The Untamed Wilds: Electric Skies

[MacConnell]

Trollick smiles and nods at Gibraltar. "Most people take one look at a giant and think, 'big and dumb.' That stereotype could not be further from the truth with me, though I am not fully versed in technology, having been raised outside the city."

He watches the woman don her VR headset and notices Hawkeye looking into a private message. When he has finished, he asks, "What's up?"

Spoiler: Roll for Whatever

67

 

[Kwargrow]

Syd shows off his prize machine gun, a long, but compact firearm with clean edges and ceramic parts. "I was with the crew that lifted this little baby. Pure coincidence. We were knocking off one shipment, and one of the guards was stealing this and hid it in the cargo that we stole. I was the first person that used it; turned it loose on the guards from that same job as we made our way out of the hit zone."

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Hawkeye makes a mental note to ask Syd what he knows; apparently, this guy has been dealing with the Hudus for a long time. Hawkeye doubts that Syd would have high-level knowledge, but any odd detail about the guy might prove helpful.

Hawkeye asks Gibraltar, "If the pinstripe guy is taken out, how does that help you? If he's the go-between between the Hudus and some larger concern, won't the larger concern simply replace him with someone else? Is his skillset hard to replace? Don't get me wrong, I'm all about nailing this guy. I just want to be sure that our focus is in the right place."

When Trollick asks what's up, Hawkeye tells him that the whole group will discuss it later. He doesn't want Gibraltar to be privy to some of the details.

 

[MacConnell]

Hawkeye asks Gibraltar, "If the pinstripe guy is taken out, how does that help you..."

Subconsciously noting the 'later' comment, Thomas is more focused on the words to Gibraltar. The background on the comment is lost to him, figuring that it has something to do with the time in the VR, but understanding the nature is second nature for a runner. He holds up a gesture of hold-that-thought-for-a-second and interjects before Gibraltar can respond.

"Doubling up eh!? If you are wanting to hire us for a cleaning job, we really do not need the particulars of why he is important to scrub. Though my friend mentions a valid concern with knowing the right target, that really falls into your wheelhouse. For me, a second job means a second pay. Speaking of pay, what are you offering to clean this scrub?"

 

[Kwargrow]

Weekly post: 2xp

Answered in the Order they are Received

Hawkeye makes a mental note to ask Syd what he knows

When asked, Syd knows nothing about the pin-striped suit man, or that there were ever any deals with anyone else. He says, “You might have guessed Nice Guy Larry didn’t get his name by being nice. I was under the impression that the Hudu Krew was autonomous. Nice Guy always talked about never bowing to the corporate dogs. Heh, what a chump. There’s a lie for every shadow in Helton.”

won't the larger concern simply replace him with someone else?

Gibraltar smiles, “Sounds like a Hudu Krew problem to me.”

what are you offering to clean this scrub?

Gibraltar replies, “This isn’t the usual biz where I seek you out to do a job. You came to me and asked me a favor, did me a favor so I owe you one, and me paying you back is giving up the info on the scag in the suit. You want to know why the Barnes’ were snuffed? He’s the guy that would know anything about it. I’m giving you the info to get the drop on him, so this doesn’t blow back on me, and I’m tired of taking orders from this guy. It’s not all secret murder plots. Lately he’s been having me escort his hookers to him, that way there’s no record of transaction. It’s degrading. I understand biz is biz, so if you make sure this suit-man doesn't live to talk, I'll compensate the three of you for 4000 credits apiece.”

Gibraltar give you the location of a meeting place off H90 near Eagle Lake and a time when the Striped Suit Man will be there. The meeting is not until two days later. Describe your intentions for the two days.

 

[Waynan]

4000 credits!!!
And the "Foster Child"?
Ho-ho-ho...Xmas is early this year.

Syd wants to plan out a strategy with Trollick and Hawkeye...and Shatterframe, too; but he is eager to take his new acquisition, the Magnum "Foster" to a shooting range outside of town. And, since the range he likes best is on the east end of Helton (OOC: noticed the name change. Why?), he was thinking of riding his scoot down to Patr Island (OOC: Keeping with the name change thing --- changing Padre to Patr) and have himself a bit of sun and a swim --- maybe even some fishing.
Syd always loved the water. When they lived in NYC, his family would take trips to Cupsogue Beach in Westhampton. Swimming on the ocean side and surf fishing for saltwater bass on the bay side were his fondest memories. His father wasn't so deep into the bottle yet, and it was he who taught him how to fly and surf fish. His mother was once a pearl diver off the southern islands of Japan and taught him how to swim, and to deep dive, holding his breath for longer periods than any of the other kids who came to Cupsogue to enjoy the water.
He had a surf pole, but it was at "home", and the last thing he wanted to do was confront his mother. He'd just rent one once he got to the Gulfside beach on Patr Island.

