Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

[GM Nick]

Noah shakes his head emphatically. "I'm still not sure what it was we-- you guys, saw." He looks to Reiya, his headlamp throwing her into a spotlight. "Did... did it like my necklace? Frag, I'm glad I've been leaving stuff. I thought it was a lark."

The coyote nervously fiddles with a pack of Alpacas and a lighter. "Rocco will never let me live this down. You sure it's safe to go on? If so, it's only about twenty, maybe thirty more minutes of walking."

[John]

Mick considers correcting what seems like Reiya's misunderstanding of what the ork intends to capture with the simrig, but figures it best not to bother. Instead, the adept nods at the suggestion of painting on the cave wall, concluding instantly what to do. Turning toward the rock wall behind them, the ork draws their right thumb to their mouth and bites down at the flesh around the small wound they'd created at the bar earlier, reopening the knick and drawing a thick bead of blood to the surface. Mick starts first by smearing a single dot on the wall, then creates a second to its right. Then, squeezing their thumb to again draw more blood to the surface, they create a swooping U-shape beneath the dots. Extremely pleased with themself, Mick steps back from their work, spares a Reiya, and mirrors the expression presented in their drawing.

[GM Nick]

Reiya's glow of reverent delight seems to calm Noah a bit, as does the Alpaca teetering on his lower lip. Noah takes a long drag and exhales through his nostrils, eyes closed. "You folks keep me on my toes, I'll give you that much." He swings a flashlight beam down the tunnel, as if to verify the absence of any phantasms. "I know there's juju and witchcraft out there. Some of my clients have the gift. But it gives me the heebie-jeebies to think how many times I've strolled through this tunnel, totally unaware that a specter was watching me." His eyes lock on to Reiya's, his face the expression of earnestness. "On the return trip, I'm gonna leave a whole pack full of presents for your friend. I'd appreciate if you put in a good wood for me."

Noah smooths out Taipan's sleeve. "Sorry about getting handsy, omae. You just make such a great bodyguard. Remind me to add a charge for paranormal encounters the next time I bill you." Bit by bit, the nonchalant Noah is returning. "Let's get a move on, just in case that jewelry I left is counterfeit." Stones crunch under Noah's boots as he begins moving slowly down the tunnel.

[Molly]

Mouse still isn’t sure what she’d expected when she played along with the little ritual, but it certainly wasn’t that.

She can feel herself bristle at Reiya’s emphatic distinction between tech and magic, but now’s not the time to go debating the existence of code-ghosts. Now’s the time to get out of dodge. “NOPE.” she finally manages, summarizing in one syllable her full opinion of the paranormal encounter. “THAT’S THE SECOND-CREEPIEST THING I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED. NOT WAITING FOR THAT THING TO COME BACK WITH FRIENDS.” She wastes no time following Noah’s heels, trying and failing to feign an expression of indifference, all while fighting the tremors rocking her very core.

[John]

Mick gives their work a final appreciative look and turns to follow behind Noah and Mouse, re-shouldering their pack and landing it on their back with an indistinct clatter. The ork runs a hand over their buzzed scalp, the bristly texture helping ground them as they absent-mindedly smear a trail of blood from their temple to the base of their skull just beside. The musty, damp, earthen smell of the tunnel fills their nostrils, further bringing them back to the corporeal. Invisibly gesturing to Mouse with a nod from behind her, the ork asks, "Buy you a drink of something not-putrid if you tell me what the first-creepiest thing was?"

[Molly]

Mouse lets out a breath of awkward laughter as she walks, already regretting her word choice. “WASN’T SO MUCH A SPOOKY-SCARY DRINKING STORY. MORE LIKE… YOU NEED A SHOWER IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT TOO HARD.” Already, she’s weedling out of giving the details. Maybe it was something about seeing that smiling face, but she’s not exactly eager to ruin a good moment with mood whiplash.

“WAIT, YOU’RE TELLING ME THEY MAKE NON-PUTRID DRINKS?” She seizes the opportunity to change focus, cocking an eyebrow in not entirely feigned surprise. “FRAG IT. WHEN WE GET BACK TO CIVILIZATION, I’LL GET US AS MANY AS IT TAKES TO FORGET THIS WHOLE MESS.”

