Starting point was to infiltrate the OTK International building. Alone.
Huh, no lobby or greeting area, must've been really just a bunch of poorly-paid nerds banded together. It almost made me feel sorry for them. Almost.
Just behind the corner there was a guy working seriously overtime, his head bobbed front and back and he kept muttering something while typing on his console. Not my problem for him being wageslave, but the guy had a lab coat.
I needed a disguise...So minute later, nerd was missing his coat and got stuffed into the small compartment under his desk, zip-tied and gagged. Hell of a headache coming in couple of minutes at least, especially after soaking the gag with chlorophorm. But hey, others would have just killed him and I do not need another spare soul on my conscience.
Supervisor's office further down the room was a gold mine, the locked drawer may've resisted my gentle attempt of picking the lock but when I've pulled a bit harder, the plaster around the lock snapped. And that's how Rai got a hold of Supervisor's ID Badge, kids...
With no time to poke around or get familiar with people, I've found my way into the room where commlink console was. Unfortunately, two guards were there too. Flash of my badge made them stay away from me, but I had to quickly come up with an excuse to jack in.
Oh, I got it!
"Was Friendly here on the commlink patch already?" I ask annoyed, looking at the less intelligent-faced guard.
"Huh? Who?"
"Edgar Friendly? I was told he'll be handling the initial testing of the new patch for our comms software package?" I ask as I was stating obvious. Letting out a perfectly trained groan of disappointment, I knew I had these clowns in my pocket. "Nevermind, those damned contractors...I'll do it myself." I've pushed myself next to the console.
"Sir? What are you plan on doing?" The orc guardsman apparently was a bit more sensible than his human colleague. His eyes were trained at my cyberdeck, luckily with me being a minimalist, my VirtuaX did not sported any stickers, logos or any other 'oh I'm so rebellious' indicators.
"What do you think I'm doing?!" I've snapped at the orc. "I am doing my job which is pushing through yet another update for commlinks of Knight Errant patrols because believe me, you don't want to be implied in anything that'd put our company under unfavourably light in front of Knight Errant forces. So now I'll do my job, and you do yours and make sure nobody unauthorized gets in here while I'm working, this is extremely fragile process to our security.
"...Yes sir, sorry sir." Human chimed in, making me sigh internally.
Since guards were standing down, I've jacked into the Matrix and begun usual work cut out for decker. My goal, destroy the commlink and set up a dummy package with corrupted data that'll get Amsel a backdoor into Errant's communications.
It was a smart plan really, details Amsel given me on the way to OTK were really useful. Idea of hijacking frequencies of Knight Errant reinforcement squad was worth the hassle as even I knew we'll have hands full of Aztech problems without mercenary security joining in. With corrupted data package installed, Amsel should be able to keep Errants away from place of our mission.
Nothing new or especially exciting on this job, except for breaking a new record for me and learning that my 'Kill' software worked surprisngly well point-blank. Finding this out when during my pacing through the Maze I've rammed a flying fist into Keeper IC that should normally shrug off such attack but instead was deleted...I've had to take a second to calm my mind after this.
Of course I wouldn't have been me if I wouldn't wasted additional five minutes of fighting cybersecurity just to get my hands on financial data nodes that I was totally going to sell for profit whether on Shadowland or to these Shocken-something guys.
But later, for now I've simply walked out through the side doors and met a the Janitor very curious about where am I going. Easy, patting my lab coat around pockets, I've found half-full pack of cigarettes. Shaking these and forcing a tired smile of tobacco additct about to get his fix, I was graced with understanding stare from the janitor, the woman in coverall looked just as beat and exhasuted as I've posed to be.
"Wish all our runs were as easy as this one." I chuckle after leaving the building into back alley and not stopping back but rounding corned into another alleyway, taking off the lab coat and packing it for any future use. "Let's get to second location and wait until OTK will upload compromised data and Errants will listen to what we'll tell them, ay?"
