Pres. Eol. Kinda has a nice ring to it.

Lanur raises his eyebrows just a bit as the woman explodes. He doesn't flinch away from the stew nor her anger. His lips turn down in an appreciative frown and he slowly nods his head while watching her storm out. Flicking some of the spent meal from his left hand, the woodsman shifts in his seat so that he is fully focused on his meal. Returning to the devouring of the gruel, he chuckles a little. There's dragon fire in that woman after all. Tears and sobbing profess nothing but sorrow. That flame she just allowed to engulf her speaks to her conviction. Perhaps there is some further injustice to these circumstances than a girl being dragged from her home by a couple of brutes.

Nature has its own concept of Justice and those are the rules by which Lanur lives; not the paltry measure that humanity deems worth their while to meet out, but the fierce finality of Nature. For the first time since coming across the scene and stepping forward against the affront to the older woman, the woodsman is considering assisting her.

You tell the Gov'ment that they can kiss yer arse! You've games to play and posts to write!

I don't know that my children or ex-wife would agree with you. I'm sure my ex-wife would have preferred I be into fishing. My True Wife is indifferent to the gaming (despite a little teasing). Giddy and my second eldest still game. The others don't have the attention span it would seem and I rarely do any tabletop nowadays. Occasionally, when Giddy's schedule clears up, we will Roll20 a game for a few hours using my own system called realityBITES but that is a rare thing indeed with the participants scattered across the country, other interests, and work schedules.

I'm in. 

Yes. I'm very pleased that your work schedule had cleared up. 

It's been so long, I honestly don't remember. Now, the Inn is part of my life. 

As Giddy said, I've invited my children to join but Giddy is the only one to take me up on it. 

Questions have been posed to the Away Team.

Stardate: 2365.03.29 (Sunday - 42269.8 )
WaveRider Shuttle - Rho Puppis I Uppermost Atmosphere - 1138 Alpha Shift

“Yes, sir,” Cole once more drops his hands to the back of Jenna’s chair. “You heard the Captain. Take her in.”

"Aye, Sir." Jenna replies."Closing distance to the cloud." She maneuvers the WaveRider, heading into the atmosphere. "Two hundred kilometers, one hundred kilometers." She calls out. "Entering atmosphere now."

The WaveRider shudders slightly, then the ride smooths once more. The visibility is limited to perhaps a hundred meters, and the cloud swirls around them every so often brushing the shields. Each time the clouds brush up against the ship, they linger a bit longer. At the distance Mister Siric had first stated, the clinging becomes more and more frequent.

"Mister Siric, please give me a reading on the shields. They're stronger than the probe's were, but I imagine we'll hit the drain. Crewman Uhnari, you said that the atmosphere appeared to be feeding on the shields, right?"

"That was the original assessment, Mister Falcone,” the Haliian replies, eyes on her console. “While the probe was in there, but it didn't follow the probe out."

"What if we don't give it anything to feed on. Say turn off the shields for ten seconds?" Jenna anticipates the blowing up from Stark after that suggestion. "Any other thoughts?"

“You want us to drop our defenses and hope that these creatures play nice!?” Lt. Stark practically falls out of his chair. “What are they teaching you flyers at the Academy these days?”

“Play nice,” Cole interrupts. “The thought does place the ship’s security at great risk but there’s merit to testing the theory. Only, I’d have preferred we thought of that with the unmanned probe.”

“With all due respect, Commander,” Thomas responds, “There’s nothing good about dropping our defenses to the unknown.”

Max raises his eyebrows and presses his lips together as he looks on his chief of security. I get it. This is your wheelhouse and you’re just doing your job. But for the love of all that is good! Take a breath. Think about the words coming out of your mouth. “I’m not saying we’re going to drop our shields, Lieutenant. At least, not all the way.”

Turning back to the scene outside their viewport, the commander says, “We have a very short amount of time to make this decision. So, I want assessments forthwith. What are the likely results if we reduce power to the shields based on the behavior we’ve witnessed thus far? Furthermore, what might these creatures do to the shuttle if they bypass the shields? Will they be able to get into the WaveRider’s systems? Cause havoc from within?”

“I’d like to go on record as stating that this is a really bad idea,” Stark grumbles.

