If you posted during the previous week, your character receives 5 xp.
Shatterframe smiles and nods at your banter. "Whatever you decide, be at the address in three hours and we'll get to work. You may use your own transportation for the job if you wish. You have my number from the messages I sent you. I don't receive or send holograms. Now I need to prepare for our journey." She stands up and leaves the booth, inviting the three to stay as long as they like.
The atmosphere of the Axelrad Lounge appeals to the new Runners. The staff seems professional and competent, and the other customers seem content to mind their own business. You may use the Axelrad Lounge for meetings again if you like. Trollick, Syd Vicious, and Hawkeye take the time to chat and get to know each other better, sharing a few stories of their experience and how they built their skill sets. During the conversation the group decides to take the Cleveland job and knock out a few lizards. The quick, simple task will help the team adjust to each other.
At 2:00 am the three leave the lounge and travel to the address twenty blocks away. The electric sign depicts a plate of cheese nachos with a comical face driving in a sparkling black convertible. The text next to it reads 'Nacho Ordinary Vehicle Repair Center'. This street doesn't look much different from the one you left, with floating lights illuminating skyscrapers as far as you can see and different businesses on the ground floors with their signs glaring in vibrant colors. There is a little more traffic with vehicles speeding past on the street, but at this hour not much business is done.
As you arrive, the cargo door at the repair center rolls up and a plain maroon Ford van pulls out. The doors open and you can see Shatterframe seated in the operator chair with the Vehicle Link Display over her eyes.
"Glad you fellas could make it. Get in," she says through the van's intercom, which sounds remarkably like her own voice. From your experience with VLD's you know the operator can hear and see everything happening in their vehicle from internal sensors monitoring the passengers. There is ample space for the three of you. Traffic is sparse on the way to Cleveland district and Shatterframe is quickly able to reach peak speed on the highway so you arrive in good time.
Some Helton districts have exterior walls to protect citizens from what lives outside the city, and Cleveland is one of those districts. Shatterframe drives you through quiet streets to the thirty foot wall. Over the barrier the group can see the tops of trees from the overgrown Sam Houston forest. At the base of the concrete, in a shallow gully underneath a floating light, one man and one woman are waiting next to a bent and torn drainage grate with a hole large enough for a giant to fit through. They are both carrying shotguns.
Shatterframe tells you, "Your contacts names are Travis and Luceena. They'll point you at the lizards and you earn some quick pay."
You leave the van and approach the man and woman. Although their faces look distraught, they are friendly and shake hands with you when introductions are made. Travis is a short man with dark skin and a long goatee. Luceena is an elf over a foot taller than Travis, has lighter skin with curly green hair. They are both wearing flannel shirts and overalls.
Travis motions to the twisted grate and tells you, "Big lizards come in through here. Bastards. We're not allowed to leave the city to go after them or we would, but I guess that's what you're here for."
Luceena says,"Four of those things got in here when our horses were out to graze. They got our babies, Trydthrough and Maxina. We killed two of the things, but the others ran back through here. Bring us the heads and the credits are yours."