[Stephen]

Taipan shakes off Noah's grip on his arm, lest he need it free for business in the coming moments. Though he can sense nothing threatening, danger is telegraphed by the kinesics of his companions and the timbre of their voices. "Quiet. Let those who know of such things tell us whether to fear."

His breath and the breath of the party comes loud in silence of the darkness as he waits for something, anything to break what feels like a tense 10 minutes of waiting. Reiya's invitation to "contribute" finally obliges, and Taipan's brow furrows in confusion. Though the request makes little sense, the gravity in Reiya's voice lends flesh to an unseen phenomena than Taipan would never fully comprehend.

Taipan slowly approaches the place of offerings. Natural and unthreatening... He unslings his pack and fishes around for a moment before locating the object which he presumes fits the bill. He plucks a potato from his pack and reverently places it among the rest of the offerings.

Upon Reiya's declaration that the team can proceed safely, Taipan's muscles relax, but only slightly. He turns to Noah first. "You're not a superstitious man, yet you leave offerings. Some part of you knew. You should trust those instincts, omae.

He then turns to Mick. "I'm... sorry. I was wrong." He pauses momentarily as a slight smirk creeps onto his face. "Though I still reckon substance abuse was a more likely scenario than an astral awakening if you're playing the numbers."

[MattL]

Although he hasn’t spoken since offering his cherished beanie, it is plain to see that Yung is doused in sprightliness. He wears a wide smile, fully exposed pearls that seem to glow in the darkness. His eyes remain wide open windows, as if in anticipation of a second helping. Once the conversation begins, the only thing he can bring himself to do is turn his wide saucer eyes toward whoever is talking, the huge drek eating smile accompanying his gaze.

This continues until the group finally begins to move again, something about the process seems to bring Yung part way back to reality. “HOO LEE DREK.” He finally blurts out. “Did y’all, that, that. Reiya! Did it…what?” Yung is skipping in the darkness in an odd kind of way, bouncing and bobbing through the caves as much as they will allow.

After a minute he composes himself enough to form a coherent thought, “That was real.” his words reverberate in the void. “That is real. Reiya, you talk to it, yeah?” He leans in closer to her as he walks, “What did it say? I mean, I’ve seen a spirit or two, but that was something…different.”

After a few more minutes Yung falls back into line, he continues to move with a rhythm, but part of the procession once again. He wears a cocksure smile, different from the ecstatic grin he was wearing during the encounter; somehow it bewrays a sliver of prescience. “I wish everyone could have seen it, I really do. Still, you all were there.”

[John]

Mick may not be overburdened with tact, but knows well enough not to keep prodding Mouse about a subject she'd clearly prefer to evade. "Oh, yeah– all kinds. Blue ones, green ones, pink ones. Ones that have little umbrellas in them and taste like railing Pixie Sticks, only not as toxic. Some even glow in the dark, but not as much as that drek you picked up a case of back at that drekhole back there." The ork grins, and concludes, "And I'll take you up on that offer, but I'm still buying first round."

The ork isn't thrilled with Taipan, and is less thrilled with him when he finishes. "Yeah, corpo, you were wrong. And that would'a passed for an apology if you hadn't concluded it by saying why you were still basically right to accuse me of being fucking high on a job." The ork makes eye contact with him, unsatisfied by his mea culpa cum qualification. "You tell me. You seen me stick my face in any drek? You see me blow a job, or put anybody here in danger? I give you any fucking reason to think I'd do something that stupid?" Mick pauses a moment, but not long enough for Taipan to answer their rhetorical questions. "Only fraggin' thing you know about me is that I had your fraggin' back at Bongoland. So no. You weren't in the right to level that drek at me. I meant what I said before. Pull that kind of drek again, we've got problems."

[GM Nick]

The rest of the trek through the tunnel is an uneventful affair. Some members of the team walk in quiet contemplation while others brood silently. Noah seems sensitive to the temperature of the atmosphere and, in a rare turn, stays mostly silent.