My team camping out there collectively nodded, anything was better than sitting in the corner and wait for someone.
"Alright, let's get ready for real this time..." I begin, as we prepare in back alley. "Where the hell are my shotshells and grenades?!"
"Right in here, Rai." Eiger hands me familiar bandolier with shotgun shells but they not only feel heavier but most of them have markings on the casing. "I've tweaked them in spare time."
"...Does that tweaking involves disappearance of my phosphorous grenades?" I ask, eyeing up blocky writing that apparently belonged to the troll, and spelled... "Dragon's Breath ammo?"
"Older than the actual dragons themselves." Eiger flashes a toothy smile. "These aren't just firecrackers though, a friend gave me a formula to spice the load enough to make it fire dry equivalent of napalm..."
"If any of us would have survived that, I'd hug you right now, Eiger." I reply and load up devastating incindiaries into drum of my gun.
Sniper offers me a grunt in response and only after a long moment I hear a bit of embarrassed explanation. "...It wasn't fair to do nothing for that Walther."
Awww, you big softie...
"Fair enough." I say instead. "Everybody armed and dangerous?"
"Ready." Glory replies, stoicly but much warmer than usually. I look at her belt and see large revolver hanging from her hip. Ahh, worth it's price, I'm sure of it.
Front gates of the pyramid-like building gave me reminder that I used to theorize about Blade Runner film being projection of the future.
Trying to move as casual as it's possible in emptied out Jewuhl district where people did not lived but merely toiled in endless cycle work-sleep-work to the point of using underground railway from tiny apartment to office cubicle.
"We're not going to Hell, we're already in it." I've commented on that revelation when Eiger enlightened me that Ares wage-slave's life my mother lived was pretty good in comparison to Azzies.
Finally, after rounding behind closed up soykaf shop, a silver lining. Sorta.
"You kids need Jesus..." I sigh, after stumbling into two youngsters arguing over which one of them will go into sewer to check up on third friend. Not anything exceptional but they did mentioned 'forged' and 'Azzie keycard' and that caught my attention. "Unfortunately, you'll only get me but since you look like you're in a pinch, what's the problem?"
The dwarven girl tried to rebuff me but the guy with short beard seemed more sensible.
"Look man, I see you're professional, yeah? Well we do need help...Mira, give him the keycard."
Dwarf hesitated but finally, she coughed up plastic badge.
"It'll get you into utility tunnel down yonder. Danni went there half an hour ago and uh..."
"If she's alive, I'll bring your girl back." I reply, now seeing the telltale signs of worried sick lover lashing out on me. Guess in this instance being a butch counts for shit...
Slipping down the hatch, I am glad it's not sewers. We all draw guns and move as quiet as possible, passing through doors that looked like lock console was short-circuited. Messy, idiotic move that had to alarm half of the Azzies that somebody was tampering with their power grid.
And in the far corner of the dim lit area...A young elven girl put up against the wall and two low-tier security drones approaching her. Little thing scared off her mind, unsurprisngly even more scared when drones detect us, shining searchlights at our guns.
"Look out!" Girl screamed I don't know what for, since I was already on my way up close, punching in a fist-sized hole in the first drone thanks to loading solid slug as first two rounds, other drone getting hit with two heavy shots that destroyed it's central core immediately.
There was a warmth spreading around my chest when I saw Glory still holding a smoking revolver. If she'd blow the smoke coming out of the barrel, I'd may have to sit down for a minute.
"Thanks for saving. I know it takes a pair to carry guns on Azzie territory." Girl suddenly got all smiles and calm when death threat wasn't inches away. I don't like people like that.
"It takes an airhead to short-circuit door panel on Aztechnology utility tunnel and expect nothing to happen." My rebuttal wipes smirk off elf's face. "You're Danni? Two of yer pals up top were busy arguing who was supposed to come down here to check up on you."
"Good to hear they didn't beat feet and just disappeared. Terrible way to get dumped when girlfriend leaves you to Azzie interrogation, don't you think?"
