Chapter 2 - What Lies Beneath

[mudfoot]

Intro: Into the Fire

SITREP: Primary Objective Incomplete. Target Dominica Salyers not on site. No signs of her presence located. Unknown cyborg prototype and (presumably) support equipment stolen. Mission time remaining: 4:37:22...21...20

• A text message comes from Erika Hoffner, your Johnson, to Bushwhack, Sandman, Shrike, Stygge, and Wraith: "Defensive lockdown. Comms are compromised and personnel are down. Backup is enroute, Callsigns: Greivous, Black Mamba, and Voice. Will contact you when able."

• Stygge stands and walks quickly outside saying she is "going to check on the rig".
• Wraith is already on her feet and politely excuses herself bowing slightly and muttering something in Japanese to check the back door. She moves swiftly and with great composure to the rear exit and steps out of sight.

• Team Voice arrives at the Green Dragon and exits the vehicle, a boring Americar, tastefully modified for Grievous, when things stop going smoothly. The rotors you heard in the distance are getting closer, roaring engines are VERY close, and as you stroll through the door...
• Suddenly, the rig goes up in a spectacular fireball that was probably visible from Mount Rainier. Windows shatter, concussion staggers smaller bodies and rocks the big kids. Panic erupts from the patrons who scream and run for the back door. Stygge's commlink goes offline.

• Engines roar, tires screech and shouting in Russian "Davai, Davai, Davai!!"(Go, go, go). A mismatched group of thugs with automatic weapons pile out of a quartet of Bulldog armored vans. Automatic weapons fire perforates the thinwalled bar from front and rear. Patrons fall dead and wounded.
• Wraith's commlink goes offline.
• Bushwhack takes a round to the head and falls heavily onto the table, collapsing in a heap. Blood is evident. His commlink goes offline.

• And then something wierd happens: All remaining unshielded equipment and commlinks that are Matrix enabled brick at the same time.
• ***Your ablative Matrix armor has just been bricked! ***

• The rotor noise suddenly is very close, creating clouds of dust obscuring Visibility with Heavy Smoke, White Noise, and Blinding Glare as multiple searchlights blast through openings in the wall and windows. [Cumulative shooting modifiers sit at (-10) or (-6) if you possess flare compensation, thermographic vision (not lowlight), and/or audio dampers.
• A handful of flashbangs are tossed into seperate corners of the room where they detonate immediately. Everyone soaks 10S. Anyone behind some kind of cover reduces damage by 4 for barrier protection.

• Status Note: (Remember: bricked items can be repaired). I am assuming all of you have slaved your online gear to your commlink. This is what professionals like to call a Good Idea. Therefore a coordinated attack would need to kill your commlinks before it could get to the slaved items and if those items are A) Running Silent and B) Have false ID using the Edit File Matrix Action (which any wageslave can do) from "I am an Ares Predator V model 2075" to something else like "I am a Toast-o-matic" then it becomes much more time consuming to correctly ID target items and brick them.

• Everyone who briefed with Erika remembers from the meet: "magical security was weak, but Matrix security was nova-hot and she lost two deckers scouting it." Connected? Too early to tell...

• Layout:
#Generally square main room with bar on the far wall.
#Front door is 12m away from the booth you selected in the corner (due to the Theory of Pandimensional Corners, this spot in any given establishment will ALWAYS be open, no matter how many Runners want to sit "in the corner").
#Kitchen door is 4m away next to the bartender who is on his hands and knees behind the bar.
#Windows are broken and jagged and useless for an exit.
#Nearest artery road is 3.5km South.
#There are air corridors all over the place. SeaTac is south of here.
#Knight Errant (aka Pawns or KE) has the Seattle contract so they are likely to respond quickly here in the industrial area near the port, especially to explosives in use.
#Secondary road to the rear, main road out front.
#Brick divider walls to businesses on either side.

☐ Sandman:

A hit and a miss in your search for the target! The Watcher, cheerily oblivious to your impending doom, reports in an irritatingly perky tone: "She isn't there (At the scone factory). Bye now!" The Spirit of Man says in what you can only guess is confusion: "Find what lies beneath." Clearly a metaphor refering to Lyman's Fifth Theorum of Astral Space. Utter rubbish. You disproved that in your doctoral thesis with alchemistry derived from Ferris-Schuller non-Euclidean geometry. The scholarship of spirits these days...it's high time to work with a better class of being. Then the rig outside explodes, guns start shooting everywhere, and you get hit by some kind of grenade! From your angle in the booth: Is the bartender praying over there? No...he's opening a trapdoor in the floor!

☐ Death Otter:

No time now for searches now: watching those icons blink out under the assault of a Matrix killteam is astonishing in its coordination, speed and power. Whoever is controlling these Agents is a master, even to a...tentacle-y...thingy Matrix...person. Gah! Why can't you remember these things when it would make a GREAT punchline!?! Your well practiced Matrix perception, honed from a lifetime of use, spots a key identifier. An indigo vapor of Resonance code wafting from below the bar. Indigo...Why is that color familiar? It would be enchanting if a host of Agents radiating lethal code were not swarming around you like massive enraged dragonflies. Somehow, they aren't attacking you, but you can see them pasting ugly looking MARKs on your persona. What the DREK!?! And then you are concussed by some kind of grenade while listening to gunfire punch drunk...

☐ Greivous:

You got a good look at the attackers: Rotodrones, an attack helicopter, and four Bulldog vans full of irate Russian thugs with zero interest in diplomacy. As rounds skipped across the pavement and whined past your heads you dove through the door of the bar into cover. Your teammates are...squishy and the flashbangs you just shrugged off show the difference. Not sure about the new guys over there.
• Weapons fire from front and rear. A rocket from a chopper took out the rig. These guys are rolling HEAVY.

☐ Voice:

• The money was great on this job, with a promise of medium term employment. Find Dominica Salyers, capture and deliver. Three man team to cover the angles. That slick looking elf guy...Yu! That was his name. Made it sound so easy. Of course he had a tell and you spotted it immediately. He's lying. Ah well, nothing ventured nothing gained. Getting out of the car, you heard rotors and engines but couldnt see anything wrong. That is until the rig parked outside blew you off your feet in through the door...pick yourself off the floor? Stay down? This ain't your gig.