It becomes obvious when the mine ends and the cave begins; Narrow, twisting tunnels transform into large caverns filled with stalagmites. In some places the floor is flooded with ground-water, but it never becomes more than knee-deep. The path is relatively easy to traverse, a testament to Noah's familiarity with it.

At some point the abyssal darkness begins to recede. The efficacy of the team's lights improves until they're not needed at all. Noah leads the group up a rocky shelf, his face bathed in moonlight. The coyote looks equal parts relieved to be nearly done with his task but also trepidatious about returning alone.

The mouth of the cave looks down on a sloping hillside comprised of boulders. Hardy trees and plant life spring from the gaps between rocks, and the smell of jasmine and sage creates a heady bouquet. The sky is a canvas of stars, impossibly innumerable and clearly visible owing to the lack of any light pollution.

"Welcome to California," Noah says. "Technically we crossed the border about twenty minutes ago. This area is pretty deserted, so you shouldn't have any trouble. They don't bother flying the recon drones this deep in the mountains. Once you get closer to the coast, though..." He offers a plaintive shrug and a wan smile. "I'm sure you guys will be fine. This is where I leave you."

Noah turns to Taipan. "Kiyoshi, I'll be in Reno. Once you have your bearings, let me know when you need to return. I've got plenty to do there, so take the time you need to do-- whatever it is you're doing." He claps Taipan on the back. "A pleasure, omae. As always."

[John]

Mick steps up to regard Noah, having grown earnestly fond of him. "Catch you on the return, chummer. Better make sure your toxin extractor is operating at peak, ya' rez?" The ork gives the coyote a good-natured punch to the shoulder to punctuate their meaning.

[Stephen]

Taipan walks the rest of the journey in brooding silence, conflicting thoughts and emotions about the mission and the team itself roiling within, but he wills them beneath the surface. That seems the healthy thing to do.

The discomfort of unfamiliar territory changes flavor from claustrophobic to agoraphobic upon exiting the inky closeness of the cave into the eerily silent expanse of wilderness. He grips Noah's hand firmly in his own, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Thank you, omae. I'll be in touch when our plans for a return crossing firm up." He leans in close to whisper to the man. "Tell my wife and daughter I love them, next time you check in." He is still and silent for a moment, before drawing away. He wires ¥1000 to Noah in his AR feed. "I'd say don't spend it all in Reno, but what'd be the point?"

[GM Nick]

Noah grins at Taipan. "I knew you were my favorite client. I'll relay your message. Be safe." The coyote turns and strides back into the darkness of the cave.

The team is left alone on the top of a rocky hillside. The moon provides adequate light to discern the surroundings: a sloping, boulder-strewn valley. At the far edge of the valley appears to be the winding track of an asphalt road.

[Drew Buddy]

Axel breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of open sky. He had spent most of the walk through the caves staring down, too engrossed with the drone AR feeds, and too worried about what his eyes might pick up if he dared look up. The drones themselves, normally out on a wide orbit, were drawn in close, the turrets fidgeting around in reflection of Axel's own anxiety. He was so engrossed with the AR feeds, that it was only 15 minutes in that he realized he had effectively been walking in the 3rd person, using Wind's camera to pilot himself remotely. This would normally have been no small trick to the uninitiated, but to a rigger like Axel, for whom the concept of a "body" and notions about where a body can be operated from are largely fluid and vague abstractions that get in the way of doing the job. Controlling a meat body from the point of view of a chrome body is just part of the game.

He lets out a shuddering breath, a tension in his gut only apparent now that it's fading. "Wait, we need to go back through there?" He asks incredulously. "Did no one see the actual, literal GHOST?"

[John]

Mick chuckles, "Yeah, but it was, like, a friendly ghost. You know? Like in that old movie, Poltergeist."

[Molly]

"HELLO, WORLD."

The familiar phrase seems trite, but strangely obligatory, as the decker emerges, blinking, from the cave. From the depths of the earth behind them to the open sky above, Mouse has, over just the last few hours, been exposed to nature in more permutations than she has over the sum total of her life experience.