“Noted. Now… give me some answers, people.” Max begins drumming his fingers along the back of the chair, waiting for his officers to share their expert opinions.

Stardate: 2365.03.29 (Sunday - 42269.8 )
WaveRider Shuttle - Rho Puppis I Uppermost Atmosphere - 1139 Alpha Shift

I've posted. 

Espatier, you've got to lead the way with your next post but Nomad and Keeper, and frankly, anyone else, you are free to add your character's reaction or contribution to the conversation.

X00032:8.Y00001:12.Z00054:5, Rya Mendez’s Listed Address - Outside on the Street  | Night City Integrate | Midcity | UrbanZone - March 9th, Day 3 (Sunday), 6:35 AM PST

Weather Conditions: High City (Thunderstorms, 15 mph winds from the NE.) | Midcity (Rain, 10mph winds from the NE.) | Undercity (Fog and Rain, no winds.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 25 | Midcity = 42 | Undercity = 75 (masks required)

“There’s no intranet that I can plug into,” Blossom says just loud enough for the others to hear over the wind ripping down the street. “There are a number of VPNs operating off of singular satellite ISPs but the building isn’t wired or wireless. Too poor, I guess. I’m not even gonna venture to guess what kind of mess the core mind is. Makes me want to cry how these things have been left to develop on their own.”

“So, what?” Bloodbank muses. “Do we just walk in the front door like we belong here?”

“And what’s the plan if we run into opposition?” Echo adds, dipping her head towards the Reef symbol crudely painted on the door that they have all been eyeballing for the past couple of minutes.

“Ok,” Casino breaks his silent study of the building across the flooded street to lay out his plan,. “here’s what we are gonna do. Echo, Fixer, and myself will go into the building to find this Rya Mendez. Reason; Echo’s dress pegs her as a nomad—no affiliation to any banger or alt-cult. Fixer; also because his dress. It’s clear he ain’t a rival cult threat. Me, it’s pretty clear I’m muscle and with no cult facial markings, pretty much most likely guarding one of these two. Plus Fixer, Echo, act all lovey-dovey. That may buy us some good will long enough to let whoever asks know why we are there. Also, if asked, we don't have time to be coy so it’s blunt truth all the way on tracking Jace. We go in without masks, masks might be taken as we have something to hide, and cause concern. We don’t want that.” Severing his staring contest with the structure, the big solo looks to his companions.

“Blossom, keep working on any building security and that Neo-corp’s ID. Ghlahn, your Cee-Metal affiliation is a no go inside; with Bloodbank, cover Blossom and the front door. No separations this time. Stay in sight of each other and contact. We can’t have any more unintentional lone wolf crap like Ghlahn and myself were forced into. You all hear gunfire be ready to cover OUR six.” Turning to Charlie, Casino addresses him.

“Ok, nothing personal but before you ask why not you joining us three inside, that's easy. You look too corporate. There is no reason why a corp bigwig, or anything else related to a corp, should be in this area. Please stay by the jeep, try again to reach Starlight, and be ready to haul ass out of here with us and maybe Jace onboard.” Taking a deep breath, he concludes.

“Any questions or a better idea?”

"What are the odds that the Reef Alt-Cult are in on the whole Jace thing?” Fixer poses to the others. “I don't know much about the cults. I'm guessing it just happens to be in their building, but if we go all 'blunt truth' with them, they will now know. If they’re in on it, that is a problem. If they aren't, they likely are going to want some sort of cut in on the action. That might be our action. Or, if we are lucky, we might make it in on the kidnapper’s action." He shakes his head knowing he doesn’t really know what else to suggest. "Just something to keep in mind if we meet them. This is not my area. I don't have any better ideas."

Removing his mask and tucking it in his bag, the Techie turns to Echo. "I guess we go in," He grins. "Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go be lovey-dovey. Think it'll make the big guy jealous when he suggested it?" He winks and adds, "once more into the breach..."

Before the nomad can do anything more than narrow her eyes a bit, Charlie speaks up. “I was asked to oversee this group by Starlight; to keep you guys grounded and informed. You are now being informed.

“Like you said nothing personal...

