GHLAHN, FIXER, and BLOSSOM

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - Mid-City, Freeway, South Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West, Rain Showers) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West, Heavy Acid Rain Showers)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 55 (masks required) | Undercity = 85 (masks required)

Eyeballing the truck, Ghlahn watches as the vehicle comes to a complete stop, two gangers popping up from the bed, submachine guns pointed at the driver of the coupe. The far left lane is at a complete stop now, the occupants of the truck holding it hostage. The lane immediately to the coupe’s right is speeding up again but still moving slowly while the other lanes, including the one the edgerunners are in which is three away from the incident, are all moving back to speed.

Quickly glancing over at Ghlahn, Fixer is glad and not surprised to note that the Cee-metal has also spotted the incident. Ghlahn glances at Fixer and sees in his eyes that he is torn a bit between lending aid and continuing their mission, "If you give me a head's up when you spot an opening I can make sure at least one or two of them pay dearly for their choice as we make our getaway."

Fixer hates seeing crap like this happen. Thugs and guns abound and the world has gone to hell. Welcome to Thunderdome. A part of him wants to play the vigilante and put a stop to this sort of crap, but it is a very small part that doesn’t get to come out and play anywhere beyond dream land. Right now, they have their own problems: Vegas and a locked down compound are still miles in front of them. That is the battle they need to get to, not this mess on the highway; whoever the poor victim might be. 

Fixer locks his eyes on the traffic in front of him—he wants to make sure nothing else goes crazy here. The biggest risk is likely to be rubberneckers gawking at the crime scene, but it isn’t impossible that there is some larger action going on. Knowing there are likely targets on their backs, Fixer isn’t taking anything for granted, "Keep your eyes peeled everyone, nothing says there is only one." He drives on, wanting to gun it but being limited by the traffic.

“Smart,” Blossom agrees, the expression on her face unreadable. Then, obviously answering an internal call on her agent she says, “Guardian, my boi! What’s up? Everything icy?”

As expected, traffic does respond to the hijacking but not in the way that the Techie predicted. Instead of sudden slowing or stopping to observe the horrible activity, people are accelerating, swerving, and clipping bumpers as they panic. (Need a Drive check, Nomad.)

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - Freeway, South Night City Integrate.)

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VEGAS

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 06:05 PM PST - High-City, Temecula Heights Corporate Compound, Jeanette’s House X00550:35.Y00110:89.Z98310:08, West Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

Vegas is in a tight spot and he decides that he can no longer remain in the housing unit with the dead body of his short-lived benefactress.

As he leans against the cool metal of the front door, the Charismatic Crooner becomes more aware of the toll his body has taken from the beatings, so hopping backyard fences is not a very feasible option in the Frank Sinatra look-alike’s immediate future.

He hums a tune to himself, contemplating how much time he may still have to wait inside the housing unit before taking his chances on the outside. Fondling his agent with the realization that sunset is about an hour away, the Dapper Solo decides on the spur-of-the-moment to send a message to Charlie and Blossom in hopes that they will understand what his brief message is trying to communicate to them:

Vegas is hoping that either Charlie or Blossom will realize that he is in dire need of a proper and fool-proof-as-possible Authorization Code for a Visitor Designation to be on the compound grounds, hoping to buy the Dapper Solo as much time as he needs to elude security, or at least to fly-under-the-radar long enough to remain in relative seclusion, while waiting for an extraction team to arrive.

Sending the message to both parties, the Charismatic Crooner waits as long as he thinks possible inside the housing unit before nonchalantly opening the door and strolling out into the evening air, singing a soft tune as he makes a leisurely right turn, armed with his weapons and wits to embrace the unknown fate that awaits him on the neighborhood streets of the compound grounds. Vegas makes his way ‘Nice-N-Easy’ (https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuANCcsODq0).

The evening air is nice if humid. Cooling temperatures can’t stop nerves however and the Crooner knows he’s in enemy territory. The street is relatively quiet, most of those who have come home from work are inside participating in dinner. There are a few children playing in the front yards but they are very young as most corpo families send their school age kids off to the corporate-provided boarding schools. The bigger concern are the babysitting drones employed by these privileged families to keep an eye on their offspring. It’s too late now, though. The drones have already spotted him and registered his presence on the security grid. The children turn their innocent wide eyes on the suited walking man with barely any concern. They’re safe and they know it. The drones—one on either side of the street in yards a good three houses apart—both turn to “face” the solo.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 06:30 PM PST - High-City, Temecula Heights Corporate Compound, Street X00550:35.Y00110:89.Z98310:08, West Night City Integrate.)

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CIPHER and GUARDIAN

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - High-City, Desnai Enclave Park, de Costa’s Conapt X00230:76.Y00100:03.Z97240:52, Central Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

Guardian checks the readings of Cypher's vitals carefully. Everything seems to be in order, so he decides to contact his old friend and the one that got him this gig, Blossom.

Pulling out his agent, he hesitates. What do you say to someone you haven't seen in years? He will be happy to just hear her voice again. Swallowing the uncertainty of what he is going to say, he decides to just let his heart do the talking. Whatever comes to mind. Inhaling, steadying his nerves, he finally dials her number.

“Guardian, my boi! What’s up? Everything icy?” 

Before he can reply, his scanner beeps. Cipher’s heart rate has elevated.

• Blood pressure: 115/80 mm Hg


• Breathing: 16 breaths per minute


• Pulse: 101 beats per minute


• Temperature: 97.8°F / 36.5°C 

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - High-City, Desnai Enclave Park, Entrance Public Restroom X00233:76.Y00095:03.Z97240:52, Central Night City Integrate.)

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ECHO and CHARLIE

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - Mid-City, Edgerunner Enclave (China Town), Charlie’s Apartment X00050:2.Y00310:08.Z00410:15, South Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

“So,” the pretty young woman begins nonchalantly, “where we headed?”

"To the bad side of town," Charlie looks out the window into the rainy cityscape for a bit. "Um, we’ll head toward the river, then make a right and follow the road for a bit, then I'll get my bearings and let you know which way from that point. Is that okay?"

