Contract #1: Big Man, Japan!

[Elliott]

<"Damn it, Kato, there is no way to set this building on fire or shut down the parlor without causing obvious malicious damage. What is Shiawase's criteria for success here? What about if we just burn your old boss's office, with him and all the novacoke in it? Otherwise I don't see how we can shut this place down.">

<"Sinjin, how you doing? See anything we can use on the second floor to make this place go up in flames?"'>

Tyros orders his dishwater out of the kitchen and follows him closly around the bottom level of the parlor, looking for anything that might be able to use to start a fire.

[Drew Buddy]

Doc weighs in,

< Tyros, you've gotta be creative. Fire isn't the only way to damage the building. Water damage from a fire suppression system can ruin a building pretty quickly, and make it unusable without major refurbishment. A broken, overflowing sewer line can get the building condemned. Removal of bolts or rivets, or really anything important looking on the understructure can make it unstable, or even fall in on itself. >

[Conway]

< I've got the office under control... found a hefty stash of novacoke Ill be bringing in for analysis. I've a feeling we may be seeing more of it, and we may want to catalogue it for comparison to other samples in the future should we need to isolate the source. Im not alone..neutralized a pair of suits. One of them I've kept alive, for now. We may get some information from him, or this cyberdeck. >

Sinjin pauses in his search of the dead Yaks clothing, <Kato, what was the targets name or alias? I'll need it to ID him.>

<Tyros, I've seen nothing yet to shut this place down. I'll be done here in a minute. We may be frakked for a fire source.....Keep your eyes peeled for fire alarms. An unexpected shower will clear the game floor. I've got an idea....>

((How long will the unconscious yak be knocked out? Can I carry this cyberdeck with me?))

[Elliott]

<"Water and sewer damage will hardly shut this place down permanently, but if closing the place down for a week or two is sufficient for Shiawase, then it works for me! What is the criteria of success, Kato?">

[GM Nick]

(( Cyberdeck is about the size of a small notebook computer, totally portable. Elliott--the building is made of concrete, with some drywall-type material for the interiors.))

[GM Nick]

Kato jogs down the corridor, his head swiveling as they pass each door, lips moving as he silently reads the placards.

[John]

Max follows closely behind Kato, focusing his keen senses more to the rest of the facility to try to detect any comers.

[Stephen]

Val keeps stride behind Max, warily eyeing his surroundings for interlopers and security devices.

[John]

Max stops dead in his tracks and suggests,

"Looks like your arena, Val. I mostly just hurt people."

[Drew Buddy]

Doc stops and stares at Max, flashing a brief, quizzical look to Val and Kato.

"Uh, what are you talking about?"

[Stephen]

Val halts his step, glancing from Max to Kato and back again.

"Kato knows what we're lookin' for better than me, 'mano. Hell, I don't even remember what he said. Hamajiro? Humamoto? What was it again?"

[GM Nick]

Checking again, Max finds an empty hallway...

[John]

(( What the frag is going on?? Why is nobody acknowledging this thing that was narrated by Nick?? ))

[Elliott]

((Dunno, you guys are weird...))

Tyros orders the dishwasher upstairs, following close behind, towards the office in which Sinjin is located with the two Yal bosses.

<"Sinjin, I'm coming to you with my puppet, we're going to make it look like he killed the two Yaks in a rage, pulled the fire alarm and flushed a grenade down the toilet. I can alter his memory so he actually believes he did it. I don't know how we do more damage to the building, but that should be sufficient to shut the place down for a little while and suspen their novacoke business.">

[Conway]

((hahaha how did you know I was going to grenade the toilet?? That was my secret plan ;p>))

[Pachinko Parlor, Office]

<Perfect, I'm just about wrapped up here. Knock once, then twice quickly so I know it's you.>

Sinjin unties the dozing goon from the desk chair before unceremoniously dumping him onto the floor. Dragging the body around to the front of the room, he begins setting up the 'scene of the crime' before their lead actor arrives.

