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[Mullet Master]

2/16/2055
0750

There's a small convenience store on the walk back to the apartment building. The sign outside proudly proclaimed "Detroit 24/7", dimly lit with yellow and red neon lettering. It's getting colder, and it's snowing again.
You purchase the various sundry items - the notepad, the pens, the bobby pins, a clothesline ("string"), the lighter, the newspaper. For the hell of it, you buy a day old cheese pizza and eat a few slices and enjoy a coffee. You head outside, and briefly lean up against the wall of the building and open up the newspaper. This morning's edition features a picture of a corporate executive - Tanaka Shiwarr from Shiwasorishita Heavy Industries. Apparently he's in town this week to discuss building the first new North American silicon chip fabrication plant in almost 50 years... in Detroit. This is news the world over, as the investment is huge for a town that is in borderline anarchy. You resolve to read the rest later, as you need to get to the apartment building soon.

You briskly walk back to the apartment, in a half jog some of the way. The sun has pretty much fully risen by this point, and you can see the full extent of the snow. The newspaper said it's going to snow a lot today, hopefully it will stay at pretty much this pace. You arrive at the apartment building. It's about twelve stories tall, made of concrete and steel. Very basic in design, likely a prefab from Shanghai. There's a few people exiting the building, likely headed to work.

You mentally note which direction the warehouse is, and start looking for options to get in. You walk into the lobby, pretending like you are trying to get in out of the cold. It's spacious, with a green tile floor and a few beat up couches and televisions. A few vending machines are sitting in the corner, looking unused for many years.

The lobby is open, but the elevators require key card access. There are a few doors around the lobby, including one marked "mechanical" and one marked "janitorial". There's also a public room full of chairs that has the doors propped open and noone inside.

You walk through the lobby and out the back. Starting at the third floor, there is a fire escape. It would take some tricky climbing to get to the fire escape, and then you'd have to find a way around the very thin ledges to the side facing the warehouse. You might stand a better chance of going up to the roof on the fire escape.

Your watch informs you that you have 50 minutes to find a spot.

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
notepad, multiple ballpoint pens, hairpins, a roll of string, a lighter, and a newspaper
cheese pizza(75%,old)
bottle of water
$150

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

Code: [Select]

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

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

[Blade Master Model 42]

Hmm... Heading up the fire escape could be risky. Someone could spot you, and it wouldn't look good. Before we try it, sit down on one of the couches and dig through it surreptitiously. Maybe someone lost a card.

[NUKE9.13]

Yeah, look around, see if there's a keycard dropped somewhere. But no need to be subtle about it.

If someone asks you what you are doing, explain that you are staying with friends who gave you a spare card to get up, but you've lost it. If they could just swipe the thingy and let you up? Your friends will let you in upstairs- you don't want them to have to come all the way down just because you lost a card.

[Mullet Master]

2/16/2055
0800
You start going through the cushions of the couches. Nothing much here, just a bunch of lint and candy bar wrappers. After doing that, you start crawling around on the floor to look underneath the couches, but don't find anything. Frustrated, you go to the meeting room and start searching around there. A
After digging through a few overflowing trash cans, you notice there's a closet in the corner of the meeting room. The door is locked, but this is an absolute minimum security interior door. You put your cyber hand on the door knob and press a button on the corner with your other hand. This overrides the torque limit, so you start turning the knob and end up snapping the inner mechanisms of the doorknob.

You go inside and turn on the lights. You see a bare minimum set of cleaning supplies - a broom, a dustpan, a roll of trashbags.. but in a dark corner, there's a key hanging from a nail on the wall. Maybe this has some value?

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

Mr. Poinsetta - currently on surveillance contract, warehouse

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

Trench coat(dirty)
green turtleneck
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
Military binoculars
notepad, multiple ballpoint pens, hairpins, a roll of string, a lighter, and a newspaper
cheese pizza(75%,old)
key
bottle of water
$150

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

Code: [Select]

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


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

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

[NUKE9.13]

Grab the broom and the key. Try the key on the door in the lobby marked 'mechanical'. Probably won't work. If not, try it on the one marked janitorial.

