Official Tensided Cyperpunk RPG Campaign

[Utsanomiko]

Stavis looks around the area surrounding the parking garage on Westminister. He could see the all-night convenience store on Commerce street from where he was standing.

"I walked you farther than I planned. I'll be going now, but I'll drop by if I need a place to crash." He said to the bright-shirt guy, and started walking towards the direction of the store.

[Alyrium Denryle]

"I have to say... you have been one of the most interesting single serving friends i have had in a while... Thanks for accompanying me, and never hesitate to ask if you need anything... Farewell, and thanks for all the fish" Lennox said with a smile.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Stavis and Ben:
Before Stavis can take a single step and before Dr. Lennox receives his telepathic reply, the idling engine suddenly revves up and the sound of burning rubber booms from the garage. As the pair turn their heads instinctively toward this surprising development, there is an extremely loud gunshot and a full powered rifle bullet speeds toward Lennox's head, only missing because of the sudden movement.

What appears to be a red and white 1957 Chevy BelAir emerges at the bottom of the slope quickly picking up speed. Benjamin recognizes the driver as his colleague doctor Ham. The gunman curses and shouts something over his shoulder, his words drowned out by the big block V8.

"Get in, both of you!" Shouts Dr. Ham as he opens the door.

The sound of another engine starting in the garage can be heard.

Everyone else:
((Since everyone's already gone, editing Blaine's actions retroactively isn't an option. In the future, remember that you can use IF THEN type logic for these situations. Ex: "If Blaine noticed someone unusual, he does this. Otherwise, he does this."))

Now that his mind is unoccupied by speaking, Blaine has a chance to "play back" his memory of when they walked in the bar, and he realizes something about the drunk at the other end of the room that was staring at the group. Staring drunks are not unusual, but this one had a full glass of beer in front of him that had been sitting there long enough for the foam to completely dissipate.

Meanwhile, Stacy listens to Mikal and then Ernesto, responding "Yes we have the expertise and the facilities to install the implants."

As Dirk voices his question, she smiles faintly "It should be enough. They won't be expecting us to assemble much resistance."

She glances around nervously, trying to pass the glances off as cool and calm. "We should get to the bunker. The attack really could come at any minute."

[CorSec]

((Thanks for the tip.))

Before anyone has a chance to move, Blaine speaks up.

"That guy at the end of the bar may not be as drunk as he looks. He's been eyeing us since we walked in." He looks to the resident mercinaries, curious to see if they noticed the same thing. He would have suggested leaving in a staggered group to see who he follows, or if someone else picks up surveillance, but after the chastising he got a moment ago, he really learned his lesson about saying too much.

[Utsanomiko]

Stavis scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Oh fucking fudge," he whined as if some stingy cop had stuck him with a ticket for jaywalking. He reluctantly jumps into the back seat of the car.

"Alright, but you're dropping me off the first chance you get. This is the second time somebody got me stuck in their shit in the last hour." He shifted in his seat and kept his head low. Snipers were one of the last things he wanted to deal with right now. Running was simply not an option, which is a pain because this is none of his business either.

This is what I get for hanging out with trouble-making schmucks, and for not *insisting* I was going no further than Commerce street.

[Gerard_Paloma]

Dirk's whiskey arrives and he quickly pounds two shots back. Without a word, he takes the third and walks over to the staring drunk.

"Hey buddy, I think you could use another." With that, he slams the glass on the bar, then leans in close. "Now do you want to stop looking at me, or are we gonna have a problem?"

[Alyrium Denryle]

Stavis and Ben:
Before Stavis can take a single step and before Dr. Lennox receives his telepathic reply, the idling engine suddenly revves up and the sound of burning rubber booms from the garage. As the pair turn their heads instinctively toward this surprising development, there is an extremely loud gunshot and a full powered rifle bullet speeds toward Lennox's head, only missing because of the sudden movement.

What appears to be a red and white 1957 Chevy BelAir emerges at the bottom of the slope quickly picking up speed. Benjamin recognizes the driver as his colleague doctor Ham. The gunman curses and shouts something over his shoulder, his words drowned out by the big block V8.

"Get in, both of you!" Shouts Dr. Ham as he opens the door.

The sound of another engine starting in the garage can be heard.

"Scheisse!" Dr. Lennox yelled, as he got into the car. He kept his head low and hoped the snipers werent in a position to still target his head.

