Chapter 1 Denouement: A Charla By Any Otter Name

[Death Otter]

Location: Tacoma/Seattle Metroplex, UCAS - Crawlies' Bar and Grill
Time: Just over an hour after departure from Scone Factory

Things were a little...well awkward was a good word...as the team regrouped and tried to work out their next steps. Wraith was eager to introduce 'Shi Kawauso' to everyone, but Death Otter herself was wary of suddenly being among a bunch of heavily armed strangers. They were wary of her as well, as anyone might be of someone who just happened to have such a convenient story of waking up in the narrow window of 'too late to be involved in the atrocity in the factory, but too soon to have missed everything entirely.' In that vein, no one felt particularly motivated to offer the use of one of their precious safehouses for a meeting. It was Otter herself that suggested the use of a bar not too far from the scone factory. She'd been there once or twice before, and it had some reasonably private booths for groups like theirs.

Crawlies was a bit of a dive...dingy and smoky with a small menu for food and a big menu for drinks. Fortunately the place didn't get much custom at this hour, so the team had their pick of places to sit. They chose the farthest booth from the front door, tucked back into a corner with a table scored by deep craters of cigarette scars and scuffs and scratches, along with a single unlit candle in a murky glass jar.

Otter decided that, if anything was going to start, she'd probably have to be the one to start it. So she picked something off the menu then put the booklet down.

"Okay, so...I'm definitely getting a 'kicked in the teeth' vibe from you guys, so even if I didn't already KNOW this mission had gone off the rails, I'd know it now. There is a nonzero amount of moping going on. Not you." She pointed at Wraith. "You're still irrationally peppy. These others though."

She patted herself right over her heart. "Fortunately, I can help. Death Otter. Two words, Death...and Otter. If you know, then you know. I am to hackers what...experimental trog-dwarf fusion is to music. Unpredictable and offensive, ear shattering, but brilliant. I am swimming in the DEEP places, like one of those...effed up fishes with the..." she lifted a hand to her forehead with her pointing finger extended out and down, wiggling it. "...the little things? And the seriously bad underbite? Like that, only...hacker equivalent." Her eyes widened and she clacked her teeth.

"I can ALREADY tell you some of what was going on in there. Maybe you guys have a few more pieces we can put together. BUT." Death Otter tapped the tabletop. "Before I get into that, I want to talk shop. You're on a mission, that mission's going to cross paths with whoever was running...whatever operation was in that factory. So I want in."

Otter nodded at Wraith. "She already slipped that you lost your hacker. I'll take his place, same deal as he was getting. Won't cost any of you anything extra, but I still want a cut at the end."

She then extended a hand out into the center of the table space, well within reach of anyone else in the team, and shifted her voice a bit lower in pitch as she affected a very cheesy 'pirate' accent.

"Do we have an ACCORD?!"

[Sandman]

Shuffling in a few minutes late, Craig Steward, also starting to be known as Sandman, comes in, wiping the sleep from his eyes from his nap, just in time to catch...

Location: Tacoma/Seattle Metroplex, UCAS - Crawlies' Bar and Grill
Time: Just over an hour after departure from Scone Factory


"I can ALREADY tell you some of what was going on in there. Maybe you guys have a few more pieces we can put together. BUT." Death Otter tapped the tabletop. "Before I get into that, I want to talk shop. You're on a mission, that mission's going to cross paths with whoever was running...whatever operation was in that factory. So I want in."

Otter nodded at Wraith. "She already slipped that you lost your hacker. I'll take his place, same deal as he was getting. Won't cost any of you anything extra, but I still want a cut at the end."

She then extended a hand out into the center of the table space, well within reach of anyone else in the team, and shifted her voice a bit lower in pitch as she affected a very cheesy 'pirate' accent.

"Do we have an ACCORD?!"

"Hey, before everybody decided on that, I believe I need to get my two cents in. I have just spent a couple hundred Nuyen worth of materials trying to

@Muppet ManDid Sandman's Spirit and Watcher find out where our Target is?

our target. I expect my Spirits to be arriving any time now to tell me where he is. Our mutual vodka loving 'Friends' sent me to you to help you... and I expect an equal share. I need nuyen to pay for various expenses I have. I can see your only Awakened teammate is that Troll and he is no longer here. You need me. If you want, I can start telling you more specifically what I can do... but I am a Hermetic Mage, trained in one of our continent's finest institutions.'"