[John]

(( Max has Security Procedures knowledge-- perhaps you could call in and he could recommend how to stage the crime scene [if Nick wants to make the successful staging something to roll for, that is]. ))

[Drew Buddy]

[ Data Center ]

Doc claps Max on the shoulder, giving him a reassuring grin,

"Hey, you allright, man? Let's keep moving. The less time we spend here, the better. See anything yet, Kato?"

[John]

Max snaps his vision around the corridor, besieged by confusion and disorientation, and asks,

"What the frag is going on? I.. it was just... couldn't you... !"

[Drew Buddy]

A concerned look crosses Doc's face, and he glances down the hallway in the direction that Max is gesturing,

"What's going on? What did you see? Drek, Max, you look like you've seen a ghost."

He looks at Max's eyes, searching for unusual movement or dilation.

[John]

Max shakes his head and stammers,

"I don't know.. it was almost like I was look at-- at Deus."

[GM Nick]

Kato peers around the next junction in the corridors.

"Hey, you guys coming? This isn't a pic-nic party, eh."

[John]

Max shakes it off as due to a bad hit of bliss from earlier that morning and presses on.

"Right behind you, Buckaroo."

[Drew Buddy]

Doc realizes that he doesn't have time to investigate the issue further.

"Okay, Max, if anything like that happens again, I need you to tell me right away."

He starts heading toward Kato.

[John]

Max responds defensively,

"Paging Doctor Adams, mind your own fraggin' business."

[GM Nick]

Tyros arrives at the door, dishwasher in mental tow.

[Stephen]

Val shakes his head, looking from Doc to Max and back again, the concern and confusion plain on his face. But he knows now isn't the time. He continues on behind the rest of the team.

[Elliott]

Tyros knocks once and then twice, <"Its my friend and me, open up Sinjin.">

Once inside, "Alright, tell me how you want this to look like it went down, and be detailed because I will have to construct the memory in this chap's brain. Better yet put the knife in his hand and walk him through the movements. I'll make sure he does as told."

Tyros orders the unfortunate dishwasher to follow whatever Sinjin tells or moves him to do.

[GM Nick]

Kato stops in front of one of the many secured doors, his gaze locked on a block of kanji lettering adjacent to the mag-lock.

"Here! This it!"

[Drew Buddy]

Doc glances up and down the frigid, sterile hallway, making sure they are alone. The smooth, almost seamless corridors give him an exposed feeling.

"Max, you have that sequencer handy?" He asks.

[John]

Still a bit burned by the strange hallucination moments prior, Max produces the sequencer from his pack without saying anything and hands it to Doc.

[Drew Buddy]

Doc offers the sequencer to Val,

"You wanna do the honors?"

He looks back at Max, brow furrowed.

[Stephen]

Casting another concerned glance at Max, Val accepts the device from Doc.

"Sure, 'mano. Get your business socks on."

Val holds the sequencer a few inches from the maglock and activates it; alphanumeric characters begin to cycle chaotically on the sequencer's display as he attempts to disengage the lock.

[GM Nick]

Hardware Test (4)

[Hardware (4) + Logic (6) + Sequencer (3) = 5]
6 2 1 4 5 3 2 3 5 5 6 3 2

Val wipes a bead of perspiration from his forehead, trying to ignore the frenzied staccato that his heart is beating out inside his chest.

The green digits light up one-by-one, seeming to actualize painfully slowly.

At last, the final digit appears and there's a subtle snapping sound as the lock dis-engages.

[Stephen]

Val exhales softly as he turns his attention from the sequencer to his team and gives a solemn nod. He pulls the door open and steps to the side with it, allowing the rest of the team a clear path into the room beyond.

[Drew Buddy]

"Nicely done," Doc grins.

He does one last shoulder-check to watch for passersby, before stepping into the room.