New chat room entered at 1/11/2007 8:37:02 PM.
You are now in chat room “sotsw01112007.”
MilesMk1 has entered the chat room.

MilesMk1 (8:37:41 PM): Evening.
Umbrafer (8:37:54 PM): j0
MilesMk1 (8:40:00 PM): How's life?
Umbrafer (8:40:35 PM): Pretty decent. I'm not sure, but I may have finally hit my stride again, scholastically speaking. This first week back from break has been rough.
Umbrafer (8:40:37 PM): You?
MilesMk1 (8:41:10 PM): Not too bad.
Umbrafer (8:43:25 PM): Does anyone remember anything about the meet with the Johnson at the start of the most recent run that might work as a search term?
MilesMk1 (8:45:18 PM): Uhh... Horses?
MilesMk1 (8:45:20 PM): Horse?
Thematrian1 (8:45:26 PM): what?
MilesMk1 (8:45:27 PM): Assuming this was the very first meet.
MilesMk1 (8:45:43 PM): Hound was talking to her about horses.
MilesMk1 (8:45:57 PM): And Santa Claus.
Umbrafer (8:46:33 PM): Right. Thanks.
MilesMk1 (8:49:27 PM): Are we still trying to save her?
Thematrian1 (8:49:56 PM): Oh, right.
Umbrafer (8:49:59 PM): Yep. Something came up, so last session didn't happen. I'll be ready to go momentarily.
Thematrian1 (8:50:13 PM): I'd like to. In fact, I'm sending my spirit off to where she is right....now.
Umbrafer (8:51:42 PM): What is the spirit again, and what are you ordering it to do?
Thematrian1 (8:53:13 PM): A city spirit, F4 I think. I'm telling it to go to her location (so it doesn't have to Search), and, crap, apply pressure to her wound, I guess. It's F4, she's alive, it may figure things out.
Umbrafer (8:54:58 PM): Umbrafer rolled 4 6-sided dice: 1 4 6 2
Umbrafer (8:55:02 PM): Umbrafer rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
Thematrian1 (8:55:02 PM): Meanwhile, let's drive.
Umbrafer (8:55:05 PM): *Zip*
Umbrafer (8:55:13 PM): *Drive drive drive*
Umbrafer (8:55:43 PM): Someone roll Hound's driving test. I'm pretty sure his Car skill is 6.
Thematrian1 (8:55:51 PM): Seems safe.
Thematrian1 (8:55:54 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 6 2 3 5 4
Thematrian1 (8:55:58 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 6 2
Thematrian1 (8:56:01 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
Thematrian1 (8:56:03 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
Thematrian1 (8:56:06 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
MilesMk1 (8:56:12 PM): Does Doc Wagon operate in the barrens?
MilesMk1 (8:56:36 PM): I've got a contract, I suppose in theory I could send them out there, but they won't get there any faster than we will, right?
Umbrafer (8:56:42 PM): Well
Umbrafer (8:56:45 PM): Your contract is for you
MilesMk1 (8:56:56 PM): True,
Umbrafer (8:57:01 PM): DocWagon takes a dim view of people trying to use it for others.
Umbrafer (8:57:23 PM): That said, regarding the Barrens, in general the Platinum level will usually get a team in there to pull you out.
MilesMk1 (8:57:34 PM): In the Tuesday game they were ok with it. :)
MilesMk1 (8:57:47 PM): Well, my contract is definitely not Platinum, so never mind that.
Umbrafer (8:58:04 PM): They never went into the Barrens in the Tuesday game :)
Umbrafer (8:58:55 PM): (Seattle has barrens. Chicago has the Noose, which has what properties Seiler gave it, but he didn't name it barrens. Pedantic, I know.)
Umbrafer (8:59:26 PM): Gold will even occasionally get a team in there, but that's iffy.
Thematrian1 (8:59:35 PM): (The Noose is not as bad as the barrens. Smaller, for one thing.)
Umbrafer (8:59:55 PM): There's a rumored service level where they'll pull you out of almost anything, but it might be just a rumor.
MilesMk1 (9:00:04 PM): *gets his first aid kit ready, speculatively reads the instructions at the back of a trauma patch*
Thematrian1 (9:00:40 PM): "Thanks, guys."
MilesMk1 (9:00:44 PM): I still say Blake should retire and get a job with Doc Wagon. It'd be right up his alley, he just needs to improve Biotech a bit.
MilesMk1 (9:00:50 PM): "Sure."
Thematrian1 (9:01:11 PM): That or become a Bug City warlord.
Umbrafer (9:01:14 PM): "Step 1: remove strip covering adhesive backing. Step 2: apply to left chest in vicinity of heart, with the adhesive backing against the chest. Step 3: Purchase replacement trauma patch."
MilesMk1 (9:02:33 PM): I think he's sort of over Chicago, now.
Thematrian1 (9:02:53 PM): Not until you find a helicopter.
Umbrafer (9:03:08 PM): (Alex is seriously considering Denver as a career move. Provided we survive, of course.)
Umbrafer (9:03:19 PM): You get to the barrens, and the going gets slower.
Umbrafer (9:03:26 PM): Still, it doesn't take too long.
Thematrian1 (9:03:28 PM): (Denver? That Denver?)
MilesMk1 (9:03:55 PM): (I think we should go to Seattle, just for the fun of maybe getting to meet ourselves. ;))
Umbrafer (9:03:59 PM): (Is there another one these days?)
Umbrafer (9:04:26 PM): (Hah. I'm afraid to even deal with the forums, considering that we've got temporal distortion going on. I don't even want to know about what kind of time-warping we'd get into if everyone was in Seattle.)
Thematrian1 (9:04:44 PM): (Temporal distortion?)
Thematrian1 (9:04:50 PM): Ok, so we reach The Spot?
Umbrafer (9:05:19 PM): You're currently just outside the tunnel/underpass that was the scene.
MilesMk1 (9:05:32 PM): (Well... I'm pretty sure the Tuesday game is way behind, since time crawls in Bug City, so you just need to rule it takes us just the right amount of time to get to Seattle to catch up.)
Umbrafer (9:05:43 PM): (No, actually. Tuesday is well ahead)
MilesMk1 (9:05:48 PM): Oh.
MilesMk1 (9:05:52 PM): (Oh.)
Thematrian1 (9:05:53 PM): (That's the power of downtime)
Thematrian1 (9:05:59 PM): (And, starting 2 years later)
MilesMk1 (9:06:49 PM): I'm ready to rush ahead and try to stabilize / rescucitate her as soon as the van stops. If it doesn't enter the tunnel, I'll go as soon as it halts.
Umbrafer (9:07:00 PM): (It's early in the morning of the 26th of June in this game. Tuesday/Monday is in late August now.)
Thematrian1 (9:07:12 PM): I step out with my astral vision up. Is anyone lurking?
Umbrafer (9:07:17 PM): The van presumably goes into the tunnel; it's high enough.
Umbrafer (9:07:19 PM): Roll.
MilesMk1 (9:07:22 PM): (Here's hoping the gunshot wasn't the the head, and the spirit didn't crush her skull applying pressure.)
MilesMk1 (9:07:31 PM): to the head
Thematrian1 (9:07:47 PM): roll what?