[Mullet Master]

2/16/2055
0823

The key has to do something. You casually stroll over to the mechanical room - no dice. This key doesn't fit.
Then you walk over to the janitorial room. Just before you put the key in the lock , the door opens. It's a janitor, a portly man in his mid fifties. He's wearing dirty canvas coveralls, and and he's carrying a rather nasty plunger. You start to say something but he cuts you off "Shut up. Get suited up, you know where you're supposed to go. "
He gestures with his plunger to a table filled with objects. "There's the gloves, a bucket, and some window wash. You can fill the bucket once you get on the roof - there's a faucet near the door you come out of."
You're not entirely sure you understand who he thinks you are, so you stay silent a little longer.
"Oh, yeah. There's a card, on the table, that will get you to the roof. You're not allowed to go to anywhere else but the roof or the lobby, so go to the elevator, scan the damn card, and push the "R" button. Get it? R? Alright. Now put the broom down... are you slow? Your company really sends some idiots.... Oh yeah, you can put your lunch in the fridge over there... "
The janitor gestures at the pizza box you are carrying with his plunger.

The janitor leaves the door open as he heads to the elevator and you go in.You put the broom down and lean it against a shelf full of cleaning supplies. This is a decent sized room, with a desk at one end, a small television set opposite the desk, a large table in center filled with the window wash supplies, and some shelves of cleaning supplies. There is a rack with about two dozen coveralls on it, most cheap synthetic fiber disposable type, in all sizes. 

You go ahead and take the keycard.

What's your next move?

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

Mr. Poinsetta - currently on surveillance contract, warehouse

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

Trench coat(dirty)
green turtleneck
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
Military binoculars
notepad, multiple ballpoint pens, hairpins, a roll of string, a lighter, and a newspaper
cheese pizza(75%,old)
key
keycard (Roof Access Only)
bottle of water
$150

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.
Cyberware : Communications implant (allows electronics interface)
                 Mechanical hand
Negotiation : 1

[Blade Master Model 42]

Grab the keycard and cleaning supplies, and hit the roof.

Once on the roof, look into alternative escape routes. The real guy who's supposed to clean the window could come up.

[NUKE9.13]

...why are there windows on the roof? No matter.

I'd say, take the uniform, suit up, grab the supplies and head for the roof. Hide somewhere out of sight of the elevator (and not too easy to spot from the warehouse or the street either), and settle down for a loooooooong day.

[Mullet Master]

2/16/2055
0832

You pick out a large set of coveralls, and slip them on over your normal clothes. You put your trench coat on the outside, and gather up the cleaning materials. You walk over to the elevator and swipe the card. The doors open immediately, and you push the R button. The elevator heads up to the roof.

When the doors open, you see a roof with many windows used as skylights in the center. Apparently the top three floors of the building have an atrium. You have little interest in cleaning, so you set the supplies down just near the skylights. You look down and there is someone in the area below the skylight, oblivious to your existence.

You start mentally making a map of the roof.
On the west edge, is a few air conditioning units and the elevator entrance. This faces away from the warehouse.

In the center, there are two large glass skylights. They are triangular shaped, and you could possibly open one and enter the building - provided you had a way down. You don't see any catwalks inside the building.

On the east edge, there is a dark gray water tower, standing about 4 meters tall. It probably would be good to position yourself near, so your silhouette wouldn't be noticeable to a casual observer.

On the north edge, there is a ledge and that's pretty much it.

Finally, as you spin around, you see the south edge. There's a few people standing there. You are chilled to the bone as you see them- you had no idea somebody was going to be there.

First, there's the woman. She's tall, wearing a full set of digital camo coveralls, and a set of dark combat goggles. Her coveralls are unzipped halfway, and underneath you see a black ballistic vest. She's carrying a submachine gun in her right hand and it's pointed at you.

There's also a man, turned away from you. He's wearing a fully white jumpsuit, and is crouching near a heavy machine gun of some sort set up on a tripod. He's sitting behind a cellphone tower attached to the front of the building, pointed at the warehouse. There's several crates of all kinds surrounding him, including other weapons cases. He turns to face you and you can see his short blonde hair and numerous facial scars.

The woman walks towards you, holding the submachine gun at your chest. As soon as she gets about 4 meters away, she says : "Ah. It's you. Mr. Benedict. We didn't know you would make it... are you ready to change the course of history again?"