☐ Black Mamba:

• A guy named Yu hired you on short notice to track some chica named Dominica Salyers. One off job that could be medium term. The Guy sent you here. The Background count here is awful. Typical of an industrial zone. Tastes like pickles. Eww! Why can't you pull the cozy bodyguard jobs for rich heiresses? That's what all the trids do. Anyway, you have some really posh sensor toys along with some well practiced magical techniques you are absolutely dying to try out. Never been to the Green Dragon before, it wasn't on the MCT approved list of recreational establishments. That was another life, another time. You're no pampered rich girl anymore. You are the Mamba. Time to make a name for yourself! With that brave thought, you strut confidently through the door in front of the skinny charming guy just in time to be catapulted off your feet by an explosion outside! You are unceremoniously tossed to the floor to sprawl in an undignified heap concussed and ears still ringing! Automatic weapons open up outside perforating the walls of the bar and patrons run screaming or fall wounded and dead. You have been thrown into the deep end on your first swimming lesson.

☐ Shrike:

• Automatic fire is long inaccurate bursts judging by impacts around the bar.
• Definitely AK-97s; very distinctive sound.
• Russian voices. No codes or shorthand. Not Russian military or Evo corp strike teams.
• Multiple rotors. Smaller ones are drones, probably Rotodrones. Bigger one is two blades, maybe a single seater.
• They are using Supressive Fire (so they don't care about collateral damage) covering a team stacking up for Dynamic Entry.
• You have a second or two before they breach and hose down the interior with lead.

As the reality of your impending death kicks your accelerated reflexes in gear, scattered thoughts of obedient mutes flutter through your mind...time to herd the cats...

Everyone Roll Initiative!

[The Voice]

Preliminary Negotiations

Negotiation + Charisma 10d6>4: [2, 1, 4, 1, 6*, 6*, 1, 4, 4, 2] = 2
First Time? 2d6>4: [5*, 6*] = 2
2 successes, unless this is the first time I've dealt with this Mr. J, in which case it's 4.

As they drove away from the Meet, The Voice was tense. He addresses his new companions--Black Mamba and Grievus. The Giant Street Sam looked solid--if nothing else, someone to hide behind when things go sideways. The Elf with the snake motif... she looked green, but he'd seen what happens to people who underestimate the Awakened. Just needs some seasoning, that's all. "He cut that negotiation short. He's in a hurry. Fact that we're gonna be meeting our new teammates means this was probably already a job that's gone south, they need us as back-up. Be ready for anything."

And sure enough, things go bad as soon as they got out of the car. The massive car explosion knocked him to the ground, and

Soak Body + Armor 11d6>4: [4, 4, 6*, 4, 3, 3, 3, 5*, 6*, 2, 5*] = 4 : 6S, -3 to rolls, OW.

. Then the flashbangs went off, for extra giggles. Still, he tried to

Initiative (-3) 1d6+3: [4]+3 = 7

to scramble to safety.

He attempts to stand up,

Simple Action--Fast Stand: 2d6>4: [5*, 2] = 1 Simple Action 2: Finish standing up

, before he

Movement: Run 8m to cover as close to the kitchen door as possible

through the bar to at least get away from the door and what are doubtless way too many guns.

[BlackMamba]

Soak 6

14d6>4: [6*, 2, 1, 4, 4, 3, 1, 6*, 2, 5*, 6*, 6*, 6*, 3] = 6

10-6=4 Stun Damage for a -1 modifier going forward during the scene.

She lay on the floor for a moment after the initial blast, then shook her head and looked back over her shoulder to see if she could see who was coming. The bullets made her decide that it didn't much matter who it was so long as they were left behind while she got the heck out of there. She kept low to the ground and headed for the nearest exit that she could see, at least that is away from the people trying to kill everyone, the door to the kitchen.

INIT 8 Run 3 Sux

INIT 5+1d6-1: [4]-1 = 3

Guess the 5+ part didn't work so Init 8
Stand and Run while injured (Body 2 + WP 3 -1 injury penalty=4) 4d6>4: [5*, 6*, 3, 6*] = 3

[Grievous]

Intro: Into the Fire
Greivous: You got a good look at the attackers: Rotodrones, an attack helicopter, and four Bulldog vans full of irate Russian thugs with zero interest in diplomacy. As rounds skipped across the pavement and whined past your heads you dove through the door of the bar into cover. Your teammates are...squishy and the flashbangs you just shrugged off show the difference. Not sure about the new guys over there.
• Weapons fire from front and rear. A rocket from a chopper took out the rig. These guys are rolling HEAVY.

31d6>4: [4, 3, 6*, 5*, 1, 6*, 2, 4, 2, 4, 6*, 5*, 3, 6*, 6*, 6*, 5*, 6*, 3, 4, 2, 2, 5*, 1, 6*, 5*, 6*, 2, 5*, 6*, 4] = 16

: 2d8+6: [4, 2]+6 = 12

The Giant taking cover, spouts quickly and very loudly as he finishes closing the door. His slight Eastern Block accent permeates his words, “What the Drek did you do to the Russians to make them send an army, tiny ones?”
He pulls a grenade off his belt, activates it and throws it through the window. Again like a bullhorn he says, “That may give us a second. What’s the plan? Good ideas only.” Surprisingly, the Giant has a face more resembling an Orc than a Giant or even their Troll cousins. He looks at the group as a giant explosive detonates outside followed by the walls rattling and screams.