But first:
"Okay, chums. We need to talk, plan, and ready ourselves. Probably, let Shatterframe in on this, too, eh?"

 

[MacConnell]

Trollick takes in a deep breath and puts a brooding expression on his face, as if mulling over the response from Gibraltar. He waits two seconds. "I am sure my friends will agree with me. I say we have a deal."

He then nods at his two friends and jerks his head toward the door, wanting to discuss matters in the confines of Shatterframe's vehicle. Once in the car, "I will always have to be your visible front guy or the bait. Haha." He laughs sarcastically.

"I have no talent for the VR, that is Hawkeye's purview, and you, Syd, are the surveillance-recon guy. Of course, being that I am not really armored and carry no visible weapon, I look more a Joe Nobody, except for being the size of an ogre. Once y'all get the lay of the local, I will go in early to look like I belong... the unsuspected wingman."

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Hawkeye is satisfied with Gibraltar's answer, and he does agree to it, as Trollick predicted.

Once back in the privacy of Shatterframe's van, Hawkeye lets the gang in on the details.

Hawkeye explains, "In case I haven't mentioned it before, the Barnes' were my parents. And now, it sounds like they were killed in order to facilitate corporate espionage. My guess is that they were working on a project (as were the other engineers who were killed) and making more progress than some other company. So the "other company," whomever they are, arranged to take out the competition. They work through a middle man, so that there is no direct connection between them and the killers. Gibraltar gave me a recording of a meeting that Nice Guy Larry had with the middle man. He's a masked guy in a pinstripe suit. Take a look."

Hawkeye will then play the video on the van's closed-circuit internal hologram, so that everyone can see it at the same time.

Hawkeye continues, "We need to take this guy alive, so we can get answers out of him. As a middle man, he's far less important to me than the the people or corp who gave the order in the first place. I suspect that Gibraltar knows that we won't stop with just the pinstripe man. That's why she told us not to worry about it. She knows that we intend to take out the people who are giving him his orders. My guess is that she is vying to move in after we take out the people involved, and scoop up any loose assets. We should consider beating her to the punch. When we take out the higher ups, whomever they are, we should look for ways to confiscate their assets, and turn them to our use first."

Hawkeye pauses for a moment, considering something. Then he continues.

Hawkeye adds, "Shatterframe, do you know anything about this pinstriped man? Or about who he works for? Is he your competition? Also, is there any way we can wipe his memory, or do you think we will have to eliminate him after he gives us the information we're looking for? Gibraltar said it herself, turning him loose will be dangerous. We don't need this coming back on us."

 

[MacConnell]

Hawkeye will then play the video on the van's closed-circuit internal hologram, so that everyone can see it at the same time.

Trollick watches the video with interest, to fill in the gaps from Hawkeye's conversation with Gibraltar.

Hawkeye continues, "We need to take this guy alive..."

Trollick works his mouth in the manner of chewing a thought. "Despite our chosen profession, I have an aversion to enhanced interrogation. However, being tuned to waylines, I can utilize my magic so that things do not have to turn messy. I am more suited to causing physical harm to a body, but I can first try a simple mind bending."

"Of course, this fellow may be nothing more than a fixer, as detached from any specifics of a job as an email would be to the message it carried. I suggest we offer to pay him for the information, then put a bullet in him after and take by the cred stick, if he is forthcoming. Second I will try to muddle his mind to make him more pliable. Third, the option for which I have the most skill, I can slowly siphon his life so that he knows he is dying but unaware as to how."

"I do not want to do this, bloody. We find the corporate execs who offed your parents, you can drown them in a tank of water for all I care. I understand that is a terrifying way to go."

 

[Waynan]

Hawkeye said:

I suspect that Gibraltar knows that we won't stop with just the pinstripe man. That's why she told us not to worry about it. She knows that we intend to take out the people who are giving him his orders. My guess is that she is vying to move in after we take out the people involved, and scoop up any loose assets. We should consider beating her to the punch. When we take out the higher ups, whomever they are, we should look for ways to confiscate their assets, and turn them to our use first."

Syd doesn't like this choice, but knows it will work --- and most effectively --- though it will cost; hopefully it won't be a lot.

"Chums, I know a way we can hide those loose assets where no one but us, --- (this next 'sotto voce') --- and my mother --- (he then speaks aloud again), --- will know where to find, and USE, the Creds." Syd blushes with this next tidbit of information, "I kinda know someone who can 'launder' the Creds to where no corporate wonk, merc, dick (as in Detective), decker or mage will ever be able to trace it to us."