Badlands Part 1: Skinning A Whitebone

GM: Vulcan
Players: Kassandra, Simone, Serel cameo
Synopsis: The players are hired to rescue someone with a very short time table.
Date: December 29, 2069


Skinning A Whitebone

Silk

Silk sits in front of the old desk in her study, considering the files before her. Money is transferred in and out of various hidden accounts while anonymous emails skitter to and fro across the Matrix, off to clients and agents alike. The elven girl quietly scribbles notes on expensive parchment, only occasionally looking at the reference documents before her. Work, in all its myriad glory, goes on quietly as soft music plays in the background.

The doorbell to the stately Thistlewood compound rings. No indications of a visitor on the house monitors, no warnings from the systems in the canyon, no barking of the dogs. Magical security, such as you may have, may in fact be alarmed, but the doorbell ringing is so far, a pretty begnine sort of 'hello world'.

Silk raises an eyebrow as the doorbell rings but nothing shows on the monitors nor the other alarm systems. Rising from her seat, she'll tug on mystical leashes, of a sort, bringing two of her more formidable elementals to bear. That done, she'll head to the door, recovering one of the bewildering assortment of weapons she has around the house along the way.

Looking at the monitors shows no one standing at the front door. Looking out the peephole, shows a blond woman in her late 30s, maybe early 40s. She stands, politely, at the door, in clothing that's far to thin and skimpy to be comfortable in the snow and cold of Denver's Ute Mountains.

CrowSpirit.jpg

Hm. Silk debates internally for a second, perhaps two. She issues a short command in Elvish to the thin air, "Defend me if I am attacked." With that, she'll stuff the gun in her waistband at the small of her back and swing the door open, a smile coming to her lips as if practiced a million times. Maybe it was. "Hello, can I help you?"

The woman turns her smile to Kassandra. She tilts her head just slightly, looking at her. Then she opens her mouth to speak.

"CAW!"

Yeah. She's not so much a good conversationalist. She offers one hand forward, a simple bit of paper clutched inarticulately in the hand.

Blink. Blink. Kassandra blinks at the woman, eyes going distant as she looks past the Veil at the strange .. thing. She'll take the paper delicately from the hand and lets her vision return to the here and now. "How .. interesting."

Yeah. The creature in front of you is a surprisingly low power watcher spirit. Probably a force 2-3. Just enough to make it here, and deliver the message. Perhaps, even.. so low power as to be specifically non-threatening.

The paper is a trix-number. the Area code identifies it as a Ute based prepaid cellphone.

"You have delivered your message and done so admirably. Go now and return to your master, they must miss you." Silk looks over the number again, then up and over the property, the sky above. Curiouser and curiouser. She'll turn to head back in unless the spirit gives reason for her to stay.

"CAW!" Says the spirit, then shimmering out of existence.


Simone

Simone bids farewell to the kindly proprietor of the Mountain Hills apartments and walks to a bus stop, bundled up against the cold with a scarf tied under her chin. Her daily trips to the public library require her to take public transportation, which she begrudgingly accepts, wearing headphones in her ears and burying her nose in one of her treasured volumes made of real paper.

Headphones make for a dreadful sort of deadening of the world around you. Eyes on the paper, ears full of music, it's impossible to keep a keen eye on the world around you. A crow of misanthropic proportions, the sort of thing seen in a bad child's drawing, flutters through the door unheard, unseen by the distracted Simone. It lands on the table about 10 feet down from her. Cocking its head, it caws loudly… but is not heard by the woman. It hop-canters 3 feet closer, then eyes the book, then cocks its head back to Simone. It caws again, but elicits no reaction. Now, it skips three paces closer… it's expression grows more vexed. CAW says it, louder again… Failing, again, to rouse Simone from her bibliological reverie, it takes a drastic step. It canters forward, to hop on to her book, it's feathered(?) mass suddenly and irrevokably obscuring her vision.

CAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!

crow.gif

Simone shrieks in surprise, her heart nearly bursting, and turns her head to the impossible crow before her. Her yelp brings the attention of others in the quiet hall, but whether they can see the creature, only the powers that be can be sure. She welcomes this absurd image of a familiar form and peers into the star-bright world for any clarification on its purpose.

It's a spirit, that much is blindly obvious. It nods smugly once the woman's attention is gained. It then produces, from wings that become hands with feathered fingers, a scroll and quill. Scritch scritch scritch scratch, and a number is drawn. It drops that upon the woman's work, then bows over said feathered arm.

The girl takes the scrawled digits and turns the paper upright to read… Finding what appears to be a phone number, she silently looks to the crow-figure for confirmation, pulling out her cell phone as an interpretive geture.

"Caw." is all the crow says, seemingly satisfied. It then flaps off noiselessly, to disappear out the arched colonnade that leads to the main repository.


Serel

Serel is working out in the gym, her usual trenchcoat traded in for a sports bra and capri-style workout pants, beating the ever-loving piss out of a perfectly innocent heavy bag. She's been at it a while, and can probably go for another while more. Very spry, for a woman of her age. Very spry indeed.

Spry. And attractive, to be fair. Slinking up behind Serel as she beats the bag senseless, the trenchcoated man rolls his neck, a smirk playing across costumed and bepainted features. Slits of eyes and broad strokes of mouth turn in to amusement, dancing across cake covered lines of form and face. One booted foot comes to rest atop a bench used for its namesake pressing, arms coming to cross and rest across the raised knee. "And then, Abashed the Devil stood and felt how awful Goodness is… but what did goodness feel, standing before wickness in all her glory?"

dravencrow.jpg

Serel pauses in her attack to turn and regard the man, dabbing at her face with her towel. She doesn't look particularly surprised or frightened upon seeing him, and gives his statement a moment of consideration. "Goodness felt that, though they were enemies most ancient, she and wickedness were sisters in all but appearance, born together, fated to die entwined in each others arms. For the path to hell is paved with good intentions."

The man in the painted face tilts his head, black painted lips splitting to show ivory teeth of impossible perfection beneath. "I bet you say that to all the boys." He intones, before stepping forward with a flourish of movement, a hand coming to produce a scroll. "Do you know why the people used to put coins in the mouths of the dead, Serel? So that they could pay the reaper to take them across the river Styx. Only, the Platte will have to serve, and my master is not Charon. Call him. He will answer."

Serel merely smiles in response to the man, displaying her own perfect teeth. "Well, since you ask so nicely, I have no choice but to obey. Especially with such a charming delivery boy. Shame you can't stick around. I'd like speaking with you." She takes the scroll, opening it to read.

The other hand, covered in electrical tape and raggedy gloves, overturns and unclench's, letting two coins of unknown provenance and countenance fall in symmetrical asymmetry for the ground. "Victims; aren't we all?" Asks he… and when Serel's eyes are momentarily drawn to the coins, he simply vanishes.

Serel nods, not expecting any less, and stoops to grab the coins off the ground, pocketing them as she heads for her bag and her phone.

One's a wooden nickle, the others a poker chip from Harrah's, Reno.

The Call

Everyone:

You dial the number, connecting the line. It turns out to be a multi party call. Once the three of you are connected, the line informs that they await a final connection that will connect in 30 seconds.

Simone seats herself on a closed toilet in order to make the call without drawing more attention to herself from the others in the library any more than she has already.

Serel takes the call away from the main area, along with her bag, looking for a quiet spot but not really caring about the general public's reaction to her.

Silk dials in via the encrypted phone system in her office, the redundant system routing the call via a number of secure satellite connections and land lines, giving her a reasonable measure of security.

After the thirty seconds counts down, the line comes active with a final connection.

"Nawah, ladies." Offers the somewhat husky male voice on the other end of the line.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "I'll take int or linguistic skill checks to identify the greeting."

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence for "Identify":
1 1 1 2 3 4 4 5 10 10 11

«Auto-Judge[]» Serel (#10352) rolls Intelligence:
3 3 5 5 7

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence:
1 1 2 5 5 11

Simone offers a soft, unsure greeting somewhere between the level of a whisper and normal speech.

Silk hmms softly before keying the speaker, remarking, "Good evening. You seem to have gone to some small trouble to get my attention; how can I be of assistance?"

Serel nods as the call is multi, then again as the man picks up. "Good evening yourself, sir." She waits to see what the man wants with putting the three of them together.

"I only have five and a half minutes for this call, and I had less time to arrange the communications. I apologize…" Maybe a slight trace of a lisp, noted by Silk clearly, only vaguely by Simone… "For any problems with my methodology. I will be brief. Ms. Clarence Whitebone is currently at a safe house in the SLC AZ. She needs to make it to the Ute sector of Denver, within the next 9 hours. The sympathizers in SLC cannot hide her much longer and cannot act violently to defend her from the Ministry of Self Determination.

«OOC» Vulcan will take int or academic related knowskills re: Ms. Whitebone or the Political Knowskills re: Ministry of Self Determination.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Serel: However, you know the ministry of Self Determination is a somewhat recent addition to the Ute Government."