Umbrafer (9:08:15 PM): Finding-anyone-lurking (perception)
Umbrafer (9:08:24 PM): You get to the body.
Umbrafer (9:08:29 PM): Roll biotech.
MilesMk1 (9:08:41 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 8 6-sided dice: 5 3 2 2 2 1 1 6
MilesMk1 (9:08:45 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
MilesMk1 (9:09:08 PM): Is this to try to stabilize, or determine if she's dead? If the former, I might karma.
Umbrafer (9:10:15 PM): This is purely for diagnosis.
Umbrafer (9:11:05 PM): Unfortunately, the diagnosis is pretty easy. The spirit is dutifully applying pressure, and the bleeding seems to have stopped, but that's probably because there's not much left to tell her heart to beat anymore.
MilesMk1 (9:11:36 PM): Gunshot to the head?
Umbrafer (9:11:36 PM): It looks like the shot entered somewhere around the base of the skull, taking out the brainstem on its way in.
Umbrafer (9:11:40 PM): Yeah.
MilesMk1 (9:11:46 PM): *shakes his head*
Thematrian1 (9:12:02 PM): "Sssss." Did Hound manage to track the killers? I don't remember.
MilesMk1 (9:12:07 PM): "Sorry, Gem."
Umbrafer (9:12:30 PM): I believe he was trying to track them. We'll resolve that when he gets here.
MilesMk1 (9:13:39 PM): (BTW... What do you think, should I spend point boosting my Electronics? I can get it from 6(8) to 7(9) for 10 points. Whee...)
Thematrian1 (9:13:44 PM): "It happens."
Thematrian1 (9:13:55 PM): I put my gloves back on and search the body.
Umbrafer (9:14:14 PM): (How would your specialization increase?)
MilesMk1 (9:14:27 PM): *Looks around the area, to see if they left any monitoring devices behind*
MilesMk1 (9:14:46 PM): (Bad syntax. I mean 6 (effectively 8 with encephalon) and so on)
MilesMk1 (9:14:49 PM): meant
Umbrafer (9:15:01 PM): (Ah.)
Umbrafer (9:15:10 PM): Perception for your search.
Thematrian1 (9:15:18 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 5 4 4 4 6 3
MilesMk1 (9:15:21 PM): (It makes the diminishing returns all the more apparent.)
Thematrian1 (9:15:22 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
MilesMk1 (9:15:24 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 1 4 2 2 5 2
Thematrian1 (9:15:41 PM): (Have some fun with specializations?)
MilesMk1 (9:15:57 PM): (Stealth would cost me an arm and a leg without upping Quickness... I suppose I could specialize...)
Umbrafer (9:16:51 PM): You don't find anything. At all, really—either she was carrying suspiciously little, or someone already looted her corpse.
MilesMk1 (9:18:20 PM): (I could up my strength to 6 - though that'd be mostly useful for the novelty of a skinny 5' tall guy that's as strong as an ox.)
MilesMk1 (9:18:30 PM): (And there's Dave.)
circlmastr has entered the chat room.

circlmastr (9:19:10 PM): (How much would you all hate me if I asked for a 20-minute reprieve? I need to get food)
Thematrian1 (9:19:25 PM): (We'll be ok; we found her dead anyway)
Umbrafer (9:19:29 PM): (Very much.)
Umbrafer (9:19:32 PM): (I kid. Go eat.)
circlmastr (9:19:42 PM): (okay, brb)
Thematrian1 (9:19:54 PM): I forget; did I learn anything exciting bout her?
MilesMk1 (9:20:06 PM): "Is it just me, or does this look like whoever wanted this book decided the best way to cover their tracks would be to remove their intermediary?"
MilesMk1 (9:20:31 PM): "As, opposed to, say, a simple double-cross, or a meet gone bad, or someone jumping her and taking the book, I mean."
MilesMk1 (9:20:52 PM): *decides to check the cred-sticks for boobytraps*
Umbrafer (9:20:53 PM): I don't remember offhand. Do you remember what digging you did?
Thematrian1 (9:21:10 PM): "Yeah, I believe that. Of course, that makes us targets..."
MilesMk1 (9:21:35 PM): *also decides to check the body for remote-controlled explosives*
Umbrafer (9:21:50 PM): Nothing external.
MilesMk1 (9:22:12 PM): Mhmm. Well, I don't think they had the time for anything else.
MilesMk1 (9:22:26 PM): *checks the credsticks for boobytraps*
MilesMk1 (9:22:32 PM): Demolitions?
Umbrafer (9:22:54 PM): That to check for likely places for explosives, Electronics for more general boobytrap-sniffing
MilesMk1 (9:23:11 PM): Hmm... Electronics first, then.
MilesMk1 (9:23:15 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 8 6-sided dice: 6 5 6 6 4 5 5 1
MilesMk1 (9:23:19 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 3 6-sided dice: 4 3 1
MilesMk1 (9:23:24 PM): Then Demo.
MilesMk1 (9:23:27 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 8 6-sided dice: 4 2 5 3 6 2 2 4
MilesMk1 (9:23:32 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
Umbrafer (9:23:37 PM): These aren't the best of conditions, but they look clean to you.
MilesMk1 (9:23:50 PM): And after I finish chasing my own tail, I re-wrap them in the metal foil.
Umbrafer (9:25:24 PM): *Wrap wrap*
Thematrian1 (9:26:52 PM): Well, if Hound couldn't follow them then I guess we're done here.
MilesMk1 (9:26:59 PM): #What now?#
Thematrian1 (9:27:08 PM): #Split the loot and go home?#
MilesMk1 (9:27:27 PM): #Right. We were thinking of getting out of town for a few days, though - weren't we?#
Thematrian1 (9:28:09 PM): #Yeah, ok. Split the loot and go to someone else's home?#
MilesMk1 (9:29:21 PM): #Sounds good.#
MilesMk1 (9:29:25 PM): *splits the loot*
Umbrafer (9:29:44 PM): *Split*
Umbrafer (9:29:50 PM): We need to figure out how much the loot was x.x
Thematrian1 (9:29:56 PM): true
Umbrafer (9:30:42 PM): Anyone have any memory of the general range?
Thematrian1 (9:32:59 PM): looks like not
Umbrafer (9:33:30 PM): IIRC it was somewhere in the ¥100k vicinity before you got a bonus for the miscommunication with the client.
Thematrian1 (9:33:52 PM): sounds cool, but what miscommunication are you thinking of?
Umbrafer (9:34:04 PM): You were initially told to destroy the manuscript.
Thematrian1 (9:34:32 PM): ah, yes
Umbrafer (9:34:47 PM): Does anyone have a problem with ¥110k?
Thematrian1 (9:36:23 PM): yes. It's not divisible by 3
Thematrian1 (9:36:29 PM): I demand 111
Umbrafer (9:36:56 PM): Why not?
Umbrafer (9:37:02 PM): ¥111 it is.
circlmastr (9:38:01 PM): (Back)
Thematrian1 (9:38:23 PM): Ok, now, my question: did we track the killers?
circlmastr (9:38:27 PM): (Now what happened to Miss Johnson?)
Thematrian1 (9:38:40 PM): (Dead as a doornail)
circlmastr (9:38:42 PM): I wanted to, but Jon ended the session.