Free Action: Rise far enough from cover to see assailants through Window or accessible hole created by assault.
First Simple Action: Active High Explosive Grenade:
Second Simple Action: Throw Grenade into middle of front lInes.
Grenades High Explosive
Pool:7|Accuracy:12|Dam:16P (-2/meter)|AP -2|RC: 5
Dice Pool: 7d6!: [6!, 2, 1, 2, 4, 2, 2, 4] = 23 did that incorrectly
Dice Pool Grenade: 7d6>4: [6*, 3, 1, 6*, 1, 2, 3] = 2
Damage: 16P (-2/meter)

[Sandman]

Soak 6S (I am assuming a Dwarf in the booth has cover)

• Soak: 16d6>4: [6*, 1, 3, 5*, 2, 1, 6*, 6*, 2, 4, 6*, 2, 6*, 1, 5*, 5*] = 8

Result: 8 - No Stun.

Initiative: 7+d6

• 1d6+7: [5]+7 = 12

Result: 12

2 Quick Actions.

• Action 1: get out 2 Infusion Bottles
  Action 2: Recklessly Cast Improved Invisibility (Force 3)
  • Spellcasting: 12 Dice
    • 12d6>4: [6*, 3, 5*, 6*, 2, 3, 4, 6*, 2, 6*, 2, 2] = 5
    Drain: 12 Dice vs. Drain of F(3)-1+3(Reckless Cast)=5
    • 12d6>4: [2, 5*, 4, 3, 3, 1, 4, 2, 3, 3, 2, 6*] = 2
      • Spending Edge to Reroll Fails (10):
        • 10d6>4: [5*, 2, 2, 1, 6*, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2] = 2
    Result: Improved Invisibility (Force 3) with Threshold of 3 (Limited due Force), 1 Drain (After spending 1 Edge).
    Note: Sandman has Focused Concentration 5 and can sustain this spell without any of the normal drawbacks.

After giving his head a quick shake to clear the effects of the grenade, Sandman takes out two small vials off of a sort of bandolier he was wearing, and puts them on the table. With a deep breath, Craig yells...

"You guys drink

A Force 3 Potency 1 Draught of Improved Invisibility (Contact) for Shrike and a Force 3 Potency 3 Draught of Improved Invisibility (Contact) for Death Otter. Roll Force + Potency for Threshold to resist. Quick Action to use.

.

With that, Sandman points at himself and then points to the bar. After covering himself, Death Otter, and Shrike with his

6 Dice of Protection for up to 6 Targets as a Free Action

, Sandman recklessly starts to draw mana.
As the burn from the mana Sandman recklessly draws through himself in order to quickly turn himself Invisible starts giving him a headache, he disappears from sight. Once the magic has fully set in, he looks towards Shrike and Death Otter to make sure they took their Draughts.

I always hated when they made us Recklessly cast spells in school... and the headache is worse than what I got from that grenade... but now with @Death Otter faceplanting it, I have to take care of her body too while she is Astrally Projecting... or whatever it is that Hackers like her call it.

Used below for second init pass
6d6>4: [4, 2, 6*, 1, 1, 4] = 1
12d6>4: [3, 4, 3, 1, 3, 4, 3, 1, 6*, 1, 5*, 3] = 2
12d6>4: [5*, 2, 4, 4, 1, 2, 5*, 6*, 2, 4, 5*, 6*] = 5

[Shrike]

Soak

OOC Comments

14d6>4: [1, 4, 2, 6*, 5*, 2, 6*, 1, 5*, 1, 2, 5*, 2, 6*] = 6

Initiative

OOC Comments

3d6+10: [1, 3, 1]+10 = 15

OOC Comments

Pass 15 quick action - grab rifle, action upend table, switch all slaved devices except smartlink to offline

Pass 5 quick action drink potion, free action eject clip action change clip to explosive rounds

The flare compensation on his contacts and select sound filter on his earbuds kick in as his wired reflexes slow down the world around him. He upends the table to provide some scant cover, whilst grabbing his rifle, the mixture of cover and armour protecting him from the effects of the grenades.

"Retreat into the bathroom and stay out of the way!" he shouts to the patrons, hoping that they can hear him. He wanted to minimise the casualties as best he could. Seeing all the others he'd been working with previously, their comlinks suddenly going offline, he wanted to rush and check on them. However...

My comlink is down too and we have incoming. Survive first, establish their condition when you get chance.

He necks the potion, grimacing at the taste. I hope he knows what he is doing and isn't poisoning me and it needs some flavouring.

[Death Otter]

Death Otter's armored stealth suit stiffened as the shock wave from the grenade rolled over her, knocking her over in her seat. If not for the booth getting in the way; shielding her from the brunt of the blast, it would have been worse. As it was, her too-soft giblets were spared damage this time.

There was no time for patting herself on the back though; she'd already spotted trouble in the Matrix. The kind of trouble that required a direct hand. She plunged into the digital world fully, even as a swarm of shadowy icons swirled around her...too symmetrically perfect to be living things, each one illuminating her with a bright red laser beam, like target designators.

Her persona, sculpted to resemble an otter that had undergone extensive military-spec cybernetic upgrades, glared around at the things. Normally she'd have said there was no way to fight all of these things at once, but there were subtle patterns in their movements, in their behavior. Otter had seen that kind of emergent behavior before in botnets. This was more sophisticated of course...but even then it was like a tacnet. They were being coordinated through a single source.

She just needed to spot that source before she got her brain fried.

"Alright boys," she said, raising her stubby little cybernetic paws. "You got me."

The cruising, vaguely sharklike shapes swarmed over to her, intent on doing harm most likely. But in a glimpse between the shifting melange of predatory software showed that there was now, in the exact spot Death Otter's avatar had stood, nothing but a wooden log with a stuffed otter head nailed to the top of it.

Otter herself scrambled free of the melee in the momentary confusion...conscious that this was a bit of a rush job and not quite sure what her backup plan was if one spotted her hightailing it away.

Even so, in the shadows of the bar's Matrix representation, she crouched, watching, waiting to see what they'd do.

OOC Comments

Actions: Death Otter focuses on the Matrix threat first, going into Hotsim, clearing her marks with Ninja Vanish as a free action; spending 1 edge to do so, and Hiding as a complex action.