He’s obviously a bit distracted by something. What, exactly, the nomad can only guess since the fixer is being as mysterious as ever. Maybe he doesn’t realize what time it is and how much time they have to kill before his meeting takes place. Maybe he does and he wants to scout the meet location. There’s still time and a lot of information that Echo doesn’t have from the man.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:47 PM PST - Mid-City, Edgerunner Enclave (China Town), Charlie’s Apartment X00050:2.Y00310:08.Z00410:15, South Night City Integrate.)

They're old friends, so yes. Guardian has Blossom's phone number. 

Espatier, nice to see a post! There was about two to three hours to kill before you had to leave for your meeting. Rather than holding things up further, I'm going to have Echo and Charlie hang out in the apartment until then and use your post as the "time to go" post.

I'm going to have to adjust how I'm handling Netrunning. This is taking a lot longer than I had hoped (no shade being thrown, CTP). While I'll continue to play out the net run with CTP in the doc, I'm going to roll an "overall" Interface check for Cipher in secret to see if she succeeds or fails. This will allow us to move everyone else forward in the game. Please make whatever posts you need to soon as I'll be doing that in the next day or so.

Guardian's primary job is to monitor Cipher's health, yes. However, with the tech as advanced as it is, Guardian can multitask. He's got an agent so he can peruse the Net, handle communications, etc. However, don't get too far ahead. Netrunning is a thing that belies time. What seems like a long time for the Netrunner could be mere minutes for those around the inert Edgerunner.

I'm still waiting on Espatier and I haven't been notified by CTP that she's advanced the story in the Google Doc. I'm heading out of town tomorrow and won't be back until Tuesday of next week. I hope that we can have everything in place so I can advance the game. 

CTP, I will have my phone with me and can update the doc, so please let me know as soon as you have it ready.

I look forward to it, CTP. Just drop me a note or let me know in Discord once you do. And, if you have a bit of time during the day sometime, we can even go back and forth on the document and really move it along. 

I'm checking on Espatier. He had a work project and asked for a few days on the 22nd of last month.

It would seem that there's no rush, Hammer. I'm still waiting on a good portion of the other players as well.

'Tis a tricky situation to be sure.

CTP - You're up.

Welcome back, Dragon-Soul. You can easily find out most things with a quick Google search. I've started things off for you in the most recent update. 

All right, so Casino is still a bit ahead of the rest of you which means I'm withholding the collab post Tann and I worked on for a bit longer. CTP, I've moved your little Netrun back to our Google Doc.

I look forward to everyone's posts. I'm doing my best to give CTP and I enough time to go through the netrun and keep everyone in the same approximate time, which is difficult to do with so many divided groups. Get to know you conversations for characters can help keep people active in gameplay while I work with CTP. Tann, sorry but you're just stuck in limbo for a bit.

GHLAHN, FIXER, and BLOSSOM

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:25 PM PST - Mid-City, Freeway Shoulder, South Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West, Rain Showers) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West, Heavy Acid Rain Showers)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 55 (masks required) | Undercity = 85 (masks required)

Ghlahn jumps into the van with Blossom and Fixer. The trio is on their way to pick up the new recruits and then off to conduct surveillance on the corp compound. The trip should be smooth but 15-minutes later the van craps out and the three of them find themselves stranded on the side of the road.  

"Seems the van wasn't in as good a shape as advertised.” The CEE-metal sniper remarks coldly. “Time to see if you can live up to your moniker Fixer. Hopefully, it is a simple matter. If not, it is gonna be a long walk." 

Fixer mutters a few choice curses as he maneuvers the vehicle to the road's small shoulder.  The way the vehicle reacts as it slows down and moves to the side makes him fairly certain that he knows the issue and that he can likely fix it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t frustrating. It seems time is always pressing these days. This mission probably has less time pressure than anything they had done recently with others on the team off at various meetings, but the idea has been to use this time to scout out the dangerous next step. Be damned if he wants to go into that compound without a plan, and a good plan takes time and information. Vegas likely doesn’t have much time. Stupid van!

Fixer looks at the CEE-metal and grins behind his mask, "Hey, I didn't pick this piece of junk.  You just point those blasters of yours in another direction. I'm hopin' I know what's up. Fixer it is."  

He doesn’t think the big shooter heard the "I hope" he mumbled as he digs in under the vehicle’s hood and Ghlahn opens the back doors and takes a seat where he can watch for any trouble while Fixer works on the van. Blossom shakes her head and mumbles something of her own under her breath in a foreign tongue but remains in her seat doing something on her agent. 

The mechanic is right. It isn’t long before he has the vehicle running again and he waves Ghlahn back into the van. "All fixed-up big guy, and look! You kept us safe the whole time too!"  

Fixer moves himself into the driver’s seat and merges the vehicle into traffic and continues towards the pickup location. Glancing at the others he briefly sings, "On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again! The life I love is making music with my friends! I just can't wait to get on the road again!" Taking it down a notch he adds, "let’s go get those others and see what we can see."

Blossom snorts in a rather unladylike way, “Don’t give up your day job, Choomba.”

Checking his GPS, Fixer determines that they are still about twenty minutes from the Park if traffic conditions hold up. Rush hour is in full swing and the freeway speeds are really beginning to be reduced. The speedometer currently reads 40mph / 64kph and the techie is constantly having to apply the brakes, speed up again, and brake again. 

Ghlahn continues to keep a close eye on their surroundings, his narrowed green eyes constantly flicking between the sideview mirror and the front and side windows. Civilians are everywhere in their ground cars heading home from work, or towards their swing shift destinations. The CEE-metal can imagine some are heading for a night out on the town, but those would be few and far between on a Monday night. Mixed in with the civilian mob are the street gangs and nomad packs that prey on the weak and vulnerable. It is for these wolves that the sniper is keeping his eyes peeled for. Any who saw the van parked on the side of the freeway could have determined that they’re an easy mark with an unreliable vehicle and trouble is always just a bat of an eye away in Night City. 

Five minutes after the trio is back on the road, M’haru Ghlahn spots a pickup truck moving a little erratically ahead by five cars. Watching it closely, he witnesses the truck pull sharply in front of a gray two door coupe. Brake lights illuminating, the truck forces the lane to slow dramatically on a dime while those in the adjacent lanes react similarly, hitting their brakes. Fixer spots the sudden slowdown just in time and hits the van’s brakes hard. 

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!” Blossom curses, her left hand bracing against the back of Fixer’s seat. 