“Your current assessment for this situation is flawed. If you enter that place without my help, you risk being attacked by either a whaleboy or girl or maybe a shark woman or man with a torpedo spear. My suggestion is to wait until I can make contact and get us inside.

“Unless anyone else here can speak ‘The philosophies of Aqua Genesis’, with their emphasis on self-evolution and racial Destiny, then please, by all means, take the lead.”

Casino is quiet for a moment and then smiles. “By all means Charlie, go on in. The rest of us will wait right here. Nothing personal.” He finishes off with a bow and a wave of his big hand as if ushering the well-dressed fixer into an expensive building while stepping aside and making room for the man to pass.

“We have this guy in my pack who does most of the dealing for us,” Echo shifts her feet and looks down at the boot prints she leaves before they are swallowed up by the drizzling rain. “He’s got this know-how and ability to make things happen. In a situation like this, the tribal elders would rely on him to deliver.” Lifting her head, she turns her doe-like eyes on the big solo. “I think that’s all Charlie here is trying to do.”

Facing the fixer, she asks, “What’s your play, Charlie?”

The plan, as Cred Stick Charlie lays it out for them, is to hire one of the homeless to go into the building and sess out if Rya Mendez is even at the apartment. Charlie can also attempt to get information from the homeless concerning the Reef’s social position on the building and what the Edgers may run into.

“A scouting mission,” Echo mutters appreciatively.

“Well, there’s no lack of homeless people,” Blossom chirps and tugs her coat about her small frame to ward against a particularly fierce gust of soaking wind.

“I like this a hell of a lot better than splitting up again and walking in blind,” Bloodbank adds his agreement. “No offense, Casino, but that other plan had me on edge.”

“And it’s obvious that Charlie has dealt with the Reef Alt-Cult before,” Blossom adds. “I haven’t. If it ain’t sushi, I tend to stay away from seafood.”

“Fixer? Ghlahn?” Bloodbank looks to the other two for their input, pointing to where the Techie had already stored his mask. “You aren’t going to want to stand around out here without that on for much longer.”

Already, the pollutants in the air are tickling at the man’s throat threatening to make his dissolve into a coughing fit.

(OOC: March 9th, Day 3 - Sunday, Time is 06:40 AM PST)

Now I'm blushing. 

We're so very glad you found us! 

I'll have a post up shortly.

I've responded to your PM. I've added character descriptions to the 1st page of the Q&A to help you folks out with your understanding of the team look and dynamics.

Blessed be! That's great! I look forward to seeing more of you then.

If there were an emoji for rubbing my eyes in disbelief, it would be prominently displayed. I'm going to have to jump onto Facebook and report the hijacking of an account to the proper owner. Raven! Does this job change mean we'll see more of you here?

Posted!

Stardate: 2365.03.29 (Sunday - 42269.8 )
WaveRider Shuttle - Rho Puppis I Uppermost Atmosphere - 1136 Alpha Shift

“Give us some time, Commander,” Draci continues to smile. “The crewman and I will combine our efforts.”

“You’ve got fifteen minutes,” Max replies. New life forms are kinda the reason we’re here… why am I not as excited as these egg heads? “We’ve been ordered to get planetside. I want to make sure it happens sooner rather than later.

“Mister Falcone, please relay to the Carver an update of our situation.”

"Aye, sir." Jenna replies.

/= Falcone to Carver. /=

/= Carver here. Go ahead. /=

/= Preliminary scans after retrieval of the probe, potentially revealing microbial life. Something in the atmosphere seemed to feed on the probe's shields, and followed it to the edge of the atmosphere. Transmitting data to you shortly." /=

Jenna waits for the Carver to analyze the data.

/= Rouhani to WaveRider. /=  Jenna starts at the Captain's voice, then composes herself.