"I think that your power tap out there looks rock solid..." Eiger speaks suddenly and inspects the neatly gathered braid of powercables. "You know Rai, we could use this to send a power spike to the entire facility's power grid. Nothing too serious in damage but it should confuse everyone in the building."
"What? No! They'll track it down to here!" Danni piped in. "They'll drag us all into their cells."
"Look kid, we've just saved your life. And you've already messed up a lot by bringing automated security on your head. So, I'm going to overload the power grid, get everyone in the building to run around like headless chickens and while at it, I'll get into their files and simply erase any tracing to yer little soykaf shop. That's the deal here, love."
Danni looked up on me as if she wanted to protest but apparently, yelling at five heavily armed shadowrunners was not something she wanted to do. Smart knife-ear...
The bearded guy approached me when we've got topside, the dwarf too busy smooching her girlfriend.
"I really hope you're going to clear this shit up, man. Because if you won't shake Azzies off our trail, not just three of us is going to get dragged into Azzie cell and you probably know better than I do that it's not a place anyone can survive. Not to mention two meta-human girls." He finished by pointing out at the couple slowly crossing the lines of what you should do in public, in front of strangers.
"Barricade yourself in for the night, and don't come out until you hear a very loud bang" I reply and motion with my finger to move out.
We still needed a way inside the building and we needed it fast...
The LTG worker jumped up in surprise, seeing whole group of people who did not looked neither like victims nor opressors of corporate world approaching cargo ramp of the Azzie pyramid. Still, seeing we were not any higher ups in position to outright throttle her, she scowled at me as if life gave her lemons and she shoved them up her arse.
"Unless you're here to help me fixing these panels, get outta my hair or I'll call the security and trust me, they're really quick to show up." Woman spat at me.
Well I do like causing attitude adjustment in people, so...
"Actually, I can help you with the panel. Your problem is coming somwhere upstream. See those connectors down there?" My voice and sensibility made tech look at me again, much more carefully.
"Hey-oh scheisse, you're right." Woman deflated, realising her mistake of losing time by taking apart nearly whole installation instead of the damaged part. "I appreciate the help but I'm way behind schedule on that and Corporate's gonna have my ass if I won't get it done by lunch."
"Well, lucky for you I know exactly what to do with these kind of repairs. You can leave to me, because with these flux capacitors in your toolbox, I guess you're behind schedule on few other things, ay?"
"Maybe I am but I don't even know you guys, I-I can't risk leaving you with a panel I'm responsible for."
"Look girl, let me ask you this: When did Aztechnology ever done anything for you, aside from working you to the bone? Let me take care of the panel, and you can clock out early...I'll even spread a little Christmas bonus money your way." My offer may sound ridicolous at first but I know how overworked and desperate for relief are people entangled in corporate business. Another reason I'd die before working for some giant seeing me as expendable ant even when without such ants giant would've been toppled long time ago.
"...Ah fuck it." Woman suddenly snaps and spit behind the machinery. "This job has been a total drek since they canned my assistant. I haven't had half a day to myself for months...Take over that panel, I need a pub." Woman scowls and wants to walk away but once again my twisted altruism makes my mouth open.
"If you'll ever get tired of working here, you can always try in other kiez...Like Kreuzbasar." At my offer, the woman stops mid-step and gives me a long, curious glance. Before I can even start hesitating that I've blown our cover, she forms a contemplative look on her face.
"Never gave it much of a thought. It's a wild world out there, isn't it?" She asks me suddenly.
"May take a bit of adjustment, but you're handy enough to get by. Valuable people with good skills are buyer's market anywhere else outside corporate circles."
"...I could use some fresh air." Woman replies and smiles weakly, making me believe I have just recruited another wayward soul for my little world called Kreuzbasar. "But for now, I'm going for a beer."
