As Alex watched the medical officer silently speak on the screen in front of him he couldn't help but think, "well, you wanted a mystery and you seem to have one."  Sometimes getting what you asked for wasn't all it was cracked up to be.  Some animal attacked the crew?  Why?  And what?  That cat in stasis?  And the 3 . . . prisoners?  If the Demeter had stolen a load of platinum then having prisoners made sense.  So did the uniforms.  But . . . there was no platinum.  Just a version of fools gold. Maybe the crew believed they had stolen platinum?  But the legends cleary said that this ship had stolen a large load of platinum.  But they hadn't.  They had . . . rocks.  But usually when there is a theft it isn't just that somebody ends up with a load of stolen goods.  It also means that somebody else lost a load of the now stolen goods.  Which was interesting.  Because if, in fact, a load of platinum had disappeared . . . where had it gone?  It certainly hadn't ended up on this ship, despite the legends.  So where was it?  Who had walked out of the room a very rich man? 

It was enough to make him think.  And it made him want to get a better look at exactly what the "fools platinum" was made of. 

In the mean time he watched the man speak.  He looked wild.  He did his best to lip read, but it was hard.  There were two files marked to read.  It was as good as an invitation.  So, why not?  But first he tried to download and save anything there was - including those files.  (I don't know how this works in this time period - but the idea is that he is concerned that opening these files will cause a virus or something to destroy whatever is on the system.  He wants to back up the information first.)  And was there an audio file for this video clip? 

That done, he opened the "read me" files.

All the time he kept thinking about mallets, stakes, coffins and neck bites.  It was a shame they were on a spaceship and not in an ancient Earth castle. 

I think I said it above - still here.

here and curious about what is out there in the black.

So we are waiting to get everyone into place?  Let me know.  I'm ready whenever.

Nothing the kid said changes anything about how Fixer thinks of things.  He feels bad for the kid, but this kid's running from a helicopter parent whoo yells a lot has gotten people killed.  Helping him run likely puts us over the Edge as edgerunners - all to help a runaway from a rich house?  I feel for him, but what he is running from seems far less than what his running has put others through.  But there is no reason to give up Rya.

That said, that's Fixer's opinion.  But we need a plan.  

If the Inn is back online, wehre we at folks?

Haven't not been able to see the site for awhile, I'm not quite sure where we stand.  I think as a group we need a plan.  Fixer is for turning over Jace.  He feels for the kid, but nothing in his story is worth getting people killed for.  He actually views the kid as a selfish little runt for putting so many peoples lives at risk.  But turning over Rya feels like signing her death warrant and he doesn't like that idea.

Nothing wrong here besides DMs throwing ridiculously big enemies at us.  And then trying to confuse the issue.  So just evil DMs.  Nothing else wrong.  

Alex went around the rest of the ship with the others.  It was meant to be a quick search so he moved quickly.  The stuffed animal was odd.  And the anti-vampire kit was even odder.  As they moved he contented himself with looking quickly for anything that provided information on the crew.  He looked for name plates on doors, labels on luggage, Paper of any sort if it existed.  Pill bottles.  Space suits with names.  Anything he could quickly glance at before moving to the next room.  

When the search was over he headed back to the infirmary.  Having remembered the battery he brought with he wanted to get  access to the logs.  Back in the infirmary he looked at the groups medic who was still working on the suitcase.  "If you need it, I have a battery.  I want to check the logs, find out what happened.  But if you need power for that thing you can take it.  I'd hate to have whatever is in there to die.  But give me warning.  I don't want to end up deleting anything.

(Assuming she can use ship power and doesn't need the battery..."

Alex sat down and tried to hook up the battery to power up one of the logs in the infirmary.  He'd start with infirmary logs  - where there were stiffs there should be medical logs.  And that wouldn't take much digging.  After that it would be all about accessing data from the bridge.  What had happened?   Names, dates, log entries, damage reports, flight plans, scanner readings, messages sent and received.   Whatever he could find.  Somehow it felt like time was critical.  It shouldn't be, here in the middle of nowhere, but it felt that way.  

Did I read somewhere that part of our contract is to kill or turn over Rya?  Or can we just let her go?  Handing over Jace seems like it isn't all bad.  handing over Rya is death.

Fixer still found Rya's story odd.  

"Actually, most of us do have family.  People we care about.  If our family is dead, not uncommon on the streets, then your team is your family.  And that's who Jace's scat is endangering.  So, don't presume to know who we are."  He looks at the mother and feels sympathy, but also disbelief.  "Here's a choice for you.  You can send  a kid back to millions.  Or you can leave him in poverty with his mother.  But if you choose option B, your life is worthless  - and so are the lives of the rest of your little family.  Maybe you  should consider what it takes for people to even listen to option B."