Eyeballing the truck, Ghlahn watches as the vehicle comes to a complete stop, two gangers popping up from the bed, submachine guns pointed at the driver of the coupe. The far left lane is at a complete stop now, the occupants of the truck holding it hostage. The lane immediately to the coupe’s right is speeding up again but still moving slowly while the other lanes, including the one the edgerunners are in which is three away from the incident, are all moving back to speed.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - Freeway, South Night City Integrate.)

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VEGAS

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - High-City, Temecula Heights Corporate Compound, Jeanette’s House X00550:35.Y00110:89.Z98310:08, West Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

The Charismatic Crooner carefully examines the glove he has found, hoping to find any clues regarding its owner, or anything else that might be overlooked to the average eye (Wardrobe/Style check: 9). He doesn’t recognize the brand, though it is obviously hand-stitched and not the results of an autofactory, and hand-stitched means quality and luxury. Running his splice-enhanced fingers over the length of the glove, the solo is disappointed to come up without any further clues that might help him in his endeavor (Tactile Awareness/Notice check: 13). Visually, the glove gives away none of its secrets as well, leavin the injured man right where he had started (Visual Awareness/Notice check: 1. 

The dapper solo quickly searches the kitchen for a baggie or something to encase the glove, before secreting it on his person, in case the brutal owner’s fingerprints are somehow preserved well enough to yield more secret information as to his true identity and purpose in this sec corp compound, at a later time when someone with more expertise could make a more thorough examination. Maybe he can lean a little on Da’rion to use his cop contacts. It’s been a while since Vegas checked in on his old mentor in any case.

Vegas is banking on his ability to be reunited with his long-time partner Casino and hopefully, that someone would be able to examine the glove with better results than the dapper solo is currently able to do in these confined and compromised close quarters, even with his cybernetic enhancements.

The Frank Sinatra look-alike prepares to exit the premises, by either a well-calculated or lucky gamble of choice, in hopes of finding a better place in the compound to await his ‘rescuers’ that he hopes will arrive soon enough to extricate him from his present predicament, like a well-timed cavalry unit. Vegas is certain that a Cleaner will be arriving soon to take care of this mess, so with the evening shadows becoming longer, the dapper solo makes a choice as to what his next move will be.

On a whim, the Charismatic Crooner decides to pause long enough to take a much closer look at the physical books on chemistry that appear to have been barely opened, in case he may be fortunate enough to uncover any hidden clues that would be to his advantage. After another fifteen minutes of fruitless review, he sets the last of the books back in its place as best he can remember and makes his way to the front window. 

These corporate housing units are all the rage with the latest technologies. The window has no blinds or curtains. The glass tint is controlled by the house AI and verbal commands keyed to the owner’s voice and biometrics. The owner can set additional users but Vegas was never set up. Instead, he is forced to open the door a crack and peer out as the window’s tint is completely opaque. The street isn’t as quiet as he wishes. This time of night has people returning home from work and there are any number of ground cars making their way home. To leave Jeanette’s house through the front would require risking being seen by one of her neighbors. He could attempt going over fences and through backyards but the sky is still bright and he will have very little cover. A housewife, security system, or returning occupant might spot him and that would be even more suspicious than some stranger walking down the street.

Closing the door, Luke considers his options while leaning against the cool metal of the front door, his body aching from his recent beatings. He can risk encountering the cleaner that he is positive will be arriving at any time by staying in Jeanette’s house with her corpse. Even if there isn’t a cleaner on the way, her coworkers would eventually notice she isn’t showing up for work and HR will send someone by to check on her. That eventuality would likely be tomorrow seeing as how she didn’t show up for work today or, to the best of his knowledge, call in. Option two is to waltz out onto the street like he belongs there and go for a stroll in an attempt to locate a better place to hole up until the team can get him out of there. The third option is to try his luck scrambling over backyard fences and hope he can find someplace to afford him succor until his extraction. 

Checking his agent, Luke discovers that sunset is about an hour. He needs to make his decision fast.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 06:05 PM PST - High-City, Temecula Heights Corporate Compound, Jeanette’s House X00550:35.Y00110:89.Z98310:08, West Night City Integrate.)

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CIPHER and GUARDIAN

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:10 PM PST - High-City, Desnai Enclave Park, de Costa’s Conapt X00230:76.Y00100:03.Z97240:52, Central Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

There’s just enough room in the stall for Cipher to sit on the toilet cover leaving Guardian to stand, basically between her knees. The netrunner can sit on the toilet basin, her feet on the seat cover leaving Guardian more room but then, he will have to stand facing the toilet the whole time, sit on the seat between her feet and twist about to monitor her, or do some combination of the two. 

She's quite pleased with her home turf's care for even public restrooms, but still isn't keen on potentially waking up on the floor, so she closes the toilet lid, and takes a seat on the basin itself, feet on the lid. She sets her bag on her lap, settling as comfortably as possible against the wall. As she readies herself for jacking in, Cipher regards Guardian one last time, "See you in a few." (The Netrun will now be moved to our document.)

The medtech is retrieving his mediscanner when the sickening feeling of falling grips Cipher’s entire being and swirling, twisting lights encompass her vision. Seconds later, she’s in the Wild Net leaving Guardian alone in a stall with an unbelievably beautiful woman, unconscious for all intents and purposes within a few inches of him. 

Activating the mediscanner, Guardian holds it up in front of her perfect face, the results of the scan appearing on his subview screen flowing over his vision. 

Blood pressure: 109/75 mm Hg

Breathing: 12 breaths per minute

Pulse: 85 beats per minute

Temperature: 97.8°F / 36.5°C 

Everything is normal if maybe a slightly elevated blood pressure, but he can easily dismiss that as a result of jacking in. He has heard that it is quite a rush. Producing a sensor pad from the base of the mediscanner, David places it on her left temple, syncs the scanner to the sensor and then hooks the device on his belt. With the sensor pad in place he’ll have a constant stream of her vitals across his viewscreen and an AI that will warn him if there’s any concern in the readout.  

Now comes the waiting game. Wait and watch. Watch and hope that no trouble occurs for him in this public non-gender specific toilet.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:20 PM PST - High-City, Desnai Enclave Park, Entrance Public Restroom X00233:76.Y00095:03.Z97240:52, Central Night City Integrate.)

