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[Mullet Master]

An echoing beep surrounds you in the darkness. Beep..beep.. be-deep.. . It's your terminal, downstairs, and that annoying beep means you have a priority communication. Somewhere in the world, one of the mega corporations needs your service. You'll never know why any particular job needs done, and you'll never know who is actually paying you for it. There's just two pieces of information. What, and when. And usually, the when is "right now".

You squint at the alarm clock sitting next to your bed. 4:30AM, local time. You've been in this city for only two days now, on the run from a job went bad back in Shanghai. You did the logical thing, pay for a new identity and find a new base of operations.

Your current base of operations is the Sargent Motel. It's nothing fancy, kind of a dump really. You swing your legs off the side of the bed, stand up , and walk over to the soft glowing green light of your terminal. Since the 'net doesn't really have any secure nodes anymore, most of the business is done through a kind of low-fi terminal using encrypted analog radio signal.
The message reads as follows :

Code: [Select]

2/16/2055
From : 194824201@[redacted]
To : "Field Agent AJ12"

It's good you made it out of Shanghai. I'm sorry Mr. Blue couldn't come through.
It looks like you last were seen in Detroit... if so, that is both good news and bad news.
The bad news is, you'll probably be found by your enemies there, if you don't get complete facial reconstructive surgery.

The good news is I have a job for you.
What do you say?

-Mr. Poinsetta

Mr. Poinsetta... humph. Hopefully this job won't be wetwork. You have half a notion to ignore his request and go back to sleep. But he did make a point, you're going to have to change your face if you want to continue living here.

You quickly message him back, and he responds almost as quick.

Code: [Select]

2/16/2055
From : 194824201@[redacted]
To : "Field Agent AJ12"

AJ12, There is a small shipping warehouse within 1.5 miles of you. We need this place watched for 24 hours beginning at 0900. Record the number of trucks entering and leaving the compound, and also get an idea for how many workers are stationed there. Do not disrupt normal operations.

Payment : $1000 USD  upon completion of job.


Humph. It's a job.

What's your reply? Or other action

Spoiler: "Contacts" (click to show/hide)

Mr. Poinsetta - contact from unknown corporation, occasional employer

Spoiler: "Equipment" (click to show/hide)

Trench coat
green turtleneck
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
$250

Spoiler: "The Grid" (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

Logging onto the grid...
Welcome user AJ12.
You have 0 new messages.
Directory
       Help Wanted
       Resumes
       Marketplace   


Spoiler: "Personal" (click to show/hide)

Healthy enough.
Hungry.
Thirsty.
Cyberware : Communications implant (allows electronics interface)

[Blade Master Model 42]

>Accept the job. A simple surveillance operation shouldn't be painfully difficult.

[lopocozo]

Determine exactly where the warehouse is, then scope the place out for a good place to hide for 24 hours.

[Mullet Master]

--- Gameplay Note : Italicized comments are items requiring player input ----


2/16/2055
0445

The cash should be easy enough, although the timeline is a little short. You're going to have to get ready, quick, and get moving. You put on your trench coat, slide your revolver into a deep pocket on the inside, and type out a quick reply on the terminal.

Code: [Select]

Poinsetta.

I'll take the job.
Use acct ######09.Will report in by 1200 2/17.
-AJ12

This hotel is an old one, probably made in the 1990s, some sort of chain before things got bad. As you turn on the bathroom light, you're surprised there's even electric in here, since there's rolling brownouts all the time. You take a look in the mirror at yourself before you leave - and you barely recognize yourself. There was some major work done on you before the Shanghai job, and that was only two weeks ago.

What do you look like?

Spoiler: "Contacts" (click to show/hide)

Mr. Poinsetta - currently on surveillance contract, warehouse

Spoiler: "Equipment" (click to show/hide)

Trench coat
green turtleneck
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
$250

Spoiler: "The Grid" (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

Logging onto the grid...
Welcome user AJ12.
You have 0 new messages.
Directory
       Help Wanted
       Resumes
       Marketplace   


Spoiler: "Personal" (click to show/hide)

Healthy enough.
Hungry.
Thirsty.
Cyberware : Communications implant (allows electronics interface)

[Blade Master Model 42]

>You're about 5'8, have short cut brown hair, and a smallish nose with green eyes. You have a prominent jaw, and you are usually clean shaven. Your left hand is a cyborg replacement, and is obviously robotic.

[Flying Dice]

>You're about 5'8, have short cut brown hair, and a smallish nose with green eyes. You have a prominent jaw, and you are usually clean shaven. Your left hand is a cyborg replacement, and is obviously robotic.

>You are the above.

[Mullet Master]

2/16/2055
0540

You take a look at yourself briefly. You've tried to choose a look to be as anonymous as possible, but that mechanical hand of yours still sticks out. It's snowing outside, so wearing a pair of gloves won't draw attention to yourself.

It's only about half an hour's walk to the the warehouse. It's snowing and bitterly cold outside, and not many people are out. You'll definitely have to find some cover for this stakeout.