She places her hand against one of the larger stones and cranes her head to take in the expanse of stars and space junk: a thousand points of light streaming into her retinas, like a swath of hot pixels strewn across an ancient monitor. This twilight, as she must remind herself, is something wholly unlike the texture-painted skies from her VR worlds. This one, after all, is Real™.

She takes a deep breath of air, crisp and unpolluted and supposedly good-for-her, and holds it, as though waiting for something intangible to take hold, to feel something in this pristine wild space that she’s been lacking in her technological prison.

What she does feel… is empty.

Facing the open sky, she finds herself witness to some grand cosmic mystery that's had its ending spoiled long ago. The revelation she receives is one of disillusioning anticlimax: that the Real cannot stand against the Realer-Than-Real.

She releases her breath in a soft sigh of acceptance and consternation, "IT JUST WANTED SNACKS, RIGHT?” She shrugs off the notion of one more thing she’s apparently too wired to experience in full, and crouches down to distract herself with more pressing matters, namely the odd bits of plant life poking through the earth. “IT’S LIKE BEING FOLLOWED BY AN INVISIBLE STONED GUY. WHO EATS HAIR.”

[ReiyaEmm]

It’s a good thing that Reiya has companions now, because despite her best efforts, she’s been in a haze of exhilaration since parting from Sanasatasamara, and thus paying attention to little else. After her short speech confirming their ability to move forward, she lets herself revel in the joy, a testament both to the wonder of her experience, and to how much she must actually trust these people, at least subconsciously, to let down her guard among them. She smiles at Mick’s simple but sweet drawing, and grins at Yung when he expresses his own wonder at what they just experienced, but she can’t bring herself to speak about it yet. Maybe another time.

Reiya hears Mick and Mouse’s banter as well as Mick and Taipan’s verbal skirmish as if they were insects buzzing, audible but irrelevant. The shaman begins to properly notice her surroundings again as they reach the caves, but does not fully reawaken to herself until they reach the outside. Reiya brushes one hand across the wall of the cave’s mouth and whispers a silent prayer, which she sees as little different from the embrace and words of family members parting. She and Sanasatasamara will commune again; until then, kind spirit.

She turns to look at the hillside before them, and if the shaman in her rejoiced at the connection with such a venerable earth spirit, the Amerind part of her revels in the scents and sights of nature, from sprigs of green to sky of stars. Still disinclined to speak, Reiya nods to Noah as he parts, hopefully offering some assurance that his path back will be safe. She feels a mixture of annoyance and amusement at Axel and Mouse’s mischaracterizations—misunderstandings, more accurately, she thinks, trying to be fair—of the spirit who so generously offered passage and kinship. But rather than lash out with her own potential misunderstandings as usual, she lets it go. The calm and solidity of the earth spirit seems to have settled her, for now, and she realizes with certainty that they would never understand her astral and magical world, just as she will never understand what wonders and powers can be grasped in the virtual and digital worlds. Smiling to herself, Reiya inhales the entwined jasmine, sage, and freshness of the air. She can live with that.

[GM Nick]

As the team broods and banters under the glory of the heavens, Taipan, Mick and Yung catch something amid the muted moon light. About fifty meters down the valley, intermittent flashes of light can be seen amid the boulders.

[John]

Mick squints at the flashing light, aiming to make out in clearer detail and with greater certainty the source of the strobe. "That our next babysitter?" The ork doesn't wait for a response before setting off in its direction, careful to stay low and out of sight should their assessment prove erroneous.

[MattL]

For the remaining 30ish minutes that lead up to the group exiting the mines, Yung is a percolating. Upon returning to the outside world and gazing up at the stars he fully returns to the present. He takes a deep breath, focusing on the perspiration of his breath as it leaves his lungs. He looks up at the stars, a broad smile once again spreads across his face.

“This is gonna be some chill biz I think.”

He looks over to Reiya, her silence has been a little bit worrisome, but after discerning her facial expressions in the moonlight and the calm permeating presence she exudes, Yung decides she is fine. Better than fine actually, first time since they’ve met he actually thinks she looks happy.