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ECHO and CHARLIE

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:10 PM PST - Mid-City, Edgerunner Enclave (China Town), Charlie’s Apartment X00050:2.Y00310:08.Z00410:15, South Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

Echo sits quietly thinking to herself and hoping Casino will be okay. Going alone to meet the Yakuza is ballsy, but the big solo is no slouch. She had watched Ghlahn, Fixer and Blossom walk out the door of the apartment and finds herself alone with Charlie.

The apartment is much quieter with just Charlie and Echo remaining. With time to kill until Charlie’s meeting with the Tong, the nomad woman decides that she needs more information to prepare for what’s pending. 

“So,” the pretty young woman begins nonchalantly, “where we headed?”

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - Mid-City, Edgerunner Enclave (China Town), Charlie’s Apartment X00050:2.Y00310:08.Z00410:15, South Night City Integrate.)

Wales? Thanks for letting us know. Business or pleasure?

And yes, Nomad, Fixer done fixed the crap outta it. At least as far as Jury Rig goes. The repair should last until your rental is up.

I still need to know from Espatier how he's spending the next few hours and he needs to reply to Echo's question.

Aw... cute. 

Okay, so my post is up as well. Please note:

1. Charlie and Echo need to tell me what they are doing to kill the time before the meeting with the Tong.


2. A Jury Rig check for Fixer will be sufficient for a temporary fix, DC 16.


3. Cipher and Guardian can be written right into Cipher's jacking in. Then I'll move Cipher's story back to our shared document but keep Guardian's in the game thread.


4. Nothing posted for Casino because he's still en route to the Yakuza meet during this posting. 

March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:10 PM PST - Mid-City, Edgerunner Enclave (China Town), Charlie’s Apartment X00050:2.Y00310:08.Z00410:15, South Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West, Rain Showers) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West, Heavy Acid Rain Showers)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 55 (masks required) | Undercity = 85 (masks required)

Within a few minutes of Casino’s exit, Fixer, Blossom, and Ghlahn have gathered up their things and made their exit leaving Echo and Charlie to their devices. It’s only 17:10 and the meeting with Mugsy Devil isn’t until 20:30 leaving plenty of time to kill. According to Luther’s agent, the trip to the Great Roll Hibachi Kitchen will only take about fifteen minutes. 

Ghlahn, Blossom, and Fixer make their way as delicately as possible down through the Edgerunner warren’s labyrinthian halls and stairs in their best efforts to avoid interaction. Only Ghlahn doesn’t wear the alt-cult’s dog tags and though the enclave doesn’t have any reason to be upset with a Cee-metal that they are aware of, there’s no point risking trouble. Once at the van, Fixer takes the wheel leaving Ghlahn in the passenger seat where he can deal with any trouble they may run into and Blossom in the back middle at least a little bit out of harm’s way. 

Blossom sends the techie the location where they’re supposed to pick up their two new team members and with his agent attached to the dash through it’s built-in magplate feature, Fixer takes them out into the rain. The trip to the pick up point will take close to a half-hour under current traffic conditions but in Night City that can change on the drop of a dime. 

As kind as the city is being to the trio with traffic conditions, Fate is a fickle creature. Fifteen minutes or so into their drive and the engine sputters, bucks, groans, and heaves before leaving them in a rapid deceleration with no off ramp in sight and a small shoulder their only option. Luckily, the maneuver to the shoulder isn’t tricky and Fixer pulls it off with ease. 

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:25 PM PST - Mid-City, Edgerunner Enclave (China Town), Charlie’s Apartment X00050:2.Y00310:08.Z00410:15, South Night City Integrate.)

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March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:20 PM PST - High-City, Temecula Heights Corporate Compound, Jeanette’s House X00550:35.Y00110:89.Z98310:08, West Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

Gingerly rising from his crouch, Vegas steadies himself against the wall, again making certain that the toilet paper is between him and the potential for fingerprints. As he stands there he replays his previous searches through his mind. The microdisk requires a very particular kind of player to read it, so specific that he’s positive no modern technologies can do it. He’s not even sure he can remember what the player is called and nowhere in his recollection does he remember seeing a player in his searches.

Once the Crooner secures the microdisk in the best possible hiding place on his person (Hide/Escape roll 1d10+7=10), Vegas realizes that the clock is ticking, so the first thing he does is to make sure that the right eyeball of the deceased chemist is properly returned into Jeanette’s socket. Then with toilet paper tissue in hand, the Solo tenderly lays her head back to its former ‘death rest’ to make sure that what he discovered remains a secret, as he sadly sings a song sweet and low to help him remain focused on the task at hand:

Failing to remember where a microdisk player may have been secreted on the premises, the dapper solo focuses on remembering the culprit who has brutally slain Jeannette. He recalls that the man was missing a glove, so he quickly but efficiently searches for the glove, while also trying to locate the disk player… fully aware that he must ‘get out of Dodge’ as soon as possible (Awareness/Notice roll 1d10+9=1!

Using all of his senses to detect the missing items, the Charismatic Crooner also expands his search for any ‘hidden rooms’ or perhaps a secluded tunnel that he may use for an escape route. Afterall, the Crooner reasons that since Jeannette was a chemist, perhaps she has a hidden lab connected to her home that would provide the Dapper Solo with more clues and answers to his present dilemma!

Vegas searches for the best escape route: including maps, photos or blueprints of the community compound, which seems to be nothing more than a fashionable prison compound; checks his weapons and since Jeannette was a ‘pill popper’ the Frank Sinatra look-alike also seeks any painkillers that he can periodically pop without impairing the Dapper Solo’s senses or combat abilities.

Because he has seen many unexpected and grisly deaths over the course of his life, both inside and outside of edgerunning, the Crooner focuses his emotions to rise above the melancholy state of his previous song in favor of a lighter and happier tune as he focuses on his best plan of escape in preparation for a rendezvous with the ‘extraction team’ that Casino had promised would be on their way… if Vegas is able to remain frosty and keep his cool deep within the enemy enclave.