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

 
Mr. Poinsetta - currently on surveillance contract, warehouse

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

Trench coat(dirty)
green turtleneck
janitorial coveralls
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
Military binoculars
notepad, multiple ballpoint pens, hairpins, a roll of string, a lighter, and a newspaper
cheese pizza(75%,old)
key
keycard (Roof Access Only)
bottle of water
$150

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

Code: [Select]

Logging onto the grid...
Welcome user AJ12.
You have 0 new messages.
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Spoiler: "Personal" (click to show/hide)

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

[NUKE9.13]

"I don't suppose you'd believe I'm here to clean the windows?"- said with a charming smile and a 'you got me' shrug

[Blade Master Model 42]

"I don't suppose you'd believe I'm here to clean the windows?"- said with a charming smile and a 'you got me' shrug

Yeah, this might be the best option. Frig.

[Mullet Master]

2/16/2055
0844

You try to respond quickly, to buy yourself some time. "I don't suppose you'd believe I'm here to clean the windows?" You then shrug, and smile sheepishly.

The man looks unimpressed and goes back to his machine gun. He's sighting it in ... you guess on the warehouse.

The woman puts her SMG in a shoulder mounted holster and smiles. She says "Nonsense. You are agent Benedict. How else would you know to come here... but your face... it has changed..."

The man stands up and wipes his hands on his pants.  "You know, it's very possible he has reconstruction amnesia. Y'know, the thing where your brain can't recognize your face after a complete dermal makeover?"

She walks up to you, and gets close to you. She grabs your left hand and removes the glove.
"Kerensky mark IV. The prototype. Serial number 0001. This must be Benedict!"

The man crouches down and opens up an ammo box. "Yeah, it's him. I could have told you that - Josh saw him on the camera network. He busted the Janitor's closet doorknob with that hand!" He lets out a brief chuckle, and the woman laughs in agreement.

She backs away from you and turns to face the warehouse. She says, slowly "How are you on current events?"

You respond "I don't know. I don't watch much TV...."

She laughs. "You know about the businessman, coming into town, is that correct?"

You remember a little from the news story. "Yeah. Some guy , going to make a huge factory complex. Going to bring this place back to the map...."

She said "What if we told you that the goal was not to build. But rather, to use this place for toxic waste and a penal colony?"

This seems to be a little far fetched. How could one disguise a prison as a semiconductor fabrication plant? Is it even possible?
"I'd say politely... miss..."

She responds : "Julia. I'm Julia. This is Sven. We keep it simple, easy to remember code names. There's a few more, that you'll meet ... again... later...."

You continue your thought "Julia, I'd say you are full of shit, and you know it. You really expect me to believe that?"

She says again, "You do believe that. You are the one who brought us here, and it is your mission. Remember? You are paying us? "

Sven stands up abruptly and stretches his long arms. You can see underneath his sleeves that he has fully mechanical arms.  "Yeah, paying us."

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

Mr. Poinsetta - currently on surveillance contract, warehouse

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

Trench coat(dirty)
green turtleneck
janitorial coveralls
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
Military binoculars
notepad, multiple ballpoint pens, hairpins, a roll of string, a lighter, and a newspaper
cheese pizza(75%,old)
key
keycard (Roof Access Only)
bottle of water
$150

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

Code: [Select]

Logging onto the grid...
Welcome user AJ12.
You have 1 new messages.
Directory
       Help Wanted
       Resumes
       Marketplace   


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

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

[NUKE9.13]

Sven stands up abruptly and stretches his long arms. You can see underneath his 

...underneath his what? Is Sven flashing us?

We think for a moment, trying to figure out if this is all possible. It does seem unlikely that we'd get some rinky-dink surveillance mission that would have us be on the same rooftop as a bunch of high-tech assassins.
"...so who is Mr. Poinsetta?"

((Why, you are, Benedict. It is one of your many aliases.))

