New chat room entered at 5/31/07 9:12:47 PM.
You are now in chat room “sotsw05312007.”
Umbrafer (9:14:11 PM): When we last left our antiheroes, they had aborted a pub run and were going to… Hound's apartment?
Thematrian1 (9:14:18 PM): yeah
CirclMastr (9:14:56 PM): Yeah. *drive drive*
Umbrafer (9:15:17 PM): You reach your apartment without incident. It has ceased to be late and is now early.
CirclMastr (9:16:17 PM): Hound pulls in and heads up the apartment, presumably helping Gem carry the girl up to the spare bedroom.
Thematrian1 (9:16:29 PM): yes,definitely
Umbrafer (9:17:33 PM): Done and done. The girl mutters something unintelligible in her sleep as you're carrying her.
CirclMastr (9:17:50 PM): "Well that was unintelligible."
CirclMastr (9:18:18 PM): After depositing the girl and tucking her in, Hound searches for alcohol.
Thematrian1 (9:18:21 PM): "Hah. Once we have her laid out, I'm going to poke around on her pocsec a little."
Umbrafer (9:19:07 PM): The girl is tucked in, you would know better than I about the status of Hound's liquor cabinet.
CirclMastr (9:19:53 PM): In that case he digs out half a bottle of scotch. "Want a drink?"
Umbrafer (9:20:40 PM): The pocsec is actually a pocket computer, but close enough.
Thematrian1 (9:21:09 PM): ah. Well, I accept Hound's drink, move out of the girl's potential LOS, and open it up.
Thematrian1 (9:22:25 PM): "We might be able to learn something..."
CirclMastr (9:22:48 PM): Hound pours his own drink after giving Gem hers, and starts in on it.
CirclMastr (9:23:01 PM): (Apparently we're in a house rather than apartment.)
Umbrafer (9:23:15 PM): Gem notices all of a sudden that she's in a house rather than an apartment. Anyway, it's easy enough to be a few rooms away—it's more natural than not being.
Umbrafer (9:24:41 PM): The little computer blinks a little "Hello, Maya" message and requests a passphrase.
Thematrian1 (9:25:32 PM): Hmph. Does Computers extend to knowledge about how to get around things like that?
CirclMastr (9:25:42 PM): I suggest a hammer.
Thematrian1 (9:25:51 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 1 1 5 6 3
Thematrian1 (9:25:53 PM): If so
Thematrian1 (9:25:56 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 3 5
Umbrafer (9:25:58 PM): Presumably, yes.
Thematrian1 (9:26:02 PM): Yeah, I'm all over it.
Umbrafer (9:27:03 PM): Well, let's see… if this model computer is what you think it is, and the girl hasn't enabled some security that would be silly for someone her age, then just doing this should let you…
Umbrafer (9:27:25 PM): There are two paths forward: you can reset the password, or you can access the memory from another device. Pick one.
Thematrian1 (9:27:56 PM): access from another device, definitely
Thematrian1 (9:28:03 PM): ::pulls out her deck::
CirclMastr (9:29:35 PM): (So far my own hacking is going well.)
Umbrafer (9:29:52 PM): Let's see. She's got… some more music (a lot of it by Maria Mercurial), a few little games, an encrypted diary that is almost certainly barely a step up from ROT13, some homework assignments, a chat program…
Umbrafer (9:29:59 PM): Address book, email, etc.
Umbrafer (9:30:24 PM): And a few directories of images.
CirclMastr (9:30:37 PM): Child porn?
Thematrian1 (9:30:39 PM): kickin'. Can I figure out how old she is? Messages mentioning a birthday, grade she's in on her homework,something like that?
Umbrafer (9:31:00 PM): Well, some of them are pictures of ponies
Thematrian1 (9:31:16 PM): #One of us should probably be with her when she wakes. Want to sort through her computer, or comfort her when she wakes up?#
CirclMastr (9:31:59 PM): #I guess I'll take babysitting duty.# *finishes the drink and goes to wait in the bedroom*
Umbrafer (9:32:49 PM): Her calendar has November 12th marked down as her 11th birthday.
Thematrian1 (9:32:52 PM): Would it take more than a few minutes to do a bulk copy of everything to my deck?
Umbrafer (9:32:59 PM): No, not at all.
Thematrian1 (9:33:02 PM): Nice. #She's 10#
Thematrian1 (9:33:16 PM): Ok, I do that, erase all traces of my presence, then shut it down.
Umbrafer (9:33:30 PM): Done.
Umbrafer (9:33:57 PM): The name on the assignments is Maya Summers.
Thematrian1 (9:34:14 PM): Ok. I'll start a computer search on that name (not expecting much, but you never know):
Thematrian1 (9:34:16 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 1 4 4 3 6
Thematrian1 (9:34:18 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
Thematrian1 (9:34:58 PM): step 2, scan her mail logs for words like "danger", "magic", "astral", etc.
Umbrafer (9:35:17 PM): Hm. You sift through a few pages of hits, but nothing in the right age range.