Thematrian1 (9:38:43 PM): (Looted)
Thematrian1 (9:39:52 PM): (Gem wants their address)
MilesMk1 (9:40:03 PM): (It actually was divisible by 3, Glitch requested it for "religious reasons" during the meet.)
MilesMk1 (9:40:20 PM): (So, 37K each.)
circlmastr has left the chat room.

Thematrian1 (9:40:39 PM): (Hah)
circlmastr has entered the chat room.

circlmastr (9:41:36 PM): (Ahem. Am I online?)
Thematrian1 (9:41:46 PM): (Yes)
Umbrafer (9:42:28 PM): (Impossible to determine, but it seems likely)
Umbrafer (9:42:32 PM): Anyway, rewinding time.
Umbrafer (9:42:45 PM): (And by "rewinding" I mean "not really rewinding")
circlmastr (9:43:04 PM): ("Retconning"?)
Umbrafer (9:43:09 PM): You're driving towards the site. You've got your blimp. There are some vehicles going away. What do you do?
Umbrafer (9:43:18 PM): (No, actually, retconning is exactly what isn't happening.)
circlmastr (9:43:20 PM): Track the vehicles
Thematrian1 (9:43:24 PM): absolutely
Umbrafer (9:43:33 PM): (Everything that played out visibly happens exactly as it happened. It's the stuff that wasn't seen that's happening now.)
Umbrafer (9:45:05 PM): How are you tracking them?
circlmastr (9:45:22 PM): The sensor lock thing.
Umbrafer (9:45:55 PM): Three vehicles pulled out from under, two sedans and one van. J-lady's car is still in the tunnel.
circlmastr (9:46:17 PM): Can I lock them all?
Umbrafer (9:46:31 PM): You can lock your sensor rating in vehicles.
Thematrian1 (9:46:35 PM): That reminds me, can we steal her car?
circlmastr (9:46:45 PM): Hah, yay Sensors 5
MilesMk1 (9:46:58 PM): I don't know if her car is worth stealing...
circlmastr (9:47:18 PM): It may have info inside.
circlmastr (9:47:31 PM): Stored addresses in the autonav, at least.
Thematrian1 (9:47:59 PM): Also, I don't think Gem has a car in Seattle.
circlmastr (9:49:22 PM): What do I roll for sensor locks?
Umbrafer (9:49:40 PM): Active Sensors, in this case 5.
circlmastr (9:49:53 PM): circlmastr rolled 5 6-sided dice: 6 5 2 3 1
circlmastr (9:49:55 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
circlmastr (9:49:58 PM): circlmastr rolled 5 6-sided dice: 1 3 5 2 6
circlmastr (9:50:00 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
circlmastr (9:50:04 PM): circlmastr rolled 5 6-sided dice: 4 6 6 3 5
circlmastr (9:50:06 PM): circlmastr rolled 2 6-sided dice: 3 5
circlmastr (9:50:15 PM): (For the two sedans and van, respectively)
Umbrafer (9:50:25 PM): Locked locked locked.
circlmastr (9:50:59 PM): *track track track*
Thematrian1 (9:51:17 PM): Where are they going?
Umbrafer (9:51:51 PM): They're cutting across the barrens, it looks like. Heading generally due West.
circlmastr (9:52:21 PM): ...Isn't the Barrens on the eastern edge of Seattle?
Thematrian1 (9:52:23 PM): Did Hound get any video of their faces?
circlmastr (9:52:38 PM): In any case, *track track pass on details to team*
Umbrafer (9:54:10 PM): He didn't get any clear shots of them.
circlmastr (9:54:15 PM): (On an unrelated note, Wendy's doesn't put nearly enough ketchup on their burgers)
Umbrafer (9:54:36 PM): Roll a retroactive Passive Sensors to have gotten good camera angles.
circlmastr (9:54:45 PM): circlmastr rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 3 3 5 1 6
circlmastr (9:54:47 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 5
Umbrafer (9:55:36 PM): Yeah, all pretty mediocre. One of them's pretty tall, that's about it.
Umbrafer (9:56:05 PM): After a while, the van and one of the sedans turns off and starts heading North.
circlmastr (9:56:40 PM): What has the group done with me, by the by?
circlmastr (9:57:24 PM): Since dragging me to the van after the rail station and all. Where are we?
Thematrian1 (9:57:28 PM): drew a little moustache? Seriously, how do you mean?
Umbrafer (9:58:18 PM): You are, paradoxically, both driving the van and operating the blimp. I'm assuming you're dividing combat turns between the two tasks, or some finer or coarser timeslicing.
circlmastr (9:59:42 PM): I'll tell the van to drive itself to roughly the center of Seattle and loop around there, and bring in the other blimp to
circlmastr (9:59:44 PM): tail the odd sedan in case it separates enough to get out of range of the current blimp (which stays with the van and other sedan).
circlmastr (9:59:56 PM): (Hate short text limit)
Thematrian1 (10:00:01 PM): (Seriously)
Umbrafer (10:00:04 PM): Well, it's currently driving to the J's body
Umbrafer (10:00:19 PM): (Yeah, I'll try to finish the chat client soon)
circlmastr (10:00:22 PM): Oh, right. Damn.
Thematrian1 (10:00:35 PM): We can take over for you.
circlmastr (10:00:53 PM): I'm more concerned about drone range.
Thematrian1 (10:01:05 PM): oh
Umbrafer (10:01:21 PM): You're currently moving towards the drone, if not directly so.
circlmastr (10:01:43 PM): Okay then. I'll continue to Miss J's body and bring in the second blimp as above.
circlmastr (10:01:53 PM): And just pray everyone stays in range of each other.
Umbrafer (10:03:50 PM): You deploy the second blimp. You can make a roll to get a sensor lock, though it'll be fairly tough. If it doesn't work, you'll probably have to get to LOS or nearly so to try again.
circlmastr (10:04:34 PM): I can't pass the sensor lock from one drone to another?
Umbrafer (10:04:47 PM): Not directly.
circlmastr (10:05:14 PM): Damn.
circlmastr (10:05:23 PM): Well, rolling
circlmastr (10:05:33 PM): circlmastr rolled 5 6-sided dice: 2 5 1 6 5
circlmastr (10:05:35 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
circlmastr (10:05:54 PM): (10, 5, 5. Good enough?)
Umbrafer (10:06:12 PM): It takes some doing, but you finally get a lock on something that you're pretty certain is the sedan. It's not likely there's going to be another signal like that out there, though it's not the best of locks.
circlmastr (10:06:40 PM): I'll take what I can get and continue pursuit.
Umbrafer (10:06:49 PM): *Pursue!*
Thematrian1 (10:07:57 PM): Ok, while we're doing that I put the manuscript up on the monitors, so I can show Glitch.
Umbrafer (10:08:26 PM): The van-sedan duo leave the Barrens, heading towards downtown. You arrive at the edge of the barrens; it'll be a few minutes until you're at the scene.
Umbrafer (10:08:32 PM): *Manuscript up*
circlmastr (10:08:46 PM): *follow drive follow follow drive follow*
MilesMk1 (10:09:45 PM): *looks the manuscript over, proudly brandishing his college degree* Or maybe just looks it over, on second though.