The warehouse is a large, run down building surrounded by a 3 meter high chain link fence. On top of the fence, there's razor wire. There are a half dozen other buildings surrounding the warehouse, each approximately the same height as the warehouse. It's still dark and there's only one street light near the warehouse, so you can only pick out rough details of the area. You spot one person sized door, and 4 rolling garage doors. There may be a guard posted in a shack outside, but it has mirrored windows and you haven't seen anyone go in or out.

Most buildings near the warehouse look to be occupied, but there is one that may be abandoned as all the doors and windows are missing. There are a few cars on the street across from the warehouse which appear to be broken down, some have wheels missing and some look like they've just rusted in place. This definitely is not a high trafficked area of town.

Furthermore, there's a tall apartment building with exterior patios approximately two blocks away - with some good optics you could stake out the warehouse from there. It's going to be difficult to get up to one of those patios.

It's time to choose a stakeout point

Spoiler: "Contacts" (click to show/hide)

Mr. Poinsetta - currently on surveillance contract, warehouse

Spoiler: "Equipment" (click to show/hide)

Trench coat
green turtleneck
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
$250

Spoiler: "The Grid" (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

Logging onto the grid...
Welcome user AJ12.
You have 0 new messages.
Directory
       Help Wanted
       Resumes
       Marketplace   


Spoiler: "Personal" (click to show/hide)

Healthy enough.
Hungry.
Thirsty.
Cyberware : Communications implant (allows electronics interface)
                 Mechanical hand

[lopocozo]

>  Buy a good quality set of binoculars and use the apartment building.

[Blade Master Model 42]

>  Buy a good quality set of binoculars and use the apartment building.

This. We'll figure out our spotting place when we get there.

[Mullet Master]

2/16/2055
0700

It doesn't take you long to figure out - you'll stand the greatest chance of success if you get to that building and watch things with some binoculars. You remember seeing an advertisement for a 24 hour pawn shop nearby on your walk to the warehouse, so you walk there. It takes roughly half an hour to get there.
You get to the store - "Detroit Pawn and Scrap Metals". Looks like a classy place that has been roughly set up in an old supermarket.

Inside is a real odd man... well, greasy  is the best way to describe him. Short, loud, and wearing a dozen gold chains, he argues with what few customers he has over everything. He  speaks briefly to you as you walk by but you ignore him. You quickly arrive at a display of surplus camping equipment, pick up the best pair binoculars you can find, a black pair with red anti-reflective coated lenses and go to the man.
"How much for these?", you ask casually.
The greasy man responds excitedly : "$400 bro, take it or leave it"
"Yeah, sure pal. Look, I'm in town for a few days, want to watch a game. What if I give you fifty bucks, and bring em back in two days? And you can keep the fifty bucks?"
The greasy man shifts around. "You wantta rent the binoculars? Okay, I do that. Give me your ID, so I can come collect the rest, if ya don't bring em back? Also see if you a credit risk."
You know your ID is essentially filled with garbage data, so you hand him your ID. "Scan it, I'm staying at the Gustov. You know that hotel? I check in today."
He walks behind the counter, scans the ID, and writes in a notebook. He hands you back your ID and says, "Okay, you do this. Seventy five bucks"
You agree, and hand him the cash.
You now have military binoculars.


(It will take 30 minutes to walk back to the apartment building or you can gather other needed supplies)

Spoiler: "Contacts" (click to show/hide)

Mr. Poinsetta - currently on surveillance contract, warehouse

Spoiler: "Equipment" (click to show/hide)

Trench coat
green turtleneck
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
Military binoculars
$175

Spoiler: "The Grid" (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

Logging onto the grid...
Welcome user AJ12.
You have 0 new messages.
Directory
       Help Wanted
       Resumes
       Marketplace   


Spoiler: "Personal" (click to show/hide)

Healthy enough.
Hungry.
Thirsty.
Cyberware : Communications implant (allows electronics interface)
                 Mechanical hand
Negotiation : 1

[Blade Master Model 42]

Are there any fast food places or quick marts to buy food from between the pawn shop and hotel? If so, grab a bite to eat and something to drink.

[JackOSpades]

or Pizza but yea people never eat health on a stakeout.

[NUKE9.13]

Stop by a shop to buy some food and drink, yes. And... a notepad, a pen, hairpins suitable for lock-picking (if you can find them), a roll of string, a lighter, and a newspaper; this stakeout will probably be very boring, so you should take some reading material along. Who knows, maybe there'll be something interesting in there. The other stuff... well, you probably won't need it- but its good to have options.

[Zako]

Indeed, that kind of stuff shouldn't be too expensive. Also, add a bottle of water to the list, as you can use the extra water/liquid container. And take a few pens, just incase one is a dud.

[Blade Master Model 42]

Yeah, a hard, non-digital copy of notes would probably be safer. Besides, you never know who's watching, especially in bleak, dystopian futures.