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Politics:
4 5
«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence:
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 8

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Eco-Activist Groups:
3 4 10
«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Street Rumors:
1 4

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Kassandra: The Ministry is an internal security apparatus, with broad powers to secure the 'self reliance' of the Ute People and 'root out anglo sympathizers'. It's been linked to more than a half dozen political roundups in the last few weeks."

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Simone: You know, it's odd. The MoSD is not an eco group, but they seem to have been involved in the rounding up of several Ecological activists in the Ute Nation recently. People protesting Japanese economic development nearer to Reno."

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence:
1 3 3 5 11 15

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Matter of Fact, yes. She's a grand dame of ecological reform in the eco-circles. She's known for trying to close down Kennicot Copper Mines near SLC and force more concessions from Saeder-Krupp, the owner of that area. She's a well known speaker and also, a noted Pawnee wise woman. Not a shaman, but a tribal elder."
«OOC» Vulcan says, "She's about 70."
«OOC» Vulcan says, "Human, as a note."

Simone, concern in her voice, confirms her interest in a low whisper. "Ja, I can be at a meet location in… fifteen or tventy?" The sound of a stall door creaking is followed by loud, echoing footsteps on her end of the line.

You paged Vulcan with 'Does this person sound familiar, btw? From trideo or news conferences?'.

Vulcan pages: Gimmie a roll of int or appropriate knwoskil

Serel nods. "Sounds like a simple enough job. I second the other questions." She heads for the locker rooms to get cleaned up and changed.

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence (to Vulcan) for "Not sure what Knowskill would be good here. Identify speaker, the lisp seems to indicate a number of things, perhaps tusks…":
1 2 2 2 3 3 3 5 5 5 17

Vulcan pages: Yeah. It fits having tusks. The voice is slightly modulated, but you're able to trace under that… its a 81 percent match for Mr. Huhuseca.
Long distance to Vulcan: Kassandra nods
Vulcan pages: it's a reasonable supposition, that given the separate nature of the Denver sectors as relates to their national governments, that he's under surveillance and can't act openly.

"This is the meet location. I am not at disposal for a personal meeting. I have placed 60,000 nuyen in a secure account, which you can verify, to be delivered after successful completion. I will place another 15,000 nuyen in an open account that can be drawn from immediately as a gesture of good faith."

Silk doesn't bother with the check of the funds, stating simply, "I accept and will be there." That's it, nothing else, no gilding the lily. She is already up and moving, keying the comm system to follow her through the house as she prepares, moving to collect several duty bags and clothing for a variety of situations.

Simone comments, "If you could send the account routing codes immediately, I vill do this."

"I have 3 minutes left for this conversation. You will contact this number (XXXXXXX) once you arrive in Salt Lake City. Under no circumstances are you to trust any representative of the Ute Government until you arrive in Denver. Am I exceedingly clear? Routing numbers are being sent now on a sub-channel."

Eying the assortment of clothing, Silk responds crisply, "I understand completely."

Simone's whisper reverberates still, from her location. "Who are we to contact? You have a name for us? And are they to be fully trusted..?"

Serel nods again. "I understand, and I'll be there." She then goes about getting all clean and ready to face the job. Luckily, she isn't far from home, so it'll only be a quick stop to grab her kit before heading out.

"Drop off point will be in the Flat Irons FRFZ Park. That will be arranged in more detail when you arrive in Denver and are confirmed. Special provisions involve Ms. Whitebone being alive and unharmed, preferably with no one knowing she's lift the SLC area. I would prefer it if you can avoid harming or killing any Ute Nationals."

"I understand completely and that is acceptable. We'll speak with your agents at the meeting point then." Silk cuts the outgoing transmission, still listening as she dresses.

The sound of hailing a taxi is audible through Simone's connection, a door slam and a quick explanation of directions.

"90 seconds. Unless there are further questions… I will terminate this communication."

«OOC» Vulcan says, "You have been given a number to call once you are in the SLC-AZ."
«OOC» Vulcan says, "Thereupon you will be given a pickup point."
«OOC» Vulcan says, "You will then arrange travel for Ms. Whitebone to Denver. Whereupon you will call another number to confirm arrival and find out where to drop off."
«OOC» Simone says, "And do the funds have any name or organization linked to them? The depositor?"
«OOC» Vulcan says, "If you have any of this information before hand, you become a security risk."
«OOC» Vulcan says, "'W.E. Coyote'. is the name on the account."

"I am terminating this phone call. Good luck."
W.E. Coyote has left the voice conference.

To Salt Lake City

Within moments of the call terminating Silk is moving through the house with bags in hand. It's 500+ miles, give or take, to Salt Lake City. That doesn't leave much time to plan or get the principle and get BACK to Denver. These are the things Silk dwells on as she snags items and preps to leave.

Serel calls from the shower. This time of day, she's got the place to herself. "So, ladies. Who am I working with, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The clock is ticking. And you can call me Silk." Silk doesn't add more for that, pausing only to tap on the display screen in the kitchen to make her final plans, "We have precious little time to arrive in Salt Lake City and then get back here with the principle intact."

Honking horns and the whirring of traffic are slightly muffled by the phone connection, but Simone's German accent calls out to Serel with, "Call me Gretchen," and she waits for responses in turn.

Simone says, "Now, I don't have a vehicle of my own. How do you two propose we make the trip?"

Serel nods as she finishes up her shower. "I'm Serel. I think I've worked with you both before. Glad to have you along."

Map, closer, closer. Silk remarks, "There is a transit station in Salt Lake City on State Street. We can link up there and move to make the call."

Serel frowns at her phone as she carries it back to the locker room to get dressed. "Well, I've got plenty of vehicles, but I'm still not clear on where we're actually meeting." She blinks at the phone. "In Salt Lake? Not down here?"

The sound of a door slamming. A quick negotiation. Clicking heels at a run. Simone aka Gretchen darts into her apartment building and dresses for the run while leaving the call on speaker. The sounds of zippers and the shuffling of heavy fabrics. To Serel's comment, "Ah, I'm in Denver, ja." More sounds of scrounging and packing.

"The number is for SLC. The target is in SLC. The time frame doesn't really give us much in the way of options to come from here to there after the call, which will cut down any recon time and force us to move far faster than might be advantageous." Silk locks things down and moves quickly now.

Another door slam. Feet pounding without the telltale click of heels. "Fuck. I need to get picked up. I can catch a cab to meet in the middle." Simone sounds exasperated and out of breath.

Simone speaks breathily, her accent thicker under the strain of running. "Vhich highvay do ve take. I can meet a driver near ze FTZ if zat helps."

"Meet in the middle?" Silk seems confused, starting her car and heading towards Howling Coyote Airport. She sends the appropriate paperwork for a flight to SLC, the only real way to cross the intervening space in enough time that this isn't a wash from the getgo. "I-80 and I-70 both head to Salt Lake City, although you'll have some checkpoints to play with."

Simone searches a map application on her pda and decides to go with Silk's statement. "Ja, if we can catch an immediate flight it should get us there, but we'll have to catch anozer immediate flight /back/. And if our… friend is being looked for, ze airport will be tricky on ze way back." She gives someone, presumably her cab driver, directions to the Airport.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Simone: What sector do you live in?"
«OOC» Simone says, "CAS. Mountain Hills."
«OOC» Vulcan says, "and what airport are you going to?"
«OOC» Simone says, "Centennial!"
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 1 for "Does Centennial offer direct flights to the Ute Nation? 6+, yes. otherwise, divert to DIA in the UCAS sector.":
5
«OOC» Vulcan says, "Your taxi driver will politely suggest if you want to get to the SLC area, you're going to need a commercial flight out of Dunkelzhan International Airport, the -big- airport. Alas, that's an extra charge and a longer drive."
«OOC» Vulcan says, "Border crossings and all."

"Scheisse!" Simone responds to some inaudible mumbling in the vehicle, and the sound of screeching tires is heard. "I have to go to Dunkelzahn. I'll be as quick as I can, ladies."

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 1 for "How willing is the driver willing to push the legalities?":
5
«OOC» Simone says, "I'll roll fast talk to get him on my side if that's not enough"
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 2 for "Minutes it takes Simone to get through the UCAS border check with SIN EURO-07451-000R3W-0007ME-KPS (Real)":
1 3

"I will meet you in Salt Lake City at the aforementioned place." With that, Silk kills the call and goes about her business.

Serel finishes getting ready and heads for her car, intent on getting back to her place to grab all of her gear before heading out. "Hmm. How long would it take to get to SLC in a car, ladies? I know at least one of you has a trix plug right there, speed you're getting info."

«OOC» Vulcan says, "What weapons are you carrying Simone, on your legal flight?"
Simone books a ticket for the next nearest flight that suits her travel time via pda and begins to stare out the window intensely.

«OOC» Simone says, "None."
«Plot» Vulcan says, " Simone takes 45 minutes to get to the airport. She carries no weapons and only a bit of legal armor on the flight. The cab and flight will cost her 1,000 nuyen."