[Mullet Master]

2/16/2055
0855

You have the distinct feeling this isn't the first time you've suffered from amnesia, so you decide you've probably already put all the reminders in front of yourself ahead of time.  Of course, Poinsetta has to be an automailer, you set up before you underwent surgery. And the money - is going to be linked from your own bank account... and.. well, that's as far as you can think so far. It's freezing cold and you're standing on a roof, so you figure you need to to take the easiest route out for right now.

"Yeah, I'm Benedict. That's the warehouse. Now...this Tanaka guy. He's going to come to that warehouse. Julia, can you you.. uh.. how do you ... know this? "

Julia pulls out a paper-thin electronic reader from her hip pocket and unrolls it on a nearby air handling unit. You can see vague schematics which somewhat match the warehouse building you're looking at.

"This Tanaka guy owns that warehouse. Inside, we suspect, is a data center and bank vault holding a hundred million euros of cash. Tonight, at his dinner party, him and his cronies will be handing out this as party favors to ensure his facility gets built."

"But why is it a run down warehouse, in Detroit? Isn't that a risky place to put anything, considering the political instability here? I mean, I wouldn't leave toilet paper in my hotel room without bolting it down..."

Sven looks up at you, and says "Here, you can form your own army without anyone taking notice. There's no safer place to put that much cash. Anyway, get with the picture and suit up. The caravan is going to arrive soon, and we need to figure out how to pin them into the warehouse. That's our only chance at Tanaka... "

Julia pushes a few buttons on the reader, and a new map pops up. "We expect the entourage to be six heavily armored SUVs. Tanaka can be in any one, but we definitely don't have enough firepower to ensure all are immobilized. Here is our mission loadout and codenames. Take a look, while we finish unpacking. I need a damn smoke, too."
A female voice comes through a radio sitting near Sven.
"Julia, Sven. This is Kate. Horus and I are parked about two blocks down from the warehouse, in a street facing the approach street. Can you confirm visual?"

Julia walks over to the edge of the building and walks back to the radio and picks it up. She says, "I see you. Benedict is here personally - we're shortly going to turn the operation over to him. Standby."

Sven says "Benedict. There's going to be six SUVs enter that compound. We expect them to be armored about as good as it gets.We may or may not be able to disable them with the weapons we have, especially the SMG. We know only a few things for certain. One... Tanaka may not be in them. We really should wait to confirm he's there. Two... They're going to load each one with a certain portion of the money. At some point, there's going to be people loading. They'lll be guarded, but the SUVs will be stationary for a while. I have a few opinions, but I want to hear yours. How should we approach this one? Remember, we're trying to get Tanaka alive, and maybe get some of the money. Tanaka alive is worth about a billion ....."

Spoiler: "Mission Loadout" (click to show/hide)

Julia - Agent
1x SMG
       4x smoke grenades 4x frag grenades 
       4x throwing knives 1x breaching charge
       2x semi-auto pistol
Sven - Heavy Weapons Support
        1x Heavy Machine Gun, Tripod Mounted
        1x Anti-Vehicle Sniper-rifle, .804 caliber
        1x Assault Rifle
        3x Single-use Anti-Tank Rockets
Josh - Electronics/Computer Support
        1x Electronics Warfare drone (Capable of unlocking doors, scrambling security cameras, jamming radio communications, etc)
        1x Standalone Crypto laptop (Capable of breaking high security electronic equipment)
        1x Tool kit
        1x pump action shotgun
Horus - Vehicle Support
        1x armored van with pop-up HMG turret
        1x Assault Rifle
        1x tool kit
Kate - Infiltration
       1x silenced pistol
       2x remote charges
       1x mechanical lockpicking kit
       4x throwing knives

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

Mr. Poinsetta - currently on surveillance contract, warehouse

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

Trench coat(dirty)
green turtleneck
janitorial coveralls
jeans
Terminal Mk I
.32 snubnose revolver
Military binoculars
notepad, multiple ballpoint pens, hairpins, a roll of string, a lighter, and a newspaper
cheese pizza(75%,old)
key
keycard (Roof Access Only)
bottle of water
$150

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

Code: [Select]

Logging onto the grid...
Welcome user AJ12.
You have 2 new messages.
Directory
       Help Wanted
       Resumes
       Marketplace   


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

Healthy enough.
Cyberware : Communications implant (allows electronics interface)
                 Mechanical hand
Negotiation : 2