MilesMk1 (10:09:47 PM): thought
Umbrafer (10:10:23 PM): You have the start of a paper comparing the key points of the book to the major themes in Hamlet.
MilesMk1 (10:10:47 PM): Everyone dies?
Umbrafer (10:11:06 PM): Sorta like that, but in reverse.
MilesMk1 (10:11:13 PM): Shakespear things Denmark and Poland were at war at some point, the idiot?
circlmastr (10:11:16 PM): Dies Everyone?
MilesMk1 (10:11:16 PM): Shakespeare
MilesMk1 (10:11:49 PM): Seriously, though *looks the manuscript over, trying to figure out what the big deal was*
Umbrafer (10:11:50 PM): You arrive at the scene.
Umbrafer (10:12:13 PM): After a minute or so of looking-over.
Umbrafer (10:13:08 PM): The lone sedan continues through the barrens.
Umbrafer (10:13:27 PM): The van and sedan get onto a major highway into downtown.
Umbrafer (10:13:55 PM): Intelligence from Hound.
circlmastr (10:15:25 PM): circlmastr rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 5 6 5 2 2
circlmastr (10:15:28 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 3
circlmastr (10:15:34 PM): (Please be good)
Umbrafer (10:15:42 PM): The J's car isn't here.
Thematrian1 (10:15:56 PM): well, this is the barrens
Umbrafer (10:16:20 PM): She speaks truth.
Umbrafer (10:17:59 PM): You search the J and look over the credsticks. We are resynchronized.
circlmastr (10:18:00 PM): Can I tell where it went?
Umbrafer (10:18:24 PM): If you look closely. Going to take time to do that instead of watching the blimps?
Umbrafer (10:18:37 PM): (If you look closely then maybe, I should say)
Thematrian1 (10:18:45 PM): We can look closely, right?
circlmastr (10:19:14 PM): Nah, I'll pay attention to the ebil murderers.
Umbrafer (10:19:55 PM): You can, if informed of this fact. Hound was the one who saw that the car was there before.
circlmastr (10:20:05 PM): He does.
Umbrafer (10:20:35 PM): Roll… I don't know. Perception, I guess.
Umbrafer (10:20:45 PM): If you have an urban Tracking skill, use that.
Umbrafer (10:20:51 PM): Perception from Hound.
circlmastr (10:20:54 PM): circlmastr rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 2 5 4 6 1
circlmastr (10:20:56 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 5
circlmastr (10:21:01 PM): 11, 5, 4
Umbrafer (10:21:19 PM): You're watching the sedan and van when you see a flash of motion.
circlmastr (10:21:31 PM): What sort of flash?
Umbrafer (10:21:38 PM): The sedan bursts into flames and rolls over on its side.
Thematrian1 (10:21:49 PM): Oh, that kind.
circlmastr (10:21:56 PM): #Someone just attacked the killers.#
circlmastr (10:22:12 PM): I'll pay attention to that and tell the other blimp to follow on autopilot.
circlmastr (10:22:23 PM): (Follow the other sedan, that is)
Umbrafer (10:22:58 PM): A turret pops up on the top of the van.
Umbrafer (10:23:31 PM): In front of the van, a car slams on its brake lights. The van swerves, but the car stays in front of it.
Umbrafer (10:23:47 PM): (What're the investigators doing?)
circlmastr (10:23:54 PM): This is the sort of thing for which riggers need popcorn.
Umbrafer (10:24:20 PM): The turret swivels forward. Perception.
circlmastr (10:24:27 PM): circlmastr rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 5 4 6 4 1
circlmastr (10:24:29 PM): circlmastr rolled 2 6-sided dice: 5 6
circlmastr (10:24:30 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
circlmastr (10:24:32 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
circlmastr (10:24:43 PM): (22, 11, 5, 4, 4)
Umbrafer (10:25:06 PM): You see a line of small holes open up in the back of the van.
circlmastr (10:25:30 PM): Like it's being shot, or like it's doing something I the player can't recognize from that description?
Umbrafer (10:25:43 PM): Like it's being shot, almost certainly.
circlmastr (10:26:06 PM): Can I pull back the magnification enough to see who or what is shooting it?
Umbrafer (10:26:11 PM): The van fires. The car in front of it swerves, though it catches part of a sizable blast. The van is actively pushing the car now.
Umbrafer (10:26:15 PM): You do so. Perception.
Thematrian1 (10:26:15 PM): Well damn. I start going over the video I took of the paper book.
circlmastr (10:26:23 PM): circlmastr rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 4 3 4 3 1
circlmastr (10:26:25 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
circlmastr (10:27:04 PM): #One of the sedans is toast, the van is taking fire and giving some back. This is exciting.#
Thematrian1 (10:27:13 PM): #Be sure to save the footage!
Umbrafer (10:27:24 PM): There are three vehicles not slamming on their brakes. One is a van with a turret out, one is what looks like a decent-sized sedan, the other is a smaller sportscar-looking vehicle.
circlmastr (10:27:26 PM): #I am, I am.#
MilesMk1 (10:27:29 PM): #It is, but they're also killing witnesses...#
Thematrian1 (10:27:30 PM): #We may be able to threaten someone with it later.#
Thematrian1 (10:27:48 PM): #Yeah. Hey, maybe we should drive away from the murder scene.#
circlmastr (10:27:49 PM): #There's still the odd sedan.#
circlmastr (10:28:00 PM): #I thought you wanted to investigate.#
MilesMk1 (10:28:02 PM): #That gets my vote. Leaving the scene, I mean.#
Umbrafer (10:28:09 PM): The van suddenly jerks back and forth across the roadway. It slows significantly.
Thematrian1 (10:28:37 PM): #I did. I investigated, she's dead, the whole place is clue-free. It's time to go.#
Umbrafer (10:28:37 PM): The car in front keeps pace.
circlmastr (10:28:48 PM): #Well someone else drive- whoa, I think the van got hit hard, or maybe drove over a spike strip. They're done for.# *gets good shots of the attacking cars as well*
Thematrian1 (10:29:13 PM): #Can we have a view on the monitors?#
Thematrian1 (10:29:17 PM): #And some snacks, maybe?#
Thematrian1 (10:29:24 PM): "I don't really like those guys."
circlmastr (10:29:42 PM): *puts the blimp shot on van monitor*
Umbrafer (10:29:52 PM): The other van accelerates quickly, pulls up alongside. The turret on the top strafes across the front of the other van, and a plume of steam issues forth.
Umbrafer (10:30:49 PM): A little bit later, both vans come to a halt. The undamaged one disgorges several people in what looks to be security armor.
MilesMk1 (10:31:28 PM): Wait, how did there come to be two vans? I missed that in the earlier description.
Umbrafer (10:31:40 PM): There was a van following the van you were following.
Umbrafer (10:31:59 PM): Hound inferred it to be involved with the pursuers by the fact that it wasn't slamming on its brakes. That and the turret.
Umbrafer (10:32:12 PM): One of them takes a torch to the driver's-side door. It swings open, then another fires a medium-length burst inside.
MilesMk1 (10:32:32 PM): Ah.
circlmastr (10:32:34 PM): Any logos on the security armor or anything?
Umbrafer (10:32:40 PM): Roll.
Thematrian1 (10:32:59 PM): (250x zoom!)