/= Falcone here, Captain. /=

/= Mister Falcone, what do you think will happen if you take the WaveRider into that atmosphere? /=

/= It's what she's built for, Captain. If the calculations are correct, then I believe I can take the WaveRider into the atmosphere, and perhaps through it. I have complete faith in Mister Siric's calculations, Sir. If the shield drops to below forty percent, I can turn the WaveRider back and return to space. The sensors of the WaveRider are better than the probes, and I believe we can get better readings by entering the atmosphere. /=

/= I see. Commander, do you agree with Mr. Falcone's assessment of the WaveRider and its capabilities? /=

“Mister Falcone is the expert here, Captain,” Max remarks. “The drain on the probe’s shields increased the longer it was in the atmosphere. This is pure conjecture, but that might have been the result of more of these microbial lifeforms gathering at the site, like a bunch of Klingons to a Buffet table.”

/= The mental imagery aside, we will continue to analyze the data that you’ve provided. Let’s see what the WaveRider can do. =/

“Yes, sir,” Cole once more drops his hands to the back of Jenna’s chair. “You heard the Captain. Take her in.”

Stardate: 2365.03.29 (Sunday - 42269.8 )
WaveRider Shuttle - Rho Puppis I Uppermost Atmosphere - 1138 Alpha Shift

CP should be CC. Creative Currency. IP is what you use to increase your character skills. My apologies overall. 

And don't go getting evil thoughts in your head. You being a pain in the ass was playing your character how you truly thought he needed to be played and that is something I can recognize... this time.

Got swamped... gonna be tomorrow before I get the post in place. Thanks for your patience.

I edited all of the sheets appropriately. Thanks for volunteering though!

I'm going to try and get a post up here tomorrow.

OK. I have moved the game forward bringing everyone together again (I hate it when parties split up). Looking forward to your posts. We're at a planning stage again. Please, please, please engage your character in the story.

FYI: 

• Casino receives 2 CP for being a pain in my ass and almost derailing the whole game going after Vegas!  


• Charlie receives 2 CP for integrating his character's quirks in his latest post. Would love to see more of that from each player. Look at your character's histories (Lifepath) and see if there are things you can use in your character play and/or development.


• Ghlahn receives 1 IP in Athletics for his jaunt through the alley to escape being turned into cyborg jelly by a really big gun.


• 2 CP to Fixer for trying to keep the gig on track.


• And I receive 2 billion CP for role-playing so many NPCs!

Remember, Casino is still suffering from a serious wound. His Pain Editor is making it bearable. I'm going to do everyone a favor and claim that you all reloaded your weapons en route.

The Alley Outside the Upstairs Downstairs Inc. Building | Night City Integrate | Midcity | UrbanZone - March 9th, Day 3 (Sunday), 4:14 AM PST

Weather Conditions: High City (Thunderstorms, 15 mph winds from the NE.) | Midcity (Rain, 10mph winds from the NE.) | Undercity (Fog and Rain, no winds.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 25 | Midcity = 42 | Undercity = 75 (masks required)

“Buy some time with those nutjobs on the other end of the walkie,” Echo says softly, her demure eyes locked on Casino’s. “Let’s play this out smart.”

"I'm for the smart play,” Fixer agrees. “We have an address. For Vegas and for Jace, we need speed."

“No, the ER fight has nothing to do with this, I think,” Casino addresses the previous question. “I only killed five, not seven, and I can’t see that bunch of idiots tied to a Neo-Corp unless they were hired. If so, still no reason to come after us over some dead hires. How many guards did you waste or wound at the school? Were they Neo-Corp sec for the school?” Taking a few more deep breaths Casino looks over the group as it now stands, considering each of them in turn.

First there was Fixer, a techie not a hired gun at all, though he had proven himself in the gunfight in front of the Rat Pack Club. Then there was Echo, a well geared up nomad not afraid to shoot as needed, from what he had been told of the school gunfight, but again no true killer. Blossom, Netrunner, Bloodbank, Medtech and finally Ghlahn, Solo, the only other hardcore hired killer on the team with Vegas gone. No doubt in Casino’s mind, reuniting with him was a priority. However there was still one thing unaccounted for.

“Four, maybe five,” Echo answers the solo with a shrug. “They belonged to a security company and who knows what ties that company has with full fledged Neo-Corps.”

“Blossom,” Casino moves on, “any chance you figured out the owner of that second high-priced agent?” He asked figuring that it is the first first one that the netrunner had totally cleaned for his use. “Did it belong possibly to a Neo-Corp big wig?”

“Didn’t have time, choomba,” the Asian beauty rolls the sucker in her mouth. “Kinda like right now.”