[mudfoot]

Several things happen simultaneously. First, the grenade thrown by Grievous has the desired effect. It stops the front side breaching team cold. They all are unconscious or fall back to the trucks. Fire slackens as every thug ducks into cover. The Helicopter backs off immediately as do the Rotodrones. But almost at once, Blinding strobes and a popular Orxploitation thrash metal song "Neon Flight" come blaring in from all across the store front in multiple sources at a volume that makes your heart jump.
Second, another engine roars in (a bigger one this time) and screeches to a halt outside. It is completely obscured by the Glare and almost totally drowned out by the music.
Third, a group of thugs has entered the bar from the rear exit. Their automatic weapons are firing.

Things to notice:
1. All vision to the front is obscured, that direction is functionally blind.
2. There is so much noise, verbal communication is impossible.
3. The bartender has slipped down into the trapdoor behind the bar!

Death Otter:

The Agents...stop. Its like watching a trid freeze frame. No further action. If you were confused before, now its just wierd. The Agents didn't MARK you with Hack On The Fly while Running Silent. They deliberately did it in the open. Now, when they could be hunting you...they don't.

Grievous:

The door defense was more successful than you hoped for but it seems your teammates are a bit rattled by the excitement and skittering off behind the bar where you can see an open trapdoor. Can't see or hear anything with all that racket but no bullets is a good start. Also, nobody seems to have any Good Ideas. Except the elf who yelled something you couldnt quite make out. "I have to go to the bathroom?" Uh oh. That sounds like a breaching team inside the kitchen!

Sandman:

After palming those Potions and giving yourself a headache casting, you noticed that punk girl face down on the table. Mm. The bartender climbs down into the cellar!

Shrike

The flare compensation is helping but you still can't make out what's happening out there. A big truck engine...the rotors back off...then this racket starts. Also the "cats" are predictably NOT going into the bathroom. They ARE congealing around the backside of the bar where that trapdoor is open. Small victories.

Voice:

You made it! It hurts but you managed. You are behind the bar next to an open trapdoor in the lee of that ridiculous Glare trying to decide what to do next when you hear shouting in Russian (oh so faintly) and automatic fire in the kitchen.

Mamba:

You struggled up and got yourself behind the bar next to the Voice and that trapdoor. Not safe yet though: guns shooting in the back! Noise and Glare out here. You've been in tighter spaces...nothing comes to mind though.

[BlackMamba]

She scrambles to a stop having been running full toward that kitchen door. Seeing the trapdoor, she doesn't take but a split second to change directions. She pulls a feather from her pocket and jumps down through the trapdoor trusting that her Levitation spell will go off before she lands. If she fails and breaks her legs, well, better that then dead.

Levitate-4sux

Magic + Spellcasting 11d6>4: [6*, 3, 6*, 2, 6*, 4, 1, 2, 2, 1, 6*] = 4

Once she is through she moves to the side to get out of other people's way and lowers herself to the ground before dropping the spell.

[Sandman]

Quick Action 1: Reckless Cast Levitation (Force 3)

• Spellcasting: 12 Dice
  • 12d6>4
    Result: 2 - Able to lift up to 400kg at 3m per combat turn. This one is sustained as normal.
  Drain: 12 Dice vs. Drain of F(3)-2+3(Reckless Cast)=4
  • 12d6>4
    Result: All Drain Resisted.

Quick Action 2: Feed Death Otter the Force 3 Potency 3 Draught of Improved Invisibility

• Infusion: 6 Dice: 6d6>4 - 1 Success. Invisible with a Threshold of 1.

With another deep breath and almost a wince at how it may feel afterwards, Sandman wraps the diminutive hacker in mana and lifts her up, bringing her close enough to feed her the Draught of Improved Invisibility and have her wink out of sight. With a quick look, Sandman floats Death Otter over to behind the bar as he follows behind on foot.

Uhhh... what did I get myself into...

[Shrike]

Second initiative pass

OOC Comments

Pass 5
free action grab potion, action shoot nearest goon
shooting 13d6>4: [6*, 3, 2, 1, 5*, 5*, 3, 5*, 6*, 4, 6*, 6*, 2] = 7 12P -3AP semi auto burst -2 to defend against

So much noise, nobody can hear me he gripes to himself as the situation becomes too noisy for words and comms are down for now.

Shrike scoops up the potion left for him by as some new goons burst through the back.

No time for subtlety and these frakkers are between me and my team he decides, turning his assault rifle on the nearest one, letting loose with a burst at the nearest one with explosive rounds.

[Grievous]

Second Pass

Pass 2
Move to Kitchen Door
Kick Door Open
Fire Cavalier Falchion Shotgun at first goon seen.
Pool - 12d6: 6 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 5 + 5 + 3 + 6 + 6 + 2 + 6 + 5 = **51** = 7 Successes
Cavalier Falchion Shotgun
Pool: 12|Accuracy 4(7)|Dam:12P|AP -1|Mode: SS|RC:6|Ammo: 8(m)
GH3 22
—Shotgun Range: 0-10 | 11-40 | 41-80 | 81-150

As the others move through the door in the floor, Grievous covers their descent by firing at the breech team in the kitchen.
He kicks open the kitchen door and fires at the first armed person he sees. Then rolls to the side of door. “All you have to do to keep your lives is turn around and leave. Keep coming and you can keep dying.” once everyone else has left through the trap door he will size it up. If he can fit he will follow.

[mudfoot]

Into Darkness

Post Text
☐ First Mamba and Voice, Then Sandman with Death Otter in tow descend into the cellar. Shrike lays down suppressive fire into the kitchen just behind Grievous blasting a thug off his feet. Like the true professional he is, Shrike gives Grievous a hand signal indicating he is peeling before he too slides down the ladder after the bookish professor followed by the sound of the ear bursting music and the painful erratic flash of strobes. Grievous comes down last with an enormous crash that collapses the cellar floor and drops the entire floor down into darkness!
☐ The crashing of broken structural material continues for some time. Clouds of dust are in the air that gets in your mouth and clogs your nose. Total black except where a team member has a penlight or backup commlink. Clothing is lousy with grit.
☐ The sounds from above are gone, whatever collapsed here, there is a lot of it between you and the surface.
☐ One by one each of you claws your way out of the wreckage, dusty, disheveled, and disoriented. You see what might be a service tunnel, relatively square in cross-section and 8 feet high by 12 feet wide. It extends down away from the surface past the reach of your meager lighting. This is certainly not in the city records: these supports look very old.