Umbrafer (10:33:07 PM): (I know it by heart :) )
Thematrian1 (10:33:19 PM): (Hehe, I guess you would at that)
Umbrafer (10:33:39 PM): The third guy's holding a duffel bag. He ducks inside, then reemerges and walks around to the other side of the disabled van.
circlmastr (10:33:42 PM): (The zoom maxes at 200x IIRC)
circlmastr (10:33:52 PM): What am I rolling?
Umbrafer (10:34:02 PM): Perception/Passive Sensors.
circlmastr (10:34:06 PM): circlmastr rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 4 4 1 1 4
circlmastr (10:34:14 PM): Crap. Karma if 4 isn't good enough.
Umbrafer (10:34:34 PM): You're not seeing any logos. Take that as you will.
Umbrafer (10:34:50 PM): The sportscar-looking thing rolls down a back window, the guy tosses the bag inside.
circlmastr (10:34:57 PM): Eh.
Umbrafer (10:35:36 PM): The car zooms off, and the guy jogs back around. The first two guys are moving something sizable out from the back of the van. They appear to be sliding it under the disabled van.
Umbrafer (10:35:49 PM): Any actions from the team, other than munching popcorn?
Thematrian1 (10:36:11 PM): "Something sizable"?
Umbrafer (10:36:18 PM): The NG-sedan pulls away. A few seconds later, the guys get back in the van and pull away.
Umbrafer (10:36:37 PM): About three feet long, two feet wide, about a foot high.
Umbrafer (10:36:58 PM): Sorry, that should be a meter, .67 meters, and .33 meters respectively.
Thematrian1 (10:36:59 PM): big box? What color?
MilesMk1 (10:37:19 PM): Sort of a stretch, but can I roll "Security Companies" to see if anything - tactics, equipment, etc. - look familiar?
Umbrafer (10:37:25 PM): Wooden, crate-like construction.
Umbrafer (10:37:27 PM): Sure.
MilesMk1 (10:37:32 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 3 2 4 2 4
MilesMk1 (10:37:35 PM): Heh.
Umbrafer (10:38:04 PM): Nope. It all looks familiar, in that it's roughly what anyone would do. You're not sure how many companies would do quite this, but…
Umbrafer (10:38:16 PM): The van rockets away towards downtown.
MilesMk1 (10:38:26 PM): Also - demolitions on the thing they put under the van?
Umbrafer (10:38:34 PM): A little bit later, something explodes under the van. You wonder what it could be.
Umbrafer (10:38:39 PM): Roll it if you still need to :)
circlmastr (10:38:51 PM): I'll switch back to the view of the lone sedan.
circlmastr (10:38:55 PM): With the other blimp
MilesMk1 (10:39:05 PM): Well, I'd like to know what kind of charge it seemed to be.
MilesMk1 (10:39:09 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 8 6-sided dice: 3 2 4 4 4 1 4 3
MilesMk1 (10:39:12 PM): Shit...
Umbrafer (10:39:16 PM): The lone sedan is winding its way through the barrens.
Umbrafer (10:39:23 PM): You're not certain. There are a number of possibilities.
MilesMk1 (10:39:27 PM): Well, at least I'm just rolling like this on idle questions.
Umbrafer (10:39:57 PM): From the amount of damage it appeared to do internal to the van, you're guessing it was probably built like an antivehicular mine. Hard to tell.
Umbrafer (10:40:07 PM): It appears to have gotten more cautious.
Umbrafer (10:40:13 PM): Umbrafer rolled 15 6-sided dice: 4 2 4 5 2 1 1 3 3 3 1 5 6 1 6
MilesMk1 (10:40:46 PM): #Ah, to have those kind of resources...#
Thematrian1 (10:41:13 PM): "Heh. Maybe we should contact the guy in that sedan and offer our protection"
Umbrafer (10:41:28 PM): Umbrafer rolled 2 6-sided dice: 4 5
Umbrafer (10:41:44 PM): Unfortunately, your blimp just lost contact with the sedan.
MilesMk1 (10:42:01 PM): #I have to tell you, considering how easily these guys just got picked off, it makes me wonder about their security arrangements. I'd currently be more inclined to shoot the people in the sedan.#
MilesMk1 (10:42:12 PM): #To make sure they don't spill to anyone about us.#
circlmastr (10:43:00 PM): Can I roll to regain contact?
Umbrafer (10:43:06 PM): Yep
Umbrafer (10:43:09 PM): Relocating.
circlmastr (10:43:11 PM): circlmastr rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 2 6 6 3 3
circlmastr (10:43:12 PM): circlmastr rolled 2 6-sided dice: 2 6
circlmastr (10:43:13 PM): circlmastr rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
circlmastr (10:43:31 PM): Good enough?
Umbrafer (10:44:31 PM): You search around for a bit, but they're gone. It's a nasty area of the barrens where they are, lots of hidey-holes.
Thematrian1 (10:45:13 PM): phooey
Umbrafer (10:45:17 PM): (FWIW, I thought you had them nailed. I'd forgotten Hiding test adds its number of successes as the TN for the Relocating test)
circlmastr (10:45:26 PM): Karma, or is there just no chance to find them?
Umbrafer (10:45:52 PM): You can karma if you want. You'd be rerolling all six, so keep your odds in mind.
circlmastr (10:46:23 PM): 13 wasn't a success?
Umbrafer (10:46:30 PM): Correct.
Thematrian1 (10:46:34 PM): They Hid.
circlmastr (10:46:35 PM): Eh, fuck it.
Thematrian1 (10:46:42 PM): Which means they're probably going to make it out alive.
Thematrian1 (10:46:56 PM): #Make me a copy of the blackmail video, would you, Hound?#
circlmastr (10:47:13 PM): #Will do. So what now?#
Thematrian1 (10:48:01 PM): #I think we go home. We weren't seen, so as long as we take a vacation this isn't our problem.#
Thematrian1 (10:48:05 PM): "Dammit."
circlmastr (10:48:45 PM): *sets the blimps back on their normal patrols and jumps back to meatbod, to drive the old fashioned way*
Umbrafer (10:48:57 PM): (Heretic! ;) )
circlmastr (10:49:15 PM): (He can keep up with the conversation this way. :P )
circlmastr (10:49:33 PM): "Well, that had its good and bad points, overall..."
Umbrafer (10:49:39 PM): (No good conversation ever happened out loud.)
MilesMk1 (10:49:41 PM): #Right... Hey,. are we still thinking of checking out that train randezvous we found out about in the journo's papers?#
Thematrian1 (10:50:27 PM): #Deep river running...yes. People involved with...us are dying more often than usual, have you noticed?#
circlmastr (10:51:11 PM): #What, you think we're cursed or something? That it's our fault Miss Johnson was killed?#
MilesMk1 (10:51:26 PM): #Well, some of that was our doing. Shooting. Whatever.#
MilesMk1 (10:52:01 PM): #I suppose there could be something more to this than just an uncanny ability to part traffic. A downside...#
circlmastr (10:52:33 PM): #Hey, I can think of a few riggers who'd love to part traffic no matter the cost in bodies.#
Umbrafer (10:54:23 PM): Actions?
Thematrian1 (10:54:24 PM): The conversation flags.
circlmastr (10:54:49 PM): #So where am I dropping you two?#
MilesMk1 (10:54:51 PM): I think it might be a good place to call it a night, anyway. (getting kind of late.)