"Sorry about this Stavis, I didnt mean to drag you into this... And you will get the full story once we are out of harms way... assuming we survive... you deserve that much"

[Marcao]

He had noticed that his question had been answered in part, his left hand reaching for the half empty glass of vodka on the table. He took a sip before placing it back down, his eyes flickering closed for a clean second before they opened once more. Once they did, they focused on Stacy for a moment. “I am thankful that you have competent people. However, I wish to rephrase my question. I barely know you Stacy, and while I am willing to be paid in cybernetics or cash, I like to work with my own group of surgeons.” Was it really so surprising that he did not wish to be cut up by people that he did not trust? “If you will pay me in cybernetics you will also provide payment for the surgery with the surgeons that I choose. If that is unacceptable, you can pay me in cash. I am really quite flexible on the matter.” He went silent then, his eyes sliding to the gringo as he spoke. He was mostly right, but he would not bet on MS being incompetent about this. Of course, they did not know that he had almost chosen to be their executioner.

When Stacy spoke once more he arched a brow, the nervousness noted and considered for a moment before he continued. “that would be a prudent course of action but at the moment, inadvisable. I can’t speak for others, but I am not prepared for conflict. I will require time to gather the necessary supplies in order that I may give you my absolute best.” He paused for a moment, the glass brought to his lips once more as its contents were nearly completely drained. “and speaking of my best, if you are interested in it…I would suggest that you seriously consider some generosity.” He shrugged his shoulders. “grenades and such can be expensive and cybernetics will not be a factor until after this little mission.” Did he have to spell it out? He was in it for the money or the cybernetics, and if at all possible he wanted them both. If she wanted him to go anywhere, she had to pay him for it. Besides, it was in her best interest to make sure he was happy. If she was offering them cybernetics worth having, then surely a couple of hundred or thousand dollars was not a bad up front payment fee. He did not work for free or promises for that matter. “what down payment will you provide me?” the question was a simple and utterly predictable one. She was in luck though, he accepted electronic transfers too.

When Blaine spoke he hesitated for a moment before looking at him and then in the direction of the man in question. Mierda, he should have closed the screen. It had not been his job, considering he had not been the last one in but it was of little comfort now. The idea of standing up and plugging the pendejo was strong, but Dirk moved first and he shrugged. “if he needs killing, he will get it.” His tone was flat and utterly dispassionate, his eyes sliding towards Mikal for a moment and then towards the man whom Dirk was hassling. Augmented hearing was a beautiful thing. His eyes slid towards Stacy then, deciding that it was her choice now how quickly he got to this bunker of hers. The more money she gave him up front, the less time he would waste.

[Hotfoot]

Details, always little details. Like children, he would have to guide their every step so they did not step on a land mine. Then the demanding and the questioning, 'Are we there yet?' and 'I have to pee!' or 'I miss my blankie!'. In and of itself it was bearable, up until you get shot between the eyes because you were watching their backs and not your own. The sneering man quite clearly needed to loosen up somewhat, but at least he wasn't as bad as some of the others Mikal had worked with in the past. "We can work out the details at a later point, I am afraid. For now, I suggest that we spread our wings and our paths as far and as quickly as we can. Rushed jobs often become sloppy, and without the proper tools, disasterous. Miss Alvarez, you take your comrades and go. You know how to reach me, you can give me directions from there. I will keep in touch with Ernesto. We shall be ready in roughly half an hour. If the attack occurs before then, well, I apologize, but when given a choice between near-certain death in return some material wealth and missing an appointment, I prefer to be fashionably late and alive than arriving early and dying tired. Ernesto, let's go." Nothing else more was going to be said. The sneering man was begging for a confrontation, and if one broke out, Mikal would rather not be there when it happened. In the meantime, neither he nor Ernesto were properly suited for running off to defend an installation. That took preperation, weapons, and a considerable amount of ammunition, of which they had little or none. The question of payment could be worked out later, though he was loathe to do so, as quite often such situations wound up stiffing him of the originally agreed-upon fee. Still, this situation was somewhat unique, and Mikal almost cracked a smile as he considered the possibilities.

Once Ernesto had gotten up, he would leave the booth as well and make way for the nearest exit, of which there were several in the establishment, another reason he enjoyed doing business here. Naturally at this point he would be looking for the slightest signs of trouble and move to avoid them if at all possible, all while looking as though nothing was wrong or out of the ordinary. It was time to blend with the crowd....