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 1 for "What kind of flight is available to SLC RIGHT NAO ZOMG????":
2

«Plot» Vulcan says, " Simone will get a puddle jumper commuter plane. She's seated just behind the engine but the flight will only take 3 hours. So 4.5 hours after she gets the job, she will land in SLC."

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Kass: What are your travel arrangements?"

«OOC» Kassandra says, "I will take one of the Mustang's, whichever can be ready to go by the time I can get there."
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 1 for "Which mustang is available for flight?":
9
«OOC» Vulcan says, "Mustang Alpha is ready for immediate transit. It's currently configured for a private charter Aerotaxi."

«OOC» Kassandra says, "Wonderful. We'll file and go as soon as I hit the tarmac."

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Stallion has a top speed of 305 miles an hour. With flight prep and filign flight plans, travel time of 2 hours to SLC-AZ."

Serel curses as the info is given. "Well, drek. I don't suppose either of you would have a plane I could hop on, would you? I really don't feel like explaining weapons to authorities. I'll pay passage, if that's an issue."

Serel realizes that Silk isn't on the line any more. "Alright, never mind. I'll work it out." She hangs up and dials up her fixer. "Hey there, Biggs. Can you arrange a weapons drop for me in SLC? I need some gear, and I've got to make a legal flight."

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Etti, tN 4"

«Auto-Judge[]» Serel (#10352) rolls Etiquette vs TN 4:
1 1 2 4 8 = 2 Successes

"Bitch, why you be callen me with legal flights. Just hop a T-Bird. Crazy ass point ear mothafucka…"

Serel was unable to make her connection and is out at this point.

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City Autonomous Zone Civil Airport #2. Located south of the city limits proper, but well within the AZ, the airport is a central location for charter flights in and out of the city, with a small fleet of Aerotaxies and more than a few car rental agencies. A hustling, bustling metroplex, Salt Lake City puts the lie to the truth of Ute Poverty.

Once Alpha touches down, Silk will set up refueling and turn around for the craft, prepping it to be ready for her call. And that call will come a number of ways. First, she'll set up channels and call codes for the craft. Secondly, she will ask Amalthea to stay with Mustang Alpha until she calls for her. Their link allows her near instantaneous contact and that could be a deciding factor. She'll introduce the craft to the familiar. "You two be good now, and I'll be back soon." With that, Silk will snag a rental and head towards State Street to wait for the others.

Mustang Alpha's onboard Drone Pilot says: "SIR YES SIR! STAYING BEHIND TO GUARD THE LZ! A-TEN-HUUUUUUUUUUT!"

Simone doesn't even get a window seat on her cramped, noisy flight, and so contents herself by flipping through a manual of the occult practices of pre-awakening cults.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "You have 2 hours left to do something while waiting for Ms. Simone."
«OOC» Kassandra says, "I will spend that time getting a read on the city, the streets, avenues to the airport and high enough buildings to render that moot if I need to go airborne and meet Alpha in the sky. getting the lay of the land, so to speak."
«OOC» Vulcan nods. Give me an int roll. TN is 8.
«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence vs TN 8 for "Layout of the city":
1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 9 11 16 = 3 Successes
«OOC» Vulcan naws. That's fine. You get +3 dice to use in any rolls relating to city lay out. They are one time bonuses, and can be used singly or together.
«OOC» Kassandra says, "I will speak with Ronnie Running Bear while I get some coffee, see if she knows something about Whitebone."
«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Etiquette + 1 vs TN 4 for "Speaking with contact":
1 1 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 10 = 5 Successes

The conversation is a winding one, but when Whitebone is mentioned, Ronnie mentions that she's a respected wise woman. No one is ever really sure if she's got magical talent or not, but she was known to be in the dancers. She's been living in the SLC area for a while, working with the Mormon Authorities in the last 30 years, but also fighting against the corporate dominance of the mineral rights of the Ute Nation as a whole. She's started speaking out against the increased Japanese presence in the country, not from Xenophobia, but from well reasoned economic arguments that show the Japanese are not dealing in good faith.

Silk will drink in the information, thanking Ronnie while drinking her coffee and waiting for the arrival of Simone and Serel. The elven woman dwells on the information, making a few notes in her datapad, most especially 'Japanese' circled several times.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Simone will land around now. Luckily, her puddle jumper will be landing here at SLCMA#2"

Serel… uh… She… her plane had a minor equipment failure and she is delayed beyond reason and drops from the mission.

Simone disembarks and rushes through the airport, offering her SIN when needed for verification. She double checks the number for Silk, received some hours ago, and dials upon arrival. She waits in the taxi zone in order to hurry on to the next destination."

Line number seven rings for Silk. She'll switch to that number and pick up. "Silk." That's all, no more, no less. She waits at a little cafe outside of the transit station, watching the street life and relaxing. There is time to be tense later.

"Oh yes. Enjoying a coffee on State Street and considering that the new style of Levi-Arasaka jeans are a little too short for my liking. I take it you have arrived?" Silk nods politely at a Mormon couple that passes by, dressed rather conservatively all things considered.

Salt Lake City: The cleanest, most polite city in all North America. It's an odd fact that SLC has no warrens, no sprawl, no 'poor peoples' sector. The odd social welfare of the Mormon people has ensured, coupled with its strong economic foundation, that the faithful are cared for and employed.
The hard part is getting a residency permit.

Simone speaks hurriedly, and evidently a touch winded from her airport jog. "State Street. Shall I meet you at ze cafe?" The sound of a gentle "Oof," along with a car door slamming can be heard.

"Yes. Then we will make a phone call and decide what to do from there." Silk eyes the time and remarks, "And tell the driver to step on it."

The German opens herself up to the astral after requesting the cafe of her driver and notices in horror that the mana levels seem depleted somehow. She's studied at university, and is aware of the occurrence of such things, but she's never been plunged into a mana ebb of her own volition before. Should've done more research. But as it was a hasty decision to come here, she decides to bite the bullet. She looks to the sky and attempts to draw a spirit to her through the nearly invisible astral plane.

«OOC» Simone says, "And legality of conjuring. If I'm spotted summoning the force 4 spirit, is that illegal even though it won't show, or is the /resulting/ conjuration what has the law applied to it?"

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Etiquette (Magic) vs TN 6 for "knowing about SLC summoning laws":
2 2 3 3 4 = 0 Successes

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Now give me a basic int check"
«OOC» Simone says, "at 6?"
«OOC» Vulcan says, "No, no TN. It's for my reference."
«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence:
1 1 2 5 5 7

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Now, consider this. You live in a mana ebb. You are not used to seeing magic. People may practice magic up to force 3 without a permit. Anything over that, requires a permit. Any magic you see in SLC, is automatically over force 3 by its very nature, so its VERY attention getting."

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Illegal or not…"
«OOC» Vulcan says, "It will draw notice."

Simone offers her cabbie an extra twenty to speed along to the cafe. She is slightly bewildered by the environment (astrally, that is) but she calms herself for the encounter with Silk.

Silk will be waiting at the cafe, just another patron having a nice day and enjoying the city. She has acknowledged the mana ebb and doodled a few notes to herself about it, making several frowny faces.

Pulling up to the cafe, Simone slots her cred for the cabbie, rolling off the extra cred from the meter on the stick and proceeds to seek out a woman who she has no visual of. Phone. Dialing Silk's number yet again, the German watches to see who answers…

A small elven woman sits at a table, her height hard to tell from sitting but certainly smaller than the normally willowy examples of her metatype. The dark-haired and voluptuous woman answers her phone with a quick dart of her hand, the other holding a steaming cup of coffee.

Simone prays that she ended up at the right place as her cab putters away down State Street…

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6 for "for spotting her?":
4 4 5 5 7 7 = 2 Successes

Simone remains on her cell as she approaches the smaller woman, awkwardly waving and saying hi through the device as she comes to the table.

Simone wears a thick black longcoat in a peacoat style with a pristine white scarf about her neck and long dyed-red hair hanging in her face from beneath a crocheted black winter hat.

The echo through the phone plus the movement is enough to alert Silk that she is being approached and probably by the person on the phone. She'll hang up and nod to Gretchen, gesturing towards an open seat and speaking aloud, "Good day. Shall we make our call before all our time piddles away?" She'll motion over the wait staff to get Simone a drink as she dials the number they were given.

Simone concedes to Silk's advice through the phone again before grimacing and slipping the device into her jacket. "Just a soykaf, thanks," she says in her lilting accent, sending the server away so they can speak. "Ja, let's make the call. Sorry about the time. I had to catch a flight…" She trails off, her explanation not really necessary.

Pulling the phone /back/ out, ze German syncs up with Silk for another conference call.

The elf nods and pauses before hitting the code, "It happens." She pulls out an earpiece so that she can hear the call privately, nodding as the devices sync up.

The phone rings once. Then twice. Then there's a lull with no rings, as the call is transfered across an internal PBX system. "Hello and welcome to MOVIEFONE!