Thematrian1 (10:54:54 PM): #So, what's a good holiday spot for the sophisticated Seatlite?#
circlmastr (10:55:25 PM): #I'm partial to Japan myself, but it may be a giant robot bias.#
MilesMk1 (10:55:27 PM): #Well, I looked up a couple of places you could go to by rail.# *pulls up the details on his PDA*
MilesMk1 (10:55:50 PM): (Although... Are skillwires illegal?)
MilesMk1 (10:56:11 PM): (Yes, yes they are...)
Umbrafer (10:56:19 PM): (Hehehe)
Thematrian1 (10:56:28 PM): (What brutal bias)
circlmastr (10:56:36 PM): #We could go someplace together. That way we could watch each others' backs while still playing casual.#
Umbrafer (10:57:05 PM): FYI: it is currently the 27th of June. The bridge note indicated 7/2.
circlmastr (10:57:06 PM): #And, hey, I've got the perfect road trip van, right?#
Thematrian1 (10:57:46 PM): #That's true. It'd be nice to leave here in something other than a cargo hold.#
Umbrafer (10:57:58 PM): "TRAIN: LA->VANCOUVER BRIDGE NORTH OF PORTLAND 7/2 1:05 AM"
circlmastr (10:58:52 PM): Investigating paranormal shit < road trip vacation, in Hound's opinion.
Thematrian1 (10:58:58 PM): ::suppressed snarl:: "Why are the interesting thing and the smart thing never the same thing?"
circlmastr (10:59:20 PM): "Because an inherent quality of 'interesting' is that it is not smart."
MilesMk1 (10:59:26 PM): "Well, if we go to meet the train, we are leaving Seattle.#
MilesMk1 (10:59:28 PM): "
circlmastr (10:59:54 PM): "Where is Portland anyway? The Tir?"
Thematrian1 (11:00:35 PM): (Where is Portland, anyway? The Tir?)
circlmastr (11:00:46 PM): (Deja vu)
Umbrafer (11:00:49 PM): It's on the northern border of the Tir.
circlmastr (11:01:12 PM): ....That can't be right. I thought Seattle's southern border hit the northern border of the Tir.
MilesMk1 (11:01:16 PM): (Actually, looking over my cyber, the only illegal 'ware I have are boosted reflexes and climbing claws)
circlmastr (11:01:23 PM): And I further thought that Portland is in Oregon.
Umbrafer (11:01:38 PM): It was, until Oregon ceased to be.
Umbrafer (11:01:52 PM): Now Portland is on the norther border of the Tir, adjoining Salish-Shidhe.
circlmastr (11:02:05 PM): I desperately need a map.
Thematrian1 (11:02:09 PM): So it's in Salish?
MilesMk1 (11:02:14 PM): (The claws being the more illegal, of all things. What, it's illegal to be a rock-climbing enthusiast now?)
Umbrafer (11:02:56 PM): Nay. It's in the Tir.
circlmastr (11:03:04 PM): (I think the climbing claws are so extreme, it is like buying a .50 sniper rifle with armor-piercing rounds and then wondering "What, it's illegal to go hunting now?")
Thematrian1 (11:03:29 PM): So first we steal a book from an immortal elf, then we infiltrate the Tir. I see nothing wrong with this plan.
Thematrian1 (11:03:44 PM): or, I guess, just an elf as far as we know
Thematrian1 (11:03:51 PM): but an important elf
circlmastr (11:03:55 PM): All sarcasm aside, I don't think the group has the means or contacts to get into the Tir.
MilesMk1 (11:03:57 PM): (I just looked it up on the map. It's basically... aw, fucking American maps with no legend. It's directly south of Seattle. 100, 200 miles?)
Umbrafer (11:04:19 PM): There's a map in New Seattle. If people don't have that I can make a copy. (Something like that)
MilesMk1 (11:04:37 PM): (I was looking it up in SoNA)
Thematrian1 (11:04:48 PM): (I could use a copy)
Umbrafer (11:04:57 PM): (Oh, sorry, I meant SoNA)
MilesMk1 (11:05:19 PM): (And climbing claws are absolutely useless as weapons, you'll do more damage punching, or with a pocket knife.)
circlmastr (11:06:00 PM): (My analogy was to suggest that climbing claws are clearly designed to scale buildings rather than rockfaces.)
MilesMk1 (11:06:06 PM): (Meh.)
MilesMk1 (11:06:53 PM): (Not according to Jon, he keeps on asking me how I plan to use them on smooth concrete. When he remembers, that is. Aw, shit.)
Thematrian1 (11:08:55 PM): "I can't stand the idea of not knowing what goes happens at the train. After what's happened to us, I'm amazed that you can."
Umbrafer (11:09:28 PM): ( :) )
Umbrafer (11:09:36 PM): (Nah, you use them pretty well on the stuff.)
Umbrafer (11:09:47 PM): (I had a character in my Sunday games try to scale a building without them.)
Umbrafer (11:09:54 PM): (It put things in perspective.)
Thematrian1 (11:09:55 PM): (Imagine I wrote either "goes on" or "happens", instead of Frankenphrase there)
circlmastr (11:09:57 PM): "All I'm saying is, supernatural doings or not, getting to Portland is much easier said than done."
MilesMk1 (11:10:57 PM): "Well... I suppose it bugs me, too, but I just don't see any way we can get into Tir."
Thematrian1 (11:11:11 PM): "We've got your wheels, we've got Glitch's technical talents, and people always mistake me for an elf, for some reason. We have the ability to see this through."
Umbrafer (11:11:23 PM): (Portland's actually the easiest bit to get to. It's the Tir's tourist station, IIRC)
MilesMk1 (11:12:01 PM): "...but I hate going places I can't bring my grenade launcher."
Thematrian1 (11:12:13 PM): "Like tonight, for example?"
MilesMk1 (11:12:53 PM): *holds up grenade launcher and grins* (they're actually only heavy-pistol sized, through some black hole in the rules)
Thematrian1 (11:12:59 PM): (Wait, what?)
Thematrian1 (11:13:06 PM): "You...what?"
Thematrian1 (11:13:12 PM): ::shakes her head in astonishment::
Thematrian1 (11:13:30 PM): "Okay, how about the infiltration on <That Island With The Party>?"
circlmastr (11:13:36 PM): "No fireworks inside the van, please."
MilesMk1 (11:14:11 PM): (Yeah, the little sucker actually has concealability 6)
MilesMk1 (11:14:40 PM): (I mean, I don't carry it in social situations, but when on the job...)
MilesMk1 (11:14:57 PM): *chuckles*
Thematrian1 (11:15:33 PM): "Why do I keep meeting short guys with mysterious abilities of concealment?"
Thematrian1 (11:15:44 PM): "It's eerie."
Umbrafer (11:15:50 PM): http://www.sotsw.net/stuff/PacNWmap.png
Umbrafer (11:15:55 PM): In all its low-res glory
Thematrian1 (11:15:59 PM): (Thanks)
MilesMk1 (11:16:11 PM): "Hound is over six feet."
circlmastr (11:16:12 PM): "Huh? I'm not short."
Thematrian1 (11:16:26 PM): "I didn't mean Hound."