Of all the items that the solo is keen on finding, his search only produces two: the glove and a bag with twenty or so white pills inside. There’s some regular strength Aspirin in a cupboard with some other standard non-helpful medicines as well. Not a thing in the house has any sign of a map and there aren’t any computers aside from the standard smart console that can be found in most corporate compounds these days. No laptop, no tablet, no desktop… no computer let alone some secret laboratory. There’s quite a few physical books on chemistry but they look like they’ve barely been opened. Still no sign of a cleaner either and it’s been… twenty-five minutes since he began his search, even longer since the poor girl was put on ice.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:45 PM PST - High-City, Temecula Heights Corporate Compound, Jeanette’s House X00550:35.Y00110:89.Z98310:08, West Night City Integrate.)

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March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:05 PM PST - High-City, Desnai Enclave Park, de Costa’s Conapt X00230:76.Y00100:03.Z97240:52, Central Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

Cipher presses close to Guardian, not being shy about where her chest touches his, and whispers huskily into his ear, "We're going to the non-gendered bathrooms and acting like a horny couple, so for now you have permission to put your hand on my ass. But I'm doing a netrun and will be unconscious once I get jack in, so it's your job to keep me breathing until I get back."

To make it look good, she presses a lingering kiss just below Guardian's ear, entwining her fingers with his properly now, and begins leading him towards the public restroom.

If there's any hope of trusting him, Cipher thinks to herself as she walks, I'll find it shortly.

Taken by surprise at the complete suddenness and intimacy of the contact, the medtech blinks a few times, startling before he looks down and sees Cipher's hand holding his. She inches closer and as nice as this is, he is a little confused. First she blows me off, now she's getting close? He feels her warm breath on his cheek as she kisses him softly below his ear and can’t help but feel his cheeks flush. She is hot. Still in a state of confusion, he doesn’t respond until she whispers her plan quietly in his ear. Act like a couple? Now this is a plan I can do. Wrapping his strong arm around her waist and the other holding her hand, he allows her to guide him towards the building housing the restrooms, unable to fully prevent the grin that is stretching his lips.

If this behavior draws any unwanted attention, neither of the edgerunners notice. Luck is on their side and there’s a stall that’s not in use when they slip inside the very well-cared for non-gender specific restroom. The scent in the air is lavender, the floor is a sparkling white and black marble, and there isn’t a single sign of graffiti. Desnai takes really good care of their property, even that which exists outside the parks. 

There’s just enough room in the stall for Cipher to sit on the toilet cover leaving Guardian to stand, basically between her knees. The netrunner could sit on the toilet basin, her feet on the seat cover leaving Guardian more room but then, he would have to stand facing the toilet the whole time, sit on the seat between her feet and twist about to monitor her, or do some combination of the two. 

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:10 PM PST - High-City, Desnai Enclave Park, Entrance X00233:76.Y00095:03.Z97240:52, Central Night City Integrate.)

Sorry for the delayed reply. I've been sick.

To answer your questions...

1. The bathrooms are male, female, non-gendered, and family.


2. The mechs would definitely read the Desnai dog tags and be on Cipher's side if something went wrong... as in a firefight. There ain't nothin' they can do if something happens to Cipher in the Net.


3. I thought I'd given a distance to The Edge, but I'm in something of a sick haze so... 1/2 hour by ground car, ten minutes by aerodyne, two hours by public transport, and four hours to walk it.   

I fixed the link, Tann.

DS92, think in terms of a combat medic. In this case, your patient is alive and well but essentially unconscious. Brainwave patterns, heart rate, eye dilation (you'd have to open the eyes and Cipher won't feel a thing), internal temperature... the basic signs of wellness. In Guardian's gear, you'll notice a basic medkit and an Agent Attachment called a medscanner. The medscanner should provide all of the vital readings, so it will be basically performing regular scans and watching the data. This will require a MedTech check every 5 minutes Cipher is under to make sure Guardian doesn't miss anything. Basic monitoring will be against a DC of 14 though, depending on what happens, I may jack that DC up.

I'm looking for an update from Cipher and Guardian and then I'll move things forward under the following assumptions:

1. Casino is currently meeting with the Yakuza his Red Cab taxi waiting outside.


2. Charlie and Echo are heading out to meet with the Tong, the identity of which Charlie hasn't really shared, and they are using Charlie's truck.


3. Ghlahn and Fixer are heading out to pick up Cipher and Guardian and then go on to Temecula Heights to do some visual recon using the rented van.


4. With news that Ghlahn and Fixer are picking up Cipher and Guardian, Blossom has changed her mind and is joining them in the van.


5. Cipher and Guardian need to find a spot where Cipher can jack in to perform her net run.


6. Vegas is trying to find out what he can about the Temecula Heights compound.

I'm down in Vegas visiting family so it hasn't been a prime time for me to post anything but I was reading this article and.thought that it might help those of you who are new to Cyberpunk.

Forgive the grammatical errors: Click Here

(OOC: So that Guardian can add his two bits... Cipher will continue the actual run in the private document.)

Cipher’s conversation with Guardian is interrupted by a simple message in the lower right corner of her optics. It simply states, “Pick up the call - Charlie.” Almost immediately following, another notification appears in her subview screen letting her know she has a call coming in. The number is not Charlie’s and it isn’t one she’s familiar with.

Cipher smiles apologetically at Guardian before sliding her agent out and answering the call.

“Cipher? This is Blossom,” the light feminine voice on the other end says even before Cipher can say hello. “I came up short. You know, nutrunning instead of wardriving. We need a map of the Temecula Heights corporate compound. Think you can try and get that for us? The corpo owner of the compound is Daltdom, a subsidiary of Petrochem.”

Wardriving would certainly be easier. Netrunning now requires Cipher to navigate the Wild Net, what’s left of the public network that was turned into a Wild West wasteland after the virus that legendary Alt let loose some years back. Not only does she have to do the netrunning, but then once she’s successfully navigated the Wild Net, she’ll need to overcome whatever defenses the corpo has in place to get at the development plans. Another route, and probably just as dangerous, is to try to get approved development plans from the State.

It takes Cipher a moment to run the calculations, decide the risk factor, before she realizes just how worth it would be to stick it to a corp. “I’ve got this, Blossom. But did you get any leads on where to start looking? Anything I should be aware of in Daltdom’s Net?”

“The only thing I got was nearly burned. They’ve some pretty heavy security and I think they have at least one live White Hat jacked in right now, the probability is pretty high that there’s more. I went it alone and got made. If I go in again now, they’ll be looking for my signature and will burn me on sight. You gotta be sneakier than I was, sista. If you send me your IP, I’ll watch the ones and zeroes and see if I can back you up at all, but you’re likely on your own. I hope you’re as good as Charlie thinks you are for all our sakes. Anyway, the least I can do is to pass you the Daltdom data fortress IP.”