Fighting not to smile, I've taken care of the LTG Box. Simple override of the controls and loading doors opened, allowing me to enter the azzie fortress without dealing with pesky front desk guards.
Place looked all nice and fancy, only after sending the power spike light were out and auxilaries of faint red light was on. All in the bloody theme of our job here...
Eiger and Glory set up without even me saying a thing, Blitz and Deitrich following the stakeout routine as I jack into the Matrix through one of the utility taps on the wall. Quick run, punching through the security ICs like kung-fu master through wooden planks. Accessing the cameras, unlocking doors and far-corner elevator. Done.
Jack-on, jack-off...Ugh, that sounded much better in my head.
"Hey D, when was th last time you've worn some tight leather pants?" I ask shaman, feigning innocence, before laying down plan forming in my head after gaining access to the cameras.
Team is non too plussed about it but agree to sneak through the corridor and stuff our collective arses into Knight Errant uniforms laying in there.
"See, D? Told you it'll fit like a glove." I try to lighten the mood after Eiger was forced to pop a few rivets off the armor to fit herself into it. Mood for jokes went out the window after I adjusted chest plate Glory put on. These armors were unisex or made for adrogynous people because in case of our chrome lady, she'd better watch with taking full breaths.
Not that sight of her stuffed in fitting uniform done anything good to my concentration. Damn it Rai, you're so hopeless sometimes...
"Anyone done? Then let's go. Remember, walk straight, don't talk and keep helmets on your faces. I'll do the talking." I brief my people and try not to laugh at depressed squeak coming from Blitz who was only one thin enough to make the tight uniform sag.
"Why you don't wear helmet shield down?" Eiger pointed at me, her only consolation was helmet designed for trolls, otherwise her ears would be serious issue.
"To not hinder my charming face, Eiger." I've replied before holding myself down. "Don't sweat it, I'm an average bloke that nobody recognizes by a face. It's the hair and tattoos that make people remember me."
"If you say so..." Glory commented suddenly, turning her face to me for a moment, and I swear I've seen impossible: a glint of lively mischief in her dead eyes gracing me for one hearbeat, before she went robotic again. "Let's get this over with."
Guard in front of the elevator asked questions but I've flipped him, posing as recon squad for the KE Response Team, sent in here because of the power spike to make rounds and report back to Central. He bought it and we could cram into the elevator.
Stepping out into the lab level, far below ground, I could feel everything vibrating within me a pinch. There was power here, both magical enough to even simple people like me feel it, but also air was ionized, like around power plant generators working in overdrive.
We're all on edge, feeling this is the belly of the beast...
"Or satan's arsehole." Deitrich piped in, making me realize I was thinking out loud again.
"Let's get it done and get the hell outta here. This place reeks...like a curse hanging in the air."
"True to that, boss. If I'd be a cat I'd be hissing right now." Dietrich replied from behind faceplate. "This place is just *bad*."
I did managed to get past two patrols by using highly impressive forms of Bull-Shitsu that's been descended to my through generations-Oh bloody hell who am I kidding, I'm scared shitless the moment I open another doors and stand face to face with a mage.
A true sanguimancer, a blood mage of Aztlan. This guy just looked sadistic enough to make Hannibal Lecter take a double thought of sitting next to him.
And now the guy wants to 'question' me, to see if I'm really from KE Response Team.
"Of course, I have nothing to hide." I reply to the mage, motioning to my guys to stand down and don't even try of attacking five hardened mages surrounding us.
I focus and try to prepare myself but...Nothing compares to being mentally tortured by a blood mage. It burns, from my eyes it drips down into my mouth like a lava moving under my skull, invisible hand tuggin on my tongue and trying to loosen it up, make me say words suddenly appearing in my head.
Focus. Torture is torture, mind over body...I can't, it's not just the pan but the debilitating sensation that makes you numbed and loosens up your restraints-Glory. I think of Glory and simply remind myself she stands next to me.
I feel the pain wrenching my gut but it becomes familiar, all-too familiar experience I've withstood countless times before.