Thematrian1 (11:16:31 PM): Wait, is Seattle in Salish?
circlmastr (11:16:42 PM): Surrounded by Salish, at least
MilesMk1 (11:16:47 PM): "And I'm actually pretty tall for a... Well, not so much, objectively speaking, I suppose."
circlmastr (11:16:50 PM): Technically still UCAS.
Umbrafer (11:16:54 PM): Essentially. It's its own territory, but it's an island of UCAS territory in a sea of Salish-Shidhe.
circlmastr (11:17:14 PM): "What short guys are you talking about? Old running partners?"
MilesMk1 (11:17:45 PM): "I suppose we can look into it, but I reserve the right to cut and run if things get ugly."
MilesMk1 (11:17:57 PM): (Glitch is short, that's one.)
Thematrian1 (11:17:58 PM): "Oh, so do I."
Umbrafer (11:18:21 PM): (Did Gem ever work with whatsisname, albino gnome?)
circlmastr (11:18:26 PM): "Why do I get the feeling this will be really bad?"
Thematrian1 (11:18:31 PM): (Longtail? Heh, no)
Thematrian1 (11:18:36 PM): (They're make a sweet combo, though)
MilesMk1 (11:18:44 PM): "Well, I think she meant me, and then there was this other guy we did a couple of jobs with. Don't know if there were more..."
circlmastr (11:19:27 PM): "Maybe I should rent a U-Haul-It and bring the mech." *grins, clearly joking*
Thematrian1 (11:19:53 PM): "That would speed things up."
circlmastr (11:20:20 PM): "Speed what up?"
MilesMk1 (11:20:29 PM): "Cutting and running."
Thematrian1 (11:20:36 PM): "Anyway, I guess this means we all need the right to pass through Salish."
circlmastr (11:20:48 PM): "How do we get that?"
Thematrian1 (11:20:58 PM): "From there, getting into the Tir should be easy."
Thematrian1 (11:22:42 PM): I start doing some research. What are the Salish's policies on travellers from Seattle?
MilesMk1 (11:23:08 PM): Would Security Procedures cover that?
Umbrafer (11:23:42 PM): If you want specific procedures, yes. Otherwise, you can get it from their Matrix host without rolling.
MilesMk1 (11:24:00 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 8 6-sided dice: 2 4 3 3 1 5 4 3
Thematrian1 (11:24:09 PM): I want the overview.
MilesMk1 (11:24:10 PM): Man. Not my day for knowledge skills.
Umbrafer (11:24:19 PM): Their policies are relatively strict. All vehicles inspected, random searches, ID checks, things like that.
Umbrafer (11:24:35 PM): Certain paperwork can speed things up pretty substantially, but it isn't trivial to get.
Thematrian1 (11:24:53 PM): Ooh. This looks like a job for bribery and guile.
MilesMk1 (11:25:10 PM): How are other metahumans viewed in Tir? All non-elves same, or does it vary?
Umbrafer (11:25:55 PM): There's the Tir itself, which is only rumored. Strictly closed borders, a bunch of stuff—they even built special tunnels to keep the trains that run through the territory sealed off from the land itself. Portland skews unusally heav
Umbrafer (11:26:07 PM): heavily towards metas, but Elves are the big power players from what you can tell.
Umbrafer (11:26:37 PM): Non-Elf, non-Human metas range from "same as the humans" to "a step above the breeders".
circlmastr (11:26:42 PM): Poor Hound will be the minority of the group.
Umbrafer (11:26:57 PM): Not if anyone remembers Gem is human :)
MilesMk1 (11:27:09 PM): Glitch is outwardly human, too.
Thematrian1 (11:27:13 PM): Sure, but people have a hard time with that, for some reason ;-)
circlmastr (11:28:07 PM): We can never remember anything. We're cool like that.
Thematrian1 (11:28:13 PM): They're probably pretty good at spotting posers, too. Hm.
MilesMk1 (11:28:24 PM): Gem's not an elf poser, is she?
Thematrian1 (11:28:37 PM): No.
MilesMk1 (11:28:39 PM): I always thought she was human...
Thematrian1 (11:28:49 PM): But I'm contemplating becoming temporarily.
MilesMk1 (11:28:54 PM): Oh, right.
Thematrian1 (11:29:00 PM): However, we only need to get to north of Portland.
Thematrian1 (11:29:08 PM): Is the target location in the Salish-Sidhe?
Umbrafer (11:29:52 PM): Well, determining that would require determining the target location.
Umbrafer (11:29:58 PM): How're you going to go about that, if you are?
MilesMk1 (11:30:10 PM): I'd love to scheme some more, but I have to run. (sorry)
Thematrian1 (11:30:13 PM): s'k. Sleep well
MilesMk1 (11:30:14 PM): Maps and train schedules?
circlmastr (11:30:17 PM): G'night
Umbrafer (11:30:25 PM): *Nods* No problem. Sleep well. Those exist, you can find them easily.
Thematrian1 (11:30:29 PM): Well, there's a unique LA-Vancouver train route, right?
MilesMk1 (11:30:32 PM): We know it's a bridge north of Portland that a train will be on at a specified time.
Umbrafer (11:30:39 PM): Yep
MilesMk1 (11:31:05 PM): See you guys... Monday. I assume no one will be absent to celebreate MLKJr day?
Thematrian1 (11:31:20 PM): I hadn't planned on going anywhere. Guys?
Umbrafer (11:31:27 PM): I will be here to celebrate MLKJr day, celebrating the diversity of metahumanity.
MilesMk1 (11:31:35 PM): (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it'd make you the first people I'd ever met to do so...)
MilesMk1 (11:31:49 PM): All right - have a good weekend, everyone.
MilesMk1 (11:31:52 PM): Night.
circlmastr (11:31:52 PM): I was going to wear blackface and make speeches on street corners, but SR sounds good too.
MilesMk1 has left the chat room.

Umbrafer (11:32:05 PM): Probably safer.
Umbrafer (11:32:48 PM): Anyway, there are a few bridges there, but the target location is probably a steep gorge about 30 kilometers North of Portland.
circlmastr (11:33:00 PM): Yeah, people can be pretty violent when you give speeches about how Rowling sucks ass.
Umbrafer (11:33:44 PM): Meh. Rowling has her good points, especially since she became willing to use actual moral ambiguity.
Thematrian1 (11:33:49 PM): Ok. And that's not in the Tir?
Umbrafer (11:34:07 PM): No. It's Salish territory through and through, as is everything North of Portland.
Thematrian1 (11:34:09 PM): Thank you deep swimmer.
Umbrafer (11:34:22 PM): Well, except for certain edge cases WNW
Umbrafer (11:35:03 PM): But yeah, Portland forms part of the border.
Umbrafer (11:35:50 PM): You've got a little less than six days until the specified time, assuming that it's this year.
Umbrafer (11:36:04 PM): Wait, no
Umbrafer (11:36:07 PM): A little less than seven.
circlmastr (11:36:11 PM): Hound will spend some time buying and installing tool lasers on his spiders.
Thematrian1 (11:36:28 PM): Hm. Random searches aren't great news, as it limits our ability to transport illegal hardware.
Umbrafer (11:36:33 PM): It's in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and the target time is in the wee-er hours of Sunday.