Umbrafer (9:36:16 PM): As for the mail-log scanning, there are a few hits for "danger" that turn out to be irrelevant. "Magic" and "astral" get a lot of hits, but they're also useless—it looks like whatever school she goes to offers elementary-school-leve
Umbrafer (9:36:20 PM): *level magical theory
CirclMastr (9:37:04 PM): #She have a name or anything?#
Thematrian1 (9:37:16 PM): #Maya Summers#
Thematrian1 (9:37:29 PM): #Goes to a pretty nice school, by the look of things.#
CirclMastr (9:38:01 PM): #How'd she end up where she ended up?#
Thematrian1 (9:38:13 PM): #A fascinating question.#
Thematrian1 (9:38:17 PM): Ok, how about 'train'?
Thematrian1 (9:38:50 PM): Also, I'll sort by sender. Does she get a lot of mail from any adults?
Thematrian1 (9:39:04 PM): #The answer probably isn't anywhere in here, but it has to be tried.#
Umbrafer (9:39:47 PM): A bunch of hits. It looks like she goes to school by train, but towards the end she's got one sent message where she tells someone that she's leaving on the train you found her on. There's no previous mention of that with the word "
Umbrafer (9:39:50 PM): "train" in it.
Umbrafer (9:39:59 PM): How are you identifying the age of senders?
Thematrian1 (9:40:16 PM): Writing style
Thematrian1 (9:40:32 PM): If they inquire about late assignments or ponies, that's also a clue.
CirclMastr (9:40:59 PM): (MGA = averted. Me: 2, M$: 0)
Thematrian1 (9:41:06 PM): (MGA?)
CirclMastr (9:41:14 PM): (Microsoft Genuine Advantage)
Umbrafer (9:42:01 PM): There are a few people. A pretty big chunk of her correspondence appears to be automated, and most of the rest looks like it's with other kids.
Thematrian1 (9:42:38 PM): Any Mystery Lady candidates among those remaining?
Thematrian1 (9:42:49 PM): (Oh, good. That stuff's poison)
Thematrian1 (9:43:19 PM): Did she say where she was going by train, how long she expected to be gone, anything like that?
Thematrian1 (9:43:26 PM): #Whole lot of nothing so far. How is she?#
CirclMastr (9:43:47 PM): #Uh, asleep still.#
Umbrafer (9:43:56 PM): There are a few women on the list.
Umbrafer (9:44:33 PM): She just says "a while". Roll… sensing-tone?
Thematrian1 (9:44:44 PM): Negotiation?
Thematrian1 (9:44:51 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 3 1 1 2 3
Thematrian1 (9:44:59 PM): that was...well, I guess it doesn't really matter
Thematrian1 (9:45:06 PM): one of Int, Cha, Negotiation, Etiquette
Umbrafer (9:46:27 PM): She's pretty short on details in the message.
Thematrian1 (9:47:42 PM): oh well. Actually, I relay it word-by-word to Hound.
Thematrian1 (9:47:49 PM): #Make anything of that?#
CirclMastr (9:48:11 PM): (Does that mean I should roll?)
Umbrafer (9:48:19 PM): (Yeah)
CirclMastr (9:48:34 PM): (Hey, I've got Negotiations 5!)
CirclMastr (9:48:40 PM): circlmastr rolled 5 6-sided dice: 3 1 1 4 2
CirclMastr (9:48:46 PM): (Yeesh)
Thematrian1 (9:49:15 PM): (How is it that we can kill astral horrors but can't crack the code of a ten year old girl?)
CirclMastr (9:49:58 PM): (We're tired and alcohol'd)
Thematrian1 (9:50:56 PM): (Well, thta's true)
Umbrafer (9:51:51 PM): The girl stirs.
Thematrian1 (9:52:36 PM): I check the record in my deck. When were we supposed to take her to that club? Not for several days, ISTR.
MilesMk1 has entered the chat room.

Umbrafer (9:53:16 PM): And suddenly I discover I didn't write it down. I believe it was the 27th, give me a second.
Umbrafer (9:53:28 PM): (Someone fill Matt in)
MilesMk1 (9:53:28 PM): Sorry about that. I assume you guys were handling the drive back / medical care?
Thematrian1 (9:53:30 PM): the 27th? Aw nuts.
CirclMastr (9:53:33 PM): Hound waits for the girl to fully stir.
Thematrian1 (9:53:48 PM): Yeah. We have Mystery Lady in your contact's competent hands, but who knows if she'll live.
Thematrian1 (9:54:05 PM): Meanwhile, I violated her privacy to no useful effect while Hound watched over her.
Thematrian1 (9:54:08 PM): Now she's waking up
Thematrian1 (9:54:22 PM): oh, she's 10 and named Maya Summers
Thematrian1 (9:54:28 PM): #Remember, don't call her by her name.#
Umbrafer (9:54:35 PM): 29th, 8:00 PM. You were told to ask for Jim Oak.
Thematrian1 (9:54:50 PM): Ooh. I search her files for that name.
Thematrian1 (9:54:57 PM): And the club's name, while I'm about it.
Umbrafer (9:55:18 PM): Nothing. You find some unrelated hits for "matchstick", but nothing for "Matchstick's".
CirclMastr (9:55:35 PM): (Who are we taking to a club, and why?)