At that point he waited for another explosion from Momma Bear.

When that conversation was over he made sure he had time to look over the arms and vehicle.  When that was done he ate some of what passed for food on the streets.  As he sat there eating "sandwhich in a tube" he couldn't help but wonder what it would take to make him give up a bit of real roast beef.  He'd heard the rich ate actual food still.  And Momma Bear  was bringing her cub to a tent in a Bolivian alley.  If it were his kid he'd kick him to the penthouse.

Finished with that he went to Blossom.  "Is there anything else on Rya out there anywhere?  This whole thing just seems weird.  I hate being in the middle of weird."

If time allowed, he took a nap.

I believe the food is frequently referred to as Soylent Green.

Yummy.

I mentioned this recently, I think.  

When coming aboard the  Demeter Alex brought with a potable battery.  Who should be using it?

1.  For the suitcase?

2.  Alex might be able to use it to check logs

3.  Engineering for something?

If I don't hear from others I'd look into logs.  Alex is going to be focusing on log entries - and prior to computer accesss, any info he can find on the crew.   My post probably goes up Saturday.  

Not sure what rolls to make.  

Did a basic tech roll for looking at the vehicle.

Did a persuasion and an awareness roll for talking to Rya.

Let me know if you need more.

Fixer watched Glahn take Jace out of the room.  He didn't like it, but maybe the guy could get some answers.  And it gave him a shot at talking to Rya.  

He apprached her where she sat on the bed.  "So what made Jace's life so bad?  I admit a lack of love sucks, but he's running from a fortune to . . . no offense, the streets.  I've never been to Bolivia, but I gotta suspect if you land their with cleaners wages, it isn't going to be a penthouse for Jace.  So where you goin' in Bolivia?  Got a nice alley picked out?"

He knew it was a bit offensive, but on the streets he knew of dozens of parents who would have given up their kids to give them what Jace was running from - a shot at money.  And at his age it would only be a few years before he could step out on his own.  With cash.  This scram just disn't make sense.  Unless Jace was running from more than just a lack of love or they were running to more than another tent in an alley.  What Mom drags her kid down into the alley?  On purpose?

(Rya's response)

"You want help. But right now his running is putting lives at risk.  And there are good arguments that he'd be better off where he came from.  So spill it, Mom.  Who are you?  Why should we risk literally everything, to help you?  You need to start talking."

He just looked at her and waited.

(If she responds he will at some point slip in the name of the security agency, Falcone, and see if she reacts.)

When asked about looking at the vehicle Fixer looks up..  "Sure.  Not my specialty, but there is no harm in looking."  

zWhen done talking with Rya he goes and examines the vehicle.

two Springer Spaniels named Leonardo and Michelangela.  I'd include a pic if I could ever figure out how to do that.

After slipping on ice and getting multiple fractures in both my right ankle and right wrist, I might be slow posting for a bit.  Two surgeries yesterday.  I'll post when i can or I wll post creatively on pain meds.

Being one of those that has never played Cyberpunk before I really don't know much about Fixer's "special abilities."  I have read them and do go back to his character sheet for reference, but I don't understand 1/2 of what I'm reading.  So if anyone ever notices that he has an ability I should be using, please speak up!  I won't be offended.  

Anybody got a plan here?   I'm not quite sure what Alex should do.  I'll try and figure something out, but it feels kinda like just filling time.  

Fixer sat in the back of the vehicle and listened as the vrew seemed to implode in front of him.  This stunk.  This was one of the reasons he wanted to work alone.  Loyalty like Casino's was noble and valuable.  But this other crap.  They might not need another crew to come along and do them, they might just do it all themselves.  Stupid.

But for now he focused on Rya and Jace.  He was inclined to believe their story.  But he didn't know if it mattered.  He looked at the two of them.  "Ok, kid.  Here's the deal.  You saw that gun fight?  It wasn't fun.  I don't like putting a bullet into someone and I damn sure don't like having people trying to put one in me.  People just died.  People just took shots at us.  And you know why?  You.  You and your supposed mother.  This run you just went on - it got people killed.  Dead.  Got it?  And it might get more people killed."  At this point he was worried that the kid might lose it so he turned a bit mroe to both of them.  "Hey.  Look at me.  We need to figureout what we are doing - but so do you.  Your actions have consequences.  Big ones."  At this point he looked at Rya.  "So do yours.  You made a deal and you broke it.  I'm not sure in that story that you are the good one.  Right now you ned to behave and ride along. But there has to be a lot more here than "the poor kid is sad' to balance out the number of corpses littering his trail.  So what's going on Jace?  A few tears - not enough.  Your giving up a penthouse for, what was it, Bolivia?  With a broke mother?  Not enough.  Come on kid, spit it out.  What's up?  Otherwise, I may feel bad for your tears, but tears aren't worth gettng people killed over."