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Stavis and Benjamin:
The semi-modern amenities in the interior of the car suggest that it is in fact a replicar and not a genuine '57 Bel-Air. Nevertheless, it has quite a bit of pickup, as Dr. Ham demonstrates by flooring it, causing the tires to squeal and send up some rubbery smelling smoke as the car speeds off. After a few seconds, the second car comes out from the garage. It appears to be around a 2010 model Pontiac GTO, quite capable of catching this replicar. The passenger (the one who used the sniper rifle earlier) appears to be rummaging around in the back seat. Distance between the two cars is still about 150 yards.

Everyone else:
Looking not entirely happy about Mikal and Ernesto's decisions against accompanying her immediately, but unwilling to try and talk them out of it, Stacey answers Ernesto's question as he and Mikal get up. "Of course we'll provide money for the surgery if that's what you wish." To his second question, she responds "OK, if you need some seed money, I'll have it to you in a few minutes. Is $2,000 enough?"

Meanwhile at the bar, Dirk is making his demand, and the man responds by attempting to splash the contents of the shot glass into Dirk's eyes as he makes a mad dash for the exit.

Splash in eyes: Fake drunk vs. Dirk
Difficulty: 14 (9 coord + 0 hand to hand + 5 constant)
AT: 5 (5 coord + 0 hand to hand)
Final roll: 9

Unfortunately for the man, Dirk is too fast and his instincts too honed for that kind of bullshit, and a quick bob of his head ensures that the whiskey misses completely.

EDIT:
Dirk angrily reaches for the man before he can take a step.

Slam head down on the bar: Dirk vs. fake drunk
Difficulty: 10 (5 coord + 0 HtH + 5 constant)
AT: 9 (9 coord + 0 HtH)
Final Roll: 13
MoS: 3
Specific location: 8 (right ear)
Damage: 8

The man tries to snake away, but Dirk angrily slams his head down on the edge of the bar. Between the man's average build and Dirk's Supersoldier arm, it not only renders him unconscious, but also permanently deaf in that ear.

[Alyrium Denryle]

(( o joy))

"I will see if i can... hinder the driver"

<PAIN> (-3)

[Gerard_Paloma]

Dirk catches the now-unconscious man by the collar before he crumples to the floor, and hoists him back onto the stool. He addresses the doorman as he walks up.

"Well, he failed the not-being-an-asshole-check."

He looks to the front door to see Mikal and Ernesto leaving. "Guess the party's over, huh? Oh well, let's see why spy-boy was so interested in us."

Dirk slaps the man on the cheeks, trying to wake him up.

EDITED ACTIONS

[Utsanomiko]

Stavis realizes he's at the mercy of both shirt guy's driver and and sniper behind them, so he keeps his head down, folds his arms over his lap, and rests his head in one hand. He slides his small of scotch out long enough to take a small sip, in attempt to alleviate his impatient boredom.

I hope they don't drop me off too far away, he thinks to himself as he wonders where the situation will lead him.

[CorSec]

By the time Blaine brushes past Stacey to join Dirk, the man of non-drinking drunkness is unconscious. He stifles a chuckle and shrugs his shoulders.

"No ID?"

It's terrible the times when mirth decides to raise it's jovial head.

((Blaine will follow Dirk's lead on this, whether that means dragging the guy out back for a revealing conversation, leaving him there or just leaving.))

EDITED ACTIONS

[Marcao]

It was impossible to miss the signs of displeasure in Stacy’s face but he did not overly care either. She was not his lover, she was trying to retain his services. His attention wavered for a moment as Mikal stood and made the effort to take him with him. When Stacy spoke once more, his eyes shifted over towards her waiting until she was finished before he nodded. “Excellent.” He hesitated for only a moment before nodding. “more than adequate, here is the account I want you to transfer the funds into.” His right hand moved, disappearing into a pocket and removing a small notepad and a pen. He wrote down the information quickly, glancing towards the location of the other man that had accompanied her and taking notice of the exchange that took place. His attention quickly returning to the task at hand. It took mere seconds for him to write down the bank name and the account number. The sheet of paper ripped and slid towards Stacy as he asked. “make the transfer within the allotted time please, you want us back in half and hour do you not? Now if you will excuse me, I have to go and prepare. Speaking of which, can I have your cellular number? I need to know where you want us to go. If you are unwilling to give me your number, write me the address in this piece of paper.” The paper was offered to her should she refuse to give him the phone number and as soon as the information was written down he would take the paper and slip it into a pocket. He nodded, glancing towards Mikal before he stood and joined him at his side.