Thematrian1 (9:56:03 PM): (The girl. Maybe. Mystery Lady asked us to)
Thematrian1 (9:56:17 PM): (If she doesn't live, it's our only hope for finding out what happened and why)
Umbrafer (9:56:23 PM): (Regarding the medical care, you ended up paying him to keep her under intensive care for the next eight hours, at which point he'd tell you if you should negotiate for long-term treatment or make funeral plans)
MilesMk1 (9:56:39 PM): (Ok)
MilesMk1 (9:56:56 PM): #No problem.#
Umbrafer (9:57:23 PM): The girl stirs some more. Her eyes open, but don't immediately focus.
CirclMastr (9:58:06 PM): "Hey... are you okay?"
MilesMk1 (9:58:08 PM): #So, how much time do we have to kill, before we can hand her over?#
MilesMk1 (9:58:44 PM): (Also, where are we watching her? The van, or someone's apartment?)
Thematrian1 (9:58:45 PM): #Three weeks. Ideas?#
Umbrafer (9:58:47 PM): She looks around, focuses on Hound. "Where… am I?"
Thematrian1 (9:58:48 PM): (Hound's house)
MilesMk1 (9:58:55 PM): #Ah, shit.#
CirclMastr (9:59:10 PM): "You're in a house in Seattle."
MilesMk1 (9:59:11 PM): #Maybe she doesn't want to go to Matchstick's, and will offer to outbid.#
Umbrafer (9:59:39 PM): She blinks, then stares up at the ceiling.
CirclMastr (9:59:47 PM): #She's awake. Don't barge in here, she's relatively calm at the moment and a rush of people might upset her.#
CirclMastr (9:59:59 PM): "Is everything okay?"
Thematrian1 (10:00:03 PM): #Check. Let us know when you think it's ok.#
CirclMastr (10:00:32 PM): #Is your astral vision thing on? If this girl turns out to be magical I'd like to know it.#
Umbrafer (10:01:19 PM): She opens her mouth for a second, but then closes it again and remains silent.
CirclMastr (10:01:33 PM): "It's okay, I don't want to hurt you or anything."
Thematrian1 (10:01:51 PM): #It is, but I have to be physically present.#
CirclMastr (10:02:17 PM): (Gah, brb, dinner)
Umbrafer (10:02:49 PM): The girl continues staring at the ceiling. She blinks a few times.
MilesMk1 (10:03:10 PM): (Well, I think one of us needs to go in, now, unless we're just going to wait for dinner to finish.)
MilesMk1 (10:03:17 PM): (I vote for Gem.)
Umbrafer (10:03:50 PM): (Also let me know if there's anything else you're looking for as you dig through her personal life0
Umbrafer (10:03:52 PM): *)
Thematrian1 (10:03:54 PM): (His dinners are fast...still, I can probably mnage to look non-threatening)
Umbrafer (10:04:13 PM): (That's what Friendly Face is for. You've got that one, right?)
Thematrian1 (10:04:16 PM): #Anything you'd like to know from her computer? I've got it all on my deck, but there's not a lot there#
Thematrian1 (10:04:49 PM): (Nein. But I have the rest of the package, and her Intelligence can't be that high...)
Umbrafer (10:05:12 PM): (Ah, I knew there was something you didn't have.)
Thematrian1 (10:05:29 PM): (I'm missing Friends in High Places, too. Stupid Edge limit)
Thematrian1 (10:05:32 PM): (Anyway)
Thematrian1 (10:05:56 PM): "Hi, sweetie. You feeling all right?"
Umbrafer (10:05:56 PM): (Oh, man, that was the problem? You should have asked me, I just review things a bit more carefully when they're above that limit)
Thematrian1 (10:06:10 PM): I'm going for "maternal and soothing".
Thematrian1 (10:06:13 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 5 4 5 5 1
Thematrian1 (10:06:27 PM): (Really? Doh)
Thematrian1 (10:07:06 PM): (Well, the next time I build a Social Non-Adept...)
Umbrafer (10:07:10 PM): You enter to find the girl staring at the ceiling. She glances at you briefly. Are you astrally perceiving?
Thematrian1 (10:07:16 PM): Yes.
Umbrafer (10:07:33 PM): (Well, since SotA:64 is liber non grata, there are a lot of good reasons to go non-Adept when building Social)
MilesMk1 (10:07:36 PM): #Nah, maybe later. For now, figure out if she's dangerous.#
Thematrian1 (10:08:03 PM): #Oh really now, she's ten. Even we weren't dangerous at ten.#
Umbrafer (10:08:08 PM): (Anyway, with appropriate justification you can grow a Friendly Face. Well, that and lots of karma.)
Thematrian1 (10:08:26 PM): (20, yes? I think I even have that up)
Umbrafer (10:08:52 PM): (Yeah, I think so. 10x BP cost)
Umbrafer (10:09:36 PM): (There's no explanation in the rules for how it happens, but canon has had several young Awakened first manifest their powers by doing things like Powerbolting or Fireballing other children in times of stress.)
Umbrafer (10:10:05 PM): (Low Force, of course, but when the target is 10 years old, you don't need much.)
Thematrian1 (10:10:11 PM): (...oh. I see)
Umbrafer (10:10:37 PM): Anyway. Roll Perception.