Umbrafer (11:37:53 PM): Anyway, final actions or requests for information?
Umbrafer (11:38:15 PM): I'll assume that Hound starts his Quest for Tool Lasers as soon as he wakes up in the morning. We'll roll that next week.
Thematrian1 (11:38:17 PM): A detailed Shadowland search on Salish infiltrations.
Thematrian1 (11:38:23 PM): Etiquette.
Thematrian1 (11:38:23 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 4 6 4 1 4
Thematrian1 (11:38:26 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 3 5 5 3 1
Thematrian1 (11:38:29 PM): and that was computers
Umbrafer (11:38:58 PM): Mmk. Well, you learn a few things now, and a few things next week.
Thematrian1 (11:39:04 PM): k
Umbrafer (11:40:18 PM): What you learn now is that the Southern border is a little less nasty than the Northern border, that the random searches are about 25% for the Northern border, that forged VIP paperwork is risky but very convenient, and that
Umbrafer (11:40:32 PM): The border guard is pretty bribable but fairly expensive.
Umbrafer (11:40:49 PM): You also learn that just plain running the border is best done through the Barrens, though that creates the problem of traversing the Barrens.
Umbrafer (11:41:17 PM): Running the border is supposedly extremely variable. Some days you'll be home free before you cross, other days you'll find half the patrol breathing down your neck.
Umbrafer (11:41:38 PM): It's considered a better-than-average risk, but you're not really clear on what average risk is.
Umbrafer (11:42:14 PM): Leaving Salish for Seattle is fairly easy. Basic ID check, license check. It's very rare that there's a search.
Umbrafer (11:42:31 PM): A lot of the time the border patrol won't even bother people running the border Salish -> Seattle.
Umbrafer (11:42:43 PM): Of course, if they're on the watch for something in particular, all bets are off.
Thematrian1 (11:43:01 PM): indeed
Umbrafer (11:43:15 PM): Anyway, that's it for this week. One last thing, if anyone wants to get any new players on board for this game, they are advised to do it quickly.
circlmastr (11:43:35 PM): Wait, what?
circlmastr (11:43:38 PM): What new players?
Thematrian1 (11:43:40 PM): ok, but why?
Umbrafer (11:44:04 PM): Because after the next two or three months it will get dramatically more difficult to reasonably integrate new characters.
Thematrian1 (11:44:18 PM): ...oh good
circlmastr (11:44:25 PM): Ah
circlmastr (11:44:37 PM): Personally, I'm happy with the group as it is.
Umbrafer (11:45:55 PM): It'd be nice to have one more character, as a three-person team is effective (unlike a two-person team) but can't do very well with the disabling of a teammate (unlike a four+ person team, which can stage a better extraction of woun
Umbrafer (11:45:57 PM): *wounded
Umbrafer (11:46:17 PM): But this team works. It's pretty solid.
Thematrian1 (11:46:32 PM): well, my plan for seducing some new players fell through, so I've got nothing
Umbrafer (11:46:41 PM): Aww. What happened?
Thematrian1 (11:46:59 PM): Nothing to tell,they just don't think they can make thursdays.
Umbrafer (11:47:28 PM): Ah well. If there were another day to reschedule to I'd be open to it, but I don't think there is.
Thematrian1 (11:48:01 PM): yeah, there's not. And this trio works, it's just very scary to lead into combat.
circlmastr (11:48:20 PM): It'd be less scary if a turret on the van wouldn't be ungodly expensive.
Thematrian1 (11:48:35 PM): how expensive is it, anyway?
circlmastr (11:49:01 PM): Tens of thousands for the turret itself, plus more tens of thousands to add the CF to house it.
Thematrian1 (11:49:19 PM): I guess that's what the mech is for.
Umbrafer (11:49:38 PM): Wait, add the CF? How?
circlmastr (11:49:44 PM): Jon was kind enough to let me retcon the Roto-drone to a Strato, so that adds an MMG.
circlmastr (11:50:11 PM): Hm. I guess you can only do that in the vehicle design phase, huh? Which would mean I'm fucked for adding a weapon turret.
Thematrian1 (11:50:28 PM): Oh well. If you have armor and a battle drone, that's sufficient.
Thematrian1 (11:50:42 PM): Accumulate a bunch of cash and I'll try to hook you up with anAres Guardian.
circlmastr (11:51:04 PM): I'm guessing I'll never be able to use my poor minimech.
Thematrian1 (11:51:13 PM): Does it fit in the van?
circlmastr (11:51:48 PM): It's a Large Anthroform, so... probably, though it may require not having the strato in there.
Umbrafer (11:52:29 PM): I'm sure there will be an opportunity to use Mmch, at least in spirit.
Thematrian1 (11:54:33 PM): what a thing to say
Umbrafer (11:56:53 PM): Anyway. Last call for asking-GM-stuff.
circlmastr (11:57:07 PM): Hmm...
Thematrian1 (11:57:09 PM): I want the rest of it in the forums!
Umbrafer (11:57:19 PM): Hehehe
Umbrafer (11:57:22 PM): I'll see what I can do.
circlmastr (11:57:24 PM): Any ideas for a PBP board game yet?
Umbrafer (11:57:36 PM): Oh, yeah. Well, Power Grid is my best suggestion, really.
circlmastr (11:58:02 PM): Well, I still don't have it. Would people be averse to trying Monopoly again?
Umbrafer (11:58:31 PM): I'd be up for it, with strict rules.
circlmastr (11:59:18 PM): Strict rules?
circlmastr (11:59:28 PM): Meaning what?
Umbrafer (12:00:38 AM): Well, like no money on Free Parking and soforth
Umbrafer (12:00:49 AM): Auctions of unsold properties
Umbrafer (12:01:13 AM): (Unsold landed-on properties)
circlmastr (12:01:51 AM): We already had the auctions.
Umbrafer (12:01:59 AM): We did, yes.
circlmastr (12:02:49 AM): Not a fan of Free Parking money?
Umbrafer (12:03:33 AM): Well, I've got two ways of looking at the game.
Umbrafer (12:03:49 AM): One is totally casual, in which case Free Parking money is all well and good.
Umbrafer (12:03:52 AM): The other is, well, as a game
Umbrafer (12:04:16 AM): In which case the extra randomness it adds is a bad thing, on account of it adds too much in an already fairly random game IMO
Umbrafer (12:04:28 AM): Likewise increased payoffs for landing directly on Go, that kind of thing
circlmastr (12:04:35 AM): Mmm.
circlmastr (12:04:43 AM): (Is Seiler still there?)
Thematrian1 (12:04:47 AM): yes
circlmastr (12:04:54 AM): Would you be up for Monopoly?
Thematrian1 (12:05:31 AM): sure
circlmastr (12:05:46 AM): Whee, two players! That's enough to play!
Umbrafer (12:06:39 AM): Hah. Not a very interesting game at the two-player level :) I'll see who else I can get.
circlmastr (12:08:27 AM): I'll post on the board and hopefully get some interest that way.
Umbrafer (12:08:34 AM): Good times.
Umbrafer (12:08:36 AM): Anyway, I have a proof to finish before I sleep. I'll see you all on Monday, if not before.
Chat room exited at 1/12/2007 12:08:47 AM.