Now playing in theaters: The Adventures of Whitebone and Rattlefish! To find local theaters playing The Adventures of Whitebone and Rattlefish, press ONE!

Now playing in theaters: StarTramps of Mars. To find local theaters playing StarTramps of Mars, press TWO!

Now playing in theaters! Karl Kombatmage vs The Atlantian Hoard! To find local theaters playing Karl Kombatmage vs The Atlantian Hoard, Press THREE!"

Simone cocks her head, looking to Silk. She appears not to have understood all of the loud movie jargon, but Whitebone, that was fully comprehended.

Silk presses one on her phone, raising an eyebrow. She doesn't speak aloud, but waits for more on the 'movies.'

"You have selected 'The Adventures of Whitebone and Rattlefish!'. Local theaters playing this movie include Trolley Square Independent Cinema! Located at 367 Trolley Square in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City Autonomous Zone. Show times are: Now!"

"WOuld you like to purchase tickets?"
"Press ONE! For other shows, Press TWO!"

Looking at her co-conspirator curiously, the red-headed woman carries on with the seemingly foolish menu system. She presses 'one' to purchase tickets after receiving the "theater" address.

The words hardly escape the phone before Silk is up and moving, pressing 1 and dropping payment for their drinks. She motions to Simone, moving towards the rental vehicle swiftly.

Simone stands up and waves away the server bringing the soykaf, following the elf to the vehicle.

"We're sorry, this show is SOLD OUT. Please see the box office for cancellations! The Box Office is located at 367 Trolley Square in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City Autonomous Zone. THANK YOU FOR USING MOVIEFONE!"

The human woman presses the End Call button and begins searching for 367 Trolley Square on the phone screen as they approach the car.

Silk will have the car started and be ready to go. "Alright." She'll wait for Simone before taking off, staying within the legal limits for SLCAZ but definitely not driving slowly. "If you happen to see a shortcut, that would be great."

Traffic is light. It's an orderly city where most of the commuters use the extensive public transit system. As such, the majority of the traffic is taxis and commercial vehicles. Trolley Square is a building that's 220 years old, a massive old Trolley System Car-Barn that takes up a 10 acre block. It's got its own parking garages, and internal address system.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Transit time: 20 minutes. -2 minutes for every success on car, Tn 4"

Simone climbs in and fastens her belt, nodding to Silk as she types away.

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Car vs TN 4 for "20 minutes base, -2 mins per every success":
3 3 = 0 Successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Car vs TN 4 for "20 minutes base, -2 mins per every success, karma reroll kp 1/?":
1 4 = 1 Success

The Mall

18 minutes! The car rolls to a stop with precision, the doors opening as soon as the engine dies. Silk is up and out in a heartbeat, looking over the building for obvious signs of threat while all the while moving to head inside.

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence for "Standard elfie senses":
1 2 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 5 23

Simone leaps from the vehicle and searches the surroundings as well, spotting nothing but standard mall traffic, unless…

The Black Ford Americar in the Handicapped parking without the handicapped placard. It -screams- Government all over it. It's weird. Even though the natives are not 'the G-Men', they do ape their ways a lot because they are effective. The mall is well stocked with people right now.

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence:
1 1 3 4 5 8
«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence for "Astral check. Crazy TN":
1 1 2 3 4 11

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 8 vs TN 8 for "Mystery":
2 4 4 5 5 7 9 11 = 2 Successes

The astral here is… really really bleak. The sort of bleak that means it's the barest wisps of there. A few plant's aura's stand weakly in the mist.

Silk's heels do not click on the floor of the mall, they are treated NOT to do that. The tiny elf moves swiftly, eyes scanning the addresses along the shops as she moves with purpose, but never running. She is vigilant for danger but attempts to move without drawing more attention than is necessary.

Her astral senses reveal even less than her normal sight in these conditions so Simone disables the perception, and the mall-walk gets underway. As the pair of women enter, she scans about to find the quickest route UP.

The store directory indicates 367 is on the top floor. The mall is built around an open, central court yard with a fountain at the bottom. All around, kiosks display cultural data on the Mormon Nation, the Ute Nation and the cultures and cooperation between the two peoples going back as far as the Mormon/US war.

Simone ignores the historical details and seeks out an elevator or escalator…

Hell. Even a ladder would do.

They are conveniently placed around the mall to increase foot traffic, making you cross around to the other side of the mall to go up another floor. In the end, it's like a small hike.

Silk scans them with polite interest, but doesn't stop. She'll continue moving, the addresses clearly indicative of where to go. She'll continue moving, making some mental notes to come back to shop when she has time.

Simone carries on with her companion, power walking through the milling people as fast as her legs can carry her without giving away the urgency of their mission.

Top floor, with a very nice view of the mall below… A pair of gentleman lounge on a park style bench, sipping Coffee from designer paper cups, seeming to be people watching. Crystalle Passage is right there, its exterior molded in to a facade of a cave entrance. "Behold, the mystery of crystal!" exclaims a banner.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "int checks, TN 6."

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6:
1 1 5 8 11 15 = 3 Successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence vs TN 6 for "What's that?":
1 2 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 9 10 = 2 Successes

The men? They are armed. Looks like the bulge made by a standard issue 9 in a hip holster.

Silk's eyes skate over the armed muscle and then to the shop, not slowing in the slightest nor acknowledging them beyond the look. She is dressed in a conservative fashion, after all, and for the weather. She doesn't appear armed or she might even have a howitzer in her skirt.

Foot traffic is understandably lesser up here. Theres maybe 30 or so shoppers within 50 feet in either direction.

Simone mutters to Silk without looking at her directly, nor looking to the armed gentlemen. "Do we go in or should we watch?" She scans the entrances to other nearby stores that would have a good view of the Crystalle Passage.

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Mystery":
2 3 5 5 22
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Mystery":
1 2 2 2 4

Silk answers by way of movement, heading towards the shop and looking to enter. She'll speak offhand, mentioning, "Time."

Simone pauses at the entrance to examine some bauble laid out in a hallway display to draw customers in. She feigns interest as she looks over the entrance to the shop, this time with her astral perception.

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence:
2 3 4 5 5 7

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Int checks, both of you."

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence for "Random check":
1 2 2 3 3 3 5 5 8 11 17
«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence for "cause he said so ;)":
1 1 4 4 5 5

The store seems remarkably unmagical, uninteresting on the astral. However… Kass notices… Across the way, the two men on the bench get interested in Simone, one after the other elbows him and nods with his chin.

The attention to Simone is noted but doesn't slow Silk's steps any. She doesn't have the time to ward off possible paramours of the woman, and if it is trouble, the further away she can get the better.

Oblivious to the attention, she waits at the entrance long enough for Silk to take a few steps before tossing down the chintzy "magical" trinket and following.

The store is… every bad cliche of an occult store crossed with a Native-American themed Hot Topic. The girl behind the counter has a neo-tribal tattoo on her face, covering her eye… She's Anglo, but clearly a native Poseur. "Hey, welcome to the Crystalle Passage. What are you lookin' for?"

Simone offers a faint smile through a wall of candy-apple red hair to the clerk and simply shrugs, taking stock of the shop itself.

Silk smiles warmly and offers, "Well, actually, I am hoping you can help me find a sim? It is 'The Adventures of Whitebone and Rattlefish?' My friend tells me it has ALL the right fashions but tends to sell out fast?"

The girl is about to answer, when the two men from outside enter. She huhs quietly, then checks the computer. "We're out of stock on the Winds of the Navajo… but if you really like wind flutes, try Carlos Nakai? He's actually Ute, so he's more in line with the Ute ideals of Self-Determination, you know."

Simone idly looks through a rack of tees while facing the door, listening in on the conversation.

The two men seem to be casually browsing, in so much as two men in business suits can casually browse in a store who's average customer age is probably half of theirs.

Silk smiles vapidly, nodding quickly. "That sounds very much like what we wanted! I mean, those flute sounds and the nature theme, that is what really moves me, you know?" She looks around with a dart of her eyes and then spots the music and sim section, happily heading over.

"Excuse me, Miss." Says one of the men, approaching Simone… "Can we see your papers?" One man flips out a badge wallet, snapping it open then closed again.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "int check from Simone and Kass."

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence:
1 1 1 2 2 2 4 4 5 9 10

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Intelligence:
1 2 2 3 5 8

Point 1: The badge is flashed so quickly, its hard to see, but it looks like M-SD, Ute Ministry of Self-Determination.

Point 2: This is not the Ute Nation.

Point 3: The girl behind the counter looks over, but doesn't say anything. Below the counter however, her hand seems to tap something.

Taking note of the men whose gun(s?) she had been able to spot, she simply continues to stand at the shirt rack, flipping through and eventually pulling out one with a slogan in a native tongue. Upon being approached, she places the shirt upon her shoulder and engages them in conversation.