I'm bulletproof now. Fucking teflonic. I. Will. Not. Break.
"We...Are...New...Security detail..." I utter through my teeth. "You know it tickles in a funny way?" I've slipped, rare occurence where I giggle when I can't take it anymore.
And just like that, the mage suddenly smirks and waves his hand away, breaking the blood ward he casted the moment he saw me, and the pain is no more, leaving me rattled and panting.
"Apologies for causing this but...this project requires utmost security." Mage's expressions softened, making him look much more humane than seconds ago.
"If that's all, sir...We'll start our rounds and make a full sweep." I reply courtly and try to keep my back straight as I move away from the robed bastard, measuring my every step to not fall onto the floor and curl up.
"Hey, Hey! Who are you?" Poorly looking sod called to me as we silently passed through the spacious room full of strange machinery, metal tables and surgical tools. Luckily, the mages were working on something out of the ear shot.
Listening to guy's babble, my eyes grow larger and larger, until realisation hits me.
"You people are vat-grown...You're clones?" I ask rethorically and still I get a nod of agreement. "What Aztechnology wants with bunch of clones?"
"To suffer and die." Glory replied for the Test Subject, then looks away for a moment. "Blood magic needs living body, a person who will bleed and anguish to make the sacrifice."
"Jeysus fookin' Chreist..." Words escaped me without even noticing it. "Alright, here's the deal...In few minutes, these doors will open and you'll have the chance to run away." I begin, pressing my face against the bars of the guy's cell. "I'll give you a chance to live a life like a human being, I'll leave you a choice to either run away and be human or stay here and die like a lab rat they want you to be. This decision will be testament of who you are and want to be."
"Run? Run...I want to." Clone mumbled in response and stood there, pressing lightly against the bars, seemnigly catatonic.
"Let's clear a path for ourselves and then do it all in one fell swoop." I decide and finish touring the area, turning my attention to locating generator console and sketching out the plan of killing the bad guys while saving miserable innocents.
Unlocking the back doors was easy, the hard part begun when I had to assign Blitz to overloading the generators while myself risking jack-in in the holding cell area to get the data on this...*project* and to open cells.
Setting up my shotgun to full auto, I've unleashed hell onto mages that conveniently converged around one console, discussing something lively. My gun spat strings of flames, immolating the sick aztlans within seconds.
Truly, a Dragon's Breath it was...
The other room was getting cleared by the guys as I've jammed the connection cable into the port on the console, feeling nowhere near in the mood for admiring vistas of cyberspace. I've had seconds before security starts pouring in, so my first stop was to lock up the blast doors leading into this chamber.
With that done, I've proceeded in hacking through ICs, disengaging three nodes responsible for cell locks. Lastly, I have approached the data node and gently cupped the swirling data, allowing it to dissolve into my hand, meaning it was downloaded onto my deck.
I've taken the extra moment during another run through the Matrix to alter the logs regarding power consumption. Erasing any traces of knowledge about tap the kids from cafe set up, I sigh when recalling how the dwarven girl was sure Aztech will never notice percentile of energy disappearing.
Kids these days...
Coming back to reality, the Meatspace that nerds hate experiencing, I hear alarm blasting through the PAs and Blitz yelling we should haul arses as far away as possible. Not going to argue this once at least.
"Shake those cans, move move!" I motivate my team to run like all hell through the doors.
The tremor is strong enough to make me stumble but regain footing just in time to grab Glory who'd fall otherwise.
"You alright, love?" I ask and get a nod in return. "I hear sirens already, let's go before we'll get pinched." I call to the team limping towards me.
Leaving a pile of rubbled concrete, steel and disgusting mysteries behind me, I felt damn good when I saw few figures in medical jumpsuits hesitantly stumbling out of the ashes and into the night, clones on their way to find a new life. Godspeed, you poor sods, may've your glass be full and your demons slumber.