“Ok,” the big solo raises his hands defensively, “you are all right. Running after my partner is more than likely gonna get me killed, so first, let’s touch base with Starlight, make sure she knows what’s coming her way along with ours. Second, reunite with Ghlahn. Now more than ever, with Vegas gone we are gonna need him. Third, we head for the kid while Starlight gets more info on the assholes after us. Fourth, we grab the kid, get him safe for a hand off, then turn to this Neo-Corp enemy.” The group can easily see that his next words hurt. “If Vegas is alive, we rescue him. If dead...hopefully with help we unleash payback. Agreed?”

“I can live with that,” Bloodbank dips his head in a slow nod.

“I’ve got no problem working to get someone off my ass,” Blossom quips. “I’ll reach out to Charlie and deliver the four-one-one. He can pass that onto Starlight since he’s her boy.”

Echo smiles faintly and wraps the balaclava back around her face. “Thank you,” she whispers to the blonde man.

“Hey, big man,” the netrunner pats the solo on the chest with the back of her hand as the group starts walking again. “You and Vegas share a page on that job site, right?” Receiving her answer, she continues. “You got a login? Starlight had communicated with Vegas once through that site a few hours back. Maybe there’s more messages that we can act on? I’ve already sent my message through to Charlie so I don’t suggest we break that chain of command, especially since Starlight is likely resting up from getting holes put in her. But maybe there’s more instructions from the girl.

The question sparks action. Checking on the new agent he’s still getting used to, Casino is able to log into their joint account. It is there that he finds the message from Ghlahn and with a little backtracking, the message from Vegas to Ghlahn in the first place.

----- Vegas’ Message to Ghlahn -----

“Where you at, choomba?” the image asks, rain dripping from his fedora’s visor. “There’s one helluvah mess on the street here and it is crawling with Neo-Corp stooges. I can’t get anywhere near the garage you were hold up in. Sing me a song when you get this. We need to dance quick. The run went well but I don’t know how far ahead of the clean-up team we are. We can’t have any more delays.”

The solo glances around at surroundings Ghlahn cannot see and then frowns. “Sh*t. Looks like I get to dance with the stooges. I’ll check the site for your reply as soon as I’ve answered their questions.”

The video message ends with Vegas lowering his agent, the camera still recording for a moment; just long enough to show the approach of three sec operators.

----- End Vegas’ Message to Ghlahn -----

----- Begin Ghlahn’s Message to Vegas -----

"Ran into some trouble. Bloodbank took the walkie so I was cut off. Sec team found me in the garage and they had to play macho. Tried to walk away quietly but they forced my hand. Took out a bunch of them, then made a run for it. Might be same group you talked about. If you give me a location I'll come to you.”

----- End Ghlahn’s Message to Vegas -----

Now the team has something to go off of to reconnect with Ghlahn. Blossom works her magic and quickly finds a place for the edgerunners to regroup; a small automated coffee shop about ten minutes from their current location and Casino sends the message to the sniper to meet there.

Echo suggests that keeping clumped together might draw attention to the group, especially if this Neo-Corp was looking for the lot of them; fueled by the information a drugged up Vegas might have shared. Proceeding to the meet location in separate groups, but staying within sight of each other, provides Casino and Echo a chance to talk while Fixer, Bloodbank, and Blossom walked ahead of them a number of meters.

Arriving at the coffee shop, the team keeps their same groups and takes up different booths nearby enough to stay within sight but far enough apart to keep people from immediately recognizing that they are grouped. Tired of the complications behind missing walkie-talkies, Blossom sets about searching for an app that will tie the groups’ agents together without giving up their privacy.

About twenty minutes after the main company of edgers arrive, Ghlahn makes his way into the shop, having received the message in due time and immediately acting upon it. Now that the majority of the team are together again, the time for planning is at hand. The time is 4:50 AM, Sunday morning.

Reviewing the data Blossom has made accessible to the team through a free Neo-Corp server farm, each member can use their agent to review all of the video footage and personnel data files the group has put together. As they do, each receives an invitation to download an app that will connect the group via agent. Once this has been accomplished and each member of the team properly tied into the app’s system, communication can be handled via texting, voice, or video calls. It can be managed as a group or individually with Blossom as the admin. Even Cred Stick Charlie has been added.