True to her word, Blossom drops the IP address for Daltdom’s data fortress by way of a quick message to Cipher’s agent. With the IP in hand, Cipher needs to find a place where she can jack in without being interrupted. The Wild Net isn’t something that anyone wants to spend a whole lot of time in so performing a quick transport will be the best bet. Rogue AIs, Worms, Living Malware, and nefarious netrunners lie in wait within the Wild Net and that’s certainly something that Cipher will need to be prepared for but the quick transport means that those dangers would need to hijack her data stream to interrupt her progress. Heeding her counterpart’s warning, going in stealthy right from the getgo will be a necessary precaution. Of course, that will take a portion of her computing power but it is better not to be seen than to be able to pack additional software on the hip.

Once Cipher arrives at the Daltdom data fortress she’s going to have to bust through their firewalls and set software defenses—and, according to Blossom, at least one live netrunner—before she’ll even have access to their mainframe. From there, she’ll need to run some code to locate the data she’s looking for, download it, or send it to a Cloud Vault, and then get back out of the data fortress before being able to jack out. Of course, she can always attempt an emergency jack out within the data fortress if she wants to risk frying her connection and leaving her meat suit in the Real while locking her consciousness in the Net where it will degrade until it eventually becomes a mad, rogue AI, a fate worse than death seeing how she will be aware of her slow descent into madness and there’s nothing she can do about it. 

So messing with their company website would be a no-no while I’m in, Cipher thinks to herself, an attempt to lighten the impending anxiety she gets before every run. But then there’s those calming words from her father - “Life without risk is a life unlived.” - and though he meant it for her to take a chance on love, family maybe, it applies just as much to the Edge.

Her programs of choice are a Stealth, Afreet, and an Imp, with the hope that she’ll remain undetected, aided in code-cracking, and maybe even up a kill on a White Hat, in that order. Her top priority has to be getting in and out, but packing some firepower is never a bad idea.

Cipher gives Guardian a look before signing off from her call with Blossom with a short “Wish me luck.” With the medtech’s attention, she leans in close to keep from prying ears, “Your friend just passed the torch to me, so I need to jack in, and you need to be monitoring meat me while cyber me is away.” She scans her surrounding area, wondering if jacking in anywhere near the Park is risky but bold, or just plain stupid.

Waiting on the skinny medtech's reply, Cipher refamiliarizes herself with the space outside the park. Groomed and inviting, the space is filled with people waiting in line to enter the park or just exiting, more than a few just hanging out. Some Desnai mecha—the piloted kind—stand at intervals throughout the crowd deterring any nefarious activity. There are restrooms, but aside from those boxy structures she'll either have to go back inside the park (the safest location being her mother's home) or move away from the park. There's a place that she's used in the past. A bar and grill called The Edge. It's very Edgerunner friendly and even provides fairly private booths from which she could operate. That's a long ways off by foot and about twenty minutes by cab.

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

Blossom hangs up the phone with Cipher and quickly creates a temporary contact credential with both Cipher's and Guardian's  agent's numbers, a simple C and G as the names. Passing the cards to her teammates' agents she says, "You've all got their contacts now. Introduce yourselves and arrange the pick-up."

Thank you, Mischief.

I like what's happening here. This is good teamwork and planning.

So, as I understand it...

1. Casino is off to meet with the Yakuza by taxi.


2. Charlie and Echo are heading out to meet with the Tong, the identity of which Charlie hasn't really shared using Charlie's truck.


3. Ghlahn is heading to Temecula Heights to do some visual recon using the rented van.


4. Blossom is sticking around at the apartment to see what assistance she can provide Cipher.


5. Cipher and Guardian need to find a spot where Cipher can jack in to perform her net run.


6. Vegas is trying to find out what he can about the Temecula Heights compound.

Where's Fixer going? Who is planning on picking up Cipher and Guardian?

Oh, my word! I'm so sorry, Mischief. I don't know how I forgot about that. I'll send you a PM... I was going to look into things and get back to you, so watch for the PM and please accept my apology.

I like the idea and your enthusiasm but there are some fundamental problems with the idea. In order for Fixer to do anything with the security—including looking for it—he would need to have a Netrunner provide him with access unless he's onsite. As a techie, he's good with the mechanical aspects of equipment, even electrical, but not digital.

Espatier, Tann, careful of the timestamps and remember TEAM. 

I'm curious why Charlie would kick everyone out of the apartment when he's offered it up as the roof over their heads for the time being and he's left them there all day while he's been in class.

1. Blossom is still going to be trying to find information that will help with Vegas's situation. That means she needs to jack in. That means that she is going to be a limp body for the duration.


2. No information has been found that actually helps with the operation to rescue Vegas, so Tann, Casino would know that they've nothing to go on yet which means that those who aren't actively in pursuit of information are free to do what they want until you've all got actionable intelligence. 


3. Even when making quick posts, please do your best not to incite conflict within the group.


4. Tann, Casino has already left the apartment as per my last post and what we're working on in the shared doc... he never would have heard Charlie's comment so I've amended your post.

The document that CTP and I are working on will take place essentially all in the Net. Anything that takes place in the Real can be posted as a collab.

Great post, Hammer. Gracias. 

Tann, the shared document is updated and ready for your next contribution. CTP, the doc is updated for you as well.

Not a problem. Cipher is likely going to find a place where she can jack in and will need someone to watch over her. Medtechs are very handy to have around when Netrunners jack in. There are bad programs out in the wild Net that can stop a net netrunner's heart or fry their brain. A Medtech may be all that can save their life.

Okay, posts are up. Sorry for the number of posts (they begin on pg. 45 and extend to pg. 46) but the site wasn't liking things so I broker them up to figure out why it wouldn't let me post. Anyway... Looking forward to your next posts!

“Then, we have a deal. Pass me your cred chip reader URL and I’ll get the tags ID to you. I’ll transfer you the credits and you can bill the tags for the giri.”

“It is a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Charlie,” Mo Yimu trills.

I bet it is, Luther thinks sourly but says, “Oh, Miss Mo Yimu, you are a masterful business tycoon at whose feet I am but a student eager to learn.”