Thematrian1 (10:10:45 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 2 1 6 6 3
Thematrian1 (10:10:48 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 2 6
Thematrian1 (10:10:51 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 5
Umbrafer (10:11:35 PM): You just catch a glimpse of it as you enter the room, but you're pretty sure that for a second there the girl was astrally active. When she looks over at you, she suddenly no longer is.
Umbrafer (10:11:47 PM): She blinks.
Thematrian1 (10:11:52 PM): #Strike that. She's a mage.#
Thematrian1 (10:11:58 PM): "Yeah, me too."
Thematrian1 (10:12:11 PM): Since we're watching each other, I'll assense.
Thematrian1 (10:12:14 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 6 6 6 2 2
Thematrian1 (10:12:17 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 3 6-sided dice: 1 2 6
Thematrian1 (10:12:20 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 3
Thematrian1 (10:15:14 PM): #And she's got a bad case of the weirds.#
Thematrian1 (10:16:20 PM): #Doesn't appear to be injured, though she's got some kind of mild heart condition.#
Thematrian1 (10:16:25 PM): I nod. "Under the circumstances, I don't blame you. Are you hungry?"
MilesMk1 (10:17:03 PM): #The weirds?#
Umbrafer (10:17:41 PM): She looks sorta through you for a few seconds, then her stomach growls. She nods, then sits up.
Thematrian1 (10:17:43 PM): #Her emotions are all over the map: fear, resignation, anger, and then this really disturbing blankness.#
Thematrian1 (10:19:17 PM): I leave her with Hound and go find something semi-healthy and semi-breakfasty
Thematrian1 (10:19:50 PM): #Oh, and ther eare some spells on her. Presumably not cast by Mystery Lady, 'cause she's out of it.#
MilesMk1 (10:19:50 PM): #Ah. Well, can I do anything?#
Thematrian1 (10:19:54 PM): #Real important to somebody.#
Thematrian1 (10:20:13 PM): #For now, help me find food. Also, take my deck and investigate anything that strikes your fancy.#
MilesMk1 (10:20:58 PM): #Hmm.#
MilesMk1 (10:21:06 PM): *helps look for food*
Umbrafer (10:21:19 PM): You find… toast.
Thematrian1 (10:21:33 PM): #I guess the spells probablyren't active any more.#
CirclMastr (10:21:35 PM): (Back)
MilesMk1 (10:21:59 PM): #You know, I probably still have some granola bars and stuff left from the trip. I packed like I was a yuppied from Seattle heading for rock climbing...#
Thematrian1 (10:22:04 PM): (We're finding food for her. She's all yours. Also, what do you have that's semi-healthy?)
MilesMk1 (10:22:06 PM): *yuppie
CirclMastr (10:22:12 PM): (Cereal)
Thematrian1 (10:22:15 PM): #Those will do nicely.#
MilesMk1 (10:22:18 PM): *for a rock climbing trip
MilesMk1 (10:22:24 PM): *hands over a couple of bars*
Umbrafer (10:22:25 PM): Well, you probably didn't find toast
CirclMastr (10:22:27 PM): (What'd I miss?)
Umbrafer (10:22:30 PM): You might have found bread and a toaster
Thematrian1 (10:22:42 PM): (Scroll up for the details, but she's magical and very odd emotionally)
Thematrian1 (10:22:53 PM): (And she hasn't said anything yet)
CirclMastr (10:22:54 PM): (Odd?)
Thematrian1 (10:22:56 PM): (And she's hungry)
MilesMk1 (10:23:03 PM): #See? They say "healthy" on the wrapper. I think I have some energy drinks, too, but those might be a bad idea?#
CirclMastr (10:23:17 PM): #No energy drinks#
MilesMk1 (10:23:22 PM): (So you were just having a one-sided conversation?)
Thematrian1 (10:23:29 PM): (Yeah)
CirclMastr (10:23:37 PM): #I've got cereal in the cupboard by the fridge#
Thematrian1 (10:23:46 PM): (I was trying to give the impression that I'm in tune with her emotions, and so can answer her thoughts.)
Thematrian1 (10:24:05 PM): (No telepathic contact, more's the pity)
MilesMk1 (10:24:08 PM): (Ah. I figured that might be it but wasn't sure, thought maybe I just wasn't hearing her end.)
CirclMastr (10:24:14 PM): Hound tries touching her arm. "What's your name, dear? My name's Hound."
Umbrafer (10:25:39 PM): At first she doesn't react, then she flinches away the better part of a second after you touched her. Her briefly frightened expression goes blank again. "Maya."
CirclMastr (10:26:05 PM): "That's a nice name, Maya. Do you know what happened?"
Umbrafer (10:26:19 PM): A few seconds pass. She shakes her head.
Thematrian1 (10:26:21 PM): #Split personality? Magical semi-possession? It's too early to tell.#
Umbrafer (10:26:29 PM): (What kind of cereal? Aztech-Os? Ares Flakes? Saeder Apple Cinnamon Bites?)
CirclMastr (10:26:51 PM): "What's the last thing you remember?"
CirclMastr (10:27:25 PM): (Raisin Bran, most likely.)
circlmastr has left the chat room.