Simone cocks her head quizzically at the speaking officer. "For what reason, sir?" Before he can even answer, though, she turns to the clerk and offers a sickeningly sweet, "I'm sooo sorry, ma'am. We could take this out into ze hall if you like." And returns her attention to the MIB.

The men look over the store, then looking to the girl. The girl shrugs. "Uh… sure.. yeah. Take the customers back outside." A mutter… "especially the rich, idiot European ones…"

"And this, and this and this .." Silk doesn't pay much attention to Simone and her officer friends. The other just seems to draw men like bees and flowers! She goes along picking up chips of new singers and performances, afterward moving to look over the other items in the shop.

The men look to Simone, then the other girl… then gesture out to the hall. "Yeah. Lets step outside…"

Simone steps out with the men and attempts to maneuver into a position where she is facing the shop so the men are not. She still bears the t-shirt on her shoulder, and is clutching it, in fact, but takes it into the hall, still within sight of the clerk so it is evident that she is not shoplifting. "Now, vhat is zis about?"

"Identity stick. We need to run your identity." Says one man, the other taking up a guarding position. "Anglo's coming in to the Ute Nation… using magic… we gotta look to our security."

The counter girl comes around to Kassandra. "Looking for Whitebone?" Asks the tattoo'd girl in a hushed tone. "Go to 629 Lake Street. It's 2 blocks away… an old Victorian home owned by the Anderson family. They've got her in the top floor. You have to get her out -now-. Those guys are the first step… and our friends in the Slack-ass PD can't hold them out forever."

Nodding quietly, Silk continues the conversation as if nothing has changed, putting things down to be purchased. "That certainly sounds like a good idea, I'll check into that. If you could hold these things till I come back, I am sure I can get them then. I just need to transfer some funds to pay for it all." She'll smile brightly and leave the items on the counter, moving to leave, running the address over and over in her head.

Simone rummages through a pocket with her free hand, then makes an awkward attempt at reaching across herself… "Credsticks, I never know where I put zem." With a quick gesture, she points the shirt hanger back into the shop. "One second. Let me put zis away. I totally forgot I was holdink it." She steps away from the men and moves to put the shirt back on the rack, giving a wide-eyed look to either the clerk or Silk, whoever may be observing, while her back is to the men.

<Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Negotiation (Fast Talk):
3 4 4 8 10

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 4 vs TN 10:
1 4 5 11 = 1 Success

The G-Men don't seem horribly impressed by the commentary. The one on Guard slides around just in time to catch the woman's communicative look to Silk, his eyes following the line of her gaze… His brow knits as he reaches up to touch his ear.

Silk blinks big brown eyes at Simone and then at the men that decide to look at her. She'll smile brightly and mentions to Simone, "Get their number, cause we have to go! Our order is almost ready and you know I hate cold food!" The chipper elf doesn't slow down, however.

Simone offers the men a disapproving grimace through her long red hair. "I don't need to be ID-ed in order to check whether the /keychains/ are magical, officer. I know my rights."

Oh, thats a tone of insolence any officer of tyranny loves to hear. "YOu hear that, Mr. Greenriver? She knows her rights." The other officer chuckles somewhat menacingly. "Oh, isn't that precious. A foreigner Anglo - knows her rights - in the Ute Nation." The first officer steps closer, one hand straying to the bulge of his gun. "Girl, if you know your rights, you know you don't -have- any in the Ute Nation… and you're in the Ute Nation."

Silk blinks at the disturbance, brown eyes wide as she continues her pace towards the store exit - hopefully not so close to the guards as to be nabbed - and into the mall proper. She doesn't make eye contact with them if she can, nor looks like she is going to crack wise. Rather, she'll play the humble citizen and keep moving. Cold food is no one's friend.

Simone puts her hands up in a gesture of innocence and calls out in a slightly louder than normal tone, "I'm here to get a late Christmas gift for my mother who is DYING of leukemia. I had to work on Christmas and I wasn't able to get her anything until my paycheck came through and I just…" The girl closes in on herself and lets her sentence drift.

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Awww, her mummies dying of blood cancer. Thats so sad. Are we not human? Do we not bleed if you prick us?":
2 3 3 3 4

Matter of fact? Probably not. The two 'cops' shake their heads as they nod with their chins for the Escalator. "Come with us. It's a good thing you know your rights." The other officer chimes in then. "saves us the hassle of reading them to you."

Ohboy. Silk, never slowing, keeps moving towards the elevator/escalator. It seems things are going downhill. Of course they are, it's the Ute Nation. The last time things went well was March 27th of 2031.

Simone calls out loudly. Loud enough for the immediate vicinity, anyhow. "Zis is RACISM!" Turning to the counter clerk she asks, "Will you call the manager?" Without waiting on the girl, she turns back to the men and makes an offer. "Look. I'm just leaving. I have a flight to catch back to Germany in three hours. I won't practice any magic in your mall, your country, whatever."

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Mall reaction…":
2 2 3 3 5

The mall just got quiet. A sort of ripple of quiet that radiates out from Simone and her two new best friends. People, the common people, don't want to get involved, don't want to be seen being involved, don't want to be in the general area of being involved.

On the top floor, the lead officer shakes his head. "Shut your mouth, Anglo, or I'll make sure it's wired shut. You want to do this the hard way, we can -do- this the hard way. Your choice."

Down below, Kass can see now, an SLC-AZ police officer pauses, looking up the atrium levels to the top floor from the bottom. He reaches up to trigger his radio, canting his head and looking upwards.

The other cop flashes a badge around the area, commenting simply… "MSD. Internal affair. Go about your business."

Disengage. Silk simply keeps moving about her business, moving to blend with the crowd and get further away. The further away, the better she can maneuver. She'll not run, not look scared or hide, but simply move with the crowd.

The German puts her hands on her hips. "What have I done wrong?" she demands. "If this is about my assensing or me being an ANGLO it's nothing more than racism!" She stands defiantly, and seems very upset now indeed.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Please roll reaction, TN 4 Simone."

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Reaction vs TN 4:
1 2 3 5 8 = 2 Successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 vs TN 2 for "MSD Officer Greenriver's Reaction":
2 2 3 5 8 = 5 Successes

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Officer Greenriver launches a surprise pistol whipping."

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Simone can use Combat pool on the soak, but may not act offensively."
«OOC» Simone makes no defensive nor offensive moves, here is body + combat pool
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 + Combat Pool: 5 vs TN 4 for "Clubs.Pistolwhipping":
1 1 1 2 2 4 5 7 10 11 = 5 Successes

«OOC» Vulcan says, "6M damage, moved to 6D damage. Impact armor counts."

«Auto-Judge[]» Simone (#7451) rolls Body + Combat Pool: 5 vs TN 4:
2 3 3 3 4 5 8 14 = 4 Successes

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Correct. M Stun."

When the Anglo bitch opens her mouth again, Officer Greenriver loses his patience. One hand slides the Ruger Warhawk from its holster, then slams the hilt in to the side of the woman's temple. "Shut the hell up. Roger, pick her up and lets get out of here. Son of a bitch, goddamn mouthy whore!"

Simone reels with the impact of the sudden attack, stumbling a few steps to the side with the momentum of the strike as she screams out in horror. "What the fuck?!?!" She clutches her head and huddles down, bent forward at the waist. To the girl behind the counter she screams, "Call security!" followed by sobbing.

Clothing store, clothing store, shoe store, Matrix connectivity kiosk ESCALATOR! Stand in line next to the woman and her child, look at the pretty signs, stay quiet. Doors are here and there, windows, fire exit 23 meters left. Silk keeps to herself and watches, waits, joins the hush and whispered words of the mall goers. This isn't something we should see.

Officer Roger, reaches down to grab Simone's collar. "We -are- Security." Says he then, almost hissing that in her ear. "Now come on, before you need a stretcher. No court in the Ute Nation would convict me for killing an Anglo Saboteur, probably a You-Kass agent by the smell of her… Maybe…" A pause… "Saeder-Krupp." He shrugs then, jerking the woman to her feet.

Shoot Out

Just in time for SLC-AZ Officer Jim Hinkley to come over the top of the escalator, one hand on his hip, resting on the Ruger Thunderbolt. Mormons: They don't much -care- for violence, but when you have to be violent, it pays to be well equipped. When he sees the weapon out, he draws his own. "DROP THE WEAPON AND STEP AWAY FROM THE WOMAN!" Ahh. Almost even a cleft chin.

Simone stumbles again when her collar is yanked by the vicious man, but stays doubled over, clutching her head in her arms. The jerking movement wrenches another sob from her, but at the arrival of Mr. Jim Hinkley, she goes silent.

Oh, the spring fashions are already rolling in. Don't mind me, just another shopper, nothing to see here. A disturbance upstairs? Lord have mercy. Silk keeps on going, not even slowing to look at the new line of Zoe purses.