Reviewing the information and getting the app set up properly brings the group to 5:15 AM. Following Casino’s last suggested plan, the company (Charlie included) set themselves to proceed as follows:

1. Charlie will provide Starlight with a mission update and include this new player in the Neo-Corp. Either Charlie will request Starlight’s help in figuring out who this Neo-Corp is, or he’ll take on the task himself with his own resources whichever he feels more comfortable doing.


2. The main group will meet up with Charlie at the address of the woman Jace seemed most friendly with in the video. An address gleaned from her personnel file that places her in the Under City, near the docks. There will be a lot of gangs and more than likely representation from the Reef and Riptide alt-cults to potentially contend with. The team should be able to reconnect entirely (minus Vegas) by 6:30 AM. Once there, the group will assess the lay of the land and come up with a plan.

Gambling that there will be no further delays, the two separate portions of the team make their way to the address. For Charlie, it’s a simple drive, watchful for any cops and routing to avoid toll roads, connections, and any additional expenses. For the others, public transportation will have to do once again. A magrail to the coastal area and the bus ride the rest of the way with a couple of switching between buses in between and they are all a few NCDs poorer.

Flooding carries the rainwater good two to three meters out into the street from the curbs here. Sweetly neasiating odors drift into nostrils with enough power that even the filters in masks are ineffective at keeping them at bay. The air is sticky, humid and chemical laded, causing exposed flesh to feel plastic and irritated. Everything appears older, worn, marked with graffiti, signs of combat, and dereliction. Trash floats about like the dead after a naval battle… even the cops are loathe to come down here especially at night. The homeless are in high population here. Streets are lined with their makeshift abodes; old non-powered shopping carts are a frequent sight, some filled with precious junk and others overturned or broken. There are some vehicles as well. Older cars that were produced before the Edgerunners were born; gasoline ran, some likely modified for modern fuel cells but most are rusting away in neglect, antiquated and useful only as a shelter or materials for the building nanites. Cargo drums are aflame, providing warmth for those huddling about them and stoops marked with various gang signs harbor homeless refugees in their shadows. Though these buildings are the foundations of the starscrapers, they are cut off from the better life higher altitudes provide; sealed away by design by the core minds in the deepest caverns of the monolithic structures they support. Most of their original floorplans are gone, self-cannibalized by the building nanites under the direction of the core minds to build taller and fancier digs up above.

The address, X00032:8.Y00001:12.Z00054:5 places the building that the edgers now have under scrutiny on the outskirts of the shoreline warehousing. There’s barely any space between the west side of the building and the chain link fence that separates the residential from the industrial. Dingy mildewed cement rises up three meters from the street level, marked by combat, decay, and gangs so as to barely be recognizable as cement. There are caged windows set into this base level; a meter wide and half a meter tall, right at the street level. Though the bars are rusted and more than one is slightly bent, the security appears to at least keep people from crawling into the “basement” level. Each floor above that is walled in by red brick with thin darker brown mortar. The windows on these levels are roughly thirty-eight by forty-three centimeters and most have cracked glass or missing glass despite the bars that are in place for security. Where there is no glass, there’s plastic bags, cardboard, or even cut up shipping containers to keep the weather out.

The stoop is center in the building and rises five steps, roughly two and a half meters, before a three meter by five meter landing leads up to the outer door. This door is a dented and spray painted black metal portal with a broken off handle. Getting inside doesn’t look like it will be a problem, at least as far as physical obstructions are concerned. According to the address from the file, Rya Mendez—the Upstairs Downstairs, Inc. employee who appears to be so very friendly with Jace and who worked the night of his disappearance—resides on the 12th floor at the intersection of 8 and 5, which would put her roughly in the middle of the building.

This building connects directly with the building next to it and on down the street, effectively making the entire block one solid structure with no alleyways. Even the structure that would have served some time ago as the parking garage has been devoured and repurposed by the building nanites into the base for another building. A survey of the entire block reveals the west side fenced off by the warehouse district, four similar stoops on the north, south, and east sides of the block allowing entrance into each of the individual conjoined structures, and only a couple of working fire escapes on the North side. The building that the team is looking into is on the southwest corner of the block.