The brief flashes of light from below draw his attention away from Reiya. He goes through his customary routine, producing his glasses and donning them. He switches to thermal vision to see if he can get a better look at what and how many things await the crew upon their descent, following Mick quietly in the darkness to try and get a better vantage.

< Just a reminder, our contact is Zdenka. Sign is scorpion. Counter-sign is pine beetle. >

[GM Nick]

Mick - Sneaking Skill Check

Sneaking + AGI
6, 1, 3, 6, 1, 5, 3, 6, 4, 4, 1, 3
4 hits on 12 dice

Mick moves into the shadows cast by the mountains, seeking refuge from the pale blue moonlight that illuminates the immediate surroundings. The terrain is tricky here-- lots of broken rock and brittle foliage, but they are used to broken glass and creaky floor boards, so they make due.

The errant glints of light move closer and there are tell-tale signs of an approach: a snapping branch here, some pebbles rolling downhill there. It seems as though whomever is closing in is moving strategically, from cover to cover. A startled Mockingbird takes flight from a crooked ponderosa, betraying the presence of someone or something in the near vicinity, about a mere fifteen meters from the team's current position.

[John]

Mick keeps low, circling around the occasional glints to attempt to approach whoever– or whatever– is responsible for them from the rear. The ork hugs craggy rock formations and drinks in the shadows cast by the direction of the moonlight, angling to get behind the target to ascertain its nature.

[Drew Buddy]

It takes a moment, but Axel's attention is finally drawn toward what his more observant companions have already spotted. Now that he knows what to look for, the flashes of light seem obvious as day in the still dark environment. He clicks his tongue twice, and points at the sky whirling his finger around in a counterclockwise motion, before shaking his finger at the sky three times. Whirlwind registers the motion, and promptly shoots up into the air 30 meters, the lightless drone disappearing into the inky sky. He lets out a pair of light hisses between his teeth, and with his finger pointing down, moves it in a circular motion. Echo, the Fly-Spy, picks up this second metaphor, and takes off on a wide, low loop, circling back around and behind the approaching group. For the latter drone, Axel leaves the safety radius at 10 meters, the small, stealthy metal bug also being the most delicate in his stable.

Axel crouches behind a boulder, and returns his attention to his AR feed. "No need for trouble," he mutters to himself, "just looking through the peephole before we open the door. Or shoot through it."

[GM Nick]

Axel's AR feed reveals a slope littered with boulders and resilient conifers. The trace amount of light from the clear night's sky proves enough to feed his sensors, giving him a crisp view of the details of the scene below. He spots four figures in a loose Herringbone formation, each secure behind their respective cover. The newcomers are dressed in what can only be described as urban rebel chic. Axel observes lots of bandanas, patch-work armor pieces and battle-worn clothing. Though obviously highly coordinated and well disciplined, they don't look to be proper military. Still, whoever they are, they're well armed and not taking any chances.

For the moment, the small squad seems to be considering their next move.

[Drew Buddy]

Axel takes his focus away from the drone feed to quickly compose a message.

<<Four contacts. Look way too slapdash to be Saito. They're holding position.>>

He returns his attention to the feed.

[John]

Mick pauses in their approach, suggesting, < Anybody got a way to try to signal to them? Or should I just grab one for a heart-to-heart? >

[MattL]

Yung waits for the movement to halt and sounds of the night to return before calling out in the direction of the four unseen figures, "Out hunting for scorpions in the night?"

[GM Nick]

Yung's voice echoes down the valley, reverberating off the slick rock faces. A brief silence follows, punctuated only by the chirping of crickets and the distant rustling of brush. Then, a gruff feminine voice replies: "That was the plan, but so far we've only found pine beetles."

A tall, muscular elf woman leans out from behind a boulder. Her dark hair is cropped on the sides and messy on top, a sort of bedhead mohawk. She's wearing a tactical vest over black armored clothing of different makes. A Franchi SPAS-24 shotgun is pointed at the ground. "I'm Zdenka," she says. Her accent is harsh, slicing through consonants; angular Balkan features further add to the severity of her presence. "Interesting rendezvous location," Zdenka remarks, glancing at the rocky slope. "You must be Akeela?"