“The flatterer makes you climb up a tree then takes the ladder away, Mr. Charlie,” the dragon lady chides. “He that is not eager to be pawed in cash is not a businessman. I’ll watch for the tag IDs. The transfer code is already being sent for the credits. Have a good day, Mr. Charlie.”

Having done all he can do, the call ended, and the time being that Casino needs to leave the conapt to make his pickup and meet his taxi, Charlie exits his room.

“Okay, listen up,” Luther steps forward and holds his agent up. “Casino, you’ve got a chip to pick up and a cab to catch, like now. I need your dogtags ID before you go. I’ll send directions to that agent—” Charlie points towards the device in the solo’s hand with his own expensive agent. “—where you can grab your language chip. The rest of the items will have to wait until later.”

Charlie shares the details of the rest of the deal-making with everyone as Casino, who had changed into his suit in the bathroom while the fixer was in the bedroom, makes his final preparations to leave. Casino thanks Charlie for his efforts, allows the fixer to scan his dog tags, and then heads out the door to collect his latest purchase. As he leaves, Charlie makes sure that the big man has the fixer’s agent’s number so he can reach out once he’s finished with his Yakuza meeting and they can reconnect.

Almost as if on cue, just as the door clicks shut, Blossom draws in a sharp breath, arches her back, jerks once and then abruptly sits up. “Damn it! It’s a no go. I couldn’t get through the firewalls for the compound from here. If we were right there and I had a jack to plug into on sight it would be a different story but…” she shakes her head causing her shiny hair to dance about her shoulders. Breathing deeply, she pursed her lips and looks over at Charlie out of the corner of her eye—an expression that sets the fixer’s heart beating faster. “Maybe your friend Cipher would have better luck? Without some data on the place, we’re operating blind.”

Relieved a little that Blossom wasn’t brainwiped, Luther nods, “I’ll let her know you’re calling.” Passing the frustrated netrunner Cipher’s agent information via Airdrop®, the Native American dealmaker quickly thumbs a message to their new teammate. 

“Pick up the call - Charlie.”

Watching the interaction, Fixer sighs and admits his own defeat having found nothing but the image and information Daltdom wants the public to see. No mention of particular security systems in use, and the only two pieces of information that are even remotely useful are that Temecula Heights resides just off a major freeway and train tracks with maglev access to the rest of Night City’s rail system.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 04:58 PM PST - Mid-City, Edgerunner Enclave (China Town), Charlie’s Apartment X00050:2.Y00310:08.Z00410:15, South Night City Integrate.)

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March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 04:40 PM PST - High-City, Temecula Heights Corporate Compound, Jeanette’s House X00550:35.Y00110:89.Z98310:08, West Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

Vegas decides to further his search for clues as to the reason behind Jeanette’s murder by first thoroughly searching the bedroom he had occupied, which also served as Jeanette’s home office. Expecting a corporate cleaning team at any second, he works fast but cautiously, not worrying about keeping things in order or in their place, humming and singing the whole time, as is his habit. Finishing empty-handed, he moves to Jeanette’s bedroom. 

He learns a bit more about his departed hostess in the privacy of her chambers. She was a loner judging by the rather large collection of sex toys. She enjoyed alternative rock music according to the GoPlay® Integrated Media System records. She was a sharp dresser, crisp, businesslike. Finding her corporate badge, he learns that she was a chemist. Aside from those things though, he comes up with a zero. 

Next, he thoroughly searches the bathroom, being extra careful to leave her dead body undisturbed. Her medicine cabinet reveals that she fought depression and may have been addicted to pain pills. A lack of toothpaste and toothbrush told the crooner clone that she likely had cybernetic hygiene kits. But nothing in the bathroom revealed her secrets. 

The kitchen is just as bereft of answers as is the rest of the rooms. It’s obvious that the killer had also performed a pretty invasive search. Maybe he found what he was looking for? Leaning against the kitchen counter, the solo rubs at the stubble on his chin and considers his next move. After a number of minutes in silence—even his habitual music quieted under the circumstances—and an increasing feeling of anxiety over the potential of a cleaning crew, Luke has an idea and returns to the bathroom.

Crouching next to her head, careful not to step in the blood drying about her upper body, caking in her hair, and staining her clothing, Vegas begins his visual inspection trying to ignore the pain his position is inciting from his beatings. As he searches, Vegas softly sings to both himself and the corpse. When the visual search produces nothing, he resorts to moving the head, opening the mouth, etcetera until his investigation proved fruitful. 

Jeanette’s lack of exterior hygienic tools was the first clue. She had cyberware, not that this is an unusual thing but Vegas had bet on two things. First, she had been killed because she had something of value and second, that she’d have the means capable of hiding and securing whatever it was that she had of value on her person and in a way that wouldn’t be easily detectable. When no sign of cyberarm or leg compartments was apparent, he moved on to other possibilities eventually triggering a surprise.

As he is searching her face for signs of surgery, his thumb (with a few layers of toilet paper between his fingerprints and any surface he touches) triggers a manual release for an optic aperture compartment that extends her right eyeball a good three inches out of its socket. Raising his eyebrows, Vegas whistles in appreciation. This is some Old Cybe and wouldn’t be something anyone would expect in a young chemist who, according to all other appearances, was into modern tech. 

Finding the release button on the inside portion of the glistening wet synthetic eyeball, he activates the eject option. The aperture complies, spitting out a microdisk from the bottom of the eyeball. Gently separating the disk from its port, the solo holds it up at eye level and scrutinizes it further. He’s just old enough to know what it is. More old technology.

Gingerly rising from his crouch, Vegas steadies himself against the wall, again making certain that the toilet paper is between him and the potential for fingerprints. As he stands there he replays his previous searches through his mind. The microdisk requires a very particular kind of player to read it, so specific that he’s positive no modern technologies can do it. He’s not even sure he can remember what the player is called and nowhere in his recollection does he remember seeing a player in his searches.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 05:20 PM PST - High-City, Temecula Heights Corporate Compound, Jeanette’s House X00550:35.Y00110:89.Z98310:08, West Night City Integrate.)

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March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 03:50 PM PST - High-City, Desnai Enclave Park, de Costa’s Conapt X00230:76.Y00100:03.Z97240:52, Central Night City Integrate.