Charlie has parked the jeep across the street, settling it in the fifteen centimeter deep swirling water in the spillway once he had connected with his team mates. The rest of the group now mill about on the sidewalk looking across the jeep and street to the stoop they will inevitably have to enter. One disturbing tag on the dented metal door keeps staring the party in the face: a circle with a shark rising from the bottom portion, teeth visible… the sign of the Reef Alt-Cult.

As survivors of the massive flooding decimating the coastal United States, the founders of Reef soon realized that the only way to avoid drowning was to become one with the water. Advances in gene splicing led to viral DNA transformation systems, allowing the new-formed Reefers to survive in the ocean depths, or to adapt themselves to other forms as needed. And the harsh fallout of fighting off Megacorps, pirates and deadly elemental forces helped foster a strong, warrior meme that joined even the most individualistic submariners together. Reef is strong, vicious, territorial.

Those belonging to the Edgerunners Alt-Cult in the group don’t have any direct animosity with the Reef. Echo might even gain some empathy once her nomadic affiliation is revealed. Ghlahn… well, Reef and Cee-Metal have never seen eye-to-eye. Reef went biological while Cee-Metal went technological. This disparity in philosophies has raised tensions between the Alt-Cults for a number of years now.

“There’s no intranet that I can plug into,” Blossom says just loud enough for the others to hear over the wind ripping down the street. “There are a number of VPNs operating off of singular satellite ISPs but the building isn’t wired or wireless. Too poor, I guess. I’m not even gonna venture to guess what kind of mess the core mind is. Makes me want to cry how these things have been left to develop on their own.”

“So, what?” Bloodbank muses. “Do we just walk in the front door like we belong here?”

“And what’s the plan if we run into opposition?” Echo adds, dipping her head towards the Reef symbol crudely painted on the door that they have all been eyeballing for the past couple of minutes.

(OOC: March 9th, Day 3 - Sunday, Time is 06:35 AM PST)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

the Long Mile Fueling Station | SanFran Integrate | Midcity | UrbanZone - March 9th, Day 3 (Sunday), 5:14 AM PST --- Weather Conditions: High City (heavy rain, 20mph winds from the N.) | Midcity (light rain, 10mph winds from the N.) | Undercity (fog and drizzle, no winds.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 15 | Midcity = 36 | Undercity = 86 (masks required - Red warning)

<== Have ride. Almost to the target. Where’s the meet? ==>

That’s when he notices the message from Blossom. The enterprising little netrunner had tracked him down and dropped him a line.

<== The sh*t has hit the fan. We’ve got a real solid lead on the target but Vegas has gone and got himself caught by what looks like a Neo-Corp. They’re demanding blood for blood—whatever the hell that means—and Casino is intent on going all Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to get his partner back. We’re trying to talk some sense into the big guy, but he’s like a bull on steroids. Ghlahn’s missing too. Vegas went looking for him when he got got. ==>

The message is time-stamped at 4:10 AM. It’s been over an hour since it was sent.

Then, before he can respond to these messages another pops up. This too is from Bloosom.

<== We’ve regrouped with Ghlahn. Vegas is gonna have to wait. We’ve got an address to meet you at to retrieve the package. X00032:8.Y00001:12.Z00054:5. The apartment belongs to Rya Mendez. She’s the chica last seen with the package. Meet us there ASAP. Provide Starlight with a report letting her know about the Neo-Corp. Casino thinks they are trouble for all of us. Looking over the messages between Vegas and Ghlahn, I think they don’t have anything to do with this run but are the result of a firefight that went down in a parking garage between Ghlahn and one of their sec teams. Still, might be a serious wrench in the works that we’ll have to deal with after we get this first operation packaged and delivered. See ya soon! Kisses. ==>

(OOC: March 9th, Day 3 - Sunday, Time is 5:16 AM PST)

The game has been updated for the characters that are in discussion. Sorry, Espatier and Keeper... we're still waiting for a resolution before we can really move forward. Keeper, you're in the same time, so feel free to post, but I'm going to have you wait, Espatier.