☐ Death Otter:

A moment before you were totally committed to a death duel with this unknown hacker and his tribe of Agents who were acting absolutely bizarre. Then it was like the lights went out. Now you have just one source of data. It isnt what you are used to, but it is strangely enough. This strange indigo vapor Resonance manifestation contains code, data, even artistry to it. Fascinating. The indigo Resonance vapor leads down the tunnel beyond your perception.

☐ Grievous:

Did that tough guy just call you a trog??? In sign language?!?

☐ Mamba:

Worse spots. Yup. Here we are. Sigh.

☐ Sandman:

Well...this IS beneath the bar. Maybe NOT a reference to Lyman's Fifth Theorum? Nah! These spirits are all talentless hacks!

☐ Voice:

Its a bit difficult to talk with people when you have the minor inconvenience of a BUILDING ON YOUR HEAD. You are SO getting more money outta that leafeater Yu!

□ Shrike:

Tactical Sitrep: No hostiles detected. Team Status: All present but it looks like that hacker chick you picked up at the scone factory is out. Those two that came in with the giant are a bit wobbly on their feet. Ammo count: Green. Lights? Hmm. Could be an issue down here since the lowlight is degraded. No grenades are coming down through the wreckage, no bullets are flying. Could be worse. Not much mind, but it COULD be.

Your move, omae.

[Shrike]

Shrike

Pulling himself out of the debris, he brushes himself off before looking around more thoroughly.

"Where the slot are we?" Shrike verbally exclaims, looking just a tad irritated.

Area Knowledge: Seattle 6d6>4: [4, 2, 2, 2, 3, 6*] = 1

Looks like it might be the Orc Underground we might have encroached on. Don't know how that's going to go.

"Everyone alright?" he asks, looking at Sandman and Death Otter as he suddenly aims his rifle vaguely in the direction at the new arrivals.

"As I keep getting attacked today and most of my team just got geeked, would you three like to identify yourselves? I recognise you got shot at same as us, but I'm not in the mood for any drek. "

When the others identify themselves with the names, Shrike visibly relaxes and raises his rifle.

"Good, you're the backup. Sorry, the way things have been going, I had to make sure. I'm Shrike, that's Sandman and that's Death Otter. Welcome to the drekshow. This run has gone from simple to clusterfuck in a few hours."

He waits for them to say anything.

"Everything has been hosed. Sandman, Death Otter, tell me some good news please that you've found the target?"

As he realises Death otter is down, he moves to check up on her.
first Aid 5d6>4: [1, 5*, 3, 5*, 4] = 2

[Sandman]

Hmmm... I wonder if there is any magical fungi down here. With these moisture levels, I wonder if I will find some Tricholoma Matsutake Arcana...

"Everything has been hosed. Sandman, Death Otter, tell me some good news please that you've found the target?"

As he realises Death otter is down, he moves to check up on her.

"Death Otter did whatever Technomancers do that is analogous to projecting Astrally for Mages. If it follows the same rules, we need to keep her body near where she left it to help her find her way back. Now for the Target... the Spirit I sent to find him told me 'Find what lies beneath.' My only guess is that maybe it meant these tunnels?!?"

[Grievous]

“Drek!!! We are in the Ork Underground. Make sure you holster and stow your weapons. Weapons will be drawn on you. But you must remain calm. We have the Voice explain we are just trying to get out and they will get us out of here. You will be treated the way that Ork’s are treated topside, if this angers or offends you, you have some soul searching on why you have treated them that way or why you stood silent when someone else did. Stay behind me. In case we run into a jittery inexperienced patrol.”

Grievous puts his shotgun in his holster. He draws his Daicho and stabs it in the ground. He. Takes his armored jacket off. He reholsters his Daicho and put his Jacket back on locking the Daicho in place so that it can’t be drawn.

“Making it clear we don’t pose a threat.”. When everyone is ready Grievous will lead the way.

If Death Otter can’t be awakened He will fireman carry her.

[Death Otter]

"Purple...clown bubbles! What?"

Death Otter sat up and looked around, her 'head' just breaching above the 'surface' of the deeper Matrix, like a seal poking its nose up to take a breath. In this case, into her meatsuit. The LACK of AR objects caught her attention, and then the rubble. And the dust. But this wasn't the bar that had been nuked. They were...basement? A different building?

Whatever. No one was shooting at them.

"Look, these guys brought BUTTER with their GUNS, okay?? Simultaneous physical and digital attack. I had to get CREATIVE to get my jimmy johns out...and then everything just STOPPED. Something's up. The hacker's using a swarm of agents, but they're all centrally controlled or something. When I gave the central control the slip, they ALL lost me. Which is...just...UGH. Okay anyway. POINT is. I have a lead. I'm following it. There's something weird around this section of the Matrix. Something weirder than ME, and OBVIOUSLY I can't have that!"

She coughed and spat out a mouthful of plaster dust, scowling.

"I'll stick to AR for now, but if I have to go full sim I'll need someone to drag my sorry ass along with you until the heat's off."

Otter clapped her hands. "Good? Good! So! What did I miss?"

She was only half-listening though. Most of her attention was on that resonance trail, already following it into the misty deeps of the Matrix, way past where GOD itself feared to tread.

[BlackMamba]

Her voice is filtered, probably the only part of her augments that still is working at the moment but they hear a woman with a decidedly old world British accent respond when asked who they are. "Black Mamba." She groans a bit as she works her way out of the debris being careful to keep the mask on even where it hinders her progress. She makes it after a bit then starts dusting herself off a bit while the others are cursing. "Would being invisible be good or bad here?"

Ork Underground...something about that sounds familiar. It's just at the edge of her brain. She shakes her head then taps on the mask a bit trying to get bits working again. It doesn't do any good. She's not a repair tech and doing it while it was on would probably be difficult anyway. It was going to be costly to fix. She sighs.