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 4 for "Mystery":
1 3 3 4
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 4 for "Mystery":
1 2 4 11
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Mystery":
2 3 4 5 5

The two MSD agents turn to the SLC-AZ PD officer. Officer Greenriver, the one with his gun out, doesn't raise it at the officer, while officer Roger… makes a mistake. He goes for his gun when seeing the Cop has his gun out. It could be attributed to poor training, or ego or even hubris, but the MSD agent reaches for his gun before he identifies himself.

Officer Jim Hinkley is a 10 year veteran of the Police Force. Despite the SLC-AZ being a relatively peaceful place, it's still an urban center with a surprising amount of crime (A lot of Natives come here, commit theft, and then try to hide behind tribal membership. It's a surprisingly common problem) and mayhem. He's no stranger to gun violence, and when the unidentified, but well dressed man who is holding the Anglo woman by the collar reaches for his gun…

Training kicks in. A burst of bullets from the Ruger Thunderbolt roar out, echoing in the Mall. The bullets catch Agent Roger across the chest, splattering blood and bone across Simone.

The sobbing girl looks up, revealing a split, swollen welt on her temple; red, and seeping a slow trickle of blood. But amongst the man's gore which covers her, her wound vanishes from sight. She shudders and howls at the terrible scene.

Gunfire. The thing about gunfire is that no one wants to be in the way of it and yet everyone will want to know what is going on. Silk uses this distraction to further her goal of escaping. The second problem with gunfire is it tends to close down places like this. She doesn't want to be here.

And NOWWWWWWWWWW the yelling starts. A stampede for the exits.

It's a chaotic scene. Roger dies on the floor of Trolly Square, while Greenriver drops the gun. "MSD! I'm MSD! Oh DREK you killed my partner!" Some Hysteronics take place as Trolly Square is evacuated and SLC SWAT arrives… followed by more Ute Government Agents. Simone is whisked off to the SLC-PD HQ, ASAP and PDQ. Acronyms FTW. Kass is able to make a clean break from the situation, being just another face in the crowd, though later, Simone will be questioned as to her companion on the video from the mall securicams, but that can be handled later.

And so.. outside… its cold. It's sunny, but its cold. Snow piles the ground, people are running like crazy, scared chickens and people are all but falling all over each other to drive away. Kass hits the outside without further a due, but knows she should get away before she gets fingered.

Out and into the car along with the screaming throng of shoppers. The elf takes it easy on the gas, merging with traffic and making her way out of the chaos as best she can, slow and steady wins the race. The address for the Anderson house is but 2 blocks away, according to the shopkeeper and that is the way she is going, watching the mirrors for obvious trails.

The elf has been trained by one of the best in the biz in counter-surveillance as well as years on her own, so she knows what to do and what to look for.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "I'll take perception, with knowskills at half rate added in, for checking your tail."

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence for "Checking for tails":
1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 5
«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence for "Checking for tails, karma reroll kp 1/?":
1 2 2 2 2 4 4 5 5 5 11

Drive… turn. Turn. Observe. Turn. Drive. Slow. Fast. Blind corner, in to the convenience store, get a drink, Observe… nothing seems to be matching up. No one seems to be directly surveilling. No drones in the sight lines, no cars in the rear view… Just scared Mormons and other Anglos.

The coast seems clear, and so Silk is back in the saddle, heading for 629 Lake Street. Need to take a look at the area and see what she is up against and get out of the area before the MSD decides to close down the city or something less fun.

629 Lake Street is situated on Lake Street. It's an older street, a bisection of an older block. The houses on one side of the street face an entirely different street (Harmony Court), leading to a very private feel to the one lane road. 629 is a two story home on a fairly large plot of land, with a small out building and an old water-tower. When this area was a farm 150 years ago, this was the farm house.

Silk will take the street slowly, reconning the area for government standard (and well loved) black sedans, ice cream trucks, mysterious SUVs and vans, telephone repairmen on poles, cones indicating people working in the sewers, joggers who aren't breaking a sweat and all the other myriad of tricks that are used when someone suspects a house and are waiting for Our Heroes to arrive.

That done, she'll come back around and park, eyes focused on the house and the yard, picking out details and landmarks she may need while escaping or in a battle.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Another intel check, knowskills apply."

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence + 2 (security.procedures) for "Yooo hooo":
1 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 5 8 8 9

As of this time, there does not appear to be any overt mobile surveillance taking place. No SUV's, Molester-vans, Ice cream trucks or even particularly snoopy old women.

Reviewing what she knows about the mission, this *should* be fairly simple and direct. Should.

Silk opens the door and starts towards the house, absently brushing lint off her jacket. She doesn't skulk or slink up to the house, but rather walks towards the front door like she knows what she is doing. She might even.

That's the best way; Act like you know you belong there, and people who are casually observing will think the same thing. The GM can't tell you how many buildings, compounds and other places simply acting like he had a right to be there actually got him in to. No snipers pop out of gopher holes to shoot Kassandra, no automatic gun turrets pop out of the mouths of robotic birds. Just a nice home on a quiet side street near downtown Salt Lake City.

Mulling for a few moments on home prices, Silk knocks on the door/rings the bell (as appropriate), carefully adjusting her clothing and making sure everything is laying just so. No use making a poor first impression, although she'd lay even money that's she's being watched even now.

The Andersons

That's probably a fair bet. The door opens, with a middle aged white woman in a nice apron opens the door. "Well hello there. Can I help you?" She asks. In the distance, Sirens are still going off in the direction of Trolley Square.

A bright smile greets the woman as Silk nods happily at the woman, "I certainly hope so. I'm looking for the Anderson's and I am hoping I have the right home?" Her hands are at her sides, in plain sight, and she isn't making anything that could be considered a threatening gesture, although to be fair her looks alone are often considered dangerous in several countries.

The woman smiles then. "Yes, this is the Anderson Residence. Are you.." A pause as she looks Kass up and down. "Sheryl's friend?"

Hmm, didn't get a name at the shop, but the girl was Angloish so Sheryl may work. And if not, well, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it.

Silk nods and smiles again, "Yes ma'am, that I am. Maria, ma'am, nice to meet you."

The woman opens the door all the way, letting Kass in to the room. "Just a moment, have a seat in the Foyer while Robert confirms your presence. He's very concerned about security… if M-SD thought we were involved, even the LDS Board couldn't help us…"

Nodding, Silk moves in quietly and goes to have a seat as instructed. She's run into this sort of thing over the years .. you would be amazed how paranoid gun runners and smugglers are, especially in the Middle East. She'll settle in and keep her hands in her lap, drinking in the decor of the house, little more than a nicely dressed woman.

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 3 for "How long does confirmation take?":
4 5 8

About 5 minutes after she's sat down, Mrs. Anderson returns with a plate of cookies and a carafe of hot chocolate. "It must be terribly cold out there." She says with a smile. "Is something amiss at the Mall? Roberta at the store isn't answering and Harold Johnson says the police have surrounded the building…"

Taking up both cookie and hot chocolate, but only one at a time (never fill both hands. Dead people do that.), Silk remarks, "Oh, I am afraid that there was some sort of violence. I only overheard some of it before leaving, but it seems the local police had a disagreement with an armed man in a dark suit. There was a shooting and .. well. Everyone began running and screaming."

She nods then, taking a seat across from the other woman, her hands folded in her lap. "Was your trip in okay? How are you finding Salt Lake City? It's winter, so its cold, but I imagine no colder than where you're from." A pause. "Where are you from?" A pause again as she realizes that's probably a bad question. "Oh look at me, asking all sorts of questions. I'm just nervous. I'll let you be, I know how all the Trid's show these things happen…" She fans herself as she stands up. "Ah, I'll go check on Robert."

Six different cover stories float through Silk's mind before Mrs. Anderson decides to disengage from the conversation, letting her do so with an easy smile. She'll nibble on the cookie and sip her chocolate, but is in no way complacent. She waits for Robert to either decide she is a threat or clear her, sorting through escape options and combat sequences that will give her the advantage, idly deciding which things in the room would work best for each. It passes the time.

After a few minutes more, an older man, rickety thin and perhaps 70 years old, enters the room. He may be rickety thin, but he's got a… mien. A sort of harshness. The sort of harshness one finds in old warriors who have seen their battles and get called back to serve none the less. "Miss…" A pause. "Silk. Wiley spoke to your name. I'm Robert Anderson."

Silk rises as Mr. Anderson enters, setting cup down. No cookie, all gone. She'll nod soberly to the man, gravely as it is business time. "Sir. I understand time is of the essence in this, and I'd be away from here to take danger away from your door."

"The issues at the Trolly Square have complicated matters." He grunts then, moving to put a hand on the back of a high chair. "MSD is flooding the area looking for the pretty native elf who was helping the Anglo woman." A pause as he looks at Kassandra. "You at least have that misconception going for you."

"That is unfortunate, but cannot be helped now." Silk accepts the extra burden of problems and continues, "Their misconceptions will have them looking in the usual places for Natives, which will work in our favor. They won't find me there." She doesn't elaborate on any plans that she may have about this, lapsing into silence.

The stern man nods once. "Ms. Whitebone will be down in a moment. She does not move as fast as she once did. If you have the ability to disguise yourself, I would suggest it. I don't have any tools to assist you."