circlmastr has entered the chat room.

Umbrafer (10:29:19 PM): She twitches briefly, then shrinks back against the wall.
Thematrian1 (10:29:42 PM): #Let us know when you want us back with the food#
circlmastr (10:29:54 PM): "What's wrong, Maya?"
Thematrian1 (10:30:07 PM): (Raisin bran and some granola bars. Not too exciting, but probably best right now.)
Umbrafer (10:30:28 PM): She's shaking slightly. She doesn't respond.
circlmastr (10:30:49 PM): Hound tries moving closer, tentatively.
Umbrafer (10:31:05 PM): This does not calm her.
Umbrafer (10:31:42 PM): Suddenly, she stops shaking. She doesn't respond, though—just stares blankly ahead.
circlmastr (10:31:43 PM): He moves back again, then. "It's okay Maya. I just want to help you." #She sure seems scared.#
circlmastr (10:31:53 PM): "Uh... Maya?"
MilesMk1 (10:31:56 PM): #Is it because of something you're doing?#
Umbrafer (10:31:58 PM): Move that after your last action.
Thematrian1 (10:31:59 PM): #How about a distraction, then?#
MilesMk1 (10:32:08 PM): (Did you just make her catatonic?)
circlmastr (10:32:36 PM): (If touching her didn't, I don't see why moving closer would.)
circlmastr (10:32:51 PM): "Maya? What is it?"
Thematrian1 (10:32:57 PM): (It's probably more of whatever I saw in her)
Thematrian1 (10:33:09 PM): (Split personality or possessing spirit? Those are always fun)
Umbrafer (10:33:26 PM): She doesn't respond.
circlmastr (10:33:47 PM): Hound tries touching her again.
Umbrafer (10:34:02 PM): Oddly enough, still no response.
circlmastr (10:34:14 PM): #Uh, Gem, better get in here.#
Thematrian1 (10:34:19 PM): #Check#
Thematrian1 (10:34:34 PM): I enter, with three bowls of raisin bran.
Umbrafer (10:34:47 PM): Still perceiving?
Thematrian1 (10:34:47 PM): #Eat up, it'll encourage her#
Thematrian1 (10:34:50 PM): Yep
circlmastr (10:35:00 PM): Hound takes a bowl and starts eating.
Thematrian1 (10:35:51 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 5 2 6 6 2 3
Thematrian1 (10:35:53 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 3 1
Thematrian1 (10:36:08 PM): #Hm. What happened right before she did this?#
circlmastr (10:36:40 PM): #She moved back into the corner, and I tried getting closer.#
Thematrian1 (10:36:41 PM): #Whatever happened, she's terrified now.#
Thematrian1 (10:36:46 PM): #Thanks#
Thematrian1 (10:36:58 PM): I set the cereal in front of her, then sit well back to eat mine.
circlmastr (10:37:02 PM): #Why would she be terrified of me getting closer but not touching her?#
circlmastr (10:37:38 PM): Hound sits by Gem and eats.
Thematrian1 (10:37:50 PM): #Probably the pressure built until she couldn't stand it. The first time was like getting shot; she survived it, but getting shot again, even gently, put her out.#
circlmastr (10:38:09 PM): #Great.#
Thematrian1 (10:38:10 PM): #Did you ever feed birds when you were little?#
circlmastr (10:38:41 PM): #Nope.#
Thematrian1 (10:39:00 PM): #Oh. Well, I think this is going to be a lot like that.#
Thematrian1 (10:39:09 PM): #Do you have a way to monitor this room without anyone being here?#
MilesMk1 (10:39:15 PM): #Oh, god... What, you think she's the one 10 year old who didn't get the standard lecture about not letting strange men touch you?#
circlmastr (10:39:26 PM): #Uh, I could use a spider.#
circlmastr (10:39:35 PM): #Har-fucking-har.#
Thematrian1 (10:39:50 PM): #That'll do. Once we've finished eating, we'll withdraw.#
Thematrian1 (10:40:13 PM): #That's a good point. Maya Rule 1, at least for now, is going to have to be "no touching"#
MilesMk1 (10:40:31 PM): #...you know, it also occurrs to me that if we want her to feel better, we might actually want to start talking, instead of just hovering like evil spirits, communicating soundlessly and staring?#
Thematrian1 (10:40:53 PM): #I'm eating, and so's he. It's cool.#
Thematrian1 (10:40:59 PM): She's ignoring the food?
Umbrafer (10:41:11 PM): Thus far. She's still staring blankly.
MilesMk1 (10:41:31 PM): #Fine, but I still think transduced comm looks kind of creepy.#
MilesMk1 (10:41:52 PM): *gets himself a bowl of cereal and eats like a pig, including slurping the milk*
Umbrafer (10:41:55 PM): After another minute or so, she starts shaking slightly, and she lowers her head.
Thematrian1 (10:42:12 PM): I'll stay astral, but I won't study her.
Thematrian1 (10:42:18 PM): "It really is good."
Thematrian1 (10:42:30 PM): "I don't know about you, but I haven't had anything since lunch."
circlmastr (10:42:33 PM): "Yup, I spring for real food."