[Shrike]

Location: Tacoma/Seattle Metroplex, UCAS - Crawlies' Bar and Grill
Time: Just over an hour after departure from Scone Factory

Shrike arrives in the bar, his weapons stored in Stygge's van and the cyborg's body hidden away somewhere. Finding the booth with Wraith and the others, he nods

"Least now we get to meet face to face," he remarks to Sandman.

"Okay, so...I'm definitely getting a 'kicked in the teeth' vibe from you guys, so even if I didn't already KNOW this mission had gone off the rails, I'd know it now. There is a nonzero amount of moping going on. Not you." She pointed at Wraith. "You're still irrationally peppy. These others though."

"Hey, before everybody decided on that, I believe I need to get my two cents in. I have just spent a couple hundred Nuyen worth of materials trying to our target. I expect my Spirits to be arriving any time now to tell me where he is. Our mutual vodka loving 'Friends' sent me to you to help you... and I expect an equal share. I need nuyen to pay for various expenses I have. I can see your only Awakened teammate is that Troll and he is no longer here. You need me. If you want, I can start telling you more specifically what I can do... but I am a Hermetic Mage, trained in one of our continent's finest institutions.'"

He listens to what Death Otter and Sandman have to say before saying anything. Great, both mouthy. Oh for some obedient mutes

"We're down a few people with Bushwhack, Tulpa and Mulpa all disappearing on us, so any assistance you can provide would be good and would be rewarded with a share upon completion." He readies his comlink, pulling up the information on the run, before looking over at Death Otter, "And despite what vibe you are getting, things may not have gone to plan, but we're more than capable of rolling with the punches."

He sends the information they have to Death Otter and Sandman

"Find her in the next few hours, we intercept her and complete our assignment. And lets try and do this quietly."

[Wraith]

"Okay, so...I'm definitely getting a 'kicked in the teeth' vibe from you guys, so even if I didn't already KNOW this mission had gone off the rails, I'd know it now. There is a nonzero amount of moping going on. Not you." She pointed at Wraith. "You're still irrationally peppy. These others though."

That last 'accusation' drew Wraith's attention, looking up in surprise, fox-ears splaying sideways briefly before righting themselves. "<Nani?>" she starts, then looks to Shrike. "Am I... irrationally peppy?" the foxelf then asks, not having ever really seen herself like that!

Otter nodded at Wraith. "She already slipped that you lost your hacker. I'll take his place, same deal as he was getting. Won't cost any of you anything extra, but I still want a cut at the end."

A half-shrug at that point. "It did not seem worth hiding," Wraith muses, trying not to look too embarrassed. "And it seemed like a way to draw your attention from the mess we found," she adds, almost but not quite smiling.

"We're down a few people with Bushwhack, Tulpa and Mulpa all disappearing on us, so any assistance you can provide would be good and would be rewarded with a share upon completion." He readies his comlink, pulling up the information on the run, before looking over at Death Otter, "And despite what vibe you are getting, things may not have gone to plan, but we're more than capable of rolling with the punches."

"Any idea what was up with Bushwack? He dropped out rather abruptly - he did not seem like the type to be bothered be a setback," Wraith asks, looking back to Shrike again.

"Find her in the next few hours, we intercept her and complete our assignment. And lets try and do this quietly."

A nod from the foxelf, looking to the two new members. "I dislike leaving a job unfinished," she states in a lower tone. "But I am much more interested in what was *really* going on there, and what brought out that special forces team - are they related, or was it some bad luck on everyone's part?"

[Sandman]

"Find her in the next few hours, we intercept her and complete our assignment. And lets try and do this quietly."

"I have already sent some Minions looking for her, and they should inform me any time now with her location."

Giving everyone present a quick Astral

Assensing 5 dice

1
The general state of the subject’s health (healthy, injured, ill, etc.).
The subject’s general emotional state or impression (happy, sad, angry, etc.).
Whether the subject is mundane or Awakened.
2
The presence and location of cyberware implants.
The class of a magical subject (fire elemental, manipulation spell, power focus, curse ritual, and so on).
If you have seen the subject’s aura before, you may recognize it, regardless of physical disguises or alterations

, Sandman makes himself more comfortable.

I wonder if anything on their menu is even worth ordering. I wish this 'Death Otter' had better taste in establishments... though I can see the potential benefit from such a location for clandestine meetings.

"So while we wait, does anyone else have anything to do to prepare?"

[Wraith]

(For Sandman)

OOC Comments

1
The general state of the subject’s health (healthy, injured, ill, etc.): Healthy
The subject’s general emotional state or impression (happy, sad, angry, etc.): Fairly 'neutral', with a few things underlaying that, including frustration and anxiety
Whether the subject is mundane or Awakened: Mundane
2
The presence and location of cyberware implants: Mostly concentrated in the head/spinel region, but also present in the hands. roughly 33% of the whole
The presence and location of bioware implants: Pretty much throughout the body, around 25% of the whole
The class of a magical subject (fire elemental, manipulation spell, power focus, curse ritual, and so on): nothing

[Stygge]

What Sandman sees in Stygge

• Stygge is fairly healthy overall
• Stygge is somewhat relaxed
• Stygge is not Awakened
• Stygge has a considerable amount of cyberware all throughout her body but mostly in her head - in a spiritual sense, she is nearly half-chrome
• Stygge has no bioware whatsoever
• Stygge has no magical class

[Shrike]

"I have already sent some Minions looking for her, and they should inform me any time now with her location."

"Lets hope we have a bit more luck there than we have managed so far," he says

"So while we wait, does anyone else have anything to do to prepare?"

"Aside from loading up on some more ammo, no I am good to go." Shrike nods at Sandman

OOC Comments

1
The general state of the subject’s health (healthy, injured, ill, etc.). Healthy
The subject’s general emotional state or impression (happy, sad, angry, etc.). Annoyed
Whether the subject is mundane or Awakened. Mundane
2
The presence and location of cyberware implants. Lots of cyberware, mostly in his torso and right arm, with a tiny sliver in his head
The class of a magical subject (fire elemental, manipulation spell, power focus, curse ritual, and so on). Bwahahaha, not likely
If you have seen the subject’s aura before, you may recognize it, regardless of physical disguises or alterations

[Milk Toast]

Test Post
Mission Summary thus far:
1. Erika Hoffner, a xxx executive, with a team on retainer, hired you to bag the target. Team was:
2. Her intel said the target is a nasty person, protected by nova hot Matrix security
3. The site had a staff onhand that Mulpa talked with before he went dark
4. Mulpa went dark at the same time as two coordinated anomalous events: a powerful directed EMP attack and the aerial insertion of a full squad of Tir Tairngir covert operators who opened fire on the staff then split a fireteam off to the bakery building.
5. Only moments before the EMP, Death Otter awakened in a cell still wearing the battle rattle she normally worked in. Even her pistol was still there. The EMP temporarily knocked out the maglock on her cell which effected her escape.
6. At the same time, Bushwhack and Wraith came upon five of the Tir operators unconscious on the floor and still fully loaded in a secret basement of the bakery building.
7. The target was never spotted onsite nor was any clue given to her whereabouts.
8. As Bushwhack and Wraith were discovering the secret basement complete with Matrix shielded cells, Stygge and Shrike noticed the drivers acting strange enough to occassion comment. When the EMP went off, they seemed to snap out of it.
9. Shrike split with Stygge so he could investigate the automatic weapons fire, rents in the trailer siding and general mayhem while Stygge looked for a rig to steal, er BORROW.
10. As Shrike stacked up to breach, he hazarded a peek inside and found a nightmare of equipment, blood, Tir operative bodies, and a massive cyborg monster who came stomping over from its "meal" when its attention was roused.
11. A pair of perfectly placed rounds smacked the siding in front of his nose in slow succession and trailer shaking steps heralded the beast. A sniper was helping Shrike and made several pivotal shots to disable it but the shooter never showed himself.
12. Bushwhack and Wraith meanwhile found the body of Mulpa near the commandos. He had no obvious trauma.
13. When Bushwhack revived one of the Tir operatives, they found the commandos had also failed to acquire their target and were status: RTB. They were grateful for the assistance.
14. Perhaps most gruesome, the sole magical illusion protecting the staircase dispelled to allow Bushwhack, Wraith, and Death Otter a view of the horrifying nature of what was being done. Children, men, women...all dead and no signs of obvious trauma. Bodies filled the second trailer. No target inside.
☐ SITREP: Primary Mission: Target Acquisition. Status: In Progress, Time Remaining: 3:45:27..26..25..24
☐ New Objective: Discover the nature and identity of the captured cyborg
☐ New Objective: Discover the nature and extent of the experiments conducted in the scone factory.
☐ New Objective: Discover what knowledge your employer had about the above.