"Are you all familiar with Yu?" She didn't know him well and given the bumps and bruises she is currently unable to count, she's mighty suspicious of the setup. Not that the people around her are known to her but they got shot up just like she did so if Yu sent all of them here either he's compromised or he did it on purpose. Either way it wouldn't be good.

[Grievous]

"Are you all familiar with Yu?"

Grievous looks pensive for a few seconds and says, “Do any of us know ourselves? I mean my therapist says this whole jaunt in running is just trying to hold on to what I lost, that the hunt to hurt those to hurt me is a way of coping by hanging on to the things I need to move on from. And maybe she’s right. But so what? Maybe that is what I need now. Maybe this is just one path to finding who I really am now. Maybe this where I will find my purpose. I am good at it. Anyway, that has been nagging at the back of my mind. Never thought I would meet a Runner who was empathetic enough to ask a a question, I need asked. Thank you! Black Mamba is it? Pleasure to meet you. I’m Grievous.” he extends his massive hand for a shake.

[The Voice]

The Voice introduces the three of them, and notes everyone. He nods in understanding of Grievous' comments--he'd already twigged to it being Orktown, but appreciated the advice on conduct. He makes sure his own weapons are well-stowed, though he takes the Predator's holster out of the concealed spot and just loops it over one arm--a lousy place for a fast-draw, but maybe being willing to both show his big gun and make it less accessible will buy them some points.

When Otter surfaces, he replies. "We fell through about four or five levels of fraggin' sub-basement before winding up down here; we're about to try to get through Ork Town to get out. If you gotta go dormant again, I think Grievous, here, has you covered. No one on our side died in the firefight up top, and I don't think they're gonna be chasing us down here any time soon. 'Fore we go on, tho, I'd appreciate it if one of you mage-types could unring my bell. I'm a little concussed, here, and I don't wanna start doin' the Funky Chicken halfway through negotiatin' safe passage, yeah? Stim patches don't do me much good, unfortunately."

[Sandman]

When Otter surfaces, he replies. "We fell through about four or five levels of fraggin' sub-basement before winding up down here; we're about to try to get through Ork Town to get out. If you gotta go dormant again, I think Grievous, here, has you covered. No one on our side died in the firefight up top, and I don't think they're gonna be chasing us down here any time soon. 'Fore we go on, tho, I'd appreciate it if one of you mage-types could unring my bell. I'm a little concussed, here, and I don't wanna start doin' the Funky Chicken halfway through negotiatin' safe passage, yeah? Stim patches don't do me much good, unfortunately."

"There isn't any way for me to use magic to 'Unring Your Bell'. Best I can do is offer the use of my

Rating 6

... or we can find a bolt hole down here and let Father Time help you. @Death Otter Next time give a Dwarf a warning when you are about to face plant into your drink. I used my Magick to conceal you and float you down here. With some warning, I can float float you and conceal you easier. @Grievous All I have is a pistol that may even have a trace of the original packaging on it... and even that is in my backpack. If anyone is physically hurt, I have a Spell to help with that... and I HOPE someone here has the knowhow to fix up my Ikon after it got bricked back there... I don't want to go more into debt with the Vory to get a replacement."

[Shrike]

As Death Otter becomes alert again just as he reaches her, he doesn't bother to check up on her. Then Voice starts complaining about being a bit bruised. This made him actually have to pay attention to him rather than his eyes just gliding past him.

There isn't any way for me to use magic to 'Unring Your Bell'. Best I can do is offer the use of my medkit...

Shrike takes the first aid kit from Sandman.

"Let me," he says as he starts checking Voice over, "now hold still. This won't hurt ... too much. Now, where is that rectal thermometer?"

First Aid 4 successes

OOC Comments

first Aid 5d6>4: [1, 5*, 3, 5*, 4] = 2
first aid kit 6d6>4: [6*, 4, 6*, 2, 2, 1] = 2

[BlackMamba]

"Are you all familiar with Yu?"

Grievous looks pensive for a few seconds and says, “Do any of us know ourselves? I mean my therapist says this whole jaunt in running is just trying to hold on to what I lost, that the hunt to hurt those to hurt me is a way of coping by hanging on to the things I need to move on from. And maybe she’s right. But so what? Maybe that is what I need now. Maybe this is just one path to finding who I really am now. Maybe this where I will find my purpose. I am good at it. Anyway, that has been nagging at the back of my mind. Never thought I would meet a Runner who was empathetic enough to ask a a question, I need asked. Thank you! Black Mamba is it? Pleasure to meet you. I’m Grievous.” he extends his massive hand for a shake.

To the outside viewer she just seems to stare at him for a moment before she speaks. "That's...I am glad I could help." She shakes the Ork's hand with her relatively tiny one. In general, she isn't -that- small. Slender, yes but she is tall for a woman. Still, his hand makes her's look like a child's. She looks at the others, grateful that the mask probably keeps her looking stoic and calm. Her voice certainly seems calm.

[Shrike]

As he finishes up with Voice, he starts considering what their next plan should be. Considering he knew Death Otter and Sandman the most and that had started about an hour ago, getting some idea of what was going on seemed prudent.

"What do you know of what the run is?" he asks the group, his voice on edge as he scans the area "and not meaning to be rude, but could you all give some indication as to your speciality please? This team has been thrown together and the people I did know are currently lying dead upstairs!"

[The Voice]

As he finishes up with Voice, he starts considering what their next plan should be. Considering he knew Death Otter and Sandman the most and that had started about an hour ago, getting some idea of what was going on seemed prudent.

"What do you know of what the run is?" he asks the group, his voice on edge as he scans the area "and not meaning to be rude, but could you all give some indication as to your speciality please? This team has been thrown together and the people I did know are currently lying dead upstairs!"