MilesMk1 (10:42:33 PM): "What do they put in there as prizes, these days?"
Thematrian1 (10:42:37 PM): It's...almost dawn now, isn't it?
circlmastr (10:42:53 PM): "Discs with little cartoons and stuff."
Umbrafer (10:43:02 PM): About 4:20 AM. I'm not sure what time dawn is in Seattle in early July, but it's probably less than an hour away.
circlmastr (10:43:05 PM): I got the impression it was barely after midnight
MilesMk1 (10:43:11 PM): *chew, slurp*
Thematrian1 (10:43:22 PM): It used to be, but we had to drive home.
Umbrafer (10:43:42 PM): Yeah. About an hour and a half just to get back to Seattle.
Umbrafer (10:43:54 PM): Then doctor-negotiating, etc.
circlmastr (10:44:35 PM): "I wonder what cartoons are showing on the satellite trid stations..."
MilesMk1 (10:44:47 PM): *goes over to check*
Thematrian1 (10:44:48 PM): Any response?
MilesMk1 (10:45:09 PM): *takes a look at her PDA first to see if the theme offers any clues to her cartoon preferences*
Umbrafer (10:45:14 PM): She hasn't said anything, but she pulled the bowl of cereal towards herself. Hasn't done anything with it yet, though.
Umbrafer (10:45:18 PM): Hm.
MilesMk1 (10:46:01 PM): (I don't take out her PDA and fiddle with it, just glance at it)
Umbrafer (10:46:21 PM): (Yeah, I figured, I'm just trying to think what her cartoon preferences might be)
Thematrian1 (10:46:25 PM): (I have all her files on my deck, if you're up for some sneaking and spying)
Umbrafer (10:46:27 PM): (It's not something I'd thought to consider)
Thematrian1 (10:46:44 PM): (I mean, I know you usually don't go in for that sort of thing)
MilesMk1 (10:47:21 PM): I can just give her her space, and sit down with my cereal and flip through channels, with the volume loud enough so she can hear - waiting for a reaction...
circlmastr (10:48:07 PM): (Gotta love the 205x equivalent of Cartoon Network)
Thematrian1 (10:48:10 PM): Ah, yeah.
Thematrian1 (10:48:35 PM): Pushing isn't working, we need to back off. Once the cereal's gone, I think we'd better bail.
Umbrafer (10:49:15 PM): She starts paying attention to the screen when the Buster Friendly Show comes on.
circlmastr (10:50:00 PM): "Hey, that's a good show. You want to go watch, Gem?"
MilesMk1 (10:50:05 PM): Ok, I don't look at her, but I'll leave it on.
Thematrian1 (10:50:48 PM): "Yeah, I've had a rough night."
Thematrian1 (10:51:00 PM): To Maya: "Just call out or come get us if you need anything, ok?"
Umbrafer (10:51:30 PM): She doesn't answer, but has started to eat some of the cereal.
circlmastr (10:51:48 PM): Hound heads with Gem to watch the trid on the couch.
Thematrian1 (10:52:04 PM): Victory. Sooner or later, she'll need to come to us to ask where the bathroom is.
Umbrafer (10:52:10 PM): Hehehe
MilesMk1 (10:53:17 PM): *Concentrates on his hearing amp and spatial recognizer to keep track of what she's doing without looking. Laughs, but not excessively, if there are any funny bits on TV.*
Thematrian1 (10:53:40 PM): Is it actually something we might enjoy?
circlmastr (10:54:15 PM): I would imagine its target audience is 8-12 year olds.
Umbrafer (10:54:30 PM): It's sorta odd. It's funny, but half the jokes are not the sort you'd expect kids to get.
Thematrian1 (10:54:31 PM): sure, but some cartoons have slyer stuff for the parents, too
MilesMk1 (10:55:19 PM): I'm not doing belly-laughs, or anything. Just the occasional laugh or chuckle. (keeping it natural)
circlmastr (10:55:19 PM): Animaniacs FTW
circlmastr (10:55:32 PM): Hound chuckles as appropriate.
MilesMk1 (10:56:07 PM): I never could stand animaniacs... Those bloated bodies, beady eyes and spindly limbs... they always looked like dead things to me, tormenting unfortunate people, impossible to kill...
circlmastr (10:56:47 PM): You're a blasphemer and must be burned.
Thematrian1 (10:57:04 PM): #Great news, gang; my favorite local fixer has some work for us.#
MilesMk1 (10:57:15 PM): #...yay...#
circlmastr (10:57:29 PM): #As if we weren't already busy enough.#
MilesMk1 (10:57:33 PM): #Does he know any babysitters?#
Thematrian1 (10:58:16 PM): #Right. And probably he does, but who would you trust her with?