He shook his head a bit as he finished.  Things just didn't add up.  Run from a penthouse to poverty in the under-city?  And he was happier in that tent?  Or Bolivia?  No.  What was he running from?  If it was just some stupid "poor little rich kid" story then his adoptive parents needed their kid back.  That was the job.  That was what needed to happen.

As for the rest of the group . . . he listened as the anger flew back and forth.  

"Chill guys.  Just relax.  We need to find a spot to hunker down for a bit.  When not packed in like this we can figure it out.  Kid first, then Vegas."  He looked Casino at this point.  "We don't leave him behind.  Vegas is part of this.  Once we get settled somewhere we can start figuring out what to do there."

He couldn't help shaking his head.  How the heck had this thing gone so sideways? 

Do we have a plan now?  Is it just wait to get heat and try and check out what is in the suitcase?  And maybe wait for the ping?

On the ship - the cat box is interesing given no body of a cat and the suitcase.  But there was also a kid ont he ship given the stuffed bear.  Plus there was a mallet and three wooden spikes, so I'm betting on a vampire.  Just sayin'...

Is there anything you want the pilot to check out?  He'd need poweer to get into anything.  However, if I go back I think (And I should really have remembered this before) but . . . . didn't Alex bring a battery with when he came over?  Uhm, that might help, yeah?  Dang, if I'm right on this I'm feeling kind of stupid right about now.  Hey guys, anyone need power?  

Fixer's spidey sense is going off.  On the ride he absolutely wants to hear from this kid and woman.  Something is weird. 

However, he is also really clear about Casino's position.   The big guy stuck with the group this far because he understood the needs of the group and that the plan was to then go after Vegas.  Whatever else happens - Vegas needs to be next. I don't see any other way around that.  Fixer isn't going to get himself killed going into a hopeless situation with Casino, but he will help in any way he can that seems even reasonably likely of success.  Vegas is the next issue.  I really don't see a way around this.  This is how the game has played out to this point.  

As for the kid - I think it is very normal that we would be digging for info at this point.  Why the hell is he so valuable?  I can post to that effect.  But whatever info we find - I don't think we can act on it until after dealing with Vegas' situation.  At best, the group splits in two with one group delivering the kid and the other going after Vegas or we just stash the kid for a bit. 

Bromern - would it be normal for a second team to have been sent out so quickly?  All they did was follow our trail.  Should this seem odd or normal to us?

Even Fixer managed to plug one of 'em.  Didn't quite finish him off, but put him down.  And your the big fighting machine?  Maybe we are lucky they ran . . .

Fxer had his head on a swivel as the group started to move out of the alley.  Since he was at the back he made sure that he kept his eyes more towards the rear then anywhere.  He kept his audio feed going - he was a bit worried that he might end overwhelmed with sound, but he didn't want to miss a mouse if it was moving.  They had the kid, why the hell did they have to send another team.  They had done the job they were asked to do.  Cripes, sometimes the world just didn't make sense.  But that was the world he had to live in so he kept his eyes and ears pealed as they moved toward the front of the alley and the waiting vehicle.  

When they approached the alley front he was relieved to see that the car was there.  But then some idiot at the front of the alley started making a problem for Echo and Bloodbank.Crap.  He knew it.  Everyone in the group knew it.  The odds of that being random were way to small.  Fixer had already started turning towards the back of the alley looking for the rear attack when the wolver launched itslef at Bloodbank.  He caught just enough of a glimpse of flashing teeth to know that it was game on.  Crap!  But Fixer didn't let his annoyance slow his reactions.  He knew two things.  1.  He needed to make sure nobody was hitting them in the rear end.  2.  This was Casino's gig.  He'd follow the big guys leaad and hope it meant all of htem and their prize getting out of here alive.  

With that in mind he made sure the heavy pistol on his combat gauntlet was armed and kept his eyes to the rear.  Nothing in that alley was going to move without him knowing it.  And if it acted at all aggressive he wouldn't hesitate to put it down.  

(Fixer turns around and faces the alley.  He will back towards the waiting car - as directed by Casino.  Essentially he is going to play good soldier and obey orders.  If there is a legitimate group attack from his side of things he will make use of the grenade launcher in his combat launcher, but does not want to do so in the alley unless he must.  He will most certainly move to aid anyone in the group that is injured - and that would include Rya and Jace.)