The Voice nods his thanks, definitely looking better for the care, though still a good ways off from top-notch. "Not rude at all, chummer. Good practice, really. I go by the Voice, s'all anyone ever really remembers, anyway. The three of us got recruited by that cockroach Yu to join your team, 'cause you were having troubles. As for specialty, well, I'm the face-man. If the orks give me a chance to talk, we should be able to get some kind of deal for passage. Oh, and the job now pays 4K a head--I'm not green enough to jump at the first offer a Johnson makes. On top of that, I've got connections I can use on behalf of the team, if this becomes a long-term partnership--including a fence who can take any side-drek we pick up at a fair-for-a-fence-in-the-Sprawl price--but sadly, not much at this particular address. I'll let the others lay out their skill-sets for you."

[BlackMamba]

"Ostensibly, find someone named Dominica Salyers. Directed to the bar." She points up to indicate the place they wound up below. "Hadn't even started when we were nearly blown up and riddled with bullets." Since no one is vouching for Yu, she's pretty ready to say screw it. She's not in the business to die.

Long before she can make that decision, though, they need to get out of where they are. She looks around for a path without yet moving from where she is standing. "Healing could be called my specialty. Made some friends with it.
Though I have a rather rounded mix of skills. Oh, and spirits rather like me."

[Grievous]

"What do you know of what the run is?" he asks the group, his voice on edge as he scans the area "and not meaning to be rude, but could you all give some indication as to your speciality please? This team has been thrown together and the people I did know are currently lying dead upstairs!"

Kind of countering the The Voice, “Money’s nice but the Johnson said this job will make a name for me. Build my rep. As you may have heard, I’m called Grievous. My specialty is making sure you don’t end up like your friends upstairs.” He pauses then says,“I am sorry for your loss, I wish we are could have got here earlier.” He Hesitates reaching and holding his neck awkwardly. “I am not gonna ask specifics but those Russians were excessive. That looked like they had an Army ready and waiting for you guys. I would watch my back with anyone that knew you were doing this run.”

[Shrike]

"Ostensibly, find someone named Dominica Salyers. Directed to the bar." She points up to indicate the place they wound up below. "Hadn't even started when we were nearly blown up and riddled with bullets." Since no one is vouching for Yu, she's pretty ready to say screw it. She's not in the business to die.

"Yu your fixer or your Johnson?" Shrike asks, interest slightly piqued, "it wasn't Yu that gave us this job, so they may be a subcontractor."

I am not gonna ask specifics but those Russians were excessive. That looked like they had an Army ready and waiting for you guys. I would watch my back with anyone that knew you were doing this run.”

"Russian meaning Vory. Considering one of the people they shot was a Vory Enforcer by the name of Mulpa, that's definitely not good."

After everyone describes what they do and adds their piece, he gives them the rundown on the run.

"Well then, to sum up, we got hired to extract Dominica Salyers from her place of employment, allegedly a cookie factory. When we started carrying out recon, it turned out to be a secret Ares facility, carrying out research into something that seems to involve Technomancers," he points at Death Otter to explain before continuing.

"However, things went to drek as a Tir hit team turned up and started fragging people, then another group involving the most chromed person I've ever met was literally ripping people apart and random people got involved. The end result was that the facility was a mess, the target wasn't there, the ripper was dead, somebody, probably both by both other groups, had killed all the personnel on site, the other random people when they woke up after being hit with gel rounds had no idea what was going on and why they were there, the Tir team left when they encountered us and the target wasn't there. We regrouped at the bar, with a trailer with the ripper in to try and figure out who they were and what was going on. That's where you three come in. If the Vory are after us, I don't know if that's because half my team owed them money, Ares decided to blame us for what happened at their factory and subcontracted it out, or they were like the randoms and seemed to be under someone else's control."

Shrike rubs the bridge of his nose, thinking things through. Whatever happens, can't go back, so might as well go forward and try and complete this run. Sandman says the target seems to be down here, though why a Humanis would hide here is another matter, unless that wasn't accurate either.


"Let's move. Grevious you first. The Ork Underground is less likely to shoot you on site, I'll cover the rear and the squishier members of the team in the middle. Voice, you get behind Grevious for most protection and to negotiate with anybody we run into down here. Sandman's spirits indicate the target may be down here, so anything we can do to narrow our search parameters would be helpful." Shrike barks orders with military precision as he preps his weapons as per Grevious, but with the ability to reload quickly just in case, "Any questions?"

[mudfoot]

As the dust settles and the broken heap of structural material stops making disturbing rumbling sounds, everyone notices a distinct sound in the distance down the tunnel. The echoes of voices approaching. They sound conversational but it's much too far away to discern words or language. Powerful spotlights are waving back and forth.

After a few minutes, you make contact with a group of four Orks wearing high visibility coveralls and festooned with safety gear, tools, and lights. They wear hardhats and all are wearing pistols. One of them, stout bodied with grayish skin and a pair of glasses perched on his pug nose addresses you all with a great deal of tension in his voice: "Don't anyone move! That rubble behind you might shift any moment! Do exactly what I tell you and we'll get you to safety."

If you comply, he and his team work with you to move step by careful step away from the debris.

If you do something else, they all back off quickly with a fearful eye on the ceiling calling to you loudly to STOP! If you continue, they flee, the roof collapses and you take 5P from the falling debris.

After a tense minute of extremely cautious extraction, the pug nosed spectacled ork addresses you in an authoritative tone: "You rascals have a lot to answer for! I don't know what you did to cause this, and I don't care. You are going to explain yourselves to the Warden while we get another team out here to keep this whole area from collapsing!" He then sends one of his men back down the tunnel at a run with orders to "Get the Warden and a structural team!"


Things to notice:

1. The rubble and dust have settled. Whether that means it is now stable or on the edge of another cascade is anyone's guess.
2. The tunnel (in which Grievous STILL has to bend over and accomodate that absurdly large sword of his) is roughly 8 feet tall by 12 feet wide and stretches straight on ahead. It is a cement floor broken only by a minor slope into a shallow drain in the center.
3. The Ork workmen appear far more afraid of the ceiling than your scruffy and combat oriented appearance.

Black Mamba

These workmen are wearing MCT coveralls. You saw guys dressed exactly like this after MCT took over.

