehicle as well as a small command post we have setup just outside"

The screen switches back to the multiple views of the firefights, hostages and explosive laden cult members. It also shows indicates a Soy Cafe shop called Little Dice.

"This will be your staging area for your run."

Gideon:

Quote :

“Let me get this straight. You want to go in and stop the bombers as well as rescue the hostages, then put an end to an AI that is hell bent on controlling the whole building??”

The line on the screen convexes and concaves in different patterns as it speaks:

"You are only partially correct. We do want you to end this situation as quickly as possible my associates have determined that rescuing the hostages would not end this situation and would only escalate it. We believe the best course of action is to shut down the AI or the person who is controlling the AI from inside."

Valentine

Quote :

“You’ll have to excuse me if I seem a bit dim here. What I’m hearing is: you actually want us to track down who- or what- ever is behind these nut-job’s and their little brouhaha here, right? Who they are, what they want, and how they’re doing it.” He took another sip from the tumbler. “If that’s so, do you just want us to ID them, or are you paying for wet-work as well?”

The line on the screen seems to smooth out a little as it responds:
"I will be paying you to infiltrate The Seattle Renraku building making your way to our AI and pulling the plug. Information on what the situation is on the inside is secondary. We know only a few things about the cult such as their leadership higher-achy and some locations around the city where they convene. They have made no demands other then to stay out of the building. Here is that audio message:"

A mans voice is heard from the screen with somewhat of an Sperethielian accent.

"Friend computer Save me!!...Stay OUT of Renraku! Or WE will destroy IT!"

At first it sounds as if it is of desperation. The line on the screen becomes only slightly convexed until the second part is more of anger and menacing in which the line becomes severely deformed. Then the original voice of the Johnson comes back on:

"We do not know who this is or what rank he is in the friend computer cult. We have developed a specific code sequence to do this. Right now the entire building has beens surrounded by a signal Jammer preventing all communication from going in or out. The trideo I showed you was what we could obtain right before Renraku Sealed off the building. So you will have to be very close to the mainframe to achieve this."

Main-screen turn on

Matron

Quote :

"This Friend Computer has acquired so many through the matrix, most of the followers are either simply cult wannabe's, more than likely the lower ranks till they can be better programmed. The higher ranks are more than likely technomancer's or heavily modified riggers, they would be easier to control for a digital mind. That would be the phyisical side of control, the mental bit is much harder, but not that far from any other cult."

"More than likely a simple destruction of Friend Computer would not be enough. Any normal cult master, human or otherwise, has a backup plan. Mass suicides are the usual ways, in the event the leader is killed or as he has convinced his followers martyr'd. Unfortuanly, this mass suicide would contain explosives which would more than likely be enough to level the block and anyone else inside, that of course being a gross underestimation of what a AI could plan."

The Acoustics Line pauses for a moment and then says:

"Indeed. That is why a frontal assault is out of the question. The only way In to Renraku now is an underground service tunnel which leads to a Freight Elevator. The entrance to this location is located by the back door of the Little Dice Soy cafe. This is one of the few sections that the Friend computer cult has been unable to secure. The rest of the building's security has been hacked into. We will be providing a detailed schematic of our security system so you can bypass but we are not sure if the Friend computer cult members have altered it or not."

The line pauses, then continues with a heavy sigh.

"Another problem is that various members of the Friend computer cult have accessed various prototype technologies including weapon systems. you may be dealing with heavy resistance in some levels of the building if your not careful"

Danger Danger!...High voltage!
Gavriel

Quote :

"Sounds like a normal run of the mill, get our hoops handed to us on a silver platter, but we just might save the world and make some money in the process kind of job. Right? Well, I don't know much about the technomancers or high tech riggers, but I do know a thing or two about people. And from what I see of these lower classes, the reds and oranges, they seem like they wouldn't recognize anyone by anything other than their color. So what are the chances of us getting some suits like those and getting a little closer?"

The voice box replies:
"If you wish to infiltrate the cult itself, that is up to you. But be warned we have sent in agents of our own in. Each one has broken communication and is never seen again. We assume that they have either been neutralized or have joined Friend computer's ranks. This is why we have yet to send in further countermeasures of our own. We do have some red and black uniforms. But the orange and Yellow level members are more fanatical and cunning then the others. Any further questions?"

"I'd say you have covered all of the finer points of our questions, So I would simply ask of you what any other runner would ask, payment?"

The Box starts up again in a direct and confident tone:

"Indeed, each one of you will have two choices of payment. Either 300,000 Nuyen for individual or 150,000 Nuyen each as well as one favor for each individual. This favor must be of reasonable nature such as removing a bounty/deathsentance, access to a forbidden entity, or a new Identity to hide yourself. These are only some examples of a favor we can provide and I'm sure some of you will think more creative. However, It cannot be of monetary value for you might as well accept the extra 150,000 Nuyen and conduct the favor for yourself instead. If you ask a favor and we cannot provide it, you may ask another. You can hold this favor indefinitely until you need it and you do not need to explain it right away. A contact will be provided who you may ask this favor to at any time. Any further questions?"

I'm gonna make an offer you can't refuse

The box goes silent again and awaits your response

(ooc in other words think of this as a major all-out one time use contact)

"Hmm sounds good to me," Gavriel muses, "Contacts can be in short supply these days, and having one that can bail ya out, well that could be priceless. Sign me up for the 150k, and I'll let ya know when I need a favor."

Valentine sat staring past the screen his tumbler held loosely and forgotten in his hand, his eyes unfocused and not truly seeing the screen as he thought on the proposed job. “Why in the Hell did Father Lent set me up for this meeting? This isn’t my usual sort of work. The only cults I’ve ever investigated were all of the magical sort. This tech stuff just isn’t my forte.” Thin brows came together above his hazel eyes. He wasn’t comfortable with working so far from his specialty. Oh, sure, he had experience tracking down possible threats for the Church. This matter was completely removed from that work, however. For one, there was a megacorp involved. For another, Valentine had only a passing familiarity with the tech world. He was no Luddite. He could use the wireless ‘trix as well as the next person. You had to, in today’s world. But given that this mission seemed to revolve around a possible AI… well, the matrix was about as far from his comfort zone as it was possible to be.
Then of course, there was the money. A lot of money. A lot of a lot of money. The life of a PI was one spent perpetually on the edge of poverty, and tithes didn’t help any there. The alternative payment was what was really making his mouth water, though. The vast connections of a megacorps, at his fingertips, even for just one time? His world often came down to who had the most information. And that was just too much potential to pass up.
Valentine blinked, bringing the private eye out of his reverie. He took a sip from his scotch and said, “Alright. I’m in. I’ll take the second payment option as well. 150k and a favor. Standard rules, half up front, right?”

Gideon starts to review the footage with his PDA. He looks at the screen with a raised eyebrow. “I, too, would like to choose payment option 2. I like having a favor with a mega corp.”

He looks around the limo at the others. “Any ideas?? I am more of the kick in the door type. So if any of you are more for the sneaky tactics, I will need ideas.” There is a pause will he waits for the others to speak up. “I am a bounty hunter. My skills are the combat side of things. What are you skills? I need you guys to let me know what you can do so we can come up with something.” He then sits back and lets the rest of the team speak.