Thematrian1 (10:58:38 PM): #Whoever it is asked for me specifically, so I admit I'm curious.#
Thematrian1 (10:58:45 PM): #It might even be related, though that's a lot to hope for.#
circlmastr (10:59:12 PM): #Can you go to the meet tentatively, just see what the deal is without accepting the job? I'd prefer not to leave her alone to go work.#
Thematrian1 (10:59:43 PM): #Agreed.#
MilesMk1 (11:01:17 PM): #I wanna check to make sure she has no implanted trackers, but that'll have to wait, since I'm not gonna try getting close to her now.#
Thematrian1 (11:01:37 PM): #There's a nice paranoid thought.#
Thematrian1 (11:02:11 PM): #If you two need some sleep, I can hold fort here. A lot depends on whether miss whosis lives or dies.#
MilesMk1 (11:02:32 PM): #Well... If she's awakened, there's probably nothing, but couldn't they put something, like just under the skin, without messing with her mojo? I don't know...#
MilesMk1 (11:03:12 PM): #I don't need a lot of sleep, but I can crash now, so I can be up and running if anything happens.#
circlmastr (11:03:19 PM): #I'm good for a while at least. And it's my home, after all.#
Thematrian1 (11:03:25 PM): #Fair enough.#
Thematrian1 (11:03:45 PM): I'm ready to skip ahead until A) we hear from surgeon buddy or B) Maya does something interesting
MilesMk1 (11:04:19 PM): *naps*
Umbrafer (11:04:27 PM): *Nods* Well, she does at some point request water and look for a bathroom, but that isn't terrifically interesting unless you make it such.
circlmastr (11:04:59 PM): Hound gets her a glass of water and shows her where the bathroom is. Without touching her.
Thematrian1 (11:05:13 PM): Hadn't planned on it. The big step is that she comes to us and talks.
Umbrafer (11:05:44 PM): Well, she did that first thing on waking up. She's no more eloquent now than she was then, but it's still communication of a sort.
Thematrian1 (11:06:12 PM): Well, it'll do.
MilesMk1 (11:06:40 PM): I think our strategy ough to be - as exciting as this sounds - to bore her into relaxing.
MilesMk1 (11:06:59 PM): Oh, and let's make sure none of us tune in to news coverage of the train crash by accident, in the morning...
Thematrian1 (11:07:20 PM): Yeah. Yeah, I like that plan. Unglamorous, but effective
Umbrafer (11:08:12 PM): Maya reacts to Hound's assistance with an odd mix of mild gratitude, mild alarm, and emotionlessness. Then again, the latter two seem to be major features of just about everything she's done thus far, so maybe it's progress.
Umbrafer (11:08:56 PM): She eventually ends up huddled in the bed she woke up in, apparently trying to sleep. She shuts the door tightly, and then spends about twenty minutes turning the light off and on in about two-minute intervals, judging by what you c
Umbrafer (11:08:58 PM): can see under the door.
circlmastr (11:09:13 PM): Hound doesn't disturb her.
Thematrian1 (11:09:41 PM): Does that room have any exterior windows?
Thematrian1 (11:09:47 PM): ventilation ducts, whatever?
MilesMk1 (11:10:00 PM): #Got any night-lights, Hound?#
Umbrafer (11:10:12 PM): I'm assuming yes, since houses usually get the choice to not put bedrooms in windowless areas
Umbrafer (11:10:34 PM): (The sky has brightened noticably by the time the exercise is complete)
circlmastr (11:10:44 PM): If she tried to escape out the window, the alarm would go off, I'd imagine.
Thematrian1 (11:10:51 PM): oh, ok
circlmastr (11:11:25 PM): Hound digs out an old nightlight and goes to Maya's door. "Maya? Would you like a nightlight?"
MilesMk1 (11:11:49 PM): #Just tell her you're leaving it by the door.#
Umbrafer (11:12:07 PM): There's no response. The light inside is on, but it has been for several minutes now.
circlmastr (11:12:15 PM): "I can leave a nightlight by the door for you, if you want."
Umbrafer (11:12:47 PM): Silence looms.
Umbrafer (11:13:06 PM): Or possibly reigns
Umbrafer (11:13:11 PM): Exists, at least.
circlmastr (11:13:13 PM): "I'll just leave the nightlight here for you." *sets it on the floor by the door, then goes back to the couch*
Umbrafer (11:13:18 PM): Done.
Thematrian1 (11:13:26 PM): Ok then, back to Operation Hang Around
Umbrafer (11:13:48 PM): At 8:37 AM, Glitch gets a call from Nic.
circlmastr (11:13:52 PM): Hound gets himself a carbonated, caffeinated beverage on the way back to the couch.
Umbrafer (11:14:08 PM): Wait, no, make that 9:37. I forgot travel time myself.
MilesMk1 (11:14:33 PM): *answers* "Hmph... Yes?"
Umbrafer (11:15:17 PM): "Good news is, the woman will live if you want her to."
Thematrian1 (11:15:54 PM): (Yes! Yes! Goodbye dark hints and obscurity, hello knowledgable person who owes us one!)
Umbrafer (11:16:31 PM): "Bad news is, she's in rough shape. Serious brain damage, right leg gone, right eye gone, left ear pretty much shot… it's your call."
Thematrian1 (11:16:43 PM): (Oh. "Live")
circlmastr (11:17:01 PM): (Extent of brain damage being what?)
MilesMk1 (11:18:25 PM): "Ugh. How bad is the brain damage? Does it look like she has any chance of holding on to her mental faculties?"
MilesMk1 (11:18:51 PM): "Oh, and thanks. Sounds like it was one hell of a night on your end."