Death Otter

You are pulled on by this Resonance vapor. A picture of a woman's face appears briefly in the mist. She is handsome rather than beautiful, black hair in ringlets to midback, wearing a street punk outfit. Data swirls around her like an eddy. Height, GPS position, last comcall time... The more you study this, the stranger it looks. This is nothing like what you've seen at work, when you cruise the Resonance off work...nothing similar at all. The Resonance doesn't have this kind of symmetry; it's more chaotic and malleable.

Grievous

You don't recognize these guys. Thank Ghost for that! You hear someone mutter "Traitor" in Or'Zet. You are keenly aware of the rumor network that moves information faster than the speed of light. You won't be under the radar for long.

Sandman

Those droppings? They're Hell Cat spoor. And that fungus on the walls? It ain't black mold. It's a neurotoxic Awakened mold called astragenica formenica, or Shiva's Curse, that drains Essence. Also, it's known to be harmless to mundanes.

Shrike

Tactically you have good position if Grievous is your Shield Wall. These guys are carrying Colt Government 2066 in standard thigh huggers. Nothing special and they aren't setting up for clear lines of fire. You reckon they aren't experienced shooters.

Voice

Your cold read is these guys are not hostile. Their body language indicates fear and tension. You hear them muttering in Or'Zet about "that traitor" and "he ought to be taking a dirt nap". The guy with spectacles is not lying, he is extremely earnest both about the tunnel stability and you lot being in a lot of trouble.

[Sandman]

As he finishes up with Voice, he starts considering what their next plan should be. Considering he knew Death Otter and Sandman the most and that had started about an hour ago, getting some idea of what was going on seemed prudent.

"What do you know of what the run is?" he asks the group, his voice on edge as he scans the area "and not meaning to be rude, but could you all give some indication as to your speciality please? This team has been thrown together and the people I did know are currently lying dead upstairs!

"As you know, I was brought in by the Vory for Awakened assistance to you in the middle of the run, and took a sort of overwatch over the site until you all pulled out. I am a formally trained Hermetic Mage, and my best subjects were Counterspelling, Sorcery, Alchemy, and Ritual Casting. I only have taken the basic courses on Assensing, Summoning, and Magickal Theory. I am new to the Shadows, but my Magick will prove useful enough for me to contribute to any project we have. I am here to get Nuyen to pay my debts to the Vory, as well as to pay to further my magical education. @The Voice, since you seem to be not combat oriented, maybe you should carry the two

A Force 4 Potency 3 Healing Draught (Contact) and a Force 4 Potency 4 Healing Draught (Contact)

to hand out as needed. They should be able to heal a light and maybe even a moderate wound on anyone not cybered.""

Now after the Orks show up...

Sandman

Those droppings? They're Hell Cat spoor. And that fungus on the walls? It ain't black mold. It's a neurotoxic Awakened mold called astragenica formenica, or Shiva's Curse, that drains Essence. Also, it's known to be harmless to mundanes.

"So how long have you had a

Parazoology to determine all that Sandman knows about Hellcats

• 11d6>4: [1, 2, 2, 4, 2, 2, 4, 6*, 2, 6*, 4] = 2

problem down here? If you have had any unexplained disappearances, it could be due to their hunting.

I also assume that you keep any of your awakened friends away from that black coloured mold... it is Astragenica Formenica, or more commonly known as Shiva's Curse, and it can be deadly to awakened people, and works as a neural toxin to us. If

Paramycology to determine all that Sandman knows about Shiva's Curse

• 11d6>4: [1, 6*, 1, 5*, 2, 3, 6*, 6*, 5*, 5*, 6*] = 7

by non-awakened, it can be an effective protection from awakened beings, perhaps even used as a poison against those Hellcats. I think that if you use a 2 to 5 ratio mixture of urine from an awakened metahuman and a solution of 190 or higher proof alcohol, you should be able to wash off a sample of the Shiva's Curse and make it dormant. It should be able to survive dormant in that medium for about 3 months. If you spray that mixture across an opening, it will form a line that paracritters should not cross under most situations. These lines should last for around 2 weeks before needing to be renewed. Weaponizing it in its non-dormant form is too risky if you are near any awakened people or paracritters you do not want to risk killing. It would risk contaminating the surrounding area with enough viable spores to grow another full viable colony of Shiva's Curse. Just like the Stachybotrys Chartarum, commonly known as Black Mold, that it resembles, if you disturb it before turning it dormant or killing it, it will expel spores throughout the area, and unless the area is properly treated, it will just grow an even larger colony. If you spray it with a similar 2 to 5 ration mixture of mundane metahuman's urine and that same 190+ proof alcohol, that should kill it without allowing it to release its spores."

Note that Sandman IS keeping a good distance away from the mold, and pulls on his gas mask as a precaution.

[Grievous]

"Don't anyone move! That rubble behind you might shift any moment! Do exactly what I tell you and we'll get you to safety."

Grievous looks back at the others and says "Do exactly as they say. If they say it is going to collapse it is going to collapse." Hope they listen to me.

"You rascals have a lot to answer for! I don't know what you did to cause this, and I don't care. You are going to explain yourselves to the Warden while we get another team out here to keep this whole area from collapsing!" He then sends one of his men back down the tunnel at a run with orders to "Get the Warden and a structural team!"

"We aren't looking for trouble, we were topside when the floor collapsed. We didn't come here on purpose. We will meet with whoever you want if we can hurry up and get out of here."

Grievous - You don't recognize these guys. Thank Ghost for that! You hear someone mutter "Traitor" in Or'Zet. You are keenly aware of the rumor network that moves information faster than the speed of light. You won't be under the radar for long.

In Orcish with an obvious accent. "You call me a traitor standing behind your cohorts? Yellow doesn't suit you chummer. A real Ork would say it to my face and accept what would be coming to them. In this case it would be ripping off your arms and beating you to death with them." This is the first

Or'zet: 1d6!>4: [1] = 1 Roll of 1 : The above is what he intended to say but not sure what he said.