[John]

Mick can't tell if its relief or disappointment as the sign and countersign bounce confusingly across the rocks that scatter the hillside. What Mick doesn't feel, though, is immediate certainty. Remaining crouched in the darkness, the ork thinks to themself, 'Never hurts during a negotiation to have a gun hidden under the table.'

[MattL]

Yung stands from crouching behind his makeshift hiding location. "I see my reputation precedes me, but yes I am Akela, and it was an interesting journey to this place. Nice to meet you Zdenka, we appreciate you making the accomodations to meet us so quickly."

Yung walks toward the voice carefully making his way across the shifting and unsteady stones. "How far is your vehicle from here? My companions should be making their way down shortly."

[ReiyaEmm]

Reiya’s calm and good mood do not precisely shatter, but as some of her comrades spot the lights and move into action, they dissipate, and the shaman returns almost reluctantly to her former state of general wariness. Mostly. The anger that simmers gently but firmly within her, ready to jump into action when provoked, remains quiescent. For now.

She doesn’t hear the comm chatter, of course, but is surprised by Yung’s sudden call, the rapid reply, and the meeting of the two parties, both subtly relieved. Scorpion. Pine beetle. So that’s what sign and countersign mean, she muses as she walks over, glad she never thought to ask. Why they can’t just call them passwords or codewords is beyond her, but still. Good to know.

[GM Nick]

Zdenka places a thumb and index finger in her mouth and whistles. The remaining three squad members step from behind cover. It's impossible to tell much more about Zdenka's subordinates at a glance as they're garbed in helmets, masks, and goggles. The uniforms seem to vary but invariably contain pieces likely scavenged from a skirmish. Each member has added their own individuality by way of a particular piece of clothing. In Zdenka's case, forearm guards one would normally find a riot officer equipped with.

"About a klick down the hill," Zdenka says. She scans the immediate vicinity. "There are seven of you right? We brought a Roadmaster in addition to an escort vehicle. It might not be the comfiest ride but there will be plenty of space."

One of Zdenka's troops gesticulates, conveying something in sign language. Zdenka shrugs. "Full disclosure," she says, turning to Yung. "We don't work for Conrad, we're just doing him a favor. He's a big supporter of the cause, so we're happy to help. We'll get you to Blue Dog but we don't have time for any detours."

[Drew Buddy]

Axel pads up nonchalantly, swinging his rigging deck on its strap behind his back, and out of the way. "You got a Roadmaster?" He asks, trying not to let his jealousy show, and to not embarrass himself by asking a thousand questions in rapid succession like a toddler learning about ice cream for the first time. Visions of the half-finished project in his garage swim through his head. "That'll do nicely." He finishes instead, with a wide, genuine grin.

"So you lot aren't coyotes? You're fighting Saito? Gotta say, it's kinda' weird, the idea of people being oppressed by a government of all things."

[GM Nick]

Zdenka looks down at Axel, being a full head taller. "We do. Well, Conrad does. A whole fleet in fact, but they're at our disposal. One of the many ways he aids the cause."

She lifts her sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a snarling grizzly bear set over crossed cutlasses. "We're Golden army. Volunteer freedom fighters, I'd guess you say. Some of us are ex-military, but many are just regular folks who are sick and tired of Saito's tyranny."

[MattL]

Yung continues advancing towards Zdenka and her squad before stopping a couple of meters away. He proceeds with a small bow of the head before removing his glasses and gauging the members of the group.

He scans their outfits with a discerning eye before cracking a half-smile. “I like it, dis look you got is nice, huh?” He gestures with both hands slightly apart and offset, palms up, a supplicating motion as though he were presenting the style at a fashion show.

“And yeah, there are seven, might even be fair to say seven and a half if you count the big man.” He glances back back up the hillside expectantly.

“Anyway, we appreciate your candor, it’s a rare thing these days.” Yung clicks his tongue, as if in confirmation of his previous statement.