Enter Clarence Whitebone

"Don't you worry about it, Robby." Says Clarence Whitebone as she steps, spryly, around the older man. She places a kiss to his cheek. "You're a dear. Now, let me and the lady get out of your hair." The woman is plump, probably enough so to give her doctor kittens come checkup time.

mby002196_sta.0.jpg

Whatever response Silk may have had for Mr. Anderson stays in her mouth as she turns to smile at Clarence Whitebone. "Ma'am." She straightens, letting the two have their moment as she considers the city she's seen thus far and the route back to Alpha.

Mrs. Anderson brings Clarence's bag. "Here you go, Clara." Says she, offering it over. "It was lovely seeing you again."

"It was lovely, Charlotte. Absolutely lovely." Clara turns to Silk. "Well. Aren't you striking. Shall we be going then?"

"Yes ma'am." Silk offers a smile of thanks to Charlotte and Robert Anderson and moves towards the door. She shucks the polite nature and little smiles now, moving in a more determined fashion. She'll glance to the door and look for a peephole to peer out, making sure things are secure.

There's a peephole, and two side windows. Outside, things look about as they did before. "Once we leave Salt Lake City…" Says Clara Whitebone… "We will be more susceptible to spiritual tracking. While Salt Lake's Mana-ebb is a shelter… it is also a prison."

Once she has done her check, Silk nods soberly to Clara, "Yes ma'am. We'll do our best to shake whatever they toss at us." She'll open the door and move to step out first, checking again before leading towards the car.

«OOC» Vulcan will take a check. Int + 1/2 knowskills

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence + 2 (Security.Procedures) for "Do I see you?":
2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 7 17

But seriously; Kassandra doesn't see any obvious surveillance vehicles. However, she does spot, across the way, looking out the back of one of the houses that faces the other street, a set of curtains that are parted slightly. The perfect position from which to run a surveillance of the front areas of the Anderson Homestead.

Silk holds a single finger up, murmuring "Your neighbors are watching." She'll look back to the others and ask, "Did Miss Clara come in normally here when she arrived? Otherwise, …."

"No, I came in at night, under the best cloaking charm I could muster, conditions what they are." Admits the older woman. Robert nods, confirming what the native woman says, while Charlotte simply smiles, packing a small package of cookies for Ms. Clara.

"Well, that might be best again. If I may try my hand at cloaking you this time and we'll head to the vehicle and get out of here?" Silk watches the windows as carefully as she can, waiting to see if they move or if something else has changed.

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 1:
2

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Sorcery + Sorcery Pool: 6 vs TN 4 for "Improved Invisibility Force 5, becomes F2 with mana ebb.":
1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 7 10 = 3 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Sorcery + Sorcery Pool: 6 - 3 vs TN 4 for "Improved Invisibility Force 5, becomes F2 with mana ebb., karma reroll kp 2/?":
1 2 2 2 3 4 5 5 7 = 4 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Sorcery + Sorcery Pool: 6 - 7 vs TN 4 for "Improved Invisibility Force 5, becomes F2 with mana ebb., karma reroll kp 4/?":
1 1 2 2 5 = 1 Success

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Willpower vs TN 3 for "Resist drain, need 4 successes":
1 1 1 2 2 4 4 4 10 = 4 Successes

Clara Whitebone offers a nod, shouldering her bag as best she can. "Just like old times."

Silk extends her hand for the bag, murmuring, "This will be our cover of why anything other than the driver's door is opened." That said, she'll concentrate, forcing her will on the limited amount of mana in the area, letting out a little sigh of breath. She doesn't have to make any specific gestures or say any words - Aladriel's training frowns on that unless being dramatic - instead envisioning dust lightly falling over the older woman and masking her from sight.

Hermetic Magic is different than Shamanistic, and this is one of the methods. The spell's energy seems to just be sapped away buy the act of existing. The woman fades from view, but how effective it will be can only be answered when someone shoots. The bag is handed over, with Clara nodding. "Very smart. How are we leaving Salt lake and getting to Denver?"

The Andersons have been trustworthy so far, but anyone can be broken. Silk shakes her head, opening the door and waving to the couple while shouldering the bag, clearly not large enough to hide a whole person. Her back to any viewers and keeping Clara in sight, she'll murmur, "Some things are best left unsaid. What is not heard cannot be repeated, or forced." She'll start out the doorway with Clara, heading for the car.

Clara nods, unseen, to the logic. She is quiet, but the rustling of her dress can be heard, as can the crunch of her steps on the snow and salt covered walkway. Quickly, getting in to the car is managed.
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 4 for "Mystery":
1 2 3 10

Silk uses the cover of putting the bag in the backseat as cover to letting Clara in the back, fussing with placing it just so. That done, she'll wave again to the Andersons, just a little visit to pick up left over presents for Aunt Ida and Uncle Fred. Unless stopped, she'll climb into the car and get ready to head out.

Nope. No one seems to stop you. No one hood sliding gun play. Nothing quiet like that.

The grip on the spell is dropped as Silk moves the car out of the drive and onto the road, giving her attention to the task at hand and counting on over a century of experience on Clara's side to help her hide. In gear and on the road, Silk will start off out of the quiet neighborhood, drawing trouble hopefully away from the nice family.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Destination?"

«OOC» Kassandra will spiral away from here and away from the mall, listening to the local news and getting a look at what the Ministry is doing. Also looking to see where the mana ebb starts to weaken.

The Mall is still under lock down, and based on glimpses, the MSD is being held out of the site by rather onry (For Mormon) police officers. Given that the MSD is not a law enforcement agency on paper, it's unlikely that the strict Mormon Police will play 'ball'. The mana ebb doesn't' weaken considerably until you get at least 20 miles away from the lake, a distance that encompass most of the Salt Lake Valley. It ripples and whirls, but does not significantly weaken.

Silk keeps driving, watching the traffic patterns and listening to the Salt Lake City stations for breaking news and traffic conditions. Once certain that she isn't being immediately followed, she'll open connection to Mustang Alpha.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "intel, skills apply"

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence + 2 (secpro) for "Uhoh":
1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 5 5 8 9

At one point, a dark colored Sedan slides in behind Kassandra… however… it doesn't' seem to be a professional tail. It follows to close, it's too obvious and there doesn't seem to be much subtly. A few turns, a backtrack and a sudden dash across a parking lot… and the tail, if it was a tail and not just a highly suspect series of coincidences.. is lost.

The elven girl keeps an eye on the sedan, her speed under check as she quietly slides through a few turns, letting out a little sigh as it turns and heads off, narrowly avoiding some people loitering in the parking lot. "Either really good or just a coincidence," Silk murmurs, her cell flipping open to the number she's set up to contact the helo.

"Good afternoon and thank you for calling Denver SkyCharter. How can I help you today?" Asks the helicopters programmed interface.

"I need a pick up." Silk hasn't called this particular number and thus raises an eyebrow, checking the programming on the phone. Huh. Damned spies, always being tricky. "Current location is <information from car's GPS/Map system here>, what is the best possible location for that?"

"Herman L Franks Park is the closest open space to your location that I could reliably land in. ETA is 10 minutes."

Silk consults the screen a moment, rephrases, "Closest possible legal pick up point for aircraft. We'll want to not cause a scene."

"Yalecrest Civilian Helipad is the closest legal landing facility, though landing fees are excessive."

"They always are," Silk bemoans, nodding to the screen. "Best time there, then. Pull landing fees from account number XXXXXXXXXXXX." She'll input the destination to the autonav and starts towards that place, using what she's seen of the city to get there to meet up with Alpha.

"ETA is 15 minutes. Landing fees account to 1500 nuyen, plus 500 nuyen for every 10 minute period on the ground."

"On the way." Silk checks the local speed and keeps within that, though she'll take every shortcut and edge that she can, moving through traffic as quickly and nimbly as she can.

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 4 for "Mystery":
2 4 5 9

The Escape

The trip to the Yalecrest Executive Civilian Heliport is uneventful. That really, aside from your trip, describes Salt Lake City. Uneventful. A study in conformity and mediocrity. Of course, in the world of dystopia, this is as close to Utopia one can find, so its all subjective. A Bell X-402 Execu-Charter with LDS markings takes off about 3 minutes before Mustang Alpha comes in for a landing.

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Sensors, Mustang Alpha":
2 4 5 10 14

Silk's Phone Rings.

Checking the number, Silk answers the line, "Yes?" She carefully leaves off any name or honorifics, figuring that only a few people are going to be calling. Well, unless someone wants her to change cell carriers.

"I have detected an unregistered drone following at a distance of five hundred meters. While I am confident my speed and range exceed the design specifications of that drone, protocol dictates alerting the Commander of Record."

"Understood." Drones. Always with the robots. Silk glances to Clara and says, "Are you ready, ma'am? Things may be a little bumpy from here on out, we may have a little tail." She'll take that moment to clear any astral traces of her spell from the inside of the car as well, spending several moments doing that.