He followed Mikal out of the nipple, his attention sliding one last time towards the scuffle apparently taking place near the bar before disappearing along with Mikal down a side door. Once outside the establishment they both walked a short distance before he spoke. “Listen Mikal, I have to make it to my place and get my stuff as you naturally do. If you don’t have a ride, I can drive us both there.” He hesitated for only a moment before rolling his shoulders. “As long as my car is cooperative. She has seen better years. Tell you what, here is my cellular number and my place.” As he walked, he pulled out his trust notepad and scribbled his number on a page before ripping it and giving it to his friend. “give me a call when you are ready and either tell me to pick you up or get there and I will wait for you. I would recommend the latter, considering if my car does not want to work we can both hoof it to the location on our own. Does that sound good?” If they were both agreed, he would waste no time to make it to his apartment and gather up the various tools he would need.

[Hotfoot]

Ernesto's delay was acceptable, but still somewhat irritating, though Mikal did not show it. When Ernesto was done, he began to lead him out of the bar, being careful to avoid the sneering man and his newfound plaything. Once outside, he did not ease up, and continued to watch for any potential signs of trouble or ears and eyes pointed the wrong way for an undue length of time. When Ernesto gave him the piece of paper with his contact information on it, he nodded, took the paper, and put it inside his jacket. "Yes, sounds good. I will head back and get ready. When I am done, I will call you and let you know I am on my way. As much as I would enjoy chatting with you on the way back, I think we had best part as quickly as possible and go our seperate ways," from here, Mikal would begin taking a path back to his apartment, not entirely direct, as it wasn't the fastest way back, but if anyone was following him, he wanted to lose them before he made it to where he lived.

First the subway station a few blocks away, past the one closest to The Electric Nipple , from there to a few streets above his apartment by train, then back down below the apartment again. Then he would leave the subway, walk up to the general area his apartment was located, then back into the subway again, waiting for a train heading back down towards the Electric Nipple. If he had anyone following him, that should give him enough time to pick them out from the crowd, or lose them in it. If he felt he was clear by the time he got to the last step, he would leave the subway, not having gotten on the train, and just walk to his apartment. If he was still being followed, and they had not made their move, he would try to draw them out or continue the chase, depending on the circumstances.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Benjamin and Stavis:
Dr. Lennox uses his powers to send waves of pain through the driver's body.

Sensory implantation: Lennox vs. driver
Difficulty: 21
Adj AT: 17
Final roll: 19

Just as Lennox finds himself about to break through the driver's defenses, the car lurches to avoid a pothole, foiling the attempt. He will have to try again.

Meanwhile, the passenger in the GTO has found what he was looking for in the backseat, but the distance, now at 120 yards, is still to great to make out what it is.

Blaine and Dirk:
The man regains consciousness under the hard slaps, looking too frightened to make a move. The bar has grown silent, the patrons looking on in anticipation while the staff and bouncers wonder if they will have to get involved.

Stacey punches a few buttons on her PDA before walking over, looking worried.

Ernesto:
The car starts up normally, and soon Ernesto finds himself at his apartment. A quick check confirms that the payment has been made.

Mikal:
The streets at night are empty and abandoned between this area and where Mikal lives. The only sounds are an occasional dog barking, or some rats skimpering. Yet with his heightened senses, Mikal starts to get a nagging feeling that he's being watched. Once he notices this, he starts to get glimpses of his trailer, an amorphous patch of blackness in the night leaping from one rooftop to another might not be noticed or passed off as a cat or a bird, but over the course of the next couple blocks it becomes obvious that he's being followed.

[Alyrium Denryle]

"Damn"

Dr. Lennox concentrates and tries again to break thoigh the mans defenses

[Marcao]

The payment had been made and he took great pleasure in that fact admitting to himself that Stacy was starting to win his appreciation. He did not waste any time, making sure to gather up the various items he knew he would need. He picked up half a dozen more grenades, complementing the two he already possessed. He grabbed his MP7 as well as 3 magazines for it, his G36 and all the armor piercing rounds he owned for it as well as a suppressor for his favored rifle. He was going to be on the defensive, so he made sure to replace his leather armor for Kevlar, as well as picking up various other tools of the trade.