Umbrafer (11:19:35 PM): "She's got a chance. At minimum, I think she'll be able to feed and dress herself. She'll be permanently impaired, but if the stars are right she might even be able to function pretty normally."
Thematrian1 (11:20:10 PM): (Hi, dark hints and obscurity)
circlmastr (11:20:30 PM): (Heh)
Umbrafer (11:21:08 PM): "Damn mages are tough to fix. Wiz-doc says she'll be permanently impaired there, too, but ask him if you want more about that."
Umbrafer (11:22:35 PM): "So anyway, she's stable now. Come down anytime today and we can talk about whether you want me to keep looking after her."
MilesMk1 (11:22:57 PM): "That sounds good. I need to do some hard thinking, here, but I'll be over sometime today."
MilesMk1 (11:23:03 PM): "Thanks again."
MilesMk1 (11:23:12 PM): *relays what he's learned to the others*
Umbrafer (11:23:22 PM): "Oh, and… you probably know this, but Wizdoc said she had some big mojo on her."
Umbrafer (11:23:41 PM): "Biggest he'd seen. Just keep it in mind."
MilesMk1 (11:24:11 PM): "Well, there was something keeping her going despite all the injuries, for a while... Food for thought."
MilesMk1 (11:24:22 PM): *relays some more, apparently*
circlmastr (11:24:48 PM): "What's the damage?"
MilesMk1 (11:25:27 PM): "Lost an arm, a leg, some kind of loss in the magical department... and of course, the brain damage."
Umbrafer (11:25:54 PM): (An eye, actually. Both arms are somehow still attached.)
MilesMk1 (11:26:02 PM): "Though I suppose "at worst, she'll be able to dress and feed herself" is actually pretty damn optimistic, coming from a surgeon this early on."
MilesMk1 (11:26:07 PM): Make that an eye, then.
circlmastr (11:26:16 PM): "I mean, what's he charging for keeping her alive, and additional cost for fixing her as best he can?"
MilesMk1 (11:26:22 PM): "Oh."
MilesMk1 (11:26:25 PM): Good question.
Umbrafer (11:27:20 PM): You'd negotiated a ~¥1,700 fee for him to do what he did right up until the phone call. He didn't talk payment then and there, so she must be stable enough that he's not spending significant resources on her between now and when you
Umbrafer (11:27:30 PM): when you end up talking to him later.
Umbrafer (11:28:11 PM): Gem handled that negotiation after you left last week, so the nuyen may have already been deducted.
MilesMk1 (11:28:39 PM): "I think we're good at least until I go talk to him,"
Thematrian1 (11:28:43 PM): Yeah
Umbrafer (11:30:33 PM): Final actions?
circlmastr (11:30:35 PM): "I think as long as it's under ten grand, we can swing it. We're most worried about brain function, after all. We don't need to worry about paying for vat-grown limbs for her."
Umbrafer (11:31:18 PM): (To be clear on that, you can carry on as much as you want with the discussion on what to do about the woman. I'm ending the session after this "scene", though)
Thematrian1 (11:32:00 PM): (Yeah. We're all a bit sleepy, I think)
MilesMk1 (11:32:20 PM): "I'm inclined to give her at least a few days - there's definitely something unusual going on here, so I don't think it'd be a good idea to write her off just yet."
circlmastr (11:32:23 PM): (I'm not, I was just perpetually hounded by my dad)
Umbrafer (11:32:36 PM): (It's also three hours earlier for you.)
circlmastr (11:32:49 PM): (That's not my fault.)
MilesMk1 (11:33:23 PM): (Sure it is. Where you live is your choice. :))
Umbrafer (11:33:30 PM): (Yes it is. You could have covered the earth in a light-producing dome that would provide the same time for everyone.)
Umbrafer (11:33:33 PM): (Or that.)
Umbrafer (11:34:06 PM): (Dome, sphere, same idea)
circlmastr (11:34:30 PM): (Actually it's my parents choice where I live)
Umbrafer (11:34:58 PM): (Not at all. You could choose to live on the streets of any city you care to name. That's not precisely a /good/ choice, but it exists.)
Umbrafer (11:35:40 PM): (The secret to empowerment is to realize that you don't just have one option, you have one option and a bunch of other options that are all bad)
circlmastr (11:35:42 PM): (I'm not walking to Arizona.)
Umbrafer (11:37:13 PM): Anyway. Anything else?
MilesMk1 (11:37:20 PM): Ok, so I guess that's it?
Umbrafer (11:37:38 PM): Next week: new jobs, medical care, possibly nightmares.
MilesMk1 (11:37:40 PM): (I should go get some sleep, even if it is 8:30 in other parts of the country...)
Umbrafer (11:37:43 PM): Same bat time, same bat channel.
MilesMk1 (11:37:48 PM): (Nightmares?)
MilesMk1 (11:37:59 PM): (Never mind, I'll wait till next week to find out.)
MilesMk1 (11:38:07 PM): Goodnight/
MilesMk1 has left the chat room.

Thematrian1 (11:38:53 PM): sleep well, gang
Thematrian1 has left the chat room.

Umbrafer (11:39:01 PM): *Waves*
Chat room exited at 5/31/07 11:39:03 PM.