Weather Conditions: High City (Very Windy, 25 mph winds from the West.) | Midcity (Windy, 13mph winds from the West.) | Undercity (Slight Wind, 5mph gusts from the West.)

Air Quality Index: High City = 0 | Midcity = 35 | Undercity = 65 (masks required)

Guardian shrugged and replied, 'I got a message from my old mate, Blossom offering me this gig. Seemed like a good opportunity, you know. Maybe a chance to move on up. To be honest, she didn't tell me much. She was a little sketchy on the details. So, mind filling me in? What exactly are you guys doin'?'

"You signed up for this without details?" Cipher raises a fractured eyebrow at that, though she drops it a moment later; she didn't exactly sign up for the eddies alone on this one. "Then it's a good thing you met up with me before the rest of the group." She glances about, shuffling a bit closer to Guardian as she says in a low tone, "Apparently we're hitting a corp compound to rescue a solo. I'm not naming names while we're in the open, but this one is either a shot at glory or a shot through the head. So you'd do well to watch your rear, choombatta."

At her side, the mid-sized griffon mecha sits patiently with small animated quirks that almost make it seem alive. Out of place from the hardline-look of its owner, the size of a Doberman and fluffy. An eagle’s head is dominated by large, brown eyes, with a small yellow beak standing stark against its white feathers. The body is that of a lion, though with oversized paws and a pair of folded wings blending in with the tawny fur. A tail swishes happily like that of a dog, causing the oversized heart charm on its collar to shake. The charm reads Roosevelt.

Cipher’s conversation with Guardian is interrupted by a simple message in the lower right corner of her optics. It simply states, “Pick up the call - Charlie.” Almost immediately following, another notification appears in her subview screen letting her know she has a call coming in. The number is not Charlie’s and it isn’t one she’s familiar with.

(OOC: March 10th, Day 4 - Monday, Time is 04:58 PM PST - High-City, Desnai Enclave Park, Entrance X00233:76.Y00095:03.Z97240:52, Central Night City Integrate.)

"Hound! Baby-boy, I got you. You didn't think that I would leave you hanging? Hell no! I'll set you up with ten pairs of generic shoes. Let me know if they move or not and, ‘Let’s make a deal!’ Call me.”

Luther then attempts to get "Feather" moving as well with yet another call and once again receives voicemail. 

"Hey, Little Mama! Come on baby girl, you know I got what you need in some shoes so you can make some money. I'll drop some off to you, let's meet up soon!"

A notification pops up on his agent from Blackbird2500: Here’s the transfer code. I can send the package by drone for an additional 25cr.

Considering the extra time-saving cost, Charlie once again turns his attention to the Net. Looking for another gig for Lightning Rascals, since the other has already expired for Kelsy Dawn. With another quick search and a quick inquiry, Luther finds a new gig at the Watering Hole, a club in Mid-City, and sets up a "flexible" tentative try-out date for the group with the online scheduling AI at the club.

Ringing KD's agent, he’s almost surprised when she picks up.

“Talk to me,” Kelsey’s sweet tenor flows into his right ear.

"Hey KD, Charlie here,” Luther begins but is interrupted by the rockergirl’s comeback.

“I got you on Identity, man. I know you. What’s up? You got something for us?” 

“Let's make a ‘date’ where I share the info that I got for you and the band, and yes... I know, it's not a date but a meeting. It will be good to see you and the band again. Tell me when you’re available and let’s sit down face-to-face and talk. It's been years.”

“Yeah, it has. We thought you were ghostin’ us, choomba. We can get the band together and meet you tomorrow for lunch if you’re available. Just tell me where and we’ll be there.”

(OOC: Continue the conversation… )

Miss Mo Yimu’s call comes in at just the right time—Guess I’m that lucky—and Charlie quickly answers. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this call, Miss Mo Yimu,” the fixer jives. “Give me the lowdown.”

“I’m sure you have, Mr. Charlie,” the dragon lady’s purr practically tickles his ear. “This is what the enclave has readily available. The Japanese language chip, the handgun skill chip, the weapon customizations, the ammunition, and the trenchcoat. The rest is not possible at this time.”

“Okay, so what’s the price tag and delivery estimates?”

“Nine hundred and ninety credits for the language chip, same for the handgun chip. Six hundred and forty for the weapons customizations. Two sixty for the ammo. Three-thirty for the armored coat. Total of thirty-two ten.”

“And the delivery estimates?”

“Two hours for the language chip, six for the handgun chip, one hour for the weapon customizations—we have a very skilled weaponsmith in-house—five hours for the ammo, and five hours for the coat.”

Charlie begins pacing as he runs the numbers through his head. He’s disappointed that the entire list couldn’t be fulfilled but even more at the delivery times and costs. Mo Yimu is skilled at her craft, that’s something he’s very certain of. Time to see what he can do to counter her and set her off balance.

“Oh, Miss Mo Yimu, you honor me with your service,” Cred Stick Charlie begins after a sharp sniff and a brush under his nose with his left index finger. “We are both Edgerunners and the majority of the shipping list is for a fellow tag-holding Edgerunner. I’m not planning on going anywhere and aim to continue to help this enclave and the community pouring more credits in every chance I can get, my team and I serving in what capacities we can, doing general good. Check the tags—I’ll get you the ID—I’m sure my guy has some giri.”

“If—If your man has the giri, the chips will go for nine each. But those are the only items that can be procured on giri.”

“You are as fair as you are beautiful, Miss Mo Yimu,” Charlie compliments. “You are also very wise in the way of your community. With all that me and my team offers in the future, perhaps you’d accept…” The negotiations heat up with plenty of back and forth. Charlie soon realizes his fear; Mo Yimu is in a better position than him but he is able to gain some ground and finally settles on what small victories he’s able to win.

“So we have a deal?” he confirms. “The language chip for nine giri and my guy can swing by the booth on his way out the door in a few minutes to pick it up. The handgun chip for eight giri and we’ll collect it sometime after an hour from now. My guy will drop off his weapons for the customization as soon as possible with a price tag of six forty and a turn around time of one hour. The ammo—all of it—for two fifty and we can pick it up in three hours. And the armored trench coat for three-thirty and we can pick it up in five hours. Total credits, one thousand two hundred and twenty. Total giri, eighteen.”

“Correct, Mr. Charlie.”