"It's funny, you know boss? I've heard all kinds of crazy stories about Azzies, about them consorting with the devil and what not. Evil spirits and monsters...I'd always assumed it was more xenophobia that truth, the latinos aren't really welcomed in white Germany...I was wrong, you know? They are fucking *monsters*. It makes me rethink on some things." Dietrich chatted up once we got a few blocks away from the crater and taken a moment to catch our breathes.
"Yeah, it makes you think about some things...D, can Azzies backtrack this whole gig to us? Any blood trail, literal or not?"
"After explosion like that, starting deep underground? Nah, there's nothing left. Not even a stink. We just have to disappear before any eyes sees us."
"Good thing I've hacked all of the cameras along the way and wiped data clean. So did for those kids stealing power from Azzies...Though after that explosion I think they may have a bit of shortage."
"Rai."
"Yeah?" I turn to Glory.
"What was happening there was wrong. Terribly wrong...It had to be stopped. You stopped them."
"We did, ay. Some powers are better left untouched and some lines uncrossed...And when you do cross them, best you can do is take your best shot at redemption. Just like our friend Muller did, giving us the intel to do all this tonight." I reply to Glory not even thinking about the implications of that talk, that later became obvious to me.
Whole group was in contemplative mood on our way back, even Blitz seemed serious and deep in thought. Can't blame him, before joining in here his biggest score of adrenaline was gang war over filthy hotel. He moved up in the world but I doubt in a way he wanted. Too many bullets, not enough milk and honeys.
"I have some very bad news, Rai." Amsel welcomes us when we came back to the safehouse.
"Aztechonology got a bead on us?" I immediately ask back.
"No, that went clear cut and is tied up completely. It's more about *our* problems..." Amsel clarified. "Two years ago, a large shipment of highly lethal radioactive bio-weapon disappeared en-route to storage facility in Drseden. The weapon designated as X-15...I have traced the shipment delievery to Harfeld Manor."
"Holy ministry of fuck...What next? Nuclear warhead? What is it with Firewing to hoard shit like that instead of gold or trinkets or beer bottles?! Isn't that the stuff dragons do?" I snap loudly, losing my grip for a second there.
I admit it, I've simply lost my shit. Because this was getting ridicolous, facing off against the odds stacked Eiger-high against us. Ugh, pun unintended...Or was it?
"I've heard they call this stuff 'The Doom'." Our Eiger speaks up, absent mindedly swiping tongue across tusk. "Few veterans at KSK were making it sound like a waponized boggeymen."
"It pretty much is so, Eiger." Paul chimed in. "I've read a bit about it...In layman terms, this substance makes your flesh decay and fall off similarly to you standing next to broken nuclear reactor. It's so devastating, UCAS passed unilateral ban on it and actively seeked out any traces of it within it's borders."
"This just got even more grim than before..." I sighed and rubbed my eyelids, adrenaline high from the job withdrawing and leaving me an empty and tired shell.
"No point thinking about it really. Odds are already against us and we need to focus on the next step." Eiger's version of pep talk surprised me. "If anyone needs me, I'll be getting ready or the next run."
"So wil I. Come on Glory." Dietrich seconds and waves at impassive brunete who slowly make her stride away, probably to finally change out of KE armor and back into her half-on jumpsuit and cut down vest. I never asked why she chosen to wear simply utility jumpsuit and rivetedboots of a metalhead, nor why she bared the midriff all the time. Quirks like that were not something you ask about even your friends.
It would be as pointless as asking why I never wear any sleeves. I just do.
"No point in downer talk...We should be alright with the money to pay Alice off." I pick up, turning back to Amsel.
"If so then head there immediately...Maybe after changing into more regular clothing though." Amsel recoils a bit at my outfit.
"Amen to that, Paul." I agree and move away to change and re-arm, while out of reflex reaching out and patting furry head of Dante.
Ah, that happy bark is the only thing waiting for me eagerly to come back. It's something at least...