Clara nods, before remembering she cannot be seen. "I remember the Predators. They were always the worst to try and deal with. When Aztechnology started supplying Surface to Air Missiles… well, it got easier."

Predators? Aztechnology and SAMS? That was … Silk blinks as she considers how long ago that was and simply nods, "With luck, we won't have *quite* that much fun." The traces disrupted, the mana ebb dealing with the rest more than likely, she'll move to leave the vehicle, alerting the airport where they can pick up the rental.

Alert, always alert. The elf scans the area before moving to help Clara and her bag, plotting the quickest course to the helo.

It was a while back, to be fair. Clara moves with a rustle of poly-cloth beside Silk. "Thats… a very large helicopter." Mutters the woman under her breath.

A faint smile answers that, "Yes ma'am, he's a big one. I prefer to leave nothing to chance, especially with important people." Silk won't hurry the old woman, although the longer they are in the open the more the little hairs on the back of her neck rise.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Under what SIN are you registering the flight and what identity are you presenting at the security gate?"

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) has the Fake SIN AZT-09777-000E7F-0006M2-4W1 (Maria Martinez) with the following information:

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 6 vs TN 4 for "Kass Vs SLC":
2 3 3 3 3 5 = 1 Success
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 4 vs TN 6 for "Kass Vs SLC":
2 2 4 5 = 0 Successes

The security check is simple, easy enough. The good Ms. Martinez is ushered on to her Helo without delay once the Security Check is made. One man pauses, seemingly caught by something, but he quickly shakes his head and goes back to work. Smart one there, but not… quite… smart enough.

Silk/Ms. Martinez doesn't dawdle, moving quickly onto Mustang Alpha whose paint scheme and transponder likely matches their cover story; they had plenty of time on the ride over to set it up, after all.

Once aboard, Silk will take care to help Clara strap in and secure her gear, telling the ship's systems, "Nice and easy out of here, marine, and then we'll burn fast all the way home."

"MA'AM YES MA'AM! Initiating flight protocols. Please take your seat and prepare for chop!" Says the Chopper.

Clara settled down on one of he seats when the door is closed, clacking with some consternation at the complexity of the seat belt system. "I was told a team was coming… what happened to the others?"

Silk will settle in, flashing a quiet smile to Clara, gesturing to the chopper, "Well, we're more than a enough team right here. There were a few other participants that made this jaunt possible, but they are maintaining distance and helping to provide cover stories and the like."

Clara nods then. The chopper lifts off, heading east over the Wasatch Mountains. "Unidentified Drone is holding position. Estimated fuel reserves of drone of that classification is 20 miles, or 8 minutes flight time."

"Maintain speed and profile, heading in the general direction of Casper. When they can't follow, we will shift and head towards Denver proper." Silk rattles this off, letting out a breath. "With luck, they'll let it go and not give us any more problems."

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Mystery":
2 2 3 4 5
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Mystery":
1 2 3 4 4
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Mystery":
1 2 4 5 5
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 5 for "Mystery":
1 2 4 5 8

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 6 for "Sensors":
1 3 3 3 4 5
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 6 for "Sensors":
1 1 2 2 4 5
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 6 for "Sensors":
3 3 5 5 10 10
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 6 for "Sensors":
1 2 2 3 4 11
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 6 for "Sensors":
1 3 3 3 4 7

Every two minutes, Mustang Alpha reports that the drone is scanning the chopper. However, at the end of 8 minutes.. the drone falls away, turning back for fuel. Sensor reports indicate that no other drones join the chase. If all is well, the chopper has made a clean getaway.

«Plot» Kassandra says, "Once free of the mana ebb in SLCAZ, I'll pull two elementals in to stare at the astral and watch for people trying to track Clara. Should some astral creature decide to come visiting, they are to eat it."

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) uses 1 of item 5: F7 Air Elemental Services from Elementals (#6987).
«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) uses 1 of item 8: F8 Fire Elemental Services from Elementals (#6987).

As they jet along and free themselves from the oppression of Salt Lake City's mana ebb, Silk murmurs softly to herself, gesturing to Clara and the surrounding area. A brief warm wind blows around her as the elementals make there understanding known and begin to watch, vigilant against trouble.

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 7:
1 1 3 3 3 7 8
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 7:
2 3 3 3 4 9 11
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 7:
2 2 2 3 4 5 11

«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 8:
1 3 3 4 5 5 5 8
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 8:
1 3 4 5 9 10 11 11
«Auto-Judge[]» Vulcan (#3087) rolls 8:
1 2 2 3 3 4 5 5

Both Elementals report that there is no spirit or astral magi following, though a Manastorm just started raging to the south, off by about 40 miles. Suggest north east diversion. It's a minor issue for a craft this fast, but somethign to watch out for.

Cycles

Silk will relay the order to Mustang Alpha, ordering them to give the storm a wide berth. "With luck, the storm will ward off anyone after us as well. Most spirits and any rational magician will veer wide of something like that."

From here, it's a short(ish) flight to Denver. Clara takes the time to look out the window, watching the scenery go by. "You're not Native, are you?"

"No ma'am," Silk answers truthfully, "My skin colour tends to make some believe I am, or Azlander by birth, but I am not one of the Nation." She'll split her concentration between the flight and the old woman, her obsession with details keeping everything under a watchful eye.

Clara chuckles and waves off a hand. "Trick question. Everyone's native to somewhere. It's sad, that people define so much of their world by what patch of land they come from. The Awakening didn't erase boundaries, as we'd hoped… it just reinforced them."

Silk grins and nods, "Very true. I try to consider myself a citizen of the world and do what I can for Her, regardless of political boundaries and lines on a map." She shrugs a little as she leans back in the seat, considering, "People fight a great deal over some ink on a page."

"Freedom isn't about borders or control." She says, looking out the window. "It's about learning from mistakes. About breaking cycles. We're all to prone to cycles, as humans. Do you know why Bill needed to get me out of SLC?" She asks, looking to Silk then, curiously.

Well, that certainly cinches Silk's guess about who was behind all this. She lets the 'human' comment slide, shaking her head. "No ma'am, that I do not. I am often left in the dark about motives, however; those who ask for my assistance are seldom forthcoming with such details."

Perhaps she meant human in the greater ideal of human kind, not just 'base' humans? She leans back in the chair now, settling in for the flight. "I live in Tooele, usually. Do you know what was in Tooele before the Awakening?"

Silk considers that, shaking her head. "I cannot say that I can recall anything being there before the Awakening, but I confess a lack of information in that area."

She nods. "And that's the problem. Everyone gets up in arms about nuclear weapons. If you attach nuclear to something, you'll get media attention, protesters and all that junk." She scoffs lightly. "In combating a big evil, we forget the importance of little evils. Before the Awakening, before the NAN War… Tooele was home to the US Army's Chemical Weapons Stockpiles."

A little chill goes down Silk's spine, a frown crossing her face. "That sounds very bad." She leans in, listening, hands folded in her lap for lack of things to do with them. Her station keeps a read-out of the mission time and distance constantly scrolling.

She closes her eyes, leaning back. "Been a lot of activity out in the old armory bunkers." Says the woman, sighing lower in to her seat. "A lot of packages being removed… shipped west. Some to the south. I'm not the warrior I once was. That I leave to my nephew and his people."

West. Silk murmurs, "California searching for an equalizing weapon, perhaps." She looks off to the distance a moment, spinning puzzle pieces around and looking for corners, looking to see what fits. "That is more than troubling. So .. Bill … is bringing you in for your wisdom and knowledge of the area?"

"I was seen. And more importantly, I was seen seeing what I saw when I was seen, and by who saw me when I saw what I was seen seeing." She chuckles quietly, a musical tone despite the rasp of age. She reaches over in to her bag, pulling out a picture. An actual, film image exposed on to paper. "Do you know this man?"

The image is night time, but catches the face of the Officer (Military) in the light. A scar runs down one side of the face, marring what would be otherwise perfect Japanese features. The rank emblems on his shoulders clearly mark him as an Imperial Marine, Colonels Rank.

Leaning to look at the picture, Silk's eyes linger on the image as well as the actual film. She peers closely at the man, searching her memory for an idea of who he is.

«OOC» Vulcan says, "Gimmie an int roll."

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence:
1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5
«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence for "karma reroll kp 7/?":
1 2 3 4 4 4 5 7 8 13 15

You've seen the picture in some of the Draco briefs that have crossed your desk, and also in some of Johnny's regional files. He's Colonel Nobura Tanaka, formerly a Captain in the Imperial Marines, now a Colonel in the Japanese Protectorate of California. It's a staff position, not a line position, so he's not in the chain of command. However, his staff posting is as commander of Internment.

"Yes indeed. Cycles chain us all."

Eyes darkening as she picks him out, Silk nods. "I know him. And so they are going back to the beginnings, the camps." The elf shakes her head, frowning. "Yes, I can see how seeing this man might be an issue."

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