I'll be breaking up the reposts for ease of reading. Here's the next batch...man rereading this really reminds me how much I was enjoying all this.
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Riko
I show up back at Eddie's right before 10:00 like we'd planned and duck under the awning, taking a seat and looking up at Grandbanks.
So, can I get a free coffee or did our friend return and grab his loot?
When Daniel shows up I lean over to both of them while Grandbanks pours my coffee,
I found some pretty interesting stuff... but I'm going to need to buy some better equipment to really figure this out. I've got a hunch that's probably why our friend left the suitcase here in the first place. He knew we'd be needing it to do this.
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For Riko again...
Spoiler:
[sblock]Ok so your searches for leads on a new deck and some 'softs coulda been better but you got leads. You talked to a buddy of yours on the Net, thats from the FAZs too and he said he'd put in a word with his cousin who does some business on the other side of the Corr. A good days trip to talk to this guy but the prices you were given weren't outrageous so you think it might be worth taking the trip. Finding the 'softs was a bit harder. Nobody likes to talk too much or too freely about the better hunter programs out there let alone the 'softs that'll let you crack avatar shells. You hit up a few messageboards, and lounged in some rooms and picked up enough hints to point you in the direction of some guy named Andrius Suk. He supposedly runs around the FZAs around the DC Corr area. In and out of the trendier LAN* bars and digital clubs. Its not the best of leads but a couple of nights work by either you or Daniel could probably get you this guys ear.
*LAN is of course just a throw back name to the days when LANs actually were relevant in the world now its just style of bar catering to the more eccentric computer geeks and hackers out there. Lots of privacy, gang bangers, and hustlers.
[/sblock]
For the other two...
Spoiler:
[sblock]I felt that Riko seemed to be getting a tad too many of these spoiler blocks and that you might be feeling left out. So here's your very own spoiler block
[/sblock]
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Daniel
A minute after ten, I walk back into Eddie's and pull off my sunglasses. My eyes scan the bar and adjust for a moment, and focus in on Grandbanks and Riko.
I nod to the two of them, and slide onto a stool. Good, nobody else here.
So, did the guy come back at all? I turn to Riko.
And, did you find out anything interesting?
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Riko
I turn to Daniel when he asks, and take a second thinking how to reword this for someone who doesn't spend much time on the Net.
Well, for a long time people have suspected these places called Data Havens are hidden on the Net. It's probably what all the big tech companies are using to hide and secure their data. Nobody I know has ever seen one, but there are lots of rumors. I don't know how any of this relates to Joilette... The problem I'm having is that I can't track down this avatar ID that was in the briefcase without a better deck. I've got someone out on the otherside of the Corr, about a day away, who might be able to help me out.
I glance between Daniel and Grandbanks,
I know you guys might not be interested. I mean if you want we can split this up and head our seperate ways. I'm definitely going to track this down as far as I can though.
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Grandbanks
Last couplea hours weren't so great, tryin to flip flapjacks while wonderin if that rich boy was tryin to set us up for somethin, or if he's just dead and the bastards that killed him are gonna be looking for this case here. Got weeded around 9, and some jerk only comes in once a month was cryin to me bout how his eggs weren't wet enough, why no chicken eggs, i need more sugar... And the whole time I'm thinkin I don't need your two bills, assh-ole, I got more cash than you ever seen right next to your wee danglin feet, an you are makin me think way too much about dumpin a half-cup of flake in your coffee.
Not the salesman's attitude today. Just got out of the weeds maybe 10 minutes ago, and I'm draggin hard on my cigarette, and glad there's only these two in here now, even if Riko is kind of a nutjob.
Tell ya what, Riko... you keep makin this Net stuff sound almost like a story that makes sense, I'll be interested enough to see where it goes. You said you didn't care for cash, an I'd be impressed you could do that much flake in your lifetime. Daniel, you got the contacts to run some of this flake? Could get Riko that deck or whatever sh-it she needs.
I'm lookin kind of expectant at Riko and Daniel, wonderin where this is gonna go.
Sh-t. Sorry, guys. You eatin' again? Coffee?
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Riko
Ah well, about the money... I might have spoken a little too soon. I don't have much stuff I want to buy, but that deck will cost some and it might be safer to use the money we've got now than to bring attention to ourselves running that much flake. Besides, if you guys want to come along on the trip we don't need to split up the money now... we can just hold onto it together and split it up later. To be honest I'd rather have a couple boys with me anyway so nobody tries pushing me around. I let myself look a little hopeful and lean my elbows up on the counter.
What do you think?