It took him less than ten minutes to prepare for war, the rest of his various items locked away in their usual place (a fireproof safe). He placed most of his tools in a large carry-bag and darted down the stairs of his apartment building and towards his car. Once inside his vehicle he slid the keys into the ignition and hoped that his darling would cooperate. If not, they would have to walk. All that was left now, was for Mikal to show up.

[Gerard_Paloma]

Dirk looks around, noticing everyone staring at the altercation.

"Well, it looks like you've got the floor. So why don't you let us all know why you were staring at me like I was your girlfriend? Cause I don't swing that way, asshole."

[CorSec]

It takes degrees of control not to laugh like a nutter, but Blaine keeps himself composed. He's standing behind Dirk, close enough so that the guy can see him and know he's part of the interrogation, but far enough away to give Dirk any amount of room he needs to operate. One hand, his right, is stuck fingers deep in a front pocket trying to portray a sense of casualness, and the other is hooked around the baton clipped to his belt, ready to swing into action should it be necessary.

[Hotfoot]

So, he was being followed...now the only questions that remained were who and why. It could be that this tracker was under the employ of Miss Alvarez. It would help to explain the...unusal timing of her initial call earlier this evening. However, given the watcher in the bar, it was not unlikely that her enemies were attempting to keep tabs on her. Perhaps the mercenaries Microsoft had hired had decided that Miss Alvarez was a potential risk, and wanted information gathered on her and anyone she had contacted as quickly as possible. Not good. Either way, he did not like being tracked. His follower was on the rooftops, so he had the advantage of higher ground. However, his movement would be limited.

The urge to simply shoot the jumping fool came to mind. Simply attach the silencer to his pistol under his jacket, and the next time the shadow jumped to a new rooftop, he would be greeted by a .45 caliber slug while he was unable to dodge, but he doubted he could hit him accurately at this range. Instead, he used his knowledge of the area to his advantage. A nearby apartment building was the home of a couple of pathetic drug addicts. They had poisoned themselves with all manner of "recreational" toxins and by now did not likely have two brain cells between them. They managed to keep their standard of living by working odd jobs that nobody else wanted to do and by selling some product to gangs on the side. One thing Mikal noticed was that they were apparently always hungry. If the front door wasn't locked, he wouldn't bother with them, but the chances of that were usually rare. Instead, if the door was locked, he would hit their intercom button and pretend he was a pizza delivery boy. With any luck, the fools would buzz him in without thinking twice, at which point he would make his way to the roof of the building through the stairway to see if he could flush out his shadow.

Mikal's Current Inventory:

• X-Light Armor
• USP Tactical .45 (Concealed, Loaded, Two Reloads)
• Silencer (Concealed, not attached)
• Combat Knife (Concealed)
• Smoke Pellets (Concealed)
• Stripwire Binders (x2, In Pocket)
• Mirrorshades
• Cell Phone
• Various personal effects

[Utsanomiko]

...Stavis continues to keep his head down.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Stavis and Lennox:
The cars race through the abandoned streets of the Bronx. Potholes and rubble are everywhere, making things perilous, especially at such high speeds. The distance has closed to about 90 metres now. Lennox tries his pain attack again.

DF: 21
Adj AT: 17
Final roll: 22

This time it works. The driver is struck by waves of pain as he tries to concentrate on the road.

Dr. Ham driving check
DF: 12
Adj AT: 9
Final roll: 14

Dr. Ham skillfully weaves around rubble and potholes.

Bad guy #1 driving check
DF: 12
Adj AT: 9
Final roll: 15

The thug is a fairly good driver, and even with the pain he manages to avoid crashing. The other one leans out the window with his SMG, but the range is still too great and it would just be a waste of bullets if he started firing now.

Dirk and blaine:
One of the bouncers comes over. "Hey hey, take it outside." He points to the back exit into the alley.

Mikal:
After being buzzed in and gaining roof access, it doesn't take Mikal long to spot his pursuer on the roof of the building across the street. It's a very strange individual, hunched over on all fours with gray skin and wearing tattered rags. As it sniffs the air, Mikal glimpses it's animalistic yellow eyes. It's then that it spots Mikal and starts running at an extremely fast speed toward the next roof which would take it away from Mikal.[/u]

[Gerard_Paloma]

Dirk looks to the door, then back at the bouncer.

"I'll take the front door, thanks." He grabs the spy by the arm and shoves him roughly towards the exit. He then folds his arms, slipping his right hand inside his coat, finding the handle of the Ruger. He begins to